#girl up mirra

[girlupmirra]

Quer participar de um movimento de meninas que lutam pela igualdade de gênero e cidadania apoiado pela ONU?

O Girl Up é um movimento da Fundação das Nações Unidas que apoia e financia programas da ONU voltados para meninas adolescentes.

Atravéz de Girl Up Clubs espalhados pelo mundo, treinamos e reunimos meninas globalmente para que elas liderem a luta pela igualdade de gênero e pela cidadania.

Somos um movimento de meninas e para meninas. Ao garantir o protagonismo juvenil feminino, garantimos que as meninas exerçam seu direito de se engajar nas decisões que as impactam.

O Girl Up Mirra é o clube Girl UP sediado em Passo Fundo-RS. Nossa missão é unir a comunidade e em 2022, em parceria com o Girl UP Brasil, estamos envolvidas em 3 campanhas!

1. Livre Para Menstruar

Educação Menstrual

Combate a Pobreza Menstrual

Doação de absorventes descartáveis

2. Amazônia de Pé

Educação Ambiental

Coleta de assinaturas para o Projeto de Lei de Iniciativa Popular Amazônia de Pé

3. Livre de Violência

Educação sobre cuidado e prevenção

Um lugar seguro para meninas e mulheres compartilharem a própria história

Nossas ações são limitadas, pois ainda somos um grupo pequeno de meninas em Passo Fundo, mas nossa força e resistência são grandes!

Quer se tornar uma líder também? Entre em contato com a gente por qualquer uma das nossas redes ~ @girlupmirra

Quer acompanhar nossos feitos e novidades da comunidade girl up? Chama a gente pra entrar no nosso grupo do zap!

[coffeecat1983]

Always Have Been (Mario movie AU fic)

(Language, trigger warning for a slur used, Transgender Mario)

      In a small Italian coffeeshop and bar in Brooklyn, a birthday party was winding down. Remains of cake and ice cream sat forgotten on red and green paper plates. Seated at the head of the table, Marianna and Giovanni sat together. He had his arm around her as she leaned against his shoulder. Picking up his wineglass, he sighed.      "Now that was a sixteenth birthday party." he chuckled. He took a sip then raised his glass towards the bar. "Tony! Good call on the wine!"    His younger brother looked up from checking the bar's stock and grinned at him, giving a wave. Marianna sat upright and reached for her own glass. "Did you enjoy the party, sweetheart?" she said. Luigi looked up from new video game he had gotten.      "Yeah! Thanks Ma, Dad. This was great!"    Marianna looked around. "Where's your sister gotten off to?"      "Oh, he-eerm, she, she wanted some fresh air. I think she went upstairs for a bit." Arthur, who was behind the main counter, was listening in. He caught the odd sound in Luigi's reply. He knew that tone, that sound of hiding something. He'd used it God knew how many times as a teen himself. Marianna sighed. "Oh, not the roof again, she'll ruin her dress up there."      "I'll go see what she's up to," Arthur quickly volunteered. Before anyone could say anything, he was in the kitchen and heading for the roof of the three-story building. Pushing open the creaking rooftop door, he looked around. Traffic passed on the street below, along with the mixed sounds of the city. Underneath it all, he heard soft crying from nearby. Making his way past the air conditioners, he found the source of the sound.      "Mirra? Hey." he said gently, sitting beside his niece. He saw she had changed from her party dress into red pajama pants and was wearing her baggy red hoodie. She sniffled, quickly wiping her eyes.      "H-Hey, Uncle Art."    He put his arm out and Mirra scooted over, leaning against his side as he gave her a sideways hug. Both were quiet for a while.      "Not exactly a breathtaking view," Arthur spoke up. The little building was connected to other various shops with apartments on the middle and upper floors, and taller buildings were spread out around them, blocking the views. The apartment rooftops were littered with clotheslines, air conditioning units, small water towers and various other paraphernalia of city life. Mirra giggled softly at his little joke, the blue eyes she shared with her twin sparkling in the soft light.      "There's my Firefly's smile," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "What's on your mind? You left the party without saying anything."    Moving so she was facing him, Mirra drew her legs up again. "Uncle Art, you always said I can tell you anything."    He gave a nod, so she continued. "Can you keep a secret?" Arthur couldn't help it, he smiled. "Kid, I kept your Uncle Tony's secret for years until he was ready to talk about it. I can keep yours, too."      "I remember when Uncle Tony told his secret." Mirra said softly.

   The family had gathered in the top floor apartment's living room after Sunday dinner. Tony had said he had something he wanted to talk about. While Marianna and Papa Salvatore took the news well, Giovanni didn't. There were a lot of heated words that night and Marianna had quickly ushered the two kids off to their room. It was true things had been smoothed over, after a lot of talking, but Mirra had never seen her Uncle Tony cry before, and the hurt look in his eyes at her father's angry words had haunted her.      "I'm afraid Ma and Dad will hate me. I, I don't," she sighed, closing her eyes and gathering her courage, "I don't think I'm a girl!" she blurted out as tears started falling. She waited for him to yell, scold her, tell her she was crazy. Cracking an eye open, she saw he instead had an understanding look on his face.      "Firefly, you feel more like a boy, don't you?" A sob made her shake. "I feel like I'm crazy!"    He put his arms out. "C'mere kid." He pulled her close in a warm hug. "You're not crazy, not at all."      "Then what am I?" she wept. "I hate wearing dresses, I hate my hair. Ma wants me to get my ears pierced and I don't want to! I don't want makeup or any of that! I want to be like Lu so much it hurts!"      "My little Firefly, you're not alone. I have friends like you, and they have a name for that." Mirra's eyes grew wide as Arthur explained.      "I, I'm not crazy?" she breathed.      "Not in the least, kid." She picked at some fluff on her pajama pants. Arthur folded his arms, thinking.      "What if I take you shopping tomorrow? You can pick out some clothes from the boy's section. And a haircut, any style you want."    Mirra stared at him. "R-Really? But what about Ma, and Dad?" Arthur smirked. "Don't sweat it, I'll handle that side of things. I promise."

The next evening...      "Arthur, what were you thinking?" Giovanni nearly snapped. "Letting her cut her hair so short! And boys' clothes? Really?"    Tony stayed quiet, keeping an eye on his younger twin. He had seen that defiant look on his face before, the night Tony had come out to the family.      "For cryin' out loud, it's not a big deal. It makes the kid happy, so let her be happy!" Arthur bristled, ready to defend further if he needed to. Giovanni opened his mouth to argue back but stopped when Marianna placed a hand on his shoulder.      "He's right." she said softly, "As long as Mirra is happy, we should be, too." Giovanni groaned and walked off towards the little kitchen. Marianna shook her head before glancing over at her children. They were seated at one of the booths, laughing and chattering as they played their handheld video games together.      "Mar, I know it's different," Arthur started to explain, "but she really wanted a haircut and I mean, c'mon, kid's got me wrapped around her little finger."    Marianna just sighed. "It's all right, Arthur." She looked over at them again. "You know, I always wondered about something when I was pregnant with them." She turned away. "Let me go get Gio calmed down."    As she left, Tony came over and sat by his twin. They watched the teens play for a while.       "Art?"      "Yeah?"      "This isn't gonna be pretty, is it?"    Arthur sighed, rubbing his head. "Nope. Brace yourself bro, this isn't gonna be a smooth ride at all."      "Well, shit."      "Yup."

5 years later...    The yellow van pulled up along the back of the coffee shop and the doors popped open. A tall, young man dressed in a green, short sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans got out of the passenger side. From the driver's side, another man dressed in a similar outfit, only with a red shirt and lighter blue jeans. Opening the back of the van, Mario pulled out one of the boxes.      "Yeesh, baking supplies for Ma are always so heavy." he said. Luigi grabbed another box.      "Yeah, but man are they worth it!" Luigi said.    The two carried the supplies into the little kitchen. "Ma! We're back!" Mario called out. Marianna came in from the main dining area.      "My boys!" she gushed as they set the boxes aside. She gave each several kisses on the cheek. "Thanks for getting those, I'm making cupcakes tomorrow and was almost out of ingredients."      "I'll take two chocolate ones as payment!" Luigi called over his shoulder as he went back outside. Mario chuckled and went to follow him, but Marianna grabbed his hand.      "Are you sure you should be lifting heavy boxes, sweetheart?" she asked worriedly.    Mario squeezed her hand. "It's okay Ma, it's been four months since the surgery, the doc said I could handle it now. I'll be careful, I promise." Marianna kissed his cheek again. "My handsome man, I just want you to be safe." Going back outside, Mario went to get the next box when someone spoke.      "Hi, Mario." Mario nearly fell out of the van, scrambling to jump out. "Peach! I, uh, hey!" he said, flustered. "H-How are you?"    Luigi hid by the side of the van, watching with a smirk. Peach worked with her grandma in the clothing shop that was next door and she and Mario had been talking for a while now. Luigi had kept after him to ask her out, but Mario always grew tongue-tied at the thought.      "I'm good," Peach seemed to be nearly as shy about talking as Mario was. "I just wanted to say hi since I'm on my break."      "Do it," Luigi hissed at his bro. Mario swallowed hard, tugging at his shirt.      "Peach, would, would you like to maybe see a movie with me this Friday?" he blurted out.    Peach's eyes lit up. "I'd love to! Maybe we could-" she stopped as an engine revved and a black motorcycle pulled up. Seated on it was a burly man in black leather pants and jacket, wearing sunglasses. Spike worked with the construction crew that was repairing a building down the street from the shops and he had gone to high school with Mario and Luigi, back when Mario was still Mirra.      "Peachy! Babe!" he grinned. "Just who I wanted to see. You and me, a date this Friday. Whadda ya say?"    Peach stepped away from him and towards Mario. "Sorry Spike, I've already made plans with Mario."    Spike scoffed. "Plans, with that thing? It's not even a real man!" Mario had to grab Luigi as his brother flew forward, fists at the ready. "Say that again you stupid fuck!" Luigi spat out.      "Lu, Lu it's okay!" Mario urged. Spike laughed, revving the bike again.      "Whatever, your loss, babe! Enjoy the dickless freakshow!" He laughed again as he took off. Luigi was fuming. "Show his face again..." he muttered "I'll kill him!"      "C'mon Lu, take five, would ya?" Mario urged. "It's okay, I swear." Still snarling, Luigi grabbed another box and stomped back into the kitchen. Mario pulled his hat off, his shoulders slumped. "Peach, I'm sorry, I, um... I mean if you don't want to go Friday, I'd understand."    Peach came over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you Friday." she said with a smile. Mario turned nearly as red as his shirt.      "S-See you then." he mumbled as she headed back to her store. Taking another box, he practically floated into the kitchen.

   That evening the bell over the door rang. Mario was in the kitchen, and he heard his father exclaim happily as he greeted the customers.      "Cranky you old nutjob! It's been ages, how the hell are you?" Giovanni eagerly greeted his old friend. "What's with the beard, you look like father time!"      "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Gio, you're getting a gut yourself. The sight makes me wish I hadn't moved back to Brooklyn!" Cranky said teasingly, taking a seat at the counter. A tall, muscular young man sat beside him. Marianna squeaked when she saw him.      "Don't tell me this is DK! You've grown into a fine young man!" she said.    DK grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "It has been a while, hasn't it?" He caught sight of Luigi. "Lu! Holy crap you grew your mustache!" Luigi laughed. "Hey, I always said I would."    DK looked around. "Where's Mirra?"    Tony and Arthur, who were both behind the bar, glanced at each other.      "Oh, shit." Tony muttered. Arthur didn't say anything, just listened. The kitchen door swung open as Mario came out. He hesitated but then came over as Marianna nodded to him.      "Hey, DK," he said softly, "it, it's been a while."    DK blinked. "Mirra?" he then broke into a grin. "Get over here so I can admire that stache, dude!"    His eyes lighting up, Mario leapt over the counter and hugged his old friend. DK looked him over. "Holy shit, man, you look amazing!"      "Thanks, DK."      "Hey, I gotta know. It's not Mirra anymore, right? What name didja take?"      "It's Mario now." DK thought it over. "Mario and Luigi. Yeah, I like it!"

   As they talked, Cranky remained quiet. That is, until Giovanni came over.      "What the hell did you let your daughter do to herself?" he asked.      "I let my son become who he was supposed to be." Giovanni snapped back. "You got a problem with it?"    The coffeeshop fell quiet, everyone feeling the tension in the air. Cranky sniffed.      "Bad enough your brother is gay, now your kid is messed up too. At least Luigi's normal."    Luigi looked down, glad the rainbow socks he was wearing were hidden from sight.      "Get out." Giovanni pointed to the door. "DK can stay, but you, get out. And don't you dare come back in here. Ever." Cranky just shrugged. "Fine. C'mon son."      "No." DK said softly.      "What?" Cranky looked surprised. DK stood up. "I want to see my friends. I'm staying." Letting out a sound of disgust, Cranky left, calling out "Don't stay out too late!"    Running a hand over his face, DK signed. "Mario, I'm sorry he- Mario?" In the tension, Mario had vanished. Arthur came out from behind the bar and went towards the kitchen with Luigi following him. "Uncle Art, I," he paused, "I don't know what to do."    Arthur glanced over his shoulder. "You go catch up with DK. Don't worry about your brother, I got this."    Heading upstairs, he stopped off at the second-floor apartment before continuing to the roof. Opening the door, he walked out and looked around. It seemed empty. Going around the A/C units, he felt his heart sink.      "Oh, kid."    Just like five years ago, Mario was sitting on the roof, legs pulled up tight as he shook with quiet sobs. Arthur sat wordlessly beside him, placing what he had been carrying next to him. He looked out over the view. Besides the construction towards the east, things hadn't changed much over time. Traffic sang on the streets, a siren howling its warning in the distance. Chatter was faint over the air as people went back and forth, each wrapped up in their own lives. Arthur closed his eyes, taking it all in. After a while there was a soft rustle beside him.      "Why am I such a screwup?" Mario asked, his voice low. Arthur opened his eyes but still stayed quiet.      "All I ever wanted was to look like and sound like I felt inside," Mario continued, "but every time it comes up, I make things worse. Coming out to Ma and Dad, I dragged Lu into it."

     "You better stay with your uncles for a while." Giovanni said. Luigi stepped up.      "Then you can kick me out, too."    Giovanni stared at him. "Why would-"      "Because I'm gay, Dad!" Luigi yelled, "And we all know what you think about that after the way you treated Uncle Tony!"

   Mario let out another sob. "This afternoon Lu almost got into it with Spike over me, then dad kicks out his oldest friend, all because of me!" he hid his face. "I'm just a freak."    He looked up, rubbing at his eyes when he heard a *pop* and a soft hiss. Arthur held out a brown bottle. Mario couldn't help it, he let out a soft laugh. "Really?"    Arthur gave a nod. "You're twenty-one, you've had a shit day, you earned it." he said. Mario took a long drink as Arthur opened his own bottle. Taking a drink, he then sighed.      "You didn't drag your brother into anything. He came out that day because he did what he's always done. Stayed by your side and protected you, just like you've done for him. As for getting into a fight, well that's just what siblings do to keep each other safe. You know what I did when someone once called your Uncle Tony a fag?"    Mario shook his head.      "I slugged the hell out of em! Ended up in jail overnight with a black eye of my own." he took another drink. "Thought your dad was gonna kill me. But it was worth it to defend my bro. Now, about Cranky. Look, he's always been stupid fuck."    Mario burst out laughing. "That's what Lu called Spike!" Arthur swept his arms out. "And was he wrong? No!" he laughed along with him. "There's my Firefly's smile."    Mario's laugher died down. "Firefly, you haven't called me that in a long time." he said.      "You're always my Firefly, kid. Always have been, always will be." he sighed, leaning back. Amid the sounds of the city, down on the sidewalk below there was the cry of a baby.      "Your Ma ever tell you about when she found out she was having twins?"      "Just that she and Dad were excited to share the news with you and Uncle Tony."    Arthur hummed. "There's a little bit more to that story. They went back to the doctor after a while to see if you two were boys or girls. The doc said one of each and your Ma asked him to check again, she didn't believe him."    Mario tilted his head, confused. "Why not?"      "She was convinced she was having two boys. Wasn't until you two were almost ready to be born that she accepted she was having a girl."    He put his arm around Mario. "Why do you think it didn't hit her so hard that night?"      "She knew." Mario said softly.      "You're not a freak, not a screwup, kid. Never have been." he picked up his drink and stood. "Now c'mon, you got a friend downstairs who wants to catch up with you." Mario got up, and his eyes lit up. "Oh, right! I gotta tell DK I got a date with Peach!" he eagerly ran for the roof door.    Arthur choked on the beer. "Wait, a date?! What?! Mario wait!" Arthur chased after him. "What's this about a date! Don't you dare spill details without me!"

By "CC"

[hearteyes-for-killmonger]

Deadly Addictions, Part 2

《Previous

Pairing: Ramone × Mirra × Erik

Summary: Mirra's addiction furthers. She meets up with Ramone.

Mirra left the sushi restaurant so abruptly, she hadn't thought to finish her tempura. She was still hungry, and even as she sat on the patio of Garrett Co. Winery with a glass of red wine and a charcuterie board of smoked meat slices, rich cheeses, olives, seeds, and pickled slaw.. in the full vibrancy of a beautifully airy autumn day.. she was genuinely disappointed in herself for running away. She did like Ramone. She liked him a lot, but the fact remained that she didn't need some puppy who would follow and cling to her. She didn't want to caretake, nurture, or be held accountable. She only wanted to be physically overwhelmed, slutted out, and put into submission.

A random video suddenly came through snapchat and though Ramone was on her mind, the video was not from him. It was from some guy she hadn't seen or thought of since high school. Not even then had she given him a thought. It seemed that out of the blue he'd sent her a video of himself masturbating, no hello or how are you. He was stroking his dick up close to the camera.

If she weren't in adult film she'd think he had the wrong person. They weren't friends nor had they ever said a word to each other and the last thing anyone seemed to remember about her was that she was the shy girl with glasses and bad acne. She loved to let the guys from her youth know there wasn't any acne now and she was VERY bold.

But he'd obviously seen her content and he'd just subscribed to her OnlyFans. He sent her a link to a popular anal video she'd made at age 21. That was the one he was jerking to as he wrote to her about how turned on he was and what he was doing to himself, stroking his dick and rubbing on his balls wishing she was there to give him head. What a way to start a first conversation.

His initial clip was basic to Mirra, his dick wasn't more than 5 inches hard if she were generous, but he presented it and rubbed it downward like he was soothing the lockness monster. She wasn't turned on at all until he began to describe in great detail the things he could do with just his tongue.

"I can wrap my tongue around that lil clit and squeeze till it pop."

Total cap. Still, the picture he painted with his words was interesting enough to capture her curiosity. She snapchatted him some video encouragement where she lowered her voice and whispered to him encouraging him to "jack that dick, baby" as she played with a green olive on the tip of her tongue, begging him to "cum for me and leak every precious drop of cream."

She watched him play and he stopped responding as soon as he came. No thanks or anything. She figured he was like her, experiencing that last nut of clarity. The ice water. Still, he wasn't even her type or cute to be ignoring her after so shamelessly using her like she only existed online and on camera. She was still a person and an ex classmate. Part of her regretted giving him the attention he craved, but the moment passed. At the end of the day, her bills were paid and anyone with something to say about her, they didn't matter.

Her mother always warned her not to mix personal relationships or past history with business. She knew firsthand what being a sex worker was like and advised Mirra to keep her actual sex life separate. "Don't date any man who is addicted to watching porn," she warned. The problem in Mirra's mind was.. what red blooded male wasn't addicted to porn? She didn't feel that she could be picky as a sex addict herself. She couldn't keep her own pussy on a leash, it wandered. It was thinking about wandering with the hot guy at the table beside hers. He was blatantly giving her the eye and again, she was horny.

She finished what she could eat of her charcuterie arrangement and took the rest in a small box, giving a backwards glance that said 'follow me' and walking down the sidewalk nearly a block back in the direction of her car. She hoped this prettyboy in his hoodie and designer sneakers wouldn't be a waste of an impulse.

He followed her inside an empty alleyway that did not currently have traffic. She waited, pulling down her black tights and raising her corduroy skirt as he approached slowly, coming in close to press against her. His hands left his hoodie pockets and held her hips, copping a cautious feel. He seemed as nervous as her. She dropped down with a hand on his stomach, pulled down his pants, and put a condom on him that was a too big, but it was all she had on her. She knew before she pulled it out it was too big for his little dick. His dick was barely worth fucking, she'd have to do gymnastics to feel something.

"This isn't working," she sighed. It was either use the big condom or not get the dick.

"I think I have one right.. here," the guy produced one from his hoodie pocket but it was expired. Mirra rolled her eyes, this was getting pathetic.

She stopped to look at her notifications. She had a message from a loyal fan who'd enjoyed her content for years. He was reaching out in hopes of securing his ultimate fantasy fuck and was willing to pay a lot for just an hour of her company. She was deeply flattered, so it was settled. She was getting flewed out to Georgia.

She pulled the stranger's pants back up and his hoodie down. She pulled up her tights, shimmying her skirt back down as she left the man in the alley on rock hard. She returned to her car and drove home to masturbate and pack a bag.

Ramone was her next notification. She'd ran off in a hurry so he was calling to check in on her and to see if she wanted to jog in the morning. She said yes, but then he wanted to take her dancing in the evening. She didn't have the time.

"I'm flying out to Atlanta to fuck a long-time fan," she told him to which he replied, "Oh.. Okay, be safe." That was it and it sounded like he meant it.

Her next call was from a close friend who was part of a tea site and wanted to hear some hot and spicy gossip. Mirra had tons of adult entertainment/Hollywood industry gossip to spare and she knew a lot of people's secrets. It was a conversation that lasted a good hour before she enjoyed the remainder of her night with a vibrator, a butt plug, and peace.

Mirra found herself hanging upside down once more, but her thighs were wrapped tightly and she was squeezing them in pleasure around Ramone's chin while his tongue burrowed into her and she stretched her body down to grab the unknown kneeling woman who was sucking him off. The woman was Mirra's ideal type of woman, brown with black waist length locs and ample titties and ass. Her lips were full of Ramone's cum and when Mirra kissed her, sucking on her bottom lip, the familiarity lit Mirra's tastebuds. The woman's tongue was covered in it.

Mirra sat up in her queen bed remembering everything and feeling disappointed and wet like she'd had an orgasm in her sleep. She had the most realistic dreams and she wished they could be real.

The phone rang on schedule. It was Ramone calling about that morning jog and Mirra was already up so all she needed to do was throw something on. They jogged together in the cool fresh air side by side and for the first time since their scenic walk, Mirra felt true peace with a man. He didn't expect anything, he was just existing beside her and keeping her company while her mind coughed out every frustration and her Nikes treaded over them leaving them crushed like the leaves in the street.

They jogged through her neighborhood at 8 AM and took short breaks to enjoy the feel and the sounds of the morning. They didn't get back until an hour later, at which point Mirra invited Ramone inside her house to unwind.

"Tea? Water? Wine?"

"No, hermosa, I have such a busy day. I like to get everything done before 4 PM so the rest of the day is mine."

"Oh, okay," Mirra smiled, genuinely disappointed.

"But.. if I could use your restroom.."

"Of course it's.. right there," she pointed.

"Gracias."

He only needed to use her restroom and then he was gone with a list of things to do. He sounded like the type of man who needed to stay busy to feel like he was doing something worthwhile.

In the meantime, Mirra showered, ate, and got ready for her flight to Atlanta.

"Ramone?" She was shocked to see that he was calling.

"Checking that you got there safe. I know you have family, but you know."

"No no, thank you! I just got here, I'm on my way to the Marriott to meet a guy named Justin. I'll probably be back in town tomorrow if you wanna catch a late lunch? Maybe go for another scenic walk," she smiled watching the city pass from the back of the Uber.

"I'm always down for a walk."

"Walking it is. See you then," she hung up. Her family hadn't called because she hadn't told them about the trip. She only told Ramone to get out of hanging with him and here she was now planning another meet. Life was funny that way.

The Uber pulled up at the Marriott and she proceeded up the elevator to meet her fan in room 202. He was exactly what she expected, a lanky mid-height nerdy looking black man in need of a retwist, only to her surprise it wasn't just him. He'd brought three friends and they were all sitting around, looking expectantly at her.

"Uh-uh," she sighed giving Justin the evil eye. "This ain't a train. This is a one one one, they gotta go. Justin? They gotta go."

Mirra directed them to the door but they weren't moving, they were kissing their teeth and trying to reason, talking at Justin instead of bringing it to her. She pulled their ignorant asses up one by one and pushed them to the door. "I don't know if you speak English, but I'm not fucking all of you today."

"It's my fault."

"Oh I know. I have a mind to turn around and leave."

"Yeah, but you won't. I'm a fan, remember? What kind of fan would I be if I didn't know about your little..," he nodded.

"Don't be subtle now! You started, you might as well finish. My what?" Mirra dared him to tell her to her face that she had an addiction or a problem while begging for sex himself. He was throwing money at her hoping it would stick all for a measly hour that she wouldn't even remember in the long run. Alternatively, it would be the highlight of his pathetic little skinny ass life. The book-long read was on the tip of her tongue waiting but he sighed and backed down.

"I told them I was meeting you and they're fans too," he pointed at the guys who nodded that it was the truth. "They asked if you'd let them smash and I said they could come and see if you'd be with it."

"Hell no," she sat on the bed and crossed her legs at the knee. She was in a burnt orange cropped sweater, black leather skirt, and combat boots with her hair in a long sleek ponytail. "Or maybe..," she ammended. "If they all kneel and grovel."

As they got down on the carpet, she smirked. If they were degrading her, she was degrading them in the company of each other.

"If I have a problem, it's with you entitled niggas. I give you everything in my videos and you act like you don't know how to worship, get down... Lower," he directed at the one still on his knees but not on his hands. "Kiss my boots and I might humor you."

"I got money," one guy said, pulling out a couple hundreds. She rolled her eyes and snatched it, balling it up like trash. Again, Mirra didn't do this strictly for the money, she did it for her fans and because she liked it. These men weren't the least bit ugly, just annoying, basic, and a little stupid. She'd fucked way worse in her line of business. These guys were maleable and they were certainly persistent.

"Only way this is going down is if we do it my way. Short stack, eat my pussy and don't forgt the ass." Grabbing a pillow, she stuck it under her head as she layed back with her legs parted. He looked offended that she came for his height but he crawled on that bed and pulled her panties off.

"Slower. Cherish this moment," she directed. "Chunky, I know your fat ass probably wanted to do the eating but I have a job for you. Don't look at me until I'm aroused enough to not be turned off by you. Go over there," she pointed to the closet. "As for you," she reached for the final two. "Drop them drawls." She gave them both handjobs as they waited with hands behind their backs for further instruction.

"Lick that shit like you want it. I need a tiger not a kitten. Switch!"

The taller guy in Mirra's right palm rotated to the spot between her thighs and he drug her ass to the bottom of the bed to suck her pussy like a leech. She pulled his head and gyrated against his face taking the satisfaction her pussy was climbing for. She shattered across the bed in orgasm and when she took a deep steadying breath, she was back into a submissive state and ready for a train.

She took the pillow to the floor to kneel on and called for them all to get completely nude and apply the condoms she brought. She had assorted sizes and flavors. They gathered around her in a circle and she started with her hands around Justin's thighs, giving him slow and melodic head, staring up with all the passion and spit she could muster until his dick touched her uvula. He almost nutted and she hummed holding her laughter. She licked the 6 inch erection up the underside feeling him twitch along with the dicks she grinded in her palms. They were all very easy to please. It was an easy hour. The guy behind her was furiously masturbating. She could hear the sound of his hand moving fast on his dick and his stocatto breathing. She moved around the circle sucking each dick with her soul, no breaks to breathe as she switched from dick to dick, spit dripping down her chin and on her thigh. In this zone, she was a dick hoovering machine, enjoying every bit of how weak she had these men. This was her happy place.. on her knees with a buffet of dick.

They moved back to the bed and Mirra crawled onto it arching her back and holding her asscheeks apart while one guy piped her from behind and another held her head, pushing his dick down her throat. It was barely enough to make her fake gag, but she appreciated the sentiment. Then the guys switched places and she moaned loudly throwing it back, whispering "Deeper." She needed to feel it touching that ache deep in her belly. "Harder. Fuck me harder."

At one point, Mirra was sitting on one guy's face and giving a boob job to a second while a third came onto her face. She was ready and it still almost caught her off guard when it sprayed her. It made her laugh. It was an overall wild and nasty evening, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.

"No one recorded it?" She was shocked and disappointed that not one of them could send her a recording of what just went down for the past hour. She thought ALL men secretly recorded sex workers they were with. She expected it.

"Nah," Justin rubbed his neck guiltily. "I'm married, and my wife," he shook his head.

"Your wife is crazy! Mine is homicidal," another admitted with a laugh. Mirra was understanding. She was their secret, of course, and no one could ever know. Then one of them said it.

"I'd die if anyone knew I fucked a hooker."

"Excuse you?" Mirra popped him quickly in the mouth and pointed her finger in his face. "Don't you ever in your little life play me like I'm the embarrassment. I'm better than you on my worst day. Look at me and look at you. You know what?"

She went to find and retrieve those hundreds she'd balled up and shook them down too.

"Since I'm a hooker. I'll let y'all go ahead and be the pathetic motherfuckers paying $1000 to fly a hooker from Cali for one hour."

She wet a towel and dabbed at the semen that had sunk into her top, throwing it on the floor on her way out. She didn't even want to stay in the room or in Atlanta period. She liked Atlanta and she knew hella people in Atlanta, but she was pissed and ready to go home.

Mirra found Ramone in the wet city park leaning against a tree with his umbrella, casually waiting. It was a quiet kodak moment and she didn't miss her chance to take his picture.

Last time they'd met was in her dream early that morning. It was just as wet when he was planted deep in her asshole like in one of their scenes together, but now, he looked so warm and zen. So unaware.

"Rrrramone," Mirra trilled with a seductive smile.

"Hermosa, you ready?" He stood dusting himself and Mirra joined him. They strolled side by side in the autumn themed nature park, neither of them minding the beautiful shower of rain that graced the scenery and brought a sweet and earthy fragrance to the air. Fresh rain.

"You should tell me a story, something true and then something false," he said suddenly. Mirra began to think of something she could say.

"I've got one," she smiled. "I have a little brother and he's a little asshole, but he used to be the cutest little brother in the world until.. his friends discovered adult sites.."

"Ah," Ramone smirked. "And the lie?"

"How do you know that's not a lie?"

"Mi amor, you suck at lying.. Don't believe me? Ask anyone we've worked with. Anyone can tell when you're lying, you have a tell."

"I do not," she gawked from under her umbrella noting his smile. "What is it?"

"I'm not telling you. You're a bad liar, because you have a pure heart."

No one had ever used the word 'pure' to describe Mirra, not ever. The sentence replayed in her mind, hard for her to grasp. She'd have never chosen that word for herself. Was this how he really viewed her?

"Are you a good liar," she asked once she recovered from being stunned.

"I'm a great liar, regretfully," he said plainly. Mirra instantly began to question the gift of a compliment he'd just given her.

"How do I know you're telling me the truth now?"

"I think you know," he looked her way making brief eye contact. She realized she did know. His actions were steady. He was like a tree that wouldn't be shaken no matter how fickle the wind. In her mind, she was the wind. "Tell me a lie, I want to see that cute thing you do," he teased.

"You're gonna tell me what you're talking about," she yelled trying to make herself do whatever he was teasing about so that she could see it and stop it. She wasn't doing anything different, not in her mind.

Back at her house, she was alone with her thoughts and feeling upset about her recent string of encounters. Lately, they'd been less and less fulfilling, but they were occurring more and more often.

She invited over her friends, Rachel and Tori, to fill the silence so she didn't have to contemplate the choices she'd been making and how they'd made things go so wrong. A good gossip session did the trick until it was her time to spill and Tori wanted to know all the nitty gritty details about her and DJ, not the porn industry secrets.. but her own.

"That's sort of private.." Mirra crossed her arms and her legs at the knee.

"Sure," Tori's eyes widened in confusion. "We've seen 8 miles into your asshole for free, but discussing DJ is too private."

"It is when I don't wanna talk about him."

"Okay! Okay, I'll respect that. What about-"

"Hm, what?" Mirra was staring and shaking her leg in wait for those two letters to leave her crooked mouth again. Just then her phone buzzed with a message from Ramone and though she wanted to respond to his casual text, she felt herself feeling a little too excited. It scared her the way she was ready to smile and jump for this man. She needed a break from him.

She muted his notifications and decided that she'd give herself a no contact break for a week to break the connection. She couldn't keep dreaming about his soft candy ass. She knew she wouldn't date him..

"Shut the fuck up, Tori," she sighed daring her to ask a single question about her actions. One thing about Mirra, she was known to cut people off and out of her life QUICKLY if they got too preachy. She didn't like people in her business taking her how to act or live.

"On second though," Tori smiled anxiously, "Let's just watch Love is Blind.."

"Yeah.. Let's do that. That cool with you Rachel?"

"I'm chillin," Rachel shrugged staying out of it.

Television.. That was something Mirra could get behind.

@dashhoney25 @lettidarawest @soufcakmistress @ljstraightnochaser @princessstevens @eye-raq @thiccdaddy-mbaku @destinio1 @iamrheaspeaks @hidden-treasures21 @bidibidibombaclaat @forbeautyandlife @blowmymbackout @misspooh @thotyana-in-this-hoe @purplehairgawdess @thegucciwaffle @goddessofthundathighs @nobodybaby93 @theegoldenchild @thadelightfulone @sultanabby @mysticalblackhottie @baekhyunbabybunni @fd-writes @richonne4life @tgigoldie @sicksadgen @honeycoatedgld @thehomierobbstark

[fuffette]

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami Invisibility: A Manifesto by Audrey Szasz Bunny by Mona Awad Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado The Encyclopedia of the Dead by Danilo Kiš One Hundred Shadows by Jungeun Hwang Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami Amrita by Banana Yoshimoto Whale by Myeong-Kwan Cheon The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald The Overstory by Richard Powers Poison by Kathryn Harrison Bitter Orange by Fuller, Claire We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Fowler, Karen Joy The Edible Woman by Atwood, Margaret A School for Fools by Sokolov, Sasha Ferdydurke by Gombrowicz, Witold The Iliac Crest by Rivera Garza, Cristina Paris Peasant by Aragon, Louis The Making of a Marchioness by Burnett, Frances Hodgson Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Semple, Maria Hell by Barbusse, Henri The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Letts, Billie Find Me by Berg, Laura van den * Big Swiss by Beagin, Jen Mariana by Dickens, Monica The Lime Works by Bernhard, Thomas Dead Souls by Gogol, Nikolai Gargoyles by Bernhard, Thomas The Pachinko Parlour by Dusapin, Elisa Shua Lolly Willowes by Warner, Sylvia Townsend Rebecca by du Maurier, Daphne The Hearing Trumpet by Carrington, Leonora Jane Eyre by Brontë, Charlotte The Savage Detectives by Bolaño, Roberto Solitude: A Novel of Catalonia by Català, Víctor Almond by Sohn Won-Pyung My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Moshfegh, Ottessa Heaven by Kawakami, Mieko Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo Convenience Store Woman by Murata, Sayaka Iza's Ballad by Szabó, Magda The Door by Szabó, Magda Phantom Limb by Berry, Lucinda The Night Journal by Crook, Elizabeth Faces in the Water by Frame, Janet Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Abgaryan, Narine The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Bronsky, Alina Eileen by Moshfegh, Ottessa I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home by Moore, Lorrie The Stationery Shop by Kamali, Marjan Breasts and Eggs by Kawakami, Mieko Milkman by Burns, Anna The Maid by Prose, Nita The Guest by Cline, Emma Hang the Moon by Walls, Jeannette The Secret of Ventriloquism by Padgett, Jon The Salt Line by Jones, Holly Goddard Perdido Street Station by Miéville, China The Accursed by Oates, Joyce Carol Occupy Me by Sullivan, Tricia Poison Study by Snyder, Maria V. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Fox, Hester Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Fawcett, Heather Skylark by Kosztolányi, Dezső Blue of Noon by Bataille, Georges Ruth Hall and Other Writings by Fern, Fanny The Vegetarian by Han Kang Nadja by Breton, André Exquisite Corpse by Brite, Poppy Z. Ice by Kavan, Anna Kallocain by Boye, Karin Palimpsest by Valente, Catherynne M. Elena Knows by Piñeiro, Claudia Landor's Tower: Or Imaginary Conversations by Sinclair, Iain The Birthday Party by Mauvignier, Laurent The Magnolia Palace by Davis, Fiona Memories of the Future by Krzhizhanovsky, Sigizmund Under a Glass Bell by Nin, Anaïs Sugar by McFadden, Bernice L. Vintage Cisneros by Cisneros, Sandra Raising Hope by Willard, Katie Chodleros de Laclos Les Liasions Dangereuses by Various Daddy-Long-Legs by Webster, Jean Local Anaesthetic by Grass, Günter Don't Stop the Carnival by Wouk, Herman Confessions of Felix Krull by Mann, Thomas The House of Mirth by Wharton, Edith Radiant Terminus by Volodine, Antoine Shanghai Girls by See, Lisa The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, Mikhail (Translator: Mirra Ginsburg) Owlish by Tse, Dorothy

undue influence by anita brookner slip of a fish by amy arnold beside myself by ann morgan blue ticket by sophie mackintosh nostalgia by mircea cartarescu I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Crane, Marisa

[chirpingraven]

I finally finished a sky beyond the storm and my heart is broken 💔 anw I need to rant ‼️ BEWARE SPOILERS‼️

I love Laia and her character development. I think it's realistic to see how she grows from the scared and anxious girl in the first book to a strong, brave, dependable woman that she is in the last. I actually can't see why anyone would hate on her character. Realistically speaking, who wouldn't be scared if they were in Laia's shoes? And despite her fear and anxiety in earlier books, I think she handled herself pretty well. A strong female character doesn't always have to be a badass, sarcastic, bitchy girlboss. Laia shows that she can be as much of a girlboss with her patience, grace, understanding, and softness.

Elias, I don't know how to start with him. I FREAKING LOVE HIM. I think in my list of best male characters, he's pretty much up there. He's a strong and reliable leader, a trusting and lovable friend, and a very, very, VERY selfless human being. Reading his POVs as the Soul Catcher just breaks my heart. It hurts to see how a vibrant and passionate life like Elias reduced to an unfeeling creature of death. He used to have so many interactions with everyone around him, and as the Soul Catcher he can't do that. And Mauth just pisses me off the whole time. HOW COULD U DO THIS TO MY POOR BOY? 😭 Anw I'm glad he got the happy ending he deserves. I personally hoped for a much grander ending for him and a much grander and tear-jerking "welcome back to life" from his family and friends (as if I haven't cried enough 🥲), but well at least he's happy. Also his interaction with Mirra and the others in the Waiting Place before his time as the Soul Catcher was up is just *chef's kiss*.

Helene, Helene, my poor baby. You've suffered enough and lost probably more than anyone. This woman watched her whole family, her friends, the love of her life murdered in front of her eyes. The odds are stacking against her, and yet she survives. After so many losses and defeats, she finally wins. Loyal to the end indeed (that motto is going to haunt me for the rest of my life 🥲💔). She grows from someone who is ignorant of the Empire's sins, serving it blindly, to someone who accepts the Empire for its good and bad, accepts her own sins, and does her best to fix everything. I love how she finally accepts her feelings, her anger and grief and her love for Avitas. I think I should learn a thing or two from her.

I love all the characters, not just the main three, but the others as well. I love Avitas, ever so patient and loyal to Helene. I love Livia, what a gentle and determined soul. I love Musa with his teasings and jokes and loyal, tragic love. I love Darin with his brotherly love and boyish interaction with Elias. Afya, Gibran, Aubarit, Tas, Mamie, Shan, Quin, Faris, Dex. I even love Keris and the Nightbringer as villains. They make me furious but I also sympathize with them. I understand where their actions are coming from.

I love the relationships. Laia and Elias. Helene and Avitas. Helene and Faris last scene was heartbreaking, as did Helene and Livia. Helene and Musa's friendship is a breath of fresh air--and is that a possible romance between them I'm sensing? Though I see them more as siblings who bond with each other for their shared loss of loved ones. Elias and Helene duo is back at it again and I couldn't stop punching the air when it happened. Elias and Darin interactions always make me smile. Elias and Avitas's brotherhood, too beautiful and too short lasting. Elias and Mirra's "pass the baton" moment, as well as Mirra acknowledging him as her son-in-law 🥹 Also the relationship I didn't expect to make me cry so hard: Keris and Karinna. Keris finally accepting her fate and Karinna finally crossing to the other side. Do you think Karinna knows that Elias is her grandson?

I love the fights. I love the battle strategies. I love how everyone plays their respective parts in the battle against the Nightbringer. I absolutely love how Elias and Helene command and unite their respective armies.

I was hoping for more Elias and Keris interaction, honestly. I got the feeling that even after all she's done, deep down Keris still loves Elias and is afraid of that feeling. I think she's much like Helene in that matter. I also think that Elias doesn't really get the appreciation he deserves, but maybe I'm just biased lol.

That being said, I think this book is a very satisfying ending to close the main characters' journey, except for Helene's love life lmao help 🥲 but I think it's realistic enough. After all it'd be too convenient if all the main characters and their loved ones survive, and Sabaa Tahir has made brave choices in killing some of the major characters. In conclusion, I'm pretty satisfied with the ending and I love this series and its characters so much. Goodbye, embers in the ashes. Thank you for bringing me along in your journey ✨

[starsbooksandtea2023]

Title: Stranded on Castaway Island Author: Amy C. Laundrie Release Date: April 2nd, 2022 Page Count: 262 Start Date: August 26th, 2022 Finish Date: August 27th, 2022 Review: Story: I thought this story was very interesting. It was full of healthy lessons for a younger audience that I feel like we don't consider as adults. Even though we went through the same thing at that age. Actually, I kind of got Hatchet vibes from this. That's a novel by Gary Parson. Instead of a plane crash, it's a boat crash. Instead of a teenage boy, it's two teenage girls. I found that very interesting. I really loved Hatchet. I read that the author really got into writing this story to the point where she experienced many things that happened in the story. I'm so impressed by that. Characters: Most of the story follows Annie and Mirra. Annie is a pretty introverted shy girl and Mirra seems to be an up and coming mean girl. I could be harsh on that assessment. I'm curious on how things would have been different if they had never wound up on that island. Critiques: There are many places that I really feel needed to be explained a little more. I feel like they got rushed over just a tad. I also would have loved some things been explained a bit better in the end. I won't get into details of that. The biggest issue I have is the cover. I just feel it's a bit too dark. It gives gothic ish vibes. I think it could use a bit of a makeover to be honest. Final Thoughts: I think this would be an amazing book for middle and high schoolers to read. I could even like to see some schools use it as lessons in their English class like they did with Hatchet. I enjoyed the story far more than I thought I would. I didn't want to stop reading about these characters and wanted to see what happened long after it! https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch_RWKvsHoV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rayeverydangday]

Ok I thought I’d rewrite Apple’s arc.

I keep thinking about my problems with Apple and I feel like the root of it is her constantly complaining about her destiny. So I thought I’d do a brain exercise and see if I can rewrite the show a bit.

The story of a royal/rebel shorts, legacy day, and a true hearts day would most likely remain the same.

Thronecoming would also remain the same except Apple stops pressuring people about their destiny’s

From there on she has this hope that her destiny will happen anyway, instead of at the end of the dragon games arc.

Wonderland arc plays out the same as well with no big except for a conversation between Apple and Raven about how Raven doesn’t want to follow her destiny because she doesn’t want to hurt her friends

Apple kinda gets it but it truly settles in when she gets effected by the riddle book in the spring unsprung special. She truly realizes what Raven meant and how guilty it made her feel to be evil and trying to take everything down.

Then we get on to Dragon Games and I think it would be cool if the Evil Queen and Snow teamed up to try and make their kids follow their footsteps

Apple breaks the mirror, the Queen disguises herself as Mirra, and sneaks off to make a deal with Snow White

Apple doesn’t know about the deal and when she finds out she says something like, “If I have to side with evil for my happily ever after, then I don’t want it!”

Snow is betrayed, Apple is hexspelled

Everything else plays out as it did but Snow White gets arrested for helping the Evil Queen (I kinda laughed at that sentence)

Then in the winter arc I’m swapping Briar and Ashylnn with Darling and Apple

That way we get to see the two actually interact instead of just getting one kiss that is never brought up again

I honestly think it would be super funny to see Daring watch his sister swoop his girl from him

But also kinda cute for the Daring and Darling to have a conversation about it and Daring to say something like, “Be better then I was” or something

Then they kiss for real, with no need for a spell to be broken

And behold my mini rewrite of Apple’s character arc because I wanted to be fair to her. I might have said I hated her but I don’t hate her that much.

I just think she needed a change in her arc. Her realizing she can’t get what she thought would make her happy but finding something new that would. (Like a sword lesbian) Is a much better arc than her believing it will happen anyway.

[nonsensical-nothings]

helene and avitas deserved better

so i just finished reading A Sky Beyond the Storm and as i’m sure any fellow readers would understand, i’m absolutely heartbroken over the ending. i’m feeling a lot of emotions right now, so this might be a jumbled mess, but i just wanted to write out my thoughts. 

okay i understand that the deaths were probably meant to highlight the tragedy of war and the indiscriminate nature of death, showing that anyone could die at any time and just how high the stakes were, but i can’t help but be upset. maybe it was realistic, but in terms of the story, i felt like it was unnecessarily tragic. 

i’ve been rooting for Helene and her happiness since book 1. the girl has had it rough -- she sacrificed herself to serve under a man she hated in order to help her best friend run away, was ordered to hunt and kill said best friend or else suffer the consequences, and then watched her mom, dad, and sister get killed right in front of her because she failed to do so, with her remaining sister being forced into a marriage with the loathsome emperor. 

naturally, she blames herself for her family’s deaths and her sister’s suffering. tragedy follows her at every turn, and the poor girl just cannot catch a fucking break. she forces herself to shut away her emotions and dedicate herself entirely to the Empire. she becomes scared to love, because it seems like anyone she loves is inevitably taken away from her. this is why she desperately tries to keep her distance from Avitas, not wanting to open herself up to more heartbreak and pain that she’s not sure she can handle. 

and yet, she finds that her heart betrays her, and slowly but surely, she falls in love with him, even though it takes her a while longer to fully come to terms with it. at the end of reaper, she pushes Avitas away after their kiss, putting up a wall between them with her position as Blood Shrike. however, in SKY, she is finally able to face her feelings, which is so important to her character growth and path to healing. she took the initiative to seek out Avitas and admit her feelings to him, opening herself up to love and be loved, and also allowing herself to become vulnerable to the pain and devastation that would come with losing him. 

Helene was afraid of loving because she felt that she would only lose them, but allowing herself to love Avitas was so important in helping to heal that trauma. it just feels like his death would only reinforce the idea that loving people only ends in pain to helene, which isn’t what she needed after all of the suffering she’s already experienced. i know helene seemed to be recovering after avitas’s death, but realistically, i feel like his death would’ve finally pushed her over the edge. you’re telling me that after losing her entire family except livia, then watching livia bleed out in front of her, seeing faris sacrifice his life for her, and finally, watching the love of her life die because he was trying to help her wouldn’t have completely broken her??? i thought that after livia, avitas would at least stay by her side. i thought that she’d be granted this one happiness after all of her suffering but APPARENTLY NOT. i’m upset that avitas’s death wasn’t even important to the plot, but it ruined the positive trajectory that helene was headed on.

i was also annoyed because laia and elias were able to get their happily ever after while helene just got more trauma and suffering. i’m happy for laia and elias, but i don’t like the fact that all their problems were conveniently solved with the reappearance of cook/mirra, who was thought to be dead until the very end of this book, which made it feel like she was just brought back so that she could relieve elias of his duties as the soul catcher. it just seems like he got off the hook a little too easily, considering the weight of his vow to mauth. comparing her convenient "resurrection” to avitas’s death, it just makes his death feel so cheap and unnecessary. 

i guess what i’m trying to say is that if avitas had to die in order to illustrate the realistic and tragic costs of war, the same gravity should have been applied to elias’s situation and he realistically should have dealt with heavier, lasting consequences from his vow to be the soul catcher. right now, it feels like elias got a happy ending because he’s a main character while avitas, as a side character, got screwed over. i just wish they both could’ve gotten their happy endings.

[ultravioletqueen]

Quize añadir un nuevo personaje en la familia de gwen,les presento a su encantadora hermanita menor elizabeth o lizzy para los amigos.

Lizzy nace unos 7 años después de gwen y lot,ya que después del "fiasco" que resultó ser gwen decidieron tener otro bebé,lizzy es junto con lot la más mimada,sin embargo creció admirando la belleza y elegancia de su hermana gwen al mismo tiempo que su gran corazón,lizzy fue una de las pocas personas que se preocuparon por la repentina desaparición de gwen,incluso ofreciendo recompensa monetaria para que la traigan de vuelta o den una pista de su paradero,todo a esconidas de su madre mirra, pero eventualmente al ver lo feliz que era gwen en camelot junto a Arturo decidió dejar de intentar hacerla volver a carmelide,porque eso hacía feliz a su hermana mayor.

La relación de lizzy con su hermano mayor no es muy buena,es muy conflictiva,ya que ambos son muy competitivos en cuanto a la atención de sus padres,además de que lot siempre fue muy desagradable con lizzy y la trató como una niña tonta,pero eventualmente llegan a hacer las pases y cambian su perspectiva del otro.

Siendo honesta me gusta pensar en lot como alguien realmente bien intencionado, solo que toda su vida tuvo las cosas fáciles,el "niño dorado" de la familia en pocas palabras,básicamente esto hace que no sea consciente de los que llega a lastimar de forma indirecta,pero tarde o temprano llega a madurar y a entender a los que le hizo mal debido a su orgullo,además de aprender de ese error para convertirse en un buen rey para carmelide.

Con lizzy tenemos a la niña mimada por sus padres, que siempre le cumplen los caprichos pero no pasan tiempo con ella o con sus hermanos,así que lizzy se aferra a gwen,siendo ella la única de sus hermanos con la que se lleva bien además de admirar su belleza, paciencia y elegancia.

Y por último tenemos a gwen, la literalmente niña olvidada por sus padres y que encuentra a lux como su figura paterna,además de ser abandonada sola para defenderse,es como la flor delicada.

En cuanto a personalidad lizzy se asemeja a varias princesas de disney,siendo alegre,con una actitud positiva,es amable e hiperactiva, además de que siempre quiere el bien común,es muy unida a su hermana y quiere que esté en un lugar donde pueda ser feliz.

Otro cambio que haré es con respecto a leodegrance,ya no estará muerto y seguirá siendo rey de carmelide,digamos que lo que más cambia es su relación con gwen,nunca ha sido malo con gwen,solo... Muy frío y distante,ya que sabe que gwen no es su hija y no soporta verla,pero es todo lo contrario con lot y con lizzy al ser ellos sus verdaderos hijos.

I wanted to add a new character in gwen's family, I present to you her lovely little sister elizabeth or lizzy for friends.

Lizzy was born about 7 years after gwen and lot, since after the "fiasco" that turned out to be gwen they decided to have another baby, lizzy is together with lot the most pampered, however she grew up admiring the beauty and elegance of her sister gwen at the same Long time to her big heart, Lizzy was one of the few people who cared about Gwen's sudden disappearance, even offering monetary reward to be brought back or hinted at her whereabouts, all in hiding from her mother mirra, but Eventually, seeing how happy Gwen was on a camelot with Arturo, she decided to stop trying to make her go back to Carmelide, because that made her older sister happy.

Lizzy's relationship with her older brother is not very good, it is very conflictive, since both are very competitive in terms of the attention of their parents, in addition to that lot was always very unpleasant with lizzy and treated her like a silly girl, but they eventually get to make the passes and change their perspective of the other.

To be honest I like to think of lot as someone really well intentioned, only that all his life he had things easy, the "golden child" of the family in a few words, basically this makes him not aware of those who get to hurt in a way indirect, but sooner or later he comes to mature and understand those who did him wrong because of his pride, in addition to learning from that mistake to become a good king for Carmelide.

With lizzy we have the girl spoiled by her parents, who always fulfill her whims but don't spend time with her or with her brothers, so lizzy clings to gwen, she being the only one of her brothers with whom she gets along well. to admire her beauty, patience and elegance.

And finally we have gwen, the literally girl forgotten by her parents and who finds lux as her father figure, besides being left alone to defend herself, she is like the delicate flower.

In terms of personality, Lizzy resembles several Disney princesses, being cheerful, with a positive attitude, she is kind and hyperactive, in addition to always wanting the common good, she is very close to her sister and wants her to be in a place where she can be happy.

Another change that I will make is regarding leodegrance, he will no longer be dead and will continue to be king of carmelide, let's say that what changes the most is his relationship with gwen, he has never been bad with gwen, just ... Very cold and distant, already who knows that gwen is not his daughter and cannot bear to see her, but it is the opposite with lot and lizzy as they are his true children.

[scarletaire]

flowerfall

A/N: Not my usual Jurdan fare, I know, but after reading A Sky Beyond the Storm, this fic poured out of me and I was helpless to stop it. Canon-divergent for Chapter LX, but mostly follows canon for everything after.

WARNING: Spoilers for A Sky Beyond The Storm!

Fandom: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Ship: Helene Aquilla x Avitas Harper

Genre/s: Fluff

Rating: T

Links: Masterlist | Read on AO3 

[Summary and tags under the cut because spoilers!] 

Description: 

When Avitas Harper falls, the Blood Shrike makes a deal with Death.  Snapshots of their life together after the war.

Tags: Harper Lives, Fix-It, Happy Ending, Helvitas Living Their Best Lives, We Stan One (1) Power Couple

_______

When Avitas Harper falls, the Blood Shrike makes a deal with Death.

It happens as Mirra of Serra takes her knife to Keris Veturia’s neck. The blood and the life leave her body, but the Shrike cannot revel in it, for her love is dead and cold in her arms.

How is it possible that she still had anything left to lose?

But of course, to love someone is both to gain and to lose a thousand pieces of the world all at once.

She roars in the face of it.

In the face of Death.

And this time, with the bridge between worlds on the brink of evisceration, Death answers.

I need power, says Mauth to anyone who will listen, weakened, and scrambling for any strength to beat back the storm. Power to fight.

The Blood Shrike has never heard the voice of Mauth before, but what he asks for is familiar. She knows all too well the pursuit of power, the search for anything to keep fighting. It is what she searches desperately for now.

Give him back, she orders Death with the voice of a girl who has still too much to lose, give him back, and I will give you the strength you need.

The power of the Star. The power of song and healing. The power of Rehmat, reborn again through the centuries and a thousand times in her blood.

Whatever it is, it will be enough.

It has to be.

The maw opens its jaws. The Nightbringer succumbs to the maelstrom. The Sea of Suffering overtakes the sky.

And Helene Aquilla sings her last song.

____

For a moment, there is only the storm. It surges through the escarpment, it rages across the cliffs, it consumes everything in its path.

For a moment, all is lost.

For a moment, she thinks that at least she didn’t have to wait long before following him.

And then, between one breath and the next, the maelstrom disappears.

Beneath her hand, Avitas Harper stirs.

____

In the end, her deal hadn’t mattered. It wasn’t Mauth that saved them all. It was Laia of Serra, because of course, of course, who else could have done it but her. Helene is full of a strange mix of pride and awe when she pulls Laia into a hug. The girl she once tried to kill, the girl who pieced together the broken world.

The once Beloved, the once Forsaken now rests in chains of mercy, and so the world continues on.

Mauth never speaks to her again.

Maybe because there is nothing she could possibly offer anymore. Maybe because the next time Mauth speaks to her, it will be at the end, when his words will be the last thing she will ever hear.

Briefly, she wonders what Death will do with the power she gave him. Then she thinks that it doesn’t really matter much to her, anymore.

____

She stands with Elias as they take in the bodies of their dead. They are spread out in lines across the forest floor. There are too many of them, Martial, Scholar, Tribal – it isn’t important anymore. They were divided in life. Today, they are united in the loss of it.

Above her, around her, the forest blooms alive, like a panacea for the death and destruction spilt upon the soil, blossoms of apricot and cherry and Tala filling the air with their sweetness, falling to the ground like colored snow.

It is a good thing, then, that Harper is alive. If she had lost him, truly lost him, then she would not have been able to bear the sight of flowers ever again.

____

It turns out dying and being brought back to life takes a toll on a human body.

“When will he wake?” she whispers into the quiet of the healer’s tent. “It’s been days.”

She knows the body lying still before her is merely asleep, but she remembers the way he had looked with all the life drained out of him, and it is a sight she will never forget.

“Give him some time,” Elias says. “Being resurrected by Death itself is no easy thing.”

She raises her eyebrow at him askance.

“I know a thing or two about being resurrected by Mauth.” He shrugs, and the movement is so familiar, so genuinely Elias that she feels the corner of her lips tilt. “Guess it runs in the family now.”

Avitas Harper wakes two days after.

She doesn’t give him a chance to get his bearings. The words are out of her lips before he can even try to sit up, like a song she can’t keep silent any longer. “I love you.”

He raises his fingers to her face, tracing the scars there like a benediction. “I got my wish.”

Emifal Firdaant.

She presses her palm against his hand, trapping it against her cheek. “With all due respect, Captain Harper, it was a bleeding stupid wish. So I did you the courtesy of vetoing it.”

When she kisses him, she feels like she can breathe again after a millennium of holding her breath.

____

When Mirra of Serra takes up the mantle of Soul Catcher, Helene watches the life return to Elias’s eyes, and the hope return to Laia’s.

The Bani al-Mauth turns to Harper. “I suppose I should thank you. For offering me shelter and safety in the bowels of Antium.”

“It was an honor, Lioness. You repaid me in kind when you helped the Blood Shrike through the tunnels.”

“And when you aided in the battle with Keris,” Helene adds.

Mirra scoffs, white hair dancing in the wind. “I worried that the Shrike wouldn’t be able to keep the secret to herself. Not like you. A mind like a steel trap, you have.” She slaps Harper once across the chest. He does a fine job of hiding his grimace as she knocks his healing wounds. “Think you’ll be a fine brother-in-law for my daughter.”

Elias splutters, Laia flushes, and Helene feels a laugh bubbling up in her chest for the first time in ages.

____

As their troops begin to file out of the Forest of Dusk, she sees the figures of two men talking under the shade of a tree. Elias is taller, but Avitas is older. And so it is he who holds out his hand for his brother to shake.

And it is Elias who takes it, but uses it to pull him into a hug instead. She sees Avitas’s back stiffen in surprise, but he doesn’t push him away.

“It shouldn’t have taken so long for this to happen,” Elias says. “I’m glad you’re alive, brother. I’m glad I wasn’t the one to have to pass you on.”

____

When Quin Veturius proclaims her Empress in front of the conclave of their people, her eyes immediately seek Harper.

Help me, she tries to convey. Knock the old man out before he actually convinces them.

“Stand strong,” he says aloud, instead, love and pride sparkling in his green eyes, “Empress.”

____

Later that night, when she sings Zacharias to sleep with a soft lullaby, her blood doesn’t sing with her. It’s silent, dormant. The air is empty with the ghost of her magic.

Leaning against the door a few feet away, Avitas has closed his eyes to listen, his lips curled up at the edges.

And it should feel like something has been stolen from her, but really, it feels more like a blessing than anything else.

____

She dances with Avitas at the Moon Festival in Nur, and the night is warm and they’re both still in armor, and neither of them really know how to dance properly anyway, but it is enough.

It is more than enough.

Skies, it’s more than she could have ever asked for.

He lifts his arm and she twirls under it, catching the twinkle in his eye, and suddenly, she wishes they weren’t in such a crowded place full of other people. Suddenly, she wishes they were alone, in a room, flushed and pressed up against each other just like this. Dancing a dance they both know the steps of far too well.

On her next twirl, she catches Musa’s eye, where he leans against a table, flirting with a pretty Scholar girl. He winks at her, as if he knows exactly where her thoughts have strayed.

She’s far too happy to be annoyed in any way, and so she almost sends him a wink of her own before Harper pulls her close against him again and the thought is forgotten.

____

It occurs to her later in the night, as the festivities draw to a close and she glimpses Musa walking back to his tent alone, that she had come far, far too close to understanding his loneliness in a way she hates to imagine.

____

At night, the Empress walks her city.

Avitas Harper walks with her.

The blue irises native to Antium are in full bloom, littering the ground.

One year, she thinks, as she cups her hand around a petal that floats down to her through the air. It’s been one year since the last flowerfall.

The one in which the world was broken. The one in which the world was remade.

____

Sometimes, she wakes thinking of her family. Of Livia, bleeding out in front of her son. Of her mother, father, Hannah. All of them, their throats cut, their lives lost, gone.

Sometimes, she wonders if they will hate her for bringing back her lover instead of one of them, any of them.

Sometimes, she wonders if she will ever forgive herself for any of it.

____

Avitas Harper, as it turns out, is a shockingly good babysitter.

The first time he gets Zacharias to sleep in under ten minutes, she chalks it up to dumb luck and good timing.

The second time it happens she almost kisses him despite the baby in his arms, too grateful for the peace and quiet after a long hour of listening to her nephew scream.

The third time it happens, she stares at him in disbelief.

“Did you bring back anything from the afterlife, maybe? Does Mauth have supernatural baby-charming magic that we don’t know about?”

He flashes her that half-smile that she feels underneath her skin.

Her next decree, she decides, will be outlawing all attractive men in armor from holding adorable, sleeping babies. It should be absolutely illegal by now, the sheer power of the sight before her.

____

She may be the Empress, but she is a soldier first and foremost.

When the Karkauans hold hostage the Martial ambassador she had sent over to confer the peace treaty, she is first in line for the mission to take him back.

“It’s not over yet,” she tells her men, when all efforts at neutral negotiation fall through. “I’m most dangerous when I’m cornered.”

Harper stands strong at her side. Her Blood Shrike, always watching. “That makes two of us.”

They march together into the fray.

____

The next Moon Festival, Mamie Rila finally succeeds in shoving her into a dress.

She puts up a good fight, doesn’t go down easy. In the end, it takes the combined forces of Laia, Afya, and an exasperated Mamie Rila to wrangle the Empress into the thin, strappy excuse for a gown.

“What is this supposed to be, a slip? Where’s the rest of it?”

Laia furrows her brows. “What are you talking about? That is the rest of it.”

Helene gapes. “I can’t wear this. I’m the Empress. I can’t walk around looking like I’m one stiff breeze away from a public scandal!”

“If you ask me,” says Afya, “a public scandal might do you some good. Just the thing you need to convince some of those troublesome, barbaric Karkauans to ally with you like you’ve been planning.”

“Burning, bleeding hells.” Elias’s eyes go wide when he walks in. “Who are you and what have you done with the real –”

He chokes off as Laia elbows him in the gut. “Don’t listen to him. Or Afya. You look great. Harper will love it. Shall we get on with your hair?”

Helene rears back, because her hair is the last bastion of normalcy she has.

Harper looks like he's been stabbed in the heart a second time when he catches sight of her, and Helene vows to never wear a dress again.

But when his fingers find the hem of her skirt under the table, tugging first, testing the stretch of the fabric against the skin of her thigh, and then slowly inching under, and then up and up and up — well. Maybe dresses aren’t so bad after all.

____

Sometimes, when she walks, Laia is there beside her. There are some nights when the ghosts of the past seem to walk with them, too. This night, in Serra, is one of those nights. Spring has come, and the flowers here are different, cushioning the road on which they walk with bright yellow petals.

“I can’t forget their faces.”

Laia has never been a killer. But she has dealt her fair share of death during their war, and that leaves a mark on the soul that can never be burned away. The difference now lies in how one goes about dealing with those marks. No, Laia has never been a killer, even when she had to be.

Helene, on the other hand, has spent too much of her life wearing the skin of one, and so she speaks as much to herself as she does to her friend when she replies.

“And you won’t. Just don’t forget the ones you saved.”

____

The first time Zacharias speaks a full word, it’s in the middle of supply negotiations with Tribe Nasur. She has just been reunited with her nephew after months in the capital and so is making up for it by carrying and snuggling him everywhere she goes, even if it is to a highly political trade meeting.

Fortunately, Tribe Saif is in close relations with Tribe Nasur, and so no one throws dirty looks when the baby babbles nonsense right when someone tries to speak. The Fakira even smiles encouragingly when Helene begins to bounce him on her knee.

That’s when Harper enters behind her with a missive from Blackcliff.

“Empress.” His voice is warm, and she realizes that it’s because Zacharias has noticed him, and is dimpling up at him with his head tilted back in that way that only babies can do. “We have positive turnout for the new recruits at –”

“Hapa!”

The whole room stills, as if everyone understands the gravity of this moment. Helene feels a grin break across her face, and she realizes that this is a first for her, too. Her first real grin in so, so long, after so much pain. Harper’s large, brown hand comes over her shoulder to pat Zacharias’s downy head in gentle praise, and she forces herself to get it together in front of all these important Tribespeople.

The meeting goes on. But then, one little detail niggles at her, like a tiny pebble in her boot.

Later, when she’s pushing him against the side of an empty caravan, her lips maybe a little too punishing against the skin behind his ear, he has the gall to chuckle at her.

“Are you jealous? Because his first word was my name and not yours?”

And so Helene sinks to her knees and shuts him up the best way she knows how.

____

Once, and only once, Mirra of Serra, Bani al-Mauth, visits her on a balmy night. The snow is almost over, and the Empress stands at her balcony overlooking the grounds, singing a lullaby to a sleeping Zacharias. He is getting too big now, and so she relishes any moment with him while she can still carry him in her arms.

It is on a dying winter wind that the Soul Catcher comes to her, the white locks of her hair stark against the night. “So it was you. I should have known.”

Helene glances at her out of the corner of her eye. “Known what?”

Mirra casts her gaze out into the city, and beyond, seeing something that only the Chosen of Death can see.

“There is a song across the river,” she says. “In the Waiting Place. All the ghosts ready to pass on hear it. It gives them peace.”

Ah, Helene thinks to Mauth, even though she knows he isn’t listening, so you used my voice after all.

____

When flowerfall comes again, and she has lost count at this point, how many it’s been, Helene Aquilla does not need to walk outside to know.

The blue petals of her beloved city, so familiar now, drift across her window like rain. The air is sweet with the smell of it, and with all that the two of them had done during the night, tangled together in the sheets of her bed.

She lifts a hand to trace the outlines of the silver Mask on his face. He pulls himself out of his doze just enough to smile at her.

“I know I said I would never marry and have children and all,” she begins, and the words are slow like honey in her mouth, “and I stand by my vow as Empress. But the adjoining room to my chambers is empty and I was wondering if –”

“Yes.”

She blinks at the swiftness of his answer. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. How else will I keep you out of trouble, my love?”

And so their lives go on.

_____

End Notes: 

Thank you for reading!

I did not foresee ever writing for this fandom, but after that ending, writing this was the catharsis I needed. Now back to regularly scheduled programming! 😂

* Didn’t tag anyone for fear of spoilers, and also because I wasn’t sure if they’d be interested in non-Jurdan fic 🙈But if you’d like to be tagged in any future stuff, I’d be honored to do so! ❤️

[hoodedicequeen]

Rewritten - Helene x Avitas

I needed to write this to preserve my sanity and otp - the world needs more Helvitas shippers

***

"Harper, no-" I whisper. "No- please- "

I promise I will keep you safe. The vow I made Zacharias. The vow that had been for Harper too.

I will not lose him.

But the blood flows too quickly. I cannot stop it, I cannot save him. It is impossible.

The Commandant, traitorous bitch that she is, watches me, basking in my suffering. But her training manages to take root in my mind yet. And impossible is one word that has never existed in the world of Keris Veturia.

The pain in my side pierces through me anew as a second dagger digs into my hip. Still, my power should be enough to sustain both me and Harper.

I have already been broken, if he is lost to me, I will be nothing at all.

Avitas's song floats quickly to my lips. I venture into his soul, more deeply than before, sharing his pain, feeling his love in its purest form.

Waves of exhaustion pour over me, and still I sing. I sing of his past, I sing of his hopes for the future, our future. I sing until my voice is cracked and broken and I can sing no more. Don't you dare die on me now.

Stupid bleeding orders, Shrike.

The light continues to seep from his eyes in time with the unending flow of blood from his chest.

"Emifal Firdaant, Harper," I lower my gaze to his. "May death claim me first. I will be damned if I let the love of my life get there before me. Emifal Firdaant."

He reaches out his arm with striking swiftness. I look up to see one of the Commandant's daggers clenched in the palm of his hand. His smile is weak, voice low as he whispers, "Helene, don't lower your guard."

The deadly white hue of his face has begun to color, scarlet blood pooling on his chest, but flowing no longer. And his reflexes and overprotectiveness are as perfectly irritating as ever.

"Skies, Avitas, shut up." I press my lips to his and the world is right again.

"Poor little girl. If not for your worthless love, you may have lived yet." Keris approaches us, dagger in hand, murder in her eyes. And something else, something shimmering right on the surface of all her walls. Disappointment?

It does not matter. For when I tell Keris of her mother, when Mirra of Serra brings steel to her throat and grants her the same end as my family, I am sure she will bite her words forevermore.

***

The formalities that come with the aftermath of the war are made bearable with Avitas by my side as Shrike. And though I am occupied with my duties on many nights, there are others when Harper and I spend much time together occupied by... other things.

***

"Happa!" Zacharias greets Avitas with an adorable grin and his first word.

"Zacharias, you know Auntie Empress, right?" I glance at Harper. "He calls me ba."

"Whatever you say, Sheep sir."

***

"Hel, is that a bleeding smile?" Avitas and I dance through the streets of Nur, eye to eye, his warm hands placed firmly on my hips.

"Well, you dance... not unpleasantly."

"I remember you saying something similar about my smell." His green eyes shine in the moonlight, lips quirking up in a smile.

"Harper, I would... I am with child." Skies, that was excruciating. "I just wanted to bleeding tell you before my stomach blew up to the size of a Skies forsaken cannon ball."

"Hel..."

"Raising Zacharias is a grand task of itself, a child will only complicate things. Our duty to the Empire must come first."

The amount of passion he puts into kissing me upon my saying the words is dizzying.

"Skies, Hel, this is probably the first time in my life that I've received a pleasant surprise. Don’t be moronic." And then, for the first time since I met him, he truly laughs, hearty and beautiful and clear, and so very full of life.

***

*Sigh* Harper is so AMAZING!!!!

[girlupmirra]

Como a pobreza menstrual, somada a outros fatores, contribui para a desigualdade de gênero?

Aproximadamente 1.8 bilhão de pessoas menstruam mensalmente no mundo, porém nem todas possuem o acesso a itens de higiene básicos e/ou o conhecimento necessário sobre o período menstrual.

Por causa do papel desempenhado pela mulher nas atividades domésticas e nos cuidados com as pessoas, a falta de água potável e de saneamento básico, logicamente, afeta muito mais elas do que os homens.

Durante o período menstrual, por não terem acesso a produtos de higiene menstrual em casa, nem nas escolas, pessoas que menstruam acabam perdendo muitas aulas, o que resulta em um desempenho escolar prejudicado.

Agora imagine os que estudam e ainda precisam trabalhar? Esse é um fator de evasão escolar. Em um parâmetro geral: sem educação, inclusive educação sexual, muitas mulheres acabam entrando em um ciclo de pobreza

A carência de saneamento afeta diretamente a vida das mulheres no que diz respeito à forma como elas organizam o seu tempo entre as atividades e como a falta de acesso ao saneamento limita seu potencial de renda na economia

Gostou do conteúdo? Deixe suas notas!!

Fontes:

relatório “O Saneamento e a Vida da Mulher Brasileira” do Instituto Trata Brasil

https://www.whow.com.br/pobreza-menstrual/

https://www.unicef.org/brazil/relatorios/pobreza-menstrual-no-brasil-desigualdade-e-violacoes-de-direitos

https://guiadoestudante.abril.com.br/atualidades/o-que-e-pobreza-menstrual-e-como-ela-afeta-a-sociedade/

[jordanthestoryteller]

This a story I've recently written:

As Diamond looks back at her reflection in the mirror, she tries to only think of the words her mother had said to her so many years before: The darkest dirt contains the most beautiful gems. Despite herself, Diamond closes her eyes and chants the phrase until it’s pounded into the depths of her soul. Before her inner pit is filled, her father busts open the bathroom door; he's hunched over trying to hold his drunk body up with an E & J bottle in hand. His breathing is harsh as if he ran down the hall. Diamond knows he had just limped his way over to the bathroom. She notices his body is drenched with a surprising amount of sweat. Diamond's eyebrows wrinkle at her father’s stench. She wants to cover her nose but she doesn’t want to appear rude. Her father gets quite sensitive in his drunken form. Diamond stares at him, stiff, waiting for any sudden movement. Her father’s liquor-drenched mouth opens. “Ya’ think ya’ hava time ta’ looka at yo’self in da mirra’ ya black b*tch?” After understanding the true meaning behind her father's words, Diamond quickly gathers her school items -- with caution since her father was watching -- and makes her way out the door.

   Diamond's two favorite parts of the day is the bus ride to school and the bus ride home, for those are the only times when she is not ridiculed for her irremovable skin. As Diamond waits at the bus stop, she notices something dark in the alleyway across the street; the black spot appears to have two striking yellow dots in its form. Once it takes a step towards the street, Diamond sees that the two yellow dots are the eyes of a black cat. Diamond blinks at the feline, wondering why she couldn't notice it was a cat before. She then frowns at the four-legged creature with realization. "She was too dark to see." As soon as the Black cat takes a stretch, Diamond's bus comes out of nowhere. Knowing the time, Diamond quickly swipes her card and hopes that the bus will bring her to school on time. Diamond sighs when she sees how crowded the bus is. She notices an empty seat by an old Black woman gazing out the window. Diamond rushes to the seat and sits her bag on her lap. She closes her eyes to rest. "Did you see that cat?" Diamond's eyes open up and shift to the old woman in confusion. "E-excuse me, Ma'am?" The old woman continues to gaze at the passing buildings. "You know...the cat. The black cat that was right out there?" Diamond frowns; she doesn't see why the cat is any of her concern. "Yeah...what about it?" The old woman makes a soft smile, crinkling the corners of her brown eyes. "Wasn't it beautiful?" Diamond's eyes widen in even more confusion. _There is nothing beautiful about a black street cat._ "Umm...I wouldn't say it was beautiful." The old woman turns her head at Diamond as if she made the most offensive comment. Diamond is shocked that those are the words that take her absolute attention away from the window. The old woman stares into Diamond's dark brown eyes, eager to say something. Uncomfortable, Diamond's body shifts, afraid of the old woman's upcoming response. The old woman then inhales through her wide nostrils, and exhales bringing her attention back to the window; now the trees are crossing the window instead of buildings. "I love black cats. They're my favorite kind of cats. You know why?" Diamond shrugs her shoulders in frustration. "Why?" The old woman smiles again, but this time it's more dream-like. "Because they're rare, striking, and mysterious. There is no other cat that is like them." Diamond's frown begins to fade away at the old woman's words. _Well...I never looked at them that way._ "Ah. Well it looks like this is my stop. You have a blessed day pretty girl." Diamond moves her legs to let the old woman exit. "Uh...yeah. You too, Ma'am." As the old woman gets off the bus and walks away, Diamond feels an odd desire for her not to leave. She sits, pondering on the old woman's words. _Rare...striking...mysterious...beautiful?_ Diamond shakes her head at the thought, and notices her stop.

   Diamond sprints down the hallways of Mary Johnson High School, praying she'll be in her seat before the tardy bell rings. As quick she ran past the security guards, she still wasn't able to make it on time. "Go get a tardy pass darkie." With a grunt, Diamond makes her way to the attendance office. When she arrives to homeroom, Diamond opens the door with such an awkwardness, bound to get her classmates' attention. She sees her teacher, glaring at her as usual. "Late again. Not surprised." Diamond sighs as she watches Mr. Marcus mark her tardy. She hears the snickers of her classmates as she rushes to her desk. In a loud whisper, Diamond hears one of her classmates make ape-noises behind her ear.

   During free time, the popular kids gather in a crooked circle, continuing their conversation from yesterday: who would they date? It's finally Dante's turn to answer. He starts to hum in false wonder. "Hmm...who would I date?" Nakia's green eyes aims at Diamond who's reading a book. "Would you date Diamond?" A short-lived silence befalls on the group as Dante looks at dark-skinned Diamond and light-skinned Nakia. With determination, Dante makes a strong gagging sound, so strong that he almost gags for real. "UGH! YOU KNOW I DON'T DATE DARKIES! THEY LOUD GHETTO AND UGLY AS HELL!" The whole class erupts in laughter and pats on Dante's back in utter agreement. Enraged, Diamond rushes out the classroom, down the hall, and in the small office of Ms.Kay -- her counselor. "I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO YOU! I'M TIRED OF THIS SH*T!"

Ms.Kay then chuckles. "It's about time." 

[dank-hp--memes]

Soulmates: chapter 5

This is an extra extra long chapter. And thanks to @letsriottogether for helping me write this chapter.

Tags: @shit-in-silk-stocking @johnlockismyreligion @royaltydowntonandlife

---

Valery sat in his car in the hospital parking lot. How could this be happening? Surely this could not be real. There was no way Ulana was hurt. It had to be just a bad dream. Valery bit his lip and laid his head against the steering wheel, letting out an alone sob, knowing this was, unfortunately, not a dream. He swallowed his fears before turning off his car and walking inside. It was very loud and chaotic in the hospital, the groans and moans of injured and sick people, as well as the chatter of people searching for their loved ones, filled the halls. Valery attempted to ask a flustered nurse if he knew where Ulana's room was, but she was not much help. So, Valery wandered the halls, stumbling upon Ulana by accident. He saw her quickly being wheeled into an examination room. Valery stood in the hallway, dumbstruck. Was it just him, or did Ulana look much worse than she had before? There is a woman coming down the hall, a chart in her hand, her long legs carrying her quickly toward Valery as her long white coat flows behind her. She looked at him for a moment, then stopped. She glanced down at the chart before looking back up at Valery. Her hair was a deep dusty red. She squinted at him a little with her hazel eyes. "You must be her husband," she says, glancing into the room. The woman rivalled Valery in height, only a few centimetres difference between them. Valery looked at her, trying to read her expression.

Slowly, he nodded as he asked: "H-How bad is it?"

The woman slowly looked him over, seeing that he was wringing his hands and trembling a little. 

"I can't say. I'll need to see her labs. But she is not the worst I have seen tonight" she says, looking over Valery, analyzing him. She has a sharp and strong jawline and cheekbones that could cut someone if hit with enough force. Her red-painted lips part in a gentle smile. She reaches out a hand, which Valery gently takes.

"I'm Doctor Ria Wolframm, I will be taking care of your wife," she says softly, her voice comforting Valery a little.

She pauses for a moment to look at the state Valery is in.

"You'll want to sit down... this may be a long night," she says before pushing through the doors and disappearing into the examination room.

Valery watched the spot where she had disappeared, tears welling in his eyes. He longed to follow her into that room and sit beside Ulana, holding her hand. Ulana had always hated coming to the doctor. It scared her, though she would never admit it. Ulana had always feared the bad news that could come with doctors visits, ever since her mother fell sick when she was a young girl. Valery bites his bottom lip and sits down, knowing now is not the time, for the doctors must work their miracles to save his beloved wife. He stared at the pale walls of the hall. His mind racing, and at that moment he contemplated praying to some higher power to have Ulana safe. No matter how atheist Valery was, he needed some comfort that Ulana would come back to him. 

Hours seem to pass before doctor Wolframm comes out. She gently places her hand on Valery's shoulder, for he had dozed off.

"Come… your wife would benefit from your company" she says as she leans down toward Valery.

He jumps a little, her voice sending chills down his spine. Valery stands up and takes a deep breath, preparing for what he will see upon entering the room. He pushes through the door and into the room. It is now empty, except for Ulana and doctor Wolframm. Ulana is still unconscious, her head resting on the cheap hospital pillow with her singed hair splayed around her head. She is hooked up to an IV and many different monitors, that Valery glances at briefly. A small band is around her belly, monitoring the baby. Ulana has a plethora of second degree burns over her body, mostly covering her chest and left side. Most of her belly had made it out unscathed though. Wolframm gently urges Valery toward the bed. He feels his breath catch in his throat. Valery had never seen Ulana in such a state, not even in the worst of nightmares. She was the very thing that made his life worth living, and seeing her in this state made it extremely hard to breathe. He glances at the doctor, his lips parting to say something, but he cannot find the right words. Instead, he goes to Ulana's side, sitting down in a chair beside her bed. He stops as he goes to take her hand, finding it is extremely burnt. Valery thinks for a moment before gently pressing his hand to Ulana's cheek. Leaning down and kissing her forehead softly.

"I am here, Lana…" he says softly, reaching down and placing his other hand on the crest of her belly, caressing it gently with his thumb.

The doctor sits on the other side of Ulana's bed, a pair of large, thick-rimmed glasses resting on her nose as she scribbles down notes in Ulana's chart.

"Someone is certainly happy to see you" Wolframm mumbles, glancing briefly at Valery.

He gapes at her, bewildered.

"How can you…" he begins.

Wolframm simply gestures to the readings from the band wrapped around Ulana's lower belly. They are a bit higher than before and slightly closer together.

"She was having some problems with her heartbeat. It had been a bit too slow for my liking, but now?... well as you can see, you have a very strong little girl in there" Wolframm says as she records her observations on Ulana's chart.

Valery's eyes widened. It had just been a joke at first, but now he knew for sure. They were having a baby girl. He was to have a daughter. His heart seemed to swell with joy as he looked down at Ulana's belly, his eyes watering a little. He could not help but smile a little. Wolframm smiles a little before looking back at Valery, her face serious. 

"Your wife has some bones I need to set… I can come to get you once I have finished" she says softly, not wanting him to feel squeamish.

Valery, still in a bit of shock from the happy news, shakes his head. He is determined to stay at Ulana's side as long as they let him. He will not leave his girls, not anytime soon. Wolframm puts down the chart and moves over to the sink, thoroughly washing her hands and pulling on some gloves. She stands at the bedside and takes Ulana's arm in her hands. With a swift motion, she sets the badly broken bone. Valery flinches, looking at the ground. Wolframm looks down at him, knowing he had not realized how unpleasant this would be. Wolframm slowly moves down the side of the bed and takes Ulana's leg, swiftly setting one of the bones before struggling a bit with the other. Her eyes glimmered with determination, and her jaw was clenched as she focused hard on getting the breaks properly aligned.

Valery watches the motion, his eyes wide with shock, trying to push aside how much this must be hurting Ulana. Even though she is heavily sedated, uncomfortable groans escape her slightly parted lips, her forehead wrinkled as she frowns in her sleep.

Wolframm then wraps a splint around Ulana's arm before moving on to her other injuries. She is extremely meticulous, making sure not to miss anything. 

Valery sits back in his chair, taking a deep breath. His hands clenched tightly into fists, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms. He was shaking as emotion overwhelmed him. Be wished it would all be over soon, as the sight and sound were horrible, piercing through the otherwise quiet room.

Wolframm looks up at him as she wraps a splint around Ulana's leg. She doesn't say anything but her eyes seem to bore into him.

"You do not like the sound hmmm?" She says as she pulls up her chair to clean Ulana's cuts and burns.

"who would like to know what sounds the bones of a person you lovemaking?" he says, as a matter of fact, relieved that it's over.

Wolframm smiles a bit at his reply, glancing at him as she says: "some people do not like the sound, some don't like the sight… just a small observation…"

"When do you think she will wake up?" he asks, his eyes fixated on Ulana's face, wanting to change the subject.

"I am not sure... but she will in time…" Wolframm says as she sits back in her chair.

"She must have hit her head fairly hard. I am surprised she only has a concussion..." Wolframm mumbles as she looks at a lump that has formed on Ulana's head.

"I'm going to have to do some sutures, so you may want to look away" Wolframm mumbles.

Before Valery can reply, Wolframm is already

numbing a rather large cut. She begins to stitch it, being rather precise, so as not to leave much of a scar. She did not look up at Valery except for a small glance at him.

The sight of a needle piercing Ulana's delicate, porcelain skin makes Valery almost nauseous, so he looks away, tears welling in his eyes. He then remembers Mirra and Dimitri, knowing that Ulana will want to hear about them as soon as she wakes up. 

"Do you know anything about comrades Rukovskaya and Maksimov?" He says, looking over at Wolframm, cautious to keep his eyes off of the cut she is suturing. 

"I believe they are down the hall a few rooms. Though I do not know which rooms specifically... I know Rukovskaya was taken into surgery a few hours ago. Though I am not sure why... and Maksimov is being treated for his burns and concussion" Wolframm answers as she glances at Valery, pulling the needle away from Ulana's skin.

Valery sighs and nods in response, deciding it is better to stay here than wander about the hospital looking for them. 

Wolframm looks up at him, surveying him quietly, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. 

"You should try to get some rest. You will need it as much as your wife does. I will be sure to wake you if there is any news" she says, peering at Valery over her glasses.

It seems odd to rest at a time like this. With his nerves still rather high. Valery leaned forward a bit and kissed the side of Ulana's belly, nuzzling it gently with his nose and mumbling under his breath, expressing his love for her and their daughter. Sleep envelopes him rather quickly. Still, he is aware of his surroundings, hearing the voices in the corridor and the door being opened and closed again as nurses come in to check on Ulana and speak with Wolframm.

Wolframm sits quietly, scribbling down notes in Ulana's chart. She had turned out the lights in the room to help Valery sleep, now only lit by the many monitors of machines. She hums quietly, filling the silence with her sweet melody. She looks over Ulana. She is fairly lucky. With enough encouragement from the doctors and the help of medicine, she can fight the toxins she was exposed to. She did not need surgery to fix anything, unlike many others. Ulana could be considered one of the lucky ones, unlike Mirra. 

A few hours pass before Wolframm gets up to stretch. Her heels click softly on the tile floor as she gently wraps Valery in a blanket. She leaves the room, having a nurse stay and watch over them. She is gone for no more than thirty minutes before returning. Wolframm silently entered the room, thanking the nurse as she sat down, placing her untouched coffee on the floor beside her. The smell of the rich dark liquid rouses Valery. His stomach growls as he sits up. Valery looks around the room, almost having forgotten where he was and what had happened. One glance at Ulana brings it all back, flooding his mind with the memories of the previous day. He looks closely at Ulana, seeing that some colour had returned to her skin, making him feel a bit relieved. Wolframm had glanced at him and sighed. She was holding her coffee out to give it to him. 

"You need this more than I do" she mumbled, a tired smile curling her lips.

Valery gratefully took the cup of warm dark liquid. He mumbled his thanks before taking a sip of the soothing dark liquor. It brings him a bit of joy in this dark time. Valery took a moment, convincing himself to leave Ulana for just a moment to go and grab some food, and hopefully get some information on Dimitri and Mirra.

Wolframm stands up, encouraging Valery to stretch his legs while she changes Ulana's bandages. Valery looks longingly down at Ulana, studying her face, so he could remember every detail. He stretched his aching muscles before heading into the corridor. It was calm, much more peaceful than it had been only a few hours before. He looks around, hoping, deep down, to see the familiar face of either Mirra or Dimitri. Though it would be almost comical to suddenly see either of them. Valery takes a moment to clear his head. Food, he needed food. He looked around once more, finding a sign that pointed toward the cafeteria. Though he hardly remembered it, his legs swiftly carried him down the hall, his mouth-watering a bit at the very thought of food. Though hospital food was rarely ever remotely edible, Valery knew he had to eat something. Valery wandered through the rather empty halls and into the cafeteria. Valery eats alone at a table that will not stop moving, for its legs were uneven. A bowl of soup sat before him. He did not know exactly what was in it, but it was surprisingly good, for hospital food. It made him feel nice and warm. His only complaint was that the slice of bread was rather stale. Valery sighed and looked around. There were many people in the cafeteria as well. Some were alone, others gathered in small groups, but all of them were only leaving their loved ones for a moment, much like him. Doctors and nurses can be seen scurrying about the halls. Somehow, the cafeteria remains in solemn silence, only broken by the softest of whispers. Valery swiftly finishes his food, returning his tray before making his way back out to the hall. He passes Ulana's room before going to the nurse's station and inquiring about Dimitri and Mirra. They give him a room number. Mirra got out of surgery just before dawn, and Dimitri had been discharged. So, Valery wandered quietly through the halls before finally stumbling upon Mirra's room. She was still unconscious, of course. The toxin had ravished her tiny body, causing many complications. Almost the entirety of her right side was burned, including her face. The burns were not exclusively on her right side. Some stretched across her back and others over her chest and legs. Her hospital gown covered most of the sutures that held together with the opening the surgeons had made in her chest. Upon closer inspection, Valery could see that some of the burns on Mirra’s legs were from the acid that had been spilt over them.

The sound of approaching footsteps causes Valery to turn around. His lips part slightly before curling into a sombre smile. It is Dimitri. He appears to be alright besides a few burns and singed hairs. Valery gently pats Dimitris shoulder in greeting. 

“How is Mirra doing,” He says, glancing back at the bed. 

Dimitri swallows as he glances at Mirra. 

“The surgery went well, but the next 24 hours are crucial. So, she is not out of the woods yet” Dimitri says, his voice a bit shaky, “How is Ulana?”

Valery takes a deep breath as he thinks about the miserable state of his beloved. 

“She is not doing great, but they are keeping a close eye on her and the baby,” Valery says, his voice trembling a little.

Dimitri nods slowly biting his lip as his eyes filled with tears. Images of the previous night flashing in front of his eyes. 

“When I saw them, I-I did not know what had happened… Mirra was… she was covered in acid as she scrambled across the floor toward Ulana and Ulana… she was laying on the floor, it almost looked like she was t-twitching… People were screaming and the halls were filling with smoke…” Dimitris's voice quivered as he spoke, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

At first, Valery thought he wanted to know the details, but now his imagination was running wild, sending chills down his spine. Valery swallowed the knot that rose in his throat. He knew Dimitri needed to talk about his terrors, but Valery did his best to block out every word. Ulana’s horrified expression burned into his mind as he imagined her being thrown to the floor. The immense detail Dimitri used to describe the incident caused Valery to shudder.

As he finished speaking, Dimitri's words turned into sobs. Valery watched as Dimitri sat down beside Mirra's bed, putting his head in his hands. Valery gently Pat's Dimitri's shoulder and makes sure to tell him what room Ulana is in just in case he needs anything. Dimitri simply nods, looking up at Valery with his bloodshot eyes before turning his attention back to Mirra. 

Valery exited the room in silence and looked around the halls. After what he had just heard, he was not quite ready to return to Ulana's room. Just as he turns around, he sees doctor Wolframm coming down the hall. She has a fresh cup of tea in one hand and a file of labs in the other. She looks up at Valery, feeling his eyes burning into her. She smiles a little, her kind eyes appearing extremely tired. She tilted her head a little, taken aback by the devastating look plastered to Valery's face.

"I haven't been back to see her yet" he croaks, knowing he must say something, though his throat feels extremely tight.

There is a pause as Wolframm closes the distance between them, standing right in front of him. She looks much more exhausted close up.

"I-I have just heard what happened yesterday… about the accident…" Valery mumbles, his eyes wandering to the labs clutched in her hand. "I'm sorry, but are those Ulana's lab results?" He continues, gesturing to the papers. 

Wolframm nods in response, taking a sip of her tea. 

"They are. They are not exactly pleasing. Her numbers are all over the place…" she stops herself, knowing Ulana's life is hanging in the balance, but not wanting to scare Valery.

She pauses, choosing her words carefully.

"We are going to do our best to help her and keep your daughter healthy," she says, smiling tiredly at Valery.

Valery opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself, he couldn't figure out if she was just avoiding unpleasant news. He sighs and removes his glasses, rubbing his temples as he thanks the doctor before heading in the direction of Ulana's room. Wolframm continues down the hall before disappearing into a staff room to make a list of medications to be administered to Ulana. Valery swallows, ignoring the murmurs surrounding him as he pushes into Ulana's room. She is still there, just like he left her. He takes a few steps towards the bed, his eyes fixated on her burnt arm, then it hits him. Her wedding ring is missing. He glances frantically at her other hand, remembering how she had thrown it at him during their argument. It seemed so foolish now, to have argued over his safety. How would she feel if it was him, laying, unconscious, in a hospital bed? He remembers what she had said that morning just before throwing the ring at him 'If anyone here is stupid it is you… Have a good time sleeping alone' At that moment, he had not bothered to pick the ring up off the floor, nor to search for it, so he did not know exactly where the little golden ring had landed. He had been too angry and hurt that she had attacked him. She did not understand that he was to be a part of something huge, a historic turn of events for mankind. Now, all of that seemed so foolish, and it made her words sting even more. Would that be the last thing she said to him? He could not help but wonder if he would be bringing her home in a wheelchair or in a casket. It hurt more than he imagined it could, seeing his strong and independent woman laying there, without the ring that he had used to proclaim her his. His chest felt extremely empty, as though his heart had been pulverized. Valery thought back to the day of their wedding. He could picture how she had waltzed down the aisle, her confident strides carrying her quickly toward him. A confident smile had been plastered to her face. She was the picture of genuine happiness, thrilled to start their journey as husband and wife as they vowed their lives to one another. She had worn the most beautiful dress. It was unlike any other on the market, and he had no idea where she had gotten it. It had been just as white as the sheets that covered her now. 

Valery holds back a sob, feeling his legs become weak and his throat tighten. This was what had become of his beautiful and perfect bride. The love of his life laid before him, like nothing more than a corpse. He thinks back to their vows, to what they had promised each other, and what he had promised her. Tears welled in his eyes as he realized he had failed her. Valery sits down at her side, overtaken by sobs. Valery sobs softly, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked at his brilliant wife. Ulana had to pull through, she was the strongest and most stubborn person he knew. Somehow, Valery managed to calm himself down enough to stop sobbing. He tried desperately to remember some old prayers his grandmother would say, but too much time had passed, and he paid far too little attention anyway. So, he sat awkwardly as silence engulfed the room. All he wanted was for Ulana to open her eyes and say something, say anything. He would do anything to hear her voice once more, even if she screamed at him. Knowing he could do nothing was killing him and making him feel hopeless. 

Ulana did not open her eyes that day, nor any of the following days. At some point, the hospital staff forced Valery to go home. Valery reluctantly listened and went without a fight. He needed to shower and shave. He could hardly remember the last time he shaved, for it had been the morning of the accident. Valery looked like nothing more than a shell of his former self.

The silence in their apartment is practically suffocating. Only now does Valery notice all the small noises that he had become so accustomed too? Ulana talking to herself, her belly, or Sasha. Quiet music that came from the radio she had turned on. Her humming as she looked over papers. The absence of all of these noises made the apartment seem empty and lifeless. Now, it was just Valery and his thoughts. Sasha brushing up against Valery's legs brought him back to reality. He had asked their neighbour to look in on her while he stayed at the hospital. Valery looked around the desolate apartment as the door closed behind him. He made his way through the apartment, heading to their bedroom. His throat tightened as he looked at their bed. Ulana's side of the bed was still unmade from that morning. The blanket was kicked to the end of the bed and her pillow was tossed aside, from when she had thrown it at him. He wandered around it, not daring to get any closer to the bed.

He made his way over to Ulana's table instead. It resembled a vanity. It served as a place for her to put on makeup, make notes, and do basically anything. One of her dresses was tossed on the back of her chair. Valery gingerly lifted up the soft red dress and pressed it to his cheek. Tears formed in his eyes as her sweet scent drifted from the dress into his nose. Valery looked down at the bed, his eyes wandering over the blanket Ulana always slept with, and the nightgown she favoured that laid on the floor beside it. Then, something sparkling caught his eye. It was Ulana's wedding ring. Valery practically pounced on the tiny ring, his eyes wide, still clutching her dress. He was almost afraid the small ring would run away. Valery could not help but smile as he held up her ring. It looked so small in his hand, and, compared to his ring, it was small. Just then, Valery made a promise to himself, that when she wakes up - not if, when - he would place it back on her finger where it belongs. Maybe he would even get down on one knee and ask her to marry him all over again. Valery laughed a little as he walked over to his bedside table, he still had the box for her ring. He stored the ring safely in the box before pocketing it. Valery then proceeded to fold up Ulana's blanket and her nightgown, packing them in a small bag along with some fresh clothes, a comb, and other things she used daily. Valery wants to make sure she has everything she needs when she wakes up. He knows there will be a long recovery ahead for Ulana, so Valery makes a mental note to make sure she rests, even if he has to tie her to their bed. Valery takes a moment to make sure he has packed all of Ulana's things neatly before heading into their bathroom. His eyes widened as he looked in the mirror, he looked nothing like himself. Valery appeared dirty and unshaven, his eyes were sunken in and dark from lack of sleep. The few times he had come home, he had been unable to sleep in their bed. Without her, his life was empty.

After his shower, Valery laid down on the sofa with Sasha, who splayed herself over his chest. It was as if she could sense that Valery needed her to watch over him while Ulana was gone. Sasha could practically tell that something was wrong, she knew it was strange that Ulana had not returned, and Sasha missed the cuddles and belly rubs she always received from Ulana. Valery smiled solemnly as he cuddled Sasha, nuzzling his nose against her fur. He found comfort in Sasha. She was the support he needed in this dark time. She had wise eyes, and Valery often wondered what she would say if she could speak. Valery gently scratched behind her ears, staring up at the ceiling. He would always rest for a bit after returning home from the hospital or work before returning to Ulana's bedside. Valery looked around the empty apartment, it was now early morning and he was contemplating returning to the hospital. He had to try his luck. 

Doctor Wolframm had offered to have another bed put in Ulana's room for Valery, for she felt deep empathy for him. She knew what it was like to have the person you love in the hospital. There was also something nothing Valery. Ulana's test results. They had not been great, or so the doctor's said, but he had expected her to be awake by now. What Valery did not know about was the toxins Ulana had been exposed to as a result of the accident. The doctors had worked quickly to save Ulana, practically pumping her full of meds to keep her stable. The baby had struggled a little as well, but not as much as Ulana, for her body had to nurture the small life that resided within her. Valery would always freak out a little if he did not feel a movement from the baby for a long time, but their baby girl would always give a small lick when he pressed his hand to Ulana's belly to let her father know she is alright. She was a fighter, just like her mother. 

When Valery returned to the hospital, he found that a spare bed had been set up in Ulana's room. As he looked around the room he realized Wolframm had dozed off after checking Ulana's readings. She had been the one person who was able to help him in the darkest of moments. Wolframm always did everything in her power to help Ulana, and Valery trusted her deeply. Seeing her dozing off at Ulana's bedside, knowing they must have seen him like that countless times, made Valery laugh out loud for the first time in days. Wolframm opened ed her eyes drowsily as she looked up at Valery. She was probably the only person in the whole hospital who had gotten less sleep than Valery. She stood up and pulled out her stethoscope.

"I know you sleep with your head on her chest… I was wondering if you would like to get a clearer listen to her heart…" she says, softly, beckoning him over.

Valery's heart lurched and the words got caught in his throat, so he simply nodded at her. He always enjoyed cuddling Ulana and listening to her heart beating. The thought of experiencing Ulana's heartbeat through a stethoscope excited him. Valery watched in anticipation as Wolframm found the best position for the stethoscope. This is the first time Valery has gotten a good look at her. She must have been a few years older than him, for she appeared young, but her hair had begun to grey and there were a few wrinkles set deep in her face. Suddenly, she was handing him the earbuds, holding the stethoscope in place for him. Valery took a deep breath as he placed the ends in his ears. He feels his stomach lurch as breath hitches in his throat. Tears well in his eyes and a smile spread across his face. He had never heard her heartbeat so loud and clear before. He could not help but chuckle happily. Wolframm smiles up at him and gently places her hand on his shoulder. 

"I cannot promise anything… but you may be able to listen to your daughter's heartbeat as well" She says softly, not wanting to excite him too much. Valery looks at her, dumbstruck. He is unsure whether she is teasing him or being serious. This was something he couldn't even begin to imagine. He handed the stethoscope back and watched as Wolframm meticulously moved the stethoscope around Ulana's belly. It took a while, but she eventually found the heartbeat. Valery had managed to help, his gently caressing of Ulana's belly coaxing the little one to cooperate. Wolframm once again turned the earbuds over to Valery. His heart jumps when he places the earbuds in his ears. He can hear his little girl's heartbeat, even though she hasn't been born yet. Valery sat there, his hand on Ulana's belly, listening to his daughter's heartbeat. He could not stop smiling, for the joy that he felt was indescribable. 

Wolframm had picked up her chart and was recording some of the readings. She glanced at Valery and smiled at his reaction, her eyes glimmering a bit. 

"You've got quite the little fighter in there," she says as she sets the chart back down.

"She definitely has Ulana's spirit…" Valery says as he looks up at Ulana's face.

"I think she gets it from both of you," Wolframm says as she looks at the machines once more. 

She then stands up and stretches a little.

"If you'd prefer, I can have that bed moved beside your wife's so you can lay with her," Wolframm says as she pushes some type of medicine through Ulana's IV.

Valery pauses for a moment, taking in her words. He had desperately missed laying beside Ulana.

"I-I would love that. Thank you" Valery says softly, his lips curling into a slight smile. 

"But you must know, that if we need to move quickly, we will have to push it back" Wolframm states.

She disappears into the hall before Valery can reply. Valery is unable to contain his tired smile. He could finally be able to rest beside Ulana again. 

A few moments later, a nurse comes in and helps Wolframm move the bed so that it is pressed right up against Ulana's. They quickly adjust some of the equipment before the nurse leaves. Wolframm gently urges Valery to lay beside her. 

"I believe your wife would benefit from some cuddling" 

Valery thanks her, looking at the bed. He is hesitant to lay down while she is still there, so he waits for Wolframm to gather her charts and leave. He gingerly sits down on the bed before laying down. He looks over at Ulana, almost afraid to touch her. Slowly, Valery moves closer to her body, until he is pressed up against her. He had missed the heat she seems to radiate and the sensation of her soft figure against his. Valery leans down and presses his nose against the top of her head. His heart seems to melt as her scent drifts into his nose. She still smells faintly of orchids beneath the smell of hospital soap. Gently, he begins to caress her silky hair.

"Oh god, you have no idea how much I miss you…" he whispers, tears welling in his eyes. "Please, sweetheart… I need you to wake up for me, Lana" 

As if on command, a slight groan escapes Ulana's slightly parted lips. The sound seemed to fill the room. It was the first peep she had made since entering the hospital. Valery looks down at her, his eyes wide with shock. He began thinking he was delusional from lack of sleep, but it happened again. Another, slightly louder, groan escaped Ulana's lips. That little groan was the most beautiful sound Valery had heard in days. He caresses her belly gently, hoping to get a response. 

Valery stares in shock as Ulana's eyes open slightly, she blinks a few times, looking up at him with her beautiful blue irises. She groans again, for her whole body aches. Ulana cannot help but smile a little at the stunned look on Valery's face.

"What? Did you come to apologize to me?" She teases, her voice extremely weak and raspy. 

Valery leans down and presses his lips to Ulana's, reaching over and sliding her wedding ring back onto her finger where it belongs. 

"You didn't have to almost get killed to make me say I am sorry," Valery says as tears roll down his cheeks. 

"Noted…" Ulana mumbles, but don't make me laugh, it hurts too much"

Valery smiles a little before kissing her again. He gently brushes a few stray hairs off of his face. He then got up and pulled the blanket he had brought from home out of the bag he had packed. She smiled at him as he gently placed it over her. Ulana always slept with that blanket, and Valery knew how much she loved it. He then laid back down and cuddled her, telling her how much he loved her as he traced his finger gently over her belly in soft swirly patterns. It did not take long for Valery to fall asleep, cuddling Ulana, his nose pressed into the crook of her neck. At that moment, he knew everything would be alright.

[wings-arts]

Wings’ adolescent art dump (#2)! Part one of ???: Misc Characters pt 1!

So first off, welcome back to my old art stuff! I meant to post last night, but I was just too tired after teaching. So I’m going to start building up the queue again, but I figured I should post something since you all have been waiting patiently.

We’re not done with that revolution story, but I thought it most appropriate to carry one with some more characters. So let’s begin.

The first character we have is Sybil, a mushroom girl that came about when I considered changing my character for the LARP camp I went to. She can’t speak, but she can use her spores to take control of other living things. Also that little mushroom-puppet thing with her is actually part of her body (a shoulder mushroom) that’s very grumpy and a little crass.

Also making an appearance is Shadow, who I can’t for the life of me remember anything about, other than he’s not happy being handled by Sybil.

Okay. So, you may be asking ‘Wings, if that’s what you were considering changing your character to, what was your original character like?’ And in the next row you’ll find her (although you’ve seen her once before): Cameo! Again, please keep in mind I did not understand the dangers of stereotyping at the time.

Cameo was a fox girl and a thief. If I’m remembering correctly, she was pretty good at being a thief, too. Except she had zero impulse control (a trait in kitsune characters that I didn’t ‘conveniently forget’) and at one point almost ran into a fairy ring) Her sword in the first picture was called the Halcyon Blade, and was a quest reward from my first week.

Finally, we have Mirra, one of six of my characters for a steampunk zodiac roleplay with one of my friends (no, we had no idea what H.omestuck was). Mirra was a street performer who should actually be like 22, but younger me thought that was old. I wanna stay she was Pisces? Since her clothing makes her look kinda like a male betta fish. If nothing else she was a water sign. We didn’t write much for her, but I loved her outfit so much.

The captions on the sixth picture read: (1) Mirra, aged 16 (2) Somehow it seems very hard to do acrobatics in that... (3) I honestly did not mean to hide her hands (4) Big hips are annoying. To draw, I mean

Younger me was convinced those were big hips, wasn’t she? And I mean, kind of? But she still has that hourglass figure, and they aren’t dramatically big.

[happywitch416]

Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Female Hawke/Varric Tethras For someone so well known in the more clandestine groups of Kirkwall, Hawke was becoming a pain in the ass to find. He settled back at his desk, nursing a mug while The Hanged Man roared down the stairs. He would have missed the crash through his window it was so rowdy except for the curly-haired woman now laying in a dazed heap across his bed.

Bianca was far out of reach but a heavy bookend was useable as he made his way to pile of human and broken glass. She sat up with a groan, goose egg already rising under her fingers on her forehead before those blue eyes found him. A midnight full of stars and then her blade was between them. "You are actually taller than the one I was disagreeing with. Who in the void are you?"

He had set down the bookend and raised his hands in a placating gesture, hoping he wouldn't have to wrestle the blade from her. Those who had seen them before rarely lived to tell about it. "Varric Tethras, at your service. Well, my bed seems to be more in your service at the moment."

She huffed but slid the blade back into the top of her boot. "Ah. My apologies." She went to stand and wobbled on an ankle that was too weak to hold her. He caught her before she knocked him over and helped her across the room. "If it means anything I did not mean to break your window and ruin that very nice bed."

"It certainly looked nicer with you in it." He mumbled to himself, only to find her grinning at him. He smiled back with a shake of his head. "I know a guy that can help that ankle."

She was the one shaking her head now." No, I've caused you enough trouble." Her gaze averted to the floor, the walls, anything but him. Either she was a very lucky bad liar or she had really hit her head on the way in, he thought to himself. "I have ways to get it taken care of."

"I know your sister is a mage." He said quietly. He shrugged at her sudden change, how her body tightened like a spring, her eyes hard and suspicious. "I've been looking for you actually."

Some of the wariness left her. "Why?"

Looking into her eyes again, he found words that surprised him but settled on a different truth. "I have a proposition for you. A real money maker in the Deep Roads."

She nodded and leaned back in his chair. He felt momentarily betrayed by it, he knew he didn't look that good in that chair. He settled against his desk, hip half-cocked and arms crossed while they hammered out the details amongst their laughter. He learned quickly that he loved that laugh and told her as many stories as he could weave in just to hear it again.

"Well, Varric. I am very pleased to have met you." She gently got to her feet before balancing on one leg. "But perhaps you could do me a favor more and see if this fine establishment has a room I can rent for the night? I don't relish running into a pack of idiots with a grudge."

He nodded calling from his door to one of the help to arrange it. "I meant what I said, I know a guy that can fix that leg."

"Thank you, but my sister isn't the only mage in the family." She gave him a wicked grin before A wave of her hand sent magic crackling through the room as her ankle glowed. She tested it against the floor and winced a little. It was going to be sore a few days, along with the rest of her. " I owe you for the window as it is."

She could handle herself he knew but he still walked her down the hall to her room and she still took his arm to lean on. They lingered at the door before he ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his neck. "Well, I bid you a good night, Hawke."

Her smile was soft below her shimmering eyes. "Call me Rose, storyteller."

The three little girls sighed happily back at him as they snuggled all into one bed. "Is it true you and mama fell in love at first sight then?" Anora asked, Violet and Annabeth nodding in agreement with their oldest sister’s question.

He met her midnight eyes still shining like starlight a gentle smile on her face as she rocked Duncan and Mirra. "I think I loved her before."