#had heard about 3 others including one I tried but couldn't vibe with

[singsweetmelodies]

Hello Katie 👋🏼👋🏼 :D

For the 50 romance prompts ask meme, I'll like to request for 44: soulmate AU: timers <3

but if possible... with a twist...? (you don't have to include a twist if it's too difficult to work it in!)

The twist being, for whatever reason, their countdown timers for each of them to the time they meet their soulmates doesn't match, so they think "we're not each other's soulmates. that's cool. (no it's not)" but it turns out that they're each other soulmates anyways. or they choose to be with each other in spite of not being each other's soulmates. idk. *nervous laughter*

hiiii charlotte 🥰 first off, i am SO sorry for the incredible delay with this answer!! i saw this prompt and i absolutely LOVED IT (and the twist!! 🙏 *chef's kiss*) but unfortunately i got struck with a horrible case of writer's block/work deadlines, and just couldn't get to it at all.

until yesterday: i decided to just open my inbox and see what came to me. no thinking, just following the vibe of a prompt and writing. and uh. this happened... not only did it get ridiculously long (oops?) but it also somehow became a mini "investigate montreal" fic?? so in that vein, i'm tagging @1016week and submitting a belated entry for Day 6 "Montreal"... ❤️

i love this one. hope you love it too!! 👀⌚

~

Charles' soulmate timer stops when he is seven years old, and he meets the boy with the bluest eyes he's ever seen.

He's been vibrating with excitement all weekend - not just because it's a karting cup, but because his soulmate timer has been ticking down to this day for months now. Well, not just months, not really. It's actually been his whole life, but Charles doesn't remember all of that. He only remembers the past few months, when the little numbers had been getting smaller and smaller, until there were only ten days left and Charles gasped when he realised that the day would fall on the same day as the Bridgestone Cup.

"Of course the girl I marry is going to like racing, too," he'd told Maman and Papa, confidingly. Not a lot about soulmates made much sense to him, but this did.

His Maman had tried to smile, and Charles had hugged her tight to let her know it was going to be okay. He would find his soulmate, and then everyone would be smiling, because that's what people do when you meet your soulmate.

(Later that night, when Charles had been too excited to sleep and he'd gone to the bathroom quickly, Charles had heard his parents having an argument in their room. The door was closed, so their voices were muffled, but Charles could still make out his Maman saying "I just don't think it's a good sign, to meet your soulmate so young!" But Papa had countered, "Many people do, and they have beautiful stories. You have to trust that our Charles will meet his perfect match tomorrow." And then there had been an icky noise, like kissing, and Charles had flushed the loo quickly and ran back to his room.)

Now, with the beautiful blue eyed boy standing in front of him, Charles thinks of Papa's words again. Our Charles will meet his perfect match tomorrow.

Charles thought it would be a girl who really liked karting, but this is even better. This is a boy who wins at karting, because he's holding a trophy in both hands and grinning like he couldn't be happier.

Of course Charles' perfect match would be someone who wins at karting. It's only right, because Charles also wins at karting.

Charles clears his throat. "Hi," he says shyly, and the blue-eyed boy jumps.

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," he says apologetically, and then he laughs. He has a nice laugh, Charles thinks - like he knows how to have fun. "You are a bit short," the blue-eyed boy adds, and hey.

"Hey," Charles protests. "I'm tall for my age. I'm seven."

"Well, I'm nine," the blue-eyed boy says, like that's the most impressive age in the world.

It is a bit impressive, but not very, because Lorenzo is much older than that. Still, it is a little scary - Charles is only seven. What if this blue-eyed boy doesn't like him because he's only seven? Older kids can be mean like that.

No, he is your perfect match, Charles reminds himself. This blue-eyed boy won't be mean to him, because that's not how perfect matches work.

Charles takes a deep breath, then he sticks out his hand. "I'm Charles," he says.

The blue-eyed boy takes his hand, and it feels... weird. A little bit like when you get shocked by static electricity.

Charles giggles, unable to stop himself, and the blue-eyed boy smiles, as though he likes that.

"Hello, Charles. I'm Pierre," he says, squeezing Charles' hand. His eyes widen a moment later. "Oh! You've met your soulmate?!"

Charles doesn't understand what he means. "Well, yeah," he says. "It's y-"

And then he notices it.

Pierre's soulmate timer, right there on his wrist, right above where Charles is gripping his hand - it's still ticking.

Now, Charles doesn't know a lot about soulmates yet, but he knows that that's not good. Not good at all.

"I, um," Charles stammers, and then he does the one thing Maman and Papa said you should never do to your soulmate. Charles lies.

"I met so many new people today. I don't remember who it was."

Pierre's face falls. "Oh," he says, and he sounds unbearably sad for Charles. "But..." He chews his lip, shaking his head with a deep frown.

Then, mid-shake, Pierre's expression changes to one of determination. "I will help you find them," he says, with the kind of confidence Charles can only dream of when he's not on the racetrack.

He tugs on Charles' hand - which he still hasn't let go of - and Charles is helpless to do anything but follow.

~

They don't find Charles' soulmate anywhere, of course, and then Charles has to go win his race - but Pierre makes him promise that they will find each other at the next French karting event, and Charles will tell him all about his soulmate.

Charles promises, even though the idea makes his stomach feel all funny. I shouldn't be lying to my soulmate, he thinks, guiltily.

But Pierre's soulmate timer didn't stop ticking, and... that's not how soulmates are supposed to work.

The moment he's in the car with his father after the race, heading back home, Charles asks him about it.

Papa is quiet for a long moment, then: "Are you sure there wasn't someone behind Pierre, Charles?" he asks, in his careful, kind way. "Someone who's timer stopped at the same time as yours?"

Charles thinks about it for a moment, but even the idea of that feels - wrong, somehow. Like going into a corner and knowing you braked too hard, and you're going to flip the kart.

He shakes his head decisively. "No," he says. "It's Pierre."

He hears rather than sees his father blow out a soft sigh. Charles catches his eye in the rearview mirror, feeling confused and a little shaky inside.

When Papa sighs like that, it's never good news - it's usually something about sponsorship, which is a word Charles is already coming to dread.

It doesn't make sense how this could be about sponsorship, though. It probably isn't.

Charles waits for his father to gather his thoughts, like he needs to do sometimes to make sure he says exactly what he means. (It's something Maman keeps telling him he should try doing as well, but he's not so good at that yet.)

"You know how even the greatest racing drivers make mistakes sometimes?" Papa asks.

Charles frowns, but he nods. "Yes?"

"Sometimes the universe is like that, too. Sometimes the universe makes a mistake, and stops the timers too soon," Papa explains.

Charles frowns. He hasn't heard about that before, but he guesses it makes sense. It's true what Papa said - not even Senna was a perfect driver who never made mistakes. It makes sense that the universe is the same.

"But this doesn't mean you don't have a soulmate, okay, Charles?" Papa says before Charles can spend too much time thinking about the whole thing. His voice is firmer than Charles was expecting, and he reaches up to tilt the rearview mirror to see Charles better.

"It doesn't mean you don't have a soulmate," he repeats, like he doesn't want Charles to ever doubt that. "It just means it's going to be a little harder to find them."

Charles frowns, and he can't help but be a little annoyed. Isn't the whole point of soulmate timers to make it easier to find your perfect match?

It's just his luck that his soulmate timer doesn't work properly.

"I understand," Charles says, though, because he can tell it's important to his father.

Papa nods, but he keeps watching Charles in the rearview mirror for the rest of the drive, like he sometimes does after a race where Charles crashed the kart badly and he needs to keep making sure that Charles is fine.

Of course Charles is fine. He doesn't think this is comparable to a bad race at all! It's a little annoying, yes, but it's not that bad. It's just a bit of extra work, isn't it?

Charles shrugs his shoulders, glancing quickly down at the stopped soulmate timer at his wrist.

Whatever. Racing is more important than soulmates, anyway.

~

Almost twenty years later, Charles still says that to himself almost every day, even if he doesn't believe it with nearly the same careless seven-year-old confidence anymore: racing is more important than soulmates.

It is, because it has to be.

The thing is this: his father's explanation to Charles' seven-year-old self had been true - if a little oversimplified, and painted with an overt layer of kindness.

The truth Charles knows now is that there are two reasons, two categories, for people whose timers stop when the other person's keeps running.

One is, like Papa had said all those years ago, a simple case of mistaken timing - cases where the universe or fate or whatever controls it all stopped one person's timer a little too soon, or the other's a little too late.

It's harder to find each other in those cases, but it's still quite possible.

And then there's the second category. The unrequiteds. People whose timers stopped at the right time - when they met the person who would be their perfect match - except that they are not that person's perfect match in return. It only goes one way.

It's rare, but it happens sometimes. No system is perfect, after all - not even a system of soulmates.

For years and years, Charles tried to convince himself that he fell into the first category. His soulmate timer simply stopped too early, by some cosmic accident - but it's okay, Charles insists to everyone who asks and to himself as well, because what it's done is given Charles more time to focus on his racing instead. He's not constantly glancing down at his wrist and wondering when his timer is going to stop ticking - he can just get on with the racing.

He'll find his soulmate eventually, but on his own terms. There's nothing bad about that, surely.

Charles believes that. Really he does.

Except.

Except, if it's true and Charles falls into the first category - the mistaken timing category - then it would mean Pierre isn't his soulmate.

Pierre, who kept the promise he'd made to a seven-year-old who wasn't even his soulmate (because, yes, he had found Charles at the very next French karting cup, and he'd asked to meet Charles' soulmate - and when Charles had to admit that he still hadn't found them, Pierre had hugged him and told him not to give up and that he would find his soulmate someday. Pierre had held Charles' hand and explained that his parents almost didn't find each other, but they did. So it might take Charles some time, but that was okay, because it had taken Pierre's parents some time too, but now they were happier than ever. He'd been so convincing, firm but kind and absolutely sure of himself, and he'd made Charles believe it. He also made Charles smile, genuinely and truly, when he promised he'd stick by Charles' side no matter what anyone else said or whispered about his stopped soulmate timer.)

Pierre, who kept that promise about sticking with Charles, too. Pierre who never stopped being kind, and loyal, and the best friend Charles could ask for, whether he was seven or thirteen or nineteen or twenty-six.

Honestly, how was Charles supposed to not fall hopelessly in love with him?

He tried to deny it. For years and years, Charles tried to deny it - I will find my soulmate someday and it will all make sense, he'd tried to convince himself - but the thing was, what made more sense than Pierre being his soulmate?

It was roundabout the time of Pierre's first win (when Charles was standing under the podium in Monza with an aching back but a heart soaring with joy for his best friend despite the disaster of his own race) that Charles resigned himself to the truth: Pierre is his soulmate.

He has to be. Isn't a soulmate meant to be your perfect match; the person who understands you better than anyone and makes you happier than any other person in the world?

There's nobody else who could make Charles as happy as Pierre does. Nobody, nobody. There's no point in even trying to deny it anymore.

Pierre is his soulmate. But he is not Pierre's.

And that's okay. It's okay.

It has to be.

~

It isn't okay, not really, but that's true of a lot of things in Charles' life, and he's learned how to deal with them. He can deal with this, too.

On the whole, Charles thinks he does a pretty good job of dealing with it. He gets to be Pierre's best friend, after all - isn't that just a different kind of soulmate? True, Charles might want more, but it isn't like he has nothing. He has Pierre, and he will have Pierre for the rest of their lives.

Not in the way he wants, but - at least he will have Pierre.

The one thing he tries never to think about is Pierre's actual soulmate. Because Pierre has one, he knows, and he will meet them at some point.

Charles doesn't know how the hell he's supposed to look at some soulmate of Pierre's, and smile at her, and not be hopelessly, heartbreakingly jealous.

(He will do it, though. He will learn to smile at Pierre's soulmate - for Pierre's sake. He'll do it for Pierre.)

But that's a bridge he will cross when they get there. He doesn't have to worry about it yet (or at least, that's what Charles keeps telling himself even as the months tick by, and he knows there aren't year figures left on Pierre's soulmate timer anymore. Just months now, and then... weeks.)

Charles isn't thinking about it. He's put it out of his mind completely - which is easy enough to do, thankfully, given everything that's been happening on-track this season.

That's probably why he accepts Pierre's invitation to dinner in Montreal without thinking twice about it. (Even if he had realised, though, Charles doesn't think he would have been able to say no, either. He would give Pierre everything, if he only asked.)

So they go to dinner in Montreal, and it's perfect, and wonderful, and laughter-filled, and all in all exactly what Charles needed to distract himself from the fact that he has yet another engine penalty, and the sinking feeling that the championship is beginning to slip out of his reach.

Pierre seems to realise it, because he's in even finer form than usual - teasing Charles and tickling his ribs playfully and making him laugh at every possible opportunity.

Even on the drive back to the hotel: they stop at a red light, and Pierre steals Charles' cap, and Charles is giggling and filming it while Pierre is giggling back, and he's pretty sure neither of them are thinking about it at all, until-

Until Pierre's face changes from laughter to something almost ashen. "Charles," he says, and for all the years Charles has known him, he's never once heard Pierre's voice like that. "My soulmate timer just stopped."

For a few seconds, the words don't even register in Charles' mind.

Then they do, and Charles can feel his heart drop. "What?" he breathes.

His hands shake, and he doesn't even register the fact that the light has gone green as he glances all around them, craning his neck to see if there's anyone behind the white Ferrari, or around to the side.

Just a few minutes ago, their car had been surrounded by fans on all sides, all jostling to try and get pictures of them. But now, somehow, they're all alone in the Montreal night.

(The irony of it all is not lost on him - is this how Pierre felt all those years ago, when he was trying to look for Charles' soulmate at a karting cup, but not finding anybody it could be?)

"Are you sure it stopped just now? And not earlier?" Charles asks, willing his voice not to shake.

"Yeah," Pierre whispers. He sounds... devastated.

"But," Charles says, and then he has to take a deep breath. "But there's no-one else here, Pierrot."

"I know," Pierre says, somehow even softer.

Charles' fingers clench reflexively around the steering wheel, and he's moving in blank autopilot as he puts the car into gear and starts driving forward again.

He doesn't even realise he's shaking his head until Pierre says softly, "Charles." There's something wounded about it.

Charles stops shaking his head and slams on the brakes instead, jerking the car into something he hopes is a parking space at the side of the road.

"I don't understand," he says, far more calmly than he feels. "You can't - I can't be your soulmate."

Okay, maybe he's not so calm after all. But he doesn't think... he doesn't think anyone would be calm, in this situation.

Pierre makes a sound that could almost be a laugh, except that it sounds too strangled. "Do you know," he says, "that I have spent half my life wondering if the soulmate system got something wrong in my case? Because if you're not my soulmate, then who is? Who could possibly..."

Pierre does laugh this time, shaking his head. "You know, I asked to go out with you tonight for a reason. I knew - I knew it would happen tonight, so I needed to..." He swallows. "I needed to see you, one last time. Before I wouldn't be allowed to love you anymore."

It jolts through Charles then, what Pierre is trying to say. "Pierre," he breathes, and now it's his turn to say his best friend's name in a way he doesn't think he's ever said it before.

But Pierre's not finished yet. "I thought I could have one last night with you," he says. "One last night, before I had to say goodbye to my feelings, and try to love someone else."

My feelings. Try to love someone else.

Charles Leclerc is a lot of things, but an idiot is not one of them. He knows what Pierre is saying. He's...

Pierre loves him too. All along, Pierre has loved him too.

Only, he never had the option of thinking we're soulmates, Charles realised, and his heart twists in his chest.

Because Charles, for all that he accepted his soulbond toward Pierre was unrequited - at least he'd had the option of them being soulmates. Yes, it was in a twisted way, but at least he'd had that.

Pierre didn't. And he still fell in love with Charles.

The thought hits him like a shell-shock, and it's enough that Charles can only sit there for a moment, staring blankly, as Pierre continues talking beside him.

"I meant for tonight to just be a quick dinner together, something fun but normal for us," Pierre is saying, wringing his hands. "But I lost track of time. I always lose time when I'm talking to you, Charlito, I could talk to you forever - but the point is, I forgot to tell you I need to go back. I forgot that I was meant to meet my fucking soulmate tonight, because I was spending time with you, and - "

He takes a deep breath, and then he laughs again, leaning forward to drop his head into his hands. "I felt it happen, you know? I knew exactly when my soulmate timer stopped, because I could feel it, and it's - it was when I put that fucking cap on my head, Charles."

The cap that he's still wearing. Charles' 16 Ferrari cap.

Charles' hands shake as he reaches out to touch it, just the brim. "Your soulmate timer stopped when you put my cap on," he says, because a part of him still can't believe that this is real, that he's not living in some kind of heartbreakingly wonderful dream.

Pierre straightens up so fast that Charles is left with his fingers dangling awkwardly in mid-air. "Yes," he says, suddenly looking wild, "but this doesn't have to change anything, Charlito, I promise. I will still help you find your soulmate, and I will - I'll learn how to live with an unrequited bond, it's -"

"No!" Charles interrupts, half-throwing himself across the car to catch hold of Pierre's hands. "No, no, no, no. No more unrequited bonds, Pierrot."

Pierre starts to shake his head, but then he stops in the middle of the movement. "What do you mean," he asks, very carefully, "no more?"

And suddenly, Charles feels giddy, of all things. "I mean, your timer didn't stop when mine did. So for years, I have thought that we can't be soulmates, or at least that you couldn't be my soulmate. But now your timer stopped when you put on my cap, so -"

"Stop, stop, stop," Pierre says, squeezing Charles' hands tightly. "What do you mean, my timer didn't stop when yours did?"

"Oh," Charles says, and then he winces, the weight of the only real lie he's ever told his best friend (the only real lie he's ever told his soulmate) settling onto his shoulders with uncomfortable heaviness. "Um. Well. Do you remember when we met, and you thought I already met my soulmate?"

"No," Pierre breathes, but it's not the kind of no that says "no I don't remember." This no is more like "no way."

"Yeah," Charles says, and he can't help but look down at his own wrist, where the soulmate timer has been stopped for years and years. "My timer stopped the moment I met you, Pierrot."

"You..."

Pierre doesn't look like he knows how to finish that sentence, but Charles understands him anyway. "How was I supposed to tell you? I was seven, Pierre, and your timer didn't stop. I thought it was a mistake for years."

"But?" Pierre asks, like he can tell there was a but.

Charles beams at him. "But, I realised that there was nobody else who could be my perfect match. So I thought you were my soulmate after all, but it was unrequited."

"Never," Pierre says with a fierceness Charles doesn't expect. "Charles, never. If I knew... if I thought I had even half a chance, I would have been with you anyway."

Charles tries to laugh, but it comes out all breathless. "No you wouldn't."

"Yes, I would," Pierre argues, and his voice is heartbreakingly sincere. "I don't care. I would have chosen you."

Charles hears a punched-out noise, and it takes him a moment to realise it came from him. The next moment, he's unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing awkwardly over to sit on Pierre's lap.

It's not quite comfortable, because for all its luxury, the white Ferrari does not have a lot of leg space - but Charles doesn't think either of them give a single fuck, in this moment.

"I love you," he tells Pierre, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I've always loved you, but I never would have stood between you and your soulmate."

"Funny," Pierre says, his hands coming up to grip Charles' hips, "because that's exactly what stopped me from kissing you senseless."

"Well," Charles says, and if he grinds down just a little on Pierre's lap, he'll swear to everyone who asks that it was accidental. "It doesn't have to stop us anymore."

"Never again," Pierre agrees, tightening his grip on Charles' hips. "Never."

"So kiss me senseless, please," Charles whispers, and then he adds "soulmate," and that's what does it. Pierre surges up and kisses him, wild and desperate and more than a little clumsy, but without question the best kiss Charles has ever had. His own cap digs into his forehead a little, but Charles can't even bring himself to care about that - they owe too much to this cap now, honestly.

Maybe the universe does know what it's doing after all, Charles thinks. Maybe the universe just wanted to write a good story for them. A story that goes like this:

Charles' soulmate timer stopped when he was seven years old, and he met the boy with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen.

Almost twenty years later, Pierre's soulmate timer stopped in a white Ferrari in Montreal, and Charles finally got to kiss the boy with the bluest eyes he's ever seen, the man who is his best friend and his soulmate.

The odds of it working out this way have to be... a million to one, probably, or maybe even less.

But then again, what are the odds that two boys who met at a French karting cup and became friends with a shared dream would both make it to Formula 1?

Maybe the answer is just that Pierre and Charles have always liked beating the odds.

~

(50 Romance Prompts Ask Meme) <- not currently taking more prompts, sorry!

[casspurrjoybell-21]

Pirate Chains - Volume 1 - Strong Tides

*Warning Adult Content*

Chapter 30 - Omen - Part 3

Nyx

As time passed, I evaded every attempt Agenor made to pressure me into a conversation. Some of the mates treated me with more respect and we became closer, though one can only get so close to a group of pirates. However, when Agenor mentioned a few names, I became cautious. I was curious about the rest of the list but I didn't want to ask Agenor since I had nothing to offer in return. I kept my distance from those he mentioned,and even with the others, I remained vigilant since anyone could be on his list. It was astonishing how quickly he had made a list and to my surprise, Ken was on it. But avoiding them was impossible as they were everywhere.

Some of them were touchy-feely, like Jay who frequently grabbed my arm or ankle as I passed by. Despite this behavior, Jay was nice to me and I couldn't understand why he was on Agenor's list. Aside from my initial discomfort with the crew, I started getting an uneasy feeling about the way some of them would look at each other. It was as if something was going on behind the scenes, reminiscent of the times when certain sailors would plot with Terry to cause trouble. Back then, the sailors would communicate through sneaky movements, glances and silent conversations, which would result in me being stuck with cleaning up their messes for days on end. The issues varied but their endgame was always the same, to push me out of the business, either temporarily or permanently, so that Terry could take over. The same vibe permeated the ship, which left me feeling incredibly unsettled.

I decided that I needed to always have a weapon on me, regardless of what anyone else thought, including Agenor. Naturally, I had to find one on my own since I couldn't risk asking Agenor. If I did, he would immediately try to get me to talk about the humiliating subject that I was desperate to avoid. On a beautiful morning, I snuck down to the lowest level of the hull, which was dark and stuffy. There was a large room there, with weapons scattered everywhere, including cannons, arrows, axes, cannonballs and various kinds of swords. I assumed that these were the items that Agenor intended to sell once we reached land. As I made my way between the piles, I tried my best not to hurt my bare feet.

The area was incredibly messy, with weapons strewn all over the place. Kneeling, I began searching for a suitable short sword but my hand fell on a nice-looking dagger instead. I pulled it out and started checking if it was clean and sharp when I suddenly heard some movements. Looking up, I saw two people walking into the room talking. Their voices turned into whispers when they walked in. As I glanced at them again, I recognized their faces but couldn't recall their names. The first person was tall and had a clean, shiny bald scalp with crowded symbols of black ink covering his neck down to his left hand.

He didn't talk much and always seemed to be thinking or planning something. Despite being confident, he didn't appear to be the type to make trouble. Additionally, he was well-respected, which meant he was quite strong. The second man was tall and slim with greasy, red hair that fell around his head. He had a few strains on his eyes and his sloppy shirt hung barely on his shoulders. His pants threatened to fall and his bony body seemed malnourished. He whispered to his strong companion, seeming to report important news or information.

I heard only a few words, including:- code, number, worm, pretty, impatient and Ken.

After a moment's thought, the second man replied with a thick but low voice...

"Aye, this could be the chance."

He then turned to his friend and said...

"Okay, listen well Rod," lowering his voice as he spoke.

I could only make out a few words, including:- Bait, Agenor, code, vote and worm.

The two men continued to talk for a few minutes, with the taller man giving instructions to his companion. I stayed hidden behind a pile of mess, barely allowing myself to breathe. They clearly didn't want anyone listening in and I didn't want to risk becoming involved with what seemed to be like Agenor's enemies. Rod asked a question and I strained to hear the answer.

"Don't you think we should tell Ken?" he said.

"No, he's still loyal to the devil," the bald man replied.

"But we'll use him when the time comes."

"Aye but I doubt he'll go easy..."

"He won't have a choice. Not even he can stand against the code," the bald man replied.

"I'm sure he won't see this coming. The whole thing needs to take him by surprise."

Rod agreed.

"Aye, surprise. And we'll finally win this shit."

"Just make sure to keep your mouth shut and do as I say until the appropriate time comes."

"Aye... captain," Rod replied.

As the bald man left with a sneaky smile on his face, I was puzzled. Why had he called him 'captain'? Was it a joke? I had never heard anyone use that term jokingly before. Unless... After waiting for a while, I tucked the dagger under my clothes and I cautiously emerged from my hiding place. I didn't want any pirates to think I had been eavesdropping on their private conversation.

I kept glancing nervously behind me, afraid that Rod or the bald man might appear at any moment. In my haste, I accidentally walked into a hard wall, gasping as I bumped back. Suddenly, two strong hands grabbed my shoulders. I looked up, ready to apologize but my fear turned to relief as I saw Agenor's beautiful gray eyes staring down at me.

"Why the rush?" he said, his calming presence immediately soothing my nerves and I smiled at him.

"I was just heading to the deck."

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his expression showing some concern.

"Yes. Everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that you haven't seemed quite yourself these past few days," he replied.

"Got anything you'd like to talk to me about?"

"Are we back to that stupid conversation again?" I retorted defensively.

"Even if you call it stupid, I call it important," he said.

"But it seemed like you wanted to tell me something. Maybe we can start with what you've been running away from right now."

"I'm not escaping anything. What would I be scared of after knowing you?" I replied.

He smirked.

"You've got a point there."

"I was just going to see if Baril needed anything at the galley," I explained.

"I thought you were heading to the deck," he said.

I sighed.

"Yes, I was going to the deck. I wanted to see if he was there. Why are you asking so many questions?"

He smiled at me, like he could see right through me. He was getting difficult to avoid but we were luckily interrupted by Baril's booming voice.

"Nyx. Where the hell are you, boy?" he shouted.

I quickly pulled away from Agenor and rushed to the galley, leaving his laughter behind me. Later that day, I grabbed some food and sat down to eat with everyone else. I was a bit late, so most people had already finished their meals and were chatting and laughing. Some were even licking their plates clean, which I found a bit gross.

I looked down at my own plate and was grateful that I always used the same one. I had washed it countless times and stored it away after every meal. I was mentally exhausted. So as I ate, I let my thoughts wander to a happy place. Agenor's wide firm chest, his satiny hair. Just like his character, mostly rough but he had his moments.

"Hey, I hear you became close friends with Baril," someone said into my ear.

I tensed and almost choked on my food. During dinner, in front of everyone, the baldy approached me and sat beside me. I tried to hide my surprise and control my facial expressions, yet I couldn't help but suspect that he saw me earlier. He didn't look angry. Then again, he could easily snap my head or something with a smile on his face. Who could guess what went inside a pirate's head.

"I assist him in the galley as much as I can," I said politely, trying to hide my uneasiness.

"I also see you doing many chores here and there. I think you're the one who's exhausted the most around here since you started working for Agenor."

I glanced at him beside me, trying to find out what he was scheming.

"I guess you need to work harder than everyone to secure a life among pirates and keep your dignity," he tacked on.

'Yes, exactly. Unbelievable, among these sea-wolves, someone actually understood why I was making such efforts.'

He smiled as if he heard my inner thoughts and continued.

"Many around call you mate, I guess now you're a pirate..."

"I'm not a pirate," I answered too hastily.

Something akin of frustration flashed in his eyes but he quickly hid it. I realized instantly that I annoyed him, so I added in a more controlled tone.

"I just happen to work for one."

"I knew it, you lack the qualities of pirates," he said, then he titled his head closer and added...

"Or should I say, lack the viciousness."

I didn't answer him. Just tried to focus on my plate while stared at me silently for a moment. He then sighed heavily.

"Well, it doesn't really matter what you think, since Agenor went around telling everyone you became a pirate."

Now I did look at him, my eyes slightly widening in disbelief.

'Did Agenor really do that? Me? A bloody pirate? How dare he assume such a thing on my behalf. I clearly told him I wanted to work for him, I never said a thing about becoming one of them.'

"Hey, storm boy. If you need anything or if anyone's bothering you, don't hesitate to come and find me," he added, his voice oozing niceness before he added in a low voice...

"If I were the Captain," his voice trailed and a smirk tugged on his mouth.

'THERE IT WAS.'

"As a Captain," he continued. "I'll give you specific work to do so no one would force you to do theirs. I'll pay you for your work like you're used to on land and... I'll spare you any extra activities you're forced to do, if you know what I mean."

My face flushed and I broke our gaze. He stood up, laughed loudly, patted my shoulder and then walked away. I looked around and saw that everyone's attention was on me, staring like I had just sinned or something. I grabbed my plate and withdrew from their judging eyes.

[whatsaboutalaska]

Bocas del Toro

This is going to be a very long Blogpost, because I spent a month on the beautiful Islands of Bocas del toro and I have a lot to tell you about :D

Isla Colon

It’s the main Island and although it’s one of the bigger ones, the city (bocas town - the capital of the whole Archipel) is very tiny. It won’t take you more than 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other, what might seem a bit boring, but there's always something new to discover :) !

Where to stay

Normally I don't give anti-recommendations for hostels, but although everyone I asked recommended me to stay at Selina in Bocas, it was my worst hostel experience ever. If you're like me, and more into cozy small hostels, where you easily feel at home, and not into party party, I'll recommend you not to book at Selina, especially not friday and saturday! You don't need to stay there to hang out at their dock, or join the parties at night. But I love to sleep. So these two nights were horrible for me :)!

Skully‘s House

I would have loved to stay at this hostel, but unfortunately it was fully booked when I was there. But I still spent a few hours at the place, and the dorms look amazing :)! The cheapest option for a night at Skully's are 15$! It is directly at Paunch Beach, it has a pool, and a very tasty restaurant, which unfortunately is not really cheap.

Fun Fact: The hostel in designed in Pirate theme and the owner is a bearded pirate with a real woodleg :D

Coconut hostel

It's the cheapest place I could find on the Island, and it's one of few places in Bocas where breakfast is included! Pancakes with fresh fruits! What else could you wish for? :D Although the bathrooms in the hostel are really not nice, I completely enjoyed my stay! The vibe is very family-like and they even have a rooftop full with hammocks for 5$/night if that's your thing :)! I meet an awesome israeli musician while I stayed there, who gave me a private concert the night before he left. Such an incredibly talented guy!

Pro Tipp: It doesn't matter where you stay, I really recommend you to use the loundry service at coconut hostel! They charge 3$ instead of for example 10$ at Selina!

Where to eat

Panaderia Alemana

For Germans and Austrians the hardest part while travelling is to find bread. And I mean real bread. I spent every free minute in this Bakery on Isla Colón, having breakfast, just a snack or my favorite pastries.

Pro Tipp: try the maracuya cheesecake!

Restaurante chitré

It's one of few cheap places in Bocas del Toro, and normally you just see locals eating there :)! For 4,75$ you get a huge plate of grilled chicken, rice and salad - and it's not just cheap, it's super tasty! It's also a good place to practice your spanish, while chatting with panamanians.

LaItaliana

Normally a bit pricey, LaItaliana offers a happy hour in the afternoon, where they offer a pizza plus drink for 6$! One of the best Pizzas I ever had! I recommend you to take a large pizza, the small ones are just for hobbits :D

Pollo Rosti

This little restaurant offers nothing else than grilled chicken and fries. But I can guarantee, that you won't find better chicken for this price on the whole Island! For 7$ you get half of a roasted a chicken, including fries and dips. The only thing which is bothering me, is that they serve their food on single-use plastic tableware. #savetheplanet

What to do

Rent an ATV

Flying Pirates belongs to the owner of Skully's House and is the company you want to go with, while racing through the jungle. It's definitely not a cheap activity, but by far the best I have experienced on this trip! Nearly the whole island is covered with jungle, but only Flying Pirates have access to it, because they pay rent to the owner of the land. To make sure, that no ATV drivers of other companies can enter this property, the pirate placed many traps along the trail! So make sure you listen carefully to his instructions, because you don't want to drown your ATV or die...

So go for it and enjoy this amazing adventure, but be prepared: you will get back very very dirty and maybe a bit injured. #dontflip #yesIdid

Cacao Ceremony

In Bocas del Toro I experienced my very first cacao ceremony! I'm not religious or spiritual, so things like that always seemed a bit strange for me but honestly I enjoyed it a lot! It's a gathering of different people who mostly sit in a circle, drink cacao, and combine that with for example yoga, sound healing or dancing. Since centuries cacao is used for physical and mental healing, it actually increases your bloodflow and produces endorphins. This topic is so big, it deserves a whole blog post itself, so if you're interested and want to know more about it, I share this article with you: http://www.balispiritfestival.com/blog/cacao-ceremonies-what-why-and-how

Bioluminescence Tour

This tour is definitely one big highlight of my whole trip, because it is so different than any other boattrip I experienced. You have to be a bit lucky to get the experience, because you're only able to see bioluminescence in the water when it's really dark, so tours just take place around new moon. I did my tour exactly on new moon, and it was a breathtaking experience for me. It was quite scary to jump into the sea, in the middle of the night, and I definitely overcame some fears on that trip! Because it was completely dark, our guide was whistling all the time, to make sure we find him in the water and don't get lost. If you want to know some more about the tour and about bioluminescence in general I recommend you to read following article: https://hellotravelpanama.com/packages/bioluminescence-tour/

Surf!

I'm not a very comfortable surfer, so I never tried it in Bocas. Butt everyone else does, because it's a great surfer destination! The waves are really high and often very dangerous, so it's not the best place to start with surfing, but you'll definitely love it when you're a bit more advanced. But don't surf at Bluff Beach! In the last years, a lot of people died surfing there, and nearly everyone who tries breaks their boards.

Zapatilla Tour

Although Bocas del Toro is a very expensive place, you can book daytours for not more than 25$/person! A must do is a tour to Cayo Zapatilla, which should include a stop at dolphin bay, sloth island, Hollywood (starfish island) and the coral snorkel spot. This tour is definitely a highlight for me so far! I've seen a lot of dolphins, but unfortunately you can't go for a swim with them, because the bay is full of jellyfish!

Stand Up Paddling!

From Isla Colon you can easily paddle to Isla Carenero, which is just one minute away if you take the boat. If you are not very familiar with surfing or stand up paddling, I would NOT recommend you to rent your gear at Selina, because they also have no Idea. So I ended up with a big surfboard, instead of an SUP board, sitting on it and trying not to fall. Well, at least the board was pink :D!

Plastic Bottle Village

I have no idea how I could have missed this place, but it's so amazing, that I definitely need to share it with you!

Years ago, a Canadian called Robert moved to the Island and started to collect water bottles, instead of throwing them away, and in the last years he built a whole village out of these bottles. He designed a huge castle, and even built little houses you can rent and live in, for a very good price! With his program he wants to draw attention to the excessive use of plastic, and with the money he earns he supports the local community and tries to educate children about this important topic. If you want to know more about this project, visit the website! http://www.plasticbottlevillage-theline.com/

Where to shop

Black Cat

This shop is not just my favorite for shopping clothes, it also sells very extraordinary souvenirs. Everything they sell is unique and nearly all their designs are self made. Unfortunately it's not backpacker budget friendly, but I love every piece I bought there! They also sell underwear with very special prints in four different sizes and three different shapes, which are 15$ per piece, but super comfortable and unique!

Tutty n Fish

Best place to buy fish and seafood to cook it at home! Unfortunately I never had the chance to buy the tuna because it was always sold out, but I heard it's amazing, and it's super cheap!

Farmacia el Javillo

It seems a bit weird to recommend a farmacy, but unfortunately I spent a lot of time in pharmacies and also been to the hospital in Bocas del Toro. Apparently it's very easy to open a farmacy in Central America, for which reason the quality and the prices of the products differ a lot. With this farmacies I never had any problems, they gave me good advices and they also speak a little english :)!

Isla Bastimentos

Because Bocas Town was a bit to much party for me, and I definitely wanted to stay at a beautiful beach, I moved to Isla Bastimentos after three days, and very spontaneously I started to work in an incredible hostel directly at Red Frog Beach!

Where to stay

Palmar Beach Lodge

Where should I start! I stayed one month volunteering at this place, had the most amazing people around me, spent Christmas and New Years Eve here and couldn't wish for a better time! This place is a very nice mixture of a hotel and hostel. They offer very luxurious bungalows and tents, but also cheap mixed 8-bed cabins which are the most amazing dorms I have ever seen! The only thing that doesn't really fit into the low budget plan of a backpacker, is that there is no guest kitchen at the hostel. So you have no choice but eating at the restaurant all day long, which is super super tasty and backpacker budget friendly :)!

What to do

Red frog beach

If you stay at Palmar this beach is directly in front of your door. It's the most famous beach in the whole Archipel, but honestly not the most perfect one for swimming, because mostly the current is really strong, and there's always a red flag. To spot a red frog you have to be very lucky, because they are super tiny!

Polo Beach

It's a 40 minute walk through the jungle and on the beach to get from Red Frog Beach to Polo Beach, and it's 100% worth it! There are no hotels - just Polo lives there. He's an old guy who built himself a little cabin and sells coconuts, drinks, and sometimes even fresh grilled fish.

Wizard Beach

To get to this beach it's quite a long walk through the jungle! Unfortunately I never arrived there, because the time I tried there were so many ants that I turned around. Make sure you get back before it gets dark, because you really don't walk this path at night! The last years there were a lot of robberies along this trail, so make sure you don't go alone and don't take valuable things with you :)

Up in the Hill

If you walk 20 minutes uphill from Old Bank, the main town of Bastimentos, you get to this cacao farm, run by a Scottish family. Unfortunately I never booked a tour there, but I hiked all the way up to bring back their lost dog, but apparently it wasn't their dog... (it was the dog of another cacao farm)

Pro Tipp: Try their selfmade brownies :)!

Marina

It's the place where all the private sailing boats and catamarans dock, and normally you're not really supposed to go there because it's a private property, so your only allowed there if you have a boat. But you definitely have the most beautiful sunset view in Bastinentos :)!

Isla Carenero

If you’re a fan of party and you want to join filthy Friday (it’s like a pub crawl every Friday, but they take you to different islands for this group drinking experience) you can just stay at Agua Lodge, and get Filthy Friday for „free“, because every group will stop there. I didn’t stay in this hostel, because I’m not really into party, but they have a trampoline where you can jump directly into the water.

Isla Solarte

Bambuda Lodge

This hostel is usually fully booked. Even in low season. So be fast, if you want to stay in this amazing hostel! I didn’t sleep there, but spent a full day at the island and had dinner at the hostel. It doesn’t have a guest kitchen, so there is no other choice than eating in the Bambuda restaurant, or going to the main island. The restaurant is pricey (one meal is around 12-15$) but i strongly recommend you to eat there at least once! You can pick out of four different meals, which change every day, and the food is delicious!

If you are not a guest, and just go there for Dinner or the Pool, expect to pay a fee of 5$.

Transportation

If you're not a friend of boat rides, you will have a hard time in Bocas. Around three times a week I took a shuttle from Bastimentos to Isla Colon, just because I really enjoy cruising between the islands. Fortunately all this boat trips were free for me, because it was a private shuttle from the hostel I worked at, otherwise you'll pay a lot of money on boat rides while you stay there. Don't hesitate to negotiate, all the locals will try to rip you off.

Tipps and Tricks

Just buy necessary stuff!

As I already mentioned, Bocas is super expensive. So bring everything you might need, and try to avoid buying medicines, technical devices and other things you can probably buy on the mainland or town, because the smaller islands are even more expensive!

Use the free shuttles

If somebody asks, I never told you about this! But there are many hostels who provide Free Shuttles between the islands, and they never really check if you're a guest or not. Make use of it and save some money :)

Bring a shopping bag

The whole Archipel of Bocas del Toro is completely plastic bag and straw free! Isn't that amazing? So if you plan on buying some groceries, bring a shopping bag!

Don't bring expensive clothes

Living in the jungle kills your clothes. It's close to 100% humidity, mold grows easily and you will never really have the feeling of fresh smelling clothes. Sad but true, make sure that you store your clothing always in the fresh air to prevent the worst.

Never buy tours online

It doesn't matter where you go, but NEVER ever book tours online, especially not on TripAdvisor. All the Tours you'll find on the internet are two or three times more expensive! There are so many tour companies, especially in Bocas del Toro, you really don't need to worry about saving a spot. Book spontaneously, that's where you get the best discounts!

Mosquitos!

Make sure to use enough repellent and don't spend to much time on the beach and the docks after it's getting dark. If you don't want to use too much chemical products, you can prevent Mosquito and sandfly bites with coconut oil.

Learn to say NO

Especially in Bocas Town, everyone tries to sell you tours, boat trips, food and mostly they are really good in what they do. When I started this trip I always had the feeling I need to be nice, and thought it's rude to just walk away. I learned very fast, that this isn't how it works, and that you clearly have to tell them that you're not interested. "¡No, gracias!" , will be your new favorite phrase.

I completely enjoyed my stay in Bocas del Toro, and definitely would love to come back some day :D

[ladala99]

Division

(Snowdrift's story, part 1?)(Reign of Luke)

Growing up, there were a few rules Snowdrift's mother Ashes taught him.

1) Do not go near with Ilere if you can help it. She's evil and may enchant you.

2) Do not try to interact with Lightning, Ember, or Penelope. They will not respond to you and Ilere probably has something to do with that.

3) Do not trust Sandy. Something's a bit off about her.

4) Listen to your father.

5) Live in roarin' fear of everything, even though you are a male lion, and if you get strong enough, you may inherit every broken thing around here.

Okay, Ashes never said the last one in those words. But that's what it felt like. Don't do this, don't do that, don't talk to lions you may someday rule over because they might be evil? At the same time, listen to Luke even though he trusts these evil lions.

Yeah. That made sense. Not.

Luke said the pride was supposed to be united, but this wasn't what Snowdrift thought 'united' was supposed to look like. Ilere's and Sandy's cubs played in their own part of the territory. Eclipse's, Luna's, Sunrise's, and Ashes' (including himself when he was younger) in another. Lightning's, Ember's and Penelope's seemed to hang around vacantly and not play with anyone. They'd gone from two prides living in different territories to three prides living in the same place.

This wasn't what he wanted to rule over. He needed to know everyone. And he'd start with the least-scary - his peers of Lightning's, Ember's, and Penelope's lines.

---

The three young lionesses seemed to be going through the motions of playing, but they weren't really into it. The youngest, a cub of Penelope's line, vacantly batted at the slow-moving tail of the oldest, a grown lioness of Ember's line. Lightning's daughter, not much older than Snowdrift, watched.

Penelope also had a boy named Flint, but he hung out with Ilere's group more often than his sister's group.

Okay, maybe least-scary wasn't accurate about these lionesses. But at least they weren't going to enchant him or something.

"Hey girls!" he called as he approached, trying to get their attention. They ignored him. He puffed out his chest and walked in front of the middle one in age. "I'm trying to meet the rest of the pride. What are you girls doing? Would you like to go out exploring or something?"

Lightning's Legacy seemed to finally see him. "We're fine," she said. She seemed tired.

"That was neither of the questions I asked," Snowdrift said.

"You're not going to get much more than that out of them," a new voice said. Two boys approached: Flint, who had spoken and was Penelope's son who didn't share his sister's sluggishness; and Omen, Ilere's son.

"Yeah," Omen said. You couldn't tell he was Ilere's son as he looked nothing like her. He had his father's pale golden coat and no distinct markings. "Their real selves aren't here."

"Real selves?" Snowdrift asked.

"Mom's got their real selves stuck in spirit form, just like their moms," Omen said. "How you see them is just them doing the bare minimum to seem normal."

"They don't seem very normal to me," Snowdrift said, "Or anyone I've talked to."

"It's mostly for Luke's sake," Flint said. "He doesn't realize how much she's doing to keep everything together."

That was a strange way to talk about it. "But everyone seems so apart," Snowdrift said. "That's why I came here. Mom always said not to talk to anyone other than Eclipse, Luna, Sunrise, their kids, Dad, and herself. We don't talk to you, you don't talk to us. How is that a pride?"

Flint smiled sadly. "You guys are allowed to be normal. Ilere's keeping them under enchantment because they want to rebel. You guys don't."

"The cubs want to rebel." Snowdrift didn't believe that.

"The cubs follow their mothers," Omen said. "Most of the time, anyway." He flicked his tail towards Flint.

"Hey, somebody's got to get close to your sister," Flint said with a smirk.

Omen shoved him. "Yeah, and somebody's going to have to leave the pride in a couple of months. And that's at least one of us, and only if we can take down old Dusty."

Dusty was one of the two adult submales, and the other Luke had named. No no one messed with Luke's elections, but the other could be challenged.

Of course, Luke had named Snowdrift as his heir of choice a lot more recently. Once he was grown, he'd be in that spot and the currently-named heir, Markus, a lion without connection to the huntresses, would have to challenge his rival to keep his spot.

"Maybe your sister would gain her powers and help me," Flint said, shrugging.

Omen shook his head, amused. He looked at Snowdrift. "You really should go back with the rest of the normal lions."

"And if I become king?" Snowdrift asked. "What, should I not know about all of this?"

The two boys looked at each other.

"You have a long way to go, kid," said Flint.

Snowdrift wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face, but restrained himself and stalked away. He'd finish this another day.

Or so he thought. He was partway towards the 'normal lion' part of the territory when he felt something warm against his flank. A lioness leaned into him. Ilere's Legacy, the adolescent his age.

"You're Luke's chosen one, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. He tried not to look directly at her eyes. He heard that was a bad idea.

"I overheard that you wanted to get to know everybody. Well, here I am. Do you want me to get Sandy's Legacy, too?"

Snowdrift looked around for the other boys, but they seemed to be gone. "Sure," he said.

He waited by a pointed stone as she strode off. She returned not too long after with the Legacy of Sandy's line, who was a Piebald much like Snowdrift. She was significantly older than him, though.

The two girls looked normal enough.

"Piebald," Sandy's Legacy noted. "Do you think that'll break the curse?"

Ilere's Legacy scrunched up her nose. "I sure hope not."

"Curse?" Snowdrift asked.

"Did no one tell you?" Ilere asked. "Maybe they wanted to wait until you were older, or they were more sure you'd be king material. Or maybe they just didn't want to scare you away. But uh, it's said that in life, lionesses in the Ilere line will be servant to Primal lions of Tiger's line, which Luke is. But in death, it's reversed. And if a Primal of Ilere's line becomes king, then. . . I don't know, he'll be pretty powerful or something."

"Omen has the potential," Sandy's Legacy said.

"Very small potential," Ilere said. "Yeah, he might be able to magic himself Primal, but that's not the same as being born with it."

"But since I'm Piebald, not Primal. . ." Snowdrift said, trailing off. He wasn't sure what that meant.

"We'll just have to see," Ilere said. "I don't think it'll make a difference. You're still mutated, just not in the same way. I'm not worried."

Snowdrift didn't know what to make of this. She said it so nonchalantly, like talking about the weather. Lions serving each other in life and death? He couldn't even begin to grasp with that might mean.

"Is your mom really evil?" he blurted.

"Of course Ilere's not," Sandy's Legacy said.

"Some lions think so," Ilere's Legacy said, "but she's doing what she does for the good of the pride. She's the only thing stopping another war." She shook her head. "I can only hope, if I grow to take her place, that whatever powers I have can keep the peace like hers can."

Snowdrift looked over at the enchanted cubs. "But, cubs? Are cubs going to start a war?"

"Not if they've been taught correctly," Ilere's Legacy said. "That's what we're trying to do. Because once my mom dies, they'll all be freed."

He was getting weirder and weirder vibes from her the more she spoke. She sounded reasonable enough, but reading into what she said made it seem sinister. 'Taught correctly,' or brainwashed?

"I have to go," he said. "Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, though!"

Ilere's Legacy rumbled friendily. "Anytime. Hope to see you around."

Snowdrift tried to make his retreat as casual as possible.

Mom was right. He should avoid those guys.