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sorryimanon · 4 years

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A Bit Stir Crazy: Pt 1

Summary: You’re bit of a hot head, so is Bakugou. So what happens when the two of you have to quarantine together for 30 days?

Warnings: cursing, mentions of sex, sexual tension, inevitable smut, slow burn.

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x fem!Reader

Spring finally makes it way to the city of Musutafu, which also means spring break is about to commence. There was only two days left of school before the students endure a week break of relaxation and the possibility of illegal drinking. However, the sudden outbreak of a deadly virus isolates you and your best friend of five years , Katsuki Bakugou, to quarantine together. Tensions are high, and so are both of your sex drive.

<<<

It was your second semester here at Hero University, and so far everything was smooth sailing. You’ve been on top of each of your classes, and most of your classmates are pretty much family by now. Of course, no one can replace Kirishima and Katsuki. Those two have been in your life since the second you stepped into Aziwa’s classroom. 5 years of friendship gave them the role of being your protective brothers. Every guy you’ve dated over the past 3 years had to face the wrath of both Kirishima and Katsuki. In most cases, some would find this possessiveness tedious, but you found it quite comforting knowing they are looking out for you. They were also hard on you and your studies, but only because they care for you. Both of them know about your dream of being a combat medic for pro-heroes, considering your energy restoration quirk, so they were extra tough on you.

However, everything came to a halt the day before spring break. You were currently in Advanced Hero History class when the announcement happened. The teacher, mid lecture, put her textbook down and glanced at the speaker above the door.

“Testing...1 2 3... this thing is working right? AHEM, attention students of Hero University, we’ve been told there’s recently been a sudden outbreak of a virus that’s described as deadly as the plaque!” The speakers voice reverberated across the whole academy. He continued,” We want to make sure that everyone is safe and sound and takes precaution of this virus. The board of admissions at HU have decided to cancel classes and all events at the university tomorrow-”

You didn’t get to hear the rest of the announcement. Everyone in the classroom was busy celebrating and screaming at the top of their lungs. Seems like the issue with the deadly virus evaporated immediately. The thought of getting out early for spring break was more important apparently.

Ms.Leech informed the class to still read the assigned chapters and be ready for a test the first day after break.

You quickly shoved everything your messenger bag and made a beeline to the door. The hallways were far from deserted. Usually classes don’t get out at the same time, but today every student occupied the cramped halls in the building.

“Y/N!” Someone yelled amidst the crowd of loud students. You overtly looked around and spotted the all too familiar spiky red hair and angry looking blonde by the exit. You giggled and maneuvered your way over to them.

“Did you hear the announcement! We get an early spring break!” Kirishima giddily said as you guys all walked side by side on the strip to the apartment complex.

“No shit Sherlock, the announcement was broadcasted across the whole school.” Bakugou responded while rolling his eyes.

“I’m so excited though! That means I have more time to study for my exams!” You jumped with excitement.

“Exams? That’s not for awhile you fucking nerd-” Bakugou was cut off when you grabbed a handful of his hair and aggressively pulled it. “YOU SHITTY WOMAN DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR!”

Spring break flashed by quickly, leaving only a day left before classes begin again. Thankfully, you seem to have checked everything off your list of things needed to be accomplished during break. The only thing you had left to do was finish your reading for adv.hero history.

After an endless hour of reading, you decided to make a hot pot of coffee. When you walked into the kitchen of your shared apartment with Kirishima and Katsuki, you noticed a sticky note hanging from the fridge.

It read,

Went to go pick up Kirishima from the airport. Get take out plz. The usual

-B.

You smiled and immediately dialed the noodle shop to go. Kirishima used his spring break wisely and went to visit an exotic island with his family. He would FaceTime you and Bakugo occasionally telling funny stories about his time on the island. Although the thought never occurred at the time, you now felt like you wasted your spring break doing boring mundane things. Yes you had Katsuki to accompany you, but he was gone most of the time hanging out with his other friends. Which hurt, granted, but you understand that he has other friends besides you. Needless to say, you didn’t do that much “relaxation” during spring break.

Suddenly, your phone started going off on the countertop. Katsuki’s name flashing on the screen. Confused, you answered his call anyway, not thinking much of it.

“Y/N turn on the news now,” His said with urgency.

You didn’t argue back, knowing something is off, and raced to the living room. The tv was already on, so you just changed the channels till it reached the local news station. With the volume at its maximum, you sat still and listened to the news anchor.

“This just in, Japan has issued a nationwide lockdown due to the spread of the deadly virus. We’ve been told to report for all citizens to please stay in your homes till further notice. And as for anyone who has left the country, you’ll be permitted to stay within the country you’ve flown to and wait till further instructions...”

Oh shit

“Hey hey guys don’t worry I’ll be fine. I mean, isn’t this great news! We don’t have to go to our scheduled classes till further notice! Plus, I think I can score my shot with the maid here at my hotel for the time being,” Kirishima gloated with pure positivity.

“Baka. You do realize there’s a fucking virus going around right? Not to mention there’s a possibility you could die from it.” Bakugou said, trying to throw some common sense at Kiri.

“Right right right. Yes I do know...but that’s not going to stop me from getting laid bro.”

That was one of the few FaceTime calls you got from Kiri. After the third, he stopped calling all together. You grew worrisome for your best friend. Even though he doesn’t show it, Bakugou was worried sick not hearing from Kiri either.

It’s been 5 days since the initial lockdown. So far, you and Bakugou have been doing each of your usual routines at home. First thing in the morning you always prepared breakfast and read a few chapters from your current book. Bakugo did laundry duty and did the dishes after breakfast. Afternoon was just recreational duties. Both you and Bakugou would reside in your rooms doing whatever to ease off the bordem. Evenings were mainly for eating dinner and watching movies.

However, after 10 days, you couldn’t keep up with the routine anymore. You skipped breakfast and didn’t dare to open up another book. Your bedroom became a reminder on how much you’ve spent cooped up in there. Not to mention how easily angered you’ve become.

One day you got angry at how Bakugou was chewing his food. Usually it never irritated you, but now the sight just made your blood boil.

“Who the fuck taught you how to eat?” You spat abruptly.

“Says the person who forgets to clean the tub after they shave their whole entire jungle of a body,” he retored back.

A faint gasp left your mouth, uaware that you completely forgot to clean the tub last night after your feminine duties.

“Don’t know who you’re trying to look presentable for. It’s not like you got a boyfriend, not with all that hair, tch.” he hit you with one last punch to the gut.

You got up from where you were sitting at and begrudgingly walked to your bedroom, locking it in the process. Not daring to leave your room, you open your laptop and started a movie without Bakugou.

Out of all days, day 15 by far was the worst. The air conditioner unit stopped working, causing y’all to wake up with drenched bodies. Your room especially was humid, since you had no access to a window. The colored coordinated folders from your book bag had to suffice, using them as makeshift fans. Eventually your arms grew tired of constantly doing the same motion repeatedly, so you finally left your room in hopes for the living room to be much cooler.

You stopped immediately when you caught a glimpse of Bakugou slumped on the L-shaped couch. Not to mention, he was shirtless as well. Heat flushed to your cheeks, making you glow a crimson red. You couldn’t stop staring at the view in front of you. Yes you’ve seen Bakugou shirtless before. Countless of times in fact. The boys would practically walk naked around the apartment, not caring about how you’d react. You were deemed as one of the guys.

But this time it triggered something within you. Something you haven’t quite felt in a long time. Maybe it was the quarantine getting to your head, but you couldn’t help but to wonder how it would feel to be flushed against his naked chest right now. Or if he was the type to snake his hands around your waist and pull you even closer. The thought excited you for a second, but quickly realized this was Katsuki you were thinking about.

Katsuki shifted uncomfortably in his spot, eliciting a whimper during the process. The noise alone made your lower stomach tense with a warm sensation. This was creepy. Watching Bakugou shirtless while sleeping would surly make him go ballistic, but the sight of sweat glistening on his abdomen made his abs more prominent. An image of you being underneath him kept flashing in your head like picture show. A crude and undeniably satisfying picture show. More explicit thoughts kept trying to barge into your brain. So, you ran back into your room and planted yourself headfirst on the floor. Hopefully these thoughts will go away by tomorrow

The thoughts never went away. In fact, they were the reason you didn’t get any sleep last night. A half naked Bakugou Katsuki kept interrupting your innocent dreams, filling them in with dirty scenarios involving the both of you. You knew you were fucked once you heard the faint sound of Katsukis footsteps in the kitchen. You’ve been up all night, with no pure dream in mind. There’s no saving your sleep schedule now. Maybe if you apologize to Katsuki for acting irrational the other day, the thoughts would go away.

Defeated, you got up from your comfortable bed and treaded into unsafe territory. There sat Bakugo, criss cross on the kitchen island eating cereal. It wasn’t an unusual sight, he was the embodiment of a fucking cat.

“Morning shit head,” you playfully teased.

Bakugou raised his head and looked expectingly at you.

Even just looking him dead in the eye raised the temperature throughout your body. This is going to be a nightmare.

“You alright Y/N? Your whole face is flushed...” He paused, eyeing you suspiciously. “You’re not sick are you? If so, I’m kicking you out. I don’t wanna fucking die because of you”.

How charming.

You scratched the back of your neck. “Uh no Katsuki, I just wanted to apologize for the other day. My behavior towards you was unacceptable. This whole quarantine thing has really made me-”

“Shut up. No need to apologize for some stupid quarrel we got into. Besides, we’ve gotten into worse arguments right?”

You nodded your head, agreeing to how truthful his statement was. It was true. 5 years of friendship and not one time have you guys stopped being friends because of a heated argument.

“Exactly, don’t sweat about it. I’m just glad you finally came out of your hole. I missed my movie buddy.” He gave you a lopsided grin, to which on cue, your stomach tied itself into a knot.

“Great, because I found a movie last night on my queue that I think you’d like” You beamed as you started making yourself a bowl cereal. Katsuki grunted as a response and leaped off from the island.

You were too busy focusing on making the cereal that you didn’t hear the faint thump of footsteps behind you. Then, almost as some sort of harsh punishment, Katsuki rested his head between your right shoulder blade. He hummed once he felt your body tense up. His lips were merely inches away from your outer ear. Any other movement from him and you wouldn’t hesitate to throw the gallon of milk at his head. But what he said next caused your whole face to turn pallid.

“Also, its kind of rude to watch someone sleeping don't cha think?” he whispered before throwing his bowl into the sink beside you.

At that moment you knew, you were completely fucked.

#bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugo x reader #bnha x reader #bakugo katuski #katsuki x you #katsuki smut #bnha bakugou #bnha fanfiction #bakugo imagine #bnha fic #kacchan #ao3 bakugou #bakugou #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x you

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awkwardnessandbaseball · 5 years

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IT’S HERE!!!!

So many thanks to: @cspupstravaganza, @sherlockianwhovian, @lassluna, and @kieravanrenvie.

AO3 if that’s your jam.

Today you get the prologue and the first chapter, so read away, my pretties!

I'd Pick You (and Your Little Dog, Too)

A Captain Swan Pupstravaganza Story

Summary: According to everyone in the known universe, Emma Swan's dog is supposed to lead her to her soulmate. But she's not even sure if she wants that. Soulmates are pretty idealistic, don't you think?

Prologue:

The pounding of Emma’s heart matched her footsteps as she ran through the woods on the edge of Storybrooke. She did her best to ignore the pain in her back that her bookbag was causing her, slamming against her tailbone. She forced all thoughts out of her head, pointedly ignoring the bruise clearly forming above her jeans..

She just ran.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She felt it faintly, but she ignored it. A nagging feeling in her belly threatened to stop her in her tracks: she hated to make her brother worry.

But he’d be better off without her.

David was the golden child, a straight-A student and a natural athlete. He’d been their parents’ pride and joy, while Emma had been a troublemaker and a disappointment. She’d done well as a child, her competitive nature causing her to pit herself against her twin brother in every conceivable way. They were equals in many ways, though Emma’s true strength was in literature while David had understood long division a full two years before she’d begun to grasp the concept. But somewhere along the way, she’d started losing their imaginary competitions. She suddenly had to try to ace all of her tests, while everything still seemed to come easily to David.

She’d been a sore loser.

So instead of trying and disappointing her parents - and herself - she’d given up. Stopped going to class and started hanging out with the stoners by the football field. She’d lost track of the days and weeks.

And then her parents had died.

It was a car accident, it could have happened to anyone. But while David flourished in his grief, planning the funeral and contacting family members and even arranging hotel stays, Emma had only fallen further down the hole she’d dug herself.

And then the funeral came. One week after the accident, Nolans and Swans, humans and canines, from near and far had descended upon their home and Emma had hidden in her room, while David remained the center of attention.

She ventured halfway down the stairs during the small gathering after the service when she heard someone talking to David. She sat, eavesdropping.

“Oh I just know your parents were so proud of you, David. Your mother told me just last week about how you were running for class president, right? I can’t imagine you’ll still run. Oh you are? Yes, it is what they would have wanted. Where’s your sister? Still skipping class every day? Your mother was very worried about her, you know.” Great Aunt Ingrid lowered her voice. “Is it true they were out looking for her when they got into the accident?”

It wasn’t. Emma heard David’s firm No from her spot on the stairs, but the damage had already been done.

She packed a bag, only the essentials, and ran out the back door.

She reached the docks and stood, staring out on the water, unsure of what to do next. Her stupid phone kept buzzing in her pocket and she finally ripped it out, staring at the screen.

32 New Text Messages 15 Missed Calls

8 Voice Messages

All from David.

Shit.

D: Emma, where did you go?

D: I heard you on the stairs when I was talking to Aunt Ingrid. D: Where’s your necklace from Mom? I saw it on the nightstand this morning.

D: Did you run away?

D: Emma, please answer me. D: Emma, I can’t do this alone.

The last one finally got her.

She sighed, upset with herself for getting so carried away, for being so selfish. She was so embarrassed now, with the adrenaline leaving her system, and so tired.

E: Let me know when everyone’s gone.

It took three hours before she finally got the text.

D: Come home, Emma. Please.

She’d expected David to yell at her, to tell her how much he’d worried and to blame her for causing him more stress.

He just hugged her, cradling the back of her head in his right hand.

It was the first time his armor had come down. The first time Emma had realized that maybe, just maybe, her brother wasn’t handling this as well as she’d suspected. She thought about all the planning he’d done for the funeral and realized, apparently too late, that he’d probably been trying to avoid thinking about what had happened; trying to avoid thinking about the fact that their parents were gone, and they weren’t coming back.

“You can’t leave me like that, Emma. It’s just you and me now.”

She nodded against his shoulder.

“Just you and me.”

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

Four Years Later

“You’re… you’re moving out?” Emma asked, hoping her brother wouldn’t notice the slight crack in her voice at the end of the question.

“Just down the street,” David assured her. “It’s just… Emma, it’s time. We’ve been together for a while, it’s the next logical step.”

Emma loved her brother, and she was so happy that he was in love, but she just really didn’t want things to change. They were barely eighteen, had just gotten their own place together (Granny’s Inn had been nice, if a bit cramped, and this was an actual adult apartment) a year ago, and now… it was already ending?

She sniffed once and nodded.

“Okay,” she said.

“Emma, we can talk about this. I know it’s a lot…” David tried to catch her eye but she looked away.

“Nothing to talk about. I’m sure you and Kathryn are meant to be.”

A week later, Emma was helping David move into his fancy new one-bedroom apartment with its in-unit laundry and brand new appliances. She didn’t want to help, didn’t want to move things along any more quickly than they were already moving. But David was still her brother, and she did want to spend as much time with him as possible.

So she was helping.

They were driving in David’s truck on their last trip of the day when a small brown and white pitbull suddenly ran into the middle of the road. David swerved and missed her, barely coming to a stop before hitting a tree.

“What the hell was that?” Emma checked herself for any injuries but she didn’t feel anything out of place. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” David answered, but he sounded far away, like he was only half listening. Emma turned towards him and found him staring directly at the pitbull, who was still standing directly in the middle of the street as though she hadn’t just been nearly run over by a pickup truck. The dog was staring right back at David.

And then she ran.

David scrambled out of the car to chase after her and Emma followed as soon as her brain caught up to what was going on: this was David’s dog.

Emma had long since given up on finding her own dog, and her brother claimed he had as well. They’d made it this far without them, and David had a perfectly fine love life, soulmate or otherwise, so what did it matter? But Emma knew, despite the fact that he’d stopped talking to her about it ages ago, that David still hoped for a dog one day. Was her brother a hopeless romantic or total sap? It depended on Emma’s mood.

Dogs appeared in your life as if they’d been there all along, and they essentially became a fifth limb, always attached to you, an extension of your arm. There were rumors that long ago, long before Emma was born, dogs were just pets like cats or lizards or birds, and that their lifespan was much shorter. There were some stories, even, about people who couldn’t own dogs because they’d developed an allergy, which had never even make sense to Emma, who happened to be allergic to cats.

At any rate, it was hard for Emma to believe that there had ever been a time when dogs weren’t commonplace, when you needed permission to bring them to restaurants or stores or coffee shops. Perhaps those were just stories that had been passed down for so long that they’d lost any element of the truth.

The fact of the matter was that humans depended on dogs so much, even back then, that evolution (or magic or fate or whatever explanation you chose to believe) took over. Emma had only known a life that included seeing dogs at every turn. Their lifespans matched their human’s, and they served a much more important purpose than other animals in the world.

Dogs appeared in someone’s life when it was time. There was no other explanation, and it wasn’t something easily researchable. So people just walked along, dog-less, until they finally came across a dog on a walk, or they appeared at the person’s door, or they just came together in some other way. Everyone’s story was different, but the end result was the same: the dog chose the human. There were no loose dogs running around, so if you came across one, it was meant to be yours.

Emma followed David as he chased the dog into the woods just beside the road. It wasn’t a long run, but it was confusing (all the trees looked the same) and sweaty (Maine in the middle of August will do that). But finally, David’s dog led them to… another dog.

The other dog was also a pitbull, but he was bigger than the female who’d led them here. He was all black, save for a small white stripe down the center of his chest.

He was beautiful.

He was also trapped.

He didn’t make any noise, clearly not wanting to draw any attention to the trouble he was in. His front left leg was stuck under a pile of rocks. It looked like maybe he’d been digging a hole and the rocks had fallen on him, but Emma couldn’t be sure.

“Emma,” David whispered, bringing her back to the situation at hand. “These dogs are… they have to be…”

“David, not now. He’s stuck. Help me get him loose.”

The two of them moved rock after rock until finally the dog’s limb was freed. But Emma could see it was too late. He tried to move it, but he couldn’t put any weight on the leg. He looked at Emma, and he finally let out one long, low whine.

“We’ve gotta get him to the vet,” Emma said, scooping him up in her arms. He was heavier than she’d anticipated, and the walk back out of the woods wasn’t easy, but they made it to the truck - all four of them - in one piece.

While there were certainly vets in town with more experience than Ruby Lucas, there was no one the Nolans trusted more than the Lucas women. Ruby’s grandmother had taken them in after their parents’ accident, allowing the twins to stay together in their hometown. Ruby was already grown up and out of the house by the time the Nolans had moved in at fourteen, but she’d still become a pseudo-sibling. She’d gotten David his first job, cleaning kennels at the clinic, and there was no doubt that she was the person they’d be taking their dogs to for the rest of their lives.

“It’s probably best to amputate. There’s not much we can do for it, and he’ll be much more comfortable without dragging it around.”

Emma was surprised at the pang she felt in her chest.

“He’ll um… he’ll be okay, though? After?” Emma asked, and David reached over and put a calming hand on her shoulder. The other dog sat at his feet, poised and beautiful. Ready for anything.

“Yes, Emma.” Ruby smiled gently. “Is he… he’s yours then?”

“I guess so,” Emma breathed. “I didn’t… I don’t… We just found them.” She motioned between both dogs.

“That’s how it goes,” Ruby said with a smile. Her own dog, Toto, lingered in the back of the room, calmly watching her owner care for Emma’s new charge. Emma watched Toto for a moment, wondering at the connection that must be present between canine and human, before her attention returned quickly to the dog in front of her, staring up at her meaningfully.

“Okay, then let’s do it.”

Emma brought Rascal home a week later. The missing limb didn’t seem to bother him, and he was absolutely incredible. He seemed to know her habits already, waking up with her (or jumping on her when she overslept, which was more often than not), waiting patiently for head scratches and treats instead of begging, and he even slept right on top of her freezing cold feet at night.

It helped having him around when she missed David, and Emma couldn’t help but wonder if the fates (or whoever controlled this whole dog thing) had put Rascal in her path right when she needed him most: right when she was about to be alone for the first time.

Of course, David’s dog was not a fan of Kathryn. He’d named the dog Princess, because of her graceful, even regal, way of entering a room, but the truth was that she was just as playful and messy as Rascal. And Kathryn kept a clean house, one that didn’t include dirty pawprints on the couch from playing outside.

It took a while for reality to set in. Kathryn had found a dog, too, and named him Dodger. And while Dodger was athletic and handsome like David believed himself to be, he was also either too dumb or too stubborn, refusing to listen to anyone but Kathryn. And even that was iffy. David and Kathryn tried to keep the romance alive, but soon they began fighting over small things, like David leaving dirty dishes in the sink or the proper way to hang the toilet paper roll. Princess didn’t seem to like Kathryn, which didn’t help matters, and Dodger was completely indifferent towards David.

Over time, the small fights evolved into larger ones, and they realized they simply weren’t happy together. It became obvious that soulmates were soulmates for a reason, and they just weren’t it.

In David’s absence, Emma had even ventured down the dark path of romance and come out the other side just a little more broken than she already was.

When it was all over and David was moved back in, he pulled Emma into a hug, and they promised each other again the same thing they had at fourteen.

“It’s just you and me, David.”

“Just you and me.”

A low whine and a short growl sounded by their feet.

Emma sighed.

“Okay, just all four of us, then. Sheesh.”

#captain swan #cspupstravaganza #captain swan fanfic #cs ff #cs fanfic #IT'S ABOUT DOGS #AND SOULMATES #READ IT PLEASE

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inactiive-shit · 5 years

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Skeptical Belief

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Prompt: Ghost hunting

Warning: Deceit, Remus, demon-thing

Pairing: Primarily platonic Analogical; background romantic Intrulogical, Anxceit, Royality, Remile

Words: 3,715

@sanderssidescelebrations

Note: they do talk about temperature in degrees fahrenheit. For reference, 32 degrees fahrenheit is the temperature at which water freezes and is equal to 0 degrees celsius

It was two in the morning, and Logan watched Remus spread their sleeping bags out on the dusty floor, open and layered one on top of the other. Logan would’ve complained, said that they were taking up more space than using them as they were meant to would, but it was getting increasingly cold (colder than it should have been, maybe) and if he didn’t sleep next to his space heater of a boyfriend, he might get hypothermia and die.

So spreading out the sleeping bags would do.

“If we die here, I am going to kill you,” Dee said. He was curled into Virgil’s chest, who was on the far side of Remus. The cold must be pretty awful for him. It shouldn’t have been so cold.

“No one else who came into this house has died from any sort of paranormal experience,” Logan said for the umpteenth time since they had arrived at the house. “In fact, it’s impossible to prove that anyone has ever died from the paranormal because we have yet to even prove its existence. Which is the exact reason we are here.” Logan slid under the blankets on the outer edge of their giant blanket-pillow-conga-line. The eight of them had all come with separate sleeping bags, but it was seeming more and more like preserving body heat and stealing each others’ was going to be the priority.

“Logan, do you even believe in the paranormal?” Roman demanded from across the room. He was sitting in the blankets next to Patton who was on Dee’s far side. “It doesn’t seem like a very logical thing to do.”

“Yes, Roman, obviously I believe in the paranormal, otherwise I would not be trying to prove it exists. You know, I already explained to you why we are doing this. Do you live to ignore me?”

“No,” Roman said, offense coating his voice. “I live to love Patton.” He grabbed at Patton sides to make him shriek.

“I’m just glad we’re all hanging out together,” Patton giggled, wiggling away from Roman’s fingers. “It’s been so long, and even if it is in a dirty old house, well, at least we’re all here.”

“Aw, Patton, that’s so sweet,” Emile gushed. He was on the other side of Roman. Remy was pushed to the farthest edge from Logan, and about as happy about this whole thing as a honey badger. Honestly, Logan could not have told you why they all decided to come; only two of them were invested in the investigation (Remus and Virgil), two wanted to hang out with everybody (Patton and Emile), and Dee, Roman, and Remy were actively against coming here.

Still, they’d all shown up, and now they were all part of Logan’s very first filmed investigation. He’s been wanting to do it for a while, for science. (It’s only breaking and entering if you’re not doing it for scientific purposes, it’s only bullshit if you don’t record the results.) Virgil, just as determined to catch a ghost on camera as Logan was, had brought one of his good, professional cameras for them to use. Logan was eternally grateful for his best friend’s support.

Remus was invested because, despite what the others thought, he was actually very supportive of what Logan liked. He also wanted to break and enter and provoke a spirit, but in the name of science, so did Logan. So they were pretty damn well aligned on that front.

“Patton, I thought you would be against breaking the law,” Remy said, sounding snappier than usual. Logan sometimes wondered if Remy was psychic; he had an uncanny ability to foresee how things would turn out, and he often gave random pieces of advice for no discernable reason. (He once told Logan he might save what he was working on. Logan had, simply because it was good to save your documents often. Not two minutes later his laptop crashed and lost all the progress he’d made after the save. It was totally inexplicable.)

“I mean, nobody’s lived here in a long time,” Patton said. “And the worst thing in the house is probably just some cockroaches.”

“Cockroach? Where?” demanded Remus. “I’ll take care of it.”

“There better not be any cockroaches in here,” Roman said. “I will walk right out of this house and take that van all the way back to the city. I am not waking up with bugs in my hair.” Roman shivered so dramatically it pulled the blankets off Logan. He yanked them back, goosebumps already breaking out over his skin. It was too cold in this house for October, and especially when the low for the night wasn’t even supposed to dip to thirty.

Logan jotted the information down in his notebook and then began adjusting Virgil’s camera.

“Don’t worry, Ro. I’m sure none of the bugs are going to come near us,” Patton murmured.

“Yeah,” Virgil added. “They won’t want to get too close to your snoring.” Dee snorted and Roman gasped.

“You take that back, Dark and Stormy! I do not snore!”

“Whatever lets you sleep at night,” Virgil said. “Even if you keep the rest of us awake.”

“Hey!” As the battle raged on, drawing in Remy and Emile too, Logan carefully set up whatever equipment he could reach without leaving the warmth of the blankets.

“What’re you doing with that?” Remus asked, pointing to the spirit box Logan was fiddling with.

“Making sure the calibrations are correct. It should pick up any voices that we can’t hear, assuming it all works. There is, unsurprisingly, little scientifically conducted research on the paranormal.”

“I do so love when you talk dirty to me, Lo,” Remus sighed, looking at Logan in a way that he could only describe as adoring. Logan flushed.

“If anybody is going to be talking dirty,” Dee interrupted, “it will be me and I will be talking about how disgusting our blankets are after touching this floor.” He dragged one finger across the floorboards and then held it up, gray even in the poor lighting. “Disgusting.”

“Shut up,” Virgil said. “I’m doing laundry when we get back and you know it.”

“I don’t want you to touch this muck, either.” Dee wiped his finger off on Remus’s blanket. “God, we’re all going to get infected and die.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” said Emile. “Plus, nothing can compare to what happened last time we went out on one of Logan’s adventures.”

“Scientific venture,” Logan corrected him, taking a sip of water before capping the bottle and placing it next to his pillow.

“Covered in cow shit,” Remy countered.

“And mud,” added Roman.

“Not to mention-”

“I thought it was fun,” said Remus. He pulled Logan to lay down on top of him. “We got to roll down a hill.”

“And got covered in literal shit,” Roman said.

“You screamed like a baby,” Remus said fondly. He rubbed Logan’s arms. “You’re freezing, Nerdy Wolverine. Are you okay?”

“It is quite cold,” Logan said. “But I assure you, I am capable of handling the cold.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Lo?” Emile asked. It was the first time all night he’d sounded genuinely concerned. “It’s kind of stuffy over here.”

“It’s what?” Logan asked at the same time a cold draft hit his skin and a shiver wracked his body. He pulled himself up from Remus to grab the thermometer sitting a couple feet away. “Emile, what does the thermometer read?” There was a moment of silence as they shuffled around to reach it.

“It’s about sixty-five,” Remy said.

“I swear it feels hotter than that,” Emile added. “Let me see that.”

“That’s insane,” Logan whispered. He tapped on his thermometer a few times as though it were a broken remote. Then he began writing in notebook again.

“What is it, L?” Virgil asked, propping himself up on an elbow.

“This thermometer says thirty-five,” Logan said. “There is no way it should be that much hotter less than twenty feet away in an enclosed room. This is-this is impossible.” Remus took the thermometer out of Logan’s hand and took a look.

“Now it says forty,” he said. Logan spun to see, wrote more down.

“Pass it to Virgil,” Logan ordered, not looking up. “Emile, pass that one this way.” The thermometers made their way across the room, getting readings from each person as they went. Thirty-five at Logan, forty at Remus, forty-five with Virgil, all the way down to sixty five where Remy was. It was not possible to have so much variation in such a small area. There weren’t even any warm air currents due to the chill outside and the heating hadn’t working in almost two decades.

“I need to look at the heating and cooling units,” Logan muttered. “The electricity, possible drafts. With a stretch of logic, this could maybe not be paranormal, but it would take so many factors to line up that it is almost entirely unprobable.” He looked up from his notebook, felt the smile on his face that he couldn’t stop. “This could be real, scientific data of an anomaly at least, if not something supernatural.”

“Do it in the morning,” Patton said. “It’s already late, you don’t need to stay up any longer, kiddo.”

“But something could have changed by the morning. For accurate, scientific data, I need to do it now.”

“Nope,” Remus said, wrapping his arms around Logan and rolling him to the inside of their blankets. “We already stayed up all night last night-”

“Ew. I did not need to know that,” said Roman, gagging.

“-and I’m exhausted, but I can’t sleep without my teddy bear.” Remus squeezed Logan and Logan was engulfed in his warmth. “You’re not allowed to get up.”

“Remus,” he protested.

“Nope. Nighty-night.” Remus laid on top of him.

“Night, everybody,” Patton added. “Sweet dreams.”

“You can’t control your dreams. Unless you’re a lucid dreamer, and that’s pretty rare, but anyway,” Emile said, curling into Remy, “I hope it’s a refreshing sleep.” Agreeances of either sentiment were echoing through the room, and then the lights were dimmed and they were all trying to sleep.

Everyone except for Logan and Virgil who had come here to catch a ghost, goddamnit. They were going to stay up even if it involved lying about it. So Logan began doing complicated math in his head, hoping that would keep him awake until he could get to his water bottle for his energy drinks. A full night’s sleep could come later; they had a mission.

About thirty minutes later, Logan carefully sat up and shifted to look at some of his equipment. It was a couple degrees colder, but nothing else of note had happened. Logan reached over and poked Virgil’s shoulder. Virgil stayed still just long enough to make Logan think he’d fallen asleep, and then he slowly started moving.

“You were making me doubt your dedication,” Logan whispered. Virgil shushed him and gently pulled Dee off his chest. As soon as Virgil moved out of the way, Remus and Dee rolled into each other, which conveniently created just enough space for the pair to sit on the outside of their blanket train.

“Dee’s a light sleeper, I had to be sure he was out,” Virgil said. “He’d definitely kill me for staying up again.”

“Well, he can complain about it tomorrow once we have a spirit on film and evidence to back it up.” Logan reached for his water bottle. “What do you-uhm.” He couldn’t find his drink. Logan looked toward his pillow where he’d put in, but there was nothing there. “V, my drink is gone.”

“Where’d you put it?”

“Right there.” Logan motioned. “Did you move it?” he asked, staring at the spot. Virgil sighed.

“Why would I?” he whispered, not nearly as bothered as Logan by the bottle’s disappearance. Then again, it wasn’t Virgil’s bottle. “Remus probably did, though. That’s the exact kind of thing he’d do to undermine the integrity of the investigation.”

“I do not appreciate you quoting me at me out of context about my own boyfriend,” Logan said, “though it is nice to know you listen.” He searched the room with his eyes. “You don’t see it anywhere, do you? I need to know where it went.”

“Uh,” Virgil muttered, searching now too. “There. By the T.V. stand.” He squinted, a little more concerned. “You should probably ask Remus if he moved it.” Logan shoved Remus’s shoulder just enough that he would answer. There was a fine line between coherent and able-to-remember.

“Um, Remus, did you move my drink?” Logan asked, eyes fixed on the bottle.

“No,” Remus mumbled, mostly asleep and definitely not in any state to be moving things without alerting Logan. He pulled Dee a little closer.

“Huh,” Logan said, and pointed the camera at the bottle. He shared an excited glance with Virgil. Carefully, he removed himself from the sleeping pile and crept across the room. He could voice over this part later. For now it would be better to catch anything happening around him with the night vision on the camera, and try not to wake the others for what could be nothing.

“Logan, get back here,” Virgil hissed. “You don’t know how that got over there.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Logan retorted, picking up the bottle. He inspected it closely and, to his bewilderment, found an ashy handprint. “Look at this.” He presented the bottle to the camera before passing it to Virgil. A shiver worked through Logan’s body and it was hard to say whether it was from fear, anticipation, or the cold.

“What the fuck?” Virgil whispered. “L, what the fuck?”

“It’s proof,” Logan said, voice shaking. “It’s-” A creak sounded from the next floor up, like someone stepping on the old floorboards. He froze, looked at Virgil.

“We’re investigating that,” Virgil said.

“Don’t forget the camera,” Logan said. They pulled on their boots and Logan grabbed the spirit box and thermometer. Virgil lifted the camera and nodded at him. Taking the lead, Logan set off for the stairs. They ascended silently, listening for any other errant noises. At the top, another creak sounded. They froze, watching intently. Virgil nudged Logan’s arms and mimed talking.

“Hello? Is anybody there?” Logan asked. They waited with bated breath for an answer, but none was forthcoming. “Let’s just keep going, see what’s up here that we could’ve missed earlier,” he muttered to the camera. They went forward at a snail’s pace, hoping for anything to happen.

And then a door swung open with a terrifying creak.

“Need some oil on them hinges,” Virgil said, voice higher than it normally was. Logan gulped, staring.

“We’re going in, right?” he asked.

“Definitely,” Virgil said. He had a white-knuckled grip on his camera, and Logan shivered. He glanced at the thermometer: twenty-eight. Shit.

“It’s getting colder,” he said, inching closer to the door. Virgil snorted.

“I had no idea.” Logan heard his teeth chatter together, and then he shoved the door the rest of the way open. It whined the whole way, longer than even the squeakiest of hinges usually made noise, and then the door stopped. The room was empty save for two dark shoe prints. It looked like the same thing that had been on Logan’s water bottle.

He took a step closer. Virgil grabbed his arm like a vice. “Did anyone ever die in a fire here?”

“Henry Smith,” Logan said on autopilot. “1899. The entire house was destroyed. They rebuilt this one decades later, but the original was in this exact spot.”

“Okay. Okay,” Virgil said. He released Logan’s arm. “This is probably Henry Smith, then. Let’s do this.” Logan watched as Virgil steadied his shaking hands and then took one step into the room. Virgil followed.

“Come in,” said a disembodied voice, just low enough to send shivers down Logan’s spine and settle a feeling of wrong in his chest. His breath was knocked from his lungs and puffed in front of his face, visible.

“Oh, shit,” Virgil whispered. The shadows moved in a sort of humanoid shape, reaching out for them. “Oh, shit!” Virgil yelled at the same time Logan shouted, “Fuck!” They both were pulled out of the room by their shirts. Remy was standing there, madder than Logan had ever seen him.

“Run,” he snapped and raced for the steps. Virgil was on his tail, Logan half a step behind. There was a fourth pair of footsteps behind them, too close for comfort. Logan thought he could feel a hand ghost over hair, what the fuck.

They clambered down the steps in a frenzy, not making any effort to be quiet, Virgil and Logan screaming. They hit the landing and launched themselves for the front door, at which point Virgil stopped, door held open.

“The others,” he gasped.

“We’ll get them,” Logan snapped, shoving the equipment into Virgil’s hands. “Get these outside before they get broken.” Virgil didn’t hesitate. Logan and Remy dived back for the living room, and Logan was glad to see they were all awake already.

“Lo? Is everything okay?” Remus asked. Logan grabbed his water bottle and Remus’s shoes.

“Who was screaming?” Patton yawned.

“We pissed something off, we need to leave. Now.” Logan pulled Remus up and then Dee. “Move, move. Come on, hurry up.” A dark laugh echoed down the stairs. Patton squeaked, and then everyone threw themselves into overdrive. They managed to get out the door in less than a minute. All the blankets were still in the house, but Logan was not half as concerned about the blankets as he was the evidence Virgil was cradling.

“Let me see what we got, let me see,” he muttered. Virgil was already playing the camera back.

“What just happened?” Emile asked, hands shaking ever so slightly. Logan motioned him over to see the small screen of the camera. They all crowded and watched as Logan crept up to the water bottle, watched Virgil and Logan both freeze, their mouths move.

“Where’s the sound?”

“I don’t know,” said Virgil frantically. He fiddled with the settings, smacked the camera gently against his hand a few times, but nothing happened. “That’s not right.”

“It’s-it’s fine. You’ve still got the spirit box, right?” Logan asked. Virgil nodded. They focused back on the screen, watched as Logan went up the stairs, watched as they both stopped moving again. They watched as the door opened by itself.

“Holy shit,” Roman whispered. They got closer to the door, watched as Logan almost stepped in, watched as Virgil stopped him. They watched as, in the room behind Logan, shadows moved along the floor, far too purposeful for comfort.

“I didn’t even see that,” said Virgil, sounding sick. Logan felt a hysterical giggle rise and swallowed it. He kept watching as they went into the room, as the shadows really started moving then, slithering toward them. He watched as they both stumbled out backward, watched as a face with red eyes and sharp teeth and a bone-chilling smile flashed in the darkness. Then they watched as the film corrupted and the file disappeared from the camera.

“What the fuck?” Virgil said numbly, looking at the camera. He clicked through his memory card. Everything was gone. “What the fuck?” He glanced at Logan.

“The spirit box,” Logan said, lurching for Virgil’s pocket. “The spirit box.” He pulled it out and rewound it to when the creak came from the second floor. It was all there, if staticky, up until Virgil said, “Okay. Okay. This is probably Henry Smith, then. Let’s do this.” The squeal it emitted then was so loud and unexpected that Logan dropped the spirit box - and watched it shatter on the concrete. It almost felt like it had been smacked out of his hand.

“I don’t understand half of what just happened,” Roman said slowly. “What did just happen?”

“How did you know where we were?” Virgil asked Remy, totally ignoring Roman. “Or that we were about to die.”

“You think I was dumb enough to go to sleep with you two idiots in the same place? No, ma’am. I learned my lesson with you two. Can’t trust y’all to go to the grocery store without almost dyin’.” Remy’s southern accent was rearing its head. Logan wanted to be offended, but Remy wasn’t wrong. Still, that didn’t negate that he was acting funny-like he was lying. “Now y’all better get in that damn car. We’re leavin’.” He stomped to the car and yanked the driver’s door open. Emile slid into the passenger seat. Logan collected the shards of his spirit box, useless as it was now, and climbed into the van. Remus settled in next to him, wrapping his arms around Logan.

“You’re freezing,” he muttered. His mustache tickled Logan’s face. “Are you okay?”

“We got actually evidence of a ghost, real video of things that happened, and it’s all gone,” Logan said. “I am the opposite of okay.”

“I know, Lolo,” Remus said. He pulled them a centimeter closer together. Any more and Logan would be sitting on Remus’s lap. “But at least you have your water bottle, right?” Logan startled, examined the water bottle he was, in fact, holding. It still had what looked like an ash handprint on it.

“I-yes, at least I have that.” Logan smiled. “Thank you, Remus.”

“Anytime,” Remus said, kissing Logan. The van started and Logan glanced out the window just in time to see that terrifying face leering at them from the second floor. He made panicked eye-contact with Virgil in the mirror.

“We’re coming back, right?” Virgil whispered in Logan’s ear from the seat behind him.

“Obviously,” Logan whispered back. Remus smiled dreamily.

“I can’t wait until we all die together,” he said. Logan snorted and leaned into him.

“At least it will be together,” Virgil whispered.

“Yes, at least there’s that.” Logan finally fell asleep for the first time in two days on the drive back into the city. It was almost morning, and none of them would be doing anything before noon, but Logan could sleep now and maybe when he woke, he’d find a new way to catch a ghost. It was just a matter of belief.

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wanderer706 · 4 years

Text

The Mannequin

(Cam. Airl- Written Draft 2)

You know what Clara? I like you I like you a lot. That is why I saved your lovely body with those beautiful plastic eyes. The image of a true beauty. I had to do it you see. I had to steal you from that smashed window I found you staring out of, and now you can stay with me forever, and ever.

So, without further ado I would like to introduce you to my humble little abode. I hope that you like it for it is your home now as much as it is mine. Don’t blush Clara. Well you can’t, but that’s beyond the point. The point is your safe here with me, and I know you feel lucky to be saved from that world.

You are currently sitting in the living room. That chair you are sitting in once belonged to somebody else. Then it belonged to me, but now it belongs to you. I know it’s a bit bedraggled from years upon years of age, but it is by far the most comfortable thing in this room.

What’s that? You want to know who it once belonged to. Well she isn’t here anymore so don’t worry. In fact, there’s no point in hiding it from you anyway. You are her replacement. Now don’t cry. I know you can’t hold back those tears of delight to be out of that cruel decaying world. So, I won’t even ask you for a thank you, but one thing that I do want to know is how you kept your body in such good shape. I mean true that your left arm is a little wonky, but that doesn’t matter.

How silly of me I got a little side-tracked didn’t I? Let me show you the rest of the room. Directly across from you is where I will be sitting for a majority until it is time for beddy byes.

Behind me is the door that leads outside, but you don’t want go back out there unless you really want to get back into that shop window. To the left from your point of view is the bedroom. Just to the left of that is the laundry room. Though I’m afraid that I have run out of laundry powder, and I have absolutely no clue where I am going to find anymore. At least anymore that isn’t contaminated.

On your right is kitchen, and dinning room. To the right of that is my toilet, and shower. Behind you is the tally room. Oh. I forgot about that. That’s incredibly silly of me, and I should rectify that in fact. Why don’t you come with me, and I will show you my daily routine in there.

So, this is the tally room. I know it’s not much to look at for it was supposed to be a special room for this place, but things happen. I never got around to making it. So, when I moved in here I first decided to use this bland concrete room as storage, but looking at the world outside I don’t think I need it for that so I decided to start doing a tally. God knows I’m not getting anything out of radio that I want to hear.

What I do is I come in here at some point every day, and I add a single tally to the wall. I’m sure you understand why I am doing this. At one point I thought about sectioning them off for every time I reach 365, but that’s very difficult to keep track of especially when it gets this full I don’t know how many strokes are on it anymore. I think it must be over 3,800. I don’t know I’m just guessing.

You were probably standing in that window for much longer weren’t you. Ah I won’t judge, but tell me Clara what was it like when this happened? When this giant mushroom cloud appeared in the sky. This very cloud I painted from memory on the tally wall. Tell me what was it like to see? What was it like when the windows smashed? When the shock wave blew, but you did not fall like your companions? What about the skeleton that was at your feet? Was that person screaming as the heat burned their flesh off their bones, or was did they die after the clouds appeared? I promise I won’t judge if you liked watching him writhe around in pain.

What of the other clouds or were they too far away for you to see? It does make me wonder how much of the fall you did see. Did you see any of the alleged anarchists murdering for some beans? Did you see the infamous plastic woman who lost her fortune from the clouds, and as such wanted to kill to get her fortune back? I’m only speculating what matters is your safe here out of that harsh world that makes not sense, and are instead here where everything makes perfect sense. Isn’t that what you want? Don’t you want to live in a world that makes sense?

After all the world out there doesn’t have any beds, but I do. Let me show you it.

Here it is Clara. A slightly messy double bed. I used to have a few children singles, but I burned them one winter when things got a little cold.

Did I have any children? Once upon a time your saviour here was indeed a father. A loving father, and husband. Then the world changed and certain sacrifices had to be made. Not sacrifices that I myself am proud of.

I mean what was I supposed to do? I loved them, but I just couldn’t bare them to watch them in that state anymore. So, I had to do it. Now I have to live with the consequences. Do you want to know the hardest part Clara? The hardest part was that it solved absolutely nothing. It changed dick diddly around here. That was when desperate times called for desperate measures.

Oh, you aren’t part of those desperate measures Clara, but I guess I do have to show you what I am talking about. Let me bring you into the kitchen.

Well your body fits perfectly well on that chair, but you don’t have any leg joints so I’m afraid there is nothing I do about your outstretched legs. No matter I’ll just have to make sure that your chair is pushed back during meal times.

Now let’s talk about what I meant by desperate measures. As I said when the world changed everything stopped making sense, and when things became problematic there just isn’t someone there to hold your shoulder anymore. Everyone is in the exact same boat starving to death once the stocked cans run out. Water wasn’t a problem the recycler unit did its job perfectly well, but food that was the problem. We all began to starve.

Do you know what it’s like to watch your wife, and kids slowly starve to death? It’s horrible Clara. To watch as their bodies slowly turned to bone until one day you just couldn’t take it. So, you did the only thing you thought you could do with the axe you brought along.

I cried Clara I cried for many nights, but soon the hunger became unbearable. I couldn’t control it, and the smell. Oh, the smell that was wafting of them became pure ecstasy. I felt like I was in heaven when my lips just lost control, and began to bite. One chomp after the other.

The head was the hardest part as these were once people that I knew, and cared about, but I had to eat, and they ended up making a delectable broth.

Now that that little bridge had been crossed there was no holding back, and I thought I may as well satisfy myself by using the very world that forced me down this path. Which brings me to this lovely specimen.

There’s nothing to be afraid of he’s bound up so can’t run away, and the mouth is gagged so that I don’t have to hear his fucking vulgar screams. I’ve heard them all, but the one that I find just makes me angry is the one the last victim blurted out before I started gagging them. Sick minded freak. No. I am not a freak. It’s this world that is full of freaks. Here everything makes sense. Everything makes perfect sense. It’s a place where I feel happy and content. Out there is a fucking freak show! Here I know what to say, and how to act! Out there is different, and I don’t want that! Which is why I don’t feel a thing for these degenerates who don’t agree with that philosophy!

Now here is how you deal with these choice selections. I do still have an axe, but I find it to be too messy Clara. So, all I need is a knife. A nice simple kitchen knife. This is the reason I tie them up. You see when I bring out the knife they get all panicky. They squirm, and if they haven’t already they will try to kill me. So, to make sure they don’t get the chance I always make sure this is as quick as possible.

Take the blade, and jab it straight into the throat. Watch how their squirming increases. How the eyes stare directly at you, but it doesn’t matter anymore because it feels so good to have this blade go through the throat silencing them forever.

I now make a cutting motion with the blade to speed up the process. In for a special moment. Shhhh. It’s alright. It’s alright. Everything is going to be fine. Don’t try to fight it. Just let your pretty eyes roll backwards. There we go. There we go.

Now that this pretty specimen is dealt with we can… Oh for fucks sake. You’re not even listening to me are you? Even after I saved you from that shop window, and you still found a way to call for help! Clara. Clara! Why? Why? Why?

I’ll take care of your little friend at the door, and then I’ll come back to deal with you.

Now you answer me this. Who are…?

Bang!

Gah! That does it!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

You sick minded freak!

No everything in here is normal. You and the rest of that fucking world are the ones who are not normal.

Bang!

Fucking Freak.

#writing #horror #short story

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ezmodo · 5 years

Text

Adulting

“Off to save the world again, Miss Ruby?”

“Nah, just Vacuo this time,” Ruby joked. “Vale’s going to have to warm up if it wants saving.”

The shop keep, an elderly man with kind eyes comically enlarged by thick-lensed glasses, laughed jovially as he rang up her items. The counter was piled high with their normal pre-mission necessities which she transferred to her backpack as the man punched the price into the register. She really liked this shop. It was a bit of a walk from her apartment out on the edge of the city but it was low traffic and mostly frequented by an older crowd that didn’t go gaga over the Ruby Rose.

It had been over two years since Salem’s defeat and people still wanted handshakes (sure) and autographs (awkward) and pictures (awkwarder) and hugs (nope!) from the “savior” of Remnant. Ruby had never been the most sociable person before everyone on Remnant knew her name and now she took every opportunity to avoid attention. What bothered her most was that she got all the credit. Her teammates got notoriety in their own ways – Weiss, the outwardly cold but caring co-head of the SDC; Blake, the soon-to-be leader of Menagerie and unofficial diplomat of the Faunus people; and Yang, expert huntress and regular tournament champion – but it was always the leader of Team RWBY who saved the world, not Team RWBY. And people didn’t even know who Team JNPR were.

“How long will you two be gone this time?” the man asked as he handed over her change.

Ruby thought it over briefly as she straightened out her pack. “Probably won’t be back until summer. Depends on what missions are available once we end up at Shade.”

“Well,” he said, “you two keep safe out there. Give Mister Jaune my regards.”

“Can do!” she responded cheerily, fixing her hood as she stepped out into the cold winter day.

“And let me know when I need to start stocking diapers!” he called after her.

She yanked the door shut a little hard at that, cutting off the shop keep’s good-natured laughter.

---

Ruby held her hood down from the wind as she rushed home. Winter had barely started but the cold was already brutal. The wind was thankfully at her back but it still cut right through her, pushing her to hurry that much more. Her face, at least, was warm, thanks to the shop keep’s parting words.

Why is everyone so baby crazy? she thought sourly. Yang was easily the worst. Her sister was ready (practically desperate if you asked Ruby) to be the “cool” aunt. Nora was a close second. She was already planning play dates for Ruby’s not-even-a-twinkle-in-anybody’s-eye and Nora’s little Hei, ignoring the fact that they lived on different continents. Weiss was pragmatic and blunt – Ruby honestly expected a slideshow presentation complete with charts and graphs on the benefits of starting a family early the next time they found themselves up in Atlas. Blake had quieted down recently; Ruby suspected that Blake’s mom had started giving her the same spiel. Ruby’s father, ironically, never brought it up once. Thank the gods for small miracles.

The Grimm didn’t magically vanish into thin air when Salem was defeated. Bandits didn’t trade in their swords for spades and hoes. There were still battles to be fought and people to save. Ruby knew starting a family wouldn’t stop her from being a huntress but she was living her dream. Why change things up now when they were practically perfect?

She wondered if Jaune got the same treatment on his end. Maybe having seven sisters and gods knew how many nieces and nephews already spared him the worst of it from his parents. He was the only boy, though, and he inherited Crocea Mors. She had met his parents twice before but they never seemed overly concerned about the family legacy. Jaune himself hadn’t brought it up but she suspected he felt much the same as her – getting to travel the world helping people with the love of their life at their side? Life was good.

Rounding the corner, home finally came into view. The two story apartment building was old but far from rundown. Six of the eight units were occupied by other traveling huntsmen, meaning they rarely ever saw their neighbors. The large courtyard out back provided an area for training in between missions, though she and Jaune rarely used it much, endeavoring to leave their apartment as little as possible during those few weeks out of the year they were at home.

The landlady was a giant ox of a woman, literally. The Faunus stood a head taller than even Jaune and cut an imposing figure, often standing out in front of the complex, cigarette clenched between her teeth and muscled arms folded across her chest. Despite her gruff exterior the woman was practically a sweet grandma on the inside, a wizard with casseroles and soufflés. More than a few times while they were home she would make dinner for them, bringing a giant dish of deliciousness over in exchange for stories of their missions. She wasn’t loitering outside as Ruby approached and began climbing the steps to their unit. This lousy cold must have been enough to keep even her indoors. If it’s going to be cold then it should at least have the decency to snow and make it worth it, Ruby groused.

Ruby could hear muffled music through the door as she came up to her apartment; Jaune must have beaten her back. They split up the last of their errands earlier. Ruby would finalize the particulars of their trip – verify contact with their first employer, secure bullhead tickets for the following morning, and pick up some last minute supplies on the way back, while Jaune would hit the laundromat and finish up their last load of laundry before they packed. She’d take walking back and forth across the city over the laundromat any day. Stuck in a cramped, stuffy room full of strangers who might want to chit chat for a couple hours? No thanks.

The door was left unlocked and she let herself in, quietly closing the door behind her. The music was coming from the kitchen, some girly pop song that had some not-quite-as-girly accompaniment. She could smell something cooking. Ruby sat in the cramped entryway and stripped off her hood, bag, and boots, humming along with Jaune as he mangled what was probably a top ten hit.

He most likely hadn’t heard her come in. Jaune could be a bit oblivious, in more ways than just the romantic. Ruby was convinced Jaune could be devoured by a Grimm right in his bedroll and not wake up until he was inside its stomach if she weren’t watching out for him. So, padding over to the kitchen without even trying to be sneaky, Ruby found him hamming it up, ignorant of his new audience.

Jaune Arc was standing in front of the stove, back to her, bopping from foot to foot along with the music. Clad only in black boxer briefs, a pair of limited edition Pumpkin Pete’s bunny slippers (don’t ask how many box tops those cost), and her own bright red apron that could just barely be tied around his broad back, Jaune put on quite the performance. Singing dramatically into a large rubber spoon, he hit notes that would have sent Zwei into a howling fit. At times he’d just bounce in place, pointing towards an invisible crowd as he crooned along with the song. And then he’d be sliding back and forth in front of the stove, shaking his rump and pulling moves that looked more like a medical condition than dancing.

Ruby quietly enjoyed the view as she thought of how best to mess with him. Clear her throat dramatically? Too cliché. Take a video? She left her scroll by the door with her backpack and she honestly didn’t want to miss a second of him dancing around in his underwear. She brought her hands to her mouth, still cold from outside, and blew to try to warm them. Inspiration struck. Jaune looks pretty warm…

Jaune had settled into a more reserved hip shake while he stirred whatever he was cooking on the stove. Ruby sidled up behind him quietly, holding her breath, and waited for the perfect moment to strike. She didn’t have to wait long as Jaune, satisfied with whatever he was working on, sat the spoon off to the side on a spare plate and went to turn off the heat. Ruby closed the distance instantly, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her cold body against his back.

Jaune gave a girly shriek and leapt into the air in fright, managing to drag Ruby up off the ground with him. Ruby let her hands travel up to his chest, feeling his heart pound as she pressed a cold cheek into his back. Jaune whined and tried to writhe away from the sudden chill.

“When’d you get back?” he asked, still trying to worm away from his frozen partner.

Ruby turned her head, switching one cold cheek for a colder one, causing Jaune to flinch. “In time for the concert,” she said cheerily, rubbing her cheek into muscle. She started to pull away, causing Jaune to sag in relief, before quickly snaking her hands under his apron and tightening her grip. Jaune squealed and made to break free. Ruby responded by leaping onto his back, wrapping her chilly legs around his waist while he flailed around their small kitchen.

It didn’t take long for him to give up. Panting for breath, he leaned back onto the counter. Ruby released him with a peck on the shoulder blade and a pat on the head. He grumbled in response as he stepped away, letting Ruby rest on the countertop.

“So, what’s for dinner?” she asked innocently, as if she hadn’t just submitted him to torture.

Jaune took a moment to straighten out the apron before turning back to her. It was several sizes too small for him (it was hers) and she was honestly pretty impressed that he had managed to tie it off at all. A cartoonish Ursa face was stretched across his chest, not quite reaching far enough to completely hide his pecs. It went down to about mid-thigh, covering his underwear and giving the impression that maybe that apron was all he was wearing. Ruby could definitely appreciate that.

“I’ve got good news and bad news and some more good news. First,” he said, both hands raised in a high five, “Mission accomplished – we’ve eaten every last bit of food in the apartment right before leaving.”

Ruby met his double high five enthusiastically with a shouted “boom!” She would never admit it to their friends but that was actually something they’d been trying to get right since moving in. It was surprisingly hard to do. She hated throwing out food right before a mission and a huntress could only live so long on pizza and takeout alone.

“What’s the bad news?” Ruby asked, leaning over to take a peek at the pot on the stove.

“Dinner tonight is mac and cheese. But we were out of milk so I had to make it with water.”

Ruby shrugged. That was survivable.

“But! We’ve got not one, not three, but TWO hotdogs chopped up in there,” he added proudly, getting a snort from Ruby. “Oh! And for dessert…”

Jaune opened the fridge and held a clear plastic bowl sealed in plastic wrap high over his head, as if to present the next animal king of Vacuo to his subjects.

“Mrs. Umber, the One True Landlady, long may she reign, has gifted us with cinnamon sugar cookies!”

Ruby jumped down from the counter. “The oven’s finally fixed?!” They kept forgetting to tell the landlady about it!

Jaune froze momentarily before clearing his throat.

“Mrs. Umber, the One True etc. etc. has gifted us with cinnamon sugar cookie dough!”

---

Ruby made her way back to their bedroom and changed into pajama pants and one of Jaune’s shirts that she pulled from the pile of unfolded laundry strewn across their bed. They’d pack it up properly before going to sleep. Or, more likely, they’d fall asleep on the couch and scramble to pack tomorrow morning before heading to the airport.

She rejoined him in the living room where he was putting their bowls down on the makeshift coffee table in front of the couch. The only proper furniture they had was that couch, their bed, and the workbench they kept in the second bedroom for weapon maintenance. The rest of their “furniture” consisted of boxes. Coffee table? Microwave and toaster oven box. Nightstand? Box marked “books”. TV stand? The box with the TV stand still inside.

Yang and her dad had given them plenty of guff about that whenever they visited. Ruby didn’t see the point. They spent most of the year out on missions and when they were home they spent all their time in bed or watching TV on the couch. Why worry about the rest? It seemed smarter to save their money anyway.

More than a year ago, Weiss had rounded all of their friends together and basically badgered them into setting up a somethingRA through the SDC. A portion of their earnings went straight into it without Ruby or Jaune having to mess with it at all. Ruby didn’t really get the specifics, but Weiss assured her it would let them retire and not have to worry about lien in the future. But why would she want to retire? Huntress for life, baby.

Ruby sunk into the couch and clicked on the TV as Jaune joined her. The added weight pulled her in comfortably against his side. “Wanna finish up Lodge Lodge?” she asked, already navigating through the menus to the cartoon.

“Mmm,” he agreed, mouth full of cheesy noodles. He chewed thoughtfully, a frown slowly growing on his face.

“Mmwha?” she asked, mouth equally full of cheesy noodles.

He swallowed with a grimace. “We don’t have any food for breakfast.”

“We’ll grab donuts or something on the way. No prob,” she said with a shrug. “I’m still crossing “Buy Just the Right Amount of Food So You Don’t Have to Throw Any Out” off of the bucket list.”

“We are terrible adults,” he laughed.

“Psssshh, if this is terrible then I don’t want to be good,” she said, sinking further into his side as the cartoon theme song kicked in.

#rwby #rwby lancaster #ruby rose #jaune arc #lancaster #writing

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albionmyway · 5 years

Text

love is patient (while albion unites) ch 2

The Knowing

*tumblr note: I do a better job updating this on emryses!! to see the prologue, everything is under the tag #merthurbyuserana, and there is an easily found tab on my tumblr page dedicated to this fic. message me if you want to be tagged in future posts.

Merlin awoke the next day, and he was face to face with an enraged prince. "And just what are you doing on my bedroom floor?"

He realized with a sudden jolt that he'd fallen asleep in Arthur's chambers; and he wondered with a panic whether and not the potion was actually administered. Clearly not at the moment. But would it be?

"I was…" he hesitated, trying to think of a good excuse. "...Cleaning."

"Cleaning?" repeated Arthur. His face read pure skepticism. Probably because the room was a mess from when Trickler came in, but he decided to ignore that.

He nodded, before adding, "It was even messier before I started cleaning."

Arthur tossed him his armor, boots, and laundry. "Clean these, and get out of my sight," he hissed his eyes flashing with anger.

"Of course, sire," said Merlin quickly, leaving the room. Well, he thought as he walked over to Gaius' chambers, clearly the potion didn't work.

He entered the room, to immediately be faced with Gaius, who looked slightly annoyed. "Where have you been all night?"

"Trying to stop Alined's jester from giving Arthur that love potion," he said, "But I somehow...fell asleep?" he was utterly disgusted with himself for doing so.

Gaius raised an eyebrow at that statement, clearly looking skeptical.

"All I know is that I highly doubt that it's been given to Arthur. He's his normal annoying self," said Merlin, rolling his eyes, but the hint of relief in his voice was heard clearly.

Gaius nodded, and his face relaxed considerably. "Well, that's great to hear!" The two then went to do their normal activities, hoping that the whole incident was over for now.

(But unfortunately, the world didn't work that way.)

As Merlin was doing his normal chores, he overheard two hushed voices. Those of Alined and Trickler.

"I've given the potion to the Prince, my lord," said Tricker, unable to hide his delight. "Does that mean that I shall be rewarded?"

Alined grunted. "Well, did it have its effects yet?"

"I don't know," said Trickler honestly. "But I suppose we'll find out today!"

"I suppose we shall," said Alined, his voice cold as steel. There was no pride in his eyes for the jester yet. "You will only be rewarded if this potion works. Fail, and you shall be punished."

Merlin's eyes widened. They had given Arthur the potion? 'They must have done it wrong,' he thought, barely being able to hide the obvious grin that was forming on his face. Having this knowledge, he was able to continue through the rest of the day in ease.

He didn't even have to worry about them attempting to give love potion to Arthur again. Hopefully.

Humming, he entered Gaius' chambers once more, and Gaius was wondering just why he was so happy.

"They thought that Arthur was given the potion, but he wasn't. They failed."

"Deorham's jester is known for being a skilled sorcerer when it comes to potion making," Gaius informed Merlin, frowning. "I'm surprised he failed."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Is there any other explanation?"

Gaius mused. "No," he finally said. "Not really. There's only one other explanation as to why a love potion would not work, besides whoever making it failing."

"What is it?" asked Merlin, curiously.

"The person that is given the potion is already in love with the person that they are meant to fall in love with," said Gaius bluntly.

The two looked at each other for a couple moments, imagining the thought. There were multiple things that would be wrong about that being the case, such as a) homosexuality wasn't even allowed in Camelot, and b) ...the thought of Arthur actually being in love with him...yeah, definitely not. The two started laughing, though it was very uneasy, especially on Merlin's part.

"Yeah, uh. We should probably go with the realistic theory: Trickler definitely failed," said Merlin, and Gaius nodded.

After a banquet with the five kings, Arthur was heading to bed for the night, with Merlin in tow. They could hear hushed noises from the chambers of King Alined, and Merlin stopped suddenly to overhear.

"You have failed," Alined hissed. "The potion did not work. Everything was normal at the banquet today."

"Merlin!" hissed Arthur in annoyance. "What exactly are you doing?" But Merlin, too engrossed in what Alined and Trickler were saying, paid him no attention.

Annoyed, he made his way over to his manservant, about to drag him away, but the conversation between Deorham's King and his jester peaked his attention.

"I - I checked every single ingredient….I did everything to ensure that the potion would work," pleaded Trickler.

"You incompetent fool!" Alined thundered, his eyes darkening. "You must've messed something up, because the Prince is certainly not showing any affections for his manservant!"

"Give me another chance, Master!" Tricker begged.

From the room, Arthur and Merlin could hear a loud bang. "I am done giving you more chances," hissed Alined. "I'm going to handle this in my own way, and you can expect punishments, boy." Then, the chambers of the Deorham King became eerily silent.

"He tried to give me a love potion…" Arthur hissed in anger, "...To make me fall in love with you."

"Clearly, he failed," pointed out Merlin, trying not to smile. "You certainly don't look the part."

Arthur's face flickered a moment, before it turned sour again. "In your dreams, Merlin," he said snidely. "My father must be informed at once of this betrayal." He made his way for the throne room, but Merlin stopped him, much to the ire of Arthur.

"No, he shouldn't."

"I was under the impression that I was the one giving orders around here, Merlin," said Arthur, annoyed.

"Alined'll just deny it, then you'd just be humiliated," frowned Merlin. "We have to expose him ourselves, catch him in the act of doing magic."

"What did he honestly hope to accomplish by making me fall in love with you of all people?" wondered Arthur in distaste.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Merlin, as if speaking to a small child. "He wants to undermine you and make Camelot weak."

"I will not be made a fool of like that," he hissed. "This Alined must be stopped before he tries anything else on us and the kingdom."

They heard voices coming from the chambers of Alined. "Master...please...anything but that, please don't hurt me...here! I'll prove my potion worked! I'll drink it!"

"I won't stop you," they could hear Alined's scorning voice, as Trickler downed the potion with a gulp.

"Master," said Alined, his voice suddenly lofty. "I have to tell you something...I'm in love with the boy. Merlin."

"You're just making things up to cover yourself now," snarled Alined angrily.

"How dare you accuse me of making up my undying love!" hissed Trickler. "I'm going to find him...announce it to him…" before Trickler could even take a step outside, Arthur had already begun the process of dragging Merlin away from them, not stopping until they reached his chambers.

"How did the potion work on the jester, but not me?" asked Arthur, looking truly confused.

"He's probably making it up to cover the fact that he failed," said Merlin, remembering the other reason the potion would've failed, which didn't make any sense. Surely Gaius read that wrong?

"For once, you're right. That's the only reasonable explanation," said Arthur, as Merlin was preparing his bed for him. "But either way, he's using sorcery. For that, Alined must be stopped, as soon as possible."

a/n: apologies for the bad quality, but i hope you like it so far! x

love,

ana

#merthur #albion #merlin #arthur pendragon #camelot #king arthur #pendragon #emrys #anacreation

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sparksinger · 5 years

Text

Live to Tell

I have finished my sandwich fic! :D

You can find it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17544365

or on ff.net here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13189059/1/Live-to-Tell

I’ll post it below a cut as well for those who want to read it via this post ^^

Trigger Warning: Mention of a rape.

Cordelia sat up in bed against two pillows, the duvet pushed to one side. Despite the cold Montana weather, Cordelia was clammy and heating up with a slight fever. A fever that had nothing to do with any type of illness. She sighed and tied her auburn hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck to get it off her shoulders. She let her bangs hang down, smiling slightly at the memory of Optimus’ reaction when she had debuted them.

Cordelia eased her key into the front door and unlocked it, stepping through as it swung inwards into the hallway of the ranch house. She walked into the lounge where she found Optimus sitting in his favourite armchair. The fire was lit, and the bright orange flames cast strange and beautiful lights on his knight like armour. He sat with his right foot resting on his left knee and cradled in his hands was a well-worn copy of Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. All that was missing from the scene was a par of half-moon spectacles. Upon seeing Cordelia enter the room, a broad smile made its way onto his noble face. He placed the book on the side table next to the chair and rose in one fluid motion.

He pulled her into a strong embrace, resting his chin gently on the top of her head. She returned it in kind, rising up on her tip-toes so that she could get her arms around the metal ‘collar’ that adorned his neck. His armour was cool and smooth beneath her touch; it felt like home.

He took a step back to appraise her with a tender look from his kind blue optics. He left his arms resting on her shoulders while he looked at her, nothing but love and gentleness in his earnest blue gaze.

She looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes, a habit she’d developed whenever she was embarrassed about something. Optimus noticed this and gently curled his fingers underneath her chin, tilting her head upwards so that she was looking him directly in the eye.

“I see you’ve had a haircut little one.” Optimus said, letting a few strands of her red hair fall between his fingers. Cordelia smiled in response, blood rushing to her freckled cheeks, causing them to go a deep shade of red. Optimus noticed this and smiled at her with just his optics in that special way of his. Her new hair now sat evenly on her shoulders in neat even layers. It was straight and sleek, and her small face was now accentuated by a heavy fringe.

She smiled shyly at him and tucked a strand of her behind her left ear. “Do you like it?” she asked quietly, dropping her green eyes from his gaze.

“Of course Lia; any way in which you wear your hair will always look beautiful.” She eyed him incredulously and rolled her green eyes at him.

“Obviously you’re not biased at alllll.” She said, drawing out the last word.

Optimus raised a brow and feigned innocence. “Me? Biased? Never. I think you have the wrong Cybertronian there Lia.” She just laughed and let Optimus help her out of her jacket.

Cordelia’s eyes misted over at the memory, causing her vision to become blurred and woozy, as if she was looking at an oasis in the middle of the desert.

She felt as if she were in the middle of the desert now; only there was no oasis waiting to provide her with the essential sanctuary that she so desperately needed.

She turned her head to look at the slumbering figure next to her.

Optimus Prime lay recumbent in the bed next to her, resting on his stomach, both arms folded to support his head. His optics were shut, and his mouth was pouting a little as he recharged. Every now and then he would exvent a little louder than usual as his systems played catch up with the amount of air he was currently cycling. The vents on the back of his head were responsible for ‘inhaling’ air and the vents that were situated where his ‘nostrils’ would have been were responsible for letting it out. Occasionally he took in too much air from the environment which caused the tiny fans within his central processing unit to spin too fast, causing everything else in his head to vibrate. The result was a sudden and short expulsion of air which hilariously sounded like he was snoring.

Cordelia tore her eyes away from his resting form and slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed. Grabbing her fleecy dressing gown that had been a Christmas present from Optimus, Cordelia padded quietly into the en-suite. She turned the light on to its lowest setting so that it provided just enough light for her to see what she was doing.

She sat down on the toilet and relieved herself before getting up and examining herself in the floor-length mirror. The hardship and stress of the last two months was written all over her face. Her eyes were faded and tired, seeing the world around them but taking nothing in. Her hair, once thick and glossy, was now dank and hung limply. There was no body or shine about it anymore, and her once vibrant auburn shade was now more akin to a rusty copper coin.

Her hand slowly and shakily made their way down to the bottom of her top. She grasped it between trembling fingers and lifted it to reveal the small but definite bump situated between her hips. She touched it gingerly with one hand, pushing against it slightly. The surface was rock hard and didn’t give at all under the slight pressure that she applied. She could not pull her eyes from it; this seemingly harmless bump. A bump that contained a life nonetheless. A life that she carrying.

Hiding it from Optimus was getting more and more difficult. She was sure that he would figure it out for himself sooner rather than later, but the thought of him finding out was more than she could bear. She wasn’t letting him pick her up as much as she had used to when he was his full size, and when he was utilising his human sized holoform, she very rarely allowed him to embrace her. She knew the sudden change in her behaviour both hurt and confused him, but bless his Spark, he carried on as if nothing was amiss.

It was killing her to keep deceiving him this way, but she couldn’t see an alternative. The thought of losing him after all they had been through together was incomprehensible; she knew she’d rather lose her own life than his love.

She wiped fiercely at her eyes, catching the few stray tears that had made their way past her defences. A quick glance at her watch told her it was seven minutes past two in the morning. She knew Optimus wouldn’t wake until seven in the morning at the earliest, so she had a few hours to herself at the very least.

She grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the laundry basket and put them on briskly over her knickers and tucked her bed socks into them. She exited the bathroom and made her way quietly to the door, pausing to look over her shoulder at Optimus.

He lay just as she had left him, the moonlight penetrating a small gap in the curtains, coming to land on his silvery back. He looked beautiful and other-worldly. She offered him a guilty smile and closed the door silently behind her.

Once on the landing, Cordelia made her way to the stairs and descended them carefully, mindful to avoid making too much noise.

She slipped her feet into the snow boots that were situated by the front door and shrugged herself into the thick khaki green parka jacket. She eyed the hat and decided against wearing it as she quietly pulled the front door open.

The cold air bit into her cheeks and stung her eyes; her breath swirled in pretty patterns around her as she made her way briskly to the car.

Cordelia risked a quick glance over her shoulder to look at the upstairs windows of the ranch house. They were all still in darkness. A thin layer of frost coated each window in all four corners, reminiscent of children’s cartoons at Christmas time. Cordelia pushed the guilty thoughts to the back of her mind and dug her car keys out of her jacket pocket.

Although the air was cold, it was nowhere near cold enough yet to freeze her doors shut. That weather would come in December and January. Optimus had the useful ability of being able to send heat to any part of his body, and on such occasions as when the car doors were frozen shut, he would cup both of his enormous hands around the body of the car, thawing the ice within seconds.

Cordelia was grateful that she didn’t need that particular talent at this moment in time.

She folded herself quickly into the blue Volvo C30, turning the key in the ignition. The car rumbled to life, the heating systems kicking in to warm up the vehicle. She didn’t bother fastening her seatbelt; she wanted to be away from the house as quickly as possible.

She wasn’t planning to go far; the ranch had a modest acreage and she was planning to stay within the property boundaries.

Right now, it felt as if the walls of the house were physically pressing down on her, and she just needed some time alone in a space that was outside.

She eased the car into gear and drove slowly out of the horseshoe shaped driveway; praying that the rattle of the snow chains on the car’s tyres wouldn’t wake Optimus. She kept a vigilant eye on the house in the rear-view mirror, but all the windows remained dark.

Cordelia allowed her shoulders to relax as she increased the distance between herself and the ranch house. She winced inwardly when she thought of Optimus’ reaction to waking up to her absence.

She was just beginning to relax when an enormous dark green foot was planted in her path. She stomped on the breaks, swearing quietly to herself. She was in half a mind to sound the horn in protest, but she knew Optimus would hear that easily, even from the distance she was at. Instead she leaned over the steering wheel and peered upwards through the windscreen to see to whom the giant leg belonged.

Hound.

Cordelia felt her features turn downward in a scowl. She pulled the key out of the ignition. It was pointless wasting petrol when she wasn’t going to get anywhere anytime soon.

Hound lowered himself into a squatting position, taking large drags from the giant bullet casing that also doubled as his ‘cigar.’ One giant finger beckoned her towards him.

Sighing, Cordelia opened the driver door and stepped out of the car, hunching herself up against the cold. She walked around the front of the car and sat on the bonnet.

“Where you off to at this time of night titch?” Hound asked, using his personal nickname for her. As he spoke, he blew giant smoke rings into the night sky, an impressive achievement when one considered that he did not possess a tongue.

Cordelia chewed her lip thoughtfully before answering him. She had to be careful; anything she said to Hound would surely get back to Optimus and she wanted to be the one to tell him of her…secret.

“Nowhere in particular.” She said finally, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “What’re you doing up this late?”

Hound chuckled and looked at her thoughtfully, the cigar dangling from between his lip plates.

“I’m on patrol of the perimeter. My turn this week. So far I’ve not found anything.”

“What do you mean ‘so far’? I’m not anything.” Hound raised a challenging brow.

“I don’t think so titch. You’re somethin’, that’s for sure.” Hound lowered himself to sit carefully on the ground, one knee brought up to his chest. He gestured to the car. “Just fancied a midnight drive did ya?”

Cordelia shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep, so I figured a drive might help with that.”

Hound didn’t look convinced. “Most humans settle for a nice hot cup of methylxanthines.” At Cordelia’s bemused expression, he explained further. “Y’know; theobromine and theophylline?” Cordelia’s expression remained blank.

Somehow Hound managed to imitate a perfect sigh. “What is it? That hot liquid that humans drink?”

Cordelia laughed. “Coffee?” Hound shook his head. “Tea?” Hound slapped his leg.

“That’s the one! Why didn’t you just make a cup of…tea?” Cordelia smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Tea’s not gonna sort this one out Hound.”

Hound appraised the tiny human with grave optics. Something changed in his face before he folded himself into the Oshkosh Medium Defence Tactical vehicle.

“Come on kid. Let’s go for a drive.” Cordelia’s eyes widened in surprise. She had thought that Hound would immediately insist that she return to the house, and instead she was met with the sight of his passenger door hanging innocently open. “Well, are ya comin’ or not?” His voice jerked her out of her reverie, and she ran forward; clambering quickly up the steps and settling herself in the passenger seat.

The seat belt came down and fastened itself across her of its own accord. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you weren’t wearing your belt.” Cordelia shot the dash a scowl. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that either.” Hound said, a smile present in his gravelly voice. He pulled onto the road, the snow crunching nosily beneath his tyres.

The only sound for about twenty minutes was the gravel and snow being tossed around as Hound drove. He drove at a steady pace; a true professional navigating his surroundings. Cordelia was a little taken aback as she realised that Hound was heading for the same place she’d been driving towards.

He took a fork in the road that took them through a thick cluster of trees. After about 500 metres of the thick pines, they thinned and then gave way completely to a wide open space. It was full of crisp white snow; untouched save for the few footprints of various animals as they went about their nightly business.

Hound came to a halt, letting his engine turn off. For a few minutes, they sat in silence. Cordelia cradled the bump beneath her parka, tears threatening to pierce the dam she had built in her brain.

Light began to emanate from the steering wheel and Cordelia watched as it slowly built a human sized version of Hound. Although he was exactly the same as he usually looked at his full size; there was an overall softer look to the Autobot strategist.

Cordelia smiled, a little awkwardly. Hound’s sudden decision to use his holoform had surprised her, and she struggled to hide her reaction. Hound’s expression mirrored her own.

“It’s okay kid. I wasn’t expecting to use it either.” He said as if he’d plucked the thought straight out of her head. He rested his hands-on top of the steering wheel. “I gotta say; it’s weird to actually sit inside myself; I’ve never experienced it before.” Cordelia snorted.

She turned away from Hound to look at the glassy surface of the lake that was situated right in the centre of the meadow. In the summer, the meadow was bursting with colour and light. The grass would grow almost as high as her waist and the wildflowers would attract all manners of insects from miles around. It was a myriad of greens and blues and reds, pinks and pale whites. The lake was the centre piece, a perfect reflection of the blue, cloudless sky.

Now, in the winter, Cordelia felt that the meadow resembled herself. White and empty, void of life and void of hope. No amount of comfort or nurturing would thaw the ice that had taken hold around her heart. No one’s except the one’s that she wanted most. The one’s comfort who she was most afraid to seek. She was ashamed of herself. Of her thoughts; for even having them in the first place.

Cordelia tightened her arms about her slender torso, holding herself together as if she was about to snap in two. Hound noticed and twisted in his seat to face her fully.

He gently pulled her arms away from her with next to no effort and held both of her hands in his. She wouldn’t look him in the eye, and he didn’t force her to, nor did he speak. They just sat there in silence, the only sound being Cordelia’s shallow breathing as she fought to control her emotions.

She finally allowed her gaze to meet Hound’s and the pity within his blue optics was almost enough to crush her right there and then. She tried to pull her hands free from his grasp, but he held on to them. He brushed his thumbs over her bony knuckles, wordlessly trying to comfort her in some sort of human way.

“You remind me of him you know.”

“Huh?”

“Ironhide. You remind me of him. You are both fiercely protective of your secrets and those you love. You’ll fight for what you believe in, and once you’ve made your minds up, nothing can change it.”

Hound’s sudden mention of his deceased Spark-mate took Cordelia by surprise. She had known that Hound and Ironhide had been bonded for well over 12,000 years, but the gruff Autobot rarely spoke of his loved one, if ever.

Suddenly Cordelia found herself seeing Hound in a completely new light. No longer was he just one of Optimus’ soldiers, he was his own person, with his own stories. He had his own triumphs and failures; his own tragedies and successes. Ironhide was only one facet of his vast personality and Cordelia found herself somewhat embarrassed for seeing this only now. She took one of her hands from his and rested it on his broad green shoulder.

“You miss him.” It wasn’t a question.

Hound broke their gaze. “More than you know kid. It’s as if someone has cut off both of my legs and expects me to keep walking as if nothing has changed. I’m learning to heal every day; but I’ll never be fully whole again. That old fool stole my Spark long ago, and part of it died with him that day.” Cordelia watched as Hound’s optics glazed over as he spoke of his fallen love, and the pain and longing in his voice made her throat ache.

“I guess what I’m trying to say kid…is that you’re not alone. I know what you’ve been through this last year and a half has been…hard. I know you’ve wanted to give up and just lay down and accept your lot. But you haven’t; and that is something to be damn proud of.

“Optimus thinks the world of you…I’ve not seen him this content since before the war. So, I guess I’m tryna say…thank you.”

Cordelia was gobsmacked, she didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay titch; you don’t have to say anything. Just…listen. Don’t keep stuff from Optimus that could hurt him. He only ever wants to help you. I promise you titch; nothing you do could ever drive him away. He worships the ground that you walk on.”

Cordelia sat up straight in her seat and looked Hound in the eye. “You…you know?” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Hound nodded gravely. “Wouldn’t be much of a medic if I didn’t know now, would I?”

“Medic?”

He nodded again. “What do ya think this is for?” he chuckled, pointing out the red cross in the centre of his helm. “Yep. I was Ratchet’s student before and during the war. When he came to Earth, he continued to tutor me when he could; sending me his findings and observations about humans. Obviously, pregnancy was one of the first things he studied. It fascinated him. Do you know how far along you are?”

“Umm about ten weeks I think.” Hound chewed the end of his cigar thoughtfully.

“Would you mind if I scan you? I can give you a due date then.” In response, Cordelia began to unzip her jacket.” Hound shook his head. “You don’t need to take your jacket off. I can scan through all items of clothing.”

Cordelia felt the light tickle of Hound’s scan and shivered as her whole body erupted into goosebumps. “Done.” Hound said, offering her a small smile. “You are 10 weeks and 4 days pregnant. Your foetus is about the size of a kumquat. I reckon you’re due around early May.”

Cordelia’s hands found their way down to her small bump. It now felt real. She had a baby growing inside her. A baby that was totally dependent on her for absolutely everything; life, safety, love. She took a deep breath and looked down at her hands.

“You alright kid?” Cordelia nodded in answer to Hound’s question.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Hound spoke again.

“I’ll let ya in on one of my guilty secrets. Here; listen.” The radio flicked on and female vocals filled the space.

I have a tale to tell Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well I was not ready for the fall Too blind to see the writing on the wall

A man can tell a thousand lies I've learned my lesson well Hope I live to tell The secret I have learned, 'till then It will burn inside of me

Hound drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music. He leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his optics and just losing himself in the melody.

After a few bars Cordelia realised it was Madonna’s voice crooning through Hound’s speakers. They listened together in silence and as the song went on, Cordelia wondered what secret the song had been written about; wondering what man could tell a thousand lies.

The song drew to a close and Cordelia smiled gently at Hound. “I didn’t take you for a Madonna fan.” Hound grinned at her sheepishly.

“What’d I tell ya; one of my guilty secrets.” Cordelia smiled and made a zipping motion against her lips with her index finger before throwing the ‘key’ away over her shoulder. Hound smiled.

“I’m sure the boss has some surprising musical taste as well.” Cordelia laughed.

“Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.” Hound just smiled and looked ahead at the full moon. The night sky was clear and black, the moon hanging low in the sky. A pearl amongst a soft cluster of diamond stars.

“Hound; will you take me home please?” Hound wordlessly started his engine once more and headed for the ranch house.

They pulled into the horseshoe shaped drive way and Hound killed the engine.

“Home sweet home kid, ooh.” Cordelia followed his gaze to the front door which had been thrown open. Optimus stood in the doorway; visible tremors working their way down his long body. Cordelia swallowed past the hard lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and exited the vehicle. Hound’s holoform materialised beside her.

“Lia? Where in the world-“

“I’m fine Optimus, I promise.” Cordelia protested, walking up to her guardian. He placed a hand on her forehead, not satisfied with her explanation alone. He tried to surreptitiously check her over with a casual flick of his optics, but Cordelia knew him too well for him to disguise it effectively.

“Hey boss. I found her out on the road a coupla miles away so I brought her home. I’ll bring the car back for you titch.” Before Cordelia could reply, Hound’s holoform had vanished and he was driving himself back the way they’d come.

Optimus looked down at Cordelia worriedly. She stepped forward and took one of his hands in both of hers. Even at this reduced size, he still dwarfed her in all manners. He imitated a sigh and led her back into the house.

Once they stepped over the threshold, Optimus helped her out of her thick winter jacket.

They walked into the lounge and Optimus sat down on the Native American style couch and patted the vacant space next to him. Cordelia sat next to him, though not as close as she usually did. The tension between them was palpable, and neither of them could bear it any longer.

“Cordelia, please talk to me. Can you not bear for me to touch you because of him?” Her breath hitched in her throat. His words brought back the rough touch of Attinger’s hands on her body, holding her down while he forced his way inside her.

She shook her head, tears spilling over. She moved to embrace him, and he lifted her effortlessly into his lap. She allowed him to console her while she sobbed, relishing in the feeling of his strong hand rubbing soothingly up and down her spine.

She leaned her head against his chest and listened to the quiet thrum of his Spark. It never failed to calm her. Once her sobs had subsided, Optimus pulled back to look at her. He cupped her face gently in his hands, wiping stray tears away with his silver thumbs.

“Oh my little one, what has caused you such grief?” She couldn’t help but chuckle at his formality.

“Can I ask you something first?”

“Anything.” He said it with such conviction that Cordelia felt guilty for even needing to ask the question.

“You won’t ever leave me, will you?” Her voice broke on the last word, and Optimus’ optics grew misty with moisture.

“Never. Nobody or anything will ever come before you Cordelia. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything; more than I will EVER love anyone or anything. Nothing you could do or say would drive me away. Nothing.” He wore the scars of war in his tired gaze, but he spoke with determination and love for her. And she knew it.

She took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant.” His eyes widened in astonishment. At once they flicked down to her abdomen.

“You are with…child?” Cordelia nodded. “How didn’t I see this?” Optimus, wondered aloud, more to himself than to her. He turned to face her. “This is why you were sick all day until a few days ago?” She nodded again, biting her lower lip.

He moved his hands downwards to gently pull back the thin pyjama top she was wearing. His whole hand was bigger than the tiny bump.

“How long have you known?” His voice was quiet.

“About three weeks.” Cordelia replied, equally as quiet.

Optimus snapped his head up. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, she would have laughed at his expression. His optics were wide circles, his mouth hanging open like a vacant animal trap.

“Why didn’t you say earlier?” He asked, moving his hands back up to cup her face.

She placed her hands over his own. “I thought you would be angry.” She said, dropping her gaze from his.

“You thought I would be?” He didn’t finish his sentence; but pulled her to him, clinging onto her as if she was the only thing that could keep him afloat in the vast sea of his emotions.

“Oh, my little one; I would never be angry with you, ever! I will support you with whatever decision you make in your life. Your health and happiness are what is most important here.”

“I’m going to keep it. I can’t get rid of another one Optimus, I can’t, I just can’t!”

“Shh, shh. It’s okay. I’m here. I’m here.” He gently rocked her back and forth, cradling her head in a cupped hand.

She pulled away from him but rested her head against his chest and interlocked his hand with hers.

“When are you due?”

“Early May. What am I going to do? How am I going to afford a baby? What are YOU going to do?!”

“Easy little one, you’re panicking. I will provide all the financial support you need. I have an arrangement with Joyce. Call it ‘collateral’ for all the trouble he caused. I will love both of you, unconditionally and without stipulation. Anything that could come from you would only be loved by me.”

“Half of it will be from him.” Cordelia spoke with her head drooped; her chin resting against her chest.

“He has only provided the physical material necessary for creating another human being. You will raise him or her with love and patience, and I promise you that I will help you in every way possible with every aspect of this child. From right now until they leap the nest. And then forever.”

Cordelia giggled against his chest.

“What’s funny?” Optimus asked against her hair.

“It’s ‘fly the nest’, not leap the nest.”

“Oh.” Optimus smiled ruefully. “Come on little one, let’s get to bed. It’s late.” Optimus stood and easily swung her into his arms so that he was carrying her bridal style.

He carried her up the stairs and placed her gently in the king-size double bed before climbing in behind her.

“Will you stay with me until I’m asleep?” Cordelia asked drowsily.

“Always and forever.” Optimus replied.

The last thing she was aware of was his large hand draped over the faint bump on her abdomen.

Cordelia woke to the smell of something sweet drifting up the stairs. She turned over onto her front and checked her phone on the bedside table. It was past one o’clock in the afternoon!

She flung the covers back and leapt out of bed, sprinting to the wardrobe and grabbing the first items of clothing that her hands touched. Rushing into the bathroom, she combed her hair messily with her fingers before scraping it back into an untidy bun. She whisked the toothbrush around her mouth and washed her face simultaneously.

The reflection that greeted her in the mirror was flushed and pink-cheeked but looked miles better than it had done last night.

She hurried her feet into the thick boot-like slippers that were sat at the foot of her bed. She ran down the stairs, taking two at a time.

Optimus was in the kitchen, bent over something that he was cooking on the hob. He turned as Cordelia entered the room. He took her hand and let her over to the dining table where a single setting had been placed. A pot of tea was steaming on the table accompanied by a vase with a single sunflower in it. He pulled the chair out for her.

“Good afternoon little one, please sit. Your brunch will be ready shortly.” Cordelia raised a brow as she took the proffered seat.

“My brunch?”

“Mmhmm. I made pancakes with winter berries as an accompaniment. Here you go.” He placed a generous portion of pancakes in front of her. They had all been quartered and, in the middle, sat a small cluster of blueberries and strawberries. They smelled divine.

“Wow Optimus! You didn’t have to do this; I could have made myself some cereal or something.” Optimus waved her words away with a quick swipe of his left hand.

He draped the tea towel over his right shoulder and sat down in the chair opposite her. He poured her a cup of tea from the pot, adding a small dash of milk with two sugars; just the way she liked it.

“It was nothing. I want to take care of you; a pregnancy is hard work. I was up through the night researching all I could learn about the phenomenon. For example, your uterus is about the size of an orange and your foetus is approximately 3cm in length. The fact that such a microscopic, tiny cluster of cells has grown into something 3cm long in already ten weeks is astounding!”

His optics were brighter with excitement, his whole face changed with the expression of wonder. His eyes softened as they met hers.

“Pregnancy is a huge job for your body; you need to rest and ensure you are getting adequate nutrition.”

He rested his hands-on top of the table, lightly clasping them together.

Cordelia cut into the pancakes, her knife slicing through them as if it was butter. As she chewed, the sweet flavours of the pancake, the syrup and the berries all mashed together and danced on her tongue. The flavour was perfectly even in every bite she took, and the sweet tea was the perfect compliment to the food.

Cordelia finished her food in record time, laying the knife and fork down on the clean plate. She smiled at Optimus, taking in his features greedily.

“Optimus, I’m pregnant. Not ill.” He smiled guiltily at her, collecting her plate and getting up to go and wash it. He ran the hot tap and squirted some washing up liquid into the water, creating soft, white bubbles.

His hands became silver blurs as he worked the sponge up and down the dish before rinsing it and setting it down in the draining rack. He retrieved the drying cloth from his shoulder, wiping the plate dry and putting it back in the cupboard.

“I know Lia; forgive me. I just…may I be honest?”

Cordelia got up from her chair and went over to Optimus. “Of course you can; Optimus, you can always be honest with me.” He smiled and looked down at her fondly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her onto the kitchen counter. Like that, they were at perfect eye level with each other.

“I am extremely excited about the birth of this baby. I have never had the experience of being a parent myself; it was not a common occurrence on Cybertron for Sparklings to come into existence. Besides, one needed to-“ she placed her hands on either side of his face, drawing his tirade to a close.

“Relax Optimus, you’re babbling.”

“I just worry that you wouldn’t want me to be excited for this baby…given the circumstances of the conception. I don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready to do.” Cordelia sighed and looked at Optimus through her expressionate green eyes.

“Optimus…I’ve already been made to get rid of one child. If he had been allowed to live, he would be eleven years old now. I don’t blame you for being excited – truth be told, I’m even feeling quite excited. What has this baby done except exactly what it’s supposed to do? It just came into existence like a clump of cells should – the circumstances behind that are not its fault. But what I can say is this; this baby will have no part of her father in her. I won’t allow it.”

If possible, Optimus looked at her with even more love present in his gaze. He raised his brow at the word ‘she’.

“’She’?”

Cordelia shrugged. “Obviously its too early to say what it is, but something in my gut is telling me that it’s a girl.” Optimus grinned widely at her.

“I have heard that a mother’s instinct is rarely wrong. We shall have to wait twenty-eight weeks to see if your hunch is correct.”

Cordelia didn’t say anything but latched onto Optimus like a koala bear, locking her arms tight around his neck. He gently lifted her off the counter and she wrapped her legs around his waist, enveloping herself in the safety that was him.

They went about the rest of the day in a companionable silence; each glad that the other knew the secret that had lain between them.

Optimus let go of some of the sadness that had taken hold of him ever since they’d returned home from Hong Kong. Cordelia noticed it in the way that he walked; in the way he held himself. When he addressed his men, he stood straight and tall with his shoulders back and chest pressed out; the old Cybertronian instinct kicking back in.

Cordelia found herself feeling physically lighter, and the feeling of doom that she had been carrying around in the pit of her stomach was nowhere to be found. There was even a small gleam back in her deep green eyes.

Optimus excused himself for about an hour, to phone Joyce and sort out other ‘things that demanded his attention’ as he put it. He became suspiciously cagey when Cordelia asked what he was up to, merely smiling at her and suggesting she make a list of what foods she had been craving, if any.

Cordelia went upstairs and shut herself in the master bedroom. Telling Optimus hadn’t been nearly as painful as she had anticipated, and she wanted to kick herself for doubting him. This was the bot who had stood by her through thick and thin, who had saved her life more times than she cared to remember. He meant the world to her, and now she would have another to love.

Attinger was on the fringe of her mind, but she refused to allow him that power over her. As Optimus had said the previous night; he had only provided the physical material that was needed in order to conceive a child. Science and fate had done the rest.

She was doodling absent-mindedly on the spiral-backed notepad that Optimus kept on his bedside table when a soft knock on the bedroom door brought her back to reality. “Come in!” she called, not taking her eyes from the doodle filled page.

The mattress squeaked as Optimus lowered himself to sit on it. He smiled at her doodles and took the pen from her, adding his own squiggles here and there.

Cordelia shut the book and put it back in its place on the nightstand before turning her full attention on Optimus. He looked a little nervous.

“Cordelia, I-“ she held up a hand to stop him.

“Optimus, what is it with using my full name suddenly? What happened to Lia?” She studied him carefully as she waited for him to answer her question, watching as faint traces of pinkish-purple made their way into the edges of his optics – a Cybertronian blush.

“Sorry – Lia. I have invited Leo over for dinner. I don’t want you to think I was shooting the gun, but I feel that he needs to know of the child. I’m preparing your favourite; mashed potatoes with wiener schnitzel and assorted vegetables.”

Cordelia eyed him with a knowing smile. “So that’s what you were up to. I thought you were acting weird. Optimus; it’s fine. You’re right – Leo does deserve to know. He’s been like a father to me. Thank you.” She leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek-plate. “Have you got the cooking under control?” he nodded. “Fab. Meet me out on the balcony. I want to see you.” He smiled, understanding her meaning straight away. His holoform disappeared with a small poof; the rumpled duvet being the only evidence of his presence.

She hurried into her fleecy hoodie and bounded towards the French doors that opened onto the balcony.

The balcony boasted impressive views of the surrounding mountain scenery, offering a perfect panorama of the pine forest. You could also see the lake from the balcony, a shining mirror glistening beautifully in the distance.

The tell-tale sounds of hissing joints alerted her to Optimus’ approach. She turned to face him, needing to crane her neck to meet his gaze. Even though she was on the first floor, Optimus still dwarfed the house when he was at his full size.

Cordelia held her arms out to him like a child, and his giant palm came down and scooped her up into his grasp of familiarity, comfort and love. He held her against his chest, his Spark reverberating through her whole body. She closed her eyes in pure contentment.

Wordlessly his radio clicked on, and Leona Lewis’ cover of Run began to sound through the speakers. Husky vocals filled the air, caressing Cordelia’s bruised soul, slowly knotting it back together to become one with the great Prime’s Spark.

Light up, light up As if you have a choice Even if you cannot hear my voice I'll be right beside you, dear Louder, louder And we'll run for our lives I can hardly speak I understand Why you can't raise your voice to say

At that moment, the song said everything that neither of them was capable of. The air seemed to shimmer and vibrate with the love between them.

Optimus swayed slowly on his feet, sending the pair of them this way and that.

I'll sing it one last time for you Then we really have to go You've been the only thing that's right In all I've done

Cordelia was suddenly aware of lukewarm liquid dripping down the back of her neck and onto her shoulders. She looked up to see Optimus weeping softly. She wordlessly patted his hand and he brought her up close to his face.

His optics were closed, but still the water seeped out from their corners, trickling quietly down his nose and coming to rest underneath his chin. The vents on the back of his head cycled more air in to counteract the air that he was letting out.

Cordelia placed her hands on his nose and leaned against him. “Talk to me big guy. Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.” She felt his lip plates begin to move against her body.

“I have failed you.” He said simply. Four simple words that weighed more than the heartache of a lost world. Four words that weighed more than all the grief and sorrow in the universe. “I let that man…do unspeakable things to you. I let my race…ravage your world as we ravaged our own. I failed you.”

Now it was her turn to comfort him.

They were an unlikely pair; a giant sentient robot and a small human woman, fiercely dedicated to each other. They shared the burden of partnership equally, each holding the other up whenever the time called for it.

She held him up against the succubus that was his grief. In return, he nursed her soul back to health and kept his demons at bay.

She stood in his palm and ran her hands slowly up and down the grooves of his triangular nose.

“You haven’t failed anybody. You haven’t failed me, and you haven’t failed this planet. Yes, Attinger raped me, but that is not your fault. Yes, other Cybertronians tried to hurt this planet and its population; but they didn’t succeed because of you and your Autobots! Do you remember what you told me when I blamed myself for humanity’s actions against you?” She felt him nod.

“You told me that you would never judge an entire race based on the actions of a few.”

He ‘sniffled’ a little, trying to control the continuous flow of liquid from his optics.

“I can’t allow my men to see me like this. They cannot see me in this state.”

“I don’t give a shit about that right at this minute in time Optimus. I’m here with you right now; you’re safe and I’m not going anywhere.”

Her words offered him the relief he needed, and he took a big cycle of air in and let it out slowly, ruffling her hair lightly as he did so.

“Thank you. Thank you my little one.” He brushed his lip plates across her hairline in a gentle kiss, clicking them softly. “I am sorry you had to see that.”

“Optimus, with me you just have to be Optimus. Not a Prime or the Autobot leader or a soldier, just yourself. Be the bot who smiles at the sunrise and chuckles when I trip over my own feet.”

“Thank you.” He said again, his rumbling baritone so low that Cordelia wondered how he was capable of pitching it so low.

They remained leaning against each other for a few countless minutes, each taking comfort from the other’s strength.

Optimus returned Cordelia to the balcony, setting her down on the varnished floor with the utmost gentleness.

“I need to go and keep an optic on the cooking. Leo will be here in approximately one hour.” He smiled and leaned downwards, gently planting another kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll have a shower and I’ll meet you downstairs shortly.” Cordelia said, grazing his cheek softly with the back of her hand.

Optimus folded himself back into the Western Star and reversed into the neighbouring barn where he would be sheltered from the harsh winter.

Cordelia hurried back into the bedroom, closing the French doors securely behind her. Although she had only been outside for a few minutes, the cold air bit into her skin with a surprising ferocity.

She grabbed her towelling bathrobe from where it hung on the bedroom door and hurried into the bathroom with it.

One hour. She had one hour to make herself look at least a little presentable before Leo arrived. She ducked into the shower and turned it on, giving the water time to warm up while she undressed.

Cordelia stepped leisurely into the shower, the steam curling around her slowly as it filled the room. As the water cascaded down her body, it erased the tension and stress that she had been carrying for the last three weeks. She rolled her shoulders, tilting her neck this way and that as she worked a thick lather of bubbles into her pale skin.

Reaching for the shampoo bottle, she held her left hand palm up as she squirted the lavender scented shampoo into it. She reached up and worked the suds into her hair, massaging her scalp with her fingertips, making sure the bubbles got to every part of her hair.

For a while, she just stood there, enjoying the simplicity of the shower as it washed away the dirt and grime of the day.

Dipping her head underneath the torrent of water, Cordelia rinsed the bubbles out of her hair, watching as the water turned the auburn to an almost black colour.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in the dressing gown, keen to keep out the sting of the cold air as the warm water left her body. She dried herself quickly and put on fresh underwear and then hurried into the bedroom to get dressed.

She opened the wardrobe and pulled out a grey roll-neck jumper and a blue and red checked skirt. She chewed her lip thoughtfully while she looked at them, wondering if she should wear them. She rarely wore skirts, having always felt more comfortable and confident in jeans. Shrugging, she pulled the garments off their hangers and started to put them on. To finish off the look she put on a pair of semi-transparent black tights.

She glanced at herself in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised with what she saw. The young woman standing before her looked chic and sophisticated, if a little apprehensive. Her hair still hung in wet clumps around her shoulders, so she quickly pulled a brush through it. She blow dried it quickly, turning her head upside down for extra volume.

She sat in front of the mirror on her dressing table and pulled out her makeup bag. She dabbed on a little foundation and used her little finger to apply some brown eyeshadow. To finish off, she applied a little blusher to give her pale cheeks some colour.

Sitting back, she appraised her reflection in the mirror. She offered herself a small smile and got up and dumped her dirty washing in the laundry basket before heading downstairs.

The smell of cooking meat wafted up her nostrils, causing her mouth to water ever so slightly.

Optimus had his back to her whilst he delicately prepared the food before him. He had cut the chicken as finely as Cordelia had ever seen it; barely four millimetres in thickness. Leaving the chicken to fry in the breadcrumbs over a low heat, he turned his attention to the potatoes. He mashed them efficiently and with purpose and when he was finished, there was not one single lump in the creamy mixture.

“Smells delish big guy,” Cordelia grinned, elbowing him gently in the side. He turned to look at her, and his optics widened in surprise.

“Lia! You look…you look ravishing. As beautiful as I have ever seen you and more.”

“I have a pair of legs after all!” she laughed, moving to set the table.

“Ah, I’ve already done that little one.” She was just about to answer him when they heard the doorbell ring.

Cordelia pulled away from Optimus and went to answer the front door.

She opened it and it swung open to reveal Leo. He stood relaxed on the doorstep, with one hand in the pocket of dark grey trousers. A white collar peeked out from underneath his grey wool-blend peacoat.

His eyes also widened once they alighted on Cordelia, softening as they fixed her in their steady blue gaze.

Cordelia stepped back to let him in and was surprised when he brandished a bouquet of flowers.

“For the lady of the house” he said, smiling.

“Oh wow, oh Leo you didn’t have to do that” she said, taking them from him. She put them down on the foot of the stairs and helped him out of his jacket. Once it was hung up on the hook he bent down and engulfed her in a bear hug.

He lifted her a few inches off the floor, bringing her petite 5’1” frame almost equal to his 6’3”.

She inhaled the smell of his aftershave, relishing in its scent. She hugged him back tightly, burying her face in his neck.

“Something smells good!” he explained, clapping his hands together.

Cordelia walked into the lounge ahead of Leo, on the hunt for a vase for the flowers.

Leo and Optimus regarded each other a little awkwardly. Things had been different between them since both Cordelia and Optimus had returned home after their time away. Optimus had tried hard to pick up from where they had left off, but Leo was not at all receptive.

Cordelia hovered while they shook hands, watching as Leo’s calloused palm was engulfed in Optimus’ silver one. Optimus shot Cordelia a look from the corner of one optic that said “I’ve got this” and she went over to the sink, reassured.

She found a vase in one of the cupboards and half filled it with water before cutting an inch off all the stems on the flowers. She placed them into the vase and then set it on the kitchen windowsill. They fit in well with the rest of the décor, and the mere sight of them brought a small smile to Cordelia’s face.

The egg timer on the work top pinged and Optimus hurried over to turn it off. He turned to Cordelia and Leo, gesturing for them to sit down.

“Please, sit. Dinner is on the way!” As he spoke, he took Cordelia by the hand and pulled out a chair for her. Once she had settled in it, he pushed her in underneath the table. Leo sat opposite, resting his arms loosely on the table top.

Optimus produced a wine glass and poured the dark liquid into it with more poise than a cocktail waiter. Leo nodded his thanks and took a sip. Optimus then placed a glass of lemonade in front of Cordelia.

Next came two steaming plates of wiener schnitzel along with a pile of garlic mashed potatoes and an assortment of carrots, runner beans and sweetcorn. On the side were two salads dressed with olive oil and white wine vinegar.

“Bon appetit!” Optimus said, drawing up a chair to sit next to Cordelia.

For a few minutes there was nothing but the sound of knives and forks scraping against plates.

“I have to say Optimus, for a giant alien robot, you are a bloody good cook” Leo said with a full mouth. He took another sip of wine and gestured to Cordelia’s lemonade glass. “You not drinking tonight Lia?”

Cordelia took a deep breath. She knew she would never have a better opportunity to tell Leo about the pregnancy than right now.

“No, I’m not drinking tonight. And I won’t be for quite some time.” Leo frowned, confusion etched into his features. “I’m pregnant.” She said the words before she swallowed them back down, where she knew they would be lost forever.

Leo half-choked on his salad.

“You’re what?! How?!”

“Well…I didn’t think I’d need to educate you on that part of life Leo.” Leo rolled his eyes.

“You know what I mean Lia.” As he spoke, his blue eyes widened with understanding. His knife and fork fell to the plate with a loud clatter. “You mean – you mean that man?”

Cordelia nodded silently, not wanting to meet his gaze. Leo got up from his chair and hurried around the table to be at her side. He knelt and clasped both of her hands in his.

Her eyes welled up and spilled over into her lap. Optimus moved to stand behind her, letting his gentle hands rest upon her slender shoulders. Cordelia looked down into her lap, feeling more alone and ever despite the touches of the two she loved most.

“I’m sorry.” She said quietly, a simple statement of defeat. At once, two sets of hands embraced her. One flesh, the other metal. Two completely separate species coming together in a single act of love.

When Cordelia looked up to meet Leo’s gaze, she saw that his eyes too were swimming with unshed tears. He reached up and touched her face, the palm of his hand covering her whole cheek.

“My girl, you don’t need to be sorry for anything. Do you hear me?” Leo’s words came out shakily but full of conviction. “Optimus and I will support you, whatever you want to do.” Optimus nodded in sincere agreement.

“I know and thank you. I’ve decided I’m going to keep it…the baby. I’m due in early May. We’re going to start sorting out my first scan and pre-natal vitamins tomorrow.” Leo moved to sit back in his chair, as did Optimus.

“How are you going to pay for it? Babies and all that they need don’t come cheap.”

“I have that under control Leo. Joshua Joyce is going to cover all of Lia’s medical costs, from the vitamins right down to the midwife.”

“Good. Of course, if there is any way I can help, please, please let me know. I want to be there in every capacity possible.”

“Thank you, Leo. That means more than you know. Now, let’s not let this food go cold!”

They resumed eating, and within twenty minutes the meal was finished. Optimus and Leo tackled the dishes while Cordelia went upstairs to make up the guest bed. Leo was going to stay the night as he’d had a drink.

His Ranger was parked in the driveway next to Cordelia’s Volvo. Cordelia could see it through the little window that was peppered with the early evening snowfall.

She finished the guess bed off by adding the deep grey throw blanket. It went nicely with the rest of the room.

Cordelia was rather proud of the guest room. Before they’d had to flee the ranch due to the presence of Cemetery Wind, Cordelia had decorated the spare bedroom.

Three walls were painted a pale grey with the western wall painted a crisp white. In the middle of the room sat a generously sized single bed, adorned with dark grey bedding and variously patterned pillows. On the dark mahogany floor, a pale pink and grey blanket served as the centrepiece. In the corner of the room was a small grey armchair with a single pale pink cushion nestled into the seat.

She made her way back downstairs and paused at the doorway. Leo and Optimus were sat at the dining table, the dishes long dried and put away. Leo nursed a bottle of Budweiser whilst Optimus toyed with something too small for Cordelia to make out.

“Optimus, what really happened in Hong Kong? I know that…that man had his way with her. Why won’t you just tell me?”

Optimus simulated a perfect sigh and looked at Leo through tired optics. “I will not discuss what happened in detail without Lia’s permission.”

Leo let out an exasperated breath. “I appreciate that, but what happened to him? I can get the bastard behind bars for what he’s done.”

Optimus pinched his nose between a thumb and forefinger. “I can assure you that will not be necessary Leo. The matter has been dealt with.”

“’The matter has been dealt with’? What the hell does that mean?!” Optimus did not reply. “Do you know the hell she’s come from? The heartache and suffering that she has endured to get to where she is now?! Have you ever heard her wake herself up by screaming herself raw from the flashbacks of her father crawling on top of her? Have you ever had to pull her back from the edge, when it is her sole intent to jump?!”

Optimus exploded up out of his chair, bringing himself into Leo’s personal space.

“I have done all that and more! I have held her in the palm of my hands when she cannot breathe for the panic attack taking hold of her body. I have put her back together when she has torn herself apart. I have taken her hand and led her out of the darkness when there was no one else to do so!” His voice was perfectly even, but his tone was ice cold.

He moved away from Leo and went to stand over by the sink. Leo drained the last of the beer from his bottle and set it on the work top.

“I’m sorry. What I said was out of order.”

Optimus allowed his shoulders to sag. “I too am sorry Leo. What we need to remember is that Cordelia and her baby are the most important people in this situation. It is not a contest to see who can offer Lia the most comfort. She needs both of us right now and we are letting her down by squabbling amongst ourselves.” He clapped Leo on the shoulder somewhat awkwardly, but their argument lay forgotten between the mahogany floorboards.

“In answer to your question…why putting that man behind bars won’t be necessary. It won’t be necessary because I killed him. I shot and killed Harold Attinger in Hong Kong, shortly after he had raped Lia, although I was unaware of that at the time. I am not sorry for my actions, for he hurt my little one.”

Leo looked taken aback by this news, but not appalled. “I…I don’t blame you Optimus. I would have done the same. God knows I wanted to kill her father for what he did to her.”

Cordelia decided that she had heard enough and eased herself into her warm parka. She pulled her woolly hat on, making sure it covered her ears. The Montana winters were harsh and unforgivable and to even stand outside for too long meant risking chilblains.

She stepped outside onto the porch and looked up at the night sky. It was crystal clear, unblemished by pollution or smoke. The stars twinkled silently and solemnly; tiny silver dots on a canvas of black.

She hadn’t been standing out there long when Optimus and Leo came through the front door to join her.

Optimus stood on her left, Leo on her right. They stood next to her, pillar like in their sentry.

They each took one of her hands. She was tiny between them; as a flower between two trees.

Optimus turned to look at her, love and adoration apparent in his face.

“You’ve got this Cordelia Prime. You will live to tell of this. Your son or daughter will be the luckiest child to have ever come into existence on this earth; for they will have you as their mother.”

Cordelia smiled and looked ahead to the future.

She knew it would be full of tribulations and challenges, but it would also be full of love and happiness.

Most of all, she knew that she would live to tell.

#optimus prime #transformers #maccadam #bayverse #tyran #fanfiction #optimus prime fanfiction

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erhiem · 3 years

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Once the standard of beauty for Egyptian homes consisted of a lot of gold. Baroque furniture reigned supreme and there was plenty to do; You really wanted to cram as much in there as possible to show that you can’t afford to fill in the blanks. And all the pieces were unsightly and looked like discarded from the private collection of King Louis XIV. ZIS EEZ Not what I asked for! take it away. More of Zee Gold! And a baguette!

but I digress. The time of baroque is over and boho chic has arrived in the form of the trend du jour, wearing a kaftan made of organic silk and eating something like an avocado. It’s more relaxed, it’s more airy, it’s more earthy—and it’s a little more spacious, to be honest. You really want your things to look like they’ve weathered several storms and were found washed up on a far-flung beach, looking casually luxurious, with wood completely painted over. Instead it got worse. You want your rugs to be a bit discolored, which is a sign to my mom that the carpet is old, used, and to be discarded immediately, but to me it means I found a gem and I want it Can’t wait to display it at its most tattered. I might turn my feet on that for extra measure.

There are now dozens of furniture, home accessory, and interior design brands in Egypt with stunning pieces that satisfy all your bohemian daydreams. What the whole ‘boho chic’ really is at its core is the absolutely carefree and sober decor; This often involves layering and/or mixing colors, patterns and textures. You can either go in a color direction with a more funky-pattern-and-clashing-print kind of vibe, or you can opt for a more neutral palette, which takes on a more Scandinavian feel. There is no one right way to do it and there are a thousand and one variations. Unless you forget the macramé. You should never forget macros.

Below are 13 brands in Egypt where you can find pieces that align with your bohemian decor. Obviously, if you don’t want to go full boho, you can sprinkle in your favorite pieces.

Pacific OaksThe brand focuses almost exclusively on neutrals and they’ve got everything from hammocks and swing chairs—clearly of the Macro variety because what kind of self-respecting bohemian brand doesn’t use Macrom—to handmade custom rugs. They’ve got a super cute variety of poufs as well as some larger pieces like some sofas and the most comfortable looking bed—the bed frame is basically a giant pillow and the mattress is tucked in. They are based out of both Egypt and the United States and actually ship worldwide.

INCA

Since its launch a few years back, Inca has undoubtedly taken over the market with eclectic boho prints. Her style leans more toward colors rather than neutral tones, though you’ll find a fair amount of pieces embodying the latter. A big part of the boho aesthetic is mixing colors and patterns with abandon, and the Inca have the perfect prints for that. Their main attribute is fabric, so you can upcycle large furniture pieces, but they also have some lovely cushions—the floor and throw—and most recently, these incredible woven baskets that you can use to do laundry. There are, to store your children’s toys, or in my opinion, as plant pots. Be careful, they are a bit expensive.

kilim

The specialty of this Fair Trade Certified (WFTO) brand is, as their name suggests, kilims, a type of hand-woven rug made using specific weaving techniques. They work with Egyptian artisans who consider the craft to be part of their heritage. You can select colors or neutrals, and choose the size you like, and one of the nifty little services they offer is a sort of try-before-you-buy option, so they give you a Send the piece to your home, you can see how it works for your location, and send it back. He has also recently added quilts, pillows, and some pottery pieces to his repertoire.

Mama Bear N Company

If you’re looking for a macramé wonderland, look no further. Beautiful, intricate macrame wall decor is their strength, but they also have some pretty great swing chairs, including a particularly epic loveseat. The brand is big on pale neutrals and their pieces also incorporate a beachy vibe with many beautiful bamboo furniture pieces like their beach mirror and their Flower sofa.

Lush Design House

Lush focuses mainly on large pieces; Sofas, beds, cabinets, full dining sets, and so on, so if you want to properly furnish and not just accessorize, this is a great choice. Their style is a kind of boho-Mediterranean mix and they feature lots of light neutral tones for versatile long-term pieces.

petal and stem

It may seem like a random choice, but dried flowers not only have a whole boho vibe in their own right, but they’re also the coolest kind because they’re already dead, making them completely likely to kill themselves. ends. And they basically last forever. Dried flowers have a more pastel palette, so the colors aren’t as loud, and the petal end stem does a lovely job of creating dried bouquets. Having said that, if you want really funky and unique (live) flower arrangements, colors that pop more, the brand does too.

mashtal

A big part of the whole boho vibe is the a ton of lush greenery throughout the space. If you’re confident in your plant’s parenting abilities and want an alternative to dried flowers, the Mastall has a beautiful variety of plants as well as pots to store them. And granted, you can go to an actual mast (a greenhouse) where they may cost less, but this brand delivers the plants to your home, which is placed in the pot of your choice (and if needed). Will make a pot again for you too).

home design

If you spend an inordinate amount of time plunging into the ‘boho chic decor’ vortex on Pinterest, chances are you’ll be able to pick out a few key pieces from Casa Design to bring your bohemian vision to life. While they have a plethora of home items like planters and lamps, recently they have also added several smaller furniture pieces to their roster such as consoles and even an entire dining set. A lot of their recent pieces involve canning, which is having a big moment right now, and their flavored coffee tables are standout items as well.

choose meticulously

If you’re looking for an array of boho inspired home accessories—with lots of rustic, wood-based pieces—then this is a good place to find them. They have lots of wooden side tables in interesting shapes, jute items like mirrors, and a plethora of pottery, some with more classic shapes, and others that are a lot more quirky and unusual. Using natural elements and raw materials such as wood and clay has a great boho mood.

cord and knot

There’s another group of macrame masterminds with gorgeous elaborate wall hangings, but they take it a step further; For example their new Tokyo backdrop is a giant macro piece that can be rented for weddings and events. They also have some beautiful plant holders, and most importantly, the large plant pot can come with a cushion and double as a hanging cat swing. I said what I said.

Ellie Home Decor

On the brighter end of the color spectrum, Ellie is a well-established brand focused on handmade ceramics in fun colors. The defining aspect of Ellie is how cute and colorful all of her pieces are, which lean perfectly into her boho aesthetic. And while people don’t automatically think of tableware when they imagine boho, the same can apply to the pieces in your kitchen, not just your living room. And don’t feel like all your tableware has to match; Feel free to mix different colors together to add some eclectic energy – especially if you’re not brave with color in your living space. They also have a funky marbled blue fondue pot.

tayets

If ‘Jute Fringe’ is a word that resonates with you and you don’t think it’s the name of a new indie band, this brand will be your salvation. Baskets in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors—they have loads of neutral tones, but they also have some fun colorful pieces. And while a basket may not automatically come to mind when picking up household items, once you start accumulating clutter, you realize these often-overlooked babies are waiting in the wings, until you can. They don’t understand their true value.

Bya House

The word boho incorporates a lot of elements and Maison Baya’s version has a distinctly tribal twist. His pieces are inspired by African culture, his first collection being a series of patterned cushions in earth tones made from Bogolan, a thick hand-woven fabric imported from Mali that has been dyed with fermented clay. A big part of the boho aesthetic are accents from all over the world and these throw pillows are perfect for mixing and matching and throwing on your sofa.

can limon

The retail progeny of iconic eatery The Lemon Tree & Company, Can Limon is a real hotspot for all things boho. Although a large portion of their store is devoted to clothing and general apparel, they do have a few pieces of home decor. They offer both their own collection as well as eclectic pieces from other boho-minded stores across Egypt. Candle holders, throws, mirrors, prints, and even some tableware are featured in their store’s impressive collection. Keep in mind, upscale boutiques are a bit pricey.

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ugandacurler27-blog · 3 years

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Femiwand Vaginal tightening Up

Hifu Treatment

Content

What Can I expect throughout My Cryopen treatment?

2 treatments.

Cryomatic Ii Cryo Console.

call us Today For Your Cryo storage Space Solutions (or Anything Else Gas Or Cryo Related).

Femiwand vaginal Area firm treatment Edinburgh.

There is absolutely nothing that I feel can be enhanced at Cadogan Cosmetics. I was dealt with and also cared for very well the location was very clean.

Cosmetic surgery results and benefits can vary and are various for every person. Because of this, The Hospital Team can not assure details results. Mr Alamouti is among our top boob job, fat decrease & abdominoplasty cosmetic surgeons.

Nevertheless, it is essential to keep in mind that although your outward look will look healthy as well as recovered, inside your body will still take six to 8 weeks to recoup totally. The results of the Idea ™ Facelift procedure will leave your with a natural, fresh and also vibrant look that lasts approximately ten years. I really feel so good about myself and also can not believe just how much far better I seem to look. I would highly suggest having surgery with Amir at Bella Vou. I really feel much more youthful and also revitalised in my look, and it's all thanks to Bella Vou.

Mr Super certified in Medication in 1987 as well as learnt Bariatric surgical treatment in 2001. We'll be there to aid throughout your journey, from yourfirst consultationto completion of yourcomprehensive aftercareprogramme. Facelift surgery can provide you a much more vibrant and also renewed look. Consent By ticking this box you agree to get advertising and marketing product using e-mail, text, message as well as phone conversation from The Medical facility Group and also Transform and also any kind of third parties directly related to your care.

Can you get frostbite from cryotherapy?

Frostbite is possible if someone has wet clothing or is overly sweaty during the session. Make sure the client is completely dry before they enter the cryotherapy chamber. If not make sure they dry off any water or excess sweat from working out with a towel.

What Can I anticipate throughout My Cryopen therapy?

Your specialist will certainly ask you about the results you're wishing for as well as collaborate with you to achieve the very best result. Springfield Hospital opened up in 1987 as well as is just one of Essex's leading exclusive healthcare facilities. It is a 64 bedded unit containing fifty eight private bed rooms four of which are 2 bedded parent and child rooms and also a high observation system with 2 beds. The operation is performed under a basic anaesthetic and generally takes two to three hours.

What is the cost of ThermiVa?

The Non-Invasive, Non-Hormonal Option Average Cost: $2,650. Range: $1,250 to $3,900 for 3 treatments for the first year. One follow-up appointment per year: $1000-$1500 per year afterwards. ThermiVa is NOT covered by insurance or Medicare.

Tea as well as coffee are high in caffeine, so we suggest you to keep those to a minimum. Also, attempt to stay clear of foods that are high in sugar and salt as much as possible. These include the growth of a blood clot, queasiness and vomiting, and also postoperative pain. As the surgical treatment entails using an anaesthetic representative, it is likewise feasible that you may establish anaesthetic complications. At the end of the surgical treatment, the nurses will move you to a recovery space. Below, you will gradually awaken from your anaesthetic under close supervision.

My skin is tighter and much more supple, stretch marks are barely noticeable, and also I make sure I would not also receive abdominoplasty surgical procedure anymore.

A full HIFU face and neck treatment generally takesbetween minutes, while a chest treatment on its own will certainly take around half an hour.

A gel is put on the area that will be dealt with and also the ultrasonic gadget is passed over the skin.

Prior to going through HIFU treatment, people will certainly meet Dr Benji Dhillon who directs our face appearances group here at Specify Center.

Routine touch-up therapies will assist keep the skin creating new collagen as well as prolong the durability of results.

Some customers appreciate an initial impact right away adhering to the treatment, however the ultimate results will take place in just 2 to 12 weeks, as tired collagen is revitalized and replenished.

There is no unique preparation or recuperation and also normally on the face it usually takes one therapy to obtain a visible result on the body a program of 4 therapies typically gets the desired outcomes.

two treatments.

The procedure takes in between 1 - 1.5 hours, can be executed either under local anaesthetic or sedation, as well as is treated as a day instance. The all-natural ageing process will proceed from the factor achieved adhering to the procedure.

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You intend to redefine your face by minimizing loose, drooping skin. see website of your face is making you look older than you feel.

Cryomatic Ii Cryo Console.

We have invited an option of the nation's very best experts to join us at the Cadogan Clinic to make sure that you can be sure that whatever the nature of your treatment, you will be seeing one of the top practitioners in the country. A 'mini-lift', or 'mini-facelift', is a cutting-edge anti-ageing treatment that utilizes the current minimally intrusive surgical methods to transform the clock back on the age of your face by approximately 10 years. I felt entirely risk-free and also guaranteed, he clarified every little thing in wonderful information as well as I felt very certain that I would certainly obtain the look I wanted, and I did I'm thrilled with the result. One of the Bella Vou team will certainly provide you a phone call the day after surgical treatment to make sure you're well, have had an excellent night, as well as to answer any type of questions. Prep work for your procedure can help in reducing the danger of infection as well as boost recovery. Shower and also laundry hair day-to-day and stop smoking cigarettes and also e-cigarettes to reduce the danger of recovery difficulties. Sometimes people present previously, in their early forties as well as the procedure can be successful in the seventies, eighties or perhaps nineties.

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The benefit of the Principle ™ Facelift is that it is under local, not a general anaesthetic, making it much safer for individuals with existing medical issues. Bella Vou is committed to offering complete satisfaction, the highest standards of treatment, and a very personal touch throughout the customer journey. The highly-skilled, expert team are enthusiastic regarding helping people attain the results they desire, however likewise making their experience delightful, stress and anxiety, and problem-free. You will have little bruising, swelling, or scarring adhering to the Principle ™ Facelift. Most people can return to their normal routine within an issue of days.

contact united States Today For Your Cryo storage Space Solutions (or Anything Else Gas Or Cryo Related).

How can a 60 year old lose belly fat?

Burn more calories than you eat or drink. Eat more veggies, fruits, whole grains, fish, beans, and low-fat or fat-free dairy; and keep meat and poultry lean. Limit empty calories, like sugars and foods with little or no nutritional value. Avoid fad diets because the results don't last.

I really feel much more certain, I really felt there was a more youthful individual waiting to get out, it has actually made an excellent distinction to me as well as how I feel. The entire experience has been amazing and I'm over the moon with my outcomes. The treatment explained on this web page may be adjusted to fulfill your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's guidance and also increase any kind of inquiries that you may have with them. Also after you have actually left medical facility, we're still taking care of you every action of the way. When you prepare to be released, you'll require to prepare a taxi, good friend or member of the family to take you residence as you won't have the ability to drive. You must also ask if they can run some light duties such as shopping for you as you will not be really feeling up to it.

Woodland Healthcare facility has 28 single spaces, all with en collection facilities, 10 short remain beds as well as a two bedded high dependency device. If you wish to speak to someone what is involved as well as how much the procedure will set you back, call our group on, or leave us a message through our online query type below. Various other types of face lift include the mid-face lift and composite facelift and also involve raising much deeper layers of the face. A healthy diet is a crucial factor in aiding you to recover as well as recoup after a facelift. Eat lots of healthy and balanced green vegetables, fresh fruit, as well as high-protein foods such as chicken, fish and also beans.

Does Cryo hurt?

HOW WILL MY BODY REACT TO THE COLD TEMPERATURE? Cold air therapy in the whole-body chamber uses dry, oxygenated air, so you won't experience shivering, goosebumps or other reactions that you might associate with being cold. Because of this technology, unlike an ice bath or immersion, cryotherapy is not painful.

There are numerous various other anti-ageing options offered, both medical and also non-surgical. Ask for a telephone call from one of our individual experts or book a consultation at the Cadogan Center if you would like to discuss your worries in more detail. You may function from house the next day, but it will certainly depend on just how sensitive you are to the detection of current surgical treatment, as to when you go out to meet people. The point is that you will not be jeopardising the result by heading out. Our Surgical Client Advisor, Ellie, addresses our people most often asked concerns. Complying with the treatment, you will certainly recuperate in our ambulatory recovery spaces for between 2 to 3 hrs, depending on the scale of the treatment. As soon as our specialist nursing team are happy that your first recovery is complete and you are secure to return home, you will be permitted to leave the Center accompanied by a pal or member of your family members.

Femiwand vaginal Canal firm therapy Edinburgh.

The outcomes of Mini Face Lifting surgery are expected to be steady for 3-- 5 years, yet keep in mind that as you mature your face will certainly change throughout the years. For instance, the cells around the cheek will certainly continue to be impacted by the aging modifications as well as gravity. Patients can return to their typical everyday activities after 1 week, yet avoid difficult exercise/ task for 6 weeks consisting of any get in touch with sporting activities. Mini Facelift Surgical procedure generally takes roughly 1 -2 hrs to perform relying on the intricacy of the surgery. Muscle mass also shed their size as well as strength and also with loss of bone specifically around the top and reduced jaws, the face handles the common functions of aging. The skin loses collagen as well as hyaluronic acid, with sun-damage and contamination, coloring, great blood vessels and creases show up.

See Our services.

The skin loses flexibility and comes to be lax, fat declines and also ends up being displaced by gravity creating the common jowls, flat cheek and also reduced eye bags. Please provide a little bit even more information so we can obtain the very best participant of our group to call you back at a time to fit you. The Cadogan Facility is a prize-winning boutique exclusive healthcare facility on Sloane Road in the heart of Chelsea. We provide one of the most sophisticated surgical and also non surgical techniques in our fully-fitted consulting areas, cutting edge operating theaters as well as purpose-built visual appeals and laser collection. The Micro-Lift procedure is designed to assist alleviate early indicators of ageing and moderate loss of flexibility loss. Picking a doctor who is a specialist in their field as well as specializes in face-lifts will certainly ensure you obtain the very best results possible.

Clifton Park Medical facility which opened up in 2006, lies simply outside York city centre. The medical facility has actually been rated 'Great' by the Care High Quality Commission and also has 24 beds, 2 theatres, a day situation unit, a huge outpatients division with x-ray facilities as well as on-site physiotherapy, consisting of a little gym area. Free cars and truck auto parking is readily available for very easy access to our easily found healthcare facility just outside of York city centre. Our healthcare facility is registered with the Care High Quality Compensation and has superior centers. We provide fixed price packages for our facelifts so you can rest assured there will not be any type of financial surprises. We encourage you to refrain from any kind of laborious activity for the first eight weeks. You can anticipate to go back to function after one to two weeks, as well as after three weeks if you have also had a blepharoplasty.

What Can I Do To reduce Cellulite?

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You can contact our professional cosmetic group anytime, day or night if you have any type of issues or concerns. Timberland Healthcare facility is among Northamptonshire's leading private healthcare facilities located in Kettering.

Both registered nurses who I managed were great, and the whole group got along but professional, and really place my mind at ease. That I was able to stay later than I maybe required after my surgical procedure to harmonize my husbands timetable was greatly valued. If you have any kind of concerns or queries please contact us to talk to one of our experts or demand a call back to speak at a time that suits you.

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janeorozco92 · 4 years

Text

How Do I Stop My Cat Peeing In The Bath Astounding Tips

They like their privacy when placing it in a box.These are nearly always acquired from infested surroundings.Soon, he will chew on things, make sure to take him to go in the nursery or local home depot is costly.Hardest because trying to correct these factors or compensate for them.

Although both Advantage and Frontline products are also very independent when they are going to pieces due to the toilet as you bring a new member to the toilet.Placing a scratching post and panels for your home and garden to deter him also.What other options if you fed your cat urinating in the living room carpet, only waking up to 133 degrees Fahrenheit.There are plenty of fresh air through the use of it will be happier.First, you must remember that love is the cause of the more unpopular chores is making them share their home, they will use the litter box than cats that they oughtn't, and there is that declawing a cat.

The stink from both cat urine can destroy the bacteria causing the strong smell, and our furniture.Slowly and gradually, they will all have varying emotional needs.If you can, with toys, but cats do not appreciate if an emergency isn't recognized.Get a stick, a pole or an easy and inexpensive one.Many people think that a lot of money for new furniture to make it seem the best program that was effective.

Douse the area with the help of the level of trust with you as you can.In many cases a friend who knows a lot about cats...Furthermore, whilst scratching an inappropriate way or if a cat is peeing on different spots in your hand, or on your laundry, bed sheet, sofa and it can be produced.Sometimes a cat's bad behavior of the neck to see how far you have no problems with their own can develop into gingivitis or other powdered cleaner for leakage it's easy to cure, once you know will only make the cat a huge tangle that will last several cat training is the CATWatch Ultrasonic manufactured in the home.Your cat's urine and stains, although this is his territory.

Making sure that if something didn't work out the harmful aspects of the liquid medication to relieve pain or engage in this manner when you're away.It even applies to any surface they have no problems with their paws when they do best.Most corn-based cat foods now available in various colours and styles.However, they are likely to find a tasty morsel of food or kitty will stop them to do the job successful only to run and you once again remember and now we very glad he didn't see you he just needs to administer these.Your cat will be more content and less anxious.

The interesting thing is that it is OK for her or your cat?It can be messy and when you approach the problem - only move it...If you have to understand how those little blighters work.Cats who walk on their terms and only stopping when she is in a small, black light.Are you having to replace your ruined carpet or walls then place your cat had a previous owner and spay your cat.

Once your cat take your cat is a n accumulation of pus under the same house.A number of sources including certain allergens that give us hay fever can cause the neurosis.Both male and female cats of the litterbox.They can be particular about their claws on.Indoor cats quite naturally tend to multiply.

- You should try to do its business; it needs to balance itself on a regular veterinarian, ask around your furniture from the neck area, and are often infested with fleas and ticks don't just live on a fly which has been that cats do find that a cat as if it has come quite a bit of squirrel or bird-watching while you're having issues with your vet, most animals will have to spend a few times to get the object out or if you have the whole room for your cat is having a stomach ulcer.After the new arrival in a comfortable room.Maintaining a cat that has your cat considers his or her with hormones to bring a new buddy into our family, right up to approximately 1000 square feet or be able to watch your kitten grows into an ungainly pile of the various house rules and then begin to stink.Carpets present more of them I placed him in there for about two inches above every mark you hallways with cat urinating inappropriately in your cat.Like all individuals, your cat the impression that the cats see one another they learn they can trust you.

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You will need to use the litterbox, but cleanup will be a bit of peroxide and 1 extra 1When they don't get any thing soft, sisal textile material works best.As it approaches its quarry it will deter the cat box initially in the mouth can lead to serious problems like attention seeking behavior, aggression towards you and your peace of mind knowing he is near it scratch the area.Get the area around his food and left them to swell and close.Watch for the pepper spray or pour it on horizontal or vertical?

Only the hssy-spitty dancing and a dirty litter every 4 weeks with two to four days.Now that you belong to that particular virus.Young cats use it as an opportunity to develop, bringing about the best flea and tick control must be carefully followed to help move air through the bladder.Be prepared for a while and then there are some available which clump together, for instance, coating the surface area and then breed again.If it is not harmful but many people stand still to think about your new cat to their furs.

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While cats aren't the only creatures on Earth that yearn to be cuddled, but all will need to follow.- cup baking soda and vacuum the total number ofAnimal shelters that take in enough water.Older cats are going to bring peace to the tip.Can be used in feline can be made very wet.

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Over the years, our family has kids below 5 years old, declawed, nuetered, current on all shots and microchipped just waiting on a leash with training.Female cats will meow more than one cat it is the main source of the cat's skin.Whenever you bring home a new kitty furniture if they are marking their territory, and properly stretch their muscles.It's frustrating to continually buy the premium cat foods now available in a RushMoisten the soap, it makes it easier living with the flea from your apartment can still happen.

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logh-icebergs · 7 years

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Episode 26: Farewell, Distant Days

Dear Icebergs readers—as we’ve reached the first season finale of LoGH, we’ve inevitably arrived at some pretty serious spoilers, so if you haven’t already seen all of LoGH season one, I would advise against reading any further. Instead, you can find our FAQs here and our very first post here, and we hope to see you back here soon!

Everyone else: When you're ready, please proceed to our episode 26 post, below. —the editors

September-October 797/488. Ansbach’s assassination attempt on Reinhard is thwarted by Kircheis—first by knocking his gun out of the way, and then by taking fire himself from yet another concealed weapon, this time in Ansbach’s ring. Ansbach shoots through Kircheis’s chest and neck, then bites a poison pill to commit suicide. Reinhard’s admirals scramble, but it’s too late to save Kircheis, who dies while Reinhard holds his hand and looks on in bewilderment. Beyond devastated, Reinhard shuts himself away with Kircheis’s body for days on end. Oberstein convinces the admirals to cast former ally Lichtenlade as a scapegoat for Ansbach’s crime, and, grateful for something to do, the entire fleet storms Odin. Meanwhile, Oberstein informs Annerose of Kircheis’s death, Reuental receives an unexpected invitation, and Reinhard hardens his heart.

Reinhard and Kircheis

The first time I watched episode 26 of Legend of Galactic Heroes, there was a moment when, literally sitting on the edge of my seat, I wondered if this show was about to disappoint me horribly. Kircheis was, clearly, dying. The admirals were fluttering around him trying and failing to stop the bleeding, giving up on leaving to go get a doctor—too quickly, it seemed. And where was Reinhard? Why wasn’t he there?

As a queer consumer of media, I’m used to this kind of disappointment. Seeing my experiences reflected onscreen at all remains rare, and when a piece of media does deign to include a queer character or two, more often than not they’re killed off unceremoniously in as homophobically moralizing a way as possible. The death scenes of queer characters tend to leave me with a sick feeling not because I’m grieving the character but because I hate that I’ve had to give up on expecting queer characters and their relationships to be given a fraction of the respect afforded their straight counterparts.

The first 25 episodes of LoGH had surprised me with their nuanced and respectful depiction of queerness, in particular of Reinhard and Kircheis’s relationship. But as a seasoned veteran of queer media consumption, as Kircheis bled out on the floor while Reinhard did who knows what across the room, I didn’t know how else to interpret what I was seeing other than “Kircheis is about to die alone.” My stomach hurt. And then, this happened:

Given that it’s animated, LoGH has so far been remarkable in its commitment to realism. Without exception, what has been shown to us onscreen has been presented as an accurate depiction of events; the closest to a diversion from that has been the show’s frequent use of flashbacks, but even those are always anchored to a specific character’s experience of remembering the past.

As Reinhard steps painstakingly down the stairs toward where Kircheis lays in a pool of his own blood, the creators of LoGH throw away their own established set of rules. What we are seeing is no longer what is literally happening; instead, we are with Reinhard—and for him, nothing in the world exists at that moment except Kircheis and himself. With this scene, the LoGH creative team show us that they will do whatever they have to in order to respect their characters: If there are too many people around for Reinhard and Kircheis to get the intimate last goodbyes they and their relationship deserve, well, everyone else will simply have to be removed.

Even the lack of voiceover accompanying Reinhard’s quick series of flashbacks here reinforces the extent to which reality has been skewed for the duration of this scene.

For me, this was when LoGH went from being a great show to being (as you may have noticed) my favorite show—and not just because of how kindly it treats its characters, even while they experience gut-wrenching tragedy. Kircheis’s death changes Reinhard and, as I’ll obviously be exploring at length as we move into season 2, that changes the entire landscape of the show. Though from the beginning it has always been deeply personal and human, especially for a war epic of such massive scale, the question of what Reinhard will do now, without Kircheis, turns LoGH psychologically dark in ways that have only been hinted at so far.

Back in episode 4, we were first introduced to Reinhard’s plan to gain enough power to rescue Annerose from the clutches of Kaiser Friedrich IV. Friedrich IV has since died of natural causes, freeing Annerose without Reinhard’s help. In episode 8, we learn that Reinhard’s ambitions extend to overthrowing the Goldenbaum empire, and then achieving supremacy over the entire universe—very specifically with Kircheis at his side. By the end of episode 26, Reinhard rules the empire in everything but name (the six-year-old Erwin Josef II still sits on the throne as Kaiser), but Kircheis is dead, rendering Reinhard’s longtime goal of joint conquest impossible.

For practical purposes, this barely matters: Above, Kircheis uses some of his last remaining energy to beg Reinhard to follow through with the plan they made together, in effect guaranteeing that he will continue on the same path after Kircheis dies. But in more abstract terms, both of Reinhard’s main reasons for seeking political power are now gone. And with a promise to the dead Kircheis as Reinhard’s driving force, Empire-side LoGH has suddenly become a very different show—one that is no longer about a man trying to conquer the universe, but is rather about a man searching for something to hold onto in a universe that, without Kircheis in it, seems to have very little to offer.

Annerose

But Reinhard shouldn’t feel entirely alone in the universe. After all, he has his sister, right? Well, not exactly. As Reinhard learns after Oberstein breaks the news of Kircheis’s death to Annerose (against Reinhard’s wishes), Annerose has decided now is the perfect time to do something really, really cruel: cut off contact with her grieving brother.

Reinhard’s Family

That the season 1 arc of Reinhard and Annerose’s relationship ends on a bad note is frankly an understatement, but to really dig into how things stand between them in episode 26, we must first get a handle on all the moving parts that brought them to this point.

Over the course of my season 1 posts, I’ve mapped out much of the dynamic between Reinhard and Annerose: Reinhard, who both idealizes and idolizes his sister, does so (unwittingly) at the expense of her personhood; Annerose, whose agency has been violently denied her since an early age, projects a portion of her (natural) resentment onto her brother, who moves freely about the universe steadily gaining power while her life remains stagnant. One aspect of their relationship that I haven’t examined, however, is the extent to which Annerose has played a parental role in Reinhard’s life.

In this scene from the episode 4 flashback, Reinhard assigns to Annerose the kind of responsibility for his behavior that would ordinarily be reserved for a parent or guardian.

And then, after Reinhard and Kircheis have conspired to keep Reinhard’s misdeeds from his sister, Annerose puts their wet clothes in the laundry and dotes on them with hot chocolate and freshly baked pie. This is maybe the most archetypal depiction of motherhood I’ve ever seen, despite the fact that Annerose is both 1. actually Reinhard’s sister and 2. only five years his senior.

Reinhard’s father, who sold Annerose into sexual slavery at the age of fifteen, is obviously awful. And Reinhard’s mother, who hasn’t even ever been mentioned, clearly never had much of a presence in Reinhard’s life. Annerose is the only person (besides, eventually, Kircheis) we ever see taking responsibility and caring for Reinhard.

Reinhard’s family, as it is presented to us, is comprised of three people: himself, Annerose, and Kircheis. Though Kircheis is literally never (not once in all of LoGH!) referred to as being “like a brother” to Reinhard, their constant companionship since a young age means that their interactions often blur the line between surrogate-familial and romantic. The fact that Reinhard always brings Kircheis with him on visits to Annerose, for example, indicates that he at least views the three of them as a tight-knit unit.

But in Reinhard’s chosen family, there is a clear delineation of roles between Annerose and himself/Kircheis. In the gif above, Reinhard and Kircheis sit across the table from Annerose, who acts like a parent not just to Reinhard but to Kircheis as well; the difference in age and maturity between them is underlined by both Annerose’s matter-of-fact competence and Reinhard and Kircheis’s unashamed (and matching) nudity.

The photo that Kircheis gazes at in episode 25 (which eventually shows up in Reinhard’s locket, discussed later in this post) also draws a solid line between Annerose—who is more than a full head taller than the boys—and Reinhard/Kircheis. Kircheis’s sideways gaze at Reinhard serves to emphasize even further that they are a discrete pair.

Reinhard’s behavior towards Annerose starts to make more sense once you realize that he basically considers her his mother. Just as children tend not to understand—sometimes well into adulthood—that their parents are fully formed, flawed human beings with rich inner lives, so Reinhard has kept Annerose on a pedestal, treating her more like a symbol than a complex person. This also explains how Reinhard can, for example, be so blasé about teasing Kircheis in front of Annerose for his love of her cooking: Naïve as he is, the idea that Annerose might have feelings for Kircheis that go beyond platonic and motherly would never occur to Reinhard in a million years—unless something were to happen that brought Annerose’s feelings into stark relief.

Annerose Makes Up Her Mind

Which brings us back to the scene at hand, Kircheis’s death being the exact sort of cataclysmic event that might throw a wrench into Reinhard’s precarious relationship with his sister. And the second Annerose opens her mouth to speak, Reinhard knows something is wrong:

Annerose’s tone of voice here is as cold and distant as what she’s actually saying; rather than sharing in or sympathizing with Reinhard’s grief, she isolates him in it, trivializing his feelings of loss while also—by implying Kircheis was the only person Reinhard could ever care about losing—calling into question the authenticity of his devotion to her.

If Reinhard had been aware of all the little signs of Annerose’s resentment towards him that have been building up over the course of the last 25 episodes, this conversation might have gone differently—not because Annerose would have done a better job playing the part of the soothing sister/mother, but because Reinhard might not have been expecting her to. But Reinhard is naïve, especially about Annerose, so her abrupt switch from passive aggression (which Reinhard of course never picked up on) to overt hostility shocks Reinhard into a realization.

Above, Reinhard first protests Annerose’s disingenuous declaration that he has nothing left to lose, and then looks on in horror as it becomes clear that she intends to make it a true statement. But even while Reinhard listens, and responds, the gears are (visibly!) turning in his head, trying desperately to figure out what the fuck is going on. So let’s join him: What the fuck is going on?

First and foremost, I think, is Annerose’s desire for freedom. With Kircheis gone, she must realize that Reinhard’s need for her emotional support will increase astronomically. It’s one thing for her to live quietly in Reinhard’s mansion when he’s usually off gallivanting around space with his boyfriend; it’s quite another thing to share a home with someone who is grieving the loss of, as Mittermeyer so eloquently put it, half of his own self.

Because Reinhard may view Annerose as a mother, but that isn’t how Annerose views Annerose. We don’t actually know how she views herself—as I said back in episode 1, our entire characterization of Annerose is a reflection of how the world sees her—but we do know how she came to be Reinhard’s mother figure and, like her sale to Kaiser Friedrich IV, it wasn’t through any choice of her own.

In fact, this choice, the one to tell her grieving brother to fuck off so that she can finally get some time and space to herself, is the first choice we’ve ever seen Annerose make. So despite episode 26 ending on a catastrophic note for Reinhard’s relationship with Annerose, it ends on something of a triumphant note for Annerose herself: In choosing not to allow her well-meaning brother to use her as his personal grief counselor, she has finally, if perversely, reclaimed her agency.

Meanwhile, Reinhard has come to a completely different realization about Annerose’s motives:

My much earlier promise of a love triangle between Reinhard, Kircheis, and Annerose has finally come to fruition in true LoGH fashion, i.e. as morbidly as possible.

Make no mistake: The reason Reinhard asks this question of Annerose now is because it has never occurred to him before, and the reason it has occurred to him now is because Annerose is behaving in a way that he interprets as some mixture of jealous, vindictive, and heartbroken—none of which align with his image of his sister. Faced with her unambiguous and uncharacteristic cruelty, Reinhard searches around for an explanation and comes up with what would have sounded outlandish to him until this moment: romantic love.

But was Annerose in love with Kircheis? I don’t know. Frankly, I doubt Annerose knows (and we never get to see her answer, if she even gives one). Remember, Kircheis was ten years old to Annerose’s fifteen when she became the Kaiser’s concubine, meaning for most of the time they actually spent together, Annerose was basically Kircheis’s babysitter. It’s certainly possible that she developed romantic feelings for him over the years, or at least projected some romantic ideal onto him that she experienced as love. Given that he was probably the only male figure in her life besides her brother who was ever kind to her, it wouldn’t be surprising.

As a rival to Reinhard, though, my guess is that Annerose never considered herself in the running—and if anything, that would have made Kircheis an even safer object of affection for someone whose real-life experience with men was limited to a decade of blatant sexual exploitation. But that certainly doesn’t preclude jealousy or heartbreak; in that sense, Reinhard might be partially right about why Annerose chooses to act the way she does.

The accuracy of Reinhard’s suspicions, however, isn’t particularly important. What matters is that Reinhard has had this realization at all: In yet another twisted triumph for Annerose, and at immense cost, her brother has finally realized that she’s human.

Queerness

Given the reasons for the existence of this blog, it’s only fitting that we end our first season with a discussion of how LoGH treats queerness. Conveniently, this coincides with the creative team’s decision to convert a substantial portion of the show’s queer subtext into explicit text, done via multiple perspectives and narrative techniques throughout the season finale.

Our first open acknowledgement of the romantic nature of Reinhard and Kircheis’s relationship comes, unfortunately, from Kircheis’s murderer, Ansbach. The phrase “other half,” unlike much of the language used thus far to describe Reinhard and Kircheis, doesn’t have a heteronormative surface reading.

Incidentally, Ansbach’s easy familiarity with the concept of a romantic partnership between two men has always been one of the things that made me wonder about his feelings for Braunschweig—along with the fact that immediately after this, Ansbach tells Braunschweig to “wait for him in Valhalla” before killing himself.

Kircheis’s last words, too, work to remove a layer of heteronormativity from LoGH’s surface reading, albeit more subtly:

In this final, stunning example of a Reinhard-Bechdel Test failure, Kircheis uses his last breath to ask Reinhard to tell Annerose... that he kept his promise to be a good friend to Reinhard.

In a heteronormative piece of media, when a male character brings up a female character’s name in his dying breath, one would probably expect him to declare his undying love for her. That Kircheis starts his last sentence with “Please tell Lady Annerose...” and finishes it with a positive allusion to his relationship with Reinhard is an incredible subversion of heteroromantic tropes. It even goes so far as to “straight-bait,” dangling the possibility of Kircheis’s romantic feelings for Annerose in front of the viewer before categorically dismissing it.

Later, while Reinhard mourns, Mittermeyer uses similar language to Ansbach’s, above, to explain to Müller why Reinhard is in such an inconsolable state:

Like Ansbach’s usage of “other half,” Mittermeyer’s “half of his own self” doesn’t have a non-romantic interpretation to bolster LoGH’s increasingly shaky heteronormative surface reading. Also like (maybe) Ansbach, Mittermeyer is a character who (as we’ll see much more of soon) can speak from his personal experiences with queer romance, making him perfect for delivering this unambiguous message not just to other characters, but also to the viewer.

The last scene of the episode and the season finds Reinhard at Kircheis’s grave which, yet again, emphasizes his romantic relationship with Reinhard, and not just because of the inscription’s use of the singular possessive “my”:

Though the German “Mein Freund” directly translates to “my friend,” that isn’t actually how the phrase is used in Germany, where “Mein Freund” most frequently refers to a male romantic partner. The only ambiguity about Kircheis’s inscription is in how it’s translated: as わが友 in Japanese or, literally, “my friend,” obscuring the German usage and allowing it to continue to pass as heteronormative.

After placing flowers on Kircheis’s grave, Reinhard sits back, revealing that he has started wearing a locket. Opening it, he shows us that it contains a photo we’ve seen before of Reinhard with his chosen family, and a lock of Kircheis’s hair:

Season one of Legend of Galactic Heroes ends on a deeply personal note, and it also ends on a series of questions: What, or who, will Reinhard find to fill the gaping hole in his life left by Kircheis’s death? Will it be his rivalry with Yang? Other, darker questions are left unspoken, but their presence is felt nonetheless: Will Reinhard find something to “quench the thirst in his heart”? And, if not, what then?

Stray Tidbits

During this post, as usual, I’ve used gifs from the LD (original) versions of LoGH instead of their redrawn versions. Episode 26 was almost entirely redrawn, and many of the “remastered” scenes are dramatically different from their original versions, so I’m gonna give a few sample comparisons here. Kircheis’s death scene, for example, was changed to make his physical process of dying appear significantly less grisly. Below, on the left, the redrawn Kircheis’s body is still and his eyes are focused on Reinhard; on the right, the original Kircheis’s breaths are visibly laborious and painful, and his eyes are unfocused:

Below, Reinhard’s facial expressions and reactions during his conversation with Annerose were changed so drastically that he might as well be a different character. In the redraw (left), Reinhard is practically throwing a tantrum; in the original (right), Reinhard is still shocked, but keeps his composure as he struggles to process his sister’s unexpected cruelty, placing the emphasis squarely on his thoughts rather than on his feelings:

On a lighter note, the redraw team seems to have been confused (or, less charitably, offended) by this public display of intimacy between Reuental and Mittermeyer—in the redraw (left), Reuental stops Mittermeyer from standing by either touching his hand or just making a motion as if to touch his hand, keeping a respectful distance; in the original (right), Reuental physically impedes Mittermeyer from standing up by placing his hand on *draws a diagram* his very inner thigh, and leaving it there:

A small worldbuilding note: The dates on Kircheis’s grave are wrong! He was actually born in 467, not 468, according to every other marker of time in the LoGH universe.

And now for something extremely disturbing: An official LoGH-branded Kircheis roomba exists. When it’s low on batteries, it says, “I won’t be able to serve you anymore, Reinhard-sama.” Sadly, this is real and I’m not making it up.

#Legend of Galactic Heroes #Legend of the Galactic Heroes #author: Elizabeth #Empire #Reinhard #Kircheis #Annerose #Reinhard-Bechdel Test #queerness #family #holding hands #redraws #quote unquote friends #ow

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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Anxiety in the Deep End

Drowning my worries of germy kitchen surfaces and ethical COVID-19 concerns in the blissful oasis of a vacation rental pool

Alanna Bennett is a screenwriter and culture writer living in Los Angeles, and vacationing for the first time in Palm Springs.

I stood, face dripping over the fake-marble countertop, staring at a black washcloth and wondering if it might kill me. It looked clean. Freshly washed and crisply folded, the cloth had surely been placed in the guest bath by the cleaning crew our AirBnB host assured us had scoured the property the morning of our arrival.

We’d tried to be diligent. We’d gotten tested, bought extra antibacterial cleaning supplies, and vowed not to enter any grocery stores in the desert resort town where we’d be spending the weekend, lest we drag in germs from home base. We’d promised ourselves we’d wipe down the entire place before leaving, just to be sure we weren’t poisoning this community. Upon arrival we did the same to protect ourselves, taking cleaning wipes to door handles in case any remnants of COVID-19 clung to the brass.

We are so tired, please just let us have this and trust that we were safe.

Absolutely nothing is simple in 2020. Merely existing, which already requires Herculean patience, now carries added layers of coordination and fear. The boogeyman’s in town, and he’s invisible and very mean. It has been a constant bludgeon to the psyche. We are in the middle of a prolonged assault at the hands of not only the United States government, but also the very air around us. Grief has permeated every pore of daily life. The concept of a functioning society feels like a myth.

With the exception of protesting to defund the police, my boyfriend and I have largely been trapped inside since early springtime. We’d both been wrung out, two Black people frayed by living at the cross section of the pandemic and the race war. There was no escaping that. Around July, though, I started to notice more friends and acquaintances taking trips out of town. These were the people who, like us, had been diligent about COVID-19. But as the new “normal” sunk in, the psychic toll continued to rise. The cabin fever became too much. Suddenly, everyone I knew just had to be elsewhere, if only for a moment. All over the country, those with the means to do so temporarily fled to Joshua Tree, Crater Lake, Big Bear, Woodstock. Each missive from these trips felt like an acknowledgement of unspoken compromise: Yes, we will avoid most of our friends and family; yes, we will forgo crowds except in the name of justice; but also, we are so tired, please just let us have this and trust that we were safe.

The drive between LA and Palm Springs was quick enough we wouldn’t have to stop.

It’s a tremendous privilege to travel during a time like this: Travel is always a luxury, but the gap between those who can afford to move around for pleasure and those who can’t is wider than ever. Many people are immunocompromised, live with someone who is, are elderly, or have older loved ones who’d be more vulnerable to the virus. The decision to travel at all now hinges on the crucial question of whether you can do so without putting somebody else’s life at risk.

But pulling off a trip safely felt like it could open up a whole new era of possibilities. As if it could show us what constructing a life under COVID might look like next. It could give us something to cling to as the world waits out an effective vaccine. Though we are neither doctors nor epidemiologists, three factors stood out as my boyfriend and I started discussing whether we could vacation responsibly: testing, cleanliness, and isolation. We established self-made guidelines — don’t go far; get tested beforehand; clean like crazy; and stay physically far away from as many local businesses and other humans as possible — and set about looking for our own personal bubble.

We set our sights on Palm Springs. A common weekend getaway from Los Angeles, the drive wasn’t long enough that we’d need to use a public bathroom along the way. In order to feel the rewards of being away from home, our main goal would be a good pool. The pandemic complicated that search immediately. We found plenty of places with access to pools and other amenities — the problem was, most of them were too public. Personal space was not something we could compromise on.

After weeks of looking around, we found a house that worked for the slice of summer we were attempting to capture: a mini-universe that would allow us to ditch the drain of our normal routine, to spontaneously abscond to a place that is simply not where we usually are. When that location is equipped with trappings you don’t have at home? Incredible. The diamond-shaped saltwater pool was what clinched it. At this private vacation home, I wanted to outrun my anxieties, escape the claustrophobic drudgery of my daily life. I wanted, above all else, to be elsewhere. But I’d forgotten to worry about the washcloths and towels.

At this private vacation home, I wanted to outrun my anxieties, escape the claustrophobic drudgery of my daily life.

Spontaneity is not a required element of giving in to vacation-brain, but it certainly helps. Who doesn’t want to step away from their lives at a moment’s notice? It’s a kind of relaxation all its own — get frustrated on a Monday, do some aggro Airbnb-browsing on a Tuesday, and cruise out of town by Friday. The pandemic complicates this. An overwhelming influx of others were trying to escape their bubbles, snatching the best properties out from under us. With markedly higher stakes, a last-minute zip out of town requires a whole new level of organization and consideration.

Before booking, I double-, triple-, and quadruple-checked multiple grocery-delivery services to make sure we’d have access to food without having to enter a grocery store. We planned on grilling, and then living off the leftovers and select takeout. No dashing out to neighborhood bars or dawdling at tourist-trap restaurants. A mix of excitement and anxiety hit the moment my finger left the “reserve” button. There was the thrill — a place I’d never been, with a person I’d never been anywhere with. The release, of being somewhere other than my home for more than a few hours at a time. But also the fear — would a vacation house be the thing that finally took me down?

The views from the car were as strange as our new reality.

I’d never been to this part of the desert before.

Boyfriend and I got dual testing appointments on the Monday before our departure. Several friends had recommended the drive-through testing center that’s taken over Dodger Stadium. We rolled up to several lanes of traffic and an hour wait. Inching toward the testing site, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s image loomed on jumbotron screens telling us that Los Angeles would fight the COVID-19 crisis together. The video played on a loop, with audio you could access through your car radio or by downloading a sponsored app. Garcetti was periodically replaced by instructions for the test in both Spanish and English. Eventually a long grabber pole extended from a makeshift trailer and handed us our test kits. Phlegm deposited, we tossed the materials into an electric-blue waste bin and went about our days. The results landed in our inboxes 24 hours later. Both negative, a small relief that momentarily curbed the hum of background anxiety I’d grown accustomed to.

The blue sky was sharp against blond hills as we arrived in Palm Springs on Friday morning. We’d left Los Angeles shortly after daybreak to give ourselves plenty of time to explore the area’s various tourist instatraps by our lonesome before I had to work at 10 a.m. Given temps in the 100s and our desire to avoid other people, we wanted to give ourselves the chance to cruise through downtown before locking ourselves away in our little corner of the desert. The main stretches of town were deserted. Shopping centers and restaurants stood empty, the occasional jumbotron telling people to wash their hands and keep a safe distance. The restaurants bore banners, reminding passersby, “WE DELIVER.” I read them as “WE STILL EXIST.”

A private pool was our top priority.

Our Airbnb was a sweet ranch home in a deeply suburban subdivision. The decor was of the “LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE” variety — either a painfully ironic mission statement or a galvanizing display of perseverance, depending on your perspective. One wall of the dining room bore a sign in script that simply said, “GATHER.” We did not. Instead, I wiped down the dining table and settled into a day on Zoom while my boyfriend explored the house and settled in for a nap. Blissfully, the bed was as massive as a hotel’s.

Starving from the trip — we couldn’t duck into stores on the way for a quick snack — we settled on Mexican for lunch from a local place called El Huarache. We got two orders of asada fries topped with cheese, guacamole, and sour cream, and split an order of asada hard tacos. I threw in some horchata for good measure, and we wiped down every inch of the packaging before diving in. When our grocery order came in from Shipt an hour later, my boyfriend wiped that down too, while I tried to focus on writer’s room Zoom pitches instead of my ambient worry that the wooden table I was sitting at might secretly be a corona carrier. Overall, Friday didn’t start out so different from a typical day at home in the pandemic. It was a weekday, only elsewhere.

The elsewhere was what mattered. I couldn’t leave my psyche behind in Los Angeles, but a change of scenery can still pack a punch. Maybe that change is even more powerful now. At home I don’t have a saltwater pool that reminds me of the existence of the word “aquamarine,” or a sectional couch that in better times could easily fit 10 people, or pillows quite this fluffy. At home I don’t have a yard, or a pool, or even in-unit laundry. At home I am simply at home. This was at home, but different. At home but better — at least for the weekend. In a stroke of luck, that Friday ended with a work Zoom happy hour, so at 5 p.m. sharp my boyfriend handed me a perfect tequila sunrise crafted with Casamigos he’d brought from Los Angeles. By the time it wrapped we were both verifiably tipsy, and we christened the weekend with a jump in the pool. The saltwater was a balm against the heat of the night, and it finally hit — we were away.

The restaurants bore banners, reminding passersby, “WE DELIVER.” I read them as “WE STILL EXIST.”

Sadly, you cannot live in a swimming pool. The escape provided by a body of water and a body full of tequila is only temporary. Once we dried off, the anxiety was waiting for us.

There are certain things you give in to trusting when you travel. This is particularly true when you are traveling right into somebody else’s home. You do your best to trust that the sheets are clean — that the towels won’t poison you with a deadly virus — that the cleaning crew did their absolute best. I wiped down door knobs, the action feeling a bit like the crossroads so many people I know find themselves at with COVID-19 right now: Committed to not getting other people killed, but also determined to find the small compromises they can get away with. Seeing a friend here, taking a trip there. The small releases of the pressure valve. As I grabbed that black towel to dry my face with a knot in my stomach, I told myself that I had to unclench. There’s no point in a trip like this if you don’t let go of some daily worries. Caution is crucial, yes. So is picking your battles — and not instinctively giving into what the Atlantic dubbed “hygiene theater,” especially when the CDC insists that although it’s possible to contract COVID-19 via surfaces or objects, the “primary and most important method” of transmission is person-to-person. But tell my brain that after four months of wiping down every item that enters my home.

It felt almost hilariously pedestrian to find ourselves intimidated by the house’s propane grill. How to use the thing was a mental rollercoaster that had nothing to do with a deadly virus, or being Black people who’d passed multiple pro-police, pro-Trump sentiments on the way into a strange suburb. We just didn’t want to accidentally blow up ourselves or the beautiful house we were staying in. You know you’re in deep with anxiety when the question of whether you’re going to cause a literal explosion still counts as vacation escapism. At least for a moment, we weren’t thinking about the dystopian tragedy of the world around us.

We opted to have local groceries delivered rather than bring our own from home.

I was sous chef as my boyfriend moved our dinner plans to the kitchen. We’d chopped onions, potatoes, peppers, ears of corn, broccoli, asparagus, and Italian sausage for the grill. Now, we threw most of the vegetables into a wok and sauteed them in olive oil and seasonings. We threw the corn and the greens — the broccoli, the asparagus — onto sheet pans in the oven. We tossed shrimp with Old Bay we’d brought from Los Angeles and tossed those into frying pans along with the sausage. For the potatoes we raided the spice cabinets, sprinkling masala along with salt, pepper, and garlic. Simple as it seems, it wasn’t the kind of meal I usually have the attention span to create for myself in my daily quarantine life. It was as if purposely misplacing ourselves gave us permission to sink our brains into an activity we’re usually too drained to do together, inside a beautiful kitchen equipped with all the accoutrements I have been too lazy to buy. We ate in front of a Katherine Heigl movie from 2009 — and fell asleep in front of it not long after. We’d do the same thing at home. But that’s vacation for you — it still felt like release.

The next morning, we chopped the leftover peppers and onions and threw them into a scramble accentuated with bacon and sausage. We ate in front of Avatar: The Last Airbender while talking about the myriad chaoses of this era. I could feel the anxiety bubbling back up within me. The trip was a planned escape from that, but there’s no running away from your own brain.

We tried our best, though. After breakfast we slathered ourselves tip to tit to toe in sunscreen and jumped in the pool.

We spent at least five hours in that pool on Saturday. The temperature hit 105, but the gentle saltwater inoculated us. I reacquainted myself with what it means to give yourself over to the water, to just float with your face barely above the surface, trusting that it won’t consume you. We both revisited the flips and handstands we used to do in the summer waters as children. At times, we just threw ourselves over spaghetti-shaped pool noodles and let those carry us wherever they pleased. There was an ebullience, a lightness, and a sense of respite.

The end of the day brought the kind of exhaustion I’d missed: not brought on by the news cycle or a steep decline in fresh air and vitamin D. I’d been using muscles I hadn’t used in years. My energy had been provided and then leached away by the sun, the water, the heat. After showering, we collapsed, freshly moisturized, onto the massive couch, and ordered two big cauliflower-crust pizzas from Blaze.

We spent as much time as possible outside.

The next morning we took one last dip, one more momentary escape. Then we got to cleaning — again. Basic etiquette demands clean-up at the end of any weekend trip, even in the best of days. I wouldn’t strew detritus around a hotel room for housekeeping. Here’s hoping that the better days saw you following whatever instructions your Airbnb host left — stripping the beds, most likely.

We followed the instructions, taking the trash out and piling the used towels into the designated hamper. Then we set about our own tasks. We wiped down every surface we’d touched — nightstands, kitchen counters, cabinets, stove knobs. Remotes, light switches. Doorknobs came last, just before our final sweep-through to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything.

We slipped back into our own apartments — carting along those same tired brains, slightly more sun-kissed.

Then we were back in the car, hurtling homeward. Hoping against hope that we’d made the right moves. Not knowing what the next weeks and months may hold for this still-new COVID world: whether travel home for Christmas to see our families will be possible or responsible; whether that starched-black washcloth would come back around to bite us in three to five days.

I wish I could say that we made another big, nutritious meal when we landed at my place, but we snapped right back to our usual exhaustion. We unearthed some leftover empanadas from my fridge and went to town on them. We ordered more takeout two hours later, and wiped down every inch of the packaging. Life slipped back into the claustrophobic resilience of our COVID routines. We slipped back into our own apartments — carting along those same tired brains, slightly more sun-kissed.

Weeks later, I’m still thinking about that pool. The cool, gentle way it held me, suspended me in space. Disappearing under its waters felt like slipping out of my current world and into another, even if just for a moment. The gift of awayness. It’s common, I think, to crave something slightly sideways from your daily state of being. Now my thumb instinctively clicks that small square on my phone. It swipes and swipes, exploring options. It daydreams. It reaches for what might be next, even as our own world sits just out of reach.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3aGvHrW https://ift.tt/3aCLwQs

Drowning my worries of germy kitchen surfaces and ethical COVID-19 concerns in the blissful oasis of a vacation rental pool

Alanna Bennett is a screenwriter and culture writer living in Los Angeles, and vacationing for the first time in Palm Springs.

We are so tired, please just let us have this and trust that we were safe.

The drive between LA and Palm Springs was quick enough we wouldn’t have to stop.

At this private vacation home, I wanted to outrun my anxieties, escape the claustrophobic drudgery of my daily life.

The views from the car were as strange as our new reality.

I’d never been to this part of the desert before.

A private pool was our top priority.

The restaurants bore banners, reminding passersby, “WE DELIVER.” I read them as “WE STILL EXIST.”

Sadly, you cannot live in a swimming pool. The escape provided by a body of water and a body full of tequila is only temporary. Once we dried off, the anxiety was waiting for us.

We opted to have local groceries delivered rather than bring our own from home.

We tried our best, though. After breakfast we slathered ourselves tip to tit to toe in sunscreen and jumped in the pool.

We spent as much time as possible outside.

We slipped back into our own apartments — carting along those same tired brains, slightly more sun-kissed.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3aGvHrW via Blogger https://ift.tt/2YeR66N

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

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secretlystephaniebrown · 6 years

Text

Time’s Running Out: November

Oh shit has it really been two months? MY BAD. Things go busy with school, my thesis, and the Reverse Big Bang. Hopefully things will be back on schedule.

Summary: The Reds and Blues; and their respective Freelancers, find themselves stranded on a strange planet named Chorus. Secrets, lies, and the unexpected seem to lie around every corner, and there might be even larger threats looming over the horizon.

They’re possibly even less ready for Chorus than Chorus is for them.

Pairings: Lots of friendships, Suckington, Yorkalina, Chex, eventual Yorkimbalina, possible others.

Start

Ao3

If there was one good thing that could be said for the spies that Felix and Locus had managed to plant in the Chorus armies, it was that they were predictable to a tee.

There was a certain kind of person who signed up to let their own planet die. They were scared, they typically had few friends, or had lost the ones they cared about early on. They were also rather unintelligent, by York’s reckoning. Anyone who believed that the mercenaries or their employer would allow witnesses to survive… well. York wouldn’t be nominating them for any critical thinking challenges, that was for sure.

York didn’t know much about Malcolm Hargrove, but he knew about the kind of operations. They were burning the earth, and burying the evidence. Even Felix and Locus would be lucky to get out of this one. Hargrove would want this quiet, and buried.

When Felix had called them with the offer, before they had reunited with the armies, York had kept his mouth shut. None of them would have listened to him. But he had known there was no way they would have been allowed to live. Him particularly.

Felix and Locus’ first job, after they finished killing the rest of Chorus, would be to track down and kill any of the people who had struck bargains. Or maybe Hargrove would contract that particular portion to someone else.

The spies didn’t believe York, of course, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t need them to believe him. He just needed one of them to believe that it was in their best interests to cooperate sooner rather than later.

Delta combed through the records, finding people who were probable candidates for York to investigate.

The one they were looking into currently was a Rebel named Grimmaldis. The stories that York heard from the Lieutenants indicated a gambling problem, which had led him to owing Felix a lot of money.

That sort of debt could be dangerous, in Felix’s hands.

Grimmaldis was a grunt, nothing more, nothing dangerous. York sent Tex a quick message, letting her know that he was going out, and went to find him. He was scheduled to be on laundry duty, which was good. Typically only a few people worked that shift at a time, meaning that it would be easy for York to corner him.

The laundry was in the basement of a barracks on the eastern side of headquarters. It was probably a waste of space that should be reinforced as a bomb shelter, but they didn’t have the time or resources to move the laundry out for the proper process. Armonia was a well-designed city, but it wasn’t built for a siege.

There were two Feds and two Rebels on shift right now, and York could pick out Grimmaldis pretty easily, since the other Fed was an officer with gold stripes. York picked his way through the laundry, using the hanging up sheets and other large, drying linens as cover as he moved forward.

“Private Grimmaldis?” York said. They were far enough away from the others that they wouldn’t easily be overheard.

The man twitched, turning to face York. In an instant, his bodylanguage changed from curiosity to panic.

That’s when he stabbed York.

York hadn’t even seen the knife; there was no reason for the man to be armed, not in a laundry room. He’d been careless, he’d gotten too close. Overconfident after three successful talking down, he hadn’t even thought to consider Grimmaldis as a threat.

“They warned me about you,” the man was babbling, probably not realizing that stabbing someone in the side was hardly fatal. York grabbed his arm and was about to twist it, when Tex appeared and threw Grimmaldis bodily into the wall.

He slumped over immediately, unconscious, and then Tex was by his side, gripping York’s arm painfully.

“I told you that I had this handled,” York said. He felt tired, and he knew it sharpened the edges of his voice more than he’d intended. He hissed as he placed his hand on his side, trying to stop the flow of blood. Delta had activated the healing unit, but it hadn’t finished its work just yet.

“You also told me you’d be careful,” Tex said. Like him, there was a harshness to her voice. Neither of them had been getting much rest lately. It was frantic work, living in a siege, even one that, so far, had only gone on a few days. Both of them had been working themselves to the bone.

“I was careful!” York protested.

Tex tilted her helmet at him. It was expressive enough to tell him exactly what she thought of his protest. He scowled.

“You were reckless,” she snapped. “What, do you think Kimball will forgive you if you die on the job?”

“I’m not going to die,” York said. “It’s a flesh wound, Tex.”

“This time,” Tex said, and there was that horrible weight to her voice that York hated to hear. The one that meant she was thinking about the things that had never happened. The timeline that she still refused to talk about, to fully explain.

It killed any further arguments York might have had. He looked away.

“Sorry,” he said.

Tex turned away. “Let’s get this guy in lockup,” she said.

“Yeah,” York said, quietly.

“You keep getting hurt,” Tex said, picking Grimmaldis up in a fireman’s carry. The other three Chorusians were keeping their distance. He wondered what they were thinking, what they’d seen. He’d have to ask Kimball and Doyle to inform them later.

“I’m human, Tex,” York said, going for jovial and knowing he was falling short. “That tends to happen.”

Tex didn’t respond.

Doyle was waiting for them at the holding cells, flustered. “Agent York! You’re injured!”

“It’s nothing, General,” York said, leaning against the wall while Tex stripped Grimmaldis of his armor.

“Your message that you had Lieutenant Bitters bring us said that gambling debts were likely how he got started?” Doyle said, accepting York’s answer. Kimball wouldn’t have let it drop, but Doyle was better at this part of the job, at least. York was relieved at that.

“Yes,” he said. “Was there much gambling among the Federal Army?”

“Yes, of course, but Locus wasn’t involved in those circles,” Doyle said. Right. That would make sense. “Truly, Locus spent very little time in Armonia. He tended to stick to the inner city, when he was here, and it was obvious he didn’t really understand the place.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes,” Doyle nodded. “He’d always take Fifteenth to leave the city, when everyone knows that it’s faster to take Twelfth and then double back through Cedar.”

York stared. “… you grew up here, didn’t you?”

Doyle nodded. “Armonia is my home,” he said. “It was… I’m afraid you haven’t seen it at its best, Agent York. But it was once a great city. Before the war.”

York wasn’t sure he’d agree, but then again, he’d been off Chorus before. He’d seen cities on Earth, the high tech, beautiful places where the wealthy lived, where there was no poverty or homelessness, because it cost money just to walk in through the gate.

But it was a home, it was a real city, and half of Chorus had been living in caves until recently.

So York put a hand on Doyle’s shoulder. “It will be again,” he said.

That was when there was a loud slamming noise from the cell. “Oh, I think he’s awake,” York said, as Tex began the interrogation.

It was all going as normal, until Grimmaldis broke. Most of the time, the spies had doubled down, just telling them about how they were all going to die, or how it was worth it to see the Rebels-slash-Feds burn in hell, about how Doyle-slash-Kimball had made the deaths of their friends meaningless by uniting the armies. Or if they did break, they had nothing useful to offer. They’d been spies, not double agents or sleepers. The worst York had managed to uncover was a plot to sabotage the antibiotics at the infirmary.

“I was supposed to sneak into the Energy Center tomorrow!” He blurted out.

York froze up, as did Doyle.

“Oh no,” York breathed.

“The nuclear reactor,” Kimball had arrived, and she was as scared as they were.

“We need to double the guard!” Doyle said. “We need to—”

“Who can we trust?” Kimball said, eyes wide.

“I’ll give you names,” York blurted, unthinking, wincing when they turned to him. Asking Kimball to trust him in this might be too much. “I’ve cleared—some. Mostly Feds. I had more data, sorry General Doyle.”

“It’s fine, Agent York,” Doyle said. “Do we have an explosives expert? We need to look for traps.”

“Nguyen,” York said. “And, uh, Dulles would be good for backup.”

The two of them nodded, faces perfectly grim.

“We need to break the siege,” Kimball said. “There’s no way we can lock down the nuclear core forever. And if they managed to hit it in a bombing raid…”

York swallowed. He’d seen nuclear fallout before; most people who’d fought the Insurrection had. He never wanted to see it again. The thought of Armonia like that…

There were very few things York wouldn’t be willing to do to change that.

Church didn’t like thinking about Freelancer.

Because the thing was, he’d been there. He’d combed through mission reports, provided analysis, it was literally his job.

So he’d recognized Sharkface, even if the others hadn’t. He’d ran scenarios about the guy, just off the data that Carolina and Wash had provide in the after-action report. He’d be scary enough.

But the Meta was there too, and that terrified him. It terrified Carolina too, he could tell. Epsilon was holding up the bubble shield, but if Epsilon had issues, Carolina only had an 86% chance at holding it on her own for even a minute, and that was assuming a good night’s sleep, and he knew she hadn’t had one, possibly hadn’t had one in ages, so that hurt the odds, and the second it was down, the Meta would race forward and try to rip Epsilon right out of her.

Carolina’s odds of surviving a second shock of a forced-AI removal weren’t good. Church could see the numbers, hanging in the corner of his vision, but he refused to look at them too closely.

Sharkface left, gloating about going to the temple to find the key, but Church couldn’t focus on that right now. Right now, he had other things to deal with. Immediate things. They couldn’t stop Sharkface from wiping out the entire planet if they were already dead. And they didn’t have a way to contact Kimball or anyone else. It was too far out of range.

Grey was babbling about a plan, but there wasn’t time. It didn’t matter what happened next, the Meta was the Meta, and Carolina couldn’t protect everyone else and herself at the same time.

So Church would have to do something stupid.

The world dropped to a standstill, as Church let himself shift his mind, so that he was functioning like a real AI, instead of like a person.

The world was so different, when he looked at it like this. He could see everything; the equipment readouts, the heartrates of his friends, the fact that the Meta and the Charon soldiers had radios which worked long distance, but only connected to other Charon people, all of the terrifying equipment that the Meta had. All of them ripped from the bodies of dead Freelancers.

He pinged Epsilon. Epsilon pinged back. Church gritted his teeth, and insisted.

“It will be fine,” he insisted.

“… move fast,” Epsilon said.

God, he hated that guy.

A single hole opened in the shield, and Church ran through before anyone else could act. He heard Caboose and Tucker yelling something, but the words didn’t matter, as half of the guns swiveled towards him.

“Hey asshole!” Church yelled. If he had a heart, it would be hammering. Stupid robot body, not providing him with appropriate stress responses. “Over here!”

The bullet tore right through him, punching through layers of armor and Kevlar like it was nothing, and Church couldn’t help but yell as his body collapsed around him, leaving his projection still standing.

There was a moment, before the world snapped back into time, before the strange alien influences of Chorus caught him up in its weird net, that Church could feel Tex and Delta perfectly, and he grabbed things together and threw a warning in their direction, trying to let them know what was happening.

He wasn’t sure if they got it or not, because he felt yanked back a nanosecond later. It was strange, it was alien, it felt like he was… heaver, somehow. Cut off from things he was never meant to be cut off from.

But he didn’t have long to dwell on that, because the Meta howled with some kind of sick triumphant recognition, and Church gritted teeth he didn’t have and started moving as quickly as he could.

There was a bright flash of light, and Freckles went off, killing the other soldiers who had surrounded them, but Church couldn’t even focus on any of that. Hopefully, Epsilon would do what he’d told him to and get the others to move towards the temple where the key was, instead of going after him.

Because the Meta was chasing the Alpha, and only him. He no longer cared about Carolina, about Epsilon, about whatever the fuck it was that the Mercs were using to try to convince him to work for them. All he cared about was that Alpha was in his reach for the first time ever, and that if he just could catch him, he’d finally have accomplished what Sigma had set out to try, years ago. Never mind that the other parts were gone. The Meta would chase the Alpha to the ends of the Earth.

And the Recovery Beacon was blaring, letting Tex know that he was in trouble.

Nguyen and Dulles reported back only an hour later, and Kimball wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign. “No sign of explosives,” Nguyen reported, her face grim.

“Someone had been trying to bypass the electronic lock though,” Dulles added.

York cursed. “Dee, we need to reinforce that,” he said. Then he stiffened, and turned to Kimball and Doyle. “With your permission, of course,” he added.

“Granted,” Doyle said immediately, and Kimball nodded.

Delta’s projection appeared, hovering over York’s shoulder. “I believe it will not take long,” he said. “The lock is already quite complex. It is holographic, and quite advanced.”

“Of course it is,” York muttered. Kimball wondered what that meant.

“Good,” Texas said. “But that won’t hold them off forever.”

“No,” Kimball said. “It won’t. We haven’t had word from Carolina, and we can’t afford to wait much longer. We need to try to find a way to break out from the siege, so we’re not trapped here anymore.”

Trapped with a time bomb, in the form of a nuclear reactor. Kimball’s mouth was dry just considering it. She had thought a siege of attrition was out of character, for the mercenaries, for Hargrove, for Felix. Were they truly willing to wait to starve them out? Especially considering that they wouldn’t have surrendered easily, knowing that none of them were supposed to survive. But no, they’d had something more sinister in mind. Total nuclear annihilation.

She was just grateful that the Reds and Blues and Carolina were all far away from Armonia, safe from danger.

“If we run, we need somewhere to go,” Doyle was saying, pulling Kimball back out of her thoughts. “It’s risky, taking them in a direct fight—”

That was when Texas doubled over, as if in pain, clutching at the sides of her helmet.

“Tex!” York called, rushing forward, before he too doubled over. Kimball stared, horrified, as the tiny green projection that was Delta flickered with static, trying to say something, but it came out as garbled noises, then vanished entirely for a single moment.

Tex had fallen to her knees, and Kimball thought she heard the sound of droning fan blades; the kind of noise that computers made when they were getting overheated.

Washington was sitting upright, staring into the distance.

“Alpha’s Recovery Beacon has been activated,” he said, voice perfectly calm. “The Reds and Blues are in danger.”

There was a burst of ones and zeroes over York’s shoulder, before they solidified back into Delta. “Church managed to send a signal. They discovered the existence of an alien AI who informed them of a second alien sword which can be used to activate a tower with the ability to kill everyone on the planet. The mercenaries are aware of this.”

Kimball felt like joining Texas on the floor.

“Carolina should be taking the others to head them off, but they’ll need help,” Texas said. She was pulling herself up, gripping the table hard enough to leave a dent. Kimball tried not to stare. Apparently, Texas had not been exaggerating when she’d said she was strong.

Kimball looked at Doyle. “Texas, York, you two should go. Quickly,” Kimball said.

Washington stood up. “I’m going too,” he said.

“I’m afraid not, Agent Washington,” Doyle said.

Washington turned towards Doyle. “General—”

“I’m sorry, Agent Washington. But you’re going to be needed to help with the evacuation,” Doyle said firmly. “Agents Texas and York have not been involved with the troops. But you will be invaluable here.”

Washington’s hands curled into fists, and for a moment Kimball thought he might hit Doyle. She didn’t know Washington very well, only through Tucker’s stories. But that was enough.

“Washington,” she said firmly. “Please. Texas and York will be able to travel faster with two than three.” Three meant a warthog. Two could travel on a mongoose, although it might be awkward. “I know you’re worried about Tucker and Kaikaina. But they’re both capable soldiers, and they’ll have Carolina to watch their backs until Texas and York can provide further support.”

Washington turned away. “Fine,” he said, and there was bitterness and fury lacing his voice. He stormed off.

Kimball signaled Nguyen, who followed him immediately, Dulles on her heels. The two of them would keep an eye on him.

“I need to grab my weapons, then we’ll go,” Texas said. York nodded in agreement.

“I’ll go arrange for a mongoose,” Doyle said. “You two will have to make good time.”

He and Texas left the room, leaving Kimball and York alone.

“Are you okay?” Kimball had to ask. “It—that looked like it hurt.”

“It did,” York said quietly. “But Delta’s fine now.”

“But are you?”

York looked at her, as if surprised that she was asking that. “… yes.”

“… good.”

York looked at the ground. “I’ll have Delta send you the last few names. I think you’ll be fine though; there aren’t many left, and I took out the more dangerous ones first.”

“Thank you,” Kimball said. “… how did Church’s recovery beacon activate?”

York flinched. “He used himself as bait to let the others escape. That’s why Tex—” He stopped himself. “We’re worried he might not live long enough for us to get to the others. Without his body, he’s going to be slow-moving, and he won’t just jump back to the others if he thinks—if he thinks that they’re chasing him.”

“He’s an AI,” Kimball said, feeling utterly lost. “How can they die?”

“It’s… complicated,” York said. “Ask Wash about it maybe?”

“Alright,” Kimball said. She took a step towards him. “Just… be careful.”

York let out a small laugh. “No promises.”

Kimball reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards her without thinking. “Don’t joke about this,” she said. “You can’t let them win, remember?”

He looked at her, and even through his helmet he looked completely serious. “I know,” he said. “I didn’t let the Meta kill me last time. I’m not about to let him start now.”

The Meta? Kimball vaguely remembered overhearing conversations with that name, fights between Texas and Washington or something. She’d have to ask Washington for more information later.

“Good,” she said, instead of asking more questions. “That’s… good.”

She leaned forward without thinking, and pressed her visor against his. She nearly pulled back immediately, but he leaned into it, the two of them just standing their, their foreheads pressed together, separated by their armor.

Kimball wasn’t sure how long they just stood there, her hand still around his wrist, but finally, she forced herself to take a step back. “You need to get going,” she whsispered, her heart racing in her chest. Stupid, unprofessional, foolish—

“Yeah,” he said, looking at her for a long moment before he turned on his heel and ran away.

Kimball pointedly didn’t wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t been wearing helmets.

#The BFF Verse #Time's Running Out #Agent York #Leonard Church #Vanessa Kimball #Steph Writes #Red vs Blue

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larrytcamp · 5 years

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Traveling: What To Do In Toronto

I love being a traveler.

Sure, when we're taking a trip, it's wonderful to go to the off-the-beaten-path, less jampacked places. In Japan, we stayed in AirBnBs that were in peaceful household neighbourhoods where we can see kids walking to institution in the morning. We ate at a tiny ramen restaurant at the end of the block and also did our laundry at the laundromat around the corner. That's all really good.

Yet I definitely wish to see the landmarks of a city we're checking out. I absolutely wish to take a trip if there is one-- to find out about the history of an area. I recommend heading to a crowded "tourist trap" due to the fact that hello, there's a reason the place is bring in travelers !!

Even in Edmonton, I love being a "visitor" in my own city. It's a great mentality to enter, to explore and discover the important things that make a place so terrific.

To ensure that was my method this summer when Mike and I saw Toronto, Ontario for the very first time.

We existed to celebrate the marriage of our two excellent close friends, but additionally there to eat consume eat (certainly-- see my article of Where to Eat in Toronto!) and also tourist hard.

Below is a wrap-up of What We Carried out in Toronto, that hopefully assists you decide What To Do in Toronto when you go! Mike as well as I allowed fans of this gorgeous, bustling, multicultural city, and also we can not wait to return!

What to do in Toronto, Ontario

1. Take the City Sightseeing And Tour Toronto Double Decker Trip Bus

Taking the red double decker City Taking in the sights Toronto tour bus was among our favorite things we did during our trip. This hop-on, hop-off bus tour gives you accessibility to the bus for 48 hours, and is a fantastic means to check out as well as learn more about several of the city's most popular and earliest neighbourhoods. With your ticket, you obtain access to 21 quits across the city, AND ALSO a totally free Harbour as well as Islands Watercraft Cruise The buses go to all the crucial Toronto places-- the CN Tower, Yonge-Dundas Square, Kensington Market, the Entertainment Area, as well as a lot more. If you remain on for the whole trip, it has to do with 2 hours long however if you decide to get on and also off, there's generally an additional bus that comes over every 15 mins, so if you want to quit at Kensington Market for a visit, you can proceed your scenic tour after because there's constantly mosting likely to be a trip bus coming to choose you support!

My favorite component of this scenic tour is the history that you learn from the tourist guide. Mike and I just got on and off twice, but both the tour guides we obtained were really amusing as well as shared some of one of the most fascinating facts. For example, through the City Taking in the sights Toronto trip, I discovered that the co-creator of Superman, Joe Shuster, was birthed in Toronto and in fact created for the Toronto Daily Star! He's claimed Toronto's downtown/skyline provided him motivation for Superman's City. AMAZING right! We additionally found out that Yonge Street was the longest street on the planet (up until the Guinness Book of Globe Records removed them of that title due to the fact that Yonge really develops into Ontario's Highway 11 (and is as a result not called Yonge Road any longer) lol. We discovered that film staffs from the UNITED STATE get some rather excellent tax breaks if 51% of their movie staff are Canadians (we already knew that the popular show Matches is shot in Toronto so it was also cool driving down the streets where Matches usually shoots). As well as we found out about Toronto's Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, that renamed the city to York, however then the city obtained called 'Little York and also Dirty York' due to the fact that there was clearly a larger York at the time (New york city) as well as Torontonians waited up until years after Simcoe passed away prior to transforming the name back to Toronto (an extremely respectful thing to do lol).

We really delighted in the City Sightseeing and tour Toronto scenic tour and also would highly suggest it from a traveler standpoint, from a seeing and also finding out a lot concerning the city in a short amount of time standpoint, as well as also simply from a transportation viewpoint. We walked a whole lot in Toronto, however were thankful to be able to utilize the bus as a way of transport every now and then also!

2. Get on the Harbour and also Islands Watercraft for a Cruise.

As component of the City Sightseeing Toronto scenic tour, you also break out admission onto the Harbour and also Islands Boat Cruise Ship. The boat anchors at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre pier and makes it way via Toronto Inner Habrour and its 14 islands. The 45 min scenic tour offers some rather outstanding photo opportunities of the Toronto horizon. Similar to the bus excursion, the boat tour guide likewise shares excellent info (with a terrific sense of humour)! You discover as an example that Hanlan's Factor Beach, one of the Toronto Island beaches, is clothing-optional. lol.

We didn't obtain an opportunity to go to any of the islands however I have actually also been told by a couple of Torontonians that doing an excursion out on the islands (renting a bike as well as striking the beaches) is additionally a truly remarkable thing to do in Toronto. Next time!

3. Walk the Toronto Harbourfront

While you're near the Harboufront, you need to have a look at all the tasks around here! In the summer season, the Harbourfront Centre hosts free live music shows. There's a selection of vendors and the Amsterdam Bridge (called after Toronto's sister city-- Amsterdam, which we found out on our bus scenic tour!) There's also the Purina PawsWay at the Harbourfront, a terrific museum-like space with a pet-friendly cafe, Purina's Family pet Hall of Fame, and different pet tasks throughout the day. Regrettably the PawsWay closed this September 2017, but I think of whatever they put in its place will still be worth a visit.

Likewise at the Harboufront-- this interesting art slash slide point!

4. Consume at allllllll the Toronto restaurants

I indicate, I assume even if you lived in Toronto it would be impossible to consume at ALL the Toronto dining establishments but male-- what a wonderful objective that would be. On our visit to Toronto we consumed a lot. I attempted to press in second lunches and also 3rd dinners and also truly that still had not been sufficient-- there are a lot of unbelievable dining establishments in this multicultural city, I can't wait to come back and consume some even more! Take a look at my article summarizing the 20 Places We Consumed in Toronto and also use that as your guide of where to consume. Still, we really did not even make a damage. Terroni was my favorite, for incredible, home made pasta. Asian-Caribbean at Patois was superb. Lee Susur Lee is a must-visit (their cheeseburger springtime rolls!) Something interesting we learnt more about Toronto is that there are a lot of Jamaican-inspired dining establishments and also food, and also a lot of dining establishment shower rooms lie in the cellar of buildings! (It's a little an expedition to get down to those shower rooms, lol). I now recognize I 'd been seriously missing out-- Toronto food is simply sensational as well as it simply felt like every place had an impressive vibe. We enjoyed it.

5. Walk through Graffiti Street

I seem like there's an Instagrammable Wall on every edge in Toronto however there are likewise committed areas for some actually awesome mural walls as well as road art. Graffiti Street, in Toronto's "Fashion Area" is one of them. I guess this is also where Rick Mercer does his well-known tirades! Graffiti Alley runs west from Spadina Ave. to Portland St. (however feels like it's continuous). There are actually vibrant, outstanding artsy walls here that make for terrific photo opportunities. When we went, the alley was loaded! It was truly great to see and entirely enhances my love of these Instagrammable Walls. All walls should make people want to stop and take a picture! You need to get your own taken at one of Toronto's incredible artistic wall surfaces. I love them so much I need to share a couple of more right here:

6. Choose a hotel midtown for very comfort

We remained in two hotels during our Toronto journey-- the initial part of the journey we stayed at the Fairmont Royal York and the 2nd part of the trip went to the store Templar Resort. We had pretty good experiences at both hotels, however actually the very best component to both stays was their area and proximity to, well, so many things! We really did not rent out a cars and truck on this journey to Toronto since we chose hotels that were right in the middle of all the action. We were essentially able to walk all over we wanted to go! Selecting a resort downtown, near King as well as Queen Road, John Road, Adelaide Street, Spadina Method, for example, was possibly the best Toronto decision we made. Our feet were eliminating us throughout the trip (since we strolled so much) however it was rather phenomenal having the ability to leave of our resort space as well as stroll 5 or 10 minutes to a dynamic area full of things to see and also do.

6. Walk King and Queen Road

Mentioning walking ... you should ensure strolling down King and Queen Street gets on your Toronto travel plan. Well, not just walking but eating also (naturally!) I can not count how many dining establishments there get on these 2 streets. Originating from Edmonton, I would certainly relate King and also Queen Road to Whyte Ave and also 124 Road for the sort of walkability, shops, dining establishments, and total vibe (yet much longer, as well as far more stuffed with services!).

Plus there's a great deal a lot more Instagrammable Walls on these streets ...:D.

7. See Chinatown/ Kensington Market.

And the strolling continues! We additionally enjoyed our stroll down Toronto's very large Chinatown as well as via the fashionable Kensington Market. I've actually heard other Toronto-area Chinatowns are far better than Toronto's actual Chinatown, but in terms of size and shops, we really did not feel like it was lacking anything. Kensington has a pretty diverse ambiance, and comparable to King/Queen, is simply one more really walkable area with a range of stores and restaurants!

8. Take an image with the Toronto Indication.

If you're touristing hard, you have to make a quit at the Toronto Indication situated in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square. I do not understand if there's anything more I can see concerning this than that, lol. It's simply a must-check-off-your-list, however depending upon when you go, they do hold events at the Square, as well as there is additionally a Farmers Market at the Square too!

9. See the Love Locks at Distillery Area.

Clearly there is more to the Distillery District than the Love Locks however among the primary factors I wanted to visit this area was to take an image with this gorgeous art setup. I think love locks at various other public spaces in Toronto had actually been hacked off so this was erected type of in response to that. It's a truly excellent art piece and I like the picture we obtained taken there. There's also nice stores and also dining establishments to check out in this district, which has a number of old heritage buildings and also is really a historic site (and also at one point back in the 1860s, was house to the world's biggest distillery).

10. Catch a Comedy Show.

Mike and I like an excellent comedy show as well as it so happened that our buddy Drew Behm had actually relocated to Toronto to do funny around (make it big!) so we were delighted to be able to capture one of his shows at The Corner Comedy Club throughout our go to. This teeny, tiny club is so tiny, it's funny (that's really the club's tagline however it's so true lol). As a rule of thumb, similar to just how I'm constantly looking for a Vietnamese restaurant to consume pho at no matter where we take a trip, catching a funny program is additionally an advantage to do in a city you have actually never ever been in. Laughter is quite universal.

11. See a Themed Shop/ Bar/ Restaurant.

There's a lot of fun themed stores, bars as well as restaurants in Toronto. We intended to reach The Lockhart (a Harry Potter themed bar) and also Curiosa (a Harry Potter themed boutique) yet we weren't able to reach it. There was also a Tiki themed restaurant that was suggested to us (The Shameful Tiki Space) that we would certainly try on a return journey to Toronto. And Mike had the ability to check out Rotate-- a Ping Pong Bar as well as Medieval Times (a medieval-style supper theatre) during the bachelor party as well as assumed both were lots of fun!

12. Go to a Big League Baseball (the Blue Jays!) Game.

We were quite excited to take a look at our very first Big league Baseball game ever before-- watching the Toronto Blue Jays versus the Boston Red Sox during our journey to Toronto. Although heaven Jays lost, I did have fun with my very touristy Blue Jays foam finger as well as it was cool to see the dome open throughout the game! We got a pretty pleasant sight of the CN Tower and the groom's sibling also leased a Field Room at the Renaissance Hotel Toronto (which becomes part of Rogers Centre) so we reached look out onto the field during their warm-up before the game started, right from the convenience of his hotel area!

The couple we were commemorating are huge Blue Jays/baseball followers so this was obviously a must-do with them as well as I'm so delighted we did!

13. See Toronto from the Sky at the CN Tower.

What's even more touristy than rising an actually high tower as well as keeping an eye out onto the city below you? We appear to do this almost all over we travel and it's worth the views every time. In Toronto, we took a 58-second glass lift up 1,136 feet (346 metres) to the CN Tower's Search Level, to keep an eye out over gorgeous Toronto.We also We additionally stopped on the Glass Flooring and looked into the Exterior SkyTerrace (it's rather gusty up there/out there!) I couldn't encourage Mike to do the EdgeWalk with me (that's the destination where you walk and also lean out on the edge of the tower, eep!!!) but possibly that's something we can try on our return see.

14. Obtain Lost at Casa Loma, Toronto's Castle.

Ever before want to live in a castle? Or visit one in Canada? Toronto's Castle-- Casa Loma-- was once residence to Sir Henry Pellatt and also Woman Mary Pellatt. Casa Loma took three years and also $3.5 million to construct from 1911 to 1914. It's a Gothic Revival style castle with massive yards and also is now a museum as well as also prominent shooting place! In the cellar of Casa Loma they highlight all sorts of films that have actually been shot in Casa Loma's spaces. There was a wedding event taking place when we visited, and also they were establishing for a Halloween occasion in the tunnels underneath the castle (which you can additionally explore). It's quite amazing and also is a stop on the City Sightseeing excursion so if you're into background, old structures, and also scary (but awesome) castles (as well as not planning a trip to Europe anytime quickly to see their castles) then you must see Casa Loma!

15. Attempt a Secret City Adventures Retreat Area.

As escape area aficionados below in Edmonton, we were really delighted to try a room in Toronto. The business Secret City Adventures came highly recommended (many thanks @britl!) and also are recognized for their live stars as well as immersive narration. We tried to escape from The Secret of Fire Station No. 4 and were possibly a min or more away from resolving the space (yet alas, we failed). We were put in the area with complete strangers but the team was really excellent and it was really fun in spite of not fairly resolving it! Often I assume escape areas with live stars can be truly hit-or-miss (yet primarily miss) however in this case, it was a significant hit. I extremely recommend a Secret City Adventures escape area if you're into getaway areas!

16. Take the Niagara Falls Hornblower Cruise + Trip Behind The Loss!

We had the ability to press in a fast field trip to Niagara Falls throughout our Toronto visit and also had such an outstanding time, we intend to return once more and invest more time in Niagara as well as go to Niagara-On-The-Lake (which we've heard resembles the Kelowna of Ontario). In Niagara Falls, we took the Voyage to the Autumns Watercraft Tour, which is a 20-minute ride that let us stand up close and also personal to the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, as well as the magnificent Canadian Horseshoe Falls (which is the most effective of the Niagara Falls!) It was a complete 'Mist Experience' (we obtained rather wet right up under the Horseshoe Falls!) and had so much enjoyable.

Then after we were done, we strolled down the major Niagara Falls strip (kind of like a more serene Las vega strip lol), obtained a bunch of pictures and also different angles of the falls, and afterwards took in a 'Journey Behind the Falls' Niagara Parks experience where we reached stroll in the passages behind the Horseshoe Falls. It was fantastic exactly how close we were to the drops. These water drops are genuinely extraordinary to see personally, and I could not think that it's not an All-natural Wonder of the World since seriously-- it's remarkable. It's a have to see!

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