#on the other hand approaching every single story as if its only value is its Shipping Status and how you can

[whalesfall]

btw. your search for the most morally upright and ethical piece of media that has the most correct “representation” will destroy your ability to find the most profound and beautiful and human of stories. and may even destroy the stories themselves before they are created. if you even care.

[sykosugu]

♤♢ on the run ♧♡ | prologue

♤ summary: she's an infamous bank robber, and he's the only detective that's been able to get close to her. he was never apart of her plans. but he's got his clutches in her and she can't let go. a geto suguru au

♢ warnings: this story will contain descriptions of violence, destructive behavior, toxic behavior, illegal activities, sexual content, death. use of weapons. forbidden romance

♧ currently: completed

♡ taglist: closed

♤ wc: 1.4 k (they will get longer I promise)

♢ carlile speaks: hi everyone! welcome! I was working on chapter one, and the mood boards (yes boards, there are two more bc I'll do anything to avoid writing even though I love doing it) and this idea popped in to kind of give you a beginning thought as to how they officially met. But chapter one is coming! enjoy this little insight, and I know it definitely is little right now!

you are here | next part

Seventy seconds. That’s all you had until the silent alarm blared at the local police station. But lucky for you, you only need thirty of those seconds to get what you needed. A simple in and out procedure was always how you operated. 

In through the front door, dressed to impress. A Bag under your arm and an umbrella in your hand. The umbrella is the key. Literally.

Bank managers always approach you from first entry, wanting to impress someone who looks so lavish; we must keep our high end customers happy. You’re led to the safety deposit room, with the intent of placing your precious jewels into a box. 

Until the handle of the umbrella is twisted and a knife is drawn. 

The knife held to the manager's throat while he opened every single box he could in the 30 second time span. But you know exactly which boxes to open. You've been surveying this area for weeks now. Camera hacking. One of your specialties. Every customer who entered this room in the last month, you’d seen and known what to take. Totally under wraps; never to be seen until the job needed done. 

When the managers think they can overpower a girl like yourself, the gun stashed in your waistband makes its appearance, deftly putting the men in their places. 

This was always how you operated. Never the cash; always the safety deposit boxes. Sometimes the items placed inside were of monetary value, but some were of unmatched value; precious family heirlooms that could get ransomed for way more than any cash vault would hold. That’s always what you were after. Sometimes, jewels were involved and that was a plus. A girl can never have too many diamonds. They are your best friends after all. But the ransomed heirlooms, some of kings and queens of the corporate world: that was your MO. You were the Red Queen.

Were.

Suguru was not something you’d anticipated. Suguru was your biggest flaw. He was now your weakness. But he was also the enemy.

He’d been tracking you for months; been minutes from you so many times. You were his biggest project that he’d never been able to get his hands on. You were a myth at this point. Never actually seen, except by the bank managers who were never able to give a good enough description.

“She had big sunglasses, bright red lipstick and a killer smile.”

He knew that much. That was it.

Until now. 

He had you. 

You walked out five seconds too late. 

He had you.

A hand harshly grips the back of your upper arm, spinning you around. Your fist instinctively reaches up, elbow colliding with the person in question; a cracking sound fills the air as your arm connects with their face. You’d successfully knocked their head back. Killing was never your objective when it came to defending yourself, a body leads to problems. You don’t have time for problems. Suguru’s used to combat though, with gritted teeth he takes the blow. Cracking his neck, his other hand reaches to grasp your other arm, flinging you down onto his car's hood as pedestrians continue on their day. Most stop for the show, but others see the badge hanging from his neck and don’t question anything. Your back comes in contact with the car, your head bouncing off the surface; ears ringing from the loud bang. Your arms are braced in front of you as you feel the handcuffs being placed around your hands.

He had you. 

Nobody could ever get you. You were like a ghost in the nighttime; but he found you out. Who was this guy? Why does it kind of turn you on? But it also definitely terrifies you.

“We finally meet,” he grins down at you. “I’m Detective Geto, and you’ve been my biggest foe for almost a year,” You just stare back at him. “But you can call me Suguru.”

You were in the back of his car in minutes. Hands cuffed in front of you while he stared at you in the rearview mirror. Unbeknownst to you until now, he’d lied about catching you. He said you’d gotten away again. 

He watched you walk into the bank this time. He was the one who was ahead. He finally had the upper hand. 

And he liked it.

“No, sir. She got away again.” you heard him say flatly in the front seat. “Yes, sir, I get that but if–” he stops, pressing his thumb and pointer finger into his eyes. “Sir, if i can just speak for a minute,” you can hear yelling through the speaker, but no words can be made out.

Why isn't he telling him you’re right here? What is going on?

“Sir, I had her. She got away. I’ll get her again.,” he pauses again, “Yes sir, I understand. Thank you, Chief. I got it. I’ll handle it. Thank you.”

He’ll handle what? What is happening?

Suguru’s eyes catch yours in the mirror. “You’ve been eluding me for the longest time, Y/N. Or should I say The Red Queen.”

“Call me Ruby. I don’t use that name anymore,” you mutter. Unsure why you’re even responding. What does he want with you? He lied about you to his boss. 

“Ruby,” he swirls the name around his tongue, “Pretty,” and he’s starting the car.

“Where are you taking me?” you question, fingers reaching down to pull one of the bobby pins from your boot. You’re always prepared.

“Even if you free yourself, the doors are locked,” he smirks at you in the mirror. You catch his gaze, offering him a glare. “I’m not a threat to you. Not right now.”

What the hell does that mean?

“You’re literally a cop, and you’re not telling me where you’re taking me.”

“I just want to talk to you before I decide what to do next,” his eyes fixed on the road again. You notice the white in his knuckles from gripping the steering wheel so hard. He’s nervous. You could use that to your advantage. Wherever he was taking you, you were going to use your biggest asset: yourself; to get what you needed. 

Your freedom. Your biggest job was coming up soon, and you needed to be prepared.

This cop obviously had an attraction towards you. If only he wasn’t a cop, you could entertain the thought of a relationship if he hadn’t been. But honestly, it would probably hold you back.

“Where are we going? Why did you lie? What’s going on?”

“So many questions, Ruby. Live a little,” he chuckles at you. Was this guy insane? A cop isnt taking the opportunity to turn you in? He’d be decorated for the rest of his life.

“Live a little? Do you hear yourself? You said I’d been eluding you for nearly a year, why arent you taking me in? Don’t you want the accolades? Detective Geto takes down the Red Queen,”

“Thought you didn’t go by that name anymore?” He questions, a smirk on his lips.

“I don’t,” you grumble. “But word obviously hasn’t spread yet,” your eyes roll.

“Besides, I'd rather get to know you first,” he says nonchalantly.

“Are you insane?”

“Maybe. But you are too,” he eyes you, making your face redden like your lipstick.

“You don't know anything about me,” you bite out at him. Who does this guy think he is?

“I do,” he states matter of factly. He states your full name. Your fake secured social security number. The list of aliases you use to book hotels, rental cars whatever you needed. He knew what he needed to know. But after seeing you in person, he needed to know more.

He put two and two together based off your appearance. A long black Chanel coat. Big black sunglasses. Dark red lips. The umbrella.

He just knew it was you. He watched you walk into the bank. 

“Count to thirty,” he thinks to himself. He’d studied your tactics. He knew them like the back of his hand. 

And waited. You were late. One. Two. Three. This might actually happen for him. Four. He’s sweating. Five. You’re here. You’re right here. If he just reaches out—

And now here he was, you in the back of his car driving you to his safe house.

Where he’d get to know what he wanted—needed—to know.

He would figure out a way to know everything.

♧ tags: @celestie0 @lostfracturess @carlacujo @alwaysfreakingout @shervinss @jaelahh @gojolvrr34 @shesplendl

(pls make sure your settings are right to get tagged!)

[exigencelost]

Hi! I saw some of your animorphs posts while I went trawling in the tag, and I was wondering if (if you had time and interest obvs) you could talk about why Jake's books didn't resonate/work well for you? I remember liking him, but I have such a vague memory of the books that I don't think I can even remember Why so now I'm curious about other people's thoughts on the character.

I don't think I have a problem with Jake's books per se. Some of them are whack but that's just true about the series. Book 6 and book 31 are among my absolute favorites. I also don't have like in-universe criticisms of Jake as a human person or child or combatant. My problem with Jake is that I think giving the team a consistent single absolute leader makes their decision making processes and internal power struggles a lot less interesting than they could be, AND that it is boring to have a character whose defining value to the team (in the way that Rachel brings courage and aggression, Marco brings cynicism and tactical analysis, Cassie brings empathy and insight, Ax brings a literally alien body of knowledge and an understanding of military discipline, Tobias brings the concept of being cool about anything for ten seconds, etc) is just being objectively correct about almost everything most of the time.

It's relevant that Jake is the only (non-bird) white boy on the team. The show Leverage does a similar thing from what little I've seen of it. You have a group of people with highly specialized skillsets and then one (coincidentally white male) person who, instead of having his own specialized skillset, is simply in charge. This doesn't match any of my own experiences with resistance movements or in fact any kind of group endeavor I've ever participated in, unless some external authority was imposing such a leader on the group, which is not the case in Animorphs.

I'm interested in Jake the same way I'm interested in all the kids on the team: I'm interested in his courage, his resilience, and his fallibility. I am interested in the story of children trying their best to take on an impossible task that they are not really equipped for, but that they have to do anyway because no one else is offering to take it off their hands. You might notice my two examples of Jake books I love are a book where he gets taken out of commission and has to trust the team to act without him, and a book where just about every decision he makes is wrong and the team is forced to basically stage a coup. I wish more of his books involved that kind of failure of leadership that ends up forcing the team to work on less hierarchical terms and coming out victorious, because I think that kind of messy resourceful teamwork is the beating heart of the story. I think it makes some sense for this group of kids to anoint an absolute leader to get them through their gauntlet of high pressure decisions, but I think it's a flawed approach and I wish the story had paid more sincere attention to its flaws and its consequences, and offered more moments where the group realized that they had to tackle a problem differently.

[hoidn]

anon frēond asked for Sergio/Raquel and it took too long because i always overthink things sorry.

1. What made you ship it?

the tipping point at which i went from “ah, yes, the narrative is leading me to believe these people will be romantically involved” to “Help, I Am Emotionally Compromised By These People Being In The Same Scene And/Or Talking To Each Other” was when raquel tells sergio about her husband’s abuse in 1x04. raquel is just so vulnerable and real and brave and earnest, and then so utterly surprised by this complete stranger not only believing her but also offering to help her. and obviously the dramatic irony is that we know it’s part of the con, except double dramatic irony because it’s also very much not part of the con. while the professor might have come up with the idea of approaching the inspector as salva to get close to her, sergio is the one who’s beginning to realise just how much he’s underestimated this woman. she’s not just a chess piece to him anymore, not just inspector murillo, but a whole person who’s suffered and continues to suffer under the same system he’s trying to fight.

his face when she puts her hand over his just does something to me. he reminds me of a domesticated animal that’s not feral but also isn’t used to human contact. when someone touches an animal like that, its reaction is exactly like sergio’s: freezing, surprise, confusion. usually the animal will very slowly start to relax when it realises there’s no ill intent in the touch. sergio doesn’t get to that stage because ángel interrupts them, alas. but the way sergio then yanks his hand back as if he’s done something wrong is a very interesting reaction in and of itself. and we know raquel is also feeling some things because when he pulls away, she looks confused and hurt until she notices ángel. (does it seem like i’ve watched the scene many times? because i’ve watched the scene many times.)

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

as i wrote recently: if you'd told me back in november that i'd become deeply emotionally invested in a relationship that starts off with subterfuge and deceit, then progresses into them chaining each other to pipes and holding one another at gunpoint, finally culminating in the promise of happily ever after, i would've rolled my eyes hard enough to sprain them. on paper the premise is so far away from what i value in relationships (equality, trust, a complete lack of stalking), that if i'd known about it i probably would've never watched the show. 

and i’m so glad i did watch it because it’s one of those rare examples of how good writing makes the unexpected compelling. the very relationship dynamics i ordinarily don’t like are exactly what i love about this ship entirely because of the complexity and nuance of their treatment. trust is my #1 favourite thing and the story of sergio and raquel’s relationship is nothing less than a tour de force exploration of trust in all its permutations. they’re two damaged people who are caught unawares by a bond that grabs them and won’t let go. they have this instinctive level of trust in each other right from the start, and even in their worst moments together, even when they don’t believe they can trust each other, they want to, and even when the trust seems broken, on some deep unconscious level it remains intact. i have a lot of feelings about this!

(like, okay, it’s entirely deliberate that their first conversation in 1x02 and their final conversation in 2x08 both include the question “can i trust you?” and are essentially the complete opposite of each other in every single aspect. just those two exchanges in and of themselves represent an entire essay about the characters and the journey of their relationship mediated through the concept of trust, and i’m such a nerd that i could actually write that essay because i live for this stuff.)

my #2 favourite thing is a woman arriving in a guy’s life and tearing it wide open then mending it just by existing. that pretty much describes every f/m ship i’ve ever had and these two are a particularly concentrated and superb example of the genre. also lbr they are Very Pretty together.

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

honestly, i don’t feel that i know enough about the popular opinions in LCDP fandom to know what’s unpopular. one thing that i’ve noticed, though, at least in a lot of fic i’ve encountered, is the idea that sergio should have punished alberto in some way in order to avenge raquel. for me that’s a hard no. whether or not sergio has thought the situation through, or just instinctively understands it, the fact that he doesn’t take it upon himself to take any action against alberto post-heist is absolutely the best thing he could do for raquel. an abusive relationship strips you of your self-worth, your autonomy, your confidence in your ability to make good decisions. so as difficult and painful as it is for raquel to have to handle all the alberto-related shit herself, someone else just sweeping in and “fixing” it for her (without her knowledge or consent) would simply be another instance in which she’s deprived of control of her own life. now, if at some point sergio asked her if she wanted him to do something about alberto and she said yes, that would be absolutely fine because she’s in charge of making the decision herself. but taking that opportunity away from her is exactly what alberto did and, no matter how well-intentioned sergio’s actions would be, ultimately it’s the same thing.

[stardust-in-my-mind-blog]

Today I am 35.

I have spent my entire life trying my best to choose love, because I wasn't shown it very often by the people who had the duty to teach me. I compromised, I rescued, I made so many mistakes, and each one I learned from helped me make choices out of dealt cards that were never in my favor. Just like this girl, staring up at the inner world she built full of magic and gold and silver linings.

That figure in red to me represents my innate desires and passions, which until now I kept in strict check. The religions that I was exposed to told me those natural ambitions and needs were wrong, selfish, ugly and painful. I never let them become a true form, or a true expression, I just fed them enough to keep them from starving, honored them just enough in secret to keep them from poisoning me from within.

Anger and rage were emotions I only let myself feel intentionally alone. I know people have helped to inspire them in me, and I also know that they have escaped me in times of extreme injustice and in the wounding of unconscious wounds. My anger and rage were feared by me, because so often people used their anger and rage to justify causing me deep harm on every level. I'm sure we all have a few stories like that.

I'm an adult now, and a woman with more power and agency in my common life than every single one of my ancestors.

I am clever, and my emotions are mastered but not tamed. I am not required to be the moral center for anyone. I am just a human being who gets to feel alive and do whatever the fuck I want as long as it doesn't cause harm to others.

I don't have to turn the other cheek when someone tries to harm me.

I don't have to rise above.

I don't have to adhere to any spiritual vision or framework that someone else came up with.

I know myself now.

I have written down what I value.

I know what I don't stand for.

I know what I am passionate about.

I know how to manipulate manipulators.

I know how to change my mind and accept new wisdom and knowledge.

I know how to bite that apple while grinning with mischief into the eyes of that snake.

Don't you know the snake is one of Scorpio's seven forms?

I am clever, kind, and know that harmony is my core value - but not my definition.

I am the girl with a heart full of magic, and the blood and flesh of nature and wisdom that has survived things people don't want to hear or imagine, much less talk about.

I have nothing to apologize for, and I have not lived a life I regret.

Every demon that life gave me has a name now, a story, and I have talked to each one and learned just what it was that I inherited. I have taken my own life in my hands, balanced it, and chosen to keep it.

The future is no longer overwhelming, or scary.

I know I won't lose myself again.

Well, at least not permanently.

It's like I am suddenly looking at my internal control panel and know what most of the buttons mean and do. Now I just need to figure out my most powerful combination moves.

I'm excited, because even if I face pain and all its companions, I'm not afraid to evolve anymore. I won't lose the best parts of me. I know myself now, and am pretty uninterested in the perceptions of others when it pertains to "me" or "my character".

Unless, of course, an outside perspective is positive or curious. As long as you approach me with respect, I will give you whatever I'm able to give with the joy of a heart that knows it is limitless.

Here's to the rest of this channel of time we've been given, and the creative rage I am delighted to begin cultivating to put my mark on the world.

I'm ready.

Are you?

(P.S. The bunnies I got for my birthday last year just had baby rabbits with no intentional planning on my part, so I've decided this year has been blessed with the luck of the lunar eclipse tomorrow morning (BLOOD MOON). )

(P.S.S.) Since it's a blood moon tomorrow, and my birthday, I full expect enemies I have already conquered to show up like I'm Link in Breath Of The Wild and MY SPIRIT HAS A FIRE SWORD OK.)

[medicinedistributors]

Healing Hands: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Pharma Company in Madurai

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In the heart of the culturally rich city of Madurai, where history and modernity coexist, there lies a shining example of innovation, excellence, and commitment to health — the best pharmaceutical company in town. This guide will take you on a journey through the corridors of this exceptional company, exploring its origins, values, products, and the reasons it stands head and shoulders above the rest as a true “Healing Hands.”

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In an industry where the stakes are as high as human lives, quality is not up for compromise. This best pharma company understands this better than anyone. Rigorous quality control measures are integrated into every step of their production process, ensuring that each medicine that leaves their facility is safe, effective, and reliable.It’s important to go above and beyond minimum requirements.

Healing with a Heart

What truly distinguishes Madurai’s best pharma company is its compassionate approach to healing. Their commitment to patient care goes beyond the prescriptions they provide. Whether it’s organizing health camps, offering educational initiatives, or supporting underprivileged patients, this company’s “healing with a heart” ethos shines through in every endeavor.

Empowering the Future

The best pharma company’s commitment to excellence isn’t limited to its products — it extends to its people. By fostering an environment of continuous learning, professional growth, and empowerment, the company ensures that its employees are equipped to drive positive change in the industry. This empowerment culture fuels their passion for innovation and their dedication to patient welfare.

Customer-Centric Approach

At the heart of their success lies an unwavering focus on the customer. This company doesn’t just see customers as consumers; they see them as individuals with unique healthcare needs. By listening, understanding, and tailoring their solutions, they’ve created a loyal customer base that trusts them to provide the best possible care.

The Future: A Continuation of Excellence

As we look ahead, it’s evident that Madurai’s best pharma company is poised to continue its legacy of excellence. With a commitment to innovation, quality, and compassionate care, they’re not just a company; they’re a driving force behind Madurai’s healthcare evolution.

In conclusion, the journey of Madurai’s best pharma company is a testament to the transformative power of dedication, innovation, and a genuine desire to heal. From its humble beginnings to its position as a leader in the industry, this company has truly earned the title of “Healing Hands.” It’s not just about the medicines they produce; it’s about the lives they touch, the futures they shape, and the healthier, happier Madurai they help build.

Finally, In this blog, help to pick the: medicine distributors in madurai, generic medicine suppliers in tamilnadu, generic medicine dealers in madurai, generic medicine distributors near me, and top pharmaceutical suppliers in madurai.

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[dmn8partners]

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[lopezjensby58]

16 Most Popular Louis Vuitton Bags Including Present Ones

The house of Louis Vuitton has been around since 1854, which is a very very long time. During that lengthy interval, the style home has been growing a number of suitcases and baggage. Most of them have been around for the reason that starting of the 20th century, especially the classics. They all have their very own personal story, so you are not only shopping for a bag, you're shopping for a little piece of historical past. wikipedia wallets Comply with the web site hyperlink earlier mentioned and make investments within the precise matter. Extremely popular especially in its monogram version, the Lockit initially debuted in 1958, and has been redesigned twice since then, with the latest, softer design having been launched in 2014. phoenet.tw replica wallets Although the 2014 version is probably essentially the most famend, the earlier one, which got here in 2006, is a must have for any designer bag collector. Counterfeits are all more than aren't they? I consider you can not go to a flea market, a wayside rack, a mummy and papa retailer, and in a lot of situations the cyberspace with out the need of encountering counterfeit or toss off Coach handbags. The part catecholase present in potatoes, helps decrease beneath eye bags. Sprinkle some water above your eyes and area a thin slice of potato disc on every single eye. Make it potential for the potato to operate in your eyes for minutes. Get rid of them and dry off the pores and skin. You can use the cross-physique strap so that your hands can remain free to do other issues, as well as use the chain strap to transition the bag from day to night. Indeed, every lady can buy a Louis Vuitton replica clutch and we are able to’t think of a better approach to start your clutch collection than with the Eva! This is such a basic accessory that may be adapted for up to date use. You're not going to be the only one carrying a Louis Vuitton bag, so that you may want to make it your personal. Luckily, Louis Vuitton has everything in retailer to personalise your bag. You have the Monogram-service, which is nice for colour-loving girls, or just anyone who really desires to stand out. Louis Vuitton has always been fascinated by overseas cultures, and this particular Louis Vuitton bag celebrates this fascination. One of the fashion house’s most up-to-date additions, the Kimono bag combines Louis Vuitton’s iconic monogram canvas with fine calf leather-based for an eye-catching graphic effect. Its V-cross motif is impressed by the Japanese robe, and unsurprisingly makes many fall in love with its total design. The Alma debuted within the early Thirties, and has by no means stopped evolving itself ever since. Oh and to not forget, Louis Vuitton bags preserve their value completely, so the resale value is fairly excessive. The Eighties was the age of conspicuous use and marked the increase of the designer manufacturers, plainly identifiable and highly-priced, shopper icons that impressed obsessive wish. A time the place sporting actions motivated substantial pattern and pockets appeared in handbags for the “should have” pocket calculator and filofax.

[nachoscheesy]

Tumblr Revival

Tl;dr

Tumblr has a large interconnected community of artists and content creators, and should focus on its strengths and what it does right. Instead of trying to compete for space against Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Tumblr should focus on empowering its community and giving that community the tools to develop the site's unparalleled uniqueness.

Tumblr is the crossroads of the internet, with a monthly user traffic of 300 million it is the perfect space for artists, content creators, and small businesses to grow their following without having to fight for a seat at the table against companies with huge budgets.

Hi, I go by Nacho here on tumblr, and I'm sure as many of us on tumblr have noticed, the (hell)site is kinda going downhill. Tumblr was bought by Automattic in fall of 2019, and I am sure they have the best intentions to help tumblr stay afloat. However, I think it's time the community took a more deliberate approach to how tumblr is handled, and hopefully Automattic and @staff will hear us out. I think I have a solid solution to tumblrs money issues, that will help both the site and empower its online communities.

First and foremost, I am not involved with Tumblr or Automattic. I am just a simple blog trying to help out a place that I've been on since 2010, and I would hate to see it die here around 2023.

So, let's get to the root of the problem on tumblr right now. That being money, tumblr is currently costing more money that it produces, as we've seen with its 97% drop in value from 1.1 billion dollar sale to being sold at around 3 million dollars.

So the first thing that must be improved before anything else can be improved on tumblr is how much money they're bringing in a month. I don't think folks on tumblr hate monetization as much as we all collectively say we do, I think the issue is that most advertisers are completely disconnected from the groups they are trying to advertise to on here. Tumblr comprises roughly 65% millennials and 30% gen-z, the two generations that advertisers seem to have the hardest time advertising to for a myriad of reasons. The main one being that they don't fully understand what we want, and sometimes just don't listen to what we are saying.

Lets look at how tumblr makes its money, Tumblr has four main revenue sources,

Ads by sponsored posts

Display ads through video posts

Sponsored Day ads or banner ads

“Premium Themes”

I'll go into depth on all of these and how tumblr could make potential changes to improve their revenue anywhere from three to six months after it implements some or ideally all of these changes.

First tumblr ads and sponsored posts, these changes are going to be contingent on tumblr allowing its users to share, like, and comment on ads much like all other media sites currently allow. Or at least giving advertisers the ability to turn that on or off as a function.

The average tumblr post gets reblogged 14 times, that number increases significantly if the ad is engaging and actually caters to the communities wants and needs. My reasoning for giving users the ability to reblog ads is to increase user engagement while maintaining their current ad vetting process and all of the nonsensical ads that are run on tumblr 90% of the time.

The other reason for allowing tumblr users to share and comment on ads, or have it be an option for advertisers to turn on or off as they'd like, is that the appeal of tumblr is the ability to propagate and obsess over the most niche things (i.e OSHA.)

All the while allowing content that gets shared all over the internet bubble up to the top through the collective hand of the tumblr community. Along with this tumblr has no way for small users to share their own products or services, every single major site has a way for users to advertise their pages or products through the site.

Tumblr is a content machine that creates imagery and memes that get shared all the time across the internet, so the ability to share and curate its own ads is paramount to improving advertising and user engagement on tumblr.

My proposal here is for tumblr to expand its advertising capabilities to all users, while charging a flat rate fee to advertise on tumblr, with additional charges for popular tags or trending tags. Tumblr currently has no self service advertising system much like Facebook does for example. Where facebook charges a daily rate on cost-per-click(CPC) or cost-per-thousand(CPM)

Charging a flat rate fee at a rate of a day, week, month, or quarterly basis with variances in prices based on the lease term and what the advertisers would want to have their ads show up on certain tags. This would open up the doors for small businesses that don't want to advertise on places like facebook, twitter, or google with their complicated CPM and CPC models. Also bringing in more small locally owned businesses with the added value of less competition for ad space on tumblr.

This would also take some of the weight from tumblrs own advertising staff from having to explain a convoluted system to potential advertisers. Creating a simplified model with the the advent of tumblrs own infrastructure able to get a single post to a large variety of users. Where the current ad model uses a “shotgun” method to hit as many people as possible, the tumblr model could encourage advertisers to curate a more personalized and intimate experience that tumblr users would love.

Why not just advertise elsewhere? Tumblr still in fact gets over 300 million views a month as of June 2021 (Statosta), and the added benefit for users to be able to like, share, and interact with ads would allow ads that the community enjoys to be talked about more. Giving advertisers more honest feedback about their ads while increasing their SEO’s.

Also small businesses that can't compete with the vetting processes that are used on other sites, would have a better chance of developing their business and increasing their clientele on tumblr whose core demographics are approximately 60% millennial and 35% gen-z. This core demographic does in fact care about being able to shop at local stores, or even a store across the US that is trying to drum up its own online sales.

These ads could be placed inline on the tumblr dash while moving other sponsored ads to the right of the site on desktop, but making them alternate on mobile between user ads and sponsored ads.

Second, the display ads should be changed to allow tumblr users to share and further interact with ads to generate more user engagement, incentivizing more businesses and companies to build their brand status on tumblr. Tumblr has a good model for creating short diaries or daily vlogs for companies that wish to show off their products on social media. This includes smaller businesses and vlogers that want to post videos or tutorials of themselves on their blog.

Tumblr is a good site for user engagement with a pool of creative potential for anyone wanting to gauge the desire for a particular subject or piece of media, maybe even an upcoming show. Having the ability to share and comment on sponsored ads would also help advertisers by allowing them to get more bang for their buck with a considerable uptick on how users engage with that content.

Third, tumblrs sponsor day ads and banner ads are inexpensive and should be highlighted as a selling point over their competitors. Tumblr 24-hour banner ads are considerably more affordable for businesses when compared to places like twitter with their 200k price point. For the same amount of money on tumblr a business could have their company at the top of the dashboard or app for 8 whole days. Much longer and much better than the competition.

Keeping this price fixed, with a change in the price CPC is still a much more lucrative and attractive selling point than any of the competition on the internet today. I know this might not be exactly what tumblr wants to hear when it is hemorrhaging money right now, but let's look at the cost for these 24 hour daily ads and banner ads. If tumblr hypes up the price point on these ads they could see a significant rise in advertisers considering the lack of competition on tumblr and past success stories of companies who did advertise on tumblr.

At the same time larger advertisers should be encouraged to make engaging ads and blogs on tumblr that will make people want to actually go to their blogs, that then link to an external site or page. Not ads that instantly try to force you to go to some other site, by rewarding or offering special discounts for people who find a special code or something off of the actual blog. Or even for giving the same code to everyone who reblogs a certain post made by the advertiser.

Seems too good to be true? Look at “Asos” back in 2015 when they held a shirt design competition on their tumblr blog. Where they had 900 submissions, four of which were picked, and were sold out of the user generated shirts in 10 hours.

This is not the only case however, but FX ran their own campaign for the show “Man Seeking Woman” where they saw a 2.8% increase in user engagement, 86% increase in their tumblr followers, and they actually saved money through advertising on tumblr.

All this leads me to believe that tumblr actually was and continues to be the best place for brands, small businesses, and artists to develop themselves through genuine user engagement.

Finally, the “premium themes” that are available on tumblr that allow for unparalleled customizations that you hardly find elsewhere on the internet anymore. Tumblrs ability to take a variety of media sources, as well as having an unparalleled level of customization, user interconnectivity, and a vibrant artistic scene shows that it is ripe with potential.

Tumblr could still use its post+ feature, but in the same way that Discord uses its subscription service. For cosmetic changes that can be added modularly to the site or individual blogs for an additional monthly fee. In conjunction with partnering with community artists to bring small cosmetic additions to individual blogs, while paying the content creator and tumblr taking a small portion of the profits over a certain amount.

To be completely honest this is probably the hardest portion of this entire pitch to make changes to in a shorter period of time, considering all the testing and “under the hood” changes that must be made. However, I think that implementing this as well as the other changes I have proposed will bring back more foot traffic to tumblr as well as increase its revenue and profitability.

In closing, I am simply working with whatever information I was able to find online and a good amount of time invested on my part to do this. I think tumblr has a ton of potential still to return as a force for good for the communities that exist and want a change from what the internet has become. Time and time again when any company or public entity dies it was because it did not change and refused to adapt and innovate, oftentimes not at the hands of the people working everyday to keep the site running. Instead at the hands of people who dont see the value in what has fallen in their laps.

If you agree and think this is something that can be done, please reblog this post and follow me for more updates. If I don't hear back or this does not gain any traction by the end of the year, then tumblr can go to its inevitable end. I will be here sinking with the ship.

@support @engineering @music @wip @changes @photomatt

[septembercfawkes]

Scene vs. Summary & When to Use Which

When I was a young writer, I didn't fully understand what a scene was and what a summary was. Later, when I understood the difference, I wasn't always sure when to use which. These days, I occasionally help writers with the same things. They may use summary for what should have been a scene, or they may write a whole scene for what really should have been summary. Understanding the difference and when to use which can be key when writing a successful novel.

Sure, some of it is subjective.

But what might be surprising to some, is that most of the time, one is more . . . "correct" than the other.  

Scene

A scene is a structural unit that tends to have these qualities:

- Happens in Real Time

A scene will largely happen in real time. This means we "watch" the characters move, act, and talk, as if it were happening in real life.

- Dramatizes (Shows > Tells)

A scene dramatizes. It uses showing more than telling. If a character is angry with a friend, we see that anger in action and conversation. We may witness her yell or kick a rock, for example. It's like watching a stage play.

- Concrete

Because it is dramatized, a scene will usually be more concrete. It will more likely appeal to our senses and the physical world and experience.

- Characters Acting in a Specific Location

A scene will have characters in a location (in some very rare cases, the setting or society may act as characters). They might be talking on a train ride, or exploring a cave, or dueling in the snow.

Scene Examples

(Because a full scene often lasts pages, these examples are passages from specific scenes.)

"This won't take long, Andrew," said the doctor. Ender nodded. "It's designed to be removed. Without infection, without damage. But there'll be some tickling, and some people say they have a feeling of something missing. You'll keep looking around for something, something you were looking for, but you can't find it, and you can't remember what it was. So I'll tell you. It's the monitor you're looking for, and it isn't there. In a few days that feeling will pass." The doctor was twisting something at the back of Ender's head. Suddenly a pain stabbed through him like a needle from his neck to his groin. Ender felt his back spasm, and his body arched violently backward; his head struck the bed. He could feel his legs thrashing, and his hands were clenching each other, wringing each other so tightly that they arched. "Deedee!" shouted the doctor. "I need you!" The nurse ran in, gasped. "Got to relax these muscles. Get it to me, now! What are you waiting for!" Something changed hands; Ender could not see. He lurched to one side and fell off the examining table. "Catch him!" cried the nurse. "Just hold him steady--" "You hold him, doctor, he's too strong for me--" "Not the whole thing! You'll stop his heart--" Ender felt a needle enter his back just above the neck of his shirt. It burned, but wherever in him the fire spread, his muscles gradually un-clenched. Now he could cry for the fear and pain of it. "Are you all right, Andrew?" the nurse asked.

- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Mrs. Reed occupied her usual seat by the fireside; she made a signal to me to approach; I did so, and she introduced me to the stony stranger with the words: “This is the little girl respecting whom I applied to you.” He, for it was a man, turned his head slowly towards where I stood, and having examined me with the two inquisitive-looking grey eyes which twinkled under a pair of bushy brows, said solemnly, and in a bass voice, “Her size is small: what is her age?” “Ten years.” “So much?” was the doubtful answer; and he prolonged his scrutiny for some minutes. Presently he addressed me—“Your name, little girl?” “Jane Eyre, sir.” In uttering these words I looked up: he seemed to me a tall gentleman; but then I was very little; his features were large, and they and all the lines of his frame were equally harsh and prim. “Well, Jane Eyre, and are you a good child?”

- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Summary

A summary has these qualities:

- Condensed Time

Summaries condense time. They may cover a month in a single sentence. They may talk about recurring events over a time period, within one paragraph. They may relay a past event (or in some cases, a future event) within a brief moment. They don't happen in real time.

- Explains through Telling

Since the moment isn't happening in real time, the audience is told more than shown what happened. This gives summary a stronger, guiding, narrative hand. Rather than experiencing the passage like the character, it's more like the audience is being guided by a storyteller (generally speaking).

- More Abstract

For those reasons, telling is more abstract. It's more likely to express ideas and concepts, rather than specific experiences.

- Characters and/or Setting may Change Swiftly (or Maybe Not Even Be Present In Some Cases)

A summary may not focus on a specific character or stay in the same setting. It may move quickly through settings or may not even mention a specific setting.

Summary Examples

Mother came home and commiserated with Ender about the monitor. Father came home and kept saying it was such a wonderful surprise, they had such fantastic children that the government told them to have three, and now the government didn't want to take any of them after all, so here they were with three, they still had a Third . . . until Ender wanted to scream at him, I know I'm a Third, I know it, if you want I'll go away so you don't have to be embarrassed in front of everybody. - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

John had not much affection for his mother and sisters, and an antipathy to me. He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in the day, but continually: every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh in my bones shrank when he came near. There were moments when I was bewildered by the terror he inspired, because I had no appeal whatever against either his menaces or his inflictions; the servants did not like to offend their young master by taking my part against him, and Mrs. Reed was blind and deaf on the subject: she never saw him strike or heard him abuse me, though he did both now and then in her very presence, more frequently, however, behind her back.

- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

When to Use Which

Most novels are better written with more scene than summary. Scenes dramatize the story, so that the audience feels like they are experiencing and participating in it. Scenes are more impactful. Scenes are more likely to stir emotions. Because they are more concrete, they are more likely to stick in the reader's memory.

However, this is not to say all novels are better with more scene than summary. You can indeed find successful books with more summary. This can be particularly useful in books with huge casts and many viewpoint characters, books that take place over a long period of time (such as a character's entire life), or books with powerful, present omniscient narrators. Not all books that rely on summary more than scene are bad.

But most books are better told largely through scene than summary.

And pretty much all novels need some of both.

So when do we use which?

Sometimes I edit passages that are weakened because they are summarized instead of dramatized. Other times I read scenes that offer very little dramatic value and should have been summarized.

Scenes

A good rule of thumb is the more significant the moment, the more likely it needs to be rendered as a scene.

Big turning points and climactic moments should almost always be a scene--whether that turning point relates to character arc, plot, or theme.

This means that the climactic moments of the beginning, middle, and end, should almost always be a scene.

Anything we've been building up to in the primary plotline related to the arc, events, or theme, should probably be a scene.

If you are following a story structure, key moments in that structure should likely be a scene. The inciting incident should likely be a scene, the midpoint should likely be a scene, Plot Point 2 should likely be a scene . . .

Now, in a novel, there may be many plotlines besides the primary. The less important the plotline, the less likely you need all its turning points in scenes (or even on page).

Impactful moments should usually be scenes. If they are summary, sometimes the audience feels cheated. Imagine building up to the climax of a novel, only to have the author summarize it. It's almost always a letdown.

Sometimes newer writers do this sort of thing, because they are intimidated by trying to write the scene. They may feel unsure that they can write it well. Remember, you can edit, and edit, and re-edit the scene to make it better. Daring to write a poor scene and then edit it, will get you further in the long run than avoiding it altogether.

In many genres, you will have what are called "obligatory scenes." These are what they sound like. They need to happen. In a scene.

So in romance, you almost always need to have a first kiss scene. In a murder mystery, you almost always need to have an opening scene where a body is discovered. Obligatory scenes should be scenes, not summary, most of the time.

Summaries

On the other side of the spectrum, we have summary. If an entire novel were written with scenes, it would probably be long and boring. Not everything is important enough to be a scene. And if you make it a scene, it's a flat scene without any real turning point or change. This kills pacing.

Use summary when the audience needs to know the fact that something happened, but it's not important for them to experience it.

For example, the fact that Jacob didn't get much sleep the prior night probably isn't important enough for a full scene, but it might be important for the audience to know for the next scene. It might influence what happens in the next scene. That is a good time to use summary.

Use summary when you need to cover a broader length of time in a shorter amount of space. For example, you may have characters who need to trek to a distant land, which may take months. But the story isn't about the trek itself. Use summary to tell us about the trek, without making the story only about the trek. (Not to mention if the trek was all in scenes, it'd be overly detailed and likely boring.)

Along the same line, summary can sometimes be great for scene transitions--usually when what happened between the scenes is worth mentioning, but not worth dramatizing.

Summary is also important in providing context for the reader. Summary may be used to set up a situation or to provide additional background information that the reader needs in order to interpret what is happening in the story, accurately.  

For example, you may summarize a short backstory to explain a character's current behavior.

Scene vs. Showing; Summary vs. Telling

Scene is mostly like showing, and summary is mostly like telling. However, the concepts are slightly different. For example, I may write in a scene "Emily was tired," which would be "telling" but I wouldn't consider it "summary." Just as I wouldn't necessarily consider "I felt angry" summary, so much as I would consider it to be telling.

Likewise, you may have a scene that is largely introspection, which may be showing a character's thought process as he summarizes events through telling sentences.

Yeah, if we get deep, it turns into splitting hairs.

Even between showing and telling, if you want to make yourself really crazy, sometimes you can use summary and telling on a small scale to show something on a big scale. For example, to show that a character has a habit of being late, you may use summary that includes some telling about his morning routine, to cover several such instances. However, one could easily argue that you could simply do a scene that shows him showing up late, and have another character use dialogue that implies this is a common occurrence.

But let's not induce headaches today! My point is, that the boundaries do blur, and things aren't always as clear cut as we make them sound.

Nonetheless, because summary and telling overlap, you can use many of the same technique that we use to write great telling, to write great summary. And rather than rewrite all those techniques, I have them in my article "10 Cheats to Tell Well."

Mixing Scene and Summary

In order to write a great novel, many scenes will include some summary within them. Like I mentioned above, you may need to slip in some backstory information through summary. Or perhaps in the scene, the characters are having dinner, but you want half the scene to be the cooking and the other half to happen while they are eating. Depending on how long the food takes to make, you may need some summarizing: "Don finished putting the toppings on the pizza and then put it in the oven for 30 minutes."

Similarly, if you are going to have a lengthy passage of summary, it's often effective to include scene-like moments--perhaps a paragraph that captures part of a conversation in real time, before going back to summary. Or maybe the summary includes a significant action that would be rendered better with a little more detail, like a half-scene.

In any case, we want to make sure we are using both scene and summary, and perhaps just as important, that we are using them at the right moments.

[favoniuscodex]

eternity. [zhongli/reader]

prompt: arranged marriage royalty au with zhongli, in which you are the child of the dendro archon, sent to marry the emperor of liyue. pairing: emperor!zhongli/f!royalty!reader  word count: 3.8k warnings: fluff, kissing scene (don’t tell my mom) a/n: SUPER close to being gn!reader! i just couldn’t think of a gender-neutral term for empress, which is used twice in this story. otherwise, it’s completely gender-neutral if that sort of thing doesn’t bother you! there will be one of these for both diluc and childe too sometime close in the future! additional note: i tried my best to respect the culture liyue is based off (chinese) by incorporating some small aspects of chinese culture (clothes + titles)! if any of these are done incorrectly, please please PLEASE let me know so i can fix it!

to say you were nervous to meet your future husband was an understatement. you were a child of the dendro archon, an heir of the monarchist nation of sumeru. third-in-line for the throne, you held no chance of inheriting the throne. so, upon your 200th birthday and years of studying to be a scholar, your parents decided that marrying you off to another kingdom was the best choice for your destiny.

you just hadn’t expected it to be the reclusive archon emperor of liyue.

upon your first meeting with him, you were shaken to the core. he was sharp on the edges, yet easy on the eyes. his gaze was intense, amber eyes holding a subdued ferocity within their depths. his figure briefly alluded to the hidden power that lies within him, an unusual form for a god of war. he towered over you in height, reminiscent of the mountain scenery you had witnessed upon your journey to liyue’s capital. despite your worries, you did your best to remain cordial and gave a standing bow in his direction upon first meeting him.

any intimidating impression you had of him shattered at that instant as a deep, yet kind laugh escaped his lips at your actions.

“please, there is no need to bow,” the geo archon explained. “we are to be equals, are we not?”

--

one thing you hadn’t expected was for the geo archon, zhongli, as he insisted you call him, to have your same affinity for reading. being raised in a nation of scholars meant that their royal heirs were expected to always have their noses in a book and, fortunately for you, you had been more than happy to do so. the geo archon’s palace, situated on the edge of liyue harbor, had a library that rivaled that of your motherland’s.

upon hearing from his service staff that you had taken a liking to the royal library, zhongli had made it a point to come and read with you. the first time he had done so, you were so enthralled by the pulp fiction romance novel you had picked up that you had failed to acknowledge his presence. rather than interrupting you, the geo archon had silently sat down on the plush armchair, distanced from yours by a coffee table, and opened up a book as well. you hadn’t noted the turning of his pages and, if not for a servant to interrupt your train of thought to set tea down on the table before you, you weren’t sure if you ever would have noticed.

“oh, pardon me, i did not request any t-” you stated while the sentence you were reading. however, the words died on your lips as you glanced up, realizing the emperor and the servant were now both sitting before you. “oh.”

the single word escaped your mouth before you could stop it, but, fortunately, zhongli interpreted it as what you meant it as: a statement of surprise, not one of disappointment. a soft amusement twinkled in his eyes at your widened eyes, you being clearly shaken by not having noticed him sitting before you. he turns and smiles at the nervous-looking staff member and allows the man to depart the scene, who quickly scurries off. 

“i hope i am not intruding,” zhongli states, turning the book in his hands over and resting it on his lap, pages downward. he leans forward, gently grasps his teacup (black tea, you noted, looking at its contents) and stirs it with an ornate, white iron spoon, cor lapis embedded in its handle. “the tea was merely a precautionary gesture. if you do not wish to drink any, please do not feel obligated to.”

you feel a faint heat rise to your cheeks, embarrassed at the thought of seeming like you were ungrateful for his kind gesture. he likely just wanted the tea for himself and did not wish to be rude, you told yourself.

“i- it’s not that,” your voice stammers in a soft tone, worried about your noise level within the quiet aisles of the library. “i just did not wish to have the hardworking service staff unnecessarily cater to me for something i did not place an order for. however, i appreciate the gracious gesture and am no longer perturbed by the action, knowing that it was something you called for. i appreciate the hospitality.”

the brunette quirked an eyebrow upwards and hovered his lips above his golden-and-white teacup before blowing softly on the liquid. you noted the geo elemental insignia molded into the bottom of the mug, seeming to glow the same color as his eyes.

“is that so?” zhongli’s words had an aura of amusement interwoven into them, entertained by your dissertation-length explanation. you nodded, feeling your face burn with bashfulness, and quickly redirected your gaze to the book at hand.

“pardon my interruption, but what is the book you are reading? you seem to be quite enthralled by it.”

the book held an illustration of a shirtless man holding a fair maiden close to him in front of the ocean, about as cheesy as you could get for any book cover. you weren’t sure how you were going to survive this conversation.

“it’s called… um…” you trail off, speaking in an even quieter tone than before. “love on the sea of clouds.”

if zhongli’s eyes held a faint amusement within them before, the amber pools are now glistening with delight. a chuckle escapes his lips. “oh? that’s one of my favorites.”

---

zhongli managed to contradict nearly any expectation you held of his behavior before you had met him. like most royals, you had expected him to act in an uncouth, entitled manner, who placed self-indulgence before the care of others. now, as you sat next to him in a meeting with the qixing, you realized he placed the care of his nation first and foremost. your mind trailed off as you watched his amber eyes shift with every word he spoke, his eyebrows making the most subtle of movements as his lips parted and closed. of course you were paying attention to what he was saying! you definitely weren’t using this as a chance to burn his visage into your mind!

“what do you think, (y/n)?” zhongli asks, turning to look at you. despite the two of you having a rather different fundamental knowledge of the world, his having been cultivated from his experiences leading liyue, and yours having been crafted from the presence of sumerian scholars, zhongli deeply valued your input on issues affecting liyue. he cherished the unique perspective you could provide on the nation’s affairs. normally, you were more than happy to oblige and help. one day, you would be his right-hand, his equal, he had once told you, but for now, you were not yet married and still acclimating to becoming a liyuean royal.

but at this moment? you feel ice cold mortification trickling into your veins. your failure to pay attention was now catching up to you as zhongli and the rest of the qixing looked at you, anticipating your response.

“well,” you calmly stated, trying to gather your thoughts. “i believe that to be a good idea, but…” you glanced away, pretending to be lost in thought. “you also need to consider the changing societal expectations of liyueans before doing such a thing.”

the answer was pulled completely out of your ass, but the spritely yuheng, keqing, could not have been more thrilled at your words. she immediately launched into a lengthy diatribe of agreeance, using your words to help back up her point. oh, harbor management. that’s what they were talking about.

as you forced yourself to pay attention to keqing, rather than ogling your husband-to-be again, you noticed a slight smirk cross his face out of the corner of your eye. to any of the other qixing in the room, it would seem like zhongli was happy with your answer, but you knew better. he knew you had spaced off staring at him and had put you on the spot to fluster you. his eyes were glowing with the amusement you had come to be familiar with.

---

your wedding date is approaching when zhongli arrives at your chambers one morning, guards and servants cast aside. he’s dressed in an ornate golden-brown suit, adorned with silver accents and matching gloves. the outfit, while complex, is a change of pace from his usual robes and traditional liyuean attire, reminding you instead of a well-dressed businessman.

“hello,” he speaks, looking slightly nervous, as if he doesn’t know the words to say. “would you like to accompany me somewhere?”

zhongli waits patiently for you to get ready in the sitting area of your chambers. you elect for an outfit that reminds you of his -- something respectful, yet less extravagant than typical royal garments. you arrive back to zhongli, your presence snapping him out of his reverie. his worry-ladened expression softens at your arrival and he musters a soft smile before standing up and extending a hand to you.

“shall we?”

---

zhongli takes you to a secluded memorial within the palace gardens, one you wouldn’t have noticed unless it was pointed out to you. the entrance is obscured by a variety of hanging plants, meaning that only those who know of its presence are likely to find it. zhongli’s grip on your hand tightened ever so slightly as he pauses at the entrance, before stepping forward, guiding you behind him.

the memorial, protected from the sun with plant-interwoven latticework, provides a sanctuary of shade from the warm atmosphere of the otherwise outdoor gardens. through the holes created by gaps in the foliage of ivy and sturdy lattice wood, sunlight filters in, allowing the marble statue of the woman within to glow in the sunlight. she’s dressed in antique robes, the kind you recognize from museums and your studies of old cultures. a warm smile sits on her face and her irises, made of cor lapis, shine with a kindness and wisdom reminiscent of zhongli’s. her arms are outstretched and cupped, as if she’s offering something to whoever views her statue.

zhongli takes the initiative to place the blossom of one of the glaze lilies growing near her feet within her palms and he lets out a soft sigh.

“this is guizhong, my first wife,” he explains, sitting down on the stone bench by the entrance. crystalflies flutter around your heads, their typically skittish nature calmed by the presence of the statue. “forgive me if this is too strong, but i brought you here for a chance to meet her.”

“she’s beautiful,” you state, glancing from the statue to look at zhongli. he looks worried, as if he’s afraid you’ll lash out at him for such a gesture. “thank you.”

“‘thank you’?” zhongli echoes, confused. you smile at him.

“if she is important to you, she is important to me,” you give the hand that still holds yours a reassuring squeeze, and zhongli gives you a smile, a genuine smile, his expression painted with relief and gratitude towards your statement. “would you like to tell me about her?”

zhongli parts his lips, lets out a soft chuckle, clearly having worked himself up over how this conversation would go. “guizhong lived many millenia ago and was known as the goddess of dust…” he begins, and unlike certain conversations prior, you listen attentively to his words, the outside world is forgotten to the two of you as zhongli tells you all about the first empress of liyue.

---

zhongli takes you to his favorite restaurant in liyue harbor that evening. the typically bustling patio is devoid of any other people, aside from fellow workers. zhongli had first explained, when you sat down, that normally he doesn’t mind eating amongst his constituents and typically prefers to do so, but wished to focus solely on you this evening. you had stammered profusely upon him saying this and he simply gave you an innocent smile, but zhongli’s eyes revealed that he knew of the effect he had on you.

tonight was a special night in liyue. the castle grounds had opened for one of the biggest festivals, the yearly lantern festival, and zhongli had chosen to spend it with you in seclusion. he loved his people, but always had been a reclusive god, typically only appearing to most citizens at the rite of descension. however, he did have his moments, such as now, where he traversed amongst the common folk, while still maintaining an aura of distance. he always felt a disconnect from his people, saying they preferred to view him as a holy figure rather than a true emperor. you never failed to notice the glint of longing in his eyes when he spoke of the idea of being able to truly fit in with humanity.

but those thoughts had been cast away for a quiet evening as the two of you placed your orders, with zhongli ordering half the menu. you have yet to try most liyuean cuisine, what’s a better time than now? he had said upon your confusion. zhongli’s rationale was an impregnable defense.

zhongli smiles at you, his brilliant white teeth glinting in the soft light of the restaurant’s festive lanterns. as the two of you wait for your food, he takes your hand, resting on the table, and interlaces your fingers. your eyes widen briefly, but you give his hand a light, reassuring squeeze in return.

“you look beautiful tonight,” he says, gesturing to the traditional festival garments you had adorned yourself in. you had asked the liyuean royal stylist if she had any liyuean hanfu for you to wear and she had clapped her hands excitedly and told you she had been waiting for you to ask.

“are you saying i don’t look beautiful every day?” you tease, causing zhongli’s eyes to widen and eyebrows to raise. he immediately began to dispute your claim, but your sweetened laughter caused his argument to fall short as he smiled at your amusement, even if it had been at his expense.

“oh!” zhongli exclaimed after your laughter had died down. “i have something for you.” the idea of receiving another gift, after zhongli had taken the time to reserve the restaurant and spend the day with you, caused yet another wave of heat to rise to your face, something that seemed to be a frequent occurrence as you spent time with him. zhongli’s non-occupied gently slides a ring box across the table, and, for a split second, a brief flash of lightheadedness crosses over you, but you remain heavy. oh my archons.

your hand detangles itself from his and cradles the box as if its made of the most fragile materials, before carefully opening it. a gasp escapes your lips upon seeing the ring inside. crafted of a brilliant cut of noctilucuous jade, the ring is a long, winding ring that wraps around the finger several times and is in the shape of a dragon, two small, cor lapis eyes embedded on its head.

“this is your exuvia, no?” you ask, looking up at zhongli. “it’s magnificent. thank you” upon your words, zhongli looks away, bashful as he nods and softly smiles in response.

“i am aware that upon signing the wedding contract, rings are a customary exchange in sumeru, even if they are not a liyuean tradition,” zhongli confesses and you feel your heart melt a bit at his consideration for your homeland’s culture. “additionally…” he trails off, his cheeks flushing as he sees you situate the gift on your ring finger and gaze at it admirably.

“hmm?” you ask, glancing up upon realizing he trailed off. a nervous look passes over his eyes and you smile encouragingly.

“it’s also a… public display of our contract, to show that my heart is solely within your possession,” zhongli admits, his words soft. his hand fumbles for yours, returning to the interlocked nature they held earlier in your conversation. rather than looking away, however, zhongli gazes upon you with an intensity in his eyes that you’ve had yet to see. his eyes lock on yours and you are reminded, for the first time, that this man is a god of war. a ferocious honesty dances within the honeyed depths, imploring you to recognize the veracity of his words.

“your heart?” you echo, for rex lapis is a god of war, but you are no longer afraid of bloodshed.

“ah,” he breathes, “perhaps i have not elaborated enough. i am in love with you, my empress. the luminosity of your eyes outshine even the most radiant of geoculi, your intellect and ceaseless conviction in improving your wisdom lays even the most studious of scholars to shame, your heart fueled with the golden blood of the greatest of immortals, the kind whom dedicate their lives to those who do not have the luxury of forever, unlike the-” zhongli’s words are harshly interrupted as you stand up, fueled by an adrenaline rush. you rip your hand out of his and the emperor fears that he may have overstepped boundaries, having been too intense with his words and affections for you.

you assuage his panic as you swiftly move around the table that separates the two of you and cup his face in your hands, bending over to meld your lips upon his. the archon responds nearly immediately, his hand wrapping around your waist, ushering you to rest upon his lap, rather than be forced to lean over. your lips part and the archon deepens the kiss, his free hand reaching up to cradle your head, gently brushing against your hair, treating you as if you’re made of fine china.

when the two of you finally part, zhongli looks at you with an expression of fondness and adoration. you make a move to stand up, but zhongli’s arm tightens around your waist.

“stay,” he murmurs, his voice a low rumble in your ear. “please.” his grip loosens, allowing you to make your escape if you wish, but instead you sit sideways on his lap, leaning in to rest your shoulder upon his chest, your head nestling into where his shoulder meets his neck. your hand once again interlaces with his free one and you feel his thumb swirl the ring around on your finger. as you look down at your hands, zhongli nudges you ever so slightly.

“look,” zhongly whispers, his lips upon your ear. you have to prevent yourself from shivering in response to the low vibrations. “the first lantern, lit for the empress.” “is that a tradition?” you ask, surprised as you watch the first lantern fly high into the night sky above you. zhongli chuckles.

“i can see to it that such an action becomes a festival tradition, if you’d like,” zhongli offers sincerely and you give an airy giggle in response.

the night continues on and as you’re about to fall asleep to the sound of zhongli explaining the history of the liyuean lantern festival and the vibrations produced from his chest, the two of you are forced to part as the servers bring out your food. you sheepishly move back to your own seat, embarrassed to be caught in such a compromising, intimate position. however, zhongli looks the opposite, sending an unabashedly smug grin in your direction. as the geo archon tells you about each dish and their origins, your heart melts at the idea of realizing that you’ll spend forever with this man, waking up at each other’s side every day. upon this revelation, a question pops into your mind.

“zhongli,” you begin, making sure to tone your words with one of innocent inquisition, not accusation. “of every being in teyvat, you chose me. you’re the geo archon and emperor of the most economically prosperous nation, you could’ve had anyone. what made you agree to marry me?”

you await zhongli’s answer while munching on another jade parcel, your favorite dish of the night.

“oh,” zhongli responds, a bit startled that you asked such a question. “i was enthralled by your work published within the sumeru arcademia. your work on the historical and economic analysis on the inazuman tea industry was quite fascinating.”

you pause for a brief moment, before an uncharacteristic, raucous laughter escapes your lips. upon this, zhongli looks at you sheepishly and a bit confused.

“is such a thing peculiar to do?” he inquires, causing a break in your laughter to reassure him.

“yes, absolutely,” you confirm to your lover. “but i absolutely adore such a notion! tell me, what was about my financial prose that made you desire to bed me?”

upon your words, zhongli flushes a deep shade of scarlet, darker than what you’ve seen before. you decide it’s your new favorite color.

---

the date of your wedding arrives and your emotions are a far cry from the ones you experienced when you first stepped foot in the liyuean royal palace. the emperor, known to some as the fearsome god of war, to others as the strict morax, god of contracts, is now known to you by the sweet name of zhongli, a name reserved for you and you alone. rather than relishing in the bloodlust of the battlefield as he once did when he was much younger, rex lapis now desires your companionship and velvet touch.

when he was a much younger archon, he had not told the woman he loved his true emotions until it was too late. while they had ruled together, they had remained nothing more than friends due to his hestiance. but now, zhongli knew what he desired and was determined to let you know his affections before it was too late.

as you step foot into the palace chapel, all eyes are on you, but the only ones you care about are those of your lover, zhongli. you float down the aisle, captivating all onlookers in an outfit that fuses both the sumerian fashion of your past and the liyuean styles of your future. at the end of the aisle awaits your emperor, your lover, your husband, and the two of you will combine your two eternities into one. together, you will sign an eternal contract with the god of contracts, your first one with such a deity, yet your most important one.

with this thought in mind, you smile at your lover as you meet him at the altar, taking his hands in yours. with locked eyes, the two of you grin, ready to sign the contract of forever.

[smolcobie]

Hyunjae | Butterfly Effect

↪ Summary: After a dangerous fire, Hyunjae is unable to hide his feelings for you.

Word Count: 3,5k

Warnings: Suggestive | Fire | Friends To Lovers | Heavy Making Out

Genre: Hyunjae x Reader | HYUNJAE FIREFIGHTER AU | Female Reader

Dedicated to my fav deobi friend @santacruz-sand​ <3

Human beings are known for their daily mistakes. We used to say that every day we make a mistake, some don't make that much difference, others can change the course of your life, better known as the butterfly effect. Each action has its reaction, gradually shaping the path you will take in life.

Some say that this is fate, that no matter how much you try to escape, it will happen. Others prefer to believe that you create your own destiny. I didn't believe in any of these theories, in fact, I always preferred to think that it is easier to do your best every day than to be disappointed by the path you took because you thought that this was your destiny after all.

The greatest example that my theory was real, was seeing how my best friend lived. Every single day he left early, before the sun came up, and came back when it was night. Being a firefighter required perfection in his form, discipline, punctuality, courage to face his fears, and a lot of willingness to risk his own life for the benefit of society.

I watched him cautiously, analyzing his ways and manners. The way he slammed the gate hard to make sure it was locked, or how he sighed and gave a silly smile when he managed to do something he liked, but what I liked most was the way he struggled every day to cheer people's lives.

- ▪︎ -

"[NAME], do your best every day and no one will have the courage to speak ill of the way you live." He said with his red cheeks and heavy eyes from the soju he drank.

"What are you talking about? I live very well, you're the one who lives next to my house and keeps risking your life." I laughed, fixing up his fringe that was messy "You're already starting to get drunk, let's go home." I got up pulling on his shirt and he made a weeping face.

"[NAME], why are you so mean to me?" He said slyly and I lifted him up with all my strength hugging him around the waist "Hyunjae, come on, you need to rest." He sighed and started walking making a pout on his lips.

"Stop pouting, you know you need to rest. You work a lot and when you take a break you want to drink soju and philosophize about life with me." I commented while walking down the dark street.

"But you are my best friend, you have to listen to me." I laughed at his comment "If you paid me I could even quit my job, after all, listening to you is all I do." "That's why I love you." He chuckled and put his head on my shoulder as I opened the door to his house, after entering the password.

"I love you too, so go to sleep." I tossed him on the bed and he smiled happily hugging his soft pillow.

- ▪︎ -

It was almost always like this. Hyunjae coming to my house to vent about life, I laugh while making some cards to post on my Instagram and the company. Being a calligraphy artist was a happy part of my life, being able to decorate bookstores, houses, gifts was something that gave me the strength to live.

Hyunjae was such an essential part of my life, that I only realized when our mutual friend asked why we lived so close to each other. My first thought was to think that it would be easier to go out, have fun and talk. My second thought was that I was completely in love with him, and I didn't want to admit it.

It was complicated, an old love that I knew had no way out, but nothing was going to change because I couldn't find any nice guys. I lived with Hyunjae and I had already accepted my condition. Romance went from something I dreamed of as a teenager, to something I value as an adult, but not as much as my sanity.

It was easier to live with Hyunjae than having to go on blind dates with bizarre guys that our friend Sunwoo arranged (probably from the deep web). And I keep ignoring my feelings, being inspired by its way of life.

That day was more beautiful than usual. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was clear and blue, the traffic seemed calm and the weather was perfect for an outdoor meeting, perhaps a date in the park. The subway was surprisingly empty, although it was very early, and I was completely rested.

It seemed like the perfect working day. I had made many cards at the company, sent some orders by mail, and placed new orders for a major literature event that would take place at the company. Lunch was great and our boss was in a good mood telling stories from when she was in college.

The day had gone well, my colleagues finished their jobs earlier than expected so we were able to go out early and eat fried chicken in a new restaurant near the company. I returned home happy and completely shocked at how perfect my day had been.

I got home and changed my shoes. I took a relaxing bath while listening to the news of the day through my radio hanging from the bathroom sink.

"URGENT NEWS! THERE IS A FIRE IN A BUSINESS BUILDING LOCATED IN THE GANGNAM REGION, MANY ARE THREATENING TO JUMP THROUGH THE WINDOWS. SOURCES CONFIRM THAT THE FIRE STARTED BY THE BAD WIRING THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTLY REPLACED. THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE JUST ARRIVED AND ARE PREPARING TO RELEASE THE PLACE AND REMOVE SURVIVORS. ”

I immediately turned off the shower, drying myself quickly, putting on any clothes, and going to the living room to turn on the TV and see the news.

All the channels were talking about the fire. It even seemed ironic, as I had a great day, and now a building near my company was on fire, and I had to see desperate people on the TV screen.

My heart stopped and my eyes lit up when I recognized Hyunjae running away with a long sheet and other men helping him from afar. This was apparently what he was supposed to do, try to stay calm and help people in a tragedy that could cost their lives.

“FIREFIGHTERS MOBILIZED QUICKLY AND SURVIVORS ARE GETTING TO THE GROUND SAFELY. THE FIRE HAS BEEN CONTROLLED AND WE HAVE NO NEWS FROM ANY VICTIMS IN SERIOUS STATE UNTIL THE MOMENT-” The woman turned and the cameraman filmed Hyunjae leaving the scene with a woman unconscious in his arms “THIS YOUNG BRAVE MAN REMOVED THE LAST VICTIM FROM THE LOCATION. AMBULANCE HAS ARRIVED AND WILL TREAT EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY. ”

I closed my fists tightly, my mouth dried and my heart sped up. Hyunjae had entered that burning building, risking his life, to save another one.

The fire subsided until it was extinguished. Reporters were still talking about how the police were already investigating everything and how fortunately no lives were lost and the victims had only minor injuries. I sighed with relief and sent a message to Hyunjae, congratulating him, but mostly asking how he was doing.

Me:

[Are you okay? I just saw it all on TV, I'm so worried!]

[I am proud of you, you were amazing.]

[I hope you're all right, send a message when you see this.]

Received.

I sighed and laid down on my bed covering my eyes trying to remember that he was fine.

"Nothing happened."

"Hyunjae is fine. No need to worry."

I was trying to convince myself that he was fine, alive, and doing his job, but my heart couldn't calm down. I decided to take a light tranquilizer and lie down again.

Maybe he would answer me in the morning, I would wait patiently and everything would be fine.

I turned on some drama on TV while I was busy watching cute animals on Youtube to pass the time. After a few hours and having a quick nap, I was surprised by the ringing of my cell phone and saw that it was Hyunjae.

I got up and answered quickly.

“Hyunjae ?! Are you okay? Where are you?" I hurried over and felt him give a tired laugh on the other end of the phone.

“I'm outside your house, please open it for me. It's a little cold here. ” He made a little joke like he always does, maybe, trying to calm my worried mood.

"Okay, I'll be right back." I hung up the phone and ran out to the door.

I opened the door feeling my heart racing, my joints tingling from suddenly getting up and automatically everything calmed down when I saw his face.

He had his bangs glued to his forehead, his face was dirty with some ash. He still had his work uniform on and was holding some bandages probably bought from the pharmacy near our homes.

"I came for you to heal me." He gave a sarcastic smile as I felt relief wash over my entire body.

"Come on, staying in this serene is bad." I pulled him inside, locking the door and putting his usual shoe in the doorway.

"Unfortunately I bought anything I saw at the pharmacy, so I hope you help me, I'm deadly tired." He started talking quietly trying to hide how he was shaken by that night.

"Hyunjae... are you okay?" I asked seeing him sitting on a chair in the kitchen taking off his uniform, leaving only the standard white blouse and pants.

"Yeah." He said dryly biting his lip and looking away. The habit he made when he lied.

"Stop lying to me." I walked towards him crossing my arms “If you were really well, you would have gone home, answered on your cell phone, and slept in peace."

He sighed and looked at me with a look that made my whole body tremble. He looked scared, anxious, but mostly nervous about something.

"What is it?" I touched his cheek and he sighed, closing his eyes and leaning into my hand.

"I almost lost my mind today." He stood up scratching the back of his neck with a choked voice as if he were about to cry.

"What do you mean?" He looked at me so sincerely that I felt my heart soften.

"We were on the traffic patrol when we heard the call." He laughed, but it was sad. "When they said the address, and I realized it was on the same street as your job, I despaired."

My eyes flew open and he sat on the edge of the couch burying his fingers in his dirty, messy hair.

“I thought you could be there and I lost it. When I got there, all I could think about was you.” I approached and realized that in fact, his eyes were watery "I know I should be concerned with other people, but I could only think ‘What if it is her building? What if she is there? What if she is in danger? What if I can't save her?’ And I went into eternal despair.”

I felt my heart racing so fast it could come out of my mouth.

"I-I didn't care if other people were hurt, as long as you were fine..." He looked at me and I felt a huge urge to hold his face "And it scares me. The way I was afraid of losing you and I couldn't think rationally, on the professional side.”

I sat next to him listening to everything he had to say.

"Hyunjae, anyone would feel the same way, you don't have to feel guilty about it." I wiped away his tears and held his cheeks in the palm of my hands "I would have done the same, thinking about you all the time."

He gave a smile sniffing before holding my hands.

"But it's different this time." He said before looking into my eyes with an invisible force that made me nervous "I thought nothing would make sense if I didn't have you by my side."

I took a deep breath trying to follow his argument.

"I don't want to lose you." He whispered as if it were a forbidden confession "You are the most important person in the whole world to me." He touched my cheek with the palm of his hand "You know that, don't you?" He swallowed hard, leaning his forehead against mine.

I took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know Hyunjae, you are also the most special person for me." I said seeing how he had relaxed a little more "Now get up, you need to take a shower and put bandages on these cuts."

I stood up first, but I felt his hand close to my fist. He was taller than me, not so much, but his body was so strong that it made me feel small around him.

"What? Come on, you're very tired. ” I took the lead before I felt him pulling me again.

"[NAME]." He said hoarsely as I studied his face curiously.

Hyunjae was too different that night.

“What is it Hyunjae? Your face is dirty, you need to take a shower. ” I touched my hips trying to understand what he wanted.

Hyunjae approached pulling my wrist towards him before giving a kiss there.

"Come with me." He said making me petrified on the spot.

"W-WHAT?!" I asked nervously as I felt my heart pound so loudly that I was afraid he might hear "I-That's not funny, Hyunjae."

He released my fist and pulled me by the hip, staring deep into my eyes.

"I'm not kidding." I felt a shiver down my back when he admitted it wasn't a joke or a friend flirt "I got tired of pretending I don't feel anything for you."

I couldn't say anything, I was too shocked to reply.

“[NAME], you are the most important person to me and I don't want to live any longer having to treat you just like a best friend.” He touched my chin and raised my gaze to his “Please, be honest with me. Am I just a best friend to you? ”

I felt his gaze enter my soul and I knew I had no way to lie anymore, this was the only chance I would have to admit what I feel.

"No." I swallowed and stared at his mouth, which formed a small smile of satisfaction.

It was amazing the effect that Hyunjae had on me. Even if I wanted to run away, I wouldn't be able to lie because it was already obvious from the way I act.

"Great." I felt my stomach churn when I felt his left hand hold me tighter as his right landed on my cheek, making his thumb touch my chin, caressing it. "I hope you don't mind this."

"Mind wha—" I could barely finish the question and I felt his lips on mine.

I pulled away unintentionally from the shock and looked into his eyes that seemed to be staring at me with an indescribable fire. I swallowed and felt my heart racing as he just smirked sideways, as if he knew what I was thinking.

He approached me slowly, touching our noses and I closed my eyes feeling his breath warm my face. I felt my face heat up and my palms sweat when his lips brushed against mine again. I held on to his white blouse with the rest of my strength and waited for Hyunjae to close the distance that bothered me so much.

I felt his hand move and his fingers pulled my chin down, opening my mouth that was closed by shock. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and felt him laugh through his nose before wetting my bottom lip with his tongue lightly, kissing me gently.

I lifted my hands to his hair where I pulled slightly, feeling my back against the bathroom door. Hyunjae took a quick breath, trying desperately to open the bathroom door, trying not to break the kiss.

I opened my eyes after Hyunjae got rid of me, feeling my heart stop at the sight of him focused on trying to open the bathroom door. His face was flushed, but his ears seemed to burn at how red they were. His dark eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was pink and inviting.

"Aish." Hyunjae said finally opening the bathroom making me smile slightly.

I held on to his blouse when I almost tripped over my own rug and Hyunjae grabbed my waist with his arm. He gave me a shy smile before leaning his body against mine, making me even more nervous.

His fingers played with the old buttons on my wool blouse. I held his neck intoxicating myself by his smell invading my senses. I felt a shiver down my spine when his fingers touched my skin gently, as if it were the most expensive porcelain that should be handled with care.

Hyunjae started the shower making me more and more nervous. He pushed me with some force making my back touch the tile on the cold wall of the bathroom. I felt his wet abdomen touching mine and tried to take his shirt off awkwardly making him laugh with amusement.

I looked into his eyes feeling my cheeks flush hard as I held his necklace in my hand. I smirked when I realized it was the gift I had given them for his last birthday. It was a sun necklace that was completed with another necklace, which was mine and was shaped like a moon.

I used to say that he was the sun that lit up my life and that reflected in me. I didn't expect him to wear it every day, because he is so critical of his clothes and his style, so I was surprised when I saw the jewel on his soft, wide collarbone.

"I-I like that necklace." He justified himself by making me smile as I felt my hair gradually get wet from the shower water.

I caressed his cheeks, removing all the dust and ashes from his face. He closed his eyes as I carefully wiped his face by raising my hands to his hair. My stomach churned when I kissed the corner of his jaw and he let out a long breath squeezing my waist.

"I like you." I confessed by kissing his neck, stroking his hair "Really."

"N-Noona." He said slyly in my ear making me smile. He only called me Noona when he was embarrassed "Don't do this to me."

"What?" I asked, acting like I didn't get his thoughts while looking at his beautiful body in front of me. I moved my hands down his chest feeling my whole body softening and looked him in the eyes hoping he understood the message I wanted to convey.

"You know." He responded by pinning me to the wall as he fiddled with the buttons on his pants, leaning his forehead against mine, chuckling through his nose.

I hugged him feeling slightly embarrassed when I felt him take off my bra and toss it on any floor in the bathroom. I closed my eyes tightly as I felt his lips kiss my neck slowly and lovingly.

"[NAME] ..." He sighed and kissed my collarbone "I-I know you like romantic guys, but the last thing I want to do now is to be patient and romantic with you."

I felt my whole body tremble and my thoughts were confused.

"I-Is this okay with you?" He asked suspiciously and I nodded, unable to speak, "Are you sure?"

I just answered him by kissing him again. He returned it immediately, deepening the kiss, holding me in his strong arms.

So, I closed my eyes and just let all those feelings accumulated from so long being satisfied without thinking about anything else.

- ▪︎ -

The truth was that love could come from anywhere, from a friendship for years, from a complete stranger, from a colleague at work or college. There are no limits to define where love should be born.

For Hyunjae and you, it was born out of years of extreme care. An affection that could not be limited by friendship, and by the undeniable attraction you felt for each other. There are people who spend years like this without the courage to declare themselves.

At that moment, a questioning is born within you. What if you hadn't declared yourself that night? What if you had run away? Hyunjae would probably walk away and leave your house feeling his heart broken. You weren't going to have the happy ending you wanted, and you could probably lose a precious friendship.

Ultimately, the butterfly effect has been proven and you should admit that your best 'mistake' was to have overcome your fear and admitted your senses. His best 'mistake' was sleeping with his best friend.

The question that remains is: Was that your destiny, or just the butterfly effect?

Ultimately, none of that mattered, because you both loved each other deeply.

▪︎

▪︎

MASTERLIST

[teawaffles]

Louis and the Aquaria: Chapter 1

T/N: Takes place after Chapter 11 of the manga (“The Hunting of the Baskervilles, Act 2”).

Aquaria.

Simply put, they refer to water tanks in which aquatic plants and creatures are kept as an indoor pastime.

Although aquarium technology had advanced rapidly in 19th century Britain, aquarists at the time were not as well-equipped as their modern counterparts. Hence, the management of the tanks was not necessarily an easy task.

And here, was someone struggling with that very problem.

At present, more than twenty small water tanks were arranged in the hall of the mansion. And before one of those tanks, that man was standing motionless as he stared fixedly within.

He was a handsome young man. On his right cheek, a painful-looking burn scar peeked out from beneath his blonde hair; but from his simple eyeglasses, and the atmosphere that surrounded him, one got the impression that he was a rather intellectual person.

However, his expression also exuded a deep exhaustion, so great it seemed to ruin his innately clever aura.

The fish swimming before his eyes appeared weak, and its fins were also drooping. From the way it simply drifted in the water, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it flopped onto the bottom of the tank any moment now.

At this point, he had done everything he could.

Now, all that was left, was to pray for a miracle——.

“Please, help him……”

Imbued with sincerity, those words fell from his lips — those of Louis James Moriarty, William’s younger brother by blood.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

The story began ten days ago.

“Thank you for tending to the garden, Fred. That will be all for today.”

“Alright.”

Now that he had completed his gardening duties at the mansion, Fred left for the streets; tonight, he would once again serve as the “Crime Consultant’s” point of contact. After seeing him off, Louis admired the flowers Fred had tended.

“With that, my brothers should be pleased.”

Without thinking, he murmured to himself.

For Louis, who obeyed William’s every word, it seemed what his brother valued fundamentally took precedence over his own opinions.

He looked over each of the flower beds Fred had carefully tended to, then exited the greenhouse — and saw the brother he so revered.

“Is something the matter?”

“Louis, I have a favour to ask…”

“Understood; if it’s a request from you, nii-san.”

Louis replied without hesitation, and William nodded happily.

“Thank you as always, Louis. The wind’ll be cold out here, so let’s talk inside.”

The two of them moved to the sitting room, and sat on opposite sofas with the coffee table between them. William sipped the Darjeeling tea Louis had brewed, and took out a photograph.

The man in the picture looked around thirty years of age, with flaxen hair, a sharp chin, and well-rounded cheeks. But from the distrustful look in his eyes, it was clear even from the photo how difficult it was to approach this man.

“——Who is this?”

“His name is Jack Stapleton. [1] He hails from a distinguished noble family, and hence owns a vast amount of wealth and land. Moreover, he’s also renowned in the field of natural history — it seems he discovered a new species of moth in the past, and presented at scholarly societies about it.” [2]

William went on to describe the man’s illustrious background, but Louis could sense the true intention that lay beneath.

“He’s our next target, isn’t he?”

Although William did not deny that, his expression turned a little troubled.

“Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he’s a candidate target.”

“A candidate?”

“Yeah. There are suspicions that he may be secretly engaged in human trafficking at his research locations, though we are yet unable to verify them.”

In order to avoid passing judgement upon innocents, whenever they received a request, William and their group would first thoroughly investigate their intended target. At present, it seemed William was in the midst of gathering information on Stapleton via MI6’s intelligence network, in order to decide if he deserved to be condemned.

“So we can’t get ahold of his tail even with MI6’s investigative powers — if he’s indeed guilty, that shows just how adept he is at protecting himself, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed. But I also wish to avoid dragging out the investigation any further; hence, I intend to make direct contact with him and find out the truth. It’s going to incur some trouble and expenses, but I think I have a reliable method of achieving that.”

“And what would that be?”

At Louis’s question, William took the photo in hand, and stared at the man pictured within.

“He’s known to be quite a misanthrope, and scarcely ever meets others in person, so it’ll be difficult to secure even one meeting with him. But as a natural historian, he possesses an unusual interest in flora and fauna. So, we’ll take advantage of his curiosity.”

William placed the photo back on the table, and met Louis’s gaze.

“——Well then, the introductory remarks have gotten quite long. But regarding this ‘method’, I have a favour to ask.”

“Please, tell me everything you need.”

That answer came without hesitation, even though the details had yet to be revealed. William continued in a hopeful voice.

“As for that: in order to attract Stapleton’s interest, I’ve arranged for some fish to be brought in from overseas. In the meantime, I was hoping you could care for them, Louis.”

Hearing that, Louis cocked his head slightly.

“Fish? I thought Stapleton specialised in insects, since you mentioned earlier that he’d discovered a moth.”

“Apparently, he’s a rather fickle character: just as one thinks he’s gotten absorbed in one field, he quickly tires of it and jumps into another one — it seems he has a tendency to do that.”

“So he’s interested in fish now, I see.”

“Particularly freshwater fish from the tropics. Hence, they will be brought into the mansion; until Stapleton takes an interest in the fish, and requests a meeting to either view or get his hands on them, I was hoping you could tend to them.”

After hearing that explanation, Louis finally understood why he’d been approached to do this.

William had his job as a mathematics professor, and Albert was also working at the universal trading company. Because of the nature of their duties, Fred and Moran often had to be out; and in order to maintain the secrecy of their work, outsiders could not be employed at their mansion. As such, Louis — who always remained at the residence — was the only person available to care for the fish throughout the day.

To some extent, it had been a process of elimination. But for Louis, who rarely had the opportunity to join in William’s plans, the fact that this was something only he could do merely served to boost his motivation.

Even as he was secretly pleased to be of use to his brother, a point of concern also came to mind.

“Since these fish are from abroad, I suppose the methods of rearing them have yet to be established.”

“In the event that some fish die, we’ll be able to replace them to an extent. I’ve already asked Herder to develop equipment for the water tanks. And if there is anything else you need, you only have to ask……. That’s all I had to say: do you have any other questions?”

Although this was an important step to determine if Stapleton was complicit in human trafficking, it was also a rather elaborate plan.

Even so, Louis’s response was direct, his tone betraying not a single hint of doubt.

“Not at all. I’ll definitely live up to your expectations.”

Hearing that, William smiled in satisfaction. And seeing that, Louis broke into an elegant smile once again.

That, was how Louis came to try his hand at maintaining aquaria.

Footnotes:

[1] Jack Stapleton is a character from the Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles (Wikipedia), by Arthur Conan Doyle. He was in fact the culprit behind the case, and the owner of the titular hound.

[2] Scholarly societies are organisations that exist to promote some academic discipline or profession (Wikipedia). One example is the Royal Society (of London), of which Isaac Newton was a member.

Translator’s notes

The story title

The plural of aquarium can be both ‘aquariums’ and ‘aquaria’ (Wikipedia). I chose the latter because I think it just sounds more right, like how medium → media, and bacterium → bacteria.

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animage Magazine May 2021 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

The Yashahimes’ Future

The three Yashahimes who carry both demon and human blood: Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. The three of them have varying personalities, environments in which they were raised in, and goals for their actions. However, through the shared task of demon slaying, they slowly begin to accept one another. Though they are not a perfect “Close, in sync team”, trust has certainly budded between the girls who, together, have overcome any difficult situation. Even Kirinmaru’s attack that killed Setsuna in one stroke could not sever the bond that connects the three. Towa especially, who received a broken Tenseiga from Sesshōmaru, appears to have not yet given up on Setsuna’s life. Although it looks like the girls will still continue to face hardships in the future, we want them to clear the way to a happy future with their own hands.

“Hanyō no Yashahime” entered a short break, leaving behind many points of interest such as Setsuna’s shocking death, the broken Tenseiga entrusted to Towa, and the continued separation of Moroha and her parents. Let’s consolidate the existing mysteries and wait for the second chapter (season)!

Higurashi Towa

Faced with the death of her beloved little sister, Setsuna, her demonic blood awakens for the first time. Until now, she had been using the demon sword, Kikujūmonji, as her weapon but what is this blade… …? (referring to the promo picture for season 2)

Series Composition: Katsuyuki Sumisawa Q&A

The Yashahimes’ story with continuous ups and downs. In addition to reviewing everything up until now, please tell us about the backstory and hints to the second chapter (season)!

Q. Where do Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha normally spend the night?

A. Towa freeloads at Kaede’s house. Setsuna stays at the demon slayer’s headquarters. It’s just that she can’t sleep so she probably keeps watch outside at night. Moroha lives at the corpse shop.

Q. How far apart is Kaede’s village and the corpse shop?

A. Kaede’s village is in the land of Musashi so in terms of modern geography, imagine around Tokyo’s Nakano and Suginami ward. Compared to that, the corpse shop is in the harbor so around Shinagawa ward or maybe even Yokohama. It seems the three of them frequently met up but there’s actually quite a distance. Each of them had different goals behind their actions too.

Q. When Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha first met, how was Moroha able to figure out that the two of them were Sesshōmaru’s daughters?

A. Probably through “smell”. Sesshōmaru is well known among demons and Moroha knows that Sesshōmaru is her father’s older brother. However, Moroha still doesn’t know that Sesshōmaru is the one who trapped her parents within the black pearl.

Q. Does Moroha know her parents’ names?

A. She does. When Inuyasha and Kagome were approached by Kirinmaru and Sesshōmaru, Awa no Hachiemon (aka Hachi), the racoon dog, took Moroha to the wolf demon tribe where she was raised. That being said, Kōga probably told her.

Q. Doesn’t Moroha want to meet her parents?

A. She thinks her parents are dead. That’s why her thoughts are “There’s no point obsessing over someone who’s dead”. Hachiemon the racoon dog, didn’t watch the details of the incident to the end and assumed that “If Sesshōmaru and Kirinmaru were their opponents, they’re probably not alive now.” That’s what Moroha was told through Kōga.

Q. Why is the instrument that Setsuna plays the violin?

A. When creating the scenario, I wanted some sort of “gift” from the modern era as “something to connect the modern and feudal eras”. Therefore, I decided to give Moroha the giant backpack as Kagome’s daughter and Setsuna an instrument. In addition, an instrument that absolutely didn’t exist in the feudal era was better, so I chose the violin. There of course won’t be violins in Japan and even in the West, it had a different shape than it does now. Plus, before the current story was solidified, I had thought of a plot where the modern era was the setting so it’s a remnant of that.

Q. Did Mama Moe teach Setsuna the song she always plays on her violin?

A. While she learned how to play the violin from Mama Moe, the song was not something she learned (from her). Rather Setsuna is playing a song she once heard based off her memory. Where she heard it… please wait for the second chapter (season)!

Q. With Kanemitsu no Tomoe as a medium for Setsuna and the rouge being suggested for Moroha, each of them has had their demonic blood sealed. What about the seal for Towa’s demonic blood?

A. Towa’s is not sealed. Moreover, her demonic blood had not yet awakened. That’s where in episode 24, her demonic blood awakened for the first time with Setsuna’s death being the trigger. However, that was in an out-of-control state. Going forward, how “Sesshōmaru’s blood” flowing within her will manifest itself will be something worth noting.

Q. Why does everyone call Towa and the others “Yashahime”?

A. Ever since the spirit of the Tree of Ages called them as such in episode 4, everyone started calling them that, no matter who they spoke to. At first, even Towa and the others were like “We’re not Yashahime” or “Are you referring to us?” but as they got addressed that repeatedly, they gradually accepted the name.

Q. Kohaku’s* older sister, Kin’u, is a nun but what does his other older sister, Gyokuto, do?

*Translator’s Note: I think the publisher made a mistake and meant to say Hisui

A. She shoulders the responsibility of helping Sango create the weapons for demon slaying, delivering those weapons to the other slayers, accepting demon slaying requests around the area, and collecting information on demon sightings.

Q. Is Kirinmaru a demon of Japan?

A. No. I think talking like this will be easier to understand. Kirinmaru is one of the few greater demons who is aware that the earth is round. In that era, the only ones who have a sense of this are probably just Kagome, Towa, and Kirinmaru. Having circled the globe many times, Kirinmaru, who had traveled around the world, met the Dog General at the very end in the land at the farthest end (of the earth), Japan. Ever since then, he has remained in Japan so it could be said that he’s a demon of Japan, but his existence is on a bigger scale than that. Kirinmaru frequently reads Western books and he orders those from various places around the world. The one who buys them is Riku. Naturally, I’m sure that not only does Riku secretly read the Western books in the library, but Kirinmaru wouldn’t reproach him for such a small thing either. In episode 7, Riku called the apple a “Forbidden Fruit” but of course, I’m sure Kirinmaru has read the bible before. That’s most likely because he’s been alive since the era of myth so he may have seen Buddha or Jesus Christ in the flesh. There’s probably no way he saw Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit though… … (laughs).

Q. Point blank, what is the relationship between Kirinmaru and Riku? In a reflection of the past (200 years ago), it seemed Riku didn’t have any emotions. What exactly was that?

A. This will be revealed in the second chapter (season) as well but to give you a little hint, Riku started taking care of Zero after the Dog General died and as he healed her, he gradually began to have emotions. That’s why Riku’s way of thinking was influenced by Zero, such as “You have to destroy those that you love”.

Q. Zero lost her demonic powers when she created the Rainbow Pearls. Then what was the power she was using when she fought?

A. Zero was using the power of hexes. In this world, there is not only demonic power but all sorts of powers such as spiritual power and Buddhist power and each of them is separate. What she used was a power similar to charms and Inyougogyō**.

** Translator’s Note: Yin and Yang and the five Chinese elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Q. Why did someone like Kirinmaru, who values reason, have the Four Perils, who had sleazy personalities, as subordinates?

A. Kirinmaru’s mind is preoccupied with a “certain matter” that’s important so he doesn’t really care about anything else. Hence, he doesn’t remember every single demon that has challenged or served under him and he doesn’t care what kind of person they were.

Q. In episode 21, it was surprising when Towa said “I like you (Riku)!”. To put it frankly, what do Towa and Riku think of each other?

A. Towa thinks Riku is “Riku”. She doesn’t perceive him as being part of Kirinmaru’s group. On the other hand, Riku thinks Towa is “The lady Yashahime that will slay Kirinmaru”. That’s why he addresses her as “Lady Towa”. Currently, there are no romantic feelings between the two of them. Just that, there’s probably “affection” from Riku to Towa.

Q. Why does Riku think “I only kill those I love”?

A. Because “Those who are loved vanish beautifully”. That is what Zero said in episode 23. To Zero, death is sad but to Riku, there’s no difference between dying and living and that they’re the same. Based on that, Riku came to think “You have to destroy those that you love” and he chooses to “kill” as an expression of love. That might be quite difficult to understand.

Q. Why is Sesshōmaru so cold to his daughters?

A. Just as a lion drops its cubs into a bottomless ravine, a demon’s feeling is that they only raise the child that gains strength from hardship. That is the “Rite of Courage and Cowardice”. It’s a little different from the feeling we humans have. That’s why hating his daughters or purposely tormenting them is certainly not the case.

Q. Although, isn’t separating the babies from their mother immediately after birth or having them fight the strongest beast king of the eastern land, Kirinmaru, a little too much?

A. If you watch the kabuki play “Renjishi” I think you will get it immediately. Anime is fine, but I would like to recommend the traditional arts that have ceaselessly been passed down since ancient Japanese times. Even if going to see them is difficult, researching on the internet is easy. Even the phrase “Rite of Courage and Cowardice” will show up in there. It seems that in this world, there’s no people who love their children more than Japanese people. Perhaps that’s why it can’t be helped that the way Sesshōmaru is raising his children feels very cold. However, those who watched the “Inuyasha” series I think will know but Sesshōmaru’s hearing and smell are exceedingly exceptional. He has the ability to immediately rush in, no matter how far the distance.

Q. Lastly, please tell us how production for the second chapter (season) is going?

A. Currently, we’re writing the second half of the script for the second chapter (season). The whole staff are eagerly working under this difficult Corona crisis. In the second chapter (season), we would like to create a script that is particular on the details as much as possible. In the previous series, there were many self-contained demon slaying stories but for the second chapter (season), we’ve changed the structure of the story so that it progresses with the feelings of the various characters intertwining together, just like in “Inuyasha The Final Act”. Hence, I think the impression of the story will change quite a bit. Please wait until the broadcast to see what kind of story it will be!

[ginazmemeoir]

for @gopikanyari - i couldn't draw them but i did write this fic.

tagging @taareginn @momo-all-the-way @dragonfairy1231 @aadyeah @weird-u @holding-infinity-and-a-book @aloomu @carmen-riddle @mango-pickle

Everything slows down. All I feel is my breath, the sweat trickling down my face, and the tension in my hand dissipating as I release the knife and let it fly. It strikes the dummy with a ‘thwack’, and I keep staring at it. Miss. Again.

My father didn’t consider educating his youngest child, a girl, in the art of warfare. So after getting married to five men, all brothers, in a strange twist of fate, having near death experiences in the forest and at my husbands’ home in Hastinapur, I decided to instruct myself. Swords made me feel confident, bows and arrows made me feel like a hero in an epic, but knives? They made me feel like a toddler playing pretend. And yet, Drona, my husbands’ mentor and father’s sworn enemy, insisted on teaching me in “the art of the blade”.

I lean against the wall, wiping the sweat off using a cloth, and head for a bath. As I exit, my maid Malti approaches me, her face writ with worry. “Um… uh… Your Majesty…” she stutters. I place my hand on her shoulder and calm her down, “What happened Malti? Something in your family?” I ask. Instead, Malti hands me a card. I take it from her, beaming at the seal – a dolphin encircled by a peacock feather – Krishna’s emblem. I greedily tear the elaborate wrapping, desperate for the kind of raucous and “unladylike” interaction that I only got with Krishna. My eyes skim over the letter’s contents, and my heart sinks. “Impossible,” I mutter, clutching the letter in my hand, “my husbands promised me complete fidelity. They cannot remarry again.” Malti, her voice trembling, then uttered the words which my feeble brain couldn’t read, “Your Highness, the invite was delivered by a member of the Dwaraka council. Prince Arjuna is getting married to Subhadra, Lord Govinda’s sister.”

The streets of Hastinapur are jubilant with celebrations, as their prince returns with his new bride. All over the city, repairs were done, and frivolous, expensive structures were erected, all in an effort to show the audacious wealth of the Kuru empire. The cheerful, flower and gold bedecked exterior hid the internal deformities. Suyodhana’s maternal uncle, Shakuni, or as everybody called him in the land – the snake – fumed at what had transpired (from what I gathered Suyodhana was to be wed to Subhadra, who had eloped with my husband); King Dhritarashtra boiled in silent anger, while Queen Gandhari taunted and cried out her distress every now and then.

Arjuna arrived on the gates of the palace, his new bride at his side, followed by my other husbands (his brothers) and Krishna. Both bride and groom were bedecked in the finest of clothes and jewels, looking like overstuffed dummies. Even from here in my balcony, I could clearly see the bride’s discomfort in wearing the heavy jewellery and silks preferred by the Hastinapur royalty even in the scorching summer. All the ceremonies and rituals were performed with due tradition, thus amounting to an hour or two, and then only did the entourage enter the palace. I hurry down to meet the party, when I see the newlyweds walking towards me. Anger floods every pore of my body. Had I had my way, I would have scorched the palace with the same fire from which I was born. What kind of man is this cruel, taking his second wife to meet his first? Disgusted I slam the door on their stricken faces, and bury myself in my misery. Was I never destined to be happy?

The years pass by, and an unlikely bond forms between Subhadra and I – the kind of bond shared by mothers. It took six pregnancies to break the barrier between us, and she had approached first. That would always be a guilt I would carry – that I hadn’t extended my hand earlier, blinded by pride and anger. Soon, awkwardness gives place to an unlikely friendship, with her teaching me the various wonders of the world she had seen on her various trips; Greece, China, the Golden Isand of Lanka, she had seen it all. Meanwhile I taught her how to wield a sword , and helped her navigate the tricky waters of politics and party throwing. It was a rare, pure friendship – one spent wearing a cotton sari under a scorching sun, eating mangoes with sticky hands and giggling, one I had never experienced before.

I walk towards my palace. Or, not my palace, since Duryodhana owns it now. Nothing is left, not even my pride and dignity. My dishevelled appearance, torn sari, entangled hair and bruises make for a frightening appearance apparently, stunning everybody into silence. I don’t feel human anymore, just a husk slowly inching its way before it collapses, for my soul was stripped along with my clothes in that den of gamblers and cowards. I seethe with a burning hatred against my husbands, pretentious motherfuckers cowering behind their false dharma and “code of chivalry”, which conveniently vanished when they took multiple wives and yet made me marry all five of them against my will. I want to rage and burn and destroy and drink the blood of Dushasana and use Duryodhana’s skull as the cup. I thought my city, this magnificent city of Indraprastha, loved me the same way I loved it. And yet, in my darkest hours, none came to stop what followed, except perhaps Vikarna, a brother of the man whom I didn’t consider human. Subhadra was in the guava orchards with Abhimanyu, when she saw me. She quickly put him down, and rushed towards me, trying to cover me with a scarf, as if I cared anymore. She took me inside, and drew a bath for me. That day, I scrubbed my skin raw till it turned red and almost tore my hair from my scalp, trying to rid myself of Dushasana’s filthy touch. She then gives me some khus, which I drink gingerly, my tears mixing with the sweet green concoction. At first, she looks stricken, unable to believe what had transpired. Disbelief gave way to pity, which gave way to anger. “It’s useless Subhadra. Nothing is left. And I will make sure, that nothing will be.” I console her. I see the fear in her eyes then. Good. People had forgotten who I was, but I’d make sure I’d remind them in the years to follow. They blamed me for what had happened right, that I was too weak or too proud? Well then I’d like to prove them right. I am Draupadi. Paanchali. Yajnaseni. Born from fire, born to wreak havoc, born to change the fate of this cursed land of Jambudweep, where the roll of a dice values more than a person.

The 13 years that follow are spent in agony. Twelve years of wandering in the forest, facing arrogant saints and malevolent creatures. I keep wondering of Subhadra and my kids. When she had heard the news, she had slapped an unsuspecting Arjuna, and taken Abhimanyu and my kids with her to Dwarka, safe and secure, forbidding him to show her his face until he proved himself worthy. Arjuna soon parted ways with us in the forest, going off on some adventure, finding new beauties to marry and accumulating more powers for the war to follow. I meet Hidimba in the forest as well, Bhima’s first wife. I envy her freedom and her life. And then comes the dreaded year of agyaatvasa – living in the shadows, for fear of recognition. Yudhishthira becomes advisor to King Virata of Matsya, Bhima a cook, Nakula the master of stables, Sahadev a shepherd and I, the mighty Draupadi? A hairdresser. How cruel life was, making the woman who kept her hair unkempt and open as a reminder of her revenge, a hairdresser to a queen. Arjuna also returned, but as the eunuch dancer Brihannala. Even here, peace eluded me as the queen’s brother Keechaka turned his perverted gaze towards me. But this time, I had enough. And so I invite him to a secluded spot and then have his skull crushed by Bhima.

It’s the time of war. Vultures and hyenas gather in the fields of Kurukshetra in anticipation of the feast to follow. I reside in the camp with the other ladies and children of the house. I am unable to recognize my own kids at first, how quickly they’ve grown and how much they have changed. They greet me with the same love and respect, but something has changed fundamentally in our relationship, a cherished bond that would never be the same. Subhadra is there by my side, making me live their childhood through their mischievous stories and their life at Dwarka, and yet my mind wanders to our six sons – wearing their armour and lifting their weapons, barely on the cusp of manhood and yet already thrust into a war that isn’t their own. I stopped believing in gods long since, and yet I pray to any that might exist with a shred of mercy in their heart towards me – let my children live.

Abhimanyu’s mutilated corpse greets us on the thirteenth day of war. His body looked so gruesome, even Yamraj would have shuddered. Subhadra’s wails pierce through the sky, reverberating more than the clang of metal and steel. She reaches for Abhimanyu’s body, hugging him close, with his head on her lap, embracing her son for a final time before the fires engulfed him. I am too shocked, and Subhadra too bereaved, to either comfort or be comforted. There is no sermon, no balm, no magic for this loss. His loss permeates into every single cell of our being, and stays there. Subhadra cries the entire night, her eyes red from crying, consuming neither food nor water. I stay by her side all along. The other ladies comfort his wife Uttara, in the final month of her pregnancy, devastated by the destruction of her own small world before it could begin. Finally, when dawn breaks, and her body is devoid of tears, does Subhadra arise, but she’s not the same. She goes with the Pandavas to cremate her only child, and returns back. She utters not a single word, conveys not a single emotion. She doesn’t rage like fire – she is instead like the oceans near her home. A turbulent storm rages within, which the calm face doesn’t give away.

I come back to my tent having exacted my revenge. The sound of Dushasana’s arms being ripped off, his skull cracking open echo in my ears. My hair drip with his blood, my face smeared with sweat. I thought I would feel victorious, at peace now that I had avenged myself, avenged Abhimanyu’s death. But then Subhadra gazes at me, and a single gaze is enough to communicate everything in my heart. Is this who I am now? What more atrocities would be committed in this war?

The war has come at an end, as Duryodhana lies dying in agony, his thighs shattered. I go with everybody to cremate the fallen and pay my respects to Grandsire Bhishma, as he too draws his last breath upon his bed of arrows and leaves this world. All the bodies are collected in a massive mountain of rotting half eaten flesh, and cremated. The fire blazes high, an inferno reaching for the skies, taking the souls of everybody within it towards Indra’s court, which receives anybody who dies fighting. The flame reminds me of my own birth, which seems like a lifetime away. I return back to camp, weary from all the death that surrounded me, and am instead greeted by a fresh nightmare. My brother Dhrishtadyumna’s head hangs at the gate, his decapitated body beneath him, hands closed around his sword even in death. I rush in to find everybody dead – physicians, maids, cooks, attendants, charioteers, guards, everybody. I enter my sons’ tent, fearing the worst and that is when I see their corpses. They were still in bed. Sleeping. They were supposed to ride out tomorrow to Indraprastha, their true home. They were supposed to grow up and live their life far away from court or war. They were planning to finally visit the fabled Palace of Illusions, swimming in the Mirror Lake, plucking fresh fruits from the orchards. Sutasoma intended to devour all the books he could lay his hands on. Prativindhya wanted to try wine. Srutakarma wanted to learn pottery and sculpting. Shatanika wanted to try make up, while Shrutasena wanted to learn music and painting. My children were robbed of their lives and their futures in their sleep. Now I truly knew the meaning of loss. I would rather die a thousand times over just so I could bring them back. I collapse, the last thing I hear is Subhadra shouting my name. I don’t feel the ground as I fall.

It is in this hell on earth does Subhadra’s daughter in law Uttara give birth. She screams in pain as she tries to push her child out of her womb, the last child of a massacred dynasty, when the room suddenly fills with a scorching white light. It disappears as suddenly as it arrived, and everybody immediately figures out what happened. The Brahmastra, the strongest weapon in the universe. Aimed directly at Uttara’s womb and her unborn child. It is an unspeakable crime. The death of his grandnephew makes Krishna goes insane, and for the first time in my life, I see him become the angel of death. He picks up the babe, and proclaims, “If I have been a truly righteous human, let this child come to life.” The child, a boy, gasps and cries, strong and powerful. I have stopped believing in miracles, but this is one I admit. Subhadra reached for her grandson, and cradles him in her arms. Her tears drop on his forehead, as she smiles at him. As she hands the baby to me, there’s an understanding in our eyes. An agreement. A promise. Never shall this child know suffering. Never shall this child know pain. He will have what we could not. He will have a childhood, a future, a life.

We make this oath to ourselves. Sisters, united by pain, suffering and hope.

[mirkwoodshewolf]

TCATC Chap. 26; The Battle of the Five Armies

*Author’s note*

And here we go folks, the Battle of the Five Armies is about to begin. Now from here on I’ve been doing things practically scene by scene with the Extended editions but here is where things will steer off course a bit. TBH I didn’t feel the need for the brief battle between the Elves and Dwarves necessary so that part is CUT OUT. Also towards the end there is an additional deleted scene that I felt was PERFECT for this story so that was ADDED in. Other than that, there’s nothing really left to say except enjoy the chapter, and we’re getting close to finishing off the Hobbit storyplot and the remaining chapters will be purely Hela’s continuing quest and journey until I declare this story finished and post up the LOTR sequel to this book.

NEXT CHAPTER

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@waddles03​

@queensdivas​

@queen-paladin​

@psychosupernatural​

@ixchel-9275​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

@peter-parkers-cullen-nerd​

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When dawn approached our armies marched toward the gates of Erebor.  I rode with Bard on the white horse while Thranduil walked beside us on his elk. The Elvish army parting like the sea to allow us to ride up towards the gates.  I looked up at the top of the gate to see Thorin and his Company all ready for war.

Dressed in full armor, wielding their axes, spears and swords.  Never did I think I would have to face off against the Dwarves I’ve come to see as my family in something as serious as war. As we got closer to the gate, Thorin took out a bow and shot an arrow at the hooves of Thranduil’s elk, stopping it in its place.

“I will put the next one between your eyes.” Threatened Thorin as he nocked another arrow into his bow.  The rest of the Company began proclaiming Dwarvish war cries but it didn’t stir Thranduil.  In fact there was a gleam of arrogance in his eyes.  In only a couple of steps, the archers in perfect synchronization readied their bows and pulled back their strings ready to fire which made every single Dwarf but Thorin his behind their walls.

My heart stopped for a brief moment fearing that Thranduil would follow through and go back on our agreement last night.  But my fears dispersed when he raised his right hand and the archers took back their arrows and stood down.

“We have come to tell you; payment of your debt has been offered. And accepted.”

“What payment? I gave you nothing. You have nothing.” Thorin said.  Bard reached into his coat and pulled out the Arkenstone and held it up to Thorin and said.

“We have this.” Seeing his most valued prize, Thorin lowered his bow and he as well as the others faces turned to shock.

“They have the Arkenstone.” I heard Kili say.  “Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house!? That stone belongs to the king!”

“The king may have it. With our good will.” Bard said before tucking the Arkenstone back into his coat.  I then got off our horse and stood between the two men and said.

“But before a trade is made, the King must honor his word.”

“They are taking us for fools.” I saw Thorin’s lips say. “This is a ruse. A filthy lie.” Before he exclaimed down to us.  “The Arkenstone is in this Mountain! It is a trick!” Thorin’s mind truly has been put through worse than the strongest hurricane.  Much like how Sauron affected my mind in the forests of Mirkwood, he couldn’t see that the stone was real and staring right up at him.

“I-it’s no trick. The stone is real. I gave it to them.” Bilbo confessed.  The dwarves all turned to Bilbo but it was Thorin who I feared the most for Bilbo’s safety.

“You?” Thorin said lowly with hardly any emotion.

“I took it as my 15th share.”

“You would steal from me?” Thorin asked him.

“Steal from you? No. No, I may be a burglar but I’d like to think I’m an honest one.” No one of the company spoke a word.  “I’m willing to let it stand against my claim.”

“‘Against your claim?’” Thorin repeated Bilbo’s statement with utter betrayal and hatred.  “Your claim. You have no claim over me you miserable rat!” gradually his voice got louder until he spat out the word ‘rat’.

“I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to, but….” Bilbo trailed off as Thorin growled at him.

“But what, thief?”

“You are changed, Thorin. The Dwarf I met in Bag-End would never have gone back on his word. Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!”

“Do not speak to me…..of loyalty.” Thorin spoke with a slight tremor in his voice.  All was quiet and tense until what Thorin said shook all of us down to our core.  “Throw him from the rampart!!”

I gasped as I looked up fearfully shaking my head.  No, no, no, no, no, no please. No one listen to him. I swear if one dwarf throws Bilbo over the edge, I don’t care if I don’t have my powers, I will be out for blood if one hair is harmed on Bilbo’s head!

“DID YOU NOT HEAR ME!?!?” Thorin roared out as no one listened to him.  He even grabbed Fili by force and tried to get his own nephew to do the deed.  But Fili took back his arm and refused to obey his uncle.  At least my little brother had some sense.  However Thorin’s madness was tipping him over the edge. “I WILL DO IT MYSELF!! CURSE YOU!”

He then charged at Bilbo and as the others tried to stop Thorin from throwing Bilbo over the edge of the gate.  I was about to race over to catch Bilbo, but a hand stopped me. Actually two hands, both Thranduil and Bard stopped me in my tracks.

I glared at them ordering them with my eyes to release me but they didn’t listen as Thorin continued to curse at Bilbo.

“CURSED BE THE WIZARD THAT FORCED YOU ON THIS COMPANY!!”

“IF YOU DON’T LIKE MY BURGLAR!!” Gandalf’s voice boomed as he came marching up through the ranks of the Elvish army before standing behind us and continued, “Then please…don’t damage him. Return him to me and the Celestial!” Thorin stopped as he stared down at Gandalf.  “You’re not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain, are you? Thorin son of Thrain.”

I watched as Thorin’s grip lessened on Bilbo’s coat and the Hobbit slowly slid off the stones of the barricade.  I then saw as Fili and Bofur helped Bilbo off and Thorin roared down at us.

“NEVER AGAIN WILL I HAVE DEALINGS WITH WIZARDS! OR SHIRE RATS!! NOT EVEN CELESTIAL TRAITORS!!” my eyes narrowed as I was finally able to break free of Bard’s and Thranduil’s cage and go over to the side of the Mountain to help Bilbo as he climbed down.

“Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised?” Bard negotiated.

“Why should I buy back that which is rightfully mine!” Thorin roared as I saw him pace like a caged beast.  Bilbo came down to the ground and he immediately raced towards me. I held him for a brief moment before getting him as far away from the gate as possible.  We came up to Gandalf and I checked Bilbo over to make sure he wasn’t hurt.

He merely waved me off while panting heavily to ensure me he was alright.  I nodded softly taking his word for it but not before brushing the hair out of his forehead and giving him a comforting kiss.

“Keep the stone, sell it.” Thranduil suggested to Bard. “Ecthelion of Gondor will give you a good price for it.”

“I WILL KILL YOU!! BY MY OATH, I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!” Thorin roared furiously.

“Your oath means nothing!” Thranduil immediately snapped back up to Thorin.  “I’ve heard enough.” Thranduil then gave out an Elvish command for the archers to ready their arrows once more.

“Thorin….lay down your arms. Open these doors! This treasure will be your death.” Gandalf advised as he walked up to stand in the spot I was just at between Thranduil and Bard while I stayed with Bilbo.

“Thorin, we cannot win this fight.” I heard Balin try to advise Thorin.  Come on Thorin, you must see it.  Break free, set your mind free of this fell sickness that has consumed your heart. Don’t sacrifice your kin over such a trivial thing such as gold.

“Give us your answer.” Bard spoke up.  “Will you have peace…or war?” soon flying up towards Thorin was a raven.  The same Raven I had seen fly off the other day.  It squawked as it looked Thorin in his eyes and Thorin finally spoke up.

“I will have war.”

Soon there was a rumble coming from over the hill to the East of the Mountain.  We all turned around and coming down from the hill was a Dwarvish army.  All clad in Iron, bringing in large weaponry carts pulled by goats.

“Ironfoot.” I heard Gandalf say.  The Ironfoot army all shouted and I heard the Company beginning to cheer and cry out victoriously.  Thranduil ordered his army in Elvish to march Eastward and they did just that as he and Bard rode onward.

Bilbo and I raced to catch up with Gandalf and Bilbo asked him.

“Who is that? He doesn’t look very happy.”

“It is Dain. Lord of the Iron Hills. Thorin’s cousin.” His cousin?!

“Are they alike?” I asked.  Gandalf stopped for a moment before answering me grimly.

“I’ve always found Thorin the more reasonable of the two.” Oh that’s just great! I looked down to Bilbo and urged him to keep up with me and he did just that.  I joined up with the Laketown army, Bard riding up to stand in front of them his sword drawn out and I looked up to see Dain riding in on a—pig? Huh? Interesting and peculiar beast to act as your steed but to each their own I guess.

“Good morning, how are we all?” Lord Dain greeted us as if we were all old friends.  His army ceased their marching as Lord Dain stood along a boulder that gave him some height over us from the hill he remained on.  “I have a wee proposition if you wouldn’t mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would yah consider…..JUST SODDING OFF!! All of you!! Right now!!”

“Stand fast!” Bard commanded our army as they started to get anxious at the Dwarf’s sudden proclamation.

“Come now, Lord Dain.” Gandalf tried to reason as he stood before the Lord of the Iron Hills.

“Gandalf the Grey.” Dain sneered.  Gandalf gave the Dwarf lord a bow of his head as Dain continued, “Tell this rabble to leave, or I’ll water the ground with their blood!” Gandalf was not kidding, not even Dwalin was this aggressive.

“There’s no need for war between Dwarves, Men and Elves. A legion of Orcs march on the Mountain. Stand your army down.” Gandalf tried to reason as he walked up towards Lord Dain.  However Dain refused to budge.

“I will not stand down before any Elf. Not least this faithless Woodland sprite!” he said pointing to Thranduil.  “He wishes nothing but ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin….I’ll split his pretty head open! See if he’s still smirking then!” I heard the Company shout and cheer for Dain’s insult and threat upon Thranduil.

“He’s clearly mad like his cousin.” Thranduil mocked with a smirk.

“You hear that lads? We’re on! Let’s give these bastards a good hammering!” Dain said as he rode back towards his ranks.  With a Dwarvish command from his general, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills readied themselves.  

The Elves also got into position with the archers turning back into the ranks to allow the spear holders to stand in front.  The Dwarves kept shouting out Khuzdul commands but before anything could start, the earth began to rumble.  

We all turned towards the cliff’s edge that was West of Raven Hill.

“Were-worms.” I heard Gandalf say fearfully.  Were-what? Soon popping out from the Mountain was a great giant worms that ate up the earth with mouths that were like a deadly flower in blossom.  The earth rumbled again as about 3 maybe even five more popped out and crushed the earth in their mouths before diving back underground.  I took notice of the hole patterns they had left behind and they—oh my god.

They were underground trenches! The Orcs would come out of there and swarm us like wasps coming out of the hive.  I heard an orc horn blow and soon orcs began to ooze out of the trenches like a blood pooling out of a wound.

Dain proclaimed out in Khuzdul before saying in the common tongue as his army turned around and raced towards the orc army.

“The hordes of hell are upon us! Fight to the Death!” the Dwarves of the Iron Hills charged forward crying out in a battle cry with their weapons ready while the Elves stood down.

“The Elves….will they not fight?” Bilbo asked.  My breathing sharpened as I trudged towards Thranduil.

“Thranduil!” I desperately called out his name.  He didn’t turn to look at me.  “Please brother Starlight.” I spoke the Celestial brother name Ikaris once gave him.  At hearing that name, he looked at me before turning back to the army.

As the Dwarves formed a shield and spear barricade between the orcs and the Mountain, Thranduil gave the Elvish command to the sword masters.

“Sword-Masters. Attack!” The elves withdrew their swords and raced towards the orcs, they leapt over the dwarves and attacked the orcs just before they overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the orcs alone.  As the sword wielders fought off the front advance, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills lifted their shield barricade and charged forward with their spears out, impaling any orcs that came within distance of them.

Like in the Dark days of old, enemies were rallying together against a common threat.

A second orc horn blew and I took notice of the flags above the hill pointing leftward and when I turned appearing from around the mountains was an army of trolls.

Thranduil gave the archers the Elvish command to fire their arrows at the trolls and soon like a raining shower, the arrows soared over the Dwarvish army and hit their marks on any troll or Orc advancing further in against us.

“This can’t be his only move.” I muttered.  I looked around pass the war front towards Dale and that’s when my heart dropped to my stomach.  “Oh no, he’s played us for fools. He knew we couldn’t cover both fronts. The archers alone won’t be able to hold them back.”

My fears were confirmed as a third horn blasted from the cliff’s point and I saw a great shadow heading towards the wall surrounding the city.  The children, the crippled, the elder, everyone else they’ll be defenseless!

I ran towards Bard crying out his name until I finally found him.

“Bard! Bard we need to get back to Dale! Azog’s going to cut us off! He plans to attack the city!” his face turned and I knew he was seeing what I had seen.  Even if he didn’t have a keen sight like an Elf, I knew he could see the massive army marching onto the City, especially when also amongst the orc ranks were trolls carrying giant catapults on their backs.  He helped me onto the horse as he exclaimed.

“All of you! Fall back to Dale! Now!” he kicked the horse’s side and it raced back towards Dale.  All of our soldiers, Gandalf and Bilbo we all raced back as fast as we could to Dale.  

As Bard and I rode across the bridge, I turned to see the remaining half of Azog’s army marching to the wall, along with a troll with what looked like a battering wall of bricks along its head.

It slammed it’s head into the wall which crumbled it allowing the Orcs to swarm in like spiders underneath a rock.  Already I could hear the panicked and horrifying screams of mothers and children echo throughout the city.  I could also feel some of the people being slaughtered like sheep and I felt my head split like an egg.

“Hela?! Are you alright?” Bard asked.

“I can feel them……people are dying.”

“Can you still fight?” he asked me.

“Yes. I’ll fight till my last breath.” Bard stopped his horse and got off before helping me down.  I shook away the pain and tried to block it out.  There wasn’t any time to focus on the lives that were being lost right now, if I can still save lives that’s what I’m willing to do.

I withdrew Needle as well as Fili’s sword he gave me from my belt as Bard began to ask around.

“My children! Where are my children?”

“I saw them! They were down in the old market!” a woman said as she fled pass us.

“The market?”

“It’s this way Bard, follow me!” I told him as I guided him through the panicked crowd.  Bard calling out their names.

“Bard! Lady Hela! Orcs are storming over the causeway!” Percy exclaimed as he ran up with our army.

“Get the bowmen to the eastern parapet. Hold them off for as long as you can.” I told Percy.

“Archers! This way!” they followed after Percy leaving the rest with Bard and myself.

“The Orcs have taken Stone Street! The market’s overrun!” a man shouted as he came running past us.  My heart stopped, no, no Gods above don’t you dare take those children away from their father or from me!

“The rest of you….Follow Hela and I!” Bard exclaimed as the two of us led the rest of the army towards Stone Street where the market’s were. As we came around the corner, we were met with an Orc ambush and all of us fought tooth and nail to draw the Orcs back.

I slashed and blocked with Fili’s sword before using Needle to pierce through any gap space I saw in their armors which dropped them dead.

One orc in particular proved to be a worthy opponent for it was relentless with its overhand strikes.  Its mace kept trying to cut my head off but Fili’s sword proved durable as I did block after block until finally using it’s momentum against it before piercing it through the neck with Needle.  And as an added measure, I snapped his neck with my bare hands.

I spotted an Orc coming right behind Bard as he was fighting off two orcs in front of him.  I took Fili’s sword and threw it which pierced the Orc’s back dropping it dead. Bard turned to me and I nodded to him before going back to three orcs coming right towards me.  In a dangerous but elegant dance, I used Needle against the Orcs.  Using Needle as a guide to force one Orc to slice its buddy in the shoulder.

Then I spun around and pierced Needle through the leg of the second Orc’s armor before taking it’s own weapon and beheading the one I had used to kill the first orc.  I then heard the roar of another orc coming from in front of me but it stopped midway before dropping dead, Fili’s sword sticking out of its back and Bard now standing before me.

“Always have my back.” I told him.

“As I know you’ll have mine.” I took Fili’s sword out from the orc’s back and that’s when I saw just down the hill from where we were.  

I gestured to Bard as we heard the cries of his daughters calling out to us.  Both Bard and I were relieved to see the three of them safe….but our relief turned to horror as a troll now set it’s large eyes on them.  I looked around till I saw a cart lying next to us.

“Bard!” I exclaimed as he came over and helped me get the cart right side up.  “Get on! And hold on tight!” he quickly got on and with a grunt, I used whatever strength I had in me to push the cart down the hill and Bard went riding full charge down the hill to save his children.

I turned back towards the orcs and saw that we were starting to get overwhelmed by them.

“FALL BACK!!” I cried out to the army of Laketown.  “Draw them to the Old clock tower!!” the men obeyed my command and they followed me back to where the old Clock tower once stood. There I knew some of our archers were hiding within the old tower and would rain down upon the orcs as many arrows as they could spare.

The arrows soon rained down upon orc after orc, cutting down the front advance.  The by some miracle I saw the white stallion Bard and I rode on was running right towards me.  I whistled for it and it rode faster towards me and I got onto its back and the two of us rode onward to cut off the side and rear end of the army.  Hopefully able to cut the army down to size for the Laketown army.

I leaned down stabbing and slicing any orc that I could reach with both my swords and even the horse seemed to join in as it used it’s hooves to strike down any orc that dared try to get close to me.  As I managed to behead two orcs already as the horse was just about to reach the rear flank of the army, it suddenly whinnied and flipped over sending me flying off its back and landing hard onto the ground.

I groaned as I knew my head had hit an old pillar that had long been knocked down from Smaug’s attack.  I shook my head trying to get my vision back to normal and I saw the white stallion with two orc arrows sticking out of it’s side.  

An orc came at me snarling and raising it’s spear ready to impale me through when it roared in pain as it dropped it’s spear.  It then roared again and actually curled inward before it was silenced and collapsed to the ground.

“Hela? Are you alright?” suddenly appearing before me was Bilbo.  Was I seeing things or did he just randomly appear before my eyes?  I know he’s a hobbit and can pass by unnoticed, but the way he appeared was like he had just transported himself there before me.

“Bilbo?”

“You were thrown pretty far and hit your head pretty hard. Even your temple is bleeding.” I reached up and touched my temple to see that Bilbo was right.  My fingertips were now coated in blood.  And bless this hobbit, he used his own sleeve to try and dab away at the blood.

“I’ll be fine Bilbo. That was impressive what you did.” I said stopping him from fussing over me.

“Well I couldn’t just let you be killed by some Orc now could I? You’re my friend and I—well I don’t want to lose you.” I smiled and cupped the side of his face.

“Nor do I you. At least not if it’s by old, old age.” He smiled at me.  “Come, we can’t stay here.” He nodded and we both raced off together, battling any orc that came near us or the other.  I’ll even say Bilbo’s impressed me with his fighting skills, he was indeed much better than he was in the Misty Mountains.  He even did a few of the combinations I had taught him.

However as the battle raged on, it forced all of us to walk over the corpses of the fallen soldiers and innocent civilians.  Now I have seen my share of war and know that lives are meant to be lost but this—never have I seen so many civilian casualties in war such as this.

So many women, so many children, and elderly men who could no longer wield a sword like they once did.  It broke my heart seeing the fallen bodies of Men and Elves.  And of course I could sense the deceased spirits of the Dwarves.

This war alone will be the one that I’ll always remember as the bloodiest and cruelest of all for it also had to take the lives of so many innocent souls as well as well-trained soldiers.

As Bilbo and I managed to get through the city, we soon spotted Bard and Gandalf talking with one another.

“Get some bowmen up into those towers.” Gandalf said pointing to the nearby watch towers, but Bard answered brokenly.

“There are no bowmen left.” Gandalf slowly turned to Bard and for the first time I saw his face morph into complete helplessness and he collapsed to sit onto some ruin rubble.  Like someone had taken his last stretch of hope, and like a table cloth rip it out right from under him.

Bard’s eyes held such sorrow, broken hope, and despair. As he spoke his next phrase, I could just feel the hopelessness in his voice.

“I let myself imagine this city restored. We would take what had been destroyed and rebuild it. We would wash away this sadness. And the streets…..would once again be filled with life. Full of hope.”

Oh Bard……maybe I put too much pressure on him to bring him here to his ancestral home.  While I too, would wish this city to once again be rebuilt into the glory that it was so long ago, with the events now unfolding maybe now it was not Dale’s time to resurrect from the ashes.  I went to go to them but Bilbo ran past me and spoke up panting.

“No, no, no, no, no, no. Come now. Don’t despair.”

“What would you have us do?” Bard asked.  Desperate for another option, a sign, a miracle even. Bilbo turned towards my old friends.

“Do?” he asked.  “Do?” he repeated incredulously.  He turned over to a patch of land muttering. “Here.” He then walked over towards it before saying out loud. “Here, I’ll show you.”

He set his sword down, brushed his hands together before kneeling down and began to dig into the earth.

“Bilbo.” Bard said taking a few steps towards the Hobbit and that’s when Bilbo pulled out an acorn.  He showed it to all of us before planting it inside the hole he had dug up. “What is that?” Bard asked.  Bilbo buried the acorn under the earth and snow before turning back to Bard and replied in a firm, wise and strong tone.

“That’s a promise.” He stood up taking back his sword. “Beneath all that blood and dirt, there is a chance of new life. This may sound hopeless it may sound foolish but uh—really what else can you do when faced…with death? What can anyone do? You go on living.”

No wiser words could be spoken by anyone else, not even me. I stepped forward and came up to Bard. I cupped his face into my hands and I didn’t speak a word to him.  My eyes brimming with tears as I leaned my forehead against his, my nose softly brushing against his.

His eyes closed and I saw a couple of droplets of tears fall down his face but he took a deep breath in as he felt my faith in him pour into his very soul.

We stayed in that position for awhile before he felt ready to continue on.  I patted his arm and gave a firm nod and told him.

“Go slay some Orc, Bowman.”

“I’ll do you proud, Hela.”

“You already have.” I assured him.  He nodded and raced off to gather whatever soldiers remained and hold off the oncoming advance that still kept coming.

“You truly are a beacon of hope for the World of Men Hela.” Gandalf said to me.  He then turned to Bilbo and said. “And you Bilbo Baggins. No wiser words could’ve been said on my account. The small things really do count against the Forces of Evil. And you’ve shown me the ultimate proof in that. I had feared I was mistaken in choosing you to come along on this quest, fearing it would change you for the worse.”

“Well, Gandalf if I’ve learned anything on this quest is that yes while there is despair. We must always look toward the light to guide us. For if we keep living in despair and sorrow and grief—what new life can truly blossom in a world such as that?”

“My brother Phastos would’ve loved to have heard you say that Bilbo. As the Celestial of Creation, he’s helped motivated armies of many kinds, and he too believed in that philosophy. Even taught me and my siblings that too. Guess in a way, I’m able to see him through you.” I placed my hand on his shoulder.  “I’m glad to have met you Bilbo Baggins.”

“And I you, Hela.” He said placing his hand on top of mine.

Soon the sound of a loud horn pierced the sky, but it was no Orc horn.  Nor was it an Elf horn.  It sounded off again, a deep, bass-like blast and it came from the Mountain.

“Thorin.” Bilbo said.