#ottobiography

[randombubblegum]

i haven't read aws' book but your tages on the skateboarding gif made me wonder how much he talks about otto in it and what he says #awtto4lyfe

HE TALKS ABOUT OTTO SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH HERE ILL POST THE PASSAGE IM TALKING ABOUT FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE

#awtto4lyfe

[aro-throughyourchest]

JACK: *laying awake at 12 am* If a guy is named Otto, and he writes a story about his life, is that his Ottobiography?

BILLY:

BILLY: *sits up in bed* I will pay you to stop talking.

-

CLIFF: If a lady named Mim writes one, is it her Mim-oir?

BILLY: *throws his pillow across the room* SHUT THE FUCK-

[zerokiller1628]

Otto Von Bismarck missed out by not calling his book “An Ottobiography”

[babblish]

wip asks!!

how it works:

post the names of the files in your wip folder (regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous)

let people send you an ask with the title of what most intrigued them

post a snippet or tell them something about it

tag as many people as you have wips (if you want)

I was tagged by @dreamcrow, sorry for the slight delay in responding. Limiting myself to active and semi-active non-E rated ToA wips to narrow this shit down because I have wips for days. I'm adding the folder AND folder name for now. IN SEMI-CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER;

📂Under the Wave 📄 Origins of Morgana (Final Arc; the least wip-y of my wips) 📂 Camelot and Killahead Fic 📄 The Green Knight 📄 The Aftermath of the Battle of Killahead 📂 Under the Sun 📄 Ottobiography; Daughters of Magic 📂 Drabble Challenge 📄 Drabble Challenge 2024

Tagging: @creativenicocorner @megan0013 @renee561 and anyone else who wants to join in.

[babblish]

😅- a line that made you feel second hand embarrassment

Oh my god, the one that probably causes me the most second hand embarrassment was Otto's rant in The White Rabbit. This entire paragraph makes me want to pull out my hair to this day.

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit, Chapter 11 Berlin Headquarters. Under the cut because 1) spoilers, and 2) mortifying things to yell in public

Scaarbach marched up to Kozlóv and spat in his general direction, “Sasha! How dare you? How dare you! You made a promise to me and here I find you stabbed me in the back! It’s bad enough that you told everyone how I warmed your bed! I only did that because you’re my superior and it was below freezing! But how is it that I heard from two other changelings lies about my actions? That I shat myself when I tried to kill Velima? What’s wrong with you? That is the kind of slanderous lie an egg would tell! Do you have any idea what you have done to my reputation?” At that point, he didn’t even care that people could overhear his words.

[babblish]

👀, ⭐️, 🎲!

Favourite response to one of my works. 🤔 Just about every response is my favourite, but one of my highlights isn't a response but a pattern of responses. It DELIGHTS me to no end that your response to Under the Wave, Chapter 5: Tides of Fate was uncharacteristically short, which mirrored your also uncharacteristically short response to Primordial Awakenings, Chapter 3: The Love and Loss of Beautiful Things. The sheer amount validation knowing the chapters that details the deaths/rebirths of the characters I am intentionally foiling hit roughly the same has been a highly of my week. 👏

How do you get your inspiration?

It's a combination of listening to very dramatic music all of the time, and thinking a completely normal amount about characters and situations I wish we could have seen/would have made more sense imo.

Your favourite chapter/part from a multiparty series?

😳 Oh damn I might cheat and pick an part from a couple because I STRUGGLING to narrow it down.

Bellroc's freak out when Nari went missing in Primordial Awakenings — Deleted Scenes. (Chapters 11-14)

The upcoming chapter in Under the Wave where Skrael unceremoniously reminds Morgana of their divinity. (Chapter 10 - The Pyschopomp of Aeons Past)

Just all of Bodkin from Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit.

Chapter 37 and 38 from Whispers Within when shit gets real and then Strickler goes on an hilarious audiobook binge.

[babblish]

May we hear about the Vienna Encounter? :O -Sunny 🌻

Thanks for your reply @sunnymusingsao3 and oh god of all the wips the Vienna Encounter is probably the hardest explain, because it requires one to be familiar with both Uhl fic and Ottobiography. I'll do my best though.

Ottobiography; The Vienna Encounter

Context; It's the early to mid '90s and Scaarbach is staying in Vienna on his way to Shiraz. By sheer coincidence he manages to run into a much younger Uhl who is in his mid 20s and drunk after breaking up with his first boyfriend. For some reason Scaarbach experiences an Emotion and lets the stranger crash in his hotel room, while both of them are aware of how fucking shady this looks (which is why Uhl uses his mother's maiden name I never actually used in Uhl fic but did put into the profile for... some reason, and his canon first name, because I went with Johannes after Trollhunters simply did not name him beyond a surname.)

[Note; I may not actually publish this in full because it's a long way off ahead of where I currently at and the wip is disjointed and doesn't fit neatly into the plot, but if you look carefully at Uhl fic you will see some references there. Also I am putting this under a cut because this post got long and it has potentially adult framing.]

Scaarbach led the young man through the vast foyer of the hotel and flagged the attention of the lone attendant at the front desk. The young drunk held onto the counter, swaying gently and barely able to keep his eyes open.

“I’m in room 184,” Scaarbach explained, reaching for his wallet.

She looked the youth up and down distastefully and turned to Scaarbach, “No guests.”

Scaarbach rolled his eyes, “Add him to my account. He’s not a guest, he’s a… friend of the family.”

The attendant sighed, “Fine, name and I.D. sir?”

“That’s you,” Scaarbach hissed under his breath.

“Oh uh…,” the young man grimaced, “K - karl, yes Karl… uh… Leu - Leutzinger,” he fumbled in his back pocket and slammed his wallet on the immaculately polished counter, “I.D…,” he mumbled, pulling out random cards, “Ah! I.D,” he announced, handing his card over with a lopsided grin.

The attendant took the card, frowned, looked up at the young man and then back to Scaarbach, “Ah…,” she said carefully, “Karl Leutzinger, yes. I need to photocopy this if you don’t mind,” she said, taking the card and dashing off into the back room behind her, “Sorry about that, sir,” she handed over the card, a look of distaste on her face.

Young Karl didn’t seem to notice or care about the attendant’s distaste, focusing all his attention on fumbling the contents of his wallet back into place. ⁂ Scaarbach bounced up and down on his heels as they took the elevate up to his floor, panicking slightly over what he thought he was doing. In the harsh light of indoors, young Karl was frankly a mess. His face was still puffy from crying, and he had been cut on the side of his brow, probably when the children had knocked him to the ground. His clothes were scuffed and unpleasantly damp, and his shoes had seen better days.

It was plainly obvious what it looked like he was doing, and in some ways Scaarbach would have preferred being seen as some kind of predatory pervert rather than what he was actually, to his absolute horror, doing out of the goodness of his brittle heart of stone. ⁂ “The bathroom is through that door,” Scaarbach explained, “And the kitchenette up that wall,” he gestured vaguely with his hands as he flicked on the chic minimalist lamps, and turned off the lights.

Young Karl let his gym bag fall onto the ground and fell forward onto the queen sized bed. He buried his face into the bedding, shuddering slightly.

Scaarbach tried to ignore the kid’s exhausted sniffling and grabbed a pillow, throwing it to the chaise lounge in front of the entertainment unit. “There’s a shower,” he hinted gently.

Karl pulled himself up and rubbed his blotchy face, “God, I’m sorry. I might still be a little drunk,” he giggled.

“There’s pyjamas and robe in the wardrobe,” Scaarbach gestured in its direction near the bathroom door, “They got my size wrong,” he shrugged.

The young man stumbled to the bathroom, stripping off his shirt and coming back to grab the complementary robes, “Okay,” he muttered, shutting the door behind him.

As young Karl bathed, Scaarbach ripped off the top blanket, folded it in half and draped it over the chaise lounge. He climbed into his pyjamas and slipped into bed, playing solitaire on his laptop to the soothing sounds of falling water in the distance. Despite the proximity to a human, it was almost serene. The young man emerged from the bathroom, still slightly damp and looking sheepish. He stumbled over and climbed onto the bed, sitting right up next to Scaarbach with his legs under him and avoiding bashfully eye contact.

Scaarbach turned to face the kid annoyed, “Yes?” he asked.

“I uh…,” Karl mumbled, “Are you single?”

Scaarbach snorted despite himself, “That’s… irrelevant to you.”

“You’re wearing a ring,” Karl explained quietly.

Scaarbach looked at it critically, not entirely sure how the drunk young man could have possibly seen it, “Yes I am.”

Young Karl shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with his fingers, “Does your wife know what you do in Viennese hotel rooms?” he asked carefully, avoiding eye contact.

“My wife?” Scaarbach snorted, “She has no idea.”

“Oh,” Karl replied softly, “Do you have any idea how much it hurts?” he asked, his voice breaking.

Scaarbach frowned at the young man, “You’re twenty four,” he sighed.

“That makes it worse!” Karl insisted.

“I’m not interested in you, you drunk baby giraffe!” Scaarbach slammed his laptop close angrily.

Karl jumped back, flinching, “I’m not a baby giraffe,” he folded his arms across his chest defensively, his expression threatening to burst into tears, “Fuck!” he exclaimed, bending forward until he faceplanted into the blankets, “I’m such an idiot!” he sniffed, “What’s wrong with me?”

“You’re twenty four,” Scaarbach explained with feigned patience.

“When does it get better?” Karl asked, his voice muffled.

Scaarbach looked into the mid-distance and tilted his head, after hundreds of years on the surface his experience had led him to only one conclusion. “It doesn’t.”

[babblish]

Slides over a piece of paper with "meeting the witch"

Thanks for your prompt reply, and Oooooooo excellent choice.

Ottobiography; Daughters of Magic - Meeting the Witch

Context; It's the mid to late 19th Century and Scaarbach is working as the music instructor for his changeling protege, Freya. Frau Auguste is her familiar's aunt, Eugenie her familiar's cousin. Scaarbach finds himself lured to their location in the dead of night.

Auguste nodded, a strange expression on her face, “I’m pleased you came, the rite isn’t the same without someone like you.”

“What do you mean ‘someone like me,’ my lady?” Scaarbach asked.

Auguste bowed her head and walked a careful circle around him, “There is… fire in you, I’ve heard it in your music, I can see it in your eyes. It will serve my rite well.”

“What rite?” Scaarbach demanded, taking a step back.

Auguste smiled knowingly “You will see,” she replied as she slowly spun on her heels, bending back so as that her long hair grazed upon the stone flooring beneath them. She raised her hands into the air imploringly, twisting her wrists and splaying her fingers as though she reached into luxuriant watery depths. A hum filled Scaarbach’s soul as the two witches circled him, their eyes emblazoned with emerald fire. Soft voices echoed in the air, singing in words beyond Scaarbach’s experience. He tried to pull away from the spell but found himself bound on the spot. Instead of fear or annoyance, he was lulled as though drugged and could think of nothing else but the words that grew louder, the beat of a drum that wasn’t there, and the two witches that had enthralled him.

From the ethereal folds of her cloak, Auguste pulled out a sickle that looked as though it had been crafted from moonlight itself. With the sickle in her hand, Auguste struck out into the air, carving the nothingness that clearly had profound meaning to her. Eugenie slipped in through the open wound and disappeared for but a moment. She returned within seconds, holding something that seemed for all intents and purposes be quicksilver, bound to a form by forces unknown. The dance stopped and they circled him like predators circling their prey.

Eugenie held out the silvery vial, her hand almost shaking from nerves, “You must drink it,” she urged him.

Scaarbach took a step back, stopped only by Auguste who stood behind him, “I want no part of this!” he insisted.

“It’s not poison,” Auguste replied, her voice as soft and smooth as butter, “It is an elixir for the rite, it will infuse you with the magic we need.”

[babblish]

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder*, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it. And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I was tagged by @dreamcrow and oh god do you have any idea how many wips I have? Bare with me while I go hunting, Please bear in mind that I may have already shared literally everything within some of these wips, and I’m only sharing the ToA ones because we don’t want to be here all day.

Ottobiography (Broken up into sub docs because so many words)

The Daughters of Magic - The Letter before the Move

The Daughters of Magic - A Rough Start

The Daughters of Magic - Meeting the Witch

Pursuit of Stone - Part One - Letters

Vienna Encounter

The Origin of the Arcane Order (Primordial Awakenings)

Unreleased ToA Wips

Arcadian Witch - Early Days (Unreleased Witch!Lenora Fic)

Arcadian Witch - Home Magic (Unreleased Witch!Lenora Fic)

Homework Squad (Unreleased Uhl Fic Prequel) 

The Origin of the Arcane Order (Baby Morgana Origin Fic)

I have some other toa wips but they are... mostly notes I won’t lie, there’s not really a whole to share yet.

Tagging: @sunnymusingsao3 @sidhewrites @ashenhartkrie @creativenicocorner @megan0013 @nightrosebud @seagullandcroissant! and anyone else who wants to join because I am not counting all my wips in this au, you can’t make me. Yes I did blatantly steal most of Crow’s tags, sorry for double tagging but also 😎

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 39; And the Day has Come

Kozlóv meets with Scaarbach one last time in his home and place of business. The two share a slice of chocolate cake, speak of what it means to be pairbonded over such an oath, and think ahead to the future. All things must come to an end sooner or later, and for the couple, that day has come. The 15th of June, 1872.

The building was empty for the first time in a very long time. The humans had packed their things and left, long faced and bitter, but they knew nothing of the terror that gripped Scaarbach like a vice. He sat in the kitchen, eyes fixed on the kettle on the stove, waiting, just waiting for the time to come. His mind raced, desperately begging him to go through with what he had planned, but he had agreed to two conflicting arrangements and his flesh and stone fought within him for dominance.

He made himself a tea, sweetened liberally with honey as he had no further use for it, and sipped it in silence, breathless in dread. His old clock ticked, far slower than his heart beat, legging bouncing, eyes unblinking.The side entrance creaked open and Scaarbach leapt out of his seat. Kozlóv smiled nervously and closed the door.

“Are you ready to do this?” Kozlóv asked, “The carriage is waiting to go.”

Scaarbach looked up at him, imploringly, “Not yet…,” his eyes widened at the show of weakness, “No! I mean… I had all this food in the pantry, and we can’t take it with us, and I was waiting and waiting,” he smiled hopefully, “I thought it would be nice to have a meal with you, once last time before we leave this place forever.”

Kozlóv gave him a complicated stare, “We don’t have time, Ottokar.”

“Sasha, it’s only a chocolate cake, how long do you think it would take us to eat a slice?” Scaarbach demanded nervously, desperately trying to hide the quaver in his voice.

Kozlóv grunted, “Fine.” He sat at the kitchen table, biting his lip as Scaarbach uncovered the cake he had panic baked that morning.

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 36; Suspicions

Kozlóv turns up at Scaarbach’s door one night, injured and unwilling to talk. Scaarbach is naturally alarmed and has no idea what he’s supposed to do in such a situation, but eventually Kozlóv tells him something Scaarbach simply refuses to believe.

Scaarbach crossed his arms and just stared at his assistant, “Please take little Hermann home, Emil. I am very tired and I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Emil stood up and put away his project very quietly. He turned to Scaarbach as he stood at the door, “How do you know about Achilles and Patroclus?” he asked so softly Scaarbach had to strain to hear him properly.

“Hermes is my father,” Scaarbach replied bluntly.

“Oh,” Emil frowned, “I - I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then, Herr Bach?”

“Keep yourself safe, Emil—” Scaarbach sighed, laying out the frockcoat for the morning, “— and keep our little man safer.”

Emil nodded his head, understanding, and then disappeared down the stairs.

Not particularly wanting to face discordance first thing in the morning, Scaarbach took an extra few moments to tidy up the remnants that were scattered amongst the workroom, pausing to listen to the idle chatter of Frau Fey, young Hermann and Herr Wirthe from down in the kitchen.

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 37; A Sweetness Unlike Any Other

It’s 1871 and the years have been festering within Scaarbach like an infected cyst. When an unexpected guest turns up at his door he decides he’s had enough and is determined to make things right, one way or another.

Scaarbach poured himself a glass of wine, and relaxed at his kitchen table. His human and changeling duties completed for the day, he free to be himself, whatever that meant. The wine itself was not good, but that was no matter, he sat happily reading his paper containing fashion predictions for the next season, waiting until he felt hungry enough to cook for himself.

There was a frantic knock at the door and Scaarbach sighed, sitting down his glass of wine and making his way to the side entrance. He took a deep breath, gathered his humanness to the forefront, and opened his door.

“Ottokar! Hello! I am entering your house!” Kozlóv beamed brightly, taking Scaarbach into his arms and spinning him around the kitchen before Scaarbach could so much as blink in protest.

“Sasha?” Scaarbach fought with him limbs to be put down on the ground with the dignity he arguably deserved, “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you!” Kozlóv chuckled, “I missed you!”

Scaarbach slithered out his grasp and slammed the door shut on the off chance his neighbours could see them both. “What’s wrong with you?”

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 33; The Heart of Janus

Within the core of the vampire den, Scaarbach and Kozlóv find what they were looking for, however Scaarbach has to use his wits in order to retrieve the artefact and escape intact without the help of his changeling companion.

There was a green flash of light and Kozlóv ran, shoving Scaarbach to the ground. The remaining vampires lunged at him hungrily within seconds. Scaarbach hurried to the Heart of Janus, wrapping himself around it, avoiding Kozlóv as he switched back and unleashed his frustrations on the arguably innocent vampires that had no idea what hit them. When he finally braved opening his eye, Kozlóv stood in a sea of blood that stank, quite unexpectedly, of goblin remains.

“Is that all of them?” Kozlóv grunted, barely out of breath at all.

Scaarbach nodded gingerly, not really knowing what lurked beyond.

“Are you safe?” Kozlóv asked, his voice entirely different in tone.

“Of course,” Scaarbach scoffed, “Trolls don’t have any soft spots for them to bite.

 “Yes we do,” Kozlóv said matter-of-factly, switching forms once again as he made his way back to the narrower end of the tunnel.

 “What?” Scaarbach asked weakly, “What do you mean?” he added, slightly more desperately.

 Kozlóv said nothing, only chuckling as he made his way ahead of them.

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 28; Berlin and Back Again

It’s the New Year and Scaarbach is ready to say his goodbyes to the changelings at the London Headquarters, but he’s not sure he’s ready to return to Berlin and all that lays waiting for him in the place he once considered home.

Catwadder pulled an envelope out from her long velvet cape, “When you next speak with the Dragon, I have a little something that may be of interest,” she handed the letter over, “Don’t bother trying to read it, I highly doubt you’ll be able to break the cipher, and even if you did, I doubt you’d understand what is written.”

Scaarbach quickly stashed the letter into his coat pocket, “Lady Waddingham, you insult me.”

“Oh that wasn’t an insult,” Catwadder glowed smugly, “If I were to insult you, I’d have chosen to dig at something far more personal.”

For the briefest of moments, her eyes darted across to Kozlóv. It was possible the others hadn’t noticed, but Scaarbach knew exactly what she was implying.

“I don’t doubt it, lady Waddingham,” Scaarbach exhaled nervously.

Catwadder winked vivaciously, “Then we have nothing left to say. Send my warmest regards to Sidonia and Angelitha, I suspect it will be many years before I see their faces once again.”

“Of course, lady Waddingham,” Scaarbach bowed again.

With that Catwadder nodded her head curtly, glossy black ringlets bouncing, and turned on her heels. The soles of her shoes crunched on the pebbles underfoot, and her long cape trailed majestically behind her, her snow white skirts fluttering underneath like a tantalising secret.

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 34; Momento Amori

Kozlóv and Scaarbach escape the vampire den with the Heart of Janus, and emerge to face a starlit sky. They lick their wounds and talk about their goals in life, and Kozlóv tells Scaarbach a secret or three that changes how he views changelings forever.

Somehow the last few steps to the surface were the hardest. With the Heart of Janus in tow and their pockets stuffed with as many jewels and trinkets they could carry, the mission could have been considered a resounding success. But both were exhausted to their stone, and Kozlóv had been injured in the tunnels before there was space for him to change. They dragged themselves up the secret entryway to the vampire warrens that lay hidden beneath the castle ruins and pulled themselves up on to the rubble that remained on the surface.

The air was clean. The sky was awash with deep purples and vermilions, the last remains of the sun casting brilliant echoes of colour onto the clouds that lazily passed them by.

Wordlessly they trudged through the ruins and made their way to the carriage that had been turned aside in their absence. Scaarbach lit a fire, needing only three attempts in the summer air, and the two settled by their makeshift campsite uneasily, uncertain if they were truly safe. Kozlóv lay on his back on a bloody bedroll and under the light of the fire, Scaarbach could see how truly hurt he was.

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder

[babblish]

Under the Sun — Part One: The White Rabbit AN OTTOBIOGRAPHY

Fandom: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)   Rating: Mature   Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships/Characters: Otto Scaarbach/Original Character(s), Otto Scaarbach & Original Character(s) Theme: Historical Drama, Espionage, Assassination, The Janus Order is a Cult, Character Study Regarding Cognitive Dissonance and Self Policing

Chapter 35; The Orange and the Oath

It’s 1857 and Scaarbach is pleased to welcome Kozlóv into his home. Much to Scaarbach’s protestations Kozlóv has a gift for him and is eager to make a nuisance of himself in any way he can.

The two fell into unspoken contentedness, neither particularly invested in the idea of idle conversation, but enjoying the other’s company all the same. Kozlóv sat there, occasionally glancing across at the door guiltily and fiddling with the memento mori on his finger.

Scaarbach looked across at Kozlóv, frowning at a small hole he just noticed in the lining of his waistcoat, “What is the instrument in aid of?”

“Oh?” Kozlóv smiled sheepishly, “I found her.”

“You stole a guitar?” Scaarbach wondered if he could catch it with his needle rather than have to go through the effort of patching.

Kozlóv shrugged, “She’s an orphan, I couldn’t leave her on the side of the road like that.”

“Soft,” Scaarbach scoffed, unable to keep the smirk from his mouth.

— Life in the Janus Order isn’t easy, but becoming its Grand Commandant is even harder