#Lens formula experiment

[rajansmoorthy]

Experiment: To Determine the Focal Length of a Convex lens by Plotting Graphs Between u and v and 1/u and 1/v

Focal length of a convex lens: Objective To find the focal length of a convex lens using the lens formula by plotting u and v graph 1/u and 1/v graph Focal length of a convex lens: Apparatus and Material Required Convex lens (let’s assume f=10 cm) Optical bench with 3 uprights (with clamps) Optic needles Meter scale Spirit level  Focal length of a convex lens: Ray Diagram Focal length of a convex…

[formulakracing]

celebratory drinks - f.a.

pairing: journalist!reader x aston martin!fernando alonso

word count: 938

warnings: a little bit of cursing, nando being a flirt, alcohol use (the champagne pop), references to alcohol consumption

song inspo for the fic: sky walker (feat. travis scott) by miguel, travis scott (i just think this one is so nando coded)

"there he is," your voice is clear, yet your hand trembles as you grasp the microphone, "i think now is my moment. there's no one else approaching him."

"well what are you waiting for?" camren, your trusty videographer and assistant whispers, "go, go, go get him!"

"okay, okay!" your jaw clenches, the words barely making it out of gritted teeth.

before you stands spanish driver fernando alonso, donned in his signature aston martin fire suit. it's gorgeous emerald hue is darker than usual, dampened by the champagne showers. his dark locks are dripping, sticking to the back of his neck underneath his cap.

yet, he's as gorgeous as ever, stubble ghosting along his jawline, his brows knit in concentration as he speaks with lance stroll, his fellow driver and teammate.

you take a step forward, swallowing the lump in your throat. it was now or never. the perfect window to interview him for only a few minutes before he would be whisked away to the designated media room for the post-race press debrief.

"mr. alonso!" you call, "is it all right if i speak with you for a few minutes? i won't take up too much of your time."

at the sight of you, the corners of his lips curl upward into a radiant grin, "of course! i'm in no rush, actually. you can stall me a little before i have to go debrief."

a giggle bubbles up in your throat as you tap your badge, "although i do have a media badge, i do want let you know that this is going to be a very relaxed, very informal interview. i run a youtube channel that covers all things formula one. we talk a lot about you, actually."

"oh?" he arches a brow, "is that right?"

heat billows into your cheeks as you realize what you just blurted out. in front of one of your idols, no less. yet, you don't sense discomfort from the driver. if anything, he seemed more intrigued, his eyes taking you in as you sucked in a breath.

"well, we're doing a bit about your history with formula one," your voice is tad shaky, but you regain your confidence as he nods enthusiastically, "and of course, we're currently covering your time with aston martin. so, i wanted you to tell me if there was anything unique about your experience with aston martin thus far."

the driver blinks, processing your question for a moment. he brings a hand to his chin, shrugging slightly, "i think i can say that this team has been able to welcome me in with open arms. i'm sure you know that there is a lot of talk in the world of formula one with my age and all that, but they have been nothing but accepting and supportive."

"what has been your favorite moment of the season thus far? anything exciting or funny you'd like to share with us? also, when are you going to bring back that infamous celebratory dance?"

at the mention of the dance, there's a glimmer in his eye, "oh, so you know about that?"

"of course i do," you affirm, "our channel is dedicated to the history of formula one. i'm supposed to know it all, from the historical wins to the celebration dances."

"i can recreate it for you if you would like," he offers, his shoulders relaxing, he points to the camera, earning a laugh from camren, "here, watch this."

he pinches his shoulder blades together, raising his arms so that his elbows and wrists were angled. he sways back and forth, maintaining eye contact with the camera lens.

you can't help but laugh, the sound ringing out, "you're pretty ridiculous, mr. alonso."

"please," fernando waves a hand, "no need for the formalities bullshit. call me fernando."

"all right, fernando," you beam, "well, i think that's all i have for you. i didn't want to keep you for too long. i know you're a busy man."

that's when the driver pauses, taking a second to really look at you. his gaze rakes over your body, his tongue swiping along your lower lip.

for the race, you opted for a comfortable yet sort of glam look. on your top half, you sported a plain black t-shirt, the material a breathable cotton. denim jeans stretched down your legs, a mom-jean like style so that the thick fabric didn't cling to your frame. to compliment the shirt, you wore a black belt, pairing it with black adidas sambas. your hair was pulled into an updo, so that it wouldn't be all over the place or unkempt from the breezy conditions.

"you can come interview me whenever you would like," his tone shifts, his voice a little lower than it was moments before, "actually, how come you didn't question me sooner? i would've loved to see your gorgeous face around the paddock."

"like i said," your heart skips a beat, "you're a busy man, fernando."

"not busy enough for a gorgeous woman like you," he flirts, and you were sure your knees buckled at the statement, "what are you doing later?"

your eyes drift over to camren, who luckily had paused the recording, "i'm not too sure, why?"

"because i would love to take you out and buy you a couple of shots. to celebrate, you know."

"you're the one who was on the podium. if anything, i should be the one buying you shots," you fold your arms across your chest.

"oh no," he shakes his head, "no need."

"and why is that?" your brows furrow.

"because beautiful women don't buy their own drinks."

[astrolook]

🔮 Profection Year + Progressed Moon = Your Life's Secret Formula 🔮

🌟 Note: These are my personal observations over the years, so take what resonates and toss the rest in your spiritual recycling bin ♻️😌 This post is based on Vedic astrology, but keep in mind: Profection years and progressed moons(every 2.5 yrs approx.) are used in both Western and Vedic astrology. I just personally find they align more accurately for me through the Vedic lens. 🌙🔭

💍✨Every time I calculate for marriage predictions, I always start with the combo: Profection year + progressed moon. That’s my go-to Launchpad 🚀 Only after that do I start looking into transits (the real cosmic tea 🍵)

Honestly, I’ve never talked about this here before, but it’s such a game-changer I had to finally post about it. So here we are. Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments 💬💫 Would love to know if this clicks for you too!

Source: Pinterest

Now here’s the part I haven’t talked about before 👀👇 When it comes to marriage, we usually check the 2nd, 7th, and 11th houses. BUT... you can totally tie the knot during your 4th or 10th house profection year too, as long as the 7th lord is chilling in that house or at least casting its gaze 👁️✨

Let’s break this down by Ascendant (because yes, it matters a lot), but before that, quick reminder:

🪐 In Vedic astrology, every planet has its own unique way of throwing aspects (they don’t all follow the same rules like in Western). For example:

Jupiter aspects the 5th, 7th, and 9th houses from its position 📚🧘‍♂️

Saturn throws its gaze at the 3rd, 7th, and 10th houses 🧱⏳

Mars brings the heat to the 4th, 7th, and 8th houses 🔥⚔️

Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Venus only aspect the 7th house directly across from where they sit ☀️🌙💬💖

Rahu and Ketu do not cast aspects at all in traditional Vedic astrology, just vibes and chaos 🌀👻

For Aries ASC, your 2nd and 7th lord is Venus. So wherever the Venus sits or aspects, that will be also a significant year for you when you're planning to get married. Let's say Venus is in 10th house Capricorn and aspecting 4th house Cancer from its position. Now, you can get married when you're in your 2,4,7,10,11 house profection years. 2,7,11 is the go to profection years for marriage predictions but experienced astrologers check the 7th lord position and its aspects too.

For Taurus ASC, your 7th and 12th lord is Mars. Check where Mars is sitting. Let's say it's in 8th house Sagittarius, now you count this house as well along the houses mars aspects from it's 8th house which is 11th,2nd and 3rd houses. Now, your profection years for marriage would be 2,3,7,8,11 houses.

For Gemini ASC, your 7th lord and 10th lord is Jupiter. Let's say Jupiter is in 7th house itself. Jupiter will be aspecting your 11th,1st and 3rd houses. Now your profection years for marriage would be 1,2,3,7,11 houses.

For Cancer ASC, your 7th and 8th lord is Saturn. Let's say Saturn is in 4th house. Saturn will be aspecting your 6th,10th and 1st houses. Now your profection years for marriage would be 1,2,4,6,7,10,11 houses.

For Leo ASC, your 6th and 7th lord is Saturn. Let's say Saturn is in 12th house. Saturn will be aspecting your 2nd, 6th and 9th houses. Now your profection years for marriage would be 2,6,7,9,11,12 houses.

For Virgo ASC, your 4th and 7th lord is Jupiter. let's say Jupiter is in 5th house. Jupiter aspects your 9th, 11th and 1st houses. Now your profection years for marriage would be 1,2,5,7,9,11 houses.

For Libra ASC, your 2nd and 7th lord is Mars. Let's say Mars is in 1st house. Mars aspects your 4th,7th and 8th houses. Now your profection years for marriage would be 1,2,4,7,8,11 houses.

For Scorpio ASC, your 7th and 12 lord is Venus. Let's say Venus is in 8th house. Venus will aspect your 2nd house. Now your profection years for marriage would be 2,7,8,11 houses.

For Sagittarius ASC, your 7th and 10th lord is Mercury. Let's say Mercury is in 3rd house. Mercury will be aspecting your 9th house. Now your profection years for marriage would be 2,3,7,9,11 houses.

For Capricorn ASC, your 7th lord is Moon. Let's say Moon is in 4th house. Moon will be aspecting your 10th house. Now your profection years for marriage would be 2,4,7,10,11 houses.

For Aquarius ASC, your 7th lord is Sun. Let's say Sun is in 9th house. Sun will be aspecting your 3rd house. Now your profection years for marriage would be 2,3,7,9,11 houses.

For Pisces ASC, your 4th and 7th lord is Mercury. Let's say Mercury is in 11th house. Mercury will be aspecting your 5th house. Now your profection years for marriage would be 2,5,7,11 houses.

After calculating your profection year, we have to look where your progressed Moon currently residing in. If it's currently residing in any of your profection years, we can see a high potential to meet your FS or move in together or even get married.

PART 2 of this post will be about Progressed Moon observations in each house along with some house placements. Progressed Moon residing in houses with planets in it will be of great importance as well. Let's see about that in the next post! Progressed Moon can be predicted not just for marriage events but also for a woman hitting puberty, pregnancy, foreign settlement, career, buying properties/investments, etc.

Wanna go deeper into the layers of your placements? DM me for a complete astrology reading or a 5 year/8 year marriage report or synastry reading🌙💬 and check out my pinned post for pricing + details 💫💸

Let’s decode your cosmic chaos together ⭐

[our-queer-experience]

I'm not Aro or Ace, probably the exact opposite-- I'm poly, bi, and have a high sex drive-- but I follow a lot of aroace blogs and have friends who are on the aromantic and asexual spectrums.

Y'all are honestly so smart and I find your perspective on things super valuable. You've opened my eyes that the relationship formulas I grew up hearing about aren't the only options, there's so many more ways to be a person and to have relationships with others. Because our lived experiences are so different, you're able to show me things I might not have ever considered on my own.

While I do enjoy my romantic and sexual relationships, it's nice to know that I have so many more options than that. For every person I know, our relationship with each other is its own shape, and I'm glad for it. I love so many people in so many ways, and I feel like y'all taught me how to better appreciate the different forms my love can take.

Also y'all have the best memes! Seriously, top tier.

I also love when y'all analyze media through an aro/ace lens, you always find such interesting perspectives and it's really fun when you give me a new angle to look at a story through. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!

Consider this a platonic love letter to the aroace community. I genuinely think you make the world a more wonderful place just by existing as you are.

thank you for sharing!

[petr1kov]

silent hill f was the project i was most excited about in this franchise and i'm very happy with what was shown! it's incredibly refreshing to see how they've been envisioning a different approach for the game from the very start, instead of playing it safe and leaning towards the therapist town cliché for the umpteenth time. it's nice to see they want to take a risk, for once, especially after they played it safe with a silent hill 2 remake.

the fact that ryukishi07 claimed to spend a lot of time trying to understand what makes silent hill be silent hill is very encouraging to me too, because i've always believed that the franchise's identity was something that was not as closely tied to the town as the title suggests. in fact, they've been trying to depart from it as early as silent hill 3, by making half of it take place somewhere outside the town, and followed that with silent hill 4 not taking place on silent hill at all and having its only connection to the town happen through lore. because of that, the idea of a silent hill that takes place in japan does not seem as alien to me as it does to some people.

i think they have a good chance of doing something interesting with this and getting to the core of what makes silent hill unique by shaking up the traditional formula. the only thing that really worries me about it is that this kind of david lynch/stephen king inspired portrayal of small town america was always one of the core aspects of these games, and i wonder how that'll come across in such a different setting. still, ryukishi07 said he worked carefully to maintain the sense of confusion you get from the silent hill games and the strange dialogues, so i think they can make it work in a different way.

all i hope is that they keep some direct connection to the original games through the supernatural -- it doesn't even have to be through 'the order' of the original games, but something in that ballpark. the supernatural elements are surprisingly neglected whenever the topic of 'what is silent hill's identity' is brought up (usually, people just favor the psychological aspect of the series), but i really think that it's the glue that holds every game together, this strange and primordial evil that manifests itself in different ways over the years. seeing how the cult of silent hill is canonically a mish-mash of occult practices with other religions, with a lot of its iconography being influenced by the christian beliefs of the colonizers of that land, it would be very interesting to see a cult or worship of these familiar entities and practices manifest in silent hill f through the lens of traditional japanese religions. by the looks of the trailer, that seems to be what they're doing, since shrines feature heavily in it.

honestly, no matter how it turns out, i'm very curious to play it. this is definitely the most interesting thing silent hill has done in ages, and if it ends up working, it could change the way the franchise is seen for good. it's bound to be at least an interesting experience, imo

[maxdibert]

I don't get the idea that Severus is "the one character that it's important to keep as a white straight man"... Like, why? What do they mean?

It's important that's he's white so he can be a former death eater? That doesn't make sense, because race isn't the same as blood purity. Also, who says you can't headcanon him as asian or other race?

It's important that he's straight because of his relationship with Lily? But he could love Lily and still be bi/pan. Or asexual. That changes nothing. Not to mention that he's very queer coded, as many people have pointed out.

Who am I kidding, I know what they mean. They want Severus to be a cishet white man so it can "make sense" that he joined the death eaters. So it looks like he is "privileged" compared to everyone else. Which is ridiculous, considering we are talking about someone who grew up in poverty. How is that your average "privileged white man"?

The more I think about it, the more it strikes me how desperately these people cling to that monstrous image they’ve built of Severus and how, in order for it to make sense in their heads, he has to be a white, straight man. Like, that’s not a coincidence. It’s literally the only way they can maintain that flat, one-dimensional, almost propagandistic version of him. Because, of course, if you start adding layers, if you acknowledge that he’s working-class, that he grew up in an abusive home, that he possibly had mental health issues, that he was marginalized and isolated as a teen then suddenly the “pure evil” narrative doesn’t hold up anymore. It doesn’t fit their symbolic scapegoat mold.

And that’s where it gets interesting, because what they’re doing —whether they realize it or not— is reducing the human experience to this hyper-individualistic, neoliberal formula where only certain identity markers matter. In their minds, being white and male automatically means being in a position of power, always, in every context, like race and gender are the only axes of oppression that exist. As if class, poverty, trauma, neglect, or mental illness don’t count. It’s a logic that comes straight out of hegemonic U.S. discourse —the kind of stuff that’s been exported worldwide through social media— where “white man” equals top of the food chain, no questions asked. But that logic doesn’t work everywhere.

Because no, being a white man in liberal US society is not the same as being a white, working-class man in a caste-like society disguised as a democracy, like Britain. The HP world is clearly modeled on British aristocratic structures, where class is everything. Blood status, last name, old money... that’s what determines your place. What good is whiteness if you’ve got no money, if you live in a grimy little house on Spinner’s End, if your dad beats you, and your classmates mock you because your robes are second-hand? Race won’t save you from that. Being a man won’t protect you from public humiliation, loneliness, or social contempt. But these people don’t get it, because they’re viewing everything through the lens of Twitter USA 2020.

And then there’s the most disturbing part: this obsession with “rewriting” characters. Like, giving a character a different ethnicity or sexual orientation isn’t a problem in itself (in fact, it can be interesting in many cases), but here, the subtext is twisted. What they’re doing isn’t reinterpretation, it’s moral laundering. It’s using oppressed identities as moral shields. As if being gay, or racialized, or trans suddenly made your actions immune to criticism. As if belonging to a minority group automatically made you a better person. And that’s not just a childish view of the world, it’s a dangerous one.

Because what are they really saying, deep down? That if the abuser isn’t white or straight, then it’s not abuse? That if someone from a minority attacks someone from the “dominant” group, then it’s fine? Then it’s not violence? And that’s deeply disturbing. Because it implies that they’ve truly internalized the idea that abuse only exists when it comes from above, and never in reverse. That power is only ever structural, never situational, emotional, or interpersonal. But that’s just not true. Abuse is abuse, no matter who commits it. And no, turning the victim into a symbol of dominant hegemony doesn’t make your violence any less violent. Even if that “dominant” victim is a poor, traumatized, working-class teenage boy. Apparently, none of that matters.

The logic is absurd. And the worst part is it’s not innocent. Because behind all this, there’s a desperate need to justify certain symbolic (and sometimes literal) forms of aggression under the excuse that they’re aimed at “the enemy.” But if you need to turn another person into a flattened ideological prop just to feel good about hurting them then you’ve already dehumanized them. And honestly, that’s what’s terrifying. And, certainly, that's so close to fascist mentality. The actual one, the REAL one.

[arkashas]

tbh will not loving hannibal but desiring him and being conflicted about his attraction to him - in every sense of the situation here seems not impossible. After all bedalia was emphasising how hannibal was deep distracted by him but he seems to be more simmering in rage and vengeance for having been seduced and letting his shell of humanity die out

sorry anon, I disagree. and i'm going to get in depth into why i disagree. verrry in depth. first we gotta examine the whole show through a narrative lens.

it's hammered into us the whole show that hannibal and will are mirror images of each other. and that's also true for the respective arcs/journeys they each undergo.

take for example, season 1 and season 2. season 1 is about will allowing hannibal to see him and being manipulated and betrayed by hannibal. season 2 is about hannibal allowing will to see him and then being manipulated and betrayed by will. season 3 is actually two seasons condensed into one, because the show was cancelled and they didn't have the budget to stretch the whole thing into two seasons. that means season 3a and season 3b follow the same formula as season 1 and season 2, with the two seasons being reflections of each other.

season 3a is the season where hannibal tries to live without will, and fails. he absconds with bedelia, then slowly realises his life is empty without will and tries to get him back. but, at the same time, he also realizes how terrifying his love for will is for him, because it causes him to "betray" himself, i.e. lose the control he's always had over his emotions and his life, and this is terrifying to someone like hannibal.

dolce is the episode where both hannibal and will want separation from each other for different reasons. hannibal because as stated, will upended his life and makes him lose control, and will because his magnetic attraction to hannibal makes him feel and act like a murderer, as chiyoh helps him understand.

it's hannibal who almost succeeds in this when he saws open will's head, but he's interrupted by mason verger. later at the verger estate, when alana sets him free, hannibal still has an opportunity to let will die and save his own life. and he doesn't take it. he chooses to save will, mowing down like 13 of mason's associates to get him. he risks getting caught tucking him into bed, and then gives up his freedom for will.

all of this is hannibal making a decisive choice. it's him realising will is more important to him than anything else in his life. remember what he says to dolarhyde about reba?

he's talking from experience. he's no longer worried about feeling love for will, he wants him alive. because will is more important to him than his self control, than his comfort, than his luxuries, than his freedom. everything.

so that was hannibal's attempt at rejecting his feelings for will and then him subsequently giving in to his feelings for will. a self contained arc within the show.

as I mentioned, hannibal and will are on twin journeys, which means will will follow the same arc as hannibal.

just like how hannibal runs off with bedelia, will marries molly, but he's unfulfilled and secretly longs for more. will giving up his perfect life of fishing and dogs and choosing to go back to the "madness" hannibal warns him about in his letter mirrors hannibal getting fed up of his perfect life in florence of art and dinner parties and wrecking it in favour of will's company.

will's attempt at killing hannibal was stopped by chiyoh, just like how hannibal's attempt at killing will was stopped by mason. so will trying to get hannibal killed at dolarhyde's hands is the actual attempt at separation that mirrors hannibal having an opportunity to let will get killed by mason and cordell, and just like hannibal tried to kill will because he makes him "betray himself", will tries to kill hannibal because, once again, he was sucked into hannibal's orbit, and that led to the attack on molly and walter and chilton's immolation. hannibal brings out the "enemy inside" that will tries so hard to repress.

and finally, will saving hannibal from dolarhyde mirrors hannibal saving will from mason and cordell.

WHICH MEANS, in TWOTL, will is now at that stage hannibal arrived at in digestivo. where he's no longer worrying about his love for hannibal, and is choosing to have him alive. when hannibal asks him, "save yourself, kill them all?" he answers with this:

this quote is further put into context by what will says to hannibal in su-zakana:

will doesn't know if he can be saved from being who hannibal perceives him to be - a killer. in a more literal way, he's also saying he doesn't know if he can kill hannibal and dolarhyde to save himself from hannibal's influence and from certain death at dolarhyde's hands. and he says, maybe that's just fine. when he saves hannibal from dolarhyde, kills dolarhyde together with hannibal, and goes over the cliff with hannibal, he's made a choice. it's no longer a maybe. he's accepted he can't live without hannibal and be without him. he's given in. he's given up everything for hannibal just as hannibal did for him.

and when he killed dolarhyde with hannibal, that was the greatest moment of will's life. will finally understand what hannibal wanted to show him all along - and he says it's beautiful. is he mad his humanity died out? well yeah, but he's never felt this fulfilled. it's something worth giving up his humanity for. will also can't really stay mad at hannibal, no matter how hard he tries, and in TWOTL i never got the sense he was simmering with anger and hatred. all i see from him is resignation. and finally, relief and acceptance.

so at the end of season 3, will has realised he can't kill hannibal by proxy - he couldn't watch hannibal get killed by dolarhyde. he can't kill hannibal with his own hands - he tried in dolce, it failed, and the whole reason he co-opted dolarhyde into his plans was because he knew he wouldn't be able to finish the job personally. he couldn't even keep away from hannibal while hannibal was in prison, which was an attempt at separation without having to kill hannibal.

the cliff dive becomes will's last and final attempt at separation, and since it's confirmed they live, he no longer has other choices open to him. all that's left is making peace with his love for hannibal and trying to build a life with him. which is what season 4 would have been about, will diving headlong into his life with hannibal and whatever it entails. and given how fuller and co. have spoken about that season, the plot seems to be about will's mind fracturing and possibly entering alternate realities to deal with the murder husband identity while he's on the run with hannibal. and season 5 is when will is apparently happy, so I think they're somehow going to reconcile will's darker side with his lighter side. somehow!

I think I went off on a tangent here, but this is why will continuing to fight his feelings for hannibal, resenting him and trying to kill him, etc. doesn't make sense to me post season 3. it would be played out. it would be frustrating when we've already seen 3 seasons of will denying hannibal and himself. and lastly and most importantly, it wouldn't fit the narrative arc set up.

remember, hannibal never diverts after he gives in to his feelings for will. he doesn't hurt will again even when will threatens his sense of control (except emotionally) - he sends dolarhyde to the cabin when will isn't home. he agrees to the plan to fake his escape even while expressing doubts to alana about his own safety and telling jack he's aware will will wreak vengeance on him as the lamb of god. he let's will threaten him with getting killed by dolarhyde and doesn't do anything when he's shot until will makes a move himself.

so that's why i don't agree with hugh dancy that will wasn't motivated by being in love with hannibal in season 3, whether he meant that will wasn't aware of the love, whether will wasn't acting on the love, or whether will wasn't accepting of the love. will's own words and actions show he is aware of his feelings for hannibal, at least by TWOTL. will leaving everything in his life behind to bring about hannibal's escape, saving him from dolarhyde, and then embracing him and going over the cliff is him acting on that love and him accepting that love.

you can't say "will was on a personal journey, realising things about himself, and that was more important than his relationship with hannibal" because will's relationship with hannibal is will's relationship with his darkness and desires. you can't separate the two of them.

[anzuhan]

anzu feels like anzu has to talk about anzu's recent growth in art because it seems as though there's a lot of misconceptions on the topic at hand, so anzu wants to give anzu's own opinion on how anzu's art 'suddenly got so good' as of late. long post under cut 💛

anzu has been an illustrator for 5 years or so now, and it's true anzu's art wasn't always this great, however it also wasn't that bad either; anzu was still able to make pieces that are incredibly well made as far back as, anzu would say, 2021-2022. below are two examples please check alt for more info

anzu has just been very prone to changing styles and experimenting a lot, and anzu has to say, whatever anzu is into at the time also Always has played a very big role into how anzu's art looked at the time. Though, for now, anzu really wants to have a style reminiscent of 2005-2013 era of fanarts that were very common back then, as well as also breathing new life into the style with a few changes to the formula (such as how anzu likes drawing thicker lineart) ;

something that was not talked about at all when anzu had mentioned the growth was mental health. anzu has been in a very steady decline in it the entire year of 2024 until anzu has discovered len-hai 💛 which has made anzu the happiest anzu has ever been in a long time. anzu's most popular works are sadly from the early 2024 period, in which anzu was severely depressed, and it shows harshly in the arts; they are unclean and all rushed, only posted for the sake of 'they'll do well anyway so anzu does not have why to have them look better'. anzu hates all the art from that period. there is no love put into it. examples in difference below

- drawing of shiori during that time vs after anzu would say anzu has rediscovered anzu's self

- anzu's most popular piece vs the redraw of it now in this new period

- two large pieces with a lot of characters

it's not like anzu had forgotten what skills anzu had prior, and it's also not due to the fact that anzu wanted to try new things, yes, that was a thing but it does not excuse the lack of care put into the drawings from back then ; anzu is also not being harsh on past anzu now, it's simply that anzu just was in no well headspace at all back then compared to now.

so no, it's not that anzu had gotten so obsessed with len that anzu's just drawn len enough times until anzu's art got to immaculate levels, anzu had already long obtained these skills, anzu just was nowhere near this happy ! and anzu just got all the much happier over time due to len-hai, so that's why even len compared to the first ones anzu's drawn last year are much better looking now. anzu enjoys drawing every piece, anzu loves drawing, anzu loves making other peoples lives happier as well through them, and anzu takes the time with each piece now so it can look the best it can be !

not only that but, besides feeling like anzu finally has a place where anzu belongs now, anzu has also just simply never had an art style of anzu's own before — whether it was to mimic the style from a game series or another artist anzu has liked over time, it was always apparent. but now, anzu just has anzu's own style which is exactly what anzu has ever wanted it to be ! anzu always wanted to draw with more exaggerated proportions, with larger eyes, anzu likes drawing things cute... anzu likes taking inspiration from all those fanarts from all these years back with the many patterns and the collage feel to them ! anzu also managed to both keep the thick lineart anzu loves working with and attain a general clean anime style and feel to it that would not make it too cartoony, which anzu is very happy with.

thank you 💛

[remembertheplunge]

Letter to the Future

12/13/1987. 10pm. Sunday

The year slips by—Will a future reader pass this way? Will you observe me through your own lens darkly or lightly? Do you think that life goes on after death? Is there life during life? How do you live fully? Do you, as witness, step back and enjoy the passing parade of “YOU”? Or, what is your technique to do more than just survive, if you do? To live an enhanced, blessed, miraculous and joyous existence—is your formula different from mine? To just be you of you—to follow the rhythm of the whale’s tale deeper and deeper into being. Breathe in and hold it 2 seconds. Exhale and hold it 2 seconds. Do this over and over. Envision the whale undulating down this way—in hale. That way—exhale.

 Or, envision the gentle ocean rolling---

Moving ever

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down

Down to a point of one meeting all.

Let’s trade notes if you have any.  If you’d like to share, oh future reader, even and especially if that future reader be a me of then. For, you might as well be an entirely other person. We are so removed from one another in time and in situation. You’ve got the experience. I’ve got the hopeful innocence. Let’s share and strengthen. GOD BLESS!

End of entry

[ars-theurgia]

Anarchy & Apathy (things we should probably learn from Eurovision 2024)

(tl;dr – a review of the voting process is critical; Croatia should have won)

It’s a rare year that sees a consensual Eurovision winner. It is to be expected – the contest is not only a competition of musical taste, but also of musical identity. There is more than simply genre, melody or vocals at play, as these are often filtered through the lens of national sensibility. At face value, a stereotype of geopolitics; at a deeper level, the actual cultural wealth of each European region. 'Our neighbours', etc. To which of course, theatrics and gimmicks are added, in the hopes of standing out from the rest of the crowd.

This is what makes, or should make, watching Eurovision a positive experience. Which this year, failed spectacularly on all counts, leading to a problematic, underwhelming and polarising edition, derailed on Thursday night and crashing its way through apathy and anarchy all the way to the grand final.

Apathy, because it seemed to want to get away with being apolitical. Anarchy, because it failed to carry out apolitical acts.

And from each side, its worst attribute, resulting in what feels like a bland and uncomfortable watch.

This year, Eurovision attempted (and in my view, failed) to manage itself by allowing too many paradoxes to take place. Glaring inconsistencies, arbitrary exclusions, aloof silences, inability (or lack of desire) to address core issues and legacy accusations – a broken code. A program in error, glitching and ineffectual, all under the symbolic and literal guise of “neutrality” – which doesn’t stick. And worse, seems to negate the actual positive aspects of the show, this year neutralised themselves.

This isn’t to say Switzerland did or did not deserve the win – the voting conditions of both jury and public are clearly stated, and in theory were applied. The jury voted, the people voted, and the winner was chosen.

But unlike other years where a similar pattern of voting distribution could be considered ‘curious’, and where ‘the safer song’ wins over the public favourite – see Käärijä 2023 – this year’s jury results feel unjust not only to the runner-up, but to the vast majority of contestants. And by extension, the viewers.

Stage presentation was ignored (see UK for the extreme example, and Ireland for a less radical, visually incompatible result).

Vocal performance was ignored (see Norway’s Gunnhild/Gåte for the extreme example, along with Portugal’s Iolanda; Germany’s Isaak, possibly the strongest vocalist in the competition this year; Israel’s Eden Golan for the complete disregard of vocal ability over nationality).

Radio-friendly potential was ignored (see Luxembourg’s ‘Fighter’, Cyprus’ ‘Liar’, Italy’s ‘La Noia’, Austria’s ‘We Will Rave’ even).

Resulting once again, in a surprisingly cohesive jury vote that deems Switzerland’s ‘The Code’ as the winner, over the fifth place that the public attributed it.

Being neutral is not the same as being objective. And while objectivity is difficult to gauge in a contest where musical taste and national identity (not to mention global politics) are part of the formula, there is a case to be made for the fact that Eurovision and the EBU’s passivity and top-up decision making reflects poorly on the Eurovision experience.

Recurring discrepancies between jury and public voting should be addressed. Because a jury’s role (in Eurovision and elsewhere) should not be of neutrality, but of objective action.

In objective action, a contestant cannot be excluded without a proper justification, to date only explained through vague declarations and heavy speculation (see Netherlands).

In objective action, and in a self-identified democratic continent, the people’s paid vote should inform the winning result over a closed group of juries (see Croatia’s disproportionate second place).

In objective action, rules must be enforced equally to all contestants (see Ireland, who had to remove part of their presentation, vs. Portugal, who was allowed to show a message through nails).

And in objective action, microphones should not be silenced; contestants must be allowed the freedom to be judged by the people listening, and not on what the EBU determines should be judged.

Until that’s learned, processed, addressed, reformed – why watch for disappointment?

[evileyedoll]

LOST LOST really is 2023's theme for me. I spent most of this past year on my PhD project, so my output has been quite scarce overall - certainly so compared to the industriousness of years past. When I had chances to draw this year it was often like a gasp of air amidst a sea of my other efforts. "What's the next step forward?" I think at times. Consider the center drawing my face of course, because in real life I look like if cannonbolt was a sad refridgerator.

I started a new physical sketchbook and made some breakthroughs in my personal illustrations, but nothing I'm happy to share - in previous years I didn't have as much nervousness to experiment in public. Anyway this feels like a good opportunity to do a bit of a retrospective on the last ones of these I did.

In many ways 2022 was the best year of my work, I both did my most challenging (and correspondingly complex) pieces this year, and had the confidence to make several things a week. Past the initial few months I had really started to hone my mix of solid shapes, lineart and linelessness thats ubiquitous in my pieces now, though I wonder if I have grown too comfortable with the stability of a partial formula.

One disadvantage about only choosing nine pieces was that in wanting them to look good together I had to exclude a series of the coloured background pieces that interspersed the dark background ones. In those, I felt like a lot more of my effort went into the shape language, so there was a synergy with both approaches letting me understand things.

In 2021 I started using colours instead of grayscale, that years inktober could almost be said to be my best work, there was both a variety and scale to it..I drew something virtually every day for almost three or four months straight and crucially, I also shared it all after I was done. It really felt worth it planning art ahead, but also spontaneously filling the blanks it in the moment. That being said maybe that productiveness was not sustainable because I'd have very little time for much else after school, work and art.

Late in that year I realised I could just draw the things I like if I wanted, instead of the things I thought people wanted - so some of the later pieces really resembled discount warframes. That game has so deeply hooked itself into my visual library that I draw it even when I'm not intending to, and so when I started deliberately trying to evoke it (with very fledgling art analysis skills), I think I got more and more familiar with what I wanted.

In 2020 I was just starting out so I did not yet recognise there was something specific to aspire to - I dont have a retrospective montage like these other years for 2020. You can see virtually every piece I've ever uploaded on my instagram page, so I think I might not narrate as much about those in this post. Maybe in the future I'll review all these years through a completely different lens.

[formulatrash]

at the risk of being part of the madness in your inbox, i firmly believe much of the hate for Stella, Vowles etc. comes from people who do not have experience (largely through age, i suspect) of senior leadership in effective organisations, but do have plenty of access to the extremely online concept that being polite to or about someone while being critical of them is inherently and at all times a form of abusive manipulation, and the conception of F1 teams as some sort of family rather than a highly competitive workplace.

(see for example a lot of the reaction to how Vowles spoke about Logan Sargeant to the media - the flip from "daddy Vowles and his gentle parenting" to "this is straight-up emotional abuse" as the words grew more critical but the tone changed.)

combine this kind of thinking with the profound psychological effect that lando's big brown eyes and emotional openness have on many (i am admittedly not immune), and it's easy to create a narrative in your head that he's being treated unfairly - statements like Stella's at the weekend pointing out that Lando's needed to learn and improve on weaknesses over the season morph into projections that either he or the viewers are being gaslit by Stella's apparent calm and decency.

Zak Brown's whole "McLaren family" bit definitely doesn't help with this because it's very apparent that he would be perfectly happy to sell one of his drivers to Silicon Valley for one corn chip and a shiny sticker on the front wing.

so yeah - given the choice between managers who are (a) aggressive shouty bastards that leave everyone demoralised (b) ruthless cunts who act nice then break your spirit (c) slick political operators who prioritise efficiency over growth and (d) reasonable, polite people with high expectations that make you want to live up to them, i'd go for option (c) every time, but i suspect that if you haven't had the experience of the first three types and are looking at them through the lens of non-professional relationships, it's harder to identify the behaviours or their impacts.

or i don't know, maybe i'm reading the situation completely wrong.

I think these are all good points - I do think James Vowles is an interesting outlier case amongst the quiet engineers because he's got Mercedes habits at Williams (which is interesting because eg: Stella and Mekies don't really have Ferrari habits at their teams?)

where Vowles deserves to take some heat over Sargeant is Australia. it was the wrong call to give Alex Logan's car, even if he'd scored points it was just the wrong thing to do. unfair pressure to put on Alex and just a devastating blow to Logan, from which he never really came back and that's pretty understandable. there's really no bigger vote of no confidence you can give someone than saying honestly we think it's better if you don't drive.

what he then said about Logan, as his season deteriorated, was (unfortunately) just true. it wasn't nice but it was what was happening. as someone who really rates Logan I actually wish he'd been fired earlier since being dragged across the season unable to do anything to turn things round was firstly horrible to watch and secondly is the sort of thing that has a man needing 3-4 seasons in Formula E to recover from.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

A snapshot of relativistic motion: Special relativity made visible

When an object moves extremely fast—close to the speed of light—certain basic assumptions that we take for granted no longer apply. This is the central consequence of Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity. The object then has a different length than when it is at rest, and time passes differently for the object than it does in the laboratory. All this has been repeatedly confirmed in experiments.

However, one interesting consequence of relativity has not yet been observed—the so-called Terrell-Penrose effect. In 1959, physicists James Terrell and Roger Penrose (Nobel laureate in 2020) independently concluded that fast-moving objects should appear rotated. However, this effect has never been demonstrated.

Now, a collaboration between TU Wien (Vienna) and the University of Vienna has succeeded for the first time in reproducing the effect using laser pulses and precision cameras—at an effective speed of light of 2 meters per second. The research is published in the journal Communications Physics.

Einstein's length contraction

"Suppose a rocket whizzes past us at 90% of the speed of light. For us, it no longer has the same length as before it took off, but is 2.3 times shorter," explains Prof. Peter Schattschneider from TU Wien. This is the relativistic length contraction, also known as the Lorentz contraction.

However, this contraction cannot be photographed. "If you wanted to take a picture of the rocket as it flew past, you would have to take into account that the light from different points took different lengths of time to reach the camera," explains Schattschneider.

The light coming from different parts of the object and arriving at the lens or our eye at the same time was not emitted at the same time—and this results in complicated optical effects.

The racing cube: Seemingly rotated

Let's imagine that the super-fast object is a cube. Then the side facing away from us is further away than the side facing towards us. If two photons reach our eye at the same time, one from the front corner of the cube and one from the back corner, the photon from the back corner has traveled further. So it must have been emitted at an earlier time. And at that time, the cube was not at the same position as when the light was emitted from the front corner.

"This makes it look to us as if the cube had been rotated," says Schattschneider. This is a combination of relativistic length contraction and the different travel times of light from different points. Together, this leads to an apparent rotation, as predicted by Terrell and Penrose.

Of course, this is irrelevant in everyday life, even when photographing an extremely fast car. Even the fastest Formula One car will only move a tiny fraction of the distance in the time difference between the light emitted by the side of the car facing away from us and the side facing towards us. But with a rocket traveling close to the speed of light, this effect would be clearly visible.

The effective speed of light trick

Technically, it is currently impossible to accelerate rockets to a speed at which this effect could be seen in a photograph. However, the group led by Peter Schattschneider from USTEM at TU Wien found another solution inspired by art: they used extremely short laser pulses and a high-speed camera to recreate the effect in the laboratory.

"We moved a cube and a sphere around the lab and used the high-speed camera to record the laser flashes reflected from different points on these objects at different times," explain Victoria Helm and Dominik Hornof, the two students who carried out the experiment. "If you get the timing right, you can create a situation that produces the same results as if the speed of light were no more than 2 meters per second."

It is easy to combine images of different parts of a landscape into one large image. What has been done here for the first time is to include the time factor: the object is photographed at many different times. Then the areas illuminated by the laser flash at the moment when the light would have been emitted from that point if the speed of light was only 2 m/s are combined into one still image. This makes the Terrell-Penrose effect visible.

"We combined the still images into short video clips of the ultra-fast objects. The result was exactly what we expected," says Schattschneider. "A cube appears twisted, a sphere remains a sphere, but the North Pole is in a different place."

When art and science circle each other

The demonstration of the Terrell-Penrose effect is not only a scientific success—it is also the result of an extraordinary symbiosis between art and science. The starting point was an art-science project by the artist Enar de Dios Rodriguez, who several years ago, in collaboration with the University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Technology, explored the possibilities of ultra-fast photography and the resulting "slowness of light."

The results may help us understand the intuitively elusive world of relativity a little better.

[ummick]

Mick Schumacher On Fashion, Le Mans and Fronting Tommy Hilfiger's New Campaign

It's a big year for sports, as the Paris Olympics near, tennis champs prep for Wimbledon, and the Euros inch closer. In the midst of it all Tommy Hilfiger is getting in on the action with the release of an International Games collection. Refashioning timeless icons for the new generation, the collection is a modern interpretation of the brand's 1996 capsule collection released to celebrate the Olympics arriving in Atlanta, reworking track-ready styles including archival varsity jackets, rugby jerseys and basketball vests in Tommy's signature red, white and blue. Speaking on the new collection, Hilfiger says: "The sporting calendar sets the cultural pulse for the year, and 2024's shaping up to be amazing. We're building on our legacy of working with pioneers in sport and reimagining timeless American icons through an archival lens." To front the campaign, the US house has turned to the global sporting stage to curate a team of athletes who embody the brand's spirit, including All-Pro NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs, college basketball guard Deja Kelly, star of the all-Japan skateboarding association Aori Nishimura, and Formula 1 driver and current member of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, Mick Schumacher. Ahead of the collection drop, in the conversation below we speak to Schumacher about his first memories of Tommy Hilfiger, his personal style, and prepping for Le Mans.

Ella Joyce: "What was it like working with Tommy Hilfiger? Do you have personal memories of the brand?" Mick: "It was great! Not only is it exciting to wear Tommy and to have attended the NYFW show with all the exceptional details, but to be a part of the campaign and the bigger brand story is just incredible. A personal memory for me is when the brand worked with Ferrari back in the day, before their current partnership with the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team. My dad used to bring back so much kit and, honestly, I was just running around as the best-dressed kid in school!" EJ: "How does the campaign resonate with you?" Mick: "I really believe Tommy was able to create something that brings both sport and style to the table. I'm sporty, I love to do my workouts and be active outdoors, and to be able to do that fashionably is so important. I was so happy to be part of this campaign with other athletes, too. It was amazing to get to know them better and see how their sport and personalities impact their individual styles." EJ: "Off the track, how would you describe your personal style?" Mick: "I think the best word would be 'changeable.' I love to experiment and try new things with my style. I think you can see this across my social media, but I would probably look different if you saw me on the street two days in a row. From a classic look to a more casual or baggy streetwear look, I love the creativity that comes with personal style. It's so fun."

EJ: "You're currently competing in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. How's it going? What's coming up next for you?" Mick: "Yes, we just had our first race in Qatar, a ten-hour race! It was the first time I had to be on for that amount of time while learning and experiencing that type of race, but it was an interesting run. We learned a lot as a team. One of the cars even scored points, so it proves that we're on pace and the project is moving in the right direction, especially as everyone is gearing up for Le Mans." EJ: "Do you have any pre-race rituals?" Mick: "I don't, actually. It depends on how I'm feeling in the moment. If I'm nervous or stressed, or whatever it is, I'll always try to adapt to what's happening. Maybe one day I'm nervous so I have to work on calming down, and another day I'm too calm so I have to pump myself up. It all depends on the day."

EJ: "You're photographed alongside a host of other athletes for the campaign. How do you think your generation of athletes compares to generations which have come before?" Mick: "I think we are really different to athletes from the previous generation. Of course, social media and phones have made an impact, but it's also because we're so precise about what we're doing. We have strict training and a solid laid-out plan in front of us on how to achieve our desired results. We have so much research and information which leads our way, while back in the day it was more experimental." EJ: "America and collegiate heritage heavily inspire Tommy Hilfiger. Is there a specific place which inspires you?" Mick: "The racetrack. I've always been a part of it, from doing laps in a car to just being on the track. In terms of style, I've always been interested in fashion, most likely inspired by my dad at a young age; however, my girlfriend is heavily involved in the fashion world, so it's helpful when I need to know what looks good and what doesn't. Inspiration is all around, so it depends on where I look!"

[therealnachx]

~Sweet like a coffee~

Lance Stroll x Fem Reader

>Chapter 2<

…

They spent the afternoon talking, discovering they had much in common: a love for sports, music, and travel. Lance shared stories of his experiences in Formula 1, describing the thrill of racing and the places he had visited around the world. Clara, in turn, talked about her adventures as a travel photographer, sharing tales of remote locations and the people she had met through her lens.

As the sun began to set, Lance didn’t want the day to end. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” he asked, a mix of hope and nervousness in his voice.

Clara’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to.”

That evening, at a small restaurant overlooking the river, Lance and Clara got to know each other even more. They laughed and shared dreams under the stars, finding a deep connection that neither had expected. Lance found Clara’s passion for photography inspiring, and Clara was fascinated by Lance’s dedication to racing.

When the night came to an end, they both felt like they had known each other for much longer than a day. They exchanged phone numbers, promising to meet again soon.

…

XoXo Nachx~

[driftward]

Title: Blind Date Characters: Zoissette Vauban, Y'shtola Rhul, Y'mhitra Rhul, Ryssthota Sundstyrwyn, Apple Silverberg, Ement Vauban, Thancred Waters Summary: Zoissette and Y'shtola find themselves being roped into a blind date by their very well-meaning friends. Notes: August YOTP entry - Blind Date

Y’shtola picked up and examined the glasses carefully.

She had not been able to get to them as fast as she had liked, but with matters in the Thirteenth now well in hand, and her friend on their way to recovery, well. She now had time and means both at her disposal. Working on the glasses, restoring them to full use, would give her something to do in between writing reports on her experiences.

She examined them carefully, to gauge the work that would now lay before her.

It was to be a matter that was going to be more difficult than she had first surmised.

Fortunately, the glasses were not needed for corrective means, and so Zoissette would not be left blind while they were being repaired. That was where the good fortune in the matter ended, however. The glasses were special, and not as some mere fashion item. They had been carefully made, and then laden with a great many enchantments, many of which were tied to Zoissette’s aether, or had been instilled using formulae and techniques which were yet unknown to Y’shtola.

A challenge, but one that was not beyond Y’shtola’s unique qualifications. Even if she did not know some of Zoissette’s magical specialties to any depth, she was a master of aether itself, and could fair see the weavings of magicks deeply embedded into the lenses and frame. She could not replicate many of the magicks, but with care and diligence, she could shift them and restore them whole.

She turned the glasses over in her hands. The frame was salvageable, but would need a hinge replaced, and the metal carefully refurbished. One lens was intact, which was well. It would inform her approach to replacing the other, which was broken, the only remaining part being a large shard that stubbornly remained attached to the frame. The nose pieces, too, were more than just functional, and carried some magical energies that would need to be handled. Unfortunately, they had been partially melted in the laboratory fire, and would need to be replaced.

What had initially seemed to perhaps be merely an afternoon of due diligence was now looking to perhaps be a larger project, but it was of no matter. Zoissette would certainly not need them for many moons, and so Y’shtola had time. She would shift her focus between this project and the reports she had promised to make, and finish both with her usual aplomb.

She smiled to herself. This challenge was one she would overcome.

~*~

Zoissette was keeping herself busy.

As she worked, she reminded herself. Failure was not an option. Right.

It was a saying her old mentor was very fond of. Failure was not an option, he would say. Failure was mandatory, he would repeat, and often. The option, he opined, was in how one faced it.

It was well that such lessons were drilled into her early, with every hefting of her shield and every arc of her sword, every drill, every session. Otherwise, she would probably find her long string of failures even more distressing than they already were.

Like her most recent failure. With Mathye.

The ending of their courtship was almost certainly a good thing. She had tried, and she had failed. Love was supposed to grow where you watered it, so old Ishgardian wisdom went, and she had tried so very hard.

But in the end, that garden had lay fallow. She was willing to keep trying, as long as it took. He deserved it, and she could have made it work, she was certain.

But then all at once, all of a sudden, she realised she might already have a love.

She was not certain, but she had to be honest with him.

And so she was.

And so it hurt.

They had broken it off, and he was hurt, and she was the one who had hurt him, and that was frankly the worst part of the whole affair.

And so, now she distracted herself. Kept herself busy. Long hours in the vehicle bay. Consulting hours with those who wished an able adventurer to help them with their troubles. Anything that kept her out of Mathye’s way.

She had weathered many failures in her summers on the star. This, too, she would overcome.

~*~

Y’mhitra happily wiled her time with her friends in the Gage Acquisitions laboratory. Ryss was a good sort and an accomplished scientist, and Apple and her had a shared history of being among the privileged few who delved deep into Allagan ruins. They had caught one another up on various experiments they had running, Apple’s recent misadventures, Ryss’ good natured exasperation at her friends, and the conversation had turned from the scientific now to the more personal matters the three were dealing with. Apple was still in recovery, and Ryss was in between projects and thinking about what to do next.

“How’s Y’shtola?” asked Apple. “I feel as though I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Last I saw her, she was still writing up reports for the Forum regarding that misadventure in the Thirteenth.”

“And what an adventure it was!” said Ryss with a grin. “But all’s well that ends well, right? Can’t wait to apply everything we’ve learned. What a trip! I have so many ideas, I can hardly pick just one to work on.”

“And I think research into the Voidsent phenomena may help me with my condition,” said Apple. “It’s fascinating, really, how the people on the Thirteenth get along - what few that are left. I hope to get more chances to talk with Zero in the future.”

“And what about the rest of your little group here at Gage? Where is Zoissette?” Y’mhitra asked, taking a tart for herself.

Apple turned the faintest shade of red while Ryss shook her head with a laugh. “Oh, broken up over breaking up with Mathye. She’s burying herself in the vehicle bay these days when she can’t find someone else’s problems to stick her nose into.”

Y’mhitra raised an eyebrow.

“And how recent is this bit of news?”

“Been a bit. Sennights going into moons. Apparently she walked into the dining room when it happened, made a big announcement, then ran right back out. I swear, my girl doesn’t know how to do anything by half measures.”

“She’s been working a lot,” said Apple. “I kind of feel bad for her, but I’m not sure how to help.”

Y’mhitra sat her tart back down, as an idea formed in her mind, and she looked conspiratorially between her fellow sisters of science.

“Oh, I think I might have an idea,” she said, and she could not help but allow herself a bit of a wicked grin.

~*~

The glass turned out to be a key piece of the puzzle before her. She could not just source ordinary glass. It was a remarkable material that Zoissette had puzzled out, glass that was transparent but could be laden down with so much aether to support so many enchantments. It was more artifact than eyewear, puissant in its own right.

Fascinating. Her most powerful piece of adventuring gear, and it might not have been weapon or armor, but rather the way she looked at the world through these glasses. Zoissette was a marvel. Y’shtola smiled faintly to herself as she carefully set the glass into the refurbished frame. She squinted, and her fingers played in the air as she gently encouraged lines of aether to connect to this new piece, convincing the glasses that the new lens had been part of it all along.

She sat back, satisfied, and checked the chronometer. She had half a bell to spare before she had to be at the Last Stand. A lunch meetup that her sister had invited her and Thancred to. She sighed. It was enough time to get ready, but only just.

She was on time, of course. Y’shtola was ever a woman of culture, and fashionably late was a habit she did not nurture if she could help it. She had nothing to prove, after all, and she hoped others respected her time as much as she respected theirs. She found the two, placed their orders, and soon enough they were swapping stories and sharing food.

Y’shtola was pleased. Everyone was in high spirits, in the wake of all that had happened. Thancred had been keeping himself busy, of course, and while he tried to downplay the extent of his travails, she could tell he was pleased with the results of what he had been looking into. Y’mhitra, of course, pressed her for details about her time on the Thirteenth, and oddly, for once, was not prying too much into her personal life.

At least, not at first.

“So, sister mine,” said Y’mhitra conversationally as she poured Y’shtola another cup of tea, “I cannot help but notice that you continue on your trend of being in impossible situations facing unfathomable danger.”

She held a hand up before Y’shtola could offer a rebuttal. “And the star is ever better for it. I wonder, however, if you might not consider my words once more. This latest to hear you describe it was a frightful affair. And in your own words, no less! I am certain you are downplaying certain risks when they might paint you in unflattering light.”

Y’shtola inclined her head at her sister. “I assure you my recounting is ever accurate.”

“Perhaps so. But might you once more consider the advantages of sharing your considerable strength with another? I certainly would feel better knowing someone is looking after you in all the ways you yet refuse to look after yourself. I know you are strong, and you need not have me tell you so. But as the threats you face seem to grow ever greater, I wish you would join your strength with another.”

“A singular argument you oft have returned to over these many years, Mhitra.”

“In much the same way you keep being drawn to such great troubles, Shtola.”

Y’shtola stirred her tea thoughtfully for a moment, as she pondered her sisters’ words. Thancred for his part seemed to be staying out of it, politely drinking his ale and conveniently hiding his face behind the brim of his mug at the same time.

But at last, she set her cup down, to look her sister in the eye.

“…you are not wholly wrong,” she admitted.

Y’mhitra blinked, and Y’shtola resisted the urge to smirk at her sister’s surprise. “There is someone, then?”

“Many someones, if you must know,” said Y’shtola. She sighed, and waved a hand at Y’mhitra’s disappointed expression. “’Tis not what you meant, I know. But whilst I continue to keep my own counsel, I do find myself more often heeding the counsel of others these days. And you were right, though perhaps not in the way you meant. What I mean is… that I have learned. To share my strength, as you say. And to accept strength in return.”

She looked down into her cup and smiled at the many memories. “I feel that it was on the First that I truly learned what it was to be part of a community, to share and share strength alike - and more. I recognize now, that before, I ever kept myself at arm’s length, isolated from my fellow Scions. But after, well. Separated by the rift though I am from that clan, I fair feel our bonds are ever intact. Hence my efforts to find a way back, to keep a promise I made. And my bonds with my fellow Scions are so ever stronger for the lesson.”

Y’shtola held her cup up to Thancred in salute, and he bowed his head and held his mug up in return.

“These bond are made ever stronger in our travails. I would lean on any one of them as I would myself, and you are right. We are stronger for it.”

Y’shtola thought of Zoissette, and felt herself smile. “And others, aside. I am in good enough company, sister.”

Y’mhitra sighed. “That is all well and good, and it does truly reassure me to hear this change in you. But still. I wish you would find a partner. Someone who does not just shares their strength with you, but complements you. Someone with who perhaps you would find the sum to be greater than its parts. Someone special. Thancred, you agree with me, right?”

Thancred had been watching the exchange between the sisters with fascinated interest, but Y’mhitra caught him while he was taking another pull off his ale, and he near choked on it. Y’shtola raised an eyebrow at him as he spent some few moments coughing and spluttering before he cleared his throat

“Ah, I think you may have mistaken your choice of ally in this fight, Y’mhitra, and I believe I will be finding myself staying well out of it. Y’shtola shall do as she wills, and none can convince her otherwise. I know I won’t try to do so, as I rather enjoy having all my bits attached.”

Y’shtola looked to Y’mhitra, tilting her head at her.

“Unlike you to miscalculate so badly, dear sister,” she said. “What are you playing at?”

Y’mhitra looked desperately at Thancred, but he just shook his head. She slumped, and Y’shtola laughed at her sister’s misfortune.

“Or perhaps I have overestimated,” said Y’shtola. “Well. ’Tis of no matter. This has been a most pleasant afternoon, but I find I wish to return to my work. If you both will excuse me.”

Y’shtola placed enough Gil on the table to cover her costs, before giving the table a wave as she left. Y’mhitra looked after her, dismayed, while Thancred looked on, rather more amused.

However, once she passed out of sight, Y’mhitra turned to Thancred with a faint smile.

“Thanks for the help,” she said.

“Don’t mention it,” he said, picking up his ale once more. “Seriously, don’t, I could deal without her being mad about it later if she ever finds out about this little ruse.”

“Have to give her a victory or else she’ll get too stubborn to overcome,” said Y’mhitra, standing up and cleaning up after herself. “She really has changed over the summers, hasn’t she?”

Thancred shrugged. “We all have. I guess maybe I hadn’t noticed as much as I might, being right there alongside her for much of it… but now that it’s been pointed out rather explicitly, yes, I suppose what she said is true. I think she’s definitely more open than she used to be. Definitely closer with some of us. Not like that, though, before you get any ideas.”

“I have a rather specific idea, thank you very much. Still. This is a good start.”

“Think it’ll work?” asked Thancred.

Y’mhitra just smiled.

~*~

Zoissette was busy in the vehicle bay, plotting launch schedules and scheduling time for making more components on the fabricator. She could hear the comings and goings of others, but mostly ignored them. If someone wanted her attention, she would make time for them, but for now, her work was a pleasant enough distraction.

A loud boisterous voice called out from behind her.

“Hoi, Zoi!” it bellowed.

“Hullo, Ryss,” said Zoissette, not yet fully paying attention. She reached up to try to tap the rim of her glasses, but stopped her hand in time before she had a chance to thwap herself in the nose yet again. Not having them was taking some getting used to, but replacing them was going to be a project in and of itself.

She should finally buckle down and do that.

While she was musing, Ryss had come to hover nearby, looking over her shoulder. “Hey, got a moment?”

Zoissette looked over the console. Well, nothing was very urgent.

“Sure, Ryss. What is on your mind?”

Ryss looked at her thoughtfully, rubbing her chin.

“You’ve been keeping yourself awful busy lately.”

“There is an awful lot to do.”

“There’s -always- an awful lot to do, and you’ve been trying to do it all ever since you broke up with Mathye.”

Ryss had never been one to beat around the proverbial bush. Zoissette grimaced, and turned back to the vehicle control console.

“Girl, I’m not saying you have to get over him immediately, but you don’t have to keep beating yourself up about it, either.”

“I am not ‘beating myself up’,” said Zoissette.

Ryss let the silence stretch for a bit.

“You said you were in love with someone else,” she ventured.

“I said I thought I was in love with another. I say a lot of stupid things.”

“Now you’re definitely beating yourself up.”

Zoissette just looked askance at Ryss.

“Alright, fine, I’ll bite,” said Ryss. “Why d’you think it’s stupid?”

Zoissette fell silent, letting her fingers dance over the console controls. Ryss patiently allowed the silence to settle in for as long as it would take, and Zoissette at last turned the machine off. She turned to her friend, and looked up at her for a moment, before turning away again.

“Ryss,” she said quietly, looking at the floor, “I am not even sure I know what love is.”

“Oh, Zoi,” began Ryss.

“No, I am serious, Ryss. I understand what lust is well enough, I understand what the rush of hormones feels like, but that - I do not think that is love, that is just, well, a desire to swive, and fades fast. So that is not it. And I have read the storytales, of love fathoms deep, of a deep abiding desire or draw or … something. Of people saying things like, like, they would die for one another. Is that love? If so, then I love pretty much everyone. I would die for any one of you, Ryss, but that seems too easy, too… well. That is just the duty of a knight.”

“Maybe the duty of a knight is to love the world,” said Ryss mildly.

Zoissette paused.

“I think about that a lot, and have reached the same conclusion,” she said. ”But that is not the kind of love one builds a bonding out of. I just do not know. I … I remember, being told as a child, that love would grow where you tended it, like a garden. But do you know how many seeds I have planted? Relationships begun, and tended to, waiting for that love to grow. Hoping desperately for it to grow. To feel whatever it is that everyone else is feeling. To be something for someone like that.”

Zoissette threw her hands out to the side. “And I like plenty of people, Ryss, but like is not love, and I do not know what I am doing wrong, and I certainly do not know why I said such a foolish thing. I … I could have made it work. I should have been able to make it work! Mathye is a good man. And even without love, I would have been a good partner, and maybe we could have grown a love eventually.”

“And instead you’re down here in the vehicle bay punishing yourself for not being able to meet some metaphor that you don’t even know is right?”

“And instead I am down here in the vehicle bay where I can at least be useful in a way that makes sense and can be measured. Quantified.” said Zoissette.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me, girlfriend.”

Zoissette did not turn her head, but her eyes did find their way to Ryss’ face, which was good enough.

Ryss rested a hand on her shoulder. “You say you don’t know what love is, but I’m willing to bet you do. You just haven’t figured it out for yourself yet, but you’re smart like that. Never rushing into stuff before it’s time. But I gotta ask, how are you going to figure it out like this from down here?”

She smiled at her. “So you said you might love someone else. Wouldn’t it be worth finding out for sure?”

Zoissette did not respond immediately. But after a moment, there was a small smile on her face, a genuine smile.

She seemed to have more of those these days, despite everything.

“Maybe,” she said.

“Good enough for me,” said Ryss. “Hey, we can talk more about it later, alright? Wanna do lunch later?”

“Sure,” said Zoissette, powering the vehicle control console back on. Ryss took the hint, and waved as she headed out of the workshop.

~*~

Ryss and Apple met Y’mhitra and Thancred at a small eatery in New Gridania.

“I really wish I was not part of this little conspiracy,” groused Thancred.

“Rather too late for it now; you’re trapped,” said Y’mhitra, winking at him. He just groaned in response. “How did it go with you two?”

“I think she’ll be open to the idea,” said Ryss. “Just gotta arrange things so she doesn’t have a good reason to say no.”

Apple nodded thoughtfully. “If we can figure out a place, we can pick a time, and I can tie up the fabricator. They both spent a lot of time in Limsa, it’s very important to all of us. I’m thinking the Bismarck, or maybe the Missing Member - their chef won that one competition a few years back, right? Should be just as good if not better!”

Ryss shook her head. “Not the Missing Member. That particular cook you’re thinking of went on a star tour and I don’t think he’s returned yet.”

“Bismarck, then,” said Apple, looking thoughtful. “I’ll check their bookings and get back to you.”

“What about your side?” asked Ryss.

“She thinks she’s won the first round,” said Y’mhitra. “It’ll just be a matter of convincing her when the time comes. She certainly seems to have enough time on her hands, if I can just convince her to walk away from the Forum for a bit. And whatever mystery hobby project she’s up to.”

“I can help there,” volunteered Thancred. “It’s not any real mystery, you just don’t recognize what she’s working on. She’s fixing Zoissette’s glasses.”

“Oh, that sure is nice of her!” said Apple. “Zoissette keeps hitting herself in the nose.”

Y’mhitra looked at her questioningly, but Ryss responded. “Zoissette keeps the things loaded down with enough enchantments to choke a three-headed goobbue.”

“Well, in any case, I think this all bodes rather well for your scheming,” said Thancred.

“Indeed,” said Y’mhitra. “Well, once Apple gets us some dates, I think we can move to the next phase of our plan.”

“This is still rather too much cloak and dagger for my taste,” said Thancred.

“That’s rich, coming from you,” said Y’mhitra.

Ryss waved her hands. “Now, now. If those two had any chance of figuring this out themselves, they would’ve done so by now. We’re just letting out the sails a little to help them get out of their own way, that’s all.”

Thancred just shrugged, and Y’mhitra nodded. “Well. I think we know what each of us needs to do. Keep one another posted.”

“Right.” “Okay!” “Sure.”

Their conversation moved on to other topics while they continued their lunch.

~*~

She had already known that moving the enchantments over to encompass the new lens was going to be difficult, but even in that, it seemed that she had underestimated the work, and underestimated Zoissette, and possibly even overestimated her own capabilities.

Her unique sight gave her a special insight into aether, it was true, but the magicks woven throughout the glasses could not be explained by mere aetheric observation alone. The intricate weaving spoke to Zoissette’s deep mastery of Nymian mathematics and beyond. Feedback loops, unusual geometries, all leading to complex and deep combinatorics.

She practically had to move the spell works over mote by minute aetheric mote, checking as she went along, making sure nothing was lost.

A puzzle. A challenge.

It would be worthwhile, she decided, to make this a gift unto her friend.

A knock at the door went ignored. But as it persisted, she sighed. “You may enter,” she called out, setting the glasses down for a moment. She could probably use a break, anyroad, if she were honest with herself.

She smiled at Y’mhitra as her sister walked in. “Did we not have lunch a mere sennight ago? I was not aware you found me such good company. I promise I have not found any trouble in such a short span.”

“You are trouble enough left to your own devices, I should think. Thancred tells me you’ve barely left this room.”

“My report to the Forum must needs be exacting. I shall leave out no detail, no matter how minor I may think it. For if travel between the shards is to one day become a reality, then we would all do well to face it with as much preparation and knowledge as we can muster.”

“And I don’t disagree, but this can’t be good for you. All work and no play makes my sister an isolated old hermit rather too much like her former master.”

“I would hear you say that to her yourself.”

“I think not! Still. I think you could tolerate a day off from this drudgery. A day off, and around people, not mammets and books. What say you, Shtola?”

Well, she had been working fair hard for some days. And indeed, she was not quite sure when she had last sought company. Surely more recently than last sennight’s luncheon.

Maybe not.

“Let us say that I agree with you. Whatsoever are you planning?”

“Well… I was thinking … maybe you could go out on a date.”

Y’shtola looked at her sister incredulously. “Again with this? But my my, what an imagination you have if you think I have any potential candidates for such just now. Or have the rumors of supposed flirtations with voidsent fully taken on such life of their own as to reach my sister’s ears?”

“A blind date.”

At this, Y’shtola felt her expression and ears go flat.

“Certainly not.”

“Oh, come on, Shtola. Might be fun.”

“And whomst have you picked out for me?”

Y’mhitra just smiled at her, and Y’shtola shook her head. “You are still yet young to be able to still entertain such flights of fancy. I am rather busy, and I think I shall not be making time in my schedule for such frivolity.”

“Frivolity is the point, Y’shtola. Get out. Have some fun. Entertain a new face. Practice your famously sharp wit on them, I know that is a favourite pastime of yours. A decent night out, perhaps get a good meal out of it, have a good time, and for the love of the gods, actually get out of your room for a reason besides flinging yourself bodily into harm once more.”

“I think too much more of this conversation and I shall be flinging myself heartily back into my work.”

Y’mhitra tapped her knuckles against her chin, tilting her head as she looked thoughtfully at Y’shtola.

“I’ll make you a deal.”

“I am certain you have naught with which to bargain.”

“Do this for me, and I’ll leave you alone for a season.”

“As though you can resist the urge to meddle in my affairs.”

“Y’shtola,” said Y’mhitra, and Y’shtola took notice of the sudden change in formality. “We are women not only of the Jaguar tribe, but daughters of Rhul. Our word is as good as bond, for we could be no other way. And I, your sister, am worried about you. You grow older and wiser and you have your allies - for now. But you are not getting any younger, and I would not see my sister become another Matoya, as wise and capable as she is, all alone in a cave. Do this for me, and I give you my word, I shall not breath a word of finding you companionship for a season.”

Y’shtola desperately wished to go back to her work, but while she could match and usually exceed her sister’s stubbornness, it would mean time and effort she did not wish to spare just this moment.

And the offer was a tempting one. To not be pestered with such nonsense for a time. Though of course, Y’mhitra’s offer was, purposefully, a low one.

“Offer me one summer of such respite, and I shall -consider- your words.”

“Two seasons.”

“One summer, or I shall stay in my little room, blessedly alone, continuing my important work, and shall delight in frustrating your efforts the entire time.”

“…fine,” said Y’mhitra, scowling. “I would leave the matter closed for one summer, but if and only if you put forth a good faith effort. You never have to see them again, but see them the once, at least.”

“If I say that I shall take the matter under due consideration, will you let me return to my work?”

“Gladly.”

“Fine. Then I consider the matter settled for now.”

“Alright, but if I do not have your answer in a sennight, I am coming back,” said Y’mhitra. “And I will be bringing others with me. I am not the only one that worries, you know.”

“I am certain,” said Y’shtola, dryly. “Why, with so many worrying after me rather than themselves, it is little wonder that I ever feel in danger at all. Perhaps all this worry can summon a primal to keep me company.”

“Very funny, Shtola.”

“Now, if you don’t mind…”

“One sennight, and then I am coming for you.”

Y’shtola just waved a hand in the air as Y’mhitra left, and sighed.

~*~

Ryss was keeping an eye on Zoissette, without looking like she was keeping an eye on Zoissette.

She was worried about her, and wondered idly if this was what it was like to be Zoissette all the time. She had long been a confidant to the Elezen, after all, and Zoissette had frequently confessed her various worries about others to her. About Klynt and Apple, and whether or not they were being fulfilled by their work and reaching their potential as much as they wanted. Worrying about Meya and Erick, and hoping their relationship was well. Worrying about her brother, hoping his life in Ishgard was continuing to treat him well. Worrying about Riven and Astrid. Worrying about Mathye and whether she was doing right by him. Worrying about Thalia and her weird shyness around training with Augustine.

She did not complain much, and she often kept her true feelings tight to herself, but she did seem to worry a lot, and now here Ryss was, worrying about Zoissette.

Well, if this worked, then all would be well again. In a far corner of the workshop, where she could not be heard, Ryss saw Apple take a linkpearl call. Apple nodded a few times, before lifting her head, facing Ryss, and waving to try to get her attention.

So much for subtlety, but if Zoissette noticed, she wasn’t paying it much mind. Ryss sighed and waved back, and Apple gave her a thumbs-up.

If she was reading the situation correctly, that meant Y’mhitra had just called in, and with good news.

It was time to move in. Ryss ambled over to where Zoissette was.

“Say, Zoi, I had a thought.”

Zoissette did not look up from her work. “Hopefully more than the one, since that is what we get paid for.”

“Say, Zoi, I had a -lot- of thoughts.”

“Oh very good. I suppose you wish to share some?”

“Yeah. S’about what we talked about the other day.”

“I still think the merits of the Nymian systems of measurement shall rule out over the current standards one day.”

“…not about that.”

“Oh! Well, I had thought the matter settled, but I am open to suggestions.”

“Not that either! … wait no actually I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What we should get for the tea tin.”

“Oh. Oh, no, not that, either. Wait. Since you brought it up I think that we should get honey now that we’re here in Gridania. I hear they have the best honey.”

Zoissette lifted her head up to yell. “Apple! Add Gridanian honey to the supply list!”

“Okay!”

“Alright, but still not that either,” said Ryss, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m talking about love.”

There had been a few changes in Zoissette’s demeanor since she had returned from the events of the laboratory incident. One of them was that while before her face had often had an aloof expression of Ishgardian politeness, now it seemed that every emotion she had danced across her face at the slightest prompting.

Like just now, as she passed through several expressions so fast that Ryss blinked and missed a few.

“I do not know that there is much more to talk about there, Ryss.”

Well. The Ishgardian stoicism may have been gone, but the person behind it was still the same.

“Girl, look, you’re sitting down here thinking about it when you should be out there doing something about it. You gotta get back in the saddle! We gotta get you out there! And most importantly of all…”

Ryss trailed off for dramatic effect. When the silence began to stretch into the awkward, she nudged Zoissette in the shoulder.

Zoissette just looked flatly at her, and she threw up her hands.

“Fine, I’ll just say it. You need practice! Science demands research, Zoissette!”

Zoissette continued to look flatly at her, but then after a moment, she cracked a smiled and laughed, and Ryss knew she had her.

“Alright, fine, what do you have in mind.”

“Dating. Get out! Meet people!”

“I am not inclined to inflict myself on anyone else just yet, Ryss.”

“Whatever, you’re a delight, you just haven’t found the right person yet. And how are you gonna find them if you’re not willing to search a bit?”

Zoissette just shook her head. “I’ve not the social calendar to be a gadfly and sort through potentials just to inevitably be letting them all down.”

“Letting them down? I’m not talking about courting, Zoissette. Dating! Just dating. Casual meet ups. Lunches that don’t have to go anywhere, dinners that are just for fun. Practice for when you’re ready to go looking for the one. And if you don’t like ‘em, you can just tell them no thank you, no hard feelings, and be on your way. You can tell people no, right?”

“I tell people no all the time, Ryss. Like every time Erick tries to sneak a trebuchet into the fabricator’s planning schedule. When Aeryn starts to get that look in her eyes that tells me that she’s thinking of chasing something over the horizon again. Or when my friend tries to tell me that me dating is a good idea.”

“Aw, come on, Zoi. Science demands sample sizes!”

“I thought it demanded research?”

“Which can be done through…” said Ryss, making a ‘go on’ gesture with her hands.

Zoissette just looked at her with a small smile, then let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Tell you what. Say yes, and I’ll even do all the hard work. Get you dolled up, find you a nice place to eat, pick out someone for you to get you started. Call it a blind date. It’ll be fun!”

“I will think about it, Ryss.”

“Good enough for now!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Apple give her a thumbs up, and she resisted the urge to facepalm. Fortunately, Zoissette didn’t seem to notice.

~*~

“I am not at all sure what has gotten into my sister lately,” said Y’shtola to Thancred. She was certain she was on the last bit of work needed to restore Zoissette’s glasses fully, but needed a break, and had elected to make time for tea with her fellow Scion. “She has always worried after me and been quite insistent on meddling in my personal affairs, but her efforts have rather increased as of late.”

Thancred shrugged. “Maybe she just thinks it’s a good time. It’s quiet in our collective lives. For once. Interrupting your report writing for the Forum is certainly better than trying to divert your attention while we are trying once more to save the star from something or another.”

Y’shtola just sighed. “I don’t imagine you have any insights as to what she may be planning after her little attempt to rope you in over lunch the other day.”

“Well of course I do,” said Thancred. “She’s been coming to me.”

Y’shtola set her tea down, and glared at Thancred over it. He shrugged in response.

“To be clear, I do not wholly agree with her,” he said. “After all, I know you well, Shtola. You are an independent woman, of unimpeachable character, with strength enough to rival the star. Indeed, I dare say if more of us had been blessed with the Echo and felt the need to step into the role of being a true Warrior of Light, why, I think none of us would be as well placed to fill the role as… G’raha Tia, naturally, with his long tenure of experience as the Crystal Exarch.”

Y’shtola chuckled, and Thancred gave her a grin before he continued on. “But it would be a close race, and if he was to place second to any of us, I daresay it would be to you. Your sister might make mention of your strength, but I’ve witnessed it. And I will not indulge your ego any further by speaking to your knowledge. But I cannot help but think that the crux of our last discussion was the ways in which you have found the wisdom to applying both, whether by yourself or with allies. So no, I don’t agree with her that you need a partner.”

“Do not think I do not detect the faint whiff of self-deprecation there, Thancred, that you fail to count yourself amongst the more capable of our little group.”

He waved a hand at her. “Perhaps with Urianger to help make up for my shortfall in aether. But never mind that. Y’shtola, I love you like family, and as family, I say, your sister may be wrong in the specifics, but I think she’s right in a broader sense. A partner would suit you. You’re not perfect, despite how often you pretend to be, don’t look at me like that, we’re being honest right now. And if I am to be honest, which I am, I don’t think you need a paramour. But imagine having someone to truly share yourself with. Someone to weather our various trials, side by side, another half. Who understands who you are and what you do and why you do it whole heartedly. Someone who can look at all of this like you do, who understands your point of view, and can match it with theirs. I think the idea has more merit than you are pretending to give it credit for.”

“Truly?”

“Yes, ‘truly’. That is my vaunted insight, if you’ll have it. Maybe let her have her fun. Let this play out. See where it goes. And then you’ll do what you want anyroad.”

Y’shtola was quiet for a moment, and Thancred shrugged.

“If nothing else, it does get you out of your room for a spell. Even if she’s wrong about everything else, you have been working too hard.”

“This from you?”

“Who would know better?”

“Well. I shall certainly not belabor the point,” she said. “I shall consider your counsel, Thancred.”

“Just leave me out of it if you decide to get mad at somebody. Don’t shoot the messenger and all that.”

“I believe I shall be cross with whosoever I wish, should such come to pass,” said Y’shtola archly, and she laughed when Thancred threw up his hands in defeat.

~*~

“I hope that ending my courtship with Mathye has not put your relationship with the Lady Fortemps under any strain,” said Zoissette.

Ement was practically living at Gage Acquisitions for the time being, helping out around the place and keeping an eye on his sister. They made a point of catching up often, and were just now alone in a quiet corner of the workshop where they would not be bothered.

“Riven? Heavens, no. She’s been an utter lady about the whole affair.”

“Good. I am glad,” she said, and Ement watched, as she fidgeted. “I… I told him I thought I loved someone else.”

“So I heard. Anybody I know?”

“…it does not matter.”

“Oh, good. You only ended a courtship over it. One you were trying your very hardest at, as I recall.”

Zoissette gave him a dirty look, and he shrugged back at her. He watched her long enough to see the change when it happened, as she went from stubborn to resigned.

“… it’s Archon Y’shtola.”

“Oh, fantastic taste, and I mean that sincerely. She threatened to turn me into a frog when I made half a pass at her. I love a woman that can ruin my life.”

“Ement.”

“Zoissette. Okay, but really, Sette, you could do worse. I barely know her, but I know she was there when you needed her to be, and every step after. And you’ve certainly prattled on enough about her to me. Wait, did I say I barely know her? With your stories, I think I could tell her life story.”

“You mean like those awful songs you sing at the tavern?”

“Those songs get me drinks.”

Zoissette sighed. “It does not matter. If she was interested, I am certain she would have made that clear long before now. She has not, and, well. Love her or not, I am content to play my part in her story.”

“Might just ask her about it to be sure.”

“I should,” Zoissette conceded. “But what if I am wrong? If she does not love me, that is fine, but what if I do not truly love her? I just… I do not know. I told Sebastian I would try after Heavensturn, but I do not know. And in the meanwhile…”

“In the meanwhile.”

“Ryss thinks I should try dating.”

“Great! Try that out, let me know how it goes.”

“I do not think that I should be dating anyone when I am not certain about the truth of my own heart,” she said.

“Is that what’s going on? Come on, Sette. Look, I get being cagey about approaching her, but you keep saying you’re not sure of the truth. Not sure of the truth? I’ve never known anyone in my life more obsessive about the truth. Say it with me. What’s the first duty?”

“… to the truth.”

“To the truth. Face her, face it, and find out the truth. Or don’t. I know it’s not like you to rush in, and you like to sit and think about things entirely too much. So, hey. Tell you what, here’s an idea. Keep doing that. And in the meanwhile, put yourself out there.”

“Put myself out where?”

“Dating. Going out. And, since I’m not out of good advice just yet, here’s some more. Forget about whoever you meet. Stop trying to be the perfect shape to fit them. Find out if they can be a shape to fit you. What I’m trying to say, is go out and get some practice being yourself. I’ve known you your entire life, Zoissette, and what you are truly in love with is making yourself miserable to be what everyone else needs you to be. And when you’re not doing that, you love to pretend you don’t exist, and it almost got you killed. Well, stop it.”

Ement was looking at her, and for once, his usual jocularity was entirely missing. Zoissette felt herself sitting up a little straighter, looking back at him square on, and meeting him where he was.

One dutiful child of Ishgard to another.

“Your self assigned duty is to the truth. So stop living so many lies.”

Zoissette felt her eyes watering, and she reached up to wipe them away with the back of a hand, and she nodded. She took a deep breath in, and she straightened her shoulders and stiffened her back, and she nodded.

“And there we are,” said Ement, relaxing back, reaching down a hand to fiddle with his rebreather, letting out a sigh of relief as he increased the airflow feed.

“Thank you,” said Zoissette.

“What are older brothers for, if not dispensing sage wisdom that they’ll never need or follow?” he said, his humor back, and the edges of her lips twitched. She closed her eyes to keep the tears away, and let herself laugh.

~*~

“Okay so it’s not so important what she wears, so long as she’s comfortable in it, gonna ask if Meya can help.”

“Oh! Maybe I should drive them both in a chocobo carriage! That’s romantic!”

“Right. So, I just linkpearled Klynt, and I told her everything that’s going on to get her advice, but all that happened is she laughed so hard she disconnected, and I’m choosing to take that as a good sign.”

“Now that she’s agreed to our deal, she’s not like to renege on it, but we still must needs be certain to not give her a reason to cancel.”

“Didja happen to get us tickets to be off the continent when they meet? I’d like to live to next summer.”

“I’ve fully booked the fabricator on these days! And I’ll ask around to make sure all the leves get filled, too!”

Ement and Thancred watched with some level of detached amusement and bafflement as the others dashed around making last minute adjustments to their master plan.

“You want to know the really funny bit?” asked Ement.

“Hmn?”

“This could all probably be upended with a five minute conversation.”

“What, and deny them their fun? Perish the thought.”

They continued to watch as the plans were fully assembled.

“At least Y’shtola’s not like to blame me for this mess,” said Thancred, and Ement just grinned at him.

~*~

There. Her work was near finished.

All she had left was to finish checking those enchantments that she could. Overall, she was quite pleased with herself. Without knowing the depths of Zoissette’s various magical disciplines, she had, nevertheless, managed what should have been an impossible task. The glasses were repaired, and the enchantments were restored. No matter how complex or tricky they had been, a look at their aether showed that they had been perfectly preserved, and now only wanted for their owner.

She could not check all of the enchantments, but those that she could, she had carefully been examining for the last bell. She had some time before Y’mhitra would show up to escort her to her arranged date, and she wished to see the work through.

As she reviewed them, she found herself smiling, as many of them brought back memories of her various adventures alongside Zoissette. The glasses were a useful tool, and Zoissette oft used their many capabilities to study aether, detect the positions of magitek in the field, get a closer look at some creature from far away, and more. Zoissette was inventive and clever, and that cleverness was reflected in the complexities of every enchantment, every decision that had been made in the manufacture of her glasses.

And the enchantments formed a history. Recent ones were fairly complex, with interlocking functionality, but they grew simpler as Y’shtola checked older ones, until she began to came across those that any beginner to the art may’ve created. Why they were still present, Y’shtola was not certain, but she checked them as well. An indicator for aetheric aspects. A range finder spell. A magnification function. And then, at last, she came to the final enchantment she could check. It was not quite as simple as many of the ones of similar age, requiring more than a novice’s knowledge. It seemed to form a method for storing images that had been drawn with aetheric ink.

She gave it a pulse of aether to bring it to life.

An image flared up on the lenses, and Y’shtola felt as though the world had come to a sudden stop. She was full certain that she was not, could not, be seeing the image that was now projected onto the lens.

It was a simple enough image.

It was comprised of two sketches. The first was the outline of a kite shield, drawn in blue. And the second existed in the middle of that shield, a shape that was most familiar to Y’shtola, drawn in red.

The witch’s wand, drawn to be the standard on a shieldmaiden’s shield. The full composition had been drawn by two children in Sharlayan, over twenty summers ago, and inscribed for posterity in the very enchantment she had just restored.

~*~

Zoissette felt bewildered and more than a little overwhelmed.

She had decided, ultimately, to take Ryss up on her offer to go on a blind date. If she just set aside her feelings for a moment, it promised to have the potential to be fun. She could just go out. Without a care in the world. Whatever happened, happened. At least she would not be screwing up another courtship. And there were no expectations of her. Just show up. Right. Just be herself. Right. Get some practice being out in public. Right. No disasters, no being unintentionally off-putting, no weirdness, just act normal.

Right. Learn how everyone else did this kind of thing.

She took a deep breath in. Her friends had been trying very, very hard to make sure this would be a nice night for her. Apple had taken over her responsibilities for the night. Klynt was away, that was fine, she was in training. Dark had seemed very amused when she had asked for her shift change, but had allowed it.

Meya and Ryss had helped her pick an outfit, something with colors that supposedly complemented her complexion. And something, Ryss had stressed, she would be comfortable in. She had tried her hand at wearing the latest fashions before, but this time, something simpler. Something more her. Lots of pockets. Very comfortable boots. A nice overcoat. She already had moved several journals in and out of their pouches, unable to decide whether to leave them behind or not. It would be rude if she brought them out in the middle of doing something else.

She absolutely had to do this. She absolutely should not do this. It was not too late to beg out. Probabilities and possibilities coalesced in her mind. Different paths and different outcomes. Infinite possibilities in infinite permutations. Each thought a note, each note a noise. A cacophony. A discordance. A swell, thoughts running over and into one another, like an entire musical orchestra all playing every note on every instrument all at once, overlapping, overwhelming.

Zoissette was moving mechanically, now. Almost on autopilot. She knew Ryss would be here soon. To pick her up. To take her to this blind date. All she had to do was be dressed by then. Put her hair up. Use the bow that Ameliance taught her how to make. She liked that. Kept her hair out of her face. Reach for her glasses except they were not there and she really missed them just now.

She looked mournfully at the spot where they were supposed to be, and looked at herself in the vanity, and second and third guessed herself.

But this was a good idea. This was a good thing. Ryss meant well.

She glanced to the single earring on the vanity, one which she wore nigh continuously. A gift from Y’shtola, meant to symbolize their deep friendship. Two black carnations, with two tiny silver threads holding two beautiful pearls. She should leave it behind, she thought.

But then she reached out and touched her fingers to it, and memories came to her, and the noise in her mind seemed to recede of its own volition, quieting, becoming a single solitary thread, a melody carried by a single note.

She looked at it, and time seemed to slow, to allow her to stay in a gentle moment.

~*~

The shieldmaiden.

Y’shtola set the glasses down in disbelief.

My, how she had grown.

The shieldmaiden had been young, her complexion darker, and her build had been wiry. She had been awkward, someone who had not yet grown fully into their height, and when she had first seen her, why, Y’shtola was not sure if she was dealing with a young man or a young woman. Her hair had been shorter back then as well, and her mouth too wide for her face.

Zoissette Vauban.

She had not known her name at the time, due to a singularly foolish game they had played at, but Y’shtola reached down and tilted the glasses up to look again, and there was no mistaking it.

Her one time companion in mischief, and she had returned to her life for full on many summers now.

Ser Zoissette de Vauban of Ishgard, noble, knight, warrior.

Shieldmaid.

She was quieter, now. The shieldmaiden had been boisterous and chatty, stumbling over her words, exuberant and full of energy and that awkward smile. Just… like Zoissette could be, when she got excited about something, when she lowered her guard long enough to truly let herself be free. The awkward smile had been replaced with a somewhat distant and vaguely polite one, but nevertheless.

They were both insatiably curious. They were both willing to put themselves in harm’s way for others. Both were honest in that sort of way that demonstrated that they knew no other way to be.

Their eyes always searching out truth. Their heart always finding the good in the world. Their shield arm always strong, to protect any who were in need. Foolish and brilliant and that was her Zoissette, her shieldmaiden grown into shieldmaid, her friend.

Zoissette could be foolish at times, it was true, but it was the foolishness borne out of a most earnest desire to do the right thing. Even when they had their differences, and such happened often, Y’shtola still felt a great fondness for her. That she could hold her own against Y’shtola’s intellect was endearing, not off-putting. And truly, her feelings were more than just fondness.

She had changed from the young girl who she had remembered, true, but what was more important was the many ways in which she had stayed the same. She had grown up into a fine woman, possibly the finest that Y’shtola had ever known, the obvious result of a lifetime of lessons hard learned, but the core of who she was, well.

It had stayed the same. After all these years, she felt as though she recognized her, fully, now. Seeing her in a way that she had never allowed herself to see her before.

What a fool Y’shtola could be.

~*~

Zoissette sat down at the vanity, picking up the earring, and rubbing her thumb gently across the petals of its flowers, careful to not disturb them any more than was necessary for enjoying the sensation of touching them.

Y’shtola had always had that affect on her, had she not? A calming influence in a chaotic life. She had been there from near the start of Zoissette’s misadventures upon arriving in Eorzea, and she had been by the woman’s side ever since, sometimes leading, often following.

She was a lodestone, an anchor, and Zoissette never had to put on any pretense for her. When she prattled on excitedly about some new discovery or deep recollection of a beloved topic, Y’shtola had always listened with patience. When she outlined some stratagem, Y’shtola was often the first to see it. When there was some challenge to overcome, Y’shtola was always quick to stand by her side to face it. When something needed to be done, well, Zoissette and Y’shtola were the kind of women to do it.

When the world was noise and chaos, Y’shtola was a powerful quiet in it, her courage and steadfastness as stable as they came. She could be short with people, and she was famous for her sharp tongue, but Zoissette knew what few people did, that it was a tool for cutting not to the quick, but to the truth. Y’shtola did what honesty demanded, and Zoissette always respected her for that.

And now, Zoissette knew she had to do what honesty demanded of her.

~*~

Y’shtola curled her hands around the glasses, and she smiled. Her heart felt light. It was as though the clouds were parting after the rain, and she could see the majesty of the history she full shared with Zoissette.

She gingerly picked up the glasses, releasing the aether keeping the enchantment going, and closed them upon themselves, tucking them away, to keep on her until she could see them safely back to their owner.

And when she did so, they would have something new to talk about. Their shared past.

And perhaps, a shared future.

~*~

Zoissette picked up the earrings, and slowly, almost reverently, put them on. She looked at herself in the mirror as she did so.

The truth. The truth was, she loved Y’shtola. And she had loved her for a very long time.

And the earrings were a reminder, of sorts, that she had always known that, hadn’t she? The world was an often confusing place, and she often felt like she would never be part of the shared human experience, like an outsider, looking in, but Y’shtola never made her feel that way. Even in her sharp moments, Y’shtola was always inviting her in, offering her wisdom, showing her truths and knowledge.

Zoissette felt fear and uncertainty become replaced with resolve.

~*~

Well, in any situation, these were truths that could be faced later, matters that would hold for one more day. For now, however.

Y’shtola Rhul looked herself over in the mirror one last time, and satisfied with what she saw there, headed out to satisfy her sister’s need to meddle. That it might not matter shortly did not matter. Y’shtola was a woman of her word, and she would keep it.

Zoissette Vauban checked everything one last time. Pens and journals and tools secure in any of a number of pouches and pockets. She nodded, and headed out. Regardless of any personal revelations, Ryss had set this up as a favor to her, and she would not let the woman down.

Besides, thought Y’shtola, as teleporting magicks gathered around her, if her company for the night turned out to be a boor, she could simply tease her sister for her poor planning and foresight for the foreseeable future. But she would tolerate this evening well enough. And then, after, she would go visit her dear friend, and that, she looked forward to with relish.

And anyroad, there would be no real consequences for this, would there be? With the earring, it would be as though Y’shtola was there with her, and Zoissette felt a bit of light giddiness as she decided that perhaps she could just regale her would-be date with her research. If they enjoyed it, then she would happily share, and if not, then so what? She could be a boor for once in her life with little real consequence, and she could share an amusing story with Ryss, and Ryss would bear the burden of having such an awkward friend with good humour. And then, after this, she would speak to Y’shtola, at long last.

Conversations, perhaps, overdue. But first.

~*~

It was a clear night in Limsa Lominsa. The sun had sunk down over the horizon some bells past, and now the stars were out, sharing their light with the ocean below them. As one looked out past the tide gates, the twinkling of lights reflected in the waves met the twinkling of the light shining from the stars, and at the horizon, it seemed almost as if ocean and night sky were one, seeming almost to be a way to glimpse into infinity.

The Bismarck was famous not just for its food, but for the ambience it provided, the view over the starry ocean accessible from its balconies, the open kitchen ensuring its smells were shared with all. The noise of the fires in the kitchen met the sound of the ocean waves crashing far below, and tonight, the two sounds met and intermixed to form a deep whisper that seemed fit to speak to the very soul of those diners fortunate enough to meet there this night.

One of the hostesses led Y’shtola on a path past the other diners to reach one of the higher up balconies. As they arrived, the hostess bowed, and politely went on her way, leaving Y’shtola to take the last several steps herself. A table for two had been set up, and none else. A private spot, with someone already there, seeming to be looking out over the bay.

Y’shtola walked up the steps, and as she got closer, she slowed, as she recognized that outline. Broad shoulders, appropriate for a knight. Tall, even for an Elezen. Hair in a ponytail held in place by a neatly tied large black bow. A familiar set of earrings hung from one ear.

And her aether, still that calming shade, fair brimming with a power that was belied the potential of its depths, hugging her outline, tightly controlled. A faint glow that Y’shtola had come to find comforting, over the many summers she had known it.

She felt a flash of annoyance. Her sister was going to be insufferable, and she was going to skin her alive.

It evaporated nearly immediately though, and she laughed at herself. How upset could she be? Her sister had merely lead her to conclusions she had already full reached herself. Let her sister think herself clever; the benefits would be hers to have.

She climbed the stairs, and the other woman heard her as she approached.

Zoissette turned to face her, and oh gods, how had she not realised the connection earlier. Her eyes, in any sight, held kindness enough for the star, even as they darted across Y’shtola in confusion as a frown creased her forehead

“Shtola?” said Zoissette, surprised. “What are you doing here? Uhm, I mean, not that I mind. It’s just, it is just, well, uhm, unexpected. I am supposed to be meeting someone here shortly, they are not here yet…”

Her voice trailed off as Y’shtola reached a hand out towards her. “Hello, Sette,” she said. Zoissette only paused a moment before taking her hand in hers, and oh, the levin rumble at her touch, fair tingling her fingers.

“…hi,” said Zoissette, feeling a bit light headed and breathless. She was ready to confess her feelings to Y’shtola, but had not expected to need to do so tonight. She could feel the noise beginning to rise again, but as she looked at the soft smile on Y’shtola’s face, she calmed. There was surely a rationale for what was going on right now. She would solve this mystery, and then tackle that question.

And the answer was obvious, really. Zoissette squeezed her eyes shut and groaned.

“Ryss set this up,” she said.

“Ryss and my sister both,” replied Y’shtola.

“I am so, so sorry.”

“I find that I am not.”

Zoissette took a deep breath in, and let it out, and when she opened her eyes again, Y’shtola was looking up at her with that mischievous smile, and a wicked glint to her eye. As full of confidence and poise as ever. Y’shtola could meet any situation, and oh gods, Zoissette would meet the challenges of life with her forever more if she could help it.

“I believe I have an idea that will allow us to make the most of this,” said Y’shtola, leading Zoissette by the hand to her seat. Bemused but willing, Zoissette sat down, just watching Y’shtola curiously as she went to go stand by the railing and look out over the bay.

She was not a tall woman, not by Miqo’te standards, and certainly not by Elezen ones. But despite that, her posture, her poise, all made her seem so much larger than she was. She was such a strong woman. The very figure of a wise and powerful sorceress. Many found her intimidating, as they should. Zoissette found her beautiful, especially now, silhouetted by night sky, a sea breeze ruffling her dress and somehow highlighting her figure.

Y’shtola turned away from the bay slightly, and their eyes met, and oh, Zoissette wanted the moment to last forever. Just the two of them. Or to grasp the moment and make the most of it, to confess, and let whatever may be happen.

But first.

“I have a storytale I would share with you,” said Y’shtola, as she began to pace slowly to come around the table, one foot solidly in front of the other. “Perhaps you are familiar with it. It deals with the shieldmaiden of your history, and takes place, I think, not so long ago, and not so far away.”

Zoissette just watched her, uncertain where the conversation was going, but curious all the same.

“The shieldmaiden left her home, I believe it goes,” Y’shtola continued, “to travel far away. To a land of learning, of wisdom. Of green rolling hills, and of tall white towers, which were said to hold many of the books of the world. Her curiosity would not allow her otherwise, you see; she would seek wisdom, whatever form it might take, and wheresoever it might be.

“And in that place, she was scorned by the witless and set upon by fools. A lesser woman may have been discouraged, but not she. For even in her youth, she had her bravery and her determination, and while she sought no quarrel, she also would not allow herself to be driven away. And it was well, for in this place, she met another young woman, one much like she. Not as strong, perhaps. Wiser, perhaps. It is in that place, she met the witch of this storytale.”

Zoissette frowned. This was not one of the storytales of the shieldmaiden nor of the witch that she was familiar with, and she knew an awful lot of them. However, as she listened to Y’shtola tell her tale, she thought she could feel a certain tug in her memories, a certain sense of familiarity in the tale.

“The two went on many adventures, though perhaps not as many as they might have liked. The shieldmaiden learned of a witch’s magicks and peoples, and the witch learned that the world was perhaps more than she had previously imagined. Alas, fools fell upon them, but with the strength of her heart, and guided by the witch’s hand, they overcame them, not once, at a bridge, not twice, at an atelier, but three times, under the roof of a powerful man.”

Y’shtola’s path had taken her behind Zoissette’s chair, and instead of twisting around to keep her gaze following her, Zoissette just sat and frowned. She was listening very carefully to the story, and there was a piece that would solve this puzzle in it somewhere, she just knew it.

“And in that place, it was neither the wisdom of the witch nor the strength of the shieldmaiden that carried the day. Nay, it was their trust in one another, their unwavering dedication to their truth, and the honesty of their testimony. Thus was it that the fools were thwarted, and the witch and the shieldmaiden won the day.”

Y’shtola had drifted behind the chair now, and came to place her head next to Zoissette’s, her mouth close to her ear, as she dropped her voice to be dark and low, and Zoissette craned her neck to listen to the last of the story.

“Before she left, they stopped where they had began, at the place they had first met. From there, they parted ways, but before they did, they agreed they would meet each other again, some day.”

Y’shtola wrapped her arms around the chair, resting them on Zoissette’s shoulders, and in her hand was a familiar pair of glasses. Zoissette glanced at her briefly before reaching out to take them, noticing that an enchantment had already been activated, and as she looked, the last puzzle piece fell into place.

“I believe I still owe you a boon,” purred Y’shtola into her ear. “If you would have it.”

Zoissette turned her head, and looked deep into Y’shtola’s eyes. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind, but they quickly distilled down to only one.

“I would,” she whispered, and she reached up, placing her hand on the back of Y’shtola’s head, and gently pulled her closer, and they at last met, and fell into one another freely, as their lips met and they kissed.

The stars’s light reflected in the ocean and the ocean’s light met the stars, but that was not the most beautiful sight in Limsa Lominsa that night.