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jamisonblog · 11 months ago

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San Blas Tours in Panama

Exploring the San Blas Islands is an experience like no other, offering a unique blend of natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and an unparalleled sense of adventure. Located off the Caribbean coast of Panama, the San Blas archipelago consists of 365 islands, each boasting pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant coral reefs. The islands are inhabited by the Guna Yala people, an indigenous community that has preserved its traditions and way of life for centuries. For travelers seeking a true escape into paradise, a San Blas tour is the perfect way to immerse oneself in the untouched beauty of this remarkable destination.

The Allure of San Blas: A Hidden Gem in Panama

San Blas is often described as one of Panama's best-kept secrets. Despite its growing popularity among travelers, the islands have managed to retain their unspoiled charm, largely due to the Guna Yala people's commitment to preserving their land and culture. The archipelago is a haven for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and those looking to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

One of the most striking features of San Blas Tour is its natural beauty. The islands are surrounded by turquoise waters that are ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. The coral reefs are teeming with marine life, offering snorkelers a chance to encounter colorful fish, sea turtles, and even dolphins. The beaches are pristine, with powdery white sand and swaying palm trees providing the perfect backdrop for relaxation.

Beyond its natural beauty, San Blas offers a unique cultural experience. The Guna Yala people have a rich history and a strong sense of identity, which they proudly share with visitors. On a San Blas tour, travelers have the opportunity to learn about Guna traditions, including their distinctive clothing, intricate handicrafts, and communal way of life. The Guna women are known for their "molas," beautifully handcrafted textiles that are considered works of art. Visitors can purchase these molas directly from the artisans, supporting the local economy and taking home a piece of Guna culture.

What to Expect on a San Blas Tour

A San Blas tour is an adventure from start to finish. Most tours depart from Panama City, with a scenic drive through the lush Panamanian countryside to the coastal town of Carti, where travelers board a boat to the islands. The boat ride itself is an exhilarating experience, offering stunning views of the Caribbean Sea and the surrounding islands.

Once on the islands, travelers can expect a range of activities designed to showcase the best of San Blas. Snorkeling is a highlight of any San Blas tour, with many tours including stops at some of the best snorkeling spots in the archipelago. The coral reefs around the islands are home to a diverse array of marine life, making each snorkeling session a unique and unforgettable experience.

In addition to snorkeling, many San Blas tours offer opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing. These activities allow travelers to explore the islands and their surroundings at their own pace, soaking in the tranquility and natural beauty of the area. For those who prefer a more laid-back experience, there are plenty of quiet beaches where one can relax, sunbathe, and enjoy the peaceful ambiance of San Blas.

Accommodation on a San Blas tour varies depending on the type of experience travelers are seeking. For a more rustic and authentic experience, many tours offer stays in traditional Guna huts, which are simple yet comfortable. These huts are typically located right on the beach, allowing travelers to fall asleep to the sound of the waves and wake up to stunning sunrise views. For those who prefer a bit more comfort, there are also options for glamping or staying in more modern accommodations on some of the larger islands.

Meals on a San Blas tour are typically included and feature fresh seafood caught by local fishermen. Dining in San Blas is a treat, with meals often consisting of grilled fish, lobster, and other local delicacies, accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating on the beach, with the sea breeze and the sound of the waves as the backdrop, is a quintessential part of the San Blas experience.

Panama San Blas Tours: A Journey Through Culture and Nature

Panama San Blas Tours offers a variety of tour packages that cater to different interests and travel styles. Whether you're a solo traveler, a couple, or a family, there's a San Blas tour that’s perfect for you. From day trips to multi-day adventures, Panama San Blas Tours provides a seamless experience, ensuring that every detail is taken care of so travelers can fully immerse themselves in the beauty and culture of the islands.

One of the most popular options is the multi-day tour, which allows travelers to explore multiple islands and get a deeper understanding of Guna culture. These tours often include visits to local villages, where travelers can meet Guna families, learn about their daily lives, and participate in cultural activities. This immersive experience is a highlight for many visitors, offering a rare glimpse into a way of life that has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

For those with limited time, Panama San Blas Tours also offers day trips that pack the best of San Blas into a single day. These tours typically include a visit to several islands, snorkeling sessions, and a chance to relax on the beach. While shorter in duration, day trips still provide a taste of the magic of San Blas, leaving travelers with lasting memories of their time in this Caribbean paradise.

Panama San Blas Tours prides itself on responsible tourism, working closely with the Guna Yala community to ensure that their tours have a positive impact. The company is committed to preserving the natural environment of the islands and supporting the local economy by hiring Guna guides, purchasing local goods, and adhering to sustainable practices. This focus on responsible tourism ensures that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and culture of San Blas.

Conclusion: Why a San Blas Tour Should Be on Your Travel Bucket List

A San Blas tour is more than just a vacation; it's an opportunity to step into a world where nature and culture exist in perfect harmony. The islands offer a sense of serenity and escape that is hard to find elsewhere, making it the perfect destination for travelers looking to unwind and reconnect with the natural world. Whether you're snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, exploring Guna villages, or simply relaxing on a secluded beach, San Blas promises an experience that will stay with you long after you've returned home.

For those planning a trip to Panama, a San Blas tour is a must-do. With its stunning scenery, rich cultural heritage, and endless opportunities for adventure, San Blas is a destination that truly has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a short getaway or a more extended exploration, Panama San Blas Tours offers the perfect way to discover the magic of this Caribbean paradise.

#Panama San Blas Tours

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fanfoolishness · 5 years ago

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black ink on white paper (SUF)

Several weeks into his road trip, Steven makes sure to keep up with his mental health. A lot of angst and a little hope, therapy, 4800 words.

***

Steven futzed about with his phone, trying to find the best place to rest it for his therapy session. He tried balancing it on his half-filled journal, but thought better of it in case he decided he wanted to refer to its pages during the session. He moved the journal to the side on the nightstand, leaving it where he could get to it quickly if needed. He finally leaned his phone against the hotel room’s beige lamp and angled it to center his face in the camera’s view. He always felt a little uncomfortable with this bit, looking at his face blown-up on the screen until Dr. Boverman appeared.

A ding, and Dr. B smiled at Steven, his broad face filling up most of the screen and creasing into a smile. Steven’s image shrank down, disappearing to the corner where he could avoid looking at it more easily.

“Hi there, Steven. How’s your week been?”

Steven settled in, trying to organize his thinking. As usual he landed on the most mundane things first. It was always easier to get started this way.

“Pretty good. I’m in Texahoma. It’s really different from back home.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” he said, chuckling to himself. “It’s hot! The Dondai’s AC is working overtime just to keep things semi-comfortable. I can still feel the sun beating down on me through the glass, though. And this state is so huge! I mean, I got through Delmarva in like three hours. This is day two of Texahoma and I’m still not through yet.”

“Are you liking it? I’ve never been,” said Dr. B.

“I think so. Some of the accents here are kind of a lot to get used to but the people are friendly. There’s not as many vegetarian food options as I’d like but I’ve had some of the best mac and cheese ever here, and I did find one vegetarian barbecue joint that… wow, it was good. Really good.”

“You’re making me hungry!” Dr. B laughed.

Heartened, Steven grinned. He liked this part of his therapy sessions, normal chatting, like he wasn’t someone with a problem (a hundred thousand problems) trying to work it out. He wasn’t friends with Dr. B -- he knew that wasn’t how it was supposed to be -- but it felt friendly, and familiar, all the same. He continued.

“Then I wound up on a side road for a couple of hours and saw some real cowboys. And some real cows -- they’re huge in real life! Kind of terrifying, actually! There was this one time when I was a kid that we played cowboys out in the wilderness for a while, Dad and Amethyst and Ruby and me, but I don’t think it was the same. I was mostly going off of comic book cowboys. Still a lot of fun, though.”

Dr. B raised an eyebrow. “Ruby was there, but not Sapphire?”

Steven had been surprised at how quickly Dr. B had picked up on the intricacies of his family. He wasn’t used to human acquaintances knowing that Garnet was a fusion, or that some of his closest friends had previously tried to kill him. It was weird, but nice to not have to explain it freshly every time.

“Yeah. That was when Garnet fell apart about Mom being Pink Diamond.” He sighed. He supposed it was going to be a Rose day, then. He hadn’t been planning on it, but that part about cowboys had pushed him here, somehow. It was always strange to him how so often their therapy sessions took a completely different direction than he’d expected.

“She fell apart? Does that mean she -- unfused -- willingly? Or it was an accident?”

Steven’s lips thinned into a narrow line. “An accident, I guess. It was pretty awful for her to learn that Mom was such a liar.” He stared up at the ceiling, remembering how Sapphire had dissolved into tears and fled, how Amethyst had held Ruby, how Pearl had looked so ashamed. “That… was a rough day for them.”

“What about for you?”

Steven smiled a little. “You always ask that.”

“Have you noticed how your memories are often framed by how others reacted, instead of yourself?”

Steven fiddled with his hands, fingers twisting around each other. He didn’t look at the screen. “I know. You’ve pointed it out before. I know it’s a pattern.”

“It’s one we can try to unlearn. Or at least take note of. What did that day feel like for you, Steven?”

“Um… really weird, initially. I mean, I had to ask Pearl if she was the one who shattered Pink Diamond because she couldn’t speak about it at all, because Mom ordered her not to, and I only knew to ask because of a dream I had that must have been like an echo from my gem, and Pearl still couldn’t tell me even when I asked her so she had to take me back inside of her gem… it was really trippy. And I had to keep going back through all of her repressed war memories -- you know, Pearl could really use therapy, too -- until finally I got to the one she wanted me to see, and then --”

He took a deep breath, seeing Rose shift back into her Diamond form, towering over him and Pearl. “I knew it was going to be bad. Pearl liked to keep scary stuff from me but she would tell me if I kept asking. For her to not even be able to tell me -- like, she kept slamming her hands over her face so that she couldn’t open her mouth -- come on, that couldn’t be anything good.”

“Did that make things more frightening for you? Was she doing that on purpose?”

“I don’t think she could control it. I think Mom’s order to her was that powerful,” said Steven. “I think it’s a Diamond thing, though at least that’s something I’ve never done.” You’ve done plenty, his brain said, but Steven tried to ignore it. “For example, Mom ordered her playmate Spinel to stay in the garden, and she stayed. For six thousand years. I don’t think there was really a choice involved.” He frowned, waving a hand. “She always did what she wanted.”

“Rose did, you mean.”

“Yeah. Like, why couldn’t she have at least told Garnet? Or Amethyst? The war was over. It wasn’t like she still had a whole army she had to command after the Diamonds attacked. Why not at least tell the people she said she loved? She never told Dad, either. If she had told somebody else, then Pearl wouldn’t have had to carry that secret around for so long. Did she ever think about what that was doing to her?” Steven spat. “Pearl was a mess.”

“It sounds like Pearl had a very difficult time dealing with her own role in the war, as well as what your mother asked of her,” said Dr. B gently. “But what about you?”

“Damn it, I’m doing it again!” Steven laughed, but it was one of those laughs that wasn’t really one. “I don’t know. I… I was scared? Pink Diamond was small compared to Blue and Yellow and White, but she was still huge compared to me and Pearl in that memory, and seeing Mom shift from Rose to Pink -- I don’t know if my stomach ever hurt so bad, so suddenly. It was hard to breathe. But I didn’t have time to think about that because suddenly we were back, and I told everyone what I saw.”

“How did you feel after Garnet and Amethyst found out?”

“I just wanted to focus on them. Sapphire was so upset, and then Ruby ran off, and Amethyst kept annoying me, trying to cheer me up. I had to fix them, you know? I had to get everything back to normal, everything that Mom had messed up, again.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, balling them into fists.

“You were…. How old were you when you found this out?”

“Fourteen,” said Steven, thinking back.

“And who was responsible for the deception?”

“Well, Mom, of course.”

“Why did you feel that you had to fix what she did?”

“No one else was going to do it,” said Steven. He ran a hand over his face, his breathing coming more quickly. He swallowed. “It always had to be me. They needed me. Pearl couldn’t tell anyone until I asked her who shattered Pink Diamond. Garnet wasn’t there and Ruby and Sapphire didn’t know what to do without each other. Amethyst at least tried to talk to me, but… I was too worried about everyone else.”

“How did she try to reach you?” Dr. Boverman asked gently.

“She kept trying to distract me from looking for Ruby. She took me out for pizza. She straight up asked me how I was doing at one point... but then she stopped asking.” Steven squirmed uncomfortably. “I didn’t really tell her. I wanted her to tell me how she was doing. I didn’t really know how I was doing myself.”

“Do you know now?”

Steven fell silent. He leaned back against the pillows on the bed, taking long breaths. Why was this question always so hard? What was wrong with him, that he didn’t even know how he felt about important things in his own life?

“No,” he said softly. “It’s like I don’t feel anything -- or I feel everything, when it comes to her.”

Dr. B considered his words, tilting his head to one side and pursing his lips. “What does ‘everything’ feel like?”

Steven buried his face in his hands. “Arrrgh.”

“If this is too difficult right now, we can --”

“No, we’re already here,” Steven muttered. “It’s just --” He struggled for the words, a torrent of them flooding through his mind. His gem hummed. He knew without looking he was glowing pink, his heart starting to race, but at least his body was staying its normal size. He took a few more deep breaths. Why not. Maybe it won’t be so bad.

“Sometimes I feel so sorry for her,” he whispered through his hands. “The Diamonds used to lock her up and make her cry, sometimes for the stupidest things -- wanting to play with animals, or wanting to be friends with her Pearl. It could have been hundreds of years or longer they locked her away. How do you not feel bad for someone who went through that when they were just trying to be themselves?”

He lifted his head, lowered his pink hands to his lap. Dr. B peered at him sympathetically through the screen. It had frightened both of them the first time he glowed in a session, but slowly they’d worked to a place where Steven could accept it as a sign he was upset, like crying or blushing. His hand formed a clenched fist, then relaxed again, still pink.

“But sometimes I hate her so much,” he breathed. “She took all that pain the Diamonds put on her and she cracked her Pearl in a tantrum. Volley still has a scar on her face from it, and Gems don’t do that, they don’t get scars you can see unless it’s something incredibly bad. Like your owner you were in love with cracking you with a scream. She hurt Volley, she hurt Pearl by making her pretend to shatter her and keep the secret for thousands of years… she lied to Garnet and Amethyst and Dad, she never even thought about telling me the truth, and how many Gems were shattered? How many Gems were corrupted? She hurt so many people. And sometimes I’m scared that I’m just like her -- or worse -- I mean, I’m a shatterer --”

Tears stung and he blinked them back. His hand swelled, a fist three times its normal size. He stared hard at it, muttering under his breath. I’m having that scared feeling again. It’s okay to feel scared. It’s not me.

He wiped his eyes with his other hand, trying to focus. It’s just a feeling that I’m having right now, but it’s temporary. it’s gonna go away. All feelings do. He flexed his fingers slowly, and the fist shrank back down to normal size, the pink color fading.

“This is really frightening for you to think about,” said Dr. B in his steady voice. “But you were able to look at yourself starting to glow and swell, and you were able to bring yourself back to a more neutral state. You’re doing really well, Steven.”

Steven gave him a watery smile. “Thanks. I -- it does get easier. I try to think about what you told me. I’m not my feelings, they’re not bigger than me, they do go away eventually. That helps a lot.”

“That’s right,” Dr. B encouraged. “You’re Steven. You have big feelings, but they don’t define you. You can step outside of them and look at them from a safe distance, while still allowing yourself to feel and acknowledge them.”

“Yeah,” said Steven, the tightness in his chest loosening a little. “Yeah.”

“You brought up the shattering, which we know is one of your triggers. Do you want to carefully investigate it today, or do you want to continue speaking about your mother?”

“I --” He considered. Jasper-focused sessions always left him drained, fragile, usually for days at a time. Sometimes he craved that, needed it badly, needed to let himself feel and accept just what a terrible thing he’d done --

But some days it didn’t feel right to focus on the accident. Sometimes it got in the way of other work. And as he well knew… there was a lot of work to do.

“I don’t think it’s a Jasper day,” he said carefully. “I mean, we could -- but I think I need to talk more about Mom, today.”

“Okay, let’s keep talking about Rose. What makes you think you might be worse than your mother? You said yourself that many Gems were shattered in the war that she started.”

Steven shrugged. “She’s not the only one who lies. Or hurts people.” He stared past his phone at the blank hotel wall, finding it hard to focus. The wall slipped and blurred. He remembered waves against his waist, a roar in his throat, the way the town seemed so small. He remembered a monster’s agony. His agony.

“What if they hadn’t figured out how to get me out of my meltdown? I could have hurt the town, I could have hurt everyone -- They wouldn’t have been soldiers who got hurt, you know?”

“They did figure out how to help you. You told me yourself that no one in the town and no one in your family was hurt,” said Dr. B. “But it’s true that sometimes we do hurt others -- all of us. What’s important is that we take steps to avoid hurting others when we can. If we still hurt them, by accident or by making an unhealthy choice, we can make amends by changing our behavior to prevent it happening again. Which you’re doing. Right now. You are actively working to change your behavior not only to avoid hurting others, but also to avoid hurting yourself.”

“I guess,” he said. “It still feels weird to think about protecting myself. I mean, not with my shield or a bubble, but… emotionally. Sometimes I think about the stuff I did to try and help other people, and it would hurt me so bad but I’d just keep smiling… it’s so messed up.” He let out a soft huff of breath. “Can I tell you something? That I never told anyone?” It was funny, given all the terrible things Steven had already told him over the past several months, but it still made him feel better to ask permission. Like he was subconsciously trying to make sure he wasn’t going to hurt Dr. B, telling him about these things.

Dr. B’s kind eyes watched him. “Of course.” He always said yes.

“Ruby and Sapphire got married just a few days after she found Mom was Pink Diamond. After Pearl and I talked to them they decided to come back together and be Garnet for themselves, not for Mom or for anyone else. And I was so, so happy that everything I did, trying to help Sapphire understand Mom and Pearl, going on the cowboy trip with Ruby, pretending I was okay -- I was so happy that it worked. That Garnet was going to come back.”

Dr. B nodded. Steven fidgeted. This part was… embarrassing. But it felt right to say it, here, now, in a hotel room far away from Beach City and Rose Quartz’s memory and his family.

“I cried in the shower for almost an hour on the wedding day,” Steven mumbled. “I walked into the bathroom so excited to put on my tux and officiate the wedding and see everyone happy again, and as soon as I got in the shower I just… I lost it. I didn’t even know why I was crying. I just did, like a little kid, and I was glad that the water was so noisy because it meant that no one would hear me and ask me how I was doing.”

“Why were you glad that no one would ask how you were doing?”

“I don’t know,” said Steven, but he had a guess, one that hurt. He hazarded it. “It’s like… except a few times from Amethyst, no one did ask me how I was doing all week. Not Pearl, not Ruby or Sapphire, not even my dad! And when I was crying in the shower, I guess I thought -- maybe the reason they weren’t asking was because I was just really good at hiding it. And that would be okay. That would hurt less than… them not asking because they didn’t even think about asking me.”

For a moment Dr. B was silent. Then he spoke. “It sounds to me like you were trying to take control of the situation,” he said. “If you were good at hiding your feelings, then of course your family wouldn’t ask how you were doing. That would make it your responsibility, your choice: your actions were what you could control.” He adjusted his glasses and leaned in closer to the screen. “Steven, their actions were never your responsibility. It was their responsibility to check in with you, and they failed you at a time you needed support.”

“They just -- they were going through a lot --” he began automatically.

“She was your mother, Steven. The way you felt about her absolutely should have been explored. But your family chose not to reach out to you and help you, whether by mistake or on purpose, and it’s okay to be angry at them about it.”

“I’m not --”

“Steven, you’re glowing again,” said Dr. B, in his calm, neutral voice.

Steven laughed, a jagged sound, and caught sight of his image in the corner of the screen, pink and luminous and significantly bigger than it had been a moment ago. “I guess I am.”

“How do you feel?”

Deep, careful breaths. Words came, slowly, to the surface of his mind, syllables to rearrange into meaning. “Hurt. Ignored. Mad. Disappointed. With all of them.”

“All of who?”

“Garnet. Amethyst. Pearl. My dad.” His breathing started picking up, faster and faster. “Why didn’t they think that would mess me up?” he cried. “I mean, really, what the hell? Oh hey, Steven, your mom is an intergalactic dictator, she started a war against herself and got thousands of Gems shattered or corrupted! You’ve heard about how bad Homeworld and the Diamonds were for years, but whoops, your mom’s one of them! And now you have to deal with how her lies screwed up all her friends because you’re always the one to deal with her shit! But you’re fine with it, right? You’re Steven! Nothing ever bothers you, right? Right?”

He was near sobs now, his breathing ragged, his shoulders shaking. He felt himself growing, the top of his hair brushing the ceiling --

“Steven, I need you to breathe with me,” said Dr. B’s voice, faint from the distance below. “You can do this. Return to your center.”

Right, right. You know what to do. And he did, his eyes falling closed, tears drying on his cheeks as he breathed. It’s okay to have this feeling. And it will go away. His hands steadied. The hum in his ears faded, retreating until he heard Dr. B’s voice clearly through the phone.

“Steven?”

He opened his eyes, grabbing at the phone with his normal-sized, non-glowing hand. He let out a quavery laugh. “I -- I feel like I found a sore spot,” he admitted. “But… I think I was able to deal with it a lot better than a few months ago.”

“Absolutely,” said Dr. B warmly. “I can see you’ve been practicing your breathing and your centering techniques. Remember, these tools provide a way to help keep your feelings from harmfully affecting your powers, but the feelings themselves are not the problem.”

“Right.”

“How are you feeling now?”

“The same, but… not so overwhelmed? Mostly just upset that I had to go through that. Alone,” he said. He rubbed his shirt, readjusting it from where it had stretched to accommodate his sudden increase in size. “I wish I could have talked to you a long time ago.”

Dr. B smiled, nodding. “It’s a common sentiment,” he said. “We can’t undo the past, but I’m glad we’re able to speak now.”

“Me too.” He let out a long, rattling sigh. “Ugh. I just wish… I’d known more of this stuff. That it wasn’t okay for my family to act that way. That it was okay to be upset about Mom, and scared that I was gonna be like her. And I wish I’d known there are other ways to fix problems besides trying to make everyone else happy. Maybe sometimes we just need to feel terrible about terrible things.”

“That’s one of the things about being human, Steven. Painful emotions, like fear, or hatred, or sorrow, are important. There are times they absolutely need to be felt and acknowledged, instead of covering them up with band-aids.”

“Or weddings,” he mumbled, remembering his cheerful song about love, a glow bracelet shining between his clasped hands. His eyes pricked with tears he blinked away.

“You were trying to make the problem go away the only way you knew how,” said Dr. B. “And you didn’t have anyone to show you a different way. That isn’t messed up; it’s a coping mechanism for trauma. Your toolbox was very limited, but now you’re working to find ways to deal with those problems that don’t leave you hiding your feelings and not addressing them.” He tilted his head, considering. “From what you’ve told me, that’s something that makes you very different from your mother.”

“I know I’m trying -- I’m working really hard!” And he was, too, wasn’t even a question, he had gotten so much better. But still -- “What if it’s not enough? What if I’m still too much like her?” Steven asked, wincing at the answer he might get back.

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” said Dr. B, and Steven stared at him in surprise. “I want you to know that it’s not the worst thing in the world to have similarities to a family member, even when you dislike or no longer admire them. Being like her in some ways doesn’t mean you can’t make different choices. And even with all of her flaws and mistakes, there may have been some good qualities that you share with her, too. Can you think of any?”

Steven thought, screwing his face up in concentration. “She really did love the Earth. The plants, the mountains, the people… she really did want to save them. Everybody said so… and it’s one of the few things that didn’t turn out to be a lie.”

“And how do you feel about the Earth?”

Steven grinned, the smile a little pained at first, then growing more genuine. “It’s… awesome.” He let out a long sigh, remembering how he’d driven out to eat breakfast at a nearby diner, and in the parking lot --

“I saw these amazing birds today on the telephone wires. Uncle Andy gave me a bird guide for my trip… they’re called scissor-tailed flycatchers. They have these incredible tailfeathers and they just look so beautiful when they fly away. I’ve never seen a bird like that before.” He could see them clearly in his mind’s eye, reddish-pink sides, smooth gray and white faces, impossibly long, elegant tailfeathers in black and white. “I think Mom would have thought they were great. And I guess… I guess that’s not such a bad thing to share with her.”

“You don’t have to love her or forgive her. But you don’t have to hate the parts of her that you see in yourself. It’s not bad at all to appreciate natural wonders and wildlife,” said Dr. B. “Send me a picture of these birds! They sound beautiful..”

“Yeah, I can do that,” said Steven. “”Maybe I’ll see some more of them tomorrow. I should get through Texahoma tomorrow and into Saguaro. Should see some interesting desert stuff.” He felt a small pang at the thought of Cactus Steven, but hoped that seeing other cacti -- content and happy and most importantly immobile -- might ease that particular hurt a little.

He glanced at the top of his screen and saw with surprise it had already been an hour. “Huh, I guess it’s that time already.”

“I expect a full report of your trip next week,” said Dr. B, pulling out his calendar. “What day works for you?”

Steven flipped through his calendar app quickly, scrolling past his next date with Connie -- only two days to go! -- a visit to Lars, and a planned video chat with Peridot. He swiped back to Dr. B. “How about Thursday? Ten AM? Next week’s actually pretty full up with friend stuff. And --” He hesitated, then continued. “It’s been a while since I talked to Dad and the Gems, but I’m thinking I might hold off on a video call for another week. Just… we talked about a lot today. I need to think about stuff for a while before I talk with them again.”

“I think that sounds like a good idea to take some time to yourself to process things,” said Dr. B. “It’s perfectly okay to let them know you’re busy this week but will be in touch again soon.”

“I think I will.”

“I’m glad to hear you have some other friend meetups planned, though. Lars and Connie?”

“Good guesses,” said Steven, giving him a tired smile. “Yeah, I think it’s gonna be a good week. I’ll keep up with my meditation and my journal. Gotta get back on the exercise train, though. It’s been so hot I haven’t felt like it.”

“Take care of yourself, Steven. Don’t forget about swimming or yoga as low-impact options. Feel free to call before your visit if anything changes, and we’ll talk next week.” Dr. B waved, and Steven waved back as the call ended.

He sent Dr. B a picture of the scissor-tailed flycatchers, smiling to himself, then sent the same picture to Uncle Andy and Greg. Maybe he’d really talk to Dad again in a week or two, just… not yet.

He flopped back onto the bed, letting his arms splay out to the side, his fingers uncurling, the tension slowly starting to fade from his arms and shoulders and toes.

He closed his eyes. How did he feel?

He asked himself after every session, another of Dr. B’s ideas to help him understand himself better. Some days it was hard and he’d end up not answering his own question in a defensive huff. Other days it was clear and easy. He never knew which it would be until he asked it.

This wasn’t the first time messed up things with the Gems had come to light in these sessions. Oh, no, there were a lot of sessions about some of those patterns. He supposed that that was why he’d finally thought about that week they’d learned about Rose, and realized how screwed up it was in so many ways.

He could still feel the emotions that had come up a few minutes ago, but instead of roiling frantically under the surface, they were a little more removed, fading to a more comfortable distance where he could feel them without drowning in them. He rolled over and grabbed his journal from the bedside table, and wrote with the fancy fountain pen Connie had given him until ink smudged his fingertips and his wrist was tired. The pages were smeared, but he wasn’t sure he needed to reread them; just writing it all out was comfort enough right now. Anger and sadness and disbelief, set in black ink on white paper.

His emotions were real. They stared back at him in cursive on narrow-ruled lines. And it was okay to have them, even when they hurt. Something he reminded himself of every week.

How do I feel? he asked himself again.

I feel…

Deep breaths, tidal, falling into a comfortable, familiar rhythm. He had an answer today.

I feel okay.

#steven universe future #suf #steven quartz universe #the future suf #steven for therapy 2020 #fanfoolishness' steven universe fic #fanfoolishness steven universe fic

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tenander · 4 years ago

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Weird Weird West Session 4

@cuyguy‘s Summary and Intro to the next episode “New Horizons”

At the farm, the Yeehaws have another conversation with Hope Croshaw. This time, they know the right questions to ask and learn that little Hope has taken something from the mines... a curious water gem, cut and shaped, yet still active. As tantalising as this discovery is, the Yeehaws know this gem has a more important role to play: sealing the shadow creature once more. But first, they question Jeremiah Croshaw about the events that led to its release in the first place, and here too their hunch proves right. Jeremiah admits that it was him who opened the ancient chamber and took the gems. But while he has answers, he also offers new mysteries, claiming to have found only 4 gems in the twelve indentations and furthermore, having sold the gems to a man claiming to work for Wellspring... a man with a white streak of hair. The Honeybadger.

Equipped with answers, questions, the water gem and their weapons, the Yeehaws and Sheriff Kosi return to the mine for their final confrontation with the creature, which awaits them in the underground chamber in a much more threatening form than before. A brief, but fierce battle ensues before Estabrook manages to return the gem to its rightful place. It succeeds in sealing the creature in its urn once again... but even as it does so, the shallow water that had covered the floor rapidly begins to rise. The three men race to escape the tunnel, hurt, wet but ultimately successful. For good measure, they also collapse the mining tunnel leading to the creature's resting place, before finally calling it a job done.

While drying themselves at the saloon's fireplace, the Yeehaws discuss Sheriff Kosi's future. Reluctant to spend the rest of his life as keeper of what was sealed in the mine, Mandlenkosi will instead train new deputies to protect the town from natural and unnatural threats, so that he may eventually seek his own path.

That night, Estabrook, still concerned over the many mysteries that were uncovered takes a flight over the area. And against all expectations, he finds the Honeybadger waiting for him outside the mine. In a tense meeting, it is revealed that 'Honey' -as Brook calls them- was indeed responsible for the lost week... and that they are genuinely acting for an unknown Wellspring party. Most importantly, they reveal what their job is... to ensure that the package arrives, but not the courier. Before Brook can press his old rival for more, Honey escapes the scene, but the situation is now clear: Duncan's life is threatened, and by one of the most dangerous people Estabrook knows, no less.

Not one to make his own job harder by keeping the wrong secrets, Estabrook shares what he learned with Duncan in the morning. The Yeehaws know now to stay vigilant, and to hurry to their destination: the western coast of Shine. They leave the town of Siranza with new questions, but determined and prepared, to continue their Journey into the Sunset.

#Ten plays P&P #Campaign: Weird Weird West

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flydotnet · 6 years ago

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Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Summary: Aelita experiences something new a few days before Christmas while on a date.

Fandom: Code Lyoko Ship: Established Aelita/Ulrich

Wordcount: 1.5K words

Notes: Joyeux Noël. This was written for my Code Lyoko Secret Santa giftee, @angelofapathe! It was my first time actually writing for CL, so this was a bit special to say the least. I got fueled by my baguettey blood to write something about a growing French custom of these Christmas markets. Also, while Ulrich/Aelita isn’t something I personally ship, it was still really fun to do. Happy Christmas pal! (for the fun fact: I have no idea if Paris’s Xmas market is any good. I’ve never seen it).

Event hosted by @codesecretsanta

AO3 version available here.

----------

Getting there had taken quite a while, but a fact was clear: the bright lights, sweet scents, human warmth and shiny present options made the subway troubles to getting here worth it. They may have almost gotten lost in the flow of people taking public transportations, the apparently countless lines and stations lying underground, and after exiting their final stop, yet she minded nothing of this effort: this was like the dream she wouldn’t have dared having. Truly, a fantasy she didn’t know she had fostered for quite a long time…

This was the first time Aelita saw something like this, so different from anything she had seen yet: the school, Lyoko, her father’s cottage; nothing was quite like that. Granted, she had never seen Paris to begin with, or didn’t remember ever being there at the very least, so her enthusiasm was off the roof and flowing in the night, winter sky. The numerous colours almost blinded her at first, compared to the streetlights they had seen until there.

“H-hey,” her boyfriend’s voice suddenly spoke much louder than usual, “don’t go too fast! You’ll get lost!”

With a slightly mischievous, but mostly purely happy, smile, she turned around to face him, scratching the back of his head with his available fingers, the blush on his face barely noticeable in the dancing flashes of light around them.

“Then we’ll just have to hold hands with more strength!”

He sighed before showing her a little smirk, “I suppose that’s a decent way to go around with it…”

Truth be told, she had barely been able to contain her excitement for this date ever since Ulrich had proposed the idea for it. Aelita had only brought the topic of the Parisian Christmas market after she had heard of it at school from girls discussing going there with friends and got curious. Quick Internet searches for it had only made her want to see it for her own two eyes even more. Staying a decade in a virtual limbo had prevented her from living the simple joys of their world and it was about time she was profiting from hanging with her boyfriend in a sparkly, joyful place like a lot of other boys and girls her age admiring the little shops surrounding them.

Originally, she had planned on bringing everyone along, but the idea of spending some time with just her boyfriend had spoken to her. Spending more time with him, especially in such a charming environment, was more than welcome and she had accepted without thinking twice about it. Her eyes were sparkling, her heart was beating vividly, following along to the rhythm of Christmas music played all around the market. She didn’t quite know where to look, when they were walking along the alleys: which little shop, which presents to give (and internally thinking of what to get for who, while making sure to keep her budget in mind), which happy face near her own.

It was like living a dream’s child, even if she was now a teenager. She wasn’t above simple fun.

Aelita eventually came across a hut-shaped shop (not unlike most of the shops there: it was part of the tradition, or so she had been told) serving hot chocolate. The bitter cold starting to bite, she wasn’t against drinking something to warm the both of them up while they continued exploring the place. There was too much to see to go back inside just because the winter atmosphere around them happened not to be warm enough!

She immediately put out her wallet, hoping she had enough money left on her, when Ulrich put his hand on her shoulder. That was only now she was noticing their hands had untied, explaining why he looked so alert, before smiling at her.

“Don’t bother, I’m gonna pay for us.” (He then looked at the seller before she could even add anything). “Two hot chocolates please, sir.”

The man smiled at him, then at her, before giving his prices and getting their money.

“On a date, are we?” He asked.

She felt her cheeks catch on fire. Aelita and Ulrich stared at each other, both with their faces coloured in red, struggling for a way to answer. That was unexpected to say the least. The man laughs at their confusion, grinning.

“Hey, you youngsters are livin’ ya best life, go for it! Here are your chocolates, have a nice evening, and don’t forget to have fun!”

They both replied with thanks at the same time, making them blush again, before she waved the man goodbye. With a steaming hot cup in her hand, she slipped the other in her boyfriend’s hand, resuming her sightseeing session.

The air was filled with human warmth and the sweet, sugary smell of various treats. The huts all sold different things, some she had no idea even existed, others she had only heard about (such as warm wine, which sounded disgusting until Ulrich explained to her they added spices to them… according to his parents, at least). The deeper they got into the market, the more mesmerized she’d get, sometimes stopping in the middle of the flow of people just to admire the contents of some of the little shops. The distant Christmas lights of her almost-forgotten childhood were coming back, only a thousand times brighter.

People probably looked at her in funny ways before of how childish her current attitude towards everything must have seemed to their eyes. Truth be told, Aelita cared very little about unknown persons’ opinions, right that moment: she was having the time of her life in a bright, colourful place filled with marvels she had never seen before with someone very close to her. She couldn’t have asked for more, and she didn’t dare ask for anything more in fear of everything good disappearing yet again.

Before she could fully settle for a more solemn mood, her eyes settle on the shiny reflects of silverware decorations. A pink gem cast in a bright silver-like metal spiral caught her eye, almost silently calling to her. It’d look great in her room, so her hands immediately went to the wallet right as her feet landed in front of the hut. The price tag showed twelve euros, so she searched for the right amount of money… only to notice she didn’t have the cash needed on her. Ah, what a bummer…

“Hey, what’s wrong? You need some help, Aelita?”

Ulrich had his hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn around. He seemed concerned with seeing her worried.

“W-well… It’s nothing big, but I don’t have the money to buy this,” (she then pointed the item with her finger). “It’s okay, I’ll just gather some more cash and come back another time…”

Before she could add anything, she watched him get his wallet out, count something in it, and hand a twenty euro bill to the seller.

“You really don’t have to!”

All Ulrich did in response to this was to smile to her and hand her the little box containing “her” purchase. She really didn’t know what to say aside from a big thank you. To say that all she offered in return was a tight hug… He’d tell her it was all okay and that it was on his, that he was happy to pay for her.

When she got the piece out of its box, the gesture only made it shine brighter.

“I’ll have to pay you back one of these days…” She told him as she sighed.

“Don’t stress it. Anything for my princess.”

As soon as he said that, they both stared at each other, dumbfounded, silent and suddenly immobile. She could see his face take on a crimson hue and, to be fair, she was certain she was heading this way too.

“I-I mean,” he stuttered, scratching his head as their walk resumed its course, “I really don’t mind paying it for you! You seemed to really want it! Plus, it’s only fifteen bucks, it’s not a big deal at all!”

All she did was to giggle, both from her embarrassment and how endearing he was getting.

“I like it!”

He stared at her for a little bit, blinking.

“What, the mobile?”

“No, the nickname!”

She giggled again.

“Y-you do?!”

“Of course I do! Would I lie to you about it?

“I didn’t mean that! I just… thought you’d find it embarrassing, y’know!”

She picked his hand in hers yet again.

“We should head home, no? It’s starting to get late…”

He looked at his phone.

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. Let’s get back to the school before Jim makes an example outta us…”

They walked in a comfortable silence as she took in the last bits of the warm colours and scents. She’d come back… she just knew she would. This place was too mesmerizing to only experience once.

“Thank you so much again, Ulrich, for bringing me here. It’s all I’ve ever hoped it to be!”

“That’s nothing. It was a lot of fun going there with you.”

“We’ll come back one day, right?”

“Oh, absolutely. Why wouldn’t we?”

“…dumb question, I know!”

And Aelita sipped on what was left of her cup of chocolate, thinking of the mobile in her bag and the fingers enlaced within hers. The best life had to offer indeed…

#code lyoko #code secret santa #my writing #fluff

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vampirefreakism · 6 years ago

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The Scientist (Chapter 34)

Summary: In the events following Asgard’s destruction, Loki finds himself on Earth seeking refuge to await the inevitable. Much to his surprise, it comes from a source he would never have expected.

Warnings: a touch of angst

Word count: 3.7k

A/N: First off: Happy Pride Month, children! Second, we made it to another chapter! Yay! Another set-up for future events, but hey, as long as y' all like it as much as I liked writing it, I think it's all fantastic any which way. Also, I am posting on AO3 and Wattpad and still making the playlist. The links for all these things are in the masterlist.

Masterlist

———-

Luna sat hunched over her microscope. This was a common occurrence for her in recent days. She would investigate her subjects, going from the C. elegans worms to the zebrafish embryo and back again. To her luck, the embryo was growing as expected, and at the rate it should be. Its hatching time was any minute now, and it held her at the edge of her seat.

Pulling away from the eyepiece, Luna shook out her hands and squinted at the clock. She huffed, still unable to see, and put on her glasses. Not yet lunchtime, but it mattered not. The homemade French toast with herbs and coffee she had for breakfast sated her well enough. She smiled, remembering how Loki enjoyed his and made a point to tell her twice – once when he was done and one more time as she was leaving. If they weren’t already friends, it would be a call for suspicion on her end.

Taking her glasses back off, Luna yawned and leaned back over the microscope. The embryo twitched and wiggled inside the egg, teasing its urge to come out into the world. As it stilled its body again, Luna watched its little heart beat inside its body, and she smiled. She could watch it a million times over with a million different embryos, and they would all bring her the same amount of joy. The joy of creating life and welcoming it into existence.

"Come on, baby. You can do it," Luna muttered. It moved again, and she snickered, making fun it could hear her. “FRIDAY, are you getting this?”

“Of course.”

“Excellent,” Luna whispered. Excitement coursed through her veins like a fast-burning fire, but she kept her breathing even. No need to disturb the serenity of the tiny baby fish. She drummed her fingers on the table. Any second now.

With a final hard thrash, the embryo broke through the chorion and out of the confining space.

“Yes! Oh, yes!” Luna exclaimed. “Hi there, little one. Are you gonna make some ice for me, maybe?” As though it was listening, miniscule frost particles formed around where it swam. Her mouth split into a proud grin. “Very good. Good job.”

She gazed at her new baby and recorded its every move. Appearance- and size-wise, it was normal. It moved comfortably in its space, and the yolk sac it retained was an appropriate size. Luna was content, feeling like she won the world.

“FRIDAY, are you able to get a read on the water temperature?”

“Right now, it is at room temperature.”

"Alright." Luna pulled away from the microscope and slipped her glasses on, turning to look at the clock. It wasn't lunchtime yet, but she could take a few extra minutes. "Keep an eye on the little guy, will you? I'm gonna take my lunch break. Alert me if there are any changes.”

“Will do.”

She made one last note in her lab notebook before closing it and locking it in a drawer. The dish of fish eggs was placed in an inconspicuous corner, and the microscope turned off. Pulling off her gloves and lab coat, Luna hung it and grabbed her lunch, bag, and tumbler from the cupboard.

The upper kitchen was barren. Luna had it all to herself, assuming Tony was out to lunch or for the day. She looked this way and that. No sign of anyone approaching, so she took out her earbuds and put them in. Pressing 'play' on her music, the bass thrum of a Fleetwood Mac song met her awaiting ears. She whispered a victorious “yes” and closed the distance to the microwave.

"Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom."

Luna snapped her fingers to the beat and used the other hand to punch in the time to heat her food. Today, the Tupperware held leftover acorn squash curry and rice. Watching the container turn slowly through the opaque window, Luna smiled as she remembered making it. Wishing Loki to help her cut the squash in two and bake it. Him hovering close by and watching her cook, like a curious hummingbird.

The timer was close to finishing, so Luna took the remaining seconds to fill her tumbler with Tony’s expensive coffee. Her maker at home worked as perfect as it did the day she got it, but sometimes stolen things tasted better.

The spicy aroma permeated the air. It had the power to turn heads if there were any in the room, save the individual who made it. A fresh paper towel in hand, Luna took her hot dish and coffee to her place on the sofa. She situated herself – careful not to spill anything – and started her hour of rest.

She took her time as her food came out hotter than desired. A few stirs and puffs of air did the trick. Halfway done with her lunch, some movement caught her eye. Someone had entered the room. Luna looked up and took out an earbud.

“Vision! Hi!” she greeted her new guest.

“Hello, Dr. Fields,” the android said back. Luna put her container and utensil down and stood to embrace him. “I say, you look well.” Vision pulled back and held her at arm’s length.

“Thank you. You look good too. Well, you always look good, but you know,” she chuckled a little. Luna sits back down and gestures to the open space beside her. Vision accepts the invitation and joins her. “When did you get back?”

“Not long ago. I figured I would stop by and say hello if you’re not too busy.”

Luna grins. “No, not at all. I’m always happy to talk to you.”

“That’s good. Wanda says hello too.”

Luna crossed one leg over the other and turned her body towards him. “Oh, how is she?”

“She’s doing well. Training with Ms. Romanoff and helping with the secret missions that I know nothing about.”

“Good, good.” Luna nodded, smiling a full-tooth smile. Vision silently regarded her, and she took notice. “What?”

“Nothing. You seem different. A good different.”

Luna wanted to probe on what he meant but didn't bother. "Yeah, I’m feeling good.”

“Excellent.” Vision jumped, remembering something previously forgotten. “Oh, I have something for you. A very late Christmas gift from us, if you will.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cubed box.

“Really? Thank you.” With great care, Luna took the box and opened it. Inside was a ring; all silver, with a little tree sitting in a circle. It was simple and elegant, like the last one he gifted. “Oh, Vis, I love it. Thank you so much.” She reached around him and pulled him close into another hug. He placed a hand on her arm, reciprocating as best he could.

“You are quite welcome." He gave her arm a pat, and they pulled away from each other.

“Do thank everyone else for me when you get the chance.”

“I will.”

“And I’m sorry I don’t have any friendship bracelets for you guys. No offense, but I didn’t plan on anyone showing up.” Luna cringed a little. Vision held up a dismissive hand.

“There’s no need. Knowing you think of us is gift enough.”

“Gosh, you have such a way with words,” Luna gushed.

“Well, I do possess the collective consciousness of five separate entities.” They shared a little laugh.

“Speaking of which, how’s the Stone been treating you?”

Vision brought a hand up to his forehead, touching the gem lightly. “It whispers occasionally. I still haven’t a clue what it’s telling me.”

“You seeing Tony about it or did you already see him?”

“I will, at a point. It’s nothing too alarming right now.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

Vision paused and looked down to Luna’s barely-steaming lunch. “As I seem to have caught you in the middle of your meal, I believe I should take my leave now and let you get back to it before it gets cold.” As he rose to his feet, Luna followed suit.

“Ok. See you later?”

“If you like. Farewell.” Luna opened her arms; an open invitation to hug him goodbye. He took it and embraced her one more time.

“Bye.” They let go of each other and Luna waved Vision off. He reciprocated the gesture and, instead of using the door, phased down through the floor. Once he was out of sight, Luna inhaled and put her hands over her face, minding her glasses. “I will never get used to that,” she sighed, voice muffled.

Dragging her hands down, Luna took her spot back and resumed her lunch, not bothering to turn her music back on. No need to let someone else sneak up on her. She was lucky it was Vision and not someone she’d rather not interact with during break time.

She concluded her lunch faster than desired, leaving plenty of time for anything else unrelated to work. As she rinsed her Tupperware and spoon, she pondered on what to fill the time with. Walks outside were off. The air was too chilly, and she lacked the proper clothes to trek through the snow blanketing the ground. An exercise session was out of the question unless she wished to lose the lunch she finished. Drying her things off in a daze, Luna decided to check on her – or rather, Loki's – rose.

She tucked her lunch bag in her personal cupboard and moseyed across the compound to the greenhouse. Taking her time, she looked nonchalantly through every window, doing her best not to disturb anyone inside meeting rooms. Unbelievable how employees could have regular meetings during lunch hour. They seemed to be no fun at all.

The greenhouse stood delightfully heated, as always. Plants turned out their leaves, and annuals continued their cycles of growth. Luna passed a hand through a few of them, feeling their smooth textures. So much life in one place. She reveled in it.

She reached her little clay pot and bent to behold it at eye-level. A spot of soil lay disturbed by the green shoot emerging from beneath it. Luna beamed and grabbed a nearby water can.

“Hey, good-lookin’,” she murmured to it. “How are you? Feeling ok?” She tipped the spout over the pot edge and allowed a bit of water to fall and seep into the dirt, turning it a color close to black. How warm and comforting it looked. The sight eased Luna’s spirit. “Yeah. You’re ok.”

Lowering herself to a squat, she wondered about how Loki would take the gift when the time came to give it to him. It was a personal thing he told her about once. Would she be overstepping? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Their relationship was going well enough, but she couldn’t tell where it would go or if he would stay long enough for the flower to bloom. She touched the stem, delicately tracing a line from the base to the top. All she could do now is hope things turn out alright.

Standing up, Luna stretched her arms out and yawned. She tucked the watering can back where it belonged and left. Her brain was abuzz with new matters and thoughts. Ones concerning her work, the future, and her best friend. Friend, or best friend? Hard to say. It tickled her brain like the beginnings of a headache. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. Loki wasn't the type to feel or think of feeling the same. She was thinking too much about nothing.

But Loki wasn’t nothing. He was something. A big something. If word got out he was alive and well and on Earth, he could have the world at his feet writing hate-gossip about him or idolizing him for trying to take over and rule them. Both were horrid avenues, and Luna did her best to avoid exposure. So far, it was working. The incident in the bar could be chalked up to someone having one-too-many to ease their aching heart and made a false drunken accusation. She imagined it happening more than once.

Each time they were out together, it was a risk, but it was a risk they enjoyed. It ebbed Luna's fear away, and Loki found entertainment in the mundanities of human life. They would never voice it, but the holding of hands was the most anticipated part of any excursion. The closeness and sensation of the other’s touch provided an air of safety.

Trekking down the last hallway to her lab, Luna held her own hand, pretending it was someone else’s. It was foolish. The gesture was nothing more than a clever tool used to mislead the public, as a close-up magician would utilize misdirection in a performance. They put on a show each time they went out, and their unassuming audience adored them.

Luna took a fast peek in her lab and went to freshen herself up in the restroom. She took her time. She could afford it. Looking in the mirror, she studied her reflection. The difference Vision saw was lost to her. Her eyes were the same. Her hair, a bit longer and due for a cut. Her skin, dull from the lack of sun. The only significant difference in her life was Loki, but no one could tell by looking. Could they? Luna frowned and swatted away the intrusive thoughts. Never mind them for now.

Back at the bench, Luna took a record of the zebrafish larvae. To her eye, it had no apparent impairments, though one thing on its body caught her attention.

“Hey, FRIDAY, what happened here?” she called out, keeping her gaze trained on the little yolk sac on the larvae’s abdomen.

“I was going to alert you to it, but you were already on your way back.”

“Ok.” Luna leaned back from the microscope and sighed. “Do you know by how much the yolk sac shrank? Like, how much more is gone than usual?”

“About 60% more than it should have by now.”

“Hmm.” She peered into the eyepiece. “Guess he’s really hungry,” she muttered under her breath. “Do we have protozoa for him to eat when he’s able?”

“I can make an order.”

“Yes, please do that.” Luna grabbed her notebook and jotted down her findings. “How are the vital signs?”

“They’re strong and holding steady.”

“Good, good.” She clicked her pen. “When do you think it’s possible to embed it and make an incision?”

“The usual wait time is six days post-fertilization, at the least.”

“And this is only day three.” Luna drummed the side of her pen against the table edge. “We can’t change too many variables. Make a note of it to do the next step of the experiment in four days, just to be safe.” She added the note to her page. “Do we have enough Petri dishes with agarose in stock?”

“Yes.”

“Great. Make a log of this in my private server and keep taking a record of any and all changes. We don’t want to lose anything.”

“Of course.”

Changing pen colors, Luna wrote down her plans and goals for the experiment. A habit from her undergrad days, fostered and encouraged by her many professors. They instilled in her the drive and desire to record everything, so she kept it up, for no information was useless and no step a waste of time.

Finishing her writing, a wave of fatigue washed over her, threatening to make her put her head on the table and doze off. She shook her head and took her gloves off. No sleeping in the lab. Rubbing her eyes, Luna slowly slid from her chair and to her feet. A little eye-break would do a body good.

She hung her lab coat and ambled to the lounge, phone in hand to read up on a science journal or two, and get some ideas on what else she could do. Getting comfortable in the armchair, Luna found a couple on zebrafish larvae and CRISPR-Cas9 gene therapy, but it didn’t take long for her attention to drift to her social media and lifestyle blogs. She would get mad at herself, but she hadn’t the energy or the will.

Every other post, companies and brands advertised their Valentine’s Day sales and special offers. Luna groaned – feeling a touch of second-hand embarrassment – and switched back to her CRISPR article. She could count the weeks left to the holiday on half of a hand, but the ads had been growing for over a month. In her mind, it was silly and superficial. Money-makers cared not for love, especially the love Luna held in her heart. To them, it was unnatural and worth as much money as she could give them.

She ground her teeth and put her phone down. No need getting upset over nothing, but it couldn't be helped. The exhaustion she felt shortened her temper, and the subject matter made it more so. It was invalidating, and she was sick of it. Everyone else seemed to always get what they wanted. But what did she want?

Coming down to it, she wanted basic things: respect, her time valued, her presence appreciated, and to be thought of as irreplaceable. Unfortunately for her, they were hard to come by. Closing her eyes, she put her head in her hands and sighed. Her heart desired a genuine friend.

In response, her head recalled one crucial detail: she had a friend. A good friend, sitting in her home, one phone call away. Luna rubbed the heels of her hands into her temples.

“Don’t. Don’t. It’s so stupid,” she mumbled, trying to convince herself to leave it alone. She glanced to her phone on the table. One call away. She moaned angrily and growled. “No. No. Ugh.” She stamped her foot on the ground. Two sides of her will waged war against each other till one of them won. Grimacing, she snatched her phone up and pulled up the recent call list. She pressed the top one and held the device to her ear. “Sure, the worst thing he'll say is 'no,' but then I'll be embarrassed forever."

The dial tone clicked off and was replaced by Loki’s smooth, low voice. “Hello?”

“Hi!” Luna forced a bit of cheerfulness, going so far as to don a smile. “Uh, how has your day gone so far?”

“Well. How has yours gone?”

Luna rubbed her forehead. “Lots of work, but my egg hatched.”

“Oh, that’s good,” he praised. “How is it?”

“It looks really good so far. And before you ask, yes, it did produce little particles of ice.”

She heard him chuckle, making her smile a little wider. “I expected no less.”

“So what are you doing right now?”

“I got onto your Netflix for a bit, and I started watching this fantastic show called 'Stranger Things.' "

Luna gasped and exclaimed, “Oh, I love that show! Who’s your favorite character so far?”

“Eleven, for sure. She’s so strong yet so tragic. You could write an entire story only about her.” Loki sounded as enthusiastic about it as she felt.

“Yeah, I really like her too. She’s great.”

He hummed quietly. “So, uh, for what reason are you calling?”

“Oh, yeah.” Luna cringed, getting ready to tell him her reason. “There are actually a couple things I wanted to tell you before I forgot.”

“Ok.”

She decided to stall a little. “First off, I’m going to be a little late. I’m still in with this experiment, so I’m not sure when I can leave. I’m just taking a break right now.”

“Good. Breaks are good.”

She paused, feigning a faulty memory. “Oh, and the other thing I want to half-tell, half-ask you.”

She heard a spot of shuffling on his end like he was nervous too. "Alright.”

Luna inhaled and built up enough confidence to last her the next 10 seconds. “I have an idea about what we should do for Valentine’s Day.”

“Do enlighten me.”

“There’s, uh, there’s this really nice restaurant on 5th Street. Tony's gone there with Pepper a few times, and they say it's good, so would you be amenable to going?”

“Going with you?” He toyed with her. How cruel.

“Well, yeah, unless you’d rather go with Tony, then –”

“No! No." The thought created a visceral reaction, and he stopped her as quickly as he could. “I’d be delighted to accompany you.”

Luna dropped her tense shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief. “Great! Um, so since I’m not a Stark, I have to get a reservation before they all fill up, so does 7pm or 8pm sound good?”

“Ye-yeah.” Loki cleared his throat. “Sounds quite fair.”

Luna did a fist pump in the air. “Great. I’ll set that up.” She was on a roll. “And, uh, would you want to go shopping this weekend for a proper outfit? It's kind of a fancy place, and since you don't have your magic to conjure your John Wick getup, you’re going to need something to wear.”

“Oh, sure. And what about you?”

“Don’t worry, I have a little something.” She smirked and admired her nails as she pictured it. “Who knows? You might like it.”

“I think I just might.”

The tone in his comment made her do a brief double-take, but she shook it off and continued. “So, uh, I should make the reservation before it gets too late and all the spots are taken.”

“Oh, yes, you should do that.”

“I need to, uh, get off the phone to do it.”

“Mhm. Well, goodbye.”

“See you at home. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Luna hung up and set her phone in her lap. Folding her hands and resting them against her mouth, she beamed. She did it. She asked him, and it went better than expected. Rising from the chair with a surge of newfound energy, she pocketed her phone and sauntered back to the lab, snapping her fingers with each step and muttering,

“Snaps for you, Lu. Snaps for you.”

----------

A/N: Ok, get this. I was thinking of a ship name for them because everyone needs one and I have a proposition: FrostMoon. You dig? Or maybe LauFields, if we’re going directly on the name route? I'm just happy that y' all like these two :D

———-

Taglist: @the-doctor-9-10 @pinkieperil @sherlockfan4life @kybaeza

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c-atm · 7 years ago

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Shift in the Paradigm

Chapter 1: prologue

Chapter Text

Shift in the Paradigm

AN: Steven Universe in its entirely is owned by Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network. This is a non-profit work of fiction. Please support the official release.

Two teens sat on the hand of the giant temple. A fresh blanket underneath them, a ukulele on the cheerful boy left and a violin to the right of the pretty girl. They sat in silence as they watch a beautiful sunset being cast over the beach. The boy glanced at his “more than” best friend and couldn’t help but blush at her dark cocoa skin bathed in the evening sun. He couldn’t but be proud and entranced at the young woman she was becoming. He always thought of her as pretty even when he was thirteen and she eleven going on to twelve; now as they were heading to adulthood, he was surprised and excited at the knockout she has become and still in the process of becoming.

Dressed in a light blue denim shorts overalls over a pink and purple monokini from earlier that day. Her shoulder length hair; still a bit damp the events of the day, cling slightly and framed her face. Bodywise: she was more than athletic, fit, or statuesque; the best way to describe her would be ‘dangerous’.

Her genetics combined with her lifestyle gave her an form that was eye-catching to say the least. She was ‘quartz’ strong, with a form that was soft yet warrior defined with a figure and denier that was somewhere between Garnet and Priyanka. Not to mention the fact he knows first hand just what she can do with her body. Whether it was a mission, training, sports or even on the dance floor; Dangerous was an appropriate description.

Yes, his Jam Bud was well on her way to being a bombshell; even with skin marred with lighter shades of brown sugar from their adventures and battles alongside each other and her dark pink left arm from the war with the diamonds. Things that was result of Steven healing; that she wore and showed off with pride, honor, and love. Not all mind you, some places were...Intimate, and while she isn’t as modest with her clothing choice as she was as a kid, she wasn’t too keen on being overly flashy, too tight, or revealing. she prefer clothes that were a bit looser, baggier and functional.

Of course it wasn’t just her looks that made him dopey..it was her being. Her passion, intelligence, will, and strength; the fact that she was his confidant and kept him from getting too ahead himself. He appreciated they was always, always one thousand with each other on most things and while there wasn't much they hid from each other they respected the other not to pry..secrets doesn't last long between them anyhow. The thing that stuck out the most though, the fact that no matter how stressful and exhausting things get in their lives (which with the whole gem human cohabitation, gem ambassador stuff, among other facets of their lives, stress is a constant lately), all they need is to find the other and rest within their arms. Not even a bath in the healing fountain compares to a nap in her arms, the feeling of her playing with his hair as he would rest his head right under her bosom or upon her lap, or vice versa.

Right now though , he was just happy to have this time with her.

She could feel his gaze on her; not that he was trying to or could hide it. Though she didn’t mind being his focus of sight. Unlike the those in her school who eyes seem to always seem to linger below her neck and above her knees, more than she wished. Steven gaze always was comforting, welcomed; (and if she was honest wanted.) She wasn’t blind to her...developments; paying close attention to herself and her environment was basically drilled into them by her mother, Pearl, Garnet, and Jasper. It only increased as the war came and went. She got bigger,stronger, fuller and curvier; and she began to receive ‘attention’ of others besides Steven. All this despite having a few visible war scars and her new arm.

At first she allowed herself to have a little indulgence. Nothing big, just a little wink of the eye, or a slightly sweet tone in her voice. That quickly backfired as she started to have boys and girls ask her out on a date. Something she hardly agreed to and something she didn’t really care to do...Well not with any of them.

She did give a very select few, a chance for them to join Steven and her on one of their adventures/outings. Sometimes with their friends( rather it be Jeff, Peedee, and Onion ,The temps; the not-so shorty squad, The killers; lars and the off colors, or the gems as a whole) but mostly it would just be Steven and lion and making rounds around beach city and such. This was to see if maybe she could try spending a little time getting to know a potential suitor and vice versa...more importantly to see how they react to Steven, the world she was apart off, and the relationship between the two.

Needless to say, the subject was usually dropped after a day with the “jam buds” and decided on friendship only...

Most were respectful of her choice and left it at that...Others wanted a reason, and chastised her for “leading them on”. She didn’t think too much of it though;the life she lived kind of steeled her towards the opinions of her classmates. Admittedly, she had become a bit of a tease over the years .. But only to those she was close to and NOTHING like the flirting she did with Steven.

She couldn’t stop the smile nor the slight reddening of her cheeks at the thought of her lifelong companion, her liege and her greatest treasure. It’s all because of him that she was able to evolve to the person she is today, something that she would always be grateful for. Since the very start, he saw the person she would become; his words not hers; and while she didn’t fall for him during their first, second, or even twentieth meeting, she did realize something was there since the day in the bubble.

She loved his universe and wanted to experience it beside him, the good and the bad.

Nowadays, things are a different between the two; her liege and herself. Not bad..quite the contrary actually... there has been a ‘paradigm shift’ of sorts. Unaware to their own selves, they entered a game of sorts between them; one that has been going for a year and half.

One that allowed being held and tender touches along side the sweet hugs and playful pokes. Carefilled Caresses of the form alongside the happy holding of hands. Bouts of laughter, jams sessions; picnics ,and childlike teasing coupled with shared kisses(both innocent and intimate), nights listening each other heartbeats; dinner for two, and seductive flirting.

The innocence and happiness of their youth with newly discovered passion and intimacy of their more mature selves. They were, in most ways, a happy and mature couple...but they never claimed the status.

She felt no wanting to be labeled; he felt no need to have to make her felt obligated to be with him; so exclusivity was something they’ve forgo. it wasn’t exactly a needed rule. The duo so far have only gone on one-on-one dates with one another.

Though they never talked about this or the change in their relationship more than once, never needed to. They knowingly acted on their feelings, sometimes even a bit recklessly.

She smiled a bit to herself as she thought of how they even reached this point... how this “Shift ” between them began.

you can alse read this work on AO3

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Best Movies Coming to Netflix in August 2021

https://ift.tt/3yg0gQx

As quickly as the summer movie season of 2021 seemed to come upon us, it’s already about to begin its long, languid slide through the dog days of August into fall. That’s not to say that theaters won’t still have plenty of interesting fare to encounter, with films like The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, Candyman and The Night House all on deck. Hopefully the other hideous sequel happening at the moment — Pandemic 2: The Delta Variant — won’t set any of these potential hits back.

In the spirit of keeping August entertaining, Netflix is rolling out a slew of new streaming additions as well, including an underrated Spielberg gem, fantastic teen comedies both old and new, a couple of stoner classics and perhaps the finest film from the canon of one of the modern era’s most revered directors. We’ve rounded up our recommendations below, and hope you stay cool and healthy whatever you’re watching!

Universal

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Beethoven (1992)

August 1

Hollywood in the 1990s was a glorious and furry era when studio executives never met a family movie that couldn’t be improved with the addition of at least one animal character. Beethoven is one of the most successful examples of this winning formula. Directed by Brian Levant from a script co-written by John Hughes himself (alongside Mystic Pizza co-writer Amy Holden Jones), Beethoven is basically the story of how a husband and father, Charles Grodin’s George Newton, feels threatened by the attention his family gives their new dog, a St. Bernard named Beethoven.

George eventually works through some of his issues and accepts the charming Beethoven into the family, a process that comes to a head when Beethoven is dog-napped into an animal experiment scheme run by evil veterinarian Dr. Herman Varnick. (Honestly, the plot isn’t dissimilar to the story in cinematic masterpiece Paddington.) The deep supporting cast includes Bonnie Hunt, David Duchovny, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, and Everybody Loves Raymond‘s Patricia Heaton. The film’s sequel, Beethoven Second, will also be available on Netflix starting on August 1st.

Dreamworks

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

August 1

As one of Steven Spielberg’s most charming and laid-back efforts, Catch Me If You Can is a breezy and star-studded entertainment. The story is loosely based on the real grifts of conman Frank Abagnale Jr., who beginning as a teenager was able to pass himself off as a pilot, lawyer, doctor, and many other things. But really, this is a cat-and-mouse chase movie between a still baby-faced Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale and Tom Hanks as the FBI stiff who hunted him down. It’s all good stuff, with the movie enjoying a light touch and fresh take on Spielberg’s favorite subject matter: fathers and sons.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Deep Blue Sea (1999)

August 1

A shockingly entertaining B-movie about a bunch of genetically engineered super-sharks which break out and take over a testing facility, this is horror silliness at its best with great turns from Samuel L Jackson, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows and LL Cool J. Partially shot on sets built around the same water tanks used for Titanic, with animatronic and CGI sharks, Deep Blue Sea is action-packed, schlocky fun from director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger).

STX Entertainment

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

August 1

A bit like Lady Bird before there was a Lady Bird, Kelly Fremon Craig’s Edge of Seventeen is an underrated gem that stars a teenage Hailee Steinfeld as a young woman stumbling through an especially awkward time in her life. Steinfeld is terrific in her best performance since True Grit, playing Nadine as a bundle of insecurities, yet still nobody’s victim. Also of special value is Craig’s hilarious and authentic script, which captures the specificity of growing up in the social media age while being near-universal in its accessibility and empathy for a wide ensemble which also includes Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, and Woody Harrelson.

Paramount

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

August 1

Just in time for the dog days of summer comes one of the best summer movies ever. Relying on charm and sharp characterization instead of special effects for its spectacle, John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a truly great teen comedy that follows the easygoing bon vivant (or secret sociopath?) of a high school’s senior class when he decides to take the day off in the best fashion: by faking he’s sick and then guilting his BFF into giving him the keys to his dad’s Ferrari.

Should Netflix’s Pokémon Live-Action Series Explore the Franchise’s Dark Side?

By Matthew Byrd

Never Have I Ever Season 2 Review: This Netflix Teen Comedy Deserves to Run and Run

By Louisa Mellor

It’s silly yet curiously honest stuff about the pressures of young adult life, at least in 1980s suburban America, and a beguiling showcase for an ensemble that includes Matthew Broderick in his coolest role, as well as Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey, and a seriously stoned Charlie Sheen. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re due.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Inception (2010)

August 1 Still Christopher Nolan’s most complete and satisfying film to date (yes, even more so than The Dark Knight), Inception is a cerebral sci-fi set of stacking dolls combined with a rollicking James Bond adventure that all happens to be mostly situated inside one guy’s head. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of professional thieves who steal things from people’s minds — only this time they’re hired to implant an idea, even if they have to dive deep into the mark’s subconscious to do it.

Mind-bending imagery and several jaw-dropping action sequences are wrapped around a surprisingly emotional core, with only the usual unwieldy exposition there to remind you that there are some things Nolan may never get right.

Lionsgate

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

August 1 Based on a novel by crime writer Michael Connelly, this gripping, suspenseful 2011 drama arguably kicked off “the McConaissance,” a shift from rom-coms to more serious roles by Matthew McConaughey that launched a new, largely acclaimed phase of his career.

McConaughey is formidable as attorney Mickey Haller, a slick lawyer who works out of his Lincoln Town Car and undergoes a crisis of conscience as his new case starts to feel disturbingly like an old one. In addition to McConaughey stepping up his game, this Brad Furman-directed thriller is the kind of character-driven, literate melodrama we don’t see much on the big screen anymore — although we see plenty of them these days on, of course, Netflix.

Paramount Classics

The Machinist (2004)

August 1 Director Brad Anderson followed up his cult classic 2001 horror effort Session 9 with this surreal, Kafka-esque psychological thriller. Christian Bale plays Trevor Reznik, whose inability to sleep leads him to cause an accident at his industrial job that costs a co-worker (Michael Ironside) his arm. Already physically and mentally deteriorating, Reznik begins an even deeper descent as he tries to unravel what’s happening to him and why. Bale is intense and viscerally shocking as the emaciated Reznik, with his riveting performance anchoring an atmospheric, visually striking film that is sometimes an exercise in style over substance.

New Line Cinema

Magnolia (1999)

August 1

Boogie Nights pushed director Paul Thomas Anderson into the spotlight, but it was his massive, sprawling jigsaw puzzle Magnolia that made him into a superstar filmmaker. Following multiple narratives and numerous characters all finally brought together by a climactic storm of frogs, this is high art packed with standout moments.

Movies

Top Gun: Maverick Footage Shows Tom Cruise in Real Jet Behind the Scenes

By David Crow

Movies

Best Modern Horror Movies

By Don Kaye

Tom Cruise is electric as a toxic motivation speaker, Julianne Moore is brittle and tragic as a trophy wife who has grown to love her dying husband, while the burgeoning relationship between Melora Walters’ addict and John C. Reilly’s cop added sweetness and hope to a tale of messed up people and damaged families. Epic.

Sony PIctures

Pineapple Express (2008)

August 1 After its trailer introduced everyone to M.I.A.’s amazing “Paper Planes,” Pineapple Express’s work was already done. It didn’t even have to produce a satisfyingly funny movie on top of that. Thankfully the filmmaking team of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and David Gordon Green decided to give us one anyway, because Pineapple Express is the ideal of the little-seen-or-attempted stoner action comedy.

Rogen stars as process server and marijuana enthusiast Dale Denton, while James Franco portrays his annoying drug dealer Saul Silver. When the pair witness a murder, they are forced to flee hitmen, a pair of corrupt cops, and worst of all, Danny McBride. The Rogen/Goldberg comedy catalog has very few misses and this one is particularly excellent.

Universal Pictures

Seabiscuit (2003)

August 1

No one would ever accuse Gary Ross’ Seabiscuit of being subtle. With its voice-of-god narration by Ken Burns fave David McCoullough, which helpfully spells out the themes of the movie every few scenes, and its achingly sentimental score and dialogue, Seabiscuit is a Cinderella story which all but asserts its titular race horse ended the Great Depression. Yet Ross captures some of the simple American grandeur of Laura Hillenbrand’s non-fiction source material book, as well as the beauty of this true story where a horse that everyone counted out as worthless was nursed by three men into becoming one of the greatest racing animals of all-time.

It’s the type of feel-good yarn that won people over in the 1930s and which is still winning now. When coupled with a handful of strong performances, including from Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, Tobey Maguire, and a seriously underrated Elizabeth Banks, you have a crowd-pleaser that actually pleases.

Paramount Pictures

Team America: World Police (2004)

August 1 Roger Ebert’s one-star review of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Team America: World Police sums up the film’s nonsensical political stance nicely. “I wasn’t offended by the movie’s content so much as by its nihilism,” the great film critic wrote.

Rog was right to criticize Team America’s incomprehensible worldview. Nearly 20 years later, its seeming position that Alec Baldwin and Kim Jong-Il are equally bad hasn’t aged that well (despite Mr. Baldwin’s best efforts). But it’s hard to argue that the South Park creators’ nihilism doesn’t lead to some great comedy. The novelty of Thunderbirds-style puppets saving the world amid graphic sex acts and voluminous barfing never quite wears off.

The post Best Movies Coming to Netflix in August 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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thegodthronechronicles · 8 years ago

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Session 22 - Truth And Betrayal

22nd of Mirtul

They have the magical sceptre, and someone to wield it-- though their life would be forfeit. Now our heroes stand at the gates of the Lich lord, Krathux, the Undying’s, castle with the help of an army of recently freed Triton, an ancient Vampire lord whose off on a secret mission, and the Queen Selise Ravenire-- the only one to have previously defeated him.

The castle reached high above them, the tallest point of the tower drew a silhouette against the full moon. A flock of skeletal ravens flew overhead and settled along the black stone walls, watching the party as they approached the portcullis leading into the courtyard. It was rusted shut, but Forza mustered his strength to pull it open-- even though that is not how a portcullis works. A new idea sprang into Forza’s mind and he summoned the Rope of Climbing, commanding it to tie around the top so he could climb and jump over the twenty foot gate; as he reached the top a half hour later, he looked down to realize that some of the party had already gotten to the other side and were struggling to pull the lever that opened the gate. After climbing down to help, he realized again-- to his dismay-- that the portcullis stood open and the party was moving on into the courtyard.

Within the courtyard, they found a well kept garden, a black carriage house with nothing of interest inside and a servant’s entrance to the castle that was stuck shut due to lack of use. It took them several tries, but eventually they broke in and found themselves in a dimly lit room where broken furniture and torn cloth was strewn about. In one corner sat a skeleton that did not move no matter how many times the party checked to see if it had some sort of life left-- until, that is, Avyssos rose it as a thrall.

They followed a narrow staircase that ascended into what appeared to be an old bedroom. Dirt caked windows allowed little light, but the area was in much the same state as the room prior. A tall, black wardrobe shaped roughly like a coffin and engraved with fey creatures sat between two full length mirrors. Avyssos opened the wardrobe and out flew a plain white dress that began to dance around in tune with the music of the billowing storm outside. As Avyssos reached out to touch it, the dress collapsed to the floor in a heap. She decided to order her skeleton thrall to put the dress on and they continued to investigate the room. Inside the wardrobe sat a few servants uniforms, one being worn by yet another skeleton that Avyssos rose as another thrall. One of the party members, while fixing their hair in the mirror noticed something was off and smashed the mirror to reveal a secret door. Behind the door was a closet choked with dust and cobwebs and a secret, wooden ladder that lead 20 feet upwards into a tower hallway.

They stepped out into a small room with a mosaic floor that added a touch of colour to the otherwise dark and cold tower where a spiral staircase ran along the circular walls upwards towards darkness. Another staircase ran downwards, but they decided to move to up to the tower for a full view of the area from such a height. As they began to ascend, however, a reddish light flared overhead and settled into a pulsing glow that illuminated the full immensity of the tower. Sixty feet wide at it’s base, the tower grew narrower as it climbed; and at the pinnacle of the otherwise hollow tower, a large crystal heart pulsated with red light to an almost sorrowful beat, as if sick with disease.. Above the heart, the tower reached up a short distance to a locked room.

The party ran up the staircase, but as they neared the heart, several spears and naginatas that were fastened to the wall sprung to life and attacked the party. To make the matter worse, the tower seemed to lurch as the staircase wormed about; Queen Selise, Acacia, Mara Moonwhisper, and Rock, the Dwayne all fell back to the tiled floor as the others held on tightly. As soon as the tower’s rumbling softened, the party members shot out their attacks at both the heart and the sentient weapons. One blast of magical energy shot a hole right through the heart, causing the tower to react again-- which knocked Lia flying to the floor; but it was a string of arrows piercing simultaneously and in great force the cracked the crystal heart enough to shatter the thing. Shards of bleeding glass fell down upon those who were tossed as a loud wail echoed throughout the castle, hitting them as they were beginning to stir and sit up. They collected a few shards and began the climb again.

The stairs ended at a dark and dreary room with manacles attached to the walls. In the middle of the room sat a wood-framed bed fitted with leather restraints. At the foot of the bed rested a closed iron chest engraved with the raven skull sigil of Krathux. Inside, they found the golden crown of House Ravenire of Tilinyth. A wooden ladder lead up to a trap door in the ceiling where thin streams of water dripped through the rotting wood and formed a puddle at the ladder’s base. Avyssos climbed up and was greeted by a cold wind and the terrible visage of Krathux-- with his dead skin drawn back and a flaming white eye-- coalescing in the thunderclouds. The face uttered a ghastly moan as thousands of skeletal birds flew from its gaping maw and descended upon the tower. Avyssos slammed the door shut and answered with a simple “nothing” as Forza asked what was the cause of the sound of hard objects intersecting with the door. They bolted down the tower stairs and the second set as well as the birds broke through the rotted door and chased them; at the second staircase, however they flew off into another area of the castle.

Within the next room, the party was pleased to find casks of old wine lining the walls, though most were cracked and long emptied onto the floor, they did find and enjoy some. The next two rooms they found were a kitchen filled with the horrible odor of decay and a butler’s quarters that sat in the same disarray as every other room. Next, they came upon a long hall where oak tables lay scattered about the room with wood crushed and splintered.

The more interesting thing about the room was that was nearly decorated in entirety with humans bones. The furnishings and bones tied tightly with a sickly coloured leather and the walls and ceiling were adorned in the morbid decoration, giving the room a cathedral feeling. Four enormous piles of bones sat in each corner and garlands of skulls extended to a lit chandelier that gave off a haunting glow. Across the room was another door that had the skull of a dragon mounted above it. Forza eagerly asked Acacia if she could shrink it down to a wearable size and put it on like a mask.

Out of the shadows stepped not one, but three Grim Dundragons asking for the scepter to be handed over. In the ensuing battle, Lia shapeshifted into her armored bear form and brutally swatted at one of the trio while Forza used his ice breath on the second-- which, while still effective, froze the dragon skull to his face. Avyssos and Rock, the Dwayne worked together to take on the third, while the Queen Selise Ravenire whispered into Acacia’s ear and the two began sneaking through the door. Lia chomped down on her target’s neck and used her claws to rip the Grim Dundragon in half; but when the pieces of body hit the floor, it was the tall, grey form of a Doppelganger. Forza took out his double bass and swung it at his target, and though the creature in Grim’s form was fast and got a few stabs in, he was no match for Forza’s might. The last of the doppelgangers was knocked off his feet by Rock’s rolling charge, and shouted out that they must not let the Queen get her hands on the sceptre as Avyssos dealt the killing blow.

The party turned to see that the Queen and Acacia had left the room, as they pursued their friends into the hallway, Lia used one of the beads of force that she obtained from the Tower of Raxivort and captured the Queen in a transparent sphere. Before they were able to question her actions, the Queen called out “Davith, now!” and none other than Cyber-Davith from the apocalyptic future came forward and immediately stabbed current-Davith through the chest with a killing blow. Acting quickly, Avyssos ripped the smoky black gem from Cyber-Davith’s cracked casing and the technological creature was shut down; the Queen only laughed. Forza took out his Canaith mandolin for the first time and cast a string of spells, protecting Acacia from the forces of evil which freed her mind of the Queen whose true form was revealed with a dispel magic spell. Acacia turned in horror towards the Queen, seeing her master in the fiend’s true form. What stood within the bead of force was a devil with long curved horns, and spiked wings. At Forza’s pleading, the party used their combined strength to resurrect Davith, but he was returned to them in the full form of a vampire as his death triggered the curse from the bite he suffered from Gulthias’ novice.

The fiend laughed as the bubble popped and reached over to take Acacia, but Forza threw the rope of entanglement around her while casting a stinking cloud. None of these stopped the fiend, however as the rope of entanglement explodes, igniting the stinking cloud into a fiery blaze. The group struggled to get away and found themselves falling into a subspace of the castle’s basement. They realized that there was no sign of the fiend, nor the sceptre. The fiend’s voice echoed loudly throughout the halls, claiming no mortal can escape the wrath of Vixalial.”

After a rest in which Forza accidentally convinced Davith to bite Avyssos while trying to convince him the opposite point, they wandered around basement area which was deeply filled with dank, black water. Forza lifted Rock up onto his shoulders, which proved near fatal as they stepped onto a hidden pressure plate and the two were teleported into a jail cell full of water; while Rock simply dropped to the bottom, Forza struggled for air. The rest of the party rushed through the sunken hallway and came to a gate stuck shut with rust. After several failed tries, Davith used his newfound strength to rip the door from it’s hinges and they waded into a room with the lower half full of water. Seeing Forza’s motionless body floating trapped in a cage at the bottom of the stairs, the party swam down and pulled him out. Luckily, they made it just in time and he quickly regained consciousness after throwing up a bucket’s worth of grimy water.

Exploring more of the dungeons, they came to a door that was heavily warded and trapped, but not near enough to stop the party. They opened the door and found the real Selise Ravenire within a room built to keep someone alive for at least a decade.

#Dungeons and Dragons #d&d 5e #Adventure #Session 22 #Lord Of The Undying

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oishioshis · 8 years ago

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Favourite Songs 2016 ~A Mixed Bag~

This is probably the longest I’ve put something off in my life, for one reason or another whenever I started writing this list I became overwhelmed or really down on myself. What do I know? Who am I? What value is this at all? Well, none of those questions really matter. I’m doing this for myself and hopefully there’s the added benefit of friends looking at this and maybe getting an idea for what I’m into.

It’s no secret my interests have vastly changed between 2015 and 2016 making this an incredibly hard list to curate, but that process made me realise that this whole thing is kinda nonsense. It’s a fun thing I’m throwing together based on what I enjoyed, it’s not me scouring every release throughout a year and giving you my take on it. I’m going to miss things and skip songs and entire albums, this is an unranked list except for my absolute favourite of the year.

However, before I get into my favourite releases I want to give my take on a hobby I had a couple years back. While I think their releases are often really poor and lacking in mostly every regard, it’s worth highlighting the very rare gem they manage to spit out.

AKB48 - Love Trip

This song is kinda fantastic in that it’s everything I personally feel AKB48 should be. It’s energetic, youthful and intense. AKB48 is often bogged down with releases that are mellow and way too easy going for the sheer amount of personality they have. They should be fun, and Love Trip is exactly that, and well executed, too. The mix of acoustic guitars and wailing electric guitars throughout give the song an energy more reminiscent of their older output, the accompanying layered gang vocals, while they leave something to be desired on a technical level, do add to the intensity of the song itself. It’s not abrasive, it feels just right. Love Trip could be described as a beautiful chaos, as it is a mess, but a mess that works to the benefit of the listener, it’s a song about young love, and the song sounds as chaotic as that moment in your life feels. Overall, I’d say this is the best AKB48 song in years, and continues to be.

Nogizaka46 - Harujion ga Sakukoro

I was once writing what was basically a love letter to this song that I never got around to posting. When this song first came out I adored it, the composition and arrangement is so uplifting and beautiful that it’s hard to put into words how exactly you feel about it. The song is a mix of a thumping house beat and string sections with what sounds like a synthesized chorus vocal line, and it works perfectly. The music itself never really resolves itself in its transitions from chorus to verse until the end where the story of the song is resolved, and I thought that was a very smart, well crafted touch.

I don’t hold Nogizaka46 to the same standard as AKB48. I personally feel that Nogizaka46’s output is very solid for most releases even if they falter in some coupling track decisions here and there, but Harujion ga Sakukoro is a very, very special song and I feel it is a highlight when it comes to idol songs.

Now with that out of the way I get to my favourite songs of the year. These songs are in no real order but at the very end I’ll give my absolute favourite song of the year, so if you only came for that then just skip to the end because this’ll be real boring otherwise.

Favourite Songs

Perfume - Flash

People like to rag on Perfume these days for whatever reason, can’t say I really get it. I understand the music has changed but that doesn’t mean it’s objectively better or worse. I find Flash to be a highlight in Perfume’s discography, and the Cosmic Explorer album, while I understand it’s a bit more western influenced and trendy, it’s a lot of fun. Flash kinda just goes in, heavy on the synth leads, snares for days, it’s dumb fun. It knows it’s dumb. I’d also like to give a shout out to the album mix of Flash, it’s rearranged and the dynamic and structure of the song sounds completely different but it’s also really good, just in a different way.

Kariya Seira - Colorful World

A very fun, electro-funk song. I love the electric piano throughout, the bendy bassline, swimmy, sparkly and stabby synths. I also love Seira’s singing, she’s become a really beautiful singer over the years and this song highlights it unlike no other. If you’re ever feeling down I’d really recommend this song among Seira’s other songs.

BiSH - Orchestra

Probably BiSH’s most ambitious song to date. It gives off the melancholic yet optimistic vibes of a smoother Nogizaka46 song, but with a really intense double-kick build into a flurry of orchestral strings. It’s not really a mix you think of to often, but the mix of metal and a string section with this really off-kilter idol punk singing works beautifully. Idol music can sometimes feel a bit fake, but BiSH always manages to feel authentic and I feel Orchestra is a good example of that.

Fujiwara Sakura - “Kawaii”

My favourite side of Fujiwara Sakura is her really emotive singing, and that especially shows in the chorus of “Kawaii”, it’s a very pretty, sentimental jazz song. It’s very jazz, so if you don’t like jazz maybe this won’t be your thing, but it’s jaunty, it’s a lot of fun. Please try it, she’s really good. I’m on my knees begging. I love her so much.

Maison Book Girl - lost AGE

I’ve never been able to describe Maison Book Girl, they’re a unique genre unto themselves, very heavy on strings and acoustic guitars but chopped and mixed incredibly weirdly. I honestly wouldn’t recommend a single song by them, but their entire discography. It’s so unique, it’s indescribable. It’s all one cohesive style so if you don’t like one song you won’t like any of their songs, really, but you need to check them out.

Ladies’ Code - Galaxy

More jazz! But now lower key and subdued. Galaxy is very pretty musically and visually, so definitely check out the music video. I really like the places the song goes, in the bridge it kinda builds this jazzy momentum in contrast to the very mellow beginning and they carry it towards the end. It’s a very neat, chill song, I thoroughly recommend it. Also I adore the bassline.

Ladies’ Code - The Rain

More upbeat and less subtle than Galaxy, but the bouncy synth on top of the continued jazzy feel from Galaxy makes The Rain my favourite of Ladies’ Code releases from 2016. There’s also something about the lead in with the heavy violin into the hard hitting chorus that makes The Rain feel a bit more intensely emotional than Galaxy. Can’t quite put my finger on it, but I like it a lot.

Lee Hi - My Star

Lee Hi continues her motown streak with My Star, and it’s kinda motown-lite but there’s something about it that I really like. The hook is really catchy to me, it’s reminiscent of contemporary motown where it sounds a bit more pop than full motown and that’s alright for me. I also reward any song for expensing actual session played instrumental work, like this song has actual brass sections. However the main snare they’re using sounds EDM as heck. Song’s produced by Teddy so it’s to be expected to some degree isn’t it.

TWICE - TT

What hasn’t been said about TT at this point? It kinda became a cultural phenomenon in East Asia. It’s a really great song. Excellent use of space in the mix, makes the song sound huge and ethereal, the deep house-esque bass synths are wonderful and the hook is super catchy. It’s a perfect pop song if you ask me.

WJSN - Secret

I adore secret, some would call this maybe the biggest surprise of 2016, but it’s an e.one track, of course it’s fantastic. e.one can do no wrong. The music box lead into the melodic synth with an accompanying string section is probably the thing that immediately hooked everybody into this song. It’s a great, fun way to start off your song. That and, of course, the bimiliya aaaaaAa, it’s incredibly catchy. It never gets boring for me.

REOL - Give me a break stop now

REOL’s vocal inflections and general vocal direction is the hook for me, I love her style, but the song is also the type of EDM trap I’m way into. Abrasive trap horns, heavy ass synth, weird ass BONK replacing the snare, the entire thing just kicks you in the teeth and it’s great. REOL and GigaP did a fantastic job at producing this.

BLACKPINK - Whistle / Boombahyah / Playing With Fire

I’m putting most of BLACKPINK’s discography into one because I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed every release they put out in 2016. Whistle’s low-key, simple melodies are something I’m not typically into, but I was immediately hooked by the song, it’s so catchy. The heavy sub-bass, cowbell rhythm, snare rolling into the bouncy, acoustic build unusually works very, very well and the hook itself is simple and fun, I recommend it.

Boombahyah is basically a pop-ified, big room house banger with all the arabic scale and reverb heavy snares you can handle. It’s almost comical how ridiculous the song is, but it’s a lot of fun, and that’s all I really want.

Playing With Fire is probably my favourite BLACKPINK song of 2016, the electro swing feel throughout, especially in the synth hook is really enjoyable. It’s a very charismatic song, Lisa especially hooks me as I love how she delivers her lines, she’s such a goof but in this song has a lot of attitude.

Red Velvet - Russian Roulette

Russian Roulette is, despite the name, a fun synthpop song with a disco influence. The song is presented in a very monotonous fashion, it leads in with a flat, stuttering “la, la-la, la” and throughout the song the vocals are delivered in a similarly robotic way, very atypical for the blues-y, soulful vocals you’re used to from Red Velvet. I think that’s what makes this song really interesting. It’s a 180 from the absolute belter that was Dumb Dumb, but they still make it work, they, and pop music in general, do not need to be hinged on technical ability to be a fun, entertaining song. While not everybody can make it work, Red Velvet impressed me with their versatility. The music itself is very nice and simple, lots of synth drags, stuttery vocal leads and it even has the rare musical interlude which Korean pop tends not to do too often. Definitely one of my favourite songs of the year.

Oh My Girl - Windy Day

Probably one of the weirder Korean idol releases in recent years. Windy Day is an acoustic heavy, ethereal, bubblegummy type song with very beautifully arranged vocals and an arabic scale (at least I think it’s the arabic scale) influenced musical interlude that completely contrasts the feel of the previous verses. The song is fucking nuts, and it’s great. It’s hard to describe. I really recommend you check it out regardless of the type of music you’re into because it’s a weird one.

Lovelyz - Destiny

Synth, string heavy and intense. It’s not a mellow track by any means, but there’s something about Destiny that is eerie and even haunting. I’d go into Destiny further but I want to write a post in itself about Lovelyz discography at one point where I delve deeper into the sounds and style, but I need to include this because the song is fantastic and you should listen to it.

Absolute Favourite Song of the Year

Gfriend - Rough / Navillera

Both of these songs, to me, are perfect. I find no faults in either of them. They both easily go onto my favourite songs of all time. From the string, guitar heavy Rough to the synthy, discopop Navillera, it’s hard to find a fault, they’re both essentially perfect songs for me. The vocal delivery is beautiful, the way the strings and synths are arranged are both beautiful and powerful, the cute guitar solos feel nostalgic yet unique for the current pop landscape. It all just works perfectly for me. They’re both perfect songs.

And that’s about it. You probably noticed “hey these are all title tracks” well, yes, they are. I wanted to make it easier for myself but I do recommend if you enjoy any of these songs that you check out the respective single, mini-album or album they come from. Also, respect to everybody who produced and was involved with the production of these songs and music videos.

Iggy Youngbae are my dads

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atakportal · 7 years ago

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Exercises For Shoulder Pain

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Exercises For Shoulder Pain

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thedietian · 8 years ago

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Exercises For Shoulder Pain

Product Name: Exercises For Shoulder Pain

Click here to get Exercises For Shoulder Pain at discounted price while it’s still available…

All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Exercises For Shoulder Pain is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.