#spring and autumn remain superior

[avnasace]

this might just be the probable seasonal depression talking, but there is nothing like the feeling of spring sunshine after winter, or the cooler summer evenings right before autumn.

[acourtofthought]

What I think are the possible hints in SF for Elucien's plot in the next book (🤞for them being next):

He raised his fist to the door, but the wooden slab pulled away before he could touch it. Lucien’s scarred, handsome face appeared, his golden eye whirring. “I thought I sensed someone else arriving.”

“Easy,” Lucien said. Cassian snarled. “Easy,” Lucien repeated, and flame sizzled in his russet eye. The flame, the surprising dominance within it, hit Cassian like a stone to the head, knocking him from his need to kill and kill and kill whatever might threaten—

Lucien had been there, Cassian recalled. Had gone with Nesta’s father to the lake where Vassa was held captive.

Lucien stared out the window—as if he could see the lake across a sea and a continent. As if he were setting his target.

Eris’s face filled with cool amusement. “I wanted to feel out Vassa and Jurian.” He didn’t mention his brother, oddly enough.

“And because I do not believe your High Lord would wish me to go to other territories and ask them to help with Briallyn and Koschei. To help them remember that all it might take to secure Briallyn’s alliance would be to hand over a certain Archeron sister. Don’t be stupid enough to believe my father hasn’t thought of that, too.”

My father would go straight to Briallyn—and Koschei, I suppose—and then go to the other discontent territories, and you would be wiped off the proverbial map. Perhaps literally, since the Night Court would be divvied up between the other territories if Rhysand and Feyre die without an heir.” (I think the "die without an heir" would be in regards to Helion in the Day Court.... A possible reason for the unknown problems mentioned there since it doesn't seem they're aware of Lucien).

Rhys asked solemnly, “Why does your father want to start a war so badly?” “Why does anyone go to war?” “Why does Vallahan not sign the treaty? The borders of this new world have not yet been set.” “Beron doesn’t have the military strength to control the Autumn Court and a territory on the continent,” Cassian countered. Eris’s fingers closed around the petals. “Who says he wants land on the continent?” He surveyed the orchard—as if to make a point.

“They say a beast prowls these lands now. A beast with keen green eyes and golden fur. Some people think the beast has forgotten his other shape, so long has he spent in his monstrous form. And though he roams these lands, he does not see or care for the neglect he passes, the lawlessness, the vulnerability. Even his manor has fallen into disrepair, half-eaten by thorns, though rumors fly that he himself destroyed it.” “Enough with the double-talk,” Cassian said. “Tamlin’s staying in his beast form and is finally getting the punishment he deserves. So what?” Eris and Rhys held each other’s gaze. Eris said, “You’ve been trying to bring Tamlin back for a while. But he isn’t getting better, is he?”

Find a way to deal with Briallyn, find out what she wants and why. Discover whether Koschei is indeed involved. At best, we’ll stop them all. At worst, we’ll have proof to justify any conflict and hopefully win allies to our side, avoiding the bloodshed that would carve up these lands once more. My father would think twice before standing against an army of superior strength and size.”

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring,

Elain, surprisingly, held her ground.

Elain stiffened, but refused to balk from whatever she beheld in Nesta’s gaze. “You think I’m to blame for his death?” Challenge filled each word. Challenge—from Elain, of all people.

When Rhys spoke like that, it was more of a command than a question. Elain waved a hand in dismissal before flinging open the veranda doors and striding into the open air.

“What Vassa suspected is true. The death-lord Koschei has been whispering in Briallyn’s ear. He remains trapped at his lake, but his words carry on the wind to her. He is ancient, his depth of knowledge fathomless. He pointed Briallyn toward the Dread Trove—not for her sake, but for his own ends. He wishes to use it to free himself from his lake.

“So we track down the Dread Trove—how?” Elain spoke from the doorway, having appeared so silently that they all twisted toward her, “Using me.”

Elain remained in the doorway, her face pale but her expression harder than Nesta had ever seen it. “You do not decide what I can and cannot do, Nesta.” / Elain said, “Then I will find it. I might require some time to … reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today.” / “Why?” Elain demanded. “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways. You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.” / Elain cut in sharply, “I am not a child to be fought over.” / “I went into the Cauldron, too, you know. And it captured me. And yet somehow all you think of is what my trauma did to you.” / But Elain turned on her heel. “Find me when you wish to begin.”

“Elain showed some teeth," I observed. “I wasn't expecting that.” Or what she'd said about her lingering trauma. I'd meant what I'd discussed with Nesta—how many times had I focused solely on my terror during Elain's suffering?

Elain and I had grown closer since the war with Hybern had ended. True, I might never go out drinking with her the way I did with Mor, sometimes Amren, but ... well, with a baby coming, I couldn't drink, anyway. And while I might never run to Elain first with problems or for advice, we had a peaceful, amicable understanding. I found her to be a pleasant companion. I wondered if she'd resent that judgment. I certainly would.

“No.” I chewed on my bottom lip. Rhys's gaze tracked the movement. “I mean, she's been brave when she had to be, but she's never been confrontational.” "Maybe she was never given the chance to be that way." I whipped my head toward him. “You think I stifle her?” Rhys held up his hands. “Not you alone.” He surveyed the study as he thought. “But I wonder if everyone has spent so long assuming Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt she had to be that way or else she'd disappoint you all.” He sighed toward the ceiling. “With time and safety, perhaps we'll see a different side of her emerge.”

I glowered at Rhys. “You think Elain's boring? “I think she's kind, and I'll take kindness over nastiness any day. But I also think we haven't yet seen all she has to offer.” A corner of his mouth tugged upward. “Don't forget that gardening often results in something pretty, but it involves getting one's hands dirty along the way." “And torn up by thorns," I mused, recalling a morning this past summer when Elain had come into the house, her right palm bleeding from several gashes thanks to a stubborn rosebush that had pierced her gloves. The thorns had broken off in her skin, leaving sharp splinters that I’d had to pull free. I didn’t dare mention that if she had been wearing the enchanted gloves Lucien had gotten her last Solstice, nothing would have pierced them at all.

I sighed, absently rubbing my still-flat stomach. “Let's focus on helping one sister before we start on the other.”

"We need a strong ally. We need the Spring Court’s forces.”

We need to summon Lucien,” Azriel said, just a shade tightly, as if he didn’t like it one bit. “We need to tell him the news, and permanently station him at the Spring Court to contain any damage and to be our eyes and ears.”

The winged horses were rare—so rare that it was said Helion’s seven breeding pairs of flying horses were the only ones left. Lore held that there had once been far more of them before recorded history, and that most had just vanished, as if they’d been devoured by the sky itself. Their population had dwindled further in the last thousand years, for reasons no one could explain. This hadn’t been helped by Amarantha, who had butchered three dozen of Helion’s pegasuses in addition to burning so many of his libraries. The seven pegasus pairs that remained had survived thanks to being set free before Amarantha’s cronies could reach their pens in the highest tower of Helion’s palace. Helion’s most beloved pair—this black stallion, Meallan, and his mate—hadn’t produced offspring in three hundred years, and that last foal hadn’t made it out of weaning before he’d succumbed to an illness no healer could remedy. According to legend, the pegasuses had come from the island the Prison sat upon—had once fed in fair meadows that had long given way to moss and mist. Perhaps that was part of the decline: their homeland had vanished, and whatever had sustained them there was no longer.

Helion whirled to Nesta, all sensuality vanished. “You truly wore this and lived?” It wasn’t a question meant to be answered. “Cover it again, please. I can’t stand it.” Rhys tucked in his wings. “It affects you that much?” “Doesn’t it rake its cold claws down your senses?” Helion asked. “Not as much as all that,” Feyre said. “We can sense its power, but it didn’t bother any of us so seriously.” Helion shuddered, and Nesta threw the cloth over the Mask. As if the cloth somehow blinded it to their presence. “Perhaps an ancestor of mine once used it, and the warning of its cost is imprinted upon my blood.”

In the taut silence, Helion nodded to the bright hall beyond the room. “I would like to remove myself from the Mask’s odious presence, and perhaps enjoy your palace, Rhysand. It’s been a long while since I was in a place of such quiet. If you’ll allow it, I’ll stay here for an hour or two.” “Something bothering you at home?” Rhys inquired, falling into step beside the High Lord.

“I will not be High King. I will not consider it, not today and not in a century.” / “Very well then, Rhysand.” Amren also turned from the desk and the blades Rhys’s magic now sheathed and set upon the surface. “But know that the Cauldron’s benevolence will be extended to you only for so long before it is offered to another.”

Elain would love this place. So many flowers, all in bloom, so much green—the light, vibrant green of new grass—so many birds singing and such warm, buttery sunshine. Nesta felt like a storm cloud standing amid it all. But Elain … The Spring Court had been made for someone like her.

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer.

Elain in black was ridiculous. Yes, she was beautiful, but the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face. It wore her, rather than the other way around. And he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled her. But she hadn’t hesitated to come. When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed. So Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl. He’d never once in the two years he’d known her found Elain to be plain, but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court … It sucked the life from her.

“You came,” Elain said behind her, and Nesta started, not having heard her sister approach. She scanned Elain from head to toe, wondering if she’d been taking lessons in stealth either from Azriel or the two half-wraiths she called friends. Gone was the ill-suited black dress from the ball, replaced by a gown of amethyst velvet, her hair half-up and curling down to her waist. She glowed with good health.

“How’s the Spring Court?” Nesta asked. Lucien’s jaw tightened. “How you’d expect.” Tension rippled through the room, confirmation that Tamlin had heard the news of Feyre’s pregnancy. From Lucien’s grim face, she knew he hadn’t reacted well.

She had a vague sense of Cassian and Mor and Azriel nearby, of Feyre and Rhys and Lucien, of Elain and Varian and Helion.

But you really think we shouldn’t go up to that damned castle and peek inside?” “I told you: their castle is too heavily warded, and full of magical traps that would trip up even Helion.

Koschei said, “Tell my Vassa I’m waiting.” His shadows swirled.

Cassian knew Beron had murdered Lucien’s lover. If the High Lord of Autumn had been willing to do that, what wouldn’t he do?

“You’re not the person I want to explain myself to.” “I doubt Mor will want to listen.” “Maybe not.” Eris shifted on his feet, and grimaced again. “But you and yours have more important things to think about than ancient history. My father is furious that his ally is dead, but he’s not deterred. Koschei remains in play, and Beron might very well be stupid enough to establish an alliance with him, too. I hope that whatever Morrigan is doing in Vallahan will counteract the damage my father will unleash.”

Nesta held love in her own heart as she pulled the small, carved rose from her pocket and set it upon the gravestone. A permanent marker of the beauty and good he’d tried to bring into the world.

[justforbooks]

Middle England by Jonathan Coe

Reactionaries and remoaners clash in a meditation on anger, loss and the passing of time featuring the characters from The Rotters’ Club

At one point in Middle England, a couple attend a marital counselling session in which they are each asked to explain why they are so angry that their spouse voted differently from them in the EU referendum. One complains that the other, by voting leave, showed that “as a person, he’s not as open as I thought he was. That his basic model for relationships comes down to antagonism and competition, not cooperation.” Her husband answers that her remain vote made him realise she’s “very naïve”, “lives in a bubble”, and that it gives her “an attitude of moral superiority”.

The therapist’s verdict is: “What’s interesting about both of these answers is that neither of you mentioned politics. As if the referendum wasn’t about Europe at all. Maybe something much more fundamental and personal was going on. Which is why this might be a difficult problem to resolve.”

That, perhaps, is the sore point a novelist taking on Brexit as a subject might be expected to probe. There’s a truth here – that the Brexit vote was experienced and has continued to be experienced as a matter of personal identity. For a novelist, this is where the action is.

Middle England is the third novel featuring the characters from Coe’s 2001 novel The Rotters’ Club and 2004’s The Closed Circle, and sees an excellent writer making an enjoyable, absorbing and less than completely successful attempt to find the sweet spot of that sore point. The action runs from the spring of 2010 to the autumn of 2018, and the newsreel that unrolls in the background takes in Gordon Brown’s encounter with “that bigoted woman”, the coalition government, the London riots, the murder of Jo Cox, Nigel Farage’s notorious “Breaking Point” poster, the London Olympics and all the rest of it. And in that respect, of course, we know what’s going to happen because we’re living it. This is a book that foretells the present.

It also has a good deal to tell us, oddly, about geography and local transport. Coe has frequent resort to the melancholy poetry of place. On page four we read that the hero is driving “through the towns of Bridgnorth, Alveley, Quatt, Much Wenlock and Cressage”, and 40 pages later he’s taking the route in the other direction: “Cressage, Much Wenlock, Bridgnorth, Enville, Stourbridge and Hagley”. A garden centre isn’t just “midway between Shrewsbury and Birmingham”: it’s “not far from the M54 and considered such a geographical fixture that it had its own official sign on the motorway”. A pub is “tucked away in a hard-to-find corner beside the Suffolk Street Queensway in Central Birmingham”. At one point we meet characters “driving out of Birmingham along the A3400”; at another contemplating the “rail replacement service between Kettering and Nuneaton” “‘Rail replacement service’, ‘Kettering’, ‘Nuneaton’. Were there five more dispiriting words in the English (or any other) language?”

In its politics, just as in its gripes about public transport, this is a great big Centrist Dad of a novel. It lives largely in the world of the media, academia, politics and (peripherally) the City. Benjamin Trotter is a failed novelist who in late middle age finds himself longlisted for the Man Booker prize; his old friend Doug is a well-heeled centre-left newspaper columnist; his niece Sophie is a university lecturer who becomes a minor TV don. The book has a wide cast of characters, though the ones we’re invited to sympathise with are pretty much all remainers.

And yet it’s never stronger or more convincing than when it’s furthest from political events. As the novel addresses the rise of populism, for example, we meet reactionary oldies in golf clubs moaning about “political correctness”; a lunatic conspiracy theorist buttonholing a publisher with a manuscript about the EU’s “Kalergi Plan” for white genocide; a porcine chancer funding the referendum through a dodgy free-market thinktank; an elderly former car worker uncomprehendingly contemplating the site where the Longbridge plant used to be; a privileged Corbynite student lodging a complaint against a lecturer after hearing (at second hand) that they’d said something to a trans student that could be taken the wrong way. They tell us, in caricatural form, what we already know – or at least suppose we do.

One problem is that the historical scaffolding is so familiar, and yet will date so fast; this means that certain passages of exposition feel clunky. The reader in 2018 has no need to be told the following:

Jeremy Corbyn had become leader of the Labour Party in September. The surprising – even astonishing – election of this obscure but long-serving, rebellious backbencher had been seen by many, including Sophie, as a welcome sign that the party was planning to return to the principles it had abandoned under Tony Blair.

The reader in 2028 might welcome the reminder. The reader in 2038 will struggle to give a damn. The reader in 3018 may eke a PhD out of it.

To give Middle England its due, it doesn’t aim to cover everything, recognising wanly that, in drink, the conversation will broaden out “to include Brexit, Donald Trump, Syria, North Korea, Vladimir Putin, Facebook, immigration, Emmanuel Macron, the Five Star Movement and the contentious result of the Eurovision song contest in 1968”. So the American elections are dispatched, wittily, in two lines:

Finally, Benjamin said: “I don’t like Trump, do you?” “Nope,” Charlie said. “Can’t stand the bloke.” Benjamin nodded. With the political discussion out of the way …

And it is when the political discussion is out of the way that the novel becomes richer and less schematic. There’s Sophie’s odd-couple relationship with her driving instructor husband Ian (they met on a speed awareness course) and the way she thinks and rethinks an adulterous near-miss at the beginning of their marriage. There’s Benjamin’s relationship with his sister Lois and his long-lost schoolfriend Charlie, now working as a children’s entertainer and locked in a feud with a rival clown. And there’s Benjamin’s journey towards self-understanding and acceptance. All these are done with real style and feeling.

Coe’s writing is as smoothly accomplished as ever. His comic set pieces – funerals, dinners, clown fights – and scenes capturing the affectionate and ridiculous sex of middle age, and a relationship between a journalist and a Yes Minister-style government adviser, are very funny.

Yet this is also a surprisingly sentimental book, beginning and ending with Benjamin listening wistfully to Shirley Collins’s song “Adieu to Old England”, which is not to its disadvantage. It is an autumnal novel, and a sad one: poignant about the passing of time, the wishing for what has vanished, the decades lost to obscure hatreds, misplaced loves and unsatisfactory marriages – and about what, washing up on the brink of old age, we’re left with and what we can or can’t make of it. That a river, or two, runs through it is no accident.

And in this context the national stuff just sort of bubbles up. The Midlands landscape of Benjamin’s childhood, a landscape at once familiar and remembered and transformed and imaginary, is the real middle England of the novel. And what is lost and gained goes far beyond the referendum in 2016. To quote that therapist again: “Something much more fundamental and personal was going on.”

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[velidewrites]

Don’t Look Back

Five hundred years ago, the humans fought hard for their freedom in the Great War and won. Now, their former masters seek retribution in a rebellion that grows stronger year by year. When Elain Archeron finds out marrying Greysen Nolan might be the only solution to keep her family safe from the ancient, cruel Fae, she doesn't hesitate to fulfil her duty. What Elain doesn't know, though, is that the man with the fiery hair and russet eyes is not her fiancé, but his killer—and when she finally finds out, well…it will be far too late to turn back.

Chapter 3/15 || Read on AO3 || Go to Chapter 1

Lucien did not realise he had fallen asleep in Greysen Nolan’s jacket. It was the stiff, navy fabric that had stirred him awake, digging mercilessly into his underarms. Greysen’s build had not been frail by any means, Lucien was reasonable enough to admit—but he was also vain enough to decide that, whatever physical training the lordling had undergone in his youth, it could hardly compare to the decades Lucien had devoted to hunting in the forest.

It felt good to be back, strangely. He even missed the wet, cold ground that was currently serving as his bed, despite the undoubtedly luxurious chambers he could have had at the Archeron Manor in New Prythian. After witnessing the grandiose of the engagement ceremony, Lucien suspected the Merchant was a man who valued appearances above all else, which surely must have included appropriate accommodations for his son-in-law never to be.

Oh, well.

He would mourn the plush mattresses and feathery pillows later. There was something about being back in Old Prythian that filled Lucien with relief. A faint trace of magic still lingered here—untainted magic, so unlike the Merchant’s precious artifacts, all bearing a familiar, human stench. Here, in the forest he’d grown up in, Lucien could smell the Old Magic in the mossy earth, however wet it was. With the spring nearing its full bloom, the remaining signs of winter had almost melted away.

When he was younger, Eris would often tell him of the power that had once kept the seasons unchanged. In this part of the island, magic had stood still—the forests of Braemar had always grown in shades of auburn and gold, the waves warming the shores of Adriata had never reflected so much as a cloud above, and the lakes of the North had been nothing but pale, blue ice. Parts of New Prythian, Eris had told him, used to be nothing but rolling green hills, ruffled by a gentle, spring breeze. Today, they had become towns, industries—homes the humans had stolen from the Fae and made into their own, just like everything else.

The High Lords keeping that magic alive were long gone, though. Autumns in Braemar had become rainy and bleak, even the occasional sunlight somewhat pale as it peered through the trees. As if the very sun itself had fallen ill to the human sickness.

There was no sun shining above Lucien, though, as he made his way through the camp. The path snaked down to where he knew his brother would be—right by the stream’s muddy shore, the gentle whoosh of the running water muffling the voices ahead.

Thankfully, the sturdy bark of an oak tree provided Lucien with enough shelter to eavesdrop. Eris may have been family and—Lucien thought with some bite—his direct superior, but that didn’t mean the prick ever felt inclined to make Lucien privy to his plans and schemes.

And if there was one enemy the Vanserras had never quite managed to conquer, it was curiosity.

“��understand,” a familiar, male voice reached him, barely audible despite Lucien’s Fae hearing, as if its owner had deliberately hidden it in the crinkles of the water. Lucien’s attention strained. “I should have been made aware of the plan, and you know it.”

Lucien rolled his eyes—though the knowledge that even Azriel was not always entitled to Eris’s designs did, admittedly, provide him with some consolation. He leaned in a few inches to study the male, finding his tattooed arms crossed in expectation—and a pair of those menacing, bat-like wings tucked in almost as tight as his lips.

“And you know how important it was that the details of the plan remained discreet,” Eris responded, head angling slightly as he searched Azriel’s gaze.

“By the Cauldron, Eris.” Azriel shifted on his feet, those wings rustling heavily behind him. “I had no idea you would actually kidnap the girl.” Those strange, smoky shadows slithered around his feet—as though in agreement.

From the shelter of his tree, Lucien could practically hear his brother roll his amber eyes. “She’s fine, is she not?” Eris shrugged, his tone hardly inviting an answer as he surveyed the darkness slowly climbing Azriel’s broad frame. Then, “Why do you care so much?” he questioned.

Azriel sighed deeply. “I just…” A pause—as though he was weighing the risk those next words could carry. “I don’t like it when you don’t tell me things,” he finally said.

That makes two of us, Lucien thought bitterly.

He glimpsed a hint of a smile on Eris’s freckled face. “Well,” his brother countered, “I’m not exactly in the business of sharing my secrets with pretty shadowsingers.”

Lucien stifled a groan.

The shadows behind Azriel’s arms curled, the corner of his mouth following suit. “Pretty, huh?” 

Eris opened his mouth—no doubt to tease his spymaster even further—but then Azriel halted, the smile dying on his lips before it ever truly began as he turned to the darkness whispering to his ear. 

Great.

“We have company,” he told Eris, his expression sour.

His cover well and truly blown, Lucien stepped out of his hiding. “Took you long enough,” he said in a manner of greeting, reaching the pair in four long strides and turning towards Eris. “You may wish to reconsider your choice of a spymaster, brother. I can’t say I’m very impressed,” he added, not gracing Azriel with another look.

Eris crossed his arms, the bronze of his jacket catching some of that pale sunlight. “How fortunate for me that I make decisions here, not you,” he said, his tone carrying enough of a bite that Lucien braced himself for the earful he was no doubt about to receive later.

Eris turned to Azriel. “I’ll speak with you back at base,” he said, the words apparently enough of a dismissal.

Azriel’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Make sure that you do,” was his only reply, and he moved to walk away.

A few of his shadows lingered in place for a moment—as if hesitating. Only when Eris cast them a look Lucien couldn’t quite discern did they skitter back, happily following the quiet steps of their master.

Lucien arched an eyebrow at the strange scene. “Trouble in paradise?”

Eris’s attention cut to him. “You do not question me in front of my subordinates.” His brother’s face may as well have been set in stone. “Understand?”

“I do,” Lucien agreed. “That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t trust him.” 

Eris straightened. “Azriel has been with us for six months now, and has proven invaluable to our efforts.”

“Six months is nothing,” Lucien countered. “What was he doing for the five centuries before?”

Eris ran a hand through his hair, the auburn glistening with the movement like liquid metal—Lucien couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen it long and draped over his back. Eris had cut it shortly after Azriel’s arrival, he supposed, realising the past six months had indeed somehow managed to have stretched into near eternity. “I thought he was dead, Lucien,” Eris said, his voice tight. “The War took so many. His entire family is gone—they have been for a while. You want to know what he’s been doing since then?” he asked, and when Lucien offered no answer, he added, “The same thing as us. Trying to survive.”

“Strange that he’s chosen to survive with us, of all people,” Lucien grumbled, more to himself now than Eris.

His brother watched him closely. “There aren’t many of us left. I doubt he’s had a selection of choices,” he added. “Besides, he is of use to me.”

“I’ll bet he is.”

“Watch it,” Eris warned, a bright-red flame flickering in his eyes. “Or I’ll think you’re suggesting something.”

Lucien couldn’t keep the smirk off his face. “Oh, I am,” he assured him. “I’m suggesting you’ve never been very good at keeping a sound judgement around your, ah…what did you call him?” He made a show of considering, letting his long claws drum on his crossed arms. “Oh, yes. Subordinates,” he finished with a smile he could only hope portrayed his smugness appropriately..

Eris’s gaze narrowed. “Excuse me if I don’t take your concerns to heart, little brother,” he said slowly, dragging out those last two words as if they were no more than an insult. “Your judgement has hardly been exemplary in recent days.”

“My judgement has been nothing short of impeccable,” Lucien huffed.

“I’m sure,” Eris crooned, a shit-eating grin sprawling on his own face. “Strange how Elain Archeron passed out on her father’s floor from one simple kiss on the hand,” he mused. “Unless, of course,” he added, “it wasn’t her hand you kissed.”

Bastard. “Are you questioning me, Eris?”

“Your ability to follow orders?” Eris asked. “Always.”

“I did follow orders,” Lucien pressed. “Nuan must have been wrong about the dosage,” he added, praying to the Mother and all her small mercies Eris hadn’t caught the hesitation in his voice.

Strangely, though, the Mother had never seen too merciful wherever Lucien was concerned. Most of the time, he could handle it: the anger, the frustration, the fighting. But there was just something about the disappointment in Eris’s face that made Lucien’s insides shrink with guilt as his brother told him, “Nuan has not been wrong once in the four hundred years I’ve known her.” A truth if Lucien had ever heard one—a rarity Eris was offering him. “She’s saved your life on more than one occasion,” he continued. “You’d do better showing her work some respect.”

Blaming it on Nuan had been wrong, and Lucien was no less of a bastard than Eris for it. But Lucien had worked too hard for this assignment, had spent too many decades fighting to be seen by Eris as more than a liability and a painful reminder of the family they’d left behind that he grabbed on to whatever lies he could to not be tossed aside again.

Perhaps that was precisely why even the Mother herself had abandoned him.

He wasn’t sure what to say—wasn’t sure if there was anything to say, in truth. He simply watched the stream ahead, unable to drag his gaze back to Eris’s as if its weight was too much for him to carry.

Eris relieved him of the burden. “Is she awake?” he asked, whatever emotion creeping in his tone earlier now replaced entirely by the voice Lucien had come to know far better. A Commander’s voice—a leader’s.

“Not as far as I’m aware,” Lucien simply replied, his voice as hollow as the echo the river carried into the forest.

“And the camp?” Eris pressed. “We should get moving within the hour.”

“Not nearly packed.” The small legion they’d taken to New Prythian with them had still been mid-breakfast when Lucien exited his tent.

Eris sighed. “Excellent,” he said, and from the corner of his eye, Lucien made out two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “Go help Nuan in her tent,” Eris instructed, Lucien’s shoulders straightening at the command. It was easier this way—to fall into the roles they’d been acting for as long as Lucien could remember. He finally turned to Eris, then, offering a short nod of acknowledgement.

 I’ll get everybody else on their feet,” Eris added, half-looking over his shoulder as if his Fae eyesight could still somehow see the camp ahead. “I will notify you when she is awake.”

“Oh, good,” Lucien grumbled. Seeing her was exactly what he needed to make his morning even more miserable.

Still, he could’ve sworn a shadow of a smile passed through Eris’s face. “Lighten up, little brother,” he told him, reaching towards Lucien’s shoulder to fix some phantom crinkle in Greysen Nolan’s jacket. “I’m sure your fiancée will be delighted to speak with you.”

***

Elain dreamt of eyes so blue they must have been crafted from raw, hardened ice—frozen somewhere deep beneath a lake, perhaps never to come alive again.

She tried to reach for them, as if to make sure they truly were beyond saving, and yet every attempt at caressing their owner’s face only seemed to push her farther and farther away. Elain opened her mouth to call out his name, to cry out in desperation, but found her throat frozen, too, something like frost slowly creeping its way up the cords of her voice.

“Greysen,” she rasped, the word more a gargle than the syllables making up his name.

He heard, though, if the shift in those eyes was any indication. The ice cracked—snapped in half, ready to shatter into a thousand pieces—and revealed the true colours pouring out of the man’s piercing gaze. A liquid flame, a symphony of reds, golds and oranges, burning so bright Elain had to squint lest it blinded her entirely. She could practically feel it on her skin, feel the promise of its warm embrace as it moved in closer, closer…

The fire crackled—and Elain sat upright, the sound violently ripping her from sleep.

“I’m afraid Greysen is not here, Lady Archeron,” a smooth, male voice reached her. “A true disappointment, I’m sure.”

Elain blinked—then blinked again as she realised she had woken up from one nightmare to another.

She was in a tent, of some sorts. The canvas was roughened with what had to have been weeks, if not months of travel, yellowed by grass at the edges and stained with old, dried-out mud. In some places, Elain’s sleep-dusted sight managed to spot specks of a rusted shade of red, the unmistakable proof that blood had been spilled within the tent’s constraints on more than one occasion. Elain’s blood was likely to be next, if the owner of her newfound lodging was any indication.

The man half-leaning on the wooden pillar was smirking down on her, his mouth curled in a way that could only mean Elain was in more trouble than she had anticipated. It wasn’t his expression she deemed as her immediate concern, though—no, it was the actual, living fire blazing from his freckled, open palm, casting dancing shadows over the canvas beside them.

It was then that she noticed his long, arched ears, the hint of long, sharpened canines peering from that smirk of his. The fire was not burning him at all—it seemed to yield to his command, in fact, like a pet would submit to its master. In that moment, Elain also realised he was standing rather dangerously close to the flammable structure, even as he himself appeared entirely unbothered about the fact.

Elain swallowed something heavy in her throat. “You—” she tried, then cleared her throat. “You’re Fae.”

The faerie’s smile widened. High Fae, Elain understood, inspecting his every movement, every flick of fingers as the flames in his hand chased each other happily. “A cunning observation,” he noted, then looked to that magical fire of his. “And they say humans are short on wit these days,” he muttered, as though he was addressing those flames directly.

She must have been going insane. There was no other explanation—she was just at the ball back home, her own engagement celebration, kissing Greysen Nolan like her whole life depended on him. On her fiancé.

Right now, it seemed that her life was entirely in someone else’s hands.

She swallowed again. Hard. “Are you planning to kill me?”

“Planning,” the High Fae mused, his gaze still transfixed on his hand. “Plans, Lady Archeron, are very much like this fire.” The flames danced again in confirmation. “Unpredictable. Ever-changing. Easy to slip out of control…” The fire blazed, and Elain’s body moved back an inch of its own volition, and the man found her eyes at that. “If wielded by the wrong hand,” he finished, that secretive smile making its way back onto his lips.

“You’re the man in charge, I take it,” Elain simply said.

His eyes, like liquid amber in light of his magic, narrowed on her slightly. “Male,” he corrected, apparently offended by her words. “I am hardly the animal you mistake me for,” he added, that former aloofness returning to his tone. “But yes. I am.”

Excellent. “What did you do to Greysen?” she asked.

The man hummed, bouncing off the pillar at last. His flames skittered with the movement, then vanished entirely as he crossed his lean, muscled arms. As if they never existed in the first place. “I didn’t do anything to your pretty little fiancé,” he said, and, even though he hadn’t so much as moved a step closed toward her, Elain found herself pulling back.

“But you gave the order.”

He waved a hand. “Semantics.”

“Is he…” She couldn’t bear the question—not when the answer seemed so obvious. “Is he dead, then?” she managed.

“Oh, yes,” the man answered as though it was the weather she’d just asked him about, not the death of another man. “I am told he was rather easy to kill.” He met her gaze. “It was a swift and merciful death, if it brings you any comfort.”

It was as if all the air was knocked out of her lungs, a fire of her own replacing it completely—simmering, threatening to boil over. “Comfort?” Elain asked, the anger now rising through her throat. “You ruined my future!”

Not once did she ever imagine she would yell at a faerie and live to tell the tale. Perhaps she wouldn’t.

But all the man—male—did was scoff, looking at her in a way that made her wish she had canines of her own, if only to rip his throat out. “And what a bright future it was,” he said. “Married off and shipped to the far side of the world to be nothing but a weak lordling’s broodmare.” Something darkened in those eyes as he added, “I’ve seen it happen before. Trust me, such stories do not end well.”

“I would rather die than trust you,” Elain spat.

He studied his nails, short and perfectly trimmed. “That can be arranged.”

“You know nothing about Greysen Nolan.”

Something like amusement crept into his face. “Don’t I?” he asked. “I know more about your fiancé than you can imagine, Lady Archeron. I’d care to explain had you not just so loudly declared your distrust of me,” he added, his eyes returning to picking some invisible grain of dirt off his immaculate hands.

Elain found herself seething. “How dare—”

“Not another step.”

It wasn’t the bastard’s voice that had warned her, though—and perhaps it was what made her stop dead in her tracks.

Elain hadn’t even realised she’d rose from her bed at some point in her anger until a figure appeared before her, so large and imposing it nearly blocked everything else from view. She had never seen a man so—

Wings. He had wings.

Elain was going to die today.

“I am handling the situation, Azriel,” the fiery male said from behind him, his voice dropping to a lazy drawl.

If she was going to die, she might as well have gotten the last word. “I am not some object for you to handle,” Elain spat.

The male chuckled. “She’s feisty,” he said, auburn hair glistening with the shake of his head. “I must admit I’m growing quite fond of your company, Lady Archeron.”

“She’s his daughter,” the winged male—Azriel—rumbled, his voice like thunder in a midnight storm. “For all we know, she could be hiding ash weapons beneath her skirts,” he added, a disgusted grimace twisting his otherwise beautiful face.

Elain sucked in a breath. “You—”

“She isn’t,” the other male said, stepping closer towards them, Azriel’s wings rustling back as if to make space.  “We had her searched,” he explained to his companion.

“You what?” Elain whirled to him, heat flaring red in her chest, her face. “You dared to—”

“I thought we’ve established I am not the monster you think me for,” the male told her, something like distaste filling his features. “I did not come near your tent until a few moments ago.”

“But someone did.” Someone had been in here while Elain had been sleeping,

He sighed deeply, Azriel’s gaze finally leaving Elain’s to dart towards the sound. “You’ll meet her soon. Have you not realised you’re not wearing the ballgown from the night before?”

“I—”

“Humans,” he sighed again, then turned to Azriel. “Did you have something to report, or are you just here to disturb me?”

Azriel’s wings shifted heavily behind him. “My job is to protect you, Eris.” That must have been the leader’s name. Elain catalogued it in the corners of her mind—in case the Queens of old somehow kept her in their favour, she would report it to the Governor once she escaped.

“Your job is to be my spy,” Eris told him, something in his stare telling Elain he didn’t exactly appreciate Azriel betraying his name, either. Still, he turned to Elain, smiling as though they were no more than two old friends catching up. “Illyrians can be so overprotective.”

Elain stilled. “Illyrians?”

I can already imagine his eyes light up as I hand him the pair of wings your sister had sent in from Hybern, her father’s letter said.

Azriel moved quicker than time itself.

In one moment, he stood right before her, the edge of his right wing nearing Eris’s shoulder, the perfect picture of his leader’s protector. The next, she felt a dark breeze whoosh past her, and a heavy, menacing presence appearing behind her—and a strange, cold pressure on her neck.

Azriel’s voice was colder than ice as the sharp edge of his knife grazed Elain’s throat. “Tell me what you know.”

It looked like she wasn’t getting out of here alive after all. “N-nothing,” she uttered, suddenly very aware of her heart thudding through every vein in her body. “Please.”

The knife did not move.

“Azriel,” Eris’s voice reached her, but even less than two feet away from her, he still seemed too far. As though Azriel had pulled her underwater, and, whatever Eris’s command was, it could not swim deep enough to reach them in time. “Azriel.”

But then the fire crackled again, the same snapping sound that had pulled her from her sleep, and everything ended as soon as it began.

Elain gasped, a long, raspy breath pouring into her chest, her lungs, her neck suddenly free of the cold steel and its owner. She blinked the blurriness away, like a fog lifting itself off her gaze, and Azriel appeared before her again, wings tucked in tight as he sheathed his blade somewhere deep into the leathers on his back.

For a male who played with fire, Eris’s stare was nothing but pure darkness as he looked at Azriel. “I think it’s time for you to go,” he said, no trace of that former theatrical laziness lingering in his tone.

A muscle jutted in Azriel’s powerful jaw. “Fine,” he grumbled at last, then dared another glance at Elain. “But I want to interrogate her later.”

“We’ll see,” Eris said, the words sounding too much like an agreement.

Panic rose through her again. “No,” Elain protested. “No, you will not—”

“See,” Eris turned to her, auburn brows knitting in a frown. “Now you’ve frightened our guest.”

“She has no reason to be afraid,” Azriel said. “Yet,” he added, meeting her gaze directly.

Elain felt her stomach tighten.

Perhaps, if she retched her guts out in front of their feet, they would let her go. What could a pair of Fae killers want with her, anyway? She was the Merchant’s daughter, but without him as a prisoner by her side, Elain was nothing. Had nothing. Anything they might have wanted from her father was left behind in the Manor—days away from wherever they’d hidden her, according to Eris, at least. So why was Elain here?

“She’s not afraid, shadowsinger,” someone said from behind Azriel’s wings—someone so familiar Elain nearly stopped breathing again. “No, I think our little fawn is angry.”

She knew that voice—deep and honeyed, the same way his hands felt on her waist when he’d pulled her closer into his arms, the same way his lips tasted as she searched them with her own. It was impossible—it had to be—but Elain peered over Azriel’s shoulder all the same.

Eris had told her he was dead. Killed, quickly and without hesitation.

And yet here he stood, in the same navy-blue jacket that offset his long, auburn waves the night before, the golden gleam in his eyes that reminded her of sunlight as they met her own. Beautiful.

Alive.

“Greysen?” Elain breathed.

Greysen smiled, then—and Elain’s breath caught in her throat.

She wasn’t sure she would ever breathe again as a pair of canines, so similar to Eris’s yet even sharper, somehow, flashed at her from the smile. As a hand, broad and strong as it led her through last night’s dance, rose to run long talons through his hair, to tuck a loose strand of it behind an unmistakably arched ear. As the male she thought was a man looked at her in a way that told her everything she knew about him was a lie.

“Not exactly, Princess,” he purred.

“There you are,” Eris drawled like the world hasn’t just collapsed around them. “Lady Archeron,” he turned to her at that, “allow me to introduce to you my younger brother. Meet Lucien Vanserra, Seventh Son of the Autumn Court, Lieutenant of the Golden Leaf and former courtier and emissary.”

Elain could’ve sworn a mockery of a smile bloomed on Eris’s lips as he added, “And, evidently, your betrothed.”

[kodiprofessionall]

Elevate Your Nail Game with Kodi Nail Polish

Discover the Allure of a Long-Lasting Finish

In the world of modern beauty, few things speak louder than well-maintained nails. A quality manicure has the power to elevate your look, boost confidence, and express your personality without words. This is where Kodi Nail Polish makes a bold entrance. Known for its rich pigmentation, smooth application, and lasting results, it has carved out a reputation among professionals and everyday users alike.

Nail polish isn’t just a beauty product; it’s an extension of who you are. From subtle neutrals to bold, vibrant hues, the color you choose reflects your mood and style. But beyond aesthetics, what truly sets a superior polish apart is its performance. That’s where this polish excels — offering an impeccable blend of durability and style that is hard to match.

Quality that Speaks for Itself

When looking for a reliable product to enhance nail beauty, consumers often prioritize longevity, shine, and safety. Kodi Nail Polish consistently delivers on all fronts. It stands out not just for its wide range of color choices, but also for its professional-grade formula that resists chipping and maintains its luster for extended periods.

Unlike other polishes that may start to fade or peel within days, this brand is engineered for endurance. Whether you're at a desk job or working hands-on in various environments, the polish maintains a freshly-applied look longer than many standard alternatives.

Additionally, ease of application plays a major role in its appeal. It glides smoothly over the nail, ensuring an even coat with fewer streaks. This not only makes it user-friendly for beginners but also a trusted option for nail technicians working in high-demand settings.

A Staple in Every Nail Professional’s Kit

Behind every flawless manicure is a set of tools and products that professionals trust. Kodi Professional is one such name that is synonymous with precision and performance. Developed with expert needs in mind, this line has become a staple in salons and studios around the globe.

It’s not just about polish; the brand offers a full spectrum of nail enhancement solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of modern nail art. From base coats that protect natural nails to topcoats that seal in color and shine, the brand provides a holistic approach to nail care.

Professionals value consistency, and this line never disappoints. Each product is formulated to deliver reliable results, even under the pressure of back-to-back appointments and high customer expectations. When time and outcome both matter, the tools you choose make all the difference.

Trend-Driven and Timeless Shades

Fashion trends evolve, and so do nail color preferences. What remains constant is the demand for versatile, season-appropriate shades. Kodi Nail Polish excels in offering colors that cater to both trendy enthusiasts and those who love classic elegance.

From moody autumn tones to soft spring pastels, the collection spans every seasonal palette you can imagine. Yet, it's not just about the variety of hues — it’s about how each shade complements skin tones, outfits, and occasions. Whether you're preparing for a business meeting, a vacation, or a wedding, there’s a perfect shade waiting in the lineup.

Nail art has grown into a full-fledged form of personal expression, and the polish’s ability to hold up under intricate designs is another major plus. No smudging, no uneven drying — just flawless finishes every single time.

More Than Just Color — It’s Nail Care

Nail polish today is expected to do more than just decorate. Healthy nails matter, and products that contribute to nail strength and protection are in high demand. Kodi Professional addresses this with thoughtful formulations that avoid harmful chemicals and support overall nail health.

With consistent use, many users report healthier-looking nails, less brittleness, and improved resilience. It’s a testament to how a beauty product can also function as a form of care. Nail polish no longer needs to be a trade-off between style and well-being.

The importance of safe, non-toxic ingredients cannot be overstated in the current beauty landscape. Clean formulations that are free from harsh additives are becoming the gold standard. This is where a quality brand proves its worth by offering products that are both high-performing and mindful of health.

[beaconkoi1]

The Power of FD Colour Emphasize, FD Build Up Extra, and FD Supplement Floating Feeds

Maintaining a clean, balanced, and healthy pond environment is essential for any koi keeper. Whether you're raising show-grade koi or simply enjoy the tranquil beauty of ornamental fish, having the right equipment and nutrition is the key to success. At Beacon Koi Ltd, we offer some of the most advanced solutions in koi care—including the ProfiClear Premium Compact-M Gravity EGC, Wheatgerm Sinking Feed, and the renowned Evolution Aqua Nexus Filter system.

Each of these products contributes to healthier water quality, improved fish well-being, and less maintenance stress on pond owners. Let’s dive into how they work together to create a superior koi pond environment.

The ProfiClear Premium Compact-M Gravity EGC – Intelligent Filtration for Modern Ponds

When it comes to innovative pond filtration, the ProfiClear Premium Compact-M Gravity EGC stands out as a cutting-edge solution. Designed by OASE, this smart, modular filter system provides mechanical and biological filtration in one compact unit.

Why Choose the ProfiClear Gravity EGC?

Drum Filter Technology: Automatically removes coarse waste and debris using a fine-mesh drum system—reducing manual cleaning to almost zero.

Integrated BioChamber: Houses Hel-X 13 filter media for efficient biological filtration, breaking down ammonia and nitrites.

Smart Control (EGC): Equipped with Easy Garden Control technology, the system can be monitored and managed remotely via app or PC.

Gravity-Fed Design: Allows high flow rates with low energy usage—ideal for koi ponds requiring powerful yet efficient filtration.

Perfect for ponds up to 35,000 liters (without fish) or 17,500 liters (with koi), this all-in-one unit is a favorite among serious pond hobbyists and professionals who value reliability, automation, and water clarity.

Wheatgerm Sinking Feed – Winter Nutrition for Healthy Koi

Feeding your koi properly across different seasons is crucial for immune strength and digestion. Wheatgerm Sinking Feed is specially formulated for colder months when koi metabolism slows down.

Key Benefits of Wheatgerm Sinking Feed:

Easily Digestible: Wheatgerm is gentle on the digestive system, making it perfect for feeding during spring and autumn when temperatures dip.

Sinks Naturally: Encourages bottom feeding and reduces waste from uneaten floating pellets.

Immune Support: Fortified with vitamins and minerals to maintain resistance against seasonal diseases and stress.

Reduced Waste: Clean feeding with minimal leftovers helps maintain better water quality.

By choosing Wheatgerm Sinking Feed, koi owners ensure their fish remain active and healthy throughout temperature changes, supporting long-term well-being and vibrant growth.

Evolution Aqua Nexus Filter – The Trusted Standard for Biological Filtration

No koi pond setup is truly complete without a reliable biofiltration system, and the Evolution Aqua Nexus Filter is one of the most respected names in the market. Used by both hobbyists and commercial koi breeders, this system combines mechanical and biological filtration in a compact and easy-to-maintain design.

Why Nexus Filters Are So Popular:

K1 Micro Media: Highly efficient at housing beneficial bacteria for nitrification, resulting in healthier pond water.

Central Easy Cleaning Mechanism: The Eazy cleaning system allows users to rinse media without disturbing the main filter.

Modular Design: Available in various sizes to suit different pond volumes and fish loads.

Trusted UK Engineering: Manufactured by Evolution Aqua—a British brand known for quality and performance.

Ideal for medium to large ponds, the Evolution Aqua Nexus Filter offers dependable, long-term filtration that supports a balanced pond ecosystem and reduces the risk of algae blooms and harmful toxins.

Creating the Perfect Koi Pond Environment with Beacon Koi Ltd

At Beacon Koi Ltd, we understand that high-quality equipment and nutrition are the foundation of a thriving pond. That’s why we offer expert guidance and premium products like the ProfiClear Premium Compact-M Gravity EGC, Wheatgerm Sinking Feed, and the Evolution Aqua Nexus Filter.

Why Shop With Us?

Genuine Brands – All products are 100% authentic, sourced from trusted manufacturers.

Expert Advice – Whether you're a beginner or an experienced koi keeper, our team can help you select the right equipment.

Nationwide Delivery – Fast and reliable shipping across the UK.

Comprehensive Support – From setup to seasonal tips, we’re here to support your koi journey.

Tips for Optimizing Pond Performance

To get the most out of your filtration and feeding systems:

Regularly check filter performance and clean components as needed.

Feed according to water temperature—use Wheatgerm Feed below 15°C.

Combine mechanical filtration (like drum filters) with biological units for best results.

Monitor water quality with test kits to detect ammonia, nitrites, and pH changes.

Final Thoughts

A clean pond and healthy koi go hand in hand. Whether you're upgrading your pond setup or starting fresh, investing in industry-leading equipment like the ProfiClear Premium Compact-M Gravity EGC and Evolution Aqua Nexus Filter, paired with smart feeding like Wheatgerm Sinking Feed, ensures your koi receive the best care possible.

[coolyecoinau]

When Is the Best Season to Spot Dolphins on a Gold Coast Cruise?

The Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, is famed for its golden beaches, sparkling blue waters, and vibrant marine life. Among the most cherished wildlife experiences here is embarking on a dolphin cruise Gold Coast visitors and locals alike adore. These cruises offer unforgettable close-up encounters with wild dolphins as they glide gracefully alongside boats. But when is the best time of year to witness these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat?

This guide reveals the ideal seasons for dolphin sightings, what to expect on your tour, and tips for maximising your dolphin cruise Gold Coast experience.

Why the Gold Coast Is a Dolphin Hotspot

The coastal waters of the Gold Coast provide an ideal environment for various species of dolphins, particularly the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin. With its temperate climate and nutrient-rich marine ecosystems, the region supports dolphin activity year-round, making a dolphin cruise Gold Coast adventure possible in almost any season.

However, while dolphins can be seen throughout the year, certain months offer better weather conditions, calmer seas, and more frequent sightings.

Best Seasons for Dolphin Watching

Autumn (March to May) – Peak Season for Dolphin Cruises

Autumn is widely regarded as one of the best times to embark on a dolphin cruise Gold Coast visitors rave about. The weather during this period is mild, with calm seas and pleasant temperatures ranging from 18°C to 25°C. These optimal conditions not only enhance the comfort of your cruise but also increase the likelihood of dolphin encounters.

Dolphins are particularly active in the early mornings and late afternoons during autumn, making these the most recommended times to join a tour.

Spring (September to November) – A Close Second

Spring offers another excellent window for dolphin sightings. The warming temperatures signal increased marine activity as dolphins begin their playful behaviours near the surface. Water clarity is also superior in spring, providing better visibility for those hoping to catch a glimpse of pods swimming alongside the boat.

During this season, a dolphin cruise Gold Coast explorers join frequently delivers high satisfaction rates due to the calm winds and scenic ocean views.

Summer (December to February) – Warmer but Busier

While dolphins remain active during the Australian summer, this period is also the busiest for tourism on the Gold Coast. Higher temperatures and school holidays result in crowded cruise schedules and occasionally choppier waters.

Although dolphin sightings are still common, those considering a dolphin cruise Gold Coast trip during summer are advised to book early and opt for morning departures to avoid intense heat and larger crowds.

Winter (June to August) – Fewer Sightings but Still Worthwhile

Winter months are generally quieter, offering a more tranquil experience on the water. While dolphin activity may slightly decrease due to colder water temperatures, sightings still occur, particularly in the early morning.

A dolphin cruise Gold Coast journey during winter is ideal for those who prefer cooler weather and fewer tourists. Additionally, this season coincides with whale migration, adding a potential bonus to your marine adventure.

What to Expect on a Dolphin Cruise Gold Coast Tour

Dolphin cruises on the Gold Coast typically last between 1.5 to 3 hours and depart from marinas such as Main Beach or Surfers Paradise. Aboard the vessel, guests are treated to panoramic ocean views and guided commentary about local marine life and ecology.

Highlights include:

Watching dolphins swim and leap beside the boat

Learning about dolphin behaviour and habitat

Optional snorkeling in select tours

Opportunities for wildlife photography

Modern cruise vessels are equipped with shaded viewing decks and sometimes underwater viewing platforms, enhancing the overall experience.

Tips for a Successful Dolphin Cruise Gold Coast Experience

Book in Advance: Especially during peak seasons, dolphin cruises fill quickly.

Choose Morning Tours: Early departures offer better weather conditions and increased dolphin activity.

Bring Binoculars and a Camera: Capture memorable moments with zoom lenses or binoculars for enhanced views.

Dress Comfortably: Bring sun protection during warmer months and layered clothing in winter.

Listen to Crew Instructions: For safety and the best wildlife viewing opportunities, follow all on-board guidance.

Sustainability and Responsible Tourism

Reputable dolphin cruise Gold Coast operators follow strict wildlife interaction guidelines to ensure the well-being of marine life. These include maintaining a safe distance, minimising noise pollution, and never feeding or touching the dolphins. Passengers are encouraged to support eco-conscious tours that prioritise conservation.

Final Thoughts

No matter the season, a dolphin cruise Gold Coast experience offers an unforgettable glimpse into the coastal magic of Queensland’s marine environment. While autumn and spring provide the most favourable conditions for dolphin watching, each time of year has its unique charm. Whether you're seeking a peaceful winter escape or a vibrant summer adventure, there's always a good reason to set sail and discover the wonders of the Pacific Ocean.

Explore the beauty of the Gold Coast, and let the dolphins guide your journey.

[williamjone]

Finances China Tour Exploring the most beneficial with a Funds

China, with its rich historical past, assorted culture, travel to China and amazing landscapes, offers an unforgettable journey working experience. From ancient architectural marvels to bustling modern metropolitan areas, China offers a novel combination of the past and current. cultural etiquette, culinary delights, and travel guidelines to help you take advantage of within your journey to China.

Scheduling Your Funds China Tour:

Vacation All through Off-Peak Seasons: Touring over the off-peak seasons (late autumn and early spring) can appreciably reduce costs. Averting major holidays like Chinese New 12 months and Golden Week in Oct can help find greater bargains on flights and accommodations.

E book Flights ahead of time: Try to look for discounts on flights well upfront. Use flight comparison Internet sites and consider traveling into fewer well known airports like Tianjin in lieu of Beijing to economize. Spending budget Airways usually provide lower fares for those who e book early.

Use Public Transportation: China’s community transportation technique is considerable and cost-effective. Superior-velocity trains and buses are Expense-effective tips on how to vacation amongst metropolitan areas. Within just towns, make use of the subway and buses in lieu of taxis to keep expenses down.

Remain in Funds Accommodations: Hostels, guesthouses, and spending budget motels are extensively readily available and give clear, safe, and economical lodging choices. Websites like Hostelworld and Scheduling.com are wonderful for finding price range lodging with excellent opinions.

Eat Like an area: Consuming at local dining places and street food stalls is don't just more cost-effective but also supplies an authentic culinary experience. Try to look for bustling destinations where locals eat, which generally signifies good quality and good prices.

Knowledge and respecting neighborhood customs and etiquette is crucial when traveling to China:

Greetings: A slight bow or nod is a common greeting. Handshakes can also be acceptable but ordinarily softer than in Western cultures.

Regard for Elders: Clearly show respect to elders by addressing them politely and permitting them to enter or exit rooms initial.

Dining Etiquette: When eating, it’s customary to anticipate the host to start out taking in before you start. Stay away from sticking chopsticks upright in a very bowl of rice, because it resembles a funeral ritual.

Gift Providing: When providing or obtaining gifts, use equally palms. Presents tend to be refused initially before being acknowledged as a sign of humility.

Culinary Delights: Chinese cuisine is exceptionally varied, with Each individual region supplying unique flavors and specialties:

Peking Duck: A popular dish from Beijing, Peking Duck is noted for its crispy pores and skin and tender meat, generally served with slender pancakes, hoisin sauce, and scallions.

Dim Sum: Originating from Cantonese cuisine, dim sum is made of several different Chunk-sized dishes, such as dumplings, buns, and rolls, typically appreciated with tea.

Hotpot: Hotpot is usually a communal eating expertise wherever diners Prepare dinner various components like meat, veggies, and tofu within a simmering pot of flavored broth.

Road Meals: Chinese street food items offers a myriad of tasty alternatives, which include jianbing (savory crepes), baozi (steamed buns), and chuan (skewered meat).

Vacation Tips:

Visa Requirements: Affordable China tour Make sure you have the suitable visa right before traveling to China. Check out the latest demands and apply ahead of time.

Language: Finding out several standard Mandarin phrases is usually beneficial. Whilst significant cities have English speakers, rural parts might not.

Transportation: China has an intensive transportation community, together with large-speed trains and domestic flights. Consider using public transportation for Charge-efficient travel inside cities.

Overall health and Security: Drink bottled h2o and steer clear of tap h2o. Be careful with street food and ensure it’s cooked totally. Maintain individual possessions protected to avoid pickpocketing.

China, with its loaded historical past, various lifestyle, and stunning landscapes, is often a desire place For most tourists. Nevertheless, the perception of China as a pricey destination can deter funds-aware travelers. The truth is, with careful planning and intelligent decisions, it is possible to practical experience the best of China without having breaking the bank.

Arranging Your Very affordable China Tour:

Vacation In the course of Off-Peak Seasons: Touring throughout the off-peak seasons (late autumn and early spring) can considerably cut down your costs. Averting key holiday seasons like Chinese New Yr and Golden Week in October might also assist you to uncover better specials on flights and lodging.

E-book Flights beforehand: Hunt for promotions on flights effectively upfront. Use flight comparison Internet sites and take into consideration flying into a lot less well-liked airports like Tianjin in place of Beijing to economize. Furthermore, budget airlines generally offer lower fares if you book early.

Use Community Transportation: China’s public transportation method is intensive and cost-effective. High-velocity trains and buses are Value-helpful strategies to travel among towns. Within just metropolitan areas, use the subway and buses in lieu of taxis to maintain expenditures down.

Stay in Budget Lodging: Hostels, guesthouses, and funds inns are broadly offered and offer you clean up, Safe and sound, and reasonably priced lodging alternatives. Sites like Hostelworld and Scheduling.com are wonderful for finding finances lodging with excellent opinions.

Take in Like an area: Ingesting at neighborhood restaurants and Road meals stalls is not simply cheaper but additionally presents an reliable culinary knowledge. Try to find bustling sites where by locals consume, which generally indicates good quality and reasonable prices.

Free of charge and Very low-Expense Sights: A lot of China’s top rated sights are both totally free or Have got a minimal entrance charge. Parks, marketplaces, and historic neighborhoods can offer several hours of enjoyment with no costing a fortune. Investigate points of interest ahead of time to plan your visits accordingly.

Language: Understanding fundamental Mandarin phrases may help you navigate and negotiate charges far more correctly. Carry a translation app for more advanced conversations.

Journey Insurance policy: While not always a price-preserving measure, getting vacation insurance policy can safeguard you from unexpected expenses, for example healthcare emergencies or trip cancellations.

Negotiation: Bargaining is typical in marketplaces and little outlets. Generally request a lower price, but do so politely and having a smile.

SIM Cards and Wi-Fi: Purchase a regional SIM card for economical internet access, or use totally free Wi-Fi offered in many cafes, hostels, and general public places.

Conclusion:

Traveling to China on the Funds China tour is solely possible with thorough setting up and clever possibilities. By opting for finances accommodations, using general public transportation, eating like a local, and Discovering absolutely free or lower-cost points of interest, you can delight in an enriching and reasonably priced tour of this fascinating country. No matter if you’re marveling at the Great Wall, Discovering ancient Xi’an, cuddling pandas in Chengdu, cruising together the Li River, or experiencing the modern allure of Shanghai, China provides infinite chances for unforgettable adventures without the need of breaking the lender.

[assiniboinevlandscapes]

Elevate Your Outdoor Living: The Ultimate Guide to Lawn Maintenance by Lawn Maintenance

Transforming your outdoor space into a lush, inviting haven requires meticulous attention to lawn maintenance. Lawn Maintenance, a trusted leader in the industry, presents a comprehensive guide to achieving and sustaining the perfect lawn.

The Importance of Professional Lawn Maintenance

Curb Appeal Enhancement: A well-maintained lawn is the cornerstone of a visually appealing property. Lawn Maintenance specializes in enhancing curb appeal through expert maintenance techniques.

Property Value Boost: Investing in professional lawn maintenance with Lawn Maintenance translates to increased property value. A beautifully manicured lawn not only impresses visitors but also attracts potential buyers.

Environmental Sustainability: Sustainable lawn care practices are essential for preserving the environment. Lawn Maintenance prioritizes eco-friendly solutions to ensure your lawn thrives without harming the ecosystem.

Crafting Your Dream Lawn: Lawn Maintenance' Approach

Tailored Maintenance Plans: No two lawns are the same, which is why Lawn Maintenance offers customized maintenance plans tailored to your lawn's unique needs and your preferences.

Expertise and Precision: With years of experience and a team of skilled professionals, Lawn Maintenance delivers precise and efficient lawn maintenance services, ensuring exceptional results every time.

Innovative Techniques: Lawn Maintenance stays at the forefront of the industry by incorporating innovative techniques and state-of-the-art equipment into their maintenance practices, guaranteeing superior outcomes for your lawn.

The Seasonal Journey of Lawn Care

Spring Revitalization: As the weather warms, spring presents an opportunity for lawn rejuvenation. Lawn Maintenance focuses on tasks such as aeration, overseeding, and fertilization to kickstart healthy growth.

Summer Sustainment: With the heat of summer comes the need for proper hydration and pest management. Lawn Maintenance employs strategic watering schedules and natural pest control methods to keep your lawn vibrant and healthy.

Fall Preparation: As autumn arrives, it's time to prepare your lawn for the coming winter months. Lawn Maintenance focuses on tasks like leaf removal, winterizing fertilization, and overseeding to ensure your lawn remains strong and resilient.

Partner with Lawn Maintenance for Exemplary Results

Elevate your outdoor living experience with professional lawn maintenance services from Lawn Maintenance. With our expertise, dedication, and commitment to excellence, your dream lawn is within reach. Contact us today to embark on the journey towards a vibrant, healthy outdoor space.

[weather-usa]

Climate of Michigan

Michigan's climate varies across its major northern and minor southern parts. The northern portion experiences a continental climate with short summers and icy winters, while the southern part falls under the hot-summer subtype.

Lake Michigan and Wisconsin border the state in the southwest to the northwest, while Lake Superior and Lake Huron lie in the north to northeast. Lake Erie borders the southeast, with Ohio and Indiana to the south.

Michigan's climate is influenced by its latitude, altitude, and proximity to the Great Lakes. The state features the longest freshwater coastline globally, with over 11,000 small lakes.

See more: https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48188

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48211

The Upper Peninsula comprises flatlands and gently rolling hills in the eastern half, while the western tablelands rise to 480 meters. The Lower Peninsula ranges from level terrain in the southeast to rolling hills in the southwest, with tablelands in the north. Mount Arvon is the state's highest point at 603 meters.

Summers see a lake breeze during the day due to prevailing winds near the lakeshores, with temperatures peaking around 85°F (29.4°C) in July. Winters are cold and snowy, with temperatures falling below freezing for extended periods, particularly in the northern regions.

Michigan experiences ample precipitation, with thunderstorms contributing to summer rainfall and light, steady rain occurring in winters. Snowfall varies across the state, with some areas receiving over 150" (3810mm) annually.

Despite the severe winters, Michigan offers stunning natural beauty year-round. Late spring to mid-autumn is considered the best time to visit, with warm days and ample sunshine. Summers are ideal for recreational activities on the lakeshores, while autumn showcases vibrant foliage. However, the severely cold winter months, especially from December to February, are considered the worst time to visit, with heavy snowfall and short days.

Michigan's plant and animal life reflect the state's diverse landscapes, which range from heavily wooded areas to prairies and coastal dunes. Historically, almost all of Michigan was densely forested, with hardwood forests dominating the southern part of the state and a mix of maple, beech, pine, birch, aspen, and hemlock in the north. Large tracts of white pine once covered the northern region and played a significant role in Michigan's lumber industry during the late 19th century.

See more: https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48720

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48729

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48826

Today, Michigan's forests remain extensive, with slow regrowth occurring since the mid-20th century. The state boasts four national forests and supports a diverse array of plant species. Oak, hickory, maple, beech, pine, and various other trees are common, providing habitat for a wide range of wildlife.

Michigan's animal population is also diverse, with abundant fish species like whitefish and lake trout in the Great Lakes, as well as various trout in inland streams. The state's Department of Natural Resources operates hatcheries and encourages fishing in inland lakes, which teem with perch, pike, and bass. Beavers, sought after by early traders, are still present, along with other fur-bearing mammals.

Deer, bears, quail, and ducks are numerous in many areas, and efforts to restock turkeys, elk, and moose in northern Michigan have been successful. Despite its nickname as the Wolverine State, wolverines are extremely rare in Michigan, with the last known specimen killed in the 1860s

Michigan's climate is influenced significantly by the Great Lakes, which moderate temperatures and moisture levels throughout the year. The Upper Peninsula tends to be cooler, but the temperature differences between Michigan's far northern and southern cities are not extreme.

See more: https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48652

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48662

In cities like Sault Sainte Marie in the far north, January highs typically reach the low 20s°F (-6°C), with lows around 5°F (-15°C). In July, temperatures rise to the mid-70s°F (24°C) during the day and drop to the low 50s°F (11°C) at night. In contrast, in Detroit in the southeast, January highs reach the low 30s°F (1°C), with lows around 20°F (-7°C). July brings warmer temperatures, with highs in the mid-80s°F (29°C) and lows in the mid-60s°F (18°C).

Michigan receives average annual precipitation ranging from about 30 to 38 inches (760 to 965 mm). The southwest part of the state is the wettest, with precipitation decreasing toward the northeast. Alpena, located in the northeastern Lower Peninsula, experiences relatively low precipitation levels compared to other areas east of the Mississippi River.

Lake-effect snow contributes to winter snowfall in two main snowbelts: one along the south shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula and the other on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. These regions, stretching inland for 30 to 60 miles (50 to 100 km), may receive two to three times more snow than other parts of the state.

The length of the growing season varies, ranging from about two months in the Upper Peninsula to nearly six months near the lakes in the southern portion of the Lower Peninsula. Severe weather phenomena like tornadoes are rare and typically occur in late summer.

See Weather Forecast for Michigan today: https://weatherusa.app/michigan

See more: https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48610

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48627

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-48620

[aroundtheneareststar]

October 19

the autumn sun

the autumn sun is a frail thing

his warmth cut by the wind

blinding despite the temperature cooling

no clouds needed to lessen him

a fall from the summer superiority

the era defined by his heat

he declines for what feels like forever

as the lowest point remains deep in winter

the days get shorter due to his embarrassment

his envy of the moon stretches like a shadow

maybe, out of spite, he will disappear forever

or maybe he’ll remember that spring is waiting

[sophiejo]

Cashmere Men's Hoodies: The Ultimate Blend of Luxury and Comfort

The world of fashion as well as comfort are often inextricably linked. When it comes to clothes for men There are a few items which can provide the perfect blend of luxurious and comfortable including cashmere sweatshirts. These timeless garments provide warmth, but also exude an air of class. In this article we'll examine the attractive appeal of hoodies for men that are made of cashmere, as well as their distinct qualities and why they're a must-have piece in any fashionable man's wardrobe.

The Essence of Cashmere

What Is Cashmere?

Cashmere is a kind of wool derived from the soft coat of goats who are cashmere. It is renowned for its extraordinary warmth and softness, cashmere has been sought after for centuries.

Cashmere vs. Regular Wool

Cashmere is different from regular wool because of its finer fibers that makes it lighter and softer and also provides superior insulation.

Cashmere Hoodies: A Stylish Choice

The Versatility of Hoodies

Cashmere hoodie men are well-known for their casual look which makes them a popular item in a variety of outfits. Cashmere hoodies elevate this style to a new level thanks to their luxurious look.

The Perfect Blend of Style and Comfort

Cashmere hoodies seamlessly mix style and comfort, allowing you to remain warm while looking elegantly chic.

Why Choose Cashmere Men's Hoodies

Unparalleled Softness

mens cashmere hoodie  have a kind of softness that can't be comparable to other fabrics which makes them enjoyable to wear.

Lightweight Warmth

Despite their amazing warmth the men's cashmere hoodie  are extremely light, so you won't feel heavy.

Breathability

The fabric's natural breathability ensures you'll stay cool at all temperatures, without getting too hot.

Durability

If properly cared for Cashmere hoodies last for a long time, making them an investment that is worth the cost.

Styling Cashmere Hoodies

Casual Elegance

The cashmere hoodie can be worn with a pair of sneakers and jeans to create an easy-going yet elegant style.

Dressing Up

You can also style your cashmere hoodie with layers of it over a blazer and leather jacket.

Caring for Your Cashmere Hoodie

Hand Washing

To ensure the cashmere hoodie's longevity, make sure you hand wash it using mild detergent.

Storage

Fold your cashmere hoodie in a dry, cool location to avoid the moth from damaging it or stretching it.

Where to Find Quality Cashmere Hoodies

High-End Retailers

Visit luxury boutiques and department stores to find a vast range of cashmere Hoodies.

Online Retailers

Many online stores provide various cashmere hoodies that allow shoppers to shop from the convenience at home. like - Gobi cashmere

The Evolution of Cashmere Hoodies

Historical Significance

Cashmere has a long and rich history and has a rich history that goes back to the time of ancient Kashmir. Discover how this luxurious fabric has risen above time to become an essential fashion item.

A Rainbow of Colours

Beyond the Basics

Cashmere hoodies can be found in a range of colors, which allows you to express your own fashion.

Sustainability in Cashmere

Eco-Friendly Practices

Find out about the sustainable production of cashmere and discover how certain brands are committed to conserving the ecological balance.

The Global Appeal of Cashmere

Beyond Borders

Cashmere hoodies enjoy a worldwide fan base. People from various world cultures love this opulent garment.

Conclusion

The hoodies of Cashmere for men are much more than clothes. They are a mix of comfort, luxury, and fashion that every modern man would appreciate. With their unparalleled gentleness, light warmth and timeless appeal these hoodies are an essential item in every wardrobe.

FAQs

1. Do cashmere hoodies work for any season?

Cashmere hoodies are a versatile item that are suitable for wearing in all seasons. They offer warmth during winter, and are breathable enough to wear in autumn and spring.

2. What should I do with my cashmere hoodie in the winter?

It is best to keep your cashmere hoodie in an area that is cool and dry. Don't hang it on the wall to avoid stretching.

3. How can I wash it in the machine?

It is recommended to wash off your cashmere jacket using a mild detergent to keep its softness and strength.

4. Are cashmere hoodies a good investment?

Absolutely. Although they might cost more initially however, the long-lasting and comfortable feel of cashmere hoodies are what make an investment worthwhile to your closet.

5. Where can I buy high-quality cashmere hoodies for men?

Cashmere is a high-end material that can be found in Hoodies in high-end stores and online stores. Make sure you check reviews and authenticity before shopping on the internet.

[racefortheironthrone]

Now that Magneto and Apocalypse are off the Quiet Council, who are the remaining members who believe in "mutant supremacy"? As far I know the Council is now Xavier, former X-Men who mostly agree with Xavier's liberalism, apolitical psychopaths, and former villians with ambiguous motivations. Who's left that actually believes that Homo superior should rule?

At the moment, that depends whether we're talking about the current timeline Quiet Council that's appearing in X-Men and X-Force and the like, or the Sinisterized Quiet Council that's appearing in the Sins of SInister event. Because the latter is kind of entirely made up of mutant supremacists.

If we're talking about the former, the current Quiet Council is made up of Xavier, Destiny, and Hope in Autumn; Exodus, Sinister, and Mystique in Winter; Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, and Kate Pryde in Spring; and Colossus, Storm, and Nightcrawler in Summer.

So Xavier is fully committed to the Krakoan project which isn't the same thing as his former assimilationist agenda, then I would argue that Destiny has weak supremacist tendencies from her Brotherhood days, and Hope is more of a Krakoanite.

Exodus is probably the biggest mutant supremacist left on the Quiet Council, and even then it's his very specific religiously-infused version, Sinister views mutancy as something he personally controls and can objectify at will so that's not supremacist, while Mystique probably also has weak supremacist tendencies from her Brotherhood Days.

Emma Frost has a very complicated ideology, Shaw is a capitalist above all else, and Kate is pretty strongly Krakoanite with some lingering Xavier liberalism.

Colossus' ideology is a bit unclear because he's under mental domination from Russian ultra-nationalists; Storm has been a Krakoanite but is starting to be more of an Arakki; and Nightcrawler has his own religiously-inflused version of being a Krakoanite.

Then again, Apocalypse is coming back soon, so we might be in for a shake-up.

[zl181]

Comprehensive Biography of Zhang Chao

Zhang Chao (張超; d. Spring 196), was a minor civil official who was the Grand Administrator of Guangling Commandery. He was involved in a rebellion against Cao Cao and committed suicide upon his death.

Ancestry

See the biography of his brother, Zhang Miao, for it.

Early life

Not much is known about his early life. However, at some point, he served as Grand Administrator of Guangling.[1] He was possibly appointed by Dong Zhuo in order to appease civil officials.

Around 189, Zhang Chao recruited Zang Hong. Zang Hong would become Zhang Chao's most valuable advisor.[1] He helped Zhang Chao manage the affairs of the commandery, which had at least 20,000 people (claimed by Zang Hong) and was prosperous.[2]

Around 190, when Dong Zhuo took control of the capital and later killed former Emperor Liu Bian, Zang Hong urged Zhang Chao to take action against Dong Zhuo, stating,

"My liege, you have received grace from the past generations [of the Han Emperors], and you brothers (Zhang Miao) both occupy major commanderies. Now the royal family is in danger and the traitorous minister has not yet been decapitated with his head shown. This is truly the time where the righteous and courageous of the realm will repay the grace [of the empire] and devote their life [to it]. Currently, our commandery borders are still whole, and its officials and people are flourishing and wealthy. If you sound the war drums, you will get 20,000 people; use it to exterminate and purge the nation's traitor, thereby becoming an exemplar for the world, and such righteousness will become the greatest [of all]!"

Zhang Chao was persuaded by Zang Hong and they went west to Chenliu to gauge the opinion of Zhang Miao. Zhang Miao also disliked Dong Zhuo and agreed to join Zhang Chao. They later met at Shence where Zhang Miao asked what type of person Zang Hong was, adding that he was the one actually governing the commandery. Zhang Chao responded,

"Hong's ability and tact in his strategies is superior to mine. I extremely value him; he is an extraordinary scholar within the seas."

Zhang Miao later met Zang Hong and found out that Zhang Chao was right.[2] They soon contributed his troops to the Guandong Coalition, resulting in him losing his post to Zhao Yu.[3] Zhang Chao sent Zang Hong to try to work with Liu Yu in the north, but due to Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan's conflict, Zang Hong could not advance, and he later reluctantly joined Yuan Shao.[4] After the Guandong Coalition disbanded, Zhang Chao joined his brother.

Around 194, Zhang Chao, along with Chen Gong, Xu Si, and Wang Jie plotted to replace Cao Cao, who was the Governor of Yan Province, with Lü Bu. Zhang Miao also joined them and launched the rebellion. They were initially successful in deposing Cao Cao as Governor of Yan Province, but Cao Cao soon was able to retake his old province within two years.[5] Around Autumn 195, Zhang Miao ordered Zhang Chao to lead their family into Yongqiu and guard it, while he remained with Lü Bu. Cao Cao soon besieged Yongqiu.[6] Zhang Chao told his subordinates that,

"Regarding our current problem, I can only rely on Zang Hong; he will definitely come to save me."

However, one of his subordinates stated that,

"Both the Yuan and Cao are on friendly terms. Hong has been appointed by Shao, and I fear he will not destroy good relations [between Yuan and Cao] by coming here from afar, for that would contradict his fortune and invite disaster."

Zhang Chao replied,

"Ziyuan is a righteous personage of this world. He is someone who will never betray his original [lord]. I fear his power may be restrained, that we will not reach each other, that is all."

Zang Hong did try to convince Yuan Shao to lend him troops, only to be rejected, sealing Zhang Chao's fate.[7][8] The siege lasted about four months, but soon, in early Spring 196, Cao Cao's troops broke into Yongqiu. In response to his defeat, Zhang Chao committed suicide.[9] Cao Cao had Zhang Chao's clan exterminated to the third degree.[6][7][8][9]

References

[1] - 【靈帝末，棄官還家，太守張超請洪為功曹。】《三國志注•卷七》

[2] - 【董卓殺帝，圖危社稷，洪說超曰：「明府歷世受恩，兄弟並據大郡，今王室將危，賊臣未梟，此誠天下義烈報恩効命之秋也。今郡境尚全，吏民殷富，若動枹鼓，可得二萬人，以此誅除國賊，為天下倡先，義之大者也。」超然其言，與洪西至陳留，見兄邈計事。邈亦素有心，會於酸棗，邈謂超曰：「聞弟為郡守，政教威恩不由己出，動任臧洪，洪者何人？」超曰：「洪才略智數優超，超甚愛之，海內奇士也。」邈即引見洪，與語大異之。致之於劉兗州公山、孔豫州公緒，皆與洪親善。】《三國志注•卷七》

[3] - 【廣陵太守張超...同時俱起。】《後漢書•袁紹劉表列傳》

[4] - 【超遣洪詣大司馬劉虞謀，值公孫瓚之難，至河間，遇幽、兾二州交兵，使命不達。】《三國志注•卷七》

[5] - 【興平元年，太祖復征謙，邈弟超，與太祖將陳宮、從事中郎許汜、王楷共謀叛太祖。宮說邈曰：「今雄傑並起，天下分崩，君以千里之衆，當四戰之地，撫劒顧眄，亦足以為人豪，而反制於人，不以鄙乎！今州軍東征，其處空虛，呂布壯士，善戰無前，若權迎之，共牧兖州，觀天下形勢，俟時事之變通，此亦縱橫之一時也。」邈從之。太祖初使宮將兵留屯東郡，遂以其衆東迎布為兖州牧，據濮陽。郡縣皆應，唯鄄城、東阿、范為太祖守。太祖引軍還，與布戰於濮陽，太祖軍不利，相持百餘日。是時歲旱、蟲蝗、少穀，百姓相食，布東屯山陽。二年間，太祖乃盡復收諸城，擊破布於鉅野。布東奔劉備。】《三國志注•卷七》

[6] - 【邈從布，留超將家屬屯雍丘。太祖攻圍數月，屠之，斬超及其家。邈詣袁術請救未至，自為其兵所殺。】《三國志•卷七》

[7] - 【太祖圍張超於雍丘，超言：「唯恃臧洪，當來救吾。」衆人以為袁、曹方睦，而洪為紹所表用，必不敗好招禍，遠來赴此。超曰：「子源，天下義士，終不背本者，但恐見禁制，不相及逮耳。」洪聞之，果徒跣號泣，並勒所領兵，又從紹請兵馬，求欲救超，而紹終不聽許。超遂族滅。】《三國志注•卷七》

[8] - 【時曹操圍張超於雍丘，甚危急。超謂軍吏曰：「今日之事，唯有臧洪必來救我。」或曰：「袁曹方穆，而洪為紹所用，恐不能敗好遠來，違福取禍。」超曰：「子源天下義士，終非背本者也，或見制強力，不相及耳。」洪始聞超圍，及徒跣號泣，並勒所領，將赴其難。自以眾弱，從紹請兵，而紹竟不聽之，超城遂陷，張氏族滅。】《後漢書虞傅蓋臧列傳》

[9] - 【秋八月，圍雍丘。冬十月，天子拜太祖兖州牧。十二月，雍丘潰，超自殺。夷邈三族。邈詣袁術請救，為其衆所殺，兖州平，遂東略陳地。】《三國志注•卷七》

[manonblackbeack]

tag yourself; TSC main boys edition, TWP not included. (as requested by a sweet anon. thanks for the idea! it was fun to write this.)

Will Herondale: windy autumn days. sarcasm as a coping mechanism. reading with the sound of rain in the background. purple dark circles under eyes. scribbled quotes everywhere. books are better than movies. dawn is better than dusk. midnight is the morning of the artistic souls.

Jem Carstairs: soft summer breeze. kindness is better than fighting. music is food for the soul. kind eyes. long park walks. bright colors. hard work beats talent. sweets are overrated. baggy clothes. tea over coffee. memories are all we have. keeps everything neat and clean. cautious. more on the introverted side.

James Herondale: confused. not good with feelings. riddles. self sacrifice for the greater good. lazy mornings. mom friend. family oriented. small circle of friends. spring colors. nature over humans. acting out. the smell of books. pretends life is a novel. mumbled curses. social justice warrior.

Matthew Fairchild: fashion lover. expensive taste. cologne. drama queen. idealist. finds beauty in the most unusual places. aliens will invade us some day. will fight for friends. dogs are superior. alcohol is better than self control. secretly soft. chaos is the normal state of things. social. fluency in sarcasm.

Jace Herondale: outspoken. easily bored. strive for perfection. black clothes. memory works when it comes to book quotes. extroverted. charming smiles. soul needs adventure to remain whole. smartass. grammar nerd. theatre geek. gold is a happy color. secretly writing poems. impulsiveness.

Alec Lightwood: clumsy. good leader. people pleaser. loves kids. careful. overthinker. good strategist. forgives easily. short but efficient naps. equality fighter. family is the most important. studies rules to break them. wins arguments based on facts. not aware of their own beauty. clever. ambivert.

Julian Blackthorn: mythology is fun. legends are man made. acrylics. vivid imagination. will die of coffee consumption. pancakes over crepes. soft eyes. loves babies. permanently exhausted. being underestimated makes everything funnier. respects women. smells like the ocean. art will save the world.

[bimboamyrose]

Unfamiliar - A Metamy Fanfic (Ch. 9)

First two chapters

Previous (Ch.8)

Ch. 9: The Thing About Sunsets

Mid-morning that Sunday, Amy and Metal lounged crossed-legged on the couch. She ate cereal from her bowl absent-mindedly, more focused on the day ahead than her breakfast. Metal was enthralled with some cartoon violence on TV. Amy watched him idly, wondering how-or if- Metal would be introduced to the team. She didn’t want to force it, but leaving him out entirely seemed unwelcoming. As much as she’d enjoyed her week or so off, it was only a matter of time before they’d all have to spring back into action. Sonic was supposed to discuss something with everyone today, and she was just waiting for the call.

Noon was fast approaching as they watched TV, Amy only half paying attention. Annoyed, she decided to get up and make the call herself. They weren’t about to waste the day watching cartoons. Amy excused herself and made the call from her room.

On TV, piloted mechs battled one another in the vast expanse of space. Amy had flipped it on, figuring Metal would enjoy watching a pair of huge robots duke it out. That was entertaining enough, but Metal found himself more invested in the show’s drama. A romantic subplot followed two unwitting opposing pilots falling in love, only to confront one another in battle later. The climax found the two caught in the crosshairs until the soldier sacrificed himself for the rebel, turning against his own armed forces to protect her. It was almost ostentatious in its melodrama.

Illogical. Metal thought the soldier had plenty of opportunity to defend himself against his own team. Using his mech as a shield was played up for theatrics- his superior speed could have allowed them both to escape reasonably. Still, Metal could appreciate the character’s dramatic flair and supposed this could make the story more interesting down the line. He was eager to catch the next re-run the following Sunday.

The credits finished rolling and a few advertisements led into a cooking program. Not interesting. Metal flipped to the next channel to find an old black and white film playing. A gentleman escorted a lady out of her home, offering her his arm. She latched onto it as they walked across a promenade, the young lady chatting away as the man listened fondly. The scene reminded him of someone. He quickly flipped through a few channels as he heard Amy returning. 

“Well, it looks like we’re not meeting until tomorrow. Guess we can do whatever we want this afternoon.” Amy leaned against the back of the couch over Metal’s shoulder. “Anything good on?” He shrugged, pausing on a nature documentary. The screen showed a grassy plane speckled with violet blossoms, towering trees in full bloom losing flowers to the wind. Amy sighed. “Those are jacaranda trees- the first bloom announces the beginning of summer. I hope the one here flowers soon.” She looked through to the other side of the small living room, out the glass door. She motioned to a tall hill that sprouted from the opposite side of the valley.  “It’s up there, same place I like to watch the sunset. There’s a pretty cliffside that faces the ocean. Pain to get up there though- Well, not for you I guess.”

Metal followed her gaze outward. The hills were no longer blanketed in snow, small patches of green beginning to emerge. It was captivating, watching the landscape reshape itself through the glass door like a portal. It was only a few days ago they were trekking through muddy snow, but now, the palms stood proudly upright and the sun dried sand glistened gently at midday. And although the days were tepid, evenings were still too chilly to find Amy outside without a coat or blanket, who wasn’t the most cold-resistant. The scenery changed daily but still looked recognizable. He wondered how it would appear in a few months, and if he’d stick around to see it. Metal wanted to see all of it before it changed any more.

He stretched as he stood up from the couch. Amy grinned, amused at the thought that Metal would feel stiff when his entire body was rigid. But he had seen her do it and she noticed him mimicking her from time to time; She found it cute. 

He looked to her, pointing a thumb toward the back door. Amy frowned. “You wanna go now? It’s still too cold up there,” she reasoned. He placed a fist on his hip disapprovingly and cocked his head to one side. “No way, I’ve had enough of this never-ending winter. You go ahead, I had something I wanted to get done today, anyway.” Metal shrugged back at her, rolling his eyes. She waved him off, ignoring his sassy response in favor of picking up around the couch by rearranging throw pillows and fluffing cushions. He silently wished for the weather to get warmer. 

“Have fun exploring. It’s nice when you can fly,” she chuckled as she took her empty cereal bowl to the kitchen. “I’ll be here when you get back.” Not easily deterred, Metal accepted her proposal to go alone and waved to her on his way out. Amy paused her bustling and looked around the threshold of the kitchen to him as he slid the door aside. “Metal, promise you won’t watch the sunset without me, okay?”

The whirring of Metal’s engine intensified as a sudden alarmed sensation overtook him. That’s right, she’d promised to take him to watch the sunset- he didn’t want to disappoint her. But why did the thought of watching together make him so nervous? Amy was giving him a strange look now. He found himself staring back at her for longer than was conformable, trying to come up with an appropriate response. Shooting her a thumbs-up was all he could come up with.

“Aha… Okay, well, take care,” she said before turning back to her dishes.

Metal hurried out the door, practically shooting into the sky. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that interaction, so, why did he feel so embarrassed? Perhaps it was because he wanted to express that he found Amy so much more interesting to watch than a setting sun. 

He shook his head furiously, pushing the thought away. The world was at his feet, there was nature to explore. Whether he’d experienced much of it before his memory loss, Metal didn’t know, but it beckoned him now. He turned his head toward the spot Amy had pointed out earlier. Still wanting a preview, he decided to take a look up there later- before the sun began setting. Embarrassment. What a useless emotion.

There was a lot to see. Amy’s house was on a small private beach surrounded by hills big and small, some speckled with little hillside homes. A larger mountain loomed behind it all. The beach was just one of many valleys, a few of which were untouched by anything but the local fauna. They boasted little thickets of trees or small ponds. Metal spent most of the afternoon ducking in and out of wooded areas and up rocky hillsides. Grass was just starting to sprout everywhere he looked, slowly overtaking the rotted leaves littered across the ground from last autumn. He was surprised to find a clearing bursting with wild tulips that he examined for some time. Metal thought about bringing some back to Amy’s house, just as a souvenir. He then spent the better part of an hour picking only a few of the most perfect buds, the ones with the tallest stems and most symmetrical petals.

As his shadow grew long and Metal became satisfied with his very uniform bouquet, he decided it was time to head back home- that is, back to Amy’s home. But he was interested in taking a look at the spot she had pointed out to him. If that tree could really announce warmer weather, he was curious as to how long it would be before it bloomed. He flew, finding the rolling cliffside Amy had described- a long, flat strip of land overlooking the western coastline. A single mature tree sat atop it. 

Metal lowered himself down near the edge of the cliff. The low sun was radiating brightly, reflecting off the glistening ocean. It wasn’t quite ready to hit the horizon, but the view was still breathtaking. He didn’t have long to appreciate it before a rustling behind him caused him to turn his attention abruptly, however.

“I never could sneak up on you.”

Sonic hung off a low branch from the tree confidently. He looked a lot less aggravated than when he’d stopped by the day before. Metal now understood Sonic’s violent response, but it didn’t seem to make him any more tolerant of the hedgehog. Enemy flashed in his head like a siren. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to fight.” Sonic landed, taking steps towards Metal. The latter didn’t move. “Gotta say, I didn’t expect you to be the type to be a nature lover.” He stopped a few feet from Metal, not far from the cliff’s edge. “Did you come to watch the sunset?” Metal didn’t respond, instead turning away from him and starting in the direction of the jacaranda tree. Sonic noticed the tulips he was clutching in one hand. “Those for Amy?” he teased.

Metal’s head whipped back around to glare at him. Sonic didn’t return the stare, instead looking unimpressed. “You know, you can see Amy’s place from the other side of this cliff.” Metal remained still. “I’ve been watching you. You guys talked all night- well, Amy did all the talking,” he snickered. “I gotta say, you’re full of surprises.” 

Sonic was being a nuisance. Metal had no desire to stick around to be mocked. So, he continued on his way across the cliff.

“Me and you’ve been fighting for a long time, Metal. It’s weird seeing you on the same side.”

Metal stopped just next to the tree. It was the greenest thing he’d seen all day, as if it had never shed it leaves to begin with. He touched the trunk with his free hand, examining the leaves and branches. No vibrant purple flowers to be seen. It was still early in spring, after all. And Amy was right- it was much colder up here than on the beach.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw you at Amy’s house yesterday.” Sonic took a few steps back toward Metal. “But you know what, I’m glad you’re becoming friends. She’s a great pal; sees the good in everyone. Even you.”

Even him. This implied that there was something deeply wrong with Metal, as if he was exceptionally heinous. What little he remembered of his past and his master was from the day he met Amy. It wasn’t a lot, but nevertheless impactful. He recalled a heavy sense of subjugation, a governing influence over his body and mind that he could do little to control. But could he really blame it all on that?

Sonic was in front of him now, arms crossed seriously. “For her sake, I really hope you’re not here to take advantage of that.”

Metal felt the cracked bark under his palm. Rough and slightly jagged. Given that Amy wouldn’t be happy if Metal lashed out, he had to focus on something to keep from shutting up his irksome rival by force. Even if he could express his genuine feelings to Sonic, Metal found it unlikely that he’d believe them. He turned his body toward Sonic, meeting his eyes. Instead of going for his throat, Metal placed a hand on his hip and bobbed his head around mockingly. Sonic didn’t seem to find it amusing.

“Cute,” he responded sarcastically. “All I’m saying is, this better not be an act.”

Metal’s eyes rolled dramatically. He held the tulips out in the direction of Amy’s house, as if to suggest he had somewhere better to be.

Sonic sighed in frustration. Metal was pleased that he seemed as annoyed as he was. “I’ve been looking out for Amy since we met. If you’re gonna be her friend, you better be willing to do the same. You know, maybe cover up those knife-hands of yours,” he smirked.

Annoying. Metal amended his memory file. He figured he might as well cross out enemy and see if it made him want to punch Sonic any less. He logged a photo of Sonic’s smug look before walking past him towards the cliff’s east side. The sun was beginning to touch the horizon Metal didn’t want to break his promise.

“Bring her up here some time. Amy likes to watch the sunset.”

Sonic sounded genuine that time. Metal didn’t bother responding, taking off from the cliffside and making his way down toward the beachy valley. Sonic watched him over his shoulder. Maybe there was something to Amy’s plan.

The sky was yellowing as he landed, the last rays of golden hour illuminating the little cabin warmly. Metal could spot Amy sitting at the dining table through the back door. She was tinkering with something, her full attention focused on whatever was in her hands. He watched her for a moment.

Amy noticed the light rapidly declining and looked up from her work. She was hand-sewing when she realized Metal was home. Waving to him, she quickly put her project away in her sewing box. Metal then pretended to look around as if he wasn’t just staring at her. Bemused, she hurried over to open the back door. “Metal! I was beginning to worry you were enjoying the sunset without me,” she laughed. “Come in. Oh, it’s chilly out.”

She quickly ducked back inside as Metal sauntered through, sliding the glass closed behind him. Amy was picking up loose threads and pins from the tabletop. “Did you have fun? You were gone longer than I expected.”

The nervousness that had overtaken Metal that morning suddenly returned as he made his way to hand Amy the flowers. They were admittedly rather windswept and didn’t look as lively as when he’d picked them. He worried she would find them ugly, but he couldn’t just get rid of them now. She was turning back to him already. Panicking, Metal brandished the bouquet high above him as if proudly holding a trophy. 

Amy’s face brightened. “Oh! How lovely. Let me get you a vase for your tulips.” 

His tulips. As she walked past him to search a low cupboard, Metal felt somewhat disheartened. He wouldn’t admit to himself that he planned on gifting them to his host, but he felt cheated now that he hadn’t. She placed a tall fluted vase on the countertop from the other side of the kitchen. “Here, I’ll trim them for you.” Metal delivered them to her, and she took them in both hands, supporting the bulbs in one. That was probably the proper way to handle the delicate flowers, he thought.

Metal sat himself at the counter as Amy trimmed and arranged the bouquet. She filled the vase with chilled water from a pitcher to keep them fresh. Leaning over the counter, she sighed. “These really brighten up the place.” She turned to him. “You know, tulips are some of the first flowers to grow in the spring. They come out when the ground is still snowy. They represent new beginnings.” Amy giggled, her cheeks coloring slightly. “I think it’s really fitting.”

New beginnings. They were certainly suited to the occasion. Metal supposed it really did make it his arrangement, but there was no reason he couldn’t share. He reached for the flower that looked the most aesthetically pleasing to him, a sunny yellow bulb with gently curving petals. Picking it from the arrangement, he quickly placed it behind Amy’s ear. She looked rather bemused at his unexpected playfulness for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“For me? Thank you,” she giggled, adjusting it to sit more comfortably. “I love yellow- it’s so cheery!” She made her way around to give him a hug from behind. Metal’s engine buzzed. He wasn’t sure if it was due to excitement or panic.

She pulled away, looking back through the glass door. He joined her in watching. The sky was a hybrid of sunny yellow and romantic pink. Amy leaned on the back of Metal’s chair, enchanted by the dreamy colors. “I see it pretty much every day but it never stops being pretty, you know? I guess that’s the thing about sunsets.” 

Metal gazed on with her. He had grown to enjoy the daily event, never ceasing to be entertained by the brightly painted sky. It gave him a sense of calm that seemed to cure even the peculiar excitement he kept feeling around Amy. Still, he lamented that she was standing behind him and he was unable to watch the dreamy smile she wore whenever she sighed over something she found lovely. But it happened every day, after all. The opportunities were endless.

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hi babes, not much to day just wanted something cute for a lil transition. besos