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[tillinghastcorporatemedia]

Happy Pride Month Ya'll

From us here at TillinGhast Corporate Media from the whole cast

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[yoonia]

the bedroom hymns ● chapter xi

⟶ Chapter summary | Never before would you ever look at yourself as a damsel in need of a rescue. But when a handsome stranger comes to help you escape a possible danger, you make no effort to deny his helping hand. As you continue your stroll through the market town with your hero by your side, things between you begin to unravel, leaving you to question whether or not he is truly a stranger at all.  

⟶ Title | The Bedroom Hymns: a Bluebeard’s twist ⟶ Pairings | Min Yoongi x female reader  ⟶ Genre | Fairy Prince!Yoongi, Crown Princess!reader, Fantasy au, Fairy Tale retelling au ⟶ Word count | 7,060 words ⟶ Ratings | PG-13, +18 / M for Mature for future chapters 

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chapter xi. wanderers-2

The market town of Narlès has turned out to be quite an intriguing place for you to visit. 

The astonishment that you felt upon your first arrival may have stemmed from the joy your felt from finally traveling away from Smotia, and being able to experience a new place that seems to be a complete opposite to the homeland that you have known your entire life.

Despite the fact that the Land of Smotia and this market town are separated merely by the rough terrain of Mount Orrum as their main border, what you see here makes you feel as if you have arrived at an entirely different world. 

The green hills of Narlès where the town’s main residential area is built—with rows and rows of magnificent houses and mansions lining up the foot of the hills—seem to be the most fertile area of the town, compared to the rest of the town. 

The town’s harbour where ships would berth for days is filled with the scent of sea and hot breeze that feels dry on the skin. Yet it does nothing to dissuade the busy merchants and their men who are there to trade imported goods with the locals. And then there is the true heart of Narlès, the marketplace that has been bustling since early dawn and would not quiet down until late at night, where the air around you feels stale and arid, with fine dust from the dry ground king airborne under the feet of the busy crowd.  

Every part of the market town that you have seen so far seems so new and riveting to your eyes that you just want to take your time to relish the moment and observe closely.

The more you learn, the more you can admit that compared to your previous excursions, this may be the first trip that feels more insightful. Not only for learning firsthand about the foreign land and experiencing a different kind of freedom, but also for learning a bit more about your father. 

Through your expeditions through the portals, you have learned a small part about his magic. 

But it wasn’t until today, when you came upon this place and got to follow your father’s traces that had been left behind, that you began to understand the merit of his magic and how he was making use of it to help him rule the empire as the King. 

As the center point of business tradings between kingdoms, Narlès may have been the place where your father has been running most of the empire’s business dealings which involve obtaining rare goods from other nations or kingdoms that Nythelean Empire has never officially associated or formed an alliance with. 

You first learned about the market town and your father’s activities here by browsing through the merchant’s house to find clues before leaving the place. Upon noticing the foreign atmosphere which led you to believe that the where you had ended up in might no longer be a part of Smotia, you knew that you would need to have some insight about where you were before going further with your expedition. 

At first glance, the merchant’s house may seem comfortable enough for someone to live in. But it didn’t take long for you to realise that the house had been nothing more but a secret transit for your father during his visits. 

The first giveaway was his disguises, the ones that had been no doubt something that the King would use to impersonate a local merchant or a Baron to blend in with the locals. Then you went to find the study desk which provided you with more information—the paperworks and notes from your father’s business trades, all signed under a different name, and his personal ledger that contained everything you needed to know about the business deals that he made and the people that may come in contact during his work visits.

His ledger became your guide as you went to find the town’s harbour. As someone who had never seen the sight of sea before coming to Flagon, watching the large ships at the harbour put you in complete awe. You marvelled at their massive sails that are flowing with the ocean breeze, and also at the men who were working to bring delivered goods to and fro the large ships without rest.

You pictured your father in a local merchant’s place that you watched working at the docks. His thick, greying hair and his neatly-trimmed beard hidden under the fake curly wig and bushy beard while he came in to gather all the goods to send back to Smotia, while the men around him remained oblivious that they were dealing with the ruler of the neighbouring empire. 

And that image was enough to put a smile on your face, when you saw him not as the usual stoic and cold ruler of the empire and just a merchant who would be barking out commands while joking here and there with his workers—just like the old merchant who greeted you at the harbour when you walked past by. 

It was the image of your father in his disguise while blending in with the people that went through your head as you weaved through the marketplace. The bustling crowd, the shops and stalls and the captivating goods that they were offering, and the lively atmosphere completely entranced you that they all made you forget the reason why you were there in the first place. 

Instead of following your father’s shadows, you were beginning to forget who you were, as if you were simply one of the common folks browsing through the market in search for a souvenir of a trinket to bring home with. 

His presence was what finally snapped you back to present. Him. Your mysterious shadow who is now guiding you to weave through the dark alleyways to escape a possible danger. Something that you had been foolishly unaware of coming your way until he managed to come find you first. 

With Yoongi, not only are you made to feel safe in his company, he also helps you continue to pretend to be someone else. Suddenly, you are no different than a stranger that he met while strolling through the market, a simple girl who was enjoying her moment of freedom and was in need of a rescue, instead of someone with the crown waiting for her back home.

It feels fleeting, as if you have become a rue dove that is free to flap her wings and fly without a care. Helping you forget all the things that have been weighing you down as you are haunted by the plaguing questions regarding your forgotten past. 

The journey through the dark alleys continues as if there is no end. But Yoongi’s presence alleviates all of your worries. In fact, he continues to make you feel comfortable being close to him, which shouldn’t make sense at all, as he is nothing but a stranger that you have only met today. 

Yet the familiar feeling that you feel sensing from him continues to grow stronger, even if your memory seems foggy each time you try to remember where you might have seen him before. Your eyes fall on your entwined hands, as Yoongi has yet to release you ever since he brought you through this escape route. 

The longer you remain to be this close with your new companion, the more you feel an invisible force pulling you closer to him. You have no idea what this means, or if you should grow wary about it, as the more you try to fight it, the more you find it hard to breathe. The darkness around you becomes the least of your worries as you begin to wonder if Yoongi has somehow put a spell on you, something that you should have thought possible to happen now that you  have proven that magic truly exists.

Your fight against your own mind as it drifts into the dark side of wonders, until Yoongi suddenly gives you a gentle pull to snap you out of your thoughts and whispers, “Here we are.” 

You breathe a sigh of relief as you come out of the darkness and get to meet the golden sunlight once again. And what you see around you is enough to draw an astounded gasp right out of your lips.

Emerging from the dark alleys almost makes you feel as if you have been walking through a different portal, sending you to a different world that shows no sign of similarity to the hectic marketplace that you left far behind you.

“Come, let’s go this way,” Yoongi speaks for the first time after a long period of silence as he guides you to follow the path in front you, taking you away from the dark alleyway and allowing you to observe your new surrounding more properly.

The streets here are much cleaner, more narrow in width, all covered in cobblestones instead of dirt and gravel. You see bigger shops on either side of the street and stalls selling luxury souvenirs made with high-quality materials that you would often see noblemen and women wear. 

Looking around, it is quite obvious to you that you have found your way into the more fancy and exclusive part of the market town. 

There are shops here that offer elegant gowns and dashing suits, while others offer leather-made goods, such as ladies’ heels, boots, and fancy handbags. You also get to see stores selling out pieces of jewellery, fancy accessories, and even decorations made of gold and silver plates that you can see through the display windows as you walk past. 

Between the busy shoppers, you get to occasionally see Lords and Barons roaming the streets and looking closely at the items shown on the display, as if they are here to find gifts to take home for their wives and children, while ladies in wait walk in and out of the shops with their guardians in preparations of their debutante. 

Yoongi gently pulls you closer just as you are getting so entranced by the sights around you that you fall a step behind. You look up, unable to stop yourself from smiling when you get to see his face from up close. 

“I’m pretty sure we’ve gotten far enough to lose those thugs back there, don’t you think?” you question him while pointing out that it may no longer be necessary for him to protect you this intensely. 

Yet Yoongi merely responds to you with a grin. “Just wanted to make sure that I’m doing my duty properly,” he says in response to your comment. Clearing his throat, he slowly releases his tight hold on your hand, before subtly moving his hand to the small of your back to guide you with a light touch that to make it seem like he isn’t being overly intrusive as he continues guarding you. 

“You don’t seem to feel uncomfortable travelling through the back alleys. Have you done something like this before?” he suddenly asks you. He sounds genuinely curious, which you cannot help but respond with a nervous laugh. 

“I suppose you can say that,” you try to answer him without giving away too much about your secrets. 

“I’ve been travelling quite often as of late, as you may have noticed already—” you say this with a mocking tone of voice which draws a smile to his face, “and not many of those places are safe for a lone traveller like myself to roam about.” You let out a deep sigh. “Let’s just say there have been times when I had to slip through dark alleyways to escape situations that made me feel uneasy or to merely avoid being swept in the crowd. Sometimes I’d also slip into quiet places just to have some peace and quiet.” 

As you are saying this, the thrilling nights that you spent lurking in the shadows back home in Smotia return to you. Reminding you of those moments when you had to slip through one dark alleyway to another to be able to enjoy the town without being caught or having people noticing you, and recalling your wish to be able to blend with the townspeople without having to race against time to return home. 

Compared to the unpleasant experiences you met while slipping into the back alleys in the slum area of the business district, your current great escape seems like a breeze. Especially when you have a cloaked gentleman walking with you, keeping you safe with his hand remaining at the small of your back, sometimes pressing down harder when he needs to give you a silent warning moments before you are about to collide against another pedestrian. 

When you turn to look at him again, Yoongi has his eyebrows furrowed. Looking concerned after hearing your answer. “Have you been searching for something?” he gently asks you again as you both slow down your pace between the shops, giving you the chance to do some more sightseeing.

For a brief moment, you have your rapt attention on the shops around you, causing you to almost misread his question. “I’m sorry. Are you asking if I’m looking for something to buy here?”

Yoongi shakes his head a little and smiles. “No, that’s not what I was asking,” he says. “It’s just that you said so yourself, that you’ve been going to different places lately. May I ask why? Is it because you simply enjoy travelling and finding new places, or do you have something that you are looking for?” 

“Oh,” you softly laugh. “It’s nothing like that. Not particularly.” 

You stop for a moment, taking the time to think deeper about your purpose. Because the truth is, you really do have something that you have been searching for. 

At first, you started going through the magic portals in search for answers. After being haunted by all the dark rumours surrounding your father over the years, you were in desperate need to figure out what kind of secrets that your father might have had, determined to find proof that he isn’t as wicked as his own people made it seem with all the tales that have been established around the stories of his past. 

Once you were introduced to the secret magic that he once said as a part of your family’s legacy, you kept using it to learn more about the family that you know almost nothing about. Perhaps you also had some hope to feel some kind of a bond with your father, as the King has always been so busy with the matters around the empire that he rarely spends time with you outside of the royal events and the short period of time you share whenever he summons you to see him. 

Then, you found a new purpose for your excursions as you wished to find a way back to the summer palace. A wish that the magic portals has yet to grant you with no matter how often you tried. 

But is there any other reason why you have continued with your secret trips through the portals? Do you really have other things that you are still searching for? 

And how are you supposed to share all of this with a complete stranger, without revealing your true identity?  

“Let’s just say that I may have some undying hunger for adventure. It gives me a little sense of freedom whenever I am in a place where nobody knows who I am,” you find yourself sharing this once you realise what your soul has truly been searching for. When the freedom you currently feel seems to make you feel more alive than ever, to finally be able to experience what you have been seeking each time you slipping outside of The Citadel at night.

“I think, in a way, I’ve been searching for my own identity. I wanted to understand a bit more about myself that I couldn’t possibly learn just by sitting idly and waiting for the answer to come to me,” you continue, “does that make sense?”  

Yoongi surprises you when he nods and says, “It does, and I actually know exactly what you mean.” 

“Do you?” you ask him, only to receive no answer as he keeps his eyes on the street ahead, completely focused on his task to guide you through the busy part of the street where there are visiting nobles going in and out of the stores around you. Feeling uneasy with the silence between you and wanting to know more about him, you gently nudge against his side and question him, “How about you?” 

This draws his attention back to you. “What about me?” 

“You’ve been travelling too.” You shrug. “Coincidentally, you have also been there in some of the places I’ve been to.” You stop for a moment, before wondering out loud, “How was that even possible?” 

“Perhaps the Fates wanted us to meet each other?” he teases you with a sly grin on his face. “As for travelling—” he looks away briefly, “as a mercenary, I do have to travel a lot for work. Lords, Barons, and rich merchants often hire me and anyone from the brotherhood to either guard them during their travels or to protect the goods that they must deliver for business.” 

As you take all of this new information in, you recall sensing his presence back at the royal winery and feeling the need to question him, “And what about that day at the royal orchard house?” You turn to look at him. “Had that been another one of your work duties?” 

As Yoongi returns your gaze, there is a look in his eyes that is hard for you to make out of. But the look disappears when he gives you a small smile. 

“If I must recall, I was hired by Baron Gawin, the nobleman living in the Southern district of Smotia who is also a regular customer of the royal winery. Thanks to the deal we made, I am required to make regular visits to the royal winery. Be it to accompany the Baron or to visit the orchard house by myself under Baron’s orders to supervise the wine delivery for House Gawin,” he easily explains. “And what were you doing at the royal orchard house the day I saw you?”

Unprepared for him to return your question with his own, you are taken aback and left speechless. You feel a sudden guilt for bringing up the day at the royal winery which may risk revealing too much as a result. 

Which may include revealing your identity. 

Because how are you supposed to explain appearing at a royal property when you were supposed to be a lone traveller, someone who was merely passing through, and not anyone who is related to the royals or a part of the nobles who would easily have access to the royal property as they please?

“I was merely sightseeing,” you finally answer him while desperately hoping that he wouldn’t be able to see right through your lies. The lies that keep flowing right out of your mouth the moment they are unleashed. 

“I had been staying in Smotia for a while at the time and found my way to the orchard house. I had no idea at first that it was a private property of the royal family. I was half expecting to be caught by the royal guards,” you softly laugh. “But when nobody seemed to notice me, I simply took the chance that I was given to take a look around. I figured that it would be a waste of a trip if I didn’t get to see all the interesting places I could find during my travels, although I tried to keep away from the workers while avoiding the guards, and quickly left after I had enough of a good time so I wouldn’t be interrupting their work. It’s still sad that I didn’t get to taste the wine while I was there, though.”

Yoongi says nothing as he listens to your excuses. Though the small, cryptic smile that he is wearing on his face and his lack of response makes you feel quite doubtful. You are just wondering what might be going inside his mind when he nods to himself and says to you, “Ah, I see. So that’s how you got there.” 

He turns to look at you with a gentle smile. “I’m glad you didn’t get into trouble that day.”

You respond to him with a wary smile. “Would you have rescued me and also be my hero if I had gotten caught that day?” 

“Hmm—” he hums, acting as if he is genuinely considering his options. “I’m not sure. Those were royal guards watching over the property, after all. They are the last people I would want to get in trouble with.” 

You feign a gasp. “So you would’ve just ignored me and let them catch me?” 

Yoongi laughs at your reaction. “I might be a man of a hired service that doesn’t work under the sovereign law, but if I want to protect myself and make sure not to lose my job, I’d still choose to follow the rules,” he says with a hint of mirth in his eyes. 

“I mean, facing thugs is one thing, and you are really pretty”—he winks, making you flush in the cheeks with his compliment—”but I don’t think it would be enough to risk losing my neck by challenging the royal guards for you.” 

You laugh at this. “I’m offended. But well played, Sir.” 

The topic of your previous encounters and why you have been going to all the different places in Smotia is pushed aside as you continue walking through the streets of the upper side of Narlès. It gives you a bit of a reprieve the moment Yoongi seems to lose interest and is no longer trying to pry about your identity and where you came from, as you have no idea what kind of lies that you must give him to protect yourself if he continues. 

Instead, Yoongi fills the moment by answering your questions about the town and sharing everything that he has learned so far—from its history and its livelihood, to the all kinds of people and communities that would often come here to do their business or to just simply pay a visit for leisure.

He also shares various stories that he has heard or encountered during the times he came to visit this place, including all the intriguing ones that you could have never experienced all through your sheltered life. 

“Narlès isn’t governed by any reigning kingdom, but by its own people. The local townsfolk and the ring of merchants that are in charge of running the business trades here,” he explains to you while he joins you in taking shelter in one of the stores, finding the chance to have a short break while giving you the chance to admire the various accessories that they have on their display which seem to have been brought in from foreign lands. 

“So any representatives and merchants from the neighbouring kingdoms or any surrounding nations that come in to trade goods would have to put aside their animosity should they ever encounter any of their adversaries or rivals to keep the peace,” Yoongi continues. “The rules are mainly placed to keep all the business activities within the territory of Narlès in order and to keep everyone here safe. Even if these kingdoms are at war out there, they are forbidden to bring that fight here.” 

“A neutral land where your origin matters only to yourself,” you mutter as it starts to dawn on you the reason why your father had exclusively connected this place to the home castle by using his magic portal. 

As the ruler of a budding empire that is currently caught in the middle of a conflict, making sure that he would remain undetected during his visits to this place would only make sense. The heavy terrain between Smotia and Narlès would have also been a challenge for your father to travel back and forth between his busy schedule. 

That is, if he had always been in Smotia during all of those times at all. 

One of the things that you have been suspecting from your father’s work activities is his strong connection to the home castle. Ever since you started to learn more about the existence of the portals in the home castle, you have been wondering if this had been His Majesty’s ways to be able to travel out of the palace so easily, completely undetected and untraceable, even if it includes travelling to The Citadel from his royal study back at the home palace. 

Though you may not know the true answers until the day your father returns home and you will get the chance to ask him directly.

For now, you try to focus on the present, as you indulge in the moment of luxury as the shop attendant helps you with various accessories made of gold which are also embellished with your favourite gemstone—ruby stone—to try on. 

Once you have enough of the experience, you leave the store with a heart full of joy to continue your sightseeing and window shopping. You have no answer when Yoongi inquires you about leaving without buying a souvenir for you to bring home with, but he makes no complaints and seems to be enjoying himself even as he acts as your personal guard. 

As you walk beside him while enjoying his company, you recall the previous conversation you had with him about the reason why he has always been moving from one place to the other that has allowed you to keep crossing paths. 

“Were you not also on the job today? Was that the reason why you were at the marketplace today? Am I taking you away from your duties by having you as my personal escort?”

A smile grows on his face, as if he has been expecting you to question why he remains by your side after your glorious escape. The danger has long gone, and he has helped you get to safety. While you don’t mind his company, you would hate to think that you have made him leave his obligation behind because of your recklessness. 

“You were quite lucky that we came across while I was not on duty. So you shouldn’t worry about any angry employer interrupting our relaxing stroll,” he simply says. 

The way he speaks sure sounds convincing. Yet for some odd reason, there is something about the way he explains himself which tells you that he isn’t telling you everything. You can also see it in his eyes, when the look that he is giving you seems to be telling you that there is a secret that he is keeping from you. 

But you decide not to pry any further. 

Not when you barely know him, even if his presence seems to fill the hollowness inside you that you may have overlooked for quite some time. And certainly not when you also have your own secrets to keep. 

Yet your deepest wish is to savour this moment without feeling doubtful. To be able to enjoy this excursion with a companion who makes the insides of your chest flutter with his little gestures and his deep, calming voice. 

“That’s good to hear. I’d hate to know that I’m giving you trouble for saving me and keeping me company when you’re supposed to be on the job,” is what you simply say to him. “I do have to say that I am worried that I might have to pay for your service. Not only did you save my life, now you’re showing me around to make sure I don’t get lost. I know I’m going to feel like I owe you a lot.” 

Yoongi laughs. “I am being quite generous today, so I’ll give this service as a favour. Take it as an introduction gift.” 

“Ooh, why thank you, my kind Sir. I feel honoured,” you tease him with a curtsy, before surprising him by slipping your hand around his arm. Although you are quite surprised yourself when it feels as if a natural thing for you to do this with him. 

“Then, let’s continue our little date now, shall we?” you continue to tease him, and you are pleased when you get to see a part of his cheeks turning crimson while he tries—and fails—to hide his bashful smile.

As the rows of the luxury stores come to an end—also putting an end to your window shopping and your impromptu shopping spree as you managed to buy a couple of trinkets as a memento—you are met with a different kind of atmosphere as the street opens up to new scene. 

Around you, various quaint dining lounges, pubs, and bakery shops start to replace the glimmering stores. Instead of displays of gowns, leather goods, and jewelries, you begin to see displays of baked goods, local delicacies, and the sight of people sitting around small tables—both indoors and outdoors—while enjoying their dinner or having drinks. 

The aroma of fragrant spices and fresh herbs and the sound of sizzling pans begin to fill the air. There are also the wafting scents of alcohol and the sound of clinking glasses and boastful laughter that you are quite familiar with coming from the nearest pubs. You can also see street food stalls lining up along the sidewalk, offering a colourful array of culinary delights.

Here, the streets seem even more vibrant. Not only for the colours and decorations that you get to see from the shops and food displays all around you, but also for the hustle and bustle of people in the streets and those coming and going into the lounges and pubs, and for the liveliness that you get to feel as you walk down past the rows of different shops and dining lounges. 

You continue weaving through the crowd, drawn by the enticing scents that are wafting through the air and mixing into the scent of the sea coming from the harbour that keeps fading in and out as you go. Your hand still holds onto Yoongi’s upper arm, which is starting to help you find comfort through the contact, while Yoongi shows no complaints about it as it makes things easier for him to guide you through the moving patrons while you take in the moment. 

But the vibrant atmosphere and the intricate shops are not the only things that have taken your interest as you continue to stroll down the street. 

Now that the buildings around you are not so close together and the narrow streets are no longer filled with rows of displayed luxury goods, you finally get to appreciate the nature around you a bit more. 

The sun has set by the time you are strolling between the local diners. The sky is slowly evolving into a magnificent spectacle of gradients of colours, transitioning from the vibrant hues of the golden retreating sun to the deep blues and purples of the approaching night. 

Looking at the sky above, you are getting a clear view of the spread of starlights faintly making their appearance, and for the first time ever, you find yourself yearning to see the display of lights that you would normally see dancing on the sky above the Stargrave Castle. 

It is quite staggering to know just how soon you have adjusted to considering the Stargrave Castle as your new home. It may not have been easy to find comfort living inside the cold, old castle, yet in your mind, you have grown more familiar with the place much sooner than you had expected that you are feeling homesick after merely hours of being away. 

As the sky grows darker, and the golden hue of the setting sun continues descending out of view, you realise that it is almost time for you to start making your way home. You have always made sure to return to the magic portal long before it was time for it to close and disappear, and you remind yourself that you might be running out of time if you do not leave this place soon. 

Yet it seems so hard to make up your mind about leaving. 

As the lamps hanging on the side of the streets and on the front of the busy shops begin to light up for the evening, Yoongi’s presence seems to radiate even more. Looking at him, you realise that you simply aren’t ready to part ways with him. Time seems to fly by so quickly while you are spending time with your new companion, and it still feels too soon to say goodbye.

Just as you are about to say something about this, Yoongi turns and walks off towards the nearest street food stall. You watch as he hands a handful of coins to the seller and returns to you while holding something in his hands. 

“You talked about making the most of your time while travelling and wanting to experience everything when the opportunity is presented to you,” he says as he offers you a small bag of delights. A mixed aroma of spice and sweetness wafts around you as you accept his offer, only realising then that you are famished from all the long walk and constantly moving through town. 

“This one is my treat. It’s one of my favourite snacks from this town that I’d often buy whenever I came here,” he adds. “You should try it.” 

He guides you away from the main street, finding a corner right across from a rowdy pub where the two of you can take another break and give you the chance to savour your treat. The moment you open the bag in your hands, the strong aroma of spice immediately hits you, and you can almost swear that your stomach makes a certain sound to confirm your hunger. 

You pick up one piece of the pastry you find inside, and as you take the first bite, a multitude of layers of flavour erupt inside your mouth. It tastes like nothing that you have ever savoured before, not even the meal provided by the royal chef back home. The marinated meat inside the pastry seems to melt in your mouth, before the spice fills your mouth with the kind of richness that you have never experienced before. 

You keep humming and moaning at the taste, not forgetting to offer Yoongi a few pieces while you enjoy your meal, and all thoughts about saying goodbye just vanishes and you simply relax by his side.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Yoongi muses, nearly forgetting to enjoy the food that you share as he seems unable to look away from you.

“That’s because I am,” you say this with a giggle, suddenly feeling embarrassed at how completely unrestrained you are being. A smile grows on your face as you try to imagine how Nanny Abigail would react when she sees you like this—sitting on a worn-down bench on the side of the street while devouring local-made pastries with a strange man sitting by your side. 

“I have to be honest with you and admit that I had come to this place with no expectations at all. But here I am, sitting on the side of the street, eating a local delicacy that I’ve never had the privilege to try before.” You stop with a chuckle. “I also had a short run-in with danger until a mysterious man in a cloak rescued me and took me to safety. I tried out a fancy-looking tiara with no reason whatsoever and a headscarf made of lotus silk.” 

You let out a content sigh. “After experiencing so many wonderful things for the first time in one day, how am I not supposed to enjoy this moment?” 

Yoongi softly laughs. “I’m glad that you’re having a good time.” 

“A marvellous time,” you correct him before quickly biting your tongue to refrain yourself from saying—

And it’s mostly because I got to spend it with you.

Clearing your throat, you look away from Yoongi for a brief moment. “Thank you, for watching over me and making this trip all the more pleasurable by staying by my side and keeping me company.” 

But it is already time for me to go. 

“It’s a pleasure of mine to be your escort,” he says with a gentle smile that makes his eyes twinkle. “May I ask where you will be staying the night?” 

You blink. Unprepared to receive such a question coming from him. Of course, he would be wondering where you would be staying as you are merely here as a traveler passing by. “I have…a place,” you hesitantly say, only to quickly change your tone when Yoongi furrows his eyebrows in response. 

“The place is safe and accounted for, I promise.” Yoongi opens his mouth, and when you realise that he is going to offer to escort you home, you panic and immediately stop him from saying it out loud.

Because there is no possible way you are going to lead him back to the merchant’s house—where the magic portal is waiting for your return—and risk exposing both your father’s secret hideout and the family’s secret magic that you are obligated to protect. 

“I can walk back on my own. You know that I can protect myself,” you try to convince him, while praying that he would concede and leave you be—despite how much it would hurt to see him go. 

Yoongi looks reluctant about this, which only furthers your guilt for deceiving him. But he closes his eyes and releases a deep sigh as he gives in to your request. “Very well, if that’s your wish.” 

Once you are done with your quick meal, you immediately request Yoongi to show you the way back to the residential area at the hillside of the town. And he keeps his words not to remain with you as you head back to the merchant’s house. He merely accompanies you until you reach the junction between the marketplace and the residential area. 

As you stand there with him, preparing yourself to say goodbye to your saviour, you can easily tell that he is feeling the exact same way you are—not ready yet to let go and part ways, and unwilling to watch you walk away. 

“I guess this is where we share our farewell?” you question him while forcing a smile on your face. 

“It shouldn’t be.” Returning your smile with his own, Yoongi takes a step closer. He bends down and takes your hand, bringing it up to his lips. “We will be seeing each other again. I have a feeling that it will be soon,” he whispers as he gently presses a kiss on the back of your hand, while you can only smile at his chivalry.

The heaviness in your chest that you feel from having to say goodbye fades as your heartbeat rises the moment his lips touches your skin. There is a spark that you feel surging through your body once your skin comes in contact with his, yet it dissipates rather quickly when he lets you go. 

“We’ll see about that,” you respond to him while feigning a calm voice, trying to lighten things up before the air around you grow more intense. 

But just Yoongi rises to his height, something flashes through your mind. You keep your eyes on his face as a glimpse of your past dream returns to you. 

The same dream that came to visit you in your slumber the night before you departed from Smotia.

Over the time, the dream has grown fainter from your memory that you are starting to forget about it. And so did the face of the man who was waiting for you at the top of the cliff. 

The face that had made you feel a deep yearning that was so foreign yet so strong that it filled your heart with love and hope, and made you feel as if your tired and lonely soul had come alive. The same yearning that you felt the first time you spoke to Yoongi and coming close to him to feel his entire presence embracing you. 

Within a blink of a moment, you are suddenly taken back to the top of that same cliff, with the faint sound of rushing waves echoing from the back of your mind before the man’s voice whispers back to you, 

“We will see each other soon, though. I can feel it.”

A gasp slips out of your lips, right as a smile grows on Yoongi’s face. The smile that has become familiar to you even before you met back in the market. Your heart flutters wildly in your chest, while your words fail you as you are trying to remain focused on the present, even as small parts of your dream keep coming and going through your thoughts as if forcing you to remember. The deep voice of the mysterious man from your dream echoing through your mind to say,

“I’ll come find you, Princess. I promise. This time, I’ll be able to catch up with you.” 

Before you can say or do anything to stop him, Yoongi lifts the hood of his cloak to cover his head and starts backing away from you, taking all the distorted images of your forgotten dream with him and snapping you back to the present just to hear him say, 

“I’ll come find you again. I know I will. Good night, ______.” 

Yoongi’s final words linger around you like an echo, slipping between the other voice that keeps whispering to you from the back of your mind. Left speechless, you can only remain standing there in silence, listening to the sound of your racing heartbeat as you watch him slip back into the moving crowd making their way into the market center of Narlès, before he slowly disappears into the night. 

— © 2023 Yoonia, all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any kind is not allowed. unsolicited translations are not allowed.

[444names]

westron dictionary + brythonic deities

Abagrazar Abarage Abarudius Abeeridia Abelebriba Abnodendia Abnoth Adraus Adroonnis Adroontus Adyane Aerit Agestarise Agrobor Agrudinnus Aguarthand Alapon Alauff Aldatarf Alfluf Alible Alioviusio Allotona Almoseg Ambadrow Anasta Ancadros Ancarter Ancas Andateris Andatharal Anday Anemetian Anetobbius Anexpes Anextis Angerse Anillintio Anneg Annerlaun Anoborc Antha Antinday Antirinoth Antungs Antîn Aphuetoup Applebiris Applenus Arager Arauff Araur Araza Arnus Arterines Artharaza Arthdam Artia Artios Arvos Athandown Ating Atirigan Avencer Avend Aveter Avetio Avetiseg Aveto Badrazard Bagramogus Balebitiae Bankour Bannart Banunna Barauff Barazand Barinast Barum Belebius Beleucisag Belineme Belinun Bellatings Bellenus Belli Bellinge Bellis Belluff Belluis Bilings Bilis Bitiris Borduind Boritaras Borius Borka Borkalis Borry Borse Borvos Braban Bragesson Brahal Brahali Brazarum Bricoll Bridius Brius Bucelvens Buceride Bucimbrita Bullis Bully Bulus Buroba Burrudnast Burth Burthratus Busidaraun Butang Butharta Butio Buxens Camalc Cambil Camperitis Camullis Camulugus Cangs Cannastu Carapom Cartred Carver Casta Celvete Ceritisan Ceter Cetiaeris Cetios Cetir Cetonia Cicur Cidard Cimba Cimbriens Cocich Cocimbrign Cocisegome Colda Colge Conilly Connialc Conus Cothisan Cotmar Cotmaus Cotta Cottersed Covan Covetios Covetir Covetonius Cranus Daraunas Darvo Datusis Delanosed Delap Derse Dwarac Dwarthda Dwatia Dwatiaer Dwatirio Dwatudna Dwell Dwest Dwesta Dwesuff Dwesulg Dûkanos Dûkas Estred Extia Extiomauf Extios Fagroonos Fagrus Fanas Fannoder Farus Flindow Flingus Flufand Fluthdarde Foamall Foambrana Forronas Forsegus Forver Foura Fourt Fourus Foutios Galda Galdata Galios Gallos Gaman Gambis Gambrisage Gamogung Gamper Gamullinos Groonna Grudius Gusiomo Halagus Halmord Hanegom Harage Harvo Headrang Headraza Heads Herlatung Herni Hernum Hersed Hetial Heting Hinotmapom Hised Hisuck Hloholge Hlorc Hlorius Hlotta Hlotter Hobis Holenus Hollo Homarib Homaunast Homauns Homonus Homoomaun Horit Horkas Huron Hurru Ingerrown Inoborse Iovanced Kalagus Kanda Kanius Kanos Kasgus Kastran Kastun Killuff Kings Kinus Kuding Kudiusio Kuduing Laguagrus Landay Lanotata Laung Lebritios Lotter Lufage Luirib Lutio Lutirown Lutis Lutta Lutter Luxenus Luxoverseg Luxoveter Malflinge Manos Marahalmos Marally Maris Maritag Marthur Maunus Meday Metiane Millind Mintha Monisegom Monnia Morind Mosta Mulgeris Mulle Mulli Mullotudia Muluting Nakings Naragus Nastrân Negomor Nemal Nemaufang Nerit Nerrus Nesta Neton Nexper Nextio Nisamaunus Nisamos Notte Nusucelle Ogmil Ogmine Ogminnos Oldaran Olluis Onnus Ontis Ordeli Orduk Oriconusio Orroton Orrum Orvenus Parantha Paras Parter Parth Parus Phaldam Phuetia Phuetio Phuetir Phurris Phurus Prestram Quage Quaragrour Rabell Rahancanne Ramnakil Ranger Rangs Rankou Rannusio Ranos Ranta Ranum Raponus Rapuck Rasternus Razarta Rebris Robbius Rourry Segomer Segus Sidius Smaphur Smarapon Smaris Smatour Smerienus Smernus Sminobolly Stuns Sufanceli Sulli Suluf Sunnus Taphus Thand Thantîn Thartis Tholda Thraha Thrald Thrandamos Thranialc Thrauroto Thueter Thurtapple Tobast Tobord Tonil Tonna Traste Traus Trebris Trius Trobitarus Tunus Tutiomauff Tutis Tworeig Tûcamos Tûcarde Tûrabell Tûragering Tûrane Tûraza Uinnos Uirit Uirthis Uirthores Veria Vheadran Vheads Vherider Vherisage Vinemeter Vines Vings Vintrick Vinus Virota Vitio Warauff Warder Warnum Warus Wellatios Welle Wellis Westernius Westrig Wicona Wicottag Wicuranda Wicuron Wisange Zarterr Zarudna Ziling

[domivory]

its the same image

[4hoursleeptime]

Thwisps

Fire.

Raining down on the small town of Tanawyr, the once-peaceful night’s sky blackened by billowing smoke. The flitting, familiar forms of the Thwisps were now gone, replaced by a cloak of sorrowful destruction, and its cause—a shape of boiling red rage: A mighty Dragon.

Darielle threw herself to the ground as a burning wave of flame shot past her, frighteningly close. The ends of her long, brown hair smoldered a bit, and she fervently reached behind herself to pat it out. She scrambled to her feet and continued running, trying desperately to distance herself from the monster, paying no mind to the few people still on the streets she pushed by in her efforts to escape. The angry roars barely lessened as she made it to her destination: The blacksmith’s shop. This was one of the sturdiest buildings in town, and hopefully it was more than just a little fireproof. She patted herself, searching for her key and cursing herself as she remembered she’d left it on her nightstand at home in the hurry to get out.

She looked back towards the center of town, hoping the dragon was still out of sight. No such luck. She saw the great, leathery wings before she saw the monster itself rise above the buildings, beating its wings to keep aloft. Its crimson scales shimmered with a horrific beauty in the light of the fires, and the large, horned head that must have been as large as Darielle’s torso turned, searching. She swallowed as their eyes seemed to meet, her emerald eyes staring into the dragon’s blazing yellow orbs as they filled her with dread. The dragon roared and opened its maw wide, the flicker of flames visible even from here. She could feel her heart stop; her legs frozen in place as she saw her own demise building inside the monster’s terrible jaws. Before anything could happen, though, she felt a hand grab her white tunic and yank her around the side of the shop. Looking up at her savior, she immediately recognized the only person in town that wasn’t a Pallide; Orrum Fovis, the old storyteller.

“Delgato, right? Anything going on up there, or were you just planning to let ‘er broil you?” He demanded, poking her forehead as a wall of fire engulfed the area she had just been standing. After a few moments, the intense, continuous, forceful stream of flame overcame the structural integrity of the building, and the front wall of her cousin’s store collapsed inwards onto itself. Darielle pressed herself against the wall of the building next to them, watching Orrum follow suit, his tanned skin and leather coat in stark contrast to her pale white skin and tunic.

“I wish I’d left home when I had the chance.” She grumbled, flinching as the sounds of destruction continued filling the air. “But no, I just had to do what I was told, and stick around to help my cousin with the store… look where that got me. On my own watching the store while he’s off on his honeymoon, so of course everything gets destroyed now.” She continued, yelping as Orrum reached out and swatted her head gently.

“Shut your trap, girl! Dragons got some crazy hearing, an’ she seems to think she incinerated you!” He whispered, glaring at her with his piercing grey eyes. Darielle nodded dumbly, keeping her mouth shut and listening intently.

  They stayed like that for longer than either of them cared to count, but eventually it seemed as if the dragon had run out of things to burn… or at least it got bored. With a final roar, the red monster soared over them and out of the ruined town, leaving the fires burning. Once the dragon was gone, Darielle let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and slumped to the ground against the wall. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure Orrum could hear it, and she suddenly felt the sticky warmth of sweat coating her body. She stared dumbly at the ruins of Birel’s shop for several long minutes, feeling the adrenaline slowly fade before the harsh reality hit her like a hammer. The town might recover eventually from this, but Birel wouldn’t be able to start up his business for at least a couple of months, and she couldn’t do anything until he got back anyway… so she’d have to live off charity and what little survived the attack for some time. She struggled to her unsteady feet, moving towards the ruined building in hopes of finding something salvageable. The fires had mostly gone out here, but the stone was still warm to the touch as she dug through it slowly. Orrum sighed and watched, the old man clearly exhausted from running around like he had. She didn’t know what she was looking for. Something to just make everything go back to normal, something expensive enough to sell to some unlikely traveler and get everything fixed up for Birel before he came home.

Darielle was about to give up and go back to her house to see what had survived there when she heard an odd screeching noise. She froze, staring at the stones under her, wondering if maybe the senseless destruction and near-miss with a fiery death had driven her usually timid self a little bit insane. After a moment, though, she heard it again, weaker this time and accompanied by a slight shifting of the rocks. There was something under there. She redoubled her efforts, pulling away the stonework and wincing as she scraped up her hands doing so, most of her nails broken before she revealed the fruits of her labour.

“Orrum! I think you might want to see this…” She called, looking back to the old man. He was slumped against the wall, waving his hand dismissively.

“Later, Riel… I ain’t as spry as I used to be…” He groaned. His complaints were suddenly forgotten, however, as Darielle carefully lifted the survivor. Soft, almost leathery scales, blackened by soot, covered most of its body, and a line of thicker, overlapping scales ran down its spine. Four claw-tipped limbs moved weakly as it was lifted, showing off some surprisingly intact, membranous, bat-like wings on its front limbs. Its head was about the size of both of her hands, and the creatures small, sharp teeth were visible in its mouth, while the creature’s closed eyes were disproportionately large, smaller than its dog-like ears.  A long, wispy tail hung down from her hands, equal to the length of the creatures’ torso and head. Darielle held the housecat-sized creature in her arms, noticing the numerous small injuries covering the creature and oozing some blood onto her once-pristine tunic. She swallowed, barely able to believe her eyes as she held a baby Thwisp in her arms.

    As the sun’s rays began to force themselves into view between the vast mountains of the Giant’s Brow, the survivors had picked themselves up and, almost unfeelingly, set themselves to work. Yes, it was sad, but mourning wouldn’t feed their families. The buildings that were intact enough to be safe were converted into hospitals and shelters, and those with the strongest stomachs went about collecting the dead. From what anyone could tell so far, most of them had managed to escape with their lives, and many without injury. Those who weren’t healers or rounding up the dead found themselves either working to clean up rubble, trying to salvage food, or cooking said food.

Darielle, however, had what had been decided was a much more important task. Her home was demolished, and she was hardly in the mood to pick through the debris for anything that may have survived just yet. So instead, Orrum had graciously let her use his house- a small, quaint building at the edge of town, far enough away from the centre of the town to suffer only minor damage- to take care of her discovery. The building was nothing if not old-fashioned, with sturdy, rough wood paneling on the floor and ancient brickwork making up the walls. The house had four rooms on the main floor, as well as a staircase leading up to its second floor. The rooms on the ground level consisted of a kitchen with an ancient stove that smelled of old woodsmoke and some mostly empty cupboards, a dining hall with a dust-caked wooden table surrounded by three chairs, the main entryway with hooks for jackets and some sparse decoration, and the room she was currently in: the washcloset. The creature she’d rescued had been seemingly comatose for hours now, only weakly moving his limbs on reflex, barely even stirring. Her first task was to clean him. She’d filled a bucket with water and took a clean rag, tenderly wetting the cloth and trying to smudge away the soot and blood. Her tunic was, in fact, ruined by the red liquid, but she knew that if it was already soiled then why should she change to clean the Thwisp. Besides, trying on some of Orrum’s clothes hardly appealed to her. Every so often, she would pour some of the water over the young thwisp, slowly chipping away at the ashy soot to reveal the iridescent green scales in their proper glory. When the worst of the dirtiness was taken care of, she set his limp body in her lap and inspected his wounds. For the most part, the bleeding had stopped, luckily. His wings were a bit ragged at the ends and she saw several patches of missing scales, but the little creature was very lucky, it would seem. She sighed, taking a deep breath and shaking the sleepiness from her mind. She couldn’t sleep now, what would she do if something happened while she was asleep? She sighed again, taking a moment to breathe and absently run her hand over her charge. The loose line of scales on his back made a twinkling sound as she ran her hand over them, clinking together like windchimes. The corners of her mouth curled up into a smile, taking the time to properly admire the thwisp. She’d never really thought twice about the creatures that spent so much time in and above her town, she suddenly realized. They’d just always been there, like the stars in the sky and the cool, mountain breeze. Not now, though. The melodious cacophony of their trilling calls- something she’d never paid any mind to- were gone, leaving an empty, deafening silence in their absence. Now that she held one, though, she found herself missing them terribly. As she stroked his scales gently, it took her several moments before she realized she was staring into large, yellow eyes. She let out a startled squeak, jolting back and lifting her hand from his back. This prompted an equally startled squawk from the creature, jumping in her hold and almost falling, the cry turning into a hiss as his injuries made themselves known to him. Darielle hushed him gently, lifting a hand to show she meant no harm, as the line of scales she’d been petting raised themselves in an attempt to seem threatening. Their eyes never broke from each other, however. She stared into his disproportionately large, round eye, yellow as an egg yolk and streaked with gold, save for a cat-like vertical slash of a pupil. After several long seconds of nervous silence, however, the scales slowly relaxed, the thwisp deciding she meant no harm but still staring up at her with unblinking wariness.

“Oh good, it’s up.” Came a gruff voice behind them, making them both jump and the scales immediately stand up again. Darielle looked back to see Orrum taking off his ash-blackened coat and setting it on a hook by the door, the old man having slipped in with surprising stealth. He looked horrible, coated in a layer of dirt and ash, his greying hair looking as though it had regained its black colour once again. “How’s it looking?”

“He seems alright… a little worse for wear but he got very lucky. Nothing seems serious.” Darielle responded, looking back to the thwisp and hushing him again. “… Tell me about Thwisps, Orrum. I’ve never really thought twice about them, but now… I realize I don’t know very much about them at all.” Darielle finally piped up, glancing into the kitchen.

Orrum grunted and glanced over at her. “Thwisps are symbols, really. They’re why your people settled down here, apparently. Symbols of protection and safety, an’ all that. No one wants to hurt ‘em, so they adapted pretty quick to having us around, even started liking it so much they’d fly down an’ relax with us. Beautiful singers, ‘specially during mating season, hah!” He chuckled, prompting a quick glare from Darielle. “Thwisps aren’t known for their bravery, an’ even less so for their prowess in a scuffle. Couldn’t fight off annoyed pussy cat, most of them.”

“That’s hardly fair! Aren’t they symbols of safety? You just said so.” Darielle retorted.

“Yeah, they sure are. ‘Cause if they’re hanging ‘round a place, it means they got no reason to be scared there!”

“I think you’re just generalizing. I certainly didn’t see you out there waving your stick at the dragon!”

“Boiling Red ain’t the same as a grouchy housecat! Back then wasn’t an example, you know!”

“I thought you were a storyteller, aren’t you supposed to take every opportunity as an example for a story?”

“That’s enough outta you, Riel.”

“That’s not my name.”

“An’ my name ain’t Rum, but it’s what the pub knows me for, hah!”

Darielle sighed, shaking her head and looking back at the thwisp. He seemed to be looking around curiously, and she realized her hand was back on it, slipping down the row of scales on his back soothingly. “An’ it seems you’re a real natural with ‘em, considering you don’t know a thing about ‘em.” He added, pouring the now-ready tea into two cups and bringing one to her. The cup was chipped and plain white, clearly not important, but considering how barren his kitchen was and how often she saw him performing at the tavern, it made sense that he wouldn’t put too much care into his dishes. “One more thing about Thwisps you might wanna know.” He added, setting the cup down. “They’re pack animals. They don’t like being separated from their family, so your little friend there ain’t gonna be this calm forever.”

Darielle frowned at that, watching as he left the room and stomped up the stairs, grumbling about needing to change. She sighed, looking down at the thwisp in her arms and gently rubbing its head. He couldn’t stay with her forever, she knew that. But what if the other thwisps didn’t come back? Orrum had said they settled down in places they had no reason to be afraid in, but a dragon attack certainly qualified as a reason, didn’t it? That attack had rattled her to the core, and if the thwisps were as defenseless and cowardly as Orrum suggested, it certainly would make sense to stay away now. She stared down at the creature, wishing for some solution to appear. He simply stared back at her and let out a distinctly unhelpful chirp. “Hey little guy… I guess I have to get you to your family, huh?” She murmured, then paused. “But… if your family isn’t here… I guess that means I’d have to go on an adventure with you to find them, won’t I?” She asked, unable to keep the small swell of excitement from her voice. For once in her life, she didn’t have to just do what she was told. No one was here to tell her to do something, and she had a mission now that was too important for her to just be talked out of it… maybe it was time for her to finally take charge! If she’d done that in the first place, then she wouldn’t have been Birel’s assistant for the last five years, working hard to prove herself since she could hold a hammer and stopping her from ever seeing the world. The thwisp tilted his head as he stared up at her, shifting and moving until he was practically standing on his hind legs in her arms, leaning the rest of his body against her chest and nosing into her neck. She laughed, feeling him sniff at her like a very strange dog.

“You like that idea, huh?” She asked. “Then it’s settled! We’re going on an adventure together!” She announced, standing up suddenly. The thwisp in her arms let out a squeak of excitement and surprise as she stood, and Darielle suddenly felt a nip to the side of her neck, making her cry out and lift her free hand to nudge his head out of the way, holding the area and feeling a little blood leak out. The bite was clearly not meant to harm, though. “Sorry!” She apologized, realizing sudden movements most likely weren’t welcome for the startled thwisp.

    As she waited for Orrum to return, a few things began to gnaw at the back of her mind. Why did Orrum call the dragon ‘Boiling Red’ twice now? Where would they go to look for the thwisps? And something that overtook any other thoughts in her mind; What was her new companion’s name? As she pondered this, the old storyteller came back down the stairs, hair still slightly damp from its apparent washing. The ash was mostly gone from his body, and he wore a clean, if plain, brown tunic and trousers. He leaned on his gnarled walking stick as he reached the bottom of the stairs, the past day having not been kind to his aged body. “Do you know the dragon?” She blurted, making Orrum jump slightly and turn to blink at her as she stood there, holding the thwisp to her chest.

“Damn, Riel, you startled me!” He huffed.

He waited for several long moments for her to respond, but she simply stared at him. She wanted answers.

“Alright, alright, fine. Yeah, I’d recognize that dragon anywhere. She’s got legends about her, you know! The terrible Boiling Red, scourge of the lands. She doesn’t head this far north too often, but she matches all the stories far too well to be a coincidence.” He sighed.

Darielle nodded, digesting this information. “Right… okay. Second question… Do you know where the thwisps would go after running away from Boiling Red like that?” She asked, her little friend chirping and glancing over at Orrum, as if wondering the same.

He shrugged. “South. There’s a little grove a couple weeks’ foot travel south of here, thwisps live there too. If these ones got spooked, they may have gone to live with more of their kind.” He suggested, then frowned. “Hold on now… does this mean you’re planning to go?”

Darielle nodded again, this time with determination. “I always wanted to go out on an adventure, this seems like the best chance I’ll get!” She replied, making him groan.

“There’s no talking you outta this… so I guess I gotta go too. Otherwise you’ll get yourself lost or killed… or both. Besides… maybe it’ll make for a good story one day.”

She beamed at that, grinning down at the little thwisp. “So, what’s his name?” Orrum piped up again, making her think for a moment.

The name finally popped into her head. She had no idea where it came from, but something made her feel so sure, so right about it. She petted the little thwisp, looking at Orrum again.

“Kovek. His name is Kovek.” She announced, receiving an approving, almost affirming chirp from her newly named friend.

“Kovek? An’ just what gave you that idea, eh?” Orrum scoffed.

Darielle was quiet for a moment, looking down and wondering if she was wrong. No, she was right! “I’m not sure, but I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m right!” Yes, she was. That was his name. Kovek chirped and nosed into the small bite mark he’d left in her neck, seeming to apologize for it. She gently patted his back, even as she continued staring down the taller man until Orrum gave up.

“Seems like he won’t accept anything else, huh? Fine. Kovek the thwisp. I’m sure that name’ll stick when I tell the story of how you got yourself killed…” Orrum grumbled, but Darielle could see the slight shine of amusement in his eye. He was looking forward to whatever happened next, despite his grouchy demeanor.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Trump Suffers Key Setbacks in Bid to Overturn Biden Victory (Bloomberg) President Donald Trump’s long-shot bid to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory suffered major setbacks on Friday, with news networks calling Georgia for the Democrat and legal challenges crumbling in three other key states. North Carolina was called for Trump by four networks. ABC and CNN projected a Biden win in Georgia, which would give him 306 electoral votes, far above the 270 needed to win, leaving Trump with 232 electoral votes. All 50 states’ presidential races have been called. The networks called Georgia for Biden and North Carolina for Trump with an estimated 99% of the vote counted, meaning that they believe there are not enough votes left that would change the projected outcome of the race. The Electoral College will meet on Dec. 14 to officially cast their votes for Biden, and Congress is scheduled to accept the results on Jan. 6.

Democrats keep winning the popular vote. That worries them. (AP) Democrats won the popular vote in this year’s presidential election yet again, marking seven out of eight straight presidential elections that the party has reached that milestone. And, for some Democrats, that’s worrisome. President-elect Joe Biden has so far won 50.8% of the vote compared to the 47.4% who voted for President Donald Trump, a 5 million vote advantage that is likely to grow as Democratic bastions like California and New York continue to count ballots. Biden’s 77.5 million votes to date are the most for any winning candidate, and Trump’s 72.3 million also set a high water mark for a losing one. But what alarms many Democrats is a growing gap between their popular vote tallies and their political power. Democrats may be winning over more supporters, but as long as those votes are clustered on the coasts or in cities and suburbs, they won’t deliver the congressional victories the party needs to enact its policies. That power gap is especially clear this year. While Biden was racking up those historic margins, Democrats lost at least eight seats in the House of Representatives and failed to gain a single statehouse—in fact, they lost control of New Hampshire’s legislature. They also fell short of taking back control of the U.S. Senate, with their hopes now resting on winning two run-off elections in Georgia that are considered an uphill climb for the party. Whether it’s a problem—or a necessary check on power—is a point of debate. The founders created a U.S. system of government based partially on geography. Wyoming, with its population of 500,000, has as many senators as California, home to 39 million people. The presidency is a won by amassing a majority of electors allocated to states.

Progressives look to make early mark on Biden White House (AP) Leading progressives are pressuring President-elect Joe Biden to embrace their policy agenda even as more centrist Democrats argue such proposals prevented the party from retaking full control of Congress. The jockeying amounts to the opening round of what is likely to be a lengthy debate over the future of the Democratic Party. Some centrists have blamed losses in the House and a disappointing performance in the Senate on Republicans’ ability to paint Democrats as having moved too far to the left. That’s creating tension for a party that should be basking in the glow of defeating an incumbent president for the first time in nearly 30 years.

In Rural ‘Dead Zones,’ School Comes on a Flash Drive (NYT) Shekinah and Orlandria Lennon were sitting at their kitchen table this fall, taking online classes, when video of their teachers and fellow students suddenly froze on their laptop screens. The wireless antenna on the roof had stopped working, and it could not be fixed. Desperate for a solution, their mother called five broadband companies, trying to get connections for their home in Orrum, N.C., a rural community of fewer than 100 people with no grocery store or traffic lights. All the companies gave the same answer: Service is not available in your area. The response is the same across broad stretches of Robeson County, N.C., a swath of small towns and rural places like Orrum dotted among soybean fields and hog farms on the South Carolina border. About 20,000 of the county’s homes, or 43 percent of all households, have no internet connection. The technology gap has prompted teachers to upload lessons on flash drives and send them home to dozens of students every other week. Some children spend school nights crashing at more-connected relatives’ homes so they can get online for classes the next day. Millions of American students are grappling with the same challenges, learning remotely without adequate home internet service. “It’s not fair,” said Shekinah, 17, who, after weeks trying to stay connected to classes through her cellphone, was finally able to get online regularly again last month through a Wi-Fi hot spot provided by the school. “I don’t think just the people who live in the city should have internet. We need it in the country, too.” Even as school districts like the one in Robeson County have scrambled to provide students with laptops, many who live in low-income and rural communities continue to have difficulty logging on.

Oregon, New Mexico order lockdowns (AP) The governors of Oregon and New Mexico ordered near-lockdowns Friday in the most aggressive response yet to the latest wave of coronavirus infections shattering records across the U.S. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown ordered a two-week “freeze” starting Wednesday, under which all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home “to the greatest extent possible.” While most Oregon stores will remain open, gyms, museums, pools, movie theaters and zoos will be forced to close, and restaurants and bars will be limited to takeout. Social gatherings will be restricted to six people. The Democratic governor warned that violators could face fines or arrest. “For the last eight months, I have been asking Oregonians to follow to the letter and the spirit of the law, and we have not chosen to engage law enforcement,” Brown said. “At this point in time, unfortunately, we have no other option.”

Minneapolis violence surges as police officers leave department in droves (Washington Post) The sound of gunfire has become so familiar across North Minneapolis that Cathy Spann worries she has grown numb to it. Day and night the bullets zip through this predominantly Black neighborhood, hitting cars and homes and people. The scores of victims have included a 7-year-old boy, wounded in a drive-by shooting; a woman who took a bullet that came through her living room wall while she was watching television with her family; and a 17-year-old girl shot in the head and killed. Spann, a longtime community activist who works for the Jordan Area Community Council, cannot recall another time when things were this bad—not even when the city was branded “Murderapolis,” during a spike in violence in the mid-1990s. “If you want to talk about pandemics, we’re dealing with a pandemic of violence,” Spann said on a recent afternoon, just as word came of two more nearby shootings. “We’re under siege. You wake up and go to bed in fear, because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. . . . And our city has failed to protect us.” Nearly six months after George Floyd’s death here sparked massive protests and left a wide swath of the city burned and destroyed, Minneapolis is grappling with dueling crises: an unprecedented wave of violence and droves of officer departures that the Minneapolis Police Department warns could soon leave the force unable to respond to emergencies. In June, a city council majority vowed to defund and dismantle the police department and replace it with a new agency focused on a mix of public safety and violence prevention—a move that could go before voters in 2021. Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said more than 100 officers have left the force—more than double the number in a typical year, and more are considering departing.

Western Union says suspending U.S. transfers to Cuba (Reuters) Western Union said on Friday it was suspending U.S. money transfers to Cuba in 10 days due to the Trump administration’s latest sanction on the Communist-run island, in a blow to the many Cubans who rely on remittances from family abroad. Its customers will now have to find new ways to send transfers against the backdrop of Cuba’s deepest economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Remittances have become one of the top sources of hard currency in an inefficient state-run economy laboring under a crippling U.S. trade embargo.

Armenians torch their homes on land ceded to Azerbaijan (AP) In a bitter farewell to his home of 21 years, Garo Dadevusyan wrenched off its metal roof and prepared to set the stone house on fire. Thick smoke poured from houses that his neighbors had already torched before fleeing this ethnic Armenian village about to come under Azerbaijani control. The village is to be turned over to Azerbaijan on Sunday as part of territorial concessions in an agreement to end six weeks of intense fighting with Armenian forces. The move gripped its 600 people with anger so deep that they destroyed the homes they once loved. The settlement—called Karvachar in Armenian—is legally part of Azerbaijan, but it has been under the control of ethnic Armenians since the 1994 end of a war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands. Muslim Azeris and Christian Armenians once lived together in these regions, however uneasily. Although the cease-fire ends the fighting, it aggravates ethnic animosity. “In the end, we will blow it up or set it on fire, in order not to leave anything to Muslims,” Dadevusyan said of his house.

India virus surge continues in New Delhi (AP) India’s overall tally of new coronavirus cases remained steady on Saturday, but officials were watching a surge of cases in the capital that comes as people socialize during the festival season. India’s Health Ministry reported 44,684 new positive cases in the past 24 hours and 520 deaths. Of those, 7,802 new cases were reported in New Delhi, with 91 deaths. New Delhi has seen a spike in recent weeks, recording more new cases than any other Indian state. The rising numbers coincide with a busy festival season nationwide, with millions celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, on Saturday. COVID-19 beds in government-run hospitals are nearly full and the availability of intensive care unit beds with ventilator support in the city has reached an all-time low, according to the government data. The New Delhi government has said that cases are projected to rise to nearly 12,000 daily by the end of November.

With protests muzzled, Hong Kong takes aim at the press (Washington Post) Choy Yuk-ling, better known as Bao Choy, is among this city’s most dogged journalists. Her work for public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong has tackled police misconduct, election-rigging, and flaws in personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, nearly a dozen officers arrested Choy at her home for a routine journalistic practice: accessing a public database of car registrations. She was investigating the failure of police to keep a mob from attacking anti-government protesters and others at a subway station last year. Two other journalists were charged that same week, one for resisting the police while filming and another for obstructing officers. The moves sent a chill through the city’s once-freewheeling media, already shaken by a new Chinese security law that ended free-speech protections long available in Hong Kong but not elsewhere in China. Combined with newsroom censorship, managerial shake-ups and visa denials, the arrests underscored officials’ intensifying drive to tighten control over what is said, written and heard in Hong Kong. “What state power has been doing is to try and subdue the few organizations that remain independent, daring and professional,” said Francis Lee, a professor of journalism and communications at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “They really want to close down this environment of open information.”

Vietnam braces for Typhoon Vamco, 53 dead in Philippines (Reuters) Vietnam was bracing for Typhoon Vamco to make landfall in the country’s central coast early on Sunday, as the death toll in the Philippines rose to 53 from that country’s deadliest storm this year. Packing winds of up to 165 kph (103 mph), Vamco is forecast to hit a swathe of Vietnam’s coast from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai province, the government’s weather agency said on Saturday. Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding due to its long coastline. Vamco will be the 13th storm that affects the Southeast Asian country this year, where more than 160 people have been killed in natural disasters triggered by a series of storms since early October. “There has been no respite for more than eight million people living in central Vietnam,” said Nguyen Thi Xuan Thu, Vietnam Red Cross Society President. “Each time they start rebuilding their lives and livelihoods, they are pummelled by yet another storm.”

Polisario leader says Western Sahara ceasefire with Morocco is over (Reuters) The leader of the Polisario Front, Western Sahara’s independence movement, said on Saturday the group had ended a 29-year ceasefire with Morocco to resume its armed struggle following a border confrontation. A collapse of the truce could reignite a long-dormant guerrilla war in the remote desert region and aggravate decades of friction between Morocco and neighbouring Algeria, which hosts the Polisario. Polisario leader Ibrahim Ghali said he had signed a decree announcing the end of the group’s commitment to abide by the truce, and blamed Morocco for breaking it. His statement was carried by the group’s official news agency, which also said Polisario fighters had attacked Moroccan positions along different parts of the frontline, which stretches hundreds of miles across the desert. A diplomat familiar with the situation said on Friday that heavy weapons fire was audible near the buffer zone from the direction of a Moroccan military build-up.

Nigeria Goes on Offensive Against Youth Protesting Police Brutality (NYT) Nigeria—Africa’s most populous nation—was turned upside down last month by an uprising that grew into the largest popular resistance the government has faced in years. The demonstrations began as an outcry against the SARS police unit, but evolved into a larger protest over bad governance. The government has adopted a two-pronged strategy to try to put a stop to the uproar. It has tried to persuade people that it is listening to the protesters—commissioning panels of inquiry and announcing that SARS is being disbanded. But it is simultaneously using its power to repress and intimidate activists by throwing many people in jail, and harassing others in ways large and small. Protesters say that the government is conducting a targeted campaign against people associated with the uprising in order to harass, impede and break up the movement—destroying any good faith the government had hoped to build.

[blairemclaren]

Damya Lanee Richardson Death - Obituary : Damya Lanee Richardson Has Died

Damya Lanee Richardson Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death 19-year-old Damya Lanee Richardson of Orrum, NC was struck and killed Saturday night as she rode atop an ATV in Sampson County. .....click link to learn more

Damya Lanee Richardson Death – Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death 19-year-old Damya Lanee Richardson of Orrum, NC was struck and killed Saturday night as she rode atop an ATV in Sampson County. The fatal collision happened at 10:13 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, on The Avenue in the Clinton area. Damya was pronounced dead at the scene. Through a social media announcement, DeadDeath learned on…

[qadeer00001]

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: Shekinah and Orlandria Lennon were sitting at their kitchen table this fall, taking online classes, when video of their teachers and fellow students suddenly froze on their laptop screens. The wireless antenna on the roof had stopped working, and it could not be fixed. Desperate for a solution, their mother called five broadband companies, trying to get connections for their home in Orrum, N.C., a rural community of fewer than 100 people with no grocery store or traffic lights. All the companies gave the same answer: Service is not available in your area. The response is the same across broad stretches of Robeson County, N.C., a swath of small towns and rural places like Orrum dotted among soybean fields and hog farms on the South Carolina border. About 20,000 of the county's homes, or 43 percent of all households, have no internet connection. The technology gap has prompted teachers to upload lessons on flash drives and send them home to dozens of students every other week. Some children spend school nights crashing at more-connected relatives' homes so they can get online for classes the next day. [...] Millions of American students are grappling with the same challenges, learning remotely without adequate home internet service. Even as school districts like the one in Robeson County have scrambled to provide students with laptops, many who live in low-income and rural communities continue to have difficulty logging on. "About 15 million K-12 students lived in households without adequate online connectivity in 2018," the report notes, citing a study of federal data by Common Sense Media, an education nonprofit group that tracks children's media use. "[T]he pandemic turned the lack of internet connectivity into a nationwide emergency: Suddenly, millions of schoolchildren were cut off from digital learning, unable to maintain virtual 'attendance' and marooned socially from their classmates."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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from https://youtu.be/5BRkOpFy4WY December 14, 2019 at 06:13AM

[autoaccidentrelief]

Top Rated Car Accident Lawyers Orrum North Carolina

The Way to Navigate Car Accident Cases in North Carolina and Position Yourself for Compensation

I’ll be honest, I have seen my fair share of automobile accidents (largely in my teens and early twenties), and by”found my fair share”, I mean about three.

My first injury was decided to be my fault from the police officer and rightly so like I ran into another car, for *drumroll please*…After too tightly, and breaking too late…. The front portion of my 1999 Nissan Altima was completely totaled (and it was a miracle that the automobile was even fixed).

My second accident was a hit and run with a man in a gas station where the other man scraped the side of my 2007 Ford Focus. I didn’t correctly track the license plate numbers, and so I had been at a loss.

Lastly, my final automobile accident included my 2007 Ford Focus, and as I did not understand my first lesson…. I ran into someone AGAIN…. And at a very dreamlike experience, I watched my vehicle that I worked so hard for, BURN.

I did walk from all of those events unscathed, but I wasn’t fully conscious of the laws put in place that could have compensated me in the case of an accident.

Nor was I bright enough to consult with a lawyer.

I WAS CLUELESS…

In 2018 I find myself working on Car Accident Relief, with the aim to answer a few critical questions that you might be getting in regard to your auto incident claim.

Now, before we get started here’s a BIG CAVEAT.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. This information isn’t meant to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

So, please, I recommend you:

Use this site as a way to educate yourself regarding your choices

BUT ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS, talk to an lawyer to find the BEST legal advice possible in your situation.

With that being said, you might have a few queries in respect to your accident.

You may be facing injuries and you’re not sure why you’re not being entirely compensated.

You could be confused as to why you’re getting lowball offers from an insurance provider.

Once you understand how the law is structured in North Carolina, then you will be able to see why you are getting your present settlement offers.

The truth of this situation is, you may require an experienced hand in your situation, or you might have to bring particular facts in to light.

Here are a some of the questions we will answer on this page:

What Should I do After a Car Accident? What if I had been a Passenger?

Should I see a doctor after my car accident?

Do I need a lawyer after a car accident? (I wish I understood this one)

If I really do want a lawyer, what can they do to me?

What Should I do After a Vehicle Accident?

Call law enforcement.

1 error I have often seen posted in social media is that the authorities are not called in an accident. It then turns out that the defendant tells a different story in the particulars of the accident and as a result the insurance company will not cover for damages.

With the police on the scene, they can write a report that will be utilized as evidence.

Ultimately, these components will help in filing your insurance claim, decide how the insurance company will move forward, and will allow the insurance company to ascertain fault.

Seek medical help as quickly as possible.

Pain may surface the following day or within three days.

Get contact information from another driver and witnesses (if there are any).

Going past contact information, focus on obtaining the insurance card info of the other driver. You will want to be as comprehensive as you possibly can further protect yourself.

If you can, take photos of the scene. Ensure that you take notes about what occurred while it’s still fresh on your mind.

A guy with a blue suit, a red car, and the gas station nearby. All are key details that may fade out in memory if not maintained in some way. It will help your situation if you’re in a position to take photos.

Report the accident to your insurance company.

You’ll want to report your accident to your insurance company since it’s a part of your policy. Do this as quickly as possible and remember–you’re not obligated to give details. DO NOT admit fault or provide a recorded announcement at this time. Wait for the evidence to be made available.

However, what if you’re the passenger of the car in an accident???

In this example, you may submit a claim against the driver of the car and/or the driver of another automobile involved in the crash. If your claim is found to be legitimate, you may be able to recuperate from both parties.

Should I still see a doctor after my car accident?

In many instances, adrenaline begins to rush throughout the body in the case of a car accident. The adrenaline will dull any pain which may arise as a result of an injury.

That is why it’s super critical to see a doctor as soon as possible.

This is also another reason why you want to hold off on telling any insurer what signs you may have because you might not feel any.

Whiplash, concussions, and internal bleeding are injuries that you could have sustained in an crash, and a physician should check up on you to make sure your OK. If not, you’ll need proper medical services to move forward.

Do I need a Lawyer Following a car Collision?

Seeing as that is Auto Accident Relief, you might be anticipating a solid yes response, and while I shall learn toward a yes, I am also here to tell you NO. Yes, that is right you do not always need a car accident attorney, however there are instances when you need to think about hiring one…

…For example, let’s say that in your vehicle accident you just totaled your automobile and you don’t have any injuries. Well the insurance company may offer you a fair settlement to replace your vehicle, and if that’s the case go ahead. However, if they’re lowballing then you may want to think about hiring an attorney.

An example where we highly recommend hiring an attorney is when you have received bodily injuries.

Why?

The total amount of your payout needs to be higher. You want to get checked to see what harms you have, and you will have to include a dollar figure on your settlement in case you find out that you’ll want to continue to see the doctor.

The actual question here however is,”What can an crash attorney do for me?”

This is the secret.

A skilled accident attorney Should be Able do the following:

they’ll handle all : your paperwork, legal procedures, and meet the statute of limitations deadline together with proficiency. Taking each the paperwork and discussions from YOUR picture will let you focus on something –RECOVERY. 

Work with an investigative team which can handle all of the technical aspects of your case. This isn’t always necessary, and at times cases are simple. But in more severe instance hiring an investigative team in NC can establish your innocence, and/or show why you have to be compensated. 

Objectivity. It is crucial to examine a situation with facts and not emotions. If you’re personally involved in a case, it is a lot more challenging to leave all emotions out. 

Communicate effectively with all the insurance’s attorneys. A lawyer will always know what needs to be said to another lawyer. Couple that with knowledge of the law, and it is a lot less difficult to take advantage of an attorney. 

Maximum Compensation. A lawyer that faces your situation with objectivity will stop low settlement offers from being accepted. Instead, using a fact-based approach, your settlement might rise in value as a consequence of the proof, study, preparation, and discussion set in place by an attorney. 

Court Preparations. If everything else fails, going to the courtroom armed with a strategy that will best suit your needs is what the lawyer must have prepared for in the beginning.

A Path to Follow

If you want to get the greatest favorable results in your vehicle crash claim, you’ll want to follow a number of these steps together with the highest degree of care.

For this reason, you’ll need to consult with an lawyer to know what the most effective steps would be.

Dealing with an experienced injury attorney can be the key which you desire if your situation is becoming complicated.

If you find that your current offers are fair, then proceed without hiring an attorney.

However, hiring an attorney will attract aggressive and professional representation which will position your situation for the very best compensation possible to bring your life back to normal as near as possible.

You will no longer have to be concerned about dealing with adjusters, negotiating, and dealing with the chance of being taken advantage of. All you will want to do is worry about curing yourself and moving ahead from the instant that you work with an experienced attorney.

The Facts are that we Don’t Know the Details of Your Situation

But, we want to help.

It is the reason behind the production of Car Accident Relief and we want to be able to assist you if we can.

It is why we’re offering free consultations to our would-be clients.

You’ll be able to:

Discuss Your Choices

Find out if You’ve Got a situation

Determine how to best proceed |}

Fill out the form below for help today.

Let us Help You.

What Happened to You?

[contact-form] P.S. Did you find this article helpful for your case? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Top Rated Car Accident Lawyers Orrum North Carolina appeared first on Car Accident Relief.

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[isana-mtn]

球に世界を閉じ込めて

キーアイテム”フェレス”を、三つの視点から考察したもの。

【フェレス】 pheres

アナグラムのもとであるsphereには（広義では同じですが）大きく分けて三つの意味があります。

1.球体、球 2.天体、星 3.範囲、領域

この三つの意味にそれぞれ紐づけて、フェレスとはなんなのかを考察していきます。ただしロジックの都合上、考察の順序は2→3→1をとります。

《星のフェレス》

願いや導きなど、希望のシンボルとしての星（フェレス）です。

願をかける対象、旅や航海の目印など、星は総じて明日への希望につながるものです。”希望を信じ、フェレスの導きによって願いを叶える”ストーリーにもっとも即した解釈かもしれません。また逆説的に、大きな希望であったエル・セイダ、それが砕けて幾千と散り別れたフェレスを星々とも例えられます。

また星には多様な内的イメージが含まれており、「頂点の美」「目指す場所」「無数の存在」「生まれて死にゆくもの」など、さらに行きつくところには「永遠性」も感じられます。

アストラまでの冒険を達成したフェレス、 散り別れて誰しもが所与する出発点としてのフェレス、 道半ばに潰え、あるいは後世に託されるかもしれない夢としてのフェレス、 さらにそれらが紡いでいく未来としてのフェレス。

流れ星に願いをかける信仰が単なる迷信ではなく、星という存在が太古の人々に想像をもたらして根付いた夢を見る力と考えると、この解釈はより興味深いものとなります。引用できる資料が手元にないため流説となりますが、流れ星は神様が下界の様子を見るために天の扉を開けた時に漏れる光、つまり神がこちらを見ている瞬間であるから願いを伝えたとも言われ、エターナルデザイアーにおいては、エル・セイダの砕け散った欠片が流星、イムド・エガトを天の扉と考えると通じる部分もありそうです。（古今東西の伝承をモチーフにしたり、エンセスの入り口でオルム（orrum=rumor＝噂）という敵も出現するため、迷信を論理的な観点だけで斬り捨てる作品ではないと思われる）

そして星（希望）を目指す旅は、始まり（出発）と終わり（到達）、また終わりからふたたび始まりをも生み出しますが、これは後述の「球形のフェレス」の話へと繋がっていきます。

《領域のフェレス》

個人の所有する空間、幸福な空間、外敵から守ってくれる空間としての領域（フェレス）です。

人それぞれにとっての「家」のイメージです。そこはただ外から帰ってきて、食事して体を清めて眠るだけにとどまりません。住む人の心次第で好きなものや趣味にあふれ、無限に存在価値を高め、たくさんの思い出のつまった場所にもなるものです。それは心の豊かさにも直結し、主人をあらゆるストレスから保護する力も強くなります。

『エターナルデザイアー』の欠片は、様々な物に宿り、眠りました。 宝石、生活用品、武具、おもちゃ……。 その”物”が大事に大事に扱われ、 いつしか持ち主にとってかけがえのない存在となったとき、 『エターナルデザイアー』の欠片は静かに目覚めます。 それは『フェレス』と呼ばれました。

――オープニングより

休息とはどこに、またいかなる方法によって特権的な位置をみいだすのであろうか。かりそめの避難所や偶然の隠れ場所が、われわれの内密の夢想によって、ときになぜなんら客観的な基礎をもたない価値を獲得するのであろうか。

ガストン・バシュラール[著] 岩村 行雄[訳] 『空間の詩学』筑摩書房 2002年 p38

フェレスは家（避難所）の役割を果たします。自分”だけ”の領域であり、主観によってのみ絶対的価値が生まれ、客体であってはなりません。自分だけのものになればなるほど、強烈な力を得られます。心底から安らぎ、英気を養い、嫌なことを忘れて敵意から守ってくれる家を持つ、というのは現実世界においても不可欠なものです。パワースポットを巡り、絆を深めることで高い可能性（ポテンシャル）を発揮する。それはフェレスという心の家を豊かにし、困難と戦う力を得るプロセスなのです。

ゆえにこのことは、広く共有されているものや、（生涯のパートナーなどの特別な例を除き）他者や他者の所有するものを自分の家にしてしまうというのは、一般には危うく、不幸の由縁にもなります。自分の居場所がたやすく揺らぐために、依存や権力で支配しようとしたり、裏切りを恐れて不信に陥ったりもするでしょう。本編ではエワギスがこれに該当するかもしれません。（以上はあくまで領域の話であり、愛のなすこと、愛の物語として否定する意図はありません）

家の持つイメージとは本来、版図を広げていくつも持つものではなく、地層のように積み重なり洞窟のように深くなるものです。仮に家や故郷と呼べるものが複数あったとしても、その愛着は一つの場所、一つの家、自身の心に思い描く家へと招かれ、富として保存されていきます。外部の他者ではなく内部の主人によってフェレスの価値は決まり、主人が死ぬ時、フェレスもまた価値を失って砕け散るのです。

フェレスの持ち主が強いのは、自分だけの揺るぎない場所を所有するからであり、また同じ境遇の者を理解し、味方とする、つまりパーティを組んで決戦の地に挑む仲間とすることも可能にします。それは孤独を生きると同時に人と支え合える、強固でかけがえのない関係となるはずです。

《球形のフェレス》

完全体としての球形（フェレス）です。

大切なもののたとえとして「掌中の珠」という言葉もありますが、これは手の中にあるから大切なのではなく、大切だから手の中にある。つまり自己とは常に、球の外ではなく中心部にあるのです。

くりかえしていえば、完全な円がわれわれをたすけて自己に集中させ、原初組織をわれわれ自身にあたえさせ、われわれの存在を内密に、内面から確認させるのである。内部からいきられ、外在性をうしなった存在は、円であるほかないのだ。

ガストン・バシュラール[著] 岩村 行雄[訳] 『空間の詩学���筑摩書房 2002年 p392

星として出発（始まり）と到達（終わり）が内在するフェレス。領域として幸福な空間を作り出し、主観によって完結するフェレス。みずからを中心として内部空間を生みだし、五感によって世界を見て、想像力を活発化させ、多様なイメージを育みながら統一イメージをまとめあげる。そしてその外部ではなく内部で生きることは、孤独と没入、客体による有限から脱出した主体による無限の愛とセンス、相対的な価値を捨てさり絶対的な価値を手に入れることです。フェレスは生の根源とその価値を閉じ込めるものであり、『空間の詩学』の現象学で語られるようなまるくて完全な形をとるはずです。

そして球形のフェレスは、星のフェレスと領域のフェレスに多大な力を返還します。夢を見る希望を強くし、生きる意志をいっそう守り、持ち主を完全無欠の存在とすべく助けてくれるでしょう。

フェレスが内包する星、領域、球形の三つの意味は、互いに交感しながら円を描き、運動によって無限のエネルギーを生み出しながら、真の広義として pheres - sphere という言葉を取っているのです。

[timbosu89]

at Orrum, North Carolina

[topmediumreadersclub]

Psychic in Orrum NC 28369

  The following article goes into detail about psychic in Orrum North Carolina 28369 After conducting psychic readings, numerology readings and tarot card readings for over 20 years now, I have gained a definite perspective not only as an advisor but as a client. As a client, I have been able to see exactly how psychics who are not real work their magic. After getting a psychic reading from dozens of so-called psychic advisors, you may find yourself intoxicated by the things that the psychic tells you. If it sounds too good to be true, most likely it is. You have to understand the origins and purpose of psychic networks. Their job is to make lots of money, not to help you. Granted, there are real psychics who are gifted and working on psychic network lines, but I have found that most of the people working as psychic advisors period, are not real at all. I'm sure you have heard by now that many fake psychics use scripts and certain formats in conducting their psychic readings, but for the most part, it's really simple what they tell you that gets you hooked. For example, if after getting a psychic reading, you find yourself feeling intoxicated almost, then they have done their job superbly. To be told that the one you love, loves you and that you will marry them and be together for the rest of your life is intoxicating. They give you hope that keeps you calling and calling until after you see that you have been lied to, you begin to face reality and the truth sinks in, you now realize that what they said was not true when they said it nor will it ever turn out to be true. You will find yourself hurt and disillusioned beyond the ordinary disillusionment experienced from your own life's complications. You may even find yourself broke or in debt. It's unconscionable that people could prey on others' vulnerabilities and pain in this way. But that is exactly what they do. And in the end, there is only more pain. And the inevitable distrust of psychics. It's this "fake" paradigm, which has its roots in the first elemental phone psychic networks, that dominates the public's perception and legitimate scrutiny is reasonable. But real psychics around the globe are out there and you should make it your business to find a foolproof way of determining who is real and who is not until such time as this paradigm is changed to ensure that your advisor is authentic by virtue of their credentials as it is for any professional practitioner.

Now you may frequent sites where the advisor is given feedback after your call. This is a good thing but, it is not foolproof. I have seen fake psychics who will have almost perfectly glowing feedback that goes on and on for pages. Perfect! You may wonder why this occurs. Simple. After you hear exactly what you want to hear or want to believe verified, well, this is where that intoxication comes in, you tend to reflect your glorious feelings with equally glowing feedback! But when things don't happen the way were told, you never come back. So, others following in your footsteps will call this advisor because "they too want to believe." Another thing to watch out for is fake feedback. This is also a tactic used by fakes to fool you. On sites where feedback is left, an authentic psychic advisor has to have a very high level of integrity in order to be comfortable telling the truth despite the fact of what the client wants to hear. If the psychic does not tell them what they want to hear in a reading, the client may leave very bad comments and a bad rating. It's the price you pay for being real. In my experience when I tell a client something they didn't want to hear, for the most part, they don't leave any comments. The fact is, they will most likely go find another psychic who will reflect their own feelings about the situation. A reading can be truthful and uplifting without bringing the client down but you have to ready to hear the truth. So how do you know who is real and who is not based on feedback! That is not to say that an authentic psychic is not going to have great feedback. They do, but sometimes they will be the ones to receive bad ratings and feedback mixed in with the good. Life is all about taking the good with the bad. Honestly, it's very hard to tell. The proof is really in the reading and outcomes and developing a relationship with a few trusted advisors who have been able to connect with you and your energy and have proven that their insights and predictions have been accurate for you. But, just remember, if it sounds unbelievably good, it probably is not really true and the psychic is not real and only setting up a line to take your money and setting you up for emotional failure. So be careful of perfect feedback. It's really not always an accurate gauge of the psychic advisors true abilities; except of course their ability to fleece you out of your dollars. Of course, really consistently bad feedback is a good indication that the advisor is probably just very bad and should think about going into another line of work.

Another point, you need to understand that even if you are speaking with a gifted, authentic psychic, you and that particular psychic may not connect that well. That is different from the psychic being fake. There a many reasons why a particular psychic may not connect with you. They may not be rested and ready to take calls, or you may not be relaxed and ready to receive truthful information or in some other way blocking the flow of what is being channeled thereby skewing the information on either side. Psychic readings are not an exact science. Intuition is relied upon to conduct an accurate psychic reading for a client. The reading goes much better when both the psychic advisor and client are relaxed and ready to receive. I personally find it difficult to connect with a client who wants to hear a certain thing. I have experienced many times my client trying to guide the reading. So see your authentic psychic advisor as someone who wants to help you and be ready to assist in the flow of information. To spot a fake psychic is not impossible, but if there was a way to quantify the statistic of fakes out there, I would be willing to bet that most (due in large part to large networks hiring script readers) are not real. Unfortunate, but through observation and experience, I feel this to be true. One of the Oldest Tricks in the Book. First Warning Sign That You Have Got a Fake! One of the oldest tricks in the book and something which continues to surprise me because people are continually taken in is when a psychic tells you someone has put a curse on you or there is a negative block on you which only they can remove for some exorbitant price, HANG UP! Say goodbye, because this person could not care less about you or your problems. Psychic parlors are notorious for this kind of activity. It is not for real, the curse nor the psychic. I have always believed that having a good doctor, a good mechanic and a good psychic are all professionals that are worth taking the time to assess their skill, experience and credentials to see if they are the one for you. There is nothing more satisfying than actually making a positive difference in someone's life and their continued use of your service over many years. A walking, talking testimonial is very gratifying for this psychic advisor.

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