#QUAY OPTIONEERING

[ekainfra2020]

QUAY PIONEERING FOR NEW BULK TERMINAL PHASE II IN AFRICA QUAY PIONEERING FOR NEW BULK TERMINAL PHASE II IN AFRICA

[lisbeth-kk]

May Prompts (27) Jealousy

The Luckiest Girl in the World (chapter27)

Summary: Rosie and Timothy travel the Greek islands. An intriguing experience on Santorini, puzzles and irks Rosie immensely. When Timothy doesn't react to her liking, there's only one option on how to move forward.

Twenty-Seven Years Old

To celebrate my birthday and my new fulltime job as a political risk analyst, Timothy and I went island-hopping in Greece. Liwia and her girlfriend had done it last year, and it appealed to us both. Having nothing but the flights planned, made me feel a bit reckless but it was quite freeing as well.

The only thing we’d decided on was to stick to the Cyclades and we started our journey by taking a ferry to the small island Antiparos. Several people who let out rooms stood waiting on the quay as we disembarked. An elderly and friendly looking man caught our attention, and the room he had to offer was more than sufficient.

Our first breakfast is one I’ll remember forever. The small restaurant was situated by the seafront where the fishing boats came in with their catch. Faded coloured fishing nets hung to dry in the sun, the scent of salt weaving its way to our nostrils.

Freshly pressed orange juice and the fluffiest omelette I’d ever come across, ensured the perfect start of our day.

We hired a moped to explore a little. The trip took us through a landscape of olive trees and flowers we didn’t have in the UK. Our destination was the famous cave with stalagmites and stalactites. The stalagmite at the entrance is apparently 45 million years old, the oldest in Europe. 

We were warm and a bit sweaty after standing out in the sun, while we waited for our guide. The air inside was pleasantly chill and got even colder as we descended the 411 steps to the heart of the cave. It was a mesmerising sight, and knowing that this was the nature’s own doing, left me amazed and humble.

At a cosy taverna we ate the best Greek salad to date. The ripe tomatoes paired with the salty feta cheese, olives, onions, the rich olive oil and the homemade bread, almost made me religious for a moment.

The beach close to our quarters, was small, secluded and blessedly free of crowds. We had taken a boat to a famous beach the day before, but we’d barely found a free space to lay down our blankets, so this felt like paradise in comparison. 

Another short boat ride away was the bigger island Paros. We took the bus to the other side of the island. I don’t remember anything else from that trip than the hours we spent in Naoussa. Several boats painted in bright colours lay bobbing in the water close to the restaurants that encircled the bay. It may sound simple, but it was the most beautiful view, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. We sat there for hours, eating seafood and drinking Greek white wine. 

***

So far, it had been a “normal” vacation, or tedious as Papa would’ve called it. That all ended when we sat foot on Santorini. Getting a room was easy enough, and relieved of our heavy rucksacks we went for a stroll in the main street of Fira. Every other shop was a jewellery shop, and the necklaces displayed bore the resemblance to what pharaohs and Cleopatra wore. Heavy, massive and ridiculously expensive. For each shop they seemed to grow bigger and uglier. We had quite a laugh at that.

The most peculiar thing happened at the restaurant we had lunch. It was a terrace with a breathtaking view over the Aegean Sea. We’d decided to stay for a while and ordered more iced tea, making ourselves comfortable under the big parasol. We had both brought a book, and for a while we read in silence. A repetitive sound of paper being ripped, caught my attention.

An elderly woman had taken up residence at the table next to ours. She had short frizzy hair, more grey than brown now, her glasses were round with a white frame. The summer dress she wore had big patterns in green, red, white, and orange. On her feet were white flip-flops. 

“Stop staring,” Timothy whispered.

He startled me and I looked annoyed at him, but averted my eyes and took a sip of my drink. The moment the sound of ripped paper reached my ears again, my eyes were drawn to the spectacle at the other table.

The woman read a book too. A paperback. The curious thing I almost couldn’t fathom, was that whenever she finished a page, she ripped it out and placed it in a pile under her plate. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? What if you needed to go back some pages to look up something you’ve missed. It could never be read by another person, since she apparently left pages wherever she sat down to read. It bore no logic, and it irked me.

“Aren’t you curious about why she does it?” I whispered to Timothy.

“Not particularly. My book is far too interesting, and you won’t get an answer unless you ask her, and I guess you aren’t inclined to do that,” was his phlegmatic answer.

Timothy’s ability to turn off the world and disappear into his reading or writing, was admirable, but now it almost made me jealous of his book. I wanted to speculate with someone, solve this odd conundrum. There would be no more reading on my part after this, so I took out my phone instead.

Want to solve a mystery for me?

Pray tell! I’m bored to death and about to shoot the wall. P

Also available on AO3

Friendly warning: after 25 years the mystery is still unsolved. Don’t be shy about suggesting what the meaning of this appalling behaviour could be 🤭

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @helloliriels @raina-at

More tags in the replies

[midautumngame]

Yo! Looking for more games like Hades?

Check out Midautumn! A fellow indie character and narrative-focused roguelite game about Asian diaspora and Demon gentrification!

We got roguelike dungeon crawling gameplay with engaging and unique combat mechanics! And accessibility options to ensure you can play how you'd like!

A range of different enemies to fight, including epic boss battles!

A whole cast of diverse characters complete with beautiful art and voice acting, including ancestors who offer their gifts to help you along the way!

Distinct and detailed animated pixel art style! Set in a fictional town of Nambo Quay, California and the spirit world right below it!

Plus a seriously bumping soundtrack! All made by an incredible team of devs of Asian diaspora and already fully funded on Kickstarter!

Available now to wishlist on Steam and coming to early access May 9th 2023!

[reasonsforhope]

In 2014, the Australian firm AMP Capital launched a bold and bizarre call to action to the architectural community of Sydney—replace their skyscraper headquarters without demolishing it.

They wanted their AMP Center, the once-tallest building in Sydney, to become the world’s first “upcycled skyscraper,” and the results were truly inspirational.

By grating a second tower onto the existing core of the AMP Center and not demolishing it, 12,000 tons of CO2 were saved which would have otherwise been created through the use of heavy machinery and the loss of carbon captured in the cement. 12,000 tons is equal to 3 years of the 49-story tower’s maximum energy consumption.

Built in the 1970s, the AMP Center wasn’t necessarily on its last legs, but wasn’t viable for the company any longer. But the firm was unwilling to commit to the massive costs of carbon and money when another option was available.

First though, sufficiently bold architects were needed for the project. Three firms teamed up, led by Danish architects 3XN, an Engineering company called Arup, and the Australian architects BVN.

“The tower was coming to the end of the end of its life, in terms of viability… but the structure and the ‘bones’ can actually last a lot longer,” said Fred Holt from 3XN in a video interview. “You can’t always retain everything. But if you can retain the structure—and that’s where the majority of your embodied carbon is—then you’re lowering your footprint.”

At first it was unclear how much of the original structure would be saved. Beginning on the project, the team realized the original tower was actually about 4 meters shorter than the original drawings suggested.

They installed hundreds of sensors to track the tiniest of movements to ensure that by aligning their new construction with the old one, there wouldn’t be any surprises waiting for them at key moments.

In short, the build was a huge success, and the architects boast that walking from the new construction into the old tower is an unnoticeable transition.

Five stacked units with sharp points twist up toward the sky, while an envelope covers both the new extension and the old tower such that no one could tell the difference. Office space was expanded from 4,500 to 9,000 personnel, and the lack of demolition saved AMP around AUD$150 million.

The Quay Quarter Tower, as it’s called, won World Building of the Year upon its opening late in 2022. 3XN hopes it serves as a case study for the future potential in upcycling towers.

-via Good News Network, 5/1/23

[mrsometimes11]

Dragon Quest IX: INNS POLL

Since my last DQ9 poll went so well, let me try this again.

Honourable mentions to the healing place at the Observatory, and the Dormitory at Swinedimples, it's cool that they're free (seriously if you heal anywhere other than Swinedimples after finishing the quests in that town, you're doing something wrong), but they aren't technically inns.

Dishonourable mention to Porth Llaffan, Tumblr polls only allow 12 options, and this charming seaside inn was too boring to make the cut.

[teamoon7]

🇺🇸: So, I was still a little unsure about my original ladybug redesign, so I tried to make some alternatives with other changes and options.

In the second Image, there are 6 different items that I'm not sure which options I should pick: shirt (purple), sleeve length (orange), 'belly'/torso (green), gloves (blue) (connect or not to the arm, like 1 and 4), shorts (yellow) and boots (red). Which one do you prefer from each of these items? (Ps.: the already "built up" combinations are not variations I already "estabilished"! I just put some options together at random so it was easier to visualize them, but you can say any combination you want. I'm also not sure if I'm keeping the sleeves of the shirts and shorts with the golden details, but I'm already certain I'll keep the parts that show the sewing). (Ps.2: I didn't include the cape just so it was easier to see all the different parts, but I didn't remove it from the costume, it's still there).

The first pic is my favorite combination, but I also like shirt 5, belly/torso 3 and glove 1...

My main problems with the first version were mainly the upper part of the body (shirt and torso), but I also wasn't very happy neither with the original boots, nor with the way the shorts were "glued" to the costume. About the gloves, although I like the og black and simple gloves (to represent a ladybug's paws), I saw someone (unfortunately forgot who it was :/ ) saying that they found it important for ladybug to have red hands because of the scenes of her and chat doing "pound it", since is has focus on their hands, I thought it was an interesting concept and tried to change a little bit so I could keep the gloves, but with red details on them. (Ps.: the gloves are not exactly above the spots in the arms, so please ignore the glove position because it will not cover the spots). Although I like the gloves with darker shades of red, I don't think it is an 'harmonious' choice if that's the only part of the clothes that has that shade (if I don't choose torso 5).

Anyway, if you want you can also suggest any other changes (like "I like glove 1, but without the golden accents) in general!! Also, even if I decide my favorite parts in this one I'll definitely do at least a third redesign hahaha (since there's a specific element I want to include on the costume in general, but I'm still unsure of how I'm doing/including it)

🇧🇷: Então, eu ainda tava um pouco incerta sobre meu redesign original da Ladybug, então pensei em fazer algumas alternativas com outras mudanças.

Na segunda imagem, tem 6 itens diferentes que eu estou em dúvida entre quais opções escolher: blusa (roxo), tamanho da manga (laranja), 'barriga'/torso (verde), luva (azul) (Modelo com ou sem relevo), short (amarelo) e bota (vermelho). Quais vocês preferem de cada um desses itens? (Obs: os trajes "montados" não são as variações que eu já estabeleci! Só coloquei algumas opções juntas aleatoriamente pra ficar mais fácil de visualizar, porém podem falar qualquer combinação que vocês quiserem. Também não tenho certeza se vou manter as "mangas" das blusas e shorts com os detalhes dourados, mas a costura é de certeza que vou manter).(Obs2: só não coloquei a capa pra ficar mais fácil de visualizar, mas ela ainda está na roupa).

A primeira imagem é minha combinação favorita, mas também gosto da blusa 5, da barriga 3 e da luva 1...

Meus problemas principais eram principalmente na blusa de cima e na parte superior do torço, mas também não fiquei tão satisfeita com a bota original e nem com a forma como o short era "colado" na roupa. Sobre a luva, por mais que eu goste das luvas simples pretas (pra representar as patas de uma joaninha), vi uma pessoa comentando que acha importante as mãos da ladybug serem vermelhas por causa das cenas dela e do chat noir fazendo o "zerou" que têm foco nas mãos deles (infelizmente esqueci quem foi que falou isso :/ ), achei um conceito interessante e tentei mudar um pouco pra manter as luvas porém com detalhes vermelhos nelas. (Obs: as luvas não estão realmente grudadas nas bolinhas do braço, então ignorem as luvas posicionadas em cima das bolinhas). Por mais que goste das luvas com tons mais escuros de vermelho, não sei se fica muito harmônico aquele ser o único local da roupa com aquele tom de vermelho se não for escolher a opção 5 de barriga/torso.

Enfim, se quiserem também podem sugerir qualquer outra mudança (como "gosto da luva 1 porém sem o dourado") no geral!! Mesmo que eu decida minhas favoritas nesse aqui eu com certeza ainda vou no mínimo fazer um terceiro redesign hashushs (até porque tem um elemento específico que quero incluir nas roupas num geral mas que ainda não decidi como fazer)

[astrojulia]

Hi Julia~❄️ loving your work !! 💙

I'd like to know about Astroid Regulus in Leo 29° in positive aspect with Mercury, Neptune & Chiron.

Thank You! 💙

Fixed Stars in Astrology

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Hi Siren! So, Regulus is a fixed star and not an asteroid and fixed stars are not commonly used in western astrology and so I can explain what they are, but I am not going to do a in deep post about them into it because I don't qualify as a the best source on the subject (there's a module extra at my school on the subject but I still can't do it 😅).

1. What are Fixed Stars and How They Work:

Fixed stars are distant celestial objects in the night sky that appear to be stationary relative to each other and form the background against which the planets and other celestial bodies move. They are considered "fixed" because their positions change very slowly over time, about 1 degree every 72 years. Fixed stars are grouped into zodiacal and non-zodiacal constellations. These constellations have mythological narratives associated with them, known as catasterisms, which vary across cultures. These stars were traditionally an integral part of astrology, lost some significance over time, but are now regaining importance in astrological interpretation in the western astrology, as far as I, Julia, know, it has always had its place in Vedic astrology..

2. Different Cultures and Narratives:

Different cultures have unique narratives associated with the constellations. Even cultures with limited contact have narratives that share similarities, indicating a shared human connection to the stars. Western astrology often uses Greco-Roman mythological narratives for interpretation, incorporating elements from other mythologies as well.

3. Benefic and Malefic Fixed Stars:

Fixed stars can be classified as benefic or malefic based on their astrological influences. For example, Algol (β Persei) is considered one of the most malefic stars, associated with challenging and intense energies. In contrast, Spica is considered one of the most beneficial stars.

4. Precession of the Equinoxes and Positional Changes:

The precession of the equinoxes causes gradual shifts in the positions of stars and constellations over long periods of time. This phenomenon impacts the positions of stars in relation to zodiac signs and constellations, which can lead to differences in interpretations between traditional and modern astrology.

5. Astrological Implications:

Fixed stars can be used in horary astrology to provide insights into future events and projects, particularly when they align with significant points in the chart, like the Sun's conjunction with Regulus in Virgo. They offer indications about qualities such as authority, generosity, courage, and more.

6. Finding Fixed Stars in Your Birth Chart:

The positions of fixed stars in your birth chart are determined by factors such as their brightness, size, and their alignment with key points like the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, and Imun Coeli. Astrologers use methods like the Ptolemaic method to calculate these positions and offer insights into an individual's life and traits. But since I know you're not going to do the calculations by hand, you can look up fixed stars on astro.com or on my favorite program Pegasus (this program has a very early 00's interface, but it calculates very well and has the option in english and other languages).

Extra Sources: Estrelas fixas na astrologia: o que é, quais são as de cada signo e mais!

Estrelas fixas: o que são e como são usadas na Astrologia

Estrelas Fixas no mapa astral

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Four (Part 2)

I see Kelly before she sees me when we arrive back to the quays. She’s perched alone on  top of an empty picnic table with her feet on the seats, arms crossed looking as pissed off as I’ve ever seen her look. I am only beginning to wonder where Claire is when I spot her. She’s with Shane and his friends at the other bench and they’re all joking around and chatting animatedly while Kelly seethes behind them, and I feel itchy just looking at her. How can Claire just go on normally like that while Kelly is so clearly fuming? Her emotions are like an aura around her, and I find her anger impossible to ignore, especially when it’s directed towards me. 

Claire spots me as Liam and I walk towards them and she waves and calls my name. About eight pairs of eyes turn to look at us then and I fight my automatic inclination to wiggle my hand out of his. Lighter boy is looking at me, and for a split second our eyes meet before mine dart away, I’m too timid for the intensity of him. 

“Man, Liam. Good to see you.” Shane is getting up from the bench to shake my date’s hand and pull him into a hug. Shane grins down at me from his six foot height and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more like a little girl. “Out on a little date are we, Evie?” I feel my whole face burning up. Why does he have to say it like that? 

He throws a good natured arm around me and gently punches Liam’s arm. “You better look after this one, sure, Kelly and I have known her since we were babies, she’s like my other little sister at this stage. A way quieter, less annoying one.” He glances over at the still furious Kelly and she sticks out her tongue at him. I wonder again what happened to her while I was gone.

Shane brings Liam and I over to his table of friends, and I’m not really surprised to find that they all seem to know Liam. All of these summers-on-the-beach kids do, they’ve been living in their own little ecosystem for years and sharing a history together of first drinks and first kisses, bike rides, ice creams in the sun, bonfires and night time swims. I stand silently as they talk to each other, and then I feel Claire’s hands pulling me towards her. 

“How did it go?” She says quietly. 

I shrug. “Good, I think.”

“What happened?”

“We just walked a bit. Then we sat and talked.”

She raises her eyebrow dubiously. “Is that it? No kiss? But you were holding hands.”

I look around me quickly to make sure that nobody else is listening to us, and thankfully everyone is busy. “Okay yeah, we kissed.”

“Was it nice?”

I nod.

“So what now? Are you going to hang out again?”

“I don’t know yet, he didn’t mention anything about wanting to, but he wanted to hold my hand so I suppose that probably means something.”

“Yeah it means that he definitely likes you.”

I smile. “Do you think so?”

“Eh, Duh.” She grins and claps her hands together. “This is so exciting!”

“It makes me nervous.” I admit. 

“I know, but it’s supposed to feel like that. Being a bit nervous is good.”

I smile weakly. “He’s cute… isn’t he?”

“He’s really cute.”

I glance over my shoulder quickly at Kelly, because I can still feel the atmospheric rage that’s encompassing her and it’s making my skin prickle. Thankfully, she doesn’t look back at me. She’s staring off into the distance now so I don’t have to incur her wrath through her seething gaze. 

“What’s wrong with Kelly?” I whisper. 

“Is there something wrong with her?” Claire looks over at our friend surprised. I’m dumbfounded. How can she not have noticed this already? But she just shrugs. “I don’t know, I suppose she might have been a bit snappy when we ran into Shane. She said that she didn’t want to come over and talk to him or something so I think she’s maybe worried that he’ll cramp her style.” 

“You just left her on her own?” I’m not trying to be accusatory, I just didn’t realise that going against what Kelly wanted was an option. 

Claire seems rightfully confused. “Yeah… I did. She’s an actual adult now and she can be left on her own.” She glances back over at her. “If she’s mad about it then that isn’t my problem.”

“I think I should go over to her.”

“Do you want to go over?”

“No.”

“Then why would you go over? Stay here with us. Have you met everybody? They’re all so nice and friendly. Leave her be.” She reaches out and touches Shane’s shoulder, which makes him immediately snap around to her like he’s been electrocuted.

“Evie hasn’t met your friends before.” She tells him. “So can you introduce her?”

“Yeah of course.” He stands up and with a hand on my back he forcefully pushes me to the head of the table where everybody can see me. “Lads, this is Evie by the way. She’s another one of Kelly’s friends from home in Tullamore.” 

There are four people at the table excluding Liam. At the top there is Kasper; a skinny boy with buzzed blonde hair who isn’t wearing anything but a pair of shorts. He has an accent that I recognise as polish, and when he smiles at me I am disarmed by the gap between his front teeth. Across from him is Joe, a freckled guy who sort of reminds me of a young Adam Sandler. He has a lazy smile and sleepy eyes and I feel somehow completely sure in the moment that we meet that he is a stoner. Then to his left I’m introduced to Jen, the red haired girl I’d seen on the deck. She’s very nice, but I find myself intimidated by her and how grown up she seems to me. She has a silver ring in her nose and big hoop earrings dangling from her lobes. Her makeup is so nice, thick black wings extend out as far as the edges of her eyebrows, and it makes her look like a cat. Bangles jingle on her wrist when she waves at me. 

Then finally, we get to him. He is sitting across from Jen down at the end of the table, and I am trying to seem as cool as possible as I am introduced to him. Light as a breeze, like I hadn’t even noticed him sitting there the whole time. Like my palms aren’t sweating as though I’m about to meet the most good looking person I’ve ever seen in real life. As I take a good look at him I kind of want to shake my head in disbelief. Real boys don’t look like this, no Irish boy has skin like that or… teeth as alarmingly white as that. It’s ridiculous to the point that it kind of makes me angry.  He gives me a half smile and points his thumb to himself. “Jude.” is all he says. 

“Good to meet you.” I say. 

“Good to meet you too.” 

He’s not Irish, I realise. That isn’t an Irish accent. Or is it? I can’t decide what it is, not quite Irish, but not really anything else immediately identifiable. 

Claire breaks my train of thought. “Shane was telling me about the house they’ve all been staying in.” She says to me, “It sounds unreal. It’s way up the beach where all those modern mansion places are, they’ve got a big outdoor deck and a fire and everything.”

I avoid saying Oh yeah I’ve seen it already, I was actually up there the other week standing inexplicably in the marram grass and looking at it under the cloak of darkness, and opt instead for the more neutral “Sounds cool.”

“It’s Jude’s parents’ holiday house.” Shane explains. “They’ve been sound and let us have it to ourselves.”

“As a consolation for having no money to go abroad.” Says Jen. “Imagine, we could be on Lake Como instead.”

Claire goes on “You were just saying though, Shane, that we could go up and hang out with ye all some time?” 

He scratches the back of his neck and shuffles his feet awkwardly when she says this, and I wonder if he was trying to invite her and not anybody else. Jen speaks before he can though. “Ugh, yes please.” She says. “I’m getting sick of hanging out with only boys, so I’d be delighted if the two of you came up to visit.”

“Maybe three of us?” I say, looking back at Kelly again. 

“If she’ll be seen with us.” Shane says snidely and loudly enough for her to hear, and I try to make sure that she can see that I’m not laughing along with everyone else.

“Four of you,” says Jude looking amused, “Including Liam?” 

 “Oh yeah, well, obviously I thought that went without saying.”

“Why don’t ye come over tomorrow evening?” Jen suggests. “It’s meant to be another nice day so we can hang out on the deck and maybe have a barbeque down on the beach. It’s actually so quiet down there after seven, nobody is ever there to disturb us.”

“Perfect.” Says Claire. “We can’t wait.”

Prev // Next

[thezombieprostitute]

Alphas & Algorithms - Part 5 - Second date

A/N: Continued from Part 4. Reader is female and is described as "tall". No other descriptors.

Warnings: It is a Dystopian AU. Food scarcity, hunger, mentions of families being separated. Please let me know if I missed any!

--Part 1-- --Part 6--

--Series Masterlist--

“Hello Curtis,” Y/N calls from the kitchen as he walks through the door to her apartment. “Come on in and have a seat. I’ve cooked something a little less rich this time that should help keep your body from crashing. Again, I’m very sorry about that.”

Curtis walks towards the little dining table and sits, “you don’t need to apologize. You had no idea. And we got our rations delivered this morning. Thank you for keeping your promise.”

“Well no one should have to go without a full complement of nutrients,” Y/N brings over a couple plates of spaghetti with meatballs and sits with him. “Would you like some shredded cheese to go with?”

“Umm,” Curtis hesitates, “whichever option you’re going with. We’re already out of my depth here.”

“Oh,” Y/N stops, “I’m so…” “Please,” Curtis interrupts. “Please don’t say you’re sorry. You didn’t know, now you do.”

“Thank you, again, for your patience with me,” Y/N smiles. Curtis’s inner Alpha has started to like making her smile. It’s something he knows he’s going to have to be careful with. 

“Do you mind if we talk while we eat,” he asks.

“Not at all! I’m happy to listen. You just might need to wait for responses until I’ve finished my bite of food,” Y/N chuckles. 

Curtis can’t help but smile back, “thank you.” Y/N’s inner Omega practically preens at being able to make the Alpha smile. She knows it’s genuine and she’s delightfully surprised. 

The two talk over dinner about the kinds of benefits his Pack could receive. Curtis’s priority was clearly the health and well-being of the pups. Y/N promised to look more into the matter but she was sure that one of the benefits the Pack would receive was that none of the pups would ever be recruited to be Emotional Support Betas. She was able to confirm they would receive better education, better access to food, supplies and housing. 

When dinner was finished Curtis insisted on helping with the dishes. He wasn’t used to being taken care of and couldn’t just sit at the table while she cleaned, especially when she’d also cooked. He got a good whiff of her kitchen and almost coughed at the myriad of herbs and spices he’d never smelled before. They stood next to each other at the sink, her washing, him rinsing, and he found himself drawn to the calmness of her scent. Warm vanilla was quite comforting amongst the strange, almost overpowering smells of the kitchen. 

“So, what other questions do you have,” Y/N asked, hands busy with the dishes to distract herself from how close she was to him, how good he smelled. 

“Do you think I can meet Jake? He’s a big part of your life, practically your Pack. It’d feel wrong to not meet him.”

“Yes, of course,” Y/N replied excitedly. “Just not today. He’s using our date as an excuse to go on a date with another Beta. She’s really sweet and I hope it goes well.”

Curtis nodded, trying to focus on the dishes, trying to figure out how to proceed safely.

“Are you okay,” Y/N asked. “Is something agitating you?”

“Um,” Curtis panicked. “I think it’s the herbs and spices you’ve got in here. It’s a lot of smells I’ve never smelled before. How do you not get overwhelmed? You’re super sensitive to scents.”

“It’s two-fold, really. The first part is that I’m used to them. I spend a lot of time in here, so I’ve developed a kind of tolerance. If we were out in the hallways and there were a bunch of these scents out there it would certainly throw me for a loop. The second part is that I can identify the individual scents. From the spicy cinnamon to the bittersweet dong quai and even the sharp peppermint. Knowing what they are is a significant help to not letting them overwhelm me.”

“You may want to swap them out a bit. One of them is smelling like it’s going bad.”

“Oh that’s probably the black kohosh. It smells pretty bad in herb form but the taste when used in tea is actually pretty calming and earthy.”

“Huh. Next time I visit, would you be willing to make some tea? Help me learn about this plethora of smells?”

“You…you actually want to meet up again?”

“Yeah. You’re surprised?”

“Heh, I was certain you were going to come back and tell me, at some point tonight, that you weren’t interested,” Y/N gives a soft smile. “It’s nice to be wrong about something and have it be a good thing. Thank you.”

“Well, nothing’s set in stone,” Curtis quickly rebuts. “But I’m interested in learning more about what kind of life I’d have here.”

“True. Very true,” Y/N nods her head. “I could give you a tour of places in the building you’d be allowed to visit but…but there is a catch.”

Curtis notes the nervousness in her scent and asks her what she means. She hesitates as she passes him another dish to rinse and he gently presses her to tell him.

“I…for safety, I…I have to give you a temporary mark,” she rushes out the last part. “I will absolutely understand if you’re not up for that. It’s a lot to ask of you. But it would be for your safety. You’d be an unknown, unclaimed Alpha and it just wouldn’t be safe or responsible of me to put you in potential danger. Or cause potential danger. Some of the other Alphas and Omegas might get territorial. I’m so sorry. Like I said, I’ll understand if it’s a step too far for you.”

Curtis holds her hand, “it’s also just a temporary mark, right? Those things fade after just a day or two and it doesn’t permanently seal me to you, right?”

“Right,” Y/N confirms. “But it can still be quite the show of trust and I don’t know if you’re ready for that.”

“Y/N,” Curtis sighs, “there’s not much in life that I’m certain of. But I am absolutely certain that you would never purposefully hurt me.” Y/N tears up and hugs Curtis tightly, whispering a thank you, as he cautiously, gently, returns the hug. He’s a little nervous because her height gives her access to the mating gland on his neck but he hopes all she smells is the sincerity of his words. He knows. His inner Alpha knows she would never hurt him.

Y/N breaks the hug and comments that she’ll give him a tour after they finish the dishes. 

Tagging @every-username-is-taken-damnit, per request.

--Part 6--

[cloggedarteri]

ive been reading the ffxv japanese translations and ive been taking notes as usual. take a peek if you'd like (this shit is not proof read, this came straight from the dome)

--ch 1:

♡the way regis speaks to noctis is so informal compared to eng...hes very close i feel

♡"Prompto: Ah, they sell Ebony here. Ignis will be happy"---prompto is so considerate bruh. its so sweet that he had an eye out for things ignis likes. it says something to have someone remember things about you....prompto has the fattest crush on ignis i can smell it

♡prompto is so cute omg: "Hooray. Just one more!" he says after their second fight with a herd 

♡dave asked for assistance in hunting down the last of the varmin in the area and there are three options: 1. do it for free. 2. do it for a price--2AP. and 3.ask my friends--150. the response for the second option is so awkward, noctis says: alright we'll do it...um the reward? AND THEN THE THIRD OPTION HAS IGNIS saying: It’s dangerous if we leave as it is. Tell us more about it......its so funny that ignis is very "he asked for no pickles on his burger" coded, speaking up for noctis

♡boys are very gun-ho/very impulsive...gladio had to hold the boys back before they attacked the infected dualhorn...very dad coded i love that for him

♡boys trying to figure out whos going to drive the car after its repairs... noctis is funny as hell. prompto said that he wasnt confident in his driving and noctis said:"im confident i will break the car again"...hes truly a passenger princess and i love it. a very self aware passanger princess

♡noctis is such a bro...he hears prompto wants to visit cindy in the future and he offers for him to borrow the regalia

♡ignis isnt saying his signature puns bruh...umbra came with the notebook and all ignis has to say is that hes a reliable messenger WHILE ENGLISH IGNIS SAYS THAT UMBRA "certainly nose how to find us" 

♡ahhh noctis is blushing when gladio puts him on the spot about wanting the marriage and prompto fucking calls it out too omg

♡gladio saying he wants to go for a dip in galdin quay makes me think of him dressing up as a mermaid for a party with the tail and pearls and everything...omg he does a little mermaid performance for iris's birthday b/c like any little girl she had a mermaid phase and he didnt want to disappoint his baby sister 😭 omg gladio i love you

♡with all the uncle ardyn fics ive read i find it really funny that during their first encounter arydn flicks the coin at the boys and says: "consider it your allowance"...arydn would be that uncle that pulls out a whole roll of 20s and 50s and 100s but then hand you a fucking dollar and say dont spend it all in one place...hes such an asshole😭

♡noctis is so cute bruh, he defo pegs me as a boy lacking in life experiences because he was all starry eyed when the zuzu flew away and said: "whoa, so magnificent", hes such a dork i fucking love him omg

♡the boys just called prompto a personality hire without substance when they were comparing him to dino

♡you know whats fucked up, everyone in the group had lost someone following the attack but we dont get a second to think about. yea noctis lost his father but the boys have all lost people, have all lost their homes...fuck gladios father died in action. ignis' uncle possibily died in action too. prompto's family situation is difficult but we can assume that his parents were lost in the casualty 

♡never noticed that this is probably the first time the boys see magitek troopers. it sounds like they know of them though (prob royal personel collected information about nifilheim tech---giving very cold war vibes ngl) gladio says: "so these are MTs

♡ end of the chapter gives us radio announcements and theres a segment talking about noctis: " He’s a calm person with a very gentle heart who loves animals and nature" --- now who the hell is telling them this. it gotta be regis wanting to gush about his boy     "And he’s also very serious, well-behaved, and always a top-scorer student." ---i had no idea he did well academically bruh. i cant help but imagine the effort it would have taken for him to be such an honor student, not only from noctis but from the boys too. how many late nights did he and the boys have to make sure he passed tests...ignis and gladio are very older siblings parenting their younger siblings coded and im so fucking sick        "On his day off, he seems to be doing community service to helps citizens." ---- NOW WHY THE FUCK DIDNT I KNOW NOCTIS HAD DONE COMMUNITY SERVICE, HE WAS REALLY THE PEOPLES PRINCE I HADNT KNOWN OMG HE WAS THE MALE PRINCESS DIANA IM FUCKING THROWING UP OMG MY SWEET BOY I LOVE HIM SO MUCH 

[monkeyssalad-blog]

Scandinavia and Finland : Services and Fares leaflet : British Railways (Eastern Region) : 1960 by mikeyashworth Via Flickr: One of the series of leaflets issued by British Railways describing long-distance European rail travel using the then many ferry crossings to the Continent. Many of these steamer servces were at the time owned and operated by British Railways. Issued biannually, for Summer and Winter Seasons, the editions usually had different covers relating to the country or groups of countries the leaflet related to. At the time, prior to widespread air travel and the Channel Tunnel, the various ferry services, and allied train connections, were the main option for most travellers. These were commissioned from a range of artists and designers and this series, for Winter 1960/61, feature artworks by Reginald Lander (1930 - 1980) who undertook many commissions for British Railways and other clients. As well as the BR totem the covers also, unusually, feature the badge of the C.I.E.C., the European Railway Information Centre based in Rome who were the trans-national European railway organisation allied to the International Union of Railways. This leaflet gives details of a surprisingly varied number of routes including travel from London via Harwich to Germany and onwards to Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland; routes from Victoria station via Ostend, Brussels and onwards through Cologne; the Harwich to Esbjerg services using the Royal Danish Mail Services of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab: London Tilbury and Gothenburg; Bergen Line sailings from Newcastle upon Tyne to Stavanger, Bergen and Oslo that included through trains from Kings Cross to Tyne Commission Quay; Newcastle to Oslo via Kristiansand and the Olsen Line; Associated Humber Lines services fromGoole to Copenhagen (Fridays with limited passenger accomodation), and the summer onlu Newcastle - Esbjerg/Copenhagen services of the Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab. At this date British Railways had an office in Stockholm at Norrmalmstorg 1.

[candm-brittany-2023]

Whilst we ate an unremarkable lunch we discussed our options for the rest of the trip. Earlier we had looked at the weather forecasts, the tide times and currents. The forecast isn’t bad this week but it changes at the weekend.

We were going to be meeting Laura, Alex, and Flynn in Guernsey or Jersey next weekend, but the cost of travel and accommodation for a weekend break were so enormous it made it prohibitive.

There’s no real reason to hang about. Our passports are being stamped tomorrow, we’ll steal a night in Trébeurden, then go to St Peter Port in Guernsey on Wednesday, probably crossing the Channel on Thursday. There are also tide and current issues this end.

If we do this it’ll mean we’ll be back for the Bishopsteignton village festival at the weekend!!😃

After we’d eaten we explored further. We went to the sea wall facing north towards the Île de Batz. Here is the panoramic view.

Slight panic! If we’re going home, we need to buy stuff to take home with us. Stuff as presents, stuff you can only get in France. We’d picked up a few bits on our travels but now there was some urgency getting the rest. Most of it involved bottles and supermarkets.

On the way back to the marina we popped into the small Carrefour supermarket and picked up some of the lighter things we wanted.

The marina has bikes to use for free. They are electric and they have panniers! Perfect. I borrowed one whilst Carol went back on board. You get an hour for free so I set my timer and headed off to the big Casino supermarket on the edge of the town. It was useless. Very poorly stocked.

Next stop was the Wine Store, previously known as the Red Bus as there was a double decker outside. The bus is no longer there. They deliver to the marina, so we could stock up on boxed rosé to last us a few weeks at home in the summer.

Still some stuff missing, it was necessary to go back to the Carrefour. These electric bikes are fantastic. I’ve never ridden one before. I might have to give this some consideration for the future 🤔

We’d got all our stuff.

Back on board I adjusted the passage plans and we were pretty much prepared.

When we arrived yesterday we noticed that Mike and Hilary, with the Sealine 35, who we had met in Port-Le-Fôret and Camaret, were on the next pontoon. We invited them round for a drink in the evening. They were good company.

They are going on to St. Quay-Portrieux on Wednesday.

We had a snacky dinner as we’d had quite a few nibbles. Afterwards we walked up to the marina bar.

It was a still evening.

Walking back along the pontoon we passed the massive granite rock which is almost iconic to this marina.

On top and behind it are the lovely botanical gardens which we visited in 2017. I wonder if we’ll get the time to go again in the morning.

[midautumngame]

For Robin Lam, crashing at Grandma's was meant to be a break from their responsibilities. But relaxing might prove hard when the Spirit World is real, its entrance is in their basement, and they're its newest guardian. Blast evil spirits and save your hometown from gentrification in this rogue-like dungeon crawler about Asian diaspora culture – Midautumn!

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Enjoy multiple story arcs and narrative branches and uncover the mysteries of this fictional Californian coastal town! Shop for boba power-ups, clothes, music and more! Visit locales and events, such as the anime con, SakuraFest!

✧ Meet the Characters ✧

Meet and chat with a whole cast of diverse characters complete with beautiful art and voice acting! Get to know townsfolk and Ancestral Spirits, who offer you their Gifts to help you along the way!

✧ Engage with Asian cultures ✧

Explore diverse Asian diaspora cultural experiences and perspectives created by an all-Asian diaspora team! Featuring a distinct lofi pixel art style, a bumping soundtrack, compelling dialogue and story and previously funded on KIckstarter!

✧ AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM EARLY ACCESS ✧

BUY, WISHLIST OR TRY THE DEMO TODAY!

[saltqueer]

Very interested to hear more about and commerce flowed like blood 👀👀👀

so! and commerce flowed like blood, or flow, he/they, is my character for a heart campaign i'm in.

mechanically, his ancestry is cervine, a humanoid deer that's custom to the setting, he's a marsh deer specifically, his class is incarnadine, and his calling is forced (by incarne). his general mission from her is to use the incarnadine move network to set up a series of shrines to her all over sancoteaux, the name of the setting.

backstory wise, he grew up in a society of nomads and moved in to sedentary society as a young adult to attend a university on a scholarship. there, he found the lifestyle shift unexpectedly stressful and turned to gambling to cope. i don't gamble at all, so i haven't specified more than that cause i don't know much about the various types. they eventually became mired in gambling debt, letting their grades slip and losing their scholarship. one day he suddenly found himself on the street with gaping holes where memories should be, and a scarred handprint over his heart. incarne had claimed his life and his memories to recoup his debts.

ever since then they've been doing her bidding, communicated to them by a cold itchy feeling in the scar and writing on the back of a coin with her image on it. i don't really want to write a whole summary of the campaign so far, so suffice it to say they've been confused and stressed and stupid and hair trigger with their gun the whole time. their primary internal motivation is seeking comfort. i feel like there's a better word for what i mean there, but it isn't really shelter or security or rest either, sort of a combination of all four. this is really familiar to how i felt when i was homeless, super struggling to have any plan more than a day or two out and nearly unable to even think of any other way of acting if something could give me even thirty seconds of immediate comfort-shelter-rest-security, even if that compromised access to future comfort-shelter-rest-security, but so stressed and tired that i regularly couldn't follow through on those options either. i've been housed for several years now and i still super struggle to consider any kind of future, although in the last year i have managed to set and work towards two goals that will take me about 2 and 5-10 years to complete, which is very exciting!

back to flow though, right now they're supposed to be working on a scheme to gain control of the secrets network in the city we've been operating in, and they've fumbled it at least three times, almost completely unable to consider a long term plan like that. plus this isn't the kind of life they led before, so they're trying to pick up this new skill of scheming on the fly with no teacher while far too stressed and confused to learn effectively. this has led to many very funny (imo) moments of other characters assuming that because they're an incarnadine they have plans on plans on schemes on schemes, while they sit there exhaustedly thinking to themself that all they have is a gun (currently broken!) and pockets full of random shit.

his most recent fumble of the scheme was that he found his way to a safehouse free of divine oversight owned by jorritt jessey, local priestess of azure and person in control of most of the secrets network in the city. he literally collapsed to the floor when the constant stress of incarne's presence left him as he entered. she wasn't super happy they were there, but after a "negotiation" where they were exhaustedly sitting on the floor the whole time and in their tired rambling absolutely blabbed their mouth about stuff they shouldn't have she ended up agreeing to give them access to it if they put her in contact with bernard tchoch-quay, the party vermissian knight, so she could buy a train ticket somewhere else. they were so consumed with the need to be able to access a place like that regularly that they completely forgot to try to bargain for control of her network after she left the city. the idea only occurred to him after a full night of sleep. so he's currently working on getting bernard to meet her and have that be part of the ticket price, and then having him give it up to flow as a finder's fee. this is the first fumble where he's realized later that he missed an opportunity to advance the scheme, so there's some progress happening! this also made him consider for the first time that he could try to get away from incarne at all. before this i was very adamant that they did not have the presence of mind to come up with that possibility themself, reflecting, again, my own experiences in an abusive and controlling religious situation that governed nearly all my memories. we're using the house rule that you can have a third beat slot for your zenith beat, and after this i added the beat "end the control your master has over you"!

he is certainly learning and trying to have plans longer than a day or two out, but i definitely want his situation to pull him back to that position a few times before he dies/gets out so i can luxuriate in bad decisions and failure and just desperately seeking thirty seconds of comfort-shelter-rest-security at not the cost of the rest of my own life

[savage-rhi]

Immortal Shield  Chapter 25: Vesperpool

**DM or comment if you want to be tagged in updates on tumblr

**To read previous chapters, hit this link

Tagging: @seradyn​

“Do you think destroying the lab was worth it?” Caelan asked, turning her head to Ardyn while he continued to drive the Scepter. She watched him hum in thought. There was a look of uncertainty in his features. Maybe he was second guessing much like herself. It had been three weeks since they saved each other from the clutches of that horrible place. The memory of it all had yet to leave. Even though Ardyn and she had talked at length about what transpired, and he had reassured Caelan of her actions, she was still processing and integrating all of it.

The first few nights after Ardyn and her destroyed the lab and the creatures within, Caelan had difficulty sleeping. That's when everything spilled out. She told Ardyn in great detail what happened with Julian. How she ran away, hunted the Einherjar, then stupidly realized she needed them alive to clear her name hence her reluctance to kill them off, and how she never wanted this life.

"I just wanted to go to school and be a normal kid," Caelan said to him. "I didn't desire any of this."

The exhaustion in her voice had Ardyn furrow his brows. He had been listening to her for hours, not interrupting, and every once in a while made sure she had something to drink when she needed to rest her throat.

"I wanted to be a generous king and take care of my people," Ardyn shrugged. "I didn't desire to become the Adagium."

"You mocking me?" Caelan teased, her tone was still morose as she said the words. She huddled a blanket around her body more while she checked the fire nearby. Ardyn stood up from the boulder he was sitting upon and joined her on the ground.

"I wouldn't be so bold," Ardyn smirked. His features softened as he scooted closer to her. "I guess what I'm attempting to convey and doing a poor job of, is that I understand how you feel about your peculiar situation."

"You said we always have choices," Caelan remarked. She watched his eyes lock onto hers, curiosity brimming behind his golden hues while she continued. "It's my fault things turned out the way they did."

"Not necessarily," Ardyn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked to the fire, watching the flames dance while enjoying the warmth radiate through his clothes. "We do have choices, yes. However, at times outside forces beyond our control play a hand and we are left with few options. So we have to make the most of what is given. Even if said choices are downright scandalous and go against our conscious."

"Are you saying that you never would've damned Eos if you had more options?" Caelan was curious. The silence between them added a tension neither of them wanted to acknowledge. However, Ardyn wasn't going to leave Caelan in the dark.

"Had circumstances been different, I might've taken a less destructive path." Ardyn admitted. His eyes met hers. "Everything pointed to being killed by Noctis. It didn't matter the road, the destination was all the same. I may have been influenced by a certain madness. I was quite vulnerable of mind when Verstael took me away from Angelgard. Its why I've pondered if someone else found me, would I have been the same. I'll never know, of course."

"But you do know," Caelan interrupted. She somewhat smiled, watching Ardyn's expression change. He looked taken aback and then some. "You came back. You woke up on Angelgard. You were found by people who took care of you, then you went to Galdin Quay and lied low until we met. You didn't automatically wake up and decide to go kill the king or mess with folks. You just--lived."

"How do you do it?"  Ardyn huffed. His eyes never leaving her.

"How do I do what?"

"Twist my words and conviction to get me to see another point of view. It's quite dangerous." Ardyn mused.

"Pfft," Caelan shook her head, waving him off. She averted her gaze, once more focusing on the fire. There were many witty comebacks and remarks she could've easily tossed his way, but she didn't have the energy. Not when his words about choices played through her head.

"Cahl,"

"Hm?"

Ardyn hesitated, his gaze traveled over Caelan's form as he breathed out. "May I join you under the blanket? I'm rather cold."

Caelan nodded, lifting the material off of herself as Ardyn moved closer to her. She was surprised when he sat behind her and didn't venture off to the side. His legs were on either side of her body as he pulled her back to his chest, a free hand grabbing the blanket and tossing it over the both of them. Caelan secured the blanket from the front using her hands, then felt the weight of Ardyn's head resting atop of her own. Her face blushed. This was now the second time he had done something like this to her. Not counting when he stopped her from killing Serpo.

Maybe there was a part of him that enjoys this, Caelan thought to herself.

"Ardyn,"

"Yes, sweet girl?"

Caelan resisted a laugh from the nickname. He hadn't called her that in sometime. She had missed it.

"Where did you get the alias Adrian from?"

"It was my mothers name," Ardyn answered. He nuzzled the top of her head for no reason, other than to remind himself she was safe. "It's masculine and feminine enough. I thought I'd honor her in some way during this lifetime."

"I think it's pretty." She could've sworn she felt his lips turned into a smile against her scalp.

"It takes beauty to know of another."

“In the grand scheme of things, yes.” Ardyn replied in the present, breaking Caelan out of her thoughts about their camping night. She could feel the memories returning to her subconscious, to be relived at another time. “The kind of knowledge Serpo had at his disposal, if fallen further into the wrong hands, would’ve been catastrophic for Eos. Leaving no trace behind was the best course of action.”

Caelan furrowed her brows. Unsure of how to respond while she tried to be in the moment and not dwell on past experiences.  “It’s hard to believe you helped with so much of it. His research and all. I get why you did what you did way back when, but--this really took the cake.”

“Do you hate me for it?”

Caelan met Ardyn’s gaze as he looked over to her, taking his eyes off the road momentarily. Caelan and he had discussed for days about what Serpo intended to do. Ardyn’s original intentions to bring back Aera, and how he scrapped the idea. There was a part of Caelan that hurt from the ordeal. Knowing there was a chance he could’ve gotten what he desired had Serpo succeeded. Nevertheless, her answer to his question was simple. She shook her head, giving a smile.

“No, no I don’t.”

“Then I have nothing to fear.” Ardyn smiled. He focused back on the road, not before turning on the radio to listen the news. Neither of them had checked in on the world in a while. It was time to catch up.

An anonymous tip sent to a Niflheim representative regarding the Formouth Garrison, has led to several arrests of Insomnian troops. The Formouth, once a Niflheim stronghold, had been converted into a check point for refugees of the war between Lucis and the empire. It has been tragically discovered that heinous crimes have been conducted at the base with the focus being on imperials. Several men, women, and children who have been reported missing over the years have been found.

The harrowing discovery has made citizens of both Lucis and Niflheim concerned about the stability of their countries truce. “...The King and his counsel have spoke directly with Niflheim leaders regarding this grievous situation. Both countries have been communicating 24/7 since the discovery was brought forth. Niflheim and Lucis remain amicable.”

When reached for comment, King Noctis had this to say, “...It’s beyond horrifying that so many still have hatred in their hearts from the war that they would fall below grace. I want it known across the lands, that anyone who was caught aiding this disgusting act with the kingdoms coin will be dealt with according to our laws. I will personally see to it they answer for this.”

It has been reported from the crowns highest that King Noctis will be taking a leave of absence from royal duties after the trials are complete. Rumors have circulated amongst the public of Insomnia that the King has fallen ill. The Queen has come forward with a statement, “...My husband has worked hard these past several years aiding in the rebuild of Lucis and Eos. Unfortunately, it has caught up to him. I assure the people and allies beyond, that the King is in good health and is surrounded by his family while he recoups.”

The King is expected to return to his duties within 30 days. Ignis Scientia, one of the Kings most trusted retainers, will be conducting actions on behalf of his majesty until the latter's return. Due to the Kings exit, the monthly Restoration Summit meeting will be postponed until further notice.

Gladiolus Amicitia, the kings shield and Head Commander of the crownsguard has been sent to assess the damages and crimes committed at Formouth. “...I can’t say much other than it’s bad. Real bad. The guard will be doing everything in their power to gain the people’s trust and ensure---”

Caelan quickly turned off the radio before the rest of Gladio’s speech could be heard. Ardyn made a face at her. He adjusted the clutch of the Scepter and sped past a car, then made his way back into the right lane of the road. He would've thought Caelan to be excited that something had been done about the Formouth considering what she endured rescuing Kurt.

“That’s not like you at all!” Ardyn said in playful surprise, trying to lighten up the obvious tension in the vehicle. “You were fine moments before we began listening to the local gossip. Did something make you upset?”

“Yeah, a little.” Caelan admitted with a sigh. She slouched back in the passenger seat, looking out the window to take in the scenic features of Vesperpool. The lake was quite pristine and welcoming, a stark contrast compared to how murky it was several years ago.

Caelan rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing at the sweat that pooled on her flesh. Prior to the drive, she and Ardyn had finished up helping some farmers hunt and relocating the giant purple serpents known as Midgardsomr. To say they were both filthy was an understatement and she couldn’t wait to jump into the warm waters.

“May I be so bold as to ask what has you dismayed?” Ardyn asked.

“It has something to do with the King er--kinda--and I’d like to leave it at that.” Caelan sighed.

“It can’t be that you fancy my grand nephew, could it? Why, think of the consequences!”

Caelan turned her head, making a face at Ardyn. The bluntness of her features had him let out a hearty laugh. It became worse after she hit the right side of his shoulder in retaliation.

Ardyn winced and rubbed at the spot with his left hand for a time before settling it back on the wheel. He had healed from his battles at Serpo's lab, but there were nerves in his shoulder that remained on the fritz from Tempus’s attack, yet he didn't hold Caelan's action against her.

“It’s not about the king directly. It’s about the Head Commander of the crownsguard.” Caelan muttered, furrowing her brows as she went silent. Her face started to turn red. An observation Ardyn was quick to latch onto as he pried further.

“Did the brute harm you at all?”

“N-no, he didn’t. You went from a five to a ten just now. You sound pissed.” Caelan let out a nervous laugh.

“Forgive my sudden outburst,” Ardyn sighed and shook his head. “Out of all of Noct’s retainers, Gladiolus was the one I happened to like the very least. Little brains, much brawn. So, what’s the situation between you and him? I’m assuming it was in poor taste given how you reacted.”

“Well,” Caelan faltered. Gods, she didn’t want to have this conversation with Ardyn. Nevertheless she knew from experience being around him for so long he’d never stop prying. Sure, he could offer reprieve for a time but would always find a way to slip a subject back into the conversation. It was better to pull off the band aid with him than to carefully pry it inch by inch.

“Remember when I told you, I kind of had a fling with a crownsguard during the Dark Decade?”

“Yes, I remember that night we were--” Ardyn stopped. His mouth lightly parted and his eyes widened, a series of surprised chuckles began to fall past his lips.

“No. No way.”

Caelan tensed, biting her bottom lip. Her face felt like it had been dunked in gasoline and lit aflame. She could swear blood vessels were breaking in her cheeks with how embarrassed and put on the spot she had become.

Ardyn turned his head to her. The look of shock, surprise and disdain painted his features over and over as he put two and two together.

“The man you laid with, that was…him?”

“I told you I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“My gods!” Ardyn laughed hard. So much so he could feel tears beginning to pool from the corner of his eyes.

“You don’t have to rub salt in the wound! By Shiva’s shit have some tact!” Caelan exclaimed, turning away from him. She couldn’t look Ardyn in the eye. Not like this.

“Forgive me,” Ardyn said in between breaths. He reached his right hand out to Caelan, giving a few comforting pats to her left thigh before placing his palm upon her shoulder, offering a friendly squeeze.

“I assure you I’m not laughing at your expense.”

“You kind of did just now.” Caelan said as a matter of fact, letting out a disgruntled sigh.

“Why would you think so little of me?”

“I mean…you’re Ardyn? Humiliating people further is one of your signature moves.” Caelan teased.

“Fair point,” Ardyn chuckled. He let go of her, retreating his hand away.

Ardyn sighed deeply through his nose. His left hand rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to abate the sudden influx of tension throughout his body. His face became flushed over time and his teeth clenched. Expression pinched while he looked ahead of the road. The muscles in his arms tightened which traveled to his fingertips while he gripped the steering wheel with more weight. Ardyn wasn’t going to lie to himself, he felt angry. His heart thudded deeply in his chest the longer he thought about Caelan’s situation. He knew he had no right to be upset, but couldn’t help it. Especially when his stomach churned in painful knots imagining her being taken by his former adversary. He bit the inside of his lip, trying to placate his emotions.

“Remind me,” Ardyn finally piped up. Getting Caelan’s attention. “Was dear Gladio to your satisfaction? I can’t quite recall.”

Caelan hummed in thought, furrowing her brows as she tried to recall that night. It had been long time and not something her thoughts often lingered upon. She hesitated to answer Ardyn’s question, not sure why it made her uneasy but like her previous justification, Caelan didn’t want him to bring it up randomly at a later point. She did make a note that like before, he sounded mad.  

“No, it was pretty bad.” Caelan snorted. It seemed to humor Ardyn as she watched him crack a smile.

“It wasn’t his fault. We didn't communicate well. I met him at a volunteer camp preparing to ambush a fleet of daemons. He had no idea who I was, and you know, too many beers. We both just went ‘you only live once’ and that was that. If its all the same to you, I’d rather this go back in my memory bank and remain locked.”

“Of course,” Ardyn nodded. His fingertips tapped the side of the steering wheel as he thought his words over.  “I will say this though, you deserved better. To be treated better intimately.”

Caelan couldn’t help but smile big from his comment. She didn’t say a word, but from the small grin he had, she knew Ardyn understood she was thankful for the remark. Even though said comment did make her blush more.

After searching for a good spot to park with some privacy, Ardyn pulled the Scepter over nearby the lake. He got out of the vehicle around the same time Caelan did. He and her both went to the backseat to pull out some bags that had a change of clothes. The two began their venture towards the shore soon after.

Ardyn held up five fingers. “How many?”

“Kyom,” Caelan replied, holding up her right hand and displayed them. She then subtracted two, putting her thumb and pinky down. “Zyi, three and if I add one that makes Tse, four.”

“Let’s make this more interesting,” Ardyn mused as he began to look around and pointed up at the sky. “What do you call a cloud in God Speak?”

“Tya. C’mon, you can hit me with something harder.”

“Gladly,” Ardyn laughed. “Mdenʦ vleˈntikme.”

“I--” Caelan paused, biting her lip as she tried to translate in her head. “I like to chase?”

“Good!” Ardyn smiled. “Baya yssa vaah sol.”

“She is the sun.”

“Mdents sha ot diirae a biseeculum.”

“Fuck,”

“Give up so soon?” Ardyn taunted.

“No,” Caelan murmured. She let out a sigh, her mind going through the bits of the language Ardyn had been teaching her. “I know the last one word is bicycle. I like to ride a bicycle?”

“Incorrect,” Ardyn remarked and smirked. “You were close. It’s I want to ride a bicycle. I’m frankly disappointed. You were showing so much potential.”

Caelan made a face, shooting a glare towards Ardyn as they continued to walk. “Ackt ji tarms ssaswe.”

“Oh,” Ardyn’s eyes widened for a moment and he chuckled, shaking his head. “I didn’t teach you how to curse!”

“You so did! My first lesson if I recall was don’t say ‘fuck me’ in the middle of public. Ackt mdents.” Caelan laughed. If Ardyn still had his hat from when he was chancellor, she could easily visualize him pulling it downward to cover his face. He didn’t hide his embarrassment from the memory as she continued.

“I may have heard you drop more curses from time to time and figured things out on my own too.”

“How perceptive of you,” Ardyn laughed. His eyes then settled on Caelan’s features, looking over her while he sighed contently. “Ji re ulfitae ot mdents, da amdents shiiva ot ellt ji.”

“I know you said something about me, but I question if I want to know or not.” Caelan teased as they came upon the waters edge of the lake. She started to take her shirt off, eager to cool off.

Ardyn chuckled, his gaze watching her intently. He blushed some as he spoke. “Maybe someday you’ll decipher it.”

They stopped talking while they stripped down. Much like the time they were at the spring while hunting the Behemoth, Caelan unclothed herself faster than Ardyn.

As she was soon left with her bra and underwear remaining, Caelan’s eyes couldn’t help but look over Ardyn’s chest and back after he pulled off his white overshirt and cast it aside, the garment landing on top of the bags with their extra clothes they packed. He was lean yet fit and some nice defined muscles here and there. Something Caelan didn’t notice before when she had last seen him without a shirt. Her eyes traveled to the light grey covered patches on his skin that were scattered about. Her expression was one of concern seeing how ravaged some of the patches were. No one would be able to tell he had any marks upon him unless they were in close proximity like she was. Caelan had her own scars, but nothing quite what she was seeing on him.

“Do your wounds still hurt?” Caelan gestured to him.

“Hmm?” At first Ardyn was puzzled, but then his expression softened. He waved her off. “I wouldn’t fret. The utter bastard Tempus may have impaled me, but my arm feels better than ever. I dare say he might’ve fixed it. I could’ve sworn it was dislocated at one point.”

“No,” Caelan shook her head, letting out a laugh before she corrected him. “I mean these. Are they from your time at Angelgard?”

Ardyn froze in place when he felt Caelan’s fingertips travel across the skin of his ribs. To say he didn’t know how to react was an understatement. A part of him wanted to guide her hand away, put up a barrier yet as her thumb stroked over his old scar tissue, he found it quite comfortable.

“No, they don’t hurt.” Ardyn murmured. A shudder went down his spine. “Some of these are from Angelgard, and others from being poked and prodded when I was examined by Verstael.”

“I know you can regenerate but god damn,” Caelan shook her head in disbelief. Her hand finished trailing over the scar along on his rib, making way to another on his left hip. The rough texture was a sharp contrast how soft his skin was everywhere else.

“I must admit at times I get something akin to phantom pain at these spots here and there. Like this one,” Ardyn carefully took hold of Caelan’s hand, moving her fingers to the lower left of his chest, close to his arm met his body. The rounded edges made the scar tissue look rather haggard.

“Where did you get this one?” Caelan asked, tilting her head curiously.

“My brother. The day of my coronation, when I lost Aera.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I don’t want to force anything.” Caelan reassured him, sensing the hesitation in his words. She was surprised when he shook his head, smiling at her sincerely.

“I thank you for your consideration, and I don’t mind telling you about what happened. First, let’s swim for a while. Then we’ll talk. I’m feeling hot.”

“You sure are,” Caelan huffed under her breath.

“What was that?”

“I said yeah, I agree!”

“Sure,” Ardyn snickered. He gave a playful roll with his eyes. His gaze landed on Caelan’s body. He too noticed some rather nasty cuts and gashes along her legs that had healed over time. Then there was her tattoo. The crownsguard one. It hit him that the ink had been scarred over too. The jagged motions indicated the injury had been self inflicted. He considered the possibility she tried cutting it off. Ardyn couldn't blame her, considering the circumstances and associations. Yet it hurt him to know Caelan felt that alone in her plight. He quickly averted his eyes, feeling his face growing warm by the second.  

After stepping out of his pants and remaining his boxers, Ardyn kicked his boots and trousers to the side and started walking into the shallows of the lake. He took his time getting to where the water was at his hips, feet digging into the rich soil below him as the cool mud soothed the aches in his muscles. His approach was in sharp contrast to what Caelan did. From the corner of his eye he saw her sprint from the shore, then jumped up excitedly and canon balled herself. A small wave hit his upper chest while he laughed, watching her pop up to the surface with a gasp.

“Do you think this water is safe to drink?” Caelan asked while she swam towards him.

“Not anymore since you submerged yourself. I’m sure all your impurities have poisoned this place,” Ardyn teased. “Why do you ask?”

“I swallowed some. It wasn’t pleasant.” Caelan rolled her eyes at his other remarks regarding her. “You shouldn’t lecture about impurities being who you are, so speak for yourself hypocrite.”

“Serves you right,” Ardyn jabbed as he smiled. A mischievous grin formed on his lips as he chuckled. He watched as Caelan glared his way.

“What’s funny?”

“Oh, its a silly thing,” Ardyn teased out, shrugging nonchalantly before he leaned forward into the water when he came upon the deep end and started moving his arms about to swim. “I was just thinking of all the poor fish you traumatized and said a prayer to them.”

“You're such a jerk!” Caelan exclaimed. She bounded for him, splashing his way while Ardyn laughed and shielded himself with his arms. When he became overwhelmed, he took in a deep breath and sunk below.

“Oh crap,” Caelan mouthed out, looking around for him. Despite the lake being safe to swim in, the waters were somewhat cloudy. The dark blue coloration of the surface didn’t allow her to see much of what was underneath. To make matters worse, Ardyn burst up from behind her. Caelan screamed as he grabbed a hold of her waist and flung them both backward until they sunk underneath. Seconds later, they popped back up. Both attempting to drown the other playfully while they laughed. The antics between them both settled as time went on and they swam around.

As the afternoon gave birth to dusk, Ardyn and Caelan left the cool waters behind them. They settled by some trees overlooking Vesperpool. Small remnants of what was once a wall of ancient Solheim decorated the grass they were relaxing on. The scenery felt ethereal. As if they were both on another plane of existence.

Caelan sat crisscross, Ardyn’s head rested in her lap while he watched the leaves dance against the wind and their respective branches. Her hands were working to squeeze the water out from his wine colored locks and untangle strands that became knotted. She combed through his scalp with her fingers, hearing Ardyn sigh contently and watched him close his eyes. She couldn’t help but smile, observing how relaxed he had become.

“You look like you’re in paradise.” Caelan teased. The chuckle that emitted from Ardyn had her legs tremble.

“It’s not everyday I get pampered from a shield,” Ardyn opened his eyes, tilting his head back a little to look at her. “Tell me, what do I owe you for such services?”

“Hmm,” Caelan hummed. “I’m in a good mood, so nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nada.”

“Is that so?” Ardyn mused. For whatever reason, both of them laughed. A sense of peace washed over him while Caelan continued her ministrations. It felt good to be alive. That was the first time Ardyn allowed himself to feel those words in full. It was overwhelming, knowing soon enough it would be over.

A sigh escaped him. His brows furrowed while his thoughts danced away at contemplations. He had done well to hide much of feelings towards his primary objective from Caelan, but now even he was at a loss.

“Cahl,” His right hand reached around and gently grasped Caelan’s wrist, preventing her from touching his hair. “Would it be alright if I sought your counsel?”

“Of course,” Caelan was taken back, her head canted while she peered down at him. “You don’t have to ask permission. I’m here if you need me.”

“I love giving you freedom of choice,” Ardyn said honestly. His smile deepened seeing her blush from his comment, up until his thoughts caught up with him. He breathed out, eyes blinking as he stared at the sky. His fingers absentmindedly stroking Caelan’s wrist now.

“When Serpo took you, I had a vision the second night I was on my search. The King was dying. I tried to run for him, but before I could touch the ground an entity pierced me through the heart. The night we over indulged during Lestallum’s founding day, I also had a dream. There are words that keep invading my head.”

“Tell me what they are.” Caelan murmured. Her other hand that wasn’t being stroked by Ardyn’s fingertips began threading slowly through his hair, offering physical comfort as his features grew more worried and uncertain.

“Youngblood king walks tall. Shards of crystal, the dragon calls. Heavy heart, young blood falls.” Ardyn tried recollecting the rest, relenting when nothing more would come.

“Do you think this has something to do with the king taking a leave of absence?” Caelan furrowed her brows.

“That’s precisely where my mind went,” Ardyn admitted. He swallowed. “Something is wrong with the boy. I feel it in my gut, and I believe the Astrals are playing a hand in Noct’s ailment. What do you think, based on what I’ve shared? Give me an honest thought.”

Caelan blinked a few times, trying to compose her contemplations. She looked away from Ardyn and glanced around the lake.

“In my heart, you’re onto something. You mentioned dragon, I bet you anything it has to do with Bahamut. Why else would there be an emphasis placed on it? I think the visions you’ve had, they’re warnings,” Caelan paused. She didn’t want to say the rest, knowing the implication but given Ardyn trusted her, she had to proceed.

“I think you need to see the king. You need to go to Insomnia, and get the answers you seek. Do not do this for the Astrals, but for yourself. The king might not have much time, and if he’s gone, you can’t fulfill your original goal. That’s what I’d do.”

Caelan could feel her heart being squeezed. Tears were threatening the corners of her eyes and she gulped, trying to hide the fact she was upset. Upset that Ardyn’s time was running out as was her time with him.

“I thought so,” Ardyn said quietly. He slowly rose up, adjusting himself until he was sitting by her side. His right hand gently guided her chin to have him look into his eyes. He greeted her with a morose expression.

“I know I promised to take you to Niflheim, for this I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” Caelan let out a small laugh, shaking her head while his fingers remained on her face. “I’m not upset about it.”

“Yet you look so sad.” Ardyn furrowed his brows.

“I’m a little scared. Talking of dragons and prophecies is new for me. I’m not used to this stuff like you are.” Caelan knew she was lying, but it seemed to stop Ardyn from prying further as he nodded. He let her go, getting up and venturing over to their bags that were by the base of a tree. He crouched down, searching for his phone. Once he found it, Ardyn returned to Caelan and sat beside her. He scooted close, his eyes on the screen while he typed away.

“I made something for you,” Ardyn spoke softly and grinned. He watched Caelan’s expression change to shock while he handed her the phone after logging in.

“You made a Kwee! Account?”

“Now before you lecture me,” Ardyn chortled. “I set it to private. It's not public.”

“I should be pissed.” Caelan sighed with a laugh.

“And yet, you’re not.” Ardyn smiled, then gestured, flicking his left index finger for emphasis. “Have a look.”

Caelan let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head then her thumb began to scroll. There were many posts with pictures pertaining to them both.

“I didn’t know you had a photography passion.” Caelan said in between scrolling, her eyes not leaving the screen.

“I truly don't. I find these trivial things rather sentimental and dull," Ardyn mused. “Though I admit I may have found inspiration, courtesy of one of his majesty’s retainers. It helps that the muse is someone like you.”

Caelan didn’t think much of his remark at first, until she realized all the photos were of her. Moments in time that she didn’t pay attention to nor considered of importance, yet somehow, Ardyn captured everything. There were so many smiles, flaws, and humorous moments. Caelan wondered how she didn’t catch Ardyn snapping photos with his phone. A few selfies of Ardyn were sprinkled in between. Each one carried a central element: he was doing something silly, and Caelan was present in the background. There was one though in particular that stood out. She was asleep, curled up next to Ardyn while he smiled at the camera. He looked beyond tired, but content with his arm wrapped around her It was a few nights after the Behemoth attack. She was beyond speechless. Her heart pounded deeply in her chest. It took all her might to not lean over and kiss him. He really saw her as she was.

“Cahl,” The softness of Ardyn’s voice pulled Caelan away from the phone. There were tears streaming down her face. Ardyn glanced over her eyes and mouth before letting out a sigh.

“When I see the king, and when the time comes, I want you with me.”

He didn’t have to explain further for Caelan to understand the implication. She blinked, more tears ran down her face. She couldn’t help it even if she tried.

“You want me to watch you die?”

“I want you with me,” Ardyn’s enunciated each word with care while he leaned forward, pressing his face into her hair. He nuzzled, inhaling her scent as he closed his eyes.

“That’s all I ask of you.” There was a tremor in his voice. His hands shook while they wrapped around her body, pulling her close.

Caelan put the phone down and embraced him. They didn’t speak of Aera’s death like they planned. Their silence was too strong to break.

Notes:

Ackt ji tarms ssaswe= Fuck you, smart ass Ji re ulfitae ot mdents, da amdents shiiva ot ellt ji. = You're so beautiful to me and I'm scared to tell you

[hanuteds]

mulher pelo amor de deusssss, quais os ajustes que vc faz no seu psd? eu usei o mesmo que vc disse que usa mas as fotos que eu coloco o psd nao fica nada parecido com os seus :( me ajuda por favor?

eu não faço ajustes no psds, eu aumento/diminuo a saturação um pouco da foto antes de usar se for necessário, e tento usar as melhores fotos possíveis. você usar o velvedit #1 (as vezes eu tiro optional que vem pra usar se ficar muito vermelho) + o optional do 02 stop! do tbeautycons + fotos com qualidade (se quiser aumentar/diminuir a saturação da foto) exemplos: a primeira esta com pouca qualidade e a segunda está com mais.