#fisherman's village music festival

[thedaveandkimmershow]

I loved our first time at the Everett Fisherman's Music Festival last year.

Distinct from this year's experience, it was definitely more social. We ran into a number of people we hadn't seen in awhile and launched into lengthy conversations before the concert and even during the concert we were officially there to see. Seriously, I had a couple conversations during that concert that left my voice raspy because we were talking mere feet from the stage and speakers. Not my best look since I should've been fully engaging the music and the performers, but...

Like I said, last year's was definitely a more social experience.

It's also the location, downtown Everett near Wall & Wetmore, where Linzy heard Donald Fagen's classic solo hit, "What a Beautiful World", playing from speakers somewhere down the street while setting up for her Little Lies gig at the Night Market stage. She took the line "90 minutes from New York to Paris" and launched a killer song, perhaps one of her best, from that piece of lyric.

And yeah. She calls her song "90 Minutes".

Fast forward a year and we are totally focused on the music and the bands. We're here for two shows: Shannon Netemeyer at the APEX Art & Cultural Center at 630; The Little Lies at 830.

We park across from the venue but we've gotta do a quick walk to the box office at the intersection of Wall & Wetmore to grab our wrist bands that were comped for the evening. And then we're back for the first show.

Shannon Netemeyer's an artist for whom Linzy provided some vocal and sound production work a couple years ago. In fact, if you listen to Shannon's debut LP, "Feed Me To The Trees", especially the latest release from that album, "You've Been Gone A While Now", behind the lead vocals you'll hear gorgeously layered harmonies performed by Linzy. Described as "an independent dream pop artist and producer based out of Chicago, Illinois", Shannon crafts a playground for layers of sound, complex vocal arrangements, and rich soundscapes wrapped in a pop vibe. Live, the music assumes a more epic scale with electric guitar, bass, keys, cello, and those gorgeous layers of vocals fronted by Shannon's deep, smooth, alto voice.

This first performance, Saturday night, was preceded by a rehearsal Friday night during which the members of Shannon's band met for the first time and played together for the first time. Saturday night's performance was the second time the group ever performed together and still they hit emotionally powerful heights in the music. I can only imagine how much more powerful those heights will be, how much more these songs, these complex soundscapes will only grow with time into an breathtaking live experience.

There's absolutely a lot of promise here. And I'm definitely gonna buy Shannon's album when it drops. It seems like one of those you listen to over and over with headphones to hear all the layers and colors breathed into the sound.

After Shannon's set, we had a bit of time before the Little Lies set at 830 so (Kimmer's idea) we went to El Paraiso Mexican Grill, sat outside along the sidewalk in the rays of the setting sun finding their way to us between the buildings along California Street. Quesadillas and beers were the order of the evening. And quite the lovely evening, too. Until...

Well, a coupla tables behind us someone was loudly pontificating to their friends. Speaking down to them. Telling them what they should do as if they were children with no agency. They were rude, inconsiderate. Then fully combative.

Yeah. We couldn't think through all that.

So we left to see how preparations for The Little Lies show were going because, you see, a coupla members of the band just performed in Shannon Netemeyer's band. So after that show they had to break down and pack up their instruments, their gear, and haul it three-and-a-half blocks to the Night Market stage where they set it all up again and ran a sound check.

We got there with plenty of time to spare, plenty-er because the sound check revealed some routing problems in the monitor mix. No worries, though. The audience kept itself busy pre-functioning and, by the time The Little Lies launched into "Rhianon", their first song, the audience was primed. They were ready for it.

Now, I jotted down a few notes about the concert here so I won't repeat myself other than to say we had a fantastic time surfing the energy of the band as they performed hit after hit after hit. A true, live classic rock show.

Damn.

Afterward, we hung out at the front of the stage with friends who'd joined us as well as other friends who were at the festival and came to see the show. Pretty much we got all our socializing in then, even gearing up to hit The Irishmen Pub with its back door conveniently right there on the same block not one hundred feet away.

Alas... Linzy was pretty wiped out by the time she was fully packed. For good reason, of course. So we bade our fare-thee-wells to our friends, Hilary, Ben, Rachel, and Chris, with hugs all around and good nights to all.

Last thing I wanna mention is that a couple/few hours earlier when we first hit the entrance to the Night Market stage where they check your I.D. and affix another wristband to your wrist, someone called out—

"Kimmer!"

A young woman standing just behind the person helping us with our wrist bands.

Now, the young woman's name is, believe it or not, Rhianon. And the reason she recognized Kimmer is because we used to be frequent flyers at The Cottage in Bothell where she was a member of the wait staff. We sat in her section a lot and had a number of conversations with her along the way. And then time went by. Our lives flowed along different paths. Until one day while she's working at the Everett Fisherman's Village Music Festival, she happens to see Kimmer and calls out her name.

It was great to see her again, is my point. Just one experience among many that helped make it the best. night. ever.

😁😁😁

[lboogie1906]

Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist.

He was born in the village of Ajido in southwestern Nigeria. A member of the Ogu people, he was introduced to traditional African music at an early age. His name, Bàbátúndé, means ‘father has returned’, because he was born two months after his father, Zannu died, and he was considered to be a reincarnation. His father was a local fisherman who was about to rise to the rank of chieftain, and his mother was a potter who was a member of the Ogu people. He grew up speaking the Gun (Ogu/Egun) and Yoruba languages. He was groomed to take the position of chief.

When he was 12, he realized that he did not want to become a chieftain. He read in Reader’s Digest magazine about the Rotary International Foundation’s scholarship program and applied for it. His application was successful and he went to the US in 1950.

He received a Rotary scholarship in 1950 and was educated at Morehouse College. He was a good friend of Glee Club director Dr. Wendell P. Whalum and collaborated with him on a staple of the choir’s repertoire, “Betelehemu”. After graduating from Morehouse, he went on to New York University to study public administration. He started a small percussion group to earn money on the side while he continued his studies.

He composed music for the Broadway theatrical and the 1961 Hollywood film productions of Raisin in the Sun. He assisted Bill Lee with the music for She’s Gotta Have It.

He was known for making an impassioned speech for social justice before performing in front of a live audience. His progressive political beliefs are outlined in The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography. He toured the South with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and joined King in the March on Washington.

He performed before the UN General Assembly. He was one of the first outside performers to perform in Prague. On July 21, 1979, he appeared at the Amandla Festival. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[kickmag]

The New York African Film Festival Returns For 31st Year

Film at Lincoln Center and African Film Festival have announced the lineup for the 31st New York African Film Festival. The festival's mission is to feature filmmakers from the African diaspora. This year's theme is the Convergence Of Time and it explores the intersection of historical and contemporary roles played by individuals representing Africa and its diaspora in art. More than 50 films from more than 25 countries invite the audience to look at the meeting of past and current experimentalism transcending space and time. 

The festival's opening night showcases the North American premiere of Over The Bridge, Tolu Ajayi’s feature about corruption in Lagos as Folarin, a successful investment banker whose company is contracted by the government to oversee a high-profile project, searches for answers when the project goes awry, which leads him to a remote fishing village to put the pieces of the mystery together.

The Closing Night selection features the New York premiere of Dibakar Das Roy’s riveting and uproarious Dilli Dark, which shows the boundaries Nigerian MBA candidate Michael Okeke will push to succeed as he lives a double life as a student and drug dealer amidst the backdrop of India’s history of colonialism, racism, and xenophobia.

The festival will also host the North American premieres of Matthew Leutwyler’s Fight Like a Girl, depicting the true story of a young Congolese woman (Ama Qamata from the hit Netflix series Blood and Water) who finds liberation after joining an all-women’s boxing club in Goma, led by an ex-child-soldier coach; and Oyiza Adaba’s biographical documentary DELA: The Making of El Anatsui, which delves into the life of El Anatsui, the world-renowned sculptor from Ghana, and triumphantly acknowledges the importance of Africa’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.

Three festival features are U.S. premieres: Yajaira De La Espada’s documentary Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense, showcasing the life and empowering legacy of the founding father of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and the recent presidency of Dr. John Pombe Magufuli; Clive Will’s Time Spent with Cats Is Never Wasted, a stark piece of slow-burning cinema featuring a small-town worker who finds success after selling a helicopter he made out of scrap and found objects, while having to fight off the local townsfolk who insist on a cut of the profits; and Perivi Katjavivi’s Under the Hanging Tree, a hard-boiled crime thriller following police officer Christina, as she seeks to uncover details of a murder on a German-owned farm in present-day Namibia, set against echoes of the country’s history of genocide.

Five features making their New York debut are: Damien Hauser’s After the Long Rains, a touching account of 10-year-old Aisha, who longs to become a fisher so she can travel to Europe, and befriends an alcoholic fisherman who promises to teach her; Uche Aguh’s musical romance Dynamite, which finds musician Kiki in an unhappy marriage with her husband/manager and beginning a whirlwind romance with a replacement bassist in her band; Osvalde Lewat’s documentary MK: Mandela’s Secret Army, the little-known story of the military avant-garde founded by global icon Nelson Mandela, screening for the 30th anniversary of South African Freedom Day; This Is Lagos, Kenneth Gyang’s dark comedy featuring aspiring rapper Stevo navigating the dangers of his criminal past after an escape from a heist goes wrong; and The Rhythm and the Blues, the true-life story of legendary bluesman Eddie Taylor and his fight against obscurity, industry corruption, and cultural appropriation, starring actor and musician Leon.

An exciting addition to this year’s festival is La Chapelle, Jean-Michel Tchissoukou’s surreal take on the relationship between Africa, Christianity, and colonialism. A classic feature shot in 1980s Congo, this enchantingly bizarre and bitingly funny satire leaves one questioning the relevance of space and time. 

Among many shorts premiering at NYAFF, not to be missed is Harold George’s Making Men. In a first for NYAFF, the screening of George’s film will be accompanied by a live dance performance from George and members of his dance troupe, as well as a discussion afterwards. A brilliant question of masculinity, visually probed via imagery of traditional customs, the film supplies modern questions with ancestral answers. Another, Love Taps, directed by Derrick Woodyard and executive produced by Spike Lee, offers another comment on masculinity, secrets, and family ties.

NYAFF will present an “Art & Activism” Town Hall at The Africa Center on Thursday, May 2, at 6:00pm, featuring artists Christian Nyampeta, Adama Delphine Fawundu, and Taiwo Aloba, moderated by cultural anthropologist, curator, and scholar Paulette Young.

This year’s Master Class presented by AFF will feature veteran independent filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah, who will discuss the craft of utilizing cinema as a tool for unmasking the dynamics of the socioeconomic status quo. The event takes place in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center with tickets available through africanfilmny.org.

“A litany for past suns labeled rituals / A star lit any and all possible futures,” a digital art exhibit of the work of Zainab Aliyu, will run in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center May 9–14 beginning 30 minutes before the first NYAFF screening of the day. The exhibit is inspired by Nikki Giovanni’s “A Litany for Peppe” (1970) and Audre Lorde’s “A Litany for Survival” (1978), two poems written years apart, yet converging thematically through time. As the title suggests, the piece is structured as a litany, a repetitive and rhythmic form often used in ceremonial settings. In this context, Aliyu’s litany serves as a call to action for her communities to alchemize their shared histories toward shared futures.

Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 11 at noon ET. Ticket prices are $17 for the general public; $14 for students, seniors, and persons with disabilities; and $12 for FLC Members. See more and save with a 3+ Film Package ($15 for general public; $12 for students, seniors (62+), and persons with disabilities; and $10 for FLC Members), the $99 All-Access Pass, or the $79 Student All-Access Pass. Contact info@africanfilmny.org for information about attending the Opening Night Party.

The festival continues at Maysles Documentary Center in Harlem from April 17 to 19 and culminates at Brooklyn Academy of Music under the name Film Africa from May 24 to May 30 during Dance Africa.

The programs of AFF are made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Community Trust, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Bradley Family Foundation, Domenico Paulon Foundation, NYC & Company, French Cultural Services, Manhattan Portage, Black Hawk Imports, Essentia Water, South African Consulate General, National Film and Video Foundation, and Motion Picture Enterprises.

For more information, visit filmlinc.org and follow @filmlinc on X and Instagram.

More information about AFF can be found on the Web at www.africanfilmny.org. You can follow AFF at @africanfilmfest on X and Instagram.

[golfnahas]

Naruto broken bond rom

Hell twins: Sakon unlocked (20 points): Defeat the Sound Four as Sasuke. Lone Shark: Kisame unlocked (20 points): Survive the Kisame fight. Brothers: Itachi unlocked (20 points): Complete the Itachi fight. Mad Scientist: Kabuto unlocked (20 points): Defeat Kabuto. New Hokage: Tsunade unlocked (20 points): Tsunade is the new Hokage. Rock and Roll: Jirobo unlocked (20 points): Complete the fight against Jirobo. Deadly web: Kidomaru unlocked (20 points): Defeat Kidomaru. Twisted music: Tayuya unlocked (20 points): Complete the fight against Sakon. Pervy Sage (30 points): Arrive at the Hot Springs Resort with Jiraiya. Guy's Fan: Green Suit unlocked (25 points): Complete Guy Sensei's quest. Special someone: Temari unlocked (20 points): Complete the fight against Tayuya. Broken Bones: Kimimaro unlocked (20 points): Complete the Naruto vs. Red Sand: Gaara unlocked (20 points): Defeat Gaara. Green beast: Rock Lee unlocked (20 points): Defeat Kimimaro as Rock Lee. The Last Stand (30 points): Keep Orochimaru from destroying the Leaf Village. Tsukuyomi: ANBU Itachi unlocked (30 points): Complete Sasuke's Labyrinth. Save The Trees (15 points): Win an online match without performing a substitution.Īdditionally, there are 20 secret achievements: Academy Graduate (15 points): Reach the Graduate rank online Chunin (20 points): Reach the Chunin rank online Don't Be Shy (5 points): Play a match online Genin (15 points): Reach the Genin rank online Hokage (0 points): Reach Hokage rank online Jonin (30 points): Reach the Jonin rank online. Way Of The Tree (20 points): Win a gold medal in a Tree Action Sequence. Top Dog (20 points): Complete all races with Kiba. The Last Chip Is The Best (20 points): Complete all gathering missions with Choji. Pervy Nation (20 points): Make all of the Lovelorn Villagers happy by performing the sexy jutsu. Naruto Raving Ninja (25 points): Win all of the gold medals in the Tanzaku festival games. My Taijutsu Coach (20 points): Learn all of the combos in the Dojo. Legendary Fisherman (25 points): Win all of the fishing gold medals. Gold Collector (35 points): Collect 50% of the gold coins Gold Digger (50 points): Collect all of the gold coins. Gifted Eye (15 points): Complete all hide and seek missions with Neji. Fisherman (15 points): Win a gold medal in any fishing game. World's Fastest Ninja (15 points): Win all of the gold medals in the Tree Action Sequences. Delivery Boy (10 points): Complete all delivery missions with Shikamaru. Card Collector (40 points): Find all of the ninja cards. Naruto's Creed (25 points): Complete all of the bounty hunter missions. Untouchable (20 points): Win a fight without losing any health. Team Champion (25 points): win a tournament in tag fighting. Solo Champion (25 points): Win a tournament in solo mode. King Of The Iron Fist (5 points): Win a fight using a killer combo. Accomplish the indicated achievement to get the corresponding number of Gamerscore points:

[dakardreamsofsheep]

The Cast of Characters

“The soul of a country lives in any one block” -Peter Hessler

The people make the place, and that’s especially true in Dakar. Besides the painted pirogues in Lebou villages, the bustling downtown markets and -gulp- the remaining French colonial architecture, Dakar is not a very Instagram ready city. “Lots to do, nothing to see,” is how someone described it to me. It’s a magical and compelling place because of the density and full commitment of it’s inhabitants to living their lives out in public space, and often together. Men work out in the dozens on the beach in muscled groups, women stride together in neon tailored dresses down the street, the nightclubs are filled with coordinated Afro-beat dancers, kids run squealing in neighborhood bunches down the alley, the fisherman grunt and haul their vessels together out to see, vendors cluster together with hair products and mangoes and dried fish. It was so overwhelming, at first, that it took a minute to separate out faces and stories from the crowd. Some of my first attempts at friendship didn’t quite take, as happens in anyplace. Here are snapshots of some of my favorite Senegalese and West African friends I spent time with this year:

-Ibraham: Guinean musician with a spider tattoo on his shoulder (he told me the spider protected the prophet Muhammed by weaving a web across the entrance to a cave where he was hiding, leading his pursuers to think it was abandoned.) I met him trying to haul heavy new flower pots up my stairs, when he stopped to lend a hand. He’d lived in Dakar for about 8 years, came looking for work and learned Wolof from kids here, though he spoke a half dozen other languages besides. He was an incredible musician, especially percussion, with a whole stable of guinean songs he could lead solo or sing as part of a group. I eventually started taking drumming lessons with him in the spring. He was constantly meeting new arrivals -especially from Guinea- and taking them under his wing, as well as striking up conversations with friendly foreigners. People were drawn to him, I could see. It was also a tough year for him, precarious housing and economic situation. COVID hit everywhere hard, especially creative industries that depended on live performance, and Senegal was no exception. He battled some dark days, alternating between seeking work in low-skill labor fields and holding out for musical gigs that never materialized. There was always his family home in Guinea to go back to, and at the end of my time he was ready to head home and recharge if things didn’t improve in a few months.

-Abdalla: I drew a portrait of Abdalla for his mom, and I needed to erase the mouth twice to make the smile bigger each time. That should tell you most of what you need to know. I had trouble connecting with a lot of the Baye Fall besides occasional greetings, but Abdalla was a local boy who seemed to dip his toe in just enough to scoop out reggae music and an extra dose of peace and love. The songs he composed himself are some of my favorite pieces of music from Senegal, and I hope he has the chance sometime to sing them in front of the huge crowd he deserves. His mom -Madame Faye- was not only acknowledged as making some of the best thieb in the village, but gave some of the best life advice around- I spent a good few days in her kitchen, where we’d berate Abdalla together for not helping with the cooking and he’d laugh his big laugh and play us another song. He was trying to organize a local music festival through the town, and waiting for enough funding to record an album. I worried about how trusting he was, sometimes; he always took people at face value. In the winter he let a new arrival looking for work sleep in his bed, and the man took off at 4 AM with his recording instrument, phone and guitar. The village seemed to take care of it’s own, though, the tough fisherman always jostling him affectionately when we walked around. He led a lot of our song circles, parceling out melodies and crooning high notes. During one golden afternoon I walked out to the beach and swam to Ngor Island, to find Abdalla on my favorite hidden beach with a few friends. They had guitars, flutes, drums. We sang together, and then when the sunset came we hugged and I swam home.

-Nalla: Friends who work towards goals are high on my list, whatever those goals. I few years ago Nalla was a pastry chef, when he decided he wanted to pursue art. He spent most of his time on the island, helpings uncle fix up a giant dilapidated house they were going to one day turn into a hotel/restaurant. There he holed up with paints and scraps of wood and canvasses and worked on his technique all year. Soft-spoken, blue-black skin, the chiseled Lebou cheekbones. He was one of the most constant presences at the Tuesday art nights, and I saw his technique improve dramatically while we were there. At the end of the year, he had a piece entered into the Dakar Biennial, and I felt like a proud cousin. He was an Ngorois through and through, with his dad a fisherman and dad an underwater welder. It was astonishing how may people he said hi to, both in the village and on the island. Sometimes we’d take out kayaks from the house, paddling out the the surf wave and daring each other to take bigger rides in the hard top. Even in the water, he knew every fishing boat and solitary figure that slippered along with a spear gun. He was focussed on bettering his art with a laser focus, to the exclusion of looking for a romantic partner, trying to stay on the island so he wouldn’t get distracted.

Julie: My Congolese friend, with a big smile and a weakness for sappy French love songs. She’d lived here for a few years, but been in a toxic relationship that she’d just escaped a few months before we met, with a jealous partner who didn’t want her to leave the house much. She talked about her mom often, a professional chef who cooked for airline pilots at the flight lounge. (Incidentally, her chicken recipe is one of my most treasured phone notes from my time there) When we met she was managing a clothing boutique, and sparring with an owner who seemed both not to trust her enough and to ask for too much commitment. It was fun to be around her; she had she energy of just having moved to the city and wanting to try everything. Carolyn took her along on several dance nights, and I think she might be hooked. Notably, she has an identical twin named Juliet, and two gorgeous twins with almost the same name caused a stir whenever I saw the two of them out together. In some ways she seemed to be adapting to life in Senegal, and others still seemed to grate. Taxi drivers going for the financial jugular in proposing fares never stopped annoying her. I’d long since resigned myself to giving the many kids asking for money a sympathetic smile and walking on, but it made her angry to see every time. “What parent would let their child out to do this??” She’d always ask. We were both trying to make friends and community in the new city, and reconcile it’s patterns with what we were familiar with. It was so nice to have a partner in that.

Petit: I first saw Petit marching around at midnight acting like a tree come to life. He was acting out a scene on the dance floor with his friend Tafa. The two of them remain some of the most creative individuals I’ve come across in any country. Like athletes slumped over chairs except for the big game, they had the ability to hide in a crowd, or to dazzle. Petit was often out of town, down performing or taking workshops down the coast in Toubab Diallo, but when he was around I loved getting together to dance or just play with movement. He had recently taken a puppet making course as well as a mask-styling workshop, and also worked as an acting teacher for a local school. He grew up in the southern region of Casamance, and talked about it always with deep, abiding love. I have no doubt when I go back he will be living there. His projects dealt often with the relationship between the self and the whole, or past traumas unearthed and confronted. One night he extemporized over Ibrahim’s drum beat, a monologue on the contentment we feel or don’t when alone. The last week before I left he was preparing a dance to welcome a group of black Americans, part of a program called Back to the Source. They were traveling to the famous Door of No Return on Goree Island, where slaves where loaded onto ships. After, they'd come to Ngor, where Petit and his crew were constructing a beautiful wooden door, through which they'd dance their American cousins as a blazing contrast to the door on Goree they’d just “closed.” Having such bright creative energy was a blessing and a half this year.

-Cheikh: ran a clothing boutique near the beach. He invested a lot in upgrading the space while I was there, until it became the hang-out spot for his group of friends. Twenty years ago he started out just selling clothes from a bag on this beach, and it was cool to see him now with a fancy shop. He started selling ice cream near the end, which I thought was a smart business move. I set him up with a Tinder account and we talked about love and dating a lot. His friend Moustafa always had a good sense of the political goings on of the neighborhood, and I lived leaning against the clothing racks, picking their brain and occasionally helping them sell things to tourists or lay out new merchandise.

-Amadou: Worked at a French-Senegalese organization around the corner, a center for unhoused kids, often running away from Quranic schools or home. Amadou ran soccer programs for them, helped with the lunch programs and literacy courses. He was a formidable soccer player himself, chiseled straight out of a men's health magazine. I couldn't believe he was still single. It was a treat watching the African Cup with him, such intense concentration and joy.

And many, many others of course, too many to fit here, everyone on their path, with lovely traits and foibles and disappointments and dreams little and big.

My European and American friends are dear as well, and just because I don’t spin out their stories here doesn’t mean they didn’t make this year so very special. Ben, Nick, Emily, Sait, Anne, Sara, Liz, Jake, if you’re reading this, sending you a big hug.

[alistonjdrake]

Of Blood and Stone: A Tourist’s Guide to Graza City

Of Blood and Stone, The third book in The Saints’ Song Series,  showcases the Escana Empire on the verge of crumbling as a murdered king and a divided government threaten to tear the country apart. As some grapple for power and wealth, others decide to jump ship.

Season One World Building Posts:  1 2  3  4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Season Two World Building Posts:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

Season Three World Building Posts:  1 2 3 4 5 

Bonus Episodes: 1 2 3 

Main Wip Intro here 

Graza City started her journey as a collection of fishing villages on the coast of a divided Escan until it was officially settled and united by King Didacus I of House Espinar. In her time since, it has become home to a unique dialect, the birth place of many different times of music and dances, the center of Escana culture, and a multicultural hotspot. A coastal city with a dense history as it sits in the shadow of what is now none as the great Graza Palace. It’s most plentiful export is considered a luxury and delicacy by the royals on the hill and thus in high demand. At the height of the Escana Empire, Graza City split into several very recognizable districts/neighborhoods that can be a bit difficult for a visitor so let’s go through them.

Espinar Square 

Also regarded as the heart of Graza, Espinar Square is named after the original monarchs who set foot there. It is now a lavish city center, home to the Espinar College and the Pilla de Calenos (the city’s main cathedral now converted to Santvisim and where all monarchs have held their coronation since). As well as the grand theatre, constabulary headquarters, and  the Lady Sence Library. Espinar Square is also where the royal family is most likely to make appearances during processions and their tours of the city. Espinar Square is also full of street performers and a revolving door of acting troupes, all likely trying to catch the eye of the royal visitors or rich occupants. Most shops on the street are dressmakers, haberdasheries, foreign fabric traders, spice traders, fancy tea and coffee houses, or cordwainers and cobblers. Closer to the college buildings there are academic halls and a few theatres for live poetry readings. Espinar Square as a few residential quarters, all mostly home to relatively wealthy merchants or bankers. During the holidays such as the summer festivals and Santus, Espinar Square becomes packed with activity as it’s one of the few times of year the other neighborhoods empty to crowd the streets in celebration. Espinar Square is always home for any carnivals, public speeches from royals, and most large gatherings. Espinar Square is also where four of the five Grazan printed perodicals come from. Graza main docks and shipyward empty right into Espinar Square’s outer streets so it is often packed with fishmongers and market stalls. 

Food to try in Espinar Square: Most stalls in the district will promote their vegetable or fruit tarts

Varbella

The richest neighborhood in Graza City, home to lower nobles not significant enough to have rooms within Graza Palace, or someone’s lucky paramour. Varbella is majorly made up by rows of grand homes or blocks of appealing townhouses. Varbellans spend much of their time in small concert halls or in galleries and while still in reach of everything Espinar Square has to offer, most rarely venture far out of the confines of their private gardens. Varbella is partially walled off and kept under watch by the constabulary for its occupants' protection

Varbella does not take kindly to tourists. But

Food to try in Varbella: Chocolate beverage, often mixed with almonds or cinnamon.

Oures 

Oures has a long history as it descends from one of the original fishing villages and thus continues as a neighborhood largely made up of fisherman and sea-merchants. Oures has its own small theatres and entertainment halls and also considers itself famous for their singers and street corro dancers. As one of the neighborhoods furthest away from the freshwater ponds, Oures is also one of three districts without some form of plumbing and relies on water deliveries and public committee services (run by the council in Graza Palace) to take away any waste and to ensure the citizens have their water needs.  Despite producing a significant amount of Graza’s fish intake, those who live in Oures are largely vegetarians as most are no longer private fisherman and do not own the ships they work on and also likely cannot afford to eat what they catch. Oures is dedicated to traditional Escana culture and this is where you’d be most likely to find outposts of worshippers of the old religion, ola tra, and those who do not dress in the popular fashion.  Oures is also considered a rather cheap place to live, attracting modern singles to the neighborhood and apartment blocks. Most homes do not have ovens and it’s common to see locals eating at food stalls with their neighbors on street corners. With its own small shipyard, Oures has also attracted smaller merchants and businesses. There are a few suppliers of foreign goods in the neighborhood as well as regular market streets. And despite it’s appeal to the young, budgeting, and single, Oures is also largely a family neighborhood. It’s common to see puppet shows or jugglers giving out candy or other sweets. 

Food to try in Oures: Bean stew or turtle eggs with spiced jicama and capers. For the most part through, a lot of beans, onions, and peppers. 

Naruña

Another old neighborhood. While Naruña was once a fishing village, its since made its name in the whaling industry and is Graza’s largest supplier of whale oil and baleen. Naruña has mostly become a hub for industry and few people actually live within it’s confines, most buildings are reserved for the offices of whaling or ship companies, breweries, and taverns frequented by the working sailors. As it’s become such a busy, industrious area, it also attracts peddlers or eager entrepreneurs. What you’re most likely to find in Naruña is a place to drink (the rum and tequila are made locally, the wine, gin, and beer are all from elsewhere and frankly Escana beer is not good), or a place to find work although they do also have a few inns.

Food to try in Naruña: “drunken squid” is a dish served in some of Naruña’s bars although some debate it’s really leftover whale meat and the “drunk” part truly refers to the people eating it. If not, street corn is a choice. 

Pallón

Where much of the workers of Naruña live. What was once a tightknit community has expanded since the introduction of Santivism, the availability of space in Pallón have paved the way to welcome new churches and one conservatory for girls. Pallón is a rather domestic area, made up of family homes and a few produce stalls. If not working in other parts of the city, most here make their living either as seamstresses or as a maker of some other type of domestic/home-goods. As such, Pallón creates a mix of religious, friendly, and hardworking people. It’s not unusual to often find people gathered together to entertain themselves with music or shows performed on the streets in lieu of a theatre. While there used to be dog fighting in the area, that has since been outlawed and some have moved onto betting on petty boxing matches. 

Food to try in Pallón: Almond cake or cinnamon cookies. Anything an Escana grandparent would make, frankly.

Mubria 

As it sits in the shadow of the Espinar College, Mubria is known for its intellect and inspiration. This where you’ll find artists studios, free-thinkers, but also strangely the Bank of Escan as this is where the first bud of Graza’s growing middle class started their roots. This has since created a small neighborhood that has some rather fortunate street blocks and also some poorhouses. Mubria also houses the sub-neighborhood of Didacus Corner, named after the first king of Escan and the stomping grounds of the fifth periodical publication house and one that boosts that it’s not censored by the betterment committee. As Mubria is also right next to the Rhine District and barely separated by walls, this is also where the mix of cultures with the local Escana is most vibrant. Here, it’s very common to mixed marriages or unique businesses such as Yenesh fortune tellers, a Sau playhouse, Nagi coffeehouses, jewelers of all kinds and accessory shops specializing in non-Escana goods.  Mubria is a very communal neighborhood, with plenty of things being shared between households such as bathing areas, main rooms of homes, meals, and some even extend this to personal belongings. Much like Oures, Mubria’s appeal to (slightly more educated and possibly more wealthy) singles had gave way meals being shared by neighbors and strangers alike. With such as a large artist population, and thus also models for artists, plenty of those who in Mubria come off as welcoming if not rather “loose”. The older houses of Mubria (the bankers) often complain to the constable about some partying and lawlessness that’s usually blamed on some of its newer occupants but Mubria is a good place to have one drink and then somehow not crawl home until 3am after probably taking drugs and discussing philosophy with the boys.  

Food to try in Mubria: A seafood soup made with whatever’s available as well as mix of hot peppers, onions, fragrant herbs, and oil that locals claim cure hangovers. Or anything they’re willing to wrap and roast in a banana leaf. 

Agurias

Also sometimes called the Water Gardens, Agurias is where most Grazans get their freshwater. While the water is nice, Agurias has never been easily settled either do to poor land conditions or local superstitions of water spirts, it is now the seat of most of Graza’s orphanages and poorhouses. The public committee services in fact end up taking most of the water away from this area in order to supply the rest of the city, and Graza Palace, leaving the area rather swampy in some places and dry and others. Those not at the chairty of Graza’s noblity either work or run the neighborhood’s freshwater fisheries where they mostly catch eel or freshwater crawfish and “shrimp”. What you’re likely to find is a lot of churches and maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll be there when Her Majesty Queen Liliana visits one of the many orphanages she funds. 

Food to try in Agurias: Roasted, fried, steamed, or grilled eel with red sauce. 

Albava

Graza’s innermost farming community. Plenty of produce come from outside the confines of the city or are imported from allies, but Albava is the beloved home to the official royal pepper farm. Mostly meaning that Albava’s farms the peppers used both by the imperial kitchen and by Grazan citizens. All kinds of peppers can be found growing in the farms of Albava and the legacy farming families are supremely proud of their work and involvement of one of the biggest staples in Escana cuisine. They also use their own irrigation system and consider their water supply different than the rest of the city’s.

Food to try in Albava: Peppers, obviously. Hot, sweet, stuffed, in soup, as a sauce, hell just bite one. 

The Outer Villages

Exactly what it says on the tin. The outer villages of Graza did find themselves on the other side of the city gates when King Didacus claimed this spot on the coastline as his capital city. However, most still consider themselves Grazans regardless. They were a mix of farmers and fisherman, but plenty always make their money as palace or house servants in Varbella, or even as city watchers and a few knights. The Outer Villages have started to expand and build inns and entertainment halls of their own, but for the most part you’ll find farmland, old folk towns, and churches either in dedication to Santivism or ola tra. Another place in “Graza” where you’ll find the population is also largely vegetarian and does not own (or have the means to afford) the fish they catch. Beyond the Outer Villages is also where Alda Stronghold is stationed, the headquarters of the Escana chapter for the Order of the Knights. 

Food to try in the Outer Villages: Beans and rice. Avocados are also quite plentiful here. 

The Rhine District

The newest addition to Graza City. While quite lazily named, this neighborhood is home to a great mix of those who have found themselves underneath the empire’s flag, whether leaving their original country or born in the new city, the Rhine District is a representation of “home away from home”. The district in itself is actually split into several smaller neighborhoods making up the different countries and cultures of its occupants. While it is walled off, it is not mandatory that someone with Rhine heritage live in this area, as it mostly started as a collection of merchants and shops and then grew to encompass entire communities and homes. As it has non-Escana roots, this is the only place in Graza you’ll find temples and places of worship to the many gods of the Rhine, the only place where you will not get dirty looks if you choose to eat meat (and as such the only place you’ll find things livestock for the sole purpose of their meat), and perhaps the best place to get a good price on foreign imports. Most in the Rhine District maintain their own business, whether those be eateries or selling and dyeing fabrics, or procuring and trading other goods. It’s very common to not hear Escan being spoken at all in this area and to see all modes of dress. They commonly have problems with the Knights and constabulary so it’s also very likely you’ll walk into a protest during your visit. 

Food to try in the Rhine District: Somewhere beyond the walls there is a chicken curry shop so good Mel Dunham fed it to his pet bird (but mostly because Mel does not eat meat, was too shy to mention, and thought it wouldn’t be a problem since his bird started eating it anyway)

[jonnyparable]

Rev. Carter Goodman

Rev. Carter is the latest in the long line of Goodmans who have been stewards of the sacred flame, dating back to Ignotus Goodman, one of three of the town's founders. Carter has only recently taken over the role of Reverend following the passing of his father. As young Reverend of the Goddess Church, he takes his role seriously, and is eager to revitalise the faith.

His duties include keeping the sacred flame, a gift of the Goddess, burning constantly, a very important task, as well as to keep watch over the town's historical records and archives. Every spring and winter, he also oversees the Goddess Festival and the Winter's End Prayers. In his free time, Carter enjoys music, ceramics and gardening. Although some villagers find him a little eccentric, he's still a much loved and respected figure within the community.

Greg Baits

Little is known about Greg the fisherman. He was once a sailor, but these days, spends most of his time fishing by the sea or at the town's pond, and keeps to himself. He stays in Kai's house, where he also has a fish shop, and helps him care for the property when he's away.

Kai Summers

Kai only comes to town during the summer to stay at his vacation house by the beach, and travels extensively for the rest of the year. Kai's a great cook, and also runs a summer snack shack that opens late into the night at his beach house.

Being a worldly globetrotter, some of the village men find Kai's cocky ways a little off-putting, although they're probably just jealous. He's very popular with the womenfolk, however.

[noladyme]

The Frog Princess. Chapter 5

She had no wish to be bound down to anyone, but Y/N none the less found herself being dragged across the continent; to marry King Foltest of Temeria.  In stead of pomp and spectacle; she was accompanied by the witcher, Geralt of Rivia. Their travels would bring both monsters, lust, love; and heartache. All soundtracked by a endearing buffoon of a bard, named Jaskier.

TW: Violence, language, sexual themes. Rated M.

5

We spent the following days moving through interchanging woodland and fields. There wasn’t much interaction between us, except for the occasional necessary one. Food. Someone needing to tinkle – Jaskier. Resting. A pack of wild dogs; quickly disposed of, by the witcher. Someone needing to tinkle – again…

The silence wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable; but after three days and nights; it was becoming deafening. Jaskier finally broke it, by beginning to strum his lute. “… The curs’ eyes, they shone red; we were surely dead… No…”, he tried. “The frightened princess cried; Witcher! Don’t let me die!...”.

“How about: The sixth time the bard had to piss, the angry witcher hissed?”, I sneered. Geralt snorted, trying to stifle laughter.

Jaskier frowned. “You should probably let a professional handle the songwriting”. “Let us know when we meet one”, the witcher grumbled. The bard scoffed, offended. “Sometimes I wonder why I let you travel with me”, he said, and went to walk a few paces in front of us.

We walked in silence for a little while longer; a spattering of cottages in the distance. “Jaskier said you called me an overrated sell-sword? When?”, Geralt asked. “While you were paying the fisherman for our passage from Skellige”, I admitted. “You were being an ass”. “Well, you were being a brat”, he smirked. “Yes…”, I said. I looked at him. “I didn’t think you cared what I thought of you”. He simply grunted. “You’ve spent three days thinking about that?”, I smirked. “I have my professional pride”, he mumbled.

“Apparently only one of us is allowed to have that”, Jaskier called from in front of us, still sulking. I felt bad for him. “I’m sorry for making fun of your song”, I said. “You’re a talented bard, Jaskier”. He looked back over his shoulder at me, one brow lifted. “Talented enough for a wedding feast?”, he said. I looked down. “If it’s mine, I’d prefer silence”, I mumbled. “Silence, and alcohol”.

Geralt traced my face, and frowned slightly, before looking forward again. “We’ll be in Tigg by tomorrow evening”, he said; and would no longer meet my eyes.

---

Tigg was a colorful, small stronghold; that overlooked a village and some brightly painted military barracks. As the witcher had said, we were at its gates just as the sun was setting over the fields.

Opening the gates, were two clearly intoxicated soldiers; one of which had a giggling woman – in a scandalous level of undress – waiting for him in his shelter behind the wall. Sounds of laughing and clinking glasses came from the main hall in the middle of the courtyard.

“Ah, Tigg!”, Jaskier said. “Hurry, we’re already late for the party”. “What party?”, I asked. “It’s the Baron Coodcoodlaks birthday week!”, he answered with a bright smile.

Leaving Roach in the stables; we went to join the festivities. The doors opened to a brightly lit room decorated in Cintran colors. All around us, men and women were cheering and laughing; and the air smelled of fried meat and ale.

“The entertainment has arrived!”, a thin and whiskered man; standing on top of the main table, yelled. He jumped to the floor, and walked towards us. “You…”, he said – pointing at Jaskier, “… are late!”. Jaskier bowed deeply. “My deepest regrets, baron. I’ve been caught up in monster-hunting, and protecting fair maidens from wild dogs”. He grinned at the colorfully dressed man.

The baron turned to look at the witcher and me. I realized then, that I’d met him before. His eyes returned my recognition. “My lady Y/N!”. “Baron Eylembert”, I smiled, as he grabbed my hand to kiss.

The baron was known for his animal sound impersonations, and his love of women and drink – giving him the nickname of Coodcoodlak.

He pulled me to the middle of the floor. “Laddies and gentlepeople! This is the fair lady Y/N – future queen of Temeria”. All eyes in the room turned towards me; and I felt instantly uncomfortable.

Next to me; Geralt tensed up – examining the room. His gaze lingered on a group of men sitting at a table in a corner. They looked grim; dressed in black, and carrying swords at their hips. The ladies at the table seemed unable to attract their attentions; not for want of trying.

The baron dragged me along to sit at his table, and poured me a goblet of something that smelled familiar. “Skellige mead”, he smiled at me. “A little taste of home”. I twitched at his use of the word home. We saluted each other with our goblets, and drank. “I have not seen you since… was it at the Capital? The princess Pavetta’s 10’th birthday!”, he said. “You, my dear, have not changed a day. Maybe a bit more… inspiring to the… carnal senses”, he winked and leered at me. I heard Geralt make a sound like a growl from next to me. His tense disposition had not relaxed one bit. He seemed in attack mode, and ready to draw his sword at any moment. He must feel a desperate duty to keep me pure for my husband, I thought.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, it was the princess’ 10’th celebration”. My one and only – other – visit to the continent. The baron licked his lips, and smirked at me. “How is your wife?”, I asked, and took another sip of my goblet. He groaned. “Still sickly, I’m afraid. She spends most of her time in the Capital, tending to her fragile nerves”. “And yet, you’re still here at Tigg”, I said. “Yes, well… the queen needs me to keep this stronghold. And I must tend to my duties”, he answered. “Music!”, he called to Jaskier, who instantly began a lively tune.

The men from the table in the corner began capitulating to their lady friends’ advances. The witcher seemed to relax in his seat. He took a piece of meat from the tray in front of him. The baron looked at him.

“You’re Geralt of Rivia. The Butcher of Blaaviken”. The witcher flinched at the nickname. He grunted in response. “I am”. “I don’t remember inviting you to this feast; but you are very welcome none the less. You must have some intriguing stories to tell!”, the baron said, and looked at him with beaming eyes. Geralt chuckled. “That’s what I have him for”, he nodded in Jaskiers direction.

The bard had apparently finished “my” song. “Foul mouthed lady, be kind onto me And I’ll be your thrall, I will never flee. Foul mouthed princess, have mercy, I plea And I shall be ever a servant of thee…”, he sang, goading the crowd on to join him in the chorus. “The foulmouthed princess of the Skellige Isles – everyone! – The foulmouthed princess, the foulmouthed princess, the foulmouthed princess of the Skellige isles!”

My cheeks flushed red. Geralt stifled a smile next to me. “It’s not funny”, I sneered. “Yes, it is”, he said. “Well, fuck you very much”, I grumbled.

“The foulmouthed princess of the Skellige isles!”, Jaskier finished to a roar of applause; turned to look at me, and bowed, with a wink.

The baron applauded along with his guests; and threw a handful of silver coins on the floor in front of Jaskier; who gathered them up with a deep bow at the man. “Well…”, the baron said, “… I am very happy that you showed up to this celebration”. He placed a hand on my thigh; squeezing it. Geralt tensed up again. “And, the night isn’t over yet. There is so much more fun to be had”. He wiggled his brow suggestively.

I swallowed hard. “Baron, I…”. “Come now, my lady”, he interrupted. “I can’t let Foltest have all the fun. Think of the stories we’ll both have to tell! The queen of Temeria; cockadoodled by Coodcoodlak!”. He let out a rooster’s crow; and the room joined him in the sound.

I grabbed his wrist, and pried his hand away from my leg. “Though your offer is very generous; I’ve had a rather trying few days, and desperately need some rest”. The baron sighed. “Yes, yes. I’ll have my man prepare a room for you. Witcher; I’m guessing you’ll be fine sleeping by the stables”. Geralt grunted. “No!”, I said. “The witcher is my bodyguard; and has orders not to leave my side”. I wasn’t certain that the famous Rooster of Tigg wouldn’t try to sneak his way into my bed as I slept. And I’d grown used to have Geralt near me.

The baron looked at me; and then at Geralt – lifting an eyebrow. “I see…”, he smirked. “I’ll have them set up a cot by the door. You can stay for the fireworks later this week!”.

“No need. We leave in the morning”, the witcher said gruffly, and stood up to leave. “But this is just the first night of the celebration!”, the baron proclaimed with a pitched voice. “Foltest is eager to meet his future wife”, Geralt answered; and pulled back my chair for me to stand. “Fine”, the Baron grunted. “Send the sweaty bastard my well wishes. I’ll probably be to hung over in the morning to see you off”. He stood up, and took my hand; kissing it. “I wish you good health and many sons, my lady! Gods know, that feeble minded daughter of his should be kept well away from the throne”.

I nodded politely, and we left the room in haste – Geralts hand ghosting my lower back.

“Three cheers for lady Y/N; the queen of Temeria!”, I heard from behind us. “Hip, hip, hooray!...”.

---

The room was warm and dimly lit. There was a smoldering fireplace, and a pitcher of ale had been left on the table. Behind a lavishly embroidered divider, a tub of hot water was waiting for me to have a bath.

The witcher closed the door, and bolted it. “We need to be more careful”, he grumbled. “We’ve made to much of a display of who you are already”. I didn’t answer. “I won’t let him come in here”, Geralt said. “I know”, I answered. “Wouldn’t want him touching the king’s package”.

The witcher groaned something I couldn’t make out. “… not it”. “What?”, I asked. He sighed. “You can take a bath. I’ll rebuild the fire”. I frowned at him.

Once behind the divider, I removed my dress and my chemise; leaving me naked, save for the bandage on my knee. I untied it gingerly, revealing the wound to have almost healed into a thin red scar. The witchers treatment had worked.

I stepped into the tub; lowering my body into the water; gasping loudly from the heat.

“Are you all right?”, Geralt asked from behind the divider. “Yes”, I answered. “It’s just hot”. He grumbled something again.

“If you’re going to talk to me, at least do it audibly, so I can respond in kind”, I said. “So now you want to talk”, he retorted. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I heard him remove the straps holding his sword to his back, and putting it aside. “You’ve spent most of the last three days avoiding conversation”, he said. “You’re not the most talkative person yourself”, I answered with a sneer. “I’m not around people much. Not used to conversation”. “Is that why you talk to your horse? To train for actual human interaction?”, I jeered.

“I’m not a human”, he answered gruffly. I heard two more bumps, from what I guessed was his boots hitting the floor. “You look human”, I said. “I do?”, he asked, with what I could hear was a smirk.

“Mostly”, I answered.

We were quiet for a while. I began to wash myself with the sponge provided; sitting up, so my torso was uncovered by the water. The warmth from the fire didn’t stop a chill from grazing my breasts, after I poured a pitcher of water over myself; and my nipples perked in response.

“So, let’s have a conversation, witcher”, I said; unable to take the quiet anymore. “What do you want to talk about?”. I heard him poke at the fire. “Well”, I said. “You seem to know most there is to know about me. Or at least what you tell yourself I am. Tell me about you”. “There isn’t much to tell”, he answered. I squeezed the sponge over my arm, letting the water run down it. “That’s a crock of shit”, I said; and heard him chuckle. “You’ve lived longer than any man I’ve met before. You must have a past”. He didn’t answer. I sighed.

“Witchers are made in Kaer Morhen; aren’t they?”, I asked. “We were”, he answered. “It was raided. No more witchers can be made”. I washed my other arm. “You sound pleased about that”, I said. I heard him sigh. “It was my home, so no; I’m not pleased. But the trials I had to go through there were… I wouldn’t wish them on anyone”. We were quiet for a little while.

“Are you originally from Rivia?”, I asked, focusing on washing my feet now. I heard him chuckle again. “My master, Vesemir, encouraged me to make myself a new name. And a surname. He said it would make me seem more trustworthy”. “So, no”, I said. “No”, he answered. “I don’t remember much from before my trials. Let alone where I was born”.

I stood up in the bath, my body chilled instantly; and goosebumps began to form on my skin. “You have no roots; no homeland. I suppose we are not so different”. “What do you mean?”, he asked.

I wrapped myself in a towel, and put on a robe that had been left for me on the chair by the tub. “I have no homeland either”, I said. “Not anymore”.

I stepped out from behind the divider; and looked at him. His eyes were lit by the fire, and his features soft and earnest. He looked almost kind.

“But you do”, he said. “You just choose not to accept the one offered”. “It’s not offered”, I grumbled. “It’s forced upon me. By my cousin. By my fiancée”, I sneered. “And by you”.

He shook his head. “I cannot force you to say yes to Foltest. I can only bring you to him”.

I looked at the floor, and sat by the fire to brush my hair.

“The water is still warm”, I said. “If you want a bath”. He grunted and nodded; and went behind the divider to undress.

I heard him step into the water. “Shit”, he said. “What?”. “I forgot a towel”, he grumbled. “Could you?...”.

I turned around, and noticed that the light from the candles by the bath, lit up the fabric of the divider, making me able to see his naked form through it. His back was turned to me; but I could see his bottom – firm like the rest of him. His tall, muscular frame sent jolts of heat through my body.

I suddenly realized, that he had been able to see the shadow of my figure all along, as well.

I shook myself to refocus. “You should probably… sit”, I said. I saw him sit down; and walked around the divider; remembering to take the towel he needed with me. I placed it on the chair.

His hand grabbed my wrist. “What happened that night…”. Our eyes met tentatively. “It shouldn’t have”, I said. “I’m sorry for doing that”. He nodded. “Of course you are”, he said, almost angrily – and let go of my wrist.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”, I asked.

“You’re ashamed. Can’t be the queen of Temeria, and slum it with a witcher”, he growled. “I don’t want to be queen”, I sneered. “And you don’t want me either”, he retorted.

“Yes, I do; you idiot!”, I yelled. “But you didn’t want me!”. I threw the bar of soap into the water; and it hit the surface with a big splash.

He stood up – in all his glory – and stared me square in the face. My breath hitched as I continued. “For all your improved eyesight, witcher…”, I said, “… you are blind!”.

His eyes narrowed. He bared his teeth and growled; before he put his hands around the back of my neck; pulling me into him – and making our lips meet in a heated kiss.

I slid my arms around his neck, and his hands travelled down my back; holding on to me as fervently as he had those few nights ago. At first our kiss was rough – almost violent – but then it evolved into a softer and warmer interaction of our lips and tongues; embracing and melding together. His hands that had held me in place, began to rub my back soothingly.

I was sliding against his slick, wet chest; finding it difficult to keep my footing, due to the edge of the tub meeting my thigs and separating us.

I pulled back from him; and looked deep into his eyes. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life with a man I did not choose”, I said. “Let me at least have one night with one that I did”. His face went from angry to soft and gentle; and he stroked my cheek with his thumb. “As you wish, little frog”, he smiled; and met my lips again.

He slid his hands down my thighs, and lifted me up, for me to straddle his waist. I removed the robe; leaving me in the towel. He sat us down – me on his lap – in the tub; and continued the gentle movement of his lips. There was still a ferocity to his kiss – raw and primal – and my body responded by shivering in pleasure. His length was growing hard against me; and I looked down for the first time, taking in the masterwork it was; through the surface of the water. My breath hitched again; and he smirked at me. “Everything looks bigger in water”, he chuckled; and my cheeks reddened. I bit my lip.

Leaning back in the tub, separating our torsos; his fingers ghosted my cheek, moving down over my neck, before he ran his thumb across my collarbone. He continued his journey further down, lightly touching the silver chain around my neck; and stopping at the top of the towel I was still wearing – now soaking wet.

“May I?”, he asked. “And if I say no?”, I smirked. He chuckled, and opened the towel, revealing my breasts to him; the pendant resting between them. “Little frog”, he said. “Big bad wolf”, I jeered. He raised his eyebrows at me. “That’s a different fairytale”, he smiled; leant in, and kissed the spot of skin on the middle of my collarbone.

His hands ghosted over my breasts for a second, before cupping them in his hands, and running his thumbs over my tender nipples. I gasped and leant back, resting against his bended legs. I felt his cock twitch between my legs; and it instantly sent a jolt through my body. “Mmhmm”, it came as guttural growl from him; and his lips met the tender skin under my ear.

I slid my hands up his firm chest – relishing in the feeling of the soft hair against my palms – and moved them over his shoulder, gently running my nails down his back. He moaned at the sensation, and I smiled at the effect I had on him. It made me feel stronger than I ever had before. He pinched my nipples hard in response – just for a second – and I cried out from the sweet pain.

He chuckled against my neck, and nibbled at my earlobe. “Can I touch you?”, he breathed. I turned to look at his face, and nodded. He blinked at me slowly – just like I had at the cat from days ago – and slid his hand down between my breasts, under the water; and all the way down to my curls. I clenched my jaw in anticipation, and closed my eyes.

At first, it was just his finger, tracing the outlines of my labia. I heard him moan, and opened my eyes to see that his were closed. He was smiling. “I’d say you were all wet, but that would be too obvious”, he laughed, and looked at me again. My own laugh was halted by the sudden feeling of his finger sliding inside me; crooking itself against my front wall.

“Geralt…”, I gasped. “Yes?”, he smirked, and slid his other hand down; letting his fingers find my nub and gently rub it. “I… you…”, I said. “What, hm? What are you trying to say?”, he interrupted. “… teasing…”, I laughingly panted. “Yes, I am”, he said, jest in his voice. I moaned loudly, and threw my arms around his neck; riding his hands. His fully erect member pressed against my stomach; and his fingers continued their assault on my tender core.

I moved my hand in front of me and grabbed it, slowly beginning to pump him – making him moan in response; and press his forehead to my shoulder. We moved together for a while; pleasuring each other; the sound of the water splashing against the sides of the tub rhythmically.

A familiar tingling warmth began to radiate from my vagina. “Geralt, you’re making me… ah!”, I breathed. “Not yet!”, he said; removed his fingers from me, and pried my hand from his penis. “I want to look at you first. Stand up”, he demanded.

My legs shaking; I stood up in front of him, my feet between his spread legs – careful not to step on or kick that most valued thing on his body, that I wanted nothing more than to have inside me. I stood there – shivering from the wetness of my skin, and the still unfulfilled desire burning in me. He looked me up and down with hazy eyes. “A sight”, he smiled. I flushed red.

He leant forward, looking me in the eyes; and grabbed a hold of my butt-cheeks; pulling me towards his face. His eyes were feral; and he put his lips to my sensitive folds; kissing my nub gently. His tongue searched my lips for my entrance; and his hands left my cheeks for a second, to make me spread my legs a little, giving him better access.

Hands back where they’d been; he then licked me from my entrance to my clit, giving it a nibble with his lips. He was careful to avoid using his teeth; making the feeling soft and gentle; in contrast to his harsh hold on my behind – one that was sure to leave marks.

He moaned, and flicked his tongue over the little bundle of nerves between my legs. The warm feeling from inside began spreading again, and my legs began shaking. I grabbed a hold of the back of his head; which seemed to give him the impression that I wanted him to continue – which I did. The problem was that I could hardly stand on my feet anymore, from the loss of control I was feeling over my body.

“G-going to fall”, I stammered; and he finally pulled back. “That much?”, he wondered. I bit my lips, and nodded. “Hhmm”, he groaned, and let go of my cheeks. “Bed”, he concluded, and stood up.

My mouth was agape from the full sight of him again. Muscled toned torso, thighs like logs, and arms strong enough to wrestle a werewolf. The scars on his body didn’t take away from the beauty of his figure – if anything, they enhanced the sight of him; making him look like… well, what he was. A brutal, dangerous man – witcher – who could snap me in half, should he wish to. At the same time, his earnest face, and his lust-blown eyes; and the warmth I knew lived in his heart somewhere; made me trust this man with my life, my body – and, by Gods, my heart!

I looked down, my eyes resting on his length and – fuck! – girth. I knew I could take him. At least I knew I wanted to, with every inch of my being. Catching on to what I was thinking, he chuckled, seeming almost embarrassed. “If you want to sketch a picture of it, let me know later; but right now, I’d like to get you to bed”. I chuckled in response.

Witch a sudden movement, I was in his arms again, straddling his waist. He held on to me with one hand; strong enough to carry me like that. His other hand slid my hair behind my ear, so he could kiss my cheek. His hardness was standing at attention; sliding against my folds as I hung there, almost entering me in the process. I giggled at the feeling. “Amused, are we?”, he chided. I jerked my hips, rubbing myself against his tip; and he growled in response. “Impatient little frog”, he said gruffly.

He stepped out of the tub; and walked us to the bed, depositing me on it. Standing over me as I lay there – arms down my sides, knees slightly spread – he looked at me for what seemed like an eternity. I covered my breasts and privates with my arms and hands. “What was that about making a sketch?”, I teased. He grinned at me. “I’m just making a mental image”, he answered, before crawling over my body; and catching my lips with his.

His weight on me was enough to make me soar with desire again. I moaned when I felt his chest-hair tickle my nipples. “Inside!”, I breathed. He grunted. “Still hungry…”, he smirked; and moved down my body again.

“Fuck!”, I yelped, as his tongue met my clit again. He suckled at it, as if nectar would flow from it, if he just continued long enough. He slid his finger into me again, had another join it; and began crooking them; pressing them upwards rhythmically. It wasn’t a minute before my body began to spasm. My whole core burned with delicious fire; and I grasped at the sheets, and dug my fingers into the fabric.

His fingers continued rubbing against that most pleasurable spot inside me, and he made satisfied sounds; as if he was eating a delicious fruit. His fingers began to move faster, drawing me nearer and nearer to my undoing. I could feel my walls begin to clench around his fingers.

I looked down, and his eyes met mine for a second; before I shattered, and everything went white. I let out a long, mewling gasp; lifted my back from the bed – and then; what felt like a pop from inside; made my muscles give; and I fell back on the mattress.

I felt his fingers leave my warmth – one of them flicking against my nub, sending a small jolt through me from overstimulation. He laid next to me; brushing his fingers up and down my torso.

When I could finally open my eyes; is saw a grin plastered across his face. “You… full now?”, I asked, panting. “Not even close”, he growled playfully; and used his leg to spread mine, placing himself between them. His penis was pressed against my entrance. “Ready?”.

I simultaneously shook and nodded my head; unsure what I meant myself. He smiled at me kindly. “We don’t have to do this now”, he said. “It’s a long way to Vizima. We have all the time in the world”.

I felt a pang of something I couldn’t describe. Vizima. Temeria.

Have to take it!

I put both my hands on his bottom, and pushed with all my strength – taking him by surprise – and he slid into me with a roar.

“Move!”, I hissed, as he looked at me in wonder. He did as he was told. His hips began to grind against me; then he pulled back, and thrusted into me again; making me moan out loud from the sensation. He began to move continuously. “You’re still contracting”, he said between thrusts. “Inside”. “Whose fault is that?”, I moaned; and scratched my nails down his back; feeling every welt from every scar in the process.

We heard what sounded like a roster crowing from downstairs; and Geralt frowned. “When he grabbed your thigh, I wanted to rip his arm off!”, he growled; and slammed into me once; bottoming out. He roared like a wild beast; and I mewled in response.

Continuing his thrusts; I latched on to his lips; placing my hand firmly around the back of his neck, so he wouldn’t move his head. I pushed my tongue into his mouth, wrestling his for dominance. I grabbed a hold of his hair, and he returned in kind, making me hiss.

Another rooster crow; with a roar of laughter accompanying it; and the witcher once again slammed into me with a growl; making my stomach jolt from the depth of his thrust.

I pushed at his shoulder. “On top”, I panted; and kissed him passionately one last time, before he rolled onto his back, pulling me with him. He lay with bended knees, making my ass meet his thighs; and I began riding him, leaning against his legs. He grabbed my breasts; massaging them in his hands. I grinned down at him as I moved, and bit my lip. “I want that lip!”, he said, and sat up; grabbing my face, and suckled at his target. I groaned, and pushed at his chest, making him fall back towards the mattress.

He was stronger than me; could have easily kept a hold of me if he wanted – but he enjoyed the game I was playing. I grinned at him again, grinded against his cock; and grasped his firm thigh behind me – doing my best to leave my mark on his skin.

His fingers found my nub again; and he rubbed his thumb against it – his other hand once again holding on to my right breast. He moved under me; trying to match my grinding against him. I was moving back and forth on him; feeling every delicious inch of him inside me. His thumbs continuous stroking of my clit, sent sparks through me, and before long I once again found my high; this time with him inside me. I frantically grinded against him, putting my hands on his chest to be able to lift myself up and down on him. My insides continued to spasm around him; and he groaned and moaned along with me – chasing his own goal. His face almost looked agonized from lust.

As I cried out from pleasure; he suddenly took a hold of my hips, and lifted me up – thrusting into me from bellow frantically. My hands still on his chest, I pushed myself upwards along with him; mewling every time his hips met my ass, and he thrusted back inside me. Overstimulation threatened to take a hold of me; but he kept going -growling, as he dug into my eyes with his own.

“Geralt!...”, I moaned. “I can’t…”. ”You can! Almost…”, he groaned; before hammering me down onto him one final time, and crying out. I felt him twitching inside me, and collapsed onto his chest.

I felt his fingers trace my spine. “You’re… something else”, he chuckled; the sound rumbling in his chest and into the ear I had pressed against it. I laughed, and turned my head to kiss his chest – nibbling at his nipple in the process. “I’m sure I am many things; but all I know is that right now, I am well and fucked”.

He laughed again, and pulled me up to his face for a kiss.

---

Thanks for reading.

Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list.

- no lady

[lawitch]

Stoked to be back in the PNW for Fisherman's Village Music Festival this weekend 🍃 Playing Saturday at 7pm right before Built to Spill 🖤

(📸 by Conner Lyons)

[dreamaketron]

5 Things You Didn’t Know About: Bristol, Tennessee

Bristol Tennessee is a small and booming little town set at the foot of a majestic mountain backdrop. 

Although a relatively small town compared to other metropolitan areas in the state of Tennessee, Bristol has an eclectic mix of attractions to offer to those relocating & long time residents alike. Some are natural, God made beauties. Some created and carefully crafted by those who established Bristol, TN to the city it is today. 

All of these attractions/places are cherished by local residents, but if you're from out of town: or trying to find that next map dot to try out they might come as a surprise to you. 

What You Didn’t Know About Bristol, Tennessee:

1. First up on the list: Bristol Caverns & Appalachian Caverns: 

Truly hidden beauties. Our Caves. Not Just Any Caves. Massive, underground caverns. The Bristol Caverns were carved from an ancient underground river; some of these caverns are estimated to be  as old as 200-400 million years old! Hard to imagine as we are cruising through Bristol to the grocery store that such a place exists right in our backyard. Appalachian Caverns located just a short drive from Bristol shares the same mystic, but with the added fun of gem mining and rock climbing walls for kids to enjoy!

2. Bristol’s twin city Bristol, VA Boasts The Birthplace of Country Music Museum: A 24,000 SQ Feet exhibit is an affiliate partner with the Great Smithsonian Museum. Our quaint little town holds its roots as the birthplace of the country music genre. Several festivals are held in Bristol each year with incredible national, and local musicians sharing those same roots. The majority of these can be enjoyed outside, at outdoor concerts and venues that Bristol’s State Street sets up for both residents and tourists alike. 

3. South Holston Lake: Simply put an angler’s paradise. South Holston Lake is a TVA reservoir spanning 7580 Acres and is considered to be one of the top 2 lakes in Northeast Tennessee for smallmouth bass fishing & a perfect location for fly fisherman. Bristol’s South Holston Lake shares 60% of its border with the pristine and lush Cherokee National Forest. Dog lovers will also find a peaceful retreat with Osceola Island (located at the bottom of the reservoir) which has trails right up to the edge of the  water. 

4. Bristol Motor Speedway & Thunder Valley Raceway: That’s right Bristol has its very own Nascar Track. The track often referred to as the “Last Great Colosseum '' for its intense battles to victory and its Roman inspired architecture. The Speedway also has a drag strip just up the hill that hosts annual NHRA Events & the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.  Residents know it well by the true thunder it brings to the valley, as the cars race down the .25 mile dragstrip. Looking for a thrill try on our local street fights event held at the dragstrip. If that's not your style try out a peaceful and serene family trip through the BMS during the holidays when the tracks are transformed into a light display and Santa’s village with 2 million lights! A sight to be seen! (benefiting speedway children’s charity)

5. Bristol Loves the Arts: Between the brightly colored murals painted downtown on several historic buildings, our Bristol Theater, and our downtown art galleries. Those looking to relocate here to our town will cherish the history and the wonder that our Arts & Crafts culture has to offer. 

Whether you're a family looking for a new town to call home, living the single life with your favorite pup, an investor looking for a getaway, or anyone in between Bristol has plenty of surprises to offer you!  

Looking to Relocate? Make a move? Become an investor in an adorable town? Call Me Dreama Ketron at 423-723-7713! I am a local TN Real Estate Agent with Apple Realty and would love to discuss your options in buying into Bristol, TN! I am a resident here, and am proud to call these mountains my home!

Dreama Ketron     TN Affiliate Agent   423.723.7713     djk@applerealty.net

[thedaveandkimmershow]

Of course it's quite easy in the good 'ol Pacific Northwest to believe that summer's arrived. After what feels like months of rainy mornings and overcast days, the sun comes out and BAM.

It's summer.

But then give it a day or two and, turns out, it's not. And the rainy mornings and overcast days are our way again.

And then daylight savings does its thing and, on sunny days, the sun gets up earlier and earlier and earlier so you think BAM.

It's summer.

But. This isn't the south. Sun is not our way of life although our way of life is gorgeous whenever the sun does comes out to play. For however long (or short) it chooses to stick around.

So there are, most likely, rainy mornings still ahead. And overcast days.

It's not just the teasing sun that makes it feel like summer, though. We've begun talking about things we associate with summer. For example, The Little Lies, the Fleetwood Mac tribute band in which Linzy plays keys, acoustic guitar, and handles all the Christine McVie vocals, is playing the Fisherman's Village Music Festival, an outdoor extravaganza held on the streets of downtown Everett.

The music festival hits next week, May 18-20.

For example, The Little Lies play a follow-up gig at The Nectar Lounge in Fremont, June 30.

For example, The Bite of Seattle just released the line-up of bands that are performing. Top of the list is, of course, Sir Mix-a-Lot. A few lines down, though, are The Little Lies. And then many, many more lines down is Midnight High, a band in which Linzy handles keys and harmonies.

The Bite of Seattle happens July 21-23.

For example, these gigs remind us of the summer gigs from last year. Especially the marina ones. Especially the Bite of Edmonds. Not scheduled yet, but in front of us somewhere. Plus, of course, the Fourth of July gig Linzy missed last year. Plus, whatever's in store for Midnight High above and beyond the Bite of Seattle. Somewhere... still out in front.

These are not the only clues of summer, of course. They're definitely signs of summer to come. As for what already feels like summer, that would be an uptick of working in the yard. Working indoors but with all the french doors wide open. It would be working on the roof. And even though it wasn't sunny those days, it was outside.

We're living outside more. Willingly.

And then, yeah. The sun was up super early this morning. For a minute there yesterday it felt hot at our place. And we're heading for the 80s.

Apparently.

So...

Could it still rain?

Of course it could.

Could there be overcast days somewhere out in front of us?

Absolutely. Yes. After all, summer around here seems to settle in for real in July.

Still, it's lovely to be outdoors without bundling up. To even whip out the flip flops for a day or two. And definitely definitely definitely to indulge thoughts of the music experiences that are coming our way...

This summer.

☺️

[knight-engale]

Echoes of the Past Day 1: Hometown

@arcana-echoes​

(Image from Google, technically. I don’t know who the original photographer is)

Morgan grew up in a coastal town in the Republic of Galbrada, a relatively small island to the southwest of Prakra. The people in her town were generally friendly, and as a child, Morgan got along with most of them. Her town was safe enough that even when she was little, she would frequently (with her mother’s permission) wander around her neighborhood, or else down to the docks to watch sailors come and go. Her charm and sunny disposition made her dear to her community.

Her town was primarily a fishing town. Even so, she found the simple life of a fisherman unsatisfying and mundane. She much preferred the exciting lives of the merchants who left Galbradan waters, and would spend hours at the docks listening to their tall tales. Listening to these stories fed her thirst for adventure, and at a young age, she decided that becoming a sailor was the best way to chase that dream.

Generally speaking, Morgan did love her hometown. While not the most lively or exciting, it was inviting and familiar. Though she wanted to sail the world over, she also wanted to keep her hometown as her home base, so to speak; a place she knew she could always return to and be welcome.

More info about Galbrada under the cut! Like, lots more. Not for the faint of heart.

Since there’s no known information about Galbrada aside from its name, location, and type of government, I decided to make something up. In my headcanon version of the world, Galbrada is the bastard child of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt, with a possible sprinkling of Middle Eastern influence. Morgan’s hometown, specifically, is based on a Grecian town called Oia, but places such as Galbrada’s capital would appear more Egyptian in style.

Agriculture and Economy

Despite not being ideal farm lands, the extensive irrigation systems that crisscross the island make farming much more common. Pieces of arable land sell for high prices, as it is in relatively short supply. Towards the edges of the island, fishing is the most common occupation, with the Emerald Sea providing a wealth of fish to catch and sell. Galbrada’s main exports are beer and exotic fruits like melons and figs. Within the island, bartering is slightly more prevalent than the exchange of money.

Lifestyle and Culture

Most people live comfortably as farmers or fishers. The profession of farmer is highly respected, as farming the unforgiving land in Galbrada is no easy feat. 

Families are important in Galbradan culture, and the concept of family extends far past the nuclear family model. The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” is very prevalent. Communities are relatively tightly-knit, so when one family is struggling, others will pitch in to support them until they can be self-sufficient again. Communities and families are more often matriarchal in structure.

The enjoyment of life plays a large role in Galbrada; festivals, sports, and games are as much a part of Galbradan life as farming and fishing. Their culture heavily subscribes to the idea of living life to its fullest, working hard and playing hard.

Galbradan children are often exempt from most labors until the age of 5, after which they are either put in school or begin to learn their family’s trade. Many children begin apprenticeships with family or community members at age 16. Children are considered adults at age 19. Even among the upper class, arranged betrothals are rare, and teenagers are encouraged to pursue whatever romantic relations they wish.

Social Structure

The upper class is made up of politicians or government officials, physicians, and artists. Below these professions are artisans, farmers, and merchants. The lowest class consists of fishers and laborers.

Government

Galbrada’s government is a republic, and therefore has no fixed ruler or succession. The leader is called the Praetor, and is elected by the voice of the people every five years. The minimum age for a Praetor is 40, and the Praetor can only be a man (not because men lead better, but because women are the primary governors of the household and thus have a more important job to do).

Criminals are brought before the local citylord. Trials by jury are common practice, and all adults are required to cast their vote, assuming they have no other major commitments.

Holidays

A few major Galbradan holidays are the winter solstice, summer solstice, beginning of spring, and end-of-summer harvest. Holidays are usually celebrated with large gatherings, feasts, and music.

[midniter]

Hey I read ur tags lol. Even tho rona ruined your play, that is literally so cool that your writing will be performed at some point. Congratulations u creative human. that do be goals

would also love to know more about said play <3

Thank you so much for being interested 💖

First of all, it's inspired by Brazilian music, mostly samba, and specially the compositions of Dorival Caymmi. And, like Dorival's work, it's all about the sea. In fact, it is called O Mar (literally The Sea).

Here's Mr. Caymmi, so you get the vibe.

The story is about a fisherman named Daniel, from a small village in the state of Bahia. He went too far from the coast one day and some mermaids found him and seduced him into going with them to their home. He is able to breathe underwater because he is believed to be chosen by the Sea itself - the creatures (which also include an octopus, a crab and a shark) explain that every year, the Sea chooses a creature from the surface to join them in their festival and then live with them, eventually becoming a sea creature, and Daniel was the chosen one this time.

Initially, he doesn't want to stay there, because he has a life in the surface, his work helps feeding his people, and he has friends and, well, a secret lover. But then, he becomes so interested in the beautiful life that exists in that sea world, he forgets about his former home. Meanwhile, his friends Marina (the woman who's in love with him) and Roberto (the man that is his secret lover) are naturally very worried about him, and they pray and send offerings to Yemanjá, goddess of sea.

There’s also this awesome lady called Madalena. Daniel used to be in love with her, they were dating some years back, but then she was hired to work at a cruise ship and they never saw each other again... until he later finds out she became a pirate!

So, basically, the main character is bisexual, there are lots of sea creatures, some pirates and great music.

Original character concepts: Roberto, Daniel and Marina; Madalena and Captain Cláudio

Here's the playlist with the songs that inspired the story! However, these aren't the songs we're using. Our director always encourage us to create original music. So I've partnered up with this boy who's an awesome composer, he's young but he's more intelligent and knows more stuff than me kfjdkdj he's just incredible. I helped him with the lyrics and he created beautiful melodies. It's original content but they all have the same vibes as the songs from my playlist.

Final (at least for now) concepts for Madalena and the pirates

[1-mini-1]

My Analysis on Mafumafu’s “Manjushage”

Get ready to learn way more about Manjushage than you actually need to (or want to) know.

In a weird turn of events, I ended up writing my term paper for my Chinese poetry class on Manjushage. I was wondering if the song was more “Chinese-y” just because of the music style and Chinese lines, but learned through my dumb analysis that yeah Mafumafu did an insanely good job on implementing Chinese themes into it. What a smart boi. Anyways, I’m rewriting it here in a more fun to read and more basic format.

So the first reference we have is the “land of paradise” (華胥の国, “Kashou no Kuni”) in the first line, which refers to the land of Hua Xu (or Kashou in Japanese). This land was seen in a dream by the Yellow Emperor (also known as Huangdi, and is a deity/emperor believed to have ruled ancient China in like 2000 BC). In this land of paradise, no one died prematurely and they lived free from attachment, which is a Daoist ideal.

The next couple of lines, “A land of paradise when seasons blossom forth. In splendor, knowing no end / Swayed by the scent of peaches within a waking paradise”, introduce us to the most heavily referenced Chinese work in Manjushage, “The Peach Blossom Spring” by Tao Yuenming. Tao Yuanming is one of the most prominent poets in Chinese history, and is well known for his poems about peach trees and Daoist themes. His prose “The Peach Blossom Spring” recounts the story of a fisherman stumbling upon the land of Shangri La, another paradise of immortality and peace. Manjushage references the same sweet scent of grasses and peaches in “The Peach Blossom Spring” that lead to disillusionment.

“Paradise” is next mentioned in the song as 無何有の郷 (Mukau no Sato). The Japanese dictionary Kotobank defines this as “a natural, ideal village”. So even though I can’t find a satisfactory English definition for this word (cause yeah “paradise” doesn’t cute it) anywhere, I’m 99% sure that it refers to a type of village described in the Zhuangzi, a foundational Daoist text. Unfortunately, I traveled back home for winter break and don’t have my copy of the Zhuangzi on hand to double check and quote from, but one part of it talks about how the ideal village in Daoism is small and natural, where you can hear dogs barking and roosters crowing from the next town over (cause it’s so small and quiet everywhere).

I guess that since I’ve brought up Daoism so much in this I should probably explain some stuff about it for those that are unfamiliar with it. Basically, it’s a Chinese philosophy and is where stuff like Yin and Yang came from. The whole point of it is to become one with the “Dao” or “The Tay”. It’s like The Force in Star Wars (kind of but not really DETAILS ARE HARD). To be one with the Dao you need to be balanced and go with the flow, but if you think you understand the Dao then lol you probably don’t because the universe is complicated af. Also, Daoists are really into trying to become immortal (hence why everyone in these Daoist “paradises” I mentioned before are all immortal and chill). But yeah let’s just go with this basic explanation.

ANYWAYS, seasons are also important in Chinese poetry and are referenced a lot in Manjushage. From what I understand, seasons carry the same meaning in both classical Japanese and Chinese poetry because the Tang dynasty popularized poetry in Japan. Since Manjushage talks about love, let me explain how love is portrayed in poetry using seasons. In spring, you fall and love and everything is dandy and flowers are blooming and everything is perfect. Summer is when you’re actually going out and everything is stable. Autumn is death and falling out of love and pain. And then winter is like your heart has frozen over.

In Manjushage, the peach blossoms represent spring (because that’s when they bloom). Summer is referenced in the lines that say “Water lilies that bloomed, unknowing” and “Amusement reflected on the water’s surface”. These two lines have a crap ton in common with “The Ballad of Four Seasons” written by Li Bai, probably the most famous Chinese poet and also a hardcore Daoist. “The Ballad of Four Seasons” also mentions “Lovely lotus lilies blossom flowers” and a Mirror Lake. Water lilies illustrate beauty and purity stemming from dirty origins (the mud), and the reflections on the water are a direct reference to this Mirror Lake. Autumn is referenced in Manjushage in the line that says “shedding tears with the full moon”. The moon traditionally references Fall because of the Moon Festival that takes place mid-autumn in China and is also referenced in “The Ballad of Four Seasons ohohoho).

So all of that’s really cool and stuff but what’s REALLY cool is how Mafumafu uses this symbolism in Manjushage. Instead of having these seasons as mutually exclusive, he blends all of them together to create a new meaning that works perfect for this song. Manjushage is all about falling into temptation for a temporary happiness. He constantly contrasts purity and depravity (such as when he asks, “Am I a peach blossom? Or a red spider lily?”) but also shows how everything is a cycle. This can especially be seen when he states, “The coming of spring, shedding tears with the full moon”. Spring could not come without the pain of Autumn, but likewise “The bitterness of the peaches today- brought by a spring nourished by tears” shows that while young love appears sweet at first, it is ultimately bitter because it is always destined to fail. What a Mafumafu thing to think. This use of opposing symbolism (spring and autumn, peach blossoms and spider lilies) reinforces the strong Daoist theme in the song because, similar to Yin and Yang, there is a balance and cycle to all things.

Ok, finishing up this long rant, I just want to mention some other small things that showcase how well Mafumafu researched his stuff. Funnily enough, most classical Chinese poetry,especially in the Tang dynasty, was written about women and courtesans, so Manjushage hits that nail on the head. Also, I’m not sure if this was intentional, but the line, “Cast it all away, until dawn steals away night” shows an ellipsis of time, which is a common literary device in Han poetry. For those unfamiliar with Chinese geography, the Yellow River mentioned in Manjushage is the second largest river in China.

So yeah. My conclusion is that Mafumafu’s smart lol.

[brookswcrf655]

01579 384963

Isles of Scilly

A rational starting point for any posting about spots off the Cornish Coastline, the Isles of Scilly comprise of five inhabited and a number of uninhabited islands Situated forty five miles south west of Land's Conclude. The islands really are a designated spot of fantastic natural attractiveness and they are well known among visitors desirous to knowledge the calm and peaceful environment of shorelines, wildlife and interesting geology. Individuals using a penchant for sailing (and, far more specifically, gig Car Servicing And Repairs in St Austell , Cornwall rowing) and scuba diving will find some of the cleanest and warmest coastal waters around the Scillies. Accessibility within the mainland is offered all 12 months and from a range of areas such as Penzance and Exeter.

Looe Island

Looe Island (sometimes often called St Georges Island) lies a single mile from the mainland city of Looe about the south Cornish coast. For the latter A part of the twentieth Century the island was privately owned until eventually 2004 when it was bequeathed into the Cornwall Wildlife Rely on who are actually preserving it being a nature reserve and welcome readers in the summer time months. The island incorporates a loaded religious historical past - as soon as becoming the positioning of a Bendictine chapel and abundance of wildlife on shore and off. The surrounding waters also are protected, and the island might be accessed by boat.

St Michaels Mount

St Michael's Mount is located just off the south Cornish Coastline in the vicinity of Marazion. The castle is house into the St Auben family members though the Neighborhood of villagers who live all-around it perform to maintain the mount as being a self-contained parish. Right now the castle is owned via the Nationwide Have confidence in, but in past times it's got acted as being a fortress, stately property and even a priory - and presents a wonderful Perception in to the history of the location. The castle is open up to the general public at distinct moments regarding the seasons, so it is usually needed to ebook.

Offshore lighthouses and Many others

Carn Bras and Wolf Rock are two small offshore islands from the coast of Lands Finish which might be each home to lighthouses. The former is part of your Longships group of uninhabited islets (the lighthouse has actually been automated because 1988) and it is well-liked being a location for leisure divers. Off the north coast, The Carracks are One more group of islets of desire to Individuals seeking wildlife. Pryor Begent Fry & Co | Accountants | 01409 253655 | Helston The largest from the group is frequently referred to as 'Seal Island' because of the abundance of Atlantic Gray Seals which congregate there at specified periods of calendar year. Boat trips for the Carracks can be found from nearby St Ives.

The temperatures may well slide from the warm summer months but the scenery just seems to get a lot more magnificent and folks warmer. Revellers head to the energetic resorts of Newquay, St Ives and Looe from all throughout the region to celebrate while in the packed pubs, lively golf equipment and renowned eating places but the real spirit of Christmas is also celebrated with candlelit carol providers, kid's nativity performs and midnight mass held all over Cornwall.

It has grown to be a tradition through the years that individuals will go for a swim on Xmas Working day and you will discover various activities at different beach locations across the Cornish coast some charitable and many just for enjoyment, Despite the fact that Restaurants General in Penzance , Cornwall - Wozup South West href="https://wozupsouthwest.co.uk/location/st-austell">Go here While using the sea temperatures heading from 20 levels Celsius in the summer to 10 levels celsius inside the winter months a festive drink or scorching Xmas meal will certainly be welcome https://wozupsouthwest.co.uk/location/fowey after even a short dip in The ocean.

Nearly all of cities across Cornwall have their Xmas Lights but Mousehole three miles south of Penzance is nicely worth traveling to for its Xmas illuminations explained to rival any in the united kingdom, the lights are erected all around the village, over the harbour wall and out to sea. You can even take a helicopter ride from Penzance to watch the illuminations from higher than which contain spouting dolphins, prancing reindeer plus a Xmas pudding. The illuminations can be seen every single night from mid December right until the end of the very first week of January Together with the climax staying Tom Bawcock's Eve to the twenty third December commemorating an evening way back when a neighborhood fisherman landed a capture which was more than enough to feed The full hungry village. A local seafood dish, Star Gazy Pie is prepared and brought out at midnight and an image with the pie is always to generally be seen in lights.

Trebah Gardens amongst Cornwalls most popular tourist attractions hosts a number of gatherings foremost nearly Xmas with candlelit night walks to magical santa trails and grotto and xmas decoration workshops. Several in the National Rely on web sites in Cornwall open over the months foremost as much as Xmas with great seasonal activities at Cotehele, Lanhydrock, Trerice and Trelissick Gardens with amazing Christmas decorations, carol solutions and magical trails to adhere to and Though They can be closed on Xmas Working day and Boxing working https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=cornwall day the grounds stay open. An ice skating rink opens its doorways on the Eden Undertaking from late October until finally late February with seasonal animations and lots of House for spectators who need to avoid the bumps and bruises.

Xmas would not be Christmas with out a pantomime and participating in at the Corridor for Cornwall in Truro in the 11th December 2009 right until 3rd January 2010 is Jack plus the Beanstalk with comedy, slapstick and music for all the family. On the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth from your 23rd December till the 30th December The Wonder Theatre Company provides The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin a fairy tale of comedy and energetic performances certain to thrill The full loved ones. Cornwallholidayplaces has an excellent journey tutorial to Cornwall that can help you discover precisely what is on and in which to go during the festive break.

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All Spider locations!

Heads up: this is a rough guide, I didn’t get exact coordinates or pictures for all the different spiders but this will narrow down your search greatly. Turn down the graphics, turn on shadows, and that’ll help them stand out more. Spider sounds are in the sound effects tab, turn down (or mute) music and ambience to hear the spiders better. 

Thanks @caramelstarofficial​ and @ellawolfpaw​ for helping with the two Golden Hills spiders I didn’t have numbering info on!

Eastern Epona (10)

Fort Maria - Green - Left of Fort Maria’s gate

The Mirror Rocks - Blue - by the water on the island near the bridge

Mirror Marshes - Blue - facing the runestone + Pandoria portal island

The Eastern Slopes - Green - along the cliff by the portal

Dew’s Farm - brown - circling a wall inside a building

Guardian’s Dale - brown - behind Concorde’s statue

The Great Thunder - Brown - Underside of a rock shelf

Old Wreck - Blue - under the ramp

The Eastern Slopes - Blue - among the rocks on the shore by the lighthouse

Observatory 12 - brown - in a box

Firgrove (10)

The Silverglade Mine - green - on a building

Apple Grove - green - in an apple bucket

Fisherman’s Hut - blue - at the end of the pier

Firgrove - brown - inside the bear den

Mountain Dumping Site - green - inside a thicket bush

Firgrove - blue - under the bridge to Firgrove

The Mountain Pass - green - on a tree

Firgrove - brown - up to to lookout point

Firgrove Village - green - inside a flower box on the north side of the village

The mountains of Jor - brown - hiding in a barrel pile up by the barn where the toxic waste was stored

Fort Pinta (5)

Moorland - blue - on rock by the beach along the fort pinta race track

Fort Pinta Beach - blue - on a pillar of the diving board

Moorland - blue - in the rocks on the way to The Thorn Rocks, in a dip created by two rocks in the water

Doyle’s Abbey - brown - on the wall inside the ruins

Fort Pinta - brown? - inside a canon

Golden Hills Valley (10)

Jasper’s Pumpkin Farm - green - in the pumpkin patch

Scarecrow Hill - green? - on the backside of Scarecrow Hill

Southsea Acres - green - hanging off a ledge

Goldenhills Valley - blue? - on the shore by a hidden rune stone right by the entrance to Golden Hills

Labyrinth Shores - blue? - in/on a barrel

Goldenleaf Stables - blue - in rocks on the eastern shore side of the island

Cape West Fishing Village - blue - hiding in a tire on the east pier

Goldenhills Valley - brown - in the cave up the cliffside overlooking the stables and village, you take a boat to get to it

Goldenleaf Forest - brown - on a tree

Cauldron Swamp - brown - under a scaffold ramp

Jorvik City (5)

Pier 13 - blue - by the crayfish traps

Pier 13 - brown - inside the Dark Core warehouse

Aideen’s Plaza - green - in a flower bush, you can see it’s legs and eyes

Governor’s Fall - green - on stage in Leonardo’s

Governor’s Fall - brown - in the furniture display

Mistfall (10)

Birk’s Grange - green? - in the wheat? field

The Keel - blue - under the first bridge

Mistfall - blue - on the rocks off shore near Dundull

Dundull - brown - under Skoll’s house

South Mistfall Forest - brown - in the bangalow house outside Dundull

Mistfall - green - under an elevated root above the Ranger station

Bramble Gorge - green - in a bush on one of the plateaus, it overlooks the lake

Wolves’ Den - green? - in bushes on a plateau above the wolves’ den

South Mistfall Forest - brown? - moving around the cave entrance to the lake

Mistfall lake - blue - floating around in the water by the pier

Moorland (5)

Moorland Stables - green - in flowers in the starting area

Mrs. Holdsworth’s house - green - in the vines on Mrs. Holdsworth’s house

Moorland South Beach - blue - in a boat by Mr. Cod

The Demascus Mine - brown - on a support beam

Old Jasper’s house - brown - inside Jasper’s house

Silverglade Acres (10)

Silverglade Castle - green - on a pillar

Moorland - green - on a cliff overlooking the GED campsite and Moorland, by the druid puzzle

Silverglade Village - blue - in the fountain

Silverglade Vineyard - brown - in the cellar

The Grape Fields - blue - underside of a pipe

NorthLink - brown - at the cave construction entrance

The Everwind Fields - green - on a hill by the old Midsummer festival location / baroness’ racetrack / oil fields

Southsilver Waters - blue - chilling on the shore

Southsilver Waters - blue - on rocks in the water

The Everwind Fields - green - in a bush

South Hoof Peninsula (7)

South Hoof Peninsula - green - out in the open on the north west side of the island near the bridge to Epona

Ancient Tree - brown - tucked under the Singing Yew

South Hoof peninsula - green - between two standing rocks on the northern side of the plain

South Hoof Peninsula - brown - hiding in an attached shed thing at the farm

South Hoof Peninsula - brown - on a rock ledge by the shore by the Hermit’s house

South Hoof Beach - blue - under a rock over the water on the northern beach near where Anwir loaded up the stolen horses

South Hoof Peninsula - blue - on a rock on the northern beach, east of the ferry dock

The Harvest Counties (9)

Seahorse Point - green - in the flax / blue flowers

Jarlaheim - brown - on the ceiling of a tower on the wall

The Forgotten Fields - green - on one of the plateaus

The Forgotten Fields - blue - on one of the rock outcrops along the river

The Forgotten Fields - brown - on the ground by the runestone and little grove of trees

Paddock Island - blue - by the burned bridge

Jarlaheim - brown - in a box in the theater

Greendale - brown - inside the tree house

The Forgotten Fields - green - walking around near the runestone circle

Valedale (10)

Valedale Village - brown - inside Avalon’s shed

Silversong River - blue - by the waterfall

Valedale - green - rock by the secret stone circle portal

Hollow Woods - green - on top of a rock by a campfire

Abandoned summer house - green - in a bush

Valedale Lake - green - on the hillside by the waterfall, opposite side of the race course

Valedale Lake - blue - on a lilypad

Valedale Lake - green - on a rock by the fence of the DC worksite

Valedale - blue - by the mill along the river

Spymaster’s hideout - brown - in a cage

Western Epona (9)

Epona River - Blue - on pipes by Frederik

Old Bunker - Brown - on the wall

The Moon Spring - Brown - in the cave entrance of the spring

Stormgarden Fields - green - in the grape fields

Crescent Moon Village - Brown - in a barrel pile

Poison pond - blue - on a crate in the water

Seahorse Beach - blue on the end of a log facing the water

Old Stormgarden - Blue(?) - in a well by the autumn tree orchard

Stormgarden - brown - hiding inside a barrel in a pile of barrels