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lumosinlove · 4 years

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Cw: mentions of drugs and mentions of past abuse

Previously On Relic Keel

Remus has started to associate sailing with Sirius Black ever since Sirius told him he watches his boat every morning. He thinks about how tired he is of knowing everything there is to know and wishes to leave the island.

Remus also starts his new job at the Hogwarts History Museum where he meets up with his friend Layla, whose family runs the museum, and whose brother, Lyall, Remus races sailboats against. On his way there, he reflects on the divide between Salazars and Godrics. He remembers Sirius at school, and how he was either celebrated or shunned with seemingly no pattern.

After their first shift at the museum, Layla takes Remus to The Lion for lunch, chastising Remus’ prejudices, and introduces him to Leo. Remus sees Leo’s rainbow bracelet and thinks about how badly he wants a boyfriend. We also learn that Luke is also gay, but that he and Remus have always been just friends.

Logan arrives at The Lion, too, is introduced, and listens in on Remus finding out a new exhibit on madness at the museum—the Lupins are known for going insane, but Remus’ mother mentioned nothing to Remus about this exhibit.

Leo learns that Logan is looking for someone (Finn). Logan reflects on a sleepy feeling that seemed to go away with his escape from the orphanage. Leo offers Logan a job, if he wants, and also tells him about The Voldemort.

The Voldemort is a boat from the eighteenth century that is said to have sank in The Cradle, a U shaped arrangement of islands just off of Hogwarts Southern Coast. Leo’s dad was close to finding it. Leo feels like he should want to find it, too, for his lost father.

Saint and Sirius arrive. Saint and Logan see each other for the first time in almost ten years, since Saint escaped when he was seven. Logan tells him that Finn got him out and Saint finds out that Logan sells Crucio.

Pascal, who owns the Lion with his wife Celeste, is introduced. He’s very close with Saint and Sirius, and he apparently knew Leo’s father before he went missing at sea. Saint learns that Logan is staying with Leo.

James and Remus arrive, looking for Dorcas who Thomas said might be selling Crucio to Luke. They’d like her to stop and are willing to pay. Logan takes advantage of this and, although he doesn’t sell to Luke, cons James out of 200 bucks.

Saint learns that Logan has gotten tangled up with The Carrows, the more dangerous of the two Crucio dealers, the other, safer one being Kasey Winter, in the hopes that they will help him get Finn out. Instead, he’s in their debt for using their Crucio himself.

Logan slips and calls Saint Bash. Saint refuses to help Logan get Finn out.

A/N: I super don’t speak Latin. And neither do my trees.

part v

Dorcas watched as Saint took his book from the floor of the back seat and flipped his sunglasses down.

“How long?” he asked. “And how do I keep getting stuck with this job?”

“Because Sirius is a better surfer than you are,” Dorcas replied. “And you know what, you can take off. Her parents are out of town for the weekend so her dad won’t be coming home or anything.”

Saint paused and raised an eyebrow. “And so I just drove you because…”

“I didn’t feel like walking?”

“Clever gal.”

Dorcas smiled. “I know.”

“Whatever, I need the car anyway.”

“What are you up to? I thought you were working at the Potters.”

“Just Sirius today,” Saint threw his book back into the rear seats. “I’ve got some detective work ahead of me.”

“Does this have anything to do with that little friend of yours that Sirius told me about?”

Saint rolled his eyes. “Of course he told you.”

“You know you two can’t keep secrets from me.”

“Don’t I.”

“See you later, babe,” Dorcas opened her door.

Saint gave her a salut as she headed around towards the dug-out fence.

Marlene had her paints out and her hair up in a bun when she pushed the window up and open for Dorcas.

“Luke’s here,” she said, and rolled her eyes as she turned away.

Dorcas froze in the window frame to see Luke with his feet crossed, laying on Marlene’s bed.

“Okay,” Dorcas said. “Can he leave?”

“Hey,” Luke said. “Cousin privileges.”

“Girlfriend privileges,” Dorcas said, shutting the window behind her. “Plus, can’t you go, like, toss a ball at a net with a stick or something?”

Luke rolled his eyes—not unlike his cousin. “I’m on a rest day. Plus, I’m off the team.”

“And whose fault is that?” Dorcas raised an eyebrow.

“He’s just getting out of the house for a bit,” Marlene said with a pointed look that Dorcas understood as he’s getting away from his mother.

“Plus,” Marlene continued. “He’s a good cover story.”

“I thought your dad wasn’t here.”

Marlene shook her head. “Came home early. Guess his newest gal pal didn’t like golf. He’s over at the club now.”

“What’s his deal, anyway?” Luke asked. He had reached over to the bedside table and put a bowl of what looked like mango slices onto his stomach. “With you two, I mean.”

“I am his little princess,” Marlene said dryly. “Not to be dated.”

“And a Salazar girl who lives in The Hollow?” Dorcas shook her head. “No deal.”

“Right,” Luke said. “Like that’s never happened before.”

Dorcas snorted and sat on the bed, too, stealing a few pieces of fruit. “Like you’re any better than the rest of them, Deveaux.”

“I am,” Luke said. “I don’t hate Salazars.”

“But you hate Hollows.”

Luke grinned. “I don’t hate them, either. They hate me, and what am I gonna do about their jealousy? That’s their issue.”

“God, you’re an asshole,” Dorcas sighed.

“He’s really not though,” Marlene stepped back as she regarded the painting she was working on. Luke’s face looked back out at them from the canvas. “He just likes to make-believe.”

“Could have fooled me and my friends.”

“He’s a great actor,” Marlene agreed, then stuck her tongue out at Luke. “I just happen to have known him before he learned how.”

“All right, fuck you both,” Luke grumbled, and ate another piece of mango.

“Believe me,” Dorcas said. “We’re not jealous of you.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “You can’t tell me you wish you didn’t have to sell Felix to make a little more money?”

Dorcas narrowed her eyes. “Like you and your money live such a great life.”

Luke looked away, jaw tight.

“Yeah,” Dorcas said. “I’d take Crucio and the friends I have over that any day.” After a moment of hesitation, she looked down and mumbled. “And by the looks of your little habit, so would you.”

“Fuck you, Meadowes,” Luke snarled. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“All right, all right,” Marlene said, tilting her head as she added color to Luke’s cheeks in her painting. “Cool it, kids. Take a chill pill. Knock it down a notch. Luke, why don’t you go get us some pizza or something? Or maybe pick up from Thomas’. I crave his nachos, holy cow. Also, tell him to come hang out later tonight, if he can.”

Luke held Dorcas’ eyes for a moment, then pushed himself up from the bed. “Pepperoni, you?”

“Pineapple and ham, thanks,” Marlene said, and smiled at Dorcas as she patted his back out the door.

“Hi,” Marlene laughed once the door closed behind him. She walked into Dorcas’ arms. She took Dorcas’ face between her hands and peppered kisses to her mouth. “How are you?”

“Worried about basically all of our friends,” Dorcas laughed. “And that one, I guess, too.”

“Tell me about it,” Marlene sighed, laying down on the bed and eating a slice of mango. Dorcas mirrored her position. “No, seriously, if you want to talk about it, I’m all ears. I mean, I’ve got Luke who, one, needs to get out of his house, and two, needs someone to love, like, God, I wish he had a boyfriend. I just want him to get off this island, go to college, and meet the sweetest human in the world, you know?” Marlene sighed again, eyes far away. “He doesn’t act like he deserves that, but…it’s really his family he didn’t deserve. He’s all torn up about his dad, but his dad’s…a schemer. You know? And his mom, don’t even get me started.”

“Maybe he can still meet someone here,” Dorcas replied, and reached out to brush Marlene’s hair away from her face with a smile. “You never know. We didn’t. How long did we spend on this island without knowing each other existed?”

Marlene’s smile faltered in a way that Dorcas was beginning to recognize. It worried her.

“What?” Dorcas asked softly.

Marlene tilted her head. “Hm?”

“You keep doing that,” Dorcas said, tracing a thumb over one corner of Marlene’s mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Marlene said. “I was just thinking about Luke. I mean, my parents sucks but at least they’re…”

Dorcas raised an eyebrow. “Not in jail?”

“Yeah, I don’t know where I was going with that,” Marlene laughed. She scooted closer, letting Dorcas hitch her thigh over her hip, Dorcas’ thumb rubbing idly over her soft skin. “Now what are you worrying about, lover?”

“Sirius,” Dorcas began. “I don’t know he just…he’s never seemed…happy? Saint. He’s trying so hard to be happy that I know he’s not. And now there’s Logan which I think stirred up a lot of Saint Clair stuff for him. I mean, Jesus, how do we not know what’s up with that place?”

“Gods are good at not paying attention,” Marlene said solemnly.

“Saint never takes that damn cross off,” Dorcas said. “I mean, wouldn’t you want to let it go?”

“Sorry, who’s Logan? He got out? As in escaped? Like Saint did?”

Dorcas nodded. “I haven’t talked to Saint about it yet. Me and Sirius are gonna tag-team later, make him let it out.”

Marlene looked suspicious. “Good luck.”

“We have our ways,” Dorcas laughed. “And Logan…He deals. I know him a little. Not really.”

Marlene nodded, going quiet at the mention of Crucio as she always did.

“I like what it gives me,” Dorcas said gently. “Freedom, Marls. More than any other job here could. At least any job that I could get. And its from Kasey, who makes it safely. Unlike the Carrows. So—”

“You don’t have to explain,” Marlene said, and pushed herself closer. “I know. Really, I know. I’m proud of you. I just wish there wasn’t as much risk.”

“Like the police do anything about it,” Dorcas sighed, running a hand through Marlene’s hair. “They probably like the revenue it brings for the island.”

“Yeah,” Marlene sighed.

“Well,” Dorcas said. “We probably have at least twenty minutes before Deveaux returns with the pizza…”

Marlene smiled and pushed Dorcas’ hat off, leaning over her on the bed. “Oh? Twenty minutes you say?”

Saint parked the Jeep between two trees in an overgrow section of a Salazar road. He knew where The Carrows lived. It was difficult to miss their house. Saint could practically smell the gold and diamonds. He felt like he smell the Crucio, too, the rubber bands and the plastic bags, and the sickly sweet powder.

There was no one outside. The whole grandiosity looked strangely deserted.

Saint reached into the rear again for the latest book he had borrowed from James. Frankenstein. Not one he hadn’t read before, but a good one none the less.

“Don’t know why you want that one,” James had said when he handed it over. They had both been hot from working in the sun—Saint on the lawn, James on his backhand. “I had to write a book report on that in, like, what, ninth grade? Oof.”

“Beluis amicitiam,” Saint had replied.

“How the fuck do you know Latin?” James had said. “You aren’t even at our school.”

“You gave me a book on Latin.”

James nodded. “Right.”

“Well?” Saint had asked. “You’re at school. What’d I say?”

James squinted one eye shut. “Beast…friends?”

Saint had laughed. “Literally, sure.”

Saint opened the book now, rolling the window down in the stuffy car. The AC was broken.

“Monsters like company,” he said aloud into the small space and settled down to wait.

Lily didn’t expect to find herself painting an old boat with James Potter on a Saturday afternoon, but painting she was. She dipped the fat brush into the blue paint, trying to wipe her hair out of her face without getting blue in it.

“Still doing okay over there, Lils?”

Lily looked up to see James’ head pop out over the upside-down bow.

“All good,” Lily nodded. “You?”

James smiled. “Yeah. Thanks for helping me out.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lily said. “Just working on my tan.”

James’ head appeared again, only this time his expression was incredulous. “We both know we both burn.”

Lily laughed. “I guess so.”

The Potter’s had their own, small beach in front of their property, and Lily dug her feet down into the sand, looking at the inviting ocean.

She felt all too awkward after their talk a few nights ago. She had been brash, and almost cruel at some points. James was—good. But she didn’t want to end up like her mother. She didn’t want to stay for someone, like her mother had for her father, and regret it, like she could tell her mother did sometimes.

And if she had wanted someone to come out into the world with her, she couldn’t have picked a worse candidate. James was a Potter, and the Potters were Hogwarts Island’s beating heart. Their money was in every part of this island. Every grain of sand, every brick. Hogwarts Academy, whose headmaster was James’ father.

If Lily loved James, she’d never escape.

And the problem was, she did love James.

“So, I was thinking about doing a movie night or something,” James said from the other side of the boat. “Put a sheet up and a projector. We could lay it all out on the lawn, or by the pool. Get some candy and popcorn and shit, invite everyone.”

Lily cleared her throat. “Yeah, that sounds cool.”

James was at the front now, painting the boat’s nose. “Any suggestions or requests?”

Lily smiled. “Is it too cheesy to do Pirates of The Caribbean?”

James laughed. “Hell no. There’s no better place!”

Lily shrugged. “Then definitely that. Oh, Will Turner.”

James snorted. “Yeah, can’t say no to that.”

Lily smiled at him, and shifted closer to the other side of the bow.

“So, how’s your common-app going?” James asked. “These essays are sort of killing me. I mean, you’re staring out a window. What do you see? What the fuck kind of prompt is that? That’s what’s going to get me into college?”

Lily laughed. “Not to mention asking me why I want to go somewhere. They’re basically forcing me to make something dramatic up.”

“Right. If I’m being, you know, honest, I feel simple, and if I’m embellishing, I feel fake.”

Lily looked up at him. “Exactly. No, that’s—exactly.”

They smiled at each other, paintbrushes poised.

“I don’t know,” James sighed finally. “I’m—I’m sort of worried, Lils.”

“What about Lacrosse?” Lily asked.

James nodded. “That’s what my dad says. And, yeah, I love it, but…sometimes I wonder if it’s more that I love who I’m playing with. Luke, Remus, Thomas.”

Lily nodded, eyes flitting over his face which had gone serious and tense. “Right. No, that makes sense. But J, you’re so smart. And kind.”

James’ smile was small, but his eyes, when he looked at her, were fond. “Not as smart as you. And I can’t get a degree in kindness.”

Lily hummed, thinking. College was a sensitive topic for everyone it seemed. What was supposed to be one of the best parts of their lives was all uncertainty and vagueness. She thought of Marlene, and how she hadn’t told Dorcas about her early-decision acceptance yet. This seemed to be all goodbyes and leave-behinds.

“Sorry,” James cleared his throat. “That was a downer thing to say.”

Lily shook her head. “I’m starting to think college is just a downer thing.”

James smiled, and, even though it was something that had only been gone for a moment, Lily found that she had missed it. James was so bright. “Yeah.”

Lily knew that she was going to say goodbye to James in a year. But for the first time, she wondered how she knew, and when she had decided.

“You’re going to be amazing, Lils,” James said softly. She could tell that they were both thinking of their conversation. He looked down at her with his hazel eyes. “Really, you are.”

Lily meant to say thank you.

Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him. James’ body tensed, and then relaxed. His mouth opened beneath hers and she cupped his cheek, her other palm splayed on his chest. He was warm from the sunlight. He made a soft sound and tilted his head to kiss her again, hand between her shoulders. Then, he pulled back, their foreheads together. There was paint on his chest from Lily’s paintbrush. Blue, right over his heart.

“Lils,” James gasped. He wrapped a gentle hand around her wrist. “Lils, mixed messages, mixed messages…”

He was out of breath. Lily had made him that way. Her own heart was beating out of her chest.

“You’re right,” Lily breathed, and stepped away, drawing a fallen strap of her tank top up her shoulder. “You’re right, God, sorry.”

“No, it’s,” James began. “I mean, that was nice. Really nice.”

Lily sent him a wavering smile over her shoulder. “Yeah. Sorry about—” the paint. Everything.

She watched James out of the corner of her eye as he passed his hand through his hair a few times. This time, he came to stand beside her as they worked quietly.

It only took Lily a few moments to not be able to stand it any more. The feeling of him so close, of wanting him the way she did. He was gentle. He kissed in a way that made her want to melt. He had made her laugh, that night that they spent together, in between those kisses and gentle touches.

“Why did you ask me to do this with you, James?” Lily said. “I mean—aren’t you mad at me?”

James didn’t respond for a moment, but finally turned.

“What, we can’t be friends?” he asked.

“I wasn’t very nice to you the other night,” Lily said, and then groaned. “And—I mean, I feel awful about it but…you understand, don’t you?"

“I’m not here to tie you down, Lily,” James said, eyes firm behind his glasses. “If that’s what you think friends do…I don’t know what to tell you.”

“You’re not my friend,” Lily burst out, and then covered her eyes. “I mean—you are. But you’re…”

“It’s fine, Lils,” James said. When Lily looked up, he was shaking his head and stooping to dip his brush again. “Really, let’s just…let’s paint and tan. I’ll get us some sunscreen.”

“James—”

“You kissed me and then you said we weren’t friends. Forgive me if I’d rather stay where we are than go farther or backwards into those two territories that you seem to not want.”

Lily blinked.

James glanced at her, then away. “I should probably be asking you to leave. But I don’t want to lose you. Not yet. Not now, not if you really think that’s so inevitable.”

Lily stared at him. He was looking resolutely at his work, jaw tight. He looked beautiful, even when he was sad and overwhelmed. Lily was so angry at herself.

She didn’t want to lose him, either.

She timed her paint strokes to his, and they worked beside each other quietly.

Saint didn’t find what he expected to find.

Instead of Logan coming up the path, Luke Deveaux passed right by his car and open window.

Luke looked down in passing, probably expecting to see an empty vehicle, and then did a double take when, instead, he found Saint sitting there, Frankenstein in one hand, balanced on the steering wheel, and the other elbow resting out the window.

“Hello, tweedle,” Saint said.

Luke stopped walking. He had a gray t-shirt on with a large, navy Nike swoop on it, and black running shorts. Earbuds dangled around his neck, tangled in the two fine gold chains that hung there and trailing all the way into his pocket, where Saint could see the weight of his phone. He was sweaty, as though he had run here from Godric.

“What?” Luke said.

“Bad move,” Saint replied. “Taking your hit from The Shining twins.”

Luke just stared at him. He pushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes. Saint smiled. He liked Deveaux when he was caught off guard. This had never happened before.

“Well—” Luke began. “You’re here, too.”

“Not like that.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “You said you didn’t deal.”

“I don’t.”

“So,” Luke’s eyes flit around the Jeep’s exterior. “You just sit in junk cars and read—” Luke looked forward. “Shelley?”

Saint frowned in approval and squinted back towards the house. “You say that almost as if you’ve read it.”

“I have.”

“What, in your ninth grade book report?”

“No, with my—” Luke turned his head away, mouth clamping shut.

“I see,” Saint said after a moment. “A bit of a strange parental bonding choice, but all right.”

“Fuck off,” Luke said. “And what the fuck did you call me?”

That was when Saint spotted Logan. He sat up and unlocked the Jeep doors with a click.

“Get in,” Saint said.

Luke scoffed. “Fuck off.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that in five seconds. Get in, tweedle, or I’ll tell your mother about your candy addiction.”

To Saint’s slight surprise—he was used to people being drawn to him—that seemed to work and Luke complied, but he walked slowly, distrustfully, around the bonnet before sliding into the passenger seat.

Logan was coming up a different path, one stemming from the back of the house to what looked like a side door.

“She wouldn’t care,” Luke said as he slammed the door.

“You in my passenger seat says differently,” Saint said, and glanced at Luke’s wrist. “Nice watch.”

It was gold and glittery. It looked like it had probably been his father’s, and by no means looked like it should be worn on a run.

“Your car smells like wet dog.”

“I don’t have a dog,” Saint replied, eyes on Logan. He had knocked and was waiting now.

“I was talking about Black.”

Saint glanced at him. “You’re funny, Galileo.”

Luke just shook his head, bringing his t-shirt up to wipe his forehead. “Stop calling me tweedle—you think I’m dumb?”

Saint laughed. “No.”

“All right,” Luke put a hand on the door. “I’m getting out.”

“No,” Saint said, and grabbed Luke’s arm, fingers wrapping around his wrist. “Stay here or you’ll blow this for both of us.”

Luke shook him off and Saint pushed his door open. He began his stride up towards the house without looking back. He wondered if Luke was a snoop. The thought made him smile.

Logan saw him when he was half-way to the door, and rolled his eyes, shoving his hands out in an effort to silently say go back.

“Hello, number ten,” Saint said, leaning beside the door. “Now, who are you waiting for?”

“Saint, don’t.”

“Look, I’m hoping it was me, and if so, your ride’s here.” Saint narrowed his eyes. “Let’s go.”

“What do you care if I’m here?”

Saint looked at Logan’s backpack, the one that was always filled with Crucio. Even at the sight of it he imagined that he could feel the sweet, sleepiness that occupied his nights at the orphanage.

The door opened.

“Oh, look,” Amycus said, resting a hand on the door. “Haven’t seen you in a while. What is it you’re calling yourself these days? Saint.”

“Hello, Amy,” Saint smiled. “Nice to see you, we’re going now.”

“You can’t,” Amycus snarled. “He owes us.”

“I’m sure you haven’t lost that much,” Saint said back evenly.

“Oh yeah?” Amycus laughed. “Why don’t we take a look at green-eyes here’s subconscious. You want something bad enough, you like something enough, something feels good enough, then there comes a point where you don’t even know how far you’ve gone to get it. How much Felix have you taken, do you think, Tremblay?”

Logan just looked down.

“See?” Amycus cocked his head. “He doesn’t know. Which means I make make up whatever number I like.”

Saint nodded, thoughtful. “Interesting. What number is that?”

Amycus just grinned. “Your friend here will know when I tell him.”

“Bullshit,” Logan snapped, and Saint held up a hand.

“We’re going now, and you know what?” Saint leaned in. “You don’t know shit about what he wants.”

“Come back without your handler, Tremblay,” Amycus called after them.

Back at the car, Saint could see Luke reading Frankenstein through the windshield.

“Who’s that?”

“Who you got your two hundred bucks for,” Saint murmured.

“What about the two hundred more you just cost me?”

“You’re welcome,” Saint said, and motioned to Luke to get out.

“And what exactly was I supposed to get out of this?” Luke said, crossing his arms.

“A chit-chat with yours truly,” Saint replied. “Logan, get in the car.”

Logan glared, but took Luke’s place in the passenger seat.

Saint slid back into the driver’s side, took Logan’s backpack from him, and slung it into the back seat.

“Oh,” Saint leaned out his window. “And I’m sure you can go right up now.”

“I’m sure I can,” Luke tossed Saint the book. “Don’t forget Potter’s book. Did you steal it, or what?”

If only he knew, Saint thought.

“Bye, Luke,” Saint called as he turned out of the grove and down the street. He looked in his review mirror and smiled at the sight of Luke standing, framed in it. Then, he put his arm lazily on the steering wheel and let Luke’s golden watch flash in the sunlight on his wrist.

“You didn’t have to fucking—fetch me,” Logan grumbled.

“Yes, I fucking did.”

Logan turned towards him in his seat, and for a moment Saint thought he was going for his backpack, but Logan just looked at him.

“Look,” Logan said.

“I’m driving.”

Logan ignored him.

“There’s a treasure,” Logan said instead. “Leo told me about it. He thinks his dad knows where it is—The Cradle? Look, I—If we can get it—”

“Oh, good,” Saint sighed. “He sells Crucio and he’s a Voldemort tourist.”

Logan blinked. “You know about it?”

Saint scoffed. “Of course I know about it. Everyone knows about it, Logan.”

“Fine, but—if we can get it, then I can pay off—”

“I’m sorry, excuse me, excuse me,” Saint held up a hand, one on the wheel. The houses went from the tall mansions of Salazar to the workshop rows of Helga, to the low houses of The Hollow. “Did you or did you not just place all of your hopes of freedom on a long lost, legendary treasure.”

“Bash—Saint.”

“Answer the question.”

“It’s not my hope, it’s just an option.”

Saint just shook his head. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Come on,” Logan urged as Saint stopped the car in front of The Lion. “Isn’t there something you want? Something that much gold could get you?”

“Come to think of it, there isn’t that much I want, no.”

Logan paused, and then said, “Then, is there something you hate?”

When Saint didn’t reply for enough time, Logan took his backpack and got out of the car.

Sirius had dreamed about his little brother last night. Only, he had been on Wolfsbane, and Regulus had been on shore. There had been someone else in the boat, too, someone expertly pulling the ropes and taking Sirius farther out to sea. The wind had been warm.

Sirius had woken up thinking about Remus Lupin.

His entire day was thrown off.

Sirius looked over at Saint. “Are we going to talk about it?”

Saint had his head in Dorcas’ lap and his eyes closed. “Pardon?”

Dorcas and Sirius glanced at each other. “Logan.”

“We were at Saint Clair together. What else is there to say?”

“Maybe how he got out.”

“And why,” Dorcas added, running a hand through Saint’s hair. “It might help if you talked about that place more.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

Sirius groaned. “Saint. Come on, that kid looked freaked talking to you and then he bolted. What’s up?”

Saint sighed, his face opening up into a rare moment of softer eyes, and he sat up, nearly facing away from the both of them.

Sirius listened to the crickets outside. Before, he had just wanted to know about the orphanage. Now, he wanted Saint to not have to keep it all inside.

“When I arrived when I was five, Logan and Finn were already there,” Saint said finally. “And its not like its this horrible place. We have beds and food and we go to school together. We have friends. But we’re also locked away. The nuns are strict. The punishments are old-fashioned. A slap. A few days in solitude. The problem is…”

Sirius got up from his perch on the window and sat beside Saint on the ratty old couch they had dragged in. Saint didn’t look at him, but let him and Dorcas lay gentle hands on him, Dorcas’ on his back, Sirius’ one of his crossed ankles.

“I watched kids turn eighteen,” Saint said, voice steely. “And they’d be packing their bags and then—unpacking them.”

“They,” Dorcas began. “You mean they decided to stay?”

Saint just shook his head slowly. “I still haven't completely figured it out. I think—maybe Crucio has something to do with it. It’s the only thing I can think of that would make them stay. I keep having this—this memory of being so tired at night. And these dreams.”

“The plant Crucio is made out of has Melatonin in it,” Dorcas said, brow creased. “It influences the dreaming. The hallucinations.”

“So, what?” Sirius asked. “They stay for Crucio, you think?”

“They work some,” Saint said. “Around the island. But, yeah. They stay.”

“You think they’re bringing money back?” Dorcas asked gently. “To the orphanage?”

Saint shrugged. “I told you. I haven’t completely figured it out. But I’d rather figure it out from the outside. Even when I was seven, I knew something was wrong. But I was older when I arrived. Finn and Logan had been there since they were too young to recognize something like that. They didn’t know anything else.”

“And…you do?” Sirius asked faintly. Saint had never brought up remembering anything about his prior life, his family.

Saint laughed faintly and got up. “Who knows. That’s the thing about memories, right? We tend to make them worse, or make them better.” Sirius watched him go to the sink and turn it on and off. He opened the refrigerator and then closed it. Finally, he stilled.

“But I hate them,” Saint said, almost to himself. “I hate them for making anything feel real.”

Sirius opened his mouth to respond when Dorcas’ phone lit up with a loud ping.

She picked it up. “From Marlene. Apparently we’re invited to a movie night at Potter’s house.”

“Of course we are,” Sirius sighed, and got up and wrapped his arms around Saint from behind. “What do you feel like?”

Saint looked at him over his shoulder. “Well, how could I ever pass that up?”

When Logan didn’t find Leo at The Lion, he went to the Knut’s workshop instead. He’d been in there a handful of times now. It was a crowded room, walls-to-ceiling tools and cupboards that organized different found objects. Sea-glass and shards of blue china. There was large glass jars of things like compasses or pieces of weather vanes hanging by woven rope plant holders from the ceiling. There was a forge that was cool now, and there was a long work bench.

He found Leo on the work bench with the garage door open to the street, shirtless and welding something together.

“Oh,” Logan said instead of announcing himself.

Leo looked up, then back down, sparks flying around him. “Hey, what’s up?”

Logan walked a few steps inside and set his backpack—which was still empty—down.

“I want to help you,” he said.

The sparks stopped and Leo pushed his welding mask up. He was sweaty, his cheeks flushed from the heat. “What? With this?”

Logan rolled his eyes and walked in to straddle the other end of the work bench. “The treasure. We need to find the treasure. Think how rich we’d be.”

Leo stared at him for a long moment, then took his mask off and set his equipment down. For a moment, his face looked thunderous. Logan thought he was about to tell him to get out, but the storm dissipated.

“This isn’t a joke to me,” Leo said evenly after another pause. “And it’s not some greedy game, either. That’s not why my dad looked for things like this. He loved history.”

Logan blinked. “You—you don’t want the money?”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Of course I do. What do you think the finder gets?”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying don’t make me regret telling you. I’m saying my dad was never one to just pawn things off. He wanted things like that on display, for people to learn from.”

“How very, very noble and grand,” came another voice, and they both looked up to see Saint standing there. He had changed since the last time Logan had seen him. He was wearing a t-shirt that said New Orleans Saints.

“Saint?” Leo said.

“Hi there,” Saint gave a little salute. “I have a movie night to go to, apparently, a nice little godly sleepover, but I thought I’d stop by.”

“What are you doing…” Logan began warily.

“Well, come to think of it, there is something I hate.”

Leo tilted his head. “What is he talking about?”

“Not to mention,” Saint continued, and touched the bottom of the hanging compasses. He studied one, then looked at them and grinned.

“I do like gold,” Saint said.

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monty-glasses-roxy · 3 years

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You know how in theme parks they often have train that can take you around a park?

Well, in my AU (I’m the same anon as before with the programmer Freddy and announcer+bouncer Bonnie) Foxy has one of those! It’s a ship that takes passengers to every part of the pizza plex. It’s a water ride so it isn’t that fast but Foxy and his crew are an attraction themselves. Foxy finally got his pirate ship and can sail the seven seas

In this AU foxy can swim so don’t worry about that part, I bet Monty appreciates the extra swimming space when the ride isn’t active

Oh my god hell yes Foxy has a lazy river ride themed after him that's great he deserves it!!!

I'm just thinking, doesn't Monty have a ride that goes around Gator Golf? Oh something you could do if you wanted to, there's a place I used to go to a long ass time ago that had a pirate ship themed ride like that over the top of an arcade and as you went around, you had these little laser guns to shoot targets with. Like the targets would be on kraken monsters and skeleton pirates and a few that were lower down and harder to see in the arcade. You had a screen with your score on the ship and I remember it being really popular until they swapped the laser guns for toy guns and it stopped being a game. That kind of thing could be fun

I might add something like that to something myself actually. Like if Freddy had a spaceship ride that went around the Plex that'd be a cool addition to do. Oh and this is giving me ideas for things to do with the New Management AU like oooo I love fucking around with the Plex itself!

That's a really cool idea! He absolutely deserves it those kinds of rides are neat with or without laser guns! I can already think of a good handful of those types of rides I used to love, it's honestly perfect and suits him to a tee!

#fnaf security breach #i love that #its so neat #i won't derail but yeah this gave me an idea for how to deal with the inability to complete Roxy's Raceway-#due to the shit thats under it in a handful of AUs #like this is neat!!!#your AU sounds so fun!!#i love remodeling the Plex #i should draw up some of the changes i want to make myself #the big one is Rockstar Row #that's getting a redo in the new management au #cause you've got six animatronics and only four rooms you gotta do something with it #ya know?#pop rox answers

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piracytheorist · 4 years

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4 different headcannons for Rogers

Bruh I realized it’s been so long since I headcanoned anything about any OUAT characters I’ve kinda forgot my own headcanons XD

Headcanon A: realistic

He has a cat. It’s black and he calls her Enya. She has all the equipment to occupy her time while he’s at work, but when he comes back she’s full-on snuggly. Rogers being a neat freak, he waits until he’s wearing his indoor clothes (and not his pyjamas) to snuggle her and let her sit on his lap while he sits and either sketches or watches TV or something. Then he puts on his actual pyjamas, which he doesn’t allow any cat hair on, and goes to bed. Tilly loves her when she comes to live with him and he’s happy that they have some company with each other. They bring her with them to Storybrooke when they move in there.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

I’m wondering how much he cooks, because he has a heavy work and he lives alone, and those don’t usually allow time and energy for cooking. But still it’s in character for him to choose only healthy foods and stuff, and I think he’s not a big fan of pizza, though he doesn’t mind it. When he does eat pizza though, he only uses a fork. What is he, a barbarian, to eat it with his hands?

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

See, they kinda made the curse in season seven mirror the one in season one. However, Rogers had memories of wanting to go out on the sea as a kid, while in the first curse people didn’t actually have any memories of themselves as kids. So I believe Gothel purposefully put such old and sad memories into his mind because she’s Gothel and she’s awful and she likes to make Hook suffer. And not just by giving him memories of wanting to visit the sea and never doing it, but also by making him so terribly alone and weaving that into his wish to visit the sea, as in, he never went sailing because he didn’t have anyone to share this beautiful experience with. She took a pirate who swore opposal to any king and ruler and made him a law enforcer. She made him obsess over the woman who tricked him, cursed him and forced him away from his daughter. She took away the sea, his ideology, and most important of all, his daughter, carefully making every part of the curse into his personal hell.

Not sure if I headcanoned correctly there so one of the things I wanted to include in the Rogers fic I abandoned is that he has memories of being an orphan and passed around from foster home to foster home. At some point he runs into one of his foster fathers, and while Rogers remembers him, the man doesn’t, and afterwards Rogers gets sad at the thought that he doesn’t have anyone to remember him.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

His friends aren’t written as complete and utter bastards and actually go see him at the hospital after 7x20. In the morning especially when he’s meant to be discharged, Henry goes and offers to drive him home. Rogers however is still upset at the fact that he can’t hold his daughter, and when he sees Henry come in, all smiling and glowing from his reunion with his family, he shouts at him and tells him to leave. Henry tries to calm him down, but Rogers just shoos him off. Henry leaves and Rogers is left alone, desperately thinking what an ass he was to Henry, who didn’t do anything wrong and only wanted to help. That would actually explain why he comes home in a fucking taxi and why no-one lifted a finger to drive him back home.

Ahhhh I had so many notes on Rogers and stuff but they were on my phone that was stolen last year and I lost all of them DX

Send me a character and I’ll share four headcanons!

#Detective Rogers #Wish Hook #Killian Jones #Anonymous #ask and ye shall receive

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 4 years

Text

Anniversary

Happy Birthday @pizza-n-sunshine! Its a day early here but over there, it’s your birthday! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family and friends and perhaps some Pan dulce while you’re at it. You’ve been such a wonderful friend, a leader almost as you created such beautiful fanfics that undoubtedly brought a smile to my face or occasionally pulled at my heart. You’ve helped host and edit one of the most rocking podcasts, and what’s more. You’ve been unfailingly kind, open hearted and sweet to everyone looking to squeal their hearts out over this wonderful show. An era may be over, but your magic within and your light will always shine so bright. Enjoy! Elena took a deep breath and peeked from the corner of her eye. Mateo was sitting silently, crossed legged and breathing deeply to the sounds of Flo singing around the courtyard, sniffing the flowers and generally dancing with delight over the bright sunny day.

Or more likely Mateo was meditating in spite of Flo's cheerful singing.

The fluffy alpacamundi was truly adorable and sweet, she had been a manifestation of all of Elena's happiness after all, but meditative and staying quiet were never one of her key traits.

Speaking of manifesting Elena's happiness.

She peeked out of the corner of her eye at Mateo's blissful face. It seemed he reached his peace. Elena felt the familiar flutter in her stomach even though she had been lucky enough to see his face every day for the past six years now. But she could never get enough of it.

The crookedness of his lips when he felt a bit uncomfortable that made her heart go out to him, but as adorkably endearing. The soft brown curls that Elena loved running her fingers through, mussing it a bit, making him look untamed. Which reminded her of his eyes.

His beautiful expressive hazel eyes and how his feelings shone out of them clear as the sun. The mischievous twinkle, the wicked glint at night, the tenderness....Ah the tenderness she loved. For even though she was a strong queen, she prided herself on the fact, she was able to let go around him, and for that she was grateful.

He would never see it as a weakness or see her as less weak. He just held her, and she reveled in that affection. Yes, he was also a manifestation of happiness.

Not that she created him. But he brought her happiness all the same.

Which is why on this bright spring day, she was enjoying this morning by having a day off and meditating with him. Well that and one other reason. It happened to be their one year anniversary.

She hadn't been expecting a parade or a bouquet of flowers, she wasn't so high-maintenance, but a little something.

She would have preferred a day with no work, no other people. Just her and Mateo curled up in some little concealed part of the garden, enjoying each other's company. And perhaps more.

In fact, that had been what she expected when Mateo arrived at her door, asking her if she wanted to go out to the garden.

When they got to the far corner of the garden with its apricot mallow flowers. It was a secluded spot, mainly because it seemed that there was not much to look at but the sparse hills. Which was true during the daytime, but at night, with its simple view, it made the sunset all the more stunning and vivid. In fact it reminded her a bit of Mateo.

How people saw him as a somewhat shy and dorky wizard, even he saw himself as that, doubting his skills and abilities. But Elena just knew ever since he helped free her from her amulet that there was a spark, a royal master wizard in him that just needed to believe in himself. Seemingly plain at first glance, but at the right moment, he could take your breath away.

So with all these clues, she waited for him to magic up a blanket, perhaps a picnic of her favorite pan dulce treats and enjoy their alone time.

Instead Mateo said that he had wanted to do some meditation outside since it was so nice out. He sat down, patted the spot next to her and closed her eyes. So she played along even attempting to do a downward dog while he was in a perfectly content butterfly pose. And it had been like this for the past 10 minutes. Either he was really good at holding out the surprise or he really didn't know what it was.

Nothing new going on here, no smile or Happy anniversary.

Elena shook her head. What was wrong with her? This is what she wanted after all. Alone time with Mateo. Which was even more solitary now that Flo was gone, bored by their inaction.

But still...a little acknowledgement would have been nice. After all, for her the moment they gave into their feelings had been like an unexpected bolt of lightning, a feeling of shock after the Coronation ceremony.

She had thought finally being crowned queen, surrounded by her family and friends, had been cathartic enough. But when she found the words to tell Mateo her intense feelings and Mateo return them in turn, a new catharsis came. Everything fitting into place. A moment of completeness.

She had somewhat realized her feelings months before. It had been during the first few days after Naomi's departure. She had felt lost without her best friend.

She always treasured the blonde's company, and she hadn't wanted to stand in the way of her dreams, but she hadn't been expecting such feelings of abandonment and loneliness.

Mateo had seen her wandering the hallways, nostalgically looking at their picture together and did what he did best. He listened, he sympathesized, he gave her comfort like no one else could. There was something about that understanding look, the soft feel of his wool rub that made her feel safe, like everything would be okay in the end. There was no judgement, just love. Maybe that had been running undercurrent in her mind.

For when Mateo reminded her that between the three of them, and Isabel's inventions, Avalor would be well-protected and he and Gabe might not be able to do girl-talk. they would take over the other best friend activities, something rang false.

When he assured her that Naomi would come back to her true home after she sailed the seven seas, that this was no different than if it had been Gabe leaving on a guard search or Mateo travelling to find some new spells.

She didn't know what it was but the idea of Mateo leaving struck more deep than the sadness she felt at Naomi's departure. The thought of Mateo leaving for an indefinite amount of time, no idea when or if he would come back was like the ground opening up under her. Being stuck back in the amulet. Without Mateo by her side, she would lose her biggest source of comfort. Her biggest sharer of puns. He helped calm her, reminding her of her mother's song. Being with Mateo was like being with someone who was perfectly attuned with her feelings. They could share a look and know exactly what the other was thinking. He was more than a friend. He was...

That's when it hit her.

But she just smiled at Mateo and nodded, leaning into the crook of his neck, all the while trying to calm her fluttering heart and focus on jaquins and pan dulce in hopes of keeping the thoughts at bay.

She had done a good job of it. Mateo had been so surprised when she admitted her feelings for him. But then after Naomi had left there had been many things to distract her. The coming darkness, her lying cousin, malvagos, planning Chloe's party, her own coronation coming up.

She got swept up in the bustle of life and tried her best to ignore the feelings of warmth and happiness that Mateo's smile gave her. She had to wait. She had to wait till she was ready.

That came after the day after Coronation.

She had been more than ready to start the day. Even though it wasn't royal queen behavior, she had run down the hall, as eager as she had at 16. And she ran right into Mateo.

He had smiled and teased her, "Someone's excited to do paperwork." They had held each other's arms a bit too long. They laughed and had looked longer into each other's eyes than a best friend should.

And she plunged, "Mateo, how are... I mean.. I'm gad we danced. But I had really wanted to have that first dance with you." He blushed and sheepishly rubbed his neck, "It;s fine. Francisco has been there for you for so long.."

“Yes, but you have been with me too." Elena interrupted, feeling that she had to blurt everything now even if her tongue was slower than the words speeding in her head, "No matter what. And.. I will be there for you no matter what too." "Of course, Elena, I never doubted that."

“And I love you. I think I really love you."

The emotions across Mateo's face were brief yet distinct. Confusion, disbelief, shock, happiness. His voice wavered because despite his gleeful face, he still couldn't believe his ears, "You do?"

“Yes." Elena inhaled, feeling the weight, the nervous flutter dissipated even if he might reject her.

Though she doubted it from his glowing features. "I-I do too." Mateo whispered, still unsure so much like the young wizard she had encouraged to find the magic within than the confident man he was now.

They smiled, Elena felt like her face would split wide open. Mateo smiled at her and it made her smile more which made him smile that sweet crooked smile.

They kissed, starting a bit hesitant, a bit awkward, but then their lips touched and once more completeness enveloped her. That and warmth and fireworks. It was a world unto her own and she was floating in his arms.

Her mind was at once blank, only feeling Mateo's touch and spinning with questions in a freefall. She also felt a sense of imbalance at Mateo's admittance. When she realized her feelings she hadn't been sure that Mateo liked her in that way.

He had said they were friends, kept assuring he would always be there for her, that's what friends did. But to realize that Mateo had been hiding feelings too.

She wondered when it started. She had her answers soon enough after they stopped kissing. Embarrassingly caught by Senora Torrez and Flo's knowing smiles.

They talked long into the night after a busy day of work that she hadn't been able to concentrate as she should have. She had been embarrassed to find out that Mateo realized his feelings long before her and that she had remained perfectly oblivious. Mateo told her that it was fine, she had more important things going on then and he had thought she wouldn't feel the same way for a simple wizard like him.

She reminded him that he was not a simple wizard, he was so much more than that and she believed he was capable of great things. They talked about the depths of their feelings, how they had always felt a connection. Elena even mentioned how it transcended dreams like her nightmare universe where Esteban reigned.

No matter what was more than a saying between then. It was an oath, a promise they'd never break. They'd always be there for each other.

The slight annoyance that Mateo was not remembering what day it was faded away at the thought of their saying.

“Stop it, Elena" she scolded herself, "He has a lot of other things on his mind.” With teaching Olivia and his other apprentices, and advising Gabe's magic squadron, and helping rebuild alliances and dealing with complaints. He must need this meditation time in order to relax.

She certainly knew he needed sleep from staying up all night perfecting spells and preparing potions, his mind constantly racing to find more knowledge. Though she must admit she found the result of his lack of sleep- his spontaneous cat naps around the palace- adorable.

Not everything is going to be focused on their relationship. He was going to get distracted and forget once and a while. That didn't matter. She knew he loves her. She glanced at Mateo again, he looked so peaceful. A small smile on his lips, his head bowed in concentration.

How times have changed.

She never thought once she became queen that everything would be fine. There were still minor attacks from villagers awakening a sleeping magical creature mixed with the more mundane, and politically-tricky kingdom negotiations.

But it was nowhere near the life or death battles against shades and malvagos, and battling her own intense emotions reflected through her magic powers. She was confident now, she knew how to rule and balance her own feelings with the greater picture for the good of the kingdom.

It was certainly a different time from when she was first released from her amulet. She chuckled at how impatient and overconfident she had been, with no clue of how much she was about to learn and experience.

Oh and now she, the Queen of Avalor, was the girlfriend of the Master Royal wizard.

Mateo was her soul mate. A boy with many talents, but the biggest one was his heart and bravery despite all that he had been through.

He had grown the most over the years they've together from studying in the darkness of the basement, hiding his chispa from Shuriki's forces to facing his own insecurities to staring down the most dangerous malvagos the Everrealm had known.

Elena shook her head. She was going to forget all that special anniversary nonsense. She was happy enough being with him, and seeing him happy.

She got up, and kissed the top of his head, 'I'm going to go tell Armando to bring some pan dulce for us. Yoga works up an appetite.

“Especially if it's Ixlan's extreme yoga." Mateo smiled.

Elena laughed and stopped by the fountain seeing Flo splashing around with the birds. "Flo can you tell Armando to bring some pan dulces to the far end of the garden."

"Oo pan dulce! Can I eat some!? Can I eat some?!" Flo pleaded.

"Of course you can." Elena promised. "Yipee!" Flo called, racing off to find Armando.

Elena walked back and saw Mateo frantically setting up a blanket as flower bouquets and garlands levitating in the air.

“You remembered?" Elena gasped, running to hug Mateo from behind, causing the petals to fall down, petals spinning around them as they crashed.

"Heh, I was hoping to surprise you, but you wouldn't close your eyes for meditation." Mateo said, his crooked smile bringing out his laugh lines, "I know you wanted to spend the day together but I thought I'd make it a little bit magical." He motioned to the formerly levitating objects and she giggled at his pun.

“I love it!" Elena beamed, and kissed him, savoring the the taste of his lips, how he was almost hesitant at first, probably from surprise, but then it deepened, filled with longing as all her senses went on overdrive, intoxicated by the touch of Mateo, his taste, his warmth. Everything, it left her breathless. But she had one present to give him first before she forgot...

"I got you something too," she frantically reached into her belt where she had clumsily tied her present next to her scepter but had hoped that he wouldn't have noticed.

They had said they wouldn't get gifts but she had broken the promise anyway. Her gift was an old spellbook she had found in her father's office, now hers. King Raul had been close with Alacazar, very interested in magic works as much as science. The spellbook was Alacazar's when he had first been named royal wizard, scrawled with Alacazar's and Raul's personal notes, and she thought it would be fitting that Mateo should have it as the Master Royal Wizard.

She added her own touch of putting the words, "Bravery,' "Discipline," "Courage," and "Love" in classical Maruvian thanks to Naomi's help.

"Wow!" Mateo inhaled, reverently gliding his hands on the smooth cover, "Thank you, Elena."

"I love you." "I love you too." Mateo replied and pulled her closer for another kiss.

"Whatcha doing?" Flo sing-songed, leaping onto Elena's shoulder with a roguish smile, causing the two to reluctantly pull apart to see Armando's fluster face as he left a plate of pan dulce on the discarded blanket.

“So shall we start the meditation again?" Elena teased, snuggling close to Mateo's side, popping a pan dulce in her mouth as Flo eagerly chowed down.

"Elena!" Mateo cried indignantly, "It's our anniversary, this isn't no ordinary day."

Elena laughed as she recalled her thoughts minutes ago, "What do you suggest?'

"I know the perfect way to clear our minds" Mateo smiled and leaned for another blissful kiss.

#elena of avalor #my fanfiction #my fanfic #anniversary #gift #eleteo #mateo de alva #elena castillo flores

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rocknrollsalad-moved · 7 years

Text

Day eight of the December Prompt List: Penny for your thoughts I’m honestly not even sure what this is other than an idea that popped in and wouldn’t go away. it’s really fun though. At least I think so. Also. I jumped about seven days and some of the others are written (some I’m far too stuck on but my friends aren’t really into discussions it seems xP). It’s not about the order though, right? The new content.

Just off where the labs were sat a few conference rooms, one had been claimed by Bruce and it was where he worked when he needed silence. Or space. Or any number of other excuses he gave to go work alone. Old habits died hard and sometimes it was difficult to participate in the team sport science had become but everyone allowed him his space. It worked out about as well as it could and what amounted to a private office was a help.

The room nearest the labs, though, they dubbed the “Brainstorm Bunker” and (unfortunately) the name stuck. It was where the team went to hash things out without the lure of other projects. Whether the team was just Tony or it involved any combination of the brilliant minds that wandered through.

Bruce hated the room as much as the lab on the days where he felt science was to be a quiet activity. He always felt little was accomplished in there. As entertaining and strange as it was to watch Rhodes and Tony argue over the weight of weapons on armor or what toppings to put on pizza, it didn’t get any work done.

Occasionally, there were magical times that helped Bruce see the rooms worth. When everyone synced together. The blueprint covered table no longer full of discarded ideas and the squeak of markers writing on every available surface was only barely drown out by the constant chatter.

There’d been a transition in the Brainstorm Bunker as of late, though. With Peter running around the building now it’d become the home of the world’s strangest mentorship. Bruce and Tony routinely found themselves sitting in there with take-out rather than blueprints, answering an endless stream of questions.

Valuable to the kid, Bruce was sure, but it didn’t change his feelings on the room and often he retreated long before curfew. Which didn’t mean there weren’t times when Bruce found himself wrapped up in a discussion on particles or the quickest way to travel through space.

As time passed, the room eased back to a place to brainstorm with the added atmosphere of encouragement. Tony gave up his space to work things out free of distractions and interruptions to nurture Peter’s intelligence.

It was hard not admire it, Bruce wasn’t one for praise and never said anything to Tony but he admired the man for what he was doing. That admiration bought Tony and Peter ten days of Bruce agreeing to stick around and offer input without complaint.

Now he drifted in and out as he wanted, offering help and frustrating the crowd by easily correcting their work. The latter Bruce handled with smug smiles and a quick exit, never admitting how much he loved the banter and the playful way they dealt with it.

Bruce wasn’t just asked to adjust to it either. Tony brought in a few of Bruce’s comforts and did things like consistently provide decaf coffee. Even if it went untouched most days and he always insisted it was for Peter because the child didn’t need any stimulants. Peter kept a little quieter these, less like a constant stream of thoughts and tried to select his words with care. They kept the lights a little dimmer than either liked and never ate the last donut.

Each thing was a small gesture but Bruce never felt so welcome.

The drop in peer pressure was appreciated the most, though. That feeling they chased when working with Helen Cho and Pepper, or with a few of Rhodes’ coworkers, trying to force too many minds on the same page. It was always a rare moment, the sort that had Bruce wondering if the sky parted and allowed the sun to shine on only the compound. There was a constant want to achieve that feeling everytime anyone gathered. Pressure the find greatness but rarely making it there.

Now seemed a constant but they weren’t forcing it, they just clicked. As cosmic as that sounded, which Bruce hated, there was no other way to say it. The three of them fell into the same rhythm and created something beautiful. Something that had Bruce leaning on explanations outside of the scientific.

When they stopped asking too much of Bruce and when he started giving them more, the Brainstorm Bunker never slept. A constant flurry of accomplishment. And a small sampling of the world’s brightest minds got together to improve everything. There was no stopping them.

The more time they spent together, the more they uncovered. Not in physics or engineering but about each other. Learning that Tony chewed with his mouth open far too often or that Bruce snored loud enough to knock down walls (though everyone knew that one, it was hard to miss). It was all par for the course, they were spending hours a day with each other in close quarters.

Some things were handled easy, Tony already had a handful of tricks to wake Bruce without turning things green, but others were handled with a touch of fun. Like the money jar, the first of many.

Peter showed up with it after a night of joking, something he claimed was once a jar of pickles but seemed bigger than any jar of pickles Bruce had seen. Complete with a well-written sign, something Peter swore up and down his aunt made but no one believed him. The whole thing led to a night of jokes at Peter’s expense. Between his handwriting and his use of glitter glue, they had enough to mock him for weeks.

Much like a swear jar, the point was to stop a behavior by having to put money in each time something happened. This was an original Parker idea and flawed as it was, it became a decent source of laughter.

For this one, a dollar was to go in the jar every time Tony took a work call when they were all invested or on a roll. Tony instantly took the wind out of Peter’s sails as he dropped a hundred dollar bill in the jar and proclaimed it should at least get him through the week.

Later that night, once Peter had gone home, Bruce found himself explaining the faults with that. It was painful for watch the sixteen-year-old deflate (and then try and pretend he didn’t). Peter took all their jokes about scrapbooking and crafting without flinching but when his joke didn’t succeed it was crushing. Bruce hated how much of himself he saw in that moment.

The jar sat on a side table among their discarded coffee cups and carafes of water for weeks as a reminder to all of them. It took half that time to get Peter back to himself and to stop holding back as he tried to bond with his mentors.

Almost two months after the first jar’s arrival, Tony added a second. It was small and took Bruce a few minutes to recognize as the bath salts jar from the back of the tub. A post-it note was duct taped over the peeled off label, in Sharpie Tony had written ‘derailing us by geeking out over physics $5’

Bruce instantly prompted Peter to add some ridiculous stickers to it and the boy didn’t let Bruce down. The next time he seen the jar it was covered in unicorns and sloths, as well as a smattering of emjois. Without a word to Tony as to why Bruce high fived Peter as they were grabbing sodas before sitting down to work.

Peter sat a little straighter that day and for the first time in a long time Bruce felt some pride. It was hard for him to not grin as he sat there talking about new tactical suits. At this point, Bruce wasn’t even trying to hide out in other spaces and this was the exact reason why.

They’d gone beyond just getting along, no one was tolerating anyone or tagging along. Things had moved to a point of comradery where they were developing their own in-jokes and secret languages. Albeit small, it was their tribe.

The hundred in the first jar had doubled and the newer physics-talk jar had twenty dollars in it. No one touched the money but they all were eager to hold the room accountable for them. Which was why the third jar appeared.

Much like the others, it was a comical suggestion based on a real flaw. Bruce and Tony had gone in together on it and as much as Tony wanted to bring down a punch bowl or fish tank, he was forced to settle on an old, unused decanter.

On the front was a typed note “Blurting out each thought in your head $1” but in the time between creating the label and it’s arrival in their bunker the dollar price had been crossed out three times. Fifty cents, down to twenty-five, and finally settling on a dime for each time Peter just spewed out whatever was in his head.

If these jars were serious, this one would have negated the need for the conversations about physics derailing everything. The trait was part of Peter’s character, it wasn’t as bad as either of them made it out to be, but as their comfort levels with each other had hit this synchronized point they were learning too much about one member of this tribe.

Bruce was sure if he heard one more story start with ‘So I had this dream the other night’ he was going to pack his bags and move out.

Rather than let the kid notice on his own, Tony was pointing it out before he was all the way in the room and it had Bruce shaking his head. Wondering if he should have Tony toss any spare change the very jar he was pointing out.

Peter reacted with less than the expected embarrassment, Bruce was thankful. And the joke given about wishing he had a hundred dollars to throw in there made for an easy transition into their work.

For the first week, this jar remained in the middle of the table they spent most of their time at. After that, it lived with the others in the sea of beverages. Peter kept a roll of dimes in his backpack, Bruce stashed one in a pencil cup, and Tony argued with anyone who dared say he needed to contribute.

Six weeks into it, Bruce came in to find the price had been slashed to five cents. Peter was clearly the culprit but Bruce didn’t say anything. Passing off his half a roll of dimes, replacing it a few days later with nickels, Bruce played along.

Jars kept appearing on the table for various faults and quirks though none were better than the jar Pepper placed to shame them all for the number of jars laying about. It served as a perfect reminder, for Bruce, how connected she was with the team despite not being there every day.

Not ending her involvement there, Pepper came and took the money out of all the jars and then wrote a note on the board with what charity the money went to. Instantly after she did this, Tony went through and dropped money into certain ones, repurchasing his free pass.

For months this carried on. New jars appeared some were mystically broken, others filled up so fast they needed two. Peter was still paying into the jar for blurting out every thought in his mind more than all the other jars combined. Yet this time it wasn’t saving his allowance that prompted the red pen edit to the price.

With only one increment of money left, the jar now bore the price of one cent for oversharing. A change Tony noticed surprisingly quick. Without addressing it, waving a few bills in the air, Tony hollered out for no other reason than to draw everyone’s attention to him.

“Peter! Be a dear and go put this in the terrible pun jar for me.”

Bruce looked at Tony with confusion, watching as the man waited for the money to drop in with a smug smile on his face. Petr dropped the money in with a look matching Bruce’s, both staring at Tony knowing he hadn’t made a terrible pun. There hadn’t been much talking at all up to this point.

Looking through the equations, Bruce looked for any hidden jokes but his brain wasn’t fast enough. Tony had purchased the right for this and he wasn’t about to wait.

A laser pointer danced on the jar that caught Tony’s eye as he laughed at his own joke before telling it.

“Penny for your thoughts, Parker!”

#2017 december writing challenge #joey writes

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wandereliterp-blog · 7 years

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We hope you are enjoying the perks of joining the exclusive club Wander Elite! It’s time for one of the reasons you all joined - a trip! Pack your bags and children (if you so wish to bring them) because at 10 am EST on August 17th cars will parked in your driveways to usher each and every one of you to private charters which will transport you to a relaxing vacation destination!

* Children are allowed on this trip. ** Please have your celebrity attend the event if they are eligible to do so. The entire point of events is to help create plots and interactions.

DESTINATION INFORMATION

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Private charters will be taking the celebrities from their current location to Malé International Airport from there a seaplane will take them to the final destination. Departing Thursday August 17th at 10 am EST and returning Sunday August, 20th at 7pm. Transportation will be provided to and from. Everyone is allowed 1 bags and 1 carry on item. Beverages and snacks will be complimentary on the flight. Celebrities traveling to and from the same cities will be on the same flights.

ROOMING INFORMATION

Each single celebrity will be staying in a Sunset Overwater Villa. Families will be lodging in the Two Bedroom Family Villas to provide proper accommodations.

ACTIVITIES

VOMMULI DIVE AND WATER SPORTS CENTER: From diving and snorkeling or speedboating and windsurfing to deep-sea fishing and glass-bottom kayak tours, our Vommuli Dive and Water Sports Center is the ideal gateway to indelible recreation on—or beneath—the azure waves of the Indian Ocean.Recognized as an international dive site by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), our center offers expert scuba and nitrox diving lessons and certification as well as premier ScubaPro equipment. An array of exhilarating excursions allows guests to swim with manta rays and dolphins, photograph our beautiful corals, and admire the rich marine life of our private reef. Parasailing and jet or water-skiing equipment are also available. We are happy to provide amenities for stand-up paddling, canoeing, catamaran sailing, and more for guests who do not require professional guides or instruction. Guests must be eight years or older for diving lessons and ten years or older for certification. The full list of activities can be found here.

OUTDOOR INFINITY POOL: A serene tropical oasis, our 452-square-meter outdoor infinity pool reveals unfettered views of our exclusive white-sand beach and the alluring waters of the Indian Ocean. This beachfront haven offers plentiful sun loungers and poolside cabanas for private occasions enhanced by our legendary service. Younger guests may enjoy a dip in our adjacent 70-square-meter splash pool.A tantalizing array of refreshments is available poolside from Crust, our pizzeria. Our expert butlers are on hand to provide complimentary towels and bottled water.

FITNESS CENTER: Ensconced by verdant tropical landscape, our state-of-the-art Fitness Center is located in Vommuli House, an exquisite recreational area at the heart of the island. The Fitness Center houses the latest amenities for an energizing workout, from cardio equipment—including treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, and recumbent bikes—to free weights and strength-training machines. All Technogym equipment features seamless technology, such as personal television screens. Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the facility and headphones are available at the reception desk. In addition, personal training—tailored to each guest’s fitness needs and desired results—is available with advance request.

THE CHILDRENS CLUB: The children club offers a variety of enriching and engaging activities. Children age 2 to 14 may attend a soul satisfying you class complete with meditation, a cooking course in the dedicated childrens kitchen, or take part in creative arts and crafts including origami and painting. There is also a selection of games, puzzles, and a private dining menu of snacks and juices to enjoy. Experienced childcare attendants will personally monitor the Children’s Club at all times. 2 and 3 year olds will not be able to take part int he cooking course. A list of daily activities can be found here.

THE BEACH: Day or night, unsurpassed relaxation awaits on the plentiful sun loungers and in the private cabanas of our pristine white-sand beaches. Our expert staff are at the ready to provide complimentary towel and cabana services. Enticing refreshments are available from Crust pizzeria for guests lounging near our outdoor infinity pool while private dining service delivers tantalizing snacks and meals to guests lounging in front of their villas.

OTHER: There is a full library is over 800 book titles from across the globe, a fully function spa, a state of the art gym with classes such as yoga, pilates, zumba and more.

IRIDIUM SPA

Our signature Iridium Spa promises a transformative journey in an oasis of tropically inspired sophistication. Alighting atop the scintillating waves of the Indian Ocean, our 1,850-square-meter overwater sanctuary features plush furnishings set against white oak interiors to create an ambience of elegant tranquility.

Each of our six couple’s treatment suites—including two Ayurvedic suites with private steam rooms—offers a refined retreat. Sliding-glass doors allow guests to admire unfettered sea vistas from their spa beds while private terraces with soaking bathtubs ensure relaxation enhanced by fresh ocean breezes. En-suite showers and bathrooms provide unsurpassed privacy and convenience. Additional pampering can be found in our spa’s steam rooms, saunas, and cold-drench showers.

Situated on our covered terrace and commanding picturesque ocean vistas, our Blue Hole Pool is the most expansive hydrotherapy pool in our beautiful island nation. Heated seawater and an array of whirlpool jets melt away tension while offering curative benefits for both mind and body. Guests are also invited to unwind on our comfortable poolside chaises.

Offering a holistic approach to wellness and rejuvenation, our treatments are enhanced by Natura Bissé products, hand-selected for their therapeutic benefits. Each visit begins in our serene Iridium Room, where guests can sip our exclusive Iridium tea while taking in views of vibrant marine life through glass floors. Our Ayurvedic specialist, acupuncturist, and other expert staff are at the ready to curate bespoke rituals to fulfill each individual’s wellness needs, from Balinese and Thai massages and herbal body scrubs to facials, manicures, and pedicures that will leave each guest feeling refreshed.

Refreshing snacks and juices from our spa cuisine menu can be enjoyed in our relaxation lounge. Our boutique allows guests to take our exclusive product lines home.

Resort guests receive a complimentary 15-minute Ayurveda consultation. Reservations are required for all consultations and treatments. For appointments, guests are kindly asked to contact their personal St. Regis Butler. Spa can be found here.

BUTLER SERVICE

St. Regis Butler Service has been a treasured hallmark of the St. Regis experience for more than one hundred years. From a perfectly pressed suit ready for an important meeting, to a favorite book at hand for an evening read, to a thoughtful, last minute gift for a loved one, no request is too small or unattainable no matter what the hour of the day. St. Regis Butler Service ensures that unique preferences are understood and addressed flawlessly at our St. Regis hotels around the world.

SIGNATURE SERVICES

Beverage Service: Upon arrival, allow a St. Regis Butler to arrange coffee or tea service in your room. And if you wish, a St. Regis Butler will arrive after your morning wake-up call to draw your shades, deliver your coffee or tea as well as the day’s newspaper and weather forecast.

Unpacking & Packing Services: Allow a St. Regis Butler to take care of the unpacking and storage of your luggage—so that you can simply relax and enjoy. Similarly, before you depart, simply contact the Butler Service Desk to dispatch a butler to assist with gathering and folding your garments to prepare your luggage for the journey home.

Garment Pressing: Once unpacked, simply let your St. Regis Butler know which garments require pressing and they will be pleased to assist, returning the garments to your wardrobe promptly. This gracious service includes pressing of two garments per person, per day.

For all other wishes or requests, St. Regis Butler Service is pleased to assist.

During your stay, whether you are inside or outside the hotel, St. Regis Butler Service is accessible at any hour via email. Simply send your request and allow the Butler Service Desk to assist.

St. Regis Butler Service. Allow Me

DINING

At The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, we invite guests on an exquisite epicurean journey. Our culinary experts showcase their exceptional talents by crafting worldly dishes using fresh seafood and locally grown produce as well as serving top-shelf libations in an array of sophisticated settings.

Fresh sea breezes waft through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our signature restaurant, Alba, where guests are invited to savor delectable Italian cuisine while taking in enchanting ocean and pool views from our airy open kitchen or our enchanting terrace. Meanwhile, the venerable Decanter promises a five-course degustation menu paired with seven complementary vintages hand-selected by our professional sommeliers.

Opening directly onto our pristine beachfront, Orientale boasts three elegant open kitchens, where our legendary chefs serve authentic Asian delicacies. Crust invites guest to customize their own pizza creations with traditional and local ingredients while Cargo, our pop-up diner, serves up gourmet street food amid the lush foliage of our tropical gardens. Our whimsical Whale Bar is the overwater destination for enjoying delightful tapas and tantalizing cocktails while watching the sun set on the sparkling waves of the Indian Ocean.

Guests are also invited to enjoy bespoke dining options in the privacy of their villa. View all dining options here.

OTHER INFORMATION

Once the celebrities arrive on site they will not be able to depart until the time and date specified. If your celebrity is current working please remember this is roleplay so you can bend their schedules to fit in a trip without making it too out of character. The point of these events are to give celebrities the chance to spend time with people they normally wouldn’t so try not to have them with the person they are interested in, dating, or married to the entire time! Spread your wings, make more connections, get more plots and storylines flowing! Also, remember they have to post on social medial about the trip. You can find real photos and guest instagram posts here. Tag the social media posts with the hashtag #stregismaldives and the tumblr tag wandersm.

#wanderevents

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anulstermanabroad · 7 years

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Fuji-San: Climbing the Giant Ice Cream

Many years ago now, I famously applied and failed in a previous quest to live in Japan. Fast forward four years and I'm finally here, living the Japanese Dream in Tokyo Wonderland. It wasn't all plain-sailing though. There was a a bachelor degree, an horrific interview and three years of simultaneously loving and hating life in China to battle through first.

Lets rewind four years. I'm in Edinburgh, Scotland and I'm interviewing for a reputable teaching scheme in Japan. I should be clear here, although I decided I wanted to move to Japan, in the grand scheme of things I had no idea about Japan or even a legitimate reason of substance. Despite having had numerous part-time jobs during my high-school and student years, I'd somehow managed to avoid ever participating in a real job interview. This was only going to lead to disaster. To cut a long study short, I managed to mention the war, Hiroshima and the 2011 tsunami and earthquake which devastated parts of Japan in my interview. I really left myself with less of a chance of moving to Japan than the possibility of a limbless man recreating the Mona Lisa. Six months later I moved to China...

One question I was asked, however, was ‘Where would you like to go in Japan?’ I hadn’t researched anything in particular for this question but there was one big reason I wanted to go to Japan - to climb Mount Fuji. For many, that may not seem like a legitimate reason for moving to another country but I had and continue to have, a strange attraction to Fuji. I’m not about to start rambling to you about some form of weird attraction that you’ll only find in the deepest, darkest corners of the internet, but for me, Fuji possesses a kind of mythical quality that I can’t describe. Whilst Japan is a hugely mountainous region, Fuji rises from the ground like a giant, almost totally isolated in it’s grandeur, unlike other mountainous parts of Japan. Fuji dominates the scenery around it and rises majestically, in it’s conical form, sculpted perfectly by Mother Nature herself.

On a clear day, Fuji is visible from Tokyo which is about a two hour drive from the foot of the mountain. I haven’t been lucky enough to see it yet from so far out but in the crisp, clear, winter days to come, I’ll be looking out with bated breath. The first time I went to Fuji was in April this of this year. Although it’s not possible to climb the mountain at that time because of the temperature and snow capped peak, the surrounding areas are very beautiful and a refreshing break from the claustrophobia of Tokyo. My first impression was, ‘Oh shit.’ I knew I would climb over the climbing period during July and August and when faced with Fuji, rising 3700m into the sky, I could see no way of possibility getting to the top. Due to its conical shape, the peak of the mountain looks almost vertical and it’s hard to imagine getting to the summit without climbing apparatus. Whilst I like to climb the occasional mountain, they usually tend to require nothing more than a pair of running shoes. As the day went on, it became easier to appreciate the sheer size of Fuji and how much impact it has on the surrounding area and Japan in general. I have three year old students who can’t put their own socks on, but even for them, Mount Fuji holds a special significance in Japanese culture. It helps that I also have Mr Potato Head, Fuji-themed socks to spark their interest even further...

So, on a late August afternoon, I climbed aboard a bus from Shinjuku station to Mount Fuji’s fifth station. Whilst it is possible to climb Fuji from the very bottom, the majority of climbers start from the fifth station which is around 2300m above sea level. Although this is higher than I’ve ever been in my life (whilst on two feet), in reality there are only around 1400m to the summit from the start point. We took the option of climbing overnight, beginning at 8pm rather than being extortionately ripped off to stay in a crowded mountain hut for a couple of hours. I had also never climbed at night before which filled me with fear, but in reality, the trails are very good. So as long as you’re careful and have some form of head-torch, the climb is very safe. Mount Fuji is made up of ten stations and by 9pm we had reached the sixth station, already. From that point on, the trail begins to rise rapidly, going from a steady incline to a more vertical incline but it’s still a relatively simple hike. For me, the climb between stations seven and eight were probably the most difficult. This is, effectively, the only part of Fuji that you have to climb. After 12 years of playing rugby and drunkenly falling down stairs at house parties, my knees are verging on dodgy, crumbling messes. During this section you need to climb over large, cliff-like rocks rather than the volcanic gravel trail prevalent on the rest of the mountain. It is also very accessible but whilst my hiking companion seemingly found it simple enough to stay upright, my abysmal lack of balance and sometimes raging winds required me to use my hands at times also. I became a very nonathletic Spiderman. If you’re like me, bring gloves to protect your hands and you will have no problems. And your web blasters.

I should point out that at this point I was terrified. Whilst it was relatively easy to climb up, the incline was extreme and I wondered how the hell I was every going to get back down without smashing my head off every rock on the mountain, as my huge body rapidly rolled to the bottom. It turns out most of the fears I had on the way up were totally irrelevant as the downward path is both different and incredibly easy. In short, don’t worry. By midnight, we were seriously ahead of time and had reached the eighth station at 3100m - only 600m from the top. Until this point, I had actually been climbing in a t-shirt but it was starting to get very cold. Only adrenaline and climbing had protected me for the previous hour or two. Luckily I had packed five extra layers and the further we climbed the more clothes I gradually slipped on. Think of it like a prostitute at work, but in reverse. Sadly also, nobody was paying me for this shit.

Having a rest at the eight station. Notice how we’re still happy and gloves aren’t necessary yet...

During this section of the climb, it was now seriously cold. As long as you kept moving, it was bearable; even pleasant. As soon as you stopped, however, no amount of layers could protect you despite myself looking like the North Face had sponsored Mr. Blobby. A big problem we also had was that we were running out of mountain. At the rate we were going, we would’ve been at the summit by 1.30am, a mere three and a half hours until sunrise. I could only assume that it would be colder at the summit and I didn’t fancy recreating the end of Titanic, except in reverse at 3700m above sea level as some strangers mistakenly referred to me as ‘Jack.’ Bearing this in mind, we decided to find a sheltered spot between the eighth and ninth stations and rest for an hour out of the wind. The mountain staff are surprisingly strict with climbers, to the extent that many climbers could be put in danger. At every mountain hut they will sell Pot Noodles and sometimes other hot food but you’re basically forbidden from coming inside unless you pay the full night’s accommodation fee - around 8000yen. Or £55-£65, depending on what Theresa May’s fair government has cocked up that week. There is plenty of space to shelter climbers from the winds, which are fairly extreme, but I could see it from the other side of the spectrum. Why should they aid mad bastards like us, who chose to climb overnight and encourage others to do the same long term, thus reducing customers and profits? People were so cold that they were hiding in toilets just to stay warm which prompted the addition of a ‘mountain toilet guard’ at one bathroom shack. What I will say is that, you will never take as many unnecessary shits as you will whilst climbing Fuji, simply to get out of the cold and sit down somewhere warm for 5 minutes. Ok, 10...

After an hour long break, we began our ascent to the summit at around 1am, knowing full well we would still be there early, however, staying still was no longer an option. Whilst I couldn’t feel a lack of oxygen in the air, I could feel that with every step and every bend in the trail, it was definitely getting harder. We both reached the ninth station around 2am which is only about 300m from the summit. We were both feeling tired but good and the summit was (probably) in view. All was going well until around 150m from the end. In the space of around ten minutes, my friend went from being slightly tired to physically ill. Headaches and nausea included. Until this point, he had more or less set the pace the whole way but it suddenly fell on me to become Sam and push Frodo up the mountain to destroy Sauron. Or, reach the top of Fuji. It’s the same thing really. Me being me, I hadn’t actually researched altitude sickness at all, hoping everything would just be ok. With that (lack of) knowledge, I figured it was best to push him to keep climbing the mountain and stop him from falling asleep; not really sure if I was helping him or slowly killing him. Every five minutes or so, we would rest for another 5-10 minutes, inhaling the oxygen we’d thankfully invested in pre-hike. By this point, I could see other experienced climbers, who were also clearly struggling and you could tell that everybody was a little bit wrecked. It’s kind of like watching that drunk guy leaving the pizza shop at 4am with his food. He’s walking so slowly and trying so hard not to fall onto the road but you know, somehow, he’ll make it home.

The last 150m took us around an hour - a massive difference compared to the rest of the hike - and we reached the summit around 3.15am, thankfully as the summit huts and shelters were opening up. A total climb of around six hours plus our rest period isn’t bad going. I got a massive buzz off it, so much so that I couldn’t even feel the cold anymore. I was even cheery, something I very rarely am, even at sea level. It felt good to climb higher than I ever had before and although I wouldn’t say it was particularly difficult, it was a massive challenge and a totally new experience. I left my friend in a sheltered hovel while I scoped out the summit and tried to find somewhere we could rest until sunrise. I ended up paying an extortionate amount for the best Pot Noodle I’ve ever had in my life.before going back to reclaim my friend. Thankful that he wasn’t dead, we hung out for an hour in a summit hut, which was wonderfully warm. Whilst he battled to stay awake, clutching a roasting hot green tea, I took the chance to socialise with some other climbers and hope nobody asked me to buy anything. Around 4.30am, it was starting to get light out and we headed outside to watch the sunset. My friend was still in a precarious state and by this point, after being in the warm indoors for over an hour, the effects of the climb had truly worn off. All you could feel now was the cold. So cold, in fact, that I couldn’t enjoy the Kit-Kat which I’d carried up the mountain, specifically to eat at the summit. My optimism went from, ‘Yay, sunrise time,’ to ‘When the fuck is the sun going to come up?’ in the space of about three and a half minutes. My friend took a seat on the edge of the mountain, whilst I moved around the summit, desperately trying to keep warm. The volcanic crater below is both simultaneously impressive and terrifying and not something you want to stray too close to on the windy summit. As the sun began to rise, I returned to my friend who had made his own little addition to the mountain by re-releasing the curry-rice we had consumed before the climb. It’s always good to give back to nature.

The sunrise was a beautiful sight but I was so cold that it was hard to appreciate in a full capacity. It was the first time you get a real sense of how high you actually are, however, and the mountain ranges you pass through on the way to Fuji are dwarfed in comparison. I could see a small mountain I’d climbed four months earlier with my girlfriend to get a good view of Fuji itself and it was like a pimple on the body of the world. Fuji is, well, something else. We began our descent about fifteen minutes after sunrise due to it being fucking baltic and my friend very quickly recovered as we began to descend. The views were wonderful for the first 25 minutes until the descent became potentially the most boring thing I’ve ever done in my life. Two and a half hours descending a path that is both repetitive and slightly too hard on the knees to be comfortable was so monotonous. By the time I got to the bottom I was thoroughly miserable, both due to tiredness and sheer boredom and felt sorry for my companion who had to put up with my foul mood.

Above: The stunning sunrise and other climbers observing the view.

Below: Waiting for my wonderful cup noodle in a climbers hut at Fuji’s tenth station.

Having a well deserved lie down on a very cold mountain top.

Would I climb Fuji again? The short answer is, I don’t know. Whilst it wasn’t particularly difficult, the cold does really hamper your enjoyment of the experience. Only if I stayed in a hut and could appreciate Fuji’s enormity and views during the day, would I consider doing it again. Climbing overnight was less congested but I could honestly see shit. The feeling of elation and adrenaline I experienced on the final moments before and after reaching the summit though, is something I’ll never forget. I flash-backed to that interview room all those years ago, accomplished in the knowledge that I’d achieved one of the biggest goals I’d ever set myself. But for now, it’s sayonara Fuji!

See more pictures below!

Standing in front of Fuji’s imperious crater. Below was as close as I was willing to get, though.

What looked like a moderate sized mountain range on the journey in are made to look minuscule in comparison to Fuji in the sunrise below.

Climbers navigating the summit (above) and the start of the descent (below). I’ve seen worse views, I guess.

#Fuji #Japan #Climbing #Lit #Blog #Travel Blog #Satire #Funny #Hiking For Dummies #An Ulsterman Abroad #TEFL #Teaching

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dmsboi · 7 years

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I can go for some milk unbuttons your pants as my eyes glow you smell so musky :v licks shaft mmmm~ so musky drools all over your cock your daddy meat I like fondles Mr. Fuzzy Balls hehe puts snout on balls and inhales deeply oh god im so hard~ licks balls punish me daddy~ nyea~ squirms more and wiggles butt I love your musky goodness bites lip please punish me licks lips nyea~ suckles on your tip so good licks pre of your cock salty goodness~ eyes role back and goes balls deep mmmm~ moans and suckles hi every1 im new… holds up fedora. my name is bob but feel free 2 call me t3h fedora of D0oM!!!!!!! as u can see im very sophisticated and intelligent,…. that y i came to this atheist subreddit so i can meet other smart atheists -.- im 46 years old (i still act like im 10 lol) i like 2 watch jeopardy w/ my grandma (yes ive seen her naked….) we enjoy yelling "suk it trebek" at the screen.. my grandma is smart 2 but she is a jew. so i came here 2 meet new people like me (smart atheists) like they say op is a faggot lol!!!! lol ok guyz anyways plz give me lots of upboats. I LIKE CEREAL!!!!!!!! oops sorry lol i have adhd lol ok toodles!!!!! waffles and luvs, bob hi every1 im new!!!!!!! *holds up rules* my name is skeen but u can call me t3h k1ng 0f /r/ath3ism!!!!!!!! lol…as u can see im very skeptical!!!! thats why i created, 2 meet random skeptics like me ಠ_ಠ… im 13 years old (im mature 4 my age tho!! in fact im an atheist!!!) i like 2 destoy christins w/ tuber (im bi if u dont like it deal w/it) its our favorite past time!!! bcuz its SOOOO rewarding!!!! hes skeptic 2 of course but i want 2 meet more random atheists =) like they say the more the merrier!!!! lol…neways i hope 2 make alot of subjcts here so give me lots of power!!!! LOL UR BANNED JIJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <--- me bein moderator again again ^_^ hehe…toodles!!!!! love and cheetos, *~t3h K1nG 0f /r/ath3ism~* What in Davy Jones' locker did ye just bark at me, ye scurvy bilgerat? I'll have ye know I be the meanest cutthroat on the seven seas, and I've led numerous raids on fishing villages, and raped over 300 wenches. I be trained in hit-and-run pillaging and be the deadliest with a pistol of all the captains on the high seas. Ye be nothing to me but another source o' swag. I'll have yer guts for garters and keel haul ye like never been done before, hear me true. You think ye can hide behind your newfangled computing device? Think twice on that, scallywag. As we parley I be contacting my secret network o' pirates across the sea and yer port is being tracked right now so ye better prepare for the typhoon, weevil. The kind o' monsoon that'll wipe ye off the map. You're sharkbait, fool. I can sail anywhere, in any waters, and can kill ye in o'er seven hundred ways, and that be just with me hook and fist. Not only do I be top o' the line with a cutlass, but I have an entire pirate fleet at my beck and call and I'll damned sure use it all to wipe yer arse off o' the world, ye dog. If only ye had had the foresight to know what devilish wrath your jibe was about to incur, ye might have belayed the comment. But ye couldn't, ye didn't, and now ye'll pay the ultimate toll, you buffoon. I'll shit fury all over ye and ye'll drown in the depths o' it. You're fish food now, lad. My Nana is still a looker, even at eighty. Whenever I bathe her in the driveway, I'm always impressed by her sinewy physique. I'll be like "Nana you're ripped bro" and she'll be like "nothing but clean living and good genes" then I'll be like "clean living? You ain't been sober an entire day since Nixon was still on the teet" and she'll be like "you'd drink too if you had such a shitty family" and I'll be like "maybe if you didn't have so much side wang pop-pop wouldn't have moved to Reno" and she'll be like "he moved to Reno because Schenectady was getting overrun with Mexicans" and I'll be like "Nana that's racist" then she'll say "then why don't you move there." This goes on until I'm done hosing her off, at which point I take her back inside, but her in front of a TV playing Diagnosis: Murder reruns, and give her a box of wine with a straw. Old people need the routine. forgive english, i am Russia. i come to study clothing and fashion at American university. i am here little time and i am very hard stress. i am gay also and this very difficult for me, i am very religion person. i never act to be gay with other men before. but after i am in america 6 weeks i am my friend together he is gay also. He was show me American fashion and then we are kiss. wWe sex together. I never before now am tell my mother about gay because i am very shame. As i fock this American boy it is very good to me but also i am feel so guilty. I feel extreme guilty as I begin orgasm. I feel so guilty that I pick up my telephone and call Mother in Russia. I awaken her. It too late for stopping so I am cumming sex. I am very upset and guilty and crying, so I yell her, "I AM CUM FROM SEX" (in Russia). She say what? I say "I AM CUM FROM SEX" and she say you boy, do not marry American girl, and I say "NO I AM CUM FROM SEX WITH MAN, I AM IN ASS, I CUM IN ASS" and my mother very angry me. She not get scared though. I hang up phone and am very embarrass. My friend also he is very embarrass. I am guilt and feel very stupid. I wonder, why do I gay with man? But I continue because when it spurt it feel very good in American ass. @

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junglekarmapippa · 8 years

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“Just because you got something wrong, it doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you human.”

(prompt by @dialouge-prompts)

RJ sat next to Master Finn on the sand. The older master was staring out at the sea. His son was staring at his feet, now bare after he had taken his shoes off.

“Thank you, RJ,” Master Finn said after a long silence. “You saved my life.”

“No problem, dad,” the Wolf Master answered with a smile. “It was the least I could do.”

“You didn’t have to do it.”

“Of course I did, you’re my father!”

“I came into your home, shamed you...”

“Threw away a pair of perfectly good socks...”

“I took your student from you. I was arrogant and cruel, RJ, and yet, you saved me.”

“Of course I did. You’re my father, what happened 7 years ago doesn’t change that.”

“I didn’t realize how much I was hurting you,” the older man said in a broken voice.

RJ wrapped an arm around his shoulders, affectionately. “I wouldn’t be where I am if you hadn’t done what you did.”

His father looked at him with a pleased smile. “You have changed so much since I last saw you.”

“When you last saw me, I was an arrogant seventeen-years-old who thought he knew better and wasn’t willing to listen. I was also very mean and unfair to you. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, you were just a kid.”

They fell silent again. RJ looked back at his father’s beach shack, where he stayed when he was building a boat and remembered something he had wanted to tell him if they ever started talking to each other again.

“Do you remember that story you used to tell me all the time? The one about the magic shark and the fisherman?” he asked.

Master Finn smiled. “I never thought you actually listened to it.”

“I always listened but I was too young to understand what it meant.”

Master Finn turned to his son and smiled. “What do you mean?”

“You always changed the details. Sometimes it was daytime, sometimes, night. Sometimes the fisherman was alone, sometimes he was with others but refused to let them kill the shark,” RJ remembered him with a smile. “But there was one thing that always remained the same. When the shark offered the fisherman eternal life, the fisherman always asked if those he loved would get it too and the shark always said no. So the fisherman refused the offer. He always refused the offer.”

“It was a story I made up when you were a little boy, you used to love it.”

“But you didn’t make it up out of nowhere. You were trying to tell me something you couldn’t tell me. That’s why you kept retelling this to me, even after I was too old for bedtime stories,” RJ said. He turned to his father and the older man turned to him. “I understand now, dad. And I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Through what, exactly?” the Shark Master asked, looking at the ocean again.

“Losing your loved ones to immortality.” RJ whispered, turning to the ocean as well.

“Oh, son...”

“No, I mean, it must have been terrible,” RJ insisted. “Because your shark didn’t ask if you wanted eternal life, it just gave it to you.”

“As did your wolf, I guess.”

“Yes.” RJ swallowed hard and blinked back tears. “I always wanted to be a Pai Zhua master, it was always my dream. There was nothing I wanted more than to be like you.”

“Why would you want to be like me?” The older man asked, surprised.

“Because you were an amazing father,” RJ said honestly, turning to him again. “What happened seven years ago doesn’t change that. You always cared for me, gave me everything you could. Under your care, I was never scared, I was never cold and I was never hungry. I received a formal education. You taught me how to swim, how to surf, how to sail. You taught me to be kind and respectful to others and to love nature and animals. You were a fantastic father and I was very fortunate to have you.”

It was Master Finn’s turn to have tears in his eyes as he pulled his son to him for a hug. “I was just so desperate not to lose you,” he admitted. “So desperate, I drove you away.”

RJ pulled away from his father’s embrace. “I did want to be a Pai Zhua master, dad, I just felt the shark was not my spirit, that was all,” he pulled his sleeve up and showed him his master stripes. “I am a Pai Zhua master now. The Wolf Master. But just because I’m not a shark it doesn’t mean I will leave you. We are in this together, we are both immortal now.”

“I am sorry, RJ.”

“For what? For not wanting to lose me too?”

“Immortality is not a gift,” Master Finn scoffed. “It is a curse.”

“Only if you are alone. And even when I start losing friends, lovers and children to immortality, I will have my father there to support me. You have been through that, you can guide me.”

“I didn’t know you needed me so much now.”

“I’m sorry I was arrogant enough to walk out of the home you gave me,” RJ said, looking at his father’s eyes. “And I’m sorry I was too arrogant to say I was sorry and come back.” He loooked down at his master stripes. “When I got my stripes, when I was told everything you couldn’t tell me, I only wanted to taalk to you and ask for your guidance,” he looked at the ocean again. “But I guessed you were really hurt and didn’t feel like talking to me anymore.”

“Seven years for me are a heartbeat, RJ,” Master Finn whispered. “But those were the longest years of my life. I had lost children to death before but never to my own stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to them. Knowing you would rather carry on with your life away from me was harder than losing you to death.”

“Dad, you are an amazing father,” RJ told him, his face serious. “I can only hope that when I have children, I can be as good as you.”

“You won’t be as good as me,” Master Finn said. “You will be better, because you won’t make the same mistakes.”

“No, I will other mistakes. Maybe worse ones,” RJ said. “We all do,” he shrugged. “But from this I learned that just because you got something wrong it doesn’t make you a bad person, or erase all the good you did before that. It only makes you human.”

Father and son hugged tightly where they sat and smiled at each other when they let go.

“I am so proud of you, Robert.”

“Thank you, dad.”

“Maybe you can teach me how to make a pizza? I know what I taught you didn’t stick, but perhaps you will prove to be a better master than me, as well as a better human being.”

“What you taught me did stick, dad,” RJ said, getting up and brushing the sand off his pants. “I know the shark technique almost to perfection.”

“Your moves were very sloppy the last time I saw them,” the Shark Master reminded him, imitating his son.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t like the speed,” RJ admitted with a shrug. “And I was sort of rebelling against the technique in general. But I missed you so I kept going back to it, until I got it right.”

“You kept practicing a technique you despised?” Master Finn asked, wrapping an arm over his son’s shoulders as they made their way back to the shack. “After you left my side?”

“Yes. While I learned the wolf technique.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the technique of my father and my father’s father, I am proud of it,” RJ explained. “Besides, what if I am the odd one out and my child has the spirit of the shark and not the wolf?”

“That sounded very close to you saying you’re proud to be my son.”

“I am,” RJ said with a smile. “I’m very proud to be your son, dad. I take with me everything you ever taught me and I live by it.” He vowed his head respectfully. “And I am honored to work with you in Casey’s training.”

“Ah, yes, Casey.” The fisherman said, taking his armor off and leaving only his shirt and pants. “He’ll be our new father and son project, like when you used to help me build boats.”

“Oh, trust me,” RJ said with a mischievous smile. “This will be much more fun than building a boat.”

#Power Rangers #Jungle Fury #Fanfic #Fanfiction #Fluffy #I have daddy issues #but so did RJ #RJ #Master Finn #Writing prompt #Imagine little boy RJ growing up on the beach though #that is so cute

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brentrogers · 5 years

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A Simple Way to Enrich Your Relationship

“I shouldn’t have to tell him. He should know what I want,” Cindy thinks about her husband. She believes he should know when she’s in the mood to go out for pizza, not sushi and vice versa. He should know what she wants for her birthday. He should know what turns her on sexually. She wonders how he can be so clueless, but she doesn’t say a word.

Some people can get their needs met without saying a word. They’re called infants.

A mother learns to read her baby’s cues. She soon knows which kind of crying means “I’m hungry,” “I’m tired,” or “I’m uncomfortable; I need my diaper changed.” She understands which body movements and facial expression say “I’m scared,” “I’m happy,” and “I want that.”

Does True Love Mean He Can Read Her Mind?

Adults who find partners who can read their mind exist in fairy tales and romantic movies. There, charmed couples don’t need to be told how to give the perfect kiss, gift, or massage.

What do these examples of mind-reading have to do with real life adult relationships? Very little, even in the best of marriages.

Usually, the best way to feel understood by your partner is to say clearly what’s on your mind kindly and respectfully. Even the most sensitive, intuitive spouse cannot read your mind any more than you can read his or hers. Yes, in a good relationship, there will be some tuning into each other, but don’t expect miracles.

If your self-expression was stifled when you were young, you’ll have some catching up to do as you learn to feel more comfortable speaking your truth. This is okay, and therapy can be helpful. You’ll become more relaxed about saying what’s on your mind as you continue to practice using positive communication skills.

Finding Out What Each of You Needs

Sometimes we’re not clear about what we want or need at the moment. Our partner may also feel unclear or have something in mind but not say it. Fortunately, a solution exists for learning just how strongly each of you feels about something.

If I’d like our weekly date to be sitting by the sea and watching boats sail by and my husband says okay but his tone lacks energy, I might say, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you want to do this? Actually, I no longer need to phrase it this way. I can just say, “How much?” He knows that ten means he wholeheartedly wants to do whatever I mentioned, and one means he has no interest. So he’ll say some number between 1 and 10. Usually, if he says seven or more, I understand that he’s at least somewhat interested. If he picks a number under 5, I might do the activity on my own. Sometimes he humors me by saying 847 or more to let me know he’s quite willing.

We can use the 1 to 10 scale on ourselves, too, when we’re not sure how important it is to us to spend a windfall on a vacation, buy new bedroom furniture, or put the money into a savings or retirement account.

Unexpressed feelings cause many issues for which couples seek therapy, wants and needs. Trust breaks down when one partner thinks the other has not kept an agreement that was not an agreement but an unspoken expectation.

Solution for Cindy

Cindy would be happier in her marriage by addressing the pizza or sushi dilemma by asking her husband, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is sushi to you? He says 8. Let’s say she craves pizza so much that it’s a 10 for her. She asks him for a number for pizza, and he says 7. He agrees to pizza that night, then suggests, “How about sushi next week?” She likes sushi well enough, so says fine. Or, if they’re lucky enough to have a place nearby that serves both sushi and pizza, they might go there.

How would you use the 1 to 10 scale to learn how important something is to your mate? Whether it’s about something small or big, now you have an easy way to find out and keep your connection thriving.

Note: Parts of this article appear in the author’s book, Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted (New World Library), which explains step by step how to apply these techniques.

A Simple Way to Enrich Your Relationship syndicated from

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albinohare · 5 years

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Sailing Tasmania: Bucket list cruising across the Bass Strait

Cruising in the ‘roaring forties’ proves rewarding for Janneke Kuysters as she braves the Bass Strait to explore Tasmania

Photo: Alamy / Alistair Scott

“No pizza today.” When this announcement is made at Port Cygnet Sailing Club, all conversations among members in the clubhouse stop. “The pizza guy says it’s too hot. He won’t bake today,” is the explanation. Too hot in the Roaring Forties? It’s true; it has been a delight to sail here with warm temperatures, clear skies, light breezes and moderate waves.

The sailing club members recover from the disappointment of missing their pizza by delving into more cheese and crackers with gusto. The local Shiraz flows, as does the conversation about sailing, racing, crews and skippers: this is cruising in Tasmania at its best.

Tasmania is one of those bucket-list cruising destinations. On the other side of the world and across the daunting Bass Strait, it takes a lot of effort to get there. But the rewards are plentiful: stunning landscapes; very diverse cruising areas; superb food and a friendly welcome.

Bathurst Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast

The cruising areas can roughly be divided into three: the north of Tasmania and the islands scattered in the Bass Strait, the east coast, and the west coast. The numerous islands to the north of Tasmania, such as the Furneaux Group, Hunter Islands and King Island, offer excellent opportunities to break the crossing of the Bass Strait into daysails, with a wide range of anchorages available to find shelter from the occasionally strong winds.

The islands are little treasures where everything revolves around really good food; many are the base for specialised fleets of fishing boats and the cattle on the windswept pastures produce milk for an abundance of cheeses and other dairy products.

The north coast of Tasmania has a few towns, Launceston being the largest one. This second largest town of Tasmania lies on the banks of the river Tamar and has an active sailing community.

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Sharon Bon, who cruises with her husband Jason from Launceston on their Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 Aurora, comments: “The Tamar river is a perfect place to potter around in a boat. Launceston is 30 miles inland, so you can take your time exploring the river and using anchorages, jetties and sailing club facilities as you go south. Beware of the strong current though.

“We also find Launceston a good base for cruising the north coast of Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands. The north of Tasmania is known for the excellent wineries, which are worth a visit.”

The most popular cruising ground is on the east coast of Tasmania, where there is shelter from the rough westerly winds and the large swell of the Southern Ocean. Steep cliffs rise out of the icy cold water on the north east coast, and large granite boulders are covered in orange lichen.

Photo: Alamy / Shane Pedersen

The weather can be unpredictable here and the distances between safe anchorages are slightly longer, but shelter can be found at iconic anchorages like Wineglass Bay and Chinaman’s Bay on Maria Island.

Passing the pipes

In the middle of the east coast the Tasman Peninsula juts out into the Tasman Sea. The rugged coast has some interesting dolerite rock formations: the ones at Cape Raoul famously resemble organ pipes and feature in many photographs from the Sydney to Hobart Race. The peninsula is also home to Port Arthur Historic Site, the world-renowned ruins of a penal settlement.

Once around the peninsula, Storm Bay opens with many more options for anchoring. As soon as we drop the hook in Nubeena we meet Australian Margaret Beasly, who has sailed around the world with her husband Chris Wilkie for many years in their Alan Payne 40 Skookum Storm Bay of Hobart. She told us: “We finally came back to Tasmania and enjoy every minute we get to go out and sail here.”

Spectacular ‘organ pipe’ rock formations at Cape Raoul near Port Arthur. Photo: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Hobart appeal

A pleasant south-easterly slowly pushes us up the river Derwent, the infamous closing stage of the Sydney Hobart. You can almost feel the agony of the racing yacht crews in their final miles to the finish line. The mouth of the Derwent can be the place where races are won or lost: Mount Wellington looms in the distance and its bulk changes the direction and strength of the wind in the final minutes.

For us, the warm embrace of the marina of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania beckons, and we have the luxury of being able to start the engine when the wind drops. In Sandy Bay, the RYCT and the Derwent Sailing Squadron have large marinas where visitors are welcome (a 20 minute walk into Hobart). In the city centre, Constitution Dock offers berthing too.

Hobart is one of those towns where you can easily stay longer than you intended: the foodie scene dishing out Tasmania’s best foods and drinks, the museums and well-preserved heritage buildings, the laid-back atmosphere and all the facilities a yachtsman could want are here. But there is more to be experienced elsewhere, so after two weeks of indulging, we slip our docklines and head south to Bruny Island.

The lighthouse on Bruny Island. Photo: Piter Lenk/Alamy

The first thing you see when you sail closer to Bruny Island are the nets over the orchards. Fresh fruit is abundant, but birds are too, so the crop is protected. Meanwhile, out to sea, large Norwegian-flagged ships work the fish farms.

Bruny Island shields the south-east coast of Tasmania from strong easterly winds and swell. The D’Entrecasteaux Channel is a sailor’s playground in itself: many small bays offer anchorages, often with a small village nearby.

We happily pottered around here for a week in a steady rhythm of sailing, enjoying the delicious food and meeting very hospitable Tasmanians. Yacht clubs like the Port Cygnet Sailing Club often have an active social programme to which visitors are welcomed.

Salamanca Markets in Tasmania’s capital, Hobart. Photo: Kerin Forstmanis/Alamy

Go west

The southernmost anchorage is Recherche Bay, which offers shelter from all but easterly winds. And that is exactly why yachts anchor there: as soon as the wind veers to the east, it’s time to go west. In a long day, you can sail around the south of Tasmania; a milestone in itself. The scenery is eerie, even under blue skies and bright sunshine, and the large south-westerly swell is impressive.

Once round Southwest Cape, Port Davey is our next destination. Port Davey was once the place where whalers sought refuge in bad weather; on shore they’d meet loggers of the majestic Huon pine. Now there is a lone fisherman tending to his lobster pots.

On the eastern side of Port Davey a small strip of islands, aptly named Breaksea Islands, covers the entrance to Bathurst Channel, which leads to Bathurst Harbour. Bathurst is a true gem, which can only be visited by yacht or small airplane (in Melaleuca there is a small airstrip and some huts for the park rangers). VHF coverage is limited, internet nonexistent; it’s a perfect place to unwind.

Tasmania’s Bathurst Harbour is protected by the aptly named Breaksea Islands. Photo: Viktor Posnov/Alamy

Further north on the west coast there is a similar, though slightly more populated, inlet of Macquarie Harbour. No nice islands here to shield the entrance from the swell: it is called Hell’s Gate for a reason. Once through the challenging tidal currents at the harbour mouth, the large estuary offers enough places to explore for a month, especially near the confluence of the Gordon and Franklin rivers.

Macquarie is typical of Tasmania – the island offers such a diversity of cruising options at relatively close distances, that many visitors come back again and again. But it is not only the beauty of the landscape that leaves a lasting impression: the genuine hospitality of the Tasmanians who love to share their amazing home will stay with you for a long time.

A chequered history

Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first to sight Tasmania on 24 November, 1642. He called it Van Diemen’s Land, after the Governor of the Dutch East Indies. He named an island on the east coast Maria Island, after the wife of the Governor.

Chinaman’s Bay on Maria Island

The Dutch thought that Australia wouldn’t yield any value for the Dutch East India Company, so they didn’t colonise any further. In 1700 Captain Cook arrived and started exploring the east coast of Australia, before a fleet of 11 British ships arrived in Sydney Harbour 18 years later.

In 1798 George Bass and Matthew Flinders circumnavigated Tasmania and established that is was an island. The race was on to colonise it, and the British won by settling in what is now Hobart in 1803.

From 1788 the British began shipping convicts to Australia. They were set to work alongside the settlers until their sentence was over. Returning home was almost impossible, so most of them settled in their new country and helped populate the new colony.

One of the locals… a Tasmanian Devil. Photo: David Kleyn/Alamy

A second penal settlement was established in Tasmania, where Governor McArthur ruled with an iron fist. Conditions were grim, especially for reoffenders, and many died of exhaustion. Several prison ruins can still be found in Tasmania, as part of the Unesco World Heritage Site programme – Port Arthur is a particularly recommended site to visit.

Van Diemen’s Land had become synonymous with hardship, so in 1856 the name of the island was changed to Tasmania in an attempt to change the image and make it more attractive to settlers.

Tasmania had been inhabited for thousands of years by several Aboriginal tribes before the Europeans arrived. They coexisted with the colonists peacefully at first, but when the settlers took more land for farming, the Aboriginal Tasmanians fought back. The Aboriginal population was decimated by disease and gunfire, until the last remaining Aboriginal people were sent to a settlement on Flinders Island, where they withered away.

Tasmania essentials

To make good use of all the anchorages Tasmania has to offer, there are several cruising guides available. We used Cruising Tasmania by J. Brettingham-Moore. In addition, the government organisation Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) offers information on several platforms, including Facebook.

Anchoring in Tasmania is relatively easy; the thick mud provides excellent holding, but a deckwash system (or a crewmember with a bucket!) is advisable when the anchor is pulled up. MAST provides courtesy moorings, as do some of the sailing clubs.

Navigation is easy with good charts, the major hazards being submerged rocks and shallows. Be aware that the fish farms sometimes ‘lose’ large items in storms; so sailing at night is risky after such a weather event.

Anna Caroline is a steel Bruce Roberts 44, originally built in Nelson, New Zealand

Even in summer it’s important to keep an eye on the weather. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology offers local forecasts. The weather can change rapidly in these high latitudes, so cruisers need to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. The volunteer rescue services broadcast the weather forecast regularly on VHF. The reception is good, except for Bathurst Harbour on the south-west coast.

Provisioning is relatively easy on the north and east coast. On the west coast only Strahan has some facilities. Hobart is an official port of entry, so all customs, immigration and biosecurity facilities are available. You will need a valid passport and visa before you arrive.

About the author

Wietze van der Laan and Janneke Kuysters left the Netherlands in 2013 and have sailed half way around the world with their Bruce Roberts 44 Anna Caroline. They cruised the Australian shores for a year before setting off to explore Indonesia.

The post Sailing Tasmania: Bucket list cruising across the Bass Strait appeared first on Yachting World.

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shewingsit · 5 years

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It always goes too fast...

Well, Madison is headed to the airport, I’m out by the pool trying to focus on all the great times instead of how heart crushingly lonely I felt just now as he drove away. We had such a fantastic visit. I’ll give you the rundown: Wednesday: It was important to me to meet Madison at the airport when he arrived. I waited for an airport bus but to no avail (Island time). So I hoofed the hour walk to Owen Roberts International. I arrived before his flight let out (win!) but so disgustingly sweaty that I guess he must really love me to still be excited for a hug (also win?). We picked up Rio (our Kia) and speed off to pick up pizza, beer and to watch the sunset at Seven Mile. Thursday: The big day out and about! Madison and I drove to East End. We visited: Lover’s Wall (would have drove right past it) Tiny red heart on the side of a short wall by the sea. There is no plaque explaining it’s origins and even extensive googling reveals nothing. Cute though! We met a very well meaning, VERY talkative couple from Georgia (he gave us a 10 minute play by play version of the St Louis/San Jose game). They were also stopping at all the sights which made us give the next place a skip, haha. Blowholes Not sad to bypass this as we saw about 5 of them on our US road trip. Blowholes are marine geysers formed as sea caves that grow landwards and upwards into vertical shafts. Hydraulic compression pushes up sea water through them. Colliers Public Beach Lovely little waterfront area with Catanduanes-like beach cabanas. Madison played some guitar. This is definitely one of our favourite island spots. Little Shop on the east end that had beer inside (score!) and an adorable swing outside. Old Man Bay lots of jokes at Madison’s expense Rum Point very touristic spot clearly designed to separate boat tourists from their money. A la that lame cantina on the boat trip to Ko Ang Thong. We kept moving along. Water Cay Public Beach We stopped here for a beer and to laugh at the tourists on jet skis Starfish Point slightly depressing. Apparently there used to be hordes of starfish here but tourists killed them by taking them for souvenirs. As we sat here a boat parked and a bunch of instagraming bimbos grabbed all three remaining starfish and started posing with them. Boo. Tukka cute little bar where we had happy hour appetizers. Owned by a Canadian from Vancouver. The whole drive we sang along to 80′s and 90′s hits played by the local Bob FM. Friday: We drove up to West Bay and visited Hell (some black limestone formations). After we walked Seven Mile twice (Madison got a little pink the second time). Followed by some fish and chips and possibly the best calamari since South Africa. Nap time, pool time, sunset time, and a tour of Camana Bay. Camana Bay is a new-ish group of shops, restaurants, cinema and some tourist areas. They have an artificial beach complete with palm trees and a 75 foot observation deck. Saturday: Cay-MAS! Not enough to have one carnival, here there are two weekends. We walked up with my housemate Liam to a shady spot and watched the parade pass before joining in for some SOCA dancing. Lots of rum, sun and glitter. Sunday: The night got away from us and we didn’t have a chance to go for falafel after the parade. Upon waking Sunday morning this was all I was craving so we headed straight to Al A Kebab. Mmmmm green curry sauce. Next was a daytime walk around Camana Bay to hammock lounge and check out Books and Books (huge book store that felt like a place we both wanted to live in). Since the wind was too strong for crib we drove back out to Colliers Beach (serenaded by Bob FM) and relaxed in the Cabana with our books. Monday: My housemate Nicci arranged for us to scuba dive! We did a two tank dive with Red Sail off of Seven Mile. The first stop was the USS Kittiwake. A submarine rescue ship it was commissioned in 1946 and stayed in service till 1994. In 2011 it was purposefully sank to create artificial reef. We got to swim around the ship, through the wreck and then across the top of the decks. Sooo neat. The second dive was called Hammerhead Hole (no sharks, no hole, haha). It featured beautiful coral with lots of life and!!!! a turtle! It also featured an absolute idiot from Florida who got lost during the dive and who it turns out made news for throwing a propane tank at his neighbours last year. We found out later that he also got kicked out of the Westin after the dive. Idiot, haha. After the dive we enjoyed a Braai (BBQ) with the housemates where we made tuna steaks (Madison also had steak steak), corn on the cob and garlic bread. Yum.

Tuesday: The last day (sob). We went for one final beach walk together on Seven Mile, grabbed some groceries for me (easier with the car) and a pizza (full circle, haha). We enjoyed one last beer by the pool before Madison drove off to the airport for a brutal all night milk run back to Calgary. Now you’re all caught up. I’m getting some mosquito bites with my sadness so I’m headed in. Tomorrow I’m sure I’ll feel better again. xoxo

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twistednuns · 6 years

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August 2018

I'm gonna be a maid of honour for the first time! And since I'm also responsible for the invitations, the decoration, the schedule... hell lotta work ahead of me but I'm kinda looking forward to it!

I'm hopelessly in love with Daddy on Orange Is the New Black. Exactly the kind of woman I like... that is a soft butch, I suppose? The fact that she is dating officer McCollough IRL is pretty awesome (although I'm obviously very jealous).

Hardcover books with a bookmark ribbon.

Attending the Itchy concert with Manu who acted as a human fan by waving his hat through the air.

A trip to Walchensee with Raphaela! I met her neighbour's huge cat, accidently found out she was pregnant (nobody had known so far), we enjoyed the crystal clear turquoise water and got ice-cream from the van at the edge of the forest. Later: pizza dinner. The best.

Pub Quiz with Lena, Maike and Barbara (I'm still her secret admirer, she's pretty damn cool).

Spending time with Ashley and Kilian! I like the outdoor swimming pool in Dinkelscherben.

A good yoga session. Being really bendy comes in very handy.

Sitting on a hill in Olympiapark with Frank during sunset, seeing the lights from the fair below us getting brighter as the contrast sharpens.

Joan Wasser. Jesus, what a... presence. Aura. Coolness. Whatever it is. Great concert!

Hanging out with Bibi at Starnberger See.

Meeting Kazuki from Tokio! Weird setting though: he cleaned my teeth at the dentist's.

Elsa and Andi's wedding: riding over the fields on a tractor in order to fell a tree in the woods, the train ride, so many storks. The song they played during the ceremony. Dancing until the wee hours. The new house Andi and Elsa built.

Australia. Phew, where can I start. So, the accent is definitely amazing and I'd love to be able to imitate it more appropriately. Anyway. The first thing I noticed upon arriving was that the moon seemed to be upside down and there were new constellations - I saw the Triangulum Australe for the first time and the Big Dipper was invisible. There were strange smells and sounds, I recognised Let it Be just from the beat - someone played it in their house. I arrived at my hosts and cuddled Rabbit the tailless cat in my comfy bed. Avocado on toast and matcha latte for breakfast was a pretty good idea, too. Bless the vegan café!

Petting my very first koala. Watching the fruit bats and the wombats - my favourite. Feeding wallabies and kangaroos. The smell of dextrose and eucalyptus in the Koala Sanctuary.

People getting out of the bus yelling "Thanks, mate!" to the driver. / Seeing my first ibis in the middle of Brisbane, right next to the bus stop. Nobody cared but me. (Later I also saw wild cockatoos and a weird breed of turkey everywhere.) / Pygmalion at the Gardens Theatre in Brisbane. / Thrifting next to the river. / The outside pool at night. / Getting lost on Mount Coo-Tha. / Buying a linen dress at Valley Girl. / My Baskin Robbins obsession. / Australians coming in in slippers and a dressing gown for breakfast at Arlette's Kitchen. / A British teenage girl feeding me with mint chocolate Oreos on the train up north. / Giraffes at Steve Irwin Wildlife Park.

Spending the evening with Gabriel and Jennifer hiking up Mount Ngungun to watch the sunset from up there. The view over the Glasshouse Mountains was breathtaking. I loved the stories she told us about the Aboriginal spirits and climbing up into the cave. She even drove me to my hostel in Caloundra!

Sitting at the white sandy beach one morning after Dutch style apple cinnamon and cream pancakes for breakfast. A pelican casually flying by. Of course. / The fact that the word haberdashery actually exists and that Australians actively use it. / Drawing the beautiful scenery into my sketchbook at a Greyhound bus stop. Sitting next to a giant kangaroo statue. / A sentimental moment: they played Layla by Eric Clapton and the Dominos on the bus and I thought about my dad who loved that song and had never seen Australia before he died. / Speaking of music - I love Australian radio stations. Selected gems were Prince's Raspberry Beret, I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness, I Try by Macy Gray and The Magic by Joan as Police Woman. /

Staying at Dave's place in Hervey Bay. I mean, he was a show-off cheapskate and probably a bit sexist, too - but we did have fun at the dinner table and Lucie's cooking was delicious. The best part were the two help-ex Frenchies: one of them gave me his car so I could drive to Rainbow Beach and go diving with the Grey Nurse Sharks at Wolf Rock. I loved the diving instructor (long, dark blonde hair and light green eyes, yes please) and we saw loads of pelicans from up close. Well, and the sharks, even a manta ray. So exciting.

Whale-watching! I saw whales for the first time in my life. Absolutely majestic. When you're diving you can hear their songs, one instructor even said that his chest vibrates whenever a whale is close by. From the sailing boat we saw a nursing humpback mother with her calf and quite a few males. One would beat his tail fin repeatedly on the surface because I boat came too close for his taste.

Sailing in the Whitsundays. Seriously, I was very lucky - arrived in Airlie Beach without a booking. Just ran into a random travel agency and boom, there was Mary, selling me a two-night-ticket for a boat leaving in an hour. I met many great people - Peter and the skipper who worked many many years as a diving instructor and told the best stories, the German dudes from Flensburg, Ben from Western Australia (I had a tiny little crush on him), Kelsey from the Isle of Man, Charlotte from the Netherlands. Johanna from Karlsruhe. My highlights: Climbing over the rail, jumping into the ocean right from the boat / meeting George, the toe-sucking giant fish / finding five turtles on a snorkelling tour / Whitehaven Beach - the most gorgeous white silica beach ever, they even filmed parts of Pirates of the Caribbean there; I was able to follow around some lemon sharks and stingrays in the shallow water / feeding seahawks from the boat by throwing pieces of meat up in the air / the swaying motions of the sailing boat make you feel like a baby in the cradle, they make you fall asleep instantaneously / friendly banter with Timo / sleeping in the Orgy Room. Back in Airlie I slept in a room at Magnum's with Charlotte and Johanna and we spent the evening with some others from the boat. We ended up in another hostel's yard where Charlotte was kidnapped by a weird dude who immediately started making out with her.

The Yongala wreck dive. Amazing, seriously. There was a huge school of rays (mainly sting rays and eagle rays) swimming with the current right above me. And I had a close encounter with a white sea snake... Seriously, what a gorgeous experience. Staying at the diving centre in Alva Beach was pretty nice, too. Riding the van with Patrik, getting ice-cream at the store (when we picked up Iolo from Wales and the German travelling with Sasha the budgie), a sunset walk at the beach (woah, crazy tides - I saw a jeep getting stuck in the sand). Oh, and the night out at the pub in Ayr. Meeting Kirsty, the wombat-whisperer. Wearing weird hats, singing, drinking free Rum Fists all night long.

Meeting the South-African sailing instructor at Magnum's. Who told me stories about diving for diamonds in Namibia. It's crazy how much you learn and how many interesting people you meet when you're travelling.

Making my way up to Cairns. Listening to the reef teach lecture about seven-gill sharks. Shopping with Friedericke. And obviously Uncle Brian's waterfall tour. I saw several wild platypuses (platypi?), took hair flip pictures in front of the Millaa Millaa waterfall (and I swam through it - the water was freezing but I loved the prickling feeling on my scalp and watching the water falling down from behind was kinda amazing) and used some boulders as a water slide. We played games and sang along to old songs on the bus and made our way back through the Atherton Tablelands. Adam, the tour guide, was especially great. He made us lick green ants because they really do taste like limes.

Meeting Johanna once again up in Cairns, spending a last day together (snorkelling on Green Island where I got a glimpse of a snapper turtle but apart from that the Great Barrier Reef was pretty sad to look at in that area).

#things i love #personal #present perfect #august #2018 #august 2018

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