#it's a house of stone for the other. strong and ancient and impenetrable. you are not getting out. ive connected the two dots

[youssefguedira]

listening to if you say so putting together the came down like a house of cards line at the beginning and then the chorus being time to build your house of stone. cards and then stone fragile and then strong. the ending ALSO being came down like a house of cards. and then relating all of this to [REDACTED] like

[night-rise]

F.O.W.L’s PLAN

F.O.W.L... The fiendish organization for World larceny..

They live up to their reputation of being fiendish. A group of criminal masterminds with enough power, brains and resources to give people like Scrooge and Darkwing Duck a run for their money. They are a threat that have the capability to destroy the entire duck family.

Scary part is... that’s just what they’re doing this season..

Their sights are set on anyone connected to Scrooge McDuck and they have stepped out of the shadows to challenge them and destroy them once and for all...

But how?

What’s the plan? What plan can be great enough to challenge them? The Duck family have conquered shadow armies, an alien invasion and have defeated countless other villains.

This beautiful family is strong and is growing stronger with each new ally they meet. BOY’D is a freakin super robot now! And we have Lena! She’s already an army in one lol What could FOWL possibly do to match this families strength?

Well that’s what we’re here to find out! And I think I got something.. Something that very well could be the end of Scrooge and his family...

Hey guys! NightRise here with another head scratching theory that will have you up all night pondering

In my previous and first FOWL theory (which I would suggest you go read before reading this. It’s super short don’t worry lol) I talked about the connections between the Bounce serum and Fentons Energy Crystal. How they both could be related to a larger scheme because both are related to BOUNCING.

But how do these two things fit in with fitches journal? The thing that seems to be FOWLS main focus this season.

What’s the missing piece to this plan?

Well I’m here to kick start the many possibilities that is FOWLS plan and help you all see the connections. Maybe you’ll take something from this to help with your own theories.

Now I’m telling you right now that this theory is absolutely a stretch and has about a 50% chance of being accurate. For the obvious reasons being that we’re not even half way through the season yet and we still have so much more of FOWL left to see.

But because of the pieces that I found connecting so well together and the show going on a little hiatus (boo) I thought I’d go ahead and drop this off now.

It’ll be my final theory on this fiendish organization and I want to share it with you the good people so you have something during the break to think over and keep you up at night theorizing.

So with that VERY long introduction out of the way, lets rise into this:

I’ve been thinking a lot about the bounce serum and it’s capabilities. What FOWL was going to use it for and how they think it’ll help them rule the world.

But how exactly? How does bouncing help with that?

Black Heron said she wanted to use the serum to create super soldiers to cause mass destruction and chaos across the- ... (Why am I having Captain America flashbacks...?)

Anyway!

But the thing with that is from what I’ve seen the Bounce juice doesn’t really cause mass destruction when its consumed by a normal person. It just makes them bounce and invulnerable to fall damage. It didn’t create a shockwave of destruction or anything like that when they landed. So how is she going to cause destruction with it?

Bouncing is only good for escaping or surviving from high up places. How could it possibly destroy anything?

Well I got to thinking. What happens when we bounce in a second story house on the top floor? It creates a stomp. A loud BOOM!

Vibrations

And the higher we jump the greater that vibe is. So I got to thinking where would strong vibrations be the most effective and catastrophic?

UNDERGROUND!

Earthquakes!

According to an adorable red hatted nerd we know, Earthquakes are shifting plates that move.

But as also stated by another adorable duckling “who’s pushing the plates”

(Okay so you might already know where I’m going with this and like I stated previously this is what I meant by this theory being stretched and far fetched. But this was the ONLY connection I could make with this so please bear with me, you’re about to see the connections I PROMISE)

There are only one species I know that are capable of causing earthquakes with little to no effort..

The final piece that I think is in FOWLS plan is.......

The Terrafirmians!

I know, I KNOW it’s crazy. And some of you are probably already leaving but HEAR. ME. OUT. PLEASE. Let me SPEAK. Cause I’m about to explain why.

As usual I’ll try to keep it as brief as I can:

Terrafirmians, ancient rock like cretrues that live in a society deep underground. Not much different from the above ground civilization.

Their capability to move around the earth effortlessly is amazing. And they are incredibly strong. With little to no effort they were able to make a clean safe passage back to the surface for the Duck family in a matter of seconds. Their rock like exterior makes them almost impenetrable.

Honestly they would make the perfect soldiers for anybody.........

So why wouldn’t FOWL want them in their army? They certainly can find a use for them. One specific use in general:

To use the juice

The Bounce juice is an organic drink, so you can’t give it to an army of robots. And we’ve seen what happens when you give it to a normal person. Not much.

But the Terrafirmians with their already tough exterior (which was redesigned in this reboot series. From furry and plush to rocky and tough) would cause a lot of damage if they were bouncing around everywhere. Bouncing is how they operate. They bounce and crash into rocks. But instead of digging right through the earth they’ll bounce right off of it, creating vibrations.

That serum would be perfect for them. Perfect for FOWL. An impenetrable army that could cause so much destruction in an instant. It’s the perfect plan.

Think of the time gap between the two missions involving the bounce serum.

Why did Heron return after so much time had past?

For so many years she could’ve attempted to capture Beakley and get the serum information she needed. So many chances. Why wait? Why was FOWL so quiet for so long and then suddenly pick up where they left off DECADES ago?

What changed?

I’ll tell you what changed. The plan changed. The original idea they had for the serum.

When Heron was explaining the plan she didn’t really sound like she had all the pieces together. Just soldiers bouncing “here, there and everywhere”. It was messy and not well put together.

It sounded like a disorganized plan for an organization.

FOWLS original plan was incomplete and had too many errors. So it was unnecessary at the time. That’s why FOWL didn’t try to go after the juice the first time Heron failed to acquire it. They weren’t desperate. They didn’t need it then. They found it unnecessary.

So why is it now that they are trying to complete that mission? What makes now different from back then? Why is it now necessary to acquire the serum after all this time?

Because they found the final piece they needed.

The Terrafirmians

But wait! How are we even sure we’d see them ever again in this season? Well because we only saw 4-5 of them. There’s an entire civilization of these guys. Are we really not going to explore more of them? This season is all about Huey so why wouldn’t we go back to the first obstacle he faced in the series?

Think I’m crazy?

Remember what Bradford Buzzard said at the end of Double-O-Duck? “We’re going to take it from them. From right underneath McDucks nose” UNDERNEATH! That’s gotta be a clue.

Their FOWL base!! Its underground! They moved from a tower to an underground lair. WHY? The tower looked perfectly fine to me. It seemed to be working just fine. Why move underground? That’s another clue.

But how does Fitches journal (which was found UNDERGROUND) fit into all this? Well allow me to explain.

The Terrafirmians are a peaceful friendly tribe, that have no beef with surface dwellers. If they had a problem with them they would’ve showed up a long time ago. But they haven’t. It’s obvious they want peace.

This doesn’t fit in with FOWLS plan though. So they are looking for a way to change the Terrafirmians way of thinking. Take away their peaceful ideals. They want to corrupt them. Control them

Mind control.

They are looking for an artifact that helps with that. It’s become obvious that they are not looking to acquire every artifact in that journal.

If that was the case they would’ve been there to steal the Harp from the ducks or showed up after they left to take it. But they didn’t. Not a sign of them anywhere.

And they already have the third eye diamond. Found in their personal archives. (How that’s possible is full of theories that I will leave to someone else to work on lol)

But by the way it was presented in the episode Double-O-Duck, it didn’t seem like it was needed. Or important. Just a side project. Why?

Because they are after a SPECIFIC artifact. One that would help with controlling the Terrafirmians. That’s what Bradford meant by “The race is on”. The race to the final key they need. The final key like...

The Stone of What Was!

“STONE”. That’s already connected to the earth. There’s a chance this stone is with the Terrafirmians. Or it might be the case that this stone will help whoever has it find the hidden civilization that is the Terrafirmians.

Kinda strange they’re saving that one for last, don’t you think?

Could that be the final thing they need? Would that bring them total control? Who knows but it’s interesting that the creators of the series would save that adventure for last.

But wait, how does Fentons crystal fit into all of this? How would that help FOWL in anyway?

Well if my previous theory was correct, Gandra is already working on that solution.

See that’s the thing about theories everybody! When you do them, include everyone that applies to it!

Putting certain characters in scenarios that fit them. And that’s what I did with Gandra. Shes a scientist plus she has a connection with Fenton. Her and Fenton obviously are going to meet again. What else would she possibly work on?

She’s going to replicate Fentons experiment on a larger scale. Wrap the Terrafirmians in that same synthetic crystal, like clothing or Energy suits, to boost the power of their bounce.

The greater the bounce the greater the vibration.

FOWL is going to control an army of Terrafirmans, give them bounce juice and wrap them up in Fentons Synthetic crystal so they’ll be powerful enough to create INSTANT EARTHQUAKES!

But not in a city wide rage! Specific locations. FOWL said they don’t want to destroy the world. Just the Duck family. In fact they don’t want to destroy the world at all. But steal it from everybody else. What better way to do that then to have an army of earthquack making soldiers that can split up and target each individual family member and take them out unsuspectedly?

FOWL said it themselves they want to do things smarter. What’s smarter than an earthquake making army you can’t see coming that can take you out before you even know what’s going on? At anytime. ANYWHERE.

The very world itself would turn against the Duck family. It’ll be robbed from them!

They don’t call it “WORLD LARCENY” for nothing am I right?

Magica and Lunaris already tried taking the aggressive approach and failed. Now FOWL wants to do things more stealth like. In the shadows. Leaving no trail that will lead back to them. The charging head first method has failed multiple times so FOWL is trying something different.

Still think it’s crazy?

Well check this out:

What do you guys notice about this picture? For one thing it has every target that FOWL is after on it. But what else do you see? Where are they?

In the sky..

Now why would everybody meet up in the sky? Is it because maybe the ground is currently unsafe? Hmmmmmmmm?!

Brute force is not going to work this time. It’ll be a battle of intelligence. Lucky for us we have a duckling that can out brain all of FOWL

They might have an army

But we have a Huey...

I’m looking forward to seeing the outcome of this season. This hiatus WILL be the end of me I just know it lol but it gives us the fans plenty of time to figure this out. I’ll be looking forward to taking this journey with you all.

If I said it once this season I’ll say it again

BRING. IT. ON. F.O.W.L.

[arelya-andaria]

Vampire AU - Vines of Blood and Music - Extract 2

Wasn’t expecting to post this tonight, but as a thank you for the lovely words I’ve gotten, here’s a Christine POV, following from part1 https://arelya-andaria.tumblr.com/post/187061420290/vampire-phantom-of-the-opera-au-extract  :

Ever since he died, she hasn’t had the courage to go to that house. Lost in the middle of Provence, an ancient thing passed down in her family for generations. It’s a beautiful house, made of old pink stones, with few windows to keep the fresh air in, and a roof of red tiles. A garden of wild flowers and fruit trees.

Always felt like a fairytale home, especially when she was a young girl and her father drove them there to spend the summer, after a school year in Paris in their tiny flat.

She would spend her days running through the vines, drunk on the open air, the smell of lavender and pine.

The hills in the distance. The olive trees with their green grey leaves, the sun hot on her shoulders, the wind, strong and warm tangling her hair. The river that flowed down their property, lazy and quiet.

Her father would play, as well, and she was called home by the echo of the melody on the wind.

It was their refuge, two months during which she ran and sang and just was, free to be and live just as much as she wanted. They would play in the markets, in the small villages around their home, each more pittoresque than the other, on silent hills, nestled around forests and rock pits.

It was as if time had no empire on these stones, life going on as slow as it had been nearly a century before. The roads were still small and sinuous, passing through thousands of vine lands and around the hills. The cicadas’ incessant buzzing drowning every other sound, and the wind, moving in the trees.

It was that life she remembered, with tears in her eyes, as she made her way down from the capital. As she left the highway and took the small roads to reach their house, feeling the sun’s hot gaze on her hair, as unblinking as it had been five years ago. The last time she had made the journey, with her father.

Now she was alone, and she felt him by her side, could remember the giddy excitation she’d felt every time she took that road, the promise of two months of lazy walks in the paths around their house. The smell of the barbecues they made, how they would stare at night at the sky, how he would name every star they could see.

It felt like a lifetime ago, that giddiness and freedom.

After a day on the road, she reached the small path leading to their house. Her house, now. Everything belonged to her alone, now.

She couldn’t remember her mother, dead of cancer while she was still an infant. Her papa had cared for her, been her only anchor in that whole wide world, her stone house in the midst of a violent thunderstorm.

Now that he was gone, she was drifting, not knowing her way.

Still, she’d gone on with their shared dream: of becoming part of the Conservatoire in Paris, in singing. She had the voice of an angel, her papa always said, and she had attempted the concours, not once, but twice.

After this failure, she’d quit. Left Paris on a snap, taken the first road, back to where she’d started. Her dream had been everything to her, the only thing keeping her sane after her papa had left her.

And now…

Now…

What would she become?

What would she do?

Perhaps the answer was hidden in that old house, where her dearest memories still lay.

Her fingers were shaking when she opened the door. Inside, nothing had moved. The air felt stale, and she could see the small dress she’d forgotten on the top of a shelf, and how she’d whined when they’d left and she found it missing.

“You won’t need it,” her father had said. “We’ll get you another one for next spring, and you’ll get it when we come back.”

He had never come back.

She threw open the windows, letting light and wind enter what felt like both a tomb and a sanctuary. A place untouched by the sadness she’d felt.

On the mantel of the fireplace were her most cherished photographs: the three of them, mother, father, and baby Christine, here, for her first summer. She was a year old, and already had the first wisps of golden hair, and “the bluest eyes he’d ever seen”, her papa had told her.

She looked like her mother now, all Swedish, with perhaps a bit more flesh than she’d had, generous curves that had never bothered her.

Strong arms and thighs from running up and down the hills, from helping her papa whenever there was work to do to renovate that old thing they called a house.

In his eyes, she’d always felt beautiful.

Now all she could remember were the lines of thin girls waiting for their turns during the rehearsals she’d attended to prepare herself. They wouldn’t stare, of course, but that was what perhaps hurt the most.

She was invisible.

A shadow, alone and cold, in a city as grey and cold as she felt.

Now, with the sun hot and vibrant over the green hills, and the colors of a thousand flowers, she would feel alive again.

She wasn’t very sure where to begin, though.

Her parents’room, next. The bed, cold, and uninviting. The wardrobe, a huge wooden thing, sculpted when her papa would have a moment, one panel at a time.

She quickly left it alone, blocking the memories that threatened her.

Her room hadn’t changed, of course. There was still her teddy bear from her childhood, one she’d won at a nearby fair. The years and her constant attention had not been kind to it. He was missing an ear, and one of its eyes was nearly blind. Part of his face was half-chewed, from when a stray dog had found it in her errands and she’d screamed it away. Her papa had done his best to mend it, but he would always bear the marks of the encounter.

Still, he was fluffy and smelled nice and comforting when she hugged it, letting that small token calm her heart.

Erik, she’d called it. From the fairy tale her father had always told her, in the book from her mother’s childhood. A mermaid’s prince, mysterious and gifted, one she’d always loved.

“He will bring you luck”, her papa had said.

He had, over the years, as she grew into her talent, hoping to make a career out of that, as her papa had done. But it seemed now all the luck had run out, and she drew her gaze away from his warm but misshaped eyes, to sink into her bed.

She was weary and dirty from the road, with just some food and drinks waiting for her in her car, and she fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was night. The cicadas had quieted, the moon had risen, and there were no other lights than the stars, white points in a sea of impenetrable darkness. The wind was quiet in the trees, and it felt still warm.

She felt hungry, and went to her car to retrieve a few things to spend the night. She showered, and climbed onto the roof to watch the night sky, a sandwich in hand.

She could see her shadow, so bright was the moon. Her cheeks still felt wet and aching, from her earlier tears. Had it been a mistake, coming here? After all, if Paris had reminded her of her father, every single day, how could this place fail to do it, when every stone bore his mark? When they had put their love in each corner, every strike of paint on the walls?

The tears came back, when she had sworn a few months ago they never could, so much had she cried and cried. A great, deep well, never to end, never to dry, fueling the pain in her heart.

Numb. Despite the warmth, the silver glow of the moon, she felt cold and numb.

And during those times, there was only one thing that could ever hope to soothe her heart if only for a moment.

She closed her eyes, and started to sing. Her voice echoed on the surrounding hills, the sound pure and clear, despite the tears in her voice, the shaking at times, and she let it ring, over and over, the same verses never feeling quiet enough, never meaningful enough.

I miss you.

I love you.

How can I ever say goodbye?

Feeling like a waste of space, feeling like she would never be enough, never be good enough to fulfill their dreams. Her dreams, the fire in her heart, the star she’d kept burning, low and so vulnerable.

When she finished, her voice hoarse and tired, she didn’t move. The moon had moved, crossed the sky over to the west, and the stars had dimmed ever so slightly.

She could feel the tremors of dawn, the barely there brightening in the eastern sky.

Now her body felt numb, but some of the ache had quieted. Her head felt clearer than it had been when she’d begun. Not nearly enough to be sane, but it would have to suffice.

For now.

*-*

Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot!

[tomasorban]

THE ZODIAC: CANCER THE CRAB

Date of Rulership: 22nd June-23rd July; Polarity: Negative, female; Quality: Cardinal; Ruling planet: Moon; Element: Water; Body part: Heart, Lungs, and stomach; Colour: Silvery Grey; Gemstone: Pearl; Metal: Silver.

In the signs thus far examined, we have seen the formative energies of life achieve expression through different mediums: initially through the spontaneity and impulsive carnal drives of Aries; then through the aesthetic kaleidoscope of meandering Taurus; and finally the subdivision of vital force under the command of Gemini which enabled an innovative, evolutionary leap of consciousness. The latter’s propensity to concurrently exist in material and ethereal worlds also made sentient an intermediary realm in which the physical and spiritual mingled. Many would understand this intermediary plane to be the unrestrained world of imagination, intuition, thinking, memory, and emotion. It binds spirit to the body, and the emancipating dialogue that ensues between the two as a result engenders far-reaching repercussions for both. It invariably shapes the bundle of psychological habits and impulses that each of us calls self. It is the god Proteus and the nymph Thetis; a primordial ocean of acute shape-shifting awareness. Sometimes one might find themselves trapped in a kaleidoscopic labyrinth of geometrical contours or in shapeless clouds. At other times, one might see a sequence of rhythms or sounds, hear colourful objects, and taste backward or previously unseen locomotion. At other times still, one can be overwhelmed or possessed by anxiety, fear, titillation, love, or relaxation one minute, and riddled by a complete absence of emotion the next. At some point it might be apparent that everything in existence comprises the skin of a gargantuan cosmic animal and at other points all created matter might appear to be discarnate and autonomous entities that simply inhabit the same cosmic space. Polarities can coalesce under a singular experience and thinking processes are transposed to concentrated levels that elude comprehension on the physical plane. Nothing is ever controlled or mediated; there is just a perpetual waxing and waning of thoughts and ideas that explode onto the sands of consciousness one minute and dry up the next. Time becomes a helium balloon, expanding as to spur the perception that a plethora of daylong activities have been squeezed into the space of a few minutes and then shrinking as to flush out the space of a day in two seconds. In this realm, the personal can become impersonal very quickly and barriers deemed impenetrable in the physical world are breached at will.

Gemini’s severe allergies to the emotional faucet rendered it somewhat superficial, insensitive, and impotent to the depth of experience, an anomaly which is corrected with the inauguration of the Cancerian archetype. Because the formative energies of Cancer originate from this intermediary realm of being which connects the physical and spiritual, it acquaints humans with their individual souls but also with the anima mundi, the cosmic soul of Mother Nature which unites all creatures irrespective of size or complexity. A newborn inclination to look inward for nirvana underpins the fundamental Gnostic adage of this archetype, namely that the external environment, the mechanical world into which we are born, appears to be an exotic synthesis of indifferent and insensitive elements that cannot offer inner harmony or fulfilment to spiritually-orientated humanity. The only hope for the human condition, according to Cancer, is to turn on the emotional faucets of the psychic plane and let the cold and hot water form a sensitive current that incite a sense of meaning and purpose and drive the impersonal spirit or life force through the tumultuous waters of life until it is again time to reunite with the paradisal state of perfection in maternal unconsciousness.

“Folks, life’s all about being feelings,” says Cancer. “Feelings and sandcastles, my friends! I like to build mine with all sorts of implements, usually down by the seashore. If I don’t use sand and water its paint and pastels, and sometimes I even use pen and writing paper. I create them with my vivid imagination and decide who or what is going to be living inside. I decide upon fates and lifespans and transcribe the romantic events that will unravel within its high walls. Sadly, there comes a time when the incoming tide levels and sucks them back into the pit of the ocean’s stomach. I understand the tides, the coming and going of primordial energies, and the cycles of the cosmos like no other which is why I build my houses strong. Strength equals domestic stability and tranquillity, something everyone wants! I use the sturdiest things available–sticks, stones, metals, bits of detritus from the seabed–to insulate my soft and squishy parts from Mother Nature’s wrath and Man’s acidic and unbecoming temperament. As a humanitarian, I’m always willing to share my space with an appropriate other, especially if that other is a poor, helpless soul in need of smothering or mothering.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m tactile and love affection. I’ll also admit that I do have too much of the moon and the sea in me; my moods can go from black, to low, to white, to high, and to crescent shape in the space of about a microsecond. I can be volatile that way, but I more than make up for it with my talent for story-telling, my attention to detail, and my emotional rapport. I can also be timid and shy, but once you’ve gained my trust and extricated me from my crabby shell you’ll feel like you’ve known me for years! Once I’m out you’ll have to be rather gentle with me; I’m not particularly fond of prying eyes or confrontation, verbal or otherwise, so I will often sidestep around these. If this is not possible or plausible I’ll just thrust my big old pincers out and threaten to dice the adversary up into little pieces. You should also know that I’m a fiercely faithful friend, and my concern for the welfare of others can often be mistaken for clinginess and co-dependence. My soul is dark like rocks of obsidian, and deeper than the Mariana trench in the Pacific Ocean. Just like these qualities strike night terrors in those individuals not quite attuned to their inner selves, so too does it nurture my own worst nightmare–the fear that I might be deserted to my own devices and have to face life alone.”

Cancer is undoubtedly the first sign to actively work through the mimetic bank of the collective unconscious, drawing upon cosmic archetypes like the tribal brother or sister, love, the heroic journey, utopian societies like the legendary Atlantis, and the struggle between seemingly disembodied forces of good and evil to create its own narratives, real or imagined. Souls incarnating through the stars of this zodiacal constellation more often than not exhibit melancholia, sentimentalist romanticism, and a longing to recapture the locus classicus of Golden Ages bygone. The latter is most likely due to the fact that Cancerians retain prenatal memories of the paradisal perfection within the womb, and hence looking backward into the past is also examining a longwinded path that meanders further and further from union with the divine.  Their deep connection to the supranormal and creative powers of the greater subconscious mind and its intuitive faction, as well as a heartfelt obsession with the subtler and intimate details of our psychological makeup makes them the true hub of the arts. It is no coincidence that souls born under the aegis of Cancer tend to be artists, writers, musicians, and poets. The unconscious willpower or drive of a Cancerian soul is second to none.

Lamentably, Cancer’s derivation from an imaginative plane experienced through the electrical power of primordial ebbs and flows without the aid of a transistor isn’t all milk and honey. Cancerians are notorious for letting the intellectual throne of their personal kingdoms be usurped by emotion, and we all know what happens when unchecked emotions are given prominence over wisdom and intellect: problems and worries multiply and quickly distort our perceptions of the outside world so that everyone appears dishonest, deceptive, potentially threatening, and narcissistic. Emotionally disturbed Cancerians usually repress their feelings for prolonged periods, letting grievances and resentments simmer and become pressurised deep in the confines of their unconscious until these can no longer be contained. When the tempestuous eruption finally comes to pass, the rock-melting intensity of the sonic blast can be so potent as to incinerate, alter, or disfigure relationships permanently. This is one of just many reasons why Cancerians are introverts, choosing to traffic in relationships that are highly unlikely to balloon into melodramatic love affairs or force them into encounters with their own shadows.  

Like Aries, Taurus and Gemini, there are also two symbols associated with Cancer the Crab. The first of these, the animal totem, evokes the primary psychic composition of all beings born under this zodiacal sign; deriving from and dwelling in the element of water, crabs are tranquil, expressive and passive in their habits. The existence of a shell denotes a self-absorbed proclivity towards domestication, introversion, emotional vulnerability, and cultivation of the soul’s imaginative realm. In embarking in a cross-cultural and historical examination, we find that the ubiquitous expression of this archetype has altered in time. For some of the prehistoric cultures, Cancer was represented as a crayfish. Moving into historic times, the ancient Egyptians imagined the constellation as an embodiment of the morning sun–Khephera –whose totemic animal was the scarab beetle. The modern image associated with this archetype was inherited from Babylonian or Chaldean astrology, the latter also influencing the iconography used by the Persian and Hellenistic peoples. The fixed stars associated with this constellation were deemed of utmost importance given that they delineated the seat of an ethereal Great Mother Goddess from which all life in the cosmos had sprung forth. Two ancient calendars, the Egyptian and the Mayan, further illuminate Cancer’s importance as an archetypal indicator of cosmic beginnings and endings: the ancient Egyptians, ascribed prominence to it as the home in which almighty Sirius, the mediating star of the wheel of heaven, rose heliacally to herald the New Year; and the Mayans prophesized that an alignment of the planets within Cancer would spur an act of un-creation and spell the end of the universe. In Roman myth, the goddess Juno fashioned Cancer and placed her in the starry heavens to serve as a cosmic chronometer and reverse the forward-moving cycle of creation when she finally felt that the process of becoming would be of no further benefit to mortals and immortals alike.

The second symbol, an astrological shorthand for the zodiacal sign, shows two identical figures whose arrangement discloses polar opposition. In Gemini this image of duality symbolizes a conunctionis or marriage of opposites, but in Cancer it draws attention to the insuperable psychic tides that are inherent in the nature of this archetype and demonstrated by the gravitational forces and see-saw interfaces imposed upon the earth by its mediating planet, the moon. The two spirals pertaining to each figure may be interpreted in a variety of ways; either as a pair of breasts, symbols of fecundity and divine providence, or as two spermatozoa whose conjunction generates the miracle of life. Both are connected to creation and both recall the feminine element of water as the great cosmic womb through which evolutionary life processes take root. Naturally this sign is intimately connected to physical conception and birth, as well as the psychological dependence of the developing ego on the uroboric Self. Hence, the symbol also serves as a memory cue for those primordial moments of happiness, fundamental unity, oneness, and paradisal perfection experienced in the womb before birth, along with the sadness and loss that comes from being separated from the maternal realm of unconsciousness.

[glassy-star]

Capricorn Risings 🏔

Capricorn Risings seem to walk around wearing hand-tailored suits. They present themselves resolutely and soberly.

Saturn's blessings here produce a responsible individual that portrays their individuality through earthly images of stability and security. They're solid and concrete and actively question everything around them looking for these characteristics in all things, so they're not very much prone to sudden bursts of fiery excitement. Like a mountain rising quietly between heavy clouds, their presence is solemn, respectful and impactful. They walk generally in a straight line, with a constant rhythm on their heavy feet, close to earth. We can clearly tell they've got everything under control.

These people rarely let themselves be affected by external emotional manifestations, as if their body is surrounded by an impenetrable stone barrier. They've got clear objectives and ambitions, and this sturdy composition helps them make their way through every challenge and obstacle. They live for this conquest and they're all about the path they must find to get there. Capricorn Rising's are usually more mature than others around them and, being children of the lord of time, Saturn's positioning and conditions is what greatly affects this Ascendant's characteristics.

Those with Capricorn on the Ascendant may also show a strong and resistant body with remarkable facial traits, for Saturn rules bone structures.

Below, we'll give only an introductory description of how Saturn manifests in the houses. Because of this planet's complexity, the descriptions we'll provide are only superficial. We advise further studies of the chart for "total" understanding of this planet's position.

Saturn/1st house: on an open battlefield, two armies fight for an old and imposing tower standing at the center; it rains heavily. Being an individual means building one's own personal value. The identity must be built with strong materials. If Saturn's in Capricorn, recognition comes through one's career or professional achievements. If Saturn's in Aquarius, building an identity comes through one's ideas and relationship with large groups of people. There's the need to develop security in one's self and in one's existence. Knowing one's self takes time.

Saturn/2nd house: through its windows, an elegant marble warehouse overflows with vegetables, fruits, leaves, plants and bottles of wine. Maturity comes through one's developing ability to administer and to organize one's money and possessions. Dealing responsibly with material matters take time. This is someone who values money and social honour as rewards of hard-work. A stable base come's through material security.

Saturn/3rd house: an enormous ship fluctuates at the center of a storm; ocean waves rise and crush in the dark without mercy, but the vessel won't sink. Communicating, producing phrases and being effectively understood takes time and maturity. There's a need to develop form and structure in one's ability to communicate, for one's intense sensitivity typically produces interference in the realm of thoughts. This is someone who will develop maturity the more they interact with other people, specially relatives.

Saturn/4th house: a beautiful summer palace finally rises under the sun, between green fields and small lakes; at last, everything's getting ready for the noble family's return. Being recognized by the family is of most importance. Responsibilities and duties are completed to ultimately bring honour to close relatives. Dealing healthily with one's psychological nature and family structure takes time.

Saturn/5th house: a forgotten imperial palace is restored and opened as a grand history museum; the gardens are preserved as if by magic. The challenge here is to recognize one's own value, deep meaning and talents. Expressing beautifully one's own identity through creativity takes time. Artistic careers are favoured later in life. Matters regarding children, games and romance are treated rather seriously.

Saturn/6th house: an old but imposing hospital is the only source of light surrounded by impenetrable darkness. This is someone with a structured routine that portrays themselves as very interested in other's health conditions and daily habits. There's the need to develop care with one's own body and health as well as to learn that not everything ought to achieve one's perfection standards.

Saturn/7th house: the gardens of an old rich family are reopened as public botanical gardens; fountains gleam under the gentle sunlight. Great sense of responsibility for other people's well being. One's identity is linked to their ability to be faithful and loving in their longtime relationships and friendships. Partnerships are solid, serious and formal. There's the need to develop security in one's true identity. Marriage may be delayed but stable.

Saturn/8th house: a majestic fortress is surrounded by enormous walls decorated by ivy; no one can see what's happening inside. Portraits of security and confidence of one's self, even though, inside, the individual deals daily with all-consuming emotions. Honour and loyalty. This Saturn's famous for occupying important posts and social positions, mostly dealing with other people's resources and possessions.

Saturn/9th house: an archaic temple is found at the depths of an ancient city; old words and truths are rediscovered. There may be some difficulty regarding subjects related to religion, sensitivity and ideals. However, utilizing logic and the rational mind is highly favoured. This Saturn's very disciplined. There's the need to develop a sincere and solid base for one's knowledge.

Saturn/10th house: the whole royal palace's been decorated for the marriage cerimonies; people from all around the world climb up the stairs and into the ball. Polite, beautiful and elegant. Diplomacy is a key characteristic for this Saturn. This is someone who excels at being fair and polite, specially in social situations, being able to dissolve all conflicts. Long-time partnerships are developed in the working realm. This Saturn loves being where he is and is blessing this individual with stability in one's career, although this can take some time, work and maturity.

Saturn/11th house: built on stone, an old bank stands among taller skyscrapers; it is the richest and most trustworthy institution around. Fantastic apparent ability to observe and extract truth, secrets and details from other people's lives. Information is analyzed and stored for future use, if needed. This is someone who seems to be able to finally give structure and reasoning to the complexities of the dynamics of groups of people. But, because big groups usually operate through superficiality, this deep and intense individual can find some difficulty in being accepted or finding the ideal group.

Saturn/12th house: a beautiful and isolated cathedral prays by the edges of a cliff; the sea crushes dearly against the structure's dissolving walls. Projecting one's identity in the physical world can prove difficult, for Saturn's structure is being diluted. There's the need to develop balance and wisdom, projecting one's identity with ideals and concepts instead. An abstract and sensitive challenge, one could say. Accepting one's subjectivity and finding one's own path takes time.

Thank you dearly for reading! I’m hoping it helps.

[bhandarimarblekishangarh]

MARBLE GRANITE FLOORING IN INDIA❤

#BHANDARIMARBLEWORLD

Marble flooring tiles come in varying colors and surface patterns. The contrasting color lines running through the surface are known as veining, which can be heavy and pronounced or delicate and barely noticeable. While more than a hundred varieties of marble exist, there are three main categories, each type identified by its appearance.

With a gathering of choices open correspondingly as getting your home improved, you would need to go for the best materials that would most likely draw out the substance of your home. With different individuals trying to examine a blueprint of flooring decisions, you would need to pick about which kind of flooring you should need to oblige your home. There is a blend of decisions concerning the different kinds of flooring, and after that going for marble flooring would no doubt strong to be a predominant decision.

Flooring is the general term for an unending covering of a story. Floor covering is delineated as an all-out material related to a story structure to give a compact surface. Distinctive flooring materials are accessible in the market. Marble flooring is one of the outstanding sorts of flooring materials.

White Marble: It is the most perfectly radiant Marble; it makes the rooms look bigger and brighter. White Marble is available in many subtypes like Talai white marble, Opal white marble, Zanjhar white marble, White Sangemarmar marble, Makrana pure white marble, Carrara White Marble, Indian Statuario Marble, and Morwad white marble. However, this requires quite more maintenance than other types of Marble it is still preferred over others because it refines the entire décor. Depending on the type of white Marble, its quality, and the dealer, the price may vary from Rs. 120 to Rs. 400 per square foot.

Beige Marble: Another type of Marble that brings sophistication to the house is Beige Marble; this brings the necessary warmth to the room and cozies up the interiors. This highly durable Marble comes in multiple types for flooring purposes.

Moscato Beige: Moscato Beige has a homogenous background with a combination of soft toasted colors, and the veins are pearly. Travertines have natural pastel tones that resemble sand and earth. Bottochino is also a beige calcite marble that has a soft beige base that contains light golden streaks and white shadows which mimics the sea foam. Premium Beige is a type that can replace white marbles; it has a clean and crisp appearance with its subtle beige tone. These marble tile prices start from Rs. 60 to 200 per square foot.

Carrara: This popular white marble was used centuries ago in ancient Greece and Rome, appearing in massive pillars and elaborate statues. Today, Carrara marble flooring tiles can be found in limited hues, ranging from light to warm white, and its surface features medium to light gray veining.

Calacatta: A white marble similar to Carrara, Calacatta is closer to pure white in color and features darker gray veining, which creates a contrasting look.

Breccia: For more color and warmth in marble flooring, consider Breccia marble, which comes in a range of deeper shades, including warm golds, tans, deep browns, and reds. The dark gray and black veining in Breccia marble tends to appear in ornate swirls, and it frequently includes perfectly round outlines that resemble bubbles trapped beneath the surface.

Marble flooring isn’t always shiny—nor should it be.

The above types of marble can be finished to either a high gloss or a matte look, depending on what’s best suited for the location.

Polished Marble: The most popular option for marble flooring comes with a high-gloss appearance, achieved by grinding the surface with a stone-polishing machine. Polishing brings out the veining in the marble and gives the floor a radiant luxurious look. With the right maintenance (see below), polished marble will retain a reflective finish for many years.

Honed Marble: This type of finish is only lightly polished, just enough to produce a flat smooth surface, but not enough to create a shine. Honed marble offers a durable surface with a soft matte finish some consider more down to earth than flashier polished marble.

Quality also varies by surface design and density. While no industry standard exists, a few factors can tip you off to the tile’s quality.

Mesh-backed tiles are mounted on a backing of fiberglass resin. These are typically lower-end marble tiles, which are often less dense and more prone to scratching or breaking. Mesh-backed tiles are suitable for low-traffic rooms, such as bathrooms, but they are less desirable in high-traffic areas where they may show signs of wear more quickly.

Lower quality tiles may feature-filled areas. When you look at the tile straight on, you might not notice any difference, but if you turn the tile at a 45-degree angle, you might spot irregular dull patches, which indicate holes in the tile’s surface have been filled with a resin compound. Over time, the filled areas may work loose, leaving holes in the surface that require patching.

Marble tiles with deep fissures are at a greater risk of breaking under the pressure of heavy furniture or appliances. When trying to determine the quality of a marble tile, turn it over and check the backside—if a fissure is noticeable on both the front and the back, the tile may crack if something heavy is placed on it.

WHY CHOOSE GRANITE FOR FLOORING

You can improve your accepting district or remain with marble tiles and pieces. This is a normally suffering material that envisions a fundamental part in your home’s beautification. Marble stone is strong and excellent. It can without a lot of a stretch join into any strategy and outline.

This is more significant and solid than the Indian granite supplier in UAE.

This is considered the most strong and thick standard stone.

In case you are hunting down a trademark stone for a high-improvement zone then the stone would be an incredible choice for you. It is an ideal stone to use in the territories where style and class are required.

Its crystalline structure is continuously impenetrable to recoloring, scratched spot, and recoloring that marble so this can be flawless to use for a kitchen edge.

It is available in a mix of surfaces and tones that influence it to rise. This isn’t really proportionate to other standard stones as it has grouped surprising characteristics.

This is an astonishing ordinary stone that is ideal for feature islands, kitchen edges, eating tables, bar tops, and floor materials. Decisions are unending.

WHY IS GRANITE THE BEST CHOICE FOR COUNTERTOPS?

Granite has been used in many places such as buildings, paving, bridges, monuments, and various exterior projects. When we look at the application of granite in its polished form, one application that tops the list is countertops. It makes one wonder how is granite a decent choice for the countertops.

Changed several countertops over the last years? Granite countertops are durable. And by durable, it means the granite and the countertop can last a lifetime. Therefore, they are worth the investment. If treated with caution, granite countertops require only a few repairs.

Worried about placing hot items from the oven and stoves over the countertop? Granites are heat resistant and therefore do not blister or melt when exposed to heat. This is one factor that makes it ideal for kitchen countertops as you can place any item taken directly out of the oven onto the granite.

Concerned about the scratches the sharp objects can give the countertop? Granites are one of the hardest substances found on the earth and are scratch-resistant too. So, you need not worry about sharp items such as knives creating scratches on them.

Every item once purchased requires maintenance at some point. The same theory goes with the granite countertop. But the good news is that granite countertops don’t require much maintenance. Don’t get damaged easily and therefore it makes it an ideal option for countertops. But in case of any damage, get it repaired only by professionals.

SOME CONVERSATION WITH OUR CLIENT

I just got a new house in Bangalore. I would like to know what’s the best option for flooring Marble or other Natural stone?

You can choose any of the stones you like. I would suggest you look for your budget and your living style/pattern before you choose any stone or marble for the flooring of the house. In marbles, you have Indian marble, Italian marble, and many more to choose from. If your budget is on the lower side, you can opt for Kota. Very few (who have a high budget) prefer to have Granite as flooring. It is mostly used for commercial and industrial purposes. All these stones come in various colors and designs, so you can choose as per your budget. These days Marble is most commonly chosen for flooring in Indian homes.

What type or category of Marble is best for flooring?

Indian marbles are very good for Indian homes. Indian marbles are available in different price ranges. So, you can choose from as per your budget. But if you have a really good budget Italian Marble is best. Italian marble also adds style and value to your living.

How are these marbles available, in slabs or tile-like? And what do you suggest I opt for?

If you have hired an Architect or Interior Designer, then marbles would be brought as per their designs and budget gave by you. But Marbles are can be brought in slabs (which are 4’x6’, 8’x4’, etc. in size) and small pieces (i.e., 1’x1.5’, 2’x1.5’, etc. in size) too. The cost will depend on the size and whiteness of the marble. I would suggest you opt for new slabs if you have a good budget. And if Otherwise, you can opt for marble cut-outs.

[odrseasonone]

Objects of Power?????

I figure, if Rochilda and Rhaegar and Rob’s dragon can be filled w power and become living talisman, and Dezod’s house can be a non-living one, surely smaller objects can do the same and those objects can be used to give our five resistance members a fighting chance as well as forging various plots etc...so!! thought id put together some ideas/concepts...and shockingly (cue eye roll) I got a little carried away...

anyway!! obv, we can mix and match any of this, any stories, any powers, any objects...just ideas!!

inspo: [ x ]

The Staff of Mithrim (sometimes transcribed Mithirim) the Greater -- extant

A Gandalf/Merlin-like figure who is Said to have served the first Aragothi Kings for almost two centuries, Mithrim belongs to the mists of time.  While some doubt that there is any authenticity whatsoever to his legend, others claim that there was, indeed, some such person (or persons) who at one time walked the world.  

The anonymous Scholar of Vysova (c. 250 AL - Age of the Lion) held that Mithrim was no single mage, at all, but rather a title for the king’s court mage -- or perhaps, suggests Reymund of Swystone (c. 133 AD - Age of the Dragon), a collection of mages who may have served a purpose similar to that of the dragonriders.  Lysander Stafford (A Modern History of Sorcery, 812 AD) reverts to the old belief that Mithrim was but one man, and sites a fragments from a lost work (said to have been penned by the Young Dragon, himself) that Mithrim used energy from a now-lost amulet in order to extend his life that he might help Aragoth longer.

Whatever the identity (or, indeed, identities) of Mithrim, many great legends exist about his life but, perhaps the strangest relates to his death.  It is said that, rather than dying as a mortal man would, Mithrim translated his essence into a powerful object now known as the Staff of Mithrim.  This powerful talisman is a huge and twisted staff made of wood.  It is alternately said that the staff was carved from a tree into which Mithrim translated a la Merlin, or that the staff had always belonged to him and been carried by him in life before he translated into it.  

Whatever the case, the staff still exists and its power is just as great today as ever it was said to be.  Because it is not known how many souls may reside within the staff, however, it is impossible to say how powerful it might be.

The Kingsword/The Sword of Rowlin I - extant (sort of)

The first King of Aragoth is a semi-mythic figure.  Served by Mithrim the Greater, who picking him out of prophecies that were already ancient at that time, helped him along his way, Rowlin I of Arrington carved order out of chaos and forged a way of life for those who followed him, founding a mighty kingdom high in the mountains of Blaminster.  Through shrewd negotiations and bloody conflicts, he brought more and more under his dominion (a duty his descendants took quite seriously and soon nearly all the continent was held under the sway of Arrington scepters).  His reign, though it had its own issues certainly, was as fair and just, the king looking to establish a rule of law and justice in his territories, rather than his own petty feelings of any given moment which had been the closest anyone had yet come to arbitration until that time.  His reign was considered a golden age.

In the midst of the many battles he was forced to fight -- each other strong man wishing to crush his regime and take it for their own, as killing was a way to show their own strength -- his own ordinary sword cracked and splintered, Rowlin nearly dying in the midst.  Seizing the opportunity, after the battle, Mithrim had a new longsword forged.  Rowlin was known for his immense height -- said to be nearly a giant -- and so the blade was a longsword said to stand from tip to pommel as high as the next tallest man of his court.  (While this is doubtless an exaggeration that has grown with time, that the blade was massive is evinced in its two surviving pieces).  The Sword of Rowlin was passed down to his descants who ruled after him, becoming known first as the King’s Sword and later, simply, as the Kingsword.  The legendary blade was not known merely for its size, however: it had been imbued with great power.  The sword was magic.

In its forging, both Mithrim and a rival sorcerer, Hragos, worked together to forge it: the project being so great it required both of the two greatest mages of the time to create it.  Their very hearts and souls flowed into the crafting of the weapon.  It is said that, because Mithrim represented all that was good, and Hragos all that was evil, the sword was half a blessing -- and half a curse, and its power so great that it was said to drive its lesser wielders mad.  Whether this was simply a confusion with the strain of mental illness that runs through the Arrington line cannot be said.  Tellingly, it is alternately said that the weapon was entirely blessed until its wielding in an evil deed -- often cited as the infamous Slaughter of Frain in 239 AL -- curdled the blessing and turned it into a curse which is said, in this version, to have driven the later Arrington Kings mad.

Crafted from adamantine and forged in the breath of ten dragons, it was the fiercest weapon that had even graced this world, strong enough to cleave through anything -- even spells -- and can never go blunt or rust, while also remaining light to hold.  Inscribed with runes, they blazed in time of war and gleamed with soft light in peace, but glowed crimson when one of evil intent approached.  It was enchanted never to miss a stroke.  When drawn, the Kingsword blazed with fire.  When drawn by a worthy for a worthy cause, the fire would do no harm to its wielder, but when drawn by one who was unworthy for an unworthy cause, the fire would consume the would-be wielder and kill them.  It is said that the blade could slay gods and demons and that it could repel evil magic.  The Kingsword could slay with a single blow -- and revive the dead with but a single touch of its pommel.  These were its blessings, but its curses were as profound.

It is said that the curse was so heavy that when the Kingsword was unsheathed someone must die before it was re-sheathed -- even if that means the life in question is that of the wielder.  Able to kill in a single blow, even with those whose lives were spared, the wounds it inflicted -- even the smallest ones -- could never be healed.  When allowed to strike the ground, it caused tremors and even the occasional gash through the earth.  It was so preternaturally sharp that, when rested blade-down, it cut through wood without the use of force.  Perhaps most terrible of all, the Kingsword was said to feed off its wielders, giving them power while simultaneously devouring them from the inside out and it is said, further, that it is from this awful source that the sword still draws its power: consuming the souls of those who wield it.

Early in the War of the Two Crowns, however, the Kingsword was broken (an event which was taken by many to be a sign that the Southern cause was, indeed, correct), cleaved in twain between the pressure of dragonfire and war.  Both ends of the blade remained sharp, however, and they were taken by two mages and reforged, each into its own sword.  

When the new swords were complete, a contest was held.  The two sorcerers each placed their sword in to a river and patiently held it there.  One blade sliced everything that passed beneath it: fish and leaves and seasweed and water and the very air that passed by it.  The other blade, however, cut through the leaves and the seaweed which passed below it, but the fish wriggled past unscathed, the water parted about it as it was meant to do, and the air blew on by.  The first sorcerer leapt up, proclaiming his blade the better, but the judge shook his head and declared the second sword the greater, for it sliced all that it must and let the rest pass in peace.

Thus, it is held that when the Kingsword split, so did its enchantments.  The first sword is the cursed blade, and the second the blessed one.

Vysovan Bolts - non-extant

the dragon-slaying type of arrow...

The Codex of --- - extant (sort of)

A grimoire of like all magical knowledge.  asp the arrington kings sought to destroy it during their war on magic.  fearing its permanent loss, the semi-mythological sorcerer, Daerion, is said to have torn it into many magically-shrouded and -protected pieces, according to him, destroying it in order that it could never be destroyed

The --- Stone - extant

offers protection against dragonfire (maybe they put this into the ceiling of their castle or whatever and crowd as many ppl inside as possible and that’s how/part of how they escape at the end of s1/beginning of s2

The Ring of Tarsys - extant

allows you to teleport within a certain radius.  maybe cedric is using this (bc a teleporting archer would admittedly work great in a battle when you’ve got only one) to fight and to gather ppl into the above protected castle when he sees roran and ends up dying for him or whatever and that’s why roran blames himself??

Daerion’s Mantle - extant

ur standard cloak of invisibility

The Ring of --- - extant

can dispel enchantment/renders wearer immune to magic/enchantments

The Shield of --- - extant

impenetrable -- invulnerable against fire?? and/or protects its wielder from all injuries or smth idk or like while its being worn, the user cannot die even if they’ve sustained multiple mortals wounds but once it comes off they die -- basically, it does not defend against pain or injury, just death

The Amulet of Ramos - extant

said to have originated in the other continent, its a protective talisman and/or can sense/trace magic

The Mirrors of Mithrim the Lesser - extant

scrying glasses that can look into e/o and/or like one can see like ur greatest love and the other your greatest hate or smth idk

The Gem(s) of Vyrdin - extant

from the Southern Isles - can control all elements and/or there are four gems and each one controls a specific element?? (i.e., the fire gem of vyrdin, the water gem of vyrdin, the air gem of vyrdin, and the earth gem of vyrdin)

Tyrnhelm - extant

a helm/circlet/band that enables the wearer to take up another visage

Adamant(ine) - non?extant?

the strongest material/metal in the universe -- stolen directly from irl legend.  anyway, it def used to exist at the v least, but im thinking it possibly only exists now in the remaining items that were forged out of it in the Age of Heroes/Legend/Myths/Pre-Historic Era when it was plentiful, or whatever

The Ring of Daerion - extant

grants the user limited telekinesis (like, you can hurl someone across a room or pull them towards you type deal)

The Bracelet of --- - extant

allows the user to see through all illusions

various other powers:

grants up to three wishes per user

makes the user immune to illness/poison

unlocks or uncovers anything that is locked or closed

spaces where many ppl died, such as battlefields or the sites of ritual sacrifices, etc, still have power from the souls

clairvoyance

psychometry

limited precognition a la a strong ‘ive got a good/bad feeling about this’ kinda energy

limited electrokinesis -- not like thor level but...like, more ordinary levels

also, just standard items which, imbued w souls/power/energy grant power a la the staff of mithrim/basically allow a non-mage to use magic

illusions

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for Thursday, September 24 of 2020 with Proverbs 24 and Psalm 24 accompanied by Psalm 3 for the 3rd day of Autumn and Psalm 118 for day 268 of the year

[Psalm 24]

A song of David.

The earth and all that’s upon it belong to the Eternal.

The world is His, with every living creature on it.

With seas as foundations and rivers as boundaries,

He shaped the continents, fashioned the earth.

Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal?

Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces?

Only those whose hands have been washed and hearts made pure,

men and women who are not given to lies or deception.

The Eternal will stand close to them with blessing and mercy at hand,

and the God who redeems will right what has been wrong.

These are the people who chase after Him;

[like Jacob, they look for the face of God].

[pause]

City gates—open wide!

Ancient doors—stand back!

For the glorious King shall soon pass your way.

Who is the glorious King?

The Eternal who is powerful

and mightily equipped for battle.

City gates—open wide!

Ancient doors—stand back!

For the glorious King shall soon pass your way.

Who is the glorious King?

The Eternal, Commander of heaven’s army,

He is the glorious King.

[pause]

The Book of Psalms, Poem 24 (The Voice)

[Proverbs 24]

Don’t envy the wealth of the wicked or crave their company.

For they’re obsessed with causing trouble

and their conversations are corrupt.

Wise people are builders—

they build families, businesses, communities.

And through intelligence and insight

their enterprises are established and endure.

Because of their skilled leadership

the hearts of people are filled with the treasures of wisdom

and the pleasures of spiritual wealth.

Wisdom can make anyone into a mighty warrior,

and revelation-knowledge increases strength.

Wise strategy is necessary to wage war,

and with many astute advisers

you’ll see the path to victory more clearly.

Wisdom is a treasure too lofty for a quarreling fool—

he’ll have nothing to say when leaders gather together.

There is one who makes plans to do evil—

Master Schemer is his name.

If you plan to do evil, it’s as wrong as doing it.

And everyone detests a troublemaker.

If you faint when under pressure,

you have need of courage.

Go and rescue the perishing! Be their savior!

Why would you stand back and watch them stagger to their death?

And why would you say, “But it’s none of my business”?

The one who knows you completely and judges your every motive

is also the keeper of souls—and not just yours!

He sees through your excuses and holds you responsible

for failing to help those whose lives are threatened.

Revelation-knowledge is a delicacy,

sweet like flowing honey that melts in your mouth.

Eat as much of it as you can, my friend!

For then you will perceive what is true wisdom,

your future will be bright,

and this hope living within will never disappoint you.

Listen up, you wicked, irreverent ones—

don’t harass the lovers of God

and don’t invade their resting place.

For the lovers of God may suffer adversity

and stumble seven times,

but they will continue to rise over and over again.

But the unrighteous are brought down by just one calamity

and will never be able to rise again.

Never gloat when your enemy meets disaster

and don’t be quick to rejoice if he falls.

For the Lord, who sees your heart,

will be displeased with you and will pity your foe.

Don’t be angrily offended over evildoers or be agitated by them.

For the wicked have no life and no future—

their light of life will die out.

My child, stand in awe of the Lord Jehovah!

Give counsel to others,

but don’t mingle with those who are rebellious.

For sudden destruction will fall upon them

and their lives will be ruined in a moment.

And who knows what retribution they will face!

[Revelation from the Wise]

Those enlightened with wisdom have spoken these proverbs:

Judgment must be impartial,

for it is always wrong to be swayed by a person’s status.

If you say to the guilty, “You are innocent,”

the nation will curse you and the people will revile you.

But when you convict the guilty,

the people will thank you and reward you with favor.

Speaking honestly is a sign of true friendship.

Go ahead, build your career and give yourself to your work.

But if you put me first, you’ll see your family built up!

Why would you be a false accuser and slander with your words?

Don’t ever spitefully say, “I’ll get even with him!

I’ll do to him what he did to me!”

One day I passed by the field of a lazy man

and I noticed the vineyards of a slacker.

I observed nothing but thorns, weeds, and broken-down walls.

So I considered their lack of wisdom,

and I pondered the lessons I could learn from this:

Professional work habits prevent poverty from becoming

your permanent business partner. And:

If you put off until tomorrow the work you could do today,

tomorrow never seems to come.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 24 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 3]

A song of David composed while fleeing from his son Absalom.

Eternal One, my adversaries are many, too many to count.

Now they have taken a stand against me!

Right to my face they say,

“God will not save you!”

[pause]

But You, Eternal One, wrap around me like an impenetrable shield.

You give me glory and lift my eyes up to the heavens.

I lift my voice to You, Eternal One,

and You answer me from Your sacred heights.

[pause]

I lie down at night and fall asleep.

I awake in the morning—healthy, strong, vibrant—because the Eternal supports me.

No longer will I fear my tens of thousands of enemies

who have surrounded me!

Rise up, O Eternal One!

Rescue me, O God!

For You have dealt my enemies a strong blow to the jaw!

You have shattered their teeth! Do so again.

Liberation truly comes from the Eternal.

Let Your blessings shower down upon Your people.

[pause]

The Book of Psalms, Poem 3 (The Voice)

[Psalm 118]

Give thanks to the Eternal because He is always good.

He never ceases to be loving and kind.

Let the people of Israel proclaim:

“He never ceases to be loving and kind.”

Let the priests of Aaron’s line proclaim:

“He never ceases to be loving and kind.”

Let the people who fear the Eternal proclaim:

“He never ceases to be loving and kind.”

When trouble surrounded me, I cried out to the Eternal;

He answered me and brought me to a wide, open space.

The Eternal is with me,

so I will not be afraid of anything.

If God is on my side, how can anyone hurt me?

The Eternal is on my side, a champion for my cause;

so when I look at those who hate me, victory will be in sight.

It is better to put your faith in the Eternal for your security

than to trust in people.

It is better to put your faith in Him for your security

than to trust in princes.

All these nations surround me, squeezing me from all sides;

with the name of the Eternal, I will destroy them.

They rose up against me, squeezed me from all sides, yes, from all sides;

with the name of the Eternal, I will destroy them.

They surrounded me like a swarm of bees;

they were destroyed quickly and thoroughly—

Flaring up like a pile of thorns—

with the name of the Eternal, I will destroy them.

I was pushed back, attacked so that I was about to fall,

but the Eternal was there to help me keep my balance.

He is my strength, and He is the reason I sing;

He has been there to save me in every situation.

In the tents of the righteous soldiers of God,

there are shouts of joy and victory. They sing:

“The right hand of the Eternal has shown His power.

The mighty arm of the Eternal is raised in victory;

the right hand of His has shown His power.”

I will not die. I will live.

I will live to tell about all the Eternal has done.

The Eternal has taught me many lessons;

He has been strict and severe,

but even in His discipline, He has not allowed me to die.

Open wide to me the gates of justice

so that I may walk through them

and offer praise and worship to the Eternal.

This is the gate of the Eternal;

the righteous children of God will go through it.

I will praise You because You answered me when I was in trouble.

You have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the very stone that holds together the entire foundation.

This is the work of the Eternal,

and it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the Eternal God has made;

let us celebrate and be happy today.

O Eternal One, save us, we beg You.

O Eternal One, we beg You, bring us success!

He who comes in the name of the Eternal will be blessed;

we have blessed You from the house of the Eternal.

The Eternal is the True God;

He shines His light on us.

Let the feast begin.

Bring the sacrifice, and tie it to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I give You thanks;

You are my God, and I praise You.

Give thanks to our Eternal Lord; He is always good.

He never ceases to be loving and kind.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 118 (The Voice)

[battle-scarred-raven]

Fanfic: Change Isn’t Easy (Part 3)

Title: Change Isn’t Easy

Part: 3

Fandom: Halo/RvB

Pairings: Past California/Carolina (mentioned), Past Yorkalina (mentioned), CarWash, California/Kesan (@k-dradom‘s Sangheili character)

Summary: Carolina, Wash and the Reds and Blues travel to Sanghelios. The Freelancers run into an old friend who has moved on with her life. Meanwhile, California nervously awaits seeing her friends again, knowing she didn’t part with them last in the best way and a lot has happened since…

As they say, change isn’t easy. Takes place after Season 15 of RvB. Probably going to end up canon divergent.

Warnings: Canon typical language in both English and Sangheili.

Notes: Translations for Sangheili throughout this fanfic are provided via hyperlink (hover over linked text to see the translation. Some phrases are not exact.)

It had been a while since the Freelancers had been in a city on a planet. The last had been Armonia, well over a year ago now, back on Chorus, and they had been forced to destroy that. As impressive as the Chorusan capital had been to Carolina, though, it paled in comparison to... what had Tucker called it?

Vadam, that was it.

The keep itself was built into a mountain, much of its structure and the surrounding city even running inside the mountain itself, and overlooked the entire territory surrounding it. Fal had mentioned in passing ever since the House of Vadam had officially claimed the site as their own, no other clan or military force had been able to seize it. Carolina was inclined to believe him, in all honesty. It certainly looked impenetrable. She wondered if Wash was thinking the same thing, before the walls of the mountain closed in on them as Fal led them yet further in.

Expecting a large cave, Carolina was stunned to find a sprawling and rather advanced metropolis far below them of ancient and modern structures, and a myriad of Sangheili just going about their daily lives. Somewhere far below them, she could hear the sound of a river. The sight was enough to make her pause and out of the corner of her green eyes, she could see Wash doing the same, too.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Fal stopped beside them, also admiring the view. “Vadam is one of the younger city-states on Sanghelios, relatively speaking, yet it is among the most impressive.

Despite her unease about being around Sangheili, Carolina couldn’t help but agree. “It’s beautiful. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.”

“Hmm.” Fal hummed, before gesturing for the two Freelancers to follow. “It isn’t much farther.”

As he stepped out onto one of the natural stone bridges that lined the cavern with its very lethal looking drop on either side of it, Carolina cringed and turned to Wash. Judging by how stiff the other soldier was standing, she guessed he was about as horrified as she was at the narrow rocky path.

“Come!” Fal called a little ways ahead of them, “It is perfectly safe. There are barriers installed to stop a fall. Observe...” and to demonstrate, he threw a small rock towards the ravine floor, only for it to bounce off some kind of blue forcefield back into his hand.

“Yeeeah, maybe after you, Carolina?” Wash told her after watching the demonstration, still not entirely convinced.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.” She admonished him.

He snorted at her in return. “Like you weren’t afraid either.”

“Just... shut up and start walking, Wash.”

Despite everything, they both ended up catching up with the old Sangheili warrior at the same time. They were taking across to a large platform built into the inner cliff of the mountain, where a large temple like structure had been hewn directly from the rock. It looked at least a thousand years old, judging by the heavy weathering and more recent looking battle damage.

“Was Vadam attacked recently?” Wash couldn’t help but ask in spite of himself.

“Yes.” Fal’s voice was solemn. “The Blooding Years, the Sangheili Civil War. The Neru ‘Pe Odosima – the Servants of the Abiding Truth in your language – struck out at Vadam lands. Vadam Keep was heavily damaged during this time, including the temple to our old gods here. The last such Temple in Vadam. I think Kaidon ‘Vadam keeps it as a reminder of what our species was once reduced to – great, yet foolish warriors blinded by lies and faith and willing to die for what turned to be a pointless, non-existent cause. There was no honour in what we did, what some still continue to pursue, and there never will be.”

“Is that why the Sangheili are fighting one another?” Carolina asked, her voice a whisper.

“Indeed. Or... rather, one of many reasons, I suppose.” The old Sangheili nodded, his expression a little grave. “It is true; some of us are still blinded by our faith. Others feel that Kaidon ‘Vadam is false, that he should have died as the Gods and his position of Arbiter decreed in the name of the Great Journey. Others still find it unacceptable to ally with your kind, saying humans are too dangerous or that the Sangheili are strong enough to stand alone and being allies with humanity only weakens us. This is why we need people like Lavernius, his son and T’las. To help keep the peace. To prove that we need each other. Those short-sighted fools that, whatever their reasoning, conspire against the notion of peace would doom us all without second thought.”

“Speaking of... why does T’las want to see us, specifically?” Wash piped up after Fal had finished talking. “Does she... think we can help her out, or something? Because Tucker would be better at that, in all honesty-”

He was cut off by Fal laughing suddenly.

“Do not presume I know the Swordmaster’s mind, Eenngahnehenn.” He interrupted in an amused tone, like the idea was absurd and, truth be told, it probably was. “T’las’ business with you is not mine to know unless she wishes to share it with me. Wort. She awaits you inside.”

Under her helmet, Carolina raised an eyebrow. “And what about you?”

“I will await your return out here.”

The cyan Freelancer once more looked at Wash, then to the darkened entrance of the temple, then back to her fellow Freelancer, who gave her a shrug. What did they have to lose? Taking a breath, she walked inside, Wash following shortly thereafter.

Inside, the temple betrayed its true size, and it was massive. Littered around its derelict hall were ancient alien artifacts, some obviously Sangheili, but most reminded Carolina of the relics on Chorus. She wondered if perhaps they, too, belonged to Santa’s long-dead, mortal masters. Similarly, Wash was in awe beside her, looking around him, and for the second time that day, both Freelancers were stunned for a moment.

After a while, they proceeded further inside the main hall of the temple, past many statues of Sangheili, before coming to an open space dominated by a giant statue of a being that looked like a human, except it had six digits per hand, was wearing highly advanced looking armour and its facial structure was somewhat different, sporting no visible ears, more fur like hair and two slits for a nose. At the base of the vast statue, obscured by shadows, was an armoured and cloaked humanoid figure waiting for them, back facing towards them.

Was this her? Both Freelancers looked at each other once again, confused. Both had been expecting another Sangheili, not... a human?

“No, you aren’t hallucinating.” The figure addressed them in a familiar voice, turning to face them as she answered the question they were both dying to ask. Her dark steel and blood red armour, the Helioskrill variant, made her look remarkably like a Sangheili, to the point where the boots were split in two in mimicry of Sangheili toes. Even the helmet was remarkably similar to Fal’s, except with a golden, polarised visor.

“T’las?” Carolina frowned deeply under her helmet.

The other soldier waved a dismissive hand. “Please. That’s just what the Sangheili call me because most have difficulty pronouncing my actual name. That, or out of respect for Thel inviting me to his clan. Or both. You, however, know me better than that.”

The figure wasn’t wrong. Carolina did know her better than that, or at least she thought she had. Memories unbidden came rushing to the surface, causing the cyan Freelancer to clench her fists in anger.

“California?” She forced out, struggling to keep the anger from her voice. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Keeping the peace.” The new Freelancer answered her calmly. Then as if sensing Carolina’s underlying rage, she turned her head to Wash. “Hey Wash, sorry for you to be dragged up here, but we can catch up later, alright?”

The steel and yellow Freelancer looked between the two women, but it didn’t take long for him to understand. “Yeah. I’ll be outside with Fal, then. It’s good to see you again, Cali.”

“Likewise.”

Silence followed as Washington turned to leave. Only after she was sure he was gone completely, did California remove her helmet with a hiss of air that reverberated from the temple walls, revealing her battle-scarred and tattooed face as if Carolina needed any more confirmation it truly was her. Her expression was remorseful, guilt dancing in her only working eye.

“Carolina...” She began after another silence.

“Don’t you dare ‘Carolina’ me!” The barely suppressed fury from before suddenly burst free. “You-you let me believe I had a future again! That there was more to life than fighting wars! And then you just... you just left, without so much as a goodbye! No looking back, no message left, nothing!”

Didn’t you do something similar, from what I heard? California wanted to say, but suppressed the urge, knowing it would only make thing worse. Instead, she apologised, “I’m sorry, Carolina.”

“Sorry? Sorry?! You left me hanging for months!” Carolina gestured angrily at her. “Not to mention, right after Epsilon as well! Right when I needed you most! And all you have to say is, sorry?! Why, damn it?! If you had wanted to run off and play diplomat so badly, why couldn’t you just say so?!”

California waited until her resentful echoes died down before quietly uttering her softly spoken sentence. “I... I wasn’t sure I was ready.”

It was enough to deflate Carolina for a good minute, mouth agape as her next accusation died on her tongue. “I... I’m-what?”

“I wasn’t ready.” California repeated, a sigh escaping her lips and her whole body slumped a little like the action physically deflated her, not unlike a puncture in a Warthog tyre. “Or, at least I didn’t think I was at the time. I wasn’t sure I was ready to commit to you, to us, because of my past. So I ran away and left you, like I left Wash when the Project came crashing down and I didn’t know what to do. I guess some things don’t change, huh?”

Carolina remained silent, trying to process what California was saying to her. She left because she was... afraid? It contrasted starkly with the image of her fellow Freelancer that she was used to seeing, but then even she herself had fears, she supposed, even when putting on a front.

“I should have left some sort of message though.” California continued, heedless of whether Carolina wanted to interject or not. “I’m sorry for that. It’s ironic, my reasons for leaving, considering what’s happened since, but it’s not an excuse. I should have explained myself, not left you hanging blindly in the dark like that. You deserve so much better than me, especially after the shit you’ve been through.”

Not just me, the cyan armoured Freelancer almost stated in newfound sympathy, until her processing mind caught up with the rest of her and realised just what the other woman had said, which left her somewhat confused. “Wait, what do you mean? Why is it ironic?”

No sooner had she posed the question, the answer presented itself when footsteps echoed from even further inside the temple, eventually revealing their owner to be a huge Sangheili that dwarfed California by a good head and shoulders amount.

“I heard shouting. Is everything alright, Dallas?”

Even as the Sangheili spoke, Carolina had already whipped her Battle Rifle out on anger filled instinct. Her next few sentences rolled out almost all as one. “What the hell?! I thought this was a private conversation! Who the hell is he?! Has been here the whole time?! How the hell does he know your actual name?!”

California was quick to shift, getting between the pair of them. “Carolina, calm down! It’s alright. Just... lower your rifle. You’re going to frighten Thaea.”

The cyan soldier’s grip on her rifle loosened and her head cocked slightly, obviously puzzled until she saw the small bundle in the Sangheili’s arms. She uneasily lowered her weapon, a question on her lips, but not one she got to ask out loud.

“This is my husband, Kesan, and our daughter, Thaea.” The other woman introduced her, and Carolina went entirely numb, heart shattering as the implications of California’s prior statement were fully realised.

“You...-Your husband? And... daughter?” Carolina eventually stammered out as she struggled to think. “As... as in... you... you’re married? You... you adopted a kid?”

“Had, actually.” California rubbed the back of her head uneasily, tousling her black hair a little. “But... yeah. Took a few goes, but-”

In the space of a second, there was a whirring sound followed by a sickening crunching sound as Carolina utilised her Speed Unit to rocket a punch straight into California’s jaw, both cutting off the other woman and sending her to the floor from the impact and pain. Kesan moved to shield his wife from further harm, but with a kid in his arms, there was little else he could do to help, and before he could stop her, Carolina was already leaving the temple without so much as a glance back to see the consequences of her actions. Not long after that, the steel and yellow form of Wash came running in to see what the commotion was about.

“What the heck, I leave you two for five minutes and then Carolina comes storming out and-oh, shit.” He stopped himself short, both physically and in a speaking sense, before running over to kneel by California’s side. “What the hell did you say to her? Did she punch you?”

“Yes, she did.” It was Kesan who answered him in place of California, who was too busy clutching her jaw in pain. It was enough to send Wash reeling back in surprise. “It is alright, Washington. I mean no harm.”

“No offense, but the last time I saw a Sangheili before today, they insulted me, and the time before that, they nearly killed my whole platoon.” Wash offered as way of explanation, barely relaxing. “So you’ll forgive me if you and your people put me on edge.”

“Understandable.” The Sangheili’s green eyes held deep sympathy in them as he looked first at the Freelancer, before shifting his gaze to Thaea and cooing her, keeping her calm despite his own alarm. “Do you have any biofoam?”

“Only for personal use.” Wash’s frown was almost audible in his tone. “I have a Healing Unit in my armour that might help, but...”

“I’m fine.” California moved her hand from her jaw, revealing a sizeable bruise already forming, before spitting out a little blood, a few flecks of which landed on Washington’s armour. “I’ll be fine.”

“Carolina isn’t known for light jabs when she hits someone.” Wash shook his head. “You know when she punches you, she means to do damage. What if your jaw is broken?”

“He has a point, monerasha.” Kesan agreed, shifting a little uncomfortably. “You even told me as much before we traveled down here.”

“Listen, both of you, I’ll be fine. If my jaw was broken, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” California spoke between gritted teeth. “It’s just a bad bruise. Dias – Digamma - even said as much.”

Wash was silent for a moment, surprised California still even had her AI after all this time, but made no comment on the matter as he offered a hand to help her up. “Alright, but at least have someone have a look at it properly, just to be sure.”

She accepted his hand gratefully, allowed herself to be pulled up. “Yeah, yeah. It’s not like I didn’t deserve it though.”

“Do I want to know?” Wash asked, then changed his mind. “Actually, probably not. Do you want me to go talk to her?”

“I doubt it’ll do much good, but knock yourself out.” There was a beat, before California added, “Pun not intended, by the way.”

“Good, because that would be a terrible joke to make right after you just got punched by Carolina.”

With that, Wash left, leaving California alone with their husband and their daughter, who was now fussing a little in Kesan’s arms. He offered her one of his long, slender fingers to play with as way of distraction, before he spoke.

“You didn’t deserve that.” He rumbled at his wife, brows furrowing.

“Oh, believe me when I say I did.” California answered, before whirling around to face her Sangheili husband. “Fruqo’t cha, Kesan, I left her without so much as a word! Right when she was hurting the most! What kind of person does that to someone they care about?”

There was a long silence as Kesan regarded California carefully with his green eyes.

“You two were close.” He inferred, though whether it was a statement or a question, only he knew.

“I...” California realised her blunder then. Her relationship with Carolina wasn’t one she’d ever disclosed with her husband, not out of shame, but because she truly thought it would never come up and be an issue. Still, she felt somewhat guilty. “Shit, I’m sorry. I should have told you. I didn’t think...”

“What you did in your past isn’t any of my business unless you wish to tell me.” Kesan sighed quietly, and California got a vague sense of déjà vu. It was a conversation they’d had a few times before.

“Still, I should have told you this, at least. If I had, things might have gone differently. I could have come to you for advice, or something.” California echoed his sigh, shoulders slumped in defeat. “Now all I have is a giant headache, a severely bruised jaw and an ex-girlfriend who’ll probably never forgive me.”

“Even if you had told me, that still might be the case. No-one can predict the future.” Kesan shook his head. “Did you at least tell Carolina why you did what you did?”

California slumped even more. “I tried and... well, you saw the result of that.”

“Then perhaps you should give her time.” Her husband offered lightly. “At any rate, we should head back to where we are staying in the main keep. Thaea is fussing, so she is likely either tired or hungry again. Perhaps both. And you need to see a medic about your jaw, still.”

“Yeah, alright. Probably for the best.” California slid her helmet back on, clicking the seals into place, before walking with her husband out of the temple and back to the main keep.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

okay, favourite city in alleirat and what the street food is like there

Oh my god, let me talk to you about my very favorite Alleirat city: Dase, the city of stone, called by her own people and all those with sense the jewel of the east.

Perched on the easternmost coast of the Alleirai continent, Dase (pronounced dah-SEH) is the biggest city in terms of population if not physical size, and presides over the finest harbor in the world (the southern coast, with their sprawling river delta, politely begs to differ, but look, they’re wrong, okay, good talk).  Beyond her size, Dase’s claim to fame is her towering four-hundred-foot coastal cliffs, and the semispherical harbor the ancient citizenry excavated straight into the stone wall with a combination of magic, explosives, and sheer determination.  The harbor is massive, able to comfortably house even the tallest ship without scraping the mast along the ceiling and protect quite a number of vessels in the event of a storm.  The city itself was originally built almost entirely out of the excess stone removed from the harbor, and as further expansions have been executed under the eye of the city stone workers, the buildings have been expanded since then with the same material, either taken from expansions to the harbor or knocked off another part of the cliff.  Dase mostly gets expanded up rather than out, since it’s approximately a half-circle facing against the cliffs on one side and there’s a city wall hemming it in along the curve, but it’s still sizable, about three miles in radius.  It’s also the place where Crispin and Brenneth grew up and lived until things went badly–Brenneth used to own a smithy on the blacksmith’s row that’s still standing, and her old sword is mounted in the audience chamber of the gothkenla (like a city hall crossed with a citadel, literally ‘city center’).

Because I have no impulse control, here’s a brief excerpt of Brenneth and Crispin returning: 

“Welcomeback to Dase, the jewel of the East,” Crispin said, switching fluidly back toAlleirai and raising his bound hands as if presenting me a gift.  I turned, and looked, and all my exasperationwith Crispin drained away to be replaced by the sun-warm, dizzy ecstasy ofbeing back.

Dasewas less beautiful and more striking—all its beauty was in strong lines andhard angles, like the cliffs it commanded. It was tall, about three or four stories on average, and built almostentirely out of the hard silver-grey stone of the cliffs, with wide windows cutinto the walls and the sun turning it into a labyrinth of brilliant light and impenetrablydark shadows.  The air smelled of salt atthe cliff face, but the city wind itself could change on a dime, bringing the scentof the farmlands from the inland fields.   From our angle were the places where Kal Dase—Dase Below, the subcity of tunnels—couldbe accessed were invisible, but we could see where the stone was ragged enoughto be scaled to the eaves of the roof level. Shadows moved, quick as starlings, overhead, thieves about theirbusiness in Lai Dase, DaseAbove.  

…Fromabove, the city would look like a ragged half-circle, butting right up againstthe edge of the cliffs with an absolute disregard for the potential drop on theother side.  At what would be the centerof the circle, if it were complete, was the gothkenla,the city center—the citadel building where the gothed lived, received audiences, passed judgement, and completedall their other duties.  City-side of thekenla was a sprawl of empty spacethat spread all the way to the cliff, serving as the central marketplace and, occasionally,execution grounds.  The ten major streetsradiated out from the city square, a nest of alleyways interconnecting them,and led all the way to the city limits. Every sector had its own markets, its own hierarchies and systems—thecity in miniature, divided up by class.  Thepath to the cage, sardonically marked DropAlley with a wooden sign, butted up against one of the major throughways,the one that ran immediately cliff-side. Unless they had moved everything around rather a lot, which I imaginedwould be a challenge, the kenla wasabout an hour walk from where we stood, depending on foot traffic.  

But so, as you might imagine, food in Dase tends toward fish for meat and depends on her protectorate lands for kestho (the main grain grown in Alleirat, a very hardy, adaptable plant that produces dense breads that taste sort of like…rye?) and other farm products.  The ten city sectors often have smaller markets to service day-to-day needs, with the large market outside the gothkenla being a once-or-twice-a-week thing for more variety, but that’s, like, raw cooking material.  

Since street food is generally stuff that can be acquired and cooked with a minimum of effort and expense on the vendor’s part, I’m guessing that smoked meats (maybe venison/other wild-hunted meats in seasons where they’re plentiful and therefore cheaper, chicken/beef if a vendor could get a good deal, most commonly fish) play a big part.  I’m kind of thinking of a kabob-like situation, with chunks of smoked meat served on a skewer with whatever suitable vegetables are in season.  Spices and seasoning would be easy, it’s a trade city and you can make spices last a long time if you know what you’re doing, so please assume that all of these are very flavorful.  

Straight-up fruit vendors are also a pretty common thing, especially in the richer parts of the city where the fruit is nicer and possibly imported (maybe from the west where apples do better, or the south where everything does great, or even the Outrigger Islands where more tropical stuff can be found).  Fruit vendors also do phenomenally well in the hostel district where there are always sailors who miss real fresh stuff and are willing to shell out of their wages accordingly.  Like, the fruit vendors in the hostel district charge more than they maybe ethically should but the sailors don’t care enough to try to change it.  

Oh, and bread stuff, that should fill out the basics.  Since kestho grain doesn’t easily grind down into really fine flour and tends to be very dense, fluffy pastries aren’t really a thing like they are here, but miniature loaves of bread (like, the size of two fists) with various things baked into them are a hit.  You can go with meat/veggies for savory or (often dried) fruits for sweet–they’re often baked as an easily transported ration, too, although not so elaborately.  Kestho loaves with meat and hot Island spices do a booming business on the training grounds and as a traveling ration for the city guard, because they’re quick and easy to eat with protein and carbs for energy and a good kick.  That specific combination is actually called a soldier’s meal, because they were the original kestho loaf cooked by soldiers during the ancient pre-unification wars.

I wrote this on a bus with no dinner in sight and now I’m ravenous and I could murder a soldier’s meal with like some strawberries after, Jesus this was a bad idea.