#multi-column radiators

[neverniko101]

Niko we need to yap more about Icv!Dream and Curd.

Pretty please a moment of your time 🥺🥺

Something is wrong.

“Obviously, feather-brain,” the Hero huffed from his perch on Curd’s shoulder. “There’s color, for one thing.”

The usual monochrome silence of the woods was broken by the gentle hushing of a nearby ocean, small blossoms and tropical plants shining like gemstones between the grey trunks. Glittering beams of sunlight filtered through trees too high to see the top, a light mist signifying the humid breeze.

I like it.

“Yes, it’s pretty, but does that mean something’s wrong? This has never happened before- the Narrator’s gone too, isn’t he?”

“Oh noooooooo,” the Contrarian commented sarcastically. “WhatEVER shall we do without that overbearing son of a bit-“

“Okay, yes, shut up,” Chara interrupted, flapping his wings irritably.

“You shut up. We’re not getting anything useful just standing here.”

“I guess,” the Hero muttered reluctantly. “It’s not like we can do much other than go to the cabin, anyway.”

Curd nodded, starting down the marked path. Soft dirt stuck to his talons as he walked, foliage whispering as he passed. At the crest of the hill overlooking the cabin, he had to stop, doubling over to catch his breath.

“You’re more built for cold weather, huh,” the Hero said as he examined Curd’s thick white coat of feathers, frazzled in the humidity.

I’m sweating through my feathers.

“Gross. Can birds even do that?”

“Let’s just focus on getting to the cabin. It’s usually nice in there, right?”

The avian skeleton managed to stumble through the cabin door, sighing with relief at the break from the sunlight. He wanted to lay facedown on the smooth marble floor to cool off, but he had the feeling that would be considered rude.

“It would. You should do it anyway.”

“It’s not like there’s anyone here that would see you, right? The Prince is always locked in the basement…if we’re assuming that still applies here, and that there’s even a Prince at all.” The Hero paused scanning the room. “It looks like there’s The Blade, though.”

Should we take it?

“Up to you. I personally would, for protection, but it could also give the wrong impression if we meet someone new.”

“Throw it out the window.”

Curd frowned at the thought of shattering one of the intricate stained glass windows. They filled the tall marble hallway with bright rays of color, each depicting a different intricately painted figure. Curd liked the ones with images of suns, moons, stars and planets.

“You have weird taste,” The Contrarian said, landing in front of the window with a dark, multi-eyed figure. “This one is clearly the best-“

“Shh, I hear movement from below. Whatever your choice, Cross, please make it quick.”

Leave the blade.

“Alright.”

Curd cautiously crept down the massive marble staircase, the towering columns and sweeping carvings making him feel small- which, as a 7’2” bird creature with the strength of a Royal Guard, was pretty impressive.

The room they arrived in was stiflingly hot, even more so than outside. Every inch of wall seemed to be covered in tall, arching windows that poured sunlight into the room like the crystal stream that ran along one wall. Curd had to shield his eyes from the blinding light, thus he didn’t see the other figure in the room.

“And who are you?”

Curd barely suppressed a yelp as the temperature shot up to that of an oven as a voice radiated around a room.

“Shit.”

“Well…guess we aren’t alone.”

“J-just a…Royal…Guard-“ the avian managed to gasp through constricting lungs.

“Are you? One of my sibling’s?” The figure asked, taking a step closer to examine him. The chokehold of heat released somewhat, leaving Curd collapsing to the ground. “Mm…no, I don’t think so.”

From the ground, Curd has able to get his first good look at the other. She was an impossibly beautiful skeleton clothed in shimmering silks and trimmed in gold, eyes like twin stars that bored into him and heated the room around them. A delicate gilded circlet mimicking the rays of the sun rested on her head.

Curd pulled himself from the marble floor and into a bow, wings spread out at his sides.

“What are you doing, putting yourself in a vulnerable position?” Chara hissed, flapping circles around his head.

She’s clearly royalty with immense power, Curd replied to the Voice. I’m not sure I could survive very long in a fight.

“Simp.”

“What are you?” The god interrupted his inner conversation, tilting her head slightly. “You most certainly aren’t a god, and yet you aren’t a scrawny mortal, either. Get up.”

Curd shakily rose to his feet as Dream slowly paced around him in examination. “I’m not…quite sure what I am,” he said. “I don’t really remember much beyond waking up in these woods.”

“Ah, a mystery.” Her face remained composed but a spark of interest shown in her eyes. “Well, perhaps someone I know can- ah.” She sighed in exasperation as Curd fell again, this time fainting from the heat.

[notmuchtoconceal]

On the multi-tiered dais where father sat, all was in order around him, save for where there was discord -- for around father, all was discord.

As the herdsmen could not maintain their offerings, nor the ritual purity of his martial sons, nor the contemplative awe of those scribes which troubled him, the order father maintained parted into strands of flux, and unjoined and rejoined according to the whims of sub-atomic fluctuations our instruments could not detect, but measure only in probabilities. 

A great bellow seized the room -- shaking it to its foundations. 

- Ah! I aint Columbo! Nuh-uh! I ain't a conveyor-belt douche-nozzle industrial showa fixture! I'm a good Christian Redfield. (Outta left field!) 

It was not father's voice, for he had taken to slumber upon his throne, a chocolate mousse sticky to his shorn cheeks, awash in nostalgic waves of static from a cathode ray cube of Midland Laurentian manufacture -- its primitive display screen subtly bulbous, so from some angles the image would seem to swell as though from a central porthole.

- I'm Columbine High School. I'm Columbus, Ohio! Why, I ain't Magenta, no-siree! I'm the entire country of Colombia -- what's left of it anyway!

Cpt. Haruspex was on top of father with a reassuring pat -- whenever he carried his historical meditations into wakingness. 

- It's all right, dad! Nobody's going to ban Doom! Contemporaneously, it's considered a classic! They actually teach it in schools nowadays!

Glass rained down upon his throne, cutting him with frosted sugar.

The wedge of a beam of cast-iron flew across the hall and ricocheted off Cpt. Psychorrhagia's forehead, skidding across the tile into a buffet table manned by none but two wait staff.

He stood there -- a whiplash in his atlas vertebrae, slightly dazed. He was aware the vibrations had shifted the big ugly box on its pedestal -- a charming marble column inlaid with veins of amber and gold dust, whose hand-fissured cracks had sprouted countless buds of gelatin ivy grown from the matter of a thousand pulped honeycombs.

Cpt. Haruspex -- reassurances unceasing -- slid the utility proboscis from his belt, and pinched its neck 3/4ths from the top -- to distend the radial prongs from the node at the bulb of its vertical tip :-- his hand dropping another 3/8ths to twist a concealed dial and distend the membranes by stalks and stretches across the prongs -- creating an umbrella he held between him and the debris as he twirled. 

- You can play it usin nothin but another man's prostate! You can move me around the screen on your inner-eye by makin inputs with my butthole! Pretty as a picto! It's the wonders of technology, dad!

Shards of glass shimmered in the dense, lacquered pitch of Cpt. Psychorrhagia's clumped and slickened mane.

The portal displayed two images simultaneously -- neither one program, nor the other -- and Cpt. Psychorrhagia twisted the breadth of him along the slender pivot of his waist -- glutes tightening on the final push forward off his boots -- so that he seemed to hang there, in suspended half-motion before you -- the heft of his granite ass – wet as greasy locks pressed against the sheen of his leather. He gripped with the stiffness of his heavy, powerful arms -- so powerful for such a young man -- those slender apparati so much like insect-antennae in wafts until the picture was clear, and with a smoothness similarly half-lubricated retracted his back -- to return to the noble solemnity of his watch -- his eyes always-present on father, glancing from time to time, over to you.

- Would you like to have a go at it right now, dad? You can bet your ass you can bet yours beat! Best off me bein a real rough customer! 

Cpt. Psychorrhax -- in the background -- had already fireman carried one of the injured waitstaff to safety -- and was now hobbling towards the medkit concealed inside an antique radiator with the other. 

The doors of the breakfasting hall, which father had dedicated to his morning leisure, swung open and from their oak-carved scenes of jasper-inlaid pastoral splendor, Cpt. Schreibermachen strolled forward with Cpts. Hlaford and Drythen in the rear -- and stating truthfully, it occurred only now what an odd twosome they must have been. For you had never seen either converse with one another -- only each with Cpt. Schreibermachen or with the other -- and you wondered, with a curiosity you felt alien to you -- the nature of their rapport while on patrol. What the three revealed to one another in the solitary tirades which came about henceforth in the explorations of their hidden talents.

- Splendid news, father!

Joey belted, as a cock would herald the dawn.

:-- We've received word from the grand anarchist council! 

The anarchists of your era -- were well-known for their penchant for publicly-and-outwardly-transacted central organization. 

 -- Their words, father -- are leaden with a certain flamboyance and falsity! There is much about them which is terrible, and much in their implications which is dread and stirring! They would doubtless mortify men of juvenile countenance, and send those bestial among us into fits of rage ;-– allow me to share a few of them with you now!

The words of the anarchists were fit for father's ear --

and so too for personal and public redaction. 

- Damn, Joey.

Cpt. Haruspex swung the umbrella now gently as the fan of a palm.

... Those anarchists sure do have a fancy prose style.

He whistled.

In awe of the beauty and terror of our adversaries.

... I don't think I've ever heard anyone make pronouncements quite that ungainly and dramatic before!

Cpt. Schreibermachen did not clear the air so much as crystallize.

- My being a literary scion in our homeland, Haruspex -- it would not be shocking to expect a few admirers amidst the ranks of our enemies. Poetry is, after all, the great unifier. Were our nation not already well-held in father's soft and pretty baker's hands, I would suggest after a libation and a few rounds of incense, intoxication by rule of a council of muses!

There was something about the golden hours of morning that made Joey seem even more blonde, brainless and vigorously Teutonic than the crisp, dry hues of the noon and after.     

- Scribbles? Scribbles, where'd you go?

Father didn't have his eyes in.

... I been lookin everywhere for you!

Father couldn't see shit when he don't have his eyes in.

... Scribbles? Scribbles, did you bring me my paper?

Joey received him graciously, having much left to deliver.

- Better, father! The hydra which constricts our country has rolled onto its back to expose many miles of its tract of neck! I beseech you, highest and most holy, that I your most gallant son should be best now beset upon this task! Trust in my faith to you, father! ;-- and I shall see our country prosper! I shall see you cherished by the distillations of later generations as not only a conqueror, a philosopher, a reconciler, a mystic, but a playboy, a showman and a boon to the arts! Hear my words, father! Do not strike at your son who prophesies when his every word foretells the shapes of the stars for you! You who are as the crown will shine as a crow in flight as I resculpt the veritable matter of our physiques from the cells up!

Cpt. Haruspex -- out of boredom perhaps -- continued to twirl his umbrella. Light from the membrane which enjoined the flaps streamed through the broken window and illuminated the cloudiness and imperfections of the material -- in their structures, they were as the honeycombs before they had been pulped -- the honied translucence of the leaves shuffling out cloudbursts back into kelpy mass

Cpt. Psychorrhax -- straightening his lapels -- stepped forward.

- May I approach, father?

- No.

- I speak on behalf of Cpt. Schreibermachen, sir. I have personally observed him in his preparations to grip this blight which rots our city-state by its root. He has collected, over the months between now and the last bombing -- which was not (as the odious free press which oppresses your reign reported) a bungled mismanagement of catastrophic negligence which claimed the lives of many comely and able-bodied men -- but a deliberate subversion of your will by hostile forces too alien and microbiological to be glimpsed by the naked eye.

- Whaddya you know? Why ain't Scribbles tellin me this?

- Cpt. Psychorrhax is my closest and most cherished attendant, father! As you yourself know well, the meager details and nuts and rods of the implementation -- the route tedium that comes with putting a plan into action -- these can become obscured from an aerial perspective, being tasks better-handled by those best-suited to crawl along the ground!

Cpt. Schreibermachen's hand -- which had been grasped firmly around Cpt. Psychorrhax's shoulder -- crept now downward, savoring each descent and taper of its journey across the stolid hull of his lats -- 

- That is correct, father!

(This was Psychorrhax talking now)

-- and lower still... down the small of his back --

… very much can pass for human error in the scheme of things :-- particularly in a structure as vast, ornate and precise as our ruling body.

-- where he caressed him by the back of palm --

... there can be equally little doubt, however -- that in a body as broad and yet of deceptively compacted strength as ours --

-- he came down with a smack to cup the pony-like swell of his ass.

… more than an atypical allotment of contaminants will well up! I have seen -- from Cpt. Schreibermachen's reports, no doubt --

-- his smile twists -- catlike.

... much evidence to suggest that many of the incidences of damage to supply lines and other infrastructural failures have been --

He cuts off a moan -- biting his lip.

... especially in an environment so gifted as to receive your rule -- calculated attempts by enemy forces -- less simple wear and tear from constant overuse and a history of negligence which spans backwards decades. No. It only takes a few rogue cells, father --

He gasps -- laughing now.

 -- to create a mass tumescent enough to strangle the organism whole!

Cpt Schreibermachen was laughing, too.

- Joey, don't fondle me in fronta dad -- bro

He sounded way less fuckin stupid when ya wanted to kick his ass.

... he's not gonna take me serious!

Joey was leaning in. Standing upright, he leaned in best.

- You want me to stop?

It wasn't a question. He weren't expecting an answer.

… lil bro?

Cpt. Psychorrhax ceased to breathe as he looked to him

… make me.

Joey knocked off Laika's cap . He had taken him beneath the back of his skull. Was devouring his face. Tasting. On his lips, and on his teeth -- the pungent spices of eggs and sausage -- coffee and the salted butter -- tasting so many amino acids on Laika's lips that were not his own -- and yet which would inevitably become ; -- and Laika looked to him, nearly limp -- that stupid look of someone who had never lost it all, and could expect much, in turn-- lips quivering as he was wolfy and sheepish.

Brux ... continued to twirl.

- No, no -- I think Laik might be onto somethin, dad -- y'know. Literate men -- they're dangerous. They get heads full of ideas. They go around -- given their ideas to other people. Soon people're out -- readin books. Lookin at other people with crazy fancies. Not doin any work. Maybe they're all readin the same book -- who knows? Maybe it's a real popular book! Maybe they wanna go around bullyin ya cause ya don't read their favorite book. They talk about the characters -- y'know. Ya don't know who they are. They use the stories -- as reference points -- like you should know. Gosh, mates -- what's even worse is when there's two people livin in the same area, and they each got their own popular book -- they never get along! All they wanna do is hound ya! They wanna know which book it is ya like more, and don't accept it none when ya say ya ain't read any book -- whaddya mean ya ain't read both their books? Whaddya mean ya haven't picked a favorite (Even fuckin stupider when both their books are by the same author, and it's somethin goofier like... I dunno. The editor or the translator or the commentor or somethin is different, and sometimes it's just the rhymes are different, or maybe there's not one or none, but sometimes it's like... wow, we readin the same story, the same characters? We gettin into some complicated shit, and you're actin like I gotta have my mind made up now. Join your club. Be on your team. Say the exact same magic words when we sit down to try'n have a dinner without killin each other ;-- Holy shit. You book people, I swear!) Like, what's the goddamn matter? I'm sure ya both got great books -- basically I've heard all the stories in em already, been talkin to so many people -- whaddya want me to do, quote it at ya? Make ya feel like we had the same experience cause we stared at the same page? Mate, why don't ya invite me back to your place? We'll read your book -- you can read it to me! We'll get some wine -- sounds sensual. Why can't that be how ya do it, mates? Why can't ya just sit down and read your books to each other instead of tryin to kill each other all the time, huh? What'd those books have to say to make you act this way, goddamn.

Cpt. Psychorrhax ;-- in the intervening moments --; had found himself once more wholly vertical. 

Father meanwhile ... had stopped paying attention.

- All right, kid. Give ya a shot.

He looked first from his nails. Then back to Joey.

... Just don't do anything too crazy. 

Cpt. Schreibermachen ...--... bowed his head.

- I promise, father --...-- to surpass every example you have set for me.

( o )

Joey took to the square – and fired his pistol at each malfunctioning light fixture so that upon the crowds a spring rain fell one day, at the points in the interwoven lattice where heat met once more the dry brown leaves. 

 - ANARCHISTS, ANARCHISTS COME OUT!

Windows caked with grime collapsed into the streets. There, sticky floors knew once more light from out the dinge of an ever-unending half-day.

- I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT THE LOGISTICS OF TRANSITIONING INTO A STATELESS SOCIETY 

The conglomerated structures which were the outflow of State Finance into the ventricles of the Imperial Palace bore the marks of Joey's wrath.

For you could see plainly the fine utility of non-contradiction which composed his thought – for to attack our allies so brazenly, no doubt – aside from further concretizing the power and influence of the Guard – would agitate any bacterial elements which had penetrated into the insulated body – inducing a heave, the channels of which might flow into the more open cesspits of Free Thought you had less cause to attack openly, for there would be more just cause for later retaliation.

– STATE AUTOPHAGY NOW

( o )

( o )

STATE AUTOPHAGY NOW

[climateplusdubai]

Climate Plus is not just a supplier of climate systems, but a full—fledged architect of an engineering environment where building cooling becomes an exact science. In the UAE climate, where outdoor temperatures sometimes exceed +50°C, maintaining a stable +24°C indoors requires more than just technology — it requires strategy.

Everything here is tied to efficiency: automatic modes, cooling capacity, multi-stage circulation scheme, correct air distribution across floors. Compressors, refrigerants, indoor units, outdoor units with axial and centrifugal fans work as a well-coordinated organism. Membranes and panels made of phenolic material provide thermal protection. Nanotechnology paints and mirror coatings reflect solar radiation, reducing heat loss without increasing energy consumption.

Climate Plus building management systems regulate water pressure, control air humidity, and maintain a balance in supply and exhaust ventilation. Architectural design takes into account the water column, hydrostatic pressure, and even cloud deposition. Each element does not work in isolation, but as part of a closed, adaptive circuit that takes into account design features, thermal expansion of pipelines, operating costs, and energy consumption.

Climate Plus offers: air conditioning system design, installation of chillers, fan coils, VRF networks, air purification and dehumidification, ventilation automation, seasonal maintenance and maintenance of facilities of any complexity.

Seasonal discounts? Yes. Free shipping in the UAE from 3000 dirhams? Yes. 24/7 support? Of course. But the main thing is the ability of Climate Plus to create a climate where it seemed impossible.

[xopeer]

Why Modern Radiators Are More Than Just a Heat Source

Modern home heating systems have come a long way from the bulky, purely functional radiators of the past. Today, radiators do much more than just warm up a room—they're a central part of home design, efficiency strategies, and even lifestyle choices. As we embrace smarter technologies and design-forward thinking, the humble radiator has evolved into a multi-functional, aesthetically pleasing, and highly efficient component of modern homes.

In this article, we explore why modern radiators are more than just a heat source and how they can enhance your living space in ways you might not expect.

The Evolution of Radiator Design

Gone are the days when radiators were eyesores to be hidden behind furniture or covered up with cabinets. Modern radiators are designed to be seen—and admired. With sleek finishes, contemporary materials, and designer shapes, they can complement or even elevate the style of your interiors.

Some popular trends include:

Vertical Radiators – Ideal for rooms with limited wall space.

Mirror Radiators – Combine practicality with elegance, especially in hallways or bathrooms.

Column Radiators – Bring a vintage yet modern look that blends well with both traditional and contemporary homes.

Coloured Radiators – Move beyond standard white with custom colours to match your decor.

If you're looking to upgrade your heating system while also enhancing your home's interior design, modern Radiators offer a wide selection of styles and finishes that cater to every taste.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Modern radiators are built with energy efficiency in mind. Improved technology means they can heat up quickly and retain heat longer, making your home more energy-efficient and helping reduce your carbon footprint.

Here’s how modern radiators support sustainability:

Advanced Heat Distribution: Even heat spread means no cold spots.

Lower Water Volume: Requires less hot water to operate, reducing energy consumption.

Smart Thermostats: Allow precise control and scheduled heating to minimize waste.

Eco-Friendly Materials: Many radiators now use recyclable and sustainable materials.

Investing in efficient Radiators not only improves comfort but also supports your goal of a greener, more energy-conscious home.

Space Optimization

Space is a premium, especially in urban homes and apartments. Modern radiators are designed with compactness and flexibility in mind. Whether it’s under windows, in narrow hallways, or even integrated into furniture, today’s radiators can fit where older models never could.

Features that aid space optimization include:

Slimline Designs

Vertical Installations

Corner Radiators

Wall-Mounted Units

This flexibility allows homeowners and interior designers to rethink room layouts and functionality without compromising on warmth.

Dual-Purpose and Multi-Functional Radiators

One of the most exciting developments in radiator design is the integration of additional functionalities. Radiators can now serve as towel warmers, room dividers, or even artistic features in your home.

Examples include:

Towel Rail Radiators: Ideal for bathrooms and kitchens, keeping towels warm and dry.

Designer Radiators: Function as modern art pieces while heating your space.

Bench Radiators: Combine seating with heating, perfect for entryways or sunrooms.

These multi-functional units are perfect for homeowners looking to get more out of every element in their living space.

Improved Health and Comfort

Traditional heating systems often lead to dry air and inconsistent room temperatures. Modern radiators, especially when paired with thermostatic controls, create a more comfortable and balanced indoor environment.

Benefits for health and comfort include:

Consistent Warmth: Reduces the risk of cold-related illnesses.

Better Air Quality: Radiators do not circulate dust and allergens like forced-air systems.

Silent Operation: No noise pollution, unlike HVAC systems.

For families with children, elderly residents, or allergy sufferers, modern radiators can significantly enhance day-to-day living quality.

Integration with Smart Home Systems

The smart home revolution hasn’t skipped heating. Many modern radiators are compatible with smart thermostats, mobile apps, and home automation systems. This integration provides unparalleled control over your home environment.

With a smart system, you can:

Set heating schedules from your smartphone

Monitor and adjust room temperatures remotely

Receive energy usage reports to optimize efficiency

Integrate with voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home

These features not only enhance comfort but can also lead to significant savings on energy bills.

A Style Statement

More than just functional, radiators can now make a bold style statement. Leading designers and manufacturers treat radiators as sculptural pieces that bring both form and function into a space. With hundreds of finishes, shapes, and customization options, they can be the centerpiece of a room rather than an afterthought.

Some of the most stylish radiator trends include:

Matte Black or Gunmetal Finishes

Industrial Chic Designs

Glass or Stone-Look Panels

Laser-Cut Decorative Covers

Whether you're renovating a modern loft or a rustic cottage, the right radiator can be the design element that ties everything together.

Final Thoughts

Modern radiators have transformed from basic heat emitters into stylish, efficient, and multi-functional home enhancements. They cater to our need for comfort, style, and sustainability—all in one smart package. Whether you’re upgrading your entire heating system or looking for a single statement piece, modern Radiators offer unmatched versatility and value.

Don’t underestimate the impact a modern radiator can have. It’s not just a heat source anymore—it’s a design decision, a lifestyle choice, and a smart investment in your home's future.

[makemywebsite1]

How to Choose the Best Website Layout for Your Business

A website’s layout is key to user experience, brand perception, and conversion rates. Whether you’re a startup, an e-commerce store, or a service provider, choosing the right layout can impact your success. With many options available, picking the best layout needs careful thought. In this article, we’ll look at what to consider, the types of website layouts, and how to choose the best website design for your Melbourne business.

Why Website Layout Matters

The architecture of your website shapes the user experience like a masterful blueprint. A thoughtfully crafted layout:

Elevates user experience with effortless navigation that feels second nature.

Tempts visitors to linger, slashing those pesky bounce rates.

Steers users smoothly toward essential actions, like purchasing or reaching out.

Boosts mobile responsiveness, ensuring accessibility in the palm of your hand.

Fortifies brand identity, adding a touch of credibility to every interaction.

Variables to Weigh When Picking a Website Structure

1. Define Your Business Goals

Before selecting a layout, you need to identify what you want to achieve with your website design in Melbourne. Common objectives include:

Showcasing a portfolio (for designers, photographers, and artists)

Selling products (for e-commerce businesses)

Generating leads (for service providers and consultants)

Providing information (for blogs and news websites)

Your website’s ambitions will shape its ideal layout. Think of an e-commerce store: it thrives on a product-centric design. In contrast, a law firm seeks an atmosphere that radiates trust and professionalism. Each goal tells a story, guiding the visual narrative you present.

2. Know Your Target Audience

Grasping your audience’s tastes and actions is essential for an engaging layout. Ponder factors such as:

Age and demographics

Device usage (mobile vs. desktop)

Browsing habits

Preferred content format (text, video, or images)

For example, if your audience primarily browses on mobile devices, a mobile-first responsive layout is essential.

3. Prioritize User Experience (UX)

User experience should be at the core of your website layout decision. A well-structured design ensures:

Easy navigation with clear menus

Readable fonts and visually appealing colors

Fast loading speeds

Clear calls to action (CTAs)

To engage users, simplicity and functionality must come first. Flashy designs should never overshadow them.

4. Consider SEO & Performance Optimization

Search engines sing the praises of sites with sleek designs and lightning-fast speeds. Mobile-friendly magic is a must for reaching today’s on-the-go audiences. When choosing a layout, consider a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality. Make your design so intuitive that visitors feel right at home.

Choose a design that supports SEO best practices (proper HTML structure, heading hierarchy, and internal linking)

Ensure fast page load times by avoiding heavy media elements

Opt for layouts optimized for both desktop and mobile users

Types of Website Layouts

1. Single Column Layout

Simple and mobile-friendly

Best for blogs, storytelling, and landing pages

Provides a seamless scrolling experience

2. Grid Layout

Organizes content into a structured grid

Ideal for portfolio websites, photography, and e-commerce

Allows for easy content arrangement

3. Full-Screen Image Layout

Focuses on high-quality visuals

Perfect for creative agencies, fashion brands, and photographers

Creates a strong first impression

4. Magazine Layout

Uses a multi-column approach for structured content display

Best for news websites and blogs

Makes information easy to scan

5. Sidebar Layout

Features a main content area with a sidebar for navigation, ads, or additional links

Common for blogs, news portals, and informational website designs in Melbourne

6. Split Screen Layout

Divides the screen into two sections

Useful for businesses offering two main services or showcasing dual messages

7. E-commerce Layout

Designed to display products with high visibility

Includes filters, categories, and a user-friendly shopping experience

Common in online retail website designs in Melbourne

How to Go About Choosing the Perfect Layout for Your Business

Step 1: Identify Your Core Content

Pinpoint the content that truly resonates with your audience’s needs. Take, for example:

Text-heavy content: Choose a single-column or magazine layout.

Visual-heavy content: A grid or full-screen image layout works best.

Product showcase: An e-commerce or sidebar layout is ideal.

Step 2: Consider the User Journey

Map out how visitors will navigate your site. Ask yourself:

What is the first thing users should see?

What actions do I want them to take?

How can I make the navigation intuitive?

Step 3: Ensure Mobile Responsiveness

Since most web traffic originates from mobile devices, a responsive layout is crucial. Ensure seamless performance by testing various layouts on different screen sizes.

Step 4: Test & Optimize

After implementing a layout, monitor user behavior using analytics tools. Look at:

Bounce rates

Time spent on pages

Click-through rates

Conclusion

Align your website layout with your business goals and audience needs for maximum impact. Choose a design that balances simplicity and usability. This could be a clean single-column layout or a more complex grid design. Make sure it follows SEO best practices. Also, thoroughly test it to ensure a smooth user experience that boosts business success.

To learn more about it, talk to the experts at Make My Website, a top website design company in Geelong. You’ll receive appropriate assistance depending on your needs.

[snowden-world1]

5 Amazing Ways Aluminium Profiles Shape Modern Construction

 

  In the world of construction, aluminium profiles, aluminium extrusion, and aluminium extrusion profiles have become irreplaceable. Lightweight, resistant, and versatile, the metal is the preferred choice in innovative designs and sustainable solutions. From towering skyscrapers to intricate interiors, let's explore five remarkable ways aluminum is transforming construction.    1. Structural Support with Aluminium Profiles  This has made aluminum the material for frameworks because of its good strength-to-weight ratio. Further, aluminum extrusion profiles serve in beams, columns, and supports, while availing strength with flexibility in design. These lightweight structures reduce the overall load on buildings, making it ideal to use in multi-story buildings and big infrastructural projects.    2. Modern and Resilient Building Facades  Aluminum profiles are indispensable for modern building facades. Resistant to corrosion, these provide a long life to the facades exposed to harsh weather conditions. Architects use aluminum because it can combine strength with slim, modern appearances that create striking and low-maintenance facades.    3. Eco-Friendly Doors and Windows  In building with energy efficiency, there is no match for aluminum. Aluminum extrusion profiles provide exact fits in doors and windows for improved insulation and reduced energy leakage. Besides, it is fully recyclable, hence sustainable for projects that take into consideration ecological concerns.    4. Versatile Roofing and Cladding Systems  From roofing panels to external cladding, no other metal competes with the flexibility that aluminium provides. In an extruded form, the metal offers tough and light panels whose installation and maintenance techniques are simple. The panels insulate well against harsh weather conditions like UV radiation, wind, and rain; therefore, their application suits both commercial and residential areas.    5. Interior Design and Decorative Features  Indoors, aluminium is used inside buildings for its versatility and contemporary appearance. It is used to manufacture partition walls, ceiling systems, and decorative elements. Designers use the aluminium extrusion profile to develop bespoke luminaire, trims, and furniture that add elegance to any room.    Why Aluminium is So Important in Building and Construction 

  Aluminium is a popular metal used in building and construction due to several underlying reasons. Some of the key reasons include:    Strength : Provides low construction load with high strength.  Design Versatility: Allows for creative and detailed designs.  Corrosion Resistance: Ensures durability for several environmental conditions.  Sustainability: It is 100% recyclable, reducing its environmental footprint.  Cost-Effectiveness: Long-lasting with very limited maintenance needs.  The Future is Aluminium , As building requirements are changing, so the aluminium profiles and aluminium extrusion keep pace with them. Not only do they satisfy the technological demands of a newly created building but also ecological ones, turning them into an integral part of every building process in the world.    Upgrade your next construction project to the unequalled benefits offered by using aluminum. 

[digitextechnologies49]

The Timeless Appeal of Column Radiators: A Maybrays Guide

Column radiators have become a cornerstone of modern interior design, seamlessly blending functionality with aesthetic charm. At Maybrays, we understand the growing demand for heating solutions that combine traditional elegance with contemporary performance. This article delves into the versatility and benefits of column radiators, shedding light on why they are an ideal choice for any home or business.

What Are Column Radiators?

Column radiators are a type of heating system characterized by their vertical columns, which are designed to maximize heat output while maintaining a compact footprint. Available in various sizes, finishes, and configurations, these radiators have evolved from their industrial origins to become a stylish and efficient heating solution for homes and commercial spaces alike.

Their classic design often evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of period properties, but their adaptability ensures they suit modern interiors just as effortlessly.

Benefits of Column Radiators

1. Timeless Design

One of the standout features of column radiators is their timeless aesthetic. Unlike standard panel radiators, column radiators add an air of sophistication and elegance to any room. Whether your space is a vintage cottage or a sleek city apartment, their versatile design enhances the overall decor.

2. Superior Heat Output

Thanks to their multi-column structure, these radiators provide excellent heat output, making them suitable for both large and small spaces. The columns create a larger surface area, which allows for efficient heat distribution, ensuring every corner of the room is warm and cozy.

3. Customization Options

Column radiators come in an array of sizes, styles, and colors, allowing homeowners to select a model that perfectly matches their interior design. At Maybrays, we offer bespoke solutions to cater to your specific requirements, ensuring you never have to compromise on either form or function.

4. Durability

Constructed from high-quality materials such as cast iron, steel, or aluminum, column radiators are built to last. With proper maintenance, they can serve you reliably for decades, making them a cost-effective investment in the long run.

5. Energy Efficiency

Modern column radiators are designed with energy efficiency in mind. They heat up quickly and retain warmth effectively, reducing energy consumption and contributing to lower utility bills.

Choosing the Right Column Radiator for Your Space

When selecting a column radiator, several factors should be considered to ensure optimal performance and aesthetic appeal.

1. Room Size

The size of your room plays a critical role in determining the appropriate radiator. Larger spaces may require taller or wider radiators with more columns to generate sufficient heat. Smaller rooms, on the other hand, benefit from compact designs that do not overpower the space.

2. Heat Requirements

Calculating the BTU (British Thermal Unit) requirement for your room helps identify the right radiator. At Maybrays, our experts can guide you through this process to ensure your chosen radiator delivers the desired level of warmth.

3. Style and Finish

Column radiators are available in a variety of styles, from traditional cast iron models to sleek modern designs. Finishes include classic white, matte black, and metallic tones, providing endless possibilities to match your decor.

4. Placement

Where you install your radiator can impact its efficiency. Common locations include under windows or along colder external walls to combat heat loss. Vertical column radiators are a great option for spaces with limited horizontal wall space.

Why Choose Maybrays for Your Column Radiator Needs?

At Maybrays, we pride ourselves on offering top-tier heating solutions tailored to our customers' needs. Our range of column radiators combines quality craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology, ensuring you receive a product that is both reliable and stylish.

Expert Guidance

Our team of heating specialists provides personalized advice to help you select the perfect radiator for your space. Whether you need assistance with sizing, design, or installation, we are here to ensure a seamless experience.

Wide Selection

We stock a comprehensive range of column radiators, catering to both traditional and modern tastes. From compact two-column models to grand six-column designs, our collection has something for every home or business.

Affordable Pricing

Maybrays is committed to offering competitive prices without compromising on quality. We believe that everyone deserves access to premium heating solutions, and our pricing reflects this ethos.

After-Sales Support

Our relationship with customers doesn’t end at the point of sale. We offer robust after-sales support, including maintenance tips and advice on optimizing radiator performance.

Caring for Your Column Radiator

Proper maintenance can prolong the lifespan and efficiency of your column radiator. Here are some quick tips:

Regular Bleeding: Air trapped in the radiator can reduce its efficiency. Bleed your radiator periodically to ensure it heats evenly.

Cleaning: Dust and debris can accumulate between the columns, impacting heat distribution. Use a radiator brush or vacuum attachment for thorough cleaning.

Professional Servicing: Schedule regular checks with a professional to identify and address any potential issues.

Elevate Your Heating Experience with Column Radiators from Maybrays

Column radiators are more than just a heating solution—they are a statement piece that adds character and comfort to any room. With their perfect blend of style, efficiency, and durability, it’s no wonder they are a popular choice among homeowners and designers. At Maybrays, we are dedicated to helping you find the ideal column radiator to enhance your space. Browse our collection today or contact our team for expert advice. Let us help you create a warm and inviting atmosphere that stands the test of time.

[charlottejacksonfineart]

Tom Waldron: Steel and Concrete

April 26 - May 25, 2024

Opening Reception for the Artist: Friday, April 26, 5 - 7 PM

The eye follows a smooth plane, curving gently in pitch, slope on slope, sweeping to meet and create a line. A deep rust form tilts, leaning, forming a deeply shadowed side. A sharp, faceted arc sweeps to a point. Softly interwoven curves braid together in a column. A round oxidized shape seems to fold up on itself, caught in a moment just before it sprouts wings.

It is a trick of sculpture to put us squarely into the here and now. Mass. Volume. Weight. Sculptures inhabit space with us and we with them. They alter the air’s flow through a room. They radiate their own minute gravity. Fully art object, whether molded or cast, carved or welded, sculptures remind us that our world is multi-dimensional – not solely existing in the 2D hybrid mind/light no-space of our screens.

Tom Waldron’s work not only brings us to attention but challenges our perceptions with its deceptively simple forms. It is likely no surprise that Waldron’s entrance into artmaking was spurred by his love of the materiality and physicality of the process. The challenge and intense focus required of welding, it’s possibilities and generative power led Waldron to leave his studies in architecture to pursue sculpture.

Steel and Concrete brings together a disparate collection of Waldron’s work in different mediums. While he is best known for his steel pieces, this show also incorporates works in concrete, a dense gypsum plaster (Hydro-stone), and even in wood. The concrete and wood pieces have evolved slowly in relationship to the steel works. First, as simply materials for pedestals and bases. However, over time, sometimes the line between sculpture and pedestal would blur. Later, Waldron began to take some of the curved cardboard constructions that he creates as models for his steel works and use them as molds to cast concrete or hydro-stone pieces. In this format, Waldron saw the possibilities of using them like modules. Using wood allowed Waldron to explore wall-mounted work because of its lighter weight – but the medium also allowed him freedom to alter and find forms not possible in steel.

The pieces in Steel and Concrete, in each medium exemplify these different properties and effects – the steel pieces with their gently curved volumetric masses tend to encapsulate or bloom into space. Sledge, at over eight feet,and Agave, at five,seem like massive geometric creatures frozen in a moment of twisting growth. Ledge 2 tricks the eye into seeing a rectangular block from one angle – which then bulges and puckers from another. Mounted on a concrete base, Spoonful, inverts Waldron’s more familiar convex curves with a smooth concave scoop out of the sharp-edged steel square.

The concrete pieces included in the exhibition are all columnar – composed of regular interlocking shapes and modules which showcase the motion of uprising lift and rhythm. Shadow Column includes both a wood base and cap which contain a smooth, white, braided sculpture of hydro-stone within. Fan Column, on its wood plinth, is a complex composition of interlocking arced forms in alternating muted colors. His most recent piece, Six Color Column is comprised of gently curved blocks fitted together to create an undulating tower.

Finally, the wood piece, White Cloud 3, explores the same fascination with curved planes and elegantly intersecting lines as Waldron’s steel works – but makes good use of its lighter weight to create a more delicate shape that seems to sail out abstractly from the wall.

Step by step, each sculpture of Steel and Concrete leads the viewer through an experience, from objective observation through to subjective co-existence. Frozen curves intimate at the gentle slowing down of time. (We pause. We notice.) The density of the large steel works grounds our feet into the floor. (We find balance in space as they balance so elegantly in their twisted curved forms.) And the columns, rising slenderly toward human height, feel like fellow beings. (We stand with them, being.)

[a544197231]

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[architectnews]

Ten student architecture projects from the University of Westminster

A project that examines restoring damaged peatlands in Scotland and another that addresses the housing needs of income poor young people in Beijing are included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at the University of Westminster.

It also includes a mycelium product factory where a repurposed prison provides ideal conditions for growing sustainable products and a redesigned climbing wall highlighting the connection between sport and the natural world.

University of Westminster

School: University of Westminster, School of Architecture + Cities Course: Architecture BA (Hons), Architecture and Environmental Design BSc (Hons), Interior Architecture BA (Hons), Architectural Technology BSc (Hons), Designing Cities BA (Hons), Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II) Tutors: Constance Lau, Stephen Harty John Zhang, David Porter, Paolo Cascone, Panagiota Adileniduo, Ro Spankie, Diony Kypraiou, Allan Sylvester, Ana Araujo, Tabatha Mills, Adam Thwaites, David Mathewson, Elisa Engel, Kester Rattenbury, Sean Griffiths, Anthony Boulanger, Stuart Piercy, Callum Perry John Cook, Laura Nica and Ben Pollock

School statement:

"The School of Architecture and Cities offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as research degrees a few moments from Baker Street. Here, students can enjoy state-of-the-art facilities, including the extensive Fabrication Laboratory and dedicated open-plan design studios.

"Open 2021 is a rolling programme of events being created by the school's staff and students, which reflect the varied design approaches of the School of Architecture and Cities and their place at the heart of London.

"It will feature 750 student projects, drawing on the vast body of developmental and finished work imagined and realised over the course of the last academic year. The show will transform student work into digital assets, creating an extraordinary display of new architecture and a compelling visitor experience. The show opens on 17 June until 30 September."

The Bioengineering Experimental School of Architecture: Designing for the Prevention of Fires by Momchil Petrinski

"In this project, the notion of 'fire' from the laboratory experiments serves multiple purposes, from the 'gallery' for public knowledge, heat distribution to the surrounding buildings and the cultivation of the green spaces.

"The dense urban site of Little Britain and proposed Tower is approached as a Borgesian labyrinth where the ever-green public gardens extend across the horizontal and vertical landscapes, and resting places for the homeless community are embedded within the public realm."

Student: Momchil Petrinski Course: Architecture BA (Hons) Tutors: Constance Lau and Stephen Harty Email: mpetrinski321@gmail.com

Ideal Landscape from Luo Shen Fu Tu by Yunuo Zheng

"The proposal is a spatial narrative telling the ancient Chinese story of the painting Luo Shen Fu Tu created by the famous Eastern Jin painter Gu Kaizhi based on the plot of Cao Chi's work Luo Shen Fu.

"This is not just a love story – it is a story of frustration and anger caused by feudalism when people could only express thoughts and feelings through landscapes and myths. It is these landscapes and myths that give the form to an immersive exhibition situated in London."

Student: Yunuo Zheng Course:  Interior Architecture BA (Hons) Tutors: Ro Spankie, Diony Kypraiou, Allan Sylvester, Ana Araujo Email: rain_zyn@yahoo.com

Intercultural communal living as a catalyst for refugee integration by Anne-Flore Smits

"Nature avoids monocultures and lives in diversity to feed its system. The harmonious living between living forms is known as symbiosis. Through intercultural communal living, symbiosis is regenerated, where the forgotten lives of refugees can integrate back into society.

"With local and foreign amalgamation, the most vulnerable group in society can write their futures. The design of social-communal connectivity incorporates multi-use courtyards, creating a unique spatial arrangement within the male and female quarter and central community compound.

"A common roof with various environmental qualities ensures the proposed and established buildings receive minimal solar radiation, that is experienced in its extreme within Cameroon's Far North capital of Maroua."

Student: Anne-Flore Smits Course: Architecture and Environmental Design BSc (Hons) Tutors: Paolo Cascone and Panagiota Adileniduo Email: w1707968@my.westminster.ac.uk

 Ark for an Ant Tribe by Yuen-Wah Williams

"This project addresses the acute housing needs of well educated but income poor young people who come to Beijing to seek their future – affectionately known as the 'Ant Tribe' in China.

"The project is a co-living mega-block with floating courtyards, rooftop running tracks, and community programmes open to the broader neighbourhood at the ground level. The novel tectonics draws inspiration from traditional low-rises, high-density Hutong courtyards and local experiments in soviet-era social condensers.

"The generous and intensely social outdoor spaces become rooms in themselves, responds to the changing patterns of life in a pandemic."

Student: Yuen-Wah Williams Course: Architecture BA (Hons) Tutors: John Zhang and David Porter Email: yuenwahwilliams@gmail.com

Climb Air Theatre by Zhiqing He

"The conditions of isolation and lack of physical interaction due to the pandemic gave birth to this project with the aim of evoking memories of intimate communication stemming from the past. Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, London's historic musical production (forced to close during the lockdown),  the proposal suggests an open interactive theatre, situated at St Dustan park in London.

"The audience gets invited to follow actors through the theatre's three main theatre stages and participate in distinct moments of the play while re-connecting them to each other through this musical, theatrical and spatial journey."

Student: Zhiqing He Course: Interior Architecture BA (Hons) Tutors: Ro Spankie, Diony Kypraiou, Allan Sylvester, Ana Araujo Email: 740655783@qq.com

The Arch Climbing Wall by Tom McGinnity

"The Arch Climbing Wall is located in Bermondsey, London. The redeveloped climbing centre uses all the existing building while also developing a new building adjacent to the existing one. The design aims to highlight the connection between climbing and nature.

"New climbing walls were positioned in the existing building to create an environment of valleys and mountains. The new building acts as the final challenge, with climbers able to scale the exterior of the building and the tall structure within. The new building is open-air with large use of open mesh, allowing climbers to connect with nature."

Student: Tom McGinnity Course: Architectural Technology BSc (Hons) Tutors: Tabatha Mills and Adam Thwaites Email: tommcginnity1@gmail.com

Old Kent Road: A New Precedent for Mixing Leisure, Manufacturing and Housing by Daniel Sefton

"By combining industrial, residential, and leisure spaces using innovative changes of level, land-use pressures in the inner city could be significantly alleviated.

"An undulating raised park set against the side of an existing recycling centre creates a pocket of urban rurality. Pavilions break through the park's surface for exhibition and retail space, with micro-manufacturing occurring on the submerged ground floor.

"HGV access to ground floors occurs through a road network beneath the park. The park removes both social and physical barriers that industrial land creates through controlled, increased public proximity to manufacturing and community-connecting active transport routes."

Student: Daniel Sefton Course: Designing Cities BA (Hons) Tutors: David Mathewson and Elisa Engel Email: Dan.sefton07@gmail.com

The Mycology Institute by Gemma Mohajer

"The Mycology Institute re-purposes existing buildings at Wormwood Scrubs Prison. Former cells provide ideal conditions for growing mushrooms, used to make sustainable products. The project extends one of the cell blocks creating a mycelium product factory.

"It forms a route to the scrubs and a public square created by demolishing the prison wall. The building is constructed using sustainable products, including rope elements, developed from chance operations. These are used as part of the roof structure and as a screen that shades the building and takes rainwater off the roof. Columns and floors reuse the 916,000 prison wall bricks."

Student: Gemma Mohajer Course: Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II) Tutors: Kester Rattenbury and Sean Griffiths Email: gmohajer@hotmail.co.uk

The Rotherhithe Cooperative Press by Rebecca Gardner

"Newspapers are dying, and with them, an integral part of London's civic life and tacit skillset is at risk of extinction. The Rotherhithe Cooperative Press reinvents newspaper production, turning away from mass media favouring temporal print that focuses on specific events and protests.

"Through exploiting the natural diurnal cycle of the printing industry and the Thames, the scheme acts as a production framework and distribution network for marginalised media outlets at night whilst a community print-work mobilises the community to engage in protest during the day."

Student: Rebecca Gardner Course: Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II) Tutors: Anthony Boulanger, Stuart Piercy and Callum Perry Email: r-c-gardner@hotmail.com

Peat Observation: Carbon Cycles through Plant Matter by Seni Agunpopo

"The project looks at preserving and accelerating the restoration of damaged peatlands in Scotland – one of the world's most effective carbon store/sinks.

"This project uses a wider parametric masterplan strategy of landscape probes and responsive blanket systems to alter and control the conditions of soil moisture, temperature and humidity, as well as the deployable modular research units that support the ongoing scheme."

Student: Seni Agunpopo Course: Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II) Tutors: John Cook, Laura Nica and Ben Pollock Email: w1731831@my.westminster.ac.uk

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Westminster. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

  The post Ten student architecture projects from the University of Westminster appeared first on Dezeen.

[malecsecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @magnuslightwoodbane!

I tried to include as many of your likes as I could. You had so many fun ones, and I hope you enjoy! I’ve played a little fast and loose with the show timeline and sequence of events, and I hope that’s okay. This will be a six-part fic in total, and it’ll continue to be updated regularly.

Read on AO3

*****

a love supreme

Chapter 1

I.

A splash of icy cold water and snowy slush sprays up in an arc as Alec’s boots hit the ground hard. A loud shriek of shifting metal and then a clang echoes behind him, and the rusted ladder of the old fire escape he’d jumped down from drops straight to the pavement. He barely spares it a glance. His agility rune screams across his abdomen, working double time to keep him upright and surefooted when he immediately takes off running with only a half-second’s pause to right himself.

His quarry is already a good fifteen yards ahead of him, darting across a busy street for the alleyway beyond. The glint of the seraph blade at the man’s hip flashes in the streetlights, and then he disappears into the darkness.

Alec swears under his breath and speeds up.

Three months have passed since Valentine Morgenstern was found dead on the shore of Lake Lyn. Unfortunately, ideas are much harder to kill. The Clave and every Institute across the world has spent the interim hunting down what’s left of the Circle, but new pockets keep springing up like a goddamn fairground Whack-A-Mole.

New York has had more than their fair share, but with the way Valentine had narrowed his attention onto the city, it’s not surprising. Just a pain in Alec’s ass.

Reaching the street, he dodges between the flow of pedestrian traffic and races across, slow-moving cars allowing him to slip into the alley silently. The tall buildings to either side swallow up most of the light as he crosses the entrance, the illumination of the nearby streetlights creating a borderline on the pavement. He doesn’t know how far back the rest of his team is having left them behind as soon as he saw their last straggler make a break for it, but for the moment, he’s completely on his own. Alec slows, turning cautious as he keeps every step light and quiet. The cold stings his throat and lungs, breath fogging out into the air in drifting smoke.

There are too many noises coming at him from every direction, but it’s the one sound that shouldn’t be there that alerts him, a sound he’s intimately familiar with: the whisper of metal across leather, of a weapon being drawn.

He sees the brief glimmer of activated runes along the blade as it flips through the air, and then pain explodes across his shoulder and chest, radiating down his draw arm. His bow was going to be pretty useless in close-cornered combat, anyway, but he’s effectively been muzzled in that department now.

Alec has a split-second to rip the blade out before a shadow tears away from the right, slashing wildly at him. He feels the displacement of air in front of his face and ducks, rolling through the snow and grime and wet.

The momentum and force carries his opponent forward. The sword clashes against the brick of the opposite wall with a flash of sparks. Alec finds his feet and tightens his grip on the hilt of the dagger. He throws. The dagger hits, embedding itself in the man’s back. He stumbles, losing his grip on his blade and drops to his knees.

Alec yanks his bow from his shoulders and dives in close again. The curved back of the bow finds its place against the man’s fragile neck, and Alec yanks hard. There’s a brief struggle and then a snap, and he goes still, slumping in Alec’s hold.

Alec lets go, still breathing hard from the chase and the adrenaline and the pain, and he stumbles back to fetch himself up against the wall behind him. He feels a little light-headed. It’s possible that dagger found an artery.

He just needs a minute.

There’s movement at the mouth of the alley, another figure stepping into the darkness. Alec huffs, body tensing in preparation to throw himself back into another fight.

But instead of a blow coming, there’s a sigh of relief and a soft “tsk” of exasperation. The figure comes closer, stepping over the dead body, and the vague form now comes into sharp focus.

Magnus reaches out to settle his hand against Alec’s neck.

“You couldn’t have waited one second to let me come with you?”

There’s no real accusation or heat behind the words, and Alec smiles, “Sorry.”

Magnus shakes his head, fondness in his eyes that Alec loves to see, “Shadowhunters.”

Tiny pinpricks of cold alight along Alec’s cheeks and melt, and Alec turns his face up towards the sky as the snow begins to fall in earnest. With it comes almost a blanket of quiet over the city, seeming to muffle the somewhat distant sounds of traffic and people talking, off-key but enthusiastic carols being sung by a passing group of drunk friends. From somewhere nearby, a church bell tolls the hour, the beginning of a new day.

Cool fingers find his jaw, tilting his head back down, and he’s met with the warmth of Magnus’s smile to send a frisson of heat through his body. His head aches in a way that means he’s probably got a concussion, and he can feel blood still dripping sluggishly down his arm, but the dull throbbing pain of it is of far less concern then the taste of Magnus’s lips.

Magnus smirks a bit, and when Alec focuses again, it seems he’s noticed where Alec’s attention has drifted.

“You’re looking a little delirious. How much blood have you lost already?”

Alec shrugs, immediately wincing when his right shoulder protests with another sharp rush of pain.

“Eh, I’ve probably got a couple more pints in me, I’m fine.”

Magnus snorts, shaking his head again as he gets his arm around Alec’s waist and snaps his fingers. A swirling vortex of golden light appears in front of them.

“Well, I can’t say this isn’t the first Christmas I’ve spent patching someone up. Let’s get you home, hm?”

Alec nods, too tired now to argue that he needs to get back to the Institute. He’ll call Jace. At the very least, he can hold things down until Alec can come in. Something pings, then, at the back of Alec’s mind as they head for the portal, and he pushes through the fog and the pain to reach for it.

Oh. Right. Christmas. It has just turned into Christmas Day, hasn’t it? Nephilim don’t really go in for mundane holidays, but half of the Downworld were mundane at one point in time. It’s not a surprise that this time of year is more of a big deal for them nor that Magnus celebrates it, either.

“Hey Magnus?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Merry Christmas.”

The arm around his waist tightens a fraction, and Alec can hear the smile in Magnus’s voice when he answers, “Merry Christmas, Alexander.”

Chapter 2:

II.

The Hunter’s Moon is decked out for the holidays, red bows and garland along the bar top and multi-colored lights wrapped around the support columns. A large decorated tree stands tall in the corner by the jukebox, shedding pine needles and glitter onto the dingy floor. The place smells like stale beer and a little of wet dog on a good day, but there’s now an added scent of evergreen. Alec can’t decide whether it’s an improvement or not.

Cheery Christmas music plays over the sound system, some smooth voice singing about how cold it is outside. Maia’s got felt reindeer antlers sprouting from the thick curls of her hair, and the attached bells jingle every so often when she moves her head as she stands pouring a couple pints of beer at the tap.

Alec leans against the bar, one boot propped up on the bottom rung of a stool, and his eyes drift over Magnus’s profile as he waits for him to finish catching up with Maia.

There’s the shimmer of melted snow still glistening on his eyelashes, scattered like diamonds in the black of his hair. Gold eyeliner catches the light, sparkling as he tilts his head back in a damn near giggle, and Alec can’t help the smile that spreads across his own face in helpless response.

It hits him at random times just how lucky he is to have this man in his life, how different it could have been if they hadn’t met.

He catches sight of the mark he’d left on his throat the night before. It’s hidden well enough below the collar of Magnus’s shirt, but the long line of his neck as he laughs has it peeking out.

Gone are the soft, warm emotions to be replaced with something hungrier that twists low in Alec’s chest.

He wants nothing more than to take Magnus home and get him back into their bed. His mind conjures up thoughts of last night without any prompting, the wide spread of his hand against Magnus’s ribcage, the squeeze and slide of his thighs around Alec’s waist, the arch of his body beneath him.

“You’re staring, big brother.”

Izzy’s voice in his ear has a teasing lilt to it. He can see her smile before he even turns his head to look at her. She’s dressed nice, hair up in some fancy style that she usually only reserves for when she’s going out. Over her shoulder, he can see Clary shaking snow off of her jacket by the door.

The place is getting more and more crowded by the minute. Alec had thought, foolishly, that this would be a fairly tame affair for the night before a major holiday, but when the Downworld decides on a party, the community steps up.

Clary reaches them, giving Alec a bright and slightly damp hello as she tucks herself against Izzy’s side, but Alec is only half paying attention.

Magnus starts to step away, pulled into another conversation with a Seelie Alec doesn’t recognize. It feels like his chest constricts in that moment, the slowly lengthening distance between them already too much. He reaches out, hand curling gently around Magnus’s wrist to pull him up short. His skin is soft and smooth beneath Alec’s fingertips, pulse beating a steady rhythm against his thumb. He rubs back and forth across it, waiting.

There’s curiosity in Magnus’s eyes when he turns, the corner of his mouth tilted up in a slightly confused smile, but he lets himself be reeled in. Alec’s fingers slip lower. He grips Magnus’s hand, bringing it up as he ducks his head to lightly brush his lips across the back of his knuckles.

Magnus bites at his bottom lip, smile growing a little wider at the gesture, and Alec’s heart skip-trips a beat at the sight.

“Alexander?”

The soft honey of his voice around his name is probably Alec’s favorite sound in the world.

“Don’t go too far.”

He presses a last kiss to the bare skin of Magnus’s ring finger before releasing him.

Soon.

[etherian-affairs]

Hordak’s Cybernetics

So because I’m in cyber-vampire hell I’ve been thinking on Hordak’s modifications and expanding on this ficlet and I’ve decided to just go down the list on those because that sounds fun to me and that’s what this blog is for. Me having fun.

Feel free to use any of these ideas if you want, of course. You can expand on this very easily as well, I have simply gone with a combination of what I think creates what we have seen on screen with a sprinkling of what I think he would go for to ensure his work continues.

List under the Readmore

Pre-Etheria modifications: These I headcanon as given to him before his apparent stranding on Etheria. They form the backbone of future necessary modifications. 

Neural Interface: The bridge between biology and cyberware. Monitors the brain state to ensure the modifications perform as the body needs them and vice versa. It’s actually a multi-part system implanted into different parts of the brain and key parts of his species Endocrine system. 

Somnic Node: A Pea sized implant in the back of the brain. Grows into the brain and allows regional control of wake and sleep states. Allowing the brain to sleep in stages. It does not remove the need for proper sleep entirely but does drastically increase potential wake time. Off-label use as a secondary monitoring system for the brain.

Ocular Prosthesis: Two part modification. The eyes themselves as well as the required modifications to the visual cortex to allow for beyond-biology vision. Visual intercepts allow for essentially augmented reality overlays. In Hordak’s case this is largely used to monitor system functions. Come in a multitude of colors as well as an enhanced RGB variant for those who have earned it.

Move-By-Wire Suite: Near full replacement of the motor cortex as well as the spinal column. Motor control is given over to the new computer system in the motor cortex. Spinal prosthesis carries messages faster down the length of the body than the biological equivalent. Forms the basis of-

External Interface System: Large scale augmentation of the periphery nervous system coupled with exterior facing standardized connection ports for integrating with external hardware. Coupled with a modified motor cortex even allowing for adaptation to the use of extra limbs. The Horde does not recommend using third party adapters to connect with non-Horde equipment. 

Basic Battery Stack: Hordak’s initial modifications are by and large low draw components that can be piggybacked off of his biology for power. However a modest power stack is still required. 

Post Etheria Modifications: these were acquired after arriving on Etheria. Out of necessity from injury and incompatibility with the planet. 

Respiratory suite: Lung and Trachea replacement. Etheria’s atmosphere is unnatural, and in order to reliably breathe in it a system to filter out toxins and convert the air into a proper breathing mix was required. 

Internal Rebreather: A later addition to the respiratory suite. An internal rebreather is implanted on the trachea, allowing Hordak to respirate completely internally for moderate bursts of time. 

Artificial Heart: As a lifeform grows old its heart inevitably fails. Sometimes because you have been stabbed by a Rebel soldier. A replacement drastically extends ones lifespan. 

Mandibular modifications: When your jaw is heavily damaged and you have the technology it brings long term returns to have it replaced. RGB illumination of the mouth available as an optional addition. 

Reinforced rib cage: The harshness of Etheria combined with the necessity of being able to access the chest cavity eventually required a redesign of Hordak’s rib cage to allow easier access while increasing general hardiness. 

Enhanced Digestive Systems: While there is food on Etheria perfectly edible to Hordak the ability to forego eating for extended periods aids greatly in survival. This system breaks apart and re-combines waste molecules to be recycled as usable material for the body through the magic of radiation and precise application of electrons. It does not replace eating, but it lets you go longer without!

Enhanced Toxin Filtering: When the liver and kidney equivalents of Hordak’s species inevitably break down from the strain of consuming alien food for decades it is time for replacements. These are essentially straight replacements of key organs that make up part of the bodies waste processing system.

Enhanced Power Systems: More robust changes require more robust power solutions. A larger battery stack combined with a small Radio-thermal Generator that pulls double duty with the digestive enhancements goes far to solve this problem. 

[fangzeronos]

New Year Observations

As the new year and new decade get started, I spent the day reflecting on the last ten years. I’ve seen friends get married, have their families, friends break up and get with someone else. I’ve had most of my family pass away and my friends pass away too. I’ve fallen out of contact with a lot of people, recently reconnecting with several of them. I’ve watched the country go from great to bad. I watched fandoms destroy themselves, toxicity running through them like a virus. I’ve seen franchises rise and fall, and companies go from giving a shit to only wanting our money to line their pockets.

 But looking back through the last ten years, I realize just how little I have accomplished or succeeded in.

 I used to work for my county’s 911 center as a dispatcher in 2011. I loved that job. I was forced out of it by the coordinator who seemed to think I was “spilling trade secrets” to my father who helped set the place up the year before. I sent fire and ambulance crews to scenes. I was responsible for one my friend’s deaths because I couldn’t get the helicopter launched quick enough to get to him. I still can’t look his wife in the eye even all these years later. That guilt still eats me up.

 I’ve got a semi-successful writing talent. AO3 and Fanfiction.net being where I post most of my stuff. I’ve completed a few multi-chapter epics, a lot of one-shots, some I even scrapped entirely or have been dragging my feet for months, all ranging from Teens to Explicit. My twitter (@FangZeronos) is just me rambling about television and movies and occasionally talking with a famous person.

 I started realizing through all my introspection, though, that my biggest problem feels like my life is unfulfilled. I know I couldn’t have gotten through the last ten years without my wonderful girlfriend beside me. She’s kept me grounded through everything. Part of my problem is I see how successful my friends are, see where they’re at, like teaching or a pharmacist or a drag racer or engineers or in the military, and I realize I never moved on or out of this little town. And I know why I didn’t, and I hate using this as my excuse, but it’s true.

 It was because of my mother. My mom had Multiple Sclerosis, and it got bad. It was to the point where they stopped counting the lesions on her brain and spine because there were so many. It was bad enough that by the time my sister was graduating high school, my mother was wheelchair bound. When I graduated in 2009, I had a chance to go to school full ride, no student loans, no nothing. MY uncle was going to pay for it, but I declined because I knew someone had to be here for my mother because Dad worked all the time and my sister was still in school and active in her church. I took care of my mom for 5 years. I did everything. Medication, going with her to appointments, getting her in and out of bed, helping her eat when she couldn’t steady her own hands.

 Then…September 2013, she developed an inoperable brain tumor. Glioblastoma primary multiform is what it was called. It was pushing down on her motor cortex, and if they tried to operate, it could have killed her quicker. She went through the radiation and chemotherapy, but it didn’t work. It got to the point that between the MS and the tumor, we couldn’t take care of her at home anymore, so we were forced to put her into a nursing home. I sat with her when Dad was doing the paperwork in the main office and trying to get her settled when she started screaming at me that I hated her, that I was a disappointment, I should have been aborted, etc. Same thing I’d heard for years at that point. The week before Saint Patrick’s Day 2014, she’d had a minor stroke that severed the brainstem from the spinal column. She was essentially a vegetable, feeding tube and breathing tube to keep her alive. Dad and I visited her in the hospital on March 13th, and I couldn’t bear to go back.

 He and my sister were there on the 14th, and they decided to leave since there wasn’t anything to do other then listen to the steady “beep beep beep” of the monitors. My sister looked back and said “Dad, is she supposed to be that color?” My dad worked ambulances for 30 years, so he felt her pulse, feeling the last beat of her heart. He said she smiled, like she was finally at peace. They got home, told me what happened.

 I’ll admit, I was a little callous. I honest to God said, “Good. Now we can get on with our lives and stop wasting our time with someone that didn’t want to do anything but bitch about how her care was being done.” There were more then a few fists thrown in the following days. We had a memorial for her in the middle of April, hardly anyone showed up.

 After that, I could have gotten a job, done something with my life, but…I didn’t. I stayed home, took care of the house, did the laundry, the dishes, took care of the cats, kept the house up. I still do all of that. But the fact is that I’m 28 years old and I have fuck all to show for it. A house full of video games, Lego, Funko Pop Vinyls, and plastic toys from Japan. That’s all I have to show for ten years out of high school. Everything in this town is either fast food or grocery stores or Walmart, and I’ve applied at several of them over the last few years. When I check on the applications, they say “We already hired someone. Thanks for your application.” But then still keep the “NOW HIRING” signs out all of the place.

 I do think there’s something wrong with me. I go to bed way too late, I’m up way too early. I eat way too many sweet things, don’t exercise, don’t diet. Some mornings I wake up and honestly say, “Oh, I’m still here. Damn.” It always happens between the start of September and the end of February. Today was one of those days. I went to bed at 2, was up at 7:30, had that thought. I struggle with that on a regular basis, but I don’t tell anyone. Dad’ll say I’m doing it for attention. I don’t know what my sister would say. I keep it bottled up because I don’t like asking for help or look for the attention.

 I think I’ve gone on long enough. This is about five hundred words more then I wanted…Happy new year, everyone.

 Daniel

[flowersandspacestuff]

I've been visiting the Kartchner caverns in Arizona the past 2 days, and in one cave is a huge column called Kublai Khan and it has such a massive celestial vibe like this with all its tiny mini columns between stair steps, and stalagmites growing up off of ledges.

Really a good as above so below reminder.

It's reminiscent of these great spiritual art pieces I see (often by @talonabraxas ) in which every aspect of a great multi-leveled tower is climbing and clambering up towards the light and glow in the upper part, which radiates itself down to the deepest reaches, incarnating in many forms which strive again back upward to their origins. The column is like this, and even more so because you come with the knowledge that the huge structure was created over hundreds of thousands of years by calcium rich water flowing like life-giving light from the ceiling and depositing itself in myriad of manners along the natural contours of the rock that already exists there, gradually building the stalagmites which reach and strive back towards the water origin that created them, and expanding the column to connect it ever more solidly from the creation emanence source in the high ceiling to the depths of the cave floor.

Another amazing way that nature reminds us of the structure of the universe reiterating on every level

[childhoodadventures]

A little Dream on Paper: A Hot Air Balloon and a Peach Pie

Dedicated to my father, who helped me keep this story alive with kindness and creative encouragement.  

When I was young I used to travel in a hot air balloon to all the magical corners of the world while eating a peach pie. To be honest, I’ve never had a peach pie. I’m not even sure if it would taste good or if it would be something I'd like, but the idea of it made my mouth water in anticipation. 

In a meadow surrounded by a sea of valleys, my family and I would board a basket suspended a few inches off the ground by a hot air balloon. These were meant to be short trips, so we only brought along a picnic basket with a knife, 5 napkins, and a giant peach pie.

It was a lush spring day and the only warmth we needed was radiated by the sun. The air was tart like the pie in our basket and the ambience was honeyed in the presence of loved ones. Exciting is not the best word to describe these trips, rather, they were appetizing. I tasted the wind on my skin and my eyes feasted on the multi-course banquet of the world. Each continent, each country and city, contained experiences that can only be appreciated through the senses. On this particular day, we decided to visit the seven wonders of the world- a most extravagant feast. 

Ready to take off, my father released a large stone from the side of the basket, and the balloon set sail, hovering into the sky. With no controls or tiller for steering, we become passengers, placing complete trust in the balloon and the current. We float high above mountains and rivers, pointing at neighboring birds and impressive bodies of water below, consuming all of nature’s artistry and basking in each other's awe. 

The pyramids of Chichén Itzá Mexico, stand sharp and firm. Proud architectural designs radiate the honor and integrity of Mexican pride. The balloon floats close enough for us to see the intricate carvings of mayan hieroglyphics but high enough for us to see the entire city. My eyes crinkle and my tongue captures the taste of various dry chilies and the acidity of lime zest.  But before I can fully digest the flavors, our balloon catches a gust of wind and we are sent on our way. 

Higher in the clouds, the air becomes thick and crisp. Our lungs tighten but our hearts loosen. We float comfortably in white fluff, unable to see the world below us. My mother extends her arm feeling the empty cotton glide in her hand. We float for some time. 

A tip of a mountain ascends from the clouds and the balloon begins to succumb to gravity. The picturesque city of Machu Picchu rises from the clouds with strength and vigor. A city so isolated is far from lonely and desolate. Every column, every turn, and every terrace, shares an intricate history rich with knowledge from a world that no longer exists. It is as grand as it is mysterious. But we leave the wonder behind with profound admiration, knowing that some secrets are better left untouched. 

We continue our journey to Brazil to shake the hand of Christ the Redeemer, and to bow down to the Taj Mahal in India. We shout across the Roman Colosseum just to hear our voices echo back, and travel adjacent to the Great Wall of China. With each stop, we are enlightened with reverence.

Continuing our journey to the final wonder, my mother opens the basket and cuts pieces of the peach pie, handing them out on small napkins. I take my piece and let the warmth of the pie melt in my hands. I still do not know what peach pie tastes like but I can only imagine it would dissolve on my tongue. The acidity of the peach and the flakey crust can only be a sated combination that would put an alchemist to shame. There is only one way to describe the act of eating a peach pie while floating in the clouds- the eighth wonder.

Lost in the sky and in the peach pie, we almost miss the seventh wonder and our final, but brief stop. The lost city of Petra remains unconquered and strong like the rock it is carved in. We travel close to the ground admiring a city that has adapted to the environment around it. Navigating through a narrow canyon, the pink sandstone is ornate with architectural designs that fade behind sand blowing in the wind. Like the desert around it, Petra stands fierce and immoral. 

The journey back to the meadow is not the end of the trip, rather the beginning of a new one. For I know, I will hop on the hot air balloon again and experience the world with fresh eyes and an open heart. With a peach pie in one hand, and my family in the other, I will continue to hold this story close to my heart for its symbolism reflects my inner-child, a nurturing father, and the power of a child's imagination.

A childhood story by Natalia Echeverria

[abarbaricyalp]

tin epithymía tis kardiás

(Day three: Bonfire // Read part one and two))

They passed the days like that, lazy and soft in the sun. Ronan had begun to panic about the time passing, but Adam was quick to assure him that days were faster in Atlantis. It wasn’t so much that Atlantis based time around the sun and Earth’s rotations. The ocean was its own world and the fickle light sources that Ronan could never find were fueled by the sun, but were not the sun. Even with shorter nights, Ronan felt more rested than he had in over a decade.

Adam always had some place to show Ronan, leading him around, marked hand in marked hand. He tried to show Ronan places outside, always very aware of the way Ronan’s mood lifted when he was surrounded by grass and trees and light. All of Ronan’s sharp edges were illuminated when he tilted his face to the warmth, or curled his fingers in long strands of grass, but in those moments, Adam always forgot how sharp he was anyway.

Seven Atlantean days passed before Adam took Ronan to his most cherished public space. It took almost too long to climb all the stairs to the ornately carved stone building. Friezes in the recognizable black and gold decorated the top two feet of all the three floors. Frescos dripped down the walls like after thoughts and half statues seemed to pull themselves from the columns holding each roof up.

Ronan stared with wide eyes. He’d seen hundreds of libraries, some of the best in the world, and some of the oldest, but he’d never seen anything like this. Adam grinned widely up at him.

“We do not have many volumes not in Atlantean. Only a few thousand across Greek, Latin, Egyptian and other African languages, and Thracian. I think you will find some of our Latin inspiring though.”

“How did books survive the flooding?” Ronan asked, letting Adam lead him into the open space inside. The large, circular room opened into six different rooms that stretched so far back, the spaces went dark before Ronan saw the back shelves.

“Some gods were merciful to us. Things were saved sparingly. Our library before the flood would have broken your mind. Humans just cannot fathom such expanse.” Adam only sounded a little bit smug about it. The longer he spent with Ronan and Gansey, occasionally, the more he came to realize humans were not quite so different from Atlanteans. Stunted and odd, but not worlds away as he once imagined.

Adam rubbed his hand over Ronan’s lower arm and let him drink in the sights. Adam had noticed around Gansey that Ronan was bitter and short, cutting his joy off from his voice and face. But, alone, Adam got to see him light up with the promise of adventure and knowledge. Adam had asked Ronan why this was once, and after the light scoffing and eye rolling, Ronan had said Gansey just never asked the right questions, or seeked the right answers for Ronan’s taste.

“You,” he’d said, rough fingers brushing over the scarred markings on Adam’s face, near his temple, “are always leading me just where I want to be.” Then he’d smiled and brushed his thumb over Adam’s nose until Adam giggled and had to fight down the urge to sneeze.

So, yes, Adam let Ronan look and breathe in the beauty that he longed for. But, eventually, he had to pull Ronan away. “This is our foreign room. Not many use it. I’m one of a handful in Atlantis that can speak a language other than Atlantean.”

“What about Blue?” Ronan asked with a small smirk. As the days wore on and Adam and Ronan grew closer, it was obvious Gansey and Blue were also forging a vaguely steady repertoire with each other. Ronan’s jealousy bloomed even when he couldn’t recognize it. Sometimes it was a little tiresome to indulge in his need to prove himself better, but they were both in a good mood and Adam could detect just a little bit of genuine curiosity in Ronan’s tone.

“She cannot speak another language, but her family communes with the dead and the gods.”

“Bullshit,” Ronan said, admiration plain in his tone. Ronan always believed in the magic of Atlantis. There had never been a thing he’d seen, a place they’d gone, or a story Adam told him that Ronan didn’t instantly believe and devour with a religiosity that would put the priests to shame.

There was something magic about Ronan himself. Blue had told him as much when they’d eaten an evening meal with her family.

“Domitus,” she’d said, pulling him aside into a room he knew only briefly during an attempted relationship that had gone nowhere quickly. “The man you’ve brought...there is something otherworldly about him. Not just Earth. Something beyond Earth.”

Adam had frowned at her, rubbing at one of the sigil markings on his arm. “Humans don’t have the magic of Atlantis. And no other civilization had had magic,” he’d pointed out.

“I felt it, Domitus. The air cackles around him with energy. He’s more beyond Earth than some of the elders here.”

“What kind of energy?” Adam had asked. He knew Ronan was a multi-faceted puzzle, something he’d only seen a few pieces of, but he didn’t want to lose him to magic, like he’d lost so much else to it.

“There is a spirit attached to him. Something trying to speak to him. Old and strong. But there’s something else. Something in him. He brought something else with him.”

Adam had shook his head. “You just want him to leave. You want to take him from me. Is it not bad enough that your soldiers follow us wherever we go?”

“He is the true desire of your heart, Domitus, I know that. We can see that. But your heart is not the only one in this city.” Blue had looked at him with outright pity and Adam had left the room before she could say anything else.

There was something special about Ronan. Watching him run his long fingers over dusty spines in languages that Adam couldn’t begin to decipher proved that. But there wasn’t an evil energy about him. Nothing that would endanger the world Adam loved. Ronan loved it too. Adam knew his heart yearned for the one he’d come from, but Ronan didn’t treat Atlantis like something to be studied scientifically, like his companion did.

Adam knew Ronan’s judgement was clouded. He radiated the need to be loved like he radiated energy to Blue. The scream that had ripped from his chest in the cave all those days ago still haunted Adam. He could see all of the fight and feral-ness of Ronan’s human side when his companion suggested they find a way to ‘radio’ back to a ship they had come from. He’d seen anger like when Ronan had first raised his hand to Adam in the cave when Gansey said they should return to the surface, to Earth. It was a specific kind of anger. Not the base anger that cloaked the soldiers who followed them at a distance and pretended not to. It was was an anger bred of fear and hurt.

Adam had known hurt for much of his life. Physical pain at the hands of his father and mother. Emotional pain by his own mind as he struggled to do all he accomplished. And the empty ache in his chest that had overtaken him every time he looked at his wrist.

“You used these books when you were learning Latin?” Ronan asked suddenly. Adam watched the dust stirred up by his breath swirl in front of his face for a moment.

“Yes. There are few others in the whole empire who speak Latin. When I was trying to learn what was on my wrist, I had to come here. I read every book until I saw characters and words I recognized.”

Ronan made a sound and carried a stack of books over to a long table in the middle of the room. Adam sat cross legged on the table to watch him flick through pages.

“No wonder your grammar is so bad. These barely even added spaces between most of the words.”

Adam didn’t know what that meant, but he watched Ronan’s fingers brush over the letterings. Ink flaked off under his skin occasionally, but it didn’t really stop him for long.

“Do many people still speak Latin?” Adam asked. Gansey’s Latin was not the best, but Adam’s Greek was hardly passable and that was a major language.

Ronan snorted and shook his head. “Probably about as many people on Earth speak it well, as people here do.”

“Then why do you?” Adam asked. Ronan just held his wrist out, the Latin almost glowing against his skin. Adam let out a small laugh. “We learned the language for the same reason then. And had we not, neither of us would have Latin on our skins and we wouldn’t have needed to learn it in the first place.”

Ronan looked up with a smile on his face that made him look years younger. A beard had sprouted over the lower half of his face that added years to him anyway. Gansey had had no such problems, so Adam wasn’t sure what to make of it. If it was a magic thing or a Ronan thing or a human thing.

“What languages are dominant now?” Adam asked instead. If he asked about the beard, he would want to reach out to touch it, feel the odd coarseness of human hair that Atlantean hair lacked.

“English. It’s what Gansey and I speak when we’re alone,” Ronan explained. “Um, Chinese. It’s a type of… China is beyond Thrace was. To the very east. Spanish is popular. Spain is a country to the west of Greece and Thrace and Egypt. It’s on the other side of the Mediterranean ocean. But Spanish is not quite only from Spain. It has a lot of forms.”

“Greek did too. Sparta and Athens spoke different dialects and the northern plains were so removed that they almost invented a new language, like we did here.”

Ronan looked up suddenly and Adam thrilled to see a curious but studious gleam in his eye. “Do the words Linear A and B mean anything to you.”

Adam shook his head, but didn’t let himself feel bad. Ronan always had a reason that whatever he asked about wouldn’t make since to Adam.

“I figured it wouldn’t. It’s what modern researchers named it.” Ronan switched books and continued reading.

“What is Linear A and B?” Adam asked so he would look up again.

“It’s these two tablets that were found in an excavation of sites in Greece. It’s some of the oldest writing we have. We can decipher B, but not  A. Which makes people wonder if they’re different languages or dialects, or even if language was common at that point, or just personal.”

Adam nodded. “Atlantean was dialectal for a long time. Even after they went under the water. Thracian peoples and African peoples and Greek peoples all had their language dominant their culture. We find volumes still that no one can read anymore because it is too Thracian, et cetera.”

Ronan looked like he was about to say something else when a guard burst into the room. “Domitus.” He gave a slight bow to Adam, more of a nod and gesture. “Human.” This he almost spat. “Your presence is requested in the palace immediately.”

Ronan and Adam exchanged looks, but before they could move to each other, the soldier was pulling Ronan away, marching him out of the room. Adam struggled to keep up, despite knowing the way better than the soldier.

Gansey and Blue were both in the palace when they arrived. Blue looked furious and Gansey was fidgety in a way Adam hadn’t been able to catalogue yet. He realized with a start that Gansey’s hands were bound in front of him. Adam quickly moved to Ronan’s side, grabbing his wrist to keep anyone from hurting him. Blue had traded the flowing robes she’d been wearing the past few days for full battle gear again.

“What is going on?” he asked in Atlantean. He had to. He’d translate for Ronan when he had an answer.

“The desire of your heart lead more here. They fear an invasion,” Blue answered, keeping an icy look on Gansey.

The soldier who’d brought Ronan and Adam in made a noise behind them. “We shouldn’t be telling him anything. He probably conspired with them. He probably brought them here in the first place.”

Blue cut a look at the soldier. “Speak when spoken to,” she barked out. Still, she cut to the lingo that the soldiers used and Adam didn’t understand. He leaned towards Ronan’s ear instead.

“They think there’s another human.”

He could feel Ronan tense under his hand and from the way Gansey jolted, they were staring each other down. Finally, he asked something in English that stopped Blue and the soldier’s conversation. Adam wished he knew what any of them were saying.

“Domitus, do your sigils tell you of any danger?” Blue asked. Adam looked at her sharply. “You are a priest, deny it as you will. Are the gods telling you something?”

Adam shook his head slowly eventually. “Just the energy of the festival this evening,” he said slowly.

Gansey perked up and in terrible Atlantean, he repeated, “Festival?” He said something to Ronan in English that Adam assumed was a translation.

“Henry would bring a party,” Ronan growled in Latin. Just for Adam. Adam squeezed his wrist again.

“It’s a celebration of light. The gods do not have to bless us with light this far down but they do. We thank them every year by creating the largest fire we can in one of the fields. We sacrifice animals and plants and they send us new kinds and renew our light sources,” Adam explained back.

“What are they doing to Henry?” Ronan asked.

“Did you lead him here?” Adam asked instead of answering.

A muscle worked in Ronan’s jaw and his eyes were fixed in a glare on Gansey. “We both did. There were trackers in the suits we wore. He followed our path right…”

“To the medical unit. The heart of the palace,” Adam finished for him. It made his blood run cold, to think of the danger that Ronan had brought to the city. Humans knew how to get here. Until the next shift in the rocks, Atlantis wasn’t safe. And it was Ronan’s fault.

But Blue was right. Half the pain of his childhood was being a mouthpiece of the gods. The fire the sigils would burn into his skin when they wanted him to know something, the aching they left behind, and the cold that Adam couldn’t describe when they were completely silent tormented him more days than not. But he’d spoken true. The sigils were only humming in excitement for the festival. He could almost, almost, hear the singing of the lesser gods, who were closer to Adam’s Atlantean divinity.

“It’s safe, Blue. Let them see each other,” Adam assured again. His back was to the door, but the way Gansey visibly relaxed was a sure sign that Henry was in his line of sight and okay. Ronan looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

He rattled off something in English, biting and mean, but a little fond. Henry replied with as strong a tone as he could manage despite the wobble in his voice. Gansey said something and was suddenly across the room, a soldier striding after him. Despite his bound wrists, Gansey leaned into Henry and Henry’s arms came up to hold him tightly. It was so raw that Adam looked away. He studied his thumb as it brushed over Ronan’s mark, Adam’s own words in his messy scrawl.

Suddenly, in Latin, Henry was asking, “Is this him? The soul mate?” When Adam turned, Henry was studying him, a kind of mirth on his face that Adam wondered could be removed. He must have been terrified, but he was working up to a full grin the longer he stared at Adam’s hand on Ronan’s wrist.

“That’s him,” Gansey agreed with his own gentle smile. “They’re terrible to spend time with together.”

Adam could feel Ronan’s scowl without looking up at him.

“Keep the humans together. Find the trackers. Destroy them,” Blue ordered, cutting off the conversation.

Adam faltered. “Wait. No. Don’t take him. Let me… You said so yourself. He’s magic. Look at him. He’s light. Let me take him to the festival. Don’t say you don’t want the other one with you.”

Blue turned that hard gaze on him, but Adam had been scrutinized by her enough times to stand his ground. “Please,” he added softly. “He is the desire of my heart. I cannot leave him now that I know where my missing heart beats are.”

Blue sneered and then waved a hand. “You are already under surveillance. I’ll double the soldiers tailing you. And you will make yourself seen at least four times an hour. Do not run, Domitus. He is not worth it.”

Adam thought Ronan was worth a lot of things. But he remained silent.

*  *  *

Ronan was actually very helpful once Adam let him know what bargain he’d struck. Lithe though he was, he was strong too. Not as strong as an Atlantean, but he could carry wood across the fields and chop more when men wanted a break. Through it all, he kept an eye on Adam always. Adam swore he felt the sigils warm when Ronan was looking at him.

By the time it was dark, the fire was lit and large, stretching so far into the sky that Adam couldn’t see where the flame flickered out, only where darkness bled in on the sides.

“Do you have fire on Earth still?” Adam asked. They were sitting together, alone for the first time since Henry arrived. In the grass, their fingers tangled together and they kept leaning into each other for no real reason.

“We still have fire, yeah,” Ronan laughed, looking at Adam with a grin. In the firelight, he looked young again, softer than he should with the flickering shadows playing tricks over his face.

“Fires like this?” Adam asked.

Ronan nodded and straightened up again. His muscles tensed and relaxed just as quickly. Some kind of reflex tamped down. “We call them bonfires. Usually we’re not sacrificing food, we’re eating it.”

“Is that all you do at bonfires?” Adam asked.

Ronan laughed again and shook his head. “We dance like that,” he said, gesturing to the wild and carefree and happy Atlanteans by the base of the fire.

“Sacrificial celebration?” Adam asked.

“No. It’s just a way to be close and happy with someone,” Ronan explained.

“How does it help you be close?” Adam asked.

Ronan leveled a cool look on him and Adam felt his heart kick up into his chest. “Let me show you,” he said, standing up and offering a hand down to Adam. He hauled him up and then pulled him close. “Okay, you’ll put your arms around my neck like this,” he said, moving Adam’s arms. In the fire, the sigils glowed and they were warm in his skin.

“And I’ll hold you around the waist like this. Now we just move to the music,” Ronan said, shifting his weight back and forth.

“But we dance to the words. You don’t know the words of these lyrics,” Adam pointed out.

“Well, on Earth we actually dance to the rhythm. Or, you’re supposed to. Most dance music doesn’t even have words.”

Adam must have looked appalled because Ronan laughed, head thrown back. “Don’t look like I just killed your cat. A lot of still does. But you’re supposed to feel the music, move to it.”

He kept his hips and torso shifting until Adam was moving with him. And, yes, he completely understood why this would make people feel close to each other. Ronan let his forehead rest against Adam’s and they swayed back and forth in the grass by themselves. Adam thought this celebration was suddenly not about the gods and light, but about Ronan and love.