#no plan just found some flat area surrounded by mountains and started to build more and more stuff

[fleshwizard]

And you, where did you spend your lockdown ?

[shadowkat678]

What does Sonas look like? What are the anesthetics of the city, and it's layout? How do the people dress? Is the city huge? And why is it the Last Beacon of Civilization?

The City

Sonas is a multitiered city floating above the clouds, populated by the Mabek people who are winged humanoids. I found this art that's a good representation but I can't find the artist! Let me know if anyone knows where this is from so I can reference them. I'd say the wings are bigger, and they have feathers trailing down their necks and arms and some other areas of their bodies too, but this is a good example of just the typical expected winged human look. I'm definitely leaning into the angel/fall angels symbiology that plays in with the themes of condemnation, more catholicly aligned religious symbiology, etc.

There's a number of rings, with the church and government buildings on the top spires of the city, then the nobles and merchant districts, then the common folk, and so on. The main city looks like if someone took a giant chunk out of a mountain and then it has a bunch of buildings built on and tunnels running through it all around. Because it was part of a mountain. Some parts are more flat than others and have buildings put on it like you'd see normal buildings, while in others you see building doors spiraling up the walls of the chunk of earth. For its size, there's maybe 50,000 people as of now. About twenty percent of that are the Flightless population in the outer earth motes.

By now there's probably dozens of, if not close to a hundred, earth motes that circle the main bulk of the city. Some are closer to the core, and have things like a public park, a more important buildings, etc. Then there's earth motes that circle further out that the farms that the wizards of Amos keep magically growing year round by controlling the climate surrounding them for what's needed.

Most of the city is accessible by flying, but for those who may have disabilities making it hard or those who are elderly and can't fly as easily, there are walkways and pully systems and "taxis" of a sort piloted on the giant, jeweled beetles that are also used as mounts for the Flightless sent below to gather resources under guard. Though things are slightly less accessible for the bottom rings of Sonas. And pretty much nonexistent in the outer motes by design. I'm planning to flesh this part out a bit more as Domiel has a disability herself and has to wear a leg brace due to an injury she sustained on a trip down to the ground. Disabilities are very common among the Flightless because of the work they do and the lack of support, and they've started developing their own simple prosthetics and tools to help, with old tools and technology sometimes scavenged by particularly daring individuals when they go down to the planet's surface and come across the ruins of the ancient cities and smuggle them back. Though that's a pretty rare opportunity that comes with a number of risks.

The Aesthetics

So, due to the religious and moral themes I'm playing with in the city, I've decided to base a lot of the architecture off the Neoclassical/Romantic era.

A lot of light colors, white and gold, open layout with white marble and stained glass and large, open layouts that make it all feel very big and grand. Definitely getting Catholic influences for the church and government buildings and features. At least for the upper, main section of the city.

I know those get used a lot in fantasy but it Fits The Themes.

Lots of large spires and towers and arcs, and lots of room for people with very big wing spans. Of course a lot of the buildings are built into stone, and have to be magically lit on the inside as there's less room for the windows. Lots of balconies to take off from. Occasionally smaller floating motes to just rest on, or where smaller non-food growing gardens have been planted. Artwork has been painted on wherever there's room on the outer structures as well. Scenes of sunsets and religious references and stars and views of places the city passes from above.

It very much LOOKS like a beautiful utopia if you don't think about what else is happening. It might seem like it too, in the fact no one REALLY goes without their basic needs met, even the Flightless. There are no homeless. Food is rationed out to make sure everyone has enough (though there are rules that dictate how much supplies you get, tied to class as well as things like how big your family are and how many children you have. The last point which is especially important, because growing the city out takes such effort and there's only so much space, so they actually provide less food per person after you have so many children. Especially since at first they wanted more children introduced to society to make up for the population hit from the war when Sonas first detached itself from the world, and later they had to walk this back as they were growing too fast for what they had available. This hits the lower rungs of society hardest, as you'd imagine.

That last bit of the prior paragraph also is tied to why this is the last bit of civilization. About 2000 years ago, the world Sonas is based in experienced a mass world war that Sonas had isolated itself from the effects of, but it wiped out everyone else or mutated things through magical radiation, basically. Even now there's still particularly heavy areas of radiation dotting the surface, and there's a specific sickness some Flightless who volunteer for missions get if they linger in those areas too long. Which yes is also just magic radiation sickness.

So as far as they know at least, there are no other survivors. The most powerful of Sonas had the wizards detach the central structure of the city from the planet, and it's been floating and slowly orbiting the world ever since, steadily growing larger. But as it's located higher than even the highest mountain ranges, their expanding diameter hasn't posed a problem, and the wizards have adjusted things to allow the city to continue to thrive. And over the past 2000 years the city has evolved for all these changes, and to create new social structures and belief systems that integrates this history and their new needs.

How They Dress

Since they all have wings and those are hard to get into typical shirts, most of the city wears loose, flowing clothing or outfits that are a lot like togas or the kind of wrap dresses a lot of cultures have. Things that can easily be maneuvered around their wings and quickly put together with lose fabrics. A lot of shirts and tops are tied to their back above and below their wings. A lot like the picture I have up top! Though a lot of them tend to have more extras added in like patterns, pretty trinkets, and such. You know like magpies. If I'm going to make bird people I'm going to have fun with it, even if the society itself is a dystopia.

That's not an excuse to not have fun with fashion sense. And appetences count for a lot. They also love adding fun makeup, accessories, etc.

There's a lot of bright colors in their fashion. Yellows and greens and whites and light blues. Lots of sheer fabrics layered on, but practical enough to make sure it's nothing that'll get in the way of flight. Due to not wanting to be weighed down while flying, a lot of the fabric also tends to be light.

They typically either wear light footwear like sandals or none.

Feel free to ask any other questions! Everything else about the novel I'm writing will be in the Clipped Wings tag on my blog.

[w0lfskitten]

Minecraft Game Journal

I forgot to write this after I played.

2 Nights ago I started playing some modded minecraft with some friends, they've been playing on the server for a few days already before I joined. We're playing with the SevTech Ages mod and so far it's been really fun! Also this is my first time even hearing about this mod so I have no clue what to expect.

I started by spawning on the top of a huge mountain surrounded by blue tinted trees and spent some time configuring my settings and controls before one of my friends climbed the mountain and guided me to where everyone had set up.

I was brought into a small encampment where everyone had burrowed into the ground I was shown around then my friend showed me where him and his boyfriend had set up. I was lead back to the main encampment and told how to progress before being left to catch up and learn a bit as everyone else was busy with their own things and also trying to just survive.

I started out by getting myself some flint and knapping it to make myself a basic flint hatchet and flint pickaxe, I chopped down some trees and started on leaning the crafting system which is a little different to vanilla Minecraft.

I died a few time while learning and had to take cover in some of my friends' burrows. I eventually made myself a weapon so I could better protect myself against the now harder monsters of the night. Sometime around here I progressed up a stage.

I eventually built a fire and a grill so I could cook food to better sustain myself, by now I was getting the hang of how the modpack worked and was ready to start setting up my own house.

I found a nice flat area on the other side of some trees nears the main encampment and started getting myself settled by moving my fire and grill, chopping block, and work stump over to where I planned on setting up base, I also built some chests as my inventory was very full.

I started laying the foundation of my house with cobblestone then decided to build myself a mine as I was going to need a lot more resources. I dug myself a hole into the ground to collect more cobble and decided to upgrade my tools from flint to stone.

After a little bit of digging I came across something called Greenschist and instantly fell in love with the cobblestone so I started replacing the foundation of my house with it. I'm also surrounded by a lot of olive trees and so decided to have a look at their planks which turned out to be a beautifully smooth, dirty orange colour and decided to use them for my walls.

This is where I got off as it was getting late and I was also getting tired.

I'm playing again now so there will be another update on this soon.

In the play session I plan on finishing my house and prettying up my mine, I also plan on hopefully progressing up an age and starting a olive tree plantation.

[khaotic-kitsunes]

Arrival

You know what? You can blame this part on the lovely @himawari-senpaii​ for not only fueling my dumbass energy, but for also helping me figure out what the cabin should look like and what I’ll be doing in future chapters~

Seriously though, this was SO much fun to write and I was hella thankful for the input! Though I am feeling like a zombie now, so Imma go crash for god knows how long and then when I wake up, I’ll write some more scenarios!

🥃 AO3 🥃

Cheeky Kitsune 🦊💋

.

 “Taishiro, remember when you said the word little to describe your cabin in the mountains?”

 .

 Taishiro hummed in acknowledgement as he filled his arms with the bags that the two of you had brought with you, refusing to let you anywhere near them when you moved to help; leaving you to instead stare with wide eyes and an open mouth at the not-so-little cabin he had told you about yesterday.

 It was more like a large house than a small cabin. Made of stone and brick with windows so large, it left little privacy for the two of you during your visit over the weekend; with no sign of any curtains what-so-ever.

 Even so, you had to admit it was a beautiful building. A modern design hugged closely by the surrounding forest; blanketed in a thick layer of snow that made it seem like a winter wonderland.

 “This is not little…” He chuckled at your mumbled words, now standing beside you with all of the luggage tucked under his large arms; leaving his hands free to get his keys. Searching through his pockets until a light jingle rang out, the sound sourced from his pocket.

 “It is compared to my beach cabin…” You blinked at his comment, staring at the building in front of you before turning your head to stare up at your giant lover; your mouth dropping open in astonishment. It was so easy to forget that he was a mafia boss, right up until the point he showed you his ‘little’ cabin; your home back in the city was considerably smaller than this.

 The thought making you dread the idea of how he viewed your modest house; after all, he was constantly smacking his head into the doorframes.

 .

 “Careful (Name), leave your mouth hanging open like that and I might just take it as an invitation…”

 .

 He trailed off as he walked towards the front door, fiddling around with his keys before unlocking and opening the rather large wooden door; amazing you when you noticed that it was taller than Taishiro was. You couldn’t help but wonder if the house was built specifically for his needs.

 “Especially since there’s no one out here to hear you scream” He grinned back at you when you jolted, his words snapping you out of the mental curiosities that you could think about later in the day. His words were meant to be playful; you could tell that much with ease, but given that he was a well-known and feared mafia boss. You couldn’t help but wonder if he had ever put those words to the test in a different setting.

 “Don’t get too excited, if you exhaust yourself too much with my mouth then we won’t have nearly as much fun as we could” You smiled up at him coyly, walking past before he could act on the flare of challenge that you had watched form in his honey-golden eyes; a look you could learn to love given his previous encounters with you.

 “But seriously…who else knows about this place?” You hummed out the question with vague curiosity as you walked into what appeared to be the loungeroom, already impressed with the giant couch. Though it looked more like Taishiro had had a part of the floor replaced with cushions, the edges of the giant floor-cushion rectangle having multiple places to prop yourself up into a sitting position; the entire set-up facing a large fire-pit that would certainly keep you warm once it was going. A unique way to adjust for Taishiro’s height, that was for sure.

 “No one, well not counting the men that built it…but that was a long time ago and this cabin is always empty unless I decide I need a break from my subordinates” You turned your head to look over at Taishiro, moving to follow him when you noticed him walking away already; though to where you had no idea. Perhaps the bedroom? Either way, if you wanted to find out, you would have to follow him.

 “…It’s still not little…but it is a beautiful home Taishiro, especially in the winter” Taishiro laughed as he stopped by a large bench, setting down a few bags you recognised to hold the clothing that the two of you had brought on the trip; the rest of the bags going with him as he disappeared through a large, heavy looking metal door.

 “I suppose you’re right. It’s quite spacious!” His cheery laughter was contagious, causing a smile to spread across your lips; enjoying the care-free Taishiro that had arrived at the cabin with you.

 .

 “Taishiro, this kitchen bench is so big…solid too, I bet you could use it as a bed and fit!”

 .

 You ran your fingertips over the smooth marble surface of the bench, admiring the fine craftsmanship before letting out a loud squeal of surprise, Taishiro having pinned you down flat against the smooth surface; grinding himself against your arse until you began to squirm beneath him. The action halting his advances while he cursed above you, large hands keeping you in place.

 “It could fit me, I can’t argue that…but I think you’d look much better on it, especially since this is where we’ll be eating all our meals” He leaned down to nibble on your ear, his hot breath making you shiver beneath him in anticipation; easily catching onto his hidden meaning.

 “Taishiro, you could fuck me like this for all I care…but don’t start something unless you plan on finishing it. We have an entire weekend to ourselves and I’m not wasting it on teasing touches that lead to nowhere” You pressed yourself back against him as you spoke to make your point even further, gasping when he returned the gesture, his erection grinding up against you.

 “Now that sounded like an invitation, sweetheart…” His voice dipped into a low rumble while his hands moved from your arms, down to the edges of your pants, giving a light tug to reveal his intentions.

 “It most certainly was. You aren’t the only one eager for some fun” You turned your head away from him, smiling when you felt him slide your pants down; allowing you to kick them off to the side, thankful that the house seemed to be pre-heated. Knowing Taishiro, he probably had some kind of app on his phone for such comforts.

 “Mm, can see that…you’re dripping for me already” He chuckled as he dragged two fingers across your soaked folds, enough to tease you before he set about stripping himself of the clothes that he found to be too restrictive for the current set of activities he had in mind for the two of you.

 “…About all the windows…” You trailed off, peeking back at him while Taishiro leaned down to kiss your cheek, a reassuring smile decorating his features; enough to settle the nerves that had built up within your chest.

 “I own the reserve that this place is built on, I mean, legally it’s anonymously owned to the public…but it’s mine. Which means that we’re the only two people for miles around, it’s just the two of us and whatever wild animals that happen to live in the area” You nodded slightly at his explanation, leaning back into his chest while he rubbed against your folds slowly; dragging your attention back to the task at hand.

 “Feel that, baby?” Taishiro dropped his voice down to a whisper, leaning down against your back and pressing you into the bench once again; slowly grinding himself against you until you let out a small noise of frustration. Annoyed to have him tease you like that.

 “I brought you hear so that we can spend some time together, just the two of us…and I fully intend on fucking you in every room of this cabin. In every way I possibly can. Think you can take it?” You rolled your eyes at his question, pushing yourself back against him once more before gasping out when he wrapped an arm around your waist, keeping you steady as he thrust into you; groaning low at the way your body squeezed down on him.

 “That’s my girl…I swear, you’re as bad as I am” He chuckled lightly, placing a kiss on your shoulder before using the arm around your waist to lift your hips ever-so-slightly; the result being you screaming out his name when he thrust his hips again, his thick dick pressing up against your spot mercilessly. Simply rubbing up against it while he held you in place, giving a light roll of his hips, seemingly enjoying the whine that escaped you.

 “Taishi…” You squirmed against his hold, squeezing your eyes shut when he began to thrust his hips, greedily drinking in your appearance while you bounced on his cock; your cries quickly filling the quiet room.

 .

 “You’re so cute when you’re whining in need baby, keep doing it. For me?”

 .

 Your cheeks burned with embarrassment as he spoke, unable to stop yourself from moaning and crying out with each thrust of his hips; instead deciding to ride out the pleasure he was showering you with.

 “Turn around for me baby” Taishiro groaned as he removed himself from  you, slowly setting you back down onto your feet and watching you as you turned to face him; your clueless look spurring him to steal your breath away with a hungry kiss. Swallowing any complaints that you might have had before you could voice them.

 “Up we go~” Taishiro lifted you up onto the counter, sitting you on the very edge before stepping between your legs and moving his hands to guide your legs around his waist; a silent instruction for you to keep him close.

 “You probably want this out the way, huh?” You smiled as you reached down, fiddling with the buttons that kept your chest hidden from Taishiro’s hungry gaze; finding great amusement in the way his attention dropped straight to your hand, watching eagerly and waiting for you to undo the shirt he had leant you.

 “Baby…you’ve got three seconds before I tear that top open with my fucking teeth” Taishiro growled out in frustration, his eyes never leaving your hand as you played with the buttons; deciding against undoing them. It would be so much more amusing to watch him tear the shirt away.

 “Please do~” You giggled when he dipped his head, lightly nipping at your fingers until you moved your hand out of the way; allowing him to grab a hold of the shirt with his teeth before giving a harsh yank away from your body. Absolutely ruining the shirt by forcing all of the buttons to tear off of the shirt, flying in every which way; leaving your chest bare to Taishiro’s gaze.

 .

 “Taishiro?”

 .

 He hummed in response, laying you onto your back on the bench before taking your sensitive nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the nub; pulling a sweet moan from your lips, your back arching up and pushing your chest further into his face. Encouraging his actions.

 “Look at you…beautiful…” Taishiro mumbled the words, thrusting his hips forwards harshly and burying himself inside of you; rolling your nipple between his teeth carefully, the sensation sending a spark of electricity racing down your spine.

 You ignored his ramblings, instead tangling your fingers in his golden locks, tugging harshly until he got the message, his thrusts growing more erratic; more power behind them while his assault on your chest grew less forgiving.

 Leaving a trail of bitemarks as he took the time to appreciate your body.

 .

 “Impatient, aren’t you?”

 .

 You narrowed your eyes at him, tugging at his hair before gasping out when he slapped his hand against your thigh harshly; grinning widely at the flustered look that decorated your otherwise pleasure-filled features.

 “Oh, baby…you liked that didn’t you?” You bit your bottom lip, hesitantly nodding your head in response moments before he slapped your thigh again; pulling another noise from your lips. This time, a mewl that had his heart racing.

 “Fuck…you haven’t made that noise for me before…” He trailed off, leaning down and stealing your lips in a demanding kiss, his eagerness showing through the way he thrust his hips; putting more power behind the thrusts until you were slowly sliding further onto the bench.

 “Taishi…!” You whined out his name into the kiss, crying out when his hands closed down on your hips, dragging you back down to meet his thrusts; the force behind the action feeling absolutely magical.

 “Where the fuck do you think you’re going baby? I’m not even close to being done with you!” He grunted from the building pleasure, burying his face against your chest and nipping at your boobs to distract himself; the action both cute and frustrating.

 “Taishi…hey, come on…” You whined out his name, arching your back as he continued to pull you down against him to meet his thrusts, each time sending a jolt of electricity throughout your body; slowly pushing your orgasm closer and closer until finally, Taishiro’s name fell from your lips in a cry of ecstasy.

 .

 “That’s it, ride out your orgasm baby. Let me hear you!”

 .

 You couldn’t stop yourself from crying out when he slapped his hands down against your thighs, giving you a moments rest from his harsh thrusts before he dragged you back down against him; your thighs still stinging from his harsh slaps.

 Though you enjoyed every moment of his eccentrics.

 .

 “You sound amazing (Name), crying out like that…make sure you say my name next time, got it? Nice n’ loud!”

 .

 .

 ~ ~  ~

 .

 .

 You whimpered out Taishiro’s name brokenly as your back arched, your entire body trembling while he squeezed your tender thighs, causing you to try and close your legs around his head despite the fact he was still teasing your clit mercilessly; enjoying the soft whimpers and whines that fell uncontrollably from your lips.

 “Mm…delicious as always baby girl” Taishiro hummed in satisfaction, sliding your legs off of his broad shoulders while he stood to his proper height; licking his lips clean of your juices. Taking a moment to admire how beautiful you looked sprawled out on the kitchen bench like you were; a dazed, half-lidded look in your eyes. Not quite here yet certainly not far away enough where you could ignore the almost endless orgasms that he had put you through since arriving at his private cabin.

 “Still with me (Name)?” Taishiro reached out, tenderly cupping your cheek while you lifted your gaze drowsily; barely able to focus on the man that had most certainly overstimulated you.

 “You did such a good job baby…now, come on, it was a long drive and you look exhausted…I think a nap might do us both some good” Taishiro lifted you into his arms carefully, pressing his lips to your forehead in a tender show of affection before making his way through the cabin; uncaring that the both of you were naked.

 It was just the two of you and he thought you were beautiful, there was no point hiding you away behind clothes when he would just tear them off of you again later on, once you had recovered from his touches.

 .

 “Don’t worry, I’ll wake you up for dinner. Get some rest, (Name).”

[stoll-mydam-heart]

Snow Angels

Jeyna oneshot repost from my insta but someone wanted me to post it here too so I hope you enjoy, loves <3

Reyna had never seen the snow. She’d seen pictures and movies and had the idea of what it would be like, but had never experienced it first hand. From her time with Lupa, the small hope that she’d be able to go explore the mountains with the pack had been trampled, and then, she’d found her way to New Rome. It was a long, grueling process but now she sat alongside Jason Grace in the senate room, their meeting having just been adjourned, teens in togas filing out, trying their best not to trip.

Octavian stepped up to her and she had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

“Reyna-”

“Praetor,” she interrupted, relishing in the way he ground his teeth, obviously biting back a remark.

“Praetor, I hope you realize the mistake you're making by not addressing the issue. We were sent a bad omen by the Gods, it’s not something to ignore.”

“I wasn’t disagreeing that this is something we need to pay attention to, I’m just saying that the plans you want to implement are unrealistic. In case you’ve forgotten Jason and I are the praetors placed in charge by the people to make the best decisions that would benefit all of Rome, not you. We just received this news and it’s best not to make any rash decisions. Have you forgotten your role as augur?”

“I’m aware of my role but-”

“Then are you questioning my leadership?” Her patience was waning and she not so subtly started stroking aurum 

“Not necessarily,” he said, eyeing the dog,  “ I just don’t think you understand the gravity-”

“This is not information we will take lightly but things take time. Thank you for your input but the meeting was adjourned, you’ve been dismissed.” Her tone was clear, she wanted him to leave and from the look on his face he understood, yet he persisted.

“But-”

“Dismissed.” Octavian's eyes closed, fists tightly clenched at his sides, the thin papery white of his skin stretched over his knuckles as he took a deep breath.

“Yes, Praetor.” He turned on his heel and stiffly walked out of the building, leaving the two praetors alone.

“Gods he’s such an ass.”

Despite her frustration, she couldn’t help the short laugh that bubbled from her chest as she looked towards the blonde-haired son of Jupiter. His electric blue eyes stared back at her with admiration.

“Seriously, I would’ve just zapped him.”

She sighed, standing up with him following. “It takes more willpower than I think I’m capable of every time,” she admitted, seeing the smile that lit up his face from the corner of her eye as they walked out.

The wind hit her bare arms and goosebumps prickled over her skin. It was the last day of November, the new month bringing a temperature change. They walked back to their barracks, changing into their regular clothes, and went to sit on the hill, overlooking all of camp, the sun setting in the distance, basking everything in a seemingly warm glow despite the bitter wind.

“You know, I think we’ve done a pretty good job,” Jason said, tearing his gaze away from the people running around and going through their training regime.

“Hmm?”

“I mean running this place. I mean, we’re 16 and we’re running an entire legion, Rey. That counts for something.” She entertained the thought. Would people see her leadership skills as strong for running the legion as the age she was, or as weak, and immature? People respected her, that was obvious in itself, but she knew people talked, and she wondered what exactly was said behind closed doors.

“I suppose it does,” she finally relented. They sat in comfortable silence until a stronger wind picked up and she shivered. Jason laughed and handed her his jacket, a thing he often did when she was cold which she gratefully wrapped around her shoulders.

“You never were a cold weather person.”

“I’ve never really been in cold weather,” she said a little wistfully. He heard it.

“Do you want to?”

A beat of silence, then, “Yeah, sometimes.” Her head turned towards the mountains far off to the northeast. “I’ve always wanted to see the snow,” she admitted turning back to the sun which had almost been completely swallowed by the horizon.

She had expected Jason to respond, but when she looked at him, his eyebrows were scrunched and he looked lost in a train of thought. In the distance, a horn blew signaling the start of dinner as Jason snapped out of his reverie.

“What were you thinking?”

A small smile made its way to his face as he shook his head and raced down to the pavilion.

Dinner and war games were as usual and everyone went to bed at a normal time. As she lay in bed, waiting for the beginning of the next day, she thought back to her time on the hill and wished that she was in the mountains, without having to worry about holding the legion together, just playing in the snow. 

…………………………………….

The morning she woke up it was abnormally cold. Much colder than she ever remembered it being. Her eyes found the window and she gasped.

Outside, light gray clouds surrounded the camp, a light powdery layer of white resting on the grass as more flakes fell from the sky. It was snowing. A strange child-like wonder filled her as she quickly got changed and practically trampled Jason as she ran outside.

“Woah, I’ve never seen you like this, someone’s excited,” he laughed, holding her shoulders to keep her stable as she regained her balance and composure.

“Jay-how? Did you do this?”

He laughed, “I’m honestly not sure. I couldn’t summon something this big, let alone hold it.”

“Then how? It doesn’t snow in California.” 

“Well, I-” a faint pink, tinted his cheeks, deepening when he looked at her. “I prayed to my dad last night. I don’t know if it’s him since the Gods rarely answer but…” he trailed off, biting his lip in embarrassment.

“Jason this is… incredible. Thank you.”

“Yeah well, that’s assuming this was even me.” He held her gaze a moment longer, looking away to the newly arising campers who were staring at the sky in awe. It was almost time for breakfast, but she could already tell she was going to have trouble keeping everyone's attention today.

At breakfast that morning, the entire space buzzed and you could feel the excitement in the air. Reyna took her space at the front, raising a hand to get everyone’s attention, working for the most part, save for a few stray voices to which she shot pointed looks.

“Romans, as you can see today is… a bit of a welcome surprise and in lieu of this,” she paused, eyes scanning the crowd building up some suspense. “We will be taking a day off of our daily training regimens-” cheers burst through everyone's mouths with excited shouts, squeals, and giggles. She knew it wasn’t going to be possible to gain their attention again but she shouted above and it became almost quiet once again, though the excitement in the air was tangible.

“And, If the snow continues, tonight's war games will be snowball fights.” More cheers erupted and she sat back down turning to Jason who was grinning at her like a madman. Octavian from the side looked like he was about to protest but one look from her quickly shut him up and he stalked away.

For the first time in a while, Reyna had fun. In the city, kids were running around the blocks and streets staring to the sky, tongues out in hope of catching snowflakes. Shop owners were handing out hot chocolate and inviting people inside, overall everyone in a happy mood.

Jason however, had made it his mission to make sure she did everything she possibly could. Running back and forth between buildings, dodging each other's snowballs, laying in the thickening powdery layers on the ground, and making as many snow angels as they possibly could leaving imprints all over the ground. Makeshift sleds were constructed out of old plastic and tarps, taking turns pushing each other down the hills.

More than a few times, the sleds tipped over sending kids sliding and sprawled out on the ground but no one minded, getting right back up again to the top.

“You just gonna stay up there all day Ramírez?” Jason teased from down the hill. The use of her last name sent a spark through her body with renewed ambition.

She hopped inside and with a graceful push, was off sliding down and Jason cheered. The wind whipped at her face but she couldn’t have cared less. Everything about today had made her feel like she was a little kid, delighting in the little things without the stress of a legion on hers and Jasons’ backs. She realized a moment later that she was tipping and apparently Jason had noticed too as he held out his arms, bracing for the impact as she was headed directly towards him.

With a yelp, they crashed into each other, tumbling further down until they came to a mostly flat area, Reyna holding herself above Jason. A full-hearted, happy laugh escaped her lips and it was amazing, but it got caught in the back of her throat when she saw the look Jason was giving her.

The atmosphere between the two rapidly changed growing thick with tension, both their eyelids fluttering as they came forward at the same time, their lips meeting in a soft, gentle kiss. Her senses went crazy, acknowledging any and everything around her, especially the feel of his soft lips against hers until they pulled away.

Despite herself, she blushed, looking around to see who was around. Luckily, the area was pretty scarce people wise, the few that were out not even looking in their direction.

“What? Embarrassed to get caught kissing me?” his tone teasing.

“No, no it’s not that it’s just-” he cut her off with a laugh, gently rolling her off so they could stand up.

“I get it.” She nodded gratefully, them staring at each other a little longer than necessary. Once again, the dinner horn sounded in the distance, breaking their gazes but it wasn’t awkward, more content. The dinner that night was just as energy-filled as the meals before, the war games that night being an intense snowball fight. Snow was flying mercilessly to the opposing cohorts in something like capture the flag, though their only weapons were the chunks they managed to form out of the ground.

Unsurprisingly, the First Cohort won, though the defeated teams didn’t seem as bothered as usual. That night, Jason kissed her before she went to bed and she felt happy like there was something she was genuinely looking forward to in the morning.

When she woke up, remnants of the day before had been wiped away as if it had never happened, but she was still in a more buoyant mood than usual. As she walked out the door that morning, something felt off, and it wasn’t just that Jason wasn’t there to greet her. Something was wrong. She ran to Jason's barracks and burst in with a frantic look in her eyes scaring some of the campers who had never seen their leader so disorderly.

The first thing she noticed, Jason's bunk was empty, the second, everyone was looking at her nervously, and it was by the expressions on their faces her fears were confirmed.

Jason was gone.

[silverdragon-imagines-blog]

Four and Flowers - Fluffy One-shot

[This was for the LU gift exchange back in the Spring. It was a self-imposed challenge that I’m not gonna do again... probably. I hope you enjoy ^u^]

Read it on AO3

Four often caught themself looking at the various flowering plants the group passed. Maybe it was because of all the varieties they had found, a warm red filling their chest as they saw new plants they had never seen before, most not being found in their own era, but they soon found a want- no, a strong need to see all of them.

It was late one night, the heroes electing to make camp in a secluded area they found themselves in, a more mountainous region of who knows whose era when Four spotted a small glimmering blue flower that shone by the light of the moon. They were on watch and with everyone sound asleep, Four didn’t see the harm in slipping away quietly for a moment or two.

Only once they were a sufficient distance away did they draw their sword, holding it up and letting the white light engulf their body. And one became four.

“Okay, Red, what is it with you and flowers all of a sudden?” Blue crossed his arms, eyebrow raised.

“This may sound weird, but… I was thinking… what if when we get back home, we planted a garden?”

“I don’t mind the idea, Red,” Blue spoke again, “I just want to know what started this idea.”

Red fidgeted in place, glancing between the other three nervously, despite the non-judgemental looks they had, obvious curiosity on each of their faces.

“Well… I liked the ones we saw for one thing, and then I was thinking about... when this adventure was over…”

“You want something to remember the others by,” Vio finished, Red nodding at the end.

“That’s not a bad idea at all, though… how are we gonna do it? And what plants?” Green asked, causing them all to grow quiet in thought.

“I could do research when the others aren’t watching,” Vio offered, “I’m sure we could easily find which flowers or plants would be able to survive in our era.”

“Guess I’ll start by asking about what sort of plants-- er flowers the others like,” Green spoke up.

When they all turned to Blue, he shrunk under their gaze, the tips of his ears turning red.

“I’ll… help you plant them I guess… help you pick them out-- er somethin’,” Blue mumbled, Red beaming at him with giddy happiness.

With the plan made, smiles lighting up each face, they raised up their blades returning to one, then heading back to the camp and finishing off their watch shift.

When they woke the next hero for their shift, settling themself down to sleep, swirling colors of excitement barely let them drift off, thoughts and plans filling their head with vibrant hues, but they found that they didn’t mind tonight.

They figured out whose era they were in quickly enough. Wild practically jumped to his feet when the slate registered the map of his home. Four listened in on the older heroes’ conversation, talk of heading to the nearest village, which apparently they were in luck since Wild said he knew a shortcut to Hateno.

With the decision made, they all packed up their belongings, following behind Wild and Hyrule as they made to run straight down the mountain. Four laughed as the two adventurous heroes were yelled at by their predecessors, though seeing as that was truly the only way down the mountain, the group reluctantly agreed to follow their path. Thankfully, Wild only needed to be told once not to shield surf down the mountain.

It wasn’t long until they arrived on flat ground, a small fenced-in house near where they stood with a brilliant blue horse standing in a stall, a small pond next to it surrounded by a rainbow of flowers.

“Everyone, welcome to Hateno! This here is my house,” Wild beamed, running over to the stall to greet the animal standing inside, “and this is my horse, Safflina.”

Four could see how the old man’s expression seemed to soften slightly at the sight of the mare. Twilight even approached the horse to offer her pets at her muzzle.

“She’s beautiful,” Time spoke, Wild grinning wide in response.

“I’m glad you think so, it’s been a while since I’ve been back, so—“

“Link, is that you over there?”

The group froze at the new voice, though Wild’s grin only seemed to grow upon hearing it. A man soon stepped into view from the other side of the stall, dressed in blue save for a pink headband around his head. He smiled once he caught sight of Wild, placing a hand on his hip.

“Glad to see you back with us, Link,” he spoke, “I took care of Safflina for ya, my treat this time. And I see you’ve brought some friends of yours. My name’s Bolson.”

Four could hear Legend and Warriors whispering to each other, and it took a bit of restraint to not call them out on it. Bolson seemed nice enough, listening as Wild introduced everyone and smiling once it was over.

“Actually, Bolson, do you know if Zelda is still here?”

“You’re in luck, she got here yesterday and has been up in that weird Tech Lab ever since.”

The Champion brightened at that.

“Well, it was nice meeting all of you. If you need anything, Link here knows where I’ll be,” Bolson spoke, smiling as he walked back the way he came.

Wild led them all around the side of his house, Four taking in the view of the field spread out over the cliff separating the Champion’s house from the rest of the town.

“Hey Four, ya coming?”

They startled from their thoughts, turning towards the house and breaking into a run to join the group.

“We may as well split up and resupply. I need to get some stuff to make a meal anyway,” the Champion swiped through his slate as he spoke, “and if there’s time, I need to go to the Tech Lab and talk with Zelda before she leaves.”

No one argued with that, so Four found themself in a group with the Champion and Traveller, off to find ingredients for dinner later that night. As they passed over the bridge that connected the house with the rest of the village, Four marveled at the landscape below them, taking in the sight of the far-off mountains that seemed to stretch on for miles. They passed a few strangely shaped houses, the colors reminding them of their own quad-colored tunic. The thought made a rush of blue rest behind their eyes as they continued to look, annoyance or anger causing pressure to grow.

“Hey, Four! Hurry up!” Wild called out, tearing their gaze from the houses and dispelling the headache, “You’re lagging behind!”

“Sorry,” they called back, hurrying down the hill, “got distracted.”

“It’s not a big deal, just didn’t want to get too separated.”

The steadily growing chatter let them know they were in the village proper, people milling about completing daily tasks or talking to each other. Hyrule seemed to have the same look of curiosity as Four was sure rested on their face. Wild chuckled, leading them into the shop they were next to. Four only caught a glimpse of the odd building on the far off hill behind the village, but it was enough to catch their attention.

“Hey, Wild, what’s that building behind the village?”

“The Ancient Tech Lab,” he replied, though he didn’t look towards them, “I think once I get everything I need here, we could head up there for a bit. I needed to talk to Zelda and Purah while we’re still in my era anyway, may as well do it today.”

Four nodded and stood closer to the Traveller hero who was eyeing the bulb-tipped arrows on display, the sign nearby listing them as bomb arrows.

“D’you think we’ll need these?”

“Not sure… but I wouldn’t touch them. Just in case.”

Hyrule shrugged, looking away from the arrows. Four could see Wild finishing up paying for ingredients, thanking the man at the counter with a grin as he gestured for them to follow him out.

“That didn’t take long at all,” he grinned, storing the items away in his slate, “now that that’s over, I think the others are still wandering around here…”

“It’s your era, they won’t be worried, trust me.”

Wild seemed to agree with their words, leading the way through the crowd, past the other shops. Four could see Twilight watching the kids run around the middle of the village with Wind, an amused smile on the elder hero’s face. Legend and Warriors were outside a different shop, conversing with a woman leaning against the entrance. They had to be betting on something stupid, especially considering how Legend seemed to be goading the Captain into doing something or other.

The Champion led the way over a small stream, past a large Inn and up a path lined with blue-flamed torches. Their pace was hurried despite the steep incline, and they made it to the top within minutes. Four could see the entire village from this vantage point, the view easily taking their breath away. They entered the Lab to find Wild already deep in a conversation with his Zelda while Hyrule was eyeing the several gadgets scattered about. Four, however, was only focused on the bookshelf in the far corner.

Their mind was already alight with violet-red excitement, their feet leading them instantly to the white-haired man standing near it.

“Um, excuse me,” they spoke, gaining the attention and easy smile of the man, “Do you happen to have any books on flowers or plants that I could look through?”

The man simply nodded, grabbing a thick tome from a higher shelf and passing it down. Four smiled wide, turning to settle down against the wall nearby.

“Thank you.”

“No need. Just give it to Link when you’re done with it,” he smiled, turning back to his own book.

Four started leafing through their own book, and as they read, their thoughts began to split.

‘What if we planted Daisies? Don’t they kind of remind you of the Sailor?’

‘I don’t disagree with you, Red, but I’m not sure they fit as well as you think. They aren’t really a sea plant-’

‘You don’t really expect us to be able to take care of a sea plant, do you Vio? We literally couldn’t be further from the sea.’

‘Guys, focus. We’re here to figure out which plants we can even get to our era.’

‘Duh, Green, but we still need to--’

“What’re you looking at Four?”

Their conversation cut off, becoming one once again, leaving a headache behind. They clutched at their head, looking to see Hyrule peering at their book curiously.

“I’m thinking of starting a garden back in my era…"

“Why do I get the feeling there’s a but in there.”

Four groaned.

“Okay, so I want to get flowers or plants from everyone’s era so that I have something to remember everyone by I guess? But how the heck am I supposed to even take care of some of these plants?”

“You’re talking about the Sailor’s era, aren’t you,” Hyrule stated.

Four nodded, sighing tiredly. Hyrule took a seat next to him, peering over the small hero’s shoulder.

“You know, I bet I know someone who could figure out how to get this to work out how you want it to.”

Four only watched with barely concealed amazement as the princess and Wild walked over and started discussing ways to get plants to thrive in Four’s era where they wouldn’t otherwise survive. Wild showed off his slate, pages upon pages of pictures, and the flowers they depicted themselves taking place there. It seemed that they weren’t the only ones with this idea. They smiled wide, a warm red spreading through them as they listened to the others talk. Things were working out for them it seemed.

It wasn’t long until they arrived at Four’s era, close by the forge the smith ran. By now, the group was aware of the plan they had, to make a garden with a variety of plants from every era. Wild had gotten tools and pots that were made with Sheikah tech, they would easily keep the more difficult to care for plants alive, even while Four was on their current quest.

Once the group had gotten settled in Four’s home, the smallest hero started finding a nice spot outside and near the house. One by one, the rest followed, sleeves pushed up and armor long since put away, watching the excitement on the young smith’s face. Four took a moment to watch as the area got cleared of weeds and the dirt turned over to make room for the plants. They decided now was as good a time as ever, and besides, they all agreed that they wanted to help plant the garden anyway.

Four ran back inside, pulling their sword out and raising it up. A flash of white light, four grinning faces, and the four boys ran outside to help plant. No questions were asked, the group only glancing at the newcomers for a moment before returning to what they were doing. Soon, Wild started pulling the plants from his Slate. Hawk grass and Hibiscuses, Silent Princesses and Goddess Flowers, Daisies, Tulips, Swift Violets, and Geranium flowers. When they were all put in place, the heroes tired and dirty but satisfied with their work, they saw the four colorful boys smiling wide.

“Guess it all worked out, huh?” Blue spoke, Red turning to the other heroes beaming.

“Thanks so much for doing this!”

“No need to thank us,” Hyrule smiled back, “though, out of curiosity, who planted that other flower?”

The four looked confused until Vio spotted what the Traveller was referring to. There, next to the violets was a small patch of dark-colored forget-me-nots. Vio said nothing, only looking at them, smiling sadly. He could hear Red asking Wild, but the Champion seemed just as confused by their appearance as the rest of them.

“Just leave them there,” Green said, a small smile on his own face as he watched Vio, “I think they fit in perfectly.”

[kinfriday]

Wandering Hops: Epicenters and Fears

Fear makes things bigger in your mind than they are. This is especially true in my case taking that I have an anxiety condition. 

For me, there is very little chill, and every issue, even a perceived issue can become a massive crisis in my head in an instant.  This is one of the reasons I hike. Conquering miles and rough terrain, helps turn down the volume on all the static surging around and empowers me in my day to day. 

At least, that’s how it normally goes… 

Loowit Falls, at first, absolutely terrified me.  As said in previous blogs, research is the key to a good hike. Before I set out on a trail, I check reports, check what the forest service (State or National depending) has to say. I read reviews on All Trails… and consult guidebooks if I have them. 

Knowledge can make the difference between a great hike, and an utter disaster, so it helps to do your homework beforehand. 

Cliches seem to be multiplying today, so let’s move on, shall we? 

Selecting this hike, I knew it to be a challenge. It’s rated as hard, clocks in at a whopping 14 miles, and is a there-and-back-again hike. Any time spent going downhill in the beginning, means uphill at the end, and vice versa. As you can see from the altitude graph, this was going to make the end especially tough, but as I was reading, it wasn’t the physical challenge stressing me out, but the trail reports warning me of ledges with severe drops, gravelly sandy trails, and grueling up-hills that did. 

Still, I’d been feeling strong the last month, making miles, and conquering hikes. Long hikes are my thing (more to come on  that later) so a 14 miler seemed a logical next step.  

With my chest tingling with excitement and a touch of fear, I told my team… “I’m gonna do it.” Or as Maya would say… YEET. 

So now it was time for the research to really begin. I began looking at the topo maps, and followed the trail on google earth. I made my plans, talked to my husband, and began to get the logistics worked out.  

Saturday, 0430, I was up and getting ready for my biggest hike to date, and all the while I was doing final gear checks, looking at maps, all that fun stuff, my nervousness beginning to build.  

Then the husband woke up, around 630 as he often does before a hike, just to spend some time with me and said, in fearful tones.  

“Bun, I’m worried about this one.” 

I just smiled and said. “Me too, but I have fallbacks in place, and if it’s something I don’t think I can do, I’ll turn around and reassess.” 

Then, he rose, hugged me, and began pricing life insurance policies.

I shit you not… this happened. I’m about to leave on a massive, monster hike, INreach SOS beacon charged, maps printed out, checklist double checked, and I’m looking forward to a nice encouraging talk with my husband, and he leaves to check on life insurance policies. 

It’s moments like this that keep a marriage together, I tell you. 

Full of confidence, I set out on highway 504 towards Mt. St Helens, the Spirit Lake Highway, only to run into a very unusual type of traffic in Toutle Washington. 

Come to find out, there was a bike rally scheduled for the day of my hike, and there were hundreds of them on the side of the road, making their way to Johnston Ridge, the very same place I was going.

Now, I can almost hear you reading this, and shrugging, no big deal right? Well for most people that would be true, but for me, well… driving is something that makes me feel anxious, my mind likes to mess with me, and so for many years I didn’t. It’s only been recently after a lot of work and dedication that I’ve felt safe getting back behind the wheel again and now I had to deal with bikers everywhere, some of whom were so bold as to occupy the car lane, and refuse to yield. 

On top of this, the weather turned foggy as I entered what is colloquially known as Big Foot Country, so as the long and windy road took me towards the parking lot, I was feeling more, and more stressed. 

The day was beginning to feel cursed, my confidence was getting shakier by the moment, and I hadn’t even set out upon the trail yet.   

Finally arriving at Johnston Ridge, the trail head, almost 4000 feet in elevation, the fog was even thicker. I couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of me at any given time. Still, that was enough to sight the trail, and there were others there, getting ready for their own adventures. It was a motley mix of hikers, tourists and those waiting for the bikers to arrive as they picked their way up the road, but hey, at least there were porta-potties.  

 After taking a few centering breaths, and strapping on my gear,  I set off, hiking towards Boundary Trail, which would eventually take me to Loowit Falls. 

This entire section of Mt. St Helens is filled with history, making this trail an even bigger draw for me than others. Boundary Trail #1, was founded way back in the first decade of the US Forest Service. In 1911, Park Rangers rode horses from ridge to ridge, patrolling what was then the border of two national parks, Ranier and Columbia. 

Loowit Falls on the other hand, is of the newer type of history. After months of erupting back in 1980, one morning a 5.1 earthquake struck the already battered region, and an entire wall of Mt. St. Helen’s crater collapsed, and turned into a hellacious landslide, ultimately opping a peak before crashing into the valley below, inundating Spirit Lake.

Loowit Falls was one of the many new features that arose out of the cataclysm shaping the region, up on the mountain itself, directly in the path of the former landslide.  

First though, I had to get there, and the hike starts off easily enough. There’s an observation loop that lets out to the Boundary Trail, that’s made more for tourists than hikers, so the first little bit is paved. Soon though, it gives way to gravelly dirt before angling down zig zagging and switchbacking, but I’ve seen all that before. Been there done that.  

 And there’s another cliche… 

After about a mile and a half in, still wondering if I should really attempt to go for the falls, socked in by fog I came across a sign showing the trails in the area along with this picture… 

Nervously, I set out from there, heading towards my decision point. I could have gone left, or right. Left had an easier hike, that went up to a peak, ending at around 10 miles covered, with less elevation gain, but to my right, shrouded in fog and mystery, was the hike I came to conquer. 

This was the real moment of truth. All I had was my research that said it could be challenging. Some reported the height could be intimidating, others said it was merely tough. 

What should I do?

Taking a (figurative) leap of faith, I decided to for it, comforting myself with the idea that it was ok to turn back if things got to intense, and began to descend down the trail, and the mountain, making decent time. The pillowy shroud of fog continued to lay across the trail granting me no wider vista than 5 or 10 feet, but the path was wide, and  while I did get closer to edges I still had plenty of room.

Eventually things leveled out and I could tell I was in a valley as the fog slowly began to lift, and I’m thinking is that it? Really? 

From my perspective there had been nothing to be truly afraid of. The descent wasn’t especially challenging and I had felt safe the entire time.  Unlike the husband searching for life insurance, this buoyed my confidence, even though I had eleven miles still to go. With a bounce (hop?) in my step I set out, the fog continuing to lift, revealing more of the stark landscape around me. Black and red lava rocks dotted landscapes that were in some places sandy, other places akin to moonscape, sparkling with volcanic glass and in others, covered with thick shrub like trees, or coated in wildflowers of amazing colors. Chipmunks ran to and fro, eating flowers and wondering if I was going to feed them, while birds flew overhead. 

Then it happened. Suddenly the clouds broke and there was a literal mountain in front of me, emerging out of the fog like some giant from the dusty tomes of mythologies. Mt. St. Helens lay before me in all its majestic glory, and off in the distance, a light glinted off a fast moving waterfall surrounded by volcanic sand. 

That was my half way point, where I would turn around and come back, Loowit Falls. 

I stood there for a moment and took it all in. The vista before me left me awestruck by the power of nature. Then, taking a deep breath, I dug in my trekking poles and began to hike.

And hike…. 

Then hike some more… 

As I went traffic fell away to a few familiar faces, I’d pass them, then they’d pass me as we took alternating breaks, until finally around 2pm, I rounded a switchback, and heard for the first time the roar of a waterfall. 

There it was, right in front of me, the moment I had been waiting for. Loowit Falls, in all its splendor, flowed relentless down the mountain as the wind howled off the glaciers above, chilling the air to what felt like the mid to upper 40’s. 

Buttoning down my outer layer, I made my way to a flat spot, laid my pack out and had lunch, reveling in my victory only for my open pack to flop over and spill out on the ground, voiding its contents. I went from resting to scrambling as I dove for my glasses and meds, hoping they wouldn’t fall off the edge.

In some ways, it reminded me of the day so far, there was a sensation of “emotional breathing” to the experience, stress followed by periods of ease, akin to the contraction and relaxation of breathing. Up and down, in and out, oh shit to okay…

And this was the halfway point, soon I’d have to go back the way I came, picking my way back up the mountain I had descended to get back to the trailhead. The only difference being, was that now I knew the trail, I knew what to expect, so I hoisted my pack, tightened down my straps, took some water, and got back on the trail. 

My speed increased, as the air warmed and I left the slopes of St. Helens, making good time across the dramatically stark volcanic plains. Gradually, I began to feel  more accomplished than I had in a while and, by the time I had hit ten miles I was riding high. With four miles left to go I charged forward, eager for the challenge. 

Then I started to climb. All of the descent from the morning, had to be repeated, this time going up. This is where it got grueling, as if the trail was attempting to punish me for every step I made down upon it just a few hours before, but there was nothing else to do but push through it, keep pace, and enjoy the view as I ascended, granting me new perspective now that the fog was gone. 

There were places where it was quite steep, and the drops quite far, the morning’s fog had hid all that from me, but there was room, there was space, it was something to respect, but it wasn’t anything to fear.  

 All of that worry, all of that concern, and if I had let it stop me, I wouldn’t have been there. 

Humbled by that revelation, sore from the elevation I was having to make, and humbled by a day full of experiences, I pushed myself up the trail. Soon there was the last arcing climb, until I set my feet on the pavement of the observation trail yet again, and just beyond was the parking lot. 

Setting my gear in the well of the passenger seat, I popped an electrolyte tab into my water and watched it fizz as I nibbled a Clif bar, feeling like the master of my own little universe, resting from the exertion of the day. Once I had some time to recharge, I put the key in the ignition, put the car into drive, and had a major anxiety attack.  

The problem with anxiety attacks it that you know, rationally, everything is fine. The problem is your brain isn’t listening to reason. I worked through my coping skills, and tried to get myself centered, but nothing was working. I was exhausted from the hike, and the worries of the day, and it was all crashing in on me at once, amassing as a parade of my biggest fears, and inner demons within my mind. 

I made it about three miles before I had to pull over. I stopped in at  the Coldwater boat dock, the location of last week's hike, and took a few more deep breaths, walked around the car, and tried to get my  mind right. Finally I messaged my husband letting him know what was going on. 

Messages travel slower by satellite than text, and so I had some time to sit. I looked out on the parking lot, at the strange bathrooms that looked like forgotten temples, and it reminded me that I had hiked twelve miles last week, and today, I had hiked fourteen…  

That caused my brain to stop and pause for a moment, like rays of sunshine penetrating the gloom.

I had excelled through challenges, walked along ridges, and managed my water.  I was capable, I was competent, and I was ok.

In the face of this revelation, the anxiety began to let go, and a lightbulb went off in my head. I had a weapon now against it, a reminder, that I was stronger than I thought, and as the messages came back from my husband and other supportive folks, the anxiety withered away.

In spite of all of the difficulties of the day, I had made it, and now, all I had to do was drive home. Turning the car back on, and setting into drive, I carefully made my way out of the parking lot, already thinking of next week's adventure.

[novarasalas]

Study It Out

A Voltron Fic! I finally did it!

Title: Study It Out

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Characters: Lance, Keith

Rating: Gen

Summary:  Lance shows Keith his broadsword.

Notes: I just wanted something light and innocent with these two. Also, in the series proper, we were only given a hint of their friendship, so I decided to fix that.

This particular story takes place not long after they begin their journey back to Earth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Aww...you’re adorable,” the young woman said as she stepped around Lance, her multitude of skirts swishing around her as she continued on her way towards the town’s market. The award-winning smile he wore wavered, then crumpled, as his shoulders slumped in despair.

It just wasn’t his day.

The team had landed on this planet to resupply and stretch their legs the day before. The planet itself was fairly cut off and out of the way, and this particular village even more so.

Small and unassuming, the town’s main feature seemed to be it’s bustling marketplace located at the heart of it all. They’d been told that is was the annual “gathering round”-- a time when local merchants and artisans traveled from town to town for a phebe, selling their wares and making connections. In short, they’d arrived in the right place at the right time.

But times change and empires fall, and now no one on the planet accepted the stockpile of GAC they’d been building over the course of their time in space. Not that it mattered too much, because the planet was so backwater that no official dealings had ever been done with that particular currency anyway.

Hunk, Allura, and Coran were trying their best to haggle and charm their way into securing food and other necessities. Lance had made a good effort to do the same, but something had been off about his methods. Try as he might, he was far less charming and more “adorable” or “cute”.

What it actually was, though, was embarrassing.

But there was no use in worrying about that now. With the rest of the team on task, he considered his schedule now freed up. Standing up straight and squaring his shoulders, he turned on his heel, intending to head out of the village and back to the Lions.

As he spun around, though, he spotted the one thing that he definitely did not want to deal with right now.

Leaning on a wall not 10 feet away was Keith, wearing a smirk indicating that he’d just witnessed all of Lance’s most recent rejection.

“I don’t want to hear about it,” he said, bristling as Keith’s smirk turned into a grin.

“I'm not saying anything!” Great, now he was laughing.

Sighing in defeat, Lance walked over and leaned against the wall as well, mirroring Keith's pose.

“I just...this used to be easier, ya know?” he lamented with a sigh.

“What? Talking to girls?” Keith scoffed. “What happened to 'Loverboy Lance'?”

“I...hey! That was just for the show and you know it!”

“Yeah...I know. And it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.” He looked away and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like ‘so glad I wasn’t there’.

Lance glared at him for a moment before deciding to end that particular argument before it started.

The truth was, though, it was easier before.

He let his eyes settle to Keith’s arms, crossed over his chest, ever defensive, and then considered the red symbol emblazoned on Keith’s chestplate. Once upon a time, the appearance of the Voltron Paladins would have been a cause for celebration on most planets.

But here, and on others worlds, time had not done them any favors. They’d been dead and gone for years, and their sudden reappearance was now more cause for concern than anything else. They’d been run out of a few star systems already, branded as impostors.

On this planet, things were different, if only because the populace just plain didn’t care.

They’d been heroes, once. Now they were just…

Keith had caught him staring and was opening his mouth to say something about it.

“Tell me, Keith,” Lance said quickly as a distraction. “Tell me where I went wrong.”

“I don’t know a thing about that, Lance.” Keith’s smirk was back in place. He chuckled to himself. “You know that while you were busy chatting up girls, I was studying the blade.”

As he began to laugh at his own joke, time for Lance slowed to a crawl.

Keith was different now, that much was obvious. First point being that he was here, not yelling at Lance, and making jokes. The second was that he’d just given Lance something that he’d rarely given anyone: a perfect opening.

It was Lance’s turn to smirk as he pushed himself away from the wall, summoning his bayard.

“Oh yeah, well I’ll have you know that while you were studying the blade,” he began, with an air of overconfidence, “I was also studying the blade.”

With that, he allowed the bayard to take form, a brilliant flash of light fading away to reveal the Altean broadsword he’d first manifested all those months ago.

He grinned at Keith, enjoying the dumbfounded look now plastered on his face.

“I...I...how…”

“Don’t you remember? We were in the same blade class, ” Lance said as he tried, and failed, to hold back a giggle. “Hey, what was our blade homework?”

“That’s...incredible! Lance!” There was almost pure joy in Keith’s eyes as he stepped closer, which was a bit strange, if Lance was being honest. “When did this happen?”

“A while back,” he responded as he held the sword out for Keith to look at. “I never got to use it in battle, and I haven’t even really trained with it.”

Keith’s expression turned thoughtful as he reached out and gently touched the blade, running his fingers up the center. Lance blinked at him in mild confusion and the silence around them was quickly getting awkward.

“Follow me.” Keith demanded as he pulled his hand away.

“...what? Why?”

“Just...come on!”

With that, Keith turned and made his way down the street towards the edge of town, towards where their Lions were. Lance, with a puzzled look, let his bayard fade away and hurried after, both dreading what Keith might be planning, but curious to find out anyway.

They made their way through town at a quick pace, Keith leading them through back alleys and shortcuts. Lance kept his eyes on him as he did his best to keep up; he hadn’t managed to learn the layout of the town beyond the central marketplace, and if he lost track of Keith at this point, he’d be totally lost.

Still, it was a bit difficult to not get distracted in the bustle of the city life -- the same life that was going on in every other city on every other planet in the entire universe.

Down the first turn was a food stall, the owner quickly processing some sort of poor fish for the grill. Down another street was a group of women watching their young children play. As they passed, the group laughed, their voices chiming like bells, echoing off the high walls of the buildings that lined the street.

Still another turn took them past a flower shop, and even Keith had to slow down to look at this one. The shop could hardly been seen beyond the flowers, overflowing as they were from baskets and bushels and carts, all of them in every color you could imagine, and a few you couldn't. A flurry of activity surrounded the area as people hurriedly came and went from the storefront, each loading up products or taking hold of a cart to move it, most likely to the markets. As they passed by, they left a sweet and delicate scent in their wake, and Lance found himself yet again lamenting the fact that their money was no good here.

A glance at Keith told him that he was thinking something similar -- a splash of life and color in their lions would make the cold drabness of space the least bit more tolerable.

They moved on, though, and soon found themselves at the edge of town. The buildings began to thin out as they approached, allowing the warm, afternoon light from the planets twin stars to shine down onto the streets below.

Man-made structures and paved roads gave way to open countryside. In front of them was mostly flat grassland for as far as the eye could see, broken only by the nearby river that meandered it’s way through the landscape on it’s way towards town. The waters were cold and almost impossibly blue, its main sources being from the two mountain ranges the stood like rows of sentinels on either side of the valley.

The only things to mar the beauty of the place was their apparent destination. The Lions rose high above all else, their mechanical magnificence very much out of place. At the feet of the Green Lion, Shiro and Pidge were hunched over something, possibly planning their next move. Nearby, Kaltencker grazed.

Lance had be about to call out to them in greeting, when suddenly, from the general direction of Keith, was the unmistakable sound of a bayard taking sword form.

“Spar with me.”

Lance blinked at him at him dumbly for a moment before scrunching his face up in dismay.

“Really? That’s what this was about?”

“Yup.”

“Nope. Nah. I’m good.”

“...oh yeah? You're good, huh?” Keith placed a hand on his hip and regarded Lance with light amusement, a smirk on his face “I find that hard to believe. You should convince me.”

“What. I don’t…”

Want to.

But even as he thought those words, he could see the joy in Keith eyes begin to fade, the previous excitement over learning that there was another sword user on the team beginning to wane. Lance couldn’t help but think back to all the times before when Keith would ask to train together, and how almost each time, Lance would turn him down.

He’d been caught up in that stupid rivalry then. Things were different now.

And so, secure and content in the knowledge that he was about to get his ass kicked, he summoned his bayard to him.

“Alright, fine,” he whined as his sword took form, “but I’ll have you know that my ego has already been bruised enough today, so maybe take it easy on me?”

Keith grinned as he took up a battle stance.

“I absolutely will not.”

~*~*~*~*

He’d expected it, really.

Every time he’d attempted sword training with Allura as his guide, he ended up flat on his back and humiliated, so why not with Keith too?

It wasn’t so bad, though. The grass was soft and the sky was nice to look at.

He heard a chuckle from somewhere just beyond his feet.

“You ok?’

A pitiful whine was his answer.

“Uh...ok..are you hurt?”

“...I’m ok.” he raised his arm and gave a thumbs up before wincing from the movement.’ “Ow.”

He heard Keith suck in a breath through his teeth.

“Sorry about that.”

The grass rustled as Keith stepped closer. Out of the corner of his eye, Lance saw the flash of light as he left his bayard return to its resting place.

“You know, Lance?” Keith started, pausing to lift his arms above his head and stretch. “You’re not half bad.”

Lance lifted his head just enough to fix him with a baleful look as he moved to sit on the ground next to him.

“What? What’s that look for?” Keith asked, bewildered.

“I...oh. Oh! I just uh…” he stammered out, looking away to stare are the sky once more. “I thought the follow up to that was something like ‘You were all bad’, or something.”

“Well, to be honest, you’re not exactly good," he replied with a soft smile,”but you definitely have potential.”

With that, he flopped back onto the grass, mirroring Lance’s prone pose. He shifted a bit to get comfortable before laying back to watch the clouds, sighing in contentment.

"Well, thanks man...I think”

“Oh, you’re welcome."

They laid in companionable silence for a few moments, the sounds of the rushing winds rustling the taller grasses and the gentle bubbling from the river the only things filling their ears.

“The sky is nice here,” Lance said, giving into the urge to break the moment.

“Mmhmm”, Keith murmured. “It’s almost just like home.”

“Yeah.” Lance swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. Even though they’d been on their way back for weeks, it was still hard to believe it was actually happening. How much had changed since then? On Earth? Himself? Just thinking about it filled him with every emotion he could could feel.

He cleared his throat.

“I can’t wait to see it again.”

“Me too,” Keith agreed. “First thing I’m gonna do is ride out at night, get away from all the lights and just...look at the stars, ya know?”

“The stars?” Lance scoffed, turning to fix Keith with a look. “We’ve been in the stars, man.”

“Yeah, but-” Keith turned to look at Lance “-these aren’t our stars. When it gets dark here tonight, you won’t see Orion, or the Big Dipper, or any of them that we know.”

“That...ok. That’s true.” He turned back to the sky, letting his eyes follow the clouds as they slowly moved by overhead. “And the suns are always different out here, too. I...I can’t wait to get back to Cuba. Soak up the sun on the beach. Our sun.”

“Sounds nice.” Keith let out a small, rueful laugh. “You know what? I’ve never been to the beach. Not on Earth anyway.”

“...no way. How is that even possible?”

“I mean...Arizona’s kind of lacking in oceans, so…”

“So? That means you’re coming to Varadero with me.”

“Lance…”

“Keith. And yes, you are. So’s everyone else. I’m scheduling a vacation for us all right now.” He raised a hand, holding up fingers as he began counting off activities. ‘One: surfing. Two: beach babes. Three: pizza shack...four: beach babes. We’re gonna relax and have fun.”

“Yeah...sounds like,” Keith said with a laugh. “Maybe we’ll actually go swimming this time. I never bothered with the pool on the ship again.”

“Ugh..for real. Though I’m not looking forward to looking at your pale, scrawny legs again. Maybe you can work on your tan while were there.”

“Oh whatever!” Keith complained, rolling his eyes, before they both started laughing.

“Well, are you in?” Lance asked as they caught their breath again.

Keith took a moment, giving a thoughtful, drawn out ‘hmm’ as if it was a difficult decision to make.

“...yeah. I’m in.”

He raised his arm, hand clenched in a fist and turned toward Lane. Fist bump. Something they’d all picked up for Hunk recently.

Never one to leave a bro hanging, Lance responded in kind, knocking his fist against Keith’s; the fist on the arm that Keith had lightly injured in their sparring match.

“Ow.”

“Ha ha...sorry.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

More Notes: I'd like to think that a few minutes later, Shiro walks over and kinda just...faceplants into the ground on the other side of Keith in bro-solidarity.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

[kolealuxuryvacationrentals-blog]

Kolea Rentals

Shops include Tommy Bahama and Macy’s to just name two. Two open air shopping malls, the Kings Shops and Queens Shops, are within walking distance. Secondly they are located in potential neighborhoods where buyers are looking to live or invest in a second home. Call everyone over to eat a home cooked meal together. To see the best Kolea rentals go to the https://www.waikoloavacationrentals.com/kolea-rentals/.

Call everyone over to eat a home cooked meal together. The lanai also showcases an ocean view, so you can dine, drink, and unwind in front of a breathtaking sunset over the ocean. We took a tour of the Greenwell Coffee Farm, which they claim is the oldest on the island, with coffee trees dating over a hundred years old - that still produce! As we drove closer to our eastern side location, you could tell that this was the wet side as the vegetation was even more lush. We spent two (2) weeks on the west side of the island and then two (2) weeks on the east side, staying in VRBO's (Vacation Rental by Owner).

Kolea Rentals

While here on the Kona side, we got in a few hikes and did some snorkeling. Our destination was Kona quite a ways down the coast and check-in wasn't until 4 pm so we turned off at a state park beach sign for some sand time. A little further north is the most luxurious resort on the Big Island of Hawaii which features the Four Seasons Hualalai and Kona Village. A private residential enclave nestled along tranquil blue waters and soft sand beaches of Anaeho'omalu Bay (A-BAY), Kolea rests amidst palms and ancient fish ponds near the water’s edge where Mauna Kea, the world's highest island mountain, meets the ocean. Ocean View Penthouse Availability Spring Break & Winter! This exquisitely furnished and appointed Penthouse is a must see for the discriminating Buyer. Our beautiful two-bedroom, two bath pent-house condominium is in a private gated golf course community. It is located in the FRONT ROW of the Royal Kaanapali Golf course at the 13th tee, providing an unobstructed view of the ocean.

The unit is located in Emmalani Court located on the golf course with an ocean view. Each unit is furnished with designer touches and fully equipped for your enjoyment. So, basically you have the Kilauea Caldera (biggest hole), then the Halema'uma'u crater (mid sized hole) and finally, the lava lake (smaller hole). The Jaggar Museum observation area overlooks the 950' wide lava lake located in the crater that is inside the caldera of Kilauea. Kilauea has been continuously erupting since 1983, and this is where the action was happening while we were there. Things really started happening at Pu'u'O'o when it's crater floor collapsed due to increased seismic activity on Monday (4/30) afternoon. The Hilton Waikoloa Village also offers other great amenities that guests’ of Waikoloa Vacation Rentals will find convenient and unforgettable during their fantastic Big Island vacation. Kolea is centrally located within the Waikoloa Beach Resort and offers easy access to all the amenities. The entrance of the Kolea Beach Club has a nice covered lounging area with couches. To see the top rated Kolea rentals follow the link.

It’s a very short walk to the pool area from building 11. As you pass from here to the beach at “A-Bay”, you’ll pass by some ancient Hawaiian Petroglyphs carved in the lava rock. Upon turning into the area and drove down the palm-lined road, we looked for signs for our resort only to get to the far end of the developed area without finding it. There was a little walkway down the back onto the beautiful beach that lead to the ocean. The Beach Club is also available to all guests of Kolea including the infinity pool, natural lava rock Jacuzzi, workout hale, sand bottom children’s’ pool with waterfall, shaded seating areas and more. Everyone tried a little more snorkeling but the wind was picking up and the water turned choppy. Brilliantly decorated, one bedroom, two bathroom resort condo with garden/mountain view, Kolea 16E, In Waikoloa. When you are ready for some rest, the master bedroom is furnished with a luxurious California King-size bed, flat screen TV, and has an attached master bathroom. The 2nd bedroom offers a Queen bed, 50” flat screen TV and an en-suite bathroom. Waikoloa Vacation Rentals offers excellent accommodations, with nearby shopping, restaurants, and activities.

Waikoloa Vacation Rentals provides each party with a personalize discount card upon check in that allows you to obtain discounts at many of the best Waikoloa restaurants. Waikoloa Vacation Rentals manages vacation rentals at Kolea, Halii Kai, Mauna Lani Terrace and Vista Waikoloa. Waikoloa is famous for its fabulous beaches and mega-resorts. A truly spectacular vacation rental propery. We now have two amazing Kolea condos available for vacation rental. The units either have two or three bedrooms and range from 1,270 sq. ft. I am pretty sure would have been in violation of our rental car agreement. Enjoy Breathtaking Views & Magical Sunsets from your Big Island Condo Rental . Welcome to our hand-picked collection of luxury vacation rental properties in Kolea. Kolea 6B is perfect for a family as it can accommodate up to 6 guests with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. We talked with many locals that told us "this is the wettest spring I can remember". Currently all homes that were under construction are completed with some vacation lots. Nestled behind these villas are 50 two bedroom villas and ten 3 bedroom villas.

4 Best Places to Visit on Kolea

The beautiful, scenic island of Oahu has many spectacular lookout points. From atop a mountain, aside a cliff, or perhaps from your window of a high story in Waikiki, visitors are consumed by the breathtaking views available to them. This bird's eye vantage point enables you to admire the jagged coastline, observe the lush green that coats Oahu's mountains, and appreciate the gentle rhythmic tweet from the Myna bird. Several from the best Oahu lookout points are detailed below.

The island of Hawaii or perhaps the Big Island may be the largest and many eastern of all of the islands. This is a volcanic island and it's also home to Mauna Kea the worlds tallest mountain. At 33,000 feet from the sea base, it can be taller than Mount Everest's 29,029 feet. Some popular attractions there include Akaka Falls, East Hawaii Cultural Center along with the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Vog emitted through the Hawaiian volcano Kilauea is generally described as annoyance, but it actually helps to make beautiful Hawaiian sunsets. Particles via a flight such as dust and soot are what result in the intense red and orange diffraction of light throughout a sunset. On days in Hawaii with thick vog the sun's rays turns a deep red that is quite different from normal sunsets, but still quite breathtaking. The differing amounts of vog daily permit an intriguing variance in hue and intensity. This makes each Hawaiian sunset unique and surprising.

From what I saw, Honolulu was OK... I mean, nothing crazy. It doesn't have a very real identity plus it appears like something has nothing related to the landscape that surround it. But anyway, it is not an undesirable city. Pearl Harbor is must see, yes it's! It has a great deal of history, not forgetting the USS Arizona that may add breathtaking if you feel about what happened during World War II. Then, my hotel was near Waikiki Beach... so I would have that "privilege" to unwind at a best beaches on the globe (???). I think that electronics equipment ? so appealing could be the cool location (Hawaii) and all the fancy and expensive shops that may be found around it (I don't remember fondly the brands, as I am not really a sopping-fan, but I can guarantee that they were some of the most popular ones). But as regards the specific beach, meaning the sand and the water, I was actually disappointed, cause both of them are nothing special. So I would rephrase the sentence and claim that Waikiki beach can be viewed one of many "fanciest beaches in the world" in contrast to one of several "best beaches on the globe".

Your big event day will probably be taxing and chaotic. Plan for this by scheduling it later within the day. In this way, you are able to allow ample time and energy to prepare yourself without requiring to awaken too in advance. Supposing you may get their hands on energy for it, course a snug event.

To read more about Kolea rentals visit https://kolea-hawaii.com/.

[mwcowan]

Mark & Georgia’s 2018 Philippines Trip

Here we go again, another trip, another blog. For those of you familiar with our recent Road Trip blog this will be of a different sort because it’s going to be a different sort of trip, a mix of business and pleasure. We’ll be based at Georgia’s mom’s house in Manila, making a series of short trips here and there over the next month. Hopefully it will result in some interesting thoughts and photos.

Day 1:  Graeagle to Sunnyvale to San Jose to SFO

Seems like I was driving all day, although it was a pleasant drive until I got close to the Bay Area into all the traffic. I’ve really gotten used to the “traffic” in Graeagle, where it’s unusual to see more than 3 cars in town. At Georgia’s suggestion I drove straight to EBR for a visit with my old colleagues and to check up on how things are going there. Quite well it seems, with a number of development projects underway, what we engineers like. But everyone seems to be really stressed with all the clinical and regulatory related tasks on their plates now. That’s what I knew would be coming with the US clinical trial, and I’m even more certain I picked the right time to retire.

Took an hour in that lovely traffic to drive from EBR to Georgia’s sister Dinah’s house (all of 12-13 miles) and another hour to drive to SJC and back for Georgia to return her rental car (she had flown there last week). An hour to pack Georgia’s stuff and back on the road to SFO. In our Road Trip blog it was noted that Georgia has trouble packing light and this trip is no exception.

The box weights 69.5 pounds (carefully titrated as the airline limit is 70), the black suitcase is about 55 pounds, the red carry-on is acceptably light. Not shown is a backpack. Yes she has problems packing light. OK, to give her a break, since we’ll be in Manila on Thanksgiving, the box contains a frozen turkey, ham, and all the fixings for a proper Thanksgiving dinner, things that you can’t get in the Philippines. Plus a LOT of other goodies for her mom, our snorkel gear, etc..  She got her standby cleared quickly, got her ‘luggage’ checked with a few stares from the baggage handlers, and was soon off to her flight to Hong Kong.

With my flight to Tokyo in the morning, I overnighted at an inexpensive motel near SFO,  one that turned out to be unexpectedly nice. At least I wasn’t itching in the morning.

In case you don’t know, in the interest of national security we don’t fly together. That’s not really it… Georgia flies Cathay Pacific since she gets family privileges from her sister Vinee, a CP flight attendant. Georgia pays a ridiculously low fare for business class. I fly United since I spent so much time with my butt in their seats for business travel I can buy the cheapest economy fare and use my miles to upgrade.

Day 2: SFO to Hong Kong (Georgia) and Tokyo (Mark)

Both of us had very bumpy flights, on mine the seat belt sign was on most of the time, and the flight attendants were told to buckle up multiple times. Didn’t stop me from eating and drinking my way across the Pacific though; I arrived in Tokyo fully stuffed. Georgia reports the same on arrival to HK.

Flying in the front of the plane is the only way to go; I fear the day when my miles run out. Georgia may have to take a job with an airline so I can get family privileges. Anyway, she’s continuing on to Manila this afternoon while I’m overnighting in Tokyo at another airport hotel and flying on to Manila tomorrow morning. The flight with a 19-hour layover is a lot cheaper than one with a short connection, saving much more than the cost of a hotel. That’s a good enough reason but I admit to being a travel wuss, I like having this break to get cleaned up and rested. No reason to hurry!

Day 3: Tokyo to Manila

Easy travel day to Manila for Mark; couldn’t sleep so got up early and went to the airport (a 2 min walk from my hotel) and had breakfast at the nice ANA lounge. Smooth flight to Manila but with the usual holding pattern on arrival. I’ve never flown into that airport without doing at least a few circles. I think the airport planners are the same people who planned the traffic control in Manila.

Speaking of Manila traffic, shortly after I arrived we needed to drive Georgia’s mom to meet with the family attorney to have some documents notarized. Off we went to Alabang, one of Manila’s districts, with Mark driving and only a vague idea of where we were going… after many calls to the attorney we finally decided we’d never find the meeting spot and just parked and told him where we were. He knew the area well and was able to find us. By the time we headed back home it was dark, which makes driving in Manila even more terrifying. People all over the place, motorcycles, trikes, and jeepneys pulling in and out and stopping wherever and whenever. Feels like you’re inside a video game. Luckily we got home before we ran out of lives; Mark quickly headed to the fridge to grab a much-needed San Mig.

Sorry for not having more pictures, but there havn’t been many photo opportunities up to this point. Things will pick up in a day or two.

Day 4: Manila to Tacloban

A couple errands this morning then back to the house to pack our bags for a 3-night trip (nice light luggage this time!) then to the airport for a quick flight to Tacloban on Leyte island. A couple days of business to conduct here and in Catbalogan on the nearby island of Samar. You probably remember Tacloban from the 2013 super-typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines). Tacloban was the center of devastation from this storm. The city was all but destroyed; nearly 6000 perished in this city alone. Flying in we could see one of the reasons the storm wreaked such havoc – the city and territory surrounding it are very level and low-lying, stretching flat many miles until the mountains are reached. Besides the winds which removed nearly every roof in the city, storm surges of up to 20 feet did the most damage, including completely leveling the airport we flew into. We didn’t know what to expect, but were pleased to see a strongly recovering city and meet a few people whose strength, determination, and pride are readily apparent. There are still a few reminders of the storm, we saw 4 or 5 abandoned, gutted, roofless buildings, but almost all traces are gone and the city has been rebuilt, at least on the roads we passed.

In a striking contrast to Manila, traffic here is very civilized. Our taxi driver actually stopped and let another car enter a roundabout before him! To regress a bit and explain Manila traffic, in the US we drive (most of us at least) by the lines on the road and by rules where for every situation the right of way is defined. Right of way in Manila is determined by which car can squeeze a millimeter in front of the other. Georgia has remarked that it’s a great waste by the government painting lines on the roads as no attention whatsoever is paid to the lines, the number of lanes being defined by the number of cars, trucks, and motorcycles that can possibly squeeze side to side within, and often beyond, the edges of the roadway. It can seem like total chaos, but carnage and catastrophic accidents are minimal as traffic speeds using these principles are generally reduced to a crawl.  Vendors in flipflops can walk in between and around cars without fear of being run over as they can move faster than the cars can.  It surprisingly works as long as you’re in no hurry to get somewhere.

A side note... if you like a glass of wine or two, finding it can be challenging as the Philippines is not at all a wine-drinking nation. Interestingly enough, grape cultivation and winemaking were brought to California by the Spanish Catholic priests and followed the path of the missions. Yet with 300 years of Philippine colonization by the Spanish, grape growing appears to have been unsuccessful here and wine can be difficult to find.

Normally we don’t worry about it and settle for a cold San Miguel. This evening Georgia was craving a glass before dinner so we asked at the hotel desk where we could find a bar or restaurant that could help us get a fix, and we were pointed to a place across the street.  Georgia was excited when the menu had a small wine list, including two Cabernets and a Merlot. She asked for one of the Cabernets; the waitress said she had to go check if they had it. She came back shortly and apologized, saying they were out of that wine. Georgia asked for the other Cabernet. Sorry we’re out of that one too. OK, what about the Merlot? Sorry ma’am, we’re out of the Merlot too. Do you have any wines? No ma’am, we’re out of all wines. Amusing to us at least as this is a recurring story – we’ve even seen nice restaurants in large hotels in Manila, with impressive wine lists, unable to produce anything but a Barefoot Bynum red. Maybe Georgia goes to work for an airline, and Mark starts a wine import business. We finally got a lead for a nice Italian restaurant, which had a good selection of Italian wines. An excellent dinner and Georgia finally got her wine! Another thing you wouldn’t expect here is great Italian food – we both feel that we’ve found some of the best outside of Italy, in restaurants started by Italian ex-pats who have been captured by Filipina wives (or vice-versa)! I can understand that. 😊

Day 5:  Tacloban to Catbalogan

This morning’s business was a meeting with the local head of the Philippines Land Bank. This is a government-chartered organization obtaining land and re-selling to farmers. The income from the farmer’s loans funds the acquisition of property. The subject transactions here are about 165 hectares (400+ acres) of family-owned property in Catbalogan, much of which has been settled on by squatters/farmers. This is the type of land the Land Bank is trying to get, to officially distribute to the squatters and make them legal taxpayers. The family has been trying for many years to deed the property over and receive payment. Many frustrating years, always being told that this document or the other is needed; when that’s produced there’s always another. And then the next time they go back, the official they were working with isn’t there any more and no one has any recollection of previous actions.

The meeting went well, it seems that the government is making an effort to centralize and simplify these things, for example going forward this can be handled through the office in Manila rather than having to travel to Tacloban. According to the official very little is left to do before this can be completed. Georgia warns that we shouldn’t count on this assurance yet.

Now we’re tourists for the afternoon – our driver picks us up from the Land Bank and we head towards Catbalogan. We’d hired a driver and car for the day to take us around on our errands and then deliver us to Catbalogan, about 110 km from Tacloban. On the way he drove us through one of the areas hardest hit by the typhoon, a low-lying seaside area of shanty homes. You may remember seeing post-typhoon pictures of a large freighter sitting on land quite a way from the water – rather than removing the whole thing they left it in place, some 300 meters from the water, built some structure around it and turned it into a memorial for the Typhoon victims. Strange to see a freighter in the neighborhood but a fitting tribute.

The disturbing part of it though is the neighborhood. The whole area was completely swept bare, but it’s been rebuilt as it was, with poorly constructed shacks of wood and tin. That’s how the people lived before, and what they know, but it’s a shame that the government didn’t help relocate them or at least build more substantial homes.

We drive over the San Juanico bridge which links Leyte and Samar islands, the longest bridge in the Philippines, built during the Marcos regime. Current president Duterte plans to build a longer one (mine’s longer than yours!) linking Luzon to Visayas but it hasn’t been built yet. Following the bridge is a winding 2-hour drive up the mountains and back down into Catbalogan.

Catbalogan is a city “in the provinces”. I’d heard that term before but wasn’t sure what Filipinos were referring to – the meaning is similar but more polite sounding than our euphemism “out in the boonies”. It’s a busy city, but very remote and without many of the amenities you find in the larger cities. We’re booked at the most expensive hotel in town: a “deluxe triple room” with private bath is $34/night. The room is cozy with a double and a single bed and not much space to move around, but the hotel is spotlessly clean, due we think to the army of OJT (on-job-training) helpers from a local high school. At least 20 of these always-smiling faces are constantly cleaning and re-cleaning, each one stopping to give us a warm greeting whenever we appear, coming or going.

To me, Catbalogan is the “city of trikes”. Manila has a lot of trikes, but this city is totally clogged with them, and they’re all in (slow) motion all the time. Both motor- and human-powered, passenger trikes and delivery, they’re everywhere. Colorful, each has been customized by its owner, with the owner’s name and often a favorite bible verse or a personal testament to the glory of God emblazoned on front or back. Some busses and delivery trucks are also on the streets, but few private cars. Why would you need one? A noisy and bumpy ride on a motor trike costs 8 pesos (about 15 cents) to take you anywhere in the city. The pedal trikes are the economy ride, only 7 pesos. We go first class!

You can play a quick video of a trike ride in Catbalogan here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3SMSh43GFNhmnvf79

Day 6:  Catbalogan

Business day #2 with visits to the Registry of Deeds (task is to get the deed to the property annotated with the names of the new settlers), then to the Department of Agrarian Reform (task unknown). Conference with Georgia’s sister in the US and back to the DAR to ask for a map of the new property division. Both the ROD and DAR have promised to have the documents ready tomorrow morning so back we’ll go.

While here in Catbalogan we’ve been “taken care of” by a family that is linked to Georgia’s by a long friendship. Third-generation daughter Bayan has been helpful getting us to the various appointments; today we met Lola (grandmother) Noling, the family matriarch, at her electronics and appliance store she’s been running for 65 years. She’s 87 and going strong, no hurry to retire. We were chatting in the store and asked if they knew a place that had good Tomalos – a Filipino take on the tamale with rice “masa” around a pork filling, coated with peanut butter, then wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. With typical Filipino hospitality, it seemed only minutes before table and chairs were pulled out and Tamalos and Lumpia appeared for us to try. Different, delicious, and RICH! Georgia and I couldn’t quite finish a whole one. And also in true Filipino fashion just as we were putting our forks down we were asked what we’d like for lunch. Oh jeez, didn’t we just finish lunch? Lola Noling definitely wanted to take us out so we agreed to dinner, we’ll meet her at the store around closing time.

Dinner was at a nice restaurant right on the harbor, with Lola Noling, daughter Collette (Bayan’s mom), two of her sons Bong and Jun, Bayan, and a few more family members. A feast of delicious food, more than enough beer, hilarious conversation with her sons trying to speak English and me trying to understand Taglish – it was one of those amazing times that leaves you with a smile, a warm heart, and a new family.

Day 7:  Catbalogan to Tacloban to Manila

Georgia thinks I’m writing too much. Maybe I’m trying to find things to write about in the absence of any real interesting travel. I’ll keep it short today.

Two more appointments this morning. First back at the DAR to pick up maps of the property. This visit was successful. Then an appointment at the Registry of Deeds to meet with the registrar whom Georgia had an appointment with yesterday but she wasn’t in the office. She was most helpful (not) explaining the number of documents that still needed to be completed and 2 new cities we would have to visit to get this done. One step forward, 2 back.

We took a shared ride van back to Tacloban, through rain most of the way. The highlight of the day was a 30 minute trike ride from the van terminal to the airport, in the rain. Remember, these things don’t have doors – Mark held an umbrella out as a door/windshield and managed to stay pretty dry. His luggage tied to the back of the trike didn’t fare quite as well.

Day 8:  Manila to Nasugbu

Finally! Today we made the 2 ½ hour drive from Manila to Nasugbu, the location of Kawayan Cove and our house-to-be. This is the third time we’ve made this drive ourselves (no driver) and it’s starting to seem familiar, at least when we get out of Manila and onto the Cavite Expressway heading south. Today I got very much the same feeling as when I drive from the Bay Area to Graeagle, with lots of traffic and the associated stress until we reach Auburn, about halfway there. After that it’s an enjoyable drive through the mountains and pine forests the rest of the way. This was very similar – through Manila, Cavite, all the way to Naic it’s a lot of traffic and those ever-annoying trikes. Past Naic you enter the mountains, tropical jungle rather than pine trees, and all the traffic, trikes, and stress disappear. Finally we get our first view of the Batangas coast, and get that peaceful feeling that we’re getting close to home.

We’re staying for three nights at Punta Fuego, a members-only golf and residential club just up the coast from Kawayan Cove. Luckily one of Georgia’s brother-in-law’s parents are members here and can make reservations for us at one of the club’s guest “casitas”.

Lovely place with a lot of different beaches and nice amenities – we looked at properties here but as this is one of the older developments along this coast all of the better lots are already taken, and we had our hearts set on an ocean view. Not to mention the prices, and the monthly dues, and all that…

Tomorrow we get to see our house for the first time!

[orcinus-ocean]

Kolmården The Wild Kingdom

My dear man found and bought this book for me last week, in a thrift store. It’s from 1974-1977, and is all about Kolmården Zoo. I will translate as well as I can (not the whole book, but select pieces), because I think at least some of you find stuff about old zoos and dolphinariums as interesting as I do.

"The wild kingdom" is roughly translated, it's actually more like "the kingdom of those who are wild".

Note: in this article, they're talking far and wide about the landscape of the area and the controversy in exploiting/working it. I put an extra headline where they actually start talking about animals.

Are Zoos Needed?

When it became publicly known that a zoological garden was being planned in Kolmården (pronounced Kohl-MORD as in “over” - ehn, in old Swedish meaning “dark forest”), it awakened a certain and partially strong opposition. Kolmården was - and is - one of the few wild forest areas in south Sweden. The terrain is hilly, rational forestry is difficult. The fault steep between Östergötland’s rich dung earth and Sörmland’s “slippery hills” is sharp and marks one of our country’s most palpable and most geographically manifested landscape borders (note: “landscapes” are the old type of provinces in Sweden). The ancient border between Götaland in the south and Svealand in the north also went here, even if no one today can mark it out exactly.

In short, it was a sensitive area to be exploited. Certainly, nature enthusiasts from Norrköping and other adjacent urban areas had wandered here and enjoyed the untouched wilderness. Certainly there were paintings by Elias Martin and others who illustrated the area’s originality and and “wildness”. Certainly Kolmården had a tone in the name that came for us swedes to identify with it, untouched wilderness in south Sweden. Not the least Selma Lagerlöf had contributed to that attitude.

So now this area was to be exploited. Myself, I belonged to the critical and skeptical. But I have changed. The area is not destroyed, it is exploited in a reasonable way. Where before perhaps a few thousand people wandered about annually, now up to a million people comes into contact with Kolmården’s nature. Although it is not the nature which is the attraction, but the animals in the pens. But people come, one has to wander long roads to see all the animals of the park, one gets fresh air and exercise, and hopefully one also learns something.

Also, the park is not just oriented towards animals in captivity: there is bath and winter sport, the surroundings attract to further hiking and camping, Bråviken’s blue surface can be dotted with sail- and motor boats outside the park, there is a guest harbour, etc. Kolmården has already meant and will continue to mean a lot for the outdoor life in middle Sweden.

That a zoo of Kolmården’s vast proportions came to be placed right here was probably by chance. But now in hindsight, one can note that the situation is fine. Just nearby, the E4 runs with denser and denser traffic. People on a vacation trip happily take a break from the driving and spend a few hours in the park.

A large part of Sweden’s population is within a day trip’s distance from the park: the Mälar Valley with its many and growing cities, the populous Östergötland, the Örebro area. An excursion at 100 kilometer’s distance from the home is not too far as long as the cars can roll and the gas is enough.

Certainly the area is sensitive with its wild cliffs and old, fragile forests. And the facility’s size and scale have of course set deep scars. But the one who comes to Kolmården the first time can hardly avoid being surprised over how well buildings and facilities are fitted to the terrain. Even in the middle of the area, one can sometimes feel as if alone in the boundless forest, one does not see much of the houses and stables, they connect well to nature, low and painted in dark, discrete colors. The cable way’s slender masts and the wide forest street which is clear cut below it is perhaps the most conspicuous encroachment.

The cliffs and rocky knolls are used both as practical and decorative elements. One avoids concrete and would rather build walls from left-over rocks from the marble quarry. The tiger pen consists to a large part by vertical cliffs. The polar bear mountain is a natural knoll. The Aparium houses, under its vast rook, one of Kolmården’s tallest points, 117 meters above the surface of Bråviken.

Here begins the topic of the actual animals, and the 1970s take on the topic of zoos.

If the nature and environment of Kolmården’s Zoo is treated in an admirable way, how is it then with the most important, the confined animals? Does one at all have the right to deprive the animals of their freedom and trap them for viewing in a zoo?

It stands clear, that all animal lovers would rather want to see wild animals in freedom and enjoy polar bears among the drift ice of the arctic, or admire the rhinos on the African plains. But how many get the opportunity to do that?

People’s need to see living animals is great and it is one of the most important reasons that we do not just accept, but encourage, zoological gardens.

And the freedom for the wild is becoming more and more limited. One can hope for vast reserves and national parks where the fauna can survive humanity’s population explosion, and such do exist and are being created on a conveyer belt. But unfortunately we have no guarantees that the reserves will be enough and remaining in perpetuity.

Many animals have their very existence threatened, and as long as the understanding for sufficient reserves have not grown large enough, a zoological garden can in many cases save an endangered species. The goal should be to protect such species as long as they need protection, in order to then reintroduce them in appropriate areas, where they can then take back their wild and independent lives. But we will come back to this. In any case, the saving of certain species is one of the strongest reasons for the justification of zoos.

One can draw forth many other reasons: the needs of children for contact with “cute” animals. Opportunities for that exist in plenty in Kolmården’s children’s area. The need for research, perhaps mainly ethological. Zoos have contributed to such in the highest degree. The need for gene reserves: we don’t know which attributes and genes we in the future may need and even be dependent on for our survival. The zoos can create such reserves.

But no matter how many reasons can be cited, they all fall flat on the ground if the animals aren’t cared for properly and if they don’t get adequate spaces. I am convinced that all who come to Kolmården will be impressed by the meticulous care, vast spaces and relative freedom the animals are given. Kolmården Zoo has, in that aspect, quickly obtained a reputation of being one of the world’s finest parks - perhaps the finest.

[writinganiki]

Greed x Reader 9

Crickets and cicadas chirped in the hot summer night air, giving a muffled cover to your footsteps and movements. Greed and Ling led you down a previously scouted path, optimizing keeping your movements inconspicuous and ordinary while also optimizing a route out of the city. Your heart pounded in your chest as your ran from street to street, anxious with the knowledge, or possibly lack thereof, of being attacked or intercepted. Much to your annoyance, Greed hadn’t really bothered collecting much intel on the group that he swindled the philosopher’s stone from being too caught up in the excitement of the find. The most the two of you had to run on was that they were skilled alchemists with enough knowledge and resources to create both a philosopher’s stone and at least one humanoid chimera. You were still trying to wrap your brain around even the mere existence of chimeras as more than just something in research and rumor, but you shrugged it off for now attempting to stay focused on the task ahead. With all of the variables it was nearly impossible for the three of you to be prepared for an attack, and with only two bodies, even with your mutual metallic augmentations, their numbers also remained a mystery leaving an overwhelming force not entirely out of the equation.

You glanced over at your companion walking swiftly alongside you, he was moving calmly but with purpose, his eyes focused straight ahead, obscured slightly in the darkness of the night. Looking down slightly, you assumed it was Greed currently in control, catching glimpses of the dark gunmetal coating hiding just beyond the edges of his sleeves, ready to extend of his hands to become weapons at a moment’s notice. Though you couldn’t see his eyes, Greed wore a determined look on his face, his lips lightly pursed in a balance of focus and thinking. He was clearly managing to both keep a strong watch around for danger while also coming up with constant plans for attack or escape, even if it was aided by the extra ‘head’ he had with him, it still amazed you. Unexpectedly, he turned his head, nearly catching you staring a bit, but you managed to quickly switch your expression to a more concerned and inquisitive one. “You’re anxious about an attack aren’t you? Don’t try and strain yourself keeping an eye out, I can easily take care of that, just be ready in case of something happening, ok?” To your surprise, it was Ling who spoke despite your assumption of Greed being in control due to his power being active.

A brief moment of surprise passed along your face before you nodded in affirmation. Catching that Ling had noticed your look, you spoke up first, “I was surprised to hear your voice Ling, I had thought Greed was taking the lead.” You motioned slightly towards his arms.

“Oh! My apologies, I guess I didn’t explain it properly. Greed and I kind of share everything in a way, abilities, ideas, body, not much hidden between the two of us.”

Before you had a chance to respond, Greed spoke up, “And the kid’s right. Don’t worry your head over keepin’ watch. We’re friends now and I don’t let anything happen to my friends.” He gave you an enthusiastic pat on the pack, complete with exaggerated arm swing, the force of which caused you to stumble a step.

You giggled, not minding the action, “You know Greed, you’re a pretty nice guy once you drop your whole tough guy shtick, I think I like this side of you a lot better than the one from our first time meeting.”

Greed grumbled a little bit, “Yeah well maybe I like actin’ that way, huh?!” He responded excitedly, but not angrily, like the two of you were long time friends who were just sharing an old inside joke that was a rib at his expense. He was without mistake still a jerk, but not in a bad way, and as much as he’d try to deny it when confronted directly, he was a really caring person.

You were clutching yourself with laughter when Ling chided in with a laugh as well, “He’ll never actually admit to being nice, don’t bother trying. Also, keep your voice down idiot, you’re supposed to be the one with the most experience on this little team and here you are getting all worked up over a girl teasing you.” He chuckled again, giving a little smile and wink over at you that you couldn’t help but turn slightly flush at. Greed crossed the pair’s arms and just grumbled back like a husband in an old married couple knowing he’s lost an argument.

The two of you continued to walk, mostly in silence save for the occasional comment back and forth before Ling stopped and held out an arm in front of you. He looked around surveying the surrounding area. The buildings in the city had long faded in the darkness, with very few lights towards the edges of the city flickering softly and dimly in the distance, most likely no more than some fireplaces and desk lamps shining through the windows of those who enjoy working or learning through the night. From this distance they were but tiny dots, almost hard to separate from the stars hanging just above in the purple-black night sky.“Do you hear that?” He turned to ask you.

You focused your hearing, trying to zone in on all the different directions around you. The usual insect chirps could be heard off in various directions, the loudest coming from the lightly wooded area close to the east. “No, I don’t think I hear anything besides the usual sounds of the night.” Ahead of you was the dry terrain the surrounded rush valley, flat save for the many rocks and sudden steep mountain formations all around. Not even the wind blew through the natural channels laid out by the stony terrain, the night was calm.

“Exactly, I think we’re far enough out that we can find a place to hole up for the night.” The response and the smile could have come from either of the two boys, and at this point, to you, it didn’t really matter which. Greed was brash and loud but absolutely put his all into everything and everyone around him, and Ling had a heart of gold but still knew when to turn face; they were a reliable pair for sure, and you had started to grow quite fond of traveling with them even with the current circumstances. The pair of you scouted around the area, looking for a good spot to set up for the night when you found a small overhang caused by a large flat rock that had fallen at an angle off of another creating a small tent-like structure. Greed walked up and checked for any signs of it being a wild animal den, and after the coast looked clear, you crawled in first, huddling underneath it up against the flatter wall. Your companion followed shortly, reaching into his pack and pulling out a small lantern and setting it up. He sat down next to you, one leg on the ground as though he was going to sit cross-legged and the other’s foot planted flat on the ground with his knee pointed upwards. There was a silence and stillness between the two of you, the tension in the air feeling a little awkward as the many emotions of the entire situation hung thick between you. You still had so many questions about what was happening, many of which wouldn’t have answers until the two of you continued further. The expression on Ling’s face showed the same, wanting to discuss the plans, the future, each other. Deciding to break the silence, your voice popped up quietly, “Thank you again, for everything you’ve done for me, and I really mean that. While this whole thing, top to bottom is mostly because of things that you did, you could’ve just ignored me and traveled right to Central or even back home.” You found yourself talking much more than you anticipated, words that you had been holding back in the chaos spilling out freely, “But you didn’t, you kept an eye on me and stepped in to save me even when I could have defended myself. You listened to me honestly and openly multiple times and you haven’t hid anything from me that I know of. Even leaving for this trip, I felt like an actual partner and part of the plan, not just someone who needs to be escorted or protected. And do you know what the funniest part of all of this is?” You held your fist to your mouth for a small giggle. “I don’t even really know which one of you I’m talking about right now.”

Your head turned to the side, finding the man next to you much closer than you thought. He looked back at you, those same soft kind eyes were there, burning ambition and determination right behind them, not hidden, but conveying a man who had seen extreme pain, suffering, and sadness but still continues to fight on and counter everything bad that he can. Without even a thought in your head, you found yourself leaning in, closing your eyes slightly as your chin pointed slightly more towards him. The moment your eyes shut, almost as though he had swooped in suddenly and slowed at the last moment, you felt the gentle softness of another’s lips on yours. As you leaned into the kiss, a smile couldn’t help but peek across your lips slightly as you pulled away slowly, how many girls dreamed of growing up and kissing a prince from a storybook, something most grew up to never believe to be possible, and here you were. You couldn’t help but let out a pure happy laugh as you pressed yourself lightly against the body beside you, your lips moving back to his, his lower lip gently pressed between the two of yours, the both of you opening your mouths slightly on the kiss. He pushed in a little more aggressively and passionately at this, kissing you deep as his arm wrapped around your back pulling you closer. At this put you had full lost yourself, both arms wrapped around the man’s neck, as his free hand reached up and carefully held your cheek. His kisses came both rough and caring, passionate but careful with each one, making it uncertain to you who even was in control between the three of you at any moment, but that just made your heart pound all the more in your chest as the revelation came that you didn’t even care.

Pulling away for a small breath, a moment of your senses returned to you and you felt your face burn red hot as you quickly buried it in your hands. “I’m… I’m so sorry I don’t know what came over..” Before you had a chance to finish, a warm hand pulled your own away from your face.

“It’s okay, I think there was a lot unsaid between us that we both felt.” Ling’s smile slowly came into view as your hands left your face, the infectious genuineness of it setting you at ease a little as Greed chimed in as well.

“Don’t worry girly, we’ll take care of ya, and we ain’t goin’ anywhere either. When I make somethin’ mine, I don’t ever let it go.”

You felt tears begin to well up in your eyes, throwing yourself against their shoulder and wrapping your arms around tightly. A soft, “Please don’t” was muffled into Ling’s coat as both his arms wrapped around to hold you tightly, one gently stroking your hair.

“Like I said, ain’t nothin’ to worry about.” Greed’s voice was quiet and soft this time, his words holding a weight of promise as you sunk further into the pair’s hold, the events of the last few days finally catching up to you as you drifted off with the both of them holding you.

[orbemnews]

The Googleplex of the Future Has Privacy Robots, Meeting Tents and Your Very Own Balloon Wall MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google’s first office was a cluttered Silicon Valley garage crammed with desks resting on sawhorses. In 2003, five years after its founding, the company moved into a sprawling campus called the Googleplex. The airy, open offices and whimsical common spaces set a standard for what an innovative workplace was supposed to look like. Over the years, the amenities piled up. The food was free, and so were buses to and from work: Getting to the office, and staying there all day, was easy. Now, the company that once redefined how an employer treats its workers is trying to redefine the office itself. Google is creating a post-pandemic workplace that will accommodate employees who got used to working from home over the past year and don’t want to be in the office all the time anymore. The company will encourage — but not mandate — that employees be vaccinated when they start returning to the office, probably in September. At first, the interior of Google’s buildings may not appear all that different. But over the next year or so, Google will try out new office designs in millions of square feet of space, or about 10 percent of its global work spaces. The plans build on work that began before the coronavirus crisis sent Google’s work force home, when the company asked a diverse group of consultants — including sociologists who study “Generation Z” and how junior high students socialize and learn — to imagine what future workers would want. The answer seems to be Ikea meets Lego. Instead of rows of desks next to cookie-cutter meeting rooms, Google is designing “Team Pods.” Each pod is a blank canvas: Chairs, desks, whiteboards and storage units on casters can be wheeled into various arrangements, and in some cases rearranged in a matter of hours. To deal with an expected blend of remote and office workers, the company is also creating a new meeting room called Campfire, where in-person attendees sit in a circle interspersed with impossible-to-ignore, large vertical displays. The displays show the faces of people dialing in by videoconference so virtual participants are on the same footing as those physically present. In a handful of locations around the world, Google is building outdoor work areas to respond to concerns that coronavirus easily spreads in traditional offices. At its Silicon Valley headquarters, where the weather is pleasant most of the year, it has converted a parking lot and lawn area into “Camp Charleston” — a fenced-in mix of grass and wooden deck flooring about the size of four tennis courts with Wi-Fi throughout. There are clusters of tables and chairs under open-air tents. In larger teepees, there are meetings areas with the décor of a California nature retreat and state-of-the-art videoconferencing equipment. Each tent has a camp-themed name such as “kindling,” “s’mores” and “canoe.” Camp Charleston has been open since March for teams who wanted to get together. Google said it was building outdoor work spaces in London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York and Sydney, Australia, and possibly more locations. Employees can return to their permanent desks on a rotation schedule that assigns people to come into the office on a specific day to ensure that no one is there on the same day as their immediate desk neighbors. Despite the company’s freewheeling corporate culture, coming into the office regularly had been one of Google’s few enduring rules. That was a big reason Google offered its lavish perks, said Allison Arieff, an architectural and design writer who has studied corporate campuses. “They get to keep everyone on campus for as long as possible and they’re keeping someone at work,” said Ms. Arieff, who was a contributing writer for the Opinion section of The New York Times. But as Google’s work force topped 100,000 employees all over the world, face-to-face collaboration was often impossible. Employees found it harder to focus with so many distractions inside Google’s open offices. The company had outgrown its longtime setup. In 2018, Google’s real estate group began to consider what it could do differently. It turned to the company’s research and development team for “built environments.” It was an eclectic group of architects, industrial and interior designers, structural engineers, builders and tech specialists led by Michelle Kaufmann, who worked with the renowned architect Frank Gehry before joining Google a decade ago. Google focused on three trends: Work happens anywhere and not just in the office; what employees need from a workplace is changing constantly; and workplaces need to be more than desks, meeting rooms and amenities. “The future of work that we thought was 10 years out,” Ms. Kaufmann said, “Covid brought us to that future now.” Two of the most rigid elements in an office design are walls and the heating and cooling systems. Google is trying to change that. It is developing an array of different movable walls that can be packed up and shipped flat to offices around the world. It has a prototype of a fabric-based overhead air duct system that attaches with zippers and can be moved over a weekend for different seating arrangements. Google is also trying to end the fight over the office temperature. This system allows every seat to have its own air diffuser to control the direction or amount of air blowing on them. If a meeting requires privacy, a robot that looks like the innards of a computer on wheels and is equipped with sensors to detect its surroundings comes over to inflate a translucent, cellophane balloon wall to keep prying eyes away. “A key part of our thinking is moving from what’s been our traditional office,” said Ms. Kaufmann. Google is also trying to reduce distractions. It has designed different leaf-shaped partitions called “petals” that can attach to the edge of a desk to eliminate glare. An office chair with directional speakers in the headrest plays white noise to muffle nearby audio. For people who may no longer require a permanent desk, Google also built a prototype desk that adjusts to an employee’s personal preferences with a swipe of a work badge — a handy feature for workers who don’t have assigned desks because they only drop into the office once in a while. It calibrates the height and tilt of the monitor, brings up family photos on a display, and even adjusts the nearby temperature. In the early days of the pandemic, “it seemed daunting to move a 100,000-plus person organization to virtual, but now it seems even more daunting to figure out how to bring them back safely,” said David Radcliffe, Google’s vice president for real estate and workplace services. In its current office configurations, Google said it would be able to use only one out of every three desks in order to keep people six feet apart. Mr. Radcliffe said six feet would remain an important threshold in case of the next pandemic or even the annual flu. Psychologically, he said, employees will not want to sit in a long row of desks, and also Google may need to “de-densify” offices with white space such as furniture or plants. The company is essentially unwinding years of open-office plan theory popularized by Silicon Valley — that cramming more workers into smaller spaces and taking away their privacy leads to better collaboration. Real estate costs for the company aren’t expected to change very much. Though there will be fewer employees in the office, they’ll need more room. There will be other changes. The company cafeterias, famous for their free, catered food, will move from buffet style to boxed, grab-and-go meals. Snacks will be packed individually and not scooped up from large bins. Massage rooms and fitness centers will be closed. Shuttle buses will be suspended. Smaller conference rooms will be turned into private work spaces that can be reserved. The offices will use only fresh air through vents controlled by its building management software, doing away with its usual mix of outside and recirculated air. In larger bathrooms, Google will reduce the number of available sinks, toilets and urinals and install more sensor-based equipment that doesn’t require touching a surface with hands. A pair of new buildings on Google’s campus, now under construction in Mountain View, Calif., and expected to be finished as early as next year, will give the company more flexibility to incorporate some of the now-experimental office plans. Google is trying to get a handle on how employees will react to so-called hybrid work. In July, the company asked workers how many days a week they would need to come to the office to be effective. The answers were divided evenly in a range of zero to five days a week, said Mr. Radcliffe. The majority of Google employees are in no hurry to return. In its annual survey of employees called Googlegeist, about 70 percent of roughly 110,000 employees surveyed said they had a “favorable” view about working from home compared with roughly 15 percent who had an “unfavorable” opinion. Another 15 percent had a “neutral” perspective, according to results viewed by The New York Times. The survey was sent out in February and the results were announced in late March. Many Google employees have gotten used to life without time-consuming commutes, and with more time for family and life outside of the office. The company appears to be realizing its employees may not be so willing to go back to the old life. “Work-life balance is not eating three meals at a day at your office, going to the gym there, having all your errands done there,” said Ms. Arieff. “Ultimately, people want flexibility and autonomy and the more that Google takes that away, the harder it is going to be.” Google has offices in 170 cities and 60 countries around the world, and some of them have already reopened. In Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, Google’s offices have reopened with occupancy allowed to exceed 70 percent. But the bulk of the 140,000 employees who work for Google and its parent company, Alphabet, are based in the United States, with roughly half of them in the Bay Area. Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet, said at a Reuters conference in December that the company was committed to making hybrid work possible, because there was an opportunity for “tremendous improvement” in productivity and the ability to pull in more people to the work force. “No company at our scale has ever created a fully hybrid work force model,” Mr. Pichai wrote in an email a few weeks later announcing the flexible workweek. “It will be interesting to try.” Source link Orbem News #balloon #Future #Googleplex #Meeting #Privacy #Robots #Tents #Wall

[dracox-serdriel]

The Force Rises - Chapter 2: The Rogue Sentinel [Star Wars]

Title: The Force Rises [AO3] [LJ] [FF] [Tumblr] Chapter: The Rogue Sentinel Universe: Star Wars Pairings: Reylo (Rey/Kylo Ren | Ben Solo) Word count: ~1,600 Spoilers: All Star Wars movies through The Last Jedi. Rating: NC-17/MA (eventually) Chapter summary: Rey finds herself in a solitary quandary.

Rey continues to grow into her powers, carving her own path with the Force, while the Resistance rebuilds and regroups, gearing up for their next battle with the First Order.

The Force Rises Chapter 2: The Rogue Sentinel

Rey woke up warm, like a furnace had been placed under the sheets next to her. She could only assume that the sun was to blame, heating up her bedding to an almost unbearable degree.

She begrudgingly decided to get up, if only to close the window. She found her eyes glued shut, forcing her to rub the crust away to open them properly, and even that was an enormous effort. Her arms - no, her entire body - felt heavy, resisting her every move.

That didn't make sense. She had been fine when she had crawled into bed.

Rey blinked, confused by the deeply red light flooding the room with hues of orange and brown with yellow slowly overtaking them all. It was nothing like she had ever seen, yet instinctively, she knew it was dawn all the same.

As if to confirm the time, her stomach growled, giving her the push she required to roll out of bed, despite the protests of her limbs.

Once her feet were under her, she stretched up as she took in a long, deep breath, attempting to best her stiffness, but it wasn't enough. So she continued through the few other stretches that she knew, hoping the next one would unstick whatever muscle she had managed to injure without knowing.

She felt better, certainly, but not entirely right. A second roaring growl of hunger changed her priorities, so she dressed hastily in a loose robe, tunic, and her arm wraps. She tucked her blaster into her belt as she walked out the door.

The downside to her private quarters was how far it was from everything else. She had to walk over fifteen minutes to the mess hall, which was nearly empty. She couldn't read the signs - the language of this planet seemed to have an alphabet of deceptively simple cubes and triangles, some with incredibly slight variations - so she followed her nose to the kitchens.

She had never seen so much food in her entire life. The few people who were there - natives of this planet, she presumed - encouraged her to take dish upon dish until she couldn't carry any more. She returned to the mess with plates of colorful fruits, creams, biscuits, and so many things she couldn't name.

Eating alone had never bothered Rey, but after months of sharing every meal and living in close quarters, it was unsettling to sit in this empty dining hall with its enormous, cavernous ceiling. She tried to pace herself, but everything tasted so good.

She'd been living off rations for too long.

She wondered about what she might do with the rest of her day. Normally she would work on the Falcon. She had always loved mechanics; one of the few joys she had as a child was pulling things apart and figuring out how they operated, how they broke, and how to repair or improve them. It came easily to her, but there was always something else to solve, something new to learn. She could immerse her mind in the wiring or submerge her imagination in the circuitry and forget herself - heartache and stomachache alike - even if only for a little while.

Would I know that about myself if they hadn't abandoned me on Jakku?

The thought appeared like a dreadnaught from light speed, obliterating her appetite. She numbly began to wrap the remainder of her meal in spare cloth. She could have it later.

She returned the emptied dishes to the kitchen, thanking everyone she saw before grabbing her bundle of food and starting the long walk back to her room.

She had thought that she had obtained some kind of closure the night previous. She could finally admit to herself that her parents weren't ever coming back, that they had never planned to come back. It stung like a newly broken blister before the callous, but it wasn't the interminable ache that she expected it to be.

But it still hurt.

Didn't closure mean she could move on? Or at least that she could get through the day without thinking about it? Was she stuck asking questions that she can't answer?

Rey quickened her step. She always had a drive - no, a need - to understand things, to look past the form and see the function, but people didn't work like that. She learned that the hard way on Jakku, more than once, but the lesson never seemed to stick.

Knowing why they did it won't change anything.

She'd give anything to be able to turn on her heel and head off to the Falcon. There was always something to repair or upgrade, and it was exactly what she needed right now. But Chewie, Poe, Finn, and Rose were on a munitions run and wouldn't be back for days.

What had she been thinking when she agreed to come here instead? General Organa had mentioned time to center herself and clear her mind, but Rey never did those kinds of things. She didn't want relaxation, and she certainly didn't need it.

Maybe General Organa had more acuity with Jedi mind tricks than she let on.

As soon as she got back to her room, Rey riffled through her rucksack. She didn't have a ship to fix or a mission to complete, but there was no way to clear her head with still hands.

And there was an entire world outside this building with not a spec of sand in sight.

Yes, a bit of exploration was just what she needed. She emptied her rucksack of anything she wouldn't require for the day before tucking her food bundle on top. She filled her canisters on the way out of her room, determined to break into a sweat as soon as possible.

It may have been wiser to inquire about the area before wandering off into it. She realized that when she was traversing a particularly unpleasant descent to the enormous lake she could see from her room.

She cursed herself the entire way down, but she quickly forgot it when she arrived at the water's edge.

This could be the most beautiful place in the galaxy.

Rey found a place to eat while watching some kind of aquatic creatures darting through the water without a ripple to betray them.

She hadn't realized how long she'd been there until she noticed she had eaten everything she'd brought with her.

Maybe this whole centering thing isn't so bad.

She could feel it here, the Force. She didn't have to concentrate or focus. It was right on the surface, like the air in her lungs or the sweat on her brow.

She was at a loss for how she managed to stay by the lake until the sun began to go down.

She began her ascent at a rapid pace, not wanting to get caught out here at night with only her handheld torch for light, but her progress slowed to a crawl when she hit a steep part of the mountain. She hadn't passed it on her way down, which was concerning. She had been so certain that she had followed the same ridge.

And it was getting dark. Fast.

Too fast.

She grit her teeth and pushed ahead. She had survived worse than a late night hike. There was nothing to worry about.

Yet, something in the back of her mind wouldn't stop worrying.

She made it to the halfway point just as twilight fell. She could've pushed on, had she not reached a sheer cliff edge.

She must've gone clear around to the other side of the mountain, along the fortified edge. How did she manage that?

Without rope, she had to walk along the mercifully flat passage that, with any luck, would put her back on the right path. She strapped her torch to the exterior of her rucksack to keep her hands free, but she had to adjust her pace to match her limited line of sight.

A profound loneliness struck her without warning. In the last five months, she had found friends and a new family in the Resistance. She wasn't just some scavenger in the desert anymore. She was the last Jedi, the new hope of the Resistance. It seemed everybody knew her name.

But she hadn't been this alone in her entire life.

Apart from General Organa, nobody she knew had any understanding of the Force.

Not nobody.

The very last thing she needed when stuck on an unforgiving mountain in the dark was to start thinking about him. She reached out, following the Force along the hard line of rocks before her, trying to distract herself from the one avenue of thought she loathed even more than that of her parents.

Rey's foot abruptly jerked in one direction, a loose rock sliding out from under her. She fought for balance with her bo staff but ultimately lost, tumbling over the edge.

She scrambled to draw upon the Force, but she wasn't certain how to direct it to soften her fall. She gracelessly crashed into a boulder before she caught herself.

Most of her injuries were minor scraps, but her ankle throbbed and burned.

No, this centering thing is rubbish.

She leaned against the boulder to keep her weight of her bad leg while she scanned her surroundings with her torch. She needed to regroup. She wasn't going to get anywhere until she could at least bind her ankle.

There was a shallow cave ahead. It would provide enough cover to build a fire without hiding it from anyone who might go looking for her. She would check out her ankle and rest while she figured out her next move.

One thing was clear: no matter what else she did tonight, she would not be thinking about Kylo Ren.

Chapter notes: These first two chapters were Rey-centric, but the next chapter will start opening the narrative to other characters. I hope you've enjoyed it so far!

[georgiabread]

day 1. acting on your best behaviour

♛ summary: chapter one of everybody wants to rule the world

♛ warnings: anxiety, verbal abuse, very mild sexual assault, blood mentions

♛ word count: 12.6k

♛ beta: zoe (@slowtown__)

♛ extra info: - asterisk (*) indicates a time skip - crown (♛) indicates a pov change

A golden sun kissed the horizon. It was framed by two mountains cast into shadow, almost like they were giving it a place to rest. Feather-like clouds drifted above into a whirlpool of blue and orange hues. The sun’s rays cast the colours into the sky, creating a blend perfect for the dusk of a night like this.

Before the sun lay a kingdom, huts, cottages and bungalows jumbled together around the outskirts as if huddling close for warmth. Already their roofs had been subjected to darkness. Closer to the centre, homes turned into shops and businesses, a little more dispersed this time. Inns, taverns, blacksmiths and libraries gathered towards the grand hall; a gentle glow rose from the winding streets, indicating that activity hadn’t ceased just yet. Continuing up a wide slope, buildings became far more spread out, the hill decorated by imposing villas and estates littered with cottages and their sloping thatched roofs. The remaining light caressed the tips of these mansions, shimmering against their gold and silver embellishments.

But the magnificent view was nothing different for the young man seated on the stone floor of a balcony, which looked out over Croma. He had watched the kingdom from this spot for years, legs sticking out through the balustrades, shoes threatening to slip off and tumble 40 feet to the courtyard below. It was his place. His place to sit, and think, and pretend that he was anywhere but that very balcony.

The balcony which jutted out from the King’s palace, crouched at the top of the hill and looming over Croma like a formidable monster.

Often, the young man wished he spent his days down in the city, away from the palace, but he was the King’s son. If he ever went into the city, it was once a month, with an army of soldiers and escorts glued to his back.

“A prince always has a price on his head,” his father would tell him, and still told him now. “Be thankful for your protection, Daniel.”

The young man preferred Dan, naturally, but his parents never understood that. And to the commoners and the Eluthian people, who were enslaved by Croma when the King’s forces conquered their nation, he was always Your Royal Highness or Your Majesty or sire. It was verbal torture.

Though on the balcony, Dan felt he could escape it all. But never completely.

His arms rested flat on the smooth stone parapet, chin laid on top of his wrists as his eyes wandered over the vast landscape before him stretching for miles and miles. Safe behind an overshadowing wall of limestone dotted with watchtowers, the kingdom was surrounded by crags and mountains, built upon raised land within a deep valley scattered with woodlands, quarries and waterways. There was only one entrance in and out of the area, a mountain pass heavily fortified by the King’s army. The kingdom was safe, protected and had the resources to grow into a powerful and intimidating empire. Croma was more than a force to be reckoned with.

Eventually, Dan dragged his sulking brown eyes to the palace gates, these towering ornate things welded from gold and steel. For most of his life, they had been locked shut, but tonight they hung wide open to welcome a tsunami of guests. A familiar groan of anxiety twisted in his stomach when Dan looked upon the coaches and carriages flooding the royal court. They could only be weighed down by the most elite, heavy from wealth in their pockets and arrogance in their hearts. They were close friends and acquaintances of the royal family, as well as a large handful of the nobility, all invited to the King’s palace for a celebration.

And oh, how Dan wished they were celebrating anyone but himself.

Many months prior, plans and preparations had been made for this gala, which marked Dan’s 21st birthday and his agreement to succeed his father as King when the time came. By far, it was one of the most important and most extravagant events in Croma, stretching over an entire week. A week Dan was certain he wouldn’t survive.

Without having to close his eyes, he could envisage what was expected of him in the next half hour or so. Standing stiff and proud at the rear of one of the many palace ballrooms, greeting every guest with a firm handshake or a bow and a polite grin. His parents would stand either side of him, all three flanked by guards with their glinting spears. Then would come the introductions to his countless bachelorettes – daughters of distinguished nobles and esteemed military generals, women from foreign nations in the far east, any girl of aristocracy deemed rich enough and strong enough for the prince’s hand, first in dance and then in marriage.

Dan shuddered at the very thought of having to choose a bride from the pack, let alone greet each and every one of them. For not only was he celebrating his birthday, but it was tradition for the King’s son to select his wife during the week-long celebrations. Of course whoever she was wasn’t permanent, but soon would be if Dan never discarded her, as horrible as that sounded. He didn’t want to discard anyone, but he didn’t want to choose anyone either.

I wonder what would happen if I never left this balcony, he wondered, eyes following a random carriage gilded in gold. The vehicle circled the fountain in the centre of the courtyard once before the horses slowed to a halt at the entrance of the palace. Fifty stairs clambering up to carved oaken doors – as wide as his father’s throne and taller than five men stacked upon each other – is what led this family of four to the castle that dwarfed the kingdom. Dan turned away as the coachman cracked his whip against the horses and the carriage lurched forward.

It was one amongst hundreds, surely – although, he’d never seen the official guest list. He couldn’t bear to find out how many haughty men and women would look upon him as their next great leader. The version of a leader they begged for, and one Dan feared he would become.

With reluctant fingers, Dan reached into the lining of his pearl-white dress uniform, slipping out a fob watch from his jacket. The seal of Croma glared up at him from the lid, a shield and sword surrounded by the unfurling wings of a crowned eagle, the empire’s native creature. He flipped it open with a curt sigh. The watch revealed it was nearing 7 o’clock. Dear God. If he didn’t get downstairs now, his mother would wring his neck.

For the moment Dan tried to cast all thoughts of the looming evening from his mind. He tucked the watch away, wriggled back from the balustrades and straightened out his uniform. The balcony was wide, and ferns sprung from the floor gardens in the centre, but Dan had no problem manoeuvring his way inside.

Just as he passed through the slim doorway, freshly-polished boots landing with a clack on the marble floor, he ran into someone.

A woman had rounded the corner, a black uniform dress hugging her short, plump build and golden hair pulled into a harsh bun at the back of her neck. Her hairline was hidden by a pristine white wrap. She cried out in shock once she registered the person in front of her, and stumbled back. Dan did the same.

It took a moment for both of them to recognize each other.

“Oh! Oh, Dan, I’ve finally found you,” the woman sighed in relief, flattening a hand over her chest and catching her breath. “The Queen is fit to burst with fury, you realize. Where in God’s name have you been? You have a ball to hold in less than thirty minutes.”

“Uh – yeah, yeah I know. Sorry Louise. I was just out on the balcony, like always.”

“Well, you obviously spent far too long out there. But your mother might not skin you alive if we head down now.”

Dan nodded, fiddling with his silver cufflinks as he followed Louise down a wide corridor to the left. The exasperated woman was the only slave in the entire palace permitted to call him by his first name. Naturally, as the nurse who had brought him up through childhood and adolescence, it was expected. She had bottle-fed him milk when he was only several months old, for goodness’ sake. In fact, Dan considered Louise more of a mother than his biological one. Even as a slave, she had a great deal of authority over the boy – if only by maternal standards.

“The guests are already starting to mill in the great hall,” Louise told him as he finally reached her side. “You’ve got a sea of people to deal with, my dear. All of them dolled up in their finery…might as well be shouting, ‘Look at me! I have more piles of gold than I ever know what to do with!’”

Dan couldn’t help but snigger at her words, more than happy to hear the woman insult his subjects. Only when they were alone could they make fun of the outrageous nobility. If anyone else heard Louise speak of the people that way, she would be publicly whipped, especially as a slave expected to do nothing more than serve those higher than herself. Dan despised the whole system entirely.

“Is it possible for me to disappear into the walls and speak to no one?” he asked, glancing at the deep blue walls of the corridor as if he could melt into the patterned wallpaper forever.

“You know those rumours of magic are nothing more than that – rumours. But if I could let you do that just tonight, I would,” Louise replied, sending him a comforting smile.

They came to stop outside an ornate wooden door. The nurse turned to face Dan, squeezing his forearm gently. “Try not to panic. Although they’re idiots, they all adore you–”

“But that’s exactly what I’m scared of.”

“Darling…you’ll make it through tonight. I know you will. How many times now have you conquered parties like this?”

“I’ve lost count. But they’ve never been this massive and never about me.”

Louise huffed a sigh and swiped some invisible dust particles off his gold epaulettes. “Stop your complaining,” she told him firmly. “You’re a prince, aren’t you? And princes always face things head on, with as much courage as they can muster.”

Dan was pretty sure that wasn’t a universally known thing, but he nodded anyway. “I guess…”

“And besides, just think about the endless food you’ll get to eat. Then in a few hours, you’ll be able to crawl into bed with no one to bother you for the rest of the night.”

That did sound very appealing. Slowly, a smile quirked up Dan’s features and Louise returned the grin, tapping him lightly on the nose with her finger. “There’s the Dan I know,” she murmured. “Now hurry up, you can’t keep the King and Queen waiting.”

Dan nodded again, ignoring the sudden stirring of the contents in his stomach. He watched as Louise pulled the door open to reveal a thin shaft with torches scattered along stone walls, stairs spiralling down to the ground floor. It was a shortcut to the main ballroom, where the first evening of the gala would be held.

The boy took a few tentative steps onto the first platform, before turning to look at Louise.

She gave him a lopsided smile. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back,” she promised.

With that, Dan swallowed and closed the door, finding himself alone at the top of the spiral staircase. Then he drew a deep breath, carded fingers through his dusky brown curls and descended the steps – much like descending into his own version of hell.

The chatter of the guests had grown into a nerve-wracking rumble when Dan found his parents. Although the shortcut had allowed him to calm the churning of his stomach, it was only a brief reprieve before the noise returned. It hung relentlessly around his ears like buzzing insects, and if he could swat them away he would do so viciously.

The King and Queen waited for him in a secluded space at the back of the ballroom, hidden behind two towering crimson drapes. It was the space in which they had prepared for their grand entrance of the first night, receiving last minute touch ups to hair and formal wear. But, late as he was, Dan had no time for grooming. He burst into the room with a dishevelled fringe and nervous beads of sweat dampening his collar, a sight at which his mother nearly fainted when her eyes fell upon him.

“I’m terribly sorry I’m late,” Dan said immediately, the words tumbling from his mouth in a low rush. “I lost track of time, I didn’t think–”

“No, you never think, as you always do,” the Queen interrupted sharply.

Dan’s chest tightened. “Sorry,” he murmured, reluctantly meeting the beady brown eyes of Jenea, his mother. She glowered up at him with narrowed lips to match, as intimidating as ever despite her short size. She’d been clothed in one of her finest dresses tonight, a gown of white decorated with lace and bedazzled in gold. A tiara rested gently upon her greying hair, which toppled over her shoulders in ringlets. To Croma’s people, she might have been the living definition of beauty, but Dan knew all too well what lay beyond that façade. She had a mind which dwelled on nothing but power, and a frozen heart which turned its head at the broken, the beaten and the damned.

Her husband, King Arran, stood beside her with a disapproving look weighing upon his lined face. Even on the week of his succession, Dan couldn’t escape that look from his father. But the man had never been as harsh and domineering as the Queen, somehow maintaining the hope that Dan would become the triumphant king he pictured. Dan was almost miserable, knowing he would be let down.

With the introduction of the royal family about to begin, the Queen’s gloved hand closed around Dan’s forearm and she dragged him to stand between herself and her husband. “Fix your hair and straighten that coat,” came her snapping voice.

Dan did as he was told, attempting to brush his curls into a neat fringe before sweeping his fingers down his uniform. Then he lifted his head, the murmur of the guests returning to his ears. Oh my God, he thought. He was about to be presented to all of Croma’s affluent citizens, on display for their judgmental eyes to study and gawk at. How he held himself as the Prince was to be tested tonight, as well as during the coming days. Every move he made, every word that left his mouth…all of it would be there for Croma to scrutinize. And if he screwed any of it up, then God help him.

Conversation that filled the ballroom simmered away as a voice boomed above the rest. The man’s words could’ve emptied Dan’s stomach themselves:

“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests and honourable men and women – I present to you His Royal Highness, King Arran of Croma, Her Royal Highness, Queen Jenea of Croma, and their admirable son and soon-to-be King of Croma, His Royal Highness, Prince Daniel.”

The guests erupted into deafening applause. The curtains began to sweep apart. The King and Queen straightened their backs and plastered warm smiles onto their faces.

Dan sucked in a breath which quaked at the edges, and he watched as Croma’s crest was split down the middle. And for a moment, when his eyes locked onto the now divided crown that adorned the eagle’s head, a heavy sense of foreboding crept upon him like the shadow of a thundercloud. But notion was gone as quickly as it had come; Dan gazed upon the hundreds of faces grinning and celebrating his presence, and he understood that for the impending week, they were all his world revolved around.

*

Parties, balls and celebrations had always been things of tradition for the royal family. Every few months, a festivity of some kind was hosted for Croma’s nobility to revel in, in honour of a great military success, or perhaps a seasonal change or another birthday. But really, they were outlets for the King to showcase his power and wealth, throwing the common people under his shadow.

For 16 years of his pampered life, Dan had attended these celebrations with his parents. In fact, they were all that made his life interesting, despite how much he loathed them. The first he attended when he was 6 years old, an immense outdoor party to commemorate the spring months which promised new life among the livestock and harvest in the western grasslands. For the most part he tagged along with his parents, clinging to his mother’s satin skirt like it was a lifeline.

In Dan’s little mind, the parties were never ending. Every day it seemed he had to navigate through a scary forest of rich, important people; men in their regal war clothes and polished boots, and women with jewels on their throats and dresses layered with a hundred petticoats. He remembered how often his mother’s court friends would gush about him. They’d squeeze his cheeks, ruffle his hair, and say odd things like, “I remember when you were only months old! Look at you now! Oh, My Lady, you must be so proud…” but Dan had never seen them before in his life!

Then came the gentlemen, throwing one or two comments his way about how great a man he would become, before laughing to themselves at jokes he didn’t understand. But unlike most boys, Dan hadn’t longed to be one of them, to be treated like them. All he wanted was to escape to his bedroom and play card games with Louise, or explore what lay beyond Croma’s walls. However, at such a young age, going past those walls was heavily forbidden, let alone leaving the palace gates.

As he grew older, all those parties evolved from a childish fright into a foreboding fear. When he realised they no longer saw him as the adorable, naïve child he once was, the words of the nobility began to root in his heart. Gossip spread and rumours were left to boil. The Prince could never escape the public eye, and so anxiety and intimidation began to consume him until royal galas, like the celebration of his 21st birthday, were among his greatest fears.

This would all explain the vomit that threatened to rise up his throat as he followed his parents through the crowd, greeting every guest. The men and women always painted smiles on their faces when talking to the royal family, but with years of experience Dan could recognise the true emotions in their eyes. Scowls and sly looks of disgust, watching, dissecting and judging him.

Musicians in a far corner had picked up a floaty tune, mingling with talk and laughter in the background. Dan tried to settle his mind on the serene violins, trying to relax. Meanwhile, his mother stood beside him searching for the next acquaintance to chat with – and it didn’t take her long to find them.

“Sir Eliphas! What a pleasure to see you tonight,” the Queen enthused, causing an elderly gentleman in a military uniform to whirl away from his previous conversation.

His thin eyes widened as much as physically possible upon seeing the King’s wife standing before him. The man immediately dropped into a deep bow, taking her hand in his own and lightly kissing the top. “My Queen, the pleasure is completely my own,” he assured her, and then his eyes shifted to Dan before taking another bow. “And my Prince, it is an honour to greet you formally.”

Shut up! Dan wanted to shout. This is ridiculous, I’m a human just like you. But he reminded himself that he was royalty, and apparently he was to be treated like treasure no matter how equal he thought he was to others.

“L-Likewise,” he eventually blurted. “But please, I dislike all that formality. There’s no need for titles and…stuff.”

This earned him a scathing look from his mother, and he expected no less. Sir Eliphas glanced up at him with shock and confusion riddling his features.

“Your Majesty, I couldn’t possibly…”

“My son is a little overwhelmed by tonight’s proceedings,” the Queen interrupted hurriedly. “Of course you must refer to him with the proper titles.”

Sir Eliphas hesitated before granting her a curt nod. “I wouldn’t do anything but, your Highness.” He gave Dan quite a reserved, baffled look before slipping away into the crowd.

Dan’s mother turned on him as soon as the gentlemen was gone, her face pulled into a harsh frown. She refrained from grabbing his arm. “Enough of this,” she hissed. “This is a ceremonial gala held in honour of your birthday, and you have been nothing but vulgar and selfish. You are a prince, Daniel, and almost a king – act like one.”

A familiar pit of anguish hollowed out Dan’s stomach. “I’m sorry, mother,” he said quietly.

“That is not nearly a good enough apology. But because we are surrounded by our kingdom’s highest society, I will drop the matter.” The Queen gave an exasperated huff, lifting her head and regaining her composure. “Now then. You are yet to meet and dance with your many suitors. Please try to be more sociable with them tonight.”

“Of course,” Dan replied, ignoring the pit which grew deeper at the mention of his bachelorettes.

It was what he dreaded most about this week. How was he expected to select a bride within seven days? In fact, he couldn’t remember ever wanting a bride since he knew what marriage was. Girls had been shoved in his direction from the age of five, but not once had Dan experienced any attraction to them. When he was six, others would gush about how adorable a couple he and some nobleman’s daughter would make. But Dan had frowned and wriggled his toes in distaste. Ick! I would never, ever kiss a girl. I don’t even like girls all that much!

At such a young age, Dan thought this was all very normal. But as he became a teenager, he learned that the people around him saw it as abhorrent and unnatural. So he told no one when he grew shy and flustered around a particularly pretty boy, or when his downstairs area made a few special appearances as he spent time with the sons of his mother’s friends. It was his deepest, darkest secret, and although Dan himself saw nothing wrong with liking boys, he was forced to keep his feelings under lock and key.

After all, how could a prince marry a man when he must have a queen?

The voice of his mother drew him out of the thoughts he was buried in. “Now Daniel, you’re about to meet your first suitor. I want your head up, a smile on your face and your best decorum. This woman may possibility be your wife, so it is absolutely important you behave like a gentleman.”

“Yes mother,” Dan said clearly, standing tall for her sake. He quickly scanned the people around him for any younger-looking girls.

“And make sure she feels respected and valued,” the Queen added.

“Of course, I would never do anything other than that.”

He followed his mother through the crowd, drawing in a deep breath when she raised her hand in a gentle wave towards someone. Quickly enough, a beautiful dark-skinned girl stood in front of him, wearing a silky marigold gown and a golden headdress upon a chignon of sleek black hair. Her parents – presumably – flanked either side of her in matching gold formal wear.

The Queen cleared her throat, smiling brightly at the trio before turning to Dan. “Darling, may I present the Count and Countess of Tawae, from the eastern province of Kashirid, and their daughter, Lady Asha.”

Dan kept his gaze on the girl, offering her a kind smile. He knew all too well what to do. “It’s lovely to meet you, my lady,” he said genuinely, bowing and lightly kissing the top of her hand. “I am Prince Daniel, if you hadn’t already guessed. And might I say you look exquisite in that gown tonight.”

Lady Asha scrunched up her nose and giggled at his joke, before replying, “Thank you, your Highness. You look equally as handsome in your uniform.”

The compliment sent a grin across Dan’s features, but he felt nothing romantically. In fact, he only wanted to say sorry to the girl, sit her down and explain everything to her. She really was quite charming, and deserved someone who would make her feel truly loved. Not himself.

This exchange continued with eight other girls of royal or noble birth, most very beautiful and friendly in their own right, but Dan knew he could never love them. They greeted him with enthusiasm and charisma, enough to woo any man who was attracted to the opposite gender. However, no connections sparked within Dan’s heart and no butterflies crowded his stomach as he spoke to any of them. And just before his mother led him to the tenth and last suitor, a sudden cloud of terror fell upon him.

He had to marry one of these women. He would be forced to spend the rest of his life with them, kissing them, touching them, and being intimate with them. And it…sickened him. Not because of the girl herself, but the thought of being with a girl in that way just made him feel gross, for lack of a better word.

Dan would have a woman by his side throughout the rest of his life, a woman he could never love as a husband should.

He was terrified.

*

“Daniel, may I introduce General Oskar Thaddäus, his wife Auguste and their wonderful daughter Maren.”

She had thin silver-blonde hair, pinned away from a pale face and tumbling down her back. It showed off her elegant features – alluring grey eyes, cheekbones travelling sharply towards full lips coloured mauve. Her pearl brocade dress exposed her collarbones, dipping inwards at the waste before tumbling down in a thick skirt. By all standards, Maren was – magnificent.

But once again, when Dan pressed his lips to the back of her gloved hand (something he’d now grown quite weary of doing) he felt nothing.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed tonight so far?” he asked with a now-painful smile. “I think the royal staff have outdone themselves for decorations.”

It was too formal. Too fake. Too deceptive.  

Maren seemed to hear it differently. “On the contrary, your Highness,” she said sultrily, and brushed her fingers against his forearm, “it’s all very captivating – much like yourself.”

Dan raised a curious eyebrow. “You seem bold, Maren, especially in the Prince’s presence. Is that a trait of the Obodelians?” he teased, referring to the people of her own nation.

“I’m afraid that’s just myself. Mother always told me how daring I was as a child. I was never afraid of getting myself into trouble.” There was some hidden message behind her eyes as she stared up at him sensually through her lashes. Dan was sure he didn’t want to find out.

By now the Queen and Maren’s parents had dissipated back into the party, probably content with how well they seemed to hit it off. Dan only wished he could do the same. He dreaded where this conversation was heading, especially since the girl was so keen on him. Already her closeness made him want to sprint off into the maze-like corridors of the palace. But he was expected to spend quality time with every girl presented to him, no matter how uncomfortable she made him feel. So as Maren continued to throw flirtatious remarks at him every minute, he tried to prepare himself for the rest of the night, which was bound to be filled with many more distressing situations.

“So what was it like? Growing up in such a grand palace?”

Maren raised a glass of champagne to her lips and poured a little down her throat. After more chatter filled with double meanings, Dan had reluctantly taken her to the enormous table of refreshments. She was more than willing to follow him, obviously pleased with how interested in her he seemed to be. But in reality, Dan had caught the scalding glare of his mother several times; he knew he was being watched.

“Probably worse than you’d imagine,” Dan replied honestly. “I get lost half the time through all the endless corridors, and very rarely do I ever leave the gates. It’s very confined.”

A frown tugged on Maren’s lips. “But surely there’s a lot of privacy? With so many bedrooms to hide away in…where you can do whatever you please…”

Dan cleared his throat. “Not when there are guards stationed literally everywhere. I swear they know more of the court gossip than I do.”

“That’s interesting. You know, my family has guards in our private villa here as well as back home, but it’s only just occurred to me how much they probably listen in on. I mean, I barely know they exist! They must know all the scandals I tell my friends.”

Well, maybe you should pay more attention to those who would defend your life, no matter how cruelly you treat them, Dan wished he could say.

“You should be more careful next time,” he replied with a pitiful wink.

Maren paused for a moment, holding his gaze with a knowing smirk. And then she asked, “So Daniel, out of all your potential brides, who do you prefer?”

“Uh…” Dan felt trapped all of a sudden. He took a sip of champagne to stall for time. “I – I haven’t spent nearly enough time with all of them to decide. I’ll get back to you once the week is up.”

“I look forward to it,” Maren simpered.                    

Before the conversation could continue, the Queen appeared at Dan’s side looking thoroughly stressed. She roughly turned her son round to face her. “Daniel, there you are. The first dance is about to begin, and it is you who must lead first. I hope you haven’t forgotten–”

“Of course he hasn’t, your Majesty,” Maren butted in, slinking up to Dan and linking their arms together. “In fact, he’s chosen me as his first partner.”

A mixture of relief and fascination passed over the Queen’s face. “That’s wonderful to hear, Maren. I…I’m sure you’ll both woo everyone out there. And Daniel, don’t forget what you learned in those dance lessons.”

Dan found he had no say in the entire exchange, and could only nod at his mother. Suddenly, without letting him compose himself, a voice boomed out over the crowd. The chatter dissolved a little and all eyes turned to the announcer at the back of the ballroom. “Ladies, gentlemen and other noble guests, His Royal Highness, Prince Daniel, will now lead us in a slow waltz – the first dance of the night.”

At this, applause once again erupted around the room. Dan shifted his gaze to Maren, smiled and bent his elbow for her to grasp. Now, it was time to pretend.

The crowd parted instantly for the couple, looking on with wide, spellbound eyes as they glided towards the middle of the dancefloor. Dan held one arm stiff behind his back, chin tilted towards the ceiling. Maren’s dress swirled and shimmered across the patterned floor; she seemed as comfortable as ever in the nobility’s gaze. They came to a halt in the centre of the circle; Dan spun in his boots, interlocked his fingers with Maren’s and gently held onto her waist. Her spare hand rested on his shoulder. The zeal in her eyes couldn’t be missed.

The first stroke of a violin was heard. Dan stepped forward, Maren stepped back, and suddenly they were dancing, drifting across the floor as the music filled the room. They seemed to hover above the marble, Maren’s skirt swirling outwards as Dan clutched her waist, desperately trying not to let her go. His dance tutor had taught him the waltz for years, and if he screwed up now, it might as well be all for nothing.

He spun her twice beneath his arm, and they continued to step in time with the music. Then he dipped her down towards the marble, pretending to be enthralled when she threw her head back and exposed her neck. Murmurs floated through the mass of guests.

As the instrumental piece grew more intense, Maren drew herself closer to Dan, her hand shifting to rest beside his neck. Her fingers were like ice on his nape, and he wanted nothing more than to shove her away. That part of him was off limits to everyone. But Maren must’ve mistaken the discomfort on his face for embarrassment, and a smirk passed over her lips.

She was close. Too close. He could almost feel her warm breath ghosting his cheeks. And she had this gleam in her eye, like she wanted something and was convinced Dan wanted it too. The pair were still completing the first waltz as the guests looked on, but all he could think about was her and the anxiety she was causing with her intentions. He could feel it mounting in his stomach, a horrible black thing eating him from the inside out. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of it. He wanted to end the dance right now, end the whole goddamn gala.

The song was reaching its finale. Dan swiftly lowered Maren towards the ground again, before hauling her back up and spinning, spinning, spinning until the last bow left its violin. The music ended. They twirled to a stop, Maren pressing almost her entire body against Dan’s, breathing heavily into his ear. He could hear nothing but that, deaf to the clapping that followed their grand performance and the announcer’s next words, calling all the guests to join Prince Daniel and his captivating lady on the dance floor.

“Well done, your Highness,” Maren whispered against his earlobe.

Dan closed his eyes and opened them, swallowing heavily. Then he pulled away from her slightly. “Th-thank you for not stepping on my toes,” he squeezed out awkwardly.

Maren cocked her head, but she seemed amused. Couples began to surround them, grasping hands and waists and whirling off into their own worlds. “Well, we should hope it doesn’t happen in the next dance,” she smiled.

Before he could object, Maren had whisked him back onto the floor. They melted quickly into the men and women around them, all caught up in another graceful waltz. Dan looked anywhere but his partner’s seductive expression. Her hands burned where they gripped his arms, and the heat and intensity she gave off started to make him a little dizzy. If he could just last one more waltz, just this one, he could find someone else to dance with. Or even better, he could disappear…maybe hang around the buffet tables for a while –  

“You know, you’re not who I thought you would be, your Highness,” Maren spoke up quietly, drawing Dan’s eyes back to her. “But I like it. I like you. I hope we can grow what already exists between us.”

“W-What?”

“Oh, don’t be coy, your Highness. I see fire in your eyes and I know you see it in mine.” Maren leaned in until her mouth was mere inches away from Dan’s. “You can’t deny the connection between us…” she murmured.

Dan shrunk away from her puckered lips and half-lidded eyes, suddenly finding it impossible to breathe. And that was when he felt it – a calloused but warm hand grasping his bicep and yanking him away from Maren’s wandering hands. He watched the baffled expression take over her face at having her prince so rudely snatched away, then released a breath of relief and turned to see his timely rescuer.

He must’ve been the son of a wealthy lord or duke, elegantly dressed in a rich midnight tailcoat woven with regal patterns, and a matching black cravat. Underneath lay a stiff white waistcoat, which accompanied a pair of black pants and boots on his feet. Normally, Dan would’ve scoffed at his whole demeanour; his beak-like nose pointed proudly to the ceiling, his spare arm was held stiffly at his back and his chest puffed out. He’d known enough guys like this in his time to expect nothing but vanity and disdain from them.

But the young man had just saved him from Maren’s…well, sexual assault. Any other man would’ve smiled and given him a silent cheer at catching a woman, but surely this one had noticed how uncomfortable Dan was if he pulled him away so quickly?

Suddenly the young man spoke, quickly shutting down all of Dan’s thoughts. His voice was surprisingly cadent, something like honey or the twinkle of champagne, but there was something odd about it that he couldn’t place…

“My apologies, ma’am,” the young man said, smiling and nodding at a hilariously aghast Maren. She looked as if his voice was the vilest thing she’d ever heard. But Dan was sure neither of them expected what the young man said next:

“It just seems a bit rude of you to have the Prince all to yourself. May I step in?”  

♛

The carriage was soundless. No one spoke a word. Not a breath or the rustle of clothes could be heard. Only the clattering wheels of the vehicle could ease the tension that suffocated the space.

A morbid cloud hung over everyone’s heads, like someone had died moments ago.

Well, Phil Lester thought, glancing at the droplets of blood that stained the inner wall, someone has died. Multiple people, actually.

But he felt no sympathy for the murdered family, averting his eyes and peering out through the open window. He would never feel anything for those who had enslaved and tortured his people.

Lush gardens rolled by as the carriage made its way towards the palace. The sun had almost set, bathing the sky in a peachy glow. Towering pine trees, hedges whittled into impressive shapes, rose bushes, canopies and fountains…it spread widely despite where it sat upon the hill. A wide path cut through the area and stretched towards the palace, lined with oil lamps and crowded by a traffic of many ornate carriages, filled with clans of wealthy men, women and children. They were all guests at the gala tonight, no doubt drenched in an assortment of their finest evening wear. But Phil, who wore his own luxurious ensemble, couldn’t deny how comfortable it was. He knew he would only be dressed like this for the coming week, so he figured he should enjoy it.

Hazel shifted opposite him, smoothing out the silk dress she’d stolen from the woman whose throat she’d cut only twenty minutes ago. It was almost pristine – Phil knew how seamless she was with a knife, so of course the dress had no splatters of blood. Their eyes met, and Phil offered her a smile in reassurance.

The blonde-haired girl raised her eyebrows. Of course, she never needed reassurance.

Despite the nerves that rumbled through his stomach and limbs, Phil smiled wider and turned away. Hazel was probably one of the bravest people Phil had ever known, especially as one of the best Blade-wielders in the Resistance, who were most skilled in close combat.

Phil could never summon enough courage to do what she and the rest of her unit did. Assassinating guards and other threats with the strike of one arm, risking their lives in hand-to-hand combat rather than fighting from a distance, and always, always aware of their opponent. Hazel had been trained to never let her guard down, even when she wasn’t fighting. Phil could see in the way she sat – back straight, eyes alert and darting left to right, elbows close to her sides – that she was ready to face danger if it came. It was one of the reasons she was chosen for this mission.

Phil, on the other hand, had a different role. He belonged to a unit of spies, gifted in the art of deceit, fraud and manipulation. Although he too had been somewhat trained for combat, it was rare that spies would have to handle a fight. Instead, Phil lived by the rule, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. With the face of an angel and the charm of a siren, he could gain the trust of anyone despite his status as a slave. His ability to lie and beguile had scraped him out of too many situations to count, and sometimes even seduced a few people.

This week, as the best member of his Espionage unit, he was tasked with the greatest job he’d ever been given. Everything he’d learnt as a spy would be tested during these several days, and one screw up could cost him the lives of everyone on this mission, let alone his own.

Suddenly, the gravelly voice of Jonas, who was posing as the coachman, floated through the window and snapped Phil from his thoughts. “We’re approaching the palace gates now,” he called. Everyone inside the carriage straightened up. “We’ve got inspection first, and once we’re through, I’ll circle the courtyard. The footmen group we’ve planted within the palace will take the luggage and escort you to the entrance. I’ll drive the carriage round to the stables, just like everyone else. Heard all that?”

“Got it, Jonas,” came the growl of Markus, who was smoothing out his cravat. Then he cleared his throat and looked round at Phil, Hazel and Elias, a Medic who had also been placed on the mission.

“I assume all of you are ready for tonight,” Markus began, stomach almost bulging from his waistcoat. He waited for everyone to nod before continuing, “Excellent. Now, this week, we are the Haines family. To you, I am Lord Evan Haines, your husband or father. We will attend all balls and parties together to keep up appearances, but of course you have separate assignments to complete; those will be done alone. Elias? Or should I say, Nikolaus Haines?”

“Yes?” Elias said. He took a moment to flatten out his greased black hair.

“What occupation do you intend to follow?”

“I will become an academic just like you, specialising in the history and geography of our country, Hathage. I’m already tutored by you and other professors, and attend classes at the Hathagean School for the Erudite. Nothing will stand in the way of my career.”

“That’s perfect. Hazel – or Lady Ania?”

“Yes,” she answered confidently.

“For how many years have we been married?”

“Sixteen, when you remarried two – no, three years after your first wife’s death.”

“Make sure you remember that. Phil – Hugo – what rank are you in Hathage’s military and how long have you been training for?”

“I am a Private, serving for two years and counting.”

“Terrific,” Markus said. “I trust you’ll all do fine this week. And remember – Jonas is our informant, and your go-to man to report any vital info you find. He’s staying in the accommodation for the other coachmen, right next to the stables. As far as we know, guest access to that is fairly easy.”

Hazel nodded, drawing a deep breath as a determined look set upon her face. Elias scratched his pointy chin, appearing to mull over what Markus had said.

There was a moment of silence, until Phil asked sullenly, “They’ll be expecting us, won’t they?”

“Of course they will,” Markus replied. “You know how hard the King’s forces have been trying to track our movements. Security will be amplified this week, as it is with every event. But we have an advantage – they have no idea when we intend to strike the hardest.”

“But that’ll be during this gala,” Hazel said.

“Exactly, which means everything must go right this week. We only have one shot at this. If we fail, we bring the whole Resistance down with us. But if we win, the monarchy will fall and all Eluthians will be freed.”

Another glance out the window and Phil saw they were metres away from the palace gates. “We’re at inspection now,” he told the others.

A moment of apprehensive silence passed. Then Elias lifted his hand in the centre of the carriage, and said hopefully, “As many we are bound by chains…”

Hearing the start of the Resistance’s motto, Hazel and Markus placed their hands over Elias’ without hesitation. Phil stared at them, all possible outcomes of this week zooming through his mind. He saw the Resistance executed at the hands of the nobility, but he also saw their oppressors beaten and destroyed. He saw the greatest punishment imaginable for his people, but he also saw them rejoicing in their reclaimed freedom. And despite all the devastating consequences that could befall them, something inside told him that no matter what, they would win.

So Phil filled his lungs with an unwavering breath, and then placed his hand on top of the pile. And together the group continued, “…as one we are bound by nothing.”

*

With a few introductions, some light-hearted banter and the invitation that Markus pulled out of his coat, the group successfully passed through inspection. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when the guards admitted them, but now they were finally within the palace, the dread returned. The week seemed to loom upon them like a heavy thundercloud, and they would be the first to break it.

Jonas drove the carriage through the courtyard, following the train of vehicles around the immense fountain that sat in the centre. Phil took the opportunity to gaze at the intricate stone and gold sculpture of many god-like figures, water pouring from their mouths or fingertips. It was almost a shame that the brilliant work of art may be destroyed by the end of the week. But suddenly the carriage was slowing to a stop outside the palace stairs, and Phil tore his eyes away from it and focused on the task at hand.

Footmen dressed in black and gold livery approached the carriage, collecting suitcases and bags that had belonged to the real Haines family. One man pulled the door open and offered a hand to each member of the group as they stepped out onto the cobbles. Phil didn’t recognise any of the men from the Resistance, but Markus gave them all a polite nod that held hidden meaning. One of the footmen even returned it with a light smirk.

“You must be the Haines family,” he addressed everyone, not even looking at the invitation Markus handed him. “My men and I will escort you up the stairs and into the palace, where the first ball of the night awaits you. Do not worry about your luggage – it will be taken to your rooms immediately. Now, if you will all please follow me…”

Phil heard the crack of a whip against the horses, and the lurch of the carriage as Jonas drove away, and he knew there was no turning back. The palace stood before him, all windows and turrets and gold carvings towering above him as if it was trying to be intimidating. But suddenly…it wasn’t. Phil saw nothing but the abominable royal family who hid behind this pathetic stronghold and took pride in conducting the suffering of his people. He wasn’t threatened by it – in fact, he felt he could tear it apart brick by brick right now.

But he couldn’t. He had a job to do, and besides, in the long run it would allow him to tear the palace apart. So Phil Lester stood straighter, made his way up the staircase, and followed his ‘family’ and the footmen that escorted them. Because right now he was no longer Phil Lester. He was Hugo Haines, son of Lord Evan Haines and a Private in Hathage’s military.

He was about to, in other words, celebrate the birthday of this glorious nation’s future king, and he was going to bloody well enjoy it.

*

Phil had never known the Prince of Croma before. To some, that might’ve come as a surprise, as he’d lived in the kingdom for nearly 18 years. But he belonged to the lowest caste of people in the realm. Enduring torture and working like a dog in the slave system meant that the royal family were the furthest out of his reach. Only when the King and Queen performed speeches, hosted national events or toured the kingdom had their son been present. But Phil had only seen him from afar; sometimes it was like he was never there. Phil got the impression that he was sheltered away, put on display for the wealthy and hidden from the penniless drudges. This meant that Phil was plunging into his mission almost blind, expected to deceive a prince he knew nothing about.

He voiced this to Elias when they made their rounds with Hazel and Markus, shaking a hundred hands and plastering on smiles for people he cared nothing about. Most of the guests were exactly as he had expected – snobbish, gaudy and too big for their boots. With a glass of something in their fingers, they could chatter all night about themselves and nothing else. Phil soon realised he knew at least one thing about the Prince – he’d be exactly like every pompous pig in this room.

“But it’s your job to get to know the bastard, isn’t it?” Elias whispered in reply once everyone else was occupied. He tucked his arms behind his back and stood straighter to appear less shady. “Besides, you’ve had the briefing on ‘im. What was it? 21 years old, pretty educated…”

“…A bit of a sheltered mummy’s boy,” Phil replied, before offering a polite smile to a lady who glided past.

Elias snickered beside him and nodded. “Most likely. And you know his daily schedule and all that, right? All’s left is his personality.”

“Sometimes that’s the hardest to tackle,” Phil sighed. “You can’t very well trick someone without knowing their ins and outs first. People have so many layers to them…you don’t know what you’ll find underneath.”

“Says the spy,” Elias scoffed under his breath.

Before Phil could even laugh, the background music and the rumble of conversation suddenly dissipated. One booming voice rung out, bouncing off marble pillars and panelled walls. Phil turned his eyes with the rest of the crowd to a man who stood upon a raised platform, two scarlet curtains falling behind him. As he began to announce the entrance of the royal family, Phil drew a slow breath. This was it. The moment those curtains pulled back, his mission would begin.

First his eyes landed on King Arran and Queen Jenea, their harsh faces and overbearing wealth all too familiar. They waved to their applauding subjects, almost glittering in their matching white and gold attire. Phil wanted to smash the crowns off their heads, watch them shatter on the polished floor. The royals didn’t deserve the power they had. In their thirst for domination over the realm, their legions had ruthlessly conquered other nations, and they had killed, maimed and captured hundreds of his people from their native country Eluthia. But Phil forced himself to applaud, and let his fury boil hot and silent within him, knowing the age of monarchy would soon be over.

When his eyes shifted to the young man who stood between them, a little to the back, his anger didn’t falter. In fact, being able to study the Prince for the first time only fed it. Undoubtedly, Prince Daniel would have been raised exactly like his parents. Something horrible churned in Phil’s stomach at the thought of befriending someone like him, someone who was nothing but proud and pretentious, and who spat upon those lower than himself.

Although, Phil had to admit his appearance took him by surprise. While his parents’ faces were sharp and lined, the Prince’s was like milk and honey. Dimples carved out his rounded cheeks when he smiled at the crowd, and his brown eyes held a mellow warmth. He had a curly head of coffee-coloured hair that looked as soft as feathers, and he seemed so delicate standing there in his white uniform jacket, polished gold buttons and black boots.

Phil always had an eye for handsome-looking men, as well as women. He’d realised that a long time ago and wasn’t ashamed of it. But he quickly reminded himself that he wasn’t here to gawk at the Prince’s fine appearance, when he was bound to be hideous underneath. However…his smile seemed a little too forced, his rosy lips stretching too wide, as if he was uncomfortable standing there. But it made no sense to Phil…a prince, standing anxious before the people he reigned over? He dismissed the thought.

As the royal family descended the platform and started greeting everybody, Phil and Elias hurriedly joined Hazel and Markus. They were grinning and chatting to another couple, Markus’s hand comfortably resting on Hazel’s waist. Phil heard mentions of the Prince and ballroom decorations as he approached, but then four pairs of eyes were on him and Elias as Markus introduced them.

The couple lived here in Croma, both involved in the military, but Phil didn’t bother remembering their names. He simply smiled and went on with rehearsed small talk, pretending to be interested in what they had to say about themselves.

After a while, Markus pulled him aside and muttered in his ear, “The royal family will greet everyone tonight. Make sure you get the Prince alone at some point, if not after you meet him formally.”

Phil nodded, stepping back a little. “Don’t worry, I’ll get my opportunity,” he replied softly, eyes glancing over puffy gowns, elaborate hairstyles and war medallions. “It shouldn’t be very hard if he’s too distracted by himself.”

“Watch yourself, Phil,” Markus warned. “Don’t let your anger blind your better judgement. You know not to underestimate anyone.”

“Y-Yes, sorry. You’re right. I’ll be more careful.”

“And make sure you bow when you meet him.”

“I might be befriending him but I will not bow to him.”

“Well, if you want to compromise this mission and our lives…don’t bow.”

Phil let out an indignant sigh. He knew he was being foolish anyway. “Fine. I guess there are worse things.”

“Of course there are,” Markus replied. “Just remember what’ll happen if you disrespect your prince.”

“He’s not my prince, Markus,” Phil mumbled.

“You’re right about that, at least.”

But Phil never got the chance to greet Prince Daniel and his parents. He watched them get through around half the guests as he planned his first words to the boy in his head, when the small orchestra at the back (no doubt made up of slaves) struck up a tune that settled the party. And then Prince Daniel was in the centre, waltzing across the dance floor with a pretty blonde woman in his arms.

All the guests seemed captivated by the performance, but as Phil kept watching he noticed that uncomfortable look return to the Prince’s face. It was strange…half the nation adored him, he had a princess of some sort almost clinging to him, and he was about to become the King of Croma. So why did he look like this palace was the last place he wanted to be?

Phil decided to finally meet His Royal Highness during the second dance, while everyone would be caught up in their own fantasies. So as the pretty couple slipped into their next waltz, he sucked in some air, straightened his back and made his way towards them. But something seemed off the closer he came. He watched as the woman murmured something to Prince Daniel, all cheeky and seductive, but the Prince obviously looked very uneasy about it. In fact, he started to tense up the closer she drew to him.

It would take an idiot not to notice what was going on here. And Phil was no idiot. For whatever reason, the Prince did not want to be near that woman, not now or perhaps ever. But the blonde hadn’t noticed, and now she was closing her eyes and puckering her lips, and the Prince was leaning as far back as possible…

Strangely, Phil felt a twinge of sympathy for the young man. He knew the feeling, having someone come onto you so forcefully like that. No one deserved to be assaulted in that way, whether it was with a simple kiss or a lot more.

So Phil seized his opportunity, and in a few strides he had taken the Prince by the arm and yanked him away from the woman’s clutches. “My apologies, ma’am,” he told her. “It just seems a bit rude of you to have the Prince all to yourself. May I step in?”  

♛

Dan was waltzing again. But this time with a young man.

He was dancing in the centre of a crowded ballroom…with a man.

He stared bug-eyed at his sudden saviour, still anxious and unsure as they stepped in time with the music. Everything had happened so fast, his rationale sort of fizzled out. One moment Maren was pretty much climbing all over him, and the next he was being swept away by someone else. A man. Another actual man, dancing with the Prince under the gaze of hundreds of aristocrats. Was he insane?

But this was different than with Maren…the boy left a fair amount of space between them, and held him gently. One hand brushed his waist, as light as a feather, while the other curled softly around his fingers. His touch woke the butterflies in Dan’s stomach, he made sure Dan was comfortable and…it was nice. It was nice, to dance with a boy. But it was wrong. His parents were probably watching. And the people would talk.

“Who are you?” Dan breathed, unable to help himself. His heartbeat thudded against his brain, scattered his thoughts. “You know w-we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Shouldn’t we?” the boy asked, raising his eyebrows. “And why not?”

“I think you have a very good idea as to why not. I’m the Prince of Croma, if you haven’t realised. And I’m not supposed to be – to be dancing with other men.”

“But you haven’t pulled away, have you, your Highness?”

Heat pooled in Dan’s cheeks, but he pulled his face into a frown. He would not think about that right now. Fear still bubbled in the pit of his stomach, a monster of anxiety growing the more he remained in this boy’s arms. He couldn’t hear all the murmured gossip over the music, but it was there…people staring, scrutinising, whispering to their friends…rumours tumbling over each other like violent waves crashing against sand.

“What are you doing?” he blurted out eventually, searching the boy’s face for any hint that this was a joke. “No, why are you doing this?”

The boy spun him across the marble floor, his grasp firm but comforting. “Honestly? I saw what that girl was doing to you, and I couldn’t stand by and do nothing about it. If that’s what you wanted, sire…?”

Dan opened his mouth to reply, but paused, leaving his jaw hanging open. Could this boy be that kind-hearted, or was there more to what had just happened? No one in this society would dare pull the Prince away from a woman, no matter the situation…So who was this gentleman? Eventually Dan remembered to reply, stammering out, “O-Oh. Thank you. Yes, it is – what I wanted…I actually appreciate that quite a lot.”

“I was just doing what I thought was right,” the boy shrugged.

“But no one else would’ve done what you did.”

“Well, I don’t blame anyone else for failing to notice their own Prince was in trouble. Too busy flaunting their big headed selves around, the bastards…” the boy muttered, before his eyes flashed with horror at what he’d said. “Oh, please, please forgive me, sire, I–”

But Dan was too busy bursting into laughter as he looked up at the boy, both horrified and amused. “No – stop – honestly, don’t apologise, please. That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. But you can’t just say things like that here. Do you have any idea what these people would do to you?”

The boy’s eyes darted over Dan’s face in panic, obviously surprised by his reaction. Then he stuttered out, “I – I’m all too familiar with what our kind of people are capable of.”

Those words made the laugher die in Dan’s mouth. He wondered if he’d been too quick to make assumptions about who he was. Maybe they were more similar than he thought? After all, there had to be others within the aristocracy who despised Croma’s class system. “…Who are you?” Dan asked after a moment. “I didn’t get an answer before.”

“My name is Hugo Haines,” the boy said with a nervous chuckle. “It’s an honour meeting you, Your Highness.”

“I might vomit if you address me like that again. Call me Prince Daniel, or even Dan. You seem normal enough for that.”

Hugo gave him a strange look, inquisitiveness churning behind his eyes. Dan frowned a little. It almost felt like the dark-haired boy was turning his soul inside and out, searching for something. Well, it’s not every day you meet a Prince who laughs at the slander of his own people and hates his titles, Dan thought. I would be confused too.

Suddenly his eyes landed on two guards who were weaving their way through the dancing couples towards them. Dan’s stomach dropped. The feeling of calm that had settled within him was now gone. He gulped. There was no way he would let these guards make a scene. His mother had probably sent them to force Dan away, shove him into a woman’s arms instead. The talk of the crowd reached his ears through the music. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be here.

Hugo had obviously seen the guards and sensed his anxiety when he slowed their dancing. “Um, D-Dan, I know this is your party and everything, but did you want to get out of here?” he muttered.

“You know, I’d like that very much,” Dan replied, meeting his eyes. He glanced over Hugo’s shoulder and found one of the many sets of doors around the ballroom. This one, he knew, lead out into a grand sitting room with walls that drowned in framed landscapes, and from there they could escape into the gardens…

“Come with me,” he said, not even thinking as he grabbed Hugo’s wrist and tugged him through the now curious-looking guests. He could hear their hushed gossip, wondering why their Prince was fleeing the ballroom with another man. In the back of his mind he knew there would be hundreds of rumours by the time the sun rose, but in that moment he couldn’t care less.

For the first time in his life he’d stumbled across a boy who wasn’t just beautiful, but seemed to understand him when so many others hadn’t. Dan wasn’t about to let him go.

They reached the doors to the sitting room, and Dan shoved the handle down before darting inside and dragging Hugo behind. The music, the endless chatter and the guards’ heavy footsteps were all silenced when he drove the heavy things shut.

“…Um, where exactly are we going?” Hugo asked as Dan hurried further into the room, rounding golden poufs and candelabras.

Dan waited until he reached another panelled door before answering, “To the gardens. They’re so elaborate, the guards won’t find us there.”

“But you are supposed to be back in that ballroom, aren’t you? Mingling with everyone and dancing the night away?”

“I am not going back there, especially if I have to mingle,” Dan laughed. He opened the door and beckoned Hugo closer. “Now hurry up, before they drag me back like a screaming child.”

Hugo sent him another curious look, before shaking his head and following him across the room. After passing through a few lavish libraries and drawing rooms, they eventually ended up in a stone corridor. It was a great step down from the palace’s extravagance; blackened mould coated the nooks and crevices, dusty torches sent a dim glow along the walls and the clack of their footsteps sent an eerie echo down the passage. And it was terribly cold. But Dan had snuck down this corridor plenty of times before. While Hugo let out a shivery breath from behind, he barely felt the temperature drop.

It was almost second-nature, finding the ancient wooden door buried deep into the stone. As usual, a familiar iron key was wedged into the lock and it took a few twists before Dan swung the door wide, and the pair stepped into another world.

Old stepping stones with moss smothering the edges trailed off from the doorway and into a lush garden. Jasmine, ivy and other creeper vines loomed above them, gobbling at worn granite walls until the rock could hardly be seen. There were rose bushes that bloomed with light pink petals, chiselled stone benches and bird baths that sunk into the grass and potted camellia, lavender and various other shrubs left to overgrow. But what made it all so enchanting were the stars, releasing their magic from a velvet black sky to touch the foliage and blooming flowers.

Dan grew lost for a moment, arms behind his back as he wandered into the almost-forest. He’d always loved the fantasy of it, a favourite hideaway second to his balcony. You could lose yourself among the plants for hours, with all the maze-like pathways and secret clearings.

“I think I envy this palace,” Hugo piped up from behind.

His voice snapped Dan from his trance, who spun around to grin at the dark-haired boy. He too was gazing up at the flowering creepers in wonder. “I know. This is where I spend half my time, if I’m honest. Do you have any gardens like this where you live?”

Hugo seemed startled for a moment. But almost instantly his face smoothed over and he nodded. “We do back at home, but never as grand as this. Even our holiday villa here is a bit sparse.”

“So you’re not from Croma, then?” Dan asked, perking up. “I knew your accent was unfamiliar.”

“No, my family is from – uh, Hathage. In the north?”

“I’ve probably heard of it. I wouldn’t remember, though.”

“It’s an old ally, I’m pretty sure. This is my first visit to your kingdom, actually. My father is quite a well-known scholar where I’m from, and the King of Croma wanted to meet him finally to commend him for his work and all that.”

Dan nodded, racking his brain for memories of Hathage as they passed through an archway lit by torches. The pair had automatically fallen into step once they started talking and for once, Dan was ignoring the scenery around them. “So Hathage is an ally…Oh, they – they helped in conquering Eluthia, didn’t they?”

He didn’t miss the way Hugo’s brilliant blue eyes turned to steel. “Yes, they helped,” he said, voice clipped.

“…Maybe if they hadn’t, Eluthia would still be a free nation,” Dan murmured.

“And you’d prefer that? You’d prefer to lose all your precious slaves, and do your own dirty work?”

“I mean…yes, I think I would,” he admitted, startled by Hugo’s outburst. “It’s a bit heartless, don’t you think? Tearing a people away from their homeland?”

Hugo’s face softened a little at that, despite his heavy frown. “I – yes. I suppose it is heartless. You know, I apologise, your Highness. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that,” he sighed, shaking his head.

“You need to stop apologising to me. And I thought I told you to call me Dan?”

“Right. Dan. Sorry about – oh, I mean…”

Dan’s fond laughter cut him off. “It’s alright, Hugo,” he said, nudging his shoulder.

Again, he was met with a split second of uneasiness on Hugo’s face, but he could never guess why. There was something about the dark-haired boy that seemed off...Dan finally glanced away, deciding to leave it alone for a while.

As they walked through the gardens, the conversation shifted and spun off into random topics. Small talk moved into sharing backgrounds, which became interests and funny anecdotes. Then it was anything that came to mind, laughter floating up into the night as they talked and talked. Dan soon realised he’d never known someone as interesting as Hugo, and someone who had never been as interested in him. Within an hour he knew that Hugo’s favourite meal was always breakfast, had a terrible fear of horses, and was about as uncoordinated as a drunken baby giraffe. In fact, the more Dan got to know him, the more endearing he seemed. Gone was the self-assured and formal gentleman from the ballroom – Dan liked his friendlier side a lot better.

Hugo seemed genuinely eager to get to know him as well. He was very open, asked Dan many questions about himself and related to him easily. It was a bit strange, talking to someone who was invested in him rather than his wealth or status. Dan clung to the hope that they would still be friends after tonight, forcing away any thoughts that suggested something more than friendship. He was still the Prince, and if his secret ever got out he would end up with a devastated name and a broken heart. Friends. Friends was more than enough.

At some point they’d stopped walking and sat themselves on the edge of a large stone fountain, erected in the middle of a clearing. The steady trickle of water was soothing, and filled the silence that eventually lapsed between them. But it was comfortable. Dan had never shared comfortable silence with anyone other than Louise.

Somehow, for some reason, it was just easy with Hugo.

The quiet was eventually disrupted when the dark-haired boy said, “Happy birthday, by the way.”

Dan snorted. And then properly laughed. “You know, you’re the first person to ever say that to me tonight,” he chuckled out. “Thank you.”

Hugo was grinning along with him. “You’re welcome, oh Majestic One. Oh great ruler over this glorious empire.”

“Shut up,” Dan giggled, shoving him gently. “I already told you I hate all that shit.”

“…Did the Prince of Croma just curse?” Hugo asked, actually looking a little shocked. “Wow. You never really know someone, huh.”

“You’re infuriating,” Dan muttered, but he was smiling.

There was another silence. Dan lifted his eyes to the sky, watching the stars for a moment before looking back at Hugo. Up close, he could finally study him, and Dan bit his lip when he noticed just how breathtaking the boy really was. Under the moonlight, his face was made of marble. A light flush on his cheeks held the same colour as his porcelain pink lips, and his eyebrows curved sharply around eyes that weren’t just blue. They seemed to hold a churning sea. And it hurt, just a little, knowing he could never have this boy who was so, so remarkable.

Dan forced himself to look away, averting his gaze to the grass. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t put himself through this. He was supposed to find a bride tonight, not a…not a groom. Stop doing this to yourself, he thought angrily. There is no one else like you. You’re a prince. You will never find a boy you can love freely.

“I think we should go back,” Dan said suddenly, looking up at the hedgerows ahead. He felt Hugo’s surprised gaze and ignored it. “It’s getting late, and the King and Queen are going to be furious if I’m away any longer.”

He stood up quickly and brushed off the back of his pants, but before he could move he felt Hugo’s hand secure around his wrist.

“Wait,” the boy insisted. “I need to tell you something before we go.”

Dan hesitated before meeting Hugo’s worried eyes. He sat back down with a soft sigh and nodded.

“Okay,” Hugo began with a deep breath. He didn’t let go of Dan’s wrist. “My name…isn’t actually Hugo. It’s Phil.”

“What?”

“My name is Phil…Phil Haines.”

“But you said before, it was Hugo.”

“I know. But it’s not Hugo. It’s Phil.”

“Why – why did you tell me it was Hugo?” Dan stared at the dark-haired boy, mouth hung open and eyebrows almost touching they were so furrowed. All thoughts of the ball and his parents flew out of his brain. That was so unusual, and confusing, and a bit distressing. Why would anyone give him a completely different name? Was Hugo – Phil – whoever he was telling the truth?

“Well, it’s – um – actually kind of funny,” the boy started to explain awkwardly. “In my family, Hugo’s a bit of a, uh, nickname. A running joke sort of thing. My real name is Phil Haines. It’s just sometimes I forget to introduce myself as Phil, because people call me Hugo all the time at home.”

Dan narrowed his eyes, finding the whole story a bit fishy. “…Are you screwing with me right now?” he demanded with a slight smirk.

“No! I swear I’m not. This is the truth. I am Phil.”

“Okay then…Phil. If I asked your family, would they say the same thing?”

“Absolutely. I’m serious.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You can trust me, Dan.”

A defeated sigh left Dan’s lips when he saw the boy’s stern expression. “Fine, I believe you. But you’re really strange, Phil, you know that?”

“Y-Yes, I am aware,” Phil laughed, sounding relieved. “Shall we go, then?”

“Yeah, we actually should.”

They didn’t speak as they made their way back to the palace. Dan used his memory and the twilight to retrace their steps – the pair had wandered further than they’d realised. Eventually the turrets and golden roofs of the palace were peering over the garden hedges, growing closer and closer, looming like a death sentence. Music and conversation were fearsome creatures that balanced on the wind, and warm light began to shine through the foliage like blades to his body. Soon he would be back among that stifling hall of high society, pretending, pretending, pretending.

In that moment, passing overgrown shrubs and old garden furniture with Phil by his side, Dan wanted nothing more than to turn back and disappear forever. He felt trapped, suffocated by his own future. He wanted to escape it. He wanted to flee. How could he subject himself to the life that awaited him? The life of a king who must have a wife and children, who surrounded himself in his own wealth and self-importance, who forced other human beings into slavery…

Dan’s life was a nightmare slowly coming true, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

But then he and Phil reached the clearing where they had snuck from the palace. Dan stepped back into the chilly stone passage, squashing down that horrible cloud of anxiety in his stomach. He waited until his dark-haired friend had followed him inside.

And after one lingering glance out into the garden, into a sky full of constellations, the Prince of Croma dragged the door shut and sealed his fate for the coming week.

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[samuelmmarcus]

New Century Modern Home Design

  Garrison Hullinger Interior Design (previously featured here) recently completed this beautiful home and I am honored to be sharing their incredible work here on Home Bunch. Please keep reading to know all details shared by this talented interior designer:

  “We met the clients as they toured a Street of Dreams project we had designed. They had found a 9 acre parcel of land to build their dream home on. They had started working with a home designer but they didn’t feel like the floor plan was feeling like the family home they had dreamed of at the beginning of the process. We worked along side the home designer and clients to reconfigure spaces and also reduce the overall footprint of the home that just felt too big. The home ended up being 7,500 sq ft.”

  New Century Modern Home Design

The clients wanted a Northwest Contemporary Spa feeling home and the interiors and exterior reflect that.

Timeless Beauty

Set on a 9-acre lot, this home is surrounded by nature.

Exterior Stone

The exterior stone is Eldorado Stone Cliffstone; Color: Banff Springs Cultured Stone Veneer – similar here & here.

Exterior Lighting: Hinkley.

Front Door

A solid wood front door, dark hardwood floors and Cedar T&G wall paneling brings plenty of texture and warmth to this foyer.

Front Door: Custom Manufactured by Master Woodworks.

Beautiful Foyer Rugs: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Great Room

“The house is designed to feel comfortable for the family of four on a movie night or when they’re hosting a large party of 30 friends and family members.”

Stone Fireplace: Eldorado Stone Mountain Ledge Sierra Cultured Stone Veneer.

Lighting: Tech Lighting Entire rail system including rails.

Hardwood Flooring: Provenza Siberian Oak, Color: Oxford – similar here, here, here, here & here (laminate).

View

The designer used large pieces of furniture to ground this space. Also, notice the stunning view of the backyard with pool.

Inspired by this Space:

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Dining Room

“We knew they wanted to keep the ceilings high throughout the main level of the home but we wanted to add some warmth by adding cedar tongue and groove ceilings in the dining room and master bathroom.”

Ceiling: 3″ T&G Cedar

Lighting: Rejuvenation Haleigh Wire Dome Pendant.

Dining Table: here – similar.

Dining Chairs: here – similar.

Flooring: here – similar.

Kitchen

This large modern kitchen features Walnut cabinetry and Limestone flooring.

Kitchen Cabinetry: European frameless construction; Style: Veneer Flat Panel; Species: Walnut.

Counterstools: Available through the designer – Others: here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Pendants: Sonneman.

Grey Kitchen Island Paint Color

Kitchen Island Cabinetry:  European frameless construction; Painted slab door construction. Species: Alder/MDF as required Color: Painted – “Benjamin Moore-Amherst Gray -HC 167″.

Countertop: Kenya Black Marble.

Hardware: Top Knob Nouveau III.

Island Faucet: Blanco.

Pot Filler: Blanco.

Details

“We added single hung windows above the countertop adjacent to the patio for passing food/drink.”

Perimeter Countertop: Caeserstone Concrete #200 Quartz.

Backsplash is backpainted glass panels in Benjamin Moore Sabre Gray.

Perimeter Kitchen Sink: Blanco.

Perimeter Faucet: Danze Parma Faucet.

Island Sink: Blanco Precis, in Anthracite.

Flooring: here – similar.

Powder Room

This bathroom feels very authentic with a custom metal vanity and Black Granite countertop.

Vanity: Custom metal vanity with steel frame and solid Fir wood shelf. Countertop is Absolute Black Granite – Super Honed.

Wall Tile: Pental Zebra Vein Cut Collection: Marble 12 x 24.

Sconces: Marset A18-012 Beta Bathroom Light – Others: here, here, here, here & here.

Faucet: AquaBrass Chicane – similar here, here & here.

Sink: Toto.

Flooring: here & here – similar.

Guest Bathroom

This guest bathroom features a custom Walnut floating vanity.

Lighting: Rejuvenation– Similar: here, here & here.

Faucet: Danze – Discontinued – Similar: here.

Sink: American Standard.

Floor Tile: American Olean 2″ Hexagon Unglazed Ceramic Color: A34 Black Finish: Matte – similar here.

Shower Tile: Daltile Rittenhouse – similar here.

Toilet: Toto.

Master Bedroom

The master suite is pure luxury! It features a fireplace and doors to the pool.

Fireplace Tile: Porcelain Tile Slim Tech Collection: Lappata SKU: LSABS35F 118″ x 40″

Ceiling Fan: Bigass Fan.

Decor: Available through the designer.

Master Bathroom

The master bathroom features large expansive windows and Cedar tongue and groove ceilings.

Mirrors: Electric Mirror Fusion Lighted Mirror.

Bathroom Faucets: Kohler.

Sink: Toto.

Make-up Vanity

The custom makeup area features doors to hide away the mess.

Tub & Flooring

Flooring: Limestone Collection: Natural Stone Limestone Color: Grey Flannel Finish: Honed 12×24 – similar here & here.

The freestanding tub is by Kohler.

Tub Filler: Kohler Purist.

Shower

Who wouldn’t love to have a shower like this?! This space features a drying area and it’s conveniently located by the walk-in closet.

Shower Walls: Daltile Silver Screen marble (M744).

Floor Tile: Bali Stone Color: Black Flat Finish: Natural.

Shower Faucet: Kohler Purist.

Wall Body Spray: Kohler.

Laundry Room

“The house has an ample amount of storage and we created a multipurpose room with laundry and craft space in a very sunny corner of the home.”

Backsplash: DalTile Retro Rounds Mosaic Tile – Finish: Glossy – similar here.

Island Countertop: Hickory Butcher Block – Finish: Natural.

Lighting: Rejuvenation.

Faucet: Kohler Simplicity Faucet.

Faucet: Blanco.

Gift Wrapping Station

“This family loves doing craft and school projects together.”

The gift wrapping station features cork backsplash.

Cabinetry: Lower Cabinets: Dackor 3d Laminates: Semi Gloss; Frosty White. Upper Cabinets: Dackor 3d Laminates; Flakeboard Queenston Oak.

Perimeter Countertop: Formica Graphite 837-5.

Hardware: Pulls & Knobs.

Outdoors

” The floor plan was all about flow in-out of the home to the covered patio along side the pool.”

  Many thanks to the designer for sharing the details above!

Interior Design: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design (Instagram – Facebook)

Photography: Blackstone Edge Studios.

    Click on items to shop!

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Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

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Tailored Interiors.Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

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If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

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