#the adjoining wall is all doors that overlook one of the gardens

[impossible-rat-babies]

obssessed with the suite eyrie has in radz-at/han that I’m building in my mind

[definitionsfading]

threshold

or, a brief look into a gentle future (rated Mature for some sexual themes)

+ + + + + +

There is a modestly quaint cottage on a rolling hill by the sea, with an upstairs window overlooking a garden. 

Aziraphale is the one who finds it. “For the both of us,” he tells Crowley the day they drive down from London just to see it, bought sight unseen, because when the angel is certain about something he does not dither or dally on the matter. Crowley trembles in his boots on the front walk with a sickening knot in his throat and waits while Aziraphale unlocks and opens the front door, and then gently takes the demon by the hand to lead him over the threshold. 

He is not carried, not physically, but it may as well be the promise of marriage, of a new eternity that belongs to them, together, plural. One side. Their side. (Our side.)

And it is. 

They only brought the few potted plants, a couple bags of grocery shopping, and an old leather satchel with them. Everything makes it inside in one trip, the grocery sacks huddled together in all their brown paper glory on the butcher block worktop in the kitchen. The cottage is sparsely furnished but more or less finished. Crowley has nothing to his name but a car and some potted figs. Aziraphale has much more, in the bookshop they left behind in London, but he seems to have no immediate intention of moving the contents of that life into this one. 

“We can decorate it together, I hoped,” he tells Crowley. Their voices echo on the bare limewash walls of the kitchen just the slightest bit. Crowley’s eyes are fixed on the bay window in the adjoining breakfast nook, where the old glass panels open up to the wildness of a sprawling garden lovingly wind-whipped by the sea. 

“We can,” he agrees, the line of his throat bobbing up and down. There’s a flash of something greenish beyond the overgrown border of lavender and feather reed, like the bottom of old fizzy pop bottles shining when they’re held up against the sun. “Is that…?” 

“A greenhouse,” Aziraphale says quietly, taking a step closer until they’re nearly standing toe to toe, but both gazing out at the garden. “I insisted they leave the old workbench and gardening table behind so you could get right to work whenever you felt ready.” 

Crowley swallows, smiles, and dips his head to slowly pull his sunglasses from his face. He looks at Aziraphale and can’t seem to find the many words he’s meant to say, even after all the words that have come before it. He turns, just slightly, and sets the folded sunglasses on the table next to the grocery shopping. 

“It’s perfect,” he says in a hoarse voice. He doesn’t trust himself to say anything more.

Aziraphale merely touches his upper arm with one hand, his elbow with another, framing Crowley there in front of the bay window like a portrait he intends to keep forever. “Will you stay?” he asks, almost whispering it. “With me.” 

“As if you even needed to ask, you prat,” Crowley snorts, even as Aziraphale’s hand raises to thumb away the tear falling beside his nose. “Course I will.” 

Aziraphale holds Crowley’s face like something precious as he tips his head up for a kiss. The demon laughs, a brittle and wet sort of sound, but brings his palms up to rest over the top of Aziraphale’s hands as their mouths brush together. If there’s something to be said about holding on to a moment of being held, Crowley won’t be the one to mention it. 

“I’m so glad,” Aziraphale says, pressing his lips to the ancient tributary of dampened crow’s feet beside Crowley’s golden eye, and then the inside of one bare wrist where his sleeve has drawn up. The angel’s eyes are wet and his breath trembles as his face breaks into a smile. His hands gradually pull away after a few moments, though one slips down to tangle their fingers together in a loose knot fastened with the strength of six thousand years. 

“We ought to take the grand tour together,” Aziraphale says, flushing a bit rosy. “It’s as new to me as it is to you, after all.” 

Crowley sniffles, grins, and dashes a finger across his cheekbone. “Yeah, angel,” he says, perfectly content with being taken by the hand and tentatively guided into this new chapter of their existence together. “Lead the way.”

They walk through the cottage hand in hand, scouting out each new room on the ground floor like an untraversed continent of a brand new world. There is space for a study and for walls of books, a den for a sofa and telly, and cool flagstones on the floor that will cozy up nicely with woven throw rugs. French doors lead out to the patio and sprawling garden beyond, but Aziraphale and Crowley are saving that joint venture for later.

Creaking stairs lead them up to the second level with a view of the sea. The last bedroom at the end of the parquet hallway is painted the color of the inner part of a seashell, a pale pink that warms the sunlight trickling in from the window overlooking the garden. It makes Crowley think of Aziraphale’s flushing, peachy skin, and the intimate hue of things like the last few panting breaths before an orgasm or the feeling of the angel’s mouth at the soft crease of his naked thigh. 

He knows it’s theirs—a room to be shared, that is—the moment they step foot inside. 

There is already a dark wooden bedroom set there, standing sentry like it’d merely been waiting for them to arrive. Aziraphale has not said a word, but he draws in a soft pull of air and lets it back out again like some quiet sigh of relief. He must’ve read Crowley’s mind, because he only steps closer until the buttons on their waistcoats click together and the watch fob jingles its merry music in the precious peace of this new paradise. 

“Would you be amenable,” the angel says, pressing a hand into the small of Crowley’s back, “to helping me Christen our new home before a late luncheon?” 

Crowley makes a warm, rumbling sound in his chest. He feels drunk with dopey happiness, quivering anticipation, and the newfound freedom to feel this love out in the open until it fills the corners of the room around them and then bursts into the world beyond. 

“M’not much good at the whole Christening bit,” he says, tipping his face down just the barest bit so his lips touch the delicate corner of Aziraphale’s mouth, “but you can shag me in our new gaff all you like.” 

“An excellent compromise,” Aziraphale says with a little chuckle, sliding his hand down to cup the shape of Crowley’s bum. They both look at the unmade bed and he wrinkles his nose a bit, a spark of something glittering his eyes, and suddenly the short four poster is made up with crisp sheets, pillows, and a plush duvet in a soft sage color. “It could use a few more personal touches, but I think this should suit us for the time being.” 

“Green, eh?” Crowley hums, arching a curious brow.

Aziraphale only smiles and brings a hand up to cup the demon’s face for a proper kiss. “Let an old angel have his little indulgences,” he murmurs, briefly touching the gingery waves tickling around Crowley’s jawline. “It looks so lovely with your hair.” 

Their clothes come off like dropped petals, fluttering to the floor as if the world is padded at the edges with gauze. But this is no dream, and the blood beating through Crowley’s immortal flesh-and-bone body reminds him of this earthly indulgence of humanity they hold between them. Aziraphale sets his pocket watch on the empty dresser in a puddle of gold, and when Crowley’s necktie joins it there in a splash of silver he thinks this is more of a home than they’ve ever shared anywhere else outside the bookshop. Something that belongs to both of them outside the borders of custodianship, and always has since the very start. 

The fact of the matter makes his throat awfully tight, even as he willingly falls backward into the feather duvet with his angel crawling in after him. Both of their weatherworn bodies are aglow in the curious pink-tinged light of their new bedroom, and Crowley has to shakily breathe around the welt making it hard for his vocal cords to form words. He grips Aziraphale’s upper arms to try and convey what he feels through sheer osmosis without saying it aloud, but when they lock eyes he sees that those two stormy ones he adores so much are already damp with what must be the same realm of feeling. 

“Don’t you go and get me started again, you old snake,” Aziraphale says in a weak threat, even as a tear gathers and drops onto Crowley’s collarbone. “Oh, darling,” he says, relenting and bowing their heads together. “I’ve wanted to give this to you for so long.” 

“For the both of us,” Crowley rasps, pulling Aziraphale more flush against him to reinforce the gentle reminder. “It’s ours, angel.” 

“I know, darling,” Aziraphale says, smiling through his tears. “But you’ve always deserved a warm place to come back to.” 

Crowley feels cleaved down the middle with the endless revelation of how much he loves his angel. “You are that warm place, you complete plonker,” he manages to croak out. “Always have been. All the rest is gravy to me.” 

Aziraphale’s expression splinters apart at the edges, quivering lower lip snared between his teeth. “Forgive me for ever going,” he says in a hushed voice, as if this isn’t an old wound they’ve since reopened and bandaged a thousand times. “For ever leaving you, Crowley.” 

“Don’t,” Crowley says brokenly, touching Aziraphale’s chin. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” 

“I’ll spend the rest of whatever eternity we have left making up for all the time that was wasted,” Aziraphale says, in a promise that Crowley feels resonate on this earthly plane and the next, and then brings his cockhead to the silken heat between the demon’s thighs. 

“You’re already forgiven,” Crowley says, even as his eyes blur and his body aches with the raw scrape of desire as Aziraphale gently nudges at his entrance. “Now shut up and make me forget.” 

Crowley doesn’t begrudge the tears on his face as Aziraphale slowly sinks into him. He laughs with the relief of it, a rattling thing meant to disguise a sob, and wraps himself around his angel with the pure intent to never again let go. Aziraphale’s soft lips press against his brow, the dampness beside his eye, the softness of his hairline, his trembling vessel held there by the grounding anchor of Crowley’s body where they’re wrecked in the middle of the soft bed. 

The fluffy ends of Aziraphale’s fair hair glow like rose gold as he finds Crowley’s wobbling mouth and kisses him there at last. There is no rush, no heated fervor or rutting—they have all the time left in the world and the enormity of that blessing doesn’t burn, except in the swelling crest of something bright simmering in the strings of Crowley’s damned heart. He hitches his legs around Aziraphale’s hips and circles his arms around his neck, holding him so they’re joined and perfectly dovetailed, married belly to belly, chest to chest. 

Neither of them move other than their filling lungs and the trading of long, languid kisses that taste like salt and ozone. Crowley welcomes the angel’s reassuring weight on top of him, pressing him into the feathery duvet until he hopes their joined bodies leave an everlasting impression upon the mattress. He slowly maps along the planes of Aziraphale’s pale back with his long fingers, never stopping their tender kisses, only urging him along with little flexing squeezes of his thighs and sweet sounds meant to tempt and inspire.

Aziraphale braces his forearms on either side of Crowley’s head and moves, finally, blissfully, so that Crowley feels balmy pleasure arc up his spinal cord like a blessing. He cries out from it again, making a shattered sound that the angel captures with his lips, and holds Aziraphale’s face in his hands as he’s made love to. The whole world turns pink like he knew it would, perfectly rosy with the flush of warm skin and panting breaths, the way their noses bump together and Crowley mewls up into the kiss-bitten plumpness of his beloved’s mouth. 

“How I love you,” Aziraphale whispers as he rolls his hips, only loud enough for Crowley and the shimmering dust motes and the tiny spiders in the eaves of the cottage to hear him. It’s not a secret anymore, but a precious thing cupped between them like a flame that never goes out. Crowley imagines that golden truth flickering inside him, struck like a match, a pinch of a newborn star, and wants to see it flourish here—wants to stoke it up into full brightness and watch it grow like the garden will once he plunges his hands into the waiting earth. 

“Love you more, angel,” Crowley breathes against the corner of Aziraphale’s mouth, just so he remembers. Simply for the joy of hearing himself utter it aloud. 

Their heartbeats match the pulse of blood in the intimate place where they’re joined, proof of life, proof of love, proof of every painful step it took through six thousand years to make it this far. To make it into the warm embrace of his angel’s arms. To make it home.

[alnwicks]

Inside Audrey Castle - the Ground Floor

Now that the Duke and Duchess of Windshire are all settled in, let’s take a look at their new home, Audrey Castle!

Built in the 16th century by the Earl and Countess of Derby, Audrey Castle was purchased a century later by King William for his wife Queen Alix as a summer home. The couple and their six children would leave Alnwick in early spring and stay at Audrey Castle until September, when they would return to Alnwick. Unlike other royal homes (namely, Whitwell Hall), Audrey Castle was used as both a palace and a family home, and has functions for both. Let’s take a look inside some of the magnificent rooms on the ground floor.

The South Wing

Audrey Castle is split into a north and a south wing by the Great Hall. While the North Wing was primarily used only by the family for personal living, the South Wing was used exclusively for entertainment. 

The Great Hall

The north and south wings of the castle are split by the Great Hall, located in the center of the castle. The Great Hall spans the height of the entire house, and features a double staircase overlooking the hall filled with art and decorations. Paintings of kings and queens past line the walls of the hall, which stands as a magnificent entry-point for guests and diplomats alike. 

The Dining Parlor 

The Dining Parlor is located directly behind the stairs in the south wing of the home. Now primarily used as a tea room, the dining parlor features lush green walls and bright white furniture, and is the perfect setting for an afternoon chat if the sun is just a bit too hot that day. This room was said to be the favorite of King William’s eldest daughter, Princess Marie-Alix, the Princess Royal; when groundsmen tried to replace the wallpaper at her brother, Prince’s Michael’s request, she had her lady’s maids move her bed into the room to prevent the men from entering. Princess Marie-Alix was so vehemently opposed to the alteration of the room that she actually wrote a provision prohibiting it into her final will and testament, although it was not valid due to the fact that she did not own the home. Although her resistance to change was illegitimate, the wallpaper was never been replaced, and has only ever been altered via restoration. 

The Great Drawing Room

The Great Drawing Room is one of the most richly decorated rooms in the home. Primarily used for entertaining guest until dinner, the Great Drawing Room was a source of great pride for Queen Alix, who personally picked each piece of furniture and decoration. Its double doors open onto the south corridor which includes a private stairwell for taking guests up to the second floor’s south wing, which was designed purely for entertainment. 

The Red Guest Room

Located at the end of the south wing, the Red Guest Room was the most prestigious guest accommodations Audrey Castle had to offer (there are, of course, other staterooms, but they are located in a separate wing of the house that was not part of the original construction. Those rooms function as a museum now and are not used by the family in any capacity). The Red Room features original paintings hand picked by Queen Alix and beautiful wallpaper, and includes its own private bathroom. 

The North Wing

The North Wing of Audrey Castle is used for everyday living by the family on both levels. Although the South Wing also includes a second stairwell for accessing the second floor, the North Wing has two private staircases, both of which are the only ways to access the second floor. 

The Housekeeper’s and Steward’s Rooms

Before modern times, the Housekeeper and the Steward were two of the most important servant jobs in the castle. Thus, their high positions came with the great honor of having their personal rooms inside the house. The Housekeeper’s Room (seen above) was especially notable, as it was the only servant room in the home to have a piece of art hanging in it (the painting was gifted to Mrs. Avis, a 19th century housekeeper, by King William’s great-great-great granddaughter Princess Margareta). The Steward’s Room was likewise plain, but also came with the luxury of a queen-sized bed as opposed to a single bed.

The Music Room

Originally the Servant’s Hall, the Music Room was converted by King William’s grandson, the Duke of Mount Stevens, for his children’s lessons. It still has the original piano, three violins, and includes a dry bar for days when parents must sit through particularly painful music lessons. 

The Kitchen and Morning Room

The kitchen and adjoining morning room (seen above) were added to the castle after the original kitchen, located in a separate wing, was destroyed in a fire. The kitchen and morning room replaced butler’s pantry and servant’s morning room, which were no longer necessary as the servant’s hall moved to the separate wing when it was reconstructed. 

The rest of the ground floor features a small art gallery, powder room, and a small lobby for seating guests before escorting them upstairs for dinner. Stay tuned for the tour of the second floor’s wings and the magnificent gardens at Audrey Castle. 

[muertawrites]

An Unwanted Guest (Loki x Reader) [Part 2]

Summary: You come face to face with the monster in the house at the end of your street and find he’s much more sinister than you would have believed. 

Word Count: 3,200

Author’s Note: Read part 1 ~here~

{ masterlist }

A monster glared at you in the dark, its bloody crimson eyes observing you with harsh scrutiny. You realized in an instant that this was the creature you’d seen watching you; its skin matched the deep cerulean hue, and its height was as massive as had been described to you. At such close proximity, you could see features on the monster’s body that you couldn’t see before; coal black hair that fell in wild tendrils around wide shoulders, high cheekbones that emulated those of a large cat’s, deep creases of scarred skin etched into swirling patterns around a snarling mouth, and teeth sharp as daggers. 

The beast scowled at you, its nails in your shoulder only digging deeper as it dragged you closer into its grip. You shrieked, waiting for its teeth to sink into your neck and begin devouring you, all sense of fight missing in the face of a danger you never thought possible outside of your nightmares. 

But the pain you expected didn’t come. Instead, a long finger pressed against your lips, its cold skin chilling yours down to the teeth. 

“Shut up,” the monster growled in a deep, silken voice. “I’ve heard enough screaming for a lifetime this evening.” 

You hushed, gazing up at the creature in bewilderment. It, who you now realized was a man based on his tone of voice, stared back at you with a hard expression. With the hand that hadn’t dug itself into your neck, he raised a flashlight to your chin. 

“I believe this is yours,” he drawled. “I will, however, have to confiscate that prybar.”

In a swift motion, he removed his hand from where it had embedded itself in your shoulder and took the crowbar from your grip. He tossed it away somewhere to the side of where you stood, it clattering to the floor with a few loud clangs. He then placed his hand at your neck once more, using it to steer you around and into the hallway behind the door you’d been attempting to pass through. 

“Come now,” he said, “we’ll get you cleaned up. I don’t want you tracking any more blood through my house.” 

You allowed him to take you where he intended without struggle, your head swimming with a mixture of awe, confusion, hysteria, blunt force trauma, and blood loss. He led you down the main stairs, back into the entrance hall and through a hidden door to the side of the banister, which was disguised as a slot in the wall’s wood paneling. 

This door led to another set of stairs, at the bottom of which was a surprisingly cozy kitchen and dining area. Wood counters backed up against the stone walls that made up the house’s foundation, mounted above which were shelves and cabinets housing various bottles of oils, dried herbs, and dishware. There was an iron stove in the corner of the room that looked nearly as old as the house itself, its accompanying oven held aloft at its side with slots for the broilers underneath. A fire crackled peacefully in an impressive hearth, over which a large pot of something that smelled of garlic and rosemary bubbled in the gentle heat of the flames. 

Your guide sat you down unceremoniously upon the table in the center of the room, clearing away a half-eaten bowl of whatever was in the cooking pot so he could use the table to treat you. You watched in a daze as he gathered various items from the cupboards and cabinets before settling himself down in the chair nearest to you. He wasted no time, going right to the leg of your jeans and ripping them open, giving himself access to the cut on your knee. 

“I would force you to do something about breaking my window if it weren’t simpler for me to handle it myself,” he mumbled, poking at your wound with his frigid, blue hands. “You’ve paid well enough, however. This will need mending.” 

He reached into a metal case he’d taken from a cupboard and laid beside you, pulling out a bottle of clear liquid and some gauze. Tipping the bottle over, he soaked the gauze in the liquid, then proceeded to dab it over the open wound. You winced in hesitation of a sting, eyes creeping open when you felt none. 

“What…” was the only word your lips could manage to form. 

“It isn’t alcohol,” your host explained, though you were certain he knew you’d already guessed that. “Where I come from our medicine is very advanced; hardly any pain in our procedures.” 

Though his words were meant to inspire understanding, they only confused you further. You looked away as he raised a threaded needle to your loose skin, choosing instead to focus on the muscles in his upper arm, watching them flex as he moved the needle in and out of your flesh. There was a long moment of silence before you were able to speak again. 

“Who are you?” you asked in a hoarse whisper.  

He didn’t look up, continuing his work unfazed. 

“You know who I am,” he nonchalantly replied. “I’ve just made sure you can’t recognize me.” 

You furrowed your brow, starting to become frustrated with the lack of clarity you’d experienced so far that evening. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” you demanded. “Also, what about this house? It’s abandoned. I’ve seen it every day that I’ve lived in this town and it’s completely condemned. How the hell do you even live here?” 

The man, or beast, or whatever he was, finished sewing up your wound and snapped his gaze up to meet yours, glaring at you from beneath a firmly set brow. He reached for your hands, forcefully pulling them into your lap and turning your palms upward so he could inspect the damage you’d done to them. 

“This house was abandoned,” he corrected you, pouring the clear liquid in a waterfall over your hands. “I’ve renovated the inside, as you’ve seen. I keep the outside looking desolate so I don’t get unwanted guests like you snooping about.” 

“But you were outside,” you pushed. “My neighbor saw you. He said you attacked him and his friend when they were up here earlier.” 

The man waved his hand over your palms, and the shards of glass embedded in your open flesh floated upward, hovering as if drawn out by a magnet. Your eyes widened as he used his invisible grip to guide them over the table, dropping them into a clean dish before he gathered more gauze and began to bandage your hands. 

“Yes, children love to trespass this time of year,” he answered. “I decided that I’d scare them off for good this time. I’m sick of having to clean rubbish out of my garden.” 

With your hands adequately bound, your host stood, reaching around the back of your head and pressing his fingers to the spot where your skull had smacked against the conservatory floor. You flinched at his touch, more due to distrust than the soreness in your skin. The man inspected his fingers as he pulled them away, and you were thankful not to see any blood on them. 

“Nothing’s lacerated,” he confirmed, “but we’ll have to monitor your condition for the next few days.” 

You paled, the blood in your face draining into the pit of your stomach. 

“Days?” you echoed. “What do you mean ‘days’??” 

The man began to gather up his first aid materials, pacing casually around the kitchen as he stowed them away. 

“I can’t very well let you leave,” he explained.  “Not in the state you’re in.” 

He crossed his arms and leaned back against one of the counters, meeting your eyes with a predatory gaze. 

“Besides,” he continued, “I can’t let you go, anyway. You know too much.” 

“No,” you retorted, glaring back defiantly. “You can’t just keep me here against my will. The only reason I came here is because my neighbor and his friend saw you, anyway. You chased them through the woods and tried to kill them! What about them?” 

“Your neighbor is a child,” the man countered. “No one will believe the ramblings of a child.” 

“They won’t believe me, either,” you spat. “Monsters like you aren’t supposed to exist.” 

“No matter,” the man hissed. He narrowed his eyes at you, taking a few lurking steps forward. “I either keep you here, or I kill you. Which would you rather have?” 

You set your jaw, exhaling in defeat. You couldn’t run; not with stitches in your knee and a mind disoriented with a possible concussion. He was much bigger and stronger, anyway, and you had no doubt he was faster; he’d catch you before you could even find a way to escape. You were trapped. 

“Fine,” you conceded. “My neighbors will report me missing, though. You’ll have cops all over this place in a day or two.” 

The man smirked, one of his brows arching upward as if the idea of anything being a threat to him were humorous. 

“I’ll have an easier time keeping them out,” he assured you. “I never expected you to turn around break in. You, my dear, are an anomaly.” 

He stalked towards you, wrapping a strong arm around your waist and hoisting you over his shoulder. The world around you began to spin, and as you fisted the woolen fabric of his tunic, you felt bile rise to the back of your throat. 

“Watch it,” you quipped, your words coming out in a gasp due to your unease. “I might puke.” 

Ignoring your comment, the man carried you upstairs, back into the main hall and up the grand staircase, returning to upper story of the south wing. He brought you once more to the bedroom, taking you to the adjoining bathroom and setting you down beside a stone bath the size of a small pool. 

The entire room looked as though it was carved from a block of marble. The bathtub lay at its center, with a counter and sinks at one side and a row of tall windows overlooking the forest at the other. A cavelike shower was set into the wall at your left, shelves of linens chiseled into the wall at your right. Though the floor was stone, it felt warm under your feet; you curled your toes to make the most of the heat as the bath began to fill with steaming, perfumed water. 

Your host disappeared, returning a moment later with a stack of clothes. He set them down on the bathtub step beside you, adding a towel from the linen shelf to the top of the neatly folded pile. 

“I suppose you’ll feel a bit better about this mess if you wash some of the dirt off you,” he said. “I’ll dispose of your ruined clothing in the morning.” 

You nodded, muting your expression so as not to appear too thankful for his hospitality. If you were going to be a captive, you supposed, it might as well be with someone amiable, but you still refused to go quietly.

The man left you, giving you time to soak in the massive tub and rinse off the grime you’d acquired during your misadventure. You used the time to try and come to terms with your situation, dancing somewhere between accepting it as reality and insisting your mind was playing tricks on you. You’d never hallucinated before, but if that’s what all this was, it was more vivid than you would have considered; the water enveloping you was tepid and appeasing, every touch and scent and sound as real as if you were awake and sane. You closed your eyes and pinched yourself a few times, testing to see if it would actually help to rouse you. Each time you opened them again, you found no change. 

After you were clean and dry, you slipped into the new clothes your host had provided you - a big, baggy sweater and a pair of old sweatpants, both in faded and rather ugly shades of dark green. They were supple and warm against your skin, however; so much so that you forgot for a moment that you had essentially just been kidnapped. You slumped back out into the bedroom, exhaustion weighing heavily on your shoulders. 

In the space before the fireplace, the man had laid an array of cushions, furs, and blankets in a pattern that formed a sort of makeshift bed on the floor. He looked up when he heard your shuffling footsteps, gesturing to his handiwork as you entered. 

“This should be plenty comfortable for the evening,” he said. 

“I don’t get my own room?” you asked. 

The man set his brow at you, his crimson eyes flickering with frustration. 

“No,” he quipped. “You already broke one window to get in, I don’t trust you not to break another to get out. Come now, you need your rest.” 

You yawned, crawling onto the thrown-together mattress not nearly as reluctantly as you should have. Your eyelids were heavy, your body sore and weak, and although your head still swam with curiosities, sleep was the most pressing matter on your current agenda. As you lay down, the man draped one of the blankets over you, sealing you under a shield of warmth. He then settled himself into one of the living chairs beside the fireplace, occupying himself with a book while he waited for you to fall asleep. 

“Can I ask you something?” you grumbled after a few moments of silence, your mind still working behind the haze of fatigue. 

“You can, but you may not get an answer,” the man drawled, not looking up from his reading. “I already feel you know too much about me for my liking.” 

“How do you keep yourself hidden?” you wondered, ignoring his remark. “And how long have you been here? This place has looked abandoned for as long as anyone I know can remember…” 

The man sighed, shutting his book as he debated his answer. By the time he spoke, you’d come to accept that you weren’t getting an answer at all. 

“I have… certain abilities,” he told you. “ ‘Magic’ is what your kind would call it. I came here many years ago, when I was exiled from my own home, and use my abilities to keep people like you away. If anyone gets too close, I scare them off. Obviously, such tactics don’t work as well as I’d like them to.” 

You smiled, amused by the irk in his voice. 

“Hey, this sucks for me, too,” you replied. “Since you’re holding me hostage, can I at least get your name?” 

Again you were met with silence. It was a full few minutes before the man responded. 

“Loki,” he mumbled. “My name is Loki.” 

You hummed, nestling deeper into the blankets. His name sounded familiar, but the thought evaporated in your tired mind as soon as it appeared.

“Thank you for not killing me, Loki,” you said. 

He let out a soft chuckle, the sound settling in your chest and fluttering like a moth on a lightbulb. 

“You’re quite welcome,” he replied. “Now sleep. Your words are beginning to slur.”

A gentle grin flickered across your face, and your lips retained their curl as you slipped under the surface of a heavy and restful slumber. 

You awoke the next morning to a gentle breeze and the cawing of crows. Cold air ruffled a few strands of hair across your nose, where sunlight from your bedroom window warmed your skin. You grumbled incoherently as you rolled over in the sheets, pulling your comforter over your head to block out the chill and morning light. 

Just a few more minutes, you thought to yourself. A few minutes, then coffee...

As the lulling arms of slumber wrapped themselves around you once more, your mind wandered back to the dream you had last night, about the abandoned house at the end of your street and the man who lived within it. You were thankful to be in your own bed; uninjured, free to come and go as you pleased without having to hold anyone else’s secrets.

A sudden, dizzying pain in the back of your head jolted you out of sleep-induced bliss. You grimaced, reaching up into your hair to find the source of the sting; your eyes shot open when you felt a bump protruding from your skull. 

It suddenly became clear to you that you weren’t at home. You were lying on the floor of a spacious bedroom, curled up beneath a mound of furs and blankets and nestled atop a pile of soft cushions. You rose one of your hands to your face, feeling sick to your stomach as the bloody bandages twined around your palm stared back at you in the light pouring from the large windows beside your makeshift mattress. 

“Ah, you’re finally awake,” a voice nearby drawled. “I’d begun to think you’d died during the night.” 

You shot upward, sending the room around you into a vicious spin. Hands flying to your temples, you squeezed your eyes shut, forcing the vertigo and nausea away as the bile in your stomach threatened to spew from your throat. Once you regained your sense of equilibrium, you eased your eyes open, your entire body freezing at the sight of the man who stood before you. 

Gone was the monster you’d encountered the night before; in his place was an even greater evil, one you feared far more than any mythical beast. 

The man above you was towering, his piercing green eyes shining the color of acid. His black hair was pulled away from his face, his lean arms folded over a broad chest that bore a faded t-shirt and loose-fitting hoodie. You remembered the name the beast gave you the night before, realizing with disgust why it had sounded so familiar. Though he was dressed much more casually than he was known for, his sharp features were unmistakable. 

The man before you was Loki of Asgard, the infamous murderer with a lust for human blood. He grinned at you, a malicious flicker glistening in his hungry eyes. 

Panicked, your eyes fell back to your hands. 

Heavy, gold shackles had been bound to your wrists. You threw the blankets from your legs, breath shallow and chest heaving, only to find a matching pair of chains strapped to your ankles. Your fingers clawed at your neck, where a thick collar was fastened at your throat, so tight it threatened to draw blood with each movement you made. 

Loki chuckled as he watched you struggle in your bindings, stooping over you and taking the chain at your neck in one of this large, powerful hands. He forcefully pulled you to your feet, bringing you face-to-face with his wicked, mirthful smile. His finger ran down your cheek as he fixed you with a gaze that suggested salacity and death. He was going to eat you alive. 

Last night hadn’t been a dream at all. It was a nightmare that to your horror, had come true; you were the prisoner of a deranged, otherworldly psychopath.

“Welcome home, pet,” Loki growled. “We’re going to have such terrible fun together.” 

[genemock]

Deer Trail - Waterford, Virginia from Gene Mock on Vimeo.

This stunning Loudoun County estate on nearly 12 acres has everything: ideal location, timeless colonial architecture and modern amenities. Let’s start in the 2-story foyer, where you can see the charm of this home as soon as you step inside, with lead glass entry doors behind you and soaring ceilings, tons of natural light, custom crown molding and hardwood floors in front of you. Your expansive living room sits just off the entry, with a wood-burning fireplace and lots of room to spread out. Need a quiet and cozy spot to read? Walk through the large formal dining space and head to the family room on the other side of the house. It has an entire wall of built-ins, another fireplace and French doors that open to the huge paver patio out back. This main-level floorplan even includes the all-important 4th bedroom tucked in the back corner with a full adjoining bathroom. It’s the perfect secluded spot for any visitors. From that bedroom, you can head down the hall straight into the heart of the home. Your kitchen features granite countertops, tons of cabinet space, a built-in desk and a spacious island. There are picturesque views from almost every room, but the breakfast nook has a bay window that overlooks the west grounds and beyond that, you can see the Catoctin and Blue Ridge Mountains. At your housewarming party, all your guests will probably migrate from your kitchen to the huge back patio or to the charming screened gazebo. The yard is surrounded by trees for shade and privacy in the summertime and you can get lost on one of the many walking trails throughout the property. There’s even a fenced-in area next to the mud room just for gardeners and their four-legged friends. You can bring all the cars, toys, tools, sports equipment and outdoor gear you can fit in the moving truck, because your new home has **THREE** separate garages with space for seven cars as well as an RV/electric car charging station. The 3-car garage also includes a framed-in second level. It’s already pre-wired with the plumbing roughed in, plus the heat & A/C are ready to go. It just needs your finishing touch. Back inside, there are 3 bedrooms upstairs, including the master suite. This wing of the home includes a massive bedroom, a walk-in closet and a luxury bathroom with a water closet, towel warmer, double vanities, glass-door shower and a claw-foot tub. The two other guest rooms share a large family bathroom down the hall. Still need more space? Just head to the basement, where there’s a rec room with a pool table, a wet bar and lots of room for game night around the ceramic wood stove. The other part of the basement level has loads of storage space, a laundry area and a fully-equipped professional workshop that would make Bob Vila jealous -- with workbenches, a dust collection system and numerous tools. The location of your new home can’t be beat. You’re only minutes from Leesburg and the Dulles Greenway toll road. Washington-Dulles International Airport is just a 25-minute drive away and the Dulles Metro is scheduled to open later this year. The spring market is upon us and inventory is low. Act fast on this one!

[finding-jericho-blog]

Same Difference

characters: RK900(dbh) x human fem!reader

warning(s): Graphic language

word count: 2,124 words

Part Two

A/N: So.. I wanted to write a RK900 fic, but I wanted to write him how I personally headcanon him, not as the evil killing machine everyone imagines him as. There will be more to come, promise! Cx

When you walked into the precinct that morning, the sheer amount of whispers alone should have alerted you to the fact that something was awry, but you’d had such a horrible night of sleep that you only rubbed your bleary eyes as you walked past the front desk. You felt like shit, and you probably looked like it, too, but the reason for your recent spout of insomnia couldn’t be chalked up to you idly scrolling through your social media instead of actually trying to sleep this time; it was something you tried not to think about. The whole precinct tried not to think about it, really, but you and your old, grizzly uncle had been the ones closest to the incident and every day, you were finding a little bit harder for you to cope with it.

Lost in your train of thought, the gate whooshing open to offer you entrance seemed to rouse you, and you huffed a slow, deep sigh through your nostrils as the glass door slid open. Your feet carried you through the door and into the hall, and it was only then that you began to wonder why the room was so.. quiet. Eerily so. Usually, if there wasn’t a briefing going on, the floor was filled with laughter and polite conversation as officers carried out the least enjoyable part of their jobs; the desk work. Nobody liked it, but the paperwork needed to be done, so they tried to make it as pleasant as possible. All except your uncle, really; he kept to himself unless you were there to keep him company. Even then, sometimes neither of you really spoke, content enough to fall into a comfortable silence.

You didn’t work here; god no, you weren’t sure you could ever see yourself ever being a legitimate cop. You supposed you were an honorary ‘member of the force’, merely by extension of Hank. They celebrated your birthday, they sent you cards when you were sick, they came to your aid even when they were off duty. After.. Cole died, you started coming to the precinct to check on your uncle, since he refused to answer anyone’s calls and no one else in your family bothered to check on him. After a while, the rest of your family moved on, deciding that Hank would ‘come around eventually’ and that it was apparently more trouble than it was worth to continue making sure he knew that he wasn’t alone. That was three years ago, and ever since then, it’d been you and Hank against the world. Spending most of your days with Hank at the precinct was second nature now, and you couldn’t imagine spending your time any other way. Besides, it had taught you a thing or two about self defense and you had to admit, you felt your safest surrounded by your large ‘family’ of police officers.

Or, you had.

When you turned the corner into the main room, you abruptly slammed into something, which you soon realized was someone. While the other figure remained wholly unaffected, you stumbled backwards with an audible ‘oof’, but thankfully, whoever it was that you had ran into reached out to steady you by the shoulders. “Sorry,” You uttered out embarrassedly. “I wasn’t watching where I was-” As your eyes darted upwards, they met an unfamiliar pair of cool grey eyes belonging to a very familiar face.

Almost by instinct, your wretched away from his grasp, a look of horror finding residency on your features. “Connor?!” The name ripped out of your throat like a gasp, falling from your lips into the floor’s dead air. No.. no, it couldn’t be, they’d told you he’d been decommissioned, that he had been too much of a liability, that you and Hank were safe from him now!

“My apologies,” a too familiar of a voice mused, lips pressed into a firm, thin line. “but I am the replacement RK900 model sent by CyberLife.”

His words did nothing to soothe you.

Shaking your head, you backed away, but the RK900 simply watched you with his arms at his sides, making no moves to approach you or otherwise communicate with you. Swallowing your fear, you brushed past him and practically sprinted in the direction of Hank’s desk, and you found your uncle with his head in his arms, leaning over his desk. He only lifted his head when he heard your footfalls approaching him, and he looked at you with an expression you could only describe as one of exasperation. “Shit.. I was hoping you wouldn’t come in today–“

“Hank,” you hissed within a whisper, overlooking his previous statement. “did you see–“

“I did,” he cut you off, turning back to the paperwork sprawled haphazardly across his desk. “motherfuckers didn’t learn their lesson with the last one, I guess. They just keep pumping the fuckers out like shitty hot dogs.” Although you might have laughed at his statement, you were too on edge to find any amusement in the comparison; your racing heart pounded so hard in your ears that you feared Hank may hear it from where he was sitting. How could they just.. make another and put him back on the mission after what the last one had done?

Your eyebrows knitted together as you peered over your shoulder; the android was no longer where you’d left him, presumably carrying on with whatever task he’d been given before you’d run into him. Slowly, your gaze was drawn back to Hank, and, very softly now, you spoke. “… Fowler didn’t assign him to you, did he?”

Silence.

“For fuck sake,” you spat, your eyes snapping towards the captain in question’s office; despite being behind a wall of glass and being unable to hear a word either of you were saying, Captain Fowler’s eyes were already on you, and he looked away almost shamefully when your eyes met. “I’m going to talk to him.” You announced, moving to take a step in his direction, but Hank’s sudden grasp on your wrist kept you in place.

“Don’t bother, kid, I already gave that asshole a piece of my mind, he ain’t budging.”

Ignoring Hank’s request, you slipped your wrist out of his hold and marched right up the steps, swinging the door to his office open and storming inside in one fell swoop; Fowler couldn’t even look at you as you approached him, but you heard him mutter something a bit like ‘here we go’ under his breath as you came to stand over him at his desk. Despite the tensity of the silence, you didn’t speak a word, not until his dark eyes finally darted up to meet yours in uncertainty.

“What.. the fuck.”

“Listen, [Y/N], I–“

“No, you listen to me, Jeffrey.” you pressed your palms into the wood grain of his desk as you leaned over it, your gaze unwavering. “I don’t know what your game is here, but if you really think this is a good idea, then you need to have your head checked. I mean, honestly? After what happened last time?”

“CyberLife admitted that the android they last sent was... faulty, but they have assured me personally that this one is perfectly safe.” Although his voice was wholly even, his gaze darted between you, his monitors, the papers stacked neatly on his desk, and everywhere in between as he said this; he wasn’t certain of the validity of the words he was speaking, and you both knew it. “Having worked with the last one, Hank is the most qualified out of everyone to handle working with it.”

You wanted to scream. You wanted to yell at Jeffery and tell him how shitty of a person he was to be dumping this on your uncle, and by extension, you, especially after everything you’d both been through with the last CyberLife android. It felt like a raging wildfire roaring through your chest, like it would overtake you at any given second. But instead, you quietly straightened your posture, your shoulders slumping as his eyes finally met yours again. “Jeffery..” you quite nearly whispered, shaking your head. “.. He nearly nearly killed us. Please, I don’t.. I don’t think Hank can handle much more. Is that what you want? You want Hank to finally have a breakdown? If you want him gone, please, just fire him. Assign the android to Gavin for all I care, just leave my uncle out of it. Please.”

Captain Fowler was silent; despite looking genuinely regretful for assigning the new prototype to Hank, he still shook his head and turned away from you. “I’m sorry, [y/n/h]. My decision is final.”

Disbelief washed over you like a tidal wave. You honestly couldn’t fathom how Fowler could do this a second time. The first time, he had said that he hoped working with Connor would finally help Hank get back to being the cop he’d once been, but now, there was no excuse, not a good one at least. You found yourself shaking your head once more, turning to retreat back towards the door of his office; you paused, though, just before you opened the door. “Whatever happens..” you said, not even bothering to look at Fowler; you knew he was listening. “is on your hands. I hope you remember that.” With that, you slipped out of the office, trudging down the steps in defeat. When you returned to Hank, his nose was buried in his work, which was unlike him; he never bothered to work so diligently on paperwork, often leaving it to the very last possible second. Slowly, your [y/e/c/] eyes drifted past him to the adjoining desk to find the eerily familiar form of the RK900 sitting at the desk; the desk Connor used to sit at. The desk you use to sit at together.

The new model’s eyes were closed and his LED was a shimmering gold; he must be in the garden, Connor had told you about it once. Wincing at the sudden onslaught of painful memories, you maneuvered to sit on top of Hank’s desk, your legs dangling off the side as you both clearly struggled to ignore the android. You felt the weight of everyone’s eyes as they passed, and you knew most of them felt sympathy for you and your uncle, but they said nothing as they passed you by. What could they say, really? Sorry the captain is throwing you under the bus, again?

Despite your best efforts, your eyes eventually shifted back up towards the android in question, taking in his strange appearance. He sat perfectly still in the way only an android could, his hands resting in his lap in a stiff, tense fashion that continued to put you in mind of Connor. Aside from the obvious change of clothes and the stark difference in eye color, this RK900 looked almost identical to Connor, right down to every freckle, and even that unruly tuft of hair that made him seem a little less perfect, a little more.. human.

You hated how much he looked like him.

Suddenly, the RK900’s eyes snapped open and met yours, and you felt your breath catch in your chest as you quickly averted your gaze. Connor had nearly killed you, simply because you’d been in the way of his mission, and yet, part of you still loved him, grieved him, even. You hated him with every fiber of your being for what he’d put you and your uncle through, for the lies he told and the utter betrayal he’d so matter-of-factly admitted to.

“I only ever told you what you wanted to hear,” you could still hear his pleasant voice utter too softly, too sweetly for his hand being around your throat like that. “I had to get along with you, whatever made my mission easier. It was easy to win you over, and once you trusted me, Lieutenant Anderson would inevitably follow.”

“You lied!” you had sobbed out, fingers clutching at the fabric of his sleeve. “Everything was a lie! How could you!”

“It was nothing personal,” he had sounded so sad when he said that.. like he really regretted what he was about to do. “it was all for the greater good, and for the record, I think I would have enjoyed our time together, if I was capable of such. But now, you’re in my way.”

Every word he’d spoken, every perceived spark of emotion that he had displayed as he admitted his doubts as to whether or not he was just a machine, every.. affectionate moment you’d shared.. it had all been a clever lie, and you’d fallen for those sad eyes once before.

You weren’t going to again.

Taglist;

@akemiikeda, @deviantramblings, @deviantsupporter !!! <3 <3 <3 

[awhilesince]

Thursday, 12 June 1823

5 1/4

12

Clean bed, comfortable enough, and I believe well aired tho’ I slept in my drawers flannel waistcoat and great coat for fear of damp – could not go to my uncle yesterday or today which makes me rather feverish –

Off from Ilkley at 7 – very pretty drive very good road to Addingham, 3 miles – Had we gone to the small Inn on our right some distance before we came to the town, we should not probably have been so well off as at Ilkley – a few scattered houses; a neat, rather modern church; and, near it, a large probably cotton mill, form the commencement of Addingham, which then becomes a regular street, Extending considerably up the hill, and puts on the appearance of business –

we missed the turn, about 1/2 way thro’ the town, to the right to Bolton, and went 1/2 mile out of our way, to the top of the hill, within 6 miles of Skipton, which seemed likely to be a bleakish road – turned back – the 2 miles from Addingham to Bolton bridge very pretty

Stopt at Bolton bridge Inn, the Devonshire arms, kept by – Wilson, at 8 1/2 – had a good breakfast – café au lait – could not sleep there tonight – 9 people coming today – at least, there were 9 beds ordered – the mistress did not know what to do – only 2 double bedded and 2 single bedded rooms, without some of the family sat up all night – much consideration what we were to do – Mr Wilson lent us Greenwood’s map of Yorkshire mounted in 3 – the 3 ridings – Determined to see Bolton abbey, and then go forward to sleep at Kilnsey ‘14 long miles’ –

Off at 10 1/2 – Took a guide at the abbey (from one of the cottages near) at 10 55/60 – the nave and its side aisles now a neat church – the choir and transept form a fine ruin – the cloisters gone – one side traceable by the archwork along the south wall of the church § – what used to be the entrance gateway, is now the lodge, fitted up for the reception of the duke of Devonshire when he comes in the shooting season – the view from the Hartington seat (a rustic covered seat near the abbey, to the north) is perfectly beautiful – wood, water rock and ruin form a scene as perfect as the fancy of a Claude could imagine – the scenery as we proceeded northwards, for ever varying, and every variation in this singularly beautiful spot strikingly picturesque – Had we been a week earlier the hues of the foliage would have been more varied; at present they are rather too much mingling into one shade – Mr Carr’s house near the abbey (he is the clergyman, but has charge of the grounds) is in the abbey style, and very pretty – carriages not allowed to go down to the abbey; but the woman allowed us to go, all along the fields and the private road thro’ the woods –

Ludstream island a mile from the abbey – the Strid 2 miles from Ditto then the Hawkstone rock, and near it the Hawkstone seat, then the Pembroke seat, so called from the lady Anne (Clifford) countess of Pembroke, Dorset and Montgomery, because overlooking her residence of Barden tower – in ruins – a fine object – went to the woodman’s cottage – returned by a higher and nearer road – the lady Harriet seat. beautiful view of the south nab which is in the deer park. to where we left the gig just above the Strid; drove it thro’ the fields into the high road to Kilnsey, and, afterwards a delightful stroll of 2 hours, set off again – Indeed my aunt had gone in the gig as far as the turn down to the strid –

stopt 25 minutes at Barden tower – something in the style of Kenilworth, but smaller – went into the old woman’s cottage in what appears to have been an entrance to the chapel which she shewed us – very plain – no ornament – Mr Carr preaches there in the morning the 1st Sunday of every month, and in the afternoon of the 3rd Sunday –

Beautiful drive all the way along the drive to Burnsall (but very hilly and in some parts roughish road tho’ tolerable – very fair – on the whole) where I am now writing having arrived at 2 3/4 – the rain which we feared in the morning has kept off – it has been cool and pleasant and we could not have had a day more delightful for our purpose – Percy did not eat quite so well this morning – I fear he is more lame – George says it is in the fetlock – then it is the old sprain – or perhaps in the coffin joint – at all events I have no hope of his even being good for anything again – How shall we get? – we saw Burnsall some time before we arrived – very picturesquely situated along the river – (Wharf) – but a small village – saw looms in a few of the cottages, and the people (women) wearing calico – sauntered out about an hour – along the river side – a neat stone bridge of 3 or 4 arches over it – a wide, shallow stream – pebbly bottom – the water perfectly clear –

sauntered into the church yard – looked thro’ the windows – read the monument of the Battys of Thorpe, the family of the late Mrs Wiglesworth of Townhead – an inscription over the church door, purporting that the church had been repaired in 1612 at the cost of sir William Craven Knight, who had been lord mayor of London – the same sir William founded and endowed the school adjoining into which we sauntered – several children there – all of the lower orders – the building now become old, and shabbyish-looking –

Set off from our Inn (Red lion, John Emsley) where we had sat in a neat double bedded room upstairs – the low room smelling of smoke tobacco etc – set off from our Inn at Burnsall at 4 55/60 a very narrow rough, hilly, road between 2 high amorphous – stone walls – we turned down to Linton by mistake a nice looking village with a shallow stream running thro’ it – to the left a large stone building an hospital, rather to the right a pretty house little lawn and green before it belonging to a Mr Robinson – an intricate road – went along the back of Thresfield, Grassington looking well on our right – at last crossed the great road from Skipton to Pately bridge, the guide post, quite a godsend for there are none hereabouts (scarcely a guide post or mile stone since we left Bradford) marked 11 to Pately bridge 21 to Otley, 10 to Bolton 6 to Kettlewell –

a large whitish building had for some time appeared in the distance on rising ground in the valley – about a mile from this guide post, we passed it close; and struck by its appearance, imitation of the antique, Elizabethan, we fortunately got out at the farther gate, and went the back way to the house – the rough stone of the country Except the portico consisting of 3 arcades, surmounted by the arms of the builder Mr Noel (a man of large property near Kirby Lonsdale, and a place 50 miles below London pronounced Hedgington 1) vide page 39. and dated 1820. the portico stone what we should call tooled – a gothic door studded with nails opens in a handsome square hall (light from a dome at the top) with a gallery round it into which open 4 doors communicating with parallel passages into which open the lodging rooms – Ground floor the hall out of which 4 doors opening, one on the right to the best stair case, and then the other to the drawing room – opposite the great hall or entrance door, the library – the 2 doors on the left opening one to the kitchen etc, and the other to the dining room opposite the drawing room – upstairs the best bed room over the library, and one lodging room and a dressing room opening into the passage on each side of the hall gallery – down the passage leading to the rooms over the kitchens etc a water closet (and another underneath it) and then a bath – capable of being supplied with hot water in 1/4 hour – capital attics – I went out upon the leads – the dome and the chimnies capitally managed –

the house 2 gable ends etc house body and kitchens attached – gable ends and all in straight line save the protection of the portico – garden

(Sunday 13 July 1823 § who married Miss Atkinson (of Linton) an only child, and, by her mother’s side, niece and heir to, Mr Noel of Netherside house; her father Mr A– [Atkinson] made his money as a fringe-maker Mr Robinson is a clergyman brother to Mr R– [Robinson] the attorney of Settle, who married Mrs William Priestley’s friend Miss Peart, daughter to the banker, formerly an attorney of that name at Settle according to Mrs William P–‘s [Priestley’s] account

half-moon shaped – the man who shewed us over the house (not yet finished) a sort of under gardener – Mr N– [Noel] keeps about 20 servants – married but no children, ætatis about 60 – the house stands on fine ground which from the back wooded down to the water’s edge descends steeply – A fine object several times as we wound along our road to Kilnsey whose majestic cragg is from the 1st glimpse caught a very fine feature in the landscape – the drive to Kilnsey very fine – limestone rocks on our right, reminding us of the Elwsy near Llangollen – All who go to Bolton should come here (Kilnsey) –

Stop at the 2nd house the Tennants arms, kept by Harman Trueman – much the best – Ordered our dinner at 8 1/4 having arrived at 7 10/60 – In the mean while walked perhaps 1/2 mile beyond the crag – very fine – Jackdaws building and flying about it –

Got back at 8 1/4 – and sat down to dinner at 8 3/4 – enjoyed it very much – cold roast beef and ditto legs of lamb – Excellent potted trout – gooseberry tarts, Cheshire cheese and old milk ditto which they were surprised at our preferring – Had the master in. Determined to go to the top of Whernside, etc tomorrow – If we had had the weather for wishing for, it could not have been better – no sun and cool and pleasant till from between 5 and 6 to 7 the sun tinged the hills beautifully –

Architect of Netherside house, Mr Webster of Kendal; master builder Mr Gibson of Ditto; – painter Mr Lockwood of Skipton – he had done the plaster work pannels in imitation of oak most naturally and beautifully the pannels in the hall are all plaster above the Skirting board – wrote the latter part of this of today after dinner –

E .. d.. – never enjoyed our dinner more than today – cold roast beef – Ditto some leg of lamb – potted trout (very good) gooseberry tarts and cream, Cheshire and very good old milkcheese – drank nothing but water –

left margin:

§ Put our names down in the abbey book ‘Mrs and Miss Lister, Shibden hall’ –

§§ about 1 mile from here are the remains of a Roman camp. vide

Baines’ Yorkshire Directory i. 442 (Tuesday 12 August 1823.) –

Addingham. §§

Bolton-bridge.

Bolton-Abbey.

Kilnsey. p[ages] 39. 40. 41

the Crag. p[age] 40. 41.

reference number: SH:7/ML/E/7/0023 - 0024

[anisanews]

What’s Selling For $4.4 Million In Hawaii, Hong Kong And Southern California

From a five-acre orchard in Santa Barbara to a resort-style spread on the Big Island of Hawai’i, … [+] here’s a look at what $4.4 million buys in three real estate markets.

Village Properties

In this week’s look at the world’s finest homes, I took a look at what’s for sale for about $4.4 million in three markets that rank among the most desirable pockets in the world: Hawaii, Hong Kong and Southern California. Whether you’re in the market for a second home, an income property or a trophy estate, these coveted markets run the gamut when it comes to luxury living. From a five-acre orchard estate to a garden duplex with a pool, here’s a look at what $4.4 million buys in Discovery Bay, Kamuela and Santa Barbara.

Discovery Bay, Hong Kong | $4.38 million

The duplex at Positano Discovery Bay boast’s the development’s largest private swimming pool.

OKAY.com

This contemporary duplex in Discovery Bay’s Positano highrise features the largest private swimming pool and garden in the highly sought-after development. The open-concept floor plan incorporates bi-folding glass doors in the dining room area that open the space to the garden and pool.

The garden duplex has three bedrooms, all of which are located on the second level.

OKAY.com

Features: A total of three bedrooms, all outfitted with hardwood floors, lie on the upper level. The primary bedroom suite includes a spa-inspired bathroom and a balcony overlooking the garden, Discovery Bay, and the ocean.

The primary bathroom, which adjoins the primary bedroom, takes in city and mountain views.

OKAY.com

Other perks: Residences in the luxurious Positano Discovery Bay development each take in a spectacular view of Siena Park and Hong Kong Island. The residential community of Discovery Bay, which has a large ex-pat population, is about 30 minutes from Central Pier by ferry and close to Hong Kong International Airport.

Represented by: Joshua Miller, OKAY.com

Kamuela, Hawai’i | $4.2 million

The two-story contemporary takes resort-style living to the next level with ample covered patio … [+] space, an outdoor kitchen and an infinity-edge swimming pool.

Hawai’i Life

Located on the Kohala Coast in gated Mauna Lani Resort, this contemporary home has a resort-style vibe with its tropical landscaping, infinity-edge swimming pool and private main suite lanai. At the heart of the house is a great room lined with 12-foot pocketing glass walls that perfectly frame mountain and golf course views.

Inside the home, high ceilings and walls of glass make for a nice and bright interior.

Hawai’i Life

Features: The four-bedroom home is a showcase of fine interior details and features hardwood and stone floors, motorized sun shades and beautiful mahogany cabinets and trim throughout the two-level floor plan. The sparkling chef’s kitchen pairs a granite-topped center island with up-market appliances.

Residents of Mauna Lani Resort have access to an exclusive member’s clubhouse and the acclaimed … [+] Napua restaurant.

Hawai’i Life

Other perks: Come for the scenery, stay for the five-star living. Residents of Mauna Lani Resort have access to the community’s oceanfront clubhouse, which is reserved exclusively for residents and guests and includes the beachfront pool and the award-winning, on-site Napua restaurant.

Represented by: Carrie Nicholson, Hawai’i Life

Santa Barbara, California | $4.4 million

The five-acre estate called Vista Del Rey features a grove full of citrus, avocado and other fruit … [+] trees.

Village Properties

Nestled in the scenic Goleta Foothills of Santa Barbara, this custom estate is one of 11 homes in a unique gated community with some of the most spectacular views in the area. One part resort, one part farmland, the property called Vista Del Rey was designed for large and intimate gatherings and enjoying the indoor-outdoor lifestyle of Southern California.

The single-story house features a large great room with beamed ceilings and a wet bar.

Village Properties

Features: The single-story house has more than 4,500 square feet of living space, four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Vaulted and beamed ceilings top the living room, which incorporates a sunken bar. The home’s chef kitchen serves as the home’s hub and connects to nearly all of the formal rooms.

The property is almost entirely powered by a 30-panel solar array. The four-car attached garage has … [+] a charger for an electric vehicle.

Village Properties

Other perks: Farm-to-table becomes an everyday experience when surrounded by producing vineyards. The five-acre property, which is almost entirely powered by a ground solar system, has a bountiful grove of mandarin, lemon, avocado and other fruit trees. Much of the produce grown has benefited Santa Barbara Food Bank’s Backyard Bounty program in recent years.

Represented by: Dianne Johnson and Brianna Johnson, Village Properties

Hawai’i Life, OKAY.com and Village Properties are exclusive members of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.

from Anisa News https://ift.tt/3oKzZWm

[architectnews]

Woods Bagot tops school library with "tree-like" timber ceiling

Woods Bagot has completed a library building at a girls' boarding school in Wiltshire, England, that features a faceted wooden ceiling designed to evoke spreading tree branches.

Woods Bagot's London studio designed the library for a plot at the heart of the St Mary's Calne School campus, where it looks out onto an orchard and the school's century-old buildings.

Top: Woods Bagot designed the library for Mary's Calne School. Above: clerestory windows sit atop a pale brick facade.

The two-storey library is intended to provide an inspirational hub for learning that motivates the pupils and encourages socialising alongside dedicated study.

When viewed from an adjacent road that runs through the school, the building appears as a rectangular brick pavilion topped with a seemingly separate roof made from timber and glass.

The faceted ceiling has a brassy hue

The use of pale brick gives the library a solid feel and complements the nearby historic buildings. The overall scale and detailing also references the existing architecture, although the composition is deliberately contemporary.

Clerestory windows provide glimpses of the faceted timber soffit, which is supported above the brick box.

The wooden canopy is supported by steel columns and trusses

The wooden canopy is, in fact, supported by an array of steel trusses connected to large columns that reach through the building's two storeys like tree trunks.

"Taking direct inspiration from the fruit trees, several structural support beams connect to the undulating interior-side of the roof to give the impression of a tree’s branches," the architects explained.

"A metal detail is integrated throughout the facade to continue the vertical elements of the trees."

The upper floor contains spaces for focused learning

On the building's northeast side, extensive glazing floods the interior with daylight and enhances the connection between the interior and the rest of the campus.

Incorporating full-height windows on this facade limits the intrusion of direct sunlight whilst illuminating a passage leading from the library to the adjacent gardens.

Shelving is integrated into the walls to maximise space

Spaces inside the 660-square-metre building are designed to reflect their designated function. The entrance looks straight through to the orchard, past the central staircase, reading areas and the librarian's desk.

"Visitors are welcomed by dynamic interiors, with each storey having a distinct purpose and specified zones," said the studio.

"While the ground floor is meant to be lively, aimed at group projects with direct access to the neighbouring orchard, the upper level is designed for more formal focused, individual studying."

The ground floor has an informal feel

On both levels, the building's central area is largely open plan, with two brick "bookends" situated along the north and south perimeters accommodating storage, stair access, small project rooms and warehouse controls.

Woods Bagot used its previous experience designing libraries for the university sector to create interior spaces that support different learning activities, including group working and independent study.

Floor to ceiling doors lead directly out to the adjoined orchard

Traditional library stacks are replaced with shelving integrated into the walls to optimise the space available for learning and reading.

Pupils can read a book in one of the dedicated nooks built into the shelving units, or perch on seating incorporated into the multipurpose stair at the centre of the library. This informal seating also provides an arena for talks and presentations.

Reading nooks are built into the brick walls

The ground floor contains the school's fiction collection, which surrounds various lounge spaces and dedicated areas for displaying newly acquired books.

The upper floor is intended as a more formal space for older pupils to conduct focused study. It provides workspaces including desks overlooking the orchard and fully enclosed meeting rooms.

The library's roof is illuminated at night

Woods Bagot is a global architecture firm with 17 offices around the world. It works across all sectors and scales of buildings, adopting a collaborative approach to ensure its projects respond the needs of its clients.

In the education sector, the firm has previously completed a tower covered in golden louvres for a university in Melbourne, Australia, where it also designed a zinc-clad apartment building that references the city's industrial architecture.

Woods Bagot designed its own Melbourne office around the need to promote collaboration and socialising, while its New York City office features a rough and ready material palette chosen to represent the city's gritty character.

Photography is by Will Pryce.

The post Woods Bagot tops school library with "tree-like" timber ceiling appeared first on Dezeen.

[ttuckercreationsofficial]

"Print All"

By Tori Tucker I’ve been working at the public library for six years now, as a page. A page’s job in a library mostly consists of shelving books, but sometimes we have other responsibilities as well, such as withdrawing books or putting books into the catalogue system. This task requires the use of a computer that has a librarian’s access to the entire library catalogue, as well as the use of a special printer that prints spine labels on special sticker paper that is very expensive. In my six years working at the library I have done this once. I swore after the first time I was tasked with printing spine labels that I would never do it again, and here is why: When printing spine labels you have the choice of printing one at a time by selecting a single spine label and pressing the “Print” button; a tedious process, or you can print as many as you wish by selecting each spine label and pressing the “Print All” button, thus printing off as many as you have selected; a process that is slightly less tedious that the former. Thus, the first and only time I ever printed spine labels I made the mistake of pressing the “Print All” button. Now, my boss had failed to warn me, when she had explained the printing process to me, that if you press “Print All” before selecting the spine labels that require printing, the computer will assume that you want to print the entire contents of the catalog on the highly expensive sticker paper. You see, when I hit “Print All”, and the printer began sputtering away, not only did it print spine labels for the entire library catalog; oh no, it printed the title, author, ISBN, book description, the date the book was entered into the system, every name of every person to check out every book, author bios, and for some reason the coffee order list for the librarians that worked at the circulation desk in the 1990’s. To my horror the printer shot out page after page of glossy sticker paper, covered in black ink descriptions for each and every book ever entered in the library catalog system. Panicked, I pressed the big red button on the printer, what I could only assume was the cancel button, but not only did the printer not stop, but it began incessantly beeping very loudly, alerting the entire adjoined room, which happened to be the children’s section, of my mishap. The children, hearing the beeping began running frantically for the emergency exit door, assuming that the beeping could only be the library’s fire alarm, and knowing what was required of them at school took this expertise and applied it to the real world. As each child pushed their way out of the emergency exit, the actual fire alarm began to blare overhead, and the children’s parents rushed out as well, hoisting child carriers, blankets, books, bottles and more over their shoulders and hurried out into the back garden. As for the librarians, they couldn’t bare to see the thousands of humble books go up in flames, and so the ladies from the circulation desk rushed forth with waggons and began clearing the shelves, toppling biographies, maps, fiction and non into the waggons, others wielding carts with squeaky wheels, all adding to the calamity of the beeping of the printer and the whirling of the fire alarm. Meanwhile there I was, still in the office with the printer, desperately pressing button after button trying to get the papers to stop-- tears streamed down my face at the thought of what my parents would say after I lost the first job I’d ever had after only a few short weeks. After thoroughly depressing myself with this thought I gave up and slumped down onto the floor, allowing my head to flop back under the table where the printer was, the many papers with the first half of catalog and the coffee list from the 90’s printed on them cushioning my fall. That’s when it caught my eye. Of course! The plug! Scuttling forward across the many expensive glossy sticker pages, I pulled it out of the wall, effectively silencing the printer. As I looked out into the children’s room I took in all the chaos that my mistake had caused and began to panic all over again. I couldn’t let my boss see the horrible mistake I had made. Thinking fast, I gathered up the papers in my arms and tossed them onto a cart like the librarians were using to gather the books and skillfully covered the many glossy pages in as many withdrawn books as I could find so as to camouflage the sticker pages. This done, I hurried out into the library and made for the elevator. Of course with what everyone else assumed was a fire well underway, no one would be near the elevator, so I quickly got in and pressed the button that would take me to the top floor. Once there I quickly checked around. No one seemed to be upstairs. It looked like the librarians had gone to the top floor first and cleared their way down. Loose pages hung from empty shelves. Computers were overturned and I knew this would be the perfect place to put my plan into action. Flipping the cart over and letting the papers fall, I pushed the glossy sticker pages into a pile on top of one of the toppled computers where its screen had smashed. From there I ran to the top floor help desk and reached into the top drawer where I knew Barbara kept her cigarettes and lighter. Taking the lighter I rushed back to the computers and clicked the lighter once, twice, three times and on the third click the flame was ignited. I lowered it slowly to the glossy papers nestled against the broken computers and watched as my grand mistake went up in the flames of what everyone else would think was an electrical fire. Then it was my turn to get out of there. Hurrying to the stairs, I was about to descend, when something caught my eye. On the special display stand a librarian had overlooked our most treasured item, our first edition, 1828, Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Thinking fast I reversed my tracks and made a beeline for the giant book, slamming it shut and taking it up in both arms before waddling my way back to the staircase and went down, two steps at a time. When I reached the bottom I found the library quite empty. Books had been stripped from their shelves and there wasn’t a person in sight, and so dictionary in hand, I exited the building, smoke pouring out behind me as I threw open the old oak door where I was greeted by great applause from all the librarians and fellow pages. I had saved the library’s most treasured artifact at the risk of my own life, and so on that very day the mayor was called and I was awarded the city medal of honor for brave deeds and library work. Now, in my sixth year as an honored library page and employee, I still recount my brave escape from the library to the new pages as I explain to them how to print spine labels on the expensive glossy sticker sheets and remind them to only ever use the “Print” button.

[sowk-fic-archive]

SOWK ch.17/35

Summary:

Revelations and pushy parents make Matthew feel like a teenager again...

Chapter 17 : malencontreux

Joie smiled to herself as she finished stirring the sugar into her tea, the maid removing the tray from the table and promptly leaving the room. Matthew had never been to this particular Constantine parlour before, and Adora had whispered to him that it was their best.

“There’s a reason to all this...” the matriarch waved her spoon in the air as she thought of the right word, “rushed kerfuffle, if you must,” she said with a laugh. “We have just received some very precious yet mildly irritating news. Paix.”

Paix leaned forward slightly, looking between Matthew and Adora with a smile, as if he knew something incredibly important and was at a loss as to whether he should tell them or gloat about it. “Let me start at the beginning,” he said finally, leaning back again and settling himself comfortably. “You both know, I hope, that there are other colonies of Voix across the globe?”

Both Matthew and Adora nodded silently. Matthew glanced sidelong at Adora, who was staring fixedly at Paix. “The second largest to St. Pierre is in Dover in England,” she said quickly, as if determined to prove that she was worthy.

Paix continued with a somewhat relieved chuckle, “Correct. And you are both aware of Dover’s current Anciens and Uniques?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

Matthew felt as if he was being tutored again, as if he should have revised a brief history of Voixlore before even entering the room. “Hope and Glory are their Anciens,” he said slowly, “and the current Uniques are...” Frowning, he shook his head imperceptibly before saying, “Beatrice and Bartholomew, if I’m not mistaken.”

“You are not,” Joie said with a nod and a smile in his direction. Adora bristled beside Matthew, apparently upset that she hadn’t been able to answer first. “Well, we have just been contacted by Hope and Glory, who have divulged to us that they wish to visit St. Pierre, with their Uniques. Goodness only knows why,” she said, a little bitterly, in Matthew’s opinion. It seemed to him that Joie valued Hope and Glory as little more than usurpers of St. Pierre, attempting to join in the culture of the Voix, “but we, as the Voix of St. Pierre, cannot be seen without our own Uniques. Paix.”

Paix nodded graciously, and continued where his sister had left off. “Usually, to become a Unique, we would give you both a little more time to adjust and...” he paused, his gaze flickering to Joie for a second; they both smiled as if they were sharing a secret, “get things done, so to speak. Joie.”

“There really is no delicate way to say this,” Joie said, still wearing a smile that suggested otherwise. “To become Uniques, you must both be in love. Not so much with each other, but... each of you must be in love with another Voix. Conveniently, you are a couple, so no panic there!” she laughed, Adora looking at Matthew with a smile.

Matthew fidgeted slightly in his seat, looking at his hands. All of this smoke and mirrors was beginning to infuriate him to no end. He wished they would just tell him what was happening.

“And to be in love, you must... consummate your relationship,” Paix said. “And you must do this before you begin Cachant. Joie?”

“Because Hope and Glory will be arriving in six week’s time,” Joie said, looking between Adora and Matthew, “we cannot give you the usual preparation before Cachant. You have this weekend, and this weekend alone.”

“To do what, exactly?” Matthew asked, disbelieving.

Paix and Joie looked at each other, sharing a smile. “Make love,” they said simultaneously.

Matthew paled, holding a hand to his white forehead. Adora blushed, holding a hand to one of her rosy cheeks. Joie sipped her tea whilst Paix continued to look between the couple.

“We’re sure,” he began, “that everything will go according to plan,” he said, Matthew sure that, through his spinning vision, he could see a smirk on Paix’s lips. “Sunday eve, we will begin the final process, although this deadline may move if... things go to plan sooner than expected.”

Wordlessly, Joie stood up from the table, waving coyly at the Uniques to be before exiting the room. Matthew, paranoid as he felt in that moment, was sure Paix winked at them before he followed his twin.

Silence overcame the room, the vast vaulted ceiling not doing much as to comfort the pair. Adora silently slipped her hand into Matthew’s, rouge still painting her cheeks.

“Well,” she said, clearing her throat lightly. “That was certainly interesting.”

Matthew nodded, swallowing dryly. As soon as he opened his mouth to reply, a telephone sounded somewhere in an adjoining room. He heard it fall silent, murmurs passing through the walls before a glouglou knocked on the door and opened it a crack. “Sir, if I may,” he began, “but there is a telephone call for you, Master Bellamy.”

Numbly, Matthew pushed away from the table and let Adora’s fingers slide through his as he walked towards the door. He was handed a white antique handset. “Hello?” he asked carefully.

“Matthew.” It took him a few moments to realise that it was his father, for the tone was so happy. “We’ve heard the news. Come home at once, and bring Adora with you.”

“Yes father,” he replied, before handing the phone back to the glouglou and slipping into the parlour once more. “We’re wanted at home,” Matthew said plainly. Adora stood from the table and joined Matthew in the doorway, leading him through the maze of the Constantine mansion before they reached the main door.

The sunlight was bright when the couple stepped out into it, Matthew’s eyes squinting down the street towards his home. He wanted to remove his blazer, but Adora’s hand persistently in his made it impossible. In that single moment, he resented how clingy she was.

Blissfully ignorant, Adora swiftly bent over to the side of the pavement and plucked a flower from the well manicured gardens of her house. It was bright blue, and she commented that it matched Matthew’s eyes. He gave a small, empty smile as they walked to the Bellamy mansion, feet in step.

The house was abnormally quiet when Adora and Matthew entered. Agostino’s butler ushered them to one of the sitting rooms at the back of the house, a personal favourite of Matthew’s because it overlooked the pool and then the bay beyond. When they were presented with the room, they found Calliope and Agostino sitting primly at the edge of one of the sofas. Matthew wanted to raise his eyebrows at how they were holding hands, wearing grins like Cheshire cats.

“Sit down, loves,” Calliope cooed, the couple automatically taking their places in the sofa opposite. Adora’s hand found Matthew’s once more and he suppressed a sigh.

“We’ve just heard news of your meeting with Paix and Joie,” Agostino grinned, and Matthew was still confused as to how they could’ve found out the information so quickly. “So myself and Calliope have decided to make things easier for you: we’re going away for a weekend.”

Matthew gasped quietly to himself; Agostino hadn’t left the house for more than one day for a good few years, not believing that Matthew could keep the house in good order alone. Agostino nodded at Matthew’s reaction, continuing regardless. “Yes, I know it’s been a while. Myself and your mother decided we needed a break away at the summer house and that... well...” Agostino fiddled with the cuff of his shirt, a mannerism Matthew hadn’t seen for many years, “we wanted to make things easier for you.”

“In addition,” Calliope said instantly, her smile still spread wide across her face, “the household staff have been relieved of their duties for the whole weekend. I’ve instructed them to leave simple meals in the fridge,” she said the word as if it had never crossed her tongue before, “so you two will be all alone, all weekend.”

Adora and Matthew exchanged a look, the girl squeezing Matthew’s hand tighter and giving a small giggle.

“What do you think, son?” Agostino asked, his expression unreadable. Matthew looked from his mother to his girlfriend and then to his father, and he licked his lips once.

“Er, thank you, I suppose,” Matthew said, trying to convince himself of his own words. “We’ll be fine,” he said simply.

“Excellent,” Agostino said, standing up and leaving the room. He patted Matthew’s shoulder as he left, just the once.

“Adora, dear,” Calliope said with a smile. “The gardeners have just planted some hyacinths. Would you like to come and see them?”

“I’d love to,” Adora said politely, leaning across to kiss Matthew’s cheek before she too stood up and left. He was quite sure that they wouldn’t spend the whole afternoon talking about flowers, not in the slightest.

Matthew looked over at his mother, wondering why she hadn’t followed Adora immediately. Calliope stood slowly, moving to stand in front of Matthew. She crouched until they were level, her eyes sparkling. “I’m so proud of you, my darling,” she whispered, and it settled uneasily with Matthew. “Your father may not say it, but he is too. You were so perfect today.”

And with that, she left Matthew on his own.

*

Dominic chewed on the end of his pen, thinking. He had been sitting in his office for just over an hour with nothing to do but stare at a blank piece of paper and will another song onto the page. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and scratching at his nose. Matthew had been veritably dragged away from him, but worse still, they had been about to kiss. What would have happened if Paix had seen them?

Shuddering, he looked back at the page and scribbled a word or two, before crossing them out almost immediately. Nothing seemed to work.

Bang. Dominic almost jumped out of his skin. Looking up at the door, he clutched at his chest, where he could feel his heart beating painfully fast. Matthew was standing in the doorway, having thrown the door open where it had crashed against the wall.

“I am going to murder my parents,” Matthew hissed violently, slamming the door closed and flopping onto the piano seat. “Help me bury their mutilated bodies in the rose garden.”

Dominic held back an amused smirk, looking down at the page and doodling a heart onto the paper. “Are you being serious?” he asked suddenly, looking up with a frown. “Because if you are, I’m in.”

“Just be quiet for a minute. Don’t say a word to me, I need to think.” Matthew snapped, holding up a hand. Dominic shrugged and resumed doodling. The heart was now wrapped with thorns and wielded a dagger.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed. The shadows in the room grew longer but Matthew remained deadly still, one hand at his lips whilst the other traced the pinstripe on his trousers. Finally, he spoke.

“We have to make love.”

Dominic smiled to himself, laughing quietly at Matthew’s joke. “Much as I’d like it bent over the piano stool, it’d be more comfortable on a bed.”

“Are you even listening?!” Matthew shouted, Dominic finally looking up from his doodles and turning around. “I wasn’t talking about us, you fool, I was talking about Adora and I.”

Dominic’s stomach dropped and the smile was instantly wiped from his face. “That’s more like it,” Matthew whispered, the glouglou unsure if he should’ve heard that or not.

“But why?” Dominic asked in a quiet voice, refusing to meet Matthew’s eyes.

“Apparently, it’s the last step to becoming a Unique. You have to be in love, or whatever,” Matthew said, dismissing it all with a wave of his hand. “Anyway, all the household staff are being sent home this weekend, so we have the house to ourselves.”

“Right,” Dominic said uneasily, a sick feeling seeping through his belly. “That’s good to know,” he said.

They sat in silence, Dominic absently adding shade to his doodle before screwing up the paper and throwing it across the room. Matthew blinked owlishly, looking over at the glouglou and whispering, “I’m scared.”

Dominic shrugged slightly, staring at his hands. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to make me not scared,” Matthew continued in the same mousy whisper, and before Dominic could blink, Matthew had appeared in front of him, easing himself into the glouglou’s lap and pressing their lips together. Dominic slipped his arms around the Voix’s small waist, a warm feeling spreading through his body which abruptly disappeared as he felt something wet brush against his skin. He pulled away from Matthew, startled, his stomach dropping unpleasantly as he watched tears course down the Voix’s pale cheeks.

“Hey,” Dom said, concerned. He reached up a hand, brushing away the tears with his thumb. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

“Except I’m not,” Matthew seethed. “I have to... with Adora... and I don’t... I don’t want to, Dominic, I don’t want to, because I don’t love her anymore and I’m so afraid because my mother knows, she saw us, and my father... if my father ever finds out about this...” he shook his head, a tear dripping from the end of his nose and splashing onto Dominic’s shirt, bleeding into the fabric. “It’s bad enough that you’re... that you’re a man, never mind a glouglou.”

Dominic knew that Matthew’s words should have hurt him, but they didn’t, because he knew that what the Voix was saying was right. This was wrong. He was going to get in trouble. He had heard about their kind of relationship before, about how the Voix had been outcast and the glouglou had been executed. He knew that they would never be right.

But most importantly, he knew that he wasn’t supposed to care. He was supposed to corrupt Matthew and be happy about it, because that was his plan, to make Matthew so hated by his own father that they could not even look at each other. He wanted Agostino to lose his son, like he, Dominic, had lost his father. He didn’t want Matthew.

He was going to push Matthew away. That’s what he was going to do. He was going to stand up and leave Matthew alone and upset, because he wanted nothing more to do with him.

But then Matthew began to kiss him again, and he stopped caring.

[immobilier-swiss]

💜💙STYLISH, MODERN – BREATHTAKING SEA VIEWS

📍#Lovina #Singaraja #Bali

💥USD 2,950,000

🔹Situated in the North of Bali, in a popular and fast growing area of Lovina,lies this amazing Joglo Villa which is set high up on the hill offering panoramic sea views that extend all the way passed Singaraja. The garden entrance of this spectacular villa showcases an ornamental pond and iron wood bridge. The villa is entered through over-sized wooden doors into an impressive open-air living room, complete with a beautiful carved center joglo ceiling overlooking the front garden, which is dominated by an amazing infinity swimming pool made from natural stone.

🔹The open plan dining room adjoins the feature kitchen, and has flipping wood and glass doors on one side designed to be opened for a semi alfresco dining experience. The home is built from 150 year old reclaimed antique Joglos. It’s beautifully polished teak and ironwood are utilized throughout the property – from the floors to the ceilings. All four bedrooms feature teak ceiling, walls, beds and floors with major glass windows positioned on three sides of the room to maximize the stunning views.

🔹There are gardens on all sides of the villa, distinguished by a cluster of enchanting statues from Sumba. Every corner of the villa offers a 360-degree view of mountains, rice fields and beautiful ocean. The architecture, personally-selected furnishings and decorations, including the lighting all work together to create an elegant yet thoroughly relaxing ambiance. This is certainly a unique masterpiece, one not to be missed!

[newflanagansonthebloch]

Day 7, April 13 Hoi An and My Son

We wake up early again (Kerran is getting used to it!) and are impressed and surprised to find a comprehensive breakfast spread on the ground floor of our hotel. I tried a Vietnamese pancake, enjoyed the roasted tomatoes everywhere else in the world seems to serve (among other stuff) and Kerran has his typical feast. My arms are a touch sore from the lifting we did two days ago but my legs are fine from the 30miles of riding.

At 8 we met Hoai and a new driver (who was no Huy!) and drove about an hour from Hoi An toward My Son temple, eBay some refer to as Vietnam’s answer to Ankor Wat. This is a Hindu temple complex belonging to the Cham Dynasty. The Cham Dynasty was a powerful matriarchal kingdom that predates the Vietnamese in this area. The temples date from around the 4th century but we’re continuously built upon over time by subsequent rulers. The Cham ultimately were pushed out of Vietnam in the 13th century, well before the French discovered these abandoned temples in 1885.

After passing through two reddish brick arch ways you board a golf cart like shuttle (but bigger) further showing how far this is from anything else. A few years back Hoai tells us that you wakes this long path and there was no road. Now, Kerran and I are far from lazy, but with burning sun on our backs we are incredibly grateful for the electric car. Sweat is easy to come by here!

In the early 19th century after the French discovered this space, together the french and Vietnamese studied this place and captured photos. During WWII, the franco-Vietnam war and of course the Vietnam war, fighting and bombs further destroyed the site. Bombs from the American war topped a 28 meter tower. Today there are remnants of nearly 40 buildings at different stages of reconstruction. Where possible they will rebuild building to look as they appeared in the original photos captured by the french. Of course by then much was ruined as well. It’s interesting because you can also walk in these ruins. It’s also interesting that the bricks are held together by a glue made from nearby trees, and these have held for centuries!

My Son is situated in a beautiful lush mountainous area. The scenery alone is stunning. We choose to skip the traditional dance offered in an outdoor theatre—we’re melting.

We head back toward Hoi An for a day of exploring the old city. Our first stop is back at A Dong Tailors as we promised Huong that we’d be back as early as possible. I try on my dress and we take it in a bit more and Kerran his suit. He’s so pleased that he is moved to order three more casual shirts. It’s so impressive that both our suit and dress were started around 6am and finished at 10am. Huong asks us to come back between 4-5pm for what she hopes will be finishing touches.

Around the corner from the tailor Kerran and Hoai grab a famous Bahn Mi from the “Bahn Mi Queen.” I have a bite and can’t deny that it’s delicious—it has tons and tons of food inside like hm and meat and chili sauce and aioli and vegetables and more items than I can name. We walk through the old quarter and I order ice cream for lunch at the cargo club where we’re permitted to all eat upstairs overlooking the river. It’s so incredibly hot I can’t possibly fathom eating anything else. Across the river where the night market now sits, Hoai tells us that just a few years ago was hardly anything. Rapid growth has occurred due to tourism. However it’s imperative that all buildings in this area are constructed or refurbished in the same style to maintain the historic look and feel of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

After a quick lunch we head to the sites of Hoi Ann’s old town. Here you purchase a UNESCO ticket that affords you entrance to up to five monuments within the city. We cross the small Japanese covered bridge which dates back to the 17th century and joins the historic Japanese and Chinese sections of the city. Monkey statues guard one entrance and dogs the other. There is a small temple adjoining the bridge which was not built by the Japanese, but later by the Vietnamese. Inside are pictures from the 1700s and later when the french came. The french nicknames this city Fai Foo because those are the Vietnamese words they used to ask “is this the city?”

We then visit our first ancient house. A niece of the man who currently lives here shows us around and informs us that the house was originally constructed in 1780 and has housed 8 generations of her her family. 80 columns hold up this house and sit on top of marble to avoid damage from both humidity and termites. We don’t linger long here as the whole family seems to be selling something. The architecture has influence from Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese styles.

Later we visit a second home, the Tan Ky home which is about 200 years old. Here you can see how high the river has flooded the homes each year—well above my head. The family moves all its belongings to the second floor during the rainy season through a kind of trap door. You can also see photos of the generations of families who inhabited this home and you walk right through tot he river side.

We also have an opportunity to visit two different Chinese Assembly halls. Each hall is from a different Chinese province and thus reflect slightly different styles. The first is the Cantonese assembly hall, or temple really. The giant dragon sculpture in the middle foyer is the standout here. There is an even large more impressive multi dragon mosaic sculpture in the back!

The second assembly hall belonged to the Fukien or Fukien people. It opens up to a beautiful garden adorned with flowers and even a model of the Great Wall. This temple dates from the late 17th century and was completed in 1757. Three main alters are found inside, the middle of which includes Fujianese mandarins. There is also an alter for the god of prosperity and one for the goddess of fertility surrounded by many midwives. This hall, like the last, features a replica of a merchant boat which honors all those who do not come back from the sea. Hoai also informs us that many Vietnamese share the same last names. Anyone of Chinese descent often has the last name Minh and even has an image of china on their government ID. Hoa’s ancestors are from both Vietnam so his license has an image of Vietnam.

At this point we have used all our tickets and are drenched in sweat from the heat. It’s early afternoon so we make our way back to the hotel and take a short swim in the hotel pool. We honor Huong’s request and are back at the tailor before 5pm for final fittings. We have a few final adjustments to make (bringing Kerran’s shirt out a bit, adding buttons to his suit, and making a last minute change to the hem of my dress.) It’s crazy how fast they do this! 10-15 minutes later the clothes magically reappear perfectly. After bidding farewell to my Hoi An Tailor fairy godmother Huong and A Dong Silk we pick up Kerran’s dress shirts down the road at Be Be Tailor.

After this we head back toward the river for our final Hoi An dinner at Morning Glory. This restaurant is named after the typical vegetable dish served here which is basically just spinach and garlic. The service is pretty bad here but the food is good. I order Banh Xeo which is a hybrid of a pancake and a make your own spring roll. I got the traditional Cao Lao for dinner and Kerran got the (better tasting) mackerel. People sweat by Cao Lao, a meat and noodle dish topped with fresh greens, wontons and spice, but it’s not my favorite of the trio. We end there meal with bananas drenched in coconut cream. We wander a mile or so back to our hotel and stop at the tourist stalls for a needed purchase: Kerran gets a defective Nike shirt for $9 and I replace what I’ve been calling my “beach or travel pants” for 12 bucks. The 15 year old pair was overdue for retirement...plus I stained them with mouth wash on the way here!! After our successful shopping trip we packed up our things and called it a night in Hoi An.

Ps there are also beaches here but we just didn’t manage to get there this time!

[nicheretailstrategies]

03/2017 | Secrets From the Highest-Grossing Restaurant in New York

BLOOMBERG | KATE KRADER | MARCH 21, 2017

An empire built on Tao-tinis and sea bass satay.

If there’s a venture with a projected shelf life of five minutes, it’s a nightlife restaurant in New York’s Meatpacking District. The exception? Tao Downtown. Since it opened in 2013, with heavy wooden doors that look like they were airlifted in from an ancient Chinese fort, the temple to Pan-Asian-style food and drinks has been a prime Manhattan destination for athletes, celebrities, and businessmen and women waving corporate cards to out-of-town families.

Alcohol makes up more than 50 percent of sales at Tao Downtown, an astounding number compared with the typical 20-plus percent elsewhere.  Source: TAO Downtown

Each night, some 1,200 people stream through the David Rockwell-designed, 22,000-square-foot, bilevel maze of dark wood-paneled rooms decorated with candles and giant Buddhas. The 300-seat dining room is massive by New York standards; the new Union Square Cafe, also designed by Rockwell, seats about 90. Tao Downtown estimates it did more than 220,000 covers (aka customers) in 2016—significantly more than the population of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. There’s almost always a line to get into the adjoining nightclub.

When you're in Vegas: Marquee is a profitable piece of Tao's empire. Source: Tao Group

According to an annual survey by Restaurant Business, Tao posted almost $34 million in food and beverage sales in 2016. That’s the highest-ranking spot for a non-chain restaurant in New York, and the third-highest in the U.S. What’s in first place? Tao Asian Bistro in Las Vegas, where total sales were just shy of $48 million. Third place is actually a decline for Tao Downtown; in 2015 the club claimed the list’s No. 2 spot with $38 million in sales. (This year, second place went to the venerable Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami.) Even so, Tao Group dominates the 2016 list; another of its New York restaurants, Lavo, came in sixth with sales of $27.5 million. Tao Uptown, with $23 million in sales, came in 11th.

In February, Tao Group announced a partnership with the Madison Square Garden Co., which acquired a 62.5 percent stake in the company for $181 million. This month, industry insiders say Tao will also be taking over the space on the second floor of 130 E. 57th St. that housed Frederick Lesort’s restaurant lounge Opia. Meanwhile, Tao itself is expanding: In April it will open its first locations in Los Angeles, a complex adjacent to the Dream Hotel in Hollywood. The group has plans for additional U.S. cities and Asia, as well.

How does Tao stay ahead of the game and keep making money? Rich Wolf, one of Tao Group’s co-founders (along with Marc Packer, and partners Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss), gave me a behind-the-scenes tour of the place. He was joined by Tao Downtown’s general manager, Tony Oswain, and chef/partner Ralph Scamardella. Here are their secrets.

Be a One-Stop Shop

Rule No. 1 at Tao: Don’t give guests a reason to leave. Most people will spend at least a drink’s worth of time at the softly lit, brick-walled Ink Bar in what’s called the Eastern Mezzanine before heading down the grand staircase to a dining room, where a DJ spins in the background. Then they can move to the perennially packed club, where the roster of acts includes Tiësto, Lorde, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, and the ubiquitous Questlove. It’s easier to gain entrance if you’re coming from dinner, the team confirms. Tao’s kitchen is open until 2 a.m.; the club closes at 4.

The group will stay true to the formula at its coming Los Angeles home. The Dream Hotel will include Tao Asian Bistro, Beauty & Essex (another of its empire builders), and a brand-new concept, Luchini Pizzeria & Bar. Here’s how Wolf sees it: “We’ve built several concepts on one block—two restaurants, plus the Highlight Room on the roof with a club and a pool. You can take an Uber over in the afternoon, then roll from the pool to the restaurant to the club. And stay in the hotel if you don’t feel like going home.”

Create a Dining Destination

“The beauty of Tao is that you can order two sushi rolls or go all out and have an $800 live crab,” says Oswain. Most people don’t order that live crab: The average check is $75. Still, there’s an audience for pricier entrees, like a recent surf-and-turf special of Japanese wagyu with African prawns the size of lobsters. They sell for $150 each, and the restaurant usually processes 25 orders of the dish per night.

One fact that doubters overlook: The food at Tao is good. Scamardella makes regular trips to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo in search of inspiration. “People don’t come here for basic fried rice,” the chef says. (He adds barbecue duck and lobster with kimchi to his.) Scamardella calls his food “as chopstick-friendly as possible,” which makes diners more inclined to share and invariably pushes up check averages. The one dish you’ll find on almost every table is the $23 miso-glazed Chilean sea bass satay. “It’s the dish that built the empire,” says Wolf. Chef Scamardella estimates Tao Downtown sells 700 orders a night and goes through about 2,500 pounds of sea bass per week.

Embrace Convention

You won’t find a daily changing special at Tao; instead, Scamardella plans his menus ahead. “We don’t do specials based on what’s at the market or what we have left over,” he says. Rather, he orders ingredients such as Japanese beef way ahead to run as an off-the-menu. Conventions have a big effect on his calendars of specials. “In January they release the convention schedule,” Scamardella says. “If one of the big conventions is in town—the construction and concrete guys spend a lot of money—I know we’ll be having some big-ticket specials, and I order accordingly.”

Some 1,200 guests dine at Tao Downtown each night. Source: TAO

Crowd Control

The Tao Group knows its audience, and it knows their schedules. Mondays and Tuesdays, the Tao Downtown crowd can comprise up to 80 percent people with corporate cards, according to Wolf. “But it changes by the hour,” he notes. “As it gets later, the suits and ties disappear.” The biggest spending days are Wednesday and Thursday; Saturdays and Sundays are the lightest. “That’s the bridge-and-tunnel crowd,” says chef Scamardella. “People come in to celebrate, but they spend less money.”

Drinking Up

Alcohol makes up a little more than 50 percent of Tao’s sales, a huge number compared with percentages in the 20s at most other places. Ryan Arnold, wine director of the Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, puts it into perspective: “Tao’s drinks numbers are insane. They’re the stuff of legend in the restaurant world. At our places, I’m happy when I see alcohol percentage in the mid-20s. I dream about a number like 32 percent.” Drinks in Tao’s bar and restaurant, like the best-selling vodka-based Ruby Red Dragon or the Tao-tini, cost $17—not an outrageous price, at least by the standards of New York cocktail lounges. How are they hitting their mark? The sheer volume helps—these are crowd-pleasing, guzzler-style beverages—as do club sales: Drinks are closer to $20 there, and bottle service ranges from about $250 to $290 a person.

Avoid Undesirable Associations

Wolf is adamant about one thing: Tao Downtown is not technically in the Meatpacking District, where the official northern boundary is 14th Street. (Tao is on 16th, just off Ninth Avenue.) Tao benefits from first-time visitors who are headed to the neighborhood to party, as well as from regulars who know it’s easy to get to. “The Meatpacking District is a quagmire,” says Wolf. “You get stuck in it, and you say, ‘I’m not going back there.’ Tao is easy in and easy out.’”

Tao is bringing the party to Los Angeles.  Source: TAO

The Celebrity Factor

“Capital didn’t have a lot to do with it,” Wolf says about the recent deal with Madison Square Garden. “A lot of our venues are driven by celebrities.  If someone has a concert at MSG, they’ll come here to party. Plus there’s synergy. MSG has venues all over the place. They’re building an arena in Vegas near the Sands. Imagine what can happen at Marquee.” Following the L.A. opening, Tao has deals in place at the Sands in Singapore, where the group will open a nightclub and a couple of restaurants in 18 months. And the co-founders are employing their hub strategy elsewhere in the U.S. In early 2018 they’ll open a Tao and a new concept in Chicago. Further into the future? “Miami is probably the only other U.S. city we’d look at,” says Wolf.  

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-21/secrets-from-the-highest-grossing-restaurant-in-new-york

@NICHE_RETAIL

[genemock]

40175 Deer Trail Lane Waterford, VA 20197 from Gene Mock on Vimeo.

This stunning Loudoun County estate on nearly 12 acres has everything: ideal location, timeless colonial architecture and modern amenities. Let’s start in the 2-story foyer, where you can see the charm of this home as soon as you step inside, with lead glass entry doors behind you and soaring ceilings, tons of natural light, custom crown molding and hardwood floors in front of you. Your expansive living room sits just off the entry, with a wood-burning fireplace and lots of room to spread out. Need a quiet and cozy spot to read? Walk through the large formal dining space and head to the family room on the other side of the house. It has an entire wall of built-ins, another fireplace and French doors that open to the huge paver patio out back. This main-level floorplan even includes the all-important 4th bedroom tucked in the back corner with a full adjoining bathroom. It’s the perfect secluded spot for any visitors. From that bedroom, you can head down the hall straight into the heart of the home. Your kitchen features granite countertops, tons of cabinet space, a built-in desk and a spacious island. There are picturesque views from almost every room, but the breakfast nook has a bay window that overlooks the west grounds and beyond that, you can see the Catoctin and Blue Ridge Mountains. At your housewarming party, all your guests will probably migrate from your kitchen to the huge back patio or to the charming screened gazebo. The yard is surrounded by trees for shade and privacy in the summertime and you can get lost on one of the many walking trails throughout the property. There’s even a fenced-in area next to the mud room just for gardeners and their four-legged friends. You can bring all the cars, toys, tools, sports equipment and outdoor gear you can fit in the moving truck, because your new home has **THREE** separate garages with space for seven cars as well as an RV/electric car charging station. The 3-car garage also includes a framed-in second level. It’s already pre-wired with the plumbing roughed in, plus the heat & A/C are ready to go. It just needs your finishing touch. Back inside, there are 3 bedrooms upstairs, including the master suite. This wing of the home includes a massive bedroom, a walk-in closet and a luxury bathroom with a water closet, towel warmer, double vanities, glass-door shower and a claw-foot tub. The two other guest rooms share a large family bathroom down the hall. Still need more space? Just head to the basement, where there’s a rec room with a pool table, a wet bar and lots of room for game night around the ceramic wood stove. The other part of the basement level has loads of storage space, a laundry area and a fully-equipped professional workshop that would make Bob Vila jealous -- with workbenches, a dust collection system and numerous tools. The location of your new home can’t be beat. You’re only minutes from Leesburg and the Dulles Greenway toll road. Washington-Dulles International Airport is just a 25-minute drive away and the Dulles Metro is scheduled to open later this year. The spring market is upon us and inventory is low. Act fast on this one!

[jeremystrele]

Asian Style Interiors Spliced With Sumptuous Deep Green And Teal Accents

Today we are touring three Asian style interiors, each spliced together with some sumptuous deep green and teal coloured elements. Industrial contemporary, suave and sophisticated, to the more traditional at heart, this trio of tours bring inspiration from all different angles. The first is a unique interior where a custom-made concrete bed and linked sofa design incorporates huge indoor planters, all set within a textured raw concrete perimeter. The second interior on our list features lush green indoor garden borders–both real and in wallpaper form. Lastly, come with us to visit a slightly more traditional setting, where classic furniture silhouettes meet bright teal colour infusions.

Visualizer: Konstantin Entalcev   Our first apartment is a 60 square metre home for a young family in Taipei, Taiwan. Textured concrete walls strike movement and energy into the design, and brightly coloured art and furniture up the tempo. A bespoke concrete sofa base incorporates a large planter filled with cacti; emerald green seat cushions complement the spiky display.

A cluster of unique coffee tables warmly colour the centre of a bare concrete floor; a tan accent chair and a decorative pendant light match their hue.

This is a studio apartment, with the bedroom and living room flowing directly into one another. A custom bed design has been erected in wood and concrete, which adjoins with the bespoke concrete sofa to wrap the room. The edge of the bed also forms a concrete step that visually separates the sleeping area from the sitting room, and creates a book ledge that’s peacefully overlooked by two teal Buddhist statues.

A rustic wooden step crosses the foot of the floor bed design, leading into a nook of wooden display shelves. An LED strip burns brightly behind the shelving, illuminating curious objects.

Timber beams from the bed construction expand out across the width of a concrete ceiling to stunning effect. The entire ceiling of the apartment is open so that light can pass through.

As there is only a couple of windows in the apartment, and concrete walls make up the perimeter, it was thought that any solid walls would constrict the sense of space and light. In response, light-permeable walls were specially made for the bathroom.

The custom-made light permeable walls allow natural light to be shared between the living space and the bathroom even when fully closed.

Beyond the slatted bathroom walls, there is an enchanting green bathroom decor scheme with a traditional freestanding bathtub.

Wooden discs stack and slip to form a unique bathroom sink design.

A similar concept builds the kitchen bar stools.

The kitchen is nostalgically reminiscent of an olde worlde woodshop, with its chunky industrial workbench.

A linear suspension lamp hangs from beams that have been worked around from the bedroom framework.

Open kitchen shelving displays crockery and glass.

Teal accessories shimmer through textured glass doors.

Visualizer: Thao Nguyen   Our next beautiful Asian inspired apartment interior is flourishing with lush botanical decor. A green armchair matches the palette of the theme, and a teal sofa makes for stunning colour play.

The TV wall remains crisp white with a white media unit. A white wall clock tops the arrangement.

An enormous indoor planter is home to a large array of mature indoor plants.

A wall of botanical wallpaper attempts to reflect the natural beauty of the interior garden.

Wooden elements work harmoniously with the greenery in the room.

A decorative wooden screen marks a divide between the home entryway and a Buddhist altar. The Butsudan area has been coated in black to differentiate the sacred space from the rest of the home.

Inside the kitchen, a mirrored American-style fridge-freezer stands within a block of white units, beside an integrated microwave and dishwasher.

The rest of the kitchen is lined with dark green painted cabinets. A grey bar extends into the living area to link the rooms.

Contrasting kitchen bar stools make an interesting duo.

A wooden display cubby interrupts the run of green upper cabinets.

Made-to-measure hallway storage furniture is painted green and white to take the home’s colour theme all the way through to the front door.

Visualizer: Lai Pháp   Our third, and last, Asian style home tour has a slightly more traditional air about it.

A collection of screens and louvre doors add texture to the space, which is kept cool by a unique ceiling fan.

Exposed brickwork has been given a strong teal paint job inside an archway around the TV. An Asian style cabinet holds media and a display of decorative items.

Three black dining room pendant lights hang the length of a traditional table design. A teal wall hanging adds colour to the dining spot, along with a dark teal area rug.

Bird cage style light fittings dangle over the breakfast bar in the kitchen, above two teal bar stools.

White louvre doors front the upper kitchen cabinets, whilst base units stand in solid timber.

The colour story continues inside the master bedroom, where a teal headboard wall rises behind a classic bed design.

Monochrome elements freshen and modernise the look.

A second teal bedroom feature wall is brightened by a decorative wall mirror.

A black and white runner stripes the foot of the bed.

Bifold doors lead out to the centre of the living space.

The third bedroom has more subtle accents within a predominantly neutral scheme.

It also has a double workspace–though there’s not much elbow room.

The platform bed base runs the full width of the room, with storage underneath.

Home layout.

Recommended Reading:  30 Gorgeous Green Living Rooms And Tips For Accessorizing Them 33 Gorgeous Green Kitchens And Ways To Accessorize Them

Related Posts:

Industrial Russian Interior With Quirky Colour Twists (Including Floor Plans)

Upscale Modern Home With Courtyard And Floating Staircase Design

Three Industrial Style Lofts WIth Natural Accents

Scandinavian Style Interior Infused With Garden Greenery

4 Green Decor Schemes That Help You Feel Closer To Nature

Tasteful Indoor Garden Inspiration In Two Open Layout Homes