#Landscape Management Lake Charles

[hopeful-hugz]

@killercmd || Maria Starter Call

"Okay- okay, geez." Hope gives a small huff at the expected threat, claws and stinger gently batted to the side from a very obvious threat. Teal must have told V about Maria. Who the multiversal war criminal was and that the aetherling herself had sealed away their home universe with Charles' ghost and Maria inside. As well as the fact the necklace she always wore was that universe's core.

Evidently the drone wanted a piece of the purebred, knowing she was still alive. "If you're really serious about that, I'm not gonna object. But. You cannot kill her. Not cause of some self-righteous 'she needs to learn her lesson' thing, but cause if you kill her, you're freeing her. Got it? We do not need that war criminal getting out again; bad enough I'm still free." What the hell does that mean?

It takes some work, but Hope manages to get the pendants reacting and glowing in her closed fist, holding up her free hand. "Oh, and one other thing besides not releasing mother dearest onto the multiverse again. Stop by the beach side if you wanna get Teal anything. He likes sea glass and shells. Come find me in the lake caves once you're done and I'll bring ya back here."

With a snap of her fingers (and a look of someone who very much does not want to return home) everything goes white.

Silence. Absolute silence, yet the wind still blows and the sun feels soft and gentle. The world fades in to a lakeside town made of three tiers: The docks and the houses out on the massive lake, fishermen and their families all bustling about their day. The cobblestone roads leading up the lower parts of the massive mountains that surrounded the lake, homes and shops of all kinds about to accommodate the more modern (or past in V's sake) members of the town. Then there was the cliffs. Only two structures are placed among the snowy landscape there; what looks to be the ruins of a massive lab overlooking the entire town. Just under it appearing to be a makeshift graveyard made by a child a long time ago.

Several places seems to give off the same energy that can be picked up from Hope and Teal. One down at the shore, one up at the graveyard and one at the lab itself. Wherever the drone went was up to her.

[yessadirichards]

The long wait is over: New 'Zelda' hits shelves

TOKYO/PARIS

A six-year wait came to an end for "Zelda" fans across the world on Friday as Nintendo released the long-awaited next installment of its 40-year-old gaming saga.

The game featuring the exploits of Princess Zelda and the elf-like warrior Link has sold 125 million copies worldwide since its first edition in 1986.

It helped forge "open world" games where the player is free to roam in virtual landscapes -- an idea later taken up by games from "Grand Theft Auto" to "Skyrim".

But its main challenge this year will be to boost the figures for the Japanese gaming giant and prolong the life of its Switch console, which experts say is in its dotage after seven years on the shelves.

The company will release "Tears of the Kingdom" worldwide, with clips circulating on the internet already racking up millions of views and generating feverish excitement among fans.

The game "will be by far the biggest contributor to Nintendo's sales this year", said Serkan Toto, an analyst at Kantan Games.

Yet the franchise's 1980's launch was something of a gamble for a company then best known for "Donkey Kong" and "Super Mario Bros." The first episode, "The Legend of Zelda", plunged gamers into an unknown universe largely without instructions.

Creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who also gave life to Mario, was inspired by his childhood explorations of the Japanese countryside to offer a landscape of forests, lakes, caves and mountains.

"The scale of the game was huge at a time when most games were finished in an hour or two," said Kiyoshi Tane, an author specializing in the history of video games. "The map was designed with a real emphasis on exploration, so it was something of a pioneer of what open-world games would become."

The first Zelda hit the market only a few months after "Super Mario Bros", but the two games were far apart on the gaming spectrum.

While Mario runs from left to right through various platforms, Zelda "encouraged the player to explore, discover and map its world and take on its challenges", said Mark Brown, who analyses game design on his YouTube channel.

The game was a smash hit from the start, and for the next two decades, it pushed the boundaries of game design. The 1998 edition "Ocarina of Time" pioneered a system that allowed gamers to aim properly in 3D.

Yet sales of the game had hit the skids by the turn of the 2010s. Nintendo wanted to expand the game's appeal but only managed to create editions that satisfied nobody. Hardcore fans drifted away and its popularity waned.

"The development team had a sense of crisis," Katsuhiko Hayashi, representative for Famitsu Group, which publishes industry magazine Famitsu, told AFP.

The designers rethought the basics of the game, eventually creating 2017's "Breath of the Wild". It was launched alongside the Switch console and has since become the best-selling edition of Zelda.

"This game set a high bar for the open-world action-adventure genre, and Zelda is still at the top," said Hayashi. Zelda has become something of a "bible" for other developers, he added.

But despite its success and the enduring popularity of Nintendo's other franchises -- demonstrated by this year's smash hit "Super Mario Bros. Movie" -- the firm released a gloomy outlook on Tuesday.

The company forecast a 21 percent drop in net profit compared with last year. The prediction makes the Zelda release vital for the company.

Charles-Louis Planade, an analyst at Midcap Partners, reckons it could become "the best-selling game in history".

"It's a game that can approach $1 billion in revenue, which is very significant for a company that makes a turnover of just over $10 billion per year," he told AFP.

[tendercarelawnservice]

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[omiscurls]

Heyhey! I couldn’t find your rules, so idk if this is allowed or not, and if it isn’t feel free to ignore this, but may I request Childe with a reader who has depression? Thank you

tough

a/n: hi!! sorry for that, the rules are added by now, i chose not to describe depression itself, because it looks different on everyone, and you may not relate to what applies to me, but i'm hoping you'll find this enjoyable instead!!

plot: character helping the reader out of a breakdown, or a bad headspace

contains: tartaglia, kaeya

warnings: bad copying mechanisms, low mental place, nothing too serious mentioned

tartaglia

now, he's a man of action less than words, even though he's good with those, too

and to add to that, he's also a very perceptive person - if some negative vibe lingers on you for too long, he'll notice right away

however, relying on his experience, he opts to give you space to figure it out on your own, first, he wouldn't like to be making a huge deal of something that was just a worse couple of days

it's when you don't show up at your usual dinner spot, that he gets a little tingle in his brain, telling him to not dismiss it this time.

and so, he makes his way over to your place.

"ya there?" you hear on the other side of the door, followed by urgent knocking, sort of breaking you out of a trance, but you can't find it in you to go and answer it. he'll go away, you think, even better. your apartment is messy, you're messy, too, and it's not the right time to be receiving visitors. so you stay quiet.

"you do know i know you're in there, right?" he speaks up again "the blinds would be down if you weren't"

come in, you want to shout, and although no voice leaves your throat, soon the door opens anyway.

"hey, what's up, you weren't on the- oh." he stops in his tracks in the middle of the corridor, and you're already mentally prepared to a snarky remark about your sorroundings, but the only thing he says is a lighthearted "why're you sitting on the floor?"

the first thing he thinks about is to level with you, so he plops himself down right beside you, and you bet it looks funny - you in yesterday's clothes, in a big, probably smelly, mess, and then a harbinger in full military outfit right beside you.

"i-" you try to say, but your throat seems too dry and worn out, so you opt for a whisper "look at his place"

he indeed does, hinting the small note of desperation in your voice.

"what about it?"

"it's a mess!" you sigh, covering your face with your hands, out of both embarrassment, and fatigue. you take a big breath before continuing "so i wanted to clean it up, i even brought all the... all the things, but it's so much stuff to do, and i'm tired, and- and i don't know!" you choose to stop as not to snap right then and there. "i can't even do my shitty chores right like an adult" you mumble, massaging your temples.

"and is sitting on the floor helping?" he simply asks, and for a second, you're almost mad at him for not being more... cooey and fuss over you a bit more. he sounds cold.

"what are you-"

"really, is it helping?" he repeats "because from how i see it, every little thing would seem bigger if you looked at it from this angle. come on" he nudges you before standing up, and offering a hand to lift you up. you, however, shake your head.

"i really can't deal with it today, childe, i'm sorry"

"just stand up" he pleas, and the second you take his hand, he helps you up in less than a second. when you're on his level again, he sneaks both his arms on the sides of your waist, and sort of sways around a little, before speaking again. "what if, what if we do it little by little? look, we'll start over there" he puts his hand on top of yours, and lifts your arm to point to the full sink along with his. "and that'd be it for today! and then tomorrow... actually, let's not make plans. we'll just pick something tomorrow, and do it then. does the sink sound like a lot to do?" he asks.

"do you want me to be honest, or do you want me to say no" you mutter, earning the heartiest and brightest laughter you've heard in days from him.

"always honest. but come on, i'll help." he rolls you out of his embrace, causing you to feel a sudden wave of cold, it was comfortable back there, you think.

however, as he works through the dishes with you, the pile does seem to lessen, and doesn't rule over your kitchen anymore. every time he hands you a plate to dry, he smiles as wide as he can, and it doesn't seem to bother him at all when you don't smile back.

"remember" he starts again, after a while of comfortable silence. he looks ridiculous, doing the kitchen duties in an outfit designed mostly to look presentable and slay enemies in it, but the look on his face is dead set. "the first lesson you've gotta learn before going off to battle something, is that the best defense is always, always to fight back. and if you don't think you can manage that, well, that's why nobody ever battles alone. it's common sense to have someone watching your back. and as for you, not only are you a great warrior yourself, but you've also got the best second-in-command willing to help you out. don't forget that."

kaeya

as for him, he's also perceptive and empathic, but the difference between him and tartaglia is that he does believe people have the right to figure some things out on their own, he's a firm believer in the magic of secrets

that's probably because he himself doesn't like to share too much about his deeply personal feelings

so he'd obviously see some wave of difficult emotions coming your way, but would he immediately start worrying? probably not

the guy doesn't have healthy copying mechanisms himself, don't think he expects those of others

every other night the two of you meet up at the tavern, kaeya always ordering wine, you asking the bartender for whatever was in store today, but it's never anything alcoholic.

and just like nearly always, you're seated at angel's share, him noticing you're not particularly in the mood for talking, and choosing to entertain you with as many stories of the day that went by as he can remember.

the waiter interrupts him, asking if your minds are already made up regarding the drink. now, kaeya always has you picking first, but since he sees you're still analyzing the card (as if you expected to find anything new), he goes first with a drink he knows charles makes really strong.

to his surprise, when it comes to you, you just mumble "i'll have the same he had"

before the waiter has a chance of writing that down, kaeya tells him that actually, you're gonna need a minute or two more, and to erase the order you've both put in.

as he walks away, the calvary captain's eyes pierce through yours.

"that's a pretty nasty drink you wanted there" he starts, feeling he can't let you handle your mess this time, preparing to dig a little deeper into what's on your mind.

you shrug your shoulders.

"hey" he speaks up a little firmer, hand moving to cover yours, and even though they twitch as to retreat from his grip, you let it be. "tell me what's up."

"nothing's <up>" you accentuate. "can't i even have a drink now?"

"obviously you can" he nods "as long as i know you're trying it just for the taste, and not for the strong kick it's gonna offer, cause that's a dangerous path that only leads to nasty places." concern shines through his gaze, and an encouraging smile is wandering somewhere in his expression, however his lips are still pressed into a tight line, the same he forms when he's either fighting or arguing.

you stay silent for a good long while, before sighing.

"maybe i want the kick. good, or bad, maybe i want to feel... something."

the sentence sounds all too familiar, as he shakes his head and takes your hand, leading you towards the exit.

"what're you-"

"you're obviously not in the right state to be in a bar, of all places" he states almost coldly "so i'm getting you somewhere safer."

the two of you leave the bar, and walk out into the cold of mondstadt's street, covered in the darkness of the night. you walk past him, not leveling up to him, just tagging along to whatever he's going.

it comes as a surprise, that you're neither headed for your apartment, nor his, nor the knights' headquarters. he's guiding you in an unknown direction, until you reach a dead end.

he clims up a small building, offering you a hand and shaking off your confused expressions and questions. "you'll see" he says. the two of you walk from roof to roof, and countless times you tell him it's ridiculous, but then, he jumps onto the city's wall, helping you out with two hands this time, sitting you down right next to him on the stone surface of the wall. it's a little wet from the night's humidity, and cold, and probably dirty too, but the moon shines right at you, and from this perspective, you see thousands of lights in houses, taverns and shops, from the bottom up to the cathedral.

going up from that, a calm and peaceful lake paints the landscape blue on the left, and even from up here, you see a sea of lampgrasses shining through the leaves of wolvendom forest. if you squint, lights are still on in dawn winery, and the path to liyue and all the other lands swirls around near diluc's house. there's so much you can see, even if the night limits your vision.

"i like to come here when i need to gain some perspective over what is happening in my life right now" kaeya speaks really softly and quietly, bordering on a whisper. "it's a beautiful view, even someone as insensitive to art as i am can see that, but other than that... it's huge. and even though it is, it's also alive. every single one of those beings whose lights are dying out as they slowly go to sleep one by one, they're alive. they're not a scenery, they're their own, individual worlds. and they all coexist with each other in such a clever manner, don't you think? they have their differences, they might even hate each other, or wish the worst upon the other's name, but from up here? they fit together like puzzles of one, big picture."

"that's a nice way to put it, for sure" you whisper, looking down onto your knees. his finger pushes your chin slightly to make you face him, and he smiles at you gently, thumb brushing against the skin of your cheek.

"you know, we each have our own worlds, built from scratch from such fragile materials. we have our worlds rise, shine, and crumble before our sights. we look over the ruins of them and think, this is the end of the world. there's nothing more, it's all dust now. but from up here, you see how many other worlds there are - everyone has their own. not everything that is happening in your world is true. you see it from first person's perspective, and therefore the view might be disturbed by many different aspects. you might not see the picture, you just see the broken puzzle fragment that can't fit with the rest, and you're ready to throw away the entire picture, without finishing it. but being here, it reminds me... the world doesn't end on the ruins you see. you can always ask someone to help you build them up again, and of course, you can expect it to fall into pieces once more, but this time, you'll keep in mind, there're-" he stopped, pointing to the city's lights. "so many people to help you raise it up to the clouds."

"your metaphor is really complex" you chuckle, but his face stays still.

"it's not the end of the world if your puzzle piece is broken. and the ruins are not unfixable if you feel too tired to build them up all by yourself. if anything, that's a start." his hand travels up to keep the hair from getting on your face, since the wind blows pretty hard on this height. "what do you say we start your puzzle once more, toghether?"

-

your friendly reminder that you can request things [here]

[onceuponatown]

The Mohonk Mountain House, also known as Lake Mohonk Mountain House, is an American resort hotel located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York. Its location in the town of New Paltz, New York, is just beyond the southern border of the Catskill Mountains, west of the Hudson River.

The National Historic Landmark Program's "Statement of Significance", as of the site's historic landmark designation in 1986, stated:

Begun in the 1870s as a small resort for family and friends by the Smiley brothers, it became so popular that it was enlarged many times. Because of the Smileys' love of the outdoor life, the area around the hotel was treated as an integral part of the attractions of the resort. Much of this area was planned as an experiment in conservation of the natural environment, and as an educational tool for the study of botany, geology, and outdoor living.

The resort is located on the shore of Lake Mohonk, which is half a mile (800 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) deep. The main structure was built by Quaker twin brothers Albert and Alfred Smiley between 1869 and 1910.

From 1883 to 1916, annual conferences took place at Mohonk Mountain House, sponsored by Albert Smiley, to improve the living standards of Native American Indian populations. These meetings brought together government representatives of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the House and Senate committees on Indian Affairs, as well as educators, philanthropists, and Indian leaders to discuss the formulation of policy. The Haverford College library holds 22,000 records from the 34 conference reports for researchers and students of American history.

The hotel hosted the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration between 1895 and 1916, which was instrumental in creating the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. Those conference papers were donated by the Smiley Family to Swarthmore College for research.

The house was given a United Nations Environment Programme Award in 1994 in honor of "125 years of stewardship". According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, "Through its buildings and roads, its land, and its spirit, Mohonk exemplifies America's history and culture. Mohonk has since managed to maintain its 19th century character into the 21st century."

Mohonk Mountain House has 259 guest rooms, including 28 tower rooms, an indoor pool and spa, and an outdoor ice-skating rink for winter use. The property consists of 1,325 acres (536 ha), and much of it is landscaped with meadows and gardens. It adjoins the Mohonk Preserve, which is crisscrossed by 85 miles (140 km) of hiking trails and carriage roads. The Smileys conveyed the majority of their property to the preserve, in 1963. At the time the preserve was called the Mohonk Trust. 

Mohonk Mountain House has hosted many famous visitors including lawyer, Daniel H Kovel, industrialist John D. Rockefeller, financier Charles A. Schmutz, naturalist John Burroughs, industrialist Andrew Carnegie, prolific author Isaac Asimov, and American presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Bill Clinton. Guests have also included actor Alan Alda, former First Lady Julia Grant, author Thomas Mann, and religious leaders such as Theologian Lyman Abbott, Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, Reverend Ralph W. Sockman, Reverend Francis Edward Clark. `Abdu'l-Bahá, the eldest son of Baháʼí Faith founder Bahá'u'lláh, stayed there in 1912 during the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration as part of his journeys to the West. William James Roe II described the resort as a "palace of peace" after his stay there, writing an article of the same name, published in Harper's Young People. 

See our other post on the Mohonk Mountain House here. 

[wonderful-writes]

8. Like reader drops of the face of the earth before graduation for like 4 years, and Charlie just realized his emotions in that time frame.

Disappear

Charlie Weasley x Female!Reader

Summary: Y/N and Charlie were best friends during their Hogwarts days, and there might have even been a time when she hoped for something more. But all those possibilities were dashed when she mysteriously went missing, leaving her best friend alone and confused.

Prompt:

8) I never forgot you.

“Race you to the castle?” Charlie Weasley challenged, looking over at his friend Y/N.

“Oh, you’re on, Weasley,” she replied, already getting a head start.

“Hey, no fair!” Charlie protested. He sprinted ahead, attempting to get in front of her. He easily passed her and jogged the rest of the way back to the castle.

Soon, she came up behind him, just as breathless as he was. They stood panting at the Hogwarts steps for a moment.

When he had regained his composure, he teased, “Even when you cheat, you still manage to lose to me.”

She gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Well, I’m not the star of the quidditch team.”

Charlie laughed. “You’re right. Not everyone can be as great as I am.”

Y/N delivered another punch, this one harder than the last.

“Hey!” Charlie shouted, though he didn’t hit her back. “Come on, we’re going to be late for dinner.”

The two friends headed into the Great Hall and quickly found seats at the Gryffindor table.

“Where have you two been?” asked Percy Weasley, Charlie’s younger brother, upon your arrival.

“We were just visiting Hagrid,” Charlie replied. “He wanted to show me a new dragon book he found, and Y/N invited herself with me.”

“I did not!” Y/N argued, crossing her arms over her chest. “You were the one who asked me if I wanted to come with you.”

Charlie chuckled. He knew how to push her buttons. Teasing any of his friends was always fun, but it was especially hilarious to tease Y/N. She never failed to get worked up, or at least pretend to get worked up.

After dinner, the students headed to their dorms. Y/N walked with two of her roommates, and the three chattered about graduation and plans for the future all the way up to the Gryffindor common room. It was the second-to-last week of their seventh year, and the end of their Hogwarts days was fast approaching. It made Y/N sad to think that she would be leaving all her friends, professors, and memories behind, but she was also excited for what was to come. She had scored an apprenticeship at the Ministry of Magic, and she was set to start immediately after graduation.

As she was about to walk up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory, she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Charlie waving her over from the sofa in the middle of the common room.

“I’ll be up in a bit,” she told her roommates. “I have to go see what that idiot wants.”

Y/N made her way over to the sofa, taking a seat next to Charlie. “What do you want, Weasley?” she asked with fake annoyance.

Charlie grinned. “What? I can’t talk to my friend?”

Y/N rolled her eyes.

“I can’t believe we’ll be leaving Hogwarts soon,” Charlie mused, staring into the fireplace. “Next week is our last week.”

“Yup. And after that, I’ll be heading off to the Ministry. And you’ll be going to Romania.”

He turned towards her. “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re growing up. I mean, you’ll be working at the Ministry, and I’ll be working at my dream job on the dragon reserve. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were boarding the train as first years.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, well, that was nearly seven years ago, Charles.”

Y/N looked at him. She would miss him. Sure, she would miss her roommates and all her other friends, but Charlie was different. He was playful and witty, but also kind and caring, and not to mention bloody attractive. She had to admit that she had developed a sort of crush on him during their fourth year, but she had suppressed those feelings because she knew he would never feel the same. He saw her as a friend and nothing more. But no matter how many times she told herself that, her feelings for him never completely went away.

“Hello? Earth to Y/N?” Charlie said, startling her from her trance. “You’ve been staring at me for an awfully long time. Makes me wonder if I really am that hot.”

“Oh, get over yourself, you git,” Y/N retorted, hoping that she wasn’t blushing like a tomato. “I was just lost in thought.”

“Uh huh, sure you were,” he said with a smirk.

Before she could say anything else, someone called for Charlie from the far side of the common room, the side by the portrait hole. She turned to see that a group of boys were beckoning Charlie over.

“We’re planning to sneak out,” he explained when he caught her confused look. “Well, I better go. They’re all waiting for me over there.”

With a wave goodbye, he was off the couch and making his way over to his friends — some of which were Y/N’s friends as well. She watched as the group disappeared through the portrait hole, a twang of sadness reaching her heart. At least at school, she could be around Charlie and spend time with him, even if they weren’t dating. Once they graduated, they would probably never see each other again, or at least not for a long time. She stood up from the couch and trudged up to bed, hoping that a good night’s sleep would ease the dread she felt about leaving Hogwarts and leaving Charlie.

The next morning, Charlie walked into the Great Hall with an extra spring in his step. It was Saturday, and he and his friends had planned on going to Hogsmeade. It would be their last Hogsmeade weekend of the school year, their last time going as Hogwarts students.

He sat down at the table in between Percy and one of Y/N’s roommates. “Hey, where’s Y/N?” he asked when he noticed she wasn’t at breakfast yet.

“Didn’t you hear?” the roommate responded. “She left early this morning. She must have wanted to start summer vacation early or something. She didn’t say where she was going.”

“Maybe her family is taking a trip,” another Gryffindor offered. “Once, in third year, I got special permission to end the term early because my parents had planned a trip to the Caribbean.”

“I’m not sure,” a third voice said skeptically. “She wouldn’t tell me what was going on when I saw her packing this morning. She just said that she was in a hurry and couldn’t talk.”

Charlie was flabbergasted. Why would Y/N leave so close to graduation? She never mentioned any trip with her family or any special event she had to attend. Had an unexpected emergency popped up? Did the professors know about her departure?

The rest of the day went on as usual. Professor McGonagall visited the Gryffindors after breakfast to discuss graduation protocol. A few students asked her about Y/N, but all she would say was that Y/N had a family matter to attend to. Even she did not know whether Y/N was to return for graduation or not.

After the meeting with Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindors made their way to Hogsmeade. Charlie chatted with friends, visited shops, drank butterbeer, and had an overall good time. But in the back of his mind, he still had questions about Y/N. Where had she gone? The professors seemed to know about her leaving, but they weren’t sure when she would be back. Was it a serious emergency? Was her family alright?

To ease his concerns, he decided to send her a letter once he got back to Hogwarts. He assumed she was with her family, so he sent an owl to her home address. He had never visited her home, but he knew her address from when they used to write each other over summers. In his letter, he asked what happened, if her family was okay, and when she would be back. But she never responded.

The last week of seventh year zoomed by quickly. Throughout the week, Charlie and the rest of Y/N’s friends waited for news. Most of them had written her, either asking about her situation or sending warm thoughts, but none of them ever received a reply. The professors did not seem to gain any new information either. It was either that or they were withholding information about Y/N’s whereabouts from the students.

On the day of graduation, exactly one week from Y/N’s disappearance, all the seventh years lined up on the lawn in order by house and last name. Y/N’s friends, acquaintances, and even those who only knew of her through the grapevine glanced around to see if she had showed up at the last minute. But she was nowhere to be found. The ceremony proceeded as usual, ending with the seventh years being rowed across the Great Lake in the same boats that had taken them to the castle in their first year. Afterwards, the students departed with their families, starting their futures as newly-graduated witches and wizards.

Charlie Weasley headed straight for Romania immediately after leaving Hogwarts. He was offered a job at the dragon sanctuary there, and he had never been more excited for anything in his life. He bade farewell to his family and didn’t look back as he left to pursue his dream.

In Romania, he lived in a quaint little house, one of many houses dotting the hills on the outskirts of the dragon reserve. He quickly became accustomed to life there, enjoying every minute of his busy work schedule. During his leisure time, he found himself sketching and taking walks outdoors. He never expected to be the artistic type — he truly wasn’t — but it was fun making bad attempts at drawing dragons and landscapes. But the most fun he had was working with the dragons. He loved every aspect of caring for them, training them, and spending time with them. He didn’t think he could ever be unhappy there.

But sometimes, his mind wandered back to his childhood and his Hogwarts days. He missed his parents, his brothers and sister, and his school mates. He found himself thinking of Y/N most of all. No one had heard from her since her disappearance, and her parents hadn’t contacted anyone Charlie knew either. He suspected that perhaps her family had moved to a new house, and that was why they weren’t receiving any letters. But why couldn’t she send a note informing her friends of her new address? The whole situation was bizarre.

Charlie realized that he had become lonelier during the time he was in Romania. He and the other members of his class occasionally wrote to each other, but letters were infrequent. Keeping in touch became more and more difficult as people grew up and moved on with their lives. His parents and siblings still wrote often, but wasn’t the same as having their presence with him. He had made friends with his coworkers at the sanctuary, and he of course had the dragons to keep him company, but it was Y/N he kept thinking of. Part of it was worry for her well-being, but another part of it was that he genuinely missed her.

But why? Why her? He hadn’t seen his other friends from Hogwarts since graduation either, but he didn’t yearn for their company the same way that he did hers. He supposed it was because he had gotten a chance to exchange proper goodbyes with his other friends. Y/N had left so suddenly that no one had the chance to say goodbye to her. That must be it. Why else would he be so hung over her?

About a year after moving to Romania, Charlie received a letter bearing good news. His older brother, Bill, just had a child with his wife, Fleur. Charlie immediately asked for leave and took a trip back home. It was his first time returning home since moving to pursue the career he had always wanted, and he was excited to see his family again and meet his new baby niece. The past year had been wonderful, but it had also been hard on him. What he needed the most was to see the faces of the people he loved.

Charlie spent a week at the Burrow and savored every second of his stay. He caught up with his parents, spent time with his siblings, and played with little Victoire, Bill and Fleur’s daughter. By the time the week was up, he was thoroughly relaxed and back to his joyful self. He was just packing up his trunk to leave when he noticed a knitted winter hat at the bottom of his drawer.

“Where’d you get that?” asked Ginny, his younger sister, as she came into the room. “I’ve never seen you wear it before.”

“That’s because it isn’t mine,” Charlie replied. He examined the hat closely and instantly knew where it came from. “It belonged to a friend of mine, Y/N. Remember her, the girl I told you about? She was the one who left school a week before graduation and never wrote back to anyone since.”

Ginny hummed. “Did she give that to you?”

Charlie nodded. “She let me borrow it one time in sixth year, and I guess I never gave it back. I must have worn it with me home for the holidays that year and let it sit in my drawer ever since.”

Ginny smiled. “You miss her?”

“Yeah, of course I do,” Charlie replied without hesitation. “She was one of my closest friends.”

His sister smirked. “And you’re sure she wasn’t more than just a friend? You sounded awfully sad talking about her and the hat.”

Charlie scoffed. “As if. I never saw her as anything other than a best mate.”

“You’re blushing, you know that?” Ginny teased.

“What’s this about blushing?” Fred, another brother, inquired as he sauntered into the room.

“Charlie’s got himself a crush,” Ginny informed Fred, making a point to emphasize the word ‘crush.’

“Ooh, has our older brother found himself someone to fancy?” Fred asked teasingly.

“Shut it, you gits,” Charlie replied before his siblings could say anything else. “I’ve never even thought about liking her that way. I just remembered her when I found her hat, that’s all.”

It wasn’t a lie. He had never considered Y/N to be anything more than a friend before. They were close in school, but he was close with lots of other people. She wasn’t in any way special. But now, he felt something he hadn’t felt back at Hogwarts. A new feeling, one that he wasn’t familiar with. It was close to that of having a crush, but he couldn’t be certain. Sure, he’d fancied other girls in the past, but he never had those feelings for Y/N. During their school years, he just wasn’t interested in her in a romantic way. Why would that change now?

When Charlie returned to Romania, he took the knitted hat with him. It comforted him to have a piece of her when nobody knew where she was. He spent the next few years of his life as a talented dragonologist. He devoted himself to his work, extremely happy to be in the profession of his dreams. He even attempted dating, going out with a coworker and a couple women he met in the nearby town. But his dates never went anywhere. No matter how interesting they were or how many things they had in common with him, he didn’t feel like starting serious relationships with any of them. Eventually, he stopped dating altogether.

A year after his trip to the Burrow and two years after his initial move to Romania, Charlie found himself sketching portraits in his living room. It was his day off from work, and it was far too cold to go outside. He had a cup of tea beside him and a fire in the hearth. He spent hours drawing from the comfort of the sofa, and by the end of the day, he had a hefty stack of sketches next to him. He leafed through the stack and discovered that a good number of the sketches were of a woman — one that looked strikingly similar to Y/N.

That was the moment when he realized that he didn’t just miss his friend. He had developed feelings for her, ones that weren’t just platonic. Maybe he had always felt that way, but he couldn’t see it. Maybe all along he had liked her, possibly even loved her, but was blinded by his own stupidity. He racked his brain for all his memories of her and remembered just how amazing she was. She was always so kind, so sweet to everyone. Yet she also had a biting sense of humor and could be brutally honest. He looked back on all their conversations and realized that perhaps he had been pining for her all throughout their friendship, but he had never admitted it to himself.

It was like he was finally receiving clarity. The reason why his dates never progressed into anything more was because he didn’t want anyone other than Y/N. His siblings had seen the way he looked when he thought about her, and now he was finally seeing it for himself. He was finally admitting to himself that he had fallen for Y/N. The only problem was that no one knew where she was.

For the next two years after his epiphany, Charlie tried to resume his normal life. He still cherished his work and adored the dragons. He still had friendly relations with his coworkers and even became close with some of them. He still kept in touch with his family and a few of his childhood friends. And he still couldn’t get over Y/N.

Everything about her occupied his mind. Her laugh, her compassionate heart, the way she listened to him like he was the only person in the world. But he would never be able to have her. She seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth, cutting off everyone he knew who knew her. Maybe there was a reason she didn’t reach out. Maybe after her family issue was resolved, she simply decided not to talk to any of her old friends anymore. Maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. And even if she did miraculously come back, there was no indication that she would be interested in pursuing a relationship with him. She had never mentioned liking him when they were in school, but then again, neither did he.

It had been four years since he started working at the sanctuary. Four years that seemed both incredibly short and torturously long. Charlie Weasley still had his zest for life and his passion for dragons, athletics, and the outdoors. In many ways, he was very happy. But he couldn’t escape the heartache of losing what he felt was the love of his life.

One night, it became too much, and he needed to drown his emotions. He went into town after work and purchased a bottle of firewhiskey. He had intended on getting drunk and using his day off the next day to recover. But when he arrived home, his better judgment decided that drinking away his problems would not be the best idea. Instead, he made himself a mug of tea and situated himself at the kitchen table, attempting to get his thoughts in order.

After a few hours of being alone with his thoughts, Charlie finally decided to retire for the night. Just as he was getting up from the table, there was a knock on the door. Puzzled, he approached the front door of his house. Who could be visiting him at this hour? It was nearly ten o’clock. Was there an emergency at the sanctuary? Was one of his coworkers coming to get him?

His mind reeling with possibilities, he opened ten door. When he saw who was there, his jaw dropped.

“Y/N?” he whispered, staring at the young woman before him. She didn’t look any different since the last time he saw her — same hair color, same expressive eyes, same soft yet defined features. She was unmistakable.

“H-hi, Charlie,” she stammered. She shifted uncomfortably, seeming to be looking everywhere except at him. When her eyes finally met his, she held her breath. She hadn’t seen him in four years, and she had no idea what to expect from him.

He was almost exactly the same as he was at Hogwarts. He still had unruly red hair and freckle constellations all over his face. Although, he was broader, more muscular, but she wasn’t complaining. After what felt like an eternity of staring at each other, he asked her to come inside.

Charlie made her a cup of tea and replenished his own. He set out some biscuits and fruit, apologizing for not having much else to offer. Y/N assured him that whatever he had was fine.

“Where were you?” Charlie blurted. It was the first question that came to mind.

“My sister got sick,” Y/N said quietly. “I received an owl in the middle of the night and left for home at first light. She...she’s no longer with us.”

Charlie nodded sympathetically, his heart lurching at her words. He remembered her talking about how close she and her sister were. He wanted to comfort her, but questions still flooded his head. “Why didn’t you tell any of us? And why haven’t you written anyone back?”

“I wanted to, I truly did,” Y/N said helplessly. “But I was hurting so much from losing her that I couldn’t even think, let alone write.”

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s alright,” he whispered.

“I had to postpone my Ministry job so that I could have time to grieve,” she continued. “But when I was ready to start working, they had already given the position to someone else. I was already distraught over losing my sister, so losing the job that was supposed to be the starting point of my Ministry career was a heavy blow.”

“I’m so sorry,” Charlie said, searching Y/N’s eyes.

“It’s okay,” she replied, offering a small smile. “Anyway, for the next year, I worked odd jobs all over Britain, trying to make enough to help out my parents in their difficult time. By then, I felt comfortable enough to interact with people but was too ashamed to write.”

“Ashamed?” Charlie asked incredulously. “Why? We’ve all been dying to hear from you! We were worried sick.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Y/N said. “But I had been avoiding the letters for so long as I mourned my sister that it felt rude of me to suddenly reply a year later. Plus, I didn’t want anyone to pity me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was only writing because I needed help either.”

“I understand,” said Charlie. “So what are you doing now?”

“Well, after that miserable first year, another internship opened up at the Ministry. I ended up working in the field I had wanted to get into after all. My internship ended after a year, and I applied for a permanent position in the Department of International Magical Cooperation right after. That’s where I’ve been ever since.”

“International Magical Cooperation? That’s your dream job!” Charlie exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you,” Y/N said shyly, suddenly bashful. “I see you landed your dream job as well.”

Charlie grinned. “Yeah, working here is better than I could ever have imagined. I never want to leave.”

Y/N looked down and noticed that both of her hands were now in Charlie’s. Her breath hitched. After all these years, her feelings for him never completely subsided. That was part of the reason why she had decided to visit him. She couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again, even if he only ever wanted to be friends.

“Something the matter?” he asked when he caught her glancing away from him.

“No, not at all,” she managed. “I’m just a little tired. It was a long journey getting here. Your parents accidentally gave me the wrong address, if you can believe it.”

He chuckled. “That sounds like them, all right.”

Something about her writing to his parents made him feel warm inside. They had met her before, usually at the train station when they picked him up or dropped him off for school. But the fact that she was comfortable enough to talk to them all these years later made him feel unusually happy.

“I’ll go prepare the spare bedroom for you,” he said, letting go of her hands and getting up from the table.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully.

When he walked away and disappeared into a hallway, she let out a breath. She was relieved to see that he didn’t have a wife or children, though she already knew that much from his parents’ letters. But there was still the possibility that he had a girlfriend. She realized that her hands were shaking as she though about it. She was in love with him but had no idea if he would reciprocate her feelings. When he returned from the bedroom, she decided to pluck up her courage and ask him.

Standing up and taking a shaky breath, she began, “Charlie?”

“Yes, love?” he answered all too quickly. He instantly realized what he had said and blushed furiously.

Y/N took his response and reaction as a sign that maybe he did feel something for her. Or maybe it was an honest mistake, and he was just embarrassed at having called her ‘love’ without meaning it. Either way, she proceeded.

“Do you...do you have a girlfriend?” she asked timidly, almost inaudible.

“No,” he softly replied, meeting her gaze.

“Why not?” she asked, not breaking eye contact. She felt as though she could stare into his warm, brown eyes for all of eternity.

“I couldn’t...I couldn’t move on with my life,” he admitted, “because I never forgot you.”

And just like that, Y/N had heard enough. She swiftly closed the distance between them and connected her lips with his. He was shocked at first, but his hesitation was brief. He kissed her back, matching her intense passion with fire of his own. The moment was electric, but it was over too soon, as the need for air caused them the break apart.

“I love you,” Y/N breathes, her hands still tangled in Charlie’s hair.

He grinned. “I love you, too.”

“Oh, and guess what?” she said, a smile forming on her lips. “My department has a branch in Romania, and they’re willing to let me transfer.”

Charlie returned the smile, his cheeky and mischievous. “Well, then, that calls for a celebration.”

Not a fraction of a second later, his lips were on hers again, and neither wanted to ever let go.

[thornsandroses1]

Hi everyone, we really need your help!

In Kettering, Northamptonshire (UK) there is a beautiful country park called Wicksteed park. It was set up historically by Charles Wicksteed, who aimed to create and preserve a green space for local people to spend their leisure time after WW1.

In recent years, the park has been badly managed, and they have been gradually selling parts of it off to build housing on, in the name of raising money for the park (despite receiving millions in lottery grants and other donations). They are now looking to build on even more of the land, further reducing the green space.

There is a large grassland area at the top of the park. It used to be a golf course for a while, and then it was converted back to wilder fields with meadow flowers etc growing. Since they did this, the wildlife in the area has dramatically increased. My family lives nearby, and they have seen a massive rise in the number and variety of birds visiting, (including birds of prey such as Red Kites), they also get many other creatures such as hedgehogs, grass snakes, foxes, toads, and insects visiting, when these had been on the decline before.

The park management has now admitted their intention to build on this land.

Suspicions were first raised when local residents witnessed officials first "soil sampling" and then conducting "archeology" on the land (their claims). However, when the park was contacted, they repeatedly insisted they had no plans to build there. Days later, a proposed building plan was discovered on the local council website, detailing plans for a significant housing estate. In response to that, the below petition was set up.

A couple of days later (after the park became aware of the petition and the anger from local residents) they suddenly announced that they are planning to build a gated community for people over 55 on the land. In the announcement, this was framed as a good thing, as it would allegedly make the park some income, so they claim they won't have to sell off any further land. However, whether or not the land is sold or technically retained by the park, the fact is, they still want to build over it. This will destroy the wildlife habitat and make further park land unavailable to local people.

In addition, the new plan announced has a number of differences to the one on the council website such as:

Access - will the new development be linked to the nearby pre existing housing estate? (Which already has poor infrastructure and traffic flow) or will it be accessed through the park itself (in which case, some kind of road would need to be installed, further destroying green space).

Number and type of housing - at this stage, this is unclear. The amount of land that will be taken is unknown. How viable any of it will be financially is unknown. If they were to build retirement type housing, the area currently has no access, no shops or amenities, and no public transport links nearby to get to Kettering town centre.

So far, the park management has attempted to tenuously justify their actions by stating it's what Charles Wicksteed would have wanted. This has been enough to get them some support, as (before the war and housing crisis) Wicksteed did originally intend to build a small amount of affordable housing for the workers of the park, and a small amount of historical bungalows were built at the other end of the park. However, since then, the park has torn down the old bungalows and replaced them with holiday lodges. In addition, the park of Wicksteeds time was surrounded by open countryside for miles. There was no significant housing nearby. This is now gone, and the park is one of the few green spaces Kettering has left.

This area of the park in particular is one of the few "wilder" areas, as the centre of the park is more landscaped and formal (so not as good for wildlife). It has a beautiful view overlooking the lake and is used by countless walkers and people picnicking. It is a really valuable space that it would be heartbreaking to lose.

Therefore, the petition now aims to:

a) get the park management to be honest about what exactly they are actually planning.

b) save the land and wildlife from being built over and destroyed.

Please help us, any support you can give will be so helpful in showing them that people do care and they can't get away with sneaking around and hiding their building plans. The link goes to the petition. Any shares/ reblogs will be really appreciated <3

[glass-rose-paperweight]

2020 Was A Dumpster Fire - We Didn’t Start The Fire Parody

I was originally going to turn this into a Youtube video, but it ended up being more work than I was really ready to tackle, and it was not ‘sparking joy’, so I decided to abandon the project. However, I had already written up the lyrics for the parody, so I decided I would just post them on here. Note: I ended up adding verses and lines to one of the verses so I could fit everything in that I wanted to say, and I still didn’t cover everything that happened in this fucking year. Hope you enjoy

Protests in Hong Kong, riots in India Persian Gulf Crisis, a general is dead Yemen and Libya Civil War, fires in Australia Taliban peace treaty, disease starting to spread

Boris Johnson is a clown, Britain’s on it’s own now World war three drawing closer, and Kobe died Volcanoes erupting, Impeachment trial, Tiger King And why did Mr. Peanut have to say goodbye?

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  Can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

The Senate acquits Trump, Quarantine, no testing And now we have to deal with the CoronaVirus England still has their queen, Meghan and Harry are leaving Global disasters rage as the temperature rises

States of emergency, Houston has a cheating team Stock market crash and New planet discovery Same-sex marriage in Ireland, social distance, travel banned People hoarding toilet paper, sports canceled temporarily

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

Weinstein is guilty, lockdown in Italy Summer Olympics postponed, US election year  Syria Civil War, fires in California People are starting to die, Pope Francis livestream

UFO videos, murder hornets, black holes Black Lives Matter, more fires, we’re still in June Flash floods, hurricanes, cyclones, so much rain What do you mean there’s a crack on the moon?

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

African locust swarm, Ebola’s back, Parasite won  Title IX rehaul, Austria shooting spree Gay marriage in Costa Rica, brain eating amoeba Don’t let Grimes and Elon name babies Earthquakes, no handshakes, Twitter scams with high stakes Immigration, Trump labeled "antifa" a terrorist organization

*dead silence while I ponder what the fuck this world has come to*

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

Death of RBG, School starting back virtually Longest living Pope, Protests in Thailand Chadwick Bozemen dead, we just can’t get ahead Kim Jong Un death rumors and his sister was stanned

Beirut explosion, Lake Michigan erosion Trump has Corona, Eddie Van Halen died Mars 2020 rover goes, Africa free of polio Prince Charles of Luxembourg, We might have a vaccine

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

Who will win, election night, Georgia flipping, what a sight Destiel became canon before our president Doesn’t matter anyway, speedrun bury your gays Then the actors almost died in an accident

Widest voter turnout in history, Trump calling early  Bolivian President attacked with dynamite Nevada get your shit together, Putin resignation rumor Ted Bundy artist, Alex Trebek died

Kill all the mink in Denmark, it’s Grittney bitch, stop the count Four Seasons Total Landscaping, Election over Georgia and Pennsylvania flipped blue, Trump is gonna sue *music stops* and all this happened in the FIRST GODDAMN WEEK OF NOVEMBER *moment of silence for my sanity*

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant, Joe Biden is our President Over 75 million sick, Over 1.5 million dead Most active hurricane season, US exited the Paris Agreement  Ratatouille on Broadway, and Darth Vader dead

Covid reached Antarctica, Casey Goodson, Unus Annus Y yo a ti, Cas; Zodiac killer cipher solved Sean Connery died, Aliens are real according to the Israeli guy Exploding RV in Nashville, we can’t take it anymore!

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  Let just hope we don’t have to go Through this in twenty twenty-one, ne-one (x like 9 or something) 

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

2020 was a dumpster fire It was doomed to burn When the year first turned 2020 was a dumpster fire  I can’t believe we made it Was 12 months I hated

The rhyme scheme of this song was a bitch to try and get right. Technically, it changes for the last verse, but I had already more or less written it, and I didn’t feel like messing with it, so I just said ‘fuck it’ and went with what the rhyme scheme for the rest of the song was. 

Not everything that happened this year was bad, but, man, it was a year. I’m American, so what happened was very America centric, but I tried to branch out and be international with what was going on. Even with the extra verse and extra lines, I still didn’t manage to get everything. One of the most recent developments that I just wasn’t able to include is that abortion is now legal in Argentina, whoo whoo.

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, December 28

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Farewell to 93 legends we loved and lost in 2020 

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Steve Martin holds a green pepper on the NYC set of Only Murders in the Building, Derek Hough is light on his feet at the MTV Movie & TV Awards 

Page 3: Julia Roberts looks scary skinny during a solo stroll in Hawaii, Chris Pratt hoists a hoverboard during an L.A. workout 

Page 4: Troubled twosome Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are hoping to put their year from hell behind them by renewing their vows over the holidays in a desperate big to keep their love alive -- Ellen wants to prove her long-suffering wife comes first ahead of Ellen’s daytime talk show and her many celebrity friends and is going all out to show it -- penny-pincher Ellen opened her wallet as wide as her heart telling Portia she could spend whatever she wants on clothes, food, drinks, music and invite whoever she wants at the New Year’s vow ceremony on a Santa Barbara beach

Page 5: Obsessive Blake Shelton is so stressed over his upcoming wedding to Gwen Stefani he’s turning into the Groomzilla from hell -- he is sparing no expense and shelling out millions to redo his Oklahoma ranch to impress the couple’s Tinseltown friends but the mountain of stuff still to be done is driving him around the bend even though no one’s putting pressure on him but he’s obsessed with the wedding details and driving his staff crazy with his constant orders and revisions -- he’s building a chapel on the ranch and a lighted boat for a romantic wedding cruise on the lake and picking the style of the canopy for the banquet floor and re-landscaping the grounds and adding a color-themed garden

* Kenya Moore of Real Housewives of Atlanta reveals she went on a date with Kanye West but bolted when she caught him watching inappropriate flicks -- she described the outing with Kanye as a disaster date and they ended up going to his house where he left her alone, wandering around and when she followed the noises he was watching something on TV that he probably shouldn’t have been and that was her exit 

Page 6: Matthew Perry was such a slave to his addiction his former galpal Kayti Edwards says he’d send her to score drugs while she was pregnant and Matthew insisted she was the perfect drug mule because he believed cops wouldn’t stop a gal in her condition Kayti claims in a shocking tell-all about her 2011 romance with Matthew -- she says his ravenous cravings for cocaine and heroin were so out of control that he once superglued his hands to his legs and he took up to 80 Vicodin pills daily -- Kayti claims she was trying to protect Matthew because she feared he’d end up wandering around the streets and being nabbed by cops or snapped by photogs but she was also getting paid big bucks like $3000 to $4000 a day 

Page 7: Duchess Camilla’s taste for an early morning tipple has rubbed off on husband Prince Charles who is now so hooked on the sauce he starts the day guzzling a powerful gin martini with breakfast and now Charles’ alarmed staffers and pals are talking about an intervention to remind him not to go down the path that put his second wife in rehab -- Charles’ booze consumption has been off the charts for years but drinking first thing in the morning with his breakfast is a new low -- Charles laughs off suggestions he has a booze issue but one look at his bloodshot face tells the story 

* Now that a COVID-19 vaccine’s been approved in Britain Queen Elizabeth says she’s going to get the shot but wait her turn instead of pulling royal rank but she and husband Prince Philip won’t wait long because at their ages they’re in the second group to get the vaccine which is health care workers and people over 80 

Page 8: Helena Bonham Carter has a world-shakin’ suggestion for gals frustrated by the COVID-19 lockdown: get a vibrator -- she says women shouldn’t worry about snaring a beau during the pandemic but that’s easy for her to say because she’s currently cuddling with toyboy writer Rye Dag Holmboe 

* George Clooney confesses wife Amal Clooney had him shaking in his boots when he popped the question and she didn’t answer -- he asked her out of the blue but instead of squealing yes immediately the brainy lawyer just stood there -- George says he was on his knee for like 20 minutes and finally said he was going to throw his hip out -- Amal finally agreed and the couple have three-year-old twins 

* The nip/tuck freak daughter of Olivia Newton-John is being blasted as a hypocrite for coming out against the new COVID-19 vaccines -- Chloe Lattanzi claims she doesn’t trust doctors or the vaccine but critics note she had no problem shelling out an estimated $550,000 to plastic surgeons for nose jobs, super-sized boobs and ballooned lips 

Page 9: Since his life-threatening health scare game show icon Pat Sajak’s been testy and snapping at contestants and crew members leaving insiders fearing he’s heading for a breakdown -- the once-cheery Wheel of Fortune host is a different man since recovering from emergency surgery for a blocked intestine and is having difficulty coping with the workload -- he just can’t keep up with the pace and he’s pushed to the very limit and can’t seem to function doing this job and it’s all spilling over and manifesting into these ugly outbursts which are shocking viewers -- he even glares at long-time help-mate Vanna White when he gets frustrated or forgetful and she is really too nice to complain about it but she’s definitely been taken aback by his behavior 

Page 10: Proof UFOs are real -- new photos taken by Navy jets reveal we are not alone 

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- WWE legend Ric Flair (picture), Real Housewives of Orange County’s Braunwyn Windham-Burke maintains she’s not attracted to men despite renewing her wedding vows with her husband of over two decades -- she says she is gay but she loves husband Sean Burke and they plan on staying married although they don’t sleep in the same bedroom and they are raising their kids together but he knows the girl she’s dating and he’s been given the thumbs-up to date too, Liam Payne believes he’s being haunted by spooks -- convinced spooky spirits were inhabiting his West London digs Liam moved but spooks popped up at the new pad and he thinks the new house is even more haunted than the old one, George Clooney handpicked an even better looking doppelganger to play his younger self in his new flick The Midnight Sky who is screen legend Gregory Peck’s grandson Ethan Peck -- George said it was tricky because people know what he looked like when he was 35 years old but he rejected the high-tech gizmos used to weirdly reverse Robert De Niro’s age in The Irishman but he did mix his voice with Ethan’s since his voice is pretty recognizable, Matthew McConaughey’s kids Levi and Vida used their phones to photograph him for his latest magazine covers because of quarantine they couldn’t do normal photoshoots so the kids became the photographers 

Page 13: Tom Arnold dines out in Rome (picture), Aubrey O’Day (picture), Brooke Burke in Mexico (picture), pregnant Meghan Trainor was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and she’s healthy and her baby boy is healthy but she has to really pay attention to everything she eats 

Page 14: Luke Evans denies hiding in the closet to advance his Hollywood career saying it was the last thing he had because everything else he’d given to the world and adding that he left home at 16 because he was gay and went into the world as a kid because he had to, Mindy Kaling managed to keep two pregnancies under cover and kept the kids’ middle names under wraps until now -- a fan wondered why Mindy who is of a Indian heritage gave her kids Caucasian names but their names are Katherine Swati and Spencer Avu 

* Fashion Verdict -- Blanca Suarez 3/10, Olivia Palermo 1/10, Nicky Hilton 9/10, Bella Heathcote 2/10, Catt Sadler 8/10 

Page 16: True Crime 

Page 17: Martha Stewart confesses her painful divorce in 1990 was a terrible thing and she hasn’t talked to ex-husband Andrew Stewart since but she bounced back from the pain and her infamous prison stint because she’s very strong and motivated to get on with life -- still Martha admits being dumped by her husband for another woman after 29 years of marriage nearly did her in -- Martha also reveals serving five months in West Virginia in 2004 on a federal insider stock trading rap was a struggle but she got through it by working on her arts and crafts 

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Don Lemon 

* Dolly Parton pulled no punches when discussing her longtime romance with Carl Dean dishing she and her husband have been together for 57 years and married for 54 and she’s sick of him and she’s sure he’s sick of her -- the couple have rarely been seen in public together and she says their marriage succeeds because she stays gone and they’re not in each other’s faces all the time 

* Miley Cyrus says she’s mastered the art of staying safe during lockdown love and it’s by having online sex -- she said the safest sex in these COVID-crazy times is the virtual kind and that’s where Miley has been hooking up

Page 21: Cover Story -- Thanks for the Memories -- tribute to the stars we loved and lost in 2020 

Page 22: Alex Trebek 

Page 23: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna, Kelly Preston 

Page 24: Kirk Douglas, Sean Connery 

Page 25: Olivia de Havilland, Chadwick Boseman 

Page 26: Robert Conrad, Naya Rivera 

Page 27: Regis Philbin 

Page 28: Kenny Rogers, Roy Horn 

Page 29: Eddie Van Halen, Little Richard 

Page 36: Health Report -- eating bread can toast your brain 

Page 38: Ghostbusters icon Dan Aykroyd has turned into a ghoulish recluse who rarely leaves his $25 million Martha’s Vineyard estate where he’s now eerily planning his own funeral -- the bizarre 68-year-old appears perfectly healthy yet he spooks around in his bed clothes muttering about who he wants to officiate at his memorial service and the goodies the chef should serve at the wake -- the curious thing is he appears to be in no danger of dropping dead anytime soon and he’s sturdy as a horse which is surprising given the cigars and the vodka and the big meals he enjoys -- Dan’s wife of 37 years Donna Dixon has gotten used to her husband’s ghoulish monologues

* Bob Dylan sold his extensive back catalog of more than 600 songs including Blowin’ in the Wind and Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door to Universal Music in a blockbuster deal topping $300 million 

Page 40: Patrick Stewart confesses he’s been furious all his life and he’s still seeing a shrink to control his rage -- he reveals he’s burned with rage inside since childhood when he witnessed his dad’s violence against his mom and he had to suppress all that anger -- at age 14 he feared he’d explode and kill his headmaster when he caned him and later he worried he’d hurt his two children with first wife Sheila Falconer in a fit of fury and now at age 80 it’s still there so he sees a therapist every week 

Page 44: Straight Talk -- The Weeknd has his nose out of joint because he wasn’t nominated for any Grammys this year and he claims he’s being snubbed because he’ll be starring on the February 7 Super Bowl halftime show a week after the Grammys 

Page 45: Jeffrey Epstein’s accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell is a paranoid mess losing her hair and wasting away in federal prison where she’s terrified shadowy forces have marked her for death -- the shrinking British socialite who denies recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s twisted lust is charged with sex trafficking minors as she rots in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial next year 

Page 47: Bizarre But True 

[rabbitcruiser]

Horseshoe Falls (No. 6)

Falls Firsts Timeline    

1678 Franciscan monk and explorer Louis Hennepin becomes the first European explorer to encounter the falls. Impressed, Hennepin estimates the falls to be an incredible 600 feet high—though in reality they rise 170 feet.

1846 Now one of the most famous tourist attractions in Niagara Falls, the Maid of the Mist makes its maiden voyage as a ferry, charging a fee to transport people, cargo, and mail across the river. When the completion of a bridge starts to erode business in 1846, the Maid of the Mist becomes a sightseeing boat, taking visitors close to the Horseshoe Falls.

March 1848 For the first time in recorded history, the falls go dry due to strong westerly winds keeping water in Lake Erie, in addition to an ice jam that dams the river’s water near Buffalo, New York. Townspeople happily explore the riverbed and the edge of the falls, finding, among other things, relics from the War of 1812.

July 1848 Under the direction of engineer Charles Ellet, the first service bridge across the Niagara gorge is completed. Seven years later, John Roebling completes another suspension bridge, with two levels for carriage and railway traffic. It is the first suspension bridge suspended by wire cables to carry the weight of a train.

May 1857 Widely considered to be the first painting to adequately capture the beauty and power of Niagara Falls, Frederick Church displays his landscape masterpiece, The Great Fall, Niagara for the first time in New York City.

Summer 1859 Jean Francois Gravelet, known as the “The Great Blondin,” begins a famous series of tightrope walks across the Niagara gorge, over the rapids about a mile downriver from the falls. The act draws crowds as large as 25,000 people. Blondin even manages to carry his manager over the rope on his back.

July 15, 1885 The Niagara Reservation State Park opens, attracting 750,000 visitors. It is the first state park established in the United States.

July 11, 1920 Charles Stephens, the first man—but second person —to go over the falls takes the plunge in a 600-pound oak barrel. The force of the water rips the barrel apart and Stephens is killed. His right arm is the only part of him to be recovered.

July 9, 1960 A seven-year-old boy named Roger Woodward is swept over the falls after a boating accident. He survives with only minor injuries and is rescued by the Maid of the Mist. He is the first person known to go over the falls without any sort of protection—and survive.

Source

[eduardomarin90]

Baz Luhrmanns ELVIS (Official Trailer) from Bespoke Post on Vimeo.

From Oscar-nominated visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks.

The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

Starring alongside Hanks and Butler, award-winning theatre actress Helen Thomson (“Top of the Lake: China Girl,” “Rake”) plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh (“Moulin Rouge!” “Breath,” “Hacksaw Ridge”) portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon, and DeJonge (“The Visit,” “Stray Dolls”) plays Priscilla. Luke Bracey (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “Point Break”) plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett (“Hail, Caesar!”) plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham (“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, “Lion,” “300”) plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “The High Note”) plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel (“Adore,” “Love & Friendship,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”) plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.

Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery (“Stranger Things,” “The Broken Heart Gallery”) plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford (“Gallipoli,” “The Pacific”) as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany (“The Great Gatsby,” “Hunters”) as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies (“Peter Rabbit,” “Hunters”) as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “Camp”) as Billy Smith, Josh McConville (“Fantasy Island”) as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn (“Home and Away”) as Bill Black. To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.

Oscar nominee Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar winner Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan,” “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), production designer Karen Murphy (“A Star Is Born”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby,” “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”), Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Thomas Wood (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), music supervisor Anton Monsted (“Australia,” “Moulin Rouge!”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).

Principal photography on “Elvis” took place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program. A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Bazmark Production, A Jackal Group Production, A Baz Luhrmann Film, “Elvis” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is set to release in theaters in North America on June 24, 2022, and internationally beginning 22 June 2022.

[lala-kate]

The Hungover Games:  Ch. 19

So this chapter has been sitting half-finished for a couple of months now. My brain and body have finally rested enough to allow me to enjoy writing again. As always, thank you for your patience!  And I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed finishing it! :D

Read on ff.net or AO3. 

“Holy shit!”

 “For God’s sake, Ruby,” Mary whispers. “If you say that one more time…”

 “You’ll what?” Ruby cuts in. “Send me to my room?”  

 Mary eyes June Gillingham’s back, trying to gauge whether or not their host can hear her assistant’s comments, knowing that Tony’s quiet younger sister is unlikely to say anything, even if she can.

 “In a place like this, I have no issues with that,” Ruby continues. “Especially if our esteemed host stops by to check on me.”

 Ruby wiggles her eyebrows as they continue towards their assigned bedrooms.

 “Willington Manor is beautiful, but you’ve seen impressive estates before, Ruby,” Mary murmurs, nudging Charles in the ribs as he snickers under his breath.

 “Yes,” Ruby returns. “But this one’s attached to Mr. Tall, Dark, Dreamy and Single.” The brunette looks over her shoulder, trying to catch another glance at Tony Gillingham before they turn a corner. “And God, how that man fills out his trousers.”

 Ruby licks her lips suggestively.

 “Told you she’d like him,” Charles says, somehow managing to disguise his remark in a cough.

 “Don’t act so smug,” Mary shoots back, rolling her eyes at the next holy shit  Ruby whispers as they ascend the staircase. She pauses, biting down a grimace as her knee chooses this particular moment to protest all of the recent activity she’s required of it.

 “Do you know what it would cost to construct railing like this?” Ruby whispers,oblivious to Mary’s discomfort.

 “More than either of us are likely to see in a lifetime,” Mary replies. “One reason I love designing with other people’s money.”

 “Here, here,” Ruby agrees before stopping in her tracks to ogle a large landscape framed on the wall.

 “Don’t say it,” Mary instructs preemptively. Ruby shoots her a friendly glare and mouths holy shit instead. “You’re sadly predictable, you know.”

 “I prefer to think of myself as consistently exciting,” Ruby replies.

 “Hmmm,” Mary murmurs. “ I wonder how Mr. Tall, Dark and Dreamy would describe you?”

 “The way he was checking out my cleavage, I’d love to know, too,” Ruby replies, tossing Charles a wink. Ruby’s dress did little to discourage such perusal, dipping down in the front  to a level somewhere between daring and risquee.

Mary rolls her eyes again before wincing.

 “You all right?”

 Charles gazes from her knee to her face, and she nods, determined not to let him know just how much she’d love to prop her leg up for a mere ten minutes.

 “I’m fine,” she insists, annoyed by the sluggish pace she’s been forced to adopt.

 “I still think you should have let me carry you up the stairs,” Charles muses. “Your knee is still healing, and we couldn’t ask for a more romantic vista than this for such a cavalier move.”

 “In your dreams, Casanova,” Mary quips. “Now shut up and walk.”

 “As you wish,” Charles hums, earning himself an exasperated sigh.

 June remains predictably quiet as she leads them to Ruby’s room first, finally smiling as the leggy female surveys her quarters with obvious appreciation.

 “This place is fantastic,” Ruby states, making her way to the window beside her bed and peering through the glass. Tony’s outside now, Mary notices, in full view of Ruby’s not-so-subtle perusal. “And the view is second to none.”

 “I’m glad you like it,” June replies, blinking rapidly as she seems prone to doing. “I personally prefer the garden view, but there is a lovely copse to be seen from this vantage.”

 “I have a soft spot for copses,” Ruby hums.

 “Is that what she’s calling it these days?” Charles murmurs into Mary’s ear, prompting her to elbow him lightly in the ribs.

 “We’ll leave you to get settled, then,” June states, tucking a tight black curl behind one ear and eyeing them as if fully aware that she’s missing something in conversation. “If the two of you would just follow me.”

 Charles’s arm slides around Mary’s back, settling dangerously close to her derriere, and she reaches up to rub her right temple, trying her best to ward off the beginnings of a headache. Her knee hasn’t seen this much activity since she was injured, and she hadn’t suspected that moving around so much could make her feel both worn out and somewhat lightheaded.

 “I’ve got you,” Charles whispers. “Lean on me as much as you need.”

 “I’m half-tempted to go with that sweep me off my feet move,” she confesses.

 “I’ve had lots of practice, if you remember,” he says. “I won’t drop you. I think you know that by now.”

 She does know it, in more ways than one, and something squeezes tight inside her chest, still unsure of what to do with this man she relies upon more than she’s ever relied upon anyone. It’s still somewhat terrifying, if she’s being honest with herself, even though it’s also the most reassuring sensation she’s felt in her adult life.

 “I know,” she breathes. “But as I’m getting paid for this weekend, I believe I should at least attempt to make it to our room on my own two feet.”

 June guides them down a lengthy hallway and turns a left corner, directing them to a door to their immediate right. Mary sighs in relief as they step inside, her knee practically screaming at her by this point, her head now joining in the melee.

 “Still no garden view, I’m sorry to say,” June states, tossing them a nervous smile. “If we’d not already promised that room to our other guests…”

 “It’s perfectly alright. I actually prefer a lake view,” Mary interjects. God, she’d take a circus view at the moment if she could just lie down for a few minutes.

 “I’m afraid that our gardner is getting on in years,” June explains, gesturing out the window. “I know the lake area needs some tending before we open our doors to the public. It has a rather wild look at the moment.”

 “Looks very natural, in my opinion,” Charles says.

 “Tony says the same thing,” June replies. “But I fear that potential paying guests who might enjoy a walk by the lake would prefer an easily accessible path unencumbered by nature.”

 “I freely admit that landscaping is not my specialty,” Mary says as Charles’s grip on her tightens. “But I do have two landscapers I can recommend with confidence who specialize in complementing nature rather than reworking it entirely. Their work is exceptional, and their prices are fair. I can contact them and get you some estimates and ideas if you like.”

 “Thank you,” June sighs in relief. “That would be very helpful. There’s so much to think about in this transition process.”

 Her knee is throbbing now, and Mary isn’t sure if she’d rather vomit or collapse onto the large, ornate bed.

 “That there is,” she replies instead, swallowing down a tinge of bile. “But you have a lovely estate here, June, one with excellent potential. I want to do everything I can to make this a successful venture for you and your brother.”

 “I’m so glad,” June replies, tucking another curl behind her ear. “It means a great deal to Tony and me, being able to keep the estate in the family.”

 “I’m all for keeping estates with the families who’ve tended to them for generations,” Mary says, fighting down a second wave of nausea. Shit. This is not good.

 “I must say, Mary, that I was both surprised and relieved that you agreed to work with us,” June continues, seemingly oblivious to the other woman’s discomfort. “After what happened between you and Tony, I mean.”

 Charles’s eyebrow shoots up in her direction, but she can’t worry about that now, not when her legs are melting out from under her.

 “Are you alright, Mary?”  

 “I’m fine,” Mary insists as Charles’s grip around her middle strengthens, his face now creased in concern.

 “If you don’t mind, I think Mary should lie down for a bit,” Charles interjects. “Her knee is still out of sorts, and I fear the trip here along with all of the walking have worn her out.”

 Mary attempts to look apologetic.

 “Of course,” June states, blinking as she moves quickly to the door. “Take all the time you need. Dinner will not be served until seven, so you have a few hours to recuperate.”

 “Thank you,” Charles returns. She’s wilting, and he knows it. “We’ll see you then.”

 June smiles as she exits, shutting the door behind her.

 “Sit,” Charles commands, backing her up to the mattress and guiding her down. “Christ, Mary, you’re as pale as a ghost.”

 “I’m alright,” she insists, reaching up to rub her aching head.

 “Liar,” he retorts. “You’ve been wincing your way down the hall and rubbing your temples repeatedly. You’re hurting, and you need to rest.”

 “I may need to vomit, actually,” she admits. He curses under his breath and grabs the first dustbin he can find, placing it at her feet. He begins to rub her back as she breathes in and out, feeling the acuteness of the nausea begin to fade little by little.

 “Better?” he asks.

 “Somewhat,” she replies.

 “You still look like shit,” he states, earning himself a quirked eyebrow. “Now tell me, do you want a pillow for your knee?”

 “That would be divine,” she hums, closing her eyes as he props her knee gently on the softest pillow he can find.

 “I’ll fetch some paracetamol from your bag,” he continues, making his way to the bathroom to pour her a glass of water. “If you think you can keep it down.” She nods, so he fetches the medicine. “I might just lie down with you.”

 “How late did you stay up writing last night?” she asks, propping herself up just enough to swallow the painkillers without spilling water all over herself.

 “Until after two,” he replies. Her brows crease in consternation.

 “Then it’s your own fault that you’re tired,” she states, sinking back into her pillow with a sigh.

 “And what’s your excuse?” he asks. “You went to bed with the chickens.” His eyes study her intently, and she closes her eyes again, trying to fight back the mild nausea that punctuates his question. “You’ve been tired a lot this week. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

 “You’re far too observant sometimes,” she murmurs.

 “One of my many faults,” he states.

 She’s noticed the changes in her body, as well. Christ, she couldn’t miss them, an almost bone-crushing fatigue that would hit her out of nowhere, occasionally accompanied by mild headaches or bouts of nausea.

 “Are you late?”

 His question is gentle, as is his touch on her leg.

 “Yes, but barely,” she answers. “Not enough to worry over. Not yet, anyway.”

 He smiles as he gathers her hand in his own.

 “I’m not worried, Mary” he murmurs, placing a kiss on her palm. “I promise. Just curious.” She wishes she could be as calm as he, and tears begin to pool.The mere possibility of having a baby right now scares the shit out of her. “But you are?” he questions, gently stroking her cheek.

 “I’m terrified,” she confesses as a tear breaks free. He catches it before lying down beside her and gathering her into his arms. “And exhausted.”

 “Shhh,” he breathes, kissing her hair as he strokes her back. “Just rest. Everything will sort itself out when you wake up.” Somehow, his logic makes sense to her, at least for the moment. Fatigue takes over as he continues tracing soft patterns on her spine, lulling her eyes shut, and she’s under before she realizes what’s happened, her body lax, her mind blissfully blank.

 She awakens slowly, startled to see that she’s slept for over two hours. Charles is nowhere to be seen, and she wonders where he’s off to as she props herself up and gazes blearily around their room.

 Who in God’s name decided that wallpapering this room was a good idea? She shakes her head, gratified to discover that both her headache and nausea have receded as she sits up and moves to the edge of her bed. Her knee feels decidedly better, and she bends and straightens it slowly, warming up muscles that aren’t used to being worked so hard.

 Then everything hits her again, and she swallows bile. Shit.

 She breathes in and out until the waves begin to settle, and she takes a sip of water, closing her eyes as it soothes the slight burn in her throat.

 Maybe she’s not pregnant. Maybe all of these symptoms stem from the stress of worrying about the mere possibility of it. After all, she’s never really been the maternal type, has she? It was probably for the best that she lost Matthew’s baby when she did, as much as she grieved the loss in silence. He would have married Lavinia anyway, and then things would have been as complicated as hell. How in God’s name would she have managed as a single parent? Would Charles even be in her life if she’d come as a package deal with another man’s child in tow?

 Can she even see herself as a mother at all?

 She shivers, not entirely certain of the answer as old pain and regret slide their way up her legs, enveloping her skin like a pair of worn silk stockings.

 “Oh, God,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “What have we done, Charles?”

 Her hand settles on her stomach, and she tries to visualize she and Charles with a baby. It’s so easy to see him as a father--Christ, he’s a natural, and when she thinks about his mother, his entire family, actually, it all just fits. He was both born and raised to be a nurturer. The manner in which he’d jumped in to take care of her after she’d sprained her knee when they’d only just met is evidence enough of that. Yes, he needs to be a father, needs a horde of children tugging at his trouser legs and snuggling into his chest as he sings them to sleep just as he has her on more than one occasion.

 But her? Would she be a good mum?

 Yes, she loves her mother, they get along well, thankfully. But Cora has never been what anyone would call a traditional mum. Lord, she’s as far from that distinction as Madonna ever was. And then there’s her practically non-existent father, one who allows his young wife to keep their son away from his sisters out of nothing more than petty spite.

 God, what a family lineage. What could she, a workaholic ice queen have to offer a child other than a some decent physical genes and a good sense of style? And would having a baby this soon in their relationship strengthen it or damage it beyond repair? After all, she and Charles have been together only a short amount of time. How thoughtless it was of her to neglect making certain that a child couldn’t be conceived until they were certain of where they stand and where they’re going.  

 Stress twists her stomach and pokes at her temples once again.

 “No better?”

 His voice both soothes and unnerves her.

 “I was much better just seconds ago,” she corrects, dropping the hand she realizes too late is still cupping her abdomen. “Until…”

 “Until?” he questions, coming to sit beside her on the bed. He smells good--like fresh air and new leather, scents that don’t bother either her head or her stomach, thank God.

 “Until I started thinking about what a shit mum I’ll probably be.”

 He chuckles as he takes her hand within his, stroking her skin with his thumb.

 “If you are pregnant, I’d say that’s the hormones talking.”

 “And if I’m not?”

 He looks right at her then before leaning over to kiss her cheek.

 “Then it’s just your overwhelming sense of optimism showing itself again.” She elbows him without force, unable to keep from grinning.  “Trust me, love,” he continues. “Any children we have will be the luckiest kids in the world to have you as a mum.”

 “Now who’s lying?” she quips.

 “There’s that optimism again,” he grins. “And I’m not lying--not by a longshot. If you remember, when we first met, I promised that I wouldn’t lie to you, and I meant it.”

 She looks at him and sighs.

 “And you honestly don’t regret it?”

 “What?” he questions. “Being honest with you?”

 “No,” she replies. “Being with me.”

 He stares at her as if she’s just spoken Swahili.

 “Mary,” he begins, turning on the bed until he’s facing her fully. “I’ve done many things that I do regret in this life, as you well know. But I can assure you that making you a part of my life is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

 Tears come out of nowhere, and she wipes her cheek, trying to best to stifle their journey.

 “I don’t think anyone’s ever called me their best decision,” she says, swallowing down a sob.

 “All the better for me,” he returns, reaching out to cup her cheek with his palm. “Less competition, more time for this.”  He kisses her then, a soft touch that borders on a whisper, and she closes her eyes, soaking it in, letting it fill her in ways only he can. “Are you up for going down for dinner? If not, I can always ask for a tray to be sent up.”

 “I’m fine,” she insists, standing up slowly so as to not rock the proverbial boat. “Truly.”

 He looks unconvinced but wisely says nothing as she wipes her face.

 “Perhaps the food will do you good,” Charles muses as she stifles a sniff. “Pregnant or not.”

 She pauses, gazing directly at him.

 “Do you have a preference? As to whether or not I’m pregnant?”

 The question hangs between them as he stands to take her hand.

 “I prefer having you in my life,” he answers, his tone so genuine it melts something inside her. “Whether or not we’re expecting a baby won’t change that, Mary. I’m not with you because you could be pregnant, nor will I be in the least bit upset if you’re not and I get to keep you to myself for a longer period of time. I’m with you because I want to be, because I love you.”

 Shit. She’s going to cry again.

 He holds her through it, stroking her hair, kissing her temple, murmuring reassurances into her pores that wash over her like a warm shower. In the end, they’re lying down again, wrapped up in each other, limbs tangled, bodies connected in a manner she’s loathe to break.

 “If we’re going to make dinner, we’d best get up,” he finally states.

 “Then let’s do it,” she states, hoping to God her eyes aren’t as red as a poppy.

 Getting ready is a rushed affair, and she’s convinced her face still looks splotchy, regardless of his assurances otherwise. But she won’t be late, not when she’s here in a professional capacity, so she lets him help her down the stairs, noting that creating accessible rooms for guests will top the list of recommendations she gives to Tony and June. They turn the corner towards the foyer where they’ve all agreed to assemble, and she breathes in deeply in an attempt to settle her mind and stomach before facing their dinner companions.

 “Oh my God.”

 A familiar voice catches her attention, and Mary turns to see one very startled female staring at her and Charles open-mouthed.

 “Lu?” Charles mutters, gaping back at his sister. “What the hell are you doing here?”

 Mary blinks repeatedly, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Charles’s sister is standing just in front of her.

 “We were invited,” Lucy answers, taking a step towards them as the man Mary assumes is Lucy’s husband takes in the entire situation with curiosity. “Rob and Tony are old friends from their uni days. How do you know Tony and June?”

 “Through Mary,” Charles answers, leaning in to give Lu a kiss on the cheek. “The Gillinghams have asked her to help them convert their estate over into a bed and breakfast. I just tagged along for entertainment value.”

 “If you’re the entertainment, I want my money back,” Rob quips as he reaches out to shake Charles’s hand.

 “Rob, let me introduce you to my girlfriend Mary,” Charles says, tossing the other man a playful glare. “Mary, this is my oaf of a brother-in-law, Rob Maguire.”

 Mary shakes his hand, watching the man’s blue eyes crease into a smile. The streaks of silver in his fair hair and trim beard only make him more attractive, and she wonders not for the first time at how gray hair seems to compliment men and aggravate women.

 “Mary,” Rob returns. “So nice to finally meet you. You’re rather famous among the Blake family, I must tell you.”

 The Irish lilt in his voice compliments his easy smile, but he’s watching her a bit too intently, as if he’s trying to figure her out. If he’s a friend of Tony’s, he might well know about their past, and this isn’t something she wants to deal with, not when she feels like shit. But she inhales sharply and forces herself to smile, hoping to God she looks better than she feels.

 “That’s somewhat frightening,” Mary quips as Lucy shrugs. “And it’s lovely to meet you, too, Rob.”

 “Sharon is going to be livid that Rob got to meet you before she has,” Lucy smiles. “She’s already more than a little miffed that Charles hasn’t driven you up to her place to meet the family and the newest baby.”

 “Travelling hasn’t been easy with Mary’s knee,” Charles points out. “This is our first trek out of London since she was injured.”

 “I’m glad to see that you’re doing better,” Rob remarks. “And I promise not to lord the fact that I met you first over Sharon too terribly much.”

 “You won’t have to,” Lucy says. “The mere mention of it will send her into a frenzy.”

 “Then may I suggest that you refrain from texting her about it until after she puts the children to bed,” Charles states. “At least give her a little peace before you upset her apple cart.”

 “With three boys, do you honestly  think her apple cart is still standing?” Lucy quips, tossing Charles a half-smile so much like his that it catches Mary off-guard. Her mind drifts for a moment to new babies, to the possibility of her own baby--would he look like Charles and Lucy,  or would she resemble Mary? Could she possibly inherit Cora’s blue eyes, or would his eyes be nearly black like the two Blake siblings standing in front of her now.

 “So Tony hired you?” Rob asks. The words startle her, pulling her out of her musings and back into the present. She shakes her head and smiles at the man.

 “Yes,,” Mary replies, getting the word out just before Lucy pulls her into hug. The sudden motion doesn’t set off any nausea, but Lucy pulls back quickly when she feels Mary wince.

 “Your knee,” Lucy says. “I’m so sorry, Mary. It’s still bothering you, then?”

 “She’s making remarkable progress, but she’s still having some pain,” Charles states, prompting his sister to look back at Mary in concern.

 “Then I’ll tell Tony that we need to find you a chair,” Rob says, heading towards their host before Mary has the chance to stop him.

 “I’m fine, really,” Mary protests.

 “She’s not,” Charles counters, tossing her a brow to meet her scowl. “Although she’s likely to skin you alive if you mention this fact to our hosts.”

 Lucy presses her lips together and nods.

 “I understand,” Lucy says. “And I’ll say nothing more to Tony. But you have to keep in mind that Rob and I are both doctors, so you should expect some hovering this weekend.”

 “Trust me,” Mary returns. “Your brother hovers enough for ten people.”

 Charles’s shrug is unconvincing.

 “Mum would be proud,” Lucy observes, tossing her brother a grin. “Oh God, wait until I tell her that you and Mary are here at the same time that we are!”

 “Don’t you dare,” Charles insists. “At least not until this weekend is over. We don’t want to wake up tomorrow to find her camped out on the Gillingham’s doorstep.”

 “Fair point. Knowing mum, she might do just that,” Lucy replies as Tony and Rob walk in their direction. Mary’s stomach sinks to her knees at the look of utter concern on her former lover’s face.

 “Mary,” Tony begins. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re unwell?  We could have rescheduled for a more suitable weekend.”

 “Because I’m not unwell,” Mary insists. “It’s just that I sprained my knee several weeks ago, and it’s not yet fully recovered.”

 “Then we’ll go through to the dining room at once,” Tony insists, turning to give a nod to his sister. “Perhaps some food and wine will be helpful.”

 “Thank you,” Mary returns, feeling a bit like a sack of flour as Rob moves to her right side and he and Charles practically carry her into the dining room. “I can walk, you know.”

 “Why walk when you have your own personal chariot?” Charles asks.

 “So you all know each other?” Tony asks, tossing Mary a quizzical gaze over his shoulder. “What a coincidence.”

 “Charles is my brother-in-law,” Rob explains as he pauses to help Mary into her seat. “I’ve only just met Mary, although I’ve heard nothing but raves about her from Lu and her mum.”

 “Have you been together long?” Tony asks. His brown eyes bore into Mary’s, revealing old insecurities she’d rather not see.

 “A few months,” Charles replies, clasping her shoulders in a gentle yet possessive manner. “Best months of my life by far.”

 The two men stare at each other for charged second before Tony steps back and smiles.

 “Mary’s extraordinary,” he states. “You’re a lucky man, Charles.”

 “Don’t I know it,” Charles agrees. He doesn’t sit down until Tony moves to his seat, and Mary releases a breath she didn’t realize she’s been holding.

 “Merely a fuck buddy, you said?” he whispers, smiling and nodding as everyone else claims their seats.

 “For my part,” she replies. “He actually proposed a few times.”

 A coughing fit catches him out of nowhere. He grabs his water glass and manages a sip as Lucy casts him a quizzical glance from across the table.

 “No wonder he was looking at me like he’d like to challenge me to a duel,” Charles finally manages. He blinks repeatedly and clears his throat as Mary pats him on the back.

 “Don’t be ridiculous. It was a long time ago.”

 She takes a drink of water herself, wishing for something stronger, knowing she needs to avoid alcohol until she knows one way or another if she’s pregnant or not. God, what ridiculous timing.

 “Tell that to him,” Charles whispers. Mary casts a glance at their host and catches him blatantly gazing at her. At least he has the good manners to look embarrassed when their eyes meet before redirecting his attention towards an all too eager Ruby.

 “I did,” Mary breathes. “I turned him down flat each and every time and threatened him with a restraining order if he didn’t stop asking.” She closes her eyes as bowls of carrot soup are set before them, thankful that the aroma is soothing and bright rather than hearty. The scent of ginger tickles her nose, helping her stomach to settle as she indulges in another sip of water.

 “Just how many times did he propose to you?”

 Her brow creases as Lucy catches her eye from across the table.

 “Five or six,” Mary replies, hearing Charles spoon clatter back on to the table. What a weekend it was turning out to be.

 She makes it through the first two courses without incident, her confidence growing as her stomach relishes its new contents. The food is exquisite, and she notices that June finally seems to be relaxing as she watches everyone enjoying their meals.

 “I’m glad to see you eating,” Charles muses. “I was half-afraid I was going to have to force feed you.”

 “That’s a rather dangerous proposition,” she mutters. “Especially when I have utensils in my hand.”

 “Should I cross my legs if it comes to that, then?” he questions. “To protect the crown jewels?”

 “I think it’s a bit late to be discussing protection now,” she muses. He chuckles as she takes another bite, savoring the cool bite of greens in her mouth. “Don’t you?”

 “At least for the time being,” he agrees, taking a sip of his wine, catching his sister’s eye from across the table. Lucy was watching them a bit too closely, Mary thinks, making her wonder if the woman is aware of her past with Tony. That’s all she needs--Charles’s family becoming privy to the sordid details of her past dating life before she’s ready to share them.

 “Do I have something in my teeth?” she asks, feeling more than a little self-conscious.

 “No,” Charles answers. “Why?”

 “Because Lucy keeps looking at me.”

 Charles tosses a pointed glare towards his sister, obviously encouraging her to mind her own business before leaning directly into Mary’s ear.

 “I love Lu, but she can be nosy as hell,” he says. “Just like mum.” She hears his sharp intake of breath just as she refuses the next offered glass of wine.

 “What?”

 “The wine,” he whispers. “God, I’ll bet she’s noticed that you’re not drinking any wine.”

 Mary’s brain catches up quickly, prompting her to look at him directly.

 “Do you think she suspects anything?”

 “She’s a doctor,” Charles replies. “And a damn good one, unfortunately for us.”

 Mary sits back in her chair, inhaling slowly, trying to keep everything in perspective. There’s no way in hell she wants anyone else even aware of her possible pregnancy, not now, not when she’s not even certain of it herself.

 Especially not Charles’s sister.

 “Suspicions aren’t facts,” Mary states. “We can tell her I’m not drinking because of the pain medication I’m still taking for my knee.”

 “Not bad,” Charles says with a nod. “That should at least keep her at bay until the two of us know for certain.”

 Her stomach tingles, and her hand glides to her abdomen self-consciously.

 “It’s a plan, then,” Mary breathes, taking a final bite of her salad as he gives her good leg a gentle squeeze.

 It’s then that everything goes to hell.

 “So Tony, how is it that you know Mary again?”

 Rob’s question freezes her fork on its way to her mouth, and she tosses a look in Tony’s direction, hoping he’ll be discreet.

 “We’re old friends,” Tony replies, catching her gaze, his lips pressing together in a tight line.

 “You’ve already said that,” Rob says. “How did you meet?”

 “We met through a mutual friend one night at a dinner party,” Mary cuts in, doing her best to sound nonchalant. Rob nods, apparently satisfied with her answer, and she reaches for her wine before she thinks better of it and grabs her water instead.

 “I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the room and decided I had to know who she was,” Tony adds, stilling Mary’s hand on its way to her mouth. “The rest is history.”

 “You’re exaggerating,” Mary states, sipping her water slowly.

 “Not at all,” Tony returns. “You were and are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, Mary. Time hasn’t altered that fact in the slightest.”

 He’ trying to be charming, but his words do nothing but rattle nerves already frazzled and worn. Rob’s staring at her quizzically then, and they make eye contact for two seconds too long.

 “Oh my God,” Rob mutters as his eyes light up. “She’s the Mary who broke your heart, isn’t she? The one who kept turning down your proposals!”

 A collective hush hovers over the table as Charles sits up taller in his seat. His body is tense, but his expression is smooth as his arm slides around her shoulders in a possessive gesture.

 “It’s history, Rob, and one I daresay neither Mary nor Tony would care to discuss at the dinner table,” Charles states. Lucy fires her husband a glance that could kill, making the man lean forward at once.

 “God, I’m sorry,” Rob states. “I spoke before I thought. Forgive me, Mary.”

 She wants to speak, but her tongue feels numb, her fingers frozen, her mind at a standstill. Just then, the scent of Beef Wellington assails her, conjuring a wave of sickness that tightens her throat and makes her mouth salivate. Cold sweat beads across her forehead, and she clasps onto the edge of the table, closing her eyes as she fights the urge to vomit with everything she has.

 “Mary--what’s wrong?”

 It’s Lucy’s voice she hears, followed by expletives from Charles as he turns in his seat and reaches his arm around her immediately. She’s hoisted out of her seat and surrounded before she realizes what’s happening.

 “I need some air,” she manages as Charles gathers her up in his arms and makes his way towards the front door. Rob has it open for him, and they’re outside then, the scents of nature and evening tickling her skin and allowing her to breathe for a few blessed seconds before the first three courses begin to push their way out of her body.

 “Put me down,” she hisses, and Charles does just that, giving her just enough time to stumble towards the nearest bush before her stomach empties its contents. She feels his arms come around her, keeping her upright, rubbing her back, holding back her hair as she puts on a show that nobody expected to see.

 “Better?”

 His question caresses her, and she inhales before she nods, thankful for the breeze against her neck. Another set of gentle hands clasp onto her arms, and she raises her head to see Lucy staring straight into her.

 “Mary,” she begins. “How far along are you?”

 Mary swallows at Lucy’s whispered question, raising herself up slowly until she’s standing as upright as she can manage without getting sick again.

 “I-,” Mary begins, pausing to swallow and catch her breath.

 “You are pregnant, aren’t you?” Lucy continues, keeping her voice down so only the three of them are privy to their conversation.

 “What makes you think that?” Charles cuts in.

 “Well,” Lucy begins. “She’s as pale as a ghost, she didn’t touch her wine at the table, and the smell of meat just made her ill. I’m a doctor, Charles. I’m fairly certain I know what this is.” She pauses then, looking back at Mary, her tone gentle. “It’s all right, Mary. I just want to help.”

 “We don’t even know for certain, Lu” Charles states as Mary feels the fight drain out of her. She leans into him, allowing him to hold her up, wishing to God that her knee will continue to cooperate. “It’s too early.”

 “I’m not so sure about that,” Rob cuts in, moving to stand beside his wife. Mary looks over her shoulder, trying to make certain that nobody else has overheard what’s being discussed.  “Pregnancy can be detected fairly early these days. Are you at all late, Mary?”

 “As if she’s going to tell you after you just embarrassed the hell out of her,” Lucy hisses, sending her husband a death glare. Rob takes a step back and has the grace to look ashamed.

 “I’m so sorry,” he says, looking at both Charles and Mary. “That wasn’t my intention at all. Truly.”

 “I know, Rob,” Charles states. “We can talk about this later. Right now I just want to get Mary comfortable and off of her feet.”

 “Can I please just sit down somewhere?”

 Her question comes out harsher than she’d intended, but it has the desired effect as a chair seemingly appears out of nowhere, allowing her to sit. She sighs and closes her eyes, blocking out Tony, Rob and Ruby, blocking out everything and everyone for a few blessed seconds as the wind caresses her skin.

 “Is she going to be alright? Shall I get her some water?”

 It’s Tony who’s asked, and Mary opens her eyes and watches as Lucy nods.

 “And some crackers if you have them,” Lucy adds as Tony dashes back inside. “They might help settle her stomach.”

 Ruby steps forward, laying a hand on Mary’s shoulder as she bends over at the waist.

 “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ruby whispers. “I would have packed some saltines in my purse for you. I did that for my best friend back home for months when she was pregnant.” She then leans down and hugs Mary, squelshing the words trying to come out of her mouth.

 “Ruby,” Mary finally manages. “I--I’m not sure…”

 “Well I am,” Ruby interrupts. “I’ve been suspicious since you made me stop burning my scented candles in the office last week and turned down pho for lunch twice.”

 Words fail her then, and she just sits there, breathing in and out, wishing everyone would just disappear and she left alone with the night air. Ruby then shiftss her attention to Charles, startling him by throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him with enthusiasm.

 “Congratulations,” she murmurs when she pulls back. “You’d better take good care of her--you hear me?” Then the brunette turns and heads back into the house before either of them can get a word in edgewise.

 “Do you think she suspects anything?” Charles mutters, watching in concern as Mary’s form seems to crumple up inside herself. “Christ, are you all right?”

 “I’m not sure,” she replies honestly. Everything hits her then--the fact that she’s probably pregnant, the fact that her lover’s family and her assistant are now well aware of this fact which means the Gillinghams will be, as well, the fact that she’s supposed to be here to further her business and her career, not to be an item on display for an evening’s entertainment. Anger and fear begin a disjointed tango through her insides, something Charles seems to sense immediately.

 “Get everyone out of here, Lu. Please.”

��Lucy looks at Mary a split second before nodding and taking Rob’s hand, practically dragging him behind her. She says something Mary can’t quite make out with all the blood pounding in her ears, but she doesn’t really care as long as everyone leaves her alone. She watches as June and Rob make their way inside just as Tony comes back with the water and crackers, handing them off to Lucy who presses them gently into Mary’s hands.

 “These should help,” Lucy states, kneeling down so she’s eye to eye with Mary. “You need to replenish your fluids more than anything right now, so drink slowly. If it’s alright with you, I’ll check in on you later.”

 Mary swallows and nods, unable to keep a lone tear inside that tickles her cheek on its way down. Lucy squeezes her shoulder gently after standing upright.

 “It’s going to be alright, Mary,” the other woman assures her. “Although I’m sure it’s a bit overwhelming right now.”

 “It is,” Mary agrees, wiping her cheek as Charles wraps his arm around her body. Lucy nods and squeezes her brother’s should before turning to go back inside, leaving Mary with Charles who has also somehow been been provided a chair. She wishes she could think, could process everything that’s just happened, but her mind seems to have been reduced to some sort of disjointed puzzle she can’t put together to save her life.

 “God, I’m sorry.”

 She shakes her head and breathes in slowly.

 “It wasn’t your fault.”

 “Getting you pregnant is,” he states. “Or very likely pregnant, at the very least.”

 She leans against him, closing her eyes as another breeze feathers across her cheek.

 “We both did that, Charles,” she says. “If we are pregnant, I mean.”

 She knows it then, as sure as she knows her own name. She’s only had symptoms like this one other time in her life, but then she had no arms wrapped around her in support. No, she’d been alone then, alone and sitting on the kitchen floor of her flat as she’d stared in shock at a plus sign on a stick she’d held in trembling hands. She’d cried then, too, just as she’d cried when she’d cramped and started bleeding a few weeks later, grieving a hidden life only she’d known had ever existed.

 “I want this baby.”

 The words leave her before she even realizes they’ve formed, but they hover in the evening air like a pair of intertwined moths.

 “So do I,” he says, kissing her cheek with utmost tenderness. She smiles then as more tears start to fall, and he gets out of his chair to kneel down on one knee in front of her, taking her hands within his own, placing kisses on both of her palms. “God, I’m thrilled and terrified at the same time.”

 She nods. “So am I.” Their foreheads touch as noses slide against each other. “If it turns out that I’m not pregnant, I’m actually going to be disappointed now.” Her own statement surprises her, even as its truth warms her chest.

 “Shhh,” he breathes. “If you’re not, we’ll just have an excuse to try harder.”

 “But we weren’t even trying,” she murmurs, actually eliciting a chuckle from him. He releases her hands so he can cup both sides of her face, his dimples on full display.

 “Shows just how talented we are,” he quips as this thumbs trace the corners of her lips, and she laughs, feeling freer than she has in weeks.

 “Is there anything I say that doesn’t inflate your ego?” she questions, leaning into his palm.

 “Not that I’ve found,” he replies before leaning forward and kissing her fully. Her arms snake around him, then he’s standing and lifting her up, pulling her off her feet and kissing her like mad for a breathless moment. It is alright, she realizes, this crazy, uncertain situation they’ve created, this child they’ve more than likely made, this life they’re building together one unexpected moment at a time. He sets her down gently, grinning madly at the smile he’s managed to draw out of her.

 “God, you are a hopeless romantic,” she notes, prompting him to take her hand and draw it to his lips. She touches his face and smiles, opening her mouth to say more when they both hear a shriek and turn towards the front door. Ruby’s standing there, her mouth agape, her hands framing her mouth, her motion suspended in time for a fleeting second before she squeals and dashes towards them.

 “Oh my God!” the brunette squeaks, turning back towards the others who are now following her outside in concern. “You all just missed it!”

 “Missed what?” Tony questions, looking from Ruby to Mary and Charles in the same utter confusion she feels.

 “The proposal!” Ruby exclaims. Mary’s eyes widen as Charles mutters something she can’t quite make out under his breath. “These two just got engaged!”

[yessadirichards]

The long wait is over: New 'Zelda' hits shelves

TOKYO/PARIS

A six-year wait came to an end for "Zelda" fans across the world on Friday as Nintendo released the long-awaited next installment of its 40-year-old gaming saga.

The game featuring the exploits of Princess Zelda and the elf-like warrior Link has sold 125 million copies worldwide since its first edition in 1986.

It helped forge "open world" games where the player is free to roam in virtual landscapes -- an idea later taken up by games from "Grand Theft Auto" to "Skyrim".

But its main challenge this year will be to boost the figures for the Japanese gaming giant and prolong the life of its Switch console, which experts say is in its dotage after seven years on the shelves.

The company will release "Tears of the Kingdom" worldwide, with clips circulating on the internet already racking up millions of views and generating feverish excitement among fans.

The game "will be by far the biggest contributor to Nintendo's sales this year", said Serkan Toto, an analyst at Kantan Games.

Yet the franchise's 1980's launch was something of a gamble for a company then best known for "Donkey Kong" and "Super Mario Bros." The first episode, "The Legend of Zelda", plunged gamers into an unknown universe largely without instructions.

Creator Shigeru Miyamoto, who also gave life to Mario, was inspired by his childhood explorations of the Japanese countryside to offer a land

scape of forests, lakes, caves and mountains.

"The scale of the game was huge at a time when most games were finished in an hour or two," said Kiyoshi Tane, an author specializing in the history of video games. "The map was designed with a real emphasis on exploration, so it was something of a pioneer of what open-world games would become."

The first Zelda hit the market only a few months after "Super Mario Bros", but the two games were far apart on the gaming spectrum.

While Mario runs from left to right through various platforms, Zelda "encouraged the player to explore, discover and map its world and take on its challenges", said Mark Brown, who analyses game design on his YouTube channel.

The game was a smash hit from the start, and for the next two decades, it pushed the boundaries of game design. The 1998 edition "Ocarina of Time" pioneered a system that allowed gamers to aim properly in 3D.

Yet sales of the game had hit the skids by the turn of the 2010s. Nintendo wanted to expand the game's appeal but only managed to create editions that satisfied nobody. Hardcore fans drifted away and its popularity waned.

"The development team had a sense of crisis," Katsuhiko Hayashi, representative for Famitsu Group, which publishes industry magazine Famitsu, told AFP.

The designers rethought the basics of the game, eventually creating 2017's "Breath of the Wild". It was launched alongside the Switch console and has since become the best-selling edition of Zelda.

"This game set a high bar for the open-world action-adventure genre, and Zelda is still at the top," said Hayashi. Zelda has become something of a "bible" for other developers, he added.

But despite its success and the enduring popularity of Nintendo's other franchises -- demonstrated by this year's smash hit "Super Mario Bros. Movie" -- the firm released a gloomy outlook on Tuesday.

The company forecast a 21 percent drop in net profit compared with last year. The prediction makes the Zelda release vital for the company.

Charles-Louis Planade, an analyst at Midcap Partners, reckons it could become "the best-selling game in history".

"It's a game that can approach $1 billion in revenue, which is very significant for a company that makes a turnover of just over $10 billion per year," he told AFP.

[tendercarelawnservice]

Why You Should Get A Complete Check On Your Backflow Preventer System Scheduling your backflow preventer system or irrigation repair may not be high on your priority list, but it’s something that should demand close attention.

[architectnews]

Termite mounds inform Kéré Architecture's design of Kenyan education campus

Terracotta-hued towers that reference termite mounds distinguish the Startup Lions Campus, which Burkinabe architect Diébédo Francis Kéré's studio has completed in Kenya.

Located on the banks of Lake Turkana, the 1,416-square-metre campus was built for non-profit organisation Learning Lions to offer young Kenyans free training in information and communication technologies (ICT).

It is hoped to help alleviate youth unemployment in the region and allow young people to "thrive professionally without having to leave their homeland," according to Kéré Architecture.

Above: Kéré Architecture has completed the Startup Lions Campus. Top image: it is marked by three tall ventilation towers

Kéré Architecture's design for the Startup Lions Campus "celebrates the unique morphology" of the site, comprising five linked buildings spanning two levels that follow the natural slope of the terrain.

It is built from locally sourced quarry stone finished with a terracotta-hued concrete plaster. This technique was chosen as it is low cost and so that the skills of the local community could be utilised in its construction.

It occupies a sloped site beside Lake Turkana

From afar, the campus is distinguished by three tall ventilation towers that the studio modelled on the tall mounds built by termite colonies found throughout the region.

Each tower helps cool the building's interiors by extracting warm air upwards, as fresh air is brought in through adjustable low-level openings with woven straw shades. This technique is called the stack effect.

Terracotta-hued concrete plaster covers the exterior

Inside, the building contains a mix of classrooms, flexible workshops and co-working spaces, alongside storage, administrative and technical facilities.

It is complete with a series of roof terraces that offer views over Lake Turkana, and will eventually be shaded by planted pergolas to offer cool and comfortable outdoor teaching and meeting spaces.

"From the very beginning the project has had collaborative building and learning at its heart," Kéré said.

"We had imagined an educational facility that blended with the striking natural landscape that surrounds it, mirroring the ingenious structures built by the terminates close by," he continued.

"It is a special honour for me and my team to have been able to provide the shape for this incredible educational facility and I am looking forward to how it may expand and most importantly see its students succeed."

There are a mix of classrooms and co-working spaces inside

Kéré Architecture was founded by Kéré in Berlin in 2005. The studio also recently completed the Burkina Institute of Technology, which was constructed using local clay.

Elsewhere, the office is designing Benin's parliament, which is modelled on the African palaver tree, and Burkina Faso's new parliament building, which Kéré said "responds to needs of the people".

Photography is courtesy of Kéré Architecture.

Project credits:

Architect: Kéré Architecture, Diébédo Francis Kéré Design team: Kinan Deeb, Andrea Maretto Contributors: Juan Carlos Zapata, Leonne Vögelin, Charles André, Malak Nasreldin Project management: Kinan Deeb Engineering: BuildX Studio Construction: BuildX Studio, Kyuna Rd, Nairobi, Kenya Client: Learning Lions

The post Termite mounds inform Kéré Architecture's design of Kenyan education campus appeared first on Dezeen.

[mmorellm]

Global NAS history & NASUNI

                               Nasuni Available in Azure Marketplace                                

To drive application development and shape business strategies

                                                                   This is a Press Release edited by StorageNewsletter.com on July 8, 2020 at 2:25 pm                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Jump right to our comments

Nasuni Corp., announced its file services platform is available for purchase in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure.

Its customers can now take advantage of the productive Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.

Nasuni file services allow customers to accelerate their migrations to Azure with a file services platform built for the cloud. Powered by a global file system, Nasuni modernizes primary and secondary file storage by consolidating NAS and file server silos to cloud storage, delivering infinite scale. It also provides built-in backup, global file sharing, disaster recovery and local file server performance. By combining all this functionality with the economics of the Azure cloud, the firm is able to provide file services at half the cost of traditional file infrastructures.

“Nasuni helped us transition to working remotely during COVID-19 because it provides easy access to data consolidated from all 22 of our offices and ultimately stored in Microsoft Azure,” said Charles Douglass, director of information technology, McKim & Creed, Inc. “We’re accessing our data through a variety of methods, including directly from workstations, remote-control tools and remote desktops, depending on the specific application. No matter which tool we use for the job, Nasuni gives us a common backplane for easy data storage and retrieval.”

“We’ve been a very close Microsoft gold partner, and we’re pleased to further advance this great collaboration by making our solution available in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace,” said Will Hornkohl, VP of alliances, Nasuni. “It’s now even easier for enterprises who rely on Azure to use the cloud for file storage and get infinite scale, built-in-backup and local performance for half the cost of ownership of traditional on-premises NAS.”

“Through Microsoft Azure Marketplace, customers around the world can easily find, buy, and deploy partner solutions they can trust, all certified and optimized to run on Azure,” said Sajan Parihar, senior director, Microsoft Azure Platform, Microsoft Corp. “We’re happy to welcome the Nasuni file services solution to the growing Azure Marketplace ecosystem.”

The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. It helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.

Nasuni’s file services platform is available in Azure Marketplace.

Our Comments

With this Nasuni announcement, it's the time to cover the holy grail of file storage i.e global file service that so many players have tried to solve for years.

For decades there was a lot of tentatives to address the need. Different evolution and contributions to reach the current market landscape are identified:

Geo distributed file services with Transarc, DCE DFS, Andrew File System or Coda to name a few, and even WebFS.

Network file management/network file virtualization with Avere, Acopia, Attune, Autovirt, Neopath, Rainfinity, Nuview. Many of them got acquired or disappeared.

CDN has also played a key role and some storage pioneers tried to leverage that model, it was the case of Storigen, Scale Eight or Acirro, all acquired.

Cloud gateway with some players from the previous category adding S3 back-end path with Panzura, Nasuni, CTera Networks and a few others.

WAFS, WAAS, WAN acceleration and optimization and now SD-WAN can offer some interesting models for some applications. You find here essentially network centric companies.

Global file service and established gateway players again with Nasuni, CTera Networks, Panzura, Morro Data and NetApp.

A major change transversal to these few technologies and solutions is the cloud that appeared and gained importance since AWS introduced S3 in 2006.

A lot of players are not developing successfully a file system on top of S3 or other object storage service. The reverse is true, adding a S3 layer on top of a NAS is super common, helped by open source product like MinIO for instance.

Main challenges are the data consistency, their integrity, their propagation with the changes, the automation of the file service itself, the file presentation and globally the mandatory to deliver a single file system image. It also requires that the service is able to scale i.e with large capacity, billions of files and hundreds of sites.

Nasuni represents one of the two leaders - the other one being CTera Networks - in the global file service category. Other players are more confidential such as Panzura, with lots of promises but mysteriously acquired by Profile Capital, Morro Data, NetApp via the recent Talon Storage acquisition for SMB (the protocol not the market segment) and FlexCache for NFS or even Peer Software. We can even list here SoftNAS now Buurst, even more hidden under its new name, JuiceFS, ObjectiveFS or LucidLink. Datomia seems to hit a wall and their website disappeared. BridgeSTOR, founded by John Matze, developed also a product named Coronado but the company seems to be inactive.

Nasuni was recently elected as a storage unicorn illustrating a growth being one of the few top file storage vendors with Qumulo and VAST Data. Pure Storage could be listed here as well.

Nasuni has made some interesting design choice. They adopted a star topology meaning that the master is the cloud, the central repository being always the reference. Immediately it means there is no data divergence created by any to any type of dialogue across remote sites. As soon as data reach the central place, it is propagated.

Second, the firm relies on a log structured file system, named UniFS, on top of object storage where various file versions are kept. This is by design. UniFS means Unified File System and it works in a append only mode and every change in a file is a version. Also the number of versions is infinite. Each file is immutable stored on a durable storage back-end. Object storage could be Azure, AWS, GCP or on-prem. And Nasuni service is listed on Azure and AWS marketplace.

Edge sites are views of the central site by caching data locally. It represents the other element of the puzzle talking to the central engine via a specific Nasuni protocol. This is an other value of the product. The architecture provides a global file locks at the file level, not sub-file.

The approach has the beauty to collapse primary and secondary storage into one entity exposing storage to applications and receiving data copied in this unique storage lake.

Such solutions are judged by the cache hit ratio as it translates immediately in QoS. So LRU algorithms and derivatives are paramount here. The product doesn't protect data by itself as it relies on object storage that offers high durability level but versioning provides a sort of time addressable storage model.

The solution is priced by capacity under a subscription model. As of today, we count more than 100PB under Nasuni control and it continues to grow at a rapid pace.

Such solution targets several use cases:

Consolidate NAS and file servers,

Multi site file sharing and collaboration,

Edge and ROBO,

Cloud NAS,

Data protection with integrated backup and DR.

Product is composed by UniFS, Edge Appliances, physical or virtual, a management console, the Orchestration Center, core element for data propagation and global file locking and the Analytics Connector.

Nasuni confirms that the global file service in their cloud-native flavor represents a new battlefield for file storage vendors and we anticipate some moves in the next few quarters as it is a real hot segment. Remember it's the holy grail for file storage.

Read also: Nasuni Available in AWS Marketplace Organizations can leverage cloud-based file services with consolidated billing, license management, and flexible consumption with AWS. February 10, 2020 | Press Release