#Odessa won that bet

[mydarlingdearestdead]

"High card wins?" Loyal proposed, the deck poised between his palms.

Odessa, reluctant despite, grinned, "Well, how could I say no?"

"Ethically, Dr Halliway." Marriot's head rose above the booth like that of a great serpent, "Are the two of you betting on your lunch break or have I started having vivid delusional episodes all of a sudden?"

"The main cause of a mental breakdown is stress." Loyal told him, "Working with Dess is undoubtedly stressful."

In turn, Odessa flashed Marriott a blinding grin, "It's a wonder you haven't started talking to dead people and seeing purple stars yet."

Marriot scowled, "Just... If you're going to place illegal bets, do it outside the building." He was met with blank stares, "Please?"

[sonorous-eisfyl]

"Ehe~"

---- There was a prideful little smile on his face, and you bet it had a smug tone to it. He grew up to be a lot more dramatic, that was another given fact. Thoroughly satisfied that he (probably) won this instance at least, he thanks the chefs quickly before sighing to recover from the brief high of it. Popping another small sugar star into his mouth, he reaches over to softly pat Safine on the back

"That one's for the many times you'd embarrassed me in front of the other knights stationed here,"

Still, he was just jesting if any. He continues, "but hey, if it's anything- it was pretty impressive back then! Even though you may have nearly died doing it-- it's not like you'd try doing it again, we've done a lot of stupid things back then"

Frosting wouldn't readily admit any of his childhood shenanigans though. A lot of his teenage years were spent within the commission with his assigned hunter, so perhaps he didn't have much time to be spent being a silly kid. Or, well, he simply just had more embarrassing stories only Odessa has seen happen now. He would never tell of course. Can't be giving potential ammo to be retorted back to him now, can he?

He returns to eating his snack, closing the pack again before putting it back into his pocket and sipping his drink every so often. Being here and relaxing brought back nice memories of when he actively had to be ready to move out for hunts. The old group had drifted apart ever so slightly, now that the looming threats had been taken care of. That isn't to say they don't have connections; the qurio did seem to still linger about and they were all (except Odessa and Emilia, at least he thinks so) were from Kamura too. An occasional hunt was to be brought up. Yet, he wonders...

"Hey, Saf," he starts. There was still a small smile, though whether it was his known default or his "I'm experiencing emotions I don't understand so I'm doing this" smile is unknown.

"If I decided to, you know, maybe go visit a different region for a few months, possibly longer, or something how would you feel? Yknow, theoretically"

Whether it was hypothetical or not... depends on how far you think his need to see the world went. And being quite literally his older sibling, Safine may have a pretty good idea on that part.

"Ah... ahahah..."

An awkward, embarrassed laugh was all the evidence Frosting would need to know that his counter-teasing was plenty successful. Safine had even visibly winced when he called her the 'self-proclaimed overlord of sweets', dredging up all manner of cringe-worthy childhood memories as a consequence. Safine tried to regain her composure and swiftly failed, especially as the felyne chefs completed their dango show and Azuki placed Safine's order in front of her with a knowing chuckle, having overheard everything.

"These dango were meow-de with love. Don't choke them down without enjoying them, 'overlord'~"

Azuki's assistant chefs were chuckling, too.

Safine immediately felt her face heat up and turn red. Ah, yes, the infamous Stick Incident. Safine was sixteen-years-old and Frosting only nine when it happened; she was more than surprised that he still remembered it to this day. A day where she was still decidedly naive and admittedly stupid, as children often are, deciding to stuff as much dango into her mouth as possible and show off to the other children present. An ill-considered attempt as showboating, to display just how big and bad Big Sister Saf was.

She ended up almost choking to an early demise. Really, it was actually quite the harrowing near-death experience despite Frosting looking back at it fondly (and teasingly) and Safine perceiving it as nothing more than an embarrassing lapse in judgement.

"F- Frosty! You promised me we'd never talk about the St- Stick Incident every again!!"

Safine was more ashamed of herself than genuinely upset and hurt, and one could almost imagine the puffs of steam rising from her head. She was also taken aback by how quickly Frosting was to clap back; truly, they grow up so fast. And thus, soundly and thoroughly trounced, there was little else she could do except pick up one of the three dango servings and start nibbling at the purple Magnacrisp.

[alyssalenko]

Wicked Grace

Day 1 of Friendship Week (hosted by the amazing @lechatrouge673): 12 February, Make New Friends… - Life tends to take our OCs some interesting places, and this day celebrates the new (and sometimes unexpected!) friendships they pick up along the way.

Having The Hero of Ferelden, Hawke, and the Inquisitor in the same room should be awe-inspiring. But the three women decide that playing Wicked Grace in the Skyhold Tavern is a lot more fun than facing the ever encroaching conflict with Corypheus.

She’d been meaning to ask since the moment she saw the Hero and Queen of Ferelden…even only having met her once, Odessa Theirin was unmistakable. She exuded an aura of confidence and power. Elyssia broke away from Victoria and Varric bowing when she got close. Hawke respected the Queen of Ferelden, she really did, but out of everyone, she was the one person who would know Anders’ whereabouts, having known him before he was a warden and the spirit of vengeance inhabited him. Elyssia just wanted to know her friend was safe–she didn’t need to know the specifics.

“Your majesty–”

“Odessa is fine.”

“Can we talk…privately?”

Odessa nodded, letting the woman, guide her to an out of the way corner, where it was less likely they would be overheard. She had an inkling this was about Anders, her instincts generally to be trusted, but she also trusted Varric and her cousin not to let word get out, Varric having travelled around Kirkwall with Fenris, Anders, and Hawke on numerous occasions, and was considered a close friend. Speaking of which, she should ask him for the pillow hand stitched by Anders’ mother that the mage had given him before he’d blown up the chantry, certain he wouldn’t make it out alive…but then again that could be suspicious.

She hated all the secrecy and doubt, constantly wondering who she could trust, but their mutual friend was a wanted man.

“Do you know where Anders is? When you visited Kirkwall, it seemed like you and he were close. Is he okay?”

“I know exactly where he is, though I dare not say, in case someone means him harm…but he’s safe.”

Elyssia heaved a sigh of relief; she understood, and it was just good to know that after everything, Anders still had someone he could rely on, to keep his secrets. She didn’t need to know the specifics, trusting the Queen of Ferelden would have an easier time keeping her friend safe than anyone else. Victoria hooked her arm through her cousin’s when she and Varric made their way over, Odessa suggesting a game of Wicked Grace so she could meet all Tori’s inner circle and advisors. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her youngest cousin until Victoria had found her way back into her life. Victoria had missed someone knowing her before she became the Herald of Andraste, before the fate of Thedas had been thrust upon her shoulders. And now her cousin wanted to get to know her new friends…and Hawke.

“I’m not sure we can get Cullen to agree…he’s still upset about last time.” Victoria smiled wryly. “Josephine won everything from him. And I mean everything; he was completely naked.”

Odessa laughed. “Alistair won’t agree either. Zevran and Leliana used to mop the floor with him, more than once he came back to my tent with nothing but a sock protecting his modesty.”

It didn’t take long for them to gather a few takers to play the game, settling themselves in the tavern–just as they suspected, Cullen and Alistair had declined the invitation. It was nice that they could all do things like this, spend time together and just have fun and forget the rest of the world for a little while, pretending they didn’t have a care in the world, and that they didn’t have a confrontation with Corypheus looming on the horizon. This was the best gift she could ask for: everyone together and having fun. Moments like these were fleeting and were a precious reminder of what they were fighting for.

“So, Hero…you could change the world.” Varric tapped the top of his cards, before pushing his bet into the middle of the table.

“I did. But my life isn’t my own anymore; I have a husband and three beautiful kids…I can’t just drop everything to run off and be a hero again. I have to leave that to my cousin now. I raise.”

The dwarf chuckled, grasping the golden ring that hung from the chain around his neck, eyeing the Hero of Ferelden critically…she might be bluffing; he didn’t know her well enough to know her tells and it didn’t help that he knew she’d beaten Isabella at cards–Isabella who didn’t know how to play cards without cheating. He’d gotten to know Tori very well, and he’d spent seven years at Elyssia’s side…they weren’t the ones who worried him. Odessa smirked, placing her cards face down on the table, and leaning back in her chair with both hands folded behind her head as one by one everyone folded, watching the battle of wills happening between Thedas’ first and most prominent hero and it’s most extravagant liar.

“I call. I hope you have better than three serpents.” Varric sighed–he hadn’t been watching Odessa as carefully as he should have been.

“Four songs…” She grinned flipping her last card over Varric’s jaw dropping in awe. “And the Angel of Death.”

“Well shit, Red.”

[odessavernon]

Date: January 9th Time: 3.20 PM Location: The Colosseum Status: closed @maevepetre​

A day at the races. It almost sounded like fiction, as if it couldn’t quite be real. How strange it seemed, to sip champagne, place vacant bets and race. Their world was one cloaked in darkness, illegality - and, more recently - death. It seemed almost wrong to drag them all into the light of day, bare faced - and expose them for who they truly were. They were creatures who didn’t quite belong here, some shining brighter than others. Perhaps they had been out of touch for too long, too far removed from the world of ordinary normalness, quite unable to make sense of anything else that was placed in front of them. Or perhaps it was a different truth that they recognized - that they had transcended realms and simply couldn’t belong to what lay below. Some might argue there was pleasure to be taken from simplicity, but Odessa would have called it a distraction. Time ticked - and her patience went with it.

Of course, it hadn’t always been this way. Once, race day had been her favourite. Her pink dress firmly pressed, shoes buckled and ribbon laced in her hair, she had walked hand in hand with her parents, brother to their side - almost able to pretend that everything was quite fine. That day, her father never strayed far from her mother’s side - and he usually won big. When he won big, he tended to forget to hush her. When he won, he would swoop her into his arms and cheer. It was only for a day, the smallest of mercies, but it was the only time that being in a cage had quite felt so free. As the sun sunk lower in the sky, she used to dread what would come next. When you are a child, you want happiness to last forever.

As an adult, you acutely realize that other emotions might be of more use.

Well, she thought, catching sight of a familiar figure, some of us do. The family of four had an extra addition from time to time - the small wisp of a girl who she had stubbornly befriended, reminding her brother to be nice. Her father had approved then, obviously the gift of premonition avoiding him. Had he known she would have grown to be a Capulet, there would have been less goodwill to go around. Had he known she would be on the same side as the ones who struck him down? She would have been left in the cold. Catching sight of her from across the aisle, Odessa froze - torn between making a graceful exit or summoning courage and reaching out. Sometimes, time changes too much. Sometimes, we can take back what time has stolen. With Maeve’s eyes gently slotting into her own, she was spared making a decision. 

“You look...excited.”

[weopenviews]

Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays Ukraine's president on television, has won the first round of the struggling country's presidential election and is set to face the incumbent in a runoff this month.  The political newcomer had garnered more than 30 per cent of Sunday's vote with four-fifths of the ballots counted on Monday afternoon. President Petro Poroshenko, known as 'the chocolate king' for his expansive candy business, was in second place with 16 per cent.  Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was expected to miss the runoff with 13 per cent of the vote, even though she has claimed that her own parallel vote count has her advancing to the second round.  On Sunday night, she suggested she would dispute the results and called for supporters to come to polling places to prevent alleged falsifications for Mr Poroshenko  A simmering conflict with Russia-backed separatists in the east continues to plague Ukraine, which last year became the poorest country in Europe.  There has been agonisingly slow progress on reforms undertaken after a pro-Russian president was ousted by protests in 2014 and Crimea was annexed by Russia. Surveys in March suggested that Mr Zelenskiy would handily defeat Mr Poroshenko if they faced each other in the second round.  The leading candidate has promised to tackle corruption but shunned a detailed platform and campaign in favour of a feel-good comedy tour.  President Petro Poroshenko speaks at his campaign headquarters after the vote on Sunday Credit: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Mr Poroshenko declared that he would win the runoff, calling Mr Zelenskiy a marionette of Ihor Kolomoisky, the self-exiled oligarch who owns the channel that runs his programmes.  Mr Zelenskiy responded by calling Mr Poroshenko a marionette of the former deputy head of his security council, a reference to a corruption scandal in which the official's son was found to have sold the defence ministry overpriced equipment smuggled in from Russia.  The comedian has been hit by his own scandals. A company he owns was found to have made money in Russia after he said he had no business there, and an investigation on Thursday found he owned an undeclared 15-room villa in an Italian resort favoured by Russian oligarchs.  Mr Zelensiky has said he would sit down with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, to solve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Asked by journalists on Sunday night what he would say to Mr Putin, he said he would force him to give back Ukrainian territory and demand compensation for occupying it. Mr Putin's spokesman said on Monday that the leader would explain that Russia is not occupying Ukrainian territory, adding that Crimea was “not open for discussion”. Spanish and Canadian warships docked in Odessa on Monday as part of a Nato mission to the Black Sea following last year's Kerch Strait crisis.  Russia in November seized three Ukrainian ships near annexed Crimea and captured 24 sailors who are now on trial in Moscow.  Former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko votes on Sunday Credit: Pyotr Sivkov/TASS/Barcroft Mr Poroshenko is expected to focus on Mr Zelenskiy's lack of experience and try to embarrass him in debates in the second round. An influx of cash subsidies to pensioners could also help mobilise support. His challenger tried to appeal to disaffected voters by focusing on the president's business empire and corruption allegations against him. Only nine per cent of Ukrainians support their government, according to polls.  Reports emerged on Sunday that Mr Zelenskiy might form a parliamentary coalition with Ms Tymoshenko, which would set her up to become prime minister. Both candidates denied they were in talks.  Much of the country's opposition would support Mr Zelenskiy and try to turn the second round into a referendum on Mr Poroshenko, whose disapproval rating is up to 50 per cent, analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said.    “I would bet on Zelenskiy in second round, there are risks but he has more of a chance,” Mr Fesenko said. “It will depend on the turnout of his voters and how unified the opposition is, but there is a lot of dissatisfaction with Poroshenko.”

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[mightytips]

Finland vs Ukraine Prediction and Betting Tips

Finland vs Ukraine Prediction and Betting Tips

Finland vs Ukraine Prediction, Betting Tips and Preview

Sunday brings us yet another match in European qualifiers group I; Finland vs. Ukraine is perfect opportunity for us to place our bets and earn cash. This will be the first time for Finland to host Ukraine. In November they played match in Odessa and Ukraine won it with minimal advantage 1:0.

Finlandis in fifth place after five rounds. They…