#andelin

[petitefleuriste]

— Aubrey P Andelin

[aishiteru-kenshin]

It is the man who awakens a woman's feminine charm. He is the one who makes her blossom and bloom, by the way he conducts himself and the way he treats her. Therefore, be a man. Protect her, provide for her, and lead her with firmness. — Aubrey Andelin, Man of Steel and Velvet.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Could pink be Earth’s oldest color? That’s the implication of a 2018 study that found bright-pink pigments in 1.1 billion-year-old rocks — thanks to the fossils of the billions of tiny cyanobacteria that once dominated oceans.

The natural world has long been painted with every permutation of pink — whether embedded deep in ancient rock, sported by shrimp-hungry flamingoes, or simply lining the shores of Bermuda’s pink-sand beaches.

And yet the color carries a lot of cultural baggage.

As pink made the jump from nature’s palette to human adornment, it gathered connotations of colonialism, beauty, power, and gender.

How did pink become such a cultural flashpoint? As the world takes a revitalized interest in the hot-pink planet inhabited by Barbie, here’s a short history of the compelling color.

Admiration for pink in the ancient world

Early humans quickly transitioned from admiring pink in the natural world to attempting to wear it.

For example, in the Andes Mountains about 9,000 years ago, fierce hunters in what is now Peru wore tailored leather clothing with a pink hue thanks to red ochre, an iron oxide pigment that is one of the oldest natural pigments used by humans.

Humans weren’t content just to smear this pigment on cave walls or use it while tanning their leather garments.

As far back as ancient Egypt, humans used ochre to tint their lips and cheeks.

When applied to human skin, the red pigment created a blush-like pink that onlookers associated with love, sexuality, and beauty.

Lookalike concoctions prevailed around the world, employing everything from crushed strawberries to red amaranth.

The color of cosmetics—and colonialism

Though the word’s etymology is unknown, the word “pink” was used to describe the color in the 18th century.

By then, pink had become inextricably tied with colonialism — as demand for the pigment for cosmetics drove Europeans to harvest natural resources in other parts of the world.

For example, in a bid to make pinkish pigments from the bark and red sap of brazilwood trees, European traders forced enslaved workers to cut down so many of Brazil’s eponymous trees that the country was left deforested and the tree nearly driven extinct.

During this Era of Exploration, consumers also got their pink cheeks and lips from other pigments like carmine, derived from cochineal insects harvested in Central and South America under similar conditions.

Meanwhile, the color also had a more literal association with colonialism:

During this time, the British Empire grew so massive that the color pink — which mapmakers used to mark its territories worldwide — dominated the world map.

Pink becomes a bona fide fashion craze

As red tints became more accessible and cheaper, 18th-century European aristocrats indulged a passion for pink.

Art historian Michel Pastoureau writes that “the most privileged classes of European society wanted pastels, halftones, and the newest innovations in color shades in order to distinguish themselves from the middle classes, who now had access to bright, strong, and reliable colors.”

Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV of France during the 1740s and 1750s, used the color as a signature.

The artists who painted her and created fine objects for her many homes used pink in all their designs, even her carriages, and she helped further popularize the hue throughout Europe.

The emergence of synthetic dyes in the mid-19th century — which gave rise to the purple-pink color known as mauve — made pink more accessible than ever before.

By the 1930s, bright pink had become a bona fide fashion craze.

Avant-garde fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli made “shocking pink” her signature color, helping spread the vogue for women’s wear.

It worked: By 1935, even local newspapers like the News and Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, were declaring that “PINK IS FAVORITE.”

And in 1939, a royal commentator wrote in London’s Daily Telegraph that pink was so popular, it was nearly ubiquitous for both bridesmaids and debutantes.

“So general is the pink craze,” the paper wrote, “that some women are rebelling against it.”

Pink is for…boys?

Around the same time, pink gained relevance in another realm: baby fashion.

Gender and baby fashion had intersected for years; around World War I, etiquette guides and fashion advice columns began advising that mothers dress their children in clothing with gender-specific hues.

But which colors? A 1927 retailer survey on infant clothing colors published in TIME shows a split nation, with retailers like Filene’s and Marshall Field’s recommending pink for boys, but Macy’s, Bullock’s, and others claiming pink was best for girls.

By the 1960s, however, mothers began buying pink clothing for their female babies, dressing their male children in pastel blues.

“None of this transition happened by childcare expert fiat or industry proclamation,” writes historian Jo B. Paoletti.

Instead, pink gained steam as a signifier of a baby’s female sex as part of a post-World War II push to reinforce traditional gender roles in American homes — and the realization by retailers that they could make more money that way.

“The more baby clothing could be designed for an individual child — and sex was the easiest and most obvious way to distinguish babies — the harder it would be for parents to hand down clothing from one child to the next, and the more clothing they would have to buy as their family grew,” Paoletti writes.

Soon, retailers featured entire “pink aisles” packed with pink-colored clothing and toys for tiny consumers.

The dark side of pink

Pink was also rejected by some as a symbol of weakness or even sinister intent.

In Nazi Germany, for example, the color was used to brand gay men in concentration and death camps.

As the Cold War emerged, suspected Communist sympathizers were given the derogatory name of “pinkos” — a term that referred to a person with “red” tendencies toward radical politics.

Meanwhile, members of the women’s liberation movement attempted to distance themselves from a color that had become inextricably linked with femininity and sexuality — think: Marilyn Monroe slinking down a staircase in a shocking pink gown, surrounded by tuxedoed men.

Anti-feminists, meanwhile, embraced pink.

Author Helen B. Andelin, for example, made public appearances in all-pink ensembles in the 1960s and 1970s during lectures encouraging women to abandon feminism and embrace lives as housewives.

Reclaiming pink

Pink remains associated with femininity to this day — but in recent decades, groups once disdainfully branded with the color have made moves to reclaim it.

In the LGBTQ community, for example, people who were once forced to wear pink as outcasts have adopted the hue as a symbol of their movement for social justice.

In 1987, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) adopted a bubble-gum pink triangle in its “Silence = Death” campaign to increase awareness of HIV-AIDS and destigmatize the disease.

It was just one example of pink being used to represent gay pride.

Some feminists have also reclaimed the color, fighting gender stereotypes with a tongue-in-cheek adoption of all shades of rose, fuchsia, and bubble-gum pink.

At the 2017 Women’s March, for example, a sea of protesters wearing pink, cat-eared “pussy hats” protested the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose lewd remarks about female genitalia during a leaked interview drew worldwide condemnation.

Today, pink is what you make of it — and it has grown in popularity once more.

In 2016, Pantone announced that a shade of dusty pink — dubbed Millennial Pink for the generation that had embraced it—was its Color of the Year.

This year, Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie helped fuel the rise of the pink-drenched “Barbiecore” aesthetic, inspiring admirers to saturate their homes and wardrobes with every shade of pink.

According to Axios, searches for the term “Barbiecore aesthetic room” rose over 1,000 percent between May 2022 and May 2023, reflecting consumers’ craving for as-pink-as-possible interiors.

There’s no telling which permutation of pink will captivate us next — but given the colorful history of the hues that fall somewhere between white and red, pink’s next heyday is probably right around the corner.

Barbie would approve of the pink petals on this beach morning glory.

Pink flowers like this one get their rosy tinge from a group of biological pigments called anthocyanins, which attract pollinators — and human admirers — to colors ranging from the palest carnation to the most ostentatious tropical fuchsia.

[maryrouille]

The Girlishness of Woman according to Fascinating Womanhood (1963; 2017)

Fascinating Womanhood is a book written by Helen Andelin and was first published in 1963. I just finished reading Fascinating Womanhood: Vintage Edition (2017) revised and edited by Helen's daughter, Dixie Andelin Forsyth. Both versions focus on developing a deeply romantic marriage. One of the mentioned qualities that the ideal woman should have, from a man's point of view, attracts special attention.

I warn you that this book deviates from feminist and scientific literature, and the advice contained therein is rather the subjective reflections of the authors (more about criticism FW).

Childlikeness

According to the authors, childlikeness is the most charming feature: is an extreme girlishness. It is a quality of sauciness, spunk, innocence, trustfulness and tenderness all mixed into one [p. 222].

Childlikeness may manifest itself in communicating emotions, asking for things, manner and in appearance. However, I focused more on finding the answer to why adult women should pretend to be little girls? First of all, extreme girlishness makes him feel more masculine thanks to the strong contrast, so it is a form of communicating women's position. The mentioned charm comes from flattering men and transforming them into superiority.

Also a woman who is angry and moody gives the impression of a child who suddenly changes emotions. The stronger one should protect and take care of such a delightfully human little creature, therefore Andelin's ideal woman is defenseless.

Girlish appearance

According to Fascinating Womanhood childlikeness is extremely exciting for men. And since men are visual creatures, girlishness should also be reflected in a woman's outfit. As well: this youthful apperance also has a psychological effect* on the woman in actually making her feel younger [p. 260].

What should an ideal wardrobe contain?

jumpers pleated skirts, baby doll yokes, skirts with ruffles, petticoats and pantaloons

dresses trimmed with rickrack, daisies, buttons and bows

white collars, black velvet ribbons, bright and vivid colors of fabrics

The above things sound like something out of the coquette or dollete aesthetic popular today. Therefore, it can be said that Andelin's classic work, slightly updated by her daughter, also fits into today's framework. Maybe we shouldn't draw inspiration from the childlikeness quality, but it must be admitted that women have wanted to look girlish for at least 60 years!

*I think that the authors had in mind a self-fulfilling prophecy with this vague term.

[youcannottakeitwithyou]

Douglas Andelin

[tulisanmimi]

Di dalam sebuah circle yang aku tidak pernah ada irisan seperti yang pernah dialami sebelumnya aku sempet ditanya. Mbaa, kok telponan terus, tapi sama perempuan. Mba ngga punya pacar ya?

Kala itu aku tersenyum. Hehehe. Menurutmu gimana? Terus mereka bilang ngga ada ya mba? Keliatan sih sebenarnya dari jilbabnya.

Hmm... Jadi awal pertemanan, pakaian apa yg kita kenakan, ucapkan itu yg akan jadi first impression selain wajah yaaa.😂

Okee. Sebagian lain juga tanya, emang ngga kesepian mba? Wkwkwk. Alhamdulillah yaa, udah singel sejak lahir, ngga ngerasa kesepian karena dikelilingi orang baik yg jadi temen tumbuh di beberapa circle. Walau kita ngga bisa andelin mereka, alhamdulillah bundaku sudah memenuhi tangki cinta itu.

Di era gempuran wanita seumuran banyak yg udah nikah bahkan ada yg udah punya anak 2. Di keluarga bapak aku udah jadi nenek sebelum punya pasangan. Wkwkwk. Sempet takut sih. Sempet gelisah juga kenapa mas (yg belum kutahu nama juga rupamu) belum juga nyampe-nyampe. Padahal aku udah berupaya untuk terlihat, kasih sign, kalau di alam raya yg berisi 7,5 milyar manusia ini ada satu orang yg bernama umi khuswatun loh. Wkwkwk.

Tapi seiring berjalannya waktu, kesibukan belajar profesi, ngajar ppl, lms, sudah ngga kepikiran lagi buat bergalau galau ria. Kalau memang sudah waktunya, Allah akan pertemukan, entah maut terlebih dahulu atau kamu mas. Dan aku diruang tunggu ini sedang belajar, memantaskan diriku, mencari teman tumbuh yang sefrekuensi agar aku tidak merasa sendiri. Kita saling mengupayakan ya mas, aku harap kamu juga belajar banyak hal, mengupayakan yang terbaik.

Terimakasih sudah bertumbuh dan mencintai dirimu sendiri Mi. Karena mencintai dirimu akan membawa pada ketaatan menghamba dengan rasionalitas juga tawakal kepada Rabb Semesta Alam. 💐🤍

[maddiemuu]

thirty third attack! my friend @sandandtears' character Andeline Shore!! (artfight account here)

[apilgrimpassingby]

Hi!!! I just came across your blog and I'm so happy to see a man who seeks to glorify God, rather than a 'Christian' who is red-pilled and fetishises submission. I really think you will make a woman very happy someday and I hope she will make you happy too! I wanted to ask if you have read Aubrey Andelins book 'Man of Steel and Velvet' (MSV) thats claims to teach biblical masculinity. I have 'Fascinating Girl' for femininity by Aubreys daughter Dixie but Dixie has updated that book for the 21st century, MSV has not been updated at all so i'm not sure how relevant it is now. Also, I was wondering what girls can do to show shes interested in a guy, since we're told not to ask guys out and it kinda feels like we're just supposed to sit there and wait around hoping for a guy to come up to us hahaha

Thank you. Sometimes, Tumblr makes me hate men. Although I think there's still hope for them; I myself have a fair few unpleasant fetishes. The difference is whether or not we act on and excuse our disordered desires (as the Catholics would call them) or work to avoid indulging them and, if possible, cure them.

Haven't read that book so I can't comment; tell me if I should or not.

I'm unsure about this one. Although I do have a few suggestions off the top of my head.

Make an effort to dress nicely on days or for occasions you know he'll be present.

Give greetings when he's present. "Hello" is good; it's not too flowery, but it's formal enough that it indicates real attention.

If there's an opportunity, give gifts to him.

When it become possible, just strike up conversation. I'm assuming you're Christian (most people in Tradblr are), so there are subjects you can talk about other than the weather - ask him what his favourite book of the Bible is and why, or what he's reading currently, or his favourite saint(s) if he's Catholic or Orthodox.

Generally, make it clear to him that you know him. If he's a man worth being with, he'll approach you after that.

(And here, I met as well chip in with my views on religion in Tradblr. On the one hand, the non-religious, in my experience, are vastly more likely to be porn-addicted or misogynistic. But I certainly don't want to be a Christian-only space; @homeiswherethewitchcraftis is one of my favourite blogs here and I also really like @barefoot-a-pregnant. I propose we be like the Freemasons; you need to be religious or at least theistic, but it doesn't matter much what kind you are.)

[bersuara]

Lagi ngobrol sama teman

"Gw seneng karena ngeliat lu seneng. Sekarang lu udah bisa ngandelin orang lain. Cowo lu sekarang udah kaya ayah, Kaka, teman plus pasangan buat lu. Sumpah, gw doain kalian berdua berjodoh. Effort cowo lu ngga main-main soalnya"

Terus gw lanjut ngomong

"Mungkin alasan kenapa dari dulu gw ngga mau pacaran adalah karena gw udah dapetin kasih sayang itu dari keluarga gw. Gw ngga ngerasa kekurangan, meski ngga penuh juga. Ada orang yang gw andelin, abang sama teteh gw ngasih apa yang gw mau, pun ortu gw mengusahakan ngasih apa yang gw butuhin. Makanya gw pas liat lu akhirnya nemuin sosok yang udah seharusnya lu miliki dari dulu, gw seneng banget. Asal lu jangan lupain gw, lu mau bucin tiap hari juga terserah dah hahahaha"

Teman gw cengar cengir, padahal gw lagi serius :)

[ramengir]

punya hutang 2,5 juta bekas operasi anak karena nelen koin dan 1 juta buat bayar pajak motor dan paylater. juga 1,5 juta bekas hutang modal bisnis 4 tahun lalu.

semuanya ke 2 orang berbeda yaitu saudara.

mau bisnis belum nemu yang cepet perputarannya . mau andelin suami tapi belum bisa.

kadang mikir orang-orang yang punya hutang ke kita ko ga punya rasa bersalah macam gue gara gara hutang bahkan hidup mereka bae bae aja. katanya sih kalo bersabar insya Allah gratis pahala dari Allah lewat perantara orang dzolim itu.

harus ikhlas

tapi kita juga butuh buat bayar hutang. sabar ya

Masih awal tahun nih. semoga segera nemu bisnis atau kerjaan yang bisa bantu bayar hutang.

punya hutang merasa "terhina" oh inikah rasanya.

semoga Tuhan mudahkan segalanya

[wurway]

Sadar betul dunia bukan tentang diriku aja. Jadi aku ga bisa dengan gegabah meminta semua orang untuk please mengerti diriku. Orang-orang gak akan pernah tau versi full story hidupku, permasalahanku. Gak masalah. Tapi kalau Allah ijinkan seenggaknya ada satu orang aja ya, yang enggak apa-apa aku tumpahin segalanya. Jadi tong sampahku hahaha, biar aku lega. Bagiku mungkin akan lebih baik. Lebih sehat.

Setiap harinya aku bergelut memberi bagian demi bagian dari diriku, waktuku, tenagaku, pikiranku, emosiku, kasih sayangku pada orang-orang yang perlu diperhatikan, bahkan pada benda mati pun juga ada.

Sadar betul kalau saat jadi ibu, aku adalah bagian dari dunia anakku Kalau jadi istri, aku adalah bagian dari kehidupan suamiku. Mungkin aku cari perkara sendiri dengan mempertahankan pekerjaan sekarang ini. Yang mana didalamnya orang-orang udah “kena racun” kalau bisa rukiah, rukiah massal deh! 🤣

Sadar betul aku tuh burned out. Mencoba mengurai kemelut (anjay kemelut 🤟🏼) biar gak jadi beban dan kesedihan berlarut-larut. Tapi pertahananku tipis. Aku juga gak tau bakal sekuat apa? Dengan dengan daftar tuntutan yang gak ada ujungnya.

…

Kapan urus jabfung Lektor? Gimana jurnal dah beres? Persiapan S3 udah mulai belum?

Kurang SDM. Lu lagi, lu lagi. Bisa gak sih sesuai jobdesk aja? Belakangan juga mulai ada gerakan main tikam. Mulai ada gesekan perkara hal sepele. Semua pada overload dan stress.

Maaf kalau aku belum bisa maksimal kerja. Karena anakku masih toddler 🥲 kegiatan sekolah anak aja padat, iya bener, yang sekolah anaknya tapi yang riweuh emaknya.

Baju belum di lipet baju, belum cuci piring, seragam Ruru belum dicuci. Pagi harus masak. Bisa gak sih suamiku inisiatif? Jangan cuma andelin aku aja? Jangan nunggu disuruh? Minimal bangun pagi aja, soalnya dia pernah menyatakan dirinya Morning Person.

Penghuni rumah ini ga akan pada bangun sebelum aku duluan yang bangun. Heran. Kegiatan yang paling aku ga suka: bangunin orang tidur.

Tiap hari jemput Ruru pulang sekolah. Lalu transit di tempat kerjaku supaya Ruru bisa istirahat dan aku bisa kerja. Walau panas mentrang tetep kujabanin, karena kalau bukan aku siapa lagi?

Suamiku teh ga bisa ya kaya aku, nemenin anak sambil kerja. Pernah bahas ini tapi cencitip banget yak, jadi melebar. Dia juga kayanya lagi overload.

Ibuku lagi sibuk, jadi gak bisa sering titip Ruru. Setiap mampir kesana, ibuku suka curhat hal-hal yang bikin aku terenyuh (mungkim karena faktor usia juga ya) Jadi aku ga berani curhat balik. Beliau udah overload.

Ibu cerita gigi ayah udah pada goyang. Ga bisa makan kacang dan keripik. Meanwhile, aku bawa oleh-oleh kacang dan keripik dari Surabaya kemaren. Ah euy sedih. Sedih karena aku tau kacang tuh cemilan favorit ayah.

Aku masih belum kepikiran untuk nitip Ruru di mertuaku, tanpa ada aku atau suamiku. Maafkan. To be honest, aku belum percaya sepenuhnya.

Kayanya suamiku ada luka inner child, ini aku bukan sok-sok an ya. Dia ingin lebih diperhatikan sementara dia sadar kalau aku pasti secara alami akan lebih banyak perhatiin anak. Aku menduga, ini ada hubungannya dengan masa kecilnya. Dia pernah cerita. And I was shocked.

Aku kabur dari pertanyaan kapan S3? Dengan les bahasa korea. Jadi bisa kujawab dengan lagi persiapan bahasa. Iya, pengen ke Korea. Serius ga serius. Belajar bahasa bikin aku punya tujuan, tapi makin naik level makin sulit.

Ya Allah aku harus gimana lagi ya?

…

[petitefleuriste]

Helen B Andelin

[thegirlwiththelantern]

Traitor Son

Title: Traitor Son Author: Melissa J. Cave Demographic: Adult Genre: Fantasy, Romance Synopsis: Do the promises of war ever survive the peace? At the end of a brutal war, Remin of Andelin promised his knights that he would build them a good place, far from the carnage of war and the poisonous intrigues of the Empire. But the only thing more difficult than winning a war is securing the…

[ultramagicalternate]

ULTRAMagic Chaos Chapter 20

Previous | First | Interval

Master Post - Patreon

“...and you know the rest, Blood,” Tusk concluded. “You attended my wedding and Donia and I went off exploring with Randalph and Mayhem.”

Blood-Wraith stood up, stretched a little, and went to look out the window. It was late evening and he was a bit hungry. “Why didn’t you tell me all of this sooner?”

Tusk let his head drop to the table. “I know, my bad…”

Auda lightly bopped him on the head. “Bad, Uncle Tusk.”

“Hey, wait a second!” Why didn’t you tell him anything?” Tusk received a subtle growl from Auda.

“Ahem, don’t pawn your duties off on others, Mr. Willfort,” Alexia chided.

Tusk gave her an incredulous look. “Jeez, what are you, my mother?” he quipped back.

This made Blood-Wraith chuckle. “I’m glad Driskoll was able to restore your arm, Tusk. Also should I not mention all of this around Gratiana? You know, because of my knightly duties and whatnot…”

“I’m not sure how to call that one,” Tusk replied. “Come to think of it, I’m not sure how she’d react to seeing me now.”

“Quite the conundrum, wouldn’t you say, Rich?” Drusa observed.

Vexation gave a subtle laugh and leaned back in his chair. “Indeed. Honestly, Tusk? I say go say hi to her, see how she’s doing. We’re all on the same side now after all.”

Blood-Wraith nodded. “Fair enough, Vex… but didn’t you sucker punch Uncle Deimos?” he pointed out.

“Yes, but that was just a bit of banter between old friends. Personally I say Gratiana at least owes Tusk a candy bar for the jolt she gave him.”

Tusk looked down as his stomach growled. “Speaking of that, what’s for dinner?”

“Oh yeah…” Blood-Wraith remembered as he went over to the phone. “I’ll order some pizza. Are you all interested?” There were no objections.

As he placed the order, Drusa realized something. “Oh, Blood, make it three pizzas. I’ll cover the cost.”

“Three? Why?” he asked after covering the microphone.

“Agreed,” Alexia added. “What in the Cosmos would prompt a third pizza?”

“You’ll see, trust me,” Drusa assured as she began counting out some money.

Blood-Wraith shrugged. “Two pepperoni and one supreme… alright, got it… thanks, bye.”

Vexation got up and made his way towards the cupboards for some plates. “I was considering making something meatball-related, but pizza will do.”

“Here you go, Blood,” Drusa said as she handed him the money. “Sorry for springing this on you.”

“Hum, I wonder…” Tusk noted as he went to the door. “I’ll go with you, Blood. It’s the least I can do.”

“Don’t drop the food, Uncle Tusk,” Auda teased.

He did not appreciate that. “Auda, I’m not that clumsy.”

There was a slight chill in the air as Blood-Wraith and Tusk stepped outside. The sun had nearly set and the street lamps were turning on. The Iron City was quite beautiful at night, with the stars twinkling above them. Leif’s constellation watched over the city as the buildings lit up, illuminating the sidewalks and roads. The Singing Storm Tower was certainly a sight to behold during the night, floating tall and proud.

Figuring they would need some extra drinks, the two quickly stopped at a grocery store. It was fairly calm, so they were able to get in and out. Continuing on their trip, Blood-Wraith spotted Gratiana of all people. She appeared to be heading in the direction of Iron Fire Station.

“Hey, Gratiana!” Blood-Wraith called out.

“Sir Raynot, how wonderful to see you. What are you doing out this late at night?”

“Oh we’re just going to get some pizza for us and the others as things ran a little late. What are you up to?”

“I’m going to fetch Adriana Hawthorne. She is due to arrive here at any minute. Back when we were in Shadowland under that bumbling idiot Milosh, Adriana was supposed to be the actual replacement for Torunn. Fortunately Andelin kept her away from the nasty cult business, so Dunja and Torunn want her as one of the new Blades.” Gratiana then noticed who Blood-Wraith was with and went pale. “Tu-Tusk Willfort?”

He smiled. “Hey, Gratiana. How have you been doing?” She was petrified.

Blood-Wraith checked his watch. “Let’s walk and talk, since Dilan’s Pizzeria is in the same direction” he instructed as they began to follow him.

“Well I’d dare say I was successful in giving Dunja and Barna a leg up then” Tusk pointed out with a laugh.

“Yes, very much so…” Gratiana admitted, unsure how to feel. “Tusk, I… I didn’t hurt you too badly, did I?”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s water under the bridge. I’m just glad you were able to turn things around.”

“I hope you’re able to get your lightning powers back, Gratiana,” Blood-Wraith added. “It would help keep everyone safe.”

Hearing that caused her heart to skip a beat. “True, Sir Raynot. That would certainly be a boon for The Iron City…” She could have sworn she felt a sense of renewed vigor.

“You should swing by the forest some time, Gratiana,” said Tusk. “Bring Barna and the others along and have dinner with us.”

She gave a guilty chuckle. “Even after our encounter in the Realm of Chaos?”

“Yup. We’re trees, and trees don’t hold grudges… Milosh is a bit of an exception, but you’re not Milosh, obviously.”

“Then I graciously accept your invitation. Just tell me what time is convenient for you.”

“Will do… hey, pizza time!” Tusk stated as they neared the pizzeria.

“See you later, Gratiana,” said Blood-Wraith. “Best of luck to you.”

“Farewell, Sir Raynot, Tusk. Have a splendid meal,” she replied.

The smell of pizza bombarded Blood-Wraith and Tusk as they entered the restaurant. Things were lively as people dined with upbeat music playing over the speakers. Recognizing Blood-Wraith, one of the cashiers called out for one of the employees to bring his order over. Some of the diners were watching as Tusk took the boxes and the two left. It was fascinating to see such a young knight roll up in uniform for some pizza.

As the two made their way back, Tusk sensed something. “Donia…”

“Donia?” Blood-Wraith inquired.

“She knows I’m out late…”

“Excuse me, sleepy bark, but you better not be having pizza without me” Donia declared as she came strolling up to the two.

Tusk laughed. “Sorry, honey. It’s just that the explanation took longer than expected.”

“So that’s what Drusa foresaw,” Blood-Wraith noted. “Well hey, Donia. Want to have dinner with us?”

“Absolutely! Also good to see you again, kiddo,” she said as she shook his hand.

Auda, Drusa, Vexation, and Alexia were all waiting patiently, talking about this and that when the three returned to the house. Happy to see her aunt, Auda went and hugged Donia. As everything was getting set up, Drusa could be seen doing a head count. Blood-Wraith walked over to her, his curiosity peaked.

“What’s the matter, Drusa? Is everyone here?” he asked.

“Close, we’re off by one head… you don’t mind one more guest, do you?”

Blood-Wraith looked around. “I guess not. Is that why you had me get the third pizza?”

She nodded. “Don’t worry, she’s one of my former students and a good friend of Tusk’s.”

Tusk caught that and walked over to the living room, pizza slice in hand. “Hold up, you don’t mean…?”

She nodded again. “If my calculations are correct, there’ll be a knock in 3…2…1…”

There was a knock at the door, with Tusk going to answer it. Standing there was a frantic and disheveled Maxima. “Tusk!?”

“Maxima! There you are. Come on in.”

“Where and when am I?!”

“Well it’s a month later and this is Blood-Wraith’s house.”

She looked like she was about to panic. “This isn’t right, I’m not supposed to be here yet!”

Blood-Wraith was not sure what to make of this, but held out his hand regardless. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maxima. Want to come have dinner with us?”

“Not yet! Not yet…” she said as she backed into the door.

Drusa calmly approached and placed her hand on her shoulder. “Maxima?”

This startled the goddess. “Drusa?”

“Don’t fret, your favorite 5th dimensional goddess is here.”

Maxima breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Vita, it’s you…”

“Now come and have some pizza with us,” Drusa said as she led Maxima to the dining room.

“But the timeline!”

Tusk laughed. “I don’t think you’re going to damage anything by eating with us.” He then cleared his throat. “Everyone, this is Maxima.”

“A pleasure to meet you, honorable Spiritus Magni,” Alexia welcomed.

“Hello, Maxima!” said Auda.

“Wow, didn’t expect this turn of events, your divinity” Donia remarked. “Jeez, Tusk, just how crazy did things get?”

Drusa sat Maxima down and handed her a plate with a slice of pizza. “Now eat. And I found Rich by the way.”

That surprised her. “Really?”

“Nice to meet you, Maxima,” Vexation said as he stretched his arm out for a hand shake. Maxima was a bit surprised by how… normal he was.

“So, Maxima, where’d you come from just now?” Blood-Wraith inquired. “Tusk says you disappeared after things were settled in the Realm of Chaos.”

“Well I wanted to check out the Trench Unlight real quickly, but I think I went too far back…”

“Just how far back did you go?” Vexation wondered.

“Back before The Mage of Old built The Magician’s Labyrinth.”

Vexation banged the table in shock. “Wait, really!? That was back during the epoch, when me, Eustorgio, Tiberius, Leif, and Mal were running around!”

“Ooh, the plot thickens…” Drusa remarked.

Maxima continued. “I even helped build the great structure as apparently my modern, 2nd era knowledge helped Eustorgio out a great deal.”

It took a second, but Vexation finally had the realization he needed. “Oh… OH! I remember you now! Blood, you remember all of the goddess statues you saw, right?”

“Yeah?” It then occurred to him. “Oh, cool! Maxima, some of those puzzle rooms were really fun” Blood-Wraith complimented.

She giggled, a little embarrassed. “Thank you, Blood-Wraith.”

Alexia took a second to wipe her face. “Maxima, if I may, how did you end up so far back in the past?”

“I used the Time Labyrinth…”

“Dear?” Drusa interrupted.

“Yes, teacher?”

“Are you in the mood for a little constructive criticism?”

“Sure?” Maxima cautiously answered.

“That was your first mistake,” Drusa said with a clap.

“Time Labyrinth?” Auda questioned. “Sounds weird. What is it?”

“4th dimensionals, like Maxima, use it to get around since they don’t fully understand time yet” Drusa elaborated. “It’s an anomaly that just popped up one day, under similar principles to how Reality Errors manifest.”

Maxima felt a little embarrassed again. “I thought I had figured it out…”

Drusa refilled her cup with soda, then filled up Maxima’s. “Don’t worry, I'll get you back to where you’re supposed to be.”

“Are you sure you can?”

She nodded affirmatively. “Yes, but you should stay the night first.”

“Are you sure about that?” Maxima was a bit concerned.

“You need the rest and Blood has some really cool movies.”

Blood-Wraith chuckled and got up. “I’ll go pick one now. I’m personally in the mood for Hyperstar V: The Quest for Challenger’s Gulf…”

“Do you have the director’s cut?” Tusk interjected.

“Yup!”

“Awesome! Donia brought it to my attention, Maxima. You’re going to love it.”

“I’ll take your word for it” she replied. Despite being in the wrong time, Maxima felt pretty good at the moment. If going back in time to the epoch was her biggest blunder, then some pizza and a good movie was no big deal, truth be told.

To be continued…

Next: Interval

ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)

[precioustyl]

My love.

I want you to know that I'm so grateful for having you in this world, i'm so lucky to be loved by you. Honest i'm so in love with you, i really love you, aku gatau udah berapa banyak aku bilang sayang sama kamu dan i love you ke kamu disetiap hari nya, karna beneran memang aku sesayang itu sama kamu. Aku nyaman sama kamu, aku seneng pas kita ngabisin waktu bareng, aku suka kamu selalu ngucapin "makasih untuk hari ini" disetiap malam sebelum kita tidur. You're my happiness, you're my world my everything, Tuhan sudah menjawab doaku yang minta bahagia dan akhirnya Tuhan ngasih kamu buat aku, kamu hadiah dari Tuhan yang paling indah bagi aku. Kamu sempurna, tanpa kamu sadari yang aku butuhkan itu semuanya ada di kamu, cuma ada di kamu. Aku gak nyangka kalo aku bisa jadi orang kesayangan kamu, orang yang selalu kamu andelin, orang yang selalu kamu banggain, orang yang bakal jagain kamu terus, dan jadi orang tempat kamu untuk pulang denger cerita maupun keluh kesahnya kamu. Aku bener bener beruntung dan bersyukur banget akan hal itu, bey makasih banyak kamu udah terus sama aku sampe sekarang, makasih banyak udah ngasih kasih sayang nya kamu ke aku, makasih banyak udah ngasih kepercayaan buat aku jadi pacar kamu. I promise i'll give you the best in this relationship, i promise i'll give you more best experience love, and i promise i'll give you everything that i have cuz i'm so in love with you. Aku mau sama kamu terus, aku mau jagain kamu terus, aku mau terus jadi orang kesayangan kamu, aku mau dicintai kamu terus.

[youcannottakeitwithyou]

Douglas Andelin