#aphelion flight

[pasteidolons]

aphelion - hjs

pairing: archaeologist!hong jisoo x curator!reader genre: angst, smut, fluff, short story other characters: kim mingyu, xu minghao, choi seungcheol, park sooyoung, kang seulgi warnings: afab reader, alcohol use, cursing, smut (oral, p in v sex), people not able to talk out their feelings word count: 13.5k summary: the past catches up to you at an archeology exhibit in the italian town of pompeii. feelings trapped and unknown come to light when you end up face to face with someone you thought you’d never see again.

It’s not that the Italian sun is unfamiliar to you, you’d basked in its glow on a handful of occasions as you had traveled and worked in this country rich in both wine and history. The sun bearing down on you isn’t harsh, but it isn’t kind either, its soft rays acting to lull you into a dreamlike state of relaxation and wonder as it swallows the fluorescent lights of the airport as the sliding glass doors lead you outside and into its heat. Stone pines reaching towards the heavens, it is a strangely comforting feeling to see them looming above the cypress trees that adorn the landscape around the Naples airport. Maybe it’s you just thankful to be back on solid ground, the flight had been turbulent and the line at customs hellish. All you really want is a nap.

“Oh my god I can’t believe we made it,” hand finding the rim of a jet-black pair of Ray Bans, Park Sooyoung’s attention is drawn to the bright sky above, cloudless and blue as it reflects in the lenses of her glasses. “How long is the drive to the house?”

You and your friend had met up a few days earlier in order to travel together to an archeological conference in the historical hotspot of Pompeii. She, being an archivist in New York, and you, being one in London, had rarely seen each other since your grad school days and took this as an opportunity to convene with another friend, Mingyu, and play catch-up. It isn’t the most ideal of circumstances, since this is a work trip, but you’ll take what you can get in stride and hope for the best.

Papers folding and bending against each other as the pair of you stroll through the exit terminal, various cars and buses aligning the strip to both pick up and drop off passengers, you sigh, “Half an hour?”

The now meaningless plane tickets and visa information are now tucked away in a pocket of your bag, gone to the world until you’ll need it again to assess your travel information for reimbursement purposes. Flying on the company dime isn’t something you’re unwilling to do.  

From what your phone had told you and the various guides that had tried to help in the airport, you’re looking at a relatively short journey to the home you’ll be staying in. Your other hand holds the grip of your rolling suitcase as it trails behind you, clicking against the tile underfoot, “Although, Mingyu said that he could drive extra fast if we needed to get there sooner.”

The only way you can tell that your friend’s eyes had widened is from her eyebrows peeking out from the top of her sunglasses and her mouth left slightly agape at your statement, “No thanks. If it’s anything like it was back in New York, I’d prefer to live this weekend.”

Small laugh escaping you, you know she’s excited to see him, but she’d never admit as much. “He said he’d be under the Alitalia sign,” eyes scanning the cars but more importantly the faces of the drivers to try and determine a recognizable one among the masses.

“There he is!” Sooyoung’s voice, shrill and excited, calls out as she rushes over to a small red Fiat parked parallel between two large tour buses. A roll of your eyes at how obvious she’s being, it isn’t tooth rottingly sweet, but it is certainly something.

He’s leaning atop the small car’s hood when he hears the delighted call of your friend, eyes trailing upwards from the phone in his hand and a dimpled smile gracing his lips as he watches the two of you walking closer. “I was starting to think you took the wrong plane.” Phone slipped into his pocket, Mingyu pushes himself off the car and begins to walk towards you.

Sooyoung’s arms quickly wrap around his neck as she leaves you to catch her falling suitcase, a short ‘tch’-ing from your lips as she lets go of him and returns to her bag. “We got caught up in customs,” a step forward and you sling your arm around his neck in a quick hug before releasing him, “who knew July was prime tourist time?”

“The perfect reason to have a conference, huh?” He laughs, glancing towards Sooyoung’s and your luggage. “I’m not too sure all of this will fit in the trunk; someone might be stuck with it in the backseat.”

And that’s how you find yourself, head pressed up against the window as the rolling hills of the Italian countryside pass to your left, while a mountain of a collection of both Sooyoung and your baggage peeks into your periphery. Headphone in your right ear, you’d been listening to a podcast on your flight detailing different religions around the world and were continuing on listening to one detailing the festivities of the Roman holiday Saturnalia.

As you listen to how, while a merry tradition, it held underlying themes of human sacrifices and the benevolence/maleficence of the gods, you find yourself slowly nodding off as you press the side of your head against the glass of the window and close your eyes. Not before eyeing Mingyu looking over at Sooyoung with a smile on his face as her attention is rapt upon him. You’d made a bet with him when the three of you had first been acquainted as to just how long it would take him to ask her out. The way they look at each other is something you think only found in movies, it makes you yearn for an affection you don’t quite have in your life. Although you’d lost that bet, as they hadn’t so much as gone on a date, you can tell they’re just too chicken with one another to say anything.

The darkness of sleep quelled when Sooyoung quietly rouses you as she gently shakes your knee with her hand. She’s turned to look at you when your eyes crack open and the golden glow of the afternoon haloes her to make her look even more ethereal.

“Your forehead looks bruised,” a smile, more so caring than anything malevolent, on her lips as she knows how you’d barely slept the entire flight. “Mingyu said we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

A look out the window and you realize that the scenery has shifted significantly, becoming rockier as the sight of the mountain is now far more in view than it was when you’d fallen asleep.

“The house is on the southern end of Vesuvius, it’s actually pretty close to the ruins if you have time to visit while you’re here,” Mingyu notes, knowing how much Roman history had enthralled you in your earlier years of work.

“We’ve got a few days,” Sooyoung ponders as if she’d already planned out her free days at the conference, “I’m sure we can squeeze it in.”

Eventually the car winds its way through some narrow street at the base of the mountain and you come upon a small, rustic looking house. The walls are old, obviously not built in this century, but look well cared for. There is a small walkway leading around the side of the house and you wonder where it’ll take you, but most of your attention is focused on pulling your bags from Mingyu’s car.

“Your room’s the second door on the right after you go up the stairs,” Mingyu says as you make your way to the front door as he was now struggling with the weight of Sooyoung’s bags in his grasp.

After rolling your eyes at him you make your way inside, the dark wooden floors and pale beige walls greeting you rather plainly. There is something elegant about the simplicity, but your attention now lies on not losing your center of balance as you haul your bags up the narrow staircase. You follow his directions and move down the hallway and come to your room, bed made and the last glittering rays of sunlight peek in through the curtains on the singular window above the bed. It’s quaint and homely, something you hadn’t had for a very long time as you think to the dismal apartment you keep London.  

You descend the flight of stairs, thankful that you don’t have to tote any more luggage up from the car, and make your way into the kitchen. Perhaps you’d hoped to grab a glass of water, yet your actions halt when you see the figure of and older woman standing at the kitchen counter with several canvas bags in hand. She smiles and gives you a small wave while cheerily saying “Buona serata!”

Returning the gesture with a mumbled “Buona serata,” of your own, you skirt around the edge of the kitchen to grab a glass and pour yourself some water from a nearby pitcher.

“My landlord likes to come over every Friday to cook,” A voice from your right and you glance over and notice Mingyu standing beside you. “She says it’s because her family’s grown up now and she needs someone to care for.” A nod of your head as you watch the older woman unpack her canvas grocery bags, the contents full of things both familiar and foreign.

“Grazie mamma,” Mingyu smiles and walks forward, seeming to want to help his landlord in her cooking ventures. His helpful hands are eventually swatted away, her saying something rapid but you get the gist that she doesn’t need any aid.  

“What’s she making?” you ask as you catch sight of Sooyoung walk into the kitchen, almost as pale as a sheet as she makes way over to your side.

There’s a gentle tugging at your shirt as Mingyu questions his landlord. A glance to Sooyoung and she mouths ‘We need to talk’ before getting interrupted with Mingyu saying, “Chicken cacciatore with polenta, I think?” A buzz from his pocket and he looks at his phone, “My roommate’ll join us in a little while. He’s on his way back from a dig and shouldn’t be too long.”

Mingyu hadn’t mentioned his roommate too much, just said they’d met when their team was assembled to scour Site V in the ruins of Pompeii and they’d become fast friends. They’d been living with each other for almost a year now and you can't even recall the name even after Mingyu had probably mentioned it a handful of times when you’d talked over the phone.

“Sounds good,” you smile, tugging at your shirt becoming a little more forceful as the urgency in Sooyoung’s eyes is more prevalent. The landlord says something to Mingyu, and he answers with a nod and leaves the kitchen and heads into the living room. “What is it?” After a moment’s calm you turn to your friend, corners of your mouth turning downwards.

“I left my moisturizer at the hotel in Warsaw,” a gentle tugging again, pleading as she speaks once more, “Can I borrow yours?” The soft strums of a guitar and melancholy vocals of a woman emanating from the room Mingyu had left to go to, the landlord must’ve asked him to put on music.

“Is that what you were so weird about?” A gentle scoff leaving your lips as you nod, “Yeah, it’s in my-”

“I know!” She’s already bounding up the stairs and leaves you with the last of your sentence still in your throat.

“She hasn’t changed much, has she?” Mingyu asks as he reenters the kitchen. His gaze lingers on where Sooyoung once stood, a ghost of a smile noted by his dimples.

“Not one bit.” You note, “But you haven’t either, Mr. Kim. Your head is still stuck on Rome and on her.”

“She’s not-?”

“Dating anyone?” You interrupt at his worried tone, “No. Unless she’s got some hunk back in her lab.” A look of relief on his brow as you take a sip of water, “You know, you really should ask her out. She was excited to see you again.”

“It’s just,” a hum as he pauses to ruminate on his thoughts, “She’s all the way in New York and I’m here for who knows how long. It’d be difficult and I wouldn’t want to put that on a new relationship.”

“If you don’t think she’d pack her bags and move here you’d be lying to yourself,” A shake of your head as the sound of Sooyoung descending the staircase echoes around the small kitchen and brings your conversation to a stop. “It’s also Italy, for God’s sake.”

“I think your roommate’s here,” Sooyoung announces, stating that she’d seen a car pull into the already cozy driveway and turn its headlights off. Almost right as she finishes her sentence the sound of the front door opening catches everyone but the landlord’s attention, as she is too busy cooking and humming along to the music coming from the other room.

It’s funny how the memory of someone can stay so far gone in the depths of your subconscious that you can very well forget about them until they’re standing right in front of you. A fleeting glimpse into who and what you were before you’d blossomed into a more mature adulthood staring at you with eyes equally surprised as your own. A small ‘o’ shape of your mouth mirroring; the tousled hair, button down linen shirt and dust and dirt that clings to his khakis almost pulling you from the anchoring weight of the past. A small smile as he looks to Mingyu, the landlord and Sooyoung before hoisting a bottle of wine in the air, “I didn’t want to come in empty handed for our guests.”

“There he is,” Mingyu nods to the former, “This is my roommate Josh, we’re both partnered up on the same dig team.”

Jisoo. His name is Jisoo. “It’s-” you begin but falter almost immediately, unknowing if your friend is aware of the lingering history between both you and his roommate.

“Nice to meet you,” an interjection from Sooyoung as she nods towards Jisoo, eyes trailing down to the bottle in his hand. “Would you mind if we crack that open now? It’s been a long day.”

Dinner had gone and passed more jovial than you’d thought it would, despite the coldness emanating from Jisoo who sits at the opposite end of the table as you. Fingers fiddling with the fork of your dessert plate, you prod at the panacotta lying half eaten in front of you as your appetite had been sated the moment Jisoo said that it was his favorite dessert.

Maybe he notices the lull in conversation, the sound of crickets chirping rising over the once chattering group, “So where did you and Josh meet?” Attention more turned towards Sooyoung rather than to yourself. Maybe it’s a slight to you but you don’t blame him, it only furthered the aching feeling in your chest as you bring your glass to your lips and drink the fiery vintage.

“We were all three interning together in New York our- what- senior year of college?” Sooyoung muses, lifting her wine glass to her mouth and taking a small sip, twirling the remnants of the local Lacryma Christi wine to aerate it further once she’d finished drinking. “Right?” She looks to Mingyu, who’s toying with another bottle of wine behind the three of you. The small bottle opener in hand, he only replies with a simple ‘Yeah,’ before furrowing his brow and setting back to try and uncork the stubborn bottle.

Elbows on the table as a flushed Jisoo leans in, “Where did you go to school?” He had always held his alcohol well, had something changed since you’d last seen him? Jisoo seems far more tipsy than he should be after two glasses of wine.

“It’s a small all girl’s school you’ve probably never heard of,” A wave of her hand as she sets her glass down onto the wooden table. “What about you?”

“Hamilton,” A glance to you, brief and painful, before he turns back to your friend, “But I also studied abroad in Korea for a little bit too.”

“Ah, you went there too. And you also studied abroad, right?” Sooyoung looks to you, brow raised in question as her index finger circles the top of her glass, inviting a response that you never wanted to give. “Did you know each other?”

“We knew of each other.” The sound of Mingyu pulling the cork from its home resonates around the small kitchen as you speak.

It was a Tuesday night, you’d just started watching Derry Girls and the cooling cycle of your AC unit had just kicked up with its trilling noise when a text on your phone buzzed, the words of the infamous “You up?” blaring across the screen in bold black letters. It was 10:47PM and you had a nine am the next day, you really shouldn’t respond. You could say no, say that you’re tired and want to go to bed instead of fucking your friend for the umpteenth time when he was trying to get over some girl he’d been chasing after on and off for your whole college career. But you didn’t, you wouldn’t ever because there’s that undeniable loneliness you had where human affection is a sought-after substance when you refused to forge the intimate bonds that held a man close to a woman. Or a man to a man. Or woman to a woman. Or to whoever preferred whoever. You aren’t one to judge.

Leaving the text for a moment, maybe two, to ruminate and stew in the Atmos of the unknown you responded saying “Only if you’ve got a bottle with my name on it.” Phone discarded onto your sofa you didn’t move again until he replied that he’d be over soon.

And with that you were off to the races to tidy up, clean bits and wipe of counters and take out the trash as you know he’s either on his way to the store, or already there, to pick up the treasured Cabernet Sauvignon that tasted of regret and unspoken vows the next morning. It was a solemn ritual; you’d drink as he lamented over the girl (half a bottle each), listen to music that both of you liked, he’d tell you the same story of him and his brother getting trapped in a tree as a child (because he obviously hadn’t ever told you this tale before), some film he’d watched once and couldn’t remember playing as the backdrop, and at some point he’d start playing with your hair. Long and slender digits patting, running through and twirling the strands that fell around your face, you weren’t even sure if this was done subconsciously or not. Not that you really cared anyway. Fingertips gently grazing your shoulder in the glow of the tv, then your cheek, then your lips as his hand slipped under your chin and your mouths clash together in a wanton want for something constant. And then you’d have to excuse yourself to the bathroom to make sure you looked a presentable mess in your drunkenness.

Cheeks warmed with the wine trapped inside of you, maybe you’d had a little too much as your hand reached out to steady yourself on the counter as your other moved to brush a few strands of hair from your forehead. Fingers danced over your lips as the fiery feeling of his atop yours hadn’t quite left your system yet, you would laugh at yourself tomorrow for relishing in it but the you of now would soak up this limelight as this was the first time this semester this had happened. You had begun to wonder if it would again before his text tonight. Another look at your phone and it was nearing 1:30, a drowsiness in your system accompanied by the lull of the red had you stifling a yawn behind a hand raised to your mouth.

He’s in your bed by the time you exit the bathroom. Eyes shut and slow breathing as the woes of the world were only that of it spinning greatly on its axis. Conceptual in nature you never sought to feel anything more than just a friendship with him. Sure, it was a friendship that was deeply ingrained in fucking each other to take your mind off whatever was troubling you at the time, but a friendship, nonetheless. 

You stood in the glow of the streetlights bleeding in from the outside, a majority of his clothes had been strewn onto the floor, and yours were quick to follow. You were trying to get the damned hooks of your bra to unlatch when you heard him shift behind you.

“Allow me,” a smirk danced along his lips as he noticed you struggling with unlatching your bra. You relented as the palm of his hand landed on your lower back, sliding up leaving behind a trail of warmth. In a simple motion, he was able to unhook it with only one hand.

A short laugh as you shrugged off the garment, throwing it to the littered pile of clothes on the ground. You turned and found his lips, “Love that party trick of yours,” you murmured between kisses. With your right hand you gently pushed him backwards towards the bed. 

As the backs of his knees hit the mattress, he fell back, but not before reaching to grab your hands to bring you down with him. 

After a few more pecks with your chest flush against his, you sat up, straddling his lap as he chased your lips until he couldn't reach them anymore. Instead, his hands that were entwined with yours released their hold and traveled up your sides, finding anchor on your hips. It was then he began to gently guide your hips to move, you couldn’t  help the moan that fell from your lips or the way your hips instinctively rolled over his painfully hard cock.

“I can feel you through the fabric,” he sighed out breathing heavily, he glanced down to where your bodies almost met, the wetness of your core seeping through the layers of cloth. “Is that all for me?”

“Only for you,” you murmured, knowing it would spur him further. “Just touch me more.”

With a newfound sense of purpose, he did. His right hand raised, his thumb brushed over your breast, his index finger moved as well to play with your hardening nipple. You found yourself shifted to the flat of your back when you let out a moan and he moved himself to hover over you, looking down at his hand gliding over your skin, any feeling of shyness quickly left him. His lips met yours as his hand slid back down your side, the other being used to leverage himself over you. 

Something’s said, you’re not sure exactly what as it’s a mixture of words you do and do not understand. Jisoo’s lips lower, to your collarbone, through the valley of your breasts and down to your stomach. His hands find the sides of your hips, his own feet falling to the floor as he drags you to the side of the bed so that your knees and calves dangle over the edge. Fingers tangled through his dark and once coiffed locks as he lowered himself to your core, you couldn’t help but to try and quell your pounding heart. 

“Help me with this part?” He asked quietly, hooking his fingers around the waistband of your underwear. You obliged willingly, raising your hips to let him slide off the cloth with ease. “Perfect,” you could hear the smirk in his voice.

His lips captured your bud and your back arched at the contact, his hands moved away from your breasts and down your sides to the insides of your thighs, gently pushing them apart. 

His fingers run along your slick, gathering it as he releases your clit with a small pop before he pushes his index finger inside of you. After a moment, the word, “Move,” left you more enthusiastically than you anticipated. Yet he met your request with fervor, pumping his digit into you while you curled your fingers in his hair, gently tugging at his locks.

“Fuck–!” voice breathy as it leaves you, another finger, his middle, added to your core causing you to relinquish your hold on him to find your hands tangling atop the duvet.  

“Do you feel good?” He questions almost teasingly, knowing the answer as you let out a string of words ebbing on profanity and proclamations of your feelings. 

“I think– you know the answer–!” You tried to joke before you cried out as he pistons his hand faster, you feel yourself on the precipice of release. It's when he reattached his lips to you clit did the band snap within you and you cried out, your limbs had begun to tremble when he continued his movements, riding out your orgasm until you lightly nudged him away with your knee and he pulled his fingers from you. 

“Come here,” you murmur as you sat up, holding your hands out to him as he rose from the edge of the bed to stand between your open legs. Your hands found the sides of his face and pulled him in for a kiss, the taste of you and him intermingling in your mouths. One of your hands slipped away from his face, traveling down his bare chest and towards the hem of his boxers.

“We don’t,” he stopped, lips parting from yours as he searched your eyes, his hand finding yours, “we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” you nodded, head tilting slightly as if to gauge him, “do you not want to?”

“God, fuck,” he sighed under his breath as you caught your lower lip between your teeth, “Of course I do. Do you have a condom?”

“In the side drawer,” you said breathily as he stepped away, quickly fumbled in the dark for a moment before he procured the condom.

And with that he pressed his lips to yours once more and your back hit the mattress. Your teeth clicked together clumsily, but it was forgotten with a small laugh as your fingers traced the elastic of his waistband. He hovered over you, forearm holding up his upper body as he trapped yours within the confines of his knees, his free hand moved to help yours pull down his underwear.

The room was filled with tangible electricity, a palpable anticipation that hung heavy in the air as you both had shed the last remnants of clothing. Your skin tingled with anticipation, every touch sending shivers down your spine.

His lips found yours once more, urgent and hungry, as if trying to convey all the longing and desire that he’d been harboring towards that other girl for months. Your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as you lose yourself in the sensation of his lips moving against yours.

It’s then he pulled back, tearing open the condom’s wrapper and quickly rolling it onto himself. You watched his eager moments in amusement as you sat up, fascinated by how much he was willing to fuck. When he caught you looking, a deeper rooted desire overtook him and he came back to meet you at the side of your bed. Your hand went out to stroke him, but he caught your wrist, gently pushing it back onto the bed. 

“Mine,” His breath hot on your skin as he leaned in, pushing you back onto your back, hive raspy tone sent chills shooting from your head to your toes as he aligned himself with you. The breath had been pulled from your throat, when he pushed himself inside. “Please say you’re mine.”

A strangled sort of laugh escaped you, unknowing why he was acting in such a possessive manner. “Just for tonight.”

As your bodies melded together, skin against skin, you lost yourself in the sensation of him, in the overwhelming intensity of your connection. Each touch, each kiss, sent waves of pleasure coursing through you, building to a crescendo that threatened to consume you both.

When you looked at him, a sheen of sweat on his forehead and his hair tousled from your hands running through it, your heart swelled with a feeling as if it were trying to crawl up your throat. The scent of pine and a shiver snaked itself up your spine. He removed his lips from the side of yours, looking down at you like a beholden idol, his hips snapped into you as he'd begun to chase his own high. 

There was desperation in his kiss, and you hoped it wasn’t stemming from where you believed it to be. Your eyes screwed shut in abject ecstasy as your peak toppled you off of a high cliff, and it didn’t seem like Jisoo was too far off behind you.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, pulling out of you. His fingers quickly moved around the condom and he pulled it off before wrapping his hand around himself. He stroked himself a few more times before you felt stripes of heat spurt onto your abdomen.

He stood for a moment, regaining his composure before he excused himself for a moment, returning from the bathroom with a damp washcloth and gently wiped it across your stomach to remove the essence of him. Jisoo then tossed the rag onto the floor and fell next to you on the mattress before wrapping his arm around you. His breath was warm against the back of your neck as your chest still heaved with the sighs and exhalations of pleasure. 

The shock that came oh so prevalently to your features when he uttered the cursed “I think I love you” instead of the usual transition into a deep slumber.

Try as you might to steal him away from his yearnings and into the beguiling sin that engrossed you like a funeral shroud you shook your head with a, “No you don’t,” as you raised his hand to your lips and placed a chaste kiss onto his knuckles. A laugh as you were drunk on the spirit and freed inhibitions accompanying the acidic red scouring your veins. “You’re in love with the possibility of something loving and fucking you back.” In truth you weren’t sure if that’s it but repeating it to yourself and vocalizing it sure sounded better than facing your own crippling anxiety of it all.

Tensing under you as the brush of your lips atop his skin left him more flushed than not, “I just confessed to you and you’re telling me that I don’t love you?”

“I am,” a nod of your head as you turned atop the mattress to face him, his breath hot against your face while a confused expression settled into his. “You are far too drunk to be saying things like that and I’m far too drunk to want to accept them,” you reached your hand to caress his cheek before you felt his reach up to gently grasp around your wrist to pull it away.

“Are you saying you’ll love me when you’re sober?” The sensation of rough stubble beginning to emerge from his face still lingering on your fingertips, you closed your hand to staunch the feeling.

Scoff from your lips piercing him like an arrow, “I’ll love you when you start loving yourself over that girl.” The orange slants of lights bleeding in through your blinds from the street below your apartment was the only thing that illuminated the two of you. His hand fell away from your wrist and your hand dropped down onto the small space of mattress that distanced your body from his. “You’re too stupidly handsome to not love yourself.”

Quizzical smile playing on his lips as you felt his eyes peering into yours. “You think I’m handsome?”

“I’m pretty sure ninety nine percent of the population thinks you’re handsome, Jisoo.” A roll of your eyes as you turned onto your back, looking up at your pale ceiling, orange glow still emanating from outside.

“What about the other one percent?” As you moved to place your hand atop your stomach he asked, also moving to look up at the ceiling with you.

He was only the narcissist you knew him to be when you were alone with him. Joshua may have loved his physical appearance but was always critiquing his personality, his interactions with others. “Oh, they actually do think you’re handsome, they just haven’t realized it yet.”

“Can we just stay like this?” Breaths intermingled with the cool air of your apartment as he moved to take your hand in his, warmth emanated from his palms and danced atop his fingertips. “I don’t really feel like-”

“Yeah, of course,” an impending sense of dread ran cold through your once warm veins, an involuntary shiver coursed through you causing him to pull you in closer as he thought that you were just cold. You weren’t, just knew of what’s to come tomorrow.  

He was gone by the time you woke up, morning light shining in as you had to hold a hand up to block it from permeating through your eyelids any longer. When your hand ran atop the cool mattress where he was supposed to be, a pang reverberated around your rib cage as you realized he must’ve been absent for some time. Normally after one of these nights the two of you would head to some diner that still sold breakfast around noon while you frantically typed away at an email telling your professor that you’d gotten food poisoning the night before and couldn’t make it to class. Now you were alone and void of the sense of urgency that skipping class tended to put on you.

As if he had impeccable timing, your phone buzzed on your nightstand, a notification detailing that you had several missed calls and unread texts. A sigh from your lips as you reached out to grab the device, swiping it unlocked and reading the last message he’d sent, “Blue @ 2?”

He’d already been seated when you walked into the dingy diner on the outskirts of your college town. Gaudy retro blue interior, a mockup of Elvis at the entrance and the small jukeboxes adorning each table just reminding you of all the times you’d sat in here, hungover and tired. Now you were hungover, tired and anxious. Jisoo was picking at a tray of fries as you slid into the booth, looking up to you as you sat, the vinyl squeaking as you moved atop it, “I didn’t hear you come in.”

There was a gritty, off sounding version of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ coming from the little jukebox to your right and you wondered if Joshua had fished out the quarters from his mess of a wallet for it to be playing. He knew it was one of your favorites. “I’m working on my stealth, might just drop out of college and become an international spy at this rate,” You smiled as you shrugged off your jacket.

A nervous smile on his lips, you hadn’t seen that since your freshman year and the whole debacle with that girl had started. Something was on his mind and you knew it would never come out unless you prodded first. Smile on your face faltered as an impending feeling of dread began to surge through you, “What is it?”

“What?” Eyes widening as he shoved a fry in his mouth, “Do I have something on my face?”

“Why did you ask me to come out when I know you’ve got a history or business class right now?”

“A Comprehensive Study of Italian Literature throughout the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.” Another fry eaten, he spoke with his mouth full, “It’s not really something I want to sit through every day. And I wanted to see you.”

“For?”

“Do I have to have a reason for wanting to?”

“You typically do.” A shrug of your shoulders as most of the reasons had been like the incident that spurred last night’s escapade, or to run over notes for an upcoming exam. And that one time where he’d asked you to look after a cat he’d been trying to smuggle into his no pets allowed apartment complex.

Silence as the cogs turn in his head, you can almost see them as he tries to vocalize his thoughts. “It’s about last night.” His hand rests atop the red basket that housed the last of the fries. He lets out a sigh, removing his hand and brushing it atop a nearby napkin, “I mean what I said.”

“Jisoo…” name faltered on your lips as you knew what was to come, “You know I’m not looking for that right now. And what about that girl? Isn’t that why you came over in the first place?” the dynamic shifting between the two of you with every word uttered out of this conversation. It was uncomfortable as you felt yourself pulling away when all he wanted to do is try to get closer to you. An anxiety running through you as your fingers clenched into fists atop your pant leg.

“That's why I came over. I realized I was looking for someone to replace you when all I ever needed was here.” His voice was quiet, calm and an air of shakiness interlaced through it.

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“I’m not really sure.” Humming as he took a glance out the window, gray clouds sweeping over the once verdant blue of the evening. “Are you really never going to give me a chance?” He still wasn’t looking at you, you weren't sure if he was able to.

It’s blurry now, the rest of that afternoon. It had begun to rain while the two of you sat in that diner, precipitation pelting the sides of the restaurant as you both made a haste escape to your apartment. Clothes littered on the floor as you somehow make your way into your bedroom, kisses both chaste and longing grazing your skin as your hands run through his now messy locks.

You hated how tender Jisoo was, how bittersweet his lips felt on yours as his hands caressed your sides as he pressed himself on top of you. Hated how he melted under you and careened for your touch even if you’d only lifted your hand from his seconds prior. There was a want inside of him that you could feel rearing to break free, but he was holding himself back, he always held himself back. He craved an affection you were unwilling to give, too reluctant to lose yourself to the possibility of him.

This wasn’t a goodbye; it was a plead for you to stay. With your sheets wrapped around you and strayaways of your hair clinging to the sides of your face you tell him to leave, you’re tired and need to get some sleep at some point because you've already missed too many classes. It pained and tormented you to push him away, he was a good friend, a good lover but you never once had the thought that he could hold that guarded place in your heart that had been untouched by anyone. You were afraid that you loved him back.

You hadn’t said a word to him since that afternoon. Nothing from him ever came to you either, the ties had been cut at that meeting and no trying to forage the relationship anew ever came. The two of you grew apart and became separate people, you never looked after him and you had no idea if he looked after you. There was some comfort you gave yourself in never seeking him out, you didn’t have to own up to the fact he existed anymore and that the assholishness of your years prior could remain a secret. But now faced with that undeniable presence of him back in your life you feel as if the pillars holding you aloft are beginning to crumble.

“With the earth is in aphelion we tend to lose ourselves, finding that even though it may be summer and memories of an us no longer presents itself, we question the now and want to return to the past. It’s a captivating notion, isn’t it? Take this time to reflect on yourself and the choices you’ve made to understand who you are now and who you were then.”

Roll of your eyes as the host begins to finish up her spiel of moving forward as it feels all too relating to your current situation. Hand moving to pause the podcast as you hear a gentle knock on your door. You’d finally gotten the back of your dress zippered up on your own after what felt like an eternity of it not budging those last few centimeters. “Come in,” you call out and Sooyoung opens the door right away.

“Are you almost ready?” She asks, looking stunning as ever in a simple sparkly nude dress, the v of the neck gives only little to imagine but she pulls it off with more grace than anyone else you could picture. “Mingyu’s getting the car ready so we should all head out soon.”

“Yeah,” you nod, glancing to the small standing mirror atop the wooden dresser. It wasn’t optimal lighting to pretty yourself up in but you’d dealt with worse.

“What’s aphelion?” She asks as she reaches for the door handle, eyes looking to the now black screen of your phone. “The lady on your podcast was talking about it.”

“It’s the furthest point away the earth is from the sun. We’re actually in it right now.” Musing as you move to toss your phone onto the bed, beside your purse that you’ll be using that night.

“Isn’t it summer though? If we’re at the furthest point, shouldn’t it be winter?”

A shrug of your shoulders as she opens the door, realizing your answer could probably be better recurved via a google search. “I couldn’t tell you,”  muttering as you lean over to collect the pair of shoes strewn at your feet.

Sooyoung leaves as you begin to slide your heel into your shoe, once put on you stand for a moment on wobbly legs as you hate the way these events make you dress up for things. You feel like a newborn foal as you tiptoe your way to your purse and then to the door. Cracked open it lets a sliver of light in, then a shadow passing over it as someone walks by. “Sooyoung, did you-” thinking it was your friend returning to her room for something you open the door and look down the hall, only to find the widened eyes of Hong Joshua looking back. The two of you stare at each other, vocalizing internally a conversation that had yet to occur or maybe that had in your dreams. “I thought you were-,” a shake of your head as you wave it off. “I’m going now.”

“After you,” a hand motioning to the stairwell as you brush past him, palpitations thrumming so loudly inside your chest you’re surprised he can’t hear them.

When you get to the car you see that Sooyoung’s already in the passenger seat, scrolling through her phone as Mingyu messes with the radio of the car in a feeble attempt to get it working again. You slide into the backseat, your stomach dropping when the other backseat door opens and Jisoo gets in beside you. Never in your life had you wanted to be in a bigger car than you were in now.

It was an uncomfortable ride to the welcome party, Mingyu and Sooyoung made casual small talk whereas the back two seats lay dead silent as you try to cave in on yourself. Jisoo is everything you remember and everything you curse, the scent of his favored Jo Malone cologne soaking into you as you sit in the backseat has you reeling. You don’t even know they made the Amber and Lavender scent anymore. Nor were you aware that he could dress this nicely, he’d only followed the preppy boy trend back in college and at his best you think you could recall him wearing some Ralph Lauren polo to an outdoor event. That was the Jisoo you’d known. Not the dolled-up enigma that sits next to you, his knee lightly knocking into yours as the car moves over the bumpy streets.

You’re not sure which deity to thank as the Hotel Diane is only a twenty-minute venture from the house. Before anyone has the ability to assist you getting out of the car as you roll up to the entrance of the venue, you unbuckle your seatbelt and make a speedy retreat into the bowels of the conference. You can hear Sooyoung calling out after you as you race into the plethora of archeologists, researchers and everything in between. A sigh of relief as you find the restroom, locking yourself into one of the stalls as you try and sate your rapidly beating heart.

It was supposed to have stopped a long time ago, the regret and anguish over him. Yet the flame ignited once more when his eyes had met yours yesterday evening. You barely slept that night and you were plagued by memories the entirety of today. Hong Jisoo is a plague that you don’t want to give up. Or maybe the memory of him is, you know nothing of what became of him after the triste in college had ended and you had gone your separate ways.

“You look like shit,” Sooyoung’s voice hitting you almost as soon as you exit the bathroom, “Not your makeup or anything, that’s fine.” A hand raised as if sensing your aura or to generalize the vibe you were giving off, “Your expression though. What’s wrong?”

“Hm?” You blink, trying to mask the anxiety riddled through you with a confused façade. “Nothing, I just really had to use the restroom.”

“And it had nothing to do with the handsome man sitting in the backseat with you?” She poses as the two of you begin to walk through the atrium, sliding past other partygoers. As you near a catering staff member holding a tray of drinks, Sooyoung reaches out and plucks one off of the tray and hands it to you before getting one for herself, “You’ve been acting weird since last night.”

A sigh as you bring the glass to your lips, drinking as you stride forward into the main gala, a large room adjacent to the main atrium. “Seeing him just reminded me of school, is all,” It isn’t a complete lie, just not the wholehearted truth either.

It seems as if everyone’s begun to be ushered into the main hall, the lights of the stage in the back of the room brightening as an older man walks up, a handful of notecards in his grasp. Doors shut behind the last of the stragglers, the gravelly voice of the man begins to welcome everyone to the annual conference and how it was such a treat to hold it in a historic place. The lights of the room dimming to draw attention towards the stage, you find yourself lost in drink as he speaks, eyes wandering the crowds as you catch Joshua looking at you with an expression you couldn’t quite put a name to. It only made you drink more, swapping out your now empty glass with a new one from a server’s tray nearby.

The speech drags on for another five minutes or so, detailing the events of the weekend. The words tuned out as you feel the burn of alcohol down your esophagus. When the speech is done and the lights brought up, you and Sooyoung make a round around the room, chatting with several acquaintances from conferences and events prior and greeting any new faces you come across.  

“How’s your new exhibition in London going?” A voice asks as you turn to your left, “I hope everything got there safely?”

Turning to now greet a familiar face, “Of course it did, Seungcheol. No thanks to you, of course.” Mischievous smile flashing as Sooyoung leaves your side to wander over to a group of Mingyu’s cohorts. “I’m surprised you lent us your exhibit on such short notice, it’s only been up for a few days but luckily enough I was there to see the inaugural showcase. It’s absolutely phenomenal, by the way.”

Smile now coating his features, “I’m glad it worked out. And anything for an old friend.” He takes a sip out of the glass in his hand, glancing around the room for a moment as if to observe the atmosphere. “It seems busier than usual, doesn’t it? I hear it’s largely in part due to the handful of new teams they’ve set up in the area.”

“Well, typically these are held in stuffy new cities, can’t blame the attendance for being higher here.” You note as you look over the faces of the other patrons. “St. Louis wasn’t all that exciting, was it?”

“Learning about Cahokia was, though.” He notes with a raised brow and turns his attention back to you. “I saw you come in with Mingyu, do you know him?”

“We interned at the Smithsonian and went to grad school together; do you know him?”

“I met him the other day when a few of us early birds were able to get a behind the scenes tour of sector V. I actually know his teammate Joshua, I saw you come in before them so I’m assuming you know him as well?” Seungcheol questions as he scans the crowd for the sight of the taller looming above everyone else.

“Only a little bit,” You lie as the varnish of perceived reality begins to chip away, bit by bit, “I’d say I’m better acquainted with Mingyu really.”

“Ah, that’s a shame. He’s a bright kid, if you ever get to know him, was a great help when our junior archivist was out of town for a while…” You hope he can’t see the painted smile on your face as he speaks again, “Have you met any of their teammates? It really is an eclectic bunch.”

“I haven’t actually, I think Sooyoung’s talking with them now.” Peering back to see Sooyoung laughing at something Mingyu was saying, “I should probably introduce myself.”

“I’ll leave you to it then, I’ve got an archivist and an architect to track down somewhere around here. It was nice seeing you again,” He gives you a short nod before heading off into the masses.

“There’s the woman of the hour,” Sooyoung’s hand that isn’t occupied with a wine glass slips around your waist as you approach the group. “I was just telling them how you managed to snag the Gohyang exhibit, not that they really care. They’re all archaeology nuts.”

“I take it I don’t need to introduce myself then?” Shooting Sooyoung a short glare before looking to the handful of people surrounding you, “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Nice to meet you too,” A voice speaks up and a hand raises to meet yours as Sooyoung’s grip around your waist is lost. “I’m Minghao, the site supervisor, kind of in charge of these guys.”

Another voice beside him, “Don’t let him act all high and mighty about it, it’s just because our real team leader broke his wrist skiing and is on leave for the next two weeks.” Different hand to shake, “I’m Seulgi. I work in forensics.”

“And you already know Mingyu and Joshua, they’re pretty much our main diggers,” Minghao notes and looks to Mingyu, “Where is he by the way? Didn’t you two come together?”

Humming as Mingyu’s eyes scan the crowd, “I’m not sure, he might’ve ducked out to get some fresh air. You know how he gets.” Unable to find him, his attention returns to the group, glancing over at you, “Was he always this weird at events?”

“Do you know him?” Seulgi's voice interrupts before you’re able to speak, pulling your attention away from your friend and to her.

“I-”

Once again interrupted, this time by Sooyoung. “She actually went to school with him. Small world, isn’t it?”

“Not so much in this field,” Minghao muses, something wistful in his tone, “We all come across each other at some point.”

“You’re still not going to get over that Russian tomb raider, are you?” Seulgi sighs, attention focusing back to you. “But was he? He’s always happy at the dig site but whenever we come to these sorts of events, he gets all quiet and taciturn. It’s like he’s looking for someone who’s never really going to show up.”

“That’s uh- Oddly specific.” Uttering under your breath, uncomfortable at the turn of events and barrage of questions being thrown at you. “And I really didn’t know him that well.”

“Ah come on,” Sooyoung’s voice slurs ever so slightly as you take a sip of your drink. “I can hardly believe you went to a small school in the middle of BFE, go on a study abroad trip with him and didn’t talk to him.”

Pressure building as if you’re a kettle with nowhere to expunge the steam rapidly rising inside of you. You’re a trapped animal, cornered in a room of vicious predators.

A nervous, shaky laugh escapes you, and before you can stop yourself, the words start tumbling out. “I mean we were classmates and we knew each other- We were kind of friends and more, but it wasn’t supposed to be serious, you know? I needed to focus on my studies, on my career. I wasn’t ready for anything more, and I told him that, but he just… he wanted more. But it didn’t make sense because he was in love with someone else, always talking about her like she was the one, and I felt like… like he was just using me to fill some void or get over her or something. And I knew it wasn’t right, but I couldn’t stop it. I didn’t mean to hurt him, but I did, and now—”

Your voice cracks, the guilt and confusion spilling over as you realize how loud and rambling you’ve become thanks to the alcohol that not only lessened your anxiety but loosened your tongue. The group falls into an uncomfortable silence, the weight of your confession hanging in the air. You can feel the burn of a gaze on the back of your neck, and when you turn, there he is—Jisoo, staring at you, his eyes filled with a mix of hurt and something else you can’t quite place.

Smile instantly dropping into a grimace, a mumbling of “Oh shit,” as he brushes past you without so much as a glance, wine stem threatening to break under the stress you now exude from your fingers. A pit dropping in your stomach as the reality of your words and the carelessness of your actions only sought to further dredge you from the comfort of your mind and into the abysmal present.

"I'm so sorry," you apologize with wide eyes to the group. A guilty being inside of you chases after him, the clacking of your shoes atop the marble floor echoing around the space yet muffled by the number of people that you’d outright embarrassed him in front of. Not that they’d all heard, only the ones that matter to him. You set the wine glass in your hand atop a small table before you exit, only after downing the last of the liquid that remained, hoping the warmth of your cheeks is more so from the wine than your mortification. You need liquid courage, yet if you consume any more, you’re unsure what other vile secrets may come tumbling from your lips.

Jisoo’s standing in the atrium of the building when you find him, tie loosened from his neck as if it had sought to choke out every last word from his mouth. You approach with a slowing velocity, unsure how to reintroduce yourself after the disaster of an evening. Another calamity incurred by a slip of the tongue and careless action by you, unlike your past self now this blinding awareness overtook you and a tremendous amount of guilt found itself weighing you down.

“I’m not good with words, I never have been.” A hand had run through his hair as he looked far too more shaken now than he had in the moments prior. Footsteps atop tile as he paces the space, a statue of some Roman deity or emperor looking down upon the two of you as if it meant to judge your sins. “I’ve tried so goddamned hard to forget about this and you just think it’s okay to waltz right back into my life and make it all some sort of fantastical joke?” You feel as if you were a child being scolded by a parent rather than whatever you would define your relationship with Joshua now. If there even was one to define. Eyes trailing the floor as the sternness in his voice was reason enough for you to never want to make eye contact with him again, your blood was hot, and you were warm with repentance. “You broke my heart, what makes you think that you have the right to come back?”

“If you want me to say I’m an asshole I can, the largest of assholes who was too stupid and vain to think of anyone but myself. That was a total lie back there I don’t even know why I said it.” You feel slovenly with the way the words fight their way out of you as you apologize for the immoralities of a time long past, “Jisoo,” he winces at the name, your sure no one’s called him that in some time, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Sorry for much more than the scene you’d just caused.

“Did you really never care about me?” The pain in his voice renders you from the present and into the past where he’d found you hidden away in some closet at a fraternity party. Your arms slung around the neck of someone you’d only met a handful of times before then, focus breaking when the door opens, and streams of blinking led lights from the party outside flooded into the dark space. It had taken you a moment to recognize the large silhouette in the doorway, shadow casting onto the two of you locked into a crude embrace. Blinking you return to the hardened stare he gives you now, reminiscent of that you saw in his eyes that day. “You fucked my friend and didn’t think anything of it.”

“We hadn’t spoken in months! I wasn’t obligated to pine over you when we’d practically become strangers.” Yet you had. This hallowed feeling had plagued you for months following that night, you’d remembered it the morning after and had an apology text written that you never found the courage to send. It sat on your phone screen for longer than you would have liked it to, but that’s what it did, sat and collected virtual dust while you found solace in finding use in other men to take your mind off of him.  

Eyes finding comfort in the statue above, you wait for the words trapped inside of his chest like a caged beast to be wrought upon you as he had probably wished to do since the last you’d seen him. They never come. No floods or wrath or hellfire fury wrung out for you to find. Just silence as the gentle chatter from the ballroom down the hall faintly ambling as the backdrop to your tragedy.

“If I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have come.” Spare him from this detriment of character. Scared. You were scared and that’s why you’d not spoken to him since that rainy afternoon. He’d said something before he left but you were too busy trying to keep yourself together to remember what he’d uttered. In his absence you’d try to remember, but it all proved fruitless and you perhaps had lost one of your truest friends that day. “Didn’t Mingyu tell you we were coming?”

Hands in his pockets, gaze racked onto something painted onto the domed ceiling of the atrium. “He did.” Breaking your gaze from the statue you look to him, quizzical brow already set atop your features.

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Voice quiet, you feel the alcohol tunneling your vision and pulsing through your fingertips.

“To see if you’ve changed, to see if you’re still vehemently against my happiness.” Eyes turned to you as a frown adorns his lips. You’d never felt such seriousness come from him, it made you feel even more a cornered animal than you’d been in the ballroom. “It’s obvious that you are though, I should’ve expected as much.”

“Vehemently against your-? What the hell are you talking about Jisoo?”

“You never wanted me to be happy!” Hands flying out of his pockets as they move to gesticulate a feeling you couldn’t quite comprehend. “Every time I tried to move towards you, you always pushed me away. I tried to accept and understand that, but you let me into your arms on more occasions than I can count on my two hands. If you really didn’t want me then why did you continue to let me in like that?”

“Because I thought I was doing you a favor! I was taking your mind off of that girl! You never wanted me, or I was too stupid to see that you actually did because you talked about her all of the fucking time!” Voice raising as you continued, a fire boiling in your blood that you hadn’t realized had been only simmering for the past eternity. “It took too long for me to realize that I loved you back.” You were in love with him. You are in love with him and now you’ve gone and ruined any chance you had at reconciliation again. It’s as if some Austenian novel was taking place yet it was far too real and far too raw for it to be anything as romantic or gothic as such.

“Loved me back,” a bark from the back of his throat, a laugh of incredulity as the damnation in his gaze is ever so present, he didn’t believe you and he had every right not to. “You know, I thought about what I would say to you if I saw you again,” Leaning back so his weight now lay on the base of the statue, “I wrote out countless scenarios, questioning why you never reached out. Why I never tried to either. I was so, so angry at you and now I’m just tired.” Frown as he looks to the floor, the fire once bright behind his eyes simmering into a broken flame, “I can’t be too upset; I was as much an ass as you back then for not wanting to respect your wishes. But if I had loved you any less, I might just hate you now.”

A moment’s pause to reiterate what he’d said in your mind, the alcohol running rampant you take a few deep breaths in hope you’d heard what he admitted correctly. ‘Loved you any less,’ sounded like he certainly didn’t despise the essence of your being but with the way he’d acted prior to tonight made it seem as if you were a ghost to him. “Are you saying you don’t hate me?”

“I’m saying I’m old enough to realize that we both had our faults.” Gaze still trailing the veins of marble in the floor, “I used you as an emotional coping mechanism for the longest time before actually realizing I liked you. I didn’t even talk to her that last night, I just wanted to come over to be with you. But you,” Lower lip bitten as he nods his head, “I was never able to figure you out.”

Humbling as this whole situation is you’re finding it harder to stay upright, you move to stand next to him and motion to the bit of statue base beside him. He nods and scoots over enough to allow you enough space to lean alongside him. Warmth from where he once was lingering on your back, you let a sigh loose from your lips, “I was too selfish, I said I didn’t want to get involved with anyone, but I was just scared.” Foot tapping against the floor as the gentle reverberations echo around the room, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. And I didn’t even sleep with your friend, I left soon after you did.”

Mouth parted to say something more, it never happens as the door to the main hall opens and Mingyu emerges, quickly moving to the two of you. “Would you mind if we head back a little early? Sooyoung’s a little, no, super drunk and I don’t want her to say anything embarrassing. Well, anything more embarrassing.”

Knowing how your friend got seemed to momentarily distract and sober you, a look to Joshua and then to Mingyu you nod your head, “I don’t mind.”

“I don’t either,” Jisoo agrees and then opens his palm for Mingyu to throw him the car keys, “You get her and I’ll pull the car around.”

Gentle breathing as the warmth of another lying next to you in bed rouses you from slumber. Light peeking in from the window overhead as you shift, the fragrance of a rose scented shampoo greeting you. “Sooyoung,” a grumbling from your lips as you hadn’t realized that she’d snuck into your bed during the night, she was a clingy, cuddly drunk that you were normally never one to accommodate. But last night had been different, you barely remember the ride home as you’d been in and out of slumber. Joshua had driven while you took the passenger seat, Sooyoung’s head atop Mingyu’s lap as she gently snored away, finding sleep a much better accompaniment than drunkenness in a moving car.

“Five more minutes,” a murmur from her as she pulls the blankets closer to her chest, “I think I’m still drunk.”  

“Want to trade,” a hand moving to your forehead as you sit up, waves of nausea rolling like an unbearable tide through your system. “I need a Powerade and a nap. Do they have Powerade here?”

“Pedialyte maybe,” Sooyoung says, sounding more awake as the covers fall away as she sits up. She ponders for a moment, sleep in her eyes as she stares down at the white duvet. A yawn escaping her as she turns to you, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Hand running through your knotted locks, looking over to your similarly disgruntled friend.

“Oh, you know, the stock market.” Retort scoffing from her, “I’m talking about whatever the fuck happened last night between you and Joshua.”

Maybe you’d thought it all a dream, the argument and your drunken folly. Yet presented to you again you couldn’t help but acknowledge it, “I said something stupid and I apologized to him.” More than that you’d unthinkingly confessed you liked him eons too late, but you could blame that on your inebriation, although you’re not sure what he’d say. You’re not sure you saw him have a sip of anything at all last night.

“Seemed like a little more than that,” Shoulders shrugging as she moves to slide out of your bed and walk over to the small vanity. “When he was carrying you inside you were all over him, apologizing about something.”

“I what?” Eyebrows raising as you feel the familiar flush of embarrassment creep along your spine. “You must’ve been seeing things there’s no way in hell he’d do that.”

“-Even made sure to bring you some water,” you hadn’t realized she’d been continuing. “I can’t really remember much else though.” The sound of acute popping as she stretches her arms, “I’m going back to bed, wake me up if anything important happens, okay?”

A shake of your head as you usher her out to leave, an icy feeling running from your head to your toes as you think you’d rather stay in this room the entirety of your stay than face whatever was beyond the door. When you do get that confidence to venture out, as you didn’t hear anyone trapezing about the house, you try and quietly amble down the stairs as to not wake your slumbering friend a few doors down. Pounding in your head you make way to the kitchen to rummage around for an aspirin or five to rid yourself of the aftermath of indulgence. Quiet, “Shit,” escaping you as there’s nothing to be found, only water and tea. So, when Jisoo finds you sitting alone at the kitchen table, water glass in hand as your head is pressed gently to the rough wooden surface, he can surmise you’re probably not feeling your best. You hadn’t even heard the front door open, nor had you guessed he’d be dressed up in business attire once again. Another jarring thing to add to your morning.

“I figured you wouldn’t be feeling great,” His voice soft as if not to disrupt the cosmos, “I brought you and Sooyoung some espresso. It won’t cure your hangover, but it’ll wake you up.” The sound of a cup hitting the tabletop and you look up to see it sitting in front of you. The shift in his attitude over the course of the last two days all too paradoxical and overwhelming for you to think of right now. Your hand reaching forward to grasp the paper cup in your hands and slowly bring it to your face.

A sip taken and you sit up, “Thank you.” Finger running over the small hole atop the lid, “Sooyoung’s still asleep. I’m not sure when she’ll be up again.” Jisoo responds with a slight nod of his head, not furthering the conversation as it seems he’s lost in thought. “Where’s Mingyu?”

“At the conference,” It takes him a moment to respond, “I ducked out early to make sure you both were doing okay. He also wanted to know if the both of you wanted to check out the ruins today. It’s going to be crowded but we can sneak our way through without too much hassle.”

“I think we’d both be up for it after a little more sleep if that’s alright?” The scent of the espresso finally hitting you, it was good but didn’t sate the anxious butterflies floating around your stomach.

“That’s fine, you can go and get some sleep, Mingyu’s not supposed to be back for another couple of hours.”

“It’s quite sad, isn’t it?” Walking through the ancient and weathered streets of Pompeii felt more as if you were walking through a graveyard rather than a place frozen in time. In a way it is a graveyard, yet most came to ogle at the plastered bodies of the deceased than appreciate the ability to see how the people once lived and thrived. You stand now, with Mingyu and Sooyoung, Jisoo standing some feet back as you gaze at one of the faded frescoes from antiquity.

“Sad, yes. Tragic? Absolutely.” Mingyu says as he takes a few steps further into the atrium of the household, towards the small, empty impluvium that sat in its center. “But in a way it’s kind of happy too, don’t you think? It’s a city lost in time but we’re slowly uncovering the past and its people.”

“I’m pretty sure we’ve got a room like this in the MoMA,” Sooyoung says, looking down to the little guidebook in her hand.

“That’s actually from a villa outside of the city,” Mingyu interjects, “It’s preserved beautifully.” They share a look and you turn away, not wanting to impede on their moment.

Instead, your attention turns to Jisoo, who’s walking through the doorway and out into the street, lip bitten you contemplate following after him since you hadn’t really spoken to him since that morning and a plethora of questions are running around your head. You excuse yourself from the other two, not that they would’ve noticed as it seems they were in deep conversation, and head out into the increasingly overcast afternoon. “I don’t want to sound weird but what exactly did I say to you when we came back here last night?” Voice calling out to Jisoo as he reads something carved into a slate of marble beside the house. Standing atop the steppingstones that dotted the antique streets so that you could get a better look at him. “I can’t really remember and it’s been eating me alive all day.”

Hum from his lips as he glances to the cloudy sky and then to you, “You did say something about being ‘the most unmitigated and comprehensive ass,’ was that Shakespeare?” There’s a slight smile to his lips and you feel your stomach doing cartwheels. “You said it at least ten times.” He strides over, not needing to take many steps since his gait is that of a giraffe’s.

“Austen, actually.” Words coming out in almost a whisper as the two of you stand in silence. Birds cawing overhead and the buzz of nearby tourists as you don’t know what to say next.

“For someone who was never a romantic, you sure as hell indulge in romantic things,” casual musing and he moves his hands into his pockets. The air smelled of sun-dried dirt and salt envelops you, even with the clouds above the harshness of the sun felt ever so present on your back.

“I’m sorry,” words escaping you, “I-”

“You’ve already apologized more in a weekend than I could’ve hoped for in my entire life,” A shake of his head as he raises a hand to stop you. Tongue swiping his lower lip, “You know, I thought I was supposed to be angry when I saw you again, but when I saw you standing in the house after all this time, I was more happy than not?” Laugh escaping him, “Maybe I’m crazy.”

“I was too,” in a strange way you had been. The anxiety had been there, of course, yet there was an undeniable elation at seeing him. Flicker of a smile coming over you, “Maybe we’re both crazy.”

“Mingyu’s said you’ve climbed up in your career pretty fast,” A nod of his head, “I’d love for you to tell me more about it if you’ve got time to grab dinner while you’re here?”

“It’s not like we’re housemates for the week or anything,” You smile, “I’d really like that.”

When he takes your hand and doesn’t let it go after you’ve exited his car, that’s when you start to think, finally, his resentment towards you had begun to fade. When he holds the door open and pulls your chair out for you at the restaurant, is when your heart starts thrumming. When he pays the tab but you go out for an hour or two longer talking, reminiscing, and catching up is when you feel like you can look at him without any semblance of regret or shame. When his hand lingers atop yours while he tells you a story about an extravagant find in Site V is when you can’t wipe the smile from your lips and the euphoria from your chest.

“So, other than becoming a wildly prolific curator, what else have you been up to?” Hand moving away from yours as he leans back in the small wooden chair. The dim lights of the restaurant casting soft shadows across his features.

“I play tennis on the weekends, I’ve also got a cat back home but she’s kind of an asshole,” you laugh, returning your hand to your lap. “But what about you? I always thought you’d go into curation, never saw you as the archeologist type.”

“To be honest I thought it’d be like Indiana Jones, but I think the movies overexaggerated his job a little bit,” the joke playing gaily in his eyes as he shoots you a small smile. “But I might look into a museum job when I get older, it’s just too much fun being out in the field right now. I didn’t enjoy archiving as much as this.”

“I get that,” agreeing as you reach for your water, taking a sip before placing it back onto the table. “So, did you and that girl ever work out?”

“That girl,” Joshua pauses, “You know she has a name, right?”

“Of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever called her by it.” Lips pursed as your finger plays with the condensation on the glass.

“What did you call her? An anglophile or something?”

“She always had that stupid union jack jacket on, it was like she was trying to be a wannabe Beatle,” it wasn’t a bad jacket. You realize now that it had probably been jealousy that coined the title.

A short laugh, “I remember that. But no, we never ended up together. I’m really only dating one person right now.”

Brow furrowing, had you gotten this whole night misconstrued? “Oh really? Who is it?”

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. We kind of found him halfway under a rock a few years back and have been trying to piece him and his story together ever since.” Eyes widening as he tells you the tale, “He’s at least nineteen hundred years old so I don’t think it’ll work out between us though.”

“You’re an asshole,” scoffing as you roll your eyes at him. In all honesty you were a little relieved he’d only been joking.

The two of you slowly begin to realize the lateness of the hour, the moon hanging high as you exit the bar with warm faces and hints of smiles lingering on your lips. There is a coolness in the air that hadn’t been present when you’d entered, it wasn’t cool enough to make you shiver but it feels pleasant as it runs over your skin. The drive home is filled with aimless chatter, it just feels comfortable to be back on good terms with him and feel his presence once more in your life.

Not too long after you arrive to the house, you find your friends absent. Checking your phone, you see they’ve gone off to watch a film and wouldn’t be back for another hour or two. You sit on the plush, green velveteen sofa of the living room as Jisoo saunters in with a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand. “I’m shocked at the amount of wine everywhere, I feel like if I stuck a spigot into the ground it’d be wine that comes out instead of water.”

“The Italians love their aperitifs and their wine,” Jisoo says as he pours out two glasses and hands you one. The TV turned onto a channel playing a movie you know but dubbed in Italian, you watch for a moment before feeling the brush of a hand atop your shoulder. Turning to look, you see Joshua’s head tilted to the side as his fingers dance along your shoulder.

“Can you tell me if I’m being too presumptuous?” A nod of your head as his fingers begin to absentmindedly play with a few strands of your hair, “But I don’t think my feelings about you changed all too much since I told you I loved you. And I understand if you don’t want to accept me again because it’s been too long, and we’ve grown apart but-”

Jisoo’s ramblings are cut short when you lean forward and place a kiss on his lips. It isn't your first kiss with him, nor was it his with youu. Although it was your first kiss with him that you wholly put intention behind as you’d never allowed it before because it had called for an intensified intimacy, you’d been scared to assign yourself to such a concept. Yet now you feel as if you were ready, “I love you too.”

Pulling your face away from him, the stars of disbelief shine in his eyes as the glow of the TV lights illuminate the smile on his lips. He looks relieved, sated and gleeful, a cornucopia of feelings that were unobtainable so long ago. Without another word you settle into each other, your head upon his chest as his hands run absentmindedly through your hair, the staticky nature of the television and sounds of a summer night outside lulling you both to sleep. It’s difficult to explain the situation to your friends that walk in an hour and a half later, startling the two of you awake as they come upon you. Their hands interlocked with each other, you shoot Mingyu a look to which he avoids, Sooyoung only winks and looks down to your hand which you find covered by Jisoo’s. It’s a silent act of solidarity, just a casual acceptance of what time had spurned as the night trudges onwards and you return to his side as the other two make their way upstairs.

[campingwiththecharmings]

*These weren't necessarily written and/or posted in January, but that's when I read them so lol*

🔥 - explicit/mature content

Star Wars

🔥Aphelion (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @oscarseyebrow

Salt and Sky (Poe Dameron x Reader) - @clints-lucky-arrow

Pretending (or not) (Cassian Andor x Reader) - @dameronscopilot

Taking Flight (Modern!Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

Undoing (College!Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @groguspicklejar

🔥Corner Booth (Din Djarin x F!Reader) - @magpie-to-the-morning

🔥Tender Loving Care (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @clints-lucky-arrow

Risky Kiss (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @dailyreverie

🔥Tender (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

I'm Scared / 🔥Safe and Sound (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @the-little-ewok

You Are In Love (Modern!Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @alwritey-aphrodite

Triple Frontier

🔥Illicit Affair (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

🔥I’ll Be Back Again To Stay (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @alwritey-aphrodite

Home is a Person (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @tropes-and-tales

🔥Thank Me Later (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @writefightandflightclub

🔥Big Red Bow (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @villainvindicator

Fairy Godmother (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @tropes-and-tales

Home (Santiago Garcia x Reader) - @bullet-prooflove

🔥Good Form (Benny Miller x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

🔥Watercolor Eyes / Blocked by the Snow (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @psychedelic-ink

🔥Take Care (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @wyn-n-tonic

🔥Patience (Benny Miller x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

Moon Knight

Nocturnal | To Be Alone (Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @moonlight-prose

🔥First Time (Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @luvpedropascal

Cute Aggression (Steven Grant x Reader) - @kittyofalltrades

🔥Fast Lane (Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @shewhohangsoutincemeteries

Stone Heart (Steven Grant x Demisexual!Reader) - @magpie-to-the-morning

🔥Fire & Desire (Jake Lockley x F!Reader) - @marc-spectorr

🔥Friends (Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @foreverinadais

A Sunday Kind of Love (Marc Spector x Reader) - @moonlight-prose

First Snow (Jake Lockley x Reader) - @softlyspector

🔥Forbidden Delights (Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

🔥Spirals and Skin (Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @clints-lucky-arrow

Purloin (Marc Spector x Reader) - @laters-gators

🔥Say It Too (Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @astroboots

🔥Gold Skinned and Eager (Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @fettuccin-e

Tales Untold (Marc Spector x Reader) - @softlyspector

Egg Fried Rice (Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

A Simple Misunderstanding (Jake Lockley x Reader) - @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

Do You Want to Dance? (Steven Grant x Reader) - @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

Ex Machina

Amende Honorable (Nathan Bateman x Reader) - @laters-gators

The Last of Us

🔥Mule (Joel Miller x F!Reader) - @laters-gators

🔥Radio Static (Joel Miller x F!Reader) - @foli-vora

🔥The Light is Blinding (Joel Miller x F!Reader) - @writefightandflightclub

🔥Code Breaker (Joel Miller x F!Reader) - @inklore

🔥Told (Joel Miller x F!Reader) - @the-ginger-hedge-witch

Tulsa King

🔥Just Like That (Mitch Keller x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

The Bourne Legacy

Long Promised Road (David/Outcome 3 x Reader) - @nowritingonthewall

Thank you to all the wonderful writers for sharing their stories with us 🥰❤️

*For more recs, please feel free to check out my fic rec tag.

**If you'd like to have your fic removed from the list, I completely understand, just let me know

[astralscrivener]

For the writing prompts: umbral constellation 37 (touching) and/or 27 (touching) :D

these have been guiltily sitting in my inbox since february. oops. anyway have fun bestie <3333 my bestie whom i love so much <33333

cws for some blood and broken bones n stuff. typical d&d fare <3333333

touching: 27. pulling the other one towards them pyx belongs to me, arthur belongs to @queen-eevee

Pyx hears his bones break first.

They’re such light, delicate bones. Built for flight, shrouded beneath dark feathers. So like her Arthur, fragile and hiding all of his faults and weaknesses in shadow. Each snap and crack is like a punch to the gut. 

Then Pyx sees Arthur get pushed off the ledge, shrieking and dragging their assailant down with them, and it’s as if her own bones have shattered.

The uppermost levels of Orbit are nearly in the clouds. Unless Arthur gets lucky and hits a footbridge, it will be an impossible drop to the deepest pit of Aphelion, if he doesn’t break his spine on the way down first.

Pyx bolts.

They give into the tingling in their fingertips and toes. Their eyes blaze white like twin stars as their limbs begin turning blue, translucent. A glimmering blue bow appears in their hand, grasped between their fingers like an extension of their limbs.

Behind her, the plants spilling through the broken glass of the balcony doors surge forth. A thorny vine shoots out and wraps around the arrow that materializes between Pyx’s fingers as she skids to the edge of the balcony, aims down, and fires.

“This might sting!” she calls, but she knows Arthur can take it. A little sting is nothing she can’t fix, and nothing Arthur hasn’t faced before. Compared to everything else—everything he’s told her, everything else he still hides—a sting is gentle.

Arthur does not shout back to her. Instead, they and their assailant go tumbling, over and under and over, until at last Pyx’s arrow strikes true, sinking into Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur reacts as if an arrow to the shoulder is normal—they merely wince, and then grasp the shaft.

The vine pulls taut. The assailant continues falling into the abyss.

Pyx pulls with their hands, their magic, every fiber of their being. They aren’t strong, and Arthur is fucking heavy, but they dig their heels in anyway. One step back, then another, another. The vine scrapes the jagged edge of the ledge where the balustrade once was, grating away at it slowly, but then it’s no matter.

One of Arthur’s hands appears, and he hauls himself the rest of the way up before collapsing onto his stomach.

Pyx descends upon him in an instant.

touching: 37. putting their head on the other’s chest

It takes longer than Arthur would like to admit for his senses to readjust, which is to say, it’s only a few seconds, but those few seconds are precious.

They are precious, and they are lost.

The adrenaline does not die down, but his vision refocuses. The haze clears, and his necrotic shroud sloughs off like a second skin, bleeding back into the darkness. 

Otis is on their feet. So is Mayari. The crimson bloodwort is dead, its tendrils and vines dashed across the ground, tangled like unspooled thread. Its call, that throbbing pulse resting behind Arthur’s sternum, is there no longer.

Neither is the other pulse they’re looking for.

Arthur’s gaze sweeps over the carnage, heartbeat growing louder in their ears. They thumb at the spinning rings around their index fingers and cast their gaze left, right, left again, up and across—

“PYXIS!”

There she is, his star, unmoving amongst the bloodwort.

Arthur is at her side in an instant, trembling hands hovering over her. There are so many places to look, so many places to start. Rips in her shirt and skirt, in her skin. Secretions from the bloodwort, mingling with the dark pools and stains that can only be her blood.

The last thought registers belatedly with Arthur, and it makes them freeze altogether.

There, beneath the deep gouge in her shoulder. And there, still trickling from the gash in her arm, and from the wound near her hip that has soaked through her pristine white shirt. If she were awake, she would bemoan the stain and how it’s never going to come out.

But she doesn’t.

Arthur expects Pyx’s eyes to flutter open weakly, the timing dramatic as ever, even though Pyx thinks they aren’t. He expects them to make some kind of quip about the bloodwort, some kind of quip about him still being on his feet, but they—

But they—

“Pyxis,” Arthur repeats, a sob lodging in their throat as sense comes crashing back. They lean down, holding fingers beneath Pyx’s nose, searching for the pulse points in their neck, their wrists.

Nothing.

“Pyxis, please—” It is a desperation Arthur has never given way to in front of anyone. Not in a long time. For the first time in front of Pyx only hours ago. But she’s not present to see him now. Not here to feel him rest his head against her chest, straining to hear and feel the steady thrum of her heartbeat that he’s become so used to. 

And still, nothing.

touches ask game!

[asteriuszenith]

Now, the characters.

There is definitely a LOT of characters in the story but for our two main protags it's Skye and Timore.

Skye Aphelion is the youngest heir of the three heirs to the Aphelion throne. Her two older half-siblings are the twins Vincent and Eris. Skye is... Well, she's basically a bastard. Due to her inability to do some important family magic stuff, she wasn't allowed to debut in public and the royal family told the public that she was far too sickly and fragile to be put in the spotlight. Unknown to them, Skye was working at the City's infamous Library as the Librarian's assistant slash apprentice.

Due to the results of her upbringing, she keeps to herself most of the time but she can't help being curious whenever an outsider visits the Library and tells her stories about the outside world when she manages to muster up the courage to ask. She's a very curious woman who is always eager to learn new things.

She was getting used to her life as the Librarian's Assistant and for the first time in years, she was gaining this hope that even if Elysia forgot about the third princess, she could still live a content life like this.

But then the peace treaty came and she was used as the sacrifice, the offering to become the seal to this peace. She couldn't say no. After all, this was her time to prove herself. This was her time to do something for her country. It was time to prove her worth.

So she didn't protest. She kept her head down as always. After all, what's the use in trying to say no when nobody would listen to her and scorn her for her 'selfishness'?

Timore, on the other hand, is a Grandmaster of the Ignari. He has already gone an entire century's worth of growth and experiences, and he is a respected leader of his people. The other Grandmasters are close to him and it was only for this reason that he conceded at the end to the marriage since the others trusted him and he trusted them in return.

He has the bad habit of having a foot-in-mouth syndrome when he feels cornered or overwhelmed. It sort of comes with the fight or flight instincts of fear, which is his domain. He's socially awkward and normally very sarcastic. But he would never be intentionally unkind to Skye or others.

He was wary, yes. But he would never raise a hand against her. In fact, he takes his duties as her husband very seriously and would raise hell if you harm a single strand of her hair. He maintains an amiable relationship with Skye from the moment they began talking to each other after all, there's no use in being cruel to someone who is basically in the same position as you are.

He originally had this thought that Skye would be a spoiled, fragile little princess but when he met her, he found himself intrigued by the lack of fear in her. His interest grew further when he began seeing the little hints that nothing is as it seems with Skye. Although he was definitely concerned when he noticed that the Princess... She was far too down on herself.

They both definitely have a lot of space to grow and I can't wait to show all of you just how much they'll change and learn over the course of the story :3

[ifanfictiondreamerworld]

Ratchet and Kim Possible Chronicles: Anti-Corporation-Part 6

They made the hard trek back to Aphelion. Along the way, the Kimmunicator went off. Kim answered it. Kim: “Hey, Wade, what’s the sitch?” Wade: “Guys, I looked into the records regarding the Sargassium and I just found out that a large shipment of this chemical had been sent to Stratus City. You guys still remember that place, right?” Ratchet: “Stratus City? Of course! We haven’t been there since we first arrived in Polaris.” Kim: “We should head over there and investigate that shipment.” Ratchet: “Yeah, I agree. Let’s go.”

They made their way back towards Aphelion, got in after Kim had the info-bot transported back to Wade, then they took off and left the planet.

After another long flight, they arrived at the planet Kortog. Upon entering the planet’s atmosphere, they made their way to Stratus City. They found a place to land and got out of the ship. Kim switched on the Kimmunicator. Kim: “Wade, are you able to pick up on the Sargassium shipment?” Wade: “I’m picking up on massive Sargassium readings somewhere deep within the city.” Ratchet: “Point us in the right direction and we’ll head over there now.” Wade: “I’ve located the source. Make your way towards this direction.” Kim: “Got it. Let’s go.”

They got their robots placed on their backs and then headed out.

They hurried through the city as fast as they could. Along the way, they had a chance to look around the city. The streets and traffic seemed as busy as the last time they were there. However, there were some things that were different, which made them very happy. Kim: “You know, this city is as busy as it’s always been, but…it seems somewhat different after we defeated Tachyon and overthrown his empire.” Ratchet: “Yeah, this place seems so much better, almost as though everything here became much happier.” Kim: “And much less annoying without all of those jumbo screens displaying him reciting all of those terrible speeches. I swear, having to listen to those speeches infuriated me so much that I just had to rip out those screens and smash them.” Ratchet: “Can’t say I blame you for feeling that way and I did enjoy seeing you rip out all of those screens. Too bad it also got you into trouble with the empire.” Kim: “I really didn’t care; it was so worth it. The only thing that would have made me feel even better was if I were to toss them back at that evil twerp and shoved all of those horrible words back down his throat.” Ratchet: “Yeah, I would have liked you to do that, too.” Kim: “Well, it’s good to see all of Polaris completely liberated from that evil Cragmite brat’s rule.” Ratchet: “Oh, I feel the same way, Kimberly. Let’s free this galaxy from this other horrible epidemic.” Kim: “Oh, I’m so there.”

They made their way through the city. Despite it being freed from Tachyon’s rule, it was still not completely peaceful. There were still robots that cam at them they were not very friendly. Kim: “Whoa! What the…?” Ratchet: “Hey! What’s with all of these robots?” Kim: “I don’t know! I thought that they would stop attacking us here!” Clank: “Hm…they appear to be very similar to those that were used by the Cragmite Empire, however…there seems to be something very strange about them.” Ratchet: “What do you mean by that, Clank?” Clank: “I am picking up on some unusual modifications that were brought on to these models. They are very much the ones issued out by Tachyon, but not quite.” Kim: “Could those modifications have been done by Hench Co.?” Ratchet: “That is a possibility; I would not put that past them. Let’s try to find out what we can, Kimberly.” Kim: “OK.”

They kept going. More robots came at them, but they fought through. As they made their way further into the city, they were bombarded by more and more robots. The battle was really on. Ratchet: “Whoa! Where did all of these robots come from!?!” Kim: “Something tells me we’re getting closer to our intended destination.” Clank: “Ratchet! Miss Possible! I am picking up on signals coming from these robots. They are coming from a landing dock several miles away.” Ratchet: “Any chance that could be where the Sargassium shipment is?” Kim: “I wouldn’t doubt it one bit.” Clank: “Hm…I do detect small traces of Sargassium within that same vicinity, however…there is something…unusual about them.” Ratchet: “What is it, pal?” Clank: “I am…uncertain…” Kim: “Guess we’ll need to head over there to find out.” Ratchet: “Alright, let’s keep going.”

They continued their way through the city until they arrived at a large hanger bay. From there, they immediately noticed some large barrels. Kim: “There! That must be the shipment of Sargassium.” Ratchet: “Let’s take a closer look, you guys.”

They went over towards the hanger bay. As soon as they arrived, they were immediately ambushed by many robots. Ratchet: “Oh, man…!” Kim: “Of course, it’s never this easy.”

From there, they fought off the robot. It was a long and enduring battle that seemed to have gone on for a real long time. With each robot that they brought down, more of them came. Kim: “It’s no use! They just keep coming!” Ratchet: “There has to be some way to stop these robots from respawning!” Clank: “Hm…I think I may have a way. I just need to have myself and the info-bot emit a jamming array to shut down the machine that is respawning them.” Ratchet: “Well, what are you waiting for, pal!?! Get started already!” Clank: “We are on it.”

Clank and the info-bot switched on their jamming array and from there, the machine that respawned the robots shut off, thereby stopping the robots from coming at them. Soon enough, all was quiet. Kim: “Phew, thought that would never end.” Ratchet: “Let’s get to taking a closer look at this shipment.” Kim: “Of course.”

They made their way to the shipment and had a chance to look around. It didn’t take long for one of them to notice something. Clank: “Hm…most peculiar.” Ratchet: “What is it, Clank?” Clank: “The amount of Sargassium that is present here does not match the records of how much was shipped here.” Kim: “Hm…you seemed to be right about that, Clank. There are much less barrels here than what Wade had received from that shipment report.” Ratchet: “So, where could the rest of the shipment have gone?”

Kim thought for a moment. Just then, the Kimmunicator went off. Kim answered it. Wade: “Guys, I’m picking up on some new data regarding the Sargassium. Apparently, some of the shipment have already been sent out from your current location.” Clank: “But where could they have gone?” Wade: “I’m not sure about that, Clank, the data is inconclusive.” Ratchet: “Well, keep at it, Wade, we need to find out where that chemical is being shipped.” Wade: “I’m on it. In the meantime, we’ll need you guys to head over to the Planet Terachnos next.” Kim: “Why? What for?” Wade: “The Terachnoids have been working on data collecting data regarding Hench Co.” Kim: “Oh, great, what is it this time?” Ratchet: “Guess we should head over there to find out.”

They made their way back to Aphelion. Kim: “I really hope Pollyx isn’t up to his old tricks again.” Ratchet: “Heh, he’d better not be trying something when we get there.”

They got back to Aphelion, took take of what they needed to have done before they got back in. They then took off and left the planet.

[babygirlvanitas]

Any —adj. 1 a one, no matter which, of several (cannot find any answer). B some, no matter how much or many or of what sort (if any books arrive; have you any sugar?). 2 a minimal amount of (hardly any difference). 3 whichever is chosen (any fool knows). 4 an appreciable or significant (did not stay for any length of time; has any amount of money). —pron. 1 any one (did not know any of them). 2 any number or amount (are any of them yours?). —adv. (usu. With neg. Or interrog.) At all (is that any good?). [old english ænig: related to *one, *-y1]

Anybody n. & pron. 1 any person. 2 person of importance (is he anybody?).

Anyhow adv. 1 anyway. 2 in a disorderly manner or state (does his work anyhow).

Anyone pron. Anybody.

Usage anyone is written as two words to emphasize a numerical sense, as in any one of us can do it.

Anything pron. Any thing; thing of any sort.  anything but not at all.

Anyway adv. 1 in any way or manner. 2 at any rate. 3 to resume (anyway, as i was saying).

Anywhere —adv. In or to any place. —pron. Any place (anywhere will do).

Aob abbr. Any other business.

Aorta n. (pl. -s) main artery, giving rise to the arterial network carrying oxygenated blood to the body from the heart.  aortic adj. [greek aeiro raise]

Apace adv. Literary swiftly. [french à pas]

Apache n. Member of a n. American indian tribe. [mexican spanish]

Apart adv. 1 separately, not together (keep your feet apart). 2 into pieces (came apart). 3 to or on one side. 4 to or at a distance.  apart from 1 excepting, not considering. 2 in addition to (apart from roses we grow irises). [french à part to one side]

Apartheid n. (esp. In s. Africa) racial segregation or discrimination. [afrikaans]

Apartment n. 1 (in pl.) Suite of rooms. 2 single room. 3 us flat. [italian a parte, apart]

Apathy n. Lack of interest; indifference.  apathetic adj. [greek a- without, *pathos]

Ape —n. 1 tailless monkey-like primate, e.g. The gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-utan, or gibbon. 2 imitator. —v. (-ping) imitate, mimic. [old english]

Apeman n. Extinct primate held to be the forerunner of present-day man.

Aperient —adj. Laxative. —n. Laxative medicine. [latin aperio open]

Aperitif n. Alcoholic drink taken before a meal. [latin aperio open]

Aperture n. Opening or gap, esp. A variable opening in a camera for admitting light. [latin aperio open]

Apex n. (also apex) (often attrib.) System of reduced fares for scheduled flights. [advance purchase excursion]

Apex n. (pl. -es) 1 highest point. 2 tip or pointed end. [latin]

Aphasia n. Loss of verbal understanding or expression, owing to brain damage. [greek aphatos speechless]

Aphelion n. (pl. -lia) point in a celestial body's orbit where it is furthest from the sun. [greek aph'heliou from the sun]

Aphid n. Small insect infesting and damaging plants, e.g. The greenfly. Antitrades n.pl. Winds blowing in the opposite direction to (and usu. Above) trade winds.

Antiviral adj. Effective against viruses.

Antler n. Branched horn of a stag or other deer.  antlered adj. [french]

Antonym n. Word opposite in meaning to another. [greek onoma name]

Antrum n. (pl. Antra) natural cavity in the body, esp. In a bone. [greek, = cave]

Anus n. (pl. Anuses) excretory opening at the end of the alimentary canal. [latin]

Anvil n. Iron block on which metals are worked. [old english]

Anxiety n. (pl. -ies) 1 being anxious. 2 worry or concern. 3 eagerness, troubled desire. [latin anxietas from ango choke]

Anxious adj. 1 mentally troubled. 2 causing or marked by anxiety (anxious moment). 3 eager, uneasily wanting (anxious to please).  anxiously adv. [latin anxius]

Any —adj. 1 a one, no matter which, of several (cannot find any answer). B some, no matter how much or many or of what sort (if any books arrive; have you any sugar?). 2 a minimal amount of (hardly any difference). 3 whichever is chosen (any fool knows). 4 an appreciable or significant (did not stay for any length of time; has any amount of money). —pron. 1 any one (did not know any of them). 2 any number or amount (are any of them yours?). —adv. (usu. With neg. Or interrog.) At all (is that any good?). [old english ænig: related to *one, *-y1]

Anybody n. & pron. 1 any person. 2 person of importance (is he anybody?).

Anyhow adv. 1 anyway. 2 in a disorderly manner or state (does his work anyhow).

Anyone pron. Anybody.

Usage anyone is written as two words to emphasize a numerical sense, as in any one of us can do it.

Anything pron. Any thing; thing of any sort.  anything but not at all.

Anyway adv. 1 in any way or manner. 2 at any rate. 3 to resume (anyway, as i was saying).

Anywhere —adv. In or to any place. —pron. Any place (anywhere will do).

Aob abbr. Any other business.

Aorta n. (pl. -s) main artery, giving rise to the arterial network carrying oxygenated blood to the body from the heart.  aortic adj. [greek aeiro raise]

Apace adv. Literary swiftly. [french à pas]

Apache n. Member of a n. American indian tribe. [mexican spanish]

Apart adv. 1 separately, not together (keep your feet apart). 2 into pieces (came apart). 3 to or on one side. 4 to or at a distance.  apart from 1 excepting, not considering. 2 in addition to (apart from roses we grow irises). [french à part to one side]

Apartheid n. (esp. In s. Africa) racial segregation or discrimination. [afrikaans]

Apartment n. 1 (in pl.) Suite of rooms. 2 single room. 3 us flat. [italian a parte, apart]

Apathy n. Lack of interest; indifference.  apathetic adj. [greek a- without, *pathos]

Ape —n. 1 tailless monkey-like primate, e.g. The gorilla, chimpanzee, orang-utan, or gibbon. 2 imitator. —v. (-ping) imitate, mimic. [old english]

Apeman n. Extinct primate held to be the forerunner of present-day man.

Aperient —adj. Laxative. —n. Laxative medicine. [latin aperio open]

Aperitif n. Alcoholic drink taken before a meal. [latin aperio open]

Aperture n. Opening or gap, esp. A variable opening in a camera for admitting light. [latin aperio open]

Apex n. (also apex) (often attrib.) System of reduced fares for scheduled flights. [advance purchase excursion]

Apex n. (pl. -es) 1 highest point. 2 tip or pointed end. [latin]

Aphasia n. Loss of verbal understanding or expression, owing to brain damage. [greek aphatos speechless]

Aphelion n. (pl. -lia) point in a celestial body's orbit where it is furthest from the sun. [greek aph'heliou from the sun]

Aphid n. Small insect infesting and damaging plants, e.g. The greenfly.

Aphis n. (pl. Aphides) aphid. [invented by linnaeus: perhaps a misreading of greek koris bug]

Aphorism n. Short pithy maxim.  aphoristic adj. [greek aphorismos definition] Aphorism n. Short pithy maxim.  aphoristic adj. [greek aphorismos definition]

Aphrodisiac —adj. Arousing sexual desire. —n. Aphrodisiac substance. [greek aphrodite goddess of love]

Apiary n. (pl. -ies) place where bees are kept.  apiarist n. [latin apis bee]

Apical adj. Of, at, or forming an apex.

Apiculture n. Bee-keeping.  apiculturist n. [latin apis bee, *culture]

Apiece adv. For each one; severally (five pounds apiece). [originally a piece]

Apish adj. 1 of or like an ape. 2 foolishly imitating.

Aplomb n. Skilful self-assurance. [french, = straight as a plummet]

Apocalypse n. 1 violent or destructive event. 2 (the apocalypse) revelation, the last book of the new testament. 3 revelation, esp. About the end of the world.  apocalyptic adj. [greek apokalupto reveal]

Apocrypha n.pl. 1 books included in the septuagint and vulgate versions of the old testament but not in the hebrew bible. 2 (apocrypha) writings etc. Not considered genuine. [greek apokrupto hide away]

Apocryphal adj. Of doubtful authenticity.

Apogee n. 1 highest point; climax. 2 point in a celestial body's orbit where it is furthest from the earth. [greek apogeion]

Apolitical adj. Not interested in or concerned with politics.

Apologetic —adj. 1 showing or expressing regret. 2 of apologetics. —n. (usu. In pl.) Reasoned defence, esp. Of christianity.  apologetically adv.

Apologia n. Formal defence of opinions or conduct. [greek: see *apology]

Apologist n. Person who defends something by argument.

Apologize v. (also -ise) (-zing or -sing) make an apology, express regret.

Apology n. (pl. -ies) 1 statement of regret for an offence or failure. 2 explanation or defence. 3 (foll. By for) poor specimen of. [greek apologia from apologeomai speak in defence]

Apophthegm n. = *aphorism. [latin from greek]

Apoplectic adj. 1 of or causing apoplexy. 2 colloq. Enraged.

Apoplexy n. Sudden paralysis caused by blockage or rupture of a brain artery; stroke. [greek apoplesso disable by stroke]

Apostasy n. (pl. -ies) renunciation of a belief or faith, abandoning of principles, etc. [greek, = defection]

Apostate n. Person who renounces a former belief etc.  apostatize v. (also -ise) (-zing or -sing).

A posteriori —adj. (of reasoning) proceeding from effects to causes; inductive. —adv. Inductively. [latin, = from what comes after]

Apostle n. 1 (apostle) any of the twelve men sent out by christ to preach the gospel. 2 leader, esp. Of a new movement. [greek apostolos messenger]

Apostolate n. 1 position or authority of an apostle. 2 leadership in reform.

Apostolic adj. 1 of the apostles or their teaching. 2 of the pope.

Apostolic succession n. Supposed uninterrupted transmission of spiritual authority from the apostles through popes and bishops.

Apostrophe n. 1 punctuation mark (') indicating: a omission of letters or numbers (e.g. Can't; may '92). B possessive case (e.g. Harry's book; boys' coats). 2 exclamatory passage addressed to (an often absent) person or thing.  apostrophize v. (also -ise) (-zing or -sing) (in sense 2). [greek, = turning away]

Apothecaries' measure n. (also apothecaries' weight) units formerly used in pharmacy.

Apothecary n. (pl. -ies) archaic dispensing chemist. [greek apotheke storehouse]

Apotheosis n. (pl. -theoses) 1 elevation to divine status, deification. 2 glorification of a thing; sublime example (apotheosis of chivalry). [greek theos god]

Appal v. (-ll-) 1 greatly dismay or horrify. 2 (as appalling adj.) Colloq. Very bad, shocking. [french apalir grow pale: related to *pale1]

Apparatus n. 1 equipment for a particular function, esp. Scientific or technical. 2 political or other complex organization. [latin paro prepare]

Apparel n. Formal clothing, dress.  apparelled adj. [romanic, = make fit, from latin par equal]

Apparent adj. 1 readily visible; obvious. 2 seeming.  apparently adv. [latin: related to *appear] Apparent adj. 1 readily visible; obvious. 2 seeming.  apparently adv. [latin: related to *appear]

Apparition n. Remarkable or unexpected thing that appears; ghost or phantom.

Appeal —v. 1 request earnestly or formally; plead. 2 (usu. Foll. By to) attract, be of interest. 3 (foll. By to) resort to for support. 4 law a (often foll. By to) apply (to a higher court) for reconsideration of a legal decision. B refer (a case) to a higher court. 5 cricket call on the umpire to declare whether a batsman is out. —n. 1 act of appealing. 2 request for public support, esp. Financial. 3 law referral of a case to a higher court. 4 attractiveness. [latin appello address]

Appear v. 1 become or be visible. 2 seem (appeared unwell). 3 present oneself publicly or formally. 4 be published. [latin appareo]

Appearance n. 1 act of appearing. 2 outward form as perceived (appearance of prosperity). 3 semblance.  keep up appearances maintain an impression or pretence of virtue, affluence, etc. Make (or put in) an appearance be present, esp. Briefly.

Appease v. (-sing) 1 make calm or quiet, esp. Conciliate (a potential aggressor) by making concessions. 2 satisfy (an appetite, scruples).  appeasement n. [french à to, pais *peace]

Appellant n. Person who appeals to a higher court. [latin appello address]

Appellate attrib. Adj. (esp. Of a court) concerned with appeals.

Appellation n. Formal name or title; nomenclature.

Appellative adj. 1 naming. 2 gram. (of a noun) designating a class, common.

Append v. (usu. Foll. By to) attach, affix, add, esp. To a written document. [latin appendo hang]

Appendage n. Thing attached; addition.

Appendectomy n. (also appendicectomy) (pl. -ies) surgical removal of the appendix. [from *appendix, *-ectomy]

Appendicitis n. Inflammation of the appendix.

Appendix n. (pl. -dices) 1 tissue forming a tube-shaped sac attached to the large intestine. 2 addition to a book etc. [latin: related to *append]

Appertain v. (foll. By to) relate, belong, or be appropriate. [latin: related to *pertain]

Appetite n. 1 natural craving, esp. For food or sexual activity. 2 (usu. Foll. By for) inclination or desire. [latin peto seek]

Appetizer n. (also -iser) small amount, esp. Of food or drink, to stimulate the appetite.

Appetizing adj. (also -ising) stimulating the appetite, esp. For food; tasty.

Applaud v. 1 express strong approval, esp. By clapping. 2 commend, approve (a person or action). [latin applaudo clap hands]

Applause n. 1 approval shown by clapping the hands. 2 warm approval.

Apple n. 1 roundish firm fruit with crisp flesh. 2 tree bearing this.  apple of one's eye cherished person or thing. [old english]

Apple-pie bed n. Bed made (as a joke) with sheets folded so as to prevent a person lying flat.

Apple-pie order n. Extreme neatness.

Appliance n. Device etc. For a specific task. [related to *apply]

Applicable adj. (often foll. By to) that may be applied; relevant; appropriate.  applicability n. [medieval latin: related to *apply]

Applicant n. Person who applies for something, esp. A job.

Application n. 1 formal request. 2 act of applying. 3 substance applied. 4 a relevance. B use (has many applications). 5 diligence.

Applicator n. Device for applying ointment etc.

Applied adj. Practical, not merely theoretical (applied science).

Appliqué —n. Cutting out of fabric patterns and attaching them to another fabric. —v. (-qués, -quéd, -quéing) decorate with appliqué. [french, = applied]

Apply v. (-ies, -ied) 1 (often foll. By for, to, or to + infin.) Formally request. 2 be relevant. 3 a make use of; employ (apply the rules; apply common sense). B operate (apply the brakes). 4 (often foll. By to) put or spread on. 5 refl. (often foll. By to) devote oneself. [latin applico fasten to] Apply v. (-ies, -ied) 1 (often foll. By for, to, or to + infin.) Formally request. 2 be relevant. 3 a make use of; employ (apply the rules; apply common sense). B operate (apply the brakes). 4 (often foll. By to) put or spread on. 5 refl. (often foll. By to) devote oneself. [latin applico fasten to]

Appoint v. 1 assign a job or office to. 2 (often foll. By for) fix (a time, place, etc.). 3 (as appointed adj.) Equipped, furnished (well-appointed).  appointee n. [french à point to a point]

Appointment n. 1 appointing or being appointed. 2 arrangement for meeting or consultation. 3 a post or office open to applicants. B person appointed. 4 (usu. In pl.) Furniture, fittings; equipment.

Apportion v. (often foll. By to) share out; assign as a share.  apportionment n. [medieval latin: related to *portion]

Apposite adj. (often foll. By to) apt, appropriate; well expressed. [latin appono apply]

Apposition n. Juxtaposition, esp. Gram. Of elements sharing a syntactic function (e.g. William the conqueror; my friend sue).

Appraisal n. Appraising or being appraised.

Appraise v. (-sing) 1 estimate the value or quality of. 2 set a price on (esp. Officially). [earlier apprize, assimilated to *praise]

Appreciable adj. Significant, considerable. [french: related to *appreciate]

Appreciate v. (-ting) 1 a esteem highly; value. B be grateful for. 2 understand, recognize (appreciate the danger). 3 rise or raise in value.  appreciative adj. Appreciatory adj. [latin pretium price]

Appreciation n. 1 favourable or grateful recognition. 2 sensitive estimation or judgement. 3 rise in value. [french: related to *appreciate]

Apprehend v. 1 seize, arrest. 2 understand, perceive. [latin prehendo grasp]

Apprehension n. 1 uneasiness, dread. 2 understanding. 3 arrest, capture.

Apprehensive adj. Uneasily fearful.  apprehensively adv.

Apprentice —n. 1 person learning a trade by working in it for an agreed period at low wages. 2 novice. —v. (-cing) (usu. Foll. By to) engage as an apprentice (apprenticed to a builder).  apprenticeship n. [french apprendre learn]

Apprise v. (-sing) formal inform. [french appris(e) learnt, taught]

Appro n. Colloq.  on appro = on approval (see *approval). [abbreviation]

Approach —v. 1 come near or nearer (to) in space or time. 2 tentatively propose to. 3 be similar or approximate to (approaching 5 million). 4 set about (a task etc.). —n. 1 act or means of approaching. 2 approximation. 3 technique (try a new approach). 4 golf stroke from the fairway to the green. 5 aeron. Part of a flight before landing. [latin prope near]

Approachable adj. 1 friendly, easy to talk to. 2 able to be approached.

Approbation n. Approval, consent. [latin probo test]

Appropriate —adj. Suitable, proper. —v. (-ting) 1 take, esp. Without authority. 2 devote (money etc.) To special purposes.  appropriately adv. Appropriation n. [latin proprius own]

Approval n. 1 approving. 2 consent; favourable opinion.  on approval (of goods supplied) returnable if not satisfactory.

Approve v. (-ving) 1 confirm; sanction. 2 (often foll. By of) regard with favour. [latin probo test]

Approx. Abbr. Approximate(ly).

Approximate —adj. Fairly correct, near to the actual (approximate price). —v. (-ting) (often foll. By to) bring or come near (esp. In quality, number, etc.).  approximately adv. Approximation n. [latin proximus nearest]

Appurtenance n. (usu. In pl.) Belonging; accessory. [latin pertineo belong to]

Apr abbr. Annual or annualized percentage rate (esp. Of interest on loans or credit).

Apr. Abbr. April.

Après-ski —n. Social activities following a day's skiing. —attrib. Adj. (of clothes, drinks, etc.) Suitable for these. [french]

Apricot —n. 1 a small juicy soft orange-yellow peachlike fruit. B tree bearing it. 2 its colour. —adj. Orange-yellow. [portuguese and spanish from arabic, ultimately from latin praecox early-ripe] Apricot —n. 1 a small juicy soft orange-yellow peachlike fruit. B tree bearing it. 2 its colour. —adj. Orange-yellow. [portuguese and spanish from arabic, ultimately from latin praecox early-ripe]

April n. Fourth month of the year. [latin]

April fool n. Person successfully tricked on 1 april.

A priori —adj. 1 (of reasoning) from causes to effects; deductive. 2 (of concepts etc.) Logically independent of experience; not derived from experience. 3 assumed without investigation (an a priori conjecture). —adv. 1 deductively. 2 as far as one knows. [latin, = from what is before]

Apron n. 1 garment for covering and protecting the front of the clothes. 2 theatr. Part of a stage in front of the curtain. 3 area on an airfield for manoeuvring or loading.  tied to a person's apron-strings dominated by or dependent on that person (usu. A woman). [originally napron, from french nape table-cloth]

Apropos —adj. 1 appropriate. 2 colloq. (often foll. By of) in respect of. —adv. 1 appropriately. 2 (absol.) Incidentally. [french à propos]

Apse n. Large arched or domed recess, esp. At the end of a church. [related to *apsis]

Apsis n. (pl. Apsides) either of two points on the orbit of a planet etc. Nearest to or furthest from the body round which it moves. [greek (h)apsis arch, vault]

Apt adj. 1 appropriate, suitable. 2 tending (apt to break down). 3 clever; quick to learn. [latin aptus fitted]

Aptitude n. 1 natural talent. 2 ability or fitness, esp. Specified. [french: related to *apt]

Aqua n. The colour aquamarine. [abbreviation]

Aqua fortis n. Nitric acid. [latin, = strong water]

Aqualung n. Portable breathing-apparatus for divers. [latin aqua water]

Aquamarine —n. 1 bluish-green beryl. 2 its colour. —adj. Bluish-green. [latin aqua marina sea water]

Aquaplane —n. Board for riding on water, pulled by a speedboat. —v. (-ning) 1 ride on this. 2 (of a vehicle) glide uncontrollably on a wet surface. [latin aqua water, *plane1]

Aqua regia n. Highly corrosive mixture of acids, attacking many substances unaffected by other reagents. [latin, = royal water]

Aquarelle n. Painting in thin usu. Transparent water-colours. [french from italian]

Aquarium n. (pl. -s) tank of water for keeping and showing fish etc. [latin aquarius of water]

Aquarius n. (pl. -es) 1 constellation and eleventh sign of the zodiac (the water-carrier). 2 person born when the sun is in this sign. [latin: related to *aquarium]

Aquatic —adj. 1 growing or living in water. 2 (of a sport) played in or on water. —n. 1 aquatic plant or animal. 2 (in pl.) Aquatic sports. [latin aqua water]

Aquatint n. Etched print resembling a water-colour. [italian acqua tinta coloured water]

Aqua vitae n. Strong alcoholic spirit, esp. Brandy. [latin, = water of life]

Aqueduct n. Water channel, esp. A bridge on columns across a valley. [latin aquae ductus conduit]

Aqueous adj. Of or like water. [latin aqua water]

Aqueous humour n. Clear fluid in the eye between the lens and the cornea.

Aquilegia n. (usu. Blue-flowered) columbine. [latin]

Aquiline adj. 1 of or like an eagle. 2 (of a nose) curved. [latin aquila eagle]

Ar symb. Argon.

-ar suffix forming adjectives (angular; linear). [latin -aris]

Arab —n. 1 member of a semitic people originating in saudi arabia and neighbouring countries, now widespread throughout the middle east. 2 horse of a breed orig. Native to arabia. —adj. Of arabia or the arabs (esp. With ethnic reference). [arabic araps]

Arabesque n. 1 ballet posture with one leg extended horizontally backwards and arms outstretched. 2 design of intertwined leaves, scrolls, etc. 3 mus. Florid piece. [french from italian from arabo arab]

Arabian —adj. Of or relating to arabia (esp. In geographical contexts) (arabian desert). —n. Native of arabia.

Usage in the sense ‘native of arabia’, the usual term is now arab. Arabian —adj. Of or relating to arabia (esp. In geographical contexts) (arabian desert). —n. Native of arabia.

Usage in the sense ‘native of arabia’, the usual term is now arab.

Arabic —n. Semitic language of the arabs. —adj. Of the arabs (esp. Their language or literature).

Arabic numeral n. Any of the numerals 0-9.

Arable adj. (of land) suitable for crop production. [latin aro to plough]

Arachnid n. Arthropod of a class comprising spiders, scorpions, etc. [greek arakhne spider]

Arak var. Of *arrack.

Araldite n. Propr. Epoxy resin for mending china etc. [origin unknown]

Aramaic —n. Branch of the semitic family of languages, esp. The language of syria used as a lingua franca in the near east from the sixth century bc. —adj. Of or in aramaic. [greek aramaios of aram (hebrew name of syria)]

Arbiter n. 1 arbitrator in a dispute. 2 person influential in a specific field (arbiter of taste). [latin from arbitror to judge]

Arbitrary adj. 1 random. 2 capricious; despotic.  arbitrarily adv.

Arbitrate v. (-ting) decide by arbitration.

Arbitration n. Settlement of a dispute by an impartial third party.

Arbitrator n. Person appointed to arbitrate.

Arbor1 n. Axle or spindle. [latin, = tree]

Arbor n. (brit. Arbour) shady garden alcove enclosed by trees etc. [latin herba herb: assimilated to latin arbor tree]

Arboreal adj. Of or living in trees. [latin arbor tree]

Arborescent adj. Treelike in growth or form.

Arboretum n. (pl. -ta) place cultivating and displaying rare trees.

Arboriculture n. Cultivation of trees and shrubs. [latin arbor tree, after agriculture]

Arbor vitae n. Any of various evergreen conifers. [latin, = tree of life]

Arbour n. (us arbor) shady garden alcove enclosed by trees etc. [latin herba herb: assimilated to latin arbor tree]

Arbutus n. Tree or shrub with clusters of flowers and strawberry-like berries. [latin]

Arc —n. 1 part of the circumference of a circle or other curve. 2 electr. Luminous discharge between two electrodes. —v. (arced; arcing) form an arc; move in a curve. [latin arcus bow]

Arcade n. 1 covered walk, esp. Lined with shops. 2 series of arches supporting or set along a wall. [romanic: related to *arc]

Arcadian —n. Idealized country dweller. —adj. Poetically rural. [greek arkadia in the peloponnese]

Arcane adj. Mysterious, secret. [latin arceo shut up]

Arch1 —n. 1 curved structure as an opening, as a support for a bridge, floor, etc., or as an ornament. 2 any arch-shaped curve. —v. 1 provide with or form into an arch. 2 span like an arch. 3 form an arch. [latin arcus arc]

Arch2 adj. Self-consciously or affectedly playful.  archly adv. [from *arch-, originally in arch rogue etc.]

Arch- comb. Form 1 chief, superior (archbishop). 2 pre-eminent, esp. Unfavourably (arch-enemy). [greek arkhos chief]

Archaean (us archean) —adj. Of the earliest geological era. —n. This time. [greek arkhaios ancient]

Archaeology n. (us archeology) study of ancient cultures, esp. By the excavation and analysis of physical remains.  archaeological adj. Archaeologist n. [greek arkhaiologia ancient history]

Archaeopteryx n. Fossil bird with teeth, feathers, and a reptilian tail. [greek arkhaios ancient, pterux wing]

Archaic adj. 1 a antiquated. B (of a word etc.) No longer in ordinary use. 2 of an early period of culture.  archaically adv. [greek arkhe beginning]

Archaism n. 1 use of the archaic esp. In language or art. 2 archaic word or expression.  archaistic adj.

Archangel n. Angel of the highest rank.

Archbishop n. Chief bishop of a province.

Archbishopric n. Office or diocese of an archbishop.

Archdeacon n. Church dignitary next below a bishop.  archdeaconry n. (pl. -ies).

Archdiocese n. Diocese of an archbishop.  archdiocesan adj. Arabian —adj. Of or relating to arabia (esp. In geographical contexts) (arabian desert). —n. Native of arabia.

Usage in the sense ‘native of arabia’, the usual term is now arab.

Arabic —n. Semitic language of the arabs. —adj. Of the arabs (esp. Their language or literature).

Arabic numeral n. Any of the numerals 0-9.

Arable adj. (of land) suitable for crop production. [latin aro to plough]

Arachnid n. Arthropod of a class comprising spiders, scorpions, etc. [greek arakhne spider]

Arak var. Of *arrack.

Araldite n. Propr. Epoxy resin for mending china etc. [origin unknown]

Aramaic —n. Branch of the semitic family of languages, esp. The language of syria used as a lingua franca in the near east from the sixth century bc. —adj. Of or in aramaic. [greek aramaios of aram (hebrew name of syria)]

Arbiter n. 1 arbitrator in a dispute. 2 person influential in a specific field (arbiter of taste). [latin from arbitror to judge]

Arbitrary adj. 1 random. 2 capricious; despotic.  arbitrarily adv.

Arbitrate v. (-ting) decide by arbitration.

Arbitration n. Settlement of a dispute by an impartial third party.

Arbitrator n. Person appointed to arbitrate.

Arbor1 n. Axle or spindle. [latin, = tree]

Arbor n. (brit. Arbour) shady garden alcove enclosed by trees etc. [latin herba herb: assimilated to latin arbor tree]

Arboreal adj. Of or living in trees. [latin arbor tree]

Arborescent adj. Treelike in growth or form.

Arboretum n. (pl. -ta) place cultivating and displaying rare trees.

Arboriculture n. Cultivation of trees and shrubs. [latin arbor tree, after agriculture]

Arbor vitae n. Any of various evergreen conifers. [latin, = tree of life]

Arbour n. (us arbor) shady garden alcove enclosed by trees etc. [latin herba herb: assimilated to latin arbor tree]

Arbutus n. Tree or shrub with clusters of flowers and strawberry-like berries. [latin]

Arc —n. 1 part of the circumference of a circle or other curve. 2 electr. Luminous discharge between two electrodes. —v. (arced; arcing) form an arc; move in a curve. [latin arcus bow]

Arcade n. 1 covered walk, esp. Lined with shops. 2 series of arches supporting or set along a wall. [romanic: related to *arc]

Arcadian —n. Idealized country dweller. —adj. Poetically rural. [greek arkadia in the peloponnese]

Arcane adj. Mysterious, secret. [latin arceo shut up]

Arch1 —n. 1 curved structure as an opening, as a support for a bridge, floor, etc., or as an ornament. 2 any arch-shaped curve. —v. 1 provide with or form into an arch. 2 span like an arch. 3 form an arch. [latin arcus arc]

Arch2 adj. Self-consciously or affectedly playful.  archly adv. [from *arch-, originally in arch rogue etc.]

Arch- comb. Form 1 chief, superior (archbishop). 2 pre-eminent, esp. Unfavourably (arch-enemy). [greek arkhos chief]

Archaean (us archean) —adj. Of the earliest geological era. —n. This time. [greek arkhaios ancient]

Archaeology n. (us archeology) study of ancient cultures, esp. By the excavation and analysis of physical remains.  archaeological adj. Archaeologist n. [greek arkhaiologia ancient history]

Archaeopteryx n. Fossil bird with teeth, feathers, and a reptilian tail. [greek arkhaios ancient, pterux wing]

Archaic adj. 1 a antiquated. B (of a word etc.) No longer in ordinary use. 2 of an early period of culture.  archaically adv. [greek arkhe beginning]

Archaism n. 1 use of the archaic esp. In language or art. 2 archaic word or expression.  archaistic adj.

Archangel n. Angel of the highest rank.

Archbishop n. Chief bishop of a province.

Archbishopric n. Office or diocese of an archbishop.

Archdeacon n. Church dignitary next below a bishop.  archdeaconry n. (pl. -ies).

Archdiocese n. Diocese of an archbishop.  archdiocesan adj. Archdiocese n. Diocese of an archbishop.  archdiocesan adj.

Archduke n. Hist. Chief duke (esp. As the title of a son of the emperor of austria).  archduchy n. (pl. -ies). [medieval latin archidux]

Archean (brit. Archaean) —adj. Of the earliest geological era. —n. This time. [greek arkhaios ancient]

Arch-enemy n. (pl. -ies) 1 chief enemy. 2 the devil.

Archeology n. (brit. Archaeology) study of ancient cultures, esp. By the excavation and analysis of physical remains.  archeological adj. Archeologist n. [greek arkhaiologia ancient history]

Archer n. 1 person who shoots with a bow and arrows. 2 (the archer) zodiacal sign or constellation sagittarius. [latin arcus bow]

Archery n. Shooting with a bow and arrows, esp. As a sport.

Archetype n. 1 original model; prototype. 2 typical specimen.  archetypal adj. [greek tupon stamp]

Archidiaconal adj. Of an archdeacon. [medieval latin]

Archiepiscopal adj. Of an archbishop. [church latin from greek]

Archimandrite n. 1 superior of a large monastery in the orthodox church. 2 honorary title of a monastic priest. [greek arkhi- chief, mandrites monk]

Archipelago n. (pl. -s) 1 group of islands. 2 sea with many islands. [greek arkhi- chief, pelagos sea]

Architect n. 1 designer of buildings etc., supervising their construction. 2 (foll. By of) person who brings about a specified thing (architect of peace). [greek arkhi- chief, tekton builder]

Architectonic adj. 1 of architecture. 2 of the systematization of knowledge.

Architecture n. 1 design and construction of buildings. 2 style of a building. 3 buildings etc. Collectively.  architectural adj.

Architrave n. 1 (in classical architecture) main beam resting across the tops of columns. 2 moulded frame around a doorway or window. [italian archi- *arch-, latin trabs beam]

Archive —n. (usu. In pl.) 1 collection of documents or records. 2 store for these. —v. (-ving) 1 place or store in an archive. 2 computing transfer (data) to a less frequently used file. [greek arkheia public records]

Archivist n. Keeper of archives.

Archway n. Arched entrance or passage.

Arc lamp n. (also arc light) light using an electric arc.

Arctic —adj. 1 of the north polar regions. 2 (arctic) colloq. Very cold. —n. Arctic regions. [greek arktos great bear]

Arctic circle n. Parallel of latitude 66° 33´ n, forming an imaginary line round the arctic region.

Arc welding n. Use of an electric arc to melt metals to be welded.

Ardent adj. 1 eager, fervent, passionate. 2 burning.  ardently adv. [latin ardeo burn]

Ardor n. (brit. Ardour) zeal, enthusiasm, passion.

Ardour n. (us ardor) zeal, enthusiasm, passion.

Arduous adj. Hard to accomplish; laborious, strenuous. [latin, = steep]

Are1 2nd sing. Present & 1st, 2nd, 3rd pl. Present of *be.

Are2 n. Metric unit of measure, 100 square metres. [latin: related to *area]

Area n. 1 extent or measure of a surface (over a large area). 2 region (southern area). 3 space for a specific purpose (dining area). 4 scope or range. 5 space in front of the basement of a building. [latin, = vacant space]

Arena n. 1 central part of an amphitheatre etc. 2 scene of conflict; sphere of action. [latin, = sand]

Aren't contr. 1 are not. 2 (in interrog.) Am not (aren't i coming too?).

Areola n. (pl. -lae) circular pigmented area, esp. Around a nipple.  areolar adj. [latin diminutive of *area]

Arête n. Sharp mountain ridge. [french from latin arista spine]

Argent n. & adj. Heraldry silver; silvery-white. [latin argentum]

Argon n. Inert gaseous element. [greek argos idle]

Argosy n. (pl. -ies) poet. Large merchant ship. [italian ragusea nave ship of ragusa (in dalmatia)]

Argot n. Jargon of a group or class. [french]

Argue v. (-ues, -ued, -uing) 1 (often foll. By with, about, etc.) Exchange views forcefully or contentiously. 2 (often foll. By that) maintain by reasoning; indicate. 3 (foll. Argue v. (-ues, -ued, -uing) 1 (often foll. By with, about, etc.) Exchange views forcefully or contentiously. 2 (often foll. By that) maintain by reasoning; indicate. 3 (foll. By for, against) reason. 4 treat (a matter) by reasoning. 5 (foll. By into, out of) persuade.  argue the toss colloq. Dispute a choice already made.  arguable adj. Arguably adv. [latin arguo make clear, prove]

Argument n. 1 (esp. Contentious) exchange of views; dispute. 2 (often foll. By for, against) reason given; reasoning process. 3 summary of a book etc.

Argumentation n. Methodical reasoning; arguing.

Argumentative adj. Given to arguing.

Argus n. Watchful guardian. [greek argos mythical giant with 100 eyes]

Argy-bargy n. (pl. -ies) joc. Dispute, wrangle. [originally scots]

Aria n. Long accompanied solo song in an opera etc. [italian]

Arid adj. 1 dry, parched. 2 uninteresting.  aridity n. [latin areo be dry]

Aries n. (pl. Same) 1 constellation and first sign of the zodiac (the ram). 2 person born when the sun is in this sign. [latin, = ram]

Aright adv. Rightly.

Arise v. (-sing; past arose; past part. Arisen) 1 originate. 2 (usu. Foll. By from, out of) result. 3 come to one's notice; emerge. 4 rise, esp. From the dead or from kneeling. [old english a- intensive prefix]

Aristocracy n. (pl. -ies) 1 ruling class or élite; nobility. 2 a government by an élite. B state so governed. 3 (often foll. By of) best representatives. [greek aristokratia rule by the best]

Aristocrat n. Member of the aristocracy.

Aristocratic adj. 1 of or like the aristocracy. 2 a distinguished. B grand, stylish.

Aristotelian —n. Disciple or student of aristotle. —adj. Of aristotle or his ideas. [greek aristoteles (4th c. Bc), name of a greek philosopher]

Arithmetic —n. 1 science of numbers. 2 use of numbers; computation. —adj. (also arithmetical) of arithmetic. [greek arithmos number]

Arithmetic mean n. = *average 2.

Arithmetic progression n. Sequence of numbers with constant intervals (e.g. 9, 7, 5, 3, etc.).

Ark n. Ship in which noah escaped the flood with his family and animals. [old english from latin arca]

Ark of the covenant n. Chest or cupboard containing the tables of jewish law.

Arm1 n. 1 upper limb of the human body from shoulder to hand. 2 forelimb or tentacle of an animal. 3 a sleeve of a garment. B arm support of a chair etc. C thing branching from a main stem (an arm of the sea). D control, means of reaching (arm of the law).  arm in arm with arms linked. At arm's length at a distance. With open arms cordially.  armful n. (pl. -s). [old english]

Arm2 —n. 1 (usu. In pl.) Weapon. 2 (in pl.) Military profession. 3 branch of the military (e.g. Infantry, cavalry). 4 (in pl.) Heraldic devices (coat of arms). —v. 1 supply, or equip oneself, with weapons etc., esp. In preparation for war. 2 make (a bomb etc.) Ready.  take up arms go to war. Under arms equipped for war. Up in arms (usu. Foll. By against, about) actively resisting, highly indignant. [latin arma arms]

Armada n. Fleet of warships, esp. (armada) that sent by spain against england in 1588. [spanish from romanic]

Armadillo n. (pl. -s) s. American mammal with a plated body and large claws. [spanish armado armed man]

Armageddon n. Huge battle or struggle, esp. Marking the end of the world. [rev. 16:16]

Armament n. 1 (often in pl.) Military equipment. 2 equipping for war. 3 force equipped. [latin: related to *arm2]

Armature n. 1 rotating coil or coils of a dynamo or electric motor. 2 iron bar placed across the poles of a horseshoe magnet to preserve its power. 3 metal framework on which a sculpture is moulded. [latin armatura, = armour]

Armband n. Band worn around the upper arm to hold up a shirtsleeve, or as identification, or to aid swimming.

Armchair n. 1 chair with arm supports. 2 (attrib.) Theoretical rather than active (armchair critic).

Armhole n. Each of two holes for arms in a garment. Armhole n. Each of two holes for arms in a garment.

Armistice n. Truce, esp. Permanent. [latin arma arms, sisto make stand]

Armistice day n. Anniversary of the armistice of 11 nov. 1918.

Armlet n. Ornamental band worn round the arm.

Armor (brit. Armour) —n. 1 protective usu. Metal covering formerly worn in fighting. 2 a (in full armour-plate) protective metal covering for an armed vehicle, ship, etc. B armed vehicles collectively. 3 protective covering or shell of an animal or plant. 4 heraldic devices. —v. (usu. Asarmoured adj.) Provide with protective covering, and often guns (armoured car; armoured train). [latin armatura: related to *arm2]

Armorial adj. Of heraldry or coats of arms. [related to *armour]

Armour —n. 1 protective usu. Metal covering formerly worn in fighting. 2 a (in full armour-plate) protective metal covering for an armed vehicle, ship, etc. B armed vehicles collectively. 3 protective covering or shell of an animal or plant. 4 heraldic devices. —v. (usu. As armoured adj.) Provide with protective covering, and often guns (armoured car; armoured train). [latin armatura: related to *arm2]

Armourer n. 1 maker of arms or armour. 2 official in charge of arms.

Armoury n. (pl. -ies) arsenal.

Armpit n. Hollow under the arm at the shoulder.

Armrest n. = *arm1 3b.

Arms race n. Competitive accumulation of weapons by nations.

Arm-wrestling n. Trial of strength in which each party tries to force the other's arm down.

Army n. (pl. -ies) 1 organized armed land force. 2 (prec. By the) the military profession. 3 (often foll. By of) very large number (army of locusts). 4 organized civilian body (salvation army). [french: related to *arm2]

Arnica n. 1 plant of the daisy family with yellow flowers. 2 medicine prepared from this. [origin unknown]

Aroma n. 1 esp. Pleasing smell, often of food. 2 subtle pervasive quality. [greek, = spice]

Aromatherapy n. Use of plant extracts and oils in massage.  aromatherapist n.

Aromatic —adj. 1 fragrant, spicy. 2 chem. Of organic compounds having an unsaturated ring, esp. Containing a benzene ring. —n. Aromatic substance. [latin: related to *aroma]

Arose past of *arise.

Around —adv. 1 on every side; all round; round about. 2 colloq. A in existence; available. B near at hand. 3 here and there (shop around). —prep. 1 on or along the circuit of. 2 on every side of. 3 here and there in or near (chairs around the room). 4 a round (church around the corner). B at a time near to (came around four o'clock).  have been around colloq. Be widely experienced.

Arouse v. (-sing) 1 induce (esp. An emotion). 2 awake from sleep. 3 stir into activity. 4 stimulate sexually.  arousal n. [a- intensive prefix]

Arpeggio n. (pl. -s) mus. Notes of a chord played in succession. [italian arpa harp]

Arrack n. (also arak) alcoholic spirit, esp. Made from coco sap or rice. [arabic]

Arraign v. 1 indict, accuse. 2 find fault with; call into question (an action or statement).  arraignment n. [latin ratio reason]

Arrange v. (-ging) 1 put into order; classify. 2 plan or provide for; take measures (arranged a meeting; arrange to see him; arranged for a taxi). 3 agree (arranged it with her). 4 mus. Adapt (a composition) for a particular manner of performance. [french: related to *range]

Arrangement n. 1 arranging or being arranged. 2 manner of this. 3 something arranged. 4 (in pl.) Plans, measures (made my own arrangements). 5 mus. Composition adapted for performance in a particular way.

Arrant adj. Literary downright, utter (arrant liar). [var. Of *errant, originally in arrant (= outlawed, roving) thief etc.]

Arras n. Hist. Rich tapestry or wall-hanging. [arras in france]

Array —n. 1 imposing or well-ordered series or display. 2 ordered arrangement, esp. Of troops (battle array). —v. 1 deck, adorn. 2 set in order; marshal (forces). [latin ad-, *ready] Array —n. 1 imposing or well-ordered series or display. 2 ordered arrangement, esp. Of troops (battle array). —v. 1 deck, adorn. 2 set in order; marshal (forces). [latin ad-, *ready]

Arrears n.pl. Amount (esp. Of work, rent, etc.) Still outstanding or uncompleted.  in arrears behind, esp. In payment. [medieval latin adretro behindhand]

Arrest —v. 1 lawfully seize (a suspect etc.). 2 stop or check the progress of. 3 attract (a person's attention). —n. 1 arresting or being arrested. 2 stoppage (cardiac arrest). [latin resto remain]

Arrester n. Device for slowing an aircraft after landing.

Arrière-pensée n. 1 secret motive. 2 mental reservation. [french]

Arris n. Archit. Sharp edge at the junction of two surfaces. [french areste, = *arête]

Arrival n. 1 arriving; appearance on the scene. 2 person or thing that has arrived.

Arrive v. (-ving) 1 (often foll. By at, in) reach a destination. 2 (foll. By at) reach (a conclusion etc.). 3 colloq. Become successful. 4 colloq. (of a child) be born. 5 (of a time) come. [latin ripa shore]

Arriviste n. Ambitious or ruthless person. [french: related to *arrive]

Arrogant adj. Aggressively assertive or presumptuous.  arrogance n. Arrogantly adv. [related to *arrogate]

Arrogate v. (-ting) 1 (often foll. By to oneself) claim (power etc.) Without right. 2 (often foll. By to) attribute unjustly (to a person).  arrogation n. [latin rogo ask]

Arrow n. 1 pointed slender missile shot from a bow. 2 representation of this, esp. Indicating direction. [old english]

Arrowhead n. 1 pointed tip of an arrow. 2 water-plant with arrow-shaped leaves.

Arrowroot n. 1 nutritious starch. 2 plant yielding this.

Arse n. (us ass) coarse slang buttocks. [old english]

Arsehole n. (us asshole) coarse slang 1 anus. 2 offens. Contemptible person.

Arsenal n. 1 store, esp. Of weapons. 2 place for the storage and manufacture of weapons and ammunition. [arabic, = workshop]

Arsenic —n. 1 non-scientific name for arsenic trioxide, a highly poisonous white powder used in weed-killers etc. 2 chem. Brittle semi-metallic element. —adj. Of or containing arsenic. [french, ultimately from persian zar gold]

Arson n. Crime of deliberately setting fire to property.  arsonist n. [latin ardeo ars- burn]

Art n. 1 a human creative skill or its application. B work showing this. 2 a (in pl.; prec. By the) branches of creative activity concerned with the production of imaginative designs, sounds, or ideas, e.g. Painting, music, writing. B any one of these. 3 creative activity resulting in visual representation (good at music but not art). 4 human skill as opposed to nature (art and nature combined). 5 (often foll. By of) a skill, knack. B cunning; trick, stratagem. 6 (in pl.; usu. Prec. By the) supposedly creative subjects (esp. Languages, literature, and history) as opposed to scientific, technical, or vocational subjects. [latin ars art-]

Art deco n. Decorative art style of 1910–30, with geometric motifs and strong colours.

Artefact n. (also artifact) man-made object, esp. A tool or vessel as an archaeological item. [latin arte by art, facio make]

Arterial adj. 1 of or like an artery. 2 (esp. Of a road) main, important. [french: related to *artery]

Arteriosclerosis n. Loss of elasticity and thickening of artery walls, esp. In old age. [from *artery, *sclerosis]

Artery n. (pl. -ies) 1 any of the blood-vessels carrying blood from the heart. 2 main road or railway line. [greek, probably from airo raise]

Artesian well n. Well in which water rises to the surface by natural pressure through a vertically drilled hole. [artois, old french province]

Artful adj. Crafty, deceitful.  artfully adv.

Arthritis n. Inflammation of a joint or joints.  arthritic adj. & n. [greek arthron joint]

Arthropod n. Invertebrate with a segmented body and jointed limbs, e.g. An insect, spider, or crustacean. [greek arthron joint, pous pod- foot] Arthropod n. Invertebrate with a segmented body and jointed limbs, e.g. An insect, spider, or crustacean. [greek arthron joint, pous pod- foot]

Artichoke n. 1 plant allied to the thistle. 2 (in full globe artichoke) its partly edible flower-head (see also *jerusalem artichoke). [italian from arabic]

Article —n. 1 item or thing. 2 non-fictional journalistic essay. 3 clause or item in an agreement or contract. 4 definite or indefinite article. —v. (-ling) employ under contract as a trainee. [latin articulus from artus joint]

Articled clerk n. Trainee solicitor.

Articular adj. Of a joint or joints. [latin: related to *article]

Articulate —adj. 1 fluent and clear in speech. 2 (of sound or speech) having clearly distinguishable parts. 3 having joints. —v. (-ting) 1 a pronounce distinctly. B speak or express clearly. 2 (usu. In passive) connect by joints. 3 mark with apparent joints. 4 (often foll. By with) form a joint.  articulately adv.

Articulated lorry n. One with sections connected by a flexible joint.

Articulation n. 1 a speaking or being spoken. B articulate utterance; speech. 2 a act or mode of jointing. B joint. [latin: related to *articulate]

Artifact var. Of *artefact.

Artifice n. 1 trick or clever device. 2 cunning. 3 skill, ingenuity. [latin ars art- art, facio make]

Artificer n. 1 craftsman. 2 skilled military mechanic.

Artificial adj. 1 not natural (artificial lake). 2 imitating nature (artificial flowers). 3 affected, insincere.  artificiality n. Artificially adv. [latin: related to *artifice]

Artificial insemination n. Non-sexual injection of semen into the uterus.

Artificial intelligence n. Use of computers for tasks normally regarded as needing human intelligence.

Artificial respiration n. Manual or mechanical stimulation of breathing.

Artillery n. (pl. -ies) 1 heavy guns used in land warfare. 2 branch of the army using these.  artilleryman n. [french artiller equip]

Artisan n. Skilled manual worker or craftsman. [latin artio instruct in the arts]

Artist n. 1 practitioner of any of the arts, esp. Painting. 2 artiste. 3 person using skill or taste.  artistry n. [french artiste from italian]

Artiste n. Professional performer, esp. A singer or dancer.

Artistic adj. 1 having natural skill in art. 2 skilfully or tastefully done. 3 of art or artists.  artistically adv.

Artless adj. 1 guileless, ingenuous. 2 natural. 3 clumsy.  artlessly adv.

Art nouveau n. Art style of the late 19th century, with flowing lines.

Artwork n. 1 illustrative material in printed matter. 2 works of art collectively (exhibition of children's artwork).

Arty adj. (-ier, -iest) colloq. Pretentiously or affectedly artistic.

Arum n. Plant with arrow-shaped leaves. [greek aron]

-ary suffix forming adjectives (contrary; primary). [french -aire, latin -ari(u)s]

Aryan —n. 1 speaker of any of the languages of the indo-european family. 2 improperly (in nazi ideology) non-jewish caucasian. —adj. Of aryans. [sanskrit]

As symb. Arsenic.

As1 —adv. & conj. (adv. As antecedent in main sentence; conj. In relative clause expressed or implied) to the extent to which … is or does etc. (am as tall as he; am as tall as he is; (colloq.) Am as tall as him; as recently as last week). —conj. (with relative clause expressed or implied) 1 (with antecedent so) expressing result or purpose (came early so as to meet us). 2 (with antecedent adverb omitted) although (good as it is = although it is good). 3 (without antecedent adverb) a in the manner in which (do as you like; rose as one man). B in the capacity or form of (i speak as your friend; olivier as hamlet). C while (arrived as i was eating). D since, seeing that (as you are here, we can talk). E for instance (cathedral cities, as york). —rel. Pron. As2 n. (pl. Asses) roman copper coin. [latin]

Asafetida n. (brit. Asafoetida) resinous pungent plant gum used in cooking and formerly in medicine. [persian aza mastic: related to *fetid]

arsons the best word on this batch

lovely word <333

[angsuga]

CC blasts off to creative space

Cebu Normal University’s (CNU) Communicators’ Club (CC), the mother organization of the Department of Communication and Media Studies (DCMS), launched the Tudlo-i COMMbi Workshop on September 5, 2024 at the Eva Macapagal Memorial Arts (EMMA) Center. Themed “Blast off to the Communicators’ Aphelion,” the event took flight with a plenary activity where the participants roamed around the campus to…

[chorusfm]

Albums in Stores – Aug 9th, 2024

If you hit read more you can see all the releases we have in our calendar for the week. Hit the comments to access our forums and talk about what came out today, what albums you picked up, and to make mention of anything we may have missed. And So I Watch You From Afar – MegafaunaAtom Driver – OccupantsBest Case – LemonsBig Sean – Better Me Than YouBless The Dead – We Create ThisCarnivore Diprosopus – Rise Of The InsurrectionChlöe – Trouble In ParadiseCoalesce – The OX EraCold Hard Steel – Vicious CycleCommon Sage – Nostos | AlgosCrushuman – CrushumanDark Funeral – Dark FuneralDestroy Boys – Funeral Soundtrack #4Duhkha – A Place You Can’t Come Back FromFinal Girls – Prey On The WeakFour Year Strong – Analysis ParalysisdiscussFucked Up – Another DayFulci – Duck Face KillingsHammerfall – Avenge The FallenHeilung – Lifa IotungardHell Can Wait – Reaching The Point Where Pain EndsHoney Revenge – Retrovision (Deluxe Edition)In Aphelion – ReaperdawnInertia – Second ShadowJ Balvin – RayoKali Uchis – Orquídeas Parte 2King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Flight b741Kurokuma – Of Amber And SandLouis Cole – NothingMamaleek – Vida BlueMilton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding – Milton + EsperanzaMushroomhead – Call The DevilNiki – BuzzNo Edits – We All End Up The SameNova Charisma – MetropolitanOsees – SORCS 80Oso Oso – Life Till BonesdiscussOxygen Destroyer – Guardian Of The UniversePorter Robinson – SMILE! :DRyuichi Sakamoto – OpusSavage Pleasure – Savage PleasureSecond Shadow – InertiaSiamese – ElementsTwin Atlantic – MeltdownWhy? – The Well I Fell IntoX – Smoke & Fiction --- Thanks to helloiamzach for providing additional contributions to this week’s list. You can check out and support his weekly music podcast It’s Not A Phase or follow him on his socials. --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/albums-in-stores-today/albums-in-stores-aug-9th-2024/

[norteenlinea]

THE APHELION Announce Prog Metal Opus Album “Nascence” And First Two Singles “Deserter” and “Flight”

http://dlvr.it/T80cwg

[libraryleopard]

Poetry

Motherhood, nature, nautical themes

Favorite poems: "Aphelion," "Yellowjackets," "The Liger," "Middle Flight," "Shipbroken," "Endangerment Finding," "Iceland"

[spacenutspod]

Don’t miss one of the best meteor displays of 2023, as the Perseids peak this coming weekend. Grab a lawn chair, bring a friend, a red light and lots of bug spray: the August Perseids are active this week going into the weekend. You won’t want to miss ‘em if skies are clear, as 2023 is a banner year for the Perseids, one of the sure-fire performers when it comes to meteor showers. First, the good news: 2023 is an optimal year for the Perseids, primarily because the light-polluting Moon is safely out of the way. In August, the Moon reaches New on the 16th, just 3 days after the expected peak of the Perseids. Looking northeastward at 2AM local, from latitude 35 degrees north. Credit: Stellarium. Peak Times to Watch The Perseid meteors are broadly active from July 17th to August 24th, though the key peak is expected to occur on Sunday, August 13th around 7:00 UT. This favors eastern Europe and central Asia at dawn. Western Europe and North America should see increased activity on the mornings of Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th. Keep in mind, if skies are cloudy, it’s still worth watching a morning or two before or after. The orientation and the flight of the Earth in its orbit, versus the incoming meteor stream during the key peak for the 2023 Perseids on August 13th. Credit Guy Ottewell, from his Astronomical Calendar 2023. The Perseids are grain-sized bits of cometary dust laid down by Comet 109P Swift-Tuttle on its 133-year orbit around the Sun. The comet is currently headed towards aphelion and won’t reach perihelion again until 2126. Most years see the shower producing 60 to 100 meteors per hour as seen from dark skies. The radiant in the constellation Perseus the Hero rises low to the northeast for mid-northern latitudes around 2 AM local. Start watching early as you may see a few early arrivals glancing off the Earth’s atmosphere in the evening as well. The Perseids were first identified as a modern annual shower in the mid-19th century, though the observed uptick in August meteor rates goes back much further. Astronomer Edward Herrick noted in his 1839 work submitted to The American Journal of Science and Arts that Christians had (and still refer to) the Perseids as the “Tears of Saint Lawrence,” in reference to the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence (San Lorenzo) in early August 258 AD. In recent years, the Perseids have been steady performers at a rate of 60 to 100 per hour. Though they’ve had their reign as the ‘King of Annual Meteor showers’ challenged a bit in recent years by the December Geminids, the Perseids have the key advantage of occurring in the summer, during camping season. A Perseid meteor from 2019. Credit: Mary McIntyre. Observing the Perseids You’ll want to watch from a site that’s as dark as possible. Rates for meteor showers always pick up after local midnight, as you turn forward into the oncoming meteor stream. Even a small amount of light pollution can significantly impact the number of meteors you’ll see. Any meteor you can trace back to Perseus is a Perseid, though a few random sporadics may make an appearance. Also, watch for the planets Jupiter and Saturn nearby. The ringed world is headed towards opposition later this month. On the morning of the 13th, the 9.5% illuminated crescent Moon rises around 2:00 AM local… perhaps, it’s also worth watching for Perseid impacts on the night side of the Moon as well? Imaging the Perseids is as simple as setting a DSLR camera on a tripod with a lens affording a wide field of view. Simply shoot a series of long-exposures, and see what turns up. Be sure to take some test shots beforehand to get the ISO/f-stop/shutter speed combination just right for the current sky conditions. I like to use a remote intervalometer controller to automate the process. This lets you simply shoot long series of shots, while you lie back and enjoy the show. Our typical mobile meteor observing kit (complete with bug spray). Credit: Dave Dickinson. If you’re looking to do real science, you can report what you see to the International Meteor Observers network. Also, keep an eye (and ear) out for stranger phenomena, including crackling audible meteors, and persistent smoke trails lingering after bolide fireballs. I like to keep a pair of binoculars handy, to examine these wispy vapor tracks across the sky. You can even tune a standard FM radio to an unused station and ‘hear’ radio pings from meteors as they ionize the upper atmosphere. Clouded out, or reside in the wrong hemisphere? You can also catch the 2023 Perseids live online courtesy of astronomer Gianluca Masi and the Virtual Telescope Project. Don’t miss the 2023 Perseids; the next optimal year isn’t until 2026. The post Why 2023 is a Great Year for the Perseid Meteors appeared first on Universe Today.

[brookston]

Holidays 7.5

Holidays

Arbor Day (New Zealand)

Bikini Day

Black Day (Pakistan)

Bloody Thursday (International Longshore and Warehouse Union)

Constitution Day (Armenia)

Dolly the Sheep Day

Emancipation Day (NYC)

Fiesta do Tapuleiros begins (Portugal)

Fishermen’s Day (Marshall Islands)

Foreign Slovaks Day (Slovakia; Slovakian Communities)

Heroes’ Day (Zambia)

International Read Naked Day

Mechanical Pencil Day

National Hawaii Day

National Ian Day

National Injury Prevention Day (Canada)

National Sylvia Day

National Wear A Thong Day

National Workaholics Day

NHS Day (UK)

Pet Remembrance Day (UK)

Red Currant Day (French Republic)

Rehydration Day

Secret Service Day

Social Care & Frontline Workers’ Day (UK)

Thong Day

Tynwald Day (Isle of Man) [If 5th a Weekend, Celebrated on Monday]

Urumqi Massacre Anniversary Day (China)

Virgin Islands Day (British Virgin Islands)

Work Without Your Hands Day (SpongeBob)

World Badminton Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Graham Cracker Day

National Apple Turnover Day

National Hungover Day

Spam Day

Independence Days

Aeland (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Algeria (from France, 1962)

Cape Verde (from Portugal, 1975)

Caudonia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Reylan Imperial Triumvirate (Declared; 2005) [unrecognized]

Turdas (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Venezuela (from Spain, 1811)

1st Wednesday in July

Multiple Disadvantage Awareness Day [1st Wednesday]

National Property Managers’ Day (New Zealand) [1st Wednesday]

Zine Distro Appreciation Day [1st Wednesday]

Feast Days

Amitabha Buddha Day

Anthony Maria Zaccaria, priest (Christian; Saint) [d. 1539]

Aphelion Day (Pagan)

Catherine of Regensburg (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Cyril and Methodius (Christian; Saint) [public holiday in Czech Republic, Slovakia]

Dabucuri umari (Initiation Rites of the Young Men; to Jurupari, South American Guarani/Tupi God)

Edana (a.k.a. Edaene; Christian; Saint)

Feast of Anubis (Ancient Egypt)

Festival of Cargo Cults

Grace and Probus (Christian; Saint)

Impersonate An Orc Day (Pastafarian)

Louis-Léopold Boilly (Artology)

Modwena (Christian; Saint)

Nicomedes (Christian; Martyr)

Peter of Luxembourg (Christian; Saint)

Poplifugia (Day of the People's Flight; Ancient Rome)

SHOUTING DAY (Pastafarian)

Suger (Positivist; Saint)

Taxi Driver McGillicuddy (Muppetism)

Wendell (Christian; Confessor)

X Day (Church of the SubGenius; Traditional)

Zamling Chisang (Universal Prayer Day; Tibet)

Zoe of Rome (Roman Catholic Church)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [21 of 32]

Premieres

Cracked Quack (WB MM Cartoon; 1952)

Cracked Rear View, by Hootie & the Blowfish (Album; 1994)

Debut, by Björk (Album; 1993)

The Emerald Forest (Film; 1985)

Gloria, by Them with Van Morrison (Song; 1964)

Hit the Road Jack, by Ray Charles (Song; 1961)

Hot Lead and Cold Feet (Film; 1978)

I’m Free, by The Who (Song; 1969)

Institutionalized, by Suicidal Tendencies (Song; 1983)

It’s the Same Old Song, by The Four Tops (Song; 1965)

Maybellene, by Chuck Berry copyrighted (Song; 1955)

The Principia (Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica; Book; 1687)

Red Sonja (Film; 1985)

Seinfeld (TV Series; 1989)

Slacker (Film; 1991)

The Way, Way Back (Film; 2013)

Weekend at Bernie’s (Film; 1989)

You’re No Good, recorded by Linda Ronstadt (Song; 1974)

Today’s Name Days

Albrecht, Antonius, Letizia (Austria)

Antun, Ćiril, Marta, Metod, Zakarija (Croatia)

Cyril, Metodej (Czech Republic)

Anshelmus (Denmark)

Kaja, Kajar (Estonia)

Untamo, Unto (Finland)

Antoine, Antoine-Marie (France)

Albrecht, Kira, Letiza (Germany)

Lampados (Greece)

Emese, Sarolta (Hungary)

Antonio, Filomena, Maria (Italy)

Andzs, Aristids, Edis, Edīte, Edna, Esmeraldas (Latvia)

Butginas, Filomena, Karolina, Mantmilė (Lithuania)

Mina, Mirjam (Norway)

Antoni, Bartłomiej, Filomena, Jakub, Karolina, Michał, Przybywoj, Szarlota, Wilhelm (Poland)

Atanasie (România)

Cyril, Metod (Slovakia)

Antonio, Cirila, Filomena (Spain)

Laila, Melker, Ritva (Sweden)

Agnes, Methodius (Ukraine)

Grace, Gracie, Graciela, Shannon, Sharon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 186 of 2024; 179 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 27 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 18 (Jia-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 16 Tammuz 5783

Islamic: 16 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444

J Cal: 6 Lux; Sixday [6 of 30]

Julian: 22 June 2023

Moon: 93%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 18 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Suger]

Runic Half Month: Feoh (Wealth) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 15 of 94)

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 15 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.5

Holidays

Arbor Day (New Zealand)

Bikini Day

Black Day (Pakistan)

Bloody Thursday (International Longshore and Warehouse Union)

Constitution Day (Armenia)

Dolly the Sheep Day

Emancipation Day (NYC)

Fiesta do Tapuleiros begins (Portugal)

Fishermen’s Day (Marshall Islands)

Foreign Slovaks Day (Slovakia; Slovakian Communities)

Heroes’ Day (Zambia)

International Read Naked Day

Mechanical Pencil Day

National Hawaii Day

National Ian Day

National Injury Prevention Day (Canada)

National Sylvia Day

National Wear A Thong Day

National Workaholics Day

NHS Day (UK)

Pet Remembrance Day (UK)

Red Currant Day (French Republic)

Rehydration Day

Secret Service Day

Social Care & Frontline Workers’ Day (UK)

Thong Day

Tynwald Day (Isle of Man) [If 5th a Weekend, Celebrated on Monday]

Urumqi Massacre Anniversary Day (China)

Virgin Islands Day (British Virgin Islands)

Work Without Your Hands Day (SpongeBob)

World Badminton Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Graham Cracker Day

National Apple Turnover Day

National Hungover Day

Spam Day

Independence Days

Aeland (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Algeria (from France, 1962)

Cape Verde (from Portugal, 1975)

Caudonia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Reylan Imperial Triumvirate (Declared; 2005) [unrecognized]

Turdas (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Venezuela (from Spain, 1811)

1st Wednesday in July

Multiple Disadvantage Awareness Day [1st Wednesday]

National Property Managers’ Day (New Zealand) [1st Wednesday]

Zine Distro Appreciation Day [1st Wednesday]

Feast Days

Amitabha Buddha Day

Anthony Maria Zaccaria, priest (Christian; Saint) [d. 1539]

Aphelion Day (Pagan)

Catherine of Regensburg (Christian; Virgin Martyr)

Cyril and Methodius (Christian; Saint) [public holiday in Czech Republic, Slovakia]

Dabucuri umari (Initiation Rites of the Young Men; to Jurupari, South American Guarani/Tupi God)

Edana (a.k.a. Edaene; Christian; Saint)

Feast of Anubis (Ancient Egypt)

Festival of Cargo Cults

Grace and Probus (Christian; Saint)

Impersonate An Orc Day (Pastafarian)

Louis-Léopold Boilly (Artology)

Modwena (Christian; Saint)

Nicomedes (Christian; Martyr)

Peter of Luxembourg (Christian; Saint)

Poplifugia (Day of the People's Flight; Ancient Rome)

SHOUTING DAY (Pastafarian)

Suger (Positivist; Saint)

Taxi Driver McGillicuddy (Muppetism)

Wendell (Christian; Confessor)

X Day (Church of the SubGenius; Traditional)

Zamling Chisang (Universal Prayer Day; Tibet)

Zoe of Rome (Roman Catholic Church)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [21 of 32]

Premieres

Cracked Quack (WB MM Cartoon; 1952)

Cracked Rear View, by Hootie & the Blowfish (Album; 1994)

Debut, by Björk (Album; 1993)

The Emerald Forest (Film; 1985)

Gloria, by Them with Van Morrison (Song; 1964)

Hit the Road Jack, by Ray Charles (Song; 1961)

Hot Lead and Cold Feet (Film; 1978)

I’m Free, by The Who (Song; 1969)

Institutionalized, by Suicidal Tendencies (Song; 1983)

It’s the Same Old Song, by The Four Tops (Song; 1965)

Maybellene, by Chuck Berry copyrighted (Song; 1955)

The Principia (Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica; Book; 1687)

Red Sonja (Film; 1985)

Seinfeld (TV Series; 1989)

Slacker (Film; 1991)

The Way, Way Back (Film; 2013)

Weekend at Bernie’s (Film; 1989)

You’re No Good, recorded by Linda Ronstadt (Song; 1974)

Today’s Name Days

Albrecht, Antonius, Letizia (Austria)

Antun, Ćiril, Marta, Metod, Zakarija (Croatia)

Cyril, Metodej (Czech Republic)

Anshelmus (Denmark)

Kaja, Kajar (Estonia)

Untamo, Unto (Finland)

Antoine, Antoine-Marie (France)

Albrecht, Kira, Letiza (Germany)

Lampados (Greece)

Emese, Sarolta (Hungary)

Antonio, Filomena, Maria (Italy)

Andzs, Aristids, Edis, Edīte, Edna, Esmeraldas (Latvia)

Butginas, Filomena, Karolina, Mantmilė (Lithuania)

Mina, Mirjam (Norway)

Antoni, Bartłomiej, Filomena, Jakub, Karolina, Michał, Przybywoj, Szarlota, Wilhelm (Poland)

Atanasie (România)

Cyril, Metod (Slovakia)

Antonio, Cirila, Filomena (Spain)

Laila, Melker, Ritva (Sweden)

Agnes, Methodius (Ukraine)

Grace, Gracie, Graciela, Shannon, Sharon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 186 of 2024; 179 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 27 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 24 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 18 (Jia-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 16 Tammuz 5783

Islamic: 16 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444

J Cal: 6 Lux; Sixday [6 of 30]

Julian: 22 June 2023

Moon: 93%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 18 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Suger]

Runic Half Month: Feoh (Wealth) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 15 of 94)

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 15 of 31)

[savior-of-the-dreaming-dead]

i want winter to come soooo bad. some oc clothing wish fulfillment 

[dr-aphelion-flight]

Thank you for your support, and welcome to Aphelion Flight.  Text roster under the cut. 

ANGEL RIOS - Animator BAZIF HAIDAR - CEO DAX JACKSON - Synchronized Surfer EA JEAN SUZUHASHI - Research Ethicist FELIX T. MARTIN - Astronomy Major GEKKO MINAMI - Horror Show Host HAYATO OTSUKA - Irezumi Artist HELEN LIU - Violinist JAMES “MOTH” AUBELEILLES - Art Consultant JAMES YANG - Cosmetologist  KOJO KOYASU - Demolition Expert MEREDITH ELISE MITCHELL - Personal Assistant NAOKI MIYAHARA - Ikebana Artist NATSUKO ASAMORI - Poet NICODEMUS ZEN - Heir REINA NAGATA - Equestrian SEBASTIAN KJÆRSGAARD - Meteorologist SHODA UCHIBORI - Impressionist SORA HALIFAX - Storm Chaser SVIATLANA LUKASHEVICH -  Polysomnographic Technologist

[sandcastle-clan]

Aphelion (he/him) and Perihelion (she/her)

Two siblings with passions for food and the company of dragons. Aphelion has opened a small dine-in food stall, and is always ready to hear the latest gossip from his customers. Meanwhile, Perihelion prefers to work in the clan kitchen, helping the lair's head chef and serving up delicious meals during dining hours.