#auxiliary craft

[ship-o-rama]

Colony Shuttle

Profile: Short range shuttle used as landers and exploration vehicles for the colony mothership.

Pictured: Search and Rescue find the previous shuttle abandoned on the surface of Alpha Centauri.

Appeared in Centarus, Vol 1 & 5 , Editions Delcourt

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Duran Duran - The Chauffeur 1982

Rio is the second studio album by English band Duran Duran, released in 1982. A new wave album with musical elements such as dance and synth-pop, Rio is mostly composed of fast, upbeat numbers, with a couple slower synthesiser-based ballads. The cover artwork, painted by Patrick Nagel and designed by Malcolm Garrett to resemble 1950s cigar packaging, is considered one of the greatest of all time.

Duran Duran shot music videos for many of the album's tracks, all of which helped spearhead the 1980s MTV revolution. Accompanied by three worldwide hit singles, Rio peaked at number 2 in the UK and remained in the chart for 110 weeks. Initially unsuccessful in the US, the album was remixed by Capitol Records to better match American radio at the time; the remixed album spent 129 weeks on the Billboard chart, reaching number 6.

Rio initially received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, who commended the melodies but disparaged the lyrics. Retrospective reviewers consider Rio timeless and the band's best work, praising its instrumentation and band performances. With the album, Duran Duran were forerunners in the Second British Invasion of the 1980s, helping ensure the success of other English artists throughout the decade, and along with Culture Club and Spandau Ballet created a teen frenzy similar to Beatlemania during the first British Invasion of the 60s. Rio has since made appearances on best-of lists and has been reissued several times.

"The Chauffeur" was created on the spot in the studio. During downtime, Nick Rhodes retreated to an auxiliary studio room with Blauel, their tape operator, and crafted a track using keyboards, synthesisers, the sound of an ice cube cracking and a conversation about nature for extra effects. Simon Le Bon accompanied him with lyrics he'd originally written as poetry in 1978, and adding a melody on an ocarina. The final track features no contributions from the three other band members. An acoustic version (Blue Silver) was recorded without Rhodes, which appeared as a B-side to "Rio". The keyboardist later quipped, "I guess that was my punishment for have created an entirely electronic track."

"The Chauffeur" received a total of 64,6% yes votes! Previous Duran Duran polls: #21 "The Wild Boys".

[something-about-sunflowers]

ALRIGHT, *cracks knuckles* let's get into that teaser, shall we?

Should I itemize this? I think I'm going to itemize it lmao.

So:

Starting here because this is a baseline for Stede, he's got no neckerchief here. This is likely early in the season, probably the very start.

Man's got a fuckin' ARM.

This is Ed. You can see the bare right arm in both shots.

Red neckerchief. Ed's scrap of silk? Beat to shit if it is, which, he did toss it out to sea so, it would be.

Ed's not wearing the knee brace. Or gloves for that matter. I know the knee brace being an actual mobility aid is unconfirmed canon/fanon but it does make me :(c to see him without it. Either it wasn't actually considered as a mobility aid or he's lost it like he's lost his gloves OR he's going without it because he doesn't care if it hurts.

Closer shot of the neckerchief.

I just wanted to point out all the knives stabbed into the table. Also, those look like bits of paper on the windows, did they keep some of the books to repurpose for window blocking purposes?

THERE HE IS!!!!!!!! Other people have already pointed out the makeup and his ring still on his tie, along with the whip on his hip cjizzy real. He's got a new baldric but I also think his clothes look. Darker? Than in season 1? This is a darker/heavier contrast setting but it carries into other shots of him too I think? Like they're less sun/saltwater faded or something?

Other thing to note: If I have my orientation right, this is to the right of Stede's bed nook and to the left of the library, which means this shelf is the one with the auxiliary wardrobe opening mechanism. Which I bring up because:

This little guy seems to be in the place of the mannequin. Ed kept the auxiliary wardrobe and gothed up the mannequin to justify it still being there.

SO much here. This is, I'm fairly certain, Benjamin Hornigold. This camp he's set up (along with what he's wearing) looks like it was made out of a shipwreck. Ed's barefoot and missing his jacket and gloves, and his shirt's torn up at the sleeves. Definitely where he washed up from his dip in the ocean.

Note the trees and the lighting, that comes up later. Ed shoots here and Ben moves with the shot but it doesn't look like he was actually HIT by it to my eyes.

'Wanted. |Blackbeard| Villainous Pirate. Murderer, thrice over. $400 Reward for the criminal responsible for: theft - brigandry - larceny - arson - tax evasion ➡' Presumably there are more crimes/info on the back, though we see the reverse side in the next cut and it's either blank or all in very small text, I couldn't quite tell.

The poster to the right says 'Port' something which has me wondering Port Royal but that's just the only 'Port' something I know, could def be somewhere else.

(Also, just for fun:

Here's how much abouts Ed's capture would be worth now.)

Wider pic than it needs to be but I didn't wanna cut out Olu lol. ANYWAY. Neckerchief again. Also the back of the poster, see what I mean about it either being blank or very tiny?

Babygirl. . . But also that Bride Ed figure kinda slays. Little bralette with the midriff showing, I see you Babygirl. When will he be allowed to just rest and do silly little crafts WITHOUT heartbreak looming over him?

Well. Four is not nine. So. There's that. The other five could be used or out of frame though, of course.

OH. He's back to his fingerless gloves! They might actually be different from his original ones though, they look different at the wrist to me, not quite sure though.

The BOYS!!!! Frenchie looks like he's having a GREAT time. Considering he suggested they turn the hostage into a table and complained about the Republic of Pirates being a bit gentrified I'd say this is more in line with what he's used to in piracy. I 100% buy he was going along with Stede's way because he knew it was an easy ride compared to real piracy. This wouldn't necessarily be a return to form for him but definitely something he's more used to? And he gets to be kitty :3c

And FANG!!! Look at him showing a bit more skin!! Good for him!!

Everybody say 'Thank You David Jenkins'. Right now. Look at this Mad Max shit. Fuckin' Imperator Jimenez right there. LOVE that tye added the 'beard' after the 'fuck's wrong with your face?' bit in 1x10. Full 'it looked weird on you but I slay' energy.

Jim

Izzy

Fang

Near as I can tell at least. I can't make out if Frenchie is in the shot and I'm pretty positive Ed isn't cause he stayed by the cake when they charged in.

Man, yknow I know we were all kinda clowning on it a bit at the end of 1x10 but this look really is so JARRING. Like, in the dark it's menacing but in the light? It's unhinged and that reads as more dangerous imo.

Also just for comparison's sake the pre-Ed-ified version of the bride figure. He really did full on customize that thing lol.

I DON'T THINK ANNE KISSED STEDE HERE. It feels out of character of the show to pull the 'It's fine if a woman does it to a man' kind of thing with regard to unwanted kissing. This is the frame the scene starts on in the trailer. She's leaning back from him and isn't nearly close enough to his mouth to say for certain that's where she was coming from. My money is on her leaning in to whisper something into his ear, maybe under the guise of it being an advance/intended kiss, which would also explain the annoyed look when she's interrupted. She either got ACTUALLY interrupted or it's part of the act. Stede doesn't look nearly as uncomfortable as he would be if she'd kissed him or tried to, he looks confused.

Izzy going for his sword when this guy tries to get the drop on Stede. He either is starting to care or he knows how much Ed needs him alive.

Also, this is the other potential source of Stede's neckerchief. Mr, Knife right here has a red one and Stede doesn't have it in this scene. I do think this one is a little less distressed than the one Stede has though so it could just be coincidence.

See? No neckerchief. He DOES have a sword at his hip tho! So this, I think, is after Izzy's started training him.

Also, he actually looks really good in red lol.

Baby. He's definitely missing the ring in this shot. It sits higher than the baldric is covering. I want to give him a little kissie on his ouchie and then let him have a nap, he needs that.

The pants match the coat. Also, black shirt. Stede is kinda slaying ngl.

Still missing her head :(c. Isn't that bad luck?

Maybe yall didn't hear me properly with the Jim pic. I'll repeat:

EVERYBODY SAY 'THANK YOU DAVID JENKINS'.

I can't get over how Stede's just standing there politely with his arms behind his back lmfao.

Also, Izzy's got his right leg up, he's putting his weight on his left. . . 'foot'.

I SAID EVERYBODY SAY-

I know tits and all but also. The belly. I would like to. Bite.

*ahem*

ANYWAY. On the left (our left) side of the barrel you can see the tip of his right boot so he's def got that leg off the ground. Perhaps someone is trying to relearn their footwork? Now that they've got a different balance than they're used to? And perhaps a difference in sensory input in the leg he's standing on? Possibly?

This is the same beach Ed was on when he did the fuckin' RAD takedown of the other officer but it definitely looks like different times of day. Having both in the teaser is def meant to be a red herring. He doesn't have the neckerchief in this shot either.

Bra för honom. (Is how google translate tells me you say 'Good for him' in Swedish.)

Is Jackie's hair the same here as it is in the VF pic with Ed? Or like, similar enough to be a 'later in the day after some Fun™ messing it up a bit'?

Roach!!! Fully sleeveless now, added a belt, got some flowers tied to the strings/straps of his apron. Looks like he's having fun lighting that cannon lol. Pretty sure this is the same scene as that one leaked photo of him dancing with Fang and Izzy's green screen sock. He had the flowers in that, right?

[Ran out of allowed images, please hold]

[personostient]

The VULTURE Class Carrier Vessel "Crow"

A mighty craft carrier, a speedy supply dropper, or even a keen-eyed scout, the Vulture Class MEGA FAUNA possess the widest array of characteristics needed to take on most aerial-based operations.

.

.

.

"The auxiliary digits have been carried-over from old era designs, having shown potential use for in-field medical/mechanical treatment dispensaries. However, all recovered units are still subject to "Clipping" as part of initial "Reconditioning" treatments, action not to be reversed until unit is reinstated into aerial corps.

Remanent scavenging programs and triggers set upon human targets to be further studied. Under no circumstances are programs to be taken outside 'Reconditioning' testing sites."

- Excerpt from, lab manual C

[shattered-eagle]

Shattered Eagle RO Descriptions

Hi all, I got some questions on what the ROs look like and their personalities, so I thought I'd share what I had in mind while writing. All of the ROs are some shade of bisexual, if I hadn't noted that already.

Empress Julia Vitallia Hevernica: The Empress of Iudia is a forty-eight year old woman of average height, with a pale complexion and dark black hair on a slow but steady journey to silver. She has gray eyes which tend to bore icily into whoever she happens to be speaking with. Even as Empress, she has remained active from many years of military campaigning, with a fit and athletic physique. She tends to wear her hair short, barely reaching past her ears.

She is known to be cruel to her enemies, ruling through fear of her merciless wrath. Nevertheless, as a savvy politician, she takes care to project an image of harsh, yet fair, justice at her hand, if dealt with in good faith.

In her most personal relationships, Julia can often be more distant than she intends, as she seeks out understanding and care from her loved ones, despite her cold exterior. She is well known to be estranged from her husband.

Legate Antonius Lethungius/Amalrik Wulfhid: The general of the barbarian auxiliaries is a tall, clean shaven, forty year old man with a great blonde mane of hair. His once youthful good looks have, however, been marred by the scars of countless bloody wars. He has bright green eyes, flecked with a faint gold. A formidable foe in battle, he bears a strong and stout frame.

The Legate is half of 'civilized Iudia' and half of 'barbarous Gruthungia,' and everything from what clothes he wears to what accent he speaks with may change by the audience he finds himself in front of.

As a result, it is difficult to tell whether he is a a fierce, unbowed barbarian warrior, or a obedient, dutiful son of the Empire, an ambiguity is he seems content to maintain.

Ever careful about who he lets get too close, the Legate has been known to be somewhat aloof, trying to steer clear from personal relationships, supposedly out of his sense of obligation to his soldiers and their needs. His resultant lack of experience is then a source of embarrassment, though he does not let others know this readily.

Consul Consentia Plinia Dorcia: An older woman of fifty-fouryears old with a fair complexion, Consentia nevertheless has features that have aged as well as a fine vintage. Her dark brown hair, once near matching her brown eyes, has long since turned grey, however, reaching down a few inches past her shoulders.

Refusing the indulgences that many of the matrician class enjoy, Consentia is healthy and fit for her age, considering the long hours of work she tirelessly puts herself through for the business of the Senate.

Carrying elegance with her every step, she is well known to be polite and courteous to all in search of a new, more republican form of government, though she reserves ire for the 'barbarians' she views as emblematic of Iudia's decline. She is also a skilled orator, giving rousing speeches filled with carefully crafted rhetoric.

In her personal relationships, the Consul has been widowed for many years, having eschewed remarriage. Some whisper she has taken on a paramour or two in the past decades, though few socialites are brave enough to do more than speculate on the matter.

Tribune Ceto Vera: The Tribune is a thirty-eight year old woman with shoulder-length brown hair, an olive complexion and hazel eyes. Her features are calloused and weathered from her upbringing in the harsh streets of the slums of Kyro, an attribute most expressed in her scandalously low-class accent, a trait which she proudly bears even amongst the highest of matricians.

Though she stands rather short, Ceto carries a lean frame, her quick reflexes lending her a vicious talent with a dagger.

Despite her brusque demeanor and crude humor with the ladies of Kyro, however, she carries a talent for rousing the passions of the dispossessed and the discontented, using her criminal empire to generously reward those lending a voice to her populist cause, and ruthlessly make examples out of those who would refuse.

Ceto's personal life is shrouded from the knowledge of most, for all her shameless comments and advances she does not speak much on her past relationships. Nor of how she came to rise to power in the streets, both mysteries being either a source of regret or resentment for her.

Prince Darius of Pharia: Darius is a thirty-three year old man, standing at an average height, with black curly hair, a rich brown complexion, and a short and well groomed beard. In public, he bedecks himself in silks, radiant colors, and copious amounts of fine jewelry.

Trained as a warrior as any Prince should be, he is most skilled in the Pharian repeating crossbow, a curious invention that few Iudians have ever wielded.

Despite his status as a foreign hostage, the man has a charming, almost obsequious manner about him, inviting many dignitaries and notables of the capital for tea and idle talk at his embassy, which supposedly functions as his cage.

Darius often speaks of himself as an open book, and has carried on more than a few flings during his time in Iudia, though none have stuck around very long in the Prince's company.

[breelandwalker]

so, I know you've been vending at a lot of different craft fairs and witch markets for awhile now (sadly, too far away for me to attend!). would you happen to have any tips for someone looking to do the same at their local fairs? thanks!!!!!! ❤️

Sure! To start, brush up on three things - networking, recordkeeping, and people skills. Get an idea of what's going in on your area, talk to the organizers, see what the particulars are for the events. Here are some questions to ask:

What's the venue like? (indoors, outdoors, parking, accessibility)

Do I need to bring my own table and chairs?

Is there electricity / wifi available?

What is the table fee?

When is the event and how long does it run?

Is there a theme or target audience?

Is there advertising being done for the event? (Signal boost!)

Based on the answers you get, you can start putting your stock and setup together.

Do as much as you can WAY ahead of time. If you need to make things, start now. If you need to buy things, give yourself at least a month before an event to make sure everything arrives in time. Get yourself a 6-foot folding table and a comfortable folding chair or camp chair for events where they're not provided by the venue. Sign for Paypal, Venmo, and Cashapp as well as a card payment processing service like Square to give your customers the most payment options possible. And of course, plan to carry some small bills for cash patrons. (You don't need a register or cashbox, a simple bag of appropriate size will do. I literally use a pencil case that says Resting Witch Face. Works great.)

You'll want to get some displays for your merchandise. The type will vary depending on what you have, but it should be simply and sturdy and preferably easy to pack in and out. Vertical visibility is important at these events, so if you can find some kind of stand or tiered display, that will help you get noticed. I'd also suggest some simple clear plastic standups that you can put a printout price list and a basic sign in. A table banner helps people notice your table from afar and you should definitely have business cards to hand out with your shop info and socials. (I use Vistaprint for both.) Decorations are nice, but don't overload the table with them. They should augment your setup, not overwhelm it.

You may also want to get an 8x8 or 10x10 popup canopy and canopy weights if you plan to do outdoor events. Also, GET A COLLAPSIBLE WAGON. Best investment I ever made was a $45 collapsible wagon. It fits in my backseat and makes hauling things in and out of venues SO much easier.

Keep track of everything you spend related to your endeavors, including event fees, supplies, stock, setup items, displays, signage, business cards, and gas and food on the day. Keep those receipts - you can deduct them on your taxes later to offset your earnings. (Because registering as a business can be a pain and comes with fees, but if you don't do it, you may owe money for not collecting sales tax. Put aside some money for that tax bill, just in case.)

Prep your setup and stock the night before an event. Check your merch, charge your card reader (and bring a fully-charged auxiliary power pack and cord, just in case), make any updates to your inventory or pricing that you need to. It really cuts down on stress when you're loading up if you know you've already get everything set. I suggest reusable shopping bags or clear plastic bins to make things easy to haul, plus they can double as storage.

Plan to leave as early as you need to in order to account for traffic and pit stops. Pick an outfit ahead of time so you don't have to dither over clothes. It should be something appropriate for the event and the weather that looks neat and clean and is easy to move around in, including comfortable shoes. (Look to other vendors for examples.)

Make sure you bring water, snacks, and anything you'll need to get through the day, i.e. medicine (headache pills and stomach medicine at minimum), energy drinks, a fan for hot days, an extra layer for cold ones, etc. Get to the venue as early as the organizers allow. The more time you have to park, load in, and set up, the less stressed you'll be. Make sure things are arranged in a way that's accessible and makes sense. Place signage where necessary to explain items and pricing.

GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS. TRUST ME.

During the event, you're gonna have to do a LOT of socializing, so prepare for that as best you can. Try to stand if possible when there's a lot of foot traffic so you're more noticeable. Be personable - you don't have to grin constantly, just try to keep a pleasant expression and greet people as they pass, especially if they look in your direction. Don't be afraid to invite passersby over if they pause to check out your setup. Welcome them in, invite them to check out your stuff, and let them know you're happy to answer questions. (And ALL questions are good questions. There are no dumb questions. Even if the question is the dumbest thing you've ever heard or it's the fifteenth time you've been asked that day.) Chat and banter a bit where possible. If you can get people smiling or laughing, they're more likely to stick around and possibly purchase your wares. Make sure as many people as possible take your card when they leave.

Yes, you will be exhausted when the event is over, even if you're a naturally outgoing person, and you'll still have to break everything down, haul it out, load your vehicle, and drive home. If you happen to have somebody who can help you out, that really comes in handy.

In any case, know your own capabilities and personal limits and plan for that when you're deciding where to vend. If a venue is too far away for your comfort or doesn't have what you need or the table fee is too high (be wary of any thing over $75 for a single day event), don't sign up. If an event is too long or too far outside your target audience, don't sign up. If you don't have an appropriate setup or don't have the stock / can't get it in time, don't sign up. If something about the event or the venue or the organizers rubs you the wrong way, DON'T SIGN UP. Talk to other local vendors to get an idea of where to go and what to expect. Most will tell you right away what works, what's good, and what to steer clear of.

This is all just the basics. You'll learn a lot more when you start to vend, as far as what your individual needs are, where to go to find reliable business, and how best to connect with local venues and customers. Keep records of everything you do (spreadsheets are your friend!), network with organizers and other vendors, and practice that sociable game face.

And trust me - if a disorganized introvert with social anxiety and ADHD and absolutely NO sales experience can figure out to do this, I think pretty much anyone has a chance.

Good luck!!!! 😁

[areyoudoingthis]

happy sexual sunday I am convinced ed and stede either learn to sew or find themselves a friendly seamstress to craft their extensive collection of outfits designed solely to act out their elaborate sexual fantasies. they have one auxiliary closet for their regular clothes and one extra auxiliary closet full of costumes and fancy dresses and an entire wall of lovingly displayed lingerie

[archaeologicalnews]

Smooth wooden phallus found at a Roman fort was likely a sex toy

A wooden phallus found in a ditch at Vindolanda, a Roman auxiliary fort in central England, may have been used for sexual purposes, new research suggests.

Archaeologists unearthed the roughly 7-inch-long (17 centimeters) phallus in 1992 and suspected that it could have been used a number of ways, including as a pestle or a good-luck charm to "ward off evil." However, a more recent analysis using 3D scans of the object revealed that both ends were worn smooth compared to the rest of the piece, indicating that it had been touched repeatedly over time, according to the study, published Feb. 20 in the journal Antiquity.

The object is likely the "first known example of a non-miniaturized disembodied phallus made of wood in the Roman world" and was one of numerous items discarded in a second century A.D. ditch, including shoes and dress accessories, small tools, and craft waste items, like scraps of leather and worked antlers, according to a statement. Read more.

[mybeingthere]

Lin Fanglu (b. 1989, Chinese) is a fiber artist who uses tie-dyeing techniques to create beautiful sculptures.

Fanglu Lin began working with fabrics as the main medium for her work in 2014 when she traveled to Zhoucheng village in the city of Dali, Yunnan, China. As she studied tie-dyeing techniques of the Bai minority ethnic group with local artisan women, she became fascinated with the process of tying, the step so fundamental in creating patterns on the famous blue and white Bai fabrics, and yet so paradoxically underappreciated. Hours, days, and months of strenuous work and dedication lay silently under an alluring excess of texture, shapes, and patterns. In the traditional process of crafting tie-die fabrics, all knots come undone after dyeing. The thread is cut and removed, rigorously folded pleats and stitches responsible for elaborated patterns become the fleeting memories - the evanescent glow of anonymous backbreaking manual labor on the finished dyed fabric. Fanglu Lin makes the scrupulous needlework the defining feature of her art. With the simplest of auxiliary tools, she transforms plain fabric into undulating landscapes of knots and pleats, just like the artisan women in Dali. Rather than making flat works, the artist experiments with complicated geometrical patterns and traditional types of stitching she has learned in the village, pushing the pliable medium into three dimensions, producing tactile objects of art that entice viewers to reach out and touch them.

https://artplusshanghai.com/.../Threads-of-change-Lin...

[blueiscoool]

A Rare Bronze Hand Discovered in Vindolanda

One of Europe’s most important Roman archeological sites is the Fort of Vindolanda, one of the earliest Roman garrisons built by the Roman army in England. It was a Roman auxiliary near Hadrian’s Wall that guarded a major highway called the Stanegate.

Only a few weeks had passed since the start of the excavation season at Vindolanda when a remarkable artifact was discovered 1.5 meters below present-day ground level in the uppermost layers of the northern Severan ditch fill.

A small, child-sized, and eerily life-like bronze hand had been discarded in the ditch. Close inspection of the artifact after conservation at Vindolanda revealed that the 10cm hand originally had an attachment, now missing, inserted into the palm.

The hand is very well crafted, especially on the palm-facing side, indicating that its purpose was to profile the object that it once held. The base of the hand is socketed and would have been originally fixed to a pole.

The hand was uncovered some metres beyond a temple dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus, tucked into the northern wall of the third-century fort at Vindolanda which was excavated in 2009.

The newly discovered hand most likely served a cult function and was possibly associated with Jupiter Dolichenus, a god and mystery cult that was popular in the Roman Empire from the early second to mid-third centuries AD.

Similar votive hand specimens have been discovered in or near other Jupiter Dolichenus temples, though most are slightly larger than the Vindolanda specimen and some are fortunate enough to still have inscriptions mentioning the god.

Jupiter Dolichenus is depicted holding a thunderbolt in his hand with an upraised arm signifying his destructive power, the open votive hand symbolizes the protection and well-being that he could also bring.

The hand is now on public display in the same gallery as the altars dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus at the Vindolanda Museum.

Between AD 85 and 370, nine timber or stone forts were built at Vindolanda, resulting in one of the most complex archaeological sites in Britain and a unique cultural legacy of frontier life.

Today, Vindolanda is an ongoing active archaeological site, with previous excavations uncovering thousands of perfectly preserved shoes, textiles, wooden objects, and the Vindolanda tablets (the oldest surviving documents in Britain that date from the 1st and 2nd century AD).

By Oğuz Büyükyıldırım.

[blurrypetals]

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros - blurrypetals review

originally posted jan. 23, 2025 - ★★★★★

It is wild to me how insanely popular this series has become even in just the year since I read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. I went to a midnight release party for it with a good friend and I was stunned by how busy it was, how bookish culture felt alive and well and comforting on a day where I absolutely did not feel very hopeful for the state of the world after the inauguration.

I think it's also interesting, the amount of people insisting these books are not political, that books shouldn't even be political in the first place and I'm sitting here like...you reading the same books I am? Because...honey. These books are about a political struggle.

The fact that this book has so much diplomacy, political intrigue, subterfuge, etc. should have been a tipoff to most, to say the least. Those who are not willing to engage with a book's political stance and just read it for smut are missing the damn point, not just of these books, but of reading in general.

Anyway, it's been a rough week. Let's talk about this new smutty fun dragon book.

I'm among the first in my circle to read this new book and, as my husband and friends have asked me how I liked it, I kept answering that it was a lot of diplomacy, but that it was very well-balanced with all the other elements, and while I'm always going to remember the diplomacy aspects of this book the most, I do think it was a very well-balanced book and the best on a craft level in the series so far.

Onyx Storm took longer for Yarros to write than Iron Flame did and it really shows. While I still really loved Iron Flame, it definitely still has a scrappiness to it that makes it feel like Fourth Wing in that Yarros was still getting used to writing fantasy, still figuring out how best to make this story work.

Now, however, Yarros's craft feels so much more self-assured, confident. This was true of Iron Flame, but I also love that this extends to Violet's relationship with Xaden, in that Violet chose him in the very first book and, despite their relationship's ups and downs, they have only ever wanted each other since they got together. It's refreshing, especially since the first book flirted with the idea of a love triangle with Dain, but no, Dain and Violet are just friends and we've got 2 books to go! The conflict isn't about which man she's going to choose, it's about Basgiath, it's about their country, their continent, their whole world.

I also like that the romance builds into the conflict, what with the threat of Xaden turning venin, how this affects not only his and Violet's relationship, his relationship with Sgaeyl, Violet's relationships with Tairn and Andarna, and their relationships with all their friends and allies. It's great! I think it marries the external threats with the internal threats beautifully.

And speaking of their friends and allies, I did really enjoy getting out of Basgiath for so much of this book, looking for Andarna's kind, trying to make alliances for the oncoming war, looking for a cure for Xaden, and getting to know more auxiliary characters like Garrick and Ridoc.

I think this was an incredibly strong entry in the series, and the way things ended made me extremely excited to find out what happens next! And if it makes the next book even half as good as this one was, Rebecca, then take your time.

[ficthots]

August

A/N: Okay, I know it took me forever to get this published again, but here it is! This is set to the theme of August by Taylor Swift, obviously. As always let me know what you think and enjoy!

Warnings: SMUT. DNI if you are under 18. 18+ only

Word Count: 7.4k+

Salt air and the rust on your door

I never needed anything more

Whispers of “Are you sure?”

“Never have I ever before”

Summer is a magical time of the year. If you don’t mind sweltering temperatures, humidity so dense that you can feel the air around you, and every place you visit being over packed to the point where you literally can’t move without touching someone's sticky body. Despite those lows, the triumph of what summer truly stands for is where it makes it a winner over all the other seasons.

Freedom. 

No longer being tied to class schedules, extra curricular activities, stressing over college applications. Nope, not this year. This was the year that you were putting that all behind you and stepping into the future. Your future. 

College was on the horizon, growing larger the closer it appeared. All the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears now long gone as the crisp hopefulness of the next chapter popped into your line of vision. That didn’t mean you weren’t going to enjoy what your little hometown had to offer during your last year as a permanent resident here.

It was why Danny’s piece of shit truck was idling in the street, blocking your driveway, waiting for you to come bounding down the stairs to spend the day at one of your favorite places in the world. His entire face lit up when you entered his line of sight, throwing open the rusted passenger door and hearing the creek of it echo into the neighborhood as it moved.

Not even uttering a hello, you grabbed the loose auxiliary cord that hung from the refurbished radio and connected your phone to it. As Taylor Swift filled the speakers, he rolled his eyes, looking over his shoulder to pull away from the curb and begin the drive. 

“You bring the cooler?” You asked over the pounding of the music, turning around and seeing it crammed behind the seats. “Mhm. There should be a raspberry iced tea Arizona in there.” Your eyes lit up with excitement at the discovery, cracking it open, and leaning towards the open window.

Your hair whipped around in a complete frenzy as Danny got up to full speed, seeing the content smile gracing your lips, eyeing the view as it whizzed by. He laughed at the view of you trying to tame your locks, hand landing on your thigh subconsciously as he continued the drive. 

You two belted along to the songs that randomly played through your combined playlist, Danny’s fingers tapping on the bare skin of your thigh to the beat of whatever was playing. There was nothing better than spending your days like this together. It was always the highlight of your vacations. 

When you two could disappear from everyone else and just bask in one another's company. The splash of the water cascading onto the secluded shore had your mind humming in peace. Sun soaking on a picnic blanket and towel, a small portable radio by your head playing music into the area around you, a backpack stuffed to the brim with food laid next to you. 

Danny wading out of the water, small trunks clung to his thighs, long curls pushed back away from his face and dripping down his bare back had you smiling as he approached you. He snatched his towel from under your head that you had been utilizing as a pillow, wrapping it around his body. 

This was an area that you two had discovered once by sheer accident, but now was your own spot that no one else had seemed to find quite yet. A small piece of the lake that was undisturbed by any other bodies. Something that seemed to have been crafted just for the enjoyment of you two. 

Not even your group knew of this place. Whenever you all would come together, it was to a different place, much more visible to the public then where you currently resided. No, this was just for you two. It wasn’t something you had discussed either. Keeping this a little secret between you both. It just…was.

Danny’s soaked body dripped onto yours as he stood over you, a true giant from the angle you were laying at. He had grabbed his own beverage of choice for the day, guzzling it down in one go before collapsing on the blanket next to you, letting the sun conveniently dry him. 

Wiggling closer to him, his skin was cold to the touch as you rolled over, leaning on one elbow to peer at him. “You’re very pretty.” Was all you offered as you stared him down without his knowledge, eyes being shut as he relaxed. His body shook with laughter as you poked his cheek, then his nose. 

“Think that’s what I’m supposed to say to you.” He mumbled out, eyes remaining shut as he lifted an arm, letting you cuddle into his side. You scoffed at his response, laying your head on his bicep, staring up at the cloudless sky. “No.” 

That was how you two remained for the rest of the afternoon. Laying soundless as you drifted in and out of naps, occasionally treading into the water before coming back out and occupying your time in a different way. 

Munching on a sandwich he had made for this afternoon, you were engrossed in your book, sunglasses perched atop your damp head. You had been reading out loud for Danny to listen to the tale despite not having heard the first seventy percent of the story, but he didn’t mind. His head rested on your lap, listening intently to your enthusiastic tones and the changing voices as different characters spoke. 

Handing the sandwich down to him, eyes never parting the book, not halting your reading, he took it from your hands and polished it off for you, having finished his long ago. His phone went off in the backpack that had been continuously moved around the blanket space as you two moved around throughout the day. 

Stopping where you were in the chapter, you handed it over to him to see that it was his alarm going off, signaling that the day had come to an end and it was time to return home. Silently, you both stood and began packing up all your belongings.

Mindless chatter flew between you both as you rolled the towels after he shook them out to remove any lingering sand and pebbles. “Okay, tell me again why he’s in jail.” You had the backpack handle in your mouth, stuffing the towels in there, but spit it out as you spoke. 

“Because he was falsely accused of murdering the girl from his high school.” His brow furrowed at your words, folding the blanket up. “How do you know he was falsely accused?” You stood, bag slung over one shoulder as you waited for him to finish his task. “In chapter four it says that he was out of town with his grandfather.” 

He stood back up, slinging his arm over your shoulder as you walked back to the truck. “Okay, so why doesn’t the grandfather go and bail him out? Tell the police that he was on a trip with the guy.” You shook your head, fingers lacing with his as they dangled over your shoulder. “Because the grandfather died the following week.”

Danny’s bottom lip pushed out as he nodded his head, opening the truck door for you as you climbed in. The window was rolled down as he shut the door, leaning through the opening to you. “Yeah, you need to tell me how that ends cause it sounds fucked up.” You laughed, nodding at him as he tapped the tip of your nose before walking to his side of the car. 

The entire drive home, you sat in the middle seat, pressed into his side. His hand rested on your leg, tapping to the beat of more songs, a permanent smirk plastered to his lips. These were the days you savored. Craved. 

Where it could just be you two. No pressure, so stress, no nothing. Just you two. That was how you liked it to be. If it could remain that way for the rest of time you would snatch that up in an instant. And you knew Danny would, too. 

When he pulled back up to your house, your achy limbs from a day of swimming cried as you trekked up the driveway to your house. Danny called out to you from the open window as you reached the front door, drawing your attention back to him instead of the shower and bed that were screaming your name. “Call me tomorrow. Love you!”

Your hand shielded your eyes from the setting sun, waving at him as he began driving off, calling out an ‘I love you’ back as he left. You two tried to make that trip happen at least once every other week. If it couldn’t be a lake visit, it was something else. Movie night at someone's house, arcade and ice cream, the only all night diner in the county. It didn’t matter as long as it happened. 

No one else knew of these little escapades you two had. You just simply didn’t bring it up and no one ever asked. It wasn’t lying because there were no suspicions of you two breaking off from the group and going and doing your own thing. If they ever caught wind of it, they never said anything. 

It wasn’t anything more than just spending quality time in the company of a close friend. No romantic interest really. Was Danny attractive? Of course. He was literally one of the most sought after boys in your graduating class, but you wouldn’t see him in that light. To you, he was just Danny. And to Danny, you were just you. 

That’s all it was. 

Did you plan to lose your virginity to him on a random Wednesday night just a few weeks before you left for school? Absolutely not. But if there was someone you were glad it happened with. It was Danny. 

You two had reconvened for a movie night, sprawled out on the couch in your basement, watching a movie that Danny had brought over, but your mind was elsewhere tonight. You had been chatting with one of your friends about moving away for school and when she found out you were a virgin, she was quick to suggest you have that taken care of before going off to school.

It gnawed at you for days following the encounter. Was going off to college a virgin really that big of a deal? According to her and whatever census she had read or taken, yes it was. Danny had noticed you were off tonight, your mind wandering into an abyss he knew you could occasionally get trapped in. 

He nudged you with his foot, pausing the movie after you missed the big gag of the movie. “What’s up with you?” Your eyes snapped up to his, flurried with confusion and questions. Your fingers played with themselves, lip tucked in between your front teeth, but you shook your head. “Nothing, why?”

Rolling his eyes, he sat up and moved closer to you. “Come on. What’s wrong?” Should you ask him this? Was it your place to even know this information? You knew he was your best friend, but this topic was much more suited for someone like Sam. Battling yourself in your mind, you finally decided to just blurt it out at him.

“Are you a virgin?” His eyes went wide as he blinked once at your question before breaking into hard laughter. You pouted at him as he tried to catch his breath. Slapping him away from you as he rolled closer to you, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, you were annoyed. “Wha-what? What the hell brought that on?” 

Finally catching his breath, he was able to ask you that question. Grumbling under your breath, you crossed your arms over your chest. “Nothing.” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him inching closer to you despite you moving further from him, but to no avail as you were at the corner of the sofa.

“Seriously, what happened? Why do you want to know that?” Your eyes were glued to the paused tv screen, shaking your head as your only response. “I’m teasing you! It was just really out of the blue.” Peeling your eyes back to him, only slightly, he was smiling at you. 

“Why do you want to know?” You huffed a small sigh, eyes falling down to your lap at the frayed blanket that lay over you. “Because I was talking with Sarah and she said that if I go to college as a virgin it’ll totally be a hindrance or whatever.” 

His brows drew in, confusion etched across his face. “That makes no sense.” You groaned, hands flailing as you did. “I know! But what if she’s right? What if I get there and a guy finds out I’ve never had sex and then won’t do anything with me? Then word spreads and I’m a total outcast.” 

Danny rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “That won’t happen. I can guarantee you.” Mumbling, you ignored his words. He obviously wasn’t understanding your issue with this. He had no idea what you were talking about. “Yeah well, you’re not a virgin so you don’t get it.” 

“Yes I am.” 

Your head flashed up, eyes connecting with him at his words. “What?” He nodded with a shrug, acting like it was entirely obvious. “Yeah. There just hasn’t been, I don’t know, a right time or person. Just hasn’t felt right.” He was acting so nonchalant about the entire thing, it was flabbergasting to you. 

“But what about prom? You took Susie and you guys had a hotel after.” He closed his eyes, reliving the memory as he laughed. “She got so plastered at prom that she literally got to the hotel room and passed out on the bed. I ended up sleeping on the couch.” Your brows furrowed, shaking your head, uttering an apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

He beamed at you, chuckling. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not an embarrassing thing. It’s literally a construct, nothing more.” His eyes connected with yours and softened. “Bug?” You squeaked out, nerves wracking your body at the sheer idea of what you were about to ask.

Humming in response, he took your hand in his overly large one, calluses from the drum sticks hardening some of the skin. “Would you-would you ever,” you couldn’t even get the question out before he spoke out over you. “The only person I’ve ever thought about going that far with is you.” 

Swallowing thickly, you felt like you were going to choke on your tongue. The stare between you both was so intense that you were scared to do anything but look into the incredibly dark irises that pinned you to the couch. Slowly, Danny moved closer to you, calve held in his hand as he extended your leg. 

Danny knew what you were going to ask him. He wanted to make this as easy as possible and didn’t want you to feel like you had to outright ask him. It was all he had ever thought of. Exchanging this encounter was a big deal and there was no one else he would have rather done it with. 

Both of you were breathless, entirely nude as you laid on your couch, fighting for the shared breath between you both. Before Danny made any further moves despite how far you two had gotten, he was entirely shaking, choking on his own words as he spoke out. “Are-are you su-sure, bug?” 

Nodding enthusiastically, you caught his lips against your own, breath hitching in your throat as Danny entered you for the first time. Eyes squeezing shut, you wanted to savor this moment, searing it into your memory. Feeling nothing but comfort and serenity with him. 

As you two came down from your fast highs, Danny rested his forehead against your own, chasing your lips, over and over. He laid down on top of you, wild curls splayed across your chest. His heavy head laid on your bare skin, listening to the quick beat of your heart. Both giggling out at what had just happened as you enclosed him in your arms. 

It wasn’t what you were expecting to happen, but you were beyond happy it had. The experience was everything you had ever hoped for, with the person you trusted most in the world. Forming a bond that you weren’t entirely sure what to do with. Unsure of what it meant for the future, but it didn’t matter because it wasn’t able to form anymore.

You went to school the next week, taking on a new life as you went to experience what you had heard was supposed to be one of the best, but most stressful times of your life. But you knew that no matter what you did, where you went, that Danny would always be there for you. Danny knew that it was the same for you too. As he and the band took off, he knew that when he came home for breaks it would be the same every time. Both of you waiting patiently for the other to come back. 

Even though it was incredibly selfish on both of your parts. It was okay, because for the time being, you were allowed to be just that. Selfish. 

Your back beneath the sun

Wishin’ I could write my name on it

Will you call when you’re back at school?

I remember thinkin’ I had you

The first two semesters of school nearly annihilated you. No, really. They were beyond rough. After a tough lesson your first semester of why 8am lectures were never a good idea, you knew better going into your second semester. Afternoon and evening lectures were your friend. 

The course load you had on your plate was crushing. That’s why when spring break rolled around, you were more than content to come back home and relax by the pool for a full two weeks. Of course, that plan was foiled by your gang planning their own homecoming for the same time. And they all loved the fact that you had a pool.

It’s why you had music blaring through the outside speakers, the smell of barbecue wafting through the yard, and the sounds of pool splashing filled your ears. This wasn’t a bad way to be spending break. Not at all.

Especially when Danny was practically naked in front of you the entire time. Since he had shown up at your house and enclosed you in a massive embrace the night you had flown in, you two had hardly spent any time apart. 

He had slept at your house that night, squeezing into your full size mattress, not wanting to be apart from you after having slept together the second he stepped into your room. Every day after that, you two were either with the group or you were getting texts from him about secret meetings. 

Nearly every single day of the full two weeks you were home had the group at your house, enjoying the warmer weather and pool. It came with the ground rules of being the owner of the pool. You almost always had to expect people to optimize using it. Today was of course no exception. 

It was a struggle to keep your eyes off the boy as he lifted himself on the edge of the pool, newly tanned skinned from spending nearly every single day outside, glistening from the water droplets clinging to his torso, muscled back contracting as he used his arms. Nearly had your mouth watering until your attention was ripped away, Jake shaking his wet hair out as he plopped himself down on the edge of your seat.

“When do you fly back to school?” You sighed, setting your book on the table next to you. “Tomorrow night. I have class first thing Monday afternoon.” He groaned, leaning back against your tucked legs, back sitting soundly on your shins. “Us too.”

You only hummed in response, eyes instinctively connecting with him from across the way. He had heard your small conversation with his brother, eyes burning in desire. Subconsciously clenching your legs together, knowing that tonight was going to be your last chance to spend with him until god knows when. It had to count. 

Danny only texted you an address and told you to be there around eight. As you traveled to the location he had sent, you were confused as you looked around and saw no surrounding buildings. Yet, when you saw his old truck and a small camp made up, you pulled over quickly. 

Rushing over to him, Danny caught you, instantly connecting you both. Your hands held his jaw, his arms wrapped around your waist, both moaning in utter relief, not even able to spend a full twenty-four hours apart without insane desire burning through you both. 

When you finally pulled away, you took in the sight. Some small lights were at the four corners of the air mattress. Pillows and blankets filled the space, calling you to lay down in its warm embrace. You did exactly that, pulling Danny with you. 

As the sun set and the stars came out and glistened along the sky, you felt the chill rush down your spine. Straddling him, your neck craned back, looking at the moon and its friends decorating the sky. “God, look at that!” You breathed out, entirely forgetting what you two had just finished moments earlier.

His hands still held firm to your hips, not even looking behind you, just directly at you. Enamored with what he saw before him. The moonlight lit up behind you, casting you in a glow that was rare to observe. He felt like the chosen one, being lucky enough to witness this. 

Climbing off of him, you laid next to him, wrapping the sheet around yourself as your head rolled over, seeing his sharp features already looking straight at you. Your face lit up in a wide grin at his locks held up in a loose ponytail. 

“Where do you guys go next?” You finally asked after you two held each other’s gaze, fingers linking together as he pulled you closer towards him, not wanting you to be too far. He sighed, “Nashville. Still working on the album and setting up tour dates.” You hummed, eyes slipping shut as the warmth of his body seeped into your bones. 

The sheet was wrapped around your nude frame loosely, only draped lowly on his waist. The stars danced in the sky, not a cloud to cover them. You could hear various insects chirping in the distance of the field you sat in. Only basking in the moonlight as it soaked you both in its glamorous rays. 

Danny sat up after being in silence for a beat too long. Clearing his throat, he didn’t want to turn and look at you. To see your reaction to what he was about to take the time to ask you. What he had been grappling with since you had left for school months ago. 

“Are you going to call me? When you’re back at school?” You sat up to match him, lips dancing nervously on the bare skin of his back. Wrapping the sheet tighter around yourself, you rested your chin on his shoulder, brushing some of his hair away from the skin, you placed another chaste kiss there. 

Before you spoke, you wanted a second more to enjoy this. Before it was ruined by what your response was going to be to him. Instead, you took the hair tie from his locks and did his hair for him. Fixing it to hold the hair up and out of his gorgeous face that he had hidden from you. Letting his tense muscles come into better view. 

Beautiful.  

He shivered at your touch, eyes closing as he sat waiting for your response despite knowing what it was going to be. “Why can’t we just have this?” It was whisper quiet, only carried by the soft breeze that danced across the grass you were currently laid in. Nodding, he wrapped his arms around you, turning and bringing you back to his embrace. 

Listening to his steady heartbeat beneath your ear, you basked in the warmth his arms offered you. The serene comfort that you could only seem to find with Danny. It wasn’t what you had wanted to say. Not in the least, but it was what you had to say. 

It would be too hard. With him and the boys' music exploding as it was, you with school preoccupying any and all of your time, it wouldn’t work. What could work was knowing that the other would always be there during the breaks. To retreat back to one another and do this over and over would work. 

It was just what you had to do. Danny knew that too despite how much it shredded him to hear it actually said. The band was taking off at lightning speed in a way none of them had anticipated and he knew that there was no way he would be able to juggle both. Not right now. 

But he knew that you would be back in the summer and he would be too and it would pick right back up. That thought brought him comfort to combat the sadness that sat deep in his soul and burrowed. 

Hope. 

Back when we were still changin’ for the better

Wanting was enough

For me, it was enough

To live for the hope of it all

Cancel plans just in case you’d call

And say, “Meet me behind the mall”

So much for summer love and saying “us”

Cause you weren’t mine to lose

You weren’t mine to lose, no

And that was exactly how it continued on. For a few years actually. Up until spring and summer breaks weren’t a thing anymore because college had rapidly come to a close. That was one thing about entering the real world. Those breaks didn’t exist. Which meant that whatever you and Danny had didn’t exist anymore either. 

Knowing that they would be there to see you at those sure times, no question about it. Where he would be waiting for you with a warm embrace and the best time of your life. It all came to a close when you landed your big girl job, Greta Van Fleet became a global sensation, and adult life swept you both up in very different ways.

No time for those silly summer flings that clenched your heart in unexplainable ways whenever you thought back to them. Whenever you thought back to him. That’s why when you got a call from them asking if you could take a bit of a vacation to meet them, you jumped at the chance. Especially when you found out where they wanted you to meet. 

In the middle of their great European trek. To watch them perform for adoring fans, see what they had blossomed into after all this time. No longer the garage band you sat in on to watch their practices nearly every single day. Instead, now globe trotting rockstars. 

Transforming into these grown men, who you honestly would never see as such, was…odd. Seeing the familiar permed ball of frizzy curls always brought a sense of comfort to you, but the on-stage bedazzled jumpsuits and rhinestones had you giggling at his love of performance shouted out to the world. The always long locks of the brothers who could’ve been classified as twins more so than the actual twins, newly adorned facial hair had you rolling your eyes at their attempt to be “men”. Then there was Danny.

No more of the unkempt curls, but instead nourished well formed ringlets and bangs. New found fashion of button ups that were almost entirely unbuttoned and tight pants that left little to the imagination. Built form instead of the strong skinny you were used to. He was utterly breathtaking as you took him in. 

You yourself had changed much as well much to the surprise of the brothers. It wasn’t a one sided transformation, but instead something that happened on all fronts for everyone. A part of growing up. It didn’t stop the yearning that settled deep in your bones whenever your eyes connected with his though.

He knew exactly what you were feeling. It was reciprocated and he was itching to find a way to get you two to sneak off together. Just like old times. Something he thought about far too often, but would adamantly deny if it was ever brought up. When your phone went off at a group dinner after watching a show stopping performance from the brothers, you felt butterflies erupt in your stomach.

Danny had concocted an entire tale to be able to spend the day with you tomorrow. One that you bit back a smile at as he explained to the brothers why he was going to be absent from their group tomorrow and why you were going to also be gone tomorrow evening. It worked perfectly. Not a single question asked. 

You two were sitting at a candlelit table on a balcony overlooking the city, snorting in laughter at the stories you both had missed from everyday life. Your heart ached as you listened to the insane stories of the life he now lived, what you dreamed you could be doing with him. He couldn’t explain the sadness that sat deep in his gut as you chortled through story after story of your workplace and coworkers. 

As giggles died down, setting your now empty wine glass on the table, you let a deep sigh you didn’t know you had been holding escape into the night. His soft eyes held your gaze, smile never diminishing as he watched you battle your thoughts. He knew exactly what you were thinking. 

“Well, Danny, it sounds like you are literally living the dream.” He shrugged, polishing off his drink and leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, it’s not too bad.” You rolled your eyes at his candor. Eyes slightly squinting in his direction, you nearly tripped over your tongue as the words expelled from you. “Still interested in your old fling, then?” 

He had been waiting for you to ask all night. There would never be a time in his life where you weren’t always playing in his thoughts in some way or another. As he had been traveling the world, all he had been thinking about was how you should’ve been by his side for everything. How it didn’t make sense that you weren’t there. That he missed you more than he could put into words. This evening had been the best one he had spent in the last year on the road. 

“Always.” 

Danny took you back to a hotel room that night that he booked with you in tow. Giggling as you stood at the check in counter, he told them he didn’t care what kind of room was available as long as there was a room. The suite was extravagant and more money than you would ever know what to do with just sitting in your bank account, but he didn’t even bat an eye. 

The entire evening you had spent within his grasp. Reliving past memories and experiences you thought would never happen again. Nearly destroying a hotel suite together after having sex on every surface you could find. Desperate to feel his muscles contract as he reached finish after finish. To see his face contort in a way that it only did when pure bliss washed over him. Only when he was experiencing this with you. 

The rustled sheets and blankets were strewn about the room despite the top sheet you two were hidden beneath. Feeling his gentle breathing as he slept soundly underneath you, holding you to him. Not wanting to let you go. Not again.

Despite how wonderful and mind numbing the time had been together, it was a jarring realization of what exactly was going on between you two. The harbored feelings that you had kept at bay for far too long crashing to the surface only to be shunned away from the harsh reality of what lay before you. 

That it would never work. That as time continued on and you two continued changing through the times that it was only ripping you further apart. Such different points of life that you two sat in, you couldn’t even begin to see him from where you were standing. How he was living his life without you and enjoying himself more than you would ever begin to understand. 

The stories you shared were the only highs you could offer him. The rest of your time was spent in a mundane existence that you could only dream about spending with him. That Danny would make better in a way that only he could. Knowing that after telling yourself for exponential amounts of time that he wasn’t thinking about you, didn’t need you, you didn’t truly believe that.

This evening proved that.

You crept out of the room before the sun rose that morning. Not wanting to be there when he woke up to face that light together. You wouldn’t do that to yourself. Because you loved him too much. Too damn much. 

Instead, you were going to survive off the hope that maybe one day way down the road there would be a glimmer of chance for you two. That chance didn’t exist yet, but maybe one day it would. Because that was all you had to go on. 

Hope. 

Your phone dinged into the room, vibrating against the wood of your nightstand table. You were getting ready to go see a movie with one of your friends and you thought the message was going to be from her that she was on her way.

Instead, Danny’s name sat on your screen, telling you that you needed to meet behind the mall at nine that night. One of your secret rendezvous points that no one would ever think to check into. 

Quickly messaging your other friend that you weren’t feeling your best that night and would have to cancel, you haphazardly changed your clothes and rushed out the door. He was already there waiting for you when you arrived. Arms enclosing around you and placing chaste kisses all over your face, neck, and arms.

Laughter echoing off the buildings as you weakly fought him off. “Where we going tonight?” You asked as he wrapped you in his embrace and started to move you both towards his truck. “Ah, that’s a surprise, bug.” 

The entire drive to the top secret location, you were tucked into his side as he drove, lips occasionally dancing across your hairline and temples. It was a fact that whenever you were with Danny that you were always beaming. He loved it. Seeing you so utterly happy. It was unlike any feeling he could describe. 

When you sat in an empty field that you two frequented together, he was smiling brightly, grabbing all of the supplies he had packed in the back of his truck. “We are watching the meteor shower tonight,” he finally told you as he made the bed of his truck into a makeshift bed for you both.

You had briefly mentioned this to him last week, but in actuality it was to the entire group, not realizing Danny had picked up on what you had mentioned. Crawling in between his legs, you back connected with his chest, letting his arms drape over you. 

With heads inclined up, you two watched the meteor shower for hours. They traveled across the sky so quickly you would miss them if you blinked. It had been quiet for most of the night, Danny just letting you enjoy this. 

It nearly startled him when you began talking. “Danny?” His lips pressed into the crown of your head, letting you know that he was listening. “Can you promise me something?” You were speaking quietly. Not wanting to spook the night. Worried that if you were to raise your voice, it would startle the stars from their resting spots. 

Speaking again before he had the chance to, it was choked out. “Promise me it’ll always be us, Danny.” Without a moment of hesitation, he tipped your head back, locking eyes with you as he lightly pecked your lips.

“Always.”

Nearly crying the entire flight home, you were filled with disappointment. They had dropped you off at the airport after a few wonderful days together, Danny hardly able to look you in the eyes. When he had woken up without you by his side, he couldn’t understand why you would have left. Maybe everything he had thought you two had was all a figment of his imagination. Something he had concocted in his mind to cope with the unreturned feelings he had for longer then he could begin to explain. 

All you had wanted was for him to stop you from getting on that plane and going back home. It was too much to ask. You knew that. You knew that Danny was never yours to lose. So why did it feel like you were? 

 But I can see us lost in the memory

August slipped away into a moment in time

Cause it was never mine

And I can see us twisted in bedsheets

August sipped away like a bottle of wine

Cause you were never mine

Every time you and Danny managed to sneak away from everyone it almost always was something different. Making sure to escape to somewhere you wouldn’t accidentally run into someone you weren’t supposed to be seeing. 

Sometimes it meant going to the arcade, movies, or ice cream. Always the next town over just to be safe, but still. It meant getting to spend time with him while you could. Before August would come to a close and you would part once more. 

Any time you could spend together was utter bliss. The summer months meant freedom, but it always held a deeper meaning to you. Summer was Danny. 

Every break wasn’t always the same though. You weren’t naive enough to believe that you were the only person Danny was seeing year round, but it was a stab to the chest when you came home for Christmas and saw he had someone else under his arm.

In the spot you should’ve been. But you knew it wasn’t fair to think like that. Danny wasn’t yours. The relationship wasn’t yours. There wasn’t a relationship there to claim. Instead, you forced a smile to your face and refused to look in their direction for the family Christmas party. 

By the time summer had rolled around again, you both found yourselves partnerless and ready to immerse yourselves back into each other. Your parents had left for a week-long cruise through the Florida keys which meant you had the house all to yourself while they were gone.

Which meant spending time with Danny every single night. 

He hadn’t left your house all week. You two had purchased enough food and drinks to last the entire time. Lying to friends that you had gone with your parents and that Danny was off visiting some distant relatives for the week had meant you two were golden.

Danny hardly let you out of his sight the entire time. Having christened the entire home, you two were laid in your living room on the final night, drunk on champagne you had purchased for brunch, but ended up not using for that purpose. Never having reached brunch. 

The fireplace was the only light source in the room, tv playing lowly in the back, you were sat atop Danny’s lap, bottle in hand and swigging from it. He was speechless, seeing you in this light, nude on his lap and seeing you unbelievably happy. 

The happiest he was sure he had ever seen you. The happiest he had ever been. He didn’t understand what he was feeling as he watched you. Relief? Content? Love? 

No, of course not. It wouldn’t make sense. It didn’t in his mind. That’s why he tabled it, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, just wanting to spend the time he had with you, with you. No pressure, no anxiety, no expectations. Just the time you two spent together where it was just you two.

 What summer was for you, it was for Danny. You were summer. 

When Thanksgiving came, you were nervous. Extremely nervous to even be attempting to do this in front of your family and closest friends. In front of Danny. Everyone was warm and welcome to offer a seat at the table for your new partner. Nothing serious you noted, but wanting to get your mother off your back about bringing someone home, you bit the bullet and drug him along with you. 

Now as you felt eyes burning a hole into the side of your head, you were wracked with regret. You knew it was going to be hurtful to him. That’s why you didn’t want to do it, but how could you explain whatever your situation was with Danny to them? You couldn't, which is exactly why you brought this guy. 

Danny had never experienced these feelings before. Jealousy, sadness, anger to this degree. But he had to be fine with this because you weren’t his to put some sort of ridiculous claim on. No matter how much he wanted to. 

You weren’t his. 

Back when I was living for the hope of it all

Carrying on with life was proving to be much more complicated than you had intended. If you knew this would be the outcome, you wouldn’t have gone in the first place. Moping around your home was proving futile to your mental health.

Go figure, right? 

Curled up on your couch, you were startled when a pounding came from your front door. It was late, way too late for someone to just be casually showing up at your home. Slowly approaching the door, they knocked again, making you jump back just a couple of feet.

“Bug!” 

Instantly standing up straight at the voice, you threw the door open. Danny stood there, clearly nervous to be standing at your front door. His eyes were bouncing around at you and the surroundings, your mouth agape like an idiot. 

Blinking rapidly, you came back to your senses and fully opened the door and moved for him to come in as you grabbed his arm. “What-what the hell are you doing here? Why didn’t you call me? What’s going on?” You were rapid firing the questions off and as you went to ask another, he cut you off. 

“I shouldn’t have let you get on that plane.” 

You shut up. Facing him in utter confusion at his words, hearing the strained tone in which he spoke. Shaking your head, you didn't know what to say back. “I love you.” Was the next thing out of his mouth that nearly had you collapsing onto the floor.

Tears filled your eyes as you looked up at him to see him crossing the room to you. His hands cupped your cheeks as the tears fell down them. The tremble in his hands nearly disappeared entirely the moment he got his hands on you. 

“I love you, bug and I know you love me.” Your chin wobbled at his words, vision blurred from the continuous stream. “I shouldn’t have let you get on that plane. I’m not watching you leave me again. I can’t do it.” His mouth was set as he finished, refusing to accept any but your confession of love.

Your hands went to his wrists, grabbing at the familiar skin that you missed dearly. “You are mine. You’ve been mine since we were teenagers! I love you and you’re not leaving me again.” You sniffed, trying to find your voice to respond to him.

“I love you.” You finally squeaked out. His eyes shut, relief flowing from his veins at the admission. Bringing you to him, he connected you both in a needy mess. It was all you two needed. 

To be with one another past summer. Because despite Danny being summer, you knew that he was yours year round. And you were ready to stake that claim. 

[prisiidon]

🔱 🌊 More Caeruleis lore! 🌊🔱

>>{full post here!}<< New and updated info below

Alliance specifics: Weaponry, auxiliaries, military aid, events, trade, underwater fantasy veg, knowledge, prosthetics, alchemy, sea monster management

Accent: Cultivated Australian Accent

Zora Olympics: As a capital city in their distant sea, they host grand sport events in their own stadium.

Market: Huge market for food, artisan crafts, jewelry and other knickknacks.

Current Highways: like you see in Nemo lol, allows faster travel as they’re far away. Depending on the route or if going off-road, you may need to travel with a Travel Guardian!

Travel Guardians: Highly respected giant zora and leviathans who know the safe routes and travel with you. They keep tabs on creature territories and know how to negotiate passage if there's any run ins. E.g giant basking shark zora who vacuums up sea octoroks. Some take mail with them!

The Big Conch: Tourist attraction. They say you can talk to an ocean god if you go inside of it, but it never answers. Actually worked in the far past, but that ocean deity is gone now. Rarely, some may hear whispers...

Depth: between the light zone and twilight zone

Common armour/gemstones: anything is fine! Mainly it's whitegold palladium (14-18k), white gold, champagne stainless steel, red kelp, red or orange fabric, light blue/cyan gemstones and pearls, with shell shapes in the regalia. All waterproofed.

Conch Shell Communication: Like shellphones lol but the range isn't that far!

Fin & Headtail Prosthetics: If ocean zora  have these amputated, they will sink and wouldn’t be able to swim. Thus they've designed prosthetics. Esp bc military soldiers can have accidents with aggro seamonsters

Calamity: During this time Kahn was the General, and they were essentially cut off due to so many maliced leviathans blocking the route. Attempts to send auxiliaries and reinforcements were mostly in vain despite their best efforts. They also had their hands full with the Forbidden Sea taking advantage of the chaos. Not long before the calamity ended, Lionel became General, and Filomena was elected as Head Governess. Trade and reforming alliances resumed!

[ship-o-rama]

Flying Saucer

Profile: Flying saucer auxiliary craft found on the surface of Alpha Centauri, the candidate planet selected by the multi-generational ship.

Pictured: The saucer, under control of humans from colony ship, some engages hostile fauna.

appeared in Centaurus Vol. 5, Editions Delcourt

[cast-you-dxwn]

Standard equipment of the 778th Legion

The 778th Legion of the Heavenly Host is an auxiliary unit of the Heavenly Legions, entirely comprised of mortal souls. Saved who are unsatisfied with simply enjoying Heavens existence, taking up arms to fight with the rest of the Legions upon Creation.

As they are not Trueborn Angels, they lack the unmatched strength, speed, reflexes, and inborn martial prowess of their peers. Therefore they are equipped with the most technologically advanced equipment that Heavens forges can produce, to bring their physical performance up to par with their faithful fire.

Armor: The armor of the 778th is a semi-modular suit of interlocking angelic steel and blessed ceramic armor plating over an exoskeleton powered by the sun-fire of holy light. 

The base suit is referred to as a ‘Harbinger’ Model Powered Combat Suit, and can be modified to serve a variety of battlefield purposes, examples given being overclocked power plants in the arms and reinforced gorget and vambraces for heavy melee combat, and extensive helmet sensor suites and targeting modules for snipers. The armor greatly augments the wearers strength, overland speed, and reflexes, allowing the Legionnaire to do battle against foes that would normally far outstrip a mortal soul, such as more powerful sinner-entities. Earlier models weight complicated flight, but downsizing of the power source and distribution system have made this a non-issue.

Standard Ammunition: The Legions firearms utilize a standardized round in many different calibers: Sanctified Mass-Reactive Banishment (SMRB) ammunition. Each projectile is lovingly and masterfully crafted, an angelic steel jacket surrounding a blessed silver core and a small explosive charge meant to activate upon striking a target. There are standard variations, including armor-piercing rounds utilizing a hardened angelic steel penetrator, hollow points for use against soft targets, etc.

Sidearm: The Model 277 ‘Judith’ is a semi-automatic pistol chambered to accept 12.7×41mm SMRB ammunition, standard issue to all members of the 778th Legion.

The ‘Judith’ is unique amongst handguns in that it utilizes a side-loading magazine, deemed necessary to maintain an acceptable ammunition capacity in the face of the necessarily large caliber it is chambered in, ten total, plus one in the chamber. The weapon comes in both left and right-hand dominant configurations, depending on the users preference.

This weapon has seen comparatively few updates since its conception, most of them revolving around ergonomics and minute adjustments to the Legions deployment zones, an instant and long-lasting hit with the 778th, so much so that Trueborn members of other Legions and certain members of the Guardian Conclaves have begun to carry them as well.

Standard rifle: The Model 3577 ‘Mercy’ Battle Rifle is a select-fire shoulder arm chambered for 7.62×63mm SMRB ammunition. It can cycle between semi-automatic fire, burst-fire, and fully automatic fire via a selector switch mounted on the trigger guard, with a cyclic fire rate of 650 RPM. 

It is a highly modular rifle, capable of a great deal of personalization as well as customization for various battlefield roles, easily converted from a short-barreled carbine for Close Quarters Battle to a full-length Designated Marksman Rifle, depending on a Legionnaires deployment zone and particular battlefield role.

Long-distance engagement: The Model 137 ‘Jericho’ Anti-Materiel rifle is a long-barreled semi-automatic shoulder arm chambered in 20mm SMRB fed from a 3-round magazine, designed to engage particularly large or heavily armored targets from extreme distances. 

A sharpshooters weapon, it is large, bulky, and unwieldy in close quarters, with an overall length of almost 8 feet and weighing almost 75 pounds, making it solely suited to engaging targets from a distance or from pre-established firing positions. 

That being said, enterprising Legionnaires have described the weapons effects on targets in closer quarters to be ‘magnificent.’

Close Quarters Engagement: The Model 93 ‘Simon’ is a pump-action shotgun chambered to accept 8 gauge shells, with a capacity of 5 rounds in an internal tube magazine, plus one in the chamber. These rounds can be interchanged for a wide variety of purposes for example: Angelic Steel Buckshot and slugs, silver-tipped flechettes, blessed magnesium incendiary rounds, and cryogenically stable holy-water pellets. Less-than-lethal options exist, such as beanbag rounds and flash-bang shells.

The weapon is the workhorse of many anti-cultist operations, proving effectiveness in the often cramped space and limited maneuverability of the compounds such groups tend to prefer to nest in. It has also proven its knockdown power against various demonic entities, proven capable on multiple occasions of putting more powerful sinner-entities on their back with a solid shot center-mass.

Squad level fire support: The Model 115 ‘Retribution’ Squad Automatic Weapon system is a fully-automatic shoulder arm chambered in 7.62×63mm SMRB fed by disintegrating-link ammunition belts from a 200 round box magazine, with a cyclic fire rate of 850 RPM, fitted with a quick-change barrel system.

It is a superlative weapon for suppressing fire on covered targets, as well as engagement of groups of enemies. There is generally one issued to each Contubernia, a suitable solution for the Legions need for more robust mobile fire support.

Heavy Machine Gun: The Model 19 ‘Diligence’ Machine Gun is an air-cooled heavy support weapons platform chambered in 12.7x108mm SMRB ammunition, with a cyclic fire rate of up to 600 RPM, fed by disintegrating-link ammunition belts fed from a 110 round ammunition can.

The Model 19 has been a reliable workhorse against lightly-armored vehicles and large abominations for many years, imparting significant kinetic transfer and wound-channeling to its targets, often tearing human and human-adjacent targets limb from limb. While normally mounted in emplacements (such as those guarding the Heaven Embassy in Hells Pride Ring) or braces, a Legionnaires standard Harbinger combat suit allows a Model 19 to be carried and fired from the hip, albeit with significant drop in accuracy. Some Legionnaires have fitted their armor with advanced and specialized targeting systems to allow them to effectively utilize the weapon in this manner.

Anti-Armor: The Model 6 ‘Perdition’ personal missile system is a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon firing a 127mm missile which can be fitted for anti-personnel airburst, anti-armor, or anti-air configurations. It features an automatic infrared ‘fire and forget’ tracking system, enabling the user to immediately seek cover after firing, unlike wire-guided systems, which leave the user exposed to enemy counter-fire whilst guiding the projectile.

Its anti-personnel munitions are tuned for airburst detonation, detonating above enemy positions, riddling the target area with angelic-steel shrapnel, blessed magnesium incendiary munitions, or silver-tipped flechettes. Its anti-armor munitions feature a dual-warhead system intended to defeat the reactive armor systems of tanks, but the technology has been found useful in breaching the carapaces of more heavily armored abominations as well.

[rabbits-foot-reqs]

HI!!! Could we maybe get a fictive of the lamb from the cult of the lamb???? Preferably not a little if possible? And some sort of like... unholy, corrupted vibe going on? But honestly whatever you decide to do would be amazing :O

Amazing first headmate pack! Thank you for requesting!

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Name(s): Lamb, Lambert, Leader, Chief

Age: N/A (immortal), mentally 25+

Pronouns: They/Them, Hy/Hymn, It/Its, Xy/Xyr, Ba/Bah, One/Ones, Thy/Thym, God/Gods, Rot/Rots, Sin/Sins, Lamb/Lambs, La/Amb, She/Ep

Gender(s): Agender, Godgender, Kamigender, corruptgodic, cottongender, lambthing

Sexuality: apothi-aroace 

Species: Sheep, God

Race: N/A

Roles: Apathy Holder, Assidumate, Auxiliary, Devilmate, Enforcer, Caretaker

Likes/interests: Gore, horror movies, cannibal media/history, IRL cult history, yarn/wool crafts (knitting, crochet, weaving, ect.), meditating, doing sermons, gambling/playing knucklebones, card games, divination/tarot, ritualistic sacrifice + resurrection (doesn't do it to headmates, thankfully. But doesn't not contemplate it.), taking care of littles, fishing, cooking, ect. 

Dislikes: disloyalty, lying, dissenters (headmates hurting other headmates in the system unjustly), heretics (fakeclaimers, anti-nontraumagenic systems, ect.), people who disrespect sins and sins follower's boundaries, poop meals(/silly). 

Boundaries: no talking about source without asking, no touching lambs wool/crown without asking, no syscourse, ect. 

Fav/associated song: Valley Of The Pagans (Feat. Beck) - Gorillaz

Sign-off: 🔪🐑👑

Faceclaim: 

[Art credit: @/voidheartkisses]

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Made by: Mod 🖖🏽