#cale's above the rules

[crazydaymycrazyway]

Cale, talking about how Deruth coddled him back at the Henituse territory: -and then father said he loves me-

Alberu, incredibly sleep deprived from all the paperwork: Pfft-

Cale: .....

Alberu: Oh shit, that wasn't a joke?

Cale: .....

Alberu: Sorry, I forgot we were talking about your father.

Cale: .....

Cale: *gets upto leave*

Alberu: Hey, I told you I'm sorry-

Cale: Hyung, let me borrow your gun for a second.

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Light's Chapter 423

Brief summary: Alberu wakes up and shows the dignity of a hero. Cale begins his "purification" of GoC's divine item.

==========

Sun God Angelina was cute. When Alberu was not responding to her messages, she kept increasing the number of exclamation marks. 😂😂😂

Ting! Once again, the distorted quest window revealed its presence. [Urgent Subquest: Show them the dignity of a hero!!!] The number of exclamation marks at the end of the sentence increased from one to three. '…' Alberu was dumbfounded. 'What is dignity?' The dignity of a hero, what is that? It was mind-boggling.

So how did Alberu show a hero's dignity? By pulling off a cool pose as he drew the Sword of the Sun. 🤣🤣🤣

Instead, he lowered his head before drawing his sword. He looked at the Pope, the saintess, Sir Boltien, the bishops, and the others looking at him. His faint smile was suddenly regal and dignified. Alberu Crossman, crown prince, but practically ruling a country. It was a moment that revealed his true character. “…….” “…….” The people of the church could not open their mouths easily at the sight of Alberu Crossman, who was somehow different than just a hero. Alberu slowly drew his sword. “Ah.” The saintess felt an indescribable thrill as she saw the sunlight pouring down from the ceiling and the same light emanating from the sword. Even the saintess above the canyon gasped at the power unleashed by the God of Chaos. A sublime, glorious light that radiated into the night alone, where even the sun was nowhere to be seen. At the center of that light, a hero vomited blood until the light was extinguished. The Pope was already weeping wordlessly. “…….” Cale's expression turned shaky at the sight, so sublime, so solemn, and yet sacred. 'Wow.' He was amazed. Alberu Crossman drew his sword, not too fast, not too slow, like he was in a movie. And he did it with the coolest posture and expression. That bastard didn't normally drew his sword like that. Now that's a- -He's bluffing. The Dominating Aura was not wrong these days. “…….” Alberu, who had finished drawing his sword, looked around at everyone and opened his mouth. “The Sun God sent me here.” The Pope's mouth opened. “Ah, ah- As expected-!” The saintess squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, gazing into the sunlight. . . . “The sun will always shine on you, even here.” A Hero to save the world! Alberu Crossman's appearance was certainly that of a hero. The sun, in particular, matched with him like a painting. And even after four days of unconsciousness, his gleaming eyes and majestic appearance were enough to shake the hearts of the Sun God church.

Alberu learned best from Cale about bluffing. 🤣🤣🤣

Moving on, Alberu indeed met Angelina while unconscious. She did not make a deal with him, but informed him of what would happen in the future.

Saint Jack's successor would be someone from the dark elves as her sign of reconciliation to them. And if Alberu decided to reveal his dark elf form to the public, she would bestow upon him her blessing to quell any doubts about him.

However, Alberu was not too keen on revealing his secret to the public. He did not want to cause his citizens confusion. And he had also liked the freedom he had when he was in his dark elf form.

The pope gave Alberu a pure white helmet, asking him to be their hero. Alberu accepted it, thus fulfilling the qualifications needed to fully use the power of the Sword of the Sun.

[*The more support you receive from the followers of the Sun God, the greater their support for you as a hero, the greater your ability to use the Sword of the Sun!] Alberu sighed. 'At any rate, I'll be more comfortable with it than I was last time.' I won't have to spill as much blood as Cale Henituse, will I? Sword of the Sun. The limits of this sword were unknown, but it seemed that after last time, Alberu wouldn't be coughing up blood or passing out, although he might become unable to move due to fatigue. He could feel it in his gut. 'Good.' Alberu turned away, satisfied.

Alberu, why are you copying Cale? Look, that's definitely a 🚩flag there. I won't have to spill as much blood as Cale Henituse, will I? Yeah, right... You'll definitely be spilling a lot of blood in the future. 🤣🤣🤣

With Alberu's business done, it was now Cale's turn. Getting the Purification of Chaos skill was easy because he only needed to tear the scroll, so Cale prioritized GoC's divine item.

Angelina tried to talk to Cale, but GoC's divine item seemed to be blocking it. Fortunately, she managed to give Cale a clue on how to turn its chaos attribute to a non-attribute one, which was to "defeat it."

Thus, Cale began his "purification" of the Knife of Chaos by wrapping it first with a cloth dipped in holy water, and then... stomping on it repeatedly! 😂😂😂

Apparently, the Knife of Chaos was similar to the crown that coveted dragon blood. So to "subdue" the divine item, Cale stomped on it. He even asked Paladin Boltien for a hammer to fasten the process. Of course, the Sun God church people were shocked and confused at Cale's actions. 😂😂😂 And Alberu? He spouted his classic line, "This is driving me crazy." 🤣🤣🤣

Ending Remarks Cale's physical "purification" was so funny that it overshadowed Alberu's hero acting today. 😂 Next chapter would be a continuation of his physical purification. But could he really lift a hammer with that frail body of his?

[ohmycale]

sometimes, in the heatest of what-ifs,

I thought it would be better if Og!cale died in the background and was never part of the story

Usually, it is on the moments when I see a real life stepchild being alienated by their parents coz their happiness their rules

or hear a stepparent despair of a stepchild not being part of their plans and later not being worthy of love

or lonely because nobody was really there for them

At least, I say to myself, Og!Cale would pass thinking he was loved and was spared of not knowing how to be left alone by the people who profess to love him.

Then have those people being absolved or excused because of being human. As if Og!cale isn't also a human child that has needs and priorities

As if those people, if there are really human, don't deserve to receive consequences of their actions

It really drives home that Og!Cale wasn't really for the story.

Another unpopular take. related to above, Deruth will move on if Og!Cale dies. Just like he moved on from Jour's death. He already has a new family that will support and understand unlike before. He will even get sympathy because of the event and his supposed 'attempts. Am sure some will celebrate that too and openly.

I believe Deruth did love Og!Cale but over time, it warped into guilt. He love og!Cale but people feel sorry for him because it somewhat unfair that a kind person like him should somewhat suffer.

[the-string-of-curses]

So this is just an idea I need to get out of my brain.

The small but rich kingdom called Pur Blindé built its wall with dark magic. This was known to the world, but when the 2nd prince started the rebellion against the crown prince, it struck fear in the small kingdom.

Cale so happens to be in this kingdom and is about to be killed by the prince Claude himself. He knew that his shield would block the attack, but it did not help him in what could be seen as normal or completely new to this world.

It was new. It was new but it saved his life but that came with a price. He now has to be the new symbol of light and bring hope to Claudes people. This lead to the victory of Claude and him ascending to be the Emperor of Obelia.

This is also how Cale becomes the empress of Obelia. But this was all due to a contract to ensure his safety. The only way this contract could be broken is if Claude falls in love with someone and realizes it.

This goes on, and the empire prosper under their ruling. Cale makes sure that nothing goes on in his empire, and if you are caught, you will be severely punished. This caused the empire to be peaceful and the safest it ever been.

Cale was hailed to be the blessing from heaven above. He was given a title known to only the common people to be the only empress Obelia has had. He was the only one who took being the "mother" of the Empire seriously.

This goes on while Cale is trying to find this worlds world tree. He has got everything work out, but the only thing stopping him is the contract. That is until Claude meets Diana and falls in love with her.

But before Cale left he made sure everything was in order and gave Claude a warning.

"If you try to have a child with her, make certain that her body can handle it. Don't do something you will regret."

The next day, Cale was gone, and the contract was on top of his desk in his office. The empire was crazy for a long time. Rumors of the contract spread and hatred towards Diana was quickly rising. Then, the news of her expecting a child spread. The people protest that Diana is not fit to be nothing more than a concubine. These protests were quickly taken care of, and none dared to speak up again.

Claude made sure that Diana did not hear anything that happened outside of the palace. Then things goes as the novel but the only difference is that Claude has to choose. He can choose to forget Cale or Diana.

I really needed to get this out of my head. Again, it is not perfect or good writing. This is just me getting this idea out of my head before it drives me crazy. Not beta read, so mistakes are bound to be there.

[illusionsofdreaming]

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ oh my ♥ what's this? Illu's trying a challenge?

you got that right~ May's going to be the special month for Illu, so Illu thought, why not challenge myself and have some fun at the same time amirite? ☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

hang on now illu, it’s only April why are you talking about May? 1. I’d rather get this out into the world now so I don’t chicken out later. 2. Just in case people want to question my sanity, now is the time to do it. 3. if you want to join on my self destructive journey - you now have ample warning and time to prepare. because I'm a glutton for punishment, I decided for every day of May, I will write 100 words imagines following a prompt list. that's 31 imagines queued up for May unless I fudge up because life likes to throw curve balls. anyways, I decided I'll open it up to the public as well because maybe there are kindred masochists out there who'd love to join in the pain! Without further ado let me reveal the self made prompt list:

oh and before I forget of course, as this is a daily challenge that'll be lasting the entire month of May, feel free to exclude the tag #illu's may challenge if you do not want to receive notifications for this event when the time comes!

Breathe - Beacrox

Citrus - Alberu

Fine Print - Alberu

Forbidden - Ron

Craving - Rosalyn

Alchemy - Ron

Collision - Lock

Ghost - Cale

Mirage - Kim Rok Soo

Gift - Lock

Sincerity - Rosalyn

Ouroboros - Beacrox

Elusive - Toonka

Mercy - Cale

Reaper - Beacrox

Fearless - Cale

FREE 

Poison - Cale

Inevitable - Cale

Mortal - Rosalyn

Slacker - Mary

Silence - White Star

Disobedience - Choi Han

Stagnant - Kim Rok Soo

Jewel - Bud

Privilege - Choi Han

Trash - Beacrox

Seconds - Eruhaben

Tackle - Lock

Lost - Eruhaben

Home - Raon

as you might have noticed, there are names beside word prompts - that’s just an added level of difficulty for myself because I like pain. Throughout the challenge I’ll be following a loose set of guidelines which you’re free to follow along or not! I’d like to mention that this is a creative challenge! Which means you’re free to use whatever medium you like (be it moodboards, songs, haikus, art) to express yourself! The only real rule here is to have fun!

(」°ロ°)」Guidelines for illu:

I must write exactly 100 words for each prompt. Not one word less, not one word more.

referring to reader’s name counts towards the word count (aka. _____  is one word. y/n is one word. y/n l/n is two.)

punctuations do not count towards the word count

The prompts are suggestions. I do not have to use them within the writing nor do they have to make an appearance.

reader does not have to be involved in the imagines

any prompts with underaged characters will be platonic

(ノ*°▽°*)  good job reaching this point without turning away haha I’ve got some special news as well.. I don’t know if there’ll be people who’d like to join in on my crazy challenge but if there are, I’d like to show appreciation for those who manage to finish all 31 days with me because that’s dedication (*´ I `)ﾉﾟ(ﾉД｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

I really don’t have much to offer except my words so for those who have completed all 31 days with me (just filling the prompts is enough! no need to follow the character challenge but ++10000 points if you do!) I’ll write whatever imagine you want. And by whatever, I really mean whatever. Any fandom (that I know of), any genre, any AUs, Character x Characters, self inserts, customising Reader’s name, first person POV, third person POV, and yes, I will write NSFW if you so wish. Your request will be placed 1st on the priority list, above all WIPs and sent personally to you when completed (unless you wish for it to be shared publicly) and it’ll at least have a minimum of 1000 words. 

Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee a set timeline to complete it because I work full time and I might not always have time to write but- I’ll promise it’ll be done in a timely manner. 

In the case that there’ll be more than one person who completes the challenge with me (I doubt it but just in case anyways) random.org will pick 2 users. So yes, it means I’ll gift out two 1000 worded imagines by the end of this event if it blows up or something - erk. 

Please remember tag me in your posts and use the challenge’s tag (#illu’s may challenge) so I don’t miss out on your wonderful entries!

FAQs

Where’s the prompt list from?

myself. I chose words based on a whim.

How did you decide on the characters?

I had 16 character names listed + one free slot and put that into random.org to pair up each prompt with a character. Random.org didn’t like my free slot, nor any of the other characters apparently.

Cale... and Kim Rok Soo? (・・;)ゞ Whether Cale means OG!Cale or KRS!Cale is entirely up to you! I deliberately put both names there just to tickle the creative brain cells!

What does FREE mean?

it’s a spechul day, so you can decide on whatever prompt you wish to use! 

Can I join anonymously?

of course! you’re free to submit via the askbox any time! however please do keep in mind that if you complete the entire challenge anonymously, regretfully you’ll be unable to participate in the prizes as it’s hard to tell anons apart.. unless you’ve used a nickname or symbol to differentiate yourself from others.

Oops I missed a day...｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡ it doesn’t matter! this is a fun thing I decided to hold on a whim! There’s no pressure to complete it or even follow my prompts! Create for whatever fandom you wish and whenever you want!

[the-penalty-box-imagines]

Mistletoe Magic

Author: Mila Player/Team: Cale Makar - Colorado Avalanche Prompt: #10 - Mistletoe Requested: Yes    No   || Word Count: 1107    ||   Rating: Pg

TW: None! A/N: i'm back!! i've been obsessing over cale lately so have this :) let's just pretend this one takes place in pre (or post) covid times lmao also requests are open, so send me asks for imagines/ships/etc.!

"I'm so sorry I was late! There was an accident on the highway, and I-" you said through ragged breaths. "Hey, calm down! It's okay. You didn't miss anything. Just take a moment to breathe, though. I don't want you passing out on me," your best friend Cale grabbed your shoulders and gently squeezed them to try and stabilize you. Little did he know that it only made you feel weaker. You smiled painfully and tried to catch your breath while he took your coat. The Avs were having a Christmas auction where bidders could buy some of the guys' old stuff - sticks, pucks, jerseys, the works. All of the proceeds were going to the children's hospital. While the guys, of course, had to be there, they were also encouraged to bring their significant others or friends. According to Cale, they were told to "invite as many people as possible". The more people attending, the more money to donate to the charity. Plus, nothing helps publicity more than a nice wholesome family vibe. While you weren't family or Cale's significant other, you were his best friend. And to be honest, there was no one he would have rather invited that night. The dress code was formal, so you were wearing a gorgeous dark green outfit that complimented your skin and hair colors perfectly. Per your request, you had coordinated outfits beforehand with Cale, so he looked absolutely dashing in a dark black suit with a green tie to match the same deep green as your outfit. Once you'd shrugged your coat off, Cale held out his elbow and you gently took it. "What a gentleman you are, Cale," you said with a grin. "I can be when I try," he responded, and you giggled. He led you to a table where you had some snacks and drinks. Champagne, wine, and beer were all available. Cale had a bottle of beer and you decided on a glass of champagne. Neither of you would know the difference between a high quality brand of alcohol or a low quality one, but it didn't make much difference. Sitting there with Cale, drinking and looking fabulous, you felt so very happy. He didn't know, but you had been crushing on him hard for three or so years. You wanted to say something many times, but you just couldn't bring yourself to actually do it. Instead, you just laughed at his jokes and spent as much time with him as possible - without being weird. Now that he was playing for the Avs, he was gone much more frequently than he used to be and finding quality time to spend together was hard, especially in the winter. You were more than overjoyed when Cale had asked you to be his date to the Avs charity auction. After snacking and sitting through the auction, Cale left you alone to take some pictures and sign some merch for the fans who attended. You talked with some of the other players' partners and then just rested at the table until Cale returned. When he got back, some games and a little bit of dancing had broken out. He offered you his hand, and you took it. "Want to play Connect 4?" he asked, and you laughed. "Not particularly. Do you want to play cornhole?" "Not particularly," now it was his turn to laugh. You had been too busy to notice the group of Cale's friends standing in front of you, but when they started hooting and hollering you turned your head. It was Nathan, Gabe, and Mikko. You awkwardly waved as Cale introduced you and said hello. “So, are you gonna follow the rules or give us all bad luck?” Gabe asked with a chuckle. “What are you talking about?” Cale asked with a laugh, and Gabe pointed above you. You followed his finger to see a tiny sprig of mistletoe hanging above your heads. It was taped to the ceiling with white hockey tape, which made you giggle. You glanced down at Cale to realize he was also taking in the meaning of everything. You were standing under the mistletoe. Both of you. And now both of you were flushing furiously. Cale’s pink cheeks were now a deep shade of burgundy, and you imagined yours weren’t far away on the color spectrum. You folded your arms across your chest and avoided eye contact while the boys roasted Cale. Eventually, you gained

enough courage to lift your eyes. You met his own, and he sheepishly grinned. “Well…if it’s bad luck…” he said and stepped closer to you. You couldn’t move, your feet firmly planted on the ground. When his hand cupped your cheek and the other slid around your waist, you felt your body go even stiffer, if that was possible. He gently leaned down and pressed his soft lips against yours. They were slightly cold, but thanks to your burning embarrassment it was a welcome temperature change. You pressed back against him and let your hands rest on his chest. As his lips began to pull away and head turn down, you felt yourself moving further into him. When he finally broke away, you noticed his moment of hesitation before the air cleared between you. You heard the boys even though your eyes were closed. They let out a chorus of “oohs” and “awwwws”. When you finally let yourself look, you saw Cale standing across from you with the biggest smile on his face. You had both felt that the kiss was special, and you had the urge to tell him. You had to tell him now, before this moment was ruined or expired. You reached out and grabbed his hand, but as you opened your mouth he spoke first. “I like you,” he said, and you started. Before you had a chance to respond, he continued. “I really like you, and I have for a while. I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. And I want to kiss you again and again and again. If you’ll let me.” You hesitantly glanced toward the hoard of grown men watching your drama like it was a reality tv show or an episode of The Bachelor. “Of course I’ll let you, dummy. I would want nothing more than for you to kiss me for the rest of my life!” you finally responded and threw yourself into his arms. He squeezed you tight, gleeful laughs spilling out of your lungs. As he twirled you around, you only laughed harder when you saw the puppy dog expressions plastered all over the boys’ faces. Mistletoe really is magic.

[toplinetommy]

54+57 for Cale from the updated smut list? Thanks!

turned what i thought was a wholesome smut request into this, also i’ve decided i absolutely love writing for cale

“Alright guys,” Tyson yawned, moving to stand up. “I’m calling it a night.”

“Yeah, me too,” Sammy agrees, joining Tyson in jumping out of the hot tub. You and Cale both bid them goodnight before you’re left alone in the warm water, the moon shining high in the sky. 

It was all-star week and a bunch of the guys had decided to rent out a cabin in Aspen, most of the girlfriends and wives tagging along for the vacation, too. The cabin you all rented was beautiful with an all wood interior, a wrap around porch and accompanying balconies for most of the bedrooms. The extra large hot tub had to be everyone’s favorite amenity, enjoying it when both the sun and the moon were high in the sky. 

You floated closer to your boyfriend, even with the newfound space, and found yourself sitting in his lap. Your hands fell atop his bare shoulders as he gripped your waist where the straps of your bottoms rest. 

“Alone at last,” you tease, brushing a stray dipper of water off his rosy cheek. 

“Alone at last,” Cale laughs in agreement. Quietness surrounds the both of you, the only noise coming from the woods surrounding you. You’re pretty sure everyone inside is either asleep or in bed with the lack of noise. You stare at one another for a moment, admiring the moonlight casting into your boyfriend’s pale skin.

A shiver runs through you as a large gust of wind blows through the air and Cale chuckles at you. His fingers brush against your waist in a comforting manner, a smile on his lips as he drinks you in. 

You’re wearing a bright red bikini, a stark contrast to the color of your skin. It accentuates your chest in a way that has Cale trying to focus on anything else. His eyes follow the falling droplets of water scattered across your skin and the way your hips suddenly move against his. His eyes shoot up to yours at the action, his fingers tightening their grip. 

You rock your hips against his once more with a smirk, before leaning and placing your lips on his. His hands pull your in tighter as you kiss him, your lips moving in sync with one another. The hot bubbles splash against your back, keeping you warm in the below freezing temperatures. His hands trail from your hips to your ass, his hands slipping underneath the bikini bottoms that leave little to the eye, and kneading the bare skin. 

“You’re really bad at hiding how turned on you are,” you whisper with a smirk into his ear. You nibble on his ear, trailing your lips down his jaw until they meet his lips again.

“C’mon we can just go to bed,” Cale suggests, nodding his head back towards the door to the house. His voice has a slight strain to it, clearly showing that he wants exactly what you want, just in the safety of your bedroom.

“Or,” you draw out. “You can fuck me right here.”

Cale groans at your idea, already picturing your body bouncing against the bubbles in the water and the way your breasts float in water pressed against him. He thinks about it for half a second, before agreeing and springing forward to connect your lips once more. 

He pushes the triangle shaped fabric that’s covering your breasts to the side, letting them hang freely. Your nipples instantly harden as the cold air hits them, the soft touches of Cale’s fingers sending shivers across your chest. His neck tilts down, his lips moving to wrap around one of your nipples, the other one being covered by his plan as he kneads the flesh. 

His cock is starting to strain against his board shorts, the thin material of his shorts combined with your barely there bikini bottoms leaving very little between your bodies. Cale’s hand travels back down to your ass, moving the fabric to the side to expose your pussy. The movement has you gasping in surprise and you grind your hips down further. 

“Now who’s the one that can’t hide how turned on they are?” Cale chirps as he releases your nipple from his mouth. He dips his finger into your folds, teasing you as he nips along your neck. A finger slips in you from behind, your body arching against him as your nipples brush over his chest. 

He adds another finger, working you open for him. His fingers feel amazing, but you want more, want to feel full. Cale seemingly reads your mind as your hands move to the drawstrings of his shorts, sitting up on your knees to pull them just far enough down his thighs to release his cock. 

You pump him under the water a few times, before you’re shuffling in his lap silently asking for Cale to enter you. He removes his fingers from you slowly, letting you adjust to the new empty feeling before brushing his cock along your folds in a teasing manner. He catches your clit a few times, shutters flowing through you body as you whimper for more. He enters you slowly, holding your hips to sit you fully on him. The fullness of it all is a lot, knowing where you are and who might catch you only adding to your senses. Doing this, fucking in a semi-communal hot tub, is something way out of the ordinary for your relationship. You’re all for the exhilaration of sex in water, but the newness of being outside and near his teammates has your breath hitching in your throat. 

Your movements are slow, languid even as the two of you move in the water. Cale’s controlling the pace, gripping your hips as he helps move you up and down on his shaft. You place your hands on his chest, using his broad body for leverage as you start to take control with your movements. 

You know you can’t make any noise, not only because you want to avoid any chirps but because the two of you are fucking in a common area people are spending time in, and they definitely don’t need to know what late night activities you’re partaking in. Your lips stay glued to his, swallowing each other’s moans and whispering praises against the others lips. 

His hands spread your ass apart, using it as a method to move you up and down on his cock. You’re moving painfully slow, trying not to splash the water around too much. Your bare chest is pressed up against his, your nipples rubbing against his skin. His cock presses deep inside of you and you screw your eyes tight, focusing on the feeling of Cale inside you and his hands on your body. 

Cale can see that you’re struggling to stay quiet, can see that your orgasm is right there. He moves his plan from where it’s spread across your ass to the front of your body, finding your clit and applying pressure. His fingers rub at your clit harshly as you start to bounce faster and harder.

“That’s it baby, you’re doing great,” Cale encourages. You let out a whimper, dropping your head onto his shoulder. “You gonna come for me?”

“Yes,” you let out in a whimper. You continue to chant quiet yes’s as your orgasm nears. “Fuck, Cale!” 

Your pussy flutters around Cale’s cock, his hips twitching at the sensation. The clenching of your muscles around Cale has him chasing his own high as he lifts your hips higher above him and begins thrusting up into you. Your lips reattach to his, your lips moving in sync with one another as you both reach your high, his come filling you up. Your breathing slows down and you rest your forehead on his, both of you smiling goofily at the realization of what you just did. He moves his hands to the bottom of your thighs, standing and lifting both of you out of the water and stepping out of the hot tub. He’s still sheathed fully in you as he does so, careful to not let any of his come dribble out. Once he’s safely standing on the wood planks, he slides out and fixes your bikini to cover you back up. 

+++bonus

The next morning, you and Cale are both rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you enter the living room and kitchen, joining everyone else that’s awake in the house. 

“Cale!” Ryan all about shouts walking into the kitchen after you, waking the two of you right up. “I have some beef with you.”

“Shut up, Gravy,” Cale mumbles as his cheeks reddens, knowing all too well what was coming next. 

“You and y/n fucked in the hot tub last night!”

“What the fuck?”

“You guys did what?”

“Dude! I wanted to use it too!”

“Didn’t know Cale had it in him!”

“You know you would’ve done it if we didn’t beat you to it!” You yell, turning back to the comfort of your boyfriend's shoulder. The entire first floor of hockey players goes silent at the chirp, their jaws all dropping at the out-of-nowhere comment from the team couple that’s considered the purest. After a brief moment where you could hear a pin drop, the room burst into laughter, Josty giving you a pay on the shoulder as he walked behind you. 

“I can’t believe we have to set a rule, no sex in the common areas!” Gabe laughs as he makes the announcement. You can see in his face as Mel runs his back that he’s getting tired of all the youngsters he’s consistently around, even though everyone knows he loves it. 

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

summertime mindset - pt. 6

stargazing & sexile

masterlist for summertime mindset

Timing is hard to get right and summer doesn’t last forever. You and Tyson learn the hard way.

word count: 1.9k

note from the writer: enjoy darlings this is really soft and lowkey a filler.

SUMMERTIME

You loved your family, you really, truly, did. But you were also twenty and being trapped under the same roof as them when you were used to having the freedom of your dorm and friends’ apartments while at college made everything feel a bit too suffocating.

It was late at night, and you were lamenting this to Tyson while you were curled up in bed and he was at his own house. You were about ready to give up and try to go to sleep, but then Tyson sent you a text and told you to meet him out front.

You tugged on a sweatshirt and exchanged your sleep shorts for leggings, slipping into your shoes before sneaking down and out of the house. Tyson was already waiting for you at the end of the driveway in his car, and he waved you over with his trademark grin.

“Where are we going?” You asked, though not knowing wasn’t stopping you from opening the passenger door and sliding inside. Tyson met you halfway over the center console for a kiss before he let you buckle up and he shifted the car into gear.

“It’s a surprise.” You chuckled at him, shaking your head in mirth. Turning in your seat, you admired how he looked in the low light.

“You expect me to just get in a car with you without knowing where you’re taking me? At eleven at night?” You teased, and it was his turn to shake his head.

“We’re going for a drive, you said you had to get out of the house.” Tyson explained. Your heart soared at the gesture, and if you weren’t constricted by the seat belt and conscious of Tyson’s less than perfect driving skills you would have leaned over and given him a kiss. Instead, you pecked his shoulder before unplugging his phone from the aux and playing your music. It was a rule between the two of you, passenger picks music. Still, he playfully scoffed as he watched you.

“Oh please, you kidnap me, I get to choose the music.” You huffed with a smile. Tyson chuckled, reaching over to thread his fingers with yours and set your conjoined hands on your thigh. You tugged, bringing his hand to your lips so you could kiss the back of his before leaning back into your seat.

This was undoubtedly one of your favorite moments of the summer so far. The windows were cracked and though it was night, the air that was blowing into the car was nice and cooled your skin that had been warmed from being in the sun all day. Your music was quietly playing and perfectly suited for the atmosphere of a late-night drive with Tyson.

He was your favorite part of the whole scenario, no contest. He was singing under his breath as he drove through the streets, occasionally stealing glances at you with a softness in his eyes that had you melting even more so into your seat. You were so distracted by him that you didn’t even realize he had driven to an open field until the car was in park.

When you shot him a confused look, he simply shrugged his shoulders and squeezed your hand before climbing out of the car. You followed his actions, your confusion only growing when he opened the back of the car and pulled out a picnic blanket and what looked suspiciously like the comforter off of his bed. It was only once he laid the picnic blanket down and laid down that you realized that he was taking you stargazing.

As soon as you laid down beside him he started to pull the comforter over both of your legs, only pausing to focus on the sweet kiss you gave him. You both pulled away grinning like fools, and there was a fondness in his eyes that you had never seen before that had you leaning in for another peck.

“Surprise.” He teased, laying back and folding one hand behind his head and the other moving around you to pull you into his side. You chuckled, snuggling into his side as your gaze studied the stars above you.

The view in the sky was beautiful, but the man lying beside you, running his fingers up and down your arm absentmindedly, was stunning.

PRESENT

You should have expected it, really, when your roommate texted you and said not to come back to the apartment for a while since she was having some guy over. The text had come in the middle of you getting dinner with some coworkers, so you were doing the most to stall going back.

Which was how you found yourself sitting in your car in your building’s parking garage, Tyson’s contact pulled up and the number about to be dialed.

You had tried to get a hold of Jon, you had made up since he stormed out of your apartment, but he wasn’t answering, and you really just needed to see if someone was willing to hangout. When you finally dialed Tyson’s number, it didn’t take long for him to pick up.

“Hey, what’s up?” His voice was cheerful, and you could hear people in the background of his line, but they were growing fainter, so you assumed that he was going somewhere quieter.

“Nothing really, I was just calling you to see if you were busy.” From the noises on the other end of the line, you knew he was doing something, but that didn’t stop you from being hopeful. “I’m sexiled from my apartment for the foreseeable future.”

“I mean, I’m just having dinner at Gabe’s and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you came over.” You bit your lip at the offer, but as much as you wanted to take him up on it, it wasn’t his place to invite you over. You had met the captain and his wife a few times, and you really liked them, but you were in no way close enough to just show up at their house and crash a dinner party.

“I don’t want to intrude.” You replied, shaking your head despite the fact that he couldn’t see you. There was some shuffling on his end of the line, and you heard the people talking in the background get louder. Someone, JT, you think, asked who Tyson was on the phone with and he responded with your name.

“Landy come tell her she wouldn’t be intruding if she came over!” He yelled into the line, loud enough to have you pulling your phone from your ear. There was some more shuffling, and it sounded like a wrestling match for Tyson’s phone. Your suspicions were proven correct when the voice that spoke next decidedly did not belong to your brunette friend.

“I promise you’re invited.” Gabe told you, and you could just picture the shit eating grin he was most likely wearing as you heard Tyson complain about wanting his phone back. “You’re more welcome than Josty, if I’m being honest.” You chuckled at this, especially since you could hear Tyson let out an offended ‘Hey!’ from wherever he was on the other end of the line. You let out a defeated sigh, putting your key in the engine and twisting to turn your car on.

“What’s the address?”

Twenty minutes later you found yourself in an expensive neighborhood you would typically have no business being in. You were in awe of the large houses, probably as a result of the one too many HGTV shows you’ve watched. You texted Tyson that you had arrived and by the time you were walking up the driveway the front door opened, and he greeted you with a beaming smile and a wave.

You were swept into his arms the moment you were close enough, the familiar feeling enough to make you forget about your stressful day and how you really needed to look into finding a new apartment. Inside the house, you were met with the usual suspects: EJ, JT, Sam, Nate, Cale, Andre, and Mikko, plus any accompanying significant others. And, of course, the hosts, little baby Linnea catching your eye from the moment you entered the living room where everyone had gathered.

“Why are you dressed so fancy?” Sam teased as soon as you entered the room. You rolled your eyes, making your way to Mel, who was already asking if you wanted to hold her daughter.

“This isn’t fancy, they’re my work clothes.” You reasoned, gesturing towards your simple slacks and blouse. To be fair, it was more dressed up than the jeans and t-shirts he was used to seeing you in. “I had a late meeting, and then I grabbed dinner with some coworkers.”

“Tyson told us you got sexiled.” EJ grinned, and you hushed him, covering Linnea’s ears with your free hand as you kept her curled into you with the other. “What? She won’t remember this!”

“Yeah, but Cale will.” You chirped, sinking into the couch next to Tyson. His arm was resting on the back of the couch behind you but dropped around your shoulders as soon as you settled. The guys all laughed as you teased the rookie for his innocence, and Cale took the chirp in stride.

“I know that’s my baby, but you guys look like the cutest little family. You guys are so good together.” Mel commented and you felt your blood run cold. Part of you hoped she was talking about Andre and Mikko, who were sharing a loveseat on the opposite side of the room, but you knew your luck wasn’t that good.

“I, uh, have a boyfriend, actually. That’s not Tyson.” You coughed out after a moment of silence. Mel started sputtering out apologies, and the boys broke out in loud and obnoxious laughter. Beside you, Tyson chuckled, his heart clearly not in it but you elected to ignore it. That was a bit too much for you to unpack at the moment, especially in a room full of people.

“Gabe didn’t tell me.” Mel swatted her husband’s shoulder as she spoke, who in return raised his hands as proclaiming his innocence. You waved her off as best you could while still bouncing Linnea in your arms, but she shot you one last sorrowful look before thankfully Nate piped up with a story about something embarrassing that happened at practice that drew everyone’s attention off of you.

“Sorry if they made you uncomfortable.” Tyson whispered so only you could hear. You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, spotting an unreadable look on his face. You smiled at him, a little too forced for reasons you couldn’t quite place, before turning back to the blue-eyed baby blinking up at you from your arms.

“Don’t worry about it. We always were told we made a cute couple, even back then.” You told him without really thinking. You tensed after you spoke, you never really talked about your past relationship and you weren’t sure what had coerced you into doing so just then. Tyson didn’t respond at first, and you risked a glance at him to see he was smiling faintly, that still unreadable look in his eyes that you couldn’t place. He leaned back into his seat, arm tightening over your shoulders just a tad bit more.

“Yeah, we got that a lot, didn’t we?”

[boqvistsbabe]

The Locker Room

(What you need to know about me)

Name: Sam

Age: 19

Pronouns: she/they

Grade: college sophomore 🫡

I’m an inch taller than average (5’5) but being short is a large part of my personality

Zodiac: Taurus sun, Gemini rising, Cancer moon

Personality Type: I took the quiz in like sixth grade so might not be the most accurate but, ENFP-T

I’m a literal walking dumpster fire

Hogwarts house: Slytherin

Relationship Status: I read romance books like it’s my job or something

Life laugh loving my way through life

Sideblog: @samistheman

Discord: samisthaman5#6184

My linktree :)

Dm if you want my insta/snap/Twitter

- please answer this question cause I’m trying to prove a point

To start off: HOCKEY

Main teams: Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Sabres, and on again off again New York Rangers fan.

My main hockey boys: Adam Boqvist (ofc), Gabe Perreault, Connor Bedard, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Andrei Svechnikov, Cale Makar, Nathan Mackinnon, Matt Rempe, Connor Dewar, Matthew Knies, Eduard Sale, and Brady Skjei (there is ofc more but these are the main ones lol)

No content list

Tier list

The other stuff (get to know me a little better)

I’m an all around sports fan, so I like watching just about whatever game is on but hockey, football, and softball are my favs. I’m an avid reader when i have time lol. I want to be an athletic trainer and maybe be in sports journalism. I love to dance and I danced at a studio for six years before I had to take a step back for multiple reasons. I also love horses and know how to barrel race. School wise like said above I am a college freshman. I’m majoring in kinesiology with a specification in athletic training. I work at a zoo and have an internship that I write sports articles for!

Some of my favorites:

My favorite movies are The Sandlot and Safety and Just Go With It and Blended

My favorite tv shows are Reba and DCC Making the Team, house hunters, queer eye, real housewives of oc, dance moms, and all American

My favorite color is purple

Links to things:

Content Masterlist (my content)

Blog rules/ info

Spotify (not all of my playlists are showing up right now but I’m working on it)

Linktree

And like it says in my pinned post I am trying to make more friends so if you wanna be friends just send me a message/anon!! I’m also always here for any of you if you need it <3

[jackhkeynes]

4m Avril

Image and caption taken from A Political Mapbook of Middle-Age Europe, fourth edition, compiled by various authors and published 2005 by Winchester Scholastic

The above map approximates the conditions in Spain shortly after the Aragonese reconquest of Toledo in 1198.

Kingdom of Vascony

ruled by Ranolf VI, crowned 1170 N

court held in Bordew

other major population centres Lorda, Bilvaw, Leon

Kingdom of Tolosa

ruled by James (Jaume), crowned 1191 N

court held in Tolosa

other mpcs Carcasso, Mount Peller

Kingdom of Portocal

ruled by Eustace II (Eustaquio), crowned 1151 N

court held in Port Cale

other mpcs Lisbon, Corunna

Kingdom of Barcelon

ruled by Martha II (Marta), crowned 1186 N

court held in Barcelon

other mpcs Saragossa, Valencia, Toledo

Emirate of Cordoba

ruled by Abdul Raman IV (عبدالرحمن ثانی), crowned 1188 N

court held in Cordoba

other mpcs Seville, Murcia, Malaga

[widogastlie]

precipice caleb, yasha. the mighty nein. “Caleb,” Yasha says his name carefully. “Nott and Jester. They will want to say goodbye.”

Caleb is no stranger to pain.

It’s inevitable as the resident squishy human (or so Jester is always keen to remind him) that he will end up getting injured. This doesn’t feel like that. This was so much worse. Just moving his limbs is exhausting, sending pain spiralling through his limbs.

“Caleb.”

Caleb attempts to open his eyes. It’s too much effort and he huffs out a groan. Even a twitch of his fingers is too painful.

“Look at me.”

The voice is both compassionate and commanding. There’s only one person Caleb knows who would try and order him back to consciousness.

“Yasha,” Caleb says or tries to say. He slurs, his tongue heavy in his mouth.

There’s a touch of a hand in his hair. Caleb doesn’t like people touching him as a general rule, but it’s soothing in comparison to the spasms of pain. With effort, Caleb opens his eyes. He squints in the bright light, there’s a blur of black and white above him, and then the hand in his hair shifts to shield his eyes.

Immobile has never been a position Caleb can handle when he’s conscious, but there’s nothing he can do. When he shifts on the ground, trying to move his aching limbs, the pain is intense, and he lets out a soft noise of pain. “What’s-?”

Yasha looks down at him. There’s a cut above her eye and dirt smudged in her hair. “We were attacked. Separated from the others. Nott went to find Jester.”

Nott is okay then. Caleb is ashamed that it has taken this long to think of her. With Yasha settled on the dirt next to him, Caleb takes stock of his situation; most of the pain is centred at the base of his skull and his stomach. The rest is radiating out from various cuts and bruises, and magical aftershocks. Trying to shift his hand to touch his stomach wound is more effort than he can handle.

“Stop it,” Yasha says, her hands surprisingly gentle as she readjusts his arms. The position is more comfortable but Caleb grunts, fingers twitching. “How bad?”

“Bad enough.” Yasha’s eyes are beautiful this close. Caleb blinks. Weird, the things you notice when you are trying to distract yourself. Yasha blinks but doesn’t say anything more. Though Caleb often longs for silence, it can be overwhelmingly loud inside of his head. For once, he thought, it’s quiet.

There are his friends to consider; Nott, who has been such a balm to his disaster of a life. Jester, who gives him such hope that Nott will be okay; her laughter and care, her need to help anyone however she can. Beau, who is as bad as he is at some things. Fjord, who makes Caleb feel, often, as if they are co-parenting children. He laughs, groaning as pain throbs in his stomach. Yasha mutters something Caleb can’t understand and there is pressure on his wound. Immediately Caleb feels sick, nausea rolling through his stomach. He lets out a sound that is more whimper than groan and bats weakly at Yasha’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” Yasha says, her deep voice sympathetic as she keeps applying pressure. “I do not want you bleeding out.”

Understanding what has to be done and having it done are two completely different things. Caleb’s fingers curl around Yasha’s wrist, his grip loose. There is a blackness creeping at the edges of his vision and he blinks a few times to focus on Yasha’s face. The longer she keeps her hands against his wound, the less he feels it.

“S’not hurting so much.” Caleb licks his lips. Yasha doesn’t look enthused by this news. In fact, her eyes flick up to the forest, looking for something. Caleb doesn’t know why; if his wound hurts less, they can follow Nott to the rest of their friends.

Caleb just needs to take a quick nap.

He is used to napping on the road; there’s usually someone snorting in his ear, a different cadence depending upon who was with him. The others would be scattered about the cart, their voices washing over Caleb’s tired body, Frumpkin either curled up against his neck, perched on Yasha’s shoulder, or Fjord’s head, heedless of Fjord’s sneezing. If Caleb concentrates hard enough, he can almost pretend that Beau is beside him, hand slung over his waist. Fjord is driving, Frumpkin meowing primly to whatever curse word Fjord is using. Nott and Jester’s laughter rings down the path, and Molly and Yasha’s quiet conversation is soothing enough to send him back to sleep.

There’s a sharp sting to his face and he jerks his head, pain exploding into his consciousness.

“Don’t sleep,” Yasha hisses.

Caleb blinks and looks around for the others but they’re nowhere to be seen. He’s still on the ground, a headache pounding at the base of his skull. When he looks down his body, there’s a red liquid that he knows too well bubbling up through Yasha’s fingers. “Oh.”

Yasha looks panicked. Caleb can’t remember ever seeing that expression on her face.

“You’re scared.”

Yasha swallows, eyes narrowing. When she meets Cale’s eyes, the irritation gives way to disbelief. “You are dying.”

It’s as blunt as Yasha ever is.

“Probably,” Caleb says. There’s a lot of blood seeping out from under Yasha’s hands. Without Jester, there’s little that can be done. They’re fresh out of healing potions. “Least you won’t forget,” he pauses, gasping for a breath. His chest is tight, and it’s getting harder for him to get the breath he needs. “To get potions again.”

Yasha’s hands clench a little, causing a spasm of pain to cripple Caleb for a moment. “That’s not funny.”

“Wasn’t,” Caleb cuts off again. There’s an occasional painful wrench from his stomach wherever Yasha presses a little too hard, but otherwise, Caleb is comfortably numb. He has the feeling that if he says anything, Yasha will throw him over her shoulder, heedless of his injuries, all the way to Jester. He doesn’t think he could take that. “Meant to.”

“Tell me about Frumpkin,” Yasha says. 

Caleb's eyes go unconfused and he smiles, thinking of Frumpkin. “You like him, ja?”

Yasha nods. There is a faraway look to her eyes. “He reminds me of a time I thought I had forgotten.”

Caleb starts talking, explaining how he first summoned him, how long it’s been. He avoids certain lines of thinking that will lead down paths he doesn’t want to face. He does not want to think about the sadness and darkness in his life. “What do you like most about him?”

Yasha doesn’t often share, but as she stares down at her hands, still pressing against Caleb’s wound, attempting to keep his blood in his body, her lips twitch into a smile. “He is soft.” Giving Caleb an amused look, she adds, “he does not talk.”

The laugh this time is not terrible, though Yasha apologises softly anyway. 

They lapse into a silence, punctuated only by Caleb’s pained breathing, and Yasha’s muttered curses as she scans their surroundings.

Caleb’s always figured he would live a long life; penance for his crimes and things he can’t help but dwell on. If he is to die, he’s always assumed it would be in the pursuit of trying to save his parents. More recently, he’s been equally as content to die protecting his friends. Content is something he’s spent a long time thinking he would never be again. Friends are equally as surprising but no less welcome.

“Thank you,” Caleb says eventually.

“Why?” Yasha doesn’t look at him, her eyes on the treeline. Caleb doesn’t think she’s even heard him properly.

“You’re a good,” he pauses, takes a breath, “friend.”

Yasha finally looks down at him, a shadow in her eyes. “What are you doing?”

Chest heaving, Caleb tightens his grip as much as his tired body will allow. “Please.”

“No.” Yasha adjusts her grip, gritting her teeth visibly as she peers at his wound. “I do not want to hear this. Until they get here.”

Caleb winces as his stomach pulls and his head pounds. It won’t be long. “Don’t think-“ He cuts off as Yasha presses a hand to his face. It’s wet and sticky, but Caleb meets her eyes slowly, blinking so that he can focus. As long as he doesn’t focus on why her hand is wet, he’ll be fine.

“Caleb,” Yasha says his name carefully. “Nott and Jester. They will want to say goodbye.”

It’s costing her a lot to say, Caleb knows. She doesn’t back down from a fight and this is not easy for her to admit. Caleb’s guilt is an almost constant companion, but it seems almost overwhelming in the moment. “Yasha, I can’t.”

“You will.” Again, it was more order than a suggestion. “I cannot explain this to them.”

Caleb’s throat is tight, his head pounding painfully in his chest. He doesn’t want to do this. For the first time in so many years, he doesn’t want to give in and die, but he can’t hold on, so weak and tired. “I can’t.”

Yasha says nothing for a long time. She doesn’t let him go, leaning down until she can press her forehead to his. “You are a strong man, Caleb Widogast.”

Caleb’s laugh is watery and pained, but he manages to pat the side of Yasha’s head gently. “Not. But thanks.”

Yasha sighs, pulling back to look him in the eye. “Stubborn man.”

Caleb will give her that one. There are less painful ways to die, he supposes, but he is glad to be here with a friend. He wishes they were all here. 

“Protect Nott,” Caleb says, hand clenching into Yasha’s fur jacket.

Yasha’s face twists into distaste, reluctance. “Caleb-“

“Please,” Caleb says, drawing whatever energy he has left to talk to her. “Don’t let, mm, Fjord blame himself.”

Fjord is always the first to try and protect them, to make sure they are safe. If one of them dies while he is absent, he will still feel it as a failure. He can’t let this weigh on him.

“Molly and Jester. They are-“ Caleb pauses, closes his eyes as his body spasms with pain, “they made me laugh when,” another pause, another spasm, “I didn’t think I would again.

Yasha's eyes look wet, her fingers tight around Caleb’s. Her other hand is still pressed to his wound, a futile attempt to protect him.

“Beau,” Caleb starts, thinking of his fellow human, the way her secrets seem as heavy as his at times. Though he hopes she will never hate herself as much as he does. “Take care of her.”

“I will.” Yasha’s voice wavers. “All of it.”

Caleb is so, so tired. “You were all good to me when you didn’t-“

It’s dark, Caleb thinks, just Yasha’s blue eyes bright against it. They swim above him, and Caleb welcomes the darkness like an old friend –

- until frantic yells and a crashing sound burst through his calm and he blinks, jerking hard against Yasha’s hold.

“Easy,” Yasha commands, though Caleb doesn’t know whether she is taking to Caleb or whoever is crashing through the trees.

“Caleb!” Jester’s scream is echoed by Nott. “We are coming!”

There’s the sound of twigs snapping and a thud as someone falls to the floor beside him. A familiar blue face appears above him, her eyes wide and scared.

“Oh Caleb,” Jester says, eyes drawn to the wound. So expressive, she looks horrified and scared. If Caleb had energy left, he’s sure it would panic him more. “So squishy.”

Caleb huffs a laugh, vision dark and so tired. Yasha is still holding him as Jester works, muttering under her breath. Nott’s fingers, so familiar, are in his hair.

“Hold on, Caleb.” She’s beautiful. When Caleb tells her so, her eyes widen. “Caleb-“

“I mean it,” Caleb says, feeling something along the skin of his stomach. “Don’t need to change.”

Nott closes her eyes, touching her face to his forehead. “I need you.”

“It’s alright,” Caleb says. A shadow falls over him, and when he can focus, Fjord is hovering above him, an unhappy tilt to his mouth. “Not your fault.”

Fjord says nothing, though there’s a careful look in his eyes. “Keep still. Jester will help.”

“I do not know,” Jester starts, sounding devastated.

The tingle is still there, so Caleb reaches out weakly, touching Fjord’s arm. “Fjord.”

“I hear ya, Caleb,” Fjord tells him.

Caleb believes him.

“Listen,” Caleb needs them all to know. “It’s okay.”

“Shut up, Caleb,” Beau snaps, though Caleb can’t see her. “Less talking if you wanna live.”

Cale opens his mouth.

“Even if you don’t,” came Molly’s response, just as adamant as Beau’s. “You’re not dying here.”

When Caleb meets Yasha’s eyes. She is actually smiling, though it’s tinged with sadness. “Did I not say?”

“Yasha, please move your hand.” Jester’s eyes are bright. Yasha looks reluctant and Caleb appreciates it, but Jester knows what she is doing. He pats her knee and slowly, Yasha draws her hands away from his stomach, though she rests them on his arm. Caleb may have a better relationship with bathing these days, but he’s certain his friends are going to end up dunking him in water if the state of him right now is anything to go by. Providing he makes it out of this.

“Thank you, Yasha,” Caleb says.

Yasha nods tightly, but her eyes are bright when she looks at him.

There’s a long drawn silence, broken only by Jester’s triumphant crow. “There! The Traveller has given me the energy, Caleb. It should hurt less soon.”

Caleb lets out a breath, feeling like he’s been holding it for an age. Exhaustion overwhelming him and he swallows. “Can I sleep?”

Jester nods, touching his face gently. “We will be here when you wake.”

For the first time in years, Caleb lets himself trust in someone else. His friends murmur assents, and he is safe; without hesitation, Caleb closes his eyes, content that he will mend – and wake up – still surrounded by his friends.

[hawkvalley]

Denver Broncos Regular Season Game 3

Hawk Valley

Denver Broncos Regular Season Week 3 September 25 2022

Quick Review

The Broncos beat the winless Texans 16-9, but they were losing heading into the fourth quarter and it took everything they had to win this game. That’s one of the reasons the Broncos are expected to lose the game against the 49ers today.

Some of the owners were at the game. I noticed Condoleezza Rice in the box, she was watching the game intently when the camera zoomed in on the owners box. Greg and Carrie Penner were there, as was Rob Walton. I think he was in the center of the group. President Amani Leech was also in the box. The owners and Amani were sitting in the front row of the box. I have no idea who was sitting behind the owner’s row, but they were busy knitting.

During the week the game felt more like a loss than a win.

Outside of Denver, most people are caling Rusell Wilson washed up. They are very happy to point out that Denver is locked onto Wilson for seven years and a quarter of a billion dollars.

A longer review

On Sunday, the 18th of September, the Broncos took on the winless Houston Texans in Denver. The temperature at the start of the game was 84 degrees.

The Texans got the ball first and their drive started from the 25 yard line. The first play of the game was an incomplete pass by David Mills, #10. On second down, Dameon Pierce #31, picked up eight yards over the left side. On third down, Pierce tried to scramble over the right side, but D.J. Jones #97, tackled him for no gain. Cameron Johnston #11, punted on fourth down. Before the first play of the day for the Broncos offense, Andrew Beck #83, was flagged for an illegal block above the waist during the punt.

On first down from the eight yard line, Russell Wilson #3, pitched the ball to Javonte Williams #33 who ran over the right side for a gain of nine yards. On second down, Russell threw an incomplete pass, but there was a flag on the play. Derek Stingley Jr. #24, was flagged for pass interference. The Broncos advanced ten yards. On first down, Russell pitched the ball to the left and Williams picked up five yards. On second down, Russell connected with Courtland Sutton #14 for a 21 yard gain. Then Gordon ran to the right and lost a yard on first down. Russell then threw two straight incomplete passes to close out the drive. With 10:46 left in the quarter, Corliss Waitman #17 punted on fourth down.

On first down, from the 20 yard line, Mills fired the ball to Brandin Cooks #13 for a gain of five yards. On second down, Mills reconnected with Cooks for one more yard over the left side. On third and four, Mills threw the ball to Nico Collins #12 for a five yard gain over the left side. Then Mills threw an incomplete pass on first down. On second down, Mills connected with Chris Moore #15 over on the right side for a gain of nine yards. With one yard to go on third down and 8:44 left in the quarter, Pierce slipped in the backfield and lost four yards. Johnston punted on fourth down.

On first down, Jerry Jeudy #10 ran a cross route to the right and picked up 11 yards. With 7:10 left in the quarter, Russell connected with Montrell Washington #12 for a gain of 39 yards, but Melvin Gordon #25 was flagged for holding. On the next down, Jeudy fumbled but he was ruled down after a gain of one yard. On third and nine, with 5:53 left in the quarter, the Broncos called a flea flicker. Russell tried to connect with Jeudy on the play, but the pass was incomplete and Jeudy was injured on the play. He would not return to the game. There were also two flags on the play. Once again Stingley was flagged for pass interference. The other flag was called on Kurt Hinish #93, for being offside. On first and goal, from the two yard line, Russell Wilson connected with Sutton who was running a fade into the corner for a touchdown. Upon review, the pass was ruled incomplete and the touchdown was taken off the board. On second down, the Broncos called the same play, but this time the pass was incomplete. On third and nine, with 5:40 left, Russell Wilson's pass was tipped and it looked like Kendall Hinton #9 caught it, but it was ruled incomplete. On fourth down, Brandon McManus #8 kicked a 20 yard field goal.

On first down, Pierce ran to the left side and picked up 12 yards. Then Mills threw an incomplete pass. On second down, Mills connected with Pharaoh Brown #85, for a gain of 18 yards. Pierce ran up the middle for seven yards on first down. On the next play, Mills went back to Brown, but this time he only gained two yards. On third down, X-Bronco Jeff Driskel #6, came in and scrambled to the left for ten yards. Mills came back in and threw two straight incomplete passes. On third down, the Broncos were flagged for having too many people on the field. The Texans gained five yards. On third and five, with 2:26 left, Mills was under pressure and he threw another incomplete pass. On fourth down, Ka’imi Fairbairn #7 successfully kicked a forty yard field goal.

When the Broncos got the ball back, Russell was under pressure and with 2:20 left in the quarter, he threw another incomplete pass. On second down, Williams ran up the middle for a five yard gain. On third down, Russell was sacked by Hinish, but there was a flag on the play. Ogbo Okoronkwo #45, was offside. On third down, Russell threw another incomplete pass, but there was a flag on the play. Desmond King #25, was flagged for defensive holding, which comes with an automatic first down. On first down, Gordon gained five yards after catching the pitch from Russell. With thirty seconds left in the quarter, Gordon ran up the middle. He gained five yards and that play ended the first quarter.

After one quarter in Denver, the score was Denver 3, Houston 3.

With one yard to go, Williams ran parallel to the line of scrimmage in what I can best describe as a wiggle run (one yard gain, one yard loss, one yard gain…) to the left for two yards. On first down, Russell's pass hit the turf. On second down, Russell was sacked by Rasheem Green #92, for a six yard loss. On third down, Gordon caught a ball over the middle for a six yard gain. Waitman punted with 13 minutes left in the half.

On first down, Mills fired off a quick pass to Pierce for an eight yard gain. On second down, Pierce ran up the middle and picked up four yards. On first down, Mills found O.J. Howard #83, over the middle for a seven yard gain. On second down, Pierce ran into the middle of the defense and when he came out of the pile, he had gained seven more yards. It was reminiscent of the Shawshank escape. On first down, Mills found Brevin Jordan #9, for a four yard gain. On second and six, Mills connected with Cooks in stride for a gain of 25 yards. On first down, Mills called his own number and the quarterback scrambled over the left side for sixteen yards, but there was a flag on the play. Lareemy Tunsil #78, was flagged for holding. On first and 20, with 8:30 left in the half, Mills tossed the ball to Rex Burkhead #28, and he picked up four yards. On second and 16, Mills attempted a deep pass, but it was incomplete. On third and 16, Houston called a timeout. When play resumed, Hills was almost sacked but he managed to complete a pass to Burkhead for a five yard gain. On fourth and 11, Fairbairn kicked a 44 yard field goal.

On TV, there was a slide show of old bronco teams and the announcers mentioned that Russell Wilson was 3-11 for 38 yards. On first down from the 18 yard line, Russell's pass was incomplete. On second down, Williams gained 10 yards over the right side. The Broncos went back to Williams on first down and he gained four yards after a quick pitch from Russell. On second down, Russell's pass fell to the ground incomplete. On third down, Russell threw the pass into a mass of defenders, luckily nobody caught it. With 5:40 left in the half, Waitman punted, but this punt took a huge Texans bounce of at least 10 yards.

On first and 10, Pierce ran up the middle for five yards. On second and five, Mills threw an incomplete pass. On third and five, Tytus Howard #71, was flagged for a false start. On third and 10, Mills was stripped of the ball by D.J. Jones #97, but A.J. Cann #60 recovered the ball and lost seven yards. On fourth down, with 4:45 left, Johnston punted.

As the broncos started another drive, the announcers pointed out that the Denver Broncos red zone offense is terrible. On first down, Gordon ran to the left for nine yards. On second down, Russell threw another incomplete pass, but there was a flag on the play. Kevin Pierre-Louis #57, was flagged for pass interference. The Broncos gained 12 yards. On first down, Russell pitched the ball to Gordon who gained eight yards, but there was a flag on the play. Sutton was flagged for unnecessary roughness. On second and 17, with 2:55 left in the half, Graham Glasgow #61 was flagged for a false start and the Bronco fans started to boo. On second and 22, Williams gained 17 yards. That play took us down to the two minute warning.

On third and five, Russell connected with Sutton for a 34 yard gain. On first down, with 1:50 left, Russell rolled to the right and then found Sutton for eleven yards. On first and goal, Russell rolled right again, but this time he threw an incomplete pass. On second and goal, with 63 seconds remaining, Williams carried the ball down to the one yard line. On third and goal, Russell was under pressure and threw the ball away. He was almost sacked. On fourth and goal, with 23 seconds left, the Broncos were flagged for delay of game. On the second fourth down, McManus kicked a 24 yard field goal.

With twenty seconds left in the quarter, Mills took a knee to end the half.

At 3:55 pm, the game reached halftime. The score: Denver 6, Houston 6.

The Broncos got the ball to start the second half. Russell handed the ball of to Williams for a gain of one yard, but there was a flag on the play. Lloyd Cushenberry #70, was flagged for holding. One first and twenty from the fifteen yard line, Russell Wilson scrambled up the middle for a four yard gain. On second and 16, Russell threw the ball to Sutton but Christian Kirksey #58, stripped the ball from him. It was ruled an intercepted pass.

After the turnover, from the 45 yard line of Denver, the Texans tried to score quickly, but Hills threw an incomplete pass. On second down, Pierce ran up the middle for eleven yards. The Texans elected to stay with the run game and a sweep to the left by Pierce gained eleven more yards. On first and 10 from the twenty-three yard line, Mills completed a pass to Chris Moore #15, for a five yard gain. On second down, D.J. Jones stopped Pierce for no gain. On third down, Mills connected with Nico Collins #12, for four yards. He was close to the first down but short. On fourth down and with less than a yard to go, Pierce ran over the left side for five yards, to the nine yard line. On first and goal, with 9:50 left in the quarter, Pierce carried the ball on a sweep play to the left, but there was a flag on the play. D.J. Jones was flagged for a facemask. Then Pierce lost two yards on first down. Mills was in tune with his team and threw another incomplete pass on second down. On third down, the Texans tried a quick corner route, but Mills tossed another incomplete pass. On fourth down, at 4:22 pm, Fairbairn kicked a 24 yard field goal.

On first down, from the 25 yard line, Williams carried the ball for seventeen yards over the left side. Then Williams tried the right side, but he only gained two yards. Gordon came in and ran up the middle for five yards. On third and three, Gordon ran to the right and picked up one yard, but there was a flag on the play. Cushenberry was flagged for holding. On fourth and two, with 6:46 left in the quarter, the Broncos called a timeout. When play resumed, Russell connected with Sutton via a stop route, over the right side, for six yards. On the next play, Williams was flagged for a false start. On first and 15, Russell found Tyrie Cleveland #16, over the middle for a twelve yard gain. Williams picked up two yards, over the middle, on the next play. On third down with a yard to go, the Broncos tried to run the option play with Beck. They lost one yard. On fourth down, with 3:40 left in the third quarter, the Broncos lined up for a 54 yard field goal attempt, there was a flag on the play. The Broncos were flagged for delay of game. With the extra time to think things over, the Broncos changed their mind about the field goal and Waitman punted on fourth down.

The Texans started from their nine yard line and on first down, Pierce picked up two yards running to the left. On second down, the Texans called a quarterback draw and Mills gained two yards up the middle. On third and six, Mills threw another incomplete pass. On fourth and six with 1:45 left in the quarter, Johnston punted the ball, but Beck was flagged for running into the kicker. The Texans declined the penalty.

On first down, Gordon ran to the left for a gain of four yards. On second and six, Sutton gained eight yards, but there was a flag on the play. Gordon was flagged for a chop block and the Broncos lost 15 yards. On second and 21, Sutton caught a pass from Russell and he gained five yards. That play ended the third quarter.

After three quarters in Denver: Houston 9, Denver 6.

When play resumed, Russell hit Sutton for a 35 yard gain. Sutton was wide open! On first down, the Broncos tried a fake reverse to Sutton... they gained five yards. On second down, Williams gained six yards running to the right. With 12:40 left in the game, Russell Wilson connected with Eric Saubert #82, on a post route for a touchdown of 22 yards.

On first down from the 25 yard line, Mills completed a pass to Collins. He ran a deep square in and picked up 29 yards. On first down, Mill’s pass was incomplete. On second down, Mills fired off a short pass to Moore, but there was a flag on the play. Locke was flagged for illegal contact. On first down, Pierce ran to the left for three yards. On second down, Mills managed to throw the ball away as he was being sacked by #5. On third down, Mills was sacked by D Jones. On fourth and 14, Johnston attempted to punt, but the Broncos only had ten men on the field. The punt returner was not on the field, so with 9:55 left in the game, Denver used their second timeout. When play resumed, Johnston finally punted.

The Broncos started this drive from the 14 yard line. On first down, Williams carried the ball for three yards. It was pretty obvious, that the defense was more focused on stripping the ball than tackling him at this point. On second down, Wilson stepped out of a sack and hit Sutton for a ten yard gain. On first down, Russell was sacked by Jonathan Greenard #52, while faking a hand off. With 7:40 left in the game, on second and 16, Jerry Hughes #56 was flagged for a neutral zone infraction. Denver then used their final timeout. When play resumed, Russell hit Hinton #9, for a twenty yard gain. Then Gordon gained three yards over the left side. On second down, Gordon showed off his balance by avoiding defenders to pick up nine more yards. On first down with 5:30 left, Russell's threw an incomplete pass. It was at this time the crowd decided to help the Broncos out with their time management issues and starting shouting the remaining time on the play clock when it reached ten seconds or below. On second down, Russell found Cleveland for 16 yards. With 4:40 left in the game, Russell threw the ball away as he was being sacked. On second down, Russell Wilson tried to go deep, but the pass was incomplete. On third down, Russell Wilson sacked himself and lost six yards. With 3:36 left on the clock, McManus kicked a 50 yard field goal. There was a flag on the play, Tremon Smith #1, was offside. The Broncos declined the penalty.

Houston started their drive from the 25 yard line. Mills found Collins for a twenty yard gain on first down. Then Mills connected with Cooks for 23 more yards. On first down with 2:45 left, Mills was sacked. He also fumbled the ball and Cann recovered the ball for Houston, but they lost nine yards. That play took us down to the two minute warning. On second and 19, Mills connected with Brown for a four yard gain over the right side. On third and fourth downs, Mills threw consecutive incomplete passes ending the drive.

The Broncos took over with 82 seconds left in the game and Williams carried the ball for no gain. The Texans called their first timeout. With 76 seconds left, Cameron Flemming #73 was flagged for a false start. On second and fifteen, Williams ran up the middle for three yards. With 69 seconds left, the Texans called their second timeout. On third and twelve, Williams lost four yards running to the right. With 64 seconds left, Houston called their final timeout. Waitman punted on fourth and 16.

The Texans took over with 53 seconds remaining. Mills found Jordan for a one yard loss on first down. Mills then threw three straight incomplete passes to end their drive.

With 13 seconds on the clock, the Broncos entered victory formation and Wilson took a knee to end the game.

Final score: Denver 16, Houston 9. Game time: three hours and five minutes.

Roster moves

On Saturday, Head Coach Nathaniel Hacket hired veteran NFL assistant Jerry Rosburg to help with game day process/operations. Rosburg spent 2008-2018 with the Baltimore Ravens.

Bronco players that that are listed as questionable for the game in Denver, are listed as active on NFL’s offical site.

Outlook

This will be the most interesting game of the season so far. Both teams are 1-1. Both teams have high expectations and think they can do better.

The Broncos are averaging 16 points through two games so far, the 49ers are averaging 19. Yeah, yeah it’s only two games but San Francisco has already undergone a massive change on offense. Their starting quarterback this season was Tray Lance, a project. He is now injured. With Tray behind center for the entire game, the 49ers managed just 10 points and lost to Chicago. With Tray’s backup behind center, the 49ers scored 27 points. In other words, the offensive production almost tripled with Jimmy in the game and that’s the team the Broncos play today.

Game Time

Sunday, September 25 @ 6:20 PM MDT

[murasaki-cha]

That’s actually a really good way to put it too. The reason why I thought timelines is because of how Raon described instant. As if moving in a different timeline.

But if you think about it maybe both these ideas can coexist with each other.

I don’t know if you’ve seen LOKI but the TVA rules mentioned multiple times that one thing done differently, no matter how small or big it was, could change the course of the main timeline and create a new timeline.

I don’t think the use of Instant was that much of a fate changing event. But during the Sealed God’s temple tests the rule above can be applied.

KRS becoming friends with CJG and fighting hunters using his ancient powers? Completely different from the original timeline. Cale changed the fate of the timeline, creating a new timeline, which led Raon to detect the change of fate and creation of an alternate timeline.

During the failure test, Cale saved Raon a year earlier and united him with Choi Han, also giving him a completely different name, Dodam. This completely changed the fate of Raon and Choi Han, creating a new timeline, which Raon sensed. But since this change of fate was personally related to Raon he was able to visibly see it too, as he mentioned to Eruhaben that he’s been having strange dreams, and that’s why he knew the name Dodam.

Now we don’t know what exactly Raon saw in those dreams. Maybe he saw parts of 15 yo Alberu too since Cale heavily changed his fate too. Maybe we will hear Raon talk about those dreams in part 2 hopefully.

So yeah that’s that. Fate and timeline coexisting with each other. For every changed fate, a new timeline is created.

But how would Raon be able to use his attribute besides observation? Maybe if we consider his timeline the main timeline or his main timeline, perhaps he could travel to timelines where fate has been changed already? I’m not sure

Thoughts on Raon’s attribute

So his attribute is Present right? But we don’t know exactly what it does.

Well I’m reading some parts of the novel and I think it’s related to different/alternate timelines. There have been hints throughout the novel most of them during the Sealed God’s temple arc.

When Cale first used Instant here’s how Raon felt:

“It felt as if the entire world had stopped. It had not actually stopped, but it made him feel as if it had. It was because there was someone who seemed to be moving in a different timeline. Our young Dragon saw it. In that very short period of time… In that ‘instant’… He saw someone shooting forward as if he was made of light. That person was his human.”

Cale is supposed to be moving at superhuman speed here. Like he’s on a completely different world/dimension/timeline from everyone else. Yet Raon could see him. He saw him move, albeit with difficulty, yet he still saw him.

During the Sealed God’s temple tests Raon was the only one “feeling” what was happening inside.

He felt Cale using his powers during the sloth test:

“Goldie gramps! The human, something is weird! I keep sensing the human’s powers in that yellow piece!”

The chubby front paw was pointing at the yellow piece.

“The Super Rock, fiery thunderbolt, water, and shield! The human seems to be in a big fight right now!”

And he remembered the name Dodam:

“Do-, right, Dodam!”

“What is that?”

“I don’t know either! I just keep hearing Dodam!”

Now we don’t know if the worlds from the tests were different timelines, but I don’t believe that they were another set of worlds like Earth 3, Earth 2, Earth, 1. So they’re either alternate timelines or dimensions.

And this whole thing starts making sense when you read Present’s description:

"Present": the moment when things can change among many possibilities which allow unlimited growth.

And Eruhaben also said that during Raon’s first growth phase the moment his plate shattered the whole world became his plate. So his abilities are uncontainable and unlimited.

So yeah based on this information we can hypothesis that Raon can AT LEAST see through other timelines. How far his powers could go is not sure. He could perhaps enter different timelines or bring other people from other timelines into this timeline. He could go as far as to erase or create timelines. The possibilities are endless with Raon’s attribute.

I’m excited about what we’ll learn about Present on part 2. It’s weird, unique, complex and exciting. I don’t know if this theory has been done before but what are your thoughts on this?

[dirtylimericka]

Jaysean:))))

send 2 names for the ult. ship meme! || x || no longer accepting

I’M SO EXCITED TO EXPLORE THIS DYNAMIC, DUDE. I may not be able to answer everything to as much detail as some of the others since this is still very new, but! I’ll do my best. Pyramid verse, of course. Ex-captive.

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs 

How long will they last? - I don’t know yet, but I think they have a shot at lasting a very long time. Sean needs someone who understands him and I think that Jason, having been in an eerily similar situation, is precisely what he needs.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Slowly. Hesitantly. Given what happened to Riley and to Derek and no doubt anyone else Sean managed to get close to while being held captive (I have a small HC about that but I won’t get into that here), he’s very... uneasy about getting emotionally close to people. Even if Cale was dead and there was no chance that he’d ever hurt anyone ever again, Sean would be afraid. The thought of someone he loves being harmed to punish him is rooted too deep. It would take over a year, at the very least, for him to even begin to get comfortable with allowing himself to feel romantically toward someone. This would be a very slow burn.

How was their first kiss? - Jason technically gave the first kiss in a rush of adrenaline (which Sean was too surprised to reciprocate very well before it was over), but Sean kisses him later. It’s not fast and hard and breathless like the first, but smooth and gentle. It would start out chaste, then deepen. The feelings behind it would be ones long bottled.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Hmm.. Sean, I think. I don’t know if Jason is the marrying sort, but Sean certainly wants to one day.

Who is the best man/men? - Rowan...? I imagine by the time marriage becomes part of the equation, Rowan would be old enough. As for anyone else, I don’t know. I don’t think Sean would be very close to most people, he sort of isolates himself post-escape, so he doesn’t have many friends. I can’t say who Jay might want; I’m not sure who yours is closest to.

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Same answer as above.

Who did the most planning? - Sean.

Who stressed the most? - Both?

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 (Now that I think about it, I can just see them eloping and not even having a proper service. Sean has always wanted a wedding that reflects some traditional Irish heritage but he’s also fine with the bare minimum just to make it official.) | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Besides the obvious, I don’t think Sean would object to anyone.

Sex:

Who is on top? - Sean would be a little nervous about being on bottom, but he’s flexible and would happily do whatever Jason was most comfortable with.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Hm... This one’s hard. I don’t know anything about your muse’s drive or preferences, but I get the feeling Jason probably instigates the most...? He’s at least more forward. After they’ve been together for a while, then I think it’s even.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 (Possibly higher because Sean is so touch-starved.) | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - 11-15, maybe 20 on average, not necessarily including all the foreplay Sean loves to indulge himself and his partner in.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Absolutely. Sean isn’t fussed if he doesn’t orgasm, though, as long as Jason is satisfied.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - None.

How many children will they adopt? - I actually think this might be one of the few verses where Sean, though he’d want children, would be... uneasy. He could be convinced into adopting one, but it’d be hard to convince him to adopt more than that.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Both.

Who is the stricter parent? - Ssssean? 

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Sean.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Both.

Who is the more loved parent? - Loved equally.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Sean, but he doesn’t enjoy it lol

Who cried the most at graduation? - I can see them both tearing up.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Both.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Sean.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Jason?

Who does the grocery shopping? - Sean.

How often do they bake desserts? - Once every two weeks maybe.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Balanced.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Sean.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Sean.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Neither, but Sean likely has a few near incidents when he’s exhausted.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Both. But Sean is far neater. He picked up a lot of habits from Cale, including his anxiety around clutter.

Who is really against chores? - Neither.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Both, but Sean more often. If something is dirty or out of place for too long, he gets panicky.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Jason?

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Sean.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Both. They strike me as the sorts who are always digging around for spare change.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Sean.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Both. 

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Sometimes they’ll decorate for Halloween or Yule/Christmas, but it’s small stuff. Sean likes to put up little altars to memorialize the Sandovals and Katie.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Not to give up on the other and to always be there when they need someone. To be the anchor and the calm the other needs.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Both have weird sleep schedules, so... both.

Who plays the most pranks? - Neither. They’re playful in other ways.

[renaroo]

Wednesday Roundup

*long deep sigh*

Okay, I said last week I was going to cancel all Marvel subscriptions in response to the bullcrap that was revealed in Secret Empire. And I continue to firmly stand on not supporting Marvel on any decisions involving that catastrophe. But I must go back on my word. After discussing with friends and others about the best course of action, I am afraid that Marvel set things up -- what with the anti-diversity talks just a few weeks ago -- to make it seem as though any boycotts that would come about due to the Hydra revelations last week would be scapegoated to the titles that are doing the opposite. So I want to support titles that do just that -- titles like Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur -- so long as their book isn’t involved with the crossover and if their authors don’t seem to have much involvement either. 

... also I pre-ordered Deadpool Vol. 6 for a specific reason that I’ll get into in the review.

All that out of the way, let’s get into the comics this week~

DC’s Batman Beyond, Marvel’s Deadpool, DC’s Detective Comics, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, DC’s Wonder Woman

DC’s Batman Beyond (2016- ) #7 Dan Jurgens, Bernard Chang, Marcello Maiolo

*long heralding sigh* We can’t leave well enough alone, can we, DC?

The continuity of Batman Beyond has somewhat been in the toilet from the start. Anything which got its start thanks to the awfulness that was Futures End was sort of doomed to that, especially since they were trying to make that the canon ending of the DCU proper, while at the same time drawing in elements from the animated series. 

This book, though, honestly gave me a lot of hope for what it was doing, which was to focus on the characters pretty specifically from the DCAU Batman Beyond cartoon and growing their stories and relationships rather than focusing on trying to put itself too immediately in the Earth Prime timeline. 

And those moments from this issue are great. We get more Max and Bruce interactions, which I love. We get some actual growth of Dana and Terry’s relationship. Curare is still one of my favorite villains. Matt’s increased role excites me.

And then we get this fucking page. 

I have a bad history with DC splash pages of “our family history” already (see any of my Batgirl (2009-2011) rants), but this one just goes straight for the throat. Sorry literally every woman in the Batfamily ever. I mean, usually at least Barbara gets a shoutout but not even that this time around. And then the worst offense is that Damian and Duke are both whitewashed. What the actual fuck.

This entire page is a disaster, especially since we are very obviously just using it to foreshadow that the leader of the League of Assassins has to do with Damian, because godforbid anyone but the biological child be treated special. 

Oh, sorry. Biological male child. Or else we’d see some plots with Helena Wayne, couldn’t have that. 

Oh, Batman Beyond. Why must you hurt me the way you do. I was enjoying you so much too. 

Marvel’s Deadpool (2015- ) Volume 6: Patience: Zero Gerry Duggan, Matted Lolli, Scott Koblish, Guru-eFX

So I’ve obviously made some exceptions to my Marvel rule and that is simply a case-by-case basis. There are stronger reasons for the other exception this week, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, which I would honestly be devastated if it was taken down because of this monumental grossness that is Marvel right now because it’s the epitome of everything that’s not the Secret Empire catastrophe.

The other is Deadpool because I pre-ordered this volume months ago and because Deadpool is just a weird exception of a comic to begin with. At least as Deadpool is written under Gerry Duggan and how these particular issues especially are written.

So yes, while I would recommend all the issues in this trade to comic fans, the issue I really bought this volume for is for a very personal reason: #20 is the issue dealing with suicide and mental illness and... as someone who struggles on this road in my own life, in both point of views we have here, I am... very particular about how these issues are approached. I hate the way it was handled in Robin (1993-2009), despise the way it was portrayed in All-Star Superman, I just honestly don’t feel like I’ve ever read a story -- especially in comics -- that spoke to me and made me feel like I benefited from it the way the comics were obviously trying to make me feel. 

Deadpool goes the most realistic route I’ve ever seen this handled. It’s about “death is permanent, so let’s make sure there’s nothing else you want to do first” It’s about helping someone out, giving them other things to focus on in the moment, giving them more to experience, and then knowing when professional help is needed, when you’re beyond your means. 

And it’s hard. Deadpool says it best -- unkilling someone is way harder. And I’ve never felt an issue strike such a cord with me before. 

Of course, that’s only one of several issues collected, and we finally get the climax and our answers with Madcap. The entire storyline was rediculous, dramatic, frightening, and any range of emotions between. A great story overall even if anything involving Hydra -- especially Bob -- inherently sickens me at this point. 

If you’re on that level with me on the Hydra stuff, I would recommend buying #20 on its own and then #25 to finish up the Deadpool 2099 story which, for me, had a good conclusion to it. 

But yeah. This was a splurge purchase at least partially because... I have a feeling I won’t be picking up the next few trades of Deadpool flat out, honestly. Lots of Secret Empire this way comes. And I’m not happy about it. Hopefully I can pick up Vol. 8 or 9 and we can get back to Deadpool and Ellie and Preston and everything that makes me love this comic to begin with. 

DC’s Detective Comics (2016- ) #955 James Tynion IV, Marcio Takara, Marcello Maiolo

CASS HAS A GIRLFRIEND BALLERINA AND SHE APOLOGIZED AND ALL IS GOOD AND NOT AN ORPHAN ANYMORE BE STILL MY HEART

OKAY. So that’s out of my system. Last time (two weeks ago) I went into a full on rant about how there are things I Love about Tynion’s writing -- relationships, character building, the sense of family, understanding how to write Cass the way few writers other than her creators have truly gotten -- and things I Hate about Tynion’s writing -- an overall lack of build up for payoff, weak plots, a bit of a ‘break the status quo’ mentality despite a lack of building said status quo -- there are Things. And I can make entire essays about how I feel he needs to grow as a writer especially when it comes to writing mysteries which is what Detective Comics should be at its core. 

I’m putting that aside for now -- still there, I still have my issues with this arc -- but this issue is... It’s going to be a milestone. 

It’s going to be a milestone in bringing Cass’ character back into full form. And I loved every moment of it. The pacing was still.... ehhh. Could’ve probably benefited more from immediately starting with the flashback explaining Cass’ recovery and reintroducing our ballerina girlfriend, then launching into the present time uninterrupted. Maybe show Cass rescuing the others from their naked Hell, because as far as I can tell that just means we’re going to have another disorganized flashback in the next issue which isn’t making me excited because that should be the finale to all of this. 

Yatta yatta. Critical lenses are on, everyone, don’t worry. I’m still the Rena you know.

I just don’t care as much because those things I Love that I mentioned? They where here and they were with my favorite characters. And ALSO???? Tynion planted the seed of the ballerina and Cass living above the studio many issues ago??? And then actually gave us payoff for it??? What is this, a personal letter to me?

Nah, can’t be. No windows were broken in this issue.

I enjoyed myself is what I’m getting at. It’s amazing how I can be really irritated with Detective Comics and then all the sudden it drags me right back in with an issue that gets me just right. 

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015- ) #18 Amy Reeder, Brandon Montclare, Natacha Bustos, Tamra Bonvillain

So i’ve dropped some books in my personal Marvel ban, and I will be avoiding anything remotely related to Secret Empire like the plague, and I still encourage other people to do the same. But there are some books, some ideas, some diversity in the Marvel lineup that for me are simply just too important to throw out with the bathwater. 

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is 1000% a book I want to survive Marvel’s current tirefire. 

And since Marvel curiously made it clear that they were going to throw their diversity titles under the bus and blame them for any loss of sales this summer just before knowingly putting out a terribly controversial book, I can’t help but allow my suspicions to rise. 

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur continues to be the best of the genre and the first book I recommend to kids -- which is something I do quite a lot. If you’ve been following my blog for a while you’ll know that I am very active in trying to get new, young readers into comics and have personally given out comics to kids in and out of the country. It’s something that is very important to me, having been raised with comics myself. 

So I am very happy to go back on my word for titles like Moon Girl and I’m so glad that a book so inviting and loving is around in the disaster that is the larger comic landscape for the Marvel Universe. 

DC’s Wonder Woman (2016- ) #21 Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Laura Martin

Considering how vocally I have been annoyed with the “B story” of this Wonder Woman run thus far, it’s a real relief to finally be able to say, as the storylines converge and we come sadly closer to the end of Rucka’s return to Wonder Woman, finally this slow burn has been worth it. And this moment I chose in particular -- Veronica Cale at long last taking Diana’s hand -- is so built up, is so necessary that it makes everything truly feel like it’s deservedly come full circle.

And Cale’s motivations in Rebirth fit so much better than they did in the Post-Crisis comics, it makes everything about this confrontation and this conclusion worthwhile.

Though there’s still a lot to be fixed in terms of Rucka’s more... tone deaf treatment of earlier racist tropes and so on that have proven to be basically completely unnecessary to this plot. That’s a pretty gross road to end up going down for no reason.

And finally we get to Ares. And maybe it’s the animal lover in me but I’m like “those poor Dobermen, hope they still have a home with Cale after the twin gods’ souls are released. 

... Look we all know I’m going to pick Detective Comics for my pick of the week this week because I’m a sheep and it hit everything I wanted from an issue of Detective Comics including giving us more Cass-Ballerina action and having a fanciful callout to Phantom of the Opera that made my heart soar. 

But I would, for this week, also like to provide a secondary pick for Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur for being not just a fantastic book (which it is) but continuing to provide a bright light at the end of a very, very long and dark tunnel that is the Marvel Universe. It is the Marvel of tomorrow if they could just stop with their bullshit. Which, because it’s Marvel, they probably won’t. 

But these are just my thoughts and opinions, I’d love to hear from all of you. What did you think of this week? Any good titles I’m not picking up? I’d love to hear from you

[cooldavidkentposts]

Sewage treatment plant trials new method to measure sludge

Effective measurement of in-situ sludge is key in the operation and maintenance of waste stabilisation ponds in sewage treatment plants (STPs). Although pond-based systems provide robust treatment, they are associated with a large carbon footprint, effluent volume and sludge build-up, requiring effective monitoring to maintain operational efficiency.

The process of sludge formation and its rafting at the base of stabilisation ponds is not well understood and is often difficult to predict. Plant operators often find themselves in a ‘blind spot’ as its occurrence is invisible, well below the pond water surface. While the accumulation of sludge is a slow process, efforts to remove the accumulated sludge are time consuming. De-sludging is an expensive, messy process that can lead to lengthy disruptions of the process treatment. The rate of sludge accumulation and volumetric measurements are therefore essential from a maintenance and budget perspective.

Despite the existence of several methods to measure sludge, such as use of a ‘Sludge Judge’, effective monitoring is time consuming and can yield inconsistent results.

Kenilworth STP trial

In October 2018, Kenilworth STP — a small-capacity Unitywater site in the Sunshine Coast hinterland — conducted a sludge survey to improve the efficiency and accuracy of sludge measurements, which were hoped to result in operational benefits and assist in the decision-making process on the timing of sludge removal.

The project trialled sensor-based technology using Cerlic’s Multitracker and Blanko, an optical sensor designed to measure suspended solids, temperature and sludge blanket level.

Kenilworth STP’s passive treatment stream utilises three ponds (two facultative ponds and a maturation pond) operated in series, with the resulting effluent applied to land cultivation of Vetiver grass.

The ponds were desludged and re-lined in October 2010, with approximately 6600 m3 of sludge removed at a cost of $540,000 (inflated to 2018). Significant discrepancies were apparent between the surveyed sludge volume and actual volume removed (38% increase).

Given the discrepancies in sludge volumetric measurements, as well as inefficiencies associated with the physical measurements, Unitywater was keen to trial the sensor-based technology.

Sensor-based sludge measurement

Using Cerlic’s Multitracker and Blanko Sensor, a profile of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) was logged versus pond depth. Two MLSS setpoints were adopted: one for the fluff layer (500 mg/L threshold concentration) and another for the top of the sludge blanket (5000 mg/L).

The sludge blanket threshold concentration was considered most important in the trial, representing the top of the sludge layer. The lower ‘fluff’ concentration was generally representative of the water column (usually 200 to 400 mg/L above the sludge blanket).

A maximum depth of 2 m was set to ensure that all the data was captured, with a maximum of 64 data points recorded as the sensor was lowered through the water column. The Multitracker emitted audio and vibration alerts when the two different concentration points were reached, logging depth and concentration values.

Survey methodology

Measurements were taken at even intervals spanning the pond surface, resulting in 78 measurement locations covering about 70% of the pond’s 5400 m2 surface area. While the distance between survey points was not exact, this was acceptable because curtain anchors provided the only way to geo-reference the survey results using ‘ArcGIS’ (without GPS coordinates). Each ‘zone’ between curtain anchors was evenly divided, resulting in grid intervals that were approximately 6–7 m.

The sensor was steadily lowered through the water column at each location until it reached the pond floor. Readings were periodically checked against readings from a ‘Sludge Judge’ to verify the depth of sludge accumulation and to ensure the digital readings were reliable and accurate.

Trial results

The average sludge accumulation across the survey grid was 340 mm, with the maximum depth of sludge at a single point being recorded at 520 mm. These depths represent sludge with an MLSS concentration above 5000 mg/L.

The average depth of sludge was much higher on the eastern side (428 mm) versus the western side (255 mm) of the pond, which followed the slope of the pond bottom. On average, the sludge depth was equivalent to 26% of the total water column depth, with a maximum of 32% at a single point. This means that the pond is currently at approximately 75% of its hydraulic capacity — a significant reduction in operating/working volume.

The total volume of sludge in the pond was estimated using two different methods:

ArcGIS and geographic referencing of the survey locations against the baffle curtain anchors. This made it possible to extrapolate across the entire surface of the lagoon to estimate sludge depth at any given point. Knowing the surface area and depth at all points, ArcGIS was used to estimate the in-situ sludge volume in the maturation pond.

The Trapezoidal Rule was used as a spot check to validate the results produced using ArcGIS.

The above methods resulted in two different sludge volumes: 1600 m3 from ArcGIS and 1360 m3 from the Trapezoidal Rule. The discrepancy is likely because the latter method does not take into account extrapolation of data points outside of the survey grid such as pond embankments and slope, which resulted in the estimated sludge volume being lower.

The rate of sludge accumulation, since late 2010, was estimated as ranging between 31–37 mm/year averaged across the pond surface area.

Key messages

The trial study found that the pond was experiencing a 25% reduction in its operational capacity due to sludge accumulation over an eight-year period. The rate of accumulation was on par with expectations (25–50 mm/year) but the variance in the sludge distribution pattern was not anticipated and was largely attributed to the improper pond geometry. The trial also identified error in the as-built versus in-situ measurements.

The trial highlighted the potential of using sensor-based technology for studying sludge characteristics and settling patterns within maturation ponds. Due to the ease of obtaining MLSS results in a fraction of the time, and the simple testing method involved, it was easy to identify the fluff layer and sludge blanket layer effectively.

The combination of the Multitracker and Blanko provided measurable benefits over physical sampling methods such as ‘Sludge Judge,’ including highly accurate results with less opportunity for errors, ease of data storage, as well as reduced reliance, time and labour. This is especially true if operators are interested in the stratification of the MLSS concentrations, where the time and cost associated with determining the solids content in the pond becomes significant. Taking 78 samples with high resolution data in an eight-hour period would not be feasible with other methods. It appears the sensor-based technology brings in accuracy to the supervision process.

One foreseeable challenge, however, is determining the necessary resolution of data required to obtain the desired results. This is a particular challenge to STPs with a significantly greater pond surface area to cover — this work is a step in the right direction with results that satisfy time, quality and cost.

To read the study paper in full, click here.

Study authors: Cale Maclean, Graduate (Engineering); Anthony Smith, Treatment Plant Operator; Ramraj Kulkarni, Treatment Services Planning Engineer, Unitywater; Jennie Metman, Sales Manager, Control Components; Phil Bolger, Sales Manager, Marcon Agencies.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/antiksu

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/wastewater/article/sewage-treatment-plant-trials-new-method-to-measure-sludge-399184716

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