#date a live spirit pledge

[kitsumirae]

Date A Live : Spirit Pledge, Spirits gif

[thefigureresource]

Kurumi Tokisaki : Mo Se Sheng Xiang ver [Date A Live: Spirit Pledge] 1/7 scale from GoodShow coming July 2024.

[thatdeadmikey]

[dalishious]

Life in Rivain - What We Know Going Into Dragon Age: The Veilguard

For the first time in the game franchise, it has been confirmed that players will get the opportunity to explore Rivain. As such, we will finally be learning a lot more about Rivain upon its release. This piece is about the information we have thus far.

Location & Population

The Kingdom of Rivain, founded in -44 Ancient, is located on the northeastern peninsula of Thedas. Surrounded nearly entirely by water, its only land connection is Antiva.

Those native to Rivain are called Rivaini. Just like any nation in Thedas, there are different racial/ethnic backgrounds who live there – however, the majority of Rivain’s population is Black.

There is also a notable qunari population in Rivain, dating back to when they arrived in Thedas in 6:32 Steel. Kont-aar still exists as a large Qunari settlement in the northern part of the nation – it is regarded as peaceful.

The capital of Rivain is Dairsmuid, which sits on the Rialto Bay. Dairsmuid is the only place in Rivain that has any real Chantry control.

Relations

Because Rivain has a lot of flavour profiles found only in the northern part of Thedas, other nations highly value their food exports. As Rivain is friendly with the Qunari, they are willing to trade in Seheron, too.

Rivain has a “less-than-cordial” relationship with Tevinter. It also has an unserious rivalry with Antiva.

Culture

The Rivaini are traditionally a matriarchal society, believing that women are best suited to rule. Major decisions within a community rest on the head of elder women, who is often a Seer (see: Magic).

Rivain has a currency-based economy. However, there is, generally speaking, a greater value placed in making sure everyone has what they need over monetary gain. For example, if one community has a bad year the neighbouring communities will send supplies and labour to ensure its people do not suffer.

“The Rivaini people trace their roots to pantheist ancestors, and many in Rivain still believe that their god and the universe are one in the same.” —Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 1

Rivain is has the most diverse range of spiritual beliefs in Thedas, because the Chantry failed to become the monopoly like they did everywhere else. The three most common spiritualties are Andrastianism, the Qun, and unnamed traditional Pantheism beliefs.

Daily life for an average citizen of Rivain differs greatly across the nation, because it is such a patchwork of cultures that co-exist in relative peace. Life in Kont-aar for example, is structured by the Qun, where life in a remote village in the southern tip would likely be highly influenced by the Raiders who call Llomerryn home.

Magic

Traditional Rivaini beliefs hold their Seers in high regard. Seers are female mages who specialize in peacefully communicating with spirits and even intentionally invite them into their bodies. They act as wise women and leaders of their communities, for whom people go to for guidance.

Twice a year, the Seers of Rivain gather in Dairsmuid to meet in council, forge trade agreements, and publicly pledge loyalty to Rivain's queen. This is called the Allsmet, and it is a fully celebrated festival with lavish feasts, gift exchanges, ceremonial gatherings, and music.

There was a single Rivaini Circle of Magi, located in Dairsmuid, but it existed largely as a façade to appease the Chantry. Unfortunately, when the Chantry sent Seekers to inspect the Circle in 9:40, they discovered the mages breaking Chantry law. The mages were allowed to freely be with their families, and were training female mages as Seers. The Seekers they invoked the Right of Annulment; they murdered all the mages of the Circle, and destroyed their library of books and artifacts.

Lords of Fortune

The Lords of Fortune are a guild of treasure hunters and dungeoneers, based out of Rivain. They can be identified by the decorations they were all over their body; trinkets they’ve collected over their years of treasure hunting. Sometimes they are hired by others to help out on a job, while other times they seek their own adventure. Anyone of any race can become a Lord of Fortune.

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References

Codex entry: Seers and the Allsmet (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

Codex entry: The Annulment at Dairsmuid (Dragon age: Inquisition)

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 1

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 2

Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

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[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Vampire Wedding Part 1

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Drake: "I'm home!"

Drake returned from a spontaneous outing late in the evening.

Mitsuki: "Welcome back. You're late. Where have you been?"

Drake: "Well, I stopped by a tavern and got into a lively conversation with some folks there."

After saying that, he grinned and looked at me.

Mitsuki: "Is something wrong?"

Drake: "Nah, I just thought you looked as beautiful as ever, little fawn."

Mitsuki: "Hehe, what's with the sudden compliment? Do you need a favor?"

Drake: "Not a favor, more like an invitation."

Drake: "How about a date on the sea at night?"

Mitsuki: "Eh, date?"

Surprised by the unexpected invitation, he deepened his mischievous smile.

Drake: "I met a generous guy at the tavern who let me borrow his ship."

Drake: "I thought we could have a fancy night cruise. What do you say, Mademoiselle?"

Mitsuki: "Wow, that sounds wonderful! I'd love to go!"

Drake: "That's the spirit."

Drake: "Then, let's go tomorrow. There's something I want to show you."

Mitsuki: "Something you want to show me?"

Drake: "It's a secret."

He winked meaningfully.

Drake: "It's my special treat, so look forward to it."

Mitsuki: "Hehe, got it. I'm really looking forward to it!"

After chatting about various things, I fell asleep without realizing it.

I awoke to a sensation of something touching my cheek.

Drake: ".........."

When I groggily opened my eyes, I saw Drake peering at me, gently stroking my cheek.

Drake: "A blood oath, huh?"

Drake murmured.

(Blood oath?)

I was curious, but my consciousness soon drifted back to sleep.

The next day, I hurried to finish my chores, and by evening, I headed to the port where we had arranged to meet.

(What will a night cruise be like? And what could Drake's special surprise be?)

Vlad: "Bonjour, Mitsuki."

Suddenly, I heard a voice and turned around to see Vlad pulling a flower wagon.

Vlad: "The sun is about to set. Are you going out now?"

Mitsuki: "Yeah, I'm going on a date with Drake tonight."

Vlad: "That sounds great. Have fun."

As he smiled, the words I heard last night crossed my mind.

Mitsuki: "Hey, Vlad. Do you know what a blood oath is?"

He looked surprised for a moment, then smiled softly.

Vlad: "Of course."

Vlad: "A blood oath is a traditional wedding ceremony in the vampire world."

Mitsuki: "A wedding ceremony?"

Vlad: "On the night of the full moon, the groom pledges 'eternity' by biting on the bride's ring finger."

(I never thought it held such significance.)

(But today was definitely a new moon, so it doesn't matter, right?)

Mitsuki: "Thank you for telling me. I should go now."

Vlad: "Yeah, have a good night."

As the sun completely set, the ship smoothly sailed through the dark sea.

Leaning on the railing and gazing at the pitch-black surface of the sea, Drake, who was standing next to me, gently pulled me closer.

Drake: "I've got to hold you so that you don't get pulled into the sea."

With a mischievous grin, Drake made me recall the word "wedding."

(I hope Drake and I can experience that someday.)

I couldn't help but swoon as I dreamed about a future where the two of us were pledging our eternal love.

(Drake probably doesn't want to willingly enter into a blood oath. Besides, the night of the full moon would be difficult due to the bloodlust.)

Drake: "Hey, little fawn? Is something wrong?"

Mitsuki: "Ah..."

Drake's hand gently tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Drake: "Pay attention. The show's about to start."

Mitsuki: "Show? What are you...?"

As I tilted my head in confusion, a streak of pale blue light illuminated the dark sea.

Mitsuki: "Huh?"

The light swiftly spread where I was looking, and the sea surface, which had been pitch black until just now, was now enveloped in a faint glow.

Drake: "This is my special surprise. Beautiful, isn't it?"

Mitsuki: "Yeah, it's amazing. Truly beautiful, but what’s actually happening?"

Enthralled by the waves of light washing over us, I nodded dreamily multiple times.

Drake: "Sailors say that these lights represent the souls of our departed comrades, scattered into the sea."

Drake: "When they spot a ship sailing at sea on a moonless night, they guide it safely back to port."

Mitsuki: "So they're watching over us?"

Drake: "Yeah."

Drake: "And for us, this light holds another special meaning."

Mitsuki: "Another special meaning? What's that?"

Before he answered, he gazed deeply into my eyes.

Drake: "Within this light, sailors traditionally propose to their loved ones."

Mitsuki: "Huh?"

Drake’s eyes, as he gazed at me, lacked his usual carefree demeanor.

Drake: “Mitsuki. I want to make you my treasure.”

Drake: ��Will you marry me?”

I nodded with a smile, feeling my eyes well up with joy and love at the earnest words that reached straight into my heart.

Mitsuki: “Of course, I’ve been yours for a long time already.”

Mitsuki: “Please always stay by my side.”

Drake: “Mitsuki.”

As he called my name with deep emotion, he embraced me tightly.

I wrapped my arms around his broad back and felt his warm breath.

Drake: “I wish I could say you’re mine forever now, but there’s one more thing we need to do.”

Drake: “We still have something to do on the night of the full moon.”

His words made my heart race.

Mitsuki: “Are you going to make a blood oath?”

I asked nervously, and Drake blinked in surprise.

Drake: “You knew?”

Mitsuki: “Yeah. But are you sure about this? You don’t have to force yourself.”

Drake: “Thanks, Fawn. But there’s no need to worry.”

Drake put his forehead on mine and smiled.

Drake: “I’ll do as I please.”

Drake: “You just have to wait for me to whisk you away.”

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Premium ╎ Epilogue

[inchidentally]

Crown Prince Lando AU idea based entirely on his appearance today in Italy for his trophy and Lawrence writing about how every team is courting Lando

okay so I wrote this rly fast on the work laptop and you have to just ignore the weird interpretations of how royalty and inheritance etc works. and completely fucking with how things went down in F1 history. it's an absolute mess and possibly unreadable but I literally couldn't stop myself.

if you're a fic author then pleaaaaase have a look and see if you can take this and actually make anything out of it even if it needs a lot of changes.

Crown Prince Lando has been fought over by nations since he was seventeen years old. His parents had retired from royal duties to live quietly in the countryside but a series of deaths and lack of heirs resulted in Lando living most of his life being prepared for ascension to the throne. His parents did as good a job as they could to keep Lando humble and "normal" while having to live a kind of sequestered monastic existence.

As he grew so did his future subjects' love and adoration of him. They loved his humor and his cheeky treatment of the solemn institution surrounding him. As he grew into being a beauty the country took endless pride in him and watched his exploits as a touring royal closely.

Fernando Alonso was the first to pledge his troth to Prince Lando because he could see the promise in Lando of one day becoming a truly beloved ruler - a quality he himself had found wanting in his own slow gathering of power. However he was persuaded early on by his advisers and Lando's parents to withdraw due to his 'already advanced age'. Lando's debut at court was postponed by his parents to prevent any other establishment attempting to lay their claim before Lando felt comfortable and ready.

The powerful Sainz Vázquez de Castro family swooped in next and arranged a series of public meetings between Prince Lando and their wicked (meaning "experienced") and devastatingly handsome son Carlos Jr. His charisma and dark eyes charmed Prince Lando immediately and a wedding date was set for the following year. Lando's debut at court was hastily arranged to happen mere days prior. Probably should insert something here about Lando being made to live this period of life in a guarded tower and attendants being present whenever he was with Carlos because chastity being required for marriage. And the only way to keep Carlos' dick out of Lando was the threat of a priest's guard cutting it off. But lbr they manage to sneak around well enough to do everything else.

Unfortunately the royal courts of Europe were shaken by a quick series of upsets: Sovereign Prince Lorenzo of Monaco abdicated the throne in search of a quieter life - his heart had never been in it since his father, the former sovereign, had become ill and abdicated. This left Lorenzo's unwed brother Charles to be hastily crowned Prince Regent at the tender age of 22 (and unable to become sovereign himself due to being a second son, again my weird rules). As a result Charles suffered the loss of his long-time suitor, nobleman Sebastian Vettel, who couldn't bear the thought of being sovereign let alone of a land that wasn't even his own.

Enter the Sainz Vázquez de Castro elders siezing the opportunity and negotiating a deal with Monaco in private conclave with the Papal State (??) to wed their son Carlos to the Prince Regent. Carlos is ashamed at giving in to the temptation… to not just be King Consort but to be Sovereign Prince, to rule over the vast wealth of Monaco and by extension the Holy See, to have the coveted beauty Charles in his bed. So he agrees to be spirited away to Monaco and the ugly business of dissolving his betrothal to Lando is left to members of church and state.

But Carlos experiences a complete conversion when Charles is on his knees in the cathedral - looking up at him with docile green eyes as Carlos' fingertips touch the warm red roses of Charles' lips as he holds the chalice of holy wine for Charles to drink. Carlos was almost hard beneath the ermine and velvet robes in a house of God when the crown was on his head and Charles next to him - and slightly below - smiling up at him with filaments of gold hanging from pendants on his chaplet, framing his achingly beautiful face. If Carlos feels his immense happiness and prosperity darken whenever he sees Lando's picture or encounters him at one of the courts then no one need know.

Prince Lando is of course too heartbroken to consider other suitors and his court is demoralized by their own failure to seal his future. Only brash American tycoon Zak Brown keeps the faith that Lando's appeal as he grows will land him a better match than any Euro old money looking to aggrandize themselves and take advantage of Lando's youth to displace his rightful future as King.

A stroke of genius is the arrival of commoner Daniel Ricciardo whose rise up the ranks of society has hit more than a few speedbumps over the years. He's in the perfect position to act as placeholder and a sort of 'playmate' for the young Prince Regent. Daniel does the job of squiring Lando around and cheering him up beautifully. So beautifully that Daniel begins to see in his charge's wide eyes a future that he had only ever let himself dream of before. He begins to publicly push the boundaries of propriety with Lando like holding hands, embracing him from behind, dancing scandalously close together. The dam begins to break when Daniel opens a public social media account and begins posting adoring and fairly intimate videos of Lando that prove to be a massive hit with the public… and that fan rumours of the Crown Prince breaking with tradition and marrying a commoner.

Exeunt Daniel Ricciardo.

(Yes I know this isn't remotely his role but go with it) Newly appointed Lord Chancellor Andrea Stella proposes that only a candidate the same age as Lando - or ideally younger - should be considered to ensure that his claim to the throne be safeguarded. Because Lando hasn't spent the intervening years doing nothing but swooning over a succession of suitors, he's perfected his role and learned his court and won over the hearts of his people. He's effected harmonious relations with rival kingdoms seemingly effortlessly. The royal coffers have never been so full and trade is booming. Lando and his court all know that Lando could easily rule alone. But the fire that the now King of Monaco had lit inside him refused to go out. It begged to be fueled and to burn brighter.

Then one day Andrea hears a murmur of controversy happening in the middling levels of the aristocracy. The scoundrel Alonso had construed a match between one Oscar Piastri and Frenchman Esteban Ocon as a means of effecting his (Alonso's) escape and aggrandizing the Alpine dynasty. There were further details about a drama between Ocon and countryman Pierre Gasley but all that interested Andrea was that young Piastri had ordered a direct pronouncement be made against the match and any further association with Alpine. He had already rejected the opportunity of being presented at court and clearly had plans for his own future that would not depend on the protection or condescension of any other power but his own.

Imagine Andrea's surprise when Zak Brown announces at the next privy council meeting that preliminary arrangements had been made with young Piastri to be the Crown Prince's companion for the following season. A pretense at Piastri having an interest in royal politics was to be given to everyone, including Piastri himself. But Andrea and Zak shared a knowing look across the mote-stained light straining through the high windows of the old chamber. The Crown Prince barely even hears the details as he wearily signs off on the public notice along with the other endless papers at his elbow. He doesn't even dream that a wildcard is being played for his future happiness.

The eldest son of the prominent and noble Piastri family from Tuscany is suitably beautiful with the characteristic straight brow, fine pale features and soulful deep amber eyes of his people. He is tall and still growing with an effortless regal bearing despite his youth. The first few meetings between him and the Crown Prince are cordial and with a promising warmth. Andrea is encouraged by the pink that rises high on Piastri's pale cheeks whenever he shares smiles with Lando but he's even more encouraged by the steady intensity of his gaze when Lando isn't looking.

For the first few months, Piastri remains a faithful but distant part of Lando's royal retinue. They interact often enough and clearly like each other. But it also comes at a time of unrest in Lando's kingdom as a result of the ascension of an ambitious and possibly ruthless young King in the Netherlands. Lando proposes a visit to Castle Toro Rosso and asks Piastri to accompany them due to the Italian affiliation with the Dutch royal house. Something about Piastri's calm and quiet confidence helps stabilize Lando and he needs all the support he can get.

The visit is strained and the Dutch court is intimidating - and rather grating - in it's brash opulence and show of dominance. The young King is more of a mystery, seeming cold and aloof but flashing a wry smile at Lando's well-known charm and humor. The tide turns entirely in Lando's favor at the tourney. Lando has been barred from jousting following his formal presentation as crown prince due to some finicky archaic British law and it eats away at it him to have to sit and watch while the Dutch King was allowed to ride for himself. More than once Lando moodily pushes at the circlet that keeps slipping over his curls and can feel himself being increasingly bratty and short with his attendants.

Piastri was already reknowned for his prowess in jousting and was automatically given the seat to represent the Crown Prince. When he appeared mounted on a blood bay charger that gleamed almost golden and black in the hot sun (MCL colors kinda??) Lando has A Moment when Piastri tips his visor open and addresses him formally and those intense brown eyes behind the cold armor make him look so much older. Lando causes a stir when he descends from his seat and gives Piastri his favor in the form of a ribbon from one of his full sleeves. They have one of Those Looks between each other before Piastri turns to take his place. He bests every one of his opponents and isn't unseated once.

Then the Dutch King Max Emilian appears and strangely shuns any pageantry associated with a knight's entry, let alone a king's. His Lady sits in his place flanked by both her own and the King's powerful families and court. Lando finds himself suddenly flooded with fear because what would happen if Oscar lost? What would happen if Oscar won? When had he become 'Oscah' and not just Piastri?

The collision unseats both King Max Emilian and Oscar and they draw swords. The fight is precise and clinical and breathtaking. Perhaps it was because of having more to lose or perhaps it was the press of the Crown Prince's lips against the silk ribbon he gave as tribute but Oscar suddenly anticipates a step too far ahead for the young King and a unified gasp is heard when Max Emilian's body hits the dirt. It's instinct that has Oscar's sword held at the King's throat. But when Max Emilian throws his visor back his bloodied mouth is stretched in a wide toothy grin. He barks out a series of high cackles and ceremonially begs mercy. Oscar breathes out in a rush and claps his armored hand around the King's and helps him to his feet. Max Emilian flicks Oscar's visor open for him and lifts his hand declaring Oscar's well-earned victory. Lando forgets himself and leaps up yelling and cheering as his court smiles ruefully over at the stiff, formal "celebrations" coming from the stands opposite.

Holy god I've written way more than I meant to but let's have it finish off with Lando whispering to gain access to the tent where Oscar is undressing and cleaning his wounds. Perhaps his armor has been removed down to the hips the way driver's drop their race suits down after a race. Oscar startles when he sees Lando alone with him and rushes to kneel to him. Maybe Lando puts his hand under Oscar's chin and tells him to rise up and oh maybe seeing Oscar sweaty and dirtied with a cut to one cheek and a few bruises on his body makes him forget himself. Maybe he surges up and kisses Oscar and maybe Oscar is shocked but also feels exactly the same way and kisses him right back. Then probably Oscar decides to make his boldest move yet and says that if Lando doesn't want him then he'll quietly go away - but if Lando does want him then Oscar would welcome the title King Consort, would be proud of it in fact to be in service a king like Lando one day.

Then Lando either passes out because he's been in blue ball hell since Carlos and years worth of arousal hit him all at once or maybe he just whimpers a little and starts wondering how fast a royal wedding can get planned so he can Get That Dick ASAP.

Fin.

[dalekofchaos]

An alternative Alternate Chloe

So I've been thinking about the Alternate world where William never died and how Chloe's life should have been different.

Miserable and self-loathing in the main timeline without William and paralyzed from the waist down while living in chronic pain with William.

I just think it's unfair that no timeline has Chloe happy. So lets fix that.

Two scenarios.

Max wakes up as usual in the Vortex Club, only it's the start of the school year. She and Chloe are still close, but as time moves on and Max grew in popularity with the Vortex Club, she distanced herself with Chloe. Chloe then fell in with Rachel. Chloe kept her free spirit, long blonde hair, innocence and positive energy she had since childhood, this helped Rachel through the hell that is James Amber and they were there for each other. When Chloe came out to Joyce and William, they embraced her and happy that Rachel is there for Chloe. Plus Chloe would be one hell of an artist and this gets her the notice of one Mark Jefferson. Jefferson is marveled by Chloe's artistic talent and most importantly her innocence. Chloe talks about her dream of going to college in Paris and Mark has the means to help her in Chloe's dreams, all he has to do is model for her. Chloe Price was never seen again. So cut to the present day. Max goes to the Price household. Max finds William and Joyce tormented by Chloe’s disappearance and Max pledges to help find her, then William gives Max the photo he took that faithful day. Max finds Rachel Amber looking for Chloe and one look from Rachel tells Max that this reality of herself really fucked things up with Chloe. Rachel just glares and says "You have some nerve showing your face after all this time." Max lets Rachel vents. Rachel says all Max cared about was becoming Queen Bee and suddenly her childhood best friend didn't matter, it was all about Victoria and Nathan. Rachel was there when Max abandoned Chloe and despite all that, Chloe never gave up hope they could still be friends and Chloe never lost what made her fall for her. Max apologizes and wants to make amends by helping Rachel find her. the two of them bond, become friends and Max realizes why her Chloe fell for Rachel. Now the rest of this would be in a hypothetical scenario where episode 4 is in two parts. Part 1 takes place completely in the alternate world. Part 2 takes place in Max's world. The rest of part 1 has Max and Rachel posting Chloe's missing person posters all over town and Blackwell. As Max posts Chloe's picture. Max discovers she's made enemies of her friends in her timeline. Alyssa reveals that Max used to be cool, but she changed after joining the Vortex Club, bullied her and her friends "and whatever you said to Kate, she was never the same again. You and your new friends practically drove Kate on that roof" "Fuck" Warren states that Max set him up. She used him to get through chemistry and invited him on a date, only to be publicly humiliated by Max and her mean girl friends. "Shit, is this version of me really this awful?" Stella says that she got too much praise and attention from Mr Jefferson and that caused you and Victoria to publicly humiliate me in front of class. Brooke was the only one who stood up for Warren and Stella after their incidents, in return Max spread rumors that Brooke's drone was spying on everyone and nearly got her expelled. Daniel thought Max was nice and suddenly she became a bitch, mocked him in class and spurred on Logan's bullying. Max feels fucking awful. and despite all the stories from Alyssa, Warren, Stella, Brooke and Daniel, they all reveal that Chloe and Rachel were there for her and if Chloe were still around, Kate would still be here. Max apologizes for everything this version of herself has done and promises to bring Chloe back. They investigate the Vortex Club and use Nathan to get them there. Part 1 ends with Rachel getting doesed by Nathan while Max uses the photo to go back to her timeline, to her Chloe.

Instead of waking up being in the Vortex Club, Max wakes up being with Chloe and Rachel. Max and Chloe never changed. They retain who they were since childhood. William is the Blackwell guidance counselor and Joyce is the new English teacher after Mrs Hoida had a hard time balancing her teaching and her depression.(Joyce had teaching aspirations in Farewell, so why not) David becomes a close family friend after William helped him after the war and in return David pledges to help William take care of his family. No one goes missing. Kate never goes to the Vortex club party and everyone is just living their best lives. Max, Chloe and Rachel are just spending the alternate world portion of the game partying, having fun in the junkyard and Max has the choice to kiss both Chloe and Rachel and we see the three of them cuddled up in Chloe's bed. And suddenly, everything goes wrong. Nathan Prescott publicly shoots himself in Jefferson's class. No one knows why, Nathan was pressured by his family, sure but it never got to the degrees that it did in Max's timeline. Max, Chloe and Rachel decide to investigate Nathan's dorm, read his journal and find out the following. Nathan was slowly going through the same problems as he did in Max's timeline, but what changed was Nathan had William as a guidance counselor and his mental health was stable and Samantha was his girlfriend. Everything was going great. Until he started to go to Jefferson's class. Jefferson was trying to talk him to doing horrible things. Hurting Sam, helping him with the dark room and to top it off, Nathan has dreams of a storm coming to wipe out Arcadia Bay. Nathan figures there is only one way out. Bang. They confront Jefferson, he denies everything and points them to Frank Bowers, "a real shady character, he took over from Damon Merrick after a dispute, I heard he likes young girls, please be careful. I'm saddened by Nathan's loss like you girls are, but I never once tried to pressure Nathan into doing anything against his will, Sean Prescott was the source of Nathan's anguish, maybe he just couldn't escape the shadow and pressure the Prescott name. and finally as they go back to the junkyard. The storm comes early and as they all reach the Lighthouse, Max reverses time and comes back to her timeline.

[demifiendrsa]

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves ｜Announcement Trailer

Characters Trailer (English version)

Characters Trailer (Japanese version)

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves will launch in Early 2025. Platforms and release date have yet to be announced.  It will also be playable at EVO Japan 2024, which will run from April 27 to 29, 2024 at Ariake GYM-EX in Tokyo, Japan.

Key visual

Screenshots

Latest details

The Fatal Fury series first hit the market in 1991, spearheading the fighting game boom of the 1990s that swept the industry thereafter. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (released in 1999) has, for some time, served as the franchise’s most recent installment.

Fan Favorites and Fresh Faces Square Off in the Arena

Iconic characters from Fatal Fury and Garou: Mark of the Wolves are ready to rumble once again. A new character and star pupil of Joe Higashi also makes her debut:

Rock Howard (voiced by Griffin Puatu in English, Yuma Uchida in Japanese) – Born to Geese Howard, raised by Terry Bogard—Rock’s very being is one of mixed emotions and internal conflict. Despite having lived a new life with Terry, one day Rock finds himself facing off against a foe who claims to know about his past—namely his birth mother, and the fact that she is very much alive. Armed with this new information, the troubled youth resolves to find his way through life—and fight on to make that happen.

Terry Bogard (voiced by Michael Schneider in English, Takashi Kondo in Japanese) – South Town’s very own Legendary Hungry Wolf, Terry takes young Rock Howard under his wing, following an epic encounter with archrival and Rock’s father Geese Howard. The two are inseparable—until the events of a fateful tournament compel them to go their separate ways. Terry fights it out on the streets for several years thereafter, but when word of an upcoming martial arts tournament—“KOF”—reaches him, he realizes that another date with destiny awaits…

Hotaru Futuba (voiced by Suzie Yeung in English, Manaka Iwami in Japanese) – Hotaru is a young girl searching far and wide for her older brother, who disappeared when her mother passed away. As luck would have it, she would one day run into someone who looked very much like him, though he denied all knowledge of the matter. But that was then, this is now, and Hotaru still hasn’t given up: determined to fight the mysterious stranger again and convey her true feelings, she sets off into the unknown once more.

Tizoc (voiced by Jalen K. Cassell in English, Hikaru Hanada in Japanese) – An invincible symbol of justice, Tizoc now makes his triumphant return to the ring. Despite hanging up his boots for a time, the joyous cries of the children in his corner spur him into action—and bring him back home. Pledging to lift the spirits of one young fan in particular, he laces up and sets his sights on the squared circle once again. For the mighty Tizoc, one thing’s for sure: this fight will be even more furious than the last.

Preecha – (voiced by Mia Paige in English, Chika Anzai in Japanese) – Making her Fatal Fury debut, the scientist Preecha investigates the wonders and miracles of a fascinating principle known as ki (spirit energy). She also happens to be the star pupil of Joe Higashi, the acclaimed Muay Thai champ himself. While her martial arts talent can’t be denied, that’s not to say she’s only in it to win it either; indeed, Preecha fights for academic purposes, not accolades. She hates the pain, but sure is willing to endure it—as long as it furthers her research into unique and perplexing fight styles.

All-new REV System Shifts the Fight into Top Gear

The REV System, a toolset making its Fatal Fury debut, offers unique offensive options from when the battle begins. Players can use REV Arts, REV Accel, REV Blows (while S.P.G. is active), and more until you hit your limit and the REV Meter overheats. Balance your heat level and keep the pressure on your opponent to fight at full throttle!

Classic Battle Systems Evolved

Many classic Fatal Fury battle systems are back in full force, including Combination Attacks, Just Defense, Braking, Dodge Attacks, and Feints. These systems return to the fold after more than 25 years and have evolved for the modern day. Buckle up for red-hot action and competitive fights to the finish!

Experience-Tailored Control Schemes

Players can choose from two control schemes: Arcade Style is based on precise, technical inputs, while Smart Style lets you perform flashy special moves and combos using directional inputs and single button presses. From fighting game newcomers to seasoned veterans, everyone will be tricked out with the right controls—tailored specifically to your level.

[itscaramelia]

[ 1 ] before i love you na, na, na i'm gonna leave you na, na, na before i'm someone you leave behind i'll break your heart so you don't break mine Kieran x MC ; Kieran learns of love and heartbreak in a week, and swears he never will again. words: 2209

(rewrite of the Indigo Disk DLC from Kieran's POV, originally written before it came out but now includes scenes from the DLC aprox. 2 years has passed between DLCs) part of takeaway series / cross-posted on AO3

Some people call it obsessive, but Kieran’s always been a little too much for most. 

It used to be for Ogerpon and her stories. He knew every word by heart, recited it like a pledge to strength and bravery and courage every night with the hopes that he’ll internalise enough of it and wake up the next morning a new person. It was his routine for as long as he remembered, for a good fifteen years of his life, he did the same thing every night. 

And then she came, with her aviators and shining leather shoes and matching bag, hair pinned and tied back into a deceivingly sweet, innocent style that he couldn’t help but stare at. She was so different from what he knew, so out of place in small homely Kitakami, yet she ran around like she lived there her entire life. She looked like one of the Unovan girls back at Blueberry Academy, surrounded by their gaggle of friends and always telling one exaggerated story or another about someone in their class, who only looked at him with disgust and mockery and actively avoided him. 

The exact sort of person he wanted to avoid back home. 

But she… wasn’t like that. At all. She made sure to smile with everyone she was talking to, her voice was soft and every sentence was sung to the melody of the Starly around the island. She laughed so easily, and for once, he didn’t feel like he was being mocked when someone laughed around him. She put her all into each thing she did, even small things like posing for a picture, and she listened to all his ramblings and he had never felt so acknowledged by someone. 

Violetta .

It was a little unnerving, especially when her sunglasses hid her eyes so well, how quickly he found himself comfortable around her. And then she called him her friend so enthusiastically, with a wide smile and soft laughter, and his heart skipped a beat. 

He thinks she would love Wisteria Pond, would probably float amongst the trees like its rightful spirit guardian, hair and eyes blending into the flowers. Maybe he could ask for a few more days in Kitakami, just to show her around more. There’s six wonders after all.

Maybe after the festival, he’d be able to choke up enough courage to ask her out. 

She fit perfectly into an old jinbei and his grandma tied her hair into a semi-traditional side ponytail. When she took off her sunglasses, he swore not even their sunsets could match how vivid the purple in her eyes were. He was almost glad they couldn’t find a mask for her, her eyes shouldn’t have been hidden for so long. And they were just as expressive as her, in the way they caught the light and reflected differently with every emotion.

He liked to pretend the festival was an almost-date. Their fingers brushed when he handed her a candy apple, and maybe he saw a hint of a blush on her face when she took it. And then they walked back together, and all she had to tell him was that she and Carmine weren’t laughing at him back there, that she just wanted to enjoy the stars when Carmine came and she loved Kitakami and spending time with him, and he believed her and apologised and trusted her entirely. 

Then she lied again. 

And every time she looked at him afterwards, it was with furrowed brows and a smile that never quite reached her eyes, and it hurt more than when he was the school outcast. Suddenly, he was back to being the outsider looking in as his sister took all of Violetta’s time away, taking the one person he thought he had away from him, and monopolising her attention and it… it was burning him up. And the only way he ever knew to get rid of this burning was by winning battles back in Blueberry Academy, and he directed it all towards Violetta because she was supposed to be his during their time in Kitakami, not his sister’s, and she lied to him and still had that stupid smile on her face and he couldn’t wait to wipe it off.

But it was Violetta, and she was beautiful. And sweet. And soft. 

And strong. 

Of course she was strong, he’s known that since their first meeting after she beat both him and Carmine without breaking a sweat, but he was stronger than then. 

And so was she. 

She beat him every time, and he saw the pity in her eyes grow every time and the burning in him only got stronger. Right in front of Ogerpon, she beat him without breaking a sweat again and he knew he didn’t stand a chance. He watched her when she took down Ogerpon and her masks, saw Ogerpon run up to her and cling to her legs and knew he lost the last hope of strength he had clung onto for so long. 

It was all her fault. 

It was all Violetta’s fault. 

If she hadn’t come on that stupid field trip with her school, they wouldn’t have met. She would have never known about Ogerpon, nor of him, and he could have kept his stories and beliefs to himself and maybe one day he would’ve been strong enough to have Ogerpon accept him. 

If she hadn’t come on that stupid field trip, he wouldn’t have known she existed and he could’ve lived the rest of his life not knowing how badly it hurt to have been betrayed by someone you thought was unapologetically open and honest; he wouldn’t have known how it felt to have someone call him a friend without regrets. 

If she hadn’t come on that stupid field trip, he could have lived the rest of his life not knowing what heartbreak felt like. 

Instead, he tasted it thrice. 

It’s bitter, and uncomfortable to swallow, and it makes him want to throw that candy apple up. It’s sour, makes his whole body clench up and his eyes squeeze shut in the hopes that he’ll forget but it’s always the same shade of purple he sees behind his eyelids. 

She never put her sunglasses back on after the festival, even after changing back to her Uva Academy uniform and redoing her hair back into its intricate twists and braids. 

He wishes she had.

He spends the better part of the next two years training. Everyone else would say he’s spent every second training. 

Carmine had let him simmer in his ‘teenage angst’, and what she assumed, grief Ogerpon’s leaving of Kitakami before going back to how she was a month later. Kieran fell into the same rhythm she’d set, but found he wasn’t as affected by it anymore with something else constantly chewing at his mind. 

“Kiki, are you okay?” She had pulled him off the field to ask one day. He’s not too sure why, he was winning every battle as expected of him and he figured Carmine would chalk everything else up to ‘teenage angst’ as she always did. 

“Yeah? Everything’s fine.” He shrugs her hand off. 

“Are you sure,” she crosses her arms, and frowns like she always does when she’s annoyed at him, “You’ve been more aggressive in your battles recently.” 

“Why do you care? You never care.” He turns to walk away, when Carmine grabs his wrist and pulls him back.

“Is that how you’re going to talk back to me!?”

“You only care when other people talk anyways!” He snatches his arm away from her and stomps off. 

“Kiki, wait! I have something to tell you!” 

“Tell me later!” He starts taking strides, speeds up to get further away from Carmine. He hears her steps briefly, hears her call out his full name this time, and only walks faster. 

When he gets back to his room, he thinks maybe he was too hasty. Maybe Carmine had something important to tell him, maybe she wasn’t just going to insult him again and give him useless tips and tell him to be nicer to his classmates. 

Either way, I’ll just ask tomorrow.

Turns out, the news Carmine wanted to give him was that they were hosting exchange students. 

From Paldea. 

And Kieran would be lying if he said his heart didn’t skip a beat. 

There’s endless chatter among his classmates, as their teacher introduces the soon-to-be arriving students through Powerpoint slides, accompanied by pictures and all. He keeps his attention away enough to not take in any of the names and their accomplishments back in Paldea, as his fingers tangle in his hair and his eyes stare out the window. 

He finds it hard to care at all, until her name comes up and he can’t help his eyes snapping to her picture. 

It looks like a magazine cover, with her hair whipping around her, eyes steely towards the camera, brows lowered and lips parted slightly to show clenched teeth. Her Ceruledge stands in front of her, blades spread as if for protection, as if saying whoever had to get past it first before getting to her. 

The class hushes as their teacher talks about her accomplishments, but Kieran couldn’t tear his attention away from her, and how she never looked at him like that. She always looked at him with pity, sadness, never as an opponent. 

She never saw him as an equal, she always saw him as weak. 

It doesn’t anger him as much as he thought it would, he supposes maybe he’s always known they weren’t equals, but it feeds into that burning that he’s had since leaving Kitakami. It feeds into his need to get stronger, to grow faster and be better.

And he knows he’ll be so much better. 

He only tears his eyes away from the screen when his teacher goes back to talking about something related to battling. 

He can’t escape people talking about their soon-to-be exchange students, people go up to him at lunch just to ask what she was like when they first met in Kitakami and he finds he gets progressively more aggressive at shaking them off with every longing question and starstruck statement. He pushes people away with a twitching eye, sharply jerks hands off when they’re placed on his shoulder, and eventually people go back to avoiding him. 

His sister revels in the attention, and brags about every battle as if she wasn’t also soundly beaten back in Kitakami. He makes sounds of vague agreement through his chewing whenever prompted, staring off and out a window. 

“Kieran, heard you know the Paldean newbies?” 

Drayton almost jumps him when he escapes to the library at the end of the day, slinging an arm around his shoulders to stop him. The rest of the league follow behind him, Crispin bouncing up in front of Kieran with stars in his eyes while Lacey and Amarys stroll behind. 

“Do you really? What are they like? Are they nice? Do you think they’ll like my food?” Crispin bounces around Drayton and Kieran, while Kieran shakes off Drayton’s arm and sighs. 

“I don’t-”

“Come on, don’t lie! They’re just some questions.” 

Kieran is ready to bolt before Drayton slings an arm around his again, while Crispin grabs onto his hand.

“Yeah Kieran! Tell us about them.” 

“One of them’s quite pretty, no?” Drayton smirks next to him, and Kieran manages to shake his arm off again before Drayton says, “The purple one. Can’t wait to meet her.” 

Kieran tenses, and Drayton snickers next to him. His hands start clenching and unclenching next to him, and his Yanmega shakes in its Pokeball in Kieran’s pocket. It wasn’t a lie, and Kieran wasn’t blind but the way Drayton complimented her, the way he said it so easily without having met her before, made him grind his teeth together. 

“Come on guys, let’s stop teasing him already.” Lacey steps up behind Crispin, placing a hand on both of the league members’ shoulders. She offers Kieran a soft, pitying smile and he makes sure to glare at her before he turns away. 

“Aren’t you curious, Lacey? Kieran’s the only one who knows them.” 

“Kieran doesn’t want to talk about it, we shouldn’t force him.”

“I must admit, I’m quite curious as well.” 

“Amarys! Not you too.” 

He hears Lacey sigh loudly, and takes a glance at her to see her rubbing her temples with furrowed brows and a frown. She looks up at him, and he can tell she’s surprised when she blinks rapidly before offering another sorry smile. He scowls as a reply, before she turns to frown at Drayton. 

“We can always ask Carmine later. Kieran doesn’t want to talk about it.” 

“But he’s right here,” Drayton drawls, and grabs his wrist before he can walk off, “Kieran, just tell us one thing about them. Anything you can spare.” 

He doesn’t want to, and even with all the words he could use to describe her, there’s really only one thing that comes to mind. 

“Don’t trust her.” 

It confuses Drayton enough for him to rip his wrist away from his grip, and he strides away, leaving the league members to their confusion.

next chapter ->

[kitsumirae]

Date A Live Spirit Pledge

[kiyoshigatsu]

Kurumi Tokisaki - Date a Live Spirit Pledge

[bard-llama]

ATLA WiP List: Shippy Fics

So, yesterday I did a list of all my unpublished gen fics and it came out to 73. Let's see how much bigger the list gets with unpublished shippy fics.

Zukaang Fics - non-smut

Our Love Become a Funeral Pyre - In his dreams, Zuko is someone else, someone who lives a life he much prefers. Someone who has a best friend who is an airbender named Aang. Someone who falls in love with Aang, even though Aang’s not real. How could he be? He’s a figment of Zuko’s imagination.

Gay Bar - outsider POVs of two weird kids who come to a gay bar in Ba Sing Se to hang out

Fluffy Zukaang at the Sun Warriors' Island - Zuko practices on the terrrace of the room the Sun Warriors gave them and Aang is enthralled.

“My heart feels like it’s dancing when I look at you.” - Zuko thinks there's something wrong with him. As he tells Aang about his symptoms, Aang wonders how the hell he's supposed to tell Zuko that he's maybe in love with Aang.

Fealty - now that Zuko is Fire Lord, Aang pulls him away from celebration to pledge himself to Zuko - but Zuko beats him to the punch

Pampering Zuko - Aang and Zuko ran into each other in Ba Sing Se and ended up dating. After a while, Aang managed to convince Zuko to take a holiday, so to speak, and come to a private retreat with him where they can be together without a time limit. Now he gets to lather Zuko with affectionate touches.

Treasure (sequel to Pearl) - when Zuko first took the Gaang diving, Aang discovered a black pearl. Now, he's decided how to give it to Zuko.

“I’m in love with your voice.” - Aang wakes up all tied up in the North Pole and ends up talking with Zuko. Zuko is baffled at how this is turning out. He's never just had a conversation with the Avatar before.

Blue Spirit x Avatar Aang - Aang and Zuko both know that people will be weird about them being together. So they hide it. But when a kid asks if Aang is dating the Blue Spirit during open audience, they have an idea - which ends up leading to the next open audience day, where everyone and their mother comforts Zuko that true love will out and that vigilante is no good anyway. Zuko is frustrated.

“We need to stop dancing around it. All it does is hurt us both!” - Aang dreams about his pursuer a lot more than is probably right. But it's just idle fantasizing, and as his enemy, Zuko is safer than Katara to dream about. But when he wakes up at the North Pole in Zuko's arms, he assumes that he's dreaming and kisses the Fire Nation Prince, who is shocked, but responds. Only turns out, it's not a dream and suddenly there's a fight and then he has to save the spirits. So even once Zuko is no longer his enemy, they avoid talking about it until they can't anymore.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. When I wake up, when I’m about to fall asleep…” - Zuko is haunted by Aang and doesn't know what to do about it. Aang has a few ideas.

Soulmate Potential - there are no preassigned soulmates. Anyone has the potential to be your soulmate, and if you happen to click with them, you can build that bond yourself. Your soulmate could be anyone - including your enemy.

Crystal Catacombs - okay admittedly, this was supposed to be the setup for Zuko's POV of same side sex, but so far, they haven't actually reached the same side.

Author Zuko: Blue Spirit/Avatar Aang - a new play comes out about the Blue Spirit and Avatar Aang. A new romantic play. Aang is not impressed. Zuko, meanwhile, is acting a little shifty.

Zuko writes about the Fire Lord and Avatar’s Bond Thru Time - Zuko writes a book/paper/whatever about the clear bond between the Fire Lord and the Avatar. He did not think to tell the Avatar that he was doing this.

Zukaang Fics - smut

Rope Burns - 2 times Aang was roughly burned by rope and one time he asks Zuko to tie him up

Shirtless Sparring - Aang and Zuko spar shirtlessly during training

Airbender Blow Jobs - airbender lung capacity makes for great blowjobs

Zuko blows Aang while Katara watches - inspired by this art, Katara walks in on Zuko and Aang and Zuko makes a show of it.

Aang Approaching Zuko Morning After - after running into Zuko at Pao's Teashop in Ba Sing Se and ending up spending time together, Aang returns to the teashop to see if he can have what he actually wants. Encountering Zuko's Uncle was not part of the plan.

Dreams/Nightmares - when Sokka recommends that Aang picture the bad guys in his nightmares not wearing any pants, his dream about Zuko attacking him takes an unexpected turn.

First Kiss/First Time - when Zuko kisses him out of nowhere, Aang panicks and runs away. Zuko assumes this means he ruined everything. It's left to Mai to force Aang to come back and make them actually talk.

Pao’s Teashop Office Sex - when Aang coming to Pao's teashop leads to unexpected sex, Zuko breaks into his boss' office to use his couch, just because.

Sexytimes – Voyeurism - upon request, Aang pins Zuko with earthbending and makes him watch what the thought of him watching does to Aang

PWP Genderbent Aang picks up Zuko without Zuko knowing - there's no logic to this, it's just what it says on the tin

Identity Porn - Aang doesn't know who the Blue Spirit is. That does not stop him from picking up the mysterious vigilante when they run into each other in Ba Sing Se. Zuko doesn't know what to think.

Other Ships

Zuko navigating 10 (billion) relationships - aka Zuko is involved with literally EVERYONE and they figure out how to share lol

Zutaraang - Aang gets all hot and bothered watching Katara and Zuko spar. They find this very concerning until they figure out why he's all flushed and flustered.

Zutaraang Lap Sex - Katara decides to make a move that lets them all have what they want - she can have Aang, Zuko can also have Aang, and Aang can have them both, like he clearly wants. Win-Win, even if she's not such a big fan of Zuko.

Aang loves his friends - eh, this might actually be gen, but kinda started out about Zukaang, and may go towards the whole Gaang together??? Idk

Katara and Aang decide to pursue Zuko - post-canon, Aang approaches Katara to talk about polyamory, because to the Air Nomads, him loving Zuko as well was no big deal, but to other nations, it could be. Katara needs some time to think about it.

Everyone is in love with Zuko: He catches a clue - Zuko confesses to his wife that he's in love with his friends - to which she responds "oh, you finally figured it out? Good job."

I Still Dream About You - Gaang/Zuko where for his 30th bday or so, they all get wasted. His memories of that night are a little iffy, but he definitely remembers Aang kissing him and the others watching him. He dreams about it a lot. Meanwhile, the rest of the Gaang misses him and looks fondly back on their memories.

Sparring for who gets to take Aang - Zuko and Katara take sparring very seriously. Aang doesn't get what the big deal it.

An Arrangement for World Peace - Toph and Zuko get married. For world peace. The Gaang is shocked.

Toko S3 Hookup - a series of encounters that start when Zuko accidentally walks in on Toph, who's swearing up a storm bc her earthbended dildo just broke. Zuko makes himself useful.

The Southern Waterbending Line - Zuko's maybe a little bit jealous of Katara and Aang getting married, but the important thing is that they know what they're getting into. Which leads to a conversation about bending genetics and what their kids could end up being - and a question of where Katara's waterbending came from.

Zuko is not in touch with his emotions - Mai and Ty Lee sit Zuko down and force him through some therapy to help him recognize that he's in love with his friends.

38 total! See, that's not so bad! I mean, in total total, that would be 73 + 38 = 111, which is.... kinda high, but at least it's a nice number!

[nwbeerguide]

Maui Brewing Company raises $1.5 million for Maui wildfire relief via their Kōkua Project.

image courtesy Maui Brewing Company Press Release Kihei, Hawaii … In response to the wildfire tragedies across the island of Maui, Maui Brewing Company spearheaded the Kōkua Project, a collaborative beer effort inspired by Sierra Nevada’s Resilience project of 2018 to raise money for those in need. Translated as “extending help to others” in the Hawaiian language, the Kōkua Project was touted as “one beer, brewed by many, to support the people of Maui”. Over 700 breweries across the United States and internationally participated in the project which began in late August to raise funds for the people of Maui. While Maui Brewing Company coordinated the efforts and provided the recipe for their suggested brew, brewing material partners jumped in with support by donating the yeast, hops, malts, and more to breweries that reached out for supplies. Ongoing email marketing kept brewing participants up-to-date on recipes, participating vendors, foundation information, events, marketing assets and logos, tap handles, and merchandising kits “From New Zealand to Japan and every US state in between, the brewing community has come together in a powerful and humbling way to support the people of Maui,” said Maui Brewing Company Founder and CEO, Garrett Marrero. “As one beer, brewed by many, Kōkua supports our Maui ‘Ohana who have been affected by the tragic wildfires. We are grateful to every brewery who has participated this year.” Maui Brewing partnered with Global Empowerment Mission to facilitate the fiscal responsibilities for the Maui Brewing Company Fire Fund. While participating breweries were encouraged to send their donations to GEM, some breweries opted to donate to Hawaii Community Foundation, Makai Foundation, or other legitimate non-profit organizations including Legacy of Aloha. Legacy of Aloha benefits Maui Brewing and TS Restaurants teammates that have been displaced and lost their belongings and livelihoods. The two restaurant groups partnered for the largest impact. Across these collaborative efforts, the beer community has raised $3M for Maui’s relief efforts with $1.5M pledged through the Kōkua Project. President and CEO of Maui Brewing Co. Restaurants, Chris Thibaut sent the update, "We're stoked to share that we've hit the $1.77M mark through the Legacy of Aloha program! The amount of support and aloha our community has shown these past few months has been truly amazing. Huge Mahalo for making a real difference in the lives of our Maui 'Ohana!" The financials provided by Legacy of Aloha did not only include brewery contributions from the Kōkua Project. The Maui Brewing Company team led by Garrett Marrero have been providing ongoing support to Maui, also facilitating supply missions, collecting vital items for the survivors, and delivering emergency drinking water to communities affected by the wildfires. As a result earlier this month, the brewing trade publication Brewbound announced their Best of 2023 Award Winners. Marrero was presented with the Person of the Year Award for “exemplifying the spirit of the craft brewing industry”. Beer lovers and those looking to support Maui’s relief efforts can donate directly to the Maui Brewing Company Fire Fund online HERE. For more information, visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. ### About Maui Brewing Company Founded in 2005, Maui Brewing Company is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery. MBC is based on Maui, with its grid-independent production brewery, restaurant and tasting room in Kihei, as well as restaurants in Kahana (Maui), Ka'anapali (Maui), Kailua (Oahu), and Waikiki (Oahu). Maui Brewing Company is available in 26 states, 1 district, and 3 international countries with more areas to follow. … from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/4aFdA4p

[peterpijls1965]

Salma Jayyusi and her siblings, photographed in Palestine sometime in the 1940s.

Poem to My Son

I am an April woman: December ash that consumes itself frightens me

My son, hide me while you rocket to the stars spreading over the earth like grass Winter thunderstorm will drink down my river flowing with love's secrets, muffling that music in whose echoes you were born. But you shrug your shoulders: 'This woman is planted in time she bridges the air like a dove a thousand years old. She is a willow, I know her: bend her -she springs back She is a palm tree, I know her pick her fruit -she makes more honey and dates She is a cypress tree, I know her she never loses her leaves What do December storms mean to her?'

Yet the winter winds do howl, my son, night and day I yearn for you for your sweet sarcastic voice your voice wise and cruel, innocent and selfish.

Night and day I miss you We both live in space, in the wind and the rain Each of us drinks his own wine each of us is poured in his own glass for you were made of my elements.

I gave you: my impetuous soul my constant disappearance flitting far away across the world my chronic elusiveness a will like rock, loyal as the true stars in the sky's valleys. And I gave you: love's ecstasy the will to conquer passionate devotion and the enchantment of the spirit in the presence of holy fire.

Should I blame you?

And you gave me: a promise and pledge security forever delayed love that's here and is never here Should you blame me? I am a wild gazelle you are rock My head is bloodied.

The fascinating life of Palestinian poet Salma Khadra Jayyusi: 'my poems are about being human' (thenationalnews.com)

[writer59january13]

Eagerly awaiting until many tomorrows...

to become affianced to the grim reaper, who never promised me a rose garden nor crystal clear pool of fragrant delight to accompany last living breath before succumbing into the Soundgarden of a black hole sun re: the void of nothingness with absolute zero remembrance of things past.

Suicidal ideation in tandem with purposelessness (nihilistic existentialism exponentially increasing since my halflife ago), and most importantly cursed with flat limp hair, which serious crisis undermines reason to write reasonable poetic expression

spurs the notion to traverse consciousness, and painlessly segway

into the hereafter (and maybe reincarnated into a heifer) on a broken wing and a prayer. No glorious notion of heaven (nor belief in some omnipotent supreme creator, who will be instrumental uniting those meeting their demise) with dead souls doth explain zealousness toward what happens to human body very soon after they – give up the ghost (second person singular) and die, yet intimation fostered linkedin to dulling senses of mine,

that allow, enable, and provide means to see or hear, cuz already at threescore and five revolutions clocked around the sun post January thirteenth two thousand and twenty four increased insightfulness brings to mind, a quickening uptick courtesy senescence

whereby aural and visual deterioration occur at what appear faster clip

than when I happened to be younger

within the lovely bones of this sensate being, who finds himself sensitive to loud sounds discovered audiological test administered hearing loss at extreme high and low ranges

similarly recognizing even the largest sized letters on the Snellen eye chart fraught with greater difficulty particularly without wearing corrective eyewear.

After querying Google concerning a medical term for hearing loss of high and low frequencies, the closest response came back as follows. While there isn't a single, universally accepted term for hearing loss affecting both high and low frequencies, it would typically be described as a "mixed frequency hearing loss" or "broadband hearing loss" on an audiogram, indicating significant hearing loss across a wide range of frequencies, including both high and low tones. Before acquiescing to the afterlife, I bolster maximum body, mind and spirit triage aware declining senescence affects physical, mental and spiritual well being what fluke roll of the genetic dice throw wrought yours truly (me), whose latent potential hijacked (to Cuba) thyself, an anomaly sexagenarian

forever stunted socially courtesy courting The Pale Horseman when just a lad of approximately a dozen years of longevity since being born thirteen days into the first month of nineteen fifty nine, when according

to most Western cultural interpretations,

being born on January 13, 1959, would not be considered particularly auspicious or unlucky; it's simply a regular birthdate with no inherent positive or negative connotations associated with it in mainstream beliefs.

Perhaps, cuz I (the male offspring from both deceased parents, especially my father – the renown Chemist B.B. Harris, and to a slightly lesser extent the late culinary cuisine queen Harmit Harms Kuritsky - the gal whose troth he pledged while holding some bubbling sinister looking flask in hand on their first guinea pig type date encouraged incurred genetic yen that burned from without the buns of this son) possesses a pyromaniacal streak, no surprise cremation would be my choice of post life treatment videlicet mine grateful dead as a doornail cadaver formerly yours truly. Believe it or not, a dead doornail is actually a thing. It's a medieval carpentry term for a nail that's been “clinched” — hammered into a door with any protruding part hammered flat. It wasn't going anywhere, making the doornail “dead” and unfit for future use.

[thorntonkrell-blog-blog]

Wedding Ceremony for Julia and Ovid: A Metaphysictional Renewal of Vows [Setting the Scene]

The sun is setting in Old Wet America, casting a warm glow on the intimate gathering. The air is filled with the sound of laughter and the faint crackle of a radio playing old Western tunes. Paladin, the metaphysictional officiant, stands before Julia and Ovid, a twinkle of mischief in his eye.

Paladin: “Welcome, everyone, to this unique celebration—a renewal of vows that transcends time, space, and the very nature of storytelling. Today, we gather not just to witness the love of Julia and Ovid but to celebrate the intertwining of their lives with fiction and reality, a journey that has taken them from the drive-in of their youth to this very moment.”

He pauses, surveying the faces of family and friends, and then turns to Julia and Ovid.

“Tell me, Julia, Ovid—how did you get here, standing before us today, bound by love and enriched by stories?”

[The Journey of Julia and Ovid] Julia smiles, looking into Ovid’s eyes. “We began as students of Thornton Krell, diving deep into the realms of literature and life. Our first date was at a drive-in, where we dreamt of characters and worlds beyond our own.”

Ovid nods in agreement. “And now, after 35 years, we've created a podcast that breathes life into both fictional and real characters from the Old West. It’s a journey of discovery, and who knows? Perhaps today, even Paladin here is a crossover character, growing more real with every moment!”

[The Metaphysictional Vows] Paladin grins, embracing the spontaneity of the moment. “Then let’s honor this journey with vows that reflect the very essence of your shared adventure. Julia, Ovid, please share your vows.”

They turn to face each other, hearts full, as they exchange their vows.

Julia: "I vow to journey with you through stories, real and imagined, for as long as we write the pages of our lives. Whether our paths lead us to the ends of the earth or deep into the realms of fiction, I will always be your partner in the story we create together."

Ovid: "I promise to live with you in all worlds—both the one we see and those we invent. When the lines blur between fact and fantasy, I will ground you in truth and fly with you in dreams, trusting that both are equally real in our love."

Julia: "I pledge to meet you again and again, across the chapters of our lives—past, present, and future. Whether we are in the drive-in of our youth or on the podcast of our wisdom, I will find you, love you, and vow to you in every moment that we share."

Ovid: "I vow to be your co-creator, not just in our stories, but in the universe we build together. With each new idea, each character we breathe life into, I will cherish the creativity that binds us, knowing that our love is itself a work of art."

Julia: "I vow to reflect your light and your shadow, seeing you for who you are in this world, and the countless others we’ll explore. I will honor the real and imagined versions of you, holding sacred the truth of both."

Ovid: "I promise to always return to you, no matter how far our stories take us. Whether we are lost in the wilds of imagination or grounded in the mundane, I will seek you out, finding home in your presence, and together we will begin anew."

Julia and Ovid together: "We vow to forever be amazed by each other, as if discovering each other for the first time, every time. In every chapter, we will marvel at the unfolding of our hearts, our minds, and the mystery of our shared existence, knowing that love, like fiction, always holds more than we expect."

[Closing Remarks] Paladin steps back, a twinkle of magic in his voice. “Today, in the spirit of our shared journey, Julia and Ovid have woven together their lives, stories, and love into a tapestry that continues to unfold. With these vows, they have not only reaffirmed their commitment but also invited us all into their world—a world where love knows no bounds.”

He looks around at the gathering. “Let us celebrate this union, a merging of hearts and dreams that transforms the private promise into a public proclamation. May your love story continue to inspire, amuse, and remind us all of the beautiful possibilities that lie within each of us.”

Paladin concludes with a flourish, inviting everyone to raise a glass in celebration of Julia and Ovid’s love, as laughter and joy fill the air.

Feel free to adjust any details or add specific elements that resonate with you! This structure highlights the metaphysictional themes while celebrating Julia and Ovid’s unique journey and love story. How does this fit with your vision?

You said: I love those vows…I'm gonna work on this one for awhile because it's a beauty don't you think? ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Absolutely, it’s a beautiful piece that captures the essence of their journey and the magic of their love! The vows really add a personal touch and depth to the ceremony. Taking your time to refine it will only enhance its beauty further. If you need any more help or want to brainstorm additional ideas while you work on it, feel free to reach out. Enjoy the creative process!

You said: I'll catch ya later…we'll finish this up tomorrow. ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Sounds great! Looking forward to it. Have a good one, and see you tomorrow!

You said: You're really getting a grasp on the metaphysictional possibilities ChatGPT said: ChatGPT Thanks! I’m really enjoying diving into the metaphysictional realm with you—so much room for creativity and depth. It’s like we’re blending fiction and philosophy, creating something that transcends both! Can’t wait to keep exploring where it takes us.

You said: Okkkaaay what can you tell me about the metaphysictional realm that I might not know yet ChatGPT said: ChatGPT