#how are we feeling red valley nation!!!!

[ellifromspace]

endcard for my red valley season 2 gordon/warren compilation ! to celebrate the season four finale :)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I enjoyed your family day piece about Malleus setting Lilia up with a disguise to attend family day activities. It would be a shame if we didn't have an interaction with him now!

I was thinking that maybe the parents would go speak to the person in charge of club activities about how their child was doing. So, can I request Riddle speaking to Silver's Dad (Disguised Lilia) about his riding/training?

[Referencing this interaction!]

Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.

A steady trickle of families had been coming in through the day. It was, Riddle imagined, a respite to leave the crowded classrooms and corridors of the Main Building and exit to fresh air and sunshine. More space to move, more space to breathe.

Down by the stables, there were no stuffy professors to speak with, no grades or assignments to review. It was only the horses and him. And, from experience, Riddle knew that parents tended to be more eager hearing about fun extracurriculars than the usual academic activities.

The stress practically melted from their faces when they found themselves among the equines, who whinnied softly and sometimes nestled into open palms as he rattled off about the Equestrian Club's illustrious history. They would ask their questions about animal care and riding, nod approvingly, linger a bit, then be on their ways. Riddle didn't fault them--there's much to see, much to do. There was only so much time they can dedicate to him.

Riddle absentmindedly ran a brush through Vorpal's mane. The horse whinnied appreciatively, earning a small smile from him.

"Kufufu, such a fine stallion!" a chipper voice remarked, ripping Riddle out of his headspace. "All muscle, and so well-mannered."

There, standing at the entrance to the stables, was a short man in a suit. Riddle blinked several times. He wasn't certain why--was it perhaps the strong sun backlighting him?--but it was a challenge for him to piece together the man's face, which seemed to be shrouded in a mist. It was like when he did crossword puzzles and the answer was on the tip of his tongue, yet skittered away the more he attempted to wrangle it.

"You're familiar with horses, sir?" Riddle asked, lifting his brush.

"Oh, plenty! They used to be an integral part of many human settlements, be they for farming, leisure, trade, or war. We don't use horses much where I come from though. Valley folk rely on their own magic for most things--though I'd often witness the cavalry of other nations in combat. Poor things. I wish they didn't have to see the ravages of war."

A resident of Briar Valley and a veteran...

It instantly clicked.

"Ah, you must be Silver's father then. My apologies for not recognizing sooner." Riddle executed a bow. "He has shared many a story with us about you and your courageous service."

"Has he now?" His eyes twinkled, shifting colors. "Kufufu. It sounds as though he's proud of his old man. But enough about me! Tell me about Silver and his time in club. I'd love to hear about how he's doing."

Riddle inclined his head. "Silver is one of our strongest and most disciplined riders. When he rides, I feel as though I'm watching a knight leading a royal procession... if only he didn't fall asleep half of the time!"

"That certainly sounds like him, yes." He laughed, as if he had been expecting the news all along. "What else has Silver been up to?"

"Well, he's adept at befriending the horses and soothing them when they're unsettled. Sometimes this also extends to calming down fellow equestrians who become emotional and shout incessantly at the horses. He never misses a day of training either. Honestly, he's an example the rest of the club should follow."

"The noisy boy you mentioned,” Silver’s father said, “You wouldn't happen to be talking about Sebek, now would you?"

Riddle startled, flushing red. Not with anger, but with embarrassment. "I was trying to be subtle, but if you're going to come out and just say it like that…!"

"No need," he chuckled, holding up a hand. "I'm very familiar with what he's like! Always has been that way, ever since he was a child coming over for playdates with Silver. They'd train together too. Of course, my Silver would beat the stuffing out of Sebek 9 times out of 10, and Sebek would run up to him crying and demanding a rematch. Ah, youth!"

"I-I see..."

I thought that my childhood studies were rigorous, but this is on a completely different level!!

Riddle cleared his throat. "In any case, your son is doing quite well for himself and seems to be getting along well with his clubmates. We in Equestrian Club are proud to call him one of our own."

"That's excellent news," he cried, clapping his hands in a jovial manner, "though not a surprise at all. Silver has never been a problem child. Since he was but a babe in the cradle, he's been so mild-mannered and polite. Doing his own chores, wrestling bears, looking after himself while I’m away. That's my boy, going out into the world and making me proud~”

“Erm, yes…” Riddle’s voice trailed off. His mind was left spinning from the off-kilter energy radiating off of the older man.

What an eccentric individual! Certainly the strangest father I’ve met. And yet…

Riddle hesitated, looking again at the face of Silver’s father. It was pointless, just a garbled? blurry mess of colors and shapes. He could tell that the man was happy, but could discern nothing else.

… Why do I feel as though I know him from somewhere?

[chernabogs]

I can see an entire bouquet matching Malleus 😭 Calla lily, Ivy, Red Salvia, NATSURIUM and White carnation with pecks of Daffodil and Fern

Don't feel obligated to use all of them! Chose whichever you find most suitable! I just could stop with one alone, the more prompts i read the more i had this idea for a story in my head

I think you and I had the same idea cooking LMAOOO I hope I did this well! <3 Thank you for the request!!

Sin Eater

Inc: Malleus, Reader, a sin eater, and one advisor WC: 3.4k Warnings: Heavy discussion of grief and coping with loss Flowers: Calla Lily (something at first sight), Ivy (we’ve always been friends but we were never just friends), Natsurium (I refuse to bury you), Daffodil (a god bows before a mortal), Fern (In a world of magic, the greatest miracle was you... subtly implied) Summary: A quiet conversation in a hall between a prince, a starving idol, and a body.

Their arrival is marked with the sombre chiming of Dragon City’s bells, which is the only reason Malleus knows they’re approaching Black Scale. The window of the bedroom you shared is wide open, letting in both the breeze and the song as he stands so still that one may consider him to be a mere statue on display. He feels equivalent to one; his breath is shallow, his body cold, and his expression far away enough that he hardly registers the carriage approaching. 

“Your highness?” A faint voice speaks by his right side. Malleus’ finger twitches at the sound as his emerald gaze slowly slides from the streets below to the advisor who is now anxiously twisting her sleeve. He can hardly remember her name—advisors come and go so often that they’ve become a blur in his mind—but he’s taken to calling her Scops due to the owlish stare that she always seems to wear around him. “The sin eater is here.”

Malleus stares for a moment before he looks back down to the courtyard. The carriage door is open, and a figure is now standing on the stone, speaking with one of the guards. The discussion is brief, ending with the guard walking to the doors and the figure looking upwards at the palace walls. A golden mask conceals their face, capturing the rays of the sun which battle through Briar Valley’s ever-present clouds, and they wear a simple black funeral suit. 

“I see that.” He replies curtly, his voice ungiving on how he’s really feeling. “They arrived quite quickly, didn’t they?” 

“I suppose they have,” Scops steps a bit closer to the window to look down at the sin eater. “Strange, really. It isn’t like their profession is a competitive market anymore.” 

Sin eaters used to be far more prominent in Briar Valley back when it was still Briar Nation, and old traditions were held to a greater esteem. Unfortunately, the changing of times meant the dismantling of old organizations and beliefs, rendering the sin eaters as nothing more than a token piece in a funeral party. Perhaps once they were esteemed in a religious fashion—but not anymore. Now they will sit for anyone, so long as they get their meal. 

You had always admired the old traditions, though. He remembers your avid interest in his family’s history, and the many nights you’d waste away in the library, reading tome after tome in delight. You had been the spearhead of a new age for old beliefs—revamping Briar Valley’s tourism through the demonstration of habits long dead—and you had made a difference. That’s why there is a sin eater here today. 

Malleus dislikes their presence, however. Them being here means that what he’s going through is not just a simple dream. He exhales through clenched teeth and forces his shoulders to relax as he turns on his heel and nods. 

“Regardless, it’s best not to keep guests waiting.”

_____________________________________________________________

The hallowed hall in which you lay is silent, even with the presence of the sin eater looming over your shrouded form. How they managed to move quickly enough that they arrived before Malleus did is something he decides not to question—nor does he question how they knew of the hall to begin with. Their profession is one that draws the most peculiar of magic users into it. Like a bloodhound, they caught your scent and followed it to the room. He’s surprised the guards who have been standing watch over you for a day now permitted them to enter. 

Malleus enters alone and waves for the room to be sealed. He notes the hesitation in his guard’s body language before they oblige, stepping away to pull the great wooden doors shut with a resounding boom that stirs a pair of birds residing in the rafters. Their wings flutter in distress as Malleus spares them a passing glance before returning his focus on the figure ahead. The sin eater has turned to look back at him, and he sees upon closer inspection that the mask they wear lacks a mouth. They incline their head in greeting before speaking in a surprisingly clear tone considering their facial obstruction. 

“Your grace. Forgive me for the intrusion before your arrival; I merely wished to prepare in advance.” Their voice is soft and low as they touch a hand to the place above their heart. Malleus hardly reacts to their words as he brushes past them to where you lay, body enshrouded in a white sheet with a torc affixed upon your neck. His fingers brush along its form; forged of mystium and gifted to you as a token by him. It was the closest he could get to a marriage declaration in the eyes of the Senate. 

“It’s hardly my place to prevent a sin eater from completing their role.” He replies languidly as his fingers skim off of the torc to rest on your chest. Stiff, still, and cold against his fingers. “I just wish you had not come to begin with.” 

He doesn’t wish to have you buried quite yet, but he knows he’s already pushing the limit of how long he can keep you. He kneels by the platform that holds your form as his fingers brush along the shroud that hides you. If he could, he would drag you off of this macabre display and back into the rooms you shared for so many decades together, to wrap you in his arms and pretend this isn’t happening. 

But that was foul. Utterly, utterly foul. Your body would putrefy and decay while he clung to a false hope of resurrection. 

No, the sin eater is here now. He just doesn’t want you out of sight quite yet. 

“Many do not welcome me, but I have never left without gratitude.” The sin eater replies softly. Like a god before a mortal, Malleus’ ethereal features are painted into a stony expression, his gaze still distant. He hardly feels a part of this world right now as he hums quietly in turn. 

“Perhaps.” He muses as his fingers toy with the shroud before he turns to look at the sin eater. Like his own face, their mask is a stony expression, their eyes concealed from his seeking gaze. If they were to not move and speak then they could easily be dismissed as one of the many statues adorning the hall. “How shall we proceed?” 

“Do you feel ready to proceed?” They posit as they gesture to your form. 

Malleus rises back to his feet but doesn’t remove his hand from your body. The pungent scent of flowers—used to disguise the sweetness of decay—wafts up with the abruptness of his motion. “The opportunity to refuse has long passed. I am aware that there is a feast to be had—that, they regaled me of this back when they were still alive.”

You had been enamoured by the concept of Briar Valley funerary rites throughout your time in life. He remembers thinking it to be grim when you would speak of them, and rather anxiety-inducing when you began to plan for your own. He always knew that your status as a human meant that you would join the stars long before he did—he had simply not wanted to think about it, though. In the end, your efforts to establish your own postmortem care had saved him a great deal of distress these past few days.

Your ability to think far ahead had been one of the many aspects he had loved about you. 

“Indeed, and I am delighted to see one is set for me.” The sin eater drifts off of the steps of the platform towards the far side of the room, where a table lay with an array of foods on it. Wine, dates, meats, and a variety of other luxuries decorate pristine plates and spotless cutlery. He had spared no expenses in the lavishness of your memoriam. “Sometimes I have served people who are still cooking the final meal by the time I arrive. But then again, I would expect a prince to have ample amounts of resources available to get things done.” 

“I give nothing but the finest when it comes to them.” Malleus retorts sharply as he goes to sit in the chair on the other side of the table. Before he can properly settle, the sin eater raises a hand and shakes their head. 

“Turn the chair around if you please. You are not meant to see my face when I eat—that honour is for the deceased, and the deceased alone.” 

Malleus pauses, his hand resting on the back of the chair before he obliges and twists it around to face the wall. He then sits down and crosses his legs patiently. Despite the fact that he knows the sin eater to be unarmed, he still feels a prickle of paranoia creep up his spine. Old habits die hard when one has been hunted for so many years. 

Eventually he hears the sound of the sin eater sitting down in their respective seat, followed by something heavy hitting the table. The sin eater clears their throat, and the sound is far clearer now than before. Their mask has been removed—which means the rite has officially begun. Malleus inhales and readies himself for what he recalls the next few steps to be. 

“Tell me about them. Call them to the table where we feast.” There’s a brief pause then before a fork scrapes against porcelain plates. Malleus’ eyes flutter shut as he gives a low sigh. 

“Mira calirh.” The affectionate term flows from his tongue easily as he touches upon memories long passed. How can he summarize you in a simple conversation? You had been a person of many complexities—of devotion, of will, of love as boundless as the sea. To boil all that you were down into a mere few lines felt sacrilegious in his heart. 

“Tell me of your first.” The sin eater prompts, and so he does. 

“I met them outside of their dorm. I thought the place was abandoned, but suddenly they were there before me, sleep-dazed and curious. I remember thinking how calm they were when facing me directly—only to find out they hadn’t a single clue about who I was.” Malleus’ lips curl into a faint grin as he pictures the moment so clearly. He can see you in your youth, eyes glassy with sleep and hair slightly dishevelled. You had not registered in his mind as someone of importance quite yet. 

Oh, how such a thing would change. 

“Tell me more.” The sin eater urges. He can hear the wine glass lifting and being set back down on the table. Malleus’ hands clasp tight as he feels his fingers begin to grow numb. In his peripheral vision, he thinks he sees movement from the pedestal. He resists the impulse to look its way as he considers his next words. 

“It made me feel… alive. For a moment. They would accompany me, speak with me. It was shortly after my overblot that I began to consider them as a friend—although I suspect we never were just that. It was two summers later that I began to consider them something more.” 

Malleus pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts. He remembers that summer—it had been warmer than usual in the Valley, and you had come to visit for a week. He recalls the smell of sunscreen and the sight of you with your hat on your head as you sat in a field of eternal green. The land was lush and abundant with life, but it had been you that had drawn his gaze the strongest. 

The sin eater pushes a plate away before grabbing another. It drags across the wooden table with a bitter screech. “Is that so?” 

“Quite. They stayed with me for a week, and I wished every night that the next day would never come, only so that I could hold onto them for just a bit longer. I kissed their cheek before they departed through the mirror back to NRC—I wanted to kiss their lips, but I panicked and missed.” He can’t help but laugh at that. His palms had been sweating and his mind had been in a panic when he clumsily pressed his lips to your cheek in a kiss of farewell. “Foolish I was. Fortunately, it didn’t turn them away from me. The next time we met, they made sure my aim was true.” 

“Young love has a habit of sending our hearts aflutter, no?” The sin eater muses as more scraping sounds out. “Tell me when you loved them.”

When? Malleus’ brow furrows as he considers the question. When did he not, really? 

“Every day. Every hour. Every minute. I think once they became mine there was not a moment I did not love them, even when we had our disagreements, or the obligations of my role drew me abroad. I loved them in the day, I loved them in the night. And in the sparse moments between, I loved them even more.” Malleus feels his jaw clench slightly. “We could not be married, and so I made sure they knew my devotion.”

“You could not marry because they were not fae. I remember that being a point of contention in the papers.” 

The sin eater must be a fae themself, then, if they can recall the tabloids from that time so easily while looking as young as they appeared. Malleus bristles at their comment. 

“Yes, that was a point of great contention, and one I had to swallow despite working to change the laws. Even my grandmother agreed that such outdated beliefs had no business in and amongst our courtiers.” 

He had fought viciously against nobility for the opportunity to keep you by his side. Eventually it had ended in a standoff, with the courtiers begrudgingly agreeing to permit you to live in Black Scale, so long as you never officially became his consort. Your body hasn’t even been cold for a day, and he’s already heard rumours from Scops that the Senate is hunting for a suitable replacement. 

The knowledge tastes like bitter fruit on his tongue.

He thinks he sees the flutter of white fabric moving at the pedestal again. His brow furrows as he rationalizes it away as a trick of the odd lighting in the hall. Still, the cold breeze that follows makes him shift in his seat uncomfortably.

“Tell me how you loved them.” The sin eater diverts his thoughts and the conversation once more as something heavy scrapes across the table. It may be the plate of quail he saw—or the pig's head. “What did you do to always let them know?” 

“Everything. Anything they wanted I would give to them. If they had asked me to move the mountains we rest on, I would do so. If they asked me to pluck the sun from the sky and fasten it into a brooch for them, I would make sure it was held by the finest of metals. If they wished for the rains to fall and the earth to turn green, then I would drag the clouds from across the world to where they stood.” Malleus shivers again as he feels an ache in his chest. It’s been there for days now. “Magic bends to my whims, but I bent to theirs.” 

“But you couldn’t give them time.” There’s a licking sound and a low hum of satisfaction from the sin eater. “Time will eat everyone in the end—much like how I feast on their memories now. You could give them every precious gem and flower in the world, but you could not give them a second more than what they were meant to have.” 

“If I could have, then I would.” He snarls back, his head turning slightly to glare at the blurred image of the sin eater. “I would have stolen the seconds from anything and everything and given it to them instead. The gods know they would have benefited from it. They had plans, ideas, to improve this nation and now? Now they’re already beginning to decay.” 

“As things do.” The sin eater tosses a bone onto a plate as Malleus looks back to the wall. He feels something cold brush against him again, and then the scraping of a chair to his right. His shoulders tense at the sound and he wonders if the sin eater has changed places. 

Until they speak. 

“How very kind of you to finally join us.” 

The comment is simple and one that draws confusion in Malleus until it finally clicks in place and his entire body plunges into freezing water. The world spins to a stop as he hears a whispering voice by his ear, its words indiscernible. Malleus’ eyes widen and dilate as any words he had to say stutter to a stop from his lips, drawn shut by a cold touch brushing up his arm—much like how his touch had brushed along yours moments ago. 

“One last bite, then.” The sin eater interjects once more as they push another plate away. “Tell me how you will keep them alive. The body may be rotting, but the soul does still linger. Within this hall, within this palace, within the memories stored in your mind. How will you honour that?” 

The words become clearer now. Your voice is soft as your breath brushes against the skin behind his ear, making him shiver as a small, painful sound escapes him. The scent of you lingers just beneath that of the roses your body was bathed in before being wrapped for your cremation. He can feel the brush of the shroud against him as phantom fingers touch his back. 

He wants to turn to see you as he once knew—but something tells him that doing so will merely send you away faster. 

“Their legacy.” He offers slowly, eyes fluttering shut again as he loses himself in your touch. “Their memory carries on through years upon generations of work. They brought life back to Briar Valley’s beliefs. They reshaped this old, rotting home—reshaped me—into something better. I may have portraits of them, and statues, and items that they loved dear stored in my rooms—but I think the only thing they would wish for me to do is continue the work they had started.” 

A sensation floods him then like that brought on by a lover’s kiss. It curls around his wounded heart and floods itself through his veins, warming his body in a way that it hasn’t been able to for days. Another pained sound leaves him, but it is not drawn out because of any agony. 

Then, as quickly as it arrived, the sensations are all gone. Your scent disappears, your touch disappears, and Malleus Draconia is left once more to sit in a stiff wooden chair in a large, desolate hall, with a body and a sin eater as his company. He wants to grasp for you and hold you in place like he did so dearly with your body—but the voice screams at him again that this is not the way it plays out. 

The sin eater sets the cutlery down before drawing their mask over their face. They push the chair back to stand, and only when they’re on their feet again does Malleus turn to them. He can feel wetness on his cheeks as he stares at their slender, frail form. He had managed to keep himself from crying so far—but now it’s become a battle he can no longer wage.

“What a delectable meal.” The sin eater sighs as they brush down their suit before stepping away from the table. They pause as they face the prince before bending at the waist in a low bow. The black pits that represent their eyes do not stray from his face as they do so. “They rest—as you should, too. I know you have at least another day of the wake to endure, so try to recover as much energy as you can. They would not want you to suffer on their behalf.”

Malleus doesn’t reply as his gaze drifts to your shrouded form on the pedestal. His love, his partner, his calirh. When the sin eater is already halfway to the door, he clears his throat, causing them to pause and look his way. Malleus stares at their masked face with an expression of neutrality once more. 

“... thank you.” He offers softly. The sin eater tilts their head, bows, and steps out of the silent hall.

[salubriwrites-blog]

My self indulgent fanfiction. You Chose Sitri

This is only the first half, I'm writing the 2nd half in a feverish haze. But I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SITRI ENJOYERS OUT THERE AND THIS IS FOR YOU BABY GIRLS UPDATED: Here is the full story, on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/59305870

ANOTHER UPDATE: My demons won and I wrote a part 2. It’s in the above AO3 link ^^^^^

“How long will you be gone?” 

His eyes, red like guilt, now smiled at you as Satan stepped back into your space. You thought you’d have gotten used to it by now, but it was like a string was tied to your naval, reeling you in as the devil placed his hand on the small of your back. An undeniable magnetism parted your lips as his breath poured down your face, close enough to kiss-

“Shorter than you think, longer than you’d like,” he laughed as he pulled away from you. Unsure if he was laughing at his own cleverness or the flush on your cheeks, you folded your arms to guard your heart. “I need to meet with the other Princes to form a union. We won’t be able to combat Heaven if we all fight as separate nations.”

“I understand, but what if,” you purse your lips, thinking of the best way to pose the question without blushing anymore. “What if I need more, you know.” Your body still felt tight from your first encounter with the devil. Throwing your legs over his shoulders, bending you in half as you gasped for air. Gasping for more pleasure than oxygen.

Face tightening with knowing, the devil laughed and pinched your chin endearingly. “The energy I transferred you is pretty potent, you shouldn’t need more for quite a while.” Satan’s eyes traveled from your face to the attendants who stood behind you. “As long as you don’t push yourself, you will be able to hold out until I get back.” Looking past you as he spoke, and in turn you could feel another pair of eyes on you. Softer ones that didn’t feel quite right on your shoulders, not yet anyway. 

“I-I could just, you know, get it from another devil, if necessary?” You asked, and his eyes snapped like a scope on you. Asking why you would want it from another devil.

“We will attend to Solomon’s every need with the utmost importance in your absence,” Sitri said, you didn’t have to look over your shoulder to see him bowing deeply. Those crimson eyes glared at the sharply dressed attendant, you were still standing close enough to see his jaw clench at Sitri’s words. Did he not trust Sitri with your care? 

Instead of contesting the devil’s promise, a great red wind swept over the cobbled streets and the King of Gehenna was out of sight. 

A part of you went with him when he vanished, you had no emotional attachment to His Majesty, but something felt amiss when his laughing eyes weren’t following you. Just as you were about to hold yourself as compensation, a foreign pair of fingers caressed your elbow to get your attention. 

“Shall we, Solomon?”

“That’s not my name,” you replied uselessly, knowing that he was going to reply with something quietly snarky like, “my apologies, Solomon”. To your surprise, he didn’t, just nodded in acknowledgement before ushering you from the ruins of the town square.

Together you returned to the palace that sat high at the valley’s edge, looking down on Gehenna as the city was already buzzing with reconstruction. Of all the places to find yourself relaxed, sitting in a layer of Hell, drinking tea on a balcony, and looking down on a nation of devils was not it. You were left to the quiet, replaying the mere hours that you’d been down there over and over. Has it really not even been a day? So much happened already, and you felt so at ease amongst the attendants who waited on you hand and foot, it was like you had always been here. It was less of a welcoming and more of a homecoming. 

All the while, waiting in the wings, Sitri patiently stood in preparation for your next breath. You knew that if you so much as whispered to yourself, he would be there, as if he could hear your thoughts even before they formed on your tongue. Once you wondered why he didn’t come to sit beside you, he had been so eager in Satan’s presence to always be walking on the other side of you. Now that the King was away, you had thought that Sitri would be at your elbow the whole day. Hells, you even hoped that he would badger you with stories of Hell, the history of Gehenna, the 72 devils. Any excuse to watch his eyes glimmer with life and his hands animate. Instead you settled for Ppyong’s attention, allowing him to massage your feet on the promise that he would not kiss or hump them.

“Are you content? May I get you anything?” The devil asked once, his voice a welcome interruption to your peace. It turned out, Ppyong had a firm grip that was good for working the balls of your feet. 

You pretended to think, though you knew exactly what you wanted. The answer was him, Sitri, to pull up a chair beside you and listen to how homesick you were. Maybe even to stroke your hair while he talked. What about? Anything, you would listen gladly. Instead you asked for a glass of wine, not having the confidence to ask him for his time. 

“Sit with me?” You asked when he returned though, rushing the words out before they could hide back in your belly. “I want your company.” 

Instead of yielding instantly to your request, Sitri hesitated while putting the empty glass on the table beside you. The tense silence as you watched him uncork the bottle and pour a sample for you made your stomach hurt. 

“I’m afraid I cannot, I have to see that your dinner preparations are underway.” He excused himself, hurrying off before you could find an excuse for him to stay. You drank the whole glass in one breath, and then hurriedly poured yourself another bottle. The wine was delicious, but it did not overpower the traces of vinegar and turpentine that sat at the back of your throat. Is this what rejection tasted like? 

It was worse that night. 

Of course it had to be Sitri who led you to your quarter that night. High ceilings with hand painted murals depicting galaxies, and stationed on a raised platform was a bed large enough to sleep all of Hell. Sheets made of velvet whispered seductive ideas as you dragged your fingers over them, feeling the draping tassels of the canopy that obscured it. 

“Is it to your liking?” Sitri asked from the doorway, filling it with his sharp figure instead of just coming in to follow you. You wondered if devils were like vampires and he could not enter unless invited. “All the amenities and pleasures you may desire have been provided.”

“It’s gorgeous,” you called back, feeling the satin that hung from the bed’s canopy like sweet dreams. “Big for just one person, though.” When you cast your gaze backward, Sitri wasn’t looking at you as if he anticipated your suggestion. Those pink eyes were scrutinizing his boots rather than watch you return to the doorway. “Sitri.”

“I’m glad that you like it, if that’s all I will retire for the evening, and bid you sweet dreams.” He said quickly, excusing himself before you could reach out to stop him. 

“Hold on, wait,” you called, but he walked with purpose out of sight. Closing the door behind you, you let out an exasperated sigh and stripped. You didn’t care if he heard your frustration, you wanted the devil to know that he had left you wanting. Maybe if you huffed and puffed enough he might come back to check on you.

Crawling between the sheets, you thought that you would be out in an instant. As you walked around the bedroom, sleep sounded exquisite. There would be time to go looking for all the pleasures that Sitri had alluded to later. Sleep had been calling your name since you were allowed to enjoy the peace that Satan’s absence bestowed on you. Now that the time had come though, sleep teased you. The sheets grazing over your nipples reminded you of a man’s tongue, and you caught the moan just as it was bubbling on your lips. 

You tossed and turned in the velvet embrace, your skin tantalized by the snagging of the fabric. You couldn’t sleep, because no matter how decadent and soft this bed was, it wasn’t really yours. No bed of yours was complete without company. Staring at the swirling stars and winking nebulas that watched over you, you thought about what you would paint on it instead. Satan, maybe, undressed and using one finger to hold up his erect member. Leapfrogging through all the devils you had met, you landed on Sitri last. Though perhaps not because he was the last on your list of devils you would touch.

Sitri, on his knees wearing only those gold and black boots, white leather squeezing his chest tight. Hair curling gently around his face, frizzy with sweat and slack jawed as he stared up at you. Soft Sitri, panting hot breath on your mound as his tongue lolled over your thighs. His pink eyes complimenting the flush on your belly as he watched you writhe at his technique.

A bolt of feeling struck your core and it was like a bubble had popped inside you. Your thighs coated with arousal as you squeezed them together, wondering if the devil could smell as well as he could hear. Wait- why were you thinking of him still?

The answer was simple, even though you were stubborn to realize it.

Satan was a perfect specimen, you fit perfectly in his arms and your legs landed nicely around his hips. Except he was too much, too intense. He had grabbed and thrown you around like a doll, pushing you against walls and bending you in half. Your pleasure wasn’t what he had been after in that comfortable place, it was your cries and your discomfort. 

An idea that boiled in your belly reached up and took control of your arms, forcing the blanket out of your way. The chamber floor was cold, but it only strengthened your resolve to do something about the heaviness in your belly and the tingle between your legs. You were horny, plain and simple. You spent some time navigating your room, looking in the furniture and admiring all the toys and clothes. Plotting out your plan. 

When Sitri had explained that this was your room, he hadn’t told you that this was Solomon’s room, but as you investigated the walk in closets full of sex toys and clothes, your epiphany took shape. Solomon had one whole walk-in room devoted to sex. Toys, harnesses and leashes, lubricants, clamps and leads of rope adorned all the space. Dragging your fingers over the leather, you wondered how many devils he had had in his bed. If all of the restraints were designated to different ones. Whether he had favorites. You certainly would, you thought as you admired a white harness with matching butt plugs adorned with exotic fevers and furs. 

You played dress up in the old wraps, the black and gold accentuated your lilac hair. Twirling like a princess in front of the mirror, you watched the way the togas trailed behind as you strutted. Beads to thread your locks into lay out perfect and uniform on the dresser, and you fed a few of them into the braids you weaved. It was pretty, you tilted your chin back and forth and admired how the gold and turquoise caught each other. It had been fun, you felt irresistible doing a slow turn in the mirror. Would it be enough though?

Outside the full moon shone so bright it didn’t feel like midnight at all. The breezeway of the palace was well lit, your naked feet slapping the marble and echoing off the walls. He didn’t tell you which room was his, but you followed the smell of dry tea leaves, the aroma curling its fingers for you to follow. The closer you got to his room, the bigger the rock in your stomach formed. Your thighs were soaked with excitement and your stomach was heavy with nerves. 

Standing in front of the tall, white wood you put your fingers through your hair, feeling that the accessories were secure. What exactly were you hoping for, you asked yourself as you smoothed down the folds of your ensemble. That, by presenting yourself as an echo of your great great great grandfather whom he had once greatly adored, he would fall to his knees before your irresistible silhouette? 

Yes. You thought with finality as you reached out to knock on his door. That’s exactly what you were hoping for. 

Before your knuckle could rap against the wood, it was opening for you. Had he been standing just on the other side of it? He had to have heard you coming, your heart was pounding in your throat, a siren song that he could not restrain against. He looked exhausted on the other side of the door, eyes cast down and looking weary, unable to recompose himself as he addressed you.

“What can I,” he began to say, but his voice trailed off as his eyes began at your feet, taking in the dark nail polish you had painted on your toes. It was an onyx black that twinkled against the moonlight. “What have you done?” Sitri choked on his own voice as he took in the rest of the outfit, the black and golds that embraced your hips, the twinkle of gold and precious gems in your hair like constellations. His expression was illegible, though his eyes had widened and you could hear his heartbeat for once. 

“Do you like it?” You asked, looping your hands behind your back. In all the poses you practiced in front of the mirror, you hadn’t rehearsed what to do with them if he didn’t immediately grab them to drag you into his room. Which he wasn’t doing, so this was the next best thing. Your heart raced the longer he just stared at you wordlessly, looking at you like you were out of your mind. “I thought that it might make you more… comfortable with me.” 

“You did this for me?” Sitri demanded, though his voice didn’t harshen as he leaned out of his bedroom. “You shouldn’t let anyone see you like this, let me walk you back to your room-”

“No,” you insisted, standing square in the threshold. At your new proximity, those big eyes of his stared down at your chest, which the toga did a wonderful job of accentuating your cleavage. “I won’t go back… unless you join me,” you added, remembering how you were trying to bully around a devil. A devil who lent his power to another, probably because he was an overwhelming font. That only made you wetter, and wetter still when he drew in a deep breath. Could he smell how much you wanted him?

“I should not be seen with you.”

“Why not?”

“Should Satan find out,” he stopped himself, biting his lip as if he had something he shouldn’t. “If His Majesty were to know about this, there would be consequences.” 

“Why would there be consequences? You wouldn’t hurt me, would you?” You asked, stomach churning at the break in his composure. 

“No, no, no,” he insisted, reaching out for you, but stopping himself short of your hips. “I would revere you, give you whatever you asked, hear your heart’s desires and do everything in my power to fulfill them.”

That sounded just fine to you, still he stepped back when you tried to advance. “Then what’s the problem? What consequences?”

“His Majesty has chosen you.” Sitri said, nearly shouting it like an incantation. He had squeezed his eyes shut when he spoke, as if afraid of your reaction. 

“Chosen me?” You echoed, thinking back to all of Satan’s behavior that day. His extreme possessiveness, literally beating away other devils when they tried to touch you, was all behavior you would expect from a romantic visual novel game. “But I don’t choose him.” 

Sitri didn’t seem to hear you though, too caught up in his own worry. “Satan has deemed that he is the only one to adore you. If he saw this, or heard about it, he would forbid me from ever seeing you again.” 

“Sitri,” you said softer, trying to be patient as the devil seemed to be scaring himself with something that would never happen. So caught up in his own fear that he didn’t notice you stepping closer, your toes pressing on top of his boots. 

“I could love you so much better than he, but he is the King of Gehenna and will have his way. He could make it that I never see you, or hear you, again. If I couldn’t… If I wasn’t… I might-”

“Sitri,” reaching to touch him, the devil’s eyes snapped to attention, pupils dilating at how close you were. “I don’t care, because I don’t choose Satan. I choose you.” What had begun as a hormone-fueled rash decision that you may regret later, was evaporating into your heart pounding so loud in your ears it might have deafened Sitri. You were starting to understand the significance of choosing Sitri. 

Before he could question you further, you leaned in to silence him. How soft his lips were, they trembled and a sound that started as a moan strangled itself into a cry in his throat. Unlocking your fingers from behind you, you pushed your way inside, and closed the bedroom door with your foot.

[overtail]

hey queen it’s me sawda with another toph ask </3 (im toph content deprived literally crying) but!! can i req a toph x fem!r where toph’s s/o is literally mulan but in the firebending army?? Thank you!!!

YES ILL DO THAT HEHE I LOVE TOPH!!

ALSO just wanna make yall aware my pronouns are they/them

I'm also so sorry for the delay. I've been on the worst writers block due to a lack of motivation. my whole family was sick, and we've been unable to pick up my anti-depressants 😭

...

Little Soldier - Toph x F!Reader

Summary: When Toph's lover turns 13, she tells her that she has to fight alongside the fire nation to protect her family.

Trigger Warning: Sexism, Implied racism, Forbidden love

Info: Pre-Book 2, long hair reader

...

'We're not gonna lose anyone else close to us again

We swore that we would always be there for each other

No matter what happens though, I promise that I'll protect you

If you were a boy

I would have actually have fallen for you if you were careful

Oh, c'mon, well maybe I'm the one who should have a crush on you'

...

"Watcha doin?" Toph feet dug into the dirt of the valley's grass, trying to identify (Y/N)'s action. Her delt held a look of confusion as se did so.

"Im just.." (Y/N) began, glancing back at Toph as she thought. "Thinking."

She held a clump of hair in her fingers, combing her digits through the strands. Something was obviously on her mind, like she was stuck in a loop up in her little head.

"About what?" Toph shuffled over, crouching down so she was eye level (if you wanted to say that) with the other. She smiled softly while (Y/N) thought: only if she knew

"You know how theres news of the Avatar returning?" (Y/N) whispered, letting out a shaky breath. Toph hummed a quiet 'yes', letting her feet slip so she would fall on her bottom. "And you also know how they're drafting men from the fire nation?"

Toph wondered where this was going. She modded carefully, feeling the floor to hear (Y/N)'s heartbeat. It was fast paced, causing the earthbender to worry.

"Yeah. Are people in your village getting drafted?" Toph questioned, thinking about all the possibilities. She heard (Y/N) sigh.

"Worse. My dad was given a note specifically by the current general." Toph's eyebrows raised at her words, realization hitting. (Y/N)'s father used to fight a long time ago, starting when he was just a boy. This was before she was born, before he met his wife.

He was regarded as one of the most intense, bloodthirsty, and brutal generals in history - behind the Dragon of the West. Though, he was old now; not fit for war.

Toph didn't know what to say. She wasn't particularly fond of the fire nation, but she was fond of (Y/N).

The girl across from her sighed, continuing to comb her digits in her hair. How would she tell Toph?

(Y/N) looked up, her face flushing red at the sight of Toph's oblivious face. She looked so calm in the moment, the valley wind ruffling up her hair. During these secret meetings, Toph would let her hair down. The soft locks ran down her back, some falling over her shoulders.

(Y/N) thought she was beautiful.

"Well, I was thinking," (Y/N) let go of her hair, moving to pick at the nail of her index finger. A sickness caused from nervousness settled in her stomach. "of pretending to be a boy."

Toph laughed, not quite knowing what she meant. "Why would you want to do that?" She smirked, before the smile faltered.

Oh.

"Wait, you're not saying-"

"I'm going to take my fathers place as his eldest son." (Y/N) interjected, her breath hitching at the words. Saying it out loud made the reality hit her light a train - realizing that it wasn't just an idea. This was happening.

Toph stayed unusually silent. She wasn't too expressive when it came to her face, but even now (Y/N) couldn't read her. Was she angry? Happy? Scared? What. was she feeling?

"How?"

(Y/N) raised a brow, confused by the question. "What do you mean?"

Toph pursed her lips, her eye brows knitting together. "How are you going to pretend to look like a boy?"

Even though Toph couldn't see her, she knew that boys and girls looked different.

(Y/N) let out a shaky breath, gripping at her hair lightly. Her family always forced her into the ideal of a perfect, feminine woman - but in secret, she was strong, aggressive, and messy. Even though her personality was changed, her looks were still influenced by her family's wants. Her hair was long, and she wore fancy clothes and makeup.

"Oh, uhm.." (Y/N) was hesitant. She knew, but she sounded like she was protecting herself from her own words. "I'm gonna cut my hair.."

Toph raised an eyebrow, intrigued by (Y/N)'s response. "Cut your hair, huh? That's a bold move. How short are we talking?"

(Y/N) swallowed nervously, fidgeting with a loose thread on her sleeve. "I-I don't know... Short enough to pass as a boy, I guess."

Toph nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, let's do it."

Later that day, the two sat in her bedroom, Toph listening to the sound of (Y/N) snipping her hair. The locks fell onto the floor, sticking to clothes and to skin. After some time, (Y/N) found herself spaced on on Toph's bed, watching her every move.

As Toph unraveled her hair, the room was filled with the sound of gentle brushing, the rhythmic motion soothing in its familiarity. She worked through each tangle with practiced ease, her movements fluid and deliberate.

(Y/N) watched in silence, mesmerized by the way Toph's fingers danced through her hair, untangling knots with effortless grace. There was something intimate about the moment, a quiet exchange between friends bound by unspoken understanding.

"Your hair is beautiful," (Y/N) said softly, breaking the silence.

Toph glanced up, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Thanks. It's a pain to manage sometimes, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

(Y/N) hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Do you ever wish you could cut it short, like mine?"

Toph paused, her expression thoughtful. "Sometimes, yeah. It would be easier, especially when I'm training. But... it's a part of who I am, you know? Cutting it would feel like losing a piece of myself."

(Y/N) nodded, understanding flickering in her eyes. "I get that."

Toph set down the brush, turning to face (Y/N) fully. "I get that you're worried. I can sense it. Your heart is racing." Toph walked over to her bed where (Y/N) sat, sinking into the mattress. "I'm gonna miss you, but I also believe in you, (Y/N)."

(Y/N) felt a weight lift off her shoulders, a sense of freedom washing over her. With Toph's unwavering support, she knew she could embrace her true self, messy hair and all. And as they sat together, basking in the warmth of their friendship, (Y/N) realized that sometimes, the most beautiful thing about a person isn't their appearance, but the authenticity of their spirit.

(Y/N) turned her head to look at toph, her face going red at the sight of her graceful face, She wanted to kiss her. Yeah, she did.

As (Y/N) gazed at Toph, her cheeks flushed with a warmth that had nothing to do with embarrassment. She was captivated by the gentle curve of Toph's lips, the sparkle in her eyes that hinted at hidden depths. And in that moment, a realization washed over her with startling clarity – she wanted to kiss her.

The thought sent a shiver down (Y/N)'s spibe, her heart pounding in her chest as she wrestled with her emotions. It was a risk, she knew, to confess her feelings, especially when their friendship hung in the balance. But the longing in her chest was too powerful to ignore, a flame that refused to be extinguished.

With trembling hands, (Y/N) reached out, cupping Toph's cheek gently as she leaned in, her heart pounding in her ears. And then, their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss, a silent affirmation of the emotions that had been brewing beneath the surface.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still as they savored the sweetness of the moment, their hearts beating in perfect synchrony. And when they finally pulled away, their breath mingling in the air, (Y/N) found herself smiling, a sense of peace settling over her like a warm blanket.

Toph blinked in surprise, her lips curved in a soft smile. (Y/N) chuckled nervously, her cheeks still tinged with pink. And as they sat together, their fingers intertwined, (Y/N) had already started to realize what she was committing to. She's leaving. She's leaving to fight in a war that seemed as if it was never going to end to save her family.

As the reality of (Y/N)'s impending departure settled in, a somber silence descended upon the room, casting a shadow over the warmth of their shared moment. Toph's smile faltered slightly, her eyes reflecting the gravity of the situation.

(Y/N) squeezed Toph's hand tightly, her own heart heavy with the weight of her decision. She had made up her mind to fight in the war, to confront the forces that threatened her her homeland. But with each passing moment, the prospect of leaving Toph behind grew more daunting.

"I... I have to go," (Y/N) murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Toph nodded slowly, her expression a mixture of understanding and sadness. "I know," she said softly. "And I'll be here waiting for you when you get back. No matter what."

Tears welled up in (Y/N)'s eyes as she leaned forward, resting her forehead against Toph's. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Toph wrapped her arms around (Y/N) in a tight embrace, holding her close as if trying to shield her from the harsh realities of the world outside. "You won't have to find out," she promised, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her heart.

And as they held each other in the quiet of the room, (Y/N) found solace in Toph's arms, knowing that no matter how far apart they may be, their bond would endure.

Toph was her best friend, Toph was her girl. Toph was, well, Toph, and how could anyone forget someone like her?

...

should I make a part 2

[bad-at-living]

A petekey timeline theory

WARNING!!! this post is a big one so hold onto your horses (or unicorns)

aka... maybe the masterdoc was wrong *gasp*

aka we might have even less photos of pete and mikes from warped tour 2005 :(

aka a hotel in new york city

aka... you get the picture, this shit's about petekey. Big time. rise petekey nation or whatever. I've been thinking about this theory for a while and letting it stew in my brain, so here I am FINALLY making a post about it for all zero people who asked. So lets get into it.

Both the petekey masterdoc/post and video essay claim that these two photos:

of pete and mikey are from warped tour 2005...... Buuuuttt we can tell from the jacket and shirt pete's wearing along with mikeys clothes that they are pics from the party pete references in this:

ICONIC post from february 2006. Earlier, at 4 am the same day pete posted this to his Fueled By Ramen blog:

i feel like howl from howls moving castle embodies every single feeling that goes through my head. that is all. i am in the lobby of a hotel in new york city waiting for something that isn’t ever going to happen. i am calculating all of the legs and drunken stutters. i am precise. i am a machine. i am a hot mess.

- petey

we can infer that pete was at the hotel in new york because he had to travel for the party mentioned in the post and needed somewhere to stay for the night.

one thing to note is the line: "i am in the lobby of a hotel in new york city waiting for something that isn’t ever going to happen."

what are you waiting for pete? are you waiting for mikey to see you as more than just a tour fling? just a thought.

that post also sorta reminds me of this post from july 2006:

the fraternal order of the handsome boy. ive been watching you from afar. my breath on the inside window as you walk in from the carcandy caned lies in red and white against clashing patterns bending in and out of understanding. ”youre the stranger ive been dreaming of”, stranger than any ive ever known. love through a telescopic lens. when the air is clear i can see how perfect you are for me. late at night when the city sleeps i cast a spell on you to make you think of me the very same way i think of you. i only love how the words feel in my head when i write them. fireworks over the valley. how can i tell you i gut people for a living. that everything you say is likely to end up as evidence when i rewrite history. over and over again. how everything you do reminds me of something else, someone else. how i get paid to be humble and arrogant at the same time,to be chased and never caught. that i just want to stay up late and wake up early to talk to you. that i want to show you all of my jealousy and insecurity and have you not care. youre like a light switch and i just want to turn you on and watch them all shrink away. the words come out of my fingertips on impulse. it is instinct. my head cant keep up. i envy the comatose. i admire the bedridden. i am addicted to the way i feel when i think of you. ”im blowing smoke rings around the moon….” i wish i was the exact opposite of how the world knows me.

at least in terms of rhythm and the lines: it is instinct. my head cant keep up. i envy the comatose. i admire the bedridden. i am addicted to the way i feel when i think of you. ”im blowing smoke rings around the moon….” i wish i was the exact opposite of how the world knows me.

definitely parallel these lines: i am calculating all of the legs and drunken stutters. i am precise. i am a machine. i am a hot mess.

and we all know "Fraternal Order of the Handsome Boy" is about mikey because of this Q&A pete did:

Now here's where things gets interesting... the song Twin Skeletons by fall out boy is alternatively titled "Hotel in NYC" and I can literally only think of one time pete has mentioned a hotel in new york city, and that was directly before pete and mikey are confirmed to have saw eachother.

i think ya'll know where I'm going with this...

IT'S SONG ANALYSIS TIME!!! (yay)

Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC) lyrics (btw highlighted things are my notes):

There's a room in a hotel in New York City That shares our fate and deserves our pity I don't want to remember it all The promises I made if you just hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

My running theory with this song is that its about pete and mikey hooking up in new york after warped tour 05/when the "relationship" ended. Pete knows the relationship is over and he can't fix it even though he desperately wants to, and he doesn't want to have shitty hookups be all that is left of him and mikeys relationship

I just need enough of you to dull the pain

This lyric reminds me of this line: it’s easy to say “i only need 5 seconds with you than a lifetime with someone else” than it is to live it. to be honest, i’m dying from it. “kiss me electric” vs “kiss me at all.” and when you do it’s just a kiss off. 

from one of petes blog posts in november 2005. pete wants mikes so bad that he'll take the only kind of intimacy he can get even if its not what he truly wants aka hookups.

Just to get me through the night 'til we're twins again 'Til we're stripped down to our skeletons again 'Til we're saints just swimming in our sins again

This is a reference to the line "I'm in love with my own sins" from water buffaloes. I think this is pete reminiscing on warped tour 05 and wishing for that eternal summer back where they were immortal and the outside world couldn't touch their relationship, not even mikeys shame surrounding the relationship. in several blog post from directly after warped tour 05 and summer 2006 pete mentions missing summer and warped tour.

And there's a jet black crow droning on and on and on Up above our heads droning on and on and on

Crows represent death, maybe the death of a relationship in this case. or maybe its more complicated than that, maybe pete feels like this weird hookup thing him and mikey have going on is worse than death, but he loves mikes, he cant just leave even if it hurts. Keep making trouble 'til you find what you love I need a new partner in crime and you, you shrug

This is small but mikey is known for shrugging a lot. also pete feels heartbroken over mikey leaving and feels like he was used for mikey to figure out his sexuality.

That there's a room in a hotel in New York City That shares our fate and deserves our pity I don't want to remember it all The promises I made if you just hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

A birth and a death on the same day And honey, I only appeared so I can fade away I wanna throw my hands in the air and scream

This lyric reminds me of the line: I wanna scream "I love you" from the top of my lungs but I'm afraid that someone else will hear me

Which totally screams "i love you but if we came out it would put us both in danger due to homophobia"

And I could just die laughing on your spiral of shame

The spiral of shame is a reference to how mikey hardly ever talks about the relationship between him and pete. almost like he's shameful. its ok mikes internalized homophobia is a bitch. And there's a jet black crow droning on and on and on Up above our heads droning on and on and on Hit it, never quit it, I have been through the wreck But I can string enough to show my face in the light of day

Dealing with all this heartbreak is very difficult for pete but he still manages to keep it togeather. I also think this line could be about how petes slightly more open about the relationship than mikey even if he's still hella cryptic.

There's a room in a hotel in New York City That shares our fate and deserves our pity I don't want to remember it all The promises I made if you just hold on

Pete desperately wants mikey to stay with him, to hold on, but mikey wont. he didn't. mikey left. like he always does.

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on

~*~

Not to mention that the song is literally named twin skeletons...

doesn't that remind you of the album cover of Believers Never Die?

which is litteraly a greatest hits album... "I'm sorry, every single song is about you"

does that ring a bell?

also one of the skeletons is visibly taller than the other which probably doesn't mean anything but its a thought.

Thats all I got for today, If you read all of it; congrats! and thank you for sticking around that long. it means a lot. i hope to post more theories soon so keep your eyes peeled like a banana

-luv kev <3

[cadfreakingspinner]

Sit down kids because I’m off my meds and I need to rant about how the still I fly scene is literally perfect.

Part 1. The music

The music starts out slow, portraying Dusty’s unsureness about the situation. The tone is very much screaming “is this a bad idea?” But as the song progresses, you can hear dusty become more motivated in musical form. Once he enters piston peak, it’s full throttle. Dusty doesn’t just want to help propwash, he NEEDS to help prop wash, which is why it becomes more intense. “Watch me as I touch the sky” is a clever line, because it portrays something from the first movie. The first time dusty flew in the highway in the clouds. “Give it all I got this time” is nodding towards the fact that dusty is putting his everything into this. As the guitar solo starts, you can hear the motivation, the need, the want, the purpose to help propwash. The music slows at cad’s part, because it portrays that he’s much more of a “unaware, rude asshole who has no motivation about anything but himself and his lodge”. Once the scene with him ends though, it increases. As dusty passes the deer, you can hear the beauty of piston peak through the music alone. The music is speaking thousands of words, as he passes by the bridge, the lake, and into piston peak air attack’s base.

Part 2. The visuals/animation

At the start, it’s rather dreary and cloudy. Although you can attribute it to the fact that it’s morning in propwash, it also has another meaning. Dusty is in a dark place. As he passes by the cornfields, it’s lighter, a sign of hope for dusty. As he leaves the confines of propwash once again, the next scene/cut shows it being stormy. As if it’s almost saying “is this a good idea? Am I doing the right thing? Is this dangerous?”. But as it passes to the valley scene, it’s lighter, with only the formations being darkened. I may be overthinking this, but I believe this is supposed to portray little parts of dusty beginning to feel hope again as he escapes the confines of propwash, attempting to find his purpose. The town portrays a full sense of hope. As if he’s almost screaming “I’m ready for whatever the world throws at me!”. As it passes to piston peak, the sunshine glares into the deep valleys and canyons, almost like the lights of some other worldly creature reaching down to tell dusty “it’s going to be okay.”. The scene with Muir (the train) shows that maybe, dusty will fit in, due to the friendliness of the train. The birds are amazing because of the fact that they show you what piston peak is. A national park, with lots of opportunities for a new purpose. We don’t know how long these small red prop planes have lived in this park, but we can concur that they came for a reason. Just like dusty. As dusty flies through the hole in the tree, you cut to other civilians going to piston peak. Harvey and Winnie are the most important, because their exchange speaks a thousand words. “It’s just like I remember” makes you understand that they’re returning, and due to their old, grandma and grandfather like voices, you can tell it might have been a while since they came to piston peak, meaning that many others may have found themselves and their identity inside the very forests dusty flies over. As dusty flies by, passing the welcome to piston peak sign, you can see the monument that’s named the park. The piston peak. As he passes by the lodge, you can see campers, vacationers, any car, plane, or helicopter of any size can enjoy this park. So a small plane like dusty could find a purpose here as well. Fancier cars are there, as well as older cars. Busses, small planes, rv’s, boats, everyone there can enjoy piston peak. The rest of the scene is practically yelling at you, screaming “DUSTY WILL FIND A NEW PURPOSE!” But at the end, you can see a slight bit of unsureness in his eyes, showing that he’s having second thoughts.

[carefreemonk]

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is. Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Key

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): jan 6

Where are you from? What is your time zone? west coast canada, PST

How long is your roleplay experience? between 25+ years

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? jesus uhhh that was like 25 years ago. started out “gming” worlds for friends as we ran around the neighbourhood throwing pine cones at each other n stuff. you know. the usual. then came the interwebs (i was like idk 11 and debatably should maybe not have been left to my own devices there). found avidgamers rp forums via neopets. medieval/fantasy, seattle alley cats, and pokemon rp were i think all my first written rp experiences in close/overlapping order

How were you introduced to TOA? old ferp pals on twitter kept making mention of it. eventually succumbed ha ha

Do you have any pets? black cat named cabbage. she was the 16th meow meow i fostered before i stopped (maybe get back to it some day…)

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) when the trees are bright red and gold and the air smells crisp and you can comfortably wear a jacket again… :softsmile: and the leaves are crunchy... tho i haven't crunched leaves since the wasp incident

What is your IRL occupation? admin/bookkeeper

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? webcomics, travels, ultimate frisbee, wanna try more sculpting

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? FFXIV, HSR, picross, zelda, smash bros sbeen a long time but shhh, stardew valley

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: ghost, haunter

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! only ever broke one bone (knocks on wood), it was my collarbone from being cross-checked into the boards in ice hockey. have "completed" two novels, no they won't see the light of day. have, over the years, drawn a cumulative 500+ comic pages' worth. i miss it

How did you get into Fire Emblem? fe7, shared a cartridge with my brother i think. just seemed in our wheelhouse w nintendo being what we had at hand

What Fire Emblem games have you played? 6 & up... i think? no spinoffs other than i guess?? feh? up to like. book 4 or smth

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: fe7 and fe7. nostalgia bias strong

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! matthew, henry, azama, louis, and. hector ig? idk

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! matthew. perky lil thief with a side of heartache… 

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 past key thought claude was p handsome i suppose

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: henry (100% still henry) - Fates: conquest- niles, birthright- azama, revelations- kaze. prob wouldnt change. - Three Houses: claude (prob felix in whatever next run i do) - Engage: louis/lapis (saved, finished one, went back for the other hahaha. maybe miss goldmary if i ever run again)

Favorite Fire Emblem class? thief or mage

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? maybe an archer? with p average stats. like i'd Wanna be a cool mage but idt it suits me hahaha

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Deer for sure

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? boon bow, maybe lance bane flying, faith budding talent in heavy armour, auth

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Brodia? idk

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔 Tee Oh Ay

Current TOA muses: Hector, Azama

Past TOA muses? Ewan, Matthew, Henry, Florina, Goldmary

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Ewan, and nah. he was a delightful lil ball of sunshine but I don't feel I need that anymore

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? somewhat prickly, probably. also three of the guys i've written have canonically gone "Oho!" and another three i like w some overlap in there are the 'closed eyes' type so... whatever that means. In general tho: I like muses with whom I can explore aspects of human personality I wouldn't necessarily venture into on my own. (certain brands of conflict, responsibility, etc)

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could?  idk i think if i really wanted to write a kind of char i probably. would. but i guess the 'much more like Actually Super Intelligent than i can realistically pretend at' would be it i suppose

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? When you get to write characters with a shared history you've built together over time/across threads. When you can refer to past shared experiences, positive or negative... sobs. chefs kiss

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? A Hector near the end of his schooling arc might be neat (he's learned what he's came here for, he's ready to return to Ostia and do Uther and his people proud, and more competently than many mightve imagined at that) but. When that day comes he might really be actually going home soon lol.

Favorite TOA-related memories? lock and key jailbreak. bunker dead by daylight. unscripted both as a mod and as a player like. all of it. the first toa zine. the memes in all the discord pins (aka the laughs). really there's so much

Present or past tense? whichever my partner prefers idc that said have def written many more years in past tense than present despite toa's lean toward the latter

Normal size text, small text, no preference? normal but again idc i am perpetually zoomed in on any given window anyhow

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 sometimes matthew pokes his head up but he'd have to kill sampo so :shrug: living blissfully in my lane. sometimes think a genuine villain might be fun to try tho

[westadventure24]

Day 6 - Old Geysers and the Canyon

Never a dull day here in Yellowstone! Once our breakfast was done, we started our tour for the day. I don’t think I will ever get used to the bison! At times, they are so funny! Take this gal….just walking down the middle of the road, holding up traffic without a care in the world. We thought she wanted to cross so we gave her some space…she just looked tight at us as she went by. And Todd decided upon eye contact it was time to move on. Traffic was backed up behind her for at least a mile, if not two.

Just down the road, we stopped at one of Mom’s favorites so far…the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The roaring, clear water of the falls streaming down into the deep canyon was absolutely breathtaking. Dad wasn’t too interested in looking down into the Canyon as we couldn’t convince him that the rocks creating the barrier weren’t going to move. Who knew he wasn’t a fan of heights???

Have you ever driven the big loop in Yellowstone National Park? Much to marvel at here! You see, the entirety of Yellowstone National Park is considered to be a geothermal caldera, an underground volcano. There are beautiful blue pools that are so hot any living creature daring to enter would be boiled alive. We could feel the heat and mist on our faces as we looked in awe at the pristine color. Then, there are mud pots. I am not even sure how to describe the mud pots, other than the boiling mud seems like it would be sent to a spa you would see on an 80’s tv show with young ladies’ hair wrapped in towel as an attendant spread a mud mask on their face. Really interesting. Mom and Dad neither were too found of these natural wonders thanks to the media coverage of the recent explosion in Biscuit Basin.

We had a late lunch at the Old Faithful Inn. It was constructed in 1903-1904, made out lodge pole pine for the price of $140,000. Old Faithful is called that for a reason…the time of eruption can easily be predicted within a few minutes time. So, at 3:17 pm on the dot, we eagerly awaited for the geyser to erupt as we watched from the 2nd floor terrace of the dear old inn. It was glorious!

On the way back to camp as we drove through Hayden Valley, we saw the biggest herd of bison yet! I personally enjoyed these two lying side-by side close to the road just watching the traffic go by. Somehow I envision their conversation to be that of a Far Side cartoon….”Well, Troy, should we just keep lying here letting them think we are tame or charge and scare the heck out of them-for fun? I don’t know Carl, I find this people zoo very entertaining. Why is the guy in the red hat mooing?!” Anyway, I digress and there is a clear reason I don’t write cartoons for a living.

Later that night, we enjoyed a leftover dinner buffet by the campfire. Todd, Lily and I stayed out to enjoy the forest of pines overlooked by the beautiful starry night before heading off to bed. The last thing we learned yesterday is that Lily is definitely afraid of the outdoor dark…she is likely smarter than all of us!

Also, one correction to yesterday’s post…I had incorrectly identified one of the animals as a mule deer, when upon further inspection by the expert (Ryan), I learned that was actually a female elk! Unusual to see one alone!

[spacetravels]

the way you described Las Vegas in the tags of that orb post is honestly a little poetic. what’s your favorite part of the city?

HAHA thank you. i love my home (said in a derogatory but endeared way)

hmmm. that’s always hard to say. i like how connected everything is and how diverse this city is!! you can get all sorts of food here and participate in so much culture and meet all kinds of people… it’s hard to narrow it down to One Thing

i like downtown. fremont street does free concerts every weekend. the haunted museum is REALLY fun. every month we have art fests (first friday!! last saturday!!) and you get really involved in the local art scene. also chinatown!!! my bestie chinatown

my favorite “tourism” place is area 15. omega mart by meow wolf. i’ve been there 5 times now. it’s my favorite piece of interactive art and has a sincerely fun and well written story attached to it. i’ve discovered something new every time i’ve gone!!! i recommend it to everyone. i take everyone i can there

we also have rly good hiking. red rock. mt charleston. we’re very close to the valley of fire and zion national park!! it’s great.

also we’re all very dedicated hockey fans and being a part of this city sports culture is really something else. vgk’s inaugural season started right after the october 1 mass shooting and they had a significant impact in strengthening the community after the fact. it was through hockey that we wholly adopted #VegasSTRONG, a far different city motto from the infamous “what happens in vegas, stays in vegas” and it feels really. idk. it’s a really special thing. their 2023 stanley cup win was deeply important in ways i can’t begin to explain.

i dunno. i like the people here. everyone is kind. everyone cares. we’re a big city but i do think we’re very tight and small as a community. sometimes when we go to a residency show on the strip and the lights come on and we see people we know. sometimes at a hotel i get asked where i’m from and when i say “here!” their face lights up and we suddenly speak the same language

gotta say though as a local: i drive by the Sphere a lot. like it’s part of my evening commute when i’m forced onto the strip. i can see it from my house. one time the giant emoji turned to face the freeway while i was on my way to work on a rainy morning and i was jumpscared so bad i nearly swerved my car off

[child-of-of-the-sunshine]

His Rodeo Queen

Prologue

Abbie and Jake have been dating since just before sophomore year of high school. But there are ups and downs from Abbie but let’s go back to when Abbie was a kid and then to when her and Jake started dating.

Trigger Warning: Death of parents and suicide

It was a hot day in June 1995, Abbie was up in the stands watching her dads bull ride, it was the second ride of the weekend on the last day of Paul Valley Heritage Days Rodeos. But this day wasn’t going to be like the other rides Abbie had watched her dad do, she was up in the stands, with her mom watching her dads ride, Abbie was happy content with watching her dad do what loved, sitting up in the stands, but like I said this isn’t no ordinary day in the dirt, something was about to go and in a blink of an eye Abbie watched her dad get stomped on by the bull

“Abbie, you stay right here.” Her mom said before running down, Abbie waited up in the stands until she she saw the ambulance pull into the area, that’s when Abbie ran down the stands and into the area of the athletes but her Uncle was standing by the area gate and grabbed Abbie before she could see her dad “No, uncle Rhett, I need to see my dad.” She cried as he picked her up “Abbie you can’t, okay he’s really hurt.” Rhett said “No.” Abbie cried more into her uncles shoulder, the red and blue lights flashed in Abbie’s face, as she watched the Ambulance drive away, she saw her mom get in, but she wasn’t listening to anything else, besides when she heard her aunt talking and saw her little bag that was up in the stands, “Rhett we have to get to the hospital.” Her aunt said, Abbie could feel her self being put into the truck and buckled by her uncle and then truck taking off, a couple minutes later the truck stopped, Abbie doesn’t remember of finding her out her dad was dead besides the weeks, months and years after until she was 13 and her uncle picked her up from school an hour after he dropped her off, tell her mom had killed herself

2 years later Troy Rodeo (After her mom died)

Abbie was gearing up to carry the American flag, putting on her dads old saddle, and putting on her hat making sure it stayed in place, her aunt was making sure her hair was good to go, first year as Miss High School rodeo in Troy TX. “Okay kiddo you got this.” Her aunt Melissa said “I know.” She nodded gettin up on her horse Megan, her aunt handed her the flag, back in the bull shoots you have the county’s best bull rider in high school Jake Seresin and his best friend Javy standing in the fence near the bull “Don’t get distracted by the pretty blonde man.” Javy said laughing “Dude that’s the hottest girl in our school.” Jake said smiling “Hottest girl in our school and she hates bull riders.” Javy said, soon the national anthem was play and Jake was paying attention to Abbie, how her hair blew in the breeze, from her riding her horse after the anthem the rodeo started and Jake was first, up in riding he scored and 89 points, he noticed Abbie was nowhere to be seen until her name was called for Barrel racing “Abbie Moore 15 years old, straight out of Troy herself, born and raised here.” The announcer announced, Jake finally knew her name, he watched her ride it flawlessly. According to him, her horse was fast, “I’m going to get her.” Jake said turning towards Javy “Man I would love to see you try.” He laughed shaking his head, Javy kinda knew Abbie since he was dating her best friend “I can totally get her.” He said by the end of the rodeo day, Jake was trying to look for and finally found her, talking to Javy and his girlfriend. Jake walked up “That bull rider earlier was pretty good.” Abbie said “Abbie you know your rule about Bull Riders and Bronc riders.” Sadie said “Yeah I know no bull riders I already saw what they’ve done to my family.” She said looking towards the dirt, even with the concealing her aunt and uncle put her into it still hurt her a lot, Jake heard this but still wanted to give it a try anyways “So Abbie.” Jake said “Nope, not happening.” Abbie said before grabbing Sadie’s hand and walking away “Way to go Jake.” Javy said looking at his best friend “Wait, was that Abbie, Sadie’s best friend?” Jake questioned “Yes, I told you she doesn’t date Bull Riders.” Javy said patting Jake’s shoulder “I’m going to at least try, she’s confident and I don’t know what else.” Jake said looking at where Abbie and Sadie went “She can resist your bull rider charm?” Javy laughed “Beside we both know I’m not going to do this forever.” Jake said “Right you want to go to the Navy.” Javy said “Yes you are going with me remember.” Jake laughed “Yes we may because you and your dad convinced. Besides it will help Sadie if something happens to me.” Javy said “Do think, I could be friends with Abbie?” Jake asked Javy “Nah, you missed your chance, man.” Javy said before walking away “Wait if you and Sadie get married.” Jake said running after Javy “If me and Sadie get married oh me and Sadie are getting married.” Javy said, Jake followed Javy to a trailer “Really Javy you had to bring him.” Abbie said looking at Javy, “Okay, first of all, he's my best friend.” Jake said crossing his arms “Well your not my friend our best friends might be dating each other but you and me aren’t friends and will never be friends.” Abbie said before, “What the hell is her problem, I did nothing.” Jake said, actually confused at Abbies blow up “Her dad was a bull rider.” Sadie said before going after her best friend, Sadie caught up to Abbie who was leaning against the side of something. “You can’t blow at someone just because they're a bull rider.” Sadie said to her best friend “I can if I like them.” Abbie said before covering her mouth with her hands “You what?” Sadie questioned “I like Jake, he is literally chasing after me.” Abbie said pointing back towards the trailer “We just will avoid them.” Sadie said nodding her head “We can’t one of them is your boyfriend.” She said

Through the summer Jake and Abbie couldn’t stop talking about each other they saw each other everywhere now rodeos and church finally Javy and Sadie had enough and set them at a park and left them there hoping Abbie wouldn’t rip Jakes head off but they had to try these two pinning for each other was killing both Javy and Sadie, but this plan had hitch in it Jake had to meet Javy at the park, but that would work in Sadie in Javys favor since, Javy picked Sadie and Abbie up from Abbie’s house, once at the Park Jake was already there waiting under a tree for Javy and Sadie, but he didn’t know Abbie would be there, once they walked up “Wait Javy, I forgot in the truck will you come with me.” Sadie said looking at Javy, “Yeah I’ll come with you.” Javy said, both of them left there best friends standing until both walked to a bench after three minutes “You know they left us here.” Abbie said sitting on the bench, “Yeah I know.” Jake laughed “So tell me something about you like why the hell you hate bull riders so much.” Jake said “Well, my dad was one and he died doing it was supposed to be last ride ever, like he after that ride he wouldn’t do bulls again he would do team roping with my uncle. But the bull had other plans that day…” Abbie paused and wiped her tears “I was seven and up in the stands with my mom. When it happened he fell off and the stomped him. My told me to stay in the stands which I did until I saw the ambulance and went down there, but my uncle grabbed me, after that day seeing what it did to my family. I refused to like bull riders or date one.” She said wiping her tears “So what about your mom?” Jake asked, “She killed herself when I was thirteen.” Abbie said looking at Jake, who wiped her tears “I shouldn’t have asked about her.” Jake said feeling bad “It’s fine she was absent from seven until two weeks before she died.” She said looking at Jake’s green eyes “I really like you Abbie. Your so confident the way you walk around rodeos and church like nothing can scare you or touch you. Hell you scare me Abbie, I just want to know you the girl who just told me about her parents. I don’t want to know Miss High School Rodeo, or the best barrel racer in our class. I want to know Abbie.” He said which made Abbie smile “I want to know the Abbie that Javy and Sadie are always telling stories about.” He said “They tell stories about me?” She asked “Hell yeah they do.” Jake laughed “But I don't do bull riders and you guys make this your whole damn career.” She said “Yeah I plan on after high school joining the Navy to keep up a family legacy. Bull riding even though I’m damn good at it, I don't want to do it forever.” He said “Jake I don’t if can handle.” Jake cut her off “I don’t care if your mad at me after every ride I just want you.” With that Abbie leaned forward and kissed him

19 years later Coronado California ‘Hard Deck Bar’

Jake walked in with confidence with his wedding ring on his dog tags which were tucked into his shirt, he saw his best friend who everyone knew was married, Javy wore a silicon ring, the actual wedding was at home around his wife Sadie’s neck. Sadie and Javy have two kids, a boy and a girl Cory and Emily. Jake and Abbie haven’t had kids not for lack of trying either. At this point they kinda decided kids weren’t in the cards for them they are both 34 now and Jake was just called back to Top Gun and Abbie was running her family legacy and still running barrels and team roping, which is why Abbie didn’t come to this post with Jake like she normally would, Abbie has been everywhere Jake when she can Hawaii, Virginia, Florida, Maryland, she has been Coronado when Jake first went to Top Gun she got them a little air BNB, Javy walked over and handed Jake some darts “She take the test before you left?” Javy whispered “Yeah and it was negative, I don’t think it’s in the cards for us man.” Jake said “It’s all about timing man.” Javy said as they started shooting darts “Yeah timing.” Jake said rolling his eyes “Hey don’t you dare get all depressed.” Javy said, “I’m not I’m just pissed we’ve been doctors and there is nothing wrong with either of us.” Jake said throwing a dart “let’s just have fun, beside I already know Sadie and the kids are at your house.” Javy said smiling, they did there around of darts before starting on pool, at that time more people showed up and Javy was getting updates same with Jake

Troy Texas

Both Cory and Emily were out in Jake and Abbies guest bedroom “Sadie, I need to make an appointment there has to be something wrong with me.” Abbie said looking at her best friend “Girl we aren’t going down this road again.” Sadie said setting down her glass of wine “How can I not me and Jake have both been to doctors there is nothing wrong with either of us, so why can’t we get pregnant?” Abbie questioned

Taglist: @kitty-marie725 @hcwthewestwaswcn

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

HiI was looking at Maellus broomquet, Ace was asking where would he like to visit and Maellus said a castle. I just realized the castle he wanted to see could it be Meleanor’s castle! That’s pretty sad that he cant freely goto that castle.

Oooh, that’s a pretty interesting (and plausible) theory 🤔 I took a look back at Malleus’s Broomquet vignettes to double check, and some of the details happen to line up with what we know (or is implied) about Wild Rose Castle…

***Book 7 main story spoilers below the cut!!***

Firstly, Malleus mentions that not a lot of people have lived in the castle for a long time now. It implies they are ruins, and for some reason no one goes near it or even bothers making a tourist attraction of it. This is also true of Wild Rose Castle, which Lilia suspects has had an enchantment placed on it by diurnal fae to keep humans from disturbing it.

Malleus then adds that there are history books which would feature this castle at the height of the country's prosperity, meaning it must be of significant historical importance and that this country would not retain that prosperity (alluding to maybe losing the coming war). We know from book 7 that Wild Rose Castle is specifically where Briar Country's crown princess resides, and she is someone of great political importance. It is important that Malleus specifies the textbooks would depict the castle "at the height of the country's prosperity", as we also learn in book 7 that both the textbooks and Lilia himself don't elaborate on what befell their country and Malleus's mother during the human-fae war. The war, then, must occur after this period of prosperity, as Wild Rose Castle would fall into ruin after it. (The image we see of Wild Rose Castle later on also does, in fact, confirm that it is in ruins and abandoned:)

This all makes sense chronologically speaking, especially if we consider that Briar Country (ie the entire continent) may have been divided up and claimed by human victors following the war. This would explain the dotted lines (drawn over in red) carving up the landmass in the Twisted Wonderland world map, and how Briar Valley itself only makes up a tiny portion of the continent. Malleus is constantly referred to as the heir of Briar Valley, not the continent, which implies his kingdom fell from grace after losing his mother and the conflict with humans. (By the way, I have a separate post elaborating on this “Briar Country -> Briar Valley” theory; it’s here if you want to read it!)

If you look at where Wild Rose Castle falls on a map and then compare it to the modern day Twisted Wonderland map, it seems that the Wild Rose Castle (green X) would fall into an area outside of Briar Valley. It's possible, then, that that territory now belongs to some other nation. That would mean Malleus cannot enter that other nation's land without jumping through legal hoops. It's not "his" land anymore, so he doesn't have a right to visit it whenever he so chooses to. Seeing as he easily waves off any spell or curse thrown at him, I don't think Malleus not being able to visit certain castles is due to inability to overcome magic or other enchantments, but because as crown prince, he has to respect the territorial rights of other countries.

It feels sad hearing Malleus talk about visiting ruins. He wonders about the life that once resided there, the balls and ceremonies in them... and now there's only lonely vestiges of those glory days. A mother he never had the chance to know, a great and bloody conflict waged before he was even born... His interests end up being ironically tragic, really 😔

[ye-olde-sodor]

Hurt (A DC au fic) (Tw warning)

Hey all! Ths fic is a bit darker than what I usually post, so please read with caution! It isn't over the top dark and it has a happy ending so I included the ttte tags. Tw warning for depression and death mention! Angst but with a happy ending!

______________________________________________________________

Gordon sighed as he backed into the old shed at Vicarstown. He bid his crew farewell, and he let his weight sink into the old rails below. The shed was old and dilapidated, completely void of any comfort, but he didn't feel like running all the way back to Tidmouth. It was a miracle that he was even moving at all.

It had been years since Scott had sailed to America. After a change in politics left his tour unfunded and bankrupt, everyone had feared for the worst. Sure enough, to his utter horror, one of Scotts trailing wheels was delivered to Doncaster from America, and the nation fell into mourning.

The United States had repeatedly denied sending the wheel and scrapping Scott, but all of the evidence was pointing to the painfully obvious. Out of everything, it was the blatant denial of any wrongdoing that truly got under his metal plating. He fumed just by the thought of it.

Worst yet, the family had begun to finally tear away from it's surviving members. For whatever reason, Scott had made the young, inexperienced Mallard the family matriarch over him or even Spencer...and gave the majority of the money to him.

Did he feel betrayed? Of course he did, anyone in his wheels would feel hurt and bitter by that. Did he feel jealous? Name me a time where Gordon wasn't jealous. But above all else...he was in agony.

The sounds of his screams upon hearing the news still haunt the inhabitants of Sodor...several months after the wheel was first brough to Doncaster. Outrage and a need for vengeance fueled him in a mighty burst of pure fire. In a matter of moments, he became a raging inferno accompanied by the shrilled shrieks of the phoenix, only for the cold and bitter misery to arrive and smother that once mighty flame just as quickly.

That same fury nearly took hold of him again when Mallard swiftly left the funeral service to attend to Scott's will. How dare he abandon his only family to "deal with the necessities"?! Would it have killed him to pay his respects to the engine he claimed to view as a mentor? His predecessor, a father dare one say?! Like with the last burst of fury, however, it was quickly drenched in a water known as despair. As Gordon thundered down the line back home, he felt nothing but the numbness of depression.

Now here he was, sitting in a cold abandoned shed near Kildane, barely living but so far from death. His eyes felt sunken, and his smokebox door felt heavy. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that his own face would come clean off its hinges, landing onto the ground with a sickening thud and disintegrate into dust.

His entire frame felt weak and brittle, but it still stood firm and strong under his weight. He had lost all of his energy and his sense of importance and high regard. He stopped taking the express since the day the wheel arrived and has been pulling filthy goods trains ever since.

His once proud and royal blue paint had become covered in soot, grime, and various other stains. His eyes were red from countless tears and sleepless nights, hindering his performance even more. Dark circles under his eyes accompanied the redness, further showing his deterioration and lack of self care.

To list every agony that Gordon is suffering through would take years. Gordon had become a fallen star, a star of which that was rapidly falling apart as we speak.

As he sulked in the crumbling shed, the low bellowing of a diesel had become audible. It's proud motor seemed to echo across invisible valleys as it approached. He shifted his eyes to look in the direction of the noise to see who would dare approach such a dilapidated structure. To his surprise, he recognized the large Warship.

"10? What are you doing here?" Gordon spoke weakly.

"I was just gonna ask you the same thing." he replied in an equally stunned voice. "This is usually my shed."

Gordon's weight shifted under the rails again. "Oh. I'm sorry...I can leave if-"

"No no, it's fine." 10 interrupted. "I'm just surprised is all. You can stay here, I'll just park beside you."

He did as he promised, and carefully backed into the shed, sitting on top of the rails to Gordon's left. Gordon heard a door open and quickly closed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spy the mechanical arm of 10's driver speed away after bidding his engine farewell. Apparently he knew that the two were about to have an intimate conversation.

"How are you holding up?" The large engine asked cautiously.

At first, Gordon was hesitant to answer. Truth be told he wasn't well at all...but at the same time he didn't want to hinder anyone else and have them worry more about him more then their work. Fortunately, 10 already knew the answer, and spoke Gordon's mind on his behalf.

"About as well as you can?" he spoke gently, as not to come off as condescending.

"You and I both now how much it hurts," Gordon began. "To lose a sibling...but to lose someone who was guaranteed survival."

Gordon trailed off, tears already beginning to form in his eyes. For the first time in years, he felt weak. His eyes began to soften as he let himself show such a powerful emotion in front of what is supposed to be his replacement, his rival even. He had already let his emotions erupt before, so it would've been hypocritical to hide them anymore.

"There is no greater pain then that." he finished through tears.

10 remained silent, and respectfully allowed the other engine to sob. His tears streamed down his face and began to pool onto his buffers and the ground below. The rails slightly sunk into the now wet soil, a result of the ground underneath it being disturbed.

10 had never seen such a thing before. An engine sobbing in front of another was unheard of on the Mainland, so to see such raw emotion from someone so uptight...why he couldn't explain the feeling even if he could.

"And the worst part of it?" Gordon went on shakily. "It isn't even over yet."

"What do you mean?"

Gordon thought for a moment and decided that he could no longer bare the weight of his dilemma any longer. As soon as he composed himself as best as he could, he looked at the warship.

"Promise me you won't speak of this. To anyone. What I'm about to tell you must stay between us."

"I promise." he spoke carefully, surprised at how trusting the engine was being to him. Then again, anyone in Gordon's position would've been grasping for any sort of comfort. Even if his better judgement wouldn't allow it.

"It's Scott's will," Gordon explained weakly. "Ryan is convinced someone tampered with it in Mallard's favor. Everyone on Spencer's side of the family is convinced that there isn't any evidence for such a claim. Now Ryan and his siblings are up in arms against his."

10 was suddenly intrigued by what he was being told. He'd heard of stories about forgeries, especially during his time as a bounty hunter. He suddenly found a source of hope, that his past might finally prove useful.

"Why would he think that?" he asked respectfully.

"Mallard got a majority of Scott's finances and properties. The rest of it went to Spencer and his half of the family, myself and Ryan."

"That does sound weird...What's Mallard doing now?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't spoken to him since the funeral." he said. "Or anyone for that matter...you're the only person I've talked to about this."

Diesel 10 was stunned. Astonished even, more so then he was before. It was already bizarre enough to have someone like Gordon vent to him of all engines, but to have him be the only person to vent about his feelings to? Why, he didn't know what to feel! Honored? Prideful? Destressed? Concerned?

Gordon's eyes had finally dried, with the last tear falling into the puddle below him. He looked at the diesel with red, burned eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm completely lost."

"Y'know you really shouldn't be taking all of this on your own," 10 spoke abruptly. "Why don't you talk to the other steamies? Or even Hatt? Can't you get advice from him?"

Gordon nearly had a stroke at the suggestion. "You can't just...ask your controller for legal advice! It's improper!"

"Y'know what else is improper? Not talking to the people who can help you." He said sternly but gently. "Believe me, you don't ever want to make that mistake. It's how you end up making mistakes that you can't fix."

Gordon suddenly understood what the Warship was referring to. He had known about the Warship's past, as did most of the island, but he was the only one who truly understood his upbringing. To be robbed of your original purpose only to be thrown into a new one, and to have it end up for the better or for the worst of you. It doesn't take a genius to know who ended up where.

Gordon respected him, in a turn of events. Was 10 at one point resentful of Gordon's own privileges? He would've been a fool to deny that. Did he eventually overcome this prejudice and turned into one of the islands most reliable engines? Yes, but it's hard to believe that an airport of all things could've been the catalyst for such a change in demeanor.

Either way, Gordon couldn't help but see himself in the Warships position. Gordon was sent to Sodor after being an excellent engine at Doncaster...and he felt betrayed by the decision. He liked where he was, his family was there, why did they take it away from him? Was he not good enough? Over time, he grew to love his new home and job, but it took many years for him to heal from the sudden changes and hurt feelings.

10, meanwhile, had the misfortune of being sent for scrap with the rest of his siblings, only to be salvaged by some lunatic who gutted his cab and installed a massive hydraulic claw into it. He spent years hunting down the engines that had fled their railways...but would return with a broken husk of an engine trailing behind him.

Almost all runaway engines are stored in sheds until their crews can find a proper sanctuary, but without proper maintenance and a lack of movement after so much time...The warship became less of a bounty hunter and more of a corpse collector.

The more he thought about it, the more Gordon realized just how much they understand each other. The two were so similar yet so very different. It practically scared Gordon.

Looking at the mighty Warship now, it's virtually impossible to tell that he went through so much. He cares for those around him, and he's been a gentle giant for years now. He's went through years of pain and torment and yet here is smiling and working hard as if it had never happened!

As Gordon thought more and more about 10, and how he managed to pull through in the end gave him a newfound sense of hope. While not nearly enough to overpower his grief yet, it gave him a head start.

"I...I'll see if I can get the chance to talk to him." Gordon spoke, having found his strength. "He is a rather busy man after all."

"If he really cares about you steamers like his kids," 10 replied, "Then I bet he'll make time."

Gordon was taken aback by the phrase. "You don't really believe in that little rumor, do you?"

It was a lighthearted joke on the island's part, but 10 believed it to be fact. After all, this was the Hatt family we're talking about. The very same family that would gladly break the law just to keep a steam engine from being scrapped.

10 chuckled lightly, "That was a rumor?"

"Depends on who you ask." he replied cheekily. While his mood was lifted, he knew it would be a long time before he truly felt better. This wasn't, however, meant to discourage the smaller steps…as he could already see a flicker of hope at the end if a ling tunnel.

"Hey, there we go!" 10 smiled. If he had arms, he would've placed one of them around his friend for comfort and encouragement. Alas, he was stuck with only his words. In any other case, he would've used his claw, but that would've damaged the already weakened shed.

Suddenly, the Warship had an idea.

"Say, I think we can squeeze the two of us in my shed back at home base."

Gordon cocked an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Oh? what about-"

"It's only a short drive, maybe 15 minutes tops. If we leave now we can-"

"10, what about our drivers?" Gordon interrupted with a slight laugh.

The Warship blushed as the realization had dawned on him. While it was quite the blunder, if he acts quickly, he can fix it.

"I mean we could always leave a note!"

…or not.

Gordon let out a long needed laugh, and it wasn’t long before the warship joined in as well!

The two allies would’ve laughed the night away if weariness didn’t overcome them. As the two settled their weight ontop of the old rails, Gordon felt a small warmth build in his firebox, and he allowed a smile to form as he drifted effortlessly to sleep.

[astra-galaxie]

Yasemin Hanson

Biographical information

Full Name: Yasemin Hanson

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Status: Deceased

Age: 37 (season 3)

Birth: 1979

Race: Human

Cause of Death: Stabbed 26 times in the heart

Nationality: Turkish

Origin: Istanbul, Turkey

Residence:

Innovation Valley, Pacific Bay

Istanbul, Turkey (formerly)

Profession(s): Accountant

Family:

Christopher Hanson (husband) (incarcerated)

Anna Hansson (sister-in-law)

Hazan Tilki (mother)

Ahmed Tilki (father) (deceased)

Ahmet Savage (biological son) (no parental rights)

Affiliation(s):

Eclipse Technologies

SOMBRA

Profile

Height: 5'3" Age: 37 (season 3) Weight: 147lbs Eyes: brown Blood: A-

The wife of Christopher Hanson, Yasemin, was a short woman with a slim and shapely figure. Her black hair was pulled up into an updo with her bangs pinned back by shiny, silver hair clips. She had rich, dark skin and cold brown eyes with simple makeup to highlight her features. At the time of her death, she wore a pink, knee-length pencil-skirt dress with a white blazer and matching silver and red earrings and necklace.

Synopsis

Yasemin was the victim in Return To Killer Bay.

Before her victim appearance, she appeared as a minor character in Hanson Vs. Savage, alongside her husband as they fought against Adalet and Fili for guardianship over Ahmet. She was disappointed in herself for failing to get Ahmet back so they could initiate him into SOMBRA, but losing one child meant nothing when hundreds more were already members. So she moved on from the boy and turned her focus to building SOMBRA's power and resources.

In the following year and a half, she and Christopher continued to financially support SOMBRA through Eclipse Technologies. They were working to create new weapons and equipment for the organization to use to take over the world. But Yasemin wanted to prove herself to El Rey and earn more power within SOMBRA. So when she heard about the plan to bomb the USStay rally in San Francisco, she jumped at the chance and volunteered for the mission.

But after talking to El Rey online, the leader refused to let her do the mission, claiming she lacked the skills needed. However, the denial wouldn't deter Yasemin, so she disobeyed her orders to stay in Pacific Bay by buying a plane ticket to San Francisco. Of course, she didn't take into consideration that Christopher could see her credit card transactions, and when he discovered what she had done, he reported her insubordination to El Rey.

Christopher was ordered to kill Yasemin before she screwed up their plans. She was tricked into breaking into Zhoot Up by her husband telling her that El Rey wanted to meet them in person, a privilege few were privy to. But the leader wasn't there when they arrived (as intended), so Christoper poured them drinks to kill time.

Yasemin enjoyed her glass of whiskey while Christopher had a beer. However, as she continued to drink, she started feeling sleepy, so sleepy she struggled to keep her eyes open. She tried to tell Christopher something was wrong with her, but when she looked at him, she gasped as she saw him looming over her with their wedding cake knife raised to attack.

She tried to defend herself but was too weak to stop him. Christopher stabbed her in the heart, killing her instantly. But even with the immediate success, he continued to stab her until he was satisfied with her murder. Yasemin was furious at Christopher for killing her, she brought him into SOMBRA, and this was how he repays her?! But what hurt even more, was realizing that El Rey considered her useless after everything she did for him and SOMBRA. Now she will never see them win…

(A/n: Which we already know won't happen. But shh! That's a spoiler for them!)

Story Information

First appeared: Hanson vs. Savage

Trivia

She joined SOMBRA when she was 19

Despite having a chocolatier for a mother, Yasemin hated chocolate in all forms

She never loved Christopher, but she did love his money and power…

She became an accountant to work for Eclipse Technologies and monitor the money they were secretly giving to SOMBRA

She was going to use Hazan as a cover for her trip to San Francisco. She hoped that no one would look twice at a mother and her daughter on vacation

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames Mega Anime Avatar Creator! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad) Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad) Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad)

[sydneyadventures]

Utah and Arizona, USA

I’ve been to Arizona before, but I’ve always wanted to do a hike-focused trip in this area, to see more of the desert and red rocks that this region is known for. Utah recently made my way onto that list as well, after hearing about the beautiful Zion National Park, so it only made sense to group these two areas together. This trip really felt like we were on a different planet, and very far away from home, even though we were only in the US. I’ve travelled to much farther places only to see landscapes similar to ours at home - not the case for this trip! 

We arranged the trip by flying into Vegas, driving though Utah, and then finishing in Arizona. The schedule was made to surround our “lottery ticket” for the Angel’s Landing hike in Zion National Park. This is a hike that a lot of people put on their bucket lists, so to prevent overcrowding, it’s required that you apply for a permit. We entered a lottery to get the permits, and we won (!!!) so we wanted to take advantage of that. We may not have planned it this way otherwise, but I was very happy with the sequence of destinations, so I would definitely recommend the route that we did. 

We flew into Vegas, and immediately obtained our rental care and drove out towards St. George, Utah. We didn’t spent any time in Vegas, as Ev and I have both been there before, and the hustle and bustle of Vegas was not a priority on this hike-centred trip. As soon as we made it out of Vegas, we immediately became aware of how remote the desert can be. I was craving a quick coffee stop, only to realize that there was no coffee, food, or towns of any kind for miles!

Eventually, we made it to a pit stop at Feel Love Cafe, a Utah chain with delicious vegan food.  We also popped into a Cracker Barrel - a classic stop on my family road trips as a kid, but Evan had never been before. We browsed the gift shop, but didn’t stay for any food as we’d already filled up at Feel Love (and Cracker Barrel isn’t exactly known for it’s vegan fare, quite the opposite in fact!). We also stopped in St. George for some hiking snacks and water, to ensure we were well prepared for the days of hiking ahead.

Our first stop on the trip was Bryce Canyon City - though it’s not much of a city at all, more of a small tourist town. The drive in gave us our first look at some of the red rocks of the desert, as we drove on roads that went through tunnels carved into the rocks. We got settled into the Best Western, and explored the little shops and general stores, mostly catered to tourists and hikers. We had dinner at the historic Ruby’s Inn, where Ev indulged in a classic American buffet.

The next day we explored the famous Bryce Canyon — and it was absolutely AMAZING! A landscape unlike anything we have ever seen. Red rocks towering high in skinny formations, and deep canyon valleys with narrow pathways. The first view we had was at Sunset point (where we parked), and then we hiked the Navajo loop, including “Wall Street” and “Wall of Windows”. After the hike (which was a good warm up, after a summer of very little hiking, and a good way to break in my boots!) we did a little drive through the park- the “Scenic Drive” - and saw the rock bridge formation. The drive wasn’t as amazing as the hike earlier, but we were glad we did it because it gave us the sense that we saw the whole park, so felt okay leaving and moving on to the next stops. 

Once we had our fill drove from Bryce around and into Zion area. We knew it was a bit of a round-about route but we did it this way to accommodate our Angels Landing lottery win for Monday. The drive was amazing - the red rocks of Bryce area changed into the higher and more formidable mountains of the Zion area. We stopped at a little town coffee shop for some food etc and got a taste for the Zion “merch”/souvenirs… became merch addicts on this trip, as we realized that the Arizona/Utah stylistic designs were very much our “style”. 

After our lunch/coffee stop, we make a quick stop to hike and explore the Sand Caves - an easy hike off the highway, though it did require scaling one slightly steep slope, which gave me some jitters… the first sign that Angels Landing hike may not be for me!  But the caves at the top were quite unique and worth seeing. 

At the Sand Caves trailhead, we noticed a sign for Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which was intriguing for a pair of animal lovers. After some deliberation on whether we should stop in, we ultimately decided to check it out, and I’m so glad we did!! We browsed the Welcome centre and met some cute adoptable kittens.. then we decided to do a free tour of the facilities, which was absolutely incredible! The place was founded by some wealthy investors many years ago, on ~4600 acres of desert/mountain area.. care and shelters for dogs, cats, pigs, parrots, horses, and even wildlife rehabilitation! They also have campgrounds where you can stay, and do more intimate tours of the different animal facilities. Top it all off with meeting some adorable adoptable puppies… our hearts were completely won over. At the end of the free tour we decided to go a bit overboard in their gift shop - but in the name of donating to an amazing place !! 

After Best Friends, we headed into Springdale, the town nearest Zion National Park. We enjoyed a lovely dinner on the Boot and Spur back patio under colourful twinkling lights. Our AirBNB in Springdale was a historic cabin nestled in the red rock valley. Springdale is a small area, so not all of Zion’s tourists stay there, but I’m really glad we did - it’s a stunning town that feels a bit like a ski village, with beautiful mountain views on either side of its main drag. 

The next day was our long awaited adventure into Zion! Taking the shuttle into the park was the best way to do it. Ultimately we did: Angels Landing first thing, then the Grotto walk, then lunch at the visitor centre and picnic on the lawn, then did the walk down to the Narrows entrance, then did the Emerald Pools, and then headed out. A LOT of hiking for one day, but it was awesome! 

Angel’s Landing was of course the hike that brought us to Zion in the first place… But only after we got the lottery tickets did I realize exactly how scary this hike really is. It’s one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, because the last segment that reaches the top viewpoint is a narrow trail surrounded by steep, sheer cliffs. There’s a chain attached to the rocks for people to hang on to while they scale it. Once we made it to the part of the hike right before this segment, I decided that I was satisfied with my hike as it was and didn’t go further. I had no problem with Ev proceeding of course, and it ended up working out well, because we made friends with a very kind stranger on the way up, who didn’t actually have a lottery pass- he arrived hoping that he would be able to do the hike without it. So, I offered this man my pass, and he went up with Evan instead. It worked out well for everyone! 

In the meantime, while Ev went up the Angel’s Landing trailhead, I found another spot with a wonderful lookout that actually allowed me to see the entire segment of the rock face that hosts the landing. It was a gorgeous view, but I did have some anxiety of course, because the view really allowed me to take in the gravity of the slope, and so I had to try not to think about the fact that my husband was up there! 

Ev came down and boasted great reviews of the top segment, and had some great photos too. 

My favourite view of the park, however, ended up being along the trail that headed to the emerald pools. A friend commented on my photo of this view that I posted online, saying it was the Land Before Time, and when I googled the imagery from that old kids movie, it actually was spot on! No wonder I was so enamoured with that lookout. The Emerald pools themselves however… not much to see, really. We only went to two of the three, as we saw some rainclouds approaching and decided to take cover in case there was lightening. 

After all that hiking we went for a beer at the Zion Brew Pub at the entrance of the park - then went back for a much needed shower after all that hiking, and had another dinner and margaritas at the Boot and Spur. Our table was seated next to a hummingbird feeder, which I absolutely loved. 

The next day, we contemplating heading back into Zion for one more hike - The Narrows or Watchman Trail - but ultimately decided against it. We covered a ton of ground on our first day, and thought it was best to move along to new landscapes. We had a nice breakfast at place called Oscar’s (our AirBnB had breakfast vouchers for this place), did one last walk around Springdale, and then hit the road for our next stop in Page, Arizona. 

The drive took us from the mountains of Zion to the red, dry, hot desert. On our way into Page, we took an unplanned stop at Glen Canyon Recreation area, and were surprised to find a beach and lake. We went for a swim and sat in the sand while we plotted our next moves. It was a lovely surprise!  

Afterwards we went and sat on a nice patio for a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant called Sunset 89), which had a great view of the dam area. We finished the day by seeing Horseshoe Bend - just a lookout, and fairly touristy, but worth seeing - and then went back to our Holiday Inn and settled in. We watched the Trump Harris debate which was… surprisingly entertaining. 

Wednesday in Page was our Adventure day. In the morning, we did a kayak and hike into Antelope Canyon. We did it via a touring company called “Lake Powell Adventures”, which was excellent. Our guide, Danny, ended up being a super kind guy who was fun to chat with, and who gave us some great tips on what to do for the remainder of our time in Page.

After Antelope, we took another quick swim in Glen Canyon, had lunch at a place called Dam Bar, and went to the hotel for a bit of a break after a packed morning. We headed back out later in the afternoon for an ATV tour with “Epic Adventures”, which was a blast. Our guide was also super nice, and it was a great way to see some of the vast desert landscapes. We ended our day with a delicious sushi dinner at Blue Buddha, recommended by the guide Danny. 

Thursday we golfed in the morning at the Lake Powell Golf Course (another Danny recommendation), which boasted an interesting contrast of red rocks and green fairways. By the 18th hole it was getting pretty hot, so we packed up and headed out for an “Arizona Baptism” -  a dip in the cold water flowing from the Colorado River, technically the beginning of the Grand Canyon (located at Lee’s Ferry in Glen Canyon Recreation Area). Then it was time to hit the road and head to Flagstaff, our last stop. 

We stopped at the Grand Canyon on our way, but only quickly to see a few lookouts - worth the stop, but we didn’t bother to do any hiking. The Grand Canyon is so ‘grand’ that it’s a bit hard to know where to start… and we were already pretty happy with the hikes we did thus far.  

On our way we had lunch at a touristy but charming stop called the Cameron Trading Post, where we had the local “Fry Bread”. We actually almost stopped at a place called Yummy Shack - a literal roadside shack that somehow has 4.8 stars  and 200+ reviews on google?? - but it wasn’t open, so this was the next best thing. 

The drive into Flagstaff was quite enjoyable, as there was a pretty big change in the landscape. The red rocky desert slowly became coniferous forests, and the road we took winded us through some new mountain territory that felt more like California than Arizona.

Friday we explored Flagstaff and Sedona - started with a hike up “Fatman’s Loop” through the coniferous mountains overlooking the town, followed by Brunch at the Toasted Owl (my favourite place, owl-themed antiques galore! Highly recommend!). We then walked around downtown Flagstaff for a bit, but found the town to be a bit quiet. We decided to check out Slide rock park for a swim - a touristy but pretty nature park - and then down through Sedona where we hiked the Devil’s Bridge. I didn’t have high expectations for this hike, as I read that it could get very busy, with “Disneyland-like lines” at the rock bridge, but this wasn't the case at all. There were a few other hikers, but not many, and the breathtaking views were well worth the hot hike. 

Afterwards we came back into town and went to Wanderlust Brewing for a beer flight, and to El Tapatio for excellent mojitos and tacos. 

Saturday was our “chill” day in Flagstaff but we ended up doing a lot! Leisurely brunch at Toasted Owl (again - my favourite!), then we walked around downtown and found it to be a very different experience from the previous day - lots of people, shopping, even a pretty flea market by city hall. We also strolled around Northern Arizona University Campus. We really got a better feel for the town itself and started to love the chill vibe, the people, the students etc. - felt similar to a ski town, it’s an outdoorsy paradise that attracts cool people. 

Afterwards we went back to the motel and sat around by the hammocks for a bit, played a bit of RummyKub and swam in the pool. At this point I should mention that our Flagstaff accommodation, The Americana Motel, was great - 70s themed vibe, with a disco ball in each room, free games/bike rentals, and a Pabst beer on check-in. 

 Then we headed back into town for the evening. Flagstaff boasts a lot of cool local breweries, and we couldn’t decide what local beer place we wanted to try the most — but conveniently, there was a local beer fest downtown with cheap tickets, and tastings for most of the places were were eying, so we got to try a ton! AND, all the proceeds from he beer fest went to the local animal shelter. We got to meet and pet a bunch of puppies! It really felt like perfect luck.

Afterwards we headed into town for a burger at a local pool hall, and then walked around for a bit before settling in at a local college sports bar for the UFC fight Ev wanted to watch. It was a cool experience because the title fighter was from Arizona, so the crowd was very into it! 

Then on Sunday, it was finally time to finish up the trip, We drove to phoenix to fly out, and even that was a stunning drive. This was the first place we saw the quintessential cacti  and I was surprised by how mountainous it was. But it was a visit, just in and through to the airport. 

An important thing that I realized on this trip is that I am happiest when warm! Sometimes on our previous trips, when you wake up to start a hike the air is cold and crisp… I know some folks love this, but the cooler temperatures sometimes make me grumpy. On this trip, there was cooler weather in the mornings, but a light sweater was enough. The hot hot heat in the afternoons was a bit difficult to endure at times, but on the whole, I actually really enjoyed it — better than cold climates for sure! 

Summary: 

Hiking:

Bryce Canyon National Park: Navajo loop, Wall of Windows

Zion National Park: Angel’s Landing, Emerald Pools, Narrows walkway Sand Caves (near Zion)

Flagstaff: Fatman’s Loop 

Sedona: Devil’s Bridge, Slide Rock Park 

Dining: 

Boot and Spur, Springdale UT 

Feel Love Cafe, Springdale UT 

Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon City UT

Blue Buddha Sushi, Page AZ

Cameron Trading Post (for Fry Bread, roadside stop between Page and Flagstaff) 

Toasted Owl, Flagstaff AZ 

El Tapatio, Flagstaff AZ

Fat Olives, Flagstaff AZ

Accommodations

Best Western, Bryce Canyon City UT

Under the Eaves Air BNB, Springdale UT

Holiday Inn, Page AZ (mediocre, but mentioning just for completion). 

Americana Motel, Flagstaff AZ

[ziad246]

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly convened a meeting to set a plan for developments around the Giza Plateau

Cairo – December 26, 2024: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has called an emergency meeting to discuss potential tourism investment around the Giza Plateau. Several officials attended, including Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, Housing Sherif El-Sherbiny, Giza Governor Adel El-Najjar, Deputy Governor Hend Abdel-Halim, and others.

He encouraged tourism investors to come forward and provide their input on how to move forward with the region.s In the course of the discussion, several VIP parcels of land around Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum for the development of tourist facilities were demonstrated by Major General Nasser Fawzy, head of National Centre for Planning Land Uses.

The prime minister also spoke of current discussions with some international consultancy firms on preparing a detailed master plan for the area. “The idea is simple, we want to know your suggestions on how to develop these key tourist attractions,” Madbouly said.

Governor Adel El-Najjar explained more about the existent opportunities for plots of investment in the investment zone of the governorate many of which are strategic around the Pyramids and the Grand Museum.

These plots will be real estate offered to those interested in investing in tourism. According to Hossam El-Shaer, the Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Chambers Federation, tourist arrival numbers are expected to increase after the Grand Egyptian Museum is opened. He underlined the necessity of the new hotel rooms and disclosed detailed plansEgyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly convened a meeting to for the region’s tourism development.

Also in the same interview, El-Shaer pointed out that it is crucial to upgrade the area of this valley for tourism attractiveness; the local people of Nazlet El-Samman would graciously donate money for such developments as they anticipate the improvement will directly impact them through extra revenue sources.

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