#of course they are blue green and red according to tradition

[beastlyanachronism]

Three starter pokémon called Wyrd, Eksell and Powerpoynt

[trinity-mia]

a story as endless as the ocean

the lightning thief

2.1 the beginning of the end

warnings : betrayal, monster attack... more or less, allie gets a little angry, probs some cussing

word count : 4.8k

2.1 The Completed Prophecy Brings Forth a New Set of Challenges and Stress

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke's own quest, so of course, everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Luke's shroud was metallic white and emerald green, with a pair of winged sneakers on the front. It gave off a weird reptilian scent while it burned.

Being the daughter of Poseidon, I didn't have any cabin mates, so my friends had all volunteered to work together to make my shroud. It was absolutely beautiful, made of long sea green silk and embroidered with a golden trident. Silena cried in dismay when we burned it, though for the rest of us it was fun to burn them, in a very morbid kind of way. Like I was sticking up my finger at everyone who thought I would fail in quest, including myself.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, I was surrounded by all of my friends and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."

Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get herself killed and now she'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday..."

I moved all of my stuff from home into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely anymore. My car was parked right on the road near Camp Half-Blood. At first, Chiron didn't want it out there, just in case a monster or something got to it, but I convinced him I didn't care if it got damaged and if it was inside camp borders the Stoll Brothers would probably do much more damage than a monster. 

I had my friends to hang with during the day, and Luke regularly snuck into my room to sleep in my bed with me. Though, I would be shocked if Chiron didn't know he'd been doing it since we got back. At first, it wasn't every night, but every so often one of us would get a nightmare and he'd be knocking at my door. When he realized that he couldn't always just guess whenever I'd have a nightmare and also couldn't just sneak into the Hermes cabin, we'd silently decided to make it an every night thing. We'd gotten used to being together during our quest, so being apart was weird. I got up at five every morning, anyway, so it's not like anyone ever caught us.

I spoke with Chiron, and agreed to stay year-round, but I would have permission to go on little trips outside. Apparently, it was an allowance given to children of Poseidon, as otherwise, we tended to go stir-crazy and run away after destroying something. So, while I would live mostly at camp, I would be able to leave and go to Columbia on the days I had to and I'd get to visit my East Hampton beach house whenever I wanted since it was only half an hour away.

As much as I loved Camp, it was still a huge relief to have that safety net available. I don't think I could cope with being in one place constantly, even this place.

On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles.

According to Luke, who'd seen the show several times before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.

As Luke and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks, he'd started to look older, almost collage age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his Rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

"I'm off," he said, shifting slightly. "I just came to say... well, you know."

I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was one of my oldest real friends.

I gave him a tight hug and reminded him to keep his fake feet on, thinking of how they had fallen off on the train while Luke asked him where he was going to search first.

"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."

"We understand," I assured him. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"

"Yeah."

"And you remembered your reed pipes?" I pressed.

"Jeez, Allie," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."

But he didn't really sound annoyed.

He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway— nothing like the little runty boy I used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.

"Well," he said with a small smile. "Wish me luck."

I gave him a tight hug. He and Luke clapped each other on the shoulders, then headed back through the dunes. I watched him go through misty eyes.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington crossing the Delaware.

"Hey, Grover," I called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

"Wherever you're going, I hope they make good enchiladas."

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

"We'll see him again," Luke told me, pulling me into a side hug.

I tried to believe it. The fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years... Well, I decided not to think about that. Grover would be the first. He had to be.

The summer passed.

I spent my days in camp devising new strategies for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares' hands. Clarisse and I started a friendly, but vicious, rivalry over it. I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava.

From time to time, I'd walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle. I tried to convince myself that its prophecy had come to completion.

You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades.

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades' dark head.

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend.

That line still bothered me. Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed me. That must have been what the Oracle meant even though it didn't quite fit...

And the last one.

And it shall begin, in the end.

Surely, it meant my fight with Ares? I wasn't arrogant enough to claim it was anything close to a war or anything of the sort, but I couldn't think of another option. The quest was over, so the prophecy should be complete. And Chiron had said that the Oracle's words often didn't make sense, anyway.

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.

The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads.

I got my own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer, I was glad the firelight covered my blushing. The design was a simple pitch black bead, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced, grinning at me cheekily. "This bead commemorates the first Daughter of the Sea God, and the quest that she undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year.

The next morning, I went to do some training and get myself out of the way while everyone was packing themselves into the camp shuttle. Of my friends, Luke, Silena, Beckendorf and the Stolls were all staying. Beckendorf's mother was dead, Silena only visited her father rarely for a reason she didn't share and I didn't push for, though she obviously adored him, and the Stolls' mother was a heavily devout Christian who kicked them out for 'converting to paganism.'

I had said goodbye to the others last night, and I didn't want to do so again and get upset at them leaving. Especially as my mind had continuously wandered to the fact that if Mom were still alive, I'd be leaving as well.

Instead, I lost myself in the rhythm of practice. Sword-fighting seemed as natural as breathing to me, and by the time a throat clearing interrupted me, I had decimated the training dummies completely. At least they'd be replaced in a few days anyway.

The person standing at the entrance to the arena shocked me.

"Annabeth," I stated in surprise, sweeping some loose hair out of my face and behind my ear again. "What— uh, did you want to do some training or something? I can go."

"No," she shook her head, stepping closer to me. "I actually wanted to talk to you. Bury the hatchet, you know? For Luke's sake."

That completely shocked me, but I was willing to go along with it if she was serious. I'd seen the unhappiness Luke felt at how Annabeth and I seemed to be constantly at odds with each other. Though, I had nothing to do with it, and everyone knew I just defended myself in whatever way was necessary.

"Sure," I agreed slowly. "Here, or—?"

She shook her head, gold curls bouncing. "No, here's not really the place for heart-to-hearts, you know? Follow me, I know a good place to talk."

I turned Riptide back into its necklace form and Shaker into bracelet form and trailed after her as we made our way to the creek and sat down near where I was almost mauled by that hellhound.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked with a look of innocence that was definitely fake on her face. Her eyes were too wide, and I suddenly wished that I could get my sword out more subtly. My instincts were screaming at me, and suddenly it just clicked.

The thief hadn't been found, only Ares and the Crooked Lord. And now I knew why the prophecy had been bothering me so much despite the quest being officially over. It wouldn't really be over until the thief was caught.

"You're the one who took the Bolt," I accused quietly. "Aren't you?"

She laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Well, well, maybe you're not such a seaweed brain after all. Yes, I took the stupid Bolt." Her expression twisted bitterly as she spoke. She didn't look at all like a twelve-year-old girl, and from the look in her eyes, I had no doubt that she wanted to kill me. "I saw a lot out there in the world, Allie," she said. "I ran away from my idiotic father and his wife and kids when I was seven and I saw the reality of the world. Didn't you feel it, the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics, being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."

"You're psychotic," I scoffed back. "In case you haven't realized, without gods, there would be no demigods. It's in the damn word! We need each other!"

She glared, and I could tell that hadn't occurred to her before. Stupid, especially of a supposed child of the wisdom goddess, but I guess that wisdom and common sense don't necessarily go hand-in-hand.

She clicked her fingers instead of answering. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.

I started to go for my necklace.

"I wouldn't," Annabeth warned me with a cruel smile. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."

"You're as crazy as Ares."

Her eyes flared violently. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Allie, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."

The scorpion crawled onto my leg.

There had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think.

"Kronos," I stated. "That's who you serve."

The air got colder.

"You should be more careful with names," Annabeth warned me.

"Kronos," I put a lot of emphasis on his name, "got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."

Annabeth's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Allie. You should have listened to him. You might have survived."

"He's brainwashing you, Annabeth. You'd think a child of the wisdom goddess would be able to see that."

"You're wrong!" Annabeth shrieked. "He showed me that my talents are being wasted. I've been here for years, since I was seven! I'm better at fighting and thinking than anyone else in this worthless camp, and yet I've never been allowed to leave except to visit my useless mortal father! It's not fair! I should've been given a quest! I'm better than all of them!"

"You're a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum," I spat back, furious. "And you're going to break Luke's heart!"

"Don't talk to me about Luke!" she snarled. "Do you know how he got that scar on his face? Hermes sent him to steal apples from the Garden of Hesperides, a quest that's been done already! Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. His heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden nearly killed him, and I knew I had to get justice for him and Thalia. They deserved better than what the gods gave them, the only truly good people in this world. Even Chiron is so blinded by the gods that there's no hope for him. He'd let us all die if they ordered it. He doesn't really care, he just pretends that he does. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to strike– a worthwhile strike– against the gods, to take something that no hero had ever had the courage to take."

I shook my head and tried to interrupt, but she was on a roll, too in her own mind to listen to me. 

"When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I put on my cap and I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus' master bolt right from his chair. Hades' helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was, and I'm not even one of Hermes' children. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."

The scorpion was sitting on my knee now, staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried to keep my voice level, and to keep my worry hidden. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"

Annabeth's smile wavered. "I... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt, Artemis, Apollo, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have out-witted him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos' voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence."

Then she got such a haunted look on her face that I would've felt bad for her if she hadn't put me in the tough spot I was in— it was the same way I looked after a particularly bad confrontation with Gabe. 

"Afterward, the Lord of the Titans... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way, from Ares down to Tartarus."

"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."

"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."

"The backpack was cursed," I said. "It was supposed to drag me and the bolt into Tartarus."

"And it would have, if you'd been wearing it. But you gave it to Luke, which screwed everything up. Luke was never supposed to get hurt." Annabeth looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on my thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Allie. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."

"Thalia gave her life to save you," I said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"

"Don't talk about Thalia!" she shrieked. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."

"You're being used, Annabeth. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."

"I've been used?" Annabeth's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest, the ones who serve him."

"Call off the bug," I demanded. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself."

Annabeth smiled, a light of insanity in her gray eyes. "Nice try, Allie. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."

"Annabeth—"

"Good-bye, Allie. There's a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."

She turned and strode away, and I saw the silhouette of someone join her. 

For one horrifying second, I thought it was Luke. My heart dropped. 

It wasn't Luke. It was Cody. 

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend. 

The words echoed around my head like an alarm, bouncing around every part of my brain until I couldn't deny it anymore. I opened my mouth to say something to him, but he simply strode away after Annabeth. 

And there was nothing I could do to stop them, because the minute he turned, the scorpion lunged.

I swatted it away with my hand and summoned Riptide. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in mid-air.

I was about to go racing after the two traitors until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The damn thing had gotten me after all. I always hated bugs.

My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought dizzily, hearing the noise of the creek nearby. It healed me before.

I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand. It was working, but not fast enough. I'd be dead long before the water fully healed me. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.

Sixty seconds, Annabeth had told me.

I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster. Nobody would ever know what had happened, they wouldn't know about Annabeth and Cody's treachery. They would be completely vulnerable to the two.

My legs felt like lead. My years of athletics kept my stamina going, just enough to keep me alive. My forehead was burning. I stumbled toward the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.

"Help," I croaked. "Please..."

Two of them took my arms, pulling me along. I dimly remember making it to the clearing, a counselor shouting for help, Chiron blowing a conch horn urgently. Then everything went black.

I woke with a drinking straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like liquid chocolate-chip cookies. Nectar.

I opened my eyes and looked around weakly. I was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, my right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Luke sat next to me, holding my nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on my forehead.

"Anyone else got deja vu?" I asked with a weak smile at him.

"That's not funny," Luke answered, looking shaky, the vein in his forehead popping. "You were bleeding from your eyes and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing..."

"Now, now," Chiron's voice chided. "Allie's constitution deserves some of the credit for her survival. She ran through most of the forest with no help, while dying of poison."

He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I hadn't noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half was dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

Between sips of nectar, I told them the story.

The room was quiet for a long time.

"We have to hunt them down," Luke said tightly. "I knew something was up when everyone was accounted for except for the two of them."

He was pushing his pain aside to focus on the problem at hand, but I could see the anguish in his eyes at his surrogate little sister's betrayal. Annabeth had been a mix of sister, daughter, and friend to him. I couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling right then.

"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured in reply. "I will go at once."

"Zeus has declared the matter of Kronos closed," I pointed out tightly. "We need to do this ourselves, preferably before the Titans are walking the earth again!"

"Allie, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."

I didn't like it, but I knew that Chiron was right. One look at my hand, and I knew I wasn't going to be sword fighting with both swords for at least a few days.

"Chiron... the prophecy, the one about the child of one of the Big Three... is it, I mean—"

Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Allie, it isn't my place—"

My eyes narrowed. "You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"

His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great heroine, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..."

Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.

"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Allie. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."

"We can't just sit back and do nothing," I protested.

"We will not sit back," Chiron promised me. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."

"Assuming I live that long, you mean?" I spat scornfully. 

"You will," Luke promised darkly. "You're staying, aren't you? I'll make sure of it, Angel, I swear on the River Styx that I'll—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," I said threateningly. 

His expression didn't change and even though he didn't say it out loud, he finished it in his head. It wasn't a complete binding, but he didn't need that. 

"That would have been foolish," Chiron sighed tiredly. "Don't go around making promises like that, Luke, you know better. Rest now, both of you. I must go and speak to the gods."

I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told me there would be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."

I watched him leave, then turned to Luke. "Help me up. I want to go outside."

"Angel, that isn't a good idea."

I ignored him and slid my legs out of bed. Luke caught me before I could crumple to the floor. A wave of nausea rolled over me.

"I told you so," Luke grumbled, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and grasping my waist to support me.

"I'm fine," I insisted. I didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Annabeth and Cody were out there planning to destroy the Western world.

I managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Luke. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance.

By the time we reached the porch, my face was beaded with sweat. My stomach had twisted into knots and I felt like I was going to faint. But I had managed to make it all the way to the railing.

It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the waters of Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.

"What are you going to do?" Luke asked me.

I shrugged helplessly at that. "I don't know." Without looking at him, I reached out to clasp his hand gently. "I'm sorry about Annabeth."

He swallowed loudly. "I am too," he muttered gruffly. 

We were quiet after that, and I pretended I didn't see the tears trickling down his face as he stared wistfully at Thalia's pine tree. I pulled him into a hug and though he was still very much so holding me up, in that moment, I was his lifeline.

We stayed like that until we went to bed at curfew. As we entered my cabin that night, I felt the pressure settle itself around my shoulders like I was suddenly carrying the weight of the world on them. A child of the Big Three would save or destroy the world. And I was the only open candidate for the position.

*    *    *

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SERIES M.LIST | MAIN M.LIST | TIPS

[mysticalibra1994]

Sonic Prime Multi-Sonic AU (No Place: Emerald Eye)

So, I'm not really sure if anyone remembers my theory/headcanon on "What if there was a 'Sonic' in each Shatterverse that took place before the shattering?", but here's one that I kept in my folder after rewatching Sonic Prime (when Dread makes his first appearance) and noticing how "buddy-buddy" Dread was with Sonic; almost as if they've met a long time ago...

TW: Contains character death, gruesome detail(s), Pirate speak, yaoi kiss (if you have a problem with that, then don't read). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Setting: No Place. Dread, Emerald Eye, and the crew follow a red-mark trail. Emerald Eye overhears the crew speaking ill of Dread.]

Emerald Eye: Um, no offense, me bucko. But, be ye sure ye be knowin' whar we're headed? Dread: Of course, I do. Th' ground be marked like th' map! Emerald Eye: Alright, if ye say so…

[Suddenly, Emerald Eye noticed something below Dread's footing snapped. It's a trap! Before Dread could even react, Emerald Eye pushed him out of the way as a bolt of blue lightning struck the blue pirate through the chest. The rest of the crew was blown back. As the smoke slowly settles, Dread witnessed a horrid scene… Emerald Eye's chest is now harboring a medium-sized burnt crater that's all black and smokey. Smaller scars are going through his charred body. His one good eye is now bulging a bit with veins that pulsated. His signature "emerald-green" eye is now a lifeless dull shade of burnt moss… Dread couldn't believe it, his one and only is dead. His one and only took the shot that was meant for him. All he could do was to shakely embrace his beloved, one last time…]

Dread: *thinking* His chest be warm, but his body's cold… Crew member 1: Dread… Ye keel-hauled that scurvy dog?! But, he were bein' yer beloved! Crew member 2: How could ye do this? Bunny Bones: Traditionally, when a Cap'n dies, their second-in-command becomes Cap'n. But, who will e'er trust ye?

[Dread is now too devastated to answer. But, suddenly, an idea comes across his mind! The Devil's Lighthouse… According to legend, the power of the Devil's Lighthouse can bring a person back from the dead with only scars to tell the tale of their survival.]

Dread: What has happened can't be ignored. But, I've got an idea! All we need be t' get th' Glowin' Gemstone a- Jack: Be ye serious?! Our Cap'n visited Davy Jones' Locker savin' ye, but all ye care about be some giant rock?! How selfish can one Corsair get?

[Taken aback by this, Dread understood the traditions and this unfortunate circumstance. So, as he took off, he quickly grabbed Emerald Eye, his Captain hat, and continued his way to the other side of the island.]

Dread: *looks behind him* It appears to be that we lost them, I'll warrant ye. *looks down to Emerald Eye's body* Oh, me beloved… *cradles it gently* Ye knew th' blast were bein' meant fer me, why would ye take it instead? *tearing up a bit* Now, our crew thinks that I should've been poxed! *looks down, sadly nuzzles Emerald Eye's face* Ah, I can't stay mad at ye. Because o' ye, I've ne'er felt lonely out in open waters. Due t' yer inability t' not swim, I've always been by yer side. *gently placed Emerald Eye down as he gently kissed his forehead* I'm not really good at sayin' "goodbyes", but ye've made me life an adventure. *sadly part ways with their last lip-kiss*

[After saying a small, yet important, prayer, Dread digs a hole deep enough for Emerald Eye to forever rest in and keep his hat as a tragic keepsake. As he got up, he noticed a rowboat that both looked and felt sturdy enough for him to set sail. For what seemed like forever, Dread was growing concerned about losing his rations. He was about to give up hope, until…]

Sails: *offscreen* Avast there, scurvy dog! Dread: *looks up to see a ship* Black Rose: Be ye alright? Batten Rouge: We have more than enough grub and plenty o' juice and water from coconuts! Dread: *taken aback by this kindness* Uh, yeah! Thanks, to be sure! Can ye help me up onto yer ship? Black Rose: Of course, we want ye t' join us! Sails: Th' more, th' merrier! Batten Rouge: Plus, we've always wanted a Cap'n! Dread: Wait, me? A Cap'n? What makes ye think that I'm a Cap'n? Black Rose: Well, ye have a hat like a Cap'n. Sails: Nobody on our boat has one. Batten Rouge: I believe that's it.

[Dread was afraid to tell them the truth. But, he's also afraid to be a captain. After taking a deep breath to calm the nerves…]

Dread: Well, ye're correct, me buckos! I be Cap'n! But, not just any Cap'n… Yer Cap'n! Sails: This calls fer a celebration! Black Rose: Three cheers fer our new Cap'n! Dread's new crew: Hip hip, hooray! Hip hip, hooray! Hip hip, hooray!

[As Dread's new crew parties until the sun goes down, the Echidna sadly looks up at the premature stars, forlornly thinking about his one true beloved. Wondering what Emerald Eye would say or even think of him now...] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, I'm not that good at "Pirate lingo", so I had to use various websites to translate as correctly as it appeared.

For the next one(s), it'll either be Boscage or New Yoke.

Fun fact: During the era of pirates, women weren't allowed to be on the same ship with them. So, it was common practice for men to sleep together. This means that they can explore other things than treasure...

[fishrpg]

2024-09-22: Episode 22 (Bounty Of The Sea)

Original Airdate November 25, 1992

Episode Synopsis

SynCorp hires a celebrity chef from Italy, Marco Garibaldi, to cater a large event for its employees at the Plymouth Hotel. The main course of the event is a spread of caviar produced by the last of a species, and it is extracted by wrestling the captive fish. Dr. Beeker gets word of a nearly-extinct fish being used for food and asks the gang to intervene. Can the gang sneak their way into hotel, rescue the fish, and get them all the way to the ocean before SynCorp can catch up?

Episode Sponsor: Dream Zone

Sleep in style with our patented quick assembly system that lets you turn any bed into a Dream Zone that looks like anything your imagination can create! Of course, there were some caveats to that promise. The product used tongue and groove panels in a variety of standardized sizes that locked together without needing any nails. Using a paper template the company provided in its catalog, a customer could specify what areas of the panel needed to be cut out and how it needed to be colored. Only ten possible colors could be used in the design (black, white, red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, pink, and brown), but it was an otherwise successful product.

Notable Episode Feature: Turkey Time! (Encounter)

Due to this episode's scheduled airdate being the day before Thanksgiving in the US, the episode's original plot was all about the (Americanized) meaning of Thanksgiving. However, the plot was changed at the last minute because US Thanksgiving traditions didn't have appeal in international markets. Many of the episode backgrounds and some scene were already completed according to the original Thanksgiving episode, and some of these fragments were reused, even when it didn't quite make sense for the broader context of the revised plot.

Every 10 minutes of play time, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1, a turkey appears in the scene. After 10 minutes, the turkey disappears unless the subsequent rolls indicate the presence of a turkey. When the turkey appears, roll 1d4 and consult the table below to see how it manifests.

One of the characters is holding a turkey. During this scene, the turkey cannot under any circumstances be set down. While holding the turkey, a character cannot use their hands. The turkey does not want to be held, and it can be passed to another party member to allow a character to use their hands.

There's a turkey following the party, and it's dressed in a little pilgrim hat. Every NPC who sees the turkey for the first time must loudly exclaim how cute the turkey is, drawing attention to the party. Especially if the scene is supposed to be quiet or stealthy.

A catering cart appears. The cart's top and sides are covered in white cloth, and can hide up to two Medium creatures inside. The cart carries four covered metal platters. Each platter holds a delicious and aromatic roast turkey that nearby people and animals will be able to smell.

Milton, a teenager in a turkey costume, accompanies the party. He's only doing this to earn a little extra money, and behaves as if he's always been with the party (a consequence of the episode's poor continuity). Milton refuses to fight, but will agree to act as a decoy as long as he is always within 100 meters of the party and able to see at least one party member. Because Milton is a character from a different continuity, he can be asked to do tasks "off camera" when he disappears. The next time Milton appears, the task will have been completed. Milton's tasks do not progress incrementally, and remain incomplete until he reappears.

[cookss]

Best 9 Navratri Fashion Tips for Celebrating in Vibrant Colors

Best 9 Navratri Fashion Tips for Celebrating in Vibrant Colors

Introduction:

Navratri, the nine-night festival dedicated to the nine forms of Goddess Durga, is not just a spiritual journey but a vibrant celebration of culture, tradition, and of course, fashion. As each night is represented by a specific color, embodying various virtues and energies of the Goddess, dressing according to these colors can add a meaningful layer to the festivities’’ Best.9 Navratri Fashion Trip For Celebrating In Vibrant Colors"The Feel Good Moments," a beacon for lifestyle and cultural celebration, presents nine fashion tips to make your Navratri celebration as radiant as the colors themselves.

1. Day 1: Royal Red - The Color of Action and Vigor

The festival commences with a powerful red, symbolizing action, vigor, and warmth. Embrace the energy of this day with traditional sarees or lehengas adorned with gold embellishments. Men can opt for red kurta sets complemented by gold accessories. Don’t shy away from bold red lips and statement gold jewelry.

2. Day 2: Fiery Orange - The Hue of Optimism

Orange represents happiness, enthusiasm, and creativity. Light up the second day with flowy orange Anarkali suits or sherwanis. Accessorize with turquoise jewelry to create a stunning contrast, capturing the spirit of joy and celebration.

3. Day 3: Sunny Yellow - The Color of New Beginnings

Yellow, the color of sunshine, signifies new beginnings and happiness. A vibrant yellow ghagra choli or dhoti kurta can perfectly embody the day's cheerful essence. Complement these outfits with pearl accessories for a touch of elegance.

4. Day 4: Green - The Emblem of Harmony

Green symbolizes nature, growth, and harmony. Embrace this color with silk sarees or embroidered kurtas. Accentuate your look with silver or oxidized jewelry to highlight the color’s freshness and vitality.

5. Day 5: Sky Blue - The Color of Tranquility

Sky blue reflects tranquility, strength, and the beauty of the vast sky. Soft blue sarees or chikan kurtas can mirror the serene vibes of this day. Pair these with white or silver accessories for a calm, collected look.

6. Day 6: Indigo - The Deep Mystery

Indigo represents the depth of the universe and the power of intuition. Dress in indigo ethnic wear with intricate patterns or prints. Accessorize with gold to illuminate the indigo's depth, adding a layer of mystique to your ensemble.

7. Day 7: Vibrant Violet - The Aura of Ambition

Violet is known for its beauty and ambition. A violet lehenga with mirror work or a silk kurta can reflect the day's ambitious spirit. Opt for minimalist accessories to let the outfit stand out.

8. Day 8: Peacock Green - The Splendor of Nature

Peacock green, a symbol of uniqueness and beauty, calls for outfits that stand out. Embellished sarees or velvet kurtas in this shade can create a look of splendor. Pair with peacock-inspired jewelry to celebrate this vibrant day.

9. Day 9: Pink - The Promise of Hope

The festival concludes with pink, a color that represents hope and fresh starts. Choose light pink sarees or sherwanis with floral motifs to embody the rejuvenating spirit of the final day. Crystal jewelry can add a touch of sparkle to your hopeful outlook.

Conclusion:

Navratri is a festival of divine femininity, vibrant celebrations, and, undeniably, a showcase of cultural fashion. "The Feel Good Moments" invites you to embrace the spirit of Navratri with these nine fashion tips, celebrating each day in hues that reflect the goddess's virtues. Remember, it's not just about the outfits but the spirit you imbibe and the traditions you honor. Let this Navratri be a canvas for your fashion expressions, painted in the vibrant colors of devotion, joy, and celebration.

[indigoprintedkurti]

What factors to remember when buying Eid dresses?

Eid Mubarakh Shoppers! When you’re all set to celebrate this year’s Eid then fashionista women shouldn’t be asked to go out shopping! Rather they find it their holy duty to take a quick tour of the grand shopping malls displaying the trending Eid collection consisting of special ethnic kurtis for women, salwar kameez, or dresses designed with sheer taste and class.

Whether you’re off to shop the best Eid special Asian dress collection at any retail store or online, there are a few factors that must be followed to present yourself to be the most fashionable and gorgeous lady at the Eid party you are about to attend. 

Here, check out the pointers below before you off to shop for this year’s Eid—

Ideal Eid Dresses

During Eid, the most pious occasion for the Muslim community, women prefer wearing a traditional dress particularly a Sharara suit dress or a Salwar Kameez suit for observing the religious ceremony. Fashion-conscious men and women prefer to choose a white dress for prayer which is specifically white and a colorful dress for the evening party or the Iftaar celebration. Buy ethnic long skirts online with a beautifully embroidered silk top and dupatta to complement your Iftaar evening wear. Whichever dress you collect, make sure it goes well with the occasion. Whether you live in your country or abroad, choosing an ideal Eid outfit will bring you closer to your people and your soil.

Shop according to your body shape & skin tone

When you are off to shop for Eid the shopping malls or the online fashion stores are not going to disappoint you with a limited fashionable dress collection. However, if you wish to flaunt your beauty and desire to be the showstopper of the party then choose the dress that will look lovely according to your body shape and of course your skin tone. 

Gone are the days when people used to pick royal blue, bottle green, jazzy maroon, and red as their Iftaar wear. Choose the light peach or pink toned, aesthetically designed with embroidered sequins which will make your figure look amazing. 

Consider trending fashion 

Go through the fashion blogs or watch the latest Indian or Pakistani movies from where you can learn about the trending Asian dresses that you can wear this Eid. For the pious Ramadan prayers, buy an indigo kurta with a white palazzo and a white dupatta while attending the prayers at the mosques. The YouTube blogs shared by fashion icons can help you understand more about the shifting trends during the Holy Season.

 A reputed online fashion store

Picka renowned online store for shopping the best dresses in the UK, USA, Australia, or anywhere else where you’re located. They keep an uncompromising attitude for maintaining their product quality and can also ensure customers with designer clothes.

Top ecommerce stores give international buyers the option to purchase cotton bagru print suits online to heavy-worked embroidered kurtas, lehengas, and other ethnic wear for Eid and various other occasions.

Get your website ranked by one of the leading SEO agencies in Delhi and receive a free PCC audit from PPC Consultants.

[bigbloatedblueberry]

ACT 02 | ACCUSTOMED CONTRACTIONS WATER – A STEALTH ELEMENTARY ELEMENT OF ORLANDO’S CORPUS – FLOWINGLY ENTERS WITH SINGING TORCHED STRINGS

[singing torched steps approaching they just never stop someone, who cannot stand neither left nor right of air, shakes a musical main hand of the same to the again right side of the, from the public’s perspective, unseen part of the stage stillness follows how come? well, there cannot be real stillness anyway] LIGHT! [which one? well, of course the kind of azure that looks sometimes purple sometimes smaragd one you mean the one that feels vibrating? YES got it]

[commentator – sun // narrator – moon] A for sure not fixed new spot somewhere once near once far from AIR, still on the completely otherwise blackened stage of this meteoric parliamentary circularly spectacular kind of in between place got lighted! Color? An ivorian mixture of diverse azurenesses, the ones that although being truly and deeply blue, do sometimes pass like a kind of green redness – or other. Has the sound of forests flying freely on the perimeter. A persona stands there. Lighted yet in shadow. One cannot make out any specific facial features – the persona fashions constant motion. Well, never mind. According to one’s ears, the standing in standing persona seems ready and precisely not in need of a definition. One can say so according to the width of the personas’ fingers, always combined with the length of the all-around zigzag thrown but not landed songs. This is, after all, a well-known truth, a one, that can only itself be true in the case where an efficient troublemaker stands by a liquidly located revolutionary and an introvert expressionist weaving a passionate mind, like this not defined one, we all find ourselves today morning.

[water] In the first place, the boundaries set for us inevitably contract. [7] A linear questionary, being held by an analytical wanderer, might slip into a left-oriented clock of a supposed feeling. By doing so, against discourses that situate human cultures in pastoral fields, enclosed gardens or teeming cities, the blue humanities pose the sailor and the swimmer as representative figures, each differently threatened by and attuned to an inhospitable fluid environment. [8] An accustomed wrecker bumps into a circular missionary in between a specifically not traditional ancient dance of a designed thief against a solid seer. With a curious blend of naivety and cunning, the learned promoters of such movements always express the conviction that their claims are of an irrefutably scientific nature, while at the same time ignoring the questions raised by all such claims to scientific status, and especially the question of the justification for assigning priority to what is known or seen over what is lived. [9]

[commentator – sun // narrator – moon] Well, in that case, we can today morning also accept the fact that the question of the justification is indeed a matter of vertical perspective and, thus, urges as to further float with this spectacle. After all, the second of the 4 was just gifted to you, dear private public of this meteoric parliamentary circularly spectacular kind of in between place.

[samyakkclothingonline]

A wedding lehenga is a significant element of a traditional Indian wedding. It is the most important outfit for a bride, and the right lehenga can amplify the elegance and charm of a bride. So, starting from the hairstyle to the makeup to the wedding lehenga and the glow she carries is absolutely unbelievable and worth watching! With the current innovations and changing trends, it becomes mind-numbing when choosing the ultimate wedding lehenga, and here we are to help you to make it suitable for you to choose from some of the latest bridal lehengas! Because Red is The Colour For a Bride!

When you hear the phrase wedding lehenga," the first thing that comes to your mind is the red wedding lehenga. This magnificent creation has the timeless beauty of traditions and art emerging from every inch of the attire. According to our culture, the red colour is an auspicious hue and signifies new beginnings, passion, prosperity, and also feminine power.

Going for Pastels? 

Indian weddings saw a huge increase in pastel hues because of their soft and delicate appearance. Pastel shades like blush pink, lilac, mint blue, powder blue, mint green, and

lavender are some of the most dreamlike and romantic colours to adorn on a wedding day. These shades give you a sophisticated and elegant feel as well as comfort and versatility. The classic golden wedding lehenga! Kick-start your wedding by taking a golden lehenga as they are classy, subtle, and totally regal. The sheen of the golden wedding lehenga needs fewer accessories ideally, but when done right and it can make you look like the Goddess. Brand Samyakk has largely made its name well known in a course of time all over the globe that one can effortlessly shop your favorite wedding lehenga in enticing hues and mesmerizing embroidery work from across the world and doubtlessly get your best outfit shipped, worldwide. We the team "Samyakk" endeavour to bring you the best collections hat will definitely steal your heart.

[ramadoodles]

We're back on the painting deep dive train!

Today we're tackling (drumroll please)

Parade de cirque.

It was made by Georges Seurat in 1888, but before we memorize all that, let's all take a moment to admire this painting:

Look at that beauty, she's just so symmetric! I really like the vertical and horizontal lines going on here, and the halos around all the characters.

I'm especially interested in all the lamps in the painting- they look like they've got 2 colours visible there, blue-white and reddish-yellow. It's super hard to keep both of those colours so separate and so vivid, but then this is not just any painting- this is a Pointillist painting, made by the literal Father of Pointillism.

Along with Pointillism, Georges Seurat was also the inventor of Divisionism- Pointillism is, of course, a technique by which paint was dotted onto the canvas rather than being painted in strokes, and Divisionism is the practice of painting the constituents of a colour rather than the colour itself- e.g. painting red and blue dots next to each other in place of purple.

So in a Divisionist painting, you'd see shadow on a purple cloth being portrayed by a mix of purple and blueish dots. E.g. the man standing on the right side in the painting.

Fun fact (And slightly different tangent): A form of Divisionism is used in computer monitors! Each pixel is comprised of 3 phosphors, red, green and blue. When the pixel gets the information about what colour it should portray, the phosphors are lit to the appropriate intensity, and this can produce any colour within the RGB spectrum! Here's a link to learn more.

Back on topic: The way that Seurat's used a mix of blue-white and red-yellow dots in his lamps tricks your eye into thinking that the same area has a blue-white and red-yellow aura. That's really hard for me to do with traditional painting methods, but with pointillism it becomes really easy (and has the extra benefit of keeping the colours at a higher intensity! because rather than seeing a mix of white and yellow, your eye is seeing pure white and bright yellow separately and combining the colours in your brain.)

One factor that might have struck you, if you knew a small bit about Seurat, is that it's not exactly the "riverbanks of paris" style of painting that he's most well-known for. References attached below:

These paintings, and most of his pop-culture famous ones, have very neutral and natural colour palettes, whereas Parade de Cirque is oversaturated- the white shirts have turned blue, and the flesh-toned faces have turned orange. But then, according to the wise folks over at Wikipedia, this is not merely an artistic choice, but an error in how we are viewing this painting.

A 1990 examination of Circus Sideshow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art laboratory under light similar in color to that given off by gas lamps, revealed an "extraordinary transformation", writes art historian Robert Herbert: "Under the colored light the faces of the figures on the platform no longer appeared unnaturally orange but flesh color, the shadows on the trombonist and on the spectators were no longer bright ultramarine blue but black, and the entire painting glowed as if it were lit from behind, which, of course, is precisely the effect of contre-lumiere on which Seurat predicated the picture."

So could it be that we're viewing this painting incorrectly all this time? I don't have access to a gas lamp, but I popped a filter of the approximate colour over the painting to see what it would look like. Personally speaking, I'm not totally sold on the gas lamp idea, but I invite you all to judge for yourselves.

That's all for today, folks!

[libramonthlyhoroscope1]

What is fauvism

Fauvism, style of painting that flourished in France around the turn of the 20th century. Fauve artists used pure, brilliant colour aggressively applied straight from the paint tubes to create a sense of an explosion on the canvas.

What is fauvism

The Fauves painted directly from nature, as the Impressionists had before them, but Fauvist works were invested with a strong expressive reaction to the subjects portrayed. First formally exhibited in Paris in 1905, Fauvist paintings shocked visitors to the annual Salon d’Automne; one of these visitors was the critic Louis Vauxcelles, who, because of the violence of their works, dubbed the painters fauves (“wild beasts”).

The leader of the group was Henri Matisse, who had arrived at the Fauve style after experimenting with the various Post-Impressionist approaches of Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Georges Seurat. Matisse’s studies led him to reject traditional renderings of three-dimensional space and to seek instead a new picture space defined by movement of colour. He exhibited his famous Woman with the Hat (1905) at the 1905 exhibition. In this painting, brisk strokes of colour—blues, greens, and reds—form an energetic, expressive view of the woman. The crude paint application, which left areas of raw canvas exposed, was appalling to viewers at the time.

The other major Fauvists were André Derain, who had attended school with Matisse in 1898–99, and Maurice de Vlaminck, who was Derain’s friend. They shared Matisse’s interest in the expressive function of colour in painting, and they first exhibited together in 1905. Derain’s Fauvist paintings translate every tone of a landscape into pure colour, which he applied with short, forceful brushstrokes. The agitated swirls of intense colour in Vlaminck’s works are indebted to the expressive power of van Gogh.Three young painters from Le Havre, France, were also influenced by Matisse’s bold and vibrant work. Othon Friesz found the emotional connotations of the bright Fauve colours a relief from the mediocre Impressionism he had practiced; Raoul Dufy developed a carefree ornamental version of the bold style; and Georges Braque created a definite sense of rhythm and structure out of small spots of colour, foreshadowing his development of Cubism. Albert Marquet, Matisse’s fellow student at the École des Beaux-Arts in the 1890s, also participated in Fauvism, as did the Dutchman Kees van Dongen, who applied the style to depictions of fashionable Parisian society. Other painters associated with the Fauves were Georges Rouault, Henri Manguin, Charles Camoin, and Jean Puy.

For most of these artists, Fauvism was a transitional, learning stage. By 1908 a revived interest in Paul Cézanne’s vision of the order and structure of nature had led many of them to reject the turbulent emotionalism of Fauvism in favour of the logic of Cubism. Matisse alone pursued the course he had pioneered, achieving a sophisticated balance between his own emotions and the world he painted.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko.

Salon d’Automne

The Salon d’Automne was established as an alternative to the conservative official Salon. It was also an alternative to the Salon des Indépendants, which was liberal but had a juryless policy that often led to mediocrity. The founders of the Salon d’Automne were a group of artists and poets that included Eugène Carrière, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georges Rouault, Édouard Vuillard, Joris-Karl Huysmans, and Émile Verhaeren, under the leadership of the architect Frantz Jourdain. They decided to form their own organization with the aims of welcoming any artist who wished to join, selecting a jury for exhibitions by drawing straws from the new group’s membership, and giving the decorative arts the same respect accorded the fine arts.

The first Salon d’Automne was held on October 31, 1903, at the Petit-Palais. The organizers chose autumn as the time of year for their shows because most other exhibits in Paris took place in the spring and summer. The venue was a significant force in the development of modern art in Europe. Early salons included retrospective exhibits of Post-Impressionist painters Paul Gauguin (1903 and 1906) and Paul Cézanne (1907); these shows helped establish their respective reputations and also proved to be events that influenced the careers of many artists. The best-known exhibit was that of 1905, when the painter Henri Matisse and his colleagues were dubbed Fauves (“Wild Beasts”) because of their uninhibited use of pure, nonnaturalistic colours.

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Champion Patrice Ray Bourque Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr Boston Bruins Thank you For The Memories Signatures Shirt

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Then, with the Champion Patrice Ray Bourque Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr Boston Bruins Thank you For The Memories Signatures Shirt in addition I really love this evolution of flags, we still have quite simple flags, as the production would be a lot more expensive and it would be more complicated to replicate. The simplicity of the drawing allows a great production. (Of course now, we can replicate any type of flags, but at the time it wasnot that easy, I suppose) The simple answer is that the Pan-Slavic movement was mostly a phenomenon of the 19th century, starting in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. Therefore, flags designed in the 19th century tended to use the Pan-Slavic colours; flags designed earlier or later use different symbolism. The Pan-Slav movement probably based its blue-white-red colours on the flag of Russia, which had already been in existence for over a century – it was introduced by Peter the Great in 1693. According to the traditional story, the Russian flag was actually a copy of the Dutch flag with the colours swapped around. Peter was an admirer of the Dutch Republic, and as a young man even travelled there incognito to learn about Western culture and technology. On the other hand, red, white and blue are the most common colours in all early or traditional flags, for the simple reason that they were the easiest and cheapest colours to make, in the days before advanced chemical technology gave us bright greens, oranges, yellows and blacks. Therefore, it could simply be coincidence that the Russian flag used the same colours as the Dutch flag (and the French flag, and the British flag, and the American flag, and the Norwegian flag…)

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One of my classmates asked this question, and I thought it would be interesting to know the Champion Patrice Ray Bourque Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr Boston Bruins Thank you For The Memories Signatures Shirt in addition I really love this answer so I did a bit of research… Here is what I found (I’m french, sorry for the mistakes) At first, flags were used for a military purpose, during those ancient times when two rival clans fought. During the Medieval Era, kings and emperors drew attention thanks to the flags. So they were more blazons and banners. Then they evolved to represent noble families, and then countries… But why this particular shape, always with vivid colors? It comes from heraldry. It consists of drawing coat of arms. They must answer several criterias. Only two or three colors must be used for a better visibility. As they were on battlefields, they had to be seen from great distances. This is why, originally, there is no writing, because it would mean that to see it, you had to stand close and you could only understand the flag if the orientation was respected.

Then, with the Champion Patrice Ray Bourque Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr Boston Bruins Thank you For The Memories Signatures Shirt in addition I really love this evolution of flags, we still have quite simple flags, as the production would be a lot more expensive and it would be more complicated to replicate. The simplicity of the drawing allows a great production. (Of course now, we can replicate any type of flags, but at the time it wasnot that easy, I suppose) The simple answer is that the Pan-Slavic movement was mostly a phenomenon of the 19th century, starting in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. Therefore, flags designed in the 19th century tended to use the Pan-Slavic colours; flags designed earlier or later use different symbolism. The Pan-Slav movement probably based its blue-white-red colours on the flag of Russia, which had already been in existence for over a century – it was introduced by Peter the Great in 1693. According to the traditional story, the Russian flag was actually a copy of the Dutch flag with the colours swapped around. Peter was an admirer of the Dutch Republic, and as a young man even travelled there incognito to learn about Western culture and technology. On the other hand, red, white and blue are the most common colours in all early or traditional flags, for the simple reason that they were the easiest and cheapest colours to make, in the days before advanced chemical technology gave us bright greens, oranges, yellows and blacks. Therefore, it could simply be coincidence that the Russian flag used the same colours as the Dutch flag (and the French flag, and the British flag, and the American flag, and the Norwegian flag…)

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[murshili-ii]

Chinese New Year special: Bringing the Rain

~ ~

Welcome to my Spring Vignettes series of digital art pieces!

Last March, realizing I had more ideas than work to show for them, I resolved to be artistically productive for a month. It would be an exercise in minimalism that prioritized the product in every way possible. I drew from stained glass, woodcuts, and collage for an angular visual style that economized the process.

I decided to create a tidy vignette in homage to each of the springtime holidays, to celebrate the spring season; in my opinion one of the more under-appreciated seasons of the year.

I ultimately continued creating these pieces all year, and I’m continuing to create them now as we approach the first anniversary. It’s been a fruitful series that’s given me a great deal of enjoyment and self-actualization. I look forward to sharing it with you.

~ ~

This is our Chinese New Year special: Bringing the Rain

This is one of my newest pieces; I actually created it yesterday, just in time for the day in question.

Before you hear more about my process, inspirations, and research, I’d like to hear what the piece means to you.

I’m just the artist; you’re the beholder. The art exists in your eyes. I want to know what I’ve accomplished.

Leave a comment.

Then read below.

~ ~

Western dragons are associated with fire and destruction, but Eastern dragons are associated with water and rain. The veneration of dragons as water-divinities has a long history in China, attested in artifacts from the Neolithic. Ceremonies to appease the dragons and bring rain are still regularly performed in parts of China.

According to the Five Dragon Kings system, the Azure Dragon is one of five dragon gods responsible for the directions and seasons; among whom, the Azure Dragon is responsible for the east and the spring. The Red Dragon rules the south and the summer; the White Dragon rules the west and the fall; the Black Dragon rules the north and the winter; and the Yellow Dragon rules the center and the middle of the year.

In Chinese, the Azure Dragon is called 靑龍 Qīnglóng "the Blue-Green Dragon". 靑 qīng is an old-timey word, no longer the go-to word for the color in contemporary Mandarin; but in previous times, Mandarin, just like Japanese and a variety of other languages, classified the blue-green range as a single color. The sky, the sea, grass, and vegetables were all called 靑 qīng.

There’s always been variation in the number of claws a dragon is depicted as having on each talon. During the Yuan Dynasty, claw-number was standardized, with the five-clawed dragon being reserved for the Emperor’s personal use; to such an extent that if a royal object depicting a five-clawed dragon was given away, one claw would be removed from each talon. Four-clawed dragons were available to the higher nobility, and three-clawed dragons were available to the people.

I’m not making any dynastic claims at this time; so I chose to depict a four-clawed dragon, with three and a dewclaw, like a bird.

Rice-terraces and limestone karst formations are two of China’s most iconic landscape features; found in the warmer, wetter south of China, where regular heavy rains are crucial to success of agriculture.

I also intended an allusion to scholar’s rocks (供石 gōngshí), natural art prized for its spontaneous beauty and its resemblance to a mountain landscape in miniature. Most scholar’s rocks are water-shaped limestone found in karsts.

By this point in the series, I was running out of background colors; and I decided an off-white background would be an excellent homage to the traditional ink-on-ricepaper style. The frame of this piece is an allusion to that.

Of course, the flowing monochrome style of ink-on-ricepaper art is antithetical to the angular color-block style I use in this series; but I did what I could.

I was originally going to do the whole piece in shades of grey, but I thought better of it, and added some color. I tried to keep the color pallet pale to elicit that ricepaper style.

[kookie-doughs]

Y/N L/N AND THE HALFBLOODS

Percy Jackson X Reader

-Y/N L/N met Percy Jackson and everything is now ruined.

Chapter 22: Then It Ended

As soon as we came, Annabeth ang Grover tackled me. We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful—gray silk with embroidered owls— Percy told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched him and told him to shut up. Percy being the son of Poseidon, he didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

As I was still unclaimed, Hermes cabin had made me one. (Just... IDK go crazy with your shroud IG) It was fun to burn. As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, Percy and I was surrounded by my Hermes cabinmates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past." The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive us for disgracing their dad. That was okay with me. Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday...." Going back to the cabin I finally had time to talk to Luke. Who just expressed his relief of me being fine, and how he was scared when Annabeth told everyone about me. No wonder everyone was so shocked seeing me come back with Percy. On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors. As Annabeth, Percy and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human. "I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know." I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was my oldest friend. Annabeth and I gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on. I asked him where he was going to search first. "Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..." "We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?" "Yeah." "And you remembered your reed pipes?" "Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat." But he didn't really sound annoyed. He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway. "Well," he said, "wish me luck." He gave Annabeth and I another hug. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes. Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware. "Hey, Grover," Percy called. He turned at the edge of the woods. "Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas." Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him. "We'll see him again," Annabeth said. July passed. I spent my daysplanning out strategies with Luke for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands. I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava. From time to time, Percy and I would walk past the Big House, he'd glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle.

I tried to convince him that its prophecy had come to completion. "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned." "Been there, done that—even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades." "You shall find what was stolen, and see it safe returned." "Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades." "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend." Percy recited. "Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed us. That must be what the Oracle meant.... Or maybe Nereid?"

"And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end." He sighed. "I had failed to save my mom and lost you..."

"So why are you still uneasy?" The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. Percy and I got our own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"This is so beautiful..." I smiled to Percy. "The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!" The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause. I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year. * * * The next morning, Luke called me. He gave me a paper, telling me to fill it out, and asked me to meet him as soon as I could. I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name wrong: Dear (WRONG NAME) , If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit. Have a nice day! Mr. D (Dionysus) Camp Director, Olympian Council #12 That's another thing about ADHD. Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face. Summer was over, and I still don't know what to do. I had no where to go to. The only option I had was Percy's or maybe Hades was not joking about inviting me back to the Underworld. Sighing I decided to just meet Luke before filling it for second opinions. The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport. I was walking around looking for Luke. I jumped when I felt someone tap me from behind. I instinctively unsheathed my knife and turned only to see Luke with his hands raised.

"Whoa! Calm down just me." He laughed.

"Kinda weird seeing someone laugh at a knife pointed at them." I smirked sheathing my knife.

"I only laugh since its you." He smiled and ruffled my hair. "Are you done with everything?"

"Not really. I don't know whether to leave or not yet. That's why I came. Help me?" I asked him.

He turned to me and to the forest. "How about you hear me out about something... important and private... then decide?" He gestured towards the forest.

"Not planning on killing me are you?" I squinted at him.

He gasped. "Not you. Never. I would never hurt you."

I let him lead me to a shrouded area of the forest.

"How serious is this thing that you can't let anyone see? I am blindly trusting you here Luke." I laughed nervously. But when he didn't reply I felt something was off. "Luke, okay this isn't cool. How deep into the forest do we have to go?"

"Y/N remember when you said... You want to be the person I trust...? How you promised to help me?"

"Luke?" He took my hand and pulled me sharply. I winced at how hard he pulled me. "That hurts! Let me go!"

He snapped back and let go of my wrist. "I-I'm sorry... Y/N..."

As much as I knew I had to leave, I couldn't I was worried about him. I reluctantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's happening?"

"I did it..." I said and sat on the ground. "I swear I didn't mean to get you hurt. But, I confess to everything. I  stole bolt and helm, I summoned the hound, I gave Percy the cursed shoes... And just now, I tried to kill Percy Jackson." He looked at me with empty eyes.

I shot up and looked at him in emotions I couldn't put in words. "W-Wh---" I wanted to leave and check on Percy. But once again, seeing him right now... I need to stay with him. "Why are you telling me this...?"

"Join me... please?" his voice was weak. He sounded vulnerable. "Let's serve my Lord together..."

"L-Luke... no. I-I can't do that!" I took his shoulder, "Y-You should stay with me instead. How about that, huh? L-Let's explain to Chiron and the others... come on please. I could help you!"

Nothing was working.

"Come with me..." He muttered.

"Luke, I won't join you. You have to change your mind. You can't do this."

"I can't change my mind."

"I can help you with that? How about you go with me huh? I could spend all my time doing this and that. Please, just change your mind."

He didn't reply for a while until he whispered, "Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"You'll stay with me."

"What? Luke I wo--"

"You won't join... Just...don't stay here for the year... and stay with me."

"I-If I stay with you... what would that mean?"

"Yo-You... might change my mind."

"I'll go." I replied with no hesitation. "I'll leave camp for the year. And I'll find my parent to prove to you that Gods and Goddess aren't all bad. We'll find my parent together."

"I do my lord's bidding--"

"You can still do it. If you want to. But whatever happens... stays only between us. I'll stay with you until I change your mind. And I'll bring you back to camp."

"I would never do anything to ruin your trust in me." He knelt down. It was kinda awkward but hey... "I need you."

Worry not hero. We shall stay.

"Please..."

We'll meet again. Wait for us, we shall join you soon. Now leave.

I had no idea what happened since when I came to Luke was gone and there was no sign of him anywhere. How were we going to st---

We will meet him once we leave. Now go as our hero needs us.

I suddenly remembered Percy's state that Luke had told me about. So I ran. I ran to the Big House

***

Percy finally opened his eyes. He was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, his right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Annabeth and I sat next to Percy, I was holding his nectar glass and she was dabbing a washcloth on his forehead.

"Here we are again," Percy said. "You idiot," Annabeth said, "You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing..." "Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit." He was sitting near the foot of the bed in human form. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved." "Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened." Between sips of nectar, he told them the story.

I bit my lip trying to keep what happened between Luke and I private. It was a risky move that would not be approved by anyone after all. The room was quiet for a long time. "I can't believe that Luke..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest."

Percy was looking at me as if checking what was my reaction to his story. "This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once." "Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him." Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—" "Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!" "Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready." "Chiron... your prophecy from the Oracle... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? Y/N? And Annabeth?" Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—" "You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?" His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..." Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows. "All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing." "We can't just sit back and do nothing," He said. "We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come." "Assuming I live that long." Chiron put his hand on Percy's ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice...." I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me. "But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision." "I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you." He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear... whenever you're ready, they're here." "Who's here?" Percy asked. Nobody answered. Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time. Annabeth studied the floor. "What's wrong?" Percy asked her. "Nothing. I ... just took your advice about something. You ... um ... need anything?" "Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside." "Percy, that isn't a good idea." Percy slid his legs out of bed. Annabeth and I caught him before he could crumple to the floor.

I said, "I told you ..." "I'm fine," He insisted.

He managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on me. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance. By the time we reached the porch, his face was beaded with sweat. But we had managed to make it all the way to the railing. It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun. "What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked us. "I don't know." Percy replied. "I got the feeling Chiron wanted me to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but I'm not sure that's what I want. I also don't want to leave you both with Clarisse only." Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy." He stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?" She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver. "I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided... we'd give it another try." "That took guts." She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least ... not without sending me an Iris-message? Both of you?" Percy managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."

"You already know my plans."

"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?" "Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."

She held out her hand. Percy shook it. She gave me a hug. "Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told Percy. "Keep your eyes open."

"You too, Wise Girl."

Then turned to me, "Good luck on your own quest Droopy."

"Of course Peabody." We watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world. "I made my decision." Percy said. "What's yours?"

"I'll be leaving camp... I'm going to look for my parent..." He looked at me in shock. "I'll be back next summer," I promised him. "I'll survive until then."

"Alone?"

I smiled at him.

"Don't you want to stay with us? Mom said---"

"I want to find my parent. I need to. I'll be fine Percy."

I helped Percy to his cabin so he could pack and went to mine. To my surprise I see a middle-aged man with an athletic figure slim and fit with salt-and-pepper hair, and a very familiar sly grin. He had bags at his foot.

"Delivery for Y/N L/N."

"Uhm..."

"Hermes." He said.

I froze and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Personally packed. As a thank you for what you're about to do." He smiled softly and handed me the bags.

"H-Huh...?"

"For helping Luke."

"I..."

Don't forget her mail!

Ooh! And tell her to bring us snacks next time we meet since it'll be often now!

No it wouldn't be often! She'll be with Luke!

"Both of you keep quiet." Pulling out a mail he handed it to me. "Luke... prayed to me telling me about your plan. He asked me to help you. I don't know what or why he did it. But I know he'll change thanks to you. So do guide him."

"Sorry you lost me at the talking air..." I blinked.

Hermes laughed and showed a caduceus. "It's just George and Martha."

"Hi?"

Hello!

Hi

"I just wanted to let you know. No god or goddess could see you. No matter how hard they tried. So your secrets.. are really secrets. Good luck on your travel."

Next time we meet you should have snacks.

Then he vanished.

Staring at the letter on my hand, I was stunned seeing it was from... my mom and dad.

Sweetie,

You've made quite a friend here.

-Mom and Dad.

I immediately knew where to look. I hurriedly took my bags not bothering to check the contents. I ran to Percy's cabin and helped him out so we could leave.

Percy got a cab and looked at me worriedly.

"I'll write you. Stay safe Arthur Curry." I ruffled his hair and watched him go.

I didn't know where to go so I just went to the first secluded area I saw.

"You have more stuffs than when you arrived." I heard someone behind me.

"You prayed to your dad. I hope he knows how to pack." I sighed turning to him. Turning around I barely made out Luke from the few days I last saw him. "You okay?"

"Do you know where to look first?"

Call upon our hound.

I whistled, I don't know why. But when I did, D/N came out of the blue. Luke looked at me and my dear dog, who was probably bigger than the hound he'd summon back then. "How do feel about L.A?" I said riding on D/N and making space behind me for Luke.

~~~END OF BOOK 1~~~

Previous | Book 1 Masterlist | Series Masterlist

END OF BOOK ONE!!! THANK YOU FOR READING YLATHB I HOPE YOU ENJOY!! I'LL PUBLISH BOOK 2 WHEN I'M DONE OR EVEN AT LEAST HAVE WRITTEN 5 CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK 2 ;))

I HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!!

Taglist?

@gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @the-natureofme @booknerd-3000 @katara720 @ynfics

[princess-of-inarizaki]

So, as I promised, Inarizaki New Year request. Inarizaki boys and manager make party at her place, they prepare dinner, decorate the Christmas tree and her home (twins hang the mistletoe everywhere, but manager-chan is clueless so she doesn't know about kissing tradition), exchange gifts, have sleepover etc. Next day they all go together to the shrine and all boys ask to marry her. And they are EMBARRASSED when manager asks them what they ask.

Ahhh Tilli my love! I'll finally use this as a Christmas and New year one combined (eventho they've both passed a long time ago :) and this will be the final addition to the Inarizaki December series!

Once again, thank you so much for supporting me through it all, and showering love on every day's imagine. I didn't expect to get 100-200 notes on some days, but I did!! And I'm really ever so grateful. I hope you'll stay tuned :D

-

Inarizaki's manager-chan day 25!!

Late merry Christmas!! 💖 (And happy new year)

☃️

It was finally the seventh day of Christmas.

The day everyone looked forward to, filled with so much cheer and joy. The boys couldn't wait to spend it at your house. (They couldn't spend the actual day of Christmas with you, due to clashes in the schedule), but that's okay. They were here now.

It was unorthodox, to decorate the tree and give gifts days after the 25th, but it didn't matter to you, and if it didn't matter to you, it didn't matter to the boys either.

The house was warm, and you were busy baking cookies. The smell of gingerbread and peppermint floated in the air. Suna snuck up behind you and took a dab of the cookie mixture. “I rate this a 10/10”

Kita glared at him. “Suna that wasn't very hygienic” which only caused you to laugh.

Christmas carols were playing from the small Bluetooth speaker near the tree, and you suddenly felt like dancing. After wiping your hands dry and shutting the oven so the cookies could bake, you pulled Kita to you and placed your hands on his shoulder.

“Dance with me, Kita-san”

His eyes sparkled as his cheeks heated up.

“Of course, my lady.”

And the rest of the members watched enviously as you spun around with Kita in tow. You looked gorgeous, and so undeniably happy.

“My turn!” said Atsumu indignantly as he replaced Kita. He pulled your waist closer to him as he picked you up and twirled you around. Your squeals made his heart beat faster as he gently let you go.

“That's enough dancing for one day, now go decorate the tree or something. These cookies will be done soon and me and y/n need to decorate them.” said the gray haired twin.

The boys nodded as they made their way to the big tree in the living room, whilst you were left alone in the kitchen with Osamu.

Osamu swiped a bit of frosting on your cheek and laughed, as he put on the oven mitts, readying himself to take the cookies out of the oven.

You laughed and licked the frosting off.

Damn. Osamu's brain almost short-circuited, but he pushed such thoughts out of his mind and instead focused on the cookies.

“How shall we ice them?”

You mixed food colouring into the frosting bowls and explained you wanted to ice them according to each of the members.

“We'll use white for Kita! Since he's so dedicated and wonderful, white suits him best. And green for Tsumu, because he makes me feel happy and fresh inside.”

Osamu nodded with a small smile. “And what about me?”

“Purple for you, because I feel comfortable with you, you're basically my home. And red for Rin, because red is a sleepy colour, and I just love napping on his lap.”

“Oh and blue for Aran! He makes me feel safe inside. Orange for Akagi, he's such a cheerful person, he's like my very own sunshine.”

Osamu blushed and stroked your cheek gently. “You're my little home too, ya know that? I'm icing yours pink.”

Pink for the way you make me blush, my love.

You beamed at him and began icing the cookies, delicately and carefully, whilst Osamu iced the other half.

-

The rest of the boys finished decorating the tree as they took a step back to admire their work.

Suna gently adjusted the baubles, before taking a few pictures. He wanted to capture this moment forever.

Suddenly, you and Osamu came to the room with a mixture of cookies and a few mugs of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Akagi smiled as he placed a kiss on your cheek before snagging a cookie. “Aww you guys are the best, thank you!”

The snow slowly fell outside, as the tree sparkled proudly in the center of the living room.

“Hey we still need to put the angel on top!”

Atsumu jokingly picked you up in his arms “we have one right here, shall I put her on top of the tree?”

The boys laughed as they passed you the tiny angel figurine. “we can't reach it anyways, why don't you put it instead?" Said Aran with a small smile.

Atsumu lifted you up gently as you placed the angel on the top of the tree, completing the decoration process.

“Thanks, you guys are amazing. I'm so lucky to have you.”

Your words were met with a chorus of "I love you's" and "me too's"

And you laughed, as Atsumu pulled you closer to him.

“Tsumu, you can put her down now” said a disgruntled Osamu.

-

[ 2 hours earlier ]

Osamu: have you placed the mistletoe in random spots?

Atsumu: yes, what about you?

Osamu: yeah, but I've kept one in my pocket. I'll just put it up whenever we're alone and it show to her.

Atsumu: damn that's so smart, why didn't I think of that? :(

Osamu: cuz yer' stupid.

Atsumu: >:(

-

[present time]

You and the boys play tons of games in the living room, and stash their gifts underneath the tree too.

“Let's open then tomorrow morning! We'll sleep in here too, and it will be fun to open them as soon as we wake up.” you say happily.

Suna leans on your shoulder throughout the evening, and soon his head makes its way to your lap, as usual.

You laugh and ruffle his hair, as he looks up at you breathlessly. You're so beautiful to him. So undeniably gorgeous. Atsumu wasn't lying when he called you an angel.

Suna's pupils dilated as he stared into your eyes. “I love you, y/n”

Not hearing the sincerity and hidden meaning behind his words, you replied with a quick “I love you too, Rin-rin”

And frankly, even if you didn't know how much he truly meant it, it didn't matter. He'd make sure you did, someday.

-

The plate of cookies were left with only crumbs and the mugs were all empty.

The next part of the night was dinner, and since Kita was the only one who could drive, he'd take you out to pick it up.

“Let's go Y/n-san” said Kita, as a tired Suna whined when he had to lose your lap-pillow.

You nodded and followed him, fastening the seatbelt in the passengers seat as you winked at the boys. “Be good while we're gone, okay?”

Kita turned up the radio. It was a song he didn't particularly like, but you seemed to love. However, you switched the radio off.

“Y/n-san, don't you like this song? Why did you change it?”

“Because you don't like it, Kita-san, and I want to talk to you. Your voice is better than any song.” was your simple reply.

No beating around the bush, you were ever so straightforward, and yet it made Kita's heart beat faster.

“so what would you like to talk about?”

And it started from there. A car-ride filled with the voices of the both of you.

At the traffic light, Kita gave you a sideways glance as he saw your excited expression talking about the cookies you baked.

But frankly he wasn't listening anymore. he was admiring the way your eyes shone in delight, and your cheeks as they were pink from the cold. He smiled at the way your face seemed to light up, and at the beautiful smile etched into it.

And Kita found that beautiful.

“It was delicious, right? And the frosting was beautiful too?” you finished excitedly, by asking him.

“she really is beautiful” said Kita in a trance, as the light turned red and he snapped out of it.

“I mean, yes, the frosting was beautiful!”

-

After picking up a bucket of KFC, as it's traditionally eaten to celebrate Christmas, the boys greeted you at the door.

“Mom and dad are home” joked Akagi.

“Oh my, so that means y/n's our mommy?” said Atsumu seductively, which earned him a sharp kick from Osamu. “Hey Tsumu, shut the hell up.”

The table was set and filled with cheer and banter from all sides, as Akagi sat next to you, and plated everything out.

You sighed happily. Truthfully, you weren't aware of traditions in Japan, since you were new to the country, but the boys taught you every day. It was Osamu who informed you that people in Japan ate their Christmas dinners at KFC.

“It's kinda like a tradition here” he said, with a small shrug. And you were determined to stick to those traditions.

“Are there any other traditions you practice, here? During Christmas?” you asked, in between bites.

Atsumu smirked at you and held up a small plant. “This is called mistletoe, but I won't tell you what the tradition related to it is”

You were confused, because all the other boys had suddenly turned red, and no matter how much you asked them, they refused to tell you what the significance of mistletoe was.

“Hmm, weird” you said softly, as you finished dinner, and brought your plate to the kitchen to be washed.

As you walked out, you noticed a small sprig of mistletoe above you, and a tall presence looming over you...

-

[ hello!! This is route time!! There are six members which I have written mistletoe routes for, and the corresponding colours will be for each member, so read whichever you want to!!]

(pink is the general route. no matter which route you choose, the new year's day story will continue with the general route, so please keep that in mind.)

-

Kita

Osamu

Aran

Atsumu

Akagi

Suna

-

You looked up and saw Akagi, and he had a bunch of other dishes in his hands. “I've lost a bet, so they've made me wash their dishes”

Atsumu's gleeful voice could be heard as he egged his senpai on. “make sure they're spotless, Akagi!”

You took half of the plates from Akagi kindly and assured him you'd help him.

“my hands are wet anyways. It'd be a bother to dry them after washing only one plate”

“T-thanks” he stuttered softly.

-

As you and Akagi washed the plates side by side, he felt a slight tug in his chest. It felt so domestic, to come home to you, hug you in his arms, and do the most mundane of tasks with you, like washing the dishes like this.

He wouldn't mind anything, honestly. As long as he was with you, the most grueling of chores would become fun.

And as he saw your brows furrowed in concentration, he sighed. You looked ever so adorable like that.

“Y/n-chan, I don't know if I've told you this yet, but you look very beautiful today.”

It took a lot of courage. Everyone saw him as a jokester, a perpetually happy person, but with you he wanted to be different.

He wanted you to know that when he complimented you like that, he wasn't joking. Not the least bit.

A soft tint could be seen on your cheeks as you continued washing the plates. “why thank you, Akagi. You look really nice too ”

And somehow, with that one compliment, you made Akagi happier than he had ever been.

The kitchen was filled with comfortable silence, and you appreciated the presence of the tall raven-haired libero who stood next to you, as he swore this scene would repeat itself in the future, someday, but with you as his girl.

-

The late dinner left everyone in a lazy mood, and although the Bluetooth speakers played more music, it became softer, more calm, and everyone felt ready to sleep.

The sleeping bags were arranged in the living room, in a small semicircle as you laid yours next to Atsumu.

“I didn't want to be alone in my room, knowing you guys were just outside, so I hope you don't mind if I slept here too” you said with a small blush.

The boys were overjoyed and eagerly made more space for you.

“I hope it won't be uncomfortable for you, y/n-san.”

You shook your head and settled into the sleeping back. “thank you for the concern, Kita-san, but you guys are here! how could I possibly be uncomfortable at all?”

You laid down in your sleeping bag as Aran leaned over to switch the lights off.

“Big day tomorrow. Let's all get some rest.”

A silent exchange of "goodnight's" was all you could hear, before complete silence, signalling their exhaustion.

But Atsumu, who was laying down next you was far from asleep.

He turned to the side to face you, his eyes reflecting the moonlight beautifully.

“I'm cold” you whispered, as you shifted in your sleeping bag uncomfortably. Atsumu's heart started beating uncontrollably as he made space in his own sleeping bag for you.

“Let's cuddle. Body heat is still heat, right beautiful?”

You smiled gratefully as you slipped in next to him, and his arms wrapped around you protectively.

His mind began to wander, and like Akagi, he wondered if he could get used to this. To coming home after a hard day and slipping into bed with you.

To keeping you warm on cold nights, and holding you if you had a nightmare.

As his fingers gently stroked through your hair, you sighed softly and cuddled closer to his chest in a dream-like state.

You had fallen asleep in his arms, just like he had dreamt for so often, and he couldn't wait till he'd be able to have you with him every single night.

Every single night for the rest of forever. Atsumu wanted to spend every single one of them with you.

He smiled softly as he observed your sleeping features before pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“You'll truly be the death of me, y/n”

-

You awoke many times in the middle of the night, but with Atsumu's firm grip on you, and his comforting body heat, you had no trouble falling back asleep again.

Soon, sunlight began to stream through the windows and the small beams of light slowly caused you to wake up.

The boys were all still asleep, so you gently pried yourself off Atsumu, gave him a gentle kiss to his cheek, and tip-toed to the kitchen, to make breakfast.

Aran, who had incredibly sensitive ears, heard the shift of the fridge door, and woke up. In a groggy-like state, he walked over to you and hugged you from behind.

“good morning” he whispered softly. “can I help you with breakfast?”

Although he wasn't naturally a cook, your patient instructions and kindness proved to be all he needed, and the two of you made a pile of pancakes, drizzled in maple syrup.

By now, the rest of the boys were also awake, they were better than greyhounds when it came to sniffing out food you've made.

But as Aran helped you around the kitchen, he couldn't focus on the others. He couldn't focus on anyone but you.

You, with your messy hair and half lidded eyes. With your low morning voice and small smile. You were so comfortable being yourself, and he really was glad.

Morning-y/n, the y/n only they got to see this morning, was pretty darn adorable. And he wanted her to know that.

“you're so cute when you're still half asleep, ya know?”

Although his voice has a teasing edge, a ring of laughter behind it, Aran wanted you to know that.

“aww thanks Aran, I like your morning voice too” you said with a dopey smile, as your flipped another pancake.

Suna stole one from off the plate and nibbled on it “I rate this a 10/10 too”

“Oh no Kita's glaring at me. I never tasted it in the first place”

-

After breakfast, presents, tons of hugs, and an outfit change later, the Shrine came into view. It was the first day of the new year, and as per the tradition of praying at the shrines for good luck, you and the team were heading there to welcome the new year with hopes and dreams.

“So, you have to clap twice, and wish for whatever it is your head desires for this year” said Akagi with a smile.

The rest of the boys had their eyes screwed shut, as they prayed for their deepest desire; to marry you someday.

Your wish was not so different either. “I wish to be able to be by their sides forever. For their good health, happiness, and safety. I love them.”

As you laid your eyes on their figures, hunched over the shrine, you swore you would do anything to make your wish a reality.

“I love you guys. Happy new year.!!”

-

taglist : @raychii @dai-tsukki-desu @k-sakusa-old @pocket-of-anxiety @sunasthing @thatthangwasthangin @daydreamingtetsu @ignorantsock @ohrintarou @tilli-san

The professor's note: 😭broooo so I'm like finally done?? This was so long I hope you guys enjoy it <3 (it took like 3 days to perfect it, so likes and reblogs are very much appreciated uwu)

[calciumcryptid]

Polarmare has worked hard to rebuild connections between other hero schools, and in doing so has managed to convince Headmaster Chikara to invite some UA first years to the annual Shiketsu Heroics Boot Camp as a trial run. Headmaster Chikara hadn't planned on inviting any students, especially none of the students from 1-A, but after observing Headmaster Chikara decided on the five to join the training camp. Unfortunately, they do not seem to realize how isolated UA has become.

This takes place during a month-long break between the first semester of the first school year and the second semester of the second school year.

Inspiration: The Training Camps in Haikyuu

The Shiketsu School of Saviors was a gorgeous campus with freshly mowed lawn that was a healthy green, and washed pavements. Gone were the large steel skyscrapers with huge industrial windows of UA. There were only the worn brown bricks of more traditional lower longer buildings with blinds on the inside.

The students walked with a purpose in steady haste. Their black and orange military-style uniforms clung to them as they didn't spare the newcomers a look. The Skiketsu emblem was displayed as far as the eye could see on hats, on banners, on pins.

So this is Shiketsu School of Saviors...

Ojiro Mashirao stared in disbelief at the scene before him, feeling sheepish in his dark blue blazer and pants. The red accents and silver buttons were a sharp contrast, but it didn't nearly have the same sense of formality that Shiketsu's did.

He gulped.

"Amazing."

He turned to see his best friend Hagakure Tooru there. She flashed him a peace sign before she stepped off, three others following.

The last one off was their faculty supervisor Polarmare, who looked down at her clipboard with a look of agitation. "According to Headmaster Chikara there should be someone here to-"

"That would be me."

The crowd turned to see a woman with pitch-black skin and hair. Her eyes flashed a bright turquoise that seemed to permanently glow. She wore a black bodysuit with the top half white and the other half black. She wore a black leather jacket with every accessory studded from her gloves all the way down to her boots.

"What's up UA?" She exclaimed as she held up both hands in the 'rock on' symbol. Her attention diverted from the students to the woman behind them, "Damn you look much more fun than that Aizawa lad! Has UA actually got a decent-"

Polarmare cleared her throat. "I assume you are the one designated to give us the tour, Miss-?"

"Chikara Suma, but call me Vytal."

Vytal turned away from them. "Now, on with the tour shall we?"

The first stop was the dorms, and the five marveled at how big the dorms within the dormitories were. There was an open living space where a television and gaming system was hooked up. There was a refrigerator and counter in the corner with a microwave on top. Vytal opened one of the five doors to reveal a bedroom with a bed, a desk, and a closet. She opened the largest of the five doors to reveal a communal bathroom.

"This is where you'll be staying for the rest of the month," Vytal explained. "There are four bedrooms as the Shiketsu dormitory system is made to encourage interclass bonding. Usually, there would be one heroics student, one management student, one support student, and one general education student roomed together. Pretty sure the reason we can do this is because of Shiketsu's smaller class sizes compared to UA."

"How many are in a class?" Kendou Itsuka inquired.

"Let me see, we have three years and two classes for four courses so classes are roughly ten students. Sometimes more, sometimes less. That should be two hundred forty students each year. We believe in a healthy balance between courses so no one is overshadowed."

Polarmare nodded along to Vytal's words.

"Now, the girls get this dorm while you boys get the next door down. Polarmare has a faculty room at the end of the hall." Vytal pointed to a framed piece of paper, "Here are the dorm rules. You may be guests, but we expect you to follow them."

After the five put their stuff down, Vytal continued on with the tour. They left the dorm buildings and followed Vytal as she pointed at the different gyms and buildings where the classrooms were. There was a huge theater with two floors of seats where assemblies were held, along with where the theater club would meet up.

"Finally, the cafeteria!" Vytal announced as she swung open a pair of double doors and walked over to where a railing was. "Aye, groupies, the students from UA have finally arrived! Make sure not give them a hard time on the gig!"

"Yes Miss Vytal!" The students chorused.

Vytal turned to the five, "This is where I leave you. Break a leg!"

Meanwhile, on the ground floor of the cafeteria, a boy with a black mullet and golden piercings glared at the railing.

"The rumors are true then," he spat. "UA has graced us with their presence." He threw a ball of wrappers into the nearby trash, over the head of one of his seatmates.

Green scales flashed red as the student glared at him. "Would it hurt you to be more careful, Talon?" They sighed as they glanced over at where the UA students were going through the lunch line. "Whatever, let us just be thankful that they didn't bring the whole course."

Talon snickered, "Do you think the rumors are true then, Midori? That Headmaster Chikara put a cap on the number they'd invite."

"It is not our business to speculate the motives of the Headmaster."

The two slowly turned, only to jump upon catching amber eyes.

"O-Oh, Nikita, when did you get here?"

A girl with warm tan skin that had patches of white streaking through it in the pattern of stripes stared them down with narrowed black slits. A red dot rested on her head, and a black travel bag was over her shoulder as she approached with a plate of whole eggs, raw fish, and a whole-skinned chicken.

She pulled out a chair and sat down. She said a small prayer before she picked up one of the whole eggs and bite it like it was an apple. "I arrived a few minutes earlier, only to find you two gossiping."

The two felt a spike of fear crawl up their backs.

"N-Nikita! You must kn-know we were only curious about the UA students. I-I mean they have never been here before." Talon stuttered.

Nikita's amber eyes glanced over to the table the students in dark blue were settling around. "It is not any of our business why Headmaster Chikara has decided to give UA a chance again." She took another bite of the egg, and then hummed. "All that matters now is making sure they feel welcomed."

Talon and Midori looked at one another.

"After all," she sent the two a warm smile that showed off the gleam of her fangs. "We wouldn't want the golden school to feel threatened, now would we?"

@insomniac-jay @floof-ghostie @pizzolisnacks

[konietzko-sylvoran]

“In memory of so many whom we've lost, this next one is a personal message to every elf of every creed. A roué cyr act which follows meant to inspire elvish solidarity. Written and performed by the Heart of Tenacity's Konietzko Lumenstone, we give you One more Dorei.”

(Written/Timed Music Here)  

The lights are dim so all that is seen is the silhouette of Kon’s figure sitting with his back to the audience. Above him higher up than he could reach even while standing is his LED cyr wheel. As the LEDs start to illuminate, they emit a soft glow making the wheel look like a giant moon in the sky above Kon’s figure. Dangling from the bottom of the wheel is a large banner on display. Two more lights on the right and left of the stage give spotlight to the banner on display so one can see every detail of it. The Shaldorien Silk banner, embroidered with Thalassian gold threads dons the traditional colors of each elvish nation, woven together in an elegant arrangement that's certain to inspire unity in their kinship! To anyone who had ever visited the Ashes of Alar booth at any event, it was clear this was the Banner of Accord made by Tenacious Tapestries meant to represent elvish solidarity. The stage wall behind the wheel and Kon both illuminate with starlight across a vast night sky of blue and violet. Kon’s dark skin glistens from the subtle light catching hints of the sparkling paint he’s coated in giving him the desired astral effect.

With his back still to the audience as he sits there, he raises his head up to stare at the night sky and the moonlit banner above as his dreadlocks kiss the small of his back tied back in a formal knot. His deep chocolate voice speaks aloud as the music begins to play. “We elves were once all Children of the Stars. All the same Dorei, children of the same light in the sky. No matter how old or young, we are all descendants of the starborne. Today, we are a race so divided and thinned that the few remaining lights among us have become dim with hatred, sorrow, and arrogance. Many of us know and understand the reasons why. Some, like me, have lived through most of them. And yet with all I’ve experienced, all I’ve endured, I keep looking among us all no matter our creed and asking the same thing. Is it so wrong of us to call one another brothers and sisters? In a time where unity is so needed in our world, where lights go out around us at an alarming rate, I ask that all dorei take a moment in to hear me out.” 

Raising one hand up towards the sky backdrop, he arcs his hand one side to the other tracking a shooting star across the sky. “The kaldorei were once founders of Azeroth’s most magical and advanced civilization till forces out of our control came and divided us all. No matter our current race, we’ve all suffered great and tragic losses repeatedly over time and even currently. We’re no longer immortal.” He turns his head to the side to look to a single wisp as it approaches him from above and hovers at his side. Kon’s amber eyes were masked with subtle feathers and glitter along the cheekbones and eye ridges to look like that of an owl. “And yet in all the brilliance this world has to offer us, we have learned that none of it is meant to be kept. Not even our own souls. As time ticks on we each become mere flickers of light, mere moments in time.”

“I was but a boy when devastation wrought us all into several isolated groups and history continues to repeat itself as more and more dorei are created.” He holds his hand out to the wisp as it starts to slowly circle around him. “Separation, isolation, banishment, betrayals, fractured societies and exile have repeated themselves among the dorei time and time again. Each time our skin changes color, our hair and our eyes take on a new tone and the magic that we wield finds a new source changing us forever.”

“Time and history has taught us all how to fear, how to hate and how to change. But even with all our differences, rather we worship the moon, the sun, the void or whatever deity we choose, are we not still one dorei?” Slowly he rises to his feet wearing nothing but a uniquely designed legging with enchanted thread that hugs tight at his hips. “We’ve all derived from the magical in nature no matter how old our bloodlines are currently or how very new and altered they’ve become. Do we not all still have glowing eyes no matter their color? Though some have gotten shorter or longer, do our ears not all point at the end?” He reaches up and the cyr wheel lowers down towards him as he removes the Banner of Accord from the wheel. The wisp flew around the wheel and Kon both a few times before disappearing.

The magical thread along his leggings shimmer from hip to ankle as the threads change color to each elvish nation’s colors as he speaks of them. “Kaldorei, Quel’dorei, Ren’dorei, Sin’dorei, Shal’dorei and even Shen’dralar. We are all one people.” He turns to walk to the side of the stage and places the banner on a golden standard waiting there, letting it hang and display itself magnificently. “I believe in unity among us, that we need to show kindness to all and make sure no more fall. Respecting others is what we should do, who knows it might even spread more happiness too. At the end of the day even those who have strayed we are all the same. Noone is better than another, it’s not in a name.” He turns and walks back center stage as the sky illuminates in more and more stars behind him and his wheel starts to twinkle as if stars are slowly twinkling behind him. Kon faces the audience with amber eyes full of emotion and determination through his owl mask. “You never know when your life will be changed so don’t look down on others who face troubles of their own. We are all dorei, all children of the stars whose lights are just as important as all the others.” He slowly flourishes his hands out right and left. “My brothers, my sisters, a moment may be all we have left in the sky of a million stars. Care and respect are things we can all freely give. And for that last light you touch, it may even make this world a better place to live.”

In a slow, fluid motion he lowers himself down to bend one knee back through the wheel and the other forward as he bows his head. The wheel and stage go dark as spotlights go out all but the light on the Banner of Accord.

(Music for the second half here)

The cyr wheel lights back up, LEDs twinkling timed with the music. With practiced finesse, he rolls the heavy wheel on its edge, causing it to trace a slow path around him as he slowly rises up. The LEDs transition via soft fades from gold to soft blues to turquoise, reflecting the colors of the High elves, even his leggings and their magical thread match the colors. Hands both reach out then slowly curl into fists as he hugs them to his chest as if in pain. Turning his body to the side in a fluid movement, he reaches for the circling wheel then starts to slowly walk it around the stage in a wide slow circle with perfect timing to the music. His other hand rises and falls in time with the music to express a gentle magical  emotion through movement. Everything is perfectly timed as if walking through memory.

The stage wall behind him starts to reflect colors that strongly suggest the feel and warmth of the sunwell’s magic. The Cyr wheel starts to lose the blues and greens, fading into more golden with droplets of red as did his leggings. Shadows crept through the backdrop as the colors became corrupt, flickering. With athletic precision he steps into the wheel with both feet and grabs the edges with both hands. Revolving in a continuous wide pattern resembling a waltz, he spins and turns synched with the music, conveying a delicate balance and grace as colors still flicker about him. One hand releasing the wheel, he reaches it up and out as if trying to chase after or grasp at some unseen force.

The moment the base hits the wheel LEDS become a flurry of red and golden patterns with occasional green trying to sneak in then fade or flicker out. With both hands now gripping the top of the wheel in a wide outstretched grip, he raises both feet off the wheel, extending his body out while facing down. As if flying midair for two spins, one foot comes back down and then flares back out making the wheel spin faster and faster all in sync with the patterns of the LEDS conveying the flurry of intense magic and emotion at the pinnacle of Blood elven society. He suddenly locks his shoulders and forces the wheel to make tighter spins as it starts to fall with his back to the ground! Resembling a coin losing speed as it becomes flatter it seems he might fall on his back with the wheel at any moment. The LEDs a flurry of confusing flashing colors trapping him inside the chaos showing just how difficult this move and the emotions he’s portraying are. His body remains locked, keeping him from falling and at the last second he throws himself into a handspring then brings the wheel and himself erect once more.

The stage backdrop became a giant violet dome with the night sky above it. The LEDs of his wheel and leggings are now variations of blues, violets, silvers and pinks, reflecting the colors of the Nightborne. Slipping out of the wheel, he keeps it spinning as both hands push it on a course with just enough force to keep the wheel freely orbiting around him. Kon stands at the center as his head turns down and eyes close as he brings his arms up across his chest as if holding himself. His right palm presses over his heart as he quivers, eyes opening slowly as he turns his head skyward, right hand raising up reaching to the stars. The LEDs suddenly become shrouded in a dark deep violet and the dome in the backdrop becomes swaying tendrils of the same color. Konietzko grasps at his head and mimics a blood-curdling scream without sound as his wheel takes on golden elements around the deep violet LEDS strongly reflective of the Void Elves.

Spinning on his toes he comes around to grab the wheel and with one more spin he steps back into it. His ankles together on one side of the wheel, syncing with the beat and a slight bend in his knees before pushing off still in the corner of the wheel. His body comes up perfectly parallel to the stage as the wheel quickly whips up and around bringing him back down. He bends his knees while it rotates and repeats his actions as the corner thrusts and momentum increases the speed of the wheel once more while displaying his total control of where the wheel spins and lands with each rotation. The LEDs swap between the prior color groups back and forth with every thrust.

As the beat picks back up the LED’s become a flurry of every elven nation’s colors in various patterns. Each time he spins the wheel a trail of color follows as starlight starts to fall around him. Placing his feet and arms both spread wide with a slight bend in the knees he brings the wheel to a fast rotation. However the wheel starts moving in a wide full revolution around the full circumference of the stage. Faster and faster he brings the rotation as his dreads spin about with him. At the peak of his speed around the stage, the LEDs and backdrop all burst into the kaleidoscope of a full night sky with stars of varying colors. Kon brings the fast spinning wheel center stage once more, back onto its own axis. 

Using his built-up momentum he rises up suddenly, bringing himself up over the top of the wheel as one leg wraps over the top of it and the other bent and pointing in the opposite direction. He raises his hand up high as he spins among the stars truly living in the moment. The LEDs of the wheel start to take on more purple, golden and silver hues all together, the colors of the Night Elves. After a few more rotations, he unwraps his leg and lowers himself back down as he shows his athletic precision, suspending himself from the top mid-spin. Feet tucked up, he points one toe down till it softly touches the bottom of the wheel. His hand comes out while the wheel continues to spin and flourishes out towards the audience at the lyrics of who cares if one more light goes out. He then stops the wheel in a slow and graceful spin as he steps out of it and then motions to himself as his free hand places itself on his chest before he takes a deep bow before them all and the LEDs fade away into nothing but that night sky of all dorei.

((A huge shout out to @lunethdawnseeker and the Ashes of Alar vendors who have always been so wonderful and kind to Kon and Talthorn every event we meet them at! The moment the thought occurred to write this performance to inspire elvish solidarity which Talthorn and Kon are both so passionate about, I instantly knew that the Banner of Accord had to be used within it so a big thank you to Luneth and their Tenacious Tapestries for giving me permission to use it in Kon’s performance. It has a very special place on their wall at home where they proudly display it as a sign to all who enter. All credit for the banner goes to them and their original design! The following performance was written for the @succulent-tart In Memoriam show 9.18.2021  - in honor of Chester Bennington’s One More Light and every fallen elf of every race we’ve lost over the years.))