#other wildwoods sign

[doo-wop-city]

Stella at the "Secret" Wildwood Sign

People sometimes leave out the poor, forgotten Wildwood sign alongside Byrne Plaza, that lives without attention in the shadow of its older brother. Stella stopped by to give it some affection. These photos were taken on November 7th, 1966. (…Or, was that 2022?) This Wildwood sign, located on the Oak Avenue side of Byrne Plaza, features the same ocean wave W and lettering style found on the…

[the-gone-ton]

Breezewood, PA was once the motel capital of the state due to a quirk of the Interstate Highway System which dumped drivers right into town. These are just some of the remnants of those motels.

Despite appearances, that yellow one was never a Howard Johnson's. It was the Traveler's Rest Motel, whose office was the A-frame building also pictured. There once was a real Howard Johnson's in Breezewood, but it is long gone and a Holiday Inn Express is on the site today.

Also pictured is the bright red Wildwood Motel & adjoining restaurant, the Wildwood Inn, as well as the Panorama Motel's damaged sign & former rooms up on the hill behind it. Notably not pictured is the famous Penn Aire Motel, demolished before I got to it. The other Motel sign is a bonus from nearby Bedford, PA. It got turned into apartments & businesses, but the original hand-painted sign remains. You can read "Roll Arena", the original name of the motel's rollerskating rink, which is still in business today as the Moon Glo II Skating Rink. At the bottom of the sign you can read "Air Conditioned".

[justinspoliticalcorner]

The Proud Boys are back: How the far-right domestic terrorist group is rebuilding to rally behind Trump

Aram Roston at Reuters:

A dark SUV cruised past former President Donald Trump’s supporters near his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey on a windy April afternoon. Billowing from the vehicle were three flags: one for the Trump campaign, two others with the initials “PB” – the insignia of the far-right Proud Boys movement. Through the open windows, three Proud Boys flashed the “OK” sign with their hands, a gesture often associated with white supremacy and the far right. Trump’s fans cheered. Four men dressed in the signature black-and-yellow shirts of the Proud Boys spilled out of the SUV and began glad-handing the crowd like homecoming heroes. The Proud Boys are back. Four years after the failed effort to overturn Trump’s 2020 electoral defeat, the violent all-male extremist group that led the storming of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, is rebuilding and regaining strength as Trump campaigns to return to the White House, according to interviews with eight Proud Boys, two U.S. law enforcement officials and four experts who track the group’s online activity.

Since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, four former Proud Boys leaders have been convicted in federal court of seditious conspiracy, each sentenced to 15 or more years in prison. At least another 70 members were charged with participating in the violence. But that crackdown hasn’t stopped the Proud Boys. Some Proud Boys say they are preparing to emerge once again as a physical force for Trump, drawn to his hardline nationalism and convinced their leaders will be pardoned if he wins. Trump himself promises to pardon convicted Jan. 6 rioters if he’s elected. After last Thursday’s historic guilty verdict against Trump, an Ohio Proud Boys chapter vowed “war” and posted a video of Proud Boy street brawls that ended with the message, “Fighting solves everything.” A Miami chapter said, “Now, more than ever, we are recruiting!” Some posted images of the upside-down American flag symbolizing the “Stop the Steal” movement that falsely claims Trump won the 2020 election. One Proud Boy told Reuters that America is in a period of “calm before the storm.”

The group’s main Telegram channel, however, posted a message urging Proud Boys to stay calm and not get drawn into a trap and risk arrest. “Trump is, of course, getting railroaded but we will not be walking into any honey pots over this.” In recent weeks, the group has become more prominent at pro-Trump events, highlighting the risk of renewed violence in this year’s presidential election. Dozens of Proud Boys – some in body armor and helmets – marked the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection with a show of force at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. On April 20, nearly a dozen gathered at a rally for Trump’s Republican campaign in Wilmington, North Carolina.  More recently, groups of Proud Boys from two chapters mixed with tens of thousands of Trump supporters at a campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, in May.

On a boardwalk near the entrance of the Wildwood rally, several Proud Boys identified themselves as members of the “New Jersey State” chapter. One said they were there to provide security and stop agitators from “disrespecting or assaulting everybody.” Inscribed on his wraparound sunglasses were the initials “POYB” – short for “Proud of Your Boy.” He wore a ring with the initials “PB” and a black shirt with the yellow laurel wreath of the Proud Boys. Three men from another chapter greeted them, their faces hidden by gaiter masks. The re-emergence of the Proud Boys at Trump’s political rallies and events coincides with polls showing a majority of Americans fearing political violence will flare around November’s election. It also comes when Trump’s use of incendiary rhetoric is inspiring his supporters to target his opponents – including judges, prosecutors and political rivals – in a wave of threats that’s unprecedented in modern American politics.

Trump himself has not ruled out the possibility of political violence if he loses in November. “If we don’t win, you know, it depends,” he said when asked by Time magazine in April if he expected violence after the election. If he’s jailed or put under house arrest, “I’m not sure the public would stand for it,” he said in a Fox News interview that aired on Sunday. “At a certain point there’s a breaking point.” Before the last election, Trump told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Three months later, federal prosecutors say, the group’s leaders plotted and led the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol. Trump’s baseless, rigged-election claims inspired the gathering, and Trump himself urged the assembled crowd to march on the Capitol as Congress certified Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.

A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to questions for this story about his rhetoric, Jan. 6 and the Proud Boys. As the Proud Boys regroup, they’ve made changes designed to make them less vulnerable to law enforcement scrutiny, including doing away with layers of top leadership, according to interviews with members. The Proud Boys now operate with self-governing chapters in more than 40 states, with little apparent central coordination, members said. While the group’s structure has changed, its Canadian founder remains an inspirational figure to today’s Proud Boys. Gavin McInnes, a British-born far-right commentator who lives in New York, announced his resignation from the Proud Boys in 2018. But he remains deeply involved with the group, according to interviews with Proud Boys.

[...]

After McInnes stepped down, his successor, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, raised the Proud Boys’ profile, pulling them from the fringe of the far-right toward the center of Trump-era Republican politics. Tarrio, a Floridian of Afro-Cuban descent, was sentenced last September to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, defined as an effort by two or more people to overthrow the government or use force to hinder its operations, and other charges related to the Capitol riot. He has appealed.

Two criminal defense attorneys for Tarrio did not respond to emailed questions and phone calls. In the past, McInnes, Tarrio and a group of leaders dubbed “Elders” spoke publicly on the group’s behalf, set the agenda and guided its confrontations with left-wing groups around the country. They sat atop a formal structure and could disband Proud Boy chapters or expel members. Now, members say, the chapters are largely independent of each other and ban communications with the media. Most members who spoke to Reuters for this report did so on condition of anonymity. The group’s resilience has surprised some extremism experts. “The amazing thing is that so many people from the Proud Boys can be in jail and yet you have these active chapters,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the nonprofit Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “Traditionally when the head of a neo-Nazi or white supremacist group goes to jail or dies, the organization will collapse, but that does not seem to be happening with the Proud Boys.”

[...]

During the Trump administration, the Proud Boys engaged in large-scale street brawls with antifa – antifascists – and other leftist groups across the country, typically by taunting demonstrators to instigate a fight. They adopted the slogan “Fuck Around And Find Out,” and emblazoned the letters “FAFO” on hats and t-shirts. Some historians compare the Proud Boys to fascist European militias of the 1920s and 1930s such as the Brownshirts, a Nazi paramilitary group that helped bring Hitler to power in Germany. Proud Boys say they’re nothing like the Brownshirts and bear no resemblance to fascists. But street violence and extreme nationalism are features of both groups. In the weeks before the Capitol riots, some wore a patch inscribed with “RWDS,” short for “Right Wing Death Squad,” a term used to describe Central and South American paramilitaries who supported right-wing governments and dictatorships. [...]

After Trump left the White House, the Proud Boys turned to America’s culture wars. They clashed with supporters of abortion rights and vaccine mandates, and harassed organizers of Drag Queen Story Hours, where female impersonators read at libraries or bookstores to children. Fights often ensued. Since the 2021 Capitol attack, Reuters identified 29 incidents of political violence involving the Proud Boys, almost all of them centered around social issues. All but one of the eight cases in 2023 involved clashes between Proud Boys and left-wing activists at demonstrations supporting LGBTQ+ rights. The tally was based largely on news reports and court records of fights, assaults and other physical confrontations. This year, the Proud Boys have returned to politics. In the first three months of 2024, there have been far fewer Proud Boys public events than in the same period last year. But half of them have been pro-Trump and the rest have been political in nature, related to guns or immigration, said Kieran Doyle of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit that monitors political violence.

On April 24, Proud Boys founder McInnes appeared at Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian protests. He told Reuters that the Proud Boys were not getting involved in the anti-Israel unrest, saying he was there to “ridicule” liberals by pretending to be a left-wing journalist. It didn’t work, he said, because people saw him and posted alerts on social media. “They recognized me and were scared.” There’s no authoritative count of Proud Boy members. McInnes claims there are about 5,000, down from 8,000 during Trump’s presidency but up from lows after the Capitol riot arrests. Official estimates of the Proud Boys’ strength vary widely, from 300 to 3,000 members, said a law enforcement source who has monitored the group. Reuters could not independently corroborate its numbers. Some former Proud Boys have abandoned the group for other, more overtly racist and violent groups, including the neo-Nazi Blood Tribe and the underground “Active Club” scene, a white supremacist male movement, one Proud Boy told Reuters.

Reuters has an informative article about far-right domestic terrorist group Proud Boys is rebuilding to rally behind convicted felon Donald Trump.

After the January 6th Insurrection, the group turned towards right-wing culture war items to launch protests, such as COVID mitigation measures (esp. vaccine mandates), drag story hours, and abortion access.

Read the full article at Reuters.

[analog-smiles]

Could i hear the headcanon you were talking about related to the little white flecks you put on mckrakens skin? (I got curious + love your yapping 🙏 ^▽^)

oh boy you are opening a Can Of Worms [ this is a good thing, i like to yap, this is just me thinking way too hard about something that was probably just meant to look really cool ]

ok so in ykw1, the presence of mckraken [ and maybe white yokai in general ] had this really weird effect on the world around them, right? like the yokai world faded to white as you encountered more white yokai and approached lord's gate, and mount wildwood experienced the same when mckraken was up there

but there was never really any explanation of why that happened, and it all just sort of Went Away and never happened again

on a similar note, it's never really explained Why the white yokai are white, other than it being an obvious indicator of mckraken's more dedicated supporters. and they also just Go Away after ykw1 and we never see them again [ except for in blasters i guess but i hesitate to consider any part of blasters canon, other than the fact that the blasters teams Do exist ]

for a while i thought that maybe the faded patches in the world were connected to why white yokai were that color, like spending too long in a faded area would start to cause the colors of a yokai to fade, and that's why the yokai who hang around mckraken so much look Like That. but mckraken kind of threw a wrench into that concept because he doesn't exactly follow the color scheme of his henchmen - he Wears a lot of white, and some parts of his body match, but overall he's not Completely White like the others, despite residing in the area of the yokai world that's most affected by the fading. plus that theory kind of didn't answer the question of Why the world was fading in the first place. my original thought on that was that maybe mckraken was marking his turf splatoon-style, but then i remembered that he has normal black ink until he transforms in the human world lol.

so then i messed around a little with the idea of it being the other way around, with white yokai causing the world around them to fade out

as a quick recap/clarification of my personal headcanons/lore, a 'white yokai' is a yokai that has abandoned their medal, and by extension a fragment of their soul. this process is sometimes referred to by other yokai as 'going blank', and the name for yokai who do such a thing alternate between 'white' and 'blank' depending on preference

now, a blank yokai doesn't ditch their medal somewhere and immediately turn white. it's a gradual process, and how long it takes tends to vary depending on the overall power of the yokai in question. for a rank-E yokai, it might only take a few hours, but for rank-A yokai [ like most of mckraken's followers. i think there's one exception who's rank-B ], it could be a few days or even a couple weeks

eventually, this weird affliction starts to spread from the yokai themself to their surroundings - they sort of just radiate this feeling of something being Wrong, because something is Very Wrong. affected land isn't dangerous to yokai, and it returns to normal after a little while once the yokai causing it leaves, but it's considered a sort of bad omen whenever it's seen, and most yokai won't go anywhere near it to avoid potentially encountering white yokai.

and now we get to the part of this whole speculation/yap session that actually pertains to mckraken himself

not only is he a high-ranking yokai, he's also a boss yokai - pretty much the strongest there is at the time of ykw1, with the exception of the inferno dwellers. it takes a Long Time for him to actually fade out like his followers on account of that - his tentacles and a few patches of skin are the only parts that have actually turned white thus far. which is pretty impressive, considering he was one of the first to actually 'go blank'

but the little flecks and patches on his skin are the signs of that slowly going on over time. in theory, they would spread and cover more area over time until he more closely resembled other white yokai [ or until something somehow convinced him to reclaim his medal. in that case, some of the fading would reverse, leaving a few markings and faded areas - this is what i imagine happened to most of the white yokai after mckraken was assumed dead at the end of ykw1 :-) ]

[avampyone]

Prompt #20: The Dreamers

Characters: Gabriel Devrau, Charlotte Avignon, Arazul De'fleur, mention of Ange B'londe and Alize Miller (@crimsonffxiv)

Synopsis: Gabriel continues to ignore the red flags concerning a new research group called 'The Dreamers'. After some investigating, Arazul attempts to talk some sense into him.

Setting: Labyrinthos, The Archeion.

Warning - Mentions of wounds and loss of limbs.

-----------------------

A weary sigh left Gabriel when he slung his leather book bag over his shoulder, not lifting a glance back to hear the greeting of new fellow members. It was always in the evenings that these congregations met, many pairing together to practice dueling with the clash of steel against steel endlessly. Even now, there were many left waiting with fencing swords, knives, claws, or what weapon of their choice at the ready to take on the next available opponents for the real tournament ahead.

With all this activity was a growing familiar pain of late, the dark-haired Wildwood lifted his hands to see the many new fresh cuts that had been left from constant practice and reached down to brush his fingers idly over the ornate hilt of the rapier he had been given.

Normally, he would have rushed home after classes to tinker around on his different projects, but this ache coupled with barely any time that he found himself working on his machinery a lot less – much less writing his letters.

Staring out seemingly into nothing in the distance of Mornveil Forest, there were times Gabriel felt like something out there was watching them? Pressing his red framed glasses further up the bridge of his nose, he found himself hesitant to take the familiar road back home. He rolled his eyes at his own paranoia .

To think he was invited to come down to Labyrinthos at all was an honor, “Still, there has been no sign of Cloche since the last duel either...” He mumbled low enough for no one else to hear. Cloche had been the last wounded in a duel with a deep gash in her hand clear to the bone. She’d been taken to the infirmary, but none had seen her since, nor had she attended any classes…

“Oh, there you are, Gabriel.” A sudden stern voice behind him gave cause for Gabriel to jump a little and seek a calming breath when he pressed a hand to his chest, “Best not to go sneaking up on people like that Professor Avignon with as many weapons as we keep around here. What do you want...?”

The silvered haired elezen woman was a new addition to the Studium and helped to run this little ‘Dreamers’ group held her steady green gaze upon him with a respectful bow of her head, “My apologies. You may take care not to keep your back turned to others too long. Anyway, I came to tell you that we collectively feel you have made the most progress of everyone. So strong and driven...The head of our program looks forward to seeing how well you do in the upcoming duels ahead.” With another bow, she turned on her heel to head away with her hands linked behind her back, looking over the pairs of researchers taking up arms to fight one another.

“Thank you! I fully intend on seeing this all through to the end.” Gabriel’s had begun to feel an uneasiness conflict in himself in finally finding a group that he could see eye to eye with – not feeling like social hierarchy or wealth painted every interaction he had with that sense of separation. Everyone felt on equal grounds here.

Finally heading off towards the gravel path cut through the forest to lead back to Sharlayan, he stopped only a few mere paces to see another with whom he absolutely never saw eye to eye with – Arazul.

Brow’s furrowing, Gabriel did not hesitate to trot up along the path to meet him with an apprehensive gaze and out of sight of any Dreamers that could be nearby. Some outsiders knew some of the particulars of what was going on with this tournament but not all, “Gabriel, we need to have a word right now.”

The seriousness of the blonde’s tone stopped him. Even more so than usual, he didn’t think he had ever seen him with a more troubled expression previously and with such intensity in his fair blue eyes, “Hey, what’s going on? It’s unusual to see your feathers all ruffled about something other than attendance~”

“Indeed, there is something very wrong going on here. I know about these extracurricular activities and strange disappearances. Have you given thought to who may be orchestrating all this...?” Peering more agitated than he had ever seen, Arazul quickly cut to the chase with a gloved hand beckoning him closer for him to lower his voices several octaves, “I thought it was odd that they never gave the name of who was truly running this group of yours. Professor Avignon – There is no record of her previous experience. It took quite a bit of digging, but apparently this benefactor’s name is Ange B’londe...”

Arazul’s gloved hand curled to press to his chin thoughtfully, glaring to the thought that they had all seemingly made their way into Sharlayan without any records, identifications or proof of birth, “There was only a file that he backed the funding to aid researchers on different projects, supposedly he owns a company that sells a type of magnifying lens. But there is nothing else on him. Like he does not exist at all.”

He threw his hands up in the air, “Then, there is Miss Cloche. Unfortunately, she would have been scheduled to have her hand amputated if she had not disappeared entirely. In fact, I believe this is the fifth person this month since this group began to gain recognition.”

Gabriel digested all this latest information with that growing sense of unease only deepening with his full lips pressing together in a grim line, “Look, I feel bad for them all...I really do. But, unless there’s evidence to suggest there was something foul going on, we have nothing. I have so much research I’ve poured into this. I appreciate the concern, but there’s no going back for me.” 

The blonde glared at him in complete frustration, reaching to grab a firm hold of his shoulder when he turned to continue home, “And what if you are the next one to disappear?? You would let Alize return to hear something bad came of you?! I…will join in the tournament. At least then, no one will be too badly hurt dueling against me and I can figure out if these disappearances are linked to the Dreamers...”

Gabriel’s eyes widened when Arazul decided this so suddenly, brushing the hand off his arm as he glared at him with vehemence, “This is ridiculous! You’re the best fencer in the city. No one would win against you...Look, I’m going to win this no matter what. I must...” He had not meant for his voice to sound so broken, but with his growing worry over his father’s well-being that It felt to spill out of him. There was nothing more to say or do than to head off back home, feeling far more compromised by emotion than he felt comfortable with.

The doctor could give nothing of a retort and could do little more than stare his back while he walked away- he knew well having tended to the elder man himself, but still...nothing about this whole situation sat well with him at all.

--

A little addition to go along with Prompt 5 - https://www.tumblr.com/avampyone/760849017227853824/prompt-5-letter-from-the-lost-days?source=share

[starres-stuff]

FFXIV Writes 2023 | Day 9 | Fair

Dimitri and his partner chat about the story so far as they try to find shelter from a storm in the Shroud.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The voice stopped Dimitri who had been rambling on for the last few bells about meeting his birth Mother, and he found himself looking up towards the back of Laurent’s head.

“No, but I wish I was.” He tried to make light of it, keeping the jovial nature in his voice but he had been watching the Wailer for three days now, trying to gauge his response to some of the things he had confessed as they wandered through the Shroud. It was the first time Dimitri had managed to figure out exactly where Laurent entered the deep wood, managed to follow him for a few malms before discovery, and all by watching his environment. That was the most rewarding part of tracking another person, having to look for the small signs that most would never think of. The slight depressions in the brush, the small snapped twigs, and of course if you got lucky a full boot print could be found even if the person had a soft step like Laurent did.

“Fuck that, it’s not fair.” A grunt followed the words, as was normal for Laurent. He was a man of few words, especially when he was working and even more so when something got under his skin. He liked to keep a lid on his thoughts until he was sure how he wanted to say something. At times he would let topics go for weeks and then eventually have his say. At first, Dimitri struggled with this, since he was so used to having to defend himself and answer to everything he did right away, but as the months went on he began to understand why Laurent was this way and he even began to find himself doing the same thing. For often the mood he was in when he first heard something didn’t reflect how he felt after he thought about it for a while.

“Well, she certainly thought it was.” The Sharlyan let out a wry chuckle, leaning on the fallen branch he had found some malms back that had become his walking stick. Where most would have felt like shit with all the physical exertion put out on this particular patrol Dimitri was at his finest and even the slight protest in his muscles made him feel as if he had been doing something with his days instead of shitting around in the loft packing or moping because Laurent was busy with work.

“There are a lot of fucked up things about my birth family.” He continued, this was the other thing he had come to understand about the Wailer. He liked to listen. He liked to learn about people and just because he didn’t answer didn’t mean that he wasn’t paying attention. It meant that he was and while he listened he was also doing the other things he needed to do while processing each thing he heard to make his decisions later.

“Frankly, I have just taken it as a typical Noble family and called it a day. It was the first time I had the chance to sit down with a Voidsent who seemed to be sympathetic to those of us still with Aether. It is also how I learned about Viviane’s illness.” Oops, he thought to himself, most of the time he was good at keeping her name out of things at least, or at least any reference to her if the need to speak about his Sister came up. It was a kindness after all, no one enjoys hearing the name of someone from their past and he actually felt a sensation of worry build up in him only this time the Wildwood just kept right on walking, there was no change in his posture, no motion to shake it off. There was just a man, his bow, and the path he had walked for moons and moons. This caused Dimitri to lift his eyebrow, but he certainly wasn’t about to poke the beehive any further.

“It was peculiar. I had spent so long in that stuffy lecture hall listening to the Professor prattle on, day after day about how they were menaces, evils, and wished us all dead. Yet here was one who thought of us as her family. That assumed my Mother’s form with the intent to just continue with her work until a time came, which it had, that she wished to move on with her own life.”

Over hills, and down into valleys they moved. The sky was darkening above them and Dimitri had predicted rain about a bell again when the wind whipped past them in one of its merry twirls. “Mm, we should find shelter. That storm is going to be upon us soon, I can smell the burnt ozone already and there is a bit of electricity in the air.”

“Working on it, keep walking.” came the gruff voice, followed by a quickening of Laurent’s pace. Dimitri had found out early on that the pair were evenly matched when it came to endurance and stamina, even with the broken arm he had at the time. It made doing this with the Wailer truly enjoyable, of course, he made certain to walk behind the other man so he could admire those broad shoulders from his years of practice with his bow as well as his muscular rear which was at times packed into pants as tight as the ones that Dimitri wore. There was even a wide grin on his face at the moment, that was until Laurent looked over his shoulder and gave him this look.

“I know what you are doing,” he said then looked back ahead of him, The manner in which he found himself caught made Dimitri let out a low chuckle that seemed to echo through the heart of the woods where they were now.

“Oh come on now, you enjoy it when I stare at you and you cannot tell me you do not.” It was a deliberate tease, his attempt at either ruffling the Wildwood’s feathers or making him laugh. Of course, it was also taking a chance, for there were times his random and rather bad attempts at flirting resulted in the two of them not talking, and even though they eventually would work things out Dimitri didn’t like causing the tension to begin with, even though it was perfectly normal and healthy for couples to fight.

“Keep your mind on the Storm Pretty,” Laurent replied in that neutral tone that Dimitri still hadn’t learned how to interpret yet. All these Moons and studying the Wailer's body language hadn’t given him the slightest idea of how to read into this particular tone of voice. He had often found himself wondering if it was a show of interest but depended on what came next before his partner would give any sign as to where things were heading. Whatever it was, Dimitri found himself never sure of how to proceed.

“Right, the storm. I’ve noticed there are no animals on this path.” he rambled on, his eyes darting this way and that as the thunder began to echo ominously above them. Storms were something that the Sharlyan found himself in tune with. He could often feel them coming and going. This one felt like it was going to split the Shroud straight down the middle if it could. The powerful build-up of Levin in the air around them was beginning to make the fine covering of hair on his arms stand up and leave a tingle in his skin. This made him think about the Storm that had led to their meeting, his smile returning and his eyes resuming their watch of the way the other Elezen stalked through the woods. It was a haunting sight really, beautiful would be his word to describe it. Each step he took, and each motion he made caused the Duskwight to stare even harder. How could he be thinking about sex right now when the sky was about to drop ponz of rain on them if they didn’t find shelter?

“Up ahead, two clicks to the left. Old shack. It’s empty and we reclaimed it as a safe spot in case of weather. Should have a stocked pantry, at least it did last week. Hopefully, no one came along and ate everything. Don’t have time to hunt with this storm coming.” It was the most Laurent had said the entire walk, but it was also when he was at his best. His work kept him out of his head, and on his feet. He took great pride in it and he knew exactly what he was doing without fail. It was also the one time Dimitri would not debate with the Wailer on a topic, which was a rare thing as the Sharlyan often debated anything that came his way from anyone. Not this though, Laurent knew what he was doing and Dimitri trusted in that.

“I want to hear more about this meeting when we get inside.” The softer voice lacking the commanding tone caused Dimitri to look up quizzically but like everything else he did not question what was on Laurent’s mind, he would tell him when he was ready.

“I think you are right by the way.” were the words that the Sharlyan chose to say. “It wasn’t fair, a lot of what I have told you hasn’t been fair. I just never thought about it that way before. I thought it was something I had to do and be quiet about.” His voice trailed off as big raindrops fell from the sky and crashed into the top of his head followed by his face when he looked up. “Shit” he muttered, the storm had finally caught up with them.

“Don’t worry about it, we made it in time, let's go.” Laurent motioned to the old shack they were now on top of, and it looked like a strong wind could blow the thing over, yet there it still stood. Of course, the condition of the building worried Dimitri but he still followed his partner inside and out of the rain.

[umbralsound-xiv]

Spare.

Eyja -ran-, as fast as her legs could carry her. Her sprint was far from quiet, nearly thundering down the pathway while the Midlander threw an anxious glance over her shoulder on the occasion - clearly running from something, or someone. A Highlander and a Wildwood seems to be hot on her trail, lingering not all too far behind her despite the distance she tries to put in between them.

The first of the two women, a Highlander, began to close in on the woman, only a little more than a few steps behind as she sprinted after her quarry. "Y'can't run forever, Eyja! Give it up!"

The second, a Duskwight woman. Knife in hand, she kept her quiet, only a pace behind the Highlander woman, though her gaze was trained on the fleeing Midlander.

Bexy's gaze narrows on the scene. The shouting that had prevailed moments earlier had caught her attention; it was easy to see the red marks that curled up each of the women's cheeks. From her perch up high, Bexy slinks, swift as a shadow, across the ridge of the cliff, never quite letting them out of sight for long.

...It had been a quieter sun. It figures that most of them are being more cautious, these suns... As am i. I am being hunted, as much as i am the hunter. This situation, however... Something was decidedly different. All three women were marked, but one decidedly was trying to flee the others. Another one of those there by force? I would find out.

Figures passing along the road weren't anything new, not from the position Mahi'a had settled themselves down in just out of the way. Most were worth a moment of observation, though none were quite as curious as the sprinting Hyur that came into view, desperation warily noted while they rise to get a better view.

Eyja held no intentions to waste precious energy on shouting a response to the Highlander, and instead continued her hurried dash - features drawn into a distressed, perpetual frown. Her focus locked dead ahead as she ran, hoping that she’d be able to get away if she didn’t use up time to turn her head over her shoulder.

The Highlander keeps pace, but there's something lacking in her urgency. Close enough to see the woman but not enough that there seemed to be any real worry she'd get away. Allowing Eyja to pull ahead, she curls a smirk to the Duskwight. "Radim is ahead. She won't get away." Her words were quieter, unheard by the midlander several paces in front.

Nodding, the Duskwight seems to break her pace to hold much the same position as the Highlander… As though she were slowing in order to save her energy for some upcoming scuffle. Her hands don't leave her knives for a moment.

Bexy slips away through the trees. Ice at her heels sees her skid down the edge of the overlook, quickly putting her level with the fleeing group. A small flicker of ice, a glimmer of cold; Bexy keeps herself concealed and content to watch and follow… For now.

Mahi'a's staff is taken in hand as soon as they get a better look at the pursuers, scrambling across the rocky terrain to get an overview of the road. They make a quick decision while they can, aether gathered and released as a bolt of lightning - aimed for the space between the duo and Hyur ahead to try and disrupt their chase.

The crackle of lightning behind her makes Eyja flinch, head briefly turning before snapping back in front, as if keeping herself from fully looking back to see what just happened. Her steps continue to rush down the road.

"---The fuck was that?" The Highlander flinches at the sound and sight. "Jehianne, scout the area, i'll keep her on track!" She runs into the brush a little ways, in order to put distance around the impact site, and herself.

The Duskwight, Jehianne, complies; seemingly following some kind of order. Turning on her heel, she barks out, hands on blades. "Alright, show yourself! You're meddling in the wrong business!" Immediately, her gaze trains on Mahi'a…

Bexy immediately raises her bow at the sign of lightning, and then lowers it in some quiet confusion. Ears high, gaze snapping back and forth, she opts to follow the two rather than linger with the other that fell back, moving swiftly into the next patch of brush far enough to keep close. A cast glance turns her head over her shoulder, where her eyes slowly widen as they settle on Mahi'a. Bexy's grasp of her bow tightens, slowly raising it to aim as her heart raced…

...Lightning? But none of them looked the part of a mage... It dawned on me only then that i might not have been alone, and a cursory glance confirmed it... Mahi'a. My heart sang and sunk both. For their familiarity, yes... But i didn't want them to get hurt. Or prevent what must be done.

Mahi'a grips their staff tightly, attention flickering between the Highlander continuing to run and the Duskwight before them. "That tends to be the case!" they agree immediately, split second decision made to turn from her and bolt further up the side of the road after the others.

Eyja skids to a sudden halt as her gaze lands upon a Helion not too far away from her - in her way. "-- Shit.." Her gaze scans the area quickly, before she darts off the road to her right. "Shit- shit- shit- shit-"

"I told you, Eyja! Didn't fucking listen!" The Highlander continues to run, corralling Eyja further away from the road.

Jehianne looks about ready to fight, so much so to the point they are outright -insulted- when Mahi'a opts to run instead. "HEY!" She yells, daring to launch a knife towards them as they ran. "Geirhildr! We have company!"

The aforementioned Radim waits on the path; a Hrothgar of a towering stature, rapier and focus at his hip. "Don't make this difficult, Eyja…" His tone is a gravelly sound, full of irritation. "You didn't think we suspected this?"

No, no, absolutely not -- You don't hurt the people i love! An arrow. Two. I'd kill her. Marked, and ready to hurt and kill in kind. It wouldn't matter. There were others i could learn from.

As the knife left the Duskwight's hand, Bexy's arrow is drawn tightly, and loosed towards Jehianne as a retaliation for the offense!

Mahi'a dares not focus on the yell from behind them, determined to evade any kind of fight even if it did appear to be inevitable the longer they stuck around. They keep the Highlander in sight as much as possible, gathering aether in their weapon as they ran, interrupted momentarily by the impact of the dagger against the road and their own alarm. Not entirely certain of -what- they were going to do, they release another burst of lightning out towards the Highlander in front of them, praying it could serve as a distraction if not hit them.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Eyja returned a yell to Radim. "I am NOT going back - I won't!" She's forced into a halt as she's met with the cliffside, shifting repeatedly on her feet as she turns and scans for a possible exit. "-- So fuck you!"

Geirhildr is narrowly missed by the lightning; had she continued running straight, it would have surely connected, but a sharp turn saw her follow Eyja into the brush. "RADIM, SOMEONE IS HERE!" She barks, backing into the clearing, fists up. "See what you've done, Eyja? You want to get yourself fucking killed out here?!"

Jehianne reels her hand back to throw another knife… Which drops to the ground, as an arrow plummets into her shoulder. The shock and cold of it is enough to stagger, turning her head over her shoulder to fix her gaze on the woman who peered above the brush, weapon in hand, a scream leaving her lips as realisation dawned.

Radim huffs, slowly drawing his weapon. "And now you've caused more bother for us! You -are- going back, whether i drag you there myself, or you return of your own accord! Pick wisely!" Geirhildr's call and the crack of lightning is enough to steal his attention. "Last and only warning! Back off or we bury you!" He calls out, towards Mahi'a!

Bexy moves quickly after her downed prey. There's little remorse in her action, and another arrow is already halfway formed before it's drawn; and would be loosed momentarily, as Bexy made way towards the trees ahead.

Mahi'a comes to a stop at the sound of the scream, spinning on the spot to stare back at the downed Duskwight in panic. They immediately recognise the situation yet hesitate all the same, having to tear their attention away towards the situation ahead of themselves. Slightly scattered they intend to press on regardless, taking a deep breath before releasing some aether as a fiery wave ahead of themselves - aimed to scorch the grass and earth at the Highlanders feet.

"Dying is better than the bloody alternative!" Eyja yelled to Geirhildr, before her attention snapped back to Radim and her fists raised. "-FUCK- you! And fuck Grym! Fuck every single one of you assholes!"

Geirhildr draws a sharp gasp as flames billow over the grass towards her, catching on her boots and setting them aflame. "A MAGE!" She snaps out, but seeks to resolve the problem herself. Leaping over what remained of the wave of fire, she leads with an outstretched kick, aimed cleanly for Mahi'a!

The shrill scream that Jehianne had managed cuts off abruptly, as an icy arrow immediately finds the side of her head. Slumped sideways into the dirt, staring blankly ahead, she remains unmoving.

Radim inclines his head, clicking his teeth in annoyance. "Such is your choice. Bringing you back alive was the first option. But not the only one." A rush of sharp wind is launched from the outstretched focus towards Eyja!

"Three hundred and twenty… Four." Bexy whispers beneath her breath. She tenses as the Highlander barrels towards Mahi'a, another arrow drawn and yet to fly. Unsure if they had yet to note her presence, Bexy opts to slip from the trees, in full view. "You're outnumbered." - A simple statement, spoken clearly as a threat.

Perhaps she would not target them if she knew i was here. That was the split second gamble i took into account; and perhaps divert her attention to me. Leave them alone. Look at me. I am the one who is hunting your people!

Mahi'a tries to get a look beyond the fire and trees to the figures in the distance, managing only the barest glimpse before they notice the Highlander's rapid approach. No attempt to shield themselves is fast enough and they are quickly knocked down painfully by the kick, glancing to Bexy while they scramble to recover.

Eyja’s arms raise to shield her face as the wind forces her back several paces, teeth gritting in the process. “Then -kill- me and be done with it!” Her arms swat downwards and Eyja darts for Radim, fist immediately swinging towards the underside of the Hrothgar’s jaw the moment she gets close enough. Despite her words, it seems like she’s not planning on going down without a fight.

Geirhildr barks a wicked laugh as her boot connects with Mahi'a, raising it again as though she were going to bury a foot anew into their ribs. Bexy's announcement steals her attention, and the colour drains from her face. "RADIM! IT'S -HER-!"

Radim feels the raw thud of a fist against his jaw, baring his teeth. The rapier he held is thrust towards the woman's shoulder, with an intent to pierce it. "You're less useful as a dead body, but you'd be quieter as one!" He'd noted the skirmish behind him, wagering all was in hand until Geirhildr called out. "Then kill her! The mage too!"

Bexy lunges forwards, snapping the bow in half to make two crude daggers. "Leave them alone!" She hisses, teeth bared in an uncharacteristic snarl. A clear distraction, with a hope to divert the Highlander's attention from Mahi'a!

Yes! Look this way! Drop her, Mahi'a, and i'll finish the rest!

Mahi'a pulls themselves back away from the Highlander in her distraction, trying to catch their breath despite their flare of panic. Before picking themselves up fully they release what aether remained in their staff up towards their attacker in another bright crackle of lightning.

The rapier's blade pierces through Eyja's shoulder, prying a cry of pain from her. Her free hand darts out towards his focus, aiming to ram her fist into it to knock it out of Radim's hands

The bright crackle is quick and unexpected enough to rip Geirhildr from her feet with an alarmed yelp, launching her backwards into the dirt, hard. There's no groan of protest, and no sound from her lips immediately; half covered by brush, it's impossible to tell if she lives, or not.

...Did... Did they kill her? It dawns in my thoughts that i don't think i've ever seen Mahi'a kill anyone, save for perhaps once. I know they aren't fond of it in any regard.

Radim snarls as the focus is dropped, and now divested of it, it lunges for her throat. "It would be so easy, -so easy- to break your neck and send you off with your father!" He squeezes, aiming to strangle the consciousness from her. "When you wake up, you will be back where you belong!"

As the Highlander is launched, and no immediate movement is taken, Bexy darts over to her, daggers raised. The slow rise and fall and racing of the now-unconscious Highlander's pulse is enough for Bexy to determine her fate. "Unconscious." She states, and without no more of a warning, plunges each of her daggers into the woman's hands, effectively pinning her there. "---The girl. She was running." Bexy speaks, level and collected, ready for the next altercation, looking over Mahi'a with a knit brow, her otherwise steely expression softening as it searched them, ready to move on but not to abandon them.

...I'll deal with the Highlander later. Pin her by her hands; she can't touch her linkpearls then. It's not fatal, and she's out cold. Hopefully, she stays that way. The situation is still at hand. ...Where i won't learn from prying information from people, maybe i'll learn from someone who will give it willingly. We save the girl, or try our best to, and go from there.

Mahi'a stares, grateful for the foliage that mostly obscures the Highlander's body from them, though Bexy's gesture gives them some indication that she may yet live. For now, anyway. They quickly divert their gaze away, first to Bexy herself then to the clearing ahead of them both. "She - yes. There's another they were yelling to," they say once somewhat composed. With that said, and staff in hand once again, they dash forward in the direction of the other voice.

With Radim's hand latching around her throat, her own hands lift to grip at his little finger and index finger, beginning to pull them in the opposite directions while her feet dangle in the air, legs pinning together before she sends her feet forwards - attempting to slam them both into Radim's chest in unison while her consciousness remains.

"Another step and i'll break her neck. Don't think i won't." The knit of irritation is visible on the Hrothgar's features, a breath he'd intended to take stolen at the impact, stomping over to a nearby tree and slamming Eyja back first into the bark, still firmly keeping his grasp.

Bexy moves immediately after Mahi'a when she was confident they were not too wounded and could move of their own accord, another bow forming in her hands. The arrow is drawn… But remains exactly where it is upon the Hrothgar's words, breath caught in her throat.

...Bastard. He has her already, and he knows we're here. I wager he won't talk if he's the last one left, and i'd much rather for Mahi'a's sake that he didn't kill her.

Mahi'a moves no further at the threat, faintly relieved to see that the Midlander is still alive despite everything. A small look is cast aside to Bexy before they fixate on the Hrothgar fully. "…If you leave her, you can run," they propose after a pause.

...Did... Did Mahi'a just use me as a threat? I... Am not upset for it, but surprised. I am more used to Mist or Adelle wielding me as a weapon, but not Mahi'a. But they are right. They can run if they leave her. I can shoot him at a distance.

Eyja squirmed on the spot, kicking out at the Hrothgar repeatedly while her fingers dug in between his hand and her throat, to make her able to breathe better. Her gaze darts over to Mahi'a and Bexy, then back to Radim - shifting between them repeatedly.

Radim only squeezes tighter at Eyja's struggle, casting his glance to the two Miqo'te, then. "And if i don't? You'll kill me?" He looks to Mahi'a, and then Bexy, eyes narrowed. "You've killed a good many. But i'm not like them. All with their woeful lack of experience… Or ability." He seems to drive Eyja further into the tree as his words descended into a growl. "Go ahead. Shoot me. See if i can't move the girl to block whatever you throw at me in time."

Bexy draws a long breath through her nose. "You are just like them. Blood and bone. I trust all of your organs are in the same place? Arteries?" Her tail flicks, but there's some hesitation in the way she twitches her fingers through her gloves. Her lips pull into a line, knowing time was growing short…

Organs, blood, and bone. Nothing more. I've never fought a Hrothgar before, but i can't imagine they're terribly different from any other spoken race. I could kill him. I'm confident enough of that. But i'm not sure i could do it before he kills her. I see her writhe, the fight will leave her soon. I don't have much time, and to shoot would be to risk her. ...Unless Mahi'a thinks of something in the next few moments, it's a risk i'll have to take.

Mahi'a stands tense, doing their best not to let their body language betray their ever growing uncertainty. It works to some degree, though their ears threaten to flatten down into their hair as Bexy speaks. For a moment their fingers tap against their staff, then it's raised to release a bright arc of electricity towards the Hrothgar, as little aether put into the spellwork as possible despite its flashiness.

Eyja's squirming becomes more and more frantic as Radim squeezes her throat shut, her lips part in a desperate attempt to draw breath while she sends a sharper kick for his side.

The flash is so fast that Radim doesn't have any time to react; lightning, being fast as it is, seizes his body as more a discomfort, but even the way it makes his muscles spasm and jerk isn't something he can ignore. Eyja is dropped against his own will, though she likely caught some of the surge herself.

I couldn't have thought of such a brilliant idea so quickly, and it served the purpose well. All i could do was bellow to the woman to run, and pray that she didn't run all that far and leave us without our source of information. But we had an immediate threat, and there was no negotiation, now; the time had long since passed for it. He was going to die. Not me. And certainly not them.

"RUN!" Bexy bellows, an order clearly intended for the woman. Bexy aims high, an arrow sailing through the air towards the Hrothgar's torso as he scrambled in the dirt for his focus.

While surprised that their impulsive action had worked at all, Mahi'a is quick to jump further into the opportunity. They step forward to launch more lightning towards the Hrothgar with more recklessness, watching out for any more moves from him towards the Midlander.

Eyja only briefly registers the pain of the lightning arc of lightning before she's dropped down and manages to gasp for air. Bexy's order makes her swiftly scramble across the ground and towards Bexy and Mahi'a, albeit still keeping her distance and remaining on the ground.

Radim yells as the lightning sears through his fur, leaving a smoking welt along his side as Bexy's arrow lodged firmly in his shoulder. "I'LL KILL THE LOT OF YOU!" He snarls, searching for his focus in the dirt.

…Which Bexy had noticed. When he had not immediately cast a spell back, she puts herself between the group, surging her ice into the floor beneath Radim. While he could likely pull his feet from the sheet of ice beneath him with some effort, his focus remains sealed against the dirt, unable to be grasped. "Guard her!" Bexy calls out to Mahi'a, desperately!

---No focus! You can't cast spells efficiently without one, or most can't, in any case. I'm different. Like Sayuri. We don't need such things, but i don't forget the basics. Stripped of his magic, he'll turn to close quarters. I have mere moments to riddle him with arrows before he closes the gap, but i'm sure i can do it!

Mahi'a releases a breath they'd been holding as the distance between the Midlander and Hrothgar grows. They still refuse to move their focus away from him, grateful enough that Bexy appears to have a handle on the situation but remaining ready nonetheless. The aether they weave is this time formed into a translucent shield, placed in front of themselves as they move to cover the Midlander.

Eyja quietly watches, most of the noise heard from her being her attempting to catch her breath, and a small shuffle as she shifts how she's sat. She raises a hand to cover her still bleeding shoulder, gripping it tightly.

Radim snarls as his focus remains out of grasp, and predictibly, opts to pull his feet out of the ice to charge at Bexy, being the closest. "I WILL HAVE YOUR DAMNED HEAD!"

His threats, however, don't seem to faze her an ilm. An arrow is formed, and loosed. And another. And another. It continues, but he doesn't stop moving, and Bexy doesn't give any ground either, eventually breaking her bow in half once again and expecting close quarters.

...Bastard, why won't you drop!? He's practically a pincushion and all i see is teeth and eyes closing in on me like a wild animal! That's all he is. He's an animal. It's all we all are. Blood and bone. Nothing more. Go on then, close the gap, come for me, not them! You're wounded, and i've not a scratch on me! I don't expect to get out unscathed, but it's a fight i'll win, and it's not one i can back down from now!

Mahi'a tenses up in panic at the charge, using all of their willpower to remain in place and maintain the shield between themselves and the charging Hrothgar. While their eye is fixed on him their ears flick back, trying to keep track of where the Midlander is behind them and if she moves further.

Eyja seems to have no intention to move out of place for the time being, gaze cautiously shifting between Radim and Bexy.

Radim seems to neither know nor care about the daggers, and barrels into the frosty Seeker. What sounds is a shriek from Bexy's part, and a sudden and violent crunching of ice. The two exchange blows and all but attempt to tear eachother to pieces in some writhing mass of blood and ice, which persists for all too long until Radim is the one that stops moving first. His hulking form is slumped atop Bexy, as she struggles to remove him. "Three hundred and... Twenty... Five..."

...He's dead. He got my face, everything is warm and stings and smells thick and metallic and unpleasant. My ribs... I felt something sharp. It hurts to breathe. Fuck.

"Bexy?" Mahi'a hesitates, even when it appears the struggle is over, a couple of seconds passing as they stare at the Hrothgar's body for any sign of movement. They're not entirely convinced after doing so, yet their rising concern for Bexy wins out, concentration on the shield dropped along with their staff to the ground as they move to help her.

Eyja finally scrambles up on her feet, exhaling sharply. She follows suit and moves over to Bexy and Radim, seeking to grasp at the Hrothgar and -pull- in an attempt to aid in getting him off.

Bexy's first drawn breath is a wheeze, and as Radim is removed from her, the damage is apparent. His rapier slides a few ilms out from between her ribs, and despite the damage done Bexy immediately drags herself to her feet. "I'm fine, i'm fine…" She repeats like a mantra, wide eyed and disoriented for a moment. Her gloved hand moves to the spill of blood that poured down her side, painting the usual cloth a crimson red, before she slakes the wound in ice to stem the bleeding. "I… I need a healer…" She manages, swallowing as she comes to her senses. Her face seethed with pain; a deep set of claw-marks marring her cheek, seemingly ignored as she gathers her bearings. "…But not yet. You…" She traces her gaze to the woman, half slumped against Mahi'a. "…You're running away from them." She gasps, but it's just as much of a statement. "Explain."

...I'm bleeding. Bleeding badly. But i can't squander this chance. I won't kill her, no. I have no reason to kill her. She's running away, she's running away and she won't tell, because why would she? We saved her, i'm sure. I need a healer. I need a healer, but i need information more.

Mahi'a quickly reaches to help support Bexy as she stands, worriedly examining just how much blood is covering her already. "You do," they agree initially as she brings up a healer, frowning at the follow up. Any argument is forced down for now, biting their tongue to let her talk to the stranger.

Eyja raises a hand to her neck, rubbing it idly as she eyed Bexy. ".. I don't need to explain what they are, I.. am sure -you- are well aware.." She spoke quietly, lips tugging into a thin line. "..I aint like them, I swear. I'm trying to -leave- them, they don't take kindly to it.."

"I… Figured as much. They were sent to bring you back, yes? Like Sayuri. They hate it when people run away." Bexy speaks through gritted teeth that now stained with crimson. "I heard all you said, and that's enough convincing. I have questions. I want answers." Her arm almost swings around Mahi'a's shoulders, in some attempt to not lurch and drop to the floor again. That same arm gives a small squeeze of gratitude.

"Can we ask questions after we get a hold of a healer?" Mahi'a asks, glancing between them and tightening their hold on Bexy to keep her upright. "You're both bleeding. We can go - if we get a hold of Neoma, she can meet us somewhere?"

"Well, shit.. I owe you that much..." Eyja rocked on her heels, gaze shifting upwards and towards the path before settling atop of Bexy and Mahi'a again. "...Any answer I can give, I will.. I'd like to get outta this bloody desert as fast as possible, too.."

"I will… Be fast." Bexy promises, head nudging against their shoulder. "Sayuri, Eir. They're both in that compound, yes? Are they alive? Both of them? What state are they in? Where exactly are they being kept, if you know? Can you tell me anything important i might need to know about getting in there? Anything you think i should know?" Bexy takes a breath. "The woman back there." Bexy indicates with a single raise of her index, which pointed sidelong but intended behind her. "Should i kill her?"

I asked all i could think to ask, as my head threatened to drop me through the lack of blood. Suppose i haven't fully recovered from my last wounds yet... But i wasn't expecting anything this severe. Mahi'a is still standing. That's a comfort. I needed to learn everything i could, and then i needed to go home, and pray that Neoma was there waiting. Mhira wouldn't be too far if not, and if not another pair of healing hands of the Karahli. As though i don't owe them enough.

Mahi'a releases their breath in a quiet sigh and falls silent again. Instead they cast a look of their own back in the direction of the downed Highlander, grimacing at the thought.

".. Sayuri is.. X'llaya, aye? White-haired Seeker with.. ice." Eyja grimaced slightly, head turning slightly. ".. She's alive. He.. isn't, to my knowledge.." A sharp exhale left her. ".. She got impaled through the shoulder and an arm broken not that long ago, probably broken ribs too. Concussion was the last to join the list. Kept below ground, the compound has a basement that's being used as a prison in two sections, she'd be in the solitary one." A pause. ".. Getting -in-? Other than being taken prisoner or inducted? Which.. I don't think will happen in your case, considering.. they know of you." Another pause lingers, as Eyja considers her next words. ".. She's killed some folks on the inside while you've been doing it on the outside, folks have.. tried to take her ice away from her." Her gaze shifts towards Geirhildr, frowning. ".. I.. honestly don't care if you do, or don't. She'd deserve it, if anything."

"She's alive. She's hurt but…" Bexy trails, lips parting as she slowly realises, a little vacantly. "He… Isn't?" Her voice breaks a little, but it's quickly stitched back together in favor of continuing the conversation. "Right… R-right. Okay. But… She's still fighting. She's still fighting." Bexy's words became half a muddle, nodding. "Best… Best we do. Make it… Quick. They're hunting me already, yes?" A gaze a step away from teary settles on Mahi'a. "I… I don't want them to hunt you too. Not you too…"

...Eir is dead. I... I don't... I've been telling myself this entire time that he probably won't make it, but hearing the reality of it all is somehow so much worse. He's dead. He's not going to come home with Sayuri. She's there alone. He's gone, and they took him from her. Why else would she have killed so many people? I... I can't imagine how she feels, what goes through her head these suns? Sayuri... Keep fighting. Please keep fighting. I... I'm supposed to keep you safe, but i...? ...I was supposed to keep you all safe!

Mahi'a catches barely any of the words passing between them both, lost somewhere around the news of Eir's death. They're quickly busy holding back tears, trying their best not to show their reaction in their expression - which only makes it all the more obvious. Bexy's gaze is noticed at least, some focus returning. "Can you… walk? At least stand? I need to get my staff."

"...Vairg cleaved him like.." Eyja moves a hand from the middle of her stomach and out to her side, gesturing the wound which Eir had received. "..Clean through, according to a friend of mine who saw." Her head dipped into a nod. "Aye, putting up one hell of a fight.. Killed at least four of them, and bit fingers off of Vairg after Grym put them in the bloody arena together." She nods once more. ".. Yeah, they are."

Even Bexy's gaze tears at that, swallowing the lump that swelled in her throat. "I can walk." She chokes, and she can walk, but it's more of a stagger. "Go." Bexy says to the woman. "Go before they come. You deserve freedom, and i can't fight them if they want to take it from you if they come again." She tears her gaze away from the two, and stumbles towards the brush where the Highlander had fallen earlier.

Why? Why does this hurt so much more than i thought it was going to? I... He was part of the company too. He was, and... Somehow, it isn't that. Something about it all feels so helpless, and perhaps because he wasn't even supposed to be on the field or in any situation like this, much less deserved it! When... -When- i get Sayuri back... How much is going to be left of her back in the compound? Where Eir died? Where she will have to live knowing that, for however many cycles we both have left? She was supposed to be happy, Gods damn it!

Mahi'a, thankfully, is beyond paying full attention, the worst of the grisly recount evading their ears. While Bexy answers one way, they still reach out cautiously as she moves away, watching her stagger for a few seconds to ensure she isn't likely to fall just yet. The staff is picked up from the ground once they recall their intention, hesitating there afterwards. "Will you be okay?"

".. I will. I'll get as bloody far away as I can, hide with some mercs I know.." Eyja exhaled a sharp breath. ".. Thank you, for helping me."

Bexy stares at the unconscious body, wide and teary eyed. Slumping to her knees as her own consciousness flickered, a bloody hand is set over the woman's face, a small surge of ice freezing her head solid. "Three hundred and twenty six." Bexy whispered, simply.

I killed her to keep us safe. I can't have them hunting Mahi'a too. I'm enough. Let them come for me. I'll put them all in the ground. No amount of bodies will bring him back for you, Sayuri, but i'll at least give them the same fate.

"Good… good. I'm glad," Mahi'a says with a few small nods to accompany their words. "You're welcome, it's… good that we were able to help one person, at least."

".. We're not all like them. Some of us.. had no choice." Eyja spoke quietly, lowering her head.

Bexy makes some attempt to stand, but finding herself unable to drag herself to her feet without the threat of unconsciousness, she opts to drag herself to the nearest rock, slumping against it.

It wasn't supposed to end like this, Gods damn it! It wasn't supposed to end like this! She loved him... And it's now, only far away from them and much too late that i realise how much he loved her too. He made her happy, and that was enough for me. Gods damn it!

"…I know, I've met Vex." They try to give her a small smile before looking back towards Bexy, startled by her slumped appearance. "I need to go - good luck," they say quickly, turning and rushing over to Bexy's side to crouch beside her.

"Mahi'a…?" Bexy calls, and her face is the picture of misery. Blood streams down her cheek, mingled with tears she refuses to acknowledge. "Please… Please take me home…?" She asks, reaching for a hand which she holds as tightly as they'll let her.

Eyja raised her brows, but exhaled almost in relief - until Bexy falls over. She watches quietly, before glancing towards the path to the Shroud. ".. Thank you!" She calls out to Mahi'a and Bexy a final time, before she begins to run anew.

Another small, forced smile appears for all of a second, Bexy's hand squeezed in theirs. "We're going now," Mahi'a assures her, taking as much care as possible as they help her up from the ground to return to the Shroud.

Bexy doesn't protest. Not for a second. As soon as she's helped up, she drapes herself around Mahi'a, holding them perhaps tighter than she'd needed to, for stability and comfort, both.

...They were supposed to get married. They were supposed to be happy, together! I... I'm sorry, Sayuri. I'm so sorry... I wasn't fast enough. But i... I have to keep going. I have to. I have to.

[sezja]

Febuwhump Day 20: Knife Wound Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Characters/Ship: Sanson Smyth/Guydelot Thildonnet Triggers/Content warnings: n/a

Happens shortly after this

Also references this

He's moved, not gently, and with little care for his wounds.

As he struggles back into consciousness, Sanson tries to shout through the gag - Eve must be coming back this way by now, or perhaps Guydelot will wonder what's keeping them; if he can but get their attention...! But no, his voice is thoroughly muffled, and the "bandits" move far too swiftly, covering all signs of their retreat.

Whoever these men are - Nourval's men - they know altogether too well how to hide their tracks. Well-trained and too skilled to be mere sellswords; were Sanson to guess, he might speculate that they're the sons of Gridania's wealthy elites, venerable and daunting. The sort of men who very well might align themselves with a youth claiming to be descended from Vainchelon himself, promising a war of vengeance against Ala Mhigo...

And then one of the men carrying him jars Sanson's wounds, and he thinks about little else but the pain for a while.

He tries, through the red haze that fogs his vision, to take note of where they're going - but he recognizes little of the terrain, having gotten precious little time to scout outside of the castrum. And he fades in and out of consciousness, waking wearier and wearier each time, only dimly aware of the men speaking around him.

His fear fades into numbness.

When at last they drop him unceremoniously on the ground at nightfall, Sanson is hardly lucid. He doesn't recognize the area - of course not. The beginnings of a camp bustle to life around him, but beyond that, he cannot guess where they are. Still somewhere in Gyr Abania, he supposes...

He closes his eyes, suddenly longing only for the escape sleep offers.

"Ah, no you don't." A gentle slap to his already-bruised cheek snaps Sanson out of his doze, and he opens his eyes to the unwelcome sight of Nourval kneeling beside him. On his other side is a grizzled older Wildwood man, frowning down at him with what looks disarmingly like concern.

"It's the blow to the head," the older fellow says, gently prodding at the back of Sanson's skull, tsking when Sanson hisses in pain. "There's little I can do for it; you young fools and your penchant for cracking skulls-"

"Fine, fine." Nourval waves it off. "See to his other wounds, then. We don't want him bleeding out."

The old man huffs. "Then you might have avoided stabbing him, mightn't you?"

What follows is the single most humiliating medical examination Sanson has ever endured, with the only saving grace being that Nourval has the decency to keep watch - and his back turned, keeping the other men at a distance. Though Sanson has never considered himself a particularly modest man, there's something demoralizing about being stripped and searched twice in one godsdamned day...

He flinches when the old healer's hands find the knife wound, low on his side, where Nourval had taken the blood to write his message for Guydelot.

Guydelot...

Matron, what must Guydelot be thinking now? He must be beside himself with fear and fury in equal measure; what if he does something foolhardy?

He squeezes his eyes shut. Tries to imagine it's Guydelot's hands on him, instead.

"That'll want stitches," the healer murmurs to himself, cleaning the wound. Before Sanson can so much as brace himself, he feels the touch of a needle-

He bites down hard on the gag, choking on his scream.

Guydelot... he'd once sat perfectly still, unflinching, while Guydelot stitched up his wounds, refusing to cry out. Gods, how it hurt! But pride kept him silent; stubborn pride. He'd hated the bard with everything he had, then, and refused even to give him the satisfaction of seeing him show any sign of pain. It'd taken everything in him to clench his jaw on the desire to scream, to keep himself from weeping from the burning agony of each pass of the needle.

Tough little bastard, Guydelot had said.

He hadn't screamed for Guydelot; he won't scream for Nourval and his men, either.

He bites down hard, clenches his bound hands into fists. In and out goes the needle. In and out goes his breath, slow and even. Black spots dance in his vision, in tune with the pounding in his head.

The process seems to take forever.

"That's the worst of it," the healer says, tugging Sanson's clothing back into place. "He'll feel like dying for a day or two, I'd wager, but he'll live, like as not. I'll check back in on him in the morning."

Sanson, relaxing at last, limp as a wrung-out dishcloth, sprawls miserably on the ground. Nourval says something; he doesn't hear it. Doesn't care. Tired, too tired; he wants to sleep. He wants Guydelot, and the safety of curling into his arms at night. He wants this all to be nothing more than a dream, an awful dream, and he'll wake in the morning to find himself still wrestling over Gylbarde's journal.

He wants...

[screechthemighty]

I'm actually going to be updating TWO (2) fics today, so here's the first one! It's time for more memories of mother Fayetos era, baby! AO3 link will be in a reblog but here's the whole thing below!

so i may as well ditch my dismay | part 1/?

cws: after effects of animal cruelty.

.

He woke up that morning to a lone wolf drinking from the river. It stood on the opposite shore and stared Kratos down. He kept it in his line of sight, but avoided aggressive action.

Move along. There’s nothing for you here.

It continued staring at him a moment longer before moving on.

The animals here could be unnerving. Sometimes, Kratos would swear they were more intelligent than the wolves he’d known before. He carefully scanned the treeline as he emerged from his cave, but there was no sign of a pack.

Just as well. He didn’t have it in him to handle an attack today.

He stopped at the river long enough to wash his face and refill his water skin before beginning his journey. He rarely went far these days; just enough to scavenge, to gather up enough sustenance to survive the next day or so, then back to his cave. He knew the seasons were changing–autumn was fast settling in, with winter beginning to show itself–but that was the only indicator of passing time that he had.

It had been some time since he’d last seen her. Faye, the strange redhead who lived in the woods to the east. Sometimes, he wondered if her leg had recovered. Kratos did his best to keep her out of his mind, though. She would be fine on her own. He did not need to think of her.

He did not.

Kratos shook his head. Focus. Remember what you need. More meat if he could, something to supplement it. He would need firewood later, but it was a less urgent need. And he was still attempting to map the surrounding areas, if only in his mind. He didn’t want to accidentally stumble into anyone’s territory again.

It was strange; there were roads here, but they were long abandoned. He found ruins frequently–some larger structures, some smaller. Some simply abandoned, others destroyed. It was not only the elements that had brought their downfall, either. He could sense it, in a strange way. Many aspects of his godhood had died along with Greece, but he still knew a battleground well.

No. These were homes. These had not been battles; they had been slaughters.

He tried to avoid those places. He did not like where his mind went when he was there.

.

It had not been her plan to leave the Wildwoods that day. It seemed the Norns had other ideas.

“It’s all right,” Faye said as soothingly as possible. The wolf pressed itself lower into the ground, teeth still bared in a snarl. It wasn’t angry; it was in pain, afraid. She could feel it throbbing from him like an infected wound. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She couldn’t see any visible injuries; she only knew something was wrong from the way the creature limped. Something broken, perhaps? "I can help you," she said quietly. "Please…"

She took a step closer. The wolf turned and fled. Faye sighed in frustration and surveyed her surroundings.

That wasn't the first injured wolf she'd seen recently, and it bothered her. They were hurt beyond the norm of what a wild animal might suffer, warier than usual of mortals. Something is wrong here. I can feel it.

She started walking in the direction the wolf had come from. She knew most of their hunting grounds…or she had known. Finding the places they'd started avoiding might be her first clue.

I just hope I don't run into anything I can't handle.

.

It was the first sign of another person he’d seen in some time, and of course it was a violent one.

Kratos carefully nudged at the scraps (for lack of a better description) left behind. Bones and meat, still bloody. The kill had been messy; the attempts at salvaging from the kill, messier still. It seemed that whoever had killed the creature predominantly wanted its fur, and was willing to mangle and abandon what could have been decent meat.

Strange.

He carefully lifted the head up with the tip of the sword. Scavengers had already come for its eyes, and whatever meat they could get to. The creature looked…perhaps like a wolf. The teeth were right for it. He lowered the body part back down and carefully scanned his surroundings. The kill wasn’t fresh, but it was fresh enough. Whoever had done this might still be nearby.

This was not the kill of someone rational. It was too brutal for that; had it not been for the removal of the skin and fur (truly removed, not just torn away as the creature was devoured) he might have assumed it was mauled by a bigger creature. If they were willing to do that to an animal, they would likely not be keen on more intelligent company.

Hopefully, for the stranger’s sake, they would not meet.

.

Being out of the Wild Woods still made her skin crawl. It wasn’t just her heightened awareness that agents of Asgard could come for her at any time, either. Something about Midgard felt…different. More hostile. The Aesir may not have been the only threat she had to worry about now.

Not the most comforting thought. But she couldn’t turn back now.

Well, she could. But she knew she wouldn’t.

The worst part was how uninhibited everything was. All the little camps and settlements, gone. She couldn’t begin to guess where everyone was, but she hoped it was someplace safer. Faye carefully checked every sign of life she found, just to be sure. She doubted it was another animal that was hurting those wolves. It must have been a person. Someone who lived nearby.

There.

Among one set of ruins, she found the remnants of a campfire. Old, but not so old that the forest had reclaimed them. Could have just been passing through, but still worth looking into.

If iI were on the hunt, but I didn’t want to wander too far…where would I be coming from?

Faye examined her surroundings, placing herself on her mental map of this side of the lake. There were a few places she’d set up a base if it were her. Defensible places, places near water and decent sources of food. She’d start at the closest one, go from there, hope she didn’t run into anything too dangerous.

Especially Thor.

She shuddered at the name, but kept moving. Those wolves needed her. And maybe she needed this, too. She couldn’t stay in her hut forever.

The concept was still tempting, though.

.

He’d just wanted some damned fish. All he wanted was some fish, and of course there was someone there.

Kratos would usually have moved on, but the animal carcass behind him made him nervous. Wary. This could be more than an interloper; it could be a threat.

Just one look. Just to see.

Kratos moved carefully through the trees, approaching the campsite as closely as possible without being spotted. He could see a rough shelter set up near the shoes, a campfire. A figure paced nearby, muttering to himself. He was wearing old armor. It looked almost military, once finely made, now in tatters. A defector, perhaps. There were, Kratos noted, bloody wolf pelts on the ground near the fireplace. More than one.

That explains the corpse.

Kratos tried to determine what the man was saying, but he was speaking too silently and rapidly for him to tell. He seemed agitated, however. It was clear from the way he spoke, in the tension in his body. The man abruptly scooped up an axe and turned to the forest. Kratos ducked behind a tree.

“Hey!”

Damn it.

He stayed hidden until he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. When it was clear that the man had spotted him, Kratos sighed deeply and reached for his weapon. He would try to talk the man down. Something told him he would not be successful. “I am only passing through!” he called out. “I do not want this fight, and neither do you!”

The man’s speech had slowed, but became no less unintelligible. Kratos thought he understood individual words, but not the full meaning. No matter; the man’s hostility was obvious. For starters, he wouldn’t stop pointing his bloody axe at Kratos.

He’s going to attack me, isn’t he?

The man did–or rather, he tried. The initial charge was so obvious that Kratos sidestepped it easily. The man’s movements were erratic, sloppy, and Kratos could have killed him easily if he wanted to. He even considered it for a moment. Something about the man unnerved him. He was no real threat to Kratos, but…something about the spark in the man’s eyes was wrong. It was no normal madness. It was…

Destroy my enemies…

His arms suddenly burned.

…And my life is -

The man’s next slash came close to his face. Only Kratos’s well-honed instincts saved him from getting two scars to that eye. He was prepared to disarm the man entirely, but he heard the creak of a bowstring before he could try.

He knew. Somehow, he knew.

The arrow struck the man’s forearm, causing him to drop his weapon. He shrieked in pain as he turned to face his attacker. Faye, again.

At least I remember her name this time.

The man froze when he saw her. His yelling seemed to grow more enraged as he started to run towards her. Kratos felt his body grow tense, his legs starting to move to intercept the man. He didn’t have to; Faye’s next arrow struck the man in the eye, through to the brain. The man fell to the ground immediately.

“...good shot,” Kratos said. He was sure his cringe was visible. “I’m…”

Faye laughed in a rattled, nervous way. “Yeah, that was, wasn’t it?” She lowered her bow. “We can’t keep meeting like this. People will talk.”

“Yes,” Kratos said, “I’m sure that this man’s corpse will have plenty to discuss with the other corpses.”

Where did that come from? No matter; it defused the situation, made Faye relax for the moment. That moment didn’t last long; her gaze hardened again the moment her gaze landed on his camp. “Oh…”

She approached carefully, her gaze fixed on the wolf pelts. Kratos, meanwhile, moved towards the man’s shelter. Possessions were scattered around the space, barely leaving any room for him to lie down and sleep. Dirty clothes. More armor too damaged to be worn. Kratos nudged through the pile, eventually unearthing a tarnished pendant. It looked like an upside-down Tau…no, like a war hammer. “What does this mean?” Kratos asked, holding up the pendant so Faye could see.

Faye looked up from the pelts. Her mournful expression quickly hardened. “It is the sigil of one of the gods,” she said. “He was probably one of the Travelers. Servants of Asgard. Usually Odin, but sometimes he shares the glory with one of his sons.”

The pain in his arms grew stronger. For a moment he was frozen in place, the smell of blood flooding his memory. When Faye stepped closer to take the pendant, he did not object. She wore her emotions openly then. Disgust. Sorrow.

She turned and threw the pendant into the lake. “Njóttu þess, Jörmungandr!” she yelled after it. Kratos could not discern the meaning, but it almost sounded like a curse. “Fucker,” she added harshly.

Kratos almost laughed. The pendant’s sudden absence seemed to untighten a vice from around his chest, though he still scanned their surroundings. “Will there be others?” he asked.

“They’re usually solitary these days. Besides, I’m not sure this one was…” She gestured at the camp, the disarray of the surroundings. “...capable of working in a group.”

That was an understatement. Kratos resumed going through the man’s possessions. “Why wolves?” he asked, pulling free the odd pieces that looked usable.

“If I had to guess? They’re a scapegoat.” Faye was carefully gathering up the pelts, almost reverently. “He couldn’t attack his real enemy, so he moved against something that reminds him of them. Are you really going to take all of that?”

“He doesn’t need it.”

“True, it just…smells.”

“It will wash. How…is your leg?”

Even he could hear how clumsy the small talk was. Faye didn’t seem put off by it, though. “It’s doing well! Stopped aching…” She stopped, counting quietly under her breath. “...last week. Are you going to be all right in that cave?”

The question was earnest, and warranted. He knew what his shelter looked like to an outsider. “I will be fine,” he said. The cave’s placement would likely prevent too much snow from entering his living spaces, and he’d had worse camps before. As long as he was left alone for the winter…

I doubt it will be so easy.

“How long do we have, do you think?” he asked.

Faye huffed out a sigh and stared out over the lake. Fog had settled over the water, hiding what lay beyond. Kratos did not come to this part of the realm often for that reason. He could never be sure who might be watching from the opposite shore.

“Long enough, I hope.” Faye held out two of the wolf pelts to him. “Here. You helped bring him down. Their deaths should mean something, at least.”

Kratos took the pelts carefully. They were mangled as that corpse had been, but still usable. And she was right.

Their deaths should mean something.

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Chapter 17 - Ralph Cometh to the House of Abundance 

Text Audio

Synopsis:

Ralph and Roger travel all day and night through new lands and dangerous woods before arriving at an idyllic country.

Summary:

"And thine heart lieth not," said Roger, "for amidst of this wood is the house where we shall have guesting to-night, which will be to thee, belike, the door of life and many marvels. For thence have folk sought ere now to the WELL AT THE WORLD'S END."

They got on their horses and rode through that stony land, where there was no river, but pools of water in the low places and little streams running from them. But after a while they came to a high ridge which bordered a wide valley full of grass and trees, and there was no sign of people there, although a wide river ran through it. It was four in the afternoon.

Roger said: “The day wears on and we won’t find a place to stay before dark, even if we rode hard. Are you used to water, my lord?”

“As much as a duck is,” said Ralph.

“Good,” said Roger. “Although there is a ford about a mile and a half downstream from here, it’s where most people cross the water to get to the wildwood, and this is a place where we are more likely to find enemies than friends; or at least we may be questioned about who we are and where we’re going, and we may stumble in our answers.

“There’s no need to wait, let’s get to the river,” said Ralph.

 So they rode down to the water which was deep, but not swift, and crossed. On the other side they climbed up a steep hill and stopped at its peak to rest their horses. Ralph turned back to look down at the valley with his sharp eyes, and said, “My man, I see people riding down below us, and they seem to be going hard towards the water. And look, they have weapons! Can you see them?”

“I’ll take your word for it, fair sir,” said Roger, “and do let us ride hard, since these are the first men we’ve seen since we left the wildwood.” And so he set off at a gallop, and Ralph did not hesitate to follow.

They rode over the hills and dales of the grasslands until at last they came to a forest again, and stopped when they entered, for their horses were tired at that point. Then Ralph said: “We have just ridden through a pretty land and saw no houses or flocks, no pens or shepherds. That’s strange.”

Said Roger: “You would not think it was strange if you knew the story of it.”

“What story?”

“A story of war and loss,” said Roger.

“Really? But surely some knight or baron has rights over these lands and could build a fortified house and gather armed men to protect the shepherds and farmers from brigands,” said Ralph.

“That’s true,” said Roger,” but there are other things in the tale.”

“What things?”

“Bad luck and sorrow and the Hand of Fate and great Sorcery.”

“And villains as well?”

“Yes,” said Roger,” though they were among valiant men. The tale is too long to tell right now, as late as it is getting, so now we ride on with little fear of enemies. See, this wood, like those around the Burg of the Four Friths, has a dark name and few people ride here unless forced; therefore it is safe for us. But I will say to you that while before you might have left me and gone with little danger except for the chance of stumbling on some of the riders of the Burg of the Four Friths, leaving me now would be a much worse matter for you, for only the saints in Heaven know where you might end up, if you were to wander off now. This is harsh, but true, so help me God and Saint Michael! What do you say, are you content, or do you have some more hard words for me?”

By then—despite everything that had happened—Ralph was light-hearted and happy, so he laughed and said: “I’d be content even if I weren’t forced to come here, for my heart is telling me of new things, wonderful, joyous things that I will see before long.”

“And your heart does not lie,” said Roger, “for in these woods is the house where we shall stay tonight, which will likely to you be the door of life and a place of many wonders. For this is a place where people go to seek the Well at the World’s End.”

Ralph turned to him sharply and said: “I have heard that phrase many times in these past few days. Do you know the meaning of it? Because I do not.”

Said Roger: “You may know as much as I do about it: probably people look for it in hopes of gaining long and healthy lives, and more often than not do not find it. yet I have heard that the ones who are likeliest to find it are those with whom all women are in love.”

Ralph said nothing, but Roger noted that he reddened at that.

Then they got back on their horses—for they had dismounted to let them rest—and rode on, and Roger had spoken truly: it was a long, long way and they had to stop several times to rest before continuing, and so night fell on them in the wood. When it was fully night, they rested a good while for dawn would come before the moon set. Then they rode on until the summer night grew old and weakened, but the woods hid the beginning of dawn from them.

At last they came out of the crowded woods and immediately a plain opened before them, and now, as the twilight dawn passed into early day, they saw that there were wide, grassy meadows and tilled fields ahead of them, with a little river running through the plain. Amidst the meadows, on a green hill, there was a white castle, not large, but well-built.

Roger pointed to it and said, “Here we are,” and he nudged his tired horse onward, who seemed to sense that the journey was almost over. They crossed the river at a ford and came up to the gate of the castle as the day grew brighter. Roger blew a blast on a great horn which hung from the gate, and Ralph thought he had never seen a better building than that castle (what he could see of it), and yet it was built quite a long time ago.

They did not wait long before they were answered; though Ralph waited to see armed guards look out at them from the battlements or arrow-slits, that is not how it went. Without any fanfare, the door was opened to them by a tall old woman, thin and grey, who greeted them courteously. Roger got down and Ralph followed him, and they led their horses into the courtyard of the castle. The old woman led them to the door of the hall, which she opened before taking the reins to lead their horses to the stable. They entered the hall, and it was as good as could possibly be. Roger led Ralph up to a table on the dais, where there was food and drink for them, and Ralph made his guide sit beside him and they began to eat. There was no servant to wait on them, nor anyone else that they could see, just the old woman who, coming back from their horses, served them at the table. As she went about, she looked at Ralph and seemed like she was going to say something to him, but then she would look at Roger and would not.

So when they were almost done, Ralph spoke to the old woman and said: “Likely the lord or lady of this house is in bed and we will not see them until tomorrow?”

Before the old woman could say anything, Roger said: “There is neither lord nor lady in the castle right now, nor will there likely be one in the morning—or before noon today, rather—so for now you should let this woman lead you to bed and not worry about the next few hours.”

“That’s fine,” said Ralph, who was very tired by this point, “Should we share a room?”

“No,” said the woman, “lodging for the master and lodging for the servant are two different things.”

Roger laughed and said nothing, but Ralph bid him goodnight and followed the woman eagerly. She led him to a nice room over the solar, as if he had himself been the king of the castle. He laid down on a good bed and did not worry about where Roger would sleep, nor did he dream of the Burg, or wood, or castle, or man, or woman; but he lay still like the image of his grandfather painted on the tomb at St Laurence of Upmeads.

Notes:

I feel I should specify in case my delivery was unclear: when Ralph and Roger cross the river, they don’t go downstream to the ford (where the water is shallow and easy to cross) because they want to avoid meeting other travelers, whom Roger believes will be suspicious of them and may cause trouble. For this reason, when Ralph sees people riding towards the river where they crossed, it must mean that those people intend to catch him and Roger, since a casual traveler would go down to the ford, and someone who was also just trying to avoid others would not be rushing at them.

“Hand of Fate” and “Sorcery” are both capitalized in the original.

Roger’s description of the house to which they are going (which I used as the quote for this chapter, as is my habit whenever someone mentions the WELL AT THE WORLD’S END in all caps like that), is a bit ambiguous to me. “Door of life” doesn’t seem to be any pre-existing phrase, and I’m not sure if it’s a “door to life and many marvels” or if the house will be the “door to life” and also has “many marvels” (this is the one I settled on, though), since English is unclear in these situations.  Also his line about people going there to seek the Well is literally like “that’s where people leave from;” he’s saying that’s where people start their journeys to the Well.

 Do keep in mind that “house” is a broader term in this story than in modern usage. It can refer to basically any building where one stays, and has been used for shops and inns so far. As you’ll see, the “House of Abundance” is a castle, which we would not normally call a house.

This phrase, “with whom all women are in love,” will come up again and is an important plot point. One facet of this story is that there are people (both men and women) who (to greatly varying degrees) attract love from all those they encounter. For shorthand, I’ll refer to these people as Tomies (a reference to the Ito Junji horror manga, Tomie) in my notes going forward, for reasons that will become clear soon. I feel like a very similar phrase was used earlier in the story already, but I wasn’t able to find it when I CTRL+F’d a few keywords.

A “solar” is a medieval room found in large houses, manors, castles. Basically, it’s the private room for the family that rules the castle, like a sitting room or parlor, but one that’s exclusive to the rulers (or other esteemed guests, if multiple sets of lodgings have them). The way it’s described, my guess is the room Ralph is staying in is attached directly to the solar, indicating it’s for his private use (his room being above it may mean it’s a loft, but I honestly have no idea). The important thing is he’s been given a place of great honor here.

Since our last indication was a south-south-east movement, that’s the direction I’ve taken the map. Adjustments will be made if new evidence comes to light.

Map:

[stumbleuponhub]

Coastal Dreams: Your Guide to Wildwood Crest's Sights

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6. Cape May County Park & Zoo

Venture a bit further to Cape May County Park & Zoo, a hidden gem for wildlife enthusiasts. This exceptional zoo features a diverse range of animals and beautifully landscaped grounds. It's a perfect destination for a family day out. After your visit, return to your beachfront hotel in Wildwood Crest for a relaxing evening by the sea.

7. Cape May Lighthouse

Climb the Cape May Lighthouse for panoramic views of the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The journey to the top is rewarded with breathtaking vistas that stretch for miles. This iconic landmark is not only a visual delight but also a historical treasure that adds to the allure of the region. Beachfront hotels in Wildwood Crest offer a comfortable retreat after your lighthouse excursion.

8. Seaside Dining

Savor fresh seafood and coastal cuisine at one of Wildwood Crest's waterfront restaurants. Dining by the sea is an experience like no other. Relish delectable dishes while gazing out at the ocean, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of dolphins playing in the waves. Many beachfront hotels in Wildwood Crest place you within walking distance of these culinary delights.

9. Family-Friendly Vibes

Wildwood Crest prides itself on being a family-friendly destination. The town's serene ambiance and safe environment make it an ideal place to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Build sandcastles, play beach games, and enjoy quality time by the water's edge. Beachfront hotels in Wildwood Crest are designed with families in mind, ensuring a cozy and enjoyable stay for all generations.

10. Charming Boutiques

Embark on a shopping excursion through the town's charming boutiques and local shops, where you'll find unique gifts, beachwear, and souvenirs. These establishments offer a more personal shopping experience, allowing you to take a piece of Wildwood Crest's coastal charm home with you. Many of these delightful shops are conveniently located near beachfront hotels in Wildwood Crest.

Wildwood Crest is the perfect destination to fulfill your coastal dreams. Whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure, or a bit of both, this charming town has it all. With its stunning beaches, scenic attractions, and family-friendly atmosphere, Wildwood Crest is a place where dreams of the sea come to life. And with the comfort and convenience of beachfront hotels in Wildwood Crest, your stay promises to be a seamless blend of comfort and exploration.

ALSO VISIT : Wildwood Crest Wonders: Top Attractions to Discover

Wildwood Crest’s Hotspots :Sandy Shores and Beyond

A Coastal Escape: Wildwood Crest's Scenic Delights

Beachfront Beauty: Your Guide to Hotels in Wildwood Cres

[swan-orpheus]

2022は4,157件投稿しました

投稿数は、2021よりも2,064件増えました!

作成された投稿: 196件(5%)

リブログされた投稿: 3,961件(95%)

最も多くリブログしたブログ:

@parisautum

@perpulchra

@wildwood-faun

@cheesybadgers

@virtuallyinsane

2022年に、自分の投稿で2,749件のタグを付けました

タグが付いていない投稿は、34%だけです

#star wars - 1,282投稿

#andor - 891投稿

#andor spoilers - 561投稿

#quotes - 273投稿

#obi wan kenobi - 190投稿

#cassian andor - 140投稿

#anakin skywalker - 140投稿

#<3 - 115投稿

#fan art - 95投稿

#rogue one - 91投稿

Longest Tag: 132 character

#my feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelingsmy feelings

2022の人気投稿:

No.5

Bix looking wrecked and singing to herself, disheveled and barely alert, alone, forgotten, frightened fingers lightly resting on the shuddered window of her prison; the light, the air carrying the sounds of distant voices, familiar and sweet flowing into the cracks of her busted mental castle. 

I felt that.  

159件のリアクション - 投稿日時: 2022年11月23日

No.4

I love Andor because you have epic monologues that include lines such as, “I’ve made my mind a sunless space. I share my dreams with ghosts.”

But then you also have...

“It’s Tubes. He’s my man. He tells me everything.”

258件のリアクション - 投稿日時: 2022年11月22日

No.3

Cassian really stuck all of his beloved besties on one ship and said “Climb” I can’t even with this show. What am I supposed to do with myself now?? 

353件のリアクション - 投稿日時: 2022年11月23日

No.2

Definitely felt the symbolism in Luthen, whose extreme competence we’ve witnessed all throughout the show not to mention his martial prowess last episode, spending this episode merely observing as the fires of Rebellion sparked on yet another planet. As the light rose. He went there intending to act, but in the end he quietly admired, still an orchestrator in the shadows, in the literal shadow of his hood, drinking in the words of the eulogy, seeing what he had helped to create whether he realized it or not because of Aldhani and the hope that it gave to Maarva Andor, That desire to fight, to stand up, to TRY as we hear Nemik’s voice say.  Luthen lives in darkness in order to give other people light. 

Luthen wasn’t really there to kill Cassian, not really, though he consciously thought so. He was there to have his faith restored, the faith he hadn’t even realized was faltering, that was tested with his unplanned confession to Lonni Jung and showed signs of breaking when he told Saw that he was no longer sure about sacrificing Anto Kreegyr... to be gifted the light that he so assiduously denies himself every day that he draws breath for the cause. 

And then the last shot that we see of Luthen Rael this season is of him smiling at Cassian. A real smile amidst all of the fake ones that we’ve glimpsed on him and on other people all season long. He asks Cassian on a sigh, “What game is this?” because he is all about games. all of the time. He has to be. But not today. 

“No game. Kill me. Or take me in.” 

Cassian is the sun in his sunless space offering him another possibility. 

And Luthen Rael smiled. 

443件のリアクション - 投稿日時: 2022年11月23日

2022のNo.1投稿

OKay but when Brasso was reciting Maarva’s words to Cassian and he paused and said, “I love him more than anything he could ever do wrong”, I felt that gut-wrenching sincerity from Brasso himself, whatever trouble he’s ever been in, no matter what money he ever owed him, Brasso always wanted Cassian to be safe above all else. This is like “As you wish” levels of love and loyalty. Ride or die. 

1,298件のリアクション - 投稿日時: 2022年11月23日

Tumblrでの2022年を振り返りましょう→

[dankusner]

PROUD BOYS ARE BACK AND STANDING BY

Members warn of violence as they fight for Trump

BEDMINSTER, N.J. – A dark SUV cruised past former President Donald Trump’s supporters near his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club on a windy April afternoon.

Billowing from the vehicles were three flags: one for the Trump campaign, two others with the initials “PB” – the insignia of the farright Proud Boys movement.

Through the open windows, three Proud Boys flashed the “OK” sign, a hand gesture often associated with white supremacy and the far right.

Trump’s fans cheered.

Four men dressed in the signature blackand- yellow shirts of the Proud Boys spilled out of the SUV and began glad-handing the crowd like homecoming heroes.

The Proud Boys are back.

Four years after the failed effort to overturn Trump’s 2020 defeat, the violent all-male extremist group that led the storming of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, is rebuilding and regaining strength as Trump campaigns to return to the White House, according to interviews with eight Proud Boys, two U.S. law enforcement officials and four experts who track the group’s online activity.

Since the Jan. 6 riot, four former Proud Boys leaders have been convicted in federal court of seditious conspiracy, each sentenced to 15 or more years in prison.

At least 70 other members were charged with participating in the violence.

But that crackdown hasn’t stopped the Proud Boys.

Some Proud Boys say they are preparing to emerge once again as a physical force for Trump, drawn to his hard-line nationalism and convinced their leaders will be pardoned if he wins.

Trump has promised to pardon convicted Jan. 6 rioters if he’s elected.

After Trump was found guilty May 30, an Ohio Proud Boys chapter vowed “war” and posted a video of Proud Boys street brawls that ended with the message, “Fighting solves everything.”

A Miami chapter said, “Now, more than ever, we are recruiting!”

Some posted images of the upside- down American flag symbolizing the “Stop the Steal” movement that falsely claims Trump won the 2020 election.

One Proud Boy told Reuters that America is in a period of “calm before the storm.”

The group’s main Telegram channel, however, posted a message urging Proud Boys to stay calm and not get drawn into a trap and risk arrest.

“Trump is, of course, getting railroaded but we will not be walking into any honey pots over this.”

In recent weeks, the group has become more prominent at pro-Trump events, highlighting the risk of renewed violence in the November election.

Dozens of Proud Boys – some in body armor and helmets – marked the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection with a show of force at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. On April 20, nearly a dozen gathered at a rally for Trump’s Republican campaign in Wilmington, North Carolina.

More recently, groups of Proud Boys from two chapters mixed with tens of thousands of Trump supporters at a campaign rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, in May.

On a boardwalk near the entrance of the Wildwood rally, several Proud Boys identified themselves as members of the “New Jersey State” chapter.

One said they were there to provide security and stop agitators from “disrespecting or assaulting everybody.”

Three men from another chapter greeted them, their faces hidden by gaiter masks.

The re-emergence of the Proud Boys at Trump’s political rallies and events coincides with polls showing that a majority of Americans fear political violence will flare around November’s election.

It also comes when Trump’s use of incendiary rhetoric is inspiring his supporters to target his opponents – including judges, prosecutors and political rivals – in a wave of threats that’s unprecedented in modern American politics.

Trump himself has not ruled out the possibility of political violence if he loses in November.

“If we don’t win, you know, it depends,” he said when asked by Time magazine in April if he expected violence after the election.

If he’s jailed or put under house arrest, “I’m not sure the public would stand for it,” he said in a Fox News interview in late May. “At a certain point there’s a breaking point.”

Before the last election, Trump told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”

Three months later, federal prosecutors say, the group’s leaders plotted and led the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol.

Trump’s baseless claims the election was rigged inspired the gathering, and Trump himself urged the assembled crowd to march on the Capitol as Congress certified Joe Biden’s victory.

A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to questions for this story about his rhetoric, Jan. 6 or the Proud Boys.

A new direction

As the Proud Boys regroup, they’ve made changes designed to make them less vulnerable to law enforcement scrutiny, including doing away with layers of top leadership, according to interviews with members.

The Proud Boys now operate with self-governing chapters in more than 40 states, with little apparent central coordination, members said.

While the group’s structure has changed, its Canadian founder remains an inspirational figure.

Gavin McInnes, a British-born far-right commentator who lives in New York, announced his resignation from the Proud Boys in 2018.

But he remains deeply involved with the group.

“When there are disputes, he mediates,” one Proud Boy said. J. Daniel Hull, a lawyer who has represented Proud Boys, agreed. “They’ll take a lot of cues from Gavin McInnes.”

McInnes told Reuters he is not seeking a leadership role but that he communicates regularly with members, appears at some events and tries to resolve infighting.

Some Proud Boys affectionately refer to him as a “Godfather.”

McInnes’ successor, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, raised the Proud Boys’ profile, pulling them from the fringe of the farright toward the center of Trump-era Republican politics.

Tarrio, a Floridian of Afro-Cuban descent, was sentenced last September to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, defined as an effort by two or more people to overthrow the government or use force to hinder its operations, and other charges related to the Capitol riot.

He has appealed.

Two defense attorneys for Tarrio did not respond to emailed questions and phone calls.

In the past, McInnes, Tarrio and a group of leaders dubbed “Elders” spoke on the group’s behalf, set the agenda and guided its confrontations with leftwing groups around the country.

They sat atop a formal structure and could disband Proud Boy chapters or expel members.

Now, members say, the chapters are largely independent and ban communications with the media.

Most members who spoke to Reuters for this report did so on condition of anonymity.

The group’s resilience has surprised some extremism experts.

“The amazing thing is that so many people from the Proud Boys can be in jail and yet you have these active chapters,” said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.

“Traditionally when the head of a neo-Nazi or white supremacist group goes to jail or dies, the organization will collapse, but that does not seem to be happening with the Proud Boys.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the group’s activities and whether authorities are monitoring the Proud Boys.

A previously unreported 2022 Department of Homeland Security intelligence report, reviewed by Reuters, refers to “Domestic Violent Extremists” identifying themselves as Proud Boys who are “primarily engaged in violence against law enforcement and ideological opponents.”

It’s not against the law to be a member and most Proud Boys haven’t done anything illegal, it added.

“You can be as big a Proud Boy supporter as you want in this country as long as you’re not planning criminal activity,” said former FBI agent Mark Seyler, who investigated the Proud Boys before retiring at the end of 2021.

But, he added, after the Capitol riots, “there would be no excuse this time not to take them seriously.”

‘Tip of the spear’

At Tarrio’s criminal trial, one Proud Boy described the group as “foot soldiers of the right.”

Today, glorification of violence remains a core feature of the Proud Boys – as does unwavering support of Trump, according to interviews with current members.

The Proud Boys describe their ideology as “Western chauvinism,” which they say is a deep embrace of Western civilization and traditions.

Critics say the group uses the term “Western” rather than “white” to veil its racism – a charge the Proud Boys’ defenders deny.

While the Proud Boys claim the group is a fraternal organization, in practice it promotes street violence against the left and trolls liberals, Democrats, feminists, transgender activists and others they oppose.

A handbook outlining Proud Boys rituals was revealed by prosecutors in 2023 as evidence in Tarrio’s trial.

The manual says that becoming a highranking Proud Boy requires “engaging in a major conflict,” including “serious physical fights” or “getting arrested.”

A defense lawyer in the case argued that some of the document was merely sarcastic and politically incorrect.

A “Proud Boy Prayer” on a website promoting a New Jersey chapter of the group puts it this way:

“Strengthen us Brothers with power and hard fists to help us defend the right and defeat the wrong.”

The same site says the Proud Boys don’t support acts that violate criminal law.

Federal prosecutors and a congressional investigation both named the Proud Boys as crucial plotters and leaders of the Jan. 6 attack.

The Proud Boys “lined up behind Donald Trump” and were “ready to commit violence on his behalf,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe said in court.

“These defendants saw themselves as Donald Trump’s army, fighting to keep their preferred leader in power no matter what the law or the courts had to say about it.”

Publicly, members of the group deny the Proud Boys orchestrated the Jan. 6 violence. Instead, they characterize the riot as spontaneous and their leaders as innocent.

Privately, however, some Proud Boys acknowledge that the group drove the events of that day.

“Without the Proud Boys, Jan.6 didn’t happen,” one longtime member of the group told Reuters. “The Proud Boys were the tip of the spear.”

During the Trump administration, the Proud Boys engaged in large-scale street brawls with antifa – antifascists – and other leftist groups across the country, typically by taunting demonstrators to instigate a fight.

Some historians compare the Proud Boys to fascist European militias of the 1920s and 1930s such as the Brownshirts, a Nazi paramilitary group that helped bring Hitler to power in Germany.

Proud Boys say they’re nothing like the Brownshirts and bear no resemblance to fascists.

But street violence and extreme nationalism are features of both groups.

Numbers hard to pin down

After Trump left the White House, the Proud Boys turned to America’s culture wars.

They clashed with supporters of abortion rights and vaccine mandates, and harassed organizers of drag queen story hours, where female impersonators read to children at libraries or bookstores.

Fights often ensued.

Since the 2021 Capitol attack, Reuters identified 29 incidents of political violence involving the Proud Boys, almost all of them centered on social issues.

All but one of the eight cases in 2023 involved clashes between Proud Boys and left-wing activists at demonstrations supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

This year, the Proud Boys have returned to politics.

In the first three months of 2024, there have been far fewer Proud Boys public events than in the same period last year.

But half of them have been pro-Trump and the rest have been political in nature, related to guns or immigration, said Kieran Doyle of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit that monitors political violence.

On April24, Proud Boys founder McInnes appeared at Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian protests.

There’s no authoritative count of Proud Boy members.

McInnes claims there are about 5,000, down from 8,000 during Trump’s presidency but up from lows after the Capitol riot arrests.

Official estimates of the Proud Boys’ strength vary widely, from 300 to 3,000 members, said a law enforcement source who has monitored the group.

Reuters could not independently corroborate its numbers.

Some former Proud Boys have abandoned the group for other, more overtly racist and violent groups, including the neo-Nazi Blood Tribe and the underground “Active Club” scene, a white supremacist male movement, one Proud Boy told Reuters.

Julie Farnam, a former U.S. Capitol Police assistant director of intelligence who now runs a private investigative agency, said there are 154 Proud Boy chapters in 48 U.S. states.

Farnam also said the Proud Boys appear to be growing overseas and have 18 international chapters in nine countries, although their size is unclear.

“It has grown and I don’t see any evidence it’s slowing down,” she said.

Canada and New Zealand have designated the Proud Boys a terrorist group.

Today, many Proud Boys want Trump back in power, not just because of the prospect of pardons.

For some, his appeal reflects a deeper cultural shift in America – from unease at changing racial and ethnic demographics to anger over immigration and a perception on the right that liberals are destroying the country.

Trump frequently exploits those grievances on the campaign trail in apocalyptic language that’s echoed by some Proud Boys.

“If Trump loses, our republic, the country goes away. Bad things are going to happen,” said Michale Graves, a Proud Boy and former lead singer of the Misfits punk band

[piosplayhouse]

I posted this art but I don't think I made the connection that I fully officialized my ssoc :3 her name is Verdandi and she's kind of a cat person in the way izutsumi dungeon meshi is

In her universe the concept art Aideen where she's a centaur was the real Aideen and therefore people with strong connections to Aideen / Jorvik are sometimes born with animal features, usually just like tails or ears or such. So all the druids and soul riders think they're just the most powerful druid with the strongest connection to Aideen and that's why they look like that. Which is partly right but also she's just a normal cat who got hit by a car and then Aideen randomly chose her to be her vessel. Possibly by accident. She doesn't speak much of the Jorvik language, being a cat, but she can talk to other animals and is fluent in horse because she used to live in the wildwoods. Bc of that most of the language she knows has a weird horse dialect tinge anyway lol. The soul riders are helping them learn sign language but it's hard with paws, so it's a work in progress

Updated my star stable oc to make them full furry because cringe is dead do you like them

[allmyblogs]

Gums Matter Too: A Deep Dive into Periodontal Health

Most people focus on maintaining a bright, cavity-free smile regarding oral health. However, the often-overlooked heroes of a healthy mouth are the gums. Periodontal health plays a crucial role in oral well-being, and neglecting it can lead to serious consequences. In this deep dive, we will explore the importance of gums, their common associated issues, and practical tips for maintaining optimal periodontal health.

The Significance of Healthy Gums

Gums, or gingiva, are the soft tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Their primary function is to provide a protective barrier against bacteria and other microorganisms that can lead to infections. Healthy gums are firm and pink and fit snugly around the teeth, creating a seal that prevents harmful bacteria from entering the bloodstream. At Wildwood Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, everyone deserves a smile that inspires positivity.

Beyond their protective role, gums are vital for anchoring teeth in place. The supporting structures, including the periodontal ligament and bone, rely on healthy gums to stabilize teeth. When gums are compromised, the risk of tooth loss increases.

Common Periodontal Issues

Gingivitis: The earliest stage of gum disease, gingivitis, is characterized by red, swollen gums that bleed easily. This condition is often a result of poor oral hygiene practices, allowing plaque to accumulate along the gumline.

Periodontitis: If gingivitis is left untreated, it can progress to periodontitis. In this stage, the inflammation extends deeper, affecting the supporting structures of the teeth. Pockets may form between the gums and teeth, harbouring bacteria and leading to further damage.

Gum Recession: Receding gums expose the tooth roots, making teeth sensitive to hot and cold temperatures. This condition can be caused by aggressive brushing, genetics, or untreated periodontal disease.

Gum Abscess: A gum abscess is a collection of pus within the gums, often resulting from a bacterial infection. It can cause intense pain, swelling, and even systemic health issues if left untreated.

The Systemic Connection

Recent studies have highlighted the link between periodontal health and overall well-being. Chronic gum inflammation has been associated with several systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. The bacteria in periodontal pockets can enter the bloodstream, contributing to inflammation in other body parts.

Maintaining Periodontal Health: Practical Tips

Regular Dental Check-ups: Routine dental visits are essential for early detection and intervention. Dentists can identify signs of gum disease and provide professional cleanings to remove plaque and tartar.

Effective Oral Hygiene: Brushing teeth at least twice daily and flossing daily help remove plaque and prevent gum disease. Using an antimicrobial mouthwash can further aid in reducing bacteria.

Balanced Diet: A nutritious diet supports overall health, including the gums. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, contribute to gum strength.

Avoid Tobacco Products: Smoking and the use of tobacco products increase the risk of gum disease. Quitting or avoiding these habits promotes better periodontal health.

Manage Stress: Chronic stress can weaken the immune system, making the gums more susceptible to infections. Stress management techniques like meditation and exercise can benefit mental well-being and gum health.

In pursuing a healthy smile, it's crucial not to overlook the importance of gum health. Periodontal issues can have far-reaching consequences, affecting oral well-being and overall health. By adopting good oral hygiene practices, attending regular dental check-ups, and making lifestyle choices that support gum health, we can ensure that our gums remain strong and resilient, contributing to a lifetime of smiles. Remember, gums matter too!

[wildwoodpetcremation]

Happy #Friday Everyone!!

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