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blissfullyapillow · 2 months

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┃"I’ve missed you."

✧˖°. Blade x fem reader

✧˖°. wc: 1,393~

✧˖°. Prompt: When a character desperately misses their partner after being apart for far too long.

✧˖°. Warnings: smut/explicit (18+) & poetic cheesiness lol

✧˖°. Pillow Talks: I need Blade so badly.ᐟ.ᐟ Anyway, I’ve returned (temporarily) to deliver something that’s been sitting in my drafts for far too long now. I hope you enjoy .ᐟ (,,>ヮ<,,) <3

✧˖°. Masterlist

Credits: @/sillyakito on pinterest

The first time I heard Blade murmur “I’ve missed you,” I thought I’d imagined it. Blade is not someone who openly expresses his thoughts and feelings through words, rather he prefers to portray his feelings through meaningful actions.

I quickly realized I hadn’t imagined the shy words that left his lips, since his sharp eyes reflected uncertainty when they met my gaze.

I wasted no time pulling him into my arms, just so I could whisper my response against the shell of his ear.

“I missed you too.”

𓆩♡𓆪

Now it’s become something of a routine. Every reunion I celebrate with Blade, typically after one too many nights away from the comfort of his arms, the first words out of his mouth are always the same.

“I missed you.”

Those words never fail to warm my heart.

To reiterate; although Blade has his moments, he tends to favor action over words. So, it feels all too natural when innocent touches shift to something akin to a burning flame that lights my skin ablaze.

𓆩♡𓆪

The familiar caress of his rough palms cease in favor of gently lowering me beneath him. Now, I lay before him on my back as his imposing figure hovers over me. Eyes redder than the leaves on a maple tree hold my gaze. He conveys the ardent passion that resides within them through the fierce grip he has on my hip.

His intense gaze threatens to steal more than just my breath; my heart yearns to make a home in his rugged palms, my body surrenders to the eager strokes of his fingers along my inner thigh, all while my soul craves nothing more than to be forever intertwined with his, if only to experience his love in every life of mine.

His hand releases my hip so his arm can wrap around me, pulling both my body and my lips into his expectant embrace.

He takes his time to savor the taste of my lips. I feel the muscles within his arm tense. His body curls over mine as if he’s about to fall, yet his free hand rests beside my head to support his weight.

His lips release mine from its tantalizing captivity. A desperate gasp escapes his lips; my eyes eagerly open to witness his strained breaths and flushed cheeks.

I feel the muscles in his arm flex, the sensation eliciting a noise of surprise from me.

He smirks.

A well known sight that never fails to set my heart ablaze.

He lowers himself to press his weight against me, his free hand moves to rest on my lower back, flattening his palm against my feverish skin.

His mouth makes a slow descent, languidly savoring the taste of my skin as it memorizes every dip and curve. His lips linger on every mark and scar he happens upon, pressing endearingly long kisses against them.

The attention my body is receiving borders on being too much to bear. My heart hurts; it’s a surreal feeling, to be held so delicately, as if everything he’s ever come to love is held within his strong, unrelenting grip.

“I love you.” The words sound strained coming from my lips, perhaps due to the tears that wet my lashes.

His flattened palm moves, unhurried, ascending from my back to my face before it cups my cheek.

"love.. that word isn't enough to express how I feel about you."

Our kiss tastes a bit salty; his heartfelt admission broke the dam that held my tears at bay.

His mouth is reluctant to leave mine, avidly pursuing after my attempt to part for air.

I submit to the heady emotions Blade’s actions and words impose upon me, succumbing to everything that is Blade.

It’s… intoxicating.

My body burns with the passion Blade’s love inflicts upon me. His arm firmly holds me in place to prevent any possible chance I have of escaping.

Not that I’d ever want to flee; I find the very thought abhorrent.

When he's finally satiated, temporarily, his mouth pulls away. I desperately gasp in an attempt to acquire the oxygen my lungs have been denied.

I struggle to open my eyes, lost in my desire for the man holding me so close to his heart. Even so, my eyes reveal themselves as they naturally search for his gaze.

I’m met with an alluring sight.

His eyes are intently focused on my every move, devouring every subtle twitch of my muscles with his fervid stare.

It nearly causes me to shy away.

He dips his head, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. In almost an inaudible murmur, with the deepest voice I’ve heard from him to date, he groans.

“Tell me what you want, baby."

An embarrassing high pitched whine leaves my lips.

When the sound reaches Blade's ears, he emits another deep groan as his hips hotly buck against mine.

Unbeknownst to me, the sound of my desperate whine only stoked the fires of the urgent zeal that threatens to consume his very being; He’s afraid he’ll perish if he can’t savor the taste of his heart’s desire this instant.

So, with a newfound sense of urgency, he murmurs his question once more.

“Tell me what you want, baby."

My answer is so immediate I almost talk over him.

“You.”

A loud, breathy whine escapes me as his hand swiftly moves from my cheek to my thigh, effortlessly lifting my leg to rest upon his shoulder. His arm finally releases me from his firm grasp to lift my other leg onto his unoccupied shoulder.

Now, both my legs rest upon his shoulders as he cages me beneath him.

He unhurriedly drags his mouth down the expanse of my torso, playfully nipping at my skin as he travels to his destination. Now, between my legs, he presses a lingering kiss to my inner thigh. I jolt with a start when I feel his tongue lap at my arousal.

𓆩♡𓆪

I’m a moaning mess under him moments later, and his muffled grunts fuel my longing for him.

“Fuck, you turn me on so much with the noises you make,” he groans, thrusting his hips up into mine. I whimper softly, caging him in as my legs wrap tightly around his waist.

“Look at me.”

His request surprises me, but I’d be a fool to deny him. With great effort I open my eyes to look at him, and the rapture within his gaze captivates me like no other.

“Kiss me.”

His simple statement sends an electrifying jolt to my heart.

My lips are drawn to his like a magnet; our lips create a tight seal as his hips follow a relentless rhythm against mine.

I have no control over my voice as we reach our climax together. He holds me close, so close I can feel his heart pound against my own racing heart.

Blade slowly fills me up to the brim.

I swear nothing I’ve experienced prior has ever felt more satisfying.

Our tired bodies heave in unison as we catch our breath. Blade dips his head down to rest his forehead against mine.

I admire him as his chest slows its previous rapid rise and fall.

Aeons. He’s a sight for sore eyes.

His love presents itself in the soft smile on his lips, in the tender way his hand cups my cheek as he, too, admires my features. It manifests in the way he reaches over for the glass of water he kept nearby for this very moment.

The water slides down my throat with ease, it’s as rejuvenating as it is refreshing.

“I missed you.” His voice is a little hoarse, brimming with an uncharacteristic amount of emotion.

My hands delicately brush his hair aside.

He hums quietly, expressing his content with my actions.

“I’ve missed you too.” My voice drips with emotion, and Blade emits a pleased sound at this revelation. A soft noise of appreciation slips from my lips when he shifts his position so we can cuddle comfortably.

Sleep finds us easily that night. It acts as a warm blanket, while our dreams are the pillows beneath our heads.

Yet, the love I feel in my heart derives solely from the man sleeping in my arms.

Blade, the man who cherishes the heart that he holds so tenderly in his hands.

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vixonspixels · 2 months

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Meet The Becks | My Households

Mercy's little sister Maisy is all grown up now with a family of her own, her husband Alan and their two girls

Residence : 109 Sable Square Brindleton Bay

Relationship : Married

Children : Hope ( aged 7 ) and Natalia ( aged 2 )

Occupation : Home maker ( maisy )

Occupation : Squadron leader "military career" ( alan )

Photo below of their home, including two of my favourite rooms

Shell by the amazingly talented @pixelglam which can be found here

#ts #thesims #ts4 #the sims 4 #ts4 custom content #the sims custom content #ts4 screenies #ts4 screenshots #the sims screenshots #my households #the hamptons generations #my sims

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rattyexplores · 4 months

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Photos 1-2 - Specimen 1

Photos 3-4 - Specimen 2

Photos 5-6 - Specimen 3

D. senex hermit crabs residing in empty Moon Snail shells.

13/08/23 - Diogenes senex

QLD:WET - Flying Fish Point, low tide sandy bay

#invertblr #invertebrates #Arthropods #Arthropoda #Diogenes senex #Paguroidea #Hermit Crabs #Decapoda #Decapods #Crustacea #Crustaceans #hermit crabs #crabs

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sombredancer · 7 months

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How to be a more interesting character than the Main Hero (Pt.4)

Shangjue and his fiancée

Shangjue has an interesting yet complicated relationship not only with his didi, but also with his fiancée, who happens to be an assassin. The girl aims him from the beginning and plays a cruel game to win his attention, because her mission is to get the secret weapon of Gong clan (the Sutra), to which Shangjue has an access. She is a liar and he knows it, so he decides to choose her as his bride in order to keep his enemy even closer than his friend. So, in the beginning they both play their roles. But Shangjue has a critical vulnerability: he looks like Mr. Danger, but inside of him is a heart of silk. It`s not that hard to tear it apart if you can sneak beneath his ribs.

Their relationship unfolds in an interesting way: an assassin tries hard to find a tiny crack in Shangjue’s nutshell and to guess his thoughts by doing some stuff (cooking meal he doesn`t like, planting flowers he doesn`t want to be planted and bringing havoc into his well-ordered world), and he ends up kinda liking it. He badly needs someone who will dig into his inner core and find there what he truly wants, because he thinks of himself just as of a function and barely knows his own desires. The blankness of his residence is like one of a service apartment – everything is only for work, nothing is for soul.

But bit by bit she learns more about him and finds out that he is not that person she thought he is. At the beginning of the story she says to the female lead that Shangjue likes no one but himself. But in reality, he hardly likes himself either. There is no «himself» at all. There is a sharp saber against clan`s enemies, a legendary martial artist who brings wealth and prosperity to his clan, a wise father figure for didi but there isn`t a man who is called Gong Shangjue. Her thought of Shangjue as of someone who doesn`t love anyone beautifully echoes with herself. Her tutor said that she loves only herself, but at the end of the story she ends up feeling something (not love, but not nothing at least) towards said tutor and Shangjue as well.

Bay flowers are Shangjue's favorite. Btw, their conversation about these flowers is very eloquent, too. An assassin says that Shangjue's favorite bay flowers mean something dangerous yet beautiful and bewitching. Just like her by his side. And he says that they represent victory and prosperity, which are his goals as a Gong clan member (but maybe not what his heart truly wants).

Paying the last respect for the tutor. While an assassin is toying with Shangjue, he is toying with her. He always pulls her closer and immediately pushes her away, gives her approval of her actions and the next moment punishes her for the same actions. He knows that she is dangerous and got closer to him on purpose, but he ends up liking her anyway.

Along his toying with her, nevertheless, he treats her as his real future wife and indulges her to change something chaotically in his realm of order in front of his servants and, I suppose, starts believing himself that she will be his wife.

Meanwhile, an assassin uses the knowledge she received very skillfully: she learns about death of Shangjue’s mother and talks about her mom in order to worm her path out into his shell, later she uses the information given her by Yuanzhi (about Gong clan above everything for Shangjue) to make Shangjue believe she knows his heart.

It looked like he would kiss her. But he didn't.

Their conversation in this scene is heartbreaking: she tells him, that the Main Hero puts Gong clan in danger because he knows there is an assassin in the residence and does nothing about it, and Shangjue has got no evidence that could help to catch her red handed. And by the time she is speaking Shangjue already knows - it is HIM who knows that an assassin is by his side and voluntary puts his clan in danger (and, as we know, will proceed to do it till the end of the story). When Shangjue catches his fiancée as a suspect, his moral trial begins.

Watching the drama for the first time, I was very surprised that he did almost nothing to interrogate her (pushing at the wound can't be considered as a torture). His duty is to expose and to kill a Wufeng assassin, but he ends up eagerly believing any lie his fiancée tells him because he likes her and WANTS to believe her. Then he is about to touch her but doesn't dare to do so, and it's a significant sign, too. He hadn't problems with touching Yuanzhi (at least, when they were younger), so, I suppose, this lack of touching between Shangjue and his fiancée represents his inner struggle. He wants to be tender with her because he likes her, but tenderness is a weakness and shouldn`t be shown to an enemy.

Speaking of intimacy and touching, a lack of it between them is so palpable that I felt very uncomfortable when, a few episodes later, that pool sex scene happened. Many people didn`t understand either, have they banged or not, because even them touching each other is already something unbelievable in this drama. I spent a lot of time thinking about how they banged considering Shangjue’s problems with touching her and allowing her to touch him 😁😁😁.

Btw, this scene is definitely a sex scene. In China there is a very strict censorship in terms of a lot of things, including queere-relationship and sex, but there is also a lot of ways to show it without actually showing something (but even the fact that they were NAKED together in one pool told me everything, as long as in other dramas people had to have sex being dressed in three layers of hanfu). I`m not that deep into Chinese culture, but I have read in comments that the strange phrase of Shangjue «These buds will bloom soon, then you will know if I like you like this (her less obedient and more ambitious self)» refers to a Chinese idiom about a loss of virginity (so if it’s true, Shangjue deliberately invited her to have sex with him if she wanted to know if he liked her and that’s why she came to him without undergarments in the dead of night). The lanterns in the water of a pool refer to the unity of male Yang and female Yin energies (and we could see them in the scene of their first «date», btw). He loosened her hair in the pool: manipulations with girl’s hair it`s something that only husband is allowed do (that’s why you often can see in dramas that a male lead gifts his lover a hairpin or a comb). After everything’s happened, he hovers his cup above a saucer, which means «want to repeat». However, I couldn`t find any proof of these meanings because it seems like Chinese internet doesn`t cross English-speaking one at all and I respectively don`t understand Mandarin. So, if you know something else about it, feel free to correct me in comments. Btw, I`m sure, Yuanzhi's constant speaking about tea in front of Shangguan Qian refers to some kind of idiom, too, but I couldn`t find any information about it. UPD: my fellow @randomingoftherandomness says that it has something to do with a Chinese slang phrase 綠茶婊 (green tea bitch) - "a person who tries to look innocent being in fact calculating".

During the «torture» scene an assassin asks if Shangjue can spare her life and he says «no», because his duty is not to show mercy to Gong clan enemies. This scene echoes with the end of the story, when she asks him again to spare her life and he says he will if she gives him back the Sutra. And he really lets her go, which is strictly opposite to his mission of protecting Gong clan, because she knows everything about their inner residences and Gong clan members, and, what is the most important, the secret of the Sutra. But Shangjue wants to let her leave because she is the first thing he wants for himself, the first longing of a person, not of a function. Only by opposition between his duty and his heart he could find out who the real he is. Letting her go is very VERY irrational decision, but, unlike for the Main Hero, who stole his assassin‘s heart by his incompatible with life naivety, for Shangjue it is a natural point of his character development: being restricted from all his human wishes for a decade, when he gets the opportunity to fulfil them, he gets off his leash and does it fully. Very human behavior, btw.

I was very surprised seeing that Shangjue’s fiancée had time during this mess to change her clothes. Later I understood that she did it on purpose: she had more chances to survive if Shangjue would recall his feelings for her because this pink dress was a gift from him. In their final scene together he says that he would let her go if she gives him the Sutra back, it means she doesn't need to pretend to be pregnant in order to save her life, as soon as Shangjue always keeps his promises. But he lets her know that he doesn't count her as someone from Gong clan (and as his fiancée as well) anymore, and maybe that’s why she says that she bears a child and formulates it's so as if it's a new member of Gong clan, not just a fruit of their passion, because Gong clan does matter for him and his own personality doesn`t (and, btw, remembering the fertility problems, children are very valued in the clan). But I don't understand why preserving of her bond to Gong clan is so important to her. Yes, she couldn't go back to Wufeng because her information caused its collapse but she couldn't stay with the man she just tried to wipe out as well. Maybe her only hope was that she could keep the Sutra as a clan member (a mother of a Gong child), but Shangjue snatched it back. Her story have had some curtain development but kinda not till the final point so I would like to see how their relationship would move further. It is crystal clear by this last scene of them together that Shangjue catastrophically and fully lost to his assassin. When I have watched the drama for the first time I was sure she would use his soft spot on her to kill him, especially when she put his sword down and came to him very closely. At the very end of the story it seems that Shangjue believed everything she said to him in this last conversation, because her information about Wufeng’s boss is spreaded across the Martial World by the Main Hero, which means Shangjue shared it with him.

Azaleas mean "I belong to you forever".

Back in the story, when didi takes the assassin to Shangjue`s residence, he says that the most vulnerable and unpredictable thing is a human heart and that people often don`t want to know the truth. The story itself proves him right: it’s true in terms of Yuanzhi self, whose heart can be and is hurt only by Shangjue, even if his sworn brother doesn`t have a clue about the inner processes that are going on inside didi’s head; it`s also true in terms of an assassin, so far as she starts seeing a handsome man instead of her victim; and, of course, it’s true for Shangjue as well: he deliberately deceives himself believing the assassin isn`t assassin just to have an opportunity to be with her.

It was a pure pleasure to feel for these characters and to watch their stories unfold and I definitely would recommend this drama for watching.

#cdrama #my journey to you #yun zhi yu #云之羽 #cheng lei #gong shangjue #丞磊 #mjty #gong shang jue #宫尚角 #shangguan qian #卢昱晓 #lu yu xiao #上官浅 #enemies to lovers to enemies #SDaboutMJTY

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the-four-terrapins · 3 months

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The Pain

Trying to get back into things, had to get this out.

The pain is excruciating, each movement nearly sending him to his knees, but he continues. Giving up wasn’t an option, not anymore. A mutant like him didn’t plan for a long life, not in his line of work anyways, as death greeted him every day with each outing into the night.

His brothers and he were the only thing between chaos and peace in this city. To keep the foot and their plans at bay, that was why they kept breathing, why they lived the life they did. Unsung heroes, without the gratitude of the residents of this great city, that was until you. Nothing until you.

He stumbled through the shadows, just a little longer, almost to you. The large mutant turtle grasped at weeping wounds, hoping to reach his destination in time. He should be heading to the lair, to his brothers and father but he didn’t know if he would make it this time and like hell you wouldn’t be the last thing he saw if this was in fact this was his last night on earth.

Bloody hands gripped at rusted metal pulling down the fire escape, one foot after the other hoisting up his massive weight. His knees almost buckle from the stress of it but his hand grabs at the railing just in time to catch himself. The terrapin stops for a moment to catch his breath and look up to see the light of your apartment shining like a beacon of hope. You were home, thank the gods, just a little more, he could make it.

Thankfully the terrace door was open so his hands pushed through tumbling into your living room with an ungraceful grunt. On his shell he barely hears you scream out as you run to him. Your hands instinctively move to his wounds assessing before running to the bathroom for your first aid kit. The kit they had given you for emergencies, emergencies just like this.

It’s getting cold and his fingers start to lose feeling, at least he got to see you one last time. You burst from the bathroom phone to your ear screaming into the device before dropping it haphazardly dropping to your knees beside him. Even like this you were breathtaking, he had been so lucky.

As you race to stabilize him his large green hand cups your face, his thumb wiping away the streaming tears. He can hear you still screaming not to give up, to hold on. He doesn’t want to give up; he doesn’t want to leave you like this but the pain was fading which wasn’t a good sign. A sign his massive body was failing, the body that loved you, saved this city more time he could count, the body that would give anything to feel you one last time.

Eye lids grow heavy, taking everything in him to keep them up. Shadows cast around your face seeping into his vision blurring all that he could see. Limps grow heavy slipping from your face and he hears you scream one last time as the darkness wins. He sinks into it nothing with your name on his lips.

The dark is peaceful, making him weightless for the first time. Silence and a feeling of warmth with his weightlessness, is this what death felt like? Calm, warm and some pain…..and the slowly growing sounds of his brothers. Wait?

As the weightlessness decreased the pain increased, then he felt his hands and feet move. Next the light filtered through and his eye lids opened to the lab. He was alive and at home. Looking around his whole body was nearly covered in bandages and by the grace of the gods you were there next to him facing his brothers. His hand reached out gripping your wrist with what little strength he had.

Your head wiped around so fast he could have sworn he heard your neck crack. A solemn face burst forth into pure happiness as you cupped his face plastering what open green skin was to see with your lips.

He was alive, alive to fight another day and make sure you knew just how important you were to him.

#tmnt #the pain #my writing #leonardo tmnt #raphael tmnt #michelangelo tmnt #donatello tmnt

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imashoe69420 · 1 year

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★Rise!Bros X Reader Blurbs/Prompts★

Authors Note: Hey, guys, so I’m kinda at a stand still with posting full fanfics bc I have so many ideas but don’t know how to make them into a story. So I think little blurbs will help get the ideas flowing. And why not post them? Lmfao

If you want to write any of the blurbs and post them, please credit! If it’s ONLY the prompts, I rlly don’t care bc they’re vague lol

===================================

Rise!Donnie Blurb

Prompt: After the turtles nurse Villain!Reader back to health, they take Donnie hostage in the Med Bay in exchange for freedom.

~~~

“You can’t keep me here forever.” Donnie mumbled as you pinned him to the corner of the room, your gaze fixed on the barricaded door. “It’s one on four. You’re outnumbered.”

A dark chuckle left your lips as you slowly turned to face him. “Then how are we in this predicament? It’s really 1v1, isn’t it?” There was a loud bang against the door and you hissed. “Besides, it’s not you that I want.”

The scientist’s malcontented sigh seemed to signify that being held hostage in his own residence was an frequent occurrence. “You caught me off guard when I was changing your bandages. It’s not like you’re some sort of strategical genius. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Donnie’s aloofness only pissed you off. You grasped his bandanna tails and flung him to the concrete floor. He landed harshly, a hushed “oof!” expelling from his lips before you crouched down onto his shell, your foot pressed firmly against the side of his head. The turtle groaned, more annoyed than startled by the sudden violence.

“Listen, I know who you are, Donatello.” You leaned closer to his face, forcing him to look at you. “You are intelligent indeed, but you are not that clever. And you let your falsified morals control you.”

Glaring all the while, Donnie huffed as you further pushed his head into the hard floor. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

You take a sharp inhale as you heard yelling on the other side of the door, “Donnie, we’re gonna bust the door down!”

Lifting your foot off his head, you grabbed his short bandanna tails again, raising his head so his gaze rested on the door. You take the claw on your index finger and run it against the turtle’s throat.

“If they come in here, I will not hesitate to kill you.”

☆彡

Rise!Raph Prompt (Angst): Both you and Raph are the oldest in your family and bond over the responsibilities you have to partake in. One of your siblings suddenly die and Raph helps you cope (since he almost lost Leo in the movie).

Rise!Raph Prompt: Raph worries about your ability to fight alongside his brothers after you broke your leg on the last mission.

Rise!Donnie Prompt (Fluff): You and Donnie try to figure out a common love language (as he is more overstimulated through physical touch and you have more auditory ones).

Rise!Leo Prompt (Fluff): You’re overbearingly flirtatious and Leo’s often flustered.

Rise!Future!Leo Prompt (Angst): You sacrifice yourself to save Leo.

#rottmnt #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt leo #rottmnt fluff #rottmnt raph #fanfic #rottmnt leo x reader #rottmnt reader insert #rise leo #x reader #rottmnt prompt #future leo #rise donnie x reader #rise raph x reader #rottmnt headcanons #tmnt headcanons #rise movie

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scotianostra · 4 months

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The 9th January 2000 saw the death of the historical novelist Nigel Tranter.

Tranter was the most prolific Scottish writer of all time, writing mainly factual and fictional books related to Scottish history, if you haven't read any of his work I recommend you do, the attention to detail takes nothing away from enjoyable stories. In my opinion the only other Scottish writer to come close to the volume and quality of work in this field is Sir Walter Scott.

His grandfathers were church ministers, but a great-grandfather invented the Tranter pistol. He was descended also from James Watt, inventor of the steam engine. He himself wanted to become a restoring architect, but the early death of his father forced him to stop studying. Instead he trained as an accountant and worked in the Scottish National Insurance Company. He served in the Royal Artillery during World War II.

Tranter went to George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh, which may have inspired his love of castles. His earliest writing on these was at the age of 13. As a boy he spent hours cycling to castles and mansions, and drawing them in meticulous detail, before going on to write about them in his first published book, The Fortalices and Early Mansions of Southern Scotland, 1400-1650, at the age of 22. This was followed by the five volumes of The Fortified House in Scotland. In later life he loved to take visitors out to castles and assisted many castle restoration projects in Scotland such as Fa’side.

He married May Jean Campbell Grieve in Athelstaneford Church in July 1933 and they had two children. He and May worked together on The Queen’s Scotland series, giving a short history of parishes in four Scottish regions until her death in 1979, when the project stopped.

Their son Philip was a climber, who sadly died in a car crash in 1966 on his way home from an expedition in the Dolomites. Tranter wrote No Tigers in the Hindu Kush from Philip’s notes.

Tranter saw himself primarily as a storyteller rather than a historian, and his first novel, Trespass, was published in 1937. Although criticised by some academic historians for writing fiction, he developed a huge new audience, who loved his tales of Scottish historical events and people. He wrote his fiction with increasing knowledge of Scottish history, introducing the subject to millions of people worldwide. From 1947 he decided he could earn a living by writing, and produced several novels for children, as well as adults. The Bruce Trilogy sold over 1 million copies and he had fan clubs in many countries. He also wrote Westerns, using the pen name Nye Tredgold.

Nigel Tranter received many honours and awards during his life, and was also actively involved in several organisations, including the St Andrews Society of East Lothian, Scottish PEN, Athelstaneford Flag Fund and the Saltire Society. He believed Scots should ‘be responsible for our own decisions’, and as chairman of the East Lothian Liberal Association for 15 years, he was part of the Scottish Convention, a cross-party pressure group set up to push for devolution. ‘We Scots are different, not better, but long live the difference’.

He continued to write into his 90s, starting each day with a walk across the wooden bridge at Aberlady Bay which he called ‘The Footbridge to Enchantment’. He was a familiar sight walking on the coast, stopping to jot down neat notes for his books on cards or even shells picked up from the beach. Some of these can be seen in the Tranter Museum, which is currently in Athelstaneford Parish Church. His last novel was Envoy Extraordinary. On his death thousands mourned and many friends and residents in the county remember him with great fondness.

Tranter and his family are buried in Aberlady Churchyard. There is a memorial cairn to him at the carpark near the footbridge which leads over to the nature reserve at Aberlady. The Scottish Castles Association have an annual Nigel Tranter Memorial Award in his memory.

There is a lot more on Nigel Tranter at the following link [http://cunninghamh.tripod.com/2001/index.htm](http://cunninghamh.tripod.com/2001/index.htm)

#scotland #history #scottish #author #writer #historical fiction

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wind-to-your-sails · 1 year

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The Domini of New Phyrexia: An Elaborate Headcanon of my Own Design

The wounding of a world-soul is not an easy thing. It is a dark and awful deed, and cannot be done the same way that one might wipe away a continent. To scar the soul of a world is to change its very nature, to rewrite laws so fundamental that they are scarcely thought of as laws. In the past, such monstrosity was considered the realm of gods alone; Amonkhet, Lorwyn and Zendikar stand as testament to the consequences of such a deed, and the weakest of those who dealt the scars was still a planeswalker of the ancient tradition.

But now, we know better. We have beheld Phyrexia, and the march of the Domini. The worlds of which I have spoken, they bore their wounds and retained much of what they had been. But Phyrexia did not simply wound their world-soul, they broke it.

Their hideous works reforged the world, tearing the domains apart and sequestering them to separate spheres of existence while they erased all knowledge of the rituals that had kept the land hale and hearty. And then, as if to prove that the arrogance of Norn did not know limits, they covered the ruin of the old world with a hideous porcelain shell that blocked out all light of the world-shaping five suns of Mirrodin.

And so the world-soul of Phyrexia emerged, split into five parts and scattered across five spheres. These are the Domini, the mutilated voices of a vivisected planet.

Mondrak is the Dominus of Glory and resides within the Fair Basilica, the Seventh Sphere of Phyrexia. Born with seven mouths and no ears, Mondrak wails an unceasing hymn in praise of the majesty and supremacy of the Machine Orthodoxy. It is said that to hear her song is to understand Phyrexia, and perhaps even worse, to believe in it. The truth of this superstition is difficult to verify, as the volume and tone of Mondrak’s voice induces paralysis and disorientation even at distances where the words cannot be recognized.

Called the Breathless Choir by her fellow zealots, Mondrak is seen as a pinnacle of inspiration and living proof of the infallibility of Norn’s teachings. Despite her voice often proving destructive to the nearby architecture, Mondrak is frequently surrounded by aspirants eager to receive the gospel of the Argent Etchings. As for the Mother of Machines herself, Elesh Norn regards Mondrak as a curious setpiece and a useful resource, a rallying standard that can bring even the mites out in force.

Tekuthal is the Dominus of Inquiry and can be found in the Surgical Bay, the Fifth Sphere of Phyrexia. Having emerged from the oceans of quicksilver with countless eyes and no mouth, Tekuthal poses an endless series of silent and inscrutable questions of the Progress Engine. He communicates with and mimics those around him by shaping the quicksilver into facsimiles, and should they displease him (which they frequently do) he will accentuate the imitation with exaggerated features. Once left alone, these caricatures frequently disintegrate along fault lines that are invariably found to be present in the beings they were mocking.

The Gitaxians derisively refer to Tekuthal as the Prince of Mockery, ridiculing him for his behaviour because his design is beyond reproach. Observation suggests that Tekuthal’s presence invites scrutiny among the ‘scientists’ who are already obsessed with eliminating imperfections, as the idea that there is something to mock suggests that there is something to fix. Jin-Gitaxias has meanwhile drawn inspiration from Tekuthal’s many eyes to create his new surveillance system, and regards the Dominus as a rival who would be much more interesting as a partner.

Drivnod is the Dominus of Carnage and haunts the Dross Pits, the Sixth Sphere of Phyrexia. Born with no flesh of his own and a single eye of baleful fire, Drivnod ravages and flays any servant of the Steel Thanes that wanders too far from the pack. The towering monolith of destruction and slaughter garbs himself in great tapestries woven from his victims, and seems to delight in every scream he creates. Strangely enough, Drivnod appears to be repulsed by worship, shirking away from the adulation he receives in the more populated areas of the Pits.

As in all other things, the Steel Thanes are divided on how to deal with Drivnod. While some are content to leave him to his own devices, others like Azax-Azog and Geth see an opportunity in the Dominus, a potent weapon that could stamp out all opposition to their reign. The rank and file of the Dross Pits are far more united in their perspective, worshipping Drivnod as an idealized manifestation of the proverb that strength is the only power worthy of praise. Some even whisper that he is the Second Coming of Yawgmoth, the true Father of Machines... though none dare say it where a Thane might hear them.

Solphim is the Dominus of Mayhem and dwells in the Autonomous Furnace, the Third Sphere of Phyrexia. Born in a molten body clad in a gown of spears, Solphim is a beast of rabid freedom that embodies the ideals of the Quiet Furnace so completely that she rejects all responsibility for her actions. As though making a parody of the Furnace’s enemies, Solphim inscribes the deep canyons of her territory with draconian and contradictory laws and seems to decide which are worth enforcing on nothing but a whim. The only consistency in her behaviour is a swift and merciless vengeance against any who trespass against the Great Work, most commonly the sycophants of Atraxa.

Declared the Great Mother of Chaos by adherents of the Quiet Furnace, Solphim is openly venerated as a goddess. Her own apparent disregard for this adulation hardly matters, as Dominus worship exists most principally as a rejection of the Argent Etchings and the growing idea of the Flesh Singularity. Urabrask alone regards Solphim as an equal, a deft hand at defence and hopefully an ally in the war to come.

Zopandrel is the Dominus of Hunger and inhabits the Hunter Maze, the Fourth Sphere of Phyrexia. Born with piercing claws at her sides and spitting infectious spores from her face, Zopandrel is an anomaly among the Vicious Swarm in that she hunts with a pack. Unlike the sea of aspiring apex predators that infest the Maze, Zopandrel radiates power outward into her fellow beasts and girds them for battle as not even the magic of Glissa Sunslayer can do. As if to promote this warped idea of community, Zopandrel’s spores impart degenerative phyresis at a staggering rate that can reduce even the most fortified soldier to a ravenous beast in hours.

The denizens of the Vicious Swarm call Zopandrel the Maw of Progress, a slant against Jin-Gitaxias’ failed efforts to present a compleated Ezuri as his answer to Glissa Sunslayer. To these consummate predators, the Dominus’ ability to avoid falling into either their role or that of prey is an intriguing gesture at an infinitely more complex ecosystem. Vorinclex sees in Zopandrel a worthy general that can join him on the front lines, with a strength nearly equal to his own.

#mtg #My writing #headcanon

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hanayori89 · 8 months

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A Game of Politics

*The Palace of Twilight*

Link's lips were puckered against the back of your hand. The gentle sound of his kisses trailing up your arm made you come alive in a way you had never experienced before.

Is this what it feels like to be alive? To have every breath within you finally make sense?

He stopped kissing you for a moment. His blue eyes were darkened by the shadows of your room. But even the darkest of shadows couldn't cocoon the desire brewing in his gaze.

He continued diligently kissing your skin until he hit your shoulder. He murmured something against your flesh as he gently slid his fingertip down the entrance to the labyrinth of Twili markings that embellished your skin.

"Link, I feel..." Your voice was unrecognizable amongst yourself. There were traces of yearning within it. Yearning you have never portrayed before. Was this...pleasure? Was this what the interlopers stole from you?

Now Link was here. And he was going to reward you with it.

He was going to reward you with what it meant to live within the light.

Link took your face in between his hands, and with a faint whisper into your lips, he demanded. "Tell me how you feel."

"I feel..." You didn't dare close your eyes. You latched your gaze into his. His lips lingered above yours.

"What do you feel?"

Your eyes shot open as you saw the curiously hard eyes of Midna. Your heart rate was still elevated from the steamy dream of Link.

"Midna..." You couldn't meet her eyes. You could feel yourself squirm around in the bed you were in. The sheets and quilt were not as comfortable as Link's, which you've grown oddly accustomed to.

Midna gave you a reserved smirk. Her voice was a sardonic shell of itself. "Welcome home."

She began her familiar pacing, as she did during her lectures. You recalled Zelda doing it at Hyrule Castle. How similar they both were, even in the most circumstantial ways.

"Well, I suppose the goal is for this to not really be your home anymore, is it? This saddens me, Y/N. You're very special to me. Whether you realize it or not."

"Midna," you began, excited to speak in normal Twili once again. "How did I get back here? I tried to talk to you the other night and-"

"I summoned you." Midna's voice was sharp in the overbearing silence of the room you were in. Silence dominated much of the Realm of Twilight. When you first made it to the light, you found the constant chatter vexing. Now the familiar silence you were beginning to miss was uncomfortable. Foreign. As if you never really resided within it.

"Y/N, I am worried about your disillusionment with the light. You are beginning to remind me of... " Midna's voice drifted away in thought.

"Who? Midna, what is going on? Why did you tell me there was only one shard from the Mirror of Twilight? When did you know Princess Zelda had one? Why did you lie to me?" You stood, your bare feet touching the cold palace floor.

"Now you summon me back, claiming I am disillusioned. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Link!" When you said Link's name, you heard your voice waver. You felt the same burning within your eyes that had happened at Lake Hylia. Only now have you understood the emotion attached to it. You were going to cry.

Midna sauntered up to you, taking you cautiously within her arms. Much like a mother would console an upset child. Midna was, after all, the only mother figure you had ever known. She could be rigid at times, but only because she kept your best interests at heart. Now that you've returned from the light, you've decided it's much deeper than interests. Her rigidity was also a form of protection. These demons, known as emotions, kept their realm at bay. She patted your back as you felt the tears dribble down your face.

You wished Link was here to wipe them away.

Except he was busy kissing Ilia. The memory of the kiss between them was now prevalent in your mind. You began to cry harder.

"Midna, what's wrong with me? Why is the light doing this to me?" You wept in her arms.

"I meant it when I said we could never be part of their realm. For good reason. I too felt this sensation when I had to leave. "

"What sensation?"

Her response was reluctant. "The breaking of my heart."

You held your breath for a moment. Did Midna know she was in love with the hero of Twilight? How could you have fallen for the same trap?

"Then why don't you use your shard to visit Link?"

Midna let out an almost grating laugh. "Who said anything about the hero?"

Your tears were cut short by relief. "You're not in love with the hero of Twilight?" You asked with astonishment.

"I regard the hero dearly. He is also very special to me as a human. I meant..." her face dense with emotion, "Zelda."

"I don't follow..."

"Zelda is like my sister. My love and admiration for her run deep. She made me the ruler I never thought I could be. Teaching me diplomacy and unconditional love for my people. For her. That is why she carries the other shard. So that we may always be connected. " Midna paused for a moment before continuing her clarification. "I do not travel to the Realm of Light because it is too risky. It leaves room for a negative entity to travel within the realms. We both agreed to not do this because of the risk it would pose. The love of our kingdoms must always come before our love."

"Then why let me go?" You asked in outrage. "Why let me welcome such a threat to both realms?"

"Because your conversion is essential to what could save our realms."

"Midna! I'm tired of the secrets! What are you trying to say?" You demanded with an aggressive stomp from your foot. "You didn't even know I left with the intention of conversion. Which, I apologize for my deceit. I was afraid if I had asked to convert, you'd never have let me go. "

Midna let out a defeated sigh. She knew she could keep things a secret no more. Especially if what she suspected was at stake. Midna held the shard that was still looped around Y/N's neck. Zelda. You must tell Link.

You watched Midna hold the shard and keep her head bowed in concentration. You knew she was saying something to Zelda.

Midna began to walk, disappearing before your eyes. You knew she was going to her study. You quickly followed suit, transporting yourself in the same manner. You appeared in Midna's study. Midna was already seated on her iron throne in wait. She held her hand out, inviting you to take a seat.

"Y/N... sit down. There's something you need to know."

*Hyrule Castle*

Link stormed through Hyrule Castle. Val and Fabian were nipping closely at his heels.

"M-Master Link, Zelda has a council coming up with-"

"Zelda!" Link howled as he pushed open the doors to her study.

Zelda stood picturesquely by her bookcase of Hylian scripture. Link growled," Zelda, where is she?"

"Who?" Zelda asked, feigning curiosity. Her eyes never left the book she held open.

"You know damn well who!"

"Link you really must control your outbursts. It is not befitting of a hero." Zelda slammed the book she was reading shut with a sigh. "Y/N is safe. You can take comfort in that."

"Where is safe?"

"The Realm of Twilight." Zelda's unconcerned behavior was starting to infuriate Link. Zelda casually strode past Link to the doors of her study. She shut them, turning to Link with a critical expression. "Midna has requested that I speak with you."

"Is she alright? Will she be coming back? We haven't even gone to the Arbiter's Grounds yet to begin her conversion. I saw her." His voice was overflowing with self-deprecation. "I saw her fall, and I couldn't go to her. "Link's fists shook at his sides. The overwhelming disgust he felt with himself could not be contained.

"I didn't protect her. I failed her." Link slammed one of his fists into the wall in fury. The impact of his knuckles on the castle wall didn't even make him flinch. "Now Ilia and Mayor Bo are pushing this wedding up around his election to secure his win. It feels like everything is going wrong."

Zelda remained stoic in the heat of Link's tantrum. She strolled past Link to a specific bookshelf. Link watched her eyes scour the shelves for a specific title. Once she found it, she gently tapped it with her index finger before retrieving it from the shelf. She walked up to where Link stood by her desk. She plopped the book down amongst her piles of unread documents. A dust bomb erupted from the sudden drop of the book. Link looked at the title, which read, A Game of Politics.

"Let me explain something to you as a politician. The masses are either with us or against us. Since the tragedy that befell Ordon during the Ganondorf invasion, it seems Mayor Bo's popularity has fallen. It isn't a secret that this betrothal is a calculated maneuver to regain the confidence of the villagers. At least, not to a politician's eye."

Politics is where Zelda really seemed to shine in the eyes of Hyrule. She was able to display a genteel nature even through the most abominable of debates. Her intuition also lent her a helping hand when it came to seeing through the facades of many politicians. In short, there was a reason she was the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom.

She continued her peroration.

She clasped her hands behind her back as she started to pace. "It also isn't a secret that our groom-to-be does not want this wedding. But let me just say, Link, they won't let this go without a fight. So, I can't help but wonder, if you created a smokescreen, would that relieve you of your marital contract? I know just the scenario."

"Hold on, Zelda. I appreciate the political standpoint but what about the fact that Ilia is in love with me? I'm not trying to hurt her. "Link knew she was proposing an angle. He just wasn't sure what, and would she ever answer him about Y/N?

"Duty is always above love. Surely, Ilia understands this with the mayor as her father. However, you may wish to revisit what you think you knew about Ilia. Why do you think Aryn was released from his current incarceration?"

Link tried not to let the shock show on his face. "That creep! What do you know about him? Are you saying Ilia bailed Aryn out? Why would she bail out someone like that?"

An amused crinkle pulled at Zelda's eye. "You're so worried about not hurting Ilia that you haven't noticed the ways she's been hurting you."

Y/N. Ilia did this to rattle Y/N. To keep her away from me. Doesn't Ilia know what Aryn would have...would have...

"I can't believe Ilia to be so nefarious. I won't!" Link spat in revulsion. Zelda goaded Link on. "You think Mayor Bo was the one to push your wedding up? Do you not understand the mayoral position is also as good as hers if something were to happen to him?"

Zelda picked up the book and handed it to Link. "Read this. I think it will make some things clear about what has been going on in Ordon. As for Y/N..."

Link stood, transfixed on Zelda, as soon as he heard Y/N's name. "She is the perfect smokescreen for your wedding escape. You do understand she poses a risk of Ganondorf breaking the seal if she continuously comes to our realm."

"Midna would never allow her to go through with this if it posed such a risk. Nor would you. Speaking of the seal, the Mirror of Twilight, was I imagining it when Midna destroyed it? Or is there another behind-the-scenes trick with that also?"

Zelda shook her head. "There are only two shards. The shard I possess, and the shard Midna possesses, or at the moment, Y/N." Zelda braced herself for her next statement, for she knew it would be heavy for Link to bear. Especially considering he was obviously smitten with Y/N.

"Midna agreed to let Y/N come because her conversion to Hylian is paramount to saving both our realms. By completing the trials of conversion, we could erase the shadow within her."

A horrific feeling flooded Link as Zelda said the word "shadow."

"Zelda, what are you trying to tell me?" Link wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Zelda placed a hand on Link's shoulder, steadying him beneath her grip. "Zant..." Zelda whispered, losing her poise momentarily. Link's blood ran cold just hearing Zant's name come from Zelda's mouth.

"Link. Y/N... she is Zant's daughter."

The room began to spin. It all made sense to Link. The reason she was so good at bringing his shadows into the light...was because she herself was a shadow trying to invade the light.

A/N: Edited 12/17/22

With one answer comes more questions. How does the current revelation of your origin line up with your current mission? There is a shadow within you that is begging to be released. The question is: will you succumb to the shadow in the same way your father Zant did, or will you learn how to fuse it with your inner light?

Meanwhile, at Hyrule Castle, Link is learning how to combat the sinister shadows of a corrupt election with his own light. Can he do this while sparing the feelings of his friend? Or will he have to spare the feelings that are his own?

Check out my other OOT Zelda work- No Woman Beyond

#legend of zelda #link #loz #fanfiction #link x reader #romance #wattpad #fanfic #the legend of zelda #twilight princess #twili #midna twilight princess #fanfic on tumblr #adventure #Hyrule #action

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hmshermitcraft · 11 months

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[For the theme]

Keralis has been through alot, in his immortal life, and now he's just tired. He wants to live his own life, without people going after him thinking killing him will give them immortal life, without the constant thought of 'where to next?' And now he's found the perfect spot, its secluded, by the ocean, and a wide open spot where he can build the stuff he likes.

Though quickly, he finds himself with visitors (they don't ever seem to be hostile, thankfully) sometimes they come in groups, sometimes they're alone, but he takes the time to chat with them all.

The most recent visitor he finds very intriguing though, he's not a classic tall mysterious stranger (in fact he's probably on the shorter side) he's also in the worst kind of clothes for how warm it is in the sun, dark hoodie and pants, but he is very charming, with a wonderful little giggle and the way his tail (guardian, if he knows his hybrids correctly) sways when he walks. There's something special about him, and Keralis hopes this won't be the last he'll see of this 'xB' person. He hopes he isnt mortal either, he'd hate to not see this guy for the rest of his life.

-C

He has all the eccentricities of somebody who's lived long enough to disregard mortal rules. But, Keralis knows not to judge too early. Assuming only makes an ass out of you and me, and Keralis has had his heart broken too many times for that.

What he doesn't expect is to visit the coast one day (he always likes to collect the pretty shells and rocks to trade with visitors) and find xB lounging in the shallow water. Keralis approaches out of concern at first. Has xB been injured? Did he wash ashore?

His questions are answered when xB blinks his eyes open at the crunch of Keralis's footsteps, rolling over to face him. He's decided to take up occupancy in Keralis's bay, he hopes he doesn't mind. It's a good job Keralis doesn't, because he gets the feeling that wasn't actually a question.

He watches as xB settles in, sticking mostly to the water. Keralis never built too close to the shore. The sand is a bad foundation, and the ocean is cruel to foreign and familiar things alike. xB seems to reside mostly beneath the waves, but frequently pops out to see Keralis. He's taught him some new ways to cook fish!

Keralis just wishes he could figure out how to phrase the question. How do you ask somebody if they're mortal or not without sounding insane?

#hermitshipping #ask #keralis tag #xbcrafted tag #xbralis #c anon #mod 🎀#weekly theme: immortal au

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nevzatboyraz44 · 9 months

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Quarry Bay, located in the eastern region of Hong Kong, which truly deserves the title of concrete pile, is a district where a new industrial and residential area is opened every day and the population density reaches its peak.

In any case, a building like the Monster Building would only suit such a region.

monster,

I mean, what did this cluster of buildings do to deserve the title "monster"?

In fact, the name was given by the locals of the region and probably refers to the huge dimensions of the structure and its shape that rises as if it hovers over people from three sides.

The Quarry Bay 'Monster Building', which consists of 5 separate buildings, was built during the population boom in the 1960s, as part of a government-supported housing project for low-income residents of the city.

Hundreds of apartments in this complex structure, which emerged with the combination of Oceanic Mansion, Fook Cheong, Montane Mansion, Yick Cheong and Yick Fat buildings, are stacked on top of each other to create a colorful motif.

From this point of view, it can be said that it resembles a giant rug rather than a monster.

In fact, Hong Kong is a region accustomed to structures similar to the Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' built in the 1960s.

As in most buildings of this type, the upper floors are designed as living spaces, while the ground floors consist of shops selling in many different areas.

Although there are such similarities in general terms, Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' seems to stand out from the others in terms of size and density.

Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' also stands out for its remarkable symmetry and architectural aesthetics.

In terms of these features, it manages to attract the attention of both city explorers and instagramers.

Does it interest them but not the filmmakers?

Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' has already been the set of world-famous movies like Ghost in the Shell and Transformers.

#türkiye #doğa #travel photography #travel destinations #travel #manzara #view #natural #europe #africa #honkong #çin #china

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astra-galaxie · 5 months

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"The Flying Squad? Meraviglioso! I feared Chief Wright had not gotten my message about arriving a few days earlier!" - Argo Acquafredda

Biographical information

Full Name: Argo Acquafredda

Alias(es):

Sirena(Siren in Italian)

Melodía (Melody in Spanish)

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

Status: Alive

Age: 25 (season 4)

Birth: December 22, 1865

Race: Human

Nationality: Italian

Origin: Canto del Mare, Italy

Residence:

Concordia, USA

Rome, Italy (formerly)

Naples, Italy (formerly)

Canto del Mare, Italy (formerly)

Profession(s): Detective

Family:

Unnamed mother

Unnamed father

Unnamed grandfather

Unnamed grandmother

Partner(s):

Jason Nicchi (boyfriend)

Diego del Lobo (ex-boyfriend)

Affiliation(s): Concordia Flying Squad

Profile

Height: 5'5"

Age: 25 (season 4)

Weight: 127lbs

Eyes: bronze

Blood: O-

Argo is a young, beautiful man of below-average height with a slender figure. He has very androgynous features, so much so that he can be mistaken for either gender. His sharp eyes resemble melted bronze, and his hair is black as night, made of soft, loose curls trimmed to just brush his shoulders, while his skin is a warm shade of honey brown.

When working as a detective, he wears a black dress shirt with the top unbuttoned to expose his neck, a deep blue corset vest with lighter blue details and small bronze clasps down the front. His black pants are fitted but not tight, with the ends tucked into a pair of dark brown boots reaching just below his knees. Over it all, he wears an ocean-blue trench coat with bronze buttons. Brown leather arm guards are on his wrists to protect him when Caspian rests on his forearms/wrists. Lastly, he wears a black choker with a bronze nautilus shell pendant, small matching earrings, and goggles on the top of his head with elegant waves engraved into the metal surrounding the lenses.

Argo uses a pair of custom-made forearm crutches to assist in walking. They are made of brass-plated poles with copper handles and matching forearm cuffs. On the ends of the poles are copper covers with rubberized tips to stabilize when the crutches touch the ground. The poles are also carved with intricate wave engravings like the ones on Argo's goggles.

History

To be revealed during Murders of The Past

Events of Criminal Case

Season 4

To be revealed during Murders of The Past

Organization(s)

Concordian Flying Squad

Rank: Detective

Story Information

First appeared: Welcome to Concordia!

Trivia

Argo suffers from Mal de Debarquement, also called "landing sickness," a rare disease which results in a near-constant feeling of motion, even when sitting or standing still. Think of the feeling of standing on a boat rocking in the waves; the rocking or bobbing movement Argo experiences is similar. It also results in a sense of imbalance and vertigo, among other symptoms that he suffers from. Argo has good days and bad ones where his symptoms are better or worse, respectively

He uses his crutches to help keep his balance while walking and standing still

While he can run, he'll only do so if necessary or if someone is with him and can stop him from running into anything or falling over

Despite his condition, Argo loves sailing; he used to sail every chance he got while living in Italy

He talks with his hands like many Italians do. It becomes more animated if he doesn't have his crutches to limit certain movements

He's a musician and singer. He doesn't often perform for others, but those who have heard him will say he's amazing

He's left-handed

He loves the ocean and everything about it. Fish, waves, seashells, beaches… If it's related to the ocean, he loves it

Likewise, he LOVES swimming. Whether for pleasure or sport, he enjoys soaking in the waves

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

Links to my stories:

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

#criminal case #astra's ocs #my ocs #criminal case mysteries of the past

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tabithaxking · 1 month

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[cis female and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [TABITHA KING]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [SOPHIE THATCHER]. You must be the [TWENTY THREE] year old [WAITRESS AT ALL NIGHT DINER / HOUSE CLEANER]. Word is you’re [HONEST] but can also be a bit [STANDOFFISH] and your favorite song is [DUVET BY BÔA]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [OCEAN CREST APARTMENTS].

INFORMATION:

fullname. tabitha louise king

nicknames. tabby, tab, tabby cat.

gender. cis female

pronouns. she / her

d.o.b. october 27th, 2000 | ( 23 years old )

astrology. scorpio ☀ scorpio ☾ gemini ↑

birth place. unknown.

hometown. various.

current residence. aurora bay, california. ( @aurorabayaesthetic )

occupation. waitress at the all night diner / house cleaner.

religion. atheist.

tattoos. none.

piercings. two holes in ears, helix.

marital status. single.

sexual preference. heterosexual.

family. angelica king (mother), unknown (father), francis king (grandfather), yelena king (gandmother).

children. theodora "theo" king (daughter).

CHARACTER INSPO:

rosie dunne ( love, rosie ), emma ( just for the summer ), max mayfield ( stranger things ), sarah manning ( orphan black ), eleanor shellstrop ( the good place ).

PERSONALITY:

+ intelligent, strong, independent. - standoffish, untrusting, introverted.

BIOGRAPHY:

( tw: depictions of undiagnosed mental illness, child neglect, illness )

There’s not much known about where exactly Tabitha King came from. Her birth certificate was from a local Milwaukee hospital, but whether or not they stayed there long enough to consider that home, Tabby didn't count on it. The only core memories she has comes to mind is of a beautiful blonde looking at her in the rearview mirror of a beat up car. Singing Fleetwood Mac with her dangling earrings and the smell of roses. A warm smile and eyes that sparkled. Staying up late watching black and white movies in motels. The good times. These were the memories of her mother that she likes to think about the most.

But that wasn't the whole picture. It was leaving place after place once the men Angelica was dating grew bored with her constant drama. Her highs and lows. It was days of her mother not being able to get out of bed because she was in one of her 'moods'. It was the times that her mother said she was going out, and not coming back for weeks at a time. Angelica was here one moment and gone the next. A rare comet from a distance. A destructive force upon contact. The periods of times that her mother would leave, galavanting off with her new beau and leaving her daughter behind, became longer and longer. Eventually, CPS caught wind of the eight-year-old who showed up to school wearing dirty clothes, unbrushed hair and severely underfed, Tabby got put into the system.

It took them a whole year to find her mother, but Tabitha was always waiting for her. Even when they said Angelica wasn't coming and that she'd have to go to Aurora Bay, California and live with her grandparents, she still waited. Waited for her mother to come home, to choose her, to make her feel special. It never happened. Tabitha was withdrawn as a kid, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It made her fiercely independent. Her grandparents were lovely people, but they knew their daughter - she was never coming back.

As time moved on, Tabby eventually came out of her shell and what emerged was an angry little girl. At school, she was too smart and too mouthy. Constantly in detention for talking back to teachers while getting straight A's on their tests. Any rule was broken, forever acting out as if the school would call her mother and she'd have to come and get her. All it did was give her grandparents grief. She loved them, but the trauma from her childhood was too deep in her veins. Her only saving grace were her friends, the people who made school tolerable. Her best friend, Lucky - he was the grounding force she needed. She would have loved him if she were able to, but after everything that happened with her mother, Tabitha had learned never to love anyone too much. It'll only destroy you when they inevitably leave.

Comforting him during the rough patches with his family came easy to her, and they only grew closer during those times until one night, it blossomed into something more. One night was all it took to completely flip her world upside down. She fully supported his sudden move to London after his parents divorce, she longed to go with him but two pink lines kept her planted in Aurora Bay. Tabitha thought about telling him. When they spoke on the phone, he was always so excited, telling stories about adventures. Tabitha knew that if she told him, he'd come home and it seemed so cruel to crush his dreams like that. There were thoughts of other options, but this was a piece of Lucky and she'd never get rid of that. So she lied, to everyone. Said the baby was someone else's and decided to raise their daughter on her own.

It was tough being a mother at 18. She was still just a child herself, but her grandparents were a great support. Theodora King was born and Tabitha's whole life changed. There were no more talks of college. Only doctors appointments, midnight feedings and the cost of diapers. Eventually, once Theo was a little older, she got a job as a waitress at the All-Nighter Diner as they could watch her daughter overnight. There wasn't much time for things like a social life or friends, and eventually Lucky drifted into the background of her new life.

Just as Theo turned three, her grandmother started experiencing signs of Alzheimer's. Forgetting things, getting easily confused. Things got so bad that Tabitha started worrying that it was no longer safe to have her watch Theo unsupervised, and her grandfather needed to look after his wife. The two moved out into an apartment in Ocean Crest. It was small, but it was theirs and Tabitha tried her best to make sure that Theo never wanted for anything. But times were tough, she had no support. And then on Theo's fourth birthday, she cracked. Bills were piling up, her presents were mediocre and all Theo wished for.. was a dad. While they'd talked on and off over the years, Tabitha bit the bullet and called Lucky. Just as she expected, he came straight home.

From there, after many long conversations, they've been figuring out co-parenting as they go. Tabitha has taken extra part-time work for the days she's not waitressing to make sure that all Theo's needs are taken care of, the weight of impending doom lifted with Lucky's support. She still struggles asking for help, but getting there in time. Theo believes that wishes do come true as she really did get her dad for her fourth birthday.

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS:

tabitha has been living in aurora bay for the last 14 years after her grandparents took her in from foster care. before that, she was moving from home to home in chicago. ( possible connections: childhood friends, cousins, foster kids from chicago )

her mom was undiagnosed bipolar and would go maniac epsiodes where she would leave tabitha alone for long periods of time. they would move from place to place so she could have picked up a few friends when she was younger. her mom used to enchant men so they had a place to stay, she'd date them for a while but then her moods were get erratic and she'd do things like steal, break their shit or one time, she nearly burnt someone's house down. ( possible connections: men her mom dated, kids of the men her mom dated, someone who encourages this chick to go to therapy )

known around town as a bit of a hard-ass in her youth. she used to talk back to teachers and get detention for being in fights, angry little girl. would have had a small-tight knit group of friends that she cared about but pretended to be indifferent towards them ( possible connections: best friends, friends who lost touch after she got pregnant, kids she got into fights with )

has been working at the all nighter diner for the past fours years since the birth of her daughter, has recently started cleaning houses on the side for extra cash. very unenthusiastic worker but does what she has to so she's not fired ( possible connections: cleaning clients, regulars at the diner, co-workers )

got pregnant just before her 18th birthday after a one night stand with her best friend, lucky. didn't tell anyone that it was his so he wouldn't find out. eventually told him and he came home to help out. currently successfully co-parenting. ( possible connections: lucky's family and friends, godparents, people who helped while she was raising theo )

hasn't been on a date in like five years, at least not successfully. she's a single mom who worked two jobs (reba coded) so there's not much time for things like romance. but since lucky is back and helping out, she might explore more of the online dating space ( possible connections: bad blinde dates, unsuccessful hookups, unrequited crushes )

her non-mom related hobbies include: reading comics, ice-skating (she's actually pretty good) and going to the movies or drive-in, she's a cinemaphile when she has two hours to spare. you can usually find her around town at the movie house, comic emporium, sharky's on the odd occasion. ( possible connections: friends with owners/workers, fellow regulars, random run-ins, one night stands )

before moving to ocean crest apartments, tabitha and theo used to live with her grandparents where she was raised after leaving foster care. unfortunately her grandmother has been suffering with alzheimer's and has been steadily declining so they moved out. on occasion, tabitha takes her grandmother to the hospital for appointments to help her grandfather. ( possible connections: doctors, nurses, people randomly met at the hospital, ocean crest neighbors )

theo is just about to start school in september as she's now five years old. she'll be attending aurora bay elementary, but previously she would have been in daycare at kid’s cottage daycare center on random days that tabitha's grandparents were not available. ( possible connections: new teachers, old daycare teachers, parent friends, playdate friends, theo's best friend's parent )

CURRENT CONNECTIONS:

childhood best friend of / shares a child with @luckylewis

grew up around with @lorelailewis and @macaulaymontgomery

@cassidyxcooke is theo's godparent

cousin to @bazhowletts

employee of @greengideon at the all night diner

#aurorabay.intro #tw: mental illness #tw: child neglect #tw: illness

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pettyprocrastination · 2 years

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I dunno anything about GOT lord but does she get self conscious after losing her eye? And how exactly did it happen?

Hello! So for this im gonna do a little lore dump just to explain how (at least for now) Oberyn's wife (you) lost her eye and what part she plays in the war

Reader is the sister to stannis, renly, and robert baratheon. Robert was the previous king of the nine realms before he died in a hunting accident, leaving his son joffrey to inhereit the throne (but of course. joffrey is not his real son, but a bastard of his wife and her brother)

after the death of ned stark (the hand of the king) was killed because he openly spoke against joffrey's lineage to the throne, stannis and renly both rose up and claimed to be the next king. Despite being brothers, they went to war, fully accepting the fact that they'd be fighting against their family.

Initially, you want no part in it. Dorne of course does not take anybody's side in the war and stays out of it completely. You do not wish to see what is left of your family lost in some futile fight for the throne. You try to reason with your brothers that fighting eachother will do nothing, the proper answer is to unite against the lannister army, but neither will bow out.

You spend your time at sunspear with your husband, ellaria, and his children. Trying to distract yourself with sitting by the ocean and smiling when the girls offer you the shells they find in the sand.

But then Renly, your sweet little brother, is killed in his quarters.

You don't care about the throne or the family name or even the vicious bastard boy that calls himself king. All you know is that your parents are dead, Robert is dead, and Renly is dead.

Stannis is all you have left and you refuse to lose him.

So you leave Sunspear in the dead of night, find a cargo ship headed to dragonsport and join your brother's army.

You lose your eye at the battle of blackwater bay where stannis and his army (and you) march on King's Landing, the city where the king and his family resides.

The battle ends in stannis' regretful retreat back to dragonstone after losing many soldiers to the Lannister army, and you losing your eye.

I'm thinking its just something that happens within the heat of the battle. Somebody gets close enough as youre preoccupied with another enemy and suddenly a knife is slashes across your face and you scream.

You keep fighting of course. Baratheon blood boiling hot within the fight so all you feel is adrenaline and blooding dripping down your face as you cut the throat of whoever thought they were fast enough to kill you first.

You say it doesn't bother you. That "I don't concern myself with vanity nor the opinions of others on what I look like." but truthfully, it's hard. You can wrap the scarred side in lace but you still find yourself staring at your reflection when your alone and struggling to meet your husband's gaze in public. You hate that it affects you so much to the point where you cover the mirror in your room but snap if anybody asks why.

It isn't until the gentle fingers of Ellaria Sand untie the lace from your scarred face and press her lips to the raised skin that you finally stop hiding.

#ask #asks #sorry this got long lol #oberyn martell x you #oberyn martell x reader #ellaria sand x reader #baratheon wife tag

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jumpintothewaves · 2 years

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Weirdo Wednesday

Happy June! Check out this week’s weirdo...

The California Sheephead: Semicossyphus pulcher

A popular sport fish residing in California’s rich kelp forest, this snaggletoothed weirdo is a large wrasse that gets about 3 feet long (36 lbs). They enjoy the cold coastal waters and you don’t find them deeper than 100ft below. During the 1800s they were a popular fish to dry and salt in the Chinese community in Monterey Bay. Eventually, commercial fisheries began to supply live ones to Asian markets, often targeting younger ones that could fit in the tanks easier. Undisturbed by predators, the sheephead can live up to 53 years!!

Unique life cycle

Like a lot of fish, the California sheephead starts out as plankton, but every California sheephead plankton start out female. It takes 4 years for this weirdo to reach sexual maturity, during this time it is hermaphroditic. Once they reach sexual maturity, they become fully functional female fish. Female sheephead form a harem around a male, but how can there be males when they’re all born female?? These fish have the ability to become male when they need to! For example if the male leading the harem dies, the largest and most dominant female will take the lead!

The above photo was taken from a super cool blog I recommend you guys check out btw!! The transitioning sheephead takes on the male characteristics, such as the buck teeth and bump on their head. They also take on male duties which involves finding spawning sites and defending the harem from rival males. The stress of being man of house takes a toll on the sheephead. Research done on them shows a decrease in male lifespans compared to females, and this decrease is more defined in areas with less food.

Conservation

The California sheephead is a predator in the kelp forest who keeps urchin and crab populations under control. Those teeth are strong enough to break through the hard shells of their favorite foods. Their roll in the food web is vital to healthy kelp growth, the plant that sequesters carbon and is an ecosystem engineer for rocky shores. The department of fish and wildlife has put catch limits on the sheephead because their population is dropping, and is currently considered vulnerable. Overfishing is the cause of their decline, but sport fishing plays an interesting role. Most people target the large males, which means younger females must transition to protect the harem. The cycle continues and result in younger, smaller males leading harems. For the sake of the oxygen, the kelp, those who rely on this weirdo food, and the sheephead itself, we should be more careful about how much we take.

#The Ocean #weirdo wednesday #conservation #fish #marine biology #california #kelp forest #anoosh montafian #not my drawing #fishing

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