Been thinking about Blackwood and Ada lately and how - were they in any other place but Asterium - they would have been in a really healthy sub/dom relationship. Just because of a few factors.

Their first meeting was when Blackwood took shelter from a snowstorm in a cavern, but tripped and fell down into an underground river, ending up in Ada's kingdom injured and on the brink of death. Intrigued by Blackwood's plain body, Ada took him in and saw that he would be healed by her own hands. She used crystals to mend his broken bones and bark to mend his skin and flesh, resulting in his distinguished appearance.

But an important thing in Asterium is that people's bodies change to fit their surroundings: a smith will grow metal to be protected from the flame, a sailor would grow ghills and webbing etc. But Blackwood, despite being of age, at a time where he should have had signs of change for years, never evolved such things. So this change was basically forced onto him by Ada - both to experiment what would happen and because she knew no other way to help him - and this, during a time when Blackwood was in too much pain to even resist or say anything, resulted in a mutilation that wouldn't give his body an attempt at a slower evolution.

That didn't mean he wasn't grateful for Ada's help, she saved him from certain death, didn't she? So while he recovered in this place of almost pure darkness, say for the fluorescent plants that littered the cavern walls, and dangling by silk ropes from the ceiling, he still showed Ada the kindness and gratitude he would have showed anyone else.

Ada got her power by making people submit to her rule after dethroing and killing her father, so she was used to people recognizing her status and acting accordingly.

And that got Ada's attention. She had a lot of consorts, and quite a few of them submitted to her easily. Those that didn't were those that held some sort of status in her kingdom. But Blackwood didn't have any sort of status, there was no bolstering pride or resistance against in him at that time.

Blackwood was the first person in a very, very long time to not treat her as a queen, but rather just a person that saved his life. He treated her with kindness born not out of respect of her status, but from his heart. Ada wanted to see more of that. The two talked like any two people would while Blackwood recovered, but there was always something in the back of Ada's mind that wanted to see more of this hunter that fell from high above, hear more of his stories.

The presence of this hunter was pleasant to her, of course she would want to spend more time with him. He had a way of telling stories of the people he met, of the things he'd done, of what he'd seen that it was music to her ears; the way he treated her servants with such nervousness and humility was just adorable and endearing; his passion was delectable to witness. Ada wanted Blackwood to be hers, she wouldn't allow for her other consorts to do the same things she would allow between themselves.

She wasn't going to keep him in her caverns by force, goodness no - but that didn't mean she wouldn't convince him to come back. And she was in certainly no rush to get him out of her kingdom.

When Ada figured it had been long enough after Blackwood's full recovery, she made sure that he would be allowed to leave. She was part of the escort that guided Blackwood out of that mountain, giving him a kiss on each cheek before allowing him to leave with an invitation to come back to the Crystal Caverns at any time.

Blackwood had also enjoyed Ada's company. Compared to most royalty he heard of and most peope in power he met, there was something... different about Ada. The way she was careful with her actions, how her words seemed so captivating and deliberate and how curious she was of the outside world. The gentle yet powerful way of her sway is what captivated him.

While going on about his life, he kept visiting her more and more. From a day to two, from two to three, from three to a week and so on. And each time he fell in love with her just a little bit more.

Blackwood was always a loving person - he loved the earth and its trees, the sky and its wind, the water and its rivers, and the people. But this love was different, it grew as time went on, putting a pleasurable weight on his chest. The weight wasn't anything negative, it wasn't worry about what others would say or paranoia about what Ada would do or anxiety about how his body looked. This was the weight of a passion towards a person, genuine love that sparked intensity.

His mind came to accept that the crystal and the bark was just how he looked now, that it was just a reminded that tried to dampen the bad memories of his almost death through beauty.

But in truth, that was just a coping mechanism - he began to say that what Ada did to him was "A piece of art made by a very skilled hand" because he was worried that he would see it as a mutilation that some saw it as if he didn't convince himself..

He was truly in love with Ada, she didn't even need to try and plant any sort of seed for him to come back - she didn't even get the chance to try.

Ada also slowly fell in love with Blackwood. It wasn't just to satisfy her curiosity or to fulfill this thirst of hers for whatever Blackwood's presence brought her.

Slowly but surely, Blackwood began to spend less and less time with in the city and with the people he would travel literal days before, even spending less time in the cabin he's lived all his life in, preferring to spend his time in the caverns, with Ada.

And slowly but surely, Ada took more and more. She did love Blackwood and Blackwood loved her, so he would surely tell her when she was too much, right?

Blackwood was never pushed to the extreme or on the point of breaking. Ada was so careful and gentle as she tried newer and riskier things, she would know when to stop, right?

Blackwood's boundaries were pushed bit by bit, yes, but it was a slow enough progression for the both of them to think that he was adapting well.

Blackwood put trust into Ada to not go too far and Ada put trust into Blackwood to make sure she didn't went to far.

Yet there where still these... moments, cracks in their relationship that were never discussed besides being fixed in the moment. With time, over the course of the 5 years they were together, these cracks just gathered. Not once did Blackwood truly move in with Ada, but he did spend more time with her and on the trips to her kingdom than in his own home.

While most of Ada's consorts accommodated to Blackwood and his relationship with Ada, there were still those that were jealous that he was getting special treatment - those that thought they deserved to be by Ada's side instead of Blackwood. One of them took it upon themselves to give Blackwood a piece of their mind.

He was told he was nothing more than a pet for Ada, a plaything, something to be admired, used then discarded. After all, Ada still had her consorts, she still showed them affection and slept with them.

Blackwood never told Ada this. He tried to put whatever he was told to the side, because he knew that Ada was actually in love with him, right?

She indeed was in love with Blackwood, madly. But she couldn't read minds.

Next crack in their relationship showed up was what broke Blackwood. It wasn't long after this jealous consort confronted Blackwood, not even a month. And normally this would have been a moment where either Blackwood would have asked to stop or Ada would have realized that this would have been too much for him. But he just bared it with clenched teeth and let the moment go. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, a voice was telling him that if she actually loved him, Ada would have already known that what she was doing was too much. But again, Ada couldn't read minds.

What followed was a spiral of reliving every crack in their relationship, which devolved in realizing how much power Ada had over Blackwood not only in status and strength, but also how swift she was in her words.

What he once loved about her, that smooth influence over those around her that she had, turned from filling his chest with passion to filling his mind with paranoia. Had she been doing the same to him? Was she indeed just using him?

The answer was no. After a very short while, after she made sure that Blackwood would visit her again, Ada stopped trying to influence him intentionally, she would have probably allowed him to leave one last time and never retun if she was asked to.

In Asterium people can influence others in much heavier ways. Sometimes unconsciously.

That's what Ada didn't realize. She might have stopped doing it on purpose, but that didn't mean she stopped doing it entirely.

Blackwood figured that out. He began seeing things as that jealous consort put it in front of him. He felt broken. He felt betrayed. There was no use in even talking to Ada, because in his mind she already showed her colors.

So he left at the same night, at the first chance he got. Without an escord and without telling Ada anything. In the morning she was confused about Blackwood's disappearance. Worried that she was a bad partner, which wasn't entirely wrong, nor right.

They never met since.

--------

PHEW that was a lot... this took me to write... an hour holy shit.

I just felt like I had to give the whole picture. Now for some author notes:

The most important thing in their story is Ada's influence. Were they not in Asterium, it would have been seen just as a dom being a dom. A good one at that. Blackwood's boundaries were never broken, even if they were pushed.

The main problem was a lack of real communication about each other's concerns, which only served to amplify all other problems. If they had just talked, if Blackwood didn't unfairly put a new responsibility on Ada without saying a thing and if Ada didn't put a blind ammount of trust into Blackwood being strong enough emotionally from the start they would still be together.

@house-of-void How unusual. The redheaded witch usually only came to that forest to forage or hunt a great bear when needed, it was the first time she saw another person in there. "H-Hey" she cleared her throat, unused to speaking out loud "I wouldn't go tha' way, there's a bear's lair not too far away and she might have cubs."

First, he made sure to take his foot out of the bush he was trying to step through. Second, got the leaves off. "She does have cubs. Adorable, the two of them are." Unless he was out after one, wild animals never bothered The Hunter.

Aside from her arms, the redhead before him didn't have any lethal weapons on her. She traveled light, with only some pouches around her waist. Was she in look for herbs as well? Magic was certainly present around her. A witch of the woods, as children would call her? A cleric looking for medicinal herbs? A shaman with the same goal?... Or...

She were actually difficult to guess from appearance alone. "I am more worried about not having rose flowers and buds for tea than running in a bear."

❝ '𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐒, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋. ❞  

( SAVANNAH LOGAN, THE RUNAWAY )

GENERAL INFO.

FULL NAME: Savannah Lynn Logan (born Elias “Eli” Logan)

NICKNAMES: Sav, Savvy

BIRTHDAY: July 3rd

AGE: 19

BIRTHDAY: July 3rd, 1980

GENDER: Trans female

PRONOUNS: She/her/hers

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual 

HOMETOWN: Cherry, California

OCCUPATION: Student & ice cream scooper at Frost-ee’s

FACE CLAIM: Hunter Schafer (also known as the loml)

LIKES: putting her feet in the sand, the smell of sunscreen, music, Polaroid cameras, cats, hard candies with soft centers (Sav in a nutshell), kissing anyone consenting and with a pulse, late night car rides, nail polish, glitter, the sound of waves hitting the shore, diner french fries. 

DISLIKES: her biological parents whom she refuses to acknowledge, the somewhat self-inflicted rift between her and her sisters, the movie Jurassic Park, Ace of Base's The Sign, the permanent nature of glitter, losing, feeling out of control or powerless, sunburn, being back in Cherry.

PREVIOUSLY ON ‘LIVING LOGAN’...

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of body dysmorphia, implied transphobia, neglect, self hatred are all below.

Elias isn’t a name that Sav likes to hear. It’s not one she’s ever fully associated with herself — Elias was another lifetime ago. Elias was unhappy in his body, Elias hated his body and his mind and the sheer idea that he was supposed to be a ‘he.’ The Logan family wasn’t exactly the best place in the world to have that revelation, especially in the tender elementary years, and Elias suppressed as much of it as he could without it physically killing him. Once Sav was able to shed Elias, step into who she’d always been — Savannah — then that was that. 

It confused Glenda, to no one’s surprise, and she didn’t understand it, but Sav didn’t give a fuck. It was always Sav who went against the grain of Glenda’s bullshit, stepping into dinner table arguments when she wasn’t starting them in the name of protecting her sisters, so what was one other thing in the laundry list? 

From third grade on, it was the Sav show, and it wasn’t the most enjoyable one. School was okay; there was always the stray comment here and there but, for the most part, Sav had found a good group of friends and insulated herself with their friendship. She was a social butterfly to anyone who would let her flutter around in their skies, loved flirting with trouble and disaster, living for an adrenaline rush. 

Glenda was miserable on her best of days and Sav couldn’t understand a woman who lived her life like that, constantly trying to dictate Sabrina’s and putting Libby down as far as she could (and insisting that Sav was confused or going through a phase)— enough was never enough with her, and it burned Sav’s bloodstream into ash. There were many nights when she was sent to her room just for looking at Glenda the wrong way and it never got better. She made her peace with never having a loving, doting mother the same day she made her peace with living as herself, not a conventional set of standards and her fucking mother’s comfort levels. The older she got, the worse it got, until Sav hit her breaking point in middle school. They couldn’t keep living like this. She couldn’t keep living like this. She couldn’t live somewhere where the tiny seeds of self-hatred she still had in her garden were constantly being watered by her mother. So one summer night, starfished on her bed, she formulated a dream plan: run away to San Francisco and live with Aunt Odessa, keep Cherry and its bullshit in the rearview. And it seemed like heaven. Except for the fact the other half of her wasn’t budging on leaving.

The single most important thing in Sav’s life were her sisters. She loved and adored them, especially her twin. She was the protector, and she gladly took whatever punishment came her way if it meant she was sticking up for her sister. Sav would have done anything for Libby, all the way to her own grave. When Libby wasn’t confident, Sav was there with a compliment. If Libby needed a friend, Sav was there, dragging her along to her circle of friends and encompassing her as one of their own. Sav was her own person, fully-spread wings and all, but she’d water herself down and dilute and back away into the wallpaper and fucking blend in if it meant Libby was happy and safe. Nothing pissed her off more than the way Glenda treated Libby. Her sister was like a sunflower and Glenda was a midnight sun, forever denying her the light and warmth and praise — to Savannah, it was more infuriating than her own issues with her mother. Sav could carry her own weight (even if she couldn’t) but Libby was always the straw that broke the camel’s back. Sav defended her and Sabrina until she was blue in the face, but it never went anywhere. The exhaustion of fighting a losing battle started wearing at her.

So what did Savannah do when faced with the choice of freedom or Libby? She left, but not without fracturing her own soul in the process.

She would have hated herself for it, except she didn’t. San Francisco was like nirvana. Granted, Odessa looked as though the Grim Reaper had shown up on her doorstep when Sav rang the doorbell, but they adjusted. It wasn’t roses and rainbows by any means, but a fresh start as no one but Sav? It was worth whatever hurdle she had to jump. San Francisco was freedom. No longer was her existence a sheer burden to herself, to others: San Francisco, aunt Odessa’s, they were compassion, validation. She could stretch her legs and fuck things up without worrying about a crucifixion afterwards. Odessa was as fucked up as Sav and the rest of the Logan’s, but it wasn’t a skeleton in her closet — there was a skeleton there that Sav could never put her finger on, instead just tasting the cloying aftertaste that maybe, just maybe, her presence around the house was creating a distance of some kind. She wasn’t stupid. She’d been pushed in a corner by Glenda for years, so she knew what it felt like, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. Wasn’t malintent, that was certain (if Odessa hadn’t killed her for the pot incident, she never would) but it was Something.

After graduation, she went to San Francisco State to major in journalism. Odessa had matched Sav’s summer earnings to help pay for a camera and Savannah fell in love with taking pictures, telling stories. College was really just an experience, and after a year of classes, Sav’s mindset was that she’d figure it out. She could work odd jobs and photograph anything, anyone, and find a way to make ends meet. She’d take pictures of an obscure royal wedding, submit to National Geo, whatever, but she loved being behind the lens. 

Until she got a letter from a dead girl stating that Libby murdered her, and that if Savvy the Sleuth didn’t figure it out, her secret would be blasted from the rooftops. It’s the tiniest bit of obligation and loyalty she still feels towards Libby that she’s planning to use as her excuse in coming back. And maybe she’s still trying to protect Libby, but Sav’s really just trying to save her own ass.

HEADCANONS.

These were in my app so what better place to throw this? Enjoy some of Sav at a glance ☺️

Savannah’s love language is burning CDs. She'll make you a likely ~very~ shitty playlist and give it to you, just because she's thinking of ya.

Has two tiny butterflies tattooed on her ankle — when she got them at 16, they were for Sabrina and Libby, reminders to keep her grounded. Nowadays she just says that they hold no meaning, they're just butterflies and cute. Who doesn't love a good butterfly?

Queen of shotgunning pot. I will speak no more on the topic.

Loves herself some hair dye??? Was a brunette when she made it out to San Fran to "find herself" and whatever other shit she tells herself. Is back to blonde and has been for a few years, but she loves randomly putting a streak or two of color in it. Life’s too short to not have the hair color you want. 

Will likely hit the roof when she finds out she is stuck in Cherry. Seriously. Everyone clear out for at least a 10 mile radius.

Sav boils down to me vs. everyone else. Who’s she gonna save this time? Who does she care about more? Ever since fourteen, she’s only had to fight for herself, so now that there’s someone else in the picture and being selfish isn’t the only other option...applying pressure and heat to see what she does will go over well, I’m SURE :~)

I haven't watched Ninjago in ages just summarize the entire plot for me please. All I remember is Zane being a robot.

I would do this seriously but I can’t keep focus long enough to do so, so I’ll reblog it later with a better summary but for now

Season 1: found family adopts Lloyd who unearths snakes and he turns out to be the chosen green ninja, destined to defeat his forced to be evil father, Garmadon

Season 2: preparation for big fight. Snake people accidentally unearth the stone warriors and the dark island or whatever appears. Garmadon is on it and finds the Overlord, who possesses him since Garmadon can’t bring himself to kill Lloyd. Lloyd defeats Overlord, which takes all the evil out of Garmadon’s blood so he’s just himself

Season 3: Big technology advancement in Ninjago City, the big inventor Cyrus Borg builds big tower over the Overlord’s resting place for symbolism but the Overlord comes back as a virus and infects technology. We also meet Pixal, his nindroid daughter and at the end Zane uses the golden power to kill the Overlord but in the process kills himself

Season 4: Group is broken up over Zane’s deaths since they struggle to cope with it. They end up going back together after a paper for the Tournmanrt of Elements claims it has Zane. Garmadon goes with since it’s led by Master Chen, his former master. They meet other elemental masters such as Karlof, master of Metal, and Skylor, master of Amber. Skylor is Chen’s Daughrr, Chen wants to turn him and his cult into anacondrai to take over Ninjago City and takes others elements to do that, and Zane has a new body and loses his memories temporarily before Pixal reminds him. She also gets scrapped so he puts her chip in the back of his head so she stays with him as a voice. They defeat them, and Garmadon sacrifices himself to switch places with the anacondrai warrior spirits in the Cursed Realm.

Season 5: Wu’s original student and master of Wind, Morro slips out of the Cursed Realm and summons some friends. Nya starts her training as the water ninja. Cole gets turned into a ghost. He possesses Lloyd to get to the FSM’s grave and find the realm crystal. Using the Realm Crystal, he leaves Lloyd’s body and summons the physical manifestation of the Cursed Realm, the Preeminent. They defeat her and Nya unlocks her true potential.

Season 6: A djinn (similar to a genie) called Nadahkan starts picking off the ninja one by one to recreate his realm Djinnjago. Group finds out a tiger Lily’s venom can slow him down enough for them to defeat him, and they get the venom. Everyone else aside from Nya and Jay get picked off, and Nadakhan kidnaps Nya so he can marry her so he can get the ability to grant himself unlimited wishes. Everybody dies, including Nya, and Jay wishes that this never happened. Him and Nya are the only ones who remember this now, and the timeline is erased.

Day of the Departed: Master Yang from s5 tricks Cole into freeing spirits of their old enemies: Samukai, Kozu, Cryptor, Chen, and Morro. Pythos comes along for the ride and they’re told to kill the ninja to take their place in the living realm. Yang opens a rift so he can resurrect himself, and Morro goes behind Yang’s back and informs Wu of the situation to help the ninja. Cole calms Yang down and enters the rift and is back as a human

Season 7: Former masters of them, Acronix and Krux find the time blades and want to rule everything so they construct a giant machine using the time blades to go back in time and defeat everyone where it began. Nya and Kai find their parents who were kidnapped by Krux and forced to make weapons. Wu sacrifices himself by throwing himself, Acronix, and Krux into a time loop. Samurai X comes back, but it’s no longer Nya

Decoded: A miniseries recap where Zane’s body isn’t working so they go through a ninjigma to get to the source of the issues which is trying to take over Zane and delete his memories. It’s a strand of code from the Overlord Virus left over from the memory of Zane’s sacrifice which he repressed

Season 8: New redesigns. Biker gang wants to revive the worst parts of Garmadon using the three oni masks. Also as a result of the time loop, Wu comes back but as a baby and grows up a lot faster. Samurai X is revealed to be Pixal. Their plan works and Garmadon comes back, and he nearly kill the others but they escape to the First Realm: The Realm of Oni and Dragons. So Lloyd, Nya, and Pixal are seperated from the rest who are in the First Realm. Lloyd also nearly dies and loses his powers.

Season 9: First Realm: Group gets kidnapped by dragon hunters, Wu grows up a little, they escape and the leader’s second in command goes after them. She joins them after hearing Wu is the son of the FSM. Wu gets the golden armor and uses Firstbourne and the other dragons to get everyone back. By now he’s normal age. Meanwhile, Lloyd, Nya, and Pixal are trying to survive and start up a resistance against Garmadon. Others come back and big fight starts and Garmadon and the gang is defeated.

Season 10: Oni inavde Ninjago, Cole nearly dies, and everyone takes care of it. Only a four episode season so not much

Season 11: Group accidentally unearths yet another snake tribe, the leader has a vendetta against Wu. She uses the scrolls of forbidden spinjitzu which heavily boosts power but corrupts. Zane uses the scroll to freeze her and her Army, and she sends him to the Never Realm. Group follows Zane there and it’s being ruled by a cruel emperor called the Ice Emperor. Turns out it was Zane, after getting his memory wiped by Vex, a petty formling, who heavily manipulated him and basically made him his weapon. They get him to remember and he fixes what he did

Season 12: Basically Ready Player One. Really nice twist on the “rogue ai” trope tho and has a heartfelt end

Season 13: Gang gets invited to Shintaro. In the mountains there’s two enslaved races who hate eachother and both worship Cole’s mother. They work together to defeat the Skull Sorcerer who is also the king of Shintaro and save the day. Also Cole gets epic ability

Season 14: Gang goes to island to save Misako and Wu. Gets kidnapped by tribe and Jay gets sacrificed to Wohira, spirit of the storm. Turns out it’s just Ronin cheaply getting money

Expunged Part II

Drifter hefted his coat up over his shoulders as he fired up his ship from The Derelict where he transmatted Guardians in for his Gambit. It was tattered and scratched from the last time he wore it. On that cold, desolate hellhole planet with the shadows that snuffed out his crew's light. As for the rest of them well... only one came back to tell the tale. He activated the communications. "How you doin down there Moondust?"

"I've told you numerous times to refrain from using that nickname of yours Germaine." She said back through the crackled radio. The icy moon had a blisteringly cold atmosphere and an almost perpetual cycle of snowstorms.

"Any idea where this friend of ours might be hidin?" He asked and the ship jettisoned from its hangar toward Europa.

"We don't even know who sent the signal let alone what it is. They simply said that they mean to show us something." Eris says stumbling over a pile of snow laden with orange streaks encased in the ice.

"Okay well meet me in this clearing. Storm's too heavy where you are for me to land." He clicked on autopilot and sat back in his chair maneuvering his jade coin around in his hand then setting it ablaze. The ship sat down eventually and Eris walked up to it having crossed the field of ice and snow. She removed her shawl from around her mouth and watched as Drifter got out and stepped onto the moon. He was not two steps on that they heard a low hum coming from the north. They looked and saw a sparrow rounding a glaicer in the distance and speeding towards them. The sparrow disintegrated and the stranger jumped off. Drifter put a hand on his revolver. He turned to her.

"So. You must be this stranger we've been hearin about, the one who sent that signal." The stranger nodded and they saw what she was. Metallic.

"You're an Exo." Eris notes out loud. The stranger nods but does not speak. She walks past them and looks off at the distance.

"Good spot to land." Her voice sounds English with the reverb that always comes with Exos. Drifter and Eris look out at the horizon. A pyramid ship wedged into the surface like a chisel. This is what I brought you here to see."

~

Kenneth and Drake flew to Europa immediately after hearing of what they found. Ken got the signal from the Drifter and Drake from Eris, they knew full well the danger of the situation, Europa was not Vanguard approved, still they piled into Ken's ship

"This ship is a dump. What happened to your old one?" Drake asked looking around at the interior. It wasn't as cozy as Ken's usual one. No Golden Age relics.

"You think I'm gonna fly my good one in this far out? And risk never getting it back? Hell no I took the junker." Drake sighed and sat down in the cockpit next to him after swiping off the dust.

"Are you certain that this flying scrap is going to survive Europa?" He asked and looked out the window as they ascended off Earth and jolted into lightspeed. Ken was hesitant.

"Do you want the nice lie or the cold hard truth that you probably shouldn't even pick it's really not worth-"

"Kenneth."

"....maybe." Drake got up from the chair and grumbled to himself.

"I'm going to walk around." He said halfheartedly and exited the cockpit to find another hopefully not-too-disgusting place to sit and think. He found a broom and began to brush off a place for himself to sit and meditate on the last time he had gone out this far. Eve buzzed around him, she could tell something was troubling her Guardian but ever since his encounter with his father she had been quiet. He thought about calling Torra but he didn't want her to worry anymore.

Drake still felt ashamed for the events of that day. It was idiotic to think he could take on his father alone. He didn't want to involve anyone else because he didn't want anyone else to fix what he thought was his mess. It wasn't his mess. It was his father's, but none of that mattered now and not just others, but his own lover got hurt. When he woke up he saw Torra over him, he remembered the tears down her face. She had taken her hood off to try to get through to him, a fruitless attempt. As he contemplated what had happened he heard the door open and Eve quickly returned to her bag.

"We're here." Ken announced. His gear had changed drastically from his Last City garb. His hood was white as snow with a glow from his Solar Light running through it, he had a thermal mask over his face along with a wolf insignia on his chest piece. His arms had armoring around them and his boots were gray with pipes running through them. Probably some sort of heating system, it looked appropriate for the surroundings but jerry rigged together in classic Ken fashion.

"I was wondering when you would change." Drake said standing up from his spot on the floor. "You were gonna freeze to death in...whatever you had on before."

"For your information I got that from The Nine. But yeah no that ain't gonna stand up to the temperature of this place." He said fiddling with his Hunter knife.

"Right. Well then we should get going now." Drake looked around the ship then turned to Ken. "Where exactly is the exit?"

"Right there." Ken pointed with his knife to a small round hatch that looked about the size of a trash can.

"...on second thought, transmat me out Eve."

Eve did so and Drake was dropped into the white powder below as the ship flew off to find a suitable landing zone. He looked around through his hood and got hir bearings before summoning his sparrow and sidearm. The wind howled around him and he had to use thermals and the location point to guide him through the terrain, but eventually he came to where an glaicer collided with another creating a flat field of ice where he saw both the ship and where the signal came from.

Drake took his sparrow up over the cliff and onto the ice meeting up with Ken and speeding off toward the camp that was set up against the glaicer. The storm was not as bad here as the cliff blocked the bad weather so he could make out three figures. Eris was sitting by the fire, Drifter was standing and fiddling with a radio and another hooded Exo that Drake had never seen before was leaned up against the tent. She had a pulse rifle slung across her back.

"'Sup Drift? How's it goin." Ken asked and got off his sparrow. Drifter waved to him not moving from his place by the fire. Drake understood why, whoever this hooded stranger was was an Exo, with no feeling for the blistering cold, Eris was Awoken and Drifter was human.

"Aside from the storms that come up over the ridge every now and then, not too bad." Drifter answered and took a swig of something in his canteen, Eris said otherwise.

"We have much to talk about." She said gravely and the stranger walked forward to greet the Hunter and Warlock.

"Greetings." She said in a metallic voice. Ken recognized it was modeled after a posh British accent and along with her frame she would be eye candy for any interested Guardian. "My name is Elsie Bray and like Eris said, we have a lot to explain."

~

The pyramid ship, Elsie's origin and why they were here already were heavy subjects, but then she told them why they needed them here so urgently. Drake was astonished at all of it. He had studied the records left on Mars' Braytech facility before The Eclipse, Elsie was Ana's sister but not from their timeline. Instead she somehow was able to move through the Vex Network using her weapon as an anchor point. Fascinating. He would have numerous questions for Elsie, but those would have to wait.

"You have an Exo friend yes? He's a Titan." The two thirds of a strike team nodded. "He is here. But... he is lost to something. He's gone on a rampage destroying everything in his path in blind rage." This concerned Ken greatly. Drake couldn't believe it.

"No. No those days are over, Chao reset himself he is a different person now there's no way-" Ken put his hand on his shoulder and pointed to the ebony pyramid looming behind them. Drake lowered his head and stood up. "Where is he now?"

"He is almost here, but I know how we can help him. He's an Exo, we can use my bastard father's laboratory to reset him again and hopefully that will calm him down. Ken shook his head.

"No. Nu uh no way absolutely not, we are not resetting our friend he will lose everything he knows about us. We'll break his corruption just like we did Drake." Elsie nodded but did not look as sure of herself.

"Come with me, he's just up the glaicer. The storm will have moved on by now."

~

The three of them took their sparrows up to where an old communications satellite dish laid in ruin from both the weather and their corrupt Titan friend. Ken pulled up his hood that had blown off from the ride up and took out his handcannon from its holster. Drake readied his sidearm and Elsie followed suit with her weapon while they braced themselves. They could hear the crushing of metal coming from the radio tower and soon it would no longer hold, fallong over onto the outpost with a crash. On top of the building was a Titan in armor that was black as soot and looked like a knight. His armor had changed. He was breathing heavily.

The Titan turned his head and saw the three of them, then he did something that Drake nor Ken had ever seen. His chest exploded and his fist became encased in ice, he ran off the building jumping up and slamming it into the ground. Drake was so baffled at this that he had to be woken up by a shout from Ken.

"Drake get your head in the game man! We gotta take him down!" Ken shot rounds of his Sacramento at Chao but he slammed the ground and more ice shot up and the shots hit it instead. Then the Titan slid into them and they shattered into shards that exploded out and at Ken and Drake. This was not normal ice, it was sharp and tough as a rock crystal and it embedded itself into Ken's leg. He yelped out in pain.

"Agh- Son of a bitch that hurt! Drake! Don't let them hit you!" Drake ran over to Ken and put his healing rift down but it would only do so much and the Titan was not stopping to let the Hunter go through rehab. Chao slid into Drake and landed a punch knocking him off his feet and over Ken as he clutched his chest in pain. Elsie helps Drake up.

"I've called for Drifter and Eris, they'll be here shortly. Kenneth! Can you keep him busy?" Ken dodged out of the way of one of Chao's attacks and pulled out the shard with another scream.

"Yeah I can keep him busy but where the hell are you going?!" Elsie summoned her sparrow once she heard Drifter and Eris coming up the ridge.

"The Drifter and Eris are coming to help! I'm taking Drake somewhere where we can even the odds! We'll be back soon!" With that she and Drake sped off.

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

And here it is everyone! Part 2 of Chao's story here on Europa. I know this is like 2 seasons late and we're almost to Splicers (which looks really cool btw definitely look out for stuff around this new season) Hunt was the worst season for me and the burnout hit quick, I played enough of Chosen to hear all the voice lines of my favorite blonde mechanic during Battlegrounds and took down Caital's champ in the tank. Long rambling short: It's almost summer and I'm ready to write more stuff as the longest and hardest school year finally starts to wind on down. And as always I hope you enjoy! (Art was done by the Magnificent @scout-fang check out her stuff if you haven't but you probably have already lol)

[ Frozen Flames and Shadowed Lights || Chapter Nine ] [ @yukaikokoro @abyssaldespair ] [ Hatake Kakashi, Kottakawa Kumiko ] [ Verse: Divine Light ] [ Previous || Next ]

Come morning, things aren’t...quite as tense. Rousing slowly, Kumiko finds Kakashi already awake, seated on his side and pulling on his boots.

Seems he’s eager to get back to the road.

...frankly, so is she. He clearly isn’t ready to chat, so having some riding to do in the meantime will be easier than just sitting around.

With the room already paid for, the pair pack up their gear, double checking their saddles and mounting up. Their pace is slow as they make for the front gate. Not unlike its slums, the clearer parts of the war-torn city are crowded, and hold a lingering anxious energy. Apparently there’s still unease given how back-and-forth the territory has been over the years.

Funny...she didn’t notice it as much on the way south to the Summit. Maybe, in at least some ways...he’s right.

There’s much she has yet to learn.

Soon enough hooves clopping against cobblestone are muffled in mud, the roads still sloppy from the night’s rain. Even now, the sky is overcast, and Kumiko can’t help but find it fitting. But the clouds are wispy, carried swiftly by wind and not weighed by unshed rain. Along the surface, the wind is cool, but the height of Summer means even a rainy day can’t be too biting. They’re not quite far north enough for that, yet. Odds are the weather will clear by midday and they’ll have sunlight bearing on their backs.

For the longest time, the only sounds are hoofsteps and the subtle groan of leather saddles, accented by the clink of metal and the occasional equine snort. Normally they’d each find the silence of a trip easing, but...the heavy thoughts and unspoken words seem to weigh on them and snatch the calm, replacing it with a moody tension.

Come nightfall, they’ve made good distance in spite of the soggy terrain, and find a relatively mudless spot a ways off the road. Kakashi finds enough dry wood and tinder to light a fire with a spark of ven, and they sink into yet another silence.

“...do you want me to tell you you were right?”

Mismatched eyes flicker up from watching the flames, instead studying her face. “...it’s never a bad thing to hear,” he replies, tone blithe. “But that’s not my point.”

“Then what is?”

Sighing, Kakashi drags a hand down his face. Now, without temper, he has time to think. To phrase. “...you have a certain degree of naivety that comes with the territory of your birth and your position. I don’t blame you for it,” he offers, seeing her make to cut in and raising a hand to beg silence. “...rather, I was hoping you’d trust someone who - unlike yourself - has spent many years on the road. I know what I’m doing in ways you just can’t. Which isn’t your fault. You’re the only child of a leader, you’re going to be sheltered. Sure, you gallivant around your city, but there’s always a degree of separation, if I had to guess. A guard, a hidden tail...you’ve never been exposed to the world the way I have.

“So when I gave you the warning before we reached the city, I expected you to listen. I know the place, I know the people, I know their nature. I realize you’re optimistic. Driven to do the right thing. Believe me, Ryū’s the same way. I know that type. But you have to temper it with knowledge and clear judgment. The Theran territory has been traded around more than once. The people there are almost more refugees than citizens. They’re poor, they’re crowded, and they’re desperate. The ruse of using a child to bait the kind-hearted is nothing new. But even when I told you no a second time, you insisted. You can’t ignore my insight. 

“True, I have a lot to learn from you about the world you know, where we’re going. But this? Where we are now? This is my expertise. And if the pair of us are going to make it to Boralis alive, let alone what’s beyond it...you have to trust me.”

After a pause, Kumiko releases a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as a sigh. “...you’re right. And I do trust you, Kakashi. Maybe I am a bit naive. Maybe, in a way, Nori was right...I’m not yet fit to bear the mantle I’ve taken on…”

Kakashi doesn’t interrupt her thoughts, watching her silently. 

“...but I’ll try harder. I’ll listen next time. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I needed it.” She gives a wry grin. “Sometimes the only way to change a Glacirian’s mind is to knock some sense into it.”

“Well, here’s hoping there won’t be any more of it - from me, or anyone else. I’d rather you have your wits about you, hm?”

“Yeah.” A pause is filled with the crackle of burning wood. “...so, I guess I still owe you an apology.”

“It’s accepted,” he replies, waving it away like smoke. “All I wanted was for you to realize your mistake, and learn from it. And I’m sure I’ll make my own once we’re further north, so don’t lose hope on getting your turn to lecture me.”

That makes her laugh. “I think political mishaps are a bit less deadly than ones out here, hm?”

“Depends on who I manage to offend,” Kakashi replies dryly, lips quirking. “...but, for now, we better get some rest. Still another few days to the border.”

“Yes...and given our need to take the trade route, we’ll need to start veering east, soon. We’ll also rise in elevation a good bit, so it’ll get cold fast.”

“I’ll consult the map in the morning when my mind’s fresh. Won’t do me much good as I am, now.”

“Understood.”

“So, I’ll take first watch - that way I won’t be groggy come time to navigate.”

Nodding, Kumiko adjusts her bedroll a bit before laying upon her side, watching the shadows dancing on the trees, cast by the campfire behind her. With the disagreement settled, she manages to slip into sleep within minutes.

Once their route is planned come morning, the two of them ride with new vigor in their pace. Even the horses seem to sense a hurdle’s been passed, and three days see them to the border. The warm weather appears to fade behind them, and a cool, muggy atmosphere rises. By the time they reach the beginning of the true north, snow dusts the ground, which admittedly boggles the hunter’s brain a bit, given the Summer nights just a few weeks prior. A small town - relying mostly on the traders stopping before the next leg of their journey - holds an inn the pair hunker down in for the night.

“It’ll be a good two days’ ride, maybe almost three to reach Boralis,” Kumiko reports. Stationed at a window, she holds back the curtains, watching the terrain to the north. A subtle furrow wrinkles her brow. “...that is, if the weather holds up.”

“Seemed pretty clear today,” Kakashi replies, laying out their supplies and making note of what to buy in the morning before they set off. His regular clothes have been packed away, exchanged for the lined ones Suigin gave him before he left.

“True...but the north is fickle. Best to assume the worst while hoping for the best.”

“Well, surely nothing to worry about with Glaciris’ own chosen leading us, hm?” Kakashi replies, rolling up his list and starting to pack up. “Surely you can make us an igloo if need be.”

Kumiko can’t help a dry snort. “Glaciris didn’t choose me,” she murmurs, a hint of bitterness in her tone. “The elders did. Glaciris hasn’t been with us - truly with us - since the Elementals fled after the rift.”

“Well, still...surely the elders of a people like yours knew who they were sending to the Elemental Summit…?” he retorts. “All I’m saying is, I doubt I could be in any better company for this particular leg of the trek.”

Glancing to Kakashi with mild curiosity, Kumiko can’t help a light dusting of pink on her cheeks, like the frost on the window panes. “...that’s quite the compliment.”

“I don’t hand those out freely.” Tying his rucksack closed, Kakashi looks to her mildly. “I haven’t known many ice mages, but you seem worth your salt.”

“...thank you. You’re not too bad yourself, wanderer.”

“We’ll see how I handle the north. Maybe then I can be called a skilled wanderer. This is a new challenge. I might fail, yet.”

“...you can’t,” she replies softly. “You’ve too much to fight for. You, if nothing else, will keep us driving forward.”

“...I’ll do my best.”

As he turns in for the night, Kumiko decides instead to take time to meditate: something most el’ven practice to help balance their energies and ensure a clear mind...and a clear mind means less chance to go awry.

There’s a lingering, funny sensation in her gut...a wariness that seems to prelude something going wrong. There’s no true reason she can give for it - just a gut feeling she can’t shake. Kakashi is right, they’re about as prepared as they can be. And she doesn’t doubt her own abilities. Then why…?

Sighing, she sits atop her bed and does her best to clear her mind, tuning herself to the interior rather than the exterior. Maybe it will help her find the root of this...feeling.

Soon enough, her breathing slackens, evening out as her muscles go lax. The whirling of her mind calms from flurries of snowflakes to a calm field of powder.

...but her foreboding remains.

Ever so slightly, her brow draws, a small wind kicking up snow. Something is coming...she knows it in her very bones. Worry begins to build again. What if she isn’t ready? What if she isn’t enough? What if -?

Like a thick blanket, something seems to settle over her. A calm, but...it’s not her own. Yet it smothers her feelings of doubt. It isn’t words, or images, just...a presence. Like an old friend assuring her she’ll be all right. A feeling of nostalgia overcomes her, and yet...nothing about this is consciously familiar.

Part of her is wary. This feeling - this resolution - isn’t her own. Then where is it coming from…? An older, wiser part of herself she’s not yet met? Or is it truly something beyond herself? But...that’s impossible. The only beings that can connect minds to minds are drach, and she doubts there’s any nearby. And this presence, this...being isn’t crisp and sharp like her connection to Raziya. As close as they are now compared to, say, the Luxerian capital of Salustia, she still could never connect to her kirav with this many miles yet between them. But this hazy, vague impression does indeed feel far and away. Like something reaching across a great distance to touch her.

Slowly, icy eyes open to find herself released from her mind and instead looking back at the room in the inn. The calm from before still lingers, along with knowledge. There’s a challenge they’ve yet to face, but...when it comes, they’ll be ready.

She’ll be ready.

...or so she hopes.

For once, she’s the first one awake, snatching Kakashi’s list and heading out herself. Cloaked and hood drawn, her breath plumes in freezing clouds, exchanging coin for everything he’s made note of. It should be enough - combined with what they have - to see them comfortably to Boralis.

...if all goes well.

Pack full, she returns to their room and finds him awake. Wordlessly, they sort out supplies between them to equal their load.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Horses fetched, they give their gear one last check before mounting up and stepping onto the well-worn road of the trade route.

The immediate terrain is mostly flat, broken by a few swells of small hills, banks, and valleys. Though typically free of snow this time of year to reveal a grassy plain, a dusting of white makes it look even more two-dimensional. Few rocks or trees break up the monotony. Pockets of water occasionally dot the tundra landscape, and in the distance they can see the smudges of the Gelidan mountains.

Kumiko can’t help but feel two emotions: a relief at being so near home again...and yet the lingering foreboding of what’s waiting for them out here. Weather, beasts, bandits...it could be anything.

But for now, the road is only dusted with snow, and the sky is a clear, crisp blue. The air at this elevation is starkly chilled, but with their heavier garments neither of them really feel it.

“So, what sort of animals call this part of the continent home?” Kakashi asks to try and break up the silence.

“Well...there’s quite a few smaller ones,” she offers, glad for the distraction. “Mostly rodents like rabbits, mice, voles...and then the things that hunt them. Birds of prey, foxes, weasels. A few bigger creatures like elk and caribou are prey for things like bears and wolves, but they tend to stick more west where there’s tree cover during the rougher seasons. The plains are more their Summer homes, so...we might see some, but it seems things are getting chilly early this year.” Autumn is still, officially, a few weeks away...but the north is often unpredictable. “We’ll hit more forested land before we reach Boralis - this plain will see us for the first day, day and a half. Then we’ll get into the foothills where the capital sits, and there will be more trees and shrubland. The places we’ll have to worry most about are the mountains, but...well, I have a plan, there.”

Kakashi deadpans. “Well...reaching the capital will be nice. I’m not a fan of open spaces, myself...feels too exposed.”

“I know what you mean,” Kumiko agrees dryly. “The sooner we get to a more covered landscape, the safer I’ll feel. The winds can get wicked out here, and there’s few to no places to take shelter.”

The morning passes slowly, Kakashi occasionally needling Kumiko for more information about her homeland. It’s...nice. In all reality, it’s been so long since she’s talked to an outsider. Someone unfamiliar with the northern country. To be able to give the information freely to a mind that doesn’t yet know it gives her a new kind of vigor. Hours tick by unnoticed as she waxes on about Glaciris’ lands.

...but the afternoon brings her pleasant mood swiftly down.

Slow at first but building quickly, a northern wind begins pushing them from the front. Its breath is icy and bitter, and the pair snuggle down as best they can into their lined gear. 

“Twelve,” Kakashi can’t help but swear under his breath, which plumes but swiftly scatters. “Where’d this squall come from?!”

“I told you the north is fickle!” Kumiko replies, having to shout over the wind. “Keep an eye out for a bank or a dip we can lay low in!”

With their horses keeping their heads bowed to the cutting air, they attempt to press on. Soon, flakes begin to flurry. The fresh snow clings to anything and everything. Even Kakashi’s eyebrows freeze over as the powder hits his skin, melt against the heat, and swiftly refreezes in the wind.

On they march, and Kumiko’s chest begins to hammer in desperation. Still no sign of a place to hunker down...damn these plains and their shapeless expanses! If they were one of the caravans, they’d have wagons to hide in and circle to protect their mounts...but here?

They’re alone, exposed, and running out of time.

Arm braced in front of her face and squinting through the weather, Kumiko barely hears a faint thud behind her. Kakashi’s gelding gives a distressed whinny, and with a turn she sees why.

Having slipped from his saddle, Kakashi lays in the road, motionless save for the wind whipping his clothing.

Heart leaping to her throat, Kumiko hurriedly dismounts, managing to catch both horses’ reins and pull them in together. “Kakashi!”

A hint of a groan carries through the wind.

Struggling against panic, Kumiko glances around. She can’t sense any other presence within her range. No one else is currently braving the storm, or at least anywhere near them. With some nervous urging, she manages to get the horses to lay down side by side, helping to create a small buffer. Then with a surge of ven, she brings up a curving wall of ice behind them, careful not to spook them. It cuts down some of the wind, but the killer chill remains. And she can’t hold its form forever - eventually, she’ll tire...especially as the wind eats at the ice.

Drawing Kakashi up with her to lean against her mount, Kumiko narrows her senses. His energy is dwindling to frightening levels, quickly being sapped in an attempt to stay warm. Even Obito’s gifted fire, usually resilient in el’ven bodies against cold, isn’t enough to waylay the frost. Its influence in a foreign body is too weak.

On the edge of dread, Kumiko draws him close, holding him to her chest and staring out into the storm beyond the curve of her ice. Even she, adjusted as she is to the north, can feel the bite of the cold locking up her body.

...this can’t be the end. It can’t...it can’t…! Teeth grit as if she can simply be stubborn enough to fend off the cold. They’ve come so far - together, and alone. Surely their paths go on from here. Kakashi has to save the lux mage...and she has to save her people. There’s so much she wants to do, yet. So much to accomplish...she can’t…

Hiding her face in the crook of Kakashi’s neck, she can feel his signature fading. He has a few minutes left, at best. And she won’t be far behind at this rate.

No...I can’t let us…

“Hold steady…”

Eyes snap open, unmoving. What...what was…?

“This is not your end, mor. You’ve a role yet to play. Open your heart to me...and I will grant you my strength.”

Barely daring to breathe, Kumiko hesitates. She doesn’t know this voice, and yet...it seems so...familiar…

It doesn’t take words, or actions. She just...lets go.

Like water welling up through a spring, ven suddenly floods her body. With nowhere to go...it explodes.

Akin to a cyclone, the energy swirls and whips outward. Snowflakes are batted aside, the winds left to part around the rotating vortex of ven like water past a clogging stone. Slowly, a dome builds around them of still air, a spinning mass of white shielding the pair from the squall.

The temperature stabilizes. Though still cool, it loses its bite. Eyelids twitching, Kakashi feels his energy slowly, sluggishly, return. As mismatched eyes manage to open, he stares dazedly at the strange wall of white. Is that...snow...? Did Kumiko…?

Realizing her hold on him, he stiffly turns his head to look at her. Surely something like this is taxing...how…?

He goes slack.

Posture upright, the glacial mage is unnaturally still. All that moves are the locks of her hair, slowly wafting in the whisper of wind left in her eye of the storm. Her own are wide, staring, unseeing...and glowing with an ice-blue energy that seems to overflow from within.

Kakashi can do little more than ogle. He’s never seen anything like this. Even when pushed to their brinks, he’s never witnessed a mage’s eyes do that. The energy is so palpable, he can feel it tingling along his skin like electricity, making every hair stand on end.

Where is this power coming from…?!

Uncounted minutes pass in the strange, muffled half-silence. Kumiko never moves. Never blinks. Just sits like an idol at the center of the clearing as the winds roar, muted, beyond her sphere of influence.

And then...after what feels like both hours, and yet seconds...something seems to shift. The sounds begin to quiet. The air slows. Like a spinning wind losing its energy, Kumiko’s ring of protection starts to unravel, revealing a spiraled drift meters out from them. The storm, it seems, has passed.

Still exhausted, Kakashi brings his eyes back to Kumiko. Her own lose their glow, and flutter in their sockets before rolling back into her head. Collapsing back against her mount, she loses consciousness.

“Kumiko...Kumiko…!” An arm unbending with both cold and stillness tries to jostle her. “Wake up…!” It’s so hard to keep his eyes open…

Behind him, just as the world goes dark, he hears a rhythmic clatter...and then silence.

     :’D Howdy y’all, long time no see! It’s been...WAY longer than I intended between this update and the last, and the only excuses I have are no time, no muse, and no mojo. My bad...? .w.;      Technically this chapter was SUPPOSED to have a whole other scene, but uh...it’s long enough as it is, so I s’pose I’ll have to save the rest for another one, eh heh. So now we’re up to 14 total outlined chapters from 13. I HAVE the rest...mostly plotted out. Just need to sit and DO IT. And I thought I’d best post as I finish or we’ll be waiting a while, whoops.      But uhhh yeah! Seems our first disagreement has been resolved! I hope I don’t write Kumiko as too...much...? Like her naivety and optimism. But I kinda see her that way: having so much high hope that’s gonna be MAJORLY tested during this whole trek as it hasn’t been able to be tested before. Then we have hardass Kakashi who’s the polar opposite, so...this is basically just them evening each other out xD      And my my, what happened to her there at the end, huh? Who’s that voice? I guess we’ll just have to wait and find ooout :3c With that tho, I’m gonna go sleep actually, haha~ Thanks for reading!

Random Mountain Encounters (1d100)

(More Random Encounters on Tuesdays! If you like my work, consider supporting me by leaving a tip at my Ko-Fi Page! Image credit: x)

An interesting challenge, but overall I think a successful one! Here are my Random Mountain Encounters (#1-5). Try them out in your campaign and let me know how it goes! Check out all my Other Encounters! See you next week for Desert Encounters!

[1] A metal shack shimmers in the light, inside you discover a hideaway for Ice Gnome Guards. They are playing cards and are willing to make bets with anybody [2] It is migration season, thousands of goats are making their way up the mountain. To pass through them is truly a foolish task [3] The remains of an abandoned city lies quietly in a valley between two great mountains. Evidence for the city’s collapse is not well hidden and perhaps even a bit devious in nature [4] Rumors say at the very top of the mountain lies a golden egg. Yes you heard me right, an egg made of gold. I don’t know who laid it so don’t ask! [5] Friendly Stone Golems patrol the mountains in order to help smaller beings climb to the top. They cannot speak and often throw giant boulders for fun. This can be lead to serious misunderstandings of course [6] All of the mountain peaks are covered in snow, all but one. The odd one out is home to a dormant volcano that is home to a civilization of merfolk. Yeah, I don’t understand it either [7] Birds in these cliffs have grown to the size of lions due to their lack of competition when it comes to hunting prey. They are intelligent and offer wisdom or mockery depending on their mood [8] You discover the cavern of a ghoulish green furred beast that is plotting to attack a nearby town and ruin their festival. This information is easy to discover as there are plans strewn about all over the place [9] Nearby two Ancient Dragons loudly argue over a borrowed book completely unaware of your party’s existence [10] There is a dimensional rift cracking through the stone of the mountain range, gravity occasionally reverses, spontaneous magic effects occur, and otherworldly beings appear without warning [11] A dedicated chef and their protégé are hunting a Yeti. The meat is said to be a delicacy. The chef will offer a grand reward to the party if they choose to assist them. Perhaps you may even be invited to dine with the Monarch who ordered it [12] You discover bodies encased in ice scattered around the path. Was this an accident or an attack? Better be careful either way [13] KABOOM! An explosion in the distance as two high level adventurers duke it out. Have them inspire your players or potentially even guide them [14] A ski resort operates on a hidden slope, it is run by Goblins who desire rare metals [15] Hidden among the sparse trees and shrubbery are large ice cocoons freshly opened [16] Shit! A near fatal slip leads to the discovery of an abandoned mineshaft within a deep ravine [17] Harpies. Just some classic Harpy encounters. They want to either eat the party or eat their rations [18] The mouth of a cavern sings sweetly, it’s quiet but insistent and impossible to ignore. Choose a random player, they are hypnotized by the sound [19] After a long night’s rest the party discover they have been separated mysteriously [20] A lone monk sits peacefully atop of the peaks. They claim to have mastered the art of reversing time [21] Howling can be heard every few hours. The source of this terrifying scream can be traced to a Dragonborn Barbarian who refuses to wear a shirt. They believe shouting into the heavens will bring them closer to the spirit of the planet [22] Due to a magical accident hundreds of years ago the mountains radiate elemental energy. Random combustion is not uncommon and neither are Elementals [23] An infectious fungus is spreading across the mountain peaks. If it is not stopped, it will grow to cover the entire range and beyond [24] Broom race season has just begun! Witches and Wizards are flying all around the place without any concern for nature or the party. Watch out for Fireballs! [25] Awoken from sleep, an eager creature excitedly attempts to pass on words of wisdom to travelers. They get a little too excited and start panicking when trying to deliver their speech [26] In the middle of the night a bear has dug into the party’s packs and has stolen the most hilarious item possible. Be it drugs or someone’s underwear. Perhaps both? Fuck, please let it be both [27] Animated objects have escaped from a neglectful master and have built a small but pitiful society. Surely a new home would suit them better [28] Buried deep within the mountain lies an army of undead, your players happen upon this after a small collapse [29] Shattered statues of gold litter the snow, neglected by time. They appear to be adventurers rumored to have gone missing a few months before [30] These alps are home to unpredictable creatures known as Shadows. They are seemingly intelligent but often attack without warning. Your party discovers a village [31] A powerful spirit guardian visits the party and attempts to lead them to their destination. They either take on the form of a four headed deer or a small white fox [32] It’s finally time. Choose one of your players at random, their bag is actually a Mimic. They’ve been keeping quiet for quite some time, but decide it’s finally time to make their escape [33] Atop the highest peak is a pool of clean spring water. Rumors say that those who drink from it will find their true love within a week. It is a well sought after ingredient for potion making [34] Atop the highest peak is a pool of black liquid. Rumors say that those who drink from it have visions of the future. It is a well sought after ingredient for potion making [35] Medicinal herbs grow all around the sierra, they are believed to be able to cure any illness. But they are guarded by poisonous ants who use it to feed their queen [36] Every few weeks a strange light emanates from the mountains in the dead of night [37] Abandoned minecart rails run through entire range and can offer a quicker, but more dangerous, way to travel [38] A stoic Troll lives near the base of the mountain, they know where the party needs to go to finish their quest. But they will only give directions if they can make the beast laugh. They haven’t laughed in almost a century (This can either be really difficult or really easy to achieve) [39] Tireless exploration has lead your party to the cave of a horrendous beast. Describe it in the most haunting and visceral way possible. That way, when they discover it’s a Pokémon they will probably threaten to fire you as their Dungeon Master but it’ll be so worth it [40] Nomadic Bards offer a detour through the mountains. They claim to know a, “Secret Tunnel” [41] Explorers stumble out of a crypt, at first glance they seem to be wounded but the truth is much worse… [42] Intricate traps litter the mountainside to the point of it being ridiculous! The trappers are actually really enthusiastic Cryptid Hunters [43] Shield surfing you say? The God of shield surfing challenges the party to a race offering valuable treasure if they win [44] Within the mountain is a dwarven forge and after a serious accident molten metals begin exploding out from the natural vents and caves. Watch your step! [45] At the base of the mountain lies a restaurant known as, “The Lost Souls Cafe.” It is run by disguised demon lords who love to gamble souls for rare rewards. The bartender quietly warns all who enter to leave before it is too late [46] Beautiful crystals line hard to reach cliffs. If your players are fortunate enough to collect some they will unfortunately discover it begins growing on exposed skin [47] A giant demon known as the Nurikabe blocks the path, it is nearly impossible to pass without employing magic or trickery [48] Rock insects have infested the entire range. Their camouflage allows them to be nearly invisible, watch your step of face their wrath [49] Wounded and dying of exposure, a warrior lies slumped in a pile of snow. She is incredibly strong and is hunting a Warlock who they have sworn to kill. Or perhaps, the person they are hunting is a villain your party has met before [50] Strong winds threaten to force the party off the side of the mountain. Is it the wrath of nature or perhaps a supernatural entity? [51] A squadron of patrolling Samurai ride upon Velociraptors. They are not friendly [52] One of the player’s voices echoes loudly in the valley. The strange thing is, the voice echoes even without any words being spoken [53] The mountains are alive and have large wounds. If the party isn’t careful they may they will face deadly consequences. But the opposite is also true, if the party are able to heal the wounds the mountains may help them on their journey [54] Fairies dance around a roaring waterfall. They act friendly and offer to heal the party, but beware.. They like to trick people into taking leaps of faith [55] Numerous quarries line the mountain range. Villages are littered throughout, all of them are hanging upside down like stalactites [56] A never ending fire burns within a crater. Travelers often come here to collect the flame [57] The only effective means of travel is a long winding road that forces the party to walk in a single file line. It is not much of an issue until something decides to attack [58] Deep within the blizzarding alps a lone peak is laced with flames. It is home to an ancient Dragon and a Sorcerer who worships and protects their master [59] Roll for which player who is going to be kidnapped by a Giant. Have fun! [60] A range of glass mountains shine brilliantly in the light. They were discovered a few days before replacing a large portion of the western coast. Their reason for existing is unknown [61] ZAP! A young spunky witch has accidentally shrunk the party. In a panic she puts them in a pocket dimension within her walking dresser companion. Surely things will be fine, right? [62] Out of nowhere bump into an invisible object. While trying to investigate they may discover a door that leads to an abandoned magical college. Rare magical treasure can be found within but something seems to have made this place their new home… [63] Clouds swirl around the peak, they are dense and have an almost unnatural appearance to them, as if they were stairs leading up to the heavens [64] Avalanche! The party are now trapped in a monster’s den. For a more dramatic challenge, all but one player is unconscious [65] A sickly looking child is wandering alone in the cold, they speak incoherent gibberish. If the party help this child and let them travel along, after reaching a safe destination they will reveal themselves as a spirit of the mountain, rewarding the party with blessings or treasure [66] The mountain pass is long but not too difficult to traverse. However, this specific path is looping over and over again without end [67] Flail Snails emerge from the mountain. They are dangerous but can be easily tamed [68] A meteor blasts through the summit, the debris rains down upon the party. It is quite deadly if they are hit. The crater is smoking and is home to a new mysterious plant [69] Hidden above are small hornet’s nests, be careful not to disturb them for the main hive is home to giant hornets who are not afraid of fighting [70] Within the rubble of a destroyed altar rests a tome with the title, “Hand of Fate” [71] Broken down on the road, a snobby noble offers to pay the party a large sum of money to help the noble and their servants to an important meeting. It takes place in a week and is important in solving interspecies relations [72] Smoke blows up from a dozen chimneys atop a bizarrely shaped house. It is home to a shy alchemist who collects rare materials from the alps [73] While climbing the mountain, the hard rocky surface suddenly begins cracking and weakening as the surface has turned into chocolate [74] Clockwork animals occupy the area. They act like regular animals… All except for Archimedes the glitchy owl. A loud creature that claims to have been created by a space demon [75] Civilians are traveling all throughout the mountain pass. With all of their belongings they venture toward a developing city in the valley. It’s a great/safe place to make new connections [76] Civilians are traveling all throughout the mountain pass. They claim it is a great land of opportunity and wealth, but something much more sinister is afoot [77] Select a random Goosebumps book, this is the new monster/obstacle the players must face [78] Spider webbing covers the entrance to a cave. Within the webs a sign reads, “Fortune readings in exchange for beautiful cups or tankards.” Sounds trustworthy enough [79] You discover a hamlet constructed out of trash and broken tools. Aloft in this pile of garbage, a Goblin’s eye cracks open. “Come have a look. One gob’s trash is another gob’s treasure.” They are a bit of con-gob so be quite careful [80] A camp of miners ask your party to sit down and join them for drinks. They are fascinated by the life of adventure your party leads [81] Poisonous mist swirls around the sierra, be careful not to lose consciousness while it seeps through your skin [82] Built into the side of the jagged stone, a Monk Temple sits peacefully amidst the storm [83] Bound to the mountain, a hellish warrior slaughters anyone who enters their domain. They are horrendously powerful and would wipe out any unsuspecting low-level party [84] Hosting a prestigious singing competition, a Purple Dragon with a tie and top hat invites all to watch this once in a lifetime event. Gods, Spirits, Giants, Beholders, etc.. are all participants [85] A campfire burns brightly on the side of the road, no one is around. Food is roasting, bottles left unopened, treasure left untouched. Do you search for those who set up this camp or take it for yourselves? [86] The party stumbles upon a murder scene and are framed for the crime by corrupt guards who came to investigate the death of a famous hero. The situation seems far too convenient [87] Frozen in ice a monstrous beast is slowly thawing, it’s power is equal to that of a Tarrasque but it does have the dumbest name in the world [88] Mimics as large as houses, disguised as, you guessed it. Houses. They lie in wait, hidden in plain sight among other buildings of an abandoned city. A storm is brewing and the party needs to take shelter. Hopefully they don’t wander into the wrong house [89] Introduce a new or reoccurring cult from your campaign. One of the members is infusing with a demon and will become a powerful antagonist that will continue to be a problem for the players in the campaign [90] The world’s worst rogue has been stalking the party. They want to kill the party or go on an adventure. The choice is yours, but they HAVE to be lovable. A new child to adopt [91] “Oi! You’ve come fer blood, haven’t you?” You are handed a flyer for a Colosseum nearby [92] A misguided entrepreneur has built their new Fast Food restaurant on a summit. They got the place for cheap but business is… Not ideal [93] Throw a Legend of Zelda boss at the players! Some suggestions: Bongo Bongo, Volvagia, Stallord, Stone Talus, Lynel [94] Struck with lightning, an unlucky party member’s eyes begin to glow as they have gained newfound powers. They’ve been selected by a powerful deity to carry out a prophecy [95] A deserted alchemy lab wanders the wilderness, it is sentient and left without a purpose [96] Thrown from the top of the mountain, a wooden chest filled with cursed magic items has been disposed of, never to be found again. Well until you rolled this random encounter [97] The party meets a high level party of badasses. They are kind of jerks and act as secondary antagonists on this journey up or through the range [98] Treasure map! No tricks, no traps. Just some sick loot [99] Let’s try out a traditional encounter. Find a cool monster (preferably displaced) and let the party fight it or perhaps help calm it down and lead it somewhere safe [100] Hidden away from the rest of the world, an observatory keeps track of planetary movement, stars, and unusual phenomenon. The observatory is run by a secret organization that watches over the world. Grand secrets reside within the somber halls

Dana DeLorenzo set for new beginning as 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' comes to an end.

While the news broke last week that the horror comedy "Ash vs. Evil Dead" is coming to an end after its third season on STARZ, it also marked a new beginning for the series' breakout star, Dana DeLorenzo. Not only has DeLorenzo's turn as Deadite slayer Kelly Maxwell earned her respect and loyalty from fans of the series, it, in a serendipitous bit of timing, has also brought her the prestigious Artemis Action Next Wave award from the Artemis Women in Action Film Festival.

And with that, the next wave of DeLorenzo's career begins when she accepts the honor Thursday night in Los Angeles.

"I am ecstatic and incredibly humbled to be an Artemis Women in Action honoree," DeLorenzo said. "The timing of the awards gala -- days before the series finale of 'Ash Vs Evil Dead' -- is a staggering example of synchronicity; the most wonderful bookend to the most insane and glorious time of my life thus far. Receiving a Women in Action award is a real tribute to the character Kelly Maxwell, as well as all the unsung heroes involved in bringing her to life."

In a phone conversation from LA just a couple days before STARZ's announcement about the fate of the show, DeLorenzo was aware of the possibility that "Ash vs. Evil Dead" could come to an end this season. Was she mentally preparing herself for the possible news of cancellation? Yes, but truth be told, she had been mentally preparing herself since the first season, as there were never any guarantees with the series.

"I think everyone involved in making this show mentally prepared that every season could be our last," DeLorenzo said. "There's a lot of competition out there, more so than ever. And in this era of television the longevity of any show is especially unpredictable. So, I think we all treated every episode -- and every season -- as our last, but in the best way. I can only speak for myself, but whenever an episode or scene was a particularly epic -- like the colon fight (in season two) -- it was hard to imagine how it could ever be matched, let alone topped. But I think we pushed ourselves to a new level every season; and I believe that's a result of treating each one as if it's the last."

On top of that, DeLorenzo also knew from day one that pretty much every character apart from Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) was vulnerable and could be killed off the series.

"It was all made very clear to us before we started shooting when we were told, 'Just so you guys know, you won't know ahead of time if your character is going to die. You're going to have to find out with everybody else. None of you are safe,'" DeLorenzo recalled. "So, that was understood. Still, it caught you off-guard when people like Jill Marie Jones' character (Detective Amanda Fisher) were killed off (in season one). It was still shocking."

The interesting thing is, while Kelly was killed off by the villain-turned-ally-turned-villain Ruby Knowby (Lucy Lawless) in episode six this season (but her soul and life form, at least for the time being -- or perhaps forever -- lives on in a parallel universe known as “The Rift”), she was still very much a part "Ash vs. Evil Dead." Whether she was playing Kelly in life or in the afterlife, the series gave DeLorenzo the best experience she's had as an actor to date.

"It has been such an epic milestone in my life -- from the fans to the role to all I've learned -- everything about it," DeLorenzo said. "This was my first series regular role that continued beyond the pilot as a green-lit series. So, even if 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' would have lasted one season, it would have held a special place for me. This show is such a part of me and a part of my heart, whether it leads to many more things or not."

Always one to give credit to behind-the-scenes people on the show, DeLorenzo is sincerely grateful to the writers for finding a way to keep Kelly around for the duration of the series.

"I've been lucky enough to have lasted this long as Kelly, and even when I'm dead to still be playing her or other characters … if this is all where it ends, what I can say personally is, 'Man, what a wild, groovylicious, bloody, insane f---in' ride it has been.' I am so honored, lucky and grateful to be tied to this franchise for the rest of my life. It will never get old to me. It will always be a great love of my life."

Unbridled passion

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, DeLorenzo first attended college and worked in Chicago before she headed out to Los Angeles seeking a career on-screen. Her first speaking role on TV was as "Girl #2" on the hit CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls" in 2011. Other opportunities followed, including a recurring skit where she played Beth the CBS executive on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson"; while other promising chances to be on shows like Fox's "The Mindy Project" slipped through her grasps.

"That experience and others like it would be best described with this analogy: I was jockey on my horse, prepared and ready to run the Kentucky Derby -- but when the race started my gate wouldn't open. So, I never got to run the race," DeLorenzo said, humbly. "In other cases, I got out of the gate but fell off my horse; or my horse ran in the other direction. Sure, it broke my spirit for a while -- but it never broke my back. I always got back on the proverbial horse, no matter what. I hope that doesn't sound too trite, because it's the truth. It's an idiom for a reason!  Always get back on the horse. I'm grateful I did, because I eventually got to run the race … and finally made it all the way to the finish line."

The silver lining for viewers is, as difficult as missed opportunities have been for DeLorenzo, those heartbreaks also helped build character. Because of her misfortunes she became resilient and never lost sight of her integrity; traits, that combined with her passion for life and her work, have served her well as she found her way to what has been the ride of a lifetime on "Ash vs. Evil Dead."

Initially billed in what could have become the thankless role as a foil for Campbell's chainsaw-wielding, boomstick-slinging, Shemp's Beer-chugging antihero Ash Williams in "Ash vs. Evil Dead," DeLorenzo quickly defined the role of Kelly as somebody much more than a "sidekick." Getting into just as many blood-and-guts-soaked mishaps as the show's namesake, it didn't take long for DeLorenzo to become a fan favorite that has rivaled the popularity of Campbell himself. That's a monumental feat, considering Campbell is the actor who made the role of Ash legendary in director Sam Raimi's cult classic "Evil Dead" film trilogy.

The amazing part of fandom, as DeLorenzo has discovered, is that the adoration fans have for Kelly Maxwell and "Ash vs. Evil Dead" isn't limited to U.S. borders. True, DeLorenzo has fans following her on her social media channels from all over the world, but she for the first time felt the true reach of the show meeting people from all over Europe when attended the horror-themed convention Weekend of Hell in Dortmund, Germany. Joining cast mates Campbell and Ray Santiago (who plays Ash and Kelly's fellow Deadite hunter, Pablo) at the convention earlier this month, DeLorenzo immediately found out that there was just as much an affinity for Kelly's F-bomb-laced dialogue in Europe as there is stateside.

"When I would sign photos, they kept saying -- even though they couldn't speak much English and I unfortunately couldn't speak German, I learned a few things – they would say, 'Kelly, write f--k evil!'”

Weekend of Hell was definitely an eye-opener for DeLorenzo. She got to meet people who've been entertained by Kelly in places she never could have imagined.

"Germany was one of the greatest experiences of my life," DeLorenzo said. "Going overseas, it was very apparent that, even in spite of the language barrier that the love was there. People were waiting two hours to talk, to say 'hi' and to get an autograph. I kept getting into trouble because I kept wanting to talk with everybody for five minutes. I was like, 'You waited two hours? I want to give you enough time!'"

Despite the awakening, don't think for a second that DeLorenzo has forgotten her U.S. fan base.

"I just get overwhelmed meeting people in the States -- it is such a symbiotic relationship -- some people say this is just fan service, but this is all very new to me and I'm just so happy to be doing what I love, that anything else on top of it is gravy and icing and cherries, and all the wonderful things in life. Donuts? Can we put donuts on top because I love donuts? So, even in America alone, if I meet a fan, I'm the one freaking them out by the end of the interaction, because I am so passionate and intense."

Just Dana

Whether you've met DeLorenzo at a convention or merely exchanged a tweet, it's easy to see that she's just Dana, not Kelly (although she admits slipping into character time and again at conventions), and that she's completely genuine and humbled over the fortunate position she's found herself in life. And while it's nice knowing that her work to fans in person and online have inspired people, that's not why she does it. If anything, DeLorenzo she's the one who is inspired, and her overtures to fans are a reflection of her gratitude.

"People have said to me, 'You're so normal and humble.' That's just because of the kind of parents I've had. My parents have kept me very grounded my whole life," DeLorenzo said. "Also, I've had to work very hard my whole life. Not only have I had to work hard and persevere, but I have been through the wringer and that makes you appreciate anything you get that's positive.

"So, for me, it's not about being on TV, but just the fact that I have a steady job that I can go to, day in and day out, getting up every day to do what I love," she added. "It's the only thing I've worked for and wanted my entire life, so the transition from dream to reality is the greatest reward."

Relating a story of how her parents have kept her level-headed, DeLorenzo noted, "An acquaintance said to them once the show was on the air, 'Oh, my goodness, your daughter is on billboards and she has fans and people are dressing up like her.' Then they said something along the lines of, 'Do you realize that she's a name?' and my mom just looked at her and said so matter-of-factly, 'No. She's just Dana.' It's funny because to everybody else things look different. But at the end of the day, if you get a promotion at an office job, you got a promotion, but you're still you. Your situation has changed, but you are still you."

Anchors aweigh

There's been a theme enveloping the character of Kelly Maxwell since the very beginning of "Ash vs. Evil Dead," in that her character has been anchored, so to speak, in the Ernest Hemingway literary classic "The Old Man and the Sea." It began to take shape when Ash, Kelly and Pablo made their fateful trip to Kelly's parents' house in episode two of season one. In a pivotal exchange, Ash tries to coax the Deadite out of Kelly, and Kelly's mother, (Mimi Rogers) said she was a teacher and her favorite book was "The Old Man and the Sea."

From there, sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that in addition to Kelly's favorite color being purple, the wardrobe or jewelry that costume designer Barbara Darragh conceived for DeLorenzo in every episode, in one way or another, incorporates an anchor.

Fast-forward to episode six this season, when the "The Old Man and the Sea" motif comes full-circle. Kelly decides to confront Ruby alone to destroy evil, even though she's aware that the odds of survival are not in her favor.

"There's a famous quote from that book that I think perfectly applies to Kelly's final moments in episode six, which is, 'A man can be destroyed, but not defeated,' which really just gives me chills every time that I think of it," DeLorenzo said. "It's so important to me to draw the parallel because I love how it ties into Kelly's journey. She went into battle because she, No. 1, took advantage of an opportunity that evil would never see coming; and No. 2, she thought since Ash and Pablo were off doing their own things, 'If I go into this right now while evil's not expecting it, I could potentially end this battle once and for all and no one has to die.'”

Third, and most importantly, DeLorenzo said, the motivating factor behind Kelly's actions in the episode is how evil destroyed her family. Kelly could have moved on after evil was seemingly vanquished at the end of season two or chosen to not get back into the fight when it reemerges to begin season three, but that is not her purpose.

"We all know that Kelly is out for revenge, but she's also at the start of season three a warrior without a war. She needs to stay in the fight against evil," DeLorenzo said. "She also needs to follow her heart to forge her path, which is what mortal Ruby encouraged her to do in season two. What I've learned from playing Kelly it that it's OK to be afraid, but the strength comes from having the courage to go for it in spite of that fear. You can assess the risks, but if the reward excites your spirit, you've got to go for it every time -- and when you do, you've already won."

While fans will have to wait until this Sunday to find out whether Kelly's soul will remain adrift for all eternity in “The Rift,” they will be happy to know this: No matter the outcome of the character, DeLorenzo will push off from "Ash vs. Evil Dead," hands firmly gripped on the ship's wheel (or horse's reigns, per her earlier analogy), charting her own course. It's a course that began with a casting director named Julie Ashton, who cast DeLorenzo in her first LA pilot out of Chicago and later her first television speaking role on "2 Broke Girls"; and whose keen sensibilities prompted her to eventually cast the actor in her first guest-starring role on NBC's smash hit "Will & Grace" in February. It's also a course that reunited her with the first person she met in Los Angeles, Ross Marquand (who, ironically went on to battle evil himself in "The Walking Dead") for his 2015 comedy series "Impress Me"; and it's a course that led her to a tender independent movie, 2017’s "The Mad Ones."

Sure, in between those sunny beaches were rough waters, and DeLorenzo knows she'll encounter them again. But risking those waters is how she fatefully arrived at "Ash vs. Evil Dead." As for what's next, it's not a matter of if, but when DeLorenzo finds her way back.

[ Frozen Flames and Shadowed Lights || Chapter One ] [ @yukaikokoro @abyssaldespair ] [ Hatake Kakashi, Suigin, Ryū,  Nohara Rin, Kottakawa Kumiko ] [ Verse: Divine Light ] [ Previous || Next ]

Pulling at the tunic, there’s a grumble. He hates formal clothing...it’s so...stifling. Not to mention it’s considered rude to get them dirty. Before today he couldn’t even remember the last time he had a bath, and now he smells so strongly of soaps and perfumes he’s going to gag.

...it better be worth it.

In all honesty, he’s not even sure why he’s here. All these dignitaries and people of importance...he’s just a traveling monster slayer. Nothing really to note about him, unless you count his appearance. Or his ill-gotten powers.

...though apparently it’s mostly to do with his connection to one of the few remaining disciples of Luxeria.

Realizing he’s not going to make it fit any better than it is, Kakashi gives his appearance one last glance in the mirror. They gave him a shave...it’s almost unsettling to see his face so bare of grey scruff. It took a fair share of time, but they sorted the mess of his hair. It’s still flyaway, but at least it’s not knotted or caked in road grime. If it weren’t for the scar, the mismatched eyes, or the hardened look in them...maybe he really could play the part he’s been puppeteered into.

“Ready?”

He sighs. “...no.”

Near-silent footsteps bring the figure closer, and now someone else fiddles with his garb. “You look so dashing,” they tease.

“I’d like to be dashing right about now. Over a back wall and back to my horse.”

Greys give him a stern look. “You will not.”

“Only because it would make you look bad. And then I’d feel bad.”

“It’s a wonder you can feel bad about anything - you’re always doing however you please. Letting me ask you a favor seems a bit out of sorts for you.”

The corners of his lips twitch. “You’re one of the few that would even get the time of day.”

“So I’ve noticed.” Giving him a far more open smile, Ryū stops her fussing and lets hands rest atop his shoulders. “...I know you don’t want to be here. Frankly, neither do I. But it’s a necessary evil.”

“What exactly is all this, anyway?”

“...before Aeboran - no...before the rift - those called to represent the Elements would meet each Summer in the capital of my country to ensure balance and peace was being kept. Laws would be discussed, trade, populations…” Ears lower as the el’ven sobers. “...until the Tenebreon representative pulled the coup. The war was bitter, and eventually pulled in the el’tahl...until our kinds were forced into hiding to prevent further bloodshed.”

Fingers curl atop his shoulders, drawing his gaze. “But now we have a chance to resume those talks. While both my kind and those who follow Tenebreos have neared extinction...we are still the elements twelve. And now that I’m ready to begin putting our country back together again, I thought it high time we begin anew. So I can show that I’m ready.”

Understanding lights in Kakashi’s eyes. “...you don’t want to be alone.”

“...no. You may not be a disciple of my Elemental, but…” Ryū smiles. “...you’re the closest thing I have to a father. And I trust you implicitly. If anyone is to stand by my side through all of this...I want it to be you. But I don’t want you to feel forced.”

“...not at all. I’m honored.”

There’s a moment of exchanged smiles, and then Kakashi reaches and pats a hand. “Now...enough of this heavy talk. If I have to mingle with a bunch of stuffy elves...might as well get it over with.”

The light mage laughs. “I’ll try to do most of the talking. You just have to stand and act tough. Rin’s here, too - she’s not the dignitary, but she was chosen as part of the party from Floritia. You’ll have a friend! And I’ll try to introduce you to the rest, so you have an idea who we’re dealing with.”

“What about the fire elves? Who’s come from their little group?”

There’s just a sliver of hesitation. “...they sent both sons, and a cousin of theirs. Apparently his parents are busy, so…”

“Too busy for something like this?”

Ryū gives him a look. “He’s my age, he’s old enough to represent them. Besides, you forget how long elves live. He’s got to be ready for a long haul ahead of him.”

“Mm.”

Silencing him with a warning stare, Ryū turns her back. “Now, let’s get going - it won’t do to be late. We’ve got elbows to rub, Kakashi.”

“Yes ma’am.”

From the guest quarters (one of many), they descend to the belly of the castle. Sensing her tension, Kakashi gives a glance. “...nervous?”

“...a lot rides on the impression I give tonight. My kind are so few...and it’s me who will represent them.” Eyes lift to the vaulted ceiling. “...though this place would have been mine long ago, in another world without the rift...it’s a strange one to me now. It’s sat empty for so long. I’ve a large presence to fill, and grow.”

“You’ll do fine. You’ve grown a lot since we met. And you’ll continue to do so.”

“...here’s hoping.”

Doors open to reveal the ballroom, and suddenly the pair are flooded with light and sound. Faces turn toward them, festivities pausing for a long moment.

Staring back, Ryū eventually gives a warm smile. “...please, guests: continue your merriment. Let us enjoy this night - the first of many to come!”

Another moment passes in stillness before time seems to begin again. Deflating, Ryū mutters, “Well that was fun.”

“You’re just getting started.”

As they step in, it only takes a few seconds before they’re first accosted. The little light mage handles each meeting gracefully, already knowing names and introducing Kakashi, “her advisor”. He’s not sure of the title, but...there’s little arguing it now. He meets each confused look with a cool one of his own, as though daring them to refute it.

“Kakashi, this is Kumiko - the representative of the disciples of Glaciris. Mages of ice; glacies’el’ven.”

Nodding, Kakashi watches as she gives a bow, only half-listening as her party is introduced. So far, he’s only noted names of the actual dignitaries. The rest, he expects, will be of little import.

“A pleasure,” Kumiko replies, giving a genuine smile. “So, this must be the el’tahl I’ve heard so much of: he who slays monsters with a gifted el’ven eye!”

The comment stiffens him slightly.

Ryū steps in. “Yes...it was a last offering from a childhood friend. An igni mage who was killed fighting at his side. It was my mother who performed the transplant - Kakashi had lost the eye earlier from a sword strike.”

“Is it true, then? The eye granted you ven?”

Looking ready to end the talk, Kakashi cuts Ryū off with a glance. “...it did. It’s been a subject of study as Ryū has matured. We’re still unsure just how much it’s changed, but I can wield the element. Personally, I prefer fulgur’ven.”

“Ah, lightning...a child of fire. That makes sense.” Kumiko’s eyes remain alight with curiosity. “I’ve been intrigued about you since hearing rumors of your existence. I’ve always wished to know more.”

“Well, Ryū would know more than I.”

“Perhaps in technicality. But it’s you who live with the changes.”

Glancing between them, Ryū hesitates a moment before offering, “...why don’t you take a little introduction break and take the chance to chat? I think I might go find Rin before it gets much later.”

Kakashi perks a brow. “...Rin? No one else?”

She ignores him, turning her back and leaving the pair.

Looking a bit unsure, Kumiko then flashes another smile, this one tinged a bit with nerves. “I suppose my feet are tiring. I’d not mind a few minutes to sit and relieve them.”

The hunter nods, following to a nearby table. Like magic (which it likely is), a young el’ven maiden supplies them both with crystal flutes filled with what looks to be sparkling wine. Kakashi ignores his own, wanting his wits about him. Hopefully Ryū does find Rin. He doesn’t want her alone for too long. The crowds are making him...nervous.

“...you know, I...hope I didn’t come off as...insensitive before,” Kumiko offers, drawing his gaze. A finger traces the lip of her glass, and he can see frost forming along the sides to further chill the drink. “...I didn’t realize the circumstances of your receiving the eye.”

“You couldn’t have - I don’t tell the story to many, and people tend to make their own reasons.” Shoulders shrug. “...you’ve caused no offense, if that’s what you fear. I’m a rather difficult man to offend, really.”

“Well then, you’ll not find like-minded company here,” Kumiko replies. Her chin gestures to the masses. “Most are just waiting to be insulted.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ll have a wonderful time. Dancing with phrases is always a pleasure.” The hunter gives a wry smile.

“Is that why she chose you? As an advisor? You seem the sort who won’t let them trod all over you...or her.”

“It’s likely part of it. We’ve known each other since she was young...I’m one of the few people she grew up trusting.”

“She mentioned a Rin?”

“Friend of mine. Flora mage. We were both present when Ryū’s mother died. It’s how we ended up with her.”

Something colors Kumiko’s eyes. “...you were like her parents, then.”

“In a sense.” A hand itches his neck. “Rin’s far more suited to it than I. Didn’t help we had to split up for a time.” Pause. “...we make a good team, but...nothing else.”

“...I see.”

Silence falls, the pair of them watching the masses for a few minutes. In the distance, Kakashi finally spots Ryū talking to Rin, feeling a bit of relief at not seeing her alone. But before he can smile, the disciples of Ignitrios make their way forward, the three of them bowing as the women curtsy. Mismatched eyes narrow as the middle man takes her hand, giving it a -

“You said, before, that you enjoy dancing with phrases?”

“Hm?” Torn from the sight, Kakashi looks back to his companion. “...sorry, what?”

Kumiko laughs. “Dancing. With phrases. You enjoy banter?”

“...I do, to an extent.”

“Well what of the other sort?”

“Other...sort?”

“Of dancing!”

Kakashi pales. “Oh, I...I’ve never learned.” Sure, there’s been drunken jigs in taverns after a successful job, but...nothing like you do in a ballroom.

“If you’re to be the advisor to Luxeria’s representative, you’d best learn how to dance,” Kumiko teases.

“I thought you said your feet were tired?”

“Oh, but they’ll wake for a dance!”

Well, what choice does he have? Abandoning his seat, he follows the glacial mage to the floor.

“Allow me.” Positioning his hands, Kumiko smiles. “It doesn’t take much - just mirror what I do. We’ll start slow.”

Moving his gaze to her feet, Kakashi lets her lead, stumbling over a step or two before noticing the pattern. After a few turns, he gets down the basics, risking a look back up.

“Very good! You’re a quick learner.”

“I suppose it has to do with swordsmanship training. You’ve got to be light on your feet.”

The mage laughs. “A reasonable explanation. Shall we join the others?”

“Uh -?”

With a tug, she begins guiding them toward the throngs, all following the same steps at the same moment. Waiting for the first phase, they eventually fall into rhythm, and Kakashi realizes...he’s actually enjoying himself. It’s been so many years since drills with the city guard - everyone moving as one, learning to wield their blades. This is oddly reminiscent, and yet...more fun.

Once confident enough in the pattern, he keeps his eyes on Kumiko’s face, seeing her own enjoyment. Icy eyes crinkle in merriment, the pair of them flowing with the masses in a loop of graceful movement.

...maybe he’s glad he came after all.

Eventually, the current song ends, and the couples all come to a stop, clapping to the orchestra. A bit winded, the pair give one another a glance, and then smiles: a bow and a curtsy.

“Perhaps...another break,” Kumiko laughs.

“Perhaps.” Sweeping over the crowds again, Kakashi hesitates. The igni mage gives a bow and another kiss on her hand, taking his leave as his brother beckons. She’s alone, catching her breath. Maybe he should -

“I think our seats are still open. We’ll sit out a round, and then we can have another...if you’d like?”

“Sure…” He’s only half listening, something in his gut telling him there’s something amiss. She’s tugging his hand, but he lingers, brow furrowed. He should -

In a breath, the entire ballroom goes dark.

Sounds of alarm break out. By reflex, Kakashi tugs his companion to his side, reaching for a sword that’s missing from his hip. And he can only use ven so long before he tires -

In the middle of the ballroom, an orb of light blooms from a palm Ryū raises to the ceiling, letting it lift and grow until the entire hall is cast in sharp relief of black and white. Tense silence so dense you could hear a pin drop casts over them, as if no one dares to breathe. No one moves, all staring at the lux mage.

Like snakes, shadows converged in the open space before her, reaching upward to the height of a man...and like a doorway, one steps through, a hooded cape drawn over a masked face.

Breaking from the spell of stillness, Kakashi starts pushing his way through, heartbeat sounding in his ears like drums in the silence.

Ryū stares, just as immobile.

A hand reaches. Takes her arm

He isn’t going to make it…!

With a pull, they fall back through the portal, which fizzles into nothing. With the caster gone, the orb disappears, but the candles and chandeliers all roar back to life with a breath that seems to break the bewitchment.

Breaching the clearing she’d been standing in, Kakashi casts his gaze about, hoping it’s just a trick, a jest...but it’s not. She’s gone. And though he’s never seen one in person, there’s no mistaking a Tenebreon portal, one that cuts through space just as her own cut through time.

She could be anywhere.

“Kakashi!”

Hardly hearing, Kakashi jolts as Rin finds an arm.

“Where is she?! Who was that? What -?!”

“Kakashi?”

So many voices, too many people calling to him…

The glacial mage approaches, expression haunted and worried. “What’s going on? Where did the light mage go?”

“...I don’t know…”

They keep firing questions, expecting him to have the answers. It’s too much...too much…!

“I DON’T KNOW!”

His voice rings out, bringing the chaotic cacophony to a standstill. Tugging his arm free, he makes for the front of the hall, nothing but glass windows and doors, stepping out to the balcony.

Rin retreats, clearly still looking. Kumiko follows.

Moving until he hits the balcony, he grips it with shaking fingers. His left eye burns as emotions long to fuel fire, one palm lifting to bury it in darkness.

“...Kakashi…?”

He doesn’t turn, hearing her step up cautiously beside him. He’s too focused on keeping his head against the tide of anger at his failure. Fury is fire’s vice, he can’t let it win…

A hand finds his shoulder. “...I might be able to help.”

Still breathing harshly, he eventually concedes. Facing her and dropping his hand, there’s a slight flinch as her palms take his cheeks. A gentle hint of cold blooms against his skin. Slowly, the blaze of his anger starts to cool...and a sigh breathes out the last of it.

“...I let this happen.”

“That entire hall was filled with mages...none of us did anything. We were too…” She fades to silence with a shake of her head. “...I can’t believe it. And this will only make things worse…”

“...what do you mean?”

“...the elements are in a constant state of flux. But it always finds balance. During the wars, dark mages were unfairly targeted due to prejudice. Many were killed...but we had forgotten that they need each other, dark and light mages. When one suffers losses...so will the other. By the time anyone thought to realize, it was nearly too late. So few light mages were left, they all but disappeared. Many went into hiding, as did the dark mages. Many of us thought both elements had been completely eradicated. Ryū’s return was important because of this. And now...a disciple of Tenebreos has his hands on her. It will only bring the stigma back.”

“...he could have taken her anywhere. Their portals go through space -!”

“Yes, and hers through time. Better she’s elsewhere on this plane than on another!” Kumiko gives him a stern look. “...she can be found. But panicking or wallowing in self-disappointment won’t find her!”

The retort cuts any rebukes he had in mind, and Kakashi gives another sigh, curt this time with a hand running through his hair. “...I should start looking for clues. And get going after her.”

“You’ll go alone?”

“I might have to. Who else can I take with me? Besides, I’ll be faster on my own.”

“You’ve only limited ven, Kakashi. You should take someone capable with you. Rin, at the very least, if no one else.” A pause. “...I would go if I could, but...I’ve a duty to my people.”

“Of course. Besides...if you’re right about the ramifications, maybe it’s best we have level-headed people at the helms. I know the Igni boy won’t like it, he’s sweet on her…”

“...I’ll head back inside, try to find a few other dignitaries and start organizing. And clear the ballroom so you can investigate. Though I’m not sure you’ll find much now.”

“Still better to try.”

As she turns to leave, Kakashi takes Kumiko’s arm.

“...thank you. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

Expression grave, the mage nods. “...good luck, berech.”

     THIS TOOK SO LONG I’M SORRY. And it’s not COMPLETELY KakaKumi, but...I tried to have some lorey stuff to make it interesting and give a setting for what ya wanted x3      This is that fantasy verse I was telling you about, all based on my own original content. I haven’t gotten to write it much lately, so...I indulged myself, I hope that’s okay x3 And Kumiko as an ice elf is just !!!      Also I kinda left this open for maybe something else in the future ;3c Whether it be more drabbles or maybe RP if you like. I dunno! But I’ve another request to start for now, but uh...ANYWAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hopefully this is a suitable present xD

10 DAYS SERENGETI TENTED CAMPING SAFARI

10 DAYS SERENGETI TENTED CAMPING SAFARI with Kilipeak Adventure,  The Safari can vary depending on your inclinations and interests, and we specialize in helping you experience the finest, most comfortable and picturesque locations, sites and areas. All of the Safaris we offer are led by certified experts who have a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the surrounding areas and landscape. Our safari vehicles with the hatched roof for shade against sunny African wilderness; are the extended body with roomy seats for comfortable sitting and stretching out legs. Every guest is accessible to the window seat. Cars are also fitted with fridges, power charge sockets and VHF radio calls for easy and fast communication with the base office. 10 DAYS SERENGETI TENTED CAMPING SAFARI  cost is $2850 per person. Price per person varies depending on group sizes. The above prices should be used as a guide only. Real pricing will be based on safari group size and itinerary desires.

10 DAYS SERENGETI TENTED CAMPING SAFARI DAY 1: ARRIVE IN TANZANIA. Arrive anytime at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). We will arrange a private transfer from the Airport to Moshi at the Park View Hotel, where the rest of the day is at leisure. We stay at the Park View Hotel, which is beautifully located on the slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro and is a perfect place to prepare for your adventure. Kilipeak Adventure safari guide will gather in the evening at the hotel for a pre-safari briefing Dinner and overnight at Park View Hotel: Half board. DAY 2: MATERUNI CULTURAL TOUR AND HOMESTAY WITH CHANGA. Village walks, guided waterfall hike, coffee tours, local primary schools visit Chagga traditional dance, traditional Chagga local food, cooking classes, banana beer experience, homestays and camping with a unique view on the Kilimanjaro later evening we will drive to Arusha and stay at Masailand Safari Lodge Dinner and overnight at Masailand Safari Lodge: Half board. DAY 3: GAME DRIVE IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK. Today we drive to Tarangire National Park, for excellent game viewing. Tarangire is a small park which offers some excellent sights. Generally, in the dry seasons, Tarangire comes alive as wildlife and birdlife congregate on the Tarangire River, which is a permanent source of water. We spend the night in our lodge beautifully set inside the park with stunning views and a unique atmosphere. In the late afternoon, we make a short journey from the park to our special lodge Eileen's Tree  Inn Lodge. Dinner and overnight at Eileens Tree Inn lodge: Full board. DAY 4: CULTURAL TOUR IN LAKE EYASI. In the morning drive to Hadzabe trib found in Lake Eyasi, clients will join the Hadzabe and interact with them, and learn so many stuff like how to make fire by using two dry sticks, the way which has been used for thousands of years. The Bushmen will teach them how to use their bow and arrows, collecting some tubers, roots, and fruits with the women or join the men on hunting. Hunting is done in the morning; clients will follow the hunters behind and see how the hunting is done. The honey gathering is part of it, but depending on the season as the honey gathering is done in rainy season. Join on Hadzabe tribal dance. Here the tour may take 3 to 4 hours Dinner and overnight at Tindiga Tented Camp: Full board. DAY 5: GAME DRIVE IN SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK. SERENGETI TENTED CAMPING SAFARI, We start our day early toward  to Serengeti National Park with packed lunch. En route, there is an opportunity to visit Olduvai Gorge. It is within this steep-sided ravine that Louis and Mary Leakey made some of the world’s most important archaeological discoveries in the 1950s. Here is a small museum we are able to see evidence of our ancestors that have been dated back 2.5 million years. After lunch, we drive into the Serengeti itself and the rest of the afternoon is spent game viewing in the vast plains that are broken only by stands of acacia trees and the occasional kopje. In December, January and February we will normally meet the migration with large herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle. There are always plenty of resident animals, such as giraffe, buffalo, and elephant, and many large predators such as lion, cheetah, and leopard. We return to our special tented camp for the night. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti tented bush camp: Full board. DAY 6: GAME DRIVE IN SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK. We have another full day in this wonderful park, rising early to make the most of our time. Our guides will choose the best spotting locations for the time of year; we can spend time at the Hippo pool watching these majestic animals laze about in the cool water happily living alongside the crocodiles, watch a big pride of lions, be in the middle of the migration, sometimes surrounded by wildebeest, sometimes by zebras, which travel with the wildebeest. We journey from the wide open plains to the kopjes: these volcanic rocky outcrops provide protection and shelter for a wide variety of animals and from the top, we can look out across the vast grasslands of the Serengeti. This diverse and interesting landscape will provide us with the ultimate in game viewing, we will hopefully see all of the plain games; elephants, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, lions and if you are lucky the elusive leopard and cheetah, as well as huge amounts of interesting birdlife, from the elegant secretary birds to the flightless ostrich. We return to our special tented camp for the night. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti tented bush camp: Full board. DAY 7: SERENGETI TO NGORONGORO CRATER. We start the day with an early morning game drive at Serengeti national park before heading to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro is a special place in that it is a Conservation Area, not a National Park; this means that the whole area is managed for both the animals and the local Masai people who graze their cattle alongside the indigenous wildlife. During the drive in Ngorongoro, we have a chance to glimpse something of the Masai way of life. After stopping at the entrance gate for gate formalities, where there is a chance to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape around Ngorongoro we will have achance to visit masai boma and see their life style, late we will drive to our beautful hotel inside Ngorongoro conservation area Rhino Lodge. Dinner and overnight at Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge: Full board. DAY 8: A FULL DAY GAME DRIVE IN NGORONGORO CRATER. After early breakfast we will descend 2000 feet (over 600 meters) to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater for your crater tour. Here we will explore the forest areas inhabited by monkeys and elephants, the lake area, where we may see flamingos. We will also visit the open savannah where the lions hunt. Picnic lunch will be served in the crater. In the late afternoon, we make a short journey to Karatu. Dinner and overnight at Eileens Tree Inn lodge: Full board. DAY 9: GAME DRIVE IN LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK: We depart from your lodge in Karatu and proceed to Lake Manyara National Park. Although small in size, this park is one of the most diverse reserves in the country. Lake Manyara covers two-thirds of the park. At the backdrop is the wall of the Great Rift Valley, before which lies the groundwater forest, areas of open grassland near the lake foreshore, and the Soda Lake. We enjoy a picnic lunch in this area, which consists of open grassy areas, hot springs, dense woodlands, and steep mountainsides. Lake Manyara National Park is a birding paradise that has more than 350 species of bird. The park is also famed for its unique and elusive tree-climbing lions. In the afternoon we drive back to Arusha. Dinner and overnight at Masailand Safari Lodge: Half board. DAY 10: ARUSHA TOWN TOUR: The morning after breakfast we will make a short journey to Arusha town for shopping and visit the local Maasai market then drive directly to the airport for the afternoon flight. SAFARI INCLUDES: 1. Full board accommodation whilst on safari in the above mentioned en suite tented camps and lodges 2. Private safari guide 3. Private 4 x 4 safari jeep with pop up roof for game viewing 4. Transfers in both directions between the International Airport 5. Park fees 6. Crater fees 7. All meals whilst on safari 8. On safari – Vehicles equipped with ice chest with mineral water, wildlife guidebooks. SAFARI EXCLUDES: 9. Tanzania Visa: $50 per person on arrival, USA and Canada passport holders USD.100 10. Personal Expenses (e.g. laundry, telephone, beverages, etc.) 11. Government added VAT 12. Optional Tours (balloon rides USD. 500 per person etc) 13. Tips and any items of personal nature. Read the full article

Blackwood as a teenager

@cursedfortune

Eyebrow raised in welcoming curiosity

Shadowkeep Part 5: Darklight

Summary:

Just as it seems Rae will fall at the hands of the Hive, Marcia steps in to save her while also revealing she has the Starlight ability like Rae. But something seems off...

Previous Part: Here

Next Part: Here

“Run!” Hive began to swarm towards the Fireteam. “Fall back! We gotta get out of here!!!” Rae yelled as she and her Fireteam sprinted as fast as they could back across the bridge past the Phantoms and through the Catacombs, dodging the incoming fire. “Don’t stop! Whatever happens, keep moving!!” Marcia yelled as they dashed through the tunnels. Rae used her Scorch and Solar Grenades to clear a way through incoming Thralls while Adam used his rocket launcher and Blaze used her grenade launcher to blast away Acolytes, Knights and Wizards. “Almost there!” Rae called out, as they approached a large stairway, “Keep pushing!” There was a gap between the ground and the stairway that Marcia, Blaze and Adam were able to jump across and keep sprinting forward but when Rae jumped across, her foot caught the edge which caused her to trip forward. Blaze heard Rae fall behind her and spun around to go back, but she was too far ahead to get there in time. Rae heard the screeches of the Hive quickly catching up behind her and squinted her eyes shut, bracing for the incoming pain of being ripped apart and praying that Ghost would be able to revive her. But the pain never came. Instead, she heard the pained screeches of Thralls. She opened her eyes in time to see silver light beginning to fade. Standing in front of her was Marcia. But she had a pair of silver wings with black markings and an eerie dark aura emanating from them and matching horns emanating from her head. In her hand was a large periwinkle, black and silver staff with a periwinkle gem encased in a silver casing, the hunter symbol near the bottom of the staff and an illustration black serpent-like dragon curled around the main part of the staff. Marcia turned slightly so her face was facing Rae. Her iris’s were pitch black – glowing with the same eerie darkness – with silver pupils. Her bangs and Paragonialan mark were also silver and her scars were emanating the same dark glow. “Stay back.” She muttered before slamming the bottom of the staff on the ground, causing a large blade – similar to her wings – to appear from the top, forming a large scythe. Marcia let out an agitated and pained roar as she slashed at the incoming Hive, that had been temporarily pushed back by the sudden bright light, striking many of them down with each swing. “Rae!” Rae felt herself being hoisted to her feet by Blaze and Adam. “Are you okay?!” Blaze exclaimed; voice filled with worry. “Y-yeah! I’m okay.” Rae replied, shaken. Adam looked at Marcia who was taking on a Hive Knight and a group of Thralls, “Wait…is that…?” “Yeah…” Rae replied, “I think that’s Starlight…but it’s different to mine. Something’s off about it…” Marcia dealt the final blow to the Knight, but saw even more Hive coming towards her. “Go!” Marcia yelled as she turned back towards the Fireteam. Rae nodded as they four of them ran up the stairway, Marcia using her silver wings to fly ahead but not too far as to make sure the Hive didn’t catch the others. As they reached the top, Rae turned around and noticed that the Hive have stopped chasing them. She breathed a sigh of relief, but the moment was cut short as Marcia suddenly collapsed to the ground, her form reverting to normal. “Ugh…dammit…” Marcia groaned weakly as she tried and failed to get up, “I forgot how freaking painful that is…” “Are you alright?” Rae asked crouching beside her. “Aside from the fact that all my energy just got sucked out all at once,” Maria began, “I’m pretty good!” Marcia tried to laugh, but it quickly turned into a series of coughs. “Are you sure? Starlight never caused me to end up like this…” Rae noted. “Well except the first time when you got knocked out afterwards.” Blaze added. Marcia raised an eyebrow as she looked up at Rae, “You’re a Starlight?” “Yeah. Wait, that’s the actual name?” Rae asked, “I thought I made it up.” “Figures…” Marcia muttered before letting out another groan in pain, “I hate to ask…but can someone give me a hand? I literally can’t move.” “I got her.” Adam volunteered as he picked up Marcia and placed her over his shoulder, “Blaze, you still have the Cryptoglyph, right?” “Yup. Firefly’s been keeping it safe.” Blaze nodded. “Guardian?” Rae’s face lit up as Eris’s voice was heard in the comms, a mix of panic and worry in her voice – something uncommon to hear from Eris. “Eris! We’re here. We got the Cryptoglyph.” Rae reassured. “I thought you’d…I’m sorry.” Eris apologised, “The immense darkness of the Pyramid kept me from you.” “It’s ok. We’re all alive, thanks to Marcia. She saved us.” Marcia chuckled weakly, “Eh…was nothin’. You guys did most of the work…” “Good. With the Cryptoglyph in hand, we stand a chance against the Pyramid. Bring it here and let us make use of it.” “On our way.” Rae replied, before turning to her Fireteam, “Let’s head back up top and go back to Sanctuary. Marcia, you can ride with me on my Sparrow if you want.” “Thanks.” Marcia smiled, “I don’t have the strength to do anything right now, honestly.” ——————————————————————— Three Sparrows made their way across the grey surface of the Moon, Rae going slower than usual to make sure Marcia wouldn’t fall off since she could barely even hold on to Rae. “So…” Marcia began, her voice a little stronger now, “You probably have some questions about Starlights then?” “A few, yeah.” Rae replied. “Well, how much do you already know?” “Well, I was able to use my power whenever I think about the people I want to protect. The first time I used it, in the Black Garden, it only enhanced my abilities and I could cast spells I couldn’t cast before. It also kinda happened by itself. The second time I was able to summon it on purpose and I had a sword with my. It wasn’t my usual Dawnblade, it was different – a falchion. And I looked similar to you – wings, horns and all – but mine were gold and white. That’s all really.” “I see.” Marcia began, “Well first off, that sword is called Paragon’s Fang. A blade able to amplify the user’s Light and is incredibly damaging to creatures of Darkness. Each one of the Paragonialan tribes has a warrior that is born with incredible abilities and powers that are called Starlights. They each have a weapon representing the tribe they came from. Tribe Eye had a crystal that allowed the user to predict an enemy’s next move so they could counter or dodge it. Tribe Horn had a dagger that enhanced the user’s speed to the point where they were barely visible to the naked eye, however the ability could only be used for a little while at a time, otherwise it could be harmful to the user’s body. Tribe Tail had a whip that could grapple onto enemies and could perform many elemental-based feats like shock them with electricity, burn them with fire, drain their energy with Void or even freeze them solid with ice. Tribe Scale had a shield that could nearly block any attack and could grow to the size of a two-story house, but the bigger it would grow, the more energy it would take from the user. But any attack that hit it, the shield would absorb and send the damage right back when used to hit an enemy.” “Whoa…” Rae gasped in awe as Marcia continues, “And then there’s mine – a scythe. It can make its user immune to the effects of the Darkness. But also, while it can’t physically hurt any creature of Light – like Guardians – it can temporarily disable their Light. Only for a few minutes though, then it comes right back. And I already told you about your weapon.” “So if you hit me with the Scythe…” Rae began. “You wouldn’t be able to use your super, your Solar Grenade, your Scorch, your healing rift, or even your own Paragonialan abilities, since their made of Light too.” Marcia finished. “There’s one thing I don’t get though.” Blaze began, “Rae’s form was gold and white, but yours was silver and black. Is it different for each tribe or…?” “Nope.” Marcia replied with a sigh, “Just another effect of my good ol’ friend the Darkness. Since my Light is slightly corrupted, my form looks different. I like to call it ‘Darklight’. My Darkness is also why I collapse afterwards. Since my scythe makes me immune to Darkness, it comes back at full force when I dismiss my form and it hurts like hell, draining all energy from me. So I try not to use it too often. But you punks needed me, so I was willing to risk it.” “Thank you.” Rae smiled. “Like I said, was nothin’.” “I mean it. If you hadn’t have stepped in, I would’ve died back there. You saved my life. Thank you, Marcia.” Marcia gave a small smile, “Well…we're the last of our kind. We gotta look out for each other.” Marcia’s smirk returned, “Even if one of us is a mega snitch.” “Oh, I’ve been promoted to mega snitch, have I? Do I get a medal?” Rae joked. “Nah, but you do get a different award – your butt kicked by yours truly once I get my strength back.” “You? Kick my butt? In your dreams!” The Fireteam shared playful banter with each other as they approached the Sanctuary – reassured that no matter what comes next, they’ll have each other’s backs. Fireteam Eklipsys gently pulled up to the Sanctuary as Rae got off her Sparrow and helped Marcia off, “Can you stand?” “I think so.” Marcia replied as she shakily stood on both legs, “I just need a little break and I’ll be fine.” “Alright. You guys rest up here while I go talk to Eris. Blaze, can I have the Cryptoglyph?” “Sure.” Blaze grinned as Firefly appeared and floated over to Rae, materialising the Cryptoglyph in her hands. “Thanks, Firefly. How are you feeling?” “Still a little funny, but I’ll be fine.” Firefly chirped. “Good.” Rae smiled, “I’ll be back soon.” “Take your time.” Marcia called as Rae left, Nox summoning her Sparrow as she sat down on the ground and leaned back against it. As she approached Eris, Rae now saw four Phantoms around Eris. The fact Rae wasn’t all that surprised as seeing new Phantoms pop up almost disturbed her more than the actual Phantoms. She shook the feeling off as she approached Eris, who was glaring at the Phantoms. “I. Don’t. Care.” Eris grunted as she turned to face Rae, “You reek of the Hellmouth.” “That or it's me. Haven’t had a shower since we got here.” Rae joked. “You spend too much time around Cayde and Blaisel.” Eris sighed, “Regardless, that armour will prove useful in the battles to come – but the Pyramid demands greater power to enter it. Three further pieces of armour – three more Nightmares. These diseases torture the Moon with their very presence. Send them back to the past where they belong, and in return they shall provide us with power. You and your Fireteam-” “I’ll be going alone.” Rae interrupted, “The others are exhausted from the past missions. Hell, Marcia can barely move. If it’s just killing a few Nightmares, I can handle it. But let them rest.” “If you insist. But be careful out there.” Eris warned, “And Rae?” “Yes?” “I’m serious. You’re jokes are becoming worse than Cayde’s.” Rae gasped dramatically, “Eris! First I’m called a fool and now this? I’m so insulted!” It was faint, but Rae swore she saw Eris’s lips twitch upwards slightly before shaking her head and turning back to her books. Rae smiled to herself as she set off to hunt down some Nightmares, reassured that her friends were safe and would be well rested for whatever may come. To Be Continued…

Just a Little off the Top

The air above Argus groaned and seethed as a temporal rift sliced the sky in half. The gaping wound grew in the wake of the howling wind, tearing open a portal from a distant planet; as the demonic denizens of this world gathered to watch this curious display, a heavy blast of frigid air bellowed from the rift and swept across the land. Istrys appeared riding atop a mighty frostwyrm, cackling madly while it soared close to the ground with tattered wings spread wide. The thick iron crate in its clutches was dropped onto the disoriented demons, crushing a dozen of them while it rolled to a sliding halt.

 The nearby artillery responded immediately, turning toward the undead drake to shoot it down. Now unburdened by carrying such a massive crate, the frostwyrm was now too fast to accurately target, flying through the air with startling speed. It opened its frozen maw once again, creating a thick cloud of freezing fog to obscure itself before vanishing into the blackened sky above. The demons along the ground were caught by surprise at the sight of a horde of mindless undead that stormed out of the busted crate to swarm and overwhelm them; the human and elven ghouls were light and fragile, yet surprisingly fast, seemingly unhindered by the ice and snow that clung to their feet and claws. Istrys and the frostwyrm returned for a second passing, blanketing the artillery column of with its blisteringly cold breath.

“What is the meaning of this?! Who dares attack the Legion?!” A Doomlord stormed out of a defiled building, seething head to hoof in vile fel magic; his beady eyes narrowed at the sight of his underlings struggling to contain this undead outbreak. Before he had a chance to summon more underlings, their mortal calvary charged in from the south, emboldened by a rallying cry. Only a few dozen demons were able to break away from the undead swarm to challenge them, but getting caught off guard by this surprise attack was taking a heavier toll than the Doomlord cared for. He reached for his desecrated talbuk horn and prepared to alert the rest of his nearby forces, but just before he pressed his ragged lips against the horn, a chain made of ice wrapped around it and yanked it out of his grasp.

 Rethandus appeared from the darkness, clutching the curious horn with his free hand, while one of his runeblades seethed a blinding white in the other. The Harbinger dropped it between his treads, and with one mighty stomp he shattered it into pieces. “Can’t handle the situation yourself, demon?”

 “Argh! You will regret facing me alone, mortal filth!” The Doomlord bellowed, flapping his massive wings once to propel him up into the air. The Harbinger held both of his runeblades together, letting their frost runes reverberate off each other until the blades were hissing; with his runes overclocked and his blades empowered, he charged forward to face the demon head on.

 The Doomlord swept along the ground with a mighty swing of his massive claymore, attempting to either cut the Death Knight in half or crush him against the wall. Rethandus frost the floor beneath his feet and slid beneath the sword’s edge, catching the end of his ice patch to return to his feet again. He turned around and unleashed a howling blast of frost magic that slammed against the Doomlord’s back, causing him to stagger and fall onto the ground. The demon roared with fury as fel and shadow magic sparked along his wings and traveled down to his chest; he unleashed a massive doombolt that hurled itself across the room. With a surge of unholy strength in his legs, Rethandus managed to dive out of the way just as the Doomlord’s powerful magic decimated the wall behind him. “This battle will be your last!” The demon bellowed, closing the distance far faster than the Harbinger was prepared for.

 Rethandus braced himself by freezing the blood in his body solid before raising his blades outward, catching the brutal swing that would have easily crushed any living being into a bloody paste. He staggered back a few steps but he did not fall, catching another swing from his right that nearly shattered his arms. A hoof shot forward and buried itself in his stomach, sending him crashing through an ancient statue in a thick cloud of dust and debris. “Behold, mortal! Feel your injuries and know what true strength feels like!” The Doomlord cackled with his victory, but his laughter was short lived; the ice that fused his blade to his hand began to creep along his skin, causing him incredible pain. Without thinking he clenched his free hand into a fist and smashed it against the ice, shattering his blade and hand like it was made of clay. “AAARRGH! YOU WILL PAY FOR TH-” His words were cut short as a runeblade sang through the air, burying itself into his hand with enough force to nail him to the destroyed half-wall; the other blade shot forth from the cloud as well, striking one of his wings to pin him down.

 Rethandus came sprinting out of the dust with a chain made of ice in his clutches. The Doomlord opened his mouth wide and unleashed a volley of shadowbolts to overwhelm the lesser being, but the Harbinger brushed them off with an empowered anti-magic shell. Another howling blast of magic struck the demon’s face, causing the blinded creature to choke on razor-sharp shards of ice that were embedded in his throat. Rethandus wrapped the chain around the demon’s neck while he leapt over him, and as he tightened his grip during his descent along the other side of the wall, he used his undead strength to nearly snap the demon’s neck. With his feet firmly on the ground Rethandus pulled on the chains, listening to the gurgling screams of the Doomlord’s asphyxiation. The ice from his runeblades continued to ensnare the demon, preventing him from freeing his remaining hand to help himself; the bloodied stump of what remained of his wrist flailed about in his desperate, yet fruitless endeavor. Rethandus froze his boots to the floor to prevent the Doomlord from lifting him off the ground. The chains creaked from the pressure but they held, now tight enough around the demon’s neck to prevent his last gasps of air. With a surge of unholy strength coursing through his body, the Harbinger yanked on the chains that cut deep into the demon’s throat, causing his head to violently snap backward. One final twitch was all the demon could muster as his head was severed from his body. Rethandus stood up straight once the head of the Doomlord crashed beside him with a meaty thump.

 The battle outside was going to plan; with their commander dead their sense of order was in disarray, putting the advantage squarely in their hands. Gonthar and all of the Oathguard rallied behind him swept through the Legion’s forces, while Istrys cut off their retreat with strafing attacks atop the frostwyrm. Rethandus staggered out of the decaying building with the Doomlord’s head dragging behind him in chains; seeing how easily they handled their first battle on Argus was a relieving sight to behold, but he knew this was merely the first of a great many challenges ahead. Something lurking in the wake of the battle caught the Harbinger’s attention, immediately fearing it was some sort of trap that was about to flank and devastate his army.

 Zolaar was spotted walking by the vanquished demons, drawing their power for himself; even at this distance he could see the lower half of the Warlock’s exposed face, and his unnaturally long teeth glistening in the dark. The Harbinger’s attention on Zolaar was cut short the moment he noticed Ijiro approaching.

 “The Legion presence is almost dealt with.” The Hunter gasped, stopping to catch his breath. “Looks like we’ve got lucky today, yeah?”

 “If even a single demon escapes our wrath we’ll be facing a counterattack before we have a chance to establish our footing.” Rethandus scowled, glancing up to see Istrys coming down to land. “Gather the others and get to higher ground. We need to dig our heels into a defendable position if we want to survive until morning.”

 “Commander Andy! Yoohoo!” Istrys waved down at him. “Oh you took care of the big bat demon. Good work!”

 “It’s called a Doomlord.” Rethandus corrected, dropping the chains. “We need to get ready for their retaliation and this dingy little hut isn’t going to cut it.”

 “I saw what looked like a cathedral hidden in the mountain pass to the west while Ka’desh and I were getting to know each other.” The Necromancer explained, gently tapping the side of the frostwyrm’s neck. “I don’t know if it’s abandoned, but it’s gotta be better than staying here, right?”

 “We need to reach that place before we’re caught out in the open.” Rethandus plucked the chains off the ground while he made his way to his frostwyrm. “Ijiro, alert the others of our next move. We’ll meet you at this cathedral. Let’s go, Ist- ah… Mistress Istrys.”

Chapter 93: "Such pure and cute girls... But not particularly smart ones."

2018 Children’s Hospital Raffle Home

  Hello, my wonderful friends! This home was recently built by Ramage Company, with interiors by Leslie Cotter Interiors, and it is truly an honor for me to be featuring the newest Children’s Hospital Raffle Home on our “Interior Design Ideas” series. Here, the builder shares some insights on this beautiful home: “Our Park Place design, created for the 2018 Norton Children’s Hospital Raffle Home, features Beaux-Arts inspired architecture with over 3200 square feet of living space and a third- floor terrace that overlooks the community.”

I hope this home inspires those that love homes with color and character, and you can read more about this raffle on the hospital’s website.

Feel free to pin this beautiful home and have a great time, everyone! It’s always an honor to have you guys here!

  2018 Norton Children’s Hospital Raffle Home

Exterior Brick Paint Color: PPG1032-2 Hurricane Haze by PPG Paints.

Roof is Tamko Elite 25 rustic black.

Exterior Trim Paint Color

Brick siding is very popular right now but it’s definitely a classic choice. The exterior trim is painted in PPG Pitt-tech satin black.

Exterior Lighting

Lighting: Troy Lighting Outdoor Wall Light.

Foyer

Character welcomes you as soon you open the front door!

Foyer Sconces: Troy Lighting.

Sideboard: Four Hands.

Living Room

The foyer leads you to a dramatic living room with built-in bookcases and high-end furnishings.

Ceiling Treatment: 12’ ceiling height on 1st floor.

Paint Color

Paint color is PPG1012-7 Black Forest, eggshell finish.

Similar Sofa: Here.

Side Table: Bernhardt.

Similar Rug: Here.

Decor

Light wood and soft textures such as velvet, beautifully contrasts with the dark walls and black windows.

Table Lamps: Arteriors.

Cabinets: Caracole.

Bookcase Sconces

Bookcase Sconces: Hudson Valley Lighting Wall Sconce Aged Brass.

Chandelier

Isn’t this home full of interesting ideas? The lighting is by Troy Lighting.

Coffee Table: Bernhardt.

Chairs: Bernhardt.

Inspired by this Home:

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Kitchen

This kitchen feels so fresh and so elegant! Gorgeous design!

Islands

Kitchen Island Dimension – 2 islands: each is 8’ x 3’ – Note: Both of islands offer space for counterstools.

Kitchen Countertops: Aurea Stone, Epitome. Waterfall edge on islands.

Kitchen Window Treatment

Window Treatment: Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Wood Shades; Pattern = Maritime; Color = Anchor Gray.

Table Lamps: Arteriors.

Backsplash Tile

Kitchen Backsplash: Artistic Tile. Similar: here (larger size) – Other Great Tiles: here, here, here & here.

Wall Paint Color

Paint color is Pittsburgh Paints PPG14-03 Seagull.

Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color

Kitchen Cabinet Paint Color: Pittsburgh Paints Commercial White PPG1025-1.

Hardware: Rejuvenation Pulls & Knobs.

Lighting: Hudson Valley.

Sink

The kitchen features an undermount stainless steel kitchen sink.

Dishwasher: Ge.

Faucet

Kitchen Faucet: Brizo.

Kitchen Cabinetry

Kitchen cabinetry is Maple with inset doors.

Pantry Cabinet

Pantry Cabinetry: Rift-Cut White Oak Frost with full overlay door.

Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting.

Refrigerator: Ge.

Counterstools

Counterstools: Lee Industries (to the trade).

Beautiful & Affordable Counterstools: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here & here.

Similar Artwork: Here & Here.

Hardwood Flooring

Wood Flooring Throughout: 1/2” thick by 5” wide Moonlight White Oak from Freedom Collection by From the Forest.

Dining Area

This might be a cozy eating area, but it has a lot of style!

Banquette: Bernhardt.

Dining Table: Four Hands.

Dining Chairs: Four Hands.

Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting Linear Pendant & here.

Table Lamps: Regina Andrew.

Trim Paint Color

Ceiling and Trim Paint Color: PPG1025-1 Commercial White.

Upper Landing

The landing area is perfect to curl-up with a good book or watch tv at the end of the day. Paint color is Pittsburgh Paints PPG14-03 Seagull.

Leather Tables: Four Hands.

Rug: Loloi – similar here.

Built-ins

The space also features custom built-ins with shiplap.

Table Lamps: Arteriors.

Chair: Four Hands.

Sectional

Sectional is by Four Hands.

Guest Bedroom

What a gorgeous guest bedroom. Who wouldn’t love to be a guest in this home, right?

Lighting: Hudson Valley.

Nightstand: Bernhardt.

Table Lamps: Arteriors.

Rug: Loloi.

Bed: Bernhardt.

Bedding

Similar Bedding: Sheet Set, Quilt, Coverlet, Faux Fur Throw.

Paint Color

Paint color is Pittsburgh Paints Rough Ride.

Jack & Jill Bathroom

The Jack and Jill bathroom features the same type of cabinetry found in the pantry; maple with inset drawers, Rift-Cut White Oak Frost.

Countertop is Aurea Stone, Epitome.

Faucet: Delta.

Mirrors: Pottery Barn.

Hardware: Here.

Tiling

Shower Wall Tile: Profiles 3×6 Ice White by American Olean.

Guest Bedroom

Paint color is Pittsburgh Paints Downpour.

Mirrors: Uttermost.

Lighting: Hudson Valley.

Bed

Bed: Bernhardt.

Bench: Bernhardt.

Similar Bedding: Coverlet, Duvet Cover & Faux Fur Throw.

Dresser

Dresser is Bernhardt.

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is dreamy! I love the furnishings and this soothing color scheme.

Bed: Bernhardt – Set: here.

Nightstands: Bernhardt.

Chaise: Bernhardt – similar here & here.

Paint Color

Paint color is Seagull by Pittsburgh Paints.

Lighting: Crystorama.

Rug: Jaipur.

Decor

Table Lamp: Arteriors.

Mirror: Here.

Cabinet: Bernhardt.

Master Bathroom Cabinet Paint Color

The master bathroom features custom cabinetry painted in Armory by Pittsburgh Paints.

Countertop & Faucets

Countertop is Aurea Stone, Epitome.

Faucet: Delta.

Tiling

Master Shower Walls & Floor Tile: Mayfair 12×24 Strada Ash Polished by Anatolia master – similar here.

Shower Faucet: Delta.

Mirrors

Mirrors are Uttermost.

Sconces: Savoy House.

3rd Floor

The third floor features a very stylish and comfortable lounge area/ games room.

Sofas: Four Hands & here.

Sofa Table: Four Hands.

Similar Stools: here, here, here & here.

Lighting: Troy Lighting – Large.

Wet Bar

Bar Cabinetry Paint Color: Gunmetal Gray PPG1033-6 by PPG.

Bar Countertops: Shadow Storm quartzite.

Hardware: Rejuvenation.

Faucet: Brizo.

Table Lamp: Arteriors.

Paint Color

Walls are painted in Pittsburgh Paints PPG1033-6 Gunmetal Gray.

Hide Rug: Here.

Chairs: Four Hands.

Sideboard: Dovetail Furniture.

Coffee Table: Four Hands.

Terrace

The lounge area opens to a spacious terrace. Black windows/doors and trim are Pittsburgh Paints PPG Pitt-tech satin black.

Dream Away

This is a dreamy home with a good cause.

I hope you guys enjoyed the tour!

  Many Thanks to the builder & interior designer for sharing all details!

Builder: Ramage Company (Instagram – Facebook)

Interior Design: Leslie Cotter Interiors (Instagram – Facebook)

Norton Children’s Hospital.

Architecture: C3 Studio, LLC.

Furnishings: Market on National.

Photographer: Aerial State.

  Bring the Holidays Home!

Online Holiday Shopping = More Options & Less Driving!

Exciting November Sales!

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

Joss & Main: Sale: “Best Prices EVER“!

Wayfair: Up to 70% OFF – Huge Sales on Decor, Furniture & Rugs!!!

Serena & Lily: Huge Furniture Sale! Up to 60% Off!!!

Pottery Barn: Warehouse Sale – Up to 75% Off

West Elm: Bedroom Sale – Up to 70% Off.

One Kings Lane: New Fall Arrivals!

Williams & Sonoma: New Sales every week.

Neiman Marcus: Designer Sale: Up to 40% OFF.

Pier 1: Big Furniture, Rugs and Fall Decor Sales!

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“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

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