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glitterytidalwavedragon · 3 years

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Expanding into my other Fandoms (I’m gonna have to take a stance) Read the whole thing please.

One of my oldest and most beloved anime is Inuyasha. As of late I have been binged watching the hell out of it as I am getting my BFF into different anime shows. We are really close to entering the Yashahime part of the series, and she asked if I planned to write fanfiction involving the one character which made me even watch the show as a 10-year-old.

Sesshomaru

The first episode I ever watched involved this aloof, entitled dog fighting his brother over the sword in their father’s grave. Specifically, it was part 3 of that whole episode series were Kagome pulled out the sword. I at the time had 3 dogs of German Sheppard/wolf hybrid, they were MASSIVE dogs, fell in love with the big white fluff that was Sesshomaru’s demon form. I use to sneak staying up and watch the show faithfully to see the goodest boy as it was only on at 11pm EST on adult swim. Which meant it was bad and I was breaking the rules, I felt like a rebel.

Now I hesitated answering that question. She has no idea of what is in Yashahime, she is being careful not to spoil it so I told her I didn’t know. Recently, to find out what the feel is for Sesshomaru content, I looked into the tag on tumblr…

OH MY GOD.

Sesshomaru’s tag is FLOODED with hate. Like every four post, there is hate, distain, and attacking happening. As someone who watches Yashahime, I quickly knew why.

Sessrin.

Even now I sigh. And I sigh HARD. I am not for, nor am I against the Sessrin train. Same for the Sesskagu train. I think both sides need to look at things on a logical prospective. I plan to do just that. I know I will get hate from the either side and maybe some support as well. But if I am going to do anything in this fandom (as I like doing ships and reader inserts) it will come up.

So, like my Kaiba post, and my Sebastian Heel post, I will use my research skills as well as my COLLEGE DEGREE WHICH HAS BOTH ART AND MEDIEVAL HISTORY labelled on it to explain why this progression in the story is normal to anti-Sessrin fans and why this isn’t a crime by story standards nor should we look at it as a crime.

AS WELL

Explain to Sessrin fans why it is so weird for non-shippers to see it play out and why so much hate formed.

As I let out another sigh, we shall begin. Let’s start at an historical prospective. (Links at the bottom).

PLEASE READ THE WHOLE THING! I’LL BE ABLE TO TELL!

I will start with the information I can access right away.

While finding charts on the life-span of common folk in 1590’s Feudal Japan is rather difficult, Ancient.edu states that the average lifespan was about 50. To put this in perspective, the average lifespan of Europeans at the time was somewhere between 40-45 with the latter being rare. Since most of us reading are not from Japanese descent, I will through Europe in this first.

If we look at the same time frame of 1590, we are looking at most of Western Europe had now entered the age of Renaissance. According to sources from Learning Resources in association with the National Gallery of Art, marriage was not what TV drama’s from HBO or Hulu depicted. By today standards they would be a crime, as the average age for marriage of an adult female was age 14…

The reasoning behind the young marriage age had multiple factors. First being, females were considered an adult once they were menstruating. Birthing also proved to be fatal, and since the lifespan was at best 40 and 45 if they were lucky, there was really no room to wait. Also Europe at the time had became hugely focused on making sure blood lines were legitimate, meaning to ensure the girl was a virgin, the moment she was able to reproduced she was married off. Those they married were not young teenagers either. Most marriages, a man would be in their thirties, and had probably multiple wives as women died more than men when not counting the battle field.

To make matters worse for the Renaissance Lady, these marriages would leave many young males unable to marry and if their husband died in battle, well, unfortunately they were not seen as desirable. This was due to the idea of a ‘free woman’. Should the girl not have a father, brother or uncle to return to as they too died, a widow had her freedom. But that freedom came at a cost. She would be assumed to have slept around, and in many writings, such as the Canterbury Tales, where Geoffrey Chaucer writes about a Window on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land survived her five husbands and the men in her family. In short, she was made to be a slut and to be looked down upon as no man controlled her.

The point of talking about Europe is because that is something most of us Non-Asian or Japanese people consume and like to paint in large romantic brush strokes of knights and magic. Honestly, reading G.R.R.Martin Song of Ice and Fire, he uses this model as we see the Queen of Dragons, Danny start off at age thirteen shortly after she had her first menstruation.

Now let’s look at Feudal Japan.

As stated before, the lifespan was around 50 years. In some populations, this was even shorter. Nagaoka, Hirata, Yokota and Matsu’ura’s on demographic data at the Yuigahama-minami area in Kamakura, Japan and found both male and female remains that suggested life expectancy to have ended around age 24-25. This was largely due to living conditions and public health. In areas like these, it would make the most sense to marry and repopulate quickly as the expectancy of life was half the national average at the time.

To my frustration, I could not find a clear marriage age for Japanese women at the time of the edo period. HOWEVER, where there is a will there is a way. I took a look at famous Lords or Daimyo’s of the time. The average age of marriage of their wives was between 12-14. Much younger than I expected, but it made sense considering this is a time where war ran the show and marriage was strictly about political gain. One of these Daimyo’s was Masamune Date, who was also 13, but then as he got older took concubines who became considerably younger than him as he became older. The goal was to have as many children as possible for hires and for political marriages to gain power.

Now lets look at Inuyasha the MANGA

Lets get the manga timeline proper here. The whole adventure took place in 11 months, a month shy of Kagome’s 16th birthday. Doing a few estimations, Rin would have travelled with Sesshomaru about 8-9 of those months. But before we get into the relationship, lets look at something the ANIME made a huge mistake with in the beginning and tried to fix as the story went on.

For some reason I could only fine gifs for the Early appearances of Sesshomaru so bear with me.

Early appearances in the manga

^ He was so fickle and a trickster then...

Now early apperances in the anime.

Later appearance in the manga

Laster appearance in the anime

Notice the issue here?

Sesshomaru was CONSIDERABLY younger looking in the start of the manga. In the anime, he started off looking like an fully adult male. But as the anime went on, they tried to make Sesshomaru look younger with subtle changes to his jaw line, eye size, and his height. Yeah, his height had changed. They made him shorter.

While in the manga, we see this young-teen looking demon, slowly mature over 11 months to look like he is in his later teens and by series end, closer to being in his late teens or twenty. Yes, art changes over time, but the anime went a reverse route. I can only guess they spoke to the author of Inuyasha about her ships, as they did Drama CDs, and realized the mistake that was made in making him more mature than he was.

You can’t tell me he doesn’t look closer to his manga self in the final act, because he does.

Since we are on the topic of the anime, lets be clear. The anime timeline and manga timeline are very different. The story in the anime (in the English) suggests that OVER a year has past since Kagome started her journey. They try to fix this in the final act, but it was still so muddled as previous seasons are to be taken as cannon. This could have been due to an translation error in the early production when the anime no longer had anymore manga material to reference. But whatever the case, for English viewers the time the group spent together felt much longer.

So now we come to the heart of the issue.

Because of the mistakes of the anime, a lot of anti-sessrin see the relationship as father daughter. I’ll be honest, watching the anime and solely the anime as a teenager and as an adult (as the manga was on hold for a very long time due to author’s health. I was in college when it finished.), I too thought it was just a father-daughter relationship and Jaken the nanny who got punched all the time. In fact, the English took hard liberties with Kagura, as the English dubs often do with characters, and made it very clear her feelings for the demon lord and Sesshomaru very much recognized them (though he never responded). Even in her death scene, it felt as if he was saying good bye to a friend more than love interest. But who really knows, as there are things that point otherwise. When another demon mock’s Kagura’s death, Sesshomaru gets super pissy.

The manga did also play with this fact when it came out in English, idk if the wording or message is different in the Japanese. Translation errors happen a lot even in todays releases, look at Kuroshitsuji. So of course most anti-sessrin’s did not see this coming in Yashahime when Rin was named mother. In fact it felt like a betrayal as we were sure Sesshomaru had no romantic feelings.

Then there was the Kohaku/Rin mashup that was hinted left and right. The English anime, with its overly dramatic and blunt emotions made it appear one way. That in the end the two kids would probably be married. Then the anime as a whole made Sesshomaru older than intended. I can see why and understand how this became a problem.

On the other side of that coin.

If you followed the dub, seen ‘Swords of an Honorable Ruler’ and read the manga… Sesshomaru was not fatherly to Rin at all. In fact, Jaken picked up all of that leg work. Rin worried for Kohaku, but clearly loved Lord Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru cared about Kagura but he almost CRIED when he lost Rin.

We have to remember that Sesshomaru and Rin’s relationship must have been very hard for the demon. While we never see his mental process expect for a few rare times, we have to remember he hated humans. In the movie, he blamed a human for the early death of his father, Sesshomaru killed without mercy. It made sense that he wouldn’t be fatherly to Rin as her just being there should have caused countless inner conflicts. Hell, he even says his father’s weakness was humans, and look who picked up that trait.

Sesshomaru was designed to, someday, walk in his father’s footsteps. So sess/rin, not a surprise. Also when you see it in a historical perspective, Rin having kids around age 15-16, makes sense. In fact you could argue he waited too long for the time period.

We also need to look more at the manga when concerned with Yashahime. 8-9 months is all Rin travelled with him and he was like hold up, and left her at the village because he KNEW she needed to come to her own conclusion. That no matter what she picked he would live with and protect her. Unconditional love on his end. She cannon wise spent YEARS living with humans and MONTHS with Sesshomaru. Again, by manga standards of cannon.

Now I can already hear the screaming about age and what not. Some sources say Sesshomaru is over 900, by the rule of thumb, if we look at anime and movie releases, we have Sesshomaru being over 500 with no define age and Inuyasha around 270 years old being more pinpointed due to the movie. Just by going by ANIME CANNON. Kagome and Inuyasha, you have a 15 year old with a 270 year old man. If you say being pinned to the tree doesn’t count, then you have 220.

Also, here is something very interesting. In the episode where Inuyasha meets the unmother, he tells her, thinking it was his mom, she died when he was very small and we have flash backs later in the series of him being small running from demons. Demons clearly age much slower than humans, even half-demons. Inuyasha can be 270 but mentally and physically be 15, the same logic works for Sesshomaru, who in the manga is not much older than Inuyasha.

In the manga, there wasn’t any grooming, in the anime, there was a ton of mess-ups but no grooming.

Would this fly in todays world? HELL NO! NO, its gross, she’s a kid. Stop.

I know any fanfic I write will lean heavily on the side of father/daughter because that is what I grew up seeing on the screen. I can’t think of Rin as an adult because years of seeing her as a cheerful little girl. It’s like seeing G.O.T Arya about to have sex for the first time in season 8… I remember when she was a kid on the show. It was way to weird and I had to look away until it ended. But that’s my 2021 mentality.

But Inuyasha is not taking place in 2021. Feudal Japan is a whole other era with its own beliefs, morals and way of life. Those who understand this have nothing wrong with them. They just understand history.

Also, just to bang some nails in…

Anyone remember Bleach? Remember the MOST accepted couple was Ichigo and Rukia…. Rukia who was hundreds of years old and Ichigo who was 15… or Ichigo’s mom who was a teenager and his dad also hundreds of years old.

Most of this also boils down to Sesshomaru being a dude. As in reverse roles in animes its accepted and they don’t have the same historical context. Inuyasha is based off of historical context of Feudal Japan.

We need to stop spreading hate. We can’t accept some forms of literature because its European fantasy but bash other fantasy based literature for doing the same thing.

Sure, its weird for those who were use to seeing the father/daughter dynamic. Yes, there are extreme sessrin fans who post really questionable illegal content when they decide to leave Rin as an 8-year-old…

But this wasn’t ever meant to be perverted. The story was meant to make sense on a logical and historical base.

I hope everyone takes the time to read this. I love Inuyasha, I love Sesshomaru. I am just sick of seeing so many people fighting over what should be the revival of a beloved series. While yes, there is still room for sess/rin not being a thing, until it is stated otherwise, why hate each other? This fandom will only lose people by doing this. Calling people names or accusing them of illegal endorsement can hurt someone these days over social media.

Tumblr allows you to block tags. You don’t have to read anything or watch anything you don’t like. We gain nothing from attacking each other but can lose so much by doing so. Fanart, really good fan fiction, friends, ideas, sharing fond memories. Both sides have the right to feel as they feel, but no right in hurting each other.

A fandom is meant to bring people together. Not start a war…

Thank you.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajpa.20402

http://www.italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-2/essays/husbands-and-wives/#:~:text=Marriage%20not%20only%20reflected%20order,to%20ensure%20the%20bride's%20virginity.

https://www.ancient.eu/Canterbury_Tales/

https://www.ancient.eu/article/1424/daily-life-in-medieval-japan/#:~:text=Just%20as%20Japanese%20people%20today,in%20Western%20Europe%2C%20for%20example.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_Masamune

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megohime

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sonofsallyjackson · 4 years

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Heroes of Olympus should have been in first-person.

@jo-march-is-a-lesbian wrote a really wonderful post about how “Percy Jackson and the Olympians is better than Heroes of Olympus…because it understood simplicity and character development.” It highlights some reasons I also found HoO less rewarding namely that it was an overcomplicated story with limited character growth, lacked a common thesis, and was super jarring when it switched perspectives.

And with that my little brain went: I can fix this. Which frankly is ridiculous. I can’t come up with a compelling thesis like “The idea that we should place our hope in our loved ones, our friends and our family, and if we do that, we won’t be tempted to give up hope again.” But I can imagine a simple change that would have solved some of the issues and also played to Rick’s strengths as a writer: Each book should have been written in first person and narrated by a different character.

With so many people on the quest, I often felt like I was watching a bunch of one-dimensional characters fight for their right to be the main character. I didn’t know who to focus on but I was also dissatisfied. There were all these new wonderful characters in front of me who I wanted to love, but I didn’t feel like I actually knew them. I mean I don’t feel like I know the Stoll Brothers either, but I’m not concerned about that fact because they are side characters. When everyone is painted as the main character, I have certain expectations for growth, personality, and voice. The story would have been better served if the characters took turns narrating the action, allowing us to settle into their perspective, see their growth, and better understand their personality.

Plus Rick kills first-person. While I’m not particularly a fan of Trials of Apollo, it’s not because I don’t know the characters. Apollo is so very different than Percy. Their voices, even though they can both be jokesters at times, reflect their different life-experiences, thought processes and provide massive insight into their characters. If the Seven (and Nico and Reyna) got the same treatment, I would be absolutely giddy.

I recognize that rewriting the HoO series in first-person is something a talented fanfiction writer with a lot of time on their hands could actually do. But I am not talented like that and I certainly don’t have the discipline to actually write that much fic, especially if I was trying to keep the events vaguely the same just with different narration and pacing. So instead I’ve included who I think should have narrated each book below the cut. I’d love to hear any opinions people have regarding this idea, especially who they would have wanted to see to narrate each book.

In addition to picking the narrator, I’ve highlighted what should be the “quest” so to speak of each story. Personally, MoA, HoH and BoO are kind of a blur to me despite reading them all recently. It’s hard to distinguish what happens in each book because it’s all one massive quest with a whole bunch of mini-quests. While the different narrators would obviously make the books more distinctive, splitting the series into seven books would also help simplify each book’s individual goal. Eight books would have allowed for better integration of the plot to find the physician’s cure, but with the prophecy of seven, it seemed like seven books was the best option, if I was going to be doing something as blasphemous as splitting books.

As a note, I ran out of steam as I went so not all opinions are fully fleshed out.

Book 1: The Lost Hero The Quest: Rescue Hera/Juno Narrator: Jason

Why this would be cool:

He is literally Juno’s chosen sent on a quest to rescue her. It’s poetic enough to give him the book.

Jason’s journey is just as much about rediscovering himself as it is about saving Juno. Of the new characters, I feel like I understand Jason the least. Mainly because I felt like I was missing the entire first half of his story. Jason, like Percy and Annabeth, is a hero of the Titan War. I know some of his accomplishments, but I don’t have any bearing on what his life was like or how he felt about it. He doesn’t seem like the type to relish Praetor-ship since he doesn’t have the same intense need to get back to his camp as Percy. Was he just hoisted on his comrades’ shields after killing the Titan without any real choice in the matter? Give me Jason’s memories coming back slowly over the course of the quest (with potentially a fractured memory of a mistake he made in the Roman’s final Titan battle that makes him doubt their ability to both rescue Piper’s dad and save Hero but he makes the decision to anyway because he can’t just hurt his friend like that. Let me understand how Jason is the person he is today. Give me glances of the Roman Camp with emphasis on the heavy expectations that have always followed him as the son of Jupiter and foreshadow why he eventually chooses to design all the shrines for the minor gods so he can have his own place in the world as a figure between the two camps.

Let’s dive into those feelings of anger/guilt/resentment when people at camp are disappointed with him for not being Percy or in Chiron’s case are nervous about what his presence means.

I want to dig deeper regarding Jason’s feelings about reconnecting with Thalia. He knows that if the gods hadn’t been determined to keep the two camps completely separate, he could have grown up with his sister.

What does telling the narrative like this sacrifice:

We miss some of the internal turmoil regarding the fact that Piper’s Dad has been captured and she must betray her friends.

We also don’t feel the tensions of Piper’s relationship with Aphrodite. I don’t see Piper bringing up the conversation with her mom saying that her mist memories were so strong because she automatically sensed the potential of a romantic relationship with Jason.

We don’t have any of Leo’s conflicted feelings regarding rescuing Hera or his fear of being made an outcast for his fire abilities. Jason has to go with Leo to discover Bunker 9 and Festus.

Leo doesn’t actively save the day with the Cyclops.

We don’t know how Piper feels about her charm-speak or see her defeat Madea (as the boys are in their weird trance thing).

Knowledge about Gaea’s involvement in wrecking Leo’s life will come later.

Book 2: The Son of Neptune The Quest: Free Thantos Narrator: Hazel

Why this would be cool:

The stakes are so incredibly high. Hazel is literally risking her second chance at life by agreeing to go on this chance. She’s going to the place she died to fight the monster she created. She also has to deal with the trauma of knowing she may have bought the world time with her first sacrifice but it now means nothing if she can’t succeed again.

We get to see Camp Jupiter from the view of someone who loves it but doesn’t really fit in. Hazel joined Camp Jupiter just after the final battle. She enters a community that has learned to fight as a well-oiled machine but that has lost people. Dakota or the others may remark to her about how things were before or the people who are missing. Hazel sees a community that she’s not quite a part of both because she didn’t fight in the war and because she’s in the fifth cohort with a feared godly parent.

It would explore her relationship with Nico more (because I love their dynamic and I want more). She knows she can’t replace his real sister, but she feels comfortable and happy at the opportunity to have a brother, especially one who is out of time like she is.

What does telling the narrative like this sacrifice:

Frankly, the largest pushback would be from the fans who expected this to be Percy’s book since we just watched Jason rediscover who he is.

Percy’s phone call to his mom doesn’t have the same intensity.

Frank’s relationship with Mars and how desperate he was to be claimed but now he doesn’t think he can live up to his father’s expectations.

Frank and his grandmother. We aren’t in Frank’s head as he changes shape till later.

Book 3: Mark of Athena The Quest: Close the Divide Between The Two Camps by finding Athena’s statue and Rescue Nico Narrator(s): Annabeth and Leo

Why Annabeth:

So I can have all the emotions at the reunion with Percy.

Annabeth’s relationship with her Mom has never been great, but imagine beginning the book with Annabeth being given the Mark of Athena. They haven’t left for New Rome yet and her nerves are already all over the place. Then Athena/Minerva comes, gives her an impossible quest, and breaks her hat. Annabeth wants to prove to her mother that she’s worthy because despite everything she still values her mother’s opinions. Also her fatal flaw of hubris makes her believe she will succeed where everyone else failed.

Much of the book already follows her in third person limited so we just get things with a little extra emotion.

Why Leo:

Leo has to grapple with the fact he started this war by being the one to fire the cannon even if he didn’t have any control. He is motivated to fix it

If we’re going to include the Sammy plot, we need to do it now. Leo doesn’t like being the odd one out on the ship but he certainly doesn’t like the feeling of being notable because of his grandfather.

We still need to get into those feelings of abandonment and anger at Gaea for killing his mom.

Nemesis

Leo comes into his own with the discovery of the Archimedes sphere and the decision to value people over objects.

What does telling the narrative like this sacrifice:

The aquarium shenanigans

The fight between Jason and Percy in Kansas needs to happen differently so that the others are present and try to stop it.

Neither of them went ashore to meet Hercules.

I think we might need to move up the Calypso meeting to this book, but that also kills some of the suspense since Frank will have the fireproof coating prior to his adventures in Venice when he gains faith in his abilities. It also might mean Leo opens the fortune cookie from Nemesis unless for some odd reason he doesn’t have it. There’s a lot more narrative weight for it coming later, but in order to get in as many book events as we can in, it might need to come earlier.

Book 4: House of Hades Pt. 1

The Quest: Survive Tartarus Narrator(s): Annabeth and Percy

The first time I read House of Hades, I read it out of order (reading all the Percy and Annabeth chapters until they were on the elevator out of Tartarus before going back and reading the others), because I couldn’t handle the back and forth. I felt like the tension would build, I’d be invested in this plot and then we’d switch to the other plot. Plus I was very concerned for my children. So I feel fully justified in saying that there is more than enough material to give the two of them their own book.

I just feel like all the feelings would be magnified.

Percy’s commentary slowly losing its humor because he can’t anymore.

Annabeth’s guilt at having pulled him in being extra loud.

Downsides beyond adding an entire book: Just imagine all the outrage at two cliffhangers in a row, because you know the book would end with them in the elevator remembering Bob’s words about the stars.

Book 5: House of Hades Pt. 2

The Quest: Close the Doors of Death Narrator(s): Frank and Hazel

Frank and Hazel experience the most growth on the quest to close the doors so this book is all theirs. Hazel learns to control the mist. Frank experiments with his transformations. I want nothing but them growing into themselves and their abilities.

The good thing about turning the two warring storylines from House of Hades into separate books is that we lose very little plot.

Book 6: House of Hades Pt. 3/Blood of Olympus Pt 1 (Personally I would call this one Ambassador of Pluto)

The Quest: Unite the Gods’ Personalities. Narrator: Nico

To clarify what I mean by HoH 3, I just mean anything done with the intention of trying to cross paths with Reyna, including the adventure with Cupid, in addition to the existing Nico&Reyna plotline in BoO.

Nico dealing with all the emotions and his most recent near-death experience.

He kept the secret of the camps so the world wouldn’t end in chaos, but now that the world is in chaos he will be the one to fix it.

In the short time he’s on the Argo 2, Nico realizes that even though this wasn’t his quest; this is his family and he needs to protect them.

The reader has a pretty good idea Nico is gay, even if the word isn’t explicitly said from the descriptions (his guilty Percy thoughts - he let down the man he loves even if he won’t admit it.) This means that Cupid’s forceful outing is potentially less surprising so the reader can be properly outraged at Cupid.

Downside: Reyna definitely has adventures when Nico is passed out, especially the whole waking up with the Hunters, but I think it’s excusable for a whole book from Nico’s perspective.

Also, the battle between the camps and gifting of the statue needs to happen in this book, but we shouldn’t find out if the gods have regained control of their forms yet. We alleviate some tensions because Camp Half-blood is likely to be overrun with Octavian’s monsters instead of the Roman armies and Gaea could awaken any second, but there’s an odd moment of calm and an uneasy truce. (Octavian is potentially taken under custody to be held for trial only to escape in the next book.)

Book 7: Blood of Olympus Pt 2 (and the aftermath)

The Quest: Like The Last Olympian, the final book’s focus is entirely on defeating the series’ big bad, in this case, Gaea. Leo’s quest for the Physician’s cure parallels Percy’s River Styx visit.

Narrator(s): Leo and Piper

Leo has his death hanging over his head. He has decided that he will be the one to die not any of his friends. He got the cloth from Calypso so the “fire” portion of the prophecy applies to him and not Frank. (Yes I know you can’t control prophecies, but do you think that’s going to stop Leo.)

It’s the ultimate revenge for killing his mom. We can have memories of both the happy times with Esperanza and the fear he felt for thinking he caused the fire.

Piper’s perspective is necessary as we need to be with her during the fight with the giants.

This series began with Piper, Leo, and Jason. It ends that way too with the three of them killing Gaea and the two of them narrating.

Downsides:

The Percabeth I love you-the feud is over scene remains in Piper’s perspective.

Since we’re not following Reyna’s delivery of the statue concurrently we don’t know when to anticipate the healed gods appearing in the battle with the giants.

The book can still get away with not showing us Percy’s reunion with Sally or forcing Leo to tell the others he’s alive so they’re all grieving.

#pjo meta #pjo fandom #pjo/hoo #hoo #riordanverse #heroes of olympus #my meta #percy jackon and the olympians #the seven #jason grace #hazel levesque #leo valdez #piper mclean #percy jackson #annabeth chase #frank zhang #the fandom once again improving hoo

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tdpholidayexchange · 4 years

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A Moonshadow Test

Hi Lyn, @lodestarting here is your Secret Santa, a long fic where Callum tries to impress and keep his cool around Runaan. I hope that you like it. - @ladyandherbooks.

Callum was annoyed, this was not how he envisioned his journey to the Silvergrove going.

‘‘Ez are you sure that Opelli can’t handle this? You appointed her your regent while you’re away, let her deal with it.’’

Ezran sighed ‘’I’m sorry Callum but the delegation from Neolandia requires an extra day to finalise their new trade agreements with the elven territories and I need to be there to help them. After what happened with Prince Kasef his father wants to ensure that he mends the bridges that his son tore down in his quest for revenge. I need to be here.’’

‘’It’s okay Ez, I know how important this meeting is to you. Don’t worry I’ll be fine, it’s only one day. One day in the Silvergrove with Rayla and her four scary parents being my only company will be fine.’’

‘’ They aren’t that scary Callum, especially not Ethari, Bait loves him.’’

‘’You weren’t there when he saw Viren try to kill Runaan after he was freed from the coin. Runaan, Tiadrin and Lain might be hardened assassins, but I’d rather go up against them in a fight than Ethari when he gets angry. I think Aaravos might have even been a little bit intimidated.’’

‘’You’ll be fine, they’ve known you for a year and a half now. They know how much you love Rayla, how much you desire peace for Xadia and how much you are willing to risk and sacrifice for both. They like you Callum, they trust you, I’ve seen it.’’

It appeared that he had no choice. Hugging his brother quickly Callum then turned and made his way to the end of the balcony. Strapping his bag around his chest he climbed onto the ledge, raised his painted arms and spoke, his arms turning into wings as he stood in the early morning light.

‘’I’ll see you tomorrow Ez.’’

‘’Bye Callum.’’

He leapt and immediately feeling the wing beneath his wings, soared away from the palace, towards his destination, the Silvergrove.

As they entered the Grove Callum could feel is nerves returning, what if his brother was wrong? What if the four of them decided that he wasn’t a suitable match for their daughter? What would they do to him? Was there an ancient Moonshadow elf test to prove your worth to your girlfriend’s family? He wasn’t as accomplished in Moon magic as he liked but he’d give it a shot if it meant he could show them just how much he cared for Rayla.

‘’Are you alright?’’

‘’Yes, of course I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong, I’m okay. I’m great.’’

‘’Callum.’’ Rayla looked at him, one eyebrow raised as she silently judged him. She knew him too well, he couldn’t lie to her.

‘’Okay, fine I’m a little nervous. I just didn’t expect to be spending a day alone with your parents. What if I mess up, say something stupid or offensive? What if they something funny and I laugh so hard that whatever I’m drinking comes out my nose?’’

‘’Has that ever happened before?’’

‘’No but it might.’’

‘’Callum,’’ She said taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. ‘’It’ll be okay, I promise. And you won’t have to spend time with all four of them. Mum and Dad had to take a quick last-minute trip to Whitegrove to get some supplies for the festival. They won’t be back till tomorrow it’s just Ethari, Runaan and I until then.’’

‘’Oh, okay well, I guess…’’

‘’Callum, it’s going to be okay.’’ She kissed him on the cheek.

‘’Now come on I’ll race you to the tree house.’’

The last time Callum had been here he had only ever ventured into Ethari’s workshop. He had hoped to see Rayla’s childhood home, since she had already infiltrated his and to have a chance to sleep in a bed for the first time since he had left the Moon nexus. However, it wasn’t meant to be, and they left the Silvergrove less than two hours after their arrival. Now however, his reason for visiting were guaranteed to be a much happier instance. Finally, he would get to see the place where Rayla grew up, where she went to school, were she played, he would get to see everything. He was excited.

As he reached the top of the curving staircase he bent down, resting his hands on his knees catching his breath as he tried and failed to keep up with his athletic and acrobatic girlfriend. He looked up and was met with Rayla smirking down at him, the look of triumph plastered all over her face.

‘’You cheated.’’

‘’Did not.’’

‘’Did too.’’

‘’No, I, unlike you just used all the skills I had to win. You for some reason decided not to use your magic to fly to the top. That way you would have at least stood a chance at winning.’’

‘’I thought that it was a running race.’’

‘’I never said it was, you just assumed. Always a fatal mistake.’’

Callum was about to reply when the door behind Rayla opened to reveal Ethari.

‘’Ah Callum you’re finally here, come in, Runaans in the kitchen helping me prepare food for the festival.’’

‘’That sounds dangerous’’ Rayla said as she entered her home.

Ethari laughed ‘’Don’t worry, he’s only helping with the prep work. I’ll be the one doing all the cooking. He is planning on making you a giant Moonberry surprise though.’’

‘’Really? Are you serious?’’

‘’That’’ came a voice from the kitchen ‘’was meant to be a surprise.’’

Callum rounded the corner and entered the kitchen and paused as Rayla rushed past him to Runaan, excitement radiating off her as she approached her second father of her heart.

‘’But you only make it for me on my birthday.’’

‘’Well this going to be the first Solstice festival that we’ve all been together since you were three so I thought that I might surprise everyone.’’

His eyes, which had been bright and full of love for Rayla suddenly turned dark and hard as his gaze found and fell on Callum. Callum gulped and stepped into the kitchen.

‘’Hello Runaan, lovely to see you again. You have a lovely home, nice panelling, sturdy.’’

‘’It is a tree house. We live inside a tree.’’

‘’Of course, yes, how silly of me.’’

Feeling his ace heat up with embarrassment Callum looked around the room, hoping to find something to comment on that wasn’t tree related. As he did, he could feel Runaan’s eyes burning into the back of his head. He turned his back so that the older elf could not see how nervous he was and tried to compose himself. He could do this, he could handle a day or two without his family and friends to distract and take up Runaan’s time. He’d endured and survived much more dangerous and stressful missions than this. Yes, he thought, straightening up, this would be easy.

‘’What are you doing?’’

Callum jumped and spun around to see Runaan standing right behind him.

‘’Oh, uh nothing, just uh looking at things.’’

‘’I see.’’

‘’Yeah, uh, lots of things to look at here.’’

‘’You’re looking at a sink of drying dishes.’’

‘’Oh, well, they’re very interesting, so ahh white, yes, very white and pretty.’’

Runaan didn’t reply, instead he just stood there, arms crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised as he watched him, silently judging him as he bumbled through an obvious lie. Then, as if by magic, and he very much hoped that it was, a smiling Ethari approached the pair and told him to put his bag in his room. Thankful for a chance to escape he hurried away to his bedroom to unpack his things. Once he unpacked Callum made his was back to the kitchen and found the three elves sitting around the small kitchen table, a glass of Moonberry juice in front of each of them as they chatted. Ethari noticed him and smiled.

‘’Runaan and I were about to go to the market to stock up for the festival. Would you two like to come?’’ He turned to Rayla.

You could show him the centre of the Grove.’’

Rayla smilled and nodded.

‘’I wanted to show Callum around the Silvergrove so I guess that would be a good place to start as any. Let’s get going.’’

Callum sighed, this was going to be a very long day. He couldn’t wait until Ezran arrived.

The Silvergrove was much bigger than Callum had imagined. As the four of them made their way to the market Rayla pointed out various buildings and landmarks, recounting different memorable moments she’s had at each. Despite his nerves and the knowledge that Runaan’s judgemental gaze was constantly fixed on him he soon found himself falling in love with Rayla’s childhood home. His gaze was constantly switching, never lingering, Silvergrove was incredible, filled with such wonder and magic that he felt a slight twinge of jealousy and longing for a childhood filled with such wonder. Then his gaze fixed upon the market and Callum’s awe and excitement grew. This was the place to be. Beside him he felt Rayla gently tug on his arm, guiding him to a fruit stall located on the left side of the market’s entrance.

As they made their way around the market and the various shops found in the heart of the Silvergrove Callum could feel Runaan’s eyes burning into the back of his head and could feel his judgment as if it were a brand on his skin. Runaan may have been a Moonshadow elf but his gaze had the burning intensity that one would expect from a Sunfire elf. More than once Callum found himself stuttering or dropping whatever he had picked up, his nerves were getting the better of him. They followed the two older elves as they walked through the market, stopping every now and then at a stall or a shop to examine and purchase some of the produce and wares on sale. It did not take long for Ethari’s basket/bags to fill up with food for the festival in two days’ time. Adjusting the strap of one of the bags he had slung over his shoulder Ethari turned to them.

‘’We’ve gotten everything we need for the moment so if you two want to head off you better go now. We’ll meet you back here at the Blue Moon in an hour for dinner. Have fun you two.’’

Beside him Rayla grinned and waved to her father’s as they headed off back in the direction of home.

‘’What’s the Blue Moon?’’ he asked.

‘’Only the best place to eat in all of the Silvergrove.’’ She pointed to a large white building on the opposite side of the town square.

‘’This was the place I told you about the first time you came here. This is the where you can get the best Moonberry Surprise. Before my parents left for the Dragon Guard we used to eat here once a week. Runaan and Ethari used to take me there too but not as often, they prefer dinner in. It was the first place that they ate together as a couple though, so we did come here quite often, they even let you order food and take it home with you to eat.’’

‘’That’s unusual.’’

‘’It’s the best, when I was growing up Runaan would take me here after a long day of training and he’d order dinner for us to take home. Now hurry up, there’s still so much of the Silvergrove that I must show you.’’

Over the next hour Rayla led him around most of the grove, showing him her school, the training grounds and parks where she’d learnt to be an assassin, the thermal pools where the elves liked to unwind and the shopping district where Callum saw shops catering to every and any need that a Moonshadow elf might have. Suddenly his eyes fell on one shop and he gasped in excitement.

‘’Rayla, a bookstore. Can we go in?’’

‘’We have a little bit of time left before dinner so as long as we don’t take too long, I don’t see why not.’’

Nodding in agreement Callum raced over to the shop, dragging a surprised Rayla behind him. He opened the door, the little door bell ringing as they entered and Callum immediately felt at home. There were so many books, so much magical knowledge that Callum almost squealed in excitement. He ran over to the nearest bookshelf and grabbed a thick, leather bound book and opened it, finding a book filled with illusion spells and charms for daily life. He grabbed another book, this one a spell book filled with protection charms and runes. Beside it was a book dedicated to illusions to change one or more of an elf’s physical features.

‘’This is incredible, I’ve never seen so many magic books. I want them all.’’

Every other shelf and bookcase had at least one book that caught his eye. From basic spell books, to tomes on potions to gigantic, leather bound box sets that told the history of the earliest uses and developments of Moon magic, this book store had everything that he could have wanted. Each shelf and bookcase was dedicated to a different field, level or speciality of Moon magic. He didn’t want to leave, he could spend an eternity here. He grabbed the books that had first caught his eye, made his way over to the nearest table, pulled out a chair and began to read.

‘’Easy there Callum, you’ll be here for a week remember. There’s plenty of time to find the perfect book or three.’’

Callum looked up from a book on the basics of Moon magic and instead of seeing Rayla’s face he found himself surrounded by a very tall wall of books. Somehow, in all his excitement he had managed to build himself a book fort without realising what he was doing. Glancing around the carefully constructed fort he found his now exasperated girlfriend watching him. Behind her stood an elf that Callum guessed was the owner of the bookstore. Rubbing the back of his head he jumped up quickly, grabbing the books that he had bumped in order to prevent them from falling.

‘’Sorry, I’ll put these all away right now.’’

The elf chuckled and shook his head ‘’It’s perfectly fine my boy. If there’s one thing, I’ll never be/get angry about it’s someone’s love of books and knowledge. Take all the time that you need and don’t worry about the books, I’ll put them back when you’re done.’’

Fifteen minutes later Rayla, with a great deal of difficulty, managed to drag Callum through the shop’s front door with the promise of spending as all day in the bookshop later in the week. Walking away from the shop Callum heard his stomach growl loudly and he realised just how hungry he was. He didn’t have to wait long as within a few minutes he found himself in front of the restaurant that Rayla had pointed out an hour ago.

‘’Rayla, Callum, perfect timing.’’

Callum turned and saw Ethari and Runaan walking hand in hand towards them. Callum saw Runaan’s gaze go from happy and content to intense and hard as he looked from Rayla to him. He gulped but stood his ground nervously as he felt Runaan’s scrutinising gaze give him a once over before settling back on his husband, a small smile now replacing the hard lines that had just graced his features. Ethari giving no indication that they had noticed the look Runaan had given him smiled at him and led the group inside. When he entered Callum temporarily forgot his nerves as he took in the restaurant and it’s interior. The restaurant was airy yet cosy, filled with, to Callum’s surprise comfortable couches and big cushioned chairs surrounding large and small white tables decorated with traditional Moonshadow patterns and designs. Rayla gently tugged his arm and guided him through the restaurant to a small table nestled in a back corner near a large window.

‘’Best seat in the house.’’ She stated as she made herself comfortable on one of the small couches. Callum went and sat beside her while Runaan and Ethari took the couch opposite them. On the table in front of them were 4 menus, written in elvish. The others picked up their menus and began perusing the meals available, debating what they were going to eat. Callum picked up the final menus and tried to decipher the elvish before him. He’d tried, over the last year and a half to learn as much elvish as he could but there were still many words that he still didn’t know. As he tried to decipher the words in front of him a young Moonshadow elf with a purple apron tied around their waist approached their table

‘’Hello everyone, can I get you anything? Drinks? Food?’’

Ethari looked up at the young waitress and gave her a warm and friendly grinmaking the young elf blush.

‘’Just drinks now, I’ll have a pint of Moonberry mead please.’’

‘’Moonberry juice for me and the same for Callum’’ Rayla replied.

‘’I’ll just have a water.’’ Runaan replied simply.

The waitress nodded and left, promising that she would return with the drinks shortly. As she left Ethari turned to Runaan and spoke

‘’Only a water, you’re being very boring tonight.’’

‘’Well I know what you’re like when you drink, someone has to be the responsible one and make sure that you get home safe.’’

‘’I’m not the lightweight Runaan, I can handle more than few drinks.’’

‘’You know what I’m talking about.’’

Ethari smiled and put an arm around Runaan’s waist and placed a kiss on his cheek.

‘’Don’t worry Runaan, the only one I’ll flirt with tonight will be you.’’

Looking over the edge of his menu Callum saw Runaan’s face soften and, in that moment, he saw all the love, a love which had grown and deepened over many years appear on the former assassin’s face. This was what true love, real love looked like, the kind that his mother and father would have had if tragedy hadn’t struck and taken them far too young. The kind of love Callum hoped that he and Rayla would have one day. It was truly a beautiful site to behold and Callum found himself unable to look away. That is until Runaan, sensing another’s gaze upon him turned to look at Callum, his expression now stern and hard, displaying none of the softness it had had mere moments ago. Not wanting him to know that he had been staring Callum ducked behind his menu, his face almost certainly turning bright red in embarrassment. He couldn’t afford to annoy or upset Runaan, not when he was to be a guest in his house for an entire week. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rayla look over at him, her eyebrows raised.

‘’What’s wrong? Why is your face red?’’

‘’Nothing, nothing’s wrong I’m perfectly fine. My face just does this sometimes.’’

Rayla didn’t appear to be convinced but she didn’t press the issue, merely shaking her head and muttering about how weird humans could be.

‘’I think’’ Ethari began ‘’that we should just get a few dishes and a few extra plates so that we can pick and choose what we want. Then Callum can really see and try Moonshadow cuisine for himself.’’

Callum smiled at the older elf as the others nodded in agreement. He’d been struggling to read the menu and even if he had been able to read it, he knew he would have had trouble deciding on one dish. Just then the waitress returned with their drinks and Ethari and Runaan thanked her before giving her their order. The waitress left promptly, and the two adults turned back to the two teenagers and asked them about their tour of the Silvergrove. Soon Callum found himself in a lively conversation as he recounted the last hour as well as all the wonder and amazement he had felt as he had finally explored/toured/discovered Rayla’s childhood home.

‘’We haven’t finished yet though.’’ Rayla continued. ‘’Tomorrow I want to show Callum my old/first home. Not to mention that I promised to take Callum back to the bookstore he found this afternoon.’’

‘’Just if you don’t stay out too long. We need you to help us prepare for the festival in two days’ time. Ethari’s going to need help in the kitchen tomorrow and I need someone to help me set up the pavilions and help with the decorations. So, go out and have your fun in the morning but make sure that you’re back by lunchtime.’’

‘’That shouldn’t be a problem, if all goes well Ezran, Aunt Amaya, Corvus, Gren and Soren should be here by lunchtime tomorrow.’’

‘’Mum and Dad should be back by tomorrow afternoon too so by then we should have more than enough people to help you get ready for the festival. This is going to be the best festival ever. I can barely remember the last festival that I spent with mum and dad.’’

‘’Well you were three at the time so it’s very surprising that you have any memories of that festival at all.’’

‘’I remember being wet.’’

‘’That’s because you decided that you wanted to play with one of Ethari’s floating decorations in one of the pools and you fell in when you tried to grab it. Lian looked away for a second and when he heard the splash dove in right after you.’’

‘’When he pulled you out you were soaked through, miserable and terrified and that was the end of your time at the Solstice festival.’’

‘’I felt so terrible after you fell in that I fished one of those flowers out of the pool and gave it to you as your parents took you home. You grabbed the flower and didn’t let it go for days.’’

‘’Well I almost drowned to get it, there was no way I was letting it out of my sight.’’

Listening to this story from Rayla’s childhood Callum wanted to laugh or at least smile but was too nervous, especially with Runaan sitting right in front of him. He didn’t know what to do, his nerves told him to try and find something witty and enlightening to share and add to the conversation, but he knew that if he tried, he’d almost certainly ended up rambling and he knew that this would not help in his quest to get Runaan to like him. So, in order to save face, he kept silent, watching the conversation happening next to him as he did his best not to buckle under Runaan’s harsh gaze. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of silence their waitress returned carrying three different dishes, each sending out a different but very appealing smell. Behind her another elf followed, carrying one final dish and four plates, setting each of them down in front of them before giving them a small bow before retreating to the opposite end of the restaurant. In front of them sat four very different dishes, each looking and smelling just as appealing as the others. The first dish was a savoury pie, filled with Moon Stag venison, vegetables and herbs was hearty and filling. The next was a curry, vegetarian, with a thick, spicy sauce, served with rice and pickled cucumbers. The third was a salad, made with what Callum believed to be various leafy vegetables of green, red and purple, Xadian oranges and nuts with a simple dressing. The final dish was fish, a type that Callum had never seen or heard about during all his months in Xadia. It was battered and crispy with a large serving of thick cut chips beside it, with a generous serving of a tangy and creamy sauce beside it which Rayla informed him was known as Tartare sauce. Eager to try everything he piled his plate high with a generous helping of each dish, an act which would have made his little brother proud. Each dish was so delicious that he found it very hard to pick a favourite, the flavours were so different yet so complimentary he loved them all.

‘’I think that it’s that time, Moonberry Surprise time. I knew the chef when we were children and I’ve helped him out now and then when he needs, he needs heat protection charms or a new utensil. In return for my services I’m allowed into the kitchens where I can get fresh Moonberry Surprise straight out of the oven. Come on Rayla, let’s go and get some.’’ He gave Runaan a quick peck and left with Rayla at his heels, leaving Callum no time to protest or to stop his girlfriend from leaving him with her most intense parent. Callum nervously looked over and found Runaan staring at him intently.

‘’So, uh, dinner was nice. How’s retirement? Must be nice to finally relax and take things slowly. Not that I’m saying that you’re old, you’re still very young, real young, I’m sure you have many more years ahead of you.’’

‘’I need to say something/I want to talk to you.’’

Callum shut up.

‘’Something that I’ve wanted to say for a long, long time.’’

Callum panicked ‘’You see I’’

‘’Thankyou.’’

‘’Wait what.’’

‘’Thankyou for helping Rayla, for saving her life, for helping her and for being there when I could not. I’m glad Rayla found you, that you found each other. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her, to grow up and find someone that loves her and cares for her as you do. Someone willing to risk it all for her, someone who is willing to die for her. That is what my daughter deserves.’’

‘’So, you like me, you approve of me.’’

‘’Yes, I do. I have for some time now.’’

‘’But what about all your scrutiny and all those scary, Moonshadow death glares?’’

‘’That was Rayla’s idea, not mine.’’

‘’What?’’

‘’You see you aren’t the first non Moonshadow to fall in love with a Moonshadow elf and in these situations a certain tradition must be followed.’’

‘’Moonshadow death glares.’’

‘’The tradition is to put pressure on the outsider in order to determine if they are worthy of the love of a Moonshadow elf. If you can withstand the pressure then you’ll win the respect and approval of your love’s friends, family and community. If you fail, well, your love was never strong enough to be worthy/to withstand/weather life with one who walks between life and death. All who have failed this test have proved that their love was not as great or enduring as they believed.’’

‘’But if you already approve of me, then I must have already passed your test.’’

‘’Yes, but I’m not the only one you must impress and seek approval from. Lain and Tiadrin have expressed their intent to test you during your stay. Rayla though that it would be a good idea to give you a taste of what was to come, to see how you would handle such pressure and scrutiny when you aren’t in a life or death situation. So, she asked me to put some pressure on you as soon as you arrived to see how you would react.’’

‘’How did I do?’’

‘’Apart from the rambling I believe that you did quite well. I have no doubt that whatever Tiadrin and Lain’s tests are you will pass them with flying colours, just as Rayla predicted.’’

‘’She knew that I’d pass.’’

‘’Of course, she had faith in you. She just wanted to make sure, as did Ethari and I. Lain and Tiadrin can be very intense and stubborn, believe me, I’ve known them for almost my entire life. We all needed to know for certain if you were going to be able to handle them.’’

Runaan stopped and observed him for a moment.

‘’Callum, you earned my approval and respect a long time ago and many times over since then. You earnt it when I leant that you flung yourself off the Storm Spire to save Rayla. You earnt it when you helped free me and tried everything you could to help me heal and recover. You earnt it when you tried to help make Ethari smile when I could not. You earnt it when you let go of the hatred and anger you felt towards me even though you were completely justified in never letting it go, never forgiving me for killing your father. You do not have to prove that you are a worthy recipient of Rayla’s love.’’

‘’Thank you Runaan. That means a lot. But I must ask. If Rayla asked you to do this in secret, why tell me?’’

‘’Well I thought that you might like a bit of a heads up. As I said before I know Lain and Tiadrin. Lain and I have been best friends since we were five years old and I’ve known Tiadrin almost as long and I know that they’ve been planning for this week for quite a while/some time. This is not something that you should be going into unprepared.’’

‘’What are they going to do to me?’’

Runaan was about to reply but closed his mouth quickly, leaning back into the couch as Rayla and Ethari finally made their way back to the table.

‘’Try and look nervous, remember I wasn’t meant to tell you that this is a test.’’

Luckily this wasn’t difficult at all and by the time the other two had returned Runaan and Callum had schooled their features back into that of a judgmental and disapproving father and their nervous, rambling boyfriend. When they got to the table, they set down three plates of what Callum guessed was the famous Moonberry surprise. Ethari also set down a streaming hot cup of tea in front of his husband before snuggling up next to him/sitting beside him, legs touching and offering Runaan the first spoonful of his dessert.

‘’Runaan isn’t a big fan of desserts so he usually just has a bite or two of Ethari’s or mine. He does like fruit tarts though, but they didn’t have any today so we couldn’t bring him one.’’

Callum picked up his spoon and dug into the deep red mousse and its golden crumb base and took a bite. As he bit down something burst inside his mouth. He looked down in surprise but found nothing.

‘’What?’’

‘’Isn’t it great’’ Rayla said, her mouth filled with the surprising dessert.

‘’Why am I tasting pomegranate? I thought that this was Moonberry Surprise.’’

She grinned ‘’ That’s the surprise in Moonberry Surprise, you think you’re going to get a secret Moonberry treat but surprise, it’s pomegranate. You hide the pomegranate with an illusion so that every bite is a surprise.’’

‘’It is very surprising, but a very tasty surprise. Ez would love this, I can’t wait for him to try it.’’

‘’Just wait until you try Runaan’s, he makes a syrup from unripe, tangy Moonberries and drizzles it on top. It’s the best.’’

Out of the corner of his eye Callum saw Runaan flash him a very quick smile before his face returned to that of the stern and disapproving father, a persona that Callum now knew to be a charade/façade. He fixed his face into what hopefully looked like that of a nervous and awkward teenage boy, a feat which, after the events of the day was not too difficult to achieve.

As they made their way slowly back to the tree house Callum smiled, today had not been as bad as he had thought it would have been. Silvergrove was beautiful, he’d gotten to spend the afternoon with Rayla, he’d found an amazing bookstore, finally tried Moonberry Surprise and Runaan didn’t hate him/actually liked him. If he had dreamt of a perfect day in this place, then today would have been very close to perfect. Taking Rayla’s hand he strode forward more confidently than before. A few paces/strides behind them Runaan smiled, the small act catching Ethari’s eye.

‘’You told him didn’t you.’’

‘’Of course. Did you expect me to let him deal with Tiadrin and Lain totally unprepared? Rayla might have faith in him but she doesn’t know her parents like we do. The boy needed to know.’’

‘’Of course he does. But what happens when Rayla finds out that you told him what you were doing?’’

‘’She won’t. Callum can keep this secret. I have faith in him.’’

Ethari leaned into him, wrapping an arm around Runaan’s waist.

‘’You really like him don’t you. You wouldn’t have let him in on Rayla’s plan if you didn’t.’’

‘’He’s a good man, loving, protective, smart, creative. He reminds me of you. How could I not like him?’’

Ethari smiled and leant in, giving his husband a gentle kiss.

‘’I’m proud of you.’’

Runaan smiled and returned his husband’s kiss.

‘’Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to tell him what Lain and Tiadrin had planned for him.’’

‘’Oh dear.’’

‘’Yes’’ Runaan agreed, pulling Ethari closer ‘’Suffice it to say that this week is going to be a week none of us will ever to forget.’’

#tdp runaan #tdp ethari #THE DRAGON PRINCE #tdp callum #tdp rayla #tdp exchange

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novaimpactgenerator-blog · 5 years

Text

MTHTMTE Ch. 2: The Line

Summary

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Despite the fact that I had woken up fairly early so I wouldn't miss the flight there was still a very long line in front of me. I ended up getting there in time to be behind an orange and white bot with spectacles that was only slightly taller than me. He seemed nice just looking at him, but I was pretty sure that my cargo was making him nervous because he kept glancing back at me whenever the line move. I had also noticed that the bot doing security at the entrance was doing the same.

This isn't the first time I've been given weird looks because of the sheer size of the container. The majority of the time they're just surprised that a bot my size can comfortably carry such a huge load. I don't blame them either. I'd be a little shocked if I were them too.

I could tell the curiosity was killing him, and I was pretty sure the fact that I would smile every time he turned to look at me made it easier for him to finally turn around all the way and talk to me. Not to mention my frame is small, round, and flat in most places, so any anxiety that my haul would give others is generally put to rest rather quickly.

"Hello. I'm Rung." The bot, Rung, said while politely waving at me.

"Hi! I'm Nova Impact Generator!" I grinned brightly, happy that he finally felt comfortable to interact with me.

"Oh my." His eyebrows raised at my long name. I chuckled knowing he was probably worried about having to say that every time he wanted to talk to me.

"But please feel free to call me Nova Gen," I offered, making his smile in relief.

"I think I will. So why are you boarding the Lost Light? If you don't mind me asking, that is!" He said this as either a form of politeness or caution.

'He must still be wary of me. I hope I can change that. He seems really nice.'

"Oh, I don't mind at all. I'm actually here because the captain wanted me to come."

"You know Rodimus?" His rashness was highly welcomed. It told me that he was becoming more comfortable with me.

"Yeah, we grew up together, but I haven't seen him in person in a long time. And if I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous he's mad at me about it since it was always my fault." I nervously scratched at my cheek.

"To be truthful, Rodimus seems like the type of person to hold a grudge." As he said that his eyebrows pinched together in what I would assume was empathy. However, I couldn't help but shrink a bit in despair, and he seemed to quickly realize this. "But he invited you to come. And Rodimus also seems like the kind of person that wouldn't willingly put himself around someone he doesn't like or is angry with."

Hearing this, and realizing what he said was definitely true, I stood up to my full height again and flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Rung!" For some reason, he seemed actually surprised by what I said, but quickly covered it with a smile of his own.

"No problem at all, Nova Gen." After a moment of comfortable silence, I realized that I hadn't asked him why he was joining the Lost Light too.

"So how come you're here? If you don't mind me asking that is." I joked making him laugh, realizing that I noticed he probably said it more for self-preservation than pleasantries.

"Well, you see I would like to be the ship's psychiatrist."

"Oh! I didn't realize I was talking to a doctor. Impressive." I nudged him with my elbow and a smirk, but he shrugged off my praise with a nervous rub to the back of his neck.

"Not really. So anyway. What is that giant thing you're carrying around?" He pointed to the case behind me.

"Oh, this? Hm... I suppose you could say it's my old job." I replied, looking back at the cargo with him.

"Really?" He raised one of his eyebrows at my words.

"Well, a big part of it." I smiled at his questions.

"What did you used to work as?"

"I was the-"

"NEXT!" The security guard cut me off which made me think he had probably tried to get our attention a few times now.

"Sorry," I called to the guard. "I'll talk to you later," I reassured him with a gentle smile and a slight tilt of my head.

Rung simply nodded and proceeded to show the red and white bot his serial code.

"One million! That's an impressive serial code, er..." He seemed to be asking for his name.

"It's Rung. You know me, Red Alert." He honestly seemed kind of offended that he had to remind this Red Alert that he knew him.

"Rung! Of course! Sorry! I didn't recognize you..." Red Alert tried to fix his mistake but only seemed to be making it worse.

"I was your psychiatrist. For six centuries." Rung said to prove his point.

"Never mind that, what's in the crate?" Red Alert pointed to the yellow paint box in Rung's arms that I was a little curious about too.

"Nothing. Just trinkets. I collect model spacecraft. Arks, mainly." Rung then held up one of the mentioned Arks.

"We were at war for four million years. How have you managed to hold onto this stuff?" Red Alert asked in astonishment.

"I guess I have a knack for staying out of harm's-" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, what looked like a purple aircraft came flying between Rung and Red Alert, taking Rung's arm with them, and sending Rung soaring of the entry ramp.

"RUNG!!!" I yelled after him. I watched as bots began to pile around Rung. I knew I couldn't do anything to help him, and I could see that his injuries weren't fatal, so I decided not to make thing worse by crowding him and getting in the way of a possible medic.

Somewhere in the mix, Red Alert had jumped into the onlookers leaving the door wide open and unsupervised. I quickly made the decision that since I couldn't help Rung, I would just go look for a medic on board. Surely it won't be that big of a deal that I didn't check in at the door. I was invited by the captain after all.

Plus if Red Alert made me open the box he might not have let me on the ship.

ELSEWHERE

Rodimus walked back up to the glass to lean on it and look down the decreasingly long line of bots making their way toward the Lost Light for the quest.

"You still looking for him?" Drift came up behind Rodimus and looked down at the line.

"I told you, she's a 'her'." Rodimus whipped his head around and pointed at Drift accusingly. "And she'll be here. Do you see her name on the list yet? Maybe we missed her."

"No, I don't. Rodimus, it's almost time for launch. We can't wait for one bot." Ultra Magnus pointed out sternly. "We talked about this, and you agreed that if she didn't show then we would leave without her. No delays."

"She'll be here." Rodimus insisted, not bothering with replying to what his SIC said.

"I don't know, Rodimus. I don't see anyone who fits the description you gave us. She may have changed her mind. It is going to be a long journey after all." Drift pitched in looking at his friend sympathetically.

"I said she'll be here!" Rodimus snapped at Drift before turning his attention back to the window.

"She promised she would." He honestly felt like he might cry if she didn't show. It had been centuries since they had both been able to see each other face to face. But he knew Nova Gen. And he knew that she would never break a promise. He had faith in her. She would come.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

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#oc #fanfiction #MTMTE #mtmte rodimus #rodimus #mtmte rung #rung #mtmte red alert #red alert #mtmte drift #drift #mtmte ultra magnus #ultra magnus #maccadam #idw

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hyacinthsgirl · 7 years

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ANIUSCH TAROTS.

throughout the centuries the Zyer family has adopted various methods to predict the future, and one of their favorites has always been the tarots ( Samiin’ka, "cards of the truth”, in their language ). they differ from human tarots for two main reasons:

- the various symbols represented on the cards belong to the Aniusch culture and lore. therefore, you won’t find there any Empresses, Stars or Lovers, but Caos, Eyes and Sinking Ships instead; - while there are 78 cards in a human tarot deck ( divided in Major and Minor Arcana ), Aniusch tarots are made of only 20 cards, 19 plus one which represents the Infinite and is “equivalent” to the Fool.

each card has more meanings, some negative, some positive, and only the reader is able to understand which of them is the one the card has in the current reading ( i.e. Teran’s meaning is ‘knowledge’ in a reading, while in the next one it changes to ‘deceit’ ). if the card, when turned, is upside down, its current meaning has to be replaced with its opposite ( i.e. if Nunin Demin is turned and the reader sees it is upside down, some of its possible meanings can be end and life ). the reader must have a great ability and a strong bound with their deck in order to correctly decode the message of the cards. that’s why it is rare for readers to use someone else’s deck or change theirs.

P.S. if you have read/watched The Golden Compass ( or the whole These Dark Materials trilogy ), the reading of the Aniusch Tarots works like the reading of the Alethiometer ( for what concerns the symbols and their meanings ).

∞ - Nunin Demin ( the Winged Lady ). represented as a woman clad in black with her hands crossed on her chest. her face is half human and half skull. her hair are long, brown and wavy, while her only eye is green. meanings: beginning, mother, fatality, change, death.

I - Lanik ( the Lion ). represented as a two-headed lion with golden fur and mouth open to reveal its jaws. meanings: strength, choice, doubt, battle, balance.

II - Schiinik ( the Writing ). represented as a white feather from whose tip ink and blood drops fall. meanings: inspiration, study, weapon, lie, obligation.

III - Latak Fik ( the Sinking Ship ). represent as a naval vessel with white sails sinking into the stormy ocean, its bow already partly under the water. there are not any people in sight, neither on the deck nor in the water, as if the waves have already pulled everyone down. meanings: ruin, bad luck, error, mistake, new perspective, precariousness.

IV - Teran ( the Unknown ). this card is completely black, without any figures drawn on it. meanings: knowledge, opportunity, ability to adapt, imagination, deceit.

V - Maibalik ( the Pariah ). represented as a young man walking down a path and carrying a bundle on his shoulder. he is completely dressed in yellow and has a yellow hat as well. although he is lonely, he is smiling widely. meanings: instinct, punishment, sin, solitude, impulsiveness.

VI - Imian Hirasch ( the Palace of the Shells ). represented as a pinkish palace whose walls are covered in hundreds of shells, which are the reason behind its unusual color. all the windows and the front door are closed. it is impossible to tell whether someone lives in there or not. meanings: protection, family, isolation, order, happiness.

VII - Garien ( the Guardian ). represented as a man in armor standing in front of a gate. in his hands he holds a spear and a white and golden shield with a star painted on it. behind him and the gate, a garden in bloom can be seen. meanings: vigilance, sense of duty, shrewdness, immobility, energy.

VIII - Isken ( the Door ). represented as a tall, closed wooden door with gold knockers and a lunette above it. behind the lunette only darkness can be seen. meanings: realization, coming to a destination, initiative, will, ambition.

IX - Ninisch ( the Blessed Ones ). represented as a group of young women wearing white dresses and with white veils on their heads which make their faces very visible. they stand in a circle and look towards the gazer of the card, as if they had interrupted their conversation. meanings: sacrifice, religion, traditionalism, forgiveness, repentance.

X - Amon ( the Rose ). represented as a hand holding a hand a red rose. blood runs down the skin as the thorns sink into the fingertips. meanings: pain, beauty, accident, breaking off, fight against the difficulties of life.

XI - Ifren ( the Sundial ). ‘sundial’ is not the exact translation of the instrument represented on this card. its form is similar to that of a sundial, but this typical Aniusch clock tells time thanks to energetic and magic flows rather than sunlight. meanings: caution, enjoying beauty, excessive caution, wait, trust.

XII - Yet’barak ( the Molt ). represented as a snake halfway through shedding his skin. half his body is already out of his old skin, while the other half is still inside. the ‘abandoned’ skin, lying on the grass, is brownish, a color clashing with the snake’s bright, green, new skin. meanings: hope, rebirth, sudden change, discovering a deception, fulfilling one’s goal.

XIII - Sakan Misch ( the Woods Inhabitant ). represented as a man sitting in the shadow of a tree. he wears brown clothes made out of animal skin, his long, ash blond hair are messy and grass got tangled in it. he looks outside the card in suspicion. meanings: nature, prejudice, precarious life, fertility, action.

XIV - Kavok ( the Chaos ). represented as a mass of white and colorful lines becoming so knotted that it’s difficult - almost impossible - to tell where one ends and where another starts. meanings: disorder, losing one’s bearings, freedom, catastrophe, rage.

XV - Anii Man. the figure represented on this card is a small, wrinkled man with grayish-brown skin and wearing a bright red bobble hat, dark green trousers, shirts and shoes ( the shoes are too big for his feet ). he’s a creature belonging to the Aniusch folklore who is said to travel all across the world looking for lost travellers. he leads them to death and then collects their souls, which he keeps in a small haversack he always carries with himself. to hear him talk, they’re even more precious than gold. he is also told to help those who save him from a bad situation. meanings: good luck, help, abandonment, revenge, incredulity.

XVI - Aiak ( the Eye ). represented as an eyeball with a bright blue hue ( apparently ) placed on a white surface and staring at the upper left corner of the card. many say it looks so realistic that they expect it to roll and look at whomever is looking at the card. meanings: blindness, control, positive influence, vision, attention.

XVII - Nomyin ( the Spinning Old Woman ). represented as an old woman sitting on a stool in front of a spinning wheel and spinning a crimson thread. she is wearing a dark green skirt, a white shirt, a black shawl on her shoulders and a yellow headscarf on her head. the few visible hair locks are grey. she’s sitting with her back turned, therefore her face is not invisible; the only sign of her old age are her wrinkled hands. meanings: patience, passivity, effort, slowness, reward.

XVIII - Isamik ( the Egg ). represented as an egg with dark lines on its white shell. whether they are cracks or just a natural pattern, no one knows. meanings: fragility, birth, perfection, powerlessness, excessive caution.

XIX - Aieimn ( the River ). represented as a river running through a forest. there are not any animals nor human beings in sight - just the water and the trees. meanings: time, being unable to resist, journey, purification, irreparable loss.

#HEADCANON: a heap of broken images.#[ I'M ]#[ DONE ]#[ I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR /MONTHS/ AND I AM FINALLY DONE ]#[ HOLY SHIT ]#[ this project sucked the soul out of me but i am so satisfied and proud of myself ]

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bornsinnrs · 7 years

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👫 any or all the ships hoe :)

ur lucky i love u . x

adrian and raven.

( 01. ) adrian immediately regrets it when he allows raven to leave. it wasn’t until a week later , where he feels drained of energy ( and her sweet affection ) as he would spend days more lonelier. there was a change in him , more vulgar and on the brink perchance ? he could only be altruistic for an extent … a good conscious keeping him composed when he was frenzied to see her. but he had made his choice : work over love ( a piece of knowledge he was not comfortable with conceding either ) years later , he discovers she has a companion and child.

( 02. ) when adrian and raven reconcile , adrian gets a tattoo of his child’s name on his arm and an r for raven tattooed on the side of his neck.

( 03. ) he is not the best photographer , but he enjoys taking pictures of raven and himself sometimes. she has the most gorgeous eyes he’s ever seen for a woman and such unique features , that he wants to capture her natural beauty. at their time of separation , he still held onto her pictures despite how difficult it had been to resist burning them.

( 04. ) a family has never been of interest to adrian. and though it’s only been a few months since adrian is adjusting to the behaviour , it brings him the most satisfaction. he clutches on to his mother’s ring which he vows will manifest on raven’s finger ( and only hers ) the reason is he does not see himself with anyone else than the mother of his child - a child which he has grown to have such an overwhelming amount of love for. it almost feels like she is truly his wife , however he wants to shower her with the wedding of her dreams and everything she deserves , after putting her through enough stress prior.

audrey and kaiser.

( 01. ) audrey often sends pictures of their child to kaiser , hoping that he will keep his promise of being around as a father. co parenting is a challenge as the two are at different points of their lives.

( 02. ) audrey and kaiser have iterative , minor arguments after months of their child’s birth. they have a fight when he wants to have their child stay at his house for two days. audrey is against this , not wanting her child around his girlfriend who she does not trust ( and perchance , spiting him like this out of mere envy )

( 03. ) kaiser comes to audrey’s apartment one evening when the baby is just a few months and he stays for a while … feeding them , caressing them , infatuated with how little their digits are. upon putting the child to bed , audrey and kaiser have a good conversation and strangely , they do not clash once about a topic. they accidentally fall asleep together on her couch.

( 04. ) audrey and kaiser are merely co parenting for a while. as they are each others company more , audrey begins to develop feelings for the father of her child and it seems he may reciprocate the same emotions … however she hears from a friend of a rumour where a student claims she is pregnant with kaiser’s child.

cleo and gabriel.

( 01. ) cleo and gabriel visit her hometown in milan , italy , where he meets her family. this is important for her as her family is close to her heart and so is he , as she feels he is her soul mate.

( 02. ) a month after gabriel awakes from his coma , they return to their penthouse in new york … a place she’ll truly envision when she thinks of the word home. the doctor provided her with specific instructions and medication , and an opportunity to enroll him into rehabilitation. though it pains her to make him go , after securing him from a fatal death , she knows he requires help. she decides to tell him that night and the conversation takes a rocky coarse. however , she vows she will never leave his side ( as it had been her biggest mistake once ) and she will wait a lifetime until he is ready to come home.

( 03. ) gabriel returns home after time spent in rehabilitation and the two work to rebuilding a healthy relationship. until a brief argument arises about him going back to work. she is concerned for his safety as his work involves potentially killing him and visuals of him in the hospital haunt her periodically when sleeping.

( 04. ) flash forward to the night of their wedding , after hours of sweet slow dancing , the two arrive at their villa. cleo nearly gets stuck in her wedding dress - a gown woven of silk and fine threads , bejewelled with crystals and delicate detailing which took weeks to perfect. gabriel is more than willing to cut the dress , however cleo is entirely against ruining such a beautiful and costly dress. they are at odds , but to make his wife content , he settles to struggle with the zipper for a while.

giovanni and marisol.

( 01. ) in their new life together , giovanni surprises marisol one afternoon by taking her to art museum in rome , italy - considered as their first official date. they tour the city , visiting little cafes , hopping on the bus , taking pictures at historical structures. spending time with her this day , reminds him of the primary reason why he left his past life for the opportunity to start a new journey with her.

( 02. ) giovanni loves to spoil marisol and their children , wanting to give them the very best. he genuinely feels they are blessings in his life that he should never take for granted. hence , why one of his biggest and challenging projects had been designing their dream house which would cater to all their needs and wants.

( 03. ) not a single day goes by where giovanni misses dinner with his family. his work schedule is complex , with minimal flexibility at times. however he will always prioritize family. sometimes he’ll bring home food , giving his wife a couple hours to relax and primarily focus on their son. giovanni will spend time with his son , giving him baths before sleep and talking to him in italian , his first language next to english. next , he’ll give his wife shoulder rubs , listen to her as she rambles on about her day and play with her hair until falling asleep. as a parent and husband , this lifestyle was much better than he could have ever conceptualized.

( 04. ) they don’t know many people in the new neighbourhood they’ve settled in , however their next door neighbours , maria and luigi , always invite giovanni and marisol over. giovanni dreads going because he feels they are odd ( and luigi is a bit too friendly towards marisol ) however marisol persuades him to attend to maintain their new personas as good citizens. despite their obscure nature and tendencies , the neighbours are genuinely the only people they consider as an acquaintance.

jordan and kiana.

( 01. ) 365 days of being a couple , jordan and kiana move into a new apartment together. at this time , they had plenty of money to furnish with modern decor and put towards saving. it’s an exhilarating time for the both of them , for him because he’s settling down with a girl which he’d never imagine doing at his young age. still , he knew she was going to impact his life greatly from the moment she entered his garage last year , but not the extent of being his first ( and only ) love.

( 02. ) kiana visits jordan in the rehabilitation centre , after their daughter is three months old. he’s different this visit - amber hues hold more appreciation for the woman who birthed his child , and a warm smile is painted upon brims as she’ll manifest pictures of their petite family on her cellular device. before she leaves , he tells her he loves her , remembering the advice he was given to appreciate her more. then he feels emptier than ever without the warmth of her presence.

( 03. ) jordan and kiana wed on a beach in the south , with their closest friends and family surrounded. the ambience is serene with intimacy , the waves at coast rippling gently and soothing to the eardrums. their daughter is the adorable flower girl , wearing a beautiful baby pink dress. they state their vows , jordan claiming the longest as he articulates their past … his mistakes , challenges and how he couldn’t have overcome them without her at his side. how he promises he will give her all she deserves and more , because he does not feel anyone is better to be at his side for eternity.

( 04. ) flash forward to when jordan and kiana have a second child , they hire a nanny who slowly falls in love with their family and attempts to overthrow kiana.

travis and gia.

( 01. ) in the first few weeks of signifying their relationship , travis is super protective of gia. he holds her hand in public , gives her an affectionate nickname ( which is does not use for anyone other ) and stares icily at others who ogle gia.

( 02. ) gia reads to travis one day , in the meadow of a sunny afternoon. they lay underneath a tree , where nimble fingertips flip the delicate pages of a wonderful tale and he’ll watch her lips as they maneuver to sound each word. he plays with her golden tresses absentmindedly , admiring how the sun rays accentuate the oval of her face and brighten the brown rings of her eyes.

( 03. ) travis meets gia’s family for the first time on thanksgiving and it is decent - great overall with a few awkward moments. still , it had been her parents and he knew how important it was to make a well poised impression. stumbling upon the hallway of family photos while heading to the restroom , he’ll notice a familiar face … a male with his arm around gia playfully in a frame. he instantly recognizes the male as someone from his dark past and suddenly , he feels uneasy. he knows this had been the biggest karma - to pretend to be a good man in a good relationship when all he ever does is cause riots.

( 04. ) at the court trial , travis is found guilty and thus sentenced to incarceration for 18 months. gia is in tears , and travis is angered by the action of the court - however hides the enmity as he’d prefer being happy in the last moment with gia , as a free man. they argue about the future , confide each other with embraces and in his arms , gia whispers that she is pregnant.

( send a 👫 and I’ll write four headcanons have about our muse’s relationship )

#midasardor #adrian and raven are my loves #audrey and kaiser are a hot mess #cleo and gabe are also my loves #giovanni and marisol are so sweet #jordan and kiana are beautiful but also a mess #travis and gia are so fuckin cute ugh #↪ 04 : SAVE . ╯

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mediafocus-blog1 · 7 years

Text

Last risk to peer North Korea for US tourists

New Post has been published on https://mediafocus.biz/last-risk-to-peer-north-korea-for-us-tourists/

Last risk to peer North Korea for US tourists

The Westerners covered up on Sunday before giant statues of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong-Il and, on command from their guide, bowed deeply.

It is a ritual that the Trump management intends to prevent US tourists acting, with Washington because of imposing a ban this week on its citizens holidaying inside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as the North is officially recognized.

The flow comes amid heightened tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile goals -– it launched a rocket in advance this month which professionals say should reach Alaska or Hawaii -– and after the death of US student Otto Warmbier, who had been imprisoned for more than a yr with the aid of Pyongyang.

Warmbier turned into convicted of crimes towards the kingdom and sentenced to 15 years’ difficult labor for trying to thieve a propaganda poster from a Pyongyang motel. He changed into despatched home in June in a mysterious coma that proved fatal soon afterward. Most tourists to North Korea are prompted by way of curiosity and the choice to enjoy an exclusive vacation spot.

The iconic 20-meter-high (66-feet) status at Mansu hill appearance out over Pyongyang and companies of North Koreans in fits and ties arrive frequently to pay their respects. Passing site visitors are obliged to sluggish down. As the tourists reached the platform speakers played “We omit our general”, approximately Kim Jong-Il, the father of contemporary leader Kim Jong-Un. “President Kim Il-Sung liberated our us of a and constructed human beings paradise on this land,” they were told. Call center manager Kyle Myers, 28, from Ireland, said he desired “to go someplace very extraordinary from what I’m used to” for his first journey to Asia, “to peer something that not loads of human beings from back home have seen”. The mounting tensions inside the yr when you consider that he booked the excursion had made him anxious, he stated, but he brought: “I don’t see the risk here for travelers as long as they behave themselves and they observe the rules of the USA.” ‘A little disquieting’ Some of the traffic — who paid 1,850 euros ($2,157) for the tour — expressed enthusiasm. Australian IT supervisor Pallavi Phadke, forty-three, was amongst those who placed a bouquet before the statues.

It becomes “a sign of admiring”, she instructed AFP. “It’s similar to making your head whilst you visit a mosque or getting rid of your footwear while you visit a temple. “The human beings seem satisfied, they certainly don’t look like oppressed or something,” she stated. “They’re very pleased with their u. S ., they’re pleased with their history and it’s great to watch them be patriotic.”

Many disagree, with the United Nations, a couple of Western governments and unbiased companies accusing Pyongyang of big human rights violations. Other vacationers have been greater skeptical. Mark Hill, a writer and editor from Calgary in Canada, as compared the status to “a very grim Mount Rushmore”.

“It’s all very awesome and additionally a touch disquieting,” he said. For years America State Department has warned its citizens against touring to North Korea, telling them that they are “ at severe hazard of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea’s machine of law enforcement”, which “imposes unduly harsh sentences for moves that might now not be considered crimes within the United States”, which includes displaying disrespect to the u . S . A .’s leaders and proselytizing. It is “completely feasible that cash spent through travelers inside the DPRK” goes to fund its weapons applications, it adds. The ban will pass into force 30 days after it’s far officially declared, stated branch spokeswoman Heather Nauert, and “US passports may be invalid for the journey to, through and in North Korea”. ‘Monolithic evil pressure’ The widespread majority of vacationers to North Korea are from China, its sole important best friend and key provider of exchange and resource. Americans make up around 20 percent of the four,000 to five,000 Western vacationers who go to u. S . A . Every yr, consistent with Simon Cockerell of Koryo Tours, the leader within the niche marketplace, which introduced Sunday’s visitors to Pyongyang. Warmbier’s dying had already hammered the market, he said, with bookings down 50 percent due to the fact then. “It’s would-be customers’ perceptions that every body can make a mistake,” he instructed AFP. “And nearly all and sundry in their lives have made some mistake and of course they don’t want the outcomes of that mistake to be so devastating.” But Washington’s flow, he said, changed into self-defeating. As properly as the ability ramifications for North Koreans who earn their dwelling from tourism, he stated, it would “absolutely put off any human interplay between United States citizens and North Korean residents”. Pyongyang’s country propaganda approximately the USA became “100 percent bad”, he stated, but contacts between vacationers and locals “paintings in opposition to the idea that foreigners are a few kind of monolithic evil pressure out to undermine the North Koreans”. “The idea that tourism is by some means sustaining the authorities is absurd,” he introduced. “The numbers are very low, the revenues are very low.” Young Pioneer Tours, the company which introduced Warmbier to the North, had already stated it might not take US citizens to u. S .. Among Sunday’s excursion institution changed into comedy author Evan Symon, from Los Angeles, who because of Washington’s ban is likely to be one of the last American travelers to the united states of America for numerous years. “It’s just what happened,” he stated. “Kind of cool in a way, I bet.”

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frankkmartin25-blog · 7 years

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Man given face transplant overjoyed at results

He'd been waiting for this day, and when his doctor handed him the mirror, Andy Sandness stared at his image and absorbed the enormity of the moment: He had a new face, one that had belonged to another man.

His father and his brother, joined by several doctors and nurses at Mayo Clinic, watched as he studied his swollen features. He was just starting to heal from one of the rarest surgeries in the world - a face transplant, the first at the medical center.

He had the nose, cheeks, mouth, lips, jaw, chin, even the teeth of his donor. Resting in his hospital bed, he still couldn't speak clearly, but he had something to say.

He scrawled four words in a spiral notebook:

"Far exceeded my expectations," he wrote, handing it to Dr. Samir Mardini, who read the message to the group.

"You don't know how happy that makes us feel," Mardini said, his voice husky with emotion as he looked at the patient-turned-friend he had first met nearly a decade earlier.

The exchange came near the end of an extraordinary medical journey that revolved around two young men. Both were rugged outdoorsmen and both just 21 when, overcome by demons, they decided to kill themselves: One, Sandness, survived but with a face almost destroyed by a gunshot; the other man died.

Their paths wouldn't converge for years, but when they did - in side-by-side operating rooms - one man's tragedy offered hope that the other would have a second chance at a normal life.

It was two days before Christmas in 2006 when Andy Sandness reached a breaking point.

He'd been sad and drinking too much at that time. That night after work while "super, super depressed," he grabbed a rifle from a closet. He stared at it for a while, then put a round in the chamber.

He positioned the barrel beneath his chin, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

Instantly, he knew he'd made a terrible mistake. When the police arrived, an officer who was a friend cradled him in his arms as Sandness begged, "Please, please don't let me die! I don't want to die!"

He was rushed from his home in eastern Wyoming, treated at two hospitals, then transferred to Mayo Clinic.

When he woke, his mother was holding his hand. She'd always been a strong woman but that day, her face was a portrait of unfathomable pain. The bullet had obliterated his mouth, so he motioned for a pen and paper.

"I'm sorry," he wrote.

"I love you," she replied. "It's OK." But all Sandness could think about was how he'd hurt his family - and just wonder what was next.

The answer came quickly when he met Mardini, a plastic surgeon whose specialty is facial reconstruction. As a newcomer at Mayo, the doctor was on call Christmas Eve. Over the next few days, he reassured Sandness that he'd fix his face as best he could.

"I just need you to be strong and patient," he said.

It would take time and much surgery. And despite their skills, the doctors couldn't miraculously turn him back into that guy with the orthodontist-perfected smile.

Sandness couldn't bear to see himself, so he covered his hospital room mirror with a towel. He had no nose and no jaw. He'd shot out all but two teeth. His mouth was shattered, his lips almost nonexistent. He'd lost some vision in his left eye. He needed breathing and feeding tubes at first.

Mardini and his team removed dead tissue and shattered bones, then connected facial bones with titanium plates and screws. They reconstructed his upper jaw with bone and muscle from the hip; they transferred bone and skin from a leg to fashion the lower jaw.

They used wires and sutures to bring together his eyelids, which had been spread apart by the powerful blast.

They made progress, even if it didn't always look that way.

After about eight surgeries over 4½ months, Sandness returned home to Newcastle, Wyoming, a hamlet of 3,200, where friends and family embraced him. He worked at a lodge, in the oil fields and as an electrician's apprentice.

But his world had shrunk. When he ventured to the grocery store, he avoided eye contact with children so he wouldn't scare them.

Occasionally, he heard them ask their mothers why he looked that way.

He sometimes lied when folks asked what had happened. "I would tell them it was a hunting accident," he says. "I felt like they didn't need to know."

He had almost no social life; on a rare night out to shoot pool, a guy taunted him about his appearance. He retreated to the hills, where he could hunt elk and fish walleye, unseen.

"Those were real tough times for him,' says his father, Reed. "He was insecure. Who wouldn't be?"

Sandness learned to adapt. His mouth was about an inch wide - too small for a spoon - so he tore food into bits, then sucked on them until he could swallow the pieces. He wore a prosthetic nose but it constantly fell off outdoors; he carried glue to reattach it. It discolored often, so he had to paint it to match his skin.

"You never fully accept it," he says. "You eventually say, 'OK, is there something else we can do?'"

There was, but the prospect of 15 more surgeries Mardini had mapped out scared him. He didn't want more skin grafts, more scars or dental implants. Even then, he'd still look deformed.

Over the next five years, Sandness made yearly visits to Mayo. Then in spring of 2012, he received a life-changing call.

Mardini told him it looked like Mayo was going to launch a face transplant program and Sandness might be an ideal patient. The doctor had already begun traveling to France, Boston and Cleveland to meet doctors who'd done face transplants.

Mardini tried to temper his patient's enthusiasm. "Think very hard about this," he said. Only about two dozen transplants have been done around the world, and he wanted Sandness to understand the risks and the aftermath: a lifelong regimen of anti-rejection drugs. But Sandness could hardly contain himself. "How long until I can do this?" he asked.

He followed Mardini's advice to research the surgery. It was far more complicated than he'd imagined, but he was undeterred.

"When you look like I looked and you function like I functioned, every little bit of hope that you have, you just jump on it," he says, "and this was the surgery that was going to take me back to normal."

Three more years passed as Sandness waited.

By then, Mayo Clinic had completed a long internal review to get the face transplant program approved. Sandness had to undergo a rigorous psychiatric and social work evaluation to address, among other things, a key question: Should this surgery be performed on someone who'd attempted suicide?

Several factors were in his favor: His resilience and motivation, a strong support network of family and friends, a long-standing rapport with Mardini and a gap of several years since the shooting.

"I don't think there's anybody who doesn't deserve a second chance," Mardini says.

Asked by the doctors what he expected from the transplant, to make sure he had realistic goals, Sandness said he wanted a working nose, the ability to bite, swallow, chew, and to "get good stares as opposed to bad stares."

These incremental steps benefited everyone, says Dr. Hatem Amer, Mayo's medical director of reconstructive transplantation.

"He wasn't rushing us, and we weren't rushing him," he says. "He really understood what he was embarking upon."

Sandness says he was concerned both about the possibility of rejection and potential side effects of anti-rejection drugs, including skin cancer, infection, diabetes and weakening of the bones.

Mardini and his team devoted more than 50 Saturdays over 3½ years to rehearsing the surgery, using sets of cadaver heads to transplant the face of one to the other. They used 3-D imaging and virtual surgery to plot out the bony cuts so the donor's face would fit perfectly on Sandness.

In January 2016, Sandness' name was added to the waiting list of the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Mardini figured it would take up to five years to find the right donor: a man with matching blood and tissue types, roughly the same size as Sandness, within a 10-year age range and a close skin tone.

But just five months later, Mardini got a call: There might be a donor. He phoned Sandness, cautioning it was just a possibility. The next day, Mardini got the final word: The donor's family had said OK.

The decision came from a 19-year-old newlywed mourning the sudden loss of her husband.

In early June, Calen "Rudy" Ross fatally shot himself in the head. His devastated widow, Lilly, was eight months pregnant.

Despite her grief, she was committed to carrying out her husband's wishes: On his driver's license, Ross, who lived in Fulda, Minnesota, had designated he wanted to be an organ donor. Lilly met with a coordinator from LifeSource, a nonprofit group that works with families in the upper Midwest to facilitate organ and tissue donation.

Since Ross had been healthy and just 21, his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys could be donated. But additional screening determined he could do even more: He was a good match for a man awaiting a face transplant at Mayo Clinic.

In a second conversation, LifeSource broached the idea to Lilly.

"I was skeptical at first," she says. "I didn't want to walk around and all of a sudden see Calen." She was reassured the donor had his own eyes and forehead and would not be recognizable as her husband. After consulting with her husband's best friend, she gave her consent.

A CT scan, other tests and a photo sent to Mardini by LifeSource confirmed the two men were a good match. Mardini said when the doctors studied Ross' photo, "we got chills when we actually saw how close they were in hair color, skin - just the overall look. It could be his cousin."

Late on June 16, Sandness was wheeled into surgery, accompanied by Mardini, who was showing him photos of his two small children. Over the years, the two say they've become as close as brothers.

"There was not a second of doubt that everything was going to go well," Sandness says.

"Everybody went into this totally knowing their role, knowing what to expect," Mardini recalls. "Every step has been thought out 1,000 times."

Mardini had a parting message: "We're looking forward to seeing you with a new face."

In adjoining operating rooms, some 60 surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and others had gathered for what would be a 56-hour marathon.

The surgery that started shortly before midnight Friday was over early Monday morning.

It took about 24 hours to procure the donor's face, which involved taking bone, muscle, skin and nerves, and almost the same time to prepare Sandness. His entire face was rebuilt below his eyes, taking an additional 32 hours. The medical team rotated, many taking four-hour breaks through the weekend.

One of the most intricate parts of the surgery was identifying facial nerve branches on both men and stimulating them with an electric current to determine their function. That allowed doctors to make the correct transfers, so when Sandness thinks about smiling or closing his eyes, for example, those movements actually happen.

After the surgery ended, Mardini proclaimed it "a miracle."

Sandness, who was sedated for several days, wasn't allowed to see himself immediately. His room mirror and cell phone were removed. His father, Reed, served as his eyes.

"I said, 'Andy, I've never lied to you. I'm telling you you're going to be happy with what you see,'" he recalls. "He was quizzing me and the nurses all the time."

Three weeks later, when he finally did see his face - a scene captured on a Mayo video - his father says it "was just a real tearful, hard-to-hold-back time ... beyond our wildest dreams."

Sandness was overwhelmed. "Once you lose something that you've had forever, you know what it's like not to have it," he says. "And once you get a second chance to have it back, you never forget it." Just having a nose and mouth are blessings, he says. "The looks are a bonus."

Months earlier, both he and Lilly Ross had expressed interest in learning about each other. She particularly wanted him to know about her husband, an adventurous, spontaneous guy.

Last fall, she wrote to Sandness and the five others who received her husband's organs. She described Ross, her high school sweetheart, as a "giving person" who loved hunting, trapping and being with his dog, Grit. "I am filled with great joy knowing that he was able to give a little of himself to ensure a better quality of life for someone else," she wrote.

As for the face transplant, she thought of her baby son when she agreed to it. "The reason that I decided to ... go through with it was so that I can later down the road show Leonard what his dad had done to help somebody," she said in a video produced by LifeSource.

Lilly was given photos of Sandness before and after the transplant. That's when she learned of uncanny similarities between the two men - not just their passion for the outdoors, but the way they stood in their hunting photos. "It was amazing how good he looked and how well he's doing,'" she says of Sandness. "I'm excited for him that he's getting his life back."

She also noticed one small detail - a small bare patch in the middle of his bearded chin, just as on her husband's face.

Both she and Sandness hope to meet one day. For now, he wrote her a letter of appreciation. Referring to her husband's favorite things, he said: "He's still going to continue to love hunting and fishing and dogs - through me."

Andy Sandness can pinpoint the day he looked normal.

About three months after the transplant, he was in an elevator when a little boy glanced at him, then turned to his mother without appearing scared or saying anything. "I knew then," he says, "that the surgery was a success."

Last December, he had follow-up surgery to tighten skin on his face and neck and build up bone around his eyes so they're not so recessed.

His facial muscles are growing stronger. He received speech therapy to learn to use his tongue in a new mouth and jaw, and enunciate clearly.

He's thrilled to smell again, breathe normally and be eating foods that were off-limits for a decade: apples, steak and pizza that he shared with his doctors.

His transformation isn't just visible. After the shooting, he says, when he dreamed, he still had his old face. Now, his new face appears in his dreams.

Sandness, now 31, plans to return to Wyoming, work as an electrician and, he hopes, marry and have a family someday.

For now, he savors his anonymity. Recently, he attended a Minnesota Wild game. He bought some popcorn. He watched some hockey. He didn't see any stares or hear any whispers.

He was, as he says, "just another face in the crowd." Just thinking about that makes him smile.

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