#ivory roman shades

[decorbuziers-memorial]

Family Room - Enclosed Family room - mid-sized coastal enclosed family room idea with beige walls, a wood fireplace mantel, a standard fireplace, and carpeting.

#book shelves #best interior designers #kitchen makeover #family room #fabricut roman shades #roman shades #ivory sofa

[vivihun]

Bedroom - Contemporary Bedroom Large trendy master carpeted and beige floor bedroom photo with gray walls and no fireplace

#roman shades #gray carpet #gray wallpaper #ivory sheets #chevron pillow #black leather headboard

[gemsofgreece]

Excuse me I wanted to ask for some advice. I’m a fan of pjo and I’ve noticed that none of the characters has mortal parents who are Greek. I want to draw some fanart about a character with a mortal greek parent but I don’t know where to start. And how I can not be stereotypical

Hello! I want to help but I am not sure I understand how. You want some sort of guidance on how to draw an ethnic Greek person without stereotypes and inaccuracies?

If so, it's easy because there is a fairly big pool of traits to choose from as long as you avoid some certain mistakes or rather intentional choices some artists do.

I won’t lie to you, I am a little afraid to answer because it doesn’t take much to be called names on Tumblr. I am gonna give a range often found on ethnic Greeks, meaning people who belong to the Greek ethnic group (and not just nation) and all their immediate ancestors in the last generations do too. I am NOT describing a mixed Greek, a Greek who has an immediate relative of a different ethnicity or one who’s Greek by birthright because then you could make them look like literally anyone obviously. We are going strictly by traits recurring repeatedly within the Greek ethnic group, when there is not known recent external influence. I don’t know how much clearer to make it for anyone waiting to rip me apart.

Also, the examples in the photos are from celebrities so naturally most of them look more attractive than average. That doesn’t mean your art will have to depict necessarily a prettier than average person, it’s just that such photos were more easily available to me.

Anyway under the cut:

Haircolour: All haircolours up to dirty or dark-ish golden blonde. No lighter than that. No ginger. All shades of brown under the sun. If you really want some red hue, go for red brown. As black as you want.

Hair quality: Thin or thick, silky or coarse, all the way from totally straight to pretty curly. Not extremely tight rings or afro though. Wavy is the most common. A lot of volume is common but not at all always the case. But again you can totally go for straight if you like.

Orestes Halkias is about as curly as it gets here.

While Maria Solomou (right) is famous for her black and very curly voluminous look nowadays, this photo from her youth with her friends shows her natural hair type which is very wavy or soft curly. All women in the photo have the most common type of Greek hair: brown, thick, silky, wavy.

Eyecolour: All colours, with brown and hazel being the most common and green being the least. You can safely go for shades of blue or grey.

Konstantinos Markoulakis has vibrant blue eyes.

Skin colour: Both warm and cool undertones, but warm are more common. You can go all the way from ivory to a strong tan bordering on light brown. The skintones in between are the most common though. No freckles.

Evgenia Samara and Yannis Pimenidis are a couple of actors who can serve as a range guide you can follow. Samara can be also a little darker than that when she tans.

I am not saying there are not ethnic Greeks who can be slightly darker or even slightly lighter (very rare) but overall don't deviate too much from this. Also men sometimes tend to be a little darker than women.

Nikos Anadiotis here is more or less about as dark tanned as it gets.

You can also go for light skin colour and dark hair colour too.

Eleni Filini.

Nose: We are often portrayed with an Arabic nose or a Roman nose, even though the Greek nose exists! The most common nose is the straight nose, like a perfectly unremarkable triangle. Greek noses can be long, short, tilting up or down but they are usually well defined and have relatively narrow bridges. Of course curved and wide noses exist but they aren't as standard as you see in artwork. French noses might even be more common, especially in women.

Katia Zygouli and Sakis Rouvas both have stronger than average noses, which are however considerd very close to the archetype of classical Greek nose

Facial shape: Overwhelmingly oval and often narrow bone structure. Oblong, round and diamond are next I'd say. Heart, triangle and square shapes are pretty rare. Jaws can be both well defined or underdefined but they are often well defined in men. Cheekbones are usually not pronounced. We occasionally have the butt chin and often something in between, like something that is almost a butt chin but not quite.

Iliana Papageorgiou’s oval facial shape.

Lips: All sorts of lips and mouth sizes really. They are usually medium or slightly towards full but don't go very full or with the upper lip fuller than the lower.

Eyeshape: Almond, round, downturned and hooded eyeshapes. Upturned exist but are rarer I believe.

Body type: All body types exist in abundance but let's not forget the all time classic Mediterranean body type which is the pear shape.

Hairiness: This stereotype is true lol Greek people are hairy, especially men, who are also often bearded.

Greek men can and will grow beards at some point in their life like Sakis Karpas demonstrates here. Of course there are many clean shaven and you can totally go for it, I am just saying that being hairy is indeed a very common trait.

Eyebrows: All types, including relatively thick, arched or angular. Low set eyebrows exist too but they are more uncommon.

Yannis Stankoglou has arched eyebrows.

Height: Short to moderately tall. Kinda like the Americans actually.

Hope this helped you any and hopefully I won’t get called racist for not including someone from an entirely different side of the globe as an accurate ethnic Greek look representative.

#Greeks #greek people #greek representation #anon #ask

[newjerseydumpster]

Bundesaetos, Lord of Ulmich

A funky skrunkly little guy

Please excuse my art, I attempted to emulate the Pokemon shading style and it had interesting results 😞

BUNDESAETOS! He's the Legendary Pokemon of the Ulmich Region (I'll elaborate soon dw dw), a silly little fellow if there ever was one.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Species Name: Bundesaetos

"The Governance Pokemon"

Type: Fighting/Flying. (He looks like a Dark/Flying type to be fair, but there are quite a few of those, and Yveltal's taken).

Gender: Bundesaetos is Genderless, but often referred to with he/him and it/its pronouns.

Ability: Morior Invictus - Sp. Atk stat is boosted at the start of a battle.

Base Stats: HP - 120 Atk - 100 Def - 80 Sp. Atk - 160 Sp. Def - 120 Speed - 100 TOTAL: 680

Its signature move is called Chancellor's Decree, a Fighting-type special attack with a base damage of 120 and a PP of 5. Bundesaetos will open its twin-toothed beaks, stretching its wings to their full mast before unleashing a deadly array of blinding beams toward the target. This move has no aftereffects, but definitely ask Arceus if he needs a bandaid.

Bundesaetos' name is derived from the German word Bundesrepublik (federal republic), and Chrysaetos (the latter half of the golden eagle's scientific name).

Bundesaetos itself is drawn from the Bundesadler, or "Federal Eagle," a black eagle that is both Germany's coat of arms and its national animal.

Bundesaetos is known best for being the founder of Ulmich, a Pokemon eager to break away from a controlling and highly religious empire in order to create a new region in its more idealistic image. Because of its roots in what would be a sort of alternate Pokemon version of the Holy Roman Empire, it's very regal looking and quite befitting of a king. Don't get Bundesaetos wrong, though - he's probably an anarchist.

As for his two heads? They represent East and West Germany. The black split in the middle of Bundesaetos is representative of its time in separation. A physical representation of the Berlin Wall, if you will.

There are no analogs for either of the World Wars in Ulmich or Expat's Folly, and subsequently, Kalos and Galar never had any horrendous beef with Ulmich during that whole debacle. Ulmich's history has always been very internal, a governing eagle tore in two by tyrannical politicians against the rest of Ulmich. In its place, two Pokemon would come - the eagles of the East and the West, trying desperately to find each other and unify as Bundesaetos once more.

Think of Ulmich's "evil team" as a more people-centric rendition of Team Plasma, with Ghetsis vying for control over Unova by any means necessary. Ulmich's version of Team Plasma is the Ivory Batallion. The IB is, in essence, a bunch of shitty right-wingers who would commit horrific acts of arson and then say they're the ones being victimized by the "liberal agenda" or something. Bundesaetos does not like them and I don't either.

The Ulmich Region itself is coming soon! Very epic of you to listen to me dump about yassified PokeGermany and its bird president guy

#pokemon #fakemon #funny eagle guy #god this took forever #but i like him hes a funky fellow #missy draws #missy lore #ulmich #bundesaetos

[suhmayzooka]

Please tell us more about your thesis topic I love hearing your thoughts on the Aeneid

omg?? i'm so flattered!

idk how familiar u are with the aeneid already, but basically it's an epic poem written by a guy named vergil, kind of like the iliad and the odyssey by homer, but roman. it follows the adventures of aeneas, a trojan hero and son of venus, who flees his home (troy) with his family and his men after the greeks attack (you may know abt how they came to the city hidden in a wooden horse--that scene is in the aeneid! it's always heartbreaking when ppl read homer and are like "i thought the trojan horse would show up" noooo read the aeneid!)

aeneas must go to italy bc he's destined to found rome, but on the way he does cool things like hook up with queen dido of carthage and, what i want to discuss, go down to the underworld to learn about his fate from his dead father. 

the whole poem is 12 "books" long, and the underworld happens in book 6.

going to the underworld is a common thing in classical epics. it's called a katabasis (literally means "going down") and many mythological heroes do it—odysseus, orpheus (he's important), hercules,, lots more (and it's not exclusive to ancient greece/rome, most cultures have some kind of myth about characters going down to the underworld to speak with the dead)

if you know dante, or really anything about christianity, you already have some idea what vergil's underworld is like. dante's Divine Comedy is about vergil (the aeneid guy) showing dante around the underworld, which became the basis for how the church understood the afterlife. the christian interpretation of the afterlife and hell is heavily influenced by the aeneid's depiction, which is one reason this specific episode has been the source of many many years of study. 

that's not what I'm actually writing abt, though, i just wanted to give some background. 

aeneas doesn't just go down to the underworld, see his dad, and return to the land of the living... several very specific things happen

first, he doesn't go alone. he must be led by a sibyl, a prophet. she instructs aeneas how to enter and acts as his tour guide, pointing out different areas in the underworld and explaining what's going on

before going, aeneas must take a golden bough (branch) to give to the queen of the underworld, proserpina (persephone in greek), which will allow him to travel through the underworld

vergil prefaces the journey with an invocation to the gods

the actual book basically is divided in two parts: the first half describes aeneas’ journey in the underworld, the final half is about aeneas talking to the ghost of his father who tells him about how his descendants will go on to found rome and be a long line of great leaders

there are two gates through which aeneas can leave the underworld: one is made of horn, which is for “true shades/ghosts,” the other is made of ivory for “false dreams” to pass through. aeneas goes through the gate of ivory and returns to the living world 

overall this book follows many examples of prior katabatic tradition, with the katabasis being a place where aeneas gains knowledge that’s really otherworldly in a place that functions very differently from the living world

what i want to write about is how the whole poem is like one big katabasis for the audience to experience, with vergil being our version of the sibyl guiding us along. different things aeneas experiences in the underworld mirror different things the audience experiences in the rest of the poem. for example, aeneas meet his father halfway through the book to gain new knowledge; this book, where we (the audience) gain new knowledge, is halfway through the whole poem. there’s a distinct shift in the two halves of this book, just like there’s a distinct shift in the two halves of the aeneid as a whole.

or how vergil begins the katabasis with an invocation (calling upon) the gods, he begins book 1 of the poem with an invocation to the muse (as is the epic tradition). how aeneas experiencing various contradictory aspects in the underworld mirrors how the aeneid as a whole is both a celebration and a criticism of rome. before he learns his future, aeneas must see reminders of his past, the ghosts of people who died earlier; the audience is being reminded of rome’s past throughout the whole poem, especially here where we see the line of roman rulers (like caesar), whom the audience is already familiar with. now i’m gonna find other parallels, like narrowing down which episodes in the epic could correspond to, like, aeneas plucking the golden bough, and a few other scenes which i think are katabatic in nature

basically along these lines ^^

overall i’m not so much interested in the actual plot of the epic, or even vergil’s intentions as the author, than i am interested in thinking of it as a mirror for the audience. 

(not to derail but that’s basically what i was talking abt earlier here with bat comics, like i’m less interested in what the actual story is than i am interested in how (or whether) the audience is acknowledged. it’s also the mindset i’m coming from with posts like this bc like… to me i find it interesting how bruce denying something the audience already knows, like he’s gaslighting himself and the audience, mirrors how an abusive parent gaslights themselves/others (even though i know it’s not intentional, it’s fun for me to think about from the perspective of being the reader who watches these events happening then to see them changed in the story like a denial of facts brought on by immense grief/trauma)... but i guess it didn’t come across well enough hahah ;;)

uhh yea that's the basic idea! thanks for asking !!

#schattenfell-yuri #asked #thesis things

[malleablejewellers]

A Fantastic History and Series of Exciting Developments Beckon the Evolution of Jewelry

Gems has been a vital piece of the human culture. It has enhanced mankind since days of yore. For a great many years, it was a type of articulation, riches and status. With the human advancement, the adornments also went through development. Prior blossoms, shells, dots and bones were utilized to create adornments. As time moved, the metals were formed and subdued with adornments plans. Before long the innovation advanced and more complex plans step by step created.

The advancement of adornments can be extensively separated across three civilisations for example Egypt, India and China. The Egyptians established a solid starting point for metallurgy, pearl gathering, and glass make. They were the pioneers of exceptional style gems. Then again, Indians made gems a basic piece of their everyday existence and religion. They were the initial ones to devise and deal with the craft of gold. It is this special range of abilities that turned into a main impetus for the unimaginable extension of European Civilisation during the Age of Discovery. China gradually centered around making adornments enlivened essentially, creatures and winged serpents, this bit by bit became well known across Asia making them trailblazers of inventiveness.

The Timeline of Jewelry:

110.000 - 73.000 BC - Sea shells were utilized as Amulets. Hints of shell adornments was tracked down in Morocco, Israel, Algeria and South Africa.

38.000 BC - Beads created from creature remains was tracked down in France.

28.000 BC - Fossilized shells and ivory dabs found in the Czech Republic.

4400 BC - Thracian civilisation delivered objects produced using gold.

5000-30 BC - This noticeable the period of copper gems. Coated dabs and critter adornments became famous during this period. Gemstones like Amethyst, Turquoise, Carnelian, and Feldspar were utilized to create the one-of-its-sort style adornments.

2750 - 1200 BC - Ancient Mesopotamia delivered adornments motivated from grapes, cones and twistings. Gemstones like Agate, Jasper and Carnelian were utilized.

1400 - 30 BC - Greek adornments was inseparable from style gems, as it was installed with valuable jewels like the emeralds and depended on the creature and shell plan.

500 BC - 400 AD - During this time the snake gems appeared. The Romans acquired seal rings, ornaments, special necklaces and charms that were carved with Sapphires, Emeralds, Garnets, and Diamonds. Click over here https://malleable.ca/products/opal-bezel-studs-in-rose-gold

400 - 1000 AD - In the European Dark Ages gems was acquired by the royals as it were.

1066 - 1485 AD - In the Medieval age gems again became famous in light of the fact that it was a greater amount of religion-driven. The most well known plans were hair and material gems that was worn during strict services. The adornments during this age was installed with both valuable and semi-valuable gemstones.

1500 - 1830 - The appearance of Renaissance and Georgian period brought the ascent of adornments. Pieces of jewelry and Earrings of different plans were made. It is during this time that the precious stone adornments was a definitive style gems and was being matched with the night party gatherings.

1835 - 1900 - Fashion gems developed in Europe during the rule of Queen Victoria.

The mid 1900s - Art Nouveau and Edwardian styles were an advancement of this period.

1920 - 1935 - Twenties denoted the appearance of the Art Deco, which presented dynamically shaded gems loaded up with mathematical shapes, unique plans, cubism, innovation and oriental craftsmanship. Wristwatches were likewise worn during these years.

1939 - 1949 - This was the time of World War II. During this time, metal based adornments plans carved with devoted themes and semi-valuable and engineered gemstones appeared.

The 1950s - Post-war years splendidly shaded gems returned. Rhinestones and huge dabs were utilized. Jewels denoted its spot as the most famous gemstone.

seventeenth Century Onwards - Post seventeenth Century gems as of now not stayed a superficial point of interest. The gold and silver adornments was reasonable by the lower classes as well. Adornments started to take botanical plans and creatures with exceptional shaded gemstones and metals. This pattern went on until the mid twentieth Century and included multifaceted glass manifestations. The modern insurgency invigorated the gems style; and patterns changed quicker than at any other time. Adornments created during the Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco and Retro periods, specifically, are famous even today.

[123-reut]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: POTTERY BARN KIDS OMBRE BLACKOUT ROMAN SHADE. IVORY PINK. 44” X 64”..

[duxiaomin-blog]

The Collisions and Mix-and-Match of Materials in Jewelry

The beauty of jewelry not only arises from clever design and vibrant colors but is also deeply rooted in the diverse fusion of materials, marking a fascinating intersection of art and culture. Materials, serving as the cornerstone of all design elements in jewelry, constitute a crucial part of the overall aesthetic appeal. When two or more materials are mixed and matched, they often collide, creating a tension of beauty derived from the cultural and aesthetic differences symbolized by the materials.

This kind of intensive collision of materials was once prevalent in the Art Deco movement of the last century. The Art Deco style itself emphasized a rich diversity of materials and adeptly incorporated exotic styles from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Persian, ancient Egyptian, and Mayan cultures. Building upon this foundation, rare and precious materials like jade, jadeite, ebony, ivory, and others from the East were integrated into traditional jewelry and precious metals, creating a new context for an East-West dialogue driven by materials.

Van Cleef & Arpels Art Deco-style Vanity Case

In the 1920s, as women became increasingly independent, with societal acceptance of young ladies smoking and applying makeup in public, there emerged a new demand for vanity cases. Unlike their previous bulky counterparts, these new portable vanity cases were designed with a fashionable and sleek aesthetic in line with the Art Deco style. Manufactured by renowned jewelry houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, these cases featured elaborate decorations and a variety of materials including mother of pearl, tortoiseshell, jade, and gemstones.

One notable example showcased in Sotheby's auction is a vanity case designed by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1926, exuding an exotic flair. Adorned with black and cobalt blue enamel, the lid is embellished with a floral motif carved from coral and jade, accented with rose-cut diamonds and round rubies. The incorporation of new materials brought luxury and vibrant colors to the vanity case, while the inclusion of jade and lapis lazuli imparted a subtle and calm quality to the piece. This dual influence reflects different facets of Eastern and Western cultures, creating a tension of beauty resonating through luxury, vibrancy, and tranquility.

ChuCui Palace Cloud Poetry Brooch

Another visual feast within the realm of jewelry is the fusion of French aesthetics and Chinese influence, known as Chinoiserie. In the mid-20th century, ChuCui Palace, a high-end jewelry brand born from an Italian Roman heritage, incorporated Western craftsmanship with a touch of Chinoiserie aesthetics to create the exquisite "Cloud Poetry" brooch under their premium jewelry line. The piece pays homage to the Chinese Year of the Dragon, a theme deeply rooted in both Chinese culture and the European interpretation within the realm of Chinoiserie aesthetics.

Through the collision of different gemstones and materials, the artwork presents a layered relationship of illusion and reality, precision and looseness, conveying a light and clear composition. The meticulous arrangement of blue gemstones in the form of a "dragon body" draws inspiration from the shading technique in traditional Chinese fine brushwork. The interplay between the translucent "auspicious clouds" and the intricate, realistic carving creates a progressively intricate and harmonious composition.

The piece embodies the subtle and flowing curves reminiscent of Rococo style within Chinoiserie aesthetics, along with the ornate and complex decorative elements, a pursuit of light and delicate textures, asymmetry in composition, and thorough attention to materials. Embracing the concept of important blank spaces in Eastern aesthetics, the ethereal and dreamlike quality of the "auspicious clouds" is juxtaposed with the exquisite delicacy and solidity of the "dragon body." This showcases the rich sense of rhythm in the artwork, the mysterious allure unique to the East captured in the poetic line "the cloud dragon frequently sends dreams," and the tension of beauty inherent in Eastern aesthetics.

New Art Nouveau Style Enamel with Pearl and Diamond Brooch

In addition to the Art Deco and Chinoiserie styles, the Art Nouveau style, which was widely popular in Europe and America from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, also exhibits a diverse expression of materials. Art Nouveau abandons three-dimensional structures in favor of a pursuit of flat aesthetics, characterized by dynamic, undulating lines. Featured in Sotheby's auction is an antique brooch showcasing the Art Nouveau style.

The enamel colors, diamonds, pearls, and gold in the artwork engage in a dialogue, utilizing jewelry as a medium to create flat, painting-like artworks. The vibrant colors of enamel break traditional concepts of jewelry design, resembling pigments that 'depict' nature or feminine themes. The richness of color in enamel, combined with the nobility of gold, the brilliance of diamonds, and the purity of pearls, collide within the graceful, natural, and noble themes encapsulated by soft lines. The piece epitomizes elegance and sophistication in the portrayal of nature and femininity.

These precious jewelry pieces, akin to historical records, bear witness to the changes of time. The jewelry in the Art Deco style emanates a unique radiance from the last century, showcasing the era's pursuit of material richness and luxury Chinoiserie aesthetic jewelry, in its fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, exhibits a distinctive artistic charm. The interplay of various materials creates a magnificent tableau. Meanwhile, the Art Nouveau style's flat aesthetics elevate jewelry to an artistic height. Using enamel, diamonds, and pearls as a medium, it paints a picturesque world of nature or feminine themes within the realm of jewelry. The collision and mix of materials are not just design techniques but also a unique presentation of diverse cultures and artistic expressions.

From the luxurious collisions of Art Deco to the harmonious blend of reality and illusion in Chinoiserie aesthetics, and further to the flat aesthetics of Art Nouveau, each style showcases a unique aesthetic vision in the selection of materials.

#jewelry #art

[vancouverkitchenrenovation]

How to Style Curtains in the Kitchen

Curtains in the kitchen are a great way to add style to a space. Many kitchens do not have enough space for other accessories, so window sills are an ideal place to hang a curtain. Curtain patterns can also be used to frame items around the home and make a bold statement. There are many different ways to style curtains in the kitchen.

Cafe curtains

Cafe curtains in the kitchen add a focal point to a room while allowing plenty of light in. You can use the entire curtain, or close the top half for privacy. You can also use roman shades to add a sleek look to the kitchen. There are funky patterns, too. For extra color, you can also add a valance.

Cafe curtains are also inexpensive, as they use less fabric than traditional curtains. They can be hung on a simple iron rod or rings inserted inside the window frame. These curtains are easy to hang and go with other design elements in the room. They are also a great way to liven up a laundry room.

Box pleats

If you want to put box pleated curtains in your kitchen, you will need to follow a few steps. First, make sure that the amount of fabric for the pleats is the same as the number of spaces in the window. You will also need to determine the width of the pleats. Remember that the pleats should be between three to five inches in width.

The bottom edge of box pleat valances should be straight and evenly spaced. Box pleat valances will help add visual interest to your kitchen.

Swag valances

Swag valances are a great finishing touch for windows in your kitchen. These types of valances usually taper at the ends and add a wavy fishtail effect to your windows. You can also use swag valances to add a little pizzazz to plain panels.

Swags are also a good choice for windows with bay windows. They allow plenty of natural light to come in while allowing privacy. They can be used alone or paired with cafe curtains for a chic, secluded look. Swags can also complement other accessories in your home, such as copper-colored starburst sculptures and tealight holders.

Valances

Using valances in the kitchen adds a decorative element that complements the overall look of the room. They can also provide a functional function by covering up uncovered windows. Choose a design that is both unique and classic. For example, a paisley valance can add a rustic flair to your room. This design will complement a country or farmhouse style kitchen and is easy to install.

The black and gold fabric in this valance is designed to fool people into thinking it’s a heavy fabric, but it is actually medium-weight home decor fabric. The valance’s double-folded pleats add a richness to the valance. This design is best for a mid-sized window.

Low-pile curtains

Curtains are a great way to make your kitchen look elegant, but you can also use them to add function. Choose a low-pile option to keep the room cool and filtered while still allowing sunlight to filter through. These curtains can be washed regularly and have plenty of fabric options.

To add height to your kitchen windows, choose long, vertical-striped curtains. These lengths will keep your curtains off the floor and away from radiators. The longer curtains also help you accommodate taller fixtures and hardware. Make sure to match your curtains with the hardware you choose.

Valances with a simple pattern

For a simple way to dress up your windows in the kitchen, consider adding a valance. These are not difficult to install, and they don’t require any extra fabric or fuss. If you have some time to spare, valances can add an impressive touch to your kitchen.

A swag valance is another way to accent your kitchen windows. These are usually hung from medallions and are easy to adjust. The valance pictured in this kitchen was hung a little higher on the wall than normal, allowing the window frame to be seen. The red fabric adds a pop of color to this otherwise all-white kitchen. The valance features tassel trim made of a dark red and ivory toile.

Full-length curtain panels

Full-length kitchen curtain panels can be purchased in a variety of styles, colors, and designs. They come in lengths ranging from 63 to 144 inches, and are ideal for kitchens with large floor spaces. When measuring for the correct length, measure the curtain panel from floor to top of the curtain rod. If there is extra fabric, add a few inches to allow for “puddling.”

These curtains can be crafted from a variety of materials and can be made as long as you need. Besides being very versatile, they can also be tailored to fit your window.

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The kitchen is often the heart of the home, so it makes sense that it would play such an integral role in your house’s overall look and feel. It’s also a space that people spend a significant amount of time in, so it must look its absolute best. That’s why VK Renovation is proud to offer Kitchen Design and Renovations in Vancouver, BC. We believe that a well-designed kitchen can transform the way you live, and we’re committed to helping you create the perfect space for yourself and your family. Whether you’re interested in updating your existing kitchen or building a brand new one, we can help you achieve your dream kitchen. We’ll listen carefully to your ideas and preferences, and together we’ll figure out which options will work best for you. Once we’ve determined what you’d like to see in your new kitchen, we’ll put together a detailed proposal outlining everything we propose, including a breakdown of the estimated budget and timeline. If you decide to move forward with our proposal, we’ll begin working immediately to bring your vision to life.

We understand that to be successful is to stay ahead of the curve. That means staying current with the latest technology and design trends. We’re always looking to find ways to improve our products or services without breaking the bank. That’s why we stay connected to the latest technologies of NKBA, National Kitchen and Bath Association. In addition, at VK renovation, our primary focus is providing sustainable kitchen design and renovation packages, and we believe in sustainable living. Sustainable living is a way of life in harmony with nature. It is a lifestyle which focuses on the preservation of our environment. Sustainable living is a philosophy emphasizing respect for the environment and concern for its well-being. This means we should take care of the planet and treat it as if it were our own home. We should try to preserve what we have and protect it from destruction. If we do this, we will enjoy the benefits of the earth’s resources for many generations. Whether you’re planning a major remodel or adding finishing touches to your current kitchen, we’d love to discuss your project. Book your showroom consultation online.

Main Areas of Service in British Columbia:

Vancouver

North Vancouver

West Vancouver

Burnaby

Coquitlam

Squamish

Whistler

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to renovate a kitchen?

Plumbing and electrical rough-ins

Drywalling

Painting

Kitchen cabinet installation

Flooring installation

Countertop installation

Backsplash installation

Appliances

What’s the 5-zone kitchen?

The 5-zone Kitchen is an innovative design that makes it possible to cook more efficiently with less space. It includes five cooking areas: A sink area; a stove area; a refrigerator area; a food preparation and preparation area; and a dining room. This gives each cook their own area to work in, and reduces the need to have a large kitchen that has multiple appliances.

Maximil, the German kitchen designer, created the 5-zone-kitchen. It’s often used in European style kitchens. Families who wish to save time and money by cooking together can benefit from this 5-zone kitchen.

These are some important things to remember if you are thinking about a 5-zone cooking area for your home. First, the kitchen must have enough space for all five zones. To avoid lingering smells or fumes in the kitchen, every zone must have adequate ventilation. Third, each zone should have enough space to allow for movement.

A 5-zone kitchen can provide a stylish, efficient, and beautiful option for those who are looking to make their kitchen more modern. The 5-zone kitchen is a great addition for any home when planned well.

What are the advantages of the 5-zone kitchen?

There are many benefits to the 5-zone cooking, such as:

Improved efficiency – each cook has their own space to work in, which eliminates the need to move between multiple appliances;

You can make your home more stylish with the 5-zone kitchen.

Better ventilation – Each area is adequately ventilated. This prevents lingering smells and fumes in your kitchen.

Better layout: The layout of the kitchen should be so that there is easy movement from one zone to another.

The 5-zone kitchen can offer a stylish, efficient option for those looking to create a beautiful kitchen. With proper planning, it can be a great addition to any home.

Do you have the skills to DIY a kitchen renovation?

Do you want to renovate your kitchen? The answer is yes, but there are some things to remember.

A kitchen renovation is a large project. Make sure you have enough time and energy to complete it. It’s also essential to have some basic carpentry and plumbing skills before starting. You will also need to determine what parts of the kitchen you wish to modify, including adding storage space, replacing outdated appliances, and improving lighting.

After you have planned your kitchen remodel, it is time to shop for materials. You will need to make a decision about cabinets, countertops, flooring and appliances.

Also, it is a good idea not to rush into shopping for your kitchen. This will help determine how much space and what layout is best for your kitchen.

You have many options for cabinets. There are two types of cabinets available: Ready-to-assemble (RTA), or custom. RTA cabinets can be made in many styles and colors and are generally less expensive than custom ones.

It is important to take all the necessary precautions to ensure safety and security before you embark on a large-scale project. For renovations, it might be a good idea to check the local building codes.

Although it may seem tempting to handle a large-scale project on your feet, it is best that you seek professional advice. It is possible to save both time as well as money by hiring qualified contractors. You will also be able to work with professionals to ensure that your project runs smoothly.

Statistics

Your most significant cost investment for a kitchen remodel will usually be cabinets, typically comprising 25 percent of your budget. (hgtv.com)

In the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Washington, and Oregon), according to Remodeling Magazine, that same midrange central kitchen remodel jumps to $72,513, and a major upscale kitchen remodels jumps up $11,823 from the national average to $143,333. (hgtv.com)

Followed by cabinet cost, labour, and appliance costs consume 20 percent each of your budget. (hgtv.com)

“We decided to strip and refinish our kitchen cabinets during a heat wave with 90-plus-degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity in a house with no air conditioning. (familyhandyman.com)

According to Burgin, some hinges have this feature built-in, but it’s an add-on cost for other models of about $5 retail, adding up to $350 to $500 for an entire kitchen, depending on size. (hgtv.com)

External Links

houzz.com

The Habitatilist – Project Photos & Reviews – South Orange, NJ US

Kitchen Workbook: 8 Essential Elements to a Craftsman Cookbook

remodeling.hw.net

2021: Cost vs. Value

Cost vs. Value Project: Minor Kitchen Remodel

forbes.com

Amazing Kitchen Remodel Ideas To Refresh Your Home

hgtv.com

Choosing Kitchen Appliances | HGTV

HGTV: How to Create a Kitchen that’s Great for Entertaining

How To

Kitchen Remodeling: How Much Does it Cost in 2022? [12 Tips to Help You Save Money]

What is the average cost of a kitchen remodel? A kitchen renovation project can cost anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 depending on the size of your space and the features you choose. To get the best price for your home, make sure you have some upgrades in place.

These are the top 12 ways we can cut costs without sacrificing quality.

Purchase appliances secondhand

DIY projects

Repurpose old furniture

Save scrap materials

To do the work, hire a professional

Donate your stuff

Sell online

Paint colors can be as creative and imaginative as you like

Go green

Keep it simple

Make it unique

Flexibility is key

The post How to Style Curtains in the Kitchen first appeared on Vancouver Kitchen Renovation.

source https://vancouverkitchenrenovation.com/kitchens/how-to-style-curtains-in-the-kitchen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-style-curtains-in-the-kitchen

[arunima123]

7 Methods for Picking a Wedding Bouquet, As indicated by a Specialist

Did you have at any rate some thought that blooms have been indivisible from weddings since Roman times when women could wear wreaths to mean new beginnings? However, it wasn't long after the Victorian period that wedding flower packs turned out to be notable. Sovereign Victoria conveyed a little posy of snowdrops when she married Ruler Albert. They essentially affect your important day, and they become the mind-boggling center in your wedding pictures. The roses in your wedding bouquet are the prettiest strategy for bringing tone and fragrance into the method. Here, the experts at Debris Barton have shared their ways of picking the best bouquet.

1.) Find your wedding dress before you pick a bouquet

The Wedding flower bouquet style you pick will really depend upon what your dress looks like. Thusly, before you even ponder mentioning your blooms, guarantee you've recently picked your outfit. The style and condition of the bouquet need to enhance the style and condition of your dress and shouldn't hide the diagram or make you look lopsided. Exactly when you meet or chat with your flower seller strangely, guarantee you have a picture of your dress to hand.

2.) Ponder the shape and size of your wedding bouquet

Wedding flower packs come in all shapes and style from close to nothing, Sovereign Victoria-style posies to enormous, pouring out over flower packages that basically trail to the ground. The most popular styles include:

Round flower groups

Round flower packs are one of the most notable styles of wedding bouquet and are incorporated with a tight shape with essentially no foliage. Round flower packs look faltering with one sort of bloom like roses or peonies. Then again pick an assurance of blooms yet all in a comparative assortment.

Flood flower groups

Streaming flower groups have a fountain of blooms and vegetation streaming towards the floor. These days there's regularly stores of vegetation included like plants and eucalyptus, and they look particularly exquisite with uncommon or boho wedding dresses.

Hand-tied easygoing flower packs

Relaxed hand-tied wedding flower packs have become massively popular recently and are obviously appropriate for outside, boho and country style weddings. Blooms that appear like they've been recently picked from the knoll or nursery that morning, for instance, peonies, roses or wildflowers by and large capability commendably. Stems are permitted to stay uncovered and joined with a strip or lace.

Unequal flower packs

Hilter kilter flower packs are obviously appropriate for women who incline toward something to some degree capricious and odd. As you'd expect, this bouquet has an unstructured shape with one side higher or greater than the other. A hilter kilter bouquet can be involved a fledglings yet capability honorably with colossal blooms and underlying foliage.

3.) Contemplate the shade of your bouquet

It's huge your Flower crate supplement the shade of your dress. In case you're choosing white blooms, guarantee they're the right shade of white, especially accepting at least for now that you're wearing an ivory or cream outfit. Likewise, dresses in a pale gold, rose or a champagne color simply work with explicit tones. Take an example of your wedding dress surface to the flower expert with you, notwithstanding an example of your bridesmaid's dresses too. That way your flower merchant can recommend blooms that supplement your assortments faultlessly.

4.) Pick periodic marriage blooms

At the point when you've chosen the shape and style of your bouquet, you need to pick the blooms. Lots of fledglings are available all through the whole year as they're imported from abroad. Nonetheless, from a cost and natural point of view, worth picking blooms are in season in the UK. Wonderful anemones, marigolds, and lily of the valley all in sprout in the spring. While enormous, striking blooms like hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, universe, lilies, and sunflowers are all in sprout in the mid year, and roses will anyway be growing as late as October.

5.) Pick a bouquet you can hold easily

As you'll hold your bouquet the whole day, guarantee you pick a size and shape that feels easy to hold and doesn't make you feel wrong or lopsided. Exactly when you hold your bouquet, have your wrist by your hip. It's the very smart arrangement as it stops you holding it to high and scrunching your shoulders.

6.) Don't use new blooms using any and all means

Green foliage, feathers, dried blooms, felt blooms, berries, trim, paper, adornments and even pom-poms are ending up being logically notable for flower packs. It's bound to talk point and, clearly, this sort of bouquet will persevere through longer than seven days. Mix non plant parts in with your blooms. Then again manage without sprouts endlessly out.

7.) Work with your flower trained professional

At the point when you have a Pinterest board stacked with your main styles, shapes and assortments, talk with your flower seller. Be coordinated by them very much like the trained professionals and can urge you on which blooms will be available at that season and what fledglings will suit your inclined toward bouquet shape. Incredible flower sellers will frequently get saved quickly.

For more -  Flower box Dubai , Wedding flower bouquet, Beautiful bouquet of flowers

[lasclly]

Eazy e sunglasses

#Eazy e sunglasses tv#

King Louis XIV's court watched the 1706 Solar eclipse through a telescope with a smoky glass filter attached. In 1459 Nuno Fernandes made a request for a pair of spectacles to protect the eyes while horseriding in the snow against the glare coming from the snow, though no description of any actual spectacles is given. Documents describe the use of such crystal sunglasses by judges in ancient Chinese courts to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses. The first sunglasses, made from flat panes of smoky quartz called Ai Tai, meaning ‘dark clouds', which offered no corrective powers but did protect the eyes from glare, were used in China in the 12th century or possibly earlier. These, however, appear to have worked rather like mirrors. It is said that the Roman emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator fights using cut emeralds. In many different forms and with many different materials, the indigenous peoples of North America and northern Asia crafted highly efficient equipment to protect their eyes against the damaging effects of strong sunlight in icy circumstances. Since prehistoric times until the spread of contemporary UV-shielding spectacles, Inuit people made and wore Snow goggles of flattened walrus or caribou ivory with narrow slits to look through to block almost all of the harmful reflected rays of the sun. Inuit snow goggles function by reducing exposure to sunlight, not by reducing its intensity It is important to note that dark glasses that do not block UV radiation can be more damaging to the eyes than not wearing eye protection at all, since they tend to open the pupil and allow more UV rays into the eye.

#Eazy e sunglasses tv#

Their usage is mandatory immediately after some surgical procedures, such as LASIK, and recommended for a certain time period in dusty areas, when leaving the house and in front of a TV screen or computer monitor after LASEK. The American Optometric Association recommends wearing sunglasses that block ultraviolet radiation (UV) whenever a person is in the sunlight to protect the eyes from UV and blue light, which can cause several serious eye problems. Since the 1930s, sunglasses have been a popular fashion accessory, especially on the beach. In the early 20th century, they were also known as sun cheaters ( cheaters then being an American slang term for glasses). They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened. Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies more names below) are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. Wearing sunglasses under direct sunlight: Large lenses offer good protection, but broad temple arms are also needed against "stray light" from the sides.

#Eazy e sunglasses

[scentedlandperfection]

Choosing the Right Blinds and Shades for Your Windows

When you move into the new house or you have decided to go for the redecoration of your home, also it's veritably important to put some wise studies and time in choosing the right type of window tones and window coverings for your apartments. It has been noticed that utmost of people leave this as the last decision because the utmost of them suppose it as the final touch, but this is veritably wrong. Window tones and coverings are considered to be the most aesthetically pleasing reality when it comes to the design of the home. There are principally 2 options which you can choose from while deciding the type of curtains. One way is to either find out different types of tones which are available in the request and also opt for the stylish one which you serve your requirements. An alternate way is to hire a person from the curtain installation company who can help you in choosing the stylish option. Some of the window tones and hangouts which can be considered while decorating your home are

Curtains with Stand These types of curtains are just suitable for any type of window and they're substantially available in oil, linen, or heavy satin. This type of curtain is considered to be ideal for the living room or any other large room. However, also you can visually reduce the size of the room If you're choosing a strong color.

Roman Tones These tones are made from a single piece of fabric which gets crowds on itself and utmost of the times they're drawn up with the help of ring-suchlike a medium or a cord. These tones are principally for the large windows and are the stylish way to embellish a small room.

Austrian Hangouts These are the hangouts that have got support rings that can be fastened to the lines. They're substantially available in featherlight accouterments like silk and hence considered to be the perfect option for kitchens, restrooms, and bedrooms.

Cellular Tones These tones are available in different designs and styles and utmost of the time they get matched with any type of window.

For more info:-

ivory roman shades

orange roman shades

#ivory roman shades

[maybe-itll-be-someday]

How Far We’ll Go

Thank you, as always, to the immeasurably wonderful @jetaime-jespere for her support, friendship, and beta of this chapter. 

I am a better writer with every word because of you. 

Read on AO3.

Chapter 16

By the time flowers bloom from small buds aided by the warmth of spring, they celebrate Jack's seventh birthday at a local park and she stops monopolizing Aaron’s every thought.

The passing months had dulled the persistent ache in his chest - the one that had set him on edge after the wedding, traces of her perfume in his nose and her taste on his tongue. He had pressed his phone to his ear, a blush of a mark that she had drawn on the base of his collarbone, with absolutely no clue as to what he wanted to say. He just wants to hear her voice and ask her why.

Aaron tries for three days, her new number practically burned into his keypad as he dials the same thirteen digits over and over again. The night on that balcony was a sliver of hope, a small flicker that ignited a flame he had thought had long gone out. But the flame is extinguished as fast as it starts, doused by the never-ending dial tone in his ear and dozens of unreturned calls.

She never answers and he decides that he isn’t going to spend his life waiting for a phone call that would never come.

Aaron perfects a routine that avoids anything too reminiscent of her. He gets the strength to clear the expired creamer in his fridge he's conveniently forgotten about, tossing the shampoo bottle that's been nearly empty for months, and gifts the cat mug to Garcia who was none the wiser as to its previous owner. He starts to drink coffee at the office instead of at home and drives to and from work in a route that avoids the park they used to train at and the cafe where he first realized that his feelings had morphed into something soft and sweet, like the lemon curd pancakes that she used to order.

Now, he and Jack eat waffles on Sundays.

--

She meets Mark through a friend, being pushed into a conversation by their mutual connection, who insisted that they would get along. Emily resents the introduction, but feigns interest and agrees because she's lonely and for once, she doesn't want to think about the way the rough edges of brick pressed into her back as he drilled into her, as desperate and erratic as she felt.

Mark is surprisingly engaging, witty and smart as he talks about his work in corporate law, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He's incredibly normal - filling his days with visiting his parents on the weekends and running when he can squeeze it into his calendar. His eyes light up when he talks about how he enjoys kayaking in the mornings and Emily is jealous of the seemingly simple life he lived. She finds herself drawn to the light he exudes because all she's known is shadows, secrets lurking with threats of unravelling the composure she's carefully built. He's bright and unscathed, and she wants a taste of what that's like.

When he slips her his number, soft and sweet into her palm, she blushes.

She tries to ignore that his eyes aren't the shade of brown that she wants and promises to call him.

--

Mark is sweet and persistent, insisting on seeing her again. She's hesitant at first, her breath hitching when he asks if she wants to get dinner the following Saturday, if she wasn't travelling for work. He has a very minimal understanding of what she did and for that, she's grateful, avoiding having to relive memories she isn’t interested in sharing.

She realizes that she'll probably never be truly honest with him, but says yes anyways.

He's easy to read. He's nervous, evident by the constant tugging on the cuffs of his sleeves, unconsciously fidgeting the small buttons between his fingers. He tries to impress her with his knowledge of wine, but quickly admits that he really didn't know the difference between wines aside from being red and white. She laughs and orders a Merlot that she loves and asks him what it’s like to be a corporate lawyer.

The conversation flows easily as does the wine, swapping book recommendations and Mark insisting that she would love hiking and that he would take her sometime. When the wine blurs her vision slightly, he kisses her and they end up back at her apartment, their clothes strewn across the living room as he touches her nervously as if she was made of glass. He's clumsy and unsure, fumbling with the zipper of the black dress she wore and spends a while attempting to unhook her bra. He finishes before she does and she barely gets anywhere, the coil in her abdomen tight with no relief in sight.

She slips into her shower when he falls asleep, muscles taut and tense, a stalled release still deep in her. She turns her shower head to the highest pressure and lets the warm water beat on her skin as she stroked herself, chasing the release that she needed after months of large piles of paperwork and being pulled away on one case after another.

Emily thinks of him, the veins on his forearms that formed ridges underneath his skin, thick and bulging as his fingers stretched her open. How he had curled right there and flicked just like this and it isn't long until she's toppling over the edge with the well-worn memories of him seared into the back of her eyelids.

She slips into bed next to Mark when her muscles are looser, the warm shower and orgasm dissipating the remaining tension she's been carrying around for weeks. She stiffens when she realizes that all the covers are pulled over around him, leaving no warmth on her side of the bed and she fights the annoyance that flashes through her and the subsequent pang in her chest.

She hated it when they hogged the covers.

--

The next morning, he makes her breakfast of eggs that he had run to the store to get while she was asleep.

Mark’s in her kitchen, using the only pan that she owns because she really doesn't cook aside from easy mixes she could throw together quickly, and makes her slightly overdone scrambled eggs and apologizes for falling asleep last night and wants to see her again. He's still nervous, fidgeting with last night's clothes that he had thrown on in an attempt to look decent, and she doesn't have the heart to say no .

Mark is uncomplicated and distracting and she wants to be distracted.

He smiles wide and drops a kiss on her lips before saying that he had plans with his sister and would call her later.

The eggs are left untouched on the counter.

She makes chocolate chip pancakes instead.

--

He meets a museum curator named Beth when he volunteers to chaperone Jack’s field trip. He had snuck away from the rest of the group, choosing to wander over to the classical art section as the kids ran mayhem in the dinosaur exhibit downstairs. His ears were starting to ring from the loud, high-pitched conversations about the stegosaurus and figures that a break would save his sanity.

He’s staring at a painting that is adorned with broad strokes of red. It’s an abstract piece of work, the lines fluid and dancing across the canvas. The movement reminds him of waves of red fabric, draped across ivory thighs and falling with every thrust of his hips.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” A light voice chimes, shattering the memory and suddenly reminding him where he is. He turns to the sound of the voice and his breath is slightly knocked out of his chest.

A pair of dark brown eyes are staring up on him, accompanied by a bright smile and deep dimples. Long brunette locks cascading like waves down her shoulder, a lightness to her that he doesn’t think he’s seen before. She radiates light.

He isn’t used to it - his entire life had somehow been shaded in different layers of darkness. His father’s calloused knuckles, Haley and his divorce, Haley’s death, Emily’s sudden departure after a taste of what his life could’ve been like. Things that brought him light were usually ripped away, torn from his hands at the seams. He’s used to lurking in the darkness.

“It’s gorgeous.” He says and she smiles.

Later, with her number saved into his phone and promises to call if he wanted to come back for a private art tour, Aaron wonders if she can help shine a light on the darkness that was determined to follow him around.

--

Emily doesn’t know what’s wrong.

She doesn’t know why her temper flares ever so slightly when his soft palm flexes over her knee. Why when she feels the slenderness of his fingers against her thigh, her first instinct is to pull away.

Her temper flares when he leaves his clothes in the bathroom like a child, the mirror covered in streaks from his fingerprints. She savors being alone at night, glad to not have his cold toes accidentally brush against her calf and his annoying habit of monopolizing the covers on his side.

On nights where she’s alone, grateful for his absence, she tips whiskey into an empty glass and savors the burn of the alcohol.

She used to hate dark liquor.

Now, she doesn’t know what she’d do without it.

--

There’s something about Beth that Aaron can’t quite place.

She’s kind and sweet. She’s smart and passionate about art. Her entire being lights up, her expression animated as she talks to him about the difference between the key differences between Greek and Roman art styles. She drinks tea and loves pop music and brings a smile to his face when she pulls on his hand to dance with him in the middle of her living room on a rare Friday night when Jack is with Jessica while Katy Perry is playing in the background.

Beth makes him smile and for a split second when her lips are on his, he forgets the hole in his chest that he’s gotten better at hiding with time.

It still doesn’t stop his dreams to be filled with memories of her, of maple syrup and of cups of coffee that grew cold on his kitchen island in favor of playing pirates with Jack, or of mornings spent watching the soft morning light dance on crumpled sheets and gentle curves.

Beth is uncomplicated and distracting, and he wants to be distracted.

On a quiet Sunday, he brings her to the cafe that he once frequented. His memories of the place had dulled, now blurred by the passage of time. He wants to make new memories - those untouched by the memory of lemon curd pancakes and their bikes sitting on the rack in front. He holds Beth’s hand loosely in his and guides her through an old routine still embedded in his muscles.

A sting of familiarity hits him, seeing Beth read a menu he thinks once upon a time he could have recited front and back. She orders french toast and a chai tea, which he points out is actually translated to tea tea. He expects her to roll her eyes and sarcastically reply, but instead Beth just smiles and giggles.

He ignores the pang in his chest when he realizes who he really expected that reaction from.

“Is the food okay?” Beth asks out of the blue, snapping Aaron out of his reverie.

“Oh yeah.” He pushes a piece of bacon to the side, suddenly losing all of his appetite. “Just not as hungry as I thought I was.”

Maybe there were just some places where she would always haunt him.

--

When he drops her off at her house, she wraps her arms around his waist and gives him a soft peck.

He catches a whiff of her shampoo and he realizes what it was that he couldn’t place.

Her hair smells like oranges.

He swallows the lump in his throat and promises to call her.

He buys a bundle of oranges before he goes home, determined to rewire his brain to prefer orange to lavender.

--

By the time the leaves start to fall, he’s forgotten what lavender smells like.

--

By the time the leaves start to fall, she feels like she’s simply going through the motions.

She floats through it all - a seemingly mindless blur of passing days. She floats through her days with Mark, her cases with Interpol, and her life in London.

Until one day, she sinks.

--

She loses someone on her team after a year of being their unit chief.

Peters was one of her younger agents. He had a degree from Oxford, an extensive background in linguistics, and had just recently proposed to his long-time girlfriend. He had just turned 31 a few weeks before they lost him.

She doesn’t lose him to another job opportunity or some notion of his that he wanted a normal life outside of days spent travelling to far off countries in pursuit of evil. She loses him to an unsub, a pistol pointed straight at his chest as a man with evil laced in every fiber of his being unloaded four bullets point blank.

She can still recount, moment by moment, how her carefully crafted plan had fallen apart so grandly. They had to lure the unsub into an abandoned warehouse by the river Seine to help the Police Nationale arrest him the moment he stepped one foot past the door.

The unsub, a terrorist from an old cell that Interpol had believed to have broken apart years ago, had lured them into a trap. The cell had gone underground, instead of completely disbanding, and fell off of the Interpol radar. They had resurfaced in recent years and they were on track to arrest the right-hand man of their leader.

If only she had known that while she was concocting a plan, they were already concocting their revenge.

Peters had ended up trapped, the only body in that warehouse as her team scrambled to escape while she was at the command center down the street, ordering whoever was around to get her team out .

She had heard the shots, her heart faltering in her chest when she realizes what those four cracks in the air meant. A moment too reminiscent of that day outside the bank.

Emily doesn’t let her team see her falter. She was their leader and a fearless one at that, and she was determined to keep a stony facade as she delivered the news to his family that he had died in action.

She thinks the sound of his fiancee’s wail at the news that her future husband had died would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“He was a great agent, and it was an honor to have him on our team.” She said, as his fiancee’s face crumbled into tears as his family came around to grab the last of his belongings. She had made a point to clear the desk herself, forcing herself to touch all the things he will never use again and pack them all in a neat box.

Forcing herself to relieve the consequences of her actions over and over again, so that she would never forget how one decision could alter the course of someone’s life.

She wonders how many decisions she’s made that ruined someone else’s life.

--

Peters’ death weighs over her like a stormcloud, the anger and disappointment that brews under her skin seeps into her judgement. Her temper is on a short fuse, mistakes that she would normally let pass now needled with a fine point that she knows is unnecessary. She’s hard on her team, and even harder on herself, in an attempt to grasp some semblance of control after the tragedy had shaken their foundation.

It doesn’t help that her office overlooks her team’s desks and every time she glances up, her heart catches in her throat when she sees the new agent is at his desk, empty of the framed picture he kept of his fiancee and the pictures of his family he tacked on his cube wall.

She’s no stranger to the nightmares that start haunting her after his death.

She wakes up in a cold sweat most nights, and on the nights that she’s with Mark, she tries to drown herself in wine to blur the dreams so she didn’t startle him with her nightmares.

It only lasts two weeks before the dreams get too intense even with the aid of an extra glass of wine at dinner and Mark insists that she start seeing a counselor. Clyde insists on it too, when she comes into his office with dark circles under her eyes and the heaviness of Peters’ death still clouding her.

He gives her a mandatory two weeks off to try and process his death, ordering her to see an Interpol-approved therapist in London, but the lack of work is more detrimental to her than she anticipated.

Without the menial tasks and challenge of work to keep her occupied, her mind immediately floods to replaying Peters’ death in excruciating detail. How she was powerless at the center of it all, the ice that flooded her veins at the cracks in the air, how she was the one who found his body, a pool of dark red beading underneath the bullet hole in his neck.

She spirals in the silence of her apartment, the vast emptiness of the space that is permeated with loneliness and darkness.

Her phone is pressed against her ear before she can think twice about it, not wanting to back out of a decision that she knew was treading a dangerous line.

There was a chance that he wouldn’t pick up, maybe a twisted form of revenge for letting his calls go ignored, unwilling to provide him with the answers he craved after that night.

He could’ve just let the phone ring, ignoring her call the same way she had done all those months ago. She honestly doesn’t know if she could handle him not answering, despite him having a completely valid reason to.

But he doesn’t. He sounds surprised when he answers, cautiously greeting her.

“Emily? Is everything alright?” Relief floods her at the sound of his voice and she lets out a soft sob at her name passing through his lips.

"You told me to tell you if I was having a bad day." She says, the tears clear in her voice. "I'm having a really bad day, Aaron."

--

She sinks, but Aaron is the lighthouse that guides her out of the darkness.

He listens as she blabbers, managing to get the full story in between tears and soft sobs. He doesn’t interrupt, doesn’t press for information and instead lets her tell her story at her pace. He makes soft soothing noises while she’s crying and when the sobs dwindle down to soft sniffles, he speaks.

“You did your best, Emily. That's all we can do.” He says. “The rest is part of the job.”

“Who told you that? She sounds wise.” She teases, his words immediately sparking a memory of a shared moment they had in a different lifetime.

“She is.” Aaron’s voice is soft, tone lowered like he was speaking information that needed to be confidential and she can almost see the way his eyes would shift, tucking his chest away from the door.

Another secret, just one more to keep between them.

“His fiancee, Aaron. I don’t think I will ever forget the way that she sounded. The love of her life died.” He understands the implication of her words. It reminds her, too much, of that day at the bank. How she could hear her own curdling screams in Jeanette’s, aware of the hole that opened up in her world the moment that Peters’ blood pooled on that abandoned warehouse floor.

She lived that horror for a brief moment in the ruins of the explosion, searching for him in the rubble.

“She’ll find love again.” He says. “I did.”

Emily doesn’t know if he was referring to her, or the new girl that Penelope had hinted to, but she takes those words and tucks them away to be saved on a day she needed it most, taking its spot right next to Jack’s drawing of the three of them and his old Georgetown shirt. She replays the memory of her old words, when she stares out into the bullpen and straightens out her blazer before walking into her first briefing back.

The rest is part of the job.

--

They start to exchange calls. He starts, calling her one random Tuesday morning as his confidence was fortified by the alcohol in his blood. He was sitting in his hotel room in the Los Angeles heat, a cheap motel that was the only accommodation they could find on such short notice. The air is hot and sticky, the unusual humidity in Southern California causing beads of sweat to form on his neck.

He calls her, skin damp and his chest thick with old wounds resurfacing at the desperation in Mrs. Payton’s voice at his presence at the precinct instead of out in the streets looking for a little girl who was around Jack’s age when he was taken by Foyet.

They had successfully saved Phoebe but he knew all too well how wrong it could have all gone.

He thinks of Haley. He knew that she loved as fiercely as Mrs. Payton, who lashed out at him in the elevator. She was desperate to do anything to save her child.

He knew that Haley’s last sacrifice was the same - done in desperation to save Jack.

The thirteen digits are still embedded in his fingers and he plugs it into his phone the same way that he did that night.

Except this time, she answers.

She stays on the phone with him as long as she can, before she’s whisked away to a series of bureaucratic meetings where her attendance is mandatory. She listens when he talks about the case and doesn’t have to ask him how he feels about it.

She inherently knows which parts of a case would brush too closely to his scars.

“You won, Aaron. You saved her. Don’t kill yourself thinking of what could have happened, because it didn’t.”

He wonders why her words are the salve that soothes the hollow ache in his chest.

The next time he calls her, he doesn’t have any problems to talk through. Instead, he calls with a wordless urge that he’s worked hard to suppress, letting the need for her pour out of his being in a flood. He knows about Mark, a casual detail that Garcia had let slip after one too many margaritas during a team dinner.

But part of him doesn’t care.

“Hi.” He says, a small smile on his face when she answers, breathing his name out in a way that triggers a forgotten memory of soft morning light that broke through his window, the day barely beginning and him already occupied with tracing the length of her spine with his fingers.

He had been without her for so long. He thinks he’d have her anyway she’d take him.

“Did your meeting go well?”

--

He was an addict, and she was his vice.

He craves the way syllables roll off her tongue, the lilt of her laugh when he narrates Jack’s adventure at the water park, accidentally sliding head first on his back on one of the larger slides. His heart skips over itself when her number flashes across the screen, even when he presses ‘ignore’ when Beth eyes his phone at dinner.

“Work?” She asks sweetly and Aaron is unsure if she’s oblivious or giving him the benefit of the doubt.

“Just a friend. I’ll call her back later.” Her eyebrows quirk at his response, but she lets it pass and instead brings up the new art exhibit that was coming to her museum.

Emily is the first one to ask about Beth and he’s stunned into silence, unaware that he had given her any information about his current relationship.

“Garcia told me.” She explains and her tone softens at her next words. “You can talk about her, you know.”

So he does. He tells her about how they met, stumbling awkwardly through asking her on a date that he’s pretty sure he really didn’t end up asking anything, and Emily laughs. She tells him about Mark, and the companies that he consulted for, and how he took her hiking and it was a complete disaster. Aaron listens in amusement when she tells him about all the statistics for killers in remote places and how maybe hiking wasn’t going to be her thing.

Despite the subtle ache in his chest when she mentions Mark, he thinks that the comfort she brought him by hearing her stories outweighs the pain.

Emily calls him when she gets stranded in the rain, frustrated and with no one to talk to. She calls him and he smiles and tells her to duck into a coffee shop to wait out the downpour and that he’d keep her company. He calls her when he’s reading a book and wants to talk to someone about it, because he doesn’t think that Beth would understand The Wisdom of Psychopaths .

She listens to his theories and recommends a book to him, and suggests that maybe they exchange opinions over email. He wakes up to a lengthy email from her the next day, a breakdown of all her favorite quotes from the book and links to articles she thought he’d find relevant to the topic.

They learn how to be friends again.

--

She’s not stupid.

She can see the way his eyes lit up when his phone rang, his attention always curiously piqued towards the smartphone he kept face down on the table. He never answered her calls, at least not while he was with her.

It was hard not to know her, when some of Jack’s favorite stories included Emily and he retold them so many times she thinks she could recite them from memory. She knows of the emails Jack would write to her, always tugging on Aaron’s sleeve to hurry up whatever he was doing and help him turn on the computer because Emmy was waiting .

But Aaron never mentioned her. She got clipped answers, saying that she was a colleague at the BAU before she moved to London. She hadn’t found it weird, not at first, until her name started flashing across Aaron’s screen more times than she could count.

He always pressed ‘ignore’, but she had a sneaking suspicion that his early mornings were dedicated to her. He would always slip out of bed, at least an hour or two before she would, and she would awaken to his laugh muffled in the living room.

“Hey, I gotta go.” He would say to whoever was on the phone, and stand up to greet her with a kiss.

It wasn’t until recently, on an early Sunday morning, that she heard a small snippet of what he was hiding from her as she stood in his doorway.

“Come on, Em. You know that the only album that’s worth listening to is the White album.”

Beth didn’t even know that he listened to the Beatles.

She’s not stupid.

--

Syllables tumble out of his mouth, entangled in the dull ecstasy that he was accustomed to after almost a year of being with Beth. He was lost in the snapping movement of his hips, unaware of the words that were slipping from his lips as he teetered on the edge of a release.

She stiffens as he collapses on top of her, a last moan leaving his lips. His sweat is still breaking on his skin when she twists her head away from him in disgust. She pulls away from underneath him, pushing him off with anger.

“Are you okay?” He asks, the sudden change in her demeanor too apparent in the harsh way her hands collide with his chest.

“Do you even know what you just said?” Beth says, her tone biting and unforgiving as she snatches her clothes from the floor, an anger that he’s never synonymized to her suddenly etched into her every feature. Aaron reaches out, wrapping a tender grip around her wrist and she pulls away like his touch radiated with the heat of the sun.

“Beth, I don’t understand.” Aaron says, watching her pull on her clothes and collecting her belongings. She had been prepping for this conversation, for the inevitable break to ten months of companionship. She just didn’t expect it to happen like this.

“Beth, please talk to me.” He pleads, stepping closer to her and stopping her hand from picking up her purse in the chair in the corner.

“Do you know what you said, Aaron?” She asks, the deathly calm in her voice reminiscent of scorned women he’s become familiar with after a long career at the FBI.

“You said her name.”

He doesn’t have to ask who she’s referring to.

He steps back and lets her collect the last of her belongings, her body language stiff and curled as she throws her clothes back on. He doesn’t know if there are any words, if he could say sorry enough times to rectify his mistake.

But he also knows that this relationship would always come to its end.

He knew that before he asked her out for the first time.

“I don’t think you’ll be happy with anyone that isn’t her. Stop lying to yourself, Aaron.” Beth says, before slamming his apartment door shut and walking out of his life.  

He pours himself a whiskey, fishing out an unfinished bottle he thought he’d stop relying on. He lets Beth’s words echo in his head.

I don’t think you’ll be happy with anyone that isn’t her.

Maybe he’d always live with an Emily-shaped hole in his heart, the same way that Haley had.

He would never have his first love again. The sweet, light kind of love that was untouched by the harsh grip of reality. Of broken trust, of crumbling marriages, and of psychopathic serial killers.

He doesn’t think that he’d be happy with anyone as long as Emily was on this Earth.

He realizes that he probably wouldn’t have his last love again either.  

And that was something he had to learn to live with.

--

The nightmares start shortly after Beth breaks up with him.

He’s lived a life made for nightmares, so he isn’t surprised when more than one relentlessly steals his sleep and slowly, his sanity.

Some nights, he’s back to being a small child lurking behind the mustard walls of their corridor, listening to the smack of his father’s fist against his mother’s flesh.

Other nights, he relives Haley’s death in excruciating detail. Every moment was still sharp, constructing perfect reenactments of finding Haley’s body in their old den, the crush of Foyet’s bones underneath his knuckles, and Jack helping him on the case.

He tries to save her, but he’s always too late.

Most nights, it’s about Jack. Some variation of him losing Jack - either to someone who had taken him, or an unidentifiable unsub he’s sure he’s seen before but forgotten, that snatched him from his grasp and dragged him towards the shadows. Old crime scenes reconstructed with snippets of his memories, concocting nightmares that starved him of rest.

It isn’t long before the lack of sleep catches up to him. On top of the horrendous amount of paperwork that he had taken on since Strauss had passed, he knew that he was heading right towards burn out. Exhaustion was almost a regular feeling now - never able to shake the sleep that chased him. He was almost sure his diet was solely cups of coffee and a granola bar when he remembered to eat, his attention unevenly split between work and Jack.

He’s startled out of a nightmare when the unsub points a gun at Jack, and he shoots up from his fitful nap on his uncomfortable office couch with a mild ache in his chest and a panic when he’s not in his apartment. There was an open file in his lap, an unfinished report that he had meant to finish before he got home, still incomplete with pen marks staining the edges of the paper.

He would deal with that later, when he had taken something for the headache that was currently thundering around between his temples.

Aaron clumsily reaches for his phone, dialing Jessica’s number while his heart gallops in his chest, a dull ache creeping in when the phone rings for a second longer than normal.

“Hey Jessica, it’s me. I’m sorry, I dozed off. Is everything alright?”

He doesn’t really register the words he’s saying, a throb of pain shooting in his stomach that passes in an instant. Jessica pauses and Aaron assumes that’s the end of her sentence, his neck muscles tightening with a tension he was sure was caused by the couch.

“Ok. And Jack’s alright?”

Jessica confirms that yes he is alright and yes , she listened to his instructions this time and didn’t feed him dinosaur nuggets.

“Great. I should be there in about half an hour, ok?”

He apologizes again, because this isn’t the first time in the last two months that he’s accidentally missed Jack’s pick up time because of work. His chest is tight and his head spins slightly when he stands, but he’s quick to dismiss it when an Amber Alert comes through his phone.

There was no rest for the weary.

--

She calls him the following Thursday, wanting to ask him about the book he had just recommended.

Her call goes to voicemail and she doesn’t suspect a thing, knowing that his workload has nearly doubled since Strauss died. He had called her well into the night on his timezone, searching for company as she was on her lunch break. She had been pleasantly surprised by the call, being regaled with tales of Jack in between her file appraisals and his complaints about the mountain of paperwork the Director dropped on his desk.

But when she still hears the monotone voice of his pre-recorded greeting when she tries to call later in the day, she begins to worry.

It was unlike him to not shoot her a text that he was busy, promising to contact her at a more convenient time.

There’s a dark pit that grows in her stomach with each passing hour that he doesn’t call.

--

Dave is the one who breaks the news to her.

A bolt of fear passes through her when she sees Dave’s name flash across the screen.

No.

She answers on the second ring, a breathless hello as Dave greets her, a heaviness in his voice that she notes in an instant.

“Dave, what’s wrong?” She asks, not bothering to beat around the bush.

“It’s Aaron.”

He gives her a rundown of their morning, her heart in her throat as Dave relays the details. Aaron had collapsed during a briefing and they rushed him to the hospital. Internal bleeding, thought to be caused by old wounds inflicted by Foyet’s knife that were reopened.

“I thought you’d want to know.”

“Which hospital?” She prompts, already creating a to-do list in her head of all the things that she needed to make sure were buttoned up before she got on a plane.

“Emily, that’s insane.” Dave says, probably already aware of what she was planning to do and she knows. She knows that it’s crazy.

But she’s suddenly reminded of that day at the bank, when he offered himself as the sacrificial lamb to save lives.

It was that uncontrollable itch that rattled underneath her skin, tearing at the fibers in her muscles as she struggled in Morgan’s strong grip while he walked right into her greatest fear.

She needed to be with him and nothing was going to stop her from doing just that.

“Text me which hospital or I’m going to call Penelope and find out for myself.” She hangs up the phone, ending Dave’s protest mid-sentence.

She books the next flight out.

--

She can’t explain to him why she has to leave, why she books the first flight that she could despite the absurd amount of money it had cost and the two or more layovers she would have to contend with. She doesn’t even tell Clyde in person, opting to call him and explain instead of taking the time to head to his office, knowing that every second here was another one wasted without him.

“Aaron? Your ex?” Mark asks in disbelief, following her around her apartment as she pulls out her suitcase. He’s pacing behind her, begging for attention but all she can focus on is the panic in Dave’s voice, laced in a pessimism when he relayed the details of Aaron’s condition.

“Mark, I need to go.” She says stiffly, shoving clothes as quickly as she can into her suitcase. There was one seat on a flight that left in two hours - there was no chance that she was going to miss it.

“You’re on the phone with him all the time. His son calls you in the middle of the night. For Christ’s sake, you’re leaving in two hours to fly all the way back to the States .” Mark almost yells and she flinches, absorbing the anger in his voice. She deserved this. She didn’t deserve the understanding, gentle Mark that she had known for all of their relationship.

She was wondering how much he could take before she broke him too.

“Emily, if you leave, I’m not coming back.”

There is a finality in his tone, the end of a sentence she thinks that she shouldn’t have written in the first place.

At his ultimatum, her eyes widen at the realization that she’s shielded from herself for so long. A truth that she had attempted to put into a cardboard box, shoved in the back of her closet, only to be revisited as a taste of light in her darkest of moments.

There was going to be no one like them. No one who would feel as close to home as they felt to her - the safety that Aaron’s arms provide, the pure joy that radiates from Jack, how complete she felt when she was with them.

Doyle had made her afraid, so afraid of losing them that she thought she would sever the connection before someone else had the chance to. At least she could wrap her mind around it, prepare herself for the brutal blow that threatened to tear out her insides at the simple thought of losing them. She could live apart from them if she knew that it was for their own safety.

But there could be any number of things that could take them away from her. It could be an accident, an unsub, or old scars that burst after years of dormancy. She would rather be there with them than 3,000 miles away.

She’d go as far as she needed to.

“Goodbye, Mark.”

She lets the front door close behind her, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she focuses on only one thing.

Going back home.

--

#hotchniss #aaron x emily #aaron hotchner #emily prentiss #ckbwrites

[audreyhepburnstyles]

Improvements Rhapsody Lined Cordless Roman Shade-40"x63" - White (see more window treatments)

#polyvore #home #home decor #window treatments #window blinds #cordless shades #ivory #shades #window covering #window decor #window treatment #cordless window shade #sun shades #white window shades #white roman shade

[forbidden-sorcery]

The Aeneid may hint that incubation was supposedly the means by which ghosts were experienced. As Aeneas descends through the Avernian cave to the underworld, he passes the brothers Sleep and Death who live in its vestibule. The lines that describe his exit from the underworld are more informative: ‘There are double Gates of Sleep. Of these, the one is said to be of horn. By this route an easy exit is given to true shades. The other shines with white, polished ivory, but (through this one) the ghosts send false dreams to the upper world. There Anchises accompanies his son, together with the Sybil, with these words, and sends them out through the ivory gate. He makes his way quickly back to his ships and companions.’ – Virgil Aeneid 6.893-99                 The Gates of Sleep surely constitute the way out of the underworld because consulters of the nekromanteion received the ghosts, or their false-dream counterparts, in their sleep, as they emerged from the underworld. Philostratus similarly associates a Gate of Dreams with the incubation-oracle of Amphiaraus: “There is a Gate of Dreams, for those consulting the oracle there must sleep. Oneiros (Dream) himself is there… he has a horn in his hand to indicate that he brings up true dreams.” Why Aeneas should be brought out of the false-dream gate is a puzzle: does Virgil joke that his account of Aeneas’s necromancy has been a lie? Incubation would be confirmed for Avernus if we could be sure that Crantor’s tale of Elysius was set there.

Daniel Ogden - Greek and Roman Necromancy

#Daniel Ogden

[taxicabinmemphis]

Prince Charming - Chapter 4

chapter one - chapter two - chapter three - chapter four - chapter five - chapter six

Word count - 4,094 Pairing - Intrulogical, Prinxiety (I didn’t plan it, it just kinda happened and I rolled with it), pre Moceit Warnings - some characters are a lil insensitive in spots but I wouldn’t call them unsympathetic, creativitwins angst ig, swearing, food mention, self-deprecation from most sides bc they’re all wrecks, character injury, pining, and then there’s Remus-typical behavior (body horror mentions, sexual innuendo/mentions of sexual stuff, and other stuff heh), if there’s anything else that should be tagged or put in the warnings, tell me!

The six sides and their horses eventually arrived in Azeria. Remus had abandoned his plan that would allow Janus to escape and instead was pondering his best friend’s love life. Logan and Janus were tired of the adventure and wanted to leave, while Patton and Virgil were hoping to finish so they could treat their injuries. The brothers, however, were having fun and expressed no desire to leave.

“Well, we’re here!” Roman stated as they got to the stables. He dismounted.

“Finally,” Virgil muttered under his breath, before dismounting. “Where should I put Sally, Roman?”

“Over there is fine.” He pointed to where Virgil should leave his horse.

All the other sides dismounted and left their horses in the stables. They walked into the castle, entering the tower where they kept the crown jewels.

“Care to do the honors, Patton?” Roman offered, as Patton was currently wearing the backpack which held the jewels.

Patton walked over to the open glass case. He opened the backpack, removed the jewels, and placed them carefully onto a velvet blanket which covered the bottom of the case. Roman closed the case after Patton finished, and Virgil clapped a hand on the fatherly side’s shoulder.

“Good work, Dad,” Virgil praised. “Thanks for carrying the jewels and keeping them safe.”

“Out of our dirty hands, you mean?” Remus teased.

“As a matter of fact, yeah,” Virgil said, malice in his tone.

Janus put an arm around the emo’s shoulders. “Oh come now, Virgil. You’ve beaten us once, we know not to try again.”

“Hmmph,” Virgil huffed, shrugging off Janus’ arm. He glared at him, suspicion evident on his features.

Janus gave a small laugh and turned to Roman. “What happens now, Roman?”

“Does this scenario end?” Logan asked, masking the hopefulness that would otherwise have been clear in his tone.

“There’s so much more we can do in this adventure!” Roman argued.

“We’re already having dinner way later than normal….” Patton objected quietly. “We shouldn’t hold off on it for much longer.”

“Patton is right,” Logan agreed, “we wouldn’t want to eat too late and end up having trouble getting to sleep on time.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “How about we go to the courtyard and clear everything up. You know, finalize what happened and such.”

“That sounds acceptable,” Logan said.

The sides then left the tower, exited the castle, and went to the courtyard, the flowers surrounding it making Patton’s face light up. The pristine white walls of the castle surrounded them fully on one side and partially on two sides, and the grass was a healthy shade of green. The darker, evening sky inhibited a clear look at their surroundings, though the pretty blues and purples above them seemed to make up for it. The sun would set soon, and the six would likely get the pleasure of watching it, depending on how long it took to end the adventure.

“May I sit on that bench?” Virgil asked, pointing to an ivory-colored bench near where they were standing.

“I’d like to as well,” Patton added, raising his arm slightly.

Roman nodded. “Of course. We can talk near the bench.”

Virgil and Patton sat next to each other on the bench. The four others stood in front of it, each of them standing where they could see each other.

“Okay, so we have the crown jewels, Remus and Janus are in custody, Virgil has been released and is now a citizen of Azeria, and us knights are okay. Anything else we should clarify?” Roman said.

“I was given full permission to annoy Logan while in custody.”

Roman rubbed his temples in annoyance. “No. Logan is a valued knight and respected citizen, we wouldn’t subject him to your company.”

Remus laughed. “Logan visits me in prison, then we fuck-”

“Remus!” Patton exclaimed, hitting his arm.

“Sorry, Pat, but yeah.” Remus shrugs. “That’s what happens.”

The sides looked at Logan, whose face was ducked and buried in his hands.

“No, it isn’t,” Roman disagreed firmly. “Anything else?”

“Reptania and Azeria eventually work out their problems and become allies?” Patton suggested.

Roman stared at him for a few moments, blinking a few times before answering. “I mean, sure. We don’t want these crazies in our dungeons for too long. They would get annoying.”

Virgil snorted. “True that.”

Silence surrounded the group.

“Well then,” Janus said, breaking the silence. “It seems that we’re fini-”

“Look,” Patton interrupted with a gasp. “The sunset.”

The five other sides trained their gazes on what Patton was looking at, and their faces all contorted to an expression of surprise and wonder. The sky was painted in a beautiful display of reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples which contrasted with the canvas of dark blue incredibly well.

“Preeeeeeeetty,” Remus commented softly, holding out the ‘e’.

“As pretty as Logan?” Roman mused, glancing at his brother shortly, before returning his eyes to the colorful sky.

Remus’ face pinkened. “As pretty as Virgil?” he shot back with a scowl.

Roman let out a low sound of annoyance, but he left the conversation at that, preferring to appreciate the sunset than argue with his brother.

The sides spent a good five to ten minutes admiring the sunset, Patton making sure to snap pictures.

Janus cleared his throat. “We really should get going, as it seems that we’re finished.”

The others nodded, slowly tearing their eyes from the sky. Roman snapped his fingers and his fellow sides returned to their normal clothes.

“We could’ve just done that instead of changing earlier?!” Virgil asked incredulously.

Roman shrugged. “Not sure. Maybe, but I don’t think so. Who knows? But now you don’t have to struggle with removing chainmail.”

Virgil groaned and threw his head against the back of the bench.

“Next time, Roman, you should play the villain!” Remus said teasingly, leaving the castle grounds and walking towards the door out of the Imagination, his fellow sides joining him. “Bet you’ve never done that before!”

Roman shook his head. “I am a prince, not a villain. And why not let the resident villain play the part? Besides, I’m the only side here who knows how to be heroic, romantic, and charming.”

Remus’ footsteps slowed, but he eventually reached the door, his mood having soured immensely. He left the Imagination, leaving the door ajar behind him.

Patton, Janus, and Logan followed him out the door, Roman walking towards it himself. His hand grasped the doorknob, and he opened the wooden door slightly, only for his efforts to meet an opposing force that stopped the door from opening further.

The prince looked behind him to see Virgil standing there, left hand on the door.

“Hey there, Princey,” Virgil greeted quietly.

“Virgil,” Roman replied, showing clear confusion.

The purple-clad side took a deep breath. “I was hoping we could discuss something.”

Roman’s eyes widened in surprise, his grip on the doorknob slipping. He hardly registered Virgil closing the door after his hand fell to his side. Roman quickly concluded that Virgil’s previous statement was a softened and less anxiety-inducing version of the phrase “we need to talk”.

The realization made his stomach drop.

He followed Virgil away from the door and back over to the courtyard. They stopped at its entrance, and Virgil turned to face Roman.

“Roman, I have a few questions about some of today’s events,” Virgil said slowly. “As you know, I’m anxiety. I pay attention to behavioral red flags and abnormal actions and they will bother me until I get answers. So to spare future Virgil insomnia, could I please get clarification on a few things?”

Roman took a moment before answering. “And...none of the other sides’ behavior bothered you? Just mine?”

“Afraid so, Princey,” Virgil replied with a grimace. “At least when it came to the way they acted with me. Everything with Patton and Janus followed, except for one thing I managed to figure out. And no one else talked with me much.”

“Alright then,” Roman said, clearing his throat. “Fire away, I guess.”

Virgil shifted his feet. “I suppose I should start with the most recent source of alarm...back during the ride from Reptania? We were talking, and I rejected the idea of riding faster due to my soreness, and you said you wouldn’t cause me any harm or some cutesy shit like that, and then you ended up speeding up? I’m not mad by it or anything and I was eventually able to get used to the added pain it caused but I’m still confused by your actions.”

Roman felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Virgil’s sarcasm towards his care for the anxious side had angered him and slightly hurt his heart, so he sped up to be petty. He didn’t take Virgil’s injured state into account when committing the action, but now wished he did.

“Was that nice thing you said before you sped up sarcastic or something? I mean it was very dramatic like sarcasm often is, but you’re extremely dramatic so I thought it was you being you...maybe I read you wrong-”

“No, Virgil,” Roman finally spoke, raising a hand to halt his companion’s spiraling speech. His head was ducked down and he refused to meet Virgil’s eyes. “The comment was sincere.”

“Then why…”

“I…” Roman really didn’t want to answer this question, “I’m sorry. Your sarcasm after my comment wounded me when it really shouldn’t have because you’re such a sarcastic person by nature. I then forgot all about your injuries and sped up to be petty. I’m so sorry Virgil, and I am absolutely disgusted by myself for causing you pain. Especially after declaring I wouldn’t. You must be so angry...so rightfully angry.”

Virgil looked at the prince for a few silent seconds, blinking while he contemplated his dramatic and apologetic exposition. “I...I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I was flattered and didn’t know what to say so I reverted to my normal sarcasm. I should’ve realized what I said might hurt you. And...I’m not angry, Princey. I was just confused and maybe a little annoyed.” Virgil paused for half a second, pondering whether or not to say his next words. “Don’t be angry at yourself, or...disgusted. Lashing out without care is normal, especially for someone as passionate as you. I’m fine now, the additional pain has faded, and I’m not annoyed anymore.”

Roman slowly lifted his head and let himself make eye contact with Virgil. “I...But you still suffered, Virgil, at my hand.” Roman clenched his fist and closed his eyes.

Virgil let out a tiny laugh. “Seriously, Roman. I’m fine. I didn’t suffer or anything that dramatic. Stop beating yourself up about it.”

Roman stopped, looking back to Virgil. He took a deep breath. “Okay. I acted insensitively out of anger. It was stupid. I apologize. I understand that you were...wait, flattered?” Roman stopped, remembering what Virgil said earlier.

Virgil’s eyes widened. He forgot he’d said that. “Yeah,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand. “‘Your safety is my priority’? ‘I will instigate nothing that will cause you harm’? Those are some pretty sweet words you said there, Roman. I guess it, uh…—” he lowered the volume of his voice, “—made me feel a little special.”

Roman’s face had reddened at Virgil repeating Roman’s declaration from the horseback ride and emphasizing its kindness. But he smiled too. He made Virgil feel special.

“Not to say I’m not aware of how drama and bold declarations of action and emotion are basically your main way of interacting with others,” Virgil started to backtrack, “and maybe it shouldn’t have flattered me the way it did, considering you always act like that, but it did, and I’m sorry it made me say something that hurt you.”

“You needn’t apologize further, Virgil,” Roman said, a fond smile adorning his features. “I am aware of how passionate I am, especially towards you, and I should have considered that before I did what I did. If what I say bothers you, please tell me. I have no desire to hurt you.”

Virgil’s gaze was on the grass from Roman’s offhanded flirtatious comment. “What you say doesn’t hurt me or anything, and I know it’s just you being you. Compliments aren’t something I navigate well either and it’s not like anyone else speaks half as dramatically as you, so if you say something nice, it’s really nice and I don’t know how to respond. That’s all.”

Roman chuckled, the smile staying on his face as he glanced over and internally marveled at Virgil’s lovely facial features. “Hmm, flustered Virgil. Something that seems so alluringly impossible but is existing before my eyes. Truly, a wonderful sight.” Roman’s smile only widened at Virgil blushing, and he got back on topic. “What else did you wish for us to discuss, Virgil? I remember you mentioning that there was more than one worry on your mind.”

“I, uh, yeah,” Virgil said weakly, still bashful from Roman’s words. “Roman...Patton’s hit to my stomach didn’t knock me out. It couldn’t have, to be honest. And I remember everything that happened. Everything that was said.”

Roman frowned. “What are you trying to say here, Virgil?”

“Why were you so angry?” Virgil asked softly, looking into Roman’s eyes. “You were so mad, so incredibly furious at Patton…. No one else was. And you didn’t know the whole story.”

“Virgil…”

“Again, I’m not mad,” Virgil clarified. “Or disappointed, or anything of the sort. I’m just confused. I mean, as soon as you learned Patton was the one who knocked me down, you were so angry! You didn’t even listen to his defense...it took Janus yelling at you and his explanation to shut y-- to stop your anger. Your apology was fine and sincere and Patton understood your actions so, again, I’m not mad. Why were you so angry, though? No one else was. But you were. Why?”

“I…” Roman trailed. “I care about you, Virgil. You know this.”

Virgil’s eyebrows creased. “Is this your way of telling me the others don’t?”

“No!” Roman exclaimed. “I just...didn’t like to see you hurt. My fight with Remus, while it got a bit angry verbally, neither of us were injured. The same happened in Janus and Logan’s sword fight. It was as if there was an unspoken rule that no one should be hurt. I didn’t think that you getting hurt was fair. And so I lashed out at Patton...the person who seemed to break that rule. I know it was wrong to do so as I didn’t have all the information and am very aware of how much he loves and cares for you, but I wasn’t thinking. I was just angry. I apologize. I know how much Patton means to you, and I’m sorry for making him feel bad when he shouldn’t. When he didn’t deserve it.”

Virgil nodded. “I get that, I guess. You don’t need to apologize any more though, you already did. Again, I’m just...shocked that you were the one who got so mad at him….”

“Is that really so hard to believe, emo nightmare?” Roman asked with a smile. “I’m the one in the group who goes after those who I believe have done wrong, I’m the one who doesn’t listen when I should—”

“Roman…”

“—and I’m also the one who tries to valiantly protect people. Not anyone else.”

Virgil chuckled, shaking his head. “You don’t need to protect me, Roman. I’m fight or flight, right? I can do the fight part for myself, you know.”

“Aww, but what if I want to protect you from harm?” Roman teased.

Virgil hit Roman’s shoulder lightly. “You don’t need to. Besides, the harm had already been done.”

Roman chuckled, taking a tiny step closer to Virgil. “Don’t try to stop me from protecting you, My Chemically Imbalanced Romance. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Virgil snorted. “I can try.”

Roman laughed, shaking his head. “Why can’t you let me show my love for you the way I know how to?” The question was light, joking, casual. It meant next to nothing to Roman when it left his lips.

However, it had the opposite effect on Virgil. He looked down towards his feet, noticing how Roman was four feet away from him. The anxious side didn’t know whether to be happy the creative side couldn’t see his blush or sad he wasn’t closer.

“Y-Your love for me?” Virgil asked quietly, still looking at the grass.

“Of course, my raisin oatmeal cookie. You are my fellow side, my friend, my lovely Incredible Sulk! Don’t we all love you?” Roman replied, more nervous than he let on.

“O-Oh, yeah.”

“And even still, how could anyone not love you?” Roman said with a laugh.

Virgil’s face reddened further. “Can’t be too hard. I seemed to do it without trying.” The nervous side chuckled, approaching the worrisome comment casually, trying to impart sarcasm. He figured a joke would divert any possible attention from his blush.

Roman frowned, looking at the ducked head of Anxiety. “Well, that just won’t do.”

“...What?”

“My wonderful Charlie Frown, we can’t have you not loving yourself,” Roman said, dramatic but soft. He then put his hand under Virgil’s chin and delicately lifted it so he could meet his eyes. He gazed into them, admiring the beautiful shades of purple and green.

“Oh, Princey, it wasn’t that serious-” Virgil started to object, glancing away from Roman.

“No no no,” Roman silenced him, moving his hand from Virgil’s chin to in front of his lips, his index finger pointed up as a signal for him to stop talking. “You have to know how amazing you are, or at least learn.”

Virgil shook his head rapidly. “No. No, no. We are not doing this. It’s not that important anyway. Please don’t do this.”

Roman shook his head. “Do what? Tell you how spectacular you are?” His hand dropped from in front of Virgil’s mouth.

“Spectacular is subjective,” Virgil objected. “But yeah. Don’t do that.”

“Hmm…” Roman seemed to be pondering this. “Considering we are supposed to be talking about other topics, I guess I’ll do so another time, my dazzling Doctor Gloom.”

Virgil exhaled lightly. He was free of compliments for the time being. He didn’t dare argue, as that might cause Roman to take back what he said and say nice things about him. Virgil didn’t think he could take all of Roman’s dramatic sweetness, especially considering it was all platonic...right? He did say ‘friend’….

Roman looked at Virgil, his friend, his former enemy, with overwhelming love in his eyes. While it would be wrong of him to compliment him now, he couldn’t just leave that at that. He had to do something to demonstrate that Virgil should love himself. At least, that he was loved by others.

“Oh, Roman, look.” Virgil’s voice was small with wonder. His eyes left Roman’s and rested on the night sky above them. “The sun has set and the stars are out. There’s so many of them!”

Roman turned his head from Virgil to look. “Indeed. It’s quite beautiful.”

“Yeah…”

“Almost as beautiful as you.”

“You corny son of a bitch!” Virgil exclaimed, whacking Roman’s arm. “You said you’d stop complimenting me. And gosh, even if you still did, that was too cliché.”

“What? You walked right into it,” Roman defended with a shrug. “I’m not wrong either.”

Virgil took a deep breath, repressing his annoyance and a blush that wanted to crawl across his cheeks. “No more, Princey.”

Roman laughed, glancing at Virgil. His eyes lingered on the anxious side and the unique way the stars lit up the face Roman already adored so much.

Virgil glanced at Roman, doing a double take when he noticed the creative side’s eyes already on him. “What is it, Roman?”

Roman chuckled, placing his hand and laying his gaze on Virgil’s jaw, finger grazing over the white foundation that covered the emo’s face. He flicked his eyes up to meet the purple and green ones of his companion. “Oh, Virgil. Sweet Virgil.” Roman could see the red even through the makeup. He took a few steps closer to him. “May I kiss you?”

Virgil’s eyes widened. This was one of, no, the last thing he ever expected to leave Roman’s mouth. He stared at Roman—looking so absolutely majestic in the moonlight, so unbelievably attractive. His prince, his creativity, his talented, charming Roman was asking if he could kiss him.

“Please,” Virgil whispered, the one word laced with clear desire.

Roman smiled widely, looking down at his emo and placing his lips against his. They both closed their eyes, Roman’s hand not leaving Virgil’s jaw and his other arm encircling the purple side’s waist. Virgil wrapped his left arm around Roman’s neck and rested his right hand on the prince’s chest.

The kiss was delicate and so incredibly loving. It was purposeful, but soft. There was no lust but oh so much romance, no need for more but also quite desperate. The kiss wasn’t short—and it seemed just long enough—but it still had the two treat every second of it like precious gold as they savored the other like rich chocolate consumed on a warm evening. It left the two addicted to the other in a way that made sure what had just occurred would happen many more times in the future.

The two pulled away at the same time, letting their lips part so terribly slowly it was as if they were trying to make the most out of the last couple of seconds. Their eyes stayed closed, their arms not moving from where they were positioned on the other, and their faces flushed from the kiss.

Roman opened his eyes first: slowly, and with reluctance. He swept his thumb under Virgil’s closed right eye lightly, across his eyeshadow, and smiled at the beauty that was his emo. A part of him wanted him to lean down and kiss him more but another wanted to watch his radiant romance process what happened.

Roman watched as his purple prince opened his eyes slightly and smiled at him. Roman, already smiling, just looked at Virgil with fond wonder, always thinking the side couldn’t get more attractive and then constantly being proved wrong.

“Was it nice?” Roman asked after a comfortable silence, voice low and quiet. He moved his hand from Virgil’s jaw to brush hair out of his face.

“Nice? No,” Virgil replied at the same volume, sliding his right hand up Roman’s chest and around his neck. “Wonderful beyond words? Definitely.”

Roman put his forehead against Virgil’s, humming as he placed the hand formerly resting on his love’s face around his waist. “It is my sworn duty to make you happy.”

Virgil chuckled. “I suppose I shall have to take that ‘sworn duty’ upon myself in reference to you now, hmm?”

“Oh, my darling, you don’t have to do anything for me except exist happy and healthy in my arms.”

Virgil snorted. “You’re such a sap, you know that?”

“Yes, I do.”

The two stayed where they were in comfortable silence. Admiring the other, admiring the stars in their peripheral vision, relishing the magnificent feeling that came from being in each other’s arms.

“I had another question, you know.”

Roman hummed in acknowledgment.

“Why did you cast me as the cursed prisoner?”

“You were being annoying. Endearingly so, yes, but the fact still stands.”

“I’m always interrupting you with sarcasm,” Virgil said, shaking his head. “You wanted to save me, didn’t you? The prince, rescuing the prisoner. Very ‘damsel in distress’-esque, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh, give me a break. Who can blame me for wanting to save you, and what did you expect when I was given the opportunity?”

“It’s fine, Princey,” Virgil stated with a laugh. “It’s cute. Adorable, really. Very romantic.”

Roman groaned and gave his Virgil a kiss on the jawline. “Take it as a way to tell you that I will protect and save you from harm, especially throughout...whatever we have going on here.”

Virgil chuckled. “I can’t wait.”

The two heard the door to the Imagination open, but they didn’t move away from each other.

“Aww, you two,” Patton cooed. “I finished making dinner. Come now, kiddos, we’re already eating way too late.”

Virgil and Roman gave Patton a nod of acknowledgement and gave each other a short and final kiss before heading out of the Imagination.

~

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#prinxiety #ts fanfic #roman #virgil #romantic prinxiety #patton #remus #logan #janus #roman sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #sanders sides #intrulogical #pre moceit #romantic intrulogical #prince charming #fic #swearing tw #food tw #food mention #injury mention #julia writes