#maiden voyage clothing

[cosmosis]

tauro (totk) x reader 

cw. mentions of feminine pronouns, like “girl”

i decided that there is not enough tauro content!

The first time Tauro stumbled upon you was literally whilst you were draped across the dirty floor of a Zonai cave. Like a victorian maiden, you lay unconscious on the dark floors; Tauro nearly stepped on you if it weren’t for the lamp he carries on explorations. (Not that you’d mind him stepping on you.)

You were out cold, dust and dirt smeared onto your face, a journal mid-hand. You seemed to be doing some research of your own, a satchel by your side, and an unfortunately spilled bottle of water. 

Quickly, Tauro checked for your heartbeat, pulling back the collar of your shirt to gently place his fingers on your pulse point. It was slow, but steady. You were breathing; he could hear your tiny puffs within the vast silence of the cave. 

Tauro has heard of numerous adventures gone wrong, a few of his own fellow researchers falling victim to such emergencies. Lack of water, getting lost, or undernourishment were common. He took his voyage safety very seriously. 

First, warmth. A cold cave like this would no doubt be miserable for someone your size. He unwraps the sky-blue jacket from his lower waist, carefully kneeling down and draping the cloth over your body. Hurriedly, he scoops you up into his arms, shuddering at the feeling of your ice-cold skin. 

For a split second, he can’t help but stare a little at your face. You’re an explorer, just like him, no doubt. Pretty, too. He can’t wait to ask you of your studies once you’re safe and well. The man tucks a stray lock of hair behind your ear, further immersing himself in you. 

After shoving your journal and pen into one of his spare pockets, and slinging your satchel over his shoulder, Tauro hurries out of the cave, jogging to retrace his steps back to sunlight. He sighs in relief when he steps out into the open sun, feeling warmth melt the chill of the cave away. 

Your face is so pale, so ghastly it makes him wonder how long you were left in the cave. Any longer, and you could’ve been dead. 

Through his shaggy locks, Tauro spots a tree rested by a cliff of rocks. Perfect; a nice place to rest and heal. He beelines towards the tree, cautiously peering around the area for any sign of a threat. Thankfully, there isn’t any, leaving Tauro to gingerly set you down on the ground once more. Kneeling down, he balls up the jacket, fixing it up to be a makeshift pillow for you to lay upon. 

Thank Hylia for Tauro’s numerous pockets, fit to hold both water and rations. His friends tease him for having so many pockets, but he just thinks they won’t be as prepared when needed be. He pulls out a strip of jerky, re-buttoning his vest pocket closed. Gently, he reaches out to feel your hand, searching for any sign of warmth in you. 

Your hand is so soft, small compared to himself. How did you manage to voyage so deep into the cave alone? Explorer’s determination, he supposes. Tauro almost seems to forget that he’s supposed to be searching for your recovery, and instead starts kneading the palm of your hand with his fingers. 

With the feeling of your fingers being played with, Tauro spots your eyelids flutter. As if you’ve burned him, he retreats his hand from yours, pretending like he wasn’t even touching you in the first place. 

He watches the color slowly return to your face, and takes it upon himself to try to wake you up. A big hand tenderly rubs the side of your arm, hoping to wake you for food and water. 

Unexpectedly, your eyes instantly flutter open, similarly to a possessed doll. You see sunlight dimmed by trees, the blinding blue sky above you. You feel laid down, lightly feeling the grass beneath you with your fingers. 

Your eyes stay shut, but you croak to speak. You hear faint shuffling beside you, a sign of a person. 

“Where am I?“ You ask. 

Surprisingly, you hear nothing. But you do feel another few rubs on the side of your arm. The hand is big, rough from what you assume to be some kind of work. 

Finally, you decide to open your eyes. It takes you a moment to get fully adjusted to the light, but you do eventually. 

You see no eyes, but you do see hair. You do see a vest, chestnut skin, comically large goggles. A man, no doubt. A handsome one too. With squinted eyes, you can see his deadpan expression, and you can feel his arm try to ease you to sit up. You obey, working with him to rest yourself against the rough bark of the tree behind you. 

You watch as the man unscrews a cap from a flask, and you can hear the faint swish of water. It makes you unbelievably thirsty. In a blur, the man kneels further closer to you, tilting your jaw forward with the most caring of touches. He shows you the flask, and you open your mouth a little, allowing him to tilt the flask. Gradually, you paw and grab at the bottle, insistive that you could drink water independently. (You can’t even grasp the flask properly.)

After a few drinks, you take your fill of water, Tauro absentmindedly stroking the corner of your jaw with his thumb. It shouldn’t make you flush, especially in your condition, but he manages to somehow bring even more color to your cheeks. 

You feel like the water has washed away some of your fatigue, and you allow yourself to further inspect your savior. He’s really big, you feel like, but the way he cares for you is cute. Maybe you should pass out in caves more often. 

You almost frown when Tauro recoils his hand from your jaw, but you then realize he’s giving you food, which makes you happier. He (attractively, might I add,) tears a piece of jerky with his teeth, pressing it closer to your mouth. Weakly, you fumble the piece between your fingers, pressing it into your mouth to slowly chew on. 

“Atta’ girl.“

His voice is exactly what you expected it to be, its embarrassing how much that motivated you alone to eat your food. 

“It’s good.“ You added, feeling around for pieces stuck in your teeth with your tongue.

He tears you another, and you take it, chewing it up in slight hopes he’ll encourage you again.  

“I found you passed out in the cave.“ He mutters, and you flush a little in embarrassment. 

"Sorry-” you chuckle. “I just really wanted to log down the scripts. I’m trying to decode them.”

Intrigue sparks in Tauro, and before he can even think, words string out of his mouth like music. 

“My team and I have been researching as well. As of now, we’ve been linking the scriptures to some of our own slabs that we’ve found.”

His outburst is passionate, and you’re surprised at the hearing of a full on team by his side. It’s like he’s trying to hold back excitement, but it’s bursting at the seams. He must be very dedicated, and you assume he may be possibly working with Kakariko researchers. They’re known to be passionate of their work. 

Tauro doesn’t even know what he’s saying anymore. He’s radiating with impulse. 

“Won’t you like to come take a visit at my lab later? I can show you our findings. There’s so much to uncover...“

You realize that he has a gentle hand on your forearm. There’s a faint smile on his mouth, and you can’t help but want to peek through his shaggy fringe. What color would his eyes be? Does he have just as much of a kind smile with his hair pushed away?

He’s cute... really cute. 

“Name?“ You ask. He passes you another piece of jerky. 

“Tauro. It’s Tauro.“

You finish chewing, and you can feel his gaze on you. 

“I’d love to see your lab, Tauro.“

#botw #totk #legend of zelda #Tauro x reader #tauro botw #tauro totk #x reader #fluff #cosmosis-writes ₍⑅ᐢ..ᐢ₎ #tears of the kingdom

[chillychive]

Hi! You mentioned we could ask any questions so I was wondering who is on the bridge? Who are the highest ranking officers on board?

Did the protagonists get on the ship all at the same time? And, if not whose the newest on the ship?

Also, what in which year/time frame are you setting the story? (Mostly asking because Cleo’s poll clothes were from Strange New Worlds set in like early 2300, whilst Bajorans really enter into the Federation’s notice a hundred odd years later)

(Sorry if this is too nitpicky, I’m just really excited!)

OH MY GOD!! IM SO HAPPY

(this image was the happiest thing i could think of so im using it to prove my joy (and my oddity))

*deep breath*

Okay! bridge first. Captain is Xisuma, I don't know who his first officer is. Chief Engineer Doc, of course. Other bridge crew are Martyn (pilot, im thinking), and tactical at the start is Grian, but after Evo... probably someone else... and then later Pearl.

So interestingly- yes! The ship is brand new, this is it's first voyage, I suppose. So the ENTIRE crew is new to the ship. That being said, a lot of them have served in Starfleet for longer, except some of the cadets. Their mission starts off kind of oddly so a LOT of people get promoted unexpectedly. For example, X wasn't even captain initially- an unnamed character was (he didn't seem like the command type to me lmao), but days before their maiden voyage she got too drunk celebrating, stole a shuttle and crashed it, killing herself and some of her buddies along with it.

before that tho, she wasn't the best captain ANYWAY, she mostly ignored the crew, but she was tactically intelligent and knew what to say to superiors, so she got captaincy. Xisuma was originally her first officer and did most of the crew interaction, so after she died, they speed promoted him and he very naturally became the captain. He leads a very collaborative ship.

Another person who's served for a while in starfleet is Etho- despite being quite young for a commander. He's kind of a prodigy, flew through the academy and got promoted very quickly. He's definitely a legendary figure among most officers. still unsure of what species to make him. Trill would be cool but I dont think so.

All that being said, Oli is the newest to Starfleet of all the characters. He's an ensign who spends most of his freetime at the bar, either serving drinks or playing various alien instruments. At this point, the bartender considers him an apprentice.

As for timeframe, the best answer I can give is I dont know. I spent probably WEEKS trying to figure it out... and I ended up hopelessly confused. If you have any suggestions that would be AMAZING

Edit: I just wanna emphasize how INSANE I was when i saw this ask- i literally screamed it's been A YEAR of thinking about this AU inside my own little crowded brain... having other people 1- know BOTH fandoms and 2- be interested??? EIILSDILFHI LHHEAdrthfhd

#star trek #answered ask #trafficblr #zombiecleo #life series #grian #pearlescentmoon #oli orionsound #orionsound #martyn littlewood #docm77 #xisuma #xisumavoid #hermitblr #hermitcraft #hermitshipping #the life series #traffic smp #traffic series #life series smp #double life #empires #empires smp #empires s1 #empires s2 #empiresblr #esmp #🚦in space

[ltwilliammowett]

Skeletons of the Vasa - update

In the 1960s, 17-19 skeletons were recovered from the Vasa. I had reported on this. But new research has shown that one of the individuals was not what was first believed. The skeleton that is on display in the museum as G-Gustav has now been renamed Gertrude, because new DNA analyses at the beginning of the year showed that Gustav was not a man but a woman. According to the new genetic analysis, "she was about 25-30 years old when she died, had blue eyes, blond hair and pale skin," told Oscar Nilsson, Live Science in an email, a forensic pathologist based in Sweden. He was the one who gave Gustav his face in 2006 and now had the opportunity to give Gertrude her true appearance. 

Gustav (x)

Nilsson also worked with Anna Silwerulv, a textile expert at the Vasa Museum, to dress the reconstruction in a dark grey jacket and hat, as parts of these garments were found with her remains.

Gertrude (x)

Microscopic analysis revealed that the hat was bright red. "And the original design was striking: a very high hat, reminiscent of the traditional festive clothing of the Swedish and also the Sami peasants," says Nilsson. You could also tell from her vest that she had been a hard-working woman, which made her seem quite harsh even though she was so young, which had also led to Gustav being estimated to be around 45 at the time. Gertrude's presence on the Vasa leads to the conclusion that she had been married to one of the sailors, because only wives were allowed to be present on the maiden voyage.

Gertrude without her hat (x)

The museum reacted immediately and named her skeleton correctly and her new facial reconstruction has been on display since the end of June.

#naval history #face reconstruction #vasa crew members #17th century #swedish #update #age of sail #history

[flatoutin-eaurouge]

Those are my portrait rights

Pairing: Mika Häkkinen x Michael Schumacher

This fic is dedicated to the lovely @schumi-honey who provided the plot and the lovely @kimizilla who provided the picture 💕💕 I had such a blast writing this! Thanks! 😭

As rumours would have it, Mika Häkkinen was a bit of a chaotic guy. Over the time span of two weeks he had forgotten to bring his wallet to a lunch with his manager, he had locked his unicycle to someone else's bike and he had panicked about losing his tortoise while the animal was still in the wooden box he had put it in minutes before. If his head wasn't connected to his body he would probably lose it too.

It wasn't the case that Mika was afflicted with a youthful kind of Alzheimer... the boy just didn't busy his mind with anything beyond racing. It was both a weakness and a strength. A weakness because he actually forgot the most basic things in life. A strength because he could fully focus on his racing career. It resulted in Ron Dennis and Keke Rosberg constantly meandering around him to help him be a functioning adult. Booking hotel rooms, planning taxi rides. Everything to help the talented boy develop into a merciless racing machine.

This afternoon, in his haste to double check if his beloved "turtus" was still in its box, Mika had forgotten to lock the door of his motorhome. It left an oppertunity for burglars looking for money, crazed fan girls wanting to look through his undies or... mysterious pranksters trying to set him up.

The silhouet standing in front of Mika's opened closet was one of the latter. The person wasn't looking for money or expensive watches. No... the mysterious burglar needed one, just one, particular piece of clothing. A piece of clothing Mika was seen wearing on a certain picture... a picture that made a certain person's heart skip a beat or two everytime he looked at it.

Johnny Herbert grabbed the tight black shorts with the blue, white and red accents from Mika's closet and grinned smugly. It were the shorts Mika was wearing in the picture that Michael Schumacher had "accidently" stumbled upon. Johnny knew Michael had kept the picture. He had seen it inside one of the drawers of his night stand when he was searching Michael's motorhome while the latter had gone to the bathroom.

It hadn't been a surprise to see the picture there, lying between Michael's socks, slightly frayed at the sides as if it was touched, held and admired a lot.

Johnny grinned mischievously as he replaced Mika's garment with a Benneton issued t-shirt that read Michael Schumacher's name on it. Not subtle at all, but then again, Michael's crush on Mika wasn't subtle either.

Johnny sneaked out off Mika's motorhome and beelined to the motorhome of the Finn's rival a few hunderd meters further down the paddock. Johnny knew Michael always left a window ajar for fresh air... and wouldn't that be a great way to get those shorts inside his motorhome!

Johnny was baffled by his own ingenuity. The set up was perfect. Now he only needed his former team mate to take the bait.

While Johnny was stuffing Mika's shorts through the window - giving the garment a little flick in order to make it land on a very prominent spot on the floor - Michael was gently holding the picture again surrounded by the - what he thought - privacy of his own motorhome.

"Oh you handsome son of a bitch," he mumbled at the pictured blond, as his hands caressed the shiny surface of the image adoringly. "How did you end up in my mail box?"

Michael wondered if Mika had put it there himself. But if he did... why would he use this picture? If Michael were to shove a picture underneath the doorframe of Mika's motorhome, he would use a picture of himself with a pretty smile and a glimmer in his signature emerald eyes. Not a picture of himself in ridiculously small shorts, sticking his tongue out in concentration while his hair was flopping around like an airborne bird chick on its maiden voyage.

Michael grinned. Peculiar choice or not... it was the most wonderful picture he had ever seen! He could picture the blonde hair bouncing on Mika's head and covering his eyes like a golden curtain before it was swiped sideways in the - according to Mika - position it belonged. Michael wanted to play with that hair. He wanted to curl it around his fingers and give it a gentle tug.

How dare Mika let his hair bounce so freely! Why wasn't he containing that luscious golden mop with a head band like normal tennis players. Like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal!

Michael let his eyes roam over the picture and stared at those tight tiny shorts. The garment was stretched taut over Mika's smooth, hairless legs and accentuated certain parts of his atonomy in all the right places.

Fuck. Did Mika really put that in his mail box?

He stared at the picture again, and again, and again... savouring ever square inch of it and bit down on his fist to distract himself from the tooth rottingly sweet soft spot he had developed for the Finn.

The thought to put the picture in a heart shaped frame nagged at the back of his mind, because he should protect his little treasure from fraying. What was stopping him? Maybe the fact that his crush was supposed to be a secret!

Oh how he hoped it was Mika who had put the picture in his mail box, because the thought of someone knowing about his little crush on his rival, frightened him beyond measure.

What if the paparazzo who took the picture wanted to distract him from racing? What if that paparazzo wanted to write a juicy story about secret paddock crushes? Should he put the picture in the trash can?

No! He cuddled the picture to his chest. "You don't belong in the trash can, mein Hübscher."

Then his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door of his trailer. Michael quickly but very carefully hid the picture underneath his pillow and hurried to open the door for the unannounced visitor.

Michael expected someone irrelevant at his door, like Johnny Herbert or Ross Brawn... but when his handsome blonde rival suddenly showed up on his doorstep, he was bereft of oxygen. It was as if someone had set him on fire and the sparks from the glowing source traveled down his spine and reached his legs with unforgiving fury, causing his limbs to tremble. Why Mika? Why now? Why now, when I am hot and bothered?

Mika was staring at him with an adorable pink blush adorning his cheeks. His eyebrows were knit together in a puzzled look, as he shook a very recognisable Benneton-blue garment in front of Michael's face.

Before Michael could open his mouth to ask Mika how on earth he had ended up in possession of his garment, Mika interrupted him, more or less asking him the same thing.

"Michael, where are my black shorts and why is your clothing in my closet?"

The Finn didn't sound angry or offended, but he definitely sounded perplexed. If anything, his little blush betrayed as much.

Michael would have enjoyed that adorable look on him even more, if he wasn't so flustered and at loss for words himself.

"Wh...wh..what? I didn't... I don't have your shorts. What are you talking about?"

"Well, your t-shirt was in my closet in exactly the same spot as my stolen shorts!"

Michael swallowed audibly. What the hell was he talking about? "I don't have them, Mika. I swear."

Mika frowned at him. "Don't play games with me, Michael. I need to wear it tonight, because I refuse to go to the gym in my jeans!"

"You only own one pair of gym shorts?"

"No. The other one is in the washing machine! But that's not the point!"

Michael stared at the flustered Finn who seemed to be slowly losing his patience. He watched sheepishly as Mika set foot over his threshold.

"If you don't have my shorts then you don't mind me looking around a bit."

Michael froze on the spot. Scheiße! He remembered the picture of Mika wearing those exact same shorts hidden underneath his pillow and felt the sudden panic take over his body. He could handle Mika Häkkinen inside his trailer, but there was no way he could handle a Mika Häkkinen on investigation inside his trailer.

"Stop!"

Michael grabbed Mika by his arms and halted him. The sudden skin contact and the close proximity of the Finn caused the butterflies inside his stomach to fly up, to flap around inside his body and bump against his insestines.

"You're wasting your time here."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Michael stared into Mika's deep saphire blue eyes and swallowed. His hold on the Finn's wrist started to loosen. It was as if the Finn had enchanted him into cooperation.

Mika took the oppertunity to wriggle his wrist out off Michael's hand.

"Your clothing was inside my closet. You can make it easy for yourself and just tell me you have my shorts. There is no other suspect really."

Michael held his hands up in front of the Finn. "Mika, I don't know how my garment has ended up inside your closet!

"Oh no? What is that then?" Mika pushed Michael's hands down and pointed at a black object lying on Michael's floor. "There is no way you own exactly the same shorts as me. I bought it in Woking, England."

Michael felt the goose bumps form on his skin and the cold sweat trickle down the back of his neck. How the hell was that possible? How did Mika's shorts end up on his floor? Did he do weird shit like this while sleep wandering or something?!

"Mika, I didn't steal it. I feel like we are being played by someone!"

Mika quirked up an eyebrow and threw him a confused look. The Finn didn't seem to believe him.

Michael decided he could better put all his cards on the table, and prayed that it would not make the situation any more awkward than it already was.

"Mika, it's true! Let me explain! I found a picture of you in my mail box. Someone put it in there the same way someone sneaked your garment inside my motorhome! I have nothing to do with it!"

"Why would someone put a picture of me in your mail box? Where is it?"

Michael felt all the blood draw towards his face, colouring his cheeks a deep red. How the hell was he going to show Mika the hidden picture underneath his pillow and convince him he didn't find it himself?!

Then he would have to explain why it was so carefully stuffed underneath his pillow like some dirty secret. Thank God, he didn't actually put the picture in a heart shaped frame!

"I will give it to you if you close your eyes and promise me not to look."

"Why?"

"Just do it, alright!"

Michael made sure Mika had his eyes covered with both his hands, before he sneaked towards his bed to fetch the picture.

Mika secretly peeked through his fingers and gasped when he noticed where the German retrieved the picture from. His cheeks burned even brighter than before. Under his pillow? Really? Why under his pillow? What did that mean?

"Here it is."

Michael handed Mika his picture with the most stoic face he could muster, acting as if he hadn't admired the the image for days.

Mika looked at the picture of him playing tennis and pulled an amused face. "What a strange picture of me," he chuckled. "When did you find it in your mail box?"

"This morning," Michael lied. "I meant to give it back."

"But why would you hide it under your pillow?"

Michael's eyes widened, his hands started twitching next to his sides. Time seemed to slow down. He could only look into Mika's breathtaking eyes as the Finn was waiting for a reply.

"You promised not to look!"

Mika shrugged. "I thought it was kind of a weird proviso. A bit childish."

"That's so unfair!" Michael gave his Finnish rival a shove.

"Calm down, Michael. That's my face on there, those are my portrait rights. Don't you think I have the right to know why you're being supicious about my picture? I don't even know what you think of it?"

Michael stared at Mika's grinning face and blushed so deeply he was afraid his face would stay red for the rest of the day. As red as Mika's McLaren jacket.

"What I think of it?"

Mika nodded.

Michael swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat. "Well, if you want to know... I think it's a nice picture of you."

"Just a nice picture?" Mika teased.

Michael pressed his lips together in a thin line. His cheeks were burning like an oven. What was he trying to convey? The beautiful bastard!

Mika was just as flustered about the situation, but the difference between him and Michael was that he was the one in control. He had nothing to clarify. He wasn't the one with a picture of the other under his pillow.

Michael didn't dare to speak his mind, so Mika thought he needed a bit of convincing.

"Michael, could you close your eyes for a moment?"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it, alright."

Michael did as he was asked and waited for what was to come. He expected Mika to run off with his shorts and his picture to never return, he expected him to punch him in the face for violating portrait rights... but he did not expect to feel Mika's soft lips on his own, giving him a small peck and sending Michael to outer space with the touch of his lips. The heat of his blush was now even painting his ears a fury red.

He felt his knees buckle and quickly grabbed the Finn by his McLaren jacket, hanging on to him as his legs turned into spagetthi strings.

"Mika..." he breathed out.

"What did you think of the picture, Michael?"

"The picture is... gorgeous. You are... beautiful."

Michael's hands let go off of Mika's jacket and started to crawl upwards. One of his hands grabbed the Finn's sharp jawline while the other planted itself in his luscious blonde hair, slowy angling Mika towards his mouth.

Mika closed the distance between the two of them and kissed Michael again.

Michael hugged his rival closer and deepened the kiss, while swerving his hands over Mika's body.

His lips trailed down to plant kisses on his jaw, then further down to kiss the alluring skin of his neck.

"May I keep the picture?"

Mika chuckeled. "Yes, you may."

"Mika?"

"Yes?"

"You should wear a head band when you play tennis. Your luscious hair is very dangerous for the weak-hearted."

#sorry it look me so long I was struggling with English grammar #makkinen #mika häkkinen #michael schumacher #mika hakkinen #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #flatoutin-eaurouge #f1fanfic

[istumpysk]

OPERATION ICEBERG: THE TIER LIST

THEORY:

Theon's bastard

TIER:

People's Choice! I'm going to need a little more consensus on this one.

Under Consideration: These theories haven't garnered strong or extensive evidence, but they're worthy of discussion.

vs.

50/50: These theories are complete toss-ups.

vs.

Low Probability: While not impossible, these theories are unlikely based on the current evidence.

[Tier list overview]

EVIDENCE:

Another theory involving Theon having a secret child?

You bet!

What's the theory?

Theon impregnated the daughter of the captain of the Myraham.

Proof?

The Myraham is a trading cog from Oldtown captained by a large man.

At the beginning of A Clash of Kings, Theon Greyjoy hires the Myraham to transport him from Seagard to Lordsport to meet with his father, Balon Greyjoy.

The Myraham was a fat-bellied southron merchanter up from Oldtown, carrying wine and cloth and seed to trade for iron ore. Her captain was a fat-bellied southron merchanter as well, and the stony sea that foamed at the feet of the castle made his plump lips quiver, so he stayed well out, farther than Theon would have liked. An ironborn captain in a longship would have taken them along the cliffs and under the high bridge that spanned the gap between the gatehouse and the Great Keep, but this plump Oldtowner had neither the craft, the crew, nor the courage to attempt such a thing. - Theon I, ACOK

The journey took longer than Theon anticipated, giving him extra time for other activities.

A longship would have made the crossing in half the time as well. The Myraham was a wallowing tub, if truth be told, and he would not care to be aboard her in a storm. - Theon I, ACOK

What other activities, you might wonder? Taking the captain's daughter to bed.

Still, Theon could not be too unhappy. He was here, undrowned, and the voyage had offered certain other amusements. He put an arm around the captain's daughter. "Summon me when we make Lordsport," he told her father. "We'll be below, in my cabin." He led the girl away aft, while her father watched them go in sullen silence. - Theon I, ACOK

x

The cabin was the captain's, in truth, but it had been turned over to Theon's use when they sailed from Seagard. The captain's daughter had not been turned over to his use, but she had come to his bed willingly enough all the same. A cup of wine, a few whispers, and there she was. - Theon I, ACOK

We don't know much about the captain's daughter, but we do know she was an older maiden.

Late teens, perhaps? Early twenties? Not sure.

The girl was a shade plump for his taste, with skin as splotchy as oatmeal, but her breasts filled his hands nicely and she had been a maiden the first time he took her. That was surprising at her age, but Theon found it diverting. - Theon I, ACOK

The captain's daughter becomes enamored with Theon and wishes to accompany him ashore as his salt wife, but Theon isn't interested.

"I'd work in your castle, milord. I can clean fish and bake bread and churn butter. Father says my peppercrab stew is the best he's ever tasted. You could find me a place in your kitchens and I could make you peppercrab stew." "Once I might have carried you home as a prize, and kept you to wife whether you willed it or no. The ironmen of old did such things. A man had his rock wife, his true bride, ironborn like himself, but he had his salt wives too, women captured on raids." The girl's eyes grew wide, and not because he had bared her breasts. "I would be your salt wife, milord." "I fear those days are gone." - Theon I, ACOK

The girl begs Theon to take her with him, fearing her father will punish her once he departs.

~Foreshadowing alert~

Theon remains indifferent and suggests that her father should be grateful, as she's probably pregnant, and not everyone has the privilege of raising Reek's a king's bastard.

"My father," she told him. "Once you're gone, he'll punish me, milord. He'll call me names and hit me." Theon swept his cloak off its peg and over his shoulders. "Fathers are like that," he admitted as he pinned the folds with a silver clasp. "Tell him he should be pleased. As many times as I've fucked you, you're likely with child. It's not every man who has the honor of raising a king's bastard." She looked at him stupidly, so he left her there. - Theon I, ACOK

In the following Theon chapter, we learn that Balon is not allowing the Myraham or any other ships to depart the Iron Islands.

Theon quickened his stride as they neared the Myraham, rocking high and empty by the quay. Her captain had tried to sail a fortnight past, but Lord Balon would not permit it. None of the merchantmen that called at Lordsport had been allowed to depart again; his father wanted no word of the hosting to reach the mainland before he was ready to strike. "Milord," a plaintive voice called down from the forecastle of the merchanter. The captain's daughter leaned over the rail, gazing after him. Her father had forbidden her to come ashore, but whenever Theon came to Lordsport he spied her wandering forlornly about the deck. "Milord, a moment," she called after him. "As it please milord . . ." - Theon II, ACOK

Midway through the next book, A Storm of Swords, we learn that the Myraham was detained by Balon for more than six months. Amid the chaos of Balon's death and Euron's return, the captain fled.

Robb waited for Ser Raynald to close the tent flap. "The gods have heard our prayers, my lords. Lord Jason has brought us the captain of the Myraham, a merchanter out of Oldtown. Captain, tell them what you told me." "Aye, Your Grace." He licked his thick lips nervously. "My last port of call afore Seagard, that was Lordsport on Pyke. The ironmen kept me there more'n half a year, they did. King Balon's command. Only, well, the long and the short of it is, he's dead." - Catelyn V, ASOS

And that's the last we hear of the Myraham.

Are you sure?

No.

In A Feast for Crows, after Samwell arrives in Oldtown, he notices a young mother with a baby just a bit older than Mance's boarding a ship.

At the Weeping Dock, he watched two acolytes help an old man into a boat for the short voyage to the Bloody Isle. A young mother climbed in after him, a babe not much older than Gilly's squalling in her arms. - Samwell V, AFFC

To clarify:

The ship is anchored in Oldtown.

The Myraham is a trading cog from Oldtown.

The girl boarding the ship is described as a young mother.

The Myraham's captain's daughter was an older maiden.

Samwell observes that the baby is slightly older than Mance's child, who was born towards the end of A Storm of Swords.

In Catelyn V, ASOS, we learn that the Myraham was detained at the Iron Islands for just over six months.

The timing aligns perfectly.

And that's it.

COUNTER-EVIDENCE:

There's no counter-evidence to consider; it's just a matter of whether you find a single sentence in a Samwell chapter enough to be credible.

I suppose you could argue that it's completely inconsequential.

STUMPY'S THOUGHTS:

I find it a bit odd the author gives us a timeline for the Myraham and the age of the baby in Oldtown.

Clearly, Asha will rule the Iron Islands, Theon will die, and none of this matters. Nonetheless, I lean towards it being a clever little easter egg that George included for shits and giggles.

VOTE:

I welcome discussions. Feel free to reblog, respond, or challenge my perspective—I won't be offended by any of it.

Please note, if "no" is the eventual winner, or if it's competitive, a second poll will be conducted to determine the proper location.

NEXT THEORY:

UnVictarion

[Main menu]

#operation iceberg #asoiaf theory tier list #theory 15 #theon's bastard

[introverted-imagineer]

A River Which Flows Deeper

Part 17

Warnings: Death, Language, Smutty themes, violence, themes of slavery, Vikings Valhalla season 2 spoilers

‘He’s Twyla’s father?’ 

‘Shhhhh’ I hissed back fiercely. Kurya’s mouth dropped as his shoulders rose and fell heavily at the shock of information I had departed. ‘I thought you said Twyla’s father was dead?’ He stressed frantically. ‘I wanted to believe it more than it really was I suppose…’ ‘Does he know?’ Kurya asked, a voice of concern in his tone. ‘No…and it needs to stay that way…Please’ I breathlessly whispered into his ear, gripping his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze of desperation. ‘Does Mathilda know about her parentage?’ He asked cautiously. ‘Wouldn’t have been hard for her to figure out’ I responded, shrugging my shoulders. ‘I care for you all my friend, for Twyla I will keep your secret, but you must do everything you can to get back to her, anything I tell you you must do. Do you understand?’ He exclaimed breathlessly. I could feel an uncomfortable weight in my chest as if someone were grabbing my heart and squeezing it violently. ‘Kurya, we will both get back, we will be reunited once more, together.’ Kurya sat there shifting his cloth bandage over his eyes, something he only did when he was uncomfortable. ‘I will agree to your terms if only you agree to mine Y/N.’ ‘Okay…’ I whispered, uncomfortable with the seriousness of his tone. 

It seemed as though the whole city of Norvgod had gathered at the edge of the city to see the infamous boat sleigh. I nestled into the lumpy fur piled onto the boat as Kurya sat on the edge of the vessel taking in all the senses around him. Upon the boat, a stealthy-looking man stood wearily at one end, jingling his heavy keys tauntingly in his hand. A noble-looking individual sat with his servant, fiercely clutching a grand-looking box within his clutch, his servant obediently sitting next to him. Two brute-looking men sat with their hands clutched to the reigns of the herd of horses below, looking on edge as they wearily adjusted their furs to cover their faces from the audience below. A singular beauty walked onto the boat, escorted by a man who held a chest in his clutch. She had a wise look to her as she looked on hopeful at her surroundings, her body however seemed rather frail. The figure fussed over her as she looked around for a place to sit. Her eyes locked on mine as her lips gently upturned into a smile. She turned around whispering to the figure, before making her way over to me. 

‘It’s nice to not be the only woman on this voyage’ she said, her accent thick, but her language precise and knowledgable. I couldn’t help but stare, admiring her calmness amongst the chaos as people waited for the sleigh boat to depart. ‘Forgive my companion, she’s had a long day’ Kurya interrupted as I sat in silence. She looked upward toward Kurya, nodding in agreement at his statement. ‘That makes two of us’ she offered kindly in an attempt to break the awkward tension that fell over the boat. She sat down gingerly between us, desperately taking in a deep breath of air. ‘My name is Mariam’ she spoke, eloquently introducing herself to everyone on the boat. I offered a gentle smile, enough to let her know I appreciated her efforts at being friendly. ‘What is your name?’ She asked, leaning slightly into my shoulder as she studied my face. ‘Y/N’ I answered curtly with a nod ‘This is Kurya’ I said, directing my hand toward him in a desperate attempt to get the attention off of me. ‘Ah, and this is my companion Leif’ she gestured to the man as he turned around, finally revealing his face. 

It felt like a double punch to the gut. If there was someone I was more surprised to see than Harald, it was Leif Erikson. Our eyes locked on one another as the shock transpired over us both. The man whose sister loved Harald, the fierce shield maiden who held the heart of Harald Sigurdsson back in Kattegat. The man who specifically implored I never ever make the acquaintance of Harald Sigurdsson again. He nodded his head curtly, I responded with the same gesture as Mariam looked quizzically between us. ‘This is Kurya’ I motioned, again directing the attention away from me. ‘Kurya is the man who will get us to Constantinople!’ Harald announced as he walked toward us. Leif gave Harald a puzzled look as he looked between me, the blind man and the so-called King of Norway. They stared at each other, as if they were telepathically communicating, the confusion over both their faces clear. ‘If we want to get there before the ice beneath us turns to rapids, I suggest we move now’ Kurya said proudly, sensing the judgement and doubt he was being subject to by everyone on the boat. 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

‘Out’ the stealthy man demanded as he jingled his heavy metal keys. Everyone looked toward the boat curiously at the commotion unfolding on the dock. I could feel my stomach churn with disgust as three women wearily stepped out from the cargo holds that had been locked and guarded so vigilantly over the past few days. Nobody had dared disrupt the man, Harald and Leif seeming particularly weary in his company. Mariam had continued her attempts to make friendly acquaintance with everyone on board, but the now apparent slaver had been vigilant in steering clear of her. It seemed he was intimidated by her presence as Mariam had proved to be a very educated woman. She spent her time reading, fiddling with outlandish tools and pieces that seemed to make sense to her, but peculiar to the rest of us. Leif in particular was fascinated and engrossed by Mariam. 

I looked back toward the girls on the boat as they stood lifelessly. I felt disgusted. The look of defeat and hopelessness was almost too much to bear as my stomach churned, anxiety creeping up my spine as I felt as though I was washed in guilt. The sounds of chains rattling as their footsteps sounded limp. It was too familiar. ‘His cargo, not mine’ Harald spoke as he tied skins to branches in order to make a shelter. ‘What are you doing?’ Kurya mumbled into my ear as I stood there, my arm tucked into him as we curled into each other for warmth. I hadn’t realised how hard my fingertips gripped as I dug them into Kurya’s coat. He let out a hiss in pain as I stood rigidly, my face hot with fury and anger. After all this time, why was I so angry? Why did I expect the better of Harald Sigurdsson? He had also kept such property, being me. 

I quickly yanked my arm from Kurya’s before he could hold me back, as he was so used to doing when my temper had boiled with Mathilda. I stormed over to Harald, picked up my foot, and thrust it into the pillars of his makeshift shelter, breaking the branch with a sickening crack. The skins and rope, tumbled loose as they cascaded onto the ground where Kaysan so desperately tried to make a fire. Harald jumped back before the shelter tumbled down on him. He looked toward me, his shoulders heavily lifting up and down as his face expressed surprise, more than the anger I was expecting. I walked up to him, shoving my hands against his chest violently in an attempt to berate him. All my strength only made him take a single step back. ‘Y/N…’ he whispered gently, only for me to smack my hand against his cheek. Everyone looked on suspiciously at the conflict, only to seem more confused as Harald stood there unfazed by my actions. I ran toward the boat, walked up the plank, and jumped onto the dock with a thump that shook the boat on the fragile surface of the frozen river. ‘You evil son of a bitch’ I screamed as I cascaded toward the slaver as he stood intimidatingly over the girls. I pushed my arms out, ready to shove him on his back as pure fury took over my body. 

Before my hands could meet his chest, his metal chain of keys flew up, swiping across my cheek with a gentle slash. The girls screamed, standing back at the sudden collision. My face burnt as my cheek began to swell. But the anger did not subside, if anything, it only made me madder. I stood up and with all my weight, ran into him, thrusting my arms around his lower waste, taking him to the ground with me. Our limbs flailed as I desperately reached for the keys that sturdily sat locked in his grip. His own hands reached for my throat as the girls screamed, watching. A sudden thud rocked the vessel as heavy footsteps stormed across the boat. Suddenly a pair of strong arms snaked around my waist, yanking me back from the ground as my back collided with someone's chest. His hands clutched onto my wrist, locking my arms in place as I desperately tried to force my much weaker strength against the strong hold on me. ‘Saxon. Stop’ Harald’s voice spat, his dry lips pressed right against the skin of my ear. 

Gestr rapidly pulled himself from the ground, taking a step toward me with his fist clutched tight. ‘Who does this bitch think she is?’ He yelled. Gestr reached into his waistband clutching an axe in his grip. As quickly as Harald had me in his grasp, he thrust his arm around my front, quickly brushing past my breasts as he thrust me behind him, standing between me and the knife. It was as if time stopped, everyone stood on edge both on and off the boat, waiting for someone to move, like a cliffhanger, waiting to see how the story would end. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of Gestr’s deep grunting breaths as he desperately tried to hold himself strong and tall in front of the poor women he had enslaved. 

‘How much?’ I spat, as Leif held his arm against my chest, wearing with his hand held out at Gestr in a stop motion. A deep wheezy laugh emitted from Gestr as he curled over, tucking the axe back into his waistband. ‘HOW MUCH?’ I demanded, but my cry wasn’t enough to break the laughter that took over Gestr’s body. Harald turned his head slightly, looking at me from the corner of his eye. ‘You want to buy my slaves?’ Gestr emitted breathlessly. ‘I want to pay for the freedom they deserve’ I spat back, tugging on Harald’s arm in an attempt to get in Gestr’s face. The women stood there, shaking slightly as their faces dropped in shock. It was as if they were in a reality they could only dream of.  Gestr took a grand step forward, his chuckles subsiding. Haralds grip on my body intensified as he protectively shifted his frame, clutching the axe on his own waistband. ‘With what?’ He taunted. Harald adjusted his stance, puffing his chest out slightly as Gestr stared at me, a stupid grin on his face that knew he had won…for now. I stomped my foot on the ground, disappointment washing over the girls as their state of hope retreated to dismay. 

As Gestr walked away, a piercing scream quivered my eardrums. One of the enslaved victims dropped to the floor, clenching at her skirt as her harrowing cries echoed across the icy glacier environment. ‘No, Orlaith, No’ the girl screamed. As she pushed Gestr aside, the source of her cries was revealed. On the dock, lifelessly dragged out by his feet, a pale icy body lay solid and lifeless. Gestr stepped forward, his leg hitched as he collided the heel of his foot into the ribs of the crying girl, her other companions stood frozen in shock. Another rush came over me, I clenched my fists taking a single stomp forward toward the bloodthirsty brute. As quickly as I stepped forward, a pair of strong arms circled my waist, carrying me toward the plank that left the boat. ‘YOU BASTARD’ I growled, directed both at Gestr as he chuckled over the dead body and the girl clutching her midsection in pain, as well as Harald who swiftly locked his grip around my body as he threw me over his shoulder like a sack of flour. 

‘Your efforts are noble’ Harald exclaimed with a frustrating sigh as he placed me back on the ground next to Kurya. ‘But you can do no good for them here’ he said shaking his head as he walked back to help Kaysan rebuild the shelter. ‘How could such a coward ever be a fucking King?’ I viciously spat as Harald walked away. He stopped in his tracks, everyone's attention directed at me as my voice carried down the frozen river. I felt Kurya gently place his hand on my shoulder, giving it a fierce squeeze as he clutched onto his walking stick with just as much force that it could snap. Leif in particular, his face contorted into one of concern as he watched Harald intently, as Mariam clutched tightly onto Leif’s arm. The aura in the air was tense, I watched Harald as his fists clutched, his back moving as he took deep breaths. I stood frozen, waiting for Harald to storm back toward me. But instead, he shook his head and walked back to set up camp. 

I watched from a distance as Gestr threw Orlaith’s body into the river, the same girl crying as she watched her companion's body disappear underneath the icy surface. ‘I can hear you breathing from here’ Kurya said adjusting his bandages. ‘That girl…all those girls…I just want my girl’ I whispered, my breath hitching in my throat as the tears began to fall. The once soft, now coarse crisp frozen furs scratched against my cheek as I desperately buried myself into the confines of the coat. Kurya’s arm stretched out, wrapping around my shoulders as he pulled me in closer. A sense of guilt washed over me, as for a moment before in the height of my anger, for a split moment, Twyla wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. How could I be a good mother, the mother that my daughter deserved, if she wasn’t on my mind every second of every day? Had I just controlled my anger, my temper, my insatiable appetite for control over every aspect of my life, my daughter's life? We would be together, happy. I wouldn’t have sat in a Novgorod prison, I wouldn’t have left the burden of motherhood to my companion, and most of all, Harald Sigurdsson would truly be as good as dead to me. But here he was, a ghost from my past. A burden of guilt, anger, love and disappointment. After a year, all Harald Sigurdsson had proved is that he was an unchanged man…and I was a fool for expecting otherwise. 

‘We should say a prayer’ the slave boy announced, interrupting the comfortable silence of slurping and spoons clanging against wooden bowls. ‘It is a proper suggestion’ Mariam offered peacefully as the silence turned tense. It seemed a strange thing, to mourn someone you don’t even know or someone you never knew. But even without words being exchanged between us, there was something I did know about the girl who died. She was someone’s daughter, just like I am, just as Twyla is mine. That is reason enough to grieve for a stranger. 

‘Y/N?’ A hushed voice announced sweetly behind me. I turned around to find a smiling Mariam standing behind me. ‘Mariam’ I breathed, slightly relieved to find it wasn’t anyone I had managed to infuriate today. She stepped forward, looping her arm through mine, facing us back toward the mountain. I couldn’t help but notice the way she leaned most of her body weight onto mine as she balanced herself on the slippery surface of the ice. ‘That was very brave…what you did earlier’ she complimented, giving my coat a gentle squeeze. It almost made me want to scream…what I did wasn’t brave, nor was it heroic. I shrugged my shoulders, directing my attention to the ice beneath me as I dug the tips of my toes into the ice. ‘I wish someone would do the same for me…if ever’ I noted in a rushed tone. ‘Mariam’ a familiar voice announced. I turned around to find Leif Erikson towering over us both. He reached out for Mariam, she wearily shifted her weight as she unhooked her hand from the crease of my arm, leaning into Leif’s touch. ‘It’s cold here, please go back to the fire’ he pleaded gently, his gaze totally immersed in hers as she gazed back at him with just as much intent. She nodded gently, casting a smile my way before staggering back to the makeshift campsite where the rest of the crew sat. 

‘Does she know we’ve met before?’ Leif asked as soon as Mariam was out of earshot. ‘She doesn’t need to know’ I responded. We both nodded at one another, a mutual understanding to keep the past in the past around the others. I hadn’t even told Kurya the extent of my past with the Vikings…only that Mathilda and I had escaped a life that no longer had any hold over us. Whatever assumptions he made were his own. ‘How is your sister?’ I noted, a snide remark in my voice that even surprised me. Leif seemed uncomfortable that I had brought up the topic of his sister he had once so fiercely worked to protect when it came to her happiness. ‘She has started a new life’ he retorted with a sigh…I couldn’t tell whether it was from relief or disappointment. ‘Why are you going to Constantinople?’ He asked with a tone of peculiarity in his voice as his eyebrows knitted together, creasing his forehead. ‘To start a new life’ I retorted. He simply nodded, turning on his heel, and heading back to Mariam. As I gazed at the group, a pair of eyes remained unshifted as they looked directly into mine. Harald stood by the fire, his attention focused solely on me, undeterred by my gaze staring right back at him. His face looked puzzled, almost calculating as his gaze locked onto mine. I took a deep breath, matching his own as our chests rose and fell slowly in sync. My heart broke slowly the longer I stared. His eyes were her eyes, the sharp bridge of his nose just like hers also. A warm streak cascaded down my cheek, followed by more drops. I reached up, wiping my undoubtedly red eyes…but the tears continued to fall. Harald’s face contorted to one of concern as his body shifted from statuette and rigid to soft as his eyebrows raised, his gaze taking in every detail of my body. 

I turned around and trudged further into the abyss, until Harald’s inevitable call to move on further down the river. 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

I trudged begrudgingly behind the stern as the horses towed the giant sleigh further towards Constantinople. I cautiously watched Kurya as he assessed the icy floor beneath, banging his walking stick upon the ice with uncertainty. 

‘I hope you rot in hell’ the servant boy commented as he walked past Gestr. I smirked, happy to know I wasn’t the only person with some sort of moral compass in the group. ‘What did you say to me, boy?’ Gestr emitted, furiously whipping the boy around, smacking him to the group with a snap so loud it made everyone stop in their tracks. He reached for his belt, swiping the whip from his grasp. I ran forward, stretching my hand out only to have a lashing slice my palm in my idiotic attempt to grasp the whip. A warm dripping of blood flowed from my skin as a piercing sting tingled my senses. Gestr whipped around just as quickly, his fury turning from the boy to me, only his anger heightened. I turned my back, only for the whip to lash sordidly against the skin of my neck, unprotected by the thickness of my coat. ‘Ahh,’ I groaned involuntarily, kneeling to the group as my balance swayed beneath me. 

‘LEAVE HER’ Harald’s voice demanded. I shakily placed my hand on the skin of my neck, gently brushing my fingers along the warm rawness of flesh. Luckily it was only a flesh wound by the feeling of it, but shivers quaked down my body as my senses burnt. I clutched my swollen palm, tucking it into my body seething at the pain in both my neck and palm. I could still hear Gestr growling behind me as heavy footsteps rushed behind me. I could hear the leather hiss against the gust of winds as Gestr geared up for another crack. Suddenly, a larger body squatted behind me, wrapping its arms around my body, forcing a barrier between my body and the whip. Gestr angrily shouted, his foot stomping upon the ice heavily as the hilt of his whip hit the icy ground. I swore I could almost hear a rumble beneath. A pair of hot lips pressed gently against the side of my neck, a warm quick paced breath pushing soft puffs of air against my skin. It almost made me forget about the stinging sensation on my neck and palm. His left arm gently unwrapped from around my body, as he gently curled his fingers underneath the collar of my coat, the coarse skin of his fingers running against my skin. He had untucked his head from mine, but I could still feel his hot breath blowing against the lashing on the back of my neck. He hissed as he inspected it, quietly muttering to himself in Norse as he gently ran his finger around my red skin. My balance shifted, my back slowly curling into Harald's chest as he brought his hand back around, running his fingers down my arm, now inspecting the searing pain on my palm. His fingers carefully traced the outside of the red pool of blood that stained the skin of my palm. My temple pressed against his cheek. ‘Saxon…’

*CRACK*

His grasp around me tighten as our bodies jolted in shock. The ice beneath us rumbled as it shook. A loud piercing scraping sound as our heads whipped to look behind us. The boat sat shallowly sunk into the broken ice beneath. Suddenly the cozy warmth disappeared, and the cold gust of wind returned, whooshing against my back as Harald ran to inspect the boat. ‘Y/N!’ Kurya called in a panicked tone. ‘I’m right here!’ I yelled back, pulling myself from the icy floor, staggering to his side cautiously as Gestr’s eyes shot daggers at my body. Kurya reached out, I clasped my good hand in his as he let out a sigh of relief. 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

‘PUSH’ Harald’s voice yelled, his voice trembling with force as he heaved against the wooden pillars that had be tactfully placed beneath the icy surface, and slid beneath the surface of the boat. Everyone groaned, our bodies shaking at the sheer intensity of force as we desperately pushed against the vessel. I hissed in pain as the flesh of my palm rubbed against the coarse wood of the boat. ‘PUSHHHH’ Harald cried again. The sound of wood creaked unfavourably loud as our groans got louder. With every push, the ice beneath us seemed to crack more. Quiet groans turned to yells as we desperately pushed the vessel forward. ‘PUSH’ Harald cried one more time, testing everyone's strength to the limit. 

Suddenly, the boat tilted up, and the creaks clashed as the vessel rolled onto the wooden pillars below, the horses struggling neighs ceasing as they pulled forward. ‘WE DID IT’  Harald cried, his exasperated voice sounding relieved and joyful. As everyone celebrated, embracing each other, I couldn’t help but notice a shallow dampness pool at my feet. Inspecting the ground around me, what was crisp white ice was now speckled with small pools of transparent watery glimmer. I looked towards the front of the boat to find a smiling Harald walking towards me, only for his grin to falter as my expression of relief did not match his. I directed my gaze back to the ground, Harald’s sight following to see the realisation of what was happening beneath our very feet. 

The ice was beginning to melt. 

A sudden rush of gentle pooling water sounded from the river bend, closely trailed by a flow of water. A true sign of danger…when the sound carries before the problem arises. ‘THE ICE DAM HAS BROKEN’ Harald announced, pacing back to the boat as he announced orders. A sense of panic arose, everyone ran about rushing to free the horses, to unlatch the vessel from the sleigh. I ran to Kurya, placing my arm around his waist, and hurrying him to the ladder. ‘Go Kurya, climb!’ I begged beneath him, placing my arms under his bottom practically pushing him onto the dock as the others rushed to board the ship. ‘Y/N’ he called, reaching his hand over the edge of the ship. ‘Go, go, go’ I cried, the slave girls running toward the boat. ‘Y/N’ Kurya cried with more intensity, hoisting the girls onto the boat as their arms clutched his in panic. ‘I know you’re still down there’ as the last slave girl loaded the boat. ‘I’m coming!’ I hissed back with just as much vigour. 

I placed my foot upon the step, beginning the descent…until I heard the commotion from the direction of the running water. ‘NO!’ I screamed, jumping back onto the ice as the servant boy ran to retrieve the coat of his nobleman…running in the direction of the flowing water. ‘Y/N’ Kurya cried from behind me. 

A loud and rushing crack emitted as a pitched scream sounded. Where the servant boy once stood, a small pool of tracked ice cascaded, a pair of arms rampantly and desperately clutching to the furs. The nobleman yelled to the boy…who revealed under his hat to have very long blonde locks. 

Without thought, I ran across the watery ice, ‘I’m coming!’ I screamed to the panic-stricken pair as they desperately fought against the frozen wasteland. ‘Y/N’ this time, a different voice shouted. A thump sounded as I whipped my head around to find Harald having jumped from the dock, running after me. But I continued to run forward as the nobleman desperately tried to save his servant from the icy death trap below. 

A strong pair of arms wrapped me from behind, giving the already stinging neck whiplash that made me hiss as the stinging cascaded over my body again. His muscles protruded against my body as Harald fiercely lifted me from the cracking ice beneath my feet, stepping back as he carried me in his strong grip. My feet hurt as he fiercely placed me back on the ground. Harald whipped my body around by the shoulders, forcing me to face him as his palms captured my cheeks. ‘YOU WILL GO BACK TO THE BOAT NOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?’ He screamed, his face mere inches within my own as he gently shook my face within his grasp. I was taken aback, shocked by his actions. ‘DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?’ He yelled again. I quickly nodded, satisfying him enough to let go of my face as he ran toward the chaos. 

‘Kruya’ I announced, as I reached the top of the ladder. Kurya stood at the edge of the boat, his arms outstretched as he sighed my name in relief. I fell into the clutches of his arms as he fell backwards onto the dock, his arms securely clutched around my body. I dug my face into his neck, as his palm reached up, gently smoothing the hair on my head as we breathed in a sigh of relief. ‘Come on’ he whispered, releasing me from his clutch as he felt for the seats, clutching onto the oar that sat resting on the seat. ‘Come my friend’ he said as he seated himself on the stool, moving over to make room as he clutched onto the oar, placing it into the water below. A thud emitted as Harald fell onto the dock, the long-haired blonde servant…girl gathered herself running to the edge of the boat, screaming as the boat thrust forward. 

I desperately looked for the nobleman, only to find she and Harald were the only ones who had made it back to the boat…

‘Here’ I whispered, wrapping one of the furs around the young girl as her puffed eyes stared at the rushing water beneath us. Her face was frozen…shocked in utter despair. ‘Father’ she whispered, tears falling again as she silently screamed in agony. I could feel my heart sink, and without thought I wrapped my arms around her, letting her body fall desperately into mine as she cried. I clutched her tighter, every time she called his name, reminding me of the overwhelming love I had for my own daughter. The desperation I craved to be with my own child once more. Her fingers clutched my coat as she sobbed into my coat. A tear fell from my own eye as I held the mourning daughter. 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

Elena sat solemnly, her face still frozen in that same look of despair. A look I knew all too well. I sat with Kurya, my hand clasped in his as I watched people try to console her. But she sat solemnly silent, everyone’s hearts breaking for her…all those who had hearts anyway. 

The icy floor had melted, now it was just the boat and the flowing river. The moonlight shone as the peaceful river flow allowed everyone to momentarily rest their eyes. But I couldn’t sleep, all I could think of was Twyla, and how I desperately longed to be with my daughter. I gently stood up, stepping quietly over the sleeping bodies as I headed for the stern of the ship, watching the moonlight reflect against the water. 

A heavy breath interrupted my silence as Harald leaned forward, copying my stance as I leaned against the boat, watching the water trail behind us. I know I should probably have thanked him for saving me, but all I could think of was his voice as he yelled…ordering me. Ordering me…after all this time, he still felt he had the right. This wasn’t even his fucked boat. My heart began to pound slightly, my nostrils flaring as I tried to calm my temper. 

‘Saxon…I’

‘Have you come to reclaim your property?’ I interrupted, looking at him. His face fell gently as he looked into my eyes, a sadness to them. But my anger was evident as I stared back, my chest rising and falling heavily as the others slept peacefully behind us. He broke eye contact, turned around and walked back. But his footsteps stopped, and his voice sounded gently behind me.

‘You were never mine to claim Y/N…I want you to know that’ 

#vikings x reader #vikings valhalla #vikings imagine #vikings #harald x reader #harald sigurdsson #leif eriksson #x reader #imagines

[crystalbeetle888]

Voyage into the Unknown Pt.8

Master List Pt.7 - Pt.8 - Pt.9

The elf man leads me through lavish halls filled with fresh floral arrangements and beautiful maids fluttering frantically around, trying to organize dinner. Finally, we stop “Here is your room M’Lady” Lindir says, holding the door open for me. I thank him and enter, a large bed lays in the center of the right wall, thick embroidered canopies framing it. On the left, the wall is curved with large arching windows, overlooking the palace gardens. “I’ll send for some maids to draw you a bath” he places my bag beside the door before bowing and leaving. I wander into the room and approach the open windows, leaning on the bannister. I gaze out in wonder at the mystical place “It’s like a dream” I whisper to myself in awe.

“What’s like a dream?” I turn to see a young, beautiful woman holding a woven basket filled with fabrics and bottles. I flush at her sudden appearance “Oh, I was just thinking of how beautiful the view is” I smile awkwardly at her. “It is quite wonderful isn’t it” she smiles back, “My Lord Elrond has been the keeper of Imladris for quite some time” She walks across the room and through a door I hadn’t noticed before. I followed her “Oh yeah? How long is that?”. In the center of the room was a large claw-foot tub, to the right, a vanity sink and mirror with a cushioned stool. The lady set the basket down on the seat before turning the bath faucet on. The rushing water is loud “Well, Lord Elrond established Rivendell in the Second Age” She explained, pouring one of the bottles contents into the bath.  I nod “And when was that?” “Around five thousand years ago” She says casually, turning off the tap. My jaw drops in shock “Well…he looks great for his age” The lady giggles before walking out the room towards me “Bathe, then I’ll help you dress for dinner” she says walking out of the bedroom and closing the door. I strip down and hop into the hot bath, the smell of lavender and roses fills the air. The pain in my knee and back melts away as I slip deeper into the water. I scrub my skin and hair clean before a gentle knock on the door breaks the silence “Hello?” I called out. The door cracks open and the elf maidens face peaks in “Dinner is almost ready, so we should get you dressed now”. I nod and reluctantly stand, wrapping myself in the towel she had laid out for me before hopping out. She averts her gaze “There are undergarments and a slip in the basket, once you dress in them, I’ll help you into your dinner dress”, she closes the door behind her.

Drying myself off and putting on the strange clothes, I walk back out into the main bedroom, the elf maiden holding up a beautiful deep green, suede dress. “Come here, arms up”

I do as she demands, and allow her to shimmy the dress over my head and down my body. She pinches and pulls at the fabric until she's' satisfied with my appearance. She then wraps a golden cord around my waist, and steps back to view me. I stand there awkwardly, hoping to get this over with. “Okay, sit down and I’ll do your hair”. Sighing in exhaustion I sit on the corner of the bed with my back to her. She begins to gently brush the knots out of my damp hair, the soft rocking sending me into a sleepy trance. Before long, she taps me on the shoulder “I’m all done if you’d wish to see?” I nod and take the mirror she offers me. My hair is artfully pinned back and braided into a crown, the length flowing down my back, and two long braids hanging in front of my ears. “Wow, It’s lovely, thank you” I praise her. She smiles back “Now, let’s get you to dinner or you’ll be late” 

Swiftly walking through the hall, she guides me over to the open patio where the company was waiting, quite impatiently, for their food. She lets go of my arm “I hope to see more of you Miss” She bows briefly before turning and leaving. I flatten my dress nervously, ‘Here goes nothing’ I think to myself. Walking up the steps and into the open, I make my way over to the company's short table. A low whistle sounds over the chatter “Well look at you bonnie lass, Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” Bofur calls out causing the company to turn and look. My face heats at the attention “Thank you Bofur” I say. He winks at me in response and I sigh.

Scanning the companies’ table I don’t see an open seat “Lady Y/N, if you’d care to join us?” Lord Elrond asks from his seat at his own table with Gandalf and Thorin. Walking over, Lindir pulls out my seat and I sit down across from Elrond, “It's good to see you’re feeling well Lady Y/N, please help yourself” He offers, directing his hand towards the platter towers of food. “Thank you” I say, pulling aside the long flowing sleeves of my dress, I scoop some of the salad onto my plate. Lindir, approaching my side with a decorative wine decanter, and offers to pour me a glass “Oh no thank you, I don’t drink” I say, voice muffled by the food stuffed in my mouth. Thorin turns to look at me skeptically “I don’t… behave well, when drinking” I smile shyly at him. He gives me raised eyebrow and a tightlipped smile, like he was trying not to. 

Dinner continues without a hitch, the elves play the harp and some sort of string instrument in the background. The men converse and complain about the food as usual, getting progressively drunker, and Thorin argues with someone about who knows what. And I've stuffed myself full with salad, berries, egg and little tiny sandwiches. I huff and rub my belly soothingly, the cool breeze tickling my exposed neck and collarbone. The scenery is tranquil, and I close my eyes to relax… Then Bofur begins to sing 

“There is an inn, a merry old inn, beneath an old grey hill. And there they brew a beer so brown, That the Man in the Moon himself came down, One night to drink his fill.” Bofur hops on top of a pedestal in the center of the room, singing and stomping his foot. The company chanting and banging their hands on the table in laughter. 

“The ostler has a tipsy cat, that plays a five-stringed fiddle; And up and down he runs his bow, Now squeaking high, now purring low, Now sawing in the middle.” Bofur acts out the lyrics and the company hollers, throwing onions and bread at him. The elves looked around at one another in confusion and shock, and I sank into my seat in embarrassment. 

“So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle, a jig that would wake the dead: He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune, While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon: 'It's after three!' he said.” I turn in my seat and look over my chair in disappointment, the company cheering loudly and throwing their salads in the air. Most disappointingly, Thorin stands with them cheering and encouraging them along. “What a disgusting waste of food.” I remark bitterly. Just as I finish my sentence a bread roll flies across the room and hits the statue on the boob, next to Lindirs' head. Swinging my head around I spot Kili with his arms up smiling triumphantly. His grin falters as our eyes meet. I shake my head in disbelief and stand to leave. Leaning over to Elrond I whisper to him apologetically “I’m so sorry for their dog crap manners, I quite enjoyed dinner thank you” I say briefly before strutting away. “Y/N wait!” Kili calls outs from behind me. I continue to walk out the room ignoring him, and the company Ooohs loudly. 

Kili trips over himself, drunkenly trying to keep up with the taller woman. “Wait” He says breathlessly as he grasps onto her arm, spinning her around. “Excuse you!” she says angrily, swatting his hand off her. Kili raises his hands in defeat “I’m sorry, You were just- Where are you off to?” he huffs flustered. Despite the annoyed look on her face Kili couldn’t help but gaze at her warmly, unintentionally ignoring her ranting. The setting sun casts a golden light over her complexion. Her pointed gaze sparkles, her crossed arms adorned with that perfectly fitted dress stirs something inside him, her artfully braided hair frames her angry looking face.

‘Shit, she’s looking at me, I should say something’ 'Have I told you how bewitching you look tonight?” he smiles cheekily at her. Y/N smiles in defeat “Thank you Kili” she whispers. A blanket of silence envelops the two as they gaze at each other affectionately. Y/N coughs breaking the moment “I should get to bed, it’s been a long day” she trails off nervously, anxiety beginning to creep its' way into her mind. Kili perks up at the opportunity “I’ll walk you” he offers his arm enthusiastically which she takes. As the two walk and talk together a warm feeling begins to grow inside each of them. A feeling that excites him, but scares her.

But alas, they arrive at her room for the night “Perhaps I can accompany you tomorrow for breakfast?” he suggested, eyes hopeful. She laughs “Sure, but good luck trying to wake me up”. He chuckles in response before gazing up at her again with those deep brown puppy dog eyes. “Well I’ll see you tomorrow” She says, hesitantly taking her arm back from around him. “Yeah…” he trails off, slowly walking backwards. “Goodnight!” he calls out giddily, “Goodnight” she replies finally closing the door slowly.

I sigh against the closed door, my heart pounds against my chest. ‘That was close’ I think to myself, ‘I’m getting too close’ I breathe out shakily. Rubbing my arm anxiously, I graze over the rough skin. My mind floods with fearful thoughts. What if he’s just trying to use me? What if he tries to hurt me later on? My head swarms as I strip from my dinner dress, and crawl under the cover. Sniffling meekly as I cry myself quietly to sleep.

Meanwhile, Kili wanders back to where the company has set up camp, his head filled with hope. She looked absolutely radiant tonight, even when she was mad at him. That dress just hugged her in all the right places 'If she looks like that in an Elvish dress, I wonder how good she'd look in a Dwarvish one?' Kili thinks dreamily to himself, a smile spreading across his face. He couldn't believe how lucky he'd gotten, out of all the handsome dwarves in their company, who's beards are longer and who's muscles were bigger, she had only shown interest in him. This had never happened before, usually dwarrowdams take one look at his brother and instantly lose interest in Kili 'It's those damn moustache braids' he ponders to himself 'They're irresistible'. But much to his surprise, the strange human woman didn't care much for them. Kili wanders through the camp, the company's jokes about him flying straight over his head as he lays down on his bedroll, head already full of dreams.

Master List Pt.7 - Pt.8 - Pt.9

Authors Note: Here is your crumb of content. I will be back soon <3

#fili and kili #kili durin #kili x reader #the company of thorin oakenshield #the company x reader #the hobbit #thorin

[grimm-the-tiger]

Dumb shipwreck facts because I need to hyperfixate for a moment: 

The only Olympic-class (Britannic, Titanic, and Olympic) ship that was actually unsinkable was the Olympic. Olympic took full advantage of this and became the only merchant vessel in WWI on record to sink an enemy vessel (it didn’t discriminate, either; Olympic actually sank two vessels during its service, one of which was a friendly lightship during peacetime). 

It took 150 years to discover what happened to the infamous Lost Franklin Expedition because the English were too racist to ask the natives. The Canadians, meanwhile, found the wreck of one of their ships, HMS Terror, in a fraction of the time by asking an Inuit hunter named Sammy Kogvik for help. 

There are at least two wrecks in Lake Erie that we may never find because the lakebed quite literally swallowed them. 

On a related note, Lake Erie might have the highest concentration of shipwrecks of any body of water in the world. 

Lake Superior is actually the least lethal Great Lake, despite its reputation, but over half of its wrecks are located around Whitefish Point, most notably the Edmund Fitzgerald. 

The Bermuda Triangle doesn’t actually have a very high disappearance or wreck rate. It’s considered weird because the gulf stream carries any wrecks and debris out of the search area, making it that much harder to find any remains. 

There’s a disturbing tendency for ships, particularly freighters, to not only split in half while they sink, but for the back half (the stern) to keep going, sometimes for miles. The most notable case of this would be the SS Pendleton, an oil freighter that wrecked off the coast of Massachusetts; the rescue of the crew on its stern is considered to be one of the most daring Coast Guard rescues ever pulled off. 

Most ships built before 1950 were made with subprime or low-grade metal, which is believed to be part of the reason why they split in half so often. This metal turned brittle in colder water; guess where most of these wrecks were. Some wrecks believed to have fallen victim to this include the Titanic, the aforementioned Pendleton, the Carl D. Bradley, and the Daniel J. Morrell. 

An Arctic cruise ship took on a Venezuelan patrol boat and won. Said patrol boat was trying to force the cruise ship, the Resolute, to come ashore. Ships create depressions in the water (you most often see this in the “wake”) called displacement, and it’s generally believed the patrol boat underestimated the strength of the Resolute’s displacement and was sucked into its path, ending up crushed by Resolute’s icebreaker-grade hull. 

While we can be reasonably certain what sank the Marquette & Bessemer No. 2 (it was a train ferry with an open back and had previously had a near-accident when a wave slammed directly into the opening, almost flooding it), what we don’t know is what happened before and after. One of its lifeboats was found with nine bodies and the clothing of a tenth. The ship’s steward was found armed with two knives and a meat cleaver, and the captain’s body was found some time later with slash wounds. It’s agreed that the steward killed him, but why remains a mystery. 

Moby Dick was based on the sinking of the Essex, a whaling ship that was rammed and sunk by its own prey. The crew resorted to cannibalism to survive; ironically, they would’ve been rescued sooner had they not avoided a nearby island chain for fear of cannibal tribes. 

Don’t read about the sinking of the Estonia. Just...don’t. It’s not pleasant. For some hint of how awful it was, despite being reasonably close to the surface no one was ever able to get all the bodies out because of the sheer number of them. 

On a much lighter note, the Swedish Navy in the 1700s poured thousands of kroner into building a mighty flagship for their navy, the Vasa...only for the Vasa to sink less than 300 yards into its maiden voyage. Turns out they gave it too many guns, making it too top-heavy, and it capsized. 

The Canadian freighter Bannockburn disappeared in a storm in 1902. Almost all of its crew were in their late teens and early 20s; the youngest was 16. Companies would hire younger, less experienced men to work aboard their ships because they were cheaper. The Bannockburn has never been found. 

Speaking of Lake Superior shipwrecks, there’s a saying that “Lake Superior never gives up her dead”. It’s not wrong; the temperatures at the bottom are cold enough to halt the decaying process, which prevents the bodies from rising to the surface. The most notable instance of this is Old Whitey, the nickname for a body found in the engine room of the Kamloops who has never been identified. This is also the reason no one is allowed to dive to the Edmund Fitzgerald; the crew’s bodies are still aboard the wreck, and it’s considered disrespectful at best to dive to a place that for all intents and purposes is a graveyard. 

It took over 100 years and numerous deaths from scurvy for anyone to realize that eating raw meat can prevent it. They discovered this on a Belgian arctic expedition where one of the crewmen, drawing on past experience, somehow managed to convince the rest of the crew to eat raw penguin, rapidly decreasing the number and severity of scurvy cases onboard. 

To end this on a lighter note, the saying “Batten down the hatches” is an actual maritime phrase; hatches are openings in the ship’s deck used to bring cargo inside and, on older ships, allow passengers and crew on deck. Hatches let enormous amounts of water into the ship in bad weather, and are often “battened down” (covered up) to prevent water from getting in. It will probably not surprise you to learn that not battening down the hatches or not doing it properly has caused its fair share of wrecks; notably, it’s believed that the Cyprus, an ore carrier that was said to be leaving a red trail in its wake the day before it capsized, was leaving said trail because its hatches were improperly sealed; water was getting into the hold, mixing with the cargo of iron ore, and then being pumped out, hence the red wake. 

#shipwreck #shipwrecks #interesting facts #random facts #indulging in my shipwreck hyperfixation #shipwreck shenanigans #might make posts elaborating on some of these #especially the olympic #that ship did not give any fucks

[wellthebardsdead]

Vilkas: remind me again why we let that whelp join?

Farkas: *ripping up sheets of old cloth* you’ll see.

Wyrm: *suddenly emerges from a room he’d renovated into a bathroom using dwemer schematics, just covered head to toe in dirt and filth* all done!

Farkas: *picks up the cloth* Welp, allow me to take it on its maiden voyage. *walks in and closes the door*

Wyrm: *smiles up at him as he goes by and starts freshening up with a towel*

Vilkas: what is he do-

*FLUSHHHHHH*

Farkas: *from behind the door* IT WORKS!

Kaidan: Ha! If you think your so clever Vilkas try matching his brain ey!?

#Wyrm dragonborn #Vilkas #farkas #Kaidan skyrim #an artificer joins the companions

[clericofshadows]

opportunities

Description: Kaidan Alenko gets stuck in a Citadel elevator with Admiral Steven Hackett, and they come to a few realizations that lead to a better future regarding them and Nyx Shepard.

Pairing: Past Male Shepard/Steven Hackett, Current Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard. Future Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard/Steven Hackett

Notes: This is a No Reapers AU (or rather, mostly no Reapers with some remnants). Not terribly important to this fic, but it's how I'm writing Nyx's canon.

Kaidan still wasn't quite used to being called Spectre Alenko about as much as being called Commander Alenko.  Two new titles gained post the Battle of the Citadel, and many new responsibilities now his to handle with Captain Nyx Shepard by his side. 

The Normandy became a true joint Spectre and Alliance vessel with a new mission after her maiden voyage: root out the remaining remnants of the Reapers and geth under their thrall. 

Nearly an impossible quest in such a large galaxy, but Nyx's visions made a few things clear. 

It's still hard to imagine how close the protheans were to victory, wiping themselves out in the process of defeating most of the Reapers. 

And now it's this cycle’s turn to finally put a stop to it. 

Nyx was currently meeting some old friends of his, and Kaidan decided to take part of his leave by visiting the Alliance designated areas to burn off some steam. Sure, he could easily access the Spectre ranges, but he wasn't in the mood for that environment, preferring something closer to home and rich with familiarity. 

He sent a quick message to Nyx to let him know where he decided on going, but didn't receive a response. Probably has his notifications on silent, like damn near always when he’s not on duty.  The bastard.

Kaidan sent him a few little kisses and hugs as well for him to see whenever he bothered to look at his omnitool and rounded the corner to access the wards’ elevator entrance to get to the nearest rapid transport point. 

He entered the elevator and was about to close the doors when someone called out to hold it. He quickly pressed the button to open the doors back up, and to his surprise, it was Admiral Hackett rushing to the elevator, clothed in civilian wear.  A green turtleneck, grey dress pants, and oxfords shined to perfection.  Damn.

Not the first time he's seen him out of dress blues, but well, Kaidan can't quite deny that the man wears civilian clothing well. Especially an outfit he'd choose for himself.

Kaidan nodded at him once the doors closed, wondering why he was on the Citadel. Here for business?  His outfit suggested otherwise.

“Heading over to the Alliance outposts?” Hackett asked. "Or something else entirely?"

Being with Nyx meant that Kaidan had become closer to Hackett. They're friends, and he was easier to approach and talk to than he expected.  A quiet understanding between them, both knowing they were the few who knew of Nyx’s secret biotics.

Even with Nyx's complicated feelings, still lingering to this day. 

There were times when Kaidan wondered why Nyx chose him, especially after the Battle and when he took it upon himself to introduce the two over drinks. Kaidan didn't fully feel like an outsider, but he could see the history and chemistry between them and felt like Nyx wasn't the only one between them that still carried a torch. 

But he and Nyx have never been better.  Nyx had opened up more and was freer with his affection, his parents seemed to like him, and well, the sex was great too. 

Kaidan nodded. “The Spectre ranges are great, but I prefer something closer to home.”

“Nyx not joining you?” he observed. 

“Still out with some friends of his. Think he's using that as a way to get some more information rather than catching up. He invited me, but…” Kaidan trailed off, rubbing his neck. “Not my scene.”

“Though you two were in your honeymoon period,” he chuckled.  Kaidan felt his cheeks heat up but didn't exactly argue. “After the Battle, I think he took that as a sign to not be so goddamn hesitant with what he has.”

“Things… have been good,” Kaidan said, hesitating a little. “Still the same stoic bastard, but I get a lot more hugs now,” he laughed, testing the waters.  Hackett gave him a knowing look, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. 

This is the first time he's actually become acquainted with a partner’s ex and wanted to get to know them more beyond passing.

“Ah, always such a clingy bastard.  Wouldn’t know it until he lets his walls down,” he said fondly.  “I’m happy he finally has someone he can trust.  More than just someone who can watch his back.”

“I got the impression he wasn’t used to having a squad with him.  And when he told me more about his history, I was surprised he even accepted the Normandy.”

“As was I,” Hackett replied.  “I warned Anderson that Nyx would likely refuse, but I ended up owing him credits.”

Kaidan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that.  “You know, Nyx has never really told me about how he ended up in the position.  Well, at the time, we were still in the awkwardness of finding out he was going to be my superior officer.”

In this moment, there was something about Hackett that was easy to open up and be more relaxed with.  Maybe it was the inherent awkwardness of the Citadel elevators, but Kaidan wouldn’t mind if this trip lasted a little longer.

“Nyx has always cared about the rules until it starts to impact him,” Hackett said with a smile.  “He chose it mostly out of duty, but I think a part of him missed action despite some of his past.  Always wanting to be on the move or–” Hackett cut himself when the elevator’s lights started to flicker and the movement slowed until it stopped between floors with a bit of a creak.

Well, he got his wish.  

“Shit,” Kaidan cursed, glancing over at the panel to hunt for an emergency call option. Sure, he could get easy access to the panels and climb his way out, but where they were could make that futile.  Best to leave C-Sec to try and get them out.

And it wasn’t like he was Nyx and going to be shooting out the glass as a last resort to dealing with the Reaper threat either.

Before he pressed the emergency call button, Hackett activated his omnitool. “I'll message Nyx, but since he's technically on leave…”

“Everything is silenced,” Kaidan sighed. “I've tried to break him of that, but he won't even–”

“Put an exception in for me,” he and Hackett finished together.  They shared a long look before breaking out into a bit of laughter. 

“So, the bastard hasn't changed,” Hackett said, shaking his head. 

“Too damn set in his ways,” Kaidan replied, hitting the call button.  He expected C-Sec to be delayed for a while, still dealing with all the repercussions of the attack. 

He went ahead and sent a quick message to Nyx anyway, just in case, but he doubted it would be seen anytime soon. 

“Elevator W-AD1, this is Officer T’Seva. We've been getting multiple reports of elevator faults across the wards. May I get your names and status?”

Kaidan cleared his throat. “Spectre Kaidan Alenko and Alliance Admiral Steven Hackett.  We’re fine and in no current distress, so please, don’t feel like you have to prioritize us over others.  Do you need my credentials?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, thank you, Spectre.  I can connect you to some of my superiors, but there’s not much we can do until we can individually evaluate every elevator.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kaidan said, glancing over at Hackett, who nodded in agreement.  “Take your time.  Prioritize what you need.  We can sit tight.”

“I’ll send that message over.  We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.  Ever since the battle,” they trailed off.  “You both are likely well aware of everything that’s been going on.”

“We understand,” Hackett spoke up.  “We’ll let you know if we run into any issues.”

“Thank you.  Again, we apologize for any inconvenience, and we hope we can get to you soon.  It appears by your diagnostics there’s something we can fix on site once we arrive.  Be careful, and call us if anything changes.”

A part of him wanted to know what exactly was wrong with the elevator, but if he really wanted to find out, he could just hack into the panel and provide external power via his omnitool himself.

Maybe it's better to remain ignorant.

“It’s alright.  Thank you,” Kaidan said, and the officer ended the call.  With a glanced look over at Hackett, they both signed and sat down on the floor of the elevator, facing each other.

“Did you get a message through to Nyx?” he asked, crossing his arms against his chest.

“It looks like it was sent,” Kaidan replied.  “Didn’t bounce back.”

“Good enough.  What exactly is he doing, by the way?”

“Catching up with some old friends of his.  They were going to bar crawl, and I wasn’t interested.”

“Not your scene?”

“Something like that.” Kaidan tapped the back of his neck.  “L2.  I don’t do well with bright lights and loud noises.”

Hackett winced in sympathy.  “Right.  You’ve done well despite–or should I say in spite of–that implant.”

“It’s merely a tool I've learned how to shape and use to my advantage.  Got a few dents and scratches, but who doesn’t?”

“You’ve got that right.”  Hackett glanced around.  “Are there–?” He made a motion with his hand, gesturing around.

Kaidan did a quick scan with his omnitool and nodded.  “Won’t take me but a second to throw up a privacy field.”

“They know there’s a Spectre and an Alliance in here, I doubt it’ll raise too much suspicion.”

“I don’t know,” Kaidan couldn’t help but grin.  “The wrong officer sees it and starts spinning all kinds of tales.”

“One superior officer is not enough for you?” He teased back, and Kaidan laughed as he activated the privacy field, scrambling the camera feed and muting the audio. 

He was a bit surprised Hackett played along. 

“Maybe not. The perks are just so good,” Kaidan said, focusing his gaze on Hackett, a smirk tugging at his lips. “The benefits alone make it worth it.”

And he couldn't deny that Hackett was quite the handsome man.  The same things that drew him to Nyx drew him to Hackett.  Scars, voices, the way they held themselves… and he knew damn well his tastes often went to older men in his fantasies.

Hackett crossed his arms against his chest, raising an eyebrow.  “Didn’t expect this from you.”

“I don’t see you complaining,” Kaidan said, keeping his tone neutral.  “Allow me to be serious for a moment?”

“Thought you already were,” he challenged.

Kaidan nodded, leaning back against the elevator wall.  “Part of me was.  Nyx never stopped having feelings for you, you know.”

“Trust me, I’m well aware,” he said quietly.  “And what does that have to do with–”

“It has everything to do with this.  Because you obviously still care for him a lot,” Kaidan said, softening his expression.  “At first, I felt like I was competing for something that I would never live up to, but later, I felt like Nyx simply had too much love in his heart for one person.  I know he loves me, I feel it and we’ve been great, but–” Kaidan stood up and sat down next to Hackett, watching as he followed his every move with his gaze.  “I wonder if he’ll be happier if he has us both.”

“So, you’re testing the waters with me, seeing if what, this could be more than us sharing him?” 

“Even if it doesn’t work between us, that doesn’t mean this won’t work,” Kaidan replied.  “All I see is an opportunity to get what we all want.  Nyx, and something more.”

Hackett snorted but something lingered in his expression. “You're a good man, Kaidan. Sorry you got dragged into our decades long mess.”

“I’m not,” Kaidan moved closer.  “I think we should all have a long talk once we get out of this mess and after we chew Nyx out for keeping us on mute, yes?”

“I think we should too.” He smiled, and Kaidan believed it to be genuine, tugging on his scar and pulling it across his face quite handsomely.  “I’ve… denied my own feelings for him for years, wanting him to move on.  But I think we were doomed from the goddamn start.” He shook his head. “As saving each other's lives changes your mindset quite a bit.”

“I'm familiar.” Kaidan closed his eyes, and he flashed back to Virmire, activating the bomb and Nyx refusing to choose between him and Ash, nearly jeopardizing the mission and losing some of the Normandy’s marine detail in the process. He flashed back to the beacon, to Nyx’s anguished cry to move out of the way when the debris of the ship and of the tower threatened to crush him and Ash. 

Kaidan felt like he hadn't had the chance to really return the favor.

“And you’ve been impacted by that as well, I see.” Hackett said, giving him a knowing look.

Kaidan blinked before nodding. “A few times.”

“He's a devoted man to the people he loves.”

“That he is,” Kaidan breathed out. He turned to look over at Hackett, his eyes glancing down at the man’s lips.  “I would kiss you right now, but I don’t want to do this without Nyx.”

He let out a surprised laugh.  “We are of the same damn mind, Alenko.”

“Call me Kaidan.”

“Then you call me Steven.” His eyes flicked down to Kaidan’s lips.  “To think we all have similar scars.”

Damn, he was right. They all had something on their lips.  Kaidan's was the least severe out of the three, though. 

“Where did you get yours?” He asked. 

Kaidan felt no need to hide it, figuring Steven already knew. “BAaT.  When Vyrnmus attacked me after I lashed out.”

He nodded. “First Contact War for me.” Kaidan could've guessed, and he didn't elaborate. 

“And Nyx as well,” Kaidan said. “He's been more open about that than I expected.  About a lot of things.”

“Such as his exposure,” he said pointedly, and Kaidan shrugged. “I knew you were something special when he told me how he reacted during his little game that damn near backfired on him.”

“Nyx is a goddamn idiot,” Kaidan chuckled. “But I still liked him despite that. When we got together, that first night, he said he saw a man he could trust.” Kaidan glanced over at Steven, who nodded and motioned for him to keep going. 

“And he wanted something specific out of me, so I was extra observant to make sure he was still enjoying himself, you know?  I've been with a few biotics, not many, and there's a common theme: we let loose in pleasure. It's hard to avoid, even for someone like me.  I saw blue rimmed eyes that night, and I told myself it was a trick of the light.  I never told him that I noticed, and he never said anything to me about it.  Maybe he didn't even notice he did it,” Kaidan finished his little tale with a sigh. “Didn't have any of the telltale signs of a current gen, so I just tucked it away in the back of my mind.  Even after he told me the truth, I didn't dwell on it.”

“I've tried my best to keep him protected from his anomaly, and I appreciate your discretion.  I've always worried with his… proclivities that something would come out.  Never did,” Hackett admitted. “Granted, he has an experimental implant and amp to help with that, but I'm a protective bastard, he would say.”

“Nothing wrong with that. I like that in a person,” Kaidan said. “I should tell him, but at this point, I don't want him to worry.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” he replied with a wry smile. 

“Thanks.” Kaidan adjusted his position, pulling a leg up.

“I'm tempted to call them back so we can get out of here sooner,” Hackett muttered. 

“You and me both, but no need to waste resources on us just because of who we are.”

“Exactly. Doesn't mean that I'm starting to be a little selfish.”

Kaidan laughed. “Ah well. We can deal with that later.”

“Speaking of, have you ever done something like this before?” Hackett asked, changing the subject. 

Omega shore leave.  Vorcha mafia, 5000 credits, a bottle of whiskey, and two very handsome men. 

Kaidan grinned. “Sort of. Had a run in with the vorcha mafia at an ill-advised trip to one of Omega’s casinos. Later I ended up doing well and securing myself a nice sum of credits and an expensive whiskey, but I angered the wrong people in the process.”

He laughed as Steven raised an eyebrow. “You contain many secrets, Kaidan.”

“I contain multitudes,” he laughed. “I guess I’m good at hiding it.  Anyway, turns out one of the vorcha I pissed off was a target for a merc, and I got involved with him and his partner in ah… more ways than one. Temporary, but I've never forgotten them.” Memories played out, surely reflected on his face, a smile that was tinged with a hint of sadness. He had their info, but lost it with a bug in his software and hadn't backed it up in time and never tried seeking them out since. 

“Looks like they got away from you,” he said softly. “I'm sorry.”

“A part of me was too, but I ended up with something beautiful in the end, so I can't complain,” he shrugged. “I owe it to them for helping me appreciate my biotics a little more.  Hadn't been with another L2 before, especially not one that wasn’t at Jump Zero, and well, the merc understood how to be with a biotic.”

“An L2 that wasn't with BAaT?” 

“Turns out that after he got the surgery, his asari uncle trained him and later fitted him with an asari amp. Fought like a commando too. Never seen anything like it. Regis was one of a kind for sure.”

“Regis… Shepard?” Steven asked. 

How the hell does he know about him?

Kaidan tilted his head to the side, furrowing his eyebrows. “Yeah. Why?”

“Son of Hannah Shepard, another Admiral in the brass.  She never was happy that he didn't join the Alliance, but he's a good contact for us about Terminus affairs,” he explained. “Which means the other merc was Zaeed Massani, and that makes this one small goddamn galaxy.”

Kaidan's face broke out into an incredulous expression. “You're shitting me.”

“No, I'm not.” Steven smirked.  “Zaeed was Alliance, but for only a bit.  Had a short fling with him before he left and before I knew Nyx.”

Kaidan couldn't help but laugh. “So, not only do we share history with one partner, but also have another.  Holy shit.”

Steven snorted. “Maybe we're more compatible than we think.  To good taste in men.”

“I'll drink to that.” Kaidan looked down at his lap. “Small galaxy indeed,” he echoed.

A silence fell over them, comfortable and warm. 

A ping from Kaidan’s omnitool interrupted it.  He glanced down, knowing he only had a handful of contacts that he gave notification access to.  

NS: You’re stuck in a fucking elevator?  With Steven? I’m on my way

“I stand corrected, he did get our message,” Kaidan said, showing the display to him.

“Call him.”

Kaidan put a vid call through, and Nyx answered nearly immediately, on the move.  They shared a look.

“No shit, you really are trapped.  Apparently it’s been happening all over this sector.”

“Hello to you too, love,” Kaidan rolled his eyes.  “But we haven’t been in here that long and–”

“Too late.  I’m on my way.  Already notified C-Sec to start to get you guys out.  You’re too much of a damn gentleman, Kaidan.”

“He’s not the only one who told them to hold off,” Steven interjected.  “In case there were actual emergencies more important than our comfort.”

“Oh great, not you too!  Selfless bastards.  Let me guess, are you two besties now?”

Something like that.  They shared a look again, and it didn’t escape Nyx’s notice.  He stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes.  “What happened between you two?”

“Nothing bad, but… we all need to sit down and talk about it,” Kaidan replied. 

“Or you can tell me now, since you both seem comfy enough in there.”  He cocked his head to the side, not sounding annoyed or angry, just curious.

“Kaidan and I have a proposition for you,” Steven began.  “About your relationship.  About what could be something between the three of us.  Which is why this is far better with us in one room instead of a vid call.”

“Oh!” He widened his eyes.  “Fuck, uh… okay.  Wow.  You really think this could work even after all these years?”

“Only one way to find out.  Kaidan proposed it because… quite frankly, Nyx, you aren’t the only one that misses what we had,” Steven said softly.  Kaidan reached over to squeeze his hand, and to his delight, he took it and held on tightly.  

Nyx closed his eyes, breathed out, and opened them a moment later.  “Alright. We can talk. Kaidan, you asked for this?  Even though…” he trailed off, looking unsure. 

“Nyx, I love you, and I want you to be happy. And I can't deny that I can see something working between all of us.  But even if Steven and I find that we don’t work, that doesn't mean we can’t still have this between you two and between you and me..” Kaidan punctuated his statement by gesturing between them.  “And well, you know what I like.” He grinned.

“Shit, Kay, I love you too, you know that.  And, yes, I know what you like.  Hell, a part of me has selfishly thought about this too, though in ah… more compromising positions than this.” Nyx smiled.

“Never change, Nyx,” Steven said, starting to lean against Kaidan.  

“Don’t plan on it.  I’m on my way.  Oh and feel free to, well, spend your time however you like until we get there.” He winked and shut off the call.

A message popped up a moment later, addressed to the both of them.

NS: C-Sec told me they’ll be there in fifteen.  That gives you at least ten ;)

Cheeky bastard.  

Steven let out a breathy laugh.  “Obviously, we need to talk about this far more than that, but… what do you think?”

Kaidna smiled, leaning in closer.  “I think it went well.  He gave us a ringing endorsement, so why not spend those–” he glanced down at his omnitool– “next few minutes getting to know each other a little bit more.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Steven made the first move, closing the distance between them, first with a soft, chaste kiss, testing the waters.  Kaidan chased after him when he broke away, deepening the kiss and climbing into his lap.  He made a surprised sound when Kaidan settled on top of him, pulling him in closer and tangling a hand into his hair.  Fuck, he was good at this, Kaidan biting back a moan as Steven started to explore his mouth.

“Don’t tell me you like to be quiet,” Steven said, breathing against his lips.  

Kaidan chuckled, moving to kiss down his neck, pushing away his turtleneck.  “Didn’t want you to think I was easy.  No, I like it loud…” he nipped a kiss just underneath where the collar of the turtleneck sat.  “I like it rough…” he licked a stripe up to his ear to purr into and nip at the lobe.  “I love it public, even.”

To his surprise, Steven only laughed, keeping a hand tangled in his hair.  “Good.  I think you and I will be just fine together.”

For a brief moment Kaidan wondered exactly how similar they were and if that factored into Nyx choosing him and staying with him.

“Yeah?  I look forward to finding out more,” Kaidan said, leaning in to kiss him once more, but the elevator shifted and the panel started to ring.  Right.

Kaidan lifted himself off of him and watched Hackett adjust his pants before he got up out of the corner of his eye.  He cleared his throat and accepted the call.  “Hello?”

“Hey Spectre.  It’s Bailey.  We’re getting you two out thanks to your fellow Spectre.  Mechanical failure and software failure, nasty business.  You’ll be moving again before you know it.”

“Thanks,” Kaidan replied.  “Let us know if you need us for anything.” He hoped he didn't sound out of breath. 

“We have it covered.  Just sit tight for a little longer.”

The call hung up and they both let out a sigh of relief. Kaidan leaned against the back wall of the elevator. “Almost got too carried away.”

“You clearly aren't sorry about that.”

“You're right. I'm not.”

The elevator’s lights flickered and suddenly it started to move. A few moments later, it stopped on its original destination, and on the other side, Nyx was waiting for them, along with some C-Sec personnel. 

“Good, you two didn't kill each other,” Nyx laughed, leaning in to kiss Kaidan's cheek as he walked out. “Are you still planning on going over to the ranges or…?” He looked expectant. 

“I think I just want to relax for a while. Let's go back to the apartment,” Kaidan said, taking his boyfriend's hand. “Might make some good food, if you want to join us, Admiral.”

“Lead the way,” he replied, and they headed over to the nearest transport hub.

– –

The moment they were inside their apartment, they all immediately headed over to the large couch Nyx insisted on buying for them.  Now, Kaidan was thankful to have it, all three of them able to sit comfortably after taking off their shoes.

Nyx sat in the middle, his hands in his lap.  “First, I have to ask: Were you two making out when they called y’all back?”

Kaidan sighed in exasperation as Steven snorted.  “What do you think is the answer to that, Nyx?” Steven asked, nudging him on the shoulder.

“A damn shame you two threw up that privacy field, is what I’m going to say to that.  I guess… you both found out you two are a helluva lot more similar than you both realized,” he admitted, not meeting either one of their eyes.

“Hey, look at me,” Kaidan said, gently turning Nyx’s face towards him.  “I’m not mad that you clearly have a type.  I mean, I do too.” He laughed, trying to break up the tension.  It seemed to work by the way Nyx’s shoulders relaxed.  “It just means that we may end up being more compatible than we realized.”

“Or maybe not,” Steven replied, though not out of any malice.  He kept his tone light as he continued, “but we won’t know unless we try.  And we can still both love you, Nyx, even if we don’t end up feeling that way for each other.”

Nyx closed his eyes, leaning back into the couch, letting out a deep breath.  “Yeah, you’re both right, as loathe am I to admit it.  I want both of you.  Ever since I met you, Kaidan, and you took care of me that night the way I needed, God… you became special to me in a way I haven’t felt in many years.” Kaidan squeezed his hand.  “And Steven, you were the one I let get away and I’m sorry.”

“Maybe you were,” Steven began, and Kaidan saw him reach out for Nyx’s other hand.  “But that distance may have been good for us.  Don’t apologize for something that ended up being good for us in the end.”

“Time will tell on that,” Nyx said, looking at both of them.  “I know Kaidan has had his own experiences with poly relationships, but have you…?”

Steven shook his head.  “You know I’ve never been one for dalliances the way you were.  No, this is new territory for me too.  Kaidan told me a bit about his time.”

“Oh, he did?” Nyx smiled, taking a second to pull his hair out of his long ponytail, letting the silvery strands fall down and lay on his shoulders.  “Sounds like you two got real acquainted.”

“We did,” Kaidan said with a purr.  “We need to go out sometime as the two of us, to get there even more.”

“Kaidan, if you keep up that voice, we’re going to go a lot farther on this damn couch than just a conversation,” Nyx warned, shaking his head.  Kaidan pecked his cheek, glancing at Steven who watched in interest. 

“We do need to go out as couples a few times.  I’ll be on the Citadel for a while longer, so I want to take you both out separately.  See where this goes… get to know the man that claimed your heart,” Steven said, his own voice falling into a husky purr.

Nyx held his head in his hands.  “Fucking hell there’s two of you now.”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Kaidan leaned in to whisper into his ear, watching him shudder.  “I want to hear all about those fantasies.  What positions we were in, what you were doing.”

“What we were doing,” Steven continued from the other side.

Nyx took another deep breath.  “Yeah.  One day.  I’ll do whatever you two want.  But now?  I’m hungry and that bar food wasn’t enough for me and my metabolism.”

“Lucky for you, you have a biotic boyfriend who understands.  I’ll make my Mom’s chicken noodle soup.  Good, hearty, and my way of sharing the love,” Kaidan said, getting up from the couch.  

“Nyx raves about your cooking, but I think he misses being behind a real grill,” Steven said, stretching himself out on the couch.  Nyx nodded at the mention, Kaidan familiar with how much his man loves to grill, even impressing his father when they were prepping for dinner.   “I’m a bit of a chef myself.”

“Oh, really?” Kaidan asked, making his way over to the small kitchen, starting by washing his hands.  “We’ll need to compare notes.  Most of my recipes are modified for our increased caloric intake, but I make Mom’s soup as authentic as I can.”

“I still keep my modified notes from when we found out about his exposure.  I’ll take you up on that offer,” he said.  Kaidan felt something in him soften at that.  

Kaidan started to gather the ingredients, laying them all out on the table before he started putting the basic stock together.  He grabbed his favorite stock pot and put it on heat, tossing a few tablespoons of butter in.  To his surprise, Steven got up to join him.  “Need some help dicing and slicing?”

“Could always use an extra hand,” Kaidan said with a nod.  “Dice those carrots, celery, and onions for me.”  He grabbed a few cloves of garlic and started to mince them, motioning over to a nearby cabinet that had a spare cutting board.

Steven nodded and got to work.  “Am I going to get the recipe after this?”

“You’ll have to meet my parents first,” Kaidan replied with a wink, smiling while Nyx laughed as he got up to join them, leaning against the edge of the island.  

“Already making plans to introduce him to the Alenkos…” Nyx said with a teasing lilt to his voice.  “How long did it take for you to take me over to them?”

“Remember, we were on the Normandy for how long?” Kaidan chuckled.  “And they ended up loving you, so you had nothing to worry about.”

Steven looked only a little hesitant, slowing down his dicing before recovering.  

“Don’t worry.  My parents… have a lot of love to give.  They’ll approve,” Kaidan said, but a part of him knew that his father was worried enough about the rank difference between him and Nyx.  Not that it really mattered with both of their Spectre statuses, but introducing Steven into the mix is going to make things… interesting.  

Better see how this goes before he mentions it to his parents.

“Sounds like Nyx’s family,” Steven said, scraping the vegetables into the pot at Kaidan’s nod.  “You’re Earthborn too, right?”

Kaidan nodded.  “Around Vancouver.  My family has a beautiful orchard we call home.”

He waited for him to elaborate on his own origins but he didn’t.  Nyx didn’t offer anything either, so Kaidan wasn’t going to pry just yet.  He started to stir the vegetables, adding the garlic after a couple of minutes passed.  “Chicken’s in the fridge, if one of you could grab that for me.  I’ll let it cook in the stock and with my Mom’s seasoning mix, and in less than an hour, we’ll have our soup.”

Nyx nodded and grabbed the requested ingredient.  Kaidan tossed in some of the seasoning mix, careful to not let Steven see too much of the process, just to be a little shit.  He eyeballed the amount of chicken stock he needed and grabbed the wrapped chicken thighs, placing them in the stock after bringing it to a boil.  He reduced the heat to a simmer and covered the stock and chicken and set a timer on omnitool to check it later to make sure everything had cooked through.  “Alright, out of my kitchen,” Kaidan said, washing his hands again.  “Won’t be done for a while, so let’s find something to watch while we wait, hmm?”

Nyx, of course, found a pre-eezo discovery sci-fi film to watch, enjoying his tradition of grading old-Earth sci-fi to see how accurate they were.  Kaidan found it endearing and adorable, the way he kept a meticulous spreadsheet of his personal ratings and opinions.  

Nyx grabbed the knit blanket they kept folded over the back of the couch and unfolded it over them.  

Kaidan settled against Steven, never quite resisting a good cuddle, and relaxed as the movie began.  He could get used to this so easily, he realized.  The intimacy of making food together, working in a kitchen and knowing where the other was at any time. 

Steven wrapped an arm around Kaidan and pulled him in closer as he leaned in to peck Nyx on the lips, soft and sweet, a contrast to what Kaidan and Steven got up to in the damn elevator.  Nyx let out a surprised sound and with a chuckle, he pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss. Kaidan watched them with a soft smile on his face, seeing how the former ex-lovers relaxed into each other, a familiarity and ease that quickly overcame any awkwardness they initially had. 

“I missed this,” Nyx admitted quietly, just loud enough for the both of them to hear, breaking apart from the kiss with a sigh.

“Me too,” Steven replied, vulnerable and open and soft.

Kaidan saw their years apart melt away.

“And now I want to see what I missed,” Nyx teased, motioning towards him and Steven.  “If you two want, of course.”

“I think we can manage,” Steven said, his piercing eyes landing on Kaidan.  First, Kaidan had to deal with Nyx’s gene modded purples, and now he’s dealing with Steven’s icy blue.  

Kaidan answered by leaning in for a kiss, pressing his lips softly against Steven’s, letting out a pleased sigh as he parted his lips, letting him take the lead.  He heard Nyx make a happy noise from beside them, clearly enjoying the show.  They kept it relatively chaste, merely enjoying making out like teenagers on the couch, but it was new territory for them.

They’ll have plenty of time to explore later.

When they broke apart, Steven asked, face a little flushed, “So, Kaidan, what do you like to go out and eat.”

And all Kaidan could do was laugh and give him a smile.  

This could work, according to the stirring in his heart and the pleasant heat throughout his body.  Someone who understands Nyx and his past and his secrets.  Someone who’s been through it all.

Someone who also knows Kaidan’s secrets.

He had to admit to himself that it was nice not having BAaT hanging over him, already knowing that Hackett knew part of the story because of his file.  One day, he’ll give him the full story, and maybe he’ll hear some more stories of their past.  Of the war they both fought in and survived. For now, though, Kaidan was content waiting for his meal to be done and relaxing with what could be the best opportunity he’s had since the Normandy posting.

#mass effect #kaidan alenko #mshenko #male shepard #steven hackett #nyx shepard #cleric's writing #now I need a ship name for this triad

[dianoetikon]

──  romantic gestures.      bold what applies to your muse , italicize if there's potential / it depends [+ dumb running commentary because this is ratio]

holding hands · buying flowers · cooking · cuddles · writing a poem / song [i'm afraid i'm not one for the arts] · holding door open · tying shoe laces [if you can't tie your own shoe laces you are under 5 either in age or iq!!!] · sharing a milkshake with two straws · offering their jacket when it's cold · kissing in the rain [why does it have to be in the rain? why are we outside when it's raining?] · publicly confessing love · long walks at the beach [i am not a fan of the beach, i prefer higher up on the coast on actual paths made of anything other than sand] · doing the titanic pose on a boat [the ship that is famous for sinking on its maiden voyage and being the last resting place of about 1500 people? i fail to see the romanticism] · taking cute pictures in a photo booth · sharing a taxi / uber [what is romantic about that?]· kissing the back of their hand [why not the palm? i find that to be a much more intimate gesture] · slow dancing · getting tickets of their favorite artist / sports team / other · introducing them to their parents · lighting candles · flower petals on bed · love letters [any letter sent to the one i love should be considered a love letter] · star gazing [perhaps you can learn a thing or two about constellations!] · brushing / doing their hair · picnics · teaching them to play an instrument / sport while gently guiding their hands · compliments [praise where it's due. sadly it is rarely due.]· late night drives · taking selfies together · drawing them · self-made gifts · massages · proposing with a family heirloom ring · lending them their favorite book to read · paying for dinner / coffee · mixtapes / playlists · surprise birthday parties · feeding them · handing them keys to their apartment · making space in drawer for their clothes when they stay over · sharing a blanket [wouldn't we share.. the whole bed?] · couple costumes [absolutely not, go make a fool of yourself in your own time.] · tucking a hair strand behind their ear · running after them at the airport / keeping them from leaving · moving cities to be together · blowing a kiss · breakfast in bed · defending them in a fight (verbally / physically) · joint bubble baths [how delightful!] · dropping the L-bomb ("i love you") · dedicating a song at the karaoke bar to them · wearing their clothes · yawning before putting an arm around them while watching a movie [...] · granting them the last bite (from meal) [thank you for the clarification, i had no intention of dating a species that shows an interest in eating me.]

tagged by : stole it! :) tagging : @amanturine @voyagaer (you choose!) @duelmarks @aventvrina @fortifice

#( tag game. ) #'this is all hypothetical anyway'

[emily-scstudyabroad]

Ireland & Sweden!

This past weekend was my last weekend trip of the semester! It is crazy that the semester is coming to an end. Monday, May 1st was Labor Day in Europe, so we had a four-day weekend. Emma and I went to Dublin, Ireland, and did a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher on Saturday. On Sunday, we flew to Stockholm, Sweden, and spent one day there. We got back to Florence on Monday evening. This post is long, but it is mostly photos!

This weekend was definitely a whirlwind of travel. On Thursday night, we took a train to Bergamo and then an Uber to the airport, where we slept until we could get our boarding passes from the Ryanair desk. Since we were leaving the EU, we couldn't get mobile boarding passes and therefore couldn't go past security until 4:30 am. Our flight left at 6:30 am, and we arrived in Dublin at 8:30 am.

We planned out an itinerary for the day since we had pre-booked tickets. We started with a quick donut breakfast!

Strawberry cheesecake, cookies and cream, and red velvet from The Rolling Donut!

Next, we dropped our backpacks off at a convenience store that had luggage storage.

Our first stop was Dublin Castle.

The drawing room!

We walked through the small garden and stumbled upon a museum of glass that was free admission!

Lifelike sculpture!

After the museum, we walked to Trinity College Library to see the Book of Kells. he book depicts the four gospels and illustrations with beautiful details that are visible even after so many centuries. No photography is allowed of the Book of Kells.

This is called the Long Room! It reminds me of Hogwarts.

For lunch, Emma and I went to Nando's.

Chicken sandwich with chips, as they say in the UK.

Our next destination was Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

It is the largest cathedral in Ireland.

The church had beautiful stained glass, and I learned a lot about the history of Ireland.

After visiting the cathedral, we walked to the Guinness Storefront.

The storefront is massive, with multiple floors, and each level explains a different stage of Guinness beer production.

We got to do a tasting of the beer, which was my first time trying it!

A free drink was included in the tour, so Emma and I got ciders!

It was around 3 pm when we finished at the storefront, and I started to feel exhaustion kick in. But we powered through and walked to Kilmainham Gaol for the last tour of the day.

The jail opened in 1796 and closed in 1924.

This was probably my favorite tour of the day, and we learned a lot about Irish history because the jail was home to many Irish revolutionaries.

For dinner, we went to Celtic Nights. It was a dinner and show restaurant where we heard Irish folk music and saw Irish dance! It was so lively, and I was very entertained!

I had a traditional meal of braised Irish beef and potato soup.

To end the evening, Emma and I got pints of cider in the Temple Bar area. There were so many pubs and people everywhere, a very lively area.

This is the most famous pub in Dublin!

We went to the Airbnb for an early night because we had another early morning the next day.

On Saturday, we had a tour of the Cliffs of Moher and Galway with the company Wild Rover.

The Cliffs of Moher!

In Galway, we got lunch and ice cream first.

Grilled cheese with cheese, goat cheese, shredded chicken, and red pepper relish! With a side of pesto mayo, so delicious!

We also went to O'Connell's bar, where Ed Sheeran filmed the music video for his song Galway Girl and had a pint.

The main street in Galway!

Moving on to our day in Stockholm, Sweden on Sunday. We got there in the morning and went to get breakfast!

Walnut pastry from Fabrique Stenugnsbageri! So yummy!!

Then we went to the Vasa Museum to see a viking ship!

It was so cool to see! Unfortunately, the ship sank after 20 minutes of its maiden voyage.

We also visited the Abba Museum!

We saw the clothes they performed in and learned about how the band got together and became so successful!

Towards the end of the day we went to old town and got dinner there.

Stockholm is so pretty in the spring!

The long weekend was very fun and packed with lots of activities. We really ended the semester with a bang! I have to say that I am glad I don't have to get on a train, bus, or plane next weekend. Instead I will be soaking up the last of Florence and studying for my final exams.

#study abroad #ireland #sweden #travel

[adolescentlifestyle]

A Beginner's Guide to Sailing

Have you ever wanted to learn how to sail? Have you dreamed of taking a journey along the open ocean, with nothing but the stars as your guide? If so, sailing may be the perfect hobby for you! This beginner's guide will teach you the basics of sailing, from understanding the different types of boats and sails to choosing the right gear. Before you know it, you'll be ready to take off on your first adventure.

Choosing Your Boat The world of boating can seem overwhelming at first, but with a little research and patience, soon enough you'll find the perfect boat for your needs. The two main types of boats are sailboats and motorboats. Sailboats are powered by wind alone and require a bit more skill than motorboats. They come in a variety sizes and styles, from small dinghies to large catamarans. Consider what type of water you plan on sailing in when choosing your boat—bigger boats handle rougher water better than smaller ones.

Understanding Different Types Of Sails Once you have chosen your boat, it’s time to select a sail. There are three main types: triangular mainsails, gaff-rigged sails, and jibs. Mainsails are the largest sails on a boat and provide power for heavy winds; gaff-rigged sails are usually used for smaller boats; and jibs help stabilize larger vessels in light winds or change direction quickly. It is important to understand which type of sail is best suited for your vessel before making any purchases.

Gathering The Right Gear Before setting sail on your maiden voyage, make sure that you have all the necessary equipment on board. Most importantly, make sure that everyone onboard has life vests that fit properly—safety should always come first! Other items that should be included in every sailor's kit include ropes and lines, charts or navigation equipment (such as GPS), anchor or anchor line, tools such as pliers or wrenches (for repairs while out at sea), flares or emergency lights (in case help is needed), sunscreen (to protect against sunburn), water (to stay hydrated), hat/sunglasses/sun-protective clothing (for sun protection). Additionally consider adding safety items like fire extinguishers and a First Aid Kit if desired.

Sailing can be an incredibly rewarding experience once all the pieces fall into place—from picking out your dream boat to gathering all the necessary gear before setting sail into new adventures! With some knowledge about different types of boats and sails as well as an understanding of what equipment is needed aboard each vessel before heading out into open waters—sailing can become an amazing part of life! So if this beginner’s guide has inspired you to give sailing a try don’t hesitate any longer—the open seas await! Happy Sailing!

#sailing #boatlife #beachlife #beachday

[kimoana]

Travel advice for First-Time Travelers

The world beckons with vibrant cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and unforgettable experiences. But for the first-time traveler, venturing into the unknown can feel daunting. Fear not, intrepid explorer! Here are ten essential tips to navigate your maiden voyage with confidence and create lasting memories

Plan, but embrace flexibility Research your destination – visa requirements, cultural norms, weather patterns – but leave room for spontaneity. Unexpected encounters often become the trip’s highlights.

Pack light, be versatile Opt for versatile clothing that can be layered and mixed, maximizing outfits with minimal luggage. Remember, you can always buy essentials on the go.

Be a document detective Double-check your passport validity, visa requirements, and travel insurance. Make digital copies of crucial documents and store them securely.

Embrace the local currency Research currency exchange rates and consider carrying a small amount of local cash for initial expenses. Notify your bank of your travel plans to avoid card blockages.

Befriend the local Strike up conversations with shopkeepers, restaurant staff, or fellow travelers. Not only will you gain valuable insights, but you’ll also experience the warmth of human connection.

Embrace “lost in translation” Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Embrace the humor of language barriers and remember, basic gestures and a smile go a long way.

Prioritize your health and safety Pack a basic first-aid kit, stay hydrated, and be mindful of food and water hygiene. Familiarize yourself with emergency numbers and local health advice.

Embrace the power of “no” Don’t hesitate to decline unwanted assistance or haggling that makes you uncomfortable. Be assertive but polite, and your confidence will shine through.

Disconnect to reconnect While staying connected can be reassuring, consider taking breaks from technology. Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and sensations of your surroundings.

Collect memories, not things While souvenirs can be tempting, prioritize experiences over trinkets. Capture moments through photos, journaling, or simply etching them in your memory.

Remember, your first trip is a chance to write an unforgettable story. With these tips as your guide, embark on your adventure and embrace the magic of travel!

Travel blog title: travel advice for first time traveler

Article type: travel advice

Target audience: first time traveler

Topic: top 10 travel advice for first time traveler

#travelwriting&photography

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Trailblazing Triumph: 10 Game-Changing Hiking Tips for Beginners.

Embarking on your first hiking adventure? Brace yourself for a journey that transcends the ordinary and opens doors to the extraordinary. To ensure your maiden voyage into the great outdoors is a roaring success, we've compiled 10 essential hiking tips that will not only keep you safe but elevate your hiking game to new heights. Lace up those boots, and let's dive into the world of trail magic!

Choose the Right Trail: For hiking novices, start with beginner-friendly trails. Gradually increase the difficulty as you gain experience. It's like leveling up in a video game, but with breathtaking views as your reward!

Gear Up Like a Pro: Invest in quality hiking gear—it's your ticket to a comfortable and safe journey. Our premium, sustainable outdoor apparel ensures you not only look the part but feel it too. Soft, durable, and designed for adventurers like you—because the right gear makes all the difference.

Pack Smart, Pack Light: Leave behind the unnecessary baggage—both figuratively and literally. Pack the essentials, including water, snacks, a map, and a first aid kit. The lighter your load, the more you'll enjoy the trail without feeling like you're lugging a ball and chain.

Mind Your Footwear: Your feet are your trusty steeds on the trail, so treat them well. Invest in comfortable, well-fitted hiking boots. Blisters and sore feet are the last things you need on your journey to conquer the peaks.

Hydrate or Hike-fate: Staying hydrated is non-negotiable. Carry more water than you think you'll need, and sip regularly. Our pro tip: invest in a sleek, eco-friendly water bottle to stay refreshed and reduce your environmental footprint.

Follow Leave No Trace Principles: Mother Nature is your host, so be a gracious guest. Follow the Leave No Trace principles—pack out what you pack in, stay on the trail, and respect wildlife. It's like practicing good manners, but in the great outdoors.

Master the Art of Navigation: A map and compass may seem old school, but they're your fail-safe allies. Familiarize yourself with the trail map before hitting the trail. GPS devices are handy, but a good old map never runs out of battery.

Weather Wisdom: Nature is unpredictable, so be prepared for anything. Check the weather forecast before you embark, dress in layers, and pack a waterproof jacket. Our premium outdoor clothing is not only fashionable but also functional, providing the perfect shield against the elements.

Listen to Your Body: Your body is your best guide. Take breaks when needed, listen to your muscles, and don't push yourself too hard. Hiking is about the journey, not the race to the finish line.

Share the Trail Love: Hiking is a shared experience, so be courteous to fellow hikers. Yield to uphill travelers, greet passersby with a friendly nod, and revel in the camaraderie of the trail community. It's like being part of an exclusive club where nature is the VIP.

Armed with these 10 hiking commandments, you're ready to blaze your trail with confidence and style. Elevate your hiking experience with our premium, sustainable outdoor apparel—because every adventurer deserves gear as exceptional as their journey. Gear up, hit the trail, and let the outdoor magic unfold! 🏞️✨

Click here to elevate your hiking experience

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