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Historic Latinx Turnout
Midterm Elections
Join a Local Voto Latino Familia
Our Panel
Dream Out Loud! Concert
VL Power Summit Pop-Up: Virginia
Voto Latino’s Impact
See the Pop Up in Action
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María Teresa Kumar
President & CEO, Voto Latino
María Teresa Kumar is the founding President and CEO of Voto Latino and an Emmynominated contributor with MSNBC. Under her leadership, Voto Latino has become a key factor in national elections by registering over a quarter million voters and garnered several prestigious awards including several Promax Gold and Webby Honorees. Fast Company named her among the most 100 Creative Minds in business. In 2013, Elle Magazine named her one of the 10 most influential women in Washington, DC. Hispanic Business named her among the 100 most influential Latinos in America and Hispanic Executive named her among the top 10 most influential Latinos in the country. HBO’s Celebrity Habla and PBS’s Undergraduates have profiled her work. Maria Teresa co-Chaired the Aspen Task Force on Connected Learning. The Imagen Foundation, HOPE, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and DEMOS are among the organizations that have recognized her leadership.
She is a frequent guest analyst on NPR and PBS, a panelist on Bill Maher’s HBO show, an opinion writer for national publications, and a sought after speaker at major conferences including GE, Prudential, Intel, SXSW, NetRoots Nation, Personal Democracy Forum, and TEDx.
María Teresa serves on the national boards of EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood Federation and the Latino Leaders Network. She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a Hunt Alternative Fund Prime Mover, an Aspen Institute Scholar and a Council on Foreign Relations Lifetime Member.
She started her career as a legislative aide for then-Democratic Caucus Chair Vic Fazio, and graduated from Harvard’s Kennedy School and the University of California at Davis. When not in DC, Maria Teresa travels with her husband Raj Kumar and their two babes Lucia Mercedes and Eduardo.
VL In The News
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contact@votolatino.org
Voto Latino is a 501(c) (4) nonprofit corporation. © Copyright 2017, Voto Latino. Privacy Policy.
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Elisa Vecchi
changes.mady.by.user Elisa Vecchi
Name: Elisa Vecchi
PhD: Archaeology
Thesis Title:
In the borderlands:
Archaeological evidence for relations between Etruscans and Ligurians in the 6th-5th cents BC.
Thesis Description:
This project will use the archaeological evidence to define the nature of the relations between the Etruscans and the Ligurians and their impact on the economy, culture and structure of both societies, 6th-5th cents BC. In addition, I will identify the routes via which these contacts took place.
The Etruscans occupied west-central Italy and the central Po plain, whilst the inhabitants of north-west Italy are described as Ligurians, as in the ancient sources. We know that relations between the two changed through time, e.g. increasing with the geopolitical changes following the Battle of Alalia (around 540 BC) and the subsequent founding of an Etruscan settlement at Genoa. I will focus on the west sector of the Apennines and Po valley, examining all classes of pottery, the metal objects, the inscriptions and any other evidence that shows relationships between the two cultures.
Recent work has concentrated on defining the Ligurian culture, equated to the ethnic group known in the written sources (e.g. the 2004 I Liguri exhibition catalogue), or on the extent and chronology of Etruscan colonisation of the Po plain (e.g. the 2007 conference La colonizzazione etrusca in Italia). Emphasis has been on ‘exotic’ goods at Ligurian sites, with two sources proposed, Etruscans in the central Po plain (e.g. Gambari & Venturino Gambari) or Etruscan Genoa and the Tyrhennian seaboard (e.g. Pearce). I shall transcend these approaches by examining the contexts of imports, and take a diachronic approach to transformations within Ligurian society (ceramic technology, settlement hierarchy, status in tomb groups), focusing on issues of identity and agency. Going beyond the emphasis on typology and chronology, I shall achieve a step-change in research on Etruscan-Ligurian relations, using the artefacts to elucidate its social and ideological context.
Mark Pearce (
UoN)
Colin Haselgrove (UoL
University of Nottingham)
Colin Haselgrove (University of Leicester)
CDF Events:
Lead applicant in the organisation of the 2017 CDF training event 'Put Your Maps to Work': Introduction to ArcGIS (10.3)
In progress: co-applicant in the organisation of DAHSS Digital Arts & Humanities Summer School
Image supplied courtesy of The University of Nottingham ©
Scholarly / Public Engagement Activities:
Public talk at Musei Civici of Reggio Emilia as part of the event Il tè delle Muse: "Da Campegine ad Oxford: attraverso l'Europa sulle tracce di un lingotto dell'età del Ferro."
Paper at the Central Mediterranean Prehistory Workshop “Bucchero pottery in Inner Liguria: Cultural contacts and technological transmission in Iron Age northwestern Italy” (University of Durham,
4th May 2017).
Paper at the Archaeology Postgraduate Conference (University of Nottingham, 16th May 2017): "Bucchero Pottery in Inner Liguria: Contacts, Transmission and Innovation in Iron Age Italy".
Co-organisation of the conference "Building Cohesion and Unity: combining approaches to the study of the past" (University of Nottingham, 2nd December 2017)
Joint paper with Chiara Ravera "Genoese is as Genoese does. Ligurian identity through the centuries"
Co-organisation of the workshop "Who do you think you are? Ethnicity in the Iron Age Central Mediterranean" (March, 24th 2018, UCL Institute of Archaeology, London). The programme of the event is available here.
Paper at the conference "I lingotti con il ramo secco (aes signatum)" (Castelfranco Emilia, 21st April 2018): "Found at Campaggine, near Reggio. Prof. Chierici, 1879".
Co-organisation of the session #696 at EAA 2018 (Barcelona, 6th-8th September 2018) "Re-thinking "interaction" in Iron Age Europe: comparing research traditions to explore alternative ways to interpret archaeological data"
Paper "From the Baltic to the Mediterranean: Ancient Liguria and the amber exchange network"
Poster presentation at the 53rd Scientific Meeting of the Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria, Genoa 16th-18th October 2018
Co-organisation of the annual Central Mediterranean Prehistory Workshop, University of Nottingham 29th May 2019
Forthcoming paper at the international conference "Don Gaetano Chierici a 200 anni dalla nascita", Reggio Emilia 19th-21st September 2019
Placements:
February-March 2019: Research placement at the Institut für Vor- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Provinzialrömisch Archäologie (LMU University of Munich), under the supervision of Prof Carola Metzner-Nebelsick
Teaching Activities:
2017-2018 & 2018-2019:
"Mysterious, superstitious pirates: the Etruscans beyond the stereotype". Lectures for the module "The Living and the Dead"
Lecture on "Post-excavation and Publication" . Lecture and practical sessions for the module "Understanding the Past:Introduction to Archaeology"
"Working with monographs". Workshops for the module "Understanding the Past:Introduction to Archaeology"
Other Research Interests:
Field Archaeology
Mediterranean Archaeology
Material Studies
History of Archaeology
Women in archeology
Practical sessions for the module "Understanding the Past:Introduction to Archaeology"
Past projects:
2014 The Northern Dongola Reach Survey (Sudan)
The British Museum (Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan) and Sudan Archaeological Research Society (Director: D. Welsby)
The project consisted in conducting a detailed contour survey of the ancient town of Kawa, one of the best preserved archaeological sites in Sudan, which was occupied for nearly two millennia from the fourteenth century BC. Activities included excavating and planning buildings, and investigating the adjacent cemetery.
2009 - 2010 Bliesbruck-Reinheim Project (France)
University of Parma and Department of Moselle (Directors: Prof. S. Santoro, J.P. Petit)
Archaeological excavation in the public area of the small settlement of Bliesbruck (Moselle). Following the result of geophysics survey, the investigation was run with the aim to explore a building with the shape of a horseshoe open towards east. The architectural features of the building, as well as its position in the centre of the forum in front of the public baths, suggested a function as a monumental fountain or as a nymphaeum, built at the end of the III century AD.
2006-2008 Italian Archaeological Mission in Durres (Albania)
University of Parma and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Albania with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the program PASARP UNOPS United Nations for the development of human resources in Albania. (Directors: Prof. S. Santoro, A. Hoti)
Technical and scientific cooperation project between Italy and Albania with the aim of preserving the archaeological heritage of the city. In particular the project involved the research and restoration of the Roman amphitheater of the city of Durres. During 2005, 2006 and 2008 surveys were carried out and archaeological excavations targeted ascertain the geometry of the building and to the knowledge of the phases of abandonment and destruction.
University email address: Elisa.Vecchi@nottingham.ac.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-vecchi-91258841?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
https://twitter.com/zeuxo85
Other Social Media:
https://nottingham.academia.edu/ElisaVecchi
I'm an archaeologist with experience of fieldwork within both the commercial and research environments. I have worked in various countries with international teams on sites ranging from prehistory to post-medieval.
I have a solid background in Mediterranean Archaeology and my area of expertise are the pre-Roman Cultures of the Italian peninsula and Etruscan Archaeology. My current research focuses on the definition of ethnicity in the late prehistory with the use of the Ligurians as a case study.
I have worked with different museums (Musei Civici di Reggio Emilia, Museo Archeologico di Torino, British Museum) taking part in cataloging, research and outreach activities.
My interests range from fieldwork to theoretical research, with particular attention to sharing information with the non professional audience.
Field Archaeology and Excavation Techniques
Women in Archaeology
Archaeology and Politics
EAA (European Association of Archaeologists)
Co-applicant in the organisation of DAHSS Digital Arts & Humanities Summer School
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Contact Sophie
Stock Listings
Military or Naval
Music/Dance
Naval or Military
Sophie Dupré - Music/Dance
17 Items ALL A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T V W Z
NASH (Heddle, 1896-1961, Tenor)
Fine postcard Photo signed and inscribed "Every good wish, yours sincerely", showing him head and shoulders, smiling slightly, 5½" x 3½", no place, no date, circa
Item Date: 1935
Stock No: 40241 £75
Order/Enquire Full Details
NEUMANN (Hans, Violinist and Composer)
Fine signed portrait photograph, by Histed of Baker Street, London, showing him three quarter length in profile to the right, his violin to his chin, inscribed on the mount in English "To my dear friends Mr and Mrs Morley with heartiest wishes", 11" x 8½" in frame 22½" x 18½", no place, Christmas a few small white flecks in dark part of background
Stock No: 53843 £175
NICHOLLS (Heller)
AQMS, four bars of 'Slovak Legend' on three staves for violin and piano, 3½" x 4½", no place, 12th June
NILSSON (Christine, 1843-1921, Swedish Singer)
Autograph Letter Signed on card, in French with translation, signed 'Christine', to Charlotte, Lady MacGregor, saying "all three of us accept with pleasure" and sending "if it would amuse you this evening ... two tickets for the performance at the Casino. The Comédie Française are playing 'The Tour de Nesle' ", she has brought this note round herself in the hope that they can meet, Casa Miranda coat of arms in gold (5 maidens arranged 2-1-2), 2 sides oblong 8vo., no place. (Menton), 'Sunday' 10th January
Postcard in colour of the Casino and gardens at Menton, with on the verso in English "Merry Xmas and a happy New Year dearest Charlotte", (Lady MacGregor), and signed 'Christine', forwarded from Hampton Court Palace to Cabbé-Roquebrune (above Monte Carlo), 2 sides oblong 8vo., Menton, postmarked 18th December
ABOUT SOPHIE | CONTACT SOPHIE | TERMS & CONDITIONS
© Sophie Dupré 2020 - Website Design: poddesigns.co.uk - Website Technology: AtlanticWeb.co.uk
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Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors
Ajay Bakhshi, Jun Minowada, Andrew Arnold, Jeffrey Cossman, Jane P. Jensen, Jacqueline Whang-Peng, Thomas A. Waldmann, Stanley J. Korsmeyer
The origin and stage of differentiation of the blast-crisis cells in chronic myelogenous leukemia have remained uncertain. Because immunoglobulin heavy-chain and light-chain genes must undergo a DNA rearrangement during B-cell development but rarely do so in human non-B-cell lineages, we examined these genes in 18 episodes of chronic myelogenous leukemia. In eight of nine episodes of lymphoid blast crisis, heavy-chain genes were rearranged, and in three, rearrangements in light-chain genes were also present. In contrast, cells from chronic myeloid, myeloid blast, and erythroid-like phases retained germ-like immunoglobulin genes. The observed phenotypic markers and gene configurations revealed that most lymphoid blast crises represent stages of development of B-cell precursors. In two separate episodes of lymphoid crisis, cells from a single patient possessed identical heavy-chain but different light-chain-gene configurations. Thus, the precursor cells that monoclonally expand to produce a lymphoid crisis are capable of immunoglobulin-gene rearrangements and represent discrete steps in early B-cell maturation. (N Engl J Med 1983; 309:826–31.) CYTOGENETIC and isoenzyme studies have established that chronic myelogenous leukemia is a clonal proliferative disorder arising from a progenitor cell with a rather pluripotential capacity.1 2 3 4 5 6 Studies of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in female heterozygotes with chronic myelogenous leukemia have revealed that involved granulocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, monocytes, and some lymphocytes displayed only a single glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase allele.3 4 5 6 This finding indicated that in this disease, cells in multiple hematopoietic lineages could be of clonal origin. Because of this multipotential capacity of the clonally derived cell in chronic myelogenous leukemia, the exact cellular origin and indeed the state of differentiation of the cells comprising.
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
已發佈 - 十月 6 1983
Blast Crisis
B-Lymphoid Precursor Cells
Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive
Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase
Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
Heterozygote
Granulocytes
Blood Platelets
Bakhshi, A., Minowada, J., Arnold, A., Cossman, J., Jensen, J. P., Whang-Peng, J., ... Korsmeyer, S. J. (1983). Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors. New England Journal of Medicine, 309(14), 826-831. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors. / Bakhshi, Ajay; Minowada, Jun; Arnold, Andrew; Cossman, Jeffrey; Jensen, Jane P.; Whang-Peng, Jacqueline; Waldmann, Thomas A.; Korsmeyer, Stanley J.
於: New England Journal of Medicine, 卷 309, 編號 14, 06.10.1983, p. 826-831.
Bakhshi, A, Minowada, J, Arnold, A, Cossman, J, Jensen, JP, Whang-Peng, J, Waldmann, TA & Korsmeyer, SJ 1983, 'Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors', New England Journal of Medicine, 卷 309, 編號 14, 頁 826-831. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
Bakhshi A, Minowada J, Arnold A, Cossman J, Jensen JP, Whang-Peng J 等. Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors. New England Journal of Medicine. 1983 10月 6;309(14):826-831. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
Bakhshi, Ajay ; Minowada, Jun ; Arnold, Andrew ; Cossman, Jeffrey ; Jensen, Jane P. ; Whang-Peng, Jacqueline ; Waldmann, Thomas A. ; Korsmeyer, Stanley J. / Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors. 於: New England Journal of Medicine. 1983 ; 卷 309, 編號 14. 頁 826-831.
@article{3735bdae52044ecb8e45f3f020f4bb30,
title = "Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors",
abstract = "The origin and stage of differentiation of the blast-crisis cells in chronic myelogenous leukemia have remained uncertain. Because immunoglobulin heavy-chain and light-chain genes must undergo a DNA rearrangement during B-cell development but rarely do so in human non-B-cell lineages, we examined these genes in 18 episodes of chronic myelogenous leukemia. In eight of nine episodes of lymphoid blast crisis, heavy-chain genes were rearranged, and in three, rearrangements in light-chain genes were also present. In contrast, cells from chronic myeloid, myeloid blast, and erythroid-like phases retained germ-like immunoglobulin genes. The observed phenotypic markers and gene configurations revealed that most lymphoid blast crises represent stages of development of B-cell precursors. In two separate episodes of lymphoid crisis, cells from a single patient possessed identical heavy-chain but different light-chain-gene configurations. Thus, the precursor cells that monoclonally expand to produce a lymphoid crisis are capable of immunoglobulin-gene rearrangements and represent discrete steps in early B-cell maturation. (N Engl J Med 1983; 309:826–31.) CYTOGENETIC and isoenzyme studies have established that chronic myelogenous leukemia is a clonal proliferative disorder arising from a progenitor cell with a rather pluripotential capacity.1 2 3 4 5 6 Studies of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in female heterozygotes with chronic myelogenous leukemia have revealed that involved granulocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, monocytes, and some lymphocytes displayed only a single glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase allele.3 4 5 6 This finding indicated that in this disease, cells in multiple hematopoietic lineages could be of clonal origin. Because of this multipotential capacity of the clonally derived cell in chronic myelogenous leukemia, the exact cellular origin and indeed the state of differentiation of the cells comprising.",
author = "Ajay Bakhshi and Jun Minowada and Andrew Arnold and Jeffrey Cossman and Jensen, {Jane P.} and Jacqueline Whang-Peng and Waldmann, {Thomas A.} and Korsmeyer, {Stanley J.}",
doi = "10.1056/NEJM198310063091404",
journal = "New England Journal of Medicine",
publisher = "Massachussetts Medical Society",
T1 - Lymphoid Blast Crises of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Represent Stages in the Development of B-Cell Precursors
AU - Bakhshi, Ajay
AU - Minowada, Jun
AU - Arnold, Andrew
AU - Cossman, Jeffrey
AU - Jensen, Jane P.
AU - Whang-Peng, Jacqueline
AU - Waldmann, Thomas A.
AU - Korsmeyer, Stanley J.
N2 - The origin and stage of differentiation of the blast-crisis cells in chronic myelogenous leukemia have remained uncertain. Because immunoglobulin heavy-chain and light-chain genes must undergo a DNA rearrangement during B-cell development but rarely do so in human non-B-cell lineages, we examined these genes in 18 episodes of chronic myelogenous leukemia. In eight of nine episodes of lymphoid blast crisis, heavy-chain genes were rearranged, and in three, rearrangements in light-chain genes were also present. In contrast, cells from chronic myeloid, myeloid blast, and erythroid-like phases retained germ-like immunoglobulin genes. The observed phenotypic markers and gene configurations revealed that most lymphoid blast crises represent stages of development of B-cell precursors. In two separate episodes of lymphoid crisis, cells from a single patient possessed identical heavy-chain but different light-chain-gene configurations. Thus, the precursor cells that monoclonally expand to produce a lymphoid crisis are capable of immunoglobulin-gene rearrangements and represent discrete steps in early B-cell maturation. (N Engl J Med 1983; 309:826–31.) CYTOGENETIC and isoenzyme studies have established that chronic myelogenous leukemia is a clonal proliferative disorder arising from a progenitor cell with a rather pluripotential capacity.1 2 3 4 5 6 Studies of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in female heterozygotes with chronic myelogenous leukemia have revealed that involved granulocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, monocytes, and some lymphocytes displayed only a single glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase allele.3 4 5 6 This finding indicated that in this disease, cells in multiple hematopoietic lineages could be of clonal origin. Because of this multipotential capacity of the clonally derived cell in chronic myelogenous leukemia, the exact cellular origin and indeed the state of differentiation of the cells comprising.
AB - The origin and stage of differentiation of the blast-crisis cells in chronic myelogenous leukemia have remained uncertain. Because immunoglobulin heavy-chain and light-chain genes must undergo a DNA rearrangement during B-cell development but rarely do so in human non-B-cell lineages, we examined these genes in 18 episodes of chronic myelogenous leukemia. In eight of nine episodes of lymphoid blast crisis, heavy-chain genes were rearranged, and in three, rearrangements in light-chain genes were also present. In contrast, cells from chronic myeloid, myeloid blast, and erythroid-like phases retained germ-like immunoglobulin genes. The observed phenotypic markers and gene configurations revealed that most lymphoid blast crises represent stages of development of B-cell precursors. In two separate episodes of lymphoid crisis, cells from a single patient possessed identical heavy-chain but different light-chain-gene configurations. Thus, the precursor cells that monoclonally expand to produce a lymphoid crisis are capable of immunoglobulin-gene rearrangements and represent discrete steps in early B-cell maturation. (N Engl J Med 1983; 309:826–31.) CYTOGENETIC and isoenzyme studies have established that chronic myelogenous leukemia is a clonal proliferative disorder arising from a progenitor cell with a rather pluripotential capacity.1 2 3 4 5 6 Studies of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in female heterozygotes with chronic myelogenous leukemia have revealed that involved granulocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, monocytes, and some lymphocytes displayed only a single glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase allele.3 4 5 6 This finding indicated that in this disease, cells in multiple hematopoietic lineages could be of clonal origin. Because of this multipotential capacity of the clonally derived cell in chronic myelogenous leukemia, the exact cellular origin and indeed the state of differentiation of the cells comprising.
U2 - 10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
DO - 10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
JO - New England Journal of Medicine
JF - New England Journal of Medicine
10.1056/NEJM198310063091404
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IOC Executive Board announce new schemes to improve good governance
By James Diamond at the Palace Hotel in Lausanne
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board members will now conduct self-assessments and take part in regular training, as part of an ongoing scheme to improve good governance within the organisation, it was announced here today.
It follows a report put together last year by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), which explored how good governance at the IOC could be developed.
The IOC claim the assessments and training their Executive Board members will now have to undergo, will "optimise their skills and expertise to effectively face current and future societal, political and technological governance challenges".
Also during their meetings this morning, the Executive Board was given a progress report on various "key achievements" already made across the IOC in their bid to improve governance.
They include "awareness training" on ethical matters for all IOC members, training for all IOC Commissions on ethical issues such as conflicts of interest, the appointment of a formal IOC Executive Board secretary and 25 recommendations for improving gender equality.
IOC Executive Board reviews progress of governance reforms, decides on further action #IOCEB #Lausanne https://t.co/efY6JMkR3e
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 18, 2018
"One year after publication of the IMD review, the IOC has implemented the majority of the recommendations, and other important actions are work in progress," Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant, chair of the IOC's Audit Committee, said.
"Olympic Agenda 2020 and support from the IOC's Ethics Commission have been a catalyst for several reforms.
"As governance remains an evolving process, the IOC Executive Board today decided on more measures to further strengthen its own effectiveness."
Ongoing measures include a review by the IOC Ethics Commission of the rules on conflict of interest in the Olympic Movement, the implementation of the People Management 2020 programme aiming to improve gender equity and succession planning and the new digital strategy to further improve transparency of the IOC towards its external stakeholders.
A further follow-up report on the IMD recommendations by the IOC is due to be presented to the Executive Board during its meeting here in December.
November 2017: Ban Ki-moon defends IOC Ethics Commission after chairing first meeting
October 2017: Exclusive: IOC introduce compulsory new ethical principles document for all members to sign
October 2017: IOC set no deadline for implementing good governance reforms
October 2017: Nick Butler: IOC must make swift and genuine changes to ethics system to deal with corruption allegations
July 2017: Review calls for strengthened IOC Ethics Commission
James Diamond
Follow @@JamesDiamond0
Prior to joining insidethegames.biz in June 2018, James worked as a broadcast journalist at Celador Radio in Bristol, where he read the drivetime news across seven stations in the South West of England. He graduated from the University of Exeter in 2016 with a 2:1 in History, before completing a Masters in Broadcast Journalism at Salford University. James’ passion lies in sport. He has a golf handicap of nine, is a qualified windsurfing instructor, regularly plays hockey and tennis and has previously competed in the long jump at a national level. His first trip with insidethegames.biz was to cover IOC Executive Board meetings in Lausanne, while he has since covered the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
Contact James
Read more of James' articles
Follow @@JamesDiamond0 on Twitter
Hanson launches campaign against Queensland 2032 Olympic bid
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« Jan. 20 airpower summary | Main | War In Afghanistan Daily Combat News - January 24, 2009 »
'Helping a Hero' Donates Homes to Wounded Soldiers
By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON - Army Spc. Sergio Trejo always dreamed of owning his own home.
But after he was injured by a homemade bomb during his second tour of duty in Iraq, he said he felt his dream was out of reach. The explosion left him with a broken back, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"My [Veterans Affairs] counselor was helping me look for a home," Trejo said. "It was, at times, overwhelming. She told me to look into the 'Helping A Hero' program and fill out the application. After several weeks I finally did, and today, my family and I are enjoying our new home."
Helping A Hero is a troop-support group dedicated to providing an array of support, including financial and emotional, to severely injured military personnel and their families, according to the group's Web site. Its 'Wounded Hero Home' program provides specially adapted homes to wounded warriors, with 11 homes donated to wounded service members and veterans last year, officials said.
Trejo, his wife, Jessica, and children, Trinity and David, received the keys to their new home last month in the Delany Cove community of Houston.
Working in partnership with Helping a Hero, Friendswood Development Company donated the home site.
"We were honored to present the keys to this new home to a deserving American hero and say thank you in a tangible way for his valiant service to our great nation," Meredith Iler, national chairman of the Helping a Hero home program, said. "This beautiful new home will enable this wounded hero to build a new life."
The new home offered Trejo a fresh start since the long-term effects of TBI and PTSD, accompanied by his short-term memory problems, left Trejo unable to work.
"If it wasn't for Helping Hero, we would probably still be in an apartment," Trejo said. "This has allowed me to focus more on getting better."
By providing specially adapted homes to qualifying wounded military members and veterans, Helping Hero leaders hope to equip them with the foundation they need to transition successfully into their local communities.
"I am so proud of Sergio Trejo for his bravery in combat and his courage in the rehabilitation process," Iler said. "He is a leader and an encourager to other wounded heroes who have just begun their journey of recovery."
The average value of each home donated by Helping a Hero is about $250,000. Iler said the current housing crisis has not affected the groups' ability to secure donations and volunteers.
"We have been blessed to bring together patriotic Americans who are builders, developers, individual and foundation donors who are committed to saying 'thank you' to our wounded heroes in a tangible way," Iler said.
Trejo said he is thankful for the program.
"I feel extremely blessed," Trejo said. "Just the other night, my wife and I were sitting, looking around the house, still not believing it is ours. We could have never purchased a house like this on our own. It's just a dream come true."
Posted by MsMarti - on Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 18:00 in Pro-Troop Businesses | Permalink
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Carlo Perroni
MRes/PhD
✨🌚🚀🌝💫
Telephone: +44 (0)24 765 28416
Fax: +44 (0)24 765 23032
Email: C dot Perroni at warwick dot ac dot uk
Room: S1.117
Advice and feedback hours: please email me.
Carlo Perroni at IDEAS
EconPapers: Carlo Perroni
Institutions and Economic Development
“Skills Scarcity and Export Intensity,” (with Davide Suverato) CESIfo Working Paper No. 7787, August 2019.
“Secession with Natural Resources,” (with Amrita Dhillon, Pramila Krishnan and Manasa Patnam) mimeo, August 2019.
About Teachers' Incentives and Curriculum Choice
“Non-discriminatory Donation Relief and Strategic Commitment under Political Competition,” (with Monica Giovanniello, Kimberley Scharf and Al Slivinski) European Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 58, 2019.
“Are Donors Afraid of Core Costs? Economies of Scale and Contestability in Charity Markets,” (with Ganna Pogrebna, Sarah Sandford and Kimberley Scharf) Economic Journal, Vol. 129, 2019.
“Energy Subsidies and Policy Commitment in Political Equilibrium,” (with Marco Pani) Energy Economics, Vol. 71, 2018.
“Does Market Size Matter for Charities?”(with Simon Lapointe, Kimberley Scharf and Janne Tukiainen) Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 168, 2018.
“The Logic of Costly Punishment Reversed: Expropriation of Free-riders and Outsiders,” (with David Hugh-Jones) Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Vol. 135, 2017.
“Energy Subsidy Reform and Policy Makers’ Re-election Incentives,” (with Marco Pani) in J. Strand (ed.), The Economics and Political Economy of Energy Subsidies, MIT Press, 2016.
“Special and Differential Treatment of Developing Countries in the WTO,” (with Paola Conconi) World Trade Review, Vol. 14, 2015.
“Multi-trait Matching and Gender Differentials in Intergenerational Mobility,” (with Natalie Chen and Paola Conconi) Economics Letters, Vol. 120, 2013.
“Conditional versus Unconditional Trade Concessions for Developing Countries,” (with Paola Conconi) Canadian Journal of Economics, Vol. 45, 2012.
“Entrepreneurial Drain Under Moral Hazard: A High-yield Sector Curse?” (with Eugenio Proto) Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 93, 2010.
“Do Credible Domestic Institutions Promote Credible International Agreements?” (with Paola Conconi) Journal of International Economics, Vol. 79, 2009.
“Is Partial Tax Harmonization Desirable?” (with Paola Conconi and Raymond Riezman) Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 92, 2008.
“Conditionality, Separation, and Open Rules in Multilateral International Treaties,” (with Paola Conconi) in J. Hartigan (ed.), Handbook of International Trade Volume II: Economic and Legal Analyses of Trade Policy and Institutions, Blackwell, 2005.
“Developing-Country Benefits from MFN Relative to Regional/Bilateral Trade Arrangements,” (with Madanmohan Ghosh and John Whalley) Review of International Economics, Vol. 11, 2003.
“Time-Consistent Policy and Politics: Does Voting Matter When Individuals Are Identical?” (with Dan Anderberg) Topics in Economic Analysis & Policy, Vol. 3, 2003.
“Issue Linkage and Issue Tie-in in Multilateral Negotiations,” (with Paola Conconi) Journal of International Economics, Vol. 57, 2002.
“Investment Subsidies and Time-consistent Environmental Policy,” (with Lisandro Abrego) Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 54, 2002.
“Tiebout with Politics: Capital Tax Competition and Constitutional Choices,” (with Kimberley Scharf) Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 68, 2001.
“Tax Earmarking and Grass-Roots Accountability,” (with Amrita Dhillon) Economics Letters, Vol. 72, 2001.
“Trade and Environment: Bargaining Outcomes from Linked Negotiations,” (with Lisandro Abrego, John Whalley, and Randall Wigle) Review of International Economics, Vol. 9, 2001.
“The New Regionalism: Trade Liberalization or Insurance?” (with John Whalley) Canadian Journal of Economics, Vol. 33, 2000.
“Free-Riding, Carbon Treaties, and Trade Wars: The Role of Domestic Environmental Policies,” (with Lisandro Abrego) Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 58, 1999.
“A Flexible, Globally Regular Representation of Convex Production Possibility Frontiers,” Journal of Productivity Analysis, Vol. 12, 1999.
“Implementing tax coordination,” (with Amrita Dhillon and Kimberley Scharf) Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 72, 1999.
“International Process Standards and North-South Trade,” (with Randall Wigle) Review of Development Economics, Vol. 3, 1999.
“Interjurisdictional Tax Competition: A Political Economy Perspective,” (with Kimberley Scharf) in A. Razin and E. Sadka (eds.) Globalization: Public Economics Policy Perspectives, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
“Rents and the Cost and Optimal Design of Commodity Taxes,” (with John Whalley) Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 80, 1998.
“A Comparison of the Performance of Flexible Functional Forms for Use in Applied General Equilibrium Analysis,” (with Thomas Rutherford) Computational Economics, Vol. 11, 1998.
“Possible Developing Country Impacts from a Competition Policy Negotiation,” (with John Whalley) in Trade and Development: Essays in Honour of Jagdish Bhagwati, V. N. Balasubramanyam and D. Greenaway (eds.), Palgrave Macmillan, 1997.
“Joint Production of Goods and Knowledge: Implications for Tax Reform,” International Tax and Public Finance, Vol. 4, 1997.
“How Severe is Global Retaliation Risk under Increasing Regionalism?” (with John Whalley) American Economic Review, Vol. 86, 1996.
“Uruguay Round Effects on Canada,” (with Trien Nguyen and Randall Wigle) Canadian Public Policy, Vol. 22, 1996.
“Environmental Policy Modeling,” (with Randall Wigle) in T. Hertel (ed.) Global Trade Analysis: Modeling and Applications, Cambridge University Press, 1996.
“Assessing the Dynamic Efficiency Gains of Tax Reform when Human Capital is Endogenous,” International Economic Review, Vol. 36, 1995.
“Regular Flexibility of Nested CES Functions,” (with Thomas Rutherford) European Economic Review, Vol. 39, 1995.
“A Uruguay Round Success?” (with Trien Nguyen and Randall Wigle) The World Economy, Vol. 18, 1995.
“International Trade and Environmental Quality: How Important Are the Linkages?” (with Randall Wigle) Canadian Journal of Economics, Vol. 28, 1994 (with Randall Wigle).
“An Evaluation of the Draft Final Act of the Uruguay Round,” (with Trien Nguyen and Randall Wigle) Economic Journal, Vol. 103, 1993.
“International Trade in Carbon Emission Rights and Basic Materials: General Equilibrium Calculations for 2020,” (with Thomas Rutherford) Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Vol. 96, 1993.
“Homothetic Representation of Regular, Non-Homothetic Preferences,” Economics Letters, Vol. 40, 1992.
“The Value of a Uruguay Round Success,” (with Trien Nguyen and Randall Wigle) The World Economy, Vol. 14, 1991.
“Valutazione degli Effetti di Politiche Fiscali in Presenza di Razionamento,” Giornale degli Economisti e Annali di Economia, Vol. 46, 1987.
EC9011 Economic Analysis: Microeconomics
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Last revised: Mon 30 Dec 2019
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Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion
Yoshihiko Arao, Jun Koyanagi, Hiroshi Hatta, Hiroyuki Kawada
The moisture absorption behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and its effect on dimensional stability were examined. Moisture diffusivity in CFRP was determined by measuring a specimen's weight during the moisture absorption test. Three types of CFRP specimens were prepared: a unidirectionally reinforced laminate, a quasi-isotropic laminate and woven fabric. Each CFRP was processed into two geometries - a thin plate for determination of diffusivity and a rod with a square cross-section for the discussion of two-dimensional diffusion behavior. By solving Fick's law expanded to 3 dimensions, the diffusivities in the three orthogonal directions were obtained and analyzed in terms of the anisotropy of CFRP moisture diffusion. Coefficients of moisture expansion (CMEs) were also obtained from specimen deformation caused by moisture absorption. During moisture absorption, the specimen surfaces showed larger deformation near the edges due to the distribution of moisture contents. This deformation was reasonably predicted by the finite element analysis using experimentally determined diffusivities and CMEs. For unidirectional CFRP, the effect of the fiber alignment on CME was analyzed by micromechanical finite element analysis (FEA) and discussed.
https://doi.org/10.1163/156855108X385276
Carbon fiber reinforced plastics
Fick's laws
Fiber alignment
Water diffusion
Arao, Y., Koyanagi, J., Hatta, H., & Kawada, H. (2008). Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion. Advanced Composite Materials, 17(4), 359-372. https://doi.org/10.1163/156855108X385276
Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion. / Arao, Yoshihiko; Koyanagi, Jun; Hatta, Hiroshi; Kawada, Hiroyuki.
In: Advanced Composite Materials, Vol. 17, No. 4, 01.11.2008, p. 359-372.
Arao, Y, Koyanagi, J, Hatta, H & Kawada, H 2008, 'Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion', Advanced Composite Materials, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 359-372. https://doi.org/10.1163/156855108X385276
Arao Y, Koyanagi J, Hatta H, Kawada H. Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion. Advanced Composite Materials. 2008 Nov 1;17(4):359-372. https://doi.org/10.1163/156855108X385276
Arao, Yoshihiko ; Koyanagi, Jun ; Hatta, Hiroshi ; Kawada, Hiroyuki. / Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion. In: Advanced Composite Materials. 2008 ; Vol. 17, No. 4. pp. 359-372.
@article{9a8c1bdde9fe4053881a99f82249b6de,
title = "Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion",
abstract = "The moisture absorption behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and its effect on dimensional stability were examined. Moisture diffusivity in CFRP was determined by measuring a specimen's weight during the moisture absorption test. Three types of CFRP specimens were prepared: a unidirectionally reinforced laminate, a quasi-isotropic laminate and woven fabric. Each CFRP was processed into two geometries - a thin plate for determination of diffusivity and a rod with a square cross-section for the discussion of two-dimensional diffusion behavior. By solving Fick's law expanded to 3 dimensions, the diffusivities in the three orthogonal directions were obtained and analyzed in terms of the anisotropy of CFRP moisture diffusion. Coefficients of moisture expansion (CMEs) were also obtained from specimen deformation caused by moisture absorption. During moisture absorption, the specimen surfaces showed larger deformation near the edges due to the distribution of moisture contents. This deformation was reasonably predicted by the finite element analysis using experimentally determined diffusivities and CMEs. For unidirectional CFRP, the effect of the fiber alignment on CME was analyzed by micromechanical finite element analysis (FEA) and discussed.",
keywords = "CFRP, Dimensional stability, Fiber alignment, Water diffusion",
author = "Yoshihiko Arao and Jun Koyanagi and Hiroshi Hatta and Hiroyuki Kawada",
doi = "10.1163/156855108X385276",
journal = "Advanced Composite Materials",
T1 - Analysis of time-dependent deformation of CFRP considering the anisotropy of moisture diffusion
AU - Arao, Yoshihiko
AU - Koyanagi, Jun
AU - Hatta, Hiroshi
AU - Kawada, Hiroyuki
N2 - The moisture absorption behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and its effect on dimensional stability were examined. Moisture diffusivity in CFRP was determined by measuring a specimen's weight during the moisture absorption test. Three types of CFRP specimens were prepared: a unidirectionally reinforced laminate, a quasi-isotropic laminate and woven fabric. Each CFRP was processed into two geometries - a thin plate for determination of diffusivity and a rod with a square cross-section for the discussion of two-dimensional diffusion behavior. By solving Fick's law expanded to 3 dimensions, the diffusivities in the three orthogonal directions were obtained and analyzed in terms of the anisotropy of CFRP moisture diffusion. Coefficients of moisture expansion (CMEs) were also obtained from specimen deformation caused by moisture absorption. During moisture absorption, the specimen surfaces showed larger deformation near the edges due to the distribution of moisture contents. This deformation was reasonably predicted by the finite element analysis using experimentally determined diffusivities and CMEs. For unidirectional CFRP, the effect of the fiber alignment on CME was analyzed by micromechanical finite element analysis (FEA) and discussed.
AB - The moisture absorption behavior of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and its effect on dimensional stability were examined. Moisture diffusivity in CFRP was determined by measuring a specimen's weight during the moisture absorption test. Three types of CFRP specimens were prepared: a unidirectionally reinforced laminate, a quasi-isotropic laminate and woven fabric. Each CFRP was processed into two geometries - a thin plate for determination of diffusivity and a rod with a square cross-section for the discussion of two-dimensional diffusion behavior. By solving Fick's law expanded to 3 dimensions, the diffusivities in the three orthogonal directions were obtained and analyzed in terms of the anisotropy of CFRP moisture diffusion. Coefficients of moisture expansion (CMEs) were also obtained from specimen deformation caused by moisture absorption. During moisture absorption, the specimen surfaces showed larger deformation near the edges due to the distribution of moisture contents. This deformation was reasonably predicted by the finite element analysis using experimentally determined diffusivities and CMEs. For unidirectional CFRP, the effect of the fiber alignment on CME was analyzed by micromechanical finite element analysis (FEA) and discussed.
KW - CFRP
KW - Dimensional stability
KW - Fiber alignment
KW - Water diffusion
U2 - 10.1163/156855108X385276
DO - 10.1163/156855108X385276
JO - Advanced Composite Materials
JF - Advanced Composite Materials
10.1163/156855108X385276
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Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers
Kentaro Noda, Hiroaki Onoe, Eiji Iwase, Kiyoshi Matsumoto, Isao Shimoyama
We propose a flexible tactile sensor using sub-m-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers for shear stress detection. The thin Si piezoresistive cantilevers were fabricated on the device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. By using an adhesion-based transfer method, only these thin and fragile cantilevers were transferred from the rigid handling layer of the SOI wafer to the polydimethylsiloxane layer without damage. Because the thin Si cantilevers have high durability of bending, the proposed sensor can be attached to a thin rod-type structure serving as the finger of a robotic hand. The cantilevers were arrayed in orthogonal directions to measure the X and Y directional components of applied shear stresses independently. We evaluated the bending durability of our flexible tactile sensor and confirmed that the sensor can be attached to a rod with a radius of 10mm. The sensitivity of the flexible tactile sensor attached to a curved surface was 1.7×106Pa1on average for a range of shear stresses from1.8×103to 1.8×103Pa applied along its surface. It independently detected the X and Y directional components of the applied shear stresses.
Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
Published - 2012 Nov
Stress measurement
Shear stress
Polydimethylsiloxane
End effectors
Noda, K., Onoe, H., Iwase, E., Matsumoto, K., & Shimoyama, I. (2012). Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 22(11), [115025]. https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/22/11/115025
Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers. / Noda, Kentaro; Onoe, Hiroaki; Iwase, Eiji; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi; Shimoyama, Isao.
In: Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Vol. 22, No. 11, 115025, 11.2012.
Noda, K, Onoe, H, Iwase, E, Matsumoto, K & Shimoyama, I 2012, 'Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers', Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 22, no. 11, 115025. https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/22/11/115025
Noda K, Onoe H, Iwase E, Matsumoto K, Shimoyama I. Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. 2012 Nov;22(11). 115025. https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/22/11/115025
Noda, Kentaro ; Onoe, Hiroaki ; Iwase, Eiji ; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi ; Shimoyama, Isao. / Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers. In: Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. 2012 ; Vol. 22, No. 11.
@article{210485adf013410192673cda178108b9,
title = "Flexible tactile sensor for shear stress measurement using transferred sub-μm-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers",
abstract = "We propose a flexible tactile sensor using sub-m-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers for shear stress detection. The thin Si piezoresistive cantilevers were fabricated on the device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. By using an adhesion-based transfer method, only these thin and fragile cantilevers were transferred from the rigid handling layer of the SOI wafer to the polydimethylsiloxane layer without damage. Because the thin Si cantilevers have high durability of bending, the proposed sensor can be attached to a thin rod-type structure serving as the finger of a robotic hand. The cantilevers were arrayed in orthogonal directions to measure the X and Y directional components of applied shear stresses independently. We evaluated the bending durability of our flexible tactile sensor and confirmed that the sensor can be attached to a rod with a radius of 10mm. The sensitivity of the flexible tactile sensor attached to a curved surface was 1.7×106Pa1on average for a range of shear stresses from1.8×103to 1.8×103Pa applied along its surface. It independently detected the X and Y directional components of the applied shear stresses.",
author = "Kentaro Noda and Hiroaki Onoe and Eiji Iwase and Kiyoshi Matsumoto and Isao Shimoyama",
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AU - Noda, Kentaro
AU - Onoe, Hiroaki
AU - Iwase, Eiji
AU - Matsumoto, Kiyoshi
AU - Shimoyama, Isao
N2 - We propose a flexible tactile sensor using sub-m-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers for shear stress detection. The thin Si piezoresistive cantilevers were fabricated on the device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. By using an adhesion-based transfer method, only these thin and fragile cantilevers were transferred from the rigid handling layer of the SOI wafer to the polydimethylsiloxane layer without damage. Because the thin Si cantilevers have high durability of bending, the proposed sensor can be attached to a thin rod-type structure serving as the finger of a robotic hand. The cantilevers were arrayed in orthogonal directions to measure the X and Y directional components of applied shear stresses independently. We evaluated the bending durability of our flexible tactile sensor and confirmed that the sensor can be attached to a rod with a radius of 10mm. The sensitivity of the flexible tactile sensor attached to a curved surface was 1.7×106Pa1on average for a range of shear stresses from1.8×103to 1.8×103Pa applied along its surface. It independently detected the X and Y directional components of the applied shear stresses.
AB - We propose a flexible tactile sensor using sub-m-thick Si piezoresistive cantilevers for shear stress detection. The thin Si piezoresistive cantilevers were fabricated on the device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. By using an adhesion-based transfer method, only these thin and fragile cantilevers were transferred from the rigid handling layer of the SOI wafer to the polydimethylsiloxane layer without damage. Because the thin Si cantilevers have high durability of bending, the proposed sensor can be attached to a thin rod-type structure serving as the finger of a robotic hand. The cantilevers were arrayed in orthogonal directions to measure the X and Y directional components of applied shear stresses independently. We evaluated the bending durability of our flexible tactile sensor and confirmed that the sensor can be attached to a rod with a radius of 10mm. The sensitivity of the flexible tactile sensor attached to a curved surface was 1.7×106Pa1on average for a range of shear stresses from1.8×103to 1.8×103Pa applied along its surface. It independently detected the X and Y directional components of the applied shear stresses.
U2 - 10.1088/0960-1317/22/11/115025
DO - 10.1088/0960-1317/22/11/115025
JO - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
JF - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
10.1088/0960-1317/22/11/115025
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ERCA to release new 10-year strategic plan
Essex Region Conservation Authority will launch its 10-year strategic plan — titled Sustaining the Place for Life — Thursday at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.
ERCA general manager Richard Wyma. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star
The plan was developed in consultation with the community. It identifies ERCA’s strategies for the next decade.
Windsor Coun. Ed Sleiman, chairman of the authority’s board of directors, will be joined by ERCA general manager Richard Wyma.
The event, at 2990 Riverside Dr. W., begins at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.
jkotsis@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JulieKotsis
LaSalle Council Wrap: Town honoured for lifesaving programs and time to... Town council launches $18.8-million Tecumseh Road makeover
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Posted: May 5, 2011 in AB 7, Elections, Fitzwalkerstan, GOP election fraud, Republican Voter Fraud, soctt walker, Uncategorized, Voter suppression, Wisconsin State Capitol
Tags: democratic party of wisconsin, fab 14, fitzwalkerstan, GOP election fraud, governor scott walker, recall elections, republican Party of Wisconsin
As if the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice “recount” isn’t a big enough mess, It appears that the Wisconsin GOP has been engaged in widespread fraud surrounding their attempts to recall democratic senators. Inexplicably, the Republican Party of Wisconsin had relied heavily on people they hired from out of state to collect signatures against democrats, even paying to house these folks in hotel rooms. In all cases, they paid by the signature. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? The decision to pay out of state people when there are plenty of unemployed folks that reside in those senate districts who may actually be invested in the outcome of these recall elections makes no sense at all.
But the story gets even better.
In a press release issued today by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller states “”The overwhelming evidence clearly shows a pervasive pattern of election fraud committed by the shady out-of-state organization hired by Republicans to collect recall petitions,” and “Thousands of Wisconsin citizens fell victim to lies and misinformation spread by the circulators, and the papers submitted by this operation contain a river of omissions and wrong information.”
Additionally, another questionable organization, American Patriot Recall Coalition, is also involved and is headed by Dan Baltes, the convicted felon who spent 10 years in the Idaho prison system for grand theft, forgery and writing bad checks. Surprised?
Miller continued: “We believe that when the facts are reviewed, the GAB will throw out thousands of flawed signatures because they were fraudulent or defective. The vast depth of this misconduct calls into question the legitimacy of every signature collected by these circulators, and shows that the GOP effort failed to gather the valid signatures needed for recall elections.“
The formal challenge, to be filed on behalf of the Democratic senators is expected to happen this afternoon, and allegedly shows that the number of invalid signatures gathered through election fraud would reduce the valid signatures collected against all three democratic senators enough to invalidate the recall petitions. A press conference will be held at 4:15 today with Democratic Party of Wisconsin counsel Jeremy Levinson to discuss the challenge.
The challenge of GOP recall petitions features many claims from Wisconsin citizens who were victimized by the actions of a disreputable out-of-state firm hired by Wisconsin Republicans to collect signatures. Kennedy Enterprises received nearly $100,000 from the Republican Party of Wisconsin to circulate recall petitions. Kennedy owns a tarnished reputation based on past offenses in Colorado.
Some of the cases and examples of election fraud outlined in the formal recall challenge of GOP petitions to be filed this afternoon include:
Senate District 12: Of the 534 people contacted who had signed the petition, 9.2% indicated they were misled into signing the petition or asserted they had never signed.
Affidavit of a World War II veteran from Green Bay who was misled into signing a recall petition. Upon learning he had been duped, veteran called the sheriff to get his name removed. When confronted, the circulator claims he will remove the name, but a later review of the petitions reveals the veteran’s name was never crossed off.
Many affidavits attesting that Circulator Sherri Ferrell – who gathered nearly 3,000 signatures in two districts — gathered signatures on Indian reservations claiming petitions were to support “schools,” “Democrats,” and “tribal rights.”
Affidavit of voter in Senate District 22 attesting that circulator John Prijic claimed the petitions were for work to be done on a local park.
Affidavit of voter in Senate District 30 attesting that circulator Annette Lord claimed the petitions were to recall Republican Senator Cowles.
Affidavit of voter in Senate District 30 attesting that circulator Richard Madrill claimed the petitions were to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
William Pocan’s forged name appears on line 10, page 362 of circulator Kevin Pursell’s petition. As his widow Corinne Pocan’s affidavit attests, William Pocan has been deceased 20 years, although his name remains in the phone book. Pursell circulated numerous pages.
Claims by many Wisconsin citizens who were misled by out-of-state circulators who claimed they could sign on behalf of other people.
Numerous examples of fake addresses and signatures appearing on GOP recall petitions, as well as sloppily gathered signatures also missing critical information.
Summary of out-of-state circulators hired by GOP with largest percentages of fraud or deception on GOP recall petitions:
Get ready for some excitement and outrage folks, as thousands of pages of evidence and dozens of affidavits are about to be released. Many of the signature collectors came from states such as Oklahoma, Florida, Colorado, Illinois, California, New York and Minnesota. Somewhat ironic since it is the Wisconsin Republican Party and their elected officials that dismiss the Wisconsin Uprising as a bunch of “Out of State Rent-a-Thugs”. Verified reports of Republicans playing loose and fast with elections are turning up every day. Just a couple of days ago we learned of a Republican legislative staffer voting in district over 100 miles from her home. Stay tuned.
And feel free to leave a comment and discuss!
Dan Frisby says:
Are you saying that Republicans hired ‘lying thuggish conspirators’ to do their ‘dirty work’….surely you jest…LOL How could Republicans stoop so low as to ‘rig elections’…omitting, of course, George Bush’s ‘selection for President’ by his Republican Supreme Court lackeys…It is UN-AMERICAN… surely Corporations who PAY NO TAXES and PAY LOW WAGES & NO BENEFITS to working American Families would not then go hire ‘lying, thieving bottom-feeding crooks’ to lie to other Americans….surely you must confuse those ‘ Republican Thugs’ with overseas ‘DICTATOR Thugs’ who hire ‘Thugs’ to lie, cheat & deceive citizens…. just a thought
Julie Grimme says:
Crooks and liars.
Matt Behlen says:
How come fox news isn’t reporting this on Milwaukee Television?
Maerzie says:
You ARE joking, right?
Thousands were duped into signing GOP’s recall petitions! :: News From Underground says:
[…] Read more. Related Posts:5 Repubs now slated for recall elections in WisconsinCORRECTION re: 5 Repubs slated for recall in WisconsinWisconsin must protect voting rights in this electionGOP (Rove) planning a “defeat” for Sen. Feingold in Wisconsin (2 items)What got Walker into office? Was it the people of Wisconsin, or ELECTION FRAUD?Powered by Contextual Related Posts May 5, 2011 // General // No Comments // […]
greydogg says:
What do we expect, when we have entrusted our elections, our redress of government, to private companies owned by partisan republican hacks? Republicans cannot win elections on their savage policies against working people, so they lie, cheat and steal elections. We need to demand hand counted paper ballots and exit polls. Only then, will the integrity of our elections be secured. Then, we shall see who really wins elections. We have recall elections coming up. Volunteer at the polls People! Organize!
[…] Wisconsin Republican Party Election Fraud Exposed: Breaking. As if the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice “recount” isn’t a big enough mess, It appears that the Wisconsin GOP […] […]
ejs says:
That’s exactly how ACORN used to pay its employees for registering people to vote. The Republicans used to rail against that system because it encouraged fraud. Now the Wisconsin Republicans are doing the same thing.
Jana DeJonghe says:
One huge difference, Registering someone to vote really has no potential dammage to a candidate or an election. They were just getting paid a little extra cash for the fake names. These fake registrants never showed up to vote, as in real voter fraud. The GOP’s only concern was that ACORN was getting Middle class, poor and black Americans to get off their butts and vote, a HUGE NO-NO for the GOP. Thats why they preach to the religious, they only play the fiddle for their votes, they don’t care about Pro-Life or Families…they only sing the tune till election day. But this is actually having dammaging results to our democracy. It’s not the first time. Republican Blackwell from OH was responsible for rolling the polls in predominantly poor areas of OH in an effort to disenfranchise Democratic voters in 2004. And they wonder why Americans are so angry….I sadly have to agree……we will have no other choice than to begin to Riot in the streets….it’s the only way they listen to the People anymore. This is the only form of justice the people have against their government when they turn into a Dictatorship. The Republican party has said openly their No. 1 priority is to win the 2012 election. That is exactly what they are attempting to do……at any cost. Multiple attacks on Democracy in the USA, they should all be run out of the Country. They don’t belong in any office of Government, they aren’t worthy.
I don’t at all disagree with a lot of what you say, but the incentive to manufacture false information is the same in each case. Although I completely supported the objectives of ACORN, the first time I read about how they compensated people for registrations I thought they were asking for trouble, although I know there are safeguards which prevented the false registrants from ever actually voting. I have a big problem with people working for ACORN and acting dishonestly in order to “just [get] paid a little extra cash.” Those people should be ashamed of themselves. I also don’t think we’re to the point or anywhere near the point of rioting in the streets. You should think about all that a little more and cool your jets.
The other difference is that unlike petitions, it’s illegal to discard completed voter registration forms, as this would otherwise be a fairly effective way to disenfranchise voters who registered for the “wrong” party- ACORN was required by law to submit any and all completed registrations. That said, they *did* do due diligence on said registrations and separated and flagged the suspect ones for ease of identification.
In other words, this is nothing like what ACORN did, except for the part where some people were paid in proportion to number registered- which I’m led to believe is actually not that uncommon for compensated canvassers, problematic though it may be.
yeske24 says:
That whole ARORN is fraud thing turned out to be republican fraud. ACORN was a successful organization for the democrats so the republicans put out a trashy video involving ACORN that was complete fabrication. So they not surprisingly are doing it again. That’s how they operate. Fear and fraud.
Lacuna says:
Yer a major source at Brad Blog. Great Work!!
Alan8 says:
This isn’t good news. This is only the tip of the iceberg. This is just one incompetently-run operation that got caught.
I shudder to think of the ones that DIDN’T get caught, in areas that can’t be verified as easily. This includes, but isn’t limited to, the Republican-owned voting machine companies whose machines are easily hackable and unverifiable.
Today’s Republicans are like Nazis in that they’ll do or say anything to get power. They’re like Nazis in that they threaten their political opponents with violence. They’re like Nazis in that they’re hostile to civil liberties and unions.
They’re like Nazis in that they use propaganda as an instrument of aggression. They’re like the Nazis in that they’re financed by the wealthy. They’re like Nazis in that they demonize other races to portray them as a threat.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
Mark T says:
Unverifiable computerized voting machines with proprietary programming code will be the downfall of our Democracy. Look closer into Ohio 2004. Florida 2000 may not have used those machines, but the whole thing stunk terribly of voter disenfranchisement. Think what the world might be like now if GW had never been our president.
I dream about it everyday!
roundabout says:
Speaking of GOP fraud…
Someone from the IRS ought to do some digging into Tea Party candidate, Kim Simac, in Wisconsin’s 12th district. She has a “503(c)(4) civic organization” that takes in cash and doesn’t have to report to the public the sources/uses of that all that moola. And, if Ms. Simac is spending more that 50% of her time/money from the 503(c)(4) on political work…well, according to law…that’s ILLEGAL. She seems to be spending most, if not ALL her time on political work, which would make this a tax-dodging entity and subject to criminal and IRS investigations.
This is the reason the founders of this country included the right to bear arms. to prevent tyrannical parties from stealing and holding power.
The real problem here are the corporate lobbyists, something the founders never had in mind or would approve of.
If you remember your history, the Boston Tea Party was against an English multinational corporation called the East Indiana Trading Corporation. The king and his court were heavily invested in this corporation, and they counted on The Church of England to keep the masses suppressed in their thoughts, kinda like the religious conservative leaders do today…keep the masses uninformed.
You watch, these Republicans will be stealing elections all over the country this fall. And why they do not care about The People and their vote…arm yourselves!
Isn’t this SOP for the GOP?
Filtered news 5/6/2011 « Russ' Filtered News says:
[…] It appears that the Wisconsin GOP has been engaged in widespread fraud surrounding their attempts … […]
Chris S. says:
I signed a petition for the recall of Sen. Cowles. At least I hope I did. The people were in the parking lot of a supermarket right on the main drag. Their signs said “recall Sen. Cowles”, but the paper I signed did not have any heading indicating who the recall was for. I even asked the guy, “this is for Sen Cowles, right? NOT for Dave Hansen.” Is there a way I can check to make sure I wasn’t duped. Because I’ve had my fill of getting _ _ _ _ _ _ by those people!
JustMe says:
If there was no heading, this was not a legitimate petition. The “collector” was acting as a decoy on the theory that if you think you’ve already signed a petition, you won’t. Even more insidious would be if there was a sufficiently large margin at the top where a heading could be added after the fact, turning it into a petition to recall the democrat. I hope someone’s checking for that ploy!
its a shame what has happened to this country
Hmmmm. Overt election fraud, convicted felons in places of power, corporations regarded as “people” — isn’t it about time for a war to reclaim our country?
Because honestly – I think that’s what it’s going to take: an out-and-out WAR.
My daughter witnessed a man with “Recall Lassa” petitions convincing kids in junior high school to sign the petition. She confronted him and he replied that he didn’t care. This is a felony! He was reported to the police (and Lassa’s office).
Patrick DePula says:
My own Parents were visited by a “young man” who identified himself as a “University of Madison” student making some extra money for school. He said he needed their signature for a “Public Transportation” issue that included something about busses. Right. There were no public transportation studies happening. It was clearly someone collecting signatures to recall Sen. Cullen. Nice. I need to check if my parents names appear on the Cullen papers. If they do, then I have my answer.
Open Discussion: WI GOP Voter Fraud, Concealed Carry, Voter ID. « Dispatches from Fitzwalkerstan says:
[…] issues and more. The Wisconsin Republican Party has been exposed for committing widespread Election Fraud in their attempts to recall Democratic State Senators, A Republican Legislative Staffer is now […]
Mr Black says:
It’s easy to tell when a story is political bullshit. The article relies on “claims” made by paritsans, not a link to the actual evidence they talk about. If there was evidence of any of this shit, it would be front and center. It’s not, so draw your own conclusions.
Partisanship makes you stupid. Think for yourselves.
tony g says:
I just read this on Red State dot com… this is a direct quote.
“Wisconsin’s voter ID bill passed, 60-35; it now goes to the Senate, to be worked on next week. The bill will require that voters show picture ID before voting: what really has Democrats in a tizzy about this is that to be valid a student ID will need “current address, birth date, signature and expiration date.” This effectively removes all Wisconsin student IDs from consideration…”
Somehow this was supposed to be a positive thing because it disenfranchises all students from voting. Does nobody care about voting rights in Wisconsin?
WI GOP Sex, Lies, and Ethics Violations: recall senators attempt to avoid election. « Dispatches from Fitzwalkerstan says:
[…] the election citing dubious alleged “irregularities” in the filing of recall petitions. Never mind the wholesale recall petition fraud perpetrated by the Wisconsin Republican Party; substantiated with scores of affidavits and reports of dead people signing their names, felons […]
Assembly Candidate Andy Heidt: Hey Governor Walker, Where’s My Election?
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Adobe Acrobat Multiple Unspecified Vulnerabilities-01 Sep13 (Mac OS X)
This host is installed with Adobe Acrobat and is prone to multiple unspecified vulnerabilities.
Successful exploitation will allow attacker to execute arbitrary code, cause a denial of service condition and potentially allow to take control of the affected system. Impact Level: System/Application
Update to Adobe Acrobat Version 11.0.04 or 10.1.8 or later, For updates refer to http://www.adobe.com/in/products/acrobat.html
Multiple flaws are due to, - An integer overflow error when handling U3D PCX external texture. - Other multiple unspecified and integer overflow errors.
Adobe Acrobat Version 10.x prior to 10.1.8 on Mac OS X Adobe Acrobat Version 11.x prior to 11.0.04 on Mac OS X
Get the installed version with the help of detect NVT and check the version is vulnerable or not.
http://www.osvdb.com/97060
https://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-22.html
CVE CVE-2013-3351, CVE-2013-3352, CVE-2013-3353, CVE-2013-3354, CVE-2013-3355, CVE-2013-3356, CVE-2013-3357, CVE-2013-3358
CVSS Base Score: 10.0
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Adobe Air Remote Code Execution Vulnerability -June13 (Windows)
Adobe AIR Multiple Vulnerabilities -01 April 13 (Windows)
Adobe AIR Multiple Vulnerabilities -01 April 13 (Mac OS X)
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Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli
Vice President Innovation and Technology Transfer at EPFL in Lausanne shares her experience with 4iP. (Photo: Michael Stahl)
Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli is a Dr. of economics and social sciences and Vice President Innovation and Technology Transfer at EPFL in Lausanne (Swiss Institute of Technology). She focuses on the development of the EPFL Innovation Park renowned for its involvement in the creation of hundreds of start-ups. Adrienne also chairs foundations supporting start-ups.
Adrienne’s background is in the telecoms and media technology industry sectors where she held executive level roles in business development, mergers and acquisitions.
She began her career as a researcher, lecturer and consultant in the field of media and information technology policies with various institutes (University of Fribourg, DAMS Bologna, CNRS Paris and McGill University, Montreal, Loughborough University).
Here, Adrienne shares her experience of innovation with 4iP.
Technology invention at EPFL (Photo: Alain Herzog)
How do you select start-ups for incubation - what are the ‘must haves’ to be incubated at EPFL?
The key features of a promising start-up are:
The product / market fit: is there a problem and is the solution provided adequate?
Is the solution unique enough?
Is the team dedicated and capable of launching the project?
How important are patents to start-ups and why?
From the perspective of these “must haves”, (market dynamics, product uniqueness and strength of team), it is clear that a strong IP including patent applications is an indication of the uniqueness of the solution proposed. It is a tool, a means and not an end. Therefore, it is important but not necessarily critical. Fast and great execution is the critical element. Additionally, for science-based ventures, IP is more relevant than in “traditional” businesses particularly because potential investors will be sensitive to the protection of the invention.
How do path changing technology inventions come about? Is there a typical pattern or a set of required components in your view?
Ideas and inventions are clearly important but sometimes inventors have a tendency in over-estimating their importance. The transformation into a viable product or service will be just as challenging and critical. Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel claims you need to answer seven questions for a solid project:
Do you have a breakthrough technology?
Is your timing right?
Do you have something no-one else has?
Do you have the right people?
Can you sell and market your stuff?
Will you be still around in 10 years?
Do you know something nobody else does?
This is a good illustration of the key components required and it shows it goes much further than the initial invention.
Has the process of technology invention become more challenging over the years? If so, why?
With the exception of biotechnology where a product often means one molecule which can be “easily” protected because it has as its source one invention, the process of technology invention has become very complex as a product is often times a combination of many components coming from many fields of technology or science. You, therefore, need many inventors for one product, and ideally from trans-disciplinary fields. It additionally makes the protection of a product far more challenging as literally thousands of patents maybe linked to that specific product.
EPFL Innovation Park, Lausanne, Switzerland (Photo: Alain Herzog)
How easy is it for start-ups to find funding for R&D and the exploitation of R&D work?
Great start-ups always find capital to fund their initial phases if the entrepreneurs are ambitious and dedicated enough. Indeed, venture capital is over abundant, not necessarily in Switzerland or continental Europe, but certainly in the USA, UK or Asia. If R&D is clearly shown as a business unit, start-ups can find funding. There is, however, a risk-averse attitude at the early stage where the technology risks remain very high. When a start-up has a high science or technology component, funding may be more difficult. But again, credible inventors always find funding.
Do you think the inventions that start-ups at EPFL have been involved in could have come to commercial fruition without intellectual property?
There are fields where IP is critically needed such as in biotechnology. In the medical field, Aleva or Anokion would not have been funded without strong IP. There are other fields where it is less critical but important. It would be doubtful that companies such as Lemoptix, Composyt or Aimago, which have been recently acquired, would have been without strong IP. But Jilion, which was acquired by Dailymotion for its software products, may have had less IP. So it is field dependent.
What role does intellectual property have in the cycle of innovation and should a particular system be encouraged?
This is a complex question. It is quite clear that without IP a start-up is less protected and may attract less capital. But it is not clear that companies such as Intel, Apple or Google were dependent on strong IP. IP is probably a necessary ingredient in the innovation process, but again market adoption is not always linked to strong IP. It is not clear what would have happened to the Internet or the microprocessor if they had been patented. There may have been too much emphasis given to IP and many firms have specialized in building strong IP portfolios that they then licensed to established companies. This over-emphasis has created perverse effects such as pure-play IP companies or trolls. A balanced system should be encouraged and reforms have been tried in that direction in the USA, but the challenges remain high for an ideal system.
In your experience, is the process of technology invention well understood?
Technology invention is better and better understood but there is still a lot of misunderstanding. The fact of using the term “process” contributes to that misunderstanding. Inventing and then innovating is more an uncertain adventure where failure rate is high than a process that can be controlled or standardized. Innovation is an unlikely alignment of planets that requires a lot of creativity, discipline and execution skills, not an easy activity.
Switzerland has a strong reputation on global innovation, what lessons could others learn from the country?
Switzerland has been strong with incremental innovation - the improvement of existing products - as is illustrated by the rich and dense Swiss ecosystem of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). The watch or machine tool industries are good examples. As German economist Hermann Simon [1] has shown, and similarly to Germany, Switzerland has many (sometimes not very well known) innovative family businesses, which are world leaders in their niches and constantly improve their offerings. He calls them “hidden champions” as they are neither large multinationals neither sexy start-ups, but more traditional businesses with very decent revenues (up to €5 billion). These are interesting models for other countries,
What more could be done in Switzerland and Europe to encourage technology invention?
If Switzerland is strong with innovative hidden champions, it may be less strong with fast growing start-ups, which are more on the disruptive side of innovation. A little less focus on tradition might be a good way to encourage (risky) technology invention through start-up creation.
How important is this issue of intellectual property protection today from an economic and social standpoint?
IP has become (maybe unfortunately) a very important issue. Trolls, companies exclusively based on IP may have made us lose focus on the importance of the end product or service. Again IP is only a tool, not an objective in itself. The recent attempts about IP reform show how complex the issue is.
What advice would you offer a European inventor today?
Be passionate, ambitious, dedicated, focused and never forget that inventing is only the first step. Execution while building and selling a product, i.e. innovation is at least as critical.
What advice would you offer a European policy-maker today on the topic of innovation growth?
Encourage inventors to be more passionate, ambitious, dedicated, focused and provide the adequate framework conditions to make this possible (education, openness, access to capital).
[1] Technologically innovative, financially conservative: the secrets of hidden champions http://www.paristechreview.com/2015/03/09/hidden-champions
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Pentagon official says 'campaign' of Iranian threats caused US Middle East surge
Jack Detsch June 11, 2019
A “campaign” of Iranian threats against US and allied forces pushed the Pentagon to send fresh troops and weapons to the Middle East last month, a top Defense Department international policy official said at an Al-Monitor breakfast today.
REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters are seen making their way to an exercise area as they take part in a US and UK Mine Countermeasures Exercise taking place at the Arabian Sea, as a cargo ship is seen sailing toward the Straits of Harmoz, Sept. 10, 2018.
The Donald Trump administration OK’d sending a bevy of fresh troops and weapons to the Middle East after receiving intelligence that signaled Iranian plans for a “campaign” against American forces, a top international policy official said today.
Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Kathryn Wheelbarger said at an Al-Monitor Middle East Mornings breakfast event that sophisticated attacks against tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates last month pushed the US administration to respond by sending a carrier strike group, a suite of bombers, engineering assets and 1,500 American troops to the region.
“What we saw was more akin to a campaign against us than typical Iranian malign behavior,” Wheelbarger said. “When we had evidence that the maritime threat had been operationalized, we became concerned that the other threats would be operationalized, specifically against our forces in the region.”
Wheelbarger did not make clear how long the stepped-up American presence would stay in the region. She said she planned to call House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., to clarify the deployment after he voiced concerns on Monday. She also clarified that only one carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, remained in the region.
The Iranian activity comes after the Trump administration pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran last May and re-imposed sanctions on its oil and other sectors as part of the State Department’s "maximum pressure" campaign. Wheelbarger insisted the Pentagon’s move had forced “maybe an operational pause” in the Iranian threat. She said the US surge was designed to force Tehran to “see their only option is to come to the negotiating table.”
Iran’s intention behind its nonconventional campaign is “to impose somewhat cost-effective ways to impose costs,” she said. “We have deterred them conventionally. These are the tools they have available.”
But the Pentagon’s international policy chief added that Iran-backed missiles fired at Saudi Arabia could still threaten a large community of American expats that lives in the country. The Trump administration highlighted ending Yemen’s war as the top US objective in the war-torn country, according to a recent strategy document obtained by Al-Monitor. “If the Houthis are victorious throughout Yemen the threat to their borders and sovereignty is too much for them not to address it.”
Wheelbarger said the Pentagon was considering what contributions Gulf allies could make to help stabilize the region, such as paying off US base costs and assisting with the reconstruction of Syrian areas not controlled by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Wheelbarger also criticized Russia’s growing role in the Middle East since Moscow intervened in the Syrian civil war nearly four years ago, saying it was “incomprehensible” that the US administration would allow Turkey to co-locate the S-400 air defense system and the F-35 fighter jet. The Pentagon fears the Russian system could uncloak the F-35’s stealth capabilities.
The Pentagon’s international policy chief has said the United States stopped Turkish trainees from flying at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona after Ankara sent troops to train on the S-400 in Russia.
“This isn’t just one transaction, this is about [Turkey's] continued alignment and interoperability with NATO,” Wheelbarger said. “This particular system for us is an absolute no-go.” Pentagon officials have stopped short of detailing how the S-400 purchase could impact other US assets in Turkey, such as nuclear weapons stored at the Incirlik air base.
Congress, she added, expects the Trump administration to use sanctions that punish US partners for taking ownership of Russian weapons.
But if Turkey opts to take a different path — buying the American Patriot system instead of the S-400 — Wheelbarger suggested the US administration would find ways to protect Ankara from Russian retribution. “We would be seeking ways to protect the Turkish economy from any potential blowback,” she said. “Turkey is learning perhaps the hard way that Russia cannot be relied upon.”
Editor's note: This article has been updated since its original publication June 11, 2019.
Found in: Iran-US tensions
Jack Detsch is Al-Monitor’s Pentagon correspondent. Based in Washington, Detsch examines US-Middle East relations through the lens of the Defense Department. Detsch previously covered cybersecurity for Passcode, the Christian Science Monitor’s project on security and privacy in the Digital Age. Detsch also served as editorial assistant at The Diplomat Magazine and worked for NPR-affiliated stations in San Francisco. On Twitter: @JackDetsch_ALM, Email: jdetsch@al-monitor.com.
Fighters in Iraq's Anbar wary of US-Iran conflict as Denmark pulls forces
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Iraqi protests got caught in an Iranian-American war
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Game Awards Nomination Celebrates Continues with Matthew Porretta Interview ~ The Sudden Stop
There are places in our world where fiction and dreams can come true.
Artwork by the lovely AleooW!
Game Awards Nomination Celebrates Continues with Matthew Porretta Interview
02:26 Jaden 0 comments
To celebrate their Game Award nominations, Remedy has uploaded a short interview with Matthew Porretta, whose portrayal of Doctor Casper Darling in their latest game, Control, is also up for the category of “Best Actor”.
Matthew Porretta is a familiar name (and voice!) to long-time Remedy fans, having lent his acting talents to Alan Wake and Mr Scratch for Alan Wake (2010), The Signal and The Writer DLC packs (2011), Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (2012), and Quantum Break (2016), plus an Alan Wake easter egg in Control (2019). His latest work as Dr Darling is quite a departure from tradition, with the actor stepping away from the voice-over booth and in front of the camera for a brilliant sequence of live-action videos. While personally, my fingers are crossed for Control wins tomorrow, I’m definitely eager to see the results of “Best Actor”. Porretta’s dyna-mite performance is without a doubt a highlight of the past year in gaming for me, and I would love for his incredible performance to get the credit it deserves. In any case, he has definitely claimed a new fanbase with a lot of love shown for the actor and the character with new fan art and cosplays!
In the two-minute-long video, Porretta talks about his character and Darling’s love for knit sweaters, as well as scientists that inspired his portrayal of the character. The interview is interjected with clips from his live-action recordings.
Transcription: The Game Awards Best Performance Nominee - Matthew Porretta Interview (Dr. Casper Darling)
"Welcome to the Research Sector of the Federal Bureau of Control. I’m Doctor Casper Darling, Head of Research."
*Smiles* Well it’s really- it’s a game about Doctor Darling I think. It’s really the…. no?
*Introduction*
Doctor Darling is the head of the research for the Federal Bureau of Control. *Lifts up badge on his shirt* Nice! And er, he’s kind of strange and weird.
"We’ve never seen anything like it."
He likes sweaters a lot. They’re like sweater vests. It’s so funny, it’s like my costume’s awesome. There’s a physacist named Richard Feinmann, very interesting guy, certainly I’ve watched him and looked at his mannerisms and how he approaches teaching and lecturing is interesting. I think I’ve taken stuff from him. What’s interesting is this part is not motion-capped, right? So it’s live action, so we’re shooting it like a film. So, y’know, I’ve got costumes, there’s a set, it’s very different.
"Hedron is communicating with me. It’s trying to warn me of something imminent".
Everybody seems very open to giving me freedom to do what I feel is right. And I’m sure that there are something that are good and something that are bad. All you need is that one thing that’s great, right? So that’s how you find those things! And those little mistakes are the things that you go “oh my gosh, that’s amazing, let’s keep that.”
“Nobody knew her name, but she turned up just the same.”
So, that’s what’s fun! What you think of a video game, you don’t think of filming like a movie. So I’m totally excited about that.
“We can do that again.”
-- CONSOLE & PC GAMES --
CROSSFIRE Series
CROSSFIRE HD [Story Mode]
Quantum Break Series
Alan Wake Series
Alan Wake 2 (On Hold)
Alan Wake's American Nightmare
The Signal & The Writer DLC
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
-- MOBILE GAMES --
Agents of Storm
Death Rally [1996 & 2011]
-- LIVE ACTION SERIES --
Alan Wake [TV Adaption]
Bright Falls Miniseries
Beyond the shadow you settle for, there's a miracle illuminated.
Alan Wake, Remedy Entertainment, and Control trademarks and logos are property of Remedy Entertainment Ltd. Max Payne is a trademark of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Quantum Break and Xbox One are trademarks of Microsoft Studios. CROSSFIRE is a trademark of Smilegate Entertainment. All rights reserved. The Sudden Stop is an unofficial, non-profit Remedy Fansite. | Powered by Blogger
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Smith Soc Treks: Ethics & Economics
Dr. Craig Smith
Edinburgh, Scotland November 14, 2019 - November 17, 2019
Thursday Nov 14
Thursday Nov 14 2019
PAST EVENT Thursday Nov 14 2019
Sun Nov 17 2019
Is the well-being of the nation to be fundamentally linked with the wealth of the nation? Is it possible to reconnect moral philosophy with political economy? We explore selections from two of Adam Smith’s classic texts — the Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations — to examine what we, in the last fifty years, have come to call human capital, social capital, and most recently spiritual capital, alongside his commentary on physical capital.
Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in the Scottish Enlightenment, University of Glasgow
Dr. Craig Smith is the Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in the Scottish Enlightenment at the University of Glasgow. A graduate of Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, he researches the moral and political philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment. He is the author of Adam Smith’s Political Philosophy: The Invisible Hand and Spontaneous Order (Routledge, 2006), Adam Ferguson and the Idea of Civil Society (Edinburgh, 2019), and Adam Smith (Polity, 2020). He was one of the editors of the Oxford Handbook of Adam Smith (OUP, 2013), and co-editor of the forthcoming second edition of The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment.
Smith Soc Treks are a series of destination-based, weekend-long retreats created to allow Smith Soc members to explore topics of interest and create deeper connections between members, business leaders and scholars with similar interests. Want to apply to a future trek but you're not yet a paid member? Join today! To learn more, read our online FAQs.
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Inside USANA
USANA World News: First Stop on an International Tour
Welcome to the first installment of a new, regular feature where What’s Up, USANA? will take you around the world and give you a look into the international happenings of USANA Health Sciences.
As you may know, USANA’s international presence continued to grow in the first quarter of 2012. With openings in Thailand, France, and Belgium, USANA now offers its incredible products and unique business opportunity in 18 international markets. With so many markets and diverse cultures you may find it difficult to keep up with all the action throughout the USANA world — however, we have made it easy for you to follow the daily progress of many of these markets through country-specific Facebook pages. Links to these pages are provided below.
(Note: Many of these pages are in the native language of the market they represent. However, Facebook often provides a link on the page for a quick translation)
USANA United States
USANA Canada (English)
USANA Canada (French)
USANA Mexico
USANA United Kingdom
USANA Australia-New Zealand
USANA Philippines
USANA North America Chinese
USANA France
USANA Belgium
USANA Thailand
USANA Japan
We hope you’ll take a few moments to browse and “like” these pages. If you have any prospects or members of your organization in these markets, be sure to share these links with them as well so they can keep up on the latest happenings in their respective markets.
As mentioned above, each edition of this blog series will take a look at a handful of our international markets and cover some of the latest highlights. This particular post will focus on the latest news in Canada and Mexico.
USANA Canada
Canada has had its share of excitement in the first part of 2012, and they are looking forward to creating more memories and growth throughout the rest of the year. Here’s the rundown:
Canada played host to USANA Associates from around the globe February 16-18 at the Toronto XRC and Awards Gala. The Awards Gala was full of excitement and was a huge hit to all who participated. This was complemented by surprise and emotion generated with the announcement of the the Crazy Cash Contest winners on the final day of the event.
With the collaboration of the Canadian IDC, USANA Canada released a special ProPack (running from the time of the XRC until June 1) for Canadian Associates. Thus far a there has been tremendous participation and response.
The opening of operations in France and Belgium on March 26 has infused the Canada market with great excitement especially in Québec. Numerous Québec leaders are developing those markets and have taken a very active role in growing USANA’s international presence.
With all that said and done, there is a lot to look forward to for our Canadian Associates as 2012 progresses:
The New Formulation for BodyRox announced at Convention will be available in Canada at the end of April.
Upcoming events in Canada are generating a lot of excitement. “Women in Business” events will be held April 14 in Vancouver, May 19 in Toronto and May 26 in Montreal. For more information, visit a website that has been created specifically for this series of meetings at www.usanawomen.com.
Associates in Québec are very excited about International Convention and have a chartered a plane that will be filled with USANA Associates! This was made possible thanks to Diamond Director Serge Morissette and promises to be a fun experience for everyone.
Visit this picture gallery for photos of these highlights in Canada and Mexico!
USANA Mexico continues its push to be recognized among the most active and strongest markets. Here are the highlights:
USANA Mexico Associates rose to the challenge in the first quarter of 2012. In fact, the market experienced their best sales week since USANA Mexico opened its doors in 2004 after a March 9 event in Guadalajara.
Not only did that event spur significant sales, but it also saw record attendance with an overflow of USANA Associates and prospects.
USANA Mexico is now a proud sponsor the National Soccer Team in Mexico. In fact, USANA’s products have been consumed for the past 2 years by the athletes selected to be part of the national soccer teams. The team’s nutritionist, Beatriz Boullosa, coordinator of the National Team Nutritional Area and responsible of the nutritional competing diet of these players, recommended USANA products for their quality and effectiveness.
The top pin leader rank advanced to 3 Star DDIR (Conchita Vargas Lugo) and was presented with a Porsche Cayenne per the incentive program “Put your dreams on wheels” from USANA Mexico.
USANA World News is a regular series highlighting achievements, accomplishments, and noteworthy events across many of USANA’s international markets. If you have news you’d like to have considered for an upcoming post, please e-mail [email protected].
We’re proud to bring you the freshest content on the web! Follow USANA on Twitter, like our USANA Facebook page and enjoy the latest videos on the official USANA YouTube channel.
April 12, 2012 /0 Comments/by USANA Health Sciences
Tags: Canada, Mexico, USANA World News
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'Create Your Future' at USANA's Canada XRC
Mexico Cross Regional Conference Gets Under Way
Get Motivated with Women in Business Events
USANA Canada XRC: A Rousing Success on Day 1
USANA Canada XRC: Why We Do What We Do
USANA World News: A Trip Across the Pacific
USANA World News: Let’s Head (Far) East
USANA12: Welcoming the World to Utah
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The Ant Bully (GC)
Developer(s) Artificial Mind and Movement
Publisher(s) Midway Games
Release date(s) NA July 24, 2006
GameIDs GAXE5D
Wii Version
The Ant Bully is a video game based on the animated movie of the same name. It was first released on July 24, 2006 alongside the theatrical release of the movie. The story and actions of the game correspond to those of the movie.
The graph below charts the compatibility with The Ant Bully since Dolphin's 2.0 release, listing revisions only where a compatibility change occurred.
4.0-8586 Windows 7 Intel Core i5-3570K @ 3.8GHz NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Perfect. Tested this a lot around 4.0.2, but retested today to make sure no new issues cropped up. JMC47
5.0 Windows 10 i7-4790k@3.5GHz AMD R9 FURY X Intro cutscene worked fine but the cutscenes that play when a new game is started were really choppy, the framerate was completely uncapped and even with the speed limit at 100% with Vsync, there's no difference between video backends and turning off enhancements. The gameplay is fine (As fas as I can tell) 2haloes
Dolphin Emulator 4.0-4573 - The Ant Bully (1080p HD) - Nintendo GameCube
The Ant Bully Dolphin emulaor 1080p 30fps
Retrieved from "https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=The_Ant_Bully_(GC)&oldid=164702"
Artificial Mind and Movement (Developer)
Midway Games (Publisher)
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Collections Explore
Bird's Eye Views of Western Norway
Video Iframe Code
Western Norway includes much of the country's most spectacular natural scenery. The area runs along the country's southern Atlantic coastline, roughly centered on Bergen which is the principal city of the region. Here exists natural wonders such as rock formations like the Preikestolen (the "Pulpit Rock") and the suspended boulder at Kjerag (some of the world's best cliff jumping locations), spectacular waterfalls such as the Seven Sisters, some of Europe's best hiking trails, and of course some of the world's most famous glaciers and fjords. Here are the best drone videos from this region, Norway's busiest in terms of tourist traffic. Aerial photo: “Bergen City Phantom View” by AirVuz contributor and drone pilot 4K 4 Fun.
Click here to see all of the AirVuz Countries collections.
See More in Places: Countries
Norway's Western Coast
Discover Western Norway
Mohri Films
6.2k VŪZ
While Norway's largest city is in its southeastern region, most of the country's spectacular scenery lies on its west coast. Along this long coastline lie a mind-boggling number of famous fjords, mountains, and towns and cities. The visual cornucopia is the main reason why a large cruise ship trade has developed here. In this video, contributor Mohri Films used a drone to create an epic captioned aerial tour of the Atlantic coastline. It includes bird's eye views of Sognefjord, Trollstigen, Lovatnet, and more.
Nature of Western Norway
Norway`s Nature 4K
From the fjords to the waterfalls, and then onto winsome waterside villages, every single frame of this beautiful production feels like a postcard. OnFocus created an epic compilation of shots from across Western Norway, home of some of the world's most spectacular scenery. The region covers the western part of the country from its southern tip up through its "thickest" part before it narrows and transitions to the Central Norway region. The video was shot with a DJI Phantom 4 Professional drone.
Møre og Romsdal: Sunndalsøra
Northwest Norway Above - Sunndalsøra | Drone 4K
vegardho
Shot on the DJI Mavic Air and DJI Mavic 2 Pro with Polar Pro ND-filter, contributor and drone pilot vegardho brings us this spectacular aerial video from Norway. The video was shot around the munucipality of Sunndalsøra. The town sits at the head of Sunndalsfjord, a fjord which is located in Møre og Romsdal County. A Drone Video of the Week nominee in March of 2019, the 4K quality video brings us up over the snow-capped mountains, down to the rushing rivers, and out towards the sea at sunset.
BASE Jumping Pulpit Rock
Base Jumping in Norway
PilotViking
44.0k VŪZ
Kjerag Mountain in southwestern Norway offers one of the best BASE jumping spots anywhere on earth - from the mountain top it's a nearly 1k meter (3.2k ft) vertical drop to the Lysefjord fjord below. Pilot Viking filmed an epic BASE jumping session from this hallowed spot (called Preikestolen or "Pulpit Rock"), using a drone to capture some VERY brave BASE jumpers plying their craft. If that isn't enough, it's got some professional pyrotechnics thrown in to make things even more interesting!
BASE Jumping at Kjerag
Leave it to the PilotViking to capture some of the most intense aerial footage above the cliffs of Western Norway. The aerial footage he captured at the Kjerag mountain range contains chilling views of BASE jumpers and slack-liners dropping down to the Lysefjord below. Watch as these fearless adventurers take the leaps of a lifetime in this drone video. This video was voted as the winner of the Sports category by vote of the AirVuz contributor community for the first Annual Drone Video Awards.
Geirangerfjorden: Seven Sisters Waterfall
The Seven Sisters Waterfall
www.aerialnorway.com
The Seven Sisters waterfalls is a natural phenomenon which has to be seen to be believed. It is a system of seven related waterdalls on the northern side of Geirangerfjorden, in Møre og Romsdal county of Western Norway. The tallest of the falls has an enormous free fall of 250 meters (820 ft), making it one of the highest waterfalls of Norway. Contributor Aerial Norway created this epic aerial video of the falls, taken in early summer when the snow melting from the mountain peaks swell the flow over the falls.
Mission Impossible in Norway
Mission:Norway
Grim Berge
Award winning contributor Grim Berge created this amazing recreation of a scene from the 2018 blockbuster Mission: Impossible - Fallout from its original filming location. Located in the western Norway, Preikestolen, aka the Pulpit Rock, features a vertical cliff of over 600 meters (almost 2k ft.) down to the Lysefjorden. Shot mainly with a a DJI Inspire 2 drone, the video recreates an epic escape scene in the film, which was set in the Himalayas but was in fact filmed right here in Norway.
Preikestolen: Norway's Pulpit Rock
The Pulpit Rock
The Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) is a major tourist attraction of Rogaland in the southwestern corner of Norway. The top of the rock, which is roughly 600 meters (2000 ft) above the base, is essentially a flat table from which tourists can view the Lysefjord fjord, one of Norway's biggest attractions. Top contributor Grim Berge used a drone to treat us to a spectacular aerial view of this magnificent rock, the shooting location ("disguised" to resemble New Zealand) for a key scene in Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018).
Drone Tour of Western Norway
The Art of Drones Norway 4K Directors Cut
The Art Of Drones
For an aerial view of the spectacular natural scenery of western Norway, it's tough to beat this three and a half minute video by The Art of Drones. The video was shot with a DJI Mavic Pro drone. It features bird's eye views of some of the most iconic and popular spots in the heart of Norway's fjord country. Highlights include Beseggen, Jotenheim National ParkKjerag, Trolltunga, Voringsvossen waterfall, Geiranger Fjord, and more scenes from the region, the most-visited part of this Scandinavian country.
Drone Tour of Hardaland
JW Media
Hordaland is one of the counties which comprise the Western Region of Norway. Its administrative center is the port city of Bergen, Norway's second urban center. It's also home to Hardangerfjord, Norway's second-largest fjord. It is a magical place of sparkling mountains and gigantic glaciers which feed into an endlessly long fjord. Contributor JW Media spent a couple of days in Hordaland with his drone and produced this stunning aerial video of an icy paradise in the heart of Scandinavia.
One Week Trip in Western Norway
Norway | best of
Muhamad AbuShakra
701 VŪZ
Top contributor Muhamad AbuShakra has won multiple Drone Video of the Week awards for his videos of the Alps in Central Europe. To make this magnificent piece, he headed to Western Norway for a one week backpacking trip. Starting at the city of Stavanger, he travleled and filmed his adventure, resulting in some amazing aerial footage of such sights as the Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), the Kjeragbolten suspended boulder at nearby Kjerag Mountain, and of course some of the world's most famous fjords.
Constitution Day in the Fjords
Celebrating Norway
simenhaughom
Featuring plenty of gasp-worthy drone shots, literally on the edge of a fjord, this spectacular film reminds us of what's celebrated on Syttende Mai (known to the rest of us as Norway Constitution Day). The breathtaking views of this beautiful Nordic scenery are certainly reason enough to celebrate...kudos to simenhaughom, a young but very skilled Norwegian drone pilot, for capturing them all so perfectly. Watch it and you'll see why his drone videos have run up over a hundred million views on YouTube.
Stavanger's Cruise Ships
Cruise Ships in Stavanger, Norway
Brent De Bleser
The city of Stavanger in southern Norway is a prime port of call for cruise ships sailing through the Scandinavian fjords, one of the world's major cruise ship markets. In 2016, this Nordic port in Rogalund County handled a cruise ship nearly every other day, amounting to about 300k passengers over the course of the year. In this spectacular drone video, top contributor and drone pilot Brent De Bleser captures the hustle and bustle of this busy port as these floating behemoths ply its icy waters.
Stave Church in Fjordane County
Stave Church in Norway - 4K
In this video, contributor and pilot PilotViking treats us to a bird's eye view of a stave church, a once common church design in northern and western Europe. Thousands of these wooden churches were built over a wide area, mostly in the late Middle Ages. Alas, while they were easier and cheaper to build than stone churches, they did not have the same longevity: very few remain and virtually all of them are located in Norway. This is the Hopperstad Church in Vik, a town in Fjordane Couty of western Norway.
Vettifossen Waterfall
Norway's Mighty Vettisfossen Waterfall
tsmedegard
Prepare to be blown away by this drone video of what s generally believed to be Europe's highest waterfall, compliments of Tsmedegard. Vettisfossen is located in the mountains of western Norway, in Sogn og Fjordane County. It's a single-drop, plunge-type waterfall, with a top-to-bottom height of 275 meters (just over 900 ft.). On that basis, it's the tallest waterfall on the European continent. Vettisfossen can be reached by a few km/mi. hike through the Utladalen Valley from the town of Øvre Årdal.
Vøringsfossen Waterfall
Vøringsfossen: Spectacular Norwegian Waterfall
sundsoy
Behold this amazing drone video of Vøringsfossen, one of Norway's great waterfalls, compliments of contributot Sundsoy. It's located in the valley of Måbødalen near the town of Eidfjord, in Western Norway. It's a cascading, plunge-type waterfall with a total drop of 182 meters (just under 600 ft.). The famous Fossli Hotel sits at the top of the waterfall, considered one of the top tourist destinations in Norway. The waterfall was known only to locals until being "discovered" early in the 19th century.
The Nigard Glacier
Nigardsbreen (Glacier), Jostedalsbreen National Park, Norway
Allan Crawford
Check out this stunning 4k drone video of a well known glacier in Western Norway, compliments of contributor and pilot Allan Crawford. It's the Nigard Glacier (Nigardsbreen), and it's located in Sogn og Fjordane County. It currently covers just under 50 square km (just under 20 square mi.) Nigardsbreen is an arm of the Jostedal Glacier (Jostedalsbreen), Europe's largest. The glacier is named after a farm which was enveloped by the glacier during a period of expansion in the 18th century.
Trolltunga and Bergen
‘Back home’ Bergen, Norway (DJi Mavic, Gopro Hero6)
By: didrikwasson
Here's an amazing drone video of a couple of famous spots in Western Norway, compliments of content creator and pilot Didrikwasson. The first location is Trolltunga, a rock formation which is in Odda in Hordaland County, one of the counties which make up the region of Western Norway. The other location is the port city of Bergen, the county's administrative center and Norway's second largest city. The video beautifully weaves together the two spots, and includes some amazing timelapses.
GoPro Karma over Pulpit Rock
Preikestolen in Norway with GoPro Karma
Top contributor PilotViking used a GoPro Karma drone to create this amazing aerial video of Norway's famed Preikestolen, also commonly known as the Pulpit Rock. This giant rock in Rogalund County drops 600 meters (almost 2k ft.) almost vertically down onto Lysefjord, one of the country's famous fjords. Pulpit Rock, disguised as a spot in Kashmir, made an appearance in one of the key scenes of Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018), where actor Tom Cruise made his sixth appearance as agent Ethan Hunt.
Western Norway Tour
Norway: Above and on the Ground
Check out this magnificent video tour of Norway, compliments of contributor Pava. The video, which was shot with a DJI Inspire 1 drone and also includes ground camera footage, was shot across a number of expanses of Western Norway, home of its most popular travel destinations. Skillfully weaving together incredible video footage and timelapses, the piece does a marvelous job of showing the stunning natural beauty of this place, which abounds with fjords, glaciers, green valleys, and towering cliffs.
FPV Video of Vinufossen
Vinnufossen by FPV
suicide quad
In the last couple of years, the great waterfalls of the world have caught the attention of first person view (FPV) drone pilots. As piloting skills and long-range control technology have improved, FPV waterfall diving is now officially a "thing". Exhibit A is this amazing video of Europe's tallest waterfall. FPV pilot Suicide Squad donned his video goggles to tackle the mighty Vinnufossen falls in western Norway, the sixth tallest waterfall in the world. Its four drops total 860 meters (about 2.8k ft.) in height!
Mountain Trek in Sunndalsøra
Grøvelnebba Above 4K | Norway Sunndalsøra
Take a look at this magnificent drone video of a trek to a snow-covered mountain peak in Western Norway, compliments of contributor Vegardho. Vegardho, whose first upload to AirVuz garnered a Drone Video of the Week nomination, aerially captured an epic hike to Mt. Grøvelnebba, near the town of Sunndalsøra. Sunndalsøra is situated in the northeastern part of Møre og Romsdal County, one of the counties which make up the official region of Western Norway.
Hardanger Bridge
Hardanger Bridge, Norway | DJI Phantom 4 Pro
By: mike miguel
Contributor and pilot Mike Miguel used a drone to aerially capture one of the most important bridges in Norway. The Hardanger Bridge crosses a branch of the Hardanger Fjord in Hordaland County in Western Norway. It connects the municipalities of Ullensvang and Ulvik, although its primary purpose was to shorten the driving time between the national capital Oslo and Bergen, the country's second largest city. At 1.4k meters (about 4.5k ft.), it's the longest suspension bridge in Norway.
Bergen, Preikeistolen, and the Geirangerfjord
Norway from above [4K]
thedronetrip
Top contributor thedronetrip created this marvelous trip reel from the Western region of Norway. The video features footage from the following locations: (1) the port city of Bergen in Hordaland County, Norway's second-largest city and the de facto capital of the Western region; (2) Preikeistolen (aka the "Pulpit Rock"), a 600+meter (nearly 2k ft.) cliff overlooking the Lysefjord fjord in Rogaland County; and Geirangerfjord, a fjord in Møre og Romsdal, the northernmost of the Western Norway counties.
Nærøyfjord
NORWAY near Gudvangen 2018.
Check out this magnificent drone video from the fjords of Western Norway, compliments of contributor YURAN. The town is located at the end of the Nærøyfjord an 18 km (11 mi.) long but extremely narrow fjord in Sogn og Fjordane County. Nærøyfjord is an extremely populat tourist destination and it's listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fjord is actually a branch of the Sogn og Fjordane, otherwise known as the King of the Fjords for being the country's largest.
Scenery of Hordaland County
dariusly
Hordaland is one of the main counties that make up the official Western Region of Norway. It lies just to the south of Sogn og Fjordane County and just north of Rogalund County. It's one of Norway's most populous counties, but about 60% of its inhabitants live in and around the city of Bergen. In this spectacular drone video by dariusly, you'll get an aerial tour of some of the natural scenery of Hordaland, including some of Norway's most beautiful waterfalls, fjords, valleys, and glaciers.
Kjeragbolten: Suspended Boulder
Look Up, Not Down
Top contributor Brent de Bleser created this jaw dropping drone video from a highly unusual rock formation in Western Norway. Kjeragbolten is a suspended boulder on Kerag Mountain, near Forsand in Rogaland County. It was created by a glacial deposit thousands of years ago. Let's hope it stays there, because it's a long drop from here - almost 1,000 meters (a bit over 3k ft.) to the ground. The rock is accessible by hiking and it is one of the more popular tourist destinations in Western Norway.
Urban Art in Klepp
World's Largest Outdoor Mural
Brent De Bleser shares aerial footage of the world's largest outdoor mural in Klepp, a town on the southwestern coast of Norway. The large scale painting by artists Ella & Pitr, produced (incredibly) in just four days, spans across a building's rooftop. While the title of "world's largest mural" is difficult to confer precisely, this one is considered a legitimate contender. As you watch this amazing video, you will see that the best way this particular work of art can be appreciated is from a bird's eye view.
Norway's Best-Preserved Monastery
Utstein Kloster - Dji Phantom4 Pro 4K
Check out this beautiful drone video of Norway's best-preserved monastery, compliments of top contributor PilotViking. It's called the Ulstein Kloster, and it's located on an island of the same name in Rogalund County in the southwestern part of the country. The monastery dates to the 13th century, and is dedicated to Saint Lawrence. The complex underwent substantial restoration in the early 20th century and further work on its buildings and grounds was undertaken several decades later.
Pulpit Rock and More
This is Norway! Best of 2017 *Must Watch
There is definitely something for everyone in this stunning aerial tour of Western Norway, compliments of top contributor and Instagram star PilotViking. Treat yourself to epic bird's eye views of the mighty Preikestolen (aka the Pulpit Rock), some of the famous fjords, pastoral villages, paragliding, one of the region's distinctive stave churches, and epic waterfalls. PilotViking has become an Instagram phenomenon with his amazing content from one of the world's most beautiful regions.
Roadtrip: Pulpit Rock to Ålesund
Norway Roadtrip
Ekermann production
For a first upload to AirVuz, contributor Ekermann Production brings us this marvelous video record of a tour of Western Norway. The video, which features a mix of ground camera and aerial footage, covers the two endpoints of this storied region: Preikestolen (the great rock formation also known as the "Pulpit Rock") near Stavanger in Rogaland County (close to the southern tip of the country), all the way to the port town of Ålesund in Romsdahl County, the northernmost county of the official Western Norway region.
Lysebotn and the Lysefjord
Norway From Above: Pt 1 - Lysebotn
Prelator
Lysefjord is not Norway's largest fjord, but it's probably the most well known. It lies in Rogaland County, the southernmost of the counties which comprise the Western Norway region. In this drone video by Prelator, you'll get a bird's eye view of the famous fjord, which is located just to the east of the city (and cruise ship port of call) of Stavanger. The video was filmed around the head of the fjord and includes footage of the beautiful town of Lysebotn and Kjerag Mountain just to the west of the town on the fjord's south side.
Ramsdal County Highlights
Infinity Norway
By: aqua william
Aqua William created this beautiful drone video of some beautiful spots around Western Norway. The spots featured in the video include Åndalsnes, sometimes called the Mountaineering Capital of Norway, which is located in the Rauma municipality; the Romsdalen Valley; and Ålesund, a municipality in the Sunnmøre district. All three spots are located in Ramsdal Country (Møre og Romsdal), the northernmost of the coastal counties which make up the official Western region of the country.
Norway 4K from Adove - (Trolltunga - Bergen - Best Viral Drone Footage)
Eric_Avila_Gallardo
This epic drone video by Eric_Avila_Gallardo alternates between two of the most well-known (and beautiful) sights of Western Norway. The first is the Trolltunga rock formation, a cliff which juts out about 700 meters (around 2.3k ft.) above Lake Ringedalsvatnet in Hordaland County. The second spot is the port city of Bergen, which is also located in Hordaland County. The center of a metropolitan area of over 400k, Bergen is the country's second-largest city and the de facto capital of its Western Region.
Møre and Romsdal: Blåskjerdingen Mountain
Blåskjerdingen
Uglefisk
Top contributor Uglefisk created this stunning aerial video from atop a well-known mountain in Western Norway. It's called Blåskjerdingen, and it's located in Møre and Romsdal, the northernmost county of the Western Norway region. The mountain actually has two separate peaks, one which is more of a plateau. Both peaks are around 1.06k meters or about 3.5k ft. above sea level, and both are readily accessible to climbers without technical equipment. The video was shot with a Mavic Pro drone.
Western Norway Road Trip
Roadtrip Western Norway
Take a road trip through the magical region of Western Norway with top content creator and drone pilot Brent De Bleser. The video includes footage of the following locations in the region: the cruise ship port of Hardanger in Hordaland County; Vøringsfossen, the great waterfall at the top of the Måbødalen valley; Jotunheimem National Park; Geirangefjord, a prominent fjord in Møre og Romsdal County; and Nærøyfjord, a fjord in Sogn og Fjordane County.
Phantom over Western Norway
A Drone In Norway
tramontohiti
Contributor Tramontohiti used a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced drone to create this magnificent aerial tour of the western region of Norway. The video will show you the stunning beauty of this land of the fjords. It's worth watching in its entirety, but one highlight to point out starts at about the :30 mark. It's an overhead shot of the Preikestolen, the famous mini-plateau in Forsand, which is sometimes known as Pulpit Rock; it's one of the most-visited sites in Norway and has become popular with BASE jumpers.
Captioned Western Norway Tour
Scenic Norway
kaosolsen
Get a captioned tour of the region of Western Norway in this fantastic piece by kaosolsen, featuring footage of the following locations in Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane Counties: the Hardangerbrua bridge; Steinsdalsfossen, a waterfall in the Kvam Municipality; the Vøringfossen waterfall in Eidfjord; the Låtefossen waterfalls Ringedalsvatnet lake, and the Buarbreen Glacier, in Odda; the scenic overlook of Stegastein; Kinsarvik, a village in the municipality of Ullensvang; and Øystese, a village in Kvam.
Profile of Grim Berge
The Drone Dish: Grim Berge
The Drone Dish
In this segment of Drone Dish, host Tyler Mason catches up with Grim Berge, one of the top aerial videographers in Europe. Hailing from Norway, he was nominated for the Drone Video Awards in each of its first two seasons, "Summer is Coming" for the first and "Discover Norway: A 100 Day Journey" for the second. Having started flying back in 2012 with custom-made drones, Grim is a wealth of aerial filming knowledge, and his work has been featured in numerous TV shows, movies, and commercials.
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Ballard's Customer Wins European Union Funding For 21 Fuel Cell Buses
Visit http://www.ballard.com for further information
VANCOUVER, CANADA – Ballard Power Systems today announced that its customer, Van Hool N.V. (Van Hool), has signed a grant agreement with the EU Hydrogen Fuel Cell Joint Undertaking for deployment of 21 fuel cell buses in Europe as part of the 3Emotion Program.
01/28/15, 01:54 PM | Solar & Wind | Ballard Power Systems
Ballard expects to deliver power modules in 2015 and 2016
For Immediate Release – January 28, 2015
VANCOUVER, CANADA – Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD; NASDAQ: BLDP) today announced that its customer, Van Hool N.V. (Van Hool), has signed a grant agreement with the EU Hydrogen Fuel Cell Joint Undertaking for deployment of 21 fuel cell buses in Europe as part of the 3Emotion Program.
Ballard and Van Hool, partners in the deployment of numerous fuel cell buses in Europe, are in the process of finalizing an equipment supply agreement (ESA) for the provision by Ballard of 21 next-generation fuel cell power modules. Ballard anticipates receipt of purchase orders under the ESA that will lead to delivery of these fuel cell modules to Van Hool in 2015 and 2016.
Randy MacEwen, Ballard's CEO said, "This funding is another positive step in the scaling of fuel cell bus deployments in Europe and in our relationship with Van Hool, a leading European bus OEM. We continue to be encouraged by Europe's ongoing commitment to zero-emission fuel cell technology for mass transit."
Van Hool is a Belgium-based independent bus, coach and industrial vehicle OEM with an impressive history of innovation in bus manufacturing. There are currently 27 Van Hool fuel cell buses, powered by Ballard modules, in public transit operation and Ballard holds an estimated 80% share of the European market for fuel cell bus modules.
In November 2014 Ballard and Van Hool jointly launched a dedicated European Service and Parts Centre for fuel cell buses – called ESPACE – to provide support for Ballard-powered Van Hool buses. That same month Van Hool and four other major bus OEM's signed a Letter of Understanding outlining their commitment toward the commercialization and deployment of fuel cell buses in European urban public transport, including their anticipation that around 500-to-1,000 fuel cell buses can be put into service in Europe during the 2017-20 period.
Filip Van Hool, CEO of Van Hool N.V. said, "With this new round of funding now in-place, we look forward to expanding our successful zero-emission bus partnership with Ballard to include the roll-out of buses in additional European cities."
For these newly funded buses, Ballard will deliver its FCvelocity®-HD7 product, a next-generation fuel cell power module offering improved durability and reliability together with significant cost reduction. Product enhancements include reduced parts count, fewer moving parts, integrated air compressor and coolant pump along with lower parasitic load. The module will also utilize fuel cell stacks manufactured through a high-volume, low-cost process. These product enhancements and efficient manufacturing process will reduce capital expense and operating costs, ensuring a competitive total cost of ownership in comparison with alternative low-emission technologies.
The EU Hydrogen Fuel Cell Joint Undertaking is a public-private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies, providing subsidies for eligible projects through a cost share mechanism. Under Framework FP7, the European Commission and industry have each committed �470 million of funding for fuel cell & hydrogen research and demonstrations through the 2008-14 period. The next program, Horizon 2020, extends this initiative to the year 2020 with an incremental budget of �700 million, including 50% cost share from the industry.
About Ballard Power Systems
Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP)(TSX: BLD) provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications. Products deliver incomparable performance, durability and versatility. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.
This release may contain forward-looking statements anticipated product sales and the impact on market adoption for our products; and new product attributes and corresponding value propositions for our customers. These forward-looking statements reflect Ballard's current expectations as contemplated under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any such forward-looking statements are based on Ballard's assumptions relating to its financial forecasts and expectations regarding its product development efforts, manufacturing capacity, and market demand.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause Ballard's actual results to be materially different, including general economic and regulatory changes, detrimental reliance on third parties, successfully achieving our business plans and achieving and sustaining profitability. For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors that could affect Ballard's future performance, please refer to Ballard's most recent Annual Information Form. Readers should not place undue reliance on Ballard's forward-looking statements and Ballard assumes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward looking statements, other than as required under applicable legislation.
Further Information: Guy McAree +1.604.412.7919, media@ballard.com or investors@ballard.com
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Home Actors & Actresses Carmen Miranda Costume & Memorabilia: Oversized Jewelry & Tropical Fruits
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Carmen Miranda Costume & Memorabilia: Oversized Jewelry & Tropical Fruits
Carmen Miranda costume: the so-called “Brazilian Bombshell” in typical churchgoing garb of the period – subdued colors and only the most modest of accoutrements. The “Carmen Miranda Forever” exhibition at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Modern Art will be showcasing all sorts of memorabilia relating to the “Mamãe Eu Quero” and “The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat” performer.
1. Carmen Miranda costume & other memorabilia get Rio showcase
1.1. From Rio to Broadway
1.2. Hollywood’s ‘Carmen Miranda Costume’: Brazilian Bombshell
1.3. Carmen Miranda movies
1.4. Death at age 45
Carmen Miranda costume & other memorabilia get Rio showcase
“We want to restore the image of Carmen, who has had an incredible impact on Brazil,” says Fabiano Canosa, the curator of a Carmen Miranda costume and memorabilia exhibition being held this December 2005 at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro.
Marking (a little belatedly) the fiftieth anniversary of Miranda’s death in August 1955, “Carmen Miranda Forever” is being billed as the largest Miranda exhibition ever. Included are more than 700 items, from costumes and jewelry to records, magazines, and photographs.
Carmen Miranda became an international screen legend following singing, dancing, and “r”-rolling appearances as various South of the Border Chitas, Rositas, and Queridas in a series of tropical-flavored, enjoyably vapid, Hollywood Technicolor movies of the 1940s, which, on the downside, mostly failed to make full use of Miranda’s warm, exuberant personality and first-rate comic timing.
From Rio to Broadway
Born on Feb. 9, 1909, in a village in the vicinity of the northern Portuguese town of Marco de Canaveses, Carmen Miranda was raised in Rio de Janeiro, to where her family had emigrated while she was still an infant.
She began singing on the radio in the late 1920s, and a few years later was seen – at times accompanied by her younger sister Aurora Miranda – on the Rio stage and in musical numbers in a handful of Brazilian movies (e.g., Alô Alô Brasil, Banana-da-Terra). Next, she performed on Broadway, which led to a 20th Century Fox contract.
Hollywood’s ‘Carmen Miranda Costume’: Brazilian Bombshell
Carmen Miranda’s first Fox movie was Irving Cummings’ Down Argentine Way (1940), featuring the Brazilian import as a “specialty” attraction singing “Mamãe Eu Quero” and “South American Way.”
Along with her frilly, colorful costumes and the fruit salad she often wore atop her head, Miranda, nicknamed the Brazilian Bombshell, would remain at the studio until 1946. During that time, she was almost invariably seen as generic characters – usually with Hispanicized names – from somewhere south of the Rio Grande.
With the exception of a few elaborate musical numbers, her movies were equally generic. They gave her plenty of opportunities to sing (sometimes in Portuguese) and dance, but little opportunity to act apart from raising her eyebrows before exploding in “Latin” fury or delivering lines in her unique rat-a-tat manner.
If that weren’t all, the actual romantic leads in these star vehicles were Fox’s all-American blondes Alice Faye, Betty Grable, and (strawberry blonde) Vivian Blaine.
Carmen Miranda costume. In her dozen Hollywood movies, Brazilian import Carmen Miranda was cast as generic South of the Border characters notable for their colorful, partly edible costumes; long, shiny lips and eyelashes; and zestfully accented machine-gun-like line delivery. Despite Miranda’s undeniable popularity, her movies’ leading men John Payne, James Ellison, and Don Ameche hooked up not with her, but with all-American blondes Alice Faye, Betty Grable, and (strawberry blonde) Vivian Blaine.
Carmen Miranda movies
Below is a list of Carmen Miranda’s Hollywood movies. All but the last four were 20th Century Fox releases. Every title between 1940 and 1944 was in Technicolor.
Also in color were Miranda’s two Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films, A Date with Judy and Nancy Goes to Rio.
Down Argentine Way (1940).
Dir.: Irving Cummings.
Cast: Betty Grable. Don Ameche. Carmen Miranda. Charlotte Greenwood. J. Carrol Naish. Henry Stephenson.
That Night in Rio (1941).
Cast: Alice Faye. Don Ameche. Carmen Miranda. S.Z. Sakall. J. Carrol Naish. Curt Bois.
Week-End in Havana (1941).
Dir.: Walter Lang.
Cast: Alice Faye. John Payne. Carmen Miranda. Cesar Romero. Cobina Wright Jr.
Springtime in the Rockies (1942).
Cast: Betty Grable. John Payne. Carmen Miranda. Cesar Romero. Charlotte Greenwood. Edward Everett Horton. Harry James.
The Gang’s All Here (1943).
Dir.: Busby Berkeley.
Cast: Alice Faye. Carmen Miranda. James Ellison. Sheila Ryan. Charlotte Greenwood. Phil Baker. Benny Goodman. Eugene Pallette.
Greenwich Village (1944).
Cast: Carmen Miranda. Vivian Blaine. Don Ameche. William Bendix.
Something for the Boys (1944).
Dir.: Lewis Seiler.
Cast: Carmen Miranda. Vivian Blaine. Michael O’Shea. Phil Silvers. Sheila Ryan. Glenn Langan.
Doll Face (1945).
Cast: Vivian Blaine. Dennis O’Keefe. Perry Como. Carmen Miranda. Martha Stewart. Stephen Dunne.
Copacabana (1947).
Dir.: Alfred E. Green.
Cast: Groucho Marx. Carmen Miranda. Steve Cochran. Gloria Jean.
A Date with Judy (1948).
Dir.: Richard Thorpe.
Cast: Jane Powell. Wallace Beery. Elizabeth Taylor. Carmen Miranda. Robert Stack. Xavier Cugat. Scotty Beckett.
Nancy Goes to Rio (1950).
Dir.: Robert Z. Leonard.
Cast: Ann Sothern. Jane Powell. Barry Sullivan. Carmen Miranda. Louis Calhern. Scotty Beckett.
Scared Stiff (1953).
Dir.: George Marshall.
Cast: Dean Martin. Lizabeth Scott. Jerry Lewis. Carmen Miranda. George Dolenz. Dorothy Malone.
Death at age 45
Carmen Miranda’s last film appearance was what amounted to a cameo in the 1953 Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy Scared Stiff.
She died of a heart attack on Aug. 5, 1955, in Beverly Hills – a day after suffering a minor attack during a taping of The Jimmy Durante Show. She was buried in Rio, where her hearse was accompanied by a crowd of 500,000.
Dec. 30 update: Carmen Miranda’s younger sister, Aurora Miranda, whose handful of film credits include Phantom Lady and The Three Caballeros (in which she wears a more discreet Carmen Miranda costume in the Bahiana style), died at age 90 on Dec. 22.
See more Carmen Miranda costumes:
“Carmen Miranda Images.”
“Federico Fellini + Luchino Visconti + Carmen Miranda.”
Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Modern Art website.
Carmen Miranda costume images: Publicity shots ca. early 1940s.
“Carmen Miranda Costume & Memorabilia: Oversized Jewelry & Tropical Fruits” last updated in January 2019.
Carmen Miranda Images: ‘Brazilian Bombshell’ Turns 100 + Van Johnson Tribute + Rare Gary Cooper
Busby Berkeley WB & MGM Musical Extravaganzas + Carmen Miranda Banana Hat
Brazilian Cinema & Carmen Miranda Showcase + Biggest Silent Domestic Blockbuster Restored
‘8½’ Federico Fellini Oscar Winner + Claudia Cardinale Remembers Luchino Visconti & Carmen Miranda Dances
Aurora Miranda Enthralled Donald Duck & Was Fiery ‘Phantom Lady’ Singer
‘The Gang’s All Here’: Best Carmen Miranda & Alice Faye Musical?
Austin Burbridge -
The Carmen Miranda Museum (Museu Carmen Miranda) in the Flamengo neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro is small but curated with love. Mostly it is a gallery of her costumes. She was such a *giant* of entertainment — it is startling to see that the garments were made for a *tiny* person.
Nono -
Sou familiar da carmen miranda prima em 4º grau tenho uma obsessão por sua musica e pela sua beleza!
Joni Giarratano -
I taught an Art class using my memory of Carmen Miranda and hercostume, as one I always wore as my costume for Halloween. NO one in the class knew who I was talking about ! I need a photo of her to show them , next time , just how beautiful she was ! I can’t seem to download the photo that accompanies this article !…HELP?
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In addition to the bereavement services for the families we serve, we have provided some helpful grief support links below:
Crisis, Grief and Healing
Webhealing.com, the first interactive grief website on the internet, offers discussion boards, articles, book suggestions, and advice for men and women working through every aspect of grief. The site’s founder, Tom Golden LCSW, has provided book excerpts and contact information to help those healing from loss.
Willowgreen
Willowgreen offers support and information for those dealing with life transition & aging, illness & caregiving, loss & grief, and hope & spirituality. The site offers advice, products, and inspirational materials.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) website contains a Grief & Loss section with grief-related articles and information.
Growth House
Growth House is an award-winning website that offers international resources for life-threatening illnesses and end of life care. The site features hypertext topic pages that explain major issues across the spectrum of hospice and home care, palliative care, pain management, grief, death with dignity, and quality improvement. It also offers disease-specific guides, an online bookstore, and even their own radio station.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s website provides a host of information and resources for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury and their caregivers.
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7 Types of Photography Styles to Master
By: Georgia Schumacher Filed under: Film & Production
While most photographers specialize in one or two different types of photography experimenting with various photography styles can help to expand your skill set. The technical and creative skills required often cross multiple photography genres. This means that as you improve in one area, you can learn valuable lessons and techniques that make you a better photographer across other styles.
By learning and practicing the seven different types of photography below, you can build a strong foundation for your photography career.
1. Portrait Photography
One of the most common photography styles, portrait photography, or portraiture, aims to capture the personality and mood of an individual or group. Images may be candid or posed, full body or close-ups. Either way, the subject’s face and eyes are typically in focus. Lighting and backdrop help to convey tone and emotion. Popular types of photography portraits include senior portraits, family portraits, engagement photos, and professional headshots. The best portrait photographers make clients feel completely comfortable, so that their expressions are natural and relaxed.
2. Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a way of telling the story of a newsworthy (perhaps even historic) event or scene through photographs. Photojournalism should be as objective and truthful as possible and capturing candid moments as they happen is more important than getting picture-perfect shots. Generally, photojournalists attend planned events with the hope of capturing unplanned, unscripted moments. Their work is routinely published in magazines and newspapers.
3. Fashion Photography
Fashion photography showcases and glamorizes fashion clothing, shoes, and accessories to make them more desirable to consumers. It is commonly published in magazines and online. People may choose this niche over different types of photography because of the opportunity to be highly creative in making photographs eye-catching and appealing. Fashion photographers take a lot of full body shots and work in an array of locations, from fashion shows to studios with full lighting setups to city streets and open fields. They utilize many of the same skills as portrait photographers and must practice good teamwork and communication when working with shoot stylists, creative directors, and models.
4. Sports Photography
By catching athletes, coaches, and even fans at the perfect moment, sports photographs can depict the passion, drama, and emotion that fuels sporting events. Sports photographers must aim and shoot quickly to keep up with the action around them, and it’s best practice to use a higher ISO to shoot at a faster shutter speed. Sports photographers also usually use long, heavy lenses for zooming in on the action. Interesting angles can help make your work stand out in this competitive genre.
5. Still Life Photography
Like it sounds, still life photography features inanimate objects—natural or manmade. Still life photography can be artistic or commercial. It is commonly used in stock photography as well as product advertising. (Think of the product images shown in catalogs, magazines, and billboards.) For still life photographers, object selection, arrangement, and lighting are key to getting a great shot.
6. Editorial Photography
Editorial photography is taken to illustrate a story or article, typically for a magazine or newspaper. The subject of editorial photography can vary widely and is entirely dependent on the topic of the text it accompanies. Generally, for editorial photography, you’ll want to get shots that work for a variety of layouts, including horizontal and vertical compositions. When working in editorial photography, you are likely to work closely with writers and art directors, and demonstrating good communication skills and professionalism will help you succeed.
7. Architectural Photography
Both the interior and exterior design of buildings and structures are the subject of architectural photography. From warehouses to city bridges to old country barns, this genre encompasses diverse structures. Often, the photograph showcases the structure’s most aesthetically pleasing parts, such as a particular beam or archway. Interesting materials and colors may also be emphasized. Lighting can be challenging in architectural photography and, for exteriors, photographers must know how to work with natural light. Gear such as a tilt-shift lens, a tripod, and a panorama head is often useful. Architectural photographs can be of value to designers, architects, leasing companies, and building investors.
Get Started on Your Photography Career
You can explore these types of photography styles and more in the fully online Digital Photography programs at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division , which include associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and certificate programs. You can also find Digital Photography programs at The Art Institutes campuses around the country.
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To Tackle Major Issues, Europe’s Fractious New Parliament Will Have to Work Together
By Garret Martin
The European Union has survived its latest contest between pro-EU and anti-EU forces.
Helped by high turnout, pro-EU centrist and leftist parties together won more than two-thirds of seats in the European Parliament elections held in 28 countries from May 23 to 26. Populist parties intent on destroying the EU from within made only modest gains, increasing their share from 20% to 25% of the 751 seats.
The European Parliament – one of the three institutions involved in passing laws in the European Union – was once a debate society with no real influence. Today, it has a significant role in shaping how EU countries will tackle climate change, threats to democracy, immigration and other matters of great concern to European voters.
The election outcome ensures that populist forces cannot form a blocking minority, which could paralyze the work of the European Parliament.
Despite hobbling populist forces, the result is messy. No single party has a majority of seats, meaning the EU will be governed by a broad coalition – one that will likely have to accommodate left, right and centrist views.
I’m a scholar of European politics. While the European Parliament relies on bargaining between its groups, this is the most fragmented I’ve ever seen it.
It is possible that the necessity of building coalitions among the varied pro-EU parties could foster compromise. But with lots of small parties and divergent opinions vying for influence, legislators may also struggle to make any concrete legislative progress at all.
Pre-election polling showed that European voters saw climate change as a major factor in casting their ballot, citing concern over environmental conservation and global warming.
In recent months, student-led school strikes against climate change have spread across Europe.
These environmental concerns contributed to the surge of Green Party representatives, who won 9% of the vote – increasing their parliamentary seats from 52 to 69.
Greens were particularly effective in Western Europe and with younger voters, capturing one-third of all German voters under the age of 30. Their campaign pledges to push for urgent climate action, social justice and civil liberties were less successful in Central and Eastern Europe.
“We will need to see much more serious climate action, a real change of attitude: a price on CO2, properly tackling aviation, the greening of agriculture,” said Bas Eickhout after the election. Eickhout is a leading member of the Greens in the European Parliament.
Pressuring EU countries to meet these environmental goals, however, will not be straightforward.
While 77% of Europeans surveyed in a recent study want to see meaningful action on climate change, European politicians are divided on the issue.
Germany and Poland have refused to endorse a bold plan to achieve carbon-neutral economies by 2050. That has put them at odds with many of their partners in the EU, such as France, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Any legislative action on the environment, such as reforming EU agricultural or trade policies, will require agreements between parliamentary groups. The likely coalition of the center-right, liberal, center-left and Green parties would bring together groups with very different environmental records.
That will likely mean more compromise and less ambitious policies.
The members of this fractious likely alliance also hold divergent views on how – and indeed whether – to grapple with the decline of democracy across Europe.
The populist leaders of Hungary and Poland have both undermined the rule of law in recent years, curtailing the independence of key institutions like the press and the judiciary. Both countries have also passed harsh laws that reduce civil liberties, restricting the ability of human rights organizations to operate.
Such laws violate the values of the European Union, a political and economic alliance founded in 1957 with a clear commitment to protect liberal democracy and the rule of law.
But efforts by the EU to sanction Poland and Hungary have hit roadblocks. Populist parties view EU punishment as an infringement on national sovereignty, and even the more centrist European People’s Party also refused for years to censure Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán because he is a member of their group.
In September 2018, European Parliament members eventually voted 448 to 187 to recommend that Hungary’s EU voting rights be suspended – the main tool available to rebuke European countries that violate EU rules.
However, for this severe sanction to take effect, all EU member states except the offending country must vote in favor of the punishment. That’s an impossibly high bar to clear, especially since Poland and Hungary have been protecting each other.
But unless the EU and the European Parliament can find some way to reprimand Hungary and Poland, it could embolden illiberal-leaning Romania and the Czech Republic to follow in their footsteps.
Immigration is another controversial topic that the European Parliament will want to act on in the coming years.
The number of undocumented migrants entering Europe has dropped significantly since the 2015 refugee crisis, but pre-election polls showed that many European voters saw immigration as a top campaign issue.
After years of discussion about reforming Europe’s shared asylum system, EU member states remain stubbornly divided on this subject.
In both national politics and the European Parliament, centrists and leftists across Europe generally seek to collaborate on a regulated approach to immigration that fairly shares responsibility across the region. But populist parties want closed borders, and anti-immigrant rhetoric has fueled their rise.
Given Europe’s divided new Parliament, finding agreement on how to proceed on this issue will be hard.
Europeans have high expectations of their leaders. Polls show that 68% of Europeans view membership in the EU as beneficial. The high turnout in European Parliament elections and strong showing of pro-EU parties confirm that the contested union is experiencing something of a resurgence.
If the EU’s parliamentarians can forge agreement across the political spectrum, they may foster a renewed, pluralistic defense of European integration that will satisfy voters on immigration and other critical everyday matters.
If paralysis results instead, anti-EU populists may well triumph the next time around.
Garret Martin, Professorial Lecturer, American University School of International Service
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Home / American Football / Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders to host Helsinki Roosters from Finland in Scandic Bowl II
Sweden’s Carlstad Crusaders to host Helsinki Roosters from Finland in Scandic Bowl II
By AFI on 12/13/2019@AFIReview
Graphic: Igor Lazarevic
The Carlstad Crusaders, eight-time Swedish champions, will stage the second annual Scandic Bowl on May 9, 2020 when they play host to the defending Finnish champions, the Helsinki Roosters at Tingvalla IP field in Karlstad, Sweden.
In this past year’s inaugural Scandic Bowl, Carlstad dropped a 31-14 decision to the Berlin Rebels.
This year, the Roosters, winners of 20 Finnish titles, will make the trip to Karlstad. The last time these two teams met was in the Northern European Football League title game in 2017, when Helsinki came away with a thrilling 21-15 overtime win.
Billy BD Kennedy, head coach of the Carlstad Crusaders:
“Getting the chance to face the Helsinki Roosters again is something we really look forward to. The club has a very strong organization and the men’s team is one of the best teams in Europe. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to measure ourselves against a top international team.”
The Crusaders reached the Swedish final in 2019, losing to the Stockholm Mean Machines. Helsinki won the Finnish crown this past season and also defeated both the Copenhagen Towers and Mean Machines in international play.
A year ago, the Roosters also defeated the Dacia Vienna Vikings in in the Charity Bowl in Austria.
Helsinki Roosters head coach Juha Hakala:
“We look forward to traveling to Karlstad and Tingvalla to face Crusaders on their home turf. We have met each other in several tough games over the years. The Crusaders is a well-coached team and play very physical football and we are confident that they will do everything possible to defend their home ground.”
American Football International is your source for news and updates about American Football outside the United States!
Related ItemsAmerican FootballCarlstad CrusadersFinnish championsHelsinki RoostersKarlstadNewsScandic BowlSweden
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You are here: Home / Around Amma 2017 / Amma in Udupi: God is the indivisible oneness devoid of all boundaries
Amma in Udupi: God is the indivisible oneness devoid of all boundaries
25 Feb, Udupi, Karnataka – Bharata Yatra 2017
Thousands filled the MGM College grounds on Sunday in hopes of receiving Amma’s blessings upon her first visit to Udupi.
Greeted in the traditional manner, Amma welcomed to a chorus of drums. The welcoming party was complete with a group of devotees costumed as the Nava Durga (the nine forms of the Divine Mother) and another painted as tigers. Once on stage, the local Brahmins chanted the Vedic Mantras to welcome her presence in the holy city of Udupi.
The official program began at 6 pm with the welcome speeches by distinguished guests. Pramodh Madvaraj, the Minister of State of Fisheries and Youth Empowerment noted that the city of Udupi had been waiting 14 years for a visit from Amma. He was elated with her presence. “I have not experienced this level of joy even when I became a minister in the state cabinet.”
The crowd shared the Minister’s joy and devotion as Smt Shobha Karandlaje, MP of the Udupi Chikmagalur, noted in her speech, “Amma’s shakthi is clearly reflected by the strength of her children present here.”
It was clear that Amma’s impact on Udupi was not confined to that evening alone.
Prof. HS Ballal, Pro Chancellor of Manipal University spoke of Amma’s involvement in the R&D Collaboration of Amrita University and Manipal University in the field of healthcare and education for the benefit of the poor. He reiterated their commitment to take it forward.
After the speeches, Amma offered a Go-Dan (a donation of cows) to five citizens, donated water purifiers to 10 schools, gave Amala Bharatam kits to 11 city members, and adorned 30 representatives of the AmritaSree Self-Help group with saris.
Addressing the crowd, Amma said, “God is the indivisible oneness devoid of all boundaries or separation. Mother Nature, the atmosphere, the birds and other animals, the plants and trees, each and every atom in them is overflowing with this divine power. God is fully present in all that is sentient and insentient. When we fully understand this truth, we can do nothing but love ourselves as well as everyone around us.”
Amma’s satsang was followed by a series of Kannada bhajans. Her every word was echoed back to her by the immense crowd of devotees. Thereafter, Amma led a manasa puja, directing the audience in their local tongue in a collective prayer for world peace.
Darshan began with a group of Yakshna Gana actors performing on stage. The whole night was filled with a potent sense of devotion and love emanating from the city. Local devotees offered Amma a two foot Panchaloha statue of Sri Krishna encased in glass.
A mutual love overflowed between Amma and the devotees gathered there in Udupi.
The number of devotees that came to receive Amma’s darshan was so large that each embrace lasted a mere second or two. Yet, it was clear that even this small interaction between Amma and the people of Udupi meant the world to them.
In the early hours of the morning Darshan was still going and the crowd seemed endless. Amma continued to bestow her blessings until 10:33 am the next morning, having embraced everyone from uniformed police officers to local dignitaries. It was clear from the patience and graciousness of all who came that the city of Udupi was filled with an intense love for Amma.
Amma’s visit to Udupi was not limited to her many hours of darshan that night. Earlier she also visited the famous Sri Krishna Temple after being invited by Pejawar Math Swami Viswesra Teertha, the elder-most swami of the Pejawar Math. At the temple, Swami Viswesra Teertha adorned Amma with a red shawl and offered her a sandalwood statue of Lord Krishna. The temple, famous for its Krishna idol, one worshipped by Krishna’s wife Rukmini herself and cloaked in miraculous tales of fierce devotion of Kanaka Dasa.
Amma’s time in Udupi was a most special occasion, the devotees are sure to treasure it for years to come.
-Kannadi
Amma's Bharata Yatra 2017 - Jan - May
Compassion Never Rests: Amma's Visit to Talassery,
Tags: Bharata Yatra 2017, udupi
We are all one - all children from the same Mother.
Cultivating Devotion with Yearning, Dispassion and Discrimination
Discernment is the switch that turns on the light of knowledge
The spring season of life blossoms where there is patience and forbearance
Dancing in Love: Amma's Visit to Coimbatore
A celebration of Motherhood: Amma's Visit to Mysore
Amma gained love and respect not by speech but through the service rendered Mystery of Life is Lord Shiva
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#ANCESTRYHOUR
Foreword from the Founder
Susie Douglas, Founder of #AncestryHour
Sylvia Valentine aka #FMV
Michelle Leonard
Fergus Soucek-Smith
John Boeren
Rachel Bellerby
Tara (Ra Boom di Ay)
Paul Chiddicks
Downloads PDF Files
Family Tree Academy Reviews
How to plan a trip to your ancestral village
Bring a whole new perspective to your family history research by visiting the village that your ancestors called home. By Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine.
Imagine walking down the streets your ancestors once trod, stepping into the church where they celebrated baptisms and weddings, and maybe even finding the old family home. All of these could be a reality when you visit the village where your ancestor once lived.
If your research has led you to identify your ancestor’s home village, consider taking a trip to that location – both to discover more about your ancestor, and for the sheer pleasure of seeing the places that would have been so familiar to them.
To make the most of your visit, see what you can find discover before your trip. For example, what old buildings which your ancestor might have known (such as a village church, pub or schoolhouse) are still in existence? If the street where your ancestor lived no longer seems to exist, could it simply have changed its name over the years? Compare a historic and a modern map to see what you can discover. Even if you can’t find the actual house or street, there are likely to be some landmark buildings still in existence close by, such as the village shop, market cross or war memorial.
You could also try to get an idea of how the village would have looked when your ancestor lived there. Old paintings or postcards can show local landmarks such as the high street, village church, etc, that bygone villagers would have known – Francis Frith has a great selection: www.francisfrith.com. Also check whether there are any trade directories in existence for the years your ancestor was there (local history libraries usually have copies) to see what businesses, schools and churches served the local community; perhaps you might even be able to identify where your ancestor worked if you’ve found his or her occupation on the census.
Next, prepare a working file for use during your trip. This could include a copy of your family tree; notes on the relevant ancestor(s) such as date of birth, street where they lived etc; information on street names or landmarks you’re hoping to see; the dates your ancestor was resident in the village and notes on any questions you’re hoping to answer during your visit.
You could also find out the location of the nearest museums, archives and local history libraries which could form part of your research trip. Whilst you’re in the area you could take the opportunity to discover resources which aren’t available to you online. Are any of the older parish records for the village still kept at the church? If so, make contact with the minister and request an appointment to explore these.
Try an online search to find out whether the village has a local history group or civic society and if so, try e-mailing a request for information about the ancestor(s) in question, explaining that you’ll be visiting the area and hope to find out more.
In the same vein, you could find out whether there are any history talks or meetings that you could attend whilst you’re in the area; perhaps a nearby family history society or local history group is holding a meeting which would coincide with your visit, giving you the chance not only to enjoy the talk but also the opportunity to meet local family history enthusiasts.
Making the most of your trip
Once you’re in the village, look out for blue plaques and information boards and talk to locals in the village shops and pub. Nearby museums may have displays of artefacts relating to local crafts and industries, and maybe even a library or photo collection. Local bookshops and museums often stock history books about the surrounding area that are difficult to find elsewhere.
Remember that some of the buildings your ancestors would have known may not now be fulfilling their original use. For example, the schoolhouse may now be a café, or the village hall could be the office of a small business. Your earlier background research using old photos and maps should help you here, as will a careful look at any buildings which appear to be from the period your ancestor was in the area.
If you’re staying in a family-run bed & breakfast or hotel, remember that your hosts will most likely have an in-depth knowledge of the area and its local families and may well point you in the direction of more information.
And most of all, enjoy your time in your ancestral home village – take in the atmosphere, the views, the buildings around you… you’re standing in the place your ancestors did, looking at the scenery they saw and the buildings that they passed on their way to work or school. What a special experience.
Do your homework beforehand to maximise your chances of discovering information during your visit;
Take photos of relevant buildings for your research file;
Photograph information boards in the village for later use;
Explore the surrounding towns and hamlets – your ancestor may have worked in these, or visited for market day, local festivals. etc.
For more tips on making the most of your family history research, visit Family Tree’s website.
(image copyright DS Pugh)
A taste of the past - exploring the recipes our ancestors would have enjoyed
Find out more about the food that our ancestors would have enjoyed with Family Tree magazine’s guide to using cookery books in family history.
Think back over the decades and, chances are, food and cooking play a big part in your memories. Events such as weddings, christenings and even a humble tea around the kitchen table are part of the fabric of family life. Things were no different for our ancestors, wherever they lived and whatever their circumstances, and you can bring your research to life by finding out more about the foods that your ancestors would have eaten and the recipes they might have used.
Discovering old recipes, and even perhaps cooking them in the modern day is a great way to find out about traditions, regional food variations and what sort of food was available in a particular era. Events such as rationing, the changing seasons and even the weather could affect what food was available; something which is easy to forget in this age of 24-hour supermarkets and international cuisine.
The ideal find for family historians is an heirloom hand-written recipe book containing recipes collected by family members over the years. However, for those of us not lucky enough to possess such a treasure, there are plenty of other options.
If you own old commercially produced recipe books previously used by an older family member, be sure to check through the pages carefully, as some cooks wrote notes beside well-loved recipes, perhaps suggesting alternative ingredients or even noting events at which a particular recipe was used.
Interpreting recipe books
Don’t worry if your quest for personal family recipes isn’t as fruitful as you hoped; old recipe books provide plenty of information on what our ancestors would have been cooking and baking. Two long-lived and widely-read such volumes are Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management and The Be-Ro Book, both of which have been reprinted dozens of times over the decades.
Each of these books, which can be obtained from online booksellers or second-hand bookshops, contains family recipes using ingredients which were in widespread use at the time of publication. The cooking methods, preparation details and notes on how to serve the food are a fascinating glimpse into kitchen life in years gone by.
The internet is a great source of old family recipes, with thousands of enthusiasts sharing their recipes and tips. You could search for recipes that you remember from your own childhood, or dishes which feature in family folklore. Even if you have just a rough idea of what ingredients would have been included, you might strike lucky and find the dish online.
Look for websites with connections to the regions where your ancestors lived; there are hundreds of American sites featuring international recipes from the homeland of those who emigrated to the US and wanted to keep a taste of home.
Enjoy taking a trip into your family’s culinary past and be sure to keep your own favourite recipes for future generations to enjoy.
Historic recipe websites
Pinterest - Heirloom recipes and ideas for organising your old recipes
Recipes Past and Present – A community website with recipes from Victorian times to the 1970s
Old and Vintage Cook Books – Over 4,000 old cookbooks for sale
Find out more about the lives and times of your ancestors in every issue of Family Tree magazine.
(Image © Tuck DB Postcards)
SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY BOOKS ONLINE
by Fergus Soucek-Smith, Old Scottish.
During our live Twitter chat last week, Fergus Soucek-Smith of 'Old Scottish' and #AncestryHour's righthand man in Edinburgh, posted a link to one of his many fantastic blogs. This particular article is jam-packed with publications which are all available online and is just too good for researchers of Scottish history to miss! In case you are one of them, here it is again. Many thanks Fergus for sharing such a great resource!
We've written before about the National Library of Scotland's (NLS) massive ongoing digitisation project - the NLS plans to digitise literally millions of items from their collection, and make them available online for free. Well as part of that project, earlier this week they launched their digital versions of the publications of the Scottish History Society. This is great news, unless, like me, you have most of these in the original print form, in which case your book collection has just gone down in value!
The Scottish History Society (SHS) was founded in 1886 with the aim of publishing original sources of Scottish history. It forms part of a rich tradition of publishing clubs in Scotland (and we will be writing about some of the others in another post in the near future), and has become one of the longest-running and most successful of them. Over the last 130 years, the SHS has published over 170 books, covering a very wide range of historical topics. The NLS has now put the complete run on its website. We've added a list of all of the titles available from the SHS below, but we thought we'd highlight some of our favourites.
Arthur Mitchell's monumental work "Contribution to the bibliography of Scottish topography" is a superb reference work. It was published in two volumes: the first is arranged geographically (by county, then by parish), while the second is arranged by subject area. The books list many thousands of articles, books, pamphlets and chapters, and is indispensable for local historians, and extremely useful for family historians as well. Our copy was so heavily used I had to send it to my bookbinder for repairs!
There are two particularly useful titles for those interested in Jacobite history: List of persons concerned in the rebellion, published in 1890, and Prisoners of the '45, published in three volumes in 1928-1929, edited by Sir Bruce Gordon Seton and Jean Gordon Arnot. While certainly not comprehensive, and in many ways superseded by more recent research, they are both very useful starting points.
An intriguing, explicitly genealogical title, albeit one that is not always entirely reliable, is Genealogical collections concerning families in Scotland, made by Walter Macfarlane, 1750-1751. Families covered by this volume include Balfour, Bethune, Munro, Moncrief, Morton of Cambo, Kinnaird of that Ilk and Inchture, Mackenzie, Grant, Maclean, Mackintosh, Leslie, Bisset, Fraser of Lovat, Oliphant, Maule, Lawmond [Lamond], Carnegy, Martine, Schevez, Forbes, Strang, Knox, Spang, Douglas, Robertson of Strowan, Fraser of Dores, Fullarton, Urquhart, Gordon, Rose of Kilravock, Stirling and Kinninmond of that Ilk. As ever with printed genealogies, any information should be treated with a great deal of caution.
As graduates of the University of St Andrews, we are both interested in the history of Scotland's oldest university, and of the town. There are no fewer than three relevant titles in this collection: Rentale Sancti Andree, being the chamberlain and granitar accounts of the archbishopric in the time of Cardinal Betoun, 1538-1546, Early records of the University of St. Andrews The graduation roll, 1413 to 1579, and the matriculation roll, 1473 to 1579, and Acta Facultatis Artium Universitatis Sanctiandree, 1413-1588. The first of these is a very useful source for 16th century Fife, while the latter two are among the earliest surviving education records in Scotland.
Another source for sixteenth-century Fife is the Sheriff Court Book of Fife, 1515-1522. This excellent volume includes a full index of people and places. It's worth noting that much of Kinross was at this time under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff of Fife.
There are a number of other early books of court records from around Scotland:
Court book of the Barony of Urie in Kincardineshire, 1604-1747
Records of the Proceedings of the Justiciary Court Edinburgh, 1661-1678
Records of the Baron court of Stitchill 1655-1807
Minutes of the justices of the peace for Lanarkshire, 1707-1723
Court book of the Barony of Carnwath, 1523-1542
Court book of the Burgh of Kirkintilloch 1658-1694
Court books of Orkney and Shetland 1614-1615
These are interesting not just for their geographical range, but also for the different types of court they cover. Each volume includes a detailed index, which is obviously very useful.
There are transcriptions and extracts from early church records in Scotland:
Records of the Presbyteries of Inverness and Dingwall, 1643-1688
Rentale Dunkeldense, Being accounts of the bishopric, A.D. 1505-1517, with Mylin's 'Lives of the Bishops', A.D. 1483-1517
Stirling Presbytery records 1581-1587
Perth Kirk Session books, 1577-1590
Register of the minister, elders and deacons of the Christian congregation of St. Andrews comprising the proceedings of the Kirk Session and of the Court of the Superintendent of Fife Fothrik and Strathearn, 1559-1600
Minutes of the Synod of Argyll, 1639-1651 (1652-1661)
Another group of early church records concern Scotland's relations with the Catholic Church and the Vatican. These include some of the earliest surviving references to one of my own families (Carstairs of Fife):
Calendar of Scottish supplications to Rome, 1428-1432
Calendar of Papal letters to Scotland of Clement VII of Avignon, 1378-1394
Calendar of Papal letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon, 1394-1419
Calendar of Scottish supplications to Rome, 1418-1422 (and 1423-1438)
There are a number of volumes relating to estates, including estate surveys:
Survey of Lochtayside, 1769 Made by John Farquharson and John McArthur
John Home's survey of Assynt
Argyll Estate instructions: Mull, Morvern, Tiree 1771-1805
Several other collections of local records are worth mentioning:
Ayr Burgh accounts, 1534-1624
Early records of the Burgh of Aberdeen 1317, 1398-1407
Aberdeen Guild Court records 1437-1468
Selections from the records of the regality of Melrose, 1605-1661 (1662-1676, 1547-1706)
Records of the Earldom of Orkney, 1299-1614
Scotland has a long tradition of links to Poland, stretching back hundreds of years. As well as trade, many thousands of Scots settled, particularly in northern Poland. In more recent times, tens of thousands of Poles have moved to Scotland (and indeed I myself lived in southern Poland for a while in the early 1990s). In that context, Papers relating to the Scots in Poland 1576-1793 is a very useful starting point. Research in this area continues to the present day by among others Dr David Worthington of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
The final volume I want to mention is an unusual one. Alexander Webster was a Church of Scotland, born in Edinburgh, although his father was a Covenanting minister from Fife. In 1742, he proposed a pensions scheme for widows of Church of Scotland ministers which, with some adaptations, was eventually adopted, and was one of the pioneering works in actuarial studies. His work drew the attention of the government, which in 1755 commissioned him to produce data for the first population census of Scotland. Unlike later censuses, Webster's work did not include names, but was just a count of the population in each parish. It includes the number of Catholics, the number of Protestants, and the number of "fighting men" in each parish. Webster's work is reproduced, together with population counts for subsequent censuses, in Scottish population statistics. Although not very useful for genealogists, it does provide the earliest population count for most of the parishes in Scotland, and is therefore very useful for historical demographers.
Scottish History Society Publications
Tours in Scotland 1747, 1750, 1760
By Richard Pococke ... From the original MS and drawings in the British Museum. edited with a biographical sketch of the author by Daniel William Kemp. [With a portrait.]
Diary and general expenditure book of William Cunningham of Craigends ... kept chiefly from 1673 to 1680
edited from the original manuscript by ... James Dodds.
Grameid: an heroic poem descriptive of the campaign of Viscount Dundee in 1689, and other pieces
By James Philip ... edited ... with translation, introduction and notes by ... Alexander D. Murdoch.
Diary of the Reverend John Mill, minister of the parishes of Dunrossness Sandwick and Cunningsburgh in Shetland, 1740-1803. With selections from local records and original documents relating to the district
edited, with introduction and notes by Gilbert Goudie. [With illustrations and a map.]
Narrative of Mr. James Nimmo, written for his own satisfaction to keep in some remembrance the Lord's way, dealing and kindness towards him, 1654-1709
edited from the original manuscript with introduction and notes by W.G. Scott-Moncrieff. [With a genealogical table.]
List of persons concerned in the rebellion, transmitted to the Commissioners of Excise by the several supervisors in Scotland in obedience to a general letter of the 7th May 1746, and a supplementary list with evidences to prove the same
With a preface by the Earl of Rosebery and annotations by ... Walter Macleod.
Book of record - a diary written by Patrick, First Earl of Strathmore, and other documents relating to Glamis Castle, 1684-1689
edited from the original MSS. at Glamis, with introduction and notes by A.H. Millar. [With plates, including a portrait.]
History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland
Compiled ... by John Major ... Translated from the original Latin and edited with notes by Archibald Constable; to which is prefixed a life of the author by Aeneas J.G. Mackay.
edited from the original manuscript, with notes and introduction, by ... Douglas Gordon Barron. [With a plate and a map.]
Memoirs of the life of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, baronet, Baron of the Exchequer Extracted by himself from his own journals 1676-1755
edited from the manuscript in Penicuik House with an introduction and notes by John M. Gray. [With plates, including portraits.]
Journal of the Hon. John Erskine of Carnock, 1683-1687
edited from the original manuscript, with introduction and notes, by ... Walter Macleod. [With a portrait.]
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (First volume)
Contents: The library of James VI. In the hand of Peter Young, his tutor, 1573-1583 / G.F. Warner - Documents illustrating Catholic policy in the reign of James VI., 1596-1598 / Thomas Graves Law - Twenty-four letters of Sir Thomas Hope, ... 1627-1646 / Robert Paul - Civil war papers, 1643-1650 / H.F. Morland Simpson - Thirty-four letters written to James Sharp, ... 1660-1677 / John Dowden - The diary of George Turnbull, minister of Alloa and Tyninghame, 1657-1704 / Robert Paul - The Masterton papers, 1660-1719 / V.A. Noel Paton - Accompt of expenses in Edinburgh by Alexander Rose of Kilravock, 1715 / A.H. Millar - Papers about the Rebellions of 1715 and 1745 / Henry Paton - General index - Index to the library of James VI.
Account book of Sir John Foulis of Ravelston, 1671-1707
edited from the original manuscript, with introduction and glossary, by ... A.W. Cornelius Hallen.
Letters and papers illustrating the relations between Charles the Second and Scotland in 1650
edited, with notes and introduction, by Samuel Rawson Gardiner. Spine title: Charles II and Scotland in 1650. 16 pages immediately following text contain List of members of the Scottish History Society, July 1894. Last 16 pages contain Report of the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Scottish History Society.
Scotland and the commonwealth. Letters and papers relating to the military government of Scotland, from August 1651 to December 1653
edited, with introduction and notes, by C.H. Firth.
Jacobite attempt of 1719 Letters of James Butler, second Duke of Ormonde, relating to Cardinal Alberoni's project for the invasion of Great Britain on behalf of the Stuarts
edited, with an introduction, notes and an appendix of original documents, by William Kirk Dickson. [With a portrait.]
edited, with an introduction, from the original manuscript, by William Mackay. [With a facsimile.]
Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston, Lord Wariston, 1639
Editor: Paul, George Morison, 1839-1926
Contents: The preservation of the Honours of Scotland, 1651-52; Lord Mar's legacies, 1722-27; Letters concerning Highland affairs in the 18th century, by Mrs. Grant of Laggan. Wariston's diary edited by George Morison Paul.
Itinerary of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from his landing in Scotland, July 1745, to his departure in September 1746
Compiled from The Lyon in mourning [by Robert Forbes], supplemented and corrected from other contemporary sources by Walter Biggar Blaikie. Map in pocket: "A map to illustrate the movements of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ..."
Memorials of John Murray of Broughton, sometime secretary to Prince Charles Edward, 1740-1747
edited, with an introduction, notes and an appendix of original documents, by Robert Fitzroy Bell. [With plates, including portraits and a facsimile.]
Compt Buik of David Wedderburne, merchant of Dundee, 1587-1630. Together with the shipping lists of Dundee, 1580-1618
edited from the original manuscripts, with introduction and notes, by A.H. Millar. [With genealogical tables.]
Scotland and the protectorate. Letters and papers relating to the military government of Scotland from January, 1654 to June, 1659
edited, with introduction and notes, by C.H. Firth. [With a map and plans.]
Genealogical collections concerning families in Scotland, made by Walter Macfarlane, 1750-1751
edited from the original manuscripts in the Advocates' Library, by James Toshach Clark.
Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with his observations on public affairs and other memoranda, 1665-1676
edited with introduction and notes by Donald Crawford. [With portraits.]
Papers Illustrating the History of the Scots Brigade in the service of the United Netherlands, 1572-1782
Extracted by permission from the Government Archives at The Hague, and edited by James Ferguson
Contents: v. 1. The war of independence, 1572-1609. The time of the twelve years' truce, 1609-1621. The thirty years' war, 1621-1648. The age of William of Orange and the British revolution, 1649-1697.-v. 2. The war of the Spanish succession, 1698-1712. The period of peace, 1713-1742. The war of the Austrian succession, 1742-1749. The last days of the Brigade, 1750-1782.-v. 3. The Rotterdam papers, 1709-82. The remembrance: a metrical account of the war in Flanders, 1701-12, by John Scot, soldier.
Papal negotiations with Mary Queen of Scots during her reign in Scotland, 1561-1567
edited from the original documents in the Vatican archives and elsewhere / by John Hungerford Pollen.
Diary of Andrew Hay of Craignethan 1659-1660
edited, with introduction and notes, by Alexander George Reid.
Cromwellian union Papers relating to the negotiations for an incorporating union between England and Scotland, 1651-1652, with an appendix of papers relating to the negotiations in 1670
edited, with introduction and notes, by C. Sanford Terry.
Loyall dissuasive And other papers concerning the affairs of Clan Chattan by Sir Æneas Macpherson, knight of Invereshie, 1691-1705
edited, with notes and introduction, from the originals at Cluny castle, by Alexander D. Murdoch.
Chartulary of the Abbey of Lindores, 1195-1479
edited from the original manuscript ... with translation and abstracts of the charters, illustrative notes and appendices by John Dowden. Documents in Latin with English translation. The introduction contains a history of the abbey, and a biography of the founder, David, earl of Huntingdon.
Letter from Mary Queen of Scots to the Duke of Guise, January 1562 Reproduced in facsimile from the original manuscript in the possession of the late John Scott, of Halkshill, Esq., C.B.
edited, with translation, historical introduction and appendix of original documents, by John Hungerford Pollen.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Second volume)
Editor: Firth, C. H. (Charles Harding), 1857-1936
Contents: The Scottish king's household and other fragments from a 14th century manuscript / Mary Bateson - The Scottish nation in the University of Orleans, 1336-1538 / John Kirkpatrick - Muster-roll of the French garrison at Dunbar, 1553 / Robert S. Rait - The antiquity of the Christian religion among the Scots, 1594 / Henry D.G. Law - The apology for William Maitland of Lethington, 1610 / Andrew Lang - Some letters and correspondence of George Graeme / L.G. Graeme - A Scottish journie, being an account in verse of a tour from Edinburgh to Glasgow in 1641, by P.J. / C.H. Firth - Narratives illustrating the Duke of Hamilton's expedition to England in 1648 / C.H. Firth - Certain papers of Robert Burnet ... Gilbert Burnet ... and Robert Leighton / H.C. Foxcroft - Letters and documents relating to Robert Erskine, physician to Peter the Great, 1677-1720 / Robert Paul - The will of Charlotte Stuart, Duchess of Albany, 1789 / Francis Steuart - Index.
Letters of John Cockburn of Ormistoun to his gardener 1727-1744
edited, with introduction and notes, by James Colville.
Records of a Scottish cloth manufactory at New Mills, Haddingtonshire, 1681-1703
edited from the original manuscripts, with introduction and notes, by W. R. Scott.
Chronicles of the Frasers The Wardlaw manuscript entitled 'Polichronicon seu Policratica temporum, or, the true genealogy of the Frasers', 916-1674 / by James Fraser
edited from the original manuscript with notes and introduction, by William Mackay.
edited, with introduction and notes from a ms. In the possession of John W. Weston, esq., by W.G. Scott-Moncrieff and with additional notes by the owner of the manuscript.
transcribed by George Gunn ; edited by Clement B. Gunn. "Introduction" by George Gunn: p. ix-xxxix.
Statutes of the Scottish Church, 1225-1559 Being a translation of Concilia Scotiae: Ecclesiae Scoticanae statuta tam provincialia quam synodalia quae supersunt.
With introduction and notes by David Patrick.
Ochtertyre House booke of accomps, 1737-1739
edited with introduction and a glossary by James Colville. [With a genealogical table.]
Charters, bulls and other documents relating to the Abbey of Inchaffray. Chiefly from the originals in the charter chest of the Earl of Kinnoull
edited by William Alexander Lindsay ... John Dowden ... John Maitland Thomson ... With map and facsimiles.
Selection of Scottish forfeited estates papers. 1715; 1745
edited from the original documents, with introduction and appendices, by A.H. Millar.
De Unione Regnorum Britanniae Tractatus
By Sir Thomas Craig. edited from the manuscript in the Advocates' Library, with a translation and notes by C. Sanford Terry.
Household book of Lady Grisell Baillie 1692-1733
edited, with notes and introduction, by Robert Scott-Moncrieff.
Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708
edited, with introduction and annotations, by James Grant.
Rentale Sancti Andree, being the chamberlain and granitar accounts of the archbishopric in the time of Cardinal Betoun, 1538-1546
Translated and edited by Robert Kerr Hannay. [With a facsimile.]
edited with introduction and notes by J. Storer Clouston.
Contents: Early records - Decrees, and other records, of the courts - Dispositions of land in Orkney - Dispositions of tenements in Kirkwall - A few miscellaneous documents.
Letter-book of Bailie John Steuart of Inverness 1715-1752
edited by William Mackay.
Rentale Dunkeldense Being accounts of the bishopric, A.D. 1505-1517, with Mylin's 'Lives of the Bishops', A.D. 1483-1517.
Translated and edited by Robert Kerr Hannay. And a note on the cathedral church by F.C. Eeles.
Letters relating to Scotland in the reign of Queen Anne
By James Ogilvy, First Earl of Seafield, and others. edited by P. Hume Brown.
Papers relating to the Scots in Poland 1576-1793
edited with an introduction by A. Francis Steuart. A collection made by and in part edited by Miss Beatrice Baskerville; translations from Latin by J. Mackay Thomson - Preface.
Origins of the 'Forty-five And other papers relating to that rising
edited by Walter Biggar Blaikie.
Contribution to the bibliography of Scottish topography
By Sir Arthur Mitchell and C.G. Cash. Edinburgh : Printed by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society, 1917. 2 volumes: 2nd series, volumes 14 and 15.
Papers relating to the Army of the Solemn League and Covenant, 1643-1647
edited with an introduction by Charles Sanford Terry.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society
Contents: Dundee court-martial records, 1651 / edited by Godfrey Davies - The bishop of Galloway's correspondence, 1679-1685 / edited by William Douglas - The diary of Sir James Hope, 1646-1654 / edited by Sir James Balfour Paul - Instructions for the trial of Patrick Graham, 1476 / edited by Robert Kerr Hannay - The Scottish contributions to the distressed church of France, 1622 / edited by D. Hay Fleming - The Forbes baron court book, 1659-1678 / edited by J. Maitland Thomson.
Diary of George Ridpath, minister of Stitchel, 1755-1761
edited with notes and introduction by Sir James Balfour Paul.
Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot
edited [With introduction], from the original documents in the Public Record Office, the Yelverton MSS. ... by John Hungerford Pollen.
Papers from the collection of Sir William Fraser
edited by J.R.N. Macphail.
Papers relating to the ships and voyages of the company of Scotland trading to Africa and the Indies, 1696-1707
edited by George Pratt Insh.
Early records of the University of St. Andrews The graduation roll, 1413 to 1579, and the matriculation roll, 1473 to 1579
transcribed and edited by James Maitland Anderson.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Fourth volume)
Editor: Campbell, Herbert and Seton, B. G. (Bruce Gordon), Sir, 1868-1932
Contents: Commentary on the expedition to Scotland made by Charles Edward Stuart, Prince of Wales / by Guilio Cesare Cordara ; edited by Sir Bruce Seton - The manuscript history of Craignish / by Alexander Campbell ; edited by Herbert Campbell - Miscellaneous charters, 1165-1399, from transcripts in the collection of the late Sir William Fraser / edited by William Angus.
Scottish correspondence of Mary of Lorraine Including some three hundred letters from 20th February 1542-3 to 15th May 1560
edited by Annie I. Cameron.
Journal of Thomas Cuningham of Campvere, 1640-54, with his thrissels-banner and explication thereof
edited by Elinor Joan Courthope. [With plates, including a facsimile.]
Sheriff Court Book of Fife, 1515-1522
Transcribed and edited, with an introduction, notes, and appendices, by William Croft Dickinson.
Transcribed and edited by Charles A. Malcolm.
Warrender papers
edited by Annie I. Cameron ... with an introduction by Robert S. Rait.
Flodden papers
Diplomatic correspondence between the courts of France and Scotland 1507-1517. edited by Marguerite Wood.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Fifth volume)
Editor: Greig, J. Y. T. (John Young Thomson), 1891-1963; Dickson, William Kirk, 1860-1949; Marchmont, Hugh Hume, Earl of, 1708-1794; Dunlop, Annie I., 1897-1973; and Tayler, Henrietta, 1869-1951
Contents: Miscellaneous charters, 1315-1401, edited from transcripts in the collection of the late Sir William Fraser / William Angus - Bagimond's roll for the Archdeaconry of Teviotdale, from a thirteenth-century transcript in the Vatican archives / Annie I. Cameron - Letters from John, Earl of Lauderdale, and others, to Sir John Gilmour, President of session / Henry M. Paton - Letters to John MacKenzie of Delvine from the Rev. Alexander Monro / William Kirk Dickson - Jacobite papers at Avignon / Henrietta Tayler - Marchmont correspondence relating to the '45 / G.F.C. Hepburne Scott - Two fragments of autobiography, by George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal of Scotland / J.Y.T. Greig.
Warrender letters Correspondence of Sir George Warrender, Bt., Lord provost of Edinburgh, and member of Parliament for the city, with relative papers, 1715
transcribed by Marguerite Wood ... ; edited with an introduction and notes by William Kirk Dickson.
Commentary on the rule of St. Augustine
By Robertus Richardinus. edited by G.G. Coulton. [With facsimiles.] Text based on a transcript from the original 1530 edition. Transcription of original t.p.: Exegesis in canonem diui Augustini rece[n]s aedita, per Fratre[m] Robertum Richardinum, celebris Ecclesiase Cambuskenalis canonicum. Lvtetiae, In aedibus Christiani VVechel sub scuto Basiliensi. 1530.
edited with an introduction by Margaret M. McArthur. [With maps.] "The documents published in this volume represent the written part and two of the plans of a survey of the Breadalbane estates lying on the north side and the south side of Loch Tay, made in 1769 by John Farquharson and John McArthur."-Page vii.
Early letters of Robert Wodrow, 1698-1709
edited ... with notes and extracts from the answers to these letters ... by L.W. Sharp.
Transcribed and edited, with an introduction, by George S. Pryde.
edited with an introduction by William Croft Dickinson.
Scottish Chronicle known as the Chronicle of Holyrood
edited by Marjorie Ogilvie Anderson ... With some additional notes by Alan Orr Anderson.
Jacobite court at Rome in 1719 From original documents at Fettercairn House and at Windsor Castle
edited by Henrietta Tayler. [With a portrait.]
Charters of the Abbey of Inchcolm
edited by D.E. Easson ... and Angus Macdonald. [With folding maps.]
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Sixth volume)
Editor: Dunlop, Annie I., 1897-1973; Easson, David Edward, 1897-; Paton, Henry M.; and Dickson, William Kirk, 1860-1949
Contents: Bagimond's Roll : statement of the tenths of the Kingdom of Scotland / edited by Annie I. Dunlop. -Foundation-charter of the Collegiate Church of Dunbar / edited by D.E. Easson. -Letters from John, Second Earl of Lauderdale, to John, Second Earl of Tweeddale, and others / edited by Henry M. Paton. -Memories of Ayrshire about 1780, by the Reverend John Mitchell, D.D. / edited by William Kirk Dickson. Includes report of the 52nd annual meeting of the Scottish History Society.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Seventh volume)
Editor: Meikle, Henry W. (Henry William), 1880-1958; Stewart, Helen Catherine; and Hamilton, Marion F.
Contents: Diary of Sir William Drummond of Hawthornden, 1657-1659 / edited by Henry W. Meikle - The exiled Stewarts in Italy, 1717-1807 / edited by Helen Catherine Stewart - The Locharkaig treasure / edited by Marion F. Hamilton.
Two missions of Jacques de la Brosse An account of the affairs of Scotland in the year 1543 (by Jacques de la Brosse and Jacques Menage); and, the journal of the Siege of Leith, 1560
edited by Gladys Dickinson. [With a facsimile.]
Contents: Consists of two documents, in the original French with English translation. The first, Discours des affaires du Royaume descosse, by Jacques de La Brosse and Jacques Menage, is printed from ms. fonds francais no. 17890, folios 29-34, in the Bibliotheque nationale, Paris. The second, the Journal, by an unidentified author, is printed from Memoires et documents, Angleterre, reg. 15, folios 154-182, in the Archives of the Foreign office, Paris. cf. Pref.
Selections from the Monymusk Papers, 1713-1775
Transcribed and edited by Henry Hamilton. [With maps.]
Charters of the Abbey of Coupar Angus
Transcribed and edited by D.E. Easson. 2 volumes.
Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices, 1561-1572
edited by Gordon Donaldson.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Eighth volume)
Editor: Easson, David Edward, 1897-; Mackie, J. D. (John Duncan), 1887-1978; Pryde, George S. (George Smith); Tayler, Henrietta, 1869-1951; and Armstrong, C. A. J. (Charles Arthur John)
Contents: Miscellaneous monastic charters / edited by D.E. Easson. -A letter of James III to the Duke of Burgundy / edited by C.A.J. Armstrong. -The English Army at Flodden / edited by J.D. Mackie. -Lord Chancellor Glamis and Theodore Beza / edited by Gordon Donaldson. -Documents relating to Prince Charles Edward's grandson / edited by Henrietta Taylor. -Papers relating to a Refrewshire farm, 1822-30 / edited by George S. Pryde.
Scottish population statistics, including Webster's Analysis of population, 1755
By James Gray Kyd.
Letters of James the Fourth, 1505-1513
Calendared by Robert Kerr Hannay ; edited, with a biographical memoir, and an introduction by R.L. Mackie ; assisted by Anne Spilman. "Report of the sixty-fourth annual meeting of the Scottish History Society": 8 p. at end.
edited by William Croft Dickinson.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Ninth volume)
Contents: Papers relating to the captivity and release of David II.-Accounts of Sir Duncan Forestar, comptroller, 1495-99.-Report by De la Brosse & D'Oysel on conditions in Scotland, 1559-1560.-Diary of Sir James Hope, 1646.-Proceedings from Prince Charles' landing to Prestonpans.
Wigtownshire Charters
edited by R.C. Reid. [With a genealogical table.]
edited by R.J. Adam, with a map drawn by K.M. MacIver.
Contents: Introduction.-The survey of Assynt.-Home's accounts.-Appendix A. Tenants and inhabitants of Assynt.-Appendix R. Alexander Mackenzie of Ardloch's accounts as factor of Assynt, 1764-1773.
edited by George S. Pryde.
edited by Eric R. Cregeen. With a portrait and maps. The maps are in a pocket on the back cover. Includes the report of the 77th annual meeting of the Scottish History Society.
Acta Facultatis Artium Universitatis Sanctiandree, 1413-1588
edited by Annie I. Dunlop. 2 volumes. "First published for the University Court of the University of St. Andrews (St. Andrews University publications no. LVI)-by Oliver and Boyd, 1964."
Editor: Murray, Athol L. (Athol Laverick) and Burns, Charles
Contents: E.W.M. Balfour-Mellville (1887-1963), a memoir / by D.B. Horn. - Bagimond's roll for the diocese of Moray / edited by Charles Burns - Accounts of the King's Pursemaster, 1539-1540 / edited by Athol L. Murray. - Papers of a Dundee shipping dispute, 1600-1604 / edited by W.A. McNeill - A scottish liturgy of the reign of James VI / edited by Gordon Donaldson - Lists of schoolmasters teaching Latin, 1690 / edited by Donald J. Withrington - Letters of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun and his family, 1715-1716 / edited by Irene J. Murray - Sir John Clerk's observation on the present circumstances of Scotland, 1730 / edited by T.C. Smout - A Renfrewshire election account, 1832 / edited by William Ferguson.
Letters of John Ramsay of Ochtertyre, 1799-1812
edited by Barbara L.H. Horn.
Transcribed and edited by Robert S. Barclay.
Contents: [Illustrated.] Includes Scottish History Society, 1886-1966: a commemorative record.
Minutes of Edinburgh Trades Council, 1859-1873
edited by Ian MacDougall.
Dundee textile industry, 1790-1885 From the papers of Peter Carmichael of Arthurstone
edited by Enid Gauldie.
edited by Annie I. Dunlop and Ian B. Cowan.
Papers on Sutherland Estate Management 1802-1816
edited by R.J. Adam. 2 volumes. Map in pocket of Volume 1.
William Melrose in China, 1845-1855 The letters of a Scottish tea merchant
edited by Hoh-cheung Mui and Lorna H. Mui.
Papers on Scottish electoral politics, 1832-1854
edited by J.I. Brash.
edited [and translated from the Latin] by Charles Burns. Annie I. Dunlop (1897-1973) : a memoir / by Ian B. Cowan. Includes the annual report of the Society.
edited [and translated from the Latin] by Francis McGurk. Includes the annual report of the Society.
Scottish industrial history A miscellany
edited by Rae, Thomas I. And Smout, T. C. (T. Christopher)
Papers on Peter May, land surveyor, 1749-1793
edited by Ian H. Adams. Includes bibliographic references and index..
Autobiography of John McAdam (1806-1883) With selected letters
edited by Janet Fyfe.
edited by James Kirk.
Government of Scotland under the Covenanters, 1637-1651
edited by David Stevenson.
Contents: Introduction - Conventions, abbreviations and glossary - Calendars. Committee of Estates, October to November 1645 - Committee of Estates, May 1648 - Committee for Dispatches, January to March 1649 - Committee for Dispatches, May to August 1649 - Committee for Managing the Affairs of the Army, April to May 1651 - Appendices. Sessions of Parliament and the Convention of Estates - Presidents of Parliament - General Executive Committees (Committees of Estates and for Dispatches) - Army Committees of Estates - Financial Committees - Session General Preparative Committees -Clerks of the Committee of Estates etc. - Financial officials - Committee records.
Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland
edited by Ian B. Cowan, P.H.R. Mackay and Alan Macquarrie.
Scottish firm in Virginia 1767-1777 W. Cuninghame and Co
edited by T.M. Devine.
Jacobean Union Six tracts of 1604
edited by Bruce R. Galloway and Brian P. Levack
Contents: Introduction - Of the union of Britayne / by R. Pont - A treatise about the union of England and Scotland - A treatise of the happie and blissed unioun / by J. Russell - A brief consideracion of the unyon of twoe kingedomes / by J. Doddridge - Of the union / by Sir H. Spelman -Historicall collections / by Sir H. Savile - Appendix: Tracts and treatises on the union, 1603-1605. The Regal Union of England and Scotland took place in March 1603 when James VI of Scotland acceded to the English throne. In order to strengthen the regal union James set out to reduce these differences. As a result, a large number of tracts were written on "the union" in both countries. The main purpose of this volume is to expand the amount of readily accessible material by printing six of the more important treatises - Introd.
Acts of the lords of the Isles, 1336-1493
edited by Jean Munro and R.W. Munro.
Scottish texts and calendars An analytical guide to serial publications
by David and Wendy B. Stevenson.
Government and social conditions in Scotland, 1845-1919
edited by Ian Levitt.
Letters of George Lockhart of Carnwath, 1698-1732
edited by Daniel Szechi.
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, Volume 11
Editor: Scott, Andrew Murray
Contents: Thomas Ian Rae, 1926-1989, a memoir / by Ian B. Cowan - A plea roll of Edward I's army in Scotland, 1296 / edited by C.J. Neville - Letters of John Graham of Claverhouse / edited by Andrew Murray Scott - Some late seventeenth-century building contracts / edited by J.G. Dunbar and Katherine Davies - Correspondence relating to Millburn Tower and its garden, 1804-1829 / edited by Clare Taylor.
Calendar of Fearn Text and additions, 1471-1667
edited by R. J. Adam. Includes the Society's 104th annual report, Dec. 8, 1990.
Scottish Office Depression and reconstruction 1919-1959
History of the union of Scotland and England
By Sir John Clerk of Penicuik ; extracts from his MS "De Imperio Britannico" translated and edited by Douglas Duncan.
edited by A.A.M. Duncan and others.
Contents: A question about the succession, 1364 / edited by A.A.M. Duncan - Autobiography, 1626-1670, of John Hay, 2nd earl of Tweeddale / edited by Maurice Lee, Jr. - Letters of Lord Balmerino to Harry Maule, 1710-1713, 1721-1722 / edited by Clyve Jones - Strike bulletins from the General Strike in Scotland, 1926 / edited by Ian MacDougall.
George Buchanan The political poetry
edited with translation and commentary by Paul J. McGinnis and Arthur H. Williamson. Edinburgh : Printed for the Scottish History Society by Lothian Print, 1995. Text in English and Latin on facing pages; notes and commentary in English.
Campbell letters 1559-1583
edited by Jane E.A. Dawson.
Religious controversy in Scotland 1625-1639
edited by David George Mullan.
Scotland and the Americas, c. 1650 - c. 1939 A documentary source book
edited by Allan I. Macinnes, Marjory-Ann D. Harper & Linda G. Fryer.
Mid and East Lothian Miners' Association minutes 1894-1918
Miscellany of the Scottish History Society XIII
Contents: Eight thirteenth-century texts / edited by W.W. Scott - Dunfermline gild court book, 1433-1597: missing folios / edited by E. Patricia Dennison - A memorandum on the customs, 1597 / edited by Athol L. Murray - The trial of Geillis Johnstone for witchcraft, 1614 / edited by Michael B. Wasser & Louise A. Yeoman - An early seventeenth-century Scottish conversion narrative / edited by David G. Mullan - Fiscal Feudalism in seventeenth-century Scotland / edited by Julian M. Goodare - Witchcraft cases from the register of commissioners of the privy council of Scotland, 1630-1642 / edited by Louise A. Yeoman - John Hay, earl of Tweeddale, 'Relatione of the wrangs done to the Ladie Yester, 1683' / edited by Maurice Lee, Jr - Colin Maclaurin's Journal of the 'Forty-five / edited by Bruce A. Hedman.
edited by Elizabeth Gemmill.
Chronicle of Melrose Abbey A stratigraphic edition. Vol. 1, Introduction and facsimile edition
Dauvit Broun & Julian Harrison.
edited by Margo Todd.
Travels in Scotland 1788-1881 A selection from contemporary tourist journals
edited by Alastair J. Durie. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Scottish History Society in association with The Boydell Press, 2012.
Contents: Introduction: Tourist travels in Scotland ; Elizabeth Diggle: Journal of a tour from London to the Highlands of Scotland, 19 April to 7 August 1788 ; Adam Bald: Journal of travels and commonplace book, 1790-99 ; Anon: Tours to the Highlands, 1817 and 1818 ; Thomas Adam: Journal of an excursion to Loch Maree, 24 June to 13 July 1857 ; Henry Underhill: Tour in Scotland, Autumn 1868 ; Mary Allison: Uncle and Aunt's trip to Butterbridge, July 1881.
Transcribed and edited from the original manuscript with preface and notes by David Hay Fleming.
Records of the Commissions of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland holden in Edinburgh in the years 1646 and 1647[-1652]
edited from the original manuscript by Alexander F. Mitchell and James Christie ... With an introduction by the former. 3 volumes. [The third volume edited by James Christie, with an introduction by Lord Guthrie.]
Lyon in mourning, or, A collection of speeches, letters, journals etc. relative to the affairs of Prince Charles Edward Stuart
By Robert Forbes. edited with a preface by Henry Paton.
Diplomatic correspondence of Jean de Montereul and the brothers de Bellievre, French ambassadors in England and Scotland, 1645-48
edited, with an English translation, introduction and notes, by J.G. Fotheringham.
Geographical Collections relating to Scotland
Made by Walter MacFarlane. edited from Macfarlane's transcript in the Advocates' Library by Sir Arthur Mitchell. In three volumes. Illustrations, folded facsimile.
Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston, 1650-1654
edited from the original manuscript, with notes and introduction, by George Morison Paul, (David Hay Fleming, James D. Ogilvie). 3 volumes: Series 1, volume 61, Series 2, volume 18; Series 3. volume 34. (See also DOD ID 125651999 and DOD ID 125885870.)
edited from the original manuscript, with notes and introduction, by George Morison Paul, (David Hay Fleming, James D. Ogilvie). 3 volumes: Series 1, volume 61; Series 2, volume 18; Series 3, volume 34. (See also DOD ID 125651999 and DOD ID 126513633.)
Diary of Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston 1632-1639
edited from the original manuscript, with notes and introduction, by George Morison Paul. 3 volumes: Series 1, volume 61; Series 2, volume 18; Series 3, volume 34. (See also DOD ID 126513633 and DOD ID 125885870.)
edited from the original volumes in the Register House, Edinburgh, and in the hands of Mr. James Curle (the Earle of Haddington, and others) by Charles S. Romanes.
Highland papers
edited by J. R. N. MacPhail. Edinburgh : Scottish History Society, 1914-1934. 4 volumes: 2nd series, volumes 5, 12 and 20; 3rd series, volume 22.
Register of the consultations of the ministers of Edinburgh and some other brethren of the ministry
edited by Rev. William Stephen.
Foreign correspondence with Marie de Lorraine, Queen of Scotland, from the originals in the Balcarres papers
edited by Marguerite Wood.
Prisoners of the '45
edited from the state papers by Sir Bruce Gordon Seton ... and Jean Gordon Arnot. 3 volumes: 3rd series; volumes 13-15.
edited by E.R. Lindsay and A. I. Cameron. (1423-1428. edited by Annie I. Dunlop.).
edited by Duncan C. MacTavish.
Account of the proceedings of the Estates in Scotland, 1689-1690
edited by E.W.M. Balfour-Melville.
British Linen Company, 1745-1775
edited by Alastair J. Durie.
Journal of my life and everyday doings 1879-81, 1885-92
By James Wilson, farmer in Banffshire ; edited by Peter Hillis.
Contents: James Wilson's foreword - Vol. 1, Jan. 1879-Dec. 1881 - Vol. 3, June 1885-May 1888 - Vol. 4, May 1888-Jan. 1892 - Appendix 1. A selection of poems by James Wilson - Appendix 2. Lectures and essays given to the Deskford and Ballindalloch Mutual Improvement Associations - Appendix 3. A short story by James Wilson.
Protestant piety in early-modern Scotland Letters, lives and covenants, 1650-1712
Scottish planned villages
edited by Douglas G. Lockhart.
Scottish schools and schoolmasters 1560-1633 John Durkan
edited and revised by Jamie Reid-Baxter
Contents: Schools before the Reformation - The impact of the Reformation - Schools after the Reformation - Schoolbooks, grammarians and schoolmaster poets - Subjects other than grammar - Schoolmasters and their status - Schooling in the Highlands - considerations and conclusions. Appendices: Scottish university matriculations 1560-1633 - Pointers for local history research - List of schools and schoolmasters in Scotland 1560-1633 - Supplementary list: schools and schoolmasters 1634-1660.
Hands up if you think Fergus should make this available as a download. All in favour say 'Aye'!
Walk in the footsteps of your ancestors
Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine explores how you can turn a day out into a fun research trip to help you discover more about what life was like for your ancestors.
From grand stately homes set in extensive parkland, to refurbished mill workers’ housing, the UK is home to some of the world’s finest heritage attractions. But what do these have to do with your family tree, you might ask? Well, if you choose the right site and do a little homework beforehand, not only can you enjoy a fascinating day out, you’ll also come home armed with plenty more information for your family tree.
To begin with, work out what type of site would help fill in the gaps on your family tree. If your ancestor worked in service you could visit the stately home where they were employed, or if you don’t know which ‘big house’ it was, choose one close to there your ancestor lived. Many sites have cottoned on to the fact that people like to know about the ordinary workers on a country estate as well as the aristocrats, and have opened up the servants’ quarters and kitchen areas of the house. Castle Coole in County Fermanagh, Belton House in Lincolnshire and Berrington Hall in Herefordshire are just a few of the grand houses with ‘below stairs’ exhibitions.
Or perhaps your ancestor was a mill worker and lived close to their place of work. Taking a trip to an industrial history attraction such as the World Heritage Village of Saltaire in West Yorkshire, or the Birmingham Back to Backs will give you a great idea of what living and working conditions would have been like. There are hundreds of social history and industrial history museums around the UK so there’s sure to be one where you can find out more about your ancestor’s occupation.
To make the most of your day, consider what you’d like to find out whilst you’re there. Is there a library or visitor centre on site? If so, draw up a list of questions you can either find out for yourself during your visit, or enlist the help of a member of staff at the attraction.
If it’s more general social history information you’re after, take a look at the attraction’s website and work out which areas of the site will be of most interest to you. Approach the visit from the point of view of a researcher as well as a visitor and you may be surprised at what you’re able to find out.
Enjoying the day
On the day of your visit, take along a pencil and notebook and if possible, a working copy of your family tree, or at least some of the details of the ancestor you’re researching. If the site offers guided tours, sign up, as you’ll often find out plenty more detail from your guide than is available on information boards in the various rooms. Site volunteers are usually very knowledgeable and many live in the local area and so may have information on local families of the past.
The site’s guidebook will also have lots of information that’s not on the website and don’t forget the gift shop, as these often stock local history books that can be difficult to find elsewhere. If you can, sign up for the site’s e-newsletter, as many of these give details of upcoming talks, behind the scenes tours and living history events.
Once your visit is complete, have a think about how what you’ve seen and learnt could take its place in your family’s story. Photographs of the place could be added to the relevant ancestor’s paper file or computer record, whilst details of working conditions or job roles can be kept on file to help build up a picture of what life was like for the ancestor in question.
* Check out this interactive map of UK museums, searchable by location and subject
* Heritage Open Days let you see behind the scenes of historic buildings each September
* Find more ideas for exploring your ancestry with Family Tree magazine
(Image shows Birmingham Back to Backs and is copyright Tony Hisgett)
FATHER'S DAY DNA SALES 2017
Written by Michelle Leonard
Michelle Leonard is Ancestry Hour's resident DNA #genesgenius! You can catch her on Twitter as @GenealogyLass and you can now follow her brand new Genes & Genealogy Facebook page.
This year Sunday the 18th of June marks Father's Day in many countries around the world including the UK, Ireland, USA and Canada. Several of the major DNA testing companies are having sales to mark the occasion! This is a great opportunity to pick up DNA testing kits if you've been thinking of testing yourself, your father or any other relative.
Here is a round-up of the DNA sales on offer this Father's Day:
FAMILY TREE DNA (FTDNA)
The FTDNA sale offers a substantial discount on their autosomal offering (the Family Finder test) and their Y-DNA 37 marker test. FTDNA is the only company with a Y-DNA matching database so if you are interested in Y-DNA testing they are the company to test with. Father's Day is a particularly appropriate time to consider Y-DNA testing as it is the one DNA test that can only be taken by men due to the fact only men have a Y chromosome. Fathers pass this Y chromosome down solely to their sons and Y-DNA tests, therefore, can only examine one line of your tree while autosomal tests cover them all. That one line, however, is the direct paternal line which carries the surname and, as such, Y-DNA tests are excellent for surname studies. Y-DNA also can reach much further back in time than autosomal DNA and can be useful for unknown father and unknown male ancestor mysteries on lines for which an appropriate tester can be identified.
Here are all the FTDNA discounts in full:
FTDNA sell worldwide, all prices are in US dollars and shipping is not included (shipping costs $12.95 (£10) per kit but return postage is only included for US kits). Once you have provided a sample further testing can be done using the same sample at a later date (e.g. upgrading your Y-DNA markers to 67).
Additionally if you have tested at AncestryDNA or 23andMe you can transfer into FTDNA's Family Finder database and get all of your matches for free - if you wish to unlock access to all of FTDNA's tools and features, such as their chromosome browser, it costs a modest $19 per kit. HERE is a link to the autosomal DNA Transfer programme. Please be aware if you tested at AncestryDNA after May 2016 you will only get access to your highest confidence matches at FTDNA due to the fact AncestryDNA began using a different chip at that time. If you wish to gain access to all of your lower confidence matches you can choose to take FTDNA's own autosomal test after transferring for a reduced fee of $59 (£46).
AncestryDNA has by far the largest autosomal DNA database at over 4 million testers and it is growing daily. If you have a DNA mystery or brick wall you are trying to break down using DNA, it is very important to get into this huge database.
The price of the AncestryDNA test in the UK has been reduced by £10 from £79 to £69 for Father's Day
(please note that this does not include shipping which is £20 for a first kit and £10 for each additional kit in the same order - maximum ten kits per order)
*sale runs from 7th to 18th June
AncestryDNA are also running Father's Day sales in Ireland, the USA and Canada:
Ireland: Price reduced by €15 from €95 to €80
Shipping €20 per kit and €10 per additional kit in same order
USA: Price reduced by 20% from $99 to $79
Shipping $9.95 per kit
(AncestryDNA is also sold by Amazon in the US with the 20% off plus Free Shipping - see HERE)
Canada: Price reduced by $20 CAD from $129 CAD to $109 CAD
Shipping $19.95 CAD per kit
23ANDME
23andMe are offering a £20 discount on their kit for Father's Day bringing the price down from £149 to £129. With a 23andMe test you receive autosomal results and entry to their autosomal database which has now passed the two million testers mark. Basic Y-DNA (male testers only) and MtDNA haplogroup information and a number of health reports are also included. The health reports are 23andMe's unique selling point but it does mean that many people don't test for genealogical reasons and often are less receptive to sharing family tree information. Shipping costs £9.99 per kit (Standard 7 working days) or £19.99 per kit (Express 2-3 working days). Additionally you can add a gift message to the order if buying as a gift for Father's Day. The offer is limited to two kits per customer and the sale also ends on 18th June.
There is, however, a way to buy 23andMe kits substantially cheaper than this at the moment - they are currently on sale via Superdrug in the UK for £99 with free shipping!
This is the best deal I have seen for 23andMe in the UK in some time; it is almost exactly £40 cheaper than their direct sale price if you include shipping! Superdrug usually sell 23andMe kits at £139.99 and they have informed me that this sale price is effective from 31st May to 27th June. Shipping is free and there are several options:
You can either have the kit delivered to your home address (3-5 working days) or to a local Superdrug store for collection (next day). If you have been wanting to test with 23andMe but have been put off by the price or have an unknown ancestor mystery to solve and it is the one database you are not already in this is an excellent opportunity to test there at a much lower price than usual. I would still, however, advocate testing at AncestryDNA first for those who have not tested anywhere yet as they have the larger database, lower price and are fully focused on testing for genealogy purposes.
There is also a sale in the US - $20 off either the Ancestry only kit (reduced from $99 to $79) or the Ancestry and Health kit (reduced from $199 to $179). Shipping is $9.95 for the first kit and $5 for each additional kit. This offer is also limited to two kits per customer and the sale runs until 18th June. 23andMe kits are also sold by Amazon in the US and, like with AncestryDNA, it is possible to get the discount and free shipping if you order from there instead.
MYHERITAGE DNA
UPDATED: MyHeritage have also announced a Father's Day sale. Their autosomal DNA kit has been reduced from £79 to £59 and the sale ends on 19th June (shipping costs £12 for one kit, the same price for two kits and is free if you buy three or more kits). The price in the US has been reduced from $99 to $69 (shipping costs $12 for one kit with the same discounts for additional kits as the UK version).
It is also still possible to transfer into MyHeritage for free from any of the other major companies - HERE is a link to upload your results to their site. MyHeritage is one of the newer offerings on the market but as more people test with them their database will grow and you will begin to see unique matches there. It will, therefore, start to become more important for everyone, especially those with mysteries to solve, to be in this database in addition to the others.
UPDATED: Living DNA have also now announced a Father's Day sale:
UK: Price reduced by £21 to £99 plus delivery
UK Standard Delivery (5-7 working days): £9.95
UK Premium Delivery (2-3 working days): £14.95
EU: Price reduced to €129 plus delivery
EU Standard Delivery (14-20 working days): €12.95
EU Premium Delivery (5-7 working days): €24.95
US: Price reduced to $119 plus delivery
USA Standard Delivery (5-7 working days): $9.95
USA Premium Delivery (2-3 working days): $39.95
Canada: Price reduced to $159 CAD plus delivery
Canada Standard Delivery (14-20 working days): $14.95 CAD
Canada Premium Delivery (5-7 working days): $49.95 CAD
Australia: Price recently reduced to $169 AUS plus delivery*
Australia Standard Delivery (14-20 working days): $14.95 AUD
Australia Premium Delivery (5-7 working days): $69.95 AUD
*This is not a Father's Day sale as Father's Day is in September in Australia
The sale will end on 18th June.
The Living DNA test gives a detailed regional breakdown of UK Ancestry and also includes Y-DNA (male testers only) and MtDNA haplogroup information. Please note that Living DNA currently do not offer a matching database but this has been promised in the near future.
On a different note I would like to encourage everyone who has already tested themselves or other relatives to contribute data to Blaine Bettinger's Shared cM Project. The Shared cM Project is an attempt to collect as much data as possible on the ranges of DNA (in centimorgans) shared by known genealogical relationships. Due to the random nature of DNA inheritance, the more examples we have for this the better informed we will be when trying to work out relationships with new matches. If you have any confirmed relationships please add the data to the portal so it can be included in the next update. There are now 16,000 submissions to this fantastic citizen science project and the hope is the 20,000 mark can be reached by 30th June. HERE is a link to the portal for submission and if you would like to know more about the cM Project please read THIS fantastic article contributed by Blaine to the Journal of Genetic Genealogy (JOGG) that goes into detail on the Project.
UPDATE: The 20,000 submission mark was surpassed on 10th June way ahead of the goal date! Well done to all who have submitted but please keep on adding your data to the portal as the new target is 50,000 in 2018!
Finally if you're not sure which test to go for in the sale or you just wish to chat about DNA testing for genealogy pop along to #AncestryHour on Tuesday evening between 7-8pm where I will be on hand to answer any queries.
Kick-start your research with these FREE tutorials from Forces War Records
DNA DAY 2017
Michelle Leonard is Ancestry Hour's resident DNA #genesgenius! You can catch her on Twitter as @GenealogyLass.
Today, April 25th, is DNA Day!
DNA Day celebrates two momentous moments in DNA history; the discovery of the double helix which was presented in the Journal "Nature" published on 25th April 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003.
The most important thing to note about DNA Day now, though, is that each year we get some fantastic sales from most of the major DNA testing companies! If you have been thinking of testing yourself or other family members, DNA Day is always a good time to pick up some additional DNA kits and 2017 is no exception.
Here is a round-up of the sales on offer for DNA Day this year:
AncestryDNA have just announced that their database has surpassed the 4 million testers mark! Considering they only announced 3 million testers in January the database is expanding at an amazing rate of knots. This sale is a great opportunity to join that rapidly expanding database. In particular if you have a mystery to solve (e.g. adoption, unknown parentage, illegitimate grandparent etc) testing at Ancestry must be at the top of your list due to the sheer size of their database.
The price of the AncestryDNA test in the UK has been reduced by 25% from £79 to £59 for DNA Day
(Please note that this does not include shipping which is £20 for the first kit and £10 for each additional kit)
*Sale end 26th April (although it appears it will continue until 2nd May for pre-existing customers)
Ancestry are also running DNA Day sales in Ireland, USA and Canada:
Shipping €20 per kit and €10 per additional kit
*Sale ends 26th April
Canada: Price reduced by $30 CAD from $129 CAD to $99 CAD
FTDNA
The FTDNA DNA Day sale runs for a week this year - it began on 20th April and ends at 11:59pm (CST) on 27th April
Here is a list of all the discounts on offer:
Please note that Y-DNA upgrades and upgrades from MtDNA Plus to MtFull Sequence are not included in this sale. There are, however, excellent deals on FTDNA's autosomal offering (Family Finder), their many Y-DNA tests and their MtFull Sequence test. FTDNA are the only company with Y-DNA and MtDNA matching databases so if you are interested in Y-DNA and MtDNA testing they are the company to test with. They have also been around the longest of all of the testing companies.
FTDNA sells worldwide, all prices are in US dollars and shipping is not included (shipping costs $12.95 (£10) per kit but return postage is only included for US kits).
Additionally if you have tested at Ancestry or 23andMe you can now transfer into FTDNA's Family Finder database and get all of your matches for free - if you wish to unlock access to all of FTDNA's tools and features it costs a modest $19 per kit. HERE is a link to the autosomal DNA Transfer programme. Please be aware if you tested at Ancestry after May 2016 you will only get access to your highest confidence matches at FTDNA due to the fact Ancestry began using a different chip at that time. If you wish to gain access to all of your lower confidence matches you can choose to take FTDNA's own autosomal test after transferring for a reduced fee of $59 (£46) - this is in line with the current sale price.
Living DNA have reduced the price of their test by £21 from £120 to £99 for DNA Day
They are also offering DNA Day sales in other countries:
EU: Price reduced by €30 from €159 to €129
US: Price reduced by $40 from $159 to $119
Australia: Price reduced by $40 AUS from $199 AUS to $159 AUS
Living DNA are a relatively new entrant to the market but a very interesting one. Their test gives a detailed regional breakdown of UK Ancestry and also includes Y-DNA and MtDNA haplogroup information. Please note that Living DNA currently do not offer a matching database but this has been promised in the near future.
MyHeritage are also new to the DNA testing world. They have not announced a particular sale for DNA Day but they do have an ongoing reduced price for their new autosomal DNA kit of £69 in the UK (shipping costs £12 per kit). The ongoing reduced price in the USA is $79 (plus $12 per kit shipping).
It is also still possible to transfer into MyHeritage for free from any of the other major companies - HERE is a link to upload your results to their site. As new testers take the MyHeritage test their database will grow and you will begin to see unique matches here.
There has been no indication that 23andMe will be holding a sale for DNA Day - their test, which includes autsomal matching, Y-DNA and MtDNA haplogroup information and certain health reports, can be purchased in the UK for £149.
In the USA, however, there is a 23andMe sale for Mother's Day taking place with $20 off until 14th May (limit of 2 per person).
23andMe's CEO and Co-Founder, Anne Wojcicki, recently announced in a Bloomberg interview that they now have over two million people in their database so testing here cannot be overlooked especially if you have a mystery to solve. Hopefully there will be other sales throughout the year.
If you would like to take advantage of any of these sales I would urge you to do so via the links contained in CeCe Moore's post HERE as that way you will not only be helping yourself to a discount but you will also be contributing to the DNA Detectives Kits of Kindness Program which will help others too. This is a program that donates DNA kits to those who are seeking biological family members but cannot afford the cost of testing. Each kit sold via one of these links contributes a small amount to the Kits of Kindness Program - over 400 people have received donated kits since the instigation of the program in January 2016 and many of them have been reunited with previously unknown biological relatives.
If you're not sure which test to go for in the sale or you just wish to chat about DNA testing for genealogy pop along to #AncestryHour tonight at 7pm where I will be on hand to answer any queries.
Happy DNA Day!
Michelle Leonard (@GenealogyLass)
Should you share your family tree?
You’ve spent several years and quite a bit of money on tracing your ancestors and building up your family tree. So should you then hand over that information to a stranger on a family history website? Rachel Bellerby of Family Tree magazine weighs up the pros and cons.
The Family Tree team were delighted to meet and chat with many family history enthusiasts at the recent Who Do You Think You Are? Live! in Birmingham earlier this month. One of the recurring questions I noticed when talking to visitors, both new and experienced, was how generous should we be when sharing our family tree data online?
Of course, most of us want to see family history thrive, both as a profession and a hobby. But it’s human nature to feel a bit of a pang when a complete stranger approaches you after being shown a ‘match’ on a family history website. Why should you hand over information about your ancestors to someone who might then take their resulting brand new, shiny family tree and show it with pride to all and sundry? After all, that was your hard work…
Let family history thrive!
But perhaps we’re looking at this the wrong way. Isn’t it great to think that someone’s new to the hobby and is inspired enough to try to find out more? A generous response in terms of sharing your online tree (or part of it) and maybe even answering some questions about your ancestors could lead not only to helping someone develop their passion for family history, but maybe even putting you in touch with living relatives you never knew you had.
And of course, because you’ve taken such a pride in building your tree, researching your ancestors and double-checking all your information (of course you have!) you can feel the satisfaction of knowing that your rock-solid research is helping others – and maybe helping to counteract some of those hastily drawn up and scantily researched family trees that we’ve all come across online.
Sharing your information need not all be one-sided either. Not only might the person requesting your family tree be a distant relative, they may have access to family stories, documents or photographs which you haven’t yet seen.
The reason many of us love family history is because we never stop learning. So why not be open to sharing some of the information that you’ve gathered, in the hope that you might learn something new yourself – if not from the person who originally contacts you, but maybe further down the line? Once your tree has been shared, it’ll potentially match with other visitors to the website in question, putting you in the path of some useful contacts.
So let family history thrive! Despite my natural instinct to guard ‘my’ information (and the all-important rule of not giving out information on people who are still alive) I’m going to be generous with my ancestry. After all, if my grandparents hadn’t spent their time telling me family stories, I wouldn’t be enjoying family history as both a hobby and a job today; my forebears took the time to share their tales with me and I want to repay their kindness by being generous with the next generation of family history enthusiasts.
Enjoy everything you need for the hobby you love in each issue of Family Tree magazine. Order your copy on our website.
(image copyright Christiaandup – Creative Commons Licence)
The Future of Archives is Digital?
It is less than 20 years since family historians first had access to digitized images of records in the form of the 1901 census. Many of us date our interest in family history to then and remember how demand crashed the website then we all had to wait what seemed like months until they had sorted it all out and it was back online. Bandwidth was a consideration in those dial-up days and those early downloads were designed to be low resolution so as not to take hours over a line where an incoming phone call cut off your internet.
Copyright Jacqui Kirk 2017. Caption: At work in Warwickshire Record Office’s Digitisation Suite
Now we have so much available to us on the Internet, in the form of officially licensed records and the less formal community archives, personal websites and social media and we are told that:
The Future of Archives is Digital
Last summer the National Archives held a series of round table workshops with archive staff from around the country aimed at producing a Digital Strategy – “A New Vision for Archives”. I was privileged to attend one of these in Birmingham, (as that rare being a “User”), and we were asked to envisage the future of archives and their users as an exercise in Blue Sky Thinking.
Strategic Vision for Archives
According to their blog about this
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/projects-and-programmes/consultation-on-a-new-vision-for-archives/
“we need a strategic vision for the role of the archive in a digital era”
And that:
“The vision should be ambitious and make an engaging and compelling case for funders and decision makers……..
The vision needs to set out a future where archives confidently manage digital as well as paper records and where access is expanded to new fields of research and a diverse audience
The vision must address the financial challenges archives face.”
To my mind this was all about digitising records and attracting funding to do so whilst preferably generating income for archives as well. They wanted to attract new users from the community at large so that they could tap into new sources of funding.
Is that really what the archive sector is thinking?
The results of this exercise and the resulting consultation (4 round tables with 179 participants, an online survey with 235 responses and a public consultation with 130 responses) and a reference group from across the archive sector plus an expert panel composed of much the same have led to the final document “Archives Unlocked” released this month.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/projects-and-programmes/strategic-vision-for-archives/
In its introduction it states that
“Our collections need to be used to be useful”
“The publics (sic) interest in archives and what they have to offer is growing and digital technologies are opening up our archives like never before, to local, national and global audiences keen to learn and to be inspired”
Three Ambitions
It articulates three ambitions for the “benefits which archives will deliver"
TRUST – “people and institutions trust in the authenticity of records and how they are preserved and presented”
ENRICHMENT – “archives enhance and enrich our society intellectually, culturally and economically”
OPENNESS – “archives cultivate an open approach to knowledge and are accessible to all”
One of the key drivers of change is highlighted as User Expectations.
“Society is changing, opening up new uses for data and records, and posing new questions about what is collected now and in the future, in both paper-based documents and digital formats.”
At the end of the document is the Action Plan (still very broad brush so far) saying that they have to tackle the “barriers to success”, meeting the key challenges facing the sector whilst still advocating for archives and making sure that they are valued or that their value is understood.
The plan would address 3 vital themes of digital capacity, resilience and impact. Within the archive sector digital capacity would be developed so as to make it easier to find both paper and digital records, and increasing resilience would encompass more Archive Accreditation, open up the archive sector to new skills and a more diverse workforce, and increase income generation and support innovative service models.
Finally the pledge was to increase the impact of archives “by developing and expanding audiences, piloting approaches to using data and evidence, and influencing thinking in the IT, commercial and knowledge sectors.”
Whilst in general agreement with its aims, my feelings about this document are mixed. On the one hand I applaud its identified ambitions but deplore the fact that it talks grandly about “User Expectations” without any significant user input nor any plans it seems to find out what exactly the user, either existing or future, actually wants or needs. It is all very much “if we build it they will come” with not a hint of market research!
Copyright Jacqui Kirk 2017. Caption: Warwickshire Digitisation Suite
The Future is Digital?
Based on what has happened in the archive sector so far I have a number of concerns.
Digitisation seen as an opportunity for income generation rather than for conserving records?
Quite a lot of what has been already digitised for family historians was already on microfilm so that the issue of conservation of original documents cannot always be said to be relevant except that Familysearch will be discontinuing their microfilm loans to their outreach family history centres at the end of this year due to the discontinuation of film stock manufacture.
It is a complicated issue. As users we have not had a say in what has been digitised and to a large extent are expected to be grateful for what we are given. It is all very Oliver Twist.
Digitisation and its implications for genealogy and historical research
I feel it is time for Users to discuss the whole issue of digitisation and its implications.
We know that the digitisation of parish registers, for instance, has generally reduced footfall in those record offices which have entered into licensing agreements with commercial companies.
Are we by asking for increased access online condemning record offices and archives to cuts and reduced service? Did we in fact ask for it directly or was it just an opportunity grabbed?
Are we in fact complicit in reducing archival services by not supporting or using them?
In addition are we the genealogical and historical research community condoning the reduced standard of research which the assumption that “it is all on the internet” generates?
How can we change this and educate the average researcher that there is so much more out there if archives are difficult to access and what is digitised is not decided by the genealogical community ie the users?
If the concept of a complete online catalogue for most record offices/archives is still only a dream shouldn’t they be concentrating on that rather than spending scarce resources on digitisation or promotion?
Do we prefer archives to do their own digitisation to guarantee that we the users have access without strings? How could this be funded?
Who will decide what is to be digitised and by what means?
Licensing of images and datasets to commercial companies
Some archives and record offices have licensed their datasets to commercial companies. In the case of the National Archives these licences run for 10 years. Recent controversy about the purchase of Fold3 by Ancestry and its subsequent transfer of UK military records licensed to Ancestry from there to Fold3 has highlighted the minefield that this is. At present users have no say as to licensing conditions and usually online access is only guaranteed actually at the site of the original records.
This is fine as long as that access is actually possible although there have been occasions when this was not. Some archives will allow production of the original document if access is not possible online but this is not always the policy and can be problematic if it has been placed in long term storage from which it is difficult and expensive to be retrieved.
The argument is that digitisation and making records available online will attract new users (for instance in other countries) but is this perhaps a case of attracting new paying customers at the expense of the existing ones?
There are considerable costs involved in putting a digital dataset online but when is the break-even point reached and how much profit do the commercial companies make?
Certainly some users feel “ripped off” by the commercial companies.
Should the commercial companies be paying more attention to user education – in fact who should be responsible for educating users as to how to use the datasets effectively and responsibly for their research?
Should this be a function of the archives which hold the originals or the commercial genealogy sector (and in this I include professional genealogists and archival researchers)?
It seems to have been a bit of a battle to actually get complete source citation information and information about datasets included on some of the websites and there are still some where it is woefully lacking. Should this be a component of the licensing conditions?
Another area of concern is the quality control of digitised images. This seems to be based on mechanical sampling making it inevitable that mistakes, and missed images will slip through the net. This is even before transcription and indexing errors come into play.
How can we be sure of the integrity of a digital document – is what we are using the full record?
Hiving off of some document series to Academic users only
Some document series such as State Papers and Prize Papers held at the National Archives have been licensed to companies which service the academic sector to whose subscriptions the genealogical community has no access. Whilst the user still has onsite access digitally this has impacted the way in which researchers work.
Digital access via these subscriptions means that access now has to be via the computers available onsite and there seems to be a lack of understanding of how professional researchers both academic and otherwise work nowadays. Rather than pore over the original documents making notes and transcripts onsite many of us tend to photograph where possible so that the digital photos can be viewed and transcribed in our office or home. These photographic images are in colour and at a relatively high resolution and can be manipulated electronically to zoom in, change the colour palette or merely view on a larger screen to aid transcription.
Onsite subscription access to digitised images often offers none of these advantages particularly when using onsite computers with which we are unfamiliar and where the only option for obtaining multiple images is to photograph the screen or make a large number of prints as downloading or sharing via email is not an option offered.
Should attention be given to making these subscriptions more user friendly?
Should the accessibility options available for the physical documents such as UV lamps to pick out faint handwriting be replicated in the software tools offered by commercial companies as a matter of course?
Should onsite computers at archives be of a higher standard to compensate for difficulties eg larger monitor screens?
Should difficult to read documents be scanned at a higher resolution to make it easier to zoom without blurring?
And of course there is the elitist nature of the whole issue given the aim to open up documents to new users expressed in “Archives Unlocked”. Who benefits from this hiving off certainly not the genealogical community or the “personal interest” public?
The Voice of Users
These are just some of my areas of concern about digitisation. I am by no means a Luddite – in my view digitisation is a godsend. However there comes a time to stand back and take a long hard look at what has gone before and where we want to go next. In my view that time is NOW and the most important part of that process – the User – is being largely ignored.
I call on you all to become more vocal, questioning and participatory in your use of archives and digitised material.
Persuade your local archive or record office or museum or library to set up a User Group to discuss user issues including archive strategy or apply to join it if it already exists. Find out who is representing you and contact them with your concerns.
Keep up to date with what is going on in the archive and library sector – you don’t want to suddenly wake up to find your archive access has changed without your knowledge.
Encourage plain speaking and the cutting through of jargon and waffle.
Above all demand the same high standards of archives and commercial companies as we apply to our own genealogical research.
THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS
Jacqui Kirk - Montague Cottage Research
Jacqui Kirk is a professional genealogist and archival researcher who started and ran a family history group in Leamington Spa for 10 years until she retired from it last Christmas. She has been a representative on the National Archives User Advisory Group since 2014 and was involved as a volunteer last year’s Strong Rooms archive outreach project in the West Midlands. She is a member of APG, SoG, BALH, FIBIS and FACHRS.
You can also follow Jacqui on Twitter at https://twitter.com/genealgenie
Dog tag find – ‘The Forgotten Army’
by Dan Mackay for Forces War Records
The history of the identification tag has been little researched or logged, despite there being a lot to learn from these discs, now known as ‘dog tags’, because of the information they provide. Nothing could have hit home harder than when relatives received one of these discs - possibly even still blood stained. The first British disc was produced in 1907, the order stated that the discs should be made of 1/8th inch thick steel and should be stamped with the soldier’s number, rank, name, regiment and religious denomination, however the rank was later dropped. In 1914, when WW1 broke out it was quickly realised there would be production and cost problems due to the large volume required, and so a new disc made of red/brown vulcanised asbestos fibre was made. However stockpiles of the original aluminium discs continued to be issued, but these are rarely found today.
Dan Mackey, an avid relic hunter tells us about the amazing discovery of thousands of metal dog tags the team found in 2016…
I have recovered dog tags from both world wars and from various nations, going on a number of quests, including one to have a WW1 Canadian soldier’s name added to a war memorial after it was missed off, almost a 100 years ago. I have found dog tags for those who have been outcast by their own family and who would rather post me photographs and medals than have the dog tag returned to them. Here’s how myself and two fellow relic hunters, Alan and Jay made an incredible find, which has resulted in a task that we need help with today.
Before the team travel miles to a new site, usually someone goes out to have a quick look to see if it’s worth a really good search for relics. The site that my fellow hunter, Alan had discovered was a WW2 anti-aircraft battery, but once on site he found pretty much nothing of interest. The site seemed bare, but whilst having a look at the surrounding fields, he found a small copse of trees that contained red brick rubble and typical wartime rubbish. Then something caught his eye amongst the leaves. He picked it up and within seconds realised that he was holding what he thought was a post-war British dog tag. Every digger we have ever spoken to believed that all British dog tags made from metal are post-war, but more on this later. He turned his detector back on and with a wave of it he was receiving signals everywhere. When he put his spade into the ground it revealed not one or two, but what looked like hundreds of dog tags. In fact he found so many that he couldn't carry them all back. So, he back filled the hole, re-burying them, and left for home. In an excited phone call, Alan let Jay and I know of his discovery, he even jangled handfuls of tags down the phone! We agreed for all three of us to dig that site the following Saturday.
'The forgotten Army'- Dog Tag find
Morning came around and the excitement was almost unbearable, we quickly jumped into one car and drove to the site. I was very unsure of what I was about to see. A short walk into the woods, past some old building bases and rubble and I found my first dog tag of the day just on the surface. I was excited to find one, Alan said "just wait till you see this!" We walked a few more steps away from the rubble and he put a spade into the ground. He removed what he had put back over his previous hole, and it was as if someone had lifted the lid on a treasure chest full of silver coins. I was sure that Jay and I stood there open mouthed for several minutes, before simultaneously almost diving in head first. We had with us two large buckets which were quickly filled. Everywhere we dug in this area we found dog tags. In most places they were as lovely as the day they were thrown in, still glinting in the daylight and with one wipe they looked brand new. I started the day by wiping each one and then reading the names out loud, however this soon grew too time consuming, so we threw them all into the bucket, to be discovered later after cleaning. At the end of the first day the buckets looked rather full and extremely heavy! I rang my beloved and very understanding wife to see if it would be a problem for us to dig again tomorrow. She wasn't keen, but she understands my passion for what I do. Despite the barracking from Jay and Alan she said it was alright. So we lugged all of the dog tags back to the car, which was no small feat! Then back to Alan's to hose them off and divide them into three roughly equal piles. It’s amazing what you can do with bathroom scales.
Dan MacKay, an avid relic hunter with his Dog tag find.
Once back at Jay's I emptied my bucket of tags onto a sheet on the floor. There were so many tags that they flowed like water revealing names and numbers as they spilled out. I spotted Jays surname on one tag, and handed it to him. I had from the first moment that Alan had found this site said that all these names and numbers needed to be recorded, in the hope that we could return some of them to the families or better still to the veterans themselves, if they were still alive. So the laptop came out and I started right there, that night, logging the serial number, surname, initials, religion, quantity and other notes. I think I wrote about 500 before almost falling asleep with my head on the screen.
The next thing I knew, the alarm on my phone was going off. Surely it couldn’t be morning. Light rain, mist, darkness and cold almost sent us back to our beds, but we knew that it would be worth the trouble, and so we were soon out of the door and on our way to Alan's. Once we arrived, Alan called me over and handed me a single dog tag that we had lost when jet washing them clean in his drive the previous day. It was named MACKAY! It was clipped on my house keys and remains there now.
Once we arrived back at the site we started filling the same huge buckets all over again. The finding of the dog tags didn't seem to be slowing down at all. Thousands and thousands were being dug up and with no sign of stopping we soon realised that this site would keep us going for some time. Again we left the site and lugged everything back to the car before embarking on another jet washing session to clean them off and divide them up. At that point, I had been in the same clothes for two days of solid digging. I found myself standing in the car park of a bus station with a bag I could barely lift due to holding over six stone of dog tags. I waited for the bus and when it arrived I hauled my bag aboard, and the second I sat down I fell asleep and woke up just outside Bicester, phew, a close call I could have missed my stop. I struggled once again with my bag, which was completely soaked through.
For the following few days the list got longer and longer and I wondered how I could even start returning them. Generally, when finding one tag, the thing to do is either return it to the family if they want it, or find out as much as you can and hope you can get a photo of the original recipient. But I had thousands in front of me and no idea where to start, so I just kept writing my list which soon reached 1,500. Tobin, another friend of mine, who has contacts everywhere, suggested that he ask around to try and work out how all the dog tags were related to each other. Together we coined the name 'the forgotten army' for the dog tags; it stuck! Meanwhile I contacted the British Legion hoping that they may had details of ex-servicemen service numbers which meant it would be simple to return some. A few emails went back and forth but ended with them not really wanting to help. Meanwhile the list continued to grow reaching over 2,500 and with another batch of the worst dog tags cleaned up, I could see this topping well over 4,000. I started asking Jay and Alan how they were getting on documenting their share, to which they responded "I would rather go and re-bury them than have to do that". I really wanted the list to be completed as soon as possible so I offered to document their tags as well. The thought of going to dig up more, when we hadn’t even finished dealing with what we already had worried me that we would get totally overwhelmed.
Another batch of dog tags cleaned up
But we finally finished compiling the list, and I wrote to all the national newspapers, then to all of the local towns that the three of us were from. Nobody was interested in helping to return any of these dog tags, but not being deterred and thinking that someone must want to help us, or be interested in this story I wrote to all of the TV archaeologists such as Tony Robinson, Dan Snow etc... I was mostly ignored, and Dan Snow was just too busy with other projects. Fine! I then wrote to every military magazine that I could think of, again nothing. I hit a wall. I took out a handful of random tags and started punching names and numbers into Google. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing... this continued for hours. I gave up. The tags then sat in organised boxes for over two years, until the last couple of months. I moved house and the tags sat behind me in the window of my new office, casting a shadow over me... literally! I plucked out a couple and a search brought up a website I had seen before - Forces War Records. I figured that if they had information I needed then I would subscribe. With the easy task done, I loaded up the information. What a great website! I then sat entering every name and serial number I had on the list. It was at this point that I was contacted by a gentleman who had heard about my dog tags, and one in particular. It was a dog tag of a soldier called V. Berrett, Service No: 556457. He informed me that it belonged to his friend’s father who fought with the Wiltshire Regiment. He had enlisted in 1936, fighting Rommel in Africa. I told him that I would return it to him as soon as I could. He asked if I could send a letter explaining all that I knew about the tag and in the letter I, of course, asked for as much information that he could tell me about his father’s war time experiences. I also asked if he had a photograph of his father in uniform. So the first tag made its way home. How many more, if any could I return?
Using Forces War Records I had a hit with the dog tag to A HINITT 556057, which led to me to the discovery that he was involved in the Normandy invasion. I then found out that he had revisited Normandy in 2014, from an article written by the Nottingham Post, so I emailed the newspaper and I’m currently hoping that they will be able to contact either Arthur Hinitt or his family, so that I can return the second tag. Arthur Hinitt enlisted at the age of 16 after lying about his age. He served with the Sherwood Rangers, saw action at Operation Market Garden, North Africa and was amongst the first tanks to attempt to take the beach in Normandy. However his tank was hit and it sunk before making it onto the beach. Later in Belgium, whilst in a different tank that was hit, and seconds after he bailed out, it exploded, leaving him with hearing problems.
The best result was yet to come. On 6th Feb 2017 I handed a dog tag over in person to not only a family, but to the veteran himself. Fred Bills’s dog tag began like all the others, cleaned, input into my database, and then run through the Forces War Records website. A hit! I saw that he was wounded once in 1944. I clicked save, then this is where the magic happened. On the site, if someone else has saved a record, a message can be sent to them. I already had a prepared message for this scenario. It basically explains about the dog tags, and if family or friends get in touch I will do my utmost to return it to them. Sure enough the very next day I had an email from Fred’s son, John. John said he was a little sceptical, so I invited him to join my group on Facebook - Extreme Relic Hunters. He did, and from there he sent a few photographs and shared some small snippets of information. We exchanged messages and as I won his trust he invited me to his home when his father would be there and we all had a very pleasant time. Fred told us many stories from his time in the army, from his attempts to volunteer for the RAF, to being drafted into the army and then through Africa, Italy including Monte Cassino and into Austria and later Greece. Most of his stories would have me laughing and some, of course contained the far more serious aspects of war, although even some of those were amusing. Fred had no idea that I had his dog tag with me and was pleasantly surprised to see it, let alone be told he could keep it, as at first he tried to hand it back to me. So another is truly home. A very fantastic experience and one that will certainly spur me on to keep working on these thousands of dog tags.
The next tag that looks like as if it has an almost 100% chance of going home is one that was issued by the Royal Ulster Rifles. Although when I looked him up on the Forces War Records website, it showed that he was wounded serving with No.3 Commandos in NW Europe. I knew that as a specialist unit, they were bound to have an online forum. A quick search online saw me swiftly joining a forum and moments after I put up a post I was given the information and supporting documents to prove he was actually in No.3 Commando and more importantly that he had a daughter, although nobody knew where she was. I was however sent the address of who they believed may be his grandson, so I was able to send him a letter.
Now although I don't have leads on these next three interesting tags, they are certainly worthy of a mention.
Firstly, Harold Anthony Kilpatrick 4697547, a corporal who served with the Royal Armoured Corps out in Burma. He won the Military Medal and the original Gazette recommendation reads:
“During the operations on 4 May 1944 in the Kohima area, and in particular with reference to the position known as the D.C's Bungalow, Corporal Kilpatrick with his tank showed considerable initiative and extreme tenacity of purpose and bravery under heavy fire, sticking to his job of destroying bunkers which were holding up the infantry. He was in action for a considerable time and only withdrew when the flames of the burning building threatened to envelope his tank. I consider his action was an outstanding example of courage and devotion to duty and that by his efforts many casualties to the infantry were saved.”
Harold Anthony Kilpatrick was serving in 149th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, a component of 50th Indian Tank Brigade, at the time of the above cited deeds. The regiment was formed from the 7th Battalion (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry), in November 1941, and originally went into action on the Manipur Road in April 1944.
The Deputy Commissioner's bungalow, famous for the battle on its tennis court and grounds in the desperate defence of Kohima ridge in April 1944, witnessed the demise of numerous British, Indian and Japanese troops in May, not least on the 4th, when Kilpatrick's tank had the dubious distinction of being the first one to reach the location. ‘Burma Victory’, by David Rooney, takes up the story:
“As usual, the Japanese had sited their bunkers cleverly and had dug them deeply enough to withstand any amount of artillery or mortar fire. Inside the bunkers, every man expected to fight to the death. Brave and vigorous attacks by infantry following closely behind a heavy bombardment were invariably met by withering automatic fire and showers of grenades - as every unit in this grim, prolonged and bloody battle found to their cost. The arrival in Kohima of the first tanks, up the road from Dimapur, was the one factor which slowly swung the battle against the Japanese. While 5 and 6 Brigades were fighting their battles, the Dorsets, deployed around the D.C's bungalow, now had the help of a tank on 4 May [Kilpatrick's tank]. It soon became clear that only a tank firing directly into a bunker could dislodge the Japanese. The slope up to the bungalow was so steep that the tank had the greatest difficulty in climbing the hill, but, inching forward, it succeeded, and was able to blast the Japanese out of a main bunker; the supporting Dorsets, however, were driven back by fire from supporting bunkers. Both they and the tank had to withdraw, but they felt they had made progress and that the next attack would succeed.”
Kilpatrick medals sold 2014
Sadly his medals, like so many others have been sold off by the families over time and went up for auction in 2014 making £2300, £500 over their estimated value. As nice as those medals are, the dog tag I now hold in my hand was worn around his neck that very day.
Next is Trooper Stanley John Pickard, who served with the 22nd Dragoons part of the Royal Armoured Corps. On the 22nd of October 1944 he was awarded an unusual medal, the Belgium Croix de Guerre 2nd Class with palm. His recommendation papers state:
"On the 22nd 1944, Tpr, Pickard was co-driver in a tank which was ordered to attack a Farm and Wood near de OLSHENUVAL. Orders came through to help a Recce party which were pinned down by enemy fire. On returning to do this the Tp Ldrs tank became bogged down. The Tp Ldr ordered his last remaining tank to tow him out under intense fire from the enemy Tpr.PICKARD dismounted and attached the tow ropes. Alone he succeeded in doing this working in a prone position in mud and water and under intense small arms fire. After 45 minutes the tank was successfully extricated. Even then Tpr PICKARD did not return to his tank but collected wounded and placed them on the rear of his tank. His determination and utter disregard for his own safety was worth of the greatest praise. Tpr.PICKARD had performed a similar task on two previous occasions.”
The last tag, from ‘the forgotten army’ belonged to Quartermaster Sergeant Alan Brazendale who had reports of being wounded and then being awarded the Military Medal. Brazendale served with the 4th Country of London Yeomanry, a unit in the Royal Armoured Corps. The recommendation is rather bland and simply states that “in devotion to duty and disregard to safety he kept up the fighting strength of the unit.” I began to feel that maybe Pickard had been a little short changed with his Croix de Guerre, however, after doing a bit more research I then found a photograph of Brazendale being awarded the medal from General Montgomery!
Brazendale being awarded M.M by Monty
You can see more information on our ‘the forgotten army’ at www.extremerelichunters.com, although it is still in the construction phase, the site is live. On a more important note - if anyone would like to help, either with particular units, awards, or with specific details about metal British dog tags from WW2 then please get in touch. At the moment it’s only myself working on these dog tags and it’s quite a monumental task!
Dan MacKay - I am a lifetime military history enthusiast and self-published author of two books, currently writing my third with more planned. With a couple of friends I formed a group called Extreme Relic Hunters for which I run facebook groups and a website.
My main interests are Canadian WW1, German WW2, US WW1, NAAFI items, Combat photography, Dog-tags and named items from both world wars. I aim to return named items and also collect my own family named medals. I metal detect, dump dig and trade items to specialise my collection which takes me around south-east England and part of Europe.
Extreme Relic Hunters, Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/560495727421114/
Forces War Records, Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=forces%20war%20records
Forces War Records, Twitter https://twitter.com/F_W_Records
Articles are written by a variety of our #AncestryHour followers & cover a multitude of topics, which are of interest to researchers of #familyhistory & #genealogy. If you would like your work to feature here, please contact us!
Copyright © #AncestryHour Feb 2015
Susie Douglas & Sylvia Valentine are both Members of the Association of Professional Genealogists
and Associate Members of the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives
Read our privacy policy here: Privacy Policy
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Android News / Android News / BlackBerry's DTEK App Gets New Visuals & Scan Features
BlackBerry's DTEK App Gets New Visuals & Scan Features
BlackBerry has updated its DTEK by BlackBerry application with a complete overhaul on the U.I. side and new features for vulnerability point scanning with notifications. For those who may not aware, the security-forward software provides users of the company's Android-powered handsets with an easy-to-read oversight of their device's security. It measures that by gauging password usage, apps and permissions settings, and more. All of that is compiled into a single app interface to help users exert informed control over their smartphone in a bid to uphold BlackBerry's reputation for privacy and security. With the latest update to version 1.1.10.510, the most noticeable change is going to be the brand new homepage. Previously, information was displayed in a pre-configured order for various metrics. After the update, the most important information will be displayed first, with subsequent items displayed by order of importance based on urgency in terms of keeping a device private and secure.
Changes to the app's notifications have been made as well. For example, the app will now show notifications when an application is accessing sensitive permissions despite not being actively used by the device owner. That will allow users to see which apps are accessing what and when just a bit more quickly. The app also now classifies access permissions pertaining to Camera, Mic, and Phone as being sensitive. Alongside those alterations to the app, users now have the ability to set an automatic scan on a weekly basis or to run a manual scan from directly inside the app. That means they can more readily check for previously overlooked issues at any time, with a more proactive scan happening on a regular basis.
This marks just the latest in a long run of updates and new partnerships formed by BlackBerry in the attempt to spread its security-focused solutions. Among those, the company has announced several new licensing deals to incorporate BlackBerry security into other technologies. However, in this case, the application is only available to BlackBerry handsets running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later. At very least, this should help those who own BlackBerry Android devices keep their personal information and smartphone quite a bit more secure than it would otherwise be. The app update should be rolling out over the next few days.
DTEK by BlackBerry Gplay Scrnsht 01
Here Are All Of The Specs For The Galaxy S20 Series
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Android News / Reviews / iRobot Roomba s9+ Review – The Best Clean Money Can Buy
iRobot Roomba s9+ Review – The Best Clean Money Can Buy
By Nick Sutrich
iRobot spearheaded the robot vacuum market with the Roomba, an iconic brand that's as widely known as Ziplock or Tupperware are in the kitchen. Along with the name came the shape; a round, hockey puck-like design that roamed around, sucking up anything small enough to get in its way. 2019 brings about the biggest change we've ever seen in design from iRobot, and it's all for the better too.
This new D-shape design is very similar looking to Neato's Botvac series in many ways, including a smaller side brush and larger main brushes underneath. Just like the Botvac, the main brushes are more situated toward the front and are designed to work in tandem with that new squared-off front, which is designed to better clean corners of all kinds.
These brushes look very similar to the previous higher-end Roombas, including the Roomba 960, 980 and i7 series, but are 30% longer and have a slightly modified surface pattern. Like those vacuums, these rollers are silicone instead of bristles. That means they operate quite differently and, in most cases, are more efficient than traditional roller brushes.
I've always preferred iRobot's silicone rollers to traditional brushes for several reasons. First off, they work better on hard surfaces, as each roller features a different pattern on its surface and both roll inward toward the suction motor. This dual roller style helps grab more particles and also keeps the robot from missing thing since the back roller pushes debris forward.
Secondly, these rollers don't get hair clogged or tangled in them the way a traditional brush does. All the hair tends to go to the sides, which is easily removed by popping the rollers out and sliding the hair off the ends. It's one of those little luxuries that you don't fully appreciate until you've had to deal with both kinds.
The side brush has been redesigned and is no longer called a side brush. iRobot calls this one a "corner brush", and it features more brustles than before, situated at a different angle that helps the vacuum sweep things off the very edge of a wall and into the rollers. I don't care for how small these are though and feel like they would be more effective if the bristles were longer.
Inside is a new motor that's rated at 40x more suction than the Roomba 600 series, which still makes it more powerful than both the Roomba 980 and Roomba i7 as well. Part of the improvement is in the design of the dustbin, which no longer contains the motor as it did on previous Roomba models.
That dustbin is now just a dustbin and is located square in the middle of the vacuum, which is extracted by flipping the lid up and pulling the bin straight up via the built-in handle.
Another little convenience is found in the way the dustbin is emptied. Pressing the button on top will open up the hatch on the bottom, which is a far more efficient and cleanly design than any other robot vacuum we've used.
Another modification to the dustbin is that it's now fully sealed and works to keep allergens down in the house by keeping them from being reinserted into the air.
Now back to that new design. This vacuum looks absolutely exquisite, and while that sounds silly for a simple vacuum, the design here is modern and beautiful in every way. It fits better with designer furniture and distinctive looking appliances with its black and copper color scheme. This new brushed copper lid right in the center looks particularly regal, rimmed with color-changing LEDs that are situated just under the lid top. This new light ring isn't just cool looking, it also serves a purpose.
These LEDs will change from white to green to purple to red, depending on the status of the vacuum and are effectively an enhanced version of what was found on the Roomba i7. The entirety of the new design screams high-end in every way, and really is an impressive rethinking of what had become a ubiquitous, almost generic design thanks to a swath of competitors sticking with the circular design of the past.
The worst part of the new design? No more handle up top. This seems superfluous, but it makes it far less convenient to pick it up and haul it somewhere for a spot clean, especially since it feels heavier and denser than older models.
Spot Cleaning That's Actually Useful
It's a darn shame too because the new spot cleaning tweaks are fantastic. We go the economical route in our house and use hair clippers whenever possible, which is mostly easy to clean up with a broom and dustpan. There are always plenty of little hair follicles left behind, though, which is where a vacuum comes into play. A single spot cleaning with the Roomba s9 where my hair was cut was enough to get absolutely every trace of hair. That's not something I can say about any other robot vacuum I've tried this test with.
iRobot is still using a single camera up top for navigation, but this time around has added in 3D sensors all around the front plate to help fine-tune navigation, especially around those low objects like furniture legs. These new sensors map the area the vacuum is looking at with laser accuracy and run at 25 scans per second. As a result, navigation is better than ever before, including the ability to hug the wall even closer than the Roomba i7 could.
Many of the new navigational features revolve around the new shape and how it handles corners. This isn't just a generic behavior though, the vacuum behaves differently depending on whether it's an inside or outside corner. You'll find that the vacuum runs straight along a wall and fits squarely into an inner corner, then will back up and make a slight turn in order to pull any remains out of the corner with that corner brush.
Outer corner behavior is simply brilliant and looks quite smart when watching the vacuum in action. The vacuum will run straight along the wall and just past an outer corner. It'll then turn 90-degrees to face the next wall, back up so that the entire corner is within vision, and then proceed along the next wall from beginning to end.
It's really an impressive way to make sure every square inch is covered, and the corners are truly clean after a run.
As with previous high-end Roomba models, the Roomba s9 can detect extra dirty spots and carpets, increasing suction or making multiple passes to ensure an area is clean. Like the Roomba i7, iRobot's second generation cliff detection sensor won't be fooled by dark carpets as previous generations of robot vacuums would.
Pet Hair, Big Houses, No Problem
Also like the Roomba i7, the Roomba s9 ships with an optional Automatic Dirt Disposal base. This base will cost you somewhere around $300 and enables automatic emptying of the vacuum's dustbin. While it sounds like laziness to have a vacuum that automatically empties its own bin, the reality is that it's the real way to more effectively clean your home, especially if you have pets.
Dustbins for robot vacuums are, on average, about 0.3 liters (1.2 cups) in size. That size dustbin fills up fast if you've got pets, especially if they're big dogs with long hair. Most of the time this results in a vacuum that can't finish cleaning the house because it gets full and simply cannot continue.
iRobot Roomba s9 AH NS 12
In the Roomba s9's case, the vacuum will just go back to the Automatic Dirt Disposal base, empty itself, and then head back to where it last cleaned.
The higher performance of the motor delivered worse battery life when compared to the Roomba i7 in my testing, but this can vary depending on your home's setup. For the review, I left it in the default "detailed clean" mode, which automatically adjusts suction based on what type of floor is being cleaned (hard floor, carpet, etc.).
iRobot says that the 'Detailed Clean' runtime is longer than the Roomba i7, which has a maximum runtime of 75 minutes on hard floors, while the Roomba s9 should run between 90 and 120 minutes depending on floor type. This includes mixed floor types, not just hard floors, so performance should be better than what I've experienced in my own home.
Battery life isn't nearly as important for a robot vacuum as it is for something like a smartphone, but it still largely determines how long it's going to take for the vacuum to clean your home. In my house, I found that it would clean for about 45 minutes or so, and then return to the dock to charge. Charging took about an hour and a half, followed by another 45 minutes of cleaning time. My house is about 50% carpet and certainly takes a bit more power to vacuum, but I also have a smaller home and expected it to run for longer than it did.
The longest I saw it run was around 75 minutes before needing to charge up. While it's possible that additional obstacles in the vacuum's path could have caused it to run longer than usual, the map data in the app doesn't suggest an inordinate amount of obstables. We're still in the process of unpacking and getting things into the right place after moving, so the cleaning path of the vacuum in my home is a little less square than some other homes might be.
My house has about 500 square feet that can actually be cleaned by a robot vacuum (read: areas where there no furniture or other obstacles are blocking its path). Even with only 500 square feet to clean, though, I found the Roomba s9 took nearly 3 hours to finish the job. That's not exactly quick but it is incredibly thorough and that's something to account for.
Among the other reasons to pay a bit more for a robot vacuum is the inclusion of features like multiple floor support. The Roomba s9, like the Roomba i7 before it, supports the saving of multiple floorplans, which is obviously important if you have a home with more than one floor. Buying more than one less expensive robot vacuum is always a solution, but then you're still missing out on all the other features the Roomba s9 offers over cheaper robot vacuums.
At launch, the biggest downside with the app is the missing Keep Out Zones feature, which is currently only available on the Roomba i7. Once available, users will be able to block off certain sections of the home within the iRobot Home app, such as under furniture or around pet bowls, that the vacuum shouldn't clean.
Floorplan sharing between robots hasn't ever been something that was a necessity until the Braava jet m6 came along. As iRobot's first mop that behaves exactly like a high-end Roomba and can mop the entire home via saved floorplan, it's important that these two robots share data when kept in the same home.
If you're fortunate enough to own both an iRobot Roomba s9 and a Braava jet m6, you'll be able to have the Roomba vacuum the entire home first, followed by the Braava mopping the hard floors after. This is done within the app by pressing clean and then selecting the "mop after" from the selection ring. Just like the Roomba, you'll be able to select which rooms you want to mop, and then the Braava will do its job.
At the time of this review, the actual floorplans aren't shared between robots, so you'll have to finish a few training runs in the app for each robot to create a floorplan before running this shared cleaning routine. It's annoying that you can't use the same map, no doubt, but these two robots are a bit different operationally. We'll cover details in the Braava jet m6 review, but only hard floors can be mopped and, as the vacuum is designed to clean both hard and carpeted flooring, you wouldn't want the same boundaries shared between the two, anyway.
The Best Clean Around
iRobot has, once again, created the greatest robot vacuum on the market. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the company that popularized robot vacuums is capable of delivering greatness, but it's going to come at a cost. $999 will get you the robot vacuum by itself, and $1299 nets the package with the automatic clean base.
It's more than twice the price of brands like Roborock, and still several hundred dollars more than the competition from Neato, and that's going to be very difficult for some folks to get past. Cost is a huge factor in any product, but having the vacuum with the best pet hair cleanup and one that can be truly fully automated is certainly worth something in and of itself.
iRobot Roomba s9 - Amazon iRobot Roomba s9+ - Amazon
Awair Element Review – Easy-To-Use, Affordable Integrated Air Quality Monitoring
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Nick Sutrich
Nick has written for Android Headlines since 2013 and has traveled to many tech events across the world. He's got a background in IT and loves all things tech-related. Nick is the VR and Home Automation Editor for the site and manages the Android Headlines YouTube channel. He is passionate about VR and the way it can truly immerse players in different worlds. In addition, he also covers the gamut of smart home technology and home automation. Contact him at [email protected]
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Blackjack Reviews
Sun, Apr 21, 12:15am by Noah Taylor
Last Updated Tue, Oct 8, 12:33am
The #1 Site for Playing Online Blackjack: RoyalVegasCasino.com
These online blackjack reviews study all the games in the 21 category offered by Microgaming casinos–and then some. Many players prefer the classic game and have no interest in other variations. That’s sensible, since each new game played requires mastering a new basic strategy chart. Each variant is different. In fact, each rule added or subtracted changes at least some of decisions you should make on some of the hands.
Our aim is to offer a useful listing of variations with full reviews of each game, a discussion of the pay schedules, common rules variations, and tips for stretching your bankroll. We don’t promise to show players a foolproof way of beating the casinos. Gambling companies always reserve a nice house edge for themselves. They ARE running the games to make a profit. Only advantage players like card counters beat the dealer with any regularity. In the online gambling industry, counting cards is no help, because the deck changes every hand. The computer shuffles up every time.
That might be bad news to mathematicians and serious gamblers, but this information is also liberating. Players don’t have to worry about mastering a skill which is indispensable offline but fruitless online. You’re free to play for the enjoyment of the game, still mindful of the odds and optimal play, but understanding that you gamble at a disadvantage. The trick is finding the games which are least disadvantageous to you, which is what the reviews on this website are for.
Classic Blackjack
The basic game includes 3:2 payouts for a “natural”, which is the term for a two-card 21. You must be dealt an ace and a card with the rank of 10, meaning a king, queen, jack, or ten. This hand beats all others and pushes (ties) if the dealer also receives a natural twenty-one. Otherwise, insurance costs 1:1, though players should never take insurance, because it’s a sucker bet. The number of decks is one. Players can split any two cards, but the ten-rank cards must actually match–you can’t split a 10 and a king, for example. Players can double down, but only once. Also, doubling only happens on a 9, 10, or 11. On the good side of things, the dealer cannot hit on a soft 17. All seventeens are a stand. This version of blackjack has a house edge of 0.13%, making it one of the best games in the casino.
Alternative Games
The classic variant is just one of a dozen different popular 21 games most online casinos have. The various software design companies (including our favorite, Microgaming) not only create their own rules, but they often rename existing games. Occassionally this is done for trademark purposes. For example, Let It Ride (another popular gambling card game) is trademarked by Shufflemaster, so online companies often offer the same thing with a different name. Microgaming, for example, calls Let It Ride “Poker Ride”.
In other cases, it’s done for marketing purposes, so it looks like a website has their own brand new selections. For example, Microgaming offers “Super Fun 21”. RealTime Gaming offers the same game but calls it “Super-21”.
This can confuse players, so we try to list all the names a certain game is named at the big online casinos. Australian pontoon might be the most popular version of the game in land-based casinos here, so we’ll start there.
Spanish 21 is similar enough to Australian pontoon that most gamblers consider them the same thing. The Spanish deck is used in this version of 21, meaning all 16 cards with the rank of ten are removed from the deck. When you get hands with a “777” or a “678”, you win special payouts. If all three cards are spades, you win a 3:1 payout. If the cards are suit clubs, diamonds, or hearts, you win a 3:2 payout. If they are any other combination, you win a 3:1 payout.
Microgaming Software
Our site focuses on Microgaming casinos, specifically the Fortune Lounge Group, because we feel like they offer the best options for players. They offer a huge array of progressive games, including a version of 21 with a progressive jackpot. Microgaming’s offerings also have excellent payouts, attractive graphics, and realistic sound effects. We’re especially fond of the Gold series from that software provider.
Microgaming games we’ve reviewed include:
Bonus Blackjack
Perfect Pairs European Blackjack
Online Blackjack Leagues
Most Internet casinos offer a few blackjack tournament events, but they focus their activity on cash games, much like you would find in a live casino. Some sites offer whole leagues, which have a full schedule of tournaments. The difference in league play and individual gaming is the league keeps track of your finishes over time. The best players are displayed on the overall leaderboard.
Otherwise, the game interface and style of play is similar to what you know. Gamblers can join freerolls, sit ‘n go or turbo events, and scheduled tournaments. The only difference is you’ll need to learn how to play elimination blackjack, where certain elimination hands remove players from a tournament. We also offer information on joining leagues like the Internet Blackjack League from Microgaming.
As you can see, a wider world of blackjack exist online than what you’re used to in the land-based casinos. This page doesn’t discussed the widespread resources for free Internet versions, Facebook versions, or the many mobile casino apps available on your smartphone or tablet computer. Real money casino gambling online continues to change from year to year. The industry is continually evolving, so check back here for constant updates about new games, features and casinos.
Our Top Recommendation? Try the 21 Games at Royal Vegas Casino
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Choose sort order Price Ascending Price Descending Distance Ascending Distance Descending Mileage Ascending Mileage Descending 2177 vehicles found
Location: North Hollywood
Features 17 Inch Wheels, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes, Automatic Headlights,...
Location: Huntington Park
Features 12V Power Outlet, 2-Stage Unlocking, 3-Point Seat Belts, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Headrests, Adjustable Seats, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Air...
Advantage Auto Sales
2020 TOYOTA RAV4 XLE PREMIUM
Features 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes, Auto Climate Control, Automatic...
Location: Lilburn
Features 12V Power Outlet, 3-Point Seat Belts, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Headrests, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Air Filtration, Antenna, Anti-Lock Brakes, Auto...
Location: Pompano Beach
Location: Hutchinson
Features 17 Inch Wheels, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Alloy Wheels, Anti-Lock Brakes, Auto...
Location: Saint Augustine
2020 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID LIMITED EDITION
Features 11 Speakers, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes, Anti-Theft System, Auto Climate...
Location: Mobile
Location: Morrow
Features 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes, Anti-Theft System, Auto Climate Control,...
Location: Gallatin
Features 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Alloy Wheels, Anti-Lock Brakes, Auto Climate Control,...
Location: Mount Pleasant
Location: Avenel
2006 TOYOTA RAV4 SPORT
Location: Burlington
Features 12V Power Outlet, 18 Inch Wheels, 3-Point Seat Belts, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adjustable Headrests, Adjustable Seats, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air...
Location: McDonough
Features 17 Inch Wheels, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adaptive Cruise Control, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, All-Weather Mat Protection Package,...
2010 TOYOTA RAV4 LIMITED EDITION
Features 12V Power Outlet, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes, Anti-Theft System, Armrest Storage, Auto...
North Coast Auto Mall
Location: League City
Features 12V Power Outlet, 17 Inch Wheels, 3-Point Seat Belts, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adjustable Headrests, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Air Filtration, All-Season Tires,...
Mac Haik Toyota
Features 12V Power Outlet, 16 Inch Wheels, 3-Point Seat Belts, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adjustable Headrests, Adjustable Seats, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Advanced Front Airbags, Air...
2011 TOYOTA RAV4 BASE
Location: Capitol Heights
Features 16 Inch Wheels, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 4-Wheel Independent Suspension, 6 Speakers, AM/FM, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Air Conditioning, Anti-Lock Brakes, Armrest Storage, Beverage Holder, Body Colored...
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AYSOU
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Ladera Soccer - AYSO Region 1455
AYSO Welcomes Three New Members to Its Leadership Team
TORRANCE, Calif. – Jan. 11, 2018 – American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is pleased to announce the addition of three new team members to our Organization: Scott Snyder, Yvonne Lara and Al Prado.
Scott Snyder joins the organization’s executive team as its new Director of Programs and Education and will also serve as Technical Director. Scott has been working with AYSO for the past six years as the Player Development Specialist and is responsible for developing the new National Coaching Curriculum. He is an experienced coach and instructor, and has been in professional soccer education and management for over 20 years. He is a former professional player in both England and the USA and has represented the USA in the 20U World Cup.
Snyder co-designed the AYSO Soccer Camps program, and has recently been working with U.S. Soccer in its grassroots course design and just completed the new U.S. Soccer Instructor License. He also represents AYSO on the Youth Member Technical Leaders Working Group.
“I am delighted at the expansion of my role,” Snyder says. “My priority and focus is the player by ensuring that the coaching, environment and experience is the best it possibly can be for the child’s development. We have very good content, and now it is time to drive the methodology through every layer in the organization to ensure AYSO is at the forefront of player development.”
Snyder is married to Allison and has two daughters, Madison and Olivia. He is a volunteer coach in his local AYSO Region 688 club program, where Olivia plays right wing.
Yvonne Lara also joins the executive team as its new Director of Marketing and Communications. Lara has been working in the marketing and communications world for 20 years, starting her career in sports marketing at California State University, Fullerton, which lead her to a nearly 12-year career at FOX Broadcasting Company, where she helped launch groundbreaking and memorable shows, such as American Idol, The OC, 24, Glee and So You Think You Can Dance.
Most recently, Lara spent the past six years overseeing the marketing and communications efforts for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) and played an instrumental role in raising the profile of its tent pole events, including Power Women, Power Tools®, The Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity Build and the Los Angeles Builders Ball®, as well as driving market awareness of its impact in the greater Los Angeles region.
“I’m thrilled to be a member of the AYSO team,” Lara says. “Sports and youth development have always been an important part of my life, and I am looking forward to using my expertise to propel the organization forward by strengthening our brand identity and leadership in the industry.”
Lastly, Al Prado joins the organization as the Senior Business Solutions Analyst. Prado has been in the IT industry for more than 30 years. From UCLA Health to Diva Limousines and FOX Broadcasting, his experience spans a spectrum of companies.
Prado has also been a dedicated AYSO volunteer since 2004, from being a referee and coach to a Regional Commissioner. He is currently an Area Director for Section 1 and still enjoys refereeing when he can as well as working alongside his wife, Jane, who is also an active AYSO Section 1 leader.
“For me, AYSO has been a lifelong passion,” Prado says. “When I was presented the opportunity to be a part of the team in this capacity, I knew it was the perfect fit. I look forward to using my industry expertise and volunteer experience to fine-tune our technology to meet the needs of our valued members and volunteers.”
“Scott, Yvonne and Al bring a depth and breadth of experience for their positions,” says Mike Hoyer, National Executive Director for AYSO. “It is the right talent with the perspective and leadership style for where we want to take the organization, and I look forward to working together to solidify AYSO’s vision to provide world-class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives.”
About American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)
Established in 1964, AYSO is a national nonprofit organization that develops and delivers quality youth soccer programs, which promote a fun, family environment based on AYSO's Six Philosophies: Everyone Plays®, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, Good Sportsmanship, and Player Development. Today, AYSO has 1.6 million players, parents, siblings and volunteers. For more information, visit www.AYSO.org.
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Ladera Ranch Soccer - AYSO Region 1455
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Backroads.com
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About: Trevor Husted
Trevor has always been a traveler. A dual-citizen of the US and Belgium, he grew up in a bilingual household in Seattle and made frequent trips to Europe with his family. It was the Pacific Northwest landscape that shaped his respect for nature at an early age, and working at Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camps after college that ignited his zeal for helping others. A self-proclaimed thrill-seeker, nomad, teacher, troubadour and wandering jester, Trevor is constantly on the move with leading Backroads biking trips in the summer and seeking high-elevation snow around his Lake Tahoe home in the winter. He’s also currently earning a master’s degree in education. Above all, Trevor’s true passion is to instill a love for adventure, nature, culture and caring in others.
Recent Posts by Trevor Husted
Loire Valley Châteaux
In French, 'castles' translates to 'châteaux' and throughout the country there are many châteaux that embody the extravagance of French nobility from centuries past. The epicenter of this 16th to 18th-century lifestyle was the Loire Valley, located two hours southwest of Paris and the perfect setting for royal summer escapades.
Icelandic Seafood
The North Atlantic waters off the coast of Iceland are frigid, rough and can turn on a dime, yet within them live some of the region’s most precious resources: fish and crustaceans. Each year more and more visitors are being exposed to the region's marine cuisine, from pickled herring to dried fish. Eating Icelandic seafood can take a bit of an open mind and an adventurous palate, but when you find your preferred taste it's pure glory.
Bohemian Beer
Beer is a big deal in the Czech Republic. Per capita, the people here consistently consume the most beer in the world and the region's rich brewing history dates back to the mid- to late-9th century.
True Belgian Waffles
Waffles in Belgium have a distinct connection to the city or town in which they were developed, and many families and regions guard their recipes as precious secrets. When my Belgian grandma made waffles, drafts of warm air would billow out of the kitchen, filling the house with a delicious smell.
Recent Comments by Trevor Husted
March 24, 2016 on True Belgian Waffles
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Gene Clark No Other (CD)
catalog number: CDAD0070
Learn more about Gene Clark
(4AD) 8 tracks No Other is Clark's fourth solo album. It was originally released in September... more
Gene Clark: No Other (CD)
(4AD) 8 tracks
No Other is Clark's fourth solo album. It was originally released in September 1974 and combines psychedelic rock, folk, country and soul.
For the remake, the songs were remastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
Article properties: Gene Clark: No Other (CD)
Interpret: Gene Clark
Album titlle: No Other (CD)
Label 4AD
Clark, Gene - No Other (CD) CD 1
01 Life’S Greatest Fool
02 Silver Raven
03 No Other
04 Strength Of Strings
05 From A Silver Phial
06 Some Misunderstanding
07 The True One
08 Lady Of The North
Gene Clark Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky (aka Rough And Rocky) Although Gene... more
"Gene Clark"
Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky (aka Rough And Rocky)
Although Gene Clark's first solo A&M album, colloquially known as 'White Light,' followed two Dillard & Clark LPs into the cut-out bins, A&M kept the faith, bankrolling some sessions in April, May, and June 1972. Clark brought in some new songs and a few non-originals. He was working with Chris Hinshaw, who'd engineered some Taj Mahal, Sly Stone, and Byrds albums. In June, A&M pulled the plug. The final straw came when Sly Stone arrived, racking up thousands of dollars on A&M's dime when Clark was out of town. "Those sessions were fun and I had great people playing on them," Clark told Dominic Priore, "but it was hard to get it together the way I wanted it." Clark saw musical tastes shifting toward heavy metal and decided to go low-key and meditative. A&M sat on the tapes, seeing no future for them until Clark's sometime manager, Jim Dickson, went to Holland and saw Byrds and Burrito bootlegs. Deciding that the A&M tapes were better than the bootlegs, he prevailed upon A&M to lease the tapes to their European licensee, Ariola. Roger McGuinn sang harmony on some songs, quite possibly because he was talking to Gene about the reunion of the original Byrds. There's an unissued mix on which he's clearly audible on Rough And Rocky. None of the Byrds was doing especially well on his own, but Clark probably had the most to gain from a reunion, and he provided that unremarkable album with most of its high spots.
Flatt & Scruggs' Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky was a song that Gene probably heard the duo perform on their Martha White television show, but, until comparatively recently, it was only available on a single. They recorded it in 1954 and copyrighted it then, but it was a much older song of unknown provenance. The Blue Sky Boys had recorded it in 1936 as Can't You Hear That Night Bird Calling and it went under a bunch of other titles dating back to the dawn of recorded country music history. Its origin probably lay in a nineteenth century pop or minstrel song.
Various Truckers, Kickers, Cowboy Angels - The Blissed-Out Birth Of Country Rock, Vol. 6: 1973 (2-CD)
Read more at: https://www.bear-family.com/various-truckers-kickers-cowboy-angels-the-blissed-out-birth-of-country-rock-vol.-6-1973-2-cd.html
Copyright © Bear Family Records
Customer evaluation for "No Other (CD)"
Weitere Artikel von Gene Clark
Gene Clark: Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers...plus Art-Nr.: CDSC11188
Gene Clark: White Light (1971) Art-Nr.: CDSC6265
Gene Clark: Roadmaster (1972) Art-Nr.: CDSC6266
Gene Clark: Echoes - I Found You 7inch, 45rpm, PS Art-Nr.: S253
Gene Clark: With The Gosdin Brothers (180g Edition) Art-Nr.: SLP5062
Show all "Gene Clark" articles
Hank Williams: Lost Highway - Graphic Novel (Gebundene... Art-Nr.: 0023044
Michael Stein & Michael Lichter: Born To Be Wild (4-CD) Art-Nr.: 0042280
Wild Thing: Chrom & Flammen Book - 4-CD Set Art-Nr.: 0042297
Wayne Fontana & Mindbenders: The Best Of Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders... Art-Nr.: CD522666-C
Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders: Eric, Rick, Wayne, Bob, Plus Art-Nr.: BCD17233
No Other (CD)
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Tags + See more: Paperback
Irish Republicanism
A Provisional Dictator: James Stephens and the Fenian Movement
Author Marta Ramon
"A very solid-looking political biography by a Spanish academic until recently a Fellow at Maynooth." Books Ireland Summer 2007 "The author says that she has tried 'to move away from the usual emphasis on his dictatorial ways or his propagandistic manipulation of the task, in order to show him under a different and complimentary light: that of a leader determined to carry out his revolutionary aims in spite of everything and everyone, and the perpetual aspiring intellectual who managed to achieve his one great success as the founder and organiser of the IRB'. She has succeeded admirably in doing this and the A Provisional Dictator is now the definitive account on its subject." Old Kilkenny Review 2007 "The name of Stephens in well known. His book gives us the man." Books Ireland Dec 2007 "Marta Ramon's study is a revision and in many cases a correction of previous approaches to Stephens ... [her] range of vision is wide ... a thoughtful and well-documented book ... the combination of dramatic vigour and authoritative consultation of original documents is to be praised ... a great achievement." Irish Studies in Spain 2007 "Marta Ramon has produced a fine scholarly study that joins the select body of work on the Fenians that can be described as indispensable." Irish Studies Review, Vol 16 No 2 May 2008 "Marta Ramon's biography of James Stephens, the 'provisional dictator' of the Fenian movement from its founding in 1858 until his overthrow in 1866, is a fine addition to the new historiography of Fenianism, Irish republicanism, and 'advanced' nationalism. It is thoroughly researched, notably drawing on unpublished scholarly work, the Davitt Papers (TCD) and the Fenian Briefs (NAI); the writing elegantly combines narrative and analysis; and it clearly supersedes all previous biographical attempts to situate Stephens in Irish history. Finally, the book is beautifully presented by UCD Press, which has produced a pristine text, furnishing further evidence that it is Ireland's finest academic publisher, producing books that adhere to the highest international standards." Irish Historical Studies Vol. XXXVI, No. 141 May 2008 "[The book] is balanced and thoughtful throughout, with evidence weighed judiciously and verdicts delivered carefully. Moreover, it is a masterpiece of clarity, particularly where the tangled web of American relationships is concerned. The author has scoured the archives and memoirs, and made good use of the fast-growing body of theses on Fenianism, but the details and analysis have been moulded into a seamless whole, often with real elegance. There are many nicely turned sentences and well-executed set pieces, and the story is kept moving forward at a good pace. Anyone with an interest in Irish history would enjoy reading it, and students in school or university will likely treasure it. UCD Press must also be congratulated for giving it the handsome treatment it deserves, from cover to paper and typeface. James Stephens does emerge from this account as deserving of our interest and empathy. - Does he really deserve to be 'almost universally disliked'? It is to Marta Ramon's credit that one finishes her book thinking that this is a life worthy of further (including fictional) exploration." Peter Hart - Canada Research Chair in Irish Studies Memorial University of Newfoundland History Ireland Nov/Dec 2008 "Exhaustively researched in Ireland and the US, this readable book largely supersedes Desmond Ryan's 1967 study The Fenian Chief and amends the works of such authorities on the IRB and Fenianism as R. V. Comerford, William D'Arcy, and Leon O'Broin. Ramon makes sophisticated use of scattered details in correspondence, memoirs, police reports, and obscure newspapers to reconstruct Stephens' elusive activities in Ireland, Europe, and North America. Highly recommended [to] all Irish studies collections." D. M. Cregier, University of Prince Edward Island CHOICE December 2008 Vol. 46 No. 4
Fings Wot I’ve Seen On That There Societal Medium
Author Various
Things On Our Social Media £10 Thing £9 Thing £8 Thing £7 Thing £6 Thing £5 Thing £15 Thing £20 Thing £25 Thing £30 Thing £3 Thing £2.50 Thing £2 Thing £1.75 Thing £1.50 Thing £1 Thing £40 Thing £50 Thing £80 Thing That £150 Fillum Book Mr Books to r̶u̶i̶n̶ run your business Twitter account for 5 days R. Anderson ‘Change of Heart’ 20in x 16in print
The Road - Memories of the Falls
Author Livingstone, Robin
Bandit Country: The IRA and South Armagh
Author Toby Harnden
Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War
Author Richard S. Grayson
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Woodford fund controversy is a pensions 'case study'
Neil Woodford, founder of Woodford Funds, has stopped investors from withdrawing their money
June 11 2019 8:00 AM
The chief executive of Northern Ireland's biggest pension fund has said the controversy affecting one of the UK's most famous investors is a "case study" in the need to diversify pensions.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/woodford-fund-controversy-is-a-pensions-case-study-38200646.html
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/a8187/38179513.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/bpanews_8aac3591-0e7a-43a7-a334-79abf40d1949_embedded2349452
Last week renowned stockpicker Neil Woodford stopped members taking money out of the Woodford Equity Income Fund. The City heavyweight suffered a nightmare week after suspending the fund "to protect investors' interests" after they withdrew around £560m from it over the previous four weeks.
The fund manager has also blocked investors from viewing all but the largest holdings of his three main funds, marking a U-turn on a previous commitment to full transparency.
David Murphy, the chief executive of the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC), which invests the pensions of council workers in the province, confirmed NILGOSC had no investments in any of Neil Woodford's funds.
Mr Murphy said the situation had caused "great interest in the investment sector".
"It's almost a case study in the need to diversify and the risks of investing in illiquid and unlisted companies," he said.
But yesterday, Mr Woodford's listed business has said it is "pleased" with the progress of its portfolio companies, despite a dive in its share price.
Woodford Patient Capital Trust said it does not believe the operational performance of the portfolio businesses have been "impacted" by recent events.
Woodford Patient Capital Trust has said it believes it "continues to have the potential to deliver attractive returns", despite the subsequent slump in share value.
Susan Searle, chairwoman of Woodford Patient Capital Trust, said: "The board is closely monitoring the situation and is engaging with its shareholders and advisers."
Belfast tech firm announces plans to take on 11 new staff
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How we bank in the UK today
by Marianne Curphey
The way we bank and manage our money is changing. Nearly 22 million people in the UK regularly used banking apps during 2017, a 12% increase on the previous year.
Results from a national survey, produced using data from UK Finance – the biggest banking association in the UK – shows how the UK stands out in the world in terms of adopting digital technology for everyday financial transactions.
It gives a fascinating snapshot into how much of our banking activity has migrated online and how digital innovations – such as applying for a mortgage by video link and pop up bank branches in universities for Freshers’ Week – are changing retail banking.
Key findings from the research
Each person with a mobile banking app logged in 275 times in a year. That resulted in 5.5 billion logins in 2017 – a 13% increase from 2016.
Banks held over 5.5 million webchats with customers in 2017 – a 24% increase on the previous year, and equivalent to 622 per hour.
Half of all mobile banking app users paid bills using their phone, and 62% transferred money.
Some banking apps now show pending transactions, allow you to freeze your bank card, order a new card, notify the bank that you are going abroad, and set up standing orders.
Voice command technology means you can now order replacement bank cards and discover recent transactions when using some apps.
Some mobile banking apps now let you withdraw cash from an ATM without your card.
UK Finance represents nearly 300 of the leading firms providing finance, banking, markets and payments-related services in or from the UK. It was created by combining the Asset Based Finance Association, the British Bankers’ Association, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, Financial Fraud Action UK, Payments UK and the UK Cards Association.
The Way We Bank Now report, sponsored by EY, reveals that the popularity of services such as Twitter, Facebook messenger and WhatsApp, is encouraging banks to invest in similarly fast and convenient webchat services with customers embracing online support.
Now read: Are mobile banking apps secure?
The data showed that today’s social media savvy consumer is happy to take part in banking webchats and that 71% of adults in the UK used online banking in 2017. This means 38 million people now do at least some of their banking online, and the numbers are still growing.
The banking industry is seeking to respond to customer demand for accessibility 24/7, the report says. In coming years video banking and banking with voice commands – via Amazon Alexa, for example – will become even more prominent.
Although some bank branches are closing, others are being refurbished and rebranded into superstore formats with a look and feel more akin to an Apple Store than a traditional bank branch.
Other pilots which challenge the traditional bank branch model include opening micro branches in out-of-town supermarket locations, Santander’s trial of a video service for mortgage applications, and pop up account opening services for students at University College London.
Overall in recent years digital innovation has transformed the way we manage our money. In 2017 customers logged into apps over 5.5 billion times, a 13% increase since 2016 – and increasingly customers are utilising new technologies to talk to experts outside conventional bank branch hours rather than taking time out of their working day.
Nationwide has introduced high-definition video call technology which connects customers with mortgage advisers, personal banking managers and financial planners. Customers can digitally transmit their mortgage forms, rather than posting them.
Video banking has become increasingly popular with customers asking experts questions on their mobile or tablet instead of face to face. Some banks and building societies enable customers to pay in a cheque by providing an image of it rather than having to go into their bank to pay it in. The technology will allow most cheques to clear in just one working day rather than the current system which can take up to six days.
Customers also received 512 million SMS alerts, ranging from notifications on new payments into their account as well as warning ahead of annual payments, a useful reminder if they wish to cancel subscriptions.
Now read: Which banks support open banking today?
Stephen Jones, the chief executive of UK Finance, said: “Over the next few years Open Banking and artificial intelligence will change the relationship we have, not only with our banks but also how we fundamentally access and utilise financial products and services.”
Bob Wigley, chairman of UK Finance, said banking was seeing “the most rapid and fundamental change in thirty years in the industry”. He said branches had seen a 26% drop in use, as customers chose to interact in different ways.
“Some banks are refurbishing branches, others are putting them more in the centre of the community, or within Post Office branches,” he said. “Customers expect a multi-channel approach. Fintech has set a high bar for the industry to reach.”
He said in the future customers would be able to authenticate themselves through an app and then talk to customer service. They would also be able to see all their finances in one place, in a type of “financial concierge service” which was previously only available to those at the top end of the income scale.
Helen Page, group innovation and marketing director at CYBG, said her team were working on touch ID, face ID, paying cheques in by photo, and a smart app which showed a customer’s predicted balance at the end of the month via their online bank, B.
“We are looking at ways to use data to help customers manage their money better,” she said. When it was being built, B went through 20 iterations until it was launched, and new features are added to it every two weeks.
“We only add services that customers really want,” she said. “Our ways of communicating had to change and we wanted to build a brand that felt different. When we opened our call centre, we auditioned people and asked them to get on stage and tell a joke. We wanted to see their personality shine through, not their formal credentials. If they left at lunchtime, they left. We’ve attracted 100,000 customers in two years, and customers don’t really leave us. When things go wrong they tell us, and we fix the problem.”
Now read about how to find the best current account
Last updated: 31 May, 2019
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Tag Archives: How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections
Improving food inspections through effective scheduling
Posted on May 11, 2018 by Robert Mancini
To properly assess a food establishment for compliance with local food safety regulations is a science and an art. They take time and energy.
The science is applying risk assessment to determine the severity of the public health violation and the art is being able to effectively communicate the findings to the operator or Person-in-Charge. On-site training of the cited violations is an additional effort conducted by inspectors time permitting.
A recent study “How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections,” co-written by Maria Ibáñez and Mike Toffel, looks at how scheduling affects workers’ behavior and how that affects quality or productivity. In the study the authors suggest reducing the amount of given inspections during the day as fatigue will negatively affect the quality of successive inspections . As such a cap on inspections should be implemented to correct this issue. As much as I agree with this statement, the problem stems from inadequate resources to hire more staff to conduct inspections. Many inspectors are generalists meaning that on any given day they may be required to inspect a restaurant, on-site sewage system, playground, pool and deal with any environmental health issues that arise. Unfortunately, quality is sometimes sacrificed by quantity simply due to a lack of staff.
Carmen Nobel reports:
Simple tweaks to the schedules of food safety inspectors could result in hundreds of thousands of currently overlooked violations being discovered and cited across the United States every year, according to new research about how scheduling affects worker behavior.
The potential result: Americans could avoid 19 million foodborne illnesses, nearly 51,000 hospitalizations, and billions of dollars of related medical costs.
Government health officers routinely drop in to inspect restaurants, grocery stores, schools, and other food-handling establishments, checking whether they adhere to public health regulations. The rules are strict. Food businesses where serious violations are found must clean up their acts quickly or risk being shut down.
Yet each year some 48 million Americans get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die due to foodborne illnesses, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The research is detailed in the paper “How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections,” co-written by Maria Ibáñez, a doctoral student in the Technology and Operations Management Unit at Harvard Business School, and Mike Toffel, the Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management at HBS, experts in scheduling and in inspections, respectively.
“The more inspections you have done earlier in the day, the more tired you’re going to be and the less energy you’re going to have to discover violations”
“This study brought together Maria’s interest in how scheduling affects workers’ behavior and how that affects quality or productivity, and my interest in studying the effectiveness of inspections of global supply chainsand of factories in the US,” Toffel says.
Previous research (pdf) showed that the accuracy of third-party audits is affected by factors such as the inspector’s gender and work experience. Ibáñez and Toffel wanted to look at the effect of scheduling because it’s relatively easy for organizations to fix those problems.
The researchers studied a sampling of data from Hazel Analytics, which gathers food safety inspections from local governments across the United States. The sample included information on 12,017 inspections by 86 inspectors over several years; the inspected establishments included 3,399 restaurants, grocers, and schools in Alaska, Illinois, and New Jersey. The information contained names of the inspectors and establishments inspected, date and time of the inspection, and violations recorded.
In addition to studying quantitative data, Ibáñez spent several weeks accompanying food safety inspectors on their daily rounds. This allowed her to see firsthand how seriously inspectors took their jobs, how they made decisions, and the challenges they faced in the course of their workdays. “I’m impressed with inspectors,” she says. “They are the most dedicated people in the world.”
Undetected violations
Analyzing the food safety inspection records, the researchers found significant inconsistencies. Underreporting violations causes health risks, and also unfairly provides some establishments with better inspection scores than they deserve. According to the data, inspectors found an average 2.4 violations per inspection. Thus, citing just one fewer or one more violation can lead to a 42 percent decrease or increase from the average—and great potential for unfair assessments across the food industry, where establishments are judged on their safety records by consumers and inspectors alike.
On average, inspectors cited fewer violations at each successive establishment inspected throughout the day, the researchers found. In other words, inspectors tended to find and report the most violations at the first place they inspected and the fewest violations at the last place.
The researchers chalked this up to gradual workday fatigue; it takes effort to notice and document violations and communicate (and sometimes defend) them to an establishment’s personnel.
“The more inspections you have done earlier in the day, the more tired you’re going to be and the less energy you’re going to have to discover violations,” Ibáñez says.
They also found that when conducting an inspection risked making the inspector work later than usual, the inspection was conducted more quickly and fewer violations were cited. “This seems to indicate that when inspectors work late, they are more prone to rush a bit and not be as meticulous,” Toffel says.
The level of inspector scrutiny also depended on whatever had been found at the prior inspection that day. In short, finding more violations than usual at one place seemed to induce the inspectors to exhibit more scrutiny at the subsequent place.
“This seems to indicate that when inspectors work late, they are more prone to rush a bit and not be as meticulous”
For example, say an inspector is scheduled to inspect a McDonald’s restaurant and then a Whole Foods grocer. Suppose McDonald’s had two violations the last time it was inspected. If the inspector now visits that McDonald’s and finds five or six violations, the inspector is likely to be particularly meticulous at the Whole Foods next on the schedule, reporting more violations than she otherwise would.
That behavior may be because inspectors put much effort into helping establishments learn the rules, create good habits, and improve food safety practices.
“It can be frustrating when establishments neglect these safety practices, which increases the risk of consumers getting sick,” Ibáñez says. “When inspectors discover that a place has deteriorated a lot, they’re disappointed that their message isn’t getting through, and because it poses a dangerous situation for public health.”
On the other hand, finding fewer violations than usual at one site had no apparent effect on what the inspector uncovered at the subsequent establishment. “When they find that places have improved a lot since their last inspection, they just move on without letting that affect their next inspection.”
Changes could improve public safety
The public health stakes are high for these types of errors in food safety inspections. The researchers estimate that tens of thousands of Americans could avoid food poisoning each year simply by reducing the number of establishments an inspector visits on a single day. Often, inspectors will cluster their schedule to conduct inspections on two or three days each week, saving the other days for administrative duties in the office. While this may save travel time and costs, it might be preventing inspectors from doing their jobs more effectively.
One possible remedy: Managers could impose a cap on the maximum number of inspections per day, and rearrange schedules to disperse inspections throughout the week—a maximum of one or two each day rather than three or four.
In addition, inspectors could plan early-in-the-day visits to the highest-risk facilities, such as elementary school cafeterias or assisted-living facilities, where residents are more vulnerable to the perils of foodborne illnesses than the general public.
On the plus side, tens of thousands of hospital bills are likely avoided every year, thanks to inspectors inadvertently applying more scrutiny after an unexpectedly unhygienic encounter at their previous inspection.
“Different scheduling regimes, new training, or better awareness could raise inspectors’ detection to the levels seen after they observe poor hygiene, which would reduce errors even more and result in more violations being detected, cited and corrected,” Ibáñez says.
The authors estimate that, if the daily schedule effects that erode an inspector’s scrutiny were eliminated and the establishment spillover effects that increase scrutiny were amplified by 100 percent, inspectors would detect many violations that are currently overlooked, citing 9.9 percent more violations.
“Scaled nationwide, this would result in 240,999 additional violations being cited annually, which would in turn yield 50,911 fewer foodborne illness-related hospitalizations and 19.01 million fewer foodborne illness cases per year, reducing annual foodborne illness costs by $14.20 billion to $30.91 billion,” the authors write.
Lessons for inspections
While the study focuses on food safety inspections, it offers broad lessons for any manager who has to manage or deal with inspections.
“One implication is that bias issues will arise, so take them into account as you look at the inspection reports as data,” Ibáñez says. “And another is that we should try to correct them. We should be mindful about the factors that may bias our decisions, and we should proactively change the system so that we naturally make better decisions.”
Posted in E. coli | Tagged How Scheduling Can Bias Quality Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections, inspection, Risk Assessment | Leave a reply
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Kogi High Court judge alleges police invasion
by Bridget Edokwe · July 14, 2019
A Kogi High Court Judge, Justice Yunusa Musa, has alleged police invasion of his residence to conduct a search without a warrant.
Briefing newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, Musa of Kogi High Court 5, said that the alleged incident took place at his residence in Lokoja on Monday, July 8, while he was away for work.
Musa said that policemen searched all his rooms, including those of his wife and children, without any form of notice of offence or a search warrant.
According to him, the police ought to have informed him of their mission.
“When my wife and children told me about their experiences in the hands of the invading policemen on Monday, I thought they were men of Special Anti Robbery Squard.
” I know I have not committed any offence to warrant such a visit to my house.
“It was in the office, the following day, that I got to know that DCP Polycarp Dibia of Kogi State Police command, Criminal Investigation Department, was behind the invasion over an alleged issue involving my security guard.”
Musa said that the police officer, in a letter dated July 9, 2019, instructed him (Musa) to produce one Nelson over alleged assault.
“The house is not for my security guard; if the police authority can write to my office, for me to produce the alleged offender, that is to say the police knew that this house is mine, not his.
“I know, by my knowledge of the law, and being on the bench for 20 years, that it is unlawful to search a house without a warrant.
“A offence committed by somebody else cannot be visited on another person because there is no precarious liability in a criminal offence.
“You cannot transfer offence of Mr A to Mr B. The law of the land does not permit that,” Musa argued.
He asked why the police invaded and searching his house rather than the house of the alleged offender since there was no precarious liability in crime.
“My fear is whether the police have planted incriminating items in my house that may serve as a platform for future victimisation,” he said.
On whether he had heard from Nelson, the judge said, “I couldn’t get in touch with him because he travelled to his village and they don’t have network in their village.
“Please note, it was when I got this letter from the deputy commissioner of police that I knew they were in my house because of my security guard.
“The shock of the incident has not enabled me to know if any document or property is missing in my house or something was planted,” he told journalists.
When contacted, the Kogi State Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Williams Aya, told NAN that he had yet to be briefed on the matter.
Tags: BarristerNGKogi State Judiciary
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Syria air strikes: Corbyn says France and US should focus on peace
Media caption'Bombing Raqqa won't solve problem'
France and the United States should "put their efforts into" finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian civil war, Jeremy Corbyn has told the BBC.
The Labour leader said he looked forward to his MPs "being persuaded" to back his opposition to UK air strikes in Syria ahead of Wednesday's vote.
He was forced to offer a free vote to MPs after a shadow cabinet rebellion.
David Cameron has urged MPs of all parties to back his case for strikes against so-called Islamic State.
The government has published the motion to be voted on, which says military action is "only one component of a broader strategy" to tackle IS.
The motion would specifically authorise air strikes "exclusively" against IS in Syria and says the UK government will not deploy troops in "ground combat operations".
According to the BBC's latest research, 360 MPs are in favour of the motion while 170 are against. Of the remainder, 20 are "leaning to" supporting the government, three are "leaning against" while 87 are undecided.
Politics live: The latest on the Syria vote
Syria air strikes: What you need to know
Are there 70,000 Syrian 'moderates' ready to back UK?
Where the UK's parties stand on air strikes
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed her party's 54 MPs will be opposing air strikes, saying bombing on its own will not rid the threat of terrorism or bring peace to Syria.
But the Democratic Unionist Party has said its eight MPs will support airstrikes and former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said the Lib Dems will follow suit, telling Sky News that it was "on balance better to take action than pursue a course of inaction".
In an interview with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Corbyn said it had been an "interesting 24 hours" during which he had abandoned a bid to adopt a party policy of opposition to air strikes after a number of his front benchers protested.
Media captionDavid Cameron: "Isil is a threat to our country and this is the right thing to do"
His approach was criticised after he wrote to MPs setting out his opposition to intervention before the shadow cabinet had finalised its position.
As many as 50 Labour MPs are expected to vote with the government, which is likely to give it a comfortable majority backing air strikes.
Mr Corbyn, who earlier appealed to his frontbench to "think again", said MPs "must bear in mind what the public think and what the implications are for this country".
He added that more than 75% of Labour members polled by the party had indicated they were opposed to air strikes.
Asked about his failure to convince his shadow cabinet to back his position, he said: "Some people are more difficult to persuade than others, and I look forward to them being persuaded."
'Only alternative'
Rather than air strikes, Mr Corbyn said efforts should focus on a political settlement and achieving a "credible line of government" across Syria.
He said he was not saying he would "never" back military action, but said it had to be the "only alternative" and that this was not the case with Wednesday's vote.
Asked whether, if he was prime minister, he would urge France and the United States - which are already bombing IS in Syria - to stop, he said: "I would ask them to put their efforts into a peace process."
Can British forces make a difference in Syria?
Russia's missiles send robust signal
Full coverage: Islamic State conflict
For and against UK action in Syria
He added: "I would ask them to join in looking for the way in which we can achieve a political solution to the Syria civil war as the best way forward of solving that problem."
Air strikes, he said, were "not a sensible or rational way forward", adding it "takes us yet again into another conflict".
MPs rejected air strikes against Syrian government targets in 2013, but have since backed strikes against IS in Iraq.
70,000 troops claim
Ministers say it is "illogical" to carry out strikes in Iraq but not Syria as IS does not recognise the border between the countries.
One of the key debating points has been Mr Cameron's claim there are 70,000 moderate ground forces able to fight IS in Syria.
The prime minister's spokeswoman said a claim by Labour MP Louise Haigh that the national security advisor had briefed MPs that 30,000 of the 70,000 were "much more radical Islamists" was a misrepresentation of what he had said.
Ms Haigh made the comment on Twitter, and was challenged by other MPs who had been at the briefing. She later insisted the government must "be clearer about the make-up" of the 70,000 figure.
Islamic State group
Politics Live: UK Syria vote
Are there 70,000 Syrian moderates?
Syria air strikes: For and against UK action
Syria vote: Michael Fallon says UK already an IS target
Key questions about UK and Syria
Kuenssberg: Corbyn's lesson
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Sports Nov 8th 2013 - 10pm
Somerset football advances to Level 4, avenges loss to Ellsworth
New historical marker North Dakota college to commemorate 1863 Sioux victory
Written By: Natasha Rausch / Forum News Service | Oct 10th 2019 - 6pm.
Dakota Goodhouse teaches a session at the Indian Education Summit in Bismarck on July 11. Special to The Forum
BISMARCK — A new historical marker will dot the spot of a 156-year-old battle between the U.S. and the Dakota and Lakota people that took place where the University of Mary now stands.
Tribal representatives, university officials and the National Guard will unveil a prototype of the marker on campus Friday, Oct. 11, after a convocation and ceremony, according to a news release from the University of Mary. Once weather improves and re-landscaping on the campus is completed, the official marker will be installed.
The marker commemorates the 1863 Fight at Little Apple Creek between Dakota and Lakota warriors and Gen. Henry Sibley's troops.
“The Battle of Apple Creek adds to the legend of North Dakota, and to U.S. and Native American history — one that is often neglected or continually overlooked by many historians and scholars,” the release said.
Dakota Goodhouse, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and a Native American studies professor at the United Tribes Technical College, recalled in 2004 when surveyors found shovel-fulls of arrowheads on the hill during a highway construction project. The sight “made the oral record real, since the physical evidence was there,” he said in the release.
Goodhouse said the Apple Creek Fight lasted from July 30 to Aug. 1, 1863, and was a victory for the Dakota and Lakota as Sibley eventually withdrew from the field.
Leading up to the battle, Sibley received orders in June of 1863 to engage any Sioux Indians in retaliation for the 1862 Minnesota Dakota Conflict.
But before the Apple Creek Fight began, the Dakota and Lakota people gained enough lead time from Gen. Sibley's troops that their women, children and elders navigated the crossing where Apple Creek converges with the Missouri River. Meanwhile, “about 500 warriors took command of Mayá Owáse K’ápi, The Bluff Where They Dig for Paint” (as the tribe called the hill where the University of Mary now stands), Goodhouse said.
Sibley’s forces, outnumbering the Dakota and Lakota four-to-one, were unable to take the hill or any prisoners and retreated, giving the Dakota and Lakota a “clear victory,” Goodhouse said.
The hill where the University of Mary’s campus sits and where the historical marker will be placed “played a significant role in that victory,” the news release said.
Friday's events, which are free and open to the public, begin at 10 a.m. with a convocation detailing the Little Apple Creek Fight by Goodhouse at the Butler Auditorium inside the Gary Tharaldson School of Business. A ceremony commemorating that fight will take place after at 10:50 a.m., with representatives from various tribes, the National Guard and University of Mary in attendance.
NORTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD
HISTORICAL MARKER
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Report: Thousands of Minnesotans are drinking water contaminated by nitrate
Written By: Minnesota | Jan 14th 2020 - 12am.
Thinkstock.com
ST. PAUL — Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans drink from tap water sources that contain potentially unsafe amounts of nitrate, according to a new report by an environmental nonprofit.
Levels of nitrate observed in roughly 1,100 groundwater systems and more than 13,000 private wells are still low enough to meet federal guidelines. But because drinking tap water with even small amounts of nitrate in it may be a risk factor for cancer and birth defects, the Environmental Working Group called in its report for an "aggressive policy and programmatic approach" to address the situation in Minnesota.
Under the federal Clean Water Act, drinking water that contains less than 10 milligrams of nitrate per liter is considered to be safe for human consumption. In past research, however, the Environmental Work Group found thresholds of half that amount and less may increase the risk of illness.
"It is clear that protecting public health requires keeping the contamination level far below the legal limit," the report reads.
Nitrate, a compound found in fertilizer and manure, can be washed away from crop fields and seep into groundwater sources by rain and irrigation. Many of the contaminated water sources identified in the Working Group's report are located in rural Minnesota.
Based of state and federal data, the Working Group estimates that 55 public water systems serving approximately 259,000 Minnesotans tested for nitrate levels greater than or equal to the 5 milligram threshold on at least one occasion between 2009 and 2018. A further 358 non-community systems — which provide on-site water service to facilities like hotels, churches and apartment buildings — tested similarly.
A total of 727 public and non-community systems that serve a combined 470,000 people contain nitrate levels greater than or equal to 3 milligrams per liter, according to the report. According to a state Department of Health web page, that threshold suggests that man-made nitrate sources "have contaminated the water and the level could increase over time."
The situation for households reliant on private wells may be more severe. Approximately 13,400 households tested positive for nitrate levels between 3 and 5 milligrams per liter, according to the report.
Because upgrading a water system to treat for nitrate levels can be costly, Working Group economic analyst Anne Schechinger said that many private well users do not have the option to do so.
"There really has not been a lot of work done on private wells in Minnesota or in the rest of the country," she said in an interview.
Researchers from the group said that states can adopt stricter water safety standards than the federal government's. At the federal level, the EPA in April announced it would scuttle plans to review its legal nitrate limit.
According to the report, approximately 124 public and non-community water systems meet or exceed the level nitrate considered unsafe. Those systems serve approximately 154,000 people.
The same can be said of private wells serving more than 3,000 households.
Adding to the issue is that utilities Minnesota are required to periodically test their public water systems but well owners are not. Researchers from the Working Group suggested that state agencies also subject private wells to periodic testing and perhaps offer to help pay for it, too.
Calling efforts to prevent further nitrate leaching through Minnesota's Groundwater Protection Rule a "welcome first step," the Working Group added that that measure does not go far enough. Beginning this year, the rule will prohibit agricultural producers from spreading nitrogen fertilizer and manure in the fall or on frozen soil in parts of the state prone to leaching.
The group said that does little for other parts of the state where fertilizer use is still common. And because the program is intended only to prevent nitrate levels from exceeding the EPA's legal limit, the group said that it may do "too little, too late."
More than 800 crop producers in Minnesota have been certified through a separate state program that aims to reduce water contamination incidents through water conservation.
News Nov 7th 2018 - 10am
Collin Peterson wins 15th term in Minnesota's 7th Congressional District
Walz wins governor race with 'One Minnesota'
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This app tells you when you’re depressed. Who else does it tell?
July 20, 2017, 10:58 a.m. EDT
(Bloomberg) – A Facebook message pops up on my phone screen. “What’s going on in your world?”
It’s from a robot named Woebot, the brainchild of Stanford University psychologist Alison Darcy.
Woebot seems to care about me. The app asks me for a list of my strengths, and remembers my response so it can encourage me later. It helps me set a goal for the week -- being more productive at work. It asks me about my moods and my energy levels and makes charts of them.
“I’ll help you recognize patterns because ... (no offense) humans aren’t great at that,” Woebot tells me with a smirking smile emoji.
So Woebot knows that I felt anxious on Wednesday and happy on Thursday. But who else might know? Unlike a pedometer, which tracks something as impersonal as footsteps, many mental-health apps in development rely on gathering and analyzing information about a user’s intimate feelings and social life.
“Mental-health data is some of the most intimate data there can be,” said Adam Tanner, a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science.
Chatbots have existed since the 1960s -- one was named after “Pygmalion” heroine Eliza Doolittle -- but advances such as machine learning have made the robots savvier. Woebot is one of an emerging group of technological interventions that aim to detect and treat mental-health disorders. They’re not for everyone. Some people may prefer unburdening themselves to a human, and many apps are hindered by bugs and dogged by privacy concerns. Still, the new technologies may fill gaps in current treatment options by detecting symptoms earlier and acting as coaches for individuals who might otherwise never seek counseling.
Clinicians and privacy experts are welcoming these inventions with one hand while holding up warning signs with the other. Technology might be a powerful tool to improve treatment, but an emotional problem, if it becomes known, can affect insurance coverage, ruin chances of landing a job or color an employer’s perception. With possible changes coming to health-care law, it’s unclear if pre-existing mental-health conditions could once again be used to charge people more for insurance or deny them coverage.
Privacy concerns aside, the promise of collecting data is the ability to render a holistic picture of a person’s mental state that’s more accurate than infrequent assessments conducted in a doctor’s office.
Digital Biomarkers
“Our approach is to ask, how can we measure in an unobtrusive and passive way?” said Tom Insel, former director of the National Institutes of Mental Health.
Insel teamed up in May with Paul Dagum, a former cybersecurity expert, to create a startup that mines the information on consumers’ phones to create “digital biomarkers” to try to predict depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.
Called Mindstrong, the company tracks users’ every tap, swipe and keystroke, then keeps an eye out for patterns such as reaction speeds. It looks at locations and frequency of texts and calls. It also tracks word use. Without reading people’s emails, Mindstrong can look at “word histograms” that show how frequently certain words are used.
When people become depressed, “there’s a shift in pronouns, instead of saying ‘we, you, they,’ it turns into ‘I, I, I,’” Insel said.
Phone Behavior
Early evidence shows Mindstrong may be onto something. Dagum said they’ve found strong correlations between phone behavior and traditional cognitive measures. Mindstrong is running a 100-person study with Stanford and plans to publish its results soon.
Mindstrong also has partnered with an insurance company that will run a pilot program for 600 members with serious disorders. For the insurer, which Mindstrong declined to name, early detection of a psychotic episode or a relapse in depression could help it guide the member to treatment earlier, avoiding costly hospital stays.
Woebot, too, has data that suggest a benefit. In a study of 70 people ages 18 to 28, scores measuring depression were significantly decreased in the group that chatted with Woebot compared with those who read a National Institutes of Mental Health ebook.
Yet the technology can be buggy, leading Woebot to misinterpret responses. Prompting me to rewrite a negative thought “so it’s more positive,” I ask, “How?” and Woebot, following its script, cheers, “NICE!”
Despite occasional miscues, it’s hard to be annoyed with the cheery Woebot, whose personality Darcy said she modeled after Kermit the Frog. After two weeks of chatting, the robot has heard more about my daily moods than any of my friends.
Should I be concerned about how much these apps know about me?
Mindstrong said it protects customers by avoiding the use of behavioral data to sell products.
“We’re a health company and we need to build a brand of complete trust,’’ said Richard Klausner, Mindstrong’s executive chairman and a former director of the National Cancer Institute.
Darcy promises Woebot won’t sell customer information and the company’s employees only view anonymized responses. But the app works on Facebook Messenger, and Darcy concedes that she can’t vouch for how Facebook will use the data.
Facebook says it collects information including when users “message or communicate with others” in order to “provide, improve and develop services.” Spokeswoman Jennifer Hakes said Messenger abides by Facebook’s data policy, but “we do not read the content of messages between people or people and businesses.” Facebook also doesn’t target any type of advertising based on the content of Messenger conversations, she said.
Investors don’t seem inhibited by privacy concerns. Mindstrong has raised $14 million in a series A funding round, including from an investment arm of insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. It’s also cut a deal with BlackThorn Therapeutics Inc. to track behavior changes as part of a drug trial.
Woebot’s funds have come from friends and family, but Darcy said she’ll soon seek outside investors. While Woebot already has paying customers -- after two weeks of free chatting, users are offered different subscription options -- she said she’d never “gamify it’’ or give points for checking in.
“As with therapy, the goal is to graduate,” Darcy said.
Graduation, for me, is not imminent. Woebot asks me how I’m progressing toward my weekly goal.
“Not great,’’ I say.
“Hey it’s OK,’’ Woebot tells me. “In fact, I love when things go wrong. This is exactly where all the juicy learning is, remember?’’
I don’t remember. But Woebot does.
Mental health benefitsWearable technologyHR TechnologyMental health
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Total runtime 41 hours 15 minutes
Nicole Scott (Vivica A. Fox) is a hip, hard-charging former undercover agent who teams up with Jess Mastriani (Caterina Scorsone), a recent graduate of the FBI Quantico training center who gets mysterious visions of missing persons. Along with evidence expert Antonio Cortez (Mark Consuelos), they join a special unit out of Washington D.C. run by powerful Assistant Director John Pollock (Justin Louis) that takes on bizarre and perplexing missing person cases. In the first season, Brooke Haslett (Gloria Reuben), an experienced by-the-book see-it-to-believe-it FBI agent was paired with FBI Special Consultant Jess Mastriani, a recent college graduate who suddenly gets psychic dreams which give her clues to the location of missing people after getting struck by lightning. The pair also worked with saucy forensics & computer expert Sunny Estrada (Justina Machado) and their intelligent boss Alan Coyle (Dean McDermott). The show is based on Meg Cabot(also known as Jenny Carroll)'s young adult book series "1-800-WHERE-R-YOU." The season 1 theme song is "This Dream is Real" sung by Gloria Reuben and the season theme song is "Till I Find You" performed by Kina.
Seasons Episodes Actors Photos Similar shows
Jess Matrinai
Alan Coyle
Antonio Cortez
Assistant Director John Pollock
Brooke Haslett
Sunny Estrada
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Baicalin augments the differentiation of osteoblasts via enhancement of microRNA-217.
08:00 EDT 12th October 2019 | BioPortfolio
Home » Topics » MicroRNAs (miRNAs) » Research » Baicalin augments the differentiation of osteoblasts via enhancement of microRNA-217.
Summary of "Baicalin augments the differentiation of osteoblasts via enhancement of microRNA-217."
Baicalin (BAI), a sort of flavonoid monomer, acquires from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which was forcefully reported in diversified ailments due to the pleiotropic properties. But, the functions of BAI in osteoblast differentiation have not been addressed. The intentions of this study are to attest the influences of BAI in the differentiation of osteoblasts. MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts were exposed to BAI, and then cell viability, ALP activity, mineralization process, and Runx2 and Ocn expression were appraised through implementing CCK-8, p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP), Alizarin red staining, western blot, and RT-qPCR assays. The microRNA-217 (miR-217) expression was evaluated in MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts after BAI disposition; meanwhile, the functions of miR-217 in BAI-administrated MC3T3-E1 cells were estimated after miR-217 inhibitor transfection. The impacts of BAI and miR-217 inhibition on Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways were probed to verify the involvements in BAI-regulated the differentiation of osteoblasts. BAI accelerated cell viability, osteoblast activity, and Runx2 and Ocn expression in MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts, and the phenomena were mediated via activations of Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways. Elevation of miR-217 was observed in BAI-disposed MC3T3-E1 cells or rat primary osteoblasts, and miR-217 repression annulled the functions of BAI in MC3T3-E1 cell viability and differentiation. Additionally, the activations of Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways evoked by BAI were both restrained by repression of miR-217. These explorations uncovered that BAI augmented the differentiation of osteoblasts via activations of Wnt/β-catenin and MEK/ERK pathways by ascending miR-217 expression.
Name: Molecular and cellular biochemistry
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11010-019-03632-6
PubMed Articles [5754 Associated PubMed Articles listed on BioPortfolio]
miR-342-5p inhibits expression of Bmp7 to regulate proliferation, differentiation and migration of osteoblasts.
Fracture healing is a complex process, and patients with fracture will undergo non-union or compromised regeneration. MicroRNA (miR)-342-5p is a Notch downstream molecule, and its roles in fracture he...
Baicalin improves the in-vitro developmental capacity of pig embryos by inhibiting apoptosis, regulating mitochondrial activity and activating sonic hedgehog signaling.
Baicalin, a traditional Chinese medicinal monomer whose chemical structure is known, can be used to treat female infertility. However, the effect of baicalin on embryonic development is unknown. This ...
Alpha-pinene promotes osteoblast differentiation and attenuates TNFα-induced inhibition of differentiation in MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts.
Alpha-pinene (α-pinene) is an organic compound, found in the oils of many species of coniferous trees, especially pine. α-Pinene reportedly has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities; however,...
MicroRNA-130a controls bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards the osteoblastic and adipogenic fate.
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Inhibition of osteoclastogenesis by mechanically stimulated osteoblasts is attenuated during estrogen deficiency.
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1% Metformin Gel in the Treatment of Class II Furcation Defects
Metformin (MF), a biguanide group of anti-diabetic drug has been shown to enhance osteoblasts differentiation and inhibit osteoclast differentiation in vitro, thus may exhibit a favourable...
Physiopathological and Therapeutic Value of microRNA in the Progression of Carotid Artery Plaques: Carotid Protocol and microRNA
Molecular analysis of the atheroma plaque. Screening for a novel biomarker of carotid status.
Crucumin Effects on the Immune System in Osteoarthritis Patients
In this study, the effects of crucumin on cellular and humoral immune system in patients with osteoarthritis will be investigated. Concentration of CXCL8, April, CX3CL1 and IL-17 will be e...
Expression Profiling of microRNA Following Administration of Dexmedetomidine
The purpose of the study is to find out the differential expression profiling of microRNA before and after adiministration of dexmedetomidine in patients undergoing procedures, and then in...
Locally Delivered Metformin and Aloe Vera for Treatment of Intrabody Defects in Chronic Periodontitis
Metformin (MF), a biguanide group of anti-diabetic drug has been shown to enhance osteoblasts differentiation and inhibit osteoclast differentiation in vitro, thus may exhibit a favorable ...
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2
A potent osteoinductive protein that plays a critical role in the differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells into OSTEOBLASTS.
Sp7 Transcription Factor
An Sp transcription factor that contains three CYS2-HIS2 ZINC FINGERS. It binds to GC RICH SEQUENCES and performs an essential function in regulating gene expression for differentiation of OSTEOBLASTS. Mutations in the SP7 gene are associated with type 12 OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA.
Circulating Microrna
MicroRNAs found in cell-free BODY FLUIDS such as SERUM; PLASMA; SALIVA; OR URINE.
Antibody-dependent Enhancement
Enhancement of viral infectivity caused by non-neutralizing antibodies. There are at least two mechanisms known to account for this: mediation by Fc receptors (RECEPTORS, FC) or by complement receptors (RECEPTORS, COMPLEMENT). Either the virus is complexed with antiviral IMMUNOGLOBULIN G and binds to Fc receptors, or virus is coated with antiviral IMMUNOGLOBULIN M and binds to complement receptors.
Antagomirs
Chemically-engineered oligonucleotides used to selectively inhibit expression of target genes through sequence-specific binding of corresponding microRNA (miRNA) sites.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs)
A microRNA (abbreviated miRNA) is a small non-coding RNA molecule (containing about 22 nucleotides) found in plants, animals, and some viruses. Key findings: miRNA is involved in the normal functioning of eukaryotic cells, so has dysregulation...
Immunoassay - ELISA
Immunoassays are quick and accurate tests to detect specific molecules. Immunoassays rely on an antibody to bind to the specific structure of a molecule. Antibodies are proteins generated by animals in response to the invasion of a foreign molecule (anti...
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Sheffield United 2 Blackpool 0
Blackpool boss Neil McDonald
Blackpool crashed to their fourth defeat on the bounce as two second half goals were enough for Sheffield United.
After a promising enough first half display it was a typically poor second half display from the Seasiders who are yet to win in any of Neil McDonald’s five games in charge so far.
Pool showed enough as their defensive set-up held the much fancied hosts at the break, but it was once again a tale of two halves for Pool.
Goals from Billy Sharp and Marc McNulty sealed the easiest of second half wins for the hosts who will now be fancied to go on and threaten at the top of League One.
In the opening spell the Seasiders, with five men packing the midfield, were quite clearly happy to sit back and allow the home side to play in front of them, with Mark Cullen looking a very lonely figure in attack.
It wasn’t pretty, but the silence inside of the stadium as the twenty minute mark passed showed Pool were at least looking solid for the first time this season.
After 17 minutes there was finally an effort on goal, and it came from a unlikely source in left-back David Ferguson.
He burst forward and tried his luck from all of 30 yards, unfortunately for the Seasiders it drifted just wide.
As with a couple of the league games so far this season, Blackpool were actually the better side as the midway point of the first half came and went.
Oliver in particular was catching the eye with Pool competing much better in the middle of the park.
It took 27 minutes for the home side to have anything like an effort on goal, although Connor Sammon’s tame effort was never going to beat Kyle Letheren who comfortably saved down to his right.
Seven minutes later was another half chance, this time for Blackpool as Clark Robertson rose to head an effort straight at Howard from a Cameron set-piece.
Again it was a simple enough save.
UPDATE: Blackpool set to announce latest signing, Newcastle United youngster wanted, Wigan Athletic swoop for free agent - League One rumours
One player who has been forced to be patient so far this season is defender Aldred, who must have been wondering who he had offended to be unused in all the games despite major defensive problems for Pool.
And with just two minutes before the break on Saturday he produced a block which was as good as a goal for the Seasiders.
Che Adams cut the ball back into the path of Sammon who drove an effort towards goal, only for Aldred to fling himself in the way and divert the effort over.
At half-time the talk in the press room was of a very lack lustre Sheffield United and a defensive minded Blackpool.
But as the second half began it was the Seasiders who made the charge going forward, rattling the post after just a minute.
Brad Potts was fouled right on the edge of the box by Basham and skipper David Ferguson’s curling free-kick had Howard beat, but not the woodwork.
While it was all positive, we all knew at some point Sheffield United would get a chance in front of goal, and it game on 56 minutes.
Jamal Campbell-Ryce did brilliantly down the right before crossing perfectly into the path of Sammon who couldn’t miss from two-yards - well some how he did.
The striker clearly took his eye off the ball for a split second and miss-kicked wide, it was the miss of the season and a huge slice of luck for the Seasiders.
The chance strangely lifted the home side and their supporters, and for the next ten minutes it was pretty much one-way traffic.
And there was no surprise when United took the lead on the hour mark.
A clever set-piece from Sheffield United saw Basham block off a Pool defender and allow Billy Sharp all the space in the world to fire past Letheren who will probably feel he could have done better.
I suppose it was only a matter of time, Sharpe ALWAYS scores against Blackpool.
What followed was a very difficult period for the Seasiders against a home side given a shot in the arm by the goal, but Pool at least held firm and didn’t concede a quick fire second which McDonald has spoken about so often.
And the Pool boss made a change to try and spark his side’s comeback on 68 minutes, introducing Jack Redshaw in place of the quiet Cameron.
Sadly with 17 minutes left the game was dead and buried when substitute Mark McNulty was given far too much space to drift forward and curl a wonderful effort past Letheren from the edge of the area.
It was all too easy and things are looking bleak for the Seasiders, their second half display was dreadful.
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Home > Production > Miami International Holdings, Inc. Partner LedgerX becomes CFTC Approved Derivatives Clearing Organization and Swap Execution Facility for Digital Currency Derivatives
Miami International Holdings, Inc. Partner LedgerX becomes CFTC Approved Derivatives Clearing Organization and Swap Execution Facility for Digital Currency Derivatives
PRINCETON, New Jersey, July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH), the parent holding company of the MIAX Options Exchange (MIAX Options) and MIAX PEARL, LLC (MIAX PEARL), as well as an investor and partner of LedgerX, LLC (LedgerX), announced the formal approvals of LedgerX from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on July 24, 2017 and July 6, 2017 to act as a derivatives clearing organization (DCO) and a swap execution facility (SEF), respectively, making LedgerX the first federally regulated DCO and SEF permitted to offer both a trading facility and clearing services for fully collateralized digital currency swaps.
MIH was instrumental in arranging a significant portion of the financing necessary for LedgerX to obtain its regulatory approvals. In connection with MIH’s investment, the parties also entered into an agreement whereby MIH received a 10-year, exclusive worldwide right to license equity or fixed income products related to digital currencies that are developed by LedgerX and to develop its own proprietary equity or fixed income derivatives products based on such LedgerX products to be listed on MIAX Options and MIAX PEARL. MIH also secured similar rights for securities to be listed on its MIAX Equities Exchange, once launched. Additionally, MIH’s technology subsidiary, MIAX Technologies, and LedgerX will pursue technology support and services opportunities per the terms of their agreement.
Thomas P. Gallagher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MIH, said, “The formal approvals of LedgerX as a DCO and SEF by the CFTC represent a major milestone for LedgerX as well as a significant development in the acceptance of digital currency in the United States.” Continued Gallagher, “we are particularly pleased to have been able to support LedgerX with financing during its pre-operational phase and we look forward to collaborating with LedgerX going forward.”
“We greatly appreciate the steadfast support of MIH over the past 18 months and we look forward to continuing our relationship going forward,” said Paul Chou, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ledger Holdings.
John Smollen, Executive Vice President – Head of Exchange Traded Products and Strategic Relations at MIH, also commented, “We believe that LedgerX has assembled a strong team that has the ability to take full advantage of the significant opportunity as the first ever CFTC-approved trading platform in the U.S. for bitcoin options and we are excited to pursue joint ventures with LedgerX under our existing agreements following their launch.”
For further information regarding MIAX Options and MIAX PEARL, please visit www.MIAXOptions.com or contact MIAX Trading Operations at TradingOperations@MIAXOptions.com.
Corporate Communications Contact: Dominique Prunetti-Miller
dprunetti@miami-holdings.com
About MIH and the MIAX Exchange Group
Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH) is the parent holding company of Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC (MIAX Options) and MIAX PEARL, LLC (MIAX PEARL and together with MIAX Options, the MIAX Exchange Group), two fully electronic options trading exchanges.
MIAX Options currently lists and trades options on over 2,700 multi-listed classes. MIAX Options’ unparalleled system throughput is approximately 38 million quotes per second. The average latency for a single quote on MIAX Options is approximately 16.22 microseconds for a full round trip. At the 99th and 99.9th percentiles, the latency on MIAX Options is approximately 24.76 and 53.78 microseconds, respectively.
MIAX PEARL launched trading operations on February 6, 2017 and currently lists and trades options on approximately 1,100 multi-listed classes. The average latency for a single order on MIAX PEARL is approximately 24.72 microseconds for a round trip. At the 99th and 99.9th percentiles, the latency on MIAX PEARL is approximately 34.60 and 57.08 microseconds, respectively.
The MIAX Exchange Group has assembled a team with deep rooted experience in developing, operating and trading on options exchanges, and its trading platforms have been developed in-house and designed from the ground up for the unique functional and performance demands of derivatives trading. MIAX Options and MIAX PEARL leverage the MIAX Exchange Group’s industry leading technology and infrastructure to provide their member firms with both traditional (MIAX Options) and maker-taker (MIAX PEARL) pricing structures. The MIAX Exchange Group’s executive offices and National Operations Center are located in Princeton, N.J. The MIAX Exchange Group also maintains a Miami Operations Center in Miami, Fla., which contains the Miami Annual Meeting and Conference Center and the offices of MIAX Technologies, LLC (MIAX Technologies) and MIAX Global, LLC (MIAX Global).
In addition to MIAX Options and MIAX PEARL, MIH is the parent holding company of MIAX Technologies and MIAX Global. MIAX Technologies is MIH’s technology subsidiary for the sale and/or license of the trading technology developed by the MIAX Exchange Group. MIAX Global focuses on merger, acquisition and joint venture activities of MIH. MIAX Global also provides technology and other services outside of North America, with its initial concentration being on Europe and Latin America.
Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities of MIH, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer; solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical or current facts of MIH, together with its subsidiaries, including MIAX Options (collectively, the Company). Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the possible or assumed future results of operations of the Company; the competitive position of the Company; potential growth opportunities available to the Company; the expectation with respect to securities, options and future markets and general economic conditions; the effects of competition on the Company’s business; and the impact of future legislation and regulatory changes on the Company’s business. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
Inc.MENA
توفير الطاقة والتحكم الثابت بالمناخ داخل المراكز التجارية مع أبواب GEZE الأوتوماتيكية
مؤسسة ليجر إكس، شريكة ميامي إنترناشيونال هولدنغز، تصبح دار مقاصة للمشتقات ومرفق تنفيذ مبادلات لمشتقات العملات الرقمية حاصل على الترخيص من سي أف تي سي
Rates should not be used to fight bubbles: US Fed officials
Indian stock market rally is on slippery ground
SYRIAN ARMY CAPTURES MAJOR DAESH STRONGHOLD IN ALEPPO COUNTRYSIDE
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#IAmCatholic
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Mark Viviano on his brother becoming a priest
About a year ago, I wrote a story for the Catholic Review about Mark Viviano and his brother, Tony, who was was on a path to becoming a priest. You can read that story here
For those of you who don’t know, Mark is the sports director and anchor of WJZ-13, the CBS affiliate in Baltimore. Viviano also does occasional on-air work for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network and formerly had a show on 105.7 The Fan. He’s a down-to-earth guy committed to his faith in quiet and big ways. Most people don’t know that about him.
I checked in with Mark June 11, two days after his brother was ordained a priest for the Jefferson City Diocese to see how everything went.
Matt: What was it like seeing your brother ordained Saturday?
Mark: The ordination was a beautiful ceremony. Among the many sights that struck me was the power of the priestly fraternity. Every priest from the Jefferson City, MO diocese was present (about 40 of them) to welcome the four newly ordained- each laying their hands on the new priests in welcome and encouragement. Funny that I didn’t find the ceremony itself too overwhelming as I took Tony’s cue that it was his destiny- the culmination of a commitment that’s been in the works for years. More of a formality at that point- but no doubt a meaningful and beautiful one.
Matt: Did you ever think, even after all his seminary work and when he became a transitional deacon, that this would actually happen?
Mark: Absolutely and never in doubt. I mentioned it in the previous answer- the ordination was the formal culmination of a commitment that Tony has diligently pursued for years. I never doubted his commitment to the goal. It’s been hard for him at times to remain patient as he’s been so anxious to be ordained and begin his work as a priest.
Matt: For you, what was the most moving moment?
Mark: The most moving moment for me actually occurred after the ordination ceremony, after everyone had left. Tony (now Father Tony) went next door to St. Joseph’s Cathedral (where he was ordained) to the home of the Carmelite nuns. He has been working with the nuns over the years and they requested that after he was ordained that he come to their convent and offer them his first priestly blessings. Tony invited me to come with him before I drove him back home to St. Louis. One by one the nuns knelt before him and he offered his blessing. Seeing him for the first time working as a priest, just hours after his ordination, it struck me fully then that my brother is a Catholic priest. A very, very powerful sight to see.
Matt: Did you get to go to your brother’s first Mass celebrated as a priest? How did he do?
Mark: His first Mass was the next day at my Dad’s church, the parish of the Ascension in Chesterfield, MO. Father Tony was incredible! As I told him afterward, it was clear that God was speaking through him and Tony delivered impeccably. His homily on the significance of the eucharist was so powerfully delivered. Most emotional was in the wrap-up of the Mass and Tony sharing his thoughts about our late mother who passed away 30 years ago. It was hard to hold back the tears at that time. A wonderful first Mass.
Matt: What kind of priest do you think your brother will be? What can people look forward to with him?
Mark: Father Tony is dedicated to the solemn duty of upholding the Catholic church. He believes fully in the privilege and power of being Catholic, it’s tenets and traditions. He is a devoted caretaker of the lineage that extends more than two thousand years and he is proud to follow in the footsteps of the many who have come before him. He is caring, loving and encouraging by nature and will be someone people will feel comfortable turning to for help, advice and blessings. I consider him a true leader who is well suited for the role of priest.
Matt: Is there anything about your brother’s life that people can learn from?
Mark: Tony’s life offers many lessons for all of us. Foremost is his example of keeping one’s heart open to God. Tony fathered his daughter Melanie 23 years ago and though he did not marry Melanie’s mother, he stayed close to the mother and child and was integral in raising Melanie, something he prayed about often. He was running a successful business when he felt the calling to become a priest and after much discernment he answered that call. He’s lived what many would already describe as a full life, yet he begins a new chapter as he’s soon to turn 50 years old, his heart open to our Lord all along.
Matt: Were there many tears in your family this weekend?
Mark: Many tears of joy amongst us all. Tony has often referred our Dad as his guiding light and the weekend was most emotional for our dad, Joseph. At the end of the his first Mass he presented Dad with his first confessional vestment (I believe it’s tradition for a newly ordained priest to do so). We all cried, especially Dad! And remembering our late Mom and her guiding influence was also a reason for many emotions. All of them good emotions, all of them shared by so many family members gathered in a celebration unlike any other. One that we’ll never forget.
The Catholic Review is the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Do you know the date of your baptism? January 17, 2020
President Trump issues new guidance on prayer in public schools January 17, 2020
Pope speaks to U.S. bishops about pro-life issues, transgender ideology January 16, 2020
Physician to lead Mercy Health Services as longtime CEO retires January 16, 2020
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<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/19764256"><strong>when the night has come</strong></a> (79298 words) by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/ignisgayentia"><strong>ignisgayentia</strong></a><br />Chapters: 11/11<br />Fandom: <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Final%20Fantasy%20XV">Final Fantasy XV</a><br />Rating: Explicit<br />Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply<br />Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia<br />Characters: Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia<br />Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Living Together, Sharing a Bed, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Canon Compliant, World of Ruin, Blind Ignis Scientia, prompto has huge dumbass energy, Nightmares, platonic cuddles, tiny background gladnoct, tiny background cindy/aranea, brief casual alcohol consumption/mention, dealing with PTSD through Cuddle Therapy(TM), Friends to Lovers, brief mentions of violence -- daemon hunting<br />Summary: <p>It's a world of ruin. While trying to cope with the endless night, daemons, the loss of Noct, and their own individual traumas, Ignis and Prompto find a comraderie and companionship that neither of them anticipate, and find themselves slowly falling in love.</p>
Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Prompto Argentum
Ignis Scientia
Gladiolus Amicitia
Not Actually Unrequited Love
Eventual Relationships
World of Ruin
Blind Ignis Scientia
prompto has huge dumbass energy
platonic cuddles
tiny background gladnoct
tiny background cindy/aranea
brief casual alcohol consumption/mention
dealing with PTSD through Cuddle Therapy(TM)
brief mentions of violence -- daemon hunting
ignisgayentia
It's a world of ruin. While trying to cope with the endless night, daemons, the loss of Noct, and their own individual traumas, Ignis and Prompto find a comraderie and companionship that neither of them anticipate, and find themselves slowly falling in love.
hoo boy! it took me a month to write and edit all this, which is wild. essentially, i had all these little ideas and storylines in my head about prompto and ignis during world of ruin, and i decided to combine 'em all into one linear sort of fic. this isn't my first longfic in general, nor is it my first for promnis, but it's the first i've published, so i'm a liiil nervous!!! i'll try to post any kind of warnings before each individual chapter, not that there are any of concern that i know of! no surprises, all content to be aware of is in the tags, of course.
i'd like to thank my lovely fiance for being my beta and my rock durin' this past month (and when i write in general). also everyone who cheered me on in the promnis server and/or on twitter, thank you so much <3 anyway, i'll stop blabbing now, enjoy!!! come chat w/ me on twitter or tumblr if you wanna be friends!
It’s been twenty-four hours since Noctis disappeared into the crystal in Zegnautus Keep.
At least, Prompto thinks it’s been twenty-four hours. Time feels weird lately, slow and fast at the same time, ever since he was captured by Ardyn. Not to mention the fact that that the days aren’t really days anymore, no, they’re endless nights, according to Aranea, who’d been kind enough to show up before they all became daemon slaughter.
The ride to Lucis in Aranea’s ship is terrible, to say the least. Prompto doesn’t know what to say -- Gladio and Ignis are completely silent, and Prompto can’t say that he blames them.
Noctis is gone.
Noctis has been a constant in Prompto’s life and heart for so long, he has no idea what to do with himself. It leaves a Noctis-shaped hole in his chest he’s uncertain will ever be able to be filled until he sees his best friend again.
Prompto doesn’t even know how to help Gladio and Ignis. They’ve known Noctis their entire lives, pretty much; Prompto can’t even compare.
Prompto’s never seen Ignis like this, though. Prompto will never forget the way Ignis cried after Noctis disappeared into the crystal. Prompto’s never seen Ignis cry save for slightly misty eyes, least of all like that . Prompto remembers the way Ignis’s knees buckled in front of the crystal, crying so hard that it was almost difficult for him to breathe. The sight alone made Prompto cry, too, on top of everything else. All he could do was grab Ignis and hold him tight, the other man barely registering his presence except for holding onto him in return.
Aranea showed up quickly after that.
Now, a recently sobered Ignis sits on the floor toward the end of Aranea’s transport ship, lips pressed into a thin line, his sunglasses they’d found in Altissia doing little to hide his reddened, cried-out eyes. His cane is propped against the ship’s wall, his usually well-groomed ash-blonde hair falls forward in tiny strands onto his face, clothing tattered from their fight to escape Niflheim and protect Noctis as he went to the crystal. Despite Ignis looking a bit unkempt, Prompto’s heart hammers with affection regardless.
Prompto has no idea when his feelings for Ignis Scientia began. He thinks they might have been there for the slightly older tactician ever since he met the guy in high school, always at Noct’s side at the end of the school day. At first, Prompto wrote his rapid heart rate around Ignis off as just intimidation -- Ignis always so stoic, insightful, sharp, serious. He realized pretty quickly that Ignis isn’t just all of that, though; Ignis is also sweet, caring, selfless, and hilarious when he wanted to be. Don’t even get Prompto started on Ignis’s looks. The man could kill him and Prompto would thank him. Ignis always looks like he’s fallen straight out of a magazine, never a hair out of place, striking green eyes, cheekbones set higher than his hopes and dreams.
There wasn’t much Ignis could do that didn’t impress him, and Prompto found himself harboring the most intense crush of his life starting at the ripe age of fifteen. Prompto didn’t dare say a word to Ignis at the time; not only was his best friend’s advisor two years older, but he knows that people like Ignis don’t ever think of Prompto romantically . Prompto had come to terms with that pretty quickly. He’s pretty used to rejection.
They’re older now, in their twenties. Still, Prompto’s yet to say a word to Ignis, despite his infatuation with Ignis growing even stronger the more they’ve been through -- the more they’ve bonded -- on what started out as a fun road trip. Now, it’s turned out to be a daily fight to stay alive, what with the apparent endless night, and the daemons that will go with it.
It’s not like anyone can blame Prompto for keeping his lips sealed. Ignis has had more than enough on his plate without having to worry about something stupid like Prompto being absolutely, almost ridiculously, head-over-heels in love with him. After losing King Regis, losing Lunafreya, Ignis losing his damn eyesight, and now losing Noctis to the crystal -- Prompto’s probably the last thing Ignis would ever want to worry about.
Prompto doesn’t know why he even bothers thinking about these things while he knows that Ignis has clearly been in love with Noctis this entire time. Prompto’s never seen someone so fiercely dedicated, fiercely in love with another human being than Ignis is with Noctis.
Prompto’s been trying -- miserably, but still trying -- to come to terms with that, too. Prompto could never measure up to Noctis. Even if Noct doesn’t feel the same way about Ignis, Prompto knows Ignis would never think of Prompto like that.
It’d be easier, maybe, if Prompto’s damn feelings would lessen, even just a little. Despite the fact that Ignis has definitely seen better days -- what with losing his eyesight and the one person he’d dedicated his life to -- Prompto’s feelings for Ignis stay strong. Ignis is still always so beautiful, graceful; still remaining kind despite the hardships and bad luck that seemed to follow them all (but Ignis even more so, it seems). Even the scars that cover Ignis’s eyes do little to deter Prompto’s attraction; in fact, he’s even more attractive, if possible.
Still, Prompto can’t stand to see Ignis sit alone, no matter how he does or doesn’t feel about Prompto. He doesn’t care if Ignis will tell him to fuck off (doubtful), Prompto has to try something. Prompto wishes he could take all of Ignis’s pain away -- all of Gladio’s pain away. He'd gladly take this ache in his chest for the both of them if it means he gets to see Ignis smile again. Prompto knows that’s impossible, and it isn’t how life works -- especially not for the four (now three) of them.
Prompto walks over to where Ignis sits, fidgeting nervously as he hovers next to Ignis, unsure what to say. “I-Iggy…” he says softly, not sure he can speak louder than that. “Can I sit with you?”
Ignis is quiet for a moment, head turning in Prompto’s direction as the tension in his face lessens only slightly. “Of course, Prompto.” His voice is strained, but not unfriendly.
Prompto sits next to Ignis timidly, their legs touching slightly, not wanting to be too close, but also wanting Ignis to feel someone at his side -- even if it's someone as lame as Prompto. He feels so damn useless. Prompto hovers his hand over Ignis’s knee for what feels like an eternity, but decides against it, not wanting to make Iggy too uncomfortable.
Prompto’s at a loss for what to say. What could he say? ‘Are you okay?’ The answer is obviously no. ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’ No.
Ignis doesn’t seem keen on words, either. He remains silent, his closed eyes focusing toward Prompto’s direction, tilting his head quizzically as if waiting for Prompto to speak. When Prompto doesn’t, he turns his head to face forward again.
Prompto scrambles for words, not wanting to disappoint Ignis or be a crappy friend. “I-- I. Uh. I’m here, Iggy.”
It’s not like Prompto expected those words to be a comfort. Ignis is in love with Noctis, and Noct’s gone. Still, it doesn’t hurt any less, Prompto scooting a little bit away from Ignis to give the man his space.
“S-sorry, I know that doesn’t help. I should-- I should leave you alone, yeah? Shit, Igs, I’m sorry--” Prompto gushes, hoping like hell he doesn’t crack again and start to cry in front of all of them, in front of Aranea.
Prompto feels pressure on his thigh; a gentle, needy touch. Prompto looks down to find Ignis’s gloved hand pressed tightly to Prompto’s leg as he hears Ignis inhale a shaky breath.
“Stay close to me, Prompto, remember?” Ignis says softly, his voice even lower than usual, full of emotion. “Please.”
Prompto can’t stop his heart from pounding, the tears welling up in his eyes silently spilling over. After all they've been through, Ignis remembers those words. Stay close to me. Prompto always uttered them like a lifeline for the both of them after Ignis's accident in Altissia. The fact that Ignis cares enough to say them back, despite how heartbroken Ignis is, is almost too much for Prompto to handle. Prompto’s breathing hitches, giving him away as all the stress, grief, and anxiety overflow. Prompto presses his hand over Ignis’s on Prompto’s leg, keeping him there. “Al-always, Iggy.”
Ignis doesn’t tell him to stop crying, and he doesn’t reassure him with words. Ignis flips his palm up so he can grip Prompto’s hand tightly in his own. Ignis tugs on Prompto’s wrist encouragingly, coaxing Prompto closer.
Prompto melts, soft sobs bursting forth as he realizes that Ignis does want him close, at least right now. Prompto takes advantage of Ignis's outstretched arm to lean into Ignis, head resting against his shoulder and chest. Ignis lets go of Prompto's hand in favor of wrapping his arm around Prompto's waist, securing Prompto to Ignis. Ignis's hand finds Prompto's other in record time, fingers entwining, holding on tightly.
"Iggy," Prompto cries, unable to stop himself from crying into the tactician's chest.
Ignis's breathing feels uneven against his chest as he feels Ignis tuck his chin on top of Prompto's messy hair. Prompto can't stop crying, and knowing the ever-so-stoic Ignis is crying softly as well doesn't make things any better.
"Shit," Gladio's voice says from the opposite corner. His voice doesn't waver like Prompto's, but instead sounds gruff; angry.
Prompto looks over through teary eyes just to see Gladio turn his back on the two of them, fists clenching as Gladio utters some more curses, clearly needing to break something. Gladio’s tears are quieter, more reserved.
Prompto cries harder knowing that not even Gladio can take this anymore.
Prompto's free hand slides up Ignis's chest, clawing at his shirt as if it would keep Ignis against him forever. This isn't an ideal first time for Ignis to hold him like this, but Prompto knows it's better than nothing. Prompto doesn't know what he'd do if he couldn't feel Ignis's touch right now. The weight of Ignis's head resting on top of Prompto's soothes Prompto's loud sobs into soft, gasping ones.
Ignis stops crying before Prompto can manage to. Prompto hears Ignis inhale deeply, albeit shakily, as he turns his head slightly, resting his cheek on Prompto's head instead of his chin. For some reason, it causes Prompto's heart to flutter, his grip on Ignis's shirt tightening as he lets himself be selfish with Ignis's touch.
When Prompto's cries go quiet after what feels like hours, feeling himself calm in Ignis's arms, the room stays quiet for a while before anyone speaks.
Gladio is the first one to break the silence, facing Aranea. "How much longer?" Gladio asks, his voice still tense but not as rough as before.
Prompto blinks through teary eyes to look over at Aranea. It's the first time he's seen Aranea look sad.
"About an hour, maybe less," Aranea responds, her voice tight as well. "I'm taking you guys to Lestallum. Supposed to be safer from daemons there."
Ignis clears his throat. “Due to the power plant, I presume?” he finally speaks, his voice a bit hoarse from the crying session they shared.
Aranea finally looks over at Ignis and Prompto. “Yep. Daemons are popping up everywhere, places are starting to get overrun. People are taking refuge in bigger cities, but with Lestallum being self-sufficient and your crown city in pretty much ruin… it’s safer. Figured you guys would be better off there while you figure shit out.”
The crown city in ruins. Prompto didn’t know it was that bad. Prompto wonders how many places he used to go to are gone; the coffee shop where he used to pick up Ebony for Iggy on the way to Noct’s, the arcade Noctis and Prompto frequented all too much, their high school where he worked up the courage to talk to Noct for more than five minutes, the crownsguard training yard where he spent most of his days falling more and more in love with Ignis.
Prompto squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, trying to forget.
“Wha… what are we gonna do?” Prompto whispers, words muffled by Ignis’s shirt.
Ignis’s thumb gently brushes along the back of Prompto’s hand reassuringly. “We’ll have to find a place to stay, for starts.”
Gladio grumbles. “I need to kill something.”
Prompto can certainly relate. There’s not many ways left to let out emotions, save for crying and killing daemons.
“We need rest,” Ignis insists.
“Nah,” Gladio responds stiffly.
“Do not get yourself killed because of this, Gladiolus,” Ignis says, voice cool and sharp. “We still have a duty to fulfill.”
“ Don’t tell me about my duty to him, Iggy,” Gladio snaps back. “Just don’t.”
Prompto can’t say he blames Gladio’s attitude -- especially knowing that losing Noctis so suddenly hurt Gladio in more ways than one. Prompto knows that Gladio and Noct had feelings for each other, but that was an entirely different story -- one that might not ever get to be told, depending on how long it would take for Noctis to return; if he returned.
Prompto can’t imagine how much Gladio is hurting right now. Prompto doesn’t know what he’d do if he lost Ignis, and Ignis is so far from ever being his.
“Please,” Prompto interjects, voice dangerously wavering on the edge of sobbing again. “Don’t fight.”
Gladio huffs out a grunt. “Ain’t gonna get killed. Don’t need rest.”
Ignis sighs. “Prompto is right. I cannot stop you, but please… Noctis is not the only one who cares for you, Gladio.”
Aranea decides to break the tension, thankfully. “Don’t let me get involved, but I don’t think rest is gonna hurt anything. I’d stick with each other for now. It’s up to you, though. You guys have been through enough.”
Prompto can certainly agree with that. As Aranea’s ship lands, Prompto realizes with horror that Ignis will let go of him, and now that Prompto’s cried himself out, he has no idea if Ignis will ever hold him again.
Still, Ignis doesn’t let go. The ship completely lands, the doors opening quickly thereafter. They landed the ship outside the overlook, which used to be bustling and full of happy people enjoying the warmth. Now it’s dark, deserted, the only light coming from the city itself.
Ignis taps Prompto’s shoulder gently as he lifts his head off of Prompto’s, as if coaxing him away. With a sigh, Prompto disentangles himself from Ignis’s arms in favor of standing up. Prompto reaches down, gripping Ignis’s wrist to help him up.
“Thank you, Prompto,” Ignis says gently as he takes Prompto’s hand.
Prompto’s quick to reach for Ignis’s cane, pressing it into his palm next. “You don’t gotta thank me, Iggy.”
Their fingers brush against one another as Ignis takes the cane from Prompto. Prompto tries to ignore the way his heart pounds at the contact. Ignis smiles sadly in Prompto’s direction, but says nothing else.
Prompto reaches out to touch Ignis’s lower back, guiding him in the right direction. Prompto tries to be gentle but firm, suggesting but not forcing . If it bothers Ignis, he makes no indication of it.
“This is our stop,” Aranea says. “You guys stay safe. I’ll check in from time to time. I got a lot of refugees to transport.”
“You have my thanks, Aranea. We would not be alive if it were not for you,” Ignis says, turning his head in the direction of Aranea’s voice.
Prompto perks up. “Yeah! We really owe you one. Whatever you need, lemme know, and I can help!”
Aranea smiles. “Thanks, blondie. You’re welcome. I’m sorry about your loss.” She sighs. “Same goes for you, ‘kay? Let me know if there’s anything you need.”
Gladio’s hands are clenched into fists again as he walks up to both Prompto and Ignis, stopping next to them. “Likewise. Doubtful you’ll need help killin’ daemons, but we’re here regardless.”
Aranea laughs humorlessly. “I could say the same to you. Good luck waiting on your Prince.” She pauses for a moment, and her eyes lock with Prompto’s. “Oh, and blondie?”
“U-uh huh?” Prompto asks, confused as to why her attention is on him.
“Keep an eye on Ignis, make sure he stays outta trouble.” She gives Prompto a knowing wink.
Prompto feels his cheeks heat up with flush. Aranea is one of the only people alive that knows about Prompto’s ridiculous crush on Ignis, and with what little time he spent with her back in Niflheim, she was all but supportive and encouraging.
“Got it!” Prompto says quickly, hoping he doesn’t give anything away. Prompto peeks a glance over at Ignis, who has an eyebrow raised, but otherwise doesn’t seem to be in on the secret. “We should get goin’, huh, guys?”
Gladio sighs. “Yeah. C’mon.”
Prompto keeps his hand on Ignis’s lower back, guiding him down the ramp of Aranea’s ship. Once they’re on solid ground, Ignis turns his head toward Prompto.
“What was she on about, Prompto?” Ignis asks.
Oh, I don’t know, probably the fact that I wouldn’t stop worrying about you and talking about how important you were to me and that I love you so much sometimes it hurts to breathe, Prompto thinks to himself.
“Oh, um, when she helped me, when I was… in Niflheim, y’know, I talked a lot about you… guys.” Prompto is, again, entirely grateful that Ignis can’t see his reddening blush.
“I see,” Ignis says. “Nothing bad, I presume?”
“No! Not at all, Iggy. She just cares a lot, I guess.”
The answer seems to satisfy Ignis, as he turns his head forward again, much to Prompto’s relief. The absolute last thing Prompto needs right now is for Ignis to find out about his heartbreaking crush and push him away. Prompto doesn’t know what he’d do if he couldn’t be near Ignis right now.
“We oughta start pullin’ our weight, just like her,” Gladio points out, his tone a little less tense than their spat earlier.
“Yes. I suppose we’ll have to keep rather busy,” Ignis says.
Keeping busy sounds good to Prompto; that way, he doesn’t have to keep his mind fixating on Noct. Prompto can’t imagine how many people are in need of help from daemons right now; he suddenly doesn’t blame Gladio for wanting to run off and kill everything in sight.
“Sounds like people need help,” Prompto agrees. “But… we should… find some food, yeah?”
Ignis sighs tiredly. “Prompto is right. We won’t be of any use to anyone without food and rest.”
Gladio’s responding sigh is even more drawn out. Before he can reply, Prompto spots out of the corner of his eye someone barreling toward them, with short brown hair and a slightly tattered skirt.
“Gladdy!” Iris shouts as she runs right into her brother’s arms.
“Iris,” Gladio says, voice filled with relief as he crushes her to his chest. “You good?”
Iris holds onto Gladio tighter. “Yeah. I couldn’t get a hold of you, I was so worried--”
“I know.” Gladio sighs. “Phone died. There wasn’t anything I could do ‘til I got here.”
Iris pulls away, sniffling a little. “I’m just glad you’re all safe.” She looks over at Prompto and Ignis. Her eyes linger on Ignis’s scars over his eyes, and then notices the obvious missing person. “S--so it’s all true? Is Noct…?”
Prompto sees Gladio’s jaw clench. Prompto loops his arm through Ignis’s, needing to tether himself to something as he sees Ignis frown. Ignis doesn’t push him away; in fact, he pulls Prompto a little closer, much to Prompto’s relief.
“I’m afraid so,” Ignis answers for all of them, voice low.
Prompto tries to ignore the nausea that swirls around his stomach. “He’ll be back,” Prompto insists. “We just… we gotta have faith.”
Ignis squeezes Prompto’s arm reassuringly. “I’m afraid that is all we can do.”
Iris’s eyes water, burying herself in Gladio’s embrace again. “This is all so terrible.”
Gladio doesn’t say anything for a moment, trying to comfort his sister the best he can. It’s clear Gladio isn’t ready to talk about Noct yet -- or at all. “So, Caem’s gone?” Gladio asks. “Talcott? Monica…?”
“They’re all fine, they’re here,” Iris reassures them. “But yeah, Caem is hanging in there but only barely.” She sighs. “Daemons… they’re everywhere, guys. Monica and a bunch of others are starting relief efforts, feeding as many people willing to help hunt them, but they just keep coming. I’ve heard Weskham’s taken refuge from Altissia and is helping keep Caem from being overrun. I’m not sure, though. Monica and Dustin got us outta there really fast.”
Prompto thinks of all the people they’ve met on their trip, all of the places they’ve been, and wonders how many made it, how many places destroyed. His nausea increases, and he really hopes he doesn’t throw up in front of everyone; that would be awkward.
“How many people have you heard from? Cor…? Cindy? ” Prompto can’t help but blurt.
Prompto feels Ignis stiffen next to him. Prompto feels a little guilty, knowing how annoying he is with his constant mentions of Cindy. Sure, Cindy’s gorgeous-- but Prompto only talks about her so much because he doesn’t want Ignis to suspect that his real crush is on him.
“The marshal’s alright, last I heard he’s gathering what little Glaives that are left and training them for daemon hunting -- and the return of…” Iris trails off, not wanting to say Noct’s name as she chances a glance at her brother.
“Guess that’s where I should be soon,” Gladio says. “Not much of a shield without my king.”
The silence among the four them is a little too much for Prompto. Prompto swallows back more nausea, fighting the urge to just sit on the ground and cry again.
“I wanna be there, too. I wanna learn. I wanna help people,” Iris insists.
Gladio sighs. “Yeah, I guess it’s time.”
“And Cindy?” Prompto asks, worried about their friend.
“Hammerhead’s still standing. They’ve got plenty of lights, and the hunters in the area helped, considering Cindy and Cid are the only ones left to help them with repairs. They do need all the help they can get, though.”
Relief floods through Prompto, glad that Cindy and Cid didn’t die a horrible death, at least. Ignis’s face still remains suspiciously neutral. Prompto’s just glad Ignis hasn’t shoved him away yet.
“That’s good to hear, at least,” Ignis finally says. “We should continue this conversation elsewhere. I’d like to get a decent meal in you lot, seeing as we have not had one for quite some time.”
Prompto thinks about why that is, and nearly shudders. Being stuck in Zegnautus was probably the worst experience of his life. Prompto puts that experience behind a door in his mind, and throws away the key. He doesn’t have time to deal with that right now.
“Prompto?” Ignis’s voice breaks through Prompto’s thoughts. “Are you alright?”
“Huh? What?” Prompto jumps a little. “Yeah, m’okay! What’s going down?”
“Iris is taking us to get something to eat,” Ignis hedges. “Are your wounds hurting you?”
“No,” Prompto lies. The bruises and cuts he gained by being Ardyn’s party guest are constantly hurting, despite endless curatives being used on him, but there’s no point in whining about that. “I’m okay, Iggy.”
They follow Iris around the winding corners of downtown Lestallum, Gladio right behind her, with Prompto and Ignis trailing a bit behind. Prompto mainly doesn’t want to walk too fast with Ignis adjusting to his lack of sight, but he also doesn’t want to leave Ignis’s side.
“How’d you get those? What happened to you, Prom?” Iris asks.
Prompto chews on his lip, remembering the way Ardyn had him strung up. He pushes those thoughts aside, trying to swallow the panic. “Fell off a train!” Prompto jokes weakly.
The joke doesn’t really land, their party falling into a tense silence as Iris leads them to what used to be the marketplace.
“You should take a few days rest, but I guess you already know that,” Iris tells Prompto. “Anyway, this probably looks a lot different than the last time you guys were here.”
The marketplace is a little recognizable, though not by much. Instead of the bustling merchants, shopping, and food Prompto remembers seeing, the place looks a bit like a hurricane went through it. People are lined up just to get food, clothing, weapons, phones, and other various necessities. People all look a bit bleak, none of the happiness he remembers from earlier visits; lots of children crying, their parents looking like they haven’t had a moment’s rest.
Prompto’s surprised to see Monica and Dustin help provide sufficient food to eat at the front of the line, along with several others who appear to also be power plant workers helping along.
“There enough food to go around?” Gladio asks.
“Yeah, for now. Hunters are volunteering to gather ingredients and food, though, we don’t wanna run too low or anything. I’ve been helping get some ingredients, too,” Iris says proudly.
“Prompto?” Ignis asks, his voice lower for Prompto only. “What does it look like?”
Prompto feels a little guilty he didn’t think to describe it to Ignis. “Uhhhh, just people lined up for food, clothes, weapons. Looks like they’re taking volunteers to help with the power plant, volunteer hunters, volunteer cooks… looks like we’re all gonna have to help each other. Monica and Dustin are here, li’l Talcott’s helping a little bit it looks like…” Prompto laughs stressfully at the sight of Talcott trying to help Monica pick out ingredients. “There’s a medical booth, but it’s on the other side of the marketplace, to the right.”
Ignis sighs. “Thank you.”
“No sweat, Iggy,” Prompto murmurs. “Where are people staying, Iris?”
“We’re starting to set up shelters and stuff, the hotels are acting as places for refugees to sleep, mostly for the families and the hunters that are too tired to head out. There’s an opening at the Leville for you guys ‘til we can get a more permanent place set up,” Iris explains.
“That would be grand, Iris. You’re certain there’s room?” Ignis asks.
“Yep! We sorta… saved a space for you guys. It’s the least we could do, after all you’ve been through… After Noct…” Iris sighs.
“Don’t worry ‘bout me. I’m heading out to help the Marshal as soon as possible,” Gladio insists.
“You’ll need to rest at least for the night, Gladio,” Ignis urges. “I can help with cooking, as well, Iris.”
“We can worry about that after you guys get some sleep,” Iris says. “You guys… look terrible.”
Prompto snorts. “Gee, thanks, Iris.” His usual lighthearted tone sounds off even in his own ears. “Gotta agree with Iggy though, big guy. We all need some sleep if we’re gonna be of any help.”
Gladio looks like he’s about to protest until Iris glares at him. “Fine. But I’m gonna head out first thing in the morning -- night? What the hell time is it, anyway?”
“Little after 3 in the afternoon,” Iris supplies. “Doesn’t really matter, when it’s night all the time…”
“Guess that’s true,” Prompto says with a sigh. Prompto looks over at Ignis. “Stay right here, Iggy. I’ll get us some food?”
Ignis sighs. “Very well. Thank you, Prompto. Would you mind terribly showing us to our room afterward, Iris?”
She nods. “Yeah, sure, guys.”
Prompto heads over with Gladio to get enough food for the three of them as Iris gives them the key to one of the rooms on the second floor of the Leville. Thankfully, it has two double beds, but it painfully reminds Prompto of when they stayed here before with Noct. Things are so different now.
Prompto watches as Ignis props his cane against the wall opposite one of the beds, sitting down on it gently. His heart aches just looking at Ignis; his usually stoic features are sad, tense, thoughtful. Prompto wants to head over there and take the man into his arms and promise him the world, promise him to bring Noct back, but he can’t -- Prompto can’t bring Noct back.
Prompto does sit next to Ignis, though, helping Ignis’s fingers wrap around the plate of food he brought for him.
“My thanks, Prompto,” Ignis whispers.
“Not a problem, Igster. You need anything else?” Prompto can’t help but ask.
“I’m quite fine for now.”
Gladio and Iris sit on the opposite bed. They all eat pretty slowly, Prompto especially. The nausea from earlier still hasn’t entirely dissipated, but Prompto forces the barramundi and rice down his throat. Prompto’s never seen Gladio eat so slow. Prompto sighs. He misses Noct so much.
Iris updates them further on the state of the world. More and more outposts are being evacuated due to lack of sufficient power and resources. The crown city is all but completely evacuated. Prompto can't wrap his head around how many people who are in need right now. He feels a little guilty getting even one night's rest when he knows others are probably getting none. They haven't heard word from so many people they met along their journey. Prompto's stomach feels sick again; he's glad he's finished his food by now. It's almost like the absence of Noct brought the absence of everything else, too.
"Well, I'll let you guys get some sleep," Iris finally announces when everyone's finished eating. "I'm real glad you guys are okay."
"You as well, Iris," Ignis says.
"Yeah. See ya tomorrow, little lady," Prompto murmurs in an attempt to be lighthearted.
Iris levels a glare at Gladio's still form. "Do not leave without me, Gladdy."
Gladio groans. "We'll talk about this in the morning, Iris. I love you."
She huffs out a stubborn breath. "Fine. Love you, too."
As soon as Iris leaves, Ignis lets out a sigh. "I believe I'm going to wash up before bed."
Prompto can definitely agree; it feels like they haven't had a quiet room in weeks. "Don't use all the hot water, dude!" Prompto squeaks, still trying to keep them all in good spirits.
Ignis manages a tiny smile. "I shall do my best."
Prompto collapses onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Remembering something at the last minute, Prompto peeks his head up in Ignis's direction. "Oh, Iggy? If you need anything, lemme know, okay?"
Sometimes, for the briefest of moments, Prompto almost forgets Ignis is blind; the way he carries himself with such assuredness. Ignis is doing a lot better getting around on his own since the accident in Altissia -- about which Ignis hasn’t told, much to Prompto’s frustration. Ignis learned to adapt really quickly. He still has some ways to go, but considering the other three used to have to guide Ignis everywhere, he’s come a long way. Prompto can’t believe that Ignis can even fight so quickly after the accident, except that he can, because it’s Ignis , and Iggy can do anything he puts his mind to.
"You have my word," Ignis says gently.
Despite all the shit they're going through, the softest of teases in Ignis's voice makes Prompto smile so much. Gods, does he love that man.
Prompto looks over at Gladio, who hasn't said a word since Iris's absence. Gladio’s laying on the other bed facing the ceiling, his eyes closed, but his breathing is too fast for him to be asleep.
“Y-you okay, big guy?” Prompto asks softly. It’s been a minute since Gladio and Prompto had some one-on-one time.
Gladio grunts, opening one eye to peek over at Prompto. “Yeah. You?”
Prompto smiles a little for Gladio. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. Gladio’s so tough, Prompto finds himself wondering if Gladio needs more than he’s letting on. “Uh huh,” Prompto replies. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, blondie,” Gladio says tiredly. “You got somethin’ you wanna say?”
“Nah,” Prompto murmurs. “I was just… well, um. Can I give you a hug?”
Both of Gladio’s eyes open as he turns his head to look at Prompto, eyebrows raised. “Huh?”
“I wanna hug you. Can I hug you?” Prompto repeats, feeling his cheeks heat up.
Gladio stares at him for a minute, and Prompto’s pretty sure he’s going to say no until he sighs, sitting up on the bed. “Yeah, kid. Sure.”
Prompto always finds it so funny that Gladio calls him ‘kid’, even though Gladio’s only three years older.
Prompto slides off of his bed to climb up onto Gladio’s. Gladio holds his arms out for him, and Prompto climbs into Gladio’s arms easily, head resting on his big chest. Prompto sighs when Gladio’s arms wrap around him. Prompto almost forgot how nice Gladio hugs are.
“Sure you’re good?” Gladio asks again.
“Yeah. Just worried about you.”
Gladio huffs out a hard laugh. “Don’t be.” Gladio ruffles Prompto’s hair a bit, making the blonde laugh. “Don’t ever change, Prompto, you got that?”
Prompto has no idea what Gladio means by this, but Prompto’s an expert on Not Changing, at least. “You got it, dude!”
“I do hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Ignis says from the bathroom doorway.
Prompto looks up, smiling at the gentle upturn of Ignis’s mouth as Ignis walks toward the opposite bed, feeling for the edge of it with his hand before sitting down. Ignis looks so radiant right now; his hair is wet and unstyled, falling forward over his eyes as he wears a soft-looking t-shirt and sweatpants. His sunglasses are off of his closed eyes, displaying the bright pink scars on prominently. The skin still looks so smooth, Prompto wants to press a kiss to it. Prompto sighs inwardly. It’s always nice seeing Ignis so comfortable -- well, as comfortable as they can be in this situation.
“Prompto’s givin’ out free hugs, haven’t you heard?” Gladio teases. He pats Prompto’s leg. “Go get in the shower, dude. You stink.”
“Hey!” Prompto whines as he hops off of Gladio’s bed and starts to make way for the bathroom.
“Well, I’ll be certain to get in line, then,” Ignis remarks, making Prompto’s heart pound. “ After you’ve showered.”
“Wow, I’m just gettin’ it from all sides, now,” Prompto says with a sigh. “Fine, Iggy, but as soon as I’m out… prepare yourself.”
“I wait with bated breath.” Ignis smiles gently.
Prompto sighs as he leans against the shower wall, letting the warm water wash away the dirt and grime of Zegnautus Keep, Noct’s disappearance, and this world of ruin. He tries to ignore the way his body groans in protest as hot water hits his wounds by focusing on the moment he just shared with the other guys. Their playful moment that just happened almost seemed hopeful, like Noct would show up soon and they’d make all of this right.
They’d be okay, they’d have to be. How much worse could it get?
Prompto’s careful to dry off and get dressed in his usual shirt and boxers, not wanting to aggravate his cuts and bruises more than they already are. When Prompto emerges, the lights are off except for the one by the bedside. Ignis has his phone set on his lap, tuned into a Lestallum radio station reading updates of fallen outposts and loved ones. It’s all really bleak and depressing, but he knows it’s important to listen to it.
Prompto stands before the two beds, unsure where he should sleep. With Ignis elegantly sprawled to one side of the bed, legs crossed, lips pressed into that stressed, thin line again and Gladio back to his quiet sprawled-out position taking up most of the bed, he has no idea which of his friends would rather sleep alone the most.
“Prompto? Are you there?” Ignis finally breaks the silence, head turned toward the bathroom door.
“Yeah, I’m here,” Prompto answers. “Um, should I sleep with you… or…?”
“Specs,” Gladio grunts from the other bed. “You kick way too much.”
Prompto feels his cheeks heat up with flush. “Not really, I mean, Noct always --” Prompto cuts himself off, forgetting for a minute that Noct isn’t here.
Prompto’s attempt to stop himself from finishing his sentence doesn’t really matter. Gladio’s fists are clenched and Ignis’s mouth has turned into a frown.
“I’m gonna hit up the shower,” Gladio says, voice distant. He doesn’t say a word as he slides off the bed, heading into the bathroom. He doesn’t slam the door, but he doesn’t shut it quietly either.
“I-I’m really sorry, I… I…” Prompto starts, feeling the tears well up in his eyes.
“Now, now,” Ignis says gently. “He isn’t upset with you, I promise.” Ignis pats the empty space on the bed next to him. “You are welcome to come sleep with me, Prompto.”
Prompto lets out a shaky exhale, happy that Ignis isn’t as visibly upset as Gladio was for his slip-up. “Are you sure?” Prompto murmurs.
“On both counts, yes,” Ignis responds with a soft yet sad smile for Prompto’s benefit. “I was under the impression that you owed me a hug, after all? Are you no longer offering them?” Ignis’s tone is light and teasing, and Prompto knows it’s solely for Prompto’s well-being. His heart pangs with affection.
“Well, when you put it that way…” Prompto says, laughing nervously.
Prompto refrains from jumping onto the bed next to Ignis, happy to be close to Ignis for the night after all that’s happened. He’d be happy sleeping with either of them, but considering that Ignis is the man he’s been carrying a shameful, shameful torch for all these years, Prompto can admit he’s a little biased.
Now that Prompto has the invitation, he leans into Ignis’s space, sliding his arm around Ignis’s middle, resting his head on Ignis’s chest. Prompto swears he hears a soft chuckle come from the other man as Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto in return, holding him close.
“That’s better, don’t you think?” Ignis asks. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” Prompto says with a sigh. “On both counts.” Prompto smiles as he repeats Ignis’s words.
Ignis definitely chuckles this time. “Very cute.”
Damn, does Prompto’s heart fly at Ignis’s words. Prompto remembers Noctis fondly yet exasperatingly telling Prompto to, ‘just go for it, dude,’ and Prompto wishes that he could. Prompto could never work up the courage to tell Noct that Ignis doesn’t love him back, he loves his prince , and that’s it.
It’d be so easy, though. Just a simple ‘I love you.’ Prompto says it to them all the time. Ignis would probably think nothing of it. They’re alone, though, and Ignis has his arms wrapped tightly around him. Would Iggy think badly of Prompto if he said it now?
“I love you,” Prompto blurts in the most undignified manner possible. Prompto’s eyes widen as he realizes what he’s just said, hoping that it sounds platonic enough. “I’m glad you’re okay, Iggy.” Hopefully that’s enough.
Ignis is quiet for a moment, but doesn’t shove him away like Prompto’s anxiety thinks he will. “I love you as well, Prompto. I’m very relieved that you’re safe and here with me.” Ignis doesn’t sound surprised or as if he’s going through a revelation, so it’s safe to say that Ignis took the words platonically.
Prompto isn’t sure how he feels about that, one way or another. Still, rejection is something he doesn’t have to deal with at the moment, so at least there’s that.
“Me, too,” Prompto says gently. “At least we’re together.”
“It’s what Noct would want,” Ignis murmurs.
Well, there goes the romance of it all. Nevertheless, Prompto’s happy that Iggy’s words are true, to say the least. Noct would be happy that they’re here together, safe; it’s what he went into the crystal for, after all.
“Wish he was here,” Prompto mumbles.
“As do I. As you said, we must have faith.” Ignis’s tone isn’t quite right, though.
Prompto narrows his eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t believe it’s a conversation we should have while we’re in dire need of sleep. Let us rest on it, please?” Ignis suggests, voice still tense.
Prompto pushes his head off of Ignis’s chest to look at his expression. “Wait, what? Now I’m never gonna get any sleep ‘til you tell me, dude.”
Ignis’s face loses composure for just a moment, looking near tears before he takes a deep breath. “Prompto, please. Not now.”
Prompto’s heart hammers, not wanting to upset Ignis. Prompto rests his head against Ignis’s chest again. “Okay, Iggy. Okay. I’m sorry.”
“Shh,” Ignis whispers against Prompto’s hair. “None of that, now. I apologize. It’s been a rather long day.”
Prompto wants to press a kiss to every inch of Ignis’s skin. “Don’t apologize! It’s okay. We’re okay. We should… we should sleep on it, yeah?”
Ignis lets out a soft breath, relaxing a little. “Yes.”
Gladio emerges from the bathroom, looking over at Ignis and Prompto for a brief moment before climbing into his own bed. Gladio doesn’t even look surprised, like it’s something that happens all the time. Sure, Prompto ends up wrapped around any one of them in his sleep most of the time, but this is different; intentional.
“Was there hot water left, Gladio?” Ignis asks, as if the two of them hadn’t had such a serious discussion.
“Yep,” Gladio answers, his tone not as bleak as when he left. “You two ready for bed? I’m beat.”
“What say you, Prompto?” Ignis asks, still keeping Prompto in his arms.
“Yeah, we should try.” Prompto sighs, knowing it’s probably gonna take a long time for him to sleep, if he can at all. It’ll probably be like that for all of them.
Ignis turns off the radio on his phone that was already lowered in volume, and puts his phone on the charger. Ignis feels for the bedside lamp, turning it off after a moment.
“Sleep well, gentlemen,” Ignis says.
“Night, Iggy. Gladio.”
“Night you guys.” Gladio sighs into the darkness.
Prompto doesn’t want to leave Ignis’s arms, but he also knows that Ignis probably wants his space to sleep. He’s accidentally sleep-cuddled Ignis tons of times, but again, it’s never been quite like this. Prompto buries himself under the covers, and finds that not pressing himself against Ignis is actually really uncomfortable. The last thing Prompto wants is space right now.
After tossing and turning in the space next to Ignis, Prompto scoots himself more toward the middle of the bed.
“Iggy?” Prompto whispers. “Are you asleep yet?”
“No,” Ignis’s whispering response is immediate. “Is there something you need?”
“Can I…” Prompto trails off, not wanting to sound like an idiot if he gets rejected. Prompto slowly touches Ignis’s arm, testing the waters. “Is this okay?”
Ignis hums. “Of course.”
Before Prompto can bite the bullet and wrap his arms around him, Ignis seems to do the job for him. Ignis moves his arm over the pillow so that it wraps around Prompto, the space near Ignis’s chest open for Prompto to snuggle into.
Prompto doesn’t hesitate; he scoots further into Ignis’s warmth, wrapping his arm around Ignis’s stomach as he rests his head on Ignis’s chest. Prompto feels immediate comfort by it, so much better than trying to sleep separated from Ignis.
“Thanks, Iggy,” Prompto whispers.
Prompto feels Ignis’s fingers in his hair before patting Prompto’s head gently. “Sweet dreams, Prompto.”
Prompto awakens to the feeling of Ignis slipping out of his arms. He hears the soft snores of Gladio, so it must not be time to wake up yet. Prompto stretches, assuming Ignis has just headed to the bathroom. When more time passes, Prompto sits up, seeing that the bathroom light is off and the door is open.
What Prompto had failed to notice was the sliding balcony door slightly propped open, the lights from downtown Lestallum peeking through the crack in the curtain. Why the hell is Ignis out on the balcony? Prompto looks at the bedside clock as it reads 2:16AM. Prompto doesn’t even know why they bother keeping track of time anymore with endless night and everything in chaos.
Prompto kicks his legs over the side of the bed until his feet touch the carpet, shuffling quietly to not disturb Gladio as he makes his way through the crack in the balcony door. He doesn’t want Ignis -- or any of them, really -- to be alone, especially when they should be getting some rest.
Prompto has to admit the view is nice, once he steps out onto the balcony. He’s always liked cities at nighttime, now he’ll probably get tired of it eventually, funnily enough. The lights of Lestallum shine so brightly, Prompto can hardly see the darkness past it. He shudders to think how many daemons lurk beyond the safety of the lights, and how close civilians are to all of it. Most people are off the streets except for a few lurkers, hunters he assumes by the way they’re dressed, alcohol in hand, talking out of earshot.
Prompto looks over at Ignis once he presses himself against the railing of the balcony. Ignis has tears in his eyes, cheeks wet from already spilt ones, effectively breaking what's left of Prompto's heart. Ignis seems lost in thought, facing forward almost like he can see the view in front of them, but Prompto knows better. Ignis doesn't say a word even though Prompto knows that he's made his presence known. He doesn't know if that's a good or bad sign.
"Do you wanna be alone, Iggy?" Prompto whispers timidly, the darkness seeming to swallow his words.
Ignis sniffles, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. "No, Prompto. Did I wake you? I'm terribly sorry."
Of course Ignis would apologize for crying, because that's just the kind of person he is.
"No, no! Just… weirdly bad at sleeping alone now, I guess," Prompto admits sheepishly. "Do you… do you wanna talk about it?"
Ignis lets out a soft sigh. "Not much to discuss, I'm afraid." His tone is tense, like he's holding something back. "How are your wounds?"
Ignis's frustratingly self-sacrificing ability to turn the conversation to care for absolutely everyone but himself astonishes and even annoys Prompto at times.
"Wha? They're fine."
"Will you excuse me for a moment?"
Prompto looks at him confusedly. "Uh, sure?"
Prompto watches Ignis turn and feel for the door before disappearing inside the darkness of the hotel room. Prompto waits, heart thudding in his ears as he thinks of how heartbroken Ignis looked.
Ignis returns before Prompto’s thoughts can stray too far. He’s now holding a curative in his palm, turning to face the direction that Prompto is standing in.
“Come here, if you will, please,” Ignis says.
Prompto groans. “Nah, dude, don’t waste that! I told you, I’m good.”
“I know you were lying to me earlier when I asked. I allowed you to get away with it then, but while we’re not in the company of others, I will see to it that your wounds heal properly,” Ignis says, tone sharp but not angry. “We’ve lost far too much to be senselessly risky. I won’t allow anything to happen to you, now humor me, won’t you, and come here?”
A pang of guilt floods through Prompto as soon as he realizes how important this is to Ignis. Prompto’s used to suffering in silence. Ignis is good at paying attention regardless, but without Noct, all of the man’s attention is on Prompto, and it looks like Prompto’s not going to get away with his own self-sacrifice any longer.
Prompto sighs. “Alright, Igs. I’m sorry.”
Prompto traipses forward until he’s as close as he can be to Ignis without touching him. Prompto reaches out and wraps his fingers around Ignis’s wrist, letting Ignis know where he is. Ignis presses the curative gently into Prompto’s palm, adding pressure so that it shatters. Prompto instantly feels the magic wash over him. He has to admit that he does feel a little less crappy now.
“Thank you. Was that so difficult?” Ignis muses, letting go of Prompto’s hand.
Prompto sighs. “I guess not. But we’re gonna need to hold onto that stuff in case of an emergency.”
Ignis shakes his head. “And how many times do we have to tell you that your health is an emergency, always, regardless of the circumstances?”
Wow. Prompto never thought he’d heard that before. Prompto’s not stupid; he knows if there was only one potion left, and both he and Noct were hurt, the potion would go to Noct. It would be that way for all of them. Prompto would want Noct to have it. That’s what Prompto signed up for, and that’s what Prompto wants. But to hear Ignis say those words makes him feel good, he can’t lie; wanted, almost. Valued.
“Probably a million times, and you’ll have to do it a million more.” Prompto laughs softly. “It was a clever distraction, I’ll give you that.”
“You’re avoiding your issues by focusing on mine,” Prompto murmurs. He reaches out to touch Ignis’s cheek pointedly, still a bit wet from crying. “You’re important too, Iggy. I know I’m not… Noct …” he swallows nervously at the mention of his name, “but you shouldn’t hide this stuff.”
Ignis frowns. “I didn’t wish to wake you, or bother you, whichever--”
“Dude, wake me, I don’t care. You’re scaring me, Iggy. I know this shit is awful, all of it’s scary. I don’t even know what we’re gonna do, I don’t even know where to start. Pretending you’re okay is… worse than waking me up to cry to me. I wanna be here for you. I wish you’d let me in.” Prompto lets out a shaky breath, not knowing where his outburst came from. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Ignis, I’m freaking out here, just ignore me--”
Ignis doesn’t answer with words at first. Prompto feels Ignis’s arms wrap around him suddenly, gathering Prompto in his arms. Prompto melts against him, squeezing his eyes shut as he feels Ignis bury his face into the crook of Prompto’s neck. Prompto can feel the warmth of Ignis’s breath against his neck, and goosebumps rise on his flesh. It’s the closest he’s ever felt Ignis, and all Prompto can do is wrap his arms around Ignis in return, holding him as tightly as he can.
Ignis sighs shakily, turning his head so he’s not accosting Prompto’s neck (much to Prompto’s disappointment). “I always forget how intuitive you are,” Ignis murmurs. “You’re correct. No, you aren’t Noctis, but you’re you, and therefore irreplaceable. I didn’t intend to frighten you. I often think it’s far better to suffer alone, in silence, than to let someone share my pain. We’re all suffering so similarly, it was foolish of me to think I had to be strong for you lot, and that you wouldn’t notice all the same.”
Prompto keeps his eyes closed as he turns his head, resting it against Ignis’s chest. Ignis probably isn’t aware of just how much his words mean to him. “No one expects us to be on our A-game, Iggy, least of all you.” He sighs. “You are strong. Pain doesn’t make you weak.”
Ignis is quiet for a moment. “You are right about that. You’ve come… such a long way, Prompto. I’ve never told you how proud I am of you.”
Ignis’s words hit Prompto right in the chest. “Oh, Gods. I’m proud of you too, Iggy. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. You don’t ever have to do anything alone.”
“I’m uncertain about all that, but… that means a lot to me,” Ignis whispers. “Though I am certain that Gladio will likely leave when he wakes.”
“D’you think that’s really good for him?” Prompto asks worriedly.
“We all grieve and express emotions differently. He’ll have the Marshal, and I at least take comfort in the thought that Gladio knows where to find us, and he’ll return when he needs us.” Ignis starts massaging Prompto’s back comfortingly.
“I guess that’s true.” Prompto chews on his lip. “I dunno how he does it. Last thing I wanna be is alone right now.”
“Yes, well, you’ve always flourished around others, it’s rather impressive,” Ignis says softly.
Prompto smiles a little. “Eh, not really. Wh-what about you? Do you… want to be alone…?”
“I find myself enjoying your company, actually,” Ignis says teasingly. “Though we should find ourselves back in bed.”
Prompto tries not to get frustrated. “I mean, like… in general. Right now. In the future.”
“Ah. What are you asking me, Prompto? With Noctis no longer uniting us at the moment, I know we certainly have no reason to stay with one another if we do not desire it.”
Prompto’s heart races. “Do you… ‘desire it’? Hanging out with me?”
“Yes.” Ignis’s answer is immediate.
Prompto pulls away slightly to look at him. “Really?”
“Did you think I didn’t?” Ignis smiles gently, pulling away from him as he gives Prompto his space. “I think it would be good for the both of us if we stayed with one another, at least for the time being.”
Prompto lets out a breath full of relief. “Oh, thank Gods. I thought I was gonna have to go live in a shack or something.”
Ignis barks out a laugh. “Hardly. I never considered a future without you in it. I merely wished to present the option.”
Prompto tries not to overthink the phrasing, knowing Ignis just means the future in general, but Prompto can’t help but think about a future with Ignis. Damn, he really hates this stupid crush more than anything.
“We do have reasons other than Noct, though,” Prompto says softly.
“You said we didn’t have any reason other than Noct to hang out. That’s not true. At least, not to me.” Kiiiind of in love with you, dude, no biggie, he thinks . It’s not as if Prompto can say that.
Ignis smiles. “Yes, I suppose we do. I certainly didn’t wish to overestimate my importance in your life.”
Prompto’s eyes widen. “You’re joking, right? I told you I loved you a few hours ago. You’re stuck with me, dude!”
Ignis chuckles. “How utterly dreadful.” He smiles gently. “Thank you for coming out here, Prompto. Sometimes I never know what I truly need until someone provides it for me.”
“Well, yeah, I wasn’t gonna just let you mope out here alone,” Prompto points out. “We can just mope together instead. Just be a miserable couple of assholes.” He bites his lip. “Unless… you actually do wanna be alone? I don’t mean to bother you, dude.”
“You aren’t bothering me, I promise,” Ignis insists. “Your presence means quite a lot to me.”
“And you didn’t come out here to escape me because I was clinging to you like a koala?” Prompto laughs nervously.
Ignis reaches out, his hand falling gently on Prompto’s shoulder. “No, Prompto. I actually felt rather guilty leaving you to come out here, but it’s as I said, I did not wish to wake you.” Ignis sighs. “Feeling you close like that, it felt… a bit as if everything was still the same. That Noct would be lying in the other bed, seeing as you were with me.”
Prompto’s face falls. “Wait… so it was my fault that you were upset? I triggered it?”
Ignis squeezes Prompto’s shoulder. “I never said that it was a bad thing. Human contact during all this, well… it’s rather nice. I’ve grown quite used to sleeping near you, I’m afraid.”
Prompto considers this, placing his hand on top of Ignis’s. “Okay. But if you ever need space…”
“You’ll be the first to know, I assure you.”
Prompto laughs. There’s definitely no doubt about that. “So, me and you, huh? We gonna stick together for now?”
“Certainly. I would hate to see you go,” Ignis insists. “Shall we head back to bed before we awaken Gladio?”
“Think you can sleep now?” Prompto gives himself away by yawning.
“Lead the way.”
Prompto loops his arm with Ignis, linking only their hands when they both have to squeeze single file through the crack in the balcony door. Ignis waits patiently, hand still in his as Prompto quietly slides the door shut and locks it. Prompto doesn’t let go of Ignis’s hand until he’s safely seated on his side of the bed; totally unnecessary, but, hey -- it eases Prompto’s mind.
Prompto lies down in bed, pulling the covers up to his chin, feeling the warmth radiating off of Ignis’s body underneath the covers. He itches to sleep closer to him again, but after all that, he’s a little hesitant -- curse his insecurities.
“What, no more cuddling?” Ignis’s tease is whispered in Prompto’s direction.
Shit, does Prompto’s heart fly. Prompto’s instantly rolling over, curling his arms around Ignis for what feels like the millionth time tonight. This is bound to spoil him for good.
“I didn’t know if it was cool,” Prompto whispers back, trying not to laugh.
Ignis’s arms lock him in place. “You’re very sweet. Pleasant dreams, Prompto.”
“Can you dorks cuddle a little quieter?” Gladio groans. “Tryin’ to sleep here.”
Prompto winces. “Sorry, big guy!”
“Yes, apologies,” Ignis says. Ignis turns his head, and Prompto feels Ignis’s lips at his ear. “Busted.”
Prompto desperately tries to ignore the way Ignis’s playful whisper sends goosebumps down his spine. All Prompto can do is laugh breathlessly, nestling himself further into Ignis’s arms. He might not be able to have Ignis the way he entirely wants him, but he can survive on this. He’s so glad they agreed to stay together for now. Prompto doesn’t know if he can make it on his own right now.
“Night, Iggy,” Prompto whispers against Ignis’s chest wistfully, drifting off to sleep finally.
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
“Prompto,” Gladio’s voice rings out from the foot of the bed. Prompto groans, burying his face in the pillow. “ Prompto. I’m leaving. Get up, dude.”
That gets Prompto sitting up straight almost immediately. Ignis is no longer in bed with him, sitting at the foot of the bed while Gladio’s standing next to him. Prompto rubs his eyes, yawning as he looks at Gladio who is fully dressed and ready to go.
“You’re leaving already?” Prompto asks sadly, even though he was prepared for it -- Ignis was right as usual.
“Yep. Wanna put myself to good use,” Gladio explains. “You need to get up and do the same. Help Iggy while you’re at it.”
Prompto sighs, not at Gladio’s demand, but at the fact that one of his best friends is leaving. He knows it’ll probably be a while before he sees Gladio again -- the big guy definitely has a lot to figure out, to say the least.
“Now, now,” Ignis remarks, “he’s only just woken up, Gladio. Give Prompto a moment?”
Gladio snorts, rolling his eyes. “Always so soft on him.”
Before Prompto can overthink that comment, he’s shuffling out of bed. “Okay, okay, I’m up.”
Prompto walks over to Gladio, wrapping his arms around him. “Are you gonna be okay?”
Gladio hugs him back, sighing. “Yeah. Don’t worry ‘bout me. Don’t get yourself into trouble ‘til I get back, alright?”
Prompto relishes in the feeling of Gladio’s hug, not sure when the next time he’ll get another one will be. “You got it. Don’t stay away too long.” Prompto sighs. “And don’t get yourself hurt. We need you.” Noct needs you, but Prompto doesn’t want to say that just yet.
Gladio ruffles his hair as he releases Prompto from the hug. “Didn’t I just tell you not to worry about me?” He laughs. “I’ll see you guys in a bit. Keep your phones charged.”
“Do be safe, Gladio. No recklessness,” Ignis warns from right next to the both of them. Ignis stands up, putting a hand on Gladio’s shoulder. “Prompto and I will be here whenever you may return.”
Gladio pulls Ignis into a hug, and it warms Prompto’s heart to see the quiet moments Ignis and Gladio share with each other after having known each other so long.
“Same goes for you, Specs. Take care of Prompto for me.” Gladio snorts. “And let him take care of you. Give yourself a break now and then.”
Ignis’s mouth twists into a gentle smile that nearly knocks Prompto breathless. “No promises.”
Gladio rolls his eyes. “Guess I expected that.”
A knock comes on the door, Gladio huffing out a sigh to go answer it. His own little sister is at the door, looking at him suspiciously.
“I told you not to leave without me,” Iris reminds him sharply.
Gladio sighs again. “I’ll come back and get you in a few weeks, okay? I just need some time.”
“Gladdy!” Iris whines, frowning. “I want to learn how to do this stuff too. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s important?”
Prompto chews on his lip. He definitely doesn’t want to get involved in sibling problems but he also knows that it is important for Gladio to be on his own for a while.
“Hey, Iris, if you want, I can teach you how to shoot soon,” Prompto suggests. “That’s always a good first step, right, big guy?”
Gladio shrugs. “I don’t see why not. Be careful, though.”
Iris’s eyes light up. “Really? You’d do that?”
Prompto smiles. “Yeah. Let Gladio do his thing for a bit, then he can teach you all the cool stuff I suck at doing. But if there’s one thing I know, it’s shooting.” He throws finger guns at her.
“Prompto’s right, he’s an excellent shot,” Ignis adds. “I’d say that’s a fair compromise, don’t you, Ms. Amicitia?”
Prompto can’t help but smile wider at the compliment. His battle skills aren’t as impressive as Gladio or Ignis, so it’s always nice to hear.
Iris sighs. “Fine. But you owe me, Gladio.”
Gladio manages a laugh. “You got it, sis. I’ll see you guys soon, alright?”
Gladio hugs his sister before heading out. Iris looks at Prompto and Ignis.
“Good morning, guys,” Iris offers. “Did you just wake up, Prom?” She laughs.
Prompto frowns. “Yeah, why?”
Iris giggles again. “Your hair’s sticking up everywhere.”
Prompto’s eyebrows shoot up, reaching up to flatten the bird’s nest that probably is his hair right now.
Ignis lets out a soft laugh. “What I wouldn’t give to see that again.” He sighs wistfully.
Prompto feels his heart ache again. “Okay, gimme a break, you two.”
Iris continues to laugh. “Well, I better let you fix that bedhead. I should get going. We got plenty of mouths to feed.” She sighs.
“Yes, regarding that. Would we be able to lend a hand?” Ignis asks. “We aren’t a fan of idle hands, as it were.”
“Yeah, actually, that’d be great, especially with your skills, Ignis! Though are you sure you guys are up for it? I’d say you’re entitled to a few more days off,” Iris points out.
Prompto laughs. “Iggy hates sitting around. We’ll be good for it.”
“Alright, well, come meet me by the marketplace then? I’ll see you guys soon.”
Iris shuts the door, as Prompto hears her shoes running down the hall. Prompto’s always admired her enthusiasm, though being her age it probably comes by a little easier than the rest of them.
“I suppose we should get ready then, Prompto?” Ignis asks. “Do you need a few moments to wake up still?”
Prompto sighs. “No, I’m good. Guess I got some bedhead to take care of.”
One would think being alone with Ignis a lot wouldn’t cause his heart to hammer every time it happens, yet here he is, heart racing at the sight of Ignis standing there with a soft look on his face, fully dressed yet hair still messy with sleep.
“I’m certain you look adorable as usual, from what I remember from mornings with you,” Ignis teases.
Prompto feels his cheeks heat up. “Shh, if anyone’s adorable here, it’s you,” he blurts. Hoping Ignis doesn’t read into it, he adds at the last minute, “Want me to help with your hair, too?”
Ignis seems to consider it for a moment. “If you wouldn’t mind, that would be grand.”
It wouldn’t be the first time since Ignis lost his eyesight that Prompto’s helped Ignis with his hair. No one can quite style it like Iggy, but Prompto at least can help. However, every other time has been hurried, with Noct and Gladio close by, nowhere near as intimate as the two of them alone in a hotel room. Prompto’s heart thuds.
“Not at all,” Prompto squeaks. He reaches out to wrap a hand around Ignis’s wrist, pulling him into the bathroom. “You got your hair gel still?”
Ignis gestures to the bottle propped up on the sink counter, and Prompto flushes a little for not noticing it earlier. “Oops.” Prompto laughs.
Prompto wets his hands, reaching up to run his wet fingers through Ignis’s hair, effectively dampening it. Prompto never forgets how soft Ignis’s hair feels between his fingers as he brushes the hair off of Ignis’s forehead.
Prompto teases Ignis’s hair up with his comb, squeezing some gel onto his hand to transfer to Ignis’s bangs.
“Y’know, we gotta figure out an easier hairstyle for you, Igster,” Prompto teases under his breath.
Ignis basically pouts. “I like my hair as it is.”
Prompto laughs, teasing the hair straight up as he waits for the gel to set in his hair before moving his fingers. “Your hair looks good all the time, dude. You’re so stubborn.”
Ignis’s mouth twitches. “Perhaps.”
Prompto rolls his eyes even if he knows Ignis won’t see the gesture. He starts to comb through the rest of Ignis’s hair, making sure it’s all straight and even on both sides.
“I mean, just brushing your bangs back would be so much easier for you. It’s not like you like my fingers rifling through your hair every day,” Prompto points out teasingly.
Ignis chuckles. “I find it quite nice, actually. Touches from those I care about are the among the small comforts I can still enjoy.”
Prompto’s heart thuds affectionately as he looks up at Ignis, unable to keep himself from smiling. “Is it weird of me to say I feel the same?”
Ignis smiles. “Not at all.”
Prompto sighs, finally letting his fingers leave Ignis’s hair. “Good. Looks like you’re all set, spiky as usual.”
“Thank you. I shall give you your space now, seeing as you likely have a chocobo’s arse on your head.”
Prompto frowns. “Hey, don’t be a jerk or I’ll give you a mohawk next time.” Knowing Ignis, he’d probably still look good. Prompto looks into the mirror, laughing at his ridiculous bedhead. “Okay, you’re kinda right.”
Prompto hears Ignis’s laughter echo from the hotel bed. He smiles as he continues to fix the mess that is his hair, dressing in some jeans and a tank top, not knowing what the day -- or night, he should say -- will bring.
They find Iris and Monica just outside the marketplace chatting animatedly about something.
"Monica," Prompto says by way of greeting. "It's great to see you made it."
Monica bows her head. "And you two as well, though I heard your journey has been quite difficult so far."
Ignis clears his throat. "We can only hope that our losses will not be in vain."
Monica smiles sadly. "I have faith in our majesty, as well as all of us for staying strong the way we have been."
Prompto always -- on the down low, of course -- admires Monica. She's soft-spoken and well-spoken, but Prompto's never seen anyone able to do whatever it takes to get a job done; kind of like Iggy. Prompto trusts her with everything -- after all, she's helped Gladio and Ignis become the men they are today.
Ignis nods. "Indeed. We can only continue to remain strong from here on out. We're lucky to have you, Monica."
It's so funny how often Prompto and Ignis think alike. Prompto never would have guessed that he'd share any similarities with someone as perfect as Ignis.
Monica laughs gently, a pretty sound. "I was just about to say the same to you."
Prompto laughs with her. "Maybe Iggy deserves that, but definitely not me."
Ignis feels for Prompto's lower back, placing his hand there comfortingly. "Now, Prompto, you're a wonderful help. Speaking of which, Iris informed us that we could possibly be of aid to you lot. We would certainly like to earn our place."
It’s a little sad how basically all Ignis has to do is tell Prompto he’s not completely terrible and it gets his heart racing.
Monica smiles. “You’ve already earned your place here. But if you insist, it’d be a great help if you could cook for our hunters here. You’d know best on what foods will give them the most energy if they’re going to go out there and keep daemons at bay. We have a separate line for them on the other side of the city so we can get them fed and families at the same time. I can show you to the kitchen, if you’d like?”
“That would be grand,” Ignis insists. Prompto links his arm with Ignis’s to help guide him to follow Monica as they start to head over to the other side of town, despite Ignis having his cane as well. “Also, seeing as we’ll likely be here for the time being, are there any more permanent residences Prompto and I may reside in -- and Gladio, should he need it? I’d hate to take up all that space in the Leville when more refugees are heading here every day.”
Prompto knows they agreed to it already, but hearing Ignis insist that Prompto stay with him makes him smile involuntarily.
"Well, we do have a space opening up in a few days. Dave and his friends are going to move on and head toward Hammerhead, now that there's enough hunters here to take care of things. Cindy and Cid need all the help they can get. You can easily move in after they leave. I'm afraid it will be a one-bedroom, and a soda bed as well, however. Bigger spaces will take longer."
Ignis shakes his head. "No, those should go to families. I'm certain we can manage that, correct, Prompto?"
Prompto's not unfamiliar with crashing on couches, but the first thought that comes to his mind, ashamedly enough, is sharing a bedroom with Ignis. He would never ask him, though. Ignis would have to offer it first.
"Yeah, no sweat. We used to cram all four of us in a tent." Prompto laughs. "You sure you can spare the room, though, Monica?"
"Absolutely," she answers. "As I said, you always have a place here."
Prompto helps Ignis follow Monica into a brightly-lit kitchen. It's obvious this used to be a restaurant kitchen, which would be good for Ignis to have enough space to work.
"All available ingredients are in the storeroom and freezers toward the back left there. Make anything you'd like, so long as you're feeding about fifteen people, not including yourselves. Will you be needing any assistance?"
"No, Monica. Prompto is quite enough help as it is," Ignis insists. "Thank you. We'll get started immediately, then."
Monica nods and hurries off, clearly having to be in multiple places at once.
Ignis lets his cane rest against the countertop, still in reach but far enough away to keep it away from everything. "Well, well. I'm certain this will go faster if you'd assist me in doing an ingredient check, if you don't mind, Prompto? I could do it myself, but… it's as I said, it would take far longer." Ignis wiggles his gloved fingers, indicating he'd have to touch instead of see.
"Sure, dude. That's what I'm here for," Prompto promises, leading Ignis over toward the storeroom and freezers.
Prompto starts reading off the ingredients, vegetables, fruits, meats, and other products found in the storage. Prompto hadn’t really anticipated there being that much. He’s happy food isn’t something they’ll have to worry about for a while, at least.
“Hmm. Perhaps some scrambled eggs with garula steak might be the best choice?” Ignis mutters, mostly to himself. “Would you be so kind to get those for me while I find some pans?”
Prompto’s stomach rumbles just at the mention of Iggy’s food. He gets to work, finding all the appropriate vegetables and seasonings to go with the eggs and steak.
Once Ignis gets started on cooking, he seems to settle in nicely. Prompto watches in almost awe as Ignis expertly cracks eggs into the pan without making a mess, and chops vegetables up almost perfectly. It’s only here and there when Ignis can’t find something, and Prompto’s happy to be his eyes whenever he needs them.
They’re just about finished with their first batch, everything looking great and smelling even better. Prompto watches Ignis move the eggs to a cooler burner as he pulls a clean spoon from the counter and scoops some of the eggs up.
Ignis turns his head in Prompto’s direction. “Well, would you care to taste test, or shall I do the honors?”
Prompto’s heart thuds dramatically in his chest. Whenever Prompto would help him cook on their road trip -- when things were much, much simpler -- he’d almost always be Ignis’s taste tester. At first, Prompto told himself it was because he just wanted to taste Ignis’s food. However, the way Ignis would always hold the spoon or fork up to Prompto’s mouth directly instead of giving it to Prompto for him to do himself always seemed so intimate. The fact that Ignis wants to continue that, well, it almost seems like things are going to be okay, in some weird way. Prompto’s brain works so weirdly sometimes, he has to admit.
“And turn down tasting something that smells so great?! I don’t think so,” Prompto murmurs.
Now that Ignis can’t see, however, he fully expects Ignis to simply hold out the spoon full of eggs for Prompto to take. Instead, Ignis finds Prompto’s chin with his free hand, holding Prompto’s head in place. Prompto’s heart thuds even harder when Ignis takes the spoon and hovers it toward his mouth. Prompto grips Ignis’s wrist to help guide him, letting Ignis feed him.
Prompto’s so glad that this doesn’t have to change, at least. Ignis has sacrificed a lot since he’s lost his eyesight, and he’s so glad Ignis can still share some nice things with Prompto that they used to do. Then again, there’s things they can do for each other now that would never have happened before the accident, so at least they find new ways to be close to one another. At least, Prompto does. Ignis probably thinks nothing of it.
Prompto’s distracted from his infatuation with Iggy in favor of the incredible taste that hits his tongue. Prompto makes an obscene noise, groaning loudly. “Oh, my Gods. That never won’t taste so fucking good.”
Ignis’s returning smile is the fondest he’s seen since things had gone to shit. “I’m quite glad to hear it. Does it need any more seasoning? More vegetables, perhaps?”
Prompto doesn’t even wait to finish chewing to answer. “Gods, no, that’s incredible.”
Ignis chuckles. “Now, now, it’s impolite to talk with your mouth full.”
Prompto smiles as he swallows. It’s the kind of thing Ignis would say back when they were teenagers, and Prompto was still in high school. Those reminders used to intimidate Prompto, but now he just accepts it with a fond sort of love in his heart. It’s sort of comforting to know that moments like these don’t have to change. It feels stable, somehow, despite all they’ve been through.
Ignis finally lets go of Prompto’s chin -- much to Prompto’s disappointment -- in favor of placing the spoon down on the counter and turning off the stove.
“Get yourself a plate first, then we’ll be about finished, I’d say. I need to get some food in you. I can hear your stomach from here,” Ignis teases.
Prompto’s about to respond when he hears tiny footsteps -- even smaller than Iris’s -- running toward them from the entrance.
“Prompto! Ignis!” a small voice yells, one that Prompto immediately recognizes as Talcott.
Talcott wraps his arms around Prompto’s leg, grinning from ear-to-ear. Prompto grins, ruffling Talcott’s hair. Prompto swears the kid gets taller and taller every time he sees him.
“Heyaz, Talcott, buddy! How you doin’? It’s good to see you, little man!” Prompto gushes.
Ignis’s lips immediately turn upward into a gentle smile, almost like he knows that Talcott’s hugging Prompto. “Indeed. I’m rather glad to know you’re safe, Talcott.”
Talcott pulls away from Prompto finally, looking up at both of them. He’s still smiling, but his eyes are way too sad. It’s always terrible seeing sadness in a kid’s eyes, and Prompto’s almost happy that Ignis doesn’t have to.
“I heard…” Talcott trails off, sniffling a little. “I heard Prince Noctis had to go away.”
Prompto’s heart breaks. Here it is. Prompto’s never been anything close to a parent -- well, aside from taking care of Luna’s dog when it got hurt -- so he’s at sort of a loss at what to do here. Prompto crouches down so that he’s eye level with Talcott, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah. He’ll be gone for a while. I know it’s scary, but Noct will be back so soon! He’s my best friend in the whole world, and guess what? He’s gonna save the world. He’s gonna make sure we’re all okay, I know it. ‘Cause that’s what Prince Noctis always does,” Prompto promises.
Prompto hears a sniffle, but it’s not from Talcott. Prompto looks over his shoulder to find Ignis turned slightly away from him, wiping his eyes. Shit. Prompto didn’t mean to mention Noctis in front of Ignis, but there wasn’t a whole lot else he could do.
Talcott smiles, but it still doesn’t reach his eyes. “D’you really think so?”
Prompto smiles back. “I know so, dude. He’s saved my life a million times.”
Talcott’s eyes start to water as he looks at the ground, fiddling with his hands nervously. “He can’t-- Prince Noctis can’t bring my grandpa back, can he?”
Prompto sucks in a breath, trying really hard not to cry and lose it in front of a little kid. That would be embarrassing. Prompto frowns a little before composing himself. “I, uh, I don’t think so, little man. But your grandpa’s watching over you. And you know what? He’s so proud of you, Talcott. We all are.”
“Really?” Talcott asks, obviously still sad but perking up a little bit.
“You betcha, buddy,” Prompto whispers, reaching out to ruffle Talcott’s hair.
Prompto feels the pressure of Ignis’s hand on his shoulder, feeling for it as Ignis kneels beside Prompto, facing Talcott.
“If there’s anything that you need, Talcott, feel free to come to myself or Prompto,” Ignis insists gently. “Now, tell me, are you hungry?”
Talcott nods, until he remembers Ignis’s eyes. “Oh, um, yes.”
Ignis smiles. “What would you like to eat?”
“That smells pretty good, actually,” Talcott says. He reaches out to lightly touch the heaviest scar over Ignis’s left eye that peeks out just underneath his sunglasses. “Are your eyes gonna be okay, Ignis?”
Ignis sighs gently. “I’m afraid not yet, but one can see with more than just their eyes. Does that make sense?”
Prompto looks over at Ignis. He wants to reach out and hold his hand so badly. He’s always admired how strong Ignis is, and how positive he can be despite any kind of setback he faces.
Talcott nods again. “Yeah. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“You as well. We’ll get you something to eat in just a moment,” Ignis tells him. “How does that sound?”
Talcott smiles. “Good. Thank you.”
Ignis stands up straight, his smile widening. “You’re very welcome.”
“I’ll see ya in a bit, buddy,” Prompto tells him.
Talcott’s responding grin is the cutest thing as he runs off, a lot happier than he was before. Well, Prompto may not have experience with little kids, but he feels like he didn’t completely mess that up.
“You’re always so wonderful with him,” Ignis remarks as soon as Talcott’s gone. “It’s rather nice to experience you two interact.”
Prompto feels himself flush. “Nahh, it’s nothin’. I feel bad for him, y’know? I can’t imagine being that little and having to deal with all of this. He shouldn’t have to worry about any of this. I don’t even know how to handle it, and I’m way older.”
Ignis reaches out, feeling for Prompto’s arm, his fingers gently curling around his bicep. “Yes, I do agree. I don’t believe there’s an age limit on this sort of thing. We’ve all been through quite a lot.”
Prompto sighs, wrapping his fingers around Ignis’s. “Yeah. That’s true. C’mon, we should get some food, huh?”
Ignis smiles. “Indeed. We’ve quite a day ahead of us.”
They definitely did have quite a productive day. By the time Prompto's showered the smell of kitchens and daemon hunts off of himself, the only thing he has the energy left to do is to dramatically collapse into the hotel bed opposite Ignis.
If Prompto's honest, he's grateful to keep busy. If anything, it dulls the heartache and emotions in his brain and heart.
Spending the day with Ignis, well, that's just another bonus. He had a great day working with Ignis, the two of them working easily with each other despite all they'd been through. Ignis always seemed to be patient with Prompto despite his knack for disaster, and Prompto finds that helping Ignis with his disability when he's asked makes him happy.
Despite desperately missing Noct and Gladio, today was an alright day. It's definitely super weird dealing with nighttime 24/7, though. Prompto can already feel his biological clock start to go out of whack.
"I'm assuming you're staying the entire night on that bed, then?" Ignis asks from the other bed. "If you stay there any longer, you're bound to fall asleep there."
Prompto looks over at Ignis. He’s dressed in his usual sweatpants and t-shirt, still managing to look regal as his legs cross, stretched out on the bed. He's listening to the Lestallum radio station again, phone rested on his thigh.
"Oh, um… I figured you could use a break from me. I bet it's hard to sleep with Prompto Tentacles wrapped around ya." Prompto laughs weakly.
Ignis makes a strange face, one that Prompto can't quite decipher. "I don't mind either way. The choice is yours, of course."
Prompto only wishes the choice was his. If it were up to him, he'd be practically on Ignis's lap by now. The thought of sleeping alone is just as awful as before, but if Ignis gets tired of Prompto only one day after staying together, that would be entirely Prompto’s fault.
“True. I mean, I’d love to, but I know how light of a sleeper you are. I know neither of us didn’t get much. Maybe we’ll be exhausted enough to conk out for the… night? Day?” Prompto sighs. Tell me to sleep with you, please, he thinks . “You good?” he asks instead.
“I promise, I don’t mind. But I do hope you have a good rest, regardless,” Ignis says. “Sweet dreams, Prompto. Thank you for your help today.”
Prompto pulls the blankets up to his chin, looking over at Ignis wistfully. “Yeah, you too, Iggy. I’m glad we’re sticking together.”
Ignis smiles in his direction. “I’m rather glad as well.”
Prompto sighs into the pillow, trying to ignore how amazing it felt to be in Ignis’s arms last night. Exhaustion eventually takes over, and sleep finds him after a while.
Prompto stirs, hearing a soft noise coming from the other bed. Prompto turns on his side to face Ignis, staring out into the darkness of the hotel room. He sees Ignis shift a few times in the darkness, accompanied by that same soft noise -- a whimper. Ignis sounds distressed.
“Iggy?” Prompto calls out worriedly.
Ignis doesn’t seem to hear him, still trapped in sleep. Prompto can only assume that he’s having a nightmare; Ignis usually wakes up at the slightest noise. Another whimper escapes Ignis’s lips, one of his hands gripping the bedsheet stressfully, effectively confirming Prompto’s theory.
Prompto’s heart thuds in his chest, immediately throwing the blankets off to the side to scramble over to Ignis’s bed. Dammit. Prompto totally should have just slept with Iggy; maybe he could have avoided this. So much for trying to act with Ignis’s best interest in mind.
Prompto’s never heard Ignis have a nightmare. He sounds so upset, Prompto can practically feel his heart breaking. He wonders what the hell Ignis is even dreaming about.
Prompto sits on the edge of the bed, putting his hand on Ignis’s shoulder.
“Iggy,” Prompto whispers. “Iggy, wake up.”
Ignis turns slightly, shifting, but hasn’t woken up yet. It must be one hell of a nightmare not to rouse him like this. Finally, Prompto takes his other hand and rests it gently against Ignis’s cheek, thumb brushing against the soft skin there, ignoring the way his heart hammers in his chest.
“Ignis,” Prompto says a little louder.
Ignis awakens with a gentle gasp, reaching up to grip Prompto’s wrist in surprise. His breathing is heavy, and Prompto can almost hear Ignis’s heart racing from where he sits next to him.
“Prompto? What’s… are you alright?” Ignis asks.
Of course, the first thing Ignis would ask about is if Prompto’s okay.
Prompto gently moves his hand off of Ignis’s face, not wanting to creep the dude out, but Prompto stays near him, his other hand still firmly on his shoulder.
“Yeah, dude, I think you were havin’ a nightmare,” Prompto whispers. “Are you okay?”
Ignis sits up slightly, his breathing finally slowing. “I believe you’re right about that,” Ignis says gently. “I apologize for waking you.”
“What? No, I don’t care about that. I’m just worried about you,” Prompto promises.
Ignis lets his hand rest over Prompto’s. “I’m quite alright.”
“D’you wanna talk about it?” Prompto asks. “That helps me sometimes. When I was stuck in-- when I was gone from you guys, I had a lotta nightmares. Talkin’ to Aranea about them helped.”
Ignis is silent for a moment, just a moment too long, and Prompto’s wondered if he’s said the wrong thing. “I’m very happy she was there for you, then.”
Prompto selfishly allows his thumb to stroke Ignis’s shoulder gently through his t-shirt. If Ignis minds, he doesn’t indicate it.
Prompto swallows his pride, not wanting Ignis to have another nightmare. “Can I sleep with you?”
Ignis inhales sharply, the dark room quiet enough for Prompto to hear it perfectly. “Yes,” Ignis answers immediately. “Please.”
Prompto could nearly cry at the soft plead to Ignis’s words. Never in a million years would Prompto think Ignis would want this, and here he is, sounding like he needs it.
“Cool,” Prompto says softly. He doesn’t bother to walk around to the other side of the bed. He just hops over Ignis easily, burying himself under the blankets next to Ignis.
Ignis lets out a shaky exhale before letting it evolve into a full-blown sigh, running his fingers through his hair. It’s the sound Prompto recognizes as Ignis trying not to cry, and it’s a noise he’s heard countless times over the past few days.
“You okay?” Prompto asks again.
“Yes, it’s just… I feel a bit out of sorts, is all,” Ignis says softly. “I’ll be fine.”
Prompto frowns. He knows that even if Ignis needs something, he’ll likely not ask for it or even admit to it. Swallowing his pride yet again , Prompto finds himself scooting over toward Ignis’s side of the bed, letting his arm slide around his waist. He tucks his head against Ignis’s chest.
“Nightmares suck,” Prompto tells him. “You should tell me about it if you want. Remember what I said yesterday, dude? You’re stuck with me. I think you should talk to me about it.”
Ignis sighs, but it’s not as sad as before. Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto, letting his chin rest on the top of Prompto’s head. “I… I don’t remember much. I know that you and Noct were in trouble, and I couldn’t get to you. I couldn’t see anything, but I couldn’t move, either. I could hear the both of you, and you needed me, and I couldn’t…” Ignis is quiet for a moment. “Bloody stupid dream.”
Prompto doesn’t even know what to say at first. The fact that Ignis was that upset about Noct makes a whole lot of sense, but Prompto having the same effect on Ignis is probably the most surprising thing Prompto can even think of.
Prompto’s fingers act without permission, and they slide up Ignis’s chest, neck, and face to find his hair, his fingers comfortingly brushing through the soft strands, the product long-gone from it. Prompto feels Ignis lean into the touch, and he’s pretty sure Ignis can feel how fast Prompto’s heart races, but he doesn’t even care. Ignis lets out a soft, contented hum and Prompto finds himself pulling Ignis against his chest instead, letting the tactician gently rest his head against him. If Ignis couldn’t hear Prompto’s heartbeat before, he definitely can now, as his ear’s currently pressed against his chest.
“Well, I’m here, and I ain’t going anywhere, okay, Iggy?” Prompto promises. “I’m sorry you had a crappy dream.”
Ignis’s arm rests gently against Prompto’s stomach. If the man were any closer, he’d be on top of Prompto. He’s so close, the only thought in Prompto’s mind is how he wishes he would get even closer, as close as he can be. Prompto continues to run his fingers through Ignis’s soft hair, not wanting Ignis to ever move from his arms. This is the sort of situation Prompto’s only dreamed of, and he gets all of it right now -- but also none of it, because none of it is real. Ignis would never feel the same way that Prompto does. Getting to hold him like this is almost worth it.
“Thank you, Prompto,” Ignis whispers gently against Prompto’s chest. “You’ve no idea what that means to me.”
“I’m sorry that I slept in the other bed,” Prompto admits sheepishly. “I thought you’d like it better.”
Ignis chuckles. “I told you that I’ve grown used to sleeping near you. I did mean it when I said the choice was yours.”
Prompto chews on his bottom lip. “And if the choice was yours?”
Ignis is quiet for so long Prompto almost thinks he’s fallen asleep. “I would have you near,” Ignis finally admits. “Without my eyesight, I think… I’d prefer feeling you close, at the very least for now. May I admit something to you, Prompto?”
Prompto feels as if he’s gone through about three cardiac arrests at the same time. “Y-yeah?”
“I prefer to feel you in my arms -- to feel your touch, so that I may know that you’re safe always.”
Prompto squeezes his eyes shut, trying so hard not to overreact, to overthink. It probably doesn’t help that every word out of Ignis’s mouth sounds like it tumbled out of a romance novel read by a fireplace with hot cocoa and a blanket.
“I prefer that too,” Prompto practically squeaks.
“Your heart’s beating rather fast,” Ignis notes, much to Prompto’s horror. “Have I made you nervous?”
Yeah, that’s a word for it. Prompto finds himself laughing nervously, almost proving his point. “No, you don’t make me nervous, I promise, Igster. My heart’s got a mind of its own. Wish it would listen to me sometimes.” He snorts.
Ignis laughs softly, one of the prettiest noises Prompto has ever heard. “I know what you mean.”
Prompto, as usual, wishes Ignis wasn’t the hardest man to read on Eos, seeing as he has no idea what Ignis means by those words. “Yeah. Hopefully when we move into a new place and make it our own, it’ll be easier to not have bad dreams, yeah?”
“Yes, I do agree. We’ll conquer them somehow. At least we only have a few more days here before that happens.”
Prompto doesn’t exactly mind being able to spend four more nights with Ignis in his arms just like this. Then again, with the new place, he’s hoping it’ll be the same. Despite Prompto’s dumb romantic feelings, he’s pretty sure they both need to feel tethered to something. Prompto can work with that.
“We should sleep together ‘til our minds calm down then, huh?” Prompto murmurs.
“I believe we should,” Ignis agrees. “Would you like to try to get some sleep now, Prompto?”
“Yeah. We should probably try.” Prompto sighs. He stops running his fingers through Ignis’s hair in favor of gently resting his hand on Ignis’s. “Night, Iggy.”
“Goodnight. Pleasant dreams.”
It’s the first time Ignis Scientia has ever slept in Prompto’s arms instead of the other way around. It’s definitely bound to spoil Prompto; he can feel himself wanting this every night, and he really hopes this isn’t the last time he’ll get to experience it.
Four days go by pretty quickly, much to Prompto’s surprise. He’s spent every night sleeping with Ignis, neither of them taking very long to gravitate toward one another by the time they woke up. Prompto wouldn’t have it any other way, despite how much more in love with the man he’s getting with each and every day.
The apartment they move into just on the outskirts of downtown Lestallum isn’t the biggest place he’s ever been to, but it’s quaint. Prompto’s surprised how quickly it takes to get all of what’s left of Ignis and Prompto’s belongings, especially with Iris’s help. It’s with a heavy heart when he realizes just how many more personal possessions they had back when Gladio and Noct were still with them.
“Well, we’re here,” Prompto says once everything’s moved in.
“I brought you guys some stuff I thought you could use,” Iris tells them, setting a box on the kitchen table. “Some books, pillows, other stuff that we don’t really have any use for.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Ignis says. “Perhaps you could read to me, hmm, Prompto?” His tone teases.
Prompto laughs. “Dunno how calming that would be, but totally, dude! Oh em gee!” Prompto gushes, looking through the boxes. “What if we could find some stuff in Braille? That’d be cool to try to learn it together, huh, Igster?”
Ignis smiles in Prompto’s direction. “That would be quite useful, actually. For now, I’ll have to rely on audiobooks that I find, as well as accessibility settings on my phone. Learning Braille would certainly improve my skills, I’ll give you that.”
“I’ll be on the lookout for anything I find,” Iris promises. “I actually think I saw something like that at Monica’s place. I’m sure she was holding onto it for safekeeping -- I’ll get it to you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Iris!” Prompto says with a smile, holding out his fist for her to bump. “You’re amazing.”
“Yes, you have my thanks. You’ve been a wonderful help. If you ever need somewhere to stay, you know where to find us. We’ve an extra bed to spare,” Ignis says. “You may pass that along to others as well, until I may do so myself, if you’d like, please.”
“Sure thing,” Iris says gently. “I’m glad you guys are sticking together. You two make a good team.” She smiles. “I’ll let you guys get unpacking, huh? See you later.”
Prompto smiles as soon as she leaves. “That was nice of her, huh? I hope that wasn’t uncool to mention the Braille thing. It’s not like you have to learn that, especially since all the Braille books are probably few and far between.” Prompto sighs.
“Not at all, Prompto. I think it’d be a wonderful opportunity to learn to read again,” Ignis insists. “It’s one of the things I miss the most. And better yet, it’s not like it will always be like this. It will be nice to already learn once I have access to plenty of them again.”
Prompto feels his heart swell with affection. Prompto loves how much Ignis’s independence means to him, and he makes a mental note to find as many Braille books he can find so he can help Ignis learn to read that way as well.
"D'you really think that? That it won't always be like this?" Prompto asks softly.
Ignis smiles sadly. "We have to hope for that, don't we?"
“Yeah. Well, that’ll be top priority then, dude!” Prompto says with a smile. “D’you wanna learn the layout on your own, or do you want some help? Also, if I’m totally smothering you right now, feel free to stab me or somethin’.”
Ignis chuckles, walking over toward Prompto, reaching out to feel for Prompto’s shoulder. “Nonsense, you’re being very kind.” Ignis sighs as he rests his cane against the table. “I suppose it would be best for you to assist me. I assume we’re in the kitchen right now, yes?”
Prompto can't help but smile as he feels Ignis link their arms together. "Yep. For as small as this place is, the kitchen is a decent size. Good enough for you, I think," Prompto teases.
Ignis hums thoughtfully. "Describe it to me?"
Prompto walks him over to the sink. "Double sink here. Right side's disposal. Switch is…" Prompto guides Ignis's hand behind the faucet, "here."
Prompto guides Ignis's hand up to one of the cabinets. "Six cabinets on each side, so… twelve. I'll let you decide what goes in 'em, so you don't forget, huh? Same goes for drawers. Careful, this one's fake." Prompto laughs as he shows Ignis the false drawer just in front of the sink. "I wonder why they make those. It's just confusing."
"Especially for the blind," Ignis teases. "Perhaps we should file a complaint."
Prompto grins. "Uh, definitely. " Prompto takes him around the kitchen. "Dishwasher on this side, fridge on the other. Side-by-side freezer. Stove is over here, aaaand… this door is a food pantry, looks like."
"Hmm. This is quite larger than I expected, you're right, Prompto," Ignis remarks. “Let us proceed?
Prompto smiles. "Yep! Okay, let’s hit up the bathroom." He laughs.
Prompto shows Ignis everything; how to turn on the shower faucet (though that's one they had to figure out together), the couch, where the closets are, the balcony, how many steps down the hallway before it reaches a dead end.
Prompto halts to a stop once they reach the bedroom. "And… um, this looks like it'll be your bedroom, Iggy."
Ignis raises an eyebrow in Prompto's direction. "Mine? I thought we were to be sharing?"
Prompto's heart thuds. “I, uh, I didn’t wanna assume? I’m cool with taking the pullout couch, y’know?”
Ignis frowns. “Is the bed too small?”
“Oh, um, no… it’s a queen size, I think.”
Ignis’s frown deepens, an unreadable expression on his face. “If you wish to sleep separately, I will be taking the couch, and you’ll have this room.”
“What?! No! This is all yours, dude. I will sleep on the floor if I have to.” Prompto laughs. “I just didn’t wanna make you share with me. A hotel’s one thing, but, y’know…”
“How is a hotel bed different than this bed, Prompto?” Ignis asks, just the slightest tease to his tone.
Prompto feels himself flush. “I mean, well, technically there’s not, but if you’ve had enough of me…”
Ignis tightens his grip on Prompto’s arm. “I thought I made it clear that I enjoy you close.” He tilts his head. “Is the proximity getting uncomfortable for you?”
“No!” Prompto answers way too quickly again. “Not at all, I just… wanted to double-check?”
“Perhaps you should ask instead of assume,” Ignis suggests, though his tone is all teasing.
Prompto rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeaaaah… you’re probably right about that.” He snorts. “I’m sorry, dude. I’ve never really had a, uh, roommate like this? I mean, yeah all… four of us have been together, but…”
“We don’t know how long this long dark will last,” Ignis supplies for him. “I understand. I think it’s best if we communicate these things clearly, don’t you? What’s mine is yours, and all that?”
Prompto smiles. “Uh huh. That works. Roomies! Y’know, if it wasn’t under such awful circumstances, this could be kind of fun.” He sighs. “Do you like having a roommate?”
“Well, if our history has been indicative of anything, I’m certain I will enjoy it,” Ignis promises. “The last time I lived with someone was when Noct had his own flat in Insomnia.”
Prompto chews on his lip, trying to ignore the way that his heart twists with jealousy. He would’ve loved to live with Iggy. Hell, he would’ve loved to live with Noct. Living with both of them sounds like a dream. He remembers when Ignis had his own separate bedroom in Noct’s apartment, as it was more convenient for both of them.
At least now, Prompto’s sharing a bedroom with Ignis. He wonders how long it will take for Ignis to get completely tired of him.
Prompto hopes it isn’t for a while.
Prompto sucks in a breath, pushing his negative thoughts away. “Well, I’ll be better at cleaning up, at least!” Prompto offers weakly before sighing in defeat. “I’m sorry I’m not… I’m sorry he isn’t here.”
Prompto sees Ignis move out of the corner of his eye, and before he can turn to look fully he feels fingers brush against his neck before settling on his chin, tilting Prompto’s face upward to look at Ignis. Prompto focuses on the scars that peek out underneath Ignis’s sunglasses, and the smaller scars on his nose and lip. It’s a little distracting how beautiful he is, especially when Ignis is holding his face like this gently.
“Why would you apologize for such a thing?” Ignis asks. “I am happy to be here with you, Prompto, regardless of the way we’re missing our prince.”
Our prince, Prompto thinks. Prompto has no idea how Ignis manages to know just what to say to make things better. Prompto laughs softly, wrapping his arms around Ignis’s middle to give him a hug. “You’re right. We’ll make the best of this, right, Iggy? I’m happy to be with you, too.” Prompto’s eyes widen at his slip-up. “ Here with you, I mean.” He chews his lip.
Instead of calling Prompto out, Ignis merely chuckles as his arms wrap around Prompto in return. “We will indeed. Now, I do believe we have some unpacking to do?”
Prompto groans. “Guess you’re right. We should make this place a little homier anyway, huh?”
Ignis pulls back to smile beautifully in Prompto’s direction. “Certainly.”
me, trying to treat these characters kindly while also being realistic: fffffffffuck
from the writers who brought u ignis's nightmare, now we have... /drumroll, prompto's nightmare!! woo!! there's a lot of fluff to make up for it tho don't worry. i am so sorry if anyone reads these comments
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Prompto supposes nightmares are inevitable for himself -- he’s always had pretty vivid dreams -- but after a few weeks of peace, he’s been lulled into a false sense of security. Prompto’s surprised at the lack of nightmares, but he’ll blame it on sharing a bed with Ignis every night since they moved in together. It’s hard to think about traumatic experiences when you’re in the arms of the man you’re one-sidedly in love with every night.
Still, good things rarely stay good for Prompto for long.
Prompto finds himself running down endless hallways, completely alone. His weapons are gone, and it’s not long before he’s strung up, chains digging into his wrists painfully.
All Prompto can do is watch in horror as Ardyn appears, not wearing his friends’ faces like usual. No, Ardyn’s gripping Ignis tightly, hands wrapped around his throat. Ignis can’t breathe, and Prompto can’t do anything. He pulls against his restraints, starting to bleed as he tries so desperately to get to Ignis to no avail. Their eyes lock, and Prompto can feel tears streaming down his face.
“Iggy!” Prompto chokes out, though it’s more of a sob than anything else.
Ignis looks at him in confusion and in pain.
“Prompto?” Ignis whispers in his ear, voice much calmer and much, much closer.
Prompto vaguely registers arms wrapping around him, warm and safe as he whimpers, feeling himself stirring. He moves his wrists, finding that they’re free, not restrained--
Prompto’s eyes flutter open, relieved breath filling his lungs. He feels himself pulled further into Ignis’s embrace, Ignis’s arms locking tightly around Prompto’s front, his back colliding with Ignis’s chest as Ignis sits up in bed. Prompto melts back into Ignis selfishly, so happy that it was just a dream, so happy that Ignis is okay and holding him.
“Are you alright?” Ignis whispers gently. “Were you having a nightmare?”
Prompto feels his heartbeat start to calm as he nods, knowing Ignis can feel the wordless gesture against his chest even if he can’t see it. “Yeah. Yeah, shit, I was back in Niflheim… oh, man.”
Ignis’s arms tighten around him. “It was only a dream. You’re safe with me.”
Prompto almost wants to cry harder. Yeah, maybe he is safe with Ignis, but being held like this is getting to be too much. It’s been a month now of waking up curled up against Ignis’s warmth like a blanket, and he knows someday it’ll get taken away from him. Noct will come back, and things will go back to the way they were between Prompto and Ignis. He’d sacrifice it just to get Noct back, but a part of his heart still hurts to think about it. A tear spills over his cheek.
“Oh, Prompto, are you crying?” Ignis asks after Prompto forgets to respond.
“No,” Prompto lies weakly, though his voice gives him away.
“Tell me,” Ignis insists, voice even closer, urging Prompto into serenity, “tell me what you dreamt.”
Well, at least Ignis thinks the stupid tears that accidentally fall down Prompto’s face are because of the dream, instead of how stupid he feels for pining over Ignis like this.
“Um,” Prompto starts, sniffling, trying to pull himself together, “I was… chained up, like… before, when you guys found me.” Prompto sighs. “Except Ardyn had you, too. He was… he was hurting you, and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t protect you.”
Ignis is quiet for a moment, running his fingers gently along the length of Prompto’s arm soothingly. “Well, it wasn’t real. I’m here, we’re both here. We’re fine.”
Prompto turns in his grip to halfway face Ignis, reaching up to touch one of the scars that cascade onto his cheekbone. "But if anything were to happen to you, it'd be on me. I don't wanna not be able to protect you."
Ignis frowns. "It would be on me, never you. I'm able to protect myself, Prompto. Is that what you're crying over?"
Prompto almost wants to laugh bitterly at the question. "You can't see, Iggy. I gotta be your backup. Maybe Gladio should be here instead of me."
"I'm fully aware of my disability," Ignis says gently.
Prompto's stomach lurches. Shit. He's been so insensitive, so unthinking. "Dude, I didn't mean… I'm sorry, let me just… I'm gonna go for a walk, I don't wanna keep you up--"
Prompto moves to slide off the bed and away from Ignis, but the arms gripping his middle remain, tightening even further around Prompto. He swallows nervously, letting Ignis keep him there, melting back into his embrace easily.
"Shh, now, I know you meant no offense," Ignis whispers into Prompto's ear. "Don't run from me, Prompto. Not while you're upset."
Prompto sighs, his breath wavering slightly. "Okay. Okay. I'm sorry."
Ignis bows his head so that their cheeks touch ever so gently, and Prompto feels his breath catch in his throat at the intimacy. "No apologies…"
Prompto nods. "Okay, Iggy." He has no idea why Ignis is so comfortable with this closeness, but Prompto will take whatever he can get. Ignis's cheek is so warm against his, and he can feel his breath against his shoulder. Prompto leans into him too, pressing their cheeks closer together.
Ignis pulls back slightly, giving Prompto his space again, much to Prompto's disappointment. He supposes it was only a matter of time, but his cheek still tingles pleasantly where Ignis touched.
"About your concerns, I was thinking perhaps we could train more together, you and I. Gladio as well, whenever he may show up again. You could lend me a hand in learning to fight better without using my sight."
Prompto frowns. “You’re already great, Iggy. Way better than I am. I was being a jerk, and I’m sorry.”
One of Ignis’s hands slide up Prompto to find his cheek, delicately wiping the tears that accidentally spilled over from earlier. “You weren’t being anything of the sort. I might manage well in battle, but I could certainly be better. Would you be interested in training with me?”
Prompto can’t help but smile. “I mean, yeah, I’d love to, dude.” He sniffles. “You sure I wouldn’t get in the way?”
“You would help me greatly, as you always do,” Ignis promises. “We could start first thing in the morning, perhaps? We’ve a day off, after all.”
“Yeah! That sounds great. I’ve kinda wanted to kill something for a while,” Prompto laughs. “We could go on more hunts together that way, I think. Get used to fighting side-by-side again?”
“Now that I could never forget,” Ignis teases. “We’ll make a date of it, then. Now, how are you feeling, Prompto?”
Prompto tries to ignore the way his heart pounds at Ignis’s phrasing. He didn’t mean it like that, he never means it like that, Prompto repeats to himself. “I’m… I’m okay.” Prompto shifts in Ignis’s arms again so he can look at the other man. He finds himself gazing at Ignis’s scars again, and it’s not long before words he didn’t permit to leave his mouth start tumbling from his lips. “Have I ever told you how pretty your scars are? I hate that you hide them under your sunglasses all the time.”
Prompto watches Ignis’s lips part ever so slightly with surprise. He tilts his head quizzically. “That’s very kind of you, Prompto, but I’m certain others don’t share your sentiment.”
“I doubt that,” Prompto insists. He reaches up, fingers hovering over the scar. “Can I…? Do they hurt still?”
“Not physically,” Ignis murmurs. “You may.”
Prompto closes the distance between his fingers and Ignis’s cheek, fingers brushing along the rigid scar tissue. One side of it travels as far down as the middle of his cheek, and Prompto traces it all. “They really are pretty, but I don’t mean to make light of what you went through to get ‘em. I’m sorry that this happened to you. Do you… wanna talk about it? About what happened?”
Ignis sighs gently. “I will soon, but I… don’t wish to get into that quite yet.”
Prompto swallows nervously. “Okay. I’m here if you ever do.”
There’s the briefest of silences but it’s long enough to capture Prompto’s attention. “Describe them to me?” Ignis asks, his tone softer than Prompto’s heard yet. “I’ve not yet asked how differently I look because of them. I know they’re there, and essentially to what extent, but I’m otherwise uncertain as to how they alter my appearance.”
“You don’t really look any different, Iggy,” Prompto promises. “The bigger one, here, it looks kinda cool, actually. It looks like… flames, maybe? Fire? They make you look badass, and somehow even more untouchably pretty. I mean, you always were a handsome bastard, now even more. Share the good looks, huh?” Prompto laughs weakly, hoping that helps brush off some of the intimate comments.
“I don’t think you need any aid in that department,” Ignis assures him. “There’s a reason why it looks like that, of course.”
Prompto’s heart pounds, flushing a little at the comment. He raises an eyebrow. “Did you get burned? Kinda looks like that, only smoother.”
Ignis stiffens. “Something like that.”
Prompto gets the message; Iggy’s made it pretty clear that he doesn’t wanna talk about it yet. “Sorry, Iggy.”
Ignis smiles for Prompto’s benefit, head tilting gently. “It isn’t that I don’t wish to share it with you. I… simply don’t wish you to think differently of me once you find out why I have them.”
Prompto frowns. “I’d never think differently of you. We’ve all got our… share of shit, y’know?”
“Yes. I suppose that’s true. Do continue?” His tone teases gently.
Prompto smiles, reaching up to touch just above his other eye. “This one over here, it’s almost just like a tiny cut that separates your eyebrow a little bit. Not much of a difference other than the badass factor.” He laughs.
Ignis chuckles softly. “I see. And the others?”
“Well, there’s one here,” Prompto says, touching along the bridge of Ignis’s nose. “It’s same as the other one, pretty small. Doesn’t really change anything. Your nose is still… a nose.” He snorts.
“Well, thank the Astrals for that,” Ignis teases.
Prompto bites his lip. The last one is on Ignis’s bottom lip, and he definitely wants to touch it, but it’s not like friends go around touching each other’s mouths. He sighs. “Other one’s on your lip, as you know.”
A tiny smile plays at Ignis’s lips. “Not going to touch that one, are we?”
Prompto’s heart thuds. “Well, I didn’t wanna be weird.” Prompto reaches out despite his words, pressing the pad of his index finger gently against Ignis’s bottom lip. The texture’s softer than any of his fantasies, and he resists the urge to lean in and kiss him. “This one’s not noticeable at all, unless if you get kinda close.”
“Like you are now?” Ignis asks, the movement of his lips nearly causing him to kiss Prompto’s finger.
Prompto withdraws his finger like a whip, scared of what he might do next. “Yep,” Prompto exhales the words out. “Your lips are kinda chapped.”
Ignis laughs. “My apologies.”
“Not as bad as mine, dude! At least yours are still soft.” Damn it, Argentum, you had to mention how soft his lips are, he thinks to himself . “Anyway, I’m totally keeping you up, aren’t I?” Nice save.
There’s still that soft smile on Ignis’s lips. “Not at all. I’m very glad you’re alright now, Prompto.”
Prompto sighs. “Yeah. Thanks, Iggy. You always know just what to do.”
“I guess I should still go for that walk, though. I’ve got way too much pent-up energy to sleep right now, and you look tired.”
Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Well, are you set on going for a walk, or might I suggest another activity?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Prompto asks.
“Well, we have yet to explore the books Iris left for us. I think a novel might be a good distraction for us. What do you think?”
Prompto blinks a few times. “Are you… talkin’ about me reading to you, Igster?”
Ignis chuckles. “Yes, I thought that obvious, it would be rather difficult any other way.”
Prompto starts to laugh, shoving Ignis playfully. "Hey, be gentle, dude. I've never read to anyone before. Well, 'cept for little kids."
Ignis raises an eyebrow, still smiling. "Oh? You've read to children before?"
"Yeah! Used to babysit sometimes for extra cash in high school when you guys weren’t around. And Noct will never admit this but I totally read Talcott a bedtime story countless occasions a few years back when the little guy couldn't sleep. I made it only, like, three pages before he passed out though." Prompto laughs at the memory. "Noct hates that I beat the prince at babysitting duty."
Ignis laughs softly. "That's quite adorable, Prompto. I’m sad I didn’t get to see that at the time.”
Prompto smiles softly. “Yeah, you were always at the citadel so late whenever that happened.”
Ignis nods. “Yes, but aren't I lucky to live with someone who has such experience under his belt?" he teases.
Prompto snorts. "Oh yeah, you're the luckiest. Lemme go pick out a book, huh? Any preferences?"
Ignis gives it some thought -- or at least pretends to. "Surprise me."
Prompto heads to the darkness of the living room, ignoring the clock that reads two A.M. seeing as it’s dark all the time anyway. He finds the books Iris donated to them on their tiny shelf. There’s some romance novels that Gladio might enjoy, some almost ruined young-adult novels, most of them dealing with love or tragedy in some manner or another -- both categories being awkward to read to Ignis before they sleep. Prompto’s eyes fall on one of the books, and realizes that a dark comedy seems like the best -- and least awkward -- he’s gonna get.
Prompto nearly races back to the bedroom, a weird sort of giddiness in his stomach thinking of the intimacy that reading to Ignis will bring. He likes spending time with Ignis more than he should, but he feels like this is something both of them would really enjoy -- as long as Prompto manages to not screw it up, of course.
Prompto knocks on the door casually to let Ignis know he’s returned before flopping on the empty space onto the bed, book in hand.
“Found one that’s promising, I guess. You’ve probably already read it, though, but I haven’t.” Prompto laughs.
“Oh? And what did you find?” Ignis asks, a gentle smile on his face.
Prompto stares at the cover of the book for a second. “ Good Omens? I’ve heard it’s good.”
“Ah, I’ve actually not read that one yet. I’ve been meaning to as well, but I’m afraid life gets in the way.”
By ‘life’ , of course, Ignis means duty. It’s admirable how busy and hardworking Ignis keeps himself, but Prompto sort of wants to teach the tactician how to relax, take time for himself. With Noct gone for Astrals only know how long, maybe Prompto can try it a little -- given that he doesn’t fuck up and make this a totally terrible experience all in all.
“Well, this’ll be exciting for both of us… I hope,” Prompto squeaks.
Ignis sounds more amused than anything when he speaks. “Are you nervous?”
Prompto laughs at how easy he is to read. “Um. Kinda? Like I said, I’ve never done this before other than, like, with kids.”
“Don’t be nervous,” Ignis urges, as if that could will away Prompto’s irrational emotions. It almost works -- almost. “Come here.”
Prompto looks over to find Ignis outstretching his arms invitingly for Prompto to crawl into. Ignoring the ache in his heart at how none of this will lead to anything, Prompto accepts the invitation wordlessly, scooting backward until his back touches Ignis’s chest again, melting into Ignis’s embrace.
“I’ll try,” Prompto says gently. “Alright, cozy enough?”
Prompto can hear the smile in Ignis’s voice. “Quite.”
Prompto desperately tries to ignore the way Ignis’s hand rests on his hip as he opens the book, turning to the first page. The silence seems charged, at least to Prompto’s lovesick brain, and he wonders what Ignis is thinking right now. Is Ignis always this cool with platonic snuggles? Did he touch Noct like this when they were alone?
Prompto squeezes his eyes shut, pushing the stupid thoughts from his brain as he sighs. They’re just reading a book together. There’s no reason for Prompto to freak out like this. Prompto opens his eyes, holding the corner of the book timidly as he starts to read.
“ It was a nice day. All the days had been nice. There had been rather more than seven of them so far, and rain hadn't been invented yet. But clouds massing east of Eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was on its way, and it was going to be a big one. The angel of the Eastern Gate put his wings over his head to shield himself from the first drops. ‘I'm sorry,’ he said politely. ‘What was it you were saying?’ ”
A soft chuckle sounds in Prompto’s ear. Prompto looks over his shoulder at Ignis self-consciously. “What?!” Prompto squeaks.
“Apologies, I didn’t intend to interrupt,” Ignis says softly. “I quite like hearing you read, that’s all.”
Prompto chews on his lip, trying to calm his racing heart. “Thanks.”
“Do continue?”
Prompto nods to no one in particular and returns his eyes to the book. “ ‘I said, that one went down like a lead balloon,’ said the serpent. ‘Oh. Yes,’ said the angel, whose name was Aziraphale. ”
Prompto ends up reading for what feels like an hour, both of them too engaged in the story to say anything to one another. Prompto finds himself relaxing into the task, not thinking about it much at all the more he does it. Halfway through Prompto’s reading, Ignis starts tracing his finger along Prompto’s leg, relaxing him further. Prompto’s heart relaxes eventually after getting used to it.
Prompto pauses for a moment after a while. “Huh. So whatever star this world’s set in only has one God. Weird.”
“It would appear so,” Ignis agrees. “Quite an interesting creative choice, if I do say so myself. Seems like a grand way to have far too much power.”
“I know, right? No wonder stuff’s all going wrong in this book,” Prompto says with a smile. “Guess these demons aren’t like our daemons, either.”
“Humanoid daemons. Sounds strange. Do you like the story so far, Prompto?”
“Yeah. It’s interesting. Do you wanna go to bed yet?” Prompto bites on his bottom lip, hoping Ignis will say no.
Ignis tightens his grip around Prompto’s waist. “Read for just a short while longer?”
Prompto grins, his heart fluttering with affection. “Cool.”
Prompto, as it turns out, kind of regrets reading so much as soon as he wakes up. The dark circles under his eyes don’t seem to go away no matter how much concealer he uses. He groans as he looks in the mirror, wishing he had more discipline to go to bed earlier instead of reading to Ignis.
Prompto still can’t get the way Ignis’s arms held him tightly out of his head, though. If he was given the opportunity to redo it, he’d do the same thing all over again.
“What are you whining about?” Ignis asks from the doorway of the bathroom.
Prompto looks over in the mirror as Ignis leans casually against the doorframe, arms crossed. Prompto still has no idea how such casual stances on anyone else look absolutely gorgeous on Ignis.
“I look like crap, dude,” Prompto says with a sigh. “You need in here?”
“I’m certain you look fine. Not immediately, no. I do need help with…” Ignis trails off, gesturing vaguely to his bedhead, bangs fallen onto his forehead tragically.
Prompto grins. “What’cha mean? It looks cute like that,” he teases.
Ignis frowns. “Prompto, please.”
Prompto laughs. “Alright, alright, c’mere, man.”
Prompto wets his fingers as soon as Ignis steps toward the sink, stopping just before he runs into it. Prompto reaches up and starts running his fingers through Ignis’s hair, resisting the urge to sigh pleasurably at the feeling of the soft strands as he wets them.
Prompto chances a glance at Ignis’s face, eyes still closed as always, but still so beautiful with the serene expression, not stressed or sad like he’s used to seeing on Iggy’s features. His lips are parted so slightly, all it would take to kiss him is to just lean in. Prompto remembers how soft Ignis’s lips felt on his finger last night, and wishes more than anything that he had the courage to ask. Some part of Prompto’s hopeful brain thinks that Ignis would indulge him. Friends could kiss each other, right? No biggie.
“Is something wrong?” Ignis asks.
Prompto blinks, realizing that he’s forgotten to style Ignis’s hair in favor of practically caressing it by now. He laughs. “Nope! Not at all, just got distracted.” Prompto brushes Ignis’s hair back with his fingers. “I know I say this all the time, but you should let me change your hair. You’d love it. Keep it the same on the sides pretty much, just style your bangs back instead of straight up. It’d stay outta your eyes in battle way more, and it’d be so easy for you to style.”
Ignis sighs in amusement. “And how much longer would this take?”
Prompto can’t help but laugh as he takes his fingers out of Ignis’s hair and hops up on the bathroom counter to sit so he doesn’t have to reach up as high. “Definitely less time than attacking it with gel to make it defy gravity.”
Ignis frowns. “I thought you liked my hair.”
“I always like your hair. Just tryin’ to make it easier on you, dude. If you want spikes, let’s do it.” Prompto reaches for the hair gel across the sink as he lets his legs start to sway on the counter.
Ignis opens his mouth to speak but lets out a breath instead. “Fine. Don’t make me look foolish.”
Prompto grins. “Really? You’re gonna let me?”
Ignis smiles. “Yes. Don’t make me regret it.”
Prompto tries not to laugh and fails, snickering under his breath as he reaches out to Ignis, now the same height due to the fact that Prompto’s sitting on the counter. He places both of his hands on Ignis’s shoulders, squeezing them teasingly. “I got you. Trust me.”
“I’m already regretting this.”
Prompto continues to laugh as he reaches for a comb. As soon as Prompto makes sure Ignis’s hair is wet enough, he brings the comb to Ignis’s hair, combing his bangs back easily. “See? You’d just get it a little wet, slick it back a little with product...” Prompto trails off, mostly to himself as he starts teasing Ignis’s hair up and back.
“You enjoy this far too much,” Ignis teases him, leaning his head forward slightly so that Prompto has better access to his hair.
Prompto grins. “Maybe,” he allows. He grabs a blow dryer, plugging it in and setting it on high. “Then we’ll dry it!”
Ignis smiles at him, waiting patiently as Prompto continues to tease and blow-dry Ignis’s hair. Prompto swings his legs as he works, trying to focus on what he’s doing, but fails as soon as Ignis smiles like that. Maybe this hairstyle would be a bad idea; he already looks even more handsome, if possible.
Prompto switches off the blow dryer, biting his lip as he admires his work. He lightly touches the soft pompadour, happy he didn’t put too much product in it.
“Well, how does it look?” Ignis asks nervously. He reaches up to lightly touch his bangs that are now styled back.
Prompto laughs under his breath. Ignis looks more mature with the new hairstyle, even more out of reach; there’s not much that could convince Prompto that Ignis isn’t entirely out of reach, however.
“You look like a prince, dude,” Prompto promises. “Totally regal. You’re a model.”
Ignis starts to laugh, shaking his head. “I’m convinced you’re a tad biased, hmm? I suppose the style can stay for now. It does seem a bit easier for me to style, should I need to.”
Prompto absolutely beams. “I’m glad you like it, Igster.”
“I never said that,” Ignis says, though there’s a soft smile playing on his lips.
"It'll be way easier when you're fighting. Just admit it, I'm a genius."
Ignis huffs out another adorable laugh. "That you are, Prompto. Now, do let us head out? I'd hate to not have a headstart on training."
Prompto sighs, hopping off of the bathroom counter. "Let's just hope lack of sleep won't kill me."
Ignis smirks. "All the more reason to get the adrenaline going, hmm?"
Prompto puts the finishing touches on the third target he's set up for Ignis to hit. They're on the outskirts of Lestallum, far enough away to be alone but not too far that the lights won't protect them from daemons. Prompto figures that daemons interfering would only be a nuisance at this point.
"Prompto? Are they far apart enough?" Ignis calls out from a few feet away, his daggers in hand.
"Yep!" Prompto responds, leaving the last target behind to run over to Ignis. "They're about 20 feet apart from each other."
"Different heights, as we discussed?"
Prompto laughs. "Yeah, Iggy."
"Excellent, thank you. Might you point me toward the middle target?" Ignis asks.
Prompto nods involuntarily before shouting, "Yep!" He moves behind Ignis, gently putting his hands on Ignis's waist to shift his body to face the target. "Move just a little bit… there ya go."
Gods, has Ignis's body always been this warm? He can feel it even through the thick cloth of his dress shirt.
"Alright," Ignis murmurs as he flips his dagger in his hands impatiently, "my arm, if you will?"
Prompto yanks his hand back as Ignis flips the dagger, not preparing for Ignis's teasingly threatening move. "Jeez. Warn a guy?"
Ignis chuckles before flipping both daggers in both hands at the same time. "This is purely reflex, Prompto, this shouldn't worry you. I needn't sight for this. My arm, please?"
Prompto sighs as he rolls his eyes. "Don't hate me for worrying, Igster. Okay, okay, don't crap yourself, I got it."
Prompto reaches around Ignis again, fingers wrapping gently around Ignis's wrist to pull it upward to be level with the target.
"Okay," Prompto whispers, moving his hand off of Ignis's. "Go."
Ignis takes a moment to take a breath, concentrating as he gracefully flicks his wrist to toss the dagger into the target. It lands just outside the middle, and Ignis doesn't hesitate before throwing the other, landing closer to the middle than the first.
"Holy shit!" Prompto gasps as he steps out from behind Ignis and stands next to him. "Do we even gotta practice? You're still amazing."
Ignis smiles softly. "Thank you, but that was only because you aided me. I need to grow used to hearing the targets, so that I may find them on my own, especially in battle when I have to worry about not hitting you lot as well."
Prompto puts his hand on his hips. "Alright, fair point. But never seemed to be a problem before, and you've been like this for, like, two months now? Three?"
"Regardless," Ignis begins smoothly, "practice makes perfect."
Prompto sighs. "Yeah. Sure. Should I start throwing stuff now?"
Ignis nods firmly, his brows furrowing. “Do stay out of the way. I won’t be putting you in danger for this."
" How many years have I trained with you like this, Iggy? Don't doubt yourself now . I may not be as slick as you but I'm fast when I wanna be," Prompto points out as he jogs over to the middle target to retrieve Ignis's daggers.
Ignis sighs when Prompto returns to press the daggers into his palm. “Fair enough. Create sound only where I’m to be throwing -- stay out of harm’s way, please.”
Prompto laughs as he picks up a few rocks to throw. “You got it, Igster.”
Prompto tosses a rock far away from him toward one of the targets. He watches Ignis concentrate on the sound, tossing a dagger through the air toward it. It nearly hits the mark, only a few inches off.
“How was it?” Ignis asks bleakly.
“Nearly perfect,” Prompto promises. “You’re a tiny bit too off, you threw it more to the right.”
“Hmm. I need to focus on where the target will be, not where I hear it currently. Try again, please?”
Prompto gets ready to aim another rock with a smile. “Alright, let’s do this.”
This time, Ignis’s aim is far better, hitting the location of the sound perfectly. Prompto smiles, reaching over to unfold Ignis’s fingers from his palm to give him a high-five. “Good goin’, Iggy! You’re amazing.”
“It’s a start,” Ignis says warily.
“Hmm. What’ll it take for you to actually be proud of yourself for once? Seriously, you’re awesome . I couldn’t hit any of that with my eyes closed. Not many people could,” Prompto points out.
“You could with practice,” Ignis says. “Shall we go again?”
Prompto chews on his bottom lip. “Can I try somethin’, Iggy?”
Ignis raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Prompto returns Ignis’s daggers to him, walking over to one of the targets. “How ‘bout I tap the target, and since I’ll be nearby, it’ll help you throw straight? Just like in battle when you gotta dodge us?”
Ignis hesitates for just a moment before frowning. “No. We shouldn’t do that until much later.”
“C’mon, we used to do that all the time in crownsguard training,” Prompto points out. “What’s the difference? I trust you.”
“Says the man who was uncomfortable with me tossing them in my hand,” Ignis counters, “and, Prompto, the difference is that I could see back then. I would never have purposely put you in harm’s way back during crownsguard training. I had complete control over the situation.”
“Your control now is perfect. You’ll never improve if you don’t challenge yourself. Besides, like I said, I’m fast. I can dodge you even if you mess up-- which you won’t. C’mon, just once?” Prompto practically begs.
Prompto may or may not want Ignis to have more confidence in himself. He can tell that Ignis wants to do it -- he’s always been eager to learn everything at once, at least in the time that he’s known Ignis. The chances of Ignis even slightly messing up are very slim, even despite Ignis’s disability, he does have perfect control.
Ignis huffs out a sigh. “Very well. But you must promise me that you will not do anything purposely reckless. Just because I cannot see you does not mean I don’t know what you are doing.”
Prompto grins as he walks over to the first target. “Hellz yeah, Iggy! Alright, I’m gonna tap the target, then you throw, then I’ll be at the next one by the time you do it. Sound coolsies?”
Ignis nods. “Please, be careful, Prompto.”
Prompto rolls his eyes. “I will, I will,” he groans. “Alright. Ready?”
Ignis flips his daggers, gripping them firmly in his fingers, crouching slightly into a battle pose. “Proceed.”
Prompto tries not to get too distracted at how absolutely beautiful he looks like this, always so graceful and lethal all at the same time. This has always been a problem for Prompto, and apparently it’s not going away anytime soon.
Prompto taps the first target loudly, barely staying there in time to watch the flick of Ignis’s wrist as he backs off toward the other target. Ignis’s dagger lands perfectly against the first target, and Prompto taps the second target immediately after. Ignis tosses the dagger expertly in the new direction as soon as he turns his body, forcing Prompto to run toward the third target. Prompto watches as Ignis summons his daggers back to him just as Prompto taps the third target, ducking out of the way.
Prompto’s so mesmerized by the way Ignis is so fluid and elegant in his movements, he’s definitely not paying attention to his own. His foot hits the ground wrong when he takes a step and finds himself tumbling to the ground, a breathless giggle leaving his lips when he realizes how clumsy he is.
As soon as Prompto hits the ground, he lets out a breathless, “Oof!” He continues to laugh, a little embarrassed but also slightly grateful that Ignis couldn’t see him fall.
Prompto hears the sound of Ignis’s daggers dematerializing, and then footsteps. Prompto rolls over onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows just in time to see Ignis rushing toward him.
“Prompto!” Ignis calls out, kneeling on the ground right where Prompto lies.
Before Prompto can get a word out, Ignis feels for him, reaching out until his hands collides with Prompto’s shoulder. His fingers slide upward until they’re cradling Prompto’s face, and Prompto’s breath catches in his throat at the gesture. Prompto tries not to lean into the gentle touch, but utterly fails, closing his eyes pleasurably for a moment.
“Tell me you’re alright,” Ignis murmurs, voice wavering with emotion. “Have I hit you?”
Prompto reaches up to grip Ignis’s wrist, opening his eyes finally. He gazes up at the look of horror on Ignis’s face, and he almost wants to smile. Ignis is so worried , it’s all over his face; it makes Prompto feel special, almost loved.
“I’m completely and totally fine, dude,” Prompto whispers. “I tripped. Over my own shoe.” He starts to laugh again, sitting up finally.
Relief floods Ignis’s face, lips parting to exhale a relieved sigh, a soft laugh bellowing out from deep within his chest. He smiles beautifully. “All I heard was you hitting the ground, I… I may have jumped to conclusions.”
Prompto laughs softly, but it’s nervous. He swallows guiltily, not realizing what that must have sounded like to someone who couldn’t see. “Yeah, I’m sorry, Iggy. I’m kinda clumsy, you know that. Not a scratch on me, I swear. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Prompto lets out another laugh, looking at the targets. “You really wrecked those targets, though. Man, you’re unbelievable.”
“You needn’t apologize,” Ignis promises, his hand still cradling Prompto’s face gently. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
Prompto sits up further so he can reach out and put his hand on Ignis’s shoulder. Ignis might be smiling, but he’s still slightly paled, clearly affected by what happened more than he’s letting on. “Iggy, I’m okay. You wanna check?”
Prompto takes Ignis’s wrist and runs Ignis’s hand along his arms, his neck, his chest -- trying to ignore how nice Ignis’s fingers feel on his skin. Ignis is quiet for a moment, feeling any visible parts of Prompto for any sign of injuries. Ignis seems grateful by the gesture -- or amused, judging by the way his smile widens. He rests his hand on Prompto’s neck this time, raising goosebumps on Prompto’s flesh embarrassingly enough.
“Thank you, Prompto,” Ignis says softly. “I don’t know what I would do if any harm came to you -- especially if it was by my own hand.”
It seems like it took a lot for Ignis’s voice not to waver as he said that, and Prompto feels his heart swell with affection. Ignis isn’t the easiest man to read in the world, despite all they’ve been through and all the time they’ve spent together. To hear Ignis confirm that Prompto’s at least a little important to him means more to him than anything.
Prompto surges forward, wrapping his arms around Ignis’s neck to pull him into a tight hug. Prompto buries his face into Ignis’s neck, smiling softly. “You could never hurt me, Igster,” he promises. “I’m sorry I worried you. But I’m okay. I promise. Can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Ignis hesitates for a moment before wrapping his arms around Prompto in response, all but crushing Prompto against him, a soft sigh leaving his lips. “I worried myself. I’m somewhat relieved you still have so much faith in me,” Ignis admits.
Prompto pulls back slightly to look at Ignis, making sure he’s alright. “Of course I do. You could kick everyone’s ass. You’d have me on the floor in a second flat, dude. We just gotta keep ourselves sharp, huh? Both of us.”
Ignis sighs. “Yes, but I’d prefer to wait to throw daggers in your direction from now on, hmm? Perhaps until a few more sessions…?”
Prompto frowns. “You were doin’ fine, Iggy. I tripped.”
Ignis smiles softly. “Yes, I’m aware of that. Humor me, won’t you, darling?”
Prompto’s heart nearly stops beating. Prompto has never heard that term of endearment from Ignis, not to him, not to anyone -- not even to Noct. It had to have been playful, or some sort of accident, right? Would it be weird if Prompto mentioned it? Yes, that would probably make things weird.
Prompto finds himself laughing nervously, fresh flush cropping up on his cheeks, grateful that Ignis can’t see it. “Oh, um, yeah, Iggy! You got it, sweet cheeks .”
If only Prompto could stop being a human disaster, maybe things would work out in his favor for once. This is definitely not one of those times.
If Ignis thinks Prompto is probably the Stupidest Person Alive, he doesn’t say anything about it, much to Prompto’s relief. Ignis laughs instead. “We’ll keep at it, then?”
Prompto can’t help but smile. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
Prompto and Ignis continue to train like that first time outside of Lestallum nearly every day. It takes around two weeks for Ignis to warm up to training with Prompto like the first day they decided to in this long dark.
After a month, Ignis doesn’t even hesitate to utilize Prompto to train. Even when they go on hunts for nearby daemons, Ignis blossoms -- the training really paid off, and if Prompto’s honest, practicing shooting in the dark is always challenging. Prompto’s able to fire shots in the directions of Ignis’s daggers even more so than before, and Ignis can easily toss daggers or elemental spells where Prompto shoots -- way too accurately, if Prompto’s honest. They grow used to each other in battle so much it’s almost like they’re the same person; Prompto never thought he could be that skilled or graceful, but Ignis taught him how. There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of Ignis easily lifting Prompto up to aim at a target closer with his handguns, and then flipping out of Ignis’s arms so Ignis can finish their hunt off with a polearm, lethal and beautiful all at once. Fighting this closely with Ignis, even more so than crownsguard training, well; it’s one of the coolest things Prompto’s experienced.
The routine, after another month goes by, Prompto finds fairly soothing. They train or hunt some days, help cook in Lestallum other days -- sometimes both. Ignis doesn’t even need to use his cane anymore except for in unfamiliar places or when Prompto’s not with him (a rarity). And at night, night, every night, Prompto reads a chapter or two of Good Omens to help them both wind down from their daily activities.
It’s not until Prompto reads the very last page that he feels a bittersweet feeling in his chest that always comes with finishing a book -- but something more as well. It’s probably due to the fact that Ignis is in bed right next to him, and there’s always a chance they won’t find another book quite like this, so Prompto won’t get to read to him ever again.
Prompto’s always jumped to the worst conclusions.
“Well, well. What did you think of the novel, Prompto?” Ignis asks, breaking the silence.
Prompto stirs, realizing that Ignis is talking about the book and nothing else. “It was good. I liked that the daemon and the angel were friends, despite being kinda opposites of each other.”
Ignis smiles. “Yes. More than friends, I’d wager, though they left that rather open-ended, didn’t they?”
Prompto raises an eyebrow. “You thought they loved each other?”
Ignis nods. “I thought that rather obvious. They’d do anything for each other, and stopped at nothing to see each other despite being so different. One could argue that a friendship would include those feelings as well, but it seems as if there’s something else there, as well.” Ignis clicks his tongue against his teeth. “I suppose that’s the beauty of fiction. One always can come away with something different than the person who is sitting next to them who’s reading the same exact story.”
Prompto laughs. “No, I mean… yeah, they did seem pretty romantic, huh?” He can’t help but smile. “It’s kinda nicer when you think of it like that.”
Ignis chuckles softly. “Yes, I think so, as well.”
Before Prompto can respond, his phone on the bedside table starts to ring. No one usually calls him at this time, but given that it's been solid night for months now, he can't blame anyone for getting confused. He reaches for his phone, expecting Gladio or Iris, and finds the name on the phone more surprising than anyone else.
"Huh," Prompto says out loud, "it's Cindy?"
Ignis tilts his head curiously, confusion plain on his face. "I suppose you should answer it, then."
With a shrug, Prompto accepts the call. "Heyaz. Cindy?"
A soft giggle sounds on the other end of the phone. "Howdy. It's Prompto, ain't it? Thought I got the right number from your friend Gladio, but I ain't sure."
Prompto's lips spread into an involuntary grin at the sound of Cindy's cute accent and the mention of Gladio. "Yeah, it's me! Um, hey! You talked to Gladio?"
Prompto can hear Cindy's smile based on her voice alone. "I sure did, ’round two weeks ago. Said he was trainin' a whole bunch. Haven't seen him since, but I was hopin' maybe he was with you so I could ask him a favor? I can't get a hold of him at his number."
Prompto's brow furrows, wondering what the hell Cindy would want from Gladio. "Uh, no, he's still training… I guess." Prompto laughs. "What did ya need him for?"
Cindy sighs. "Oh, nothin' too important, I reckon. There's some daemons gettin' a little too close for comfort. We had a lightin' issue a couple a days ago? Well, I just worry 'bout them gettin' too close to Paw Paw. The hunters here are keepin' a good eye on it, but I was hopin' maybe Gladio or one of y'all could take him to Lestallum for a bit while I make sure the wirin' is dandy."
Prompto looks over at Ignis. The other man's expression is unreadable as his head is turned away, pretending not to listen to Prompto's phone conversation. "Wow, yeah, I totally wouldn't risk that. Gladio's, like, the king of radio silence so maybe it's best if I just hitch a ride down there to get Cid real quick?"
Prompto's words get Ignis's attention rather quickly, his head turning in the direction of Prompto's voice. His mouth wears the tiniest of frowns that no one would notice except for Prompto, having lived with the guy for months now. Prompto wonders if Ignis would be upset having to be alone for a few days.
"Aw, are ya sure? I don't wanna put ya out if you're busy 'n such. I heard y'all have been through a lot."
Prompto nods. "Yeah, I mean, it's been hectic for all of us, huh? And it's not like we don't owe you, Cindy. You've been a legit lifesaver hundreds of times. If Iggy can't stay here, I'll just bring him."
Ignis turns his head away again, expression returning to unreadable. Prompto still has a long way to go in deciphering Ignis's tells. Prompto supposes stoicism is a skill Ignis acquired while dealing with dignitaries for Noct over the years.
"Well," Cindy says with a flattered giggle, "you're way too darlin', Prom! It'll be great seein' y'all. It's been too long. I'm real glad y'all are safe at least."
Prompto smiles. “Yeah, it’ll be great seein’ you too, Cindy! I’ll get a hold of a car when I wake up and head over to Hammerhead, then? I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
“That sounds real good! Thanks again, sugar. You two can stay down here as long as ya like, ya hear?”
“Uh huh. Thanks, girl. It was really nice talkin’ to you,” Prompto says and waits for her to hang up. Prompto lets out a soft sigh. “Guess I gotta go to Hammerhead?”
Ignis returns his attention to Prompto, nodding. “I heard. What for?”
“Cindy wants to get Cid outta there for a bit, take him to Lestallum while she makes sure it’s safe there. I’m sure it’ll be totally easy to convince him,” Prompto says with a snort.
“I see. I do hope that it will go rather smoothly. How long will you be away?” Ignis asks.
“Uhh, I dunno, really. Few days? A week? However long it takes to safely get there and back and make sure the daemons near there are taken care of. D’you wanna come with? She’s expecting you, too -- I didn’t know if I could leave you alone or anything. Not that I want that.” Prompto laughs nervously. “We could make a road trip outta it? Like… y’know, easier times.” He sighs.
Ignis hesitates for a moment, but it’s long enough. “I’m capable of staying here by myself. You needn’t be so worried about me.”
Prompto’s heart races, hoping he hasn’t said the wrong thing. “No, yeah, I know! We just had a… routine, I guess. Didn’t know if you wanted to stick with me or not?”
“I don’t wish to slow you down. I’m certain a few days with Cindy will be rather fun for you,” Ignis says teasingly.
Prompto feels his cheeks warm, remembering yet again all the times he couldn’t shut up about Cindy. He couldn’t exactly blame himself; he’d much rather someone think he likes Cindy than the heartwrenching, maddening crush he has on one of his best friends instead. He wonders what Ignis would think if he told him the truth about that.
“Yeah,” Prompto says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, “but I’d like you there too, y’know.”
Ignis frowns. “I appreciate that, Prompto. I did promise Monica I would help her tomorrow, however. I didn’t think it would be an issue until now.”
Prompto feels his own dumb anxiety worm its way into his chest. Was he too much? Was he not enough? He picks at a thread on his boxers. “Oh, right. My bad. I totally forgot about that.” Prompto sighs. “Are you sure I didn’t say something wrong? Tell me, so I can apologize?”
Ignis smiles softly. “You’ve not done a thing wrong, I promise. It will only be for a few days, and then everything will return to normal, yes?”
Prompto chews on his lip. “Yeah. That’s true, Igster. Hmm. I wonder if Dave’s still in town for a few days? He should be heading back to Hammerhead soon.”
“I believe last time we spoke he said he was still here. You should contact him.”
Prompto sends a message to Dave, letting him know that he’ll need a ride. Fortunately, Dave responds quickly.
“Wow. That’s convenient. He’s leaving around the time we wake up,” Prompto notes as he sends a quick ‘thank you’ to Dave.
“Do give Cindy my regards,” Ignis says with a laugh, “as I’m certain she’ll receive plenty of yours.”
Prompto bursts out laughing, his nervous energy bursting forth. “Oh, Gods. I dunno about that. I’ll be sure to tell her for you, though, dude.”
“What, are you shy all of a sudden?” Ignis asks, smiling a little. “You used to prattle on about her for hours , it seemed like.”
This is so not a conversation that Prompto wants to have right now. “Um, yeah. Just haven’t seen her in a while, I guess. Ha.”
“Now, now, I’m merely teasing you,” Ignis says, patting the space on the bed next to him. “We should get some sleep now, since we both have a rather long day ahead of us.”
Prompto sighs, crawling up the bed and depositing himself next to Ignis. “I guess we do.” Prompto stares at the ceiling, then over at Ignis. “You sure you’re not mad?”
Ignis laughs. “Why the bloody hell would I be mad? You’re doing a wonderful favor for Cindy, Prompto.”
“I dunno. Feels weird. I guess I just kinda… don’t wanna go,” Prompto admits sheepishly, chancing a glance over at Ignis.
Ignis’s eyebrows raise in complete surprise. “Oh? And why is that?”
Prompto explores his feelings about that, and knows he can’t tell Ignis hardly any of them. Living with Ignis has been far greater than he expected it to be, given the circumstances of their arrangement. He’s felt closer to Ignis than ever before, and his feelings for the man have gotten so strong that even leaving him for a few days sounds like something straight out of a nightmare. On one hand, it’ll be nice to get out of Lestallum for a while for a change of scenery and to see new friends, but it doesn’t seem to matter much if Ignis won’t be there with him.
“I, um. I like it here. With you,” Prompto blurts, hoping it’s not too much and enough all at once.
Ignis is quiet for a moment before he reaches out, placing a searching hand on Prompto’s knee. “I suppose you’ll have to hurry back to me, then.” He smiles.
Prompto can’t help that his heart twists at the words, and he finds himself leaning over to curl an arm around Ignis. “I will, for realsies,” he says with a smile.
“What’s this? Cuddling your friend so soon before seeing Cindy? People will talk, you know,” Ignis teases.
Prompto laughs, snuggling further into Ignis’s chest. “Shut up. Let me have this. I’m not gonna get it for a few days.”
Ignis chuckles, curling his arms around Prompto in return. “And how can I say no to such a request?”
Prompto doesn’t remember falling asleep, but apparently he does, clinging to Ignis hoping that the next week or so will go by quickly rather than slowly.
ignis might be a liiiittle jealous, don't judge
there's some light sexual content at the end of this chapter, just a warning. before you get excited... it's just jerkin' off. curse u slow burn
As soon as Prompto wakes up, there’s a heaviness in his chest that he wishes would go away. It’s not like he’s spending a long time away from Ignis; why is he being like this? Nothing makes it go away, however, and as he gets dressed and packs a small bag for his time in Hammerhead, it seems to make the heaviness grow.
“You’re awfully quiet this morning,” Ignis notes as he prepares breakfast for Prompto, much to his insistence. “Are you feeling alright?”
Prompto feels pathetic; he doesn’t want to admit how much he’s dreading leaving Ignis, how much he’s going to miss him. Ignis doesn’t seem too affected, other than being a bit quieter than usual mornings. Ignis always kept a better lid on any emotions, though; not that he was feeling any. Ignis probably is perfectly fine.
Prompto sighs. “Yeah, I’m good, Iggy!”
Prompto feels a hand on his shoulder as an omelette is placed in front of him, covered in spices, just the way he likes it. “You know, I can tell when you’re lying to me still. Would you prefer I go instead?”
Prompto frowns. He doesn’t really want to admit that Ignis leaving instead wouldn’t solve the problem at all -- it’d actually make it worse, worrying about Ignis making that trek by himself. “Nah, that’s not it. I’m, uh. It’s not a big deal.” Prompto takes a bite of omelette, the amazing taste not even able to distract him from being-- well, a giant baby.
Ignis sits across from Prompto and takes a bite before responding. “You don’t have to tell me what’s on your mind, of course, but I’m here to listen, should you change your mind.”
Prompto lets out a nervous laugh. “Thanks. I’m good. Just bein’ a baby, I guess.”
Ignis frowns. “I don’t think you are.”
Prompto eats the rest of his omelette in a nervous silence.
It’s not until Prompto’s halfway through the task of making sure Ignis styles his hair properly when he folds, unable to keep his feelings to himself anymore. Ignis is doing well with his hair so far, Prompto’s only there out of habit at this point. Prompto’s tense and nervous energy bursts forward in the form of words as he watches.
“I hope this isn’t weird to say, ‘cause I don’t wanna be weird, but I’m really gonna miss you and it’s kind of bumming me out.” Prompto takes a deep breath, wincing as he realizes what he’s said. “Oh, man, sorry. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”
Ignis stops lightly combing his hair back, putting the comb gently on the counter before turning in Prompto’s direction. His eyebrows raise with slight surprise, but a gentle smile blooms on his lips. “I’m going to miss you as well, Prompto, but I assure you I’m not going anywhere. Why were you afraid to say this to me?”
“I dunno, you seem fine and stuff. Didn’t wanna be a baby about it,” Prompto mumbles, suddenly preoccupied with applying mascara to his blonde eyelashes to avoid facing Ignis.
“Will you look at me, please?” Ignis asks.
Prompto has no idea how Ignis knows Prompto isn’t looking at him -- maybe the sound of his voice? -- but Prompto’s a glutton for making Ignis happy. Prompto sets his mascara down with a gentle sigh, looking over at Ignis sheepishly. “Yeah? What’s up?”
Ignis is still smiling, a patient look on his face. “I don’t wish you to withhold such things from me. I didn’t think it mattered to you this much.”
Prompto frowns. “Well, yeah. We’ve been living together for months now. Sleepin’ in the same bed, training, fighting, working, cooking… all that. Together. How would it not matter to me?”
It’s like we’re a couple, Prompto thinks. It’s not as if he can actually say that out loud, though he’s awfully curious as to what Ignis would say if he did.
“I didn’t mean anything by that. Of course it matters, I just didn’t assume such a short while would affect you,” Ignis explains. “I’m dreading you leaving as well. I’ve grown accustomed to you being with me throughout these months.”
“I know,” Prompto says with a sheepish laugh, “I just didn’t wanna be lame about this. I wasn’t really expecting it to affect me either.” He snorts.
“I don’t think that at all,” Ignis promises. “I’m rather relieved you feel similarly to me.”
Prompto’s heart pounds. He feels like he’s teetering on the edge of a balance beam and finally losing his balance here. It takes every effort not to tell Ignis that he loves him not just platonically, but in every way the other man would have him.
Prompto tries to ignore the way his cheeks heat up with flush. “Yeah. I guess we can call each other. D’you have your accessibility settings turned on, Iggy? Text to speak and everything?” he asks worriedly.
“I do indeed. Will you call me before you head to bed this evening? I’m afraid I’m unused to sleeping without hearing that voice of yours,” Ignis admits with a soft chuckle.
If Prompto thinks too hard about that comment, he’ll lose his mind. He’s dangerously close to just leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. “I will. How else am I gonna go to sleep?” Prompto laughs. “Just don’t go finding a new roomie that’s way better than me while I’m gone.”
Ignis smirks. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Prompto.”
Prompto sighs, looking up into Ignis’s eyes. His right eye has opened slightly compared to the other one that’s fully scarred and closed, but it has none of the familiar green anymore that Prompto grew used to, and his pupil is gone from whatever damaged his eye. It’s still beautiful, though, especially as it seems to be slowly healing as much as it can. Despite being unable to see out of it, Ignis still manages to be expressive with it, gazing at him fondly.
“I’m glad,” Prompto murmurs. “Looks like your good eye’s gettin’ better. It's opening up more.”
Ignis closes his one open eye immediately, as if on instinct. "I don't have a good eye," he says teasingly, but there's a tinge of sadness to his smile.
"Open it. It's beautiful," Prompto whispers. "I just meant that it's opening, that's all. I'm sorr--"
"Ah, ah. Don't apologize." Ignis slowly opens his eye, vaguely focused in Prompto's direction. "How differently does it look than before?"
Prompto hums, reaching out to touch Ignis's cheek gently just underneath the eye in question. "Well, it's not green anymore. It's lighter, lighter than mine. It is beautiful. Just different than before."
Ignis blinks, a soft pink color appearing on his cheeks. Prompto fails at not staring at it, slightly in awe that he made Ignis blush. "You're very kind, Prompto. The kindest man I know."
Prompto frowns, ignoring the way his heart races. "I ain't bein' kind! It's the truth, Igster!" He takes his hand off of his face. "I dunno how many times I can tell you how devilishly handsome you are before, uh, people start to talk." He wiggles his eyebrows teasingly.
Ignis chuckles. "If that were the case, they'd surely already be talking by now."
Prompto laughs, wishing that were true. "You gotta point there." He fishes his phone out of his pocket, pressing the camera app. "You, uh, wanna take a selfie with me before I go? You don't gotta. I just wanna have a pic of you while I'm gone."
Ignis smirks. "It's as if you're heading to war," he teases. "You may take all the photographs you wish, but do be certain not to drain your battery."
Prompto smiles, leaning into Ignis as far as he can while still being socially acceptable. "I won't, I won't."
Ignis curls his arm around Prompto's waist, securing him to his side. Prompto tries to calm his heart rate. "Good. I'd hate to not be able to call you later."
Prompto beams. "Okay. Three, two, one." Prompto presses the button a few times to make sure he gets a good shot. "Alright. I think I got at least one decent one."
Ignis pulls away from him, much to Prompto’s disappointment. “I’m certain you got several.”
Prompto peeks a look at the selfies. He smiles when he sees them, Prompto pressing so close to Ignis. He’s glad he won’t have to show anyone the way Prompto blushes so much in the pictures, smiling wide as Ignis wears a subtler smile that still reaches his eyes. Prompto resists the urge to sigh; Ignis is always so photogenic no matter what.
“They’re perfect,” Prompto says with a grin. “Thanks, Igster.”
Prompto feels his phone buzz and finds a text from Dave. “Oh, shit. I gotta go, like, now. Damn it.” Prompto’s heart thuds with longing like the loser that he is as he shoves his phone in his pocket.
Without thinking, Prompto turns to rush out of the bathroom, when he feels Ignis’s arm shoot out to stop him. Prompto looks over at him with confusion until Ignis curls his other arm around Prompto, pulling him easily against him into a comforting hug.
“Before you go,” Ignis murmurs as Prompto feels Ignis rest his chin on top of his head.
Prompto whimpers and breathes out the hurried tension he’s holding as he wraps his arms around Ignis tightly, resting his head against Ignis’s chest. Feeling Ignis hold him like this is indescribable; it’s going to take everything for Prompto to be able to pull away from this and leave him altogether.
“Aw, Iggy,” Prompto whispers against Ignis. “Be careful, okay? You need anything, just call me. I’ll walk back if I gotta.”
Ignis chuckles fondly as he runs his fingers gently along Prompto’s back as he holds him. “I certainly will. You as well, Prompto.”
Prompto nods, sighing softly. “I will. Love you, man.”
If only Prompto wasn’t so much of a coward and could tell Iggy he’s in love with him -- but this will have to do.
Ignis’s grip on him tightens for a moment. “And I you.”
Ignis releases him then, freeing Prompto from his grip. Prompto swears his skin tingles where Ignis touched, and his heart thuds when he realizes he’ll have to sleep without that embrace for the next few nights.
“Bye, Iggy. See you in a few?”
“Of course. Farewell for now.”
Prompto tries not to turn to look at Ignis as he leaves, knowing that if he looks behind him, he’ll just run right into his arms again. He grabs his bag and runs out the door, knowing he’s already pushing his luck making Dave and the other hunters wait to make their way back to Hammerhead.
Prompto climbs into the bed of Dave’s truck, as the other hunters have taken up the actual seats. Prompto smiles when Dave’s dog walks up to him, tail wagging.
“Hiya, buddy,” Prompto says. “Looks like we’re sharin’ seats, huh?”
The dog barks happily as Prompto scratches behind his ears. Prompto laughs as he sits next to him, happy to have this kind of company at least. Prompto loves dogs; he’s glad Dave’s seems to be doing well.
Prompto feels his phone vibrate in his pocket as Dave starts making his way toward Hammerhead. Prompto pulls it out as he continues to pet the dog.
Iggy (8:02 A.M.): Be safe, Prompto. I’ll be thinking of you.
Prompto grins, heart warm as he realizes that Ignis must have used voice-to-text to send him a message like this. It's not like it's rare for Ignis to do so, just rare for him to use it on Prompto.
Prompto supposes that just any attention from the man in question is good enough for Prompto. He hugs his phone to his chest like a lovesick fool for a moment before responding.
Prompto (8:04 A.M.): you too iggy. thanks for sending this ❤
Prompto relaxes into the truck bed, happy that Dave's dog is here to pet, as the scenery around him grows more and more worrisome. Most of the areas, as he knew, are overrun, but for some reason, seeing it in person is far different. All sorts of daemons roam the streets, destroyed rest stops, and towns; the burnt-out lighting not good enough to keep them away any longer. Some well enough lit places still manage to stand, but they're few and far between. The only way Dave manages to navigate the roads is the pair of strong daemon-resistant headlights on his truck. Even the dog whimpers from time to time, and Prompto finds himself coaxing the dog's head onto his lap for comfort.
Prompto rationally knows he's safe; he's got his best guns in holster and a blade just in case, not to mention the daemons won't go near the lighting of the truck. Still, his anxiety leaves him feeling exposed nonetheless, considering interrupting Ignis at work to call him.
Prompto ultimately decides against it, not wanting to disrupt Iggy or appear too clingy.
"I'm glad you're here, Puppy," Prompto whispers into the darkness.
The dog whimpers as if he agrees. Prompto laughs stressfully to himself and tries to ignore the roars and moans of the daemons that surround him.
The tense three-hour ride felt like three days. No wonder Dave makes this trip as little often as possible, Prompto thinks bitterly. He's never been more grateful to see the lights of Hammerhead in the distance.
Prompto gives his canine friend a few more enthusiastic pats before hopping out of the truck bed as soon as it comes to a stop. Prompto’s grateful when his feet touch concrete; his ass fell asleep around an hour ago.
“Well, well, what do we have here? If it ain’t Prompto!” Cindy’s light, gentle voice sounds from over by the garage.
Prompto looks up, grinning from ear-to-ear as he sees Cindy with her hand on her hip. She’s wearing an unbuttoned red flannel top, the long sleeves folded up to her elbows and a black tank top, all of which are covered in grease from the looks of it. She still wears a smudge of grease on her nose, giving off her signature look as usual. It’s so nice to see a familiar face after that long, bleak trip -- Prompto’s so glad Cindy’s still got a few things to smile about.
“Heya, Cindy!” Prompto yells, running up to her at once. Prompto holds his fist out for her to bump. He’d give her a hug, but given the fact that Cindy has probably caught wind of his Fake Crush on her, he doesn’t want to make her too uncomfortable.
Cindy rolls her eyes, brushing off Prompto’s fist bump. “None a’that, now. How ‘bout a hug instead?”
Prompto laughs, happy that she’s not completely creeped out by him. “Fair enough, grease monkey.”
Prompto heads in for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around his mechanic friend. She laughs into the embrace, ruffling Prompto’s hair a bit.
“So good to see ya! Where’s Tall and Handsome at?” Cindy asks. “Thought y’all were both comin’ along.”
Prompto’s heart pounds at the mention of Iggy. “Yeah, we were gonna, but Iggy had to work in Lestallum to help feed people. He says hello, though. We’ll have to stop by whenever we get another ride.”
Cindy nods as she pulls out of Prompto’s arms. “That’s real nice of him. Speakin’ of gettin’ rides, I thought I’d pay ya back by fixin’ up one of my spare cars while yer here. Heard ya lost that beautiful car of yours.” She sighs wistfully.
Prompto pushes the fresh wave of nausea behind. “Yeah, I was, um, somewhere else when it happened, but yeah. She’s long gone.” Among everything else, it seems. “You don’t gotta give me a car though, holy crap, Cindy! I’m doin’ this ‘cause I want to.”
“‘Course I will!” Cindy scoffs at him. “This car ain’t been used in a while. Figure it’s the least I could do for y’all. Ignis probably misses drivin’ all the time, right? He could sure use a car, I reckon.”
Prompto freezes. If Cindy thinks Ignis can drive, then she must not know about the accident in Altissia. “Oh, man. Um, he can’t really drive anymore. We ran into some trouble, and, um, well, he can’t see anymore.”
Cindy’s face falls, lips parting in shock. “Sweet six almighty. I’m so sorry, Prom. I had no clue ‘bout that. Give him my love, won’t ya?” She clicks her tongue against her teeth sadly. “Poor thing. I heard about your prince, but Iggy didn’t come up. How is he handlin’ it?”
Prompto nods, sighing deeply. “You don’t have to apologize, Cindy! You didn’t know. He’s doing super good, actually. It was rough for a while but he’s good on his own now. He can cook and fight and pretty much everything. I’ve been livin’ with him while he adjusts, but let’s be real, he doesn’t even need me anymore. I was able to leave him alone to come here and stuff. So yeah.” He smiles. “He’s amazing.”
Cindy smiles gently at Prompto. “You two gettin’ real close, huh? If anyone could make it through somethin’ as tough as that, it’d be him. I’m glad y’all have each other. If I had any idea y’all were goin’ through that, I wouldn’t have even bothered askin’ for this favor.” She chews on her bottom lip.
Prompto shakes his head, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Oh em gee, no way! I’m happy to be here, dude. Iggy wanted me to come, too. We’re doin’ good, don’t worry about it,” Prompto promises. “Well, as good as we can be.”
Cindy nods. “I know what ya mean. This long night’s a real drag, ain’t it? I’m just glad we can still manage to use the roads for now.”
Prompto sighs. He hopes he doesn’t end up getting trapped here, away from Ignis. The thought terrifies him a little bit. “I mean, if you’re really gonna end up fixin’ up a car for me, you gotta at least let me help.”
Cindy makes a contemplating noise, her eyes falling on Prompto’s guns holstered on his shoulders. “Well… I reckon you didn’t bring those guns for nothin’?”
Prompto looks down at them, pulling them out to show them off, flipping them around his finger. “Why? Got some nasties?” He smiles.
She laughs. “Oh, you know, always. They stay purdy far away from the lights, but I’d rather be safe ‘n all that. There’s a couple’a daemons north from here that are apparently gettin’ real bad, accordin’ to the hunters here. They’re takin’ care of the southern border, but I don’t want ’em havin’ too much on their plate.” She sighs.
“No way, man, I got it. What kind are we talkin’?” Prompto asks, hoping it’s not a giant. He hates those -- and necromancers. He resists the urge to shudder.
“Couple’a bombs and skeletons, I think. Don’t want those suckers blowin’ up my generators.” Her brow furrows. “Think you can handle that?”
Prompto smiles, rolling his eyes. “Who, me? Of course I can,” he teases. “You got somewhere I can tinker with my guns first?”
“Now that I can do! C’mon with me into the garage, won’t ya?” Cindy offers, turning around and heading toward the garage.
Once they’re inside, Cindy sits on the rolling mechanic creeper, about to lay down and roll underneath a car when she points to a workbench. “All the tools ya need should be over there. Gimme a holler if you need anything else.”
Prompto laughs at how eager Cindy is to get back to working on cars. If the other guys were here with him, he knows they’d torture him about being this close to Cindy. He probably laid the fake crush on a little too thick, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, right?
Prompto sets his Cerberus sniper rifle on the workbench, along with his quicksilver and lion heart handguns. It’s been a while since he’s modified and upgraded his weapons, not to mention cleaned them. He adds some elemental damage to his bullets, as well as improving the scope on his rifle, chewing on his lip in concentration as he works, humming under his breath.
Prompto doesn’t realize some time has passed, apparently, as Cindy walks up to him covered in slightly more grease than before, no longer laying under the car she was working on.
“Huh. You’re purdy handy with tools, ain’t ya?” Cindy asks. “Would’a never guessed that.”
Prompto laughs, brushing off her comment. “Yeah, most people don’t. Guess I take people by surprise, huh?” He sets one of the screwdrivers down in favor of looking at her. “I usually take care of my weapons by myself. One of the few things I’m good at.” He snorts.
Cindy laughs. “Didn’t mean no harm by it. Maybe you could lend me a hand with the car tomorrow when yer done hunting daemons. Whenever I need a hand and Paw Paw ain’t around, I take the hunters' help, but they’re not very handy with cars ‘n all that.”
Prompto perks up, getting excited. When he was in his early teens, being a mechanic was somewhat of an interest of his. “Really? I’d love to help! Maybe we’d still have time later today if these daemons don’t take too long to kill.”
She nods. “Maybe, but I don’t wanna wear ya out. I’m sure yer plenty tired from yer trip ‘n all.”
Prompto shrugs. “Not yet. I should check in with Iggy before bed, though.”
Cindy smiles, looking at Prompto with an expression that makes Prompto involuntarily flush. “You care ‘bout him a lot, don’t ya?”
A nervous laugh escapes Prompto’s lips. “Well, yeah! He’s one of my best friends.” The thought of Ignis being alone still makes him nervous, even though he has no reason to be -- curse his brain.
She lets out a laugh that can only be described as a giggle as she puts her hands on her hips. “That why you’re blushin’ redder than a damn tomato?” she teases.
Prompto’s face falls. Sometimes he forgets that people do, in fact, notice when he blushes. “Um, wait, what?”
She rolls her eyes. “You should see the way ya talk ‘bout him. Yer eyes just light up.”
If Prompto’s flush could grow any warmer, it does. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “I dunno what you’re talking about,” he lies, practically chomping off his lower lip.
She lets out another laugh, wiping the grease off on her work pants. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. I think it’s nice to have somethin’ to smile about durin’ all this. And you got him by your side. Not a whole lotta people can say that ‘bout the people they fancy.”
Prompto’s heart aches. When Cindy puts it that way, it makes Prompto seem lucky. She seems like a decent person to confide in, which is a little amusing since he pretends to have the hots for her all the time in front of the guys. He considers spilling his secrets for about half of a second before the words tumble from his lips anyway.
“He’s, um… in love with someone else,” Prompto says softly.
Cindy frowns. “Who could he possibly like if he’s livin’ with you? ”
“Noct,” Prompto responds even quieter this time, looking at his feet. “Iggy’s only livin’ with me ‘cause he’s not around.”
Cindy hums thoughtfully, her smile disappearing slowly off her face. “I’m real sorry, Prom. That’s happened to me before. Did he tell ya that?”
Prompto raises an eyebrow. “Tell me what?”
“‘Bout the Prince, of course,” Cindy says with a laugh. “King, I guess, now.”
Prompto thinks of all the time he’s spent with Ignis before and after the nights turned endless, when Noctis was still here, when he’d first met Ignis -- it is true that Prompto’s never actually heard Ignis say the words but Prompto just knows. It’s not like Ignis says that kind of stuff anyway.
“Well, uh, no, not to me,” Prompto mumbles. “But, like. He does… everything for Noct. Above and beyond, he’s dedicated his whole life to him. I can’t even touch that. I don’t even come close.”
Cindy’s brow furrows. “Ain’t he the prince’s right hand? Ain’t that his job?”
“Well, yeah, but--”
“And you think he’s head over heels for the prince without him even so much as hintin’ at that?”
Prompto feels his cheeks heat up all over again. “Well, yeah, but he is.”
Cindy starts to laugh. “Are ya sure about that? Really sure?”
Prompto wants to say yes. To be honest, however, Prompto isn’t ever sure about anything, not even when it comes to himself. Ninety-nine percent sure isn’t completely sure, regardless. Then again, Prompto thinks about the way Ignis hugged him this morning, and how easily Ignis lets Prompto curl around him in sleep, how worried Ignis gets during hunts and training, his smile whenever Prompto’s around...
“Uh. Well, I guess not totally, but… pretty sure.”
“D’ya know what I think, Freckles?” Cindy asks with a smile.
Prompto looks into her striking green eyes. “Hmm. What?”
“I think yer just tryn’a think of any excuse not to tell ‘im ‘cause yer scared he’ll run away,” she says.
Prompto frowns. He can’t exactly deny that, can he? He’s spent months now doing everything he possibly can to keep Ignis from knowing, or any of them -- except for Noct, of course. “He totally would. He’d kick me out and call me gross and--”
Cindy barks out a laugh, throwing her head back as she loses herself to a fit of giggles. “We’re talkin’ ‘bout Ignis, right? That tall ‘n handsome feller in the glasses who I watched take care of y’all in ‘n out ever since we met? Same feller, right?”
Prompto wishes he could claw the blush off of his face. He hates that she’s right about this, except he doesn’t really hate it at all. “Well, that was only ‘cause he kinda had to. He doesn’t now.”
Cindy smirks once she recovers from her laughter. “Thought his job was takin’ care of the prince . He didn’t have to take care of you or Gladio neither back then. He still did. He never had to do any of that, he just did. Maybe you don’t know yer friend as well as ya think you do.”
This is probably the longest conversation Prompto’s ever had with Cindy, and of course, Prompto knew she was a smart person, but never thought that she’d put Prompto’s foolishness on his ass in a minute flat. It’s pretty impressive.
“I-- well-- I mean--” Prompto splutters.
She giggles again. “You seem like a real good kid, Prom. I don’t see why he wouldn’t like you. Like I said, he’s livin’ with you, not anybody else.” She shrugs. “‘M sorry. You didn’t ask for my advice, yet here I am ramblin’ on about it.” She laughs.
Prompto thinks about it for way longer than he should. She does have a point; Ignis wouldn’t leave or bail on their friendship even if he doesn’t feel the same as Prompto. Prompto’s anxiety made that one up all on its own. Even if Ignis does love Noct, he still seems to like hugging Prompto, and living with him -- cuddling him. So, some part of Ignis enjoys being around Prompto regardless. Maybe telling him wouldn’t be so bad. Prompto wouldn’t have to live with his dumb crush; he could get closure about it -- maybe it’d make him feel better.
Prompto lets out a nervous laugh. “No, I’m glad you said all this. I guess I get kinda caught up in my own misery.” He snorts. “Maybe I’ll tell him… once I work up the courage.”
Cindy grins. “Atta boy! Life’s too short these days to hide anythin’ like that anymore.”
Prompto knows she’s right about that at least. Maybe he has been an idiot. Maybe he wasted his opportunity to tell Ignis if he gets mangled by exploding daemons in a few minutes. Prompto sighs. “Well, Miss Cindy, enough about me. How’s your love life?”
Cindy widens her eyes for a brief moment just as a bright pink flush floods her cheeks, lighting up her freckles prettily. Prompto wishes he could look as cute when he does the same thing. “‘M not so sure.”
Prompto raises an eyebrow, smiling. “Oh? Do tell?” he teases.
“Well, I, er… just got around to meetin’ Miss Highwind last month. Don’t know her too well, but I think I’m fittin’ to ask her to dinner next time I see her,” Cindy admits.
“ Aranea?” Prompto nearly gasps. “How’d you meet her?”
Cindy giggles embarrassingly. “She stopped by needin’ some parts for her ship ‘n dropped off a few refugees to get ‘em some food. It’s real nice what she’s doin’ -- she told me she used to work for the Niffs. Funny world nowadays, huh?”
Prompto nods. “Sure is, dude. I haven’t seen her in a few months, but… I’m glad you’re reaching out to her. She’s saved my ass way more times than I can count.”
She smiles. “She mentioned she knew y’all! Asked if I’d seen you around, seein’ as you’re pretendin’ to have a crush on me ‘n all that.”
Ah. So Cindy did find out about that. “Well, I mean… not… all pretend, you are… cute…” Prompto manages. “Uh. Forget I said that?”
Cindy laughs, clearly thinking nothing of it. “How’s that workin’ out for ya?”
Prompto thinks of all the times that the guys have made fun of him for his nonstop talks about Cindy. “Uh… not so great?”
Cindy steps forward, ruffling Prompto’s hair. “You’re ‘bout as cute as a button. You should be honest with yer friends, though. Just a bit of advice from a grease monkey.” She beams.
Prompto nods, laughing at himself. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that. I swear I’m not as creepy as I made myself out to seem.”
She tries to hold in her laughter but fails, snorting a little. “I ain’t worried ‘bout that at all, Freckles.”
Relief floods through Prompto. He elbows her playfully. “Y’know, you’ve got freckles too, Missy.”
She grins. “That I do!”
He shakes his head teasingly. “Well, I better get at those daemons before it gets too late and I fall asleep out there.” He snorts. “You need anything else?”
She shakes her head. “Nah. I better get back at it with this damn car. Good luck out there. ‘N be safe!”
Prompto throws finger guns at her. “I totally got this, dude!”
Prompto heads north of Hammerhead after making sure his flashlight has fresh batteries. He sees the daemons in question easily, the bomb daemons trying desperately to destroy itself close enough to the generators. The skeleton daemons circle around as closely as they can before the light from Hammerhead cuts them off.
The daemons haven't spotted Prompto just yet, so he pulls his sniper rifle off his back, hopping up on top of an abandoned vehicle for a vantage point.
Prompto lines up the shot on one of the bombs. "Just gonna pick you nasties off from over here… if you don't mind," Prompto whispers to himself.
Prompto pulls the trigger on one of them, the kickback from the rifle jamming into his shoulder. It gets the daemons' attention immediately. Prompto's heart rate increases as he lines up the shot to the other bomb daemon, as they're currently heading in his direction.
Prompto fires off another shot, effectively destroying the bomb daemons, but the skeletons are far too fast and are currently too close for his long-ranged rifle.
"Shit," Prompto huffs as he stands on top of the car.
He shoulders his rifle in favor of pulling his two handguns out of the shoulder holsters. He starts firing off shots one by one, hoping to dispel the skeleton daemons before they get any closer.
Prompto laughs victoriously when the last of the daemons fall, only to hear the ominous sound of more rising from the ground. Several tonberries appear with some goblins.
Prompto groans. "I'm gonna be here forever ," he whines as he reloads his guns and gets to work.
Prompto returns to Hammerhead covered in dirt and Astrals-Only-Know what mess the daemons left on him when they died. Prompto's in desperate need of food, a shower, and a warm bed. He sort of regrets not asking another hunter to join him to help after that happened.
Prompto helps cook a meal for everyone at Hammerhead, utilizing his cooking skills that he's learned from Ignis after living and working with him over the past few months.
He showers in the crappy, tiny caravan shower and finds himself missing home -- his shower, his bed, his Ignis. Well, save for the last part; Ignis isn't his , but sometimes it feels like it.
By the time Prompto flops onto the uncomfortable caravan bed and checks his phone, he sees another text from Ignis. His heart flies as he reads it.
Iggy (9:14 P.M.): Cindy informed me you went hunting daemons alone. Please respond to this when you're able.
Prompto smiles at Ignis's worry. His fingers hover over the keys to tease him about it, but he realizes that it might just be easier to call Ignis at this hour. It's with that thought that Prompto finds himself pressing the call button next to Ignis's name instead, stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of hearing Ignis's voice.
Ignis answers halfway through the third ring. "Prompto?" he asks, voice lower than normal.
Prompto's brow furrows at the tension in his voice. "Hey, Iggy. You okay? What's wrong?"
Prompto hears Ignis let out a long breath. "Nothing is wrong , per se. I've just been a wee bit worried about you."
Prompto can't help but grin at this. "Aww! Cute! I have all my guns, dude. All of 'em. Sorry I just got back to you. Just got outta the shower."
"Yes, well, anxiety can be a bit irrational at times. Are you staying with Cindy, then?" His tone attempts casual.
Prompto thinks of the conversation he had with Cindy. He doesn't say, 'I wish,' like he usually would. Prompto figures honesty is best from here on out.
"Nah, man. Totally alone in this dumb caravan." He snorts. "Remember when we stayed here?"
Ignis sighs softly. "Yes. The worst bloody shower in all of Eos, I'm certain of it."
Prompto all but cackles. "You're tellin' me, dude. So, how was your day without good ol' Prompto to annoy you?"
Ignis is silent for a moment. "Dreadfully boring, I'm afraid." He chuckles. "Thank you for calling me, although I hate the way Moogle Assistant mispronounces your name."
Prompto smiles. “It still sayin’ Promdo?” He snickers.
“Yes. It’s utterly terrible,” Ignis laments. “How was your day?”
“Hmm, other than having a bunch of daemons up my ass… it was okay. The roads are… real scary. But I got to spend, like, three hours with Dave’s dog. He’s so cute,” Prompto whines. “I helped cook and it didn’t taste terrible. You would’ve been so proud. Oh! Did you know that Cindy has a crush on Aranea?!”
Ignis laughs. “Well, well, it sounds like you had quite the day. How did you find this out, might I ask?”
Prompto swallows nervously. “Weeeell, we were talkin’ to each other. ‘Bout… stuff. Anyway, yeah. She’s totally into her.”
“Hmm. Your heart must be utterly broken,” Ignis murmurs. “Though I must say, they’d make a rather lovely pair.”
Prompto bites his lip, knowing he’s earned that response. “Ha, well, you know me! I’m happy for her, though. If they make it work, y’know, she seems happy.”
There’s a smile in Ignis’s voice when he responds. “Well, well. This long dark has changed you after all, Prompto.”
Prompto laughs a little. If only you knew, he thinks. “Guess so. I, uh-- I miss you, dude.” He winces, hoping it doesn’t sound too clingy.
Another sigh comes from the other end of the phone. “I miss you as well. Had I known you were to be taking on daemons by yourself, I would have come with you.”
Prompto almost whines at the thought of Ignis being here. “There was only a few of ‘em. Also how’d you know that? You checkin’ up on me?”
When Ignis responds, there’s guilt heavy in his tone. “I may or may not have consulted with Cindy after not hearing from you after a while.”
Prompto can’t help but grin, affection flooding his heart. Old habits really do die hard with Ignis. “Oh, yeah? She ratted me out, huh?”
“She informed me you were far more worried about me than yourself.”
Prompto feels himself flush. “The betrayal! She didn’t know what happened to you. So, we got into a convo about you. Sue me for wantin’ you to be safe, I guess.”
Ignis chuckles. “I’m quite honored. What did you discuss? Good things, I hope?”
Prompto feels like he’s in one of those stupid spy movies, dodging laser beams to avoid letting Ignis know about his massive crush. “Hmm. Nah, I insulted you the whole way.”
“Just as I thought,” he teases. “And how is Cid?”
Prompto laughs. “He’s… the usual. Grumpy as ever, y’know. Gonna be so much fun drivin’ him all the way up there, but… Cindy’s giving us a car? So that’s kinda cool. Now we can drive around when I get back, I guess.”
“That’s awfully kind of her.” There’s a momentary pause. “So, you still intend on residing with me when you return, then?”
Prompto freezes. The thought of not returning to Ignis hadn’t even occurred to him; his stomach churns as he worries that Ignis might not want him to come back to him. “Um. Yeah? Wasn’t that the plan?” He laughs nervously. “D’you not want me to… stay…?”
“Shh, relax, Prompto. You know that isn’t what I meant. I’ve, er, had it in my head all day that you’d take one look at Cindy and wish to stay with her instead. I’ve come to peace with it -- or at least I’ve tried to, but I can’t help but ask. I apologize,” Ignis says softly. “Of course I want you to stay.”
Prompto’s heart thuds. He’s suddenly cursing his ability to be fairly convincing when it came to his ‘crush’ on Cindy. “Oh, man. You scared me, dude,” he admits sheepishly. “I don’t wanna stay with Cindy. I can’t wait to see you, man.”
There’s a smile in his voice again. “Apologies. I didn’t intend to frighten you. I can’t quite see you, but I agree with the sentiment. I wish you were here right now, reading to me as usual.”
Prompto laughs. “Well, we finished Good Omens, so I don’t have any books, but… hmm, maybe I can find somethin’ in here to read.” Prompto looks around and finds some sort of regulatory information about the camper tacked up on one of the doors. He clears his throat dramatically. “Are you ready for some exciting literature, Igster?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
“‘ Maximum Allowable Width for Caravans and Campers: Equipment and Road Use Law Summaries.’” He stops to laugh a little.
“Well, well. This does sound exciting,” Ignis teases.
“Hey, now! Don’t interrupt,” Prompto says with another snort. “‘ In Cleigne, the maximum width is 102 inches. Not to extend beyond exterior rearview mirrors installed by the manufacturer. Mirrors may only extend distance necessary to provide required field of view before appurtenances were attached.’” Prompto giggles. “Appurtenances?”
Ignis barks out a laugh that makes Prompto’s heart race. “It essentially means accessories or additions.”
“Oh,” Prompto realizes. “Hmm. Was that exciting? The plot isn’t really thrillin’ me here, not gonna lie.”
Ignis continues to laugh. “It all depends on the narrator, of course. I’m thoroughly enthused.”
“Well, that’s because I’m amazing. What would you do without my sultry voice, huh?” Prompto starts laughing.
“I would truly suffer, wouldn’t I?” Ignis teases. “How long do you think you’ll be over there?”
Prompto groans as he stretches, burying himself under the covers as he turns onto his side, resting the phone against his ear. “Soon as Cindy gets that car finished, it should be good. Knowing her, it’ll probably be done tomorrow. I’m supposed to help her with it, so that’ll be awesome.”
“That should be fun for you. I’m glad you don’t have to hunt for very long, then.”
Prompto sighs. “Yeah, me too. Run into any trouble today?”
“None at all thus far; I worked all day, mainly. One of Talcott’s cactuar figures went missing -- it was a dire emergency.” Ignis chuckles.
Prompto gasps. “Oh, no! Did you find it?!”
“Well, I helped. I couldn’t exactly look for it, but I did remind him of where he left it last.”
“Aww.” Prompto giggles. “I would’ve killed to see that. You two gotta hang out more. He’s adorable. Can’t believe he’s getting so tall in just a few short months.”
There’s another smile in Ignis’s voice. “He is. He asked where you were.”
“Aww, my buddy! Did you tell him I’d be back soon?” Prompto asks hopefully.
“I did, don’t fret. Ah, and I picked up a present for you -- well, for the both of us -- more of a treat, really. We can enjoy it when you return.”
Prompto can’t help but smile. “Oh, yeah? What is it?”
“Now, now. It’s a surprise.” Ignis’s tone teases. “I’ve got to keep you on your toes, don’t I?”
“Trust me, you do, man,” Prompto says wistfully. “I guess I can wait ‘til I get back.”
“Good boy.” Ignis chuckles. “I should let you get your rest. You’ve another long day tomorrow, it seems.”
Prompto can hardly focus on the rest of Ignis’s words, as his brain shut down after Ignis said good boy. It’s no secret that Prompto’s probably got the biggest praise kink ever, and he finds the words settle pleasantly along his nerves, and, ashamedly, along his crotch which stirs to life a little without permission. Shit.
“Uhhhh. What was that?” Prompto splutters, completely thrown off-guard, trying to forget that his friend’s given him a fucking boner.
“I merely said you should get some rest. Are you alright?”
“Yeah!” Prompto squeaks. “Yeah, totally, I’m good. You’re probably right. Sleep. You should get some, too.”
“Do you need anything?” Ignis asks.
Oh, I don’t know, maybe come over here and take care of this boner, maybe? Prompto even thinking about Ignis going anywhere near his dick has it even more at-attention, unfortunately, and Prompto squirms a little on the bed.
“Nah. You?”
“No, I’m quite fine.”
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow hopefully?” Prompto asks.
“You will. Sweet dreams, Prompto. Should you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Prompto smiles. “Alright. You too. Night, Igster.”
Prompto throws his phone across the tiny bed in the camper, groaning to himself. This crush is getting out of hand if Prompto can’t even manage a phone conversation with Ignis without getting hard. The more he thinks of it, the more his cock pitches a tent in his boxers.
“You’re not gonna go away, are you?” Prompto mutters to himself.
With a sigh, he spits in his hand before sliding it under the waistband of his boxers. He hisses under his breath as he takes his cock into his hand, stroking himself fast and rough until he comes easily in his hand, trying hard not to think about Ignis and utterly failing. Oops.
Prompto gets himself cleaned up before returning to bed, curling into a ball underneath the covers. His post-orgasm high has him feeling even more cuddly than usual, sad that Ignis isn’t here to wrap his arms around. Still, the day -- night -- takes its toll on Prompto, sleep claiming him easily enough.
Prompto’s wrists ache, pinned above his head. All the bruises and cuts left on him aren’t healed anymore, including his broken rib. It hurts to breathe. All he can hear is his own pained breaths, starting to cry when he realizes he’s alone, all alone again.
Prompto swears he left Niflheim. What the hell is he doing back here? Prompto tries to pull out of the restraints on his wrists to no avail, squirming against the cool metal.
Prompto hears footsteps. His heart races, expecting more of Ardyn’s tortures, when a familiar voice fills his ears instead. His heart rate hammers for a different reason, hope filling his chest.
“Prompto, is that you?” Ignis asks, walking swiftly into the empty cell.
“Iggy!” Prompto gushes happily. “I’m so glad you’re here, I’m so scared, can you get me outta here--”
Ignis laughs, sounding foreign to Prompto’s ears. Ignis walks up to him, his mouth twisting into a judgemental frown.
“Do you really think you deserve it? Why should I?” Ignis asks coldly.
Prompto’s stomach churns. “Wh--what? Iggy?”
“Why should I allow you near Noctis as dangerous as you are? You’re not one of us. You deserve to stay here.”
Ignis’s words almost make sense to Prompto; it’s what he feared this whole time. Ever since he learned about the barcode on his arm and where he was born, how he was made , he’s expected this. Maybe Noct would give him the benefit of the doubt, but Ignis is far too protective of Noct to ever risk it. Still, Prompto’s eyes well up with tears as they spill, his heavy sobs hurting the ache in his chest from the broken rib.
“Iggy, don’t,” Prompto sobs. “Please, I’m sorry--”
“I’ll simply tell Noct you didn’t survive,” Ignis says gently, not reacting at all to Prompto’s tears. “It would be better for him.”
“Iggy,” Prompto begs again, “I won’t hurt anyone, please, I love you--”
“I won’t allow you to. I am sorry it had to be this way, truly. Shall I kill you now and spare you the suffering?”
Prompto almost nods yes, wanting this to be over. All his worst fears coming true, finding safety and solace in Ignis only to have it ripped from him.
Prompto wakes up with a noiseless gasp, sitting up almost violently straight in the uncomfortable caravan bed. His heart thuds in his chest, blinking his eyes as he realizes that what happened wasn’t real; it was just a nightmare. Still, he’s never felt so alone in the empty bed. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to push away the nightmare from his mind to no avail.
Tears start to spill from Prompto’s eyes embarrassingly enough. He’d dealt with Ardyn’s poor imitation of Ignis being cruel to him when he got captured in Niflheim, but he’d never yet dreamt of Ignis -- real , beautiful Ignis -- telling him his worst fears.
Prompto looks at his phone on the charger, sniffling as he tries to blink his tears away. The clock on his phone reads 3:23 A.M., Prompto only had been asleep a few hours. Ignis, all the way in Lestallum, is almost definitely asleep by now, but Prompto so desperately wants to hear his voice; to tell Prompto it was just a dream, reassure him that everything is okay.
Prompto scrolls through the phone to hover his finger over the call button next to Iggy’s name, chewing on his bottom lip as he contemplates calling him.
Prompto knows that Ignis will likely be extremely annoyed at Prompto for waking him up -- he’s always been a light sleeper and it’s difficult for Ignis to fall back asleep sometimes. Guilt floods his stomach as he tries to remember that Ignis did give him permission to call him if he needed anything.
With a gentle sob, he calls Ignis.
Ignis answers on the second ring, voice full of sleep. “Prompto?”
“H-hey, Iggy, um, I’m really sorry to wake you, um--” Prompto’s voice wavers, the urge to cry coming back.
Prompto hears shuffling on the other end of the phone -- Ignis sitting up, maybe. “Are you alright? What’s the matter?”
Prompto sniffles, trying to keep it together. “I, um, I had a nightmare, I--I think. I’m real sorry, dude, I’m--”
“Shh,” Ignis soothes, “that’s quite alright. I’m glad you called me. I’m here now. It’s alright.”
Prompto sighs shakily. “I wish you were here. I hate sleeping alone, I hate it.”
“I quite understand that. I wish I was there with you now as well.”
Prompto accidentally lets out a whimper, grateful that Ignis doesn’t seem to hate him like he did in his nightmare. “Do you really, Iggy? Would you tell me if I was bothering you? If… if you didn’t want me around…?”
“What’s all this? Prompto, what’s the matter? What did you dream about?”
Prompto wipes his eyes, curling up onto his side, hugging his knees to his chest. “You found me in… in Niflheim, and you didn’t want me to come back. You said I would be bad for Noct, that I’d hurt him… you wanted to l-leave me there or kill me or…”
“Goodness. How awful,” Ignis murmurs. “It was only a dream. But I’m sorry you dreamt it regardless. You know I would never allow anything to happen to you.”
Prompto’s heart thuds. “I didn’t wanna call and wake you up, but I just wanted to make sure… I dunno. My brain plays tricks on me sometimes, I guess.” He sniffles.
“I care for you very much, do you know that? I think about you all the time. I would never do anything like that, Prompto. I promise. You know that. It will be alright.”
“I care about you too,” Prompto whispers, breathing starting to calm. “I always get so worried, y’know? That I’ll hurt you or I’d hurt Noct and that I shouldn’t be around you guys.”
“That isn’t even remotely true. I trust you with my life. With Noct’s life. We all do. You’ve no idea how important you are to all of us, especially to me. Don’t allow a nightmare to cause you to forget,” Ignis says softly. “I do hope you won’t have any more while you’re away. I apologize I can only comfort you through the phone at the moment.”
Prompto supposes he knew all of that, deep down, especially since he’s a part of Noct’s crownsguard; but to hear Ignis say those words, that he trusts him and cares about him is like a breath of fresh air. “I trust you too, Iggy.”
“Do you remember when we rescued you from that bloody awful place?” Ignis asks. “After Noct freed you, and we spent the night in the dormitory?”
Prompto sniffles. “Yeah. You helped me with my broken rib, and when I woke up in the middle of the night, you were there for me. Of course I remember.”
“Do you remember what I told you? When you asked if it was really me?”
Prompto’s heart pounds as he remembers that night vividly. “Yeah. You told me about your happiest memories with me.” He smiles.
“That anytime I was scared of that, I could ask you, and… and you’d tell me some more.” Prompto swallows. “I, um. I’d really like that.”
There’s a gentle smile in Ignis’s voice. “I remember distinctly a very freckled, blonde young man walking up to my desk at the citadel, very clearly hiding something in his backpack, looking for Noctis.” He laughs. “Next thing I know, King Regis informed me that a baby chocochick had wandered its way into the throne room.”
Prompto feels his cheeks warm at the embarrassing memory. “Someone in history class… shit, I forget his name... brought in a chocobo? Dude’s parents work on a farm outside the city, or somethin’ like that? He had to leave class with a nosebleed and asked me to look after it.” Prompto laughs as he remembers. “I was tryin’ to show Noct… didn’t want the li’l guy to get scared in my bag. Oh, man. I thought they were gonna execute me.”
Ignis laughs. “I remember. I nobly protected you, of course. We spent the afternoon in my office, waiting for Noct, with a chocobo in our midst.”
Prompto grins. “Yeah! I totally thought you were sooo mad at me. Can’t believe you had an office at the citadel at, like, age nineteen.”
“I wasn’t mad. More amused at the distraction, than anything else. You were awfully quiet that day, I do remember. Was it because of that?” Ignis teases.
Prompto bites his lip. “Yeah… maybe just a little.” Prompto inhales sharply. “I miss you so much, dude.”
“I miss you dearly,” Ignis says softly. “I’m happy to hear your voice despite the circumstances.”
“Me, too,” Prompto says with a sigh. “Maybe you should come with me from now on, huh?” He laughs bitterly.
“That might be for the best.” There’s a soft smile in Ignis’s voice. “Would you like to stay on call with me for the rest of the night?”
Prompto’s heart thuds in his chest. “That wouldn’t bother you?”
“Not at all. In fact, it sounds quite nice, does it not? Perhaps that will keep the nightmares at bay,” Ignis suggests. “Do you think you could sleep right now?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Prompto allows. “It does sound nice.” Prompto puts the phone on speaker, setting it on the bed next to his pillow as he tugs the blankets up to his chin. “Can you even get back to sleep like this?”
There’s a soft chuckle coming from the phone. “Yes, I will be fine. And yourself?”
Prompto laughs a little. “Yeah. Thanks for this, Iggy. Thanks for everything. You really know how to cheer a guy up.”
“It’s truly my pleasure, though I could certainly say the same to you,” Ignis murmurs. “Let me know if you need anything. Pleasant dreams.”
Prompto sighs, letting his eyes slide closed. His heart feels so full. “You too.”
Sleep finds Prompto much easier when he gets to hear the occasional soft sigh from Ignis on his phone.
Prompto awakens to the sound of his alarm chirping with a groan. The interruption of sleep because of his nightmare did him no favors, but he's grateful the rest of his slumber was dreamless, at least.
Prompto remembers the reason for that, and grabs his phone off the charger. "Iggy?" he calls out, feeling somewhat like an idiot.
Prompto looks at his phone and finds the call ended around 7 A.M., just around two hours ago. He finds an unread text from Ignis.
Iggy (7:02 A.M.): Your breathing seemed restful. I didn't wish to wake you, so I ended the call. I hope you don't mind. I hope your dreams were peaceful. Let me know when you wake.
Prompto can't help but smile, a longing sigh leaving his lips. Prompto loves the gentle care Ignis takes with everything and everyone whenever he deems it necessary.
Prompto (9:06 A.M.): that's okay iggy! no dreams all thanks to you. I love you man. have a good day!!
Prompto wonders how long he can get away with telling Ignis that he loves him before Ignis starts to ask questions. He hopes he can get away with it forever; he loves telling Ignis that he loves him.
Prompto rushes through getting dressed, stuffing his face with a few granola bars and washing it down with an Ebony he took from Ignis before he left. As Prompto heads out of the caravan, he checks his phone.
Iggy (9:14 A.M.): I’m rather glad to hear that. I love you as well. Enjoy your day, and keep me updated as often as possible.
Prompto can’t help but feel his heart race at the words on the screen -- if only Ignis meant those words romantically. He sighs, taking what he can get. He makes a mental note to reply to Ignis later as he heads out toward the garage to find Cindy.
Prompto finds Cindy immediately, already covered in fresh car grease from what Prompto can see -- half of her body is shoved underneath the car again.
"Up and at 'em early, huh?" Prompto announces himself.
She rolls herself out from underneath the car, wiping off a bit of sweat from her forehead. "Hey, Prom! 'Fraid so. This endless night's got a girl's schedule right side up." She laughs. "Ready to get some work done, Freckles?"
Prompto smiles. "I know what you mean. You got it."
After about a half an hour of Prompto tightening bolts for Cindy, she sighs. "I got a surprise for ya, by the way. Should be here any minute now."
Prompto raises an eyebrow. "For me? Haven't you done enough, Missy?"
She giggles. "Well, a pair'a red giants cropped up 'bout a mile from here, accordin' to Dave this mornin'. I could use the help, but since your sweetheart was all worried 'bout ya, I figured I'd make some calls so you wouldn’t have to tackle ‘em alone, 'n… well, one of 'em went through."
Prompto flushes at Cindy calling Ignis his sweetheart , trying to figure out what the hell Cindy is talking about when a deep voice fills his ears at the front of the garage.
"Never thought I'd see you covered in grease, blondie," Gladio says from the entrance.
Prompto immediately stands up, a tiny gasp leaving his lips when he sees one of his best friends for the first time in a month. "Gladio?!"
Gladio smiles. “Hey, kid. C’mere.”
Prompto all but runs to the entrance to the garage, running right into Gladio’s outstretched arms. He ruffles Prompto’s hair as he holds onto him tightly.
“Holy shit, big guy! It’s been forever! What the hell are you doin’ here?” Prompto asks happily.
“Heard you could use some help with daemons. Haven’t seen you in a while, figured I’d stop by,” Gladio explains. “We brought the Marshal and some Glaives to help, too.”
Prompto pulls back to get a good look at Gladio. He’s sporting some new scars among his old ones, his hair just a little bit longer over the past few months. He looks a little less unhappy, at least for now; Prompto can certainly relate, so happy to see him after all this time.
“Oh, the Marshal’s here?” Prompto asks. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You too. What the hell’s on your face, kid?” Gladio teases, reaching out to touch Prompto’s chin.
Prompto’s been neglecting shaving lately, and he’s been a little curious to see just how much hair he can grow on his chin. Apparently, it’s noticeable enough. He laughs. “Hey, don’t judge! I’m tryin’ somethin’ out!”
Gladio laughs. “Look like a chocobo tail on your chin, dude.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my chocobo tail,” Prompto teases. “I missed you, man.”
“Yeah, sorry ‘bout the radio silence. Just been real busy. How’s Specs doin’?” Gladio asks, putting his hand on his hip. “I know I haven’t made the trip to see you guys in a few weeks.”
Prompto hopes his cheeks don’t look as warm as they feel. “He’s doin’ good. He had to get some work done so he’s still in Lestallum.” Prompto chews on his lip. “I hate leavin’ him alone, but he said he’s doing good.”
Gladio smirks, nodding at Prompto’s words. “Glad you two are still stickin’ together. You dunno how lucky you guys are.”
Prompto blinks, trying not to overthink Gladio’s words. If only Gladio knew how unlucky Prompto is to be in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same for him. “Yeah. Real lucky, I guess.” He laughs nervously.
Cor walks up to the both of them after a moment, so Gladio doesn’t respond. Cor looks about the same as usual; tired, intimidating, and way cooler than Prompto will ever hope to be. Cor reaches out to press a gentle hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “Prompto. It’s really good to see you made it out okay. And Ignis? Is he around?”
Prompto nods. “Yeah! Well, not here, but he and I are staying up in Lestallum for now, trying to help in any way that we can. I’m really glad you’re okay too, sir. I hope that training the new Glaives hasn’t been too hard.”
Cor moves his hand from Prompto’s shoulder. “Glad he’s doing alright. It’s not been too bad. Gladio’s been a big help.”
Prompto laughs. “Yeah, buddy, your sister’s dying to come train with you. She’s a pretty good shot from what I’ve seen training her.”
Gladio sighs. “Yep. Gonna come and pick her up from Lestallum once we’re done with all this.”
Prompto’s eyes widen. “Does that mean you’re gonna come with me to Lestallum?!”
“Yep.” Gladio smiles.
“Oh. Em. Gee. Iggy’s gonna flip! I gotta text him!” Prompto gushes, pulling out his phone.
Prompto (11:46 A.M.): omg gladios here!!!! We’re goin hunting together i’ll tell you about it later! Have a good rest of your day iggy
Cor clears his throat. “I hate to break this up, but apparently there’s some necromancers that just cropped up near the red giants. We need to handle it quickly. There will be time for this later.”
Gladio nods. “Yeah, you got it. You ready for this, blondie? You got all your guns?”
Prompto taps his gun holsters with a smile. “Yeah and yeah! Let’s do this.”
Since Cindy got word from Dave, two more red giants and three necromancers have appeared alongside the original two red giants. Prompto’s grateful that Cor, Gladio, some of the glaives, and hunters are here to help dispatch them. There’s no way any of them could take them on their own. Gladio and Cor could have a run for their money, but Prompto would never risk sending them out with three necromancers.
Prompto ends up being shielded by Gladio as soon as they head out there, as the necromancer starts aiming their death spell right for Prompto. Prompto’s quick to action, firing shot after shot as Gladio swipes at it with his broadsword. Cor focuses on distracting the red giants with the Glaives, and Prompto fires a bullet right into its weak spot, helping them take down the red giant.
Prompto’s sweating and out of breath by the time the first necromancer is taken out, and they still have two left, not counting the other three red giants as well. He’s really gotten his work cut out for him.
“Prompto! Be careful!” Gladio yells just as one of the red giants fires a beam of fire magic at him.
Prompto rolls out of the way, taking out one of his assault rifles to fire a barrage of bullets into the red giant’s chest. Gladio reaches down and yanks Prompto out of the way to dodge another necromancer attack.
“They’re flanking us,” Prompto realizes. “Let’s get to the Marshal.”
Gladio grips Prompto’s arm and nods, running over across the battlefield, blocking several attacks with his shield before reuniting with Cor.
“Good job on the necromancer. Quick thinking to distract it,” Cor compliments. “Glaives, focus on the necromancers. The red giants are predictable and easy to dodge. Necromancers not so much.”
“We’ll distract the giants, then,” Dave says.
“Prompto, keep a distance, fire shots at their weak points,” Cor commands.
“You got it!” Prompto yelps as he runs toward the outskirts of the battle, firing shot after shot against the necromancers that are advancing on the glaives.
Prompto keeps Cor, Gladio, and everyone else covered as much as he can. The only thing Prompto can think about is how much Ignis would be of use in this battle -- his elemental spells and daggers always did so much damage against necromancers.
One by one and yet somehow all at once, they manage to weaken all the daemons in the area. Cor’s sword strikes and Gladio’s huge broadsword blows are critical, finishing them off with a few of Prompto’s gunshots.
By the time all the daemons fall, Prompto’s utterly exhausted. The battle had to have taken at least a few hours, none of them wanting to rush things and risk unnecessary lives. Prompto collapses onto the ground, letting out a groan.
“My whole body is dead, dude,” Prompto says to no one in particular.
Gladio snorts. “C’mon, get up before more show up. Iggy’s keepin’ you weak, I see.”
Prompto frowns as he uses Gladio’s arm to stand up. “No way, man! Those were a lot of daemons.”
Cor manages a tiny laugh, and it’s one of the only times Prompto’s ever heard him not be completely serious all the time. “It’s good to challenge yourself, keep yourself strong,” Cor insists, “but Prompto has a point. We had our work cut out for us.”
Once they arrive back to the safety of Hammerhead, it’s already close to dinnertime. Prompto helps cook for their group, remembering how to cook huge portions after his time with Ignis. Just as Prompto finishes, Cindy walks up to both him and Gladio.
“Howdy, Prom. Gladio,” Cindy greets.
“Hey,” Gladio says. “Good to see you.”
“Heyaz. What’s up?” Prompto asks, offering her some food.
Cindy gratefully takes a plate. “So, I finally finished the car while y’all were takin’ care of those nasty daemons. Thanks for that, by the way! It’s not usual for so many of those t’get so darn close.”
“No sweat,” Gladio insists. “Can’t believe you’re lettin’ blondie drive.”
“Hey!” Prompto says with a pout. “I’m a great driver, dude. When should we head back to Lestallum?”
“Eh, we should probably wait ‘til tomorrow,” Gladio says. “We should get some rest tonight.”
“Yeah, Paw Paw will probably wanna wait ‘til mornin’ anyway,” Cindy says.
Prompto nods. “Seriously, Cindy, thanks. It’ll be nice to have some transportation in case you guys or Iggy need anything.”
“Ain’t a problem at all! Now I know I can see y’all more often now that ya have a car. Better bring Ignis here soon. It’s been too long,” Cindy insists.
Prompto smiles. “Yeah, Iggy would like that.” He sighs fondly.
“I dunno ‘bout y’all, but I need to head on in and take a shower ‘n such. I’ll see both of y’all in the mornin’? I got some stuff I wanna give ya on your trip ‘fore ya leave.”
Prompto raises his eyebrow, wondering what else she could possibly have to give. “Oh, okay. You don’t gotta do anything else for us! You’ve already done enough. But have a good one, Cindy.”
“Later, Cindy,” Gladio says. “Thanks for havin’ us.”
Cindy smiles and makes her way out, waving at both of them before disappearing. Prompto loses himself in thought as he watches her leave, thinking about everything in between.
Prompto jumps when he feels Gladio’s elbow sharply jab his side. “Ow! What the hell, Gladio?”
Gladio laughs way too hard at Prompto’s reaction. “Wanna eat in the caravan? I gotta talk to you ‘bout somethin’.”
“Okay, sure.” Prompto tries to ignore the swell of anxiety in his stomach about this -- usually when Gladio wants to say something, he just goes out and says it, no privacy needed. Prompto wonders, as usual, if he’s done something wrong.
Prompto follows Gladio into the caravan, pulling out his phone as soon as he sits in order to have something to look at. He sees a text response from Ignis from a few hours earlier. Prompto must have been hunting while he sent it, as he hasn’t seen it until now.
Iggy (1:02 P.M.): I’m glad to hear it. Do be safe, won’t you? Keep me updated. Have a lovely day as well.
Prompto stares at the text, affection ruling out over anxiety. Prompto’s pretty certain Ignis could text him the link to a recipe or something stupid like that and he’d still get heart palpatations.
“That Iggy?” Gladio asks.
Prompto looks up and sees that Gladio’s staring at him with his mouth full of food, his eyes on the phone that Prompto clutches tightly in his hands.
Prompto nods. “Uh huh. Why? What’s up?”
Gladio laughs. “You should see the way your face looks whenever Specs comes up.”
Shit. Heat floods Prompto’s face as his heart starts pounding. “Uh, what?” Prompto starts to laugh nervously. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Gladio rolls his eyes. “You’re cute when you think you can play dumb, I’ll give you that. I know you’re into him.”
Prompto feels his heart practically stop entirely. He puts his phone down, suddenly disinterested in eating, as nausea has managed to make its way into his stomach. It’s one thing for Noct to know about his crush on Iggy, but Gladio’s a whole different story. Prompto irrationally prepares for some sort of speech that he’s not good enough for Ignis, and finds the urge to run away before Gladio can tell him what he already knows.
“Hey, kid, would you relax? You’re sweating bullets. It’s okay. I’ve known for a while now,” Gladio says.
Prompto chews on his bottom lip before responding. “What? Did… Noct… tell you…?”
Gladio’s lips thin out briefly at the mention of Noct, but otherwise lets the name roll off of him. “Nope. I can just see the way you look at him like he’s the only guy in the room. You hid it well for a while, I’ll give ya that, especially with your blabbing about Cindy. Iggy might be too insecure to notice, but I’m not. You made a move yet?”
Prompto wishes he could claw the flush off of his face at this point. “Make a what now?” He starts laughing, almost hysterically. “Yeah, um, I don’t think so.”
Prompto looks at him incredulously. “ Obviously if he felt the same, we’d be together by now.”
“Do you even want that?”
Prompto curls his arms around his knees, tucking his head on top of his legs. “Want what?”
“To be with Iggy, duh. Or are you just lonely? ‘Cause the last thing Iggy needs right now is something temporary. Iggy ain’t a temporary kinda guy. If you want this, then you really need to think about it. I love you, Prompto, but if you hurt Iggy only ‘cause you’re lonely--”
“I’m not lonely , I spend almost every minute of the day with Iggy,” Prompto whispers, hoping he doesn’t get any more emotional than this. “I’d never hurt him.” Prompto turns his head, staring at the wall, completely disinterested in eating.
Prompto hears shuffling, and then weight presses next to him onto the bed. Gladio’s sitting next to him, reaching out to wrap an arm around him.
“Hey. Eat your food. You’re too skinny as it is,” Gladio teases. “I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone, blondie.”
Prompto sighs, trying to breathe out the anxious nausea in the pit of his stomach and reaches for his plate, leaning his head against Gladio’s shoulder as he takes a tiny bite.
“It’s not like,” Prompto begins, finishing chewing before he continues, “anything can happen. Iggy doesn’t like me like that. I mean, we all know he’s into Noct, and only Noct.”
Gladio nearly chokes on the bite he’s taken. “Wait, what?”
“Huh?” Prompto squeaks. “I said he’s into Noct. Duh.”
Gladio snorts, clearly trying to hold in further laughter. “Is that… seriously what you’ve thought this whole time?”
Prompto’s suddenly preoccupied with eating instead of looking at Gladio, trying to ignore that his flush is spreading past his face. “Um. Well, yeah?”
Gladio doesn’t try to hold his laughter this time. He claps Prompto on the back, hard. “Look, it ain’t my place to get involved with what goes on between you guys, but Iggy ain’t into Noct like that.”
Prompto swallows his current bite. “How would you even know?”
“‘Cause I asked him.” Gladio smiles, elbowing Prompto playfully. “I’m sure you know how I feel about Noct.”
Prompto doesn’t know what to say. On one hand, Noct told Prompto everything about it, but on the other hand, he doesn’t want Gladio to think he’s disloyal to Noct by spilling the beans about it. Eventually, he gives in. “Uh. Yeah.” He laughs nervously. “When did you ask him?”
“After high school,” Gladio says simply. “This trip… Noct marrying Luna, all that, it didn’t seem to matter much anymore, and Iggy agreed. But Iggy never had any intentions with Noct. Never was gonna, either. He wouldn’t lie to me. He knows I’d wring his neck if he lied to me.”
Prompto’s eyes widen. “What if he was just self-sacrificing? ‘Cause Iggy’s like that, y’know. What would have happened if he told you he did want Noct like that?”
Gladio sighs. “Specs is my best friend. I know when he’s being noble. I dunno. We would’ve worked it out, either way. Obviously, Noct has to have a say there.”
“How… how do you work something like that out?” Prompto asks incredulously. “How can one of you just agree to be unhappy?”
Gladio smiles. “We wouldn’t. We’d both be happy. We both dedicated our life to Noct, so if Iggy felt the same as me, we’d both love him. Simple as that. But Iggy doesn’t like him like that.”
Prompto thinks about it at all. He’s never dated multiple people before, but if anyone has that much love in his heart, it’s Noct. Still, if Gladio’s serious -- if Iggy doesn’t like Noct like that -- it’s not even something Prompto has to worry about.
Prompto swallows nervously. “Are you gonna… talk to Noct? Whenever he comes back?”
Gladio nods. “I should’ve done it earlier.” He sighs. “The one time in my life I was careful about something, this is what happens.”
It’s the first time Gladio’s ever said his feelings out loud about Noct, and Prompto feels like he’s witnessing something so rare. “That just means you really love him. He’ll be back, y’know?”
Gladio ruffles his hair. “Yeah. He’ll be back. But you shouldn’t make the same mistake as me. You got yours right here, waiting for you to come back. Don’t throw it away, dude.”
Prompto’s heart thuds. “I, uh. I dunno, man. I dunno if I can.” Prompto stares at his lap nervously.
“Hey. I get it. But you love him, right?”
It would be really uncool of Prompto to start crying at the question, so he refrains, but only barely. “Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”
“Then don’t waste it. Be honest with him. Stick with him. This shit’s all messed up and we only got one shot most of the time. Don’t waste anymore time. It’s been months, I honestly thought you would’ve spilled it by now.” Gladio laughs.
“I don’t want him to kick me out or anything like that if he doesn’t like me--”
Gladio levels him a reproachful look. “You’re kidding me, right, blondie? Quit playin’ dumb. He wouldn’t do that.”
Prompto laughs nervously. “I-- I know. It’s scary, though, man. I love him too much, I think.”
Gladio grins. “No such thing. Look, do what you want. But I’ll be in Lestallum a few days to catch up and see you guys and all that. If things go bad, I’ll be here for you. But they won’t. Okay?”
Prompto nods softly. “Why do you care so much?”
Gladio’s face falls. “‘Cause I love you and you’re bein’ an idiot -- both of you are -- and I want you guys to be as happy as you can be right now.”
Prompto leans in, throwing his arms around him for a hug. “I love you, too. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just… never gonna get used to having such good friends.”
Gladio wraps his arms around him tightly, practically crushing him to his chest. “You’re adorable, kid, y’know that?”
Prompto laughs, flushing a little. “Shuddup.” He sighs. “I think… I think I’m gonna tell him when I get back.”
Gladio squeezes Prompto’s arm affectionately. “Good.”
Prompto grabs his phone again, responding to Ignis finally.
Prompto (7:56 P.M.): we were super careful!! So much daemon hunting tho, dude, i’m dead. Do you wanna call for a bit? Gladio’s still here fyi
Prompto waits, expecting the response to take a while, but his phone vibrates immediately.
Iggy (7:57 P.M.): I would love to talk to you both.
Prompto smiles as he looks at Gladio. “D’you wanna talk to Iggy for a bit? I was gonna call him.”
Gladio grins. “Hell yeah.”
Prompto calls Ignis, heart thudding with affection. It’s only been a day since he’s heard Ignis’s voice, and yet here he is, acting like a fool again.
“Hello, Prompto,” Ignis says, answering on one of the first rings.
Prompto’s mouth spreads into a grin. “Hey, Igster. How was your day?”
“Uneventful, productive. And yours?”
“I’m so tired,” Prompto whines. “I’m gonna lay here forever. I hate daemons.”
Gladio proceeds to throw a pillow at him. “Baby,” Gladio mutters from across the caravan.
“Shuddup!” Prompto says, and throws the pillow back.
Ignis chuckles. “Tell Gladio I said hello. I’m rather glad you’re relaxing now.”
“D’you want me to put it on speaker?” Prompto asks.
Gladio nods in the background as Ignis responds. “That would be grand.”
Prompto presses the speaker phone button, and Gladio laughs. “Hey, Specs. How’s it goin’?”
“Gladio. It’s nice to hear from you,” Ignis says. “I’m quite alright. I must admit I’m rather jealous you’re spending time together while I’m here.”
“We miss you, Iggy,” Prompto says. “On the bright side, the car’s done, so we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Prompto can hear the smile in Ignis’s voice, and it warms his heart. “You’re both coming here tomorrow?”
“Yep,” Gladio says. “That cool with you, Iggy?”
“You know it is. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen you. What’s bringing you to Lestallum?” Ignis asks. “Are you no longer with the Marshal?”
“Cor’s here,” Prompto interjects. “He said hi.”
Ignis laughs. “Well, hello.”
“I’m with him, but I figured I’d come and get Iris now that things have chilled out. How have you been, Specs?”
Ignis sighs. “Fairly well. Nothing too exciting. And yourself?”
“Good. Been training a lot, not much else.”
Prompto laughs. “You should see the new scars on this guy. It’s ridiculous. He’s been goin’ beast mode, dude.”
“Do be careful, Gladio,” Ignis teases.
“Hey, don’t talk about me. Do you know what’s happening to your boyfriend’s face? That thing he’s growin’ on his chin should be illegal,” Gladio says, winking at Prompto.
Prompto’s eyes widen, his cheeks heating up with flush. “Hey, I’m not growing it, I just haven’t shaved. I’ve been busy,” he whines.
“The last time I checked, it was mere peach fuzz,” Ignis says teasingly. “I hope you don’t look too dreadful.”
Gladio snorts. “Haven’t shaved, huh? That’s not what you told me earlier. You said you were proud of the chocobo’s ass on your face.”
Ignis barks out a laugh. “Oh, dear.”
“You guys are mean. Ganging up on me.” Prompto pouts.
“Now, now. I’m certain you look very handsome, Prompto,” Ignis says gently.
Prompto knows he’s just being sweet, but he starts to flush anyway. “Well, I don’t wanna brag…” He snorts.
Gladio laughs. “You’re way too biased, Iggy.” He stands up, shoving Prompto playfully. “I’ll leave you two alone, I’m gonna hit up the shower.”
“I’ve no idea what you’re on about,” Ignis says. “I’ll talk to you later then, Gladio?”
Gladio hovers near the bathroom door. “Yeah. See ya tomorrow,” he calls out.
Prompto takes the phone off of speaker once Ignis bids Gladio a goodbye, and presses the phone up to his ear. “You doin’ okay, Igster?”
“Yes. I miss you,” Ignis admits. “Hearing you both is a bit lonely.”
“I’m sorry, man. I miss you, too. D’you want me to hang up?” Prompto asks sadly.
“No, not at all,” he promises. “You sound nervous. Are you alright?”
“Do I?” Prompto squeaks. “I don’t mean to, uh. I’ve been thinking, and… um…”
“Out with it, now. I’m bound to overthink here.” Ignis sounds tense.
“Oh, no, it’s nothin’ bad, I’m just… I’m kind of a disaster?” Prompto laughs nervously.
Prompto sees Gladio silently encouraging him in the background, his head peeking out from the bathroom door.
“I don’t think you’re anything of the sort. What’s this about?” Ignis asks, his tone still a bit stressed but not as much as before.
“No, I mean, like, when I get back, I think I gotta tell you somethin’, that’s all. I should’ve done it before, but… guess I needed some encouragement,” Prompto says softly.
Gladio gives Prompto the thumbs up sign before he shuts the bathroom door, and butterflies rush through his stomach. He’s barely said anything and he’s already worried about how Ignis will react.
“Are you certain you’re not moving out on me, Prompto?” Ignis teases, but underneath the playfulness there’s a hint of that same tension still.
“No, I told you, it’s nothin’ bad. I mean, I hope it’s not bad.” Prompto laughs. “Anyway, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Kinda sucks I can’t call you all night like last night.”
“I’ll take your word for it, then.” Ignis chuckles. “I wish we could as well, but at least you have Gladio to keep you company, hmm?”
“Yeah, but what about you?”
“I’m certain I’ll manage. Should I need anything, I will call you,” Ignis teases.
“You promise?” Prompto asks with a smile.
“You have my word.” Ignis sighs. “I should allow you to prepare for bed.”
Prompto sighs. “Five more minutes, Iggy?”
A soft, beautiful laugh comes from the phone. “Alright. Five more minutes.”
Prompto grins, happy that he’ll get to talk to Ignis that much longer. His heart thuds with affection at the thought of seeing Ignis tomorrow. It’s only been a few days, but to Prompto, they have felt like weeks.
"What time will you lot be arriving tomorrow?" Ignis asks.
Prompto hums. "Uhhh, morning I think. Probably get there like 10 or 11. You gonna work?"
"No, I'll take the day off for you."
Prompto smiles. "Really? Sweet."
Ignis laughs. "Well, I do have a present to share with you, as I mentioned. We may share it with Gladio now as well."
"Yeah. It'll be nice, huh?"
"Do drive safely, won't you? Both of you "
"We will. I'll see you tomorrow, Igster. Love you." Prompto's heart races when he realizes he's going to be actually saying those words with intent tomorrow.
"And I you. Pleasant dreams, Prompto."
Prompto hadn't noticed Gladio emerging from the bathroom in only a towel until he manages to throw yet another pillow at Prompto's head.
"You guys are so cheesy," Gladio drawls as he slumps into the opposite caravan bed.
Prompto tries to ignore his flush. "Shuddup."
It’s not long before Prompto’s showered and settled in bed, the sound of Gladio’s snores lulling him to a soft sleep.
wingman gladio wasn't intended but i'm kind of proud ngl
there's some mild alcohol consumption in this chapter, in case anyone needs a warning about that -- the lads have some wine, that's all.
Prompto definitely did not miss the sound of Gladio's shrill alarm chirp first thing in the morning. After all these months, he’d grown used to not hearing it, as opposed to every day on their road trip and hearing it go off around seven in the morning. Noct would always ignore the alarms, but Prompto hated it.
"C'mon, blondie, up and at 'em," Gladio says way too close to Prompto's ear.
Prompto whines, burying his face in the pillow. "My legs hurt."
Gladio laughs and flicks his ear. "I'll drive the first half only if you get your ass outta bed right now."
Well, that certainly gets Prompto shooting out of bed like a firework.
Prompto's rewarded with a text from Ignis upon checking his phone.
Iggy (7:03 A.M.): Thank you for calling me last night. I'm very much looking forward to seeing you. Let me know when you're heading out.
Prompto grins like he's still in high school and just got a folded note from a crush. Prompto pockets his phone, making a reminder to reply once they've started their journey.
Prompto and Gladio head out to the Hammerhead garage, only to find Cindy and Cid in a somewhat heated discussion.
"Paw Paw, ya can't just back out now. It'll only be for a lil while!" Cindy whines.
Cid stands opposite Cindy with his arms crossed. "I don't need to leave for nothin'."
Gladio and Prompto exchange a look before Gladio intervenes. "C'mon, Cid. Make your granddaughter less stressed, huh? Then I promise I'll drive you right back."
Cid makes a reluctant hmph.
"Hey, if you get to Lestallum, Iggy will cook for you. He's the best cook there. What's your fav food?" Prompto adds, trying another angle.
After another hmph, Cindy rolls her eyes. “He likes seafood,” she supplies.
Prompto gasps. “That’s Iggy’s favorite. He’ll make you anything you want.”
Cid sighs. “Alright, fine. But I ain’t stayin’ for very long.”
Cindy breathes out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Paw Paw!” She leans in to kiss Cid’s cheek. “I promise I’ll make sure things are better as quick as I can.”
Gladio looks at Cindy. “You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah. I’ve got Dave stayin’ with me, and Cor’s offered to stay as well. Mighty nice of y’all,” she promises. “Oh, Prompto, before ya head out, I still got some stuff to give ya like I told ya last night. Follow me, won’t ya?”
Prompto nods. “O-oh. Okay, Cindy. Why me?”
“Well, sometimes hunters ‘n such need repairs they can’t afford, so they offer to trade stuff they don’t need,” Cindy explains, taking Prompto to the corner of the garage where a bunch of boxes lie. “They trade all sorts’a things. Books, medicine, hell, there’s even this guitar here.” She giggles. “Thing is, some of the stuff I won’t ever need. Figured you could have a look see and take whatever ya need. Reason I’m tellin’ you is that I do believe right here...” Cindy starts, bending down to shuffle through one of the boxes, “...a ha! Here it is.” She hands a book to Prompto. “I ain’t sure if Ignis has learned Braille yet, but we ain’t got a use for it here so far, and I figured if he’d ever wanna learn, this might help. Thought maybe anything else might come in handy, too.”
Prompto gasps as he takes the book from Cindy. Surely enough, all the pages have Braille on them as he flips through them. Prompto grins. “Oh em gee! We were thinking about learning it together, this would be great, man! I’ve been looking for any kind of Braille books or anything like that. Thanks for this, Cindy.”
Cindy smiles. “I’m glad someone can find a use for it! Here, take the whole box if you’d like. Don’t think there’s anymore like that, but I’m sure you like to read, too. I’ve already read all of ‘em.”
Prompto smiles, taking the box. “You’re such a sweetheart, Cindy. Thanks!”
“You ain’t interested in learnin’ guitar, are ya?” She asks. “Been tryin’ to get that outta here for months now.”
Prompto thinks about it. He hasn’t played guitar since high school, but with the nights never ending and not having any idea when Noct would return, he figures it’s as good of a time to relearn as any.
Prompto shrugs. “You know what? Why not?”
That’s essentially how Prompto ends up putting a box of books and an acoustic guitar in the back of the car Cindy managed to get running for them again.
Gladio laughs. “Why the hell do you have a guitar?”
“Cindy gave it to me,” Prompto says. “I used to play a lot. Or tried to.”
“Gonna serenade Specs, huh?” Gladio teases with a playful elbow.
“Aw, dude, gimme a break,” Prompto groans, flushing at the words anyway.
“You ready to get goin’?” Gladio asks.
Prompto sighs. “Yep. Hey, Cid, do you want front seat or back?”
“I’m takin’ the back. I’m gonna sleep the whole way there,” Cid says stubbornly, already sitting in the backseat.
Prompto laughs. “You got it.”
Cindy walks up to the both of them as soon as Prompto shuts the trunk. “Y’all drive safe now, ya hear? I’ll see y’all in a while.” Cindy pulls Prompto in for a hug.
“Thanks for havin’ us, Cindy. I’ll see you soon!” Prompto says.
Gladio and Cindy say their goodbyes, followed by Cindy hugging her grandfather. Gladio looks a little funny sliding behind the wheel of the car as big as he is, but he fits better than Prompto thought he would. Prompto takes a sip of his last Ebony he took from Ignis, putting it the drink holder before realizing Gladio’s eyes are on him.
“What?” Prompto asks self-consciously.
“You’re even drinkin’ Ebony now?” Gladio teases. “Iggy’s changed you.”
Prompto rolls his eyes. “Look, it’s got caffeine. I need that stuff, man. I’m dying.”
Gladio snorts. “Uh huh. Sure.”
Prompto laughs, deciding to ignore Gladio’s teases. As soon as Gladio starts driving, Prompto pulls out his phone, remembering that he needs to respond to Ignis’s text.
Prompto (8:30 A.M.): we’re on our way igster! i can’t wait to see you❤
Prompto realizes that Iggy's phone assistant will likely describe the heart emoji terribly, but he still can't resist sending it.
Iggy (8:35 A.M.): Glad to hear it. I shall see you soon, then.
Iggy (8:36 A.M.): Love heart?
Prompto bursts out laughing. Of course, of all the ways the phone assistant would describe the emoji, it had to use love.
Prompto (8:37 A.M.): haha it's the red heart I can't breathe 😂
Iggy (8:38 A.M.): I'm happy to entertain, at least.
Prompto (8:39 A.M.): ...how did it describe that one?
Iggy (8:40 A.M.): Laughing with tears. You always did use that one quite liberally.
Prompto (8:42 A.M.): this is honestly the best
Gladio looks away from the road for a brief moment to raise his eyebrow at Prompto. “You two exchanging love letters or what?”
Prompto starts laughing. “Did you know that Iggy’s phone assistant will read whatever emoji you send him? Like… any of them?”
Gladio grins. “No shit, seriously? I’m gonna have some fun with that later.”
Prompto shoves his shoulder playfully. “He’s gonna kill me if you end up sending him 50 emojis that he has to listen to for an hour.”
Gladio lets out a loud laugh. “Nah. I’ll protect you. Now get my phone outta my pocket and send, like, 10 of those eggplant emojis.”
Prompto snickers, reaching for Gladio’s phone. “I’m on it, dude.”
The ride to Lestallum feels like it takes forever, probably due to the fact that Prompto, at this point, absolutely can’t wait to see Ignis. Distance, Prompto finds out, isn’t his favorite thing in the world.
By the time Prompto takes over driving, he gently pushes past normal speed, much to Gladio’s amusement. At least Gladio doesn’t nitpick his driving the way Ignis does, though he finds that he misses it more than anything.
When did Prompto become such a sap?
Excitement floods through him when he finally parks outside of Lestallum. As Gladio wakes Cid up (he’d slept the entire time), Prompto pulls out his phone to let Ignis know.
Prompto (12:02 P.M.): hey we just got here!! Gonna drop cid off then we’ll be there
Iggy (12:04 P.M.): I’m thoroughly surprised there wasn’t a string of emojis attached.
Prompto grins. He’ll have to shower Ignis in hugs to make up for screwing around with his phone assistant.
Iris meets them just outside the Leville, smiling when she sees Gladio. Talcott is suddenly very preoccupied with asking Cid about cars, to which Cid reluctantly seems interested in.
Gladio wraps his arms around his little sister and pulls her into a hug. “So, I’m back,” he declares.
Iris snorts. “Gonna leave me again, then?”
Gladio laughs. “Nope. Taking you with me if you still wanna go. Prompto said he helped you with aim. How’d it go?”
“It was awesome! But he wouldn’t let me around real daemons,” Iris complains.
Prompto shrugs. “Hey! Not my fault. I don’t wanna get strangled by Gladio if anything were to happen.”
Gladio reaches out to ruffle Prompto’s hair. “Good thinking. I’ll take you around daemons, Iris, when you’re ready.”
Iris sighs. “Fine. Are you guys heading over to Ignis’s?”
“Yep. I’ll come get you when I’m heading back out to the Marshal. Let me know if you need anything,” Gladio says.
Iris smiles. “Okay. I can’t wait!” she says excitedly, practically bouncing up and down.
Prompto hugs Iris and nods farewell to Cid, who is heading into one of the empty hotel rooms at the Leville.
Gladio claps Prompto on the back. “You ready?”
Prompto nods so vehemently his neck almost cracks. He can’t wait to see Ignis; his heart hammers just at the thought of it. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
Prompto’s heart has practically burst out of his chest and raced down the streets of Lestallum by the time Prompto’s key turns in the lock, opening the door.
The smell of fresh curry invades Prompto’s nose, and he practically moans. Curry’s his favorite dish, and Ignis usually makes it whenever Prompto’s having a bad day, so this is an unexpected treat.
“Oh, man. Smells good in here,” Gladio comments, as if reading Prompto’s mind.
Before Prompto can respond, Ignis appears at the entrance to the kitchen, wearing a black apron, his sunglasses resting at the tip of his nose. His hair is styled back like Prompto suggested before he left -- expertly, Prompto might add -- and he looks absolutely devastatingly handsome in suspenders.
“Prompto? Gladio? Is that you?” Ignis asks, a soft smile spreading onto his face, making him look even more beautiful. He rests his hand on his hip expectantly.
“Iggy!” Prompto gushes, grinning from ear to ear.
Prompto runs forward, not even waiting for Ignis to give him permission. If anything, Prompto’s footsteps thudding quickly toward him seem to do the trick, as Ignis opens his arms right as Prompto comes crashing into them.
Prompto nearly whimpers as Ignis’s arms wrap around him tightly, holding Prompto against him. Prompto rests his head on Ignis’s chest, closing his eyes happily.
“Well, well, hello there,” Ignis murmurs. He lowers his voice just so Prompto can hear. “I’ve missed you.”
Prompto slides his arms up Ignis’s chest to lock them around his neck. “I missed you too! Cindy gave me a Braille book for us to learn. Oh, and a guitar? That might be fun. And I’ve got, like, tons of books we can read.” He beams.
Ignis smiles. “Isn’t that exciting? That’s very thoughtful of her.”
“I know, right?” Prompto exclaims, holding onto Ignis as long as he possibly can. “Are you makin’ curry?”
I thought that might be a rather nice lunch, don’t you think? I made it for you.”
Ignis’s head is bowed, lips only a few inches from Prompto’s. Prompto stares up into him, memorizing the lines and scars on his eyes and nose before they travel down to study his perfect pink lips. Prompto’s heart swirls with affection, the distance making him long even more to close the distance between their mouths. The way Ignis holds his head almost deludes Prompto into thinking that he wants it, too.
“That’s… that’s so nice of you, Igster,” Prompto murmurs, unable to take his eyes off of him.
Gladio clears his throat from behind Prompto, effectively causing the both of them to startle, disentangling themselves from each other. “Did you guys forget I was here?” Gladio asks with a laugh.
Ignis frowns. “Of course not. I’m very glad you’re here, Gladio.”
Gladio laughs harder, stepping forward to pull Ignis into a warm embrace. “Hey, Iggy. How you doin’?”
It warms Prompto’s heart to see his friends together again, and he tries desperately not to think about the very obvious missing person.
Ignis pulls away from Gladio with a gentle smile. “I’m quite alright now. Still in one piece, I gather?”
Gladio smirks. “More or less. Your eye’s lookin’ better. Still nothing?”
“I can sense the light,” Ignis says with a soft sigh, “but I’m afraid nothing else.”
Gladio sighs. “You’re doin’ better than any of us at least.”
Ignis smiles softly. “Well, one of us has to,” he teases. “Are you all hungry?”
“Starving,” Gladio says.
“Samesies! You want some help, Iggy?” Prompto asks.
Ignis tilts his head gently in Prompto’s direction. “That would be lovely. Make yourself at home, Gladio?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Gladio says, sitting on the couch and propping his feet up on the coffee table.
“Mind your feet, Gladio,” Ignis scolds before he reaches out to press his palm to Prompto’s lower back. “Shall we?”
Prompto smiles, savoring the gentle touch as he walks with Ignis into the kitchen. The growing smell of curry causes his stomach to growl as he gives Ignis enough room to work. He watches Ignis stir it in the skillet.
“Would you care to taste for me?” Ignis asks softly.
Prompto can’t seem to wipe the grin off of his face -- Noct would make fun of him so much for how sappy he’s become. “I’d love to. It smells so good, dude.” Prompto tries to sound as neutral as possible, but even he can recognize how absolutely smitten he sounds.
Ignis pulls a clean spoon out of the drawer, finding it easily. It’s always nice to Prompto to see Ignis easily navigate their kitchen from memory despite not being able to see. Ignis spoons a healthy portion of curry with one hand as his other reaches out to grip Prompto’s chin. He’s not wearing his gloves today, needing to rely on touch when Prompto isn’t around.
“Oh,” Ignis says with a bit of surprise as soon as his thumb brushes along Prompto’s chin, “you have grown facial hair, haven’t you?”
Prompto laughs. “Yep. I look pretty cute, not gonna lie.”
Ignis mouth twists into a smile. “Of that I have no doubt.”
Prompto’s heart starts thudding at the compliment. He allows Ignis to tilt his head back as he helps Ignis guide the spoon to his mouth easily. He can hardly hold back the obscene noise that escapes his lips as soon as the curry hits his tongue.
When Ignis takes the spoon away, a bit of the broth spills onto the corner of Prompto’s mouth. Prompto laughs at it, making a noise of surprise with his mouth full, until Ignis’s thumb slides up to catch it. His thumb brushes against Prompto’s bottom lip, gathering the tiny bit that’s spilled. Prompto feels his cheeks flush at the intimate gesture as he swallows the curry, trying so hard not to press a kiss to Ignis’s thumb.
“Thanks,” Prompto whispers as his cheeks flush harder.
Ignis takes his thumb away almost as quickly as he’d put it there, much to Prompto’s disappointment. The effects of the touch linger, however, in the way that his heart races and his skin tingles. If Ignis is affected, he doesn’t show it, still just the soft smile on his lips.
Prompto stares at Ignis for probably longer than socially acceptable, and he’s a little glad that Gladio isn’t in the kitchen to make fun of him. He realizes he hasn’t yet commented on Iggy’s food. “ Gods, that tastes so good . You’re amazing. How does it taste better every time, dude?”
Ignis chuckles. “You’re far too kind, Prompto. Practice makes perfect, after all. Take some for yourself and get some for Gladio as well, if you don’t mind?”
Prompto smiles. “Sure thing. Can I get some for you, too?”
“You certainly don’t have to, but thank you,” Ignis murmurs.
Prompto takes their bowls over to the couch, handing one to Gladio and waiting until Ignis is seated to hand him his. Prompto sits in between them, happy to be able to share a meal with the two of them.
“Damn, Iggy. I definitely gotta visit more often. I missed this cooking,” Gladio groans, practically inhaling the curry out of the bowl.
“Well, if it persuades you to stop by more often…” Ignis teases. “You’re welcome to stay, you know. Permanently.”
Prompto perks up. “Yeah! We got plenty of room here, big guy.”
Gladio smiles. “Maybe in a bit. Still got a few kinks to work out, y’know.”
“Surely you’ll stay for the night at the very least?” Ignis asks. “As I’ve told Prompto, I’ve a bit of a surprise that you’re welcome to indulge in as well.”
“Other than your amazing as hell cooking?” Gladio asks with a laugh.
Ignis laughs. “Now, I’m not much. But, yes, if you must ask. Weskham, as you know, is still managing to keep Cape Caem’s daemons at bay, and is taking in refugees there. He stopped by while you were away, Prompto, and left me a bit of fine wine for us to enjoy.”
Prompto raises his eyebrows. The last time they enjoyed any kind of alcohol was in Altissia, one of the last few nights of fun before Leviathan, before Ignis’s accident, before Noct left, before Luna… passed. Maybe an evening of drinking their problems away would be good for them.
Gladio snorts. “You got me interested, I won’t lie. Been way too long since we’ve kicked back, huh?”
Prompto laughs. “Wow, Gladio, is that you? Mr. Tough Guy wanting to kick it?”
“Hey, now. Altissian wine ain’t a joke. Shit’s delicious,” Gladio teases.
Ignis smiles. “The bottles are chilling as we speak, if we’re all on board.”
Prompto elbows Ignis gently. “That sounds amazing, Igs. That’s an awesome surprise.”
“Can’t believe Weskham was willing to part with such a rarity,” Gladio comments.
Prompto looks over at Ignis, who appears suddenly a bit sheepish. “I may or may not have traded some ingredients for them. I thought it might be good for us to relax for a night or two once we were reunited,” Ignis says.
“Well, I ain’t complaining,” Prompto says. “What should we do ‘til tonight, then? Wanna try our hand at learning Braille, Iggy?”
“There’s a thought, although we can certainly wait until Gladio leaves. We wouldn’t want to bore him to death,” Ignis says softly.
“No way, I’m game. You got some books I’ve been meaning to read on your shelf. Unless if you guys want an extra eye for that, in case you don’t trust blondie here.” Gladio’s tone is all teasing despite the joke, reaching out to ruffle Prompto’s hair.
Prompto whines, ducking out of the way of Gladio’s hand. “Wow! Ye of little faith.” Prompto pouts. “I’m totally good for it, right, Igster?”
“I trust you with my life,” Ignis says with a teasing smile.
"I'll go get the book!" Prompto all but squeaks excitedly. He knows it'll likely take quite a while for Ignis to learn Braille from the very beginning, but the first step is exciting. Prompto grabs the book, laughing at the title on the cover as he sits back down next to Ignis. "They totally made us read this in high school, but I just pretended I did so I really don't know anything about it."
Ignis makes a scolding noise. "I'm dreadfully curious."
"Well, you'll just have to learn the title the hard way. Okay," Prompto begins, sliding the book onto Ignis's lap gently, "how 'bout we just start by you touching, and when you've got a feel for the first letter, I'll tell you what it is? Then we'll go from there. Sound good?"
"Sucks you guys don't have an alphabet in order to work with," Gladio says from the other side of the couch, his feet tucked on Prompto's lap as his nose is buried in a cheesy romance novel. "It'd probably be a lot easier to memorize the letters in order."
Ignis sighs. "Yes, well, we'll have to make do. I've yet to encounter a challenge I haven't overcome."
Prompto grins at Ignis's unwavering confidence. "Hells yeah. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, dude! You ready?"
Ignis smiles. "Guide me to the first letter, then?"
"Uh huh." Prompto reaches over to gently grip Ignis's fingers in his own, the warmth of his skin melting with his own. He places Ignis's finger right at the start of the first raised dot of the book title delicately. "There ya go."
As Ignis feels the first character, Prompto pulls up a how-to guide for beginners on Braille. He tells Ignis what direction to follow only to find Ignis got it right on the first try.
"Alright, I think I've got it," Ignis murmurs, his brow furrowed adorably in concentration.
"Cool. That's 'T'. Keep goin'."
They continue like that, their heads practically pressed together as they try to tackle the book title together. Impressively enough, Ignis only slips up and feels too many dots a few times. Prompto doesn't register the passing of time, and before they know it, they've got several words down.
"Ah. The Great Gatsby," Ignis finally declares. “It’s certainly been a while since I’ve read this.”
Prompto grins. "Aww, yeah! Teamwork!" Prompto holds his hand out for a high five. "Give it a while and you'll be readin' that from cover to cover, man, I know it."
Gladio laughs. "Gotta say, you two are adorable together."
Prompto's eyes widen just in time to look over and see the delicate tinge of pink blooming on Ignis's cheeks. Ignis is so easy to embarrass lately, Prompto’s got to admit.
"Do behave, Gladio," Ignis manages after a quiet moment.
“Jerk,” Prompto adds, punching Gladio’s feet on his lap playfully.
Gladio laughs even harder at this as he turns the page to his novel, but says nothing else.
"Had it for now, or should we conquer the first page?" Prompto asks with a soft smile.
Ignis laughs. "We'll try and see how it goes, shall we?"
Prompto leans into Ignis's space, ready to help him remember each letter again. Surprisingly, some characters such as the letter 'e' that come up often, Ignis remembers most of the time, only needing a little bit of a reminder for those. Prompto's always so impressed with Ignis, it's a little sad.
They end up taking on three whole pages instead of one before Ignis marks the page and closes the book. “We should call it a day. I should get started on supper before we have anything to drink tonight.”
Prompto finds himself staring at Ignis longingly, again , until Gladio kicks him teasingly. Prompto startles, shooting Gladio a scathing look that Gladio grins at.
“Lemme help, Iggy?” Prompto asks hopefully.
“Count me in, too. You need a break, Specs,” Gladio adds.
Ignis allows himself to let out a wistful sigh. “Very well, then.”
It’s comfortable, the three of them, cooking and sharing a good meal together, despite Prompto only lightly burning the vegetables (Ignis douses it in so much seasoning afterward, Prompto can’t taste anything wrong). Prompto can even tell that Ignis is in good spirits, and Prompto wonders if Ignis hated the separation as much as Prompto did. Either way, Prompto’s glad they’re all together again, laughing and talking as much as they can, despite the way that they all miss Noctis.
It feels like years since Noct’s left, and it’s only been months. Prompto wonders how long he’ll be gone.
Ignis must sense Prompto’s preoccupation, as he suddenly says, “Prompto, why don’t you open the first bottle of wine, if you don’t mind?”
Prompto breaks from his thoughts. “Yeah, sure, Iggy!”
This is supposed to be a fairly happy night with Iggy and Gladio -- the least Prompto can do is avoid thinking about Noct, at least for the night. It’s not long before the warmth of the white wine starts to wash away his negative thoughts entirely in favor of spending time with his remaining friends.
Prompto isn’t drunk -- he swears. He’s just warm right now, his friends making him feel warmer. It doesn’t help that Prompto can’t stop staring at Ignis’s face; every scar, every freckle, every bat of his eyelash. It’s been a while since he’s had alcohol around Iggy, and he can feel his self-control start to waver, liquid courage pumping through his veins.
“Wanna take this over to the couch?” Gladio asks, pouring himself another glass.
Prompto grins, gripping the bottle of wine. “You betcha.”
Prompto helps Ignis gently to find the couch, an amused smile on Ignis’s face -- Ignis definitely knows how to get to the couch on his own, but Prompto wants to touch in any appropriate way that he can. Ignis seems happy to indulge him, a soft chuckle leaving his mouth any time Prompto goes out of his way to be a guiding hand. It probably helps that Prompto truly does suggest guidance, not force it -- it’s probably less annoying that way.
Gladio slumps onto his usual end of the couch, as Ignis sits on the other end, crossing his legs elegantly. Prompto snorts at how different their postures are. Prompto’s careful to set the bottle of wine on the coffee table before making his way to the middle section of the couch.
Prompto is clumsy enough without the aid of a few glasses of wine and a tolerance in the negatives, but those factors certainly help when he finds himself tripping right toward Ignis.
Prompto catches the slightest quirk of Ignis’s eyebrow before Prompto has to shoot his arms out to brace himself against the couch, not wanting to crash right on top of Ignis. Ignis, as a precaution, hovers his hands over Prompto’s waist with a look of gentle surprise.
“Careful, dork,” Gladio says from the other end of the couch. “‘Course you’re the one trippin’ in here.”
Prompto feels his face heat up. Even though he technically didn’t trip -- not all the way -- and didn’t touch or hurt Ignis at all due to catching himself, it’s still a little embarrassing. “‘M sorry, Iggy. Did I hurt you?”
Ignis chuckles, the small amount of alcohol flushing his cheeks beautifully. “You’ve not touched me,” he teases.
Prompto feels a nervous laugh bubble out of his throat. “Oh. Yeah. Right. Almost fell right on your lap there.” Prompto sighs. If only.
Ignis’s closes the distance between his hand and Prompto’s hip, gripping it gently. With a smirk, he teasingly slides his hand around the small of Prompto’s back, and Prompto finds himself being yanked onto the couch to the sound of Ignis’s playful chuckle.
Instead of landing in the middle unoccupied section of the couch, however, Ignis pulls him directly onto his lap. Prompto’s heart flies out of his chest as he feels Ignis uncross his legs directly underneath him, and Prompto prays to all six of the stupid Astrals that he doesn’t end up getting a weird boner from this, of all times.
Ignis wraps his arm around Prompto’s front, his breath warming Prompto’s ear. “Too much wine already, Prompto?” he teases.
All Prompto can feel is warmth; the warmth of the alcohol in his system, the heat of Ignis, his heart erratically pumping warm blood through his veins even faster, the heat of his cheeks probably making him look like a lobster. Prompto grips Ignis’s arm that’s around him, wanting this playful moment to last forever. Ignis would probably throw him across the room if he had any idea how much Prompto’s enjoying this.
“No, I just tripped, dude,” Prompto murmurs teasingly. “I’m nowhere near drunk.”
“He is pretty clumsy,” Gladio says with a grin. “Might wanna keep a tight grip on him.”
Prompto looks over at Gladio, wide-eyed, only to see Gladio to wink at him.
Ignis, however, simply laughs, thinking nothing of it -- apparently. “Is this alright?” Ignis whispers practically in his ear again.
Prompto sighs wistfully, leaning back to rest his head on Ignis’s shoulder. “It’s perfect. You’re real warm.”
Prompto swears the grip Ignis has around his middle tightens. “Glad to hear it.”
Prompto is going to blame the wine for how much Ignis’s voice sounds like bottled sex instead of Ignis being intentionally seductive, but either way, Prompto feels like melting into the man underneath him.
“You guys wanna play some cards? You guys can be a team, Prompto can read Iggy the hand,” Gladio suggests, pulling out a card deck from his bag.
Prompto, at this point, has run out of wine in his glass. Instead of pouring some more, Prompto simply drinks from Ignis’s glass resting on the arm of the couch, earning a low chuckle from Ignis that has no business being as gorgeous as it is.
“That sounds fun, huh, Iggy?” Prompto murmurs, hoping Ignis doesn’t let go of him anytime soon.
“Indeed. Let’s see how we fare, hmm? Rummy?”
Gladio grins. “Sounds good. This bottle’s empty. Want me to get another?”
“If you would, please,” Ignis says softly. “Have you had enough, Prompto?”
Prompto reaches over and grabs Gladio’s card deck. “Nope. I’m down for some more glasses.”
“Damn right you are,” Gladio says. “Shuffle the deck, blondie.”
When Gladio returns with the bottle, the three of them forgo the wine glasses altogether in favor of passing around the entire bottle instead. Prompto desperately tries not to stare at the column of Ignis’s throat as he swallows, and utterly fails as Gladio deals them cards.
Prompto stays on Ignis’s lap to read the cards aloud to Ignis, both of them strategizing to make the best card combination against Gladio. Prompto couldn’t care less if they win or lose, just so long as Ignis keeps him close like this. Prompto tries to ignore the way Ignis’s lips form a smile whenever Prompto asks him which cards to play, happy that Ignis has his sunglasses off so he can look at the pretty scars on his eyes. He wants to kiss them, so badly.
Prompto wishes he could tell Ignis just how fucking gorgeous he is all the time. It’s really so unfair Prompto almost could cry. He settles for drinking a few more swigs of wine from the bottle instead.
Prompto, upon realizing that he and Ignis only have three cards left, slams the bottle on the coffee table and nearly falls off of Ignis’s lap in excitement. Ignis practically has to scoop him back up with a gentle laugh, his hand resting on Prompto’s thigh unconsciously, and it practically burns a hole through Prompto’s jeans.
“Careful, now. Read our hand to me?” Ignis asks.
“Ace of hearts, two of spades, three of hearts,” Prompto whispers in Ignis’s ear. Watching Ignis smile so close to him sends his heart racing.
Gladio snorts. “It’s my turn.”
“So? I’m tryin’ to be helpful, dude!”
Ignis barks out a laugh, patting Prompto’s thigh. “That you are, Prompto.”
Gladio draws a card from the face-down pile and lets out a loud yell. “ Hell yeah. Rummy. Suck it.”
Prompto gasps as Gladio puts the correct remaining sequence of cards down. “No fair!” Prompto whines, leaning back against Ignis.
Ignis laughs in Prompto’s ear, sending tingles up his spine. “Well, well. We’ll get him next time, won’t we?”
Prompto frowns at Gladio. “Did you cheat?”
Gladio laughs hard. “Only one of us who cheated was Noct.”
At the mention of their king, Prompto feels his stomach twist sadly. He reaches for the bottle of wine on the coffee table, taking a swig of it. Ignis wordlessly takes the bottle from him, drinking from it as well.
“Noct didn’t cheat,” Prompto says with a sad laugh. “He just… peeked from time to time.”
Gladio sighs fondly, a quiet noise from him. “That’s cheating.”
“I do miss him,” Ignis says wistfully.
Prompto reaches over to grab Ignis’s hand, squeezing it affectionately; reassuringly. Ignis smiles in his direction, squeezing his hand back.
“When do you think he’ll come back?” Prompto asks to no one in particular, voice quiet.
“I dunno,” Gladio says. “But we gotta be ready when he does.”
“I hope it’s soon,” Prompto says. “I really hope it’s soon.”
Ignis squeezes his hand again. “As do I. Gladio is correct, however. We must keep our head forward and… walk tall for him in the meantime.”
Prompto’s heart twists again sadly at the words. It’s what King Regis used to tell Noct all the time. That seems like such a long time ago now.
“Shit. I need a drink,” Gladio says, reaching for the bottle of wine.
This breaks the tension a little. Prompto and Ignis laugh gently despite themselves. Prompto wishes he could take the pain away from all of them, especially Ignis and Gladio. They’ve spent their whole lives with Noct, essentially. Prompto’s only been lucky enough to spend time with him since high school.
Prompto shifts on Ignis’s lap so he can look at him better. Ignis wears the softest expression, a gentle smile, but it’s longing, somehow. Prompto can certainly relate.
Prompto finds himself leaning in, wrapping his arms around Ignis’s neck to pull him into a hug. Ignis shows gentle surprise at the gesture, but moves to accommodate him, his arms securing around Prompto’s back gently.
“I love you guys,” Prompto murmurs into Ignis’s neck, blaming the liquid courage for his ability to show all this affection. “We’ll be okay… right?”
Ignis is quiet for a moment. “I love you as well,” he says gently, “I think we’ll be quite alright.”
Gladio laughs, leaning in to ruffle Prompto’s hair again. “Love you too, kid. You should get some sleep before we get too much wine in ya.”
Prompto betrays himself by yawning. The soft chuckle from Ignis sounds right next to his ear again, and Prompto wants to burrow in the warmth. “You takin’ the pullout?” Prompto asks Gladio.
“Yup. You two lovebirds can take the bedroom as usual,” Gladio says with a smirk.
Prompto groans, his cheeks flushing as he buries his face into Ignis’s shoulder. Prompto can feel the vibrations of Ignis’s deep laugh, glad that Iggy finds this amusing if not anything else.
“Shall I carry you over the threshold, my love?” Ignis teases.
Prompto has to remind himself at least three times that Ignis is just fucking with him, curse his fragile heart. “Shut up,” Prompto says with a laugh once he lifts his head up off of Ignis’s shoulder. “You totally can’t even lift me, dude. I’m all muscle now.”
Gladio laughs even louder at this. “Uh huh. Sure you are.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Ignis remarks, his eyebrow quirked upward.
Prompto doesn’t have time to respond before he feels Ignis’s arms tighten around him as he stands up, lifting Prompto easily. Prompto yelps in surprise, scrambling to lock his arms tighter around Ignis’s neck, not expecting Ignis to actually do it. Prompto’s legs lock around Ignis’s waist, laughing hard as Ignis stands fully with Prompto curled around him.
“Shit, Iggy, I thought you were kidding,” Prompto says, still laughing so hard he can hardly breathe.
“Still light as ever,” Ignis teases. “Relax. I won’t drop you.”
Prompto tries to heed his words, letting himself melt against Ignis’s strong embrace. Prompto tries to ignore the fact that their hips -- along with the rest of their bodies -- are pressed together, and he absolutely tries to ignore the fact that after all they’ve been through, this is the first time Ignis has held him like this without Prompto sporting some sort of injury.
“Careful, Iggy,” Gladio says sarcastically, “precious cargo there.”
Prompto starts laughing. “Take me to bed, Lord Scientia,” he demands playfully.
“Using my title now, are we?” Ignis asks with a smirk. “Very well then, crown citizen.”
Ignis starts carrying him down the hall to the bedroom, and Prompto looks over Ignis’s shoulder as he laughs. “Night Gladio! Love you!” Prompto calls out.
“G’night, dork,” Gladio says, rolling his eyes at him. “Love you too.”
The further Ignis walks down the hallway, the more Prompto’s heart races. Rationally, he knows they’re just messing around, but the implications of all of this do him no favors; the alcohol in his system doesn’t help either.
When Ignis arrives in their bedroom, Prompto feels Ignis kick the edge of the bed to feel for it before gently laying Prompto down. Ignis has always been so gentle and kind -- at least to his friends -- and it warms Prompto’s heart even more to see how much gentler he is now. Prompto sighs at the loss of Ignis’s warmth as soon as his head hits Ignis’s pillow, his hands releasing Prompto last.
Prompto looks up at him, at a loss for words for a moment at how pretty Ignis looks from this angle, hovering over him gently. The wine still has Ignis slightly flushed, his pink lips parted slightly as he wears a subtle smile. Prompto bites his lip, wanting to push his body off of the bed to press a kiss to those parted lips, but he keeps himself frozen instead.
Ignis leans away, of course, and stands up straight again. “I’ll join you in a moment, Prompto,” he whispers.
Prompto frowns. “Wait, where are you going?”
Oops. The last thing Ignis needs to know is how damn needy Prompto is.
Apparently, Ignis thinks nothing of it, as he smiles. “I’m going to see if Gladio needs help with the sleeper sofa. I’ll just be a moment, I promise.”
“Oh,” Prompto murmurs, feeling sort of stupid, “D’you need help?”
“Not at all. Just relax for me.”
Prompto can’t help but flush at the gentleness of Ignis’s words. “Okay,” Prompto whispers back.
As soon as Ignis leaves the room with a smile on his face, Prompto shifts, burying his face in Ignis’s pillow. He sighs happily knowing that he’s with Ignis again, and if his luck goes well, Ignis will let Prompto fall asleep in his arms. He’s missed that over the last few nights more than anything.
Prompto peels off his jeans so that he can sleep in his boxers as usual. He tosses them on the floor on his side of the bed, hoping Ignis will wait to chastise him about it until tomorrow.
Ignis returns a few minutes later, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. He stops at his side of the bed, head tilted down toward the bed as he brushes his hand against Prompto’s arm. “Scoot,” he says finally, amusement on his face.
Prompto whines, rolling over to his own side of the bed as opposed to Ignis’s. He peels back the blankets for Ignis to climb into.
As soon as Ignis lies down after sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment, Prompto says, "Hi."
Ignis turns his head over to face Prompto's direction with a gentle smile. "Hello."
Prompto touches Ignis's arm, the warmth of his skin inviting him in. "Can I… is this okay?" Prompto asks shyly.
Ignis laughs. "You've been on my lap all evening, I'd think by now you'd know you have permission to touch me."
Prompto finds himself laughing. He slides his arm around Ignis, gently resting his head on his chest. "Just had to make sure."
"You don't have to, you know," Ignis says softly.
Prompto lifts his head up to look at Ignis. "Huh?"
"Ask. You needn't ask. You may always touch me, Prompto."
If Prompto's heart doesn't skyrocket off of Eos after that comment. Prompto stares at Ignis for a moment too long before he finds himself leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to Ignis's cheekbone. Prompto memorizes how soft Ignis's skin is under his lips, how warm, before he pulls back sheepishly.
Ignis raises an eyebrow, but his smile widens. "Well, well, well. And what was that for?" he teases.
"I missed you," Prompto admits self-consciously.
Ignis huffs out a laugh under his breath before securing his arms tighter around Prompto. "I missed you as well."
Prompto sighs, laying his head back down on Ignis's chest. "I had fun tonight."
"As did I. May I ask you something, Prompto?"
Prompto's stomach churns anxiously. "Yeah? What's up?"
"What were you going to tell me? You mentioned it last night on the phone," Ignis says. "What was it?"
Anxiety floods Prompto instantly. Of course, he still wants to tell Ignis about his dumb feelings, but if Ignis doesn't feel the same, he doesn't want this to end. He just wants to get one more night wrapped up in Ignis's arms before it'll likely get awkward.
"Tomorrow?" Prompto suggests. "I'm kinda tired." He hopes Ignis doesn't catch the half-lie.
Ignis is quiet for a moment. "Mmm. Tomorrow, then."
Prompto digs his nails into Ignis's shirt. "Sorry to," he pauses to yawn, "keep ya waiting."
Prompto registers a gentle touch to his hair; fingers, he realizes, gently carding through it. Prompto could easily sleep to the calming, intimate touch.
"Hush, now. Get some rest," Ignis soothes.
Prompto might have mumbled something incoherent, but Ignis's questing fingers in his hair lull him almost instantly to sleep.
A CHEEK KISS, wow, i'm really putting the slow in slow burn huh
and here's where some drama starts, just a warning. <333 you will be rewarded, i pwomise
Prompto stirs, awakening to an empty bed. It's almost a crime to wake up alone after the way he went to sleep; gently held and caressed by the man of his dreams. Still, he's grateful the wine didn't give him a headache nonetheless.
Prompto showers to wake himself up, hearing Gladio and Ignis talk in hushed tones in the kitchen. He can smell eggs cooking; of course Ignis wouldn't wait for Prompto to wake up so he could help him with breakfast.
Prompto dresses quickly to join the others, heading down the hall when he hears Gladio utter Noct’s name. Prompto stalls for a moment, not wanting to interrupt; their tones sound serious.
“--dunno when he’ll come back. What if he comes back tomorrow?” Gladio asks quietly.
Ignis’s voice is even more tense. “What if he doesn’t?” he asks warily. “What if it takes more months of this bloody endless night? Years?”
Gladio sighs. “I don’t know, man. If it does, it does. Our jobs don’t have expiration dates.”
“Of course they don’t. We will be ready regardless,” Ignis agrees, “but not having him near…”
Prompto’s heart twists at the topic of conversation. He sighs, making himself known, rounding the corner to join Ignis and Gladio in the kitchen.
“Are you guys talking about Noct?” Prompto asks, playing dumb. “At least Noct will come back soon, and then we’ll all be together again. We can be happy again.”
Gladio looks over at Prompto with another sigh tumbling from his lips. “Morning, Prompto. You got a point there.”
Ignis doesn’t look at relaxed. He tenses, his hands balling into loose fists. “Prompto, I do hope I didn’t wake you,” he says stiffly.
“No, I woke up on my own,” Prompto says softly. “What’s wrong, Iggy?” Prompto takes a step toward Ignis, but not any further, deciding against it at the last minute.
“I need to tell you something,” Ignis says finally, “both of you. I… the longer this endless night stretches onward, I’m afraid of--” Ignis cuts himself off with a shaky breath. “I need you both to know that I truly had your best intentions in mind--”
“Wait, what the hell are you talking about?” Gladio asks suddenly. “Spit it out, man.”
Prompto tries a gentler approach. “Yeah, Iggy, what’s up? You okay?”
Ignis opens and closes his mouth more than once, seemingly looking for the proper words to say. “I’m afraid when Noct returns to restore the light to our world… he will not be here to see it.”
Prompto’s brow furrows. He has no idea what Ignis means by that; if Noct comes back, surely he’ll be able to see the dawn? “Wait, what?” Prompto asks. “Why wouldn’t he?”
Gladio is eerily silent, his eyes reluctantly peeling from Ignis’s face to Prompto’s. “You know what he means,” Gladio says angrily. “Noct won’t make it.”
Prompto’s heart feels as if it’s dropped into his stomach. It doesn’t seem like there’s anything that could hurt Noct; he’s supposed to be here forever. Prompto always thought Noct would outlive everyone, including himself. To hear Ignis say those words like he knows they’re true makes him feel like he’s going to be sick.
“What?!” Prompto asks, voice wavering. “That’s not true! That can’t be true! He’ll be fine! We’ll protect him, just like always!”
“We cannot,” Ignis begins, stopping to maintain stoicism, “we cannot help Noctis. He must sacrifice himself to restore light to our world. I have heard the prophecies myself in Altissia.”
Prompto feels his eyes well up with tears. “We… we gotta… there’s g-gotta be something we can do--”
“You’ve known this since Altissia,” Gladio says as a statement, not a question or accusation. His hands are balled into fists. “Since Altissia. That was months ago.”
Ignis turns his body away from the direction of both of their voices, placing his fingers delicately against the bridge of his nose. “I know, Gladio.”
“You were just gonna… wait around to say something like this? About Noct?”
“What was I supposed to bloody say?!” Ignis snaps, turning back toward Gladio again. “You’re in love with him. What was I supposed to… do…? You’ve no idea how difficult--” Ignis cuts himself off.
“I’m starting to get an idea,” Gladio says coldly.
Prompto wants to be angry with Ignis for keeping this from him, keeping the fate of his best friend from him after all these months, just like Gladio. All Prompto can think of is the fact that Ignis carried this burden with him for months. Ignis watched Noct disappear into the crystal knowing that when Noct comes back, it would only be temporary. His heart thuds, a mix of emotions swirling through him.
Prompto steps forward, placing a hand on Ignis’s arm. “You shouldn’t have held onto this,” Prompto says gently. “You shouldn’t have carried this alone.”
Prompto can’t help it; he wraps his arms around Ignis, starting to cry. Ignis stiffens for a moment before melting into the embrace, sliding his arms around Prompto in return.
“I didn’t know what to do. I was trying to find the best way to tell you both,” Ignis whispers. “With the both of us having near constant nightmares and Gladio away for so long, I--”
“I forgive you,” Prompto says immediately. “I… I think I get it. I don’t think I could’ve held this in but I get it.”
Ignis lets out a gentle sigh, his hand rubbing soothing circles into Prompto’s back. “I apologize,” he says.
Gladio kicks one of the chairs at the dining table, but otherwise doesn’t make any other moves. He’s quiet, letting out a sigh. “I don’t care how I feel about Noct,” Gladio says, though his tone much less accusatory, “you should’ve told me.”
“I know,” Ignis murmurs. “I made a mistake. I apologize, Gladio. I should have told you both far sooner.”
“What do we do?” Prompto asks, eyes watering still as he pulls away from Ignis’s embrace. “How are we supposed to…?”
Prompto feels lost. He doesn’t even know where to begin. He, stupidly enough, was naive to think that things would be okay as soon as Noct returns. He has to mourn for a whole different reason now. He feels completely stupid that all he was worried about when he woke up this morning was telling Ignis how he felt about him. That seems completely irrelevant now. Now, he has to acknowledge the fact that he’s going to lose his best friend; that he’s going to be teased with the joy of Noct returning only to have to lose him again .
“I’m uncertain,” Ignis admits. “We will have to deal with it together.”
“How the hell are we supposed to deal with it?” Gladio demands.
Prompto’s heart thuds. Gladio’s mourning for an entirely different reason. Prompto reaches out to Gladio, wrapping his hands around the top of his arm comfortingly. Gladio makes no move to accommodate him, but doesn’t push him away, either.
“Noct wouldn’t want us to fight,” Prompto supplies. “We obviously have a lot of feelings about this, none of which are that great, but… we can’t resent each other.”
Gladio sighs. “I know, blondie. I’m not resenting anyone.”
Prompto relaxes a little, looking over at Ignis. “How… how did you know, and none of us? How’d you find out?”
Ignis’s posture tenses again. “I told you, when I was separated from you lot in Altissia, I heard the prophecy from the Astrals themselves.”
“Your accident?” Prompto continues. “Your eyes? Was that at the same time?”
“What happened?” Prompto whispers, his heart pounding.
“I put on the Ring of the Lucii,” Ignis says after a moment’s hesitation. “I saw everything, and then I saw nothing.” He laughs bitterly.
“That thing took Ravus’s arm. I heard it basically killed Nyx Ulric,” Gladio points out. “You knew that, but you put it on anyway?”
“I used it to fight Ardyn. I had no choice,” Ignis says defensively.
Prompto’s eyes widen. “You knew that it would hurt you…?”
“On the contrary, I’d assumed it would kill me,” Ignis says. “I’m very lucky to be here now. I thought I’d lose my life then and there. I’d prepared for that outcome.”
Prompto’s heart drops. The thought of Ignis not being around sends him into panic. The fact that Ignis was so careless with his life in Altissia scares the hell out of Prompto, especially knowing the fact that Prompto couldn’t have done a damn thing about it at the time, as they were separated.
“How can you just-- say it like that? ‘ Prepared for that outcome’ like you’re not talking about your own life? How could you just throw it away like that?!” Prompto demands, eyes filling with tears.
“It is my duty, should it come to that,” Ignis reminds Prompto. “It’s why I was hesitant to tell you what happened.”
“Hesitant?!” Prompto barks. “It’s been almost half a year since it happened!”
“You’re upset,” Ignis realizes softly, head tilting in Prompto’s direction. “Any of us could die at any time for Noct. You know this, Prompto.”
“Yeah, but this was suicide--”
“It was sacrifice , Prompto. Do you think I wanted to die? Noct was lying there, Ardyn was going to kill him,” Ignis cries, voice wavering. “I had no choice.”
“Nothing we can do about it now, Prompto,” Gladio says tensely. “Iggy’s alright. It’s done with.”
Prompto feels silent tears start to roll down his cheeks. He feels so stupid for thinking that they could ever be something. Ignis was so willing to throw it all away, to so easily sacrifice his life. Prompto knows, deep down, that Ignis would stop at nothing to do what is right, but it hurts Prompto more than anything, being in love with the man who cares so little about his own life for the sake of others.
“I…” Prompto starts, unsure of what to even say. “D’you have any idea… any idea how much you mean to me, dude? Do you know what that would’ve… done to me-- to Noct --”
Ignis frowns, a tear escaping his eye. “The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. Believe me, Prompto.”
Prompto lets out a fairly ugly sob. “Well, it does hurt me. You’re such an amazing person, Iggy, you can’t… you can’t throw your life away like that. You deserve to be happy, damn it, now you can’t see --”
“I assure you that it wasn’t a decision that I made lightly,” Ignis says pleadingly. “Leaving you was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had to protect Noctis, to protect you.”
“I just found out I’m gonna lose my best friend and now I’m finding out I was this close to losing you, too?!” Prompto cries, trying to swat at the tears that spill from his eyes. “Gods, I’m such an idiot for worrying about stupid shit like-- like--”
Prompto almost says it; he comes so close to telling Ignis about his feelings. It seems so pointless now, though. There’s nothing Prompto can do that would even come close to Ignis’s desire to self-sacrifice. Prompto can’t make him stay. Prompto can’t make him value his own life.
“Hey, kid,” Gladio finally intervenes, clapping him on the back. “Take a deep breath. C’mon.”
Prompto stops to breathe, following Gladio’s advice as he inhales quickly, breath wavering. “Gods, I can’t do this. I can’t fucking do this, I’m freaking out --”
“Prompto, please,” Ignis says desperately. “I apologize for not telling you. You’ve no idea how sorry I am, but I promise you that I will do my best to tell you everything from now on. Please, try to relax.”
Prompto lets out a hysterical laugh. “‘ Relax ,’ he says, like he didn’t just break my fucking heart.” Prompto sighs, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before opening them. “I dunno if I can be here right now.”
Ignis’s face falls, another reason for Prompto to feel guilty. “Tell me what I need to do, and I will do it, Prompto. Allow me to make amends.”
Prompto’s never heard Ignis sound so desperate.
Prompto sniffles. “I want you to be okay! I want you to make it, I want Noct to be okay, I want Gladio to be okay, I want us to be okay. I want you to let me into your life, I want to be a part of it--”
“You truly don’t think you’re a part of my life?” Ignis asks with a surprise. “You cannot be serious --”
“You were gonna leave me without saying goodbye , without even-- telling me--”
“ Prompto. Every time we are with Noct, there is a chance that any of us would get hurt or-- Astrals forbid-- die, without saying goodbye. I know that it’s difficult to hear what I did. I know that it’s bloody awful I waited so long. I know I would be beside myself if our roles were reversed. I truly had no choice. You misconstrue my desires with my actions. I have to put others’ lives in front of my own, especially Noct’s. I would put your life before my own, as well. Do you understand this?”
“I know that,” Prompto says. “I fuckin’ know that, man, it’s just it’s a lot harder to deal with when I love you and care about you, and I just need… I need to breathe, I can’t--”
“Okay, okay, let’s just chill out for a sec,” Gladio says. He puts both of his hands on Prompto’s shoulders. “Prompto. Breathe. Just shut up and breathe.”
Prompto nods, closing his eyes to breathe in and out. He tries to calm his heart rate to no avail, but manages to keep his breathing out of the hyperventilation zone, concentrating on the weight of Gladio’s hands on his shoulders and the sound of his own slowing breaths. “Okay.”
“Should I leave?” Ignis asks softly. “I don’t wish to do any more harm.”
“No, stay here,” Prompto says finally. “I think I need some space. I need to clear my head, I need to prioritize shit. I’ve been stupid.”
Gladio snorts. “Kid, you can act stupid sometimes, but this ain’t your fault. This shit sucks. You haven’t had the time to prepare for this life the way Iggy and I have.”
“I’m not… I know what we’re supposed to do, it’s just...” Prompto says quietly. It’s just that I’m in love with Iggy and it sucks so fucking much, he thinks to himself.
Gladio doesn’t need Prompto to finish his sentence. “I know, blondie.”
Prompto looks into Gladio’s amber eyes. “How are you not freaking out?”
Gladio sighs. “I think I had a gut feeling even before Iggy spilled the beans. It’s why I had to spend some time alone. Did me some good. If you think it’ll do you good, then do it.”
Prompto doesn’t want to leave them, not really. He also knows that he might end up acting irrationally or lashing out if he doesn’t get some space and time to clear his head, however. The last thing he wants to do is leave Ignis. He rationally knows why Ignis did what he did, and Prompto knows if he were in Ignis’s position, he’d do the same thing. It’s probably why Prompto’s so frustrated -- he and Ignis are more alike than Prompto initially thought.
“I think I probably should,” Prompto says softly. “I’m not-- I’m not mad, Ignis, I just…”
“I understand,” Ignis says, his tone soft, but sad. “How long will you be gone?”
“I dunno,” Prompto says honestly. “I think I should help Aranea or Cindy or somethin’. Just kill some daemons or whatever. I’ll… I’ll come back soon. If you want me back, that is.”
Ignis tilts his head quizzically. “This will always be your home, should you want it to be. I hope you know that.”
Prompto tries not to cry more, but more tears overflow in his eyes. “Uh huh.” He sniffles. “Thanks, Iggy.”
“You needn’t ever thank me for that.”
“I’ll go get a ride somewhere,” Prompto says. He looks at Gladio. “Will you stay with Iggy for a while?”
“Yeah. I got him.”
“Take the car, Prompto. It’s not as if I can use it,” Ignis points out.
Prompto sighs. “Okay. I’m gonna go pack a few things.”
Ignis nods as Gladio lets go of his shoulders. Prompto heads into their bedroom to pack a bag with a few outfits and things, not knowing how long he’ll be gone. He’s already starting to regret leaving, but he knows it’ll be good for him to know what to prioritize.
Prompto’s sure of one thing, though; he’ll never stop being in love with Ignis, not for as long as he lives, probably.
Prompto slings his bag over his shoulder, dropping it onto the floor when he sees Gladio hold out his arms. Prompto walks into his embrace gratefully.
“Be careful. Don’t do anything stupid, got it?” Gladio says.
“I’ll try,” Prompto manages. “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
Gladio smiles gently. “Nah, kid. Go find your peace or whatever.”
When Prompto separates from Gladio, he looks over at Ignis, unsure what to do. “I’ll, uh, see you later, Iggy?” Prompto asks awkwardly.
Ignis frowns. “Come here, Prompto.”
Prompto finds himself walking right up to Ignis without thinking it through at all. Ignis wraps his arms tightly around Prompto. Despite the heated discussion they just shared, all Prompto wants to do is hold Ignis.
So he does.
Prompto locks his hands around Ignis’s neck, sighing softly. “Tell me if you need anything, okay?” Prompto whispers against his chest.
“Thank you. I will, so long as you do the same. Know that I care about you very much,” Ignis promises. “Don’t ever forget that.”
“I care about you, too,” Prompto says. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Prompto punishes himself by leaving Ignis’s embrace too soon. He grabs his bag, and with one final look at two of his best friends, he heads out the door with tears in his eyes.
Prompto sits behind the wheel of the car without driving for a few minutes, trying to calm his breathing. He thinks of how irrational he was being to Ignis, how much he almost let his feelings slip out, how much he misses Noct and how much he’s going to miss Noct even after he comes back, and finds himself bursting into tears.
“C’mon, Prompto, get your shit together,” he mutters to himself, and then starts to laugh bitterly. “Gods, where are you, Noct? You’d be making fun of me so bad right now.” He punches the steering wheel lightly, shaking his head. “It fucking sucks without you, dude.”
Prompto sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, a gesture that reminds him of Ignis so much that he starts to cry a little harder for a moment. He takes a deep breath, blinking away any remaining tears, breathing hard for a few moments.
Not Prompto’s finest hour, that’s for certain.
Prompto puts the key in the ignition, turning on the daemon-resistant headlights before backing out of the parking lot. He starts heading east, hoping Cindy won’t mind that he’s visiting again so soon. With his paranoia about it starting to eat him alive, Prompto calls her, putting her on speaker phone and setting the phone on the dash.
Cindy answers after a few rings. “Prom? That you?”
“H-hey, Cindy!” Prompto attempts to sound happy, his voice a little hoarse from crying so hard. “I was, um, wondering if you needed a hand at the garage or somethin’, just for a little while? I need to get outta the house.” He laughs weakly.
“Is somethin’ wrong? You just left yesterday, didn’t ya?” Cindy asks with a gentle laugh. “I mean, yer welcome here, of course! Is Paw Paw okay? He ain’t drivin’ ya up a wall, is he?”
Prompto frowns, shaking his head to himself. “No, no, none of that. He’s doin’ good so far. I just… I found out some tough things, and, um…” He takes a deep breath. “I just need some air.”
“Is that shortcake?” A familiar voice Prompto immediately recognizes as Aranea’s comes from the background on the other end of the phone. “Lemme talk to him.” There’s some shuffling, much to Prompto’s amusement, as he keeps his eyes on the road. Prompto hears a gentle protest from Cindy followed by more shuffling. “Blondie!” Aranea gushes, the smile in her voice evident.
“Aranea?” Prompto asks with another laugh. “What are you doin’ over in Hammerhead?”
“Had some parts I thought Cindy might need,” Aranea says, maybe a little too defensively. “What’s going on? You sound all down in the dumps, kiddo.”
Prompto sighs. “It’s a, um, long story.”
“You’re drivin’ all the way over here? What about Ignis?” Aranea asks teasingly.
Prompto’s heart thuds achingly in his chest, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Uh, it’s just me.”
Aranea seems to get the message pretty quickly, as her tone sobers up instantly. “Ah. I gotcha. Look, if you need to come here, you should. I’m not heading outta here for a few days. We can chat.”
Prompto smiles sadly. “Yeah. That sounds great. I miss you, dude!”
Aranea sighs. “You want me to stay on call?”
“Nah. Have fun with Cindy. I just wanted to make sure it was okay to come over. Are you sure you checked with her?” Prompto asks, biting his lip.
“‘Course it’s okay. We were just talking about you, actually.” There’s some more shuffling, followed by Aranea cursing. “ Ow. Alright, alright. Cindy’s taking the phone from me-- later!”
Prompto raises his eyebrows, surprised anyone could manage to take anything from Aranea.
“Howdy, sorry ‘bout that! Aranea stole my damn phone,” Cindy says. “You doin’ alright, Freckles?”
Prompto smiles at their antics, happy that at least some of his friends are happy. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be okay.”
“Well come on down, if ya want. We’ll be waitin’!”
Prompto sighs again. “Thanks, Cindy. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Prompto’s happy he’ll have a place to go while he clears his head. It’s a little unnerving to drive the streets alone, surrounded by daemons, but he knows that the headlights will keep them away, and in case of emergencies, he’s got all his guns with him. Prompto has no idea how long he’ll be gone, but he’s hoping it won’t take long before he’s ready to face Ignis and come clean about his feelings.
Prompto puts some music on his phone on shuffle, smiling at all the songs he used to play in the Regalia before everything went to shit. He remembers always sitting shotgun next to Ignis, Noct sitting in the backseat playing King’s Knight with him, while Gladio read. He focuses on those happier memories, and it drives him through the rest of the region with a decent amount of ease.
Prompto immediately sees Aranea’s ship landed just outside the garage in Hammerhead, and he smiles to himself. The trip didn’t seem nearly as long as it did when he was perched in the back of Dave’s truck, but he’s still happy to see signs of his friends.
Prompto finds both of them in the garage, laughing at each other. Aranea’s holding a wrench for Cindy as she tightens the bolt on a wheel. They seem to be really enjoying each other’s company, exchanging teases. Prompto watches them for a few seconds before making himself known.
“Ladies,” Prompto announces himself teasingly.
Aranea’s head turns, a grin spreading on her face. “Shortcake.”
Prompto smiles as he runs into Aranea’s outstretched arms. She smells like gasoline and other vehicle fumes -- a little like Cindy -- and it makes him laugh.
“Heya, Prom! How ya doin’?” Cindy asks.
“I’m okay,” he lies. “‘Nea, you smell like gas.” He snorts.
Aranea releases Prompto from her hug with a soft laugh. “Blame that on Cindy. She spilled gas all over me.”
“Ain’t my fault you filled it up too high,” Cindy complains, grabbing the wrench from Aranea’s hand without looking. “What ya doin’ back here so soon? Thought you wanted to go back home, it seemed like.”
It’s so strange having Lestallum being referred to as home. Prompto’s never called a place like that home. Though, now, with Ignis, it seems like the man himself is home no matter where he goes, as cheesy as it sounds.
Prompto sighs. “I did. I do. I mean, I dunno.” He looks at the ground. “Found some stuff out, I guess.”
“Yeah, you keep saying that,” Aranea says. “What do you mean? Do you wanna talk about it?”
Prompto kicks a pebble that wandered its way into Cindy’s garage. “I dunno.”
“Did you get into a fight with Ignis?” Aranea presses.
“Oh, I sure hope not,” Cindy adds.
“I mean, not really? I should be mad at him but I’m not as mad at him as I should be,” Prompto murmurs. “I, uh. He told me things I didn’t wanna hear. But I should’ve been able to know a long time ago.”
“Like what?” Aranea asks. “If Ignis messed up, it must be serious.”
Prompto lets out a bitter laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah. I guess you could say that.” He sighs. “I found out Iggy almost got himself killed when everything took a turn for the worse, I guess. I had no idea. I mean, I knew, ‘cause his eyesight, y’know? But… I dunno. He didn’t tell me. Didn’t tell anyone, but sometimes I feel like I’m not important to him since he didn’t tell me.”
Aranea sighs. “Look, kid, that’s rough, but I don’t really think he was trying to be malicious.”
“No, I know. That’s why I’m not mad. I’m just kinda disappointed, y’know? Thought I was gonna have a much different conversation,” Prompto says with a sigh. “Now I gotta mourn my best friend.”
“Mourn? Ignis isn’t dead,” Aranea points out. “And the fact that he told you now means he cares and he wants you to know. That’s good, right? What even started all this?”
Prompto feels a lump in his throat, and he desperately tries to swallow it. “I, uh. I wasn’t talking about Iggy. I was talking about Noct.”
“The prince? What’s he got t’do with this?” Cindy asks, putting down her wrench for the moment.
Aranea seems to get the picture, though. Her lips press into a thin line, her brow furrowing as she shifts her weight to the other side, her head tilting toward Prompto sympathetically. “He’s not gonna make it, is he?”
Prompto feels his eyes well up with tears as he wordlessly shakes his head. “Uh, no.”
“So Iggy knew,” Aranea realizes, “and he sat on that. I get it.”
Prompto nods, sniffling as he blinks back tears.
Cindy looks up with a soft look of sadness. “There isn’t anythin’ you can do?”
“Iggy says no. In order to get rid of all this darkness and daemons and shit,” Prompto starts, “Noct’s gotta sacrifice himself.”
Aranea clicks her tongue against her teeth disappointingly. “Tough fucking break,” she says sadly. “He’s a good kid.”
Prompto smiles through the tears. “He’s the best.” He sighs, trying not to cry in front of either of them. “I just feel so helpless, y’know? And the fact that Iggy hid it from me all this time…”
Cindy looks over at Aranea before looking over at Prompto. “I don’t think he meant any harm by it, darlin’. But I understand bein’ upset. I’d wanna know everythin’ when it comes to folk I care ‘bout.”
“Yeah, I mean,” Aranea says with a sigh, “that’s… probably not the best decision he could’ve made. But I don’t think he was hiding it. It’s a hard thing to tell others that, especially someone like you. You’ve got a big fucking heart, Prompto, and you and his Majesty were, what, best friends, right? That’s a huge deal, kid.”
“I know, I know,” Prompto whispers. “I’m not mad at him. He carried it with him all this time, that was torture enough. I’m glad he told me now, but there’s never really a good time.”
“True. How much of a difference would it have made if he told you as soon as he found out and now?” Aranea points out.
Prompto thinks about that question. She has a point in the fact that no matter when Ignis would have revealed this information, it still would’ve crushed him. “I’m not sure,” Prompto admits. “Maybe just the suffering together thing would’ve helped. I always… think I’ve gotten somewhere with Iggy, then I get the rug pulled out from underneath me.”
Aranea frowns. “I don’t think that’s what’s happening, blondie.”
“Mmhm. You shoulda heard him on the phone when you were last here,” Cindy interjects. “He found out you were huntin’ alone and I swear to the Astrals he was ‘bout to walk over here blind t’make sure you were alright.”
Prompto can’t help but smile at that, remembering how worried Ignis sounded that night. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Y’know, I think Specs has his way of dealing with shit, just the same as you do. Sometimes one or both of you is gonna fuck up. I know you think the guy’s perfect from what you told me back in Niflheim, but he’s gonna make mistakes now and again,” Aranea says.
“I know. I forgave him, and stuff like that. I just… it’s a lot, y’know? I left Gladio with him, he was there when it all went down,” Prompto explains. “I just… I was gonna tell him about my stupid feelings, man.” He laughs bitterly. “I feel like an idiot.”
Cindy stands up, her curls bouncing a little as she frowns. “I still think ya should, for what it’s worth, Freckles.”
“I can guarantee you he doesn’t feel any better,” Aranea says. “How do you think he feels? He let down the guy he likes enough to make him bail.”
Prompto feels his cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I told him I’d be back.”
“Probably wouldn’t make him feel any better,” Aranea says with a laugh. “He’s probably scared shitless right now.”
“Alright, alright, I feel guilty enough,” Prompto whines. “Maybe I should just suck it up and go back.”
Aranea laughs. “I do think you should go back, kid, but clearing your head’s always a good thing. Give it a few days or weeks. It’ll prioritize shit for you. Didn’t tell you that to make you feel guilty. I just know it takes a hell of a lot for you to realize that people care about you. Especially that one. All the times we all fought in battle? I saw you guys. He covered you just as much as his prince. And you did everything to protect Ignis, too. It was real sweet,” she teases, rolling her eyes.
Prompto’s eyes widen. “What? No way. We’re all supposed to protect Noct.”
Aranea smirks. “You really didn’t notice it, did you? Of course you wouldn’t.”
Cindy giggles. “I think you two are gonna be just fine. I give it less than a day before Tall ‘N Handsome’s callin’ me up worried sick ‘bout ya.”
Prompto runs a hand through his hair. “I hope you’re right,” he admits. “I don’t think this is gonna go away. Gods, why can’t I just like him a normal amount?”
“Always the drama with you dorks,” Aranea teases. “Work up a sweat out here, then run back to him. You got this. I am sorry about Noctis, though. Things won’t be the same without him.”
Cindy sighs. “Always so sweet, that one, despite bein’ a little lost out here.”
“He did really good after a while,” Prompto says, sniffling a little. “I’m so proud of him.”
They both nod in agreement.
“Me too, kid. Me, too,” Aranea says, reaching out to ruffle Prompto’s hair.
“Amen to that,” Cindy says. “Now, you two wanna help me replace this darn transmission? I’ll reward ya both with some beers with your name on it.”
Prompto definitely could use something to drink after all this, even if beer isn’t his favorite. He smiles, grateful for the distraction. “I’m up for it, huh, ‘Nea?”
“Lemme tie my hair up,” Aranea agrees with a grin.
By the time Prompto’s had some good food and drinks with Aranea and Cindy, showered, and crawled into bed, there’s an unread text message. Prompto expects it to be from Gladio, but finds himself anxiously and pleasantly surprised.
Iggy (11:02 P.M.): I apologize for messaging you so soon, but I do hope you’re alright and I want you to know that I am thinking about you. Please do stay safe. Have a pleasant night, Prompto.
Prompto sighs; Ignis is always so formal, but he’s resorted to even more formalities than usual. He feels so guilty for leaving and upsetting Ignis, but he knows that separation for a while is best, despite the ache in his chest.
Prompto hovers his fingers over the call button for a solid ten minutes before he decides against it. He tosses his phone across the bed after putting it on the charger, trying to ignore it and head to sleep.
Eventually, guilt and longing eat away at him and he finds himself replying.
Prompto (11:42 P.M.): i’m okay. i’m thinking about you too ignis. i hope you’re okay too. sleep well
Prompto bites his lip, realizing it sounds a little too selfish, so he sends another message.
Prompto (11:43 P.M.): if you need anything let me know!
Prompto sighs, hoping that’s good enough. He closes his eyes, when his phone vibrates almost off the bed entirely. In a moment of weakness, he finds himself instantly reading the reply.
Iggy (11:44 P.M.): I’m glad to hear it. Thank you.
Prompto whines softly at the formality again. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to push the messages out of his brain, hoping he can recover himself quickly enough so he can head back out to Lestallum as soon as possible.
A week passes before he hears from Gladio.
The shrill chirp of his phone ringing after a particularly exhausting daemon hunt causes him to nearly jump out of his skin. Upon checking the caller ID, Prompto sighs. He uses the remaining bit of adrenaline from his hunt to work up the courage to answer the phone.
“Gladio,” Prompto says, sitting down outside the Hammerhead garage with a sigh. “What’s up?”
“You’re alive,” Gladio says sarcastically. “I tried callin’ you, like, three times today, man. What gives?”
“I was hunting, dude! Didn’t check my phone yet, I just got back,” Prompto says. “Sorry.”
Gladio sighs. “My bad. Iggy’s having a damn fit about it, so…”
Prompto hears a sharp, accented, “Gladio,” come from the other end of the phone, sounding exasperated. Prompto’s heart pounds, the first time he’s heard Ignis’s voice in a week. Prompto misses him so much, even though he’s pretending otherwise.
“Well, uh, I didn’t hear anything from him. I haven’t heard anything from him, so he must not be doin’ that bad,” Prompto says. “... Is he?”
“He’s alright,” Gladio says. “It’s ‘cause he’s trying to give you space. Thinks that’s what you want.”
Prompto frowns. “He doesn’t have to do that.”
“That’s what I told him, but he doesn’t listen,” Gladio says. There’s some shuffling in the background before Gladio grunts, “Ow! I’ll get to it, Specs, hang on, damn. Your food’s burning.”
Prompto smiles sadly, but he doesn’t feel happy at all. “Glad you guys are havin’ fun, at least.”
“That’s one word for it,” Gladio grumbles. He lowers his voice. “He’s a fucking mess, blondie.”
Prompto’s stomach lurches. “What? I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“Like I said, it’s ‘cause he’s’ trying to give you ‘space.’ Y’know, he calls Cindy every morning and night asking about you,” Gladio says.
Prompto’s eyebrows raise. “Cindy never told me that. Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. He either won’t shut up about you or he’ll just shut down and turn into a robot. If I say your name, he pretty much flinches. It’s real pathetic, dude. He’s got it bad,” Gladio says. “D’you wanna talk to him?”
Butterflies flood Prompto’s stomach. “Do you think that’s a good idea?” he asks gently. “I don’t wanna upset him. Gods, I’m such a dick, I didn’t know. Um. Is he okay?”
“Physically, yeah. Look, this ain’t my place, but… you’re comin’ back, right?” Gladio asks. “I think it’ll kill him if you don’t come back.”
“I’ll come back, I promise,” Prompto says much too quickly. “I miss him, Gladio… I…”
“Specs! C’mere and talk to him,” Gladio calls out before Prompto can do anything about it.
“ Gladio,” Prompto hisses, but it’s too late.
“Prompto?” Ignis’s voice is gentle, soft, and sadder than Prompto’s ever heard him before.
“Iggy,” Prompto finds himself responding. “Are you okay?”
There’s a moment of silence. “I’m… fairly well, are you alright? How are you feeling?”
The only thing Prompto can tell is that Ignis is lying, saving face as usual. “I’m pretty crappy,” Prompto admits. “I miss you.”
There’s a brief sigh. “I miss you more than I have words for.”
Prompto closes his eyes, taking the phone away from his ear and placing it against his chest for a soft moment. He inhales a deep breath before returning the phone to his ear. “I’m-- I’m glad.”
“You are?” Ignis asks hopefully.
“Yeah. It would suck missing someone who doesn’t miss you,” Prompto points out awkwardly.
A soft, sad chuckle vibrates the phone. “Indeed. I always miss you when you are away, Prompto.”
“Me, too,” Prompto says. “Look, I’m not mad at you. You don’t gotta stay away from me or, like, not talk to me, y’know? I promise you don’t gotta blow up Cindy’s phone if you’re worried about me.”
There’s another moment of silence, and when Ignis speaks, he sounds sheepish. “You… were not supposed to find out about that.”
Prompto smiles. “It’s okay. It’s nice to know that you care. I’m sorry I’ve only texted Gladio now and then about you.”
“I may be a bit of a worrier,” Ignis admits.
“Just a little.” Prompto laughs. “And I know Gladio’s keeping you safe.”
“Yes. I… will speak to you from now on,” Ignis promises. “I thought you wanted differently. I apologize.”
“Don’t apologize, Iggy. I always wanna hear from you,” Prompto says. “I’ll be back soon, okay? Just need a little bit more time.”
“Take all the time that you need,” Ignis insists. “If you need anything , please… don’t hesitate to ask me.”
Prompto swallows nervously. “I-- you, too, okay?” Prompto wants to say the words over and over and over again: I love you, I love you, I love you. He chickens out, instead, biting his lip on a small sigh. “I should probably shower or see if Cindy needs some help. Don’t burn your food, dude.”
Ignis laughs, but it’s a tense, unhappy sound. “I shall do my best. I hope you can get some rest soon enough?”
“You too, Igs. Bye.”
Prompto hangs up the phone with teary eyes, feeling it vibrate in his hand.
Gladio (6:03 P.M.): u should see how much he’s smiling. thanks for doin that for him dude
Prompto smiles despite himself. He’s gotta get his shit together, and fast, or he’ll lose Ignis for good.
I KNOW, I KNOW, they shall reunite next chapter i promise
alriiight just a warning, there's some mild violence in this chapter -- broken bone, near-death experience, light medical care, all that jazz. <3
Prompto is pretty sure he is about to die.
He supposes he had an okay run, even though he’s literally not been able to do anything he’s set out to do with his life -- which kind of sucks a lot.
He’d hoped he’d at least get to kiss Ignis, just once. It’s even crueller that he’d planned -- hoped to plan -- on doing that today, or maybe the next day, whenever he can get to Lestallum fast enough.
Prompto guesses that isn’t happening anymore.
Prompto’s sort of glad Ignis isn’t here right now. He’d tell him what a dumbass he is for taking on a hunt like this alone. The only thing keeping him alive right now is his flashlight, and it’s starting to flicker as he hides in an abandoned car frame about ten miles north of Hammerhead.
Prompto has no idea how much time has passed. His phone died what feels like hours ago. He was only supposed to be here about an hour -- tops -- until a necromancer appeared, breaking his fucking arm.
At least, Prompto’s pretty sure it’s broken. He can’t move it and it throbs with excruciating pain. Reloading his guns was a nightmare, until he ran out of bullets entirely. He can’t wield a blade with a broken arm, it’s a sucide mission. His car is parked about a mile out, and even if he can outrun daemons, he can’t get past the perimeter that they’re now circling around the abandoned car frame.
Naturally, the car he’s kneeled in is just a skeleton of its former self -- no windows, no seats, no wheels, no engine. Cindy probably picked it apart for parts months ago, as it’s now entirely abandoned. It leaves little to the imagination of how he’ll die, the groans of the daemons and the cold night air making him shiver. The daemons will rip him to shreds or he’ll starve to death -- maybe get a weird infection from this stupid broken arm, if that’s even possible. Considering that it’s Prompto, it’s probably just his luck.
So, yeah. Prompto’s going to die, it’s just a matter of when.
He’s lucky he managed to slip his body through the frame of the empty car window enough to fit underneath it.
Prompto’s hand tremors as he reaches with his good arm to inspect the bad one once he’s pretty sure he’ll be safe -- for the time being, at least. He tries to move it even slightly, maybe feel for the fracture with his fingers when an excruciating jolt of pain radiates through his entire arm. He groans, a tear sliding down his cheek at the sensation. Prompto’s never been one for pain much. He abandons that attempt. He needs medical care for his arm, if he’ll ever be lucky enough to get it.
Prompto takes a deep breath, reaching in his pocket to try to turn his phone on for the hundredth time.
“C’mon, baby, just a little bit of juice, just enough to call someone, c’mon--” Prompto mutters to his phone above the groaning of the daemons around him.
The phone doesn’t power on -- it doesn’t even flicker the logo anymore like before. Prompto drops the phone onto his lap, running his fingers through his hair.
“Fuck,” Prompto whines, the stress getting the best of him.
The daemons seem to growl more the louder Prompto is, and the more he moves. The sound of them even drowns out the sound of his own panicked breaths and pounding heartbeat.
Prompto’s flashlight flickers, and he looks at it in panic. If it goes out, the only choice Prompto has is to either fight with his blade or make a run for it -- maybe both, with a broken arm and exhaustion settling in.
Prompto throws his head back until it hits the metal frame of the abandoned car with a thunk. “If you’re gonna kill me, why don’t you just fucking do it already!” Prompto shouts, another tear spilling down his cheek.
Prompto tries to think of happy thoughts, any happy thought he can think of. Luckily enough, before this long dark, Prompto has quite a lot of wonderful memories to choose from. For some reason, however, Prompto can’t help but think of one of the first moments he spent time with Ignis totally alone, way back when he was a teenager. He closes his eyes, trying to find his happy place.
There’s not much to do when you’re fifteen years old and you’re waiting for the Prince of Lucis to show up at an arcade to hang out with you.
The Prince of Lucis. Prompto still can’t wrap his head around the thought that Noct even wanted to talk to him, let alone hang out with him all the time. He’s grateful for it, though, because Noct is slowly becoming one of the most important people to him, and Prompto only hopes that Noct even slightly feels the same.
Prompto’s so happy that he worked up the courage to talk to Noct after all these years. It’s quickly turned into of the best decisions of his life.
Waiting, however, has never been one of Prompto’s strong suits. He loosens the tie on his school uniform with a soft sigh. Noct had some sort of training to do after school, so their plans at the arcade are slightly delayed more than usual. Prompto’s usually fine with spending time alone, but right now, all he wants to do is hang out with his best friend.
Prompto hears a tiny whine from one of the claw machines toward the front of the arcade -- a kid, maybe no older than ten, pouts at the fact that he wasn’t able to win one of the plush chocobos stuffed in the corner of the claw machine. It was a tough break -- corner plushes are almost always harder to get than the ones in the middle. The claw doesn’t usually go over far enough, Prompto’s learned (he’s tried it a shamefully high amount of times).
Still, as soon as the kid’s mother drags him out of the store, Prompto chews on his lip, looking at the plush chocobo. Shuffling the arcade coins in his pocket, he grins, heading toward the claw machine, ready to win himself the cutest little chocobo in the world. (It would look perfect with his other chocobo plushes, that’s for sure.)
One attempt turns into three, and before he knows it, he’s fishing his empty pockets for arcade coins that he doesn’t have.
“Dammit,” Prompto mutters, eyeing the chocobo in the machine like it’s a winning lottery ticket.
“May I try?” a sharp, accented voice asks from next to him.
Prompto jumps, despite recognizing the voice instantly. “Holy crap!” Prompto blurts as he turns to look at none other than Ignis Scientia, who happens to be wearing an amused expression. “You scared the blue outta my jeans, dude!”
Ignis laughs at this, a light sound. Prompto’s a little floored; he doesn’t think he’s ever heard the guy laugh before. “You aren’t wearing jeans,” Ignis points out, pushing his black, rectangular-framed glasses up his nose. They should look dorky as hell on anyone, but Ignis still manages intimidation instead -- he’s attractive, alarmingly so. “I apologize for startling you.”
Prompto stares at Ignis, feeling his cheeks warm up. He looks over Ignis’s shoulder for any sign of Noct, as the two are usually attached at the hip, but he doesn’t see Noct anywhere. Without Noct, Prompto has no idea why Ignis is even here. Prompto’s pretty sure he’s some sort of cryptid vampire; the guy’s only two years older but it feels like he’s ten years older -- stoic, intimidating, and quiet as hell. As for why one of Noct’s retainers is here without, well, Noct, is a total mystery to Prompto.
“Yeah, it’s an expression, um,” Prompto says awkwardly, hoping he doesn’t look as red as he feels. “No offense, but, uh, what are you doin’ here?”
Ignis’s eyebrows raise, still looking a bit amused, which is still so strange to Prompto; he’s pretty sure he’s never even seen the boy smile in his presence ever. “Winning you a chocobo, of course,” Ignis states plainly, as if this were obvious.
It’s almost like Ignis is being playful. Prompto, who at this point, considered Ignis either a robot or someone who pretty much hated Prompto, blinks at him confusedly. “I’m… outta coins?” he states, phrasing it as question for some reason.
Ignis extends his palm to reveal a handful of coins. “I purchased some more for you.”
Prompto laughs, shaking his head in disbelief. “How long have you been here, dude? I didn’t even know you were here.”
Ignis smirks. “Only a few minutes. You were a bit preoccupied trying to win that chocobo.”
“Are you, like, here to spy on me and kill me on behalf of the crown or somethin’?” Prompto asks warily. “I swear I’m just here to play some shit with Noct, dude.”
Prompto finally sees it, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on Ignis’s lips. He sort of feels honored, like he earned it. “I’m keeping an eye on you for Noct. He’s having a bit of a delay this evening, so I came on his behalf.”
Prompto swallows nervously. “You don’t, uh, gotta do that. Shouldn’t you be with him, man?”
Ignis’s eyes wander over to the claw machine. “Gladio is with him,” he says boredly. “Now, may I?” He gestures to the claw machine.
Prompto feels himself flush for some weird reason, and steps aside to let Ignis have access to the machine. It’s a little funny watching the world’s most stoic seventeen year-old alive insert arcade coins into a claw machine and expertly maneuver it. A funny feeling floods through his chest as he watches the prince’s advisor stare at the plush chocobo with his brow furrowed and bottom lip tucked in his teeth. Ignis aligns the claw up with the chocobo’s head, crouching to make sure that it’s aligned with all angles, his skull pendant necklace hitting the window of the machine softly before he stands upright again.
“Dude, no, you’re not gonna get it, you’re not in the corner far enough,” Prompto mumbles, eyes shifting between Ignis’s face and the cursed chocobo.
Ignis pauses a moment to glance over at Prompto, his eyebrow quirked teasingly. “Watch and learn, hmm?”
That funny feeling returns to Prompto’s chest, and it spreads throughout his body. Ignis might be scary as hell, but mostly because he’s also hot as hell. There’s no way Prompto can tell anyone that, but Prompto never knew Ignis could be playful like this-- mostly because Prompto had no idea Ignis was even within the ballpark of being able to talk to like this.
“Fine,” Prompto plays along, “your funeral, dude!”
Ignis laughs confidently, returning his gaze to the claw machine. He checks the angles once more before pressing the red button to lower the claw. It grips the bright yellow chocobo’s body only slightly, but it latches firmly around its head, the chocobo effectively being lifted.
“Oh my Gods,” Prompto gasps under his breath, gazing at the claw machine like Ignis is rescuing a puppy from danger instead of a stuffed animal. “Oh my Gods, dude!”
Prompto elbows Ignis excitedly, and Ignis appears expressionless as the claw successfully brings the chocobo over to the prize slot, dropping it quietly.
Ignis bends down to retrieve the stuffed chocobo from the slot. The dude looks so serious holding a chocobo plush, Prompto can’t help but laugh a little as Ignis turns to face Prompto.
Ignis pushes his glasses up his nose once again before extending the chocobo to Prompto. “Your prize,” he declares, the tiniest hint of teasing in his voice.
Prompto tries not to overthink this, despite this being the first time Ignis has shown him any attention outside of formal pleasantries. However, the more he looks at the pretty green of Ignis’s eyes, the teasing hint of a smile on his lips just because he was able to win a chocobo for Prompto without anyone else around, the more that weird, funny feeling returns to his dumb heart.
Astrals above, please don’t let me get a crush on the advisor to the crown. Don’t do this to me, I’ve got exams in a week, Prompto thinks bitterly.
Prompto grins despite himself, his cheeks probably redder than ever as he takes the stuffed chocobo from Ignis. “Aww, you won it for me?!”
Ignis gives him a questioning look. “Certainly. Why else would I have done it?”
Prompto’s heart races out of his chest, and yep, there goes all of his objectivity right out the window. He’s definitely got an official Crush on the boy (with a capital C), and there’s absolutely nothing anyone can do about it, least of all Prompto.
Before Prompto can respond as he hugs the stuffed chocobo to his chest like a prized possession, Noct bursts through the front door of the arcade, a little out of breath as Ignis and Prompto stand next to the claw machine right next to him.
“Oh. Cool, you’re here,” Noct says to Prompto with a smile. “C’mon, what are you doin’ over here? Justice Monsters, dude!” Noctis looks over at Ignis for a brief moment. “Hey, Specs.”
Noctis starts to tug on Prompto’s arm, encouraging him to head deeper into the arcade. Prompto locks eyes with Ignis, a dazed look on Prompto’s face as he processes what just happened. Ignis holds out the remaining coins Ignis bought for Prompto with a knowing sort of smile.
Prompto hesitantly reaches out to grab them, his heart thudding as their hands and fingers brush along each other. Ignis is so warm.
“Oh, uh, thanks, Iggy. Can I call you Iggy?” Prompto asks timidly.
Ignis smiles fully then, nodding. It’s so beautiful it nearly leaves Prompto breathless. “You may. Enjoy your games. I can drive you home later, if you’d like.”
Well, that’s certainly one of the perks of having an older friend. Prompto lets Noctis drag him away from Ignis, but still nods with a laugh. “Really? Cool. Thanks!” he calls out.
Once Noct stops in front of the Justice Monsters Five pinball machine, Prompto can feel the prince’s eyes on him.
“Dude, why are you blushing?” Noctis asks, a confused look on his face.
Prompto can feel himself flush further at the interrogation. “Oh, uh. I think it’s hot in here, maybe. Did you know that Ignis doesn’t hate me?”
Noctis laughs, shoving him playfully. “You’re so weird. Of course he doesn’t hate you. He asks about you all the time.”
Yep. Crush with a capital C, baby.
Prompto opens his eyes, even more tears in them than before as he remembers the day that felt like decades ago instead of just a few years. They’d all been through so much. Prompto still has that chocobo in his apartment, though he’s pretty sure it’s gone now along with everything else he left behind in Insomnia. So much for sentimentality.
The sound of the daemons jarrs him from his thoughts, unable to hear anything above their groans, save for the fact that he’s pretty sure more have joined; he hears crawling, or maybe footsteps hurrying up to join the rest of them. Prompto closes his eyes, hoping that they’ll make it quick and painless if he has to die.
Of all the things he expects to hear next, Ignis’s voice isn’t one of them.
“Prompto?! Is that you?!” Ignis shouts from behind him.
Prompto’s eyes snap open, hoping he’s not hallucinating anything. He peeks his head out of the glassless window of the car frame with a soft gasp.
Ignis.
He’s really here, holding an elemental spell in his hand. Gladio’s not far behind him, his broadsword at the ready as he stares at Ignis, waiting for a command.
“Iggy?!” Prompto shouts. “I can’t get out, I’m trapped in this dumb car frame. There’s too many of them-- shit-- ”
Prompto ducks backward to avoid a dark spell by one of the necromancers. Apparently sticking his head out of his only protection isn’t the best course of action.
“Stay there! And brace yourself!” Ignis shouts.
Prompto feels the ground start to shake. He hugs his knees to his chest as he hears a loud bang. He starts to shiver as ice solidifies the ground underneath him. The daemons shriek in pain, a menacing growl coming from them as they start to separate.
Prompto realizes that Ignis has thrown his ice spell, distracting the daemons for the time being. Prompto shoves his phone in his pocket, gripping his flashlight tightly as he peeks out of the window once more.
Prompto catches a glimpse of Ignis, his eyes closed and hidden behind his sunglasses as he patiently listens for the sound of the daemons. His daggers summoned and at the ready, he starts tossing them sharply through the air, the sound of them whizzing above Prompto’s head. There’s no way Ignis can hit Prompto, as he’s still hidden in the car frame, but Ignis is just as careful anyway.
“Gladio!” Ignis commands.
Gladio starts striking the necromancers with his broadsword then, hitting the weak spots that Ignis has marked for him -- just like Ignis used to do with Noct. The command and confidence in Ignis’s voice really shows that his blindness hasn’t affected his abilities at all, especially with all the training they’ve done. It reminds him of simpler times, when Noct was here, and Ignis would gracefully strategize them to battle victories.
If this is the last thing Prompto sees, it’ll be worth it. Prompto loves Ignis so much his chest aches. He’d die a thousand times over for him; he’d crawl out of this stupid metal frame and become daemon bait just to keep Ignis safe.
For now, though, Prompto doesn’t think Ignis would care for that last bit too much -- so he stays.
Ignis has now joined the fray with Gladio, using his polearm to delicately complement Gladio’s wide strokes wit h the broadsword.
Prompto thinks of that one school night all those years ago at the arcade. All they had to worry about was a damn chocobo in a claw machine. At least, that’s all Prompto had to worry about. Ignis, as always, carries the weight of their problems.
Prompto then realizes that his weapon is here with him, all but useless. “Um, I got my blade if you guys need it?” Prompto asks. “I’d help you, but I think I broke my arm--”
“Stay in there, Prompto. We got this,” Gladio yells.
Ignis doesn’t say anything to Prompto at this point, as Gladio seems to have summed it up nicely. The two of them fight off the necromancers, Ignis switching between his polearm and daggers and elemental spells, while Gladio uses his broad strokes and his shield to cover Ignis when necessary.
It’s really beautiful watching Ignis fight. He’s lethal and graceful all in one; flexible and strong. If Prompto wasn’t so damn scared for them all out here he’d probably be drooling.
The last of the necromancers fall with a disturbing shriek, Gladio’s final strike killing it instantly. Ignis straightens himself up, daggers disappearing as he turns his body toward Prompto’s direction.
Gladio walks over to the metal frame of the car, kneeling down into the grass. He peeks his head through the window. “Can you get out of there on your own?”
Prompto nods. “Uh huh. I think so.”
Prompto tosses his flashlight out the window by Gladio’s feet, using his good arm to crawl his way out of the window. He lets himself fall to the ground, as it’s a short drop, landing on his back as he holds his bad arm.
Ignis walks toward the sound of Prompto tumbling onto the grass, kneeling down next to him. Up close, it very much affirms that Ignis is here, after all this time, his brow furrowed with worry, looking as beautiful as ever despite the stress in his expression.
Ignis reaches out, his hand finding Prompto’s chest until it slides up to cradle his face. Prompto makes a soft noise at the gentle touch as Ignis’s thumb starts stroking Prompto’s cheekbone.
“Are you alright?” Ignis asks, his voice low.
Prompto swallows nervously, his eyes stinging with tears. “Um, I think so. You saved me.”
Ignis’s lips part with surprise, a tear sliding down his cheek. “Of course I did.”
“How the hell did you find me?” Prompto asks.
“Guys, we don’t have time for this. It’s not safe here. Talk elsewhere. C’mon, give me your hand, Prompto,” Gladio urges.
Ignis lets go of his face then, straightening himself back up so that Gladio has enough room to hold out his hand.
“Careful, the other one is--” Prompto starts.
“I know. Good hand, let’s go,” Gladio says.
Prompto takes his good arm and grips Gladio’s hand. Gladio pulls him off of the ground effortlessly. Prompto sways weakly a little before finding his ground.
Ignis instantly reaches out to press his hand against Prompto’s lower back.
“Can you walk?” Ignis asks.
“I think so,” Prompto says, voice wavering a little. “Where’d you guys park?”
“Next to your car,” Gladio answers. “Quick, or more daemons will show up.”
Prompto starts to sway a little, the adrenaline getting the best of him as they hurry to whatever car Gladio brought here. Ignis tilts his head in Prompto’s direction, frowning. Ignis lets his arm curl fully around Prompto’s waist keeping most of his body weight propped against him. Prompto’s grateful for it, leaning in against Ignis’s chest as they walk.
“Do you need me to carry you?” Ignis asks in a low voice.
As much as Prompto wants to tell him yes , he knows Ignis should concentrate on his footing more than anything else, using his cane in his other hand. “No, I’m okay. This helps.”
“We need to give you a curative,” Ignis says softly.
“Gotta make sure that arm is set first,” Gladio warns.
“I’m well aware,” Ignis responds. “We must hurry.”
It seems like it takes forever to get to where Gladio parked, but thankfully, he left the car running so the headlights keep the daemons away. Gladio opens the backseat of the car, just as Ignis lets Prompto gently sit down, legs hanging outside of the car.
Gladio’s eyes fall on Prompto’s broken arm warily. “Think it can wait ‘til we get back to Hammerhead?” Gladio asks Ignis.
Ignis sighs out a tension-filled breath. “I’m uncertain. Prompto, I need to examine your arm.”
Prompto chews on his lip nervously. “Um, okay. It hurts, Iggy, don’t… touch it too much.”
Ignis frowns, almost resembling a pout as he places his cane in the backseat next to Prompto. “I will do everything I can to not hurt you.”
Prompto sighs, reaching out with his bad arm to touch Ignis’s hand, letting him know where it is. Even that slight contact makes him wince as Ignis grips his fingers gently. Ignis slides his hands up the length of Prompto’s arm, pressing it gently. Prompto gasps when Ignis presses just a few inches before the elbow, withdrawing his hand immediately.
“Ow!” Prompto yelps.
“Apologies, but I have to see if it is a break or a sprain. Please, hold still for me?” Ignis asks tensely.
“‘M sorry,” Prompto whispers, returning his arm back to Ignis’s grip.
Ignis tries to bend Prompto’s arm as soon as he returns to the spot that had hurt Prompto. Prompto groans, trying to chew his own lip off.
“Bloody hell, it’s definitely broken,” Ignis mutters. “Prompto, we’ll need to set it.”
Gladio sighs. “Here. Lemme do it. Move a little, Iggy.”
Ignis lets go of Prompto’s arm, moving slightly to the side with a look of soft horror. “Surely, it can wait. We needn’t do it here.”
“He’s gonna be in more pain later, and on the way if I don’t do it now. Plus, the longer you wait, the more of a chance the potion ain’t gonna work and he’s gonna have to wait for it to heal normally,” Gladio points out. He grips Prompto’s wrist in his hand. “Alright, blondie, deep breath for me.”
“ Wait a moment, Gladio, let me get the bloody curative,” Ignis retorts.
Prompto watches Ignis pull out a potion, holding it in his palm. Prompto looks over at Gladio with gentle panic.
“Whoa, hey, heh, I don’t mind waiting,” Prompto murmurs nervously, attempting to tug his hand away from Gladio’s grip.
“No time,” Gladio says. “Look at Iggy.”
Prompto’s stomach churns. It’s been a month since he’s really looked at Iggy, and Prompto wants to look at him more than anything, but he’s scared. He’s scared of what’s going to happen now that Prompto literally has nothing left to lose anymore. Gladio’s hand slides up Prompto’s arm to where the break is, and Prompto sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth.
“ Prompto,” Gladio nearly growls, “look at Iggy, dammit.”
Ignis crouches to get more face-to-face with Prompto, potion in one hand, the other resting on the car door. “Prompto, love, look at me, please,” Ignis says in the gentlest voice.
Prompto turns his gaze to Ignis then, studying the lines and scars on his face, on his eyes. Ignis called him love, like Ignis still doesn’t hate him after bailing for a whole month, like Prompto didn’t make a dumb mistake by staying out here all this time. Ignis even broke his sunglasses by helping him, one of the lenses shattered.
“Okay,” Prompto says softly. “I’m sorry.” Prompto doesn’t know which part he’s even apologizing for -- the glasses, the rescue, the lack of contact.
There’s pressure instantly as Gladio starts moving Prompto’s arm. He tightens his grip with both hands, and Prompto barely has time to react before pain shoots through his arm and up his entire body as he hears a sickening crunch. It hurts so badly Prompto sees stars.
“ Fuck!” Prompto nearly screams.
Prompto instinctively reaches out with his good hand to hold onto Ignis’s, squeezing it tightly. Ignis immediately holds Prompto’s hand in his own, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb into the back of Prompto’s hand. Prompto breathes heavily, the pain still throbbing up and down his arm as his eyes water through the pain.
“Shh, it’s alright,” Ignis says gently. “The worst is over with. Give me your hand.”
Prompto’s hand opens hesitantly as he watches Ignis reach out with the curative, feeling for Prompto’s hand so he can place the potion in it. Ignis closes Prompto’s fingers over it, shattering easily. Relief washes over his body instantly as the magic does its job. Prompto lets out a soft sigh, happy that the hard part is done with. Ignis still holds his other hand in his own tightly.
“Good. Move your arm for me?” Gladio asks.
Prompto nervously tests the function of his arm, finding he can move it easily and painlessly. The potion seemed to work, and with Gladio setting his bone straight, it doesn’t even seem like it was even broken to begin with.
“It’s good,” Prompto says hoarsely.
“Alright. Let’s get the hell out of here,” Gladio says. “We’ll get your car later.”
Prompto doesn’t know if Ignis is going to leave his side, but Prompto feels selfish. His grip tightens on Ignis’s hand, not wanting him to go anywhere. He tugs gently, coaxing Ignis into the backseat with him as Gladio gets in the driver’s seat.
Ignis gives Prompto a worrying look. “Are you able to move over a bit?” he asks softly.
“Uh huh,” Prompto says quietly as he gives Ignis enough room to sit next to him.
As soon as Ignis sits, Prompto leans against him, their fingers still locked together. Gladio speeds in the direction of Hammerhead, and Ignis doesn’t make any effort to move Prompto away from him, thankfully.
“Um, thank you both. For saving my stupid ass,” Prompto mutters.
Ignis squeezes his hand. “None of that, now.”
“What the hell were you doin’ out there by yourself?” Gladio asks.
“Um, well, I thought it’d be a quick thing, y’know. One of those things broke my arm when I tried to get away, I ran out of bullets and didn’t have anywhere to go outside of that car thing,” Prompto explains. “And, of course, my phone died, charger was in the car.” He sighs. “I--I thought I was gonna die. How did you guys find me?”
“I thought it’d be best to come and visit,” Ignis says after a slight hesitation. “It’s been… some time, and Cindy invited us to come see you. When we arrived, she was quite worried, said she hadn’t heard from you and you’d left hours ago. They’d sent out a hunter search party, but had no idea how far you went, or in which direction.”
“We tracked the GPS on your phone,” Gladio explains. “Here was the last known place before your phone died.”
“I was just trying to get in one last hunt before I came back to Lestallum,” Prompto says softly. “I’m really sorry I worried you.”
“I’m just glad you’re alright,” Ignis admits. “How are you feeling?”
“Hungry. Thirsty,” Prompto says with a bitter laugh. “But otherwise okay.”
Ignis reaches down and produces a water bottle for Prompto. Prompto nearly moans at the sight of it as he takes it, chugging at least half of it in one go.
Prompto swears he hears a chuckle from Ignis, but he’s not sure. “Glad to hear it,” Ignis says softly.
“Yeah. Scared the shit outta us, blondie,” Gladio says with a sigh.
“Sorry.” Prompto chews on his lip. “Hey, remember when I broke my arm junior year? When I fell outta that tree?”
“Yeah, why the hell were you in a tree at age seventeen anyway, dude?” Gladio remarks from the front seat.
Ignis doesn’t smile, but there’s amusement in his tone. “He was rescuing a cat for Noctis.”
“Of course Noct encouraged you,” Gladio mutters.
“Remember you drove me to the hospital, Igster?” Prompto asks quietly, ignoring Gladio’s tease.
“Yes. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a curative for you at the time. However, I was the first to sign your cast upon your request, as you can recall,” Ignis reminds him.
Prompto smiles. “You drew a little pair of glasses next to your name.” He sighs. “Are you guys okay? Sorry I’ve been so crappy with texts and calls. I’ve just been keepin’ real busy.”
Prompto had only talked to Ignis on the phone a few times after the first week of leaving Lestallum. After a month had passed of working on cars with Cindy, improving his weapons, and hunting daemons, the more and more Prompto felt like maybe Ignis was better off without Prompto. They obviously needed to talk more about what happened, and being so far away, they couldn’t do that. Prompto knows there’s a good chance he messed things up with Ignis permanently, so holding Ignis’s hand like this means more to him than anything.
“Yeah, we’re okay,” Gladio says.
Prompto looks over at Ignis confusedly. Ignis’s mouth is set into a frown, head turned away from him as he responds. “As alright as we can be, given the circumstances.”
Prompto’s heart twists anxiously. If anything is unsolvable between them, Ignis doesn’t mention it. Prompto starts running his fingers along the smooth skin of Ignis’s hand, and he hears Ignis let out a gentle sigh, sounding tired more than anything else.
“S-so you guys, um, are staying with each other still?” Prompto asks timidly.
“I still gotta get Iris training. This was just supposed to be a temporary thing ‘til you got back. If you got back,” Gladio adds at the last minute.
“I don’t need a chaperone, Gladio, we’ve discussed this,” Ignis laments.
“I… um, yeah, I always planned on coming back. I got caught up in this project with Cindy, and Aranea was here for a few weeks helping me figure shit out, and I lost track of time, but… if you don’t want me anymore, um… I understand.” Prompto chews on his bottom lip.
“If you are happy working with Cindy, Prompto, then you should stay,” Ignis tells him, “but if you would like to come back, as I said, it will always be your home just as much as it is mine.”
“Okay,” Prompto says quietly. He’s slightly relieved by Ignis’s words, but not by much -- they have a lot to discuss still.
Gladio, practically flooring it to reach the Hammerhead garage faster, arrives much sooner than it took Prompto to drive out. As soon as Gladio slams the car door, Cindy runs out, dropping whatever tool she had in her hand in favor of getting to the car faster. Iris runs out next to her, apparently having come with Gladio and Ignis.
Before Ignis opens the door, he turns to Prompto. “Are you alright?” he asks, voice low and worried.
Prompto gazes at him for a long time, selfishly and longingly wanting to re-remember every square centimeter of Ignis’s beautiful face. “Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Um, Iggy?”
Ignis has his hand on the door handle and pauses his actions, hesitating. “Yes?”
Prompto feels his cheeks heat up, heart pounding in his chest. I love you, Prompto wants to say. Instead, he focuses on Ignis’s sunglasses. “Your glasses are broken,” Prompto tells him instead.
Ignis frowns, reaching up to touch the shattered lens. “Ah. So they are.”
Prompto bites his lip. “Thank you for saving me,” he murmurs, feeling a little guilty.
Ignis smiles sadly. “No thanks are necessary, Prompto.”
Ignis opens the car door then just as Cindy and Iris get to the car. Prompto crawls out of the backseat, still a little woozy but otherwise fine.
“Prom!” Cindy gushes, rushing forward to wrap her arms around Prompto in a friendly hug. “You damn near gave me a heart attack!”
“You guys found him! Are you okay, Prompto?” Iris asks worriedly.
“I know, I know, I’m real sorry,” Prompto murmurs, using her to keep his balance as he hugs her back. “I’m okay. Just tough luck.”
“I ain’t lettin’ ya go out by yourself anymore, that’s for damn sure! Gotta keep a damn leash on ya,” Cindy says with a frown, pulling away from Prompto.
Prompto laughs nervously. “I won’t go out alone anymore. Thought it’d be an easy hunt, dude.”
Cindy sighs. “Thank you both for findin’ him. I was worried sick.”
Ignis seems tense, stiff; his lips aren’t quite frowning, but they’re stretched into a thin, emotionless line. “I’m very glad we arrived in time.”
“Yeah, ain’t that lucky. Are you alright, Prom?” Cindy asks worriedly.
“Once we get some nutrition in him, he should be fine,” Ignis murmurs. “No harm done.”
“Broke his damn arm for a minute, though,” Gladio says. “Maybe you’ll be more careful next time, huh, blondie?”
Prompto feels himself flush. “Yeah, I know. ‘M sorry.”
“Perhaps we should cease the torture,” Ignis suggests. “I would hope he’s learned his lesson.”
Prompto looks at the ground sheepishly. Ignis doesn’t exactly sound disappointed, but he sounds sad, which isn’t any better.
Gladio sighs. “Alright. I’m gonna go get Prompto’s car. Cindy, d’you mind comin’ with me?”
“Not at all,” Cindy says. “Help yourself to any food, Freckles. Get ya back on your feet.” She squeezes Prompto’s shoulder before sliding in the driver’s seat to drive Gladio to Prompto’s car.
“Can I come with, Gladdy?” Iris asks hopefully.
Gladio sighs. “Yeah. Backseat. Seatbelt. ”
“Stay safe, all of you,” Ignis says. He turns toward Prompto’s direction, with a gentle frown. “Let us get some food in you, then I do say it’s high time we had a conversation, hmm?”
Anxiety swirls through Prompto’s stomach. “Um, yeah. I think so.”
Ignis nods. “Come with me?”
Prompto and Ignis grab some food the hunters helped cook over by Takka’s restaurant before heading into the unoccupied caravan. Prompto takes a much-needed shower before sitting down with Ignis to eat. Being alone with Ignis is both intimidating and comforting. All Prompto can really focus on is how much he’s missed Ignis.
The anxiety isn’t enough to slow Prompto’s appetite, however; all the energy and adrenaline that he’d used up today leaves him ravenous. He eats pretty quickly, Ignis seemingly grateful for that.
Prompto watches Ignis for a moment. The silence between them is tangible, and Prompto’s desperate to break it.
“Are you, um,” Prompto begins, pushing his plate of food away, “are you mad at me, Iggy?”
“No. I’m simply worried about you,” Ignis says. “You didn’t intend to get yourself into danger.”
Prompto bites his lip. “I don’t mean about that. I mean, like, are you mad at me for leaving for a while?”
Ignis frowns. He reaches out, finding Prompto’s leg to place his hand gently on his knee. “Of course not, Prompto. I want your happiness, always. Even if that means you stay here instead.”
“I really wasn’t gonna stay here, though. I was actually planning on coming back to you tomorrow. Or today, if it was early enough, then all this shit happened,” Prompto explains. “I don’t wanna be away from you. I--I’ve missed you so much.”
Ignis lets out a gentle sigh of relief. “I’ve missed you, as well. Things simply aren’t the same without you.”
Prompto’s heart aches. He reaches out to touch Ignis’s hand on his knee, their fingers lacing together. “I guess I should’ve realized trying to grieve alone was a bad idea. I mean, I had Cindy and Aranea for a little while… but they weren’t you.”
“I was… rather worried that I’d ruined things with you. I know that I deserve it, as I was dishonest with you,” Ignis says, “but I must selfishly admit I hoped that you would forgive me.”
“Iggy, no, you don’t deserve that. You have no idea how much you mean to me. I was never mad at you. Upset, maybe, because it scares me to think about you putting that ring on, sacrificing your life like that. It scares me ‘cause I can’t imagine my life without you, dude,” Prompto admits. “Sorry if that’s, uh, weird to say.”
“I don’t think that’s strange at all. I find myself feeling similarly,” Ignis says softly. “You’ve no idea how worried I was earlier. All I wanted was to keep you safe. The mere thought of not hearing your laugh or smile again…” he trails off, seemingly unable to finish.
“Iggy,” Prompto murmurs. He leans in, hugging Ignis tightly. “I’m so sorry I was selfish. We should’ve stuck together. I broke your trust, and… I left you alone. I suck.”
Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto, pulling him against him. “You aren’t selfish. I’m the selfish one. I wanted you to be alright, I wanted us to continue to be alright instead of dealing with my bloody issues. I was awful to you, and I apologize.”
“Shut up,” Prompto breathes, his face buried against Ignis’s neck, “there’s nothin’ awful or selfless about you. I get it. If I knew… if I knew what you knew, I’d be scared to tell you. We were good together, and… y’know. Wouldn’t wanna mess it up.”
Ignis inhales sharply, his hand burying in Prompto’s hair. “Yes. I’m truly sorry if I have.”
“You haven’t,” Prompto promises. “But… I know I left now, but I won’t leave again. Tell me about your issues, okay? You gotta let me in. You shouldn’t carry things alone just ‘cause you can. I think that’s the only thing that hurt me. Well, y’know, the news about Noct is…” Prompto sighs. “Sometimes I feel like I’m unimportant to you, ‘cause you hide all this stuff... I’m pretty much an open book to you, y’know?”
“I’ve… never allowed anyone to share my burdens,” Ignis admits. “I know all of you would be willing, but I’ve never allowed myself to let it get that far. I’ve always thought I’d be better keeping them to myself, but I… find myself wishing to share everything with you. I always have, I simply wasn’t certain if you’d… desire it. I am sorry that I kept those things from you. I do hope you know that I wasn’t purposely keeping secrets. I was trying to figure out the best course of action -- the right timing, and I ended up getting lost in spending time with you. I was careless.”
Prompto pulls away slightly just to look at Ignis. He reaches up, resting his hand on Ignis’s cheekbone, cradling his face. “Well, I want you to share everything, okay? Everything you wanna share. I wanna be here for you, y’know? We’re… friends! We live together, and… sometimes there is no right time, right place. Sometimes crappy is always gonna be crappy, but we can make it less crappy together, huh? There’s nothing careless about you, Igster. Nothin’. Just… let me be important to you once in a while, yeah?”
“Prompto,” Ignis says, slightly flabbergasted. “You are always , and always have been important to me. You always will be. I’m… going to have to ask you to be patient with me, but I will do everything I can to ensure that you always feel important to me.”
“I can be patient! I’m hella patient,” Prompto says with a smile. “Can we… Can I…”
Ignis reaches up to touch Prompto’s hand on his cheekbone, gathering Prompto’s hand in his own. He squeezes it gently, placing it on his lap. “Yes?” he asks teasingly, a soft smile on his face.
“Can we go home?” Prompto asks sheepishly. “I feel so bad you came all the way out here… let me drive you home.”
“I am always happy to go anywhere to see you,” Ignis promises, then laughs gently. “Well, perhaps not quite literally see you, but you understand the sentiment. Are you certain you’re up for that drive? We can always spend the night here.” Ignis gestures to the caravan.
Prompto frowns. “I mean, as nice as the caravan is…” Prompto says sarcastically. “I miss our bed, dude.” His heart thuds in his chest as he says the words.
Ignis smiles, it even reaching his eyes. It’s such a beautiful smile, it always has been. “I would like that more than anything.”
Prompto lets out a nervous laugh. “Me, too. We should probably talk a little more once we get there, huh?”
Ignis raises an eyebrow. “What ever about, Prompto?”
Prompto swallows. “I, uh, never got around to tellin’ you… what I was gonna tell you, y’know, a few weeks ago.”
It’s quiet for just a moment too long. “You didn’t,” Ignis whispers. “Do you wish to tell me now?”
“Hmm. I would, but in a caravan’s not really the best way to, um…” Prompto trails off, wishing Ignis knew what the hell he was talking about. “Unless… if you wanna stay?”
Ignis chuckles. “I’ve been trying to get you to come home with me for weeks now. I would very much prefer to head back, if you’re able, once Gladio returns with your car.”
“ Our car,” Prompto corrects. “I’m happy to come home with you too, Iggy.”
Prompto supposes it’s only a matter of time now when he’ll find out how Ignis feels about him, truly. Excitement and anxiety swirl through his stomach as he hears Gladio knock on the caravan door.
“Hey, we’re back. Your car’s fine, Prompto. You comin’ out?” Gladio says through the door.
“We’ll be there in a moment, Gladio,” Ignis calls out. He squeezes Prompto’s hand. “I’m very glad we were able to talk about this,” he says to Prompto.
Prompto bites his lip. “Me, too. Let’s get the hell outta here, huh?”
Ignis smiles. “Indeed.”
As soon as they step out of the caravan, Gladio looks at them warily. “You two good?”
Prompto nods. “Yeah. We’re good,” he says, glancing over at Ignis. “Right, Iggy?”
“More than,” Ignis agrees. “I gather you’re staying here with Iris, Gladio?”
“Yep. Gonna meet up with the Marshal soon, get Iris situated with some basics,” Gladio says. “You good to drive, blondie?”
“Uh huh. I feel fine now that I’ve eaten a little bit,” Prompto says. “Thanks for taking care of Iggy while I was messin’ around.” He laughs.
“Don’t gotta thank me for that,” Gladio promises. “C’mere.” Gladio pulls Prompto into a spine-crushing hug into which Prompto melts. “Stay safe, alright? Don’t scare me like that again.”
“Okay, big guy. Don’t be a stranger.” Prompto pulls away to look at Iris. “Take care of this dude, okay? He needs all the help he can get.” Prompto winks at Iris.
Iris giggles. “I will. I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll see you around.”
Cindy sighs with a smile. “Finally headin’ home, huh?” she asks. “Well, gimme a hug, Freckles.”
Prompto smiles as he hugs Cindy. “Thanks for puttin’ up with me all this time, grease monkey. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“You better!” Cindy teases. “Y’all have a real safe trip, alright? It’s so good seein’ ya, Ignis!”
Ignis smiles. “You as well, Cindy. Take care.”
Prompto watches as Gladio and Ignis hug with a soft smile.
“See ya, Specs. Take care of Prom, won’t you?” Gladio says.
“I will,” Ignis promises. “Farewell, Ms. Amicitia?”
Iris beams. “Bye, Ignis.”
Prompto reaches out to grip Ignis’s bicep, guiding him gently toward their car. “You ready to leave, Iggy?”
Ignis nods. “I’m all yours, Prompto.”
Prompto only hopes that will be true as soon as they get to Lestallum. Then again, life or death experiences really prioritize what’s important, and Prompto knows that what’s important is the man sliding smoothly into the passenger’s seat next to him.
As soon as Prompto pulls out of Hammerhead, he reaches out to grip Ignis’s hand gently. An involuntary smile spreads across Ignis’s lips as he returns the gesture, and Prompto can only hope that everything will work out in his favor.
sexual content in this chapter!!! lotsssssss of sexual content..... you have been warned altho you should know that already you're on an explicit fic lmao
The trip back to Lestallum, despite its length, seems to go by much faster with Ignis riding shotgun. They hold hands through almost the entire trip, neither of them saying much. The last time Prompto was in a car this long, Ignis was driving the Regalia. His heart aches thinking about it. He never even got to say goodbye to the old girl.
When they arrive back to their small apartment, Prompto can't help but smile. Everything looks the same, smells the same, hints of Ignis and Prompto everywhere -- hell, even Gladio.
Ignis lets go of Prompto's hand now that they're safely inside. "Well, I was going to prepare us supper, but seeing as we've already eaten… perhaps dessert?"
Prompto frowns, feeling his cheeks flush for some reason. "You don't gotta make anything. I should be making you something. You saved my ass today."
"Come now, it was nothing. I'm afraid I insist? I've something nearly prepared already, I simply need to add finishing touches. Sit? You need to relax."
Prompto starts laughing. "Wow, you really are extra as all hell, aren't you? Fine, I'll indulge you, only 'cause you're adorable."
Ignis snorts, his cheeks turning decidedly pink. "Very well, I'll take what I can get."
Prompto grins, happy he's still managing to embarrass Ignis into a pretty flush after all this time. Prompto props his legs up on the coffee table as he listens to Ignis put finishing touches on whatever dessert he's made that's sure to taste incredible. He's missed Iggy's food so much.
An object out of the corner of his eye distracts Prompto from his pining thoughts: the guitar Cindy had given to him over a month ago that he brought home. He hasn't had the chance to play with it yet, having left, but he gets the urge to do it now.
Prompto picks up the guitar, sitting back down. He strums once, wincing at how out of tune it is. He plucks some strings, tuning it the best he can by ear with a soft laugh.
Ignis peeks his head around the corner of the kitchen at the noise. "Do you play, Prompto?"
Prompto feels himself flush. "Uhhhh, not since high school, and not very well." He snorts.
Ignis smiles. "Now, now. Don't sell yourself short."
Taking advantage of the fact that Ignis seems to have disappeared back into the kitchen, he strums the guitar again. It sounds a lot better than before, at least. Stopping to think for a moment, he remembers the beginning chords to the song he's been humming for the past few weeks. Placing his fingers on the frets, he starts to play the song.
Once Prompto starts, it’s easy to remember the chords from high school. Prompto laughs a little to himself as he plays, humming the first part of the lyrics, not wanting to sing like an idiot in front of Ignis.
Ignis doesn’t seem to make an appearance, however, so Prompto figures it’s safe to start singing softly to himself as he strums the guitar. “ Two of us Sunday driving, not arriving, on our way back home. We’re on our way home.”
Prompto plays through the break in words, happy he remembers the lyrics. He’s usually one to play a pop song, something a little newer, but he used to dig older stuff back in high school, until he realized that life’s too short not to learn to play Carly Rae Jepsen on the ukulele.
Ignis, at this point, is leaning against the wall, facing Prompto. There’s a gentle smile on his face, and Prompto goes back to humming shyly, not realizing that he was watching.
“Don’t stop, Prompto,” Ignis pleads gently.
Prompto feels his cheeks start to flush as he continues to sing, not wanting to disappoint Ignis. He focuses on his fingers hitting the right chords instead of looking at Ignis, not wanting to mess up because he’s nervous. “ You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead. Two of us wearing raincoats, standing solo, in the sun. You and me chasing paper, getting nowhere. On our way back home. We’re going home.”
Prompto finishes the song, strumming the last chords just as Ignis sits down on the couch next to him. He’s holding a parfait glass filled with what looks like strawberries and some sort of white cream, drizzled with some sort of red syrup and a cherry on top. It looks so delicious it takes him a moment to register the fact that Ignis is sniffling, his nose a bit red.
Prompto shoves the guitar on the floor. “Iggy? Why are you crying? Are you okay?” Prompto asks. “I hope I wasn’t that bad. I told you, I’m rusty.” He laughs nervously.
Ignis laughs despite himself, blinking away his tears. “I’m perfectly fine, Prompto. It’s not often I hear you sing anymore. I’m afraid I let my emotions get the best of me.”
Prompto’s fickle heart thuds with affection. “Oh, jeez, buddy, we need to get you some better taste,” he teases. He scoots closer to Ignis despite his joke, reaching over to collect one of Ignis’s escaped tears on the pad of his thumb. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, but I’ll crappily sing and play an out of tune guitar for you anytime.”
Ignis smiles, seeming to press further into Prompto’s touch. “I would love that. I hadn’t any idea you enjoyed older music.”
Prompto shrugs. “I like pretty much anything, dude. Used to learn shit like that to try to impress my crushes in high school, buuuuut… we all see how that turned out.” He snorts.
“I find it very charming,” Ignis says gently, a soft smile on his lips. “Would you care for some dessert, now, Prompto?”
“Holy shit, would I. That looks incredible, I’ve been eyeballing it ever since you walked over here,” Prompto admits sheepishly. “Is that strawberry?”
“A strawberry cream parfait, yes. You told me you enjoyed strawberries one night at camp, and I’ve had it in my head to prepare something for you since. Well, I suppose I was saving it for a special occasion…” He chuckles. “And here we are.”
Prompto flushes. “Wow. You remembered that?”
Ignis ducks his head. “Does that bother you?”
“No,” Prompto says much too quickly, “it’s really sweet. Lemme try it?”
Ignis smiles. He sets the parfait glass on the coffee table as he reaches over to feel for Prompto, his fingers smoothly touching the side of his neck, sliding upward until they reach his chin. The gesture raises goosebumps on Prompto’s flesh.
Now that Ignis has located Prompto’s mouth, he scoops up some of the parfait onto the spoon and gently brings it to his mouth. Prompto laughs a little, a nervous sound, as he helps Ignis guide the spoon into his mouth.
The cream and strawberries instantly hit his tongue, and Prompto groans. “Oh, my Gods. Oh my fucking Gods, dude,” he says, words muffled from the dessert in his mouth.
“Is that a good response, or a bad one?” Ignis teases.
Prompto responds with another moan, waiting to swallow before responding this time. “Fuck. It’s amazing. You’re trying to kill me.”
Ignis laughs, his cheeks pink again. “Now, now, I would never. I would be awfully lonely if that were to happen. Would you care for another bite?”
Prompto’s heart thuds at the comment. He tries not to think too much about the fact that Ignis is feeding him dessert, but then again, it is really intimate and Ignis shows no signs of stopping. “I’d love another,” Prompto finds himself saying.
This time, it’s easier for Ignis to guide the spoon to his mouth. Prompto sighs, the second bite tasting just as good -- if not better -- than the first. “Holy shit, dude. You’ve gotta try this.”
Ignis smirks. “I made it for you.”
Prompto laughs, swallowing his bite nervously. “I--I know, but... wait, did you make this and leave it here knowing I’d come back?”
Ignis laughs sheepishly. “Call it wishful thinking.”
Prompto grins. “Well, it worked. I... wanna feed some to you, too… can I?”
Ignis lets go of Prompto’s chin, setting the spoon back down in the dessert. “If you’d like to,” Ignis murmurs, the volume of his voice just above a whisper.
“Okay,” Prompto does whisper.
Prompto gets some of the parfait on the spoon, making sure there’s plenty of strawberries and cream in the bite. Prompto looks over to find Ignis looking pensive, his lips parted slightly. Ignis’s breath comes slightly heavier than normal, and Prompto wonders if he’s as nervous as Prompto is. Prompto reaches over to gently touch Ignis’s jawline, to let him know where he is, as he slowly brings the bite to Ignis’s lips. Prompto watches, slightly mesmerized as the dessert disappears past his perfect pink lips.
Ignis hums pleasurably as he slowly tastes it on his tongue. Prompto had no idea one could get turned on by watching someone eat dessert, but here he is, being a disaster as usual. He moves his hand off of Ignis’s face, not wanting to linger too long in case Ignis doesn’t want it. Prompto removes the spoon from Ignis’s mouth, a bit of the cream catching the corner of Ignis’s mouth.
“Oh! Oops,” Prompto splutters as he instinctively reaches forward to collect the whipped cream at the edge of Ignis’s lips.
Ignis, however, had the same thought apparently, as his tongue darts out at the same time to gather the remaining cream. It causes his tongue to brush against Prompto’s finger, and Prompto can’t hold back the gasp at the sensation.
Prompto withdraws his finger slightly, not wanting to be too much when Ignis chuckles softly, seemingly unbothered by it. He takes that reassurance and runs with it, pressing his finger back to Ignis’s mouth.
“Might as well,” Prompto murmurs, “there’s still some left…”
Instead of licking the cream off of Prompto’s finger like before, Ignis opens his mouth, taking the pad of Prompto’s digit into his mouth. Prompto lets out a shaky breath at the sensation as he feels Ignis’s tongue swirl around his finger, effectively sucking the cream off of it. The sensation goes right to Prompto’s dick, starting to make itself shamefully known in his jeans. Prompto desperately tries to ignore it, wanting to linger and enjoy this for as long as Ignis will indulge him.
Ignis releases Prompto’s finger with a muted pop that has no business sounding as obscene as it does. Prompto already misses the feeling, the warmth of Ignis’s mouth. He starts thinking of how his mouth would feel on his own, how it would feel everywhere.
Prompto remembers to breathe, bringing himself down from his dirty thoughts as he puts the spoon back in the dessert. “Did you like it, Iggy?” His voice is soft, almost wavering.
“Very much so,” Ignis remarks as he swallows.
Prompto’s inclined to agree, but he’s certainly not talking about the dessert anymore. Prompto leans in toward Ignis, enthused by the encouragement in his voice.
Prompto is about to speak, when Ignis does it for him, the question coming from nowhere yet still the very best thing Ignis could possibly ask. “May I touch you, Prompto?”
“Uh huh,” Prompto responds much too quickly, still leaning in gently.
Ignis turns on the couch to face Prompto more as he smiles, reaching up to brush his fingers along Prompto’s cheekbone. Prompto wants to close his eyes at the feeling of Ignis’s soft fingertips, but he wouldn’t dare miss every infinitesimal expression on Ignis’s face.
Ignis’s lips are parted softly, curiously, as his fingers lightly travel along Prompto’s cheek before tracing the ridge of his nose. His fingers slide to the other cheek, gently lowering to trace the edge of his jawline. Goosebumps start to rise on Prompto’s skin, and he’s pretty sure Ignis can hear his heart racing a mile away. His fingers cup his jaw, then, cradling Prompto’s head just underneath his ear as his thumb brushes along his chin.
Ignis is smiling now, gently, but still a smile. Touching Prompto’s face made Ignis smile . Prompto can’t believe it.
Prompto’s sure he’s got a hold on his emotions until Ignis’s thumb gently moves upward, the lightest of feather-soft touches brushing against Prompto’s lips. Prompto inhales a breath, parting his lips softly as Ignis’s thumb caresses his top lip before swooping around to brush against the bottom one.
“Iggy,” Prompto murmurs, his breathing wavering a little.
“Hmm?” Ignis says absentmindedly, as if he’s lost in his actions. “I miss seeing this adorable face of yours, I must admit.”
Prompto smiles nervously. “I-I’m not much to look at, don’t worry.” He laughs awkwardly.
“On the contrary,” Ignis whispers, gently sliding his thumb up to caress Prompto’s cheekbone, “I find you utterly breathtaking.”
Prompto’s heart basically gallops out of his chest at this point. There’s not many ways to interpret what’s happening here, despite Prompto’s insecurities. “Iggy,” Prompto repeats again, “I, uh, I gotta tell you.” His voice starts to waver now.
Prompto can’t believe he’s so nervous and wanting all at once; this man has been a constant in his life for years now, a thorn in his side, the reason his heart beats too fast all the time. If he’s not careful about this, he’ll lose all of it.
Ignis’s other hand reaches out to grip Prompto’s. “You’re trembling,” Ignis realizes. “What’s the matter?”
Prompto loses his train of thought as soon as Ignis starts rubbing his hand with his thumb, the touch warm and comforting. “It’s… it’s a little hard for me to… do all this stuff,” Prompto admits. “I--I’m--”
Ignis withdraws his hand from Prompto’s face, nearly shattering Prompto’s heart. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”
Prompto squeezes Ignis’s hand anxiously. “N-no! That’s not what I mean,” Prompto whines. “I think… somehow you gotta know, Iggy, that’s not what I mean.”
Ignis leans in then, far closer than Prompto expects him to, causing Prompto’s breathing to catch in his throat. “Then tell me what you mean, Prompto,” he urges gently.
“I can’t keep doin’ this without… I mean, I want--” Prompto’s words turn to a gasp when Ignis leans in further, their mouths only inches apart. The proper words completely vanish from his thoughts in favor of staring at the slight part to Ignis’s lips; the longing on Ignis’s face. “Oh, Gods.”
“What is it that you want?” Ignis murmurs, his breath gently warming Prompto’s own mouth with the proximity. “Tell me what you want…”
Ignis lets go of Prompto’s hand to slide his fingers up the length of Prompto’s arm, his shoulder, his neck, until his finger traces Prompto’s jawline again, feeling his every move.
Prompto shudders. “Iggy, d-don’t do this if you don’t want it.” Prompto squeezes his eyes shut. “Please, don’t… take it away from me.”
Ignis chuckles adoringly, the sound practically bouncing off of Prompto’s mouth as he’s leaned in so far they’re all but kissing. The hand on Prompto’s jaw slides upward to find Prompto’s hair, tucking a lock of it behind Prompto’s ear. “Oh, darling,” Ignis purrs, “I want this. You know how much I want this.”
Prompto whimpers softly, unable to keep himself from holding back anymore. Prompto closes the distance between their mouths, pressing his lips softly against the warmth of Ignis’s. His lips are even softer against his mouth as he closes his eyes, adding pressure to their kiss.
Kissing Ignis is so much easier than anything Prompto’s ever done before. His anxiety and nerves melt away in favor of pressing himself closer to Ignis, his hands roaming Ignis’s chest before they lock around his neck passionately.
Prompto peels his lips from Ignis’s, his eyes sliding open just in time to see Ignis chase Prompto’s mouth with his own breathlessly. Prompto slides his hands up to tangle in Ignis’s hair and lets Ignis connect their mouths again, with a bit more passion than before.
Ignis teases his tongue against Prompto’s bottom lip, and Prompto finds himself groaning, parting his lips for Ignis to slide his tongue into his mouth. Prompto tugs on his hair as their tongues tangle, and Ignis lets out a low groan of his own which tingles down his spine and settles pleasantly along his nerves.
Prompto acts without thinking, driven by his need for the man against him, and climbs forward, crawling onto Ignis’s lap while they kiss. Ignis moans into Prompto’s mouth as Ignis accommodates him, leaning back and letting his arms encircle Prompto’s waist to keep him there.
They kiss like that for several more moments, both of them gasping into each other’s open mouths. Sometimes they kiss slowly, passionately, until all of the tension Prompto has been holding these past few months bursts forward and Prompto finds his tongue exploring the tactician's mouth.
Ignis Scientia. Prompto’s making out with Ignis Scientia. After falling for the guy in high school, convincing himself that Ignis was completely untouchable, he’s now on his lap with his tongue in his mouth.
Prompto’s pretty sure this is what heaven feels like.
Both of them separate their lips from each other to breathe. Prompto’s heart pounds as he tries to regain his breath, and wants to kiss Ignis all over again when he sees him grin beautifully.
“Was that along the lines of what you wished to tell me?” Ignis teases, his voice a low purr. “Or is there more?”
“Um,” Prompto breathes, completely losing his train of thought. “I love you. I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you… this whole fucking time, dude. Every time I told you I loved you? Yeah, I meant… like this.” The words all tumble from his lips, unable to stop them even if he wanted to. “I’ve imagined you like this so many times I honestly don’t know what to do with myself now that I have it.”
“Well, I can think of a few things,” Ignis murmurs teasingly, pulling Prompto’s head toward him for another kiss.
Prompto certainly isn’t complaining, getting lost in the warmth and softness of Ignis’s mouth once more.
When they pull apart, once again breathless, Ignis reaches up to cradle Prompto’s cheek. “I’m in love with you, as well, you know. I was trying to be patient,” he huffs out a laugh, “so that you were comfortable. I was trying to wait for you to come to me, but… I suppose my patience wore rather thin.”
“You are?! What about Noct?!”
Ignis frowns. “Pardon?”
“Fuck, man, I thought you were in love with Noct this whole time.” Prompto feels his cheeks heat with flush. “Oops.”
Ignis laughs at this, his one good eye closing shut adorably as he does. “Is that why you weren’t receptive to me? After all the times I’ve touched you and held you , you thought I was fancying Noct ?”
Prompto gnaws on his bottom lip guiltily. “Um. Yeah.” He laughs. “Shit.”
“Bloody hell, Prompto. Why didn’t you ask me?” Ignis lets out another laugh.
“I mean, that’s not exactly smooth, is it? ‘ Hey, Iggy, you got a boner for Noct? Askin’ for a friend .’”
Ignis slides his hand up Prompto’s chest with a soft smile. “Well, perhaps not with that exact wording…” he teases, hand sliding up to cradle his face. “I love Noctis, I’m not in love with Noctis, I assure you. I thought it quite clear my affections lie with you. You were my only unknown variable.”
Prompto sighs longingly, putting his hand on Ignis’s to keep it against his face. “Me?! I was, like, throwin’ myself at you, dude.”
“Yes, well, you weren’t exactly quiet about Cindy,” Ignis points out, his thumb starting to stroke Prompto’s cheek. “Then you disappeared over there for nearly a month…”
Prompto feels himself flush, heart pounding nervously. “I--I know, I’m sorr--”
“Mmm, no apologies,” Ignis purrs, gripping Prompto’s head to pull him down for another kiss.
Prompto groans against his lips, forgetting their conversation for a moment in favor of tasting Ignis’s tongue. When they part, Prompto presses his forehead against Ignis’s, sliding up further on Ignis’s lap.
“I lied about Cindy. All this time. I didn’t want you to find out about my crush on you so I pretended it was about Cindy instead,” Prompto explains sheepishly, pressing another tiny kiss to Ignis’s lips.
Ignis chuckles. “Ah. Is that so?”
“Yeah, she found out about it, too, it was so embarrassing,” Prompto mutters with a laugh. He sobers for a moment. “When I was over there, all I thought about was you. It was getting so hard to be around you without telling you. I think I stayed over there so long ‘cause I knew as soon as I saw you I would’ve… told you. I didn’t want it to ruin stuff…”
“Darling, you couldn’t have ruined anything. You’ve no idea how fond I am of you, how much I wanted you back in my arms every night,” Ignis murmurs, hand sliding around to start running his fingers through Prompto’s hair.
Prompto feels himself flush at the pet name Ignis gives him, closing his eyes at the sensation of Ignis’s gentle fingers in his hair. “Gods, Iggy, I missed being in your arms, dude. It was killing me… it’s always killed me.” He opens his eyes to stare at Ignis, his eyes lingering on the scars on his eyes.
Ignis is quiet for a moment, continuing to stroke Prompto’s hair lovingly. “How long have you been keeping this from me?”
Prompto’s heart thuds. “Promise you won’t judge me?”
“I would never.”
Prompto takes a deep breath, placing his hand on the side of Ignis’s cheek. “Um, well, I always thought you were kinda hot? Like from the moment I met you, but that’s a kinda no-brainer.” He laughs nervously. “Um… but, like, I was in total denial ‘til that one night… y’know, at the arcade?”
Ignis raises an eyebrow. “You’ll have to be a bit more specific. There’s been an awful lot of nights like those,” he teases, leaning upward slightly to kiss Prompto.
Prompto smiles against his mouth, then sighs again. “When we were, um, alone? You won me that chocobo. In the claw machine…”
Prompto feels Ignis gasp more than he hears it, just the gentlest of noises as his brow furrows. “ Prompto , we were… teenagers . Bloody hell, all this time?”
“Yeah,” Prompto admits sheepishly, “all this time. I was thinkin’ about that night, earlier, when I thought I was gonna…" He swallows nervously.
Ignis frowns. “Why that night?”
“It was the first time you really paid attention to me. And you did such a nice thing for me. I thought you hated me.” Prompto bites his lip.
“When we were children?” Ignis teases. “I never thought someone like you would enjoy my company.”
“Why not?! You’re perfect, and I’m just…” Prompto trails off, not wanting to go down that route.
“You’re just charming, sweet, clever, funny, and so very much full of love. I’ve never met anyone like you in my entire life. You’ve turned my life upside-down all these years and I’ve yet to be able to right myself ever since.”
Prompto’s heart hammers, shocked that he even managed to have an effect on Ignis at all, let alone like this. “Iggy, holy shit. I--I didn’t even know you thought about me.”
“Of course I do. I think about you every moment of my day,” Ignis tells him sweetly, twirling Prompto’s hair around his fingers. “I was rather proud to win that chocobo the first time around, you know. I thought it would take several attempts to wedge it out of that bloody corner.”
Prompto’s jaw drops. “So all that confidence was fake, huh?!”
Ignis grins. “Perhaps. I spent a rather long time trying to impress you. I suppose after all these years, it seems to have worked.”
“You didn’t need to. I was already impressed from, like, the moment I met you. And Noct gave me that pastry you made for me?! I had to lie to Noct about why I looked like a lobster.”
Ignis’s laugh is deep and musical. Prompto hasn’t seen him smile like this in such a long time. “And did that work?”
“Nope. He found out, like, a week later.” Prompto snorts.
“You told him that you thought I fancied him instead?” Ignis teases.
“No way, dude! I didn’t wanna get involved in that. I never said a word about it.”
Ignis laughs even harder. “Goodness. Aren’t you adorable?”
Prompto giggles. “Stop. I’m a mess.” He sighs. “How long has it… been romantic for you?”
Ignis sighs gently. “I’ve truly always been rather charmed by you,” he whispers. “Though, I suppose I realized my feelings when you talked about others the way I wished you would talk about me. Cindy, Noct, Aranea… You’ve no idea how much you made me realize what a jealous man I am.”
“Wait, Noct?” Prompto asks.
“Yes. You’re both very close.”
“Shit. We both thought the other was in love with Noct?! He’ll be laughing his ass off when he finds out,” Prompto says, laughing.
“I suppose he will. We have been a bit foolish…” Ignis teases, lips ghosting along Prompto’s jawline.
“I didn’t mean to make you jealous, I didn’t know you were… it was all fake, anyway. I only ever wanted you. Though, I mean, that is kinda hot… wait, scratch that, really hot.”
Ignis raises an eyebrow. “Oh, is it?” Ignis purrs, starting to place teasing kisses on Prompto’s jawline, nibbling at his flesh playfully. “All this time we’ve wasted, hmm? I could have had you anywhere…” Ignis’s lips travel from Prompto’s jaw down to his neck, peppering kisses there.
Prompto lets out a moan as goosebumps erupt all over his flesh at the intimate kisses. Prompto tilts his head to the side to give Ignis better access as his dick starts to make itself known in his jeans again. “Fuck, Iggy… would you have? Anywhere?”
“Yes,” Ignis nearly growls before securing his mouth to Prompto’s neck and sucking the flesh there. “In motels… at camp while Noct was fishing… the backseat of the Regalia …” He chuckles teasingly and bites Prompto’s neck, hard .
“ Fuck,” Prompto moans, unable to resist the urge to grind his cock against Ignis’s lap. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, keep going… holy shit, Iggy, mark me.”
“Mmm,” Ignis hums against Prompto’s neck, “only if you do the same for me…”
Ignis latches his mouth onto Prompto and sucks on his neck, tongue brushing against Prompto’s jugular as he raises blood to the surface. Prompto whines, the feeling causing his dick to start throbbing in his jeans. He grinds down hard against Ignis only to find that Ignis is just as hard, their cocks grinding together through the fabric of their pants.
Ignis peels his lips off of Prompto’s neck to moan, his fingers digging into Prompto’s hips to guide him further up on his lap against his cock. “If I’d known kissing your neck was all it took to feel you hard on top of me, I would have done this a long time ago,” he teases.
Prompto groans, rewarding Ignis’s tease by surging forward and burying his face against Ignis’s neck. Prompto presses his lips on Ignis’s warm skin there, feeling Ignis gasp as he tilts his head to the side. Prompto moans softly against his neck as Ignis grinds upward, their arousals brushing together once more. Prompto starts sucking on Ignis’s neck then as they grind against one another. Prompto bites his neck, causing Ignis to moan, one hand on the back of Prompto’s neck keeping him there as Prompto sucks more hickeys into Ignis’s neck.
Prompto’s never heard a sound so sexy as Ignis moaning underneath him. He wants to keep coaxing those noises out of Ignis’s lips; he wants to reward Ignis with everything he can possibly give him. Prompto starts delivering kitten licks to Ignis’s neck before smirking.
“Gods, the things I wanna do to you…” Prompto moans as Ignis guides Prompto’s hips against him particularly rough. “I’ve imagined you like this so many fucking times.”
Ignis turns his head, his teeth grazing Prompto’s earlobe. “Have you touched yourself thinking of me?”
Ignis’s hand slides around to Prompto’s front to press his fingers hard against the bulge in Prompto’s jeans. Prompto groans. “Yeah, holy fuck , yeah I have,” Prompto moans.
“What did you do to me in your fantasies?” Ignis teases, pressing his fingers against Prompto’s cock harder through the fabric.
Prompto’s hips press into Ignis’s touch, his clothed cock desperate for some sort of relief. Prompto’s not been this pent-up and in need to come in such a long time. “C-came inside you. Made you beg me for it. Fucked you so hard your fingernail marks were in my back for weeks .” Prompto’s a little surprised he can be this vulgar only because he’s horny.
“Bloody hell,” Ignis moans, fingers sliding up to unbutton Prompto’s jeans. “Keep going. Use that filthy mouth for me.”
Prompto continues, hoping he’ll be rewarded with Ignis wrapping those pretty, long fingers around his aching cock. “Y-yeah? Wanted to bury my dick in your ass, give it to you nice and rough ‘til you came all over me. It got me goin’ so bad, Iggy, I’d always come so fast…”
Ignis moans as he unzips Prompto’s jeans, opening them just enough for Prompto to feel the cool air of the room hit his cock trapped beneath the thin fabric of his boxers. “Did… did you ever think of that when I was nearby?”
Prompto presses his mouth to Ignis’s neck, nodding where he knows Ignis can feel the gesture. “Yeah. Sometimes I wanted you to catch me…”
“I would have touched you myself,” Ignis promises, fingers teasing the hem of Prompto’s boxers, “Astrals, I would have taken you into my mouth, then and there... ”
Prompto moans, his fingers digging into Ignis’s shoulders as he spreads his legs wider on Ignis’s lap, coaxing Ignis to slide his hand down his boxers. “Fuck, Iggy, touch me, please , I’m so fucking hard.”
“Mmm, yes you are, darling,” Ignis says with a soft moan. “Bedroom, then?”
“Right here for a sec, please? Just a little bit, right here, touch me, I wanna feel you,” Prompto whines.
Ignis groans, leaning up to place a wet kiss on Prompto’s lips, tongue darting out to slide into his mouth. Prompto whimpers as he feels Ignis’s fingers slide under the hem of Prompto’s boxers, teasing the skin just above Prompto’s cock.
Ignis pulls his mouth away from Prompto with a smirk. “You’ve no idea how much I cannot say no to you,” Ignis purrs. “Just a little, then…”
Prompto smiles just as he feels Ignis’s hand travel lower, fingers wrapping around the length of his hard cock. Prompto gasps, pressing into the touch as Ignis squeezes his girth teasingly.
“Oh, fuck,” Prompto grunts, “ yes.”
Ignis hums in approval as he starts to stroke Prompto’s cock in his boxers, his movements slow and teasing. Prompto doesn’t even care; he just loves the attention, the touch -- it’s been years since a hand has touched his cock other than his own. Prompto throws his head back, whining as he feels his cock already starts to throb against Ignis’s fingers.
“Mmm, you feel wonderful, do you know that?” Ignis moans. “I’d love to feel you elsewhere…”
Prompto gasps, hips rolling forward into Ignis’s grip. Prompto slides his hand down toward his front, wrapping his hand around Ignis’s, guiding Ignis’s strokes on his cock. “You want me to fuck you? Wanna feel every inch of me, baby?”
Ignis moans heatedly, squeezing the head of Prompto’s cock roughly. “Yes, Astrals above, yes, Prompto…”
Prompto lets his cock get stroked a few more times selfishly before he’s leaning in to kiss Ignis roughly, sliding his tongue into Ignis’s mouth. “Bedroom, Iggy, fuck--”
Ignis withdraws his hand from Prompto’s cock in favor of wrapping both arms around Prompto so he can stand up with Prompto still in his arms. Prompto whimpers against Ignis’s mouth, refusing to separate their mouths as Prompto’s legs lock around Ignis’s waist.
“Wait, wait, stop,” Prompto murmurs against Ignis’s mouth as soon as he walks past the bathroom.
Ignis stops walking with a raised eyebrow, pulling his lips away from Prompto but only barely. “What is it?”
“Lube,” Prompto breathes with a soft laugh against Ignis’s lips, “bathroom.”
Ignis laughs, leaning forward to connect their mouths again. He takes a detour to the bathroom, and as soon as they’re inside, Ignis sets Prompto on the countertop, kissing him harder.
Prompto moans, reaching up to tangle his fingers in Ignis’s hair when Ignis starts letting his lips travel lower, down his neck, fingers tugging on the hem of Prompto’s shirt. Ignis hastily slides Prompto’s shirt over his head, tossing it in the corner of the bathroom in favor of letting his lips brush against Prompto’s nipple.
“Oh, fuck,” Prompto moans as he feels Ignis swirl his tongue around the sensitive flesh of Prompto’s nipple. Prompto closes his eyes at the sensation, completely forgetting why he’s even in here.
“You’d better hurry, love,” Ignis murmurs in between kisses to Prompto’s chest, “otherwise we might not make it to the bedroom.”
Prompto laughs breathlessly which turns into a groan when Ignis’s teeth graze against his other nipple. Prompto takes one hand out of Ignis’s hair to root through the medicine cabinet to find the bottle of lube he’d stashed there when they first moved in -- just in case, of course.
Prompto resists the urge to let his eyes slide closed and let Ignis have his way with him, but only barely. “Okay, I got it, let’s g-- ah--”
Ignis’s lips have travelled from his chest down to his stomach just before Prompto feels the heat of Ignis’s breath against his cock through his boxers. Prompto gasps, arching his back against the countertop as Ignis’s mouth connects with Prompto’s cock through the fabric, placing teasing, open-mouthed kisses against his clothed cock.
“Fuck,” Prompto whines, tugging on Ignis’s hair tighter. “Gods, your fuckin’ mouth , dude…”
Prompto looks down to see Ignis smirk as his mouth is occupied, before trailing kisses back up Prompto’s stomach, chest, neck before his lips reach Prompto’s mouth again. Prompto loses himself in the teasing kisses, pleasant bliss settling over his nerves. His cock already aches at the lack of attention after getting just a hint of a tease of what Ignis’s mouth feels like on it.
“Mmm, I can’t seem to keep my mouth off of you,” Ignis whispers, delivering lazy, needy kisses to the corner of Prompto’s mouth. “Hold onto me.”
Prompto groans, wrapping his arms around Ignis’s neck tightly as he lifts Prompto again. It isn’t long before Prompto’s attacking Ignis’s neck with kisses, laughing gently as he feels Ignis groan against him. They stumble into the bedroom, all rushed kisses and longing and need , Prompto all too happy to feel Ignis sit gently on the bed with Prompto still perched in his lap.
Teeth graze Prompto’s earlobe again, earning a soft groan from him. “You’re wearin’ way too many clothes,” Prompto gasps, “ fuck. ”
Prompto gently pushes Ignis to lie back onto the bed, a low moan erupting from Ignis’s throat at the dominant move.
“Undress me, darling,” Ignis pleads, lips parted beautifully as he spreads his legs on the bed for Prompto.
Prompto tosses the bottle of lube to the other side of the bed as he slides up Ignis's lap, taking a moment to admire the view. Ignis's usually perfectly kempt hair falls forward onto his forehead, his relatively unscarred eye still closed with pleasure. Prompto's not even done anything to Ignis yet, and he already looks like he's on the brink of coming -- not that Prompto would mind that sight at all.
Prompto's fingers find the buttons on Ignis's dress shirt as his lips find Ignis's neck. "Gonna let me take care of you, huh, baby?" Prompto coaxes once he slides Ignis's shirt off of his arms.
Ignis moans, tilting his head gently to the side so Prompto can continue to kiss him without interruption. Prompto delivers soft, wet kisses to Ignis's neck before he finds his teeth grazing against Ignis's clavicle.
"You tell me you imagine us like this sometimes," Ignis begins, already breathless, "but I think about you like this all the bloody time. "
Prompto lets out a breathless whine, his cock aching at the confession from Ignis. He finds himself involuntarily rutting his hard cock against Ignis's leg as he kisses down Ignis's torso.
"Well, you're gonna get me, Iggy. All of me. You want that?" Prompto teases, his cock grinding against Ignis's leg like he's back in high school and hormones are the only thing ruling his actions. Prompto's slid down just enough for his lips to latch onto Ignis's hip, sucking the flesh there gently.
Ignis gasps sharply, arching his back slightly under the touch. "Keep going, love, please don't stop…"
"Mmm," Prompto hums, fingers sliding lower to unbuckle Ignis's belt. "You're so fucking sexy, d'you know that? Could come right now just lookin' at you."
Ignis swallows before barking out a breathless laugh. "You'd better not. I need you."
Prompto laughs at how needy Ignis sounds. He's tugging Ignis's pants down eagerly then, Ignis lifting his legs to accommodate him. Prompto straddles his thighs, sliding up to brush their cocks together through the fabric of their underwear.
Both of them moan loudly at the contact. Prompto can feel every inch and ridge of Ignis's hardness underneath his own, and he can't help but roll his hips forward to get more of that contact.
Ignis throws his head back against the pillow, fingers scrambling to dig into Prompto's hips, guiding Prompto on just where to grind against him.
"Fuck, you're hard," Prompto moans. "Iggy…"
"Prompto, please ," Ignis groans, his hands sliding up Prompto's sides lovingly. "No more teases, I bloody need you."
Prompto nods, feeling his cock throb. "Okay. Shit, baby…"
Prompto reluctantly slides lower so he can settle in between Ignis's legs. He reaches up, fingers latching onto the waistband of Ignis's boxers. He slides the fabric down Ignis's cock slowly so Ignis can feel every teasing brush of it, earning a shaky moan from Ignis’s pretty pink lips. Prompto's quick once Ignis's cock is freed, tugging his boxers all the way down his legs until they're gone.
Prompto moans once he gets a good look at Ignis's cock. It's flushed a brilliant red with neglect, the head an angry pink as a bit of precome has leaked out at the tip and spills out just underneath his navel. Ignis's arousal is long, pretty and slender, as it curves just slightly to the left, and Prompto wants it in his mouth so badly he can't believe he's been able to wait years for this.
Prompto reaches down to palm at his own cock, trying to add pressure to stave off an orgasm. "C'mon, Prompto, don't come, don't come, don't come…" Prompto repeats to himself like his horny mantra will keep his dick from having a mind of its own.
Ignis chuckles breathlessly, spreading his legs teasingly. "My, you do want me, don't you?"
Prompto groans. "Since I was fuckin' fifteen. Gods, Iggy… you're…"
Ignis bites his lip beautifully. "Touch me, Prompto. Make me all yours."
Prompto resists the urge to whimper just this once as he grips Ignis’s cock, the stiff flesh warm and hard in his fingers. Ignis sighs pleasurably at the touch as Prompto experimentally gives it a few slow, hard strokes.
“Mmm. That’s… wonderful…” Ignis breathes.
Prompto’s cock throbs as he watches Ignis melt into the touch, relaxing into the bed as he spreads his legs further to allow Prompto more access. Prompto settles between Ignis’s legs then, lowering his head to lick along the length of Ignis’s cock.
Ignis sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth, hips just barely rocking forward at the feeling of Prompto’s tongue. Prompto moans softly at how pretty Ignis looks like this. He delivers more soft licks to Ignis’s cock, relishing the salty tang of the flesh before he laps up the precome that’s gathered on Ignis’s skin.
“Gods above,” Ignis whispers, his fingers starting to dig into their bedsheets. “Prompto…”
Prompto brings his tongue to the slit of Ignis’s cock, slicking up the head with his tongue teasingly, flicking it along the length. Ignis squirms underneath him; Prompto’s sure not being able to see heightens the anticipation of what Prompto will do next.
So, Prompto brings the head of Ignis’s cock entirely in his mouth. Ignis doesn’t hesitate to let out a loud, bawdy moan, hands reaching out desperately to tangle in Prompto’s hair. Prompto moans a little as he starts to suck on the head, massaging it with his mouth and tongue. He’s rewarded with a quick spurt of precome on his tongue, and his own cock presses painfully against his boxers at this point. Prompto ignores it in favor of swallowing the tiny gathering of precome, holding Ignis’s hips in place to do so.
“Mmm, darling, more, ” Ignis whines, throwing his free hand over his face, burying it in the crook of his arm.
Prompto lets him writhe and beg for more, groaning against the length in his mouth as Prompto lowers his head further, gripping Ignis’s cock tightly to take more of his arousal into his mouth. Prompto’s tongue swirls around the shaft as he feels Ignis’s cock hit the back of his throat, choking a little at the sensation. Prompto can feel Ignis’s cock throb against his tongue and he sucks hard for Ignis, relishing every time his cock secretes more salty precome for him, like a reward for doing well.
Prompto finds a pace then, opening his eyes as Ignis’s cock buries itself in his throat. Ignis’s back arches delicately off the bed, his chest rising and falling quickly with exertion as Prompto works Ignis’s cock relentlessly with his mouth. Prompto watches Ignis for a moment as his head bobs along the length of his cock. He reaches over to grab the bottle of lube as he sucks Ignis off, uncapping it with his thumb.
Ignis doesn’t seem to notice the sound, and so Prompto drags his mouth along his length until it leaves his lips with a teasing pop.
“D’you trust me, Iggy?” Prompto asks, his voice a bit hoarse from Ignis’s cock being down his throat.
“More than anything,” Ignis moans. “ Please.”
“Mmm,” Prompto hums, bringing his mouth to the head of Ignis’s cock again. “You taste so good.”
Ignis fingers in his hair turn loving, fingers carding through the soft strands of Prompto’s hair. “You’re magnificent,” Ignis breathes. “Touch me…”
Prompto knows by his tone he doesn’t mean his dick, but Prompto’s a selfish man and he’s absolutely not done with Ignis’s cock just yet. Prompto tips the bottle of lube over to squeeze some of it onto two of his fingers, slicking them up nicely. Prompto spreads Ignis’s legs further with his clean hand, and Ignis accommodates him, spreading beautifully.
“Gods, you look so fucking hot like this,” Prompto moans. “I could take a fucking picture.”
“I’d let you, for your eyes only,” Ignis teases, his hand now off of his face in favor of sliding it down his chest with a smirk. “But for now, I want you only.”
Prompto laughs breathlessly. “Feeling’s mutual, baby.” Prompto’s slicked up fingers start to circle around Ignis’s warm entrance, inviting him in. “Deep breath for me, gorgeous…”
Ignis obliges, taking a long breath, chuckling a little on the tail end of it. “You’re absolutely killing me, are you even aware?”
Prompto smirks at this before pressing his finger against Ignis’s entrance, the lubrication easing his finger inside of Ignis slowly. Prompto pushes his finger all the way inside of Ignis, the warmth surrounding his digit. “Mmm, perfect, that’s it, you’re alright, sweetheart.”
Ignis’s lips part with a soft gasp as he moans loudly. One of his knees bend as he hikes it up, giving Prompto more room to work with. Prompto’s dick is absolutely ruining his boxers at this point as he starts to pump his finger in and out of Ignis. He hooks his finger upwards, trying to stretch Ignis’s ring of muscle as much as he can with a single finger. Ignis’s body starts to accommodate, taking his finger as deep as it can go.
“Ngh, Prompto,” Ignis gasps, “you needn’t be so gentle-- ah--”
Prompto withdraws his finger to add the second, pushing them roughly into Ignis. Prompto leans forward as he starts scissoring his fingers inside of Ignis’s tight heat so he can bring the tip of Ignis’s cock in his mouth again.
Ignis moans shakily as Prompto works his entrance and his cock, his hips rolling forward off of the bed to push more of his cock into Prompto’s mouth. Prompto giggles against the length in his mouth, letting Ignis start fucking a slow pace inside his mouth.
“D-don’t stop, darling, please--” Ignis gasps as he gives up his last lingering bit of control for Prompto, his fingers digging into the bedsheets roughly.
Prompto lets his tongue swirl around Ignis’s shaft once more as he bends his fingers inside Ignis’s ass. He lets his the tips of his fingers caress his inner walls and Ignis gasps just as a fresh stream of precome hits Prompto’s tongue.
“Bloody hell,” Ignis breathes, swallowing noisily as he thrusts into Prompto’s mouth.
“Mmm,” Prompto moans against Ignis’s cock, scissoring and stretching Ignis’s entrance more as he works his cock.
Prompto feels Ignis’s cock throb harder on his tongue, and Ignis yanks Prompto’s hair upward, forcing his mouth off of his cock. “Keep doing that, and I’m going to come.”
Prompto grins messily up at him, a breathless giggle leaving his lips, his fingers stilled inside of Ignis. “That a promise?”
Ignis’s fingers leave Prompto’s hair in favor of gripping his chin, his thumb pushing past Prompto’s eagerly parted lips. Prompto moans, sucking on Ignis’s thumb as he starts to finger Ignis some more.
“Good boy, that’s it,” Ignis purrs, “now come here and give me what you’ve been dying to.”
Prompto groans, tongue swirling around Ignis’s thumb before Ignis takes it away, much to Prompto’s disappointment. He whines, removing his fingers from Ignis and rolling over on his back next to Ignis so he can slide his jeans and boxers down his legs.
“Fuck, it’ll be a miracle if I last more than a second. You’re so fucking hot, Igs,” Prompto whines.
Prompto’s cock, now fully freed, presses against his stomach and he’s unable to resist taking the warm length of himself into his hand. Prompto sighs, breath wavering, as he starts to stroke himself slowly, rewarding his own patience.
“Are you touching yourself?” Ignis asks heatedly.
“Uh huh,” Prompto gasps, “fuck, Iggy, get it ready for you…?”
“Mmm, come here, now, love,” Ignis says demandingly.
Prompto’s quick to roll over, pressing his body on top of Ignis. He pauses for a moment on top of Ignis to kiss him, moaning as their bare cocks slot together. Ignis’s tongue is needy and wanting as it explores Prompto’s mouth. He tries not to focus too much on the fact that Ignis can probably taste his own precome on Prompto’s lips, because if he does, he’ll probably come all over Ignis.
“I wish I could see you,” Ignis blurts against Prompto’s mouth, hips rolling upward to softly rut against Prompto’s cock. “ Gods, do I wish I could see you, my love.”
Prompto whimpers, kissing Ignis again, his heart pounding. “Touch me instead, baby. Touch me everywhere. Feel me.”
“Mmm,” Ignis hums, pushing Prompto gently to sit up.
Prompto sits up, straddling Ignis’s stomach as he whines a little, desperate to be touched. Ignis reaches down and wraps his hand around Prompto’s cock, a jolt of pleasure racing through his whole body. Ignis’s other hand explores Prompto’s chest, his neck, his cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind Prompto’s ear before it slides back down again, thumb brushing against a taut nipple.
“F-fuck,” Prompto gasps, pressing his cock further past Ignis’s tight grip. “Fuck, hurry.” He leans down, fists pressing into the bed on either side of Ignis.
Ignis moans at the desperation, his thumb swiping the tip of Prompto’s cock teasingly, using Promto’s precome to slick up his length slightly. Ignis squeezes Prompto’s cock, stroking it roughly as his free hand reaches for the lubricant, hand patting the bedspread desperately.
Prompto watches with a heady gaze as Ignis pours lube onto his fingers, reaching back down to coat Prompto’s cock with the substance. His touches are deliberate and desperate, fingers dipping past Prompto’s length to tease lower.
Prompto throws his head back at the sensation, trembling a little on top of Ignis. “Iggy,” he moans, “I c-can’t wait, dude, I’m gonna fuckin’ burst--”
“Hush, love,” Ignis soothes, tossing the bottle of lube across the bed, “I want you to fuck me now, Prompto.”
“Holy fuck,” Prompto gasps.
It’s not the first time Prompto’s heard Ignis curse by any means, but it’s definitely the first time in this context, and his dick throbs a little at the urgency in his tone. Prompto leans down for one more kiss before sliding down Ignis’s body, spreading his legs further to line his cock up with Ignis’s entrance.
“You okay, baby?” Prompto asks as he teases Ignis’s entrance, pressing the head of his cock against Ignis.
“Yes, Gods , yes,” Ignis moans. “Please.”
It’s all the permission Prompto needs to continue. Ignis’s tight ring of muscle has more trouble taking the head of Prompto’s cock inside of him than just his fingers, but Prompto pushes, earning a shaky gasp from Ignis. Ignis’s warmth surrounds Prompto’s cock as he manages to push the tip inside, sliding home in one fell swoop as he buries himself inside Ignis.
“Oh, fuck,” Prompto moans as he stills his entire length inside of Ignis, cock throbbing as it’s surrounded by Ignis’s heat. “Gods, you feel so fucking good.”
Ignis moans, gripping Prompto’s hips tightly as Prompto experimentally rolls his hips forward, allowing Ignis to start slowly coaxing pleasure out of his cock. Ignis’s body is so warm and tight around him, it’ll be a miracle if he lasts even remotely long.
Prompto feels his toes curl as he pushes his cock in and out of Ignis’s entrance, the force of it causing Ignis to rock back against the bed.
“ Prompto ,” Ignis moans loudly. There’s so much yet so little in just the simple moan of Prompto’s name. Prompto loves it.
Prompto groans, picking up the pace as he starts to fuck into Ignis, feeling his cock steadily leaking inside of him. Ignis’s legs lock around Prompto’s waist, and Prompto lowers his body against Ignis, every inch of their bodies touching as Prompto’s grinds himself inside of Ignis. Prompto’s lips are only a few centimeters away from Ignis’s, and so he closes the distance between their mouths as he thrusts his cock into him. Ignis moans and gasps against Prompto’s mouth; Prompto feels every tiny little tremble Ignis gives away.
Ignis slides a hand up Prompto’s back to tangle it in his hair, gripping the back of Prompto’s head tightly. Prompto starts thrusting a little harder into Ignis, feeling Ignis clench around his cock and Prompto peels his lips away to whine loudly into Ignis’s mouth.
“Is this-- ah-- quite like what you imagined?” Ignis gasps into his ear, teeth tugging on Prompto’s earlobe desperately, legs locked around Prompto tightly.
“Better,” Prompto moans, “fuck, baby, still with me?”
“Keep going,” Ignis pleads. “ Astrals, darling, don’t stop-- ngh--”
Ignis, at this point, has one hand gripped on the back of Prompto’s head and the other reaching up to grip the headboard, lips parted in pleasure as he moans. Prompto can feel Ignis’s body arch off the bed underneath him. Prompto’s cock starts to throb with every thrust inside Ignis, the tight heat of him all but coaxing an orgasm out of him. Prompto reaches up to curl his fingers around Ignis’s on the headboard, holding him tightly.
Prompto buries his face in Ignis’s neck, starting to deliver warm, wet, needy kisses against it. Ignis groans at the sensation, the grip on the back of Prompto’s head tightening.
There’s nothing that can possibly compare to this; both of them breathless, gasping against each other as they seek their own pleasure. The only sounds in the room are their breaths and moans, their skin sliding together, and the only thing Prompto can think of is how much the wait was worth it. Ignis is worth everything to feel him like this.
“You’re so good, Iggy, so good for me,” Prompto moans against his neck. “You’re perfect--”
“Mmm,” Ignis grunts, kissing Prompto’s temple. “My, you’re a sap when you want to come, love.”
Prompto laughs against Ignis’s neck, delivering a rough thrust to Ignis for the comment. “I’m serious.”
Ignis doesn’t reply in favor of moaning at the particularly rough thrusts Prompto’s giving him, hips undulating against him as he buries his cock inside of him.
“You like that?” Prompto teases, fucking into him roughly again. “Want more?”
“Don’t stop, don’t you bloody dare stop,” Ignis groans, eyes squeezed almost violently shut as his grip on Prompto tightens. “ Darling--”
“Yeah, that’s it,” Prompto groans, letting his teeth graze against Ignis’s neck. “You like it when I fuck you nice and hard like this, huh?”
“Y-yes, darling, please,” Ignis gasps. Prompto changes the position of his hips just a little to get better momentum, and he feels Ignis gasp louder underneath him, body stiffening. “Right there, I’m--”
Prompto continues to thrust against that particular spot, and he feels Ignis’s body clench down around his cock. Pleasure shoots through Prompto’s cock as he thrusts through it, feeling his peak nearing. Prompto’s stomach glides against Ignis’s cock between the two of them as he feels Ignis grip the headboard tighter, yanking on Prompto’s hair, moaning his name loudly.
“Oh, baby, you’re gonna come aren’t you?” Prompto moans. “Gods, I can feel you--”
“Prom-- Prom--” Ignis stutters, unable to even finish saying Prompto’s name before Prompto feels the warm splash of Ignis’s cum between their stomachs.
Prompto’s pretty sure everyone is some form of beautiful when they come, at the peak of pleasure, but Prompto’s never seen anyone like Ignis when he’s coming. It’s the prettiest sight he’s ever seen. His back arches so prettily, his lips parted as he gasps breathlessly underneath Prompto. Prompto makes a mental note to make sure Ignis comes like that always, watching as Ignis’s eye squeeze shut as he moans Prompto’s name endlessly.
Prompto starts kissing Ignis’s neck again, thrusting into him a little gentler so Ignis can get a hold of himself again. “C-can’t believe you came before me. Fuckin’ untouched , Iggy, that’s so hot,” Prompto moans against Ignis’s neck, laughing breathlessly.
Ignis trembles underneath him, probably nearing overstimulation as Prompto’s still delivering relentless thrusts into him.
“Bloody hell,” Ignis breathes, finally coming back to Eos. “Darling…”
“Want me to stop, baby?” Prompto gasps, though his hips demonstrate the opposite of his words.
“No, love,” Ignis pleads, “finish in me, Prompto… I want to feel you…”
Ignis’s orgasm already did a number on Prompto’s dick, the way Ignis’s body clenched down in pleasure putting the most amazing pressure on his cock as Ignis’s body surrounds him. Prompto delivers a few more thrusts into Ignis, feeling pleasure pool deep in his stomach.
“Shit, I’m gonna come--” Prompto groans, gripping Ignis’s hand tighter.
Ignis grips his hand tighter in response, moaning a little as he spreads his legs for Prompto. Prompto comes hard, whining breathlessly as he feels himself spill his cum inside Ignis. Prompto moans, a wave of intense pleasure surging through him as Ignis guides his head over for a kiss. Prompto thrusts his orgasm inside Ignis as their tongues tangle with each other.
Prompto’s hips start to still as he gasps into Ignis’s mouth. Their kisses start to become less needy and more loving, slow and languid pressing of lips. Prompto squeezes Ignis’s hand as he parts their lips for a moment. Prompto pulls himself out of Ignis, both of them whining a little at the loss.
“Holy shit,” Prompto says with a breathless laugh as he buries his face into Ignis’s neck. “Holy shit. I think my legs are gonna fall off.”
Ignis chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around Prompto gently, hand sliding up to tangle in Prompto’s hair. “I can’t quite tell if that’s a good or a bad thing.”
“Good. Definitely good,” Prompto sighs as he lifts his head to look at Ignis. “Did I hurt you?”
Prompto watches the soft smile bloom on Ignis’s face, and it still makes his heart race. “Of course not. In fact, just the opposite…” Ignis murmurs, questing fingers sliding up to cradle his face. “That was wonderful.”
Prompto smiles contentedly. “Mmm, Gods, yeah, it was.” He sighs. “Lemme get you cleaned up, huh? We made a liiiiittle bit of a mess.”
Ignis laughs. “Just a bit.”
Prompto whines dramatically as he slides into a sitting position, straddling Ignis’s waist again. He reaches over to the nightstand to grab the box of tissues there. Prompto starts gently cleaning up the mess Ignis left on his stomach before cleaning up his own stomach.
Prompto tosses the tissues into the trash can across the room, landing them perfectly. “He shoots, he scores!” he cheers dramatically.
Ignis chuckles again, still smiling, but remains quiet in favor of running his hands up Prompto’s sides, almost like he’s trying to touch every inch of Prompto that he can. Ignis laughs a little longer than necessary, making Prompto a little insecure.
“What?” Prompto asks, still laughing a little.
“Come here,” Ignis urges.
Prompto lies back down, pressing their bodies together gently. “What’s up, sweet cheeks?” Prompto teases.
“You’re perfect, do you know this?” Ignis murmurs. “And I love you very much.”
Prompto’s heart pounds. “Iggy,” he whines as he presses a kiss to Ignis’s mouth. One kiss turns into several, and before he knows it, he forgets to speak entirely in favor of sharing lazy, tired kisses with Ignis. “I love you more. You stole my line, man.”
Ignis smiles, tracing Prompto’s face with his fingers. “My apologies.” He laughs when his fingers touch Prompto’s chin. “I’m still rather unaccustomed to you having facial hair, I must admit.”
Prompto laughs. “Yeah, well, get used to it, baby. I like it.”
“Hmm. I love it when you call me that,” Ignis says softly.
Prompto kisses the corner of Ignis’s mouth. “What, baby?”
Prompto smirks. “Baby,” he whispers softly, kissing one of Ignis’s cheeks. “Baby.” A kiss to the other cheek. “ Baby ,” he murmurs a third time, pressing a kiss to Ignis’s mouth this time. He can’t help but tease; he’s captured Ignis’s attention and he’s going to take advantage of it for as long as he can.
Ignis’s smile grows the more Prompto teases him, until Prompto feels Ignis’s grip on him tighten. Ignis flips them over so that he’s on top of Prompto. Prompto lets out a yelp of surprise, laughing when Ignis starts attacking his neck with kisses. Prompto turns his head selfishly, letting him go at it, tangling his fingers in the soft strands of Ignis’s hair. He starts stroking Ignis’s hair until Ignis brings his mouth to Prompto’s, kissing him affectionately.
There’s nothing in the world that Prompto can think of that’s quite like feeling Ignis pressed on top of him, kissing him softly. He’s made out and kissed other people before, for sure, but none of them have compared to Ignis. He feels lucky to even earn Ignis’s attention like this, and judging by the way Ignis sighs wistfully against his mouth, Ignis is even enjoying it. Prompto wishes this could last forever.
Ignis peels his mouth from Prompto’s, allowing Prompto to breathe. Prompto sighs a little sadly, reaching up to stroke Ignis’s face. “Gods, this is unreal. Feels like I’m gonna wake up in a few hours and this will all have been a dream.”
“Well, I’d certainly hope not,” Ignis murmurs with a soft smile. “I’d be terribly disappointed.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
“I can assure you,” Ignis begins, lips ghosting along Prompto’s jawline, “that I’m very much not going anywhere, as long as you’ll have me.”
Prompto feels his cheeks heat up with flush. It’s not like he’s never dated anyone before, but it’s not ever been as serious as this. Ever since Ignis entered his life and gave him the world’s worst crush, it’s been hard for him to even think of others like this. Prompto wonders if that’s what Ignis means; dating. It’s hard to imagine Ignis dating anyone, least of all, Prompto. He doesn’t want to ask; he doesn’t want to scare Ignis off. After all, they’ve only had sex once -- it’s not Ignis’s fault that Prompto’s so damn clingy.
“Of course I want you,” Prompto says, as if this were obvious. “I’m not goin’ anywhere either. Think you’re stuck with me, man.”
Ignis grins. “Glad to hear it.”
Prompto lets out a soft sigh. “Do we gotta work tomorrow? Kinda just wanna… stay in bed and fool around with you all day…”
“Now, there’s a thought.” Ignis kisses his forehead, rolling over from on top of Prompto. “I was thinking we could spend the day together. Perhaps a formal date is in order? Forgive me for being a bit old-fashioned, but…”
Prompto laughs, scooting over to bury himself against Ignis. He throws an arm around Ignis’s middle, resting his head on Ignis’s chest. “I mean, you’re not that old-fashioned. We are naked, y’know.”
Ignis laughs deeply. “You’ve a point there.”
“You… you really wanna take me on a date? In the middle of, like, daemon central and who knows how long it’ll be nighttime forevsies?” Prompto asks.
“You sound surprised. I can’t think of a better time to focus on what little good we have. If a date is too formal--”
“What?! No, of course I wanna go on a date with you. Just didn’t think you… um, I dunno, wanted to do all that stuff with me I guess.” Prompto bites his lip.
“And how many times do I have to tell you that I wish to do everything with you?” Ignis teases. “Prompto Argentum, may I take you out on a date tomorrow night?”
“Hmm. Well, I mean, technically it’s night all the time, so…” Prompto giggles, kissing Ignis’s chest. “Why, Lord Scientia, I would be honored.” He does his best to imitate Ignis’s elegant accent.
“Oh, don’t you bloody start with that, otherwise I might just keep you in this bed all day instead,” Ignis teases.
“Mmm, you say that like it’s a bad thing. I already want more of you, Igster. Think you’re gonna have your work cut out for ya.” He leans up to peck Ignis on the lips.
Ignis laughs against Prompto’s lips. “I think I can handle it. For now, let’s get you some rest. You’ve had quite the day, haven’t you, love?”
Prompto sighs tiredly, betraying himself with a soft yawn. “Yeah. Worth it, though. Thanks for… saving me, yeah?”
“I’ll always protect you,” Ignis promises. “Sweet dreams, my love. Until tomorrow.”
YAY IF ANYONe'S STILL READING AT THIS POINT here is yer prize! /throws confetti
anyway, sorry if the guitar-playing came across as cheesy -- i know sometimes people hate when that kinda stuff is in fic, but since prompto's so sing-songy in game i entertain the headcanon that he fucks around w/ a guitar and stuff. anyway, if anyone's curious what song he was singing, here it is!
two of us - the beatles
we in the endgame now, folks. if you're still reading at this point... YOU'RE A TROOPER. okay, once again, sexual content in this chapter <3
Prompto wakes up to Ignis shifting out of Prompto’s embrace. A tiny bit of groggy, irrational anxiety floods through him as he tightens his grip on Ignis, not wanting him to leave.
Lips press against Prompto’s forehead despite sleep causing his hair to fall forward onto it. “I’ll be back, love. I’m in desperate need of a shower, no thanks to you,” Ignis’s deep morning voice teases.
Prompto whines, loosening his grip on Ignis. “Fine,” he mumbles tiredly.
Ignis’s soft chuckle sounds in his ear. “Adorable.”
As soon as Ignis leaves the bed, Prompto whines again, shoving his face in Ignis’s pillow, curling up against the blankets. Prompto swears he hears another laugh but falls asleep before he can think too much about it.
Prompto feels pressure on the bed along with wafting scent of Ignis's shampoo and soap. A hand buries itself in Prompto's hair, and he stirs, blinking his eyes open.
"Are we awake now?" Ignis says with a soft adoration, fingers brushing Prompto’s hair out of his eyes. Prompto has no idea how Ignis can even tell his hair was in his eyes in the first place.
Prompto makes an I-don't-know sound before shoving his head onto Ignis's lap. "Hi."
"Good morning," Ignis teases, fingers brushing through Prompto's hair even more now with the new proximity.
"Ngh. That feels good," Prompto says with a soft sigh. "How was your shower?"
"It was splendid. Are you hungry?"
"Gods, yeah. Wanna make breakfast together?" Prompto asks hopefully, lifting his head to look at Ignis.
Has Ignis always been this beautiful after just waking up? Probably. Prompto can look at him in a new light now, though, given what they've shared together. Ignis's damp, currently unstyled hair covers his forehead, his pretty scars illuminated by the dim bedside lamp. Of course, Ignis only turns the light on for Prompto's benefit in the long dark, but it's a familiar comfort nonetheless.
Ignis smiles. "That sounds wonderful."
Prompto nods. "'Kay. Lemme hit up the shower first. Can I have a drink of some of that Ebony?"
Ignis wordlessly hands the can of coffee to Prompto, from which Prompto gratefully drinks. "Thanks," Prompto says as he presses the can back into Ignis's palm. "I'll be right back. I love you."
It feels so good to Prompto to actually be able to say that with its entire meaning. He leans up to place a gentle kiss to Ignis's mouth.
"Mmm. I love you," Ignis murmurs, chasing Prompto's lips for more kisses.
Prompto laughs, and ends up kissing Ignis for several more minutes, feeling lighter than air.
"How dare you distract me from personal hygiene," Prompto teases after a while longer, kissing him again despite his words.
Ignis smirks. "Apologies. I'm simply making up for lost time."
Prompto sighs, pecking him on the lips several more times. "Turn down the charm, you've already got me." He snorts, looking at Ignis lovingly. His fingers itch to take a picture suddenly, wanting to capture Ignis just as he’s somewhat recently woken up. “Wait, hold still for just a sec for me?”
Ignis raises an eyebrow. “As you wish.”
Prompto reaches over to grab his camera on the bedside table, lining up some shots of Ignis. Prompto smiles as soon as Ignis realizes what he’s doing, smiling himself. Prompto grabs no less than ten shots of Ignis’s soft smile before putting the camera down.
"Gods, Iggy. The camera loves you,” Prompto sighs. “I'll be right back."
“Happy to be of service. Hurry back.”
Prompto showers and brushes his teeth with a nonstop smile on his face. He never knew he could be this happy despite such bleak and dark times. It's sort of like a life-preserver, finding happiness despite the darkness.
Prompto makes his way through breakfast with that same smile, pausing flipping eggs from time to time in favor of wrapping his arms around Ignis and stealing some kisses from him -- not that anyone can blame him.
Prompto’s interrupted slightly from their meal by the vibration of his phone on the table. Prompto grabs it, a little confused as to who would need to hear from Prompto right now.
Gladio (9:32 A.M.): heard u got laid! Congrats kid!
Prompto flushes heatedly, nearly choking on his sip of coffee. “Did you tell Gladio that we, uh, did stuff…?”
Ignis raises his eyebrows so high that it’s almost comical. “I beg your pardon?”
Prompto doesn’t answer him in favor of responding to Gladio.
Prompto (9:34 A.M): what? Iggy told you that?
Gladio’s response is nearly immediate.
Gladio (9:35 A.M.): no but u just did lol good job ;)
Prompto frowns. “Gladio is so nosy.”
There’s a soft hint of pink to Ignis’s cheeks when he responds. “I might have told him we got together while you were showering. I’ve been rather dreadful to him regarding it during the past month while you were away.”
Prompto snorts. “But, um, did you tell him, specifically, that we…? That I…?”
Ignis laughs. “Had sex? Goodness, no. Why?”
Prompto (9:37 A.M.): omfg i can’t believe you
Gladio responds with a string of winking and eggplant emojis, which Prompto decides to ignore with a laugh, rolling his eyes. “Well, I guess he knows now,” Prompto mumbles.
“I’m certain he was bound to assume regardless,” Ignis teases. “Are you…wishing to practice discretion?” His tone is tense suddenly.
Prompto raises an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“Do you not wish to inform others about the nature of our relationship? Romantic, or otherwise?” Ignis asks. “Do you wish us to keep it a secret?”
Prompto frowns. “What?! No way. You can tell anyone you want. Just surprised me he found out, that’s all. You can tell the entire town of Lestallum your dick was in my mouth last night--”
Ignis huffs out a laugh. “ Prompto,” he scolds. “Though, I daresay I sincerely doubt anyone would be surprised.”
“Wait, seriously? You do?”
“Well, it’s not as if I refrained myself around you at all. We work together, hunt together, train together, live together, sleep together… we’ve only one bedroom,” Ignis teases with a soft wink to his better eye.
Prompto laughs, flushing a little. “Eh. True. We’ve got a pullout couch, though.”
Ignis takes a sip of his Ebony, hiding his mouth behind the can, although Prompto can tell he’s smirking anyway. “We’ve not been known to pull anything out thus far.”
Prompto bursts into laughter, not expecting such an immature joke from Ignis. “ Iggy . Holy shit.”
“I mean, am I wrong?” Ignis teases.
“I hope not,” Prompto purrs in teasing retort, wiggling his eyebrows seductively.
“Is that so?”
“Mmmhmm.”
Ignis stands, gathering the dishes from Prompto, not before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Prompto’s mouth after gripping his chin. “Save that energy for tonight, won’t you?” he whispers before taking the plates to their sink.
A rush of arousal floods through Prompto, and he has to exhale a few breaths before he can calm his heart rate down. “Roger that, baby.”
Prompto can see Ignis’s smirk even though most of him is turned away. Prompto can tell that being able to tease Ignis like this is going to be a lot of fun.
Prompto gets ready for their day in the bathroom, styling his hair so it doesn’t frizz and applying some eyeliner and mascara.
Prompto gets so distracted with taking selfies he hasn’t noticed Ignis entering the bathroom.
“Enjoying yourself?” Ignis asks with a laugh. “Would you care to help me with my hair, darling?”
Prompto laughs nervously, feeling himself flush. “Maybe. You know how to do your hair by now, though. I’m useless.” He sighs with faux dramatics, throwing his hand over his head for emphasis.
“Yes, but I like it far better when you’re the one styling it,” Ignis says gently. “And hush that, you will never be, and never have been, useless.”
“Aww, Iggy. Such a charmer,” Prompto says softly. He closes the distance between them, throwing his arms around Ignis’s neck to place soft kisses on his mouth. He sighs again, seriously this time. “Never gonna get used to being able to kiss you.”
“That makes me a lucky man,” Ignis murmurs. “You’re a rather splendid kisser.”
“Yeah?” Prompto laughs, kissing him again. “Glad you like it. Guess all my practice on my stuffed chocobos was not in vain!”
Ignis laughs. “Knowing you, I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
Prompto grins. “Guess you’ll never know. Maybe I kissed the one you got for me, pretending it was you. Put little… specs on it, and everything.” He snickers.
“Again, it’d hardly be a surprise. Though, I must say, the concept is rather adorable.”
“You’re such a sap. What style d’you want, babydoll?”
“The usual.”
“No more spikes ever, huh? You’re a changed man,” Prompto says dramatically.
“Evidently so.” Ignis smiles. “It reminds me of you.”
If Prompto could quiet his racing heart, it’d be ideal at this point -- he’s pretty sure he’s going to die super young of some cardiac ailment. “Dude. You. Are. Killing me,” he whines. He can’t resist a few more kisses as he slides his hands up toward Ignis’s unstyled hair, ready to get to work.
As soon as Prompto’s finished, he snaps a selfie of the both of them.
“Ready to head out, Igster?” Prompto asks with a smile.
Ignis sighs. “My sunglasses…”
Prompto frowns. “They’re broken, Iggy. Remember?”
“Yes, I’m aware. It’s just… Are you certain my eyes aren’t…? Are the scars noticeable?” Ignis asks, his tone betraying self-consciousness.
Prompto can understand, to an extent, Ignis’s apprehension; after all, he’s never seen the scars for himself. Prompto, however, having looked at Ignis’s face -- including his scars -- no less than a million times a day, can hardly imagine anyone not wanting to look at Ignis; scars and all.
Prompto puts his hands on Ignis’s shoulders, leaning in toward Ignis’s face gently. He presses a soft kiss on Ignis’s left eye with the most scars, peppering it with gentle kisses before kissing his other eye for solidarity. “Iggy, you’re gorgeous. Scars don’t change anything, I promise. I know you can’t see ‘em, but trust me.”
Ignis sighs deeply, but smiles. “You’re very kind, Prompto. I do trust you. I just haven’t seen myself in quite some time, as you’re aware.”
Prompto laughs gently. “Don’t worry. People still faint when you walk by. Probably more so, not gonna lie -- they’re sexy as hell. Gonna have to fend off everyone in your honor.” Prompto pouts.
Ignis chuckles. “No fighting necessary, I assure you. My heart belongs to you, and you alone.”
Prompto swears he’s not going to cry -- he swears. “Samesies.” He kisses Ignis. “It’ll be okay. If you really don’t like goin’ out without ‘em, we can do some shopping for some new ones? I’m sorry I made you break ‘em.”
“That isn’t your fault, my love. Perhaps we can look for something while we’re out,” Ignis agrees. “Thank you. I love you.”
Prompto smiles. “I love you too, Iggy.”
They hold hands as soon as they head out. Ignis’s insecurities show somewhat as soon as they’re around others, but Prompto keeps him distracted enough. Some of the vendors have provided more luxurious wares other than essential items since the last time Prompto was here, and Prompto shows them to Ignis by having him touch them -- pretty necklaces, soft blankets, dishes, all sorts of items. The things Prompto can’t reveal to Ignis by touch, he describes -- books, food and drinks, artwork. Prompto has no idea if Ignis cares about any of the stuff Prompto gets excited about, but Ignis smiles pretty much nonstop, so he has to be at least having a little bit of a good time.
Prompto comes across a clothing vendor, and gasps. “Iggy, they’ve got sunglasses here!” He tugs on Ignis’s hand.
Ignis laughs. “Is that so? What kinds?”
“These ones kinda look like your old ones.” Prompto laughs as he picks up some circular sunglasses. “And there’s some hipster ones, here.” Prompto makes a contemplative noise, brow furrowing as he tries to pick one. At the end of the row of different kinds of glasses, he spots a pair of sunglasses that are fully tinted almost, more in the shape of a visor than individual glasses frames. “Oh damn. These are really cool, actually.”
Prompto places the pair of shades in Ignis’s hands so Ignis can feel for himself. “They’re like, visors, instead of just glasses, kinda? They’re pretty sleek-lookin’. Probably be good to keep your right eye covered during battle, huh?”
Ignis feels the rim of them, nodding gently. “These are quite nice, actually.”
“Yeah?” Prompto asks with a smile. “Want ‘em? My treat!”
Ignis frowns. “You needn’t do that, Prompto.”
“I got plenty! Didn’t need ‘em while I was gone,” Prompto insists, pulling some gil out of his pocket. “Can I? Please?”
Ignis laughs softly, shaking his head. “If you insist. But I’m treating us later.”
Prompto grins. “Sweet.”
Prompto buys the sunglasses for Ignis, bouncing on his toes in anticipation as Ignis slides them on his face. Ignis looks even more handsome, if possible. Prompto still prefers Ignis not wearing anything covering his pretty eyes at all, but he still looks amazing.
“What’s the appraisal?” Ignis teases.
“So handsome, Igs.” Prompto squeezes his hand. “You look older. But, like, in a good way!” He smiles. “Real badass.”
“My thanks,” Ignis whispers. “Well, after all that shopping, you’re bound to be hungry, yes?”
Prompto’s been ignoring his stomach growling for the last hour. The kebabs they had during lunchtime just didn’t cut it. “Uh, yeah! Starving, babe. Wanna go grab somethin’ from the usual?”
Ignis tilts his head, a teasing smile on his lips. “I actually had something else in mind, if you’ll humor me. This is supposed to be a date, after all.”
Prompto frowns. “Well, yeah, but-- don’t tell me you’re cooking. I wanted you to relax today,” he whines.
Ignis laughs, leaning in to kiss the top of Prompto’s head. “Don’t fret. I haven’t lifted a finger -- well, in that aspect, at least.”
Prompto nearly stomps his foot. “Iggy!” he groans.
“Shh,” Ignis says humorously, lifting Prompto’s chin up. “It’s as I said; humor me, darling? For me?”
Prompto sighs. “You’re lucky you’re good-lookin’. Fine.”
“An angel you are,” Ignis says with a soft chuckle, kissing him softly. “Shall we?”
It takes a moment for Prompto to recover from the charming kiss, but he links their arms once more. “Yeah. Lead on.”
Ignis purses his lips. “Mmm. The Leville is…?”
“The Leville?” Prompto asks before shaking his head. “Never mind. I don’t wanna know. It’s this way, baby.”
Ignis takes them to the Leville, Prompto helping guide him a little bit, taking advantage of the closeless to lean into Ignis softly. As soon as they arrive after their short walk, Ignis turns to him. “Now, we’ll need to head up.”
“Up? Second floor?”
Ignis grins. “The very top. The rooftop, that is.”
“Wait, what? Can we even go up there?” Prompto asks. “Okay…”
“You’re nervous,” Ignis realizes as they climb the stairs. “Don’t be.”
“Why would I be nervous? My very handsome companion is taking me to the rooftop of a hotel, what’s there to be nervous about?”
Ignis smirks as he pushes open the very top door to the roof. The air up here is significantly cooler, and a gentle breeze blows through Prompto’s hair. Prompto has no time to think about windswept hair when he sees what’s on the rooftop that had Ignis so smirky.
There’s a table just toward the corner of the rooftop, covered in a classy tablecloth. There’s two plates, covered by shiny silver plate covers, along with silverware that looks equally fancy. There’s a candle next to a bottle of wine in the middle of the table, and two chairs that look like they used to belong to the restaurant downtown.
“What the hell is…?” Prompto gasps. “How the hell did you do this?”
“I’d arranged it this morning, while you were asleep,” Ignis explains. “Once I explained the situation to Monica, she lent me a cook for a while, which was very kind of her, I must say. The rest, I’m afraid, is my secret. Does everything appear in order?”
“Iggy, this is… oh my Gods. I can’t believe you did this. What the hell,” Prompto says, laughing a little. “You did this just for our date?”
“Of course. It’s crucial to still allow a bit of romanticism in our lives, despite the darkness, is it not?” Ignis teases.
Prompto turns, wrapping his arms around Ignis, kissing him softly. “You’re incredible. I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Iggy,” Prompto whispers against his mouth.
Ignis holds him for a moment, a gentle smile on his face. “You’re more than welcome. I do have to find ways to charm the most charming man alive, of course.”
Prompto again feels the familiar flood of heat to his cheeks. “I think that’s you, babe.” He sighs. “What are we eating?”
“Shall we find out?”
They walk to the table, Ignis feeling for the chair so he can pull it out for Prompto to sit in. Prompto shakes his head in disbelief at Ignis’s gentlemanly tactics -- like he hadn’t daydreamed of this since he was a teenager. Ignis sits across from him, gesturing for Prompto to lift the plate cover.
The food, amazingly enough, is still hot -- Ignis must have arranged this down to almost the exact minute, impressively enough. Prompto looks down to find long-bone dualhorn steak, covered in all spices just the way he likes it, complete with some rice. Ignis appears to have some sort of seafood risotto with molluscs and shrimp; Prompto remembers Ignis making it a handful of times whenever they managed to camp out by the ocean, and that it’s one of Ignis’s favorites.
“Holy shit, this looks amazing. You still remember my favorite foods, after all this time,” Prompto gushes. “You’re unreal.”
Ignis smiles. “Indeed. That was my job, after all, was it not?”
“Guess so." He laughs. "Want me to pour you some wine, Iggy?”
Prompto’s desire for food outweighs conversation for the time being, relishing in the spice and taste of the steak. It tastes just like Ignis’s rendition of it, which Prompto highly appreciates.
“Now that I have your attention,” Ignis murmurs as soon as their eating slows a bit. “I have something to ask you.”
“Oh?” Prompto asks nervously. “What do you mean?”
Ignis smiles softly, extending his hand across the table for Prompto to take. “Now, now. There’s nothing wrong, I simply was curious as to where you saw your future.”
“My future?” Prompto asks, reaching out to take Ignis’s hand that’s offered to him. “Like? During all this? After…?”
“Perhaps all of the above, if you’ll have me that long,” Ignis remarks, clearing his throat. “I’m aware the nature of our relationship has changed quite a bit since we last vowed to stay with each other. I was simply curious how you saw your future, and if I was included in that.”
Prompto bites his lip. “Well, I mean, I’d hope my future would have you in it. I wasn’t exactly lying when I say I’m in love with you -- a little hopelessly, I might add.”
Ignis smiles at this. “I didn’t wish to assume -- if your feelings are fleeting, I thought perhaps I’d ask. You see, my feelings are very much lasting. I thought if I were to court you this evening, I’d do it properly, and ask if you’d… be mine, as it were.”
Prompto’s heart hammers. It’s as if Ignis’s words vanish the anxiety of not knowing his place in Ignis’s life. “Like… boyfriends, right?” Prompto asks.
“Yes. As I stated before, I know everything is happening rather… fast, and I don’t want you to feel as if you need to give me an answer straight away. Take all the time that you need, but I’ve made up my mind on the matter. I have for quite some time.” Ignis squeezes his hand gently. “I simply wanted you to know how I felt. Hence, the reason for… all this.” He gestures to everything in front of him.
Prompto’s never felt so ridiculously charmed in his entire life. This feels like something straight out of a romance film, or some sort of cheesy fantasy that he’d zone out to during math class senior year, or something like that. This can’t be something real. “Holy shit. Are you gettin’ paid to do all this adorable stuff for me? Noct screwin’ with me from the crystal, or something like that?”
Ignis huffs out a laugh, thumb brushing along Prompto’s knuckle. “My only reward is hearing you so happy, and feeling your touch, my dear.”
“Iggy,” Prompto mutters, feeling tears sting the corner of his eyes, “jeez, dude. You’re killin’ me.” Prompto’s voice fails at not breaking.
“Oh, my love,” Ignis utters warmly, in reverence. He stands up and circles the table to stand next to Prompto. “I had no intention of making you cry. I apologize for overwhelming you. My feelings can be a bit strong at times--”
Prompto stands up, trying to blink away his tears as he throws his arms around Ignis. “I can’t believe you’re apologizing to me right now. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, dude. Seriously. Used to carve your name in trees outside school when no one was lookin’.” He snorts, burying his face into Ignis’s neck. “Back when you took me to school dances as a chaperone for Noct and me, I just wished you were actually my date. I’ve wanted you to be my boyfriend before I graduated high school. Not like that could happen, but… it could happen now. I didn’t know how to ask.”
Ignis holds him tightly, kisses peppered along the side of Prompto’s face. “I’m… very glad to hear that, Prompto. I love you dearly.”
“I love you. Holy shit, do I love you. I don’t deserve you, but I’m so glad I have you,” Prompto says with a sigh, pulling his face out of Ignis’s neck so he can kiss him.
“Nonsense,” Ignis promises. “Will you dance with me?”
Prompto grins. He puts his hand on Ignis’s shoulder as his other remains entangled with Ignis’s, assuming a formal dance position. “Sure, but, uh, we don’t have any music.”
“Ah. Yes. My mistake.” Ignis pulls his phone out of his pocket, activating the assistant by voice. “Play ‘Prompto’s playlist’, please.”
Prompto’s heart hammers as the phone assistant starts to play a soft melody he recognizes immediately, a romantic, old song -- something they’d play in a cheesy classic movie. Prompto tries not to cry again and fails as Ignis’s hand rests gently on Prompto’s waist as they sway to the music.
“Of course you have a playlist for me,” Prompto says, laughing with tears in his eyes. “I can’t believe you.”
“Yes, it took me a while to compile it all using only voice commands, but my persistence proved fruitful.” Ignis smiles. “There’s quite a variety of songs, mind you, it simply starts with an older one.”
“It’s perfect,” Prompto says with a sigh. “You’re perfect.”
“As are you, my love.”
Prompto holds onto him tightly as they dance, and Prompto laughs to himself a little. “Never thought I’d be dancin’ on a rooftop in Lestallum with you. Daemons all around, Noct gone…” He sighs.
“Yes, life certainly surprises sometimes,” Ignis agrees. “Dancing with you isn’t so terrible, however.”
“True. As long as I don’t step on your toes,” Prompto teases. He’s quiet for a moment. “Y’know, maybe… maybe when Noct comes back, it can just stay like this. That way, Noct doesn’t have to… leave again.”
Ignis sighs, frowning. “I used to think that way,” Ignis admits, twirling Prompto outward as he speaks. “I even mentioned it to him in Altissia, after everything changed. Do you know what he said to me?”
“You never told me that,” Prompto says. “What did he say?”
“Yes, well, it was a dark time for us all. We’d lost Lady Lunafreya, and… I’d just found out about Noct’s fate. It didn’t seem worth it for Noct to die for all of this. But he told me that if he didn’t finish his journey, then everyone who died for us would have done so in vain. He didn’t wish to be selfish. I realized that he was right, I suppose. None of us, least of all you, Prompto, would want those to suffer just so we may enjoy Noct’s company for longer.”
Prompto sighs, tears stinging his eyes for a different reason. “Yeah, I know. It’s… a nice thought, though-- Noct staying with us.”
“Yes, a very nice thought indeed,” Ignis murmurs, kissing Prompto’s forehead. “We’ll simply have to make the most out of the time that we have with him, when that time comes.”
Prompto swallows, trying not to let his grief ruin their date night together. “Yeah. I guess we will. Do you think he’ll be happy for us?”
Ignis smiles. “I know so, Prompto.”
Prompto thinks of all the times where Noct encouraged him to talk to Ignis, how he’d engage in a tickle fight with Prompto just to get him to talk to Ignis, how Noct would get Ignis’s attention just for Prompto. Prompto grins at the memories as he holds onto Ignis tighter. “Yeah. Yeah, me too.”
The song comes to an end, and Prompto finds himself a little sad at that fact.
“Shall we have the rest of our wine, now?” Ignis suggests.
Ignis’s phone plays another song in his Prompto playlist, and Prompto finds himself biting his lip. “One more dance? Kinda curious what songs you have on there, not gonna lie.”
Ignis smiles. “I certainly can’t resist that.”
As soon as Prompto unlocks their apartment door when they arrive home, he feels Ignis lean in behind him. It’s only until Ignis knocks his legs out from underneath him that Prompto realizes what he’s doing. Prompto lets out a surprised yelp, locking his arms around Ignis’s neck as he holds him.
“Holy shit, warn a guy,” Prompto says with a giggle.
Ignis shuts the door with his back, smirking in Prompto’s direction. “And miss you holding onto me like this?” he teases.
“Iggy,” Prompto whines teasingly, placing a kiss to Ignis’s jaw. “This reminds me of when I had too much wine, and Gladio was here, and you carried me to bed…”
“And I had you on my lap?” Ignis purrs. “Yes, I remember that very well. You’ve no idea how much I loved it.”
“Mmm,” Prompto hums, trailing kisses lower along his neck, “I liked it, too. It totally made me hard, not gonna lie.”
“Oh?” Ignis murmurs. “Then why don’t I sit you on my lap again, and you can show me just how hard you can get for me?”
Prompto moans as Ignis’s teases go straight to his cock, already feeling it swell in his jeans. “Shit. Bedroom,” Prompto urges, tightening his grip on Ignis.
Ignis chuckles as he carries Prompto to their bedroom. “Good boy.”
“ Fuck, ” Prompto whines, writhing a little in Ignis’s grip, wanting more of him.
As soon as Ignis sits himself on the edge of the bed, Prompto turns in Ignis’s arms, throwing his leg over Ignis’s in order to straddle his lap. Holding onto Ignis’s shoulders, he grinds his cock down against Ignis’s, already feeling how hard Ignis is underneath him.
“My, you like that, don’t you?” Ignis moans, gripping Prompto’s hips to keep him from sliding down his lap. “Would you like to be good for me, darling?”
Prompto moans, hips moving steadily against Ignis, grinding his cock roughly against him. “Uh huh. All for you.” Prompto gasps when he feels Ignis grind up against him. “Sh-shit, how do you make everything sound so fucking hot?”
Ignis brings his lips to Prompto’s ear, chuckling deeply. “I think you’re a bit biased, love,” Ignis whispers. He slides a hand around to Prompto’s ass, spanking him lightly. “You’re all mine, aren’t you?”
Prompto leans more into Ignis to present himself more, moaning loudly when Ignis spanks him. “Fuck, you have no idea,” Prompto gasps, holding onto Ignis tightly. “Gods, do that again…”
“Mmm,” Ignis murmurs into Prompto’s ear as he raises his hand and spanks Prompto’s ass a little harder this time. “Let me undress you.”
Prompto releases a high-pitched moan, his cock pressing painfully against his pants at this point. Prompto pauses to kiss Ignis, all tongues, teeth, and gasps before he slides off of Ignis’s lap to stand in front of him. Prompto reaches out to grip Ignis’s hand, putting it on the front of his pants, letting Ignis feel his arousal.
Ignis takes control of his hand, letting his thumb rub the outside of Prompto’s jeans roughly. The sensation rubs just underneath the head of Prompto’s cock, where it’s most sensitive, and Prompto lets out a shaky gasp at how roughly Ignis touches him.
Ignis slides his hand around Prompto’s back, yanking him closer so Ignis can lean in to mouth at Prompto’s cock through his pants. Prompto throws his head back, closing his eyes as he moans low, fingers burying themselves in Ignis’s hair.
“H-holy shit,” Prompto gasps. “Iggy, I want you inside me.”
Just as Prompto confesses this, Ignis’s mouth finds the zipper to Prompto’s jeans. He takes the pull tab between his teeth and pulls, slowly guiding the zipper down with his mouth. Prompto’s cock absolutely throbs at the sight of it, fingers starting to caress Ignis’s hair encouragingly as he whimpers.
It’s not long before Ignis retreats with his mouth, fingers making quick work of unbuttoning Prompto’s jeans, sliding them down his legs. As Prompto steps out of them, Ignis reaches for the nightstand and feels for the bottle of lube they left there from the night before. Prompto watches, cock standing at-attention while Ignis drizzles some onto his fingers.
Ignis returns his attention to Prompto, taking his slicked up fingers and sliding them around Prompto’s backside. Prompto groans just at the slightest brush of Ignis’s fingers spreading him open and pushing against his entrance teasingly.
“Iggy, c’mon,” Prompto gasps, “I need you.”
“Mmm, come here. On my lap,” Ignis purrs, pulling Prompto toward him.
Prompto lets Ignis guide him back on his lap, his hard cock pressing up against Ignis’s shirt. He leans forward, spreading his legs for Ignis to have better access, and that’s when Prompto feels Ignis’s finger gently slide into him.
“Oh, shit,” Prompto moans, leaning forward even more.
Ignis slides his finger all the way inside of Prompto, feeling it reach the knuckle. Prompto gasps at the intrusion, adjusting to make it feel better. Ignis starts to finger him, slowly at first, until Prompto feels his finger curl inside of him, making him shake a little.
“Ngh, Iggy--” Prompto whimpers.
“Mmm, you’re trembling,” Ignis murmurs. “You’re magnificent.”
Prompto groans, closing the distance between their mouths. Ignis adds a second finger just as Prompto’s tongue slides past Ignis’s bottom lip, causing him to gasp against Ignis’s mouth. Ignis starts pumping his fingers in and out of Prompto as they kiss, and when Ignis’s fingers brush against Prompto’s prostate, he trembles in Ignis’s arms again, his thighs starting to shake.
Prompto feels himself melt against Ignis, turning into a shaking, whining mess the rougher Ignis fingers him. He starts to grind his cock against Ignis, precome staining Ignis’s fancy designer shirt, but Prompto is so beyond caring. A particularly rough thrust of Ignis’s fingers against his prostate has Prompto caterwauling, separating their lips just as his cock throbs intensely, more precome seeping out of the tip.
“I’m ready, baby, please, fuck--” Prompto gasps, reaching down to unbuckle Ignis’s belt.
Ignis rewards Prompto’s eagerness by continuing a slow pace with his fingers inside of Prompto, until Prompto grabs a hold of Ignis’s cock, pulling it out of his pants. Ignis moans low when Prompto starts to stroke him, thumb swiping over the tip to slick Ignis up with his own precome.
“How needy you are,” Ignis moans, thrusting a little into Prompto’s grip. “Let me reward you, darling.”
Prompto kisses him again, grabbing the lube to slick up Ignis’s cock more. Ignis groans as Prompto strokes Ignis’s length harder, impatient and needy. Prompto stops for a moment, gripping both of their cocks in his fist and starts stroking them together. Feeling the heat of Ignis’s arousal against his own is indescribable, making his dick throb harder with the need to come. Ignis lets out a beautiful moan of his own, ceasing his movements to allow Prompto to pump their cocks together.
“This feel good, Iggy?” Prompto whispers. “Fuck, you’re so hard against me…”
“Ah, Prompto ,” Ignis groans, leaning back a little to roll his hips forward, pushing his cock eagerly into Prompto’s grip.
“I want you to fuck me, baby,” Prompto begs, stroking their cocks a little faster, “give it to me, please…”
Ignis thrusts up into Prompto’s fist one more time before sitting up, knocking Prompto’s hand away gently. He lifts Prompto up onto his lap just as Prompto reaches behind him, gripping Ignis’s cock in his hand, lining it up with his entrance. He can feel the heat of Ignis’s cock pressing against him just as he takes the head of Ignis’s cock inside of him.
Ignis’s cock starts to stretch him as Prompto moans, sinking down onto his length. His own cock throbs a little as he takes all of Ignis, sitting back down onto Ignis’s lap with his cock fully sheathed inside of him.
“Mmm, darling,” Ignis moans, “you’re absolutely breathtaking.”
Prompto arches his back a little, throwing his head back as he starts to move at a glacial pace, just the gentlest movement of his hips as he gets used to Ignis’s cock inside of him. Prompto digs his nails into Ignis’s shoulders as he whimpers, loving the feeling of being so full and stretched out.
“Holy shit, you feel good,” Prompto moans. “F-fuck--”
Ignis snaps his hips upward, pushing his cock roughly up into Prompto as much as he can go, and Prompto shivers, fingernails biting into the meat of Ignis’s shoulders.
“ Oh, ” Prompto gasps at the sudden intrusion, not used to the rough pace yet. “Shit, yeah, like that… fuck me, baby, like that--”
Prompto can’t even get the entire sentence out before Ignis starts to fuck up into him roughly, gripping Prompto’s hips tightly as he starts to deliver a brutal pace into him. Prompto loves every moment of it, squeezing his eyes shut as he takes Ignis’s cock rough and hard inside of him.
“You’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted-- ah-- to do this to you,” Ignis moans.
Every thrust Ignis delivers gently teases Prompto’s prostate, but it’s not enough to fully stimulate. The teasing is almost worse, leaving Prompto dizzy and moaning as his cock throbs for more.
“Ngh, Gods, yes, ” Prompto gasps, “I want-- oh--”
Prompto’s head falls forward onto Ignis’s shoulder, starting to tremble a little at the rough thrusts Ignis is giving him. The new angle from leaning in gives Ignis’s cock the chance to brush right up against Prompto’s prostate, stimulating it roughly. Prompto absolutely gasps.
“What do you want, my love?”
“ H-harder. Right there, oh my fucking--” Prompto moans.
Ignis drives his cock home into the same spot that had Prompto crying out against him. Prompto moves his hips too, sinking himself down harder onto Ignis’s length to feel more pleasure radiate through his entire body.
“Any harder and I won’t last,” Ignis warns with a breathless laugh.
“I don’t care, oh my Gods,” Prompto moans, riding Ignis’s cock fast and hard. “Come in me, Gods, I want you to come in me, Iggy--”
Ignis lets out a deep moan, holding onto Prompto tightly as he lets Prompto start to set the pace, fucking up into Prompto deeply as Prompto pushes himself downward roughly. Prompto can tell by the way Ignis’s hips start to thrust erratically that Ignis is close, and all Prompto can think about is coaxing an orgasm out of him. He wants to be filled, and he wants Ignis, all of him, as his brain starts to grow fuzzy with pleasure. Prompto laughs a little breathlessly when he looks down, seeing his cock about as red as a tomato, steadily leaking with neglect.
“ Prompto--” Ignis gasps by way of warning seconds before Prompto feels the warmth of Ignis’s cum flooding inside of him.
“Oh, shit,” Prompto whines, continuing to bounce himself on Ignis’s cock, reveling in the stimulation against his prostate as he works Ignis’s cock to completion.
Prompto feels Ignis’s lips on his neck as he moans his way through his orgasm, hips starting to slow as he comes back down.
Prompto reaches down to touch himself, stroking his cock rough and fast. He feels pleasure start to build low in his stomach when he feels Ignis pull his cock out of him.
“Iggy--” Prompto whines in protest.
Ignis ignores him and flips them over, Prompto’s back colliding with the mattress. Prompto’s too surprised to do anything after the swift move until he sees Ignis sliding down his body, mouthing quick kisses along his stomach.
Prompto gasps as soon as Ignis’s lips take the head of Prompto’s cock in. Prompto thrusts up into the wet heat of Ignis’s mouth, watching his cock disappear past his pretty pink lips.
“Shit, I’m gonna come already,” Prompto warns, reaching down to tug on Ignis’s hair, spreading his legs obscenely to rest them on Ignis’s shoulder.
Ignis makes no noise to protest this; he takes Prompto’s length all the way into his mouth, sucking on it roughly, encouragingly. Ignis works his mouth up and down Prompto’s cock. The stimulation from Ignis’s cock earlier and touching himself almost to completion has him wound up and ready to go. Prompto starts thrusting up erratically into Ignis’s mouth, pulling on his hair roughly.
“Iggy!” Prompto whines, writhing under his mouth a little. “IggyIggy Iggy--”
Prompto comes with a gentle cry, feeling his cock release itself down Ignis’s throat. Ignis hums, groaning a little as Prompto feels him swallow it, mouth still sucking roughly onto Prompto’s cock. Prompto’s heels dig into Ignis as he softly thrusts into his mouth, hips starting to slow the more the pleasure takes over.
Prompto relaxes into the mattress, breathless and entirely spent as Ignis pulls Prompto’s cock out of his mouth. Prompto feels wet kisses placed against his thighs, and Prompto sighs, a little delirious from coming so hard.
Prompto opens his eyes, staring at the ceiling, still breathless and wide-eyed. He's never felt so thoroughly fucked before and he had no idea all of his ridiculous fantasies about the man between his legs would pale in comparison to the real thing.
"You killed me. You fucking killed me, I'm dead," Prompto declares.
Prompto feels Ignis slide up his body with a soft chuckle. Ignis kisses him deeply, Prompto not even caring that he can taste himself on Ignis's tongue. Prompto can't get enough of him, fingers tangling in Ignis's soft hair.
"I should certainly hope not," Ignis teases. "I love you."
"I love you, babe, but if we keep this up, you're definitely never gonna be able to get rid of me," Prompto says with a laugh.
"I'll just have to keep at it, then." Ignis smiles down at him. "It was my pleasure."
"Gods, how are you this perfect? I'm still alone, dreamin' in Hammerhead, aren't I?"
"Again, I rather hope not, seeing as that means I'll wake up without you in my arms."
Prompto smiles, reaching up to gently stroke Ignis's face. "No way. That ain't gonna happen."
They kiss for a few more minutes before Prompto gets himself as cleaned up as possible, not wanting to waste any time so he can bury himself in Ignis's arms again.
Prompto sighs as he feels Ignis tuck his chin on top of Prompto's head. He burrows further into Ignis's embrace.
"I'm so happy you love me," Prompto says after a moment of silence. "All this… I dunno if I could've lived like this without you."
"Of course you could. You're one of the strongest people I know, Prompto. That being said… I'm very happy you love me, as well. You've no idea how happy you make me, always."
Prompto turns his head to kiss Ignis's chest. "How long do you think it'll be? 'Til Noct… comes back?"
Ignis sighs. "I'm uncertain. No matter when it is, we'll be ready-- together, I do hope."
Prompto reaches out and grips Ignis's hand tightly. "Stay close to me, right?"
Prompto can't see Ignis's smile, but he can feel it.
"Always."
here's the song they were listening to while they danced, if anyone cares!!
frank sinatra - the way you look tonight
Chapter 11: Epilogue
canon ending for noct, but nothing described in any detail. STILL, SADNESS WARNING
"Well, well. You kept us waiting."
In the ten plus years Prompto has spent loving Ignis, he’s come to realize that Ignis has different degrees of softness, of love, of care; right now, Ignis carries a soft reverence only reserved for his king.
Noctis is home.
As Prompto clings to his best friend and his lover equally, Prompto’s not quite felt a bittersweet joy such as this. After all these years, Prompto almost -- almost -- forgot how much Noct and Ignis care about each other. Watching Noct gently grip Ignis’s shoulder, with Ignis smiling softly, Prompto has no idea how he almost forgot that.
Prompto’s never felt so whole in his entire life.
Prompto loves all of them so much, he has no idea how they lasted this long without their fourth. Noctis is here now; older, much older, but here. He still carries that same soft smile, those soulful blue eyes.
Noctis looks at both Prompto and Ignis -- the way Prompto’s leaned into Ignis’s space, holding onto him tightly -- and Prompto watches a beautiful smile spread across his king’s face.
“You both… you’re…” Noctis begins, joyful tears starting to fill his eyes. “I’m so happy for you both. I don’t have the words.”
Noctis hugs them both tightly. Prompto can feel Noct’s tears stain his shirt, and he finds himself starting to cry, too. This is all he wanted, for them to be together; for Noct to be happy. Prompto hears Ignis inhale sharply through their hug, and Prompto knows that’s the noise that comes with Ignis crying as well.
“Noct, c’mon, buddy,” Prompto says softly with a sniffle, “you’re gettin’ snot all over my shirt.”
Noctis laughs, pulling away to look at Prompto. “I love you. Both of you, so much.”
Prompto steals a glance at Ignis, his good eye slightly misty with tears as he smiles softly. “We love you dearly,” Ignis says.
Prompto smiles, pulling Noct in for another hug. “Don’t ever make us wait that long again, huh?”
Prompto’s heart thuds sadly, knowing that Noct can’t make that promise. Noct inhales sharply, hugging him back.
“I’ll do my best,” Noct promises.
Prompto knows he will.
“Your majesty,” Gladio says teasingly. The look in his eyes certainly resembles a man in love with someone for over ten years, and has only just now laid eyes on him after all this time.
Noctis glances over at Gladio with the exact same expression.
Prompto reaches out to grip Ignis’s hand tightly. Ignis squeezes his hand in return, a loving gesture; a promise.
The decade in Noct’s absence, as long as it had been, hadn’t exactly been boring. Of course, things weren’t the same without Noct, but they certainly kept busy. Prompto still wakes up some days and feels like his luck will run out, and Ignis will disappear.
Ignis hasn’t disappeared just yet.
Prompto’s learned so much about life and love with Ignis. He’s helped Prompto learn about what’s important, to keep those he loves close instead of far, how to fight better, how to be selfless, how to love even more than he already does. He’s helped Ignis learn Braille, walk and fight almost entirely without the use of his cane (though Prompto insists he take it sometimes, regardless). Prompto loves how independent Ignis is, even being able to do things like explore ancient tombs with Talcott over the years.
Prompto still can’t believe Talcott’s as old as he is now -- it seems like yesterday when he was only an eight year-old. Prompto feels similarly about Iris, who can now put Prompto on his ass in a mere second flat. Fighting with her and everyone else over the years is a privilege Prompto doesn’t really have the words for.
Ignis, well -- he’s always been perfect to Prompto, only growing more perfect to him as the years have gone on. Prompto’s pretty sure it’s not possible for anyone to love anyone as much as Prompto loves Ignis. There isn’t a thing that Prompto wouldn’t do for him. The years have been kind to Ignis -- much kinder than they’ve been to Prompto, in his opinion -- and yet Ignis still regards Prompto as if he put the stars in the sky during their endless night. Prompto thought it’d dull out after a while, maybe, and they’d settle into a routine, but Prompto finds that even despite the years and their routine, Ignis still manages to find ways to make Prompto’s heart race. Prompto never knew it could be like this.
And now, they’re all together again, so much changing and yet, still the same. Prompto doesn’t know how to describe it. If this is the last chance he’ll get at happiness, Prompto isn’t going to waste it.
“How does he look?” Ignis asks softly over the crackling of their campfire.
Prompto still can’t get over how handsome Ignis looks in his kingsglaive uniform. He looks so regal, like royalty himself. He can’t believe someone as beautiful, kind, and refined as Ignis, is in love with someone like Prompto -- just a clone made in a facility whose fate was nowhere near anything like this.
“Noct?” Prompto whispers.
“Yes.” Ignis reaches over and grips Prompto’s hand in his own.
Prompto looks over at Noct, looking like their true king in his regal raiment. He’s smiling softly at Gladio, holding his hand, still eating a bit of Ignis’s food that he made for them all.
“He’s… still Noct. Slimmer, a little bit, but in a healthy way. He’s got facial hair, can you believe?” Prompto laughs. “His hair’s longer, framing his face a bit. He looks older. Handsome.” He sighs. “I’m so glad he’s here, Iggy.”
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Ignis whispers.
“It’s like we’re gonna be okay, y’know?” Prompto says. “I’m gonna miss him so much…”
Prompto feels himself start to cry for what feels like the hundredth time today. Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto, holding him close.
“Hey, what are you guys talkin’ about over there?” Noct’s voice teases. “Come over here, won’t you? I wanna be close to you guys.”
Prompto looks over at Noct, feeling his cheeks flush as Noct stares at him with a soft sort of adoration, ten years worth of glances all in one.
It’s not long before Prompto and Ignis are sitting on either side of Noctis. Ignis’s arm is around Noct while Noct rests his head on Prompto’s shoulder.
“My apologies, your majesty,” Ignis teases.
It’s safe to say that Prompto takes plenty of selfies of the four of them together during their final camp.
The dawn is beautiful, Prompto can admit that. It’s a soft light; quiet somehow, slowly blooming over the crown city, filling the horizon with a beautiful sunrise as far as he can see.
Even Ignis can sense it, letting the warming rays of light illuminate his handsome features.
Prompto isn’t okay -- none of them are, but eventually, maybe, the wounds will heal enough. With Ignis at his side, and Gladio nearby, Prompto knows that at least they have each other.
“I love you, Iggy,” Prompto says softly, squeezing Ignis’s hand as tight as he can.
“I love you,” Ignis responds, his voice low, emotions wavering his usually stoic cadence just a bit. “I can sense it, the light. Does it look as breathtaking as it feels?”
Prompto smiles sadly, looking out at the vast expanse of warm hues that make up the horizon. “Yeah. Yeah, it does.”
There’s silence for a soft moment, Ignis sighing -- a noise of grief, relief, and happiness all at once. Ignis takes Prompto’s hand, placing his lips against it -- a move that skyrockets Prompto’s heart even after all these years.
“Prompto?”
“Yeah, Iggy?” Prompto looks at him, memorizing every line on Ignis’s face.
FDHSDFHDFHDF if you managed to get all the way here i'm so proud lmao. i hope you liked it !! i'll see you promnis folks next during the big bang, or next time i wanna write them...whichever comes first. ANYWAY, this is totally irrelevant, but check out this wor promnis art i commissioned from the ever-talented @klimtsonian right here!!! <3
again, come talk to me on twitter or tumblr and we can be friends!! <3
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Featured Sports | Cycling | Cyclist | Belgian
Greg Van Avermaet is a Belgian Olympic Gold Medalist road racing cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam CCC Team. Greg Van Avermaet won Men's road race in 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, Vuelta a España Points classification (2008), Tirreno–Adriatico (2016) and Paris–Roubaix (2017) among his many other successes. He also finished UCI World Tour (2017) as a leader.
Full Name : Greg Van Avermaet
Born : May 17, 1985 in Lokeren, Belgium
Nationality : Belgian
Rider Type : Classics specialist
Current Team : CCC Team
2019 Season World Tour Wins of Greg Van Avermaet
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal - Winner (September 15, 2019)
Major Wins of Greg Van Avermaet
2 individual stages (2015, 2016)
2 TTT stages (2015, 2018)
Points classification (2008)
1 individual stage (2008)
Tirreno–Adriatico (2016)
Tour of Belgium (2015)
Tour de Wallonie (2011, 2013)
Tour de Luxembourg (2017)
Tour de Yorkshire (2018)
One-day races and Classics
Olympic Road Race (2016)
Paris–Roubaix (2017)
Gent–Wevelgem (2017)
E3 Harelbeke (2017)
GP de Montréal (2016, 2019)
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (2016, 2017)
Paris–Tours (2011)
UCI World Tour (2017)
UCI World Ranking (2017)
Let's know Greg Van Avermaet with Q & A
When was Greg Van Avermaet born?
Greg Van Avermaet was born on May 17, 1985
Where was Greg Van Avermaet born?
Greg Van Avermaet was born in Lokeren, Belgium
What is Greg Van Avermaet's nationality?
Greg Van Avermaet is Belgian
What sport does Greg Van Avermaet do?
Road Racing Cycling
What team is Greg Van Avermaet on?
Greg Van Avermaet's current team is UCI WorldTeam CCC Team
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In re Derek Beaulieu, Decision No. BD-2012-104: Attorney Suspened after Overcharging the Committee for Public Counsel Services
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”), has suspended an attorney for four years after finding that he charged excessive legal fees in violation of Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.5(a). The Committee for Public Counsel Services (“CPCS”)is headquartered in Boston, but hires private attorneys to provide free legal services to indigent residents of Massachusetts.
In the Matter of Derek Beauleiu, an attorney was regularly retained by the CPCS to represent children and to serve as a guardian ad litem in various Family Court proceedings. In 2008 and 2009, the attorney billed CPCS for approximately 1,800 hours of legal time for each year.
CPCS paid the attorney, but later determined that these figures were exaggerated and instituted disciplinary proceedings against him with the Board of Bar Overseers (“BBO”). After a hearing before the BBO, the board recommended that the attorney be suspended and that the matter be reviewed by the SJC.
The SJC held that the attorney had submitted false billing records in violation of Mass. R. Prof. C. 8.4(c) and his conduct reflected poorly on his fitness to practice law, which is contrary to Mass. R. Prof. C. 8.4(h). In mitigation, the attorney agreed to make restitution to CPCS over a four-year period. He was thus suspended for that term and is barred from reinstatement until he has repaid those funds.
Decision: In re Derek Beaulieu
Posted in: Legal Ethics Issues
Updated: March 21, 2014 11:42 am
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In re: Derek H. DePetrillo: Massachusetts Attorney Receives Public Reprimand for Violations of Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct
The Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers (“BBO”) has issued a public reprimand against an attorney for misrepresenting a settlement offer to his client. In the matter of Derek H. DePetrillo, a woman hired an attorney to represent her in a claim against a loan company, which was making harassing phone calls to the woman. The attorney and his client entered into a contingent fee contract, under which he would only be paid if the claim was successful.
The attorney sent the loan company a demand letter, requesting payment of her damages, as well as his own fees and expenses. The loan company responded with an offer of $1,500.
The attorney subsequently informed his client that an offer had been made. However, he failed to tell her the total amount of the offer, only informing her of the amount she would receive, withholding the amount he had allocated for his fees and expenses. The client requested additional information, but instead of disclosing the actual amount, the attorney adjusted the settlement distribution, leading his client to believe that a new offer had been made. The client declined the offer, and demanded a full accounting of the settlement distribution.
The following year, the attorney approached the loan company, and advised that his client would accept $2000, half of which would go towards his fees and expenses. The loan made an offer in that amount. The attorney informed his client of the new settlement offer, but again failed to fully explain the terms. The client declined the offer, and the attorney withdrew from the case.
After learning of the attorney’s conduct, Massachusetts Bar Counsel filed a petition for discipline with the BBO, alleging that the attorney violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.4 by failing to properly explain the settlement offer to his client and failing to respond to her requests for additional information. The petition further alleged that the attorney violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 8.4, by intentionally misrepresenting the settlement offer to his client.
The attorney and Bar Counsel submitted a joint stipulation to the BBO, recommending that the attorney receive a public reprimand. The BBO subsequently approved the joint stipulation and the proposed sanction.
Decision: In re Derek H. DePetrillo
Posted in: Legal Ethics Issues and Massachusetts Cases
Tagged: "attorney ethics", "Derek H. DePetrillo", "malpractice attorney", "Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.4", "Mass. R. Prof. C. 8.4" and "massachusetts malpractice attorney"
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Shen Yang Anthem Shenseea
Geko Reveals The Story Behind His Infamous Cancer Tweet
Geko reveals the truth behind his cancer tweet. Picture: Getty
Geko tweeted that doctors had told him he only had a year to live in a tweet and he's now opened up to DJ Semtex about the truth behind it.
Having released a string of hits across the last tweleve months, including his recent smash hit 'New Money' with Ay Em and French Montana, Geko has cemented his position as one of the most exciting stars in the UK music scene.
> Skepta Finally 'Reveals' His Baby Daughter's Name In 'Greaze Mode' Lyrics
However back in 2017 the 21-year-old posted a tweet that claimed doctors had revealed he only had a year to live after being diagnosed with cancer. Having later revealed that to be untrue, Geko has now sat down with DJ Semtex to reveal the truth behind the whole situation.
Listening to Geko explain the situation behind his cancer tweet. It’s a pretty sad story tbh. I think people should probably stop making jokes
— 『 TLP 』 (@BolaBankz) May 9, 2019
During an interview on Who We Be Talks, DJ Semtex quizzed the 'Yo Darlin' star about his cancer claims and Geko revealed the whole thing had occured whilst he was on medication whilst spending time in a mental health unit.
"I thought these people were playing me, telling me something's wrong with my liver, he began. Explaining his thoughts at the time Geko continued, "Whatever anyone said to me I was like 'Do you think I'm mental? Is that why you don't wanna tell me the truth?' So in my head that was the whole incident".
He went on to say, "I didn't really have anyone to speak to when you're in them type of places, so I just tweeted it. I don't know why - I don't even think I remember me tweeting it still. It was me probably off it."
Ah you know what I feel for Geko the guy was sectioned at the time he made that cancer tweet. I have friends that have been sectioned the medication they give you really made you do and say mad things.
— MindingMyBusiness (@AntiOdeism) May 10, 2019
After Semtex asked Geko whether he understands why people were annoyed that he'd tweeted a false story about having cancer, the 'Baba' rapper responded saying, "My little brother was probably my best friend at that age cos we wasn't too far off, so if someone that close to me that I was with every single day dies, of course I understand."
"That's why I'm not saying don't be mad at me."
With more new music on the way on 2019, Geko appears to be in a really good place right now and we can't wait to hear what he's got planned next up in 2019.
> Download Our Free App For All The Latest Music News!
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Home > Services > Website
Google Sites Review 2019—Is It Right for Your Business?
We love us a free business tool, but Google Sites isn't for everyone.
Best for Event Sites
2.7 out of 5 overall
Minimalistic interface
Decent built-in design
No built-in blogging or e-commerce
By Courtenay Stevens | November 19, 2019 11 min read
We’ve come to expect value and ease of use from our Benevolent Overlord Google, so Google Sites may seem like a logical choice when deciding on a website builder for your business site. It’s free, and it integrates with your Google docs, forms, and maps—what’s not to love?
Unfortunately, the platform doesn’t quite live up to the Google name, falling short on customization options and basic features available on other free website builders. That doesn’t make it a bad fit for companies with basic website needs, but we’d probably still recommend GoDaddy or Weebly over Google Sites.
Find out where Google Sites delivers (and where it falls short) in our complete review below.
What is Google Sites?
Google Sites is a basic drag-and-drop website builder. As part of the Google apps suite, the platform integrates easily with Google Docs, Google Forms, and more. But it lacks the basic blogging features, e-commerce functions, and custom domains most businesses need.
Google Sites is best for event websites
Surprising lack of SEO options
Barely any customization tools
No included custom domains
Let’s get the bad news out of the way. Google Sites doesn’t include blogging or e-commerce features. So if you’re running an e-commerce shop or depend on written content to turn a profit, you should definitely use a different internet site builder (like Squarespace or Wix).
Google Sites also doesn’t offer built-in domain registration (a standard feature on pretty much every other website builder); so if you want a professional-looking web address for your site, you’ve got to purchase it elsewhere, then follow a complex series of instructions to link your Google Sites website to your custom domain.
Granted, Google makes up for this complexity by simplifying the rest of the build process. Google Sites syncs with your Google account, so you can easily add any forms, maps, or documents. And since Google owns YouTube, you can also embed YouTube videos in a matter of seconds.
Google Sites Classic vs. new Google Sites
Before we get too deep, we need to clarify that Google has refreshed the Google Sites interface within the past five years. So if you built a site on the platform before the revamped version was released, you may be able to access “Google Sites Classic,” which has a different interface and slightly different features. We figure if you’re reading a review, though, you’re probably going to use the new Google Sites—so that’s what we’re focusing on for this review.
Google Sites also offers simple but visually appealing design, so it may be a good option for local businesses that just need a home page, a contact page, and maybe a photo gallery. But unless you’re willing to go through the trouble of buying a custom domain through a third-party hosting service and routing it to your site, we’d still recommend using a different provider.
So who should use Google Sites?
So who should use Google Sites? We could see Google Sites being a good solution for one-off events and pop-up businesses. If you’re running a once-a-year farmers market, for instance, you probably wouldn’t want to deal with the extra cost of a custom domain, so a “sites.google.com/view/[YourSiteName]” web address probably wouldn’t be a big deal. And since Google Sites is easy to use and integrate with your Google account, you can get your website up and running in no time—then delete it just as quickly once your event is over.
How Google Sites stacks up
At the risk of angering the Google gods, we’ve got to be honest: Google Sites falls short on just about everything from design themes to security. Here’s what you’ve got to know going in.
Like Squarespace and Wix, Google Sites features a drag-and-drop editor for enhanced ease of use (more on that later). The platform also integrates with your Google account and all your connected G Suite services. So you could (hypothetically) create an email capture form in Google Forms, set it up to sync email entries with your Gmail account (for simple email marketing), and embed that form onto your website in a matter of minutes.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is Google Sites offers no hosted e-commerce solutions or blogging. And frankly, it’s missing a bunch of other tools and features too. Just look at how the platform compares to one of our top choices, Squarespace.
Google Sites vs. Squarespace features
Feature Google Sites Squarespace
Starting price $0/mo. $13.50/mo.
Our score 2.7/5 4.7/5
Online store ✘ ✔
Blog ✘ ✔
Product limit N/A Unlimited
Credit card payments ✘ ✔
Free custom domain ✘ ✔
Free SSL certificate ✘ ✔
Mobile-responsive templates ✔ ✔
Discounts and coupons ✘ ✔
Gift cards ✘ Select plans
Shipping quotes ✘ Select plans
Transaction fees on third-party payment gateways ✘ ✔
24/7 customer support ✔ ✔
Themes 6 70
Apps 0 About 1,200
View Plans View Plans
Data effective 09/19/2019. At publishing time, pricing and features are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.
On the upside, Google Sites websites are free, they’re mobile-responsive (meaning they automatically adjust to the right size on mobile phones and tablets), and they come with 24/7 support (albeit in the form of help articles—no phone, email, or chat support).
But ultimately, Google Sites doesn’t offer blogging, and it’s not an e-commerce platform. And for most businesses, that disqualifies the platform from consideration. Google Sites also doesn’t include an SSL security certificate—which is weird since Google won’t show any nonsecure sites (those without SSL security) in search results. For an SSL certificate, you’ll need to purchase separate hosting for your site through a provider that offers such security.
It doesn’t get better from there either. Google Sites doesn’t offer web hosting, nor does it include a free custom domain for the first year of your service—both commonly offered features among competitor website builders.
So while Google Sites does make it easy to create a basic site, we don’t think it’s a good fit for most businesses looking to build a completely custom, professional-looking business website.
Usability score: 3/5
Google Sites is a drag-and-drop website builder, which automatically gets it some usability points from us. And the interface matches a lot of other Google apps, so anyone who’s used a Google product before should have no trouble navigating menus or finding the tools they need.
Google Sites also makes the build process easier with its pre-built section templates. All you have to do is drag a section template onto your page, then fill in the images and text boxes. Themes are also easy to navigate since the platform can automatically apply new themes to your existing site without you losing any of your content.
We also like that Google Sites syncs with your Google account. That gives your site complete integration with a number of Google apps, so you can easily incorporate docs, forms, and more on your web pages:
Your Google email account (Gmail)
You can even access Google Analytics directly from your site management page. That way, you can track users’ site experience and see which search engines customers are using to find your page—all in one place. That’s definitely an improvement over builders like WordPress (which make you add a plugin to access your Google Analytics account on site).
That all sounds great, so you may be wondering why we knocked our usability score down to a three. Well, Google Sites also has some huge negatives going for it.
In classic Google style, Google Sites strips down your options to the bare bones—all in the name of simplicity and ease. The result? It’s extremely difficult to find the customization tools you need, which ultimately makes the simplicity of the platform more frustrating than helpful.
We also have to harp on the custom domain situation again. If you want a professional domain, you have to go to the extra trouble of buying it somewhere else (then juggling a hosting plan). And then you have to jump through hoops to connect that custom domain to your Google site. All in all, it’s a lot more trouble than it’s worth, considering how easy it is to get a custom domain on other builders.
TL;DR version: Google Sites is really easy to use if you don’t want to change anything about your template and you’re okay with using a non-custom domain. But if you want a completely custom site, Google Sites’ simplicity winds up being a huge barrier to creating a website your business can actually use.
Check Out Google Sites
Design score: 3/5
We gave Google Sites a three out of five for design because while the platform produces easy-to-navigate, clean-looking pages, it also doesn’t offer any standout design features. So if you’re looking for a site builder that can take you beyond a generic-looking, cookie-cutter website design, you’re probably better off going with another provider.
The Google Sites builder lets you drag and drop pre-built section templates onto your page. Once you place a section template on your page, you can add YouTube videos, extra images, additional text, dividers, and other visual elements where you need them. You can also toggle between themes easily to see how your site looks with different fonts and design elements.
Google Sites also puts bumpers on your design by automatically adding white space between elements and automatically adjusting background images to enhance readability. That means you’re virtually guaranteed to wind up with a professional-looking site, even if you’re a web design novice.
Here’s the problem: all the on-page layouts, menus, and features adopt that classic Google aesthetic. It’s clean, it’s simple, it’s easy . . . but it’s also pretty boring.
We also noticed that the platform’s Google account integration caused some pretty serious design problems. All embedded Google docs look just like they do on your Google Drive (the big, clickable square with a visual preview on top and the document title underneath). And because you can’t customize the colors, fonts, or background on any of those elements, they often don’t match the design on the rest of your site. The end result is jarring and a little off-putting for users.
Customization score: 2/5
Google Sites’s lack of common customization options ultimately tanked our opinion of the platform.
Google Sites offers only six layout templates and six themes to choose from. Individual elements like videos and image carousels look pretty much identical across all themes too. You can’t add apps or other customizations to your site (at least not without navigating tricky embed codes). You can’t even change font sizes, colors, or spacing—options that other website builders treat as the bare minimum.
As we mentioned above, Google Sites also doesn’t let you customize embedded forms or docs from your Google account. And the fact that the builder doesn’t offer an e-commerce platform or basic blogging functions is kind of mind-blowing to us, considering Google’s reputation for . . . well, general internet dominance.
The end result is a rigid platform that makes it ridiculously difficult to create the business website you envision (rather than the website Google envisions for you).
That said, Google Sites’ lackluster customization tools may not be a negative for business owners who are worried about their website-building skills (or lack thereof). Without a ton of customization options to clutter your interface, it’s admittedly a lot easier and faster to build a perfectly decent-looking business website.
But for our money, not being able to fully customize the placement of elements on your site kind of cancels out the benefits of using a drag-and-drop website builder.
Google Sites plans by price
Unlike other website builders, Google Sites doesn’t have a complicated pricing structure. You can create as many websites on Google Sites as you want for free. You don’t pay extra for plugins, themes, apps, or features—you get everything the platform has to offer. Easy peasy.
Google Sites doesn’t offer web hosting for your site. Instead, it stores all your website data on your Google Drive. So if you create a website that takes up more than 15GB, you’ll need to pay to upgrade your Google account to one of the plans below. If you opt to get a custom domain, you’ll also need to pay for that through a third-party domain registrar.
G Suite plans and pricing
Plan Cost (per user/month) Storage Other features Learn more
Basic $6 30GB Video and voice conferencing; secure team messaging; shared calendars; 24/7 phone and email support View Plans
Business $12 Unlimited* Low-code app development; smart search across G Suite; eDiscovery for emails, chats, and files View Plans
Enterprise $25 Unlimited* Cloud Identity Premium; data loss prevention for Gmail; audit report to track user activity View Plans
*Or 1 TB per user for plans with fewer than 5 users
Build your custom site today Customize your website with an easy-to-use site builder that’ll make your brand look professional and polished in no time. Start Building
Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital if you want your customers to find your website online. After all, how can taco-craving lunch-goers find your Mexican restaurant if your website doesn’t show up when they search for “tacos near me”?
Considering that Google’s main product is a search engine (they don’t call it “googling” for nothing), we were surprised (and less than impressed) to find that Google Sites offers little to no SEO customization.
At first, we assumed that best practices for search engines were automatically coded into Google Sites’ themes. But then we realized that Google Sites websites don’t include SSL security—a feature that Google itself has identified as essential if you want to show up on search results.
After doing some more digging, we did find a few minor SEO tools buried in the platform settings. But we still can’t verify whether Google automatically optimizes the rest of your site settings for search engines. So for your peace of mind, we’d recommend using a website builder with more SEO options (like WordPress) if SEO is an important part of your business strategy.
We’ll be straight with you: it was pretty much impossible to find direct customer reviews of Google Sites. The website-building platform is just one of many apps included in G Suite, and Google is a massive worldwide company. So most entries on review websites like TrustPilot are about Google in general (or they’re spam reviews from bots).
But we did a bit more digging in the Google Sites community forum and found a few trends. In general, many Google Sites users enjoy the simplicity of the platform, how easy it is to integrate with other apps on their Google accounts, and the fact that the builder is free. However, many users are also frustrated by how difficult it is to incorporate a blog or e-commerce store on their sites.
Likewise, third-party reviews from other website-building experts complain that Google Sites doesn’t offer hosted e-commerce or blogging features. Most other reviewers also agree with us when it comes to Google Sites’ lack of unique themes and customization tools. Specifically, the consensus is that the builder doesn’t offer the tools business owners need to create the best possible website for their needs.
Google Sites is a decent website-building platform for basic needs. It integrates easily with your Google account so you can add Google forms, docs, and maps with ease.
However, Google Sites doesn’t include a custom domain, it lacks fundamental customization tools found on other website builders, and it doesn’t offer any hosted e-commerce or blogging features. These drawbacks make Google Sites a hard sell for most businesses—from blogs to e-commerce shops to local businesses.
Google Sites is free, though, so if you’re on a budget and have minimal website needs, Google Sites could still be a viable option for your company.
Google Sites is okay, but it’s not exactly our top choice if you want to create a professional site. Check out our guide to the best business website builders to see if another provider is better for your company.
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17 code words only Facebook employees understand
Biz Carson
FacebookFacebook employees
Every company crafts its own culture, and language is a key part of that.
If you take a visit to Facebook’s campus in Menlo Park, words like “purple tie” and “epic” don’t mean a piece of clothing or a synonym for awesome.
Here are 17 words and their definitions at Facebook.
'T.N.R. 250' -- An abbreviation for 'The Nouveau Riche 250' or Facebook's first 250 employees who became millionaires after the company's IPO.
Facebook.com/Zuck via Chris Hughes
See also: Facebook's first 250 employees created a secret group where they discuss which yachts, Banksy pieces, and tropical islands to buy
'Bootcamp' -- A six-week introduction to Facebook that all new employees must go through. Once they 'graduate' bootcamp, new hires choose their teams.
Read Andrew Bosworth's Facebook post about the early days of Bootcamp
'Faceversary' -- The yearly celebration of how long an employee has worked at the company. The campus store sells special 'Faceversary' balloons. It's even listed on employees' Facebook pages like a birthday to remind everyone to congratulate each other.
'Game day' -- This is basically a grown-up version of field day. Each spring, Facebook employees band together in teams, dress in bright colours, and head over to a local park to face off in a series of competitions.
'Epic' -- Not just an adjective, it's also the main cafeteria on campus.
Photo by Rodrigo V. on Foursquare
'Livin' the Dream' -- Not a slogan, but another cafe on campus. Facebook renamed one of its cafeterias in memory of one of its first chefs, Josef Desimone, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2013.
'Little Red Book' -- Not to be confused with a little black book, Facebook gave out little red books to employees in 2012 when the company hit a billion users (now it's at the number, daily). While it uses Bootcamp to instill a bit of culture, the book contains Facebook's mission statements and a chronology of funny company moments. The last page challenges employees: 'If we don't create something that kills Facebook, someone else will.'
Ben Barry
Here's a more detailed look inside the Little Red Book
'20' -- Although Facebook's newest campus was designed by Frank Gehry, it didn't get a special moniker to match its creativity. Instead, the social network company just named it '20' in a naming scheme similar to the buildings that make up the rest of its Menlo Park campus. 20 (pictured below with the rest of the campus in the background) has a green roof employees can use and its own set of cafeterias, microkitchens and conference rooms. Employees can bike or take a shuttle between 20 and the rest of campus.
'Gravity Room' -- The aptly-named Gravity room totally ignores gravity in one section of Instagram's offices.
'The crane' -- The yellow fixture in the middle of Hacker Square serves as the launching point for all hackathons and is a stage for many guests to come talk to Facebook employees.
Business Insider/Julie Bort
'The Aquarium' -- Also called the Fish Bowl, the conference room where Mark Zuckerberg and executives met was nicknamed for its ability to peer in at the 'animals.' Zuckerberg played along with the joke and eventually hung a sign to ask visitors not to take pictures of them inside The Aquarium.
Robert Johnson for Business Insider
'Hacker Way' -- Don't confuse it with the square. 1 Hacker Way is just the address for Facebook's campus, not any kind of pedestrian path designated for coders.
Owen Thomas, Business Insider
'Analogue research lab' -- Facebook's not all online. Its 'analogue research lab' is what designs the motivational posters hung around campus.
Kyle Russell/Business Insider
'Daily active people' -- Daily active users is a common metric in tech companies, but Facebook take it a step further to reinforce that its users are really people. You'll see it as a reminder in posters and on Facebook's corporate blogposts.
'Vending machines' -- This isn't really a code word, but these machines mean something a little different for Facebook employees. On Facebook's campus, these aren't traditional soda and candy dispensing machines. Instead, the 'vending machines' give out computer parts like chargers or keyboards.
YouTube/CNNMoney
'Purple Tie' -- A perk for Facebook employees is to get some of their laundry done (for a subsidized cost) via a company called Purple Tie. You can spot Facebookers who use Purple Tie because of the giant purple laundry bags they will carry around.
facebook features sai-us
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The DC Cybersecurity Think Tank Caught Using Fake Twitter Accounts Has Lost Sponsors, And Its Shady Cofounder Is Gone
Following a BuzzFeed News investigation, Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology cofounder James Scott has “voluntarily decided to step away” and a law firm will review claims about him.
By Craig Silverman
Craig Silverman BuzzFeed News Media Editor
Posted on May 23, 2018, at 9:56 a.m. ET
YouTube / Via youtube.com
Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology cofounders Parham Eftekhari and James Scott.
A Washington think tank that used fake Twitter and YouTube accounts to amplify its content, and whose cofounder has dubious credentials and a history of shady online activity, is losing key sponsors and has apologized for some of its actions in the wake of a BuzzFeed News investigation.
After being alerted to the fake accounts, Twitter initially left most of them online. It then suspended all remaining accounts Tuesday after BuzzFeed News asked about a Texas lawyer whose photo was stolen and used for a fake profile.
The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology said in a statement to BuzzFeed News that its cofounder, James Scott, “voluntarily decided to step away from ICIT,” and that it will hire a law firm to conduct “a review of the claims in the article against” him.
The statement sent by ICIT’s remaining cofounder, Parham Eftekhari, apologized for the use of fake Twitter accounts, and the fact that they used stolen photos from people such as a Texas lawyer, a college student, and the CEO of a cybersecurity company.
“In review, I was never personally involved with the social media activities, but as a cofounder of ICIT, I regret and apologize that this occurred and take responsibility and want to make things right,” he said.
Eftekhari also for the first time acknowledged that prior to starting ICIT he partnered with Scott on a company called SpitFire Alliance that sold a range of dubious social media marketing services such as sending “1,000 LinkedIn messages to targeted industry players from your account." Eftekhari told BuzzFeed News he was not yet involved with the company when it sold those services, but was working with Scott when SpitFire later promised to connect clients with "the most elite of the D.C. region’s international powerbase."
The pair then went on to create ICIT, which bills itself as “America’s cybersecurity think tank” and organizes events that attract leaders from the NSA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Election Commission, and NASA. ICIT’s government connections helped it secure lucrative sponsorships from cybersecurity vendors like Centrify, McAfee, Micro Focus, Anomali, and KPMG.
Last week, BuzzFeed News revealed that Scott, ICIT’s top expert and cofounder, is actually a man named James Scott Brown who has a history of selling fake and spammy social media services and fabricating online profiles and praise for himself, and whose primary expertise in cybersecurity is a series of self-published books he only began releasing in 2013.
The investigation also showed that a network of roughly 45 Twitter accounts with stolen profile photos was used by ICIT to amplify its content and promote Scott’s e-book about information warfare. Fake accounts on YouTube also uploaded ICIT content and showered videos of Scott with comments that labeled him “the most important figure in cyberwar thought leadership” and “the most dangerous man on the planet.”
After the story was published, ICIT went into damage control: It removed the webpage that listed its top sponsors; deleted an online endorsement from retired Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the former head of the NSA and US Cyber Command; and removed Scott from the speakers page of its upcoming event. ICIT also disabled comments on its YouTube videos and removed the flattering comments about Scott that were posted by fake accounts.
ICITech.org
How the sponsors page looked before ICIT removed it.
BuzzFeed News has now learned that several ICIT sponsors — some of which paid to have their executives listed as ICIT “fellows” — have cut ties with the think tank.
McAfee was listed as the “Lead Partner & Co-Chair” for the upcoming ICIT Annual Forum event, but the company now says it’s no longer participating.
“We have withdrawn from the conference and have no plans to work with this organization in the future,” Chris Palm, McAfee’s director of corporate communications, told BuzzFeed News. (As of this writing, ICIT still lists McAfee on its sponsors page.)
Centrify is another security vendor that worked closely with ICIT. In early April, it announced a partnership for a “Cyber Intelligence Briefing” tour of at least five cities — with Scott as the featured speaker. A BuzzFeed News reporter who did not know a story about ICIT was in progress attended the Centrify/ICIT event in San Francisco and sat near the chief security officer of Symantec.
Scott was pitched to attendees in event materials as “a senior cyber warfare and national security advisor to Congress, NATO, the intelligence community, and the Pentagon.” (ICIT organizes briefings with members of Congress and their staffs, but BuzzFeed News was unable to verify claims that Scott was an adviser to NATO, MI6, or the intelligence community.)
Centrify was also listed as a sponsor of the upcoming ICIT Annual Forum, but the company says it’s no longer working with the institute or sponsoring its events.
“Centrify participates in and sponsors hundreds of industry events each year that are produced by various vendors and organizations, including a few events that were organized by ICIT,” the company said in a statement. “Currently, we have no further planned participation at ICIT events, including the June Annual Forum.”
Two other corporate ICIT partners, Anomali and Parsons, told BuzzFeed News they no longer support the organization. A spokesperson for Micro Focus said it’s still working with ICIT, but declined to comment further. KPMG declined to comment to BuzzFeed News. As of this writing, John Kupcinski, a KPMG director of cybersecurity in Washington, is listed as an ICIT fellow and a speaker at the Annual Forum.
ICIT
The sponsors page for the ICIT Annual Forum still lists companies that say they no longer work with ICIT.
In response to questions from BuzzFeed News, ICIT cofounder Eftekhari said the sponsor page and the endorsement from retired Gen. Alexander were removed from its main website “to protect our Fellows, Sponsors, and Community Members from unrequested contact.” He said the ICIT Annual Forum will go ahead as planned, and declined to comment further on communications with sponsors. (Gen. Alexander did not reply to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.)
Eftekhari, for the first time, also said ICIT is no longer using fake Twitter accounts to promote its work. He said the accounts were “managed by outside overseas social media management contractors who manually led the social media activities for these accounts.”
That appears to contradict a previous ICIT statement that said the accounts were “organized manually by ICIT employees, who manage numerous social media accounts tailored to specific issue areas and audiences in the cybersecurity field.”
Eftekhari said ICIT ended its relationship with these overseas contractors as of May 15, the day BuzzFeed News published its investigation. But the accounts have continued to share links about information security since then. (In a follow-up email, Eftekhari said the accounts continued to tweet without his knowledge.)
Though ICIT says it’s no longer using the accounts, their continued existence caused problems for people like Corinne Smith. One of the fake accounts, @cyberboat5, displays the name Amanda Hayes, but the profile photo is of Smith, a Texas lawyer. She learned that her photo was stolen and used for a fake Twitter account after publication of BuzzFeed News’ investigation.
“I reported the breach to Twitter, which I would recommend anyone do when encountering a fraudulent account,” Smith said in an email. “I also reported it to my firm’s IT system, marketing, and cybersecurity practice unit. My firm may file a copyright infringement notice.”
Another account used by ICIT features a stolen photo of a college student, while one with the handle @data_guy_ features the headshot of the CEO of Circadence, a company involved in cybersecurity. (Neither responded to requests for comment from BuzzFeed News.)
There was also an account, @middleNet_World, that used the photo of Jesse Palmer, a former NFL quarterback and The Bachelor contestant who now hosts a TV show. It was taken offline before BuzzFeed News’ investigation was published.
All the remaining fake accounts were suspended Tuesday after BuzzFeed News contacted Twitter to ask about the use of Smith’s photo. (Twitter did not suspend the accounts when first contacted about them close to two weeks ago.)
When asked about the use of stolen profile photos, Eftekhari said in his statement that “Any use of an unauthorized photo was not appropriate, and ICIT regrets any such use.”
Smith says she hopes ICIT is held accountable.
“Personally, I look at this as an opportunity to educate myself, family, friends, and colleagues about protecting personal information,” she said. “However, organizations that misuse copyrighted information should be held accountable for their actions.”
May. 24, 2018, at 00:59 AM
Added a sentence to note that Parham Eftekhari said he was not yet involved with SpitFire Alliance when it sold social media engagement services.
Craig Silverman is a media editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in Toronto.
Contact Craig Silverman at craig.silverman@buzzfeed.com.
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Manila airport partially resumes flight operations
MANILA’S Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday partially resumed operations after more than 500 flights were affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano, whose ash enveloped some cities near the capital on Sunday evening.
In a joint statement, the Department of Transportation, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced that airport operations had resumed for departures starting at 10 a.m. yesterday and at noon for departures.
“This, however, will be subject to terminal capacity of the four NAIA terminals and airline consent,” according to the emailed statement.
Departure flights will be prioritized so that the airport ramps may be cleared of planes parked there since Sunday night, they said.
Second priority will be given to regular scheduled flights for Monday. “This arrangement will also give both MIAA and CAAP better capability to allocate slots.”
About 80,000 passengers and 516 flights were affected by Sunday’s volcanic eruption,
MIAA General Manager Eddie V. Monreal said at a briefing.
“We are trying our very best to bring back the operations to normalcy,” he said, adding that they were appealing to the public for “a bit of patience.”
Airline operators were asked to submit their flight cancellations for Tuesday “to give the slotting committee more room to allocate slots to airlines wishing to mount recovery operations.”
They also said MIAA had been clearing the runways, taxiways and ramps of ashfall since 4 a.m. on Monday. — Arjay L. Balinbin
Arjay L. Balinbin
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Mercedes-Benz C 200 Avantgarde 2019 Review: Electric Green
More Mercedes power for less cash: The hybrid edge pushes the Mercedes-Benz C 200 to the front of the C-Class queue
The facelifted W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is here, and we’ve already tested the C 180 model on CarBuyer.com.sg, and pronounced it smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Under the bonnet, it was business as usual for the C 180, which has been powered by a 1.6-litre turbo inline four and automatic gearbox since what seems like forever.
Traditionally the C 200 model simply used the same drivetrain, just adding more boost for increased power and torque at the expense of fuel consumption. More performance, bigger pricetag, less efficiency.
The new C 200 turns that equation upside down thanks to hybrid technology. As we reported last year from the global launch, yes, the C 200 is a hybrid and there is no petrol-only alternative. Important since Singaporeans bought a whole lot of sedans – Mercedes ones too – last year.
But before conservative buyers start screaming and running in the other direction know this: The C 200 not only doesn’t feel like a hybrid, it’s cheaper than ever before. We’re sure that got your attention!
The 1.5-litre engine in the C 200 is an all-new development, with Mercedes boasting improvements in friction reduction and smoothness, and it’s equipped with a twin-scroll turbo (just like BMW’s TwinPower turbo engines) – there’s also a 258hp 2.0-litre in the forthcoming C 300 model.
The EQ Boost system, as Mercedes dubs its electrified tech, is a 48V ‘mild’ hybrid system meaning the car can’t move on electricity alone, but the engine shuts off at a standstill or during high-speed coasting.
Audi has done the exact same thing with its A6 sedan above, and presumably the next A4, with 48V technology allowing for lighter, better-performing electrical components. For example, the new engine’s water pump is driven electrically so it doesn’t leech mechanical power, and it’s adaptive too depending on the load.
The other benefit is from the 14hp/160Nm electric motor, which adds its power to the main drivetrain just before the engine’s turbo boost kicks in. Looking at the torque figures for the C 200, it also presumably means the engine can do less work at its most inefficient stage (the low speed acceleration stage), as the torque peak only kicks in from 3,000 to 4,000rpm, compared to 1,200-4,000 rpm for the C 180.
Compared to the C 180’s 0-100km/h time of 8.3 seconds, the C 200 accelerates quicker at 7.7 seconds, but more importantly, is slightly more efficient (6.3L/100km, compared to 6.6L/100km), and nudges into the VES B neutral bracket, avoiding a $10k penalty.
As a result, it’s much easier to consider the upgrade from a C 180 (traditionally the best-seller) to the C 200 – in June 2018 the price gap was roughly $30k, and now it’s just $18k, with the C 180 Avantgarde priced at $183,888 with COE, and the C 200 Avantgarde at $201,888 with COE (the price narrows further between the C 180 Exclusive at $186,888 with COE).
Besides the EQ tech, the price difference nets you a nine-speaker Burmester sound system, black open-pore wood trim, nicer leather, and a rear blind. The conventional instruments shown in this particular test car aren’t standard – buyers will receive the HD Cockpit model with a 10.25-inch main infotainment display, and 12.3-inch active instrument panel as seen in our C 180 review.
Active 12.3-inch instrument display on the C 180 – buyers of the C 200 will get this too, it’s just not on our test car driven here.
Having a hybrid system gains you more fuel savings in traffic, but the car also conserves fuel with coasting (rolling along with the engine disconnected) and ‘sailing’, which is the same as coasting but shutting the engine off and using the electric motor to cruise for short distances at higher speeds.
We were able to achieve better efficiency results in the C 200, around 7.0 to 8.0L/100km, anything sub-9.0L/100km is decent for a executive sedan. What’s more certain is that the efficiency improvements are there.
With all that electric tech onboard, one would expect the driving experience to be vastly different, but it’s actually not. In fact, we get the distinct feeling Mercedes has done this on purpose.
There are no ‘EQ’ or similar badges (remember ‘BlueEfficiency’ tags from older Mercedes cars?) to mark the C 200 out as a hybrid, the only difference being an ‘EQ’ drive gauge on the instruments that show if you’re using power or re-cuperating it.
The belt-driven starter-alternator makes engine kick-in/out smoothly and is almost imperceptible, unlike most iterations of start-stop on Continental hybrids, this one is very Toyota-like – and that’s high praise.
You can’t feel the e-boost on power too, it’s blended into the drivetrain’s power delivery you simply feel like the car is driven by a particularly smooth turbo engine as usual.
There’s an extra punchiness to call up on, what with the engine now having 184hp and an added 14hp, it certainly makes the car capable of lively launches, though as a C-Class, it has the sort of relaxed, calming nature that’ll make you in no hurry to get places.
So instead of changing the game in an obvious fashion, ironically hybrid tech makes the C 200 even more of a C-Class than ever: It’s refined, handles effortlessly, and has lots more onboard tech.
Thanks to hybridisation, you have added benefit of even more smooth power paired with efficiency benefits. Electric vehicles are exciting and headline grabbing, but cars like the C 200 are how the electric revolution will really gain traction.
Mercedes-Benz C 200 Avantgarde
Engine 1,497cc, inline 4, turbocharged
Power 184hp at 5800-6100rpm
Torque 280Nm at 3000-4000rpm
Gearbox 9-speed automatic
Electric Motor 14hp/160Nm
Battery Lithium Ion, kWh not stated
System Power 184hp +14hp
System Torque Not stated
0-100km/h 7.7 seconds
Top Speed 239km/h
Fuel Efficiency 6.3 L/100km
VES Band / CO2 B / 104g/km
Agent Cycle & Carriage
Price S$201,888 with COE
Availability Now
Derryn Wong
Has a keen interest in all things mechanical, technological, animal and mineral. Is particularly fascinated by eco-cars and cars which make no logical sense. An avid motorcyclist and photographer, he also enjoys cats.
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JAGUAR E-TYPE Series 3 v12 convertible RHD
Call Us For Avg. MPG
Group -- Ins.
Call Us For CO² (g/km)
JAGUAR F-TYPE 3.0 V6 2d AUTO 340 BHP
JAGUAR XJ 5.0 V8 SUPERSPORT SUPERCHARGED 4d AUTO 510 BHP
JAGUAR XF 2.2 D LUXURY SPORTBRAKE 5d AUTO 200 BHP
JAGUAR XF 3.0 V6 S PORTFOLIO 4d 275 BHP
JAGUAR XJ 2.7 TDVI SOVEREIGN 4d 206 BHP
Other Jaguar cars in Bournemouth
Used Jaguar E-Type
Used Jaguar F-Type
Used Jaguar XF
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Used Jaguar cars in Bournemouth
Jaguar is a name synonymous with style, performance and refinement. Here at Cars To Go Charminster you'll find an excellent selection of used Jaguar cars for sale in Bournemouth, all of which come fully inspected to ensure complete peace of mind. Whether you're looking for a pre-owned executive saloon such as the Jaguar XF, an SUV with the style of the Jaguar F-PACE or a pure sports car like a Jaguar F-TYPE, we'll be able to find the right used Jaguar to meet your requirements. Get in contact with a member of the team today for more information and to book a test drive in the model of your choice.
Finance is available to UK residents aged 18 years or older, subject to status. Terms & Conditions apply. Indemnities may be required. Other finance offers may be available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. We work with a number of carefully selected credit providers who may be able to offer you finance for your purchase, commission may be received. We are only able to offer finance products from these providers. Postal Address: Cars To Go Charminster, 279 Charminster Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH8 9QW. Find contact details here.
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What Lamar Peters' resurgence means for Mississippi State's SEC Tournament run
The Bulldogs' junior point guard hit a lull earlier this season, but he's rounding back into form.
What Lamar Peters' resurgence means for Mississippi State's SEC Tournament run The Bulldogs' junior point guard hit a lull earlier this season, but he's rounding back into form. Check out this story on clarionledger.com: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/mississippi-state/2019/03/15/mississippi-state-bulldogs-basketball-sec-tournament-tennessee-voltunteers-ncaa-peters-howland-ncaa/3171495002/
Tyler Horka, Mississippi Clarion Ledger Published 5:01 a.m. CT March 15, 2019
Mississippi State guard Lamar Peters (2) moves the ball defended by Texas A&M guard Wendell Mitchell (11) during the second half of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com)
NASHVILLE – Lamar Peters got right to it Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Seventeen seconds into Mississippi State's SEC Tournament win over Texas A&M, he drilled a three. The Bulldogs' starting point guard brought his hot hand with him to the Music City. And it could be the deciding factor as MSU bids for an upset of No. 3-seed Tennessee in the quarterfinals tonight at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET.
SEC Network analyst and former Ole Miss head coach said he likes Mississippi State's chances to make a "serious run" in this conference tournament on one condition: Peters has to be playing like the confident scorer he proved to be during non-conference play.
With five 3-point makes in each of the last two games, Peters might be back to net-torching form, which would bode well for Kennedy's claim that Mississippi State is a dark horse this weekend in Nashville.
"Coach has been telling me at the practice, 'Get up there and take your shots,'" Peters said. "It's just been paying off. I want to keep going into the game with the same routine and keep getting shots up."
Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland said an off-the-radar story that wasn't focused on enough when Peters was struggling over the last month was that Peters sprained his wrist in a loss to Alabama in late January. Since then, Peters has been held scoreless in three games.
Howland said Peters wasn't able to practice shooting for two weeks. Shooters like Peters live in the gym. Earlier this season, Peters was consistently draining 90-plus percent of his 3-pointers during shooting sessions. When a shooter falls out of that sort of rhythm, it greatly affects his ability to stay consistent in games. That explains his sub-30 percent 3-point percentage since he sustained the injury in Tuscaloosa.
He's made over 50 percent of his tries in the last two. When Peters is playing well, his teammates feed off him. Senior forward Aric Holman, a player who struggled in his own right for stretches of the regular season, said he plays better when he sees his teammates having success.
"I love seeing all my teammates be successful, especially in a situation like this when we're competing for a championship," Holman said. "We always want everybody to have all the confidence and all the joy in the world because that helps benefit and affect the other guys on the team also."
Kennedy, still on the topic of Peters, said "confidence is like cash, you have to have some to get more of it." For an extended stretch of time because of injuries and other circumstances, Peters didn't have any.
But now he does. And it could be the difference for Mississippi State in the postseason.
Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter.
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See Egypt's historic beach hotel that's going contemporary
By Laurel MunshowerMay 13, 2018
THE NEW AL ALAMEIN HOTEL IS FINDING NEWS WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE BEACH
Alamein resort is getting a modish new makeover, to reopen in 2018 as Al Alamein Hotel
Built in the Sixties on the Mediterranean’s Sidi Abdelrahman Bay – under 90 minutes west from Alexandria – Alamein resort has hosted the likes of presidents, including Egypt’s second president Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein. Now Dubai’s Vida Hotels and Resorts is taking over management of the property and overseeing a renovation to give it a second life as Al Alamein Hotel, and will be part of Emaar Misr’s tony Marassi development.
Currently undergoing the renovation work, the facelift will be revealed later this year – contemporary while respecting the property’s cultural background and heritage – making Al Alamein the 14th project for upscale lifestyle-brand Vida.
THE REVAMPED HOTEL'S CHIC ENTRANCE
7 of the best beaches in the Middle East
The revamped stay will comprise 189 guest rooms and luxury chalets (it originally had just 118), and other features are being enhanced to make the most of its beachfront location. Guests checking in to the refurbished hotel will find additional outdoor seating, a beach outlet, rooftop lounge, fitness centre, swimming pool and spa. As part of Marassi, guests will also have access to the development’s amenities, which include a marina, yacht club, golf course, beach club house, play areas for kids, restaurants and more.
If travelling from the UAE, the closest airport will be Alexandria Borg Al Arab International Airport, around a two-hour drive away from the beach-resort destination (flydubai offers a four-hour, nonstop flight), but look out for the option to fly to El Alamein International Airport from other destinations, just a 45-minute drive away.
EMAAR
NEW HOTEL
A first-of-its-kind mall opens in Egypt, bringing 4DX cinema and snow to the region
Egypt's beach haven
Buddha-Bar Beach’s first permanent venue debuts in Abu Dhabi
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Kenilworth in hunt for Metra station concession operator
By Kathy Routliffe
Pioneer Press |
Kenilworth Metra station (Pioneer Press)
The Kenilworth Metra station at 400 Richmond Road could house a concession stand with refreshments for waiting passengers, if the village finds the right operator, an official said.
Kenilworth has asked vendors to express interest by Thursday and officials hope to award a contract in mid-December, said village management analyst Allanah Doak. Once that happens, building renovations and other considerations mean opening the concession operation could be up to a year away, she said.
“This is a popular meeting place for people in our community, and it’s been sitting empty for a long time. This could be a place where people could get coffee and perhaps baked goods, or more,” she said. “We are looking for some creativity on the part of businesses interested in the space.”
The station is a stop on Metra’s North Line, but is owned by Union Pacific Railroad. Doak said the village has been in leasing talks with the company for well over a year. Village officials learned in August that the company agreed to lease the building to Kenilworth.
Representatives of businesses who have indicated their interest in bidding for a contract can tour the one-story stone building between Nov. 12 and 16, and final proposals are due Nov. 26. The village will review them between then and Dec. 7, she said.
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The winning bidder will be responsible for any necessary outside or indoor renovations, Doak said. The building has two bathrooms and a small space that once housed the ticket office, she said.
Any contract awarded would be for three years from signing, according to bid information.
The train station was built in 1891, according to the Kenilworth Historical Society. Metra closed its staffed ticket office there March 30, 2017, citing declining on-site ticket sales. In January of that year, 817 passengers bought tickets there, the lowest level sold at any staffed North Line station, according to the Metra website.
The last official passenger count was taken in 2016, when 500 people boarded on a daily basis from the station, said Metra spokesman Michael Gillis.
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The Ideal Self
A woman lives a parallel life in a fantasy world where she's got 5 PhDs and 2 Nobel Peace Prizes. Plus, Godzilla tries to lose weight, and Buzz Goldstein explains why he quit making New Year's Resolutions.
CBC News · Posted: Jan 16, 2015 10:35 AM ET | Last Updated: March 24, 2015
A woman lives a parallel life in a fantasy world where she's got 5 PhDs and 2 Nobel Peace Prizes. Plus, Godzilla tries in vain to lose weight, and Buzz Goldstein on why he quit making New Year's Resolutions.
Featuring Cordellia Amethyste Rose. To learn more about Maladaptive Daydreaming, visit Wild Minds.
Download the latest episodes via the free podcast, available for two weeks after the Saturday broadcast.
Godzilla's Food, Exercise and Dream Diary was written by Kate Hahn and first appeared on McSweeney's. Kate is the author of Forgotten Fashion and a contributor to The New Yorker's Daily Shouts column.
Listen to the daydreaming segment here:
Special music thanks to Rheyne, Musica Para Khaos, Jack Ventimiglia for his song New Hot Shtick from BWN Music, and to Chris Zabriskie and Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive.
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A porch pirate stole a package from a home, then threw shade with a snarky thank-you note
Half of American voters want President Donald Trump impeached and removed from office, according to a poll released from Fox News that was taken as House Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against the President. By Holly Yan, CNN
(CNN) -- A real-life Grinch took nastiness to a new level after snatching a gift from a doorstep and leaving a sarcastic thank-you note for the victim.
Hilary Smith ordered a Christmas gift for her boss and had it delivered to her snowy home in St. Paul, Minnesota. But she never saw the package.
"I looked down, and there was a piece of notebook paper folded neatly on the top step, where the package probably should have been," Smith told CNN affiliate WCCO Friday.
The handwritten message was colder than a frigid Minnesota morning:
"So just a quick little thank you for leaving me the (opportunity) of stealing your package," the thief wrote. "Very nice of you. Thank you."
The porch pirate signed the note, "The new owner of your package."
Smith said she's bewildered by the bandit's audacity.
"I do appreciate a nicely crafted thank-you note, but this is ridiculous," she said.
St. Paul police Sgt. Mike Ernster told WCCO he's never heard of post-theft thank-you notes before. But he said any other victims should call police.
"We want people to report crimes as they occur so we can keep track of them and hopefully solve them," Ernster said.
Experts say there are several ways you can reduce your risk of getting looted by a porch pirate, such as:
-- Shipping packages to your work address or to a trusted neighbor who will be home
-- Using an Amazon Hub Locker for Amazon packages
-- Asking FedEx or UPS to hold a package at one of their facilities until you can pick it up
Meanwhile, Smith is conducting her own sting operation in case the bandit comes back to her home. She's leaving a decoy package on her doorstep as bait.
If a thief snatches it, he or she will discover the package is actually stuffed with "a little gift from my dog."
Illinois' daylight saving time bill could lead to confusion in Wisconsin
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Estate agents and salespersons who are guilty of unsatisfactory conduct or misconduct or breach the Code of Ethics and Professional Client Care or the Code of Practice set out in the First and Second Schedules respectively of the Estate Agents (Estate Agency Work) Regulations may be subject to disciplinary action before a Disciplinary Committee.
The Disciplinary Committee may upon hearing the action do the following, as the case may be, in respect of a Respondent:
revoke a licence or registration
suspend a licence or registration
impose a financial penalty not exceeding $75,000
admonish or reprimand the licensee or registered salesperson
attach or vary conditions to a licence or registration
A Disciplinary Committee comprises at least 3 persons, who are nominated from the disciplinary panel comprising practicing solicitors, architects, engineers or individuals from the real estate industry amongst others.
If a Respondent in a disciplinary case objects to the appointment of any Disciplinary Committee Member, he should immediately lodge his objection with the Secretary to Disciplinary Panel.
A Respondent to disciplinary proceedings may be represented by a solicitor. If the Respondent has instructed a solicitor to represent him, the solicitor shall lodge or receive the necessary disciplinary proceedings documents. The proceedings are not open to the public.
Disciplinary Proceedings Procedure
CEA may commence disciplinary proceedings against a Respondent by lodging a Charge and Statement of Case with the Secretary to the Disciplinary Panel.
The Secretary will then arrange for the Respondent to be served with the Charge and Statement of Case. If the Respondent is a salesperson, the Key Executive Officer of his Estate Agent will be notified of the proceedings.
A Respondent may upon service of the Charge and Statement of Case within the next 14 days either:
(a) File a Defence with the Secretary; or
(b) File an Admission to the Charge(s) with the Secretary.
If the Respondent does not admit to the Charge or file a Defence, the Disciplinary Committee may consider the Charge and Statement of Case as not denied.
After the Respondent files a Defence with the Secretary, CEA may within the next 14 days file a Reply with the Secretary, who will then serve the Reply upon the Respondent. If CEA files a Reply, the Respondent may file a Rejoinder within the 14 days of service of the Reply.
The Respondent shall state the material facts that he relies upon in the Defence or Rejoinder (if any); and may also attach to the Defence or Rejoinder the documents that he wishes to rely upon.
Pre-Hearing Conference and Hearing
The Disciplinary Committee may issue directions in respect of the hearing. This may be done by calling for a Pre-hearing Conference.
If the Respondent requires an interpreter, he shall arrange for a properly qualified interpreter to be present at the hearing at his own cost. The name, business address, email address, contact no. and qualification of the interpreter shall be notified in writing as soon as practicable to the Secretary, and in any event not later than 14 days after the first Pre-hearing Conference or issuance of the pre-hearing directions.
The Respondent will be notified of the hearing date.
If any order is made against the Respondent, the Disciplinary Committee may also order him to pay the Council fixed costs of $1,000.
The Respondent will be informed of the Disciplinary Committee's decision, including any penalties and costs imposed.
Fines and costs decided by the Disciplinary Committee may be paid by submitting a crossed account payee cheque drawn in favor of the "Council for Estate Agencies". The following should be written at the back of the cheque:
(i) "Attn: Secretary to Disciplinary Panel"
(ii) Disciplinary Case number
Lodgment of documents with the Secretary to the Disciplinary Panel
Documents may be lodged with the Secretary to Disciplinary Panel by leaving the Original together with 5 copies (i.e. in total a set of 6 per document) at the following address, for the Attention of "Secretary to Disciplinary Panel".
Council for Estate Agencies
480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh
#13-01 HDB Hub East Wing
Further information on the disciplinary proceedings may be found in the Estate Agents (Disciplinary Proceedings) Regulations and Estate Agents Act.
Last updated on 03 August 2018
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BALTIC JOURNAL OF LAW/ BALTIJAS JURIDISKAIS ŽURNĀLS /БАЛТИЙСКИЙ ЮРИДИЧЕСКИЙ ЖУРНАЛ
BALTIC JOURNAL OF LAW
Publishing House: Baltijas Starptautiskā akadēmija
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence
Issue No. 1/36
Issue No. 2/3/41
Issue No. 53/2
BALTIC JOURNAL OF LAW ● BALTIJAS JURIDISKAIS ŽURNĀLS ● БАЛТИЙСКИЙ ЮРИДИЧЕСКИЙ ЖУРНАЛ
Baltic Journal of Law was founded in 2002 as international research and practice law journal to be published quarterly. BJL is the official periodical of the Baltic International Academy of Riga, Republic of Latvia.
The Baltic Journal of Law publishes topical applied research, scientific and analytical articles written by academics, lecturers, research fellows and students of law, postgraduate students, and doctoral candidates, as well as by legal practitioners and professionals such as lawyers, notaries, law enforcement officers, and court officials. Also, proceedings of international research and practice conferences held by the Baltic International Academy and by the Baltic Journal of Law; reviews of scientific publications appear in the BJL.
The languages of publications are: Latvian, Russian or English with all the abstracts/summaries available in English. Complete versions of the articles and other materials are available in open access on the official website of the Journal: www.balticlawjournal.lv
The ethics of scientific publications.
The Editor in Chief and the members of the Editorial Board pursue a balanced, objective, and communicative editorial policy, in accordance with international and national requirements.
The editorial policy of the BJL comply with the publication standards of COPE Code of Conduct, approved by the International Committee of Publication Ethics, and in accordance with the provisions adopted in 2010 at the II World Conference on research integrity compliance held in Singapore in 2010.
All articles are reviewed by the Editorial Board. Depending on the content of an article, its topical and polemic nature, four levels of reviewing may be applied: main editor, open peer-review, single blind PR, double blind PR.
Authors can submit their articles for consideration by the Editorial board via blj.bsa.edu@gmail.com
Revisiting the juridical concept of «selection achievements» according to the legislation of some member - states of the Eurasian Economic Union: peculiarities, problems and ways of solution К вопросу о юридическом понятии «селекционные достижения» по законодательству некоторых государств - членов Евразийского экономического союза: особенности, проблемы и пути их решения Year: 2016, Issue No. 2/3 Problems of standard regulation of collecting extrajudicial debts Parādu ārpustiesas atgūšanas tiesiskā regulējuma problemātika Year: 2017, Issue No. 3 Contractual succession subject matter and normative regulation formation proceeding temporal issues Contractual succession subject matter and normative regulation formation proceeding temporal issues Year: 2016, Issue No. 4 Protection of property rights in international law Protection of property rights in international law Year: 2016, Issue No. 4 The civil procedural defense against violence in Latvia Civilprocesuālā aizsardzība pret vardarbību Latvijā Year: 2017, Issue No. 2
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Marine Ecology and Fisheries - Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS)
In the vast open ocean ecosystems that cover most of our planet, primary productivity is driven by microscopic algae that float at the mercy of the currents. These drifting phytoplankton are responsible for roughly 50% of the photosynthesis on our planet. They suck up carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and fuel marine food webs. Because they are so small, these phytoplankton are seldom consumed directly by fish and other larger organisms. Instead they are eaten primarily by zooplankton, a diverse group of organisms that range from single celled amoeba-like protists to krill. The ecological interactions between phytoplankton and zooplankton determine the efficiency with which energy moves up the food chain and hence controls the productivity of many marine fisheries. Here at COAPS, working in partnership with the FSU Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, we use a suite of modeling and field work approaches to investigate these marine food webs and their links to climate change.
Plankton Trophic Dynamics
Pleuroncodes planipes, also known as the pelagic red crab or the tuna crab, is a small crab that spends his entire life swimming in the surface ocean. They are usually found off the western coast of Mexico, but during El Nino years their range expands to the waters off of Southern California. Photo credit: Mike Stukel.
Plankton vary in size from less than a micron to over a meter (>6 orders of magnitude variability) in size and come from all major domains and many phyla. With this incredible taxonomic diversity comes a similar diversity in trophic modes and hence ecosystem structures. Biogeochemists tend to focus solely on the total primary productivity of an ecosystem or the proportion of primary productivity stemming from large phytoplankton. However, the productivity and efficiency of an ecosystem is often determined by a complex interplay between phytoplankton, grazing pressure, bacterial remineralization, and various biotic and abiotic particle packaging and disaggregating mechanisms. Meanwhile, particle aggregation and remineralization by particle-attached protists and bacteria may control fluxes into the deep ocean. Unraveling these relationships is a complex task. This research involves the use of simple trophic models to synthesize in situ rate measurements. Recent research by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. has focused on the effects of alternate grazing pathways on ecosystem efficiency. In the California Current Ecosystem, Gulf of Mexico, and Costa Rica upwelling dome, my collaborators and I have simultaneously measured taxon-specific phytoplankton growth rates, losses to protozoans and mesozooplankton, and POC export. We can then estimate fecal pellet production - a potentially dominant component of sinking particles - if we assume a fixed efficiency for protozoans and that protozoan production is consumed by mesozooplankton. Such simple relationships can be a powerful hypothesis-testing tool when combined with in situ measurements, but are critically dependent on the efficiency of the protozoan community (which in turn depends on both gross growth efficiency of individual organisms and the number of trophic steps within the protozoa). Plankton trophic dynamics are further complicated by the incredible overlap of different trophic levels. For more information about Dr. Stukel's research, visit the FSU Plankton Ecology and Biogeochemistry Lab.
Larval Fish Production
Marine fisheries are economically and nutritionally important to people around the world. Historically, these fisheries have been regulated based on single-species models. Essentially, such approaches assume that larval recruitment (i.e. the number of larval fish that survive to become juveniles or adults each year) is dependent only on the number of spawning adults the previous year. However, despite the best intentions of fisheries scientists and managers, this approach has proven insufficient for managing many species and many fisheries around the planet have crashed. Ecosystem-based management starts with the assumption that larval recruitment depends on both adult biomass and other environmental variables, such as temperature, oxygen, prey availability, and predator abundance. Consequently, it is crucial to understand how the entire environment is changing in time. For instance, climate change is likely to lead to warming of the surface layers of the Gulf of Mexico. These warmer temperatures will increase the metabolism (including growth rates and food requirements) of larval fish living in the same regions. At the same time, warm surface temperatures lead to increased stratification which inhibits nutrient introduction to the surface ocean and depresses primary productivity. Thus zooplankton (i.e. larval fish food) abundances may decrease at the same time that higher metabolism requires that larval fish need more food.
Members of the FSU Plankton Ecology and Biogeochemistry Lab (left to right) during a recent field campaign in the Gulf of Mexico: Tom Kelly (graduate student), Mike Stukel (lead scientist), and Taylor Shropshire (graduate student).
To address these issues, we use a diverse suite of oceanographic research. Partnering with colleagues at NOAA Southeastern Fisheries Science Center, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the University of Hawaii, Dr. Mike Stukel's lab has conducted two field campaigns to quantify the impact of bottom-up limitation and plankton trophic structure on habitat suitability for larval bluefin tuna. Working with collaborators at Horn Point Laboratory, we are combining satellite remote sensing with individual-based models of crustaceans to predict changing zooplankton abundance. Finally, we use ecological and biogeochemical models to simulate larval transport and development in a four-dimensional ocean. These diverse approaches work synergistically to better predict how a changing environment will affect larval fish survive, and hence enable fisheries researchers to better manage their stocks for a sustainable future. For more information about this research, visit the FSU Plankton Ecology and Biogeochemistry Lab.
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Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer is applauded by caucus members as he announces he will step down as leader of the Conservatives, Thursday, December 12, 2019 in the House of Commons in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
‘He was good for the West:’ Sadness, surprise in Saskatchewan over Scheer
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and his predecessor, Brad Wall, both thanked Andrew Scheer
Regina resident Dennis Amon says federal Conservatives have a reputation to “eat their own,” but he had hoped for a different outcome for his member of Parliament, Andrew Scheer.
Amon says he was sad when Scheer announced Thursday that he plans to resign as leader of the party and the Official Opposition.
“I think he was good for the West and for all people of Canada,” Amon said while walking outside in the freezing cold near Scheer’s Regina riding office.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people picked on his personal choices and his personal life and I don’t think that was fair.
“I thought maybe the Conservative party would get behind him a little bit better and understand he did bring in fairly good election results considering who he was going against.”
Scheer’s Conservatives swept Saskatchewan and nabbed all but one seat in Alberta in the October election, however, they did not pick up as many seats as the party had hoped for in vote-rich Ontario and Quebec. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were re-elected, although to a minority government.
Scheer’s positions on same-sex marriage as well as abortion dogged him throughout the campaign and after the loss some prominent Conservative voices called for his resignation.
While Scheer said he intends to resign as party leader once a successor is chosen, he plans to stay on as MP for Regina-Qu’Appelle.
Scheer was 25 when he was first elected in the riding in 2004. Staff at his riding office did not want to comment on his announcement.
READ MORE: ‘Not a decision I came to lightly:’ Scheer to resign as Conservative leader
Scheer’s riding is also home to 12 First Nations, where some leaders have called him out for being absent, not only during his time as party leader but also as their MP.
Chief Matthew Peigan of Pasqua First Nation, about 70 kilometres northeast of Regina, said that Scheer should also step down as their representative in Ottawa.
He said that during the campaign constituents saw Scheer running as Conservative leader, not as their elected official. Scheer only visited his Regina riding on Election Day and also stopped in Saskatoon during the campaign.
“From 2004, he hasn’t served, in my opinion, the best interests and pushing the issues of the Indigenous people forward. And if he hasn’t been doing that and he hasn’t done that as party leader, what’s going to make him change to do that now?” said Peigan.
Jamie Page, a lifelong resident of Regina, said Scheer’s resignation came as a good surprise. She feels he held homophobic views and hasn’t been present in the community.
Others noted that as party leader Scheer was required to be elsewhere.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and his predecessor, Brad Wall, both made brief statements thanking Scheer for his time as leader.
Some local supporters also took to social media to thank Scheer for his leadership and support for the energy and agricultural sectors.
Others commended the football and “Simpsons” fan for being an all around ”good guy” and someone who stood up for the “Saskatchewan cause,” despite being born in Ontario.
“I think he did as best as he could,” Dave Beattie said of Scheer’s election performance.
He called the election loss “pretty much a given, you know, as far as regions go across Canada.”
Stephanie Taylor , The Canadian Press
Owner surrenders dogs chained up outside among scrap metal, garbage to BC SPCA
Trudeau tells ministers openness, co-operation are key in minority government
‘Scariest boat ride of my life’: Passengers trapped by ice on rocky Nimpkish ferry sailing
The ferry docked in Bella Coola on Jan.12 coated in a thick layer of ice
Extreme cold bursts water pipe, closes emergency and main entrance to Cariboo Memorial Hospital
Hospital remains fully operational
The Games will be the largest multi-sport event ever held in Halifax
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Nine competitors took part in the Cariboo Classic Amateur Powerlifting Competition
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The high court’s ruling Thursday removes one of the remaining obstacles for the project
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© 2020, Coast Mountain News and Black Press Group Ltd.
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Don Cheadle to Bring Early Black Wall Street Tycoon's Story to the Screen
Cheadle reunites with “Miles Ahead” scribe Steven Baigelman and stars in project on Jeremiah G. Hamilton, a Wall Street stockbroker whose financial success in a largely White business world defied mid-19th century convention.
Sameer Rao Apr 11, 2017 4:22PM EDT
Watch Don Cheadle Break Down This 'Miles Ahead' Scene
“Miles Ahead” hits select theaters across the country today. Cheadle sat down with The New York Times for an insider’s look at a key scene.
Sameer Rao Apr 1, 2016 11:49AM EDT
Here's a New 'Miles Ahead' Clip to Finish Off Your Afternoon
Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic opens in theaters on April 1.
Sameer Rao Mar 16, 2016 4:01PM EDT
10 Times the Oscars Snubbed Black People
From Ava DuVernay to Forest Whitaker, here are just a few of the Black performers and creators that the Academy told, “Nah, we’ll go with a White person.”
Sameer Rao Feb 24, 2016 5:22PM EST
WATCH The Stunning New Trailer for Don Cheadle's 'Miles Ahead'
Cheadle’s directorial debut arrives in theaters April 1.
Sameer Rao Feb 3, 2016 11:05AM EST
David Oyelowo on Lack of Black Oscar Nominees: 'The Academy Has a Problem'
The “Selma” star went off script at a gala honoring Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
Sameer Rao Jan 20, 2016 12:35PM EST
WATCH: Don Cheadle Brings Miles Davis To Life In Two New 'Miles Ahead' Clips
“Miles Ahead,” Cheadle’s directorial debut, premiered yesterday as the New York Film Festival’s closing screening.
Sameer Rao Oct 12, 2015 3:01PM EDT
Sony Pictures Thinks Miles Davis Biopic Is About an 'Iconic Singer'
The Don Cheadle-helmed biopic was picked up by Sony Pictures Classic, which labeled the trailblazing trumpeter, songwriter and genre-bender as an “iconic singer.”
Sameer Rao Aug 10, 2015 11:29AM EDT
Don Cheadle's Miles Davis Biopic to Close Out New York Film Festival
Cheadle directed, co-wrote, and stars in the film as the iconic and troubled trumpeter and composer.
Jul 23, 2015 4:31PM EDT
Don Cheadle Thanks Fans For Making His Miles Davis Project Happen
“Miles Ahead” is finally in production.
Jamilah King Jul 11, 2014 12:28PM EDT
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Hidden Harms
Abilify Lawsuits
Invokana Lawsuits
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Legal Look: $3 Million Verdicts, Juul Nicotine Levels, and More 3M Earplug Problems
February 19, 2019 Authored by: Curtis Weyant Tagged: JUUL
In this issue of the Legal Look we review two separate $3 million verdicts – one in an IVC filter bellwether trial and another in a brachial plexus case – a new 3M military earplugs lawsuit, and evidence that Juul increased nicotine levels in its e-cigarettes.
IVC Bellwether Trial $3M Verdict
A jury in Indiana has awarded $3 million in compensatory damages to the victim of a faulty inferior vena cava (IVC) filter made by Cook Medical Inc. This was the second case in the federal multidistrict litigation to reach the bellwether trial phase – in a previous case, the jury found in favor of the defense, while a third case was thrown out because the statute of limitations had passed before the plaintiff was able to file a lawsuit.
As of the most recent report from the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, more than 12,100 IVC filter lawsuits in total have been filed against makers like Cook Medical, C.R. Bard, and Boston Scientific, with more than 11,600 of them still outstanding. Nearly 5,600 of those lawsuits are against Cook Medical alone.
Update: On Wednesday, February 20, the jury declined to award any punitive damages in the case.
$3M Brachial Plexus Verdict Affirmed
Another $3 million verdict was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court last week in an Erb’s palsy lawsuit based on a brachial plexus injury that occurred in 2014. In the lawsuit, plaintiff Monica Broughton said that her son Amari was permanently injured when, during childbirth, her OB/GYN, Dr. Peter Wong, used inappropriate force in an attempt to overcome shoulder dystocia, a serious childbirth complication that can lead to a variety of birth injuries and other problems.
A Delaware jury originally found in favor of Broughton, awarding her and her son $3 million. However, Dr. Wong appealed the verdict, arguing among other things that testimony by the plaintiff’s expert witnesses did not meet state and federal rules of evidence. A Delaware appeals court (known as a Superior Court) ruled against Dr. Wong’s appeal, and now the Delaware Supreme Court has also ruled against Dr. Wong by affirming the appeals court’s opinion. This is essentially the end of the line for this case, putting an end to a five-year legal ordeal for the Broughton family.
Veteran Army Medic Files 3M Earplug Lawsuit
Last week, another 3M military earplug lawsuit was filed, this time by former U.S. Army Medic Eric Taveras. As with other recent lawsuits against 3M, this new lawsuit claims the company knew about the potential for hearing damage – including tinnitus and hearing loss – for years, but failed to properly warn users about possible defects that could cause injury.
Taveras was deployed to Iraq from 2006 to 2007. During that time, he along with many other soldiers used 3M Combat Arms Ear Plugs Version 2 (CAEV2) with the understanding that they would help protect his hearing. However, according to the lawsuit, Aearo Technologies knew since at least 2000 that the earplugs did not work properly, but the company never notified the U.S. military of the design flaw or how to overcome it by inserting the earplugs deeper into the ear canal. In 2008, 3M acquired Aearo Technologies and now is liable for problems associated with the CAEV2 devices.
Did you use CAEV2 earplugs in the military? Get a free case review from an experienced personal injury lawyer
Juul Amped Up Nicotine Levels
A new study published in BMJ Tobacco Control – a medical journal focused on the health consequences of tobacco use – has found that JUUL Labs repeatedly increased the amount of nicotine in its popular JUULpod e-liquid products, prompting other vendors to do the same. The result was a sort of “arms race” between e-liquid makers: As the study authors put it, JUUL “triggered a widespread rush among aerosol purveyors to market e-liquid in unprecedentedly high nicotine concentrations.”
JUUL has already been under fire from the FDA and other agencies for its role in marketing vape products to teenagers. The company is also a defendant in a number of e-cigarette lawsuits claiming that its products have caused addiction and other medical problems because of the high concentrations of nicotine salts, a condensed form of nicotine that is easily absorbed by the body.
Authored by Curtis WeyantContributor
Curtis Weyant has more than 20 years as a writer, editor, and communicator, publishing on a wide variety of topics, especially in the financial, legal, and medical fields. At ConsumerSafety.org, Curtis managed the day-to-day publication of all content from 2016-2019.
Editorial Standards Full Bio
Texas Veteran Files Lawsuit Over Defective 3M Combat Earplugs
Top Personal Injury Lawsuits to Watch in 2019
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Coor secures pioneering contract to deliver FM services to the New Karolinska Hospital until 2040
Coor secures pioneering contract to deliver FM...
Coor Service Management (Coor) has secured the assignment to develop and deliver property and workplace (FM) services to NKS, the New Karolinska Hospital at Solna, near Stockholm, Sweden. This assignment runs until 2040 inclusive, which is a record term, and has a total contract value of some SEK 7.4 bn.
NKS* will be one of the world's leading hospitals, to be built at Solna, near Stockholm, Sweden. The client, Greater Stockholm Council, has tendered for funding, design and construction, as well as administration and maintenance for some 30 years through a PPP (public-private partnership). A consortium consisting of Skanska and Innisfree, with Coor as exclusive FM provider. The agreement comes into effect on signing after the customary trial period, and then runs until 2040.
"This is a big day. NKS represents a big step into the healthcare of the future. We signed a long-term contract that minimises the risk of delays and cost increases for taxpayers. It gives the Council and taxpayers the greatest possible security," commented Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd, Chairman of the Executive Board and Finance Committee of Greater Stockholm Council.
Coor's assignment means it taking responsibility for co-ordinating, developing and delivering a range of property and workplace-related FM services during the contract term. Services to be delivered include the management and maintenance of properties, security solutions/monitoring, energy services, parking services, cleaning, logistics, staff restaurants, mail management, conference services and customer service/helpdesk. As previously, all healthcare in the new hospital will be delivered by the County Health Authority.
To match NKS's clear environmental profile, services will be designed to satisfy the highest Coor Green Services standard**, which ensures that FM services cause the minimum possible environmental impact.
"This is the most pioneering and fundamental contract signed in our sector for over ten years. The fact that we'll be able to influence the construction project, plus its exceptional contract term, means we can plan our provision and take more long-term decisions than normal. For the new Hospital and its healthcare, this will result in highly cost-efficient, quality-assured and environmentally friendly FM provision throughout the contract term," noted Mats Jönsson, CEO and President of Coor Service Management.
Coor will start delivering FM services from 2012 onwards, which at full capacity, will correspond to an annual volume of some SEK 300 m. The estimated total contract value for the whole term is SEK 7,400 m. Going forward, Coor expects to employ some 250 people on provision to the new Hospital.
"We've worked hard on this assignment, and I'm really delighted over the decision," added Ulf Wretskog, Vice President of Coor Service Management in Sweden, who headed the negotiations, "our objective is to ensure that Greater Stockholm Council gets FM provision that supports its healthcare and the new Hospital optimally in close collaboration with other parties involved."
Ulf Wretskog Vice President, Coor Service Management Sweden
+46 8 553 959 40, ulf.wretskog@coor.com
Åsvor Brynnel Communication Manager, Coor Service Management
+46 8 553 954 04, asvor.brynnel@coor.com
Caroline Karlsson Press Secretary for Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd (M)
+46 70 737 41 26, caroline.karlsson@politik.sll.se
Tomas Philipp Corporate Communications Manager, NKS
+46 70 737 60 60, tomas.philipp@sll.se
Peter Gimbe Group Press Officer, Skanska
+46 10 448 88 38, peter.gimbe@skanska.se
Invitation to press conference and information event
Greater Stockholm Council, Skanska and Coor will be presenting today's decision and the New Karolinska Hospital project at the following events:
Media press conference, at 3.45 p.m. on Tuesday, 4 May in Landstingshuset (Stockholm County Hall, Stockholmssalen facility), Hantverkargatan 45, Stockholm, Sweden. County Council Board members Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd and Stig Nyman, Johan Karlström (President and CEO of Skanska) and Mats Jönsson (President and CEO of Coor Service Management) and others will be attending the conference.
In-depth information event for the media and financial markets, at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 5 May at in Landstingshuset (Stockholm County Hall, Stockholmssalen facility), Hantverkargatan 45, Stockholm, Sweden. Representatives of Greater Stockholm Council, Mats Jönsson (President and CEO of Coor Service Management), Johan Karlström (President and CEO of Skanska) and others will be attending the event.
* The New Karolinska Hospital (NKS) will be a world-class hospital, providing specialist and highly specialist care, as well as conducting research and development. The hospital will be built in Solna, Stockholm, Sweden. Construction is scheduled to start in summer 2010, with the ambition of the first patients arriving in December 2015. More information on the project is available at its website, www.nyakarolinskasolna.se
** Coor Green Services is a dynamic evaluation tool that can be applied to all the constituent services of an FM provision. This tool was developed by Coor Service Management, and is currently the sector's most comprehensive environmental standard. For more information on Coor Green Services, go to www.coor.se
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Family Law Issues & Advice
Collaborative Law Services
Financial Agreement Services
Court Representation & Advocacy
With the support and guidance of an impartial mediator, family dispute resolution assists you and your partner in identifying issues, developing options and making decisions without going to Court.
Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is a form of mediation that supports separating and divorcing couples and their children in resolving family disputes and reaching their own agreements.
With the support and guidance of an FDR Practitioner – an impartial mediator appointed by both parties – family dispute resolution assists you and your partner in identifying issues, developing options and making decisions without needing to go through the Family Court.
At Corish & Co we specialise in family dispute resolution. Andrew Corish is a trained and experienced FDR Practitioner and accredited as a mediator in family law.
When you and your partner are ready to participate in FDR, we will facilitate the process in a safe and supportive environment and encourage open and honest communication to properly resolve the issues in dispute.
The Family Law Act stipulates that separating or divorcing parents must attempt FDR before applying to the Family Court for parenting orders. Family situations involving violence, child abuse or urgent matters are exempt from FDR. Currently, there are no legal requirements to resolve property matters and financial issues prior to making an application to court.
Family Dispute Resolution is considered the quickest and most practical and cost-effective process for you and your family to resolve family disputes and reach a mutually suitable settlement.
The Family Dispute Resolution Process
Firstly, both you and your partner must agree to participate in the FDR process.
As your FDR practitioner, we then meet with you both separately to assess your situation.
During the confidential assessment, we help to identify the issues that need to be resolved.
We then arrange and facilitate one or more joint sessions either between you and your partner or also with your respective legal representatives involved.
In each joint session you are both given the opportunity to openly express your points of view.
We encourage and assist you to openly discuss the issues in dispute and consider different options to resolve those issues.
If agreements are reached, we assist you to enter into appropriate written Agreements and Consent Orders.
Contact us to learn more about whether Family Dispute Resolution is suitable for your situation.
Corish & Co
Corish & Co has a long history of helping people resolve family law issues in the best possible way. We seek to find effective solutions and reach successful outcomes out of court, avoiding unnecessary financial and emotional costs.
Family Law Accredited Specialists
Conveniently located in North Sydney
Suite 3, Level 14, 122 Arthur Street
andrew@corish.co
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Pubs & Restaurants in Cornwall
Cornwall’s best pubs for an ale or a cider according to CAMRA
We’ve all got our favourite watering holes to stop for a tipple, but now CAMRA Kernow’s Pubs of the Year 2018 have officially been crowned
Hannah Maltwood
Everyone likes to relax with a smooth, cool pint, but in Cornwall we take our beers and ciders seriously, from our award-winning breweries to some of the UK’s best pubs – and its thirsty work.
We’ve all got our favourite watering holes to stop for a tipple, but now CAMRA Kernow’s Pubs of the Year 2018 have officially been crowned.
There were more than 500 pubs across the county that were shortlisted to take the title, but there could be only one winner in each category; Pub of the Year, and Cider Pub of the Year.
The top four Pubs of the Year:
The CAMRA Kernow team (the Cornwall branch of the Campaign for Real Ale) worked hard (really?) to narrow down more than 500 pubs, to just four for the final judging.
The ones that made it through to the final round were;
The ‘Front, Falmouth
The Bell Inn, Launceston
The beautiful Bell Inn in Launceston (Image: Google Maps)
The Red Lion, Newquay
The Old Ale House, Truro
Ben Waters playing in the Old Ale House
The top three Cider Pubs of the Year:
In the cider pubs section of the competition the top three pubs were chosen to be;
The Stable, Falmouth
The Stable, Fistral
The winners:
This year saw a revelation in the competition – for the first time in its entire history, one pub was crowned top in both categories.
The ‘Front in Falmouth took the title of CAMRA Kernow Pub of the Year 2018 and the CAMRA Kernow Cider Pub of the Year 2018.
Bargain Booze with stores in Falmouth, Newquay and Saltash heads for administration putting jobs at risk
The CAMRA Kernow team offered “massive congratulations” to the pub’s landlord Matt Reay and his team, and said that it was “a pleasure” to announce that The ‘Front had taken first in both categories.
“We would like to award a Runner-Up CAMRA Kernow Pub of the Year which goes to the Bell Inn, Launceston who were exceptionally close to the title,” said a CAMRA Kernow spokesperson.
“Congratulations to Ivor, Linda and their team in Launceston. Making the final selection is a massive accolade in itself and acknowledge highly commended status to the Red Lion, the Old Ale House, the Stable Fistral and the Stable Falmouth.”
How is it judged?
It’s a meticulous process to choose the winners and not one that is taken lightly.
As well as naming Pub of the Year, the team also selects pubs to make it into the annual CAMRA Good Beer Guide, of which 62 Cornish pubs will feature this year.
The best restaurants in Cornwall we really miss
CAMRA Kernow uses visitor reports along with pint scores to help inform its decision.
Over the last year more than 6,000 pints of beer and cider were rated in the county through CAMRA’s whatpub.com website.
Chances are that you might know someone connected to CAMRA Kernow, there are more than 1,300 CAMRA members in Cornwall already.
The team said that it “will always have some room for some more” and has encouraged new members.
You can find out more here .
How to celebrate?
Now we officially have our Pub of the Year we definitely need to help celebrate.
A presentation ceremony will take place in Falmouth in April that will see the awards handed out as well as the opportunity to taste some of the best beers and ciders throughout the afternoon.
This is what we think of Chorley's the No 1 Truro restaurant on TripAdvisor
The day will kick off on Saturday April 14 at The Stable at 12.30pm and then on to The ‘Front at 1.30pm.
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After Reid Travis, John Calipari is prepared to add more grad transfers
After finding success with Reid Travis, John Calipari is prepared to add more graduate transfers. One is scheduled to visit UK Monday.
After Reid Travis, John Calipari is prepared to add more grad transfers After finding success with Reid Travis, John Calipari is prepared to add more graduate transfers. One is scheduled to visit UK Monday. Check out this story on courier-journal.com: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2019/03/28/kentucky-basketball-john-calipari-changes-tune-grad-transfers/3287038002/
Jon Hale, Louisville Courier Journal Published 12:46 p.m. ET March 28, 2019 | Updated 8:28 p.m. ET March 28, 2019
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With leading scorer PJ Washington sidelined for the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend, Kentucky turned to graduate transfer Reid Travis to carry a larger share of the load that he needed to throughout much of SEC play.
Had Kentucky coach John Calipari not overcome his stated distaste for the graduate transfer rule, which allows players who have graduated but still have eligibility remaining to transfer and play immediately elsewhere, to entice Travis to Lexington last summer it’s hard to imagine the Wildcats would have been able to overcome Washington’s sprained foot.
So it should come as no surprise that as Calipari continues to shape next season’s roster he is considering graduate transfer options again.
More: Cast is off PJ Washington's injured foot before Kentucky vs. Houston
“I see what this did for Reid,” Calipari said on his radio show this week. “Obviously, he helped our team, but what it did for Reid and what he was trying to do. I would absolutely consider under the right circumstances grad students.”
The best photos of Kentucky's 2019 NCAA Tournament run
Kentucky's PJ Washington laughs as coach John Calipari jokes about peeing on Charles Barkley's statue Saturday afternoon about playing against Auburn before Sunday's Elite Eight game and the chance of reaching the Final Four in Kansas City. March 30, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Keldon Johnson talks to the media Saturday afternoon about playing against Auburn before Sunday's Elite Eight game and the chance of reaching the Final Four in Kansas City. March 30, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Ashton Hagans talks to the media Saturday afternoon about playing against Auburn before Sunday's Elite Eight game and the chance of reaching the Final Four in Kansas City. March 30, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's PJ Washington Jr. takes a free throw shot late in the second half as many Wildcats fans anxiously watch during the Sweet Sixteen game in Kansas City. March 29, 2019. Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Tyler Herro, left, celebrates with Keldon Johnson after Herro hit the three that put the Wildcats up over Houston late in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight. Herro finished with 19 points. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Reid Travis slams down a dunk in the first half against Houston in the Sweet Sixteen. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Tyler Herro celebrates after he hit the three that put the Wildcats up over Houston late in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight. Herro finished with 19 points. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's PJ Washington gets congratulated by Immanuel Quickley after the Wildcats beat Houston 62-58 in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight. Washington finished iwith 16 points and two rebounds in his first game back after the loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tourney. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
A fan held a sign welcoming back Kentucky's PJ Washington Jr. in the first half of the Sweet Sixteen. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's PJ Washington grabbed a rebound over Houston in the second half of the Sweet Sixteen game. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's EJ Montgomery hustles after a loose ball in the first half of the Sweet Sixteen. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Ashton Hagans as the Wildcats sealed the win over Houston late in the Sweet Sixteen to advance to the Elite Eight. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's John Calipari raises his fist in triumph as the Wildcats beat Houston to advance to the Elite Eight to face Auburn. "I love our will to win," Calipari said after the game. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's EJ Montgomery grabbed this rebound in the game against Houston. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Keldon Johnson tries to score in the first half against Houston. He finished with seven points and seven rebounds in the Wildcats' 62-58 win in the Sweet Sixteen. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
An Auburn fan dressed up as Charles Barkley as a Kentucky fan looked around at the scene at the Sprint Center in the Sweet Sixteen in Kansas City. March 29, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
The Courier Journal's Jon Hale and Gentry Estes break down UK's clash with Houston on Friday night. Matt Stone
Kentucky forward PJ Washington Jr. smiles while taking shots during the team's practice before game against Houston Thursday afternoon. It was the first time in 12 days since Washington was practicing in public since injuring his left foot in the SEC tournament. March 28, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky forward PJ Washington Jr. talks to the media before practice Thursday afternoon. It was the first time in 12 days since Washington was practicing in public since injuring his left foot in the SEC tournament. March 28, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky fans cheer as the Wildcats beat a tenacious Wofford 62-56 in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. March 23, 2019. Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Ashton Hagans pressures Wofford Nathan Hoover in the Wildcats' 62-56 win in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. March 23, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Tyler Herro shut down Wofford's Fletcher Magee in the Wildcats 62-56 win in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. March 23, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
PJ Washington flexes in celebration as Kentucky muscled its way past a tenacious Wofford 62-56 in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. March 23, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky players celebrate after the Wildcats beat a tenacious Wofford 62-56 in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. March 23, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Nick Richards smiles as he walks with teammates Immanuel Quickley, left, and EJ Montgomery after the Wildcats beat Wofford in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. March 23, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
The media crowd was large for the Kentucky press conference of John Calipari and the players before the Saturday game against Wofford at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. March 22, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Reid Travis battles for a loose ball as Kentucky blew out Abilene Christian 79-44 in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's John Calipari seemed to be enjoying the game against Abilene Christian at the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's PJ Washington Jr cheered for his team from the sidelines as the Wildcats blew out Abilene Christian 79-44 in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
A UK student mocked the other Wildcats of Abilene Christian as the Kentucky blew out Abilene Christian 79-44 in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's John Calipari yells in the first half in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019. Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Jemarl Baker tries to drive against Abilene Christian's Jaylen Franklin in the first half in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's PJ Washington Jr. sits in the arena before the game against Abilene Christian in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky fans outside the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena before the game against Abilene Christian in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's PJ Washington Jr. rolls into the arena before the game against Abilene Christian in the NCAA first round in Jacksonville Thursday. March 21, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Keldon Johnson flexes during NCAA tourney practice Wednesday afternoon in Jacksonville. March 20, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Kentucky's Reid Travis greets fans before the Wildcats' practice Wednesday afternoon in Jacksonville. March 20, 2019 Matt Stone/Courier Journal
Calipari had previously recruited one graduate transfer to Kentucky (Julius Mays in 2012-13) but has since spoken out against the rule multiple times.
His objections appeared to date back to 2016 when his former assistant coach Bruiser Flint was fired by Drexel after losing his best player, Damion Lee, as a graduate transfer to Louisville.
“What happened was, the NCAA has a rule that a kid can leave a program like Drexel after being coached and molded for three years and go to another school without having to sit out,” Calipari said in a voicemail left for a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter after Flint’s firing. “If Lee is there, they’re in the NCAA Tournament. We’re not even talking in these terms, but that happened.”
During Kentucky’s 2017 NCAA Tournament run, Calipari claimed many graduate transfers leave programs without even informing their coaches.
“You have coaches now that are holding kids back academically so they can't graduate,” he said then. “Is that what we want? I mean, it's real simple: It's awful for mid-major coaches, for programs, and I don't think it's good for the kids. I really don't.”
More: 35 years after Phi Slama Jama, UK and Houston finally meet in tourney
But when Kentucky needed another post player and Travis, a two-time first-team All-Pac 12 player at Stanford, became available, Calipari was willing to overlook those objections.
He justified the move by noting Travis did not come from a mid-major program like Lee had at Drexel and the coach Travis originally signed to play for at Stanford had been fired.
Can't get enough Cats?
Speaking on his radio show earlier this week, Calipari reiterated that stance.
“I hesitate to have a kid come from a mid-major,” he said. “I’ll give you an example: the (Cameron) Jackson kid from Wofford, No. 33. He was a grad student. Their coach had to go and say, ‘I want to make sure you’re coming back,’ and the kid said, ‘Are you kidding me? We’re going to be on the greatest ride of my life, I’m not leaving for anything.’
“I want you to understand, with him not on that team Wofford would have not been what they were. Even though they would have shot 3s and they’d have been good, they probably would have won 25 games. They wouldn’t have won 30 games. … I’m kind of leery of that.”
Less than a day after Calipari’s radio show comments, Kentucky was connected to its first graduate transfer option of the offseason.
Love Kentucky sports? You're in good company. Download the CatsHQ app here
More: Which SEC team is the best bet to make the NCAA Tournament Final Four?
Bucknell forward Nate Sestina is scheduled to take a visit to Kentucky Monday, according to a report from 247Sports.
Sestina, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound second-team All-Patriot League performer who averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season, told The Daily Item newspaper in Pennsylvania he had received interest from approximately 20 programs but would consider if he needed to look at other options only after his visit to UK.
Of course, Bucknell would qualify as the type of mid-major program that Calipari said he is hesitant to recruit a graduate transfer from.
Like Travis though, Sestina hopes to work his way into a NBA draft prospect. Playing at Kentucky would certainly help that goal and was another factor cited by Calipari in his decision to recruit Travis last summer.
He also plays a position of need for Kentucky with Washington expected to enter the NBA draft, Travis exhausting his eligibility this season and no post players currently committed to Kentucky's 2019 class.
“I think (the graduate transfer rule) helps a lot,” Travis told the Courier Journal before the season. “Obviously, I’ve been able to benefit from it. But I do think it’s a blessing. … A lot of people look at it as a negative that you’re leaving the program and things like that, but I think more emphasis should be on the student athlete as far as what they have to endure and what they have to do. For me, it was a blessing because it kind of gave me a second chance to look at where I was at, gave me an opportunity.”
Jon Hale: jahale@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @JonHale_CJ. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/jonh.
Kentucky Wildcats Den
Hey #BBN! If you bleed blue, you just found your new home. Guided by fans and supported by the Courier Journal's beat reporters, we're here to give a behind-the-scenes look at the team and chat about what's on your mind.
Kentucky drops first SEC game of the season to SC on buzzer beater
Ballard, Male will clash in Friday's LIT semifinals after Wednesday wins
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Mediation between city, police and fire unions fails
After nearly a year of protests, litigation and negotiating, the Evansville public safety unions and the city administration are still fighting over health insurance costs.
Mediation between city, police and fire unions fails After nearly a year of protests, litigation and negotiating, the Evansville public safety unions and the city administration are still fighting over health insurance costs. Check out this story on courierpress.com: https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/local/2017/06/27/meditation-between-city-police-and-fire-unions-fails/103225306/
Zach Evans, zach.evans@courierpress.com Published 3:53 p.m. CT June 27, 2017 | Updated 6:27 p.m. CT June 27, 2017
The Evansville police and fire unions sued the city in October to stop the city from changing its health insurance plan.(Photo: Zach Evans)
The hangup is how much of a pay increase the city will give police and fire union members to offset their new city health insurance plan.
The groups' court-recommended mediation with a third party earlier this month ended without an agreement.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 73 and Firefighters Local 357 members took to City Council's meeting Monday.
"Unfortunately, the mayor refused to negotiate other than delivering one offer in a take-it-or-leave-it proposal rather than work with the mediator to negotiate a satisfactory resolution for all parties," FOP President Chuck Knoll said.
Winnecke on Tuesday said both sides have made offers and counter-offers since negotiations reopened in January.
"I would disagree that the city has bargained in bad faith. We have been available and met at every request and I would hate for people to think we are bargaining in bad faith," Winnecke said.
He later added: "Offers they don't like should not be equated with bad-faith bargaining."
Winnecke said he was only personally present at a January negotiation meeting.
The union and city mediation was June 8.
Mediator D. Timothy Born filed a succinct report with Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Les Shively's office following the mediation:
"Mediation was conducted in this matter on June 8, 2017. No agreement was reached among the parties," he wrote in the two-sentence report.
The unions sued the city in October 2016, asking the courts to stop the city's new health insurance plan from taking effect. The 2017 plan included higher costs for employees. Shively denied the injunction but ruled the city and unions would reopen contract negotiations.
After those contract negotiations stalled, Shively recommended mediation.
Both groups will meet next week with Shively for a progress hearing.
At the center of the issue is city expenses. The city's hospitalization fund, from which the city pays employee health insurance claims, had a negative balance of $4 million as of Friday, according to Evansville City Controller Russ Lloyd.
"Clearly, there was not enough revenue coming into the system," Winnecke said in reference to why the city changed the employee health insurance plan last year.
So far, there are fewer high-dollar claims this year than last, he said. Winnecke said the goal is to not change the employee health insurance plan for 2018.
Two killed, three injured in Evansville house explosion
Police, fire unions: Contract negotiations stalled
Read or Share this story: https://www.courierpress.com/story/news/local/2017/06/27/meditation-between-city-police-and-fire-unions-fails/103225306/
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Gamers make the best drivers
Gamers make the best drivers, according to new research.
Marmalade, the leading specialist in learner and young drivers’ insurance, has revealed that contrary to public perception, gamers are in fact amongst the safest young drivers in the UK.
To ascertain whether hobbies and interests have an impact on how young people drive, Marmalade also surveyed a group of customers.
It analysed their driving behaviour, using telematics data from their recent journeys, to identify which interests are most likely to make a driver safer or more reckless.
Marmalade’s own telematics data analysis of its customers concluded that gamers were amongst the safest drivers on UK roads, with many customers gaining higher than average safety scores of over 90% in an average journey.
These findings were then measured against a YouGov survey* commissioned by the insurance company to understand the general public’s perceptions of drivers and what makes a safe driver.
The survey asked the public which hobbies were most generally indicative of reckless driving. 52% of YouGov survey respondents who identified a hobby as indicative of reckless driving, said that those who liked computer gaming are more likely to be a careless driver, significantly more than any other hobby listed. Other options included reading, computer gaming, listening to music, socialising and watching TV/films.
Marmalade wanted to investigate correlations between lifestyle choices and driving style to work with its young customers to help improve driver safety.
Guy Knight, Director of Marmalade, says: “Our ethos has always been to support our drivers by offering second-to-none customer service alongside fantastic products that suit them and their lifestyles. We’re thrilled that our data confirms whatever hobby you choose you can still be a safe driver.”
In support of Marmalade’s findings, research from the University of Rochester, USA, shows that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn’t just make them better at playing video games, but improves everyday activities like driving.
Jim Knight, a 20-year-old Ambassador for Marmalade, says: “I do enjoy gaming and I feel I’m a good and safe driver –it might even impact positively on my driving. I believe that my hobbies have no impact on my driving, so please don’t stereotype us!”
With this insight, Marmalade has developed a quiz game and competition for young drivers to take part and discover what type of driver they are. Entrants will also be in with a chance to win a Vauxhall Corsa, 1.4 litre SRI: www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/stereotypes.
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Acadian Culture Day highlights roots and heritage
The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance at this year’s Acadian Culture Day. While patiently waiting...
Acadian Culture Day highlights roots and heritage The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance at this year’s Acadian Culture Day. While patiently waiting... Check out this story on dailyworld.com: https://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/2014/08/04/acadian-culture-day-highlights-roots-and-heritage/13558327/
Louisiana Published 11:00 p.m. CT Aug. 3, 2014 | Updated 11:12 p.m. CT Aug. 3, 2014
Jim Viator wears the flag of Acadia in his shirt pocket during Acadian Culture Day in Lafayette .(Photo: Paul Kieu, The Advertiser)
The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance at this year’s Acadian Culture Day. While patiently waiting on the rain to stop, conversations about this year’s experiences floated through the air.
Amongst the festival attendees seeking a dry area on the porch of La Cuisine de Maman was Dayton Landry, a first-time attendee who teaches french immersion in St. Landry Parish. As the rain poured down, Landry shared that his favorite part was the tart-cooking demonstration, along with the good music and dancing.
“I wanted to experience the culture,” said Landry. “It’s a wonderful thing.”
The newly crowned 2014 Teen Miss Scott Boudin Festival Queen, Meka Cormier, proudly wore her sash while chatting with friends and family on the porch about her experience at this year’s festival.
“This is my first year, and it’s a good experience,” said Cormier with a smile. “You get to learn about the different cultures and the variety in music.”
Cormier’s mother, JoAnn Cromier, chimed in and added a historical context to her daughter’s comments.
“This festival teaches how people back then lived,” said Cormier. “Kids today don’t know how blessed they are.”
The free event at Vermilionville featured live music in the Performance Center by Bonsoir Catin, T’Monde, and Cajun Jam with Sheryl Cormier. These musicians added their own twist to Cajun music and gave participants something to listen to as the rain continued to fall .
This year’s festival attracted numerous interested people from Europe who wished to learn about the Acadian culture. Amongst this group was Hanna Fontaine, from France, who spoke highly of the jambalaya.
“Lunch was very good,” said Fontaine. “It was spicy and new. I’m looking forward to the musical performances and dancing.”
Just as Fontaine finished sharing her love for the cuisine, it stopped raining and festival attendees left the porch to sightsee. Volunteers from the Friends of Vermilionville added an authentic flair to the vibrant scene by wearing attire worn during the 1700s and 1800s. A small line began to form as people waited to receive a hearty bowl of jambalaya prepared by Randy Menard and Tom Wicker.
Menard, a Lafayette native, has been cooking jambalaya for 15 years.
“The festival is a great cause for the heritage and culture here,” said Menard.
Wicker, a St. Landry Parish resident, shared that he started out cooking 25 years ago, but didn’t know about his heritage.
“My wife found a link to my Acadian heritage while researching my genealogy,” said Wicker. “It’s a certain type of pride, and we want to promote Acadian culture.”
Festival attendees walked across Vermilionville’s 23 acres and got a chance to explore tatting, open-hearth cooking, and Cajun dance lessons, among various other activities. With hands-on activities such as bousillage demonstrations, interested attendees got a chance to step back in time and see what everyday life was like for Acadians during the 1700s and 1800s.
“It’s over 1,000 people that visited today, which is probably a record,” said Bayou Vermilion District CEO David Cheramie.
“Regarding Acadian culture, it’s a history of survival,” said Cheramie. “This festival positively reinforces learning a progressive culture.”
Read or Share this story: https://www.dailyworld.com/story/news/2014/08/04/acadian-culture-day-highlights-roots-and-heritage/13558327/
St. Landry schools shut down computers after attack
St. Landry Parish budget doesn't include election costs
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The Rev. Harry Lee Richard dies at 66
St. Landry Parish could face budget cuts, tax renewals
Washington's new mayor hopes for fresh start
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Beau Chene football continues its neverending road trip
The football season so far has been a continuous road trip for the Beau Chene football team and chances are that won’t change anytime soon.
Beau Chene football continues its neverending road trip The football season so far has been a continuous road trip for the Beau Chene football team and chances are that won’t change anytime soon. Check out this story on dailyworld.com: https://www.dailyworld.com/story/sports/high-school/2016/09/29/beau-chene-football-continues-neverending-road-trip/91292838/
Published 5:01 p.m. CT Sept. 29, 2016
Beau Chene hosts its Homecoming game against St. Edmund on Friday night, but the contest won’t be played at the school’s stadium between Arnaudville and Grand Coteau.
Instead, the Gators play the contest at Westminster Christian Academy, making it the team’s fifth straight road game due to ongoing issues with the Beau Chene field.
If there really is such a thing as home field advantage, Beau Chene hasn’t experienced it despite being 4-0 at this point. The St. Edmund game was supposed to be the Gators’ third straight at home, but during the past two weeks, Beau Chene has played Port Barre and False River Academy instead at Lafayette’s Clark Field.
Next week, the Gators were scheduled to open District 4-4A at home against St. Thomas More. STM indicated on Wednesday the games between the teams will now be played in Lafayette at STM.
Beau Chene Principal Keith James said attempts at reconstructing the football field at the school began in the spring, but heavy rains then made conditions only worse. A wet summer and local flooding during August delayed any chance of correcting the situation, James said.
“It got messed up during the end of the school last year, but that should have been enough time to fix what we needed to do. Then with the rain all spring and in the summer, that killed the hope of getting a break to start working on it, James said.
Last weekend, James said 100 tons of sand were delivered and spread throughout the field in a final attempt to get it prepared for Homecoming. Despite those efforts, James said he and school officials decided the field preparation was still incomplete and perhaps dangerous for the athletes.
James said the school decided to take a cautionary approach.
“We still had some spots on the field that were soft with some divets. We didn’t want to take the chance of having some kid tear up a knee on our field, so we decided we had to move the game,” James said.
James said playing the last two games at Clark Field worked well, but renting the facility hurt the school’s opportunity to obtain revenue.
“We made a little money (at Clark Field) after covering all the expenses. We didn’t lose any money. It wasn’t the same gate that we might have had if we had played at home,” said James.
Other parish schools have been accommodating, James said. Port Barre High offered Beau Chene the use of the field the past couple of weeks and Westminster, James said, is letting the Gators use the field in the Bellevue area for a nominal charge that includes the lighting.
Next Friday night James said STM is paying Beau Chene a generous guarantee to play in Lafayette. STM will be compensated, James said, from game ticket proceeds and concessions.
The most disappointing aspect of the field situation is Friday night, said James.
“The team and the kids really wanted to play a Homecoming game on their home field. It’s just not the same, they said, playing Homecoming at someone else’s field. The alumni coming back would like to do Homecoming at the place where they graduated and went to school 26 years ago,” James said.
Beau Chene head football coach Josh Guidry said his team hasn’t complained too ardently about not playing a home game this deep into the season.
“I think they are fine with it. They told me they wanted to go back to Clark Field again this week to play, but it we keep doing that, we might end up broke,” said Guidry.
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Search Results for "Austin"
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• Article
Designer Travis Austin’s Johnny Cash Collection Walks the Line Between Love and Confidence
2 months ago by David Fletcher
For Travis Austin, music and clothing have always gone hand in hand. Austin got his start in the fashion industry after he decided to leave the world of modeling to be one of the people he worked for. "I'll never forget it," he remembers. "It was Black Friday when I...
DFW Music News, Fashion
New SMU and UT Austin Research Paper Links Earthquakes to Oil and Gas
2 months ago by Meredith Lawrence
Several Southern Methodist University researchers were part of the team of scientists who published a study on Monday which indicates that earthquake activity in West Texas has significantly increased as oil and gas production has gone up in the region.
Environment, News, Science
• Event
South Austin Moonlighters with Oscar Ornelas
Friday, January 31, 7:30PM @ Six Springs Tavern
Texas Legends vs. Austin Spurs
Saturday, February 1, 7:30PM @ Comerica Center
Cupid's Cider Crawl With Austin Eastciders
Saturday, February 15, 2:00PM @ Lower Greenville
Austin’s Bar-B-Que Delivers Modest Barbecue at Modest Prices
5 months ago by Chris Wolfgang
Most of us have heard plenty about how great the economy is, but a glance of our bank account balances begs to differ. Sure, the C-suite crowd has probably seen some big gains in their investment portfolios, but for the rest of us not swimming in extra cash, we need...
Barbecue, First Look
Dallas County Sheriff's Deputy Tased, Threatened Handcuffed Man, Arrest Warrant Says
41 minutes ago by Stephen Young
Newly released documents paint a disturbing picture of the incident that lead to the arrest of a Dallas County Sheriff's Department deputy Thursday evening. Deputy Austin Palmer is charged with assault causing bodily injury and official oppression, both Class A misdemeanors, after he allegedly tased and threatened a handcuffed man...
Crime, Police
Jean Caffeine’s Brand of Cowpunk Made a Fan Out of Townes Van Zandt
2 days ago by David Fletcher
You may not have heard of Jean Caffeine before, but you'd be a lot cooler if you had. Caffeine is a true punk rock original who earned her moniker slamming down cappuccinos in the office of San Francisco's legendary fanzine Search & Destroy as she glued together its iconic layouts...
DFW Music News, Music History, Things To Do
Check Out How Much Dallas Rents Have Gone Up Over the Last Decade
11 hours ago by Stephen Young
People across North Texas, and in Dallas specifically, have progressively gotten squeezed by the region's rental market, according to a report from RENTCafe, a rental market analysis website. Despite robust apartment construction, rental costs have skyrocketed, far outpacing household income gains. At the beginning of the decade, in 2010, the average...
Dallas Wants to Give Millions in Tax Breaks to a Failing Pizza Delivery Startup
11 hours ago by Lucas Manfield
Dallas plans to offer Zume, a Silicon Valley tech startup, more than $5 million in tax incentives to open a manufacturing hub. The company, once valued at more than $2 billion, has come on hard times after failing to deliver on its early promise of robotic pizza delivery. The city...
News, Technology, City Hall
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Author Speed Dating
Author Speed Dating – Alexandria Sure
February 27, 2018 February 28, 2018 by Dana Nussio
I love discovering new authors, so I wanted my blog to be a place where readers and my author pals could come together. Only we like to do this Speed-Dating style. Check out a new author and her work here every Wednesday, and if the spark is there, you’ll have a match.
This week’s guest: Alexandria Sure
1. If you could revisit any favorite period in your life for a day, in approximately which year would you be found and what would you be doing?
March 25, 1994 – I was living in Miami at the time. Friends kidnapped me, blindfolded me and drove me to the Keys for a huge celebration. It was the best day/weekend.
2. Sure, it’s like picking a favorite child, but which one or two of your titles do you secretly love just a little more than the others?
BEFORE HIM COMES ME. Zara, the main character, came in such a vivid manner that it almost felt like we were connected. She was pushy to have me tell her story her way. I miss her.
3. Were you be glued to the screen during the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, did you catch the recaps, or did you ignore the games completely? Any favorite events?
Skipped!! I dislike all things snowy. Ironically, I live in Michigan. and it’s nine degrees today and snowing.
4. Dogs or cats? Pedigree or mutts?
Dog all the way. Jack Russell Terrors. Rescue only!!! #Adoptnotshop
5. How many books have you published and in how many genres and sub-genres?
I’ve released two books total … BEFORE HIM COMES ME and IN THE PURSUIT OF CHARITY. So far, I write New Adult – College. I’ve also completed two additional first drafts that are romance but not college-age.
6. Favorite female singer/rocker over 60: Tina Turner, Deborah Harry (Blondie), Stevie Nicks, Gloria Estefan or _________?
I’m a pretty big Stevie fan. Her lyrics gut me.
7. If you were marooned on a deserted island with plenty of food and water but with only one book to read and re-read, which title would you hope for?
GONE WITH THE WIND [by Margaret Mitchell]. First book, of my favorites, that popped into my mind.
8. What is the first thing you when you finish a book?
The very first thing I’ve done when completing a book is to text author Kasidy Blake. She is my biggest cheerleader. We happy dance together.
9. Which Disney princess (or prince) do you wish you were more like? And which one are you really most like?
Absolutely no clue to either question.
10. Who was the first person, besides your mom and dad, who told you that you could write?
Kasidy Blake. She was the very first person to read an excerpt of my first book. She is one of my rocks!
11. What are some of your non-writing talents that readers might find surprising? (Keep it PG please.)
Talents? I’m learning to be crafty but I wouldn’t call it a talent.
12. Names some things that have changed in publishing since your first book was published.
I’m a newbie to the author stage so this is difficult to answer. The first thing to pop into my head … Amazon’s tools to upload ebooks. I’ve released two books, and it was completely different both times.
13. Have you ever, even for a moment, forgotten that one of your characters was…you know…fictional?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: I did write a story so close to my own relationship in college that I had to place the file in a drawer for several months. I needed time to determine if I was ready to release something so personal. The answer was YES and IN THE PURSUIT OF CHARITY became my second release.
14. Do you own at least one purse (or twenty) from a well-known fashion designer, or are you more the bag-to-carry-my-junk-in type?
I’m a Coach girl. Well, I was a Coach girl until they decided to re-brand and re-name themselves Tapestry. I am NOT a Tapestry kind of girl.
15. Offer a piece of advice to new writers that you wish someone had given to you at the beginning of your career.
I wish someone would have told me typing “The End” was only the beginning. I knew nothing about editing, formatting, marketing and selling. Actually, it’s probably better I didn’t know.
Better advice: Just don’t give up!!
In the Pursuit of Charity
By Alexandria Sure
He expected her to recognize him.
He expected her to be seduced by his charms.
He expected her to fall for him.
Expectations are a funny thing …
When his parents named him Herbert Lincoln James, they already had expectations that Linc would attend an ivy league university and go into politics. Linc didn’t. As captain of his swim team, he was expected to win the big relay to carry his swim team to the state championship for the first time in decades. Linc didn’t. Society expected him to walk past her. He couldn’t.
She expected him to see through her.
She expected him to make her into a joke.
She expected him to be cruel.
IN THE PURSUIT OF CHARITY, a June 2017 release from Beaumont Tower Press, may be purchased through Amazon US, Amazon UK and Amazon CA. Also available on iBook and Kobo. Coming soon to Nook.
Alexandria Sure is from Michigan and adores her supportive family, her two rescue pups, and her mighty Spartans. Her coffee obsession leads her to writing in local coffee shops where characters come alive between salted caramel lattes and large cups of “cold brew extra cream two Splenda,” which are usually on the counter when she walks in because the baristas know her car. (Thanks, Biggby!)
When she is not writing, she spends a great deal of her time perfecting her craft. She is an active member of Capital City Writers Association and attends several writing conferences each year.
Sure’s first novel, BEFORE HIM COMES ME, is an unconventional romance of self-discovery, described by readers as “the first BDSM book with no sex.”
Learn more about Alexandria through her website, www.alexandriasure.com, and check her out on Facebook, Twitter, her YouTube channel, Instagram and Goodreads.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, New Adult Romance, Romance 2 Comments
Author Speed Dating – Thea Devine
This week’s guest: Thea Devine
The year I met John — 1964 — at a party; we were there with other dates, he brought his date home, came back to the party, and as he walked in the door, I walked right into his arms — and I stayed there for 52 years.
TEMPTED BY FIRE — my first Regency and how much I loved writing it: the language, the propriety, the clothes. It wasn’t just Jane Austen — you can fall in love with the Regency period all on its own.
3. Will you be glued to the screen during the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, will you catch the recaps, or will you ignore the games completely? Any favorite events?
I am glued. Favorite events: ice skating (all forms), snowboarding, skiing … and all extreme versions. I do none of these sports, but I can dream.
I wasn’t raised with pets, and the first thing John said after we were married was, we’re getting a dog. He’d always had dogs. And then we found a kitty cat (our Kippy) in a dumpster, and we fell in love with cats. And from then we always had both, and at least two of each.
Twenty-seven books and about a dozen novellas, all either erotic historicals or contemporaries. My books were some of the first to be reviewed as erotic romance, even though there were constraints. We had to use what I called “everyday household words” and still make our readers feel the experience. And they did.
Oh, Stevie Nicks for sure. “Rumours” is one of my favorite albums and her voice — rich, indelible … love love love.
And Adele. Don’t know if she’s over 60, but she’s 100% for me. [Editor’s Note: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is 29. 🙂 ]
GONE WITH THE WIND, [by Margaret Mitchell], which, for me, was a different book every age I reread it, including recently, with my sister-in-law. It surprised me to no end how much more history there was than romance. And you know, when I was sixteen and first read it, I was swooning over the romance.
8. What is the first thing you do when you finish a book?
Put it down and think about it. If I really loved it, why? If I didn’t, why not? How would I do it differently?
You’ve got me here — I grew up with Cinderella and Snow White — one passive, one active. I’m afraid I wasn’t a princess-y kind of little girl.
Nancy Drew. I started writing because of Nancy Drew — I wanted to create stories like that and I don’t know or remember why. It just seemed like something I wanted to do, so I started writing. Writing something coherent at age 8 or 9 was a reward in and of itself. As for encouragement — I don’t remember anyone specific, except my dad who, when I was fourteen, bought me the most expensive typewriter on the market. Nothing more needed to be said.
I love to crochet. I’m left-handed and my right-handed mom tried in vain to teach me. It turns out I crochet right. I also play guitar (3 majors and a minor) right-handedly. I’m a sixties folkie; John and I lived in Greenwich Village back then, which was the place to be for folk music. I had grown up listening to Burl Ives, Roy Acuff and other country stars of the era, because my mom loved that music AND she could yodel. I wanted to, badly, but there are some things you just can’t inherit. I also love to write lyrics, songs, poems and doggerel. The last lyric I wrote was about John’s complaining he couldn’t tell if I was talking to him or to myself (which I do — a lot).
No, but I sure fell in love with Nick Galligan in HIS LITTLE BLACK BOOK and Doug Rawls in SEX, LIES AND SECRET LIVES.
I’m a big-bag-to-carry-my-junk kind of girl, which John facilitated by buying me a nice large and beautiful bag every year for Christmas. He bought the designer names. I shopped the thrift shop.
Keep writing no matter what. You have the most control over this. And you’ll get better at it. You’ll get to know when it’s too much and when it’s just right. You’ll know when to gloss over and when to drop details, and many other subtleties that you’ll discover when you’re not looking.
I’ve been an author for more than 30 years, and I’m still refining how I write. When I look at old manuscripts, I can see vestiges of how I write now and how much I’ve learned. You will too.
His Little Black Book
By Thea Devine
… He came in with two cups of coffee and handed her one, made exactly the sway she liked it.
She slanted a startled look at him, and in that moment, she saw what Delia had seen: the bafflement, the resistance, the hunger, the restraint, the desperate wish that her choices hadn’t been so heedless. She saw the difference between a hedonist who had only wanted to play the game by his rules for his ongoing pleasure, and a man whose sole goal was centered all on the woman he had chosen.
This thing between them had everything to do with her — what made her her, the mystery of her, and his need to know the things about her that complemented the opposite things in him.
The spark, the attraction had nothing to do with her body or sex, although there was that too. She understood that the detective in him was really a romantic under the skin, and he wanted to believe. He almost could believe because he wanted it so much.
But for his own moral peace, he had to push her away because any relationship for him wouldn’t be a cavalier display of power.
It scared her how much he knew, how much he saw. Whereas she knew virtually nothing about him — barring he was a voracious reader, he loved music, he made good coffee, and he was neat, tenacious, irritating, sarcastic blunt, and on every level, exciting. Superficial things overlaying what was beneath.
But when she looked at him, she felt enfolded. She saw cozy nights and shared lives; she saw the kind of man a woman would want to marry…
And in that moment, she fell in love…
HIS LITTLE BLACK BOOK, a 2006 release from Pocket Books, may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.
About Thea
Thea Devine‘s books defined erotic historical romance. She’s the USA Today bestselling author of 27 steamy historical and contemporary novels and a dozen novellas. She was the recipient of RWA NYC’s “Lifetime Achievement Award”, and honored by Romantic Times for being a “Romance Pioneer”. Learn more about Thea through her website, www.theadevine.com, and connect with her on Facebook.
Bonus!!
Call Me Home
(Thea’s Work in Progress)
Oh damn. The problem of Bobby Sainz had her all tense and on edge. Jack Tierney had specifically asked her to deal with Bobby’s father since she’d known Bobby, he said, and she’d handled estate matters in New York.
She waved at a recent client, as she turned at the Corners. Here, catty-cornered, were The Cup ‘n Sup, the post office, town hall and, in a lovely old house that backed the lake, the town library.
Marco Sainz’s house was in a prime ten minute walk-to-town location.
In no time it seemed, she stepped up onto the sun porch, pausing a minute to look at the lake, and then noting a battered truck parked on the shoulder of the road. But there was always a battered truck parked somewhere on the roads around here, she thought as she opened the door.
Immediately the atmosphere felt charged.
Someone’s here …
She dug for her cell phone and left the door open as she moved slowly into the living room. Nothing had been moved or changed, but something was different. Or she was imagining things.
She went into the kitchen. Everything clean and pristine as before. Into the larger of the two bedrooms – and she stopped. Suitcases here, thrown carelessly on the bed, a grocery bag on the floor.
Oh dear God …please, no …
“Hey! Don’t move …”
A hard ruthless voice behind her, shocking her. She whirled, her cell at the ready … “Bobby …?” Her heart stopped, her breath caught. He was tall, muscular, and gorgeous. Hard body, hard gray eyes, long hair threaded with gray falling into his eyes. Hard voice, deep, rich, demanding, “Who the hell are you?”
Carrie let out her breath. He didn’t recognize her. Good. He was more formidable than she’d imagined. with that hard scowl and an animal magnetism that subtly infused the air. The pull was almost irresistible.
She resisted. “Carrie Scott, Bobby.”
“Jeez …” He stared at her for a long moment. “Carrie?” Not the Carrie he remembered, the one with the big blonde hair, tight skirts and barely buttoned blouses. The Carrie with the crush that had nearly crushed him.
“Carrie Scott, Esquire,” she amended coolly to put a measurable distance between them. Or was it a chasm, between the elite lawyer and the hard bitten military man? “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Sainz.” She held out her hand.
He brushed it aside, almost afraid to touch her. “The hell. What are you doing here?” Carrie? Really? With that long thick braid brushing her breast like a caress, wearing jeans and sneakers? And silk? Why the hell had that registered?
He barely heard her answer, he was so stunned..
“I check up on the house once a week. I do that for all my absentee clients. Where there’s renovation, there’s temptation. And an empty house? They take anything they can sell when they can get away with it …”
She stopped abruptly, aware he wasn’t listening.
They stared at each other for a long time. She was certain he was seeing what she saw: their younger faces superimposed over the adult, and how much they’d changed and how much they were still the same.
Memories cascading suddenly — how she had been: sassy, cocky, beautiful even then, intelligent, sure of herself, crazy crushed on Bobby Sainz. Following him around, surreptitiously, she’d thought. Dressing provocatively. Doing things to make him notice her.
Oh God. Had it been like that? Had she been like that? She’d been so sure of herself. Fifteen, for God’s sake. Thought she knew it all …
And then, the morning at the lake.
Bobby broke his gaze first, and turned abruptly to stalk to the front door.
“Thanks. Nice of you to drop by.” Goddamn it, she was beautiful. Still.
And she was his past as much as anything else in this town – which meant, despite that girlhood crush, she could be his worst enemy.
Carrie followed him slowly. “I was your father’s lawyer, Bobby. We have things to discuss. I’d like you to come to my office … at your convenience.”
He was standing by the door, tall, predatory, savage, his anger potent and tangible, as if she were the one who’d stoked it up.
Maybe she had. The past was never that far away, it seemed. She did not like him in that moment. She saw then the hard reality of what the past twenty years had done to him. He was an exile. There was no softness in him. But there never had been. And there was nothing of the boy she’d crushed on so futilely. This was another person from another place; he didn’t belong here.
“All you have to do is come to the office and sign some papers, Bobby. You don’t even have to stay here.”
“Really? Nice welcome home, Lawyer Carrie. Chasing me out after I’ve barely just walked in the door?” How could anyone be so beautiful and such an absolute bitch? Nothing had changed in all these years. “Thanks for the drive-by.”
“I walked,” she said coldly. “My hours are ten to four, the office is on Main, the green house by the One Stop. Any time this afternoon would work.”
“I’ll be in touch.” He slammed the door behind her, and she stood there, stone frozen for a long moment.
What just happened in there?
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Romance, Simon & Schuster 1 Comment
Author Speed Dating – Roni Hall
This week’s guest: Roni Hall
My wedding day. I’ve never felt such intense, overwhelming emotion as I did walking up the aisle…nervousness, anticipation, excitement and of course love. The icing on the cake… everyone that was important to me was there to share it.
LOL, that’s easy. MONTANA WILD, my only release. I am working on another as we speak.
I will be glued to the TV. I LOVE the Olympics. Downhill skiing is crazy, scary and exciting.
Definitely dogs. I am extremely partial to Labs.
My debut novel is contemporary romance with a flair for adventure. I threw in some suspense too!
So many to choose! Aretha Franklin.
I would have to take two vastly different novels…GONE WITH THE WIND [by Margaret Mitchell] and THE STAND by Stephen King.
Crack open a special bottle of wine!
I wish I was more like Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”) because she could see inner beauty. And which one are you really most like? Ariel [“The Little Mermaid“]. I am a water baby.
My boss! I was rewriting a job classification and he was impressed with my manipulation of words to describe the position.
Calligraphy, cooking, wine appreciation. I took some woodworking classes and have a renewed respect for all power tools!
When I was writing my debut novel, self-publishing was frowned upon. Now it is a respected, legitimate option!
Sure. When you spend so much time with your heroine, she becomes your bff!
I love bags…but they don’t have to be designer. I like them to be FUN with lots of compartments!
Don’t quit. Don’t compare yourself to others. Stay true to YOUR voice.
Thanks Dana!
Montana Wild
By Roni Hall
Swept up into the sea of travelers at the airport, she focused her attention back to the present as she followed the human current through check-in and security gates. It wasn’t until she was buckled into her seat that she registered the panic present in the far corner of her mind. What am I doing? A sickening wave of nausea rose in her throat as clammy beads of sweat trickled down her face. What the hell am I doing? Get up. Get off the plane now. It’s not too late, go!
Dizzy with indecision, she reached for the buckle on her seatbelt as her alternate conscience spoke up. No, stay. Do I really want to go back to my cramped little studio and spend more time alone? Her fingers released the grip on her seatbelt and she closed her eyes, deliberately trying to relax the tense wires in every fiber of her body.
Uneasy thoughts lingered after her internal schizophrenic conversation and she tried to leave all doubts behind as the plane ascended. Finding it impossible to concentrate on reading, she tried to distract herself by striking up a conversation with the unlucky soul sitting next to her.
“Have you ever been to Montana?”
“Oh yes, my sister lives there and I try to visit her every few years. How about you?”
“No, I’ve never been. This’s my first time and I’m nervous,” Jamie admitted.
“It’s pretty enough, but it’s rough country. I couldn’t live there. What brings you?”
Well, I finally got enough backbone to break up with my abusive, criminal boyfriend Derrick three months ago, and then my best friend and only ally, Noah, left on tour. I have NO family since my father died an agonizing death from lung cancer ten years ago, resulting in my mother becoming depressed and committing suicide two years later. I was pathetic enough to attach myself to one of my patients and become a helpless spectator as death cruelly consumed him. Only days after his death, my only surviving relative and second mother died, leaving me a 31-year-old orphan. So you see, I’m a loser and terribly lonely. So when this man I’ve never met in person asked me to join him on an intriguing escape across the country, I accepted.
That was the whole enchilada she wanted to spew out to the sweet, unsuspecting gray-haired matron in seat 21A. Instead she answered succinctly, “Just visiting a friend.”
MONTANA WILD, Roni Hall’s debut novel and a 2016 release from Soul Mate Publishing, may be purchased through Amazon. An Audible version of the book may be purchased by following this link.
About Roni
The summer after high school graduation, Roni worked two jobs to pay for nursing school. During the midnight shift as a waitress, a charismatic young man at the counter flirted with her for hours as he consumed seven cups of coffee. Their first date was eventful enough to be a book itself! Thirty-nine years and two kids later, the love story continues. Just like her novels, life can’t be too simple and you must make it an adventurous ride!
Her favorite place to write is in her hammock at their small Michigan cottage where she literally dodges the feeding hummingbirds while being serenaded by the lake’s loons. Besides writing, she loves Slow Rollin’ in Detroit and the combination of good food, better wine, and dear friends. Learn more about Roni through her website, www.ronihall.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Email her here.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Soul Mate Publishing 3 Comments
Author Speed Dating – Betina Krahn
February 4, 2018 February 7, 2018 by Dana Nussio
This week’s guest: Betina Krahn
1989. My boys would be in elementary school, and I would be welcoming them home on an icy Minnesota afternoon with hot chocolate and cookies and big warm hugs!! [sniff, sniff]
A GOOD DAY TO MARRY A DUKE. Seriously. I had such fun writing it. And MY WARRIOR’S HEART, reissued by Bantam as THE ENCHANTMENT. Vikings with a six-foot battle maiden. What more can I say?
Not much into the Games these days, but I still love the figure skating—see it when I can. Always my fave!
Definitely dogs. Rescue dogs… pedigree or not. Goldens, especially. Like my Gracie.
Yikes. At least 30. ::blush:: I lost count. All historicals… except SOLDIER’S RESCUE, which was out last September with Harlequin Heartwarming. That’s a contemporary. All time periods: Medieval, Vikings, American Colonial, Elizabethan, Victorian…
Probably Tina Turner. Too bad Mama Cass [Elliot] and Janis Joplin aren’t with us… they’d be over 60 now.
Only one? Honestly, a C.S. Lewis or the HOLY BIBLE. But if I could have two… Judith Merkle Riley’s A VISION OF LIGHT. That book changed my outlook on women’s lives entirely.
Hug the hubs deliriously and then SLEEP. Champagne comes later.
Anna, from “Frozen.” Plucky women are my stock and trade. But, I’m really more a Rapunzel [“Tangled”] … without the hair.
My crazy sister. She was my very first reader.
I can talk angry people down. Not sure what kind of “talent” that is, but it’s pretty useful in the medical field. My staff gets a hot one and it’s: “Get Betina!”
How much time have I got? Independent wholesalers and bookstores have all but disappeared. Publishers have consolidated into empires. Everybody can (and does) publish on the Internet. And, in general, books are so much better these days.
In the early days, my whole family talked about one of my heroines as if she were real. Treasure. I think the neighbors wondered if we had a kid we kept in a closet.
No great couture. I get a Dooney & Bourke or a Coach (usually as a gift), and I carry it until my sister says: “That thing looks like a feed bag. An OLD feed bag.”
A Good Day to
Marry a Duke
By Betina Krahn
Looking into her reflection, she managed to settle two silk butterflies back into her hair and wrap the dangling threads of a third around some seed pearls in the flowers at her shoulder. She must have groaned aloud, because her fashion critic laughed. When she looked up, he stood nearby with a gold stickpin in hand.
“Try this.” His grin raised both hackles and gooseflesh.
“I couldn’t possibly.” She dropped her gaze and found the butterfly she’d applied hanging to one side, as if it had expired from the indignity of having to appear on that dog’s dinner of a dress.
“Well, I could,” he said, taking the butterflies from her and stabbing both through with the stickpin. She watched in disbelief as he pulled out the fabric of her bodice, jabbed the pin through a flower, and threaded it through from behind.
When the butterflies were secured, his hand remained in audacious contact with her liberally exposed skin. He ran the backs of his knuckles slowly around the neckline of her bodice.
She should be kicking him like a Missouri mule, should be giving him a painful lesson in how American girls dealt with “bounders.” But, truth be told— tall, dark men with bad intentions had always been her weakness, and he was taller and darker than most and from what she could tell, his intentions were spectacularly bad.
Right now every muscle in her body was taut with expectation and her lips ached for contact of a sort she’d sworn to forego until she had spoken respectable vows.
“There,” he said with a wry smile, lowering his hand. “If you can overlook the fact that those two appear to be mating, you’ll be fine.”
“Mating?” Her eyes flew wide as she realized what he’d done. “You, you—” She caught herself before she uttered a curse and drew a fiercely controlled breath instead. “What is her name? This mama you slunk in here like a polecat to avoid.”
His grin dimmed and he paused a moment, studying her. She had caught him off-guard.
“A gentleman does not discuss the ladies in his life.”
“Is that so?” she said, lifting her chin as she headed for the door. “Well, I’m sure I’ll recognize her when I see her. She’ll be the one with the shotgun” –she raked him with a look— “and the horse-faced daughter.”
A GOOD DAY TO MARRY A DUKE, Book 1 in the Sin and Sensibility series and a November 2017 release from Zebra (Kensington Publishing Corp.), may be purchased through these and other retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Kensington.
About Betina
Bestselling author Betina Krahn is the creator of dozens of satisfying “happily-ever-afters.” Her many historical romances have received a coveted RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America, numerous reviewer’s choice and lifetime achievement awards and have appeared regularly on bestseller lists. . . including the USA Today and The New York Times.
Her books have been called “sexy” “warm” “witty” and even “wonderfully wise.” But the description that pleases her most is “funny”. . . because she believes the only thing the world needs as much as it needs love, is laughter.
Learn more about Betina through her website, www.betinakrahn.com.
BONUS!
Useful Quotes from A Good Day To Marry A Duke
Truth be told, tall dark men with bad intentions had always been her weakness. And he was taller and darker than most and, from what she could tell, his intentions were spectacularly bad.
“Careful, Miss Bumgarten. Such remarks might lead one to wonder how you came to be such an expert on men.”
It was a perfect opening.
“A body doesn’t have to have been bitten to recognize a snake.”
She had enjoyed it, damn it. Just like she knew she would. She had reveled in it, right down to the way her toes curled in her boots.
And it danged-well couldn’t happen again. Ever.
“You think I couldn’t make him happy.”
His laugh came from deep in his chest and had a knowing edge.
“Sweetness, you could make a fencepost happy.”
“It’s a church, Daisy,” he said leaning close. “I’m hardly apt to ravish you in the nave.”
“You didn’t seem to have any scruples about doing it in a library.”
“Nor”—he smiled wickedly—“did you.”
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Historical Romance, Kensington Publishing, Romance, Zebra Romance 1 Comment
Author Speed Dating – Jessica Jefferson
January 30, 2018 January 31, 2018 by Dana Nussio
This week’s guest: Jessica Jefferson
1. Name the best New Year’s Resolution you have ever broken, and how quickly did you fall off the wagon?
This year, I wanted to have a better relationship with my almost-13yr-old. Four hours after writing that resolution, I checked my Comcast app that tells me how much data’s been used on her cell phone, and I could see that she’d been using the phone all night, despite being told to hang it up right after midnight. I may have lost my cool and grounded her forever. Real constructive.
2. Hottest “The Avengers” actor: Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlet Johansson (Black Widow) or Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye)?
I may have wanted to have Chris Hemsworth’s baby. Or current tense, want.
3. What are the highest and lowest moments you’ve had as a writer?
They happened in the same week! Thanksgiving 2013…there I was, my first book came out and it was on the Amazon historical romance top 100 list. I was wedged somewhere in between two ridiculously famous authors and I was over the moon with excitement. Then Thanksgiving morning I received my first one star review. It was so harsh I gave a little spiel about it in the monthly Romance Writers’ of America publication. That reader eviscerated me and I think about that review every time I publish.
4. Please let us in on a few of your writing plans for the brand new year 2018. Any new books in the pipeline?
I have a contemporary that I would love to sell. It’s part of a series, Bliss and Bourbon. I am also in the final stages of writing REVEALING MISS TISDALE, the last book in my Regency Blooms Series. I have a book to follow up on my Second Chance novella in the pipeline as well. In 2016, I had a lot of life-altering things happen, and in 2017 I lost my mom after 8 months of in and out of hospital care, so I’m just happy to be getting back to writing again.
5. If you could only have one type of candy for the rest of your life, what treat would be satisfying your sweet tooth?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs. The kind that come out at Easter. I hoard them.
6. Which is your preferred writing location: home office with favorite music, coffee shop with white noise or library in total silence?
I have kids so I’m not sure what this silence is you speak of. I have an office that I conduct business in, but I also camp out on the end of my sofa just so I can be there to make sure the house doesn’t burn down or the kids don’t hurt each other.
7. What’s the worst piece of advice your mother ever gave you?
I now realize she was right about pretty much everything. I honestly can think of no bad advice.
8. In which sub-genres are you published, and what does the wide or narrow focus say about you?
I am very narrow – small town romance and Regency-era. This says that I don’t have time to learn about anything else right now. Also, I love to read Regency, and am from a small town, so…
9. Name two of your favorite authors, one living and one no longer with us. How have their books impacted your writing?
Kathleen Woodiwiss is my favorite romance author who has passed on. I remember seeing her books on my mom’s shelf and thinking they were so big, I’d never get through one. But as soon as I picked up that first book, I was hooked. I still have those old copies – they’re held together with brown packing tape. I also have newer copies, but I still go back to the older ones.
As for living authors, Judith McNaught is probably at the top of my list. She hasn’t had a book out for a while, and I really would love it if she could put out about twenty more. PARADISE was the first book I read of hers, and it made me think, wow – I need to write like her.
10. When you are starting a new book, what are some of the activities you do to get know your characters and develop your plot?
I write a lot of Post-it notes. I write who they are, who their family members are, map out their world. I also start a Pinterest page for each of my books and pin pics of what I envision each of the characters looking like.
11. Preferred winter activities: ice skating, ice fishing and anything involving snow or Couch Potato Olympics?
I am a gold-medalist in most consecutive episodes of Outlander consumed in a single sitting during the winter months. Winter – I’m not a fan.
12. Which character from one of your books is most like or most radically different from your significant other?
This is one of those questions that could get me in trouble. I have yet to write a hero that is like my husband. My character Jason St. Regis is cocky and a total rogue, easily a fan-favorite. I only get emails about that guy, and he isn’t even a hero in any of my books (will be in REVEALING MISS TISDALE). Total opposite of my husband.
13. What is your most ridiculous fear?
I have come to the realization that I’m a big baby about most everything. I am terrified of flying. So much so, I made author Gina Conkle drive with me to Atlanta this year for the Romance Times Convention.
14. What is your favorite social-media activity: watching cat or dog videos on Facebook, Tweeting #amwriting when you’re not or Snapchatting your face with kitty whiskers?
I love to live-Tweet during television shows. My most recent discovery is Love After Lock-Up. If you haven’t watched an episode yet, you’re welcome.
15. Who were some of the other authors who helped you on your writer’s journey, and how did they make a difference for you?
I had entered my first book into a contest, but somehow my payment never made it. Sonali Dev was the contest chair, and she reached out to me. Now, she could have just forgot about me, but she allowed me to re-submit, and I ended up being a finalist.
Author Violetta Rand was the first author to reach out. At the time, we were both with Soul Mate Publishing, and she reached out to congratulate me and give me some advice. We still talk today.
Victoria Vane invited me to be on her blog, Embracing Romance, and the networking opportunities were awesome. She’s also given me so much advice. Collette Cameron has pointed me in the right direction a couple times. Gina Conkle has been a huge help to me and really brought my writing to a different level, and Judy Myers is like a sensei of writing. Kathryn Le Veque gave me a chance with her publishing company.
I belong to the Mid-Michigan Romance Writers of America, so I can safely say that I feel like I have dozens of great influences. They’re all so awesome, I don’t want to name names because I’ll leave someone out. The only ones I’ll mention here is Julie McMullen, Annie O’Rourke, Alyssa Alexander, and Dawn Barley because they let me bunk with them at our yearly Retreat.
And of course, Dana – because I remember you talking about a scene you were writing during one of those Retreats, and I thought, holy cow, I hope I can know my characters so well. [Host is blushing.]
Thanks for having me!!
Second Chance Marquess
By Jessica Jefferson
“Fine.” He looked away first, turning his attention back to the items he’d collected upon his desk. “If you want to join me, then you may.”
She squared her shoulders and stood a bit straighter having won their duel of wills. “Good.”
Without another word or a single glance, Chesterton left the room.
Not one to be left behind, Wilhelmina hurried after him, through the study and up the stairs.
“Where are we going?” she asked once they’d reached the top, breathless from the burst of activity.
He strode down the corridor, seemingly unaffected by the brisk climb. “To my bedroom.”
She immediately stopped. “Your bedroom? Why ever would we go in there?”
Chesterton turned back to her, one sardonic eyebrow arched high. “To change,” he answered. “You didn’t expect me to head out in this, did you?” He turned and continued toward the room, looking back at her before entering. “Are you coming?” he asked, voice smooth as warm chocolate.
This wasn’t the first time she’d been lured into George’s bedroom. He’d been an earl, the courtesy title bestowed upon him at birth, but more than that, he’d been a gentleman. Apparently, he’d lost that when he’d inherited the Marquisate. His bedroom was no longer an inviting sanctuary, and this invitation was not one of love as it had once been, but a lewd proposition, tenderness replaced by cruelty, as he watched expectantly for her reaction.
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she stuttered, trying in vain to remain calm and collected as he started to untie the sash about his waist holding his robe closed. He let it fall to the ground and the robe opened, revealing his chest and torso in all its naked glory.
And it was indeed glorious.
She quickly averted her glance, whipping her head around and staring attentively at the painting on the wall.
“Is something the matter, Mrs. Turner?”
She was not about to play this game. She didn’t have the time, and he didn’t deserve the enjoyment it would undoubtedly bring him to see her suffer so. And most importantly, she couldn’t play because she knew good and well that she had no chance of winning.
SECOND CHANCE MARQUESS, Book 1 in the Second Chance series and a March 2017 release from Dragonblade Publishing, Inc., may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.
Jessica Jefferson makes her home in Almost-Chicago with her husband, two young daughters, French bulldogs Hamilton and Lulu, and English bulldog Pete. When she’s not busy trying to find middle-ground between being a modern career woman and Suzy-Homemaker, she loves watching “Real Housewives of [insert city here]” and performing unnecessary improvements to her home and property.
Jessica writes Regency-era historical romance with a modern twist where she invites her readers to fall in love with romance again. Learn more about Jessica through her website, www.JessicaJefferson.com, and the group blog, http://www.embracingromance.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Dragonblade Publishing, Historical Romance 1 Comment
Author Speed Dating – Kathy Kalmar
This week’s guest: Kathy Kalmar
I made the resolution to stay away from my bad boy love. It lasted until the next time he called─about 5 minutes later.
Robert Downey, Jr.: hubba hubba!
When an editor for Baby Talk magazine rejected “Discipline is part of loving too”, that was depressing. I guess yelling at your baby was a poor parenting strategy. When BEYOND THE BEACH was published, that was an all-time high! Oh yeah and my doctoral dissertation!! That made all the difference.
I plan to extend my Mountain Series which is set in the Great Smoky Mountains. MOUNTAIN SKYE, THE PREQUEL is going through first edits. MOUNTAIN HOT and MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS are out. I’m playing around with a Cape Cod Series… we’ll see. I still have the Beach Series going – BACK TO THE BEACH, PROMISES ON THE BEACH.
King-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are my weakness. I am a raging chocoholic.
All of the above; but, I prefer my Smoky Mountain round house which burned up in the Chimney Tops 2 wildfire of 2016. We just approved the blueprints for our Comeback Chalet. Now, I write in the dining room looking out the backyard window pretending I’m in the mountains or Hawaii!
“I think marrying Jim (1st husband) would be a struggle.” I wish she’d said it would be a catastrophe. But it’s given me tons to write about and the best children and grandchildren in the world. A struggle sounded so challenging, spicy and romantic. Geez.
Contemporary romance, inspirational, children’s , women’s, non-fiction education articles. It says I’m a Gemini.
Catherine Marshall, TO LIVE AGAIN. It got me through my divorce. Inspirational. Helped my faith grow and develop.
Janet Evanovich and Elin Hilderbrand; one makes me laugh, the other takes me to Nantucket which I pretend is Cape Cod.
I take notes, snatches of thought, descriptions, lines, scenes that come to me. The characters come full-blown. The challenge is to show them being who they are not telling who they are.
Hot tubbing is my competitive winter sport. So is summer hot tubbing, spring…
Wolfe is an old…boyfriend… and I nailed but good him in PROMISES ON THE BEACH. All my heroes are…opps that would be telling.
That I’ll live too long or not long enough-as if I have any say. Ridiculous.
Kitty videos have me in stitches. Any animal shots that show love and kindness.
Kathleen Woodiwiss made me wordy and maybe horny. JoAnne Delmanico, wonderful island stories. Hers take me back to Cape Cod. I like Dean Koontz– master wordsmith.
By Kathy Kalmar
She stood there a long time listening to the comforting sound of the surf. It was constant and reassuring balm to her aching, bruised heart. The divorce had taken its toll. Exhausted, she drifted into the bathroom and took a hot bubble bath. When she was done, she opened her garment bag, searching for her white gauze nightgown but finding seersucker instead! Her fingers flipped rapidly through the unfamiliar clothing. This garment bag held men’s clothing. Good grief.
In her need to put some distance between her and Chance, she must have grabbed his bag! She found his huge tee shirt. Wisely, she didn’t even try the boxers. That seemed futile and too risqué for her. Finding she had the opportunity to get inside some man’s pants – safely, no risk involved- she passed on it. She could make do with what she had in his bag, but he would have no such luck. He’d have to rough it in the buff. Hugging the shirt closer to her, knowing it had covered his body too, she drew in his scent. She sat on the chaise stretching out her bare legs. She giggled. If he could see me now. Strolling to the mini bar, she poured herself a drink and carried it to the lanai…
Meanwhile Chance thought Hope she likes surprises. Over-balancing he fell at her feet in a heap. Hell! “We really have to stop meeting like this, you know.” he said from the floor.
Caren jerked, spilling the wine against her breasts. The red liquid spread making a large wet spot that made the thin white fabric cling. She recovered from her shock as she realized who it was. “Falling appears to be habit forming,” she agreed .”Ever think of knocking?”
BEYOND THE BEACH, Book 1 in the Beach Series and a January 2017 release, may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Kathy Kalmar was born in Detroit, Michigan, and lives with her husband, Larry. She feels her life has gone something like a bad country song since her Smoky Mountain cabin retreat burned down, her girlie inside parts were removed and her beloved Bichon-Maltese mix dog, Valentino, died. She’s the mother of two adult children and Grammie to three. Love and family influence her writing. Like her heroines, she got her second chance to love when she married Larry in 1981. She writes non-fiction for teachers and parents and children’s fiction. She reads widely but prefers contemporary romances and enjoys writing them. She prefers to write in her Smoky Mountain cabin in Tennessee, which she is rebuilding after the 2016 Chimney Top Two fire. Although she enjoys reading, walking, and writing, she excels in hot tubbing, chocolate, and in sampling generous glasses of wine, preferably on Waikiki Beach. She enjoys mai tais and butterscotch moonshine too! Learn more about Kathy through her website, www.kathykalmar.com.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Contemporary Romance, Romance Leave a comment
Author Speed Dating – Angel Smits
This week’s guest: Angel Smits
I’m really not much for resolutions. I can’t think of any I’ve broken, since I’ve made so few. Probably when I decided I wasn’t going to bite my nails anymore. I wanted long pretty nails. I did it. I was fifteen, I think.
Thor! The body. The story—that voice!! (Fans self)
The highest moment so far was when I won Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award. Such glamour and fun! An affirmation that I really needed. The lowest…the announcement this past summer that the Harlequin Superromance line was closing. I love Super! (As a reader and a writer.)
I’m busy. My last Superromance is ADDIE GETS HER MAN, which will be in June, #6 in the series. It’s a bittersweet honor to be one of the final 4. I’m working on a proposal for the next book I have contracted with Harlequin, though it won’t be a Super. Love new things! And I’ve just put out a book on Alzheimer’s care. (My day job popping up!) It’s part fiction and part fact. It was really fun to write.
Oh, man, that’s a tough one! I love sugar in any form really—but honestly if there were no more M&Ms in the world, what would be the point of going on?
For rough draft I do best with my little pink (yes, pink) laptop at a coffee shop near my house, my IPod playing the latest country tunes! Editing I have to do on my big desktop. Need the bigger screen.
Technically it is the worst and the best. Never quit on something you’ve committed to. Definitely gives me drive to finish things—but sometimes I have a hard time letting go.
My last few novels have been contemporary romance. My Golden Heart was in the Single Title category. But my first two books were paranormal romance. I love ghosts and psychics! I think it says that I have a very weird and varied imagination. Some might call it overactive…but I love it! It’s never dull.
Just two? There’s so many. One of my favorite living authors is Jean Brashear. Beautiful stories! I get lost in them. And the author I think who really impacted my writing early on was Emily Bronte. I’ve read WUTHERING HEIGHTS multiple times. Heathcliff!!
I have a box where I’ve cut out pictures of people I think look interesting or like characters. I’ll sit and go through the box, hopefully finding people who resonate with the people in my head. I’m terrible about visualizing people. I need the help! And I love to play with my characters.
I am most definitely the couch potato type. I love to watch ice skating and even football sometimes, but from the comfy spot on my couch, with a cup of coffee, my fluffy blanket and a book—just in case!
My husband is SO alpha. And the hero in my book, THE MARINE FINDS HIS FAMILY, is probably the one most like him. But thinking about it now, I kinda think each one has a little bit of his characteristics. Hey, I know what I like!
I do not like anything that slithers or crawls. Snakes and spiders…ewww… When we were first married we had cockroaches in one apartment, and I got up in the middle of the night once and turned on the bathroom light. My poor husband woke up to his new wife’s blood curdling scream. I’m not sure he’s forgiven me yet.
I LOVE Twitter. It’s so fast and furious, but it’s really difficult to keep up with! I just let it drag me along. The challenge of putting everything into a few characters fascinates me. It’s almost disappointing when they expand it. Like they’re taking away the challenge.
If I started listing them, you wouldn’t have any more room on your blog for anyone else! I’ve been lucky that so many writers have supported me, and guided me along the way. Early on, people like Jasmine Cresswell, Pam McCutcheon and Heidi Betts inspired me by writing great stories as well as encouraging me to keep going. Writing is fun, but when you turn to the publishing world—it can be rough. Without support, I can see why people give up. Believe me, there were times I’ve wanted to. But it always seems like when I reach a point of feeling defeated, some story came along and reminded me why I write, and it’s back. Or a writer friend will write or call and ask what I’m up to. Their interest inspires mine.
Since writing for Superromance, I’ve gotten to know the women who are my “Super Sisters.” They really have made me want to write better. It’s not a competition, but I sure want to feel like I’m worthy of hanging with them.
at the Someday Cafe
By Angel Smits
“Hunk alert,” Wendy called out in a pseudo whisper.
Tara wasn’t sure when the staff had started this ridiculous behavior. Whenever a good-looking guy came by the restaurant, one of the waitresses would make this announcement. She knew she should stop it, but with a brand-new staff, she was going to allow anything that helped them become a cohesive team.
“You really should see this guy.” Wendy passed Tara and whispered in her ear. “He’s perfect for you.”
Not only was her staff getting involved in the life of the diner, they’d started to make their feelings known about her life–specifically, her lack of a love life. Love was in the air everywhere–and her staff thought she should join in.
“Not interested,” she said, focusing on the biscuit dough. “Told you that already.”
“This one might make you change your mind.” Wendy’s voice came out all sing-songy as she wiggled her eyebrows. “You never know.”
Wendy disappeared out into the dining room as Lindy, the hostess, came in. “You gotta see this guy,” Lindy said as she carried a stack of dishes to the sink. The girl was a ditz at times, but she knew when to chip in and help.
“You girls need cooling off.” Gabe lifted the water spray and sent a brief blast of water at Lindy, who squealed.
“All right.” Tara needed to stop them now. “Everyone get to work.” Her voice was soft, though, so while they stilled the horseplay, the glances and snickers continued.
Shoving the tray of biscuits into the oven, she stepped back and dusted off her hands.
Suddenly, hands cupped her elbows, and she found her waitresses on either side of her, each taking an arm. “Hey!”
“You’ll thank us later.” Wendy laughed.
The laughing trio had to angle awkwardly through the swinging doors, and the thump of the doors falling back into place barely broke the din of the dining room.
Tara didn’t have to ask. The man at the counter, on the end. Blond short-cropped hair. Broad, body-builder shoulders. And muscles. His arms were huge, stretching the fabric of his black T-shirt tight. She didn’t dare look in the direction of his faded blue jeans.
“See?” Wendy didn’t even bother to try and hide her pointing hand.
Tara froze. And stared. “Oh. My,” she whispered and spun on her heel. She scurried back into the kitchen before he could look up and see them all gawking at him.
But that man… He was exactly what she’d normally be attracted to. He was the opposite of her brothers, so different from her normal reality.
Which was why she’d turned around. She’d made more than her fair share of bad choice in men. She did not have time for any kind of relationship right now. None whatsoever. Not even a wishful one.
Even if those arms could make any girl feel safe.
LAST CHANCE AT THE SOMEDAY CAFE, Book 5 in the A Chair at the Hawkins Table series and a November 2017 release from Harlequin Superromance, may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Harlequin.
About Angel
Angel Smits shares a big yellow house, complete with gingerbread and a porch swing in Colorado with her husband, daughter and Maggie, the border collie mix. Winning the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award was the highlight of her writing career—until her first Harlequin book hit the shelves. Her social work background inspires her characters, while improv writing allows her to torture them. It’s a rough job, but someone’s got to do it. Learn more about Angle through her website, www.angelsmits.com, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Superromance, Romance Leave a comment
Author Speed Dating – C.K. Brooke
This week’s guest: C.K. Brooke
Once I made a New Year’s Resolution not to put pressure on myself by making a New Year’s Resolution…whoops.
Hey, how come Tom Hiddleston (Loki) isn’t on here??
Highest = my first-ever offer letter in 2014! Lowest = the 164 rejection letters that came before that!
THE EMPEROR’S DAUGHTERS, the 4th book in my Jordinia series (Fantasy), is coming in 2018, along with an e-box set of the entire series.
Don’t know about my tooth, but I’d gladly let Sour Patch Kids burn a hole through my tongue.
Home office with spa soundtrack…unless my husband and son are home!
I can honestly say the woman has never given me bad advice. (That’s the correct answer, right?) 😉
The romance sub-genres under which I’m published currently include fantasy and historical. I reckon it says I like to escape far beyond the here & now…and I like to take my readers with me!
Marion Zimmer Bradley taught me the joy of epic historical fantasy. J.K. Rowling taught me that you’re never too old for adventure. Both lessons translate into my writing of romantic adventures, be they historical or fantasy, every day.
Outline, outline, outline! I usually create an outline of at least 25 single-spaced pages, hashing out the plot and all the characters, before writing the first word of the story.
Anything indoors – snow gives me the blues!
The character of Orion in my YA fantasy romance, SECRETS OF ARTEMIS, is most like my husband – a gentle giant.
Birds. The way their wings flap… *shudder*
Reposting “Stranger Things” memes. I seriously need a Chief Hopper intervention!
I wouldn’t have had the courage to become a published author if not for Michele DeLuca, NY journalist and author of FOREVER MORE: A LOVE STORY FROM THE EDGE OF ETERNITY. Her constant support, readership, and belief in me has carried me farther than I can express. Thank you endlessly, Michele! And thank YOU, Dana, for this fantastic interview! Wishing you all a vibrant and prosperous 2018!
Commanding His Heart
By C.K. Brooke
They stopped in front of an unassuming door, and Commander Redding pulled the handle.
The first word that came to Em’s mind when she stepped inside was minimal. Not that the room was so small. But it was simple, tidy—virtually empty. A wooden bureau stood to the left, its surface clean but for a dimly-lit oil lamp. And to the right sat a single cot dressed in plain, fading linens. A cabin trunk completed the picture, and that was all. The walls and floor were old and unadorned.
Commander Redding closed the door, shutting them in.
Although he hadn’t yet granted his permission, Em assumed it safe to speak. “This isn’t a place you occupy regularly, is it?” It was more of an observation than a question.
“No, it isn’t.” The jovial manner he’d performed upstairs was gone entirely. He stood before her, a full head taller, his expression uncharacteristically stern. “Miss…Winthrop, is it?”
Em nodded. It felt strange that the man who had behaved so familiarly with her just moments ago wasn’t even certain of her name.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Em was reminded of the way it had tickled when he’d brushed it across hers above deck. She shoved the mortifying recollection aside.
“I’m at a loss,” he confessed at last.
“You want to know what I’m doing here,” she surmised.
“Yes, and why! And how you found me—!” He stopped, taking a breath to collect himself. Although he was understandably flustered, it appeared he was the sort of man who kept his temper in check. Em found she liked that.
“Sorry, but I had to leave Jamestown.” She met his eyes, and was unexpectedly transfixed by the hue of the ocean in them, visible even in the low lantern light. “You were my only way out. I…trusted you.”
His eyebrows came together. “You don’t know me.”
“Well,” Em hugged herself, “given your title and disposition, I’d deemed you trustworthy. And up there,” she cocked her chin, “you rescued me, did you not? Are you saying I’ve misjudged you?”
His tone was gentler as he studied her face. “You haven’t.”
She pursed her lips, her case made.
“But you’ve misjudged the situation. You never should have come here.” He began to pace, his features wrought with anxiety. “This is no place for a young lady. It isn’t safe.”
A laugh loosed from her. “But Commander, why ever would I be unsafe with my own country’s navy?”
He stopped in his tracks as though she’d thrown something at him. “Miss Winthrop, this is not a naval vessel. It is a pirate ship!”
COMMANDING HIS HEART, a September 2017 release from Limitless Publishing and Book 2 in the American Pirate Romances series, may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About C.K.
C.K. Brooke is an award-winning author of over a dozen romance and fantasy novels and novellas. Her debut novel, THE DUCHESS QUEST, was selected by Shelf Unbound Magazine as a Top 100 Notable Indie Book of 2015, and her self-published YA novel, SECRETS OF ARTEMIS, received the Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion Award in 2017. She is also the author of THE WRONG PRINCE (48fourteen, 2016), a Global EBook Award Honorable Mention title, as well as the historical romance, CAPTURING THE CAPTAIN (Limitless, 2016), which was a 2017 RONE Award Nominee and a Finalist in the Mid-Michigan RWA Best Banter Contest. She lives in Washington, Michigan, with her husband and son. Visit her at www.CKBrooke.com and subscribe for a free eBook! Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Historical Romance, Limitless Publishing Leave a comment
Author Speed Dating – Carolyn Hector
January 3, 2018 January 3, 2018 by Dana Nussio
This week’s guest: Carolyn Hector
It depends on when the New Year’s Day begins because my Go-To resolution is to lose weight. Like if it’s on a Monday, I’m good for a week. If it falls pretty much any other day of the week I’m like, “I’ll start it Monday”.
Actor… Chris Hemsworth. Hottest Avenger…from this list… The Hulk. 1- he’s technically a POC… (green is a color) and 2- he’s smart.
The highest moment for me would be getting “the call” from my acquiring editor. I remember sitting in my office for an extra hour trying to fix my face after crying from excitement.
The lowest has been finding out that my line, Harlequin Kimani, is going to be dissolved in the next year. This is my home.
This year I’m still crowning my heroines with my Once Upon a Tiara series. June you will be able to read TEMPTING THE BEAUTY QUEEN and this winter I’m coming out with HER MISTLETOE BACHELOR.
TAKE 5. This candy bar hits all my cravings for salty, crunchy, peanut buttery, and chocolatey.
I prefer to write at home, in recliner, with pillows propped up under my elbows and on my lap. I honestly write best with the television station on something that I have no interest in (usually when my husband is watching football) and I have my headphones on, listening to music.
1st—I have 3 moms… and they’ve all given horrible advice/wisdom/words of comfort.
Adopted mother- You’ll get along better in life if you accept the fact the world doesn’t revolved around you.
Step-mom – he’s just picking on you because he likes you.
Bio-mom—sorry about your curves, you’re Italian and we’re just naturally big people.
I am published in/with contemporary romances. I like to write action-adventure kick-ass women romances, but so far I only have one book published in that area (Check out MR. AND MRS. ROSSI). I like to dabble with historical romances. I have one written, but it’s sitting on my digital shelf. All this says about me is I’m chicken @#^$^* to put myself out there in the world.
My living favorite author… geez… I can’t pick just one. Can I cheat? First name—BrendaBeverlyRochelle—last name—JacksonJenkinsAlers. [Editor’s Note: For those who need a key, the answers would be Brenda Jackson, Beverly Jenkins and Rochelle Alers. :)]
No longer with us, Francis Ray.
I wouldn’t be published if it weren’t for these ladies. Back in the ’90s, I was so excited to find books with familiar faces on the cover. I mean, I’d been writing for years basically for myself (and my Barbies, but that’s a whole ‘nother story), but seeing them meant there was a demand for stories with POC (people of color… in case anyone wondered).
So for me… I have to cast my characters. Usually by the time I have story in my head, I’ve already seen the characters. If they’re an actor/actress or a model… I do the typical stalking research on them. I’ll follow them on IG or Twitter or binge watch everything they’ve acted in to get certain mannerisms.
I’m more of a gold medal Couch Potato. I take that back. I love to bake and cook when it’s cold.
Most of my books are about beauty queens and the drama/non-drama between them. I’ve never been a beauty queen, but I would have to say I’m most like Waverly Leverve. Sometime my big mouth gets me in trouble.
I fear that if I drive around with the windows rolled down, a bird is going to fly into my car and attack me.
Promise not to judge me? I am still playing Candy Crush. I am years invested in this game. As of this date I am on level 2142. I have yet to break out my wallet for anything. It’s a habit for me…part of my writing routine when I am trying to work out a scene.
Brenda Jackson, Beverly Jenkins, and Rochelle Alers. Picture it, Romance Slam Jam-2001. I’d just won 2nd and 1st place for their aspiring writers contest. Brenda’s family told me to always keep writing no matter what. Beverly’s book saved my marriage (I just knew my husband never paid attention to me and he surprised me with her book… and this was way before going on line to Amazon and ordering a book. He made a big effort). Rochelle once told me to never make a story line out of a situation that could have easily been solved by a conversation… and that gave me the Ah-ha moment …plus, she impacted my life by writing my favorite hero… I loved him so much that I named my son after him (check out VOWS).
A Tiara Under the Tree
By Carolyn Hector
“Dominic Crowne?” Waverly breathed the man’s name and hoped to slow down the quickening pulse zipping through her veins. Since she’d seen him last, he’d shed the tailored suit and replaced it with jeans—a pair of well-fitted jeans—and a T-shirt. Tattoos covered his forearms. She tried not to stare too hard. He might as well have come with a neon sign that read DANGER. Excitement coursed through her veins.
Dominic leaned against the door frame with a pizza box propped within the crook of his arm and against his hip. A dangerous smile, accompanied with a quick wiggle of his brow, crossed his face. “You’re not Lexi.”
“This is her place,” Waverly explained. “Lexi is letting me crash here for a while.”
“Crash here for a while?” He frowned. “Is your place being painted or something?”
Waverly shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Are you volunteering or something?”
“Maybe the ‘something’ part,” Dominic licked his lips, and Waverly forgot about the howling in her stomach from a few minutes ago before pizza arrived. She stepped backward into the foyer of her apartment and caught a glimpse of her pink-tinted cheeks in the large, gold-framed mirror by the door.
Waverly cleared her throat. “So, do you normally walk the halls with pizzas?”
“Oh, my bad.” He shoved the pizza toward her. “You haven’t looked at yours yet, have you?”
“I was about to sit down.”
“Right after the crowning?” Dominic asked and pointed toward the top of her head.
Heat filled her cheeks. She cocked her head to the side, untangled the combs holding her tiara in place and released her unruly hair. “Sorry, I was just…”
Dominic held up his free hand. “It’s okay. You had that second cupcake today—it was worth celebrating, I understand.”
Waverly decided not to expose her greed and tell him she’d eaten a total of three cupcakes today. “Thanks.” She laughed lightly. “You said something about a pizza?”
As if remembering the food in his arms, Dominic blinked and inhaled deeply while he nodded. “The delivery guy mixed up the apartment numbers. My sister lives across the courtyard and she’s going to kill me if I don’t leave her any leftovers. She only bought the one, even after I’m here to do a favor for her.”
With widened eyes, Waverly bobbed her head from side to side. She took a step forward into the hallway and peered into the steaming-hot box for a peek of a double pepperoni pie. “I wonder what I got. What other pizza could there be?”
“Jesus, now more than ever I need to know your name,” Dominic groaned, pressing his hand against his chest. “At least I need to know your first name. Your last name isn’t necessary.”
She cocked her hand on her hip and laughed. “Why is my last name not necessary?”
“Because it’s about to change to mine.”
A TIARA UNDER THE TREE, part of the Once Upon a Tiara series and an October release from Harlequin Kimani Romance, may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BAM!, KOBO, Harlequin, Google Play, iTunes, Walmart, IndieBound and Target.
Carolyn Hector was destined to become a writer when she wrote scripts for her Barbies and passed them out to her friends prior to play dates. In 7th grade she wrote–what is now considered fan-fiction–story based on her disappointment of the ending to “Streets of Fire.” When she later watched “Romancing the Stone,” she finally knew what she wanted to be when she grew up–a Romance Writer!
She currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida, where there’s never a dull moment of college sports, politics, and Southern heat… aka… #BookFodder. A fan of ’80s Pop Culture, you can find Carolyn around town at a football/soccer/track/basketball game or PTO meeting for her five boys with her headphones on and a notebook hand.
Catch Carolyn on her blog, carolynhector.com, or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Kimani Romance, Romance 4 Comments
Author Speed Dating – Holly Mayes
December 27, 2017 December 27, 2017 by Dana Nussio
This week’s guest: Holly Mayes
1. If you celebrate, name a holiday food you would eat your weight in if you could do it guilt-free.
Not sure if it falls under the category of a holiday, but white wedding cake. All other foods pale in comparison.
2. Give the title of the first manuscript you ever wrote. How many years ago did you pen this masterpiece, and whatever happened to it?
I wish I could remember the title of it; unfortunately, I don’t. I was in elementary school, and it had to do with two girls and one loved square dancing. I won a young author’s award and got to visit an author at MSU.
3. If you could keep only the possessions that would fit in one suitcase, and you were limited to two books – one you wrote and one by someone else – which titles would you tuck inside your bag? Explain your choices.
This gives me anxiety. I can’t even imagine not being able to bring all my favorites. My book would be my very first novel, GEMS. I’m proud I was able to finish a full-length book. The other book would be any of the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. They’re classics, and I grew up reading them.
4. In the winter, would you rather be zipping through powdery snow on skis or a snowmobile or escaping to a sandy beach? Now how do you really spend most of your winter?
Sandy beach. All the way. But how I really spend my winter is cussing and shoveling snow away from my vehicle on the back roads we live on after I get stuck in snow drifts.
5. Which character in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is your favorite, and what does that say about you?
I didn’t grow up believing in Christmas, but I do remember watching it. I guess I’d have to say Rudolph, although I feel like he’s the obvious choice. I don’t recall many other characters in the story. Wasn’t there an abominable snowman or something, too?
6. In which genres and sub-genres are you published, and which others do you plan to add to the list in the next two years?
My first book is a speculative fiction YA novel. My second novel is a contemporary romance. My third book (just released) is the follow up to the first novel. I’ll be working on more fiction in the future, but I’m also interested in memoir. I feel like I’m all over the place when it comes to my writing.
7. If you could visit the studio and hang out with any visual artist, past or present, whose creative space would you be invading? Why?
Annie Leibovitz. Definitely. She’s iconic and has been pushing the limits for years. I used to study photography in school. Her work has always mesmerized me.
8. Do you listen to music when you’re writing? If so, name some of the artists whose work you use to get you creative juices flowing.
I can’t listen to music with words. It throws me off. I listen to Shakuhachi Sakano (Bamboo Flute Music, Japanese Flute), or the Relaxing Music Orchestra or Classical Piano stations on Amazon Prime.
9. What are you reading now, and what is the best book you’ve read in a long time?
I’ve taken a bit of a break from writing so I can “fill the well” again by reading. I just finished THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M.R. Carey. Great read, couldn’t put it down. The best book I’ve read in a long time would probably have to be ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman.
10. What is your strategy for writing over the holidays?
I don’t. Haha. I know better than to stress myself out like that. Writing is hard enough as it is.
11. Name three things that are in your purse or pockets right now.
My jack knife my Uncle David gave me, a notebook for writing down thoughts or notes, and about a million stupid cards to every different store I go to that always end up hiding from me at the cash register when there’s 5 people lined up behind me rolling their eyes and saying “c’mon already” under their breath.
12. Do you write a synopsis before you write a book, and, if so, does your finished product look anything like that road map?
I’ve never written a synopsis. That’s probably what scares me away from traditional publishing. How the devil do I know what’s going to happen until my characters tell me?
13. Are you a fan of reality TV, or could the current Bachelor marry every contestant on Cake Boss and then sing his lungs out on The Voice for all you care?
I usually don’t get stuck on TV, but it is the holidays, and I’m not in the middle of writing so, yeah, I kind of got attached to The Voice. Because Adam Levine…omg… (insert drooling image here). Except for recently he had some pervy pornstar mustache thing going on, and no. Just no.
14. What is your biggest dream for your writing career? The New York Times bestseller list? A movie deal? Your own island in the Caribbean? All of the above?
I guess it’d be nice to think about hitting it big with a novel. But at the same time I think that could be stressful. I’m getting more introverted the older I get, and I don’t like people enough to be recognizable. The people who do follow me and enjoy my books make me happy with their encouragement. That’s enough for now.
15. What is your biggest hope for a reader when she opens one of your books?
That I was able to transport them to the world that was shown to me by my characters and my setting. If they can forget real life for a moment, my job is done. If it lingers after they’re done reading, then double bonus.
16. Are you more a Times Square-ringing-in-the-New Year-type on New Year’s Eve, or will we find you at home, tucked into bed by nine o’clock.
Home tucked in bed. I wake up super early.
By H. J. Mayes
My head is cradled between my hands as I crouch on the floor. The only sound is my own voice screaming the word “no”, echoing in the walls of my mind. Bits of dust and plaster make my mouth bitter and force me to cough.
There seems to be damage to the hearing in my left ear, but sounds register around me. My hearing picks up the sound of sirens, howling in the distance above ground and coming closer. Coughs and moans rise from the dust near me.
My blurry vision sharpens as I wipe my shirtsleeve across my eyes. The explosion has not affected my legs or arms; they’re intact and moving with little pain.
The door to the break room is thrown open; it’s actually off the frame and tilted in the hallway. Lights flicker on and off, there are wires swinging from the ceiling.
As I stagger to my feet, that’s when I see them. My breath catches and panic makes my chest feel tight.
The leader of the group is slumped over the overturned table in the corner. The other man is buckled on the floor by the door; his head tilted and blood trickling from his mouth. The canvas bag still in his hand. Neither of them is moving. The third one is on the floor by my feet, the needle tossed off to the side.
Bile rises in my throat.
What did I do? Where’s Jack?
Someone with dark hair—maybe Jack’s hair—is unconscious in the hallway by the door. I rush over to him and lean down, gently pulling him back to see his face. It isn’t Jack, but someone else. His face is bloody and some of his teeth are missing, possibly from the door hitting him in the explosion. I pull back, gasping in shock.
The main leader inside the room groans and struggles to sit up. He rubs the dust from his eyes, shaking his head as he stands. When he makes eye contact with me, he slowly reaches for a gun lying near him on the ground.
I stumble backward further into the hallway and trip over someone else. It’s Joe. He’s not moving either. His leg is twisted backward at the knee.
My scream echoes through the hallway.
The lights in the ceiling begin to pop, one by one. As the emergency lights flicker on, the man with the gun appears in the break room doorway. He’s holding his arms up to protect himself from the breaking bulbs raining down on him.
I’m not sure who these people are, but they knew my name and they weren’t worried about my abilities. That’s not what I would consider a normal reaction if people find out who, or what, I am.
GEMS, Book 1 in the GEMS Series, may be purchased through Amazon.
Holly Mayes is a native of Michigan and enjoys reading, writing, photography and spending time with her two daughters, husband, cat and dog.
She has been published for her short stories in the Lansing Community College Washington Square Review, the women’s online journal When Women Waken, and the Rescued Pets Anthology by Splattered Ink Press.
GEMS is her first full-length, speculative fiction novel about a group of teens with super powers. The second book in the GEMS Series (GEMS-LOST) was released October, 2017.
Her romance FADE TO BLACK, the first in the Love in Bloom series, is currently available on Amazon.
Connect with Holly on Facebook or Twitter.
Categories Author Speed Dating, Authors, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult Leave a comment
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Veritas Genetics to Close Its Testing Operations in U.S.
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXVI No. 17 – December 16, 2019 issue
MAYBE CHARGING CONSUMERS THE LOW PRICE of $599 for a whole human genome sequence is not a winning financial strategy. That’s one possible reason why closely-watched Veritas Genetics of Cambridge, Mass., will stop operations in the United States.
It was in July that Veritas announced it was cutting its already-low price to sequence a genome from
January 14, 2019 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXVI No. 1 – January 14, 2019 issue
Up to 10,000 patients will get free genetic testing at Northwell Health, the nation’s largest urban health network. In a deal announced on Jan. 9, Northwell Health and Color, a genetic testing company, will collaborate on a program to offer genetic tests to Northwell patients as part of routine primary care. This expands an earlier pilot
Myriad to Buy Counsyl, to Gain Presence in NIPS Test Sector
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 9 – June 18, 2018 issue
LATE LAST MONTH, Myriad Genetics Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Counsyl, Inc., an innovative genetic testing company in South San Francisco, Calif., for $375 million. In a deal that is expected to close by early next year, Myriad will use a combination of cash and common stock.
Founded in 2007, Counsyl offers carrier and
August 28, 2017 Intelligence: Late Breaking Lab News
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIV, No. 12 – August 28, 2017 issue
Genetic testing for dogs is the goal of Embark Veterinary, of Boston, Mass. Founded in 2015, the company just raised $4.5 million from investors, including Anne Wojcicki, founder of 23andMe. Company executives say the genetic testing will help vets, pet owners, and breeders identify the disease risk of the dogs, as well as the animals’
Anthem Launches Program to Manage Genetic Tests
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIV, No. 9 – June 26, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Pre-authorization of genetic tests is coming to physicians serving patients insured by Anthem, Inc. Its specialty benefits management company, AIM Specialty Health, will manage the program. AIM will work with InformedDNA, a company that specializes in genetic testing clinical decision support and genetic counseling for health insurers. Anthem has about 40 million members
Health Insurers Want More Data On Clinical Utility of Molecular, Genetic Tests
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIV, No. 4 – March 13, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Genetic tests that lack two essentials are troublesome for the nation’s health insurers. Those essentials are clinical validity and clinical utility. During a recent webinar, two executives from major health insurers stressed the need for genetic testing labs to provide acceptable evidence that their genetic test is accurate and that it produces information
Cigna Expands Program For Genetic Counseling When Genetic Tests Are Needed
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIII No. 11 – August 15, 2016 issue
CEO SUMMARY: For three years, Cigna has required genetic counseling for members seeking genetic testing for hereditary breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer, and for a particular heart condition. Such counseling increased member satisfaction, causing Cigna to expand the program. It now requires genetic counseling with an independent board-certified genetics specialist for members considering whole exome
UnitedHealthcare Warns Labs: Don’t Waive Patient Fees
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIII No. 4 – March 21, 2016 issue
This article is an excerpt from a 1,500-word article in the March 21 issue of THE DARK REPORT. Full details of UHC’s battle against out-of-network labs, as well as its plans to begin requiring pre-authorization for genetic testing, are included in the original article, available to paid members.
IN ITS LATEST NETWORK BULLETIN, UnitedHealthcare warned out-of-net- work laboratories
UnitedHealthcare Warns Labs Not to Waive Patient Fees
CEO SUMMARY: UnitedHealthcare directly tackled the issue of out-of-network labs waiving or capping copayments, coinsurance and deductibles that are to be paid by patients. In a network bulletin this month, UHC said that such arrangements may violate federal law and could lead to state insurance department investigations into false claims. In the same bulletin to
How Mentors Can Best Train Young Lab Leaders
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIII No. 3 – February 29, 2016 issue
CEO SUMMARY: Mentoring will be the theme of a special learning track at this year’s Executive War College. Two nationally-respected experts on mentoring and leadership development will work with participating lab mentors and mentorees to help them advance their mentoring relationship. All of this is designed to help your laboratory prepare its younger managers to
Volume XXVII No. 1 – January 6, 2020
Will clinical labs be excluded from the new proposed safe harbors under the Stark Act and the AKS? THE DARK REPORT analyzes the problem and also the warning that lies within CMS' plans for revisions to the anti-fraud laws. Also in this issue are key health system strategies and lab objectives from inside the highly successful switch to value-based medicine at one hospital lab, which was once considered a candidate for sale.
See the full table of contents
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Clinical Laboratory Trends
Laboratory Billing
Laboratory Compliance
Laboratory Information Systems
Pathology Trends
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Dani Filth
Dani Filth’s Top 5 Songs Inspired by Elizabeth Bathory
February 14, 2019 Vince Bellino
Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth shares his top five songs inspired by the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory.
Featured, Lists Bathory, black metal, Cradle of Filth, Dani Filth, Dissection, Elizabeth Báthory, ghost, Gothic Metal, home featured, tormentor, Venom.
Cradle of Filth Fan Detained Following Harassment of Dani Filth’s Wife
October 10, 2018 Vince Bellino
A man was placed in a psyciatric hospital after harassing Toni Davey, wife of Dani Filth.
News Cradle of Filth, Dani Filth.
Dani’s (United) Kingdom Of The Supernatural
September 22, 2015 Justin Norton
In order to get you ready for the Halloween season here’s some of the UK’s best haunted and supernatural spots, as picked by Dani Filth.
Featured, Interviews Cradle of Filth, Dani Filth, England, English history, haunted, supernatural, United Kingdom.
Vampires, Vicars and Hot Fuzz: The Deciblog Interview With Dani Filth
June 23, 2014 Justin Norton
No matter how many people think black metal has gone mainstream or become hip because a few dozen bands from Brooklyn have small label deals the reality is that the vast majority of the population doesn’t know a thing about it. They’re listening to .38 Special or Lana Del Rey. If there is a black…
Exclusive, Featured, Interviews black metal, Cradle of Filth, Dani Filth, Decibel Magazine, Deciblog interview, England, interview, streaming, Total Fucking Darkness.
STREAMING: Cradle of Filth’s “The Raping Of Faith”
April 30, 2014 Justin Norton
It might seem like Cradle Of Filth has been around forever because, well, they have. But even the black metal superstars had their formative period. One of the documents of that time was Total Fucking Darkness, COF’s third demo. Decibel got the first sneak peak of this old but new material, the track “The Raping…
Exclusive, Featured black metal, Cradle of Filth, Dani Filth, streaming.
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News Archives: September, 2010
MF Assets Saw First Monthly Increase Since Jan. 2009 in August
Though September's asset totals will likely show a modest decrease, the Investment Company Institute's latest monthly "Trends in Mutual Fund Investing" confirms that money market mutual fund assets posted their first monthly increase since January 2009, when fund assets hit a record $3.9 trillion. ICI's numbers show money fund assets increased by $19.4 billion, or 0.7%, in August 2010 to $2.827 trillion. (Crane Data's Money Fund Intelligence showed assets increasing by $22.9 billion in August, but we show assets falling by $16.6 billion MTD in September.)
The ICI report shows money fund assets down by $488.8 billion, or 14.7%, YTD through August. Bond funds, which are now almost as large as money funds with $2.581 trillion, have increased by $374.6 billion YTD. The "Trends" report says, "Money market funds had an inflow of $19.05 billion in August, compared with an outflow of $6.21 billion in July. Funds offered primarily to institutions had an inflow of $25.57 billion. Funds offered primarily to individuals had an outflow of $6.53 billion."
In a separate report, ICI's members-only "Month-End Portfolio Holdings of Taxable Money Market Funds" shows Repurchase Agreements with the largest increase in August, up $16.6 billion. CDs had the second largest increase, up $17.1 billion. CP declined by $5.8 billion. Over 3 months, Repo holdings have increased by $53.4 billion, and YTD they've increased by $74.1 billion. Every other major asset class of money funds is showing substantial year-to-date declines. (Govts are down $136.0 billion, CP is down $125.9 billion, CDs are down $117.8 billion, and Treasuries are down $95.4 billion.)
Repos, which surpassed CDs in June to become the largest money fund holding, remain in the No. 1 holding spot with $563.7 billion, or 22.6% of money fund assets. Certificates of Deposit allocations remain in second place with $552.9 billion, or 22.2%. (We include CDs and Eurodollar CDs, which total $101.5 billion in money funds, or 4.1%, in this total.) U.S. Government Agency Securities remain the third largest holding in taxable money funds at $417.9 billion, or 16.8%, followed by Commercial Paper with $394.4 billion, or 15.8%. U.S. Treasury Bills and Other Treasury Securities rank fifth with $319.2 billion, or 12.8%. Notes, including Bank Notes and Corporate Notes, account for $159.9 billion, or 6.4% of total holdings, while Other assets total $73.2 billion, or 3.3%.
Average Maturities of taxable money funds rose in August according to ICI to 43 days from 39 days. This compares to 36 days in June but is down dramatically from a 51 day average at the end of January 2010. The Number of Accounts Outstanding rose for the first time since November 2008, increasing by 117,015 to 28.745 million. The Number of Funds tracked by ICI's survey fell to 450 from 456 a month earlier. This total is down from 490 a year earlier and 543 two years ago.
ICI Urges FASB to Continue Allowing Amortized Cost in Statements
On Friday, the Investment Company Institute released a letter to the Financial Accounting Standards Board entitled, "ICI Comments on FASB Accounting for Financial Instruments Proposal. The letter says, "The Investment Company Institute appreciates the opportunity to comment on the proposed accounting standards update Accounting for Financial Instruments and Revisions to the Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (ASU or Proposal). Among other things, the ASU would: 1) require investment companies to recognize transaction costs on the purchase and sale of portfolio securities as an expense in the statement of operations and expense ratio; 2) require money market funds that comply with Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 to measure their investments at fair value (rather than amortized cost) when reporting holdings in their financial statements; and 3) require investment companies to measure financial liabilities at fair value, and recognize changes in fair value of financial liabilities in earnings."
Under the section on "Money Market Funds" on page 8 of the letter, ICI says, "The ASU would require money market funds that comply with rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 to measure their investments at fair value, rather than amortized cost. The Proposal, at Question 6, asks whether reporting those investments at fair value, rather than amortized cost, would provide financial statement users with decision-useful information. Rule 2a-7 permits SEC-registered money market funds to calculate their net asset value per share for purposes of issuing and redeeming fund shares using amortized cost (in lieu of fair value), provided they meet certain risk-limiting conditions. The risk-limiting conditions are intended to provide assurance that any deviation between the fair value of the portfolio and its amortized cost is minimal, and results in calculation of a share price that represents fairly the current net asset value per share of the fund. The risk-limiting conditions minimize a money market fund's exposure to credit, currency, interest rate, and liquidity risks."
It continues, "Rule 2a-7 also requires money market funds to calculate, on a periodic basis, the current net asset value per share using available market quotations for their portfolio securities. This 'shadow pricing' is intended to illustrate, for the fund's board and management, any deviation between the current net asset value per share based on amortized cost and net asset value per share based on available market quotations. If the deviation results in material dilution or other unfair results to existing shareholders, under the rule, the fund's board must cause the fund to take action to eliminate or reduce such dilution or unfair results."
ICI explains, "The SEC recently adopted Rule 30b1-7, which requires money market funds to report portfolio information on new Form N-MFP to the SEC within five business days after the end of each month. Form N-MFP requires money market funds to disclose, for each portfolio security held by the fund, 1) the total principal amount to the nearest cent, 2) the total current amortized cost to the nearest cent, and 3) the value of the security, calculated using available market quotations (or an appropriate substitute that reflects current market conditions). In addition, Form N-MFP requires money market funds to disclose the most recently calculated net asset value per share using available market quotations (or an appropriate substitute that reflects current market conditions) to the nearest hundredth of a cent. Money market funds must first file Form N-MFP beginning with the filing covering the month ended November 30, 2010. The SEC has indicated that it will make funds' filings on Form N-MFP publicly available 60 days after the month end to which the filing relates. Accordingly, beginning on or about February 1, 2011, current fair values for money market fund holdings, as well as the net asset value per share based on those fair values, will be publicly available through the SEC. Such information will be updated on a monthly basis."
The letter states, "We see no practical benefit associated with requiring money market funds to measure their holdings at fair value (in lieu of amortized cost) when reporting their investments in their financial statements. Accordingly, we urge the Board to clarify that money market funds that comply with rule 2a-7 may continue to measure their investments at amortized cost for financial reporting purposes. First, due to rule 2a-7's risk limiting conditions, under normal circumstances, any deviation between the amortized cost value and the fair value of the fund's holdings will be insignificant. We note that money market funds have, for many years, measured their holdings at amortized cost for financial reporting purposes, and that auditors, notwithstanding GAAP's requirement for investment companies to measure their holdings at fair value, have not objected to this presentation. We believe auditors have concluded appropriately that amortized cost does not differ materially from fair value. Further, we believe the fund's periodic shadow pricing process, in which the fund calculates net asset value per share based on available market quotations, confirms there is no significant deviation."
It adds, "In those rare circumstances where the fair value of a particular holding differs materially from amortized cost (i.e., due to an issuer default), industry practice is to measure the holding at its fair value in the fund's financial statements. In addition, the fund would separately disclose any credit support arrangement from the fund sponsor measured at fair value. Such presentation would be supplemented with note disclosure detailing the terms of any credit support arrangement. Second, as described above, fair value information for each money market fund holding will be publicly available in SEC Form N-MFP beginning on or about February 1, 2011. This information will be updated on a monthly basis. Accordingly, the fair value information that the Board would require under the Proposal will be available through the SEC to investors and others, and it will be updated more frequently (monthly vs. quarterly)."
Finally, the letter concludes, "For the reasons described above we believe there is no practical benefit associated with measuring the money market fund's investments at fair value in the fund's financial statements and urge the Board to clarify that such funds may continue to measure their investments at amortized cost. Recommendation - In lieu of requiring money market funds to measure their investments at fair value, we recommend the Board consider requiring these funds to disclose the fair value of the investment portfolio at the reporting date in the notes to the financial statements. Such disclosure would enable financial statement users to assess any difference between the amortized cost and fair value of the fund's portfolio." (For more comment letters on the FASB site, click here.)
Noninterest-Bearing Accounts to Mean No Interest In New FDIC Rules
A release entitled, "FDIC Board Proposes Rules on Temporary Unlimited Deposit Insurance Coverage for Noninterest-Bearing Transaction Accounts," says, "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board of Directors today approved the issuance of a proposed rule to implement provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to provide depositors at all FDIC-insured institutions unlimited deposit insurance coverage on noninterest-bearing transaction accounts beginning December 31, 2010 through December 31, 2012."
FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair explains, "In October 2008, the FDIC instituted a program providing unlimited protection for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts at participating banks and found it to be highly successful in providing stability at those institutions during one of the most severe economic downturns in our history. The Dodd-Frank provision is different from the FDIC's program but continues the purpose of that program as we emerge from the economic crisis."
The release continues, "Under the proposal, the FDIC will create a new, temporary deposit insurance category for noninterest-bearing transaction accounts. These accounts are primarily checking accounts used by businesses for payrolls, accounts payable and other purposes. Unlike the FDIC's voluntary Transaction Account Guarantee ('TAG') Program, which will expire at the end of this year, the Dodd-Frank provision will apply at all FDIC-insured institutions and it will cover only traditional checking accounts that do not pay interest. The proposed rule emphasizes that, starting January 1, 2011, low-interest consumer checking accounts and Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTAs) (currently protected under the TAG Program) will no longer be eligible for an unlimited guarantee."
It adds, "The proposed rule requires insured depository institutions to provide notice and disclosure requirements to ensure that depositors are aware of and understand the types of accounts that will be covered by this temporary deposit insurance coverage. To comply with the disclosure and notification requirements, institutions must: post a notice in their main office, each branch and, if applicable, on their Website; notify customers currently covered by the FDIC's TAG Program that, beginning January 1, 2011, low-interest checking accounts and IOLTAs no longer will be eligible for unlimited guarantee; and notify customers individually of any action they take that will affect the deposit insurance coverage of funds held in noninterest-bearing transaction accounts."
Finally, it says, "The FDIC will be accepting comments on the proposed rule through October 15, 2010. The shorter than usual comment period is necessary to give insured institutions adequate time to implement the notice and disclosure requirements by December 31, 2010." Click here for the full document.
In other news, another release entitled, "FDIC Board Approves Final Rule Regarding Safe Harbor Protection for Securitizations," says, "The Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today approved a final rule to extend through December 31, 2010, the Safe Harbor Protection for Treatment by the FDIC as Conservator or Receiver of Financial Assets Transferred by an Insured Depository Institution in Connection With a Securitization or Participation. Under this safe harbor, all securitizations or participations in process before the end of 2010 are permanently grandfathered under the existing terms of 12 C.F.R. Part 360.6." See also, "ASF Says FDICs Safe Harbor Action Hurts Liquidity and Seriously Threatens Government's Ability to Exit Housing Market."
Yet Another Crisis Study: When Safe Proved Risky in Commercial Paper
We recently became aware of another academic study involving events surrounding the "Subprime Liquidity Crisis." A paper entitled, "When Safe Proved Risky: Commercial Paper during the Financial Crisis of 2007-2009," written by two Assistant Professors of Finance at the Stern School of Business of New York University, Marcin Kacperczyk and Philipp Schnabl, was recently published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.
The paper says, "Commercial paper is a short-term debt instrument issued by large corporations. For issuers, commercial paper is a way of raising capital cheaply at short-term interest rates. For investors, commercial paper offers returns slightly higher than Treasury bills in exchange for taking on minimal credit risk. At the beginning of 2007, commercial paper was the largest U.S. short-term debt instrument with more than $1.97 trillion outstanding. Most of the commercial paper was issued by the financial sector, which accounted for 92 percent of all commercial paper outstanding."
It continues, "Commercial paper played a central role during the financial crisis of 2007–2009. Before the crisis, market participants regarded commercial paper as a safe asset due to its short maturity and high credit rating. Two events changed this perception. The first event began to unfold on July 31, 2007, when two Bear Stearns' hedge funds that had invested in subprime mortgages fifi led for bankruptcy. In the following week, other investors also announced losses on subprime mortgages. On August 7, 2007, BNP Paribas suspended withdrawals from its three investment funds because of its inability to assess the value of the mortgages and other investment held by the funds."
The work explains, "Given that similar assets served as collateral for a specific category of commercial paper -- asset-backed commercial paper -- many investors became reluctant to purchase asset-backed commercial paper. The total value of asset-backed commercial paper outstanding fell by 37 percent, from $1.18 trillion in August 2007 to $745 billion in August 2008. Other categories in August 2007 to $745 billion in August 2008. Other categories of commercial paper remained stable during this period."
Kacperczyk and Schnabl write, "The second event occurred on September 16, 2008, when the Reserve Primary Fund -- a large money market fund with $65 billion of assets under management -- announced that it had suffered significant losses on its $785 million holdings of Lehman Brothers' commercial paper. Instead of each of its shares being worth $1 -- a common rule in the money market industry -- the Reserve Fund announced its shares were worth only 97 cents. In other words, the fund 'broke the buck' -- an occurrence that had happened only once before in the history of money market funds."
They continue, "This news triggered the modern-day equivalent of a bank run, leading to about $172 billion worth of redemptions from the $3.45-trillion-worth money market fund sector. The run stopped on September 19, 2008 -- three days after it started -- when the U.S. government announced that it would provide deposit insurance to investments in money market funds. Even though the announcement halted the run on money market funds, most funds nonetheless reduced their holdings of all types of commercial paper because they deemed them too risky. Within one month after the Reserve Fund's announcement, the total value of commercial paper outstanding fell by 15 percent, from $1.76 trillion to $1.43 trillion."
The paper adds, "To stop the sudden decline in commercial paper, the Federal Reserve decided -- for the first time in its history -- to purchase commercial paper directly. The Federal Reserve started purchasing commercial paper on October 26, 2008, and its action promptly stabilized the market. By early January 2009, the Federal Reserve was the single largest purchaser of commercial paper and owned paper worth $357 billion, or 22.4 percent of the market, through a variety of lending facilities. Throughout the year 2009, the Federal Reserve steadily reduced its holdings and by October 2009 it held $40 billion of commercial paper, accounting for 3.4 percent of the market."
Finally, they say, "We will offer an analysis of the commercial paper market during the financial crisis. First, we describe the institutional background of the commercial paper market. Second, we analyze the supply and demand sides of the market. Third, we examine the most important developments during the crisis of 2007–2009. Last, we discuss three explanations of the decline in the commercial paper market: substitution to alternative sources of financing by commercial paper issuers, adverse selection, and institutional constraints among money market funds."
NY Fed Expands Repo Counterparty List to MM Funds Over $10 Billion
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York loosened its requirements for allowing money funds to become repo counterparties with the Fed from $20 billion to $10 billion. The Fed released an updated "RRP Eligibility Criteria for Money Funds II" late yesterday. It says, "This document sets forth the criteria for acceptance as a counterparty eligible to participate in reverse repurchase transactions (RRP) with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY). FRBNY may engage in RRP, if at all, at the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in order to drain reserves."
The Criteria explains, "In any such RRP, FRBNY will sell securities held in the System Open Market Account (SOMA) to counterparties subject to an agreement to repurchase them at some future date. FRBNY will use the existing industry tri-party infrastructure to undertake any such RRP. In addition, as with current operations, FRBNY intends to use an auction format for awarding transactions to counterparties. Upon submission of an application and acceptance of that application by FRBNY, an applicant will be added to a public list, maintained on FRBNY's website, of RRP counterparties. Inclusion on such list simply means that the entity is eligible to engage in RRP with FRBNY. It does not mean that the entity is eligible for any other program or transactional relationship with FBRNY. It does not in any way constitute a public endorsement of that entity by FRBNY, nor should such be viewed as a replacement for prudent counterparty risk management and due diligence. FRBNY reserves the right to amend its list of RRP counterparties at any time and for any reason in its sole discretion."
Under "Initial Eligibility," the NY Fed says, "To be accepted as a RRP counterparty, an applicant must: A. be an open-end management investment company that is organized under the laws of a State of the United States, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, holds itself out as a money market fund, and is in compliance with the requirements of Rule 2a-7 under such Act, B. have net assets of no less than $10 billion for six consecutive months (measured at each month-end) prior to the submission of the application, C. have been in existence for at least one year prior to the submission of the application, D. be a consistent investor in the tri-party repo market (in particular, in transactions collateralized by U.S. government debt, agency debt, and agency MBS securities), E. be able to confirm and arrange settlement of a significant volume of transactions with FRBNY, and F. be able to satisfy the following transaction requirements: (a) execute RRP with securities margined at 100% (i.e. the value of the securities provided by FRBNY will equal the funds provided by the counterparty), (b) execute term RRPs, with tenors of one-week or longer3, (c) submit minimum bids of $1 billion or greater, (d) execute RRP for next day settlement, and (e) execute the requisite RRP documentation including FRBNY's Master Repurchase Agreement, triparty custody documentation and other documentation, as applicable."
It adds, "In addition to the foregoing, before being accepted as a RRP counterparty, an applicant must satisfy an FRBNY review, consistent with prudent counterparty risk management, of its and its investment adviser's, as applicable, financial condition, compliance program and internal control environment. In connection with this review, FRBNY may consult with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and/or the relevant Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) and other regulators, as applicable, regarding the review considerations listed above, as well as any other matter FRBNY deems relevant. An applicant and, as applicable, its investment adviser, must maintain a compliance program consistent with the applicable regulatory requirements. FRBNY will not accept as a RRP counterparty any applicant, that, in FRBNY's judgment, poses undue risks to the integrity, reputation, or assets of FRBNY."
Crane Data's Money Fund Wisdom database shows that 51 funds from 19 managers fit the new $10 billion-plus criteria, up from 26 funds from 14 managers under the $20 billion for six months criteria. (See the Fed's previous "Reverse Repo Counterparties List" and Crane Data's August 19 News "New York Fed Publishes Reverse Repo Counterparty List of MMFs".) Potentially eligible new funds from new fund managers include: American Funds Money Mkt Fund, Morgan Stanley Inst Liq Prime and Northern Instit Govt Select, State Street Inst Liquid Res, and UBS Select Prime Money Mkt. Contact us if you'd like to see our full list of funds with assets over $10 billion for 6 consecutive months.
Fed's McCabe Pens Paper on Cross Section of Money Market Fund Risks
The Federal Reserve Board released a paper in its "Finance and Economics Discussion Series" entitled, "The Cross Section of Money Market Fund Risks and Financial Crises" written by Patrick McCabe from the Fed Board of Governors's Division of Research & Statistics and Monetary Affairs. The paper's Abstract says, "This paper examines the relationship between money market fund (MMF) risks and outcomes during crises, with a focus on the ABCP crisis in 2007 and the run on money funds in 2008. I analyze three broad types of MMF risks: portfolio risks arising from a fund's assets, investor risk reflecting the likelihood that a fund's shareholders will redeem shares disruptively, and sponsor risk due to uncertainty about MMF sponsors' support for distressed funds."
McCabe's Abstract continues, "I find that during the run on MMFs in September and October 2008, outflows were larger for MMFs that had previously exhibited greater degrees of all three types of risk. In contrast, as the asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) crisis unfolded in 2007, many MMFs suffered capital losses, but investor flows were relatively unresponsive to risks, probably because investors correctly believed that sponsors would absorb the losses. However, the consequences of MMF risks were quite costly for some sponsors: Using a unique data set of sponsor interventions, I show that sponsor financial support was more likely for MMFs that previously earned higher gross yields (a measure of portfolio risk) and funds with bank-affiliated sponsors. Funds' gross yields and bank affiliation (but not funds' ratings) also would have helped forecast holdings of distressed ABCP. This paper provides some useful lessons for investors and policymakers. The significance of MMF risks in predicting poor outcomes in past crises highlights the importance of monitoring such risks, and I offer some useful proxies for doing so. The paper also argues for greater attention to the systemic risks posed by the industry's reliance on discretionary sponsor support."
The Introduction explains, "Money market funds (MMFs or 'money funds') have an impressive record of price stability. From the introduction of the rules specifically governing these funds in 1983 until the Lehman bankruptcy in September 2008, only one small MMF lost money for investors, and that loss, in 1994, had little broader impact on the industry. Although MMF prospectuses and advertisements must warn that 'it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund', investors virtually never lost anything. Indeed, the perceived safety of MMFs typically prompted inflows to the funds during periods of heightened uncertainty and motivated some academic researchers to suggest that money funds might function well as 'narrow banks' that provide liquidity services."
It says, "However, two crises in the MMF industry during the financial turmoil that began in 2007 underlined the importance of money fund risks for MMF investors and sponsors, as well as for the broader financial system. The meltdown of the market for asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) that began in August 2007 caused capital losses for many money funds that held ABCP, but the losses were absorbed by MMF sponsors (that is, asset management firms and their parents and affiliates), so MMF investors lost nothing. In contrast, losses on Lehman Brothers debt following that firm's bankruptcy in September 2008 caused the Reserve Primary Fund to 'break the buck' -- its share price fell below $1 -- and cost its shareholders liquidity as well as principal (as of this writing, the assets of the fund still had not been completely distributed). Moreover, the damage quickly spread beyond Reserve and its investors amid a broader run on MMFs. Other money fund investors were put at risk as concerns about the funds' vulnerabilities prompted a vicious cycle of redemptions, efforts by MMFs to sell assets, declines in prices for money market instruments, and the possibility of capital losses that motivated further redemptions. A broader liquidity crisis developed as MMF managers, facing enormous redemptions, curtailed their lending to firms and institutions. The run on MMFs appears to have been slowed only by announcements on September 19 of unprecedented government interventions to support MMFs and short-term funding markets."
McCabe writes, "The two crises I study provide different perspectives on the importance of MMF risks. The run on MMFs in 2008 was not indiscriminate; I find that redemptions from prime MMFs marketed to institutional investors were correlated significantly with ex ante indicators for each of the three types of risk. For example, outflows were larger for MMFs that had paid higher gross yields in the previous year and thus were likely carrying greater portfolio risks, for funds with larger pre-crisis flow volatility that signified greater investor risk, and for funds that had sponsors with wider credit default swap (CDS) spreads and hence greater sponsor risk. Meanwhile, net redemptions from retail prime MMFs during the run varied with investor risk proxies but not significantly with portfolio or sponsor risk measures, perhaps because retail investors -- who generally did not redeem shares en masse -- were less cognizant of MMF vulnerabilities and posed lower investor risk for the funds. Indeed, one lesson from the distinction between institutional and retail investors' behavior during the run is the interactions among fund risks: MMFs with greater investor risks were also more sensitive to portfolio and sponsor risks."
He adds, "Interactions among fund risks were also consequential during the ABCP crisis, as widespread sponsor support absorbed funds' losses. With sponsor risks apparently dormant, other MMF risks -- at least as perceived by fund shareholders -- also remained latent, and the funds saw only modest net outflows that exhibited little cross-sectional correlation with ex ante risks. However, MMF risks were consequential for money fund sponsors; their financial support for their funds reflected concerns about actual or expected losses in funds' portfolios as well as concerns about investors' potential responses to those risks. Using a unique data set of sponsor support actions in the wake of the ABCP crisis, I show that portfolio risks, as measured by gross yields in the year prior to the crisis, are useful for predicting whether sponsors intervened to support their funds. A separate analysis of MMFs' holdings of distressed ABCP corroborates this result. Interestingly, sponsor risk played a more complex role in ABCP crisis than during the run in 2008. MMFs with bank-affiliated sponsors, which presumably had particularly deep pockets with which to support ailing money funds, were more likely both to hold troubled ABCP and to receive financial support to absorb losses. However, controlling for bank affiliation, riskier sponsors (those with higher pre-crisis CDS spreads) were more likely to experience problems."
Finally, McCabe adds, "My findings provide some useful lessons for MMF shareholders and policymakers alike. The significance of MMF risks in predicting poor outcomes in past crises underscores the importance of monitoring these risks, and this paper offers some useful proxies for doing so. For example, shareholders and regulators might track funds' gross yields for early signs of undue portfolio risks, particularly in light of asset managers' incentives to take on risks to boost yields. This paper also shows that MMF risks are broader than the portfolio risks that are the focus of the current regulatory framework for money funds. The importance of investor risk during the run in 2008 lends some support for the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC's) 2009 proposals to require additional liquidity for funds that are marketed to riskier investors, such as institutional investors, and the proxies for investor risk that I employ may be useful for identifying funds with riskier clienteles. The link between sponsor risk and holdings of distressed paper during the ABCP crisis indicates that the sponsor-support option may distort incentives for portfolio managers, and the role of sponsor risk in channeling concerns about financial institutions to their off-balance-sheet MMFs during the 2008 run suggests that expectations for such support may contribute to transmission of financial shocks. These concerns at least warrant greater attention to the systemic risks posed by the MMF industry's reliance on sponsor support."
Households, Sec Lenders Drop Money Fund Holdings in Q2 Says Fed's Z1
The Federal Reserve released its latest quarterly "Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States - Z.1" last week. The Flow of Funds contains several tables related to money market funds, including L. 206 "Money Market Mutual Fund Shares," which shows investor types in money funds, and L.121 "Money Market Mutual Funds," which shows investments held by money funds. The Z.1 report shows that households, funding corporations and nonfinancial corporate businesses remain the dominant categories of money fund shareholders, and that households and funding corporations (which include securities lenders) continued to drive the outflows from funds in Q2 of 2010.
The household sector remains by far the largest holder of money fund shares with $1.11 trillion, or 37.9% of the $2.931 trillion tracked by the Fed in Q2. Households reduced their money fund holdings by $78 billion in the second quarter, or 2.7%, and they've reduced holdings by $354 billion, or 24.2% over the 1-year through June 30, 2010. Overall money fund assets declined by $654 billion, or 18.2%, over the same 12 months.
Funding corporations, defined by the Fed as "funding subsidiaries, nonbank financial holding companies, [and] custodial accounts for reinvested collateral of securities lending operations," remain the second largest holder of money fund shares with $745 billion, or 25.4% of assets. This is down by $48 billion, or 1.6%, in the latest quarter and $266 billion, or 26.3%, in the latest year. Funding corporations have shrunk their money fund balances from a high of $1.071 trillion at year-end 2008, a decline of $326 billion, or 30.4%. (Households have shrunk balances by $463 billion, or 29.4% during this same period.)
Nonfinancial corporate businesses rank third among money fund investors, according to the Fed's quarterly Z.1 series, with $528 billion, or 18.0% of assets. Corporates reduced their holdings at a slower pace in the quarter, dropping $35 billion or 1.3%, but their money fund holdings fell a sharp $164 billion, or 23.7% over the year.
The Fed's money fund holdings table shows "Time and savings deposits" and "Open market paper" with the biggest declines in Q2. These lost $73 billion and $63 billion, respectively. Security RPs (repos) were the only segment to increase (up $23 billion); these represent the largest holding of money funds with $463 billion, or 15.8% of assets. Agency and GSE backed securities rank second with $450 billion (15.4%), while Time and savings deposits rank third with $432 billion (14.7%). Open market paper (CP) ranks fifth with $386 billion (13.2%), while Treasury securities and Municipal securities tie for sixth place with $351 billion (12.0%) each.
For more on the Fed's Flow of Funds, visit www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/ or e-mail info@cranedata.us to request Crane Data's Excel files of the Fed's money fund tables.
More Donahue: Federated CEO Answers Questions on Capital, Rates
Last week, we quoted from Federated Investors' CEO Chris Donahue, who spoke recently at Barclays Capital's "2010 Global Financial Services Conference". (See Crane Data's Sept. 14 News "Federated's Donahue Says Liquidity Bank Idea Whose Time Has Come".) Today, we quote Donahue's responses from the Q&A section of his presentation, when he was asked about capital reserve requirements and the ultra-low rate environment. His responses follow.
He was asked, "How can you be so sure that capital requirement won't be part of the opening solution for the money market fund industry? Donahue answered, "Well, I can't be sure about it, but I'm confident about it. Here is why. Let's say they even go with ... requirements of 7% [capital]. JPMorgan has over $400 billion dollars of assets. Where are they going to get their $30 billion dollars of capital, if that is the number? [Even if] that is too high, because money funds shouldn't be as much, would it be half of that, or $15 billion? Even that doesn't work in the business. Capital requirements like that are the same as sounding the death knell of the money fund as a business. At some point, the economics have to work as well, and at some point those capital numbers are too high in order to allow the business to function."
He continued, "JPMorgan is the example I like to use because they are not in favor of capital either, and we find it something that is in our mind unnecessary if you go along with the liquidity bank.... [W]e have access to $500 million dollars ... we are not exactly short hitters on this field either. We are able to play ball at those kinds of levels. But if they decide that it should be 7.5%, then really they are telling something different about the existence of the money fund business. And we just don't think that is what's going to happen."
Donahue explained, "Furthermore, I think there is an overlay for various people that they are always going to be discussing these kind of subjects, whether is capital or variable NAV, because no one wants to just say, 'Oh, well everything is perfect....' So in order to protect themselves ... various regulators will always be studying these types of issues. We've tried to reflect our views in terms of what we've done. There is no reason for us to have to buy SunTrust's assets if we didn't believe the kinds of things that I was just saying. I can't be certain about what the regulators will do, but we have a lot of confidence that that won't be in the offing."
He was also asked how the business would fare if rates stayed this low for 5 years. Donahue answered, "If short rates stay at these levels for 5 years, you have bigger problems than what is going to happen in money funds. We just don't foresee that, however. We are determined as an enterprise because of how we structure our business that we can withstand these low interest rates even if they go through '10, '11, etc.... [T]he reason is that we are basing this on the core expenses of the fund being covered.... As long as interest rates, meaning the short term repo rate ... stays at or about 20 bps -- that means that over time the gross yield on those funds would be 20bps -- all of the third party cost and core expenses are covered. There is even some amount of bps to be divided among intermediaries, Federated and the customers in actual yield. We are in it for the long haul, but I've never heard anybody with the projection that interest rates are going to stay [down for] 5 years, or that [the Fed] means by the word 'extended' some sort of 5-year run."
More Ratings Bad News: SnP RFC Requires Repo Counterparty Ratings
In yet another move that could hurt the triple-A money fund ratings business, Standard & Poor's appears poised to change its Fund Ratings Criteria to require ratings on all repo counterparties. An S&P "Fund Ratings" RFP sent out Friday says, "This Request For Comment proposes criteria regarding the evaluation of counterparty credit risk for funds with principal stability fund ratings (PSFRs) and fund credit quality ratings (FCQRs), including the use of repurchase agreements (repos). The proposed criteria revisions apply to all global rated funds with PSFRs and FCQRs."
The RFC's Summary comments, "Standard & Poor's Ratings Services is proposing to modify criteria for assessing counterparty credit risk in funds with PSFRs and FCQRs. These counterparty transactions include repos, reverse repurchase agreements, swaps, forward purchases, foreign-exchange contracts, and other hedging positions. Specifically, when evaluating funds with PSFRs and FCQRs we propose that counterparties (e.g., broker/dealers) that do not have an explicit issuer or counterparty credit rating from Standard & Poor's or do not have a guaranty of their obligations from a Standard & Poor's-rated entity will be viewed as having high credit risk. We are not seeking to make any additional criteria changes for the use of repos at this time, nor are we considering reviewing collateral in lieu of having highly rated counterparties."
S&P is seeking input on the following questions: "Do you believe that unrated counterparties pose potentially significant credit risk to highly rated funds that have a PSFR or FCQR? Does your opinion change if the unrated counterparty is 50% or more owned by a rated parent?"
They explain, "Based on the existing counterparty exposures of funds with a PSFR or FCQR, we believe most funds will likely modify their eligible counterparty list for rated funds or withdraw their fund ratings. However, for other funds, we believe the implementation of these criteria will result in substantial rating changes because many funds currently have significant exposure to unrated counterparties."
S&P says of its "Methodology," "Funds commonly hold significant exposure to counterparties through the use of repos, swaps, and other transactions. Key to these exposures is the counterparties' credit risk. Existing criteria for funds with PSFRs and FCQRs state that unrated entities that are at least 50% directly owned by rated parents are considered to have the same level of credit risk as the parent when considering counterparty credit risk for these transactions.... We are now proposing an update to our ratings criteria for assessing the counterparty credit risk of unrated subsidiaries of rated banks and finance companies that transact repos and other obligations with funds that have a PSFR or FCQR."
It adds, "In light of the significant turbulence and dislocation in the banking sector during the past few years, we are now reevaluating the ongoing parental support of these subsidiaries in assessing the subsidiaries' creditworthiness. We believe it is important to understand a subsidiary's stand-alone credit profile, the strategic significance of the subsidiary to the group, and the parent's ultimate willingness to provide extraordinary support if needed. Given this uncertainty, we are proposing that repos and other obligations from unrated counterparties be viewed as high-risk assets."
Finally, they say, "We likely will assess the credit risk of obligations from an unrated counterparty as inconsistent with investment-grade PSFRs.... In addition, although our fund ratings criteria consider counterparty ratings and collateral types for purposes of diversification in repos, we generally do not take into account for rating purposes collateral sufficiency, timing of repo contract termination payments, enforceability of repurchase contract terms and conditions, or jurisdictional considerations with regard to initial and variation margin postings." S&P proposes an implementation period of 150 days after the final criteria are published and "encourage[s] all interested market participants to submit comments in writing on the proposed criteria by end of business Oct. 18, 2010."
Money Fund Expenses in 401Ks Drop to 0.36 Percent Says ICI Study
The Investment Company Institute published "The Economics of Providing 401(k) Plans, Services, Fees and Expenses, 2009," an annual report that "examines the economics of providing 401(k) plans" Though money fund assets account for just $105 billion, or 7%, of the $1.5 trillion in 401(k) plan mutual fund assets, according to the study, the ICI report does have some interesting statistics on money fund expense ratios.
It says, "[E]xpense ratios of stock and bond funds averaged slightly higher in 2009, compared with 2008. The asset-weighted average expense ratios paid by 401(k) investors on their stock funds rose 3 basis points to 0.74 percent. The asset-weighted average expense ratio paid by 401(k) investors on their bond funds increased 2 basis points to 0.55 percent. Meanwhile, for money market funds, the asset-weighted average expense ratios paid by 401(k) investors fell 2 basis points to 0.36 percent."
ICI's 401(k) plan study comments on Money market funds," "Seven percent of 401(k) mutual fund assets were invested in money market funds at year-end 2009. For 401(k) participants holding money market funds, their total expense ratio was 0.36 percent of assets in 2009, compared with an industrywide simple average of 0.49 percent. In recent years, the 401(k) money market fund asset-weighted total expense ratio averages have been very close to the industrywide asset-weighted averages."
It adds, Furthermore, the asset weighted average expenses paid by 401(k) investors on their money market funds was 2 basis points lower in 2009 compared with 2008. The decline in money market fund fees in 2009 was due in part to individual funds reducing their fees in some cases as investment advisers waived advisory fees in the low interest rate environment."
In other news, ICI reported in its weekly "Money Market Mutual Fund Assets" that, "Total money market mutual fund assets decreased by $24.55 billion to $2.814 trillion for the week ended Wednesday, September 15, the Investment Company Institute reported today. Taxable government funds decreased by $1.11 billion, taxable non-government funds decreased by $20.17 billion, and tax-exempt funds decreased by $3.26 billion." (Funds normally see outflows on the 15th of each month due to tax payments.)
Reflecting on 2-Year Anniversary of Reserve Primary Breaking the Buck
Two years ago today, the money market mutual fund industry, and the world economy, were irrevocably changed as Reserve Primary Fund "broke the buck" following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. This event triggered a near panic in the money markets and an unprecedented level of government intervention and support. As we did last year, below we excerpt a number of quotes from Crane Data's September 2008 News Archives, including the week which will live in infamy, September 15 through Sept. 19.
Sept. 15, 2008, as the unexpected Lehman bankruptcy news hit, we expected to see yet another cluster of routine support actions from money fund advisors. Crane Data wrote (incorrectly, it turns out) early Monday, in "Fed Moves, Limited Exposure Should Shield Money Mkts From Lehman," "The bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers has led to a downgrade of the company's short-term debt by Moody's from P-1 to Not Prime. The impact to money market fund is likely to be contained, however, since Lehman had been a minor issuer in the commercial paper (CP) and medium-term note (MTN) marketplace, with about $3 billion in CP outstanding. There also likely will be repercussions from the company's repurchase agreement and other short-term financings and supports. These issues, though, should be alleviated by the other news of the weekend -- the Fed's move to expand its liquidity facilities, and the takeover of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America."
Later that day (Monday, 9/15/08), we wrote, "Evergreen Issues Statement Supporting Lehman Holdings in Funds," "A number of money market mutual funds are in the process of issuing statements either saying that they have no exposure to Lehman Brothers, which was downgraded to 'Not Prime' from P-1 ('First Tier') earlier today, or saying that they are taking steps to support their funds (or that their holdings are not large enough to impact the $1.00 NAV). Evergreen Investments was the first to issue a statement today saying that they've taken action to support their money funds. Though Lehman CP and MTN holdings are not widespread in money funds, other announcements are expected to follow."
On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, Crane wrote, "Lehman Support Actions Push Money Fund Bailouts to 20 Total, which said, "We wrote yesterday about money funds' limited exposure to Lehman Brothers and about the support actions taken by investment advisors so far. Evergreen and Russell have disclosed support agreement for their funds, while some other funds have disclosed Lehman holdings and pledged to maintain their $1.00 NAVs. The vast majority of money funds appear to have no direct exposure to Lehman, though they're now answering questions on AIG, which was downgraded to A-2 but is still P-1 (short-term ratings), and WaMu."
It continued, "The latest crisis should bring Crane Data's tally of the number of advisors supporting their money funds over the past 13 months to 20. Besides Evergreen, money funds disclosing or showing holdings of Lehman in recent public filings include: Columbia Cash Reserves, which held $400 million, or 0.73% of its assets; Reserve Primary; and Russell Money Market Fund. All are expected to protect their funds from any threat to the $1.00 a share NAV should it become necessary.... [A] Dow Jones story also says, [S]everal money funds reported holdings in Lehman paper in their most recent filings.... One example is the Primary Fund managed by New York money manager The Reserve. As of May 31, the $64.85 billion Primary Fund had some $785 million in Lehman commercial paper and medium-term notes.' It added, 'The Reserve has historically protected the NAV of its money funds as needed.'"
But it soon became clear that Reserve would not be able or not choose to bail out its fund. Describing events the afternoon of Sept. 16, 2008, Crane Data wrote, "In just the second case of a money market mutual fund 'breaking the buck,' or dropping below the $1.00 a share level, in history, The Reserve's Primary Fund cuts its NAV to $0.97 cents on Tuesday. The top-ranked fund, which held $785 million in Lehman Brothers CP and MTNs, was besieged by redemptions over the past two days. Assets of the total portfolio, which is largely institutional but which includes some retail assets, declined a massive $27.3 billion Monday and Tuesday to $35.3 billion." (Note that we were unaware at the time that many of these redemptions were halted.) (See the full 2008 story, Reserve Primary Fund "Breaks the Buck" Following Run on Assets and see our October 2008 Money Fund Intelligence for more details.)
Reserve said in its statement, "The Board of Trustees of The Reserve Fund, after reviewing the unprecedented market events of the past several days and their impact on The Primary Fund ... approved the following actions with respect to The Primary Fund only: The value of the debt securities issued by Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. (face value $785 million) and held by the Primary Fund has been valued at zero effective as of 4:00PM New York time today. As a result, the NAV of the Primary Fund ... is $0.97 per share. All redemption requests received prior to 3:00PM today will be redeemed at a net asset value of $1.00 per share." (Note that Reserve Primary Fund shareholders have since received $0.99 cents per share to date.)
Finally, Crane Data wrote on Sept. 16, 2008, "Though money fund investors will undoubtedly be shocked and nervous over yesterday's events, we believe Reserve will be an anomaly. The combination of high yields, hot money and a lack of deep pockets likely will prove fatal to the oldest money market mutual fund. As happened in 1994 with the liquidation of Community Bankers U.S. Government Money Market Fund at $0.96 a share, we expect money market funds to soldier on with just a single case of a fund 'breaking the buck'."
Sept. MFI Features OppenheimerFunds: Conservatively Competitive
This month's Money Fund Intelligence revisits OppenheimerFunds, which we previously profiled in our October 2007 issue (following their entry into the institutional money fund marketplace). Below, we interview members of the company's Cash Strategies team and managers of Oppenheimer Money Market Fund and Oppenheimer Institutional MMF. Excerpts from our Q&A with Senior Vice President, Director & Portfolio Manager Carol Wolf, VP & PM Chris Proctor, and VP Jesse Levitt follow.
First we asked, "How has Oppenheimer been weathering the storm and now the yield drought? Proctor responds, "We have enjoyed strong relative performance during the credit crisis and in this current low interest rate environment. We think the reason for this is because we continue to stick to our investment process that has been in place since Carol took over the group. The investment process is a formal delineation of responsibilities that we have between portfolio management, trading and credit. This is set up so that there isn't excessive risk taking from any one group in the pursuit of performance."
He continues, "We admit that operating in this rate environment remains very difficult. We've seen outflows, like others, in our retail funds. Our institutional base has remained steady over this time." On the tumultuous environment, Proctor adds, "It does give you opportunities. But we don't change our investment process because of a blip up in LIBOR.... The general investment strategy we employ is one where we take advantage of our approved credit list, the names that we like, while we try to maintain flexibility for when rates increase, as they did recently."
We then asked, "How long have you all been running money funds? Wolf answers, "We've been running funds for over 30 years. It began back with the Daily Cash Accumulation Fund and the Centennial Funds in the '70's. I have been in the money market business since the mid-'80's.... Chris has been with Oppenheimer for 2 years, but he has 20 years of money market experience. I have a team of 11 people, and they average 12 years of money market experience."
Proctor says, "We have $12.2 billion in cash assets that fall under our Cash Strategies umbrella. There are four different types of assets. We run 2a-7 funds, about $8 billion there and we run some separate account money, both 2a-7-like and also non-2a-7 out to 3 years. Probably the fastest-growing segment that Carol manages is the collateral for the funds which is managed with Agencies and Treasuries. That's the cash collateral for derivatives contracts in the commodities funds. Oppenheimer's overall mutual fund assets are currently about $163 billion."
MFI asks, "What's your biggest challenge? Wolf says, "I think the biggest challenge today is the 30% liquidity bucket imposed by the amendments to Rule 2a-7. Supply is falling and everybody is looking [to put] 30% of their portfolio in that short period. This keeps yields very, very low in the 7 day and under space.... We've seen consolidation in the banking and in the asset-backed commercial paper sector, so a lot of issuers that we previously invested in are no longer issuing. In the past [the challenge] was credit, and it still remains credit. Knowing what it is that you are really buying.... Knowing what the asset-backed paper structures are is something that has always been one of our strengths."
Levitt adds, "On the distribution side, the historically low yield environment has made it increasingly difficult to draw new money fund investors. Alternative investment options have become more attractive, and as multiple money fund yields continue to cluster together, there becomes a greater emphasis on differentiating yourself by other means." Look for more excerpts from our interview in coming days, or e-mail info@cranedata.us to request the full article.
Federated's Donahue Says Liquidity Bank Idea Whose Time Has Come
Federated Investors' CEO Chris Donahue spoke yesterday morning at Barclays Capital's 2010 Global Financial Services Conference and discussed fee waivers, the liquidity exchange bank, and industry consolidation among other things money market. Donahue says Federated, which recently celebrated 55 years in the fund business, started with a simple concent. "[P]eople want to invest their money in pools with professional management and diversification," he comments.
Donahue says, "No story on Federated would be complete without some focus on our money market funds.... Our compound annual growth rate [in assets since 1999] has been about 9%.... We look at this business as a high single digit growth business.... We've seen a leveling off to slight increase in our asset flows. This is important in terms of evaluating waivers." The accompanying slides show Federated's assets at $231 billion as of 6/30/10, with $99 billion in bank trust, $43 billion in capital markets, $68 billion in broker dealer, and $21 billion in the corp/other channel.
He continues, "In the first quarter, our waivers of ordinary income were about $17.8 million dollars. In the second quarter they dropped to $13, and we said on our [earnings] call and are sticking with it, that for Q3 we are comfortable with the idea of $11 to 12 million dollars. That's reflective of a combination of a lot of different factors with a lot of changing variables. The one variable that doesn't appear to want to change too quickly is the Fed's attitude about what rates should be. Our people along with most of the rest of the pundits believe that changes in that are not in the offing for the rest of this year, more or less, for sure."
Donahue comments, "We're pretty happy with our position in the money fund business. So happy in fact ... that we're willing to add to this franchise and if do nothing else stimulate the consolidation that's going on here.... [A]s regards regulation, remember the watchwords of all of this various moves have been to quote 'enhance the resiliency of money funds,' whether it was the President's Working Group, whether it was Congress, whether it was the regulators, [or] whether it was Mary Schapiro.... Since 1980, $325 trillion dollars have successfully moved through money funds ... and they have paid $450 billion more in income than had that money been in a comparable MMDA account. Money funds are an integral part of the financial system as well, helping to assist, in a short term, financing Treasuries, Agencies, Munis, Commercial Paper, Repos and the like."
He adds, "In terms of other issues, for example, capital, this is always an issue that has been brought up in studied by various pundits. Our belief is that they are not going to assign capital to money market funds. We have always believed that the money market fund business is an investment product business and [you] should be judged on your competence and your experience in this business and that has proven to be the case.... What's really necessary to further enhance the resilience of money funds is the adoption of the liquidity bank."
Donahue explains, "This is an idea that grew out of a request form the Presidents Working Group.... [S]o the ICI Working Group came up with the liquidity bank idea. The idea is very simple. You create a state trust company or a bank that is then funded by two different things -- contributions by investment advisors who own commercial paper money funds and by the commercial paper money funds themselves. This capital builds up and is used for the purpose of taking care of liquidity problems. Notice I didn't say credit. This is a liquidity bank solution. At the end of the day the liquidity bank has access to Fed, and this was what really solved the problems in the money fund industry in the late September '08 time frame. So we think it is an excellent idea whose time has come."
Note also that BlackRock's Larry Fink will speak Tuesday morning at 9:45am EDT at the same conference. See the release entitled, "BlackRock CEO to Speak at Barclays Capital 2010 Global Financial Services Conference on September 14th," for details.
Liquidations Continue in Money Fund Space; Neuberger Files to Quit
Neuberger Berman appears to be the latest casualty of ultra-low rates, asset outflows and rising regulatory requirements in the money market mutual fund space. A recent SEC filing for the Neuberger Berman Income Funds and Neuberger Berman Municipal Money Fund says, "The Board of Trustees of Neuberger Berman Income Funds recently approved the liquidation of Neuberger Berman Municipal Money Fund, which is scheduled to occur on or about September 28, 2010. Investors may continue to redeem shares of the Fund through the Liquidation Date."
The "Supplement to the Summary Prospectus dated February 28, 2010, as amended June 7, 2010, and the Prospectus dated February 28, 2010, as amended April 1, 2010 and May 28, 2010 continues, "Effective August 24, 2010, the Fund's shares will no longer be offered for sale to new investors. Existing shareholders of the Fund can continue to purchase shares. If you purchased shares directly through Neuberger Berman Management LLC or through an account with Neuberger Berman LLC, you should have received a letter describing alternative arrangements for the investment of your assets once the Fund is liquidated. If you purchased shares directly through Neuberger Berman Management LLC, please call 800-877-9700 with any questions. If you purchased shares through an account with Neuberger Berman LLC or another investment provider, please contact your Neuberger Berman representative or your investment provider, as appropriate, with any questions."
Neuberger Berman, the former Lehman Brothers Asset Management, ranks 61st among 81 money fund managers (tracked by Crane Data's Money Fund Intelligence XLS) with $763 million in assets (0.03% market share). The company outsourced its taxable money market funds to SSgA in July 2009. (See Crane Data's July 10, 2009, News "Neuberger Retreats From Taxable Money Funds, Outsources to SSgA" and Neuberger's July 9, 2009, press release "Neuberger Berman Selects State Street To Provide Taxable Money Market Funds To Its Clients".) The liquidations involve all three of Neuberger's remaining tax-exempt money funds, the $200 million Neuberger Berman Muni MF Invest (NMNXX), the $248 million Neuberger Berman NY Muni MF (NYNXX), and the $315 million Neuberger Berman Tax-Fr MF Res (NTFXX).
The company becomes the latest in a still small but growing line of companies to abandon or outsource its money market fund lineup. (Note that Neuberger does continue to manage "cash" though and continues to subadvise for SEI's Tax-Exempt Money Market Funds.) Other announcements of liquidation and deals this year include: AARP Money Market Fund, Eagle's Money Market Funds, Goldman Sachs' ILA money funds, RidgeWorth Money Market Funds, and Western Assets's retail brokerage money funds. (For more, see Money Fund Intelligence's August article, "Consolidation Happens: MF Mergers, Liquidations.")
In other news, see FT.com's reprint of the recent ignites.com article, "Moody's moves to improve ratings differentiation". It says, "Moody's last week proposed changes to its methodology for rating money market funds aimed at providing investors with greater transparency regarding fund characteristics and a better picture of both market and liquidity risks." (See Crane Data's Sept. 8 News "Moody's Proposes New Money Market Fund Rating Methodology, Symbols".)
Sept. MFI: The Mosaic Company's Crawford Speaks on Due Diligence
The following piece excerpts from the September issue of Money Fund Intelligence.... One of the sessions at our recent Crane's Money Fund Symposium was entitled "Money Fund Investors & Due Diligence." Part of this presentation was given by The Mosaic Company's Senior Cash Management Analyst Michael Crawford, who discussed one company's thinking and processes behind choosing money funds and cash investments.
Crawford told MFS, "As all of us are aware, the corporate investing landscape has changed dramatically in the last two years. This is especially true when we look at the short term liquidity market. Traditionally, money market funds were key instruments in managing short term cash availability. This changed when The Reserve Fund broke the 'buck'.... The ensuing liquidity crisis money funds experienced (as investors sought to convert these holdings) forced other fund closures. Could anything have been done to prevent this?"
He continued, "Due diligence is key for all of us. Ultimately, institutional investors must determine what they will invest in for the benefit and cash management of their corporations. This means truly understanding what comprises the assets that are actually under management and monitoring the changes in those assets."
Crawford explained, "Partnering with money market portals can supply critical daily information to aid in monitoring. Using the information provided in an efficient, downloadable form is one key to ongoing due diligence.... The most obvious and most critical tool is having transparency to the portfolio underlying the AUM. Since the market and portfolio managers are constantly reacting to the market, this is impossible in a real time environment. However, there are ways to trend past money funds holdings."
Crawford told the Symposium audience, "Concentration monitoring of holdings is another due diligence weapon in trending across multiple money market funds. This trending can add an extra level of knowledge in determining your partner money market funds. Complementing [this] with appropriate industry intelligence [should] round out the due diligence process. I'm not talking about James Bond or the CIA, but identifying key news and industry sources for regular review and information. It is my opinion that all of these points listed are paramount to an effective due diligence process as an institutional investor."
Finally, Crawford said, "These points provide the basis for solid due diligence and a key part of an overall process. As an investor, I want to express with confidence to my senior management that we have a comprehensive process in place to review and quantify our investments." E-mail us at info@cranedata.us to request a copy of the full article.
A Look at Credit Rating Agency Reforms, Reviewing NRSRO Designations
In addition to Tuesday's controversial move by Moody's Investors Service to abandon its triple-A ratings scale for money market mutual funds (see yesterday's Crane Data News, ratings agencies are also featured in a new ICI Credit Rating Agencies Reform Resource Center. And NRSROs are mentioned in the fund profile in the latest Money Fund Intelligence.
ICI's new Resource Center explains, "A credit rating agency assigns credit ratings for issuers of debt, as well as the debt instruments themselves (including bonds, preferred stock, and commercial paper). Mutual funds employ credit ratings in a variety of ways—to help make investment decisions, to define investment strategies, to communicate with their shareholders about credit risk, and to inform the process for valuing securities. The need for reliable and credible ratings has grown along with the complexity of the capital markets. Meanwhile, the financial crisis of 2008–2009 made clear the serious flaws in the ratings process and the urgency of reforms such as better disclosure, increased accountability, and improved rating presentations. In October 2009, and again in December 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed amendments that would impose a series of new requirements on registered rating agencies to improve disclosure about credit ratings and the ratings process and address conflicts of interest between rated issuers and the rating agencies."
It continues, "With the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Congress decided to codify many of the measures that were a part of the SEC proposals as well as require additional oversight requirements that were not a part of the SEC proposals. This resource center provides information about reform efforts for the improvement in the way credit rating agencies function. This page will be updated as events unfold." (The web address is: http://www.ici.org/cra.) The Center contains a host of hotlinks to prior discussions of issues involving NRSROs.
Separately, Crane Data wrote in its August 23 News "SEC Issues No-Action Letter, Allows Putting NRSRO Designations on Hold", "At the end of last week, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission issued a "no-action" letter ... which allows fund board to delay implementation of the designation of NRSROs (nationally-recognized statistical ratings organization) until further notice." In the letter, the SEC's Associate Director of the Division of Investment Management `Robert Plaze wrote Investment Company Institute General Counsel Karrie McMillan, "As you know, the amendments to rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that the Commission adopted last February require[d] boards of directors of money market funds to designate at least four nationally recognized statistical rating organizations ('NRSROs') whose ratings the fund would use to determine the eligibility of portfolio securities under the rule."
But the September issue of Money Fund Intelligence shows that some are going ahead with the designations. MFI quotes OppenheimerFunds Carol Wolf, "We are going to ask our boards to designate four NRSROs. By doing this, we can focus on the NRSROs that we believe provide some good information on our credits. We don't rely on NRSROs for their analysis; we use them for an initial screen. We do our own internal credit analysis, but with 11 NRSROs to monitor it will be nice to be able to just cut it down to the ones that we believe provide the best value."
Moody's Proposes New Money Market Fund Rating Methodology, Symbols
Yesterday, Moody's Investors Service published a paper entitled, "Moody's Proposes New Money Market Fund Rating Methodology and Symbols." Its Introduction says, "This Request for Comment describes the framework of a proposed new methodology for rating money market funds (MMFs).... [W]e are proposing the introduction of a new set of rating symbols and definitions we believe will better address the unique risks of money market funds and better distinguish our money market fund ratings from our credit ratings on long-term debt obligations."
A Moody's press release says, "Moody's Investors Service is requesting market participants to comment on a proposed new methodology and rating scale for money market funds. The refined rating methodology, if implemented after a 60-day request-for-comment period, would recalibrate Moody's primary analytical inputs, such as a fund portfolio's underlying asset quality, its liquidity position and susceptibility to market risk, and the likelihood of support from its sponsor." It adds, "Under the proposed rating system, Moody's would also introduce a new five-point rating scale for money market funds ranging from MF1+ (strongest) to MF4 (weakest)."
Yaron Ernst, Managing Director of Moody's Global Managed Investments group, comments, "Our current rating scale uses the traditional Moody's long-term ratings, but has different rating definitions for managed funds. Our new scale, which further differentiates the factors we consider when rating money market funds, will give investors a much better view of how a fund may perform even during times of severe market pressure.... In addition to clarifying the difference between money market fund ratings and Moody's traditional debt ratings, the new methodology will provide investors with more differentiation among money market funds, and more transparency regarding the key factors that affect a fund's ability to meet its objectives."
The release adds, "The new rating scale is being proposed to better capture the risks of money market funds in which investors hold shares, but also expect immediate payment on demand. Accordingly, we plan to rate money market funds based on our opinion on their ability to meet the dual objectives of preserving principal and providing liquidity. The new rating scale would (a) factor in the generally low risk of the underlying money market fund assets,(b) consider a fund's liquidity profile and the potential for a 'run' on the fund, (c) assess a fund's sensitivity to interest rate shifts, and (d) assess the likelihood of sponsor support."
The Request for Comment asks, "Why Are We Proposing Methodology Changes? It answers, "There are a number of reasons why we are proposing a change to our rating methodology and the introduction of a new rating scale for money market funds.... In September 2008, 31 rated funds suspended redemptions, leading to delayed distributions, and in two cases, shareholders in those funds experienced principal losses.... This experience prompted a reconsideration of the approach we use to assign MMF ratings. Moody's initiated a dialog with fund managers, investors, and other market participants to come to a better understanding of the type of information investors in money market funds seek, the role of ratings in their investment decisions, and the particular attributes of our ratings that they find most valuable."
It continues, "Historically, we have rated money market funds using an approach that emphasizes portfolio credit quality and maturity structure, with consideration also given to factors such as portfolio strategy, manager/adviser characteristics, and the likelihood of sponsor support. The performance of money market funds during the financial crisis, particularly after the Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy, heightened investors' focus on the wide range of risks facing these funds.... The proposed methodology is intended to more effectively capture these risks by introducing objective measures to better assess factors such as liquidity risk and market risk, as well as asset quality and obligor concentrations. Greater emphasis is placed on a sponsor’s willingness and ability to support a given fund or group of funds, if need be, as has happened throughout the history of this sector. Extending our analysis of money funds in areas that are increasingly important to investors is expected to result in greater ratings differentiation than under the existing methodology."
The paper adds, "Finally, under Section 938 of the recently passed Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act -- the US financial reform bill -- upon rule-making by the Securities and Exchange Commission, nationally recognized statistical rating organizations will be prohibited from having multiple definitions for the same rating symbol. Since the form and nature of money market funds is distinct from bonds rated using our traditional Aaa to C long-term rating scale, and our rating approaches and rating definitions are different, we are proposing a new rating scale that better highlights the distinction between these two types of ratings."
September MFI on Assets, Yields, OppenheimerFunds, Due Diligence
The September issue of Crane Data's flagship Money Fund Intelligence newsletter ships to subscribers this morning. Our latest monthly contains articles on "Assets' Summer Bottom; Will Yields Re-Test Lows?," a discussion of the new trough in assets and falling yields; "OppenheimerFunds: Conservatively Competitive," our monthly profile which interviews Carol Wolf, Chris Proctor, and Jesse Levitt; and "The Mosaic Co.'s Crawford Speaks on Due Diligence," which excerpts from one corporate cash analyst's money fund monitoring strategies. The new MFI also contains performance data as of August 31, 2010 (on a shrinking universe of 1,254 money market funds), our benchmark Crane Money Fund Indexes, and a recap of the month's money fund news.
The lead piece in Money Fund Intelligence says, "The good news is that money fund assets appear to have formed a trough during the summer of 2010. After hitting a record of $3.92 trillion in January 2009, assets declined by almost $1.1 trillion, or 27.9%, over the next 15 months. Since May, however, assets have in effect been flat and appear to have stabilizing at their current $2.8 trillion level. The bad news is that yields, which had rebounded from a record low of 0.04% in February 2010 to 0.11% in mid-August, have begun inching downward again."
Our OppenheimerFunds profile quotes VP & Portfolio Manager Proctor, "We have enjoyed strong relative performance during the credit crisis and in this current low interest rate environment. We think the reason for this is because we continue to stick to our investment process that has been in place since Carol took over the group. The investment process is a formal delineation of responsibilities that we have between portfolio management, trading and credit. This is set up so that there isn't excessive risk taking from any one group in the pursuit of performance.... We admit that operating in this rate environment remains very difficult. We've seen outflows, like others, in our retail funds. Our institutional base has remained steady over this time."
Finally, our September issue says, "One of the sessions at our recent Crane's Money Fund Symposium was ... given by The Mosaic Company's Senior Cash Management Analyst Michael Crawford, who discussed one company's thinking and processes behind choosing money funds and cash investments. Mosaic, which is based in Plymouth, Minnesota, is 'the world's leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash.' We excerpt from Crawford's comments."
Crawford told MFS, "As all of us are aware, the corporate investing landscape has changed dramatically in the last two years.... Partnering with money market portals can supply critical daily information to aid in monitoring.... Complementing [this] with appropriate industry intelligence [should] round out the due diligence process."
Let us know if you'd like to see the full issue of Money Fund Intelligence or if you'd like to see our latest Money Fund Intelligence XLS or Crane Index. (E-mail Assistant Editor Kaio Barbosa (kaio@cranedata.us) to request a sample.)
Bernanke Says Disruptions More Damaging Than Subprime, Hits MMFs
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke yesterday on "Causes of the Recent Financial and Economic Crisis" before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Bernanke discussed short-term funding problems, shadow banking and commented briefly on money market mutual funds' role in the crisis. He said, "Chairman Angelides, Vice Chairman Thomas, and other members of the Commission, your charge to examine the causes of the recent financial and economic crisis is indeed important. Only by understanding the factors that led to and amplified the crisis can we hope to guard against a repetition."
Bernanke explained, "In midsummer 2007, events unfolded that would engender a sea change in money market conditions, triggered by fears of subprime losses that had been growing during the first half of the year. To choose one of several possible key dates, on July 30, 2007, IKB, a medium-sized German bank, announced that in order to meet its obligations, it would be receiving extraordinary support from its government-owned parent and an association of German banks. IKB's problem was that its Rhineland off-balance-sheet vehicle was no longer able to roll over the asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP) it had been issuing in U.S. markets to fund its large portfolio of asset-backed securities. Although none of the securities in the Rhineland portfolio was in default and only some were subprime-related, commercial paper investors had become concerned about IKB's ability to meet its obligations in the event that the securities Rhineland held were downgraded."
He continued, "Around the same time, other vehicles similar to that of Rhineland were also finding funding rollovers to be more costly and difficult to arrange. These difficulties intensified over subsequent weeks, as investors around the world pulled back funding; indeed, outstanding U.S. ABCP plummeted almost $200 billion in August. The economist Gary Gorton has likened this pullback to a traditional bank run: Lenders in the commercial paper market and other short-term money markets, like depositors in a bank, place the highest value on safety and liquidity. Should the safety of their investments come into question, it is easier and safer to withdraw funds -- 'run on the bank' -- than to invest time and resources to evaluate in detail whether their investment is, in fact, safe.... Ultimately, the disruptions to a range of financial markets and institutions proved far more damaging than the subprime losses themselves."
Talking on "Dependence on Unstable Short-Term Funding," be commented, "Shadow banks are financial entities other than regulated depository institutions (commercial banks, thrifts, and credit unions) that serve as intermediaries to channel savings into investment. Securitization vehicles, ABCP vehicles, money market funds, investment banks, mortgage companies, and a variety of other entities are part of the shadow banking system. Before the crisis, the shadow banking system had come to play a major role in global finance; with hindsight, we can see that shadow banking was also the source of some key vulnerabilities."
Bernanke said, "As was illustrated by the ABCP market meltdown discussed earlier, the reliance of shadow banks on short-term uninsured funds made them subject to runs, much as commercial banks and thrift institutions had been exposed to runs prior to the creation of deposit insurance. A run on an individual entity may start with rumors about its solvency, but even when investors know the rumors are unfounded, it may be in their individual interests to join the run, as few entities can remain solvent if their assets must be sold at fire-sale prices. Thus, fears of a run have the potential to become at least partially self-fulfilling, and a run may blur the distinction between an insolvent and an illiquid firm."
He commented, "Money market mutual funds proved particularly vulnerable to liquidity pressures. A large portion of the investments of these funds were in short-term wholesale funding instruments issued or guaranteed by commercial banks. When short-term wholesale funding markets came under stress, particularly in the period after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, money market mutual funds faced runs by their investors. Although actions by the Treasury and the Federal Reserve helped arrest these runs, the money market mutual funds responded by hoarding liquidity, thus constricting the availability of financing to financial and nonfinancial firms."
Finally, Bernanke told the FCIC, "In a time of panic and liquidity shortages, central banks must be able to provide funding to sound financial institutions. In the United States, the Federal Reserve lacked established procedures to provide short-term funding to shadow banks, such as broker-dealers, money market mutual funds, or special purpose vehicles, so it had to develop programs to provide such funding quickly during the crisis.... However, the Federal Reserve was able to supply liquidity to both banks and nonbanks, through a variety of means, to stem the panic. It auctioned fixed amounts of term funding to depository institutions, which seemed to circumvent the stigma problem. The Federal Reserve also created other facilities, in most cases using its emergency authority under section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, to provide collateralized short-term loans to nonbank financial institutions in situations in which market-based funding mechanisms had broken down."
Federated Reviewing, May Liquidate Small AZ and MD Muni MMFs
In another sign that money fund managers are looking to consolidate their fund lineups, Federated Investors, the third-largest money fund manager, has filed prospectus supplements for its Federated Arizona Municipal Cash Trust and Federated Maryland Municipal Cash Trust indicating that these two State Tax Exempt money funds may be liquidated due to their small size. These filing follows last week's move by Goldman Sachs to liquidate its smaller Institutional Liquid Assets (ILA) money funds and move investors into its larger Financial Square money fund family. (See Crane Data's August 26 News "Goldman to Consolidate Fund Lineups, Liquidate Inst Liquid Assets MFs".)
The prospectus supplement for the $48 million Federated AZ Muni Cash Trust (AZMXX), says, "Federated Securities Corp. (FSC), the distributor of Federated Arizona Municipal Cash Trust, a series of Money Market Obligations Trust, and Federated Investment Management Company, the investment adviser for the Fund, have decided to undertake a strategic review of the Fund. The review will encompass options for the Fund taking into consideration the Fund's asset size, the costs to run the Fund, and the Fund's prospects for future growth, with a view toward seeking to terminate the existence of the Fund, through either liquidating the Fund or reorganizing the Fund into another Federated municipal money market fund."
The filing adds, "The Fund intends to continue to process purchases, redemptions and exchanges in the ordinary course of business during the review. The Adviser anticipates that, in the short term, it, and its affiliates, will continue to waive and/or reimburse certain Fund fees and expenses to maintain the Fund's yield at a level similar to the yield of the Fund over recent quarters. It is possible that shareholders of the Fund will redeem their investments prior to the completion of the strategic review. FSC, and its affiliates, will be working with the Fund's shareholders and intermediaries to identify alternative Federated investments."
The $38 million Federated MD Muni Cash Trust (MDMXX) filing says, "Federated Securities Corp. (FSC), the distributor of Federated Maryland Municipal Cash Trust, a series of Money Market Obligations Trust, and Federated Investment Management Company, the investment adviser for the Fund, have decided to undertake a strategic review of the Fund. The review will encompass options for the Fund taking into consideration the Fund's asset size, the costs to run the Fund and the Fund's prospects for future growth, with a view toward seeking to terminate the existence of the Fund, through either liquidating the Fund or reorganizing the Fund into another Federated municipal money market fund."
The MD supplement also adds, "The Fund intends to continue to process purchases, redemptions and exchanges in the ordinary course of business during the review. The Adviser anticipates that, in the short term, it, and its affiliates, will continue to waive and/or reimburse certain Fund fees and expenses to maintain the Fund's yield at a level similar to the yield of the Fund over recent quarters. It is possible that shareholders of the Fund will redeem their investments prior to the completion of the strategic review. FSC, and its affiliates, will be working with the Fund's shareholders and intermediaries to identify alternative Federated investments."
Crane Data's Money Fund Intelligence XLS currently tracks 87 domestic U.S. money funds from Federated Investors with a total of $224 billion. These funds are among the smallest managed by the company.
SEC Posts EDGAR Form N-MFP XML Tech Specs, Holdings Disclosures
The Securities & Exchange Commission recently posted a document entitled, "EDGAR Form N-MFP XML Technical Specification (Version 1), which had an "Implementation Date" of August 30, 2010. While we don't claim to understand most of this document (like most things in the SEC's EDGAR database, only a computer programmer can understand it), it was one of the final pieces that fund companies were awaiting before implementing one of the final pieces of the SEC's Money Market Fund Reform, the disclosure of portfolio information.
The original SEC MMF Reforms (see page 72) said, "We are amending rule 2a-7 to require money market funds to disclose information about their portfolio holdings each month on their websites. The disclosure will provide greater transparency of portfolio information in a manner convenient for most investors. The amendment is designed to give investors a better understanding of the current risks to which the fund is exposed, strengthening their ability to exert influence on risk-taking by fund advisers.... As proposed, the amendments to rule 2a-7 would have required a fund to disclose the fund's schedule of investments."
The Rule 2a-7 Reforms explain, "We are adopting a new rule requiring money market funds to provide the Commission a monthly electronic filing of more detailed portfolio holdings information. The information will permit us to create a central database of money market fund portfolio holdings, which will enhance our oversight of money market funds and our ability to respond to market events. As discussed further below, the information will also be made public on a delayed basis. New rule 30b1-7 requires money market funds to report portfolio information on new Form N-MFP."
It continues, "Money market funds must report on Form N-MFP, with respect to each portfolio security held on the last business day of the prior month, the following items: (i) the name of the issuer; (ii) the title of the issue, including the coupon or yield; (iii) the CUSIP number; (iv) the category of investment (e.g., Treasury debt, government agency debt, asset backed commercial paper, structured investment vehicle note, repurchase agreement); ... (ix) the principal amount; (x) the current amortized cost value; (xi) the percentage of the money market fund’s assets invested in the security; (xii) whether the security is an illiquid security (as defined in amended rule 2a-7(a)(19)); and (xiii) 'Explanatory notes.'"
The SEC says, "Form N-MFP also requires funds to report to us information about the fund, including information about the fund's risk characteristics such as the dollar weighted average maturity of the fund's portfolio and its seven-day gross yield. Money market funds also must report on Form N-MFP the market-based values of each portfolio security and the fund's market-based net asset value per share, with separate entries for values that do and do not take into account any capital support agreements into which the fund may have entered. Under rule 30b1-7, the information contained in the portfolio reports that money market funds file with the Commission on Form N-MFP will be available to the public 60 days after the end of the month to which the information pertains."
They added, "In response to commenters, we are delaying the mandatory filing date for several months after the effective date of the amendments, to permit money market funds to develop systems necessary to collect and submit the portfolio information on Form N-MFP. Thus, the first mandatory filing will be due on December 7, 2010, for holdings as of the end of November 2010. For approximately two months before the first mandatory filing, our staff will accept the submission of trial data so that money market funds may voluntarily make (non-public) electronic submissions with us." (These filings will be available to the public starting 60 days later, around Feb. 7, 2011.)
The new EDGAR Form N-MFP posting says, "In support of the adoption of new rule 30b1-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and new Form N-MFP, which were included in the Commission's recent money market fund reform package (See Release No. IC-29132 [75 FR 10060]), the EDGAR system was upgraded to Release 10.3 on August 30, 2010. EDGAR Release 10.3 will deploy new submission types N-MFP and N-MFP/A to facilitate the electronic filing of the new form. Filers must follow the Form N-MFP XML Technical Specification to construct their Form N-MFP and Form N-MFP/A submissions via the EDGAR Filing Web site (https://edgarfiling.sec.gov) or by clicking the 'Are you an EDGARLink filer or would you like to create a new Asset-Backed Securities Issuing Entity?' link from the EDGAR Portal Web site (www.portal.edgarfiling.sec.gov).
It adds, "The following EDGAR Form N-MFP XML Technical Specification documents detail the valid structure and content of the EDGAR Form N-MFP submission types (N-MFP and N-MFP/A)." This page offers a link to: "Download the EDGAR Form N-MFP XML Technical Specification (Version 1) (compressed folder)."
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The Final Conversations of a Dying Priest
Austin Ruse
Father Arne Panula died quite publicly and for a very long time.
We kept hearing the end was near, but he kept on going and going. Besides in his coffin, the last time I saw him was when he took the podium at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and offered a prayer. This movie-star-handsome man looked terrible: hair gone, skeletal, bruises covering his head from the treatment he was receiving. And yet he was there.
Much like Pope St. John Paul the Great, Father Arne showed us how to suffer and how to die.
For those who don’t know, Father Arne ran a bookstore in downtown Washington DC. Sure, the Catholic Information Center (CIC) is much more than a bookstore. Even more than the nearby Cathedral of St. Matthew, it is the pulsing heart of the Church in downtown Washington. The CIC chapel—which packs in youngsters for the noon Mass—houses the Eucharist less than half a mile from the Oval Office.
For those who want to know more, the indispensable Mary Eberstadt has produced The Last Homily: Conversations with Father Arne Panula (Emmaus Road Publishing), a book-length conversation with Father Arne that took place throughout his final weeks on this side of the thin vale.
Mary and Father Arne sat together in the lovely walled garden or the study of the Northwest Washington home he shared with his Opus Dei brothers and talked about all manner of things. These conversations reveal a profoundly holy man who lived his life for Christ alone, and welcomed any and all who peeked into his office on K Street. Reading these final thoughts of Father Arne, you may feel great sorrow you did not peek into that office, or you didn’t peek in more.
With great humor, he would object to my image of him as Christ waiting in the Tabernacle. But that was what he did. He waited for visitors in that small office just off busy K Street. You peeked around the corner, assuming he was working, and he would smile, rise from his desk, motion you toward the couch, sit opposite on the less comfortable chair, and begin to chat and always to listen. How many hundreds did that?
Father Arne waited there because more than anything else, he was a pastor. Mary asked him why he never wrote. He could have written great books, but he never did. He told Mary that people were his books, all those who peeked in.
Father Arne graduated from Harvard where he discovered Opus Dei, and took a doctorate in theology at the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain. He wrote his thesis, hundreds of pages, on John Henry Newman and divine providence. And how providential was his life! I never knew until after he passed that he was close friends with Silicon Valley billionaire investor Peter Thiel. Father Arne befriended Thiel when Thiel was an undergraduate at Stanford and Father Arne ran the Opus Dei house. God knows the other notables who ducked into his office regularly.
One of the revealing stories Mary tells is about the image of Father Arne that graces the cover of the book. Commissioned by his friends, it was created by noted artist Igor Babailov, who also painted John Paul II. While he worked on it in his Tennessee studio, the artist’s wife said, “I always go to the studio, to look at what Igor’s up to. There’s one portrait he’s doing now that I can’t stop staring at. I’ve never known that DC priest he’s drawing. But I cannot shake the feeling I have every time I’m drawn to it. This must be a truly holy man.”
The thing about the image of Father Arne is that it was done in charcoal which meant the piercing blue of his eyes went missing. Father Arne insisted on charcoal because color would seem immodest.
Read the book to know his insights and his turn of mind. He says Tom Brokaw is wrong about the Greatest Generation, that those brave soldiers came home to be “model citizens.” Father Arne says they came home “as ruptured sons” and never learned to be fathers and that at least a part of the ’60s rage grew from boys and girls with fathers who may have been present but still failed. The Greatest Generation failed at their most important task. Who has the guts to say something like that?
He explains that one of the great fears of the mighty men and women in Washington DC is they would be uncovered as frauds and that they feel neither loved nor lovable.
He believed modern college education is a fraud and a waste and that young people leave college with a kind of anger that they’ve been had. So, he started the Leonine Forum, an elite program that teaches the great thinkers to young professionals in Washington DC.
Always practical, for these troubled D.C. souls, Father Arne offered the simplest kind of spiritual direction. Morning offering on your knees. Morning prayer, talking to God as father. The same in the afternoon. Pray to your guardian angel. Daily mass if you can. End the day with three Aves for purity, and an examination of conscience.
Toward the end, word went around that Father Arne was failing and that he was still seeing anyone who came to the door. And those who peeked in upon his deathbed came away profoundly moved by a man who never gave up his apostolic mission. He told Mary, “So, in my case, I’m at death’s door [laughs], and I’m having some of the best moments of my life. What can I say?”
I am one of those who are sorrowful for not availing myself nearly enough of his deep wells. Though I knew Father Arne for twenty years, after reading this book I feel as if I did not know him at all. He never made anything about himself. You would not know he had the mind of Aquinas because he had the manner of Bing Crosby. He wore everything, all of his gifts, so lightly you may have missed them.
One of the remarkable things about Father Arne is that for a few years he had a huge job. He was the Vicar of Opus Dei in America. And then they moved him to run a bookstore in Washington DC. He never skipped a beat, and he never showed any disgruntlement because he never felt any. A lesser man might have minded, might have revealed this disappointment to friends. But, divine providence called him to the bookstore so he happily went along and how many lives and souls hung in the balance we will only know at the General Judgement. Cannot wait.
Editor’s note: In response to several comments, Mr. Ruse would like to state the following: “I do not wish to imply that Fr. Arne was moved from being Vicar of Opus Dei in America to running the Catholic Information Center in Washington DC for any other reason than it was a change of assignment, as happens all the time with parish priests and with priests of Opus Dei.”
Tagged as Catholic Information Center (Washington DC), Father Arne Panula, Opus Dei, Priesthood, The Last Homily (2018)
Austin Ruse is a contributing editor to Crisis and president of the Center for Family & Human Rights (C-FAM). He is the author of the upcoming Catholic Case for Trump (Regnery, 2020). You can follow him on Twitter @austinruse.
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CS Digest: 21 Aug 2018
In Case You Missed It – CSIAC Webinar : Learning to Win: Making the Case for Autonomous Cyber Security Solutions - CSIAC
This webinar describes the benefits of machine learning based approaches for autonomous control in the cyber domain. We discuss emerging autonomous machine learning technologies and their recent successes, technical and non-technical challenges to overcome, and potential near-term applications to cyber security.
CSIAC Webinar Companion Document - CSIAC
The purpose of this article is to make the case for increased research and development of autonomous control machine learning approaches in the cyber domain. In it, we discuss emerging autonomous machine learning technologies and their recent successes, technical and non-technical challenges that still need to be overcome for practical autonomous applications of machine learning, and finally some thoughts on potential near-term applications of autonomous machine learning to cyber security.
NEW CSIAC Journal of Cyber Security and Information Systems – Cyber-As-Zoo: Multidisciplinary Cyber Struggle - CSIAC
This quarter's CSIAC Journal contains five articles that offer some perspectives to address the often-heard phrase "Cyber Is Hard", usually associated with gnashing of teeth and exasperated sighs.
DHS Will Shore Up Cybersecurity for America’s Infrastructure - Wired
As the threat of cyberattacks on the United States launched by foreign adversaries grows, the federal government has been slow to respond. But changes announced Tuesday at the Department of Homeland Security, along with a new bipartisan bill aimed at shoring up DHS cybersecurity initiatives, could give newfound purpose to defenses against critical infrastructure hacking. Reade
Hackers Breached US Electric Utilities: Analysts - The Hill
Security analysts have discovered a new hacking group that has been successful in breaching networks of electric utilities in the United States.
ICS Threat Broadens: Nation-State Hackers Are No Longer The Only Game In Town - Cyber Reason
The U.S. government, realizing that a cyberattack on energy utilities would have major repercussions for businesses and citizens alike, this November will test the ability of the nation's power grid to bounce back from a simultaneous cyberattack on electric, oil and natural gas infrastructure.
Microsoft Alleges New Russian Attacks Ahead of Midterm Elections - ABC News
Microsoft has thwarted newly attempted cyberattacks by Russian hackers targeting U.S. political campaigns before the midterm elections, the company alleged Monday.
China Believes Its Cyber Capabilities Lag Behind US: Pentagon - Security Week
China believes its cyberwarfare capabilities lag behind the United States, but it's working on closing the gap, according to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). In its annual report to Congress, the Pentagon describes the cyber capabilities and cyber operations of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), and warns that China continues to launch cyberattacks against organizations around the world, including in the United States.
Defense Inspector General Finds Key Air Force Space Programs Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks, Sabotage - Space News
An audit by the Defense Department's inspector general office found security cracks in the supply chain of four critical military space programs. As a result, an adversary has "opportunity to infiltrate the Air Force Space Command supply chain and sabotage, maliciously introduce an unwanted function, or otherwise compromise the design or integrity of the critical hardware, software and firmware," said a redacted IG report released Aug. 14.
80 to 0 in Under 5 Seconds: Falsifying a Medical Patient’s Vitals - McAfee
With the explosion of growth in technology and its influence on our lives, we have become increasingly dependent on it. The medical field is no exception: Medical professionals trust technology to provide them with accurate information and base life-changing decisions on this data. McAfee's Advanced Threat Research team is exploring these devices to increase awareness about their security.
New Modular Downloaders Fingerprint Systems, Prepare for More – Part 1: Marap - Proofpoint
Proofpoint researchers recently discovered a new downloader malware in a fairly large campaign (millions of messages) primarily targeting financial institutions. The malware, dubbed "Marap" ("param" backwards), is notable for its focused functionality that includes the ability to download other modules and payloads. The modular nature allows actors to add new capabilities as they become available or download additional modules post infection. To date, we have observed it download a system fingerprinting module that performs simple reconnaissance.
U.S. Government Seeks Facebook Help to Wiretap Messenger – Sources - Reuters
The U.S. government is trying to force Facebook Inc to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspect's voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance.
FBI Warns of ‘Unlimited’ ATM Cashout Blitz - KrebsOnSecurity
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning banks that cybercriminals are preparing to carry out a highly choreographed, global fraud scheme known as an "ATM cash-out," in which crooks hack a bank or payment card processor and use cloned cards at cash machines around the world to fraudulently withdraw millions of dollars in just a few hours.
Researchers Disclose New Foreshadow (L1TF) Vulnerabilities Affecting Intel CPUs - Bleeping Computer
Academics and private sector researchers have revealed details today about three new vulnerabilities affecting Intel CPUs.
Legislation and Regulation:
The Cybersecurity 202: Sen. Whitehouse Says Congress Should Consider Letting Companies ‘Hack Back’ After Cyberattacks - Washington Post
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) will use a congressional hearing on cybersecurity today to float an idea that's controversial among security experts: "hacking back" against digital adversaries after a cyberattack.
Number of Third-Party Cookies on EU News Sites Dropped by 22% Post-GDPR - Bleeping Computer
The number of tracking cookies on EU news sites has gone down by 22% according to a report by the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford, who looked at cookie usage across EU news sites in two phases, in April 2018 and July 2018, pre and post the introduction of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act Becomes Law - Security Week
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act, S. 770 (formerly known as the MAIN STREET Cybersecurity Act) into law on Tuesday (August 14, 2018). It requires NIST to "disseminate clear and concise resources to help small business concerns identify, assess, manage, and reduce their cybersecurity risks."
Network Security:
It’s Official: TLS 1.3 Approved as Standard While Spies Weep - The Register
An overhaul of a critical internet security protocol has been completed, with TLS 1.3 becoming an official standard late last week.
« 07 Aug 2018
04 Sep 2018 »
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Saturday's motor sports roundup.
Scott Semmelmann was killed in a wreck during practice for a race Saturday night.
Saturday's motor sports roundup. Scott Semmelmann was killed in a wreck during practice for a race Saturday night. Check out this story on detroitnews.com: http://detne.ws/1uqbBph
Associated Press Published 11:17 p.m. ET Sept. 20, 2014 | Updated 11:36 p.m. ET Sept. 20, 2014
Nationwide points leader Chase Elliott (9) leads a restart with Michael McDowell (22) in the NASCAR Nationwide auto race in Sparta, Ky., on Saturday. Eventual winner Brendan Gaughan was in seventh position.(Photo: Garry Jones / Associated Press)
Beaver Dam, Wis. — Sprint car driver Scott Semmelmann was killed in a wreck during practice for a race Saturday night at Beaver Dam Raceway.
Beaver Dam Raceway general manager Carolyn Mueller and Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Car Series President Steve Sinclair confirmed the death.
Semmelmann's car made contact with another car during the second practice session, flipped three times and hit the outside wall. The 47-year-old Semmelmann, from Brookfield, was racing for the first time this season.
The race was canceled.
Beaver Dam Raceway is a 0.33-mile clay oval about 75 minutes northwest of Milwaukee. Mueller said it was the first on-track fatality at the track since the facility re-opened in 1993.
Last month, Kevin Ward Jr. was killed in a sprint car race at a dirt track in upstate New York when he left his car and was struck by a car driven by NASCAR star Tony Stewart.
Gaughan snatches Nationwide win at Kentucky
Sparta, Ky. — Brendan Gaughan surged past rookies Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon in a wild three-wide run after a final restart for a hard-earned victory in Saturday night's 300-mile Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway.
Elliott and Dillon initially battled for the lead on Lap 192 before Gaughan's No. 62 Chevrolet rocketed forward on the outside to make it three abreast, getting past both drivers a couple of laps later with Brian Scott in tow. Gaughan went on to his second career victory by .878 seconds over Scott, followed by Dillon, Elliott and Regan Smith in a top-five sweep by Chevys.
Gaughan's surprising finish denied Dillon's quest for a dominant victory after he started on the pole and led 155 laps. Dillon seemed destined to fight Elliott in the closing laps, but Gaughan, who led 22 laps, stayed within reach and used a great restart to snatch the lead and the win.
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Devon & Somerset Fire Rescue
Dog rescued after falling over quarry edge in Devon
Firefighters were called out to help the animal
Mike Smallcombe
Tinhay Lake
A dog was rescued by firefighters after falling over a quarry edge and landing in water.
The incident happened shortly after noon on Friday (December 7) at Tinhay Lake, a former quarry in west Devon, near Launceston.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service received a call reporting that a dog had fallen over the edge of the three-acre former limestone quarry, now used as a fishing lake, and become stuck in mud and water.
Two fire appliances from Launceston and Tavistock, along with a specialist rescue team from Camels Head, were immediately mobilised by fire control.
A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: "On arrival, the incident commander confirmed that a six-year-old dog had fallen over an quarry edge and was stuck in water.
Police praise members of the public after 'tragic' A30 incident
"While waiting for specialist rescue teams to arrive crews made an initial assessment and put safety measures in place.
"The dog was rescued using a boat and water rescue equipment."
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The crater lake and hydrothermal system of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines: evolution in the decade after eruption
The crater lake and hydrothermal system of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines: evolution in the decade... Stimac, James; Goff, Fraser; Counce, Dale; Larocque, Adrienne; Hilton, David; Morgenstern, Uwe 2003-08-09 00:00:00 The June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines breached a significant, pre-eruptive magmatic-hydrothermal system consisting of a hot (>300 °C) core at two-phase conditions and surrounding, cooler (<260 °C) liquid outflows to the N and S. The eruption created a large, closed crater that accumulated hydrothermal upwellings, near-surface aquifer and meteoric inflows. A shallow lake formed by early September 1991, and showed a long-term increase in level of ~1 m/month until an artificial drainage was created in September 2001. Comparison of the temporal trends in lake chemistry to pre- and post-eruptive springs distinguishes processes important in lake evolution. The lake was initially near-neutral pH and dominated by meteoric influx and Cl–SO4 and Cl–HCO3 hydrothermal waters, with peaks in SO4 and Ca concentrations resulting from leaching of anhydrite and aerosol-laden tephra. Magmatic discharge, acidity (pH~2) and rock dissolution peaked in late 1992, during and immediately after eruption of a lava dome on the crater floor. Since cessation of dome growth, trends in lake pH (increase from 3 to 5.5), temperature (decline from 40 to 26 °C), and chemical and isotopic composition indicate that magmatic degassing and rock dissolution have declined significantly relative to the input of meteoric water and immature hydrothermal brine. Higher concentrations of Cl, Na, K, Li and B, and lower concentrations of Mg, Ca, Fe, SO4 and F up to 1999 highlight the importance of a dilute hydrothermal contribution, as do stable-isotope and tritium compositions of the various fluids. However, samples taken since that time indicate further dilution and steeper trends of increasing pH and declining temperature. Present gas and brine compositions from crater fumaroles and hot springs indicate boiling of an immature Cl–SO4 geothermal fluid of near-neutral pH at approximately 200 °C, rather than direct discharge from magma. It appears that remnants of the pre-eruptive hydrothermal system invaded the magma conduit shortly after the end of dome emplacement, blocking the direct degassing path. This, along with the large catchment area (~5 km2) and the high precipitation rate of the area, led to a rapid transition from a small and hot acid lake to a large lake with near-ambient temperature and pH. This behavior contrasts with that of peak-activity lakes that have more sustained volcanic gas influx (e.g., Kawah Ijen, Indonesia; Poas and Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Bulletin of Volcanology Springer Journals http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/springer-journals/the-crater-lake-and-hydrothermal-system-of-mount-pinatubo-philippines-6wz2aDF9ee
Stimac, James; Goff, Fraser; Counce, Dale; Larocque, Adrienne; Hilton, David; Morgenstern, Uwe
Bulletin of Volcanology
, Volume 66 (2) – Aug 9, 2003
/lp/springer-journals/the-crater-lake-and-hydrothermal-system-of-mount-pinatubo-philippines-6wz2aDF9ee
Bulletin of Volcanology /
Earth and Planetary Sciences /
Geochemistry and Petrology
Copyright © 2004 by Springer-Verlag
Earth Sciences; Geology; Geophysics/Geodesy; Mineralogy; Sedimentology
The June 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines breached a significant, pre-eruptive magmatic-hydrothermal system consisting of a hot (>300 °C) core at two-phase conditions and surrounding, cooler (<260 °C) liquid outflows to the N and S. The eruption created a large, closed crater that accumulated hydrothermal upwellings, near-surface aquifer and meteoric inflows. A shallow lake formed by early September 1991, and showed a long-term increase in level of ~1 m/month until an artificial drainage was created in September 2001. Comparison of the temporal trends in lake chemistry to pre- and post-eruptive springs distinguishes processes important in lake evolution. The lake was initially near-neutral pH and dominated by meteoric influx and Cl–SO4 and Cl–HCO3 hydrothermal waters, with peaks in SO4 and Ca concentrations resulting from leaching of anhydrite and aerosol-laden tephra. Magmatic discharge, acidity (pH~2) and rock dissolution peaked in late 1992, during and immediately after eruption of a lava dome on the crater floor. Since cessation of dome growth, trends in lake pH (increase from 3 to 5.5), temperature (decline from 40 to 26 °C), and chemical and isotopic composition indicate that magmatic degassing and rock dissolution have declined significantly relative to the input of meteoric water and immature hydrothermal brine. Higher concentrations of Cl, Na, K, Li and B, and lower concentrations of Mg, Ca, Fe, SO4 and F up to 1999 highlight the importance of a dilute hydrothermal contribution, as do stable-isotope and tritium compositions of the various fluids. However, samples taken since that time indicate further dilution and steeper trends of increasing pH and declining temperature. Present gas and brine compositions from crater fumaroles and hot springs indicate boiling of an immature Cl–SO4 geothermal fluid of near-neutral pH at approximately 200 °C, rather than direct discharge from magma. It appears that remnants of the pre-eruptive hydrothermal system invaded the magma conduit shortly after the end of dome emplacement, blocking the direct degassing path. This, along with the large catchment area (~5 km2) and the high precipitation rate of the area, led to a rapid transition from a small and hot acid lake to a large lake with near-ambient temperature and pH. This behavior contrasts with that of peak-activity lakes that have more sustained volcanic gas influx (e.g., Kawah Ijen, Indonesia; Poas and Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica).
Bulletin of Volcanology – Springer Journals
Published: Aug 9, 2003
Stimac, J., Goff, F., Counce, D., Larocque, A., Hilton, D., & Morgenstern, U. (2003). The crater lake and hydrothermal system of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines: evolution in the decade after eruption. Bulletin of Volcanology, 66(2), 149-167.
Stimac, James, Fraser Goff, Dale Counce, Adrienne Larocque, David Hilton, and Uwe Morgenstern. "The crater lake and hydrothermal system of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines: evolution in the decade after eruption." Bulletin of Volcanology 66.2 (2003): 149-167.
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Initial Public Offerings
The following is a list of initial public offerings planned for the coming week. Sources include Renaissance Capitala...
Initial Public Offerings The following is a list of initial public offerings planned for the coming week. Sources include Renaissance Capitala... Check out this story on delawareonline.com: http://delonline.us/LKd7lo
WIL Published 12:06 a.m. ET Feb. 9, 2014
A screen at a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shows the closing number for the Dow Jones industrial average, Friday, Nov. 22, 2013. The DJIA climbed 55 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,064.77. The stock market is on track for a 27 percent gain this year. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)(Photo: Richard Drew)
The following is a list of initial public offerings planned for the coming week. Sources include Renaissance Capitaland SEC filings.
Amedica Corp. Salt Lake City, 3.2 million shares, priced $10 to $12, managed by JMP Securities. Proposed Nasdaq symbol AMDA. Business: Develops and sells medical devices using its silicon nitride technology platform.
Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc. Lexington, Mass., 5 million shares, priced $14 to $16, managed by UBS and Wells Fargo. Proposed Nasdaq symbol CNCE. Business: Developing novel small molecule drugs for the treatment of spasticity and diabetic kidney disease.
Eagle Pharmaceuticals Inc. Woodcliff Lake, N.J., 3.3 million shares, priced $14 to $16, managed by Piper Jaffray and William Blair. Proposed Nasdaq symbol EGRX. Business: Develops and sells enhanced injectable versions of expiring patented drugs.
Flexion Therapeutics Inc. Burlington, Mass., 5 million shares, priced $12 to $4, managed by BMO Capital Markets and Wells Fargo. Proposed Nasdaq symbol FLXN. Business: Developing sustained-release injectable pain therapies for osteoarthritis.
Inogen Inc. Goleta, Calif., 4.4 million shares, priced $16 to $18, managed by J.P. Morgan. Proposed Nasdaq symbol INGN. Business: Sells portable oxygen concentrators for patients suffering from chronic respiratory conditions.
Installed Building Products Inc. Columbus, Ohio, 9 million shares, priced $14 to $16, managed by Deutsche Bank and UBS. Proposed NYSE symbol IBP. Business: Second largest new residential insulation installer in the U.S.
Semler Scientific Inc. Portland, Ore., 1.2 million shares, priced $12 to $14, managed by Aegis Capital. Proposed Nasdaq symbol SMLR. Business: Sells devices that measure arterial blood flow in patients.
Talmer Bancorp Inc. Troy, Mich., 15.6 million shares, priced $13 to $15, managed by Keefe Bruyette Woods and J.P. Morgan. Proposed Nasdaq symbol TLMR. Business: Regional bank with 94 branches in the Midwest.
Read or Share this story: http://delonline.us/LKd7lo
$32M apartments planned along Christina River
Why did a Long Island biotech company move to Delaware?
Michigan sues DuPont, 3M over 'forever' chemicals in water
DuPont to sell part of Chestnut Run campus
Build-a-Bear to start selling Baby Yoda
Carney picks judge for Delaware's powerful business court
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South America Calling/
Brazilian Safrinha Crop Corn Waiting for More Rain
By Lin Tan , DTN China Correspondent
MATO GROSSO, Brazil (DTN) -- Some Brazilian farmers in Mato Grosso state will start harvesting their early planted safrinha (second-crop) corn this week, while farmers in other parts of the country are waiting for more rain to help their corn. Estimates are calling for total Brazil corn production to decrease from last year.
Brazilian 2017-18 total corn production is now seen at 87.1 million metric tons (mmt) (3.43 billion bushels), 10.2 mmt less than last year's total production of 97.9 mmt, according to AgRural, an ag information company in Brazil. First-crop corn production is estimated at 26.2 mmt (1.03 bb), compared to 30.5 mmt last year, while second-crop corn production is pegged to be 60.9 mmt (2.40 bb), compared to 67.4 mmt last year.
Updated: Another Brazilian agricultural consulting firm, Safras & Mercado, projected on Friday that Brazil's total corn production is pegged at 79.02 million metric tons, (3.11 billion bushels) with the safrinha crop projected at 48.76 mmt (1.92 billion bushels).
Brazil farmers plant two corn crops per year. The first crop is planted in the springtime (October in the Southern Hemisphere), while the second crop is planted after soybean harvest, normally from January to March, depending on when the soybean crop is harvested.
"Soybean planting was delayed in many places last year, which caused harvesting delays -- hence the second-crop corn planting was also delayed," said Ricardo Arioli Silva, a farmer in Mato Grosso. "Though some early planted corn is ready to harvest now, many areas are still in different development stages."
Mato Grosso state is the largest second-crop-corn-producing state. Mato Grosso Institute of Agriculture Information (IMEA) estimates that the state will produce 26.4 mmt of corn, compared to 30.5 mmt last year, still the second-largest production.
"In Mato Grosso, the planting windows in the north and west were good, and the areas had enough rain in March and April, even early May," said Silva. "For sure, these areas will have a good harvest. My farm is just lucky to be in this area."
However, other areas of the country still need more rain.
"The rest of the country is dryer," said Silva. "Most of Parana state was dry for at least 15 days, some fields even around 30 days. Rain is badly needed there. Goias state also planted late. Though 30% to 40% of the state is good, the rest is dry and waiting for more rain."
"Trading companies are offering a prices for safrinha corn from R$23.00 ($2.70 per bushel) to R$24.60 per bag ($2.89 per bushel), depending on the date of payment and locations," said Silva. "These are very good prices for local farmers."
The current price, along with the depreciation of the Brazil real, is good for farmers looking to sell their corn crop. The exchange rate of one U.S. dollar to the real is close to 3.7 this week, compared to 3.2 last year. Depreciation of the Brazilian currency increases farmers' income from exporting their products.
Though production may be less than last year, the country will still export about 32 mmt of corn this year, CONAB estimated last week. However, the final export volume will still depend on the final harvest of second-crop corn.
(AG/BAS)
Previous Post (Brazilian Safrinha Crop Corn Waiting for More Rain)
Next Post (Brazil Ports Ready for Soybean Boom)
Lin Tan
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505 Games Brings Story-driven Platformer Horace to PC This Month
Ricky Frech
July 3, 2019 4:45 PM EST
NewsPC
Horace is a story-driven platformer from a British two-man team. The game looks like a fun but challenging romp through a beautiful world.
Horace is a long-in-development indie project that tells the story of a robot trying to reunite with their long-lost family. The game is mostly a blend of oddball British humor and platforming; however, the small team has also added a number of extra goodies for players to find. Give the announcement trailer a watch below.
Horace is a two-man development project by Paul Helman and Sean Scaplehorn. You play as a robot named Horace who is on a quest to find his family. You’ll travel the world (and time and space) to find your loved ones and save mankind in the process. For the meat of the game, you’ll engage in challenging 2D platforming looks right out of the 16-bit era.
However, the team doesn’t just stop there. They’re also adding variety in the form of parody versions of classic games. So, at certain points, the game will turn into an FPS or a rhythm action game. It’s an intriguing package that certainly seems worth a look.
Publisher 505 Games is also taking an interesting tactic for the game’s launch on Steam. They are implementing “wishlist milestones”. This means that, if a certain number of people wishlist the game, Horace will have a greater discount during launch week. So, if you and around 200K of your closest friends wishlist the game, then you can pick it up for 75% off at launch. Obviously, it’s unlikely that it gets that far, but it is a cool addition to the pre-release campaign.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s Switch Version to be Improved by 505 Games Following Fan Feedback
Horace is coming to PC on July 18. Stay with DualShockers for news on the latest indies.
Gloomhaven Video Game Adaptation is Coming to Early Access in July
Night Call Lets You Solve a Neo-Noir Mystery From a Taxi Cab on July 17
Valve Says Left 4 Dead 3 Isn’t Currently in Development, Despite Recent Rumors
My Favorite Games of the Decade Say a Whole Lot About Me
Larian Studios Teases Baldur’s Gate 3 News Coming Next Month
Yes, Atari VCS Can Play Fortnite
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was 2019’s Best-Selling Game According to NPD
Read Community Guidelines
The Evolution of Batman in Gaming: From Isometric Puzzlers to Open-World Adventures
15 Upcoming Indie Games to Put On Your Radar in 2020
LudoNarraCon is a Free, Digital Convention for Games that is Coming Back in 2020
Bytten Studio Reveals New Trailer for Lenna’s Inception, Announces Split from Chucklefish
Savior Has One of the Most Buttery Smooth Trailers You’ll See
Mike Rose Petitioning G2A to Stop Selling Indie Games
This Wild Trailer For Traxmaster’s Exception is a Must-Watch
Streets of Rogue and Its Throwable Toilets Make Their Way Out of Early Access on July 12
© 2020 DualShockers, LLC. All Rights Reserved
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Walden stun the champions
PUBLISHED: 16:43 19 July 2007 | UPDATED: 21:45 29 May 2010
Back, left to right, M Start, S Plumb, A Brown, D Cox (coach), D Watts (club captain), J Vallins, O Tuck, R Southall, T Brown, front, G Goodman, T Duggan and C Brown
Saffron Walden Golf Club were triumphant in the Cambridge Area Golf Union Scratch League Division One for the first time in 18 years. The deciding game came last Wednesday against the Gog Magog team, who were the reigning champions. Walden went into the
Saffron Walden Golf Club were triumphant in the Cambridge Area Golf Union Scratch League Division One for the first time in 18 years.
The deciding game came last Wednesday against the Gog Magog team, who were the reigning champions. Walden went into the final game needing two points to lift the trophy.
As the matches unfolded, the lead pairs of Oliver Tuck and Richard Southall and Graham Goodman and Adam Brown were in tremendous form, winning their foursomes matches two up and three up respectively. James Vallins and Tom Duggan produced steady golf and halved their match.
Team coach David Cox, said of the success: "The team won eight of the 10 matches and halved the other two. With consistency like this you can see that we thoroughly deserved this success, and hope to build on it for next year.
"It took great effort from everyone involved to go unbeaten throughout the whole season and
I am very proud of the team. A major factor was the coaching during the spring which led to consistency in the pairings throughout the season.
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Contemporary Performance Practice... Bobby Baker in conversation with Jen Harvie
“The world needs people like us to tell our stories.”
Acclaimed theatre maker and performance artist Bobby Baker gives fascinating insight into the origins of her humane, humorous and gently radical work. Baker discusses her work and career in detail, explaining why the mundanity of daily life has such a significant part to play.
During this deeply honest exchange, Baker explores how her own experiences of life, motherhood and mental health have informed and impacted her art, with reference to work such as How To Live, Kitchen Show, Great and Tiny War, and Drawing on a (Grand) Mother’s Experience.
Get access to over 750 educational resources across your entire institution with a Digital Theatre+ subscription.
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Increase in fee is sought by AEP
Dan Gearino, The Columbus Dispatch
Feb 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM Feb 28, 2012 at 1:07 PM
American Electric Power is asking state regulators to allow the company to increase a fee it charges customers who switch from the utility's service to an alternative electricity provider.
American Electric Power is asking state regulators to allow the company to increase a fee it charges customers who switch from the utility�s service to an alternative electricity provider.
Without this charge, which would apply to both residential and business customers, the Columbus-based company warns that it might face a financial crisis. Those concerns arose last week after regulators threw out a controversial rate plan, causing AEP shares to fall sharply.
The request for the increased charge, contained in a filing late yesterday afternoon, was the first move by the company since regulators took the highly unusual step of reversing an AEP rate plan that had taken effect in January.
In the filing, AEP also is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to set a schedule that would result in new rates within 90 days, which the company says will help ease the uncertainty that has rattled shareholders. The company has 30 days to file an application to raise rates.
Until a new rate plan takes effect, the PUCO has said that AEP must charge a modified version of its December 2011 rates.
One component of the rates is the �capacity charge� that alternative providers must pay to use AEP�s assets. In December, this charge was $110 per megawatt-day, a number set through an auction process that applies to utilities across a multistate area. This translates to roughly 0.7 cent per kilowatt-hour for a residential customer.
AEP is proposing that the charge be set at $255 per megawatt-day for customers who sign up for an alternative provider in the next few months, which is about 1.6?cents per kilowatt-hour. Customers who switched from AEP to an alternative provider in recent months still would pay the lower charge.
�We feel these proposed interim solutions give the commission alternatives to dealing with the capacity issue fairly and without prejudice until the proceeding can be resolved,� Joseph Hamrock, president and chief operating officer of AEP Ohio, said in a statement.
Yesterday�s filing is the first of what will be many arguments made in this continuing rate case. The PUCO unanimously approved a rate plan in December and then voted to revoke the plan last week after more than 1,000 complaints about rate shocks.
Last year, AEP argued that the $110 charge was below cost and asked to charge a higher amount. This was one of the most hotly contested parts of the rate case because it dealt with the terms of competition with AEP, and several rival companies participated in the case.
�We have genuine concerns today�s filing is anti-competitive in nature,� said Doug Colafella, spokesman for Akron-based FirstEnergy, one of those competitors. The Office of the Ohio Consumers� Counsel said it is studying the AEP request.
The company noted the sudden drop in its share price after the decision Thursday, which led to a loss of about $1 billion in market capitalization in a 24-hour period. AEP says the ability to charge a higher capacity charge is essential to avoid further harm.
AEP�s shares closed at $39.84 on Wednesday but fell to $37.91 on Thursday, on the news that the rate plan had been thrown out. Shares lost 18 cents more on Friday but reversed course yesterday, closing at $38.23, up 50 cents, or 1.3 percent.
dgearino@dispatch.com
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India Eco Watch: Major ecological happenings of the week (Apr 8-14)
Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of Indian ecology, botany and zoology
Last Updated: Monday 15 April 2019
A Striped Hyena. Photo: Getty Images
Leopards, wolves and hyenas show potential to share land with humans
A recent study has revealed that leopards, wolves and hyenas show great potential to share lands with humans outside protected areas (PAs). The study was carried out by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society India (WCSI), the University of Florida, and the Maharashtra forest department. It surveyed 89,000 square kilometres of western Maharashtra, where just three per cent were PAs. The results revealed that leopards were found in 57 per cent, wolves 64 per cent and hyenas 75 per cent of the landscape. The three species’ patterns of distribution were determined by agricultural land use, livestock and presence of prey species. According to the study, if agriculture is intensified and permanent intensification spreads, there would be serious consequences for the three animals.
Fifth unnatural leopard death in Odisha in four months
The carcass of a four-feet-long male leopard was found near the Jadupur section of Athamalik Range in Odisha’s Athamalik forest division in Angul district on April 12, 2019. This is the fifth incident of unnatural death of a leopard in Odisha within four months. This incident comes nine days after the carcass of another leopard was found on April 3 in the Tikatali section of the Jenabali Range in Similipal Tiger Reserve within Mayurbhanj district. On February 9, 2019, the carcass of a leopard was found at Kanloi forest under Chandipada forest range of Odisha’s Angul district. On February 5, a female leopard died after getting caught in a poachers’ trap in Badmal forest range in Odisha’s Bolangir district and on January 16, the carcass of a six-feet-long male leopard was found floating in the Rengali reservoir under Khamara forest range in Angul district.
Dead tiger found in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Officials in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh found the carcass of a full-gown male tiger on the morning of April 12, 2019. According to a media report, the carcass was recovered from the railway tracks near the Dudhwa railway station. Estimated to be 10 years old, the tiger had multiple puncture wounds on its head. One of its eyes and nails were badly damaged. According to Field Director Ramesh Kumar Pandey, the tiger seemed to have died in a fight with another carnivore, possibly another tiger. The details from the post-mortem report are awaited to know the exact cause of death.
SC bans mining in Kaziranga
On April 12, 2019, a Supreme Court Bench comprising of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Deepak Gupta banned mining and construction activities along the southern boundary of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. According to media reports, construction was ordered to be stopped on the routes that form nine animal corridors. The Bench ordered the ban on the recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in its report. The CEC report came in the wake of alleged large-scale illegal mining and stone crushing activities within the elephant corridor connecting the Kaziranga National Park and Karbi Anglong Hills.
Great Indian Hornbill spotted in Coonoor town in the Nilgiris
According to a media report, the rare Great Indian Hornbill was documented probably for the first time within Coonoor town in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu on April 10. It was photographed Samantha Iyanna and PJ Vasanthan, both of who are wildlife enthusiasts and residents of Coonoor. The Great Indian Hornbill is the largest of the four hornbill species seen in the Nilgiris. But it has never been documented in the town before. It is mostly known to populated the lower Nilgiris, at around 1,200 metres above mean sea level.
Odisha 'bans' fishing by mechanised fishing vessels for two months
In a bid to conserve fish stocks at sea during the spawning season, the Odisha government has decided to impose restrictions on fishing by mechanised fishing vessels from April 15 to June 14. To avoid disturbances caused by trawl fishing during the breeding season, the fishermen are instructed not to venture into the sea during the "fishing ban" period, said joint director (marine), fisheries department, Pratap Rout. The monsoon trawling ban was introduced in 1998 to help unhindered breeding of fish during the rainy season in the sea. The ban extends to 12 nautical miles off the Odisha coast, and applies to all kinds of trawlers and mechanised boats beyond 8.5 metres long. This ban aims at conserving fish species during the monsoon, which is the spawning season for many varieties of fish, including shrimp.
(With inputs from Ashis Senapati in Bhubaneshwar)
Wildlife And People Leopard Tiger RHINO Great Hornbill Wildlife & Biodiversity India
India Eco Watch: Major ecological happenings of the week (Mar 25-31)
India Eco Watch: Major ecological happenings of the week (Feb 10-17)
India Eco Watch: Major ecological happenings of the week (Apr 1-7)
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Donor Partners
OpenBiome
Model & Strategy
Open Biome is a nonprofit stool bank, expanding safe access to fecal transplants and catalyzing research into the human microbiome. They work with clinicians to make Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) easier, cheaper, safer and more widely available. They provide hospitals with screened, frozen material ready for clinical use. This service eliminates the time, staff, protocols, and facilities needed to screen and prepare material from new donors for each treatment.
OpenBiome currently utilizes safe access to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for patients suffering from recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. They provide doctors with rigorously screened, ready-to-use stool preparations for use in FMT, and support researchers with a suite of tools to discover new applications of FMT for treating diseases beyond C. difficile. Using a universal stool banking model, OpenBiome eliminates the practical and financial barriers to providing FMT.
Co-Founders: Mark Smith, James Burgess
Executive Director: Carolyn Edelstein
Location of work: International
http://www.openbiome.org/
200 Inner Belt Road
Catalyzing research into the microbiome
Meet Mark Smith, James Burgess
While completing his PhD in microbiology at MIT, co-founder and Research Director Mark Smith studied how the good bacteria living in our guts could be transferred through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to cure patients with deadly C. difficile infections. This academic interest became personal when a close family friend contracted C diff and fought the disease for nearly 2 years.
In 2012, Mark teamed up with co-founder and Executive Director James Burgess to launch OpenBiome and build the public health infrastructure needed to enable FMT for the hundreds of thousands of patients suffering from C diff in this country. Their vision is also to build OpenBiome as a center for research and inquiry into the role these bacteria play in changing health outcomes for millions of other Americans.
Mark completed his PhD in microbiology at MIT where his research was published in leading journals like Nature, PNAS, and NEJM.
James previously worked as a management consultant at Bain & Company and as a project manager at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Nearly 500,000 individuals are affected by C. difficile each year, making it the most common hospital-acquired infection in the U.S. Each year, the infection kills 30,000. FMT has been shown to cure 85% of patients after a single treatment.
OpenBiome has significantly expanded access to FMT for patients. Since 2013, OpenBiome has partnered with over 1,100 medical facilities across all 50 U.S. states and seven countries to deliver more than 43,000 treatments.
A leader in the field of FMT research, OpenBiome has facilitated 30 clinical trial investigations of FMT across a spectrum of diseases and has partnered on the largest planned FMT study ever with the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Gut Project. OpenBiome has enabled strategic partner Finch Therapeutics to raise over $70 million in private capital to pursue FDA approval for an FMT product, which would be a first for the field.
In 2018, OpenBiome launched its global health microbiome initiative and launched a trial of FMT for severe acute malnutrition in children at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The new initiative will also drive research in multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
OpenBiome News
Inaugural OpenBiome Global Health Study to Address Severe Acute Malnutrition
Grantee OpenBiome announced its inaugural global health study, which will evaluate microbial therapy as a treatment for pediatric severe acute malnutrition. This study, the first…
Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science: OpenBiome Co-Founder Mark Smith
Mark Smith was named to the 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 in science for the company he co-founded, OpenBiome, an organization that developed a therapy called…
RT @JasmohanBajaj: Thanks @JCI_insight for highlighting our paper @ncats_nih_gov @VCU_CCTR @AASLDtweets @EASLedu #fmt in #cirrhosis and #he…
Wishing you a happy and healthy new year! Thank you to the community of stool donors, clinicians, researchers, medi… https://t.co/7acKHKjVes
The @CDCgov has identified #Cdiff as one of the top #AntibioticResistance threats. Half a million people in the U.S… https://t.co/JTcYol5toa
RT @PeggyFund: Thanks to @CNN for featuring Peggy's story in its coverage of the new @CDCgov report on #AntibioticResistance. It will every…
This November is #CdiffAwarenessMonth. #Cdiff is the most common hospital-acquired infection, causing up to 500k in… https://t.co/7nH6K7APmk
RT @mgroussi: Important work relevant to discussions on FMTs and donor effects: “reliable detection of a donor effect requires trials with…
RT @cduvallet: Wonderful & systematic approach to answer: do "super-donors" exist in IBD FMT? tl'dr - maybe, but we don't know for sure.…
Today, @US_FDA held a meeting on the regulation of #FMT. OpenBiome spoke along with dozens of others, including key… https://t.co/LTvnXSNJI7
RT @DrJessicaA: Our work on donor screening for #fmt now available in @NEJM hopefully this data will aid in the important discussions surro…
Today, we published a research letter in @NEJM presenting our donor screening program - which has accepted just 2.5… https://t.co/48AGKDzRfn
Thank you @GLG! Thrilled to be a part of the 2019 class of #GLGImpact Fellows among such great company. https://t.co/CltQUCdZyb
As we wrap up our first-ever month of fundraising, we would like to send a big THANK YOU to the nearly 100 new supp… https://t.co/b5W974zVwD
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Malpani Clinic in the Print Media
Our baby joy, by test-tube tourists who flew to India
Britons risked fury of health professionals at home to have banned multi-embryo implant Amelia Gentleman in Mumbai
After 18 years of trying for a child, and thousands of pounds spent on unsuccessful fertility treatment, Wendy and Brian Duncan feared their time was running out. They flew to Mumbai, formerly Bombay, and came back pregnant with an Indian baby.
The Duncans had joined the growing stream of Britons seeking fertility help abroad because they could not afford it in the UK. Their beautiful, dark-eyed daughter Freya is now 10 months old.
Mumbai doctors treating 39-year-old Wendy Duncan were not confident embryos from her own eggs would develop, so she asked them to implant four donated embryos along with two of her own. 'The doctor had to think about it because he had only Indian embryos for adoption, no white ones, and he had not done that before for a white couple - we sat up all night talking, hoping he'd say "Yes," and he did,' she said. 'We laid bets on whether it would be ginger like me or not while I was pregnant. It was only when the midwife told me that she could see lots of black hair we knew it was an Indian embryo that had taken. I had the feeling all along it would be. I don't have words to describe how happy we are.'
Websites advertising Indian clinics have enticed more and more couples to take the radical step of consulting doctors thousands of miles away, where treatment is cheaper, quicker and less tightly governed than in the UK. Regulators in Britain have expressed concern at the ethical and clinical risks involved, and warn couples to think twice.
Going to India was traumatic for the Duncans, who had never visited Asia. Friends told them they were 'insane' to make the trip to Mumbai and their doctors strongly advised against it. 'When we got off the plane we almost turned back. The airport was full of men with guns, and the pavements were covered with people living in tents and cooking on open stoves on the streets,' Mrs Duncan said. 'It was filthy and there was such poverty, beggars with tiny babies. It was terrifying - not for the faint-hearted.'
Inside the clinic, the atmosphere is welcoming. Hundreds of pictures of newborns cover the walls, and stuffed toy animals hugging baby animals are arranged on every available surface.
Aniruddha Malpani and his wife Anjali say their clinic has served growing numbers of foreigners since they created a website in 2000. 'About 15 per cent of our patients are foreigners with no family connection with India. In 2002 we saw about five patients in the entire year, in 2004 we treated 15, and now we treat at least one foreign couple a week,' Dr Malpani said. 'For our patients from the UK there is major grief as far as the NHS is concerned. People are so unhappy with the long waiting lists - and delays of three to six months before they can see a specialist.'
As Mrs Duncan had a daughter, now 19, with a previous partner and was overweight, she was barred from IVF treatment on the NHS. The couple borrowed £8,000 for one private treatment, which failed. They sold their shop and looked at heading abroad. India appealed because it had English-speaking doctors. The total cost, including flights and hotel stay for a month, was £4,000. Mr Duncan said. 'It wasn't just that India was cheaper. People were prepared to spend time with us; we felt like human beings.'
The couple received intense treatment now banned on safety grounds in the UK, where doctors will implant only one or two embryos; Mrs Duncan received six.
Their GP in the UK was furious, pointing out the risks to the mother and the potential cost to the NHS of treating a woman bearing sextuplets. Other health professionals were equally disapproving.
'Their attitude was that people like us were going abroad to get treatment, and then coming back to dump any problems on the NHS,' Mr Duncan said. 'Our attitude was that if the NHS had been able to help us in the first place, we wouldn't have gone abroad.'
Friends and family gave their full support. 'My eldest daughter is mixed race and Brian has been her dad since she was six months old,' said Mrs Duncan. 'So we both know what Freya might expect.'
In another Mumbai clinic, Sunita, 46, a newsagent from Leicester, was seeking treatment she is deemed too old for in England. 'Coming here has been very stressful, but I'm at a time of life where I feel like if I don't try this now, it's never going to happen for me,' she said.
Firuza Parikh, her doctor, does not usually treat patients over 43, but made an exception despite the slim chances of success. 'Patients get so frustrated by the wait in the NHS. They think that they will be too old by the time they finally get treated, if they are eligible according to the postcode lottery,' Dr Parikh said.
At his Assisted Conception Unit, Hrishikeh Pai said his foreign clientele was growing so fast he planned to open a second clinic in Goa, so Europeans could take a beach holiday during treatment.
Medical tourism of all kinds is forecast to become a $2.3bn business in India by 2012, with predictions it will be the next major driver of the economy after the IT industry.
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VOICE Calendar >
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Hot Rods to Celebrate 2 Millionth Fan on Saturday, June 23rd
BOWLING GREEN, KY – The Bowling Green Hot Rods announced today plans to celebrate the team’s 2 millionth fan on Saturday, June 23rd at Bowling Green Ballpark. The Hot Rods host the Lake County Captains that evening, with first pitch set for 6:35pm.
“The Hot Rods are tremendously excited to celebrate our fans,” said Hot Rods GM/COO Eric C. Leach. “The impact that our fans have helped us make in southcentral Kentucky is something of which we can all be proud.”
The evening’s festivities are presented by ISTT, and will feature a team card set giveaway, a money machine with $1,000 in cash, and a guest appearance by the Zooperstars, who were featured on America’s Got Talent.
All fans in attendance will be able to participate in the money machine, and they will have 10 seconds to grab as much cash as they can.
In addition, the Hot Rods will have a special card in one of the team card sets designating one fan as the 2 millionth fan in franchise history. That lucky fan will win a Hot Rods prize pack, which includes two season tickets to the rest of the season, a custom Louisville Slugger bat designating them as the 2 millionth fan, a team jersey, autographed baseballs from the 2009 and 2018 teams, $100 to the team store, and a Hot Rods swag pack.
“It’s incredible that in nine and a half seasons, over 2 million people have come out to Bowling Green Ballpark,” Leach added. “The impact that the ballpark has had proves that the Hot Rods are a force in our community and have been true partners in the growth of downtown Bowling Green.”
Tickets for the 2 Millionth Fan Night, as well as all other Hot Rods regular season home games, are on sale at bghotrods.com or by calling 270-901-2121.
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The NSA and Hollywood Are Watching You
By Annalee Newitz
It's no surprise that the National Security Agency (NSA) is working on technologies that can locate you in geographical space by analyzing your Internet communications. What is somewhat odd is that the government agency is patenting them. Just a few days ago, the NSA was granted a patent on a "method for locating logical network addresses," which measures time latency in communications as a way of figuring out where network traffic originates. High tech investigators now need more than a court order to snoop on Internet communications -- they also need a patent license.
Movie studios may not know much about the Internet, but they definitely understand licensing. That's why six major studios launched a techie think tank called MovieLabs to cook up new ways of preventing people from copying their media. Among other projects, MovieLabs announced it will be working on "ways to link senders and receivers of movies transmitted over the Internet to geographic and political territories." Maybe MovieLabs will consider licensing some technology from the NSA for that!
When the entertainment industry and federal government spies are working on the same kinds of projects for figuring out where innocent citizens are when they go online, it's time to install the latest version of Tor. Tor is a free, open source, anonymity-enhancing tool you can use to visit websites and send email without revealing to network snoops where you live. Check it out and pass the word along.
Tuesday Hearing: EFF Argues in New Jersey Supreme Court That Defendant Can’t Be Forced to Turn Over Password to Encrypted iPhone
Trenton, New Jersey—On Tuesday, January 21, at 1 pm, EFF Senior Staff Attorney Andrew Crocker will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to rule that the state can’t force a defendant to turn over the passcode for his encrypted iPhone under the Fifth Amendment, which protects American’s rights against self-incrimination.The...
Deeplinks Blog by Christoph Schmon | January 14, 2020
Top Apps Invade User Privacy By Collecting and Sharing Personal Data, New Report Finds
A new year often starts with good resolutions. Some resolve to change a certain habit, others resolve to abandon an undesired trait. Mobile app makers, too, claim to have user behavior and their preferences at their heart. From dating to health to music, their promise is to add convenience to...
Deeplinks Blog by Matthew Guariglia | January 13, 2020
The German Constitutional Court Will Revisit the Question of Mass Surveillance, Will the U.S.?
On January 14 and 15, 2020, the German Federal Constitutional Court will be holding a hearing to reevaluate the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) Act, which gives the BND agency (similar to the National Security Agency in the United States) broad surveillance authority. The hearing comes after a coalition of media and activist...
Deeplinks Blog by Hayley Tsukayama | January 9, 2020
Ten Questions—And Answers—About the California Consumer Privacy Act
You may have heard from a lot of businesses telling you that they’ve updated their privacy policies because of a new law called the California Consumer Privacy Act. But what’s actually changed for you? EFF has spent the past year defending this law in the California legislature, but we...
Deeplinks Blog by Saira Hussain, Matthew Guariglia | January 7, 2020
No Digital Surveillance of Iranians at the U.S. Border—Or Within the U.S.
Only days into heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, media outlets have published disturbing reports of increased scrutiny of people of Iranian descent at U.S. borders, including in at least one case involving a traveler’s phone. EFF strongly opposes any targeting of people for digital surveillance based on...
Deeplinks Blog by Lindsay Oliver | January 1, 2020
Surveillance Self-Defense: Year in Review 2019
Here at EFF, we maintain a repository of self-help resources on circumventing surveillance across a variety of different platforms, devices, and threat models. We call it Surveillance Self-Defense, or SSD for short. SSD covers myriad topics, and is broken up into four main sections: Basics: Overviews on what...
Deeplinks Blog by Jennifer Lynch | December 29, 2019
Courts Grapple with a Sea Change in Fourth Amendment Law After Carpenter v US: Year in Review 2019
Last year, the Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion in a case we’ve written about a lot, called Carpenter v. United States, ruling that the Fourth Amendment protects data generated by our phones called historical cell-site location information or CSLI. The Court recognized that CSLI creates a “detailed chronicle...
Deeplinks Blog by Cindy Cohn | December 28, 2019
Jewel v. NSA: On to the Ninth Circuit: 2019 Year in Review
Jewel v. NSA, EFF’s landmark case challenging NSA’s mass spying moved forward in 2019, setting up a crucial decision for the Ninth Circuit in 2020. We’ve pursued this case for over a decade because we believe that mass surveillance, like all general search and seizure schemes, is both illegal and...
Deeplinks Blog by Joe Mullin | December 26, 2019
Fancy New Terms, Same Old Backdoors: The Encryption Debate in 2019
Almost every week, we hear about another corporate data breach or government attack on privacy. For anyone who wants real privacy online, encryption is the essential component. Governments around the world keep trying to break encryption, seeking to enhance the power of their law enforcement agencies. They’ve...
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