Review Post 2022

Okay obviously need to go and check how badly I missed my goals for this year before I can go forward, but giving up because my head set broke in September and I knew I could get the kids to buy me a new one is a good reason, and I got so much done on the story.

BRB

Well, seeing as The Imperium is into issue 74 with content announced and still no ATV that's a 2023 to do, as to extra marines, that didn't happen either because of the company not realising how popular this was going to be, and getting copies to my local shop just stopped. So I resorted to buying online and got most of the Sisters of Battle, slightly upset I missed the sprue with the 3 Aggressors and blade Guard and the officers though. That would have been great to get. Not entirely sure if I sent one to Japan or not, will have to double check with my mate over there if he's got it.

Plans For 2023.

My new head set is down stairs, awaiting some fresh triple A batteries, but my current flu struggle means no jumping straight in to it.

The Lion's Blades. 

Well there are 3 more bikes and the ATVs I'm waiting for as well as a Blade Guard Veterans Squad, need to get the First Company out for a check, and the plastic Azrael and The Lion when/if they are released. I have a ticket to Warhammer Fest on my Birthday, I'm just hoping something big is available there. The Scorpius missile tank have been released, I would like to add one, as this will give me 2 mk2 metal Whirlwinds and a Scorpius tank as Squadron Commander. There is also rumors of a new Dreadnought type which you should know I'm up for.

April 16th Update. 

After going through the 1st Company box when I finished the Indomitus Terminators from the Soul Forge King box and a Tartarus Squad from the Armies on Parade Dreadnoughts board I found I had 75 Terminators in various types of armour and 15 Blade Guard Veterans with a squad of 6 planned, which takes me up to 96, the plan is to get The Lion and Blade Guard Retinue, get a box of the Heresy Indomitus pattern Terminators and a 10th Edition starter box to get 1 squad of the new Terminators to get me up to 106 plus officers. The Strike Master needs working on, as well as adding a Primaris Lieutenant with shield and potentially the new Primaris Beliel, and dream is the the Retinue makes 109.

Harlequins. 

Nothing major planned, I've picked up the Shadow Kin from War Cry that I intend to add to various troupes to give a bit of variation and of course, another White Queen Solitaire.

Necromunda 

That campaign died a death, like most of my Enforcers, but I do still have that tank to paint. 

No plans for Armies on Parade 

No plans for new year, new army. 

Random/Blue Sky Thinking/Feeling Loaded 

This is the expensive, unlikely to happen bit, so really don't expect this to happen unless I get a massive pay rise. 

I'd love to get 2 plastic Spartans and a plastic Protius Land Raider and a Knight of some sort to add to the small ones I've got boxed up still. 

REVIEW OF 2022 

January to Feb 12th 

A nice little diorama around negotiations between a belligerent Astartes and Aloof Aeldari, that came about from a painting prompt from a mate on line.

February to March

When we went down to Warhammer World in 2021 one of my plastic Land Speeders had crunched and shook itself apart in the battle. I picked up a relic to replace it. I took possession of a Storm Speeder and I loved, it's a great kit to build and paint, I just have no idea about using it as it's expensive in points. 

The Imperium series dropped the Necron Chronomancer and I used that to build Pakal The Great to square off against one of the Action Ezikael's I'd put together. Of course this meant Action Ezikael got a new head. Primaris Beliel finally got done and I started a Deathwing Squad as well as the plastic Meugan Ra 

I had to dig the photo of the new one next to the old one out and honestly I do like both. 

March To April 

No free time this month, I got the Enforcers built and the Terminators built but put away somewhere and only ended up getting Sheila finished.

April To May

I found the missing Enforcers and Terminators as we took delivery of a load of furniture around this time and were folding 3 rooms worth of furniture into 2 rooms around doing little hobby and a hostile work environment.

The Enforcers got done for a Necromunda campaign, and like the crew of Red Dwarf, everybody was dead by game 3.

The Terminators got done and put away, need to check the box see what I have for my first company.

Lastly was one from We Print Miniatures, which was originally planned to be for my youngest but I kept it, she started out as Helena Hans Basquiet, but ended up as Ricci Sharp. 

The Ash Waste Orlocks quad bikes and sprues got primed. 

May To June

I got a new photo set up sorted and was finally struck low by Covid, although this flu I'm suffering with now is worse.

The first thing I did was finish the Watcher In The Dark and checking it out with the Deathwing Terminators and Deathwing Knights.

The second of the We Print Miniatures Junk Girl was painted how my youngest had wanted. 

The 2 quad bikes got done as did all the bases for the Orlocks.

And lastly the Enforcers got finished off to their 1000 credit point. 

June To July 

Another one that didn't see much done, We Print Miniatures Mechanic Girl was used as Jet Girl for the Orlocks.

The pilot was a Ukraine relief mini from Victoria Miniatures that I'd kind of hoped to use in the Enforcers but is true 28mm scale so is a bit small, but is lovely.

And the last one for this month was the Forge World Serverlan mini. 

July To August. 

The Cannoness, Jet Girl, Bruce and her cyber mastiff got finished. I've had a Kal Jericho mini for ages, I decided to add this to my Enforcers. The rest of the Orlocks were assembled and painted. 

The big Sister was painted for a client for her birthday. 

The tank still needs painting, I'm thinking of painting it for the Necromunda 8th Regiment. 

August To September 

Didn't get anything done as 2 adult kids milled around the house all summer long. 

September To October

The last thing I got done this year was before my head set packed up was the Nundamn of Morvenn Vahl. I know I say it a lot but I like this kit, the instructions could have been better for the legs, but once I worked those out it was a nice kit to build.

So that's what I got built this year, but with taking both my adult daughters in and furniture for them hasn't left a lot of room in the house, and 2 series illnesses haven't been conducive to hobby work.

Hopefully in 2023 I can find a better balance. 

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion Part 13 A

 Araceli had a thought. "What about what I wore underneath the armour, has that got the threads in it now as well?"

"Everything you wore has gone through the loom." The whisp replied.

"Cool! Just a shame its a party outfit, but I'll look killer kicking ass." She smiled thinking about her enhanced outfit. 

"So our training gear is getting the same treatment?" Phil asked. 

"All items you were wearing are in the processing queue for The Looms and will undergo the enhancement process." 

"Which means nothing man made can harm you, although I wouldn't test that against a rocket launcher, mini gun or grenade launche," Angel said, "although we did take a few 50cal shots, usually the Desert Eagle that the boss guy used to impress his subordinates. Big gun." She tutted and wagged her little finger, Araceli snorted with laughter. 

"How do you know?" Jamie asked. 

"A kick to the balls, occasional a punch, nothing impressive was felt." Angel fired back.

(AI art prompt black teenager in an orange cheerleader outfit kicking a man in the groin) 

"Anyway," Angel said to pointedly change the subject, "the Earth Energy effect stopped everything fired at us from 22 hunting rifles up to a 50cal hand gun, including AR 15's and illegally modified 9mm smgs. " Angel walked over to Kat and leaned in to talk quietly, "Should we tell them about the Queen?"

Kat looked at her, her mouth pulled to the side as she thought,"I think we better had, it's a cards on the table moment really. Maybe tell them while we walk to the hanger?" Kat finished.

"Okay, are you being tour guide?"

"You're kidding? I've no idea how to get there." Kat replied,"I slept in the barracks, and jogged around the areas we knew for exercise, most of the complex was closed off back then."

"Ask the whisp?" Angel said

Kat nodded, "Ask the whisp." Raising her voice she called out, "We ready to try the weapons?" 

Everyone nodded, Kat addressed one of the whisp, "Could you lead us to the hanger, please?" The whisp floated, the second one merged with the first, then it circled the keyboard of the Loom and floated to the archway and through into the corridor. Kat lead the way. "Before we start, I'll answer any questions after I've finished." She clapped her hands to psych herself up, "So what we have learned is the white business woman you met before is known as The Warden, who's one of a Precursor Species that created humans. This complex," Kat waved at the walls, "is a prison for a second Precursor Species that wanted to kill humanity, there might be other prisons out there but we've not been told about them. This second species are called The Nephilim and wanted to destroy Humanity, they failed. Thwarted by a group of 100 enhanced humans, we are all related to at least one of those 100 ancient humans, the armour you're wearing was once theirs, with guided meditation you'll be able to access memories of the users that'll let you fight better, it's like you get their muscle memory and possibly unlock some powers. Those copies of me at the school were an example of that, oh yeah. For Araceli and Lola, who weren't in London my hammer allowes me the ability to create 3 copies, each copy can do damage and fight and can move across the battle field at speed by dissolving into smoke and glitter, Angel have you unlocked a bigger power yet? " Kat asked. 

Angel looked slightly annoyed, 

"Not to use, but I believe I might be able to create a shield dome, I had a dream of staring down my spear as its in the notch in my shield, a second spear planted tip down in the dirt next to me, and six big fuckers are charging at me. In the dream I shouted 'sanctuary' and a glowing orange wall appeared that they couldn't break though. Oh and Claire had one as well, her buckler shield has a fan style design, she was able to enlarge the panels, used that to cut an arm or head off, I forget which it was now, do you remember what she shouted Kat?" She asked. 

"It sounded like 'enbiggen'."Kat answered, shaking her head, eyes closed. "Claire called out Diamond Rainbow shield enbiggen, the shield segments grew, took off the arm of a fighter in golden armour, she then plunged her sword into the gap in the armour at the shoulder. I forget what she said afterwards to get it back to normal." They'd gone past the armoury and up a ramp and walked out into an area that reminded Angel and Kat of the place they'd met the White Queen. Several Vermana had been parked up, the larger of them looked like golden Chinese dragons, the smaller ones looked similar to the big oxe from pre history the Aurochs.

Persian Bull. 

Beyond them the cave dissappeard into darkness and presumably the door the Vermana had been flown in through. 

"Aim into the distance," Angel suggested, "you guys can use your military contacts and see if you can organise us something to aim at next time? " Owens nodded." Gauntletts first. "The 9 new recruits lined up and pointed their arms into the darkness," pick a shot, shout it out." Angel finished, 9 beams fwoosed into the darkness. 

Far away. 

"We got more for those this Destriers than I thought, slange." Beatrice said taking a swing from a large flagon.

Morven took a drink from her human sized pint tankard, "Slàinte mhath," she replied toasting her companion, "we've still a long way to go to reach the location of the next breach, we'll need supplies and fresh horses."

"We've got a couple of weeks before it goes off and a long trip to get there, we aren't to far from the sky ship lane. We could try and charter a ship or do you still want to hit that Warlord on the off chance they'll have something that can get us there faster?"

"How much do we have left?" Morven asked, Beatrice pulled a pouch from a pocket of her pants and counted out the contents, several other tables looked up at the steady stream of clinks. Seeing a Minotaur and her battle axe and a second hardened fighter next to her deterred most. One group huddled up and looked like they were making a plan. 

"Table 12 has taken an interest," a waitress whispered as she put more drinks on the table, "if you're not after trouble I'd put that away."

"Trouble isn't a bad thing," Morven answered, smiling.

"The owner might have a problem and want a cut of your purse to pay for any repairs, and theirs." The waitress carried on. Beatrice finished counting and sighed, "Probably short to charter a ship. I could shake my money makers," She grated her hips in the chair, the waitress laughed.

"Seriously I don't know why you wear those, you're so eager to get them off at any opportunity." Morven observed.

"Come on monkey girl, not everyone has their secondary sexual characteristics on display all the time." Beatrice looked at Morven's chest, the waitress looked as well, Morven's replacement arm strapping and jacket covered everything. 

Morven looked down at her reinforced leather jacket with the extra plating, she reached up with her hands, one flesh, one sapphire blue and cupped her boobs. "A better diet would help and I could maybe make some money with these," she finished her drink and took one of her knives out and started to spin it on the table, eyes closed, head to one side listening to the conversation on table 12,"I'd get the bouncer over to there and ask them to leave with their pockets full rather than go through with their half brained scheme to try and rob us." The waitress gave a signal and the large bouncer walked over to table 12 and explained how much it would cost them if they tried to rob the pair that was the focus of their attention, and how it would be better if they just left the obviously experienced adventurers alone, even outside the tavern. They looked disgruntled but finished their drinks and left, the Ogre bouncer following them to the door and watched them leave, he lent up against the door frame and watched the group that had just left get ready to do something stupid. The waitress was chatting to Beatrice while Morven had the communicater out on the table and only half listening to the conversation,

"So where do you lactate from?"

She flipped it open and looked at the last remaining link to her home, the bow had been broken when Beatrice, in a fungus induced frenzy, had bitten down on her arm and lost when it had sheared off just below the shoulder.

"I don't know, I was captured as a calf, separated from my family and kept off my fucking tits on fungus. I've never met another of my kind that's not needed to be freed from slavery on top of detoxing and asking them sex questions isn't top of the list of things to do." Morven's daggers had been stolen in the camp they'd both been held prisoners at, one of the other slaves had some medical knowledge and had helped heal her arm and set the metal plates that were still on Beatrice's face. It had taken the slave healer 5 months to heal her arm, her outfit had been traded for medicine a piece at a time.

"Never seen a female Minotaur before though"

Beatrice leaned over to the waitress, "My guess is the female of the spieces is like a queen, and we keep a harem of oiled beefcake to please the eye, and provide us with food and when we feel like it, children." She lent back and smiled, "It does explain why there are so many more males out there"

The slaves made their escape a month after her bandages had come off, she'd had to trade a handful of hair to the healer to get them to agree to free Beatrice as well. Her withdrawal from whatever crud they'd got her addicted to had been hard, she still had the occasional pang for a certain type of fungus, and she could smell it from half a mile away, but rather than do whatever it was the demons did to it, she'd fry them in an omelette these days.

"Do you know where you come from?"

"No idea, everyone we've freed over the years has a similar story to mine, so we're either constantly getting raided by slavers, which is odd when most of the armies around here use us as shock troops or, and this keeps me awake at night, we're bred in captivity somewhere and traded. "

Her arm had been a lucky break, she'd found the stone in the market singing to her, she'd not had anywhere near enough to buy it, so had stolen it. They'd moved towns in the opposite direction the stall holder was going in, working were they could until she found a jeweler with the talent and a willingness to work for the challenge rather than price. It had taken a couple of months for him to cut the sapphire into a hand and wrist, she'd worked as a store assistant and designer while there, her articulated necklaces had been much sort after. Once the hand was ready they'd gone to the blacksmith and got the metal work sorted, she'd done a lot of it herself, the wooden cup had started life as a Beatrice sized drinking vessel that she'd broken. The first set of leather straps had been Beatrice's as well, they been damaged and replaced years ago now.

"Have you tried to find where you come from?"

"Of course we have, but anyone left alive when I've calmed down claims not to know anything."

They'd set out adventuring after raiders hit the town they'd washed up in, they'd tried to kidnap Beatrice, thinking they could sell her on and had wanted to take her arm. Her rage had powered it up, allowing her to take the guy holding her down by surprise, she'd taken their weapons and put the smaller jacket on and used a scarf as a disguise, taking out 3 more before any of the attackers realised someone was fighting back, out of the 25 that attacked she'd accounted for 12, Beatrice had taken 8 down and the towns people moped up the rest. They'd got the pick of the gear taken off the dead. The jacket had been much repaired and re-enforced over the years, with some embellishments to strength it, but was mostly the one she'd taken from the first creature she'd killed over here. Over the years she'd added metal paldrons, painting the plates blue to match her old clothes.

(AI art prompt Morrigan Ranger in a re-enforced leather doublelett)

"There's a wizard in town, you could speak to her? She might know something." 

Beatrice looked a question over to the bouncer, who nodded, "maybe after we show some idiots the error of their ways."

Morven looked at the waitress, like a lot of the people over here at first glance they appeared human, but looking closer you notice the differences, teeth slightly shaper and longer than you'd expect, eyes too large and too dark, her skin had the subtle stripes she'd seen several times, Morven hadn't worked out if it was a tribal thing or a caste thing or just random chance.

"If we beat those guys up outside, will we have to pay anyone?" Morven asked the waitress, "And apologies, what do we call you when we write our latest adventure down later?" 

She looked confused, briefly a forked tongue flicked out from behind her suddenly sharper looking teeth, her stripes more prominent, then her appearance was back to how it had been, "Call me Janelane" she replied, smiling a little bit too wide and showing an awful lot of teeth. 

Morven smiled at the name, and opened her jacket to check the straps on her arm, "Well Janelane, we have a lesson to teach some idiots, could we get three shots of your strongest spirit?" Morven pulled out her own purse and counted out the change for the drinks, and added a second pile of coins. Janelane returned to the table, Morven handed her the coins for the drinks," Keep the change." She said taking 2 of drinks," and could you keep an eye on our gear while we're outside, we shouldn't be long." She asked as she walked over to the bouncer, "For you," she handed him a shot, the money in her other hand,"and this is for you if you want to give us a hand dealing with the 6 idiots waiting for us." 

He took the drink in one hand and the money vanished quickly into his pouch, he looked to the barman and then smiled. "I have a break, I can step outside for a a little bit." 

Morven smiled and knocked back the shot, coughed at the roughness of it, "Slange, let's go teach a lesson." 

Beatrice knocked hers back as well, "Slange" she nodded to the bouncer. 

He knocked back his drink and repeated the unfamiliar word "Slange."

Outside the bar, it had begun to drizzle, the group of tough guys looked quite forlorn, some with bunny ears and couple with devil's horns. 

(AI art prompt 6 tough guys squaring up outside a tavern). 

"So you idiots think you can take our money?" Morven called out, trying to assess the leader.

"Don't think, know." One with larger horns said, hefting an axe."We take all, and leave you for the carrion birds."

A nimbus of energy formed around Morven's hand, "I'll take 3, Bea you take 2," she called glancing at Beatrice, "and you take one," she said to the bouncer. She sprang forward, feet touched the floor, spinning around in a reverse round house punch, the crystal hand connected with one, lightning arced from her hand into the nearest tough guy, who tensed up, her hand connected with his jaw with a crack of thunder he flew backwards into one of his companions, sending both to the floor, arcing and tensing as the power discharged through them. Morven landed and slide more than she'd expected, bouncing off a wall. She pushed off and punched upwards, lifting the 3rd off it's feet, she kicked it while it was still in the air landing on it's back, she slid forward and stamped on it's knee and chest, ribs cracking. "Stun." She said, firing a blue blast into the one at her feet, "Stun," she repeated, firing a blast at the pair on top of each other. None of them were the one who'd spoken, she looked around, Beatrice had him, held by the horns, hanging. The bouncer had just got his guy down, "stun. " she said firing a blast into the one on the floor.

Morven looked up at the creature hanging in the air, she picked up it's axe and gave it a swing, "Now what was that about leaving us for the carrion eaters?" Beatrice dropped it and it staggered, Morven slammed the hilt of the axe into its chest, causing it to gasp as the air was forced out of it's lungs, it sank to its knees. "I'm feeling generous, leave your boots and we're taking half of your money, as we're not like you. One last thing," she swung the axe and cut off its horns. "boots, bitch."

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion story Partv13

 #rainbowsparklepowerfriendsreunited Part 13

The rest of the party looked surprised as they watched the whisp grow to the tall stern looking woman, with a face that wasn't entirely human. "Greetings males and females, welcome to the Glorious 100 Defenders of Humanity." 

Both The Knights of Sâl Arwydd and Araceli and Lola looked confused, "Pardon?" and various versions as well as the Spanish equivalent was heard. 

"None of us understand that at all." Was the concensus of the nine new arrivals.

The Warden switched to English, "I forgot and apologies, the Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends have an innate understanding of the language I speak, if the armour chooses you, you'll be granted the same ability as well. If you follow the whisp it will take to the armoury." She finished as she folded in on her self. A fragment of light detached and floated in the room. It wafted towards a tunnel leading into the deeper reaches of the Tomb. They all followed with Kat and Angel leading the way.

The side entrances the 3 Rainbow Friends had gone into and found the suspended Nephilim were closed off, Angel noted this and cast Kat a raised eye brow look. They reached the armoury antichamber with the 7 crystal circles in the floor and celling. 

"if you stand on the circles you'll be scanned, & then a doorway will open that gives us access to the armoury. There are 7 of you gents, do you want to go first?" Angel asked. 

The 7 Knights looked at each other and agreed amongst themselves to do it, walking forward to stand on the crystals. 

"It'll get bright and it'll take a few seconds, and when the light goes out it'll take a few seconds to adjust back to the light levels in here." Kat warned everyone. The severn Knights were swallowed by the white glow for 30 seconds. The door in the wall that lead to the armoury ground open, sinking into the floor and walls and the top of the archway in numerous petals, Araceli and Lola looked around the archway into the armoury, checking out the racks of weapons on display and whispering in Spanish between themselves. "We couldn't hear anything from hear either, we had to be in front of ours to hear them, the armour had a certain glow that we could see." She told them. The men were looking around themselves and blinking. "Your turn ladies." Kat said steering Lola and Araceli to the crystals in the floor, they stood on 2 of the crystals circles and the glow rose again, Lola was done much faster than Araceli, who watched the light glow and fade over her relative, until it dimmed and Araceli stood again on the crystal. 

"Are you okay?" she asked in Spanish,"You looked like you faded out a bit there." 

"I'm not sure what happened, but I feel like I'm energised." Araceli replied, crossing her arms and stretch in the armour. 

"Okay everyone, the last time we were here we found a spear and a weapon that sang to each of us, I'm sorry I can't put it any better than that, but you'll understand when you hear it." Kat said. 

Angel carried on "At the end of the armory on either side are rooms full of armour, there were 50 sets on each side but Kat, Claire and myself each claimed a suit so there's 48 on one side and 49 on the other. Check the gem stone on your weapon for an idea of which suit will match you. There is a space to test fire your weapons at the end of the room it might be a firing range or just space that wasn't used. So when you've been selected bring your weapons back here and let the next person go. As Lola doesn't have anything, she can go first?" She switched to Spanish and repeated for Lola and Araceli," You first Lola," as she waved her into the room.

 Lola walked through the arch and looked at the racks of spears in front of her. 

She walked along the first rack & the second, she stopped at the third rack and reached out for one of the spears and a black, purple and green glow illuminated the room briefly as she touched it. She carried on walking past the racks stopping at a heavy looking sword and a green curved shield. As she reached out the Saint Elmo's fire arcing between her hand and the sword was visible to everyone watching closely. 

Lola looked back to the entrance, "What now?" she asked in Spanish.

"Come back and let someone else pick, then we'll all go and sort out the armour." Angel replied, Lola walked back to the group. Very quickly everyone else found there weapons and they moved down to the armour storage rooms. 

"This is a reminder, the armour that'll sing to you will have the same gem stone on the breast plate as the one in your weapons, you need to touch the stone on the armour. The Warden is capable of fitting the spear head onto the gauntlet, leaving a hand free, if you want that. The spear also fires various blasts of energy." Angel carried on. 

" Rapid blasts, wide beam, focused beam. You do need to call the shot." Kat informed them all, rolling her eyes as she did." We'll go up to the hanger later and you can fire some blasts off. You first Lola, try this side." Kat finished in Spanish, guiding her through the arch that Kat had found her armour," Oh mine's there" she said with surprise. Lola walked around the room checking the gem stones, and reached out to a suit that had the matching gem to the one in her weapons. The room glowed green when she touched it. Everyone else followed Lola and found a suit, they returned to the crystal circles with Araceli and Lola going first, glowing with dark and white light in the shafts of solid light. When the glow faded the 2 Mexican woman stood in their suits of orichalcum armour, the spear heads already mounted in the gauntlets. 

Araceli looked worriedly at Kat and Angel "What happened to my armour?" She shouted.

"Don't know, but it'll be what you're wearing when you change back. You can check the room back there to see if your armour is there?" 

Araceli ran to the archway and looked into the room, eyes darting over the racks and stands, the familiar green shades of her families armour weren't there. She exploded in Spanish,

"It's not here! It's not here! Where is it?! Where's the light lady thing?" Araceli demanded. 

"Use the communicater on your belt." Angel called back in Spanish. 

She fumbled in her belt and pulled it out and flipped it open, she looked at Kat and Angel, "Top crystal?" she asked, Kat nodded, she thumbed the crystal, "Hi light lady where'd my armour go?" She asked. 

"Oh Spanish," The Warden answered, " your armour is in the with the Looms, I'm weaving the Orichalcum into the armour. This will take a short time." She finished. 

"I need to see this, where are the Looms?" the panic was audible in her voice.

A whisp of light appeared, "Follow the whisp." The Warden informed Araceli.

Kat and Angel looked at each other as Araceli followed the whisp, "I'll follow her." Kat volunteered as Lola walked out of the room with her cousin, "Follow us? I'm pretty sure those suits," Kat waved at the seven guys, "are going to end up in the same place" Kat finished following Lola from the armoury.

"Ask about Claire's plan" Angel called, Kat nodded as she went out of the arch. Angel turned and looked at the 7 men, "Your turn," she said waving them towards the crystal circles," and we'll get a whisp lead us to the looms." They walked to the circles of crystal in the floor and stood on them, light filled the room again and in a short time the seven Knights of Sâl Arwydd were clad in the orichalcum armour of The Glorious 100. Angel had changed while they were in the light." Give me a moment," She asked them as she walked back in to the armoury, and looked in the archway. Sure enough her clothes were on the rack that her armour had been on, noting the empty racks 

Angel walked back to the room with the crystals. Redknapp and Fowler were sparing with their new weapons. "Come on, we'd better follow the others."

"Was our armour back there?" Owens asked as they walked through the archway. 

"No they weren't," Angel answered honestly. 

"So what's happening to them?" Ince asked. 

"I have no idea. I'm guessing something similar to what happened with our clothes when it happened last time." 

"What was that?" Phil Nevil asked. 

"I'm not 100% sure but the clothes went from being cheer leader outfits to something that stopped bullets and turned aside pretty much everything man made." Angel smiled at the memory of standing there with a wall of bullets forming in front of them," The Wachowski Sisters used something similar in the Matrix films with Neo."

"Did you have to hold out your hand? " said Phil, following on from his first question. 

"Only to confuse the cultists" she answered. 

"What about your weapons back then? " Redknapp asked. 

"They seem to have been a more child friendly version of what we've ended up with now. Okay your turn to answer a question, that image of the red thing you have looked old, how recent was that?" Angel asked 

"Very old, 1070 we think. What's called The Harrying Of The North." Owens replied

"What was that?" Angel looked confused. 

"William The Conqueror didn't like it that the North of England didn't accept his invasion, a number of Northern Barons rebelled and William basically took his army and destroyed the North of the country, burning farms and villages wherever he went, portents and tall tales abound, but one of the things passed down was a drawing of the red creature, they have been a few others over time, mostly the war of the Steven and Matilda, the War Of The Roses, the Civil War, plenty of stories about King William in Ireland and the things that accompanied his army as well."

"We're limited with our Intelligence on this, we've got a sighting at Waterloo, around the Farm the British were trapped in, there was a battle in Spain that destroyed a village, that had a couple of big ones apparently and obviously there's tales of them in No Man's Land in World War 1 and a few sightings in Normandy on Omaha beach." Beckham sighed, admitting " I've not got around to Korea, the Falklands War, the Gulf or Afghanistan files. The older files are still on paper and even with our clearance getting them takes a while, and it's mostly army psychiatrist writing it up from a lone survivor here and there. As you can imagine there's a lot to wade through and piece together."

"Any reference to any of the golden things or the green things?" Angel asked as they walked down the tunnels.

"Nothing really, but based on a colour and where we were, I'd hazard a guess on Pride for the gold ones and probably envy for the green ones." Jamie suggested. 

"Well the next Rift looks to be forming in Cancun, centred around an adult only hotel with clothing optional areas." 

"So a sex spa?" Gary asked. 

Angel held up her hands, "That's as much as I know, Kat and Claire went and had a look at the place, this is what they told me. Ask her for a more detailed report on it, and then there is a couple more forming, one in North Korea and one in East Africa. There is also something we'd like to ask as well. As you know our friend was taken over there."

"That who Claire was talking to?" David asked. 

"Yes, well we have a plan. Claire wants to go through the next Scar and help get her, Morven, back. Now what we are asking is if any of you guys want to go across with her and help rescue our friend." Angel asked. "Kat should be asking Araceli and Lola the same thing, who'll go and ask the others in The Jaguars."

"Why aren't you all going?" Paul asked.

"Claire wouldn't hear it as I've got 3 kids, one is toddler, the others are *and* and Kat has 2 daughters and the thought of having all of us stuck over there and potentially leaving 5 kids without their mums was a sobering moment and we had to agree. So anyone with kids hands up." David, Phil Robbie, Paul and Jamie raised a hand," You're out of contention, Gary and Michael would you both think about it, please.? She's been fighting for 20 years, she's not alone, she's travelling with someone, all we know is she's called Beatrice and she's a fighter. We don't know what you'll face over there, we don't know how long we can keep the Rift open. We are asking for your help, do you want to be the untested new guy in shiny armour or are you willing to get those orichalcum suits dented and scratched?"

 Gary and Michael looked at each other. Owens started first, "I'll need to talk to some people, Gary? "

"I'm up for it, I'll go." Gary nodded, looking at the floor and rolling his shoulders. He paused for a second, closed his eyes and looked like he was taking stock of himself. He paused briefly and reflected on how bad an idea this was going to be. Then hurried to catch up to everyone else before they went out of sight. 

As he caught up, Angel was looking worriedly about the corridor. She pulled out her flip phone and touched the top crystal, "Okay can we have a whisp to follow to these Looms please, I'm lost down here."

"One moment." was The Warden's response, a whisp formed before them and circled the group, before leading them down a succession of corridors that Angel had never seen. She was pretty sure that this section of the complex hadn't been open to them when they'd first been coming here, and was ready to question if it had existed back then but was positive they'd not been in this bit.

They reached an archway and the whisp floated through and the group followed, not really sure what to expect on the other side. There was a large chamber, more like a cave with much rougher walls than the rest of the complex. The cave was lit by the usual strips. In the middle of the chamber, floating above an inscrutable device was Araceli's malachite green armour, around the gaps in the plates thousands of Orichalcum  threads, glowing reddy gold were being threaded into the armour. The green plates glowed gold where the orichalcum was being threaded into the plates, Araceli was watching the gold line progress along the armour plates while Lola and Kat studied the loom. Some of the Knights watched with Araceli some joined Kat and Lola at the Loom. A number of large square pieces in various shades of dark grey lined the front nearest where everyone stood, each square had numerous sigils inscribed in them, 2 large black spikes that could have been spindles stood behind the keys, the armour floated between these. The orichalcum threads pulled from two hair thin golden threads stretching up from the spindles to the roof of the cave. Around the spindles, not really perceived was a dull numbus of gold.

"What's actually happening here?" Phil asked.

Araceli looked around, "The Warden told me that my armour is having the material that can channel the Earth Energy being threaded through the malachite, it'll give the wearer more protection and a greater ability to damage what's comes over from the other side. They'll not be as strong as this," she tapped her new weapon, "or this,", tapping the weapon on her armour, "but they'll do better than the mundane stuff or even the enhanced weapons we already have."

"And this Warden will do this with our armour as well?" Phil asked.

One of the whisps flashed, before it spoke, 'Yes, our settings will need to be adjusted to suit the manufacturer of your suits than the Jaguar suit I currently have on the loom." 

The gold line on the suit reached the end of the arm and body pieces and the suit was transitioned and Owens suit replaced it. Several of the keys moved quickly, more moved as if in response to those moving, 3 different keys moved and 2 more responded to it. They settled in place and the spindles expanded and settled and thousands of golden threads, looking like fiber optic cables reached out to the armour and began to merge with it.

Araceli looked at the whisp, "My suit has been returned to the other room?" she asked it.

The whisp expanded into a flat surface and an image formed of the malachite green armour surrounded with orichalcum armour, "Yes it has been returned to the armoury, when you change back it will be what you are wearing." 

AI art are from prompts related to the story, Destiny 2 screen shot is obviously from Bungie game Destiny 2.

Tiny Lego Build

 Went to visit an old client today and I'd picked up an easy build Lego Poe Blue X Wing Fighter. Its a beginner kit for lego but when built is a nice little thing to do.

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion Part 12 D

 Sunday morning dawned to a mountain of washing up, a light hang over and Mexican sand still between Kat's toes. She applied after sun and checked for tan lines from the walk on the beach. Out of the shower and after a coffee she filled the dish washer and turned it on. Kat started on a shopping list for next weekend and sent a message to Angel and her family, her parents and her brother and included his wife and kids, Claire and her parents, and Struan and Peggy, and planned the menu, Vietnamese red rice was top of the list.

Amy and Thea had been perturbed by not getting any gifts from Mexico, so Kat had to promise to bring something back from Cornwall when she went on Monday, and spent half an hour looking for things to buy. She found lots of quaint sea side cottages and sea shanty cd's. While the kids would love the cottage, Kat couldn't justify it to herself, she did eventually find a surf shop on line in Newquay she could hopefully get something for the girls from

.Newque didn't look to far from Tintagel on Google Earth, just to be on the safe side she sent an email to the Knights asking them if they could pick up a couple of bright t shirts and wooly hats for her for Monday and she'd PayPal them the money. While the kids sorted their homework and Kat had rehydrated she went out onto the deck and set a timer for 2 hours and started to meditate trying to find where the next flash point might be, she felt a couple of potential hot spots, zeroing in on the first and finding it in North Korea and a second one that was harder to pin down than a very general somewhere in south eastern Africa.

When the alarm went off and Kat was back in herself, she opened up the pad and pulled up Google Earth and tried to work out roughly where in North Korea the potential rift was and based on the map and impressions from the meditation. It was a place not far from the coast, a village on the side of a hill called Samho, which rang a bell somewhere deep in her memory, but nothing that she could recall right now. She tried to not think about it, hoping that the memory came back on its own. She checked her emails, noticing one from The Knights. Opening it up she read it, 'Will pick up 2 t shirts and 2 wooly hats, you sure in Californian?' and PayPal details which she sent over right away. The rest of the day was spent planning what to cook and checking dietary requirements for everyone coming next weekend.

Shower and bed and for the first time in a very long time Kat remembered a dream, she dreamed about the first time she'd met an American, in the car outside her home and the drive to the beach with the car driving along the dark and quiet road, to the place they had been bundled out of the car and down a footpath to a beach.

Their backs to cliff, her dad and Brea arguing, more Americans dressed in black with an inflatable boat and helicopters in the air in the distance. Kat opened up Google Earth and checked Samho again, following the road from the village, down a dusty road and onto a track down to where they'd got out of the car and walked down to the beach. Behind and above them little An Su had watched the car drive off, focused on the head lights as they headed back up the hill towards the road, clutching the 2 small stuffed cats. The little turning circle was still there, the path to the beach and even the dark rocky cliff on the beach were all visible on the screen in front of her. She'd found her way home. She spent an hour taking in every detail on the screen, the long houses in rectangular gardens, switching between 2d and 3d views and getting stressed that she couldn't get a street view. 

She rang a couple of friends at JPL and asked if they had access to any better images of the village and the surrounding area, she had to explain what it was about and got a message back from the night shift asking her to give them a couple of days, it wouldn't take the spy satellite off task as there was a site of interest on the other side of the hill, so any image would be cropped to cut any secret details that she hadn't been cleared for.

She posted a message in the WhatsApp group asking if anyone was into drone flying, and tried to get back to sleep and not go out into the garden and transition to Korea and potentially get arrested for spying or ending up getting executed for defecting all those years ago. 

She didn't remember falling back asleep, just waking up with a snort, and drool on the side of her face. 

Shower, coffee and some ceral to fortify herself before she poked the teenagers with a stick to get them up and ready for school. "Teeth!", "Hair!", "Shoes!" was repeated, homework was found, lunches taken and the bus was caught. Kat got her next cup of coffee, messaged Angel and Cornwall and hoped someone would be in on the beach in Cancun. She grabbed the bag from Saturday, locked up and drove over to Angel's. When she parked up Angel was opening the front door.

"What's the drone pilot for?" she asked first.

"Well it's not for Cancun, I don't think a hotel with a whole 'clothing optional' area would take kindly to little flying cameras. Also we're picking up someone in Cancun before we go to Cornwall."

"Did they say how many?"Angel asked. 

"Nothing confirmed. Do you think we need to start another WhatsApp group for everyone else?" Kat pondered, digging into her bag and pulling out sunscreen. She squirted some out onto a hand and offered Angel the bottle, who applied plenty to her nose and ears. 

" I've always wanted to go to Cancun, just never had the time, and now I'm going to be able to trash a hotel there, and not have to worry about getting barred." Angel mused. 

"Just be careful, this one is purple and veiny and throbbing." Angel laughed, "Like a dick?" 

"Like a dick." Kat repeated, "do you have a couple of bottles of water?" 

"I do," Angel dissappeard into the kitchen and came out with 2 bottles which went into the bag. "You didn't actually answer why you want a drone pilot though." 

Kat looked up at Angel "I've found where I'm from. The little village I left behind in the 80's." 

"And?" Angel asked getting her communicater out. 

"It's the site of a potential breach, and I'd like a better look at the place than Google Earth can give you, I rang the guys that work telemetry on the spy satellites and asked if they could get me some images of the village and as there is a location of interest not far away they'll be able to send us spy satellite level imagery which gives us pretty decent images resolution down to being able to spot that someone is reading a book, but not what book it is. A drone pilot could get us some decent low level images." Kat replied. 

"You're making sense, what else?" Angel said, frowning at her. 

"I'd also like to see if the house I lived in as a child is still there, the drone would help with that. I was also going to get some high powered binoculars and a big zoom lense for the camera to get some good images of street level, maybe make some clothes in the local style and some creepy guy camera sown in and I can get on the streets and get a feel of the place, maybe find out if I have family still over there."

"You think they'll be happy to see you?" Angel asked. 

"I can hope." Kat replied. 

"What happens if they report you to the local police or whatever they have?" 

"I'll have to hope they don't and transition out as fast as possible if they do. And it's not like anyone else can do street level reconnaissance is it?" 

Angel looked down at Kat, "Yes I am a little tall and have the wrong skin tone." 

"And Claire is rather white and blonde, there is no way I'm asking my kids and short of asking Ricky or the Knights if they know someone that could do it, it's probably going to be me." Kat finished. 

"Be careful." Angel told her, in Korean. 

"You remembered!" Kat smiled while replying in Spanish. 

"A little," she replied "my Spanish is much better, what was the other language you spoke again?" 

"Tea tea ula" Kat said in her juvenile Filipino, "as long as what you want is childish insults I'm your woman." Kat replied with mock pride. 

The beach was more crowded at lunch time Monday than it had been at Saturday afternoon. Angel looked around and took in the view, slightly disappointed at the amount of development. A couple of local people detached themselves from a party and walked over to the pair, music blared out from a beach side bbq. 

"Kat? Angel?" a young Mexican woman asked looking between them, both nodded, "I'm Araceli, Mateo's cousin. He couldn't make it as he's working, but he did give me his armour," she turned and nodded to a large suit case,"the others want to see how this works before handing over their heirlooms to something unknown." 

Kat nodded, "Are you able to use it as it is?" she asked. Angel had snaked off into the party and grabbed a drink, picking up the suit case as she passed it. 

"Yes, I can use it, the only reason this suit isn't mine is Mateo is older than me by 3 days," Angel dropped the suitcase by their little group and took a drink, Araceli carried on talking, "and this is Lola. She's related to one of the others, same story; older brother got the family armour. Frankly we are both hoping to get suits from your supplier."

"Fingers crossed for you. We need to go to England first and then to The Tomb," Angel said rolling her shoulder after the weight of the suit case, "one of you needs to hold the bag and hold on to one of us," she finished, putting the empty glass down on a nearby table, she took out the flip phone and thought of Cornwall and the cave and what it could hold, Lola had a hand on her shoulder, Araceli had the suitcase in one hand and had her other hand on Kat's elbow, they transitioned. The transit over the Atlantic was fairly dull once they cleared Cuba. The coast of Ireland being the first thing they saw.

Angel and Lola landed with a splash in the cold North Atlantic, both woman gasping in surprise at the sudden coldness of the water compared to the Caribbean. 

They looked around, "Why are we in a cave?" Lola asked in Spanish.

Angel blushed, "That's me, last time I was here I could feel something calling to me from inside, I guess I was thinking about that rather than the hotel we should be outside of." She told Lola in her high school Spanish as they picked there way out of the cave, Araceli and Kat had run into view at the top of the cliff looking down on them, she pointed out the path and bridge to Lola and told her how to get up, she touched the other crystal, "Kat, I'm going to check the cave seeing as I'm down here already, don't forget to ask the guys about the image of the red thing."

Kat waved back, had a word with Araceli who went back to the hotel and Kat headed down the path to meet Lola. Angel went back into the Cave of Merlin, found a dry spot and sat and meditated. She wasn't as good at this as Kat and she'd be the first to admit it, but she relaxed and listened, feeling the distant, quiet song of something. She looked around the cave and noticed an orange glow had appeared towards the rear wall. Angel approached the back wall, seeing the glow formed a doorway. She ran her hands around the glow, seeing it glow brighter where she had touched it. The section of the wall pulled backwards and hinged upwards, Angel was momentarily blinded by a rose gold glow, as her vision returned her breath was taken away by what was in front of her.

It took Angel a while to comprehend what she was looking at.

At the top of the cliff Lola and Kat walked around the hotel following the path, the rugged coast line about as diametrically opposode as it could get from the beach she'd just been on, the most recent building she could see was the red brick Hotel they were walking around. Lola turned the corner and saw Araceli, the suitcase now opened and 7 guys in Roman armour. Araceli was strapping the armour on.

Kat smiled and walked over and made introductions. "And now we're waiting for Angel," She said, she looked at the Knights, "which one of you has the communicater I dropped off?"

One of the Nevills did, Kat gave everyone a brief instruction on how they worked and asked everyone to try it to raise Angel, it worked for everyone, which was a good sign. Kat lead the group in meditation on their armour and weapons and wondered what Angel was doing in the cave as she'd been very cryptic on the flip phone about what she'd found. She let them have about half an hour on the lawn beside the H to meditate in their weapons and armour, with still no sign of Angel, Kat was beginning to get concerned. She hid her worries behind focusing on the task at hand. She lined everyone up on the path, facing out to sea near the cliff edge and asked them to try to access one of the powerful abilities locked in the weapon's memory. She had an idea of the kind of thing the Knights could do and the charged blades and lightning blasts arced out along with various shouts. Araceli had a malachite sword, this was edged by black and purple lightning she was calling out her attacks in Spanish. 

"Last thing, there should be a healing ability you can tap into, that can reenergize yourself and can be used to heal a Rift." She pulled out the wand, "Mine is triggered by Amethyst healing heart," the heart glowed with a warm purple light Kat felt herself relax a bit, "so focus and feel what the trigger words could be." She primed them. They sat and focused again, Lola looking a bit forlornly watching everything going on. 

Lola heard it first, "Listen!" she called out on Spanish, Kat heard a deep wailing and changed, purple glitter blowing in the breeze, Lola and Araceli giggled a little, Kat smiled. The wailing grew louder, as around the hotel something about the size of a large helicopter came into view, large, red delta wings and large cannards coming from the front, ribbons of material flowed over and around the wings moving all the time . It dropped down, hovering a couple of feet off the grass, a hatch sliding open. Everyone waited weapons ready. After what felt like minutes Angel walked out of the hatch, a huge smile on her face,"Look what I found." She called out, everyone relaxed as much as the unsettling noise would let them. 

"He's called Cyhyraeth, it's a flying transport." 

"Cyhyraeth?" Phil Nevill asked

"Yes, why?" Angel asked

"Cyhyraeth is the Welsh name for a Banshee." Phil answered. 

"Which makes us being the Knights of Ill Omen make a lot more sense if they would be dropped into battle from on high in a wailing transport." Angel disappeared inside, the wailing faded and the machine settled onto the lawn, she came out with a large carnelian in her hand." I'm so going to find out what this thing can do, Do you mind flying back home in this later? "Angel asked Araceli, Lola and Kat, all 3 seemed okay with getting a flight in the Cyhyraeth. 

"Okay let's go to the Tomb."

"You're just leaving that red and black thing parked on the lawn?" Micheal asked. 

"It took me 20 minutes to work out how to get it out of the cave, and we can park it in the back of the garden centre for now when we get it home."Kat just gave her a mom look, "Fuck you." Angel laughed.

Kat looked at the group, "Hold hands, as this is the first time travelling to the Tomb we'll transition everyone there. It works by thought association, somehow." everyone held each others hands while Kat and Angel got their communicaters out. They reached out and touched the crystals and the green countryside was replaced by The Blackstone Tomb.

The whisp was waiting for them.

" I suggest you unfold yourself, so everyone can see who we're working with," Angel said to it.

The whisp opened out.

Rainbow Sparkle Power Friends Reunion Story Part 12 C

 Claire and the local guy sat on the sun loungers either side of Kat.

"Welcome to Mexico Amethyst Sparkle, Diamond Rainbow has told me a little about why you are here." Claire handed Kat a bottle of water and took a drink of another. "You've sensed that a Rift is forming here and you are checking the area to get a lay of the land before you have to come down to fight what crosses over." He finished looking between the women.

"Pretty much, yes, " Kat replied, " is there any thing you can tell us about this? Who are you and how many of you are there? I saw 4 green shards when I was feeling out the Rift."

"We are here to fight what comes over, not unlike yourselves, there are 4 of us with sacred armour, who will fight alongside you." Kat and Claire smiled to each other, 14 was better odds than before.

"Would you be willing to travel as well if we have a situation further afield in future?" Claire asked.

"I would have to ask everyone else first, but personally I would love to." The Waiter replied. "Do you have a phone number I can reach you on to let you know our decision?" He replied, Kat reached over to the bag and grabbed some paper and a pen and wrote her land line number down and handed it over.

"And what do we call you and your group?" Kat asked.

"I am Mateo and our group is The Sacred Jaguar Knights," Mateo answered and looked at them, "We are the last few of a proud warrior line."

Kat looked at Mateo, then closed her eyes and concentrated, listening for the sound that wasn't a sound. She relaxed and opened her eyes, "Can I see your blade?" she asked, holding out her hand. 

Mateo reached inside his blazer and brought out a green dagger and handed it over. Kat sat with it in her lap, hands over the knife, eyes closed, she focused on the knife for a while, Claire finished her water and her second Mojito and watched intently as Kat focused on the knife. She opened her eyes, looked over her sun glasses at Mateo and handed the knife back, and took a sip of her Long Island Iced Tea. 

Claire spoke up, "You said 4 of you have the sacred armour, are there more of you?" 

Mateo looked slightly confused, "There are siblings, some can't use the armour but their children have been able to." 

Kat spoke around her straw, "Should have brought some of those DNA tests." 

"It'll save time to just take them to the Warden and the armoury, don't you think ?" Claire shrugged at Kat who shrugged back sucking down the last of the Iced Tea. 

"We're taking at least one of the British guys on Monday," she said to Claire, she turned to Mateo, "is there a chance one of you will be available on Monday around mid morning to lunch time?" 

Mateo looked at them both, "Why?" he asked. 

"We might be able to get you more armour or maybe at least upgrade your equipment. Actually, may I have the knife again?" Kat asked. 

Mateo look at Kat, "Why?" 

"Because I'm going to take it to The Warden and she can have a look at it now and might have something ready for you on Monday." 

"How long will you be?" 

"An hour tops." Kat replied, Mateo reached inside his blazer and handed the knife back over. Kat took her communicator out of the bag, thought of the Warden and touched the crystal and was gone.

Claire looked at the empty sun lounger, "Well I'd better get another drink and make it something soft with ice," Claire said getting up and hoisting the bag onto her shoulder, "and you'd better get back to work, in fact, I can prop up the bar and you can tell me what you know about the potential breach site." Claire said picking up the empty glasses and following Mateo back into the grounds of the hotel.

Kat transitioned to The Warden's Tomb walked over to the pedestal and placed the green knife on it."Hi,"Kat called out the whisp materialised and hovered in front of her,"while down in Mexico we found a group that has access to a few artifacts that feel like your people's technology, I asked one of them to loan me their dagger so you can look at it and see if the ones able to use this," she touched the hilt of the dagger,"might be able to use the weapons in the armoury back there."

2 smaller globes of light detected from the whisp, one phasing into the blade the other moving over it. They spent a few minutes studying the blade.

"I believe I can integrate our technology with this lesser blade, and others examples of this type of construction." 

"I've been meaning to ask how do you do that?" Kat asked. 

"I have a few of the construction looms we use to weave our creations, I can blend the metal alloy cloth with this, which will allow the weapon to channel Earth Energy. Any armour they have can be enhanced the same way."

"How would that work?" Kat asked assuming the weave would be on surface of the blade. 

"My looms can weave it into the material of the blade itself, they will not look any different to what is before us now." The Warden replied. 

"Okay, I'd better get this back to the owner." Kat picked up the blade, "We'll be bringing some of the British guys and some of the group we've just met in Mexico here on Monday, take them to the armoury, see if anything sings to them." She finished, putting the knife in the waist band of her shorts."One last thing, do you have any more of the communicators that I can take? International phone calls are expensive." 

"May I see yours again?" The Warden asked. 

Kat pulled hers out and placed it on the lecturn. The 2 whisps detached again, one flew into the communicator the other sat beside it. One device formed in the whisp, it moved to the side and a second device formed or was transitioned in from elsewhere in the Tomb. Kat took the wrap skirt off and used to bundle the 2 new communicators and the knife up, taking her own in her hand she focused on the beach she'd been on and touched the second crystal and was gone. 

She arrived on the beach and looked around for Claire, spotting their footsteps leading to the loungers, then Claire's and Mateo's footsteps leading into the hotel grounds. Kat followed the trail to the gate and had a look around the pool area, spotting Claire's hat and shorts at the bar.

Claire spotted her walking over and snapped a photo on with the pad.

Mateo put down 2 fresh drinks, Kat looked around, checking for any other workers watching or cameras covering where they were. Not seeing any Kat slipped the knife out of the bag and slide it over the bar under her hand, Mateo picked it and put it back in its sheave without fuss, smiling all the time at the pair.

"One other thing Mateo, back in the 90's we had these," Kat said bringing out her communicator.

He looked at it, "I had a phone like this back then too, I'm surprised it still holds a charge."

Kat slide a second one over, "This one's for you. You can reach us without having to dial internationally. It holds its charge as long as we get it near one of ours every few weeks. And I can think of worse places to spend an afternoon once a month." Kat said looking around the pool side and beach, she turned to Claire," I got one for the British guys as well, so we need to swing by Cornwall before we go home."

"Oh no." Claire joked. "So Monday, one of us will be in touch and will meet you on the head land at the top of the beach near the Punta Prima Hotel." She told Mateo, turning to Kat she held out her arm, "Let's walk you, and I'll tell you what was told to me while you where away." Claire filled her in on the hotel being an "adults only" establishment, even doing the air quotes and touched on some of the details Mateo had told her. 

The pieces finally came together and it clicked into place for Kat,"Oh my god! That explains the purple throbing and veiny nature of this one." 

"You know the second time I was close to a penis was that tape of your ex husband right?" Claire asked. 

"No, where is this going?" Kat replied. 

"That was only the second time I've seen one, and even I worked it out when Mateo was talking to me." 

Kat stopped walking and looked at Claire, "You've not been with anyone since Prom?" she said incredulously. 

"I didn't say that, I said I'd not been with a guy since then." Claire finished the sentence, the rest of it not needing to be said. "I work at the FBI, it's a fairly conservative place, I keep my sexual preferences to myself, and if anyone asks about me not seeing anyone, I show them the scar and explain the whole no kids thing and it shuts them up, " Claire looked into the distance, "what about you, why haven't you been seeing anyone else since the elephant pants man"

Kat smiled at the memory, took a drink and started walking again. "I've not felt right since him. I've dated a few people but it's always fizzled out. It's like a part of me still feels bad about the break up, that I'm no longer with him, and I had the kids. I didn't want to keep coming home with different guys, or even worse the wrong guy who stuck around because of the money or because of who I'd been. Did anybody ask you to wear the outfit, either the cartoon or the real one while you do it? "

" Morven did, the one time." Claire said the words like every one was an immense weight, and smiled sadly to herself," We left for Trinty the next morning, she held my hand tightly all the way there from the Tomb."

"Oh," Kat hugged her, 'I knew you were close... "Kat didn't know how to end that sentence and so changed the subject back to her and Lincoln," Lincoln asked, a few times. I kind of stopped changing, told him it had stopped happening about 18 months before the stuff powered down." Kat looked at her own drink, "He offered to buy me the slutty version of the amethyst outfit," she smiled and stired the drink with her straw, "I was wearing it when we made the tape."

"Which one was the slutty version again? I'm trying to remember the difference between the sexy and slutty here. And picturing you in it."

"Sexy had the skirt that covered even my flat ass, and a proper bikini top, the slutty version had the belt and a bikini top that can best be discribed as dental floss and a purple g string. Still cost $125 for so little material."

"It'll be the purple dye," Claire replied eye brows raised , "very expensive is purple dye" she said nodding, drinking and looking at Kat.

Kat laughed, "Keep walking, Diamond, we need to reach this hotel so we can get some photos and a lay out." They linked arms again and carried on walking along the beach.

Claire started talking, almost unburdening herself, "Morven held my finger as we got ready, and gave me this smile that lit her face up in whole new way before we went into battle. And then we lost her. And you in short order, it was hard afterwards in the hospital. I told my parents and Morven's about us, they couldn't really be mad at me for long while I was in bed on a drip and had just had a hysterectomy, so 4 parents ranting at me while I was off my face on morphine was great as I don't really remember it much."

"Nobody since then?" 

"No one that felt the same, there's been a few woman, a few experimenting at College, a couple of other very discrete liasons at work. But no one who's face lit up that same way. And you?" 

"You know about Anton." 

"No, Angel's older brother?" Claire asked. 

"Yes, well that wasn't a good idea so we kind of called things off, Lincoln was a chance meeting again after getting back on my feet. I think I loved him, I certainly felt bad about sleeping with any one else afterwards for a really long time, and I didn't want to send the wrong message to the girls. Amy seems to be handling this time of her life better than I did."

"To be fair your teenage years were pretty much open war between your parents and you, the people who you should have been able to turn to, you couldn't. You're doing a better job of parenting than yours managed." 

"Having everyone calling me Kat and not An or Su didn't help their mood, they saw it as another abandonment of my heritage and acceptance of the degenerate American ways."

"Do Thea and Amy have Korean names?" Claire asked to change the subject. 

"They do, Amy's full name is Park Jebikkoch Chea Amy Green, and Thea's full name is Park Jebikkoch Hyum Thea Green."

Claire had her eyes closed and was working out of the translation, "Jebikkoch means Violet doesn't it?" she asked Kat

"Lincoln never did get that one."

"And that's their generational name?"

"It is."

"Chae, Chae, Chae..." Claire concentrated, " is colour?" Kat nodded, "Hyum wasn't one I ever learned, so go on." Claire finished. 

"Hyum depending on how it's written can mean deep, dark, profound or mysterious." Kat explained. 

"And how do you write it in Hanji?" Claire asked. Kat stepped to one side and drew out the Korean symbol with her foot, Claire watched. "My written Korean is worse than my spoken, so which one is that?" 

"Mysterious" Kat supplied. 

Claire smiled, " You named your daughters Park Violet Colour Amy Green and Park Violet Mysterious Thea Green?" 

"I did." 

"You dad joked both your kids names?" Claire asked. 

Kat had a huge smile on her face. "And I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for your keen mind and years of FBI training." She laughed.

"I'm phoning child services when we get back home." Claire said looking serious.

"You do that and your not getting any of the Bulgogi I've had marinating since last night."

"Is that the one you used to do for my dad, the Korean BBQ?" Claire asked.

"It is, yes." Kat confirmed.

"I'll let it slide, I missed your bbq." Claire looked around at the hotels around them. "The next one is the one we want."

Kat looked at the beach side of the hotel, noting the cameras on the fence looked over the beach rather than the pool. The side walls were larger, with space to drive a hummer between the walls of the hotel and its neighbour. They circled the building, the wall next to the road was lower again at the driveway entrance, a line of pine trees and a very discreet fence threaded between the trees blocked off any view of what the screen shot showed to be a pool, they went into the lobby to see if they could find a way through and explore the grounds but there was blocked security. They did get map of the hotel, noting the beach side was what was referred to as clothed and the pool on this side with the trees and high walls was referred to as the naked pool. They were able to get into the bar from the lobby and ordered 2 waters and 2 coffees. Kat closed her eyes and focused, feeling the throb and pluse of the growing Rift, most powerful on the naked side, but it snaked all over the grounds. They finished their coffee and took the water bottles back onto the beach, completing a circuit of the hotel. Kat sketched out the Hanji for mysterious in the sand again and looked at low wall surrounding the hotel. "Cornwall?" She said looking up at Claire.

Claire slipped her communicater out, thought of the hotel on its cliff top and touched the crystal, taking Kat with her as they flew over the Atlantic. They reached the helepad, the temperature noticeably cooler than it had just been, going from 91° Fahrenheit to 71° Fahrenheit in seconds.

They walked into the lobby, "Is anyone in down stairs?" Claire asked the guy on the desk.

"I can ring and check for you, who should I say is here if there's an answer?"

"Claire Diamond and Park Kat Green" he dialed and waited, smiling blandly at the pair.

"No answer, I'm afraid."

Kat reached into her bag and brought out the other communicater she'd been given, "Can you give this to the guys downstairs, it's a communication device that means we can reach them, let them I'll be in touch on Monday." 

She handed it over to the receptionist, and they walked out side and transitioned home, finding the girls back and Peggy and Struan waiting in the living room. Kat got a shower and changed first, then Claire got a shower and Kat started cooking the Bulgogi and fresh noodles.

She realised how much she'd much missed cooking for lots of people, and resolved to invite everyone over next weekend for a meal.