text:
"This place is…?" (Makoto)
I woke up.
"O-Oh my…Takatsuki Makoto?!"
"Ira-sama?" (Makoto)
We look at each other with dumbfounded expressions.
Looks like I have come to the space of Ira-sama.
We look at each other in silence for a while.
Hmm? She doesn't seem to be that angry about me having controlled the Time Spirits…is what I thought, but Ira-sama was visibly getting more and more bright red like a boiled octopus.
She is super angry.
"YOUUUUU!!" (Ira)
She grabbed my collar and shook me.
"I-I'm so—sorry, Ira-sama." (Makoto)
"I told you to never, ever, use the Time Spirits, didn't I?!" (Ira)
"B-But there were no other options…" (Makoto)
The arms of Ira-sama stop clean.
"Right, there was no other path to win… I was seeing you defeated by the Ancient Dragon King, Takatsuki Makoto." (Ira)
She looks up at me with serious eyes.
No wonder she was telling me constantly to run away.
"But I somehow managed." (Makoto)
I made an awkward smile, but Ira-sama's expression was cold.
"Can you really say the same after seeing this?" (Ira)
What she slid to me was a Soul Book -my Soul Book.
I skim through it, but there wasn't a spot that really bothered me…
—Remaining Lifespan: 3 minutes.
"…Eh?" (Makoto)
Isn't this…bad?
I would die before I could put hot water in a cup of ramen and be able to eat it.
"What are you going to do, Takatsuki Makoto?" (Ira)
"W-W-W-What should I do?!" (Makoto)
I directed a clinging gaze towards Ira-sama with a flustered voice, and she sighed heavily.
"Come here." (Ira)
She told me and pulled my arm towards her.
And then, she wrapped her arms tightly around my back.
"U-Uhm…" (Makoto)
"You hug me too already." (Ira)
"O-Okay." (Makoto)
I do as I am told while still not knowing what's going on.
Ira-sama's body is petite, and yet, when I hug her, she is unbelievably soft.
On top of that, she gives out a mysterious nice scent.
"Good grief, you are really a chore." (Ira)
She groaned, and I felt as if something was flowing into my body.
"Ira-sama, what's this?" (Makoto)
"I am increasing your lifespan, Takatsuki Makoto. This is the reward for defeating the Ancient Dragon King, so I wouldn't mind giving you 1,000 years of lifespan, but it would be impossible with the body of a human. For now, I have left it at around 100 years." (Ira)
She told me something outrageous.
So Ira-sama can increase lifespan…is what I thought, but she is the Destiny Goddess, so that's a given.
"I am done." (Ira)
Ira-sama slapped my back, and slowly separated from her.
Right in front of my eyes was the unreal beauty of Ira-sama, and my heart skipped a beat.
But even if it made me skip a beat, it didn't make me think about doing something perverted to her by any means.
It has been like that the whole time in those 1,000 years I have been helping her in her work in the same space and training.
"You are thinking something weird." (Ira)
"No, it is the opposite. I have such a beauty like Ira-sama so close to me, and yet, for some reason, I don't get in a weird mood at all." (Makoto)
"Obviously. You are a mortal and I am a Goddess, you know? Our planes of existences are way too different. Stuff like love and lust are things that can only be felt from close beings. It is impossible for a God of the Divine Realm to be tied with a resident of the Mortal Realm." (Ira)
"Eh? But the God King-sama had an illegitimate child…" (Makoto)
Because of the child of God, Alexander, we had a really bad time.
"…That's…an exception. The God King-sama -Papa- has a terrible unfixable philandering habit." (Ira)
She laughed bitterly with vacant eyes.
Let's not dig too deeply here.
I confirm my own Soul Book.
It was written there that I had 100 years of lifespan remaining.
That's a relief.
"Thank you very much, Ira-sama. At any rate, it was a miracle that 3 minutes remained. That was close…" (Makoto)
I put a hand on my chest in relief.
"What's that about a miracle? As if it would be possible to have 3 minutes remaining when using a Sacrificial Technique. It was adjusted in a way that you would survive by a really close margin -by Noah." (Ira)
"Noah-sama did?" (Makoto)
"You offered your lifespan to Noah in order to call the Time Spirits, right? Moreover, her spiritual body was there, so that must have been her objective. In other words, she knew that you would be calling the Time Spirits there…" (Ira)
Ira-sama bites her nail, annoyed.
I see, so Noah-sama looked out for me in order for my lifespan to not run out.
"Then, I have to thank Noah-sama." (Makoto)
"I have to complain to Noah." (Ira)
Our words overlap.
Ira-sama and I look at each other.
Our objectives differ, but our destination is the same.
"Then, let's go to the Deep Sea Temple." (Makoto)
"You say it as if it is easy. Well, fine. Here." (Ira)
Ira-sama says as she offers me her hand.
After hesitating for a bit, I held the hand of Ira-sama.
"Then, our teleport destination is the Deep Sea Temple…Hm?" (Ira)
"What's the matter?" (Makoto)
Ira-sama tilted her head.
"That's strange… There's a barrier on the Deep Sea Temple. There's no way Noah can do that with her powers sealed, so the fact that it is able to block even me from teleporting…maybe Althena-oneesama?" (Ira)
"Why would Althena-sama go through the trouble of putting up a barrier?" (Makoto)
"I don't know, but…Noah and Althena-oneesama got along well to begin with, so she might be talking about something with her. It seemed like Althena-oneesama was bothered by the fact that Noah had gone to the Devil God side 1,000 years ago after all." (Ira)
"I see…" (Makoto)
What talk are they having that she had to go through the trouble of putting up a barrier?
"But that means we will have to stay put for now." (Makoto)
If it is a secret talk between Althena-sama and Noah-sama, I can't go intruding.
"What are you saying? Who do you think I am?" (Ira)
So she says, and the scenery warped.
I got dizzy for a moment there.
When the warped scenery returned to normal, there wasn't any change in the surroundings.
Just what in the world…
"See? We jumped 1 hour ahead. Then, let's head to the Deep Sea Temple." (Ira)
"Eh, wait a mom—" (Makoto)
Ira-sama, who used the God Rank Spell Time Jump while having a casual talk, did a ultra long distance teleport from the Divine Realm to the Deep Sea Temple.
A very spacious place with nothing, very different from the space of the Destiny Goddess.
At that place, there's an antique table and chairs.
The one with an elbow there staring absentminded into space was the always beautiful Noah-sama.
It is not her usual smile. She seemed to be thinking about something, her brows furrowed.
Even that pondering figure of hers was picturesque.
But it seems like she soon noticed our presence, she turned her face over here.
"Oh my, Makoto! …And Ira-sama. Why did you come here?" (Noah)
She directed a wide smile at me, and an indifferent tone towards Ira-sama.
"Noah-sama, thank you very much for your advice in the battle against the Ancient Dragon King." (Makoto)
I kneeled and directed my heartfelt thanks to the Goddess.
"Fufu, you have grown strong, Makoto." (Noah)
Noah-sama placed a hand on my head and brushed it gently.
"Noah! You know that it is prohibited for a resident of the Mortal Realm to use sacrificial techniques! Takatsuki Makoto was on the verge of dying there!" (Ira)
Ira-sama reprimanded her in a loud voice.
"That's a rule of you Holy Gods, right? That doesn't have anything to do with a Titan God like me. Also, Makoto didn't die, right?" (Noah)
Noah-sama smiles elegantly.
"Put yourself in my shoes; the person who has to adjust history!" (Ira)
"Isn't that fine? It wasn't that big of an effect anyways. It was simply calling Time Spirits." (Noah)
"Adjusting history is a lot of work!!" (Ira)
"Is that so. Do your best then. Why are you telling me that?" (Noah)
"Your Apostle did it!" (Ira)
"I didn't order him to." (Noah)
"You could have stopped him!" (Ira)
"Even if I tried to, Makoto wouldn't listen, right? I had no intention to stop him though." (Noah)
'Gununu', Ira-sama groans.
Looks like she can't go too strongly against Noah-sama.
Does it have to do with the Sun Goddess and Noah-sama getting along?
At that moment, the scenery that was reflected in the corner of my eye bothered me.
There's two glasses on top of the table.
Bright red wine like blood that was half drunk was inside that glass.
"Noah-sama, did someone come?" (Makoto)
"Yeah, Naia showed up in the Deep Sea Temple." (Noah)
"Naia did?!" (Ira)
Noah-sama answered as if nothing, and Ira-sama reacted greatly to that.
—The Moon Goddess, Naia-sama.
One of the 7 Goddesses…no, 8 Goddesses that rule this world.
She is the Goddess that has been clouded in mystery the whole time within all of those.
She is also the Goddess that Furiae-san follows.
"W-Why did Naia come to the Deep Sea Temple?! Or more like, she came to this world?! I thought for sure that she was playing around in a different world." (Ira)
"Speaking of which, Princess did say that the Moon Goddess has been showing in her dreams recently." (Makoto)
"What?! Why didn't you tell me such an important thing?!" (Ira)
"Was it important?" (Makoto)
Ira-sama shook me around.
Why is the Destiny Goddess this agitated here?
I look at Noah-sama, requesting help.
"Naia is the type that seeks entertainment, so she would actively stick her head into anything that looks amusing. If she feels it is boring, she would disappear in the blink of an eye. In other words…" (Noah)
"It means that she is scheming something! Noah! Tell me! What did Naia say?!" (Ira)
"She didn't say anything of interest really. She said 'Furiae-chan is as serious as always, it is boring' or stuff like 'She has that much talent, so she should do as she wishes more'." (Noah)
"Heeh… Is the talent of Furiae-san impressive?" (Makoto)
I muttered this absentmindedly.
"Right, the talent in Charm and Necromancy of this generation's Moon Oracle is of the genius level that is hard to find when it comes to a mortal. If she were to use it for evil purposes, she would be able to control the people on the Mortal Realm on a scale that the Calamity Witch Nevia wouldn't have even been able to compare, but…it seems like she isn't using it that much." (Ira)
Ira-sama said in wonder.
T-That much?!
I didn't know.
"But it seems Princess wants to live quietly without standing out too much." (Makoto)
That's how it felt when I travelled together with her.
It seems like she is having it rough being the Queen of the Moon Country though.
"That's apparently boring for Naia." (Noah)
"It would be troubling if she were to become like the Calamity Witch…" (Ira)
Noah-sama said with a 'good grief' and Ira-sama said wearily.
"And so, what did you and Naia-sama talk about?" (Makoto)
When I asked this, Noah-sama blinked a number of times, and then she made a meaningful smile.
"Just chit-chat." (Noah)
Looks like she won't be telling me.
"Could it possibly be that she is trying to undo the seal of Noah…?" (Ira)
"Eh?" (Makoto)
I reflexively turn at the words of Ira-sama.
The Moon Goddess will undo the seal of Noah-sama?
I would totally welcome that.
But Noah-sama shrugged her shoulders.
"As if. If you try to undo my seal, you will end up getting thrown into Tartarus no questions asked as stated in the Divine Realm Regulations, right? The only one who can undo my seal is a resident of the Mortal Realm that manages to conquer the Deep Sea Temple…" (Noah)
Noah-sama closes her eyes sadly.
"I-I know." (Ira)
Ira-sama faces the other way as if finding this awkward.
I speak out at the words of those two Goddesses.
"Noah-sama, do you think I can challenge the Deep Sea Temple as I am now?" (Makoto)
My Water Magic Proficiency is over 5,000.
Ira-sama told me that there has been no mage who has mastered a specific magic to such a degree in the Mortal Realm.
But Noah-sama showed me a sad expression contrary to my expectations.
"You should understand too after challenging it that many times 1,000 years ago, right? There's a barrier that negates all Spirits. A Spirit User can't reach the Deep Sea Temple." (Noah)
"B-But if I destroy the barrier." (Makoto)
I try to hang on there, but Noah-sama smiles kindly at me.
"The one who placed the barrier was the brother of the God King, the Sea God, Neputus. It isn't something a mortal can do anything about." (Noah)
"…I see." (Makoto)
My shoulders droop.
I put up a good fight against the Ancient Dragon King, so I thought that it was almost time I could challenge it though.
"Don't get that depressed. I managed to become the 8th Goddess of this world thanks to you, Makoto, and I even have a decent amount of believers now, you know? At the time when I met you, I had zero believers." (Noah)
Noah-sama gently placed a hand on my shoulder while I was saddened.
"Noah-sama…" (Makoto)
"Fufu, you are cute, my Makoto." (Noah)
Noah-sama had a face filled with affection.
"Aren't you two entering your own world here? I am here too, you know?" (Ira)
Ira-sama's cold voice reached us from the side.
"Oh my, you were still here, Ira?" (Noah)
"I am. Problem?" (Ira)
"You should be reading the room here and leaving, right?" (Noah)
"Hmph, I am busy, so I will be leaving. Takatsuki Makoto, don't call the Time Spirits ever again, okay?! Don't think I will increase your lifespan again! Properly educate your Apostle, Noah!" (Ira)
After saying this, Ira-sama disappeared with a 'shuin' sound.
Is she going to be shutting herself in that busy office room?
My heart pains a bit knowing that the reason for her overtime is because of me calling the Time Spirits.
I should help her out again when I have the time.
"Hmm~~~?" (Noah)
At that moment, Noah-sama's face approached, and she began to sniff me.
"N-Noah-sama?" (Makoto)
What's the matter? -is what I was going to say, but before I could, she glared at me.
"I can smell the scent of Ira on you, Makoto." (Noah)
"Ah, no…that's…" (Makoto)
'It is because she gave me lifespan not that long ago' -but I swallow those words.
"I see. You were hugged and were given lifespan, huh…" (Noah)
Noah-sama can read minds, so there was no point!
"No, about that…" (Makoto)
I was about to say my excuse all flustered, but…
"I am joking. Just as Ira said, you should be careful about the use of the sacrificial technique." (Noah)
The straight stare of Noah-sama returned to her usual smile, and the scenery around began to grow hazy.
"Looks like time's up, Noah-sama. I wanted to talk more with you though." (Makoto)
"Right, me too, Makoto. Good work in your battle against the Ancient Dragon King." (Noah)
"Yes, see you later." (Makoto)
With those parting words, the scenery in front of me turned pure white.
I slowly opened my eyes, and what was reflected in my eyes was an unknown ceiling…no, it was a familiar face.
"Good morning, Sa-san." (Makoto)
"Ah! Takatsuki-kun woke up!" (Aya)
I was hugged with a big smile.
"I was super worried. Your face was pale white when you collapsed. The Holy Dragon-san casted healing magic on you, but it was showing no effect at all. But your complexion suddenly grew better. Such a mystery~." (Aya)
Sa-san tilted her head cutely.
"Aah…" (Makoto)
That must have been because Ira-sama gave me lifespan.
While I was wondering how to explain this…
"Makoto woke up?!!"
A low voice rang from far away, and I could hear the footsteps of someone running here.
Looks like she heard Sa-san say I had woken up.
The owner of those unworldly ears are…
The door is slammed open.
The owner of that voice was Lucy.
"Good morning, Lucy." (Makoto)
"I am so glad…you are okay. Ah, but there's someone that wants to talk to you, Makoto…" (Lucy)
Lucy is carrying something.
It was the communication tool that Gera-san gave me before we headed to the dwelling of the Ancient Dragons.
Speaking of which, he did tell me to keep him updated.
I didn't do that at all.
"Oi! Has Takatsuki Makoto woken up?! Is he okay?! No, more importantly, let me speak to him!"
I picked up the faint sound coming from the magic tool with my Eavesdrop skill.
Gera-san's speech is rough here.
That's as always, but it feels different from the usual.
As if he is agitated here…
"Lucy, can I?" (Makoto)
"Yeah, go ahead, Makoto." (Lucy)
I received the magic tool from Lucy.
"Hello, Takatsuki Makoto speaking." (Makoto)
I put my ear on the magic tool and speak up.
"Takatsuki Makoto! So you were okay! Now that you have managed to defeat the Ancient Dragon King one on one, you have become a Legendary Hero carved in history! Let me congratulate you first! Congratulations!!" (Geralt)
The shouting voice of Gera-san resonated from the magic tool.
So loud.
I think my eardrums received damage there.
I separate my ear a bit from the magic tool.
"Thanks. By the way, did something happen?" (Makoto)
I thank him and ask.
"…You can tell?" (Geralt)
"Your voice is different from usual." (Makoto)
When I said this, a slight silence passed.
And then…
"Please listen calmly to this." (Geralt)
Those words sounded as if they were directly more to himself than to me.
What Gera-san said was something I didn't expect at all.
"The Demon Lord Castle, Eden, has appeared in the sky of Symphonia. I will head to the capital at once. I will leave a message with the specifics in the fortress, so ask the details to a subordinate of mine." (Geralt)
That was a notice of the Great Demon Lord's assault towards Highland.


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Your Pilates fitness training starts here... Full 30 Minutes Workout! Do try this at home, bring a friend if you want. Make a time and do it again tomorrow. Kilo-calories burned: 189 Assuming: Gender: Female; Height: 170cm (5'6"); Weight: 65kg (143lbs); Age: 25 years; Length: 30 minutes Prerequisites: none Instructor: Angela Price: Free Visit the class … [Read more...]
How To Build & Shape Your Body With The Under 20 Workout – A Free Course
A 100% free course that gives you workouts & health tips to completely transform your body with no weights or equipment The Under 20 goal is to teach you how to incinerate body fat and build lean muscle with easy-to-follow 20 Minute Workouts. This isn't just a workout, this is a lifestyle shift - to help you live a longer, happier, healthier life. Welcome to … [Read more...]

subset: commoncrawl


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Ladies can now avail unlimited drinks at STK's Ladies' Night
The number of drinks has jumped from three to unlimited…
Ladies' nights are undoubtably a Dubai institution and the perfect excuse to catch up with your girl friends. Invariably ladies' nights involve some incredible drinks deals, great offers on dinner, and of course, lots of entertainment.
One popular ladies' night that has earned its stripes is the one at both branches of STK Dubai. The Tuesday night deal used to include three free drinks for ladies with dinner, however, now unlimited drinks are available for the girls between 6pm and 1am.
'Just Fine Cuts' Ladies' Night runs every Tuesday. Girls can avail two courses of the restaurant's famous dishes for Dhs200, or opt for three courses for Dhs240. The unlimited beverages will be available for three hours, from the time of your seating.
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Selected beverages include wine, beers, spirits and cocktails carefully crafted by the expert bartenders. You'll find STK JBR in the popular Rixos Premium JBR hotel, and STK Downtown in the swanky Address Downtown hotel.
The special ladies' night menu features some of the restaurant's most well-known dishes. Delicious starters include a charred corn chopped salad, an STK steamed dumpling, creamy burrata and those more-ish sliders, 'Lil Brgrs'.
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For mains, it's a choice between hazelnut gnocchi, cornfed chicken breast, roasted salmon and, of course, a 150 gram USD fillet steak, served with French fries and creamy peppercorn sauce. Desserts include donuts, chocolate marquise and New York cheesecake.
A DJ will be on hand to provide the entertainment, with the music building throughout the evening. Don't be surprised to be up on your feet dancing by the end of the night. Singers, dancers and other entertainment are also on.
Time for that long overdue catch up with the girls…
'Just Fine Cuts' Ladies' Night, STK JBR, Rixos Premium JBR, JBR, Dubai, Tuesdays, 6pm to 1am, two courses Dhs200, three courses Dhs240. Tel: (04) 394 1832. stksteakhouse.com
'Just Fine Cuts' Ladies' Night, STK Downtown, Address Downtown, Downtown Dubai, Tuesdays, 6pm to 1am, two courses Dhs200, three courses Dhs240. Tel: (0)55 796 8133. stksteakhouse.com
Images: Provided


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Stjepan Sejic has been announced as the artist and writer for a number of upcoming issues of Aquaman, starting with Aquaman #25.
He's been posting some Aquaman arts lately, most recently this:
People on Facebook haven't been able to identify her, and Sejic hasn't left a name.
Who is the character near Aquaman? I've never seen her being portrayed near him (not in recent DCAU films, neither in Justice League Unlimited).
Is she a recurring character, or something Stjepan Sejic has invented?


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New MacBook Pros Fail to Earn Consumer Reports Recommendation
Yes, it's the battery life. Lab tests reveal problems in three different MacBook Pro models.
Apple launched a new series of MacBook Pro laptops this fall, and Consumer Reports' labs have just finished evaluating them. The laptops did very well in measures of display quality and performance, but in terms of battery life, we found that the models varied dramatically from one trial to another.
As a result, these laptops are the first MacBooks not to receive recommended ratings from Consumer Reports.
Complaints about MacBook Pro batteries have been popping up online since the laptops first went on sale in November. Apple says that these computers should operate for up to 10 hours between charges, but some consumers in Apple's support forums reported that they were only able to use their laptops for three to four hours before the battery ran down.
Apple declined to comment on our test results until they better understand the issue, but emailed this statement: "Any customer who has a question about their Mac or its operation should contact AppleCare."
What We Found
We tested three MacBook Pros: a 13-inch model with Apple's new Touch Bar, which sits above the keyboard; a 13-inch model without the Touch Bar; and a 15-inch model. (All 15-inch MacBook Pros come with the Touch Bar.) All three machines were bought at retail, just like all products rated by Consumer Reports, from sports coupes to countertops. We do this to ensure that the models we test are identical to the ones a consumer would purchase.
The MacBook Pro battery life results were highly inconsistent from one trial to the next.
For instance, in a series of three consecutive tests, the 13-inch model with the Touch Bar ran for 16 hours in the first trial, 12.75 hours in the second, and just 3.75 hours in the third. The 13-inch model without the Touch Bar worked for 19.5 hours in one trial but only 4.5 hours in the next. And the numbers for the 15-inch laptop ranged from 18.5 down to 8 hours.
Those were just a few of the results; we tested battery life on these laptops repeatedly.
Typically, a laptop's battery life may vary from one trial to another by less than 5 percent. To arrive at our final battery life score we average those measurements together.
However, with the widely disparate figures we found in the MacBook Pro tests, an average wouldn't reflect anything a consumer would be likely to experience in the real world. For that reason, we are reporting the lowest battery life results, and using those numbers in calculating our final scores. It's the only time frame we can confidently advise a consumer to rely on if he or she is planning use the product without access to an electrical outlet.
Battery life is an important attribute for a laptop, and it it represents a significant portion of our overall score. After factoring together our complete test results, Consumer Reports finds that all three MacBook Pro laptops fail to meet our standards for recommended models.
This is a real departure from past MacBooks. Most Apple laptops have scored well in our battery test, typically lasting much longer than the manufacturer has claimed. For instance, a previous 13-inch MacBook Pro model lasted an exceptional 19 hours in Consumer Reports testing.
Battery Testing Details
Consumer Reports tests hundreds of laptops each year, using identical procedures in highly controlled conditions.
For the battery test, we download a series of 10 web pages sequentially, starting with the battery fully charged, and ending when the laptop shuts down. The web pages are stored on a server in our lab, and transmitted over a WiFi network set up specifically for this purpose. We conduct our battery tests using the computer's default browser—Safari, in the case of the MacBook Pro laptops.
During the tests, we set each laptop screen to remain on. We use an external meter to set the display brightness to 100 nits—a typical level you might use indoors or out. And, we turn off any automatic brightness adjustment in the laptop's settings.
We also update every computer's operating system before we begin any testing. We began our tests several weeks ago, but repeated the battery tests using macOS Sierra 10.12.2 after it was released. We saw no difference in the results.
Increasingly, we see that the performance of all kinds of products—not just computers and smartphones—can be influenced by software updates. If Apple updates its software in a way that the company claims will substantively change battery performance, we will conduct fresh tests.
Once our official testing was done, we experimented by conducting the same battery tests using a Chrome browser, rather than Safari. For this exercise, we ran two trials on each of the laptops, and found battery life to be consistently high on all six runs. That's not enough data for us to draw a conclusion, and in any case a test using Chrome wouldn't affect our ratings, since we only use the default browser to calculate our scores for all laptops. But it's something that a MacBook Pro owner might choose to try.
Consumer Reports has shared diagnostic files pulled from all three computers with Apple in the hope that this will help the company diagnose and fix any problem. We will report back with any updates.
Source: Consumer Reports