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thoughtless-muse · 16 days

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“for whom the tongue craves to taste,” [d.d]

“the cdc showers”

a/n: quick disclaimer – this is actually just a snippet of a larger piece that I’m putting together (a smutty 5+1 prompt, five times daryl made you cum, and the one time he let you return the favor) but as it’s my first real attempt at smut, I wanted to post this as a means to garner some constructive criticism before finishing the piece. If you’d be so kind to read and lmk your thoughts/critiques, I’d really appreciate it!

EDIT: I know it’s not how the majority of 5+1 prompts are done, but I’ve decided to post each segment as they are finished. I just think it’s an easier/less stressful method for me, so I hope you guys don’t mind the posting choice. the posts will be linked together for easier access.

the cdc showers – arrow mishaps lead to frisky fun – ever done it in a loft? – cold iron bars – the watchtower – I want a taste, too

c/w: explicit sexual content, cunnilingus, shower cunnilingus, tongue fucking, fingering, language, dirty talk, undisclosed age gap, 18+

word count: 2.4k

that morning, had anyone scooped you off to the side and told you that mere hours after arriving at the pipe-dream that was the CDC you’d be corralled into a hot shower with none other than daryl dixon squished between your thighs, you’d have laughed straight in their face and directed them towards the nearest mental institution – not that that would do anyone much good, given the state of things; but had anyone declared a statement that outrageous, you’d have thought their mind already gone, much like the drooling, shuffling, decaying bodies wandering the earth.

yet here you were, a steady jet of hot water battering the sore muscles of your back, liquor-laden torso slightly slumped, thighs spread open by broad shoulders and daryl dixon’s wicked tongue licking your little cunny straight to nirvana.

how the fuck did you even end up here, anyway?

it was so uncharacteristic of you – you knew next to nothing about daryl dixon. he was simply a mutual stranger. you’d never even had more than a few fleeting conversations with the man, for fuck’s sake; if you could even call them that. daryl was brusque and wholly unapproachable, and his attitude left a lot to be desired. due to his unpleasantness, you’d opted to keep your distance and observe rather than to interact. to be completely honest, you’d been more judgmental rather than observant of the man before, back at the quarry, internally critiquing his sour attitude, accent and frayed clothes; and, shamefully, even at times presuming that he was some forty year old virgin that had been holed up in his mother’s basement before the world went to shit – but, fuck, were you ever wrong.

maybe he was forty, maybe he had been holed up in his mother’s basement, who the fuck knows, but he sure as fuck wasn’t a virgin – at least, his tongue wasn’t. the way he moved it, fucked it into you, made a mess of you with it, there was no way he wasn’t experienced with it.

you let out a loud, trembling gasp when daryl suddenly broke his tender tongue-flicks to slide his teeth gently against your clit before wrapping his lips around it and sucking.

okay, fuck, scratch that. he was experienced with his whole mouth.

unlike the few other men you’d allowed to taste the heaven between your legs, daryl used his entire lower face to devour you – his tongue was the star of the show, of course, but his lips, nose and chin made a hell of a supporting cast. when his tongue was busy fucking your walls, his nose was right against your clit in its place, his head shaking side to side, applying just enough pressure to bring you pleasure but not enough to stimulate you into orgasm; and then, as if he could simply innately sense when you were becoming desperate for more, his tongue would slip from your hole and return to your clit once more, circling and flicking it with expert movements, quickly bringing you right back to that sweet precipice.

how long had he been at it?

the water wasn’t cold yet – or maybe your body was just too hot to register that it was; but with the amount of times that daryl had built then robbed you of your orgasm, you drunkenly surmised that it had to of been a good fifteen minutes. any other man would have tapped out from exhaustion already.

of course, there were times when his tongue would get tired, but even then, unlike your previous lovers, he seemed loathe to leave you without any contact – he would alternate between giving your clit chaste little kisses and moving his lips against your entire cunt as if it were a second mouth that he was intent on claiming; then, when his tongue was rested enough, he would dive right back into devouring you.

it was absolutely wrecking you, in the best and worst ways.

maybe it was simply the affects of the alcohol swimming through your veins that fed you the illusion of this being the best damn head you’d ever received; maybe it was because you certainly didn’t have a lot of other experiences to compare it to; or maybe it was the warmth that came with the comfort of hot water and a full stomach that made it so much better – either way, you were almost at the brink now, again, thighs quaking with the effort of holding your body upright and staving off your impending orgasm; you knew daryl would more than likely take it away if he sensed it, and you weren’t sure if you could handle that.

“oh, god,” you hissed out when daryl flattened his tongue against your clit, flicking it with short, harsh movements, before slipping it down to part your folds and lick up your slit. he transitioned between the repetitive movements at a near imperceptible speed, without ever having to trade out accuracy and rhythm for it. it was a dangerous cocktail of pleasure that had you damn near seeing stars. each harsh swipe of his tongue against your clit sent zips of electricity up your spine, and built a familiar tension within your gut.

“ya like tha’, sweetheart?” daryl parted from your cunt just enough to inquire huskily, his voice so low that you barely even managed to catch it over the volume of the hissing spray. you nearly whined at the loss of his tongue, and, rather than answer his question, which you could hardly even decipher at the moment, you reached a hand down to tangle your fingers into the short hair at his nape, using what leverage you had to push his head forward until the tip of his nose brushed against your sensitive clit once more.

“no, d-don’t – don’t talk…” you slurred out, tugging at his hair insistently and pulling a deep, rumbling chuckle from the man below you.

“some manners you have,” daryl drawled, but to your delight, returned his tongue to your slit, parting your wet folds and slipping it past the rim of your tight entrance. your fingers twitched against his nape as you released a high, airy sigh, and your hips began to move of their own accord, humping your cunt against his face and pulling even more vibrating vocalizations from his throat. you just wanted firmer friction, damn it.

your stomach was stirring, tight, that pressure slowly mounting. it felt fucking good, the way he was thrusting and wiggling his tongue against your gummy walls, fucking you with the thick muscle, his nose bumping into your clit and sending subtle jolts up your spine, and those vibrations and sounds, fuck! – but it just wasn’t enough. you needed something different, something more.

“do… do what you were doing before…” you requested breathlessly, hips trembling, fingers digging into the skin of his nape in desperation. “‘m so close, daryl… just need more.”

the thought of keeping your impending orgasm away from his awareness seemed to have slipped away in the midst of the tremulous pleasure he was bringing you, and maybe you shouldn’t have let the information out, but you were so desperate. your tummy was so fucking tight, that coil winding and winding to a painful climax, and holding it in just seemed impossible, you needed to let it go – and at the moment, the only way you could possibly reach orgasm was through daryl.

daryl flicked his eyes up to meet yours, and though your vision was a bit hazy from the steam and alcohol, you swore the man was smirking up at you from within your cunt. daryl was silent for a moment, all movements against your cunny paused, before he leaned back slightly and said, lowly, “why don’ I do somethin’ better, instead?”

before your drunk, horny, fuddled mind could truly decipher his words daryl was in motion; his warm hand gripped the back of your knee, bending your leg easily and hoisting it atop his shoulder – distantly, you registered a strange sensation against the skin of your calf (was that a shirt? was daryl fully clothed right now?) – and once your leg was stabilized, he skirted the fingers of his other hand up your other leg, the one that was still planted to the floor of the shower.

his fingertips grazed your knee, then the plush flesh of your thigh, before reaching between your hips. you jumped slightly when you felt the pad of his finger run over your slit, the thick digit parting your folds smoothly, the tip dipping ever so subtly into your entrance every so often. like he was testing the waters, or something.

“d-daryl, what are you doing?” you inquired, heart tripping over itself, apprehension twisting in your gut for the first time since he’d invited himself into your shower and initiated this whole thing.

wait, had he invited himself? or did you do that?

you couldn’t remember.

“shh, jus’ trus’ me, sweetheart. This’s gon’ blow yer mind.” daryl responded back, calmly, warm breath fanning over your sensitive clit as he spoke. your breath shuddered in your lungs, but any further objections died in your throat when daryl’s hot tongue met your sex, circling, flicking, flattening, devouring – his pace was much faster and firmer than before, the pleasure much more intense than what had previously been given.

“o-oh, fuck! daryl!” you moaned, your hand sliding up from his nape to the crown of his head, fingers fisting into his hair to hold his head still as you rutted your hips forward to meet his skilled tongue.

“shit, that’s it, baby,” daryl panted, muffled, into the slick heat of your cunt, tongue drawing lazy circles between his words. “jus’ fuckin’ lose it. use my tongue, sweetheart.”

it felt so fucking good. it felt like your cunt was melting right into daryl’s mouth, searing hot and drippy, sloppy, coating his lips, jaws, nose, and neck with copious amounts of your arousal – all the while daryl growled, groaned, and moaned as he slurped it down, as if it was the very nectar of life itself.

your gut felt like it would burst – at any moment, with any flick of his tongue, in time with any of those vibrating groans, you’d be exploding all over daryl’s face, releasing every single ounce of the pent-up arousal daryl had inflicted upon your body over the last fifteen minutes in a single second.

“daryl, daryl, god, yes… fuck, don’t stop… don’t s-stop.”

you continued to repeat those words, falling like a river from your mouth, a mantra that seemed to keep you grounded as daryl’s tongue threatened to send you floating away –

a sound akin to a scream bubbled in your throat when daryl suddenly slipped two of his thick fingers into your cunt; the sensation was far from unpleasant but far too close to overwhelming – and when he began to pump them in time with the flicks of his tongue, and curled them just so on every outward pull, scraping against something at the top of your gummy walls, you simply couldn’t hold it in.

your entire body locked up, muscles freezing as your lips fell open to release mute moans, both hands now swinging down to grip daryl’s hair.

those silent moans you were releasing quickly morphed into loud, wanton, downright sinful vocalizations as daryl pumped his fingers into your cunt, still rubbing that sweet spot, fingerfucking you through your high and bringing stars to your eyes. you pressed daryl’s head impossibly closer to your cunt, humping whatever you could and burying his fingers deeper inside your walls with desperate, short, shaky movements, releasing a litany of his name and curses in between breathy pants and moans.

when the waves of your high had begun to recede, you slowed your hips until they came to a complete stop, your chest heaving from the deep lungfuls of steamy air you pulled in. your body felt incredibly fuzzy, your mind pleasantly foggy; but your body, and everything else, felt too hot, too cramped, too everything, and when daryl decided to give your throbbing, sensitive clit one last tiny flick of his tongue, you damn near smacked him in the head.

if only your arms would move.

a small gasp was pulled from your lips when daryl slipped his fingers from your sloppy cunt, the friction against your sensitive walls almost enough to have your entire body seizing, and it was only when daryl lifted his hands up to grip your wrists were you able to disentangle your fingers from his hair; only with his help, of course.

daryl then grasped the plump flesh of your thigh, the one that was still tossed over his shoulder, and pulled it down slowly, not releasing his hold until your foot was planted firmly on the wet floor of the tub.

when your balance was secured daryl scuttled back from between your legs, and when he’d rose to a standing position, his chest now centimeters from your own (which you distantly realized was bare) you couldn’t help but stumble backwards until your back hit the cold wall. your lids felt incredibly heavy, and exhaustion gnawed insistently at your muscles; but through the fog, you were able to register daryl, who was indeed fully clothed, the fabric of his shirt and jeans soaked and clinging to his body like a second skin – and you were certain that was a smirk on his lips.

a smirk that said he knew he had just blown your mind, even if you would never admit it to him.

it seemed as though your orgasm had sobered you up a bit, because when daryl sidled up to you, right beneath the harsh spray, and placed his large hands on your naked hips, you were able to lift your hands and plant them on his chest. he didn’t attempt to move closer to you, but his hands didn’t fall from your hips either; and when he spoke, his voice was chock-full of cockiness that you found simultaneously alluring and irritating.

“if ya ever want yer mind blown again, ya know where to find me.”

with that, daryl slipped his hands from your hips and turned, ripped open the shower curtain with little effort and then stepped out, as if he hadn’t just performed an intimate act on you. water dripped noisily against the linoleum floor as he stalked away, and, not one to give up the chance at having the last word, you croaked out,

“in your dreams, dixon.”

the only thing you got in reply was a haughty chuckle, echoing into the bathroom from somewhere within the quarters you’d claimed for the night.

#daryl x reader #twd #daryl dixon #twd daryl #daryl dixon x reader #twd x reader

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intersectionalpraxis · 4 months

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"97% of all water in Gaza is not safe for human consumption." with caption below- "Systemic change for collective liberation" -percentage/figure is from the United Nations [@/ theslowfactory on X. 01/08/24.]

"On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human rights. The Resolution calls upon States and international organisations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all." "In November 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. Article I.1 states that "The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights". Comment No. 15 also defined the right to water as the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses." "Sufficient. The water supply for each person must be sufficient and continuous for personal and domestic uses. These uses ordinarily include drinking, personal sanitation, washing of clothes, food preparation, personal and household hygiene. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 50 and 100 litres of water per person per day are needed to ensure that most basic needs are met and few health concerns arise." "Safe. The water required for each personal or domestic use must be safe, therefore free from micro-organisms, chemical substances and radiological hazards that constitute a threat to a person's health. Measures of drinking-water safety are usually defined by national and/or local standards for drinking-water quality. The World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality provide a basis for the development of national standards that, if properly implemented, will ensure the safety of drinking-water." "Acceptable. Water should be of an acceptable colour, odour and taste for each personal or domestic use. [...] All water facilities and services must be culturally appropriate and sensitive to gender, lifecycle and privacy requirements." "Physically accessible. Everyone has the right to a water and sanitation service that is physically accessible within, or in the immediate vicinity of the household, educational institution, workplace or health institution. According to WHO, the water source has to be within 1,000 metres of the home and collection time should not exceed 30 minutes." "Affordable. Water, and water facilities and services, must be affordable for all. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) suggests that water costs should not exceed 3 per cent of household income."

Outlined by the United Nations very CLEARLY -yet Gaza, like Tigray and Sudan, and nearly a billion people concentrated in specific spaces in the world are SUFFERING because of rampant inaction of western imperialistic governments and figurehead organizations. This IS a massive human rights violation -the IOF is DEPRIVING Palestinian people of basic necessities and is starving them... it's absolutely stunning to me that something like this isn't front page on ALL major news sources. If this was somewhere in Europe or Australia or Canada then there would be international outcry -97%!!! Despicable.

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racefortheironthrone · 6 months

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Was the Comics Code as bad as the Hays Code?

That's a really good question!

I suppose it depends on what you mean by "as bad" - are we talking about the overall impact of the Code on American pop culture or are we talking about the actual content of the Code and what it banned and/or mandated in terms of artistic expression?

I've written a little bit about the Hays Code here, but my main focus was on subtextual judaism in Hollywood generally rather than what the Code was and what its impact on American cinema was.

So what did the Hays Code actually include?

One of the few positive things you can say about it is that the men who devised it were quite clear and forthright about what would and wouldn't be allowed, in comparison to the vagueness and inconsistency of the modern MPAA. So here's the list of what couldn't be shown:

Pointed profanity—by either title or lip—this includes the words God, Lord, Jesus, Christ (unless they be used reverently in connection with proper religious ceremonies), Hell, S.O.B., damn, Gawd, and every other profane and vulgar expression however it may be spelled; (You'll notice that the Code is very much a snapshot of the transition from silent movies to "talkies," with the discussion of how profanity is spelled as well as produced via "lip.")

Any licentious or suggestive nudity—in fact or in silhouette; and any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture;

The illegal traffic in drugs;

Any inference of sex perversion; (i.e anything having to do with LGBT+ people and culture. For more on the impact of the Hays Code on the LGBT+ community, see the excellent documentary the Celluloid Closet.)

White slavery; (the 1920s version of sex trafficking, but with added racism!)

Miscegenation;

Sex hygiene and venereal diseases;

Scenes of actual childbirth—in fact or in silhouette;

Children's sex organs;

Ridicule of the clergy;

Willful offense to any nation, race or creed; and (this one was really honored in the breach more than the observance when it came to nations, races, and creeds of non-dominant groups in society.)

The following things could be shown, but "special care be exercised in the manner in which the following subjects are treated, to the end that vulgarity and suggestiveness may be eliminated and that good taste may be emphasized:"

The use of the Flag;

International Relations (avoid picturizing in an unfavorable light another country's religion, history, institutions, prominent people and citizenry); (again, depended a lot on what country you're talking about.)

Arson;

The use of firearms;

Theft, robbery, safe-cracking, and dynamiting of trains, mines, buildings, et cetera (having in mind the effect which a too-detailed description of these may have upon the moron); (I guess the idea was that the MPPDA believed very strongly in the idea that media could affect people's behavior through imitation, but the use of the word "moron" gives me eugenics vibes.)

Brutality and possible gruesomeness;

Technique of committing murder by whatever method;

Methods of smuggling;

Third-Degree methods; (i.e, torture)

Actual hangings or electrocutions as legal punishment for crime; Sympathy for criminals; (this was a big one; Hollywood had done very well from gangster films, so a lot of creators had to do some careful threading of the needle to keep the genre alive. One dodge that they came up with was that they would have a duplicate "final reel" in which the gangster would have their inevitable comeuppance, and then remove the final reel when the censors had left the theater. Very popular with white rural teens.) Attitude toward public characters and institutions; (again, Hollywood shifting from being anti- to pro-establishment.)

Sedition;

Apparent cruelty to children and animals;

Branding of people or animals;

The sale of women, or of a woman selling her virtue;

Rape or attempted rape;

First-night scenes; (i.e, wedding nights)

Man and woman in bed together; (hence the eventual TV practice of showing married couples in separate beds in the 50s)

Deliberate seduction of girls;

The institution of marriage;

Surgical operations;

The use of drugs;

Titles or scenes having to do with law enforcement or law-enforcing officers;

Excessive or lustful kissing, particularly when one character or the other is a "heavy".

So in general, we can say that the Hays Code was extremely sex-negative, very concerned about crime and anti-establishment thinking, sexist, racist, and homophobic, and in general afraid of offending anybody.

So what about the Comics Code Authority?

So this is what the Comics Code looked like in 1954:

Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals. If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.

Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.

Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation. In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.

Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, the gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.

No comic magazine shall use the words "horror" or "terror" in its title.

All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.

All lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated. Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly, nor so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.

Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.

Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols which have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden.

Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure. Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.

Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.

Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Rape scenes, as well as sexual abnormalities, are unacceptable.

Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.

Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.

Nudity with meretricious purpose and salacious postures shall not be permitted in the advertising of any product; clothed figures shall never be presented in such a way as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals.[16]

You'll notice the similarities when it comes to the Codes' attitude to sex, sexuality, crime, and symbols of authority - so to answer the first part of your question, I would say the CCA was pretty similar to the Hays Code (in part because Charles F. Murphy, who drew it up, was deeply unoriginal and basically cribbed off the Hays Code throughout).

However, there are also some significant areas of difference that have a lot to do with the unique circumstances of the 1950s moral panic over comics. See, in the 1950s, superhero comics were considered deeply uncool and old hat - they had been huge in the 40s during the war, but by the 50s the biggest genre in comics were horror, crime, and romance comics (with cowboy comics bringing up the rear). To quote myself from another post:

"This gave rise to a moral panic in the 1950s, although more accurately it was part of the larger moral panic over juvenile delinquency. The U.S Senate established a Juvenile Delinquency Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee in 1953 to investigate the causes of juvenile delinquency and comics became a major target. While Wertham’s book is best known today for its assertions that Batman and Robin were teaching young boys to be gay and Wonder Woman was teaching young girls to be lesbians, the main focus of the Subcommittee [edit mine: and Wertham's academic work] was on horror and crime comics for their depiction of sex, violence, and “subversive” attitudes to law and order."

The CCA made it impossible to publish two of the most popular genres in the industry for a generation (the CCA relaxed its stance on horror stuff a bit in the 70s, which is why Marvel trend-chased werewolves and vampires the moment they could get away with it), which not only scrambled the medium (and potentially created space for the Silver Age of superhero comics to flourish) but drove the former titan EC Comics practically out of business. (Indeed, William Gaines of EC Comics believed that the CCA had been specifically worded to drive him out of business.)

So in some ways, the CCA was worse.

#subtexual judaism #cultural history #film history #hays code #comics #comics meta #comics code authority #cinema

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starlightkun · 2 months

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➠ word count: 2.6k ➠ warnings: cursing, extremely brief implication of alcohol? (bestie chenle is back and bringing his best unhinged wine aunt energy to adulthood and we love that for him) ➠ genre: fluff, slice of life, established relationship, former hockey captain sungchan, chronically ill reader (chronic migraines), shortfic in the buzzer beater series (after between two palms, before freezing the puck) ➠ extra info: the reader in this has chronic migraines, which i have. when the reader’s migraines, experiences as a chronically ill person, and thoughts about being chronically ill are described, that is me writing directly from my own life. i am not generalizing the lives of all people with chronic migraines/chronic illnesses, but i am sending all my love to any readers out there living with a chronic illness, and here’s a reminder to go take your meds! ➠ author’s note: ok how could i NOT write a lil something about their time abroad ft. my bestie, your bestie, everybody’s bestie chenle still being a little menace ➠ series masterlist

You shrugged off his apology by grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling his lips down to yours. Sungchan tasted like the ocean, like seabreeze and salt spray, and he happily hunched over to deepen the kiss, pressing your head back against the back of your chair.

Standing in the small regional airport of the little tropical town that you were staying in, you fanned yourself as you watched the sky out the window. The air conditioning was of course broken (not that you’d ever heard of a time that it was working), and you wished you could just stand straight on the tarmac as that would honestly be cooler.

After successfully defending his thesis and graduating with his PhD, Sungchan had (after discussing it with you) accepted an opportunity to join a team studying a tropical fish in its native habitat abroad for ten months, and you of course came with. It was a whirlwind of getting everything ready to move internationally in less than a month, and now that you two were finally sort of settled in, you were having your first visitor from back home.

Finally, you spotted the small prop plane descending, and literally bounced up and down in place with excitement as it landed, and you got a look at the four passengers deboarding right onto the runway. Your focus was on one in specific, as he fumbled with putting his sunglasses on as his hat nearly blew away in the strong winds.

As soon as he was in the doors, he spotted you with ease—there were only a few others waiting for their own family and friends—and you two nearly tackled each other with hugs.

“Chenle!” You squealed, squeezing him tightly.

“Y/N! Oh my god!” Chenle let you go, his chest heaving dramatically. “Did you see that landing? I thought we were going into the fucking ocean for a second. God, and the turbulence—I thought I was going to die, like typing my will in my notes app at 40,000 feet.”

“You’re too used to being spoiled with all those first-class international flights for work,” you scoffed, grabbing his rolling luggage as he kept his duffel bag on his shoulder.

“Business class,” he tried to insist as he followed you outside. “And really, is it too much to ask to not have my seatmate almost throw up on my shoes because the plane is convulsing like we’re in a cocktail shaker being thrown around by a flair bartender?”

“Oh no, did baby’s designer shoes almost get a little bit of commoner vomit on them?” You gasped teasingly.

“That is not what I—”

“Really brave for you to complain about getting somebody’s puke on your shoes.”

“That was one time sophomore year, I can’t believe you haven’t let it go,” he complained.

“And I never will,” you snickered, finally arriving at the small car that the research institute loaned out to the team for personal use. “Now come on, we’re getting brunch. Sungchan says hey by the way, and he wishes he could’ve met you at the airport too, but they had to go out on the boat early this morning. We’ll probably see him a little after lunchtime.”

“So what exactly are you two doing out here?” Chenle asked, reclined back in his seat and sipping on his second colorful cocktail of the day. “It’s absolutely gorgeous here, by the way, so if I were you, I wouldn’t give a shit what Sungchan was doing…”

You laughed, biting on the straw of your one and only drink. “He’s studying a tropical fish that’s only found in this region. Not really the whole fish, I guess, but apparently some of it could help cure human blood diseases. So that’s more the part that he’s interested in. His research head from his doctorate program recommended him for the spot on the team, and so far it seems like they love him.”

“And you’re just…?”

“Enjoying the view?” You replied sheepishly. “Been doing a lot of reading, exploring the area, trying to keep myself busy. His stipend is enough to support the both of us, and the research institute provides our housing and all those utilities, so I’m really just trying to keep busy while he’s out and about for the next… eight a half months?”

“I’d say you’re living the dream, but I know you…” Your friend pulled his sunglasses down just so you could see it clearly as he narrowed his eyes at you. “You’re going to get bored.”

“I’m enjoying the break! Really!”

“Tell me when you start writing an academic article out of boredom.”

“Well…”

“Already? You’ve been here for six weeks!”

“I haven’t started writing it, but I was re-reading the screenplay for M. Butterfly the other day, just something short, you know, and started taking some pretty rough notes about this idea that I’ve been turning over in my head for a while.”

He shook his head. “Of course you were.”

“I have to get a job when we go back, LeLe! I can’t be a stay-at-home girlfriend forever,” you tried to defend yourself.

“Sungchan would probably be cool with it.”

“After he made sure I wasn’t replaced by a robot, an alien, or suffered some kind of head trauma because he knows I’d go crazy like that.”

“I’m just saying…” Your friend gestured to the incredible view that the waterfront restaurant offered.

“Sounds like you want to be Sungchan’s stay-at-home girlfriend, Chenle,” you crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow.

He grinned mischievously. “Hell yeah, you two looking for a third?”

“You’re going to eat those words when you see the size of the apartment they put us up in.”

As soon as Chenle stepped over the threshold into your small one-bedroom apartment in town, he looked around, as if expecting more.

“You’ll be sleeping on the couch, sorry. Mine and Sungchan’s room is in there,” you pointed. “And the bathroom is connected, so we all have to share this week, sorry again.”

“You know, thanks for the offer, Y/N, but I don’t think I’m cut out for the throuple lifestyle.” He patted you on the back. “Good luck on your search, though.”

“Ungrateful little—” You cursed, grabbing his ear and yanking on it. “Wait until I tell your mom about this!”

“Tell my mom what?!” He yelped, jumping back from you and cradling his ear. He clearly wasn’t over taunting you either, though. “You want me to tell her that I rejected your throuple offer?”

“I’ll tell her it was your idea in the first place. She won’t even care about that when she hears about you rejecting my kind and selfless hospitality!”

He merely stuck his tongue out at you, and you stuck your tongue back out at him. With the situation essentially resolved, you two relaxed again, and he gave the apartment another lookover.

“It is really cute in here, actually,” he appraised. “How much of the décor is yours and how much came with the place?”

“Most of it came with the place, we couldn’t bring a whole lot, and we can’t buy too much while we’re here if we can’t bring it back.”

Reclined on the beach later in the day, you hummed contentedly at the cool breeze blowing over your warmed skin as you sat under the shade of an umbrella and some trees. You and Chenle had already swam around for a bit, and were taking a short rest back up on the shore.

“So when’s Sungchan allegedly supposed to appear?” Chenle asked, taking pictures of the incredibly blue water with his phone.

You checked your watch. “They left pretty early this morning, but he didn’t bring a lunch, so probably soon. Thirty minutes or less if I had to guess?”

“Hey, can I see that?”

“My… watch?” You held your left hand out to him, confused.

“No, this!” He smacked you in the face with the back of your own hand.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“Sorry, thought you couldn’t see it.”

“See what? How fucking dramatic you are? I’ve known that forever.”

“No, this!” That time he didn’t hit you with your own hand, but instead pointed to your bare left ring finger. “No ring?”

“No ring,” you confirmed calmly, yanking your appendage back from him so it couldn’t be used for evil again.

“Isn’t this the same guy who said ‘I love you’ on your first date or something?”

“Second.”

“Right, my bad, second date. And you two have been together for…” Chenle silently counted on his fingers. “…Six years?”

“I was worried for a second there at five. Thought you wouldn’t figure out how to get to your other hand.”

Chenle ignored your provocation, though, already on a mission. “Same guy who said ‘I love you’ on the second date hasn’t proposed in six years?”

You sighed, sitting up in your chair and leaning over the armrest towards him as if you two were conspiring on some plot. “I didn’t want to say anything but… we did pick out a ring before we left.”

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

“Got a little distracted with having to move to a new continent in like three weeks, sorry!”

“Did he bring it? Is he proposing here?”

“I don’t know! That part’s supposed to be a surprise!” You shoved him, laying back against your chair back again. “We had all the big talks and stuff, he has the ring somewhere—here, home, I don’t know—and now’s the surprise part: When it happens, how it happens, where it happens.”

“Alright, alright,” he held up his hands. “I rescinded my right to making decisions in the relationship when I left the throuple—”

You smacked him on the chest, “Shut up! Is that is now? It’s no longer rejecting an offer, you now were in our relationship, and left us?”

Chenle cackled. “Yeah, keep up, Y/N.”

“This is going to be the bit, isn’t it?” You deadpanned as he continued laughing. “The running bit for your whole week stay is going to be continuing to develop this nonexistent throuple lore?”

“I’ve got to keep myself entertained somehow.”

“Well, I’ll have to tell Sungchan that you left us, he’ll be devastated, I’m sure…” You retorted, knocking down the brim of your hat to cover your eyes. “I’m going to rest my eyes. Don’t get lost and don’t drown.”

“Heard.”

Just a few minutes later, and you heard the sound of a motorboat coming closer and closer, then the chatter of several familiar voices. The sound of shoes kicking through sand got nearer to your chair, then there was an even more prominent shadow over you, and you could sense someone hovering there. Right as you opened your mouth to say something, a drop of saltwater dripped off of whoever was standing over you and into it.

“Pfft!” You sputtered, shooting up in your chair and wiping your mouth as the newcomer burst into laughter.

“S-Sorry, baby,” Sungchan clutched his stomach, holding onto the arm of your chair for support. “Should’ve toweled off better…”

He was in a wetsuit that had been unzipped so that it only clung onto him from the hips down, the black material going down to just above his knees. His hair was clearly still damp, sticking up in crazy directions and he had that same excited, breathless smile he always had when running up to you after a boat day. His bag of personal effects and materials was on the ground by his feet, and you could see a towel crumpled up on top of that.

“Hey Sungch… Christ…” Chenle’s voice trailed off from somewhere further away. “You two know there’s other people on this beach, right?”

You reluctantly let Sungchan go, glaring at your friend. “And where the fuck did you go? I said don’t get lost.”

“I was in the water! Like right in front of you!”

“Hey, Chenle,” Sungchan greeted him enthusiastically like nothing had just happened, wrapping the smaller man in a big bear hug. “Glad you made it here in one piece, dude. How was your flight in?”

“Don’t rile him up…” You groaned, covering your face, but it was already too late.

“It was the scariest fucking thing I’ve ever experienced! We like, seriously almost crashed into the ocean. Like, actual water landing!”

As Chenle took over your shower early that evening, you and Sungchan went about your own tasks. He had to wash out all of his equipment that didn’t get taken care of at the marina and you put the finishing touches on Chenle’s makeshift couch-be. Sungchan stood directly under one of the lights at the sink in your kitchen—well really, it was more of a kitchenette, with a sink, a few cabinets, and minimal counter space that was taken up by a microwave and single plug-in electric burner, both of which couldn’t be plugged in at once for safety reasons and because the counter could only fit one at a time.

Glancing up from where you had just completed Chenle’s couch-bed, you furrowed your brow thoughtfully as you looked a bit harder at Sungchan’s complexion. Meandering over to lean against the counter next to him, you reaching up to gently tilt his head to expose it to the light better. Then, you grabbed his collar and pulled it to the side to take a peek at the skin of his shoulder. Sure enough, bright pink as well.

“Baby, you’re sunburned again,” you declared, letting go of his clothes.

“I let you put sunscreen on me this morning!” He protested, putting the last small piece of equipment onto the hand towel sitting on your counter.

“Did you reapply? That stuff’s not supposed to last the whole day, you know.”

With a slight pout to his bottom lip, he looked down into the sink guiltily. “I forgot…”

“Sit down, I’ll get the aloe from the fridge.”

He plopped himself down into one of the chairs around your tiny dining table just a couple steps away, pulling his shirt off and setting it on the surface in front of him. You grabbed the already near-empty bottle of aloe vera from the fridge then joined him.

Depositing a generous amount onto your fingers first, you then started applying it gently to the sun-tender areas of his shoulders.

“Ugh…” He groaned in relief, dropping his head forward into his hands. “Thank you, baby.”

“If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were doing this on purpose so you could have me doing this every night,” you replied teasingly, making sure you went down the pinkened skin of his back as well.

“Ooh, hey, that’s a good idea.”

“Sungchan…”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I really do just forget, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You started on his other shoulder. “Anyway, I was telling Chenle about that little place we like by the water, with those scallops you love. Sound good for dinner?”

“Sure, whatever you guys want. I’m ready to third wheel for the week.”

“He’s your friend too!” You insisted, pushing him back so you could access his also sunburned chest and face.

“But he was yours first, and you two are best friends.” He closed his eyes, a content smile spreading across his face. “Just happy to see you so happy, baby.”

Having finished his chest, you stole a peck from his lips before applying a small amount to his red cheeks and nose.

“God, I’m going to need to gouge my eyes out by week’s end!” Chenle had appeared in the open doorway to the bedroom, fully clothed and with a towel wrapped around his hair.

“And who was practically begging to be our third less than twelve hours ago?” You snapped back, carefully leaning your elbow on top of Sungchan’s hair to avoid all the sunburned areas you’d just tended to.

“Wait, what?!” Sungchan looked up at you, knocking your arm off his head.

“Don’t worry about it, I broke up with you two,” Chenle waved him off, dropping onto your couch. “So when’s dinner?”

➠ next | series masterlist | blog masterlist

#sungchan x reader #riize x reader #sungchan imagines #riize imagines #sungchan #sungchan imagine #riize imagine #nct x reader #nct imagine #nct imagines #jung sungchan #i: sungchan #f: ss&avk #s: buzzer beater #writing #text #mine #bias tag

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yuurei20 · 2 months

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Rook Info Compilation part 12: Rook and Vil (pt1)

Beauty is the reason why Rook chooses to drink the juice that Vil poisons in Book 5, explaining, "I wanted to believe in you. You, who strives harder and reaches for greater heights than any other. I didn't want you to besmirch yourself by doing anything foolish. And if the apple juice WAS cursed, I wanted to taste it. I wanted to taste the fruit of a poison derived from an obsession with beauty bordering on madness."

When Epel intercepts Rook’s departure from NRC in Book 6, Rook claims that his role as vice housewarden comes second to his position of le Chasseur d’Amour, and that he must provide Vil with skincare products to protect his beauty for an upcoming magazine cover photoshoot.

Later, Rook admits that this was a lie and he is actually worried for Vil’s welfare.

During the second Tsumsted Rook’s tsum exhibits a similar obsession with Vil. When Vil is too busy with the Film Club to humor it, the tsum takes up a hidden position in the school’s forest to watch Vil from afar without disrupting him.

Rook’s appreciation for beauty was his motivation to transfer from Savanaclaw to Pomfiore: when asked why he changed dorms despite finding his time in Savanclaw both fun and rewarding he responds, “I did so because I wished to gain a deeper understanding of beauty.”

Vil was also part of his inspiration, as he wanted to “watch Vil hone is own beauty up close. After all, two swordsmiths hammering a blade can give it an even keener edge. I volunteered to swing the second hammer upon Vil’s blade of beauty.”

Vil says that he tried to dissuade Rook from transferring, but “Rook cares not for the opinions of others once he decides something.”

Rook volunteers to donate his share of winnings from the VDC to Ramshackle Dorm (even before Vil's overblot) “to provide proper compensation to those contributing to Vil’s cause.”

But Rook also says he will not be following Vil into the entertainment industry after NRC as he is considering interning at an archeological research institute, in line with his interest in exploring historic ruins.

Rook says he is not patient, but visiting the island of Woe in Book 6 opened his eyes to how little of the world he’s seen, and he is now haunted by thoughts of how much beauty remains dormant and undiscovered in the world.

#twstrook #Rook Hunt #twisted wonderland #twstfacts #rookfacts

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visit-new-york · 1 year

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New York City

New York tumblr more photos here New York City, often simply referred to as NYC, is one of the most iconic and vibrant cities in the world. Located in the northeastern part of the United States, it is situated on the southeastern tip of the state of New York. With a population of over 8 million residents within the city limits and over 20 million in the greater metropolitan area, it is the most populous city in the United States.

Geography and Layout: New York City is composed of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. The city is located on a series of islands and connected by bridges and tunnels. Manhattan, the heart of the city, is where many of its most famous landmarks are located. It is divided into several neighborhoods, each with its own distinct character and atmosphere. The city is known for its impressive skyline, dominated by iconic skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower), and the Chrysler Building.

Culture and Diversity: One of New York City's defining characteristics is its incredible diversity. People from all over the world have made the city their home, resulting in a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, cuisines, and traditions. This diversity is celebrated through various cultural events, festivals, and neighborhoods that showcase the heritage of different communities.

The city's cultural scene is unparalleled, with world-class museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the American Museum of Natural History. Broadway, located in the Theater District of Manhattan, is synonymous with American theater and is famous for its top-tier productions.

Economy and Business: New York City is a global economic powerhouse. Its financial district, centered around Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, is home to some of the world's largest and most influential financial institutions. The city's economy is incredibly diverse, encompassing finance, media, technology, fashion, tourism, and more.

Education and Research: The city boasts some of the world's most prestigious universities, including Columbia University, New York University (NYU), and The City University of New York (CUNY) system. These institutions contribute to the city's reputation as a hub for research, innovation, and intellectual exchange.

Cuisine and Culinary Scene: New York City is a culinary melting pot, offering an array of dining options that reflect its multicultural makeup. From street food carts offering hot dogs and pretzels to high-end restaurants serving international cuisines, the city caters to all tastes and budgets. Iconic foods like New York-style pizza, bagels, and deli sandwiches are part of the city's culinary fabric.

Transportation: The city's extensive public transportation system, which includes the subway, buses, and ferries, is a crucial part of daily life for millions of residents and visitors. The yellow taxi cabs are also an iconic symbol of the city's transportation.

Landmarks and Attractions: New York City is home to an impressive array of landmarks and attractions. Some of the must-visit places include:

Times Square: A bustling commercial and entertainment hub known for its bright lights, theaters, and New Year's Eve celebrations.

Central Park: An expansive green oasis in the heart of Manhattan, offering a retreat from the urban hustle and bustle.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Iconic symbols of American freedom and immigration history.

Brooklyn Bridge: A historic suspension bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, offering stunning views of the city skyline.

Rockefeller Center: A complex of commercial buildings, famous for its ice-skating rink and the Top of the Rock observation deck.

The High Line: A unique elevated park built on a former railway track, offering a serene escape above the city streets.

Museums and Art Galleries: In addition to the aforementioned museums, NYC is home to the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and more.

Challenges and Opportunities: Despite its allure, New York City also faces challenges such as high living costs, traffic congestion, and issues related to affordable housing. The city has shown resilience in the face of challenges, and initiatives are continually being developed to address these concerns and create a more equitable and sustainable future.

In summary, New York City is a dynamic and multifaceted metropolis that captivates visitors and residents alike with its cultural richness, economic vitality, and unparalleled energy. Its ability to constantly reinvent itself while honoring its history makes it a truly remarkable and enduring global city.

#New York City #new york #newyork #New-York #nyc #NY #Manhattan #urban #city #USA #United States #buildings #travel #journey #outdoors #street #architecture #visit-new-york.tumblr.com

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brazenskald · 2 months

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In my first year of university, I was going through a very tumultuous time. There was all the many new things that come from leaving home, some good, some bad. There were the difficulties of a demanding if rewarding job, and I first became acquainted with the not-so-fondly-remembered and not yet fully un-internalized “student lifestyle.” Terrible food, awful sleep schedule, and this omnipresent sense of impending doom that was, at least in my case in Fall 2019, surprisingly prescient. Throughout all of this, I was not prepared to be struck by the warmth and depth and resonant Truth that cut through the noise and spoke to me with a certain book I picked up, by happenstance, because of its pretty cover. That book was A Conspiracy of Truths by @ariaste. You may have heard of them. https://www.alexandrarowland.net/a-conspiracy-of-truths

Now, needless to say I devoured aCoT, and subsequently its excellent sequel A Choir of Lies. I was sorrowfully disappointed to find out after finishing the absolute rollercoaster of Choir that there was in fact, no further reading yet to do. And so, profoundly affected as I was by this (for now) duology, which I will doubtless craft a dedicated and appropriately lengthy treatise at some point in the future, I set the books in a prime place upon my shelf and turned to face the rest of the year buoyed in my hopes for the brightness of Spring and the long lusty laughter of Summer. Alas, they were all of them deceived for another global epidemic was to begin. One (or two) life-altering years in a pandemic later… I returned to university, fully prepared to enjoy the hell out of an actual honest-to-gods academic institution that didn’t begin and end with a computer screen. It hit like a truck. Same awful student lifestyle, more bad habits piling up, and a rapidly growing sense of my own undiagnosed issue rearing its ugly head. I made one decision that saved me, probably. I kept buying and reading phenomenal books. I kept looking for stories to motivate, enervate, and inspire. Somewhere deep in my subconscious, I remembered that fateful message spoken by a Chant on a page three years past. To loosely paraphrase, “Stories [are] people, and the way people are.” I chose to focus on resilience, made it my motto, and sure I still had lots of work to do, but it helped. It gave me the push I needed to keep going.

That last long Winter that seemed so dark that the sun was never going to come back? I went a-wandering, and lo, a new instalment from @ariaste ‘s Mithalgeard universe! Not a Chant sequel as such, but I couldn’t get my hands on it fast enough. It was an oasis. A respite from the grind and dreary routines. It was also gay as… well as gay as a rainbow covered in gold, let’s say. And I cannot recommend A Taste of Gold and Iron fiercely enough, because although in many ways I managed to end my degree on a high note, that book drew me out of the darkness of the coldest part of the year. It gave me the sense to smell the flowers, to bask in the green and golden glow of a soon-to-be-attained victory, long overdue.

Alex had by this point also published several shorter works, (and a whole library’s worth of content on AO3, naturally) which I leapt to read whenever they crossed my radar. It helped that I joined their discord community which was leaps and bounds more reliable in terms of getting updates and also just having the chance to share in mutual fandom gushing. If you’re even remotely interested in learning more about what I’ve talked about here, you should join in! https://discord.gg/XHJ9Uy5gef Everybody there is absolutely lovely. So why do I bring all this up? To summarize a preamble that is, to put it mildly, not short, Alex’s writing sings to my soul. I love it more deeply than my non-existent children, and their body of work continues to evolve and grow and deliver on the themes and core messages that hooked me with that first book.

But wait, there’s more! Life carries on, and with it comes new stories! Specifically, Running Close to the Wind! It’s Our Flag Means Death meets Mithalgeard, which if I haven’t convinced you to go and read those other instalments, well just trust me when I say that is a potent and persuasive pairing! It’s also going to be dropping at an important time for me, what with convocation, another big move in my life, and a whole whack of uncertainty. Much like Avra, Teveri, and Julian though, I’ll just have to brave the rocky waters and hold on to those nearest to me, and that’s what I’d like to focus on at the end of this post. A Conspiracy of Truth taught me that stories are people, A Choir of Lies showed how stories can change people, and A Taste of Gold and Iron drove home that stories we tell ourselves are the hardest to rewrite, but also the most rewarding when we take ownership of them. I anticipate that with Running Close to the Wind, Alex will likely show us (with ample amounts of pomp and queer circumstances) how the story of ourselves can only ever be written by interweaving the tales of those closest to us. Perhaps, we’ll even discover how to navigate the often stormy seas of uncertainty that seem omnipresent these days, whenever we deign to pull our noses out from whichever books we’re currently nestled within. I know that’s certainly something I’ll be looking out for, come this June, and now hopefully you will be too! (This last link does go to the webpage for Running Close to the Wind, Tumblr’s just being weird I guess.)

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alexanderlightweight · 9 months

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cat boy Alec, with big fluffy ears and tail

-an excuse for magnus to call alec kitten? my favorite nickname magnus has for alec besides treasure and lovely... uh no thank you of course i'm not excited LET ME WRITES IT ALREADY BRAIN

i hope you enjoy this!

<3 lumine

maybe i'm a villain

is the title

Alec eyes the six shadowhunters that flank him and shakes his head, internally biting back his exhaustion.

“You’ll stay out here, until I’ve talked to Bane.” Alec orders and the hunters respond with concise, clear nods. Normally Alec wouldn’t detach from an official team — one sent from Idris no less — but as as head and Commander of New York, its Alec’s duty to pave the way for the clave.

Which mean this, meeting with the king of the East Coast for the very first time… and without even a hint of an invitation.

The clave has put Alec in perhaps, one of the most precarious positions he’s ever been in. It’s frustrating and insulting but the law is the law and so Alec will do the duty they’ve asked of him.

And then he’s going to go home to his Institute and write a detailed missive explaining every way the clave fucked up and ensure that every single Institute and clave elder sees it.

The clave is practically asking Alec to take the fall — ordering him to with fancy words and pretty calligraphy — and well, Alec always knew this was a possibility. He didn’t expect it — had been hoping it wouldn’t come to this — but Alec is still unmarried at twenty and has been finding ways to deny and ignore every single eligible candidate sent by his parents and the clave both.

So now, the clave has started to ask him for things that could — even by nephilim standards — be considered extreme.

They’re hoping to force him into a position where marrying is the better option but well… Alec would rather die on some convoluted mission for the clave than marry a woman.

As the clave is about to find out.

Alec will protect the hunters assigned to him to the best of his abilities, but they are not his hunters. They have sworn no oaths to him or he to them.

Alec will leave them if needed.

Their carnage and loss will be on the heads of the clave, not Alec and well, Alec’s has his own priorities.

Alec doesn’t disarm, but he takes only his sword and a dagger physically present. His quiver and bow will remain away until needed and Alec desperately hopes they won’t be needed during his meeting with Bane. If they are, it will already be too late for Alec.

—

Nephilim grace is the first thing Magnus tastes.

It’s a cool, almost glacier, presence. It moves nearly languidly through his subjects until it lingers on the steps to Magnus dais.

It’s with tempered curiosity that Magnus takes his first look at the nephilim intruder.

Soft.

It’s the first thing that Magnus catalogues.

Large, delectably looking cat ears with fur the color of an abyssal moth.

They’re elegant and pointed with little tufts that Magnus wants to curl around his fingertips and the crowd parts with a motion of his fingers. The hunter pauses at the foot of the steps and then slowly begins to ascend when Magnus crooks his fingers in demand.

He’s careful about it, hesitant without fear but a clear edge of wariness.

A predator entering another predators den… respectfully.

Magnus wants to feel if that fur and hair is as soft and lush as they look and then the hunter gets within a few steps and Magnus sees a thick, plush tail that is currently wrapped around a muscled thigh.

How sweet.

Magnus’ darling little hunter kept his tail to himself, not wanting others to touch him but also not making himself too large of a threat when entering Magnus’ territory. That he is clearly trying his best to not stand out or take up more attention than necessary.

It’s a pity then, that nothing he ever did would be enough to keep him from Magnus’ gaze.

— “I don’t often get strays in my domain.” Bane murmurs as he gets close and Alec feels the weight of Bane’s power — of his sovereignty — press down around him. Glamours have no place in Bane’s court. The fae and warlocks are all showing their marks and traits and Bane is no different.

His golden eyes are large and slitted, black and gold scales dapple his temples and his neck and his wrists and knuckles.

There are curled horned antlers coming from his head, golden veined and obsidian black and tapered to deadly points.

Alec swallows and stays where he is.

His ears twitch, flattening against his skull before he can help it.

No one thought to warn him how much Bane would be.

How gorgeous he is.

How powerful he is.

How glorious Alec would find him.

“Name and rank, little nephilim.” Bane tells him and for all that Alec knows he’s not small, he feels it in that moment, with the weight of Bane’s focus more encompassing than the entirety of the claves authority has ever been.

“Alec Lightwood, Head and Commander of the New York Institute.” Alec gets outside, throat tight in a way he doesn’t understand.

“You don’t have an appointment, Alexander.”

Alec hesitates, because he doesn’t hate the way that his name sounds when Bane says it and he also doesn’t want to argue with a Dominion king, especially not with one on their own territory.

“The clave asks for your pardon and that I be the representation between you and they. A team of six clave hunters, lead by myself, is requesting access to monitor and close a rift just past your wards.

“Do they think I’m incapable of taking care of my own territory?” Bane asks, voice even with a hidden danger that makes Alec’s mouth dry.

“No.” Alec says, because it’s definitely not that and also he’s pretty sure Bane won’t appreciate being told that this is probably Alec’s fault. That this encroachment on Bane’s territory is nothing more than the clave putting Alec in an unfortunate and almost impossible place.

Almost impossible, because they expect him to survive and immediately happily accept an engagement to ensure this never happens again.

There is a moment of pure silence and Alec wonders if he’d supposed to try and explain. Perhaps make something up or lie and he doesn’t notice how his ears fluff in annoyance before flattening against his skull when someone gets too close… it’s just. Alec doesn’t think it would be smart to lie to Bane.

“Come here, Alexander.”

—

After a moment of hesitation, Magnus’ hunter obeys.

As he gets even closer to Magnus and still further away from Magnus’ court, he relaxes.

It’s not much, but it’s enough that his tail slowly uncurls from him and Magnus catches the way the fluffy tip twitches, as if betraying Alexander’s anxiety.

And he is anxious.

Oh he’s hiding it well, but Magnus would only expect an idiot to feel confident and Alexander is quite clearly, not an idiot. Though he is something and considering the fact that Magnus has lived long enough to recognize when the clave is trying to subtle punish their active hunters. The clave likes to use downworlders to do their dirty work, but Magnus has never enjoyed being the clave’s tool.

“I think we can negotiate something between the two of us, personally.” Magnus promises and it earns him a nearly silent sigh of relief.

It’s a pity that relief won’t last for long.

“However even negotiations have a price—” Magnus smirks at Alexander’s suddenly narrowed eyes, “I may be known for my indulgences. Even the clave is quite aware of them.” Alexander grimaces but doesn’t deny it, “but I am not a gracious man. Therefore, if I’m going to let a pack of the clave’s miserable little beasts rampage through my territory, then I want something in return. I don’t do charity cases, Alexander.”

“Your price?” Alexander asks quietly, hesitantly.

“The clave has nothing I want.”

“Then?” His hunter asks, knowing that Magnus wants something or he wouldn’t have started this path.

“You.” Magnus says simply. “The night is still young but already it feels long and I rather enjoy the thought of being able to enjoy the softness of a pretty kitten on my lap.” Alexander’s eyes widen and his mouth parts but Magnus tuts, shushing him. “It would be the start, to opening negotiations. After all, I wasn’t even sent a courtesy message to let me know you were coming.”

Alexander glares at the floor at that, his ears twitching with clear displeasure at the blatant insult dealt to Magnus and Magnus knows this blame can also be places at the feet of the clave.

Magnus thinks he’ll need to make himself more clear.

To point out that at this rate, Alexander in his lap is the least of what will get Alexander’s team out of here alive, then, like an actual stray kitten, Alexander warily approaches him.

—

Alec isn’t sure how he’s supposed to sit in Bane’s lap, but he does his best anyways.

Hands dusted with scales reach out to grip his hips, guiding him close and up until he’s got a knee on either one of Magnus’ thighs. With his runes and training there isn’t even a burn in his muscles, but oh, it burns to feel Magnus solid and hot beneath him.

“Good kitten.” Bane practically croons and then — without warning — fingers are rubbing Alec’s ears and he keens.

Alec can’t help it.

He can’t help the noises he makes or how he all but melts into Bane, dropping against him with shuddering sides as Alec’s nerves are teased and petted and cosseted with the live wire of feeling that his ears currently are.

It’s a moment of time where thoughts don’t work and he’s still trying to catch his breath when Bane rumbles.

Alec aches to respond in turn and he can’t help the tiny, bitten back chirp that crosses his lips or the softest of purrs that Bane compels.

“Shall we start negotiations then, kitten?"

#lumine writes #writing wednesday #writing wednesdays #maybe i'm a villain #shadowhunters #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood

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sokkastyles · 5 months

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To continue the discussion re: Katara and forgiveness I have a scalding hot take. It's important for me to disclaim that I don't fault Katara for wanting revenge on her mother's killer, nor have I ever believed she was in the wrong for feeling that way. However, sometimes I think Katara is expected to be an eternally forgiving Madonna figure because that was the image of herself she herself projected. From the very start of the show she's been rather self-righteous and never had doubts about her indestructible moral compass. Her line from Spirit Lady about never turning her back on the people who need her just gave me the impression that she has a mighty big savior complex. I know most people are endeared to her for those reasons but due to my own personal tastes it had the opposite effect for me (and I'm worried I'll get some flack for saying all this). I love characters who struggle with doing the Right Thing (tm) SUE ME. And now comes a situation where she finally FINALLY has a major moral quandary. She's manufactured this image of being perpetually virtuous. But now the illusion is shattered when there's discordance between what she wants to do versus what is the right (albeit, subjectively so) thing to do. You know, something every other human on earth has struggled with and that for a while she had distanced herself from. It was refreshing to see this major conflict between her and the people in her life. I just wanted to share my two cents (and friendly reminder I acknowledge that it's a scalding hot take) and I hope my criticism of Katara doesn't evoke too much anger from the ATLA masses *Sweats nervously*

To be honest, I think it's odd to say that Katara has always portrayed herself as perpetually virtuous when she's introduced to us in the very first episode yelling about having to wash Sokka's dirty socks. Right off the bat, we are told that she is a character who does NOT accept the role of the perfect, quiet, subservient, nurturing female. That's what I mean by a Madonna figure. It's a specific term used to describe misogynistic standards placed on women. Standards Katara speaks out against, loudly and openly, in the first few seconds she is introduced.

Katara's strong sense of morals is another matter. Katara has a defined sense of right and wrong and that means she holds herself to high standards, too, but that is a big part of her moral struggle. And that's been a part of her arc since early on, too, when she ran into conflict with the earthbenders or Jet in season one because they didn't live up to her moral standards and because she didn't know what the right thing to do was when the people she expected to be the heroes wouldn't step up in the way she expected, or turned out to actually be the villains. Katara has a certain way she expects the world to be and throughout the show that ideal is constantly fighting with the reality of the world and its expectations.

But all of this also occurs because of the pressure she feels to fit a certain standard, and to say that Katara imposed this on herself is kinda ignorant of the institutional nature of sexism, to be honest. Katara may think it's her job to take care of everyone, but she was eight years old when she began to internalize that, and it didn't happen in a vacuum, it happened due to the expectations that already existed for girls to take on a motherly role plus the trauma of her mother's death.

That's one of the things about sexism. It says that girls and women need to behave a certain way, then treats that prescribed behavior like it's a natural trait instead of a learned one and makes it the subject of mockery. Katara is often treated this way by the narrative, too. And then when she acts in a way that is counter to that prescribed behavior, it's portrayed as weird or out of line, even though that part of Katara has always been present throughout the story, and in fact one of the reasons she was so angry in the Southern Raiders was because the others kept acting like she was somehow not herself instead of recognizing where her hurt was coming from.

Sorry, I find this take to be luke-warm, at best.

#katara

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vulcan-bourbon · 7 months

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writober 2023

Day 16 - Patron

Grian felt incredibly awkward being a freshman transfer in the middle of the school year. An unpleasant turn of fate in the form of the loss of accreditation of his own university and an emergency transfer to a completely unfamiliar (by all measures) educational institution forced him to catch extra weak attacks of anxiety that did not allow his brain to calm down.

And now he tiredly wandered along the corridor, looking for the right office, completely lost in the walls of this building. Everything could have been better if he had turned on his inner “social devils” and made friends even with the first one he came across, but due to the current situation, there was absolutely no strength and “spoons” for unnecessary social relationships.

Violet eyes, full of lack of sleep, glanced wearily at the vending machine. The taste of synthetic instant coffee automatically reflected on his lips; this is not the most pleasant drink, which he would prefer to drink exclusively for emergency purposes when he is broke. For example, unfortunately, now. Due to the unexpected relocation, as well as unexpected expenses, it was worth not spending much until a way out of this unpleasant financial hole was found.

But, as luck would have it, the vending machine itself stood at the entrance to the chain cafe from which came the pleasant aroma of freshly ground coffee, the knocking of the holder, and the pleasant sound of espresso, which could now be flowing in his body instead of blood.

Xelqua lets out a sad, quiet groan looking towards the intersection of the machine and the cafe at the same time.

- Hey, new guy, are you looking for something hotter? - He heard giggling next to him and, shaking his shoulders slightly, he automatically turned towards someone else’s voice.

Standing nearby was a thin guy with blue eyes and blue-blue hair that looked like fire when he moved slightly. He was a head taller than Grian, from which the feeling of his elevation clearly made itself felt. His strange dark clothes, reminiscent of a black thin raincoat, some kind of stupid turquoise sweater, pale skin and smile evoked the vibes of some villain from a comic book. The ones about super heroes...

- Suppose? - Grian said thoughtfully, drawing out the words and looking away from the guy towards the coffee shop and sighing heavily. — I doubt you can offer me anything interesting.

- And I think I can. To begin with, — the guy holds out his thin fingers stained with red and blue ink, — My name is Tango and I know that you are new here, I want to introduce you to our university.

— Grian, — Xelqua tries to grin in response, as if trying to inflate his worth and pretend that he is a self-sufficient adult guy and in general such an acquaintance for him is like rubbing two fingers on the asphalt.

- So, Grian, what about finding you a patron within these walls? - Tango giggles, lowering his palm and crossing his arms over his chest, smiling contentedly.

- Do you offer this to everyone? - Grian snorts quietly, looking at how self-confident Tango becomes before his eyes after such phrases.

- No, only such handsome handsome men. — Tango winks, making Xelqua try really hard not to blush. It's not often that such hot guys flirt with him.

- Oh, Tango. Let's buy me some coffee first, I refuse to flirt with my sleepy brain. - Grian jokes, nodding towards the machine gun. If he saves a couple of coins, it will be better.

- No problem. - Tango smiles contentedly, nodding towards the machine, but walking past it and heading towards the coffee shop.

- Hmm, Tango. I can get by with synthetic coffee.., — Xelqua says hesitantly, internally not believing that he can be treated to real coffee.

- Well, first of all, this is my friends’ coffee shop and I can buy a drink at cost. Secondly, I heard that sad sound that you made literally looking towards the coffee shop, well, and thirdly, I can’t afford to kiss someone’s lips that just touched artificial coffee. - Tango jokes, not hiding his laughter, - Okay, the last one was too much. I can simply afford to treat a person that I like coffee. How do you like that?

In just a few words, Tango managed to get upset at how stupid he was, to be touched by how cute he was, and almost roll his eyes at his cute nonsense.

-Are you always this stupid? - Grian snorts, hiding his smile and walking ahead of the guy into the cafe.

- No, only with such handsome guys who suffer from caffeine. You are the easiest victims. - Tango giggles, from which he immediately receives an elbow in the side from Grian, but sees how Xelqua is pleased with such stupidity, he only smiles guiltily. On the other hand, how else can you approach handsome strangers?

// I carefully remind you that еnglish is not my native language, I’m just learning and thank you for your understanding,,,,

#mcyt #mcytblr #writober2023 #grian #tangotek #tangrian #peskyblaze #most likely it's au #you know those cute student ones ahhh #hermitshipping #lukaniel writes

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kp777 · 14 days

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By Julia Conley

Common Dreams

April 16, 2024

"The institutions of world finance have lost their muscle," wrote more than 100 activists, celebrities, and political leaders. "You can be the leaders who bring them into the 21st century."

Quoting the economist John Maynard Keynes at the time of the founding of the modern global finance system in 1944, more than 100 signatories on Tuesday called on the world's largest economies to allow the world "to taste hope again" by pouring resources into solving the global debt and climate crises.

Keynes remarked after the historic Bretton Woods meeting in New Hampshire that the summit offered new hope to everyone from "our businessmen and our manufacturers and our unemployed" as world leaders established the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

But with the world now "rocked by conflict, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and spiraling inflation," said the signers of an open letter organized by communications and campaign group Project Everyone, the global community needs "another Bretton Woods moment"—one that would correct the "imperfect" system hammered out 80 years ago and live up to the ideals that were centered at the original meeting, including "prosperity as a means of peace" and wealth as a means of serving "the common good."

The letter states that global inequality is "compounded by the devastation wrought by climate change," which is disproportionately likely to impact the Global South even as developing countries contribute a mere fraction of the planet-heating emissions of wealthy nations.

The signatories—including International Rescue Committee CEO David Miliband, philanthropist Abigail Disney, and singer and activist Annie Lennox—called on G20 countries to take steps including tripling their investment in the World Bank and IMF, canceling developing countries' debt to the institutions, and reforming tax codes to ensure big polluters and the wealthiest people contribute to efforts to mitigate inequality.

"This is your chance," reads the letter, which was released as world leaders met in Washington, D.C. for the World Bank and IMF's Spring Meetings. "The institutions of world finance have lost their muscle. You can be the leaders who bring them into the 21st century. You can unlock the colossal public and private investment potential of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation."

Under the status quo, the signatories noted, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are "way off track," with $3 trillion still needed achieve the objective of a "greener, fairer, better world by 2030," as agreed to by 193 U.N. member states.

Project Everyone and its supporters reiterated a demand made by Oxfam International Monday to cancel debts owed by countries in the Global South that are facing rising inequality, as their debt obligations to the IMF and the World Bank have left them unable to invest in education, climate adaptation, housing, and other public services.

"Removing burdensome debt allows countries to invest in their people and their future: in resilience, education, health, and nutrition," wrote the signatories. "This drives growth and creates string partners to trade with... Each of us stands to gain from stability, lower food and energy costs, and nature protection."

The wealthiest countries in the world, said Project Everyone, must look to the leaders who met at Bretton Woods and "fulfill their promise: to transform these instruments for peace and prosperity and truly set them to work in our common interest."

#imf #world bank #g20 #bretton woods

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wen-kexing-apologist · 1 year

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*lies down for a nap*

*thinks about The Eighth Sense post by @starsickkk and @lurkingshan*

*jolts violently upright from bed*

"OH MY GOD, EIGHT SENSES"

Okay so most of us are familiar with the five senses, right?

Touch

Sound

Sight

Taste

Smell

But there are three other senses as well, at least according to this website on the sensory processing system, and this one on autism, and this one from the STAR institute, and this website on neurodiversity as well. So what are the other three senses?

6: Vestibular- This is your balance and orientation in space (x)

7: Proprioception- This is your perception of position, location, and movement of your muscles. Essentially your ability to process where your body physically is. (x)

According to Wikipedia (this is a fictional show and as such I will not be spending time looking for the original, actual, scientific journal articles) your body uses information from both proprioception and the vestibular system to understand your body's position and movement. Now the internet has not been specific/completely in agreement about whether vestibular or proprioception is 6 or 7, but multiple sites I've cited on here do list the following as the eighth sense:

8: Interoception- Internal perception. The eighth sense is what allows us to feel if we are hungry or thirsty. But it also said to be tied to how you experience/feel your emotions.

According to these website you can either be hypo-sensitive (meaning low awareness) or hyper-sensitive (meaning high awareness). People with low interoception might not be aware of pain and temperature, might not feel hungry or thirsty, and may have trouble identifying their emotions. People with high interoception may have heightened awareness of their hunger or thirst signals, might experience emotions more strongly, and might feel pain even after an injury has healed.

And it's making me think about this post from @chicademartinica about JaeWon's relationship to food. I don't think these are entirely related but, I don't know I guess I'm just thinking about whether or not there is a reason this show is named The Eighth Sense. Whether or not this show will explain the meaning of The Eighth Sense. Whether or not what we are seeing before us is real or imagined.

And because I sometimes have difficulty pointing things out and then letting it hang open for interpretation and speculation, I started digging into the idea of PTSD playing with interoception. I found this study from Frontiers in Psychology that found "the more childhood trauma participants reported, the more difficult it was for them to perceive their heartbeat after the stressor" where heartbeat was being used to define interoception. And something I do know to have a current evidence basis is that prolonged exposure to stress, particularly in childhood, is associated with greater HPA axis dysregulation (For those of you who don't know, the HPA axis controls stress) that can cause both physical and mental health problems long term.

Prolonged exposure to stress like, say, having to abandon your dreams and your passions to take over the family business?

Prolonged exposure to stress like, say, having an aggressive father?

Prolonged exposure to stress like, say, witnessing the death of your baby brother and being powerless to stop it? Living with the guilt of that for over a decade?

What I really want to know is the name of the medication JaeWon is taking because that can help narrow down the type of mental health problem he is struggling with.

Any way you play it though, I am really just curious if the name of this show is The Eighth Sense because JaeWon is missing his. Because he's numb, because he's not eating, because he's has outbursts of aggression, because he's feeling detached from people who aren't JiHyun (many of these are symptoms of PTSD by the way), because he wants people to like him and he wants to be nice, but you can see him just spend so much of his time folded in on himself. But JiHyun is lighting that spark, JiHyun is getting him back in touch with his emotions. JiHyun is making him feel happy again.

Note: Usually I would want to be more responsible about sharing science like this (ie I would be checking sources for accuracy, trying to find studies or at least looking at the studies these articles may have been inspired by, making sure these studies are published in peer reviewed journals or whatnot. But as I said before, this is a fictional piece of media and so I will not hold it to the height of scientific feasibility because this is what you find on the internet when you google this stuff so if the writers were at all informed by this concept this is probably far more likely what they would have found)

#the eighth sense #t8s #the eighth sense theories #TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS PEOPLE I WANT TO KNOW #the eighth sense meta #jaewon #jaewon x jihyun #I need the next episodes now so I can know whether or not this show is real #i honestly have no idea how we got here

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