#now i have to make posts for etchings and the ninth (well. eventually)

[singularscissor]

so uh. i don't really like the previous ref post i did for Bright Crown so. i made a new one that gets to the point and also actually looks good. it's still not really an art reference per se (consistency is for losers 😎), more like a general summary about them

much yapping and elaboration follows below

Bright Crown was initially designed by a member of the Assembly in Recognition of Ignorance. The Assembly was a scientific trancendentalist organization that believed the Solution could only be found through a deeper and more complete understanding of the world in general, in particular various natural laws and phenomena.

The Assembly conducted research in a variety of fields, astronomy/upper orbit conditions were only one branch of the organization. For much of the Assembly's existence, the work of Bright Crown's development and construction progressed slowly. Scientists built ground infrastructure (the Endless Sea Facility) and refined the superstructure's design in anticipation of its construction.

When the Great Equalization came, storms and flooding began to threaten the Assembly's complexes, and the leadership fell into agitation. The branch responsible for Bright Crown suddenly became politically powerful because of the infrastructure they had built -- the automated facilities were already designed to supply the superstructure, and it was not difficult to adapt them to also support the Assembly's general population. In particular, the half-constructed communications spire was modified to include a sizeable city, safely above cloud level.

With control of the Council, the Bright Crown branch was able to more fully commit the Assembly's resources to the project, and construction proceeded considerably faster (though, compared to other contemporary iterator projects, progress was slow. Building in space is difficult.)

During this time, all five launch rails were used to deliver components up the the station for assembly. The rails use a combination of gravity manipulators and magnets to accelerate the supply capsules past the cloud layer. The capsules are also equipped with their own thrusters for use once the rails are cleared.

After the structure's completion, the launch rails were used less -- though, as an mostly isolated and definitely not lossless system, Bright Crown requires regular shipments of fuel, replacement water, raw materials etc. All five rails were kept operational for the sake of redundancy, but only half of them were ever used at the same time.

Most communication receivers are designed to catch signals from other ground based sources, rather than from space. Even proper equipment (such as the specially designed ESF spire) can only pick up a signal when Bright Crown is at the proper point in orbit above it. This left Bright Crown socially isolated -- though they are assigned to a local group based off ESF's geographical location, they are more or less ignored by its members due to the infrequency of their transmissions.

Bright Crown also often worries about their long term survival. There are a lot of inherent complications with being in space -- damage that might be ignorable to a normal iterator would be crippling in such a precariously balanced system. A hull breach in the wrong place, or a breakdown in the groundside supply chain could spell disaster.

Relations with the Assembly eventually degraded. Bright Crown hated being dependent on Endless Sea Facility and the Council's goodwill, and also held a grudge against them for continuing with their own construction even after it was clear their longevity would be substandard.

[thatesqcrush]

Road Show

Harvard! Rafael Barba x Reader. Inspired by a post I saw from @cutiepiesub, which stated “Car sex while it’s raining. Both of you in the backseat, one on the others lap, making out and giggling while softly touching each other, the rain pouring down and drowning out each other’s moans. The rain and foggy windows making the lights outside a blur of pretty colors.” CW: NSFW for smut and language. 18+ fo’ sho.’

AN: It’s Harvard based Barba, but he’s an adult.  Tags: @madpanda75 @ottosuricato @delia26​ @sass-and-suspenders @glimmerglittergirl @melsquared79 @mommakat32 @southern-magnolia @niyashell @tropes-and-tales @imjustreallynosy @whyissvuruiningmylovelife @evee87 @scarletsoldierrr @kscarlett1 @cesarofangirl78 @redlipstickandplaid @dreila03​ - anyone else just ask.

You huffed as you threw another duffel bag into your trunk. You pressed the bag down onto the others, trying to make it fit. “How many bags do you need for a weekend trip?” Rafael asked as he approached you. His eyes bounced from the sight of your full trunk to the one duffel bag he had. “Not a lot,” you replied defensively as you slammed your trunk shut. “I’m meeting your mom and friends for the first time; I want to make a good impression.” You shoved your hands into the back pocket of your jeans. The wind blew, and the autumnal leaves whipped around your feet. You shivered. “How many times do I have to tell you? Just be you. They’ll love you.” Rafael reached and pulled you into an embrace. Rafael brushed some hair back, before cupping your cheek. “Just as I love you.” He gave you a slightly goofy grin; you felt your insecurities dissipate and you relaxed into his embrace. “Okay,” you replied. “Now, do you want to do the first leg of the trip? We can change around New Haven. Or I can do it, whatever.” It was your turn to feel Rafael tense. “Uh... I don’t...” “It’s fine,” you replied, cutting him off. You pulled away to open the car door. “Driving helps with my anxiety so it’ll be good for me to — “ you stopped, noticing your boyfriend was looking at the ground, his face reddened. “Rafael you know how to drive don’t you?” You questioned as you jingled the keys. Rafael let out an audible sigh and looked up at you. “I have a permit, but I don’t know actually. I grew up in the city. You don’t need to know how to drive because you can get by on the subway.” You smiled sympathetically at your boyfriend. “You’ll have to learn eventually. I’ll teach you. Not today though. It’s going to be a long enough drive as it is. Now come on, let’s go. I want to stop and fill up and then get coffee.” Rafael perked at the mention of coffee. “Okay. Gas and coffee are on me.” **** The traffic wasn’t as nearly as bad you imagined it’d be for Columbus Day weekend. That all came to an abrupt halt when you approached the Whitestone bridge and things came to a crawl. You sighed, irritated. Rafael squeezed your thigh and you gave him a small smile before you slammed on your horn at another driver. “I thought you said driving relaxes you,” Rafael chuckled as he changed the radio station. You glared at him and stuck your tongue at him. “He cut me off!” “Remind me to take you Mulally Park. It’s really pretty this time of year if you look past the litter,” Rafael replied staring out the passenger window. He watched as the city’s skyline came into view. He felt a pang of wistfulness - he didn’t want to leave the city but when Harvard beckoned, he knew he had to leave. **** Finding parking along Jerome Avenue was tricky. You managed to parallel park under the elevated subway line along 167th Street after circling the streets for what seemed like an eternity. Rafael hadn’t even managed to be out of the car for more than a minute when he heard his name called out. Rafael turned and he broke out into a grin seeing his friends, Alex Muñoz and Eddie Garcia. “Alex! Eddie!” Rafael greeted them, pulling them each into hugs accompanied by slaps on the back. “¡Los tres mosqueteros se han reunido!” Eddie cheered. “Es bueno verte mi amigo,” Alex replied. He looked over towards you, a glint in his eye. “Hi. You must be Y/N. Rafael’s told us all about you. We never thought he’d move on from Yelina.” Rafael flushed, taking your hand in his. “Alex,” he replied, his voice low, warning. Alex ignored him. “It’s nice to meet you Y/N. For awhile I thought he made you up.” You cocked a brow at him. “Well, I’m very much real,” you replied coolly. “And I know all about Yelina.” When you saw the surprised look that came across Alex’s face, you knew he hadn’t been counting on you knowing about Yelina. His expression changed quickly and he raised an eyebrow at you. “Pues, you should come hang with Yelina and I after the game,” Alex continued, smirking at your response. “You know there’s no hard feelings.” “Why would there be; you are my best friend after all,” Rafael replied curtly, the grip on your hand tightening. You whipped your head at your boyfriend and then looked back at Alex. “How long are you in town for Rafi?” Eddie interrupted. “Just the weekend; catching the game tonight,” Rafael replied. You felt his grip on yours loosen. You opened your mouth and the closed it. The air was thick with tension and awkwardness. Rafael looked up towards the stairs that connected Shakespeare and Anderson avenues. “Here, be useful and help us carry these. Y/N is meeting mami for the first time.” Rafael grabbed your duffle and tossed it at Alex, who caught it. Alex smirked at you. “Sure thing Rafi.” *** Meeting Lucia Barba wasn’t as terrifying as you thought. Catalina Diaz, was wonderful. She reminded you of your own grandmother. She was exceptionally kind. “M’ija, eat, eat,” Catalina encouraged you as she piled another plate of white rice and black beans and sweet fried plantains in front of you. You smile and nodded. The food was too delicious. “Gracias,” you replied. You two were headed to the Yankees game that night and as much as you enjoyed stadium fare, you didn’t enjoy stadium prices. You and Rafael wanted to get your fill in before you headed out. “I found another album with pictures of Rafi,” Lucia declared victtoriously as she entered the kitchen. “This one has him getting a bath in the sink.” “Mamí,” Rafael groaned. “Really?” Lucia gave him a look as she handed you a picture. You giggled, despite your mouth being full of food. You traced the picture of the very chubby infant splashing in the sink. You swallowed your food before speaking. “You were adorable.” “Excuse me, I’m still adorable,” Rafael winked before he popped a maduro in his mouth.” “That you are,” Lucia replied, before walking over to press a kiss to the top of Rafael’s head. **** The Yankees won, after breaking a tie in the bottom of the ninth. There was a massive crowd, that spilled back onto the streets, cheering. Part of the crowd was slowly dissipating towards the subway. You and Rafael made your way back towards outside of the stadium, hand in hand. Though you both ate, you did spend money on beers and both of you were a little buzzed on the high of the game and the beer. “My first year of little league was awful,” Rafael stated. “I’m better off watching baseball versus playing.” “I wonder if your mom has a picture of you; I’ll have to ask,” you wondered out loud. “Oh God,” Rafael groaned. “I hope not.” You both walked up the concourse, hand in hand. You weren’t sure if it was the beer or something else, but you felt uneasy. “Do you want to hang out with Alex and Ye—”

“No,” Rafael replied rather brusquely. You were taken slightly aback by his curt response, but yet you continued. “So about Yelina...” Rafael dropped your hand and came to a stop. You turned towards him. A look of pain was etched on his face and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I really don’t want to talk about Yelina,” he replied. A gust of wind blew, and he looked up towards the sky. The scent of petrichor was thick, indicating it was going to rain soon. A large drop from the sky fell, splashing his cheek. Rafael wiped it away with the back of his hand. “Let’s just get back.” You nodded and resumed walking. There was a large gap between the two of you. You crinkled your nose. “You shouldn’t keep your feelings inside. You can talk to me.” “There is nothing to say,” Rafael replied, his voice rising slightly. “I asked you to drop this.” You stopped and turned to face him. “Please don’t shut me out.” Rafael looked around and he audibly sighed, exasperated. “Fine but not here; let’s go to your car.” You nodded and followed Rafael back towards the car. You walked up the stairs and back down, huffing behind him. “I used to climb these stairs all the time.” Rafael quipped. “In the day they’re fine, but at night it isn’t the safest. Just stay close to me.” You both made it back to your car shortly thereafter, and sat in the backseat.  “When you’re ready,” you implored after a beat. Rafael swallowed hard. He removed his Yankees sweatshirt, which was damp from some of the rain and his sweat. He took a deep breath and then he began. “You know how she cheated on me. She really wanted Alex; she used me as a stepping stone. I just don’t get why this still upsets me so much.” “Your feelings are valid,” you replied softly. “You were betrayed by the two people you trusted most. At the end of the day I can’t tell you who to be friends with or not, but I’d drop them if I was you,” you replied. You reached over and took his hand, squeezing gently. Rafael looked at you and shook your head. “It’s so easy to say that. But there’s so much history.” You sucked in your bottom lip and chewed out of nervousness. Looking out the window, you felt the knot in your stomach grow. You focused on the graffiti wall across from you. “Are you still in love with her?” You felt Rafael’s hand on your shoulder, encouraging you to turn to look at him. Rafael leaned over to kiss you. You pulled away. “You’re not answering my question.” Rafael cocked his head. “Y/N - I love you. And only you. Yelina is my past.” You smiled at his response and pressed a kiss to his lips. The kiss which initially began chaste, grew with heated passion. Rafael tasted like a mix of beer and mint. You ran your hands under his tee-shirt, and then back out over his shirt. Rafael pulled you so that you were onto his lap. His fingertips grazed the hem of your shirt before pushing under to cup your breasts through your bra. You ground yourself into his lap, feeling his arousal through the clothing. Your jeans provided a friction against your most sensitive parts and you could feel your panties dampen. You groaned as he began to suck on the hollow of your neck; it sent a course of pleasure through your body. Rafael’s thumbs grazed your nipples, which were already hardened pebbles.

“You have the best tits - have I told you that?” Rafael murmured as he hiked up your shirt to lower his mouth to your flesh. You could feel his warm breath on your skin and it sent a shiver up your spine; you could feel the goosebumps which started to spring on your skin.

“You might have mentioned it,” you panted as his tongue swirled over a nipple. “Oh God Rafael. We gotta make this quick,” you cautioned. “Someone can see us.”

Rafael hummed his agreement, continuing to bathe your breasts. You didn’t think you could orgasm from just your breasts being lavished upon but here you were, at the precipice, all thanks to your boyfriend’s oral skills. You ran your hands through his soft hair, gently tugging him off of you. 

“Take off your pants guapo,” you replied. Rafael nodded eagerly. You lifted off of him slightly, sitting back on the seat, in order to remove your shoes and pants. Rafael did the same, raising his hips slightly to remove his jeans, and pushed them down his legs. You moved to remove your panties, but Rafael stopped you. “Leave them on,” he requested and you nodded.

“Do you have a condom?” you wondered – slightly panicking. Rafael nodded. “In my wallet.” He reached down to his gathered pants and opened up his wallet, removing a foil packet. He rolled the condom on, and squeezed the base of his cock to prevent himself getting too worked up. You bit your lip, watching Rafael intently, mesmerized by his actions.

“You sure about this?” Rafael asked, breaking you out of your reverie. You nodded, and affirmed your consent verbally. “Never more sure.”

You sat on Rafael’s lap, kissing him once more. As your lips and tongues battled each other’s, one of Rafael’s hands moved down from your back, down your side and to your hip where it placed itself permanently. The other, moved towards your panties. His fingers grazed your clitoris softly, causing you to jump ever so slightly. Rafael gripped your hip tighter, steadying you. 

Rafael lined his cock to your entrance and slowly, you sunk down on his cock, enveloping him with your warmth. Rafael moaned loudly. “Oh fuck, you feel so good.”

“So do you,” you mewled. You threw your head back, and grasped the top of his shoulders as you began to bounce on his cock. Rafael kept one hand on your hip as you rode him, guiding you up and down on him. The heat that emanated from your bodies caused the windows to steam up. 

Rafael thrusts into you quickened as he fucked you more intensely. You knew that you were going to be deliciously sore. “R-Rafi, I am going to come,” you warned. The hand on your hip moved to your clitoris, and he began to rub haphazard circles. You grabbed at your own breasts, cupping them. “Come for me,” Rafael choked out, driving into you over and over again.  You shouted Rafael’s name, as your walls fluttered around his cock, your orgasm washing over you. Rafael held you close to him as you fell apart, his own thrusts becoming erratic and sloppy. He stiffened, and he came with a roar, your name escaping his lips. After a few minutes, you moved off of Rafael and he pulled off the used condom. He tied it and tossed it to the side. 

“Wow,” you replied as you began to re-dress. “We should do that more often.” Rafael guffawed.

A knock on the window, made you both jump. Hesitantly, you looked at the window, to see a bright light being shone into the car. “Shit, Rafael muttered.

You rolled down the window, and held your hand over your eyes, trying to block out the bright light. “Is there something a matter?”

“I hate to rain on your parade, but there’s a time and a place for these things; we don’t need a road show,” the officer replied curtly. “I am going to let you off with a warning.”

“Thanks officer –” Rafael replied, his cheeks pink.

The cop nodded, “I am going to circle the block once more. You both better be gone by the time I get back.”

After a minute, you and Rafael made your way back out of the car. Rafael tossed the condom in the trash bin. “Come on; lets hurry back before my abuela sends out the search party.”

You giggled as you bounded back up the stairs, Rafael following your lead.

FIN