#[ direct link; pre established open ]

[emystic-a]

     The small alien swam around while giggling in joy, using her tail to help swim around. This marks of another new and fun discovery, swimming pools and beach balls! Being a creature that constantly needed moisture anyway, this was so blissful. Memories of the times of being kept in a water filled pool when she was smaller, except not so cramped and a lot more fun!

      “Ball, ball!”

[fairene]

divine / ln4

lando norris x fem!reader

reader uses she/her pronouns, no use of y/n.

where you accompany him to a gala, but he can barely focus with you in that beautiful dress. you are utterly divine.

a/n ⋯ yes so! so! well, yes! this is a pre-established relationship, yearning lando, absolutely smitten lando. just happy and mushy, but entirely too sexy for my own good. reader's dress is loosely inspired by phoebe dynevor's met gala dress. color and style is only mentioned once. absolutely up to YOU on what you are wearing;)

music inspo ⋯ link

warnings ⋯ SMUT / 18++ minors DNI!!! language, established relationship, choking (slight), p in v (wrap before you tap!), fingering!(f)receiving, overstimulation, feral lando. obsessed lando ( who doesn't love that? )

wc ⋯ 6.7k (unedited.)

the gala for this evening had been marked in your calendar for weeks. you’d be reminding lando nonstop about the event, chirping his ear off about how he needed the perfect suit to accompany your gown. what gown? he would pester and ask, but you still couldn’t decide yourself. with the gala only a few days away, you were cracking down on the little bits of time you had left. 

post races in imola were always fun. italy was always fun. but you knew this stretch would be more important for lando. it was a public appearance at a charity event that mclaren was sponsoring, one that helped the youth get involved in karting and motorsport all together. lando had been excited to go, but more elated to have you at his side with him. 

he doesn’t think that he could get through these events without you, though. your presence was the ultimate comfort for him, easing his rampant anxieties the moment the spotlight was on him. a simple hand on his back, his neck, his waist was enough to have his body relaxing into you. 

you were a natural at these things. he didn’t know what world you were sent from, but he was eternally grateful for your presence at his side. 

but it wasn’t easy for you either. you held a tight facade for lando, knowing how intensely anxious he would get. he wouldn’t even eat prior to such gatherings, and would often become dizzy and lightheaded. 

you placed the poached eggs with toast in front of him this morning. the plate clattered on the table as you were hurried which had him perking up from scrolling on his phone. when you passed by him to grab your own food, you ran your fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair. he leant back into your touch instinctively. 

“eat quick. we’ve got to be at the boutique in a half hour.” you kissed the top of his head, his hair smelling fresh with his shampoo. 

“thank you, baby.” 

lando reached back to grab one of your arms, kissing up your palm, your wrist, all the way up to your bicep. his lips were warm. he even nipped at your skin which had you yelping, pulling back and smacking his face lightly with a laugh. 

he was tempted to jump to his feet and hunt you down, but he knew how important this event was for you. the last thing he needed was to be reprimanded and locked out of your shared bedroom because of his inability to keep his dick in his pants. 

you loved it, though. 

scarfing down his meal had been the easy part. when he finished washing off his dish, you were standing by the door with your casually chic outfit that made you look divine. whereas he, by comparison, was wearing just his mclaren hoodie and jeans. 

you held out your hand for him to take as you left the villa and he took it. his grip was firm and warm, bringing you a serious comfort when you stepped out onto the streets of imola, cameras flashing in your directions. 

the valet had lando’s car ready in an instant and the door was opened for you. you hopped in, careful not to ruin your shoes, and you were both off to the boutique in top notch time. you loved to be early for these things– it showed people you cared. that you would make time for them. 

lando kept his hand firm on your thigh the entire ride while you were on your phone. you were scrolling through text chains from alexandra and lily. alexandra wanted to know what you were wearing and lived vicariously through you, and lily wanted to know the direction you were going in. you answered them swiftly with the rapid taps of your thumbs, and they kept texting back. 

when lando pulled up to the boutique he gave your leg a squeeze which instantly had you dropping your phone in your lap, head perking up to your destination. he opened the door for you, letting you out with your hand in his. 

he brought your palm to his lips, gracing it with a sweet kiss. you blushed. 

“ever the charmer, you are.” 

“only for you, my love.” his smile was wide, cheeky as he squinted. 

the boutique manager was hasty with his gowns, ready for your picking. you had told him in advance that you were looking for a longer gown– more airy and flowy versus a heavy fabric in this on-coming summer heat. you didn’t want to be a sweating mess. ew.

lando, admittedly, had been far too excited to see you in a gown. he sat languidly on the couch in front of the dressing rooms, watching as you would go through dress and dress, rejecting some of them before you had the opportunity to try them on. you were so determined in what you wanted, it drove him absolutely fucking mad. 

the first dress you had tried on was beautiful– though that was his answer for all of them. to him, there was no possibility for you to look bad in anything. 

you stood in front of the mirror, shifting. “can barely breathe in this thing,” you uttered, pulling at the fabric that was practically glued to your frame. lando liked this one especially because he could see your body, but you were clearly uncomfortable with it. even if he wanted to twirl you around for a kiss, his hands itching to find their place on your hips, you comfort was his biggest concern. 

“well you know i like it,” he commented with a smile which had you spinning around, barely able to shift your legs beneath the tight fabric. 

“pervert,” you teased, sticking your tongue out. 

he had nothing to say to that except a shrug of his shoulders and his fingers running over his stubbled chin. he looked so good here, tanned and bulky. you’ve been dating him for a few years now, and you would never get used to the sight of his blistering emerald eyes, the way his arms flexed against the fabric of the couch. he yearned to touch you. you knew it. you craved it.

the next dress was an absolute no. it was far too fanciful– a large, poofy skirt with a high neckline, sleeves– too hot for this weather. you’d be tripping over the skirts the entire night, instead making yourself out to be a fool. 

“fit for a queen, isn’t it?” lando said, shifting where he sat, adjusting his pants. you looked at him from the pedestal mirror, sheepish when you looked down at the bedazzled hemming. 

“yeah right,” you scoffed, hating the way it looked. 

but lando didn’t. you looked absolutely regal. if you asked him to bend the knee, he wouldn’t hesitate to drop to both. even with a ring for your finger. 

“looks great from the back…” 

“lando!” you snapped, putting a finger to your lips to beg for his silence. his hands were thrown up in defense, although he didn’t feel an ounce bad about the truth.

the final dress you tried on was…well, it was…

“look at you,” lando stood to his feet this time, entirely too enamoured to stay seated patiently like a dog on the couch. he approached you from behind on the pedestal, his fingers careful as he traced up the fabric around your hips, your back. you shivered into his touch. 

the dress had been a light pink, blush tone, sheer fabric with embroidered flowers. it had a long train behind it, fabric over a shoulder, sewn and stitched in a myriad of ways that you couldn’t follow. it was utterly perfect against your skin. it wasn’t too tight, but it was form fitting enough to be appropriate. around your breasts was where the embroidery thickened, covering your nipples from the light breeze in imola’s air. 

“do you like it?” you breathed, turning your head over your shoulder to lando who was dazed as he stared at you in the mirror. he turned his head to look up at you from your heightened position on the platform. there were no words that could convey the look in his eyes– sheer heat, desire, love– that he had for you. 

he swallowed. his pants were painfully hard around his cock. 

you were the most beautiful thing he ever laid eyes on. the only one who could make him turn his head, make him drool, have him fall to his knees. and in this dress, especially. 

“baby,” he sighed, controlling his hands the best he could from wanting to rip it off of you, fuck you in this wardrobe. “you’re divine.”

you blushed, turning your head away from him. he always had you like this. speechless, puddy in his hands. you were entirely susceptible to his charm, and it had you melting at every twist and corner of his beautifully shaped lips. 

“i have something for you,” he whispered, getting your attention back on him when he offered his hand for you to step down from the pedestal. you took it, eyes widening with wonder at what he could possibly have. you raised a brow, letting your same hand grip onto his forearm. 

he reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. the chain was long, but modest, and had a glowing diamond emblem embellished at the center. stable so it didn’t fling around the entire chain. you gawked as he held it out for you. you shifted closer to him until your body was perpendicular to his, your shoulder brushing into his chest. 

it was a necklace that had his “ln4” logo on it. imbued with diamonds. 

your fingers reached out to trace the beautiful charm, the weight of the diamonds alone was absolutely intimidating. you felt undeserving of such a piece, but prideful that he wanted it to be yours. 

“lan,...” you were breathless when you turned to look up at him, his pupils dilating with yours meeting his. “it’s beautiful.” 

“you said you’ve been looking for necklaces,” that was true. your neck had been far too bare. “and i’m too selfish to let you walk around without a part of me.” 

you smiled. his honesty was always refreshing. his devoting nature was so unnatural, but it was so homely. you loved him. every part of him. 

“turn around for me, love.” he kept a hand on your hip when you spun, chills flying up your spine when you felt his fingers around your neck. you gulped, arching your back when you felt the contact. so receptive, he wanted to say, but held his tongue. 

he was swift with the clasp but he let his fingers trail down your exposed back, sheathed lightly by the fabric. you bit your lip to consolidate any noise, but were becoming riled with his hands on you. 

the necklace glimmered in the mirror when you stared agape. it sat perfectly at the center of your chest, unable to be missed by any passerby. you were his. lando norris’ girlfriend. his entire life. 

“i love it,” you murmured, your fingers gracing the pendant. you turned around and threw yourself into his arms. he caught you like he always did, arms wrapping around your waist with a deadly grip. but you would die happily here, you thought. in his strong arms, loved, and content. 

“you’re sure?” he questioned when his head burrowed into the side of your neck. he was nervous that you wouldn’t, thinking that he may have gone too far. 

your hands found his cheeks, raising his head to meet your eyes. 

“i love it.” you smiled. “want everyone to know ‘m yours.”

god

he was going to fuck you right there. right here. 

if not here, then tonight. tonight he would ruin you. bring you to tears around his cock, his fingers, his tongue. if there was one thing about him, it's that he knew how you worked. it would only take you minutes to come, record time for any man that’s laid his hands on you. no one compared to lando.

and he was going to fuck you so you knew it. 

“is this the one?” the tailor popped in which had lando turning to see who’d interrupt at a time like this. as if you weren’t in public. 

“i think so…” you said, hands detaching from lando’s warm face and down the stretch of fabric that cupped your body. 

lando didn’t hesitate pulling out his credit card. 

—------

“lan–” you said into his lips when you made an effort to breathe from his kiss. he shook his head, groaning, as he refused to let the both of you out the door. you had only minutes to get into the car on the way to the event, but he was too busy wanting to make a mess of you to focus. 

“lando.” you said again firmly, this time putting your hand to his neck to halt his advances. you squeezed his skin, the muscles there tensing beneath you. he let his lips brush your nose before he let out a scoff. 

“just too damn beautiful. can’t help myself,” his hand stroked down your neck coming to cup your chin between his fingers. you brushed your lips down, kissing his thumb. he couldn’t help but stare at the necklace–his necklace– so plainly on your chest. it was a beautiful piece, one that you knew you’d never take off. even if he broke your heart, you feared even then it wouldn’t be enough to discard. 

“‘ll help you later,” your fingers held onto the bottom of his black jacket, the fabric thick against him. but he still felt your touch. 

“will you, now?” he teased, finger coming down from your chin to your collarbones, dragging them to the pendant. he twirled the chain once around, then leant down to kiss it. you gasped at the action, light air warming the presence between you two. 

he glanced up at you from his position, the bruises beneath his tired eyes resonated a feeling of prowess inside of you. you didn’t like that he was so exhausted, you constantly asking him if he wanted to lay down or skip the days events, but he insisted. your thumb came to caress beneath one of his eyes and he leaned into the touch. 

“always, my love.” you said softly, voice hitching in your throat when you saw his tongue rake over his lip. you almost decided there that it would be best if the two of you stayed home, but the amount of money that he spent on this dress alone made it a necessity to show off. 

“come on now, don’t want to leave oscar waiting.” you raised your brows, squeezing his cheek with your thumb. he raised his head to latch his teeth over your digit and you let him, biting your skin beneath his gapped, perfect, teeth. 

“he’ll be fine,” lando retorted, standing up straight. “lily’s with him.” 

you rolled your eyes, grabbing your clutch and fixing the adornments on your head. “but who’s with lily?”

you were met with a laugh and a shake of his head. always the jokester. a good laugh. that’s why he fell in love with you in the first place. you may be one of the funniest people he’s ever met. 

arriving to the gala had more attention than expected. it was a private event, but since the drivers were in attendance, as well as some higher up wealthy civilians, it gained traction. traction that you were ready for. at least, prepared for every waking moment that you had. media training wasn’t something that you were ready for– why, you weren’t the driver. but being a girlfriend was a different story alone. you were representing lando on all fronts. how you dressed, how you acted, how you managed yourself in a crowd all reflected on him. quite the amount of pressure, wasn’t it? 

lando’s hand found a home on your lower back, warming your skin beneath the thin fabric. he guided you up the steps to the high end establishment. the ground was made of marble, the rug a bright red up the colosseum of stairs. you were sure not to trip, and lando did the same with the long train behind you. 

you made sure to keep your posture straight–neck back, hands in front of you, straight face. but you could do all of those except one– straight face.

there was nothing but a smile on your features when lando was bragging about you to his fans. 

“she’s beautiful, isn’t she?” he’d ask one paparazzi. “there’s no way i’d be here, tonight, without her.” 

ain’t that the fucking truth, you thought, knowing that dressing him was the hardest part about your evening. 

the paparazzi called your name from beside him. you turned, taking a step forward. 

“tell us about your dress, your accessories!” a man shouted. 

“the dress is by victoria beckham,” you said, twisting your hips to show off the sheer look of it. “and the necklace,” you placed your hand atop of it before letting it fall to your side. “a gift from lando. isn’t he the sweetest?” 

the paparazzi made a move to respond, but he was interrupted when lando cleared his throat at your side. 

“pardon me, gentlemen,” he wrapped his arm around your waist. “but i think we’re going to be late.” 

you knew you weren’t. 

you chuckled anyways, saying a polite goodbye, and let lando guide you up the steps and inside the grandeur building of tonight’s event. 

once you were inside you immediately stared up at the ceiling– it was a renaissance era style with gold rimming, low hanging chandeliers, and pillars made of the finest limestone in all of imola. you were floored by the interior, never thinking that you’d seen such a beautiful place before. 

you were pulled back when you heard your name being called from in front of you. it was lily– oscar trailing behind her. 

“you look absolutely beautiful!” lily squealed, her own dress was a dark shade of red and had no sleeves. it suited her so well. 

“oh, please, you more so!” you gave her a hug while lando and oscar greeted one another. 

“oh…!” lily ran her fingers over the pendant on your neck. “new jewelry, i see?” 

you nodded, blushing. lando’s hand returned to your back, rubbing light circles on your skin. 

“so that means no milan, huh?” lily chuckled, disappointed that your potential outing with her in the nation’s capital may be ruined. you shook your head. 

“of course we can still go!” you held onto her arm whilst you talked. “but let's sit down. i’m starving.” lily and oscar led the way hand in hand to your table. you latched onto lando’s arm as you walked, feeling entirely too attached to him this evening. but he’d never mind. your affections were the only thing he craved. 

you sat down when lando pulled out his chair for you, blessing him with a small ‘thanks,’ before he seated himself beside you. the meals tonight were already preselected by the chef they brought in, so there were no menus. 

“do you remember what they’re serving?” oscar asked lily, but it was open for your circular table of four for discussion. 

“fish, i think.” she said, still settling in by placing her bag onto the ground beside her. 

you could feel lando’s grimace a mile away. 

but you were already prepared. 

“don’t worry,” you whispered to him, placing your hand on his thigh. he glanced from your hand to your eyes, raising a brow. you knew he didn’t like fish. as soon as you received the email about what was being served, you rang the venue. they were happy to oblige to your request of no fish for mr. norris, insisting that they had other meal options to serve him. you were entirely too grateful and thanked them a million times. 

“why not? they’re so slimy…” he began to ramble, complaining like a small child. you squeezed his leg. 

“i said don’t worry.” you reaffirmed, but he didn’t understand. 

the attendant at your table was quick with your drinks and plates of food. the order of the event had gone: food, auction, gallery walk. but you had to admit, you were rather excited to get home instead, even though you loved a good art show. 

the fish dinner was placed before you, well seared and mixed with all kinds of vegetables. lily and oscar got the same, but lando did not, it appeared. 

“and…i have a medium rare steak for mr. norris.” the waiter placed down the beef in front of lando which had him turning back to face him with a smile. 

“how did you know?” he asked him. 

“your girlfriend called about a month ago. said you winced at the mention of fish.” 

lando looked to you, puzzled, surprised, and oh-so-full of love. you batted your lashes, shrugging your shoulders with pride. you knew him well. of course you did. he wasn’t sure anyone could know him as best you did. 

the waiter took his leave and his arm slung around the back of your chair. “you did that for me?” he said, bringing his lips to your ear. 

“of course i did, lan.” 

“i love you,” he said into your hair, kissing your scalp. “love you so much.” he repeated, slower this time so it was engraved in your memory permanently. 

you grabbed his hand that rested on his lap, entwining your fingers together. “i love you.”

the rest of the event went exactly as planned. you got a plethora of compliments on your dress, your necklace–lando was partial to those ones– and found a perfect time to escape from the festivities when his hand kept accidentally groping your ass. you had to slap his hand away a few times to avoid any wandering eyes, but eventually gave up and decided that he was getting too antsy to get home. 

and it was true. lando was desperate to fuck you. he had been desperate to fuck you in that dressing room, the restaurant, hell even as soon as you woke up this morning. there was never a schedule. he always wanted you. 

he yearned for you intensely. the thoughts of you were consuming day in and day out, and he loved it. the only escape he found from his stressful life was in the moments he was with you. it could be in a club, the paddock, the quiet of your bedroom and he would be entirely at ease with you at his side. nothing in the world compared to you. not even racing, self-proclaimed first love of his life. 

he’d never needed you as badly as he did tonight. despite every other day you spend with him, something changed. something was different about your relationship. maybe it was you in that beautiful dress, skin tight and enough to leave interpretation, or how you nervously touched your necklace when you felt anxious, or how you called ahead in advance for this event to make sure that he was comfortable with his meal. 

no one would ever think to do something like that for him. not if they weren’t being paid, anyways. your love, on the contrary, was free. your affections were free. but they were ultimately priceless in his books. 

and then you were leading him to your shared bedroom in your perfect villa in imola. through the hallways with your tall heels, you were an echo of perfection. he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you when he kept trying to not trip over the train of your dress. it was perfection itself with his footwork and he was rather impressed that he didn’t fall on his face.

when you pulled him through the doorway, he lurched forward to kiss you but you stopped him. he was confused at first, but watched as you went to shut the door to your room. it didn’t matter if it had been open. it was just the two of you. yet that wasn’t your concern. you were making him wait. you’ve played this game with him before and always knew how it ended– you getting the best sex of your life. 

you were starving the love of your life. a hungry predator that gawked at you from your leant position against the doorframe. lando outstretched a hand for you again, and you took the bait, shimmying out of your heels and breezing over to him. he snatched you up without hesitating and began to ravage your lips. 

starved. 

he had never known hunger until he met you. a brazen need to have you wrapped up in him, to have you beneath him at whatever the cost. you were so nimble, so genteel with your actions that he couldn’t help but fall in love with you all the same. 

lando’s kiss was firm and intoxicating. you melted into him with your arms gripping his muscular neck, shivering when you felt him pulsing beneath your fingertips. his hands were on your hips when he sucked your lower lip, demanding you to open your mouth. 

you let him. you always would. 

his tongue found a second home in your mouth, expertly clashing his teeth with your own and making sure you never forgot the taste of him. you certainly never wanted to. 

when he moved from you lips to your neck you gasped as he sucked on your sensitive skin. you cupped the nape of his neck, tugging at the firm curls with a moan. he’d find the most sensitive parts of you and attack them. you were his prey, a trophy he intended on keeping. 

“lando…” you whimpered, catching your lip between your teeth in an effort to withhold your sounds. but lando’s hand came to grip your chin, thumb prodding at the entrance of your mouth. you opened wide for him as his thumb swirled against your cheeks, your tongue. 

stay loud, the message was clear enough for you. 

“what do you want, baby?” he asked against your neck, deep and gruff as he slid his hands up and down the fabric of your dress. 

you writhed against his hold, your hips bucking instinctually against his groin. he tsked, shaking his head against your chin. his curls tickled. 

“words.” he scolded, squeezing your lower back. you whined. 

“need you,” your voice cracked. 

“where?” his lips were on your collarbones, peppering your chest with his saliva. 

“everywhere, lan, please…” he chuckled at your desperation, taking great pleasure in that you felt just as needy for him as he did you. 

and then he dropped to his knees before you. 

you stared. gawked at his form. he had never been like this before you– ‘course he’s eaten you out, kissed your thighs, but it was never like this. never so…vulnerable. 

but whatever it is… you loved it. 

your hand traced over his cheek, his jaw, nestling in with the curls on his head. he practically purred, leaning into your touch as he caged you between his legs. 

his head rested on your naval as he stared up at you with those big, sappy green eyes. they were bloodshot. you moved some of the loose curls from his forehead and traced some hairs of his brows with your pinky. 

“so handsome,” you whispered, biting your lip to hide a smile. a sheepish one of pure love for him. he was truly the most beautiful man you ever laid eyes on. that fateful day years ago, you knew you had to have him. and now here he was. 

on his knees for you.

his head nuzzled against the fabric of your dress, biting and nipping at your skin. lando was flustered. he made a sound in the back of his throat, then finally mustered the courage to look up at you. 

“i’m so in love with you.” 

you blushed even more if that was remotely possible. 

“my beautiful girl.” 

“lando…” you gripped the sides of his face, fingers raking through his scalp. 

“never letting you go.” he muttered as he found the zipper to your beautiful dress. he undid it in one swift movement, the piece falling from your body with ease. you shimmied out of it and he pulled the rest down, throwing the beautiful piece of work across the room. you giggled, knowing that he could have done much worse, but he knew how much you loved it. 

he began to kiss down your bare stomach, mumbling incoherent praises against your warm skin. his lips were hot and swollen, pulsing with the only ridicules of desire for you. 

“don’t want you to.” you soothed him, pulling him by his neck closer to your burning cunt. he chuckled at your eagerness, holding you steady in place by your hips, grounding you. 

“even if you tried,” he placed a firm kiss on your folds which had you gasping. one of his hands left your hip and was now slotted between your legs. he teased your entrance methodically, knowing exactly how to rile you. you wiggled in his hold. “no one could get you this wet.”

it was true. you were dripping. you caught his eye, too, staring at your clothed cunt. drool pooled in his mouth, salivating at your receptive body. 

“prove it,” you whispered, challenging him. his eyes snapped up to your hooded ones. “touch me, lan. please.”

he didn’t wait anymore, tossing the idea of making you beg and sob out the window. he was simply too much of a desperate man to not have you dropping down his fingers, spilling over his tongue. 

there weren’t many words to summarize what he wanted to do, so he acted. the underwear that clothed your cunt was torn from your body. thankfully you didn’t care about them anyways. 

his head met your breasts, kissing and suckling around the skin of them. his fingers were on you then, stroking and teasing your entrance. you writhed again and he committed, letting one finger slip inside you. the tension was palpable. you felt relief, but there was a storm building inside your lower belly. 

lando’s calloused thumb was swirling over your clit, the only man in this fucking world to ever find it. it took him no time at all when he first had you in his arms. it was magical the way he could get you to cum in minutes, and he planned on doing it now. 

he pinched the sensitive bundle of nerves between his forefinger and thumb, excluding a deep moan from your chest. your hips bucked towards him, desperate for him to move his finger inside of you. he complied, curling his digit upward to stroke the sensitive spots inside of you. 

“fuck,” you whimpered, almost barreling over on top of him from your weakened knees, but he supported you with his free hand, clutching your side. 

there was a reason he hadn’t taken you to the bed. he wanted you to remember him like this– on his knees before you, making you shiver and shaken with only three of his fingers attached to you. 

the bracelets around his wrists caught the light. one that you had gifted him was staring back at you which had you clenching around nothing. he never took it off. he was yours. 

his palm was already coated in your slick, a sopping mess as it traced down his wrist. he smirked, glancing upward at your face. you were flushed, shaking, and whimpering against his hold. your knees felt like they were going to collapse any second and you were going to burst at his bare hand. 

and then he added a second finger inside your cunt and you thought you’d be done for. 

“come on, baby.” lando cooed, which had your release building faster and faster. you felt the heat rising. his fingers are scissoring in and out of you at a steady, hard pace. it was perfect. he curled his fingers which had you jolting, eyes rolling back automatically. you grind against him, desperate to feel more, more. 

“be a good girl and come around my fingers,” he said into your chest, breathing you in deeply. you were at his mercy and a complete goner. your release came faster than you realized, coil snapping and your slick gushing from your swollen cunt. your knees gave out then and he used both his hands to clutch you upwards. he supported your body entirely as you looked down at him with your tired eyes. 

his tongue poked his teeth, letting out a deep breath. “all for me baby…” it wasn’t a question, but you whimpered and nodded your head anyways. “didn’t even take five minutes.” 

and then his head was between your thighs, licking and sucking at the mess you had made of yourself because of him. 

the overstimulation was too much. you tried to push his head away, but your own body dejected it. instead you build his mouth closer to your cunt, grinding against his face. you felt him chuckle through your pussy, the sound having you instantly flushing once again. 

“what was that?” he asked, his teeth grazing over your clit. you jumped, sharp breath inhaling through your clenched teeth. “like it when i laugh that much?” he teased, knowing it to be true. 

“love it, lan.” your hands tugged at his girls which had him groaning. he continued to clean you up, swirling his tongue over your clit. “love the way you laugh.”

he was shining with your praise, taking your admission to the memory bank of his heart. you always knew the best ways to compliment him. his dress pants were wet with his dripping precum, ruining the entire set. you noticed the spot when he shifted to get more comfortable on the ground. your brows furrowed. 

“bed…bed, lan,” you demanded in a desperate tone. though you were close to cumming again on his tongue, you wanted his cock even more. you knew he could take the challenge, but you wanted to feel him. wanted him to see the way his necklace shimmered on your neck. “need you… need you to fuck me.” 

“all you had to say, my love.” and you were on the bed in an instant, shrieking when he began to tear his own clothes off. he struggled with the buttons on his dress shirt which had you absolutely giggling. 

you helped him with the clasp of his belt, ripping the thing through the loops and onto the floor. his pants were next, his boxers, and his dick sprung free and up the curve of his naval. you were left agape, swallowing harshly at his size. it always amazed you how it could fit. 

“come on now,” he encouraged with a smirk, a token trademark of his. he readjusted you by grabbing your hips and plastered your back against his front. you wondered why there was a new sudden change in position until you looked up. 

a mirror. 

the full-size mirror that was placed on the floor near your bed was staring back at the two of you. lando ran his hands over your breasts as you straddled him from behind, up your collarbones, and stopped at the chain of your necklace. 

“look so pretty f’me, baby…” he muttered into your neck, peppering you with kisses. your head lolled back into his shoulder, his dick pulsing against your back. 

“for you, just you, lan.” you reiterated and he bucked his own hips, rutting against your spine. you moaned, desperate to feel his cock through your cunt. 

“fuck, baby,” he choked out, thinking that he was going to cum right then and there. but he held his breath. “ride me, yeah?”

he loved it when you were on top of him, breasts in his face so he could lather himself in you. so you raised your hips and lando’s hand came to wrap around your neck, a gesture that you found you couldn’t live without. he applied no pressure as he kept you stable, but it had you absolutely dripping onto his thighs. he felt it and shivered. 

when you felt his tip slide into you, you gasped, letting out a fervent moan that had the walls shaking. your head fell back to his shoulder again as he bottom out, the imprint of his cock lucid in the reflection of the mirror. 

lando’s grip on your neck tightened. you whined, eyes opening. 

“eyes open, my love.” he said with a gentle tone and you obeyed, raising your head only slightly to catch the pair of you in the mirror. the sight was utterly intoxicating. you were addicted to watching his face scrunch and fall into a pattern of relief with pleasure. pleasure that you provided for him. 

“so big…” you said, staring at the flexing veins of his neck. he knew you loved it. 

your hips began to gyrate around his cock, over and over, until you found a steady pace at which you relaxed in. he gripped your hip hard enough to leave bruises the following day, guiding you with a gentle reassurance over his cock. in and out his severed you, the feeling so fucking good. the hand around your neck dropped to stimulate your clit, and you thought you were on a one way train to heaven. 

“please, please, please…” you didn’t even know what you were begging for at this point. 

“look at you…” lando said into your neck, voice strained from fucking you. you did look, and what you saw in the mirror was your disheveled form, melting into his touch. you mewled, choking out a deep vibration of a moan. 

tears welled in your eyes at the sensation of watching the pair of you, the pinching of your clit, and the way he penetrated you so fucking good. you knew you weren’t going to last. 

“gonna cum for me?” he grunts into your ear, kissing any skin of yours he could find. “know you can baby. look so pretty in that mirror, don’t you? taking this dick so well. it was made for you.” 

that was all it took to send you over the edge. he knew that. the words of sweet praise and vulgarity had you clenching tightly around his cock, letting out a mewling scream at the top of your lungs. tears fell from your cheeks that tasted salty. lando would know. he kissed them when he turned your head to face him by your chin. 

he was close to his own release, sloppily sliding in and out of your tight slit. “so tight,” he grumbled, letting out his own moan when he came inside of you. the feeling of his cum was warm and fulfilling, and you didn’t complain that he spilled into your walls. he typically wouldn’t, but you welcomed the sensation.

his head fell onto your shoulder and you leaned back, your hand coming to run through his hair, pulling him close to you. you placed a kiss on the side of his head. 

“i love you.” he repeated over and over into the skin of your shoulder. 

“you’ve mentioned it once or twice…” you giggle, shifting from his dick still inside of you. but you weren’t upset by it. “wanna stay like this.” 

lando froze. 

“don’t want this to change.” you whispered, eyes locking with his. “always this, lan, promise me.” 

he didn’t hesitate on your insinuation. you wanted a life with him. a future. that was more than enough. shit, it was everything. 

“always this, baby.” he promised you. his finger came to twirl the chain around your neck, the pendant glistening. your skin did too in the light, flushed and beautiful. 

he kissed you this time. hard and slow. full of passion, but ultimate love. you pushed back into him, cupping his cheek. and when he made a move to breathe, “always this.” 

[lovelybucky1]

Special Request

Kinktober Day 2- Anal Sex

warnings: AFAB!reader, anal sex, anal toys, sex work, pre-established scene, unprotected sex, creampies, f!masturbation, 18+ minors dni

main masterlist

kinktober masterlist

being a call girl for the richest businessmen in america was a high profile job. not only was desertion and privacy required of you, you were also expected to keep up with your clients’ sexual desires.

most of them were tame, not requiring too much physicality. most of them wanted to worship you. unsurprisingly, powerful men like to be submissive in the bedroom. it didn’t take much work on your end to lay back and let them put their hands and mouth on you, occasionally giving praise and direction that made their cocks leak.

one client, however, stands out from the rest. he is very dominant and demanding. when you first met him, he made his desires clear to you.

“when i’m paying you, i own you. i dont care if you have other clients or a husband or a kid. when you’re with me, i’m the only thing you think about. before each session i’ll give you a list of things to prepare and give you money if you have to buy anything. then you’ll come here at 5:15 to set up and be ready for me when i get home from work. i’ve given the security guards notice that you’ll be coming and they’ll let you in. i will tip very generously for your services, but if that is not enough incentive to keep up with my needs, we will part ways.”

you agreed to his terms and since then, things with mr. fischer have been wonderful. he does, in fact, tip very generously, but that is nothing compared to how he is in bed.

he expects obedience but will also occasionally instruct you to disobey so he can punish you. he gets off on power and control, and he makes sure to constantly display both of those with you.

he texted you two days ago sending details about tonight’s session. he was short and to the point as always.

red lace. buttplug- brand new, never been used. dark makeup. i want you stretched and prepped with the plug when i get there.

along with the message he sent $40 for the plug he wanted you to buy. later that day you went out to the sex shop and bought one you thought he’d like. now, robert was going to be home any minute and you’re dressed and prepped exactly how he wants.

“front door open,” the robotic voice from the security system announces.

you tremble slightly in anticipation as you hear his shined shoes click on the hardwood stairs. you left the door to the bedroom open per his request. he made it clear that you’re a toy for him to use, not his wife preparing a cheeky surprise.

mr fischer has a lot of hang ups, but he pays well and has a wonderful cock, so you put up with it.

he walks through the door and lets out a deep sigh when he sees you. though you’re face down on the bed, you hear the familiar rustling of his clothes and can picture what he’s doing behind you perfectly.

he’s loosened his tie and unclipped his cuff links, placing them on the dish on the dresser. then he shrugs his suit jacket off and drapes it over the chair he likes to watch you from occasionally. you can’t hear his steps on the carpeted floor, so his cool hand on your ass makes you jump.

“hello, sir,” you greet him. he says nothing in return.

his thumbs trace over the lace edges of your panties, taking in the scarlet color that he loves so much. he then begins to knead your ass cheeks, digging fingers into your soft flesh hard enough to bruise. without warning, he brings his hand back and spanks you, the slap ringing through the bedroom. you successfully stifle your whimper.

clearly not in the mood for foreplay, robert grabs the waistband of your panties and tugs them down so they gather at the crook of your knees. you chose a cheeky pair of panties, wanting something that will hide the base of the plug until they’re completely off.

from behind you, robert lets out a low groan. you chose a silver plug with a red jewel that glitters in the dim light of the bedroom. he pushes on the base with his thumb, watching you take it deeper before it moves back out when he takes away the pressure.

while you would like to be talked to, you understand that this is mr. fischer’s stress relief. he’s pent up from a long week at work, but once he’s closer to cumming, he won’t be able to shut up.

robert grasps the end of the plug and slowly pulls it out. he waits until the widest part of the plug is stretching you before pushing it back in. he repeats this, slowly fucking you with the bulb and watching as your cunt drips.

mercifully, he pulls the plug out and tosses it to the floor. it makes a faint thud, then you hear the sound of a zipper. robert slaps his cock on your right cheek, leaving a sticky patch of precum behind. he spits on your hole and pushes his blunt head against it.

he doesn't ask if you're ready or give any warning before he starts to push in. despite wearing a plug, there is still a bit of a stretch. he goes slow, but unrelenting. once he's fully seated inside you, he grabs you by the hips and uses his hold as leverage to fuck you.

"tight fuckin' ass," he groans.

the slow drag of his cock inside you makes your toes curl. you know he isn't doing this for your benefit, for your pleasure, but in some way, that makes you enjoy it more. he's using you like a fleshlight, just a warm hole to stick his dick in.

lewd squelches come from behind you as he fucks into you, using you for his own pleasure. his cock stimulates your g-spot from a different angle than you’re used to and it makes you dizzy, abdomen burning with need.

“you’re so fucking good,” he says, thrusting harder.

you try not to make noise, wanting to be a perfect toy for him, but it’s hard to suppress the whines he’s punching out of you.

“who owns this ass?” he asks, giving you a spank.

“you do, sir,” you whine.

speak when spoken to is the rule he likes you to follow. and when you do speak, you must use a title showing your respect.

“i’m gonna cum in you, honey. fill you ‘til you’re fucking dripping with it.”

robert loves to cum inside. to him, it’s the final display of ownership during sex. after a few hard, rough thrusts, robert’s cock twitches and the first spurts of cum fill you.

“fuck,” he hisses through his teeth.

he pulls your hips flush against yours and moves you onto him, pushing and pulling rapidly to milk his cock dry.

it was over too quickly for your liking, but he’s not paying you to cum on his cock. you’re here for his pleasure and nothing else.

robert stays inside you for a few moments to catch his breath, then he pulls out slowly, careful not to let any cum escape. he then picks up the plug from the floor, wipes it off on his suit pants, and slides it back into you.

“good girl,” he says, tapping your ass as a single to sit up.

robert beings to undress fully in front of you, but there isn’t anything sexual about it besides his enticing body. he isn’t putting on a show for you.

he leaves his expensive suit in a crumple on the floor, uncaring that it will get wrinkled. his dry cleaner will make it neat again, and if not, he can buy ten more just like it as a replacement.

“i’m gonna go shower. money’s on the dresser. feel free to get yourself off before you go.” he says casually.

he walks out of the bedroom and into the master bathroom. you watch his ass until your vision is obstructed by the door.

you sigh and scoot up the bed to bury your face in his pillow, inhaling the masculine scent of aftershave and shampoo.

you slide your hand down your front and begin to rub your clit. you wish, just once, he’d request a longer session. one where he fucks you thoroughly and makes you cum repeatedly before the night is through.

[hitlikehammers]

hitlikehammers' Hobbit-Birthday Fic-Giving Fest

So you know how Hobbits celebrate their birthdays by giving gifts, rather than receiving them?

WELCOME TO MY HOBBIT-STYLE BIRTHDAY FIC-GIVING PROMPT FEST!!!

wherein YOU prompt ME to write stuff, and to clarify from the outset: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE FOLLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE. Did you find this at random? Via reblog? Just kinda want a fic but don’t want my babble regularly on your feed? I. DO. NOT. CARE. This is my birthday month (well, soon) and I want to be giving and gregarious and generous and generally positive about writing little gifts so: prompt anyway.

THE RULES

✨ You have THREE (3) choices for prompting

CONCEPT PROMPTS: basically Ao3 tags, or close enough—pick one, give me a little direction if you don’t want me to just write ~anything~, and then you’re all set SONG PROMPTS: pick a song, ideally also pick a lyric from the song, and if you want to give me some short direction for it go ahead; these are the largely-random choice of Spotify on shuffle; it got kinda moody and angsty on me and picked songs I was never huge into and some from legitimately years ago but: the algorithm prevails DIALOGUE PROMPTS: either inspiration or to be included in the fic, I cannot guarantee either way but if you have a STRONG PREFERENCE, you should point that out; and again, if you want to provide a couple words of direction: do so

✨ if I am already writing you a gift fic for something else: THIS IS DIFFERENT (also shorter so even MORE DIFFERENT)—ask again if you want to, you’re more than welcome, honestly it’s more a gift for me because…hobbity-birthday 

✨ you have to MESSAGE/ASK ME or COMMENT ON THIS POST with your prompt because I am going to miss it if you reblog or tag or whatever-other-means-of-telling-me that is not a message/ask/comment, and that would be v sad ✨ I will only be writing ONE FIC PER PROMPT, so if you like one? Grab it. If I haven't had time to edit the list (which is likely because timezones and my work schedule) and they get duplicated, I'll reach out to the second claimer for a new prompt.

✨ if you’re not okay with NSWF content, you need to state that in the prompting message; I’m not saying you’re going get NSFW stuff, but if you’re absolutely against it, gotta flag that in advance 

✨ because someone asked: if you want to attach one of these to one of my existing fics/‘verses, include that because that’s usually super fun and there are only maybe two fics I wouldn’t try to follow up with a tiny thing on request

✨ the default ship right now is my most currently active one: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson. If you want to prompt a ship that is not Steddie, note that and check if I’m familiar with it here, or take your chances; I’ll message you if it’s not something I write

SO: pick one of the prompt lists above and send it my way so I can start writing you words.

PROMPTS ARE OPEN THROUGH 31 JANUARY 💜

so...y'know. Prompt me. It's my BIRTHDAY 🎉

also if you hate links have all the prompts, here: below

✨

CONCEPT PROMPTS: pick one, a provide a little direction with 2-3 words, up to a sentence

Merperson/Siren AU

Monsterfucking

Wrong Number/Wrong Blind Date AU

Hurt/Comfort

Baked Goods (as in: prompt me with a pastry you’d like to be eating rn)

Secret Relationship 

Royalty AU

Established Relationship 

Dark AU

Near-Death Experience

Missed Connection AU 

Cocktails (as in: prompt me with how your mixologist knows you)

Misunderstandings

Pre-Season 4

Domestic Fluff

Creaturefic

[Character]-Has-Powers

Vampire AU

PWP

Famous AU

Presumed Dead/Emotional Reunions 

Soulmate AU

Whump

First Times

Warm Drinks (as in: prompt me using what you order from your barista)

Magic AU

Fluff

Meet Cute/Ugly

Nightmares

Angels/Demons AU

SONG PROMPTS: pick a song, ideally a lyric FROM the song and a word or two for context of your intended prompting

Never Tear Us Apart—INXS

I Will Wait—Mumford & Sons

Any Other World—MIKA

The Days Of The Phoenix—A.F.I.

Manhattan Skyline—a-ha

Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts—Brandon Flowers

Why Can’t This Be Love—Van Halen

The Navesink Banks—Gaslight Anthem

Holocene—Bon Iver

Wicked Campaign—Modest Mouse

Follow—Brandi Carlile 

Jesus Christ—Brand New

Little Talks—Of Monsters and Men

Clever Meals—Tegan and Sara

Will Anybody Ever Love Me?—Sufjan Stevens

A Light On In The Dark—Darlingside

To Build A Home—The Cinematic Orchestra

sever the blight—hemlocke springs

These Things—She Wants Revenge 

The Light Behind Your Eyes—My Chemical Romance

Come Undone—Duran Duran

Song For Zula—Phosphorescent 

Last Words of a Shooting Star—Mitski

This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)—Talking Heads

Majesty—Madrugada

Fake Empire—The National

A Dustland Fairytale—The Killers

Fast Car—Tracy Chapman  

At The Bottom Of Everything—Bright Eyes

The Trapeze Swinger—Iron & Wine

QUOTE PROMPTS: pick one, and if you have a context, I’ll take up to 3 words as direction

“That’s… not what that means.” 

”They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true.”

“…Why?” 

“Now, I’m not going to deny that I was aware of your beauty. But the point is, this has nothing to do with your beauty. As I got to know you, I began to realise that beauty was the least of your qualities. I became fascinated by your goodness. I was drawn in by it.”

“I’ve never felt this way before.” 

”So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard, and we're gonna have to work at this every day."

“What are you doing?”

“I cannot let you burn me up, nor can I resist you. No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed.”

“I assume I deserve this, but can you tell me why you want to kill me this time?”

”We aren't here to make things perfect."

“You meant the world to me. I should have protected you.” 

"You're the first boy I ever kissed... and I want you to be the last."

“What? Like it’s hard?”

“Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear.”

“Who did this to you?” 

“I want to tell you with my remaining strength that I love you. I always have. I'll drift next to you every day as a ghost just to be with you. Even if I was banished to the darkest place, my love will keep me from being a lonely spirit."

“You here to finish me off, sweetheart?”

”When I first saw you, I felt like I knew you, and I couldn't stop seeing my life with you, and building a family together. One that isn't stuck in the pain of the past. It's very pretty."

“You’re worth so much more than me.” 

“I’ve never had a moment’s doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one.”

“This isn’t going to end well.” 

"Truth is, sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it."

“Please! You have to let me make this right.” 

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

“You’re a monster.”

“You and I, it’s as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to earth together, to see if we know what we were taught.”

“You don’t want this.” 

“You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love--I love--I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”

“Why did you lie?”

”I don't want to sound foolish, but remember love is what brought you here. And if you've trusted love this far, don't panic now. Trust it all the way." 

[justforbooks]

Ebrahim Raisi

Ruthless prosecutor linked to thousands of executions who rose through the theocratic ranks to become the president of Iran

The career of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, who has been killed in a helicopter crash aged 63, was defined by violent events. His initiation into politics was triggered by the 1979 Iranian revolution, one of the most cataclysmic and epoch-shaping events of the late 20th century, which unfolded with headline-grabbing drama as Raisi was just turning 18.

Given the heady fervour of that revolutionary period, with daily mass street demonstrations eventually leading to the toppling of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the country’s once seemingly invincible western-allied monarch, followed by the return from exile of the messianic cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to ecstatic acclaim, it is perhaps no surprise that a militant, impressionable young activist was sucked into the political system that took shape in the aftermath, was moulded by it - and later participated in some of its more unsavoury actions.

With the theocratic Islamic regime in its infancy, tottering in the face of often violent internal opposition and military attack from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, which invaded Iran in September 1980, the young Raisi cut his political teeth in the fledgling system’s judiciary, administering revolutionary justice to political opponents.

He apparently did so with precocious aplomb and a ruthlessness that some say bordered on cruelty. In 1981, aged only 20, he was appointed prosecutor of Karaj, a large town near Tehran; within four months, he was combining that role with prosecutor of Hamadan province, more than 300km away. Political executions during this period were commonplace, although the young Raisi’s direct role in those were unclear.

By 1985, his ideological commitment and judicial zeal earned him a significant promotion to the post of deputy prosecutor of Tehran, Iran’s sprawling capital. He was now well and truly part of the newly formed establishment, so much so that he eventually came to the direct attention of Khomeini, by now undisputed leader of the revolution, who reportedly gave him extrajudicial responsibilities.

It was this relationship that led to a baleful episode that cast an enduring shadow over Raisi’s career and which, critics say, should be the legacy for which he should be remembered.

In 1988, he was among at least four judicial and intelligence ministry-linked figures later revealed to have been members of a shadowy “death committee” established on Khomeini’s orders to oversee the execution of thousands of political prisoners.

According to varying estimates, between 1,700 and 4,400 prisoners – mostly members of the dissident Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), but also leftists, and many of them reportedly in their teens – were summarily put to death. Amnesty International said many had been subject to torture and inhumane treatment. To this day, the executions represent arguably the worst violation of human rights in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic.

A surviving political prisoner, Iraj Mesdaghi – a writer and activist now exiled in Sweden – recalls seeing Raisi, dressed in plain clothes rather than clerical robes, arriving at Gohardasht prison in Karaj for the purpose of making sure executions were carried out and personally witnessing them. One photograph of Raisi from the period depicts a very different persona from the austere, turbaned figure of his presidential years.

How Raisi acquired such pitiless zeal is open to question. Born into a clerical family, near the religious shrine city of Mashhad, he had begun seminary studies in Qom – seat of Iran’s Shia Islamic establishment – at the age of 15, studying at the Ayatollah Borujerdi school at a time when the city began to be plunged into a state of pre-revolutionary ferment, with cassettes of the exiled Khomeini’s sermons being distributed among devout opponents to the shah’s rule.

Whatever the antecedents, there can be no doubt that Raisi’s commitment to Khomeini’s puritanical vision of Velayat-e-Faqih (rule by Islamic jurisprudence) was unambiguous and lasting.

Under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who succeeded Khomeini as supreme leader after the latter’s death in 1989, Raisi ascended to a series of senior judicial positions that kept him close to the heart of the theocracy, including the role of special clerical court prosecutor from 2012 until 2021 and head of the judiciary. During his two years in the latter post, he oversaw more than 400 executions, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organisation.

At the same time, as the regime under Khamenei – who has the last word on all state matters – turned its face against liberalising reform, Raisi’s political stock rose. With the supreme leader’s apparent approval, he stood in the 2017 presidential election as a conservative candidate but was beaten soundly by the incumbent, Hassan Rouhani, a centrist who had taken on the mantle of a reformist in a climate that had become steadily more intolerant of a loosening of Islamic strictures on social behaviour.

In 2021, once more with Khamenei’s backing, Raisi tried again and this time prevailed, on a historically low turnout of 48.8% and with 3.7m ballots not counted – either because they were deliberately left blank or voters had written in protest choices, in anger over the mass disqualification of other candidates.

As a president he seemed a markedly greyer figure than previous incumbents, such as the populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or Mohammad Khatami, the popular cleric who had become a champion of reformism by trying to relax the social impact of Iran’s rigid religious rules.

But the political – and contrasting – effect of having Raisi in office became clear in September 2022 following the mass protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who had been arrested for alleged improper observance of Islamic hijab. Her death spawned a wave of rebellion and the launch of a self-styled movement calling itself “Woman, Life, Freedom”, with women openly flouting strict rules on wearing head covering.

In response, Raisi presided over a brutal clampdown resulting in the deaths, so far, of at least 500 protesters. Repression in the Islamic Republic was not new, but critics detected in the severity of the response an ideological zeal greater even than the crackdown on the 2009 protests that had greeted Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election.

Raisi’s reward for such orthodoxy was to be spoken of as a possible supreme leader-in-waiting, in succession to Khamenei, who is 85. The abrupt ending to his life in a downed presidential helicopter terminates a controversial political career and renders such speculation moot.

Raisi is survived by his wife, Jamileh Alamolhoda, a writer and scholar, whom he married in 1983, and their two daughters.

🔔 Ebrahim Raisi, politician, born 14 December 1960; died 19 May 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[cydanite]

Swamp Duo AU: Part 8

8/9 - (FIRST) (<PREV<) (>NEXT>) (AU MASTERPOST)

(Ao3 LINK)

"Well," Pix starts, shuffling the many books and papers bundled in his arms. Shelby quickly places a table of wood planks over the mud, upon which Pix hefts the academic mass onto with a heavy thump. Shaking the strain out of his arms, he carefully begins organizing them, setting most of the articles to the side. What remains in the center is a maroon colored tome, not especially thick but fitted with large pages. Imprinted on its cover, the words "Art of the Pre-Ruinous and Ruinous Eras: a Documentation of Historical Works."

"Shelby I’m not sure how much you know about the Old Continent’s empires. Where the northern region of the Seareach Peninsula is now, on its western coast. That is where the Codlands once was.”

“A kingdom built into the swamps and salt marshes, home to slime farmers and fishermen. Curiously, the majority of its citizens were not human, but are referred as cod in most documentation. There is evidence of massive aqueducts throughout the Codland’s capital through which aquatic life theoretically could traverse the city. It brings the question though, why would cod desire to build a governed kingdom, on land no less? And how could they have constructed it?”

“The answer, as hypothesized today, is that there was some kind of influence that drew the cod to that area. An offspring of an ancient leviathan, said to have walked out from the tide and built a kingdom upon the marshes. So if my suspicions are correct…" Shelby follows his gaze upwards, from the book's art onto Jimmy's pale face.

"Codfather, Emperor of the Codlands, one of 12 Emperors of the Old Continent. That's you, right?”

The two of them stare at Jimmy, who opens and closes his moth like a, well... like a fish.

"N- no."

"No?" Pix challenged. "But-"

“No I’m not, right?" He shrinks in on himself, no longer meeting their eyes. "The Codlands doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t steward the land, I've lost my connection to it. So no, I'm not an Emperor.”

The air goes quiet. Even without knowing what kingdoms made up the old empire, she of course knows how they fell. She knows about The Rapture. A miles-wide nuclear explosion at the heart of the continent, the kingdom it was detonated in leveled to the ground in seconds. Outwards the shock wave spread, shattering the earth in all directions. The ground gave way to chasms, molten rock erupted from the core, and the rivers and ocean receded. Crops burnt, buildings toppled, the sky was blotted in ash, and the Kingdoms of the Old Continent, only having started to recover from blight, fell one by one to pestilence and ruin.

She knows about The Rapture, everyone does. Even those who didn't pay attention in history class usually tuned in for this chapter. If not for the destruction, then for how it started. Following the imprisonment of a demonic threat to all the land, a ceasefire between two warring nations is cautiously left instated. One nation is a center of industry, powered by smoke and redstone and led by a genius inventor. The other a small seaside kingdom, their leader a punching bag with little power over the fate of his nation. The underdog leader meets in his enemy's capital, hoping to establish peace after decades of war. The inventor agrees, enthusiastic to stop the fighting. After much discussion and debate, the two are seemingly ready to finalize the decision. In an act of trust, the inventor leads the underdog into the heart of his city, where an impossible reactor pulses with the energy to power the whole of the nation. The doors close behind the two and... only minutes pass before it all ends.

She knows about The Rapture. Twelve whole nations brought to ruin, all because of the cowardly Seaside King who wanted just once to be the sole arbiter of fate.

Wait a minute.

Shelby takes a step back, the tension making it feel like she's walking on a wire. There's no way, right? She didn't just have tea with the man who caused the apocalypse? Pix watches her connect the dots in her head and follows her suit, stepping away from the fish man.

"No, you're not an emperor anymore. None of your fellow emperors were in power for long after that day. The Rapture ended your era in minutes. The Old Continent was devastated. And before us, Shelby, is the very man who pushed the button."

She watches Pix take another step back, eyes focused on The Codfather. His left hand slowly reaches behind his back, hiding a splash potion being pulled from his inventory. His right hand at his side, but readied to reach for the sword in his inventory. Oh no. She turns back to Jimmy. He's bristling, shoulders heaving with heavy breaths. Oh no. This just got very dangerous, didn't it. Pix is speaking to her in a low voice now, and she can hear the fear he'd been suppressing.

"Get ready to cast something or run."

Shelby tries to think of what she could do, what she should do. Things were moving too fast. Her stomach starts to go sour. Pix has quickly raises his voice again, shouting now. "Why did you do it? Why did you destroy all you had, just for the chance to feel power beyond your fellow rulers?”

In a split second, a lot of things happen. The Codfather, now shaking, makes a sudden move towards them. Pix launches the fizzing potion and jumps back, preparing for the worst. And Shelby, in a moment of pure stress, pulls out her wand and casts the first spell she can think of. Two bubbles, shimmering iridescent, form around both The Codfather and her and Pix. The thin glass of the potion shatters against the opposing bubble's outer edge, dull purple vapors dissipating harmlessly. The two stop and stare at Jimmy, who'd fallen forward on his knees. It takes a second for them to realize. He's crying.

Shelby dissipates the spell. She takes a step forwards, despite Pix's nervous stare. One more step, then another, until she is crouched before the Ancient Cod King, tears making soft plaps upon the mud. He doesn't take notice, wide eyes staring at the dead air in front of him. His breaths are quick and shallow, with each one making his chest shudder. Oh no, this is bad for different reasons now. Quietly, cautiously, she starts talking.

"Hey Jimmy? This is Shelby, your friend. I need you to take a deep breath in, okay? Just one long breath"

It takes a moment, and she isn't sure Jimmy heard her at first, but the short shallow breaths are eventually replaced by a single, clumsy inhale.

"Good. Now try and breath out, slow and steady."

The exhale is wheezed out, snotty and gross. But calmer. They go through the exercise a few more times. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale, until the steady breaths no longer need instruction. Jimmy is still crying but his eyes have focused again, now looking at the ground beneath him. Shelby is suddenly aware of the freezing-cold mud soaking through the knees of her overalls. Jimmy gives a shaky breath.

"...I- I can't remember. Which one of us pressed that button? I didn't- I... neither of us wanted what..." His arms wrap around his head. "We thought we had really reached peace. That we were all headed for an age of prosperity.... that's all I wanted."

The two of them sit in silence, save for the soft pitter of tears and the buzzing of mayflies deeper in the swamp. There's a squelch of mud behind them as Pix walks over, a water bottle and towel in his hands. Jimmy takes the towel, tissue sized in his hand, and starts to wipe his face. Pix, unsure how to start, kneels into the mud as well.

"I'm... sorry how that happened. That must've been awful to live through. I... I suppose history isn't fair to those not there to write it."

He stops there. History remembering Jimmy as a monster isn't the issue at hand right now. Instead they let Jimmy cry as much as he needs to. Shelby thinks about it, how accidentally being involved in the ending of the world would feel. She thinks about the old ruins in the forest by her hometown, the ravines carved into the earth just outside the Witch's Academy's campus. She thinks about her blunder with her potions hut, how she had ended a tiny part of the world right there.

She thinks if she survived causing the apocalypse, she would crawl into a hole and sleep forever as well.

After a few minutes, the tears are all out of Jimmy's system. He sniffles, wiping his eyes with the towel one last time.

"M' sorry about that. I, um..."

"Hey, it's okay. You, uh, really seemed like you needed that cry, huh?" Shelby stands up, offering Jimmy her hand. He takes it, but gets up on his own since she's too short to offer leverage.

"I think... that's probably enough stress for today." Pix pulls out a shulker box, carefully packaging his books and papers now that he has ample time to. "How about we go someplace with a bit more room and a bit less mud? I'll be honest, I had Joel on stand-by in case things got too out of hand." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "I... I seriously thought there was no possible way it could be you, but I called Joel just to calm my nerves. I didn't want the situation to get dangerous." The shulker closes with a click.

"With that aside, Stratos should be spacious and comfy enough to accommodate you until we can build you a proper house. How's that sound?"

Joel's empire was, in fact, spacious and warm and much less muddy. And while the god was at first annoyed that "back-up" meant offering a room to the potential murderous fishman he was warned about, he soon determined the situation wasn't anything worth worrying about to him.

For the first night in many, many nights, Jimmy slept in a bed instead of a hole in the ground. And though he didn't let himself dream yet, he had to admit it was a lot more comfy up here.

[miercolaes]

howdy friends. i have made a survey for this one class. unfortunately, the professor ain't the most realistic person i know and they expect a bunch of answers (at least 20) i should quantify by monday and make a report for it.

this survey is for a real brand but of course i don't expect people to know about it or use it. however, i do need people to pretend they have used products from this brand so i can work with the answers and make a report. think of it as a muse of yours that is answering quizzes similar to those dashboard games but make it lame and skincare based.

for context, this survey is about seed phytonutrients, which is a l'oreal brand. the survey has a total of 29 questions, from which 4 are open ended questions (basically, you are free to write about anything, mainly focusing on your imaginery direct experience) and the rest of the 25 questions are closed questions with pre-established answers (from which you can pick either one or more answers, depending on the question).

the survey begins with "your email" and "phone number" which are not obligatory, but if you want to fill it out, please use fake emails or fake phone numbers. again, you don't have to write anything there. the forms is originally in romanian, but you can easily translate everything by right clicking on your mouse and using the translate to english feature (this works only on google chrome).

i won't be able to identify you and if you can, please share the link with other people (and letting them know this isn't a real thing, meaning they should do what we do when we do uquizzes for our muses). by clicking here you'll be redirected to the survey. or, alternatively, you can access the link under read more. thank you for your time, even just reading this.

[tvmigraine]

FORGOTTEN LIVES: Robert Holmes

Before we begin! Remember to get a copy of the Forgotten Lives Omnibus at this link! The 31st is the LAST opportunity to preorder the new book before you lose your chance! We're going to aim for another double-post today, so that you have enough time to pick up the book!

In the Chibnall era of the show, we were introduced to the idea of Division - we've yet to see it fully in expanded media, but it seems a lot like the Celestial Intervention Agency, pulling strings in the background to make things work in favour of the Time Lords. The Fugitive Doctor is working (reluctantly?) for Division, but we have yet to see the Doctor's relationship with these shady organisations in the show. With the Camfield Doctor, we saw how they bend the rules and act outside the Time Lords' interests. But what does it mean when the Doctor loses their freedom?

Robert Holmes (1926-1986) may be most well known for the invention of the Sontarans, however has written many important episodes for the show including Brain of Morbius alongside Terrance Dicks under the name "Robin Bland". Along with having written the debut episodes of the Third Doctor, The Master, Jo Grant and Sarah Jane Smith, he's also written the episodes Spearhead from Space, The Deadly Assassin, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Caves of Androzani, The Two Doctors and many more from the 2nd Doctor era all the way to the 6th. He would've written The Ultimate Foe to complete the "Trial of a Time Lord" storyline, but passed away before he could finish a script.

Here we see a lonely Doctor working trapped beneath the heel of the Time Lords. Where he would have a companion, he instead has a small device that keeps him under constant surveillance. He's stuck doing missions that makes him do terrible things, waiting for that day where he can turn the tide and wipe the red from his ledger.

Portions of his era make him standout, as he does things I never expected to see from either book. In the first book, when written solely under Jay Eales, we see a similar set up to Dennison's "Gauntlet of Absolution" handled in a much different way. The Doctor, much like his current situation, is supervised by the alien race over the course of weeks as the Doctor tries his best to find the best outcome. An unexpected appearance at the end happily caught me off guard, something I hope to see in future releases.

When introducing other writers to this Doctor, Ian McIntre penned another multi-part story that took us between the Hinchcliffe and Holmes incarnations. We see this Doctor reunite with a friend made many faces ago, acting similarly to stories like "The Girl in the Fireplace" and it's relationship to "Deep Breath", not being a direct continuation as much as it's building on the pre-established lore around a strong concept. There's a moment that shows the Holmes Doctor almost reminisce on better times, when he had more freedom than this face may have ever known.

They're possibly the Doctor go through the most physical anguish out of the other incarnations. Eales writes a fantastic opening scene in "Borrowed Time" that details the scars and injuries that this Doctor has sustained, some to a point that should lead to regeneration but instead he is forced to continue. The Doctor that we see at the start of these stories is nothing like the broken and defeated Doctor we find in his send-off.

And as much as I shouldn't pick favourites, I have to give incredible amounts of respect for this TARDIS interior. Referred to as the Rococo TARDIS, it is a gorgeous steampunk design that feels like this Doctor letting out the personality he wishes he could properly show without regular interference.

I have little else to comment on - unlike the Harper or the Camfield Doctors, Holmes' background is easy to understand and stories are simply good. That being said, I couldn't help but consider the specific pairing up of Series 6B Troughton, Jo Martin and Holmes' Doctor. Three incarnations that would not know each other dealing with some alien planet while navigating the bureaucracy of multiple different Time Lord branches could make for either a fantastic political drama or a very funny political comedy.

For more insight into the creative process of every author that worked on Forgotten Lives, you can go to @forgottenlivesobverse and find interviews from everyone involved across the books. If you're looking for insight on how the outfits were designed, you can go to Paul Hanley's Patreon and find what went into designing each Doctor.

Here's the stories you can look forward to as this Doctor does his best to balance his ledger and make amends, pushed to his very limits.

THE OTHER SIDE by Jay Eales

THE HIVE MINDERS (Part Two) by Ian McIntire

RETROGENESIS (Part Seven) by Philip Purser-Hallard

BORROWED TIME by Jay Eales

Our final post will be the George Gallaccio Doctor, the final Doctor before we would begin the Hartnell era. You've got very little time to get the book, so don't miss out!

[banananutmilk]

The Green Knight Film Essay(2021)

by Jacob Christopher

The movie I chose to rewatch for week one of class is The Green Knight (2021) directed by David Lowrey, a cinematic readaptation of the 14th century poem of the Arthurian tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story follows that of the nephew of King Arthur, Sir Gawain played by Dev Patel, and his quest for honor in order to please his lineage. Accepting the challenge of the mysterious Green Knight on Christmas day to strike him with a blow, on the condition that Gawain must seek him out a year later to receive an equal blow in return. The film explores themes of honor, destiny, and mortality as Gawain embarks on a perilous journey filled with encounters that test his character and courage. It's praised for its stunning visuals, atmospheric storytelling, and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. The impact left on me was more so the curiosity left from the end of the film, left wondering what it was that captivated my attention. 

The indie film is a financial success considering the budget of 15 million compared to the grossed 20 million worldwide and 3 million in the home market. Arguments can be made looking at the box office opening night of just under 7 million isn't considered an impressive metric. However looking at the historical context, for an indie movie to be released during the covid-19 pandemic many restrictions for public safety were still implemented. To add inclination for people to view the film the production studio known as A24 acts as a seal of theatrical approval for audiences. Despite being based on a pre-established text, the obscurity of it’s age doesn’t exactly tempt the audience with it’s popularity. What differentiates The Green Knight from prior medieval films is the usage of it’s psychological horror and abstract cinematography to add a sense of surrealism to it’s story. A24 before releasing the film released a video on YouTube titled as An Oral History of the Green Knight to engage audiences as well as act as a guide for background and historical context for the film. The critical response for the film has remained the same with the film’s popularity peaking during it’s theater release.

Link to Trends

Only adding to it’s strength, the unconventionality of the film drew in many to witness and marvel at the almost confusing film. Rather than focusing solely on chivalry and heroism, the film delves into themes of mortality, honor, and the nature of destiny, offering a more introspective take on the Arthurian legend. Combined with director David Lowery's visual storytelling, blending elements of fantasy and realism, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that sets it apart from typical historical dramas. Taking a non-linear approach to storytelling, often meandering through dream sequences and nonlinear timelines for a muddied lens of fantasy and realism it challenges that of conventional narrative structures. Instead embracing ambiguity and symbolism, leaving much more to be open to interpretation. The meaning of certain events and characters is left intentionally vague to invitie viewers to engage in deeper analysis. This movie has it all, etching itself into the A24 vault as arguably one of their most fascinating films. 

My first viewing of this film I was puzzled and amused by the creativity and storytelling capabilities expressed. I watched half of it, rewinded it, went to bed and watched the rest in the morning with my roommate with bowls of cereal in hand. By the ending scene I was left in awe of how well written it was, and when the credits had started rolling the two of us sat in silence for what felt like minutes. Before my rewatching of the film once more I had done more research on the intricaciesof the film and the Arthurian poem of Sir Gawian and the Green Knight. With one of the bigger questions of the purpose and symbolism of the Green Knight himself being answered by one of the commonly agreed on interpretaions. Being the Green Knight is an embodiment of Nature and the cycle of life itself, and the actions Gawian takes againt the Green Knight exposes his human nature and all of it’s blemishes. The poem is a much more cheery tale of bravery and the heroics of what is expected of a knight.

The quote I chose to embody the film is by Essel, a woman from the lower class of society as well as the lover of Gawain, asking Gawain before his venture to find the Green Knight and seek his fate, “Why Greatness? Why is goodness not enough?” It is within this dialogue we find the message of the film. What is honor if not an excuse to run from your own humanity?

[ofgreyskies]

all about greymatter, the pre-debut chapter

greymatter is the username of the youtube and soundcloud accounts created by ash when he was fifteen years old where he would upload his covers and original music. since signing to a label at eighteen, ash has posted occasionally to the greymatter accounts, but they are generally inactive today. his original tracks from 2013 to 2015 were officially released onto streaming sites in 2016 as a part of the remastered compilation album greymatter following his major label debut. the current-day stage name of grey grew out of the username. to this day, he uses greymatter as a producer alias, and his visual directing, editing, and photography work is watermarked with greymatter visuals.

"cigarette" is the earliest original song uploaded to the greymatter soundcloud account that's still available today. the song features collaborators as the primary vocalists and is representative of some of the early work he was posting to the account where he played a more prominent role as producer and songwriter than performer. the upload brought the first real wave attention to him on the platform, as it went small-scale viral around the time of its release. it wasn't the kind of virality that got him any broad name recognition or places on any charts outside of the soundcloud platform, but it earned him a few local gigs and connections. a visual was released for "cigarette" months after the track was uploaded. the visual was directed and edited by ash and a film school friend he had at the time. in fan spaces, "cigarette" has become one of the songs people reference to prove themselves as a "real" fan. since his most popular soundcloud releases were re-released onto streaming sites, "cigarette" has been among the most streamed songs off the compilation.

greed was uploaded onto grey's soundcloud and youtube in august 2014, when he was seventeen and had just begun his final year of high school. it was the first of three mixtapes he released under the greymatter moniker. greed consists of six self-written and self-produced songs. several of the tracks on greed were songs he was performing at open mics around the city and at school showcases and shopping around to music labels. a music video for one of the songs, "comme des garcons" was uploaded to his youtube channel. he directed it along with the same friend with whom he made the "cigarette" visual. it followed the same monochrome look all of his greymatter accounts and content had at the time.

"antiriver" was uploaded a few months after greed and is one of his least known releases despite being his favorite song he'd made at the time it came out. he released a video for this song too, though this time he broke the black and white look established with his previous visuals. at the time, ash thought this would be his big breakthrough masterpiece that would define him as an artist. it wasn't.

not long after turning eighteen, ash released his second mixtape esprit onto his greymatter accounts. reflective of the self-discovery that comes with becoming an adult and preparing for the next chapter in his life (which, at this point, he believed was going off to college in the fall), it maintained a stylistic throughline with greed, but with a clearly matured songwriting style. as he began to sell songs as a producer with more regularity and grew a bigger team with which to work, the main track of the collection, "lustre", also had a bigger video budget than its predecessors.

evergrey is the most well-known of ash's pre-debut works as his own (since "cigarette" is linked back to him less often). a final self-release before beginning his journey as a newly-signed artist under a major label, evergrey is both a conclusion and a transition. it draws from the same soundscape and stylizations as greed and esprit, but also introduces the more sensual sound that would become the early trademark of the artist grey with his official american and korean debuts in the following year. as the only of the early releases he gave an interview for the release of (thanks to the promotional interests of the label he'd sign to), evergrey is the one he's spoken the most about on-record. in addition to his video for "evergrey" / "in the blur of the rain", track visualizers were released for each track for the first time.

[emystic-a]

"Look! I have lots."

The toddler proudly showed the handful of berries, but given how tiny his palms were it wasn't a lot of berries to go around. Shaggy, white hair now brown in spots due to having dirt and tiny branches in his mane; from diving in the berry bushes earlier. Offering his berries at the other with a gleeful look.

[bi-naesala]

A different perspective

(Written for @p3akishinjiweek day 2: Emperor/Hierophant | Stars/Moon)

Pre-relationship, Established relationship, Both make sense, Parallel Dimensions, Cooking, Oblivious Akihiko, Hopeful ending

Through Tartarus-related magic, Akihiko finds himself in an alternate reality where it's pretty much all the same, except a few things… (Aka Emperor!Akihiko meets Moon!Shinjiro)

(AO3 link)

(Fic under the cut)

This feels like something that would happen in a manga, but Akihiko has no doubts about the reality of the situation: through Tartarus’ magic – he supposes – he’s been taken to a different reality than his own, swapping places – again, this is still all one big supposition – with the Akihiko that used to inhabit it.

It’s incredible how different this reality is, despite the similarities: there’s still the Dark Hour, they still have their personas, but their leader is a completely different person, not Makoto Yuki, but Kotone Shiomi, a bubbly girl that, for the short period of time Akihiko has been here, has spoken to him more times than Yuki has done throughout the entire time they’ve known each other. She seems more prone to mischief than her counterpart – that has to be why she’s such great friends with Junpei – and seems all-around happier and more approachable.

The air at the dorm is different with her, less tense and more friendly. Not that Akihiko doesn’t like how it is in his reality, but here even something like striking up a conversation feels easier.

Another big difference that he’s noticed is the way Shinji acts. Not that he’s too dissimilar from the one he knows – he still calls him “Aki” even though he comes from a different reality – but there’s something about him… He seems more open; he doesn’t know how to explain it.

Must be Shiomi’s influence. He’s seen how hard she tries to involve him in the group affairs, and he seems unable to tell her no, at least not for long anyway. Akihiko wishes he could have such an effect on his Shinji, but maybe it’s just because he hasn’t tried hard enough.

Deep down he’s still the same grumbling idiot who likes to act like an old man, even though they have the same age, and that’s why, despite the multidimensional situation, it’s not as awkward as he thought it would be to talk to him.

There’s something, in particular, that has caught his attention, something that has never happened in his world, and even though he should probably mind his own business, he wants to know more about it…

He finds Shinji at the lounge, pretending he’s not watching the cooking program that’s airing on the TV. His Shinji does the same exact thing, and for now nobody – except him, but that’s not fair because he’s known him since forever – has caught onto it; he wonders if it’s the same for this universe too.

Concentrate, Akihiko! One matter per time.

“Hey, Shinji,” he greets him, casually taking a sit next to him.

“Hey,” the other replies, eyes darting between Akihiko and the program.

How should he approach this? Oh well, he’s always been a direct kind of guy. He should just ask, instead of beating around the bush; he’s sure Shinji would appreciate it if he doesn’t waste his time.

“I’ve noticed that everyone keeps making requests about cooking. How so? I thought you didn’t like people knowing about your hobby.”

He was expecting Shinji to deflect, or to say something like “what’s it to you?”, but he’s surprised when he actually replies:

“Oh, that’s just because they want me to cook for them again.”

Oh, that makes sense… Wait.

Again?!

“What?! You cooked for them?!” Akihiko exclaims, with more vehemence than anticipated, which startles Shinjiro slightly and makes him look away, face already of a dark shade of red. He even lowers his beanie, as if that would be enough to hide him from Akihiko’s gaze.

“They asked me, okay? And they were damn annoying about it!” he justifies himself, before he notices, with horror, the pleading look on Akihiko’s face. “No, I’m not cooking for you.”

“C’mon, why?” Akihiko pouts. “My Shinji never cooked anything for me—”

“And he must’ve had his reasons not to do it,” Shinji retorts, crossing his arms to his chest, but Akihiko keeps looking at him like that, and…

To his credit, Shinjiro does last five whole seconds before giving in.

“Fine,” he sighs. “Have it your way.”

He waits for the next evening, knowing that everyone else will be out. When Akihiko asks him why, he says that, if they saw him cooking for him, they would just force him to make a feast for everyone again, which he doesn’t feel like doing.

Besides, this is for Akihiko and Akihiko only – and boy does hearing that makes him feel something, though he can’t tell exactly what.

“We don’t have much, but I can make some ramen,” Shinjiro says, looking around in the kitchen.

“Of course, anything’s fine,” Akihiko replies. It’s already a miracle that Shinji’s agreed to cook for him, he won’t ruin it by being picky.

“Do you need any help?” he asks, then, because even though he can’t wait to taste Shinji’s cooking, he feels bad about making him do all the work.

His offer doesn’t seem to be appreciated, though, because Shinji scoffs. “If you’re anything like my Aki, you’d only do damage.”

“Hey!” Akihiko exclaims, trying to ignore the weird way Shinji saying “my Aki” makes him feel. He’s right though: there’s a reason why he only eats instant food, or goes eating outside. “Um… Maybe you can teach me?”

“Ask your me, I ain’t a teacher,” the other replies, though he adds, “But you can stay here, if you want… Just stay out of the way.”

Akihiko smiles.

“Yessir,” he jokes, but the weird way Shinji looks at him makes him wonder he should’ve kept his mouth shut instead.

He watches Shinji work in silence, trying to pick up anything that could be useful – he should start learning how to cook, instead of relying on pre-made food – though if there’s something Akihiko isn’t that good at, it’s waiting, or better, doing nothing while waiting.

At first, he taps his foot on the floor, just to let off some energy, but after Shinji tells him to quit it, he stops, not wanting to irritate him further. Something else would be better, maybe… talking? That could work too.

To tell the truth, there’s quite the list of things he would like to ask, especially about Shinji himself – just how different is he from the one from his reality? – but he’s not sure he would even answer him. If anything, he’d surely grow more and more annoyed by each question.

In the end, he picks something that he finds relatively innocuous. “How’s your Akihiko? Is he any different from me?”

“Not really,” Shinji replies. “Honestly, I don’t think you could ever be different in any universe.”

Akihiko raises an eyebrow at him. “Is that supposed to be a compliment, or an insult?”

“Take it as you will,” Shinjiro shrugs.

Okay, when he says it like that, it feels more like an insult, but since he doesn’t want to fight while Shinji’s cooking for him, Akihiko decides to go for compliment.

He wasn’t expecting Shinji to fire off a question in turn, or at least try to.

“Are you and the me from your universe… huh…”

“Are we what?” Akihiko asks, confused. Does he want to know if they’re friends? Well, he figured he would’ve gotten it already by now – it’s not like Akihiko has given off a different impression – but maybe he wants a confirmation. Why is he having a hard time with it, though?

“Well… you know…” Is Akihiko imagining things, or is Shinji blushing? Nah, he must be a trick of the light.

“You wanna know if we’re friends?”

“Yeah, sure. That.”

Akihiko can’t help but to chuckle at the silliness of that question. “Of course we are. What, you were worried or something?”

Shinjiro doesn’t reply immediately, which makes Akihiko worry, but it soon morphs into confusion when he says:

“That’s it?”

What does he mean by that? Is being friends not enough?

“Well, I guess I can say you’re my best friend, if that’s what you’re getting at…” he replies, unsure of how he should go about it.

More silence, then eventually Shinjiro sighs. “Ah, so that’s how it is…”

Akihiko swears, he’s getting more and more cryptic by the second, but he doesn’t have the time to ask him what’s going on that he shoves a bowl of steamy ramen in front of him.

“Here. Eat.”

Akihiko looks at Shinji, then at the bowl of ramen, then at Shinji again. He wants to ask more, but the smell is so inviting… he can’t resist.

“Thanks for the meal!” he says, before grabbing a pair of chopsticks and digging in, anticipation through the roof. Finally, he’ll get to sample Shinji’s cooking; it’s taken getting thrown into a different dimension to achieve this result, but he’s finally here.

It’s… absolutely delicious!

“Wow, it’s so good!” Akihiko can’t help but to exclaim. “I’ll have to ask my Shinji to cook too, it’s a waste of his talent if he doesn’t!”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up and eat now,” Shinjiro mutters, doing his best to look like he doesn’t care about Akihiko’s opinion, but he can tell that he’s happy about it. He’s just shit at taking compliments, just like his Shinji.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he says, then, unable to help a smile as he takes another bite. This is the best ramen he’s ever eaten!

He’s not sure if his Shinji’s skills are on par of this Shinji’s – he doesn’t really have a frame of reference – but he likes to think that this is another similarity that unites this dimension and his own, which means that, once he gets back, he won’t stop harassing him until he too agrees to put his talent to use and cook him something.

As he eats, Shinjiro sits beside him, watching him without saying a word. It makes Akihiko wonder what he’s thinking about – maybe he misses his Akihiko? Or maybe he shouldn’t be so self-centered and assume whatever Shinji’s thinking, it revolves around him.

He tries his best to focus on his food, though he wouldn’t say he’s been very successful at it, especially when an amused smile makes its way to Shinji’s lips. It makes Akihiko feel weird – by now he’s gotten used to his Shinji’s permanent frown – but in a good way, he thinks? Yeah, it’s probably in a good way.

“You really like it, huh?” he mutters, more to himself than to Akihiko, but he still feels the need to reply.

“Of course I do! Why, you thought I wouldn’t?”

In all his immense eloquence, Shinji simply shrugs, which prompts Akihiko to drop the subject as well. Pursuing it further doesn’t feel like it’s worth the trouble.

… This feels oddly domestic, but Akihiko finds himself liking it.

It’s not hard for him to imagine doing this with his Shinji even though, realistically, he would never agree to it, but if Akihiko tries hard enough, if he could just show him that there’s more to life than constantly relieving the past, maybe…

He freezes, feeling his hair being caressed.

Looking to his side, he can see that it’s Shinji the one who’s doing it, which doesn’t register right until Akihiko remembers that this is another version of his reality, that this Shinji might look and act like his Shinji, but ultimately he’s a different person.

He must’ve acted on instinct, because as soon as he notices Akihiko’s reaction, he retracts his hand, looking away from him.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, then. “You seemed upset, and you look so much like my Aki that I…”

“I-It’s fine,” Akihiko replies, trying to stay calm. His heart is hammering in his chest, but he doesn’t know why. “I… I didn’t mind.”

“Huh, okay. Good,” is all Shinji says, though he doesn’t reach out for Akihiko anymore, much to his disappointment.

What? Why would he care about that? Why does he care about that? What’s happening?

Ugh, this is getting awkward…

Thankfully, Shinji goes for the save, and he does so in his own, snarky way – so on brand.

“Can’t believe you’re eating something without adding that protein shit you so like. I have to fight my Aki to get him not to ruin his food with it.”

Okay, that was uncalled for.

“Shut up! I need it for my training regimen, okay?” Akihiko exclaims, lightly shoving Shinjiro. “And it’s not like I put it everywhere. You’re just being a dick now!”

Maybe it’s the familiarity of such an argument, or maybe this is simply the signal that Akihiko’s starting to lose it, but he can’t help but to laugh, unable to stop himself.

At first, Shinjiro just stares at him, an unreadable expression on his face, but soon he joins him. Wow, Shinji’s laughter… That’s a sound he hasn’t heard in quite a long time.

How often does this universe’s Akihiko get to hear it?

How often does he find himself in the same position as Akihiko’s?

He can’t help but to wonder… and he can’t help but yearn for the same thing, with his Shinji.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just stay here, where everything is better?

It would be extremely selfish. It would be extremely unfair to the Akihiko of this universe, but that doesn’t stop him from thinking that, if he could, he wouldn’t mind staying here at least a little longer.

Could he really be able to do that, though?

… No, he couldn’t.

No matter how easy it would be, he can’t abandon his Shinji. He can’t abandon any of his friends, for the matter.

Eventually, they’ll have to find a solution to this problem. Eventually, he’ll have to go back home, his true home, where things are quite different.

He’s seen how things can be, though.

He’s seen that there is a way to make Shinji feel better.

He feels bad about not having been able to make it better in his own universe already, but now that he knows that there is a world where Shinji is happier, he’ll do his absolute best ensuring that his Shinji feels the same.

He doesn’t know if he can actually do it, all on his own, but even then, he has to try.

[cascadecollision-st-george]

Cascade Collision Repair

Located at 1580 E. Gateway Drive in St. George, Utah, a new auto body repair shop is set to open its doors in 2025. This state-of-the-art facility will serve St. George and the surrounding areas, offering convenient access via an online Get Directions link.

As part of the reputable Quality Collision Group, this shop brings a legacy of excellence from its established presence in the Salt Lake area to Southern Utah. The expansion to St. George represents the company's commitment to providing top-tier auto body services to a wider clientele.

This full-service auto body repair shop is equipped to handle a diverse range of repair needs. From minor scratch repairs to major structural issues, the facility specializes in all collision-related matters. The shop's capabilities extend to oversized vehicle collision repair, ensuring comprehensive coverage for various vehicle types.

The technicians at this St. George location boast extensive training and years of hands-on collision repair experience. They consistently stay abreast of the latest models and repair techniques, enabling them to address any auto body needs with confidence and precision. This commitment to ongoing education and skill development ensures that customers receive repairs that meet exceptional quality standards.

Quality is a cornerstone of the company's ethos. Since 2000, the Quality Collision Group has been renowned for its outstanding customer service. This new location will uphold the company's established reputation by adhering to rigorous quality standards and ensuring customer satisfaction with every repair job.

The comprehensive range of auto body services offered at this St. George shop reflects the company's dedication to meeting all collision repair needs under one roof. Whether it's a minor dent or major collision damage, customers can expect professional, high-quality repairs that restore their vehicles to pre-accident condition.

By expanding to St. George, the Quality Collision Group brings its proven track record of excellence to a new market, offering residents and visitors alike access to top-notch auto body repair services. As the 2025 opening approaches, anticipation builds for this valuable addition to St. George's automotive service landscape.

Visit Our Website

[wilkysroadtrip]

DAY 3

Sunday, August 11 | Wisconsin | 189mi | 3h 38m

Welp. Turns out our first stop was getting our tire replaced. Camping World is also apparently closed on Sundays anyway. God-fearing folk, as our friend Joel Suppa would say. Among many other tire-related establishments. It was a feat finding open places. We also had to source the tires separately from someone who was actually able to change them on an RV, let alone on the spot. We found one very gracious man who was working on a personal project that was willing to help us out. Bought four tires and changed the one set. Will have to find another place tomorrow to change the other set (just to keep the tread even).

After the tire debacle we were able to get back on schedule and made it to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Pepin, Wisconsin, . The museum was small, but packed a punch. So many old relics and original pieces from the Ingalls family. We had fun with the little organ and the Old Dan Tucker song (Colton loves to sing that). But most moving display was a letter Mary had written in the hospital to a fellow patient after going blind and suffering from facial paralysis. What a card to have been dealt.

From there we checked out Laura’s birth place (and living museum that weekend). The property was purchased directly from Charles Ingalls by the owner’s great great great grandfather and remained in the family ever since. The kids worked at building a mini house while the gentleman behind us actually were building a house. We saw a wonderful yarn making demonstration, from carding to spinning, and learned about a lot of the old tools from a gentleman and what they each did. The replica house was super cute. A very enjoyable experience all around.

Arrived at what we thought was our campground at about 930p. Drove around for a while looking for our site until we realized something was wrong. Apparently our actual campground we booked was another 150 miles north of us. Huge Minnesota State discrepancy on their website with how they identify their locations. At any rate, we weren’t about to make the trek (in the opposite direction no less). So we found an empty spot, setup camp, and prayed no one showed up in the night to claim it.

Breakfast: leftover French toast with powdered sugar, half a banana, and breakfast sausage links I had saved from the burritos. All served cold, as we sat waiting for the tires to be changed. Kids were none too pleased. I told them we were to be grateful we had anything, and above all, that we were safe.

Dinner: BBQ pulled venison Tristan had pre-pepped— smoked, seasoned, and froze, with a side of fresh Wisconsin corn.

[idiosys1]

Unlocking the Power of WhatsApp Marketing for Your Event Management Business

Feeling like your event marketing efforts are getting lost in the digital noise? Struggling to connect with potential attendees and drive registrations?  In today’s crowded online space, traditional marketing methods just aren’t cutting it anymore. But what if there was a way to reach your target audience directly, build relationships, and boost event engagement – all through a platform they already use and love? Enter WhatsApp marketing, a game-changer for event management companies.

Why WhatsApp Marketing for Event Management?

WhatsApp boasts a staggering 2 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular messaging platforms globally.  This immense reach, coupled with its high open rates (over 90%), presents a goldmine for event organizers.

Here’s why WhatsApp marketing is a perfect fit for the event management industry:

Direct Communication: Unlike impersonal emails or social media posts, WhatsApp allows for direct, two-way communication with potential attendees. You can answer questions, address concerns, and build relationships on a more personal level.

Increased Engagement: WhatsApp fosters a sense of community and exclusivity. Sharing event updates, teasers, and behind-the-scenes glimpses through WhatsApp keeps attendees engaged and excited about the event.

Targeted Marketing: By leveraging WhatsApp groups or broadcast lists, you can segment your audience and send targeted messages based on their interests, demographics, or event preferences. This ensures your marketing efforts are more relevant and impactful.

 Real-time Updates: Keep attendees informed with real-time updates about the event schedule, venue changes, or any last-minute announcements. This ensures a smooth event experience and minimizes confusion.

Boost Registrations: WhatsApp allows for a quick and easy registration process. Attendees can simply click a link or reply to a message to register, drastically improving conversion rates.

Gather Valuable Feedback: After the event, use WhatsApp to gather feedback from attendees. This can be done through polls, surveys, or even simple text messages. This valuable data can be used to improve future events.

Leveraging WhatsApp Marketing for Event Success

Now that we’ve established the benefits of WhatsApp marketing for event management, let’s delve into some practical strategies for implementation:

    1. Set Up a WhatsApp Business Account:

A standard WhatsApp account isn’t suitable for business purposes. Opt for a free WhatsApp Business account. This provides essential features like:

Business Profile: Create a professional profile with your company name, logo, address, and contact information.

Catalog: Showcase upcoming events with descriptions, images, and links for registration.

Labels: Organize your contacts with labels for better segmentation.

Quick Replies: Set up pre-written responses to frequently asked questions, saving you time and effort.

Broadcast Lists: Send targeted messages to large groups of attendees.

    2. Build Your WhatsApp Audience:

Growing your WhatsApp audience is crucial for successful marketing. Here are some effective methods:

Website and Social Media: Add a “Chat with Us on WhatsApp” button to your website and social media profiles.

Event Registration: Include an option for attendees to opt-in to receive WhatsApp updates during registration.

Existing Customer Base: Reach out to your existing customer base via email or social media, inviting them to join your WhatsApp group.

Promotional Offers: Offer exclusive discounts or early access to those who sign up for your WhatsApp group.

    3. Craft Engaging Content:

The key to successful WhatsApp marketing lies in creating engaging content that resonates with your audience. Here are some ideas:

Event Updates: Share updates on speakers, schedules, and venue details.

Exclusive Content: Offer behind-the-scenes glimpses, interviews with speakers, or sneak peeks at the event venue.

Polls and Q&A Sessions: Encourage audience participation through polls on topics related to the event or Q&A sessions with speakers.

Contests and Giveaways: Host contests or giveaways with exciting prizes to generate buzz and increase engagement.

Live Updates During the Event: Provide real-time updates on stage activities, networking opportunities, or any changes to the schedule.

    4. Maintain a Professional & Conversational Tone:

While WhatsApp fosters a casual environment, it’s important to maintain a professional tone in your communication.

Use Proper Grammar and Spelling: Typos and grammatical errors can leave a negative impression.

Respond Promptly: Aim to respond to inquiries within a reasonable time-

Personalize Your Messages: Use attendee names and avoid generic greetings.

Offer Value First: Focus on providing value and relevant information to your audience. Don’t bombard them with promotional messages.

    5. Utilize WhatsApp Marketing Tools:

Manage Large Audiences: Effectively manage and segment large contact lists for targeted messaging.

Track Analytics: Gain valuable insights into message open rates, click-through rates, and overall campaign performance.

Optimizing Your WhatsApp Marketing for Maximum Impact:

Here are some additional tips to ensure your WhatsApp marketing delivers the best results:

Get Consent: Always obtain explicit consent from individuals before adding them to your WhatsApp audience.

Provide Opt-Out Options: Make it easy for users to unsubscribe from your messages if they no longer wish to receive them.

Respect User Privacy: Do not share personal information with third parties without consent.

Track and Analyze Results: Regularly monitor your WhatsApp marketing performance and adjust your strategy based on the data.

Partner with a Digital Marketing Agency (Optional): Consider collaborating with a reputable digital marketing agency specializing in WhatsApp marketing. Their expertise can help you create a comprehensive strategy, develop engaging content, and leverage advanced tools for optimal results.

Conclusion: WhatsApp Marketing – A Game Changer for Event Management

By incorporating these strategies, event management companies can leverage the power of WhatsApp marketing to connect with their target audience on a deeper level, drive event registrations, and ultimately, create a more successful and engaging event experience.  As the digital landscape continues to evolve, WhatsApp marketing presents a unique opportunity for event organizers to stay ahead of the curve and reach their target audience in a more personal and impactful way.

Ready to take your event marketing to the next level?  Consider incorporating WhatsApp marketing into your overall strategy.  By following the tips outlined above and staying creative with your approach, you can unlock the immense potential of this powerful communication platform and ensure your events continue to attract and engage attendees.

____________________________

Why should event management businesses use WhatsApp for marketing?

It offers direct communication, high engagement rates, and a personal touch, which are essential for managing and promoting events.

How can I use WhatsApp to promote upcoming events?

Send event details, registration links, and promotional materials directly to your contacts.

How do I track the success of my WhatsApp marketing campaigns?

Monitor metrics like message open rates, response rates, and customer feedback.

How can I use WhatsApp to promote upcoming events?

Send event details, registration links, and promotional materials directly to your contacts.

How can AI enhance WhatsApp marketing?

AI can help with chatbots for customer service, predictive analytics for better targeting, and personalized messaging.

Is WhatsApp marketing suitable for small event management businesses?

Absolutely, it’s cost-effective and offers a direct line to customers, making it ideal for small businesses.

____________________________

Please check out the blog post: https://shorturl.at/VwQpS

[hammadchauhdary]

Building a Winning Employee Referral Program

Employee referral programs have emerged as a cornerstone for modern recruitment strategies, proving their efficacy in sourcing top-tier talent. In today's competitive job market, where skilled professionals are in high demand, cultivating a robust referral program can significantly enhance a company's recruitment efforts. Let's delve into the intricacies of crafting and implementing a winning employee referral program that not only attracts exceptional candidates but also fosters a culture of engagement and loyalty within the organization.

Understanding the Essence

At its core, an employee referral program leverages the existing networks of a company's workforce to identify and attract potential candidates for job openings. Unlike traditional recruitment methods, where HR departments rely solely on job postings and external agencies, referral programs tap into the power of employee connections. By incentivizing employees to refer qualified individuals, organizations can access a pool of candidates who are not only pre-screened but also more likely to align with the company's culture and values.

Key Components of a Successful Referral Program

Clear Objectives: Establishing clear objectives is paramount to the success of any referral program. Whether the aim is to fill specific positions, enhance diversity, or reduce recruitment costs, defining measurable goals provides direction and helps track progress effectively.

Compelling Incentives: Incentives play a pivotal role in motivating employees to actively participate in the referral process. While monetary rewards are commonly offered, non-monetary incentives such as recognition, career advancement opportunities, or extra vacation days can also be compelling motivators.

Streamlined Processes: A seamless and user-friendly referral process encourages higher participation rates among employees. Implementing intuitive referral platforms or tools simplifies the submission process and facilitates timely communication and feedback.

Continuous Engagement: Sustaining employee engagement beyond the initial launch of the program is crucial. Regular communication, updates on referral statuses, and acknowledging successful referrals contribute to sustained enthusiasm and participation.

Transparency and Fairness: Transparency in the referral selection process fosters trust and ensures fairness. Clearly outlining the evaluation criteria and providing feedback to both referrers and candidates uphold the integrity of the program.

Benefits Beyond Recruitment

While the primary objective of an employee referral program is to source qualified candidates, its benefits extend beyond recruitment metrics. A well-executed referral program can strengthen employee engagement, promote a sense of ownership and belonging, and reinforce a positive employer brand. Moreover, employees who refer candidates are more likely to be invested in their success, thereby enhancing retention and reducing turnover rates.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Highlighting real-life examples of successful referral programs can provide valuable insights and inspiration for organizations looking to implement or revamp their referral initiatives. Case studies showcasing measurable outcomes, innovative strategies, and lessons learned from diverse industries serve as valuable benchmarks for designing effective referral programs tailored to specific organizational needs.

Conclusion

In today's dynamic business landscape, building a winning employee referral program is not just a recruitment strategy but a strategic investment in talent acquisition and employee engagement. By aligning incentives, processes, and objectives with the company's overall goals, organizations can harness the collective power of their workforce to attract, retain, and nurture top talent, driving sustainable growth and success.

Original Article Link: Building a Winning Employee Referral Program