#”We ban you from living beautifully “ | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

daydreaming-in-letters · 1 year

Text

Earth & Fire

Chapter V - Tantalus's pond

08/05/2023

Pairing: Hades (Hozier) x Anthea (OFC)

Word Count: 4,990

Warnings: nakedness, passionate kissing and touching

Summary: As promised, Hades takes Anthea on an excursion in the Underworld. And even though his plan to cheer her up works perfectly, they both get a little more in the end than they bargained for.

A/N: Things are starting to heat up a bit...

Earth & Fire - Masterpost

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Picture found on Pinterest

If you like my story, you are very welcome to like, comment or reblog. Please don’t copy, repost or share my work on other platforms.

Walking side by side, they had almost reached their destination. She hadn’t asked him where they were headed and he hadn’t told her either. At first, he hadn’t known what he would answer her if she did. The truth about the origin of this place was not the most pleasant story to tell, then again he saw no need to hide it from her. She knew who he was, what he did, and it was no secret that however much he disliked that part of his job occasionally, he had to punish those who committed the most gruesome crimes in life without displaying even a single ounce of regret.

They weren’t headed to Tartarus though. He may be a fool sometimes, but he wasn’t that big of a fool. Tartarus was the last place he would take anyone to cheer them up, even though the place ahead of them was strongly connected to Tartarus and one of its residents.

He had crafted it a long time ago, as a prototype. It had turned out beautifully, too beautiful to destroy it after he had built an exact copy for the man he had intended to punish with it. He came here every once in a while, when he felt the need to escape the few other living inhabitants of his realm, mostly Minthe.

At least he didn’t have to worry about her bothering him for the foreseeable future, or Anthea. He had talked to the nymph this morning before he had picked up Anthea as he had promised. It had been a heated conversation from both sides, but finally she had given in and sworn the same oath as Hermes, albeit grudgingly. The only difference was the punishment she would suffer should she ever break it. As holding her hostage in the Underworld was hardly a sanction she feared, she would be turned into a mint plant instead, to grow somewhere in the mountains, far from humans and gods alike.

He had almost taken it back, stirred by the horrified look in her eyes, but then he remembered how close his brother had been to finding out where Anthea was hiding because of her jealousy and possessiveness. It had lead him to ban her from the palace as well, at least for the time being. Minthe would stay with Hecate and the Lampards for a while until she had come to her senses.

“My lord, are you well?”

He snapped out of his thoughts and found a pair of worried eyes observing him carefully.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, to be honest, you have been a bit taciturn since we left the palace.”

“I’m sorry. I have been told that I can be a little withdrawn from time to time. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable though. Believe me, it has nothing to do with you.”

His words earned him a sweet smile and he vowed not to let his attention stray again, not if it meant he might miss another sight like this.

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable, my lord. I am sure as the King of the Underworld you have much to worry about.”

“It can be a challenge at times. But right now there is only one thing that puzzles me.”

“And what is that, my lord?”

He could hardly suppress a grin.

“I have been wondering all morning why you are still so formal? Why not simply call me by name?”

The grin was wiped away though as she hesitated, an uncomfortably long while.

“What? Do you dislike the sound of it so much?” Hades couldn’t hide the hurt in his voice.

“No,” she was quick to reply, “that’s not—”

“Then what is?”

It was just a name. But maybe it wasn’t the name itself that bothered her. Maybe it was him. Maybe she disliked him so much that she needed that barrier of formality between them. She wouldn’t be the first.

“You see, in the Upperworld, your name is rather used to refer to the realm, not its ruler. They call you all sorts of names instead, but never…Hades.”

She whispered the last word as if she was afraid she would be taken straight to Tartarus if someone should hear her. And he couldn’t blame her. In the mortal realm, the most gruesome myths about him and the Underworld were told, mostly as cautionary tales or scary stories for young children. Few of them were true, and those who held a certain truth were heinously over-exaggerated.

“I know. And I appreciate your politeness. The truth is, they don’t dare call me by my name. Cowards, the lot of them.”

He sent her a crooked smile and a tiny giggle escaped her mouth.

“Don’t be so hard on them. I don’t think it’s anything personal, it’s just us mortals trying to forget that life, like all things, will eventually end.”

“Is…is that why you struggle to say it too? Are you afraid of your own mortality as well?”

“Sometimes.” Anthea shrugged. “But that’s not the problem.” She stopped walking for a moment and he halted his steps just the same. Hades turned slightly to face her, then he blinked, and when his eyes found her again, her hand was there, so close to his face that he forgot to breathe for a second. Gently her fingertips touched a strand of his hair that must have fallen into his face when he had turned to look a her. There was a heartwarming softness in her eyes as she brushed it back into place with the rest of his curls. “The problem is that the images I have been connecting to that name all my life are so far from the god I’ve gotten to know that I just can’t bring myself to…”

Hades had expected many things, but not this. And even though her hand had retreated by now, he could still feel her as close as ever.

“Call me Aidon then if that helps.”

“Aidon.” She tested the new name, carefully, and Hades couldn’t stop the violent shiver from taking hold of his whole body as it rolled over her tongue so very delicately. “I like the sound of that.”

“We’re almost there. Careful now.” His hand was already there, waiting for her to take it. “This passage tends to be a little slippery.”

And dark, she thought, even for the Underworld. They had reached the entrance to the cave a few moments ago. From then on, all the light that was left came from a tiny flame that danced in the palm of his left hand. It was hardly enough to manoeuvre the rocky path that led them deeper into the dark, and she gladly laid her hand in his for assistance.

It was warm and almost velvety in comparison to her father’s hands that were calloused and rough from his tireless crafting. Still, she didn’t doubt for a second that it possessed the same strength and power. The stark contrast stirred something inside of her that sent a scorching heat to her cheeks and for a second she was glad for the lack of light.

“We’re here.”

Hades stopped and without a warning the flame in his hand began to float through the air, rising to a spot well above their heads to illuminate the dome of the cave. It wasn’t impressively big, but large enough to house a pool of black water. The surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the glimmer of a few shiny veins that ran through the stone around them.

But as impressive as it was, the object that really caught Anthea’s eye was an enormous tree that grew right by the water. Its branches were reaching almost halfway across the pond, laden with fruit she couldn’t identify from the distance. They hang lushly a mere arm’s length above the water.

She was tempted to walk straight up to it and pluck one, but Hades, who must have sensed her desire to do so, held her back.

“I’m afraid there’s no point in trying that.”

“Why not?”

“The tree isn’t real. It couldn’t. No life grows in the Underworld.” Her confusion must be written all over her face as he continued his explanation. “It’s an illusion I created.”

“You did well. It looks very realistic.”

Her compliment made him avert his gaze. “Do you think so? It took me quite a while and could still use some improvement in my opinion.”

“I had no idea it was that hard to create the illusion of a tree.”

The faintest hint of a smile played on his lips. “It is not. But this tree is special.”

“What does it do?”

“For you and me? Nothing. It just looks pretty. But for the man it was created for, it ensures that he will eternally suffer for his deeds.”

“Is this…” Anthea swallowed hard as a name suddenly came to mind and a story her father had told her once. A gruesome one, about a man who had killed his own son and offered him as a meal to the gods in order to test their omniscience. “…Tantalus’ pond?”

“So you have heard of him.”

Anthea nodded. “Where is he then?”

“Ah, no. This is not the actual pond he is kept in.” Of course it wasn’t. Stupid. After all, he had said that she would like this place, and she didn’t think she would like a trip to the darkest part of the Underworld all too much. “This is just an early version of the final one in Tartarus.”

Anthea allowed herself a moment to take the whole place in again. The glimmering cave, the pond that lay silently at the foot of the majestic tree—if one ignored the reason why this place had been shaped in the first place, one had to admit that it was skilfully crafted. A true piece of art.

“It might not be the best phrase to describe a torture device such as this, but it is exceptionally beautiful, Aidon.”

“I…I’d hoped you might like it.”

Did…did he blush? No, she must be mistaken. Hades Khthonios, Ruler of the Underworld, King of the Dead, would surely not blush upon the compliment of a mere mortal. And in the cold light of the flame it was impossible to tell anyway.

“You, um, you are welcome to enjoy it at your leisure. Have a swim, if you like.”

She was very tempted to take him up on that offer, already about to take a step towards the water when she hesitated.

“Go ahead,” he encouraged. “I’ll leave you to it. Will you find your way back?”

She probably wouldn’t. But right now, that was her smallest worry as the memory of her last swim suddenly came back to mind. She could still hear them, the excited screeches of that false eagle. Her head whipped around to the branches of the tree. He couldn’t be waiting there. He couldn’t. She knew that, still the cold claws of panic wrapped tightly around her heart.

“No, please, don’t go.” Don’t leave me here on my own. “Just…turn around for a moment.”

Bewilderment flitted over his face, only for a second while his eyes searched hers intently, but then he nodded and did as she had asked of him.

Anthea was quick to first untie the girdle around her waist and then unclasp the fibulae that held her peplos in place. With a light whiff the purple fabric cascaded down her form to pool around her ankles and leave her completely bare. She waited until she had reached the waterside where the sharp rocks turned into tiny rounded pebbles before she untied her sandals as well.

Carefully she tested the water with her toes and pulled her foot back immediately as the ripples she had stirred to life began to illuminate.

“Aidon?” she inquired a little alarmed. “Is this supposed to happen?”

“Oh! The water you mean? Yes, I probably should have mentioned that, right?”

“Well, it’s too late now anyway,” she chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

Fortunately he was still around to clarify that. Otherwise she probably wouldn’t have proceeded, wouldn’t feel the warm water flow around her form now while she marvelled at the breathtaking spectacle that happened around her. Stoked by each movement of her body, the water lit up, and soon she had left a trail of blue and yellow swirls in her wake, studded over and over with millions of tiny sparks that flickered on the restless surface like myriads of stars. It was compelling, like starring into the night sky with all its mysteries.

The water was almost reaching up to her shoulders when Anthea spread out her arms and slowly began to twirl. The play of light and colours was enchanting, a fleeting work of art. She kept on painting more and more clusters of stars on the liquid canvas, and she couldn’t exactly tell how much time had passed when her eyes brushed over the dark figure that stood a few steps away from the water, like a petrified statue, back still turned towards her.

Anthea had no idea what came over her, maybe it was the elation of the moment, maybe something entirely different she just hadn’t realised back then, but next thing she knew, she found herself calling out for him.

“Aidon! Won’t you join me? The water is heavenly.”

He was about to turn around and face her when he suddenly halted.

“May…may I turn around?”

His mindfulness made her smile.

“Yes, you may.” And he did, but instead of coming closer as she had hoped, he stayed put. “Do you not care for a swim?”

Why in the name of the fates would he choose to keep this lovely place if he didn’t enjoy it every once in a while?

“I really don’t think I should…”

Concerned eyes starred at her from within a crumpled face. He looked like he had been handed a tempting apple which he was sceptical to taste, already anticipating its sour juice and knowing that he would probably regret his bite. Or that she would, it suddenly dawned on her. He was afraid he would make her uncomfortable.

“It would be such a waste for you to travel all this way and not enjoy the luxury of this place with me. I would feel terrible for keeping you from it.”

He still hesitated, but she could see some of his restraint ebb away.

“I trust you, Aidon.”

Lips pressed into a tight line, he finally nodded. He didn’t even see the pleased smile that settled on Anthea’s face as he had already turned around and began to undress. Anthea was quick to do the same and grant him the same privacy he had allowed her. A little too late. His chiton already gliding from his shoulders, it revealed his lean back, and the two perfectly shaped globes of his behind.

Anthea gasped, startled by the sudden wave of heat that rolled all over her body to collect right in her core, and the unfamiliar sensation gave her the last push she needed to finally turn around. Just in time, she realised, as only a few hasty heartbeats later she could hear the soft splash of water and felt the ripples he had caused gently hitting her back.

When he came into view, Anthea found that he had kept a decent amount of distance between them. He was a good swimmer, looking so at ease as he skilfully glided through the water. A little more than two arms’ length away, he stopped right in front of her, a beaming smile on his face.

“You were right. The water is heavenly.”

Anthea could not stop an equally wide smile from curving her lips. “Told you so.”

“You did.”

He chuckled, looking like a little boy with his giddy face and shining eyes. His cheeriness was infectious. But as he finally halted his movements, his feet probably finding the solid ground of the pond, his shoulders rose from the water and drew her eyes to his glowing skin. It wasn’t much that the water revealed, his shoulders and collar bones, a few dark hairs that probably spread further down to cover his chest, but it was enough to send a bolt of lightning through Anthea’s lower half.

She watched as a few pearls of water collected on his skin and, once they had grown big enough, hurried to run across the milky white surface to be reunited with the rest of the pond again. Anthea just couldn’t tear her eyes away, especially from the two prominent lines his clavicles formed, tempting her until it was almost painful to suppress the ardent desire to run the tips of her fingers along them.

“Didn’t your father tell you that it is rude to stare at people?”

Snapping out of her trance, it took Anthea a moment to figure out that he was teasing. And she was delighted to join the game.

“Oh, he did. But you’re not ‘people’, are you? You’re a god.”

“True.” A crooked grin decorated his lips.

“And as far as I’ve heard, most gods love to be stared at in admiration.”

“True as well.” The corners of his mouth began to twitch in amusement. “But then again I am not like most gods.”

And she thanked the Fates he wasn’t. He was much too kind and empathic, also far too polite and decent. If she didn’t know better, she would think it more than likely that he, like herself, had been adopted, for she couldn’t fathom for the life of her how he could possibly be related to those egotistical creatures on Mount Olympus.

A splash of water landing directly in her face suddenly derailed her thoughts.

“You’re doing it again,” he grinned, not able to hide that he secretly was a little flattered by her staring.

“I did not.”

“Oh yes, you did,” he kept on teasing, his voice taking on a sing-songy tune.

“Most certainly not!”

To underline her words, Anthea drove her hands through the water, palms facing the grinning god in front of her. A huge gush of water hit his face, making the strands of hair that surrounded it stick to his skin as he gasped in surprise. Wiping the drops from his face, his eyes fixed on her and the playful twinkle they held excited Anthea beyond reason.

“Just you wait, puny mortal. I will show you what it means to challenge a god.”

She squealed in delight as she eluded another splash of water surging straight towards her and was quick to start a counter attack. It hit him with full force, making him snort and cough as he freed his face from a few more sticky curls.

“Is that the best you can do, oh mighty King of the Dead?”

“I must admit I underestimated you. You are a worthy opponent.”

She could smell the trap even before he had finished his misleading praise. But there was nothing she could do as she felt the surge of his magic coming for her, wrapping around her ankles in a tight grip to pull her under water. He freed her immediately, her head breaking the surface with a gasp. A pair of furious eyes bore into him and the goofy grin on his lips fell away immediately.

“Anthea? Are you…? Did I…? I didn’t mean to…” he stammered, hurrying to get to her.

It was almost impossible to hide her grin, but somehow she managed to keep up her fuming facade. It was only when he had reached her, his hands cupping her face to make her look at him, when she shot him a devious grin. For a split second, she could see the realisation flit across his face, but it was too late. Her leg had already hooked around his and all it took now was a firm push, and he was gone.

Just like her, he gasped for air as he resurfaced, but one breath was all she allowed him before she pressed him down again. She repeated her shrewd attack once more, before she let him properly catch his breath.

“Do you admit your defeat, God of the Underworld?”

“I do. I do. I surrender,” he pressed out in between gasps, desperately trying to fill his lungs with air. Which proved to be a rather difficult task as he was also laughing so hard that he was holding his belly.

It was the most beautiful sight to behold, Anthea mused as she took him in. So carefree and truly happy. It was the first time she had seen him like this, and she was sure that the image of his smile and the melody of his laughter would be forever imprinted on her soul.

Anthea was furious. What for, she couldn’t quite recall, but she certainly was.

“Anthea? Are you…? Did I…? I didn’t mean to…”

She knew that voice, loved that soft and soothing timbre it usually held. But there was not much left of it now. Only worry, maybe even a slight hint of panic. She felt it in his touch as well, in the way his fingers clutched her cheeks in despair and lifted her head to look at him. Still it was nothing compared to the terror in his eyes, the urgency with which he took her in to find…oh, yes…right, he thought he might have hurt her in any way with his sneaky attack.

And the sudden realisation that she was responsible for this turmoil of emotions on his face made her heart heavy. Poor Aidon, that sweet, sweet soul. He had only wanted to make her laugh and forget her sorrows for a while. And here he was, frightened for her life.

He was still looking at her intently, his eyes never leaving hers, not even to blink, and then she felt it. Something deep inside of her, stirring to life, no, igniting with a burst and drawing her towards him. Towards those enticing lips, a few droplets of water still shimmering on the plush pink pillows and in the beard that surrounded them. He seemed to lean in as well, his hot breath rolling over her face to match the heat that was rising inside of her.

And then they collided. Passionately. Lips moved in a fevered frenzy, bodies pressing into each other as if they would perish without the feeling of the other one’s skin against their own. Aidon moaned, making her walls clench around agonising nothingness, and as his lips fell open, her tongue slipped into his mouth to taste him.

It was almost too much, feeling him so close, every sense occupied by him, and at the same time, it was not enough. She needed more and then more still, needed to touch him, all of him. And so her hands roamed his skin freely, gliding across his back and further down to the two globes she had peeked earlier. And as her fingers dug into the soft flesh, it was her turn to moan against his lips.

Anthea awoke with a jolt, the sound of her own desire still fresh on her lips. Once again, the sheets stuck to her sweat-soaked form, her breaths coming in uneven pants, while she felt as if the heat that burned deep in her core was crawling across her skin like fire. Her womanhood was pulsing feverishly, forcing more heat into her cheeks, as a few images of her dream returned to her.

Gods, this was…impossible. How could she even in her wildest dreams think of him like that? He had been nothing but kind to her, had taken her in and sworn to protect her. And she hadn’t even been able to keep her eyes away when it had been the decent thing to do.

Her fingers fisted the damp linen of her sheets as they remembered the feeling of his flesh, and the tiniest whimper escaped her lips.

Impossible.

Indecent.

Her rightful punishment for betraying his trust like that.

She hadn’t been gone for long, still he couldn’t deny a certain relief as her golden head rose from the water. Her dishevelled state brought a goofy grin to his lips. She looked adorable in her defeat. But as soon as it had come, the grin died away the second her eyes found him. They were sparkling with fury, boring into him, straight through his chest and clutching his heart in a tight grip of pure panic.

What had he done? The use of his power, unfair as it was, had been meant to be nothing but a jest. He wanted to make her laugh, to hear that sweet sound of carefree happiness once again. It was enchanting.

Instead she looked at him now as if he had just sentenced her to an eternity in Tartarus. Fates, he must have hurt her somehow, or frightened her, maybe even both in the worst of cases.

“Anthea? Are you…? Did I…? I didn’t mean to…”

She didn’t answer. Why didn’t she answer? He needed her to talk to him, to tell him that she was all right, or if she wasn’t, he needed to know what he had done and he would do everything in his power to make it right again. But she didn’t. She just kept staring at him with a fury that sent shivers down his spine.

And in doing so, she left him no choice. Then he would have to see for himself. And so he waded closer. He was almost with her, when she suddenly averted her gaze. But that wouldn’t do. He needed to look into her eyes, they would tell him everything he needed to know, he was sure of it.

And when his hands cupped her cheeks and gently forced her to look at him, the sheer relief that washed over him when he found her unharmed made his heart skip a beat. She had turned his own trick against him and fooled him. Fair enough.

But the first spark of mischief in her pretty brown eyes slowly gave way to something else, something entirely different. He had never seen that in her eyes before, and had never dared to hope he would ever find it there. Not for him. Still he knew the feeling only too well, it had tortured him all night long and just when he had thought he had regained control, she had invited him to join her for a swim.

Even the bare thought of her being so close to him, naked, would have been enough to drive him to the edge of sanity already, but then he had caught her staring at him, twice, and he had allowed himself to take a look as well. He hadn’t seen anything indecent, he would never…but the mere hint of her breasts, the knowledge that if he had taken a closer look, he might have caught a glimpse of their full beauty the moment she had dodged his attack…it did unspeakable things to him.

And now she was even closer. So close that he could feel the heat radiating off her body. At first he had thought he was dreaming, but now it was unmistakable. She was really leaning in, her eyes fixed on his lips and with every passing second, resisting her became more impossible than it already was.

And then they collided. There was an urgency to her lips that should have prepared him for what happened next, but it didn’t. Far from it.

Because suddenly she was there, pressing her body into his, and he could feel all of her. Her unveiled closeness coaxed a moan from deep inside of him. Hades could feel it rise in his throat, but there was no way he would be able to suppress it. And so he let it roll over his lips and onto hers. An invitation she gladly took, letting her tongue glide into his mouth to dance with his own.

It was bliss, pure rapture to be with her like this, and he feared his heart might stop and never begin to beat again when her hands found him and started to explore his skin freely. They felt heavenly as they ventured down his back, smooth as silk, and yet they helped themselves to his flesh with a passion like no other ever had. The same way he wanted to caress hers, but didn’t dare.

She moaned against his lips as her fingers dug into his behind, and he felt the vibration reaching deep, all the way down into his very core. Promise or not, he needed to feel more of her, needed to make her feel his want for her like every touch of her hands spoke of her want for him.

He was already reaching out, her heated flesh almost connecting with his fingertips, when Anthea suddenly vanished and the scene dissolved into darkness.

He awoke with a shiver, clutching the sheets firmly to his chest as if he was still holding the object of his desire. Anthea. Daughter of Hephaestus. The woman he had vowed to protect from the savage lust of his brother. The very reason that had forced her to come here, and had left her with nothing but her life.

And now he was no better. Despicable. Lusting after her the same way. He could feel bile rise in disgust with himself. He had made a promise, not only to her father, but to her as well. And he vowed again now that nothing, not even the lewdest of dreams, would stop him from keeping it. He had never anticipated though that it would be this stern of a test of his character.

Chapter 6

***

taglist:

@ashesofblackroses

@lowkysimpinloki

#hades!hozier x ofc #hades!hozier #hozier #hozier fanfiction #greek mythology au #earth and fire

44 notes · View notes

sunskate · 6 months

Note

honestly, I saw Fear/Gibson live last year and I’d call them incompetent. Their skating is so small, the curves on the ice so much shallower than a team of that standing should be capable of. Guignard/Fabbri covered twice as much ice with half the effort. People pick on Lilah and act like Lewis is the second coming of Dean/Moir/Cizeron but he’s not *that* much better at the actual skating, he is visibly better but still not brilliant. But he moves like a floor dancer and that covers many sins. I don’t think it’s some grand conspiracy to elevate them - the Brits might have a rogue judge but they are not a powerhouse federation. They can’t compel whole panels to fall in line the way Russia, USA, France and Canada can. I think it’s a combination of a) Europe not wanting a North American monopoly while P/C are on hiatus and Russia remain banned and b) the ISU understanding they’re popular and they’re desperate for popularity. Casual audiences respond to them, I’ve seen it. They’re fun, they’re good looking, they’re easily digestible. I have a theory they’ll be dropped from serious contention once P/C return and Lajoie/Lagha are Canadian #1 once the older teams retire. Europe will then have their champions back. L/L can do the fun populist stuff but skate it well (their lyrical FD is beautiful but it’s programs like Thriller and Rio that should be their calling card going forward to set themselves apart - they’re aggressive, not pretty, don’t fall into the trap H/D did and try to contain the power). I wish Tessa was mentoring L/L instead.

i think we just disagree on that word incompetent - they're working hard and have improved. but it makes my heart sink when crowds go for the easy and gimmicky. they probably will get an ovation next week like Tessa said. but i still think that program is cheap, and if the judges go for it too, the system is garbage. because the skating and the program don't warrant top 5 in the world

i looked at F/G's IGs because i had to question whether they're popular. i don't really know of many current fans of theirs. Lilah has 15.6K followers. their team account 10.2K, Lewis 12.9K. compare that to Madi C 118K, Gabi P 173K, Isabella Flores 194K. team Koko has more than Lilah and Lewis. but it's true, i haven't found a European ice dance team who has more followers besides P/C. but idgi - it's nothing to stake the future of ice dance on your continent on. the crowds in the building like F/G, but is that translating outside, where most of the fans are? idk

for me, it's about how they're scoring consistently above teams who skate more beautifully, with power and artistry. skating with true quality is harder, or everyone would do it. hitting big accents or punching to the beat is easy. skating so that your line and entire body is expressive is hard. IAM is good at disguising weaknesses in their choreo - it's smart, but when it's this successful, i think it's bad for ice dance and feels fake

i love LaLa - they can do it all. i think it's how hard they can go at a Thriller program and be dazzlingly sharp and fast and also make you cry with an expressive program that makes them great. i'm so excited to see them again

#fg haven't skated a lyrical program in years #there's an adele exh that shows why #but instead of working on that #they avoid #that's an interesting thought about hd containing the power #do you mean they tried too often to do programs that didn't show it off?

7 notes · View notes

fanficshiddles · 2 years

Text

You’ll Be Just Fine, One Shot

Thank you for the prompt! Hope you like it! toshisurtsdottir submitted: Thor saved a princess from another world who had been imprisoned and abused for centuries. Living on Asgard, she finds she's a little lost and has a hard time adjusting to the way of living on Asgard. Adding to that, she is plagued by nightmares. Luckily, Loki is there to help with all that.

‘Hey, Princess.’

She rolled her eyes upon hearing that name as she turned to face the God of Mischief. Who for some reason, seemed to have taken a shining to her. Not that she was complaining, really. She liked him, he was a bit cocky and mischievous, but kind and intelligent.

‘Hi, Loki.’ She put her book down and turned towards him.

‘Couldn’t sleep?’ Loki asked as he crossed the library to sit down next to her.

‘Nightmares.’ She said quietly, looking down.

‘Sometimes nightmares can be a blessing in disguise.’

She frowned at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Come with me.’ Loki smiled, his eyes were twinkling mischievously.

But she trusted him, for some reason. Even though many people on Asgard didn’t. But he seemed to understand her more than anyone else. While she was incredibly grateful to Thor for saving her from her home world, where she had endured terrible abuse and imprisonment for most of her life, Loki just had a different view on life and she could just speak to him about anything and everything without worry of being judged.

Loki led her through the house of Odin with ease, whilst he had lived there his whole life and knew every nook and cranny, she could only just get herself from her chambers to the library and back again without getting lost.

When he led her outside into the courtyard, she was a bit confused. But then he headed for the stable block, making her stop.

Loki noticed and turned to her. ‘Are you coming?’

‘I can’t ride…’

‘No matter. Come on.’ Loki put his hand out towards her.

She reluctantly took his hand, feeling warmed when he gave her a gentle squeeze and led her on. The way he rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand made her skin tingle. She wasn’t used to gentle touch, only harsh abuse.

When they walked into the stables, she was unsure of the horses. Especially the one Loki led her to, that was being tacked up ready for them.

‘It’s ok, he won’t hurt you. Come on, I have to show you something.’ Loki said as he coaxed her closer to the large animal.

She just warily kept herself at the other side of Loki, so he was between her and the horse. But Loki then grabbed her and with a squeak, she was carefully swung up onto the saddle.

Loki mounted the horse behind her, his arms came around her to take the reins while she held onto the front of the saddle tightly.

‘Don’t worry, we won’t go fast.’ Loki said, he could feel how tense she was.

As they headed out through the city, she began to relax more. Loki pointed out some places of importance to her, and some not so important places.

‘That’s the tavern where Thor disgraced himself. One of the many places where the Prince of Asgard is actually banned from.’ Loki chuckled.

But the main place Loki wanted to take her to, wasn’t in the city. They rode out into the mountains, going by the moonlight. She did get a little anxious, until they came across a beautiful waterfall in the middle of a mountain, the way the moonlight was shining right down on the water made it sparkle beautifully.

‘Oh wow. This place is incredible.’ She said in awe as Loki helped her down from the horse.

‘Only I know about it… well, now you do too. I’d like to keep it that way. It’s best coming here at night when the moon is out, it doesn’t quite have the same effect during the day.’

She took time taking in the surroundings, before they both ended up sitting at the side of the water. Loki was sitting crossed legged, but she had her legs down dipping into the water.

‘So, how come you were awake too?’ She asked Loki.

‘Nightmares.’ Loki said as he nudged her playfully with his arm.

‘Ah… I’m not the only one.’ She said quietly.

‘No, you’re not. Though I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I hope you know that you will never have to fear again, you’re safe here.’ Loki put his hand onto her knee softly for a moment.

‘Thank you… I just think it will take some time. I’m still getting used to just having my freedom, not being locked away in a cell… All this space, it’s quite overwhelming in a way.’

‘That’s understandable. But in time, you will adjust. Asgardians are good people. But if you ever feel overwhelmed or like you just need some time out, this is the place to be.’ Loki smiled.

‘It is very calming here. My mind feels clear, for the first time in a long time.’ She closed her eyes and smiled. A smile that Loki had not seen from her yet, it made his heart soar with happiness that he was able to help her somewhat.

She leaned in closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a content sigh as she closed her eyes.

‘You’ll be just fine here. I give you my word.’ Loki whispered to her.

#Loki #Tom Hiddleston #prompt #one shot #you'll be just fine

100 notes · View notes

religion-is-a-mental-illness · 1 year

Text

By: Matthew Syed

Published: Aug 14, 2022

Yesterday morning, it was reported that Salman Rushdie — who had been attacked at a literary event on free speech in America— was unable to speak. Many fanatical Muslims will take this as a sign from God. This, after all, was their intention: to censor those who criticise their religion. The assailant kept trying to attack Rushdie even after he was restrained, according to witnesses. “It took like five men to pull him away and he was still stabbing,” one said.

A fatwa was imposed on Rushdie after the publication of The Satanic Verses, a beautifully written novel that was, in my view, tame in its supposed mockery of Islam. To Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, however, the book was blasphemous. After a bounty was put on his head, Rushdie lived under British protection while his book was burnt on the streets and craven politicians such as the former Labour MP Keith Vaz spoke out in protest. Cat Stevens — the singer now known as Yusuf — said in a speech to students in London that said “he must be killed”, although he later claimed he had not called for Rushdie’s death.

Yet while Rushdie survived this hostility, others did not. Hitoshi Igarashi, his Japanese translator, was stabbed to death. Ettore Capriolo, his Italian translator, was also stabbed, and William Nygaard, his Norwegian publisher, was shot and critically injured. Mustafa Mahmoud Mazeh perished while preparing explosives designed to kill the British novelist. A shrine in Tehran for Mazeh says: “The first martyr to die on a mission to kill Salman Rushdie.”

But while we look at all this with anger, while we condemn the religious fundamentalists, while we pray for Rushdie himself, let us also acknowledge something closer to home. Many of the comments on the Rushdie affair over the past 24 hours have pointed out that for many years he has been living quite freely, that the fatwa had been revoked by Iran (although the bounty remains) and that society has moved on from the dark days of book-burning, even if lone attackers remain a threat.

I would suggest that this is delusional, a fantasy conjured up by western liberals to distract from a more sinister truth: over 30 years they have worked as the de facto accomplices of the ayatollah, assisting in the task of dismantling free speech, sending fear through those who dare to criticise or ridicule religion or anything else. Rushdie, in this sense, is not — and never was — a historical affair but a live scandal running through the veins of British life, not to mention other western societies.

As I read about the attack on Rushdie, my mind turned to Louis Smith, another high-profile Briton from an ethnic minority; a gymnast who won three Olympic medals before going on to a TV career. A few years ago, he and his friend Luke Carson, a fellow gymnast, were frolicking around, singing (as they often did together) when Carson lay down on a mat and shouted “Allahu akbar” while Smith laughed. It was a bit of a giggle, nothing nasty, scarcely satirical. But the video, as you have probably guessed, leaked.

In the following days, liberal commentators were united in outrage. None saw this as two kids harmlessly mocking religion. None saw it as a trivial episode of ridicule of the kind that has always existed in liberal societies. None stated that no citizen, religious or otherwise, has a right or even a reasonable expectation to not be offended. Instead, they called for Smith to be banned — and he was, for two months, by British Gymnastics. He was accused of Islamophobia, racism, you name it. He appeared to have broken a chilling clause in UK Sport’s athlete’s contract: “Athletes may be ineligible for funding if they are derogatory about a person’s disability, gender, pregnancy or maternity, race, sexuality, marital status, beliefs or age.” I was astonished when I read this clause for it didn’t just prohibit mockery of protected characteristics, but all beliefs, of whatever kind. It meant that British athletes were prohibited from criticising Scientology, astrology or even Nazism. Under such a decree, Billie Jean King would have been banned in five minutes flat and Muhammad Ali even quicker. This wasn’t a contract; it was a gagging order. And yet this was the clause that UK Sport deemed necessary to “protect” its reputation

But this isn’t the half of it. I interviewed Smith a few months later, and he still looked shell-shocked. Death threats had started almost immediately: “We are going to find you, and kill you.” “You are going to get it.” One posted a video on social media: “I am going to splash acid in your face.” Scarcely any of this was reported in the media. In the week of our interview, he had received the message: “We are going to cave your face in.” Smith was forced to take out 24-hour protection, a hired heavy at his side at all times, even while he slept.

Yet the truly chilling aspect of this affair — which also went largely unreported — is that Smith couldn’t earn a living after his “crime”. Sponsors and broadcasters turned their backs on him. Progressives didn’t want to know. His income vanished and he struggled to pay his mortgage. To be clear: this punishment beating was perpetrated on Smith not by fanatics, not by knife-wielding fundamentalists, but the monolithic liberal ideology that will not tolerate opinions (or even jokes) that breach their antiliberal creed.

It was the same creed that defended those who hounded into hiding a teacher at a school in Batley, West Yorkshire, last year for showing his class a religious cartoon. It is the same creed that equates criticism of the myriad excesses of the Muslim Brotherhood with Islamophobia. And it is the same creed, to broaden the perspective, that connives in the cancellation and intimidation of anyone who engages in wrongthink on trans rights, climate change or the demolition of statues.

I pray — metaphorically — for Rushdie. He is a great and courageous Briton. But I also pray for the West. We like to think we have free speech but we lack even its pale imitation. Smith found work again only by issuing abject, almost pitiful apologies, bending the knee to liberal dogma, just as Galileo once prostrated himself before the Inquisition. Is it any wonder that myriad surveys reveal that people throughout the West desist from speaking out on sensitive issues, out of fear of the consequences?

This is the destination at which the liberal world has arrived — through stealth and increment, through a million little retreats, through the acquiescence of those who should know better. For initially noble motives related to the fear of giving offence to minority groups, we have committed the most grievous offence on our way of life. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” was the view attributed to Voltaire by his most famous biographer. We must resurrect its spirit, reclaim its beauty. For today, with Rushdie hooked up to a ventilator, we continue to sleepwalk towards disaster.

[ Via: https://archive.ph/md8Uk ]

This is how Islam wins. Not by spreading the "truth" of Islam, not even by threatening violence. It wins by learning how to play the victim and recruiting virtuous flying monkeys.

#islam #this is islam #Salman Rushdie #freedom of speech #free speech #blasphemy #blasphemy laws #victimhood #victimhood culture #religion #religion is a mental illness

13 notes · View notes

hairtusk · 2 years

Note

hi :) i hope u don’t mind me asking but what are your favorite books? or books you would recommend? i’m in a reading slump right now and i feel like you have really good taste. don’t feel obligated to answer if u don’t feel like it. love your blog<333

Hello! Thank you for such a wonderful question, and apologies that it's taken me so long to answer! I've been travelling, and I wanted access to my books at home to do the question justice. So here are my favourites among the books I've read in the last two or so years - I decided to stick just to novels for the sake of being concise, haha.

(All summaries via Goodreads)

Simone de Beauvoir, The Woman Destroyed (1967) - 'Three long stories that draw the reader into the lives of three women, all past their first youth, all facing unexpected crises.'

Elizabeth Hardwick, Sleepless Nights (1979) -

"In Sleepless Nights, a woman looks back on her life—the parade of people, the shifting background of place—and assembles a scrapbook of memories, reflections, portraits, letters, wishes, and dreams. An inspired fusion of fact and invention, this beautifully realized, hard-bitten, lyrical book is not only Elizabeth Hardwick's finest fiction but one of the outstanding contributions to American literature of the last fifty years."

Joan Didion, Play It As It Lays (1970) - "A ruthless dissection of American life in the late 1960s, Play It as It Lays captures the mood of an entire generation, the ennui of contemporary society reflected in spare prose that blisters and haunts the reader. Set in a place beyond good and evil - literally in Hollywood, Las Vegas, and the barren wastes of the Mojave Desert, but figuratively in the landscape of an arid soul - it remains more than three decades after its original publication a profoundly disturbing novel, riveting in its exploration of a woman and a society in crisis and stunning in the still-startling intensity of its prose."

Alan Warner, Morvern Callar (1995) - "Morvern Callar, a low-paid employee in the local supermarket in a desolate and beautiful port town in the west of Scotland, wakes one morning in late December to find her strange boyfriend has committed suicide and is dead on the kitchen floor. Morvern's reaction is both intriguing and immoral. What she does next is even more appalling. Moving across a blurred European landscape-from rural poverty and drunken mayhem of the port to the Mediterranean rave scene-we experience everything from Morvern's stark, unflinching perspective."

Kate Chopin, The Awakening (1899) - "When first published in 1899, The Awakening shocked readers with its honest treatment of female marital infidelity. Audiences accustomed to the pieties of late Victorian romantic fiction were taken aback by Chopin's daring portrayal of a woman trapped in a stifling marriage, who seeks and finds passionate physical love outside the confines of her domestic situation."

Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (1985) - "This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God's elect. Zealous and passionate, she seems destined for life as a missionary, but then she falls for one of her converts."

Antonia White, Frost In May (1933) - "Nanda Gray, the daughter of a Catholic convert, is nine when she is sent to the Convent of Five Wounds. Quick-witted, resilient, and eager to please, she adapts to this cloistered world, learning rigid conformity and subjection to authority. Passionate friendships are the only deviation from her total obedience."

Daša Drndić, Belladonna (2012) - "Andreas Ban is a writer and psychologist, above all an intellectual full of empathy, but his world has been collapsing for years, and when he goes to a miserable retirement and learns that he is ill, he takes a fresh look at the fragments of his life and the lives of his friends. In the fight against illness and old age, Andreas Ban is both cynical and powerful, and while digging through his own past, he encounters stories of the disenfranchised, the persecuted, the helpless... and in the process uncompromisingly deals with the most diverse taboos."

Iris Murdoch, The Bell (1958) - "A lay community of thoroughly mixed-up people is encamped outside Imber Abbey, home of an enclosed order of nuns. A new bell, legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered. Dora Greenfield, erring wife, returns to her husband. Michael Mead, leader of the community, is confronted by Nick Fawley, with whom he had disastrous homosexual relations, while the wise old Abbess watches and prays and exercises discreet authority. And everyone, or almost everyone, hopes to be saved, whatever that may mean....Iris Murdoch's funny and sad novel has themes of religion, the fight between good and evil, and the terrible accidents of human frailty."

Joshua Cohen, The Netanyahus (2021) - "Corbin College, not-quite-upstate New York, winter 1959-1960: Ruben Blum, a Jewish historian - but not an historian of the Jews - is coopted onto a hiring committee to review the application of an exiled Israeli scholar specializing in the Spanish Inquisition. When Benzion Netanyahu shows up for an interview, family unexpectedly in tow, Blum plays the reluctant host, to guests who proceed to lay waste to his American complacencies."

#for total transparency's sake - i haven't quite finished the last three #but they're so brilliant and I love them so much that I had to include them in my recommendations #thank you so much!#books #literature #from my library

21 notes · View notes

rockislandadultreads · 1 year

Text

Banned Books Week: Let Freedom Read!

To celebrate our freedom to read this Banned Books Week, we will be shining a light on the most challenged books of 2022. Next up are the 7th, 8th, and 9th most challenged titles.

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

For Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work - and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew - he knows that he’s got to be the one to shake things up if he’s ever going to change his life. But how?

In this funny, angry, touching, and ultimately deeply inspiring novel, bestselling author Jonathan Evison takes the reader into the heart and mind of a young man on a journey to discover himself, a search to find the secret to achieving the American dream of happiness and prosperity. That’s the birthright for all Americans, isn’t it? If so, then what is Mike Muñoz’s problem? Though he tries time and again to get his foot on the first rung of that ladder to success, he can’t seem to get a break. But then things start to change for Mike, and after a raucous, jarring, and challenging trip, he finds he can finally see the future and his place in it. And it’s looking really good.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez

"This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?"

New London, Texas. 1937. Naomi Vargas and Wash Fuller know about the lines in East Texas as well as anyone. They know the signs that mark them. They know the people who enforce them. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.

Ashley Hope Pérez takes the facts of the 1937 New London school explosion, the worst school disaster in American history, as a backdrop for a riveting novel about segregation, love, family, and the forces that destroy people.

#banned books week #freedom to read #reading recommendations #reading recs #book recommendations #book recs #library books #tbr #tbr pile #to read #booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog #readers advisory

2 notes · View notes

sarakiz · 2 years

Text

lil post-SKAM reflection/review (?) thing!! more photos incoming leading up to SCI cause i have well over a thousand that i need to finish uploading and editing but as u all know i do love to talk so i wrote down some stuff here!

random logistics stuff:

i know rink temps tend to vary but in case anyone is heading to a comp and wondering: a light sweatshirt over a regular t shirt over a heattech turtleneck was enough to keep me comfortable, my legs generally do not get cold but i did need to wear two pairs of socks, and i brought a heavier jacket in case that i ended up using mostly as a blanket lol

i was pretty careful to adhere to the security rules so not too many problems there, officially umbrellas were banned to bring in but i did see that security was holding them for people to collect once they left the building

def bring a portable charger and keep it juiced up because you will need it

nothing will make you wish for skaters to have greater ice coverage more than trying to photograph them while sitting opposite the judges, a massive chunk of my shots are just faceless or awkwardly angled because of this LOL

comp highlights:

koshiro and katya being the cutiepie crowd favorites!! their energy and ability to roll with the punches is unmatched and everyone was absolutely loving them

kanadai hot

how much i enjoyed the entire ice dance event in general? ngl i came in not particularly excited about the lineup and ended up finding something to love about everyone

ilia's 4A directly in front of my corner, we screamed for like 30 seconds more after that and then everyone just kept on screaming for him

madison chock hot

MISS GRACIE!!! MISS GOLD!!!

donovan carrillo has thee most radiant smile

my random encounters in passing with goatssl and his fabulous skates at this event have made me a full on stan, i forgot that the skating club of boston is his home rink now so it was wonderful to see that he was feeling the love and having a great time all weekend!

isababy levito charming the hell out of the audience!

jun is absolute magic live

making two seconds of very intense eye contact with kaitlin hawayek during the rhythm dance warmup

kaitlin and jean luc absolutely killing it in both the dance events?? they did that for me

kaori's speed, flow, and musicality — in person her skating really fills the entire space!!

the pairs event featuring both baby pairs making their debuts as well as the most powerful skating aunties' showdown, genuinely so exciting

seeing everyone let loose at the exhibition!

there is def way more to add here but this is getting too long already oops

general big W's:

understand that i never really figured out how to use the nikon and i basically spent the entirety of the first day practices draining my phone's battery while frantically attempting to google how to use it on the arena's shitty wifi, so i'm really glad that the photos came out pretty nice and that ur all loving them <3

costumes are so SPARKLY irl like in a way cameras can never quite capture, even really subtle detail like the beading on kaori’s sp dress just catches the light beautifully

the size of the arena made the whole comp feel very intimate, plus the low angle seating made it so everything felt so up close and you basically got a great view from anywhere around! i picked a corner where i suspected some jumping passes would be happening and it was very cool to see it a stone's throw away

the crowd energy was absolutely ON at this comp, everyone was there first and foremost to hype up every skater that stepped on the ice and it felt so good to be in the middle of it!

i met amwide range of hardcore fans, fans just getting into the sport, and competing adult skaters which was dope!! was surprised at how many people i met who didn't know the competitive field too well, although it gave me an excuse to infodump so not too many complaints there! love love loved talking to people and just being around people who are equally invested in the sport since i suspect my friends here are tired of me talking about it LOL

food truck food and concessions were pretty great? pricey obvs but i mean the $12 lobster roll not only didn't kill me but was actually pretty tasty for a $12 lobster roll

staff was super super nice, at least from my experience — very patient at security, despite the labyrinthian shuttle system there was staff on the ground who were very committed to directing you to them, generally felt like everything was run very smoothly

i loved dj romeo and his weird mixes idc!!!

it was probably harder here to *not* run into a skater or coach than making an active effort LOL everyone was milling about and you might get to talk to a competitor at pretty much any given moment

big L's:

i stupidly booked accommodations that were part of the USFS "spectator block" that ended up being way too far from the arena, and ended up blowing off pretty much my entire last paycheck on lyfts so that sucked

i left my umbrella in said lyft so thats gone for good now

wifi in the arena was absolute ass

i had to book lyfts from the train station (where the shuttle to and from the venue was running) which was partially under construction so the cell service was garbage and drivers were repeatedly cancelling on me, so on two of the three nights i was stranded at the train station past midnight which was def not fun (i did eventually get back dont worry)

got scared about the sign policy and left my notebook even though it turned out they were allowing handheld signs

i really really wish i had come with someone else i knew :,,) it was great meeting people but at times i just got very anxious and nervy being there by myself surrounded by groups of people who knew each other from twitter or elsewhere, they all seemed really nice and were offering banners and other fun stuff that i didnt ask for or get because i was so nervous oops

for the same reasons as above i was also too scared to talk to any of the skaters who were hanging around the venue even with the numerous opportunities that presented themselves so i am kicking myself a little bit for that

overall im so glad that this was my first competition to see in person!! that list of L's looks big but i really do think it was all worth it, i had a great time and am def looking forward to hopefully attending more competitions (and being more prepared for them) in the future :)))

#sarakiz @ skam #mug's objectively correct skating opinions #skate america 2022 #long post

9 notes · View notes

grapebread · 2 years

Text

Paranoid Android

Their story starts at the beginning of the end.

pairing: hyunjin/jeongin

rating: explicit

word count: 10023

chapters: 1/?

status: work in progress

my tags: cyberpunk, dystopia, symbolism, first person

I’m kind of a sucker for android themed settings, and Paranoid Android is one of my favorite Radiohead songs (in my opinion, it’s the Bohemian Rhapsody of the 90s, but better). So naturally I was drawn to this fic pretty soon after it was posted, and I’m compelled to make my first post on this blog about it because of how much of a masterpiece it is. If you see this and you haven’t read the first chapter yet, please do, and join me in the subscription list for future updates.

First person is not super common, but this is a shining example of when it’s so well-done. The prose flows beautifully with symbolism and Jeongin’s inner monologue, and yet in a way it sounds distant and detached, like he too isn’t sure what to feel in the haze of this mechanical dystopian world.

While I wait for Felix on the first of two platforms we have to climb, I look at the building across from us. The randomized array of orange lights shining into the lives of others. People perched on their balconies. Old men smoking. Babies crying. The power lines all around tether us like veins inside a human body. My heart fills with a sorrowful feeling. Something monstrously strange is happening around us all, something so strange I can’t quite believe it.

Yes, there are flying cars and smart androids that take care of humans, but Jeongin has paper copies of now-banned literary classics scattered around his apartment, a relic of the past. He seems like an old soul with a pure heart, who knows much more than just the harsh realities of his time. And then, there are Jeongin’s random run-ins with the mysterious iridescent being Hyunjin.

Again, awestruck, I ask, “ Who are you?”

This he replies with a hushed, “Nobody, Jeongin.”

I assess his discreteness. That faraway-ness again. The vigilant whole of him that watches me back, all half-moon smiles. I pause. My name.

“How do you know my name?”

“I’ll tell you someday.”

I can’t wait to find out more about this world, about their story, about what the end looks like. I want to spend more time inside Jeongin’s head, see and feel the glimmer of hopes and beauty through his eyes. There are already so many quotes from this first chapter that have been living in my mind rent-free since my first read. This is the best kind of fic, I think, the kind that stays with you and pulls you into a different world.

I’m Neo. Head to head with fate in a battle of wills. My hands are shaking, but my heart is resolute.

You can read it here: Paranoid Android by ghostheavenly7.

#recs #hyunin #wip #skz fic recs

1 note · View note

equestrianempire · 7 months

Photo

Papers and Thursday News &

I’m totally here for Road to the Horse, a competitive colt starting competition that places trust and cohesion at the forefront of the equation because I’m taking a break from English ( and my eventing dreams ) to cowgirl up and try out Western for a while.

And this year’s inclusion of 4* eventer Tik Maynard among the elite ranks is especially exciting for event fans. When EN’s Beatrice Green- Gott caught up with Tik about his venture into American horsemanship, read what he had to say about it.

Beginning on March 21st, Road to the Horse will run for four weeks. You can view the schedule around and meet the competitors around. You’ll find me glued to the video of the event; we’ll provide the url as soon as it becomes available.

Cowboy away, and eventing!

U.S. Weekend Preview

Bouckaert Equestrian H. T. International ( Fairburn, Georgia )[ Website]Entries]Ride Times]Scoring

Full Gallop Farm March I H. T. ( Aiken, SC )[ Website]Entries]Ride Times]Volunteer]

SAzEA Spring H. T. ( Tucson, Arizona )] Website]Entries]Ride Times]Volunteer]Scoring

Southern Pines H. T. I. ( Raeford, NC)] Website]Entries]Ride Times]Volunteer]Scoring

Activities at other countries

Land Rover Horse of the Year ( Hastings, New Zealand )[ Website]Program]Equestrian Schedule]Eventing Schedule]Eventing Live Scores ]] Live Stream]

Reading and Thursday News

Starting today, C+ – Cobs You Go Eventing is available on H&amp. H&amp, C+ brings us a fresh show all about eventing cows, inspired by Morven Richie’s# SuperCob, Star X, the 14.2hh 20-year-old who took on Badminton Grassroots last year with all the winged elegance of a horse who completely can function. With the# CobsCan initiative from European Eventing identifying the breed’s extraordinary versatility, mikey’s captured the imagination of all of us who have stalks in our house. I’ll be watching for sure as my coaching tips and information are packed with images of flying over the finish line on my wrinkly person dancing in front of my eye.

Steffen Peters discusses taking dressage virus in Tokyo with# RaveHorse, Paris hopes, and more. Find out what horses brought the Olympic team gold medalist his favourite time, which comes a very, very close second, what counsel Steffen has for child amateurs in the activity, and how his hobby of flying model airplanes happened – all this and more in this Q&amp, A with the Rave Horse rider himself, and what comes a very, very close second.

Call out to all artists who are creative! Entries are accepted for the Plaid Horse Equestrian Voices Creative Writing Contest. Although this is a guide and all well-written articles will be eligible for the$ 5, 000 Grand Champion prize, the theme is” A trainer who has made a significant impact on your life.” But flex those fingers, start typing, and have a good time! Submission date is July 1st.

My horses occasionally leaves a fart-powered floating penny, and when he does, he always tells me something is wrong with him. Yes, there are horses that buck for joy ( I’ve had one of those too ), and we’ve all almost certainly seen this kind of kicking up the heels shenanigans in the field, but it’s something to watch out for when they buck under saddle. Below are 9 physical and behavioral justifications that could be the cause of the ban.

AI is out there talking **** about animals, but what does it actually know? When she passionately and beautifully expressed her sentiments toward the use of AI in the creative enterprises, Tilly took the words out of my tongue the day before. And it appears we are not the only ones. Horse Network‘s# HorseWordNerd Rebecca Berry sums up the entire situation in a way that only a human do:” Perhaps the living brains continue to reign supreme.” Observe, hear!

Idyllwind, a outspoken red-headed Welsh Cob who taught her how to walk, is Miranda Lambert’s source of inspiration for her clothes and lifestyle brand. The state singer, who started riding at the age of 30, honors the uplifting animal in an Instagram post, shows that being daring, taking chances, and trying new things no matter where you are in life can make your dreams come true.

Finally, in case you were wondering, the moon phase at the time of conception does not affect a foal’s ( or most likely any other species’ ) sex. With over 65, 000 examples, researchers have established that there is typically a 50/50 chance when a filly or colt emerges from its dam. This old wives ‘ tale has been shown to be exactly that. You do n’t say that.

Split of a Video

My trainer is currently yelling at me for my arithmetic, which includes both my riding and primarily my math. He’s not the first person to inform me that my math is n’t perfect. I only wish he had given me a better chance of passing the exam on punctuation otherwise.

#Eventing

1 note · View note

bandbaajabaratcom · 8 months

Text

How to Make Each Day of Valentine Week Memorable at Our Exquisite

Introduction

Welcome to our exquisite banquet halls, where we believe in elevating romance to new heights. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we are excited to share 7 unforgettable ways to make each day of Valentine Week truly memorable. From intimate dining experiences to enchanting ambiance, our banquet halls are the perfect setting to create lasting memories with your special someone. Get ready to indulge in a week filled with love, romance, and unforgettable moments at our stunning venues.

Day 1: Rose Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

Transforming our elegant banquet halls into a romantic oasis with a stunning rose-themed decor will set the perfect stage for a memorable Valentine's Day celebration. Indulging in a delectable rose-infused menu crafted by our top chefs promises an unforgettable dining experience that will tantalize the taste buds and elevate the romantic atmosphere. Enjoying live music performances amidst the enchanting ambiance of our banquet hall adds a touch of romance to the evening, creating an unforgettable experience for you and your partner. Capturing timeless moments with your loved one against the backdrop of our beautifully decorated banquet hall will create cherished memories that will last a lifetime. It's the perfect setting to make every day of Valentine week truly unforgettable.

Day 2: Propose Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

Transforming our elegant banquet halls into a romantic paradise with soft lighting, fragrant flowers, and tasteful decorations will set the stage for an unforgettable proposal moment. Creating a personalized menu featuring delectable dishes and delightful desserts to celebrate this special occasion with culinary delights that reflect your unique love story will add a charming touch to the evening. Arranging for live music or a romantic playlist to serenade your partner as you pop the question will create the perfect soundtrack for this magical moment. Capturing every heartfelt second with professional photography and videography services will ensure that you have timeless mementos of this joyous occasion, preserving the memories for years to come.

Day 3: Chocolate Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

Elevating romance at our exquisite banquet halls goes beyond just one or two days of celebration. We believe in making every day of Valentine week truly memorable, and here are seven unforgettable ways to do just that. From the rose-themed decor and delectable menu on Rose Day to the enchanting ambiance and live music performances, each day promises to be filled with love and romance. Transforming our banquet hall into a romantic paradise for Propose Day with soft lighting, fragrant flowers, and delightful desserts adds a charming touch to this special occasion. Creating timeless mementos of these joyous moments with professional photography and videography services ensures that the memories will last for years to come.

Day 4: Teddy Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

Day 5: Promise Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

Elevating romance at our exquisite banquet halls goes beyond just one or two days of celebration. From the rose-themed decor and delectable menu on Rose Day to the enchanting ambiance and live music performances, each day promises to be filled with love and romance. Transforming our banquet hall into a romantic paradise for Propose Day with soft lighting, fragrant flowers, and delightful desserts adds a charming touch to this special occasion. Creating timeless mementos of these joyous moments with professional photography and videography services ensures that the memories will last for years to come. Whether it's Rose Day or Propose Day, our exquisite banquet halls provide the perfect setting for creating cherished memories with your loved one.

Day 6: Hug Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

Transforming our stunning banquet halls into a haven of romantic bliss, complete with soft lighting, fragrant flowers, and delightful decorations, sets the stage for an enchanting celebration. Curating a personalized menu filled with delectable dishes and delightful desserts adds an extra touch of charm to elevate the ambiance. Whether it's creating timeless mementos with professional photography and videography services or arranging for live music to serenade your partner, each moment at our exquisite banquet halls is crafted to make Valentine Week truly unforgettable.

Day 7: Kiss Day Celebration in Banquet Hall

7 Romantic Ideas to Elevate Your Valentine Week

Elevating romance at our exquisite banquet halls goes beyond just one or two days of celebration. From the rose-themed decor and delectable menu on Rose Day to the enchanting ambiance and live music performances, each day promises to be filled with love and romance. Transforming our stunning banquet halls into a haven of romantic bliss, complete with soft lighting, fragrant flowers, and delightful decorations, sets the stage for an enchanting celebration. Whether it's creating timeless mementos with professional photography and videography services or arranging for live music to serenade your partner, each moment at our exquisite banquet halls is crafted to make Valentine Week truly unforgettable. Our personalized menu filled with delectable dishes and delightful desserts adds an extra touch of charm to elevate the ambiance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the available banquet hall options for Valentine Week celebrations?

Our luxurious banquet halls provide the perfect setting for a romantic Valentine's Day celebration, offering intimate spaces for private dinners as well as grand halls for extravagant events to cater to all preferences. The ambiance of our banquet halls is exquisitely designed to elevate romance and create unforgettable memories at every turn. With customizable decor and dedicated event planners, we ensure that every detail aligns with your vision for a memorable Valentine Week, promising an enchanting and personalized experience for you and your loved one.

Q2. Can I customize the decor and theme for my Valentine Week event at your banquet halls?

Certainly! Our banquet halls can be personalized to match your chosen decor and theme, setting the stage for a romantic atmosphere throughout Valentine Week. Whether you prefer classic romantic themes or a more modern chic ambiance, our dedicated team is ready to collaborate with you to turn your vision into a reality, ensuring an unforgettable experience. With a range of customizable options available, including floral arrangements, lighting, and table settings, you have the freedom to tailor every detail to reflect your unique style and preferences. Whether you're envisioning a cozy, intimate setting or a grand, opulent affair, our banquet halls provide the perfect backdrop for you to craft enduring memories during Valentine Week.

Q3. Are there any special packages or offers for Valentine Week celebrations at your banquet halls?

Celebrate Valentine's Day with our exclusive romantic dinner package, featuring a candle-lit dinner for two in our elegant banquet hall. Indulge in our Valentine Week special offer, which includes complimentary champagne and a customized menu tailored to your preferences. Experience the ultimate romance with our all-inclusive Valentine's package, complete with live music, floral decorations, and a dedicated personal server. Make this Valentine Week truly magical with our special promotion, offering discounted rates on venue rental and additional services for your celebration. Each of these packages is designed to elevate your romantic experience and create unforgettable memories with your loved one.

Q4. What catering options are available for Valentine Week events at your banquet halls?

Our banquet halls offer a diverse range of catering options, including romantic multi-course dinners for couples. We also provide customizable buffet setups with a wide selection of appetizers, entrees, and desserts to delight your guests. For a unique touch, we can arrange live cooking stations where chefs prepare delectable dishes right in front of your guests. Additionally, our experienced team can accommodate special dietary requests to ensure all attendees have a memorable dining experience. Whether you prefer an intimate dinner for two or a grand buffet for many, our banquet halls cater to all preferences, making each dining experience unforgettable.

Q5. Do you provide assistance with planning and organizing Valentine Week events at your banquet halls?

Absolutely! Our experienced event planners can help you create a romantic atmosphere for each day of Valentine Week. From themed decorations to personalized menus, we ensure that every detail reflects the spirit of love and romance. Our banquet halls are versatile spaces that can be transformed to match the unique ambiance you envision for each Valentine's Day celebration. Additionally, we offer customizable packages that include event coordination, catering services, and entertainment options to make your Valentine Week truly unforgettable. Whatever your vision may be, our team is dedicated to making it a reality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, elevating romance at our exquisite banquet halls by BandBaajaBarat.com has been a delightful journey through the Valentine Week celebrations. From the captivating Rose Day to the charming Propose Day, and the enchanting Hug Day, each day has been meticulously designed to create cherished memories with your loved one. The personalized menus, live music performances, and professional photography and videography services have added an extra touch of romance to each celebration. As Valentine Week comes to a close, the memories created at our banquet halls will surely last for years to come, making each day truly unforgettable

#weddings #valentines day #banquet halls

1 note · View note

40sandfabulousaf · 1 year

Text

大家好! Besides veggies, I also have a variety of fruit. Juices are fantastic thirst quenchers on hot days. Rounding off lunch of fried fish (the stall didn't serve steamed fish that day), taupok (beancurd) filled with minced pork, preserved mustard greens, mixed veggies and okra with zhou (congee): freshly squeezed red dragon fruit juice. Because I don't have a sweet tooth, there's no added sugar in all freshly squeezed juices that I drink.

1 of the prettiest plants I found so far during the walk to the coffee shop near my home bears multi-hued tiny flowers, a striking contrast to its rich green leaves. Stopping along the way to capture lovely blooms dotting the pavements in white, yellow and bold red is fun; I even tried to colour-coordinate my lunch with the flora and fauna to give family and friends a laugh! Whilst eating, I caught up on recipes, exercise news, as well as current affairs. SW and I had a chat too and she shared that her dad, who, in spite of greying hair looks incredibly youthful, also eats food from cai fan (mixed dishes with rice) stalls. It's easier to eat more veggies this way.

Moderately healthy living is less rigid so it isn't salads salads salads, the same few veggies with olive oil or nuts and seeds all the time. Details about my first visit to Pizza Hut in years in the next post! It's not that fastfood is completely banned; there're just healthier and even more delicious alternatives like dimsum, dumplings or ma la and I'd much rather have those since I don't feel as lethargic after eating them. My health goal isn't to look, but to BE; not to look muscular but to BE healthy, agile, energetic, alert and mobile. And if I want to be energetic and alert, I don't wanna eat foods that make me feel tired, drained and sloth-like all that often.

The understanding here is, food doesn't have to be crispy to taste good. Steamed fish can be melt-in-your-mouth tender and it is delicious. Okra can be crunchy or soft and I can eat it for days. Don't even get me started on egg tofu because it's so versatile, I eat it with veggies and zhou for breakfast, I add it to veggie soups or stirfried veggies and enjoy with rice for dinner and I STILL can't resist it for lunch at times! 1 tube of egg tofu sold here = 1 egg, so that gives me a lot of flexibility when planning my meals for the day.

When it comes to what is heart-healthy, well, like it or not, to family, close friends and I who grew up with a traditional Asian upbringing, it isn't oils; it's veggies, plenty of it, some fruit, some fish, seafood, eggs and tofu, and less often, meat (including poultry). Fastfood, cake, pastries, bread, creamy pasta, ice cream and cookies are only eaten a few times a year, even if there are vegan alternatives because to us, vegan substitutes are just less UNhealthy. Ikr, offended, outrage, well you did it to our white rice, so suck it up. As it is, we already eat more healthily than your average citizen does. 下次见!

#Youtube

0 notes

huenjin · 3 years

Text

soulmate bruises.

you could have been stuck with any other soulmate mark, so why specifically did it have to be the soulmate scars theory?

"That looks like a real bad bruise," Haknyeon mumbles. His thumb traces the corners of the bruise and you wince, the pain scourging through your nerves, tingling and rushing through your brain furiously.

"Your soulmate must have gotten hit badly," Chanhee chuckles, looking through the photographs in your camera. You frown and curse under your breath. Haknyeon looks through the papers by your side and you look around the photography club you started with these idiots for the school magazine.

"I’ve got an idea," Changmin's eyes glint mischievously as he walks up to your table, having overheard your conversation. "Let's hit Y/N to inflict pain on her soulmate for having hurt her. It's the perfect plan."

Chanhee raises an eyebrow at Changmin but Haknyeon seems to be all in for the plan. Your forehead scrunches in annoyance, your eyebrows furrowing together as you pinch the skin to distract yourself. You groan, mumbling, "Shut up for a second, will you?"

"Fine, spoilsport," the one who suggests the plan says, pressing his lips together in disappointment. He soon began, "My idea was great. All you low lives will never understand."

"I'm going to find this nasty motherfucker," you stand up, determined. The chair pushes back and the table jerks forward as you press your hand down on it firmly. "And he's going to pay for hurting me so much. These bruises take forever to fade away."

Haknyeon stands up soon after, "We just have to find another individual in this city that has the same ugly bruise on their face as she does."

Chanhee and Changmin follow suit, albeit reluctantly. The latter chuckles sardonically, "This is going to be easy. How many people do we even have to search? Yeah, just mere tens of thousands in this city."

Chanhee digresses, "Let's cancel all the nice-looking dudes because our girl here doesn't have good luck."

"You're an arsehole, dude. An arsehole, I say."

"What's with the weird We're Avengers formation you guys have on?"

Younghoon walks into the room with a cup of coffee and Ray-Bans like he's making an entrance and you roll your eyes. He places the glasses on the table and sighs, "It's cool and everything but Juyeon's hurt, Chanhee. He won't tell it out loud, but yeah, he's hurt and he needs help. The nurse isn't in yet."

"He's hurt?" Chanhee asks, concerned.

"Hurt, oh yes. This is perfect." Changmin chirps and Younghoon raises an eyebrow.

"You're Team Rocket now?" He furrows his eyebrows and glances over at you disappointed, almost as if it is your stupidity that has nurtured them into these. "Anyhow, Chanhee, follow me. The rest of you stay put."

Haknyeon, Changmin and you listen because Younghoon was a mere acquaintance. He was, however, Chanhee's childhood friend, and since he is Chanhee's friend, you have seen Lee Juyeon around — at parties, at the basketball court, in the hallways. And that is it.

So, why would you care if this man was hurt?

Unless he got hit like a bitch on his face.

Later that night, you hold yourself close, tears threatening to spill from the corners of your eyes. It feels like your ribs are being slammed into something and the pain is unbearable. It leaves you breathless and a little shaky on the ground. You scream at one point and slow winces leave your lips as you try to hold it in.

Haknyeon knocks and walks into your room when you don't reply. He shifts you slightly, his hands rubbing your back slightly as you lightly cry, "I hate that bitch but he must be in so much pain if I'm feeling this much."

Haknyeon's angry. In all honesty, he gets the soulmate mark and how that should help people be happy but never has it led you to your soulmate, only providing pain along with the entire experience. Soulmates are not supposed to bring pain.

Your teeth clench in pain as you sit up. Your feet dangle for a while before it touches the ground and you stand up, ignoring the pain that seers through your body.

"I'm finding that motherfucker, that's it."

Haknyeon chuckles at your resilience. He helps you stand well and watches your determined expression, mumbling, "The boy's dead meat for sure. Either in your hands or the one that's hurting him."

Finding him is easier than you expected. Haknyeon helps you and the two of you leave the house in pursuit of the man with injuries — a bruised face and now, bruised ribs. You have always wanted to meet your soulmate for, a) he was nasty enough to get himself hurt without bothering about your well being, b) he is your soulmate, and deep down, you want to care for him, heal his wounds, and. . . slap some sense into him because it's a connection and he should respect it.

You message Chanhee, knowing if you should start anywhere, it's the closest person you know who has an injury.

You: chanhee? [11:23 PM] Chanhee is a hoe: Juyeon's number? here. [11:23 PM] Chanhee is a hoe: [Juyeon's contact] [11:24 PM] You: what the fuck? [11:24 PM] Chanhee is a hoe: thank me later. [11:24 PM] Chanhee is a hoe: don't kill him. but if it makes you feel better, i'm shipping you two and that his bruise is nastier. [11:30 PM]

"It's Juyeon, isn't it?" Haknyeon pipes and you watch his smile curve upwards. "Turns out Chanhee isn't that useless."

"He is. That arsehole didn't tell me till I asked him of it. What if I didn't? Would he have let me go on a wild goose chase?"

Your phone pings again and you groan, albeit very grateful for his existence

Chanhee is a hoe: [Juyeon's address] [11:36 PM]

Haknyeon laughs, "Knowing him, yes." He drums the bonnet of the car, waiting for you to hop in and when you do, he enters, igniting the engine and zooming away to the address Chanhee has sent you.

Upon reaching his place, Haknyeon wishes you luck and tells you that he'd rather wait in the car and that if you planned on staying the night, then, you should text him so that he could leave. You smile and storm away, trying to build up the rage within you to lash out at your soulmate.

"Lee Juyeon," you slam at his door. "Lee Juyeon, open your door."

You hit the steel door as hard as you can, unbothered by the pain that now seers through your fist. At this rate, you'll be hospitalized with your soulmate and you could have your first date there. How nice; not.

"Y/N?" he opens the door, and you notice the redness around the sides of his fist. Your eyes widen and the air is taken away from your lungs as you stare wide-eyed at the man before you.

Lee Juyeon is gorgeous. He leaves you feeling dazed like a comet hitting the earth's crater, strong and hard. He is tall enough to tower you and his eyes sparkle with hope. You notice the bruise on his face under the dim street light by his house and you gape.

"It could be you."

"Huh?"

You run back to the car, tapping at Haknyeon's glass. He pulls it down and hands you a paper cup of hot coffee. You look at him with a snug expression. You notice Juyeon watching you with confusion. You take big strides towards the man and open the cup, only to throw the hot coffee onto his chest, in the same area that had you wincing moments ago.

It hits you a second too late. You drop the cup, holding your upper abdomen, your fingers digging into the underside of your breasts as you fall on your knees. You definitely did not think this through. Juyeon merely clenches his teeth tightly, and you realise that with all this experience you both shared, he's the only one who knows how to deal with the pain.

Haknyeon chuckles at the sight, and almost on cue, he pulls his car back and drives a bit away, parking it by a big tree. Juyeon kneels along with you and helps you up, "Let's put some ice there."

"That was a very bad idea. 0/10 would not recommend."

You're holding your chest and your abdomen messily and you're cursing at Juyeon, "Are you a gangster? A thug? Why do you keep getting hurt?"

"A boxer, actually and I keep getting hurt because Sangyeon will not go easy on me. I'm sorry. You must have been through shit," Juyeon's voice is soothing. Like a fresh warm bath with your favorite soap bombs and a ducky. He helps you into his house, lays you on his sofa carefully as he goes to grab ice.

"Maybe this wasn't all of a bad idea," you shout, and Juyeon chuckles. He even laughs beautifully; how? He asks if he could lift your shirt up as he comes back to your side with a bag full of ice. You nod and he lifts your shirt up, grimacing at the purple bruises that have formed by your abdomen and the area under your breasts. Juyeon is too worried to let his eyes stray anywhere else as he mumbles apologies after apologies.

"It's okay," you chuckle nervously, feeling conscious and slightly bad for your soulmate. "At least now I have you. We'll get through this pain together. You can take care of me and I can take care of you."

Juyeon feels his insides bubbling, his chest tightens, and his heart bloom. If this is what a soulmate's love feels like, he could get high on it. His face gets close to your skin and his lips slightly trace the bruises, before placing kisses on it and then, the ice, all while mumbling, "I'd like that. I'd really like that."

897 notes · View notes

persephone-uwu · 2 years

Text

Getting banned from a My Hero Server because people were openly defending Endeavour, and victim blaming Toya. It’s extremely fucked up. Saying you want him dead, and he deserves to die, but not Enji because he’s “changing,” and then admitting to being an abuse apologist? Because you like Endeavour?

I hate the argument “it’s just fiction,” because no, it’s not. Abuse isn’t fiction, and how you respond to it, whether fictional or not, is extremely telling of how you react to abuse in general.

“Being a victim doesn’t give you the right to kill your abuser,” not in the real world, no. (It should, but that’s for a different conversation.) For those of us who relate to Toya, it’s comforting to live vicariously through him. He can get justice for himself. He deserves to get justice for himself.

Saying “murder is worse than abuse,” is the most awful thing I’ve ever heard. Honestly.

That’s definitely coming from someone whose never been abused. However, I’m not defending him. Do I think he should be held responsibility for his crimes? Absolutely. But I don’t want to see him rot in prison for life, when he deserves redemption. I think he really relates to Azula, and they have a lot in common, so I love that. They were both trained to be child weapons, and the stress of being the perfect, golden child broke them down. But not even Azula was locked up forever; but it shows how much mental illness can effect you, and your choices. He’s a beautifully written character, and I want to see him get redemption. I understand he needs to pay for his crimes, but he can do that in psychiatric care, while getting help. I don’t think it’s fair that he should be held accountable for his actions, when Endeavour hasn’t been. His crimes are swept under the rug, and his fans, both in the manga and the real world, defend him.

I say this quote on Tumblr a long time ago, and I kept it because it made me really think of Dabi and Shigaraki, so I’m going to post it here: “I too once believed in the ruling power, but when I put my faith in it to protect me, I was betrayed. The people who did this faced no consequences, no trial, and as we speak continue to do harm to others. Your justice is pretty in theory, hero, but it is naive— the real world is messy and cruel, and unfair; and I plan to rectify it.

Too long I have tried other ways to make this system work— it is time to make a change.”

That’s literally what the villains are doing. They’ve been failed by their system, and continue to do so. If the vigilantes feel the need to take justice into their own hands, why can’t the villains?

“Why didn’t Toya just come forward? Get a new family? Run away?”

It’s not that simple. And why should he?? Why wouldn’t he hold his abuser accountable??? Why does he have to leave his family behind? He did find a new family though. People who cared about him, who SAW him.

If you can openly love Endeavour, because you think a 46 year old man deserves redemption because “abuse isn’t as bad as murder,” then you’re part of a much larger problem.

The League wants to “make a better, shining world” as stated by Dabi. In HIS eyes, he’s making the world a better place. You know the saying, right? “You’ll never truly understand a villain, until you understand why they’re the hero in their own mind.” And who says they’re wrong? Isn’t the author showing us that the hero society IS flawed? There is no Right or Wrong side. Have you played My Hero Ones Justice 2? Have you heard Dabi’s dialogue? He mentions meeting Gran Trino in the hospital as a kid, probably because of the intense training by Endeavor. He only says, “God, or whosoever up there, is cruel.” Which means he’s HURTING still because of Endeavor. He’s also insecure, because of his dad saying he wants good enough. He constantly calls himself weak, and at one point, Twice tries to make him feel better by telling him to not put himself down. Endeavor isn’t better, because it’s taken him THIS long, while Touya is still developing; but it’s hard to grow as a person when all you’ve ever known is pain. Shoto said himself that he could’ve grown up to be just like Dabi, if Deku hadn’t given him the “power of friendship” speech. But Touya didn’t have anyone to give him that speech. No one saved him. No one pulled him back from the edge. Endeavor can’t just “forget” what he’s done, wtf. You can’t just forget someone’s abuse, because it’s easier for you. What about Touya’s closure? His justice? He only wants to kill Shoto because of his trauma. Do I condone it? No. But it’s not his fault, he needs help. He’s not beyond redemption. For once, someone needs to help these villains, because no one ever saved them. They need therapy, and to be rehabilitated; not killed or locked away, and forgotten. There’s no sentences in their world, once you’re in jail, you’re in jail. They dump you there and forget about you. The League deserves more than that. They deserves voices who speak out against the abuse, discrimination, and everything else they’ve had to endure. “Villains are just victims whose stories haven’t been told.”

PS: It’s also hard to give a good argument when you have slow mode on.

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #dabi is touya #dabi mha #dabi bnha #bnha dabi #Dabi #todoroki touya #touya todoroki #toya todoroki #anti endeavor #mha spoiler #league of villains #lov #paranormal liberation front #why does this fanbase have the worst takes #discord shenanigans

69 notes · View notes

risingsunresistance · 2 years

Text

Civil War

apologies for any formatting issues. i'm using a screenshot-to-text feature in apple and it's having trouble with some of the IGNs in this one. i've tried to correct them where i can, but i've probably missed a few. wanted to include rank colors, but it isn't very readable on tumblr and would be a lot of extra work

------------------------------------

links to the other fics:

revolution

faced with kings

demons

------------------------------------

(wayback archive of this fic on the forums)

------------------------------------

It was the middle of the day on Sunday and the server had been running smoothly as 35,000 children ran around demolishing eachother in lego pvp. Little did they know, the server was about to plunge into chaos. The server went into lock down, but nobody noticed. Nobody except the couple of people making threads on the forums, which were all titled something along the lines of "Server down for maintenance??????1" But this didn't last for long- soon, the entire forum was covered with "BANNED?" threads, as thousands of users found themselves banned from the network.

And then, minutes after the first threads about them had been created, the forums went down.

But I wasn't aware of this. I was blissfully crossteaming on Caelum with my friends bajanfan69 and pvpgod25. We were camping the middle for the blitz star, although nearly everyone had already died. A lone player with no visible gear approached us, a green nametag above his name telling us that he wasn't an ordinary player. He looked at the three of us, huddled at middle with barely full leather, and stopped. He smiled.

[MOD] SylentButDedly: Teaming isn't allowed on this map.

Uh-oh.

He threw his right arm forward, and a mass of green particles flew out, smashing pvpgod25 off his feet. turned to help him, but he was gone. An announcement in the chat let me know that only four players remained. I spun around, and threw myself to the right, just in time to dodge the moderator's second attack. I rolled, drew my bow, and fired. The arrow beautifully arced across middle, hitting the defenseless moderator right between his eyes.

He flinched backwards, and the health indicator above his head changed to 19.

Dangit.

He raised his arm, ready to finish us off, when I saw a blur behind him. Some pay-to-win horsetamer noob was coming to attack him. The mod tilted his head, and turned to face him. He threw his hand up, but the horsetamer jumped, absorbing the attack with his horse as he dismounted in the air. The horse simply, well, evaporated after being hit by the blast. The horsetamer was fine though- as he leaped off of his horse, he kicked the mod's face, his diamond boots making an audible crunch as the mod lost half of his teeth. He landed on his feet as the mod tried to get up off of the ground. The mod raised his hand to blast him, but a diamond axe swung down and cut it off. And then the fight was over.

pvpgod25 was spamming us in skype "WTF I'M BANNED???", but I hardly noticed. Bajanfan69 and I were staring at the horse 10 in awe as he approached us. He didn't even stop as he walked past us- he didn't think we were capable of killing him. He calmly flipped open several chests, the last of which he pulled a nether star out of. He turned to us, a diamond axe in one hand and the star in the other.

[MVP+] xXx_Skill_xXX: If you want to live, you'll do exactly as I say.

As it turns out, he didn't have much to say at all. Really, he just wanted us to not attack each other. Deathmatch had started long ago, and the timer for a draw was about to be reached. I asked him why we were doing this, and he said, and I quote: "Shut up, nerd"

pvpgod25 was still spamming us on skype, saying that he had been banned from the server. We told him to shut up- and also make an appeal on the forums- but he kept telling us that the forums were down. Maintenance or some nonsense. We told him that if nothing happened soon, we'd just log out ourselves and join him on another server.

Suddenly, an announcement blared across the game: IT'S A DRAW! The Horsetamer 10 turned to us and said "Find me in the lobby. I'm not sure what we should be expecting." I assumed he was being an overdramatic moron- it was a LOBBY. It was the least exciting part of the server! Why was he so calm about having just finished a game where the objective was to kill everyone else, and so tense about the lobby, where the only point is to sit around and chat? But he was probably seven years old, so I let him have his fun. It wasn't like anything was going to happen in the lobby.

And then we teleported to the lobby, and lots of things happened

The horsetamer sprinted away from the spawn location. I turned to bajanfan69, confused. Suddenly, a VIP in front of us exploded as a moderator erased him from the server in a brilliant flash of green particles. I didn't stop to ask him why. "RUN!" I shouted, and we ran after the horsetamer. We narrowly avoided being hit, but I doubt many of the others joining the lobby survived.

We followed the horsetamer into the parkour area.

[MVP+] xXx_Skill_xXX: They're banning players from the network! We need to find somewhere safe!

bajanfan69: But why?

[MVP+] xXx_Skill_xXX: There's no time to explain! Well, actually, there's plenty of time. I just don't feel like it. Where do we go?!

budderbacca24: Well, we have to go to a place where no one in their right minds would expect to find any players...

We all looked at each other, and said simultaneously:

"The Paintball lobby!"

The three of us warped to the paintball lobby. To our great surprise, there were a whole 4 players in the lobby.

Three of them were mods, and they had the fourth trapped against a wall. I didn't recognize what his rank was, but I didn't think that asking would be a good idea, given the three moderators. I told xXx_Skill_xXX that we ought to run, but he told us to stay. We stayed close to the portal though, just in case anything went wrong.

The three moderators looked at each other and nodded. They raised their hands, ready to execute their target. In unison, they fired- the three green orbs of particles combining into one large one and slamming into the poor guy.

It hit him, bounced off his chest, and dissipated into the air. There was a massive grin on his face.

[ADMIN] Plancke: You are not allowed to use that command.

He threw his arms out, and red orbs annihilated the two outer moderators. The third turned to run, but met the same fate. He turned to face our MVP+ friend.

[ADMIN] Plancke: Who are you?

[MVP+] xXx_Skill_xXX: I'm a really good pvper, and I'm here to help you.

He was clearly fanboying the admin, but given his recent performance against the moderators, that felt like a good idea. He looked over at me and bajanfan69, who were still nearly hugging the portal.

[ADMIN] Plancke: And who are they?

[MVP+] xXx_Skill_xXX: Uh, they're some nerds I found and brought with me. They could probably help a bit as well.

I stepped forward.

budderbacca24: We don't know what's going on- and our friend, pvpgod25, got banned. Can you help him?

[ADMIN] Plancke: Nobody can join the server- most of the other admins have taken over, and put it in maintenance.

He muttered something under his breath, which sounded suspiciously like "Hypixel goes on vacation for one day...

budderbacca24: So there isn't any way of getting him in?

[ADMIN] Plancke: There is one rank the admins probably forgot about...

He smiled.

[ADMIN] Plancke: It's time to bring in the Elite Team.

#the list

33 notes · View notes

delicrieux · 4 years

Text

—MAKE YOU SAY “OH” EXTRAS: TINDER

extra meaning non-canonical occurrence; can be placed anywhere in the “make you say oh” timeline after couple (cha. 14) and before the final “oh”.

pairing—corpse husband x f!reader warnings—tinder profiles, tw: men, swearing. word count—2.6k. format— written. ─── ❥ req by nonnie: y/n makes a youtube vid/live stream where she's just swiping through her tinder acc and corpse literally blocks her lmao

author’s note—akldsljfs this was such a funny idea i could not not write it lmao

ultimate masterlist. myso masterlist

You have pulled the biggest brain move by setting up both a facecam and a screen recorder on your phone. All is beautifully displayed and visible during the stream. Your fanbase is particularly intrigued on what exactly are you planning on doing today, seeing as your tweet of “strea” had been a bit vague, if not downright ominous. No emojis. No elaboration. You couldn’t even be bothered to finish the word. Truly, a mystery. Everyone tuned in and are currently waiting with bated breath.

A few of your fans must sense upcoming doom because the overall mood in the chat turns from optimistically intrigued to...evil. It’s an entity all on it’s own now, clawing at you through the screen with various renditions of laughter and devil emojis. A few eggplants thrown in there for good measure, accompanied, naturally, by the scandalous water drops. At first the common consensus is that you’re biting the bullet and going through your camera roll on stream. Definitely an idea worth considering, though you frankly don’t know what lies at the start of the 11k photograph journey, and you are afraid to check in public. Could be a harmless meme, could be a salacious pic you had saved of an OF star. It’s really a gamble. Either way, you would definitely get banned. You might still get banned. Why do you insist on doing shit like this?

Because it’s funny. Because you’re kinda stupid. Because it’s just so absolutely laughably easy to do.

A smile quirks your lips, and while it is not explicitly smug, the look in your eyes sure is, “Greetings,” You utter lowly, dimming the lights--the budget for this stream! Ugh, you went all out, “my children.”

mother i crave violence

sensing evil energy rn!!

i do not claim the energy in this video for myself or anyone else watching this 💖💖

^with peace and love shut the fuck up

“I know y’all lowkey hoes-” Upon your words the chat splits into two: one side eagerly agrees (even shares a few OF accounts! How helpful, supporting small businesses!), whilst the other feverishly insists on innocence. You make a face stuck somewhere between offended and bewildered, “Now c'mon now-I know you. I know you all. We’re the same, don’t-what was that?”

You try to scroll back to the comment but it’s loss in the sea of incoming messages, “I swear to God I just saw-”

Corpse_Husband: i love late night streams it’s not like i have anything better to do.

“COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORPSE!!!!”

rip headphone users

i cant feel my face when im with you by the weeknd but instead of face its my fucking ears

yall think full vol on pc is better?my parents woke up 😭😭😭😭

To think he’s spending his last waking moments for today with watching you (he probably still would have anyway, because you do not posses an ounce of shame or self-control and pester him relentlessly)! It makes your heart sing, and suddenly, a traitorous, fun hating idea barges it’s way through the crowd of incoherent buzzing and states: don’t do this. For some reason it also has the voice of Rae. As if that would work in guilt-tripping you- Rae never succeed, and her fictitious rendition in mind won’t fare much better either.

Still, you thought about it. That must count for something. Corpse will understand, won’t he? Why don’t you want to upset it in the first place? Men look so funny when they lose their shit, like hello, don’t you have anything better to do? But the image of Corpse just sitting there, hurt, distraught, leaving you on seen because he’s in his sad boy hours leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

queen rly went from 🥺😊 to 😕 u ok bbgirl?

Corpse_Husband: no pouts cutie

akjdjoeijdfse cUTIE??? deadass boutta r.i.p.

Well that succeeded in eliminating everything from mind, doubts included. If this was an anime, the scenery would shift into something roseate, with flowers and bubbles and sparkles all around you along with a halo or two. Alas, not an anime, rather reality. The led-lights, however, seemingly possessing a will of their own, slowly turn from deep violet to pink. You smile brightly, like the absolute dumbass you are, and you are met with a ray of heart and blushing emojis. You are just so cute, a real cutie! Still in your disguise adorable state, you swipe your finger on your phone screen, the grin never leaving your lips.

There, among the plethora of apps, nestled sits a red square with a white fire plastered on it. The delicate calligraphy on the bottom reads: TINDER.

The mood changes once again- you’re giving the roaches emotional instability by how quickly everything flips over- and the chat spams eggplants vigorously; some, of course, bravely fight against the thirst.

nooooooo i thought y/n is gonna stream in a god honoring way!!!

^pack it up girl defined

“So, Charlie and I-” You note a few awfully curious comments and squint, “-yes, we talk a lot. Charlie is a really good friend of mine. We’re best friends. Brothers. Sisters. Cousins. The whole fucking family tree-no, that sounds weird. Delete. Anyway, Charlie, being the absolute fucker he is, said, hey, you know what would be funny? And I was like, nooo, what would be funny, Charlie? And he says to me, he says, says, making fun of men on Tinder. And if y’all need any more proof that Charlie and I are platonic soulmates, then dunno, my children, my roaches, I dunno-I dunno what more to give you.”

You can’t be bothered reading the comments, there’s too damn many. You also need to save your reading comprehension for the actual bios. It has a time limit, that darn thing.

“Okay, so I made a profile earlier, but I hadn’t swiped on anyone yet-” Despite the fact, Tinder helpfully informs you that already 99+ people have swiped right on you, “So, this is me,” You show the pictures you have of yourself, and damn, not to be a conceited narcissist, but you look really good. Like if you saw yourself on Tinder, you’d super like instantly. “Uhm, so, my bio-my bio says: let’s sauce in the tub together, ya dig? splishy splashy, giggle giggle.”

i cant believe we are witnessing y/n trying to form a coherent sentence live

shes trying give her time

ya dig??? y not capeesh

what scene from the godfather is this lol?

“My anthem, is,” You laugh, covering your lips with your hand, “Corpsie, this is form you-” Proudly, you show that indeed, Corpse’s E-GIRLS ARE RUINING MY FUCKING LIFE is listed as your anthem on Spotify, “Hehe.” Yes, you say that aloud.

Corpse_Husband: you’re killing me Corpse_Husband: thanks baby Corpse_Husband: now delete tinder ❤︎

You ignore his last quip, deciding it’s finally time to get this show on the road, “Right, let’s do this shit. I’m not actually going to swipe on any guys that look, uh, decent? Yuck, can’t believe I just said that, uhm, because I-because I feel like some actually deserve a chance with someone? I don’t wanna get anyone’s hopes up, as I am currently in a long distance relationship with Chrollo. So I’m just gonna swipe on, like, frat boy assholes. Because I don’t care if I hurt their feelings. Quite frankly I don’t think they possess them in the first place.”

The chat voices their agreements. With the ground rules set, you, giddy, click on the first profile.

Does Tinder know what you’re doing, your plan? The FBI agent watching you through your phone must be working overtime, bless his heart. They must, because the the first guy to meet you is named Jason, and there he is, blond hair and blue eyes, holding up a fish the size of his torso. Marginally adequate in looks, pretty good muscles. A solid 7 bordering on 8. He’s the same age as you, 15 miles away, and he studies at some college you don’t care enough to look up. Bio reads:

I like to drive fast. Fishing is my passion, but if you can’t catch me by the ocean, you’ll catch me catching waves, bro! Love a good gym date. You do squats, and I’ll keep a close eye to make sure you’re doing it correctly ;) You probably saw me at a party. Leader of the The Phi Kappa Psi. I’m a Gemini, if that matters lol.

You, of course, read it aloud, dramatically; provide some constructive criticism-he seems nice, but he’s a Gemini, so naturally, you can’t trust him at all! Also, that gym date session leaves little to be desired. With your rant done, you swipe right, and shocker! (not), it’s an instant match.

“Okie, I still wanna swipe of some profiles, so I’ll see what he’ll text later-” For a second you wonder the legalities of this stream, but you’re having too much fun to think of it further, “guys, I won't get sued, right?”

NOW she considers it

well....

if you do, we’ll kickstart your lawyer dw <3

Onto the next profile. Kevin, 25, is seen fixing his car- or, you assume he’s mid-fixing it, you don’t really know why else he’d hold a wrench and be covered in oil. He’s shirtless, and the caveman part of your brain echoes something closely resembling AWOOOGA!, but...but!...blonde hair, blue eyes. You pout again, “I don’t...I don’t really like blond boys, ya know? With the blue eyes and all, it’s just not my thing, uhm, unless it’s like-like...Armin from Attack on Titan. Else I don’t care.”

Onto the bio:

You have to treat a car like you treat a woman: go on long rides, take the lead, but most importantly, keep her oiled up 😜

“What the fuck did I just read?”

The chat is equally confused. You swipe right anyway- another match. Too easy.

The stream continues without incident for a solid thirty minutes- all of your matches, expect a few that genuinely looked like normal dudes that really couldn’t write a decent bio to save their lives, had been blond hair blue eyed gym rats with ranging forms of misogyny. Some opened with asking for nudes out right, some asked about your day first before asking for nudes. You prefer the former. Straight to the point! You admire the gall.

But then, down the forty-five minute mark a profile popped up that made you still by your phone, your smile dying as your eyes bulged. Dear God. Lord in heaven. Who is this demonspiit lookalike and why is he so fucking hot? The neck tats, the skateboard, the clothes- holy shit, you gotta close your mouth before some drool dribbles out.

No bio, just his name, Tyler, and that he’s 23.

“He boutta be 23 in me.” You mutter, swiping right with lightning speed.

WHAT DID SHE SAYYYYY?????????

tyler is y/ns karma for relentlessly mocking that one guy that had a whole ass list on what his “female” partner should be

^he deserved it and also tyler seems like a typical fuckboi y/n grow a braincell

look at mom 🥺 her eyes are sparkling

It wasn’t a match right away. You somehow expected as much, but it still upset you. Simp behavior, pathetic. The stream continued bravely, and when Tyler messaged you a simple “yo” you totally didn’t sequel. You didn’t manage to text him back on stream: texting all those guys that you didn’t really find all that attractive was easy, but this...You’re a sucker for a man who radiates red flag energy. His whole profile is a red flag. He might just be a red flag himself.

What can you do? Suddenly becoming color blind is not easy. Once the stream ends, you unmatch with everyone expect Tyler. He you chat with for a bit, but a sudden craving for different company makes you abandon him, too. You don’t feel too heartbroken for him- you’re certain there’s already too many girls in his dms. You wish them luck.

Happily, you delete Tinder. You go to Twitter, notice you’re trending again- look at you go! Queen shit- and as you compose a thank you tweet, something strange happens. You go to text Corpse, but when you click on his profile you grow cold.

YOU’RE BLOCKED. You can’t follow or see @/Corpse_Husband ‘s Tweets.

...Pardon? You hop onto Instragram and-also blocked. Seriously? And you thought you’re one petty bitch. Corpse is seriously prissy about everything. Damn, if he didn’t like your stream, he could’ve just said so. Didn’t need to, like, block you from his internet existence. So not cool.

You try texting him but no text go through. Well how will you let him know you deleted Tinder just like he asked? You relieve your frustrations by punching your pillow a few times. Later, you apologize to her, you didn’t mean to hurt her, it’s not her, it’s you. Fuck, 5 minutes of exile and you’re already loosing your mind.

“Raeeeeeeeeeeee!” You whine loudly. It’s roughly 2am now, but you don’t care. You’re too heartbroken to care. There’s a thump from her room, but nothing else, “Raeeeeeeeee!!!” You wail, wallowing in self-pity on your bed. You hear a very loud, very annoyed sigh from her room, followed by angry marching. Your door is abruptly thrown open, and in the dim, colorful light you see her scowl.

“What?” She grits.

“Can you please tell Corpse to unblock me from everything?”

“What did you do now?”

“I made fun of men on Tinder.”

She pauses, “...That doesn’t sound so bad.” She surmises, voice laced with suspicion, “What else?”

“...There was one really hot guy that I kinda sorta talked to after--”

“Y/n.”

“-But I totally deleted Tinder and honestly he was pretty boring, so, like, uhm, please?”

She sighs, the servery of which implies she is holding the weight of the world on her shoulders, and instantly you know that you won. She taps away at her phone, “You owe me one.” She states, and before you can reply, she exits your room and slams the door behind her.

Grinning, you text his phone again. The message goes through, oh gosh, you’re so relieved you feel like crying. This has been, officially, the worst five minutes of your life.

You Y DID U BLOCK ME LOSER!!! MAJOR LOSER ALERT!! I DELETED EVERYTHING IT WAS A JOKE r u still mad at me? y u always mad at me i never do anything:(

my husband You’re my baby, how do you think I’ll react when I see you publicly simping for some asshole on Tinder?

Oh no, he used the words, he delivered the killing blow. You’re finished. Your heart can’t take such a workout.

Not that you would ever admit it to him, though!

You hehe ur jellyyyy u always dis jealous hehe?

my husband Not jealous.

Yeah, you might not be the brightest tool in the shed, but even you know that’s a lie. You send him an array of kissy emojis that he doesn’t have the decency to reply to. Then, completely unprompted and dead serious, you send him a simple voice memo, saying: “You really have nothing to worry about, you know? You’re my favorite, Corpsie.”

He responds via text, reiterating that he’s not fucking jealous and that he just doesn’t like when you show such outward interest in anyone but it’s not like he cares or anything. It’s just really, like, weeeeird to see his baby simping for another man like that totally ruins the whole dynamic!!! It was only natural that he should block you on every social media platform, including his personal number (which, like, was completely necessary! Doesn’t matter that his viewers can’t see it, it’s gotta be super believable!), and inform his followers of that, because it’s all a joke, like, for the dynamic, that Youtube grind, you know? Ya dig? No personal feelings were involved at all. He totally wasn’t upset that you found someone else cute, no way!

my husband I’m not jealous. Lol.

You ik u repeated tht like 50 times u trynna convince me or??? lmao

my husband No comment. ...You don’t actually talk to anyone else like we’re talking, right?

You no one else calls me their baby if thts wat ur wondering at least not to my knowledge lol im all urs

my husband That makes me very happy to hear:)

Yeah, it makes you very happy, too.

hope you liked it!! xx

#corpse husband #corpse husband x reader #corpse #corpse x reader #corpse husband x y/n #corpse x y/n #myso #make you say oh #imagine #imagines

952 notes · View notes