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dissociativewriter · 4 days ago

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Unnatural Affinity- Part 11

Isekai!Reader x Love and Deepspace

wc: 2.3k

cw: angst, questioning of worth, feeling empty, fluff, maybe comfort?

Synopsis: Returning to Linkon for a brief visit, you get help from Nero and talk with Xavier about recent developments. Back in Skyhaven, Em and Caleb are grappling with your absence.

author’s note: writing xavier for this was kinda tough because im not super familiar with him and i know he’s really nuanced but omg i think im in love with him now >_< anyways y’all its two am right now so im gonna go to sleep now and hate myself in the morning <3 im really proud of this part though so its alright (this isn’t proofread btw so if there’s typos no there isn’t)

taglist: @animegamerfox @ixloom819 @magennta09 @an-ever-angry-bi @corvid007 @vigtore @ph1lo-s0ph1a @ameili @babyx91 @sadsaidthesadthing @bidisasterforevermore @liz9898 @iconoclastoc @elegantdeerlady @lifumi @auraficial @plzdonutpercieveme @dolledbunnytail @junebuggz @mangooes @anatherone @skulzooka @yuhuahuaaa @nm4565natty @feikyuu @lunia-likes-pomegranet @xfangirl-trashx @glitterykingdomangel @eialovescats @mimiu3usoft @alyssac9 @000rpheus @novaisbebita @coffeedragonhobbyist @udejoenrlddo @lanxianschoenheit @paper--angel @xyzbeloved @rafayelridesfisheatsfish @myheartfollower @nightmarewasteland @feralwolfkat @junni-berry @chiikasevennn @lethalasylum @loudpiratepirate @sweetnightowl @rafaissance @white-wolves-and-golden-sunrises @iunse @asilaydead

Series Masterlist

The black leather and tinted windows of Sylus’s car drew shadows and visions out from the corner of your eye. You shifted to the middle, leaning forward so you were between the driver and passenger’s seats, where Luke and Kieran argued over the best route to take.

“You guys really don’t have to do this,” you interrupted. “I could get back to Linkon myself.”

“Actually, we do have to do this, Little Boss,” Kieran said sheepishly. “Boss-man’s orders.”

“Seriously?” you groaned, falling back against the seat with a soft thud.

“Yep,” Luke confirmed. “Boss said we had to take you to Linkon safely, then watch in the car from a safe distance so that his ‘little dove’ wouldn’t notice and get mad.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have to watch me in the first place?”

“Boss-man said it’s to make sure the hunter doesn’t get any ideas.” He shrugged.

“It’s a left here, right?” Kieran asked, quickly glancing towards Luke.

Luke turned around, looking back towards the road. “I thought you kept going straight… I don’t know, I don’t even remember what the Hunter’s Association looks like anymore!”

You pulled your hand down your face. “I’m going to die in this car,” you muttered.

The Hunter’s Association was sterile. Clean. Efficient. Hunters rushing to respond to alerts, researchers rushing to make their lunch break.

You eyed the Hunters’ desks as you pushed forward into the research department. Em’s desks was just as she’d left it that night you both prepared for this mission. Plushies still in place, old reports forgotten and discarded.

The research department contrasted the rest of the Association, just like the researchers contrasted the hunters. There were those that stayed comfortably behind the scenes, and those that claimed all the glory.

Simple. That was the best word to describe it. Simple, but not barren. Simple, in the way the chicken noodle soup was when your mother made for you that day you were a sick little six year old. Simple, in the way that life used to be.

Simple, in the way you wished it still was.

The soft lighting caressed you, unlike the harsh, bright lights in the training grounds. The smell of tea permeated the air, creating a warmth that settled deep in your chest. Stacks of papers, rows of books, all dotted around the department, created such an atmosphere. Always something to do, never terrible pressure to do it. It was calm, comforting, to be surrounded by so much knowledge and feel that you had all the time in the world to pursue it.

You found Nero at his desk, scribbling something down with a steaming cup of tea next to him. He didn’t look up as you approached, continuing to wield his pen as if it were the only thing keeping him alive. He started when you cleared your throat, nearly knocking his tea off the desk.

“Oh, hey! It’s you.” Nero breathed a sigh of relief before furrowing his brows. “You’re back early. Did something happen?” His eyes immediately dropped to your bandaged hands, fighting the urge to pry so you could tell him on your own terms.

Following his gaze, you raised a hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Really. Just a… a stupid mistake.”

“If you say so,” Nero said hesitantly. “Have you already seen the medic? I can call them, if you want.” You stopped his hand already reaching for the phone. His gaze snapped to yours.

“I’m fine, Nero. It’s just a couple scratches.” He nodded, lowering his hand onto the table, yours still resting on top. “Could you do me a favor?” you asked.

“Of course! What do you need? I’ll help any way I can,” he replied immediately.

“Well, first things first, Em is probably going to come around asking about me,” you began. “When she does, I want you to tell her you haven’t seen me, alright?”

Nero nodded slowly. “Sure, but why? Did you two have a falling out?”

“Something like that,” you sighed. “This next thing might be a bit complicated.” You leaned in a bit closer. “Is that alright?”

Nero nodded again, vigorously this time. “That’s alright! I just want to help you as best I can.” He leaned in, too, his voice lowering as a flush painted his cheeks. “To be honest, you’re probably my only real friend here. I get the feeling the other guys don’t really listen. So, I want to help you as much as you helped me.”

Feeling your chest swell with his quiet confession, you pressed a delicate kiss to his cheek, watching with soft laughter as the red across it darkened with blush. “Thanks, Nero,” you whispered.

“Um, any— anytime,” he stuttered. “What did you need me to do?”

In the quiet of the research department, you carefully explained your request.

Caleb’s apartment hadn’t been filled with a calm quiet in days.

There was quiet, sure. But none peaceful.

There was the quiet of plotting, the quiet of sulking, the quiet of anger, the quiet of regret, no matter how briefly lived.

It echoed in Caleb’s apartment, reaching the farthest corners and leaving neither one of its occupants untouched. Caleb had succumbed to the quiet days ago. An acceptance that this was how it was going to be from now on. Things would never be the same.

He was foolish to think they would be.

Em seemed to deny the quiet. She wanted to act like it hadn’t consumed her, even as it chipped away at her halved soul. The quiet invaded her eyes, replacing the complete emptiness, the desolation, with an acknowledged lacking. The awareness that something was missing, even if there was no certainty as to what that was.

Caleb watched as she crumbled, watched her increasing defiance towards the decay. He could recount just when the fall began, down to the minute.

The apartment was quiet when they’d returned. The kind of quiet that leaves a sickness pooling in the pit of your stomach, a feeling that tells you something was wrong.

But nothing was out of place. Caleb made sure of it. He moved from the kitchen to the bedrooms, checking every nook and cranny for anything that was even slightly off.

Nothing.

He halted in front of your bedroom. Should he knock, did he have the right to? You had so little peace left, he knew, so who was he to disturb that?

He walked past with a deep sigh.

Em practically fell into the living room, uniform disheveled and hair a mess. She collapsed onto the couch, pulling an apple pillow into her arms. “Caleb, do you ever feel... less than whole?”

Caleb looked up, eyeing her from the opposite side of the room. He closed the distance in a few quick strides, stopping just an arm’s reach away from her. “Are you feelin’ that way, pip-squeak?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, it just—” a sharp exhale “—just something I read somewhere.” She stood abruptly, dropping the pillow as she move with purpose. “I’m going to check…” she trailed off.

The walk down the hallway felt too long, allowing Em’s thoughts to consume her as she approached your door. Would you still be mad, she wondered? Would you yell? Would you be crying? Or would you be accepting, finally seeing her point of view?

She gave a soft knock on the door. A warning. She opened it quietly, wary of your possible reactions. When met with silence, she pushed further in.

Abandoned. That’s what it was. Empty. No sign of you. No lingering warmth, no comforting scent of shampoo, no gentle caress of breath.

Just cold.

Em’s legs moved before her mind fully comprehended it. She searched frantically, watched with a quiet detachment as her hands pulled apart curtains and blankets, hoping, wishing, that you were just hiding.

That you weren’t really gone.

“Caleb!” she called, voice mixing into something foreign. It broke slightly as she called again, the grief cracking through.

Caleb came running, like he always did. He slowed as he walked in, taking in the strewn pillows and blankets, the curtains torn from their rods, the woman standing in the middle of the chaos looking so small, like that kid in the lab that didn’t quite understand what was going on, why this was happening to them.

“Gone,” she whispered. “I don’t know—” Her voice caught. “How? When?”

Caleb’s arms surrounded her, snaking around her in a firm grip, ensuring she couldn’t slip away, away into her mind or away into the world. “I don’t know, pips,” he admitted quietly. “I don’t now how it could have happened.”

“Someone helped,” she said, voice hardening. “Someone had to. And I think I have an idea as to who would.”

Em pulled herself away from Caleb’s grip, leaving him empty, reaching for something that wouldn’t stay. He watched as the fire returned to her eyes, briefly, the flame quickly igniting before the downpour of grief snuffed it out.

Something was missing now. Something she now needed.

Caleb realized with that quiet horror that she truly wanted it, needed it back.

That quiet horror consumed, it seemed, melding and mixing with every barely changing mood.

The quiet persevered.

The training grounds were loud, almost overwhelmingly so. Despite the twilight and approaching dusk, hunters still dueled and trained as if chasing the sun’s departure.

“Xavier!” you called out.

The hunter paused, his light blade freezing mid-strike as he met your gaze. He dropped it to his side, letting it fade away in a soft, slow burst of light.

You raised a hand, motioning for him to come closer. He came forward, face hiding any doubts he had though confusion was littered in the sea of his eyes. He raised a hand to wipe the sheen of sweat from his forehead, taking the brief moment of pause to observe you.

“Did you need something?” he asked hesitantly.

“I actually have something important to tell you,” you said sheepishly. “Is it alright if we talk someplace private?”

Stiffening slightly, Xavier only offered a nod. You lightly took his hand, leading him away from the training grounds and through the Association. The setting sun cast an orange glow through the spacious windows, painting an otherworldly glow on Xavier’s figure.

You finally stopped in an empty courtyard outside the Association. Flower arrangements, trees, and topiaries dotted the space, along with the occasional wooden picnic table. Leading Xavier to one in the far corner, you sat down on the table top, resting your feet on the bench. You patted the space next to you.

Xavier took it without hesitation, situating himself so he could face you. He tilted his head. “What’s wrong?”

You let a few beats of silence fill the space between you.

“I don’t know how to tell you this…” You took a deep breath. “I’m not from here. From this world, universe, whatever.” You shook your head as if to shake away the confusion.

Saccharine blue eyes bore into yours, the depths of the galaxy and all its secrets hidden within them.

“I think you might understand it,” you explained slowly, “because you’re similar. You’re not from this time.”

Xavier’s body went rigid. Something changed in his eyes. They were hard. Protective. Powerful.

“How do you know that?” The softness seemed to melt away from his voice, giving way to something that demanded respect.

“The way I know that goes in hand with what I have to tell you,” you said quickly. “In my world, there was an… awareness of this one. But, it wasn’t really another world. It was— sort of a—”

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me.” You nearly flinched from the coldness in his tone, the way the trust lingering between you had seemingly disappeared. His shoulders slumped as he watched you draw back. “Continue, please,” he said quietly.

With a shaky breath, you obliged. “Where I’m from, this world was all a game.”

“A game?” Xavier’s gaze snapped to yours, brow furrowing slightly.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “It was a romance game. There was this Main Character that the player could sort of self insert into, and five Love Interests.”

Xavier nodded along with you. “This was all a game… and you know about me from this game?”

You carefully explained everything you could to Xavier. The plots, the Love Interests, all the past loves fated to be doomed. You were cautious when explaining the existence of the other men, but Xavier handled it better than you’d expected after glimpsing his jealousy.

“I sort of knew she had others, but,” he gave you a soft smile, “even if it was a game, that means that somehow, someplace, I succeeded. We were able to be together. That’s enough for me, I think.”

You swallowed, blinking back tears you felt forming. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this,” you whispered. “To find out it was all a game, I don’t think I’d handle it as well as you are.”

Xavier took your hand in his, soft and firm. “There’s not much for me to do about it, I’ve realized. You can only live with what you are given, and what you find. If this is what I’m given, I’ll take it. My love with her may have been made for a story, but it’s real to me.” He leaned back, angling his head up towards the sky. “If it’s all fake, then it’s a beautiful fantasy to live in. The stars alone are enough.”

Getting up front the table, you and Xavier fell back against the grass, hand in hand. The earth cradled your bodies as the soft blades of grass caressed your bare skin. Stars painted the night sky, swirls of blues and purples highlighting the soft glow of distant plants and constellations.

“If you’re the only real thing I’ve known,” Xavier said slowly, reverently, “I think I can accept that. Knowing the real you is honor enough, even in a world that’s only a facade. Your presence is the only reality I need.”

You laughed softly, and he closed his eyes, seeming to bask in the sound. “I’m honored to know you, Xavier. Knowing you, really knowing you, is better than I imagined.” You sighed wistfully. “You’re so certain, so quietly confident. I feel so lost, but it seems you always know your way.”

“The best way to find direction is by the North Star,” he whispered. “Sometimes, you can find that in another person. I think I’ve found my North Star in you.”

comments and reblogs appreciated and asks open! <3

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daydreams-after-dark · 7 months ago

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Ot8 Free Use Jail Cell Master list

18+ // MDNI // NSFW

Premise: You are held in custody at a 'police station' for 24 hours and have your fantasies play out. Last thing you expected was to develop feelings for one of them.

or. SKZ are a group of sex workers who fulfil their client's wildest fantasies.

a/n: This series began as a bit of fun after the police skz code episodes, but in the end has turned into an ongoing series even after the 24 hours. Also... there a little side stories along the way too.

Contents:

Chapter 1: You're arrested by Changbin

Chapter 2: 2min interrogate you

Chapter 3: Hyunjin and Han visit your cell while you sleep

Chapter 4: Jeongin takes you to the station shower and shows his depraved ways.

Chapter 5: Minho provides aftercare

Chapter 6: Chan and Felix are good at sharing tight spaces

Chapter 7: The final bang

Extra: a look at their police reports

Part 2? The next chapters are after reader is released

Chapter 8: Dinner date with Minho

The following I am not certain which order these will be in and will update accordingly.

Chapter ?: Minsung's contract: threesome with fem!client

Chapter?: Hyunjin's contract: Vampire in the art gallery (unrelated to main plot, requested by a reader) - "vampire"!hyunjin x fem!client

@channieandhisgoonsquad @noellllslut @itsseohannbin @weareapackofstrays @3rachasdomesticbanana @palindrome969 @xxkissesforchanniexx @fun-fanfics @rhonnie23 @jisunglyricist @armystay89 @igetcarriedawaywithyou @mylittleponeypinkrosieposie @justforreaders @melochacco @scenuniverse @oddracha @galaxycatdrawz @jiminssluttyminx @kayleefriedchicken @imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @dool-set-net @redstayrosie @mintymintmint251 @katsukis1wife @delulustardust @eastjonowhere

@jeonginsleftcheek @meilix @itgirlalisaa @linocz @boi-bi-ahaha @frozenpeasworld @grandma143 @milkypinkmimi @bangchansbbgirl @lunearta @leefelixsslut @privhace @justforreaders @jiwoos-babygirl @kavifornia @chuuyaobsessed @iadorethemskz @hyun-hwanj @courtnort455 @brimarie0512

@iadorethemskz @hyun-hwanj @favieeerrrr @courtnort455 @brimarie0512 @stanskzot8 @dwaekkicidal @kibs-and-bits @txa-r @minh0scat @the-sweet-rose @chrizzztopherbang @velvetmoonlght @youcanstayyeah @skzswife @stephanieeeyang @teddy-stay @withnia @kibs-and-bits @sssstarlost @kayleefriedchicken @imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @ihrtlino @galaxy4489

#ot8 jail cell #skz ot8 smut #skz ot8 x reader #sorshas fic

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orgasming-caterpillar · 1 year ago

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Mahabharat characaters on Social Media: pt.2

Pt. 1.

Karna

INTERNET REVOLUTIONIST

He developed an app that teaches martial arts and other fighting styles basics to those who can't afford the classes.

History nerd who regularly posts ramble about the different types of discrimination that happened in different cultures from 5000BC India to 17th century slave trade.

Cameos regularly on Duryodhan's gym videos as his "gym bro" (ahem ahem and they were gym bros) (oh my god they were gym bros)

Duryodhan

Fitness influencer but it's actually just him trying to beat Bheem's records.

"that's funny, brother. I recently just posted a video of me picking up 100kgs with one hand and now you're doing that too." "Yeah it must, we must have got the same idea. Did Arjun give you your idea? Because I got mine from Karna." "*Squints eyes*"

Gets dragged into Dushashan's podcast very often.

After a specifically homie erotic video with karna, fans started commenting non stop "so we all know he's bi, right?" So he made a video in reply saying "nooo haha I have a girlfriend bhanumati haha karna is totally my friend" and then they comment "we didn't say anything about Karna." He never addressed those comments after that.

Dushashan

PODCAST GUY. MYSOGYNISTIC "ALPHA MALE" PODCAST GUY.

His role model is Andrew Tate.

Will always ask Duryodhan to come to his podcast as a guest, doesn't take no for an answer.

Dushashan: so like. Women. Like they are so obviously made— like their bodies have evolved to nurture children and take care of the home. They should stay at home and keep it nice and clean for their alpha male, who is their provider and protector.

Duryodhan, closeted bisexual and thinking of Karna's thighs: Woof— I mean true.

Vikarna

Sweetie pie. Absolute babygirl.

When he revealed that he was also a kaurav brother, he was mass reported over five different platforms for spreading misinformation until he proved that it's actually true.

He's just obedient and does what his two elder brothers say and people think he's just like them because of it

Editor for Dushala's videos.

He's the fan favourite Kaurav.

Dushala

Vlogger. Huge YouTube personality. Storytimes.

Channel is basically "my life as a younger sister of a 101 brothers"

Her vlog series of "Keeping Up With The Kauravas" is famous all over the country.

Posts random snippets of her brother's lives.

Once posted a short of Dushasan picking his nose that went viral and got a whole episode of "The Harsh Truth About Having Women In Your Family" on his podcast.

Ashwatthama

Cunt.

You could say the nicest thing to him and he'd still take it the wrong way.

Thinks he's gonna be a politician. (He isn't. He never will. Everyone hates him.)

Occasional gym video with Duryodhana.

His fans know. The way he looks at Dury, the fans know.

Keeps getting his account hacked but all the people do is rid the world of his treacherous content.

Note:- in my AU, the Kauravas aren't siblings from the same mother but very close knit cousins from a huge joint family.

#mahabharat #madhav tv #star plus mahabharat #mahabharata #incorrect mahabharat quotes #mahabharat memes #starbharat #hindu memes #hindu mythology memes #hindu epics

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mariacallous · 3 months ago

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A guest essay by Laurie Winer.

It's as if the so-called shock and awe of that unholy duo—Donald Trump and Elon Musk—combined with loyalists like Kash Patel, Stephen Miller, Dan Bongino, Ed Martin, and many others, has rendered us, for the moment at least, unable to react.

Magical thinking is far from new. Adolf Hitler came to power amid similar lies and conspiracy theories. We should know where that leads. And, while MAGA may ignore the mountains of books written on fascism, the rest of us are not in the dark about what comes next.

As we brace for further actions from a cabinet catering to a serial fabulist, it is important to note that the president's abstruse nonsense isnot random. It has a history. A history that takes us in only one direction, to catastrophe.

Here, then, are things to watch for, all warnings from the well-known story of the Third Reich.

Daily life will take on a surreal quality and, if we do not take some action or join an organized resistance, our discussions will consist of merely repeating the latest horror.

Sebastian Haffner, writing in 1939, noted that “life went on as before, though it had now become ghostly and unreal, and was daily mocked by the events that served as its background…. We were not equal to the situation, even as victims.” Then as now, “many adapt to living with clenched teeth. Unfortunately they form a majority of a visible 'opposition' in Germany. So it is no wonder that this opposition has never developed any goals, plans, or expectations. Most of its members spend their time bemoaning the atrocities. The dreadful things that are happening have become essential to their spiritual well-being. Their only remaining dark pleasure is to luxuriate in the description of gruesome deeds, and it is impossible to have a discussion with them on any other topic.”

People around you will forget that they once were anti-Trump.

Christopher Isherwood wrote of his Berlin landlady in 1933: “Already she is adapting herself, as she will adapt herself to every new regime. This morning I even heard her talking reverently about Der Furher to the porter’s wife. If anyone was to remind her that at the elections last November she voted Communist she would probably deny it hotly and in perfect good faith. She is merely acclimatizing herself in accordance with a natural law, like an animal which changes its coat for the winter.”

The administration will issue absurd denunciations of opponents whose expertise is needed.

Albert Einstein was in Pasadena on the day that Hitler became chancellor, and he never returned to the country of his birth, saying, “As long as I have any choice in the matter, I shall live only in a country where civil liberty, tolerance, and equality of all citizens before the law prevail.” The Nazis attacked him relentlessly in speeches and in news reports. In 1934 at the University of Heidelberg, Nobel Prize winning physicist Johannes Stark, said, “Jewish propaganda has tried to portray [Einstein] as the greatest scientist of all time. However, Einstein’s relativity theories were basically no more than an accumulation of artificial formulas based on arbitrary definitions.” In May 1933, Goebbels issued a brochure entitled “Jews Are Watching You (Juden Sehen Dich An)”, which accused Einstein of disseminating “lying atrocity propaganda against Adolf Hitler”. Under Einstein’s picture was the caption: “Not yet hanged (bis jetzt ungehaengt)”.

There will be parades and possibly mandatory public displays of support for the administration.

In July 2017, Trump went to France as Emmanual Macron’s special guest at an elaborate Bastille Day parade staged to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the American entrance into the First World War. As planes flew overhead and soldiers precision marched down the Champs- Élysées, Trump stood ramrod straight and saluted the French troops for more than a minute, while Macron merely nodded and smiled. Trump has rarely looked as fulfilled; he was clearly in his happy place. He returned from Paris determined to have a military parade of his own, “but better.” His generals did not agree. “I’d rather swallow acid,” Defense Secretary James Mattis, reportedly said. Eventually Trump got his parade, on July 4, 2019, which he called “The Salute to America.” Mattis was by then out, but attendance was mandatory for Trump’s new acting secretary of defense and new acting head of the joint chiefs of staff. The president hyped the event on Twitter, writing: “People are coming from far and wide to join us today and tonight for what is turning out to be one of the biggest celebrations in the history of our Country.”

A few months after Hitler secured power, all the streets in Berlin were sheathed with swastikas. “It was unwise not to display them” wrote Isherwood. A British journalist named Owen Tweedy wrote, “The election [of March 5] has completely altered Germany, both outwardly and inwardly, so much that it is hard to realize we are in the same country we entered a month ago. The Nazis are out-fascismising Fascismo.” Loud speakers blared out speeches by Goring and Goebbels. Like Trump, Hitler also fixated on crowd size. He described his Nuremberg rally as “the greatest mass meeting ever assembled.”

News sources will disappear or be radically altered.

As the White House kicks AP out of its press pool, and Jeff Bezos declares that Washington Post editorials will be in favor of “personal liberties and free markets”, it’s good to remember what Sebastian Haffner wrote about Hitler’s first year: “Many newspapers and magazine disappeared from the kiosks—but what happened to those that continued in circulation was even more disturbing. You could not recognize them anymore. In a way a newspaper is like an old friend; you instinctively know how it will react to certain events, what it will say about them and how it will express its views. If it suddenly says the opposite of what it said yesterday, denies its own past, distorting its features, you cannot avoid feeling that you are in a madhouse. That happened.”

At first The Munich Post, which had closely covered Hitler since the beer hall putsch in November 1923, continued its reporting, running headlines such as “Nazi Party Hands Dripping with Blood,” “Germany Under Hitler: Political Murder and Terror,” and “Outlaws and Murderers in Power.” On March 9, 1933, five weeks after Hitler became Chancellor and eleven days after the Reichstag fire, the SA gutted the newspaper’s offices while the police stood by. Its journalists went into hiding. At least one ended up in Dachau, others simply “disappeared.”

MAGA will continue to believe what the leader says up until the very brink of disaster.

In the summer of 1939, three months after Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, Robert Jamieson, a British English teacher living in Essen, wrote to Lord Londonderry, who had recently acted as a go-between British and Nazi leaders: “[The Germans] really believe that the Czech government had voluntarily sought Hitler’s protection and that they would all starve if they do not get this lebensraum and colonies.

The debate about whether or not we should bring Hitler or Nazism or fascism into a contemporary political debate is obsolete. Now it is crucial that we take seriously the warnings gathered for us by survivors and writers. When you look at a photo of a Jew about to be arrested or shot and he or she is staring straight into the camera, remember that it is you they are looking at.

NOTES

Defying Hitler, Sebastian Haffner, 1939 (published in 2000).

Goodbye to Berlin, Christopher Isherwood, 1939

Einstein in Berlin, Thomas Levenson, 2002.

The Man Who Stalked Einstein, Bruce J. Hillman, Briget Ertel-Wagner, Bernd C. Wagner, 2015.

The Guardian, January 24, 2017

Travellers in the Third Reich, Julia Boyd, 2017.

Crowds and Power, Elias Canetti, 1960.

“Against Normalization: The Lessons of the Munich Post”, Los Angeles Review of Books, Ron Rosenbaum, February 5, 2017.

“The Munich Post: Its Undiscovered Effects on Hitler,” Sara Twogood, 2002.

Making Friends with Hitler: Lord Londonderry, the Nazis and the Road to War, Ian Kershaw, 2004.

A long-time journalist, Laurie Winer is a founding editor of The Los Angeles Review of Books and author of Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical (Yale University Press). She now lives in France and is at work on a book called The Hitler Tour.

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savedbythedrafts · 1 year ago

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I have many thoughts about Bridgerton.

Was it the perfect season? Absolutely no.

But it quite honestly is my favorite season so far because it made me realise how the enemies-to-lovers trope has rotten my brain when this is what I want to see. Gentle love, best friends becoming partners.

Things that I absolutely loved this season:

-Pen's arc: In the book she gives up whistledown to become a romance author which is nice, but now we have a legitimate journalist in the house who has proved her accuracy at such a young age. People who are worried about how she's gonna get her info now that people are guarded? Um her main sources were always the maids and footmen and she is observant enough to run a column. Plus now that everyone knows who she is, people might anonymously send her reports (as happens in journalism) which gives her SO MUCH POWER. I am a journalist and I can't stress enough how incredible that is. I know book fans expected the last speech by Colin but imo her taking full control of her decisions and willingness to face the consequences makes it so much better.

-Eloise and Pen patch up: Both of them going to each other for comfort and support when the shit hit the fan made my heart warm. When Eloise comes back, I hope she knows herself a bit better and actually brings her grand ideas to reality.

-Benedict going about his viscount duties in absence of Anthony without the rage of responsibility whilst discovering his sexuality 10/10. Man was also fully involved in all of his siblings feuds, mainly whatever the fuck Gregory and Hyacinth were upto. CUTE. Actually shoutout to all the Bridgertons, they were so perfectly chaotic.

-THe FEATHERINGTONS OMG: I am the youngest daughter of my family as well as the black sheep- so unpredictable, unconventional that no one in my family gets me. That's why I relate to Pen so much and I'll defend her to death. To see the sisters and Portia realise Pen's worth made me sob. Phillipa saying I hope my daughter becomes a writer? Cherry on cake. But Portia opening up to Pen and being vulnerable and proud at the same time was so bloody well done.

-Polin: Fans being livid about the lack of spice in part 2 (minus the incredible sex scene in ep 5) is understandable but I blame the marketing for it, not the showrunners. Over the course of part 1, we saw Colin's relationship with intimacy change drastically. His want for connection becomes a necessity and if they just jumped into angry sex without actually resolving anything, it would have ruined his character development. I think it's the incredible chemistry between Nic and Luke in general and the heavy emphasis on the horniness during the press tour left the fans understandably wanting for more. But in general, their romance felt quite authentic. The Pride and Prejudice 'dancing in the room alone' callback, goofing around in the church, Colin coming to terms with what Whistledown meant to the ton and himself, Penelope's newfound confidence thanks to Colin's frequent words of affirmation, it was all good.

Things I would change to make this season better (this is turning into a full article now but read ahead if you have been here so far):

-The bloody editing: Pardon my french but why the fuck Benedict's prolonged threesome scenes not edited out? He has a whole season coming up so I don't understand so much focus on that weirdly edited scene amidst the drama. Just one shot of establishing his pansexuality (or bi but I am hoping it's pan) would have been enough? I love Ben, he is my favorite brother but this gave me the ick. To think these 3-4 minutes could have been used to extend the last Polin intimate scene. We could have had a good 5 minutes of Pen topping Colin after the BIG REVEAL but noooo. Even the subplots should have been kept short and sweet. Unlike some fans, I am not completely against the inclusion of the Mondrich family, Cressida's back story, the build up to Benedict's and Fran's actual stories, and more. But I believe too much footage was given to these even though the show clearly focuses on one couple per season. Get your shit together Shonda, this is not 20 episode Grey's anatomy, we can't focus on EVERYONE.

-Colin's anger after the wedding: Now I understand why he didn't want to have the wedding night given the stressful circumstances but him being angry till Francesca's wedding made no sense. How I would have written the resolution would have been something like this- In the hours before Rae leaves the house at night, Colin would have been reading the letters, figuring out how Pen is so whistledown at core (like he actually does the very next day but in absence of Pen). And instead of coming into the room to get a blanket, he could have brought in his own manuscript, asking her to read it as promised and taking up her offer to let her edit. This scene was literally in the book and was so easy to adapt. I would give my left kidney to see Colin sitting near Penelope, watching her powerful writing in action. Again, no spice required, just this. This would have made Pen's 'just love me' speech to Colin so good, but alas!

-Cressida: This is the arc I am most pissed off about. Eloise's reconciliation with Pen was great but completely abandoning Cressida to misery was so outta pocket. I realise Eloise is still not a fully realised character and is barely 20 (she's just a girl) but she was always kind. If I was writing Cressida's arc, I would have had Eloise come to her rescue at the end by borrowing some money from Pen and helping Cressida escape to Vienna or better Scotland. I highly doubt Pen would have minded if she knew how similar both of their circumstances were. I detested Cressida in the books because I'll be honest the books were pretty two dimensional with no real character development and just grand gestures (I'll understand if you come for me but this is how I feel, sorry). But the show made me care for her and I wished she could have found some happiness in life.

Overall, I'll rewatch it because the tiny details were so good this season I believe I can relish those till the next season. And I'll miss Polin immensely. But Shonda please, you can do better.

#bridgerton #polin #penelope featherington #colin bridgerton #nicola coughlan #luke newton #netflix

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iwasnotaslasher · 5 months ago

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Not my rugby mom ass plotting a SuperBat Rugby Coach AU.

I would stick with some background canon facts, like Bruce as the heir of a rich Gotham family and Clark as a Kansas country boy adopted by farmers, but no alien powers or masked vigilante stuff. The two of them are just former professional players from different rugby teams: Gotham's Knights and Metropolis Meteors (yes, I lazily copy-pasted the canonical football teams' names, sorry not sorry).

As both closeted bi and madly attracted to each other, they developed a secret fling which lasted almost throughout their careers. They used to sneak away from the after-match party to fuck senseless, and of course they were in love but never confessed to each other. The relationship never got past the fling stage, mostly because they thought they could not have a real future, since they were both too scared to be ostracized by their teams if they would come out.

Eventually everything was put to an end when Lois came into the picture. Clark settled with her, they married, and later they had Jon, as well as becoming foster parents for Connor. After a good career, Clark retired from playing in his late thirties to become a match reporter and since then he carried a fairly normal mid-class life in Metropolis.

Meanwhile, Bruce quitted rugby in his early thirties, after a serious injury that almost left him paralyzed, and became fully invested in running the Wayne Enterprises. As for his love life, he kept jumping from one relationship to another, none lasting more than a few weeks. Only notable exceptions were his two and a half divorces: first marriage with Selina, his everlasting on-going-off-going affair, ended just after months; second marriage with Talia, lasted a little more, and from whom he had Damian; and then again he tried with Selina, but only to be left at the altar. Gossip magazine going wild every single time he's spotted with a new flame, also because he was known to have a weird habit of adopting a new kid whenever he divorced (or almost got married).

Alfred still jokes about the fact that they can't afford another marriage, since surely Bruce would end up adopting another kid when he eventually divorce. But he's secretly very pleased to have so many kids around the Manor.

Fast forward to the present day: they are both in their mid forties and single, since Clark is now divorced and Bruce has resolved to never commit again and just have fun.

And they are both involved in rugby again, but as coaches.

Every year Clark holds a rugby summer camp for troubled teens at Kent farm, with Ma's enthusiastical hospitality and the help of his long time friend Diana Prince, also a former rugby player.

As for Bruce, of course he founded a teen league, called it The Robins, and enrolled all his kids into it.

Now picture this: Bruce and Clark casually meeting after all those years and oh boy the mutual attraction is still there as if not even a day had passed. Clark ends up inviting him and his Robins at the summer camp for a weekend of training and matches, and Bruce, as a big city guy, can’t catch how much the offer from a mid-western country man is intended to be real, so he accepts just out of politeness. But after some weeks the league recieve an actual invitation, so now they are forced to go.

You can guess where 20 years of sexual and romantic tension between them can lead them when they find themself again on the field. But oh well, it's just for the sake of honoring the old times, not because they are actually in love. Two divorced dads coming out as bi in their forties and just living their love openly? Come on, it's not viable! Also, what would their kids say?

(spoiler: it's all so obvious that they got it since the beginning and they are already scheming some shenanigans to finally see their dads/coaches happily ever after)

Except after the summer camp they can't stop thinking about each other.

After months of ruminations, Bruce feels compelled to reciprocate the experience by inviting Clark and the kids to an improvised winter camp hosted at the Manor. Closing with a New Year’s Eve costume party à la ‘Romeo + Juliet’ (yes, I want to write about Bruce brooding around with an eye cowl).

The kids are thrilled, Alfred and Martha are already exchanging ideas about the wedding venue, Diana can't wait to be maid of honor, everyone is betting on when the proposal will be done.

The only two completely oblivious are Bruce and Clark, sneaking around the Manor at any given moment to indulge in heated making out sessions, trying their best to not get caught red-handed.

Much for Alfred's amusement but less from anyone else, they will end up not marrying right away and secretly enjoying for a bit the intimacy of not sharing their relationship with the whole world. They will eventually do it, years later, in a small (for Bruce’s standards) ceremony at Kent farm, with all their now grown up kids and grandkids. The rugby match and after-match party will be memorable.

Coincidentally, at some point during the party the happy newlyweds will sneak away for a while…

#batman #bruce wayne #clark kent #superbat #superman

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al-hiyalautomation · 7 months ago

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Al-Hiyal Automation LLC

Al-Hiyal Automation LLC: The Best IT Services Company. Al-Hiyal Automation LLC offers the essential services to meet your needs: 1. Azure Services 2. Software Consulting 3. RPA Services 4. Power BI Reporting 5. Application Development 6. Web Development & Maintenance.

#Power BI Reporting #Azure Services #Web Development & Maintenance

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saffiroll · 2 months ago

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All gems for my II Gem Au (i hope i didn't miss a character

If you have any questions about this Au, the askbox is open!

•MePhone4- Aqua Diamond

•MePhone4s- Red Diamond

•MePhone3GS- Grey Diamond

•Albite- Toilet (One of the gems that directly serves Aqua Diamond, gives news often)

•Lavander Jade- MePad (Another servant of Aqua Diamond, makes reports and often replaces Aqua in occasions where he cannot be present)

▪︎▪︎▪︎PS, All the Diamonds of this era refuse to have and or own Pearls▪︎▪︎▪︎

•Yellow Apatite- Lightbulb (Guard gem/fighter, always accompanying Pieteresite)

•Pieteresite- Paintbrush (Mural artist, pretty high-quality gem)

•Peridot- Test Tube (Technician)

•Rubellite- Fan (Keeps an eye on homeworld log dates)

•Golden Spinel- Cheesy (Entertainer, built to be your "best friend")

•Silver- Nickel (Observes gem production, makes sure they have good resources to come out properly, can fight if needed)

•Fine Silver- Silver Spoon (ONLY observes and does analysis on gem creation, works along Silver/Nickel, makes sure they look polished)

•Lavander Sapphire- Candle (Future Vissiooonnn)

•Red Thulite- Balloon (deemed useless, a soldier gem)

•Bronzite- Suitcase (manages materials that are carried within injectors to other planets for gem production and colony starters, often around Silver/Nickel)

•Bi-Colour Tourmaline- Baseball (Can heal, manages grouping and escorting newly made gems)

•Pink Kunzite- Bow (Communicator, works with signals that connect to other colonies)

•Vivianite- Tissues (Simple gem, doesn't do much, usually observes other gem activities)

•Yellow Kunzite- Dough (Random guard, quite lazy)

•Actinolite- Pickle (Messenger boy, delivers important info)

•Bloodstone- Taco (Former messenger girl that worked with Actinolite, now turned rebel)

•Howlite- Marshmellow (Calm gem, works around the human zoo sometimes, rare gem)

•Red Beryl- Apple (Gem warrior, often accompanying Howlite)

•Citrine- OJ (Public speaker, always talking with White Zircon)

•White Zircon- Paper (Lawyer Gem)

•Hypersthene- Microphone (Usually a gem that replaces other gems, a substitute you could say)

•Pink Chalcedony- Soap (Homeworld's official cleaner, friends with Hyperstene)

•White Selenite- Salt (works with Grey Selenite, works around the reef where pearls are made)

•Grey Selenite- Pepper (helps White Selenite with working around the reef)

•Black Druzy Quartz- Bomb (quartz that specializes in explosive manufacturing)

•Fused red spinel- Cherries (entertainer)

•Conjoined Psilomelane (black & white)- Yin-Yang (observes activities along with Vivianite, talks with fused red spinel often)

•Yellow Jasper- Trophy (Quartz soldier)

•Periwinkle Tanzanite- Cabby (Has information and reports on all gems, their activity and general state)

•Kunzite 2.0 (later they gave themselves the identity of Prehnite)- Bot (Does what Kunzite was supposed to do, before they found out they weren't really her, they were just a robotic body with Kunzite's gem shards added in, so they developed their own identity later and now they work along with Periwinkle Tanzanite)

•Bubbled/Corrupted Smoky Quartz- Box (former quartz soldier)

•Zebra Jasper- Knife (Quartz soldier)

•Green Sapphire- Clover (Brings good predictions with her future vision)

•Kaolinite- Tea Kettle (Brings good morale and compassion to fighter and soldier gems)

•Cinnabar- Lifering (Specializes in gem care and fighting)

•Benitoite- Blueberry (the diamonds don't know what to do with him so he just kinda, sticks around)

Idk about Goo and Floory tho.

#inanimate insanity #ii #ii au #ii gem au

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sethshead · 10 months ago

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Another disconcerting element of “Queers for Palestine” is that it popped up in prominent left-wing anti-Israel/pro-Palestine rallies in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s terrorist attacks, before Israel had the chance to respond. As such, there is no way to interpret this slogan and the surrounding leftist fervor except as a signal of support not merely for Palestine, but specifically for Hamas, the jihadist movement with the explicit aim of eradicating the state of Israel. It's imperative to understand that Hamas, as detailed in its 1988 Covenant, is propelled by a fundamentalist Islamist ideology with the goal not only of eliminating all Jews but also conquering the world — just like ISIS. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar was recorded saying, “The entire planet will be under our law, there will be no more Jews or Christian traitors.” Western support for Hamas, under the guise of Palestinian liberation, overlooks the deep-seated radical Islamist ethos driving the organization, which, if unbridled, would jeopardize the very freedoms cherished by LGBT people across the developed world. Anyone who doubts this should try being gay, bi, or trans in most of the Middle East and North Africa’s (MENA) Muslim-majority countries. Virtually all of these nations have laws that criminalize homosexuality and being trans, some of which carry the death penalty. Human Rights Watch’s "Everyone Wants Me Dead" report succinctly encapsulates in its title alone the perilous environment faced by LGBT individuals in these regions. [...] The aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran is a harrowing tale of leftists being tortured and executed en masse by the very Islamic regime they supported for the sake of their anti-imperialist goals. Many Iranians who aligned with leftist organizations supported the revolution only to find themselves persecuted by Islamists they helped put in power. Immediately following the revolution, the new regime led by Ayatollah Khomeini began systematically oppressing LGBT people and publicly executing them by the thousands. These atrocities were justified as a means to "eliminate corruption" and prevent the "contamination" of society. Between 4,000 to 6,000 gay, lesbian, and bi people have been executed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran’s legal system, rooted in Islamic law, criminalizes consensual sexual relations between same-sex individuals, with penalties ranging from lashes to death. Iranian law does not distinguish between consensual and non-consensual same-sex intercourse, allowing authorities to prosecute both perpetrators and victims of sexual assault.

But I've been told by queer activists that criminalized, illicit sex is hot, and that gay men in the Muslim world therefore have the best and most sex of anywhere. Given that frequent, anonymous, and risky sex is to those activists the high point of LGBTQ liberation, gay men in Gaza and Iran are thus freer than they are in the US. It is truly Michel Foucault's world, and we are all just living in it.

Back in reality, however, Navabi places his finger on a core part of the "Queers for Hamas" problem: the flattening of all conflicts into a single perceived intersectional struggle between power and the lack thereof. Motives, histories, local considerations, ideological incompatibility - all of these can be replaced by the imposition of provincial Western issues on very different peoples, ideas, needs, and lives. None of the individual conflicts and movements embraced by intersectionality discourse are allowed to breathe on their own, to have their own particulars respected. Instead it all becomes one vast, undifferentiated, vague liberation kitsch using the same prefabricated slogans and jargon. "How is that not its own form of small-minded, white-man's-burden, Western colonialism", you may ask. And you would be right.

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alchemistc · 11 months ago

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goon | the hockey glossary for beginners

this was meant to just be something i could slide into my end notes but as usual i got a little overenthusiastic. you do not NEED to know any of this in order to read the hockey au, but if you're like me and enjoy Knowing Things, I'll keep this updated as chapters are added. i tried my best to keep this in laymans terms.

chapter seven

bar down: when the puck hits the crossbar and into the net Phil Kessel: Kessel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion who is sort of infamous for giving zero fucks about his diet — while the rest of the league has focused more and more on healthy nutrition there was a running joke for a while that Kessel just housed a dozen hot dogs in between periods to keep up his peak physical performance.

This was mostly hyped up by a Toronto reporter with a grudge, Kessel worked out a ton and could probably have done ten reps with any player on his team, but he leaned into the joke as well after one of his Cup wins. Ryker: Mark Rycroft currently works as an announcer for the Avs broadcast network, and played in the NHL previous to that, including a stint for the Avs (they like to bring back old players, half the staff between Altitude network and the front office seems to be previous players, at this point). He owns a liquor store in the metro area. In this ‘verse Buck totally hit him up for craft beer recommendations and Ryker came back at him with a six-pack of cherry cheesecake sours, then talked about it on air for like ten minutes during pre-game warmups.

Here's one of my favorite Ryker moments on the broadcast:

Luke Prokop: the only out player in pro-mens hockey in North America. He currently plays for the Nashville Predator’s AHL team. Lexi: Lexi LaFleur Brown, my favorite WAG of all time. She is married to former NHL player and current analyst for the Seattle Kraken JT Brown. Lexi’s bi and her husband is a vocal ally of the community. More than that, she’s got a doctorate in philosophy, and is hilarious and insightful (and she’s writing a hockey romance novel that I will definitely be reading considering she’s got the inside track to how insane and weird those men are).

chapter six

coast to coast: when a play carries the pick from deep in his own defensive zone all the way to the opposing teams goal Bears: The Hershey Bears are an AHL team, currently an affiliate of the Washington Capitals. Once a year, they throw a charity game (typically held around Christmas time) with a teddy bear toss (Sort of an homage to fans tossing their hats on the ice for a hat trick). Fans are encouraged to bring teddy bears or other stuffed toys to the game, and throw them on to the ice when the home team scores their first goal. The toys are then gathered to be donated. The Bears own the world record for most toys gathered in a single event. The Michigan: goal scored by a player either standing or skating behind the net, lifting the puck onto their stick, moving the stick (with the puck, which is even more difficult than it sounds) around the net to the top or corner of the net, and shooting the puck into the net. players in the nhl rarely pull this move (it’s a bit of a trick play) but when someone pulls it off it ends up in every highlight reel for a week. you can watch it in action here

chapter five

Tortorella: John Tortorella is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. he is simultaneously beloved and beloathed by fans and players alike for his hot-headedness and his inability to keep his mouth shut when he has An Opinion. he’s well known for benching players as punishment and has quite a few contentious relationships with former players and coaches in the league. as far as i can tell, he’s pretty genuinely well-liked in his current role, but that is sort of a new development for him. Eagles: The Colorado Eagles are The Avs AHL affiliate team Norris: James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the top all-around defensive player in the league every year shutout: the q-word of the hockey world. similar to mentioning a no-hitter before a baseball game has finished, saying the word “shutout” when the opposition has yet to score on your goalie in the game is considered a sure way to invite the opposition to score. you don’t have to be superstitious, but you’ve gotta be a little-stitious Duchene: you may have noticed there was some extra vitriol for matt duchene in this chapter. i can promise you it’s justified. (it’s vagely justified) he played for the avs with the core who eventually went on to win a cup in ‘22, but he was having a Bad Time and performing like shit during an incredibly Bad Season (the Avs only recently shed the record for the least amount of points earned in a season), he was not getting on with the guys in the locker room, and he all but demanded a trade because he wanted to play for a cup contender. his trade was actually vitally integral in getting the avs the pieces that finally tipped them over the edge and made them champs, which is icing on the cake for me. i think this year was the first year since ‘17 that he wasn’t actively booed in Denver every time the puck touched his stick. (it was only about half the time, last season) although he managed to once again make himself the villain by ending the avs season in the second round of the playoffs. picking pockets: to be stripped of the puck without seeing the opponent coming penalty kill: (abbreviated to PK) when a team is assessed a penalty and are down a man, the players left shorthanded on the ice have to prevent the power-play from scoring. typically, a penalty ends when time is up OR the power play unit scores a goal, however when a major penalty is assessed, the penalty timer keeps going until it is up regardless of whether or not the power play scores. (ie: this is a risky as fuck move by tommy because he essentially created a circumstance in which half of the time they had left on the clock would be limited to defense, with very little opportunity to score. thankfully for him, doing something so blatant that the refs HAD to call it worked exactly like he wanted it to, and fired up his team.) Honey Stinger: energy snack. this specific sidebar in tommy’s thoughts is inspired by cale makar chowing down on one of these wafers on the bench and being caught by the broadcast doing it

saucer pass: a pass with lift — rather than sliding along the ice this pass ends up in the air. these passes are harder to gather in and make controlling the puck more difficult

chapter four

too many men: refers to a penalty that results when, during a shift change, there are more players in play than the allowed five (plus the goalie) hatty: hat trick, three points scored by the same player in the span of a game. a natural hat trick is three goals scored by the same player consecutively bucket: helmet Bobby Blender: “[Coach Name] Blender” is a term used (usually by broadcasters) to describe the head coach moving players up and down the lineup with no focus on their typical line assignments. they typically do this just to try to get a spark, some chemistry going — this is a throw everything at the wall and see what sticks scenario. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it can sometimes be specifically designed to fuck with the opponents, who have played certain configurations and watched game film (and therefore designed their strategy) around the “normal” line setup crease: sometimes referred to as the paint, or blue paint. blue semi-circle directly in front of the net where the goaltender defends. this is the goalies domain, and they get very protective of it when someone is encroaching on their space. consider it a tendy-bubble sweater: in ice hockey, the jersey players wear is called a sweater. the two words are interchangeable but if you ask a hockey purist about their jersey they WILL speak to you as though you’ve lived under a rock your whole life Travis Dermott: In 2023 The NHL had dispatched a memo to teams before the season reiterating its ban on altering on-ice gear for warmups and practices to reflect theme nights. This was touted as removing distraction from the game but was very clearly a direct response to a loud group of anti-LGBTQI+ fans/sponsors. Quite a few players and coaches made noise about this, and the company who produces rainbow Pride tape hinted that one team had bought an entire case of it in a likely move to protest this decision, but all it took was one player — Travis Dermott — defying the ban by playing with Pride tape for the league to walk back the ban. He’s a fucking legend.

chapter three

Edmonton bubble: covid protocol sent the teams to two hub cities to play out the rest of their seasons after play was paused in mid-march of 2020. teams lived in and played in either Edmonton (western conference) or Toronto (eastern conference)

chapter two

flippers/jibs/partials: dentures. hockey players loose teeth. often. they take pucks to the face, sticks to the face, have nasty falls to unforgiving ice, take a shoulder to the face accidentally (or on purpose even though headshots are super not legal within the parameters of hitting in hockey), etc all the damn time, and sometimes that results in them losing teeth. some of them prefer to rock the look, others like to wear dentures, some get implants (and sometimes those implants ALSO get knocked out, like Tavares literally a few days after getting them).

chiclets: teeth. most often referred to this way when players have lost said chiclets and are trying to find their white teeth on choppy ice with a white backdrop

crosscheck: act of obstructing an opponent illegally using the stick held horizontally in both hands

the infamous Seguin tweet:

chirp: trash talk

barnburner: high scoring game

call-ups: players who play for the affiliate team can be brought up to fill spots on the team. for poor-performing teams, at the end of the season there is an opportunity for some players to play up and try to prove themselves at the NHL level. this sometimes leads to good teams getting the surprise of their life when AHL players play the best game of their lives. other times, a lineup of AHL players get their asses handed to them. and sometimes the AHL players lean into their roots (there is a LOT more fighting in the AHL, they tend to be more physical in general) and just beat up the other team for the entire game

sidney crosby’s jock strap: i’m just gonna leave you with this article’s headline and you can decide how much you need to know: Sidney Crosby Admits He's Been Wearing Same Jock Strap Since High School

chapter one

four-point game: within the division (pacific, central, atlantic, metropolitan) teams play each other four or five times - a total of 26 interdivision games -- so the "points" system that the league uses to rank teams throughout the regular season (0 for a loss, 1 for an OT loss, 2 for a win) are called four-point games - ei the ranking in the division determines your spot in the playoffs, so a victory against a divisional team means that while you pull ahead 2 more points they "lose" 2 points within the division.

wildcard: when a team cannot clinch 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the division, they still have the opportunity to earn a playoff spot if they earn enough points to be top 8 in the conference. everything is a points battle to win within your conference and your division.

rounds: first/second/third round refers to playoffs - the first two rounds are in the division, and the third round decides the conference champion who will play for the stanley cup (no not that one)

pipes: the net, or goal, has two vertical frames in the front that are called the pipes (if a puck deflects off of these you may hear this referred to as hitting the iron). fun fact: there are some goalies who thank their pipes and crossbar (the top part of the frame) every time the puck deflects off of the net instead of going in

stripes/zebras: these are not necessarily derogatory terms for referees, but you will rarely hear these terms used in a fond context, because even when a call goes in a teams favor, fans in general love to shit on the refs. this is a time honored tradition that will never change.

linesman: a specific position of officiating that mostly involves watching the center and blue lines

blue line: this is the border of a zone. the middle of the ice has two blue lines on either side of the center red, which is the neutral zone. when you are in possession of the puck behind your blue line, you are playing defense. when you are in possession of the puck behind the opponents blue line, you are on offense.

icing: offensive teams are required to pass the red center line if they want to shovel the puck to the opposing goal line and chase it. if they do NOT pass the center line before doing so (or can not chase the puck down faster than the defending team) the play is called dead and the puck is returned to the defending zone of the attacking team

affiliate team: all nhl teams have a 'farm system' where they develop players up to the nhl level - within each team organization there are affiliates where nhlers can be brought up to play at the nhl level, sent down to condition, or play games while rehabbing after an injury. some players play up and down a system for years before catching a break, or move from affiliate to affiliate without ever really reaching the nhl level

enforcer: this is an unofficial role in ice hockey - their job is to deter dirty or violent play by the opposition, but sometimes this results in dropping gloves and punching a dude in the face a few times for apparent slights. it can also just mean throwing their body around, slamming opposition into the boards and the glass, catching someone not paying attention and knocking them on their ass. there are LEGAL hits and hits that will incur a penalty, and the outcome of a game can sometimes depend on which one of those an enforcer finds themselves choosing to act out

boards: the low walls that mark the boundaries of the rink. above this is the glass that keeps pucks being shot 90+ mph from careening into a fans face. there is also netting above the glass

lines: in game conditions, a team consists of four 'offensive' lines, 3 defensive pairs, and a goalie. the lines consist of a 3 forwards: a center and a right and left winger. typically these lines are fairly set throughout the season with the same three players, but based on overall performance and sometimes injury, forwards can be moved up and down a line - they are typically ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th based on how high a performer they are. your first line is going to be the most trusted to make plays and score goals, your fourth will include more role-players who are scrappy or particularly good at hemming in the opposition in their defensive zone

shift: players rarely spend more than a minute out on the ice at once, and lines shift on and off the bench throughout the game - TOI or time-on-ice is often a measure of either: how trusted and/or conditioned a player is, or how tired a player is likely to be after being stuck in their defensive zone for an extended period of time. a long shift is often used to the advantage of an attacking team - if you can tire out the opposition it's a lot easier to pass back and forth until you find a lane to shoot the puck at the net

snow shower: colloquial term for chumming the ice while slowing/stopping, often for the express purpose of pissing someone off by aiming the spray of ice at them

hockey hug: typically this is referenced when a member of one team is physically restraining one from another team to prevent them from joining a scrum

face-off: when a play is whistled dead, based on the result of the dead call the refs will have a forward from each team wait for a puck to drop from a designated circle. possession is an advantage in hockey, so the goal of this is to shovel the puck to your team once it drops

unsportsmanlike: 'unsportsmanlike conduct' is a penalty called fo disrespectful behavior that is rude, unpleasant, or unprofessional. This usually begins as a two minute penalty and then escalates to a five minute major or game misconduct because hockey players are hotheads and refs have fragile egos. This is not to say that EVERY little infraction will result in this call - on hot mikes and sometimes even on broadcasts (and DEFINITELY at a live game) players and refs can often be heard swearing at each other like crazy.

the box: the penalty box is where the refs send bad boys for timeout. this results in the team who has received a penalty being short a man, and the other team receiving a power play where they have an extra man and therefore a much better chance at scoring

shorthanded goal: rare and fun goals that occur when the team who is down a man scores during the time they are killing off a penalty game

stars: not to be confused with the dallas stars (boo); at the end of every game three stars are chosen. this is an arbitrary selection based on any number of factors, but typically goes to the top performers in a game. although these are chosen by someone associated with the home team, sometimes if the opposition had a particularly good performer one of the stars will go to an opposing player

the Gordie Howe: in this fic I'm referencing a Gordie Howe hat trick, which is a goal, an assist, and a fight -- the truest form of hockey player. The name is a reference to a hall-of-famer who is renowned for his all-around game.

breakaway: when the player in control of the puck has no opponent between himself and the net except the goalie

#bucktommy hockey au #hockey reference for noobs #updated through chapter five

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