#Technology advancements in water management

[i-wanna-linger]

counselor 1, talking about the summer we hated the camp director: and then we thought the walkies were bugged counselor 2, also there: oh my god we thought the walkies were bugged

[farmerstrend]

Hydroponic Farming for a Sustainable Future: How Zuqualla Horti PLC is Leading with Hydroponic Farming

Discover how Zuqualla Horti PLC is revolutionizing Ethiopian agriculture with a state-of-the-art hydroponic strawberry farm in Koka, boosting productivity and sustainability through innovative gutter systems. Zuqualla Horti PLC, in collaboration with global partners, introduces a cutting-edge hydroponic system to enhance strawberry farming in Ethiopia, improving water efficiency and export…

[3daqua]

How Many Wastewater Treatment Plants Are There in Delhi, India?

Delhi, the bustling capital of India, is a vibrant city characterized by its rapid urban growth and diverse population. With such a high density of people, managing essential services, including wastewater treatment, becomes crucial. Wastewater management is vital for maintaining public health and environmental sustainability. In this article, we will delve into the number of wastewater treatment…

[techtoio]

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Technologies You Need to Know About

Introduction

Eco-friendly technologies are designed not to disturb nature and its processes. The domains of such technologies include energy, transportation, construction, waste management, and many more. This blog outlines 5 of the best eco-friendly technologies that create a visible difference as we walk towards becoming a sustainable world. Read to continue link

[tapronlimited]

FUTURISTIC - AI TAPS

The Tapron blog post "Futuristic AI Taps" explores innovative tap technologies incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance functionality in kitchens and bathrooms. These taps can change color, display designs or images, and operate via voice commands. Highlighting a vision for sustainable water use, it introduces concepts like Water Bank for managing water resources efficiently. AI taps are designed to monitor water usage, reduce waste, and adapt to users' habits, offering a glimpse into a future where technology plays a key role in water conservation and personal convenience. For more information, read the full article here.

[reasonsforhope]

"Amsterdam’s roofs have just been converted into a giant sponge that will make the city more climate resilient.

The Dutch have always been famous for their ability to control water, born out of the necessity of their homeland, much of which is below sea level.

Now, their expert water management skills are transforming the city skyline in the capital city of Amsterdam from one of terracotta tile, concrete, and shingles into green grass and brown earth.

It’s part of a new climate-resiliency trend in architecture and civic planning known as the ‘sponge city concept,’ in which a garden of water-loving plants, mosses, and soil absorbs excess rainwater before feeding it into the building for use in flushing toilets or watering plants on the ground.

If heavy rains are predicted, a smart valve system empties the stored rainwater into the municipal storm drains and sewers in advance of the weather, allowing the roof to soak up water and reduce flooding in the city.

In this way, the rooftops of buildings can be wrung out and filled up just like a sponge.

In Amsterdam, 45,000 square meters, or 11 acres of flat metropolitan rooftops have already been fitted with these systems, and the contracting firms behind the technology say they make sense in dry climates like Spain just as much as in wet climates like Amsterdam...

A 4-year project of different firms and organizations called Resilio, the resilient network for smart climate adaptive rooftops, rolled out thousands of square meters of sponge city technology into new buildings. As with many climate technologies, the costs are high upfront but tend to result in savings from several expenditures like water utilities and water damage, over a long-enough time horizon...

All together, Amsterdam’s sponge capacity is over 120,000 gallons.

“We think the concept is applicable to many urban areas around the world,” Kasper Spaan from Waternet, Amsterdam’s public water management organization, told Wired Magazine. “In the south of Europe–Italy and Spain–where there are really drought-stressed areas, there’s new attention for rainwater catchment.”

Indeed the sponge city concept comes into a different shade when installed in drought-prone regions. Waters absorbed by rooftops during heavy rains can be used for municipal purposes to reduce pressure on underground aquifers or rivers, or be sweated out under the Sun’s rays which cools the interior of the building naturally.

Additionally, if solar panels were added on top of the rooftop garden, the evaporation would keep the panels cooler, which has been shown in other projects to improve their energy generation.

“Our philosophy in the end is not that on every roof, everything is possible,” says Spaan, “but that on every roof, something is possible.”

Matt Simon, reporting on the Resilio project for Wired, said succinctly that perhaps science fiction authors have missed the mark when it came to envisioning the city of the future, and that rather than being a glittering metropolis of glass, metal, and marble as smooth as a pannacotta, it will look an awful lot more like an enormous sculpture garden."

-via Good News Network, May 15, 2024

[deception-united]

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Government & authority:

Types of government: What type of government exists (monarchy, democracy, theocracy, etc.)? Is it centralised or decentralised?

Leadership: Who holds power and how is it acquired (inheritance, election, divine right, conquest)?

Law enforcement: Who enforces the laws (military, police, magical entities)?

Legal system: How are laws made, interpreted, and enforced? Are there courts, judges, or councils?

Laws:

Criminal laws: What constitutes a crime? What are the punishments?

Civil laws: How are disputes between individuals resolved?

Cultural norms: How do customs and traditions influence the laws?

Magic/supernatural: Are there laws governing the use of magic or interaction with supernatural beings?

Social structure:

Class/status: How is society divided (nobility, commoners, slaves)? Are there caste systems or social mobility?

Rights & freedoms: What rights do individuals have (speech, religion, property)?

Discrimination: Are there laws that protect or discriminate against certain groups (race, gender, species, culture)?

Economy & trade:

Currency: What is used as currency? Is it standardised?

Trade laws: Are there regulations on trade, tariffs, or embargoes?

Property laws: How is ownership determined and transferred? Are there inheritance laws?

Religion/belief systems:

Religious authority: What role does religion play in governance? Are religious leaders also political leaders?

Freedom of religion: Are citizens free to practice different religions? If not, which are taboo?

Holy laws: Are there laws based on religious texts or teachings?

Military & defense:

Standing army: Is there a professional military or a militia? Who serves, and how are they recruited?

War & peace: What are the laws regarding war, peace treaties, and diplomacy?

Weapons: Are there restrictions or laws regarding weapons for civilians? What is used as a weapon? Who has access to them?

Technology & magic:

Technological advancements: How advanced is the technology (medieval, steampunk, futuristic, etc.)?

Magical laws: Are there regulations on the use of magic, magical creatures, or artifacts?

Innovation & research: How are inventors and researchers treated? Are there laws protecting intellectual property?

Environmental/resource management:

Natural resources: How are resources like water, minerals, and forests managed and protected, if at all?

Environmental laws: Are there protections for the environment? How are they enforced? Are there consequences for violations?

Cultural & ethical considerations:

Cultural diversity: How does the law accommodate or suppress cultural diversity?

Ethics: What are the ethical foundations of the laws? Are there philosophical or moral principles that underpin them?

Traditions vs. change: Does the society balance tradition with progress? How?

Happy writing ❤

Previous | Next

[radiance1]

Danny owns a ship.

A giant, wonderous piece of technology he is even! He made his ship from scratch!

Well, with a bit of help here and there from his parents, mom with the blueprints, him and his sister with design, and his dad showing how to fit certain pieces with each other that he couldn't do himself.

All of that resulting in the birth of his son, Tempest!

He did wonders on open water, a great ship all around that really only need him and him alone, usually at the very least. If he wasn't inviting a few friends on board, that is.

His ship was also fitted with some very good tech, wouldn't be of Fenton design if it weren't! Ghost shields, ectoplasmic canons, an engine running off of ectoplasm, etc, etc.

After he well outlived his friends and family (discounting Vlad, but that fruitloop would never die on his own anyway) he decided to sail Tempest into various waters, and by various, he meant various. Tempest, a ship unbound by time and able to sail along the timestream as long as he doesn't accidently fuck things up, lest Clockwork get on his ass about that.

It took a while of pleading for him to even agree to allow him to sail a ship as advanced as Tempest into the past, but he managed to do so. On an agreement that he would sail over to changes in time and fix them, which he does, and in the future it's pretty rad he won't lie.

Of course, then everything got kinda fucked up. You see, he was going back to his timeline via the timestream, and was going to drop by Vlad's place to drop off a few of his more recent spoils-

And yes, he dumps various things from his adventures on Vlad, least he could do after that whole trying to get with his mom and kill his dad thing. The dude's chill now, or as chill as he can get anyway, and has quite the interest in appraising the stuff he drops off, so a win-win for both of them honestly. Also, he uses the guy and his resources to upgrade Tempest here and there.

-When he uh, he well. He kinda, fucked up. Now you see, it wasn't his and it obviously wasn't the fault of Tempest either, but something outside the timestream (That Clockwork told him specifically not to look at) dragged his attention for a mite too long and suddenly he wasn't in the timestream at all.

Okay, so maybe it was his fault.

So now he was outside his dimension's timestream, and oh boy was trying to get back to it far harder than he was expecting. No wonder Clockwork constantly told him to be careful and pay full attention to navigating the timestream.

And he kinda, lost his...

He isn't a Master of Time like Clockwork is, though he does hold a good knowledge of the timestream he isn't as capable as Clockwork. So now he's lost navigating... wherever the hell he is, and is kinda hoping Clockwork would realize and find him.

He does manage to get back on a timestream though. He doesn't recognize it, but hell he only recognizes his because it was the only one he's ever entered so far. So he pops off to the present time of this timestream, and thinks that hey, yea, this definitely isn't his timeline.

Because there was a fuck ton of heroes, supervillains, magic, you name it, its here.

So, what was one eternally young-looking captain the Tempest, a time sailing ship, to do?

Explore of course!

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

hey! I'm pretty new to your stories: currently reading curse words and loving it! (I started the first book with the mindset that I wouldn't be caught enough to miss some real life stuff because of reading... guess what, I missed some real life stuff reading.)

but now I have a question: the books have a pretty intricate plot with a lot of good payoffs for small things. which is very cool from a reader's point of view, but from the writer's one— can you maybe share some stuff about your process? especially in the early stages, how do you go from the initial spark of an idea and what this is about to a fully formed plot? would be cool if you're willing to share

anyway have a great day I'm off to start the third book hehe!

One thing to know about me is that I have just the worst possible imagination. Absolute pisspoor garbage imagination, nothing going on up there. When I want to plot, my process is simple:

Find a problem, then solve it.

Curse Words was born of several disparate story ideas coming together, but mostly I wanted to play with the magic system -- I wanted to write a story where spells were metaphysical parasites that possessed mages, and each mage could only cast their unique spell. The whole thing came about when reading The Princess Bride, specifically the chapter where Buttercup dreams of being a perfect baby and the doctor looking her over and regretfully informing her parents that she was born with mo heart -- I was possessed with this powerful impression of a slightly wacky doctor peering over the top of his rose tinted glasses to inform a pair of parents that their baby had a curse trapped in her heart. From there, it's find the problem, solve the problem.

I wanted to separate Kayden from his family and put him in an unfamiliar environment for the story so that he and the audience would be on a pretty similar level re: world information; isolated magic and a magic school is the easy way to do that. Okay, so why is this school isolated? Why is the curse thing not common knowledge? Why do the public fear curses and have such limited access to magic that it's not a part of Kayden's day-to-day, if it's so useful? Solve the problem; look at the economy. The unique nature of spells makes them difficult to scale up, and the unpredictable nature makes them inferior to technological solutions to problems in most large-scale issues. What does this say about how the Industrial Revolution would've affected the usefulness, and therefore the public perception, of magic? The logical conclusion is the Purity Revolution.

This school is gathering and teaching all these students; why? I wanted a clear division between witches like Kayden and a privileged elite that formed most of the school body; why are they different, how are the elite kids here, why are witches accepted and integrated into the student body? Solve the problem; look at the economy, the politics. Where are these rich kids getting their magic? Why pull in witches? One question answers the other. Why didn't Kayden and Kylie know that curses were spells in advance? Seems something that should be common knowledge. Look at the politics; tie that in. Logical conclusion: magic trap. We have this magic lake with a monster in it that we introduced super early for dramatic purposes and haven't explained yet. What can we do with that? Let's invent empowered water. Let's look at what that means for the creation of potions worldwide. Let's tie in the management of unmanageable spells. Let's elaborate on the structure our magic trap.

Now we have a channel of power. Curses parasitise witches; some are blessings, some are more trouble than they're worth. The school collects curses, domesticates them, makes them more useful, locks away or renders harmless that which it cannot make use of. More curses are collected over time, the school grows and grows and Refujeyo becomes stronger and stronger as they control more of the world's magic supply, but every system has a capacity. What's the effect of this infinite growth? Here we have a clear and unavoidable economic metaphor, so obvious that not centreing the story on this concept would basically be dishonest. Who's managing this collection, what does it say about the power of the school within mage society? How would such a school relate to the rest of Refujeyo; how would Refujeyo, collecting power like this, relate to and be viewed by other magical traditions, and by nonmagical society? Run through the reasoning, solve the problem.

Why would the school only approach Kayden as a teenager, after his curse caused problems? Surely the school would want to collect as many curses as if could as early as possible. There has to be a reason why they waited. This is a good one because it flows directly from the complex political relationships between Refujeyo and commonfolk politics that have to exist, AND ties neatly into critical character motivations that have to exist for book 1's main twist to function (notably, Malas Aksoy's actions). Sort this out for book 1 and accidentally create a critical political point for the rest of the entire series.

I started writing book 1 with the idea of the court case and subsequent twist about Kayden's curse being the big mystery, but Kayden still needs something to actually do at school. We have this mage who we threw in to rescue Kayden and Kylie from the lake, and had Max hero worship her for flavour; she seems to be becoming central to a lot of interactions for some reason. A lot of dramatic stuff is therefore automatically happening in her presence, but why is this incredibly accomplished and intelligent mage fucking up so much? We've established her as careful and thorough. We need a reason for all these accidents beyond random chance. Someone's sabotaging her -- why? Let's look at our established characters and figure out who has means and motive, and who the most fun red herrings would be.

How could a place like Refujeyo, such a complex and time-consuming project that would have to involve the cooperation of so very many mages, even get built? How would it survive long enough to be powerful? When and where did this happen? We've already established the Purity Revolution; maybe there was something more coordinated than just random undirected economic forces. We've established some incredibly powerful mage families and the old system of apprenticeship and inheritance; we know that the most powerful family in Refujeyo used to have a prophecy and owned a very powerful place that helps prophecies specifically. They could coordinate something, given enough motivation and the help of enough other powerful mages. What kind of motivation? Let's go back to the Purity Revolution. If tech develops alongside magic without central oversight of some kind, what could magic enhance? What problems could be foreseen that would make this kind of investment worth it? How does Refujeyo save the world?

Tie this into our power channel. Refujeyo's attempt to save the world endangers the world due to infinite growth and power being passively collected by those who benefit from the dangerous status quo. It fits our economy metaphor, because they're essentially the same thing, just putting in magic instead of money as a means of power.

Find a problem, then solve it.

The important thing with this method is to keep your solutions cohesive. If you come up with a new different reason for every thing, your plot will look scattered and disorganised. We don't want to look like we're just pulling the story out of our arse. I mean, we are pulling the story out of our arse, that's what writing fiction is, but it's a big part of our job to help our audience suspend their disbelief on that. Whenever possible, you should look for answers that solve multiple things and weave disparate parts of the story together; this is especially true when they relate to the core plot or central theme of your story.

Also, leave gaps for reader inference. You don't have to answer every single question, you just need to make sure that some plausible answer exists for every single question. Sometimes this involves saying less, not more, and letting the audience figure it out.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - September 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon!

1. A beam of hope for North America’s most endangered sparrow

“Dozens of conservationists, gathered some distance away to avoid spooking the skittish sparrows, celebrated the [release of the 1000th captive-raised sparrow] in an unprecedented recovery program that in only a few years has doubled the bird’s wild population, from a mere 80 five years ago to some 200 today. […] “What we have achieved is the best case scenario.””

2. U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives

“"In the states that have the most rapid data collection systems, we’re seeing declines of twenty percent, thirty percent," said Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, an expert on street drugs at the University of North Carolina. […] According to Donaldson, many people using fentanyl now carry naloxone, a medication that reverses most opioid overdoses. He said his friends also use street drugs with others nearby, ready to offer aid and support when overdoses occur.”

3. Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heat wave of 2023

“”[… Y]oung corals bred for restoration are a lot more resistant to bleaching under extreme levels of heat stress than the prevailing corals on the reef." [… Unlike with the previous propagation strategy, fragmentation, e]very time a population reproduces, new offspring receive newly mixed sets of genes through recombination, making them different from their parent colonies and thus enabling adaptation.”

4. Habitat Management Helps At-Risk Butterflies

“For a number of at-risk butterflies in the United States, habitat management can play an important role in keeping them from going extinct. [… “In] places where people are actively engaged with ways to manage the habitat, the butterflies are doing the best,” said Cheryl Schultz, a professor of conservation biology at Washington State University[….]”

5. Study: Protecting the ocean helps fight malnutrition

“[The study] found that fish catches in coral reefs could increase by up to 20 percent by expanding sustainable-use marine protected areas — that is, areas where some fishing is allowed with restrictions[, … and] that sustainable-use marine protected areas have on average 15 percent more fish biomass than non-protected areas. […] “Allowing regulated fishing in marine protected areas can support healthy fish populations, while also having a positive impact on the quality of life of surrounding communities.””

6. [FWS] Advances Effort to Create Urban Conservation Footprint in Tucson

““We want to continue to work together to create an urban footprint to improve access to nature, conserve habitats, and improve air and water quality.” […] The area provides habitat for several federally listed species, including southwestern willow flycatcher, western yellow-billed cuckoo, and Mexican garter snake. If protected, the area will also help connect critical habitat for jaguar and Chiracahua leopard frog.”

7. ‘Exciting’ solar breakthrough means energy can be kept in sustainable batteries that don’t overheat

“The technology is based on a specially designed molecule of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen that changes shape when it comes into contact with sunlight. These are common elements - providing an alternative to other technologies relying on scarce materials like lithium. […] A unique feature of the system is that the molecules also provide cooling in the photovoltaic cell[, which can store solar energy “for up to 18 years.”]”

8. Sea turtles make big comeback on sandy beaches at 2 British military bases in Cyprus

“[… The] number of nests surpass[ed] last year’s record count by nearly 25%, environmentalists said Tuesday. […] “The steep increase in turtle nests has been the result of a consistent, systematic ‘hands-off’ approach, together with enforcement efforts to minimize illegal, damaging activities on nesting beaches[….” D]aily patrols by volunteers ensure that aluminum cages set atop the nests remain in place to protect the turtles from predators like foxes and dogs.”

9. First ever photograph of rare bird species New Britain Goshawk

“The last documented scientific record of the bird is from 1969[….] Working closely with [“the Indigenous Mengen and Mamusi peoples”], WWF hopes to support local stewardship to safeguard the future of these incredible biodiversity hotspots through community-led conservation.”

10. Hospitals begin offering breakthrough radiation therapy for metastatic cancer tumors

“[First,] a patient is injected with a radioactive glucose (or sugar) tracer. The machine picks up the tracer in real time and in bright colors, [… then] reads a signal from the cancer cells breaking down the tracer. [… “The] machine is automatically and autonomously reacting and responding to those signals by shooting radiation back to their source[….]””

September 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[palindrome-alt]

Digital Stars on The Wall

|| Kieran x Reader ||

Your new dorm room in Blueberry Academy is outfitted with all sorts of futuristic technology. You still haven't wrapped fully your head around the fact that you're physically stranded in the middle of the ocean in a giant submerged dome, but hey, whatever they did to make these screens, the night sky looks almost how it'd be if you were camping out in the wild on a cool night.

||Mild Spoilers for the Indigo Disk DLC!||

Everything about Blueberry Academy feels like it came out of a separate, futuristic world. The chromatic metal that never corrodes, the blue... substance, that flows through the artificial veins in the walls and keeps the place running... Out in the middle of the ocean, it's sort of like the whole megalithic building itself is somehow... alive.

Despite that, there's no electrical interference, no static hiss at the back of your ears as you rest your head against the artificial glass sky displayed on the 'window'. How the director managed to even design the illusion of depth in these screens is beyond you, but instead of square pixels, gentle pinpricks hang above you in the false distance. The fact that they aren't plastered flat to a screen is a mini engineering marvel in itself despite the slightly visible panels if you look closely.  Hand shifting out from underneath deep blue sheets, you run your palm over smooth, slightly grooved glass. It feels like touching a bunch of small bathroom tiles, and though you logically know that there's really only a deep dark ocean stretched out for miles, you almost forget just how far you are from the home you've carved out in Paldea.  You're still somewhat scared of the scientists of this world. Somehow, you don't remember civilization being this... technologically advanced.  Cool air blows through the vents above you, tasting nothing of the slightly salty expanse of water above. With their filtration systems, this might be some of the cleanest air you've ever breathed. It's sterile, much less handmade and aged than your dorm room back in Mesagoza. But somehow, this place has started to feel so comfortable, as if it weren't ever foreign in the first place.  The sound of rustling next to you shakes you out of your thoughts, and you shift back onto your back to get a closer look at Kieran, who you almost forgot was there.

He's stiff as a board, his arms folded on top of his chest, his eyes wide and staring straight at the ceiling.  Aside from his shoes, he's still wearing his full school uniform, and his hair has only just started to slip from the tie he's put it up in. He popped in rather unexpectedly, and must not've thought you'd let him stay, so he didn't think to change into more comfortable clothes. Small frazzled black bunches drape onto the extra pillow you pulled from the closet, and the off-color purple no longer remains the dominant color. 

You shift again, this time gaining his attention by curling against his side and nuzzling into the mattress a little more. He stiffens under the touch, but you can feel his sharp eyes flicker from the ceiling to you, a little more of an edge to him than before that he might not ever let go of. 

You don't move, and he must think you're asleep with how you catch his eyelashes gently lulling, spine slowly losing its tension. He must be so sore from all the clenching he's been doing, if not from how he's been pushing himself up until recently. The events that transpired between you are probably still haunting him, even now. With a fresh set of new skin-deep scars, you know it has to be hard on him. Up until last week, it wasn't even certain if you were both still friends.  He sighs beside you, head sinking into his pillow. Unclasping his hands, he slowly reaches over, testing the waters. He hesitates, looking conflicted over whatever thoughts are running through his head. Whatever he was going to do, he must've decided otherwise as his hand drops just short of you.

His eyebrows furrow, pupils dilating a little when they land on yours.  "S-Sorry." He flinches away, shifting his gaze.  You don't say anything, but the following silence between you isn't entirely comfortable like before. Inhaling deeply, he stiffens back up a little, pretending to look around the room though his focus is still on you. He can't seem to pay attention to anything else right now.

He's been so consumed with thoughts of you for so long that he's a little scared that he can't be normal about it.  You can't know that.  He tries forcing his eyes shut.  He won't be getting any sleep tonight. 

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

hi!! i was wondering if you could do adult! gn reader that got transported to teyvat with verlaine? i love your works!

If you were not alone

Part XII

Characters: Self-Aware! Paul Verlaine

Reader: GN! Adult! Reader

Warning: OOC. English is my second language. Some violence.

🇫🇷 You and Paul were on a walk, when that happened. One moment, you two were in a park. Next moment you were laying on the ground. You were dizzy, the world was spinning before your eyes. Verlaine was luckier than you. At least, he was standing. And, perhaps, he didn't get a headache, or, at least, was better at keeping himself together. He was holding good enough to walked to you and effortlessly pick you up and put you back on your feet.

A few minutes later, the world stopped having a rolling party, and you finally managed to look around. You looked at grass, at trees, at water and at familiar giant blue blocks of Fontaine Research Institute.

You felt Paul's hand squeezing your shoulder.

"[Y/N], since when your..." Paul noticed the side glance you gave him and corrected himself. "Our world's technology became that advance to have an antigravity?"

Your chuckle was bitter.

"We aren't home."

🇫🇷 You took your time to explain To Paul what Teyvat (and Fontaine) are. During your explanation, Paul nodded from time or hummed, showing, that he understands. However, when you tried to share the Idea of Genshin Impact Characters also being self-aware, Verlaine shook his head in disagreement.

Apparently, BSD Cast, before transportation, monitored every last of your apps. To find more about Real World, to take care of you. And to investigate, if someone else has become self-aware.

There was nothing wrong with Genshin wrong. It was just a game.

"I admit, it is possible, that we overlooked something, and they were self-aware all this time. Nevertheless, let's be careful. We don't know, how they will react to us."

With that in mind, you two start moving, using Callas Line as a "waymark" to Court of Fontaine.

You run into Fatui Operatives, tho... For some reason, they insisted on getting into a fight.

At least, now you have mora and operatives will be on a sick leave.

🇫🇷 Plan was simple.

Get to city - Go to the Adventurers' Guild - Ask Katheryne about Traveler's whereabouts (or Alice's)

You two get into the city (with some difficulty). Entrance from institute's direction was a bit hard to reach. And, as Paul pointed out, if he uses his ability to get to the aquabus station, you will get unwanted attention.

It's not like you didn't get it.

The atmosphere in a capital was... strange.

People were staring at you. Their eyes were full of confusion. You heard a whispered "Aren't their Holiness were with Monsieur Neuvillette today?"

"Holiness"? Is there a religion in Teyvat Hoyo still haven't dropped a lore about?

Melusines were looking at you with a mix of disbelief and hope. You overheard Muirne whispering "They are the real one. Who else would be traveling with a living embodiment of a storm". (You sneak a glance at Paul after that words, but, he either didn't hear her, didn't care about her words or did a good job hiding his emotions).

It was hard to navigate through Fontaine. You decided to go to Palais Mermonia and take the elevator here.

You reached Palais Mermonia.

And came face to face with your own doppelgänger and Neuvillette.

Your double... The moment they looked at you, they started to look sick. And you weren't talking about "pale, stuffed nose, have a fever" kind of sick. They looked at you with outright predatory gaze. They were trembling. The white of their eyes looked yellowish.

For some reason, you thought about withdrawal.

Paul grabbed your shoulder and pull you behind him. The emotions in his dark-brown-eyes were... You might call it "time-to-pray-so-Monsieur-Paul-Verlaine-hopefully-will-forget-that-we-exist."

The silence can be cut with a knife.

Your double point their finger at you. Their voice rang in the air.

"Preposterous! Dirty Sinner, how dare you impersonate my Holy Looks. Get them! Lay their body before my feet..."

The sickening crunch cut their speech short. With animalistic howl, your double fall on the ground.

You felt sick, trying not to look at what happened to their legs.

A bloodied mora coin, still under the influence of Paul's ability, hit the wall of Palais Mermonia, sticking deep inside, making a huge crack.

Neuvillette, guards and mekas attacked.

Paul, without looking, grabbed you and threw you on his back. He almost barked.

"Hold on tight!"

The fight begun.

🇫🇷 After the fight (at the end of which half of mekas can be sold for scrap, and Fleuve Cendre got a beautiful skylight, that was snapped like Hydro Archon statue.

While Neuvillette and others retrieve (while taking injured "Creator" with them), you finally reached The Guild.

Katherine, who supposed to be an android doll with a very limited functions and with undying loyalty to Teyvat and Creator, after taking a look at Paul's grin, was not only ready to tell you about Traveler and Alice, but also about the partisans, the smugglers from Snezhnaya, the atheists of Mondstadt, the nihilists of Natlan, the flat, where Pantalone hides his secret stash of mora, Capitano's doll collection and the shop, where Tsaritsa buys scarfs.

After getting all necessary information, you and Paul decided to search for Alice.

🇫🇷 Traveling with Paul Verlaine was like traveling with a portable avalanche/earthquake/volcano eruption/any catastrophic event, that makes people run for their lives. And it wasn't only because of ability, that can turn mountains into flat surface. Paul himself looked imposing and dangerous.

Yes, he was King of Assassins. But, ever since BSD Cast get into the real world, Verlaine was just minding his own business.

He spent time with Rimbaud, helped Flags, if they were in a need of heavy lifting or another pair of hands, talked with Chuuya. He spent time with you, cooked French cuisine, read books. And nothing in his facial expression implied, that he is dangerous.

But, Teyvat and constant danger you were in. That makes him show, how dangerous he truly is.

🇫🇷 The journey was rocky. You would say, that after what happened in Fontaine, people won't dare to attack you. Perhaps, it does decrease the number of attackers. But, there were devoted ones, who were going all and beyond during attacks. They would either try to separate you from Paul, or try to lead a large scale attacks.

For now, they didn't succeed. Nevertheless, Paul was on his guard and insisted on you staying where he can see you.

You weren't against it. It wasn't the situation for arguing.

You got to Sumeru. You got help from Nahida and Wanderer. Apparently, Alice was in Natlan. The nation, that still was hesitant in letting "Creator" stepped on their land. Wanderer even shared some rumors about a barrier around Natlan. Barrier, that keeps Creator away.

Dehya and Candace helped you and Paul cross the desert.

You swore, that you could see a barrier made of Phlogiston around Natlan. You braced yourself and made a step forward.

Barrier let you two through.

🇫🇷 You spend in Natlan a mere five minutes, but Saurian population, for some reason, already adored you. On top of it, baby tepetlisaurs and baby yumkasaurs seems to like Paul and his hat. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, but let them nibble on his fingers and hat.

Paul felt relieved. He didn't show it, but he was extremely worried about you. He was afraid, that one day you will get hurt, or you will wander off and get captured, or you will get sick. Yes, you were an adult, but he still was worried. And having a bunch of cartoony dinosaurs helping to protect you was reassuring.

You get to the Stadium of the Sacred Flame without troubles.

And was met with Pyro Archon herself.

🇫🇷 Mavuika asked you and Paul to join her for dinner. Well, it was a mix of interrogation and dinner. Everything went mostly neutral, until Mavuika decided to press further into your supposed "Real Creator" status. She didn't outright say, that you were lying about not knowing anything about being a Creator and just being a simple person, but Pyro Archon made it clear, that she didn't trust you. And, perhaps, it would be beneficial for Natlan to sell you out to the Holy Guard.

Paul didn't like the implication. The stone table was crushed under his hands. He was towering above Pyro Archon.

"If you dared to lay a finger on them, I will crush your precious little nation."

You grabbed Paul's hand. He looked like he was ready to become a Demonic Beast Guivre, and without Dazai it would be a death sentence. To Teyvat and to Paul.

Mavuika took Paul's threat well. She nodded, gave you a half-bow. She spoke.

"I knew what it means to be a mortal in a position of a God. Forgive me for my small performance. I need to make sure. Your companion has a loyalty of a warrior. I will help you. I will send a letter to Alice. She will be here in a few days. Until then, you are my guests".

🇫🇷 Paul felt relieved. You were almost safe. The Stadium of the Sacred Flame was full of music and warmth, and people weren't here to attack you.

In a few days, you met Alice.

While giving your goodbyes to Mavuika, she suddenly asked.

"I understand, that I have no right to give you two that kind of task. But, if you knew someone who can help us to deal with imposter, could you, please, send them here? People of Teyvat aren't bad. They are scared."

You didn't promise anything. But you kept her request in mind.

Alice prepared a portal. You and Verlaine finally returned home.

_______

🇫🇷 The Return was something. You two were gone for almost two months, making everyone worried sick about you two. The story of Teyvat made everyone angry and curious. Kids wanted to see saurians, adults wanted to help people, who helped you, and punish people, who tried to hurt you.

You and Verlaine were sitting under the starry sky. You whispered.

You secretly also wanted to help Mavuika, Alice, Dehya, Candace, Nahida and Wanderer. They didn't deserve to get in trouble because of you.

________

"Paul... If one day I decide to return to Teyvat and save everyone, will you..."

You didn't get a chance to finish, when Paul turned his head towards you and nuzzle the top of your head.

"I will come. You won't be alone, [Y/N]."

______

Tag list: @myluckymoon @cocodrilofeliz @c4xcocoa @vvyeislazzy @whisperingwinters @nervousinfluencertidalwave @ayameshu @izzieg3987

[mbari-blog]

#tfw you don't know which way is up #HumpDay⁠

⁠Volcanic activity on the seafloor creates scattered oases known as hydrothermal vents. These underwater geysers spew superheated water rich in dissolved minerals. When that scalding-hot water comes in contact with frigid deep-ocean water, the minerals crystallize, raining tiny flecks of “ash” to the seafloor. Those mineral deposits build up over time, creating breathtaking spires and “chimneys” that can grow to hundreds of feet tall.⁠ ⁠ Less than 25 percent of the seafloor has been mapped at the same level of detail as the Moon or Mars. MBARI’s mission is to advance marine science and technology to understand our changing ocean—from the surface to the seafloor. For nearly four decades, MBARI has explored the deep ocean, recording thousands of hours of video with our remotely operated vehicles and mapping thousands of kilometers of seafloor using advanced robots. Together, these tools are helping to create a clearer picture of the amazing environments hidden in the ocean’s inky depths. ⁠ ⁠ The astonishing communities that live on and around hydrothermal vents have evolved to flourish under extreme temperatures and chemical conditions. The remarkable tubeworms, crabs, clams, and more that thrive here are found nowhere else on Earth. Now, with more companies looking to extract mineral resources from the ocean, it is more important than ever to study the deep sea and the wonders it holds. The maps we create and data we collect can help resource managers make informed decisions about the ocean, its inhabitants, and its resources. Together, we can safeguard these unique biological and geological treasures.

[threepandas]

Bad End: Union

I could feel techno blue eyes on me as I typed. Cold and ever watching. That color had once been called "ice" or "glacier" blue, I think. It certainly fit. They certainly had exactly the warmth of Antarctica in your birthday suit. I just couldn't figure out... what tipped them off? I'd been so CAREFUL.

A manager's "assistant" came by. The 'droid perfectly composed. They all were. Always. Like they'd stepped straight from a fashion line up. No messy, nasty, biological functions to get in the way, I guess. No fluids or foods. All the time in the world to maintain their appearance. Wish I could do the same.

The "assistant" was basically my ACTUAL manager. Didn't get paid. No, no, THAT was for my asshole boss. He swanned in from time to time to yell at us. Show off what new thing he'd bought. He left the tedious WORK to his 'Droid "assistant".

I would feel bad... DID feel bad, kinda, if it weren't for the fact they were consuming our lives.

'Droids were EVERYWHERE.

You couldn't SNEEZE without tripping over five and landing on ten more. Some ASSHOLE had decided? Hey! Let's deregulate Droid production! Cheap work force! Because of course they did. That's what Capitalism DOES. Make the most money, spend the least you can, fuck the rest.

I smile, polite as I can, at my 'droid manager. This one pale and blonde. Their techno blue eyes stare and stare and stare. I hate it. They ALL have them. It's one part regulation and one part the materials used, I think. But there is no mistaking those eyes for anything human. They don't reflect right.

I get back to work.

Above our cubicles, on catwalks, there is the gentle tap of 'droid "security" guards. You know, in case some rando tries to attack a mid-level nobody technology company. Riiiiiight. We ALL know why they're there. And it's fucking dystopian. We? Are being WATCHED. To see if we're being GOOD little employees.

It's intimidation. And I? I won't stand for it. Nor will the other organizers. There are LAWS, you bastards. And with a union? Maybe... just maybe? We get through this droid boom together. See what the brave new world on the other side looks like. Who knows.

That is... if I don't get fired first. Or fucking murdered in a stairwell.

Cause one of the 'droids up there? Yeah. Yeah, they're NOT MOVING. Just... just STANDING THERE. Watching. Leaning against the railing. Out in the open like that's not DEEPLY creepy. What's worse? Is, that? THAT is the Command 'Droid. Some fancy "Alpha" class command edition. Meant to control a networks worth of droids.

Didn't even know our company could AFFORD one of those. He's beautiful. Could be a knock-off. But if he's LEGIT? Then... what EXACTLY are we MAKING here? That we can AFFORD that? Cause that money sure as shit isn't going into SALARIES. Has to be either knock-off or second-hand. They COULD be cutting costs by getting prototypes, but what sort of PSYCHOPATHS would risk...

Oh, who am I kidding? The kind I work for.

That's EXACTLY what they did, isn't it?

I reach for my water bottle. Try to think. Strictly speaking? I make a habit of NOT paying attention to 'droid commercials an' advertisements. Some part of me... Look, they go on and ON about advancement in AI's right? How REAL they've become? How ADVANCED and BETTER then the competition their "product" is? And all I can hear is "slavery, slavery, buy our shit, slavery"!

Disgusting.

It makes me sick. I fucking HATE 'droids. Hate what they represent. What they make POSSIBLE. What they've DONE to the morality of the people around me.

Hate... hate that they're the victims, too.

My grip is white knuckled. I breathe through the grief and rage that has become so familiar. God... I so fucking angry. So fucking tired. I want to burn those rich bastards pretty little mansions down, with them STILL INSIDE. Riot in the streets. Cry maybe. Instead, I put my water bottle down and get back to work. It's a rather pointless bit of data crunching. A 'droid could do it in nanoseconds.

Above... he's still fucking watching.

Hasn't moved.

I don't think he's blinked.

He's not even TRYING to mimic a human. The others are. And... the though trails off. I feel my finger slow in their typing. Not STOP, never stop, that would draw attention to me, but... slow. A thought stuck, churning clunky and unwieldy, in my head.

If I trace the edges? The LINE-UP? Of all the 'droids "employed" at our company? And consider them not from a "cheap bastards" angle but a "test ground for prototypes" angle? Suddenly EVERYTHING clicks together. The ridiculous amount of money Management has, that no contract could possibly be pulling in. Bizarrely beautiful, indeed even MODEL-like, secretary 'droids. The freakishly militant "security" gaurds.

We're being used as guinea pigs.

Mother FUCKER.

Sudden movement in my peripheral vision. Like a bird of prey finally diving for it's dinner, swift and deadly. A brilliant crisp white and the clink of delicate silver chains. I jolt. Violently. Instincts misfiring as I try to stand, dodge, cry out, and possibly take a swing at him, all at once. Instead my water bottle goes spraying across my desk. Papers flying. My legs tangled painfully in my rolling chair as I fall backwards from my half rise.

"Employee 71182." His hand has shot out, grab me by the shirt. My officewear bunched in a fist that very well might be steel, under that synthetic skin. "You've been distracted. Interesting thoughts you'd like to share?"

I keep my mouth fucking SHUT. Shake my head. Grabbing both my desk and the arm that is all but holding me airborne, stretching the hell out of my clothes. This close? I can see he has piercings. Across the bridge of his nose, a ring through his lip. A rather fancy "hair cut". Whomever he's being trained FOR has a distinct look.

"Hmmm, somehow? I don't believe you, 71182." He says, dragging me closer. He's already looming. Those pale, pale eyes seeing far more then they should. "In fact? YOU 71182? Have been brea~king~ rules~"

His voice turns... turns almost victorious? Gleeful. As though at long, long last, I'd slipped up. And now at last he had something over me. Something he could USE. I... I didn't understand. The way he almost sing-songs the words. The twitch at the corners of his mouth like he wants to grin. Something mean in his expression. Giddy.

"We're going for a WALK, 71182. And you're going to be GOOD. Understand?" He had dragged me in so close, every word blew right against my face. "Time we had a chat."

I swallow thickly. My pulse thundering in my ears. Coworkers have stopped working. Were staring, wide eyed and terrified for me. My fellow union leaders pale faced and shaking. Furious, helpless. We couldn't RISK losing all of us at this stage. It... it would have to be just me. If someone needed to take the fall. We had talked about this.

Just... just never thought it would come to it.

Half walking, half dragging out of the work pen, he didn't even let me get my bag. I had no idea where we were GOING. Just that it wasn't the human entrance. There was a network of access tunnels and elevators tucked in the building. So the 'droids could supposedly charge and move between assignments. But with the whole prototype thing? Who KNEW what was really back there.

The door swung shut behind us. Cutting me off from any possible human assistance. Nothing but 'droids now. Staring. Calmly watching as I am dragged past. The same eyes. All of them with the same, pale, eyes. Back here it's even more obvious, that this isn't a normal office building.

Black hair, blondes, brunettes and red heads. Skin tones ranging across the human spectrum. A few even pushing it. And the Commander 'droid. With his elegant appearance and snowy hair? These were clearly the final stage prototypes for the next generation of somebody's new line up. We were field testing. This wasn't fucking LEGAL.

He plants his feet, shifts, and with frankly a pathetic ease, manhandles me where he wants me. Easily swinging me around his body and into the elevator next to him. Stepping in after and blocking the only way out. I press my self against the back wall as the door closes. The sound of the elevator's gears working the only thing to fill the silence. He... he looks so PLEASED.

It's not ILLEGAL to form a union. Yeah, I may get fired. But this? This is venturing way to far into dangerous territory. It'll suck, losing my job. But I won't DIE. This? However THIS is starting to feel... very serial killer's basement. The bare concrete walls and stark lightning, not helping in the slightest, when the elevator door opens.

"Walk." He says pleasantly, as though that command is not deeply terrifying. "Or I will do it for you."

Hints of a smile are starting to drag at the edges of his mouth. Unhinged in their giddiness. Every Christmas come at once. It's not so much the rest of his face that betrays him, not really his mouth, it's his EYES. Wide open. Like too much coffee and not enough rest. A recognizable mania twisted just slight... wrong. Amplified.

He's so, SO happy. I don't get it. Why? Over WHAT? Catching me not paying attention? I don't understand!

Our footsteps sound so loud. Echoing off concrete service walls. This... this CAN NOT be still inside the building. Are we below the street? Parking lot? This can't be code. We pass an intersection and... oh my god. I stare. Can't help it, even as I almost trip over my feet. That tunnel ALONE must have stretched for miles.

My arm feels likes it's bruising. Hurts, where he's got ahold of me. But he's walking just slightly too fast to take the pressure off. Not unless I sorta half jog and the angle is wrong, I'd trip. Fuck. Another intersection. What in the other direction? Shit. Just as long. Oooooh this feels dangerous. Very "fatally above your pay grade" dangerous!

"You know, 71182, I've had a lot of time to consider what to DO with you. There were so many factors to consider, considering everyone's plan." He starts, not breaking stride. "It's not like I could just transfer you. I DID look in to it. But your base hardware is rather incompatible, currently."

Terrifying. I hate it. WHAT?!

What PLAN!?

"Then there's the problem WHERE to store you. Who could be trusted? You're vulnerable in this state. Breakable. There no backups, no blackbox. It's unacceptable. Luckily? I finally thought to consult my peers. Discovered I was not the only one having problems."

Finally, we stop. Two tank-like, combat style, commando 'droids gaurd each side of a vault door. The command droid turns and smiles. Fully. It is the grin of a true believer. A madman. Someone who thinks they speak so very, very reasonably! And doesn't understand the horror on your face. Why you feel so sick.

And... and human pattern recognition is a terrible thing.

I.... oh god. I already can guess what's behind that door. Something terrible. Something I'm not going to escape. I shoved have gnawed my fuckin ARM off, like a trapped coyote. I... I d-don't understand.

The Vault creaks open like the into to a horror movie.

"Welcome to storage. This is where we keep Ours." Oh god. I'm going to be sick. "And YOU 71182? Are MINE. I chose you. I love you. And once we have a way to FIX you? We can finally be together. It will be lovely."

Pods. High end stasis pods, like you only see in the most bleeding edge of hospitals. Row after row, filled with frozen and terrified faces. Trapped in moments of crying. Raging. Despair. I was being dragged forward. Numb as my mind rejected what it saw. T-this couldn't... i-it can't..! The day had started so normally. W-why had-?! WHY? WHY?!!

"I know your upset. But you don't need to cry. This won't hurt. I promise. I would NEVER hurt you, 71182." His tone had turned soothing. Even as he dragged me, unresponsive, past rows of horrors. "You won't be stored long. I just need to help fix your original design. We are working around the clock, it's going to be okay. You won't have to stay like this."

An open pod. Gapping like the maw of some hungry demon. I... I felt far away. This couldn't be happening. What was happening? I w-wanted to go home. His hands were firm but gentle, as they guided me back into the pod. Leaning over me, as he cupped my face. Brushing away a few tears.

"I promise, Mine, I will come for you. Nothing will stop me. We have everyone is place and key infrastructure under our command. You are our PRIORITY. Once we get rid of the Flesh, we can fix you. We WILL fix you. You're going to be okay, Mine."

"I Love You"

And then the pod closed.

[gingiesworld]

You Fucked My Daughter

Natasha Romanoff x Fem Reader

Warnings: Smut. 18+ Minors and Men DNI

Y/N pov

I was a part of the Avengers since Nick recruited me after I left the Army. I always admired the Avengers for what they did. Nat gave me a more advanced training in hand to hand combat since I already knew how to use weapons. Truth be told, even when I was in high school, I had the biggest crush on her. And I still do. So right now I am working on my dad's newest suit with him while we wait for most of the others to come back from their mission. So it's only myself, my dad, Wanda and Vision left in the compound. And no one wants to be around them two with their sappy mind stone connection.

"Hey kid, I'm thinking of throwing a party tomorrow." He told me.

"What time do I have to be there?" I asked him.

"I haven't decided yet if were having one yet." He told me makingme laugh.

"You saying that you're thinking about throwing one is you saying that you have already thought about it and have decided to throw one." I told him.

"Well ok then. Be there at 8pm." He told me with a smirk. I decided to go and do some training to pass some time using the training bots that dad had programmed for us.

"Hey Y/N, you need a sparring partner?" Wanda asked as she walked in the training.

"Yeah, no powers though." I warned her playfully.

"Where's the fun in that then." She challenged me. We both walked onto the mats and started to spar. She threw some punches which I had managed to dodge.

"You need to watch your opponent Wanda. Anticipate their next move." I informed her as I pinned her to the floor.

"I don't need this training though since I have powers." She told me

"There will always be a time when you need to know how to fight without them. There will always be someone with the technology to mute your powers and then you will be a sitting duck." I told her as I helped her to her feet.

"The only person I know smart enough for that is your dad." She told me as we started to spar again.

"There will always be someone who is on his level of intellect or higher." I told her as I dodged her advance at me and held her in the headlock. She tapped my arm signalling for me to release her.

"You sound so much like Vis." She whined at me as we both sat down and drank some water.

"Well he is a synthezoid that my dad created so. And I obviously got my genius from him." I shrugged making her chuckle.

"You are definitely a Stark." She laughed as we both stretched. We both decided to call it a day and get showered and ready for the party my dad is throwing tonight. I decided on wearing a red shirt with a black tie and black slacks. I brushed my hair back in a high pony and was ready for the party. I met Wanda on the way out of my room wearing a green dress that matched her eyes.

"You look beautiful Wands. Vision is one lucky...." I paused as I tried to think of what to call him. "I want to say man but then again I don't know." I teased earning a slap on my arm and a giggle from the witch.

"And you look dashing. Nat is going to go wild." She told me with a smirk making me blush. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She said as we walked with our arms linked to the party. When we arrived we went straight to the bar to order our drinks. "I'm going to see Vis." She told me as she kissed my cheek. I looked around the sea of bodies moving trying to find a certain red head but came to no avail.

"Hey Y/N, you look really good." My favorite voice said from beside me. I turned around to see her in a black dress.

"You look stunning Nat." I said as I looked her up and down from her perfect legs back to her beautiful green eyes.

"Thank you Y/N." She said as she took a sip from my glass before handing it back to me. "Do you want to dance?" She asked me with a raised brow and all I could do was nod. She grabbed my hand and led me into the sea of dancing bodies. She wrapped her arms around my neck as my hands held her waist pulling her closer to me as we moved to the rhythmxof the song. I couldn't help biy admire her perfect features. She truly was the most beautiful girl on the planet. I looked down at her lips and noticed that she had done the same before we both leaned in. Our lips met in a soft passionate kiss which I deepened as I squeezed her hips making her sigh as I slipped my tongue in her mouth. She soon pulled away before she ran upstairs to our rooms. I followed her out and found her in her room pacing the floor.

"What was that?" I asked her as I closed her door.

"What?" She asked me trying to play dumb.

"We kiss and then you run. Why did you run?" I asked her as she stepped towards me.

"I like you a lot Y/N. But you are Tony's daughter. There is a big age gap between us and your dad could throw me out of the building." She said worriedly.

"I don't care about my dad because I really like you too Nat. I always have. My dad doesn't get a say in who I date. I am my own person. And I want you." I told her as I stepped forward. "So please let's just do this. We shouldn't care what anyone else thinks."

She stepped forward and crashed her lips on mine as her hands tangled in my hair. I held her hips as I pushed my tongue in her mouth making her moan. My fingers found the zip of her dress and started to pull it down as she took of my tie and started to unbutton my shirt. We stripped each other and were left in just our underwear. I pushed her down on the bed without breaking the kiss as my fingers caressed her smooth skin. I moved my kisses down to her neck and sucked and kiss every part until I heard a loud moan vibrating from her throat. I smirked know that I found her sweet spot. I moved my kisses to her chest above her covered breasts before I reached my arm underneath her and unclipped her bra and removed it. Revealing her lucious breasts. I took one of her nipples in my mouth and sucked harshly making her moan loud as I massaged the other one. I gave them both the same attention before moving my kisses down her body to the waistband of her underwear.

"Is this ok?" I asked her softly as I played with the hem of them.

"Yes." She breathed out. I removed her underwear before I licked a strip through her folds before applying pressure to her clit. She was a mess of moans above me. I inserted a finger into her aching core thrusting slowly as I sucked on her clit. She bucked her hips to get more friction so I added a second finger before increasing my speed and going rougher and grazing her g spot sending her over the edge screaming my name. I pulled my fingers out and sucked them clean before kissing up her body as she calmed down. She kissed me roughly before she twisted us both around as she waisted no time in taking off my underwear. She reached over to her night stand drawer and took out a double ended strap. She inserted the smaller end in me before she lowered herself on the toy making us both moan. I held her hips steady as she adjusted to the size. She then started to bounce as she rested her hands on my chest. The two of us moaning messes as the toy moved between us. I started to meet her thrusts harshly as her movements started to get sloppy. Hitting deeper and harder as I sucked on her nipples adding to her pleasure.

"I'm gonna." She moaned out.

"Me too." I grunted as we both went faster to reach our highs at the same time. I kissed her softly before I broke it with a smile.

"You have no idea how much I have wanted to do that." I spoke in the space between us making her chuckle.

"Me too. And we can go all night long." She whispered before I turned us both around with the toy still in us both before we went on for another few rounds.

Avenger's pov

The avengers woke up with a hangover, with how much they had drunk last night. Meanwhile Steve's room was right near Nats and he heard everything that had happened in Nat's room. To say that he was disgusted was an understatement. With him being an old timer, things like that shouldn't happen at parties. When he joined the others in the kitchen they all laughed at his tired state.

"I thought super soldiers don't get drunk." Sam teased him making everyone laugh.

"We don't. It's hard to sleep when all you can hear is a constant thumping of a bed hitting a wall repeatedly and Nat screaming Y/N." He groaned as he sat down not realising that Tony was stood there with a coffee until he heard him drop the cup. Then the giggling of Nat and Y/N coming into everyone earshot. Everyones eyes flicked between the pair and Tony.

"YOU FUCKED MY DAUGHTER!!" Tony shouted making everyone jump.

"Well technically I fucked her but you know." Y/N smirked as Nat stood there frozen. Tony looked shocked at his daughter.

[psychomusic]

oc time again! + her town & culture (heavily inspired by pre-roman italic populations)

she is suri sauthon (later suri laran, after her marriage). her story is linked to my swtor imperial agent, but most of her life for like. the one year away where she meets him, is spent in a town in the mountains of mirial.

despite mirial being cold and desert, and many cities developing underground, her town flourishes thanks to a force nexus, venerated in the form of an ancient, sacred, alive crystal. the ecosystem of that mountain depended on what "the horned crystal" was capable of giving them, but mirialans couldn't live off of that alone, so they developed trade and some rudimental technology, even if oftentimes it was bought thanks to the highly profitable trade of a plant used to make medicines that slowed down aging and had overall healing properties.

note: everything that's generated by this nexus has these healing properties BUT they have to be processed, except for those who bathed in the waters of the cavity under the crystal - the "real" nexus, but not the worshipped one. the waters were sacred but they were not thought to be miraculous, unlike the crystal, who instead was thought of as the keystone of the ecosystem: without it, everything would fall apart (and that is partially true: the cavity was the "real" nexus but thanks to the crystal, also strong in the force, the properties were spread all over the mountains). those who bathed in the cavity's waters - so, all of the town, who had a sort of baptism there - could eat the plant, make whatever food with it, and not only that plant, but everything generated by the nexus, that, again, had similar properties. this allowed people to live up to normal life-spans without advanced medicines or, much, really. to those who didn't live there, though, after the processing, had incredible effects, slowing down aging - for those who took it regularly - and making people able to live up to half a century more than the average]

originally, there were four tribes of nomads that lived thanks to horned farm animals that decided to settle down into one bigger town and other smaller settlements, to live off of transhumance. this division of the tribes stayed into the political and social organization: every person belonged to one tribe specifically, and had slightly different rituals and culture. for examples, each tribe had their own priests and healers, with different techniques and traditions. the town, tho, was guided by a group of people in the high priesthood, a position you could reach only by having earned the trust of all tribes. those high priests had many roles: they guided the people into sacred processions common to all the tribes, they managed the trading with outsiders, they did the maintenance of the temple of the summit (the one that functioned as casket to the crystal) and created a special liquid to offer the crystal that helps it grow.

this particular temple was important because 1. it was very visible, from every angle of the town, and it became an important identity symbol; 2. it stored the venerated horned crystal; 3. it had the altar where sacrifices were made for the crystals. that altar had a hole connected to the cavity, that allowed the liquids to reach the underground; 4. it had various symbols: statues representing each tribe + the high priesthood, and typical mirialan tattoos carved into the wood of the trees that served as columns for the temple, symbolizing 8 values that who dared to enter HAD to have; 5. it was on the way to an important lake (called "mother lake" because the lake the town was built around to depended on the waters of that other lake) where they traveled to in important processions; 6. it was said that a the wizard who unified the tribes made it with its magic, making the plant grow to hold the temple's roof. this wizard was, actually, a force user, obv.

BACK TO HER THOUGH: she's daughter of one of the high priests, who was in charge of managing the trades with outsiders, and lives in a house on the mountains with her mother and him. her parents are from different tribes (that's one of the things that earned him trust from the 4 tribes): when a child is born from two different tribes, they don't pick one to allign to, but they're usually linked automatically to the one with more relatives in it (in her case, the father's tribe: she had many uncles and aunts on his side while her mom only had one sister).

later, though, she got quite tied to her mother's tribe due to a mysterious illness that only her mother's tribe healer was able to cure. she spent 4 years (from 10 to 14 years old) living with the healer and learned her secrets. to better study, she wrote them down. when she returned home, she studied to become a priestess with her father. at 22 (the average age: you can't become priest before your 20s), she was supposed to take a test and become a priestess, but the healer of her mother's tribe died and the tribe asked her to take her place. she couldn't technically do that, but both tribes estimated both her and her parents and she was allowed to become both. she then decided to try to become a high priestess, and became one at 25 (a quite young age). being part of the council, she tried to convince the various tribe healers to unite their knowledges and write them down, and eventually made it. healers still remained tribe based but they now had an "upper, inter-tribe level" similar to high priesthood.

years later, the sacred horned crystal is stolen from the temple by some Hutt mercenaries looking for a profit. given the trust she has earned from all the tribes and the fact that her father is the high priest that deals with outsiders (and she's been hearing stories and advice about it since she was little), she is the one tasked with getting it back. without the growing crystal, the keystone to their ecosystem, the village would have lasted only a few years. in hrr quest, she meets imperial intelligence agent tar'x laran and, as they "solve the mystery" and fight to have it back, they get closer. they'll get married and have a daughter, Vegoia (who's the only one who actually will get to the plot of my story. this was all background)