#The ARM System Overview

[marketingprofitmedia]

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[virtualizationhowto]

Mikrotik CRS310-8G+2S+IN Review: 2.5 Gigabit Switch For Home Lab

Mikrotik CRS310-8G+2S+IN Review: 2.5 gigabit Switch For Home Lab @mikrotik_com #homelab #selfhosted #MikroTikCRS3108G2SINReview #2.5GigabitEthernetPorts #10GigabitSFPPorts #Marvell98DX226SSwitchChip #RouterOSv7OperatingSystem #efficientnetworkswitch

The 2.5-gigabit switch market is set to really heat up in late 2023 and 2024 with so many cheap switches and network adapters now running at 2.5 gig in micro PCs, access points, and other devices. The MikroTik CRS310-8G+2S+IN is a new switch from Mikrotik that is set to be a favorite in the home lab. It has many great features and is designed to meet the needs of small offices, edge locations,…

[novemberheart]

{overview} A doctor mistakes you for something you're not

{warning} fem reader, a/b/o dynamics, poly 141, panicking, MDNI mentions of masturbation towards the end

Chapter 16 <- Chapter 17 -> Chapter 18

Priya was waiting for you when you got to the bottom floor the next day. When you woke up that morning the last thing you wanted to do was get out of bed. You had slept in Johnny’s bed, well not really slept. You drifted in and out waking up every half hour from some creak in the floor, or the sound of the refrigerator making ice. When the sun started to come up you finally felt comfortable to sleep- that was cut short by your alarm.

“I know it might not sound fun, but it is,” she smiled. It felt wrong going someplace without Anais. You pushed that thought away. Surely she does things with Jane and her other friends.

The walk was nice. The weather was starting to heat up for the start of summer. You were mostly excited to tease your pack with your summer dresses.

The thought sends a pang through your heart. God you missed them.

The rec room was nice and nearly empty. A few older doctors seemed to be taking their breaks in there, playing a round of ping pong. You and Priya settled on checkers.

You had grown bored after the third round, even though you had won two of them. Priya was still invested, making the game drag on for another five rounds. She won most of them.

“Hungry?” you asked, already standing up to push your chair in. Your lower half had grown numb, the tingling verging on painful as you began to walk around the room.

“There's a vending machine in the hall,” she stood as well. Luckily your pack had left you with some money.

“What are you thinking about?” Priya asked, making you jump.

“Just miss my pack,” you sighed.

“Mmmm. I remember those days. You'll get used to it and then pretty soon you'll be wishing for some space,” she chuckled.

You couldn't imagine wanting space from them. Especially when they seemed so far away.

You bought a bag of chips- or crisps as your pack would say.

“I'm going to run to the bathroom quickly,” Priya excused herself, dodging away before you could say anything. You shrugged plopping down in a hard blue chair. This reminded you of when Simon was in the hospital. His hazel eyes droopy from all the medicine in his system. You wished you committed them to memory more, now all you got were his sharp calculating eyes.

“There you are! Come, you are needed in room B17,” a doctor- seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He reached down grabbing your arm, pulling you up from your chair. “You omegas are always taking breaks,” he growled, pulling you along. Your phone slipped out of your pocket, clattering against the tile.

“No! I'm here with a friend I'm not here to”-

“Keep your bloody voice down. People are trying to sleep,” he chided. You wondered why he was so angry. It made your stomach twist in knots, your throat running dry.

“Stop,” you growled back, pulling yourself away.

“I’ll report you if you don't knock it off. Damn holding houses always sends the difficult ones,” his grip on you was tight, too tight. You will undoubtedly have bruises tomorrow. Everyone seemed to disappear as you were tugged along the seemingly never-ending hallway.

‘Just remain calm. This is just a misunderstanding.’ you told yourself.

“Sir, stop. This is a mistake. I have my own pack here on base, you need to let me go,” you tried your hardest to keep your voice calm. He didn't seem to be listening. He opened a door and pushed you inside. “I’m not here as a healer,” you insisted.

“Stop your whining and get on with your job. You all get sent out here and then come up with every excuse to not have to do anything. I saw you playing checkers,” he spat. “This isn't a vacation.” he began to shut the door, your hands reaching forward to keep it from shutting. You quickly lost. The door locking into place. What kind of place has locks on the outside of the door?

“Fuckfuckfuck,” you repeated, surveying the room you were tossed into. There were two large men hooked up to various machines. You knew what you were sent in here to do. The same reason you were sent here for Simon. One man was sleeping peacefully and you couldn't quite grasp what was wrong with him. The other man had been beaten to a pulp. His face was black and purple. You couldn't bear to look at him for more than a few seconds. You approached the other bed cautiously, looking for a call button on the side of the bed. You found it, digging your thumb into it like your life depended. It very well may.

After a minute of pressing no response.

Two minutes passed, your eyes trained on the clock above the door.

“You,” a low voice from the other bed alerted you. Your blood ran cold. Your eyes quickly fled to the bed, you couldn't tell if his eyes were open or not. “Don't hurt me anymore. I payed enough.” your brows furrowed before the realization hit you like a bolt of lightning.

It was him. One of the men who attacked you. The one who pulled the other one away.

The one that was missing.

You backed up heading towards the door. You needed out. You needed out right now.

“I only did it because Lieutenant Hale asked me to. We weren't going to hurt you,” the man practically whimpered.

“What did Hale want?” you questioned, trying to hold steady.

“I don't know. I didn't know who you were when he asked me to get you. He just gave me a description of what you smelled like. I didn't even know you were 141 till you turned around. I would've never done anything had I known,” he was shaking more than you at this point, his heart rate monitor going off the charts.

A sudden heat filled you. You couldn't tell if it was rage or fear but there was no stopping it.

“You shouldn't have done it anyways,” you snarled. You held all the power. You alphas had protected you. The evidence was right in front of your face. You were a part of their pack- it was time you started to act like it. “Fuckin disgusting,” you spat. You turned back around pounding on the door with all your might.

The door unlocked and you pushed it open before the person on the other end had time to think.

“Get back in there and stop”- it was the same doctor from earlier, his grip on your arms returning.

“I’m not a freelance omega,” you snarled. His eyes widened at your disrespect. “You know who my Alphas are? Captain John Price and Lieutenant Ghost. That ring a bell?”

It was cliche but the results were immediate. His hands left you, instead resting against the wall, the other one patting his chest.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I had no idea”-

“Instead of thinking you know everything, how about you listen to people. Especially omegas. We don't owe you anything and deserve to be treated with respect,” you chided. He quickly nodded his head, too panicked to disagree. “You put my life at risk.”

“You're absolutely right. I'll start”- you didn't wait for him to finish turning on your heels walking back down the hall, and grabbing your phone.

You breathed in the fresh air like you had been under dense smog for years. You leaned against the building, quickly texting Priya.

I'm outside by the door we came in. You aren't going to believe what happened

I went home! You disappeared… wanna hang out tomorrow?

You rolled your eyes, already heading back home.

You left her on read.

You slept peacefully that night.

Your phone ringing woke you up. Your heart pounded at the sound.

“Hello,” you answered quickly.

“Hey, peaches,” Johnny’s voice went in through your ears all the way down to your toes.

“Mac,” you whined.

“None of that,” he snipped gently. “I wake you up?”

“No,” you lied. “I am in your bed though,”

He groaned from the other end.

“What are you wearing?” he purred, making you giggle. You put on your best seductive voice.

“Nothing,” you whispered.

“You’re a new type of evil, hen,” he chuckled. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” you sighed. “Very much.”

“Alpha wants to talk to you. I'll see you soon, Bon,” Johnny ended. You heard a bit of shuffling your heart rate picking back up.

“How you doin’ pretty girl?” the muscles in your body went lax at the sound of John’s voice. He'd only been gone for about four days and you had already forgotten the effect his voice had on you.

“John,” you breathed into the phone. “I miss you.”

He sighed heavily into the phone- bordering on a growl.

“We’ll be back in three days, pretty. Finishing up here early. Then we’ll be all yours, okay?” he eased.

“Okay,” you agreed. Your head felt light. If this was how you felt now you could only imagine how bad it would be when you were finally marked. “Be safe.”

“Always.” he lied, hanging up.

You stretched out under the covers. Your body was warm and tingly, with a tight constriction in your lower abdomen.

You don't get “excited” often. Unless it’s your heat of course. You had little to no interactions with suitors, only being constantly surrounded by your peers. When you were around “potential” mates you never felt much desire towards them.

Your pack changed that.

You've suddenly found yourself in a puddle most of the time, your thighs clenching at the most inopportune times. Kyle and his feathery touches, the way his lips always skimmed your neck when he would whisper to you late at night. Johnny and the way his hands seemed to be permanently glued to your hips, squeezing your soft flesh. The way John’s beard scraped against your cheek or your lips. It was easy to imagine what it felt like against your thighs. Then there was Simon. He wasn't incredibly physical with you, but that left even more to the imagination.

You groaned, rolling over onto your back.

You did have the place to yourself. Your finger danced across your stomach, trying to imagine they were Kyle's instead. You slowly slipped them under the waistband of your underwear, moving to where you felt it should go.

You were pathetic. You hardly even knew how to touch yourself.

A few minutes later you had dried up, frustration the only thing on your mind. You growled rolling back over to bury your face into Johnny’s pillows.

Maybe when your pack got back they could help you with your problem.

Hi friends! Short chapter today! I'll see you in two days for chapter 18! The boys come back! 🧡 I wonder how they’ll react to your little run-in with the doctor……

[ereardon]

Before I Knew [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter Six

A Jake Seresin unexpected pregnancy fic

Overview: On your first night after moving to San Diego to spend more time with your brother Bob, you unknowingly have a one night stand with his teammate Jake Seresin. For the first time in his whole life, Bob has a closely knit friend group and you’re desperate not to rock the boat. But an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy upends your world, forcing you and Jake closer together, against Bob’s wishes. What will happen when you find yourself actually falling for the father of your unborn child? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader; Bob Floyd x Sister!Reader 

Warnings: Pregnancy, cursing, eventual smut, angst

Chapter summary: Ducky goes to her first doctor's appointment; Bob and Jake fight it out; Jake makes a staggering proposal

WC: 2K

Masterlist here; previous chapter here

You caught the bus a few blocks from the library and rode it across town to the doctor’s office. Waited in the front area with all the other women in various stages of pregnancy. Your heart sank as you watched woman after woman file in with a partner at her side or a friend. 

You felt utterly alone as they called your name and you stood up alone. 

The sonographer pushed off of her stool and smiled. “The doctor will be in soon.” 

You nodded, laying back against the paper-coated exam table. When the doctor entered, she smiled softly. “Hi there, I’m Dr. Whitman.” She took a seat on the stool. “Let’s take a look here.” She pulled up the sonogram charts. “Everything looks good. You’re measuring at eight weeks and three days. How do you feel?” 

“Nauseous,” you replied. “Tired.” 

She smiled. “That’s par for the course, unfortunately. The second trimester gets better for most patients.” 

“Thank God.” 

The doctor clicked off the screen and folded her hands in her lap. “Y/N,” she said softly. “A core part of a pregnancy is a support system. Are you married?” 

You shook your head. “No.” 

“Do you have a boyfriend or family to lean on?” 

“It’s complicated,” you whispered. 

“I understand.” There was something so soothing about her. “But I also know that what many people don’t realize is that a core part of a healthy pregnancy is having people to lean on. Stress is not good for the baby.” 

“I barely know the father,” you replied. “And I’ve been staying with my brother. But he’s not happy about all of this.” 

The doctor nodded. “No pregnancy is easy to plan for,” she replied. “But keeping your stress levels low is critical, especially during this first trimester. Do you have any friends who can help support you?” 

You thought of Phoenix. So far she was the only one who seemed to want to help. You nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” 

“Good.” The doctor scribbled on a pad. “I’m going to write you a prescription for an anti-nausea medication. Take it once a day for at least a week to see if it helps.” She ripped it off and then handed you the sonogram. “And here’s a photo of your baby.” 

You held the black and white photo in both hands, choking on air. For perhaps the first time, it dawned on you. 

You were going to be a mother. 

***

“Fucking shit, Floyd, what the hell was that?” Jake whipped off his helmet the moment they stepped foot on the tarmac. 

Bob grunted and turned to storm away. Phoenix put one hand on his arm and he shrugged her off. She looked at Jake and raised her eyebrows. “Above my pay grade.” 

“He’s your back seater, Natasha,” Jake said and Phoenix’s lips pressed into a fine line. Jake only called her by her first name when things were serious. 

“He has his own mind,” she hissed back. “I can’t help it that you knocked up his sister.” 

Jake’s green eyes went wide with anger. Bradley stepped between them, trying to diffuse the attention. “Alright, hold on. Let’s just take a step back here before we say things we don’t mean.” 

“I meant it when I said you only think about yourself,” Phoenix said. Her words landed on Jake with a solid delivery. It had been three years, but their last fight still stung. 

Jake shook his head, heading toward the locker room where Bob had disappeared. Behind him, Bradley held both of Phoenix’s arms, keeping her back, his whispers blending into the whirring background noise of jets landing on the tarmac. “Floyd!” Jake’s voice rang out in the empty changing room. He was quiet for a moment before a clang caught his attention, the sound of a locker door slamming. He moved further down the halfway, rounding the corner where Bob stood wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, a frown laced over his delicate face. “Floyd, listen–”

“I pretty much raised her,” Bob interrupted. Jake frowned, but stayed silent as Bob laced his shoes, refusing to make eye contact. “Our dad left. Our mom worked all the time to put food on the table. So that left taking care of Y/N to me. And I did it, because I loved her. I did it because I wanted what was best for her.” He looked up, blue eyes hollow against sullen skin. “And now you’ve shown up and ruined everything.” 

“I didn’t know she was your sister,” Jake said. “And we didn’t mean for her to get pregnant. It just happened.” 

“But it happened to her!” Bob shouted and Jake took a step back. There was something unhinged about angry Bob. So different from the wallflower that he had always been. You were the one thing that he cared enough about to pick fights over. “You happened to her. You ruined her fucking life, Hangman.” 

“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” Jake said. “It’s her life, Floyd. Not yours. It’s hers. You’re acting like I did this to you as a personal attack.” 

“She was just starting to get her footing,” Bob said quietly. “And you took that away from her. You took away her future. Everything she worked so hard for. Everything we both worked so hard for. To get out of Chattanooga. To not end up like the rest of them.” 

Jake sighed. “So that’s what this is about, isn’t it,” he said. “It’s not about me. And it’s not even really about Y/N. It’s about you.” 

Bob squinted. “What?” 

“You’re mad because you think this foils all of your plans, all of your work, everything you did to get the two of you out of that small town life.” 

“She deserves better.” 

“I agree.” Jake shook his head. “Listen, man, I’m not going anywhere. This might not have been what I expected. Hell, it might not even be what I want. But it’s where we are. I’m not going to leave her alone in all of this.” 

“She isn’t alone,” Bob said. “She has me.” 

“Does she?” 

***

A little girl set a pile of library books on the counter in front of you. She was barely tall enough to reach, her thin arms struggling beneath the weight of the books. “Hi,” she chirped.

You turned and smiled. She had big ears and a wide, uneven grin. “Hi there,” you said, scanning the first book. “Wow, you scored big.” 

“I like bugs,” she explained and you slowly noticed every single book was about snakes or bugs. You could feel bile creep up your throat as you nodded. 

“That’s nice.” 

“Do you like bugs?” 

“Not really.” 

She frowned. “That’s too bad. Do you like puppies?” 

“Yeah, puppies are better.” You finished scanning her books. “Do you need a bag?” 

She shook her head. “No, my mommy is over there.” She pointed at a pregnant woman standing next to the door looking at her phone. The little girl cocked her head to the side. “You look like her.” 

“Really?” You squinted. The woman by the door was taller, with different hair. “How so?” 

“You’re going to be a mommy,” the little girl said. “All mommys look like that.” And then she grabbed her books and jogged off toward the door. You had to practically pick your jaw up from the ground, hands dropping to your barely visible bump. How had she known? Then again, kids were like animals. Sometimes they knew things. You watched the little girl hand the books to her mom, who slid them into a tote bag before grabbing her hand tightly. 

Something stirred inside of you. It was too soon to be the baby, realistically you knew that. But somewhere, deep down, you knew it was the baby making their presence known. 

“Hi there,” you whispered, one hand over your belly button. 

***

It was late. You were asleep on the couch when the door opened. You opened your eyes wide, watching as Jake and Bradley dragged a barely coherent Bob through the door. You stood up, wiping at your eyes. “What the hell?” 

“He’s wasted,” Bradley said. “We tried but we couldn’t stop him.” 

You put your hands on your hips, turning to Jake. “Did you do this?” 

“I’m so tired of everyone blaming me,” he replied. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. 

Bradley cocked his head. “Here, let me take him.” Easily, he slung Bob over one of his shoulders, carrying him straight into the bedroom. You dragged your hand over your face, turning to Jake. 

“What’s going on with him?” 

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Jake replied, looking at his feet. “He and I, we uh, we had a fight.” 

“About what?” 

He lifted his gaze to yours. “You know what.” 

“Oh. That.” 

Jake nodded as Bradley stepped back into the living room. He looked at you, and then Jake. “I'm going to head out.” 

“Thanks for bringing him back.” 

“Any time.” Bradley paused by the door. “Hey Y/N?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Be patient with him. He’s still processing.” The door shut softly. 

“He heard me say that I hate him,” you whispered, moving back onto the couch, curling into a ball. Jake followed, sitting on the other end of the couch, a safe distance away. “Maybe he hates me, too.” 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Jake replied. “He wouldn’t act like this if he didn’t love you.” 

“Then why is he hurting me?” you whispered, a tear slipping down your cheek. 

“Because he’s hurt, too,” Jake said. “And it’s easier to be mad.” 

You tipped your head to one side. “That night we met. You had no idea I was Bob’s sister?” 

“Fuck no,” Jake replied and you smirked. He shook his head. “You’re gorgeous, but I never would have looked at you, let alone did what we did if I had known.” 

“So it wasn’t some ploy to get back at him for whatever the hell you two have beef about?” 

“This has become a lot bigger than I ever imagined.” 

You sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a cool girl you met in a bar and had sex with and never saw again. I’m sorry I’m ruining your whole life.” 

“Maybe it’s not so bad,” Jake whispered and you looked up, surprised. “Maybe I needed something to change.” 

“So you’re not upset?” 

“I’m upset,” Jake clarified. “This isn’t at all what I expected. But it’s done, right?” he asked. “We just have to deal with the consequences.” 

“How romantic.” 

“Fuck.” He leaned back. “Shit, I, I didn’t mean it like that.” 

You shook your head. “It’s OK, it was a joke.” 

“But is that what you want?” he said quietly. “Something romantic?” 

“No. I don’t know.” You pulled your hair back into a loose bun, fighting for words. “I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know anything.” 

“Are you happy here?” 

You frowned. “What do you mean here?” 

“Staying with Bob.” 

“He’s my brother.” 

“I know, Y/N.” Jake rolled his eyes. “That’s why we’re in this lovely predicament. I’m asking if you feel safe here.” 

“Bob would never hurt me.” 

“I think he already has.” Jake’s words stung and you realized for the first time that hurt was much more than just physical. “I was thinking. There’s an apartment across the hall from mine. It’s two bedrooms.” 

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” You practically scoffed. 

Jake shrugged. “Why not? At least for now. Until he cools down.” 

“That’ll only make him angrier.” 

“I don’t give a shit about what makes Floyd happy,” Jake said. “I care about what’s best for you.” 

“Do you actually?” you pressed. “Or is that just what you think you’re supposed to say and feel and do? Take away all of the outside voices and opinions. What do you, Jake Seresin, want?” 

He was quiet for a moment. Then, in the smallest voice you had ever heard, he replied, “To be a good dad. To do the right thing.” 

You nodded. “OK. I’ll move in with you.” You looked up into his clear green eyes. For the first time in weeks, you felt hopeful.

Please follow my library page @ereardonlibrary as that will largely serve as my tag list. Anyone I previous promised to tag is here:

@bobfloydsbabe @blue-aconite @wkndwlff @mamachasesmayhem @mandylove1000 @djs8891 @clancycucumber230 @rosiahills22 @buckysteveloki-me  @kmc1989 @gigisimsonmars @eloquentdreamer @mjisbby @shanimallina87 @seresinslady @seresinhangmanjake @blackwidownat2814 @yanna-banana @bbyvanessaa  @mrsjobarnes @midnightmagpiemama @ingoaliesitrust @rockbottomphilosophies-blog @iangiemae @joaquinwhorres @boiolay @sometimesanalice @spinning-away @mycobrakai1972 @xomrsalliej4787xo @na-ta-sh-aa

[equipment-manifest]

Curated list of Rain World analysis I like

The Benefactors (aka the Ancients) comrade-slugcat's theory about the scale of Ancient Urban dragonpropaganda on popular misconceptions about the Benefactors' culture flickering-nightfall attempts to determine the size of the Benefactors relative to in-game environments using evidence from the Watcher DLC ikayblythe's speculative biology kociamieta's notes on Benefactor character design pocket-goat, morebagels, prismsoup, and opashoo discuss the usage of "Benefactors" and "Ancients" in reference to the cultures of Rain World sluglore explains the purpose the Benefactors built the Iterators to serve

Character analysis eliias-bouchard on NSH's portrayal ikayblythe on Pebbles' age and motivations pocket-goat's thoughts about Moon in the context of the Saint campaign shkika on Moon and Pebbles' relationship shkika on whether Moon and Pebbles are siblings skybristle's and my own thoughts on the decay of Moon's organic parts

General speculative biology chaotic-minds-think-alike's interpretation of lizards dragonpropaganda on the relationship of purposed organisms to ingame fauna flickering-nightfall's interpretation of the reproductive strategies and social structures of various species in the game iteratorsex and dragonpropaganda discuss the origin of wormgrass and its role in the ecosystem sluglore on the intelligence of Slugcats and the experience of playing Rain World for the first time

Iterator anatomy bonniesband's exposition on the Rot as a type of cancer copepods and myself on whether parts of post-collapse Moon beyond the puppet could be conscious copepods on viewing iterators as more than the puppet delta-orionis' method for estimating the height of Iterator cans delta-orionis and myself discuss the meaning of the terms "Recursive Transform Array" and "Abstract Convergence Manifold" mebis-art-dump and I discuss the axon-like coral stems and other internal biota of Iterator superstructures my theory about how an Iterator's memories are stored and why Moon doesn't forget anything when she loses a neuron orangedoorhingeinstorage and kayjaypax on movable components in the memory conflux and adjacent systems skybristle's and my own thoughts on the decay of moon's organic parts

Iterator puppet anatomy aluminum-angels' interpretation bitsbug's puppet interpretation copepods' mechanical interpretation: moon & pebbles / post-collapse moon flickering-nightfall's journey to understand the puppet arm: part 1 / part 2 flickering-nightfall on the "umbilical" ikayblythe's arthropoidal interpretation: overview / endoskeletons / "skin" joowee-feftynn observes that puppets can't walk spotsupstuff on the relationship between puppet and can trashiiplant's ragdoll interpretation yellowsnacc's "jello-covered skeleton" interpretation

Natural philosophy bitsbug and ikayblythe discuss the age of the ecosystem dragonpropaganda explains why igneous rocks don't exist in Rain World and discusses the implications with delta-orionis grunckle's notes on what we know about the cosmology of Rain World ikayblythe's speculative geology of the surface and void sea

Slugcat anatomy arrayydee's slugcat design artihunter's take on the fur/slime question dopscratch's mollusk/mustelid interpretation kelocitta on the ecological implications of Rivulet's external gills honey-marrow's interpretation of Spearmaster's anatomy

Themes and storytelling bitsbug draws a comparison between Rain World's Cycle and the real-world Water Cycle comrade-slugcat and myself on themes of inevitability and futility in Monk & Survivor's campaigns dragonpropaganda on how Rain World's level design is based on the idea of civilizations successively building upon each others' ruins grunckle's theory relating ascension, void worms, and voidspawn together through the idea of qualia grunckle's illustration of the parallels between the iterators and void worms and some connections to Gnosticism nyuuronfly and vodens on the relationship between Rain World's lore and gameplay and the experience of a blind playthrough seventeendeer on the thematic significance of ascension and the player's agency in choosing it sick-ada's theory that the final cutscene in the Void sea leads back to the start of each vanilla campaign sluglore on the intelligence of Slugcats and the experience of playing Rain World for the first time Miscellaneous delta-orionis discusses the purpose of karma gates with batwards-running flecks-of-stardust's theory that (in vanilla) the Chimney Canopy pearl was created by Five Pebbles mebis-reblogs' animation of one of the harvester machines from Farm Arrays in action monkmain on the illustration for Stolen Enlightenment my theory on the meaning of "HR_LAYERS_OF_REALITY" my timeline of architecture on the surface rw-me elaborates on the canonicity of Downpour shkika on the distances between members of the local group shkika, flecks-of-stardust, and fluffybunny35 discuss why it rains in Shaded Citadel soaricarus, flickering-nightfall, and myself on why Seven Red Suns is probably not a member of the "local group" yunnifo discusses Rivulet ending projections

[eaglet-if]

Орлёнок (Eaglet)

Орлёнок (Eaglet) is an interactive story set in a country similar to 1910s-1920s Russia. You're a member of the overthrown Imperial Family, shaping the future of the Empire by virtue of arms.

It aims to be equal parts role-playing, dress-up and strategy game, with an emphasis on romance.

Although there will be no explicit nsfw scenes, it does include graphic descriptions of the horrors of war as well as personal tragedies, so please refer to the content warnings at the end of this post.

(as the project is still a wip, this overview is somewhat incomplete and will be gradually updated in tandem with the progress of writing)

DEMO: here (v0.0.2a, 21.06.2024)

Forum post: here

Number Spelling Function (IF writer resource): here

Secondary project: @a-dying-wish-if Tertiary (mini-)project: @perceptron-failure-if Quaternary project: [redacted]

The Empire of Nevetskiya - old, proud, and utterly dilapidated. While the Industrial Revolution has enabled other Monarchies - after a few quickly suppressed workers' uprisings - to become modern colonialist superpowers, exerting their influence all over the world, Nevetskiya is still overwhelmingly agrarian, and barely holding onto its outlying territories acquired in golden times long past.

Your Father Emperor, while ruling with an iron fist and unquestionable authority over the common people, is completely dependent on the shaky loyalty of the High Nobility, who frustrate any attempt to modernize the economy or administration, out of fear upstart merchants might, in time, replace the old Aristocracy.

When a sloppily executed coup d'etat eventually leaves your family dead and you a refugee, it becomes time you grab the reins of your destiny and amass an army to liberate and rebuild the country in the way you envision.

(this is meant to be a concise overview - a more exiting and detailed description of features can be found in the offical Interest Check Thread post)

extensive character customization

extensive army customization - both in a strategy and in a dress-up game sense

focus on story over stats - success is determined on the battlefield, not by your character's personality

five distinct regions with a wide cast of characters

complex personality system - for example, how your character actually feels and what they show to the world are separate things

several ways to rule - will you become a traditional Monarch, a Military Dictator, a democratically elected Head-of-State, or maybe proclaim yourself a Living Saint?

choose how much modernization is needed - will you allow women to bear arms, at the cost of offending the traditionalist nobles? Introduce tanks at the cost of foreign powers gaining influence?

how far will you go for victory? A political police, mass executions and the use of special types of weaponry might give you an edge, but is your vision really worth it?

a total of ten romanceable characters

(this naturally might contain slight spoilers)

The ROs

★ Yakov Tymofiyevich Sokolovskiy / Liliya Tymofiyevna Sokolovskaya ★

The Intelligence Director (gender-selectable)

One of your four original companions. As a member of the High Nobility, you've met them before - maybe you've even been childhood friends?

But even if you know them, it's hard to tell what they're truly like, as they seem to switch personalities effortlessly depending on the situation.

Their work is a mystery to seemingly everyone, but they always get results: as long as you let them act freely, no enemy agent has any chance to harm you or your cause.

Age: mid-20s

★ Semyon Ivanovich Orlov / Selena Ivanovna Orlova ★

The Cavalry Officer (gender-selectable)

One of your four original companions. A war hero and renowned expert when it comes to horses, the only reason they were not yet promoted to a lofty position in the War Ministry is their pragmatic approach to new developments, which hasn't mixed well with the typically very traditionalist views of the old Imperial officer corps.

Possessing a subdued but strong charisma and deeply respected by their soldiers as a wise parent figure, they are a solid pillar of support to you, and will reliably get things done - though some people might consider the cost for that too high sometimes.

Age: early 30s

★ Mikhail Pavlovich Voronin / Marina Pavlovna Voronina ★

The Young Visionary (gender-selectable)

One of your four original companions. They shot up through the ranks by impressing the War Ministry with bold new ideas for utilizing modern technologies and are hailed as a genius by many - though the older officers dismiss them as a dreamer at best and incompetent fool at worst.

With you, they hope to have found someone who'll appreciate their visions for the future - plus, their relative eccentrism has left them in dire need of a friend.

Their technical expertise might just prove to be the key to your success - if you can secure the foreign support needed to get the modern equipment needed to utilize it.

Age: early 20s

★ Leon Isayev / Leah Isayeva ★

The Noble Academic (gender-selectable)

One of your four original companions. Born to wealthy nobles, they graduated the Imperial Officer Academy with perfect grades, and feel honour-bound to your family.

They were the one to gather your initial force of loyalists and act as your primary advisor. But their loyalty is to the Imperial system, with you just a symbolic representative - can you convince them that you and your vision deserve their loyalty beyond that?

Age: late 20s

★ 'Little' Semyon/Selena Shvets ★

The Hero (gender-selectable)

A young cavalry officer and leader of your Southern Forces. A protegé of the "other" Semyon/Selena, they lack their cynical pragmatism, but make up for it with a firm belief in the triumph of a better world.

Some may call their optimism naive, and their personality has been mockingly compared to a Golden Retriever, but they have proven time and time again that underestimating them on the battlefield results in a crushing defeat.

Age: early 20s

★ Nikola ★

The Rebel (nb)

Leading an anti-authoritarian peasant uprising in the West, Nikola is more likely to be your enemy than your ally - but they don't seem to care enough about politics to refrain from flirting with you, so... there might be a basis of mutual understanding there?

Their personality is pretty sweet, at least - if you ignore the fact they'll cheerfully gun down prisoners if they feel like it.

Age: mid-20s

★ Rakhmil/Rakhilya Feldman ★

The Logistician (gender-selectable)

A member of the Western Rebel Army and best friend of Nikola's adoptive sibling, they've poured their soul (and countless nights without any sleep) into somehow maintaining the rebels' supply network in the face of their rapidly swelling numbers.

Unhappy with Nikola's carefree attitude, they might end up aligning with you instead in order to save their cause.

Age: late 20s

★ Arseniy Matveyevich Lebedev / Amaliya Matveyevna Lebedeva ★

The Enemy (gender-selectable)

Grand Duke Lebedev, the main leader of the Aristocrat faction, stood by and watched when your family was executed. Arseniy/Amaliya is their younger sibling, and serves as military commander of his personal forces that aid several warlords in their efforts to establish their own petty kingdoms.

But they're already uncomfortable with their brother's methods, and if you can convince them that you're not actually "an incompetent little puppet who's trying to ruin the country out of arrogant delusions", they might become a very valuable ally.

Age: mid-20s

★ Lyudmila Demyanovna Naumova ★ (f)

A minor noble who reluctantly turned into a Warlord in order to protect her territory and her people. All she wants is peace - but she'll not hesitate to fight if she believes it necessary.

Unfortunately, you can't just ignore her - all must choose a side in this war - but you have options how to deal with her. Will you subdue her by force? Or fall back on the age-old option of political marriage to secure an alliance?

Age: late 20s

★ Jan/Jana Novotný ★ (gender-selectable, under certain circumstances)

A member of your Personal Guard who has distinguished themself and eventually rises to become its commander. Others might betray or doubt you, but Novotný only cares about one thing - your continued, unharmed existence.

And they will go to any lengths to guarantee it.

Age: mid-20s

CONTENT WARNINGS

...will be added as they become relevant in the demo.

[selenaa5]

Overview: Geto and gojo are best friends who are both in love with you. They invite you over to drink and smoke weed. This is completely consensual as reader also is into it!!

Geto x Gojo x y/n

Warnings: smut, weed, alcohol, 3 some, oral, double penetration, anal and vaginal penetration, praise and degrading kink, cream pies, hair pulling, choking, consensual sex

You walked into gojos room and saw him and geto on the bed already rolling up a joint. The bed if full of snacks and 2 bottles of alcohol. They both look at you and smile widely. They both take in your look, you have on just a hoodie and shorts underneath. You hurry and jump into bed with them and start talking about your day. They pretend to be fully interested in what you were saying but they weren’t. They just wanted to get you drunk and high. You lay on your stomach between them and light up the join taking the first hit. You passed it to Gojo. He took a long hit as he looked you in the eyes, you blushed a little at his eye contact already feeling the weed in your system making you more shy than usual. Gojo slows the smoke into you eyes and laughs at you coughing from the cloud of smoke. Geto moves closer to you and wraps his around around you cuddling into you for an second then moving back away. You giggle at this. 2 joints later you get thirsty from the cotton mouth *worst thing ever btw 😞*you open the bottle and start to drink it as if it’s water the boys start yelling words of encouragement telling you to chug. After you chug the bottle you get up and run around the room from the burning taste. Both men laughing at you and grabbing you and throwing you onto the bed.

“God you’re such a drunk y/n.” Geto laughs stroking your stomach..raising your hoodie to expose your stomach and shorts.

“I kinda like it, she’s so cute when she’s cross faded haha” Gojo rubs your head.

You continue to giggle for no reason as you just pretend to understand what they’re saying. They look at each other knowing that now is a time to initiate their plan. They both lay next to you and cuddle into you taking in your smell..a mix of perfume and the weed. You try to get up from in between them..sitting up. They both lay their head of your shoulder and kiss you neck lightly not to scare you.

“Huh..are you guys okay, what are you doing hehe” you say with a slur.

Both boys continue to kiss you neck. Gojos hands rub up your stomach to your breast he cups them over your sweatshirt. Geto licks up to your neck and starts to leave hickeys on your neck. You whimper at the touches form the boys. They notice and it only encourages them more.

“Take your sweater off sweetie..” Geto says sitting you up so you can easily take it off.

You listen to them taking off your hoodie in a quick motion that got you back dizzy and flopping back onto the bed.. Gojo gets to the end of the bed taking off your short and panties at the same time. Cold air hits your slipper wet pussy, both boys take a minute to adore your wet pussy on display. Geto joins gojo as both of their faces are in front of your pussy..Geto moves first slipping his index finger into your pussy folds experimenting with your reaction. You close your legs shut as a reaction to his teasing. Gojo chuckles and opens your legs holding them down with just 1 arm. You moan form both of their teasing. Geto continues to slip his fingers in your fold collecting your juices..he finally slips a finger in. He can feel how hot and tight your pussy is already.

“Wow…so tight baby. Can barely even fit a finger” Geto purrs in a teasing way.

Gojo laughs at his comment, being jealous that Geto is the only one pleasing you right now. Gojo moves his finger to your pussy as well slipping his finger in with geto. You moan loudly feeling your pussy tighten around their fingers..you had thought about having sex with them for a long time but you never thought about having sex with both at the same time.

You felt your pussy tighten after a minute of them both fingering you, they curl their finger in the right spot getting you to your orgasm. You cum harder than ever, possibly from the alcohol and weed. Both men groan feeling your pussy tighten around their finger.. Gojo leans it and licks your pussy cleaned. He moans tasting your cum on his tongue wanting more as he grinds his crotch into the bed.

Geto takes his clothes off quickly feeling his dick hurt against his underwear. When he strips his pants his cock springs out, it made your jaw go slack seeing his big cock throb and pre cum leaking form his tip. Geto lifts you up onto his lap making your straddle your bare pussy against his throbbing cock. Gojo joins geto in taking off his clothes. Gojo sits besides you and rubs his cock against your ass trying to get some kind of friction. You grab Gojos cock and start to stroke it, he throws his head back moaning at your strokes. Gojo had a very pretty cock..it was super thick and veiny. Geto takes this as a good time to try and slip it in. His tip is pushing against your entrance..he struggles to slip it in from how tight you are. You whimper feeling your pussy get stretched from Getos dick..he finally slips it in and you both groan from the feeling.

“fuck…it’s so tight. Gojo..put it in her ass” he chuckles to Gojo.

You whimper at the thought of both men inside you at the same time.. you look back at Gojo and nod your head in approval. Gojo jumps behind you and slowly stretches your ass also. You scream from the sudden stretch and the pain. Gojo and Geto both kiss you neck and lips as a way to soothe you and make you forget the pain. After a few minutes the pain turns into pleasure as you slowly grind on both of their cocks. You throw your head back and onto Satorus shoulder from behind you. Gojo takes a handful of your hair and pulls it lightly. Geto joins in chokes you as he bounces you up and down holding onto your waist making you bounce on both of their cocks.

“You’re such a slut riding both our cock..we should get you drunk more often, huh?” Gojo whispers into your ear making you moan as you shake your head yes not able to speak clearly feeling yourself already close to another orgasm.

“You’re taking us so good baby..making me feel so good. Ima already so close..wanna fill your little pussy up so bad. Can I?” Geto whines into your ear pleading to cum already.

You groan and shake your head yes allowing him to cum early. Both Gojo and Geto hold onto your body and thrust into you faster than before feeling themselves close to orgasming. You cry from pleasure feeling your pussy and ass tighten around both of their cocks drill into you. All of you guy groan in pleasure as you guys all cum at the same time. Both men filling up your holes to the brim as they continue to grind in you to calm themselves down from their highs. You following them by creaming around their dicks and going limp on them feeling your body sore and tired.

Both men chuckle as you go limb…Gojo gets up and grabs a rag from the bathroom to clean you. After cleaning you they lay you into bed with them as they cuddle your naked body. You guys fall asleep :3

AN: this is my first time writing a whole smut so I hope you guys enjoy. I wanted this to be a longer one since it was my first but my next ones will be shorter :)

[lalal-99]

of sex at parties {h.j.} | track 4

©June 2023, April 2024 by lalal-99

Han Jisung x afab!reader | trope: slice of life, coming of age | word count: 6k

Synopsis: The one where you play Truth or Drink and things get a little heated.

Check Chapter Overview for complete list of warnings

Note: I know, I know... I wanted to have shorter chapters and update more frequently. But life happens. And it just so happens that I rediscovered my love for music making and production (not that anyone cares or even reads my notes). These things tend to engulf me fully and don't let me go until I'm forced out of them. When will I post the next chapter? Who knows? Could be tomorrow. Could be in two months (not likely...).

Tumblr works on a reblog system. Please consider reblogging this post so that it can reach more people. Thank you :)

Please don't flag as mature or repost this story - Thank You

“That’s almost too easy! Fuck Psy, Marry Bang PD and Kill JYP. Next!”

Yuqi’s answer sent Hwasa into a fit of laughter, almost bursting her pipes as she spat her drink into the nearby sink.

“Girl, you got some explaining to do about that.” When Wheein had prompted the blonde, she likely hadn’t expected an answer within two seconds.

“What do I have to explain about that? JYP was the obvious choice for Kill. Psy is famously known as the mother-father gentleman, so Fuck. And Bang PD…He has that TXT money. So, marry him and hopefully prevent him from signing any kind of prenup.” Yuqi took a sip from her cocktail, shrugging. The answer sent Hwasa straight into another breathless cough while her girlfriend steadied her. Otherwise she would have also sent her head straight into the marble countertop.

Two hours of dancing and three of Yuqi’s mysteriously strong cocktails after your arrival, you found yourself back in the kitchen. While all your closest friends surrounded you, everything seemed just a bit brighter. And a bit more funny too, with the alcohol running through your system. You were so relaxed even, you had somehow agreed to playing a few rounds of Truth or Drink. That you barely knew these people, or maybe because of it, you found yourself enjoying it more than usual.

So much so you had played it for the past 20 minutes, passing around questions with one simple rule. Either answer or empty your drink.

Sure, the gamification of drinking wasn’t the most intelligent decision. But it also gave you the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better. So, what the heck!

“Okay, fair.”

Yuqi spun the bottle once Wheein had passed her answer as acceptable. The rim landed on Changbin this time, the only male in your group. Leaned back against the counter, you had almost forgotten he was present. Well, almost, hadn’t it been for his visible affection for Yuqi. He always laughed at her answers a bit too loud, looked at her a little too long. She had ignored him for the most part, though you doubted it was out of spite or disinterest. She didn’t even realise his attempt to grab her attention; too drunk and into the game.

Changbin waited for her question, watching her lips move as she phrased it seconds later.

“Body count. Go!”

A little cliché, yes, though the boy seemed indifferent about it.

“Depends. What body count are we talking about?” Changbin counter-questioned as he crossed his buff arms over his bottle.

“What kind of freaky stuff are you into that you have several types of body count?”

Redness spread from Changbin’s cheeks to his ears as he shifted.

“I’m not into anything weird,” he defended, embarrassed by her suggestion. “I was talking more about sex or, like, mouth and hand stuff.”

“Alright. Let’s do sex.” That gave him base to answer.

“Then two.”

“Two?” Hwasa was surprised, leaning forward as she propped herself onto the countertop. She was a little shaky, swaying back and forth on her elbows.

“Yes. You sound shocked.”

“Why so few?” Yuqi’s filter had subsided somewhen between drinks four and five. The words simply tumbled out of her mouth at this point.

“Because,” Changbin shifted his weight onto the other leg, stalling. Not that his answer was particularly weird as it was double your body count, after all. But you couldn’t deny your own surprise. Until now, he had seemed very sure of himself. Carrying himself with a fair amount of self-confidence; almost oozing sex-appeal. You, too, had expected his body count to be much higher. “I don’t sleep with anyone I’m not involved with. I had two long-term relationships in High School, back-to-back. So, two people’s not weird.”

“What about the hand and mouth stuff body count?”

Changbin smirked at Yuqi’s curiosity, bringing his bottle to his lips, “Only one question per round.”

“Suspicious,” Yuqi’s eyes narrowed, “but alright.”

“Great, my turn then.” Changbin spun the bottle and the cap-part landed on Hwasa. She straightener her back, daringly waving her hands at him.

“Hit me!”

Contemplating his options, Changbin took a few seconds to find an appropriate question. Which wasn’t easy seeing he didn’t know and had barely spoken to her. “Okay. What was the most public place you ever had sex in?” Considering the expected sexual direction this game had taken, the question was fitting.

Hwasa ran her long nails through her hair, eyes fixing on Wheein in deep thought. “There’s been a few. What do you think, babe?”

“I don’t know. The whirlpool at my parent’s house?”

“Nah. That’s still pretty private. Your parents weren’t even home.”

Searching the mental drawers of her brain, Hwasa found a more fitting memory. She sent a knowing look towards her girlfriend, logging in her final answer. “I know. When we did at the movies.”

Wheein cocked an eyebrow as she took a strong sip from her drink. Her gaze, meanwhile, remained fixed on the colourful liquid, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah... That wasn’t me.”

“Of course it was!” Hwasa exclaimed, gesturing with her hands to revive the memory. “We watched that awful Tom Cruise movie.”

“I’ve never seen a Tom Cruise movie in my life.”

Hwasa should have left it at that, but her intoxicated brain didn’t take the hint. Knowing the crucial details of their backstory together—courtesy to Yuqi and her impressive interrogational skills—you sent her warning glares. Though she was too focused on her girlfriend to notice.

As extroverted as you had learned her to be, Hwasa had her fair share of relationships in the past. She had been with many men and women alike; some more serious and others not so much. Like her friends-with-benefits situation with Jackson, for example. After dating a lot through High School and the first two years of college, she eventually met Wheein. They loved each other very much, as anyone could tell after spending a few hours with them. An unspoken dynamic remained nonetheless, with Wheein being far less experienced.

She had been with men only for the first 20 years of her life. It took her another year to realise why her interest in them had never stuck. And another year after that to come to terms with her sexuality. That’s when she met Hwasa, their eventual relationship the first serious one she had ever been in. Let alone with a woman.

For as much as they loved each other, Wheein became insecure whenever Hwasa mentioned her previous partners.

So, yes. Hwasa should have probably let it be. But she didn’t.

“Erm, we sure did. I can’t believe you don’t remember. We got one of those loveseats in the last row, but the movie was so bad we started making out and stuff.” She didn’t need to explain and stuff further for you to know what she was hinting at. “I distinctly remember because my hair kept tangling up in your earrings. Almost lost an ear for sex that day.”

Clearing her throat, Wheein stepped back to lean against the counter, arms crossed. “Wasn’t me. See.” She lifted her hair, showing her ears to her girlfriend. It took a few seconds to realise her ears weren’t pierced. “It must have been one of your exes.”

A veil of tension spread over you at the hint of malaise in her voice. Hwasa’s cheeks heated up, a manicured nail between her teeth at the realisation.

“Oops.”

Despite the music blasting through the speakers, the silence was thick. It broke only once Yuqi spoke up. You had never been happier about her ability to find the place to pick up previous conversations.

“I had sex in a whirlpool once.” Heads turned in her direction as her face scrunched up at the memory. “Very sexy, but not comfortable. And then there’s the issue of protection. Who in their right mind carries a condom when sitting in a whirlpool?”

“So? What did you do?” Changbin’s curiosity was very sparked.

“We took a chance.” A shockwave overtook the crowd as though Yuqi had said something controversial. “I know. I’m not proud of it, either. But as I said, it was very sexy, and we didn’t want to ruin the mood.”

“I definitely do not recommend taking a chance. Especially not for the sake of not ruining the mood.”

All eyes turned to you as you spoke, only acknowledging your words once they had come out of your mouth. Maybe you should go slower on the alcohol, as your body started to act on its own account.

“Speaking from experience?” Hwasa questioned with a smirk as you took another sip from your drink before finally setting it down.

“A friend of mine,” you explained, crossing your arms as you leaned against the fridge behind you. “She winged it once and got pregnant.”

“Damn! How old was she?”

“14 and a half.”

“That’s rough. Did your friend keep it?”

“He’s turning four in November.”

Most colour drained from Yuqi’s face at those words and a shudder ran through her body. “Now I’m kinda glad the only thing I got from my story was a cold.”

The crowd fell into a bunch of giggles at Yuqi’s honesty, the tensive mood finally fading. She should consider her ability to cut right through tension a gift.

Your gaze tiptoed through the doorway into the living area where they met a familiar figure. Over the past half-hour, you had searched his attention on occasion. The alcohol in your system encouraged the search for proximity to Jisung. Now that you had reached the early morning hours, the crowd started dissolving, and it became much easier for you to follow his movements. That he had the same urge for your closeness hadn’t gone by you. Several longing gazes had found you, which the vibrating egg inside you had at least some part in.

Jisung was still with most of his friends—sans Changbin, who was with you, and Felix, who had left a while ago. Instead, a few girls had entered the chat, most prominently a girl around your age and height. Why was she so prominent? Well, she seemed to find anything and everything your boyfriend said hilarious. She threw her black bob-cut-hair back so much, you feared she'd break her neck. She had started a conversation with your boyfriend earlier and now hung on his every word.

While you had checked their whereabouts at first, you stopped once you noticed Jisung’s nonverbal cues. The constant gazes your way and his lip wandering between his teeth with every uncomfortable chuckle. They told you he did anything but enjoy the banter the skimpily-clad girl had engaged him in.

Your suspicion proved correct when Jisung reached into his pocket and the vibrations picked up. Reassurance, that while he was talking to someone else, his mind was still entirely with you.

You probably should have helped out your boyfriend. You knew he couldn’t act on his unwillingness to continue talking to her. Though Jisung had to learn to handle such situations at some point. And you were having such a blast with your friends, so you let him be. The group was still debating their most public sexcapades and your head turned back as your lips wrapped around your bottle.

Apparently, your diverting glances hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Are you not bothered by that?”

Looking down at yourself, you feared your outfit had malfunctioned in some way. You knew you shouldn’t have worn a skirt to a frat party, but Yuqi had convinced you out of your faded black jeans. You always wear them. Spice it up a little. Unbeknownst to her, you had already spiced it up, the egg inside you rubbing against your walls with delicious pressure. But you still let yourself be talked into the skirt. Now, you regretted all your life decisions as a group of people stared at you.

“Why? What is it?” You searched your outfit for the origin of Hwasa’s statement.

“I’m talking about your boyfriend. Talking to another girl.”

You found the two of them again, eyes wandering up and down the girl’s sporty figure. Her long legs were clad in skin-tight jeans that reached her narrow waist. A crop top and pair of spotless white sneakers rounded off her athletic look. Her hand ran through her jet-black hair and that was all it took to detect that she was flirting. If her longing glances at Jisung hadn’t already been hint enough.

“And a pretty one,” Yuqi added as you focused on the group again, shaking your head.

“Not really, no. Why? Should I?”

“I don’t know. I’d be if it were my girlfriend, talking to her.” Wheein blushed at Hwasa’s words, damage control overshadowing her previous insecurity.

“I wouldn’t be too worried,” Changbin interjected, grabbing your attention. “She’s been coming on to each of us at least once tonight. She started off with Chris and made her way down the line.”

“Even if she didn’t. They’re only talking.” You met Jisung’s gaze, his lips morphing into a smile once he noticed. The vibrations spiked on cue, and it took a little more focus from you not to react. “I trust him.”

Little could have destroyed the trust you had for each other. Either of you understood that you had gotten lucky. Being with your best friend and finding your soulmate this early on. Apart from that, neither of you had ever given the other a reason to mistrust them. You were smart enough to not let anything risk what you had.

When Jisung excused himself from the group, your sense of awareness was proven yet again. He left the girl mid-conversation to join your separate party which filled you with pride. His cheeks squished into their usual round shape as he beamed at you until he landed at your side.

“Are you talking about me, or am I so pretty you can’t keep your eyes off me.”

Your boyfriend’s arms wrapped around you from behind and his chin landed on your shoulder. “It’s when he says things like that, that I know I’m stuck with him for life.”

The girls and Changbin chuckled at your words, Jisung meeting your gaze with a frown.

“What?”

“Nothing, baby. I love you.”

The stupid grin forming on his lips warmed your heart. “Love you, too.”

Your group picked up their game of Truth or Drink while your boyfriend stood wrapped around you. You tried focusing while Hwasa spun the bottle to land on you. The alcohol in your system caused a constant buzz, goosebumps rising as she asked you about secret kinks.

Your friends went positively berserk when you told them about your exhibitionistic tendencies. Not you. Not well-behaved Y/N, who never even swore. You refrained from further mentioning how you sometimes ditched underwear in everyday situations. Yuqi’s eyes would have probably bulked out of her skulls, comic-book-style. You also didn’t note your fondness of public play, fearing Hwasa would suffocate, forgetting to breathe.

“Sorry, but I can’t believe we could walk in on you two getting your freak on, entering a lecture hall. Or the cafeteria. Or the football court. Although…Would we walk out on you in that case?” Hwasa questioned once she had found the brainpower to pick her jaw up from the floor.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” you told your friend in amusement. “We’re pretty good at hiding. You wouldn’t even know we’re there.”

A whole new set of toxins filled your bloodstream as you talked something so dirty. Quickening palpitations were enforced by your boyfriend, pulling you closer against himself. The mere mention of your spicy secret was enough to drive him crazy. He seemed even more excited, being the only one knowing you were living your kink right that second.

Your very sexy, very tempting boyfriend shared your interest in all things exhibitionist. Although you usually kept the PDA down whenever around people. Sure, you exchanged kisses here and there. But even hugging typically only occurred when no one was around. It was somewhat precautional. So people around you weren’t even slightly suspicious when you decided to go commando. Or if either of you controlled whatever Bluetooth vibrator the other was wearing. No one would suspect anything like that from the couple that hardly held hands in public.

Your friends accepted your revelation after many more questions, which remained unanswered. They went off-topic—or rather, off you as the focus of it—as they debated their willingness to have sex in public. And you didn’t dare complain.

This way, no one noticed Jisung’s hand creeping up the back of your thigh until he reached your ass. He kissed the back of your neck, blowing cool air against the moist skin as it tickled you. Trying to stay calm and keep your secret antics secret from your friends was half the fun. You bit the inside of your cheek as his breath tickled you, his teeth soon moving to nibble at your earlobe.

The two of you swayed to the music, concealing your ass which was grinding against his growing bulge. It was no surprise when you felt him stiffen against the movement, a proud smirk appearing on your face.

Your ability to turn each other on in seconds was still as present as during the first few weeks together.

“Baby,” Jisung hummed against your ear, hands grabbing your hips to still you.

“Mhm.”

The music was loud, and the people around you were drunk enough so no one could follow your conversation.

“It’s been about three hours of me playing with you like this. How about we tend to that upstairs bedroom situation?”

“I don’t know.” The wondering tone in your voice was fake, teasing, and Jisung could tell. “I’m not convinced. Also, kinda having a blast here.”

“I don’t think this is a matter of conviction,” Jisung whispered, lips wandering over your neck. His hands travelled under your shirt, fingers digging into your flesh as he manhandled you towards the exit. “It’s been over a week since we last did it. You’re as desperate as I am.”

“Am I?”

“We should go upstairs. You know, to check.”

Inspecting your surroundings, right now seemed the best possible moment to leave. Everyone was deep in conversation, attention straying from the two of you.

“Okay. But let’s make this quick. Wouldn’t want to miss too much of the party.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m gonna be real fast.”

Jisung took you by the hand, leading you out of the kitchen and towards the staircase at the back of the room. You looked back at the group as Oohs and Get Its were thrown your way and gave your friends a thumbs up.

From that moment on, your mind was on Jisung.

You ran up the stairs behind him, and into the dim, unoccupied hallway. Once you had ensured you were on your own, you pulled Jisung back to finally kiss him.

His hands came to your hips on impact, keeping you steady against him as your mouth opened to let him in. Tongues intertwining and teeth clashing, he stepped forward, pushing you against the wall. Jisung didn’t take a breather, grinding himself against you and giving you no time to think. People could have come out of one of the rooms at any point, catching you. Not a hint of secrecy remained as the alcohol and your boyfriend’s tasted roamed your veins.

Soon enough, his mouth travelled down your jaw, tongue meeting the skin of your throat in a longing suck. He went all in, his hands running up your body until he met your breasts. The pressure against your throat provoked a throaty moan.

You hummed at his actions, feeling even more desperate for his full attention.

With your hands in his hair, you pulled him closer to your chest, his lips soon pressed against your cleavage. It reddened under his kisses and your breathing accellerate as he rubbed over your nipples. H knew your body better than you, strong arms keeping you in place as he handled you the way that always made you go crazy. Made you crave him.

“Baby—” you groaned into the air, head thrown back to grant him more access to your neck.

“Told you, you were as desperate as me.” The smugness in his voice remained uncommented as both his hands dipped under your bra. He pinched your nipples between his forefingers and thumbs and you ground yourself against him. A gush of wetness filled your panties as though they weren’t already soaked. It had been hours of him, controlling the vibrations inside you. “I bet you’re leaking out of your panties.” Jisung’s hand ran down your side until it reached the edge of your skirt. He felt below it, fingers dancing over your hot skin until his palm landed at your centre, cupping you. A groan left his lips. “Mhm, just like I said. You’re dripping.”

“Fine. You caught me,” you admitted with a sigh. “What are you gonna do about it, though?”

His face remained close as he turned the vibrations to the max, giving you no chance to prepare. Bending your knees at the rush of pleasure, you moaned into his mouth, pleading up at him. With his hand still cupping you, he could feel every contraction of your walls. Two of his fingers pushed the egg deeper into you. His palm against your clit further increased the electricity coursing through your veins.

“Did you say something?” Your mind blurred from the vibrations as mumbled pleas tumbled over your lips. Jisung smirked at your inability to form words, the toy slowing down after a while. “Didn’t think so.”

When he opened the door to the first bedroom he found, you followed him inside. Before he could even ask you to strip, you were already starting to undress. You were about to take your skirt off when Jisung stopped you with a request you couldn’t find it in you to deny.

“Leave it on.”

Of course, your insatiable, horny boyfriend would want to fuck you in a mini-skirt. You hadn’t worn anything that short in years. Add stockings and a cropped Rolling Stones shirt, and this would have come close to the outfit you had met him in.

Jisung removed his clothes, tight jeans requiring more attention as he struggled pushing them over his erection. After watching him take forever to rid himself of the confines, you decided to help him. Guiding his hands away from his crotch, you took over. A suggestive smile played on your lips as you held eye contact, dragging the pants over him and down his toned legs.

He expected you to lay back down once he was freed, letting him push you back into submission. Though, you had other plans at that moment.

Stripping your boyfriend of his briefs, his length looked too delicious to let the moment go by. So, you leaned in and took him into your mouth.

First, you concentrated on the head. You let the tip of your tongue dance over him before adding further lip action. After mere seconds, he was red and swollen, droplets of white crawling down the sides. He was twitching against your lips, head rolling back at the delightful dissatisfaction. Slow-paced ministrations were as arousing to him as they were frustrating, so you already expected his irritation.

Not a minute later, Jisung’s hands crept to the back of your head, attempting to guide you further down. In the current power position you found yourself in, you wouldn’t have any of that.

“Don’t move, baby. Let me take care of you.”

“’s not enough,” Jisung mumbled but complied, hands resting on your cheeks instead. “I need more.”

“I know. Just enjoy.”

You moved back to his head, sucking at him as your fingers dug into his thighs. They twitched against your touches, every other suck making him weak in the knees as they buckled.

Once Jisung started panting, you sped up, fitting more of him into your mouth. You could tell it became harder for him to hold back, hips bucking into your mouth on occasion. You didn’t stop him, enjoying his despair for the warmth and the lustful sight only you could provide him with. It made you feel powerful, the dominant side overtaking the logical one as you took him as deep as possible.

Gagging around him, a breathy “Fuck!” escaped him as he got oh so close to his orgasm. At some point, he must have taken the remote control out of his pocket. As he was nearing the edge, the vibrations increased, causing a moan to slip past your lips and around his length. He stifled an ecstatic scream with the back of his hand.

Your performance suffered for a mere second and Jisung took the opportunity to pull out. With new-found energy, he shoved you to lay on your back.

Typically, you held the more dominant position in bed. Sending your boyfriend to heaven by riding him like there was no tomorrow. All the more exciting was it when Jisung was so on edge he couldn’t stand your teasing. When he couldn’t wait to be inside you. That’s when he used his physical superiority to overpower you and have it his way.

You definitely had a soft spot for how he dominated you when he was particularly desperate.

With your back against the mattress and his arms on either side of your waist, there was no way for you to get up. Jisung used this advantage to connect his mouth to your breast, sucking at your nipple like you loved. Your eyes rolled back at the incredible sensitivity of each of his touches. After spending significant time at your chest—granting both sides the same amount of attention—he kissed his way further down. He flipped your skirt up and over your stomach, your underwear long stripped and you left exposed.

Desperate to get inside you, you expected him to remove the vibrator and replace it with himself. When he started kissing your thighs and stomach, you were surprised. Though you didn’t dare complain. Not when his lips burned your skin, threatening to leave lingering marks.

“So sweet.”

He didn’t mean for you to hear the whispered words against your core. The smile creeping onto your face turned to a loud moan as Jisung dove in. His lips found your clit, wrapping around it in a harsh hug. When he started sucking on you, the vibrations speeding up again, you believed you saw stars.

Your vision blurred, eyes moving to watch him, but you could barely make out shapes. Too overwhelming was his mouth on you, hips soon rolling against him to urge for more speed. A smirk against your flesh was followed by him repositioning your legs over his shoulders. It made him feel so much closer, your bodies basically becoming one. His mouth practically glued to your cunt.

At first, Jisung kept an agonising slow pace, eating you like he had all the time in the world. After a while, as your breathing sped up, so did your boyfriend’s mouth. For every count that your heartbeat accelerated, so did he. Licking a little preciser, sucking a little fiercer. All the while, he was grinding against the mattress, chasing his own release which was fast approaching. So much so you could tell from the humming against your core that sent shivers up your spine.

“Sungie—” you breathed out, hand coming to his hair to stop him. “Baby. Inside. Please.”

As he didn’t react at first, you thought he hadn’t heard you. You repeated your pleas, and finally, with a wall-tightening pull on your clit, he removed his lips from you. “I heard you the first time. Just couldn’t bring myself to stop yet.”

His words caused a breathy chuckle out of you as he took the vibrator out of you before kissing his way back up your body.

“You have protection?” you questioned as your fingers grazed his cheeks, heart eyes staring into your boyfriend’s.

“Always.” Connecting your lips in a soft kiss, Jisung got up for a few seconds to search his pants.

“Good thing we’re always prepared, huh?” You propped yourself up on your elbows as you watched your boyfriend take his wallet out of his pocket. All the talking about public sex and taking chances had unlocked some long overwritten memories, and you chuckled with an uncomfortable shiver. “At least now we are.”

The look on Jisung’s face faltered as he went through every compartment of his wallet. Once, twice, and then a third time. You could tell from his expression that something was wrong. “Actually, about that…”

“Don’t tell me you don’t have condoms.”

“It seems like I forgot to fill up my stock. Don’t you have one with you?” Jisung asked, searching for your clothes on the bedroom floor.

“Have you seen my outfit? I barely have enough room for my phone.”

“Oh, I have seen your outfit, alright.” A suggestive smirk followed his reply as he climbed back over your body. “That skirt is doing things to me I can’t possibly put into words.”

Kissing you with more passion, Jisung’s lips soon wandered down your neck again.

“I could pull out.”

The laugh coming through your lips as you tilted your neck for better access was much sarcastic. “Have you learned nothing from the past? We are not taking chances.”

“So, we’re supposed to not have sex instead? Have you learned nothing from the past 20 minutes? We need this.”

“You’re right,” you agreed, view roaming through the room. Jisung’s gaze said something along the lines of ‘You have a plan, right?’. And a plan you had. Rolling out from under your boyfriend, you crawled over to the nightstand. “What’s one thing every frat always has at hand?” You pulled open the upper drawer, feeling its content as a smile spread on your lips. “I knew it.”

With an overjoyed “Yes!”, Jisung grabbed the silver square from your hands, opening it with his teeth. “This screams for a celebration?”

“What did you have in mind?”

The ambiguous grin crossing your boyfriend’s face made you curious and aroused you simultaneously. From experience, you knew his ideas in this area never quite disappointed. Most of them added into your bedroom routine; adapted into your standard practices.

Jisung soon crawled back over your body, erection pressing against your entrance as he held the vibrator between his fingers. “Baby?”

“Ssh.” One of his fingers came to your mouth as he smiled at you, happy. “Just enjoy.”

When he slipped inside you, your walls instantly wrapped around him. Sculptured for his exact shape and size. Having him this close, hitting your spot as though he himself had placed it right at his tip, filled you with complete satisfaction. You could have remained in this position for hours. Being close to him. Warming him. Though soon enough, the calm inside you was forced to evacuate, the electrifying vibration of the pink egg meeting your clit.

You jumped at the feeling that was only enforced as Jisung started moving. Rapidly. Sending you to heaven within seconds as you crumbled around him. Nothing but his name escaped your lips, like a holy mantra.

It didn’t take either of you long to finish, both of you on edge from having waited over a week to be together like this. Which, quite frankly, rarely happened. And when the orgasm finally hit, toes curling and walls crashing, it sent him into his own high.

It took you minutes to come back down to earth.

“Damn.” You chuckled, agreeing, and your eyes met when you tilted your head to look up at him. You rested on his chest as it rose in unison with your breathing. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

You kissed for a while, simply enjoying the intimacy before you pulled away to get up from the bed.

“You want to go back already?”

While you retrieved your clothes from the floor, your boyfriend still laid in bed, naked, propped up on his elbows. “What? You need more aftercare or something?”

“Nah. I thought you might. That was really intense just now.”

You pulled your top over your head, tugging it in your skirt before strutting towards him. With your fists planted on the mattress, you bowed over him, giving him a long, heated kiss. He bit your lip as you drew away, one of his hands coming to your jaw to keep you still.

“I need to pee.”

“Wow,” Jisung replied with a giggle, letting go of your face. “You’re nailing the dirty talk, baby.”

You blew a kiss at him as you walked to the door, leaving the room to find a bathroom.

A long hallway with a handful of doors on each side opened before you. The house was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, fitting around a dozen people. And that was just the first floor. Any of these doors could lead to a bathroom but this was somewhat urgent. So, you opted for a rushed yet systematic approach.

You chose the door next to the one you had come out of, finding nothing but an empty bedroom. Much like the one your boyfriend was currently dressing in. The door after that was some form of storage unit, the only thing close to a toilet a bucket on the floor. If your search came up empty, you might revisit the idea.

One after another door led to more disappointment. Not until you opened the last door on the left side you found a room that wasn’t an unoccupied bedroom. It still was a bedroom—very much so—but it wasn’t even close to vacant.

The layout came into focus, illuminated by a ring light standing in the corner. As you further roamed the room, you spotted two bodies pressed together in the comfort of one of the two beds. You had no idea how you even got a close enough look to realise you knew one of the two people. It was likely your eyes, meeting for a second. That’s when you recognised his signature freckles, his face dropping as panic overshadowed.

“I’m sorry.” As fast as you had entered the room, you left it, eyes wide in confusion and surprise. It took you less than a few seconds to add two and two together.

Before you could think further about it, you got pulled out of your haze by none other than your boyfriend.

“Found a bathroom, baby?”

“Huh?” He tiptoed towards you and a grin spread on his features as he inspected a stinging hickey on your neck.

“Bathroom?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t find one.” You smiled as he pulled you closer, kissing the dark mark. “I’ll use the one downstairs.”

“Let’s get back then. Wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun, right?” A wink followed his question which you didn’t have the mind to return properly. You couldn’t quite forget what you had seen, hands entangling with your boyfriend’s as you threw one last look back into the hallway.

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[kdrtsz]

Travel the World of Imagination: Journeys Beyond Border

Kieth Denmark M. Retes | BSIT1A OVERVIEW:

Switzerland originates from the Old Swiss Confederacy established in the Late Middle Ages, following a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy; the Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the country's founding document. Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Switzerland has maintained a policy of armed neutrality since the 16th century and has not fought an international war since 1815. It joined the United Nations only in 2002 but pursues an active foreign policy that includes frequent involvement in peace building.

Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross and hosts the headquarters or offices of most major international institutions including the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, FIFA, the WEF, and the UN. It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), but not part of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or the eurozone; however, it participates in the European single market and the Schengen Area. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern. references: Switzerland - Wikipedia

Switzerland, a small yet influential country nestled in the heart of Europe, stands out in many ways. From its awe-inspiring landscapes to its unique political system, Switzerland offers a blend of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and global diplomacy that few other nations can match. Its distinct character is a product of centuries of neutrality, innovation, and a deep respect for its heritage, all of which contribute to the nation’s unparalleled reputation on the world stage.

One of the first things that captivates visitors to Switzerland is its breathtaking scenery. The country is dominated by the majestic Alps, with towering snow-capped peaks that attract adventurers and nature lovers from around the globe. Whether it’s skiing in world-class resorts like Zermatt and St. Moritz or hiking through verdant valleys and along crystal-clear lakes, Switzerland offers outdoor experiences that are hard to rival. Beyond the Alps, the country is dotted with picturesque towns, lush meadows, and sparkling lakes, such as Lake Geneva and Lake Lucerne, each offering their own unique charm. The country's commitment to environmental preservation further enhances the beauty of these landscapes, ensuring that they remain pristine for future generations.

Swiss culture is characterized by diversity, which is reflected in diverse traditional customs. A region may be in some ways culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, all rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubünden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception. It survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.

Switzerland is home to notable contributors to literature, art, architecture, music and sciences. In addition, the country attracted creatives during times of unrest or war. Some 1000 museums are found in the country.

Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Paléo Festival, Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Locarno International Film Festival and Art Basel.

Alpine symbolism played an essential role in shaping Swiss history and the Swiss national identity. Many alpine areas and ski resorts attract visitors for winter sports as well as hiking and mountain biking in summer. The quieter seasons are spring and autumn. A traditional pastoral culture predominates in many areas, and small farms are omnipresent in rural areas. Folk art is nurtured in organisations across the country. Switzerland most directly in appears in music, dance, poetry, wood carving, and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood has joined yodeling and the accordion as epitomes of traditional Swiss music.

references: Switzerland - Wikipedia

[ayautjaslover]

hii could you write about s/o who was training with her elder yautja bf and they are very tired so the yautja gives them massages on the bed please and ty!

Training With An Elder

OH MY LAWD YES I CAN I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! (Also first ask ahhhhsjjdjdjd thank you!)

Attaching the final part of your armour, you fitted the large helmet to your head, the custom padding providing a soft layer for comfort and breathability. Finally being lowered into the pit after multiple months of training ,you felt nervous, almost giddy. Knowing that your elder mate had finally deemed you capable of fighting and beating the serpents that they use to test and train.

Your devout mate had spent hours schooling and testing you on how the weaponries, helmets and general armour work. Along with hand to hand combat and techniques you use to scan for and hunt down prey with the utmost efficiency.

I mean who would be better to teach you then an elder yautja themselves? Not only are they your mate, they know your body and how your mind works, enabling them to tailor your training to you specially.

Before you began your descent down to the pit your mate had given you a small overview of what was going to happen. Though they'd be coaching you through the auditory systems they thought it would be best to remind you. Though the look of pure pride they held when they saw you clad in the armour was all the encouragement you needed.

Bringing you out of your thoughts you felt the hard metal stage you were on halt and cement itself into the ground beneath. Upon this a loud click sounded throughout the area followed by your mates gravelly voice.

"Situate yourself then scan your surroundings, a skilled yautja hunter never lets any detail slip and you are no different my little ooman."

Helmet activated, you scan the area, noticing the distinct heat signals the serpents were giving off and the subtle outlines of two yautja hunters above. Definitely there to keep watch and jump in if need be, though you deflated a little at this you knew better then to question it. Your mate was only looking out for you.

"Now, the serpents are going to be released soon so stay on guard and be vigilant. I have faith in you."

And with that came silence, assuming they were using the element of surprise to keep you on your toes you continued taking in what was around you and kept an eye on the heat signals from above.

A few seconds later there was a sharp hiss to your right, you trudged forwards and slashed at the serpent's throat. It put up a fight by lunging at you in a weak attempt to get a hold of your arm but you swiftly blocked it. Enclosing your hand around its neck you snapped the windpipe before letting it fall to the floor.

You continued in a similar fashion beating down each Lythe serpent that dared to strike in your direction. Soon enough you had completed the task at hand. Choosing not to relax just yet you scanned the surrounding location once more checking for any remaining serpent heat signals.

"You have completed the task dear ooman, please step back on the stage and we'll bring you up."

Your mate's voice rang through the system instilling a sense of comfort in you. Your muscles were beginning to ache and eyes droop, no matter how many times you wore this goddamn armour you never got used to the way it seemed to drag you down once you'd completed a fight.

You stood there on the stage waiting and wanting for nothing more than to curl up into the soft pelts of your bed and succumb to the hands of your mate as he gives you a massage. He'd done it for you previously and the way his strong hands effortlessly soothed and unravelled the tight muscles of your back and shoulders was nothing short of heavenly.

Without delay the stage cracked to life and started ascending up to the large waiting room. Stepping off and moving towards the bench you began stripping off your armour and stretching.

Hearing the distinct sound of your mate's loud steps which could be likened to that of small bombs you turned to the door as it opened. Stepping forward you smiled up at your mate before wrapping both of your arms around his sturdy torso, sighing Into the fabric of his sheer clothing.

"How did I do? Is there anything I should improve on?" You speak tiredly tracing patterns on his skin.

"Well we're going to have to do more training for your first hunt. I've decided that you'll be coming with me and hunting alongside some of the youngbloods I've been training."

At his words you instantly perk up all the previous tiredness your eyes held before gone.

"My first hunt? I'm going to be accompanying you?"

"Yes little one" your mate says with a look of adoration in his eyes.

Pulling you back into him he wraps his arms around your much smaller frame before bending down to give his version of a "kiss" which includes softly moving his mandibles against your skin.

"Let's get you back to our room, little one, clean you up and relax those muscles of yours." And with a few loving clicks he's already leading you there with large clawed fingers intertwined with your own.

Upon arrival your mate drew you a bath adding in a few soaps here and there and arranging the various shampoos and oils you've collected before calling you in.

Stripping you of your clothing, your mate tied your hair up and out of your face before placing a few light kisses to your cheek and shoulders. Running a clawed hand down your back and snaking their arms around your waist.

"I'm very proud of you little ooman. You've brought honour to me, yourself and our relationship by your actions today. Showing your strengths has gained you respect amongst my kind." They spoke fondly.

Unwrapping their arms they picked you up bridal style before placing you in the large tub. Cupping their hands they began to drench your hair before applying your shampoo, taking special care when lathering the soapy substance and massaging it in.

Letting their claws graze your scalp they wash it out with the shower head then add some conditioner. Pinning the slick hair up to let it set your mate turns their attention to your body, taking a natural rose soap bar and lathering it between their hands before gently gliding the bubbles across your skin, cleaning away any sweat or blood from serpents and leaving your skin hydrated and soft.

Returning their attention back to your hair after washing the suds off your body they begin to repeat their previous actions, raking their hands through the now silky hair your mate continued to wash off and massage the delicate strands. Finally finished they told you to wait before walking out of the room.

"I'll be back in a second little one, you just relax."

Re-entering the large bathroom you see that your lovely mate is holding a board full of what looks to be juicy fruit and a small glass of C'ntlip with clips on the edges to attach to the bath. Setting down the board your mate speaks.

"You must be at least a little hungry ooman. Eat some, we'll make a full feast later."

"Oh what did I do to deserve you." You said picking up a soft and squishy orange fruit and taking a bite.

"Being yourself" your mate spoke softly, admiring your small bites and facial expressions with a silent admiration.

Taking a sip of the C'ntlip the fruit your lover gave you was long gone. It was the most deliciously refreshing thing you'd ever tasted. Your mate had introduced you to a lot of things over the years you two had spent together but this and himself were by far your favourites.

"Ready to get out? You'll turn into- what do humans call it. Prunes?" Your mate said, sounding strange mixing yautja with the foreign word.

Giving him a giggle you said yes before placing your C'ntlip down and getting out of the tub beginning to dry and moisturise your body.

Deciding against clothes you slowly walked into the room, lying down on the soft pelts and letting out an exhale. By the gods, your mate really does spoil you. Turning onto your back you buried your face further into the pelts.

Hearing your mate walk back In from the kitchen you stuck your hand out reaching for their own before attempting to pull them onto the bed with you.

"I'm so tired" you yawned through your words.

Softly taking your hand off of their own, your mate positioned themselves above you sitting on your legs to ground themselves. Not enough to crush you, just a comfortable weight.

"Let me massage some of your muscles, you're still tense. I can feel it."

Not waiting for a reply, your mate got to work. Smoothing their hands over your moisturised skin. Applying a pleasant amount of pressure onto each muscle and moving in a soothing motion. This feeling mixed with the C'ntlip was enough for you to let out a few mewls here and there.

"Enjoying yourself little ooman?" Your mate let out a few fast and high pitched clicks lovingly laughing at your little sighs.

You only let out a groan in response, your mates hands seemingly rendering you speechless.

Finishing up the unravelling of your muscles your mate pushed himself off of your legs and lay himself down besides you, taking your plush body into his arms once again and nuzzling your hair clicking in contentment.

"I love you" you spoke softly, his body warmth lulling you to sleep.

"I love you too dear ooman"

The sound of your mate's deep voice was the last thing you heard before falling into a deep slumber.

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

This was so fun to write and the fluff in it is absoloutley teethrotting. I LOVE IT! thank you sm to the individual who requested this!!!

(And as always, my requests are open!)

[strawberrybeans21]

Chapter 2: Hunger

“Half a dog.” 

“I told you not to tell me.”

“Can it, you muppets.” 

Kyle let out a chuckle, listening to the tiredness in Price’s voice. The banter between Ghost and Soap was actively giving his poor captain a migraine. 

He could definitely understand why. They had been on this helicopter ride since dusk and they had still a bit to go before they arrived. Which meant that Ghost and Soap had a million more jokes to tell each other.

Kyle flipped through the mission file on his lap, re-reading what they were heading into.

Mission Brief: Operation Silent Dawn

Objective:

Rescue a young girl, held captivity in a clandestine experimental facility. She has been subjected to inhumane testing, resulting in unknown abilities. Mission is to extract her safely and secure evidence of the facility’s illegal activities.

Mission Overview:

•Target: [REDACTED] (Subject 42)

•Location: High-security experimental facility, coordinates encrypted.

•Intel: The facility is run by an untraceable private organization conducting human experimentation. Security is heavily armed, and surveillance is omnipresent. [REDACTED] has shown signs of destabilizing powers—potential allies, or dangers, during the extraction.

Mission Priorities:

1.Secure [REDACTED]:

•Locate [REDACTED] cell and ensure her safety.

•Assess her mental and physical state upon retrieval.

•Be prepared for potential resistance, as she may not trust rescuers initially.

2.Neutralize Threats:

•Disable the facility’s security systems, including cameras, automated turrets, and containment measures.

•Avoid unnecessary casualties, but neutralize hostile personnel as needed.

3.Collect Evidence:

•Retrieve documentation, digital files, and physical proof of the organization’s illegal experiments.

•Ensure no incriminating data is left behind.

4.Exfiltrate:

•Extract [REDACTED] and the team via the designated evacuation route.

•Deploy countermeasures to prevent pursuit.

Team Composition:

Leader: Captain John Price, L.T Simon “Ghost” Riley

Long range specialist: L.T Simon “Ghost” Riley, Johnny “Soap” MacTavish

Recon Specialist: Kyle “Gaz” Garrick

Exfil: SGT. Nikolai Belinski

Potential Challenges:

•Enhanced Security: Recent intel suggests additional reinforcements have been deployed following a containment breach.

•Unpredictable Powers: [REDACTED] abilities are unknown, unstable, and may pose a threat to both her and the team.

•Limited Intel: The facility’s layout is only partially mapped, requiring on-the-ground adaptation.

Rules of Engagement:

•Maintain stealth for as long as possible to avoid full-scale alerts.

•Use non-lethal methods when feasible, but prioritize team safety.

•Do not engage [REDACTED] directly if she becomes volatile; attempt to de-escalate.

Timeline:

•Phase 1: Initial reconnaissance and infiltration.

•Phase 2: Disable facility security and locate [REDACTED].

•Phase 3: Secure [REDACTED], gather evidence, and initiate extraction.

•Phase 4: Evacuate to safehouse and debrief.

Success Criteria:

•[REDACTED] is safely extracted and stabilized.

•All team members are accounted for with no/minimal casualties.

•Evidence is retrieved to expose the facility’s operations.

Mission Codename: Silent Dawn

Prepare for deployment. The girl’s life—and the truth—depend on us.

“Captain, We are about the land.” 

Kyle’s head snapped up at Nik’s words as his captain and team members all made eye contact with each other. Price nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the growing tension of the situation.

“Okay lads. Let’s go get us a win, yeah?”

————————————————————

The cell was silent, save for the steady hum of fluorescent lights overhead. You sat on the cot, knees drawn to your chest, staring at the walls. Your breathing was shallow, trembling—an attempt to suppress the cold that radiated from your core. The aftereffects of the experiment still clung to you like a second skin: the weight of the chemicals they had pumped into your veins, the electric prongs they’d pressed to your temples, and the dissonant voices that now whispered incessantly in your mind.

You didn’t know how long you had been back in your cell. Time was again, a haze in this place, measured only by the shifts in your tormentors’ schedules and the monotony of three disgusting pig blood bags slipped under the door each day.

Your name was stripped from you, though you tried your hardest to keep it in your head. You clung to that shred of identity like a lifeline, but even now it was slipping. During the experiment, the scientists kept calling you “Subject 42.” It sounded clinical, inhuman. Like you were. A monster. 

You heard the door open as you were quickly grabbed and sedated, your limbs going weak as they strapped you to a gurney, the smell of alcohol and garlic burning your nose and throat like never before. You felt the feeling of needles pricking your skin, electrodes pressing to your scalp. “Hold still,” they had said, as if you had a choice. When the machines roared to life, your body convulsed involuntarily, your mind fracturing into a kaleidoscope of pain and colors you couldn’t name. Then there were the voices—soft at first, then loud, screaming, chanting incomprehensible words.

Now, in the quiet of your cell, they were still with you.

One whispered your name, almost tenderly. You whipped your  head toward the sound, but there was nothing there. There never was.

Your hands clenched into fists. The new experiments were doing something to you—changing you. You weren’t sure how much longer you could fight.  Last week, when you had screamed during one of their “tests,” the glass monitor in the observation room had shattered. You hadn’t even realized what you had done until you saw the evilness in the scientists’ eyes.

They’d called you ready, but dangerous.

The locks on your cell door were reinforced now, the walls lined with something you didn’t recognize but could feel—an oppressive hum that dulled your senses and dampened your abilities. You hadn’t even tried to fight it

A meal tray slid under the door, and you startled. You hadn’t heard the footsteps this time. You crawled toward it, the concrete floor cold against your bare skin. The blood was the same as always: disgustingly red and cold.

You picked at the bag, your appetite nonexistent.

But you were so hungry. Hungry for human blood.

“You can’t stay here forever,” a voice whispered again, louder this time.

You froze. “Shut up,” you hissed under your breath.

But the voice didn’t stop.

“They’ll come for you again, you know. They’re not done. They’ll never be done. You’ll die at this rate.”

You slammed your fist against the floor, your vision blurring with sudden tears. “Stop it!”

The lights flickered, and for a moment, the hum in the walls seemed to falter. Your breath hitched. The voice in your head subsided. You had thought it was your imagination until a loud boom shot through your ears, making you cover your ears in pain.

You didn’t know what had caused the sound and apparently nor did your kidnappers. You listened to the alarm that began to blare and the sounds of soldiers rushing down the hall. 

Seconds were feeling like minutes, hours. You shifted into the corner, covering your ears as the gunshots rang out. Your breath was stuttering in your chest, the warm tears falling down your face. If whomever didn’t kill you, your fear definitely would. You heard someone yell, multiple feet rushing down to the hall and directly in front of your cell.

You heard the locks on your cell door disengage. The metallic clinks sent shivers down your spine. You quickly rose from the cot, your body tense, muscles coiled.

The door opened, and two guards began to rush inside, their faces hidden behind black helmets. A third figure followed—a scientist in a pristine white coat.

“Grab her now!,” the scientist yelled. “There’s no time!.”

Your jaw tightened. The fire within you flared, and for the first time, you didn’t try to suppress it. The guards moved toward you, but the air in the room shifted. A low rumble echoed through the cell, and the fluorescent lights flickered again.

The whispers in your mind grew louder, coalescing into a single, commanding voice: “Fight.”

You didn’t hesitate.

The guards lunged, but you grabbed them both by the necks. The air seemed to ripple as you threw them backward, slamming them into the walls, the sickening cracks of their skulls vibrating through your ears. The scientist screamed, scrambling for the door and slamming down a button.

The oppressive hum in the walls grew deafening, but you pushed against it with everything you had. The fire inside you roared to life, consuming your fear, your pain, your doubt.

The walls cracked, and the reinforced locks shattered.

You stepped out of the cell, your heart pounding. The scientist fell back, fear numbing his body as he began to quietly plead. 

“Feed. Drink every drop.” The voice in your head commanded.

You pounced on him, his scream cut silent as you began to drink, the taste making your body shiver with ecstasy. You couldn’t stop, drinking well past the last time. The voices in your mind were now silent. You pulled your teeth out of his neck, just as you heard people round the corner.

2 men. In gear you had never seen before. You felt the fire in you diminishing as fear crawled back up your spine. You stood, your feet readying under you. 

They wouldn’t trap you again. You’d be damned. 

“Hey now…We aren’t—“ 

His sentence was cut short as you bolted down the hall, feet burning in pain as they slammed onto the broken glass around you. You could hear them chasing you, and it only made you move faster. 

Almost. Almost there.

“Woah there! We cannae have you running away, now can we?” 

You felt him scoop you up and toss you over his shoulder, making you thrash around like a cat in water. You watched as the rest began to get closer and for the first time in a while, you let yourself bawl.

“Soap, what did you do?!” 

“Nothin! The lass just started to cry!” 

“She’s traumatized you idiot!” 

You were taken into a warm embrace, your face pressed against someone’s chest as they held you there like a small baby. He looked at you and softly smiled.

“Hey there. I’m Gaz.” 

His hazelnut brown eyes were boring into your now puffy and red rimmed ones, making your heart start to calm down. You didn’t trust them, not for one bit. But it was nice to see someone smiling at you without malice for the first time in god knows how long. You said nothing in response, just softly nodded to show you understood. 

“Gaz. Her feet.”

You looked at the blood that had dripped into a pool under you and you immediately grimaced at the sight. Your head immediately turned as you heard movement. You gasped softly as a behemoth of a man and a burly man with a bucket hat stepped out of the facility's office and began to approach you.

You felt your breathing speed up, fear paralyzing you still as he got closer. He stopped, a comfortable amount of space between you two. He looked at your feet and sighed.

“Doesn’t look like there’s any glass stuck inside. Let’s wrap it and get the medic to check on it when we get back.” 

The two guys, Soap and Gaz, nodded in conformation. Soap pulled out some gauze and antiseptic, opening the packages.

“This will hurt lass, sorry in advance.”

Gaz held you carefully as Soap cleaned your feet, making you yelp in pain, grease warm tears feeling your eyes at the sting. You listened to Gaz’s soft words as he tried to calm you down, just as Soap wrapped your feet.

“Exfil is here. Everyone ready?”

“Always captain.”

You gripped Gaz as he carried you out of the facility, looking up only when he softly set you down in a helicopter chair. 

You were finally free. 

[zanderlisle]

Because I struggled to find information on the Sudanese genocide, here's a collection of info I've found, complete with sources and ways to help.

Note: Most of these stats are coming from October of 2023, and numbers have climbed since. Content warning for genocide, war crimes, sexual violence, and more. Please correct me on anything you notice is incorrect.

In April of 2023, the Rapid Support Forces attacked Sudanese Armed Forces bases across Sudan. including the Sudanese capital Khartoum with a population of 6,344,348. While this was initially described as a war between the RSF & SAF, it quickly became a matter that murdered, injured, & displaced millions of civilians. The most notable of the casualties - actress Asia Abdelmajid, singer Shaden Gardood, and former football player Fozi el-Mardi with his daughter Alaa. el-Mardi's wife. Zeinat Ahmed Othman was also wounded by a bullet.

There have been over 9,000 deaths, 12,000 injuries, and 5.4M displacements. There have been a total of 55 foreign deaths from the countries of Ethiopia (15), Syria (15), Congo (10), Eritrea (9), Egypt (2), The USA (2), India (1), and Turkey (1). Journalists and humanitarian workers have been injured, killed, and/or detained.

As of July, there have been 88 reports of sexual assault against women in Sudan blamed on the RSF. Activist Hala al-Karib stated that war rape had become an everyday occurrence with both fighting parties participating.

Over 1.3M people have fled Sudan as refugees. "The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that 1,200 children had died from disease outbreaks in refugee camps in White Nile State since May. In Central Darfur, the head of the Hamidiya refugee camp said at least 43 children had died in the camp since July. UNICEF also estimated that the conflict had led to the number of children being out of school in Sudan to rise from seven million prior to the fighting to 19 million in October 2023." - War in Sudan 2023 Wikipedia

An imminent epidemic of cholera and a collapse of the healthcare system - How to help: donate to SAPA at https://sapa-usa.org

Women are at risk of sexual violence (especially in areas like Darfur) - The Darfur Women Action Group has a donation link AND sample emails to send to your officials They also accept volunteers with media experience

Menstruation doesn’t stop due to war. - Donate to provide Sudanese girls and women with menstrual products

Another IMPORTANT organization currently providing direct medical care in a few states including Khartoum

will hopefully update with more reliable links or resources Also check

@Hometaxsd on Twitter (X) and eyesonsudan.net for other reliable donation sites

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65284945…

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65467934…

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65585746…

https://apnews.com/article/sudan-war-military-rsf-conflict-khartoum-f12975eb72c830ed86ed6a7a49e9658d…

https://dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/violations-against-journalists-in-sudan-war…

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/dtm-sudan-monthly-displacement-overview-october-2023…

https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4296896/diplomat-says-15-syrians-killed-amid-clashes-sudan…

https://theguardian.com/world/2023/may/07/eritrea-accused-of-forcibly-repatriating-civilians-caught-up-in-sudan-fighting…

https://abcnews.go.com/US/2nd-american-dies-amid-violence-sudan-state-department/story?id=98877370

dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/more-than-40-children-die-in-central-darfur-camps-as-fighting-escalates…

https://dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/19-million-children-in-sudan-are-out-of-school-says-unicef

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkish-toddler-killed-in-ongoing-clashes-in-sudan/2875179

bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/egyptian-doctors-killed-in-sudan-conflict-buried-in-backyard/…

https://bbc.com/news/world-africa-65821597…

https://africanews.com/2023/09/19/un-raises-alarm-over-child-deaths-in-sudan-as-health-crisis-deepens/…

https://aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/2/fighting-reignites-between-sudan-army-rsf-in-khartoum

The linked source is a more detailed Twitter thread of Sudan's timeline starting in December 2018 by Kandakat_alhaqq.

[ereardon]

The Backup || Chapter 2

[Jake Seresin x Reader]

A friends with benefits AU

Overview: No strings attached sex never works, right? You and Jake Seresin have fallen into a bad pattern of seeking each other out for sex after dates go awry, but a year of being friends with benefits with Jake hasn’t been good for your dating life. Especially when the two of you are hiding your antics from your lifelong best friend Coyote and the rest of your tightly knit friend group. But what happens when you decide to take a step back and end the cycle with Jake to focus on your dating life? And why is it that all of the sudden Jake looks more irresistible than ever when you know he’s off limits? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader

Chapter summary: Y/N goes on a first date with someone and sparks fly; Jake shows his first crack of jealousy

Warnings: Implied smut, cursing

WC: 3.3K

Previous chapter here; masterlist here

[Please see note at the end, tag list is closed but please follow/turn on notifications for my library page @ereardonlibrary instead]

“He’s hot!” 

You turned your head to where Phoenix was pointing and grimaced. Goatee, Chelsea boots, jeans skinnier than yours. “Is this 2014?” you asked, turning back to the table and putting your hands on the sticky wood. “No thanks. Going to get a second round. Want anything?” 

“Rum and coke.” 

You pushed your way to the busy bar, propping your elbows up and flagging the bartender. “Rum and coke and a tequila soda please.” 

He nodded, turning away and you looked back at the table. A tall blond was chatting up Phoenix, one of his arms looped around the back of her chair. You rolled your eyes. Everyone always flocked to Phoenix. Men, women, it didn’t matter. She had that carefree attitude that attracted people like flies to honey. It would be a lie if you said you weren’t jealous. Her taste was abysmal but that was besides the point. She had options, and you envied that.

“Here you go.” The waiter set the drinks down. “Twenty two dollars.” 

“Let me get that for you.” A voice from your left appeared out of thin air. You turned. A credit card extended from his massive hand, held out over the bar. The arm was covered in a leather jacket, and you trailed your eyes up his arm to his face which hovered a good foot above you or more. Dark hair, slightly overgrown, and a sharp jawline with a slightly hawkish nose. His eyes flickered down toward you and you felt your heart throb in your chest. 

“I have a tab,” you interrupted, sticking out one hand, putting it over his hand that hovered out with a credit card glued between two massive fingers. You didn’t pull away and neither did he. 

The bartender’s voice interrupted. “Name?” 

“Natasha,” you replied, and he moved away, tapping Phoenix’s name into his system and finding her card from when the two of you had arrived an hour before.

You felt a rush of air as the stranger’s hand pulled away, sliding his credit card back into a thin black wallet. He looked down at you from where he was leaning against the bar. “Now I owe you a drink, Natasha.” 

You shook your head but he never flinched. “Natasha is my friend over there.” You pointed at Phoenix who was now laughing with a new person, this time a girl wearing a tight miniskirt. “I’m Y/N.” 

His voice was deep. “I’m Liam.”

He was the definition of tall, dark and handsome. A mysterious almost Adam Driver-like quality. You leaned forward, pressing one leg against his. “Here.” You reached into your purse, tugging at a loose business card and holding it out. “If you were serious about that drink.” 

Liam held the card up in the dim lighting of the bar, one thick black eyebrow raised as he read off the card. He lowered it, sliding it into his pocket, inching forward, musk filling the air around you. “Are you here to meet guys, Y/N, or to get stock tips?” 

You tossed your head back in a laugh. When you caught Liam’s eye he was smiling, lips pulled tightly together but in a grin. “I know better than to look for tips at a bar in the Marina,” you replied. “I’d just go to the Philz at Embarcadero.” 

Liam’s lip twitched up. “I’ll let you get back to your friend.” 

“Thanks for the hypothetical promise of a drink,” you replied, picking up both drinks. 

Liam’s hand reached out, fingers spread across your bare wrist. “Y/N.” His voice was deep and gruff; it scratched that inner part of your ear that felt like a tickle. You looked up, eyes wide. “I’ll call you.” 

You grinned. “You better.” You could feel his gaze, hot on your back, as you made your way back to the table where Phoenix was now alone. 

“That took ages. What was the hold up?” 

You looked back at the bar. Liam held up his drink with a wink. You turned back to Phoenix, taking a sip of your tequila soda. “Nothing. Just some guy.” 

“Some guy, huh? Any potential?” 

You snuck one last look at the bar. Liam’s spot was empty. You turned back to Phoenix and shrugged. “Probably not.” 

***

“You can’t seriously think this looks good.” 

Coyote walked out of the fitting room in a pair of green chinos and a quarter zip sweater layered over a white shirt. You stood up from the chair and reached for his collar, fussing with it as he grimaced. 

“Y/N,” he groaned. 

“Stop fidgeting,” you snapped. He dropped his hands to his sides and you gripped his shoulders, pivoting him toward the three-pane mirror. “You’re insane, this looks perfect.” 

“I feel like a Ken doll.” 

You opened your mouth to respond as an older woman appeared behind the two of you. “Aren’t you two a lovely couple!” 

Coyote’s face in the mirror transformed into a sigh. It wasn’t the first or third or tenth time someone had mistaken the two of you for a couple. Sometimes it was hard not to. Whether it was picking out new clothes at a J. Crew or Christmas tree shopping in Oakland or late at night at the bar, his arm slipped around the back of your chair, your head resting on his shoulder. 

“Oh we’re not together,” you replied after a moment. 

The lady frowned. “Why not?” 

You looked up at Coyote. Why not was a good question. He was everything you wanted in a partner. Strong and stable and kind. He could predict your needs based on your mood and he wanted the very best for you. 

Coyote smiled down at you. You grinned at him. Why not was only for you two to know. 

***

“Fuck!” 

You slammed back against the mattress, chest heaving, a thin layer of sweat covering your skin from where you laid naked in Jake’s bed. He looked over at you with a smirk. “That good, huh?”

“Shut up,” you groaned, slapping one hand over your eyes, blocking him out. 

Jake laughed, one hand squeezing your thigh. His grip was tight and familiar. “You love it,” he replied, rolling out of bed and pulling on a pair of boxers. “Want some pizza? I have some in the fridge.” 

“Yeah, sure.” As Jake rounded the corner into the kitchen you reached for your phone on the nightstand, a voicemail from an unknown number blinking on the homepage. Frowning, you clicked on it. 

Hi Y/N, this is Liam, from Tostado’s bar. What are you doing on Wednesday night? I’d really like to see you again. And I still owe you that drink. Call me when you can. Talk soon.

Jake returned with a box of pizza and two beer bottles wedged between his fingers on one hand. “Everything OK?” 

You smiled, sliding the phone face-down onto the table. “Yeah, everything’s great.” 

***

“Tell me again who this is?” Coyote pinched a french fry between his fingers and popped it into his mouth. 

“His name is Liam, we met at a bar last weekend.”

“And how do we know Liam isn’t a serial killer?” 

You rolled your eyes and took a sip of your drink, leaning back into the plush seat of the restaurant booth. “Javy, are we really going to do this again?” 

He sighed. “I just worry about you.” 

“I know you do. But I’m a big girl. And besides, don’t you want me to find someone?” 

“Of course I do.” It was a thin whisper. 

“What did I miss?” Jake slid into the seat to your left, immediately reaching for his beer. 

“Y/N has a date tomorrow,” Coyote said. 

Jake’s eyebrow shot up. “Is that so? What’s his red flag?” 

“He has none.” 

Jake laughed but it sounded empty. “Sounds like bullshit to me. They all have red flags.”

“Just because you date teeny boppers with the emotional intelligence of an eraser doesn’t mean I do, too.” 

“Not my fault you pick the biggest losers on the planet to date in a city that’s literally chock full of startup geniuses.”

Coyote watched with wide eyes as you and Jake laid into each other. Your face was practically red. After a pause you leaned back and shook your head. “New subject. Has anyone seen Bradley’s new motorcycle?” 

Jake launched into a full rundown of the specs of Bradley’s new bike. You finished your pasta, nodding in rapt attention, but the heat of Coyote’s gaze was undeniable. At one point, you looked up to catch him staring at you, head tipped, like he was solving a puzzle. You smiled, and he did, too, but it didn’t reach his eyes. You turned back to Jake, trying to ignore the pinch in your stomach. 

***

The wind rippled through your hair as Liam returned from the bar with two drinks. He smiled broadly, lips spread back but still closed. You held out a hand, wrapping it around the plastic cup. “Thanks.” 

Liam took his place next to you near the boat railing, the water splashing high on the sides. “Is this what you had in mind for a first date?” 

You shook your head. When he had first suggested the two of you take a nighttime tour of Alcatraz you had been surprised. But it turned out to be monumentally more fun than you had imagined. You’d worn the complete wrong type of shoe — a pair of stiletto boots — and on your way back down the side of the hill to the ferry boat you had stumbled and Liam caught you. His arms were solid and strong and to your shock he crouched down. 

“Get on.”

You had hopped onto his back, and he carried you down the side of the hill, all the way onto the boat. He set you down gently, hands caressing your thighs carefully. You could still feel the mark of his fingertips on your skin when he was inside getting drinks. 

“Well?” Liam asked, taking a sip of his margarita. “You up for one last adventure?” 

You smiled. “Another surprise?” 

“One more,” he promised. “Or if you’re desperate to get off this boat with me I can call you an Uber the second we get to the Ferry Building.” 

“Not at all.” 

“Good.” This time, he flashed his pearly white teeth. “Do you eat meat?” 

Twenty minutes later, you and Liam were squished in a small booth in a restaurant in Chinatown with a vast spread of food on the rickety table in front of you: pork dumplings, half of a roasted duck, fluffy buns filled with red bean paste, shrimp shumai. 

You stabbed a dumpling with your chopsticks, plopping it into your mouth. 

“That’s so good.” 

Liam’s knee knocked against yours as you reached for another bun. “Have you been to China?” 

“Never. But it’s on my list.” 

“I spent two years there teaching English,” he said, taking a sip of beer in-between words. “Unreal experience.” 

“I’m jealous,” you said. “I’ve only ever lived here and LA, where I grew up.” 

“What made you leave LA?” 

“My best friend,” you replied, lifting the neck of the beer bottle to your lips. “He got a job out here after graduation and said it was the best place ever. We both kind of needed a change of place, to get away from where we were from.”

“San Francisco is the greatest escape,” Liam said, “and it’s a vacuum, sucking you in, all at once.” Even though it was dark, you understood what he meant. There was something about the city that called to you. When it was night and the streets were practically empty. Something overwhelming when the fog finally broke and you could see for miles across the abundant hills. San Francisco was more of a home to you than LA ever would be. It was your escape, but it was also your Hotel California. You could show up anytime, but you would never leave. 

“What do you do?” you asked, leaning forward, one ankle brushing over his calf. Liam’s hand dangled off the back of the red booth, fingertips dancing lightly on your shoulder. 

“I’m a publisher.” 

“Books?” 

He nodded. “I’m here for six months. A kind of sabbatical.” 

You frowned. “Six months? Then where are you going?” “Back to New York.” You sucked in a breath. “I live in the East Village, off Eleventh Street.” 

“New York,” you breathed. “I’ve never been.” 

“It’s different than here,” Liam replied. “This has the better Chinatown.” 

You smiled. “What do you like better?” 

“Neither one is better,” Liam said, his voice graveley and deep. You felt his fingers brush gently over your shoulder, and you unconsciously nudged closer. “Coffee in New York. Mexican food here. People in New York are ruder, but genuine. People here are California kind — pleasant, but hollow. I like being close to the water. But New York has bagels and there’s so much more life at three in the morning.” He paused. “Besides, you’re here. So that’s an automatic win for San Francisco.” 

Under the flickering fluorescent light of the Chinese restaurant, you looked up at Liam. For the first time in a long time, you felt it. That spark. That small piece of chemistry every romcom, every romance book, every person who had been in a committed relationship said was the start. The one little ember that would ignite and start a whole forest fire. And despite all of the noise, the shouting and the clamoring and the sound of dishes smacking against linoleum tables and chairs screeching as they got pulled back on the sticky tile floor, for a moment in time it was just you and Liam sitting next to each other in silence, your smile reflected on his face, his fingertips warm against your shoulder. 

Outside, the air was chilly. You winced as the two of you stepped into the street, your feet aching in the heeled boots. “Wait here,” Liam said, ducking into the store next to the restaurant the two of you had emerged from. He returned a few minutes later, holding out a pair of red silky slippers and you laughed as he bent down, unzipping your boots carefully, sliding the slippers on. You sighed in relief, heels hitting the ground for the first time all night. 

“I can hold those,” you said, reaching out for the boots. 

He straightened up, towering over you, and shook his head. “I’ll carry them for you.” 

Liam’s hand found yours as the two of you walked down Grant Street. There was something calm about him. Sturdy. As you rounded the corner onto Market Street, your gaze flickered up at him. 

“When can I see you again?” he asked, voice melting into the wind that whipped down the street, blanketing the two of you in a chill. 

“I’m free on Friday.” 

He grinned. “Friday then.” Liam pulled out his phone as a black sedan pulled up next to the curb. “I ordered you an Uber Black to take you home.” Liam stepped forward, opening the door. You lingered for a moment, your right hip brushing against his. 

“Goodnight,” you whispered. For once, you wanted him to kiss you. It wasn’t a reluctant end of the night forced event. It wasn’t out of pity or to cut the date short. It wasn’t because you felt like you owed him for a drink, a dinner, a ride. You wanted him to kiss you. 

So when he leaned down, one hand cupping your cheek, you sucked in a breath, his lips landing on yours, soft and pillowy, the pine scent of his musk overwhelming your senses as he pressed closer, his thumb sinking gently into the soft skin behind your ear as you opened your lips, letting him in. And when he pulled away, you were breathless. “Goodnight, Y/N,” Liam murmured, taking your hand, helping you down into the leather backseat of the car, placing your discarded boots down at your side. 

You watched him fade into the dark as the car pulled away, headed west, your lips still bruised with the thought of him. 

You were so caught up that you didn’t feel your phone buzz in your purse, Jake’s text sitting unread. 

How was the date? I have tequila. 

*** 

You and Jake had agreed early on that you’d keep your relationship, or whatever you could call it, a secret from the group. Not only would Coyote flip, but it would create another layer that would inevitably create fissures if and when things went to shit with the two of you. Which, taking into account both of your dating histories, was practically inevitable. 

Only once had you come close to exposing yourselves. 

It was Bob’s birthday party, which had started at a restaurant in the Mission and ended at a rooftop in Cow Hollow. Jake had struck out early in the night with two different blondes, first at the restaurant and then at the second bar. You had early success chatting with a guy from the first bar, but by the time you got to the rooftop he confessed he lived with his mother and sometimes slept in her bed. 

“Ew,” you shuddered, taking a shot, physically shaking away the ick that had crawled under your skin the moment he said that. 

“What happened Stink? Strike out?” 

You glared at Jake. “Fuck off.” 

He tipped one of the small shot glasses down his throat and winced. “So did I.” Jake leaned in closer, his hand brushing against your low back. You felt a tickle of excitement creep up your thighs. “Want to get out of here?” 

“We can’t, it’s Bob’s birthday. Someone will see.” 

“You leave first, I’ll wait five minutes and follow. Your apartment is just ten minutes away.” 

You looked up at Jake. He had stepped closer, his thumb hooked against the waistband of your shorts, the edges of his hair stuck to his golden skin from the sweat. It was hot, July, and the evening breeze that usually chilled San Francisco was nowhere to be found. And yet, somehow all you wanted was to be rolling around with Jake in a mess of sweaty limbs. “You’re desperate for me, huh?” you whispered. 

Jake rolled his eyes and you smirked. Just as you were about to pull away, head for the door, you straightened your glance. Phoenix had her eyes trained on you across the room. Quickly, you sidestepped away from Jake, his fingertips falling from your waist. “What?” he asked, loudly. Too loudly. 

“Shh,” you hissed under your breath, taking another definitive step away from Jake and jutting your chin out toward Phoenix. Jake looked up, catching Natasha’s eyes, and then grunted. 

“Fuck.” 

“You’re an idiot,” you said, pushing him out of the way, trying to cut across the room toward Phoenix to explain. 

“Wait, Y/N.” Jake grabbed your wrist. 

You turned back, thrashing out of his grip. “Jake. Let go of me.” Your eyes burned into his and he opened his fingers, letting your wrist slide away, out of his grasp. “You better hope she doesn’t suspect anything.” 

By the time you made your way across the rooftop to Phoenix she was pounding another drink, the memory of you and Jake cozy near the railing a distant memory. But that didn’t stop the tiny little voice in the back of your head that said you two were ticking time bomb. That sooner or later, one of you would make a mistake. And it wouldn’t just be your pseudo-relationship on the line. It would be all of your friendships, too. 

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[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

History is often written by the rich and the powerful, how we see culture is often dictated by those on top and while that’s all interesting and such, what I’m interested in is: What’s it like to be poor/equivalent to lower class in Gallifreys society?

What's it like to be lower class on Gallifrey?

When you think of Gallifrey, you probably imagine the shining halls of the Time Lords, the great Capitol, and those iconic flowing robes with their weird peacock collars, but like many societies, Gallifrey also has its lesser-known layers ...

👽 The "Shobogan" Legacy

The term "Shobogan" originally referred to the Gallifreyans before they discovered the ability to regenerate. But over time, the word took on a very different meaning, becoming a slang term for any Gallifreyan who rejected the high society of the Time Lords. These people live in areas called Low Towns and have their own distinctive culture and even a form of writing. They're often blamed for vandalism and other rebellious acts. Over time, the term 'Shobogan' has expanded even more to apply more broadly to Gallifreyans who lived outside the Time Lord's pristine society, or socially rejected, or a general reference to the working classes (aka plebians).

🏙️ The Plebian Class

Plebians are the artisans, technicians, cleaners, engineers, and everyday folks who keep Gallifrey running while the Time Lords sit at the top of the social pyramid. Most of the population lives in smaller city complexes scattered across the planet.

These non-Time Lord Gallifreyans are generally prevented by circumstance from attending the Time Academy, which means they can never become Time Lords themselves. This separation keeps power in the hands of a select few, as non-Time Lords cannot hold significant positions of power.

🌌 Outsiders: The Rejected Ones

Now, for some Gallifreyans, rejection from society isn't enough. A small but notable group, known as Outsiders, choose to completely reject Gallifreyan technology and live off the land. They retreat to the wildlands of Outer Gallifrey, surviving at a stone-age or bronze-age level of technology. These Outsiders, often former Time Lords or those disillusioned by the system, live in yurts, hunt their food, and grow crops. It's a very hard life when you consider Gallifrey is quite a hostile environment.

👮 Watch Out It's The Watch

Worth mentioning here - when it comes to law and order on Gallifrey, the Watch is the enforcement arm. But most of the Watch comes from the plebeian classes—at least, from Gallifreyan families that can afford a commission.

Their duties include guarding the Capitol, escorting Time Lords, investigating crimes, and even dealing with labour disputes between the Time Lords and Shobogans. However, while they do carry weapons (strictly for ceremonial or defensive purposes), they're often untrained in actual combat. And since hardly any crime happens on Gallifrey (apparently), the Watch are perpetually bored, and tend to be quick to anger and aggressive when dealing with any violations, even if those violations are extremely minor.

🏫 So ...

So, here's the reality: unless you're born into one of the higher-ranking Gallifreyan families, the chances of becoming a Time Lord are slim to none. The divide between the Time Lords and the non-Time Lords is pretty well-established. Hmm, this all sounds very familiar ...

Related:

💬|⏰👽What does the Gallifreyan political and social environment look like?: Overview of the general structure of Gallifreyan society and politics.

💬|🧬👽What are the differences between Time Lords and Gallifreyans?: The biological differences between Time Lords and Gallifreyans, general overview

💬|🏺🧙What do Shobogans look like, and how are they different from modern Gallifreyans?: Various biological difference between Gallifreyans and their ancestors.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[echoingbirdsofprey]

Lightning On My Lips (Every Time You Kiss Me)

1 - Boys Are Too Easy

Pairing: Tyler Owens x OFC Georgia Tennley

Rating: Explicit (I just label everything this because I know I can't help adding swear words at the least.) so MDNI please!

Warnings: Mentions of sex, alcohol consumption, blood, and sort of graphic description of Tyler getting his ass handed to him by a bull.

A/N: It's going to take me forever to post everything on Tumblr but here's the very first of it all! If you click on the title that'll take you to the Masterlist and I linked to my Spotify for this fic below as well. You can still read everything on A03 and Wattpad as well.

This first chapter is just a really quick overview. Don't want to spend too much time in the past for these two! As always Italics are for emphasis, internal thoughts, or dreams/past memories!

Playlist

“Well howdy there, pretty thang . What brings you here all decked out in sparkles?” Tyler Owens asked, as he removed his chaps while sitting atop the panels looking down the chute. 

“Stick around, pretty boy , you'll see in a minute.” Georgia Tennley said as she pushed her hat down a little tighter and patted the buckskin painted mare beneath her. The mares's ears flicked back and forth as she saluted the bull rider before kissing to the mare and heading down the chute toward the open gate. Tyler stood up, nearly losing his balance as she breezed past him and all the other bull riders perched on the fence. 

“ Next up representing Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Pink Princess, Georgiaaaa Tennley!” The announcer said, gaining wild cheers from the crowd. Tyler watched carefully as she made neat turns around the first two barrels and then around the third, she threw her head down, her hand forward, and urged the mare to kick it into high gear heading for home. A clean run. The fastest time of the night so far. 

She flew past the bull riders again and Tyler watched as the mare took her damn near to the next town before she could get her stopped. Georgia patted the mare and rubbed on her neck and scratched the top of the mare's head and ears as she trotted around the sandy parking lot proudly. She walked the mare for a few more moments before hopping down and that was when Tyler decided to get down off the panels too. He made his way through the maze of the chute system and came out just in time to see which trailer she was headed to. As he walked up to her, his spurs jingling, a smirk crossed her lips. 

“Learn anything, pretty boy ?” She asked, un-cinching her saddle and pulling it off. It was only her saddle in between them.

“Yeah. If ya feel it, chase it.” He said as he leaned down to kiss her. It surprised her no doubt, but she kissed him back, equaling his lust. 

🌪⛈️🌪

Georgia awoke the next morning to a strong, tanned arm around her waist and warm breath tickling the nape of her neck. It was the middle of summer and the windows were open in the living quarters of the trailer, were she had a good old air mattress for a bunk. The air was hot and humid. She checked her phone for the time. 4:03. She felt slightly dizzy as she glanced at the cute bull rider she'd invited in for drinks last night. Clearly things had gotten out of hand... oh, yes, they certainly did ...as she lifted the sheet to find both of them naked underneath. She could smell his sweat and felt his skin sticking to hers as she shifted to lay on her back. He made a small noise as he stirred and it made her giggle. He opened one eye halfway as a sly grin crept across his lips.

“You sure are adorable in the mornin’, darlin’ “ He said, voice gravely and deep, his blue-green eyes becoming apparent in the dim light. She could've sworn they were brown last night, but who gives a shit. They definitely fucked, but Georgia was a little disappointed that there was nothing memorable enough to cut through the haze of alcohol. 

“And you're awfully flirty.” She whispered back as she attempted to escape his arms. His grip tightened, making her smirk. She propped herself up on her elbows and glanced over at him, her dirty blond hair falling over her one shoulder, bangs into her eyes. Tyler reached up and brushed the hair from her eyes and behind her ear. There was a small but satisfied smile painted across his lips as he left his fingers to brush over her cheek.

“My, my, what have we done?” He asked softly, stretching up to press a kiss to her lips. She hesitated this time, borderline resisted, not because she didn't want to, but because she wasn't sure how far she wanted to let this go. She knew nothing about him. She only knew his name.

“Well, you did follow me. ..” Georgia pulled away and he pouted, letting her leave. She had a feeling he got attached easily. Thinking back on it, did he even know her name? He should've...they'd announced it. 

“You didn't have to say anything to me. Coulda just run on down that alley without so much as a tip of yur hat.” He said, his eyes following her very pretty, very naked form down the ladder where she disappeared for a few moments before popping back up and smiling at him. 

“And why the hell did I do that?” She mused, throwing him his shirt and boxers before going to the small kitchenette. They hit him in the face and he couldn't help chuckle to himself as he dressed. He climbed down the ladder and threw his jeans on. They were damp from last night, remembering he'd spilled some beer on them as things got heated. He wondered for a moment how much she remembered...

“Uh...y'know, maybe we should...get to know each other a little better?” He asked, as her eyes flicked to his. She watched as he zipped his jeans, noticing how nicely they hugged his ass, and other parts.

“You think so?” She said, putting a pan out on the single stove top. She turned the heat on, buttered the pan, and cracked some eggs in it. Tyler pursed his lips as he stepped toward her. He fiddled with his hat for a moment before placing it atop his head. 

“I gather you don't...” He said, disappointment evident in his voice. Georgia had finished the eggs and took two plates down, placed some eggs on each, and handed him one. She took a bottle of water out of the pack on the tiny counter and placed it at the table for him. He sat and she placed a fork on his plate and sat across from him. She glanced at him before diving into her eggs. He didn't know why, but that first bite was the best bite of eggs he'd had in a long fucking time. 

“I'm Tyler...Tyler Owens.” He said before taking his next bite. He caught her smiling as she chewed and swallowed her food and then she said, “Yeah that’s one of the only things I remember from last night.”

“Oooh. that’s harsh, darlin’. I couldn’t been that bad.” Tyler said as he finished his food. Georgia shook her head and smirked again as she also finished. She silently took his empty plate and began to wash it off in the sink and then dried it, and repeated that with her own, all the while Tyler watched her. 

“Didn't say you were bad. Just said I don't remember much from last night. I haven't had that much to drink in awhile. I don't even remember what time we came in here and started drinking.” Georgia said. A corner of Tyler's lips crept up in a grin again.

“I reckon it might'a been around six or seven. You took care of your mare and I followed you around like a wild stallion.” He said, chuckling deeply. Georgia decided she liked his laugh, and his smile. It was fascinating how it reached his eyes everytime. He looked genuinely happy every time he smiled. He didn’t seem to have any ill will or bad intentions and that was a rare quality among people these days. Tyler didn’t seem selfish. 

“Christ on toast...” Georgia murmured and Tyler nearly spit out the sip of water he'd taken. 

“You got a lot of those weird sayings. They're cute.” He said and she tilted her head questioningly. 

“What?” She asked and he chuckled again as he took another sip of water.

“You kept saying funny shit last night. Had me dyin’ over my beer. No one's ever made me laugh that much for that long.” His smile was infectious. She leaned back against the counter top and folded her arms across her chest, details fuzzy but flooding back. 

“ Oh, fiddlesticks...” Georgia said as she dropped her phone and nearly dropped her drink. Tyler deftly saved her beer and roared with laughter. 

“You’re silly when you’re drunk.” Tyler said, a wide smirk across his lips as he handed her back her beer. She leaned closer to him and giggled. 

“I’m not drunk, pretty boy.” She slightly slurred her words and he took his opportunity to press his lips to hers, to which she returned the kiss.

“If you say so.” Tyler said, placing his own beer down and reaching around her waist. She was just beyond buzzed, but not drunk enough for it to inhibit her decisions. “Is this okay?” He asked and she answered by cuddling up as close as she could, while wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. She left it up to him to decide where this went next.

She had made him laugh, and he made her laugh. He hadn't been acting either. He genuinely thought she was funny and that flattered her more than anything. Their eyes met again after a few silent moments, and Tyler stood then. He tipped his hat to her.

“My next rodeo is the Kansas State Fair...” He said softly and she nodded.

“How fortuitous. Mine is too.” Georgia said, stepping closer to Tyler. They were only inches away when he reached up to run a finger across her cheek. His gaze was longing for something more than she could give him right now, so she hoped he could settle for what she had to offer. 

“I'd be mighty grateful if I could hitch a ride. I’d like to spend a little more time gettin’ to know you, and I’m kinda hopin’ that you feel the same.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was not surprised when she agreed. He leant down to press his lips to hers, so softly that she thought she imagined the feeling. So he stepped out to grab the rest of his things from his beat up old truck, then helped her check the hitch on the trailer and off they went. The Kansas State Fair was in a week, so they would have plenty of downtime to get to know each other in between.

⛈️🌪⛈️

  Six Months Later

Georgia had worked her way up through the ranks to the 1D barrels, the top division at each rodeo. And Tyler competed against some of the top guys in the sport. Together they were quite the pair. Most of the time they used her truck and trailer, but Tyler helped pay for diesel and he helped drive. It was the least he could do. Besides riding, Georgia also did photography for the rodeo circuit. That was how she paid for her entry fees and food. She hated having to scrape by but she wanted this so it had to be done. She also helped coach a few other racers on the side and helped school some horses. Occasionally, she swapped in for a header or a heeler in the roping for anyone who needed it. Tyler on the other hand...Tyler took odd jobs while on the road. He could fix trucks and trailers, he'd do stalls and operate tractors and dozers and whatever the rodeo needed. So, neither of them could afford a fall or an injury.

Well that was inevitable, especially in the two professions they were in.

While at the Oklahoma State Fair, Tyler drew a particularly difficult bull that had been known to give a hard and wild ride Not many could stick eight seconds, let alone half that. The bull bucked hard all the time and he twisted while he was in the air, which made for a difficult and uncomfortable ride. Most bull riders ended up off of him not because of how hard he bucked but because of how much he twisted and hurt their back while doing so.

Tyler lowered himself onto the bull’s back, and for the first time in a long time, he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He waved for the gate to open and he was surprised at the force the bull put out as they flew through the air, bucking and spinning. Tyler held on for about six seconds and then the bull got too close to the chute, spun into it and hit Tyler’s leg on the metal panels. It distracted him just long enough for the bull to jostle him out of place and dump him. Tyler flew off, toward the panels, hitting his head and bouncing off. The bull was still raging and charged him, stepping on him in the process and tossing him back into the panels again. Screams could be heard from the stands.

Georgia covered her mouth in a gasp and she felt weak, like all the blood had drained from her entire body. She hopped off her mare and threw the reins at her friend who was sat next to her. She climbed over the panel tops, through the cattle chutes and alleyways to try to get to the main alley, where an ambulance was already going through.

When she got to the alleyway they already had Tyler on a backboard with a neck brace and he had blood dripping down his forehead and his left ear. He wasn’t conscious. Georgia tried to make it through all the bull riders and ropers that had crowded around him but she couldn’t get to him before they shut the doors. She ran down the chute and yelled to her friend to please take care of her horse. She was going to take her truck and follow the ambulance, when one of the rodeo clowns stopped her and asked to jump in the truck.

“Hey, I’m Boone. I’m Tyler’s best friend.” He said and hopped in the passenger side. Without questioning, Georgia drove off, behind the ambulance.

“So you’re the one he’s always textin’. Thought he had a girl at home, but then I wondered why would a girl be named ‘Boone”. That’s a very guy name.” Georgia figured, keeping her eyes on the road. They both laughed, lightening the mood if only for a few moments. 

“Yeah we met at one’a his first rodeos and just hit it off. He told me he’d finally met a lady and he couldn’t wait to introduce me. Too bad we’re meetin’ on such shit circumstances.” 

“Me too, Boone. Nice to meetya, nonetheless.”

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Atlas AS7-K3-Tb2 - "Gewitter"

Chassis: Skobel 100-Lite Variable Composite Biped

Power Plant: Defiance Clan-Grade 400 XL

Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph

Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph [86.4 kph w/ active TSM]

Jump Jets: Pratt & Whitney F319-PW-100

Jump Capacity: 90 meters

Armor: Duralex Clan-Grade Ferro-Fibrous w/ CASE II

Armament:

1 Small Pulse Laser

1 Light Gauss Rifle

1 Streak SRM 4

2 ER Large Laser

1 Pile Bunker

Manufacturer: Defiance Industries (original)/Skobel MechWorks (refit #1)/Fursona's Fusiliers (refit #2)

Primary Factory: Defiance Manufacturing Annex - Kwangjong-Ni (original)/Yakima Proving Grounds, Terra (refit 1)/Argo Mechbay (refit #2)

Communication System: Clan-enhanced Irian E.A.R. w/ Nova CEWS & Studebaker-T19 Battle Computer

Targeting & Tracking System: Clan-enhanced Army Corporation Type 29K w/ Advanced Targeting Computer (w/ VRT)

Introduction Year: 3153

Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-X

Cost: 34,853,333 C-bills

Overview:

Gewitter is built on the Atlas chassis, though a great deal of modification has made it truly one-of-a-kind. The original platform upon which the venerable ‘Mech was built was the Atlas AS7-K3, notable for its inclusion of jump jets. They remained a hallmark of Gewitter, carrying through to the final model, introduced on the battlefields of Helios in October 3153, much to the horror of the Word of Blake forces at the Battle of Fort Bayeux. Gewitter is, at first glance, a fairly standard Atlas mech, originally of Defiance Industries manufacture. However, after two major refits, very little remains of the original K3 as it entered service in 3134. The first refit was conducted by the MechTechs of Skobel Mechworks at their Yakima Proving Grounds on Terra. There, for a time, Gewitter sat opposite Test Unit Sierra Five - the original Mackie and the first ever BattleMech - while the Atlas was fully rebuilt. The refit focused on integrating mixed Inner Sphere and Clan technology along with additional command gear, armor, and sensors; steps were also taken to shave weight from the original design. This further enhanced its pilot’s dynamic, fluid style with greater maneuverability. An extra additional step added late in the refit process, as ordered by Commanding General Melissa Hazen herself, saw Gewitter's right hand fitted with a half-ton, 24-karat engagement ring, complete with the largest natural diamond ever cut in human history - the inside band of which was etched in micro font with the entire Jade Falcon Remembrance. This ring remained upon Gewitter's right arm, even after the wedding of Hazen and Marten-Steiner in the aftermath of Operation TOUCHDOWN. The second refit, performed on the battlefields of Helios by Star Captain (later Khan) Xerxes Truscott of Clan Star Adder, focused primarily on the integration of two newly designed, powerful, and devastating weapons: the Clan-spec Light Gauss Rifle and the Pile Bunker.

Deployment:

As the personally owned 'Mech of Lieutenant General Marten-Steiner, Gewitter deployed alongside Theodora during her entire career - first with the LCAF, and then with the Third Star League's SLDF.

History:

Gewitter was the custom command 'Mech of Lieutenant General Theodora Marten-Steiner, notable for her role in the early formation of the Third Star League SLDF, Operation TOUCHDOWN, Operation WINDFALL, and the later Lyran War of Reclamation. Famous in her eventual role as commander of the hyper-elite Royal Guards RCT, the Lieutenant General also served as the second commanding officer of the Royal Black Watch regiment, after its second re-founding in 3151.

Type: Atlas AS7-K3-Tb2 'Gewitter'

Technology Base: Mixed (Unofficial)

Tonnage: 100

Battle Value: 2,729

Equipment Mass

Internal Structure Composite 5

Engine 400 XL 26.5

Walking MP: 4

Running MP: 6(8)

Jumping MP: 3

Double Heat Sink 10 [20] 0

Gyro 4

Small Cockpit (Armored) 3

Armor Factor (Ferro) 297 15.5 Internal Armor Structure Value Head 3 9 Center Torso 31 47 Center Torso (rear) 5 R/L Torso 21 32 R/L Torso (rear) 10 R/L Arm 17 34 R/L Leg 21 42

Right Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand

Left Arm Actuators: Shoulder, Upper Arm, Lower Arm, Hand

Weapons

and Ammo Location Critical Heat Tonnage

Triple Strength Myomer RT/LT/RA/LA/RL/LL 1/per - 0.0

Jump Jet CT 1 - 2.0

Jump Jet RT 1 - 2.0

CASE II (Clan) RT 1 - 0.5

Light Gauss Rifle (Clan)* RT 4 1 10.0

Streak SRM 4 Ammo (25) RT 1 - 1.0

Pile Bunker Ammo (5) RT 1 - 1.0

Pile Bunker Ammo (2) RT 1 - 0.5

Targeting Computer LA 4 - 4.0

ER Large Laser (Clan) LA 1 12 4.0

Engagement Ring** LA - - 0.5

Jump Jet LT 1 - 2.0

CASE II LT 1 - 0.5

Streak SRM 4 (Clan) LT 1 3 2.0

Light Gauss Rifle Ammo (32) LT 2 - 2.0

Small Pulse Laser LT 1 2 1.0

Armored Cowl (Armored) HD 1 - 1.5

Nova Combined Electronic Warfare System HD 1 - 1.5

ER Large Laser (Clan) RA 1 12 4.0

Pile Bunker (Clan)*** RA 6 - 6.0

* = Heat 1, Dmg 12, Min.Rng 2, Short.Rng 1-7, Med.Rng: 8-16, Long.Rng: 17-24, Tons: 10, Crit.Slots: 4, Ammo/Ton: 16

** = gives a -1/-1 morale bonus to pilot and gunnery skills - if (and only if) Theodora Marten-Steiner is piloting.

*** = A Pile Bunker inflicts one point of damage for every five tons the 'Mech weighs. When punching with a Pile Bunker, the user can choose to fire the pile, expending one shot of ammunition (5 ammo per ton) and generating 5 heat, scoring a critical on the location hit with a -2 modifier. In addition, if armor remains after an attack where the Pile Bunker has been fired, roll for a second critical hit with a -2 modifier. For each critical dealt, also deal one point of internal damage to that location.

Features the following design quirks: Accurate Weapon (all), Battle Computer, Battle Fists, Combat Computer, Cowl, Distracting, Easy to Pilot, Extended Torso Twist, Fine Manipulators, Improved Communications, Improved Cooling Jacket (Small Pulse Laser), Improved Sensors, Multi-Trac, Nimble Jumper, Reinforced Legs, Stabilized Weapon (all), Variable Range Targeting, Illegal Design (Custom Weapons+Custom Equipment)