#Water conservation for a better future

[reasonsforhope]

Masterpost: Reasons I firmly believe we will beat climate change

Posts are in reverse chronological order (by post date, not article date), mostly taken from my "climate change tag," which I went through all the way back to the literal beginning of my blog. Will update periodically.

Especially big deal articles/posts are in bold.

Big picture:

Mature trees offer hope in world of rising emissions (x)

Spying from space: How satellites can help identify and rein in a potent climate pollutant (x)

Good news: Tiny urban green spaces can cool cities and save lives (x)

Conservation and economic development go hand in hand, more often than expected (x)

The exponential growth of solar power will change the world (x)

Sun Machines: Solar, an energy that gets cheaper and cheaper, is going to be huge (x)

Wealthy nations finally deliver promised climate aid, as calls for more equitable funding for poor countries grow (x)

For Earth Day 2024, experts are spreading optimism – not doom. Here's why. (x)

Opinion: I’m a Climate Scientist. I’m Not Screaming Into the Void Anymore. (x)

The World’s Forests Are Doing Much Better Than We Think (x)

‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief (x)

Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View (x)

Young Forests Capture Carbon Quicker than Previously Thought (x)

Yes, climate change can be beaten by 2050. Here's how. (x)

Soil improvements could keep planet within 1.5C heating target, research shows (x)

The global treaty to save the ozone layer has also slowed Arctic ice melt (x)

The doomers are wrong about humanity’s future — and its past (x)

Scientists Find Methane is Actually Offsetting 30% of its Own Heating Effect on Planet (x)

Are debt-for-climate swaps finally taking off? (x)

High seas treaty: historic deal to protect international waters finally reached at UN (x)

How Could Positive ‘Tipping Points’ Accelerate Climate Action? (x)

Specific examples:

Environmental Campaigners Celebrate As Labour Ends Tory Ban On New Onshore Wind Projects (x)

Private firms are driving a revolution in solar power in Africa (x)

How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution (x)

Rewilding sites have seen 400% increase in jobs since 2008, research finds [Scotland] (x)

The American Climate Corps take flight, with most jobs based in the West (x)

Waste Heat Generated from Electronics to Warm Finnish City in Winter Thanks to Groundbreaking Thermal Energy Project (x)

Climate protection is now a human right — and lawsuits will follow [European Union] (x)

A new EU ecocide law ‘marks the end of impunity for environmental criminals’ (x)

Solar hits a renewable energy milestone not seen since WWII [United States] (x)

These are the climate grannies. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect their grandchildren. [United States and Native American Nations] (x)

Century of Tree Planting Stalls the Warming Effects in the Eastern United States, Says Study (x)

Chart: Wind and solar are closing in on fossil fuels in the EU (x)

UK use of gas and coal for electricity at lowest since 1957, figures show (x)

Countries That Generate 100% Renewable Energy Electricity (x)

Indigenous advocacy leads to largest dam removal project in US history [United States and Native American Nations] (x)

India’s clean energy transition is rapidly underway, benefiting the entire world (x)

China is set to shatter its wind and solar target five years early, new report finds (x)

‘Game changing’: spate of US lawsuits calls big oil to account for climate crisis (x)

Largest-ever data set collection shows how coral reefs can survive climate change (x)

The Biggest Climate Bill of Your Life - But What Does It DO? [United States] (x)

Good Climate News: Headline Roundup April 1st through April 15th, 2023 (x)

How agroforestry can restore degraded lands and provide income in the Amazon (x) [Brazil]

Loss of Climate-Crucial Mangrove Forests Has Slowed to Near-Negligable Amount Worldwide, Report Hails (x)

Agroecology schools help communities restore degraded land in Guatemala (x)

Climate adaptation:

Solar-powered generators pull clean drinking water 'from thin air,' aiding communities in need: 'It transforms lives' (x)

‘Sponge’ Cities Combat Urban Flooding by Letting Nature Do the Work [China] (x)

Indian Engineers Tackle Water Shortages with Star Wars Tech in Kerala (x)

A green roof or rooftop solar? You can combine them in a biosolar roof — boosting both biodiversity and power output (x)

Global death tolls from natural disasters have actually plummeted over the last century (x)

Los Angeles Just Proved How Spongy a City Can Be (x)

This city turns sewage into drinking water in 24 hours. The concept is catching on [Namibia] (x)

Plants teach their offspring how to adapt to climate change, scientists find (x)

Resurrecting Climate-Resilient Rice in India (x)

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - July 22-28

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

1. Four new cheetah cubs born in Saudi Arabia after 40 years of extinction

“[T]he discovery of mummified cheetahs in caves […] which ranged in age from 4,000 to as recent as 120 years, proved that the animals […] once called [Saudi Arabia] home. The realisation kick-started the country’s Cheetah Conservation Program to bring back the cats to their historic Arabian range. […] Dr Mohammed Qurban, CEO of the NCW, said: […] “This motivates us to continue our efforts to restore and reintroduce cheetahs, guided by an integrated strategy designed in accordance with best international practices.””

2. In sub-Saharan Africa, ‘forgotten’ foods could boost climate resilience, nutrition

“[A study published in PNAS] examined “forgotten” crops that may help make sub-Saharan food systems more resilient, and more nutritious, as climate change makes it harder to grow [current staple crops.] [… The study identified 138 indigenous] food crops that were “relatively underresearched, underutilized, or underpromoted in an African context,” but which have the nutrient content and growing stability to support healthy diets and local economies in the region. […] In Eswatini, van Zonneveld and the World Vegetable Center are working with schools to introduce hardy, underutilized vegetables to their gardens, which have typically only grown beans and maize.”

3. Here's how $4 billion in government money is being spent to reduce climate pollution

“[New Orleans was awarded] nearly $50 million to help pay for installing solar on low to middle income homes [… and] plans to green up underserved areas with trees and build out its lackluster bike lane system to provide an alternative to cars. […] In Utah, $75 million will fund several measures from expanding electric vehicles to reducing methane emissions from oil and gas production. [… A] coalition of states led by North Carolina will look to store carbon in lands used for agriculture as well as natural places like wetlands, with more than $400 million. [… This funding is] “providing investments in communities, new jobs, cost savings for everyday Americans, improved air quality, … better health outcomes.””

4. From doom scrolling to hope scrolling: this week’s big Democratic vibe shift

“[Democrats] have been on an emotional rollercoaster for the past few weeks: from grim determination as Biden fought to hang on to his push for a second term, to outright exuberance after he stepped aside and Harris launched her campaign. […] In less than a week, the Harris campaign raised record-breaking sums and signed up more than 100,000 new volunteers[….] This honeymoon phase will end, said Democratic strategist Guy Cecil, warning the election will be a close race, despite this newfound exuberance in his party. [… But v]oters are saying they are excited to vote for Harris and not just against Trump. That’s new.”

5. Biodegradable luminescent polymers show promise for reducing electronic waste

“[A team of scientists discovered that a certain] chemical enables the recycling of [luminescent polymers] while maintaining high light-emitting functions. […] At the end of life, this new polymer can be degraded under either mild acidic conditions (near the pH of stomach acid) or relatively low heat treatment (> 410 F). The resulting materials can be isolated and remade into new materials for future applications. […] The researchers predict this new polymer can be applied to existing technologies, such as displays and medical imaging, and enable new applications […] such as cell phones and computer screens with continued testing.”

6. World’s Biggest Dam Removal Project to Open 420 Miles of Salmon Habitat this Fall

“Reconnecting the river will help salmon and steelhead populations survive a warming climate and [natural disasters….] In the long term, dam removal will significantly improve water quality in the Klamath. “Algae problems in the reservoirs behind the dams were so bad that the water was dangerous for contact […] and not drinkable,” says Fluvial Geomorphologist Brian Cluer. [… The project] will begin to reverse decades of habitat degradation, allow threatened salmon species to be resilient in the face of climate change, and restore tribal connections to their traditional food source.”

7. Biden-Harris Administration Awards $45.1 Million to Expand Mental Health and Substance Use Services Across the Lifespan

““Be it fostering wellness in young people, caring for the unhoused, facilitating treatment and more, this funding directly supports the needs of our neighbors,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. [The funding also supports] recovery and reentry services to adults in the criminal justice system who have a substance use disorder[… and clinics which] serve anyone who asks for help for mental health or substance use, regardless of their ability to pay.”

8. The World’s Rarest Crow Will Soon Fly Free on Maui

“[… In] the latest attempt to establish a wild crow population, biologists will investigate if this species can thrive on Maui, an island where it may have never lived before. Translocations outside of a species’ known historical range are rare in conservation work, but for a bird on the brink of extinction, it’s a necessary experiment: Scientists believe the crows will be safer from predators in a new locale—a main reason that past reintroduction attempts failed. […] As the release date approaches, the crows have already undergone extensive preparation for life in the wild. […] “We try to give them the respect that you would give if you were caring for someone’s elder.””

9. An optimist’s guide to the EV battery mining challenge

““Battery minerals have a tremendous benefit over oil, and that’s that you can reuse them.” [… T]he report’s authors found there’s evidence to suggest that [improvements in technology] and recycling have already helped limit demand for battery minerals in spite of this rapid growth — and that further improvements can reduce it even more. [… They] envision a scenario in which new mining for battery materials can basically stop by 2050, as battery recycling meets demand. In this fully realized circular battery economy, the world must extract a total of 125 million tons of battery minerals — a sum that, while hefty, is actually 17 times smaller than the oil currently harvested every year to fuel road transport.”

10. Peekaboo! A baby tree kangaroo debuts at the Bronx Zoo

“The tiny Matschie’s tree kangaroo […] was the third of its kind born at the Bronx Zoo since 2008. [… A] Bronx Zoo spokesperson said that the kangaroo's birth was significant for the network of zoos that aims to preserve genetic diversity among endangered animals. "It's a small population and because of that births are not very common," said Jessica Moody, curator of primates and small mammals at the Bronx Zoo[, …] adding that baby tree kangaroos are “possibly one of the cutest animals to have ever lived. They look like stuffed animals, it's amazing.””

July 15-21 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Hi please can u write Edward Cullen x sick reader. Where the reader is stubborn and still shows up at school despite being sick. (I’m sick rn and can’t find any Edward fics) hope u have a nice day

Thank u :))

Nurse

Warnings: none really, sick!reader, potentially getting other people sick 😅, stubborn!reader, firm and patient edward, thank you for the request btw and sorry it took so long for me to get to it ❤️

Words: 1307

Edward knew immediately when you sat in the front passenger seat of his car that you were sick.

His brows draw heavy with concern. "You're-"

"I'm fine." You croak and buckle up. Moreso lying to yourself than to Edward. Your head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and you were pretty sure a small fever was beginning to rise on your forehead. Like hell you were missing school that day. You'd studied day and night for your test; was finally confident that you were going to pass.

Reading your thoughts, Edward sighs and leans back into his seat. "(y/n), a test doesn't matter when your health is in question. Your teacher will let you take a makeup test. You need to go back to bed."

There was no energy in you to roll your eyes. "After I take my test then I can rest. I just want to get it over and done with."

"You won't do well if you're si-"

"Edward, please. I know my body. I can survive until second period." Arguing did nothing to help you feel better.

He could just grab you and take you back to your room. Doing that would further enrage you.

"You promise to let me take you home after second period?" The pleading in his voice softens you.

"I promise."

Exhaulting another sigh, Edward nods to himself. "Alright. I'm holding you to that."

A part of you doubts that you'll be able to make it to second period, but you would try to.

Edward may not have fought you more, that didn't mean he was pleased watching you struggle that morning. You were bumping into other students and walls as you lost your balance several times.

Alice pulled Edward aside, her honey eyes narrowed. "Why would you let her come to school like that? She's obviously sick, Ed!"

"I know. Believe me I tried. She promised to let me take her home after her test in second period." Edward lowers his voice, he doubts you can hear him. His gaze is on you as Jasper helps to steady you.

"I don't think she'll make it." Alice frowns and folds her arms in front of her chest. "I don't have to look into the future to see that."

"You try telling her then. See how easy it is."

She wouldn't even try, having experienced your stubborness before. You always wanted to appear tough to the Cullen family as you were selfconcious of being the only human among them. Compared to them you were weak. You compensated by doing whatever you could as a human to appear strong. Including refusing help when you were sick. Edward knew it would wound your pride greatly if he forced you home. So did Alice.

You didn't share first or second period with Edward. He kept tags on you via his mind reading to see how you were faring.

Struggling to stay up in your chair, your eyes were fighting every second to remain focused on the whiteboard at the front of the class. You don't remember much of what the teacher was talking about. Conserving your energy and mentally going over things for your test the following period. You were fading fast. Chugging water helped a little.

When the bell rang, finally alerting of the end of the first period, you were slow to get to your feet. If you tried to move any faster than your current pace, the world would slip from under you.

You use desks to coast your way to the classroom door. Barely making it to the door, there appears Edward. Frazzled when he takes in your flushed face.

Before he could object to you continuing the school day, you stop him by placing a hand on his chest. His mouth closes as he quietly surrenders.

Help me to my next class. Please. You ask him via your thoughts. Doubting you could talk without feeling vomit rise up your throat.

Edward breathes through his nose but doesn't complain about you overworking yourself when you needed rest.

Ever the gentleman, Edward cups your elbow and guides you.

"The moment the class ends, I'm taking you home." He whispers to you as he helps you through the scattering of students running late.

You'd smile if you could. I love you.

You catch the quirk in the corner of his lips and the brightening of his eyes.

It cost you the rest of your strength, but you did it. You fucking did it. All questions answered to the best extent of your knowledge.

There were few steps that were between you and the teacher's desk.

You suck in a breath and stand, hand gripping the edge of your desk for support. Navigating through rows of kids bent over their paper's, you focus ahead of you.

When your teacher notices you, she pauses at the waxen sheen of your face. The moment your test is on the surface of her desk you quietly croak "Can I go to the nurse's office?"

Edward was right outside the door, prepared to take you into his arms. You wanted to laugh.

The thought of a mother hen pops into your mind, making Edward scoff. "If I'm a mother hen so be it." You were unable to protest when he easily scoops you up and dashes to his car. Alice is waiting, rocking back and forth on her feet until she spots the two of you. There's a plastic bag in her hand that looks overly full.

"I'll tell the office." Alice takes Ed's car keys to opening the passenger door for you. Then she places the grocery bag in the back seat. "I googled what made people feel better when they're sick."

"Thank you Alice." You manage to get out as Edward opens the door with just one finger. He sets you down and straps the belt across your chest but not before tossing your backpack into the back seat.

Wondering what Alice had bought you, your forehead presses against the passenger side window, you momentarily fall asleep.

Only waking up when Edward is carefully picking you up from the car's passenger side. He's so careful with you. Always.

You realize when he opens the door that he's brought you to the Cullen house when the front door doesn't match your's.

"I don't want to leave you sick and home alone." He explained while hurrying up the stairs.

And. . .

"Ed. . ." Are you scared?

His jaw clenches. In his room he makes sure you're comfortable with whatever you needed. Water. Pillows. Blankets if you got cold.

Then he settles next to you. His face unreadable. You curl up closer to him and just that mere contact melted him.

"My mother and I. . . we were very sick when I became a vampire." This was something he'd told you a while ago. They'd become sick during the Spanish influenza outbreak. "I know the medical world is much more evolved than it was during my time, but it still terrifies me when you get sick."

"Oh Ed," You sit up even when Edward urges you to lay back down. "I should have-"

He furiously shakes his head. "No. You didn't do anything wrong. Sickness just reminds me how human and fragile you are." Rolling onto his side, you copy him. Head comfortably cradled by a pillow.

Rest.

You could finally rest.

His fingers brush along your brow, soothing your warm skin. You shimmy closer against him. Edward's much larger frame conforms around you.

"I know you won't die from this. Not that I'd let you die from illness." Adding the last part a bit under his breath, you still caught it.

For a second, Edward pulls away from you to retrieve a bottle of medicine from the bag.

"Now be a good girl and take your medicine."

[etherealsworldvision]

What is a step you can take toward your own well-being?

Before I begin the reading I’d like to take a moment to talk about: Marine Conservation Institute. They’re a non-profit organization working to defend our ocean by advocating for stronger protection and to save the ocean for all of us and future generations. If you’re interested do check them out and if you’d like to further support this organization click donate.

New song discovery for the reading: Elijah Waters - Perfectly Silent

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

🚨 P.S.A 🚨 : I do not give personal readings!

Added Description: all my readings are timeless and meant to reach those who resonate to the messages.

[ Collective Messages: 234 (or 2:34? I’m not religious but for some reason I got this?); Leaving the past behind; Elevating; Patience; Timing; Learning to walk again; Stumbling; Material abundance; Getting news about material/job offers; Your confirmation is Yes; Positive changes; Water wheel finally turning; Think before speaking; Rainbows and Sunshine. Mars Placements.]

Pile 1

“My head is like a washing machine. Tried to wash away these thoughts, still can’t get clean.”

Cards: 9 of Wands Reversed; Emperor; 10 of Cups Reversed; Empress Reversed; 2 of Hearts; Queen of Clubs; Six of Clubs

[ Messages: Stubborn; Self-Sabotage; Fear of Change; Overthinking; Stagnation; “Just Do It”; Red Sox; Baseball; Taking initiative; Ares; Aries placement; Coffee; Accepting your heart; Janine Teagues; “Things will go wrong whether you’re doing what you want or not. For me, regrets are always harder to live with than consequences. I don’t regret […] living my life to the fullest […] it’ll be alright, trust me.”– Mr. Johnson ( Abbott elementary S3EP14 timestamp 16:10 - 17:08). ]

The first thing standing out to me is your emotional and mental health. You may be experiencing a time where you’re unable to take care of yourself. This isn’t to shame you, I just want to acknowledge that you’re already doing enough. If no one said this to you today; I am so proud of you. Another thing I do want to say is: please reach out to your support system or check in with yourself. Honestly you don’t need to prove anything to be deserving of love and happiness. It’s okay to want and need something that emotionally fulfills you.

I feel like this pile is very independent and an over-thinker which can cause burnout, as well as aiding in self-sabotaging tendencies. For some reason I feel like you may “psych yourself out of it,” meaning you’re so excited about something only to get worried before having a chance. I know it’s a hard pill to swallow but it needs to be said. Self-sabotaging and overthinking is what’s holding you back. You may be experiencing Imposter Syndrome and Control issues as a result.

With the emperor, empress, and queen of clubs here — you are very much qualified to go after what you want. It does look like you're someone who knows what to do, is aware of the things you need, and what you want. I don’t know if it is a job or related to your social life, however, there’s this feeling of being overqualified for something or feeling deserving of more/better.

There is also a confirmation here that things will get better and you will get what you want. However, it is you who decides to go after it. I do recommend looking up books about self-sabotaging or YouTube videos about this topic. If you are in therapy, maybe this is a subject you’d like to bring up?

A good question to ask yourself is: What have I always accepted as true that turned out to be false?

So that’s all I’m getting. I know this reading is short and straightforward. I would like to say thank you for taking your time reading this and I hope this reading resonates with you.

Pile 2

[ Cards: King of Swords; The Devil Reversed; Page of Wands; Queen of Cups; King of Spades; 3 of Hearts; Jack of Diamonds; 5 of Hearts ]

Messages: Retreating; Refuting; Verbally Vindictive; 3H Mars; Leo or Cancer Mars; Fire and Water Placements; Trauma Dumping; Changes in Communication; Online Regina George Trope; Air Signs (Specifically Suns); Birthdays; Online Personality; Healing; Dictator - Rei Ami; YouTube commentary or essays about online ( trends )

I feel a bit overwhelmed when reading this pile. As if I have to be someone I’m not? I feel that social media is really coming in, especially TikTok/Twitter discourses. There’s this sense of having to upkeep and over consume to be considered a: ✨main character✨ otherwise “you’re just not cool and an utterly boring, basic loser, yuck 🤢 🤮, You’re not even a side character yikes.” /J (I am using sarcasm and joking).

For some of you I get the feeling that this could be stemming from social media addiction, others it may be, that you are embodying the online personality. Over all this just feels like a huge weight on your shoulders or a ball and chain on your leg. In an odd way; maybe your phone or whatever you use is home to you? It’s where you can express yourself via feelings, personality, opinions, etc. This is in no way to shame you at all. I also use social media and so does the next person, right?

There’s this need to give yourself a balance again. To double check with yourself on how you’re feeling after using social media. I feel most of you are ready to gain control of your media consumption or at least contemplate the effects it has on you. Taking a step back from social media — maybe trying out a hobby or just reconnecting to something that makes you feel like you may help.

Also if you want YouTube recommendations on over consuming let me know, I can send you the links. The number one takeaway is that it’s okay to be yourself. You being you is main character energy. No amount of products, social media influenced personality, or aesthetics can take that away from you. You are enough, I promise you that. It’s okay to want to change but if you’re feeling influenced by something that isn’t true to you then you might want to ponder on that and ask if that is really what you resonate with.

A good question to ask yourself is: What is one small step I can take today towards a goal that feels out of reach?

That’s all I’m getting for you pile 2! If you stuck around this far I’d like to say thank you so much. I greatly appreciate it and hope you resonate with this reading.

Pile 3

[ Cards: 4 of Cups, Ace of Pentacles Reversed; Five of Pentacles Reversed; Queen of Cups; 9 of Diamonds; 6 of Diamonds; Queen of Diamonds; Ace of Hearts ]

Messages; Open mind and heart; Chihiro by Billie Eilish; Money Growth; Finances; Earth and Water placements; Fear of Missing Out; Take out; Diners; Over consumption; Capitalism; Low Income; 111; Unemployment

( Tw: financial experience and control issues. Disclaimer: for some reason I feel called to talk about my financial experience and how I dealt with this. Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for in my experience? )

So I had been unemployed for two years then found a job for 3 months then unemployed again for a year. When I tell you, I searched for a job everywhere, I mean everywhere! I applied everywhere and every time. I even tried to save what I could and budget with what I had (I live with my family and occasionally would get money. I understand/am aware of the privilege and support I have. I’m also very grateful and appreciate them)

I yelled at the universe, cried, and had sleepless nights. However, what helped me (besides living with my family) through this tough time is to focus on things I can control while applying for jobs. That’s what honestly made me stay afloat. So maybe this is what can help you during this trying time?

Finding a (free) third place meaning: the park, public library, or just a walk may help ease a bit of tension. Sometimes journaling or confiding with someone will help as well. Doing something that helps you remain in the present and eases the anxiousness could help. I know this may not be what you were looking for and I wish I can give you financial advice but that is not my forte.

There is only so much control we have when it comes to finances and it is certainly not a lesson from the universe or it’s not happening to you or happening for you. I don't care what they say, it is not a lesson! It is just an unfortunate situation to be in, it just is. Like yes you can learn from it but it is not something (pre)destined or “contract” written. It just happens and we live in late stage capitalism. That’s me being real with you.

So yeah, I’m sorry for the little tangent. What I am getting is to fill your emotional cup for the meantime. Yes, do what you need to do with your finances; finding a job or to save/budget money whatever you can do to the best of your abilities.

You just have to remember to do things that are within your control and to not neglect your emotional/mental health. If singing, drawing, talking, or simple things like cloud watching helps you stay present and makes you feel in control then by all means do that.

I’m not saying to use escapism but I am saying to do your best to emotionally check in with yourself from time to time. Also if you have a support system do talk with them or be around them. A good question to ask yourself is: “Who do I feel most myself around? Why?”

This is all that I’m getting for the reading. I hope this reading resonates. Again, I am so sorry if I made things worse or didn’t help! Please remember to check in with yourself — take care :)

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A new report by a team of UBC scientists has B.C. politicians and First Nations weighing in after it proposed relocating some residents and farms in Abbotsford, B.C.'s Sumas Prairie, to allow the area to be turned back into a lake. The report's lead author says that a "managed retreat" is necessary because climate modelling shows the area will continue to experience further catastrophic flooding, akin to the devastation the Fraser Valley experienced in 2021. "The lake wants to come back, so bringing the lake back is fairly simple," Tara Martin told CBC Radio's The Current. "The harder thing is moving infrastructure and people out of the way," she said. Much of the Sumas Prairie was once a shallow, freshwater lake until the B.C. government drained it in the 1920s, converting it into agricultural land for settlers and displacing the Sumas First Nation. Martin, with UBC's Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, says with further flooding on the horizon, it makes better economic sense to reflood the plain rather than rebuild dikes to manage water flows.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[posttexasstressdisorder]

The GOP’s 43-year tax-cuts-for-billionaires-while-we-ignore-the-needs-of-the-country grift has an analogy in condos and homes across America that might help voters understand how it works and how they’ve gotten away with it.

Fully 84 percent of all homes and apartments built and sold in 2022 came with a homeowner’s association (HOA), and an estimated 27 percent of all homeowners nationwide currently live in a property controlled by an HOA.

And many are very unhappy about the experience.

According to a survey by Rocket Mortgage, only 47 percent of HOA residents think their HOA has made their community better, only two-thirds (64%) believe their HOA “honestly handles its finances,” and one in ten people nationwide who have an HOA cite the HOA itself as their main reason for moving.

How and why is this?

Louise and I have lived in five communities with HOAs in two different states. Three (including where we now live) were well managed, kept up the community, and set aside money from the dues every month for the inevitable future maintenance. I was on the board of one of them. The other two ran, essentially, a shell game or reverse Ponzi scheme, which led us to eventually quit those communities and move.

READ: Deep-red 'Republican stronghold' thought to be 'easy win for Trump' is now a swing state

I remember attending a board meeting in one of those “shell game” HOA communities we’d lived in. There were multiple common-area maintenance issues needing attention, but a group who called themselves “low-tax conservatives” had run the board for over a twenty years.

There was almost nothing in reserves, so maintenance had been continuously postponed until things hit a crisis level. Then they’d hit us all with a series of “special one-time assessments” ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars to pay for the upkeep. They refused to raise the monthly HOA fee, referring to it as a tax, because, they said, they were “low-tax conservatives”; in fact, they were just cheapskates.

That HOA board had been, in the past and the present, stealing from future homeowners.

They did it so they could enjoy the community during the first 30 or so years — when maintenance costs were minimal — without setting aside money for the future, when things would rot or wear out and need replacement or upgrade.

For the first three decades, they were able to coast with $200/month in dues and no assessments; by the time we arrived when the units were pushing 35 years old, though, the assessments were hitting $3000 to $9000 a year, and, when the buildings’ roofs need repair (soon) it’ll be twice that amount or more.

Fortunately, once we saw the handwriting on that particular wall we were able to sell our condo and move to a well-run community. Americans, though, don’t have that option: Republicans have been running this same shell game or reverse Ponzi scheme against all of us (except the very rich) across the entire country ever since Reagan successfully pitched trickle-down economics to the nation in 1981.

If you’ve ever lived in one of these shell game HOA’s, you now perfectly understand Reaganomics and why it seems that America has deteriorated so badly over the past 40 years.

You could call it the disaster of pothole economics: all across America, roads, bridges, water systems, schools, and other vital public infrastructure have been underfunded and neglected ever since Reagan popularized the idea of “austerity” among Republicans.

In order to pay for the second most massive tax cut for the morbidly rich in history (Reagan cut the top tax bracket from 74% down to 25%), his administration cut spending on education, housing, roads and bridges, and pretty much every other aspect of America’s infrastructure. George W. Bush did the same thing, and Donald Trump tripled down on the scheme.

The result was a $51 trillion transfer of wealth — over a mere forty-three years — from the homes, retirement accounts, and savings of average working families into the money bins of the extremely wealthy. Thirty-four trillion of that transfer show up as our national debt, which was a mere $800 billion ($0.8 trillion) when Reagan first came into office and started this scam.

President Joe Biden and his Vice President, Kamala Harris, ran the first administration of either party to significantly repudiate Reagan’s neoliberalism by injecting trillions into rebuilding our nation (over 35,000 projects) while raising taxes on rich people and corporations to pay for it.

The result was immediately visible, just like in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: we now have the best economy on planet Earth with unemployment lower than any time since the 1960s (and lower than any time in history for women, Blacks, and Hispanics). Inflation has been at or below 0% for the past two months and is annually running around 3% (Reagan never got inflation below 4.1% in his entire 8 years); all across America we’re putting our rural areas, towns, and cities back together.

For the past forty years, Republicans and their administrations have focused almost entirely on taking cash away from working class people and handing it off to the billionaires who own and finance their party. At the top of the list of ways they did this was a series of five tax cuts for the morbidly rich and big corporations adding up to over $30 trillion since 1981.

But they’ve also been cutting spending to compensate for their tax breaks for the billionaire class: They blocked extending the child tax credit this year, throwing millions of American children back into poverty. They’ve fought lifting the cap on Social Security taxes so people making over $168,600 will begin paying on all of their income (millionaires and billionaires currently pay only a tiny fraction of the percentage to support Social Security that the rest of us do).

Fully 100% of congressional Republicans voted against Biden’s Build Back Better program that’s now putting America back together and his American Rescue Plan that lifted millions out of poverty and put millions more back to work. They successfully blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act that would have penalized employers for wage discrimination based on gender; they’ve refused to expand Medicaid in almost a dozen Red states; they even filibustered an attempt to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10.

For the past forty-plus years, Republicans — just like these dysfunctional HOAs — have been stealing from America’s future; our infrastructure deficit alone is several trillion dollars, meaning Americans will be paying more in taxes to make up for all those decades of neglect.

Democrats want those tax increases to hit people earning over $400,000 a year; Republican tax proposals, on the other hand, mostly focus on increasing income taxes and fees on working class people while continuing or even expanding tax breaks for the very wealthy.

One of the “low tax” HOAs we used to live in, instead of raising their monthly fee or instituting an assessment, recently negotiated a million-dollar-plus 20-year loan with people’s properties as the collateral to fund painting and repairing serious rot on the buildings.

This should have been paid for with an increase in HOA fees twenty years ago, anticipating the future maintenance and upkeep needs.

But instead they kept the fee low, never built up a reserve, and are now borrowing from the bank. In other words, they’re continuing the all-too-common HOA board scam of requiring future generations to pay for current repairs, just like the GOP budget proposals we’ll see when they return from summer vacation in September will require future generations to pay for their past tax cuts.

It’s the equivalent of Reagan, Bush, and Trump jacking up the national debt to keep things glued together, forcing future generations to pay it off when the bill comes due, while their wealthy corporate funders rob us blind.

Homeowners across America are waking up to these toxic HOA boards, as social media sites for HOA members are forming and local homeowner uprisings are happening against boards, either replacing the board members or, in some cases, even suing them. Some states are even starting to require they build up reserves for future maintenance.

Hopefully, Americans will realize how successfully Republicans have inflicted this very same scam on voters and working class people over the past forty-plus years and vote the bums out this fall.

ALSO READ: Mike Johnson's now-deleted Trump social media post sparks controversy

[mindblowingscience]

Recent findings that plants employ a drought-survival mechanism to also defend against nutrient-sucking pests could inform future crop breeding programs aimed at achieving better broadscale pest control. Using an advanced fluorescent biosensor (ABACUS2) that can detect tiny changes in plant hormone concentrations at the cellular scale, scientists saw that abscisic acid (ABA), usually linked with drought response, started closing the plant's entry gates within 5 hours of being infested with spider mites. Microscopic leaf pores (stomata) are important for gas exchange but are also the major sites for water loss. When there is a water shortage, plants act to conserve water by producing the drought stress hormone ABA to close their stomata.

Continue Reading.

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

I think we as a society really need to get over the idea that 'natural' automatically = 'good'.

And I don't just mean in a 'use actual disinfectant instead of cobwebs and wishful thinking!' kinda way, although that is part of it.

I mean in the way that so many people seem to fucking valorise the neolithic period as some sort of Pure and True Garden of Eden where everything was Perfect and humans got it Right.

Obviously we all know conservatives do it. The whole evolutionary psychology 'pink is for ladies because they evolved to see berries better, while blue is for boys because they evolved to hunt under the sky and we're going to ignore that these trends are less than a century old' thing. Yeah, we all get that that sucks.

But for some reason the Left Wing response is so often to just pull out the Uno Reverse card and be like "well actually the Neolithic era was a socialist utopia because-" which is surely a much less revolutionary argument than people seem to think it is.

Firstly, because it encourages historical revisionism. Like, if everything people learn about the lives of Early Humans ends up getting twisted into some political argument about the Right Way To Live in the modern day, then people are obviously going to be motivated to interpret the facts in a way that supports their own personal values.

To give an example: suppose one day we somehow found incontrovertible evidence that Stone Age autistic people were not actually valued for our ability to sort animal bones or stay awake all night or whatever, but were rather beaten to death with rocks the moment we started showing symptoms.

What would we do with that information? Given that 'autistic people were valued members of society in Stone Age times!' is currently being used as a key argument for our right to exist?

Ignore it? Refuse to believe it? Shrug our shoulders say "well, guess we were wrong" and start beating people to death with rocks as an expression of the wills of our Pure Divine Ancestors?

Which brings me to my second point of: while I don't think stone age societies actually did beat autistic people to death with rocks for no reason, they almost certainly did a fuckload of stuff that we would consider immoral today.

I mean, they definitely didn't vaccinate their kids. If you went back in time and told somebody from the Neolithic era "poke your kid with the Magic Needle and they will be Protected From Disease" they'd probably go for it, but if we're going for natural = good then technically the anti-vaxxers have it right.

There's also a fair amount of evidence for cannibalism. And massacres. And infanticide as a method of birth control. The natural state of humanity is pretty shitty by most modern standards.

And like, I'm not saying that stone age cultures were cruel and inhuman either. They were very human.

The nature of humanity isn't inherently brutal or inherently pure… it's mostly, in fact, the desire to build something for ourselves and our communities that is better than what we have. Medicine. Shelter. Warmth. Clean sources of water. Consistent sources of food.

Humans didn't Get It Right in the stone age, and we sure as hell haven't Got It Right yet. But billions of people didn't spend their whole lives working to make things better for future generations, only for us today to decide that the only way to Get Things Right is to go all the way back to the beginning.

[fountainpenguin]

Frayed Knots

Fairly OddParents ~ (July 2017 - Ongoing)

“Ohh, just think of it, Anti-Wanda! A new High Count. A new system structure. No more stupid rules! Now, how beautiful would that be? ... Will you help me?”

Anti-Cosmo backstory longfic

Drama, Angst, & Romance

First-person POV

Dead Dove

Summary

Ever since he was 8 years old, Anti-Cosmo has dreamed of becoming a father in a time period when Anti-Fairies are forbidden from reproducing. Determined to find a loophole in the cruel law, he searches desperately for a way that Anti-Fairies might reproduce without being forcibly bound to the whims of their Fairy counterparts... ... and when he gets his hands on the information he desires at last, he's forced to make a painful choice: Pretend he never uncovered the forbidden secret that he did, or put his long-sought knowledge to use at the expense of those he loves. Yeah, I think we all know where this is going. Full steam ahead...

Not Rated; Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings

Read on FFN | Read on AO3

Chapter Recaps | Anti-Fairy Character List

Cloudlands AU - Detailed warnings & other AU info

More Fairly OddParents 'fics

This work has a largely T tone. Borderline M for themes of sexuality, reproduction, bat biology, infidelity, grooming, abuse, war, and just bad choices all around. E-rated versions of some chapters are posted as separate works- Not directly in this one.

Anti-Cosmo-centric longfic with a focus on:

- Falsifying your betrothal ceremony as a child and lying for life is fine, right? (No, he didn't pick Anti-Wanda... ohhh, dear). - Navigating sociosexual Anti-Fairy culture as a panromantic graysexual (Diagnosed magical bipolar parallel & hypersexual). A serious look at how rough life with hypersexuality can be, even if your future wife thinks it's kinda hot. - Anti-Cosmo's journey to becoming High Count, overthrowing his step-father Anti-Bryndin in the process - Questioning your faith in a culture that pushes the Fae zodiac in every aspect of life, including childhood betrothals, the single creature you're allowed to shapeshift into, and mental health treatments - A wide variety of abuse (and recovery... and repeating the cycle). Oh, and there's extreme abuse from a past life mixed in there? And no one would ever believe you? This gets better and better! - Shout-out to the D Plot of founding the genie conservation program - Demisexual brain go brrrr - The war over godkids from "Balance of Flour" (Season 7). Canon Tiddlywinks face-off, anyone? - Turning your mind and body over to the Water spirit, who got kicked out of cosmic game night for being a massive brat who kept pushing his mediums to their limit until they broke... Wait, what? - Forming a tight relationship with the Head Pixie: a close friend of Anti-Bryndin's reluctant to accept a new leader (and he's the man Anti-Cosmo apparently raised a child with, if Jorgen's slideshow in "Fairly Odd Baby" is to be believed... Let's talk about it!) - And the glacial-level slow burn that is Anti-Cosmo/Anti-Wanda

Read on FFN | Read on AO3 | Blog Tag

"All I've ever wanted, see, was to tell you honestly... I'd do anything for you! ... I'd do absolutely anything for you." (x)

[mariacallous]

To protect America’s vital infrastructure from hackers without relying on a moribund Congress, the Biden administration bet big on creative uses of existing laws. But the Supreme Court probably blew up that approach.

President Joe Biden’s strategy relied on agencies interpreting the laws that give them regulatory powers to include cybersecurity, with the expectation that courts would defer to their interpretations of those laws under a decades-old legal doctrine known as Chevron deference.

But in a landmark case decided in late June, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the United States Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority eliminated Chevron deference and ordered courts to determine for themselves what ambiguous laws say—without assigning nearly as much weight to agencies’ interpretations.

Now, that controversial ruling could completely upend multiple agencies’ plans to require better cybersecurity from critical infrastructure entities like hospitals, water systems, and power plants. It could even help corporate America overturn existing rules aimed at keeping hackers off cloud platforms, securing pipelines and airports, and improving disclosures of major breaches.

“There’s the possibility of lawsuits to test the waters in a lot of regulations,” says Harley Geiger, counsel with the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law. “It definitely becomes much more difficult to regulate on critical infrastructure cybersecurity in areas where there is not sound or clear statutory backing.”

Landmark Cyber Program Under Threat

Biden’s marquee cyber regulation may also be his most endangered: a pending requirement for critical infrastructure organizations to report cyberattacks within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours.

The regulation, authorized by the 2022 Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA), is meant to close massive gaps in the government’s awareness of the cyberattacks plaguing US companies every day. But when the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the proposed rule in April, the business community slammed it for going further than lawmakers intended. By the time the public comment period closed earlier this month, many companies and trade groups had urged CISA to pare back the rule—with some of them even citing the Loper Bright ruling.

The criticism mostly focused on three aspects of the rule that could represent its biggest vulnerabilities in a future lawsuit: the definition of a “covered entity” subject to the reporting requirements, the definition of a “covered incident” that needs to be disclosed, and the list of information that needs to be reported. Businesses say CISA used much broader language for these three provisions than Congress intended.

“They have gone well beyond the text,” says one cybersecurity-focused attorney, who requested anonymity because they represent clients in disputes with federal agencies. “There's a lot of vulnerable aspects to it.”

Senate Homeland Security Committee chair Gary Peters, whose panel led the drafting of CIRCIA, added to the regulation’s legal peril when he filed a public comment saying that “the proposed rule is overbroad and needs additional clarity,” including on the definitions of covered incidents and covered entities. Peters’ objections are significant, because courts analyzing unclear laws will likely lean heavily on congressional intent.

It’s unclear if CISA will back down in the face of these headwinds. A spokesperson says the agency is “still assessing” the Loper Bright ruling “and any potential impacts that this may have on the agency’s rulemaking actions.” The spokesperson says the final regulation will be “consistent with authorities given to us by Congress.”

CISA officials “seem quite committed to the scope that they're aiming for, because they really seem to view it as important to their mission,” says Stephen Lilley, a partner at the law firm Mayer Brown who focuses on cyber matters. Even so, he added, “CISA now has to be thinking, have we pushed too far in light of these recent decisions, and do we need to be a bit more modest in our ambitions?”

The consequences of a government retreat are hard to predict but potentially serious. Scaled-back CIRCIA requirements could exempt more companies from reporting or reduce the amount of information they have to report, easing the burden on those organizations but weakening the government’s understanding of digital threats.

Most experts predict only modest changes. “I would expect them to try to make as limited a reaction as their lawyers say they need to make,” Lilley says.

Still, it’s clear that the officials behind the government’s biggest-ever cyber regulation—due to be finalized by October 2025—are on notice.

“There's no way that CISA takes the next [14] months to develop this rule without considering the effect of Loper Bright and the loss of Chevron deference,” Geiger says.

Planes, Trains, and Cloud Services

While CISA’s incident reporting mandate has attracted the lion’s share of post–Loper Bright attention, the ruling threatens a host of other existing and pending cyber regulations.

The Department of Health and Human Services is working on a rule that would condition hospitals’ receipt of federal Medicare and Medicaid funding on their compliance with cyber requirements. The closely watched HHS rule represents the Biden administration’s attempt to stem a massive tide of ransomware attacks on hospitals and the rest of the health care sector. But the powerful hospital industry has objected to new mandates, saying they will overly burden already struggling facilities. Few details are known about the rule—including its exact legal basis—so it’s unclear whether HHS has been rewriting it to address Loper Bright.

Corporate America’s most-loathed cyber regulation is the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2023 rule requiring publicly traded companies to announce cyber incidents with a “material” impact within four business days. That rule may be safe from new lawsuits, given the SEC’s clear legal authority to require the disclosure of information that materially affects stock prices. But Geiger says companies might instead challenge the SEC’s authority to penalize companies for hacks, since the underlying law and regulation don’t mention cybersecurity. (The SEC declined to comment for this story.)

Lawsuits could also hit the Transportation Security Administration over its cyber requirements for pipeline, rail, and aviation operators. The TSA significantly modified its emergency directives to address industry criticism, but as the agency codifies those directives in more formal rules, disgruntled companies could seize the chance to sue. “There’s not a history of that agency doing cyber, and there’s not a great statutory hook to point to,” says the cyber attorney, who cited “a lot of frustration” with the TSA’s “perpetual invocation of an ongoing but undescribed emergency” to justify the requirements. (The TSA declined to comment.)

The Commerce Department could hit a legal snag with its proposal to require cloud companies to verify their customers’ identities and report on their activities. The pending rule, part of an effort to clamp down on hackers’ misuse of cloud services, has drawn industry criticism for alleged overreach. A major tech trade group warned Commerce that its “proposed regulations risk exceeding the rulemaking authority granted by Congress.” (Commerce declined to comment.)

Lawsuits could also target other regulations—including data breach reporting requirements from the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and financial regulators—that rely on laws written long before policymakers were thinking about cybersecurity.

“A lot of the challenges where the agencies are going to be most nervous [are] when they’ve been interpreting something for 20 years or they newly have interpreted something that’s 30 years old,” says the cyber attorney.

The White House has already faced one major setback. Last October, the Environmental Protection Agency withdrew cyber requirements for water systems that industry groups and Republican-led states had challenged in court. Opponents said the EPA had exceeded its authority in interpreting a 1974 law to require states to add cybersecurity to their water-facility inspections, a strategy that a top White House cyber official had previously praised as “a creative approach.”

All Eyes on Congress

The government’s cyber regulation push is likely to run headlong into a judicial morass.

Federal judges could reach different conclusions about the same regulations, setting up appeals to regional circuit courts that have very different track records. “The judiciary itself is not a monolith,” says Geiger, of the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law. In addition, agencies understand cutting-edge tech issues much better than judges, who may struggle to parse the intricacies of cyber regulations.

There is only one real solution to this problem, according to experts: If Congress wants agencies to be able to mandate cyber improvements, it will have to pass new laws empowering them to do so.

“There is greater onus now on Congress to act decisively to help ensure protection of the critical services on which society relies,” Geiger says.

Clarity will be key, says Jamil Jaffer, the executive director of George Mason University’s National Security Institute and a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. “The more specific Congress gets, the more likely I think a court is to see it the same way an agency does.”

Congress rarely passes major legislation, especially with new regulatory powers, but cybersecurity has consistently been an exception.

“Congress moves very, very slowly, but it’s not completely passive [on] this front,” Lilley says. “There's a possibility that you will see meaningful cyber legislation in particular sectors if regulators are not able to move forward.”

One major question is whether this progress will continue if Republicans seize unified control of the government in November’s elections. Lilley is optimistic, pointing to the GOP platform’s invocation of securing critical infrastructure with heightened standards as “a national priority.”

“There's a sense across both sides of the aisle at this point that, certainly in some of the sectors, there has been some measure of market failure,” Lilley says, “and that some measure of government action will be appropriate.”

Regardless of who controls Capitol Hill next January, the Supreme Court just handed lawmakers a massive amount of responsibility in the fight against hackers.

“It's not going to be easy,” Geiger says, “but it's time for Congress to act.”

[coffeeandbatboys]

The Magic Touch (Kix x Reader)

A/N I had a thought. The natborn GAR officers have to go through intensive physical training regardless of their field (like most militaries that I know of). This is self indulgent right now because I got harassed into doing a crazy hard workout and now I’m sore :/

The first half feels awkward but I had to set it up.

Warnings: sfw; reader’s body is really sore, massages, fluff.

You’re not even halfway through the training program and you’re already hating it.

You thought that you’d been working out substantially all this time, but that theory has since been proven wrong.

The GAR wants your little old radar tech ass to haul the whole damn venator apparently.

You sigh as you near the front door of your apartment, legs still shaky from the exercise.

Kix is already inside, putting together the dinner that you’d left partially prepared in the conservator. You halfheartedly return his smile when he sees you.

“This better be kriffing worth it.” You grumble, setting down your bag and stretching your unsteady arms and legs.

“Did you get enough water? Or electrolytes?” He asks, wrapping you up in a gentle hug.

“Aaaand I stretched before and after.” You confirm.

Satisfied, he smiles and kisses your forehead. “Dinner’s just about ready. I figure we could watch a holo?”

Finally, you smile genuinely. “Yeah that sounds nice.”

You end up showering before dinner, since the ones at the training facility are hardly what you’d call cleansing. As soon as you’re out and dressed in some more comfortable clothes, Kix has both plates of food situated in front of the holoprojector.

Once dinner’s been finished and the holovid is long over, you’re tired and ready to sleep. The two of you retire to the bed, nestled into each other’s embrace.

The first thought you have when you wake up is to stretch.

That’s turns out to be a bad idea, because your body protests with aching muscles. A soft yelp leaves your lips before you can stop it and Kix’s eyes flutter open.

“Y’kay, Mesh’la?” He asks, rubbing his eyes before bringing his hands to your shoulders with concern.

“Mhm.” You hum, trying to sound convincing.

He doesn’t buy it.

“Yeah because you yell in pain every morning.”

You huff. “Fine. I’m sore.”

A deep chuckle rumbles through his chest. “C’mere.”

You trust Kix—he is a medic after all. But you give him a wary look nonetheless as he gently tugs your back against his chest.

“Alright, cyare. Tell me where it hurts.”

You hesitate, suddenly becoming very flustered.

“C’mon. Where does it hurt?”

You gingerly touch your shoulders. You feel his warm, steady hands rest on them and begin to knead the stiff muscles. You stifle a sigh of relief and relax under the touch. His chuckle reverberates on your back, sending goosebumps across your skin.

After a few minutes of giving your shoulders attention, he asks where else it hurts. You sheepishly tap the sides of your torso, near your hips. Again, his hands slide over the skin and work out all of the pain that’s been building up overnight. You don’t even try to stifle the moan that leaves your lips, earning a laugh from your lover.

“Does that feel good, Cyar’ika?”

You hum happily in response.

Kix showers the back of your neck with tender kisses. “Glad I can help.”

“Gonna need to keep you around,” you laugh, leaning back into his chest. “This is gonna be a routine with you for the foreseeable future.”

“And I’ll be here every time you need me.”

[reasonsforhope]

Good Climate News: Headline Roundup April 1st through April 15th, 2023

Contrary to what you might expect, there's actually way more good climate news stories than I have time to post about individually. (Especially now that my health is better and I'm back to working more!) Which itself is fantastic news!

Some stories are big, some are small, but they all add up. All over the world, people are doing far more than we realize to help save the planet - and ourselves.

I'm posting this is mid-May bc I've gotten really behind on news posts, but trust me, there will be more roundups coming. And this is SO FAR from all the good climate news in April 2023. I may do weekly roundups in the future.

So, without further ado, some reasons to have hope, all from just April of 2023:

^Article date: 4/15/23

^Article date: 4/14/23. And to clarify, the cleanup will NOT be temporary, they are building infrastructure and changing laws for the long term.

^Article date: 4/13/23

^Article date: 4/12/23

^Article date: 4/10/23

^Article date: 4/12/23

^Article date: 4/11/23

^Article date: 4/8/23

^Article date: 4/5/23

More roundup posts to come!

[bleue-flora]

Ok sooo, I can’t stop thinking about the line from this post [here] by @swordfright , “Sam is a builder and dream is the ultimate engineering project: challenging (psychologically taxing to guard), important (to the stability of the server), rewarding (on those sporadic occasions when dream obeys him without question), and ceaseless (because the ideal prisoner always needs a warden to keep them in line.)” Because the idea that Dream is Sam’s “ultimate engineering project” really got me thinking about the definition of the duties of an engineer as per the Code of Ethics, which I studied in college.

As an engineer it is basically our responsibility to maintain sustainable development, which The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) defines [here] in the Code of Ethics as, “meeting human needs for natural resources, industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter, and effective waste management while conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for future development.” Even further, as a civil engineer (which I am and Sam is as a primary builder) it is our job to help provide the infrastructure and necessities to life, (shelter, water and by extension food +) with civil engineering encompassing the engineering fields of Structural (bridges, buildings, dams… etc), Utilities (power, gas, water, waste water… etc), Geotechnical (analyze and maintain that the ground can support projects), Environmental (protecting the stability of the environment like for example protecting the habitat of an endangered species), Transportation (roads for cars, train tracks, airplane runways… etc). Pretty much the necessities of civilization (lol hence civil). And I found this interesting because it is Sam’s job as the warden to provide the fundamental and basic necessities of Dream’s life in every way. So, in this way Dream would actually be the society Sam’s engineering is meant to benefit from and depends on (which he obviously denies and uses to abuse.)

But on the other side, interestingly a 2004 definition, [found here] of civil engineering based on Thomas Tredgold’s 1828 original is, “the art of working with the great sources of power in nature for the use and benefit of society”. And oh, the use of power here could very well be a good representation of Dream, making him actually the engineering project. Further, The NSPE Code of Ethics states, “Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.” In this sense, Sam’s position as the warden was dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare, which by keeping Dream locked up, weakening him physically and mentally he was in essence trying to protect the server as well as working to strip the sources of power Dream had over everyone. And when his methods didn’t work, he let Quackity in, which funnily enough goes along with one of the The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISS)’s summarizing stated [here] fundamental canons, “Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.” And clearly Sam was not competent in getting the book from Dream, so he teams up with Quackity, his contractor, to finish the project as is typical in the engineering industry.

All this to say, that Sam as an engineer, while not sworn to follow a defined code of ethics, still followed the general defined duties of engineering and strived to work for the betterment of the server. A personality and behavior, that Dream saw in him as they grew as friends and worked to build the prison - Sam’s passion for helping, to provide for and develop the necessities of society. His passion for wanting to use his skills to improve the world and help people. His strong principles of dependability, efficiency, justice, work ethic. If Sam was given a job to help people he was going to see it through to the best of his ability. He would not abandon his post, he would protect and serve the common good. - His strong engineering attitude made him a good choice in Dream’s mind for the warden, because of these qualities, which makes sense. What Dream did not realize is that he was not included in the society and all people Sam felt obligated to serve and provide for.

Instead, Dream was but a resource of power - the revival book - needing to be made efficient and accessible, so that everyone could benefit and share that power. Dream thought he’d be provided for and taken care of, but he was the project instead. Sam’s “ultimate engineering project” he deemed too damaged like a bumpy road or crumbling building that wasn’t worthy of patching and filling in the cracks or reinforcing, that’s too eroded to be fixed and preserved. So, Sam strived to tear him down to the bedrock so he could remake, remold, and reengineer Dream according to his design for the common safety, public health and well-fair. He was such a good engineer just like Dream knew he would be, he just forgot the whole teeny weeny ethics part of being an engineer that kind of comes with the job description… Oh well. ;)

[meowmeow-motherfucker]

Covenant- Chapter 11

Summary: With the five year anniversary of the attack on New York approaching, Odin and Fury come to the agreement that an arranged marriage between Asgard and Earth would show good faith toward all future interactions. When Odin refuses Jane’s candidacy, Agent Coulson is tasked with finding a suitable wife for the prince of Asgard.

Pairing: Loki x OFC Claire Fisher

Word count: 14k (prepare drinks and snackies as always)

Chapter warnings: honeymooning, smut, fluff, flirting, unintended voyeurism, author's irresponsible use of cliffhangers, angst, hurt with no comfort

Taglist: @lokisgoodgirl @gigglingtiggerv2 @icytrickster17 @mysteriouslyfriedjellyfish @lokislilkitten @justjoanne242 @amlocked @ddmariegirl @mags-04-blog @sharris8 @meepycheep @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @the-fantasy-loving-angel @jaidenhawke @smolvenger @ladymischief11

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me!

Read it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51197938/chapters/129363727

Ragna was delighted to stay on as the princess’ personal servant. She liked to think the new princess and she had grown close over the past several weeks, at least as close as a servant could hope to be to their betters.

She walked toward the newlyweds chambers, shoulder to shoulder with the prince’s personal servant, Astrid. Astrid had served the prince since boyhood, and had served the queen before him. Astrid enjoyed one of the highest staff positions within the palace, below only the personal servants of the king, queen, and crown prince. Now, Ragna ranked just below her, and she couldn’t believe her luck. She’d expected to go back to her regular duties now that the princess was wed, but the Midgardian had taken her by surprise by keeping her and the rest of her assigned staff and moving them up the ranks with her.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Ragna had prepared for the princess’ arrival in the princes chambers under Astrid’s direction, and had set up ‘the game plan’ as the princess called it- her lewd outfit meant to seduce the prince. Ragna hoped it had achieved the intended effect.

The posted guards outside the prince and princess’ chambers opened the double doors as the two women approached. Ragna tended to the fire as Astrid entered the bed chamber, stoking it back to a roaring blaze.

~~~~

Loki and Claire were woken abruptly when Astrid came to retrieve them a short time after they’d fallen asleep. It was unclear how long the newlyweds had slept, but it had not been long enough for either of them.

“Gods, Astrid, why?” Loki complained, burying his face between Claire's shoulder blades when Astrid opened the curtains and set the room ablaze with early morning light.

“Good morning, Your Majesties! Tis time for breakfast! Come, come!” The elder woman cheered.

“Oh god, she's a morning person,” Claire groaned, shielding her eyes in the crook of his arm. “Loki, do something.”

“I'll yell at her later...” Loki mumbled tiredly. His voice was groggy and rough from sleep, which was just rude and absolutely did not make Claire’s lady parts perk up with interest. God, how many times did we fuck last night and I’m still horny?

“You'll do no such thing, my lord,” Astrid laughed. “Now come along, the entire palace is waiting! We must get you bathed and dressed!”

“Faen…” Loki grumbled. “Very well. Would you like the first bath, darling?” he asked, his breath tickling her neck and making her squirm.

“We can share one if you want. Save water and whatnot.” Claire replied, giving him a mischievous look when she opened her eyes.

“Indeed. Conservation is of the utmost importance. Astrid, we’ll bathe together.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Astrid disappeared into the bathroom and the newlyweds wove their limbs together. Claire was trying to tame Loki’s wild curly hair as he teased the tender flesh between her thighs. Astrid had just started the water when Ragna stepped into the room.

“Good morning, Your Majesties,” she curtsied. “The queen has arrived.”

“Norns,” Loki grumbled, dropping his hand from Claire’s core, where he’d just begun to tease her sensitive bud. “Already?”

“She wishes to help the princess get dressed.”

“Well, um…” How exactly did one tell the queen to get lost? Claire’s budding hopes of riding Loki in the bath might as well be moved to the ‘to-be-done-later’ list. She looked up at her new husband and shrugged. “I got nothing.”

“Please let the queen know we are not yet ready,” Loki answered for Claire. “Perhaps she could have some tea while we bathe?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Ragna curtsied again before leaving the room as quietly as she’d entered.

“So are you going first or am I?” Claire asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Loki scoffed, resting his head in his hand as he reclined regally onto his pillow. His fingers plucked at her pebbled nipple delicately, teasing the nub with the pad of his thumb as he turned toward her. “I was already set on enjoying you again, and my mother’s arrival will not sway me. Unless of course...you object?” he challenged, looking down at her with a grin. Claire returned the grin as Astrid returned to usher them into the bath. “We will not require assistance, Astrid,” Loki announced before the older woman could speak. “Please see to my mother.”

“Of course, Your Majesties.” Astrid curtsied and left to help Ragna, leaving Claire and Loki alone once again.

“Shall we?” Loki asked. He climbed out of bed after her, hands caressing along the silken expanse of her curves as she rose onto her tiptoes and stretched. He pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck, arms winding around her middle as she leaned back. “Are you well?”

“Fantastic. C’mon, let’s get cleaned up.” Claire linked their hands, gifting him a delectable view of her backside as she led him toward the bathroom. Loki closed the door behind them, pulling her back and lifting her in his arms. Claire’s legs wrapped around his waist as he pushed her back against the door, drawing him in for a heated kiss. Claire whimpered into his mouth as the heated column of flesh between his legs pressed against her slick entrance. She canted her hips in search of friction, fingers digging into his scalp as she angled herself to rub against him. Loki’s breath was punched from his lungs as his cock slipped between her folds, warm and wet and perfect. Claire’s hands moved to his shoulders as he reached between them, enjoying the choked, desperate sound she made as he smacked her sensitive clit with the head of his cock.

Claire’s train of thought derailed as Loki pushed inside, words failing as he pinned her against the door. Her thighs trembled as he draped her legs over his forearms, nails digging into his shoulders as he bottomed out. Loki closed the gap between them to claim her lips, grinding against her to make her whine. He flexed his hips, withdrawing from her tight heat.

Every nerve in Claire’s body sizzled as he sank deep inside her, the ridges and veins of his cock stroking her velvet walls. Claire whined, the hard muscles of his body cradling her as she writhed against him.

“Gods, you are- hng- delightful,” Loki grunted, jaw clenching tight as her movements sent a spark of pleasure up his spine. “So- responsive.” he growled, torturing them both with slow pumps of his hips.

“Faster- fuck- please…” Claire pleaded, her desperate words trailing off into a high moan.

“Careful darling or we’ll be caught,” Loki teased, ramping up his rhythm. “We don’t want that, do we?” he asked, punctuating his question with a fast stroke. Claire cried out, clinging to him like a koala as she buried her face in his shoulder. Every stroke caressed deep inside her, setting her blood ablaze as she watched him tunnel in and out of her dripping cunt.

“Loki!” Claire barely recognized her voice as her body clenched, early ripples of orgasm taking root.

“I shall never tire of hearing you beg for me,” Loki said breathlessly. He trailed his large hand from her hip to her clit, groaning as she clenched around him when he began stroking the sensitive nub. “Come, little wife,” he pleaded in her ear, sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck. “Come.”

Claire’s body spasmed under his touch, back bowing as pleasure overrode everything else. Loki held her gaze through it all, keeping her upright with steady hands as she rocked her hips against his. He adored it all already; the curl of her long lashes as her eyes slipped closed, the sting of her nails in his back, the fluttering of her velvet walls as she shuddered around him. Loki chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple as her iron grip went lax. Claire nuzzled against him, wrapping her arms around his torso and squeezing him with her thick thighs.

“Shall we to the bath?” he asked, hefting her in his arms. Claire gasped as the movement caused his cock to move inside her, nipping at Loki’s neck as a fresh wave of pleasure ran up her spine. Loki took the stone steps slowly as he walked into the bath, easing down onto the stone bench. He took special care with her legs, massaging her thighs as he relaxed against the high wall of the bath. Claire slumped against him, dotting weak kisses along his shoulder. Loki rubbed her arms, a fond smile playing on his lips as he watched her. “Are you back with me?”

“Gimme- more.” Claire murmured. She shifted in his lap, planting her feet on the bench beneath her. She traced her palms up his long arms to his neck, pressing her chest against his as she cupped his face and leaned in to kiss him. His hard cock stirred inside her, Loki’s breath puffing against her lips as she began to ride him. He groaned deep in his throat, his head falling back as his fingertips dug into her thighs. “It’s your turn.” Claire rode him hard, raising up until the very tip of his shaft remained inside her before sinking back down to the root. Loki squirmed beneath her, breathless pants escaping him as she watched him come undone.

Loki began to buck, teeth gritted as he fucked her with abandon. His fingertips dug into her skin, sure to leave fresh marks. Claire could only hang on for the ride, arms around his neck and face buried against his chest. Her nipples grazed against his flesh with every thrust of his hips, sending her even closer to the edge.

“Du er...helt- perfekt,” Loki grunted. “Faen!” his body jerked, his hips slamming into hers as he tumbled over the edge. He sucked in a lungful of damp air, his heart racing as water splashed onto the tile outside the tub noisily. Claire captured his lips, swiveling her hips and making him gasp. Loki rested his forehead against hers, trailing his fingers over her clit and making her shiver.

“We should probably get cleaned up,” Claire chuckled. “But we are definitely doing that again.”

“Hmm- yes,” Loki agreed, hissing as she lifted herself off of him. Loki pulled her beneath him, protecting her head with his arm atop the tile. He traced his fingers through her folds, swallowing her gasp as he kissed her. “I do regret I’m not able to watch my spend drip out of you.”

“You are obsessed,” Claire giggled. “How are you obsessed already?”

“it is a delectable sight,” Loki sighed, slipping two fingers inside her to feel the mess they’d created together. “One I shall endeavor to see as often as possible.”

~~~~

“Good morning darlings!” Frigga said cheerfully when they finally joined her in the sitting room. She looked radiant as always as she got to her feet, impeccably dressed in a lush blue gown with her hair coiffed and perfect. Claire felt severely under dressed in the plush robe Loki had put around her shoulders. Feeling a little cold out of the warm water, she sought warmth against Loki’s solid form, wilting when his arm curled around her waist. “Come, let’s get you dressed and ready! The feast and your guests await you.”

“Didn’t we just have a feast last night?” Claire asked.

“Must you be so cheerful, Mother?” Loki complained from beside her.

“Of course! It is a beautiful day, my son is wed and I now have a daughter. Now come along; everyone is eager to see you open your gifts!” Frigga said cheerfully.

“Wait, what?” Claire rubbed her tired eyes with the back of her hand. Between the bath and the orgasms, she just wanted to go back to sleep.

“It’s time to open your gifts, sweeting,” Frigga said patiently, carding her fingers through Claire’s wet hair. “Remember?”

“Can we tell them I’m sick?” Claire asked hopefully as Frigga followed her and Loki into the bedroom. The motherly affection felt really nice and it was definitely not making her feel feelings. “Or really, really hungover?”

“You didn’t drink anything last night,” Loki replied from his side of the room. Somehow he was now awake and functional, the jerk. Claire turned to glare at him as he disappeared behind the dressing partition thing with Astrid, and she was distracted by the marks she’d left on his flesh. She couldn’t remember during which round she’d put them there. “But even if you had, we still must make an appearance.”

“Riiiiiight, what was I thinking? Thor is basically a frat boy; of course this place would be like one big frat party.”

“Kindly refrain from mentioning my brother in my bed chamber, dearest.” Loki groused from behind the screen.

“Eat me.” Claire muttered as she opened her armoire. Loki gave no response, but she did hear him drop something. Frigga contained a polite laugh behind her hand as Loki muttered about having already done that.

Kill me.

“Shall I help you choose something to wear?” Frigga asked eagerly, smoothly steering away from the discussion of Claire and Loki’s budding sex life. It was obvious she was excited to have a girl in the family, and Claire, having lost her mother at an early age, was equally excited to have a mother again.

“Yes please. There are so many choices, I wouldn’t know where to start.” Claire said gratefully as Ragna opened the armoire for them. Frigga smiled, joining Claire to peruse her massive wardrobe. Together they began thumbing through the offerings in the armoire. Claire felt paralyzed with indecision- this would be her first appearance as an actual-factual princess, and she needed to look just right. Which dress would send the best message? This one? That one? Frigga gave her a polite smile, obviously wishing she would pick something. Claire lingered on one dress: a floor-length gown made from silk and tulle with barely-there coverings for her arms. It was a beautiful purple-to-white ombre, with a sizable diamond brooch on the belt. “What about this one?”

“It will do nicely,” Frigga smiled, taking the dress from her. She gestured for Claire to step behind the dressing curtain, following after her along with Ragna. “Tomorrow, your servants will help you dress and fix your hair. I wanted to help this morning and officially welcome you into our family.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready yet?” Loki complained from beyond the screen, the smirk evident in his voice.

“Perfection takes time, dearest,” Frigga replied calmly, winking at Claire before a warm green glow washed over her and Claire found herself fully dressed and ready with every hair in place. “All set.”

~~~~

They’d been feasting and drinking for hours. Their guests were getting rowdy waiting for them to open gifts, and the newlyweds were getting bored. Well fed and comfortable in their plush seats at the head of the great hall, Claire could feel herself growing more tired by the second. Movement over by the pile of gifts they had yet to open caught her attention.

“Loki? Why is that box moving?” Claire asked, leaning over into her new husband’s space. Loki glanced over toward the gifts, smiling in amusement as he spied the ornate box holding the gift he’d purchased for her shaking.

“It would seem your gift is rather impatient,” Loki quipped, smiling when Claire looked at him in disbelief. “Perhaps you should open my gifts first.”

“May I?” Claire asked eagerly, waiting for Ragna to hand her the box. The green and gold wrapping paper had a slight shimmer, and a delightful texture similar to velvet, with small circles in the fabric that were darker and lighter weight like lace. Claire thought it odd, but it made sense when she lifted the lid off the box, coming face to face with an adorable black and white kitten. “Oh my god,” she giggled in disbelief. The small kitten bore typical tuxedo coloring, the white of its tiny chest already absurdly fluffy. It’s rounded dark face held vivid blue eyes and was topped with pert ears already bearing small tufts of black fur. “Hi cutie.” Claire ran the back of her finger down the kittens chest, cooing at the softness. The kitten watched her pet down to its white belly, head swiveling back and forth excitedly as she tickled the patch of white on its belly.

“She is a skogkatt, or Norwegian Forest Cat as Midgardians call them. It is tradition for men to give their new wives a kitten in honor of Freyja,” Loki explained, gesturing politely toward one of the women watching them open their gifts. “It is meant to bring good fortune to our new household.”

“I love her,” Claire gushed, picking up the kitten to snuggle her to her chest. “Look at her little white socks!” she clutched the kitten with adoration, the kitten purring loudly as she nuzzled against Claire’s face. “She’s adorable, thank you.” she glanced over at Loki as the kitten settled against her neck.

“What shall you call her?” Loki asked indulgently. A cloud of kitten fur obscured the lower half of Claire’s face, but it pleased him to no end that she cherished his gift.

“Mochi,” Claire declared. “It’s a popular dessert on Earth.” she snickered at Loki’s confused face. Mochi chirped as Claire stroked her little head, sniffing along Claire’s wrist and up her arm.

“I have one other gift for you.” Loki gestured for another box to be brought forth. Tucking Mochi into her side, Claire opened the ornate wooden box to reveal the pearl handled knives she’d admired on their first outing to the marketplace. A gasp escaped her as she fingered the delicate swirls of the metalwork.

“You didn’t,” she beamed. “Loki, these are beautiful!” she gave one a quick flip in her hand, admiring the perfect balance of the blade.

“They are beautifully crafted. I remembered how much you admired them.”

“Thank you so much.” Mochi reached out a tiny paw to inspect the knife, and Claire allowed her to sniff the handle before tucking it back inside the box. Not to be deterred, Mochi reached up to paw at Claire’s face.

“You’re quite welcome.” Loki seemed rather proud of himself as he watched Claire dot Mochi’s tiny forehead with kisses.

“I hope you like what I got you.” Claire grinned, watching as her gifts to Loki were brought up. Loki grinned as he spied a box matching the one he’d given her. Claire had also gifted him a set of knives, plated in gold and inlaid with glistening emeralds. They were beautifully balanced, and he was eager to test them out. Tucking the knives back inside their velvet lined box, he set his sights upon the second box.

Nestled inside was a series of seven hardcover books. Loki slipped the first book from its slot to inspect it. The front cover bore artwork of a boy on a broom, hand outstretched to capture a golden orb. In the background stood the turrets of a castle opposite a bank of trees and a unicorn.

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” he murmured. The synopsis on the back sounded a bit...juvenile, if he was honest, but he found himself wanting to read it all the same. “What is this?”

“That is the Harry Potter series, from Earth,” Claire replied, smooshing Mochi’s little fluffy cheeks as she spoke. “It’s one of my favorites, and I hope you’ll like it too.”

“It looks promising,” Loki replied. “I’ll start reading it right away.”

Astrid set Claire’s gifts to Loki aside as Ragna took the knives from Claire. She offered to take Mochi as well, but Claire refused to let the small kitten go. Mochi had taken up space in the cradle of Claire’s arms, her little head pressed against Claire as she purred. Her tiny paws were kneading Claire’s flesh, mini claws pricking gently at her skin as her white whiskers twitched.

Loki watched the scene with affection, pleased that Claire adored the kitten he’d chosen. Her fingers stroked the kittens soft fur, eyes full of love as she watched the kitten stretch.

“Shall I open the other gifts darling? You seem quite content as you are.”

“Please?” Claire glanced up, smiling when Mochi nuzzled at her hand, tiny pink tongue darting out to lick her finger. “I don’t think she’ll let me put her down.” she giggled.

“Of course.” Loki gestured to Astrid to begin bringing him gifts to open.

~~~~

An hour later, the pile of gifts around them had grown significantly. Aside from their gifts to each other, they had been gifted: several skeins of yarn (hand-woven by the Asgardian equivalent of nuns, and very rare in color, according to Frigga), an ancient Nordic sword from the British museum, and a multitude of treasures from other countries. Claire had never seen such fancy jewels up close, and suddenly she had her own small collection of priceless bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even tiaras. The llama they received from Thor had been trotted in and swiftly back out when it shat on the floor and attempted to take food from a shiek’s plate.

Anja, Steve and Bucky gifted them a guide to healthy relationships and a cast iron skillet set. Bruce and Darcy gave them an assortment of date night kits and a scratch-off travel map of Earth. Tony, to Pepper’s utter mortification, had thrown in an assortment of sex toys (including a set of dice and handcuffs) with her tasteful and expensive collection of wine, candles, and massage oils.

As things began to wind down and the gifts were put aside to be cataloged, Claire handed Mochi off to Loki. The kitten promptly took to pawing at her new father’s nose, which he allowed with a grimace.

They would be leaving for their honeymoon in just a short while, which meant all of their guests were leaving. There were several she wished to speak to one last time, but at the moment there was only one person she wanted to see.

“Phil!” familiar arms closed around her as she barreled into him, his comforting scent filling her nose as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“How are you?” Phil asked. Claire was feeling uncharacteristically emotional at the moment. Her eyes began to burn as the reality sunk in- everyone was leaving her behind.

“The crown has no comment.” Claire opted for snark instead of vulnerability. Phil pulled back from their hug to look at her with concern.

“Was it bad?”

“Phil!”

“I just want to know you’re okay,” Phil held up his hands in surrender. “Please don’t ever tell me details.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Claire glanced back toward the high table. Mochi had given up on fighting Loki and curled her tiny body under his chin. Loki was saying something unintelligible to her as his long fingers smoothed her fur. It was adorable. “So when do you go back home?”

“Well, I don’t have to go right away. The queen invited me to stay until you get back.”

“I’ll be gone for an entire month,” Claire scoffed. “Since when do you take that kind of time off?”

“Since my only family married a blood-thirsty space prince,” Phil muttered. “I wanted to at least be close by, in case you need me.”

“Phil…” Claire pulled him into another hug to hide the tears threatening in her eyes. Married life was turning her soft already. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” Claire laughed. “You should go home and get some work done. You can come back any time.”

“Oh god.”

“What?”

“Nothing, it just occurred to me you could be pregnant the next time I see you.”

“I won’t be.” Claire shook her head.

“You don’t know that-”

“Yes, I do. Be cool about it please; we’re keeping it on the DL.”

“Is that...wise?”

“Please,” Claire scoffed. “We have literal ages. Now go home, you nerd. I’ll see you when I get back, right?”

“Of course,” Phil agreed. “I love you, or whatever.” he added teasingly. When Claire had first started living with him, it had taken her months to open up, and longer still to tell him she loved him.

“Oh my god, shut up,” Claire laughed. “I love you, or whatever.”

“Alright, go on, shoo. Go be a princess and say goodbye to your other guests.” Phil ushered her to the swarm of people milling about.

“Bye Uncle Phil,” Claire smiled. “Anja!” she waved her new friend down, waving over her shoulder at Phil as she vanished into the crowd.

“Your Highness,” Anja curtsied perfectly. “Congratulations on your lovely start. You have quite a collection already.”

“Oh, yes, everything is so nice! I think the cat is the most surprising, although the ancient sword is very cool.”

“Can you imagine stabbing someone with a sword that old? Wouldn’t the blade just...disintegrate?” Anja pondered.

“Probably,” Claire snickered. The two women shared a laugh over the thought. “So why the cast iron?” Claire asked. “Not that I don’t appreciate it but...why?”

“You never know when you’ll need to set someone straight.” Anja said cryptically, offering a small smile.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Nothing! But you know, if he starts acting up,” Anja shrugged. “Worked for my first husband.”

“You hit him?”

“Just once.”

“Wait- which one is your first husband? I know you said you got a two-fer but...one of them had to go first, right? How do you keep them straight?” Claire gasped. “Did you crochet them matching ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’ sweaters?!”

“No,” Anja laughed. “But if I did, they would be ‘Thing 2’ and ‘Thing 3’.”

“Did you kill your first husband with a cast iron skillet?” Claire asked suspiciously.

“Wrong again!” Anja sighed wistfully. “It was rather romantic actually. We were at war, any day could have been our last…” she sighed again. “Sometimes people do absolutely batshit insane things for love,” she glanced up at Loki and Mochi, who’d by now wrapped the entirety of her little body around his neck and was watching with rapt attention as Loki gently wound her long tail around his finger. “But you knew that, didn’t you? Congrats again.” Anja grinned, winking at Claire as she left to rejoin her husbands.

Once they had made the rounds, Claire and Loki (and Mochi) were ushered to a more private room to sign the official treaty. Two copies were created- one to travel to Earth, and one to be locked in the vaults of Asgard.

“No darling, not on the parchment, please,” Loki said gently as he plucked Mochi from the table. Mochi complained of course, but it wouldn’t do for official documents to be besmirched with tiny paw prints. “After you.” Loki gestured for Claire to sign first, passing Mochi to her after she had signed both documents. Loki signed both parchments with a flourish, and they were quickly ushered outside to a waiting carriage, where Frigga and Thor waited to wish them farewell. Loki set Mochi just inside, creating a barrier with his seidr to keep her contained.

Hugs were exchanged and tears were shed (by Frigga), and then they were off. As they traversed the streets, crowds of people waved them off. Claire was still getting used to that, but she did open the window and wave back.

“So! What should we do to pass the time?” she asked as she settled back into her seat. The carriage interior was plush, and large enough they could each stretch out on their respective bench seats. Mochi had already claimed a spot by the far window, her fluffy body curled into a tiny ball as she dozed.

Four days later

The newlyweds were packed together beneath the blankets like sardines, taking up only a fraction of the large bed. Limbs wound together as they breathed in sync, both exhausted from their travels but desperate to keep contact. The ink on their marriage contract had barely dried before they had departed the palace, leaving the city behind to make their way to a remote mountaintop cottage where they would spend their honeymoon.

Before they could get there, however, they had to traverse the realm, stopping at family estate after family estate to be hosted by various wealthy families along the way. Many of the families had been in attendance at the wedding itself, and had only arrived home shortly before the newlyweds did.

Four days they had traveled north, and four homes they had stayed in. Though they were far less opulent than the palace, the homes were stately and elegant, and the families spared no expense in hosting the prince and princess royal.

Since their chamber doors closed behind them on their first night as a married couple, Claire and Loki could barely keep their hands off each other. Now that they were allowed to act on their desires, all their fierce arguing translated rather effortlessly into molten passion that signaled the beginning of something truly wonderful.

~~~~

Loki woke, already hard and aching, when Claire began to press kisses across the span of his shoulders. He groaned at the feel of her breasts pressing against his back, the tantalizing tease of her fingers as she pulled him closer bringing back the memory of her hands in other places.

“Loki...” she pleaded against his skin, her feather soft kisses lingering on his shoulder blade. “Want you.” One of her hands found his cock, fingers wrapping around the heated column of flesh and making him shudder in her grasp.

“Oh gods,” he panted, rolling his hips and hissing as she worked him slowly. “If we had more time...”

“We can sleep in the carriage.” Claire murmured, moving his dark curls aside to plaster slow, tantalizing kisses along his neck.

“We are guests...” Loki protested. “We shouldn't.” It was a weak argument, one that he’d made and lost at their previous stops in their journey.

“Okay,” Claire gave his shoulder another kiss, her hand trailing up his stomach and across his chest before she pulled away. Loki felt her roll over and settle back into the lush bedding, sighing with satisfaction as she got comfortable in her new position. Loki's dick throbbed angrily. Already his skin missed the feel of her hands, the heat of her kisses. His mind made up, he followed her, pressing against her back from head to toe. Claire groaned sleepily as his hands began to explore her body, fingers finding nipples as he pressed his groin against the curve of her ass. He repeated her actions, laving heated kisses across her shoulder and up her neck, groaning against her skin when she rolled her hips back into him. “So tired,” she complained, voice muffled by her pillow. “But god damn I want you to fuck me. Please.” She keened when his hand trailed down to her hip, kneading the flesh and coaxing her to press back against him more. She opened her legs, resting one atop his so he could more easily access her core.

“You will need to be quiet,” he murmured, dotting the heated flesh of her neck with kisses as he rubbed his cock against her folds. “Can you do that?” She was so wet he slid inside easily, and he smiled at the breathless whimper that escaped her. “Poor little wife, you were desperate, weren’t you?” Loki chuckled as he pressed as deep as he could. Already he could feel the tightening in his belly. This woman would be the end of him.

“I told you,” His new wife slurred, her walls clenching around him as his fingers toyed with her nipple. “Ah! Please...”

“Hush, my darling. We wouldn't want our hosts to know what we're up to, now would we?” He asked, rolling his hips into her slowly. His free hand circled her hips, pressing against her belly where his cock bulged. He exhaled against her skin, feeling his cock move inside her as she moved her hips impatiently.

“Loki, move,” she pleaded. Loki’s chuckle gave way to a groan when he obeyed, stroking her inner walls as he rolled his hips. A gush of arousal pooled between them, Loki’s thick cock squelching as he moved his hips with purpose. “I don’t think I can be quiet-” her words melted into a sob of pleasure as his cock stroked her g-spot. Loki adjusted the angle of the arm beneath her, long fingers covering her mouth. Claire grabbed at his arm with both hands, clutching him like a lifeline as each slow and steady thrust sent her higher and higher.

“Yes,” Loki gasped as her fingernails dug into his forearm. The walls of her plush heat were clenching around him, her body coiling tight like a spring as he pushed her toward the edge. “That's it,” he praised. “Mark me. I am yours, as you are mine.” He saw her eyes roll back as her body convulsed around him, and the choked noise that escaped from behind the hand he had over her mouth scorched him. He followed her over the edge, taking the flesh of her shoulder between his teeth to keep silent. She reached behind him to run her fingers through his hair, and he moved his arm to embrace her, leaving a line of kisses along her neck. “Are you alright?”

“Mm-hmm,” Claire nodded, her eyes beginning to droop with sleep. “I could fall asleep right here.” Claire groaned softly as she shifted beneath him. Loki huffed in amusement, smoothing her hair and kissing the soft skin it had covered.

“Is that so? With my cock still inside your cunt?” he smiled against her slick skin.

“I like it.”

“Really. I had no idea.” Loki snickered.

“Shhhhhh. Sleeping.” Claire pulled his arm tighter around her, wiggling deeper into his embrace and making him grunt. He nuzzled into the space between her shoulders, his lips leaving lazy kisses against the heated skin as she twined their fingers together. Sated and content, sleep took no time in reclaiming them both.

~~~~

Claire was beyond relieved when they finally arrived at the cottage at the end of their fifth day of travel. For all their advancements, Asgard had clearly never heard of high-speed rail, and she had quite a few words for the idiots who either A) hadn’t thought of it or B) had thought of it and decided nahh, we don’t need that.

But all her bitterness evaporated when Loki helped her out of the carriage and she got her first unobstructed view of the place.

“This is a remote mountaintop cottage?” she glanced to Loki, then back at the cottage. ‘Small fortress’ seemed more appropriate. There was a moat, for fucks sake. “I swear to Christ if there are alligators in there, I will get back in that carriage and leave.”

“I wouldn’t have expected you to be frightened of alligators.” Loki scoffed.

“I have seen those things eat people and I do not want to fuck with them; are there alligators, yes or no?” Claire squealed as Loki hefted her into his arms in a bridal carry.

“Yes,” he replied. “But take comfort in knowing they’ll eat me before they eat you.”

“Somehow I don’t feel better. Mochi!” the cat chirped as she chased a mouse across the drawbridge. Loki carried her across easily, letting her cling to him as they walked across.

“There, see? No alligators.” Claire narrowed her eyes at her new husband as he set her on her feet.

“Are there any alligators at all?”

“None whatsoever,” Loki admitted shamelessly. “It was impossible to resist teasing you.”

“You ass,” Claire shoved at him playfully. “That was mean.”

“God of mischief,” Loki shrugged. “Shall I give you a tour?” he asked suggestively.

“That depends, are there alligators on the tour?” Claire shrieked with laughter when Loki tugged her close and pulled her in for a kiss, nibbling at her bottom lip.

“Only me, I’m afraid. There are a number of guards, and Astrid and Ragna of course, but only I am allowed to bite you.”

“You’re still an ass.” Claire laughed as he wove their fingers together.

“But I’m yours.” Loki winked, leading her through the front door. Commotion could be heard at the end of the long hallway, and they followed the hall until it opened into a large common room, dominated by a large fireplace. Ragna stood at the fireplace, trying to start a fire in the hearth.

Long tables flanked the fireplace, with large double doors leading off beside the fireplace. To the right, a wall of tall windows flooded the room with natural light. Grey flagstones sat just beyond the double doors, a lovely patio area with benches and large flower pots. Off toward the left, Claire could just make out the shimmer of clear water.

“There’s a pool?!” Claire screeched excitedly, fingers soaking up the warmth from the outdoors as she pressed against the glass.

“Of course?” Loki chuckled. “There is also a library upstairs.” He gestured toward the stairs to their right. He led her upstairs to the landing, showing her the various rooms that branched off. There were two bedrooms with luxurious en suites, as well as a sitting room.

The library was magnificent. Hidden behind double doors, the bookshelves took up the entirety of the walls from floor to ceiling, with plush reading couches and a chandelier to give flickering candle light. A sliding ladder caught Claire’s eye, and her giddiness bubbled over as she climbed in to inspect the top shelves.

“Hey look, I’m taller than you.” she laughed, turning on the ladder to taunt her husband. Loki snorted, stepping closer to press flush against her.

“Do not get used to it,” he murmured, hands resting on the ladder by her hips as she brushed his hair out of his face. “You are quite short.”

“I am considered tall, thank you.”

“Yet you’re still shorter than me,” Loki grinned. “Ladder notwithstanding.” He grabbed her by waist when she jumped on him, winding her arms around his neck. The small of her back pressed against the couch when he kissed her soundly.

That was the start of Claire’s list of places she wanted to fuck Loki. The balcony outside the library quickly joined the list when they went out to enjoy the view.

~~~~

The next day

Claire woke in increments, her brain registering sensations before anything else. Comforting warmth. Sheets soft as could be. A strong arm holding her against hard muscles. She stretched out in Loki's grasp, her stiff limbs protesting against the movement after so long. Loki's arm tightened around her middle, pulling her into his chest. The cold tip of his nose nuzzled into her shoulder blades before he sighed in his sleep and was still once more. Claire yawned, burrowing deeper into the warmth they'd created before letting sleep take her again.

Some time later she opened her eyes, blinking against the blinding sun. Clearly Astrid had already been in the room to open the curtains and stoke the fire. Slow, steady breaths came from behind her, and Claire glanced over her shoulder at her new husband who was still fast asleep. Claire smiled fondly, briefly considering rolling over to face him before deciding she was content where she was.

“Are you going to roll over or just think about it?” Green eyes opened, his crooked smile making her belly flip.

“I didn't want to wake you,” Claire bit her lip as his hand sank further down her belly, fingertips grazing the ticklish skin at her hips. She turned to her other side, his hand coming to rest on her hip. The pad of his thumb drew lazy circles on her skin as she settled against him. “Hi.” Loki gave an amused huff as both his eyes opened again.

“Hello.” He lifted his elbow, creating space for her and inviting her closer. Claire slipped her arm beneath his and scooted closer, gliding her hand along the smooth skin of his back as she pressed her face into his chest. Deft fingers caressed her skin, trailing up her spine and setting her nerves ablaze. The sweet heat of desire ignited in her belly, making her shiver. His throaty chuckle rumbled deep in his chest as he tucked her against him, his head settling above hers on the pillow. Claire stretched, nestling against his chest as she let her eyes close. She was still so tired.

The hand she’d splayed on his back began to feel cold, exposed to the air in the room. Claire shifted the blanket so it covered his exposed skin and her hand.

“What was that for?” Loki murmured in the space between them.

“Didn't want you to get cold.” Claire said softly, her voice rough with sleep.

“Oh my darling,” Loki chuckled. “I don't get cold.”

“Oh,” Claire murmured, her voice muffled against his skin. “Okay baby.”

“Why do you call me that?” Loki asked softly. “I am not an infant.”

“I know that,” Claire laughed softly. “It's a term of endearment we use on Earth.”

“You call the people you care for infants?”

“I don't know why,” Claire giggled. “Do you not like it? I can call you something else.”

“Ordinarily I would not, but from you...I don't mind. Call me whatever you like, my darling.”

“I like when you call me that,” Claire murmured.

“Darling?”

“Yours.”

~~~~

Their first full day at the cottage was quiet and peaceful. Birds had nested outside the windows of their bedroom, and their cheerful song provided a lovely soundtrack to wake up to. They shared a late breakfast in the great hall by the fire before setting up camp in the library. Astrid brought them a light lunch to share, and sent them off with a basket of food when they left to explore the woods.

The afternoon heat chased them even under the canopy of trees, forcing them to relax in the shade beneath a tree. Loki spread a blanket on the soft grass, opening the basket to pull out snacks. Loki nearly dropped the container of strawberries in his hand when Claire’s blouse landed in his lap.

“Help me out of my pants?” she offered when he glanced over. “They’re stuck.” Loki swallowed the bite of strawberry in his mouth, eyes raking across her form as he fumbled over his words.

“Are they?” he asked, tongue lapping the sweet juice from his thumb before he set the berries aside. Her bare foot planted on his chest stopped him from attacking her. “Is that meant to stop me?”

“Noooo,” Claire giggled as he kissed the swell of her calf, fingers digging into the meat of her thigh before he pulled her closer. “You’re overdressed.”

“So I am.” Loki discarded his clothing swiftly, the strawberries abandoned as Claire wrapped her arms around him.

~~~~

Claire and Loki lay chest to chest on the blanket, sharing the strawberries as they basked naked in the shade.

“What convinced you to stay?” Loki asked softly as he fed Claire a strawberry. Claire savored the sweet, tart taste as she licked the juice from her lower lip.

“Besides the promise of this?” She ran an appreciative hand down his bare torso. Loki chuckled, sucking the strawberry juices from his fingers.

“Surely it was more than just me,” he trailed the backs of his fingers along her smooth curves. “As much as I would like to think it was.”

“You were a big part,” Claire replied sincerely as she turned to face him. “You going back to prison wouldn’t have been right. But I also think-” she poked him in the chest. “You deserve better than what you've been given,” She grabbed his chin between two fingers, pulling him down to kiss him slowly. “And I'd like to see you get it,” She murmured against his lips. An image of the pair of them bringing Asgard to its knees made Loki hum in pleasure. How was this delectable creature even real? “And I have to admit, the scary dog privilege is tops.” Claire sighed as she plucked a strawberry from the bowl. “Scary dog privilege?” Loki snorted. Claire giggled beside him, sharing a mischievous look.

“It's a silly saying we have back home. It means that people are less likely to mess with you if you have someone with you who looks scary. Or an actual scary dog.”

“I see,” Loki thought it was a strange thing, but most things Claire told him seemed strange. He took the bite of strawberry she offered, licking her fingers clean just to see the heat in her eyes. “Are you planning something devious?”

“Most likely. I kiiiinda have some unfinished business on Earth that I'd like to take care of,” Claire admitted sheepishly. “But with Odin's rule about only going back to earth once a year, I don't know that I'll be able to pull it off.”

“What sort of mischief are you up to, little wife?”

“I'll tell you about it someday,” Claire promised. “There’s no sense dwelling on it now.”

“Very well, I won't press you,” Loki offered her the last strawberry, holding it stead while she took a bite. “We should return. We’ve been gone for some time.”

“But it’s so nice having you all to myself.”

“It is,” Loki kissed her soundly, fingers doing their best to tame her wild hair. “But if we’re gone too long, someone will come looking, and then I shall be forced to commit murder when they see you naked.”

“I bet you offer to commit murder for all the girls.” Claire snickered as she pulled her pants back into place.

“I do not,” Loki scoffed. “I don’t care about them. I care about you.”

“You big softy,” Claire teased, squeezing him against her. “I’m telling everyone when we get back.”

“Don’t you dare!” Loki gasped. “I will have you know, madam, that I have a fearsome reputation to uphold.”

“Oooo I’m scared.”

“You should be,” Loki kissed her again, letting her turn him onto his back as he buried his hands in her hair. His groan morphed into a startled squawk when she began to tickle him, leaving him stuck on his back like a beetle as he came to his senses. Claire snagged her blouse from the blanket beside him and jumped to her feet. “Hey!” he shot up, spotting Claire’s naked back streaking through the greenery as she sped off.

“Catch me if you can! Last one back is a rotten egg!” she called gaily, her laughter evaporating like rain as she grew further away.

“What in Bor’s name…” Loki used his seidr to clothe himself, haphazardly shoving the blanket into the basket before tearing off after her. She wouldn’t escape so easily.

~~~~

The following day the skies opened and wind rattled the windows. Claire and Loki spent the day in the library, curled up together on the couch as they read.

~~~~

“What shall we do today?” Loki asked, his voice thick with sleep as he pulled her closer within the thicket of blankets.

“Hmm, I vote we stay here.”

“All day?” Loki chuckled, nuzzling against her cheek. “I hate to bear bad news, my darling, but if we wish to enjoy supper we need to replenish our stores.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“It means you’re going to have your first Asgardian hunt.”

They set off with a small group of the guards, armed with bows and arrows. Though Loki teased her, Claire successfully took down a small number of pheasants and a wild hog. Loki secured a stag, which along with the hog was being carried back to the cottage by the guards as he and Claire carried back the pheasants in a small sack.

“We can clean up in the outdoor bathing area,” Loki said as the cottage came into view. The idea of getting clean greatly appealed to Claire. They’d been out in the heat and the mud, thanks to yesterday’s rain, and she felt sticky and gross and tired. “It is just outside the great hall, beside the pool.”

“Join me?” Claire offered.

“In a moment,” Loki promised, tipping her chin up with a dirty finger so he could kiss her. “Our harvest needs to be recorded.”

“Don’t take too long, okay?”

“Of course.” another swift kiss to her lips and they parted ways, Loki disappearing inside while Claire sought the bathing area. She eyed the pool longingly as she passed it, finally coming across a stall with wooden walls. Stepping inside, Claire was delighted to see a shower. It was simple metal piping above a concrete slab floor with a drain and a bench, but a shower nonetheless!

Claire had just stepped under the spray when she heard familiar footsteps outside.

“Loki?”

“How are you my darling?” he asked gently. Claire did a quick assessment- her body was sore, both from the hunt and his attentions from this morning, but the hot water was already doing wonders.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you in any pain?” Loki asked as she wet her hair.

“No, I promise. I’m sore, but a good sore.” The door opened just enough for Loki to squeeze inside, the latch falling closed with a metallic clink. Loki looked exhausted as he began to strip, his filthy clothes joining hers on the bench. Claire turned away to scrub her face and lather her hair.

“It is strange.” he murmured softly as he followed the droplets of water on her skin with his eyes.

“What is?” Claire asked over her shoulder, hands wringing suds from her sodden hair.

“Just as you received a talk that was no doubt horrific before our nuptials, so did I,” Loki explained. “Thor was smug, of course. Smitten is not a word oft used to describe me, but he deemed it apt. Odin, however, spoke only of duty.”

“Eugh.” Claire cringed. Loki’s throaty laugh filled the steamy air.

“Indeed,” he agreed, his eyes roaming the planes of her back as his fingers ached to touch. Blue eyes beckoned him forward when she glanced at him over her shoulder. “This does not feel like duty.” His hands slid easily along her wet flesh as he pressed his chest against her back, holding her to him as he pressed his lips to her moistened neck.

“No it does not,” Claire sighed as she let her head fall back on his shoulder. His hardened cock pressed urgently against her ass, her pussy calling out for attention as his fingers roamed her wet flesh. “You’re distracting me again.”

“I am powerless to resist,” Loki’s tongue chased a water droplet along the seam of her neck, lips and teeth sealing around the flesh to tease a mark. “I beg forgiveness.”

“No you don’t!” Claire laughed, adoring the glide of his skin against hers. She reached between them, fingers wrapping around his heated length and making him groan. “You want to fuck me again.”

“I fear addiction is on the horizon,” warm breath caressed moist skin as Loki pressed a series of kisses along her neck. “I do so love when you fall apart for me.”

“I know you do,” Claire chuckled. “Are we gonna talk about your secret breeding kink?”

“Who said anything about ‘secret’?” Loki teased, fingers ghosting across her nipple and making her gasp. “I’ve long harbored a desire to fuck a woman full and see her grow round with my child. But not just any woman, of course. She had to be perfect,” one hand flattened over her belly, teasing the edge of the dark curls between her thighs. The other toyed with her nipple as she leaned against him, back bowing to press more fully into his hand. “And you. Are. Perfect.”

“I’ve thought about it too.” Blue eyes opened to meet his heated gaze. Loki’s brows rose in surprise.

“Have you?” he asked lowly, his eyes following the movement of her throat as she swallowed.

“More recently than usual,” Claire admitted. “Not that I’m ready-”

“Of course not,” Loki agreed hastily. “We agreed to wait.”

“Yes,” Claire said hurriedly. “But just...you know...I like the idea.”

“I look forward to it,” Loki nipped at her earlobe, his large hands grabbing handfuls of her plump buttocks as she giggled. “I shall stop distracting you and let you get clean.”

“How kind of you,” Claire snickered as Loki brought both her hands up to press soft kisses to her knuckles. “I do need my hands in order to do that.”

“Apologies, my lady,” Loki chuckled, making a show of releasing her hands. “Please, continue.” his heated gaze trailed over her wet body as she scrubbed herself clean with the sponge.

“You know how we agreed that men from Earth generally suck?” Claire’s words pulled him from his appreciation.

“Yes?”

“They’re very...dishonest. They say what they want to get what they want. You, on the other hand-”

“I am direct.”

“I was going to say earnest. You mean the things you say, and I appreciate that about you.”

“Everyone is always so surprised to learn that I do not lie,” Loki shook his head. “I merely can tell when they are told.”

“I didn’t say I was surprised, hot stuff. Just that I appreciate you,” Claire replied. “You have no reason to lie to me, just as I have no reason to lie to you.”

“Because you’ve already gotten everything you wanted?” Loki teased. Claire smiled as he stepped under the spray with her.

“Something like that.”

~~~~

“Loki?” Claire murmured in the dark, knowing full well that her husband was still awake.

“Hmm?” Loki cracked an eye from his pillow to look at her.

“What does it feel like?” Claire asked as she turned toward him, pulling the covers up to her chin. “Your magic.”

“My seidr?” Loki murmured sleepily. “It’s a sort of tingling sensation.”

“Like pins and needles, when your foot falls asleep?” Claire asked.

“Yes…but no. Here,” Loki said, lifting his hand to show her. Claire reached out and flattened her palm against his in the darkness. His hand dwarfed hers, his long slender fingers extending past hers and his palm completely covering her own. She could see a faint green glow coming from his hand and feel the soothing heat against her skin. “Feel that?” he asked softly, making his seidr slowly caress its way down her arm.

“Yeah…that’s really-” Claire giggled, fidgeting wildly as his seidr grazed her side. “Stop, that tickles!” she protested, laughing harder as the sensation found her most sensitive patch of skin.

“Something wrong, darling?”

“You ass!” Claire slapped him on the shoulder as he laughed. “You’re doing that on purpose!”

“Yes I am,” he shot her a shameless grin. “What’s that phrase you’re so fond of? ‘Sorry, not sorry.’”

“Quit stealing my catch phrases.” Claire grumped, shoving him onto his back. Loki chuckled as he let himself be pushed.

“Slytherin,” Loki reminded her as she straddled his lap. “Are you certain I’m not a Ravenclaw?” his hands came to rest on her thighs as she leaned over him, rocking her hips against his and making him gasp. Claire noted his reaction with satisfaction, a sly smirk on her face.

“Loki, we’ve been through this. Your mother is a Ravenclaw. You and I are certified Slytherins.”

“And what of Thor?” Loki goaded, his eyes falling half-closed as she ran appreciative hands up his chest.

“Thor? Please,” Claire scoffed as she leaned over him, her long hair falling in a curtain around them. “He’s such a Gryffindor. The lamest of the lame.” That earned her a low laugh and his fingers in her hair, anchoring her mouth to his as he kissed her possessively. Her brain made its usual note of surprise at how soft his hair was when she mirrored his actions, letting him turn her onto her back and nestle his hips between her thighs. He clutched her possessively as he dropped his weight on her, his body pinning hers into the bed. She could feel every inch of him, pressed against her as intimately as he was, and damn did she want him.

~~~~

“Have you ever had a lap dance?” Claire asked one afternoon. They were lounging by the pool, both of them practically naked as they basked in the sun. Loki was consumed by a book while Claire dozed on a settee. She’d been awake for some time, just watching him read. The clean lines of muscle glistening in the sunlight, the way the afternoon heat brought a flush to his cheeks, the veins in his arm as he propped up his sharp-enough-to-cut-glass jaw in his large hand. Remembering the feel of those hands had Claire squeezing her thighs together.

“I’m not familiar with that style of dance,” Loki replied absently. “Is it common on Midgard?”

“Very. Want me to show you?” Something in her tone made Loki glance up. Meeting her mischievous gaze, Loki was compelled to close his book. He set his copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone aside and leaned forward in his chair.

“Please,” he asked. “Are the steps difficult?”

“Not very, but you don’t have any.”

“It is a dance and yet I have no steps?”

“Yep. Just stay right where you are, mischief,” she winked at him. “I’ll be right back.” Intrigued, Loki’s eyes followed her pert behind until she disappeared inside. He settled back into his seat to wait, eyes falling closed as all manner of possibilities filled his head.

“Did you fall asleep, old man?” Claire scoffed when she returned.

“Of course not,” Loki replied with eyes still closed. “I was just imagining…” he trailed off when he opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him, clad in black lace lingerie. His mouth went dry as his eyes caressed her curves, all thoughts disappearing when he spied the string of pearls between her thighs.

“Imagining?” Claire prompted, smiling when he gave no response. “Did you want to see the back?” she asked knowingly. Loki swallowed, desperately trying to form words.

“Please,” Claire giggled, drawing her long hair over her shoulder before she turned. Loki groaned with want at the sight, fingers itching to work between the ribbon work decorating the sheer black lace concealing her body from him. Not one to deny himself his desires, Loki did just that. He wove his finger in between the criss-crossing satin ribbon at her lower back. Claire laughed as he tugged her closer, a squeak of giddy surprise escaping her as she let herself be pulled. His other hand wrapped around her thighs, squeezing the soft skin as his mouth latched onto the delicate curve of her hip. “What are the pearls for?” he asked, eyes fixated on the colorful artwork on her skin.

“Sensation- oh!” Loki heard her fingers move against the glass tabletop, felt her legs begin to tremble as he rubbed a knuckle along the string of pearls between her thighs. He could feel her body responding to him already, the tantalizing wetness growing slick behind the thin fabric of her panties. “Did you still want...the dance?” she managed to ask.

Oh the dance! How he longed to simply sit enraptured by her performance, watching her perfect body move in all its glory. Orchestrated destruction meant for him and him alone. The possessive beast in his belly reared its ugly head, demanding sacrifice. Yes, he wanted the dance.

“What does one do during these...dances?” He released his hold on her, allowing her to collect herself. Loki’s eyes darted from her ass to her breasts as she turned to face him.

“Well, in the strip clubs on Earth, you’re not allowed to touch the dancers. But I don’t have that rule.” One small foot stepped between his thigh and the arm of the chair as she climbed into his lap. She surged her hips forward, pressing her lithe body against his.

“Have you given lap dances before?” Loki blurted, his attention focused on her lace-clad breasts as she thrust them in his face. She was everywhere- he could smell her perfume and the sweat on her skin, feel her hands on his chest and her thighs as they clenched against his. To think that mortal men could simply pay for such an experience-

“Just once, for a job.” Claire replied, hands coming to rest on his shoulders as she lowered her core onto his thighs. She rotated her hips, forcing a gasp from him and making his fingers dig into her ass cheeks. “He was not nearly as attractive as you are.” she muttered as she leaned back, letting him see all of her body on display for him. The metal of her piercings sparkled in the sunlight and his mouth watered. Claire’s hips rolled, the pearls kneading along his aching cock and making his thighs shake. She did it again, drawing a ragged moan from his lips.

“Is-that so?” Claire rose up to press against him from navel to nose, fingers brushing his hair back from his face, blue eyes piercing through him as she met his gaze.

“Tell me I’m lying.” she challenged, a small smile teasing her full lips.

“You’re not,” Claire giggled as she leaned in to kiss him. Loki’s hands settled on her hips, bucking against her to torment her with the pearls in turn. She gasped into his mouth as the pearls teased her clit, her fingers digging into his shoulders with a moan. “I must...admit…”

“What?”

“I’m glad I am not the poor rube on Midgard you danced for.”

“Why’s that?” Claire asked, letting her head fall back as another whirl of her hips teased her with the outline of his cock. Loki sank his teeth into her neck as strong arms anchored her over his lap.

“Because unlike him, I can touch you,” he nipped at her ear lobe, fingers toying with the pearls in between them. “Lean back and let your husband see you,” He kept her steady as she obeyed, leaning back onto the table on her elbows. He drew her panties to the side to expose the wet and needy flesh beneath. “Gods, woman, you are magnificent.” he praised. His thumb dipped within her folds before it found her clit, working tight circles around the bud and making her whine.

“Loki,” she pleaded, hips following the motion of his thumb. “Don’t tease. That’s my job.”

“Forgive me,” Loki murmured as he worked two thick fingers into her pussy. Her head fell back as she moaned, her juices coating the digits as her legs quivered. His thumb began to circle her clit, and Claire’s fingers squeaked on the glass table. “Are you going to come for me, little wife?”

“Rather come on your dick-” Claire gasped.

“That is easily arranged. Can you stand?” he helped her to her feet, making sure she was steady before he let go of her hands. His cock throbbed as he dropped his gaze to her backside, fingers curling inside the skimpy fabric. “I am very tempted to rip these off of you.”

“They were a gift,” Claire protested. “From Tony Stark.” she added quietly. Loki huffed in amusement as he fingered the edge of the fabric.

“All the more reason,” he muttered. “But the design is rather fetching…yes, I think I’d rather fuck you with them on.” strong hands on her hips turned her away from him, his fingers sinking back into her pussy as the other hand pulled the panties aside. Claire grabbed the table for support, pleasure making her knees weak. Loki kissed down her spine, spreading her cheeks before plunging his tongue deep in her pussy. Claire’s top half met the table as her body sagged, overcome with pleasure and desire.

“Loki-” she pleaded. “Please-” Loki straightened, keeping the panties pulled aside as he fisted his cock. They moaned in unison as he fed his cock into her weeping pussy, pinning her between the table and his muscular body.

“Gods, you feel amazing-” Loki watched his cock disappear into her heat, his belly already beginning to tighten. Her walls rippled around him, silken muscles gripping him tight. Loki put more of his weight onto her as he swore, his stomach molding to the curve of her back. Half crazed with lust, Loki pressed as deep as he could, groaning in tandem with Claire as she wriggled her hips between him and the table.

Claire’s breathless plea spurred him into action. His hands curled around her shoulders, using them as anchors as he slammed his hips into hers.

The legs of the table screeched on the flagstones as Loki pounded into her from behind. Every thrust drove the breath from her body, the pearls driving her mad with added sensation on her clit and labia. Claire lifted her legs, wrapping around his thighs and holding him closer as he rocked his hips into hers.

The change in angle had her screaming as she came, gushing onto the flagstones beneath them. Loki grunted, hips pumping his spend deep inside her. A final shudder caused some to spill out onto the flagstones between his feet.

“Holy...shit.” Claire managed. Loki rubbed her thighs, his palms gliding along her skin as he helped guide her feet back to the ground.

“That is...quite a dance.” They both began to laugh as Loki stripped his clothing from his overheated body. Claire sighed as she watched him strip, fanning her flushed face with her hand.

“Loki?”

“Yes, darling?”

“You should fuck me in the pool next.” She undid the string keeping her halter in place before pulling it over her head and tossing it in his lap. “Pretty please?”

“Are you unsatisfied? Still?” Loki teased, but there was no venom in his voice. “I could perhaps be persuaded,” he glanced down at the material still clinging to her hips. “Toss us those as well.”

“Is that all it takes?” Claire laughed. “Come take them off for me.” she bit her lip, fingers teasing the fabric as she inched closer to the pool.

“Do as you are told, wife.” Loki’s eyes followed the movement, his cock already aching to be inside her again.

“Make me. Husband,” Claire shrieked as Loki lifted her off her feet, tossing her over his shoulder. “Loki, what are you doing?” she began to laugh as he caged her in with his arms, walking them toward the pool. “Loki, no!”

“Oh yes!”

“Loki! Ah!” Claire’s shout was cut short as they splashed into the icy cold water. They tumbled below the surface, Loki steering her upright to help her reach the surface. Claire wiped the water from her eyes once she found the edge of the pool, opening her eyes to see Loki surface, wet and disheveled and still so unfairly hot. His hard body pressed her against the unforgiving wall of the pool, water glistening along the hard ridges of muscle in his arms as he caged her in.

“Do you know what we should do tomorrow?” Loki asked.

“Nope. What?”

“Stark’s gift had other items like what you just wore. Not just clothes, but also various...apparatuses. I’d like you to show me what each of them does.”

“It says on the box-”

“I’m not asking for a reading, little wife. I’m asking for a demonstration.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll die if I orgasm that many times in one day.” Claire joked.

“Ah,” Loki grinned. “I don’t want you to finish- there are many, many items in the box. I want you…” his voice grew dark and deep as he spoke softly into her ear. He nipped at her neck, sucking a mark into the curve as chills erupted all over her body. “To show me how they work until you are on the precipice. And when you have shown me every. Last. One. I will give you what you desire. Right here, in this pool.”

“Won’t-um…” Claire’s eyes darted toward the cottage. “Won’t people see-”

“Not if they wish to keep their eyes in their heads. I don’t mind at all if they hear you, little wife, and they will,” Loki grinned. “But only I get to see you.”

~~~~

The next day

Life as a royal servant was never idle. Busy? Always. Dull? Often. Being the only staff on hand during the honeymoon of the prince and princess royal was a high honor, and full of inadvertent eavesdropping.

“Gods, again?” Astrid murmured to herself as the grunts and groans they were meant to ignore began once again. The prince and princess had been sequestered all day- as the days waned on their honeymoon they seemed to be even more amorous. She could hardly fault the young couple- to be young and in love and on one's honeymoon was an experience unto itself. Gods knew she likely would have done the same if she’d ever had the chance. With luck the princess would be carrying an heir soon- if she wasn’t already. “We should prepare something.”

“What would you suggest?” Ragna asked, her question punctuated by a high-pitched moan. “Cheese and meats?” A clatter came from the next room as the amorous couple knocked something onto the floor. Ragna blushed furiously as the prince gave a wordless shout. She'd become more familiar with the sounds of pleasure than she liked, but she supposed it was nice the couple was enjoying themselves. How many times had they enjoyed each other since waking? Ragna could scarcely be relied upon for an accurate record, as the moans and pleas seemed to blend together in an endless stream of noise.

“Perhaps something more...”

“Loki!” The princess wailed, her cry accompanied by the prince's approving groan.

“Substantial?” Ragna asked awkwardly.

“Best to wait until-” the bed began to strike the wall, the rhythm accompanied by indecipherable, breathless words of praise from the prince.

“Fuck- fuck!” The princess wailed, her words melting into a ragged scream as the prince growled out his completion.

“Until they tire themselves out.” Astrid said, her soft voice seeming far too loud in the ensuing silence.

Unbeknownst to the long suffering staff, they were in for a very long night.

~~~~

“I can’t believe it’s time to leave already,” Claire said mournfully as she and Loki enjoyed their last hours basking by the pool. “Please tell me we can come back sometime.”

“Of course,” Loki replied as he tangled their hands together. “There are many places I would like to take you.”

“And I’m excited to see them,” Claire pressed a kiss to his lips. “I like traveling with you.”

“Because I spoil you with orgasms?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Claire giggled, her pussy clenching at the memory of him using all those sex toys on her. Loki was a very enthusiastic learner. “But I do in fact, like you.”

“And I you. Has our percentage increased at all in our time here?” Loki asked, kissing her temple as he tucked her closer into his side. “I would like to hope I’ve done better than seventy percent.” Claire snuggled closer with a laugh.

“Oh, we’re easily at one hundred percent. We’re gonna be just fine, mischief.”

~~~~

Claire and Loki returned to the city with little pomp, arriving late in the afternoon after a long five days of traveling. Claire was ready to collapse in her new bed beside Loki. They’d been gone for a month, but she still remembered the lavishly soft sheets fondly. She was excited to settle into this new adventure and build a life with Loki.

The newlyweds were greeted by an elated Frigga, who insisted they tell her (almost) everything they’d done on their honeymoon. She wanted to know all of Claire’s opinions of the decor- things Claire frankly did not pay much attention to unless Loki fucked her on or near them.

“Now that you’re back, I would love to get your perspective on new draperies. It is so challenging to make these decisions alone.” Frigga said mournfully.

“Oh, uh...sure. I’d be happy to help.” she cast a pleading look at Loki, who thankfully understood and swooped in to rescue her.

“Why don’t we have tea tomorrow, mother? We are rather tired-”

“Of course, of course! Please, take a few days to settle back in before you go back to your duties. Tea can wait.” She gave Claire’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

Claire and Loki navigated the halls toward their chambers arm in arm. Ragna and Astrid had already returned and unpacked their things, so all they had to do was shed their travel clothes and collapse on the lounge in exhaustion. Astrid brought them plates of food so they could eat in privacy.

Comfortable silence reigned as Loki pulled Claire’s legs across his lap, absently massaging her calves as he stared at the fire. Claire dozed peacefully, too stubborn to get off the couch and go to bed. Astrid and Ragna finished tidying up and were about to leave for the night. Loki jostled his lightly snoring wife.

“Claire-”

“I’m up!” she bolted awake, rubbing her tired eyes as Loki got to his feet.

“Go to bed, little wife. I’ll be right behind you.” He’d been ignoring the elephant in the room- the assuredly humongous stack of paperwork that no doubt awaited him on his desk. He should at least attempt to make some sort of sense of it tonight.

Claire rose up on her tiptoes, hands pulling him close for a kiss. “Come be my soup spoon?”

“I should at least pretend to make an effort to sort my work,” he replied, hugging her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I won’t be long.”

“If you take too long I’m hogging the bed.” Claire threatened, preening when he kissed her forehead.

“I won’t!” he laughed. “Go to bed, menace.”

“Alright, fine!” Claire stepped out of his embrace. “Enjoy your paperwork. You could enjoy these instead,” she flashed her tits, giving him a cheesy smile. “Just sayin’.”

“Woman-”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Claire stuck her tongue out at him as she passed. Loki’s arm swept out and pulled her back, capturing her lips as she fell into him. His hand worked inside her shirt, cupping her breast and making her gasp into his mouth. He released her gently, mourning the loss of her warmth as he stepped away. “You’re really gonna go do paperwork after that?”

“The downside of marrying a prince, little wife. There are always responsibilities.”

“You did warn me,” she shrugged. “Just don’t stay up too late, okay?”

“I promise.” Claire disappeared into the bedroom with Ragna as he made his way into his study. Astrid was straightening a pile of papers on his desk.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed by now, Astrid?”

“We both should, Your Majesty, if you’re asking my opinion,” the older woman replied. “I did find some paperwork while unpacking your things, and placed them here on this stack.” Loki glanced at the stack the woman had rested her hand on. He didn’t recognize it, nor had he taken any work with him.

“Thank you, Astrid. Good night.”

“Good night, Your Majesty.” the woman closed the door behind her, leaving Loki alone with the mountain of paper.

Sighing heavily, Loki bridged his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his seat. The mountain in front of him was intimidating and he would much rather be in bed with his wife. But he knew he’d never be able to sleep without at least getting a start on it.

He would just sort it. Sparse out what needed review, what needed his signature, what was drivel.

He decided to start with the mystery papers Astrid had found.

Already weary, he pulled the folder toward him and flipped it open. His own face stared back at him- gaunt, emaciated, but still his face. He recognized the glass tank from S.H.I.E.L.D.s floating fortress in one photo, the Chitauri speeder in another. Behind the photos were print outs of tales from survivors. A circle was drawn around a story from a woman he’d pushed from the path of falling rock. Notes in block lettering asked questions to whomever looked at the file: -DRUGS? -NOT SLEEPING?

There was only one person who would have a file such as this. And she was asleep in his bed.

Loki’s stomach dropped as he realized the true purpose behind Claire’s journey to Asgard.

He’d been such a fool. It had all been a lie.

She did not care for him, not truly. She wanted to use him- though for what he couldn’t fathom.

How had she done it? How had she managed to lie tohim?! Sweat beaded at Loki’s temples as he flushed with anger. A block of writing on the back of a page caught his eye, frowning as he pulled the paper closer. Two columns of words with a line drawn between them.

Propping his head in his shaking hand, he scanned his eyes down the columns.

VOLATILE

LIKES SNAKES/STABBING

SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

The column beside it had fully different words:

ASSHOLE

POETRY

THOUGHTFUL

The word ‘asshole’ had several circles drawn around it. Below the second column, Claire had scrawled ‘ANNOYING’ in her block letters.

She thought him annoying? She was annoying, with her poor manners and ridiculous slang phrases. A blast of seidr sent papers flying in every direction, spurred by his frustration. Loki reached into a side drawer for the miniature cask of mead he kept tucked away. He was not much for drinking but he felt it was needed. His stomach was already a mess anyway, what more could it hurt?

He growled through the burn as he swallowed the mead.

What in Bor’s name was he supposed to do?

He could kill her. She couldn’t manipulate him if she was dead.

But despite his anger and humiliation, he did not want to. Pathetic as he was, he genuinely did care for her. How could he have been so stupid?!

He couldn’t kill her, not if he wanted to go on living his life. He’d end up in the dungeons again, or worse, the executioner’s block. There was no tangible way to remove her from his life- they’d both signed that damned treaty and there was no getting out of it now that they’d been wedded and bedded.

Bile threatened to make him vomit as he thought about all the times they’d been intimate. Had that been an act too? She’d certainly distracted him with her pierced nipples and saucy under clothing. He took another drink of the mead, letting the burn soothe his hurt.

He wanted her gone. Her chambers from before the wedding would have to be far away enough. Downing the mead, he refilled his glass and trudged to the bedroom. The door creaked slightly as he stepped inside, the low light from the dying fire casting elongated shadows.

Her familiar shape lay in his bed, curled into a ball as she clutched his pillow. He gave a snort; how had she expected him to sleep?

She didn’t. Everything she’s done has been to lull me into a false sense of security.

From the beginning, she’d played him for a fool. Thor must have told her how alienated he felt, how isolated. Any idiot could have pulled his strings like she did, and he was stupid enough to believe she was genuine.

His glass burst into shards in his hand, cutting his palm and startling Claire awake.

“Loki? You okay?”

“Do I look alright?” he hissed, nursing his cut hand as blood and alcohol dripped onto the floor.

“You’re bleeding.” Claire climbed out of bed, walking past him to the bathroom. Loki heard her run water. She reappeared a moment later, offering him a wet cloth. He pulled away like she’d tried to burn him.

“I don’t need your pity.”

“Loki, look at me,” Claire said, her voice soft and soothing. “Can you tell me what happened? You were fine when I went to bed.”

“Oh yes, I’m fine!” Loki hissed. “As are you, since your plan has obviously worked so well!”

“What plan?” Claire asked, eyes darting down to his bleeding hand. “Will you please let me clean that?”

“Do not touch me!” Loki snarled, pushing her away. “You have done more than enough damage-”

“What are you talking about?” Claire asked, once again using that annoyingly caring tone.

“You know damn well what I am talking about- at least have the decency to admit it.”

“I can’t admit to something I haven’t done,” Claire said calmly. “How much have you had to drink? Is it that bad?” She had no frame of reference for his workload, but she also didn’t know Loki to drink often.

“Yes,” Loki admitted hollowly, allowing his melancholy to overwhelm him. “Which is why-”

“Here, step back,” Claire ushered him away from the broken glass. “Why don’t you sit down so you don’t cut your feet?” she steered him toward the bed, her grip growing stronger when he resisted.

“Woman-” she gave him a little push, releasing him as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll be right back.” she disappeared from the room, no doubt going to summon Astrid or Ragna. Loki fumed in silence until she returned. “Let me get something to clean up the glass and then we’ll clean your hand. Have you seen Mochi?” Loki huffed, then glanced over his shoulder to see the peacefully snoring cat occupying the bed.

“She is fine.”

“That’s good. Tiny paws and broken glass do not mix. So-” his annoying wife heaved a sigh. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“What?”

“You’re not usually one to drink, but you’re drunk. You’re stressed about something-”

“You know this because you know me so well?” Loki asked angrily. “You think you know everything about me-”

“No, of course not,” Claire replied as he got to his feet. “Loki, just sit down, I’ll-”

“DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

“I don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Care about me, do you?” Loki laughed darkly, taking a step toward her. “You care so much!” Another step. His dagger appeared in his hand, and the soft light in Claire’s eyes hardened. “Stop pretending, you little charlatan, I know.”

“Loki, back off or I will defend myself.”

“Oh, please do,” another step had her back pressed against the wall. “Then I can claim self-defense-”

“Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesties, I came as soon as I-” Astrid stopped short when she saw the scene before her. The princess was backed into a corner, Loki’s dagger glinting menacingly in the firelight.

Claire seized the opportunity, shoving the hand holding the dagger aside, sending it clattering to the floor. She punched Loki in the jaw, grabbing him by the arm and twisting, ducking into a roll and sending him flying over her head. Astrid screamed as Loki struck the wall, Mochi yowled in fright as the loud sound woke her. The guard from outside the door came barreling in as Claire was getting to her feet.

“What in Odin’s name is going on?”

“I think the prince had too much to drink,” Claire explained. “I gave him a warning to leave me alone and he wouldn’t-”

“Playing the victim, are you?” Loki ground out as he got to his feet. “I never put a hand on you.”

“You would have.” Claire said bitterly. The guard looked at Astrid, who looked panic-stricken at best.

“You had your dagger out, sire. She had no weapon at all.”

“Clearly she doesn’t need one!” Loki argued.

“I asked you to back off!” Claire shouted over him. “Is this why you don’t drink; because you turn into-”

“A monster?” Loki guessed. “Isn’t that what you wanted?!”

“Wait, what?” Claire stopped short. “What are you-”

“You know damn well,” Loki interrupted her. “And I will not suffer you to be anywhere near me. You will return to the chambers you lived in before we married.”

“But-”

“Let us be honest, I am a very busy man, and you will only be underfoot.”

“Okay, so I’m new to this, but-”

“I will not have time to coddle you!” Loki sneered. Claire stepped away from him, hurt clear on her face.

“Why are you acting like this? That’s not what you said before!” she hissed. “I’m not expecting you to coddle me, but you did say you would help me. Now you’re just kicking me out? What the fuck?! What am I supposed to do?!”

“I could not care less how you spend your days, as long as they do not intersect with mine,” Loki snarled. “You got what you wanted, and now you must deal with the fallout.”

“I don’t understand-”

“I will summon you when I have need of you,” Loki said dismissively. “If ever.”

“And when will that be?” Claire said sharply. “When it’s time to have a baby?”

“If that is what you need to believe,” Loki shrugged. “I will have your things returned to you.”

“Fine. Be a dick,” Claire scoffed in disbelief. “So glad I stuck around for this.” She moved past him toward the bed.

“Did you not hear me? GET OUT!”

“I’m taking my cat before you try to kill her too, you paranoid sack of shit!” Claire shouted back at him. “Astrid, please clean up the glass before he hurts himself even more.”

Loki let her storm out, relieved to finally be alone. Ever since he found that file-

Tears stung his eyes as he made his way to the bathroom to clean his hand, his legs heavy with the weight of defeat. He’d been such a fool. For all her words and actions, she’d wanted nothing more than to use him.

Never again.

Loki couldn’t believe she’d managed to fool him- not once had he sensed even a hint of a lie.

Whatever trap lay in wait for him, sooner or later Claire would make her move. And when she did, he would destroy her.

[bullet-prooflove]

Future Building - Michael 'Riz' Ariza x Reader

Tagging: @crazy4chickennuggets @kmc1989 @anime-weeb-4-life @danzer8705 @mysoulisasunflower @msjava1972 @adaydreamaway08 @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @wakeama @librarian1002 @briefpersonenemy @creativitybeware @mortal--soul @buddinglinguist @purrrrfect

Riz builds you a house. It’s situated on the edge of his land, near the pond that the two of you skinny dip in during the summer months.

It started as a joke, something Taza mentioned whilst Riz was recovering from his injury after the motorcycle accident. You’d been running around after him playing nursemaid, keeping him fed, watered and medicated. He hated that you had to do it, but you had shushed him, your fingertips brushing the hair away from his face as you kissed him and told him not to worry.

“You should marry her.” Taza had said after you’d disappeared off into the bathroom for a shower. He sets the coffee down in front of Riz before taking the seat across from him at the kitchen table. His leg is stretched out in front of him because of the knee brace. He has a fracture and a torn ligament, he’s already been told off by Stitches for not looking after himself, for trying to be too mobile.

“Technically she is still married.” Riz tells Taza, bringing the cup to his lips. “After what happened with her ex… she decided it wasn't worth the fight, trying to divorce him.”

The club had a part to play in that. Your ex was a sheriff and could do alot of damage of you'd continued to push for it.

He trails off shaking his head. Your marriage had been messy, fraught. You’d felt trapped the entire time you were married, stifled by the man who had intentionally knocked you up and then smacked you around when you’d told him you’d gotten an abortion.

“She’s been a Godsend since the accident.” Riz says, his thumb chasing up the side of the mug. “I wanna take the next step, show her I’m invested in our future. I just don’t know what that is.”

“You could build her a house.” Taza says half seriously. “You’ve got all that land just sitting there, we’re in a quiet spell at the minute. I’m sure Gilly would be glad for the work.”

“I can’t just build a house.” Riz laughs before taking a sip of his coffee.

“Why not?” Taza says with a shrug. “The two of you love it out there, it’s quiet, you can see the stars, you can make as much music as you want without the neighbours complaining. You can rent this place out, have some passive income.”

Riz pauses for a second, his mug still clasped in his hand as he considers Taza’s words. The things is the more the other man says, the more Riz is starting to like the idea. You’ve never had a place of your own, a space that’s just for you. He could build a little studio just off the house, somewhere you could go to play and create. He likes that idea; he likes it a lot. He can afford it, the two of you live conservatively, and the money he’s earned from his illicit activities he puts aside, he’s never really realised what for until now.

When he pulls up outside the finished product, it’s better than he could have imagined. It’s a beautiful three-bedroom bungalow, with cream masonry and dark wood outlining the exterior windows and doors. The yard still needs a little work, Neron and Bottles are laying down flags while Lila digs out the flowerbeds along the edges of the space.

Gilly steps out through the open front door, using a rag to clean his hands as he stands on the porch.

“So what do you think?” He says gesturing at the house.

Riz grins as he puts his hands on his hips.

“She’s gonna love it.”

Love Riz? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

I am sick today with joint pain and I got an ask that lifted my mood. Thank you! I hope you enjoy this drabble.

I think I have pcos. It makes sense. I will ask my doctor when the appointment day comes.

Anyway enjoy reader chans

After the Colonel made you move in with him you noticed how messy his room was. You were an immaculate and a clean freak. You didn't have OCD luckily. (I don't want to offend anyone who has OCD. I know it is a mental illness and liking clean stuff doesn't mean you have OCD) but you couldn't stand ugliness. Especially stains. Not a hair out of place.

Zdog was kind to lift your heavy boxes to Quaritch room

You began to clean and it took three hours. The place cleaned much better and everything looked so brand new as if no one ever lived in the room.

You were ironing his shirts when your new lover walked in. He was surprised by the drastic change.

He felt guilty that you spent energy and time cleaning up after him. But he smiled. You were such a cute housewife. He loved your clean qualities. It made his heart flutter. What a good mother you will be to his future kids.

Quaritch would hold your hand especially in public to show you off in public you belong to him

And he would always make you sit on his lap in the cafeteria. You tried to leave but he would get mad and scare you to stay.

And of course his hands was always on your beautiful shaped ass.

You never dated but you knew this was not a healthy relationship.

But there were perks ...

Your friends got money for their program and science equipment and the Colonel would take you to field trips outside the fence to get rare plants

And the Colonel would brush your hair. Mostly after a shower but also before bed and random times. As if he loved it. Maybe he did. He was always stroking and smelling your long high quality and natural hair.

And he would wash you himself. The others don't have bath to conserve water. Only showers. The Colonel would give you baths on his days off. It was humiliating. You couldn't look at him and you were blushing. You covered your breasts and let him clean you.

So far, The Colonel never forced himself on you. You heard him masturbating very often when he came from work. But then he must be waiting to take you when you want to touch him or the wedding night.

And the Colonel ordered you to always wear the engagement ring he gave you

The soldiers saw it and congratulated the man.

Your friends looked at you with pity

But he had a sweet side.

He would treat you like a baby when you were on your menses or sick.

He would touch your forehead for your temperature and then massage your aching feet

He would even suck them! You found it strange.

But you hated how he would make you sit and watch him at the gym. Like he was trying to impress you. He would punch the punching bag, lift weights and more to maybe scare you to not leave him.

Best of all, Quaritch would protect you from Selfridge. The head boss used to yell at you in public and throw a tantrum before you met Quaritch. And it was humiliating. Selfridge obviously still hated you but would stay quiet. Quaritch must have talked to him.

The Colonel on the other hand was trying to butter you up. He looked up romantic ways to get your attention. Strange how he loved a woman so different than him. Opposites attract. Sometimes he felt like a scientist. He was curious about you and wanted to know you. He was always ogling at you.

Especially when you were sleeping. He didn't force himself on you. He didn't want you to hate him but his patience was slipping. He would masturbate hard but it was not enough. He doesn't know how long he will have to wait. You're driving him crazy.

He makes you dress him in his Marine uniform and iron his clothes and patch them up if necessary. Like a wife. Then he would kiss you and leave for work.

But one day deep in the forest, you did a mistake that changed everything..