#World AIDS Day 2023: Definition

[onlinelearningplatforms]

World AIDS Day 2023: Definition, History, Theme, & Significance for SSC, Bank, UPSC, & Other Exam

[pariahsparadise]

Can we get an enemies to lovers with JJ Maybank x gn!reader-

JJ and reader just annoy the hell out of each other, but maybe A gets into a fight and B decides to patch them up. They end up confessing to each other. <3

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a/n: i haven't written in over a year, maybe two. this is completely unedited and also not proofread AT ALL. sorry this is so late and so shitty, anon from april 2023.

pairings: jj maybank x gn!reader

wc: 1.3k

"What are you doing here?"

JJ starts, and is immediately punished by the pang of pain that rushes through his body. He pretends not to notice how your eyes glance over him, analytical, filing away every sign of weakness. He hates being vulnerable, especially when it's in front of you, but he doesn't exactly have a choice.

"Can I come in?" he asks, instead of answering your question. Wordlessly, you step aside, letting him walk past you before closing the door softly.

"Bedroom," you tell him, your tone gentler now. He wishes that's how you always talked to him. "I'll go get the first-aid kit."

JJ nods and finds his way to your bedroom, passing the framed certificates and shelves that adorn the hallway, filled with stacks of trophies and medals that you amassed over the years. Although he usually makes fun of you for being such a nerd all the time, the gold is a stark reminder of how you're actually extremely intelligent. You're worth something. Unlike him.

Maybe his issue with you has always been jealousy. Jealous that you've managed to achieve so much for a Pogue, despite having had the same opportunities as him. But it's more likely that he hates you because you're so icy, rational in your arguments, your words always so polished as they slice into him, cutting him down. He can see the judgement in your eyes when he smokes weed or drinks in front of you, when he cracks a stupid joke about the brunette he had in his bed the other day. He can feel the contempt in the insults you hiss at him when he goes too far and pisses you off completely.

But despite it all, he hates that he still wants to win your approval. That he wishes you would let him make you laugh like John B does, or sling an easy arm around you the way Kiara can.

He sits on your chair when you gesture for him to, placing the medical kit on the table next to it. JJ finally takes the time to focus his eyes on you, glancing over your white night shirt and impossibly short shorts. He feels a pang in his chest. There are dark circles under your eyes, and your hair is all messy. He obviously woke you up from some much-needed sleep. If he plans to win you over, which would already be extremely hard at this point, this would definitely be another set-back. Based on his past experiences, you're not particularly kind when you're sleep-deprived.

Which is why he's surprised when you begin cleaning his bleeding knuckles with the kindest touch in the world. The warm cloth is not nearly as comforting as the feel of your palm on his skin is, and he represses the urge to sigh.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" you ask him, moving on to apply some antiseptic to his cuts.

"Why should I tell you anything?" JJ asks, attacking you unthinkingly, reverting to his natural state of being in conflict with you. You stay uncharacteristically quiet, not responding to his taunt, and after standing still for a second, you go back to cleaning his knuckles.

Fuck. JJ's eyes fall shut, and he groans inwardly. Here you are, having let him into your home and bedroom, cleaning his injuries, and he's still being a dick to you.

"I'm sorry, I-" he suddenly gets cut off by your hands cradling his jaw, lifting his face up. JJ nearly gasps, and flushes out of his embarrassment when he sees your raised eyebrow, knowing you caught his reaction.

"Well, I was just going to apply some cream to the bruises forming here," you say, and you trail your fingers along his jaw, "but if it's such a problem, maybe I-"

"It's not a problem," JJ says, too quickly.

Without another word, and only the sliver of a self-satisfied smile, you treat his jaw and face.

JJ has always known he loves being the center of your attention. He revels in it, the way you glare at him after he provokes you, the way you yell when he steals your book. He loves being the only thing on your mind. But sitting here now, feeling your thumbs smooth along his cheekbones and your soft gaze, he knows there's most definitely a better way to receive it.

"What happened?" you ask again, and this time he tells you. Some tourists had been disrespectful to Kiara's parents at their restaurant, and it escalated to a fist fight between Kiara's dad and JJ and four other guys. The tourists must have had some level of common sense, because they more or less went easier on Kiara's dad, laying harder into JJ to make up for it.

"Assholes," you say when he's finished, barely concealed rage in your eyes as you appraise JJ and the injuries on his body with new context.

"It's fine, really," JJ reassures you, standing up. "Thanks for cleaning me up, but I should be on my way now-"

"Sit the fuck down." you spit at him, and he drops back into the chair with astonishing speed. "Take off your shirt. That fight was practically four-on-one, I'm not going to believe that you walked away with just grazed knuckles and a few bruises to your face."

Hesitantly, JJ removes his shirt. To your credit, you don't audibly react to the massive craters in his skin, colouring him in shades of ugly red and purple. Your eyes widen slightly, and after a few long seconds, you're back to normal and treating him with the same gentleness as before.

"Thank you for this," he says, more earnestly this time. You let out a hum in response, too busy doing your best to alleviate his pain. He goes on, "I mean it. You didn't have to do this, and I appreciate it."

You let out a sigh, raising your eyes to his face, "Of course I had to do this, JJ, it's the decent thing to do. I wasn't going to turn you away in the middle of the night, not in the condition you're in."

"Even if you think I'm some heartless bitch," you add, a moment later.

"I don't think that," JJ says, earning a scoff from you.

"Right," you mutter, straightening up and away from him. You pack the materials back into the kit and shut it with a loud snap, which is when JJ realises that you're done treating him. He puts his shirt back on and gets ready to make his exit when you stop him, again.

"Just sleep here tonight," you tell him, gesturing at your bed.

"What-no. Where will you sleep?"

"The couch." You don't even let him say two words of protest before immediately cutting him off, "Don't be obstinate. It's too uncomfortable there for you, especially considering the state of your torso, it's too late for you to walk back home or call someone to pick you up, so you'll stay here. I'll text John B to pick you up in the morning."

JJ listens to all this, taken aback by the amount of thought you've put into taking care of him. He scans your face, noting with surprise that your cheeks pink slightly when you make eye contact with him.

"What?" you say, a little flustered. He just laughs quietly, "Nothing. Just didn't realise you cared about me so much, 's all."

"Again, not a heartless bitch. Of course I care about you."

And just like that, there's a tectonic shift. The two of you are relatively unchanged, but there's this unspoken understanding that passes between you. It's the reason why you're able to press a soft kiss to an unblemished part of JJ's cheek before you slip out of the room, and why he's able to put his arm around you late one night when the whole group is hanging out at the Chateau.

He can't help but feel that the beating was worth it, really.

[billybob598]

No Idea Who They're Dealing With (Trinity Rodman x Reader)

Ummm, it's like 1am and I just banged out like 2k words?!?!? This was requested by a lovely anon (hope this is kinda what you wanted). I'm gonna go have a nighttime snack real quick so, byeeee. As always, any feedback good or bad welcome. Enjoy!

Word Count: 2k (actually it's like 1987 but that's basically 2k so fuck it)

You hated Trinity Rodman. With a passion. She was always getting the best of you, no matter how hard you tried she always seemed to be one step ahead. The rivalry between the two of you went back to your U-18 days. You played for Canada during the U-18 World Cup, in that tournament you had really shone, putting yourself at the top of the list for up-and-coming Canadian soccer players. While you had done well, Trinity had done even better. You never played against the USA in that tournament, but she beat you out for the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament award. 

The next time your rivalry was rekindled was in the U-20 CONCACAF Championships. Both Canada and the US came top of their groups, respectively. In the semi-finals, the two teams faced off. It was a pretty physical game. Tackles were flying in left and right. Numerous cards were given out. Throughout the match, you and Trinity had been at each other’s throats. It started with just some shoving. Then, it escalated to pulling on each other’s jerseys. The tackles kept getting dirtier and dirtier. It didn’t help that Canada was 2-0 down. At one point, you were both going for the ball, you thought you had definitely beat her to it when you felt a cleat connect with your ankle. You screamed out. Toppling to the ground while clutching your ankle, you knew it was bad. Like, tournament ending bad. With your face buried in the grass, you can hear loud voices, presumably your teammates who had come to defend you. The whistle was being repeatedly blown, but all you could focus on was the immense pain shooting through your leg. 

Trinity was horrified. She hadn’t meant for that to happen. Of course, she was getting frustrated with the physical battle between you. But she really hadn’t meant to hurt you. She had never seen you in so much pain. Your reputation preceded you, everyone knew that you were tough and that if you went down something must be seriously wrong. A number of your teammates came to your aid. They shoved Trinity and got all up in her face. She tuned all of them out, though, preferring to watch the trainers as they started feeling your ankle. When you were on your feet and limping off the field, she wanted to go over and apologize, but one of her teammates dragged her away before she could. 

You had ruptured your Achilles tendon. It took almost six months before you stepped on a soccer pitch again. While Trinity was off becoming a star in the NWSL, you were sitting in physio, fuming. It was mentally and physically exhausting to return to full strength. And when you finally returned you tore it up. At UCLA you established yourself as one of the best players in college soccer. Bev Priestmann was impressed enough to give you a call-up for your first-ever senior national team camp in 2021.

Now, heading into the 2023 SheBelieves Cup you’ve become a regular on the national team. You had played against Trinity a couple of times, but you had tried your best to just ignore her presence altogether. It most certainly confused Trinity. She thought you would be pissed at her and that you would hold a grudge forever. You hadn’t. Actually, it was like Trinity didn’t even exist anymore in your world. Within the Canada camp, there was a lot of things going on. The players, yourself included, were in a dispute with Canada Soccer. Everyone had decided to wear their practice shirts inside out to protest, among other things. Heading into the opening match against the USA, the battle between players and federation was anyone was talking about. Janine and Christine had done an interview with TSN, you hadn’t even spoken publicly about the job action, other than putting the players’ statement on your Instagram. Yet, you were on the receiving end of all the blame coming from Canada Soccer. There had been multiple interviews and statements by Canada Soccer officials and they all stuck to the same narrative, your arrival in the past year or two had changed the mindset within the team. You were the root of this. If it had not been for you, everyone would have been happy still, and the team would not be asking for something that was impossible. You chose to handle this with class, not wanting to stir the pot anymore, you did not respond to those comments. 

The USA had watched all of this happen in complete shock. First of all, the fact that a job action had to be put in motion in the first place. Considering you guys were Olympic champions everyone thought you would have earned a little more respect from your federation. Second, you specifically were enduring most of the public bashing. It was absolutely insane for Canada Soccer to put this all on one player, especially you. This entire fiasco made Trinity’s blood boil. No way they thought they could actually get away with blaming you. When asked by the Canadian team if they would join in making a pre-match protest, they of course agreed.

Soon enough, the two teams were standing in the tunnel, preparing to step out on the pitch. There had been a few hugs given out among the different players. Rapinoe had said some encouraging words to you as she passed by. You didn’t realize how much you needed to hear them until you started to tear up. As the US lines up alongside you, you try your best to not let anyone see the emotion overcoming you. All of a sudden, you feel a hand land on your shoulder. Looking over, you’re surprised to see Trinity Rodman giving you a warm smile.

“Hey, you’re doing a really good job, don’t let them get to you,” Trinity says softly to you. You wipe at your eyes before mumbling out a quick “thanks.” She removes her hand and you immediately miss the contact. Before you can say anything more to her, the refs have started to move forward, with the teams following close behind. The cameras start to click rapidly as Canada’s national team appears wearing the purple “Enough is Enough” shirts. After the anthems, the two teams form a heart around the centre circle. You end up standing beside Trinity. The taller woman’s hand lands on the small of your back, sending shivers up your spine. She notices this and smirks at you. 

That entire game, Canada looks flat. You guys looked like a team that was mentally exhausted, which you were. It was only through pure determination that you were able to put your name on the score sheet. The game finished as a 2-1 US win, it probably should have been more.

When the game ends, you and the rest of the team refuse to do any media and head straight back to the locker rooms. Trinity ends up at the ESPN panel, standing alongside a man she doesn’t recognize and the hosts. It’s only when the hosts introduce the man as the Vice President of Canada Soccer that she realizes what’s going to happen. This was definitely set up by Canada Soccer to continue putting down the players. The hosts ask Trinity a few questions about the match before they address the elephant in the room. For a bit, Trinity thinks that maybe she was wrong. Maybe the vice president wasn’t here to blame the players, maybe he was just here to try to appease the public or something. He wasn’t saying anything too controversial, mostly trying his best to deflect, saying he can’t comment and things like that. For a few minutes, everything is going okay. Until it isn’t.

“Obviously, we only want our women’s teams to thrive. They have shown just how world-class they can be playing against some tough opponents. We just think that some of the demands they’re making are unreasonable. It’s possible that Y/N Y/L/N has gotten some far-reaching goals inside of her teammate's heads. Before, the team was making reasonable demands and we were happy to negotiate with them,” the vice president says with such contempt that Trinity doesn’t know how such an asshole can be elected for anything. 

“Interesting…” ESPN’s host slowly starts to say before Trinity jumps in.

“Or maybe, you guys have just been taking the entire team for push-overs and they, including Y/N, have finally realized their worth. That they are deserving of more than just whatever you have left in the bank account. Also, if you’re going to start publicly bashing Y/N, then you better know that she’s not going to back down without a fight and that she is going to come at you guys with everything she has. You have no fucking idea who you’re dealing with.”

This leaves everyone on the panel in a little bit of shock. Trinity decides that she doesn’t feel like being interviewed anymore. She gives the mic back and then walks off, not having the slightest clue about why she did that. As she gets closer to the US locker room, she stops in her tracks when she hears a voice.

“What the hell did you do that for?” She takes a deep breath before turning around to be met with your beautiful face.

“Uhh, I don’t know,” she stutters out.

“Trinity, you just blew up at a Canada Soccer official and swore on national television. You must know why.” There’s something about how her name sounds coming off your tongue that drives Trinity crazy. 

“Y/N…” she starts as she takes a step towards you. You can feel a blush creeping up your neck as the space between the two of you closes.

“Yeah?” Your voice comes out small and it only encourages Trinity. She takes another step closer, at this point you’re chests are close to touching. Trinity is looking down at you with a smirk that makes your knees weak. It doesn’t help that she’s got probably five inches on you so, you feel incredibly small this close to her.

“I’ve never really hated you, y’know?” Her voice is so smooth, it makes your stomach do flips.

“Oh yeah?” You say not daring to take your eyes off of hers. She starts to lean in slowly. 

“Yeah,” she whispers against your lips before connecting them. Her hands go to your waist, pulling you as close as possible to her. Your fingers find their way into her hair, giving it a light tug. Her lips were like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. They were soft and perfect and moved perfectly against yours. You couldn’t believe what was happening, not too long ago you swore you hated her, but now, she was too good of a kisser to even think about hating her. Soon, you both pull away. She leans her forehead against yours.

“When do you guys leave for the next game?” The American asks quietly.

“I think two days from now,” you reply, “why?”

“Do you want to go on a date with me, say tomorrow?” You can’t help the grin that takes over your face.

“Thought you’d never ask.” You kiss her one last time before entangling your fingers with hers. “I’m not sure you have any idea who you’re dealing with, though,” you joke. Trinity just laughs.

“Trust me, I know exactly who I’m dealing with,” she says with a chuckle. You smile one last time at her before moving to head back to your own locker room. But, she pulls you back and presses a firm kiss on your forehead, then she decides you are free to go. 

When you were named to the World Cup roster, the first person you called was your girlfriend.

“The world has no idea who they’re dealing with, babe.”

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

"THERE'S NO MENTAL HEALTH UNDER BOMBING AND COLONIAL OCCUPATION": Open letter from Brazilian psychology associations calling for an end to the violence against the Palestinian people

We call on all people, the international community, especially mental health professionals, to work towards a non-violent and definitive solution to the ongoing conflict, to take concrete actions for an immediate ceasefire in the area, and for the ending of the brutal colonialism in place. We also emphasize the importance of opening the borders to humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people.

In these last days, Israel’s brutal and cruel bombing in the Gaza Strip – a territory that has been besieged by Israel for the last 17 years – has resulted in  the deaths of more than 8,000 Palestinian (including more than 3,400 children), and more than 20,000 injured people. Alongside, millions of people have been forcibly displaced and deprived of basic needs (PRCS, 2023)[1].

However, the figures fail to represent the current reality, as the death toll and injuries rise second by second.Israeli air strikes destroyed more than half of Palestinian residences, besides deliberate attacks on hospitals, schools and universities, erupting a massive humanitarian crisis.

We also condemn and deplore the violence against Israeli civilians, victims of Hamas’ violent retaliation, especially because it has affected innocent people, many of whom are still kidnapped.

Recent statements released by an official representative of the Israeli governmentrefered to Palestinian people as “human animals”[2]. Accordingly, the entire Gaza population  be held like hostages, through a complete blockade of food, water, electricity, fuel and medicines. Israel very recently blocked access to internet signals, isolating Gaza from the rest of world. (MSF, 2023)[3]

The collective punishing of innocent people constitutes a war crime and, hence, must be strongly condemned. (ICRC, 2022).[4] We consider that Israeli government pronouncements have amplified the racist ideology, relying on international impunity and compliance. Xenophobia reinforcement turns migrants, refugees and stateless people – not just Palestinians – the main victims of the dehumanising discourse.

It’s crucial to keep an eye on what’s going on in Gaza: 2.2 million people – most of whom were already displaced migrants from historic Palestinian territories irregularly occupied by Israel – have been living in an open-air prison for 17 years[5]. Israel determines what comes in and out of Gaza: people, energy, food, medicine, fuel and humanitarian aid. Whole families have their homes destroyed by bombings, children are born and die surrounded by walls, and their national identity and existence as a people have been denied for decades.

The systematic ethnic cleansing of a walls-confined population living under a military siege by air, land and sea is undoubtedly a horrendous crime.. The colonial measure imposed on this population, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank and other parts of historic Palestine, has already produced 6.1 million Palestinian refugees (UNRWA, 2023)[6].

While witnessing the unacceptable thousands of deaths, we note with concern the harassment and attempt to silence supports of Palestinian rights. Under any circumstance, it should be acceptable to persecute those who denounce the existence of stateless people living in apartheid conditions.

These claims are incontestable. The UN Human Rights Council 2022[7] presented a report pointing out 3 essential elements: Palestine is strictly an open-air prison, the largest prison in the world; there is an apartheid regime throughout Palestine; and some aspects of everyday life in Gaza share similarities to a concentration camp. None of this began on the 7th of October 2023. There is nothing new except for the intensification of war propaganda against the Palestinian people. That can be named as Media Genocide, which is the intentional elimination of a people through war propaganda and, the circulation of false news and narratives.

The Palestinian struggle is also a struggle to be waged in Brazil.. We perceive the Palestinian tragedy as deeply connected to the war against the poor, Black people and traditional communities in our country. The same logic of racial and ethnic supremacy relies on Brazilian whiteness, which justifies police incursions into favelas systematically murdering Black people including children, teenagers and young people. It is important to emphasise that there are numerous agreements between the Brazilian security forces and the Israeli armed forces, with Brazil being one of the biggest markets of Israel’s arms industry[8]. Israeli ammunition finds Black and peripheral Brazilian bodies.

The supremacist rhetoric of brutalisation and dehumanisation has historically been denounced by the Black movement in Brazil, for example in the context of the former South African apartheid regime and also in international solidarity actions for the Palestinian people. Black liberation movements have also experienced the ideological condemnation of their freedom efforts, which were labelled under the rubric of “terrorists”. The dehumanisation of Black people is also the dehumanisation of the Arab people, a violence consolidated by the whiteness global alliance and its genocide and ethnocide practice.

THE SOCIAL COMMITMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY IN DEFENSE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

We, as psychologists committed to every human life’s dignity, guided by the Fundamental Principles of our Ethic Code, urge for a radical commitment to the anti-racist and anti-genocide struggle, which is connected to the ethical and political duty of psychology.

We call on our professional category and psychology students to bravely tackle this issue affecting the whole world. A call to fulfill  our ethical duty to uphold human dignity, by keeping a critical distance from war propaganda and demanding humane and dignified relations throughout all the ongoing situations.

Almost every child or teenager in Gaza has been born in a state of segregation, a situation that combined with constant attacks, and the side effects of the siege and occupation has been triggering severe psychological distress and psychiatric disorders[9]. The colonial and apartheid regime imposed on Palestinians, described in six reports released by United Nations and recognised by several humanitarian organizations, including Amnesty International,  are social determinants of mental health deterioration.[10].

Therefore, a historical analysis of the Israeli occupation in Palestine, the Nakba effects and the 1948 catastrophe is essential. Psychology, as a science and a profession, must reject superficial or improper analyses in this sense. We criticize institutions and associations in the mental health field whose statements endorse the dehumanising rhetoric worldwide spread. For instance, the APA declaration[11] neglected the Palestinian historical context, disregardingthe violence imposed on the besieged Gaza population. There is no mention of the terrible bombing of the small enclave [a territory or part of a territory surrounded by another state] affecting Palestinians in an incomparable way to Israelis. We consider that these statements[12] ignore contingencies such as precarious mental health, besides amplifying the collective trauma resulting from decades of oppression, continuous violence, humiliation and injustice inflicted by Israel’s occupation.

Politics and mental health cannot be dichotomised. One cannot analyse the occupation of Palestine without examining the strategies of dehumanisation, and the stripping of dignity and life of the Palestinian people.

The dehumanisation of Palestinian lives – whether in deeds or speeches – normalises Palestinian suffering, as if it was natural, obvious and impossible to stop. Palestinians have been vocalising their suffering for decades and pleading for visibility to the international community. They do so in countless non-violent ways: resisting every minute, every second, to avoid disappearing. They produce art, music, and poetry. They cultivate and care for their original land and territory.

Until we see a Palestine free of Israeli colonial domination, no number of bombs will extinguish the innate desire to live with dignity. In this way, the Palestinian resistance is incurable, quoting Mahmoud Darwish.

As psychologists, we understand and accept the historic call to stand alongside the Palestinian people. The complicity with mass genocide, ethnic cleansing and the murder of children in particular, shall not be in our name.

We condemn the system of segregation, discrimination and collective punishment imposed on Palestine. There is an urgent need to build peace, which only comes through the consolidation of the Palestinian State and establishing a regime that respects the universal rights of all those who live in the region.

The Palestinian people – like all people in their self-determination – need to be able to exist beyond the imposed walls, the barbed wires, the refugee camps and all the dehumanisation: they need to be able to make their contribution to the beautiful story, yet to be built, of collective emancipation and the development of the humankind.

Link to the letter.

Link if you wish to sign it.

[zeestarfishalien]

Oops, John Constantine Found Family

[Day 1 dpxdc week 2023; John Constantine // Found Family // Oops]

• John Constantine/Box Ghost/Lunch Lady

John curses the Infinite King the first time he’s asked out to dinner.

It’s ridiculous, the parents of the little ghost child are loud and obnoxious and…definitely not endearing in the slightest. He’s sure he’ll be sick of the word “beware” before the end of the night.

But it is and he’s not.

He agrees to another dinner, more to prove to himself that this would never come anywhere close to working. He doesn’t get nice things and these two are just so…ridiculous and it’s so different from how his entire life has been, one nitty-gritty moment after the next; dooming his soul for power and favors.

But they aren’t turned off by his life or his rude demeanor. They like him and they show it. Against all odds, they just work.

And to think it all started with the end of the world…

~•~

John hates when he’s the last call, the hail mary pass, for the end of the world. Most of the better options for solving problems take time to put together, which is something few on the Justice League seem to understand and even fewer (read: None) seem to remember when a big threat comes about.

Since it’s potentially the end of the world, what’s one more time selling his soul going to hurt?

Possibly a lot this time. The King of Restless Dead holds sway over those that fall in the in between. They are historically stronger than most demons and spirits and on par with most deities. And since it is a title one by conquest most of the time the one to take over the throne is more powerful than the previous holders.

Now John really isn’t all that keen on joining the King’s legions but like he’s mentioned previously, end of the world and all that.

It’s a fitting enough end for him, he thinks and he hopes that his planned contract doesn’t have any loopholes for the King to take advantage of. Loosing the King of Restless Dead, King of the Infinite, King of the space between worlds, upon Earth for them to wreck havoc would probably cause Batman to revive John just so he can kill him again.

So it’s with a heavy heart and skyrocketing blood pressure that John starts chanting the words to bring the King of Ghosts to Earth, this Earth here and now. He’s got to be specific. Every single word matters…

…

John doesn’t know what he was expecting. A terror of the night? A horrific figure or possibly some sort of Eldritch entity that nearly melts his brain with its very presence?

Not a teenager that’s for fucking certain.

He’s not…he’s not certain what exactly he’s seeing as a funky little girl with blue skin and pigtails hikes herself up to peek over the teen’s shoulder.

He opens his mouth, probably to spit out some snarky comment or another but something in the teen’s eyes stops him. Then the overwhelming power hits him with the full force of a speeding freight train.

His lungs are too tight, too full. He can’t breathe, he can’t even twitch a bloody muscle under those glowing toxic waste eyes. The teen tilts his head, assessing John, weighing his tattered and bloody soul.

“What do you want, Laughing Magician?”

And that’s a fucking title. The King has his fucking title in hand with just a glance at him. The teen is all seriousness despite the little girl floating up to rest her upper body on his head like being The King just means he’s a glorified babysitter. She’s unaffected by the roiling waves of power washing off of him and crashing into John repeatedly.

He swallows and chokes on it because his throat is suddenly too dry. He coughs a few times before sinking into a bow.

“Oh King of Restless Dead and all those trapped in between death and life, I came seeking your aid to save this world and its inhabitants.” He doesn’t dare look up no matter how crawly his skin feels or how the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Ohhhh. Oh yeah, I was keeping an eye on that but then Boxy asked me to babysit the tyke here. It’s that bad already?”

John has to fight every cell in his body not to look up at the King and give him a taste of the incredulous look on his face.

“We’ve lost several heroes already and countless civilians. Superman is stuck in recovery after an attack, he can��t be out there. Wonder Woman has a broken leg and Batman is no-“

“Okay, okay I get it.” He interrupts, “It’s bad. I’m on it. I just need one thing in return.”

“My soul?”

“Ewww no.” John finally does look up at that just to catch the genuine disguston the teen’s face. “I need you to watch little Boxy junior here while I take care of this. She’s too young for the battlefield.”

“But I’m not qualified to take ca-“

“Thanks!” The King plops the little ghost girl on John and she grabs onto him while he’s too shocked to respond. It’s a good thing she’s a ghost and can fly since it takes him entirely too long to wrap his arms securely around her.

She’s studying him furiously and seems to find him suitable since she eventually grins and introduces herself.

“I’m Box Lunch. Who are you?”

“John,” he answers and that’s all he planned to give her but she stared him down with her beady little red eyes, waiting. “John Constantine and as His Majesty said, I’m also sometimes called the Laughing Magician.”

“Ohhh, so you have lots of names like Danny does.”

“Danny?”

She sends him a flat look.

“You’re kinda slow aren’t you.” When he doesn’t respond she lets out a big sigh, something she definitely doesn’t actually need. “You call him King and use one of his titles but you don’t know who he is?”

Now that’s an answer. And an alarming one at that. Just how high in the ghostly courts are her parents that she can casually call the King by name?

“I uh…” he fumbles a moment for words. “News and info about your world doesn’t cross the veil to here very well.”

“Oh…” She says it like she didn’t realize that. “Oh yeah, that’s Danny’s world. I’ve never actually been to a living realm that wasn’t Danny’s.”

“Not even when you were alive? Or were you from His Majesty’s world?”

She levels that unimpressed look at him again before sighing the worlds biggest sigh. Highly entertaining coming from someone so young and so small.

“Come sit with me.” She floats to the floor and snags his hand to drag him down too. “I will teach you Silly Magician.”

He follows, not sure how to tell her no thanks without upsetting her, so he goes along with it.

~•~

By the time that The King in all his teenager glory popped back in, John and Box Lunch were snuggled into a nearby couch with John reading to her from a spell book (it’s the only thing he had on hand and he made sure to only read the kid safe parts to her).

And the rest is, as they say, history.

More accurately the continuation of John’s very very strange life but details, details.

[drarryspecificrecsdaily]

2023.12.10

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Green Eyes by blood_bank [T, 7k]   *typo

►On Christmas Eve of their Eighth year Harry Potter unexpectedly offers Draco Malfoy a gift. This small act sparks a friendship between them that stretches across three more Christmas Eves and one Christmas Day, as Draco learns to forgive himself and become a someone who is, at last, able to accept Harry Potter's love.

2. If the Fates Allow by @teledild0nix [E, 10k]

►Harry and Draco are planning a very special Christmas party, and they are inviting the people who love them most in the world. Draco hopes that can include his mother.

3. Narcissus by @shewhomustnotbenamed [G, 5k]

►Draco works up the courage to confront tattoo artist Harry Potter in hopes to get a cover-up on his dark mark. Will Harry accept him as a client?

4. New Beginnings Taste Sweet (Daffodils) by corazon_san [T, 18k]

►It's Harry Potter now. He's a boy even if it took him sixteen years to figure out, even if people might not accept it. He's a boy and it's time everybody found out. /// Draco's lost it all, he realises as he sits on the cold earth, fingers brushing against the soft petal of a daffodil, he's lost it all but he finds hope in caring for a new Slytherin, his responsibility as a prefect. That's all Harry is, isn't it?

5. The Only Hope (was you) by @xx-thedarklord-xx [M, 14k]

►Join the Dark Lord, they told him. Become a true Malfoy, they said. Only, he didn’t want to. Draco knew he had one shot at escape, one chance to get out of there and it all boiled down to one thing: Potter. Draco didn’t know where else to go.

---

Fest/Exchange

1. Carols, a Blanket and a Soft Landing by Anonymous [G, 6k]

►Harry and Draco have finished up a month-long undercover mission helping to solve a case in the land Down Under. Now they have a few days before Christmas to relax in the warmer weather and enjoy the local festivities, including a picnic dinner at Carols by Candlelight that is absolutely just two work colleagues enjoying a night out. ★ Harry/Draco Owlpost 2023 | @hdowlpost

2. I Will Stay If You Dare by Anonymous [G, 9k]

►When Harry receives a cryptic letter from Narcissa Malfoy, he rushes to Draco Malfoy’s aid, only to find he’s not invited and definitely not wanted by the Master of Malfoy Manor. But the Manor itself seems to think otherwise… ★ H/D Erised 2023 | @hd-erised

[kuronekonerochan]

The whole fucking world stood by and watched as millions were spent in rescue efforts for half a dozen millionaires with a real countdown clock on their lives a few months ago.

We now witness a countdown clock in the fuel left in the generators of all the hospitals providing medical aid to an entire people while under constant bombings. A countdown to when every injured individual will become a casualty in a slow agonizing way because there will be no medical aid possible and the world does nothing. Nothing at all. If you can't reason with a genocidal state to let in water, food, medicine and fuel for the hospitals to keep running, maybe it's time to do it by force. Blue helmets, whatever is needed to rescue innocent civilians. But not even an economic sanction. The European Union (from where I'm from) is giving carte blanche to ethnic cleansing and genocide, while managing to lose all legitimacy to condemn Russia in the same stead (the part they did right). Having 2 criteria for war crimes makes the EU feel like a joke. We are in a fucking alliance for cooperation and peace and the Head Representative personally goes to Israel to give her support for genocide. I think every decent human being has lost any faith left in politics and politicians over the last few days. Scandals and corruption seem insignificant compared to this.

No, I don't trust our politicians, no they definitely are not representing me.

And they definitely do not work for the people when they agree to exterminate an entire people.

This is Nazism. Ethnic cleansing check. Collective punishment check. Confining millions in a war camp with no way to leave and committing genocide check.

And don't you dare call me antisemitic. I was not the one who chose to compare this to the Holocaust. The atrocities being committed by the Zionist State of Israel are the ones mirroring it. Do we have to wait until the body count is over the million mark to finally start calling it out?

Watching this happen live until there is no power left on the cameras and phones to keep recording what's happening is agonizing. But it feels as if people and politicians mostly are eagerly waiting for the eventual shutdown of coverage to put it all past them and move on as if nothing's happening. People will keep dying in the dark.

What is happening just shattered the fake mask of this "modern civilized world with human rights of 2023". Humans still have no rights apparently and I cannot fathom how people in conflict free zones are comfortable, compliant and complacent to this. How idiotfully jolly it must be to keep thinking that you will never in your lifetime have the tiniest chance of being treated like this in your western corner of the world. I for one can't live in that fantasy anymore. However improbable it seems now, I now know that there's a chance I will someday be denied water, food, medicine and shelter, isolated with no means of escape while missiles (or whatever future horror the warlords conjure) rain down on me and if I get injured there will be no medical aid and I might be left for dead in agony....and I now also now that while this happens free thinking first world democracies might be nodding along or purposefully looking away but none will help.

[ninja-muse]

A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys is exactly the sort of science fiction I go for. It's thoughtful and gentle, the world-building is rich and believable, and it focuses on people and culture over adventure, drama, or the explanation of scientific concepts. And, as usual, I've had the ARC in my house for a year and only picked it up this month. Entirely my fault, that, but also clearly the perfect time to pick it up because it hit the spot for me so hard.

So, plot? About 60 years from now, we've started getting a handle on climate change. It's not fixed, but it's definitely looking fixable. But then aliens arrive, convinced that we're in denial about our extinction and the whole planet needs to be evacuated immediately because technological societies can only thrive properly in space. And our protagonist, who's from a collectivist, planet-focused culture, says, "… You're making a lot of assumptions there, can we talk about this?"

Emrys uses the discussions, negotiations, and cultural exchanges to talk about family and community, to celebrate the best of humanity while acknowledging the worst and most complicated. It's hopeful, not only for how we're reversing the climate crisis but also for the casual inclusivity, the mutual aid, and the willingness of everyone to talk rather than use violence—but not so hopeful as to be unbelievable. There are still cultural differences, there are still prejudices, and few people are happy to let one overwhelmed new mom be the voice of her species. There were genuinely moments where my shoulders were around my ears.

Emrys has taken the time to think through some of her core world-building, and current human tech and societies, and build a cohesive whole. All the stuff around food, for instance: how you get it, how you make it, how you present it. And the stuff about gender? Folklore and history? Children? And then it was well-written and the characters all felt like people in all their complicated, contradictory glory and … yeah, there was so much of this I loved.

Was it perfect? Honestly, no. Some parts of the resolution felt rushed, or repetitive from things that had come before. But it was darn good and had me not only hooked from the beginning, but adding this to my Best of 2023 list before I'd finished my first day's reading. If you're looking for a great first-contact book, a good climate-focused SF book, or sci-fi that's just a shade or two darker than "cozy", this is absolutely one to pick up!

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #1 – How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

I read the overwhelming majority of this book in 2023 but I finished it after new years so review #1 of the new year it is! Despite it by all accounts being very critically acclaimed and well-reviewed, I had absolutely never heard of it before opening up the packaging on a ‘blind date with a book’ thing a bookstore was doing (incredible gimmick, for the record). Overall a great book, if rambling at points and with a somewhat weak and confused ending.

The story takes place in Kosawa, a village on the western periphery of a fictional west African country, with the incredible bad luck to have been built atop a fortune in oil. The story is told through several POVs, and follows the villagers struggle against the Pexton corporation and their country’s de facto neocolonial government to try and have their home restored to what it was before the river and soil were poisoned and children started dying. It’s told on a generational scale – stretching from the ‘80s to the mid 2000’s – and follows the main cast of characters from childhood into their forties, As might be expected from that, it’s not exactly fast-paced or full of heroics – lots of promises and reassurances being given and never lived up to, and dramatic actions being taken and leading to awful tragedies or only compromised half-successes. The book really beats in the theme that if you’re really powerless and the ones fucking you over have all the cards, a lot of time there really isn’t a winning move. Well, and maybe that the heroic, principled attempts at violent resistance repeatedly got everyone involved killed but did win real concessions and aid for the other villagers who were willing to play along (or just to sell out or give up Kosawa for dead), though I’m not entirely sure that’s how the story’s intended to be read.

The prose isn’t usually eye-catching, but it’s extremely well-constructed, and beautiful at points. The story does a lot with shifting points of view, jumping from a corporate one of a particular age-group of children whose lives parallel the story, and closely individual ones from different members of a particular family whose daughter Thula ends up becoming the moral/intellectual heart of the resistance. Each voice feels incredibly distinct and focused on very different things, in a way that really worked for me. The massive timeframe covered also lets the book really indulge in showing what the day to day life of the villagers looks like – how they sustain themselves, the social rhythms of life, the rituals of adulthood, marriage, and childbirth, how widows and children are treated, and how the poisoning of the environment around them weighs down but doesn’t destroy any of it. It even does a great job of really selling the perspective and world-views of people for whom the world is enchanted and spiritual rites have real direct physical effects, which in my experience the vast majority of books about religious/spiritual characters totally fail to.

The tone of things is pretty overwhelmingly melancholic – this is a story with a deep sense of history, which also means a very tragic imagination. Characters who really dedicate themselves to trying to change the world are portrayed as deeply admirable but almost certainly doomed and even likely to cause more harm than good. You see this most prominently with Thula, whose basically a genius and devotes her entire life from childhood to activism and social change with saintly (if not near-inhuman) purity and focus, and dies in her forties having not won much at all. The ones who take what they can, get government jobs and use the opportunity to become exactly as corrupt as the men who came before them and loot the country for the benefit of their friends and families meanwhile – well, they definitely aren’t making the world any better, but they’re shown as very human and sympathetic and they mostly end up with exactly the lives they were hoping for.

[shirshik72]

BiTomas week

Day 2. Injury/Sick day

Author's notes: the characters' images are taken from the classic games and supplemented with my headcannons. This is completely unrelated to "Mortal Kombat 1" (2023).

Content with young!Bitomas affects me addictively. Yes, it's a dependency. No, I won't fight with it.

In the heat of training, it is very important to remain vigilant and attentive, otherwise at some point your ice dagger, not at all in training manners, will cut the thigh of your closest comrade with a deep painful wound. And this could well have remained an empty warning for Kuai Liang if one day he had not been lucky enough to become a direct participant in such an unpleasant story.

— Ouch! — Smoke hisses, grabbing his hip with both hands and doubling over in pain.

— Crap! — Tundra only now realized what he had done. With a quick movement, he clung to Tomas, trying to assess his wound. —  Sorry, I'm a little...

— Everything is fine? — Bi Han’s rough voice calls from behind, unceremoniously interrupting the words of his younger brother.

Someone's hand rests on Kuai Liang's shoulder:

— Let me look, — Hydro asks politely, moving him slightly to the side.

Tundra doesn't resist, only taking a few steps back, getting closer to his older brother. Bi Han's intense gaze does not turn to him, but only silently studies Smoke. Hydro carefully sits the victim on the floor, examining his injury closely. With a quick gesture, he asks Bi Han for a first aid kit, which within a couple of moments ends up in the hands of the water mage. A couple of minutes pass in absolute silence, only thickened by Bi Han’s unfriendly attitude. Having bandaged the wound and stopped the bleeding, Hydro clicked busily, standing on both legs:

— You need to go to the first aid station.

— I don’t think it’s all that serious, — Tomas modestly resists, trying to get up, but only hisses from the pain piercing his thigh.

— You need to go to the first aid station, — the water mage insistently repeats, with a short gesture, lowering Smoke back to the floor. — I’m telling you this as a doctor’s son. Bi Han, will you take him to gaffer Chen?

— I’ll take it, — Kuai Liang interjects. — It’s my fault, it’s up to me to rake it.

— No, — Hydro remarks with a sly smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. With a subtle wink at Tundra, he continued. — Don’t take this as rudeness or underestimation of your abilities, but I’m not entirely sure that you won’t make things worse. The path to the first aid station is long, and you have to carry Smoke in your arms. Of course, I know that you are strong, but I am sure that Sub-Zero is much stronger.

— Okay, — Kuai Liang nodded in bewilderment. He definitely understood that his brother’s friend was up to something, but so far, he could not quite understand what exactly.

— Bi Han? — asks Hydro, to which he just silently picks up Tomas in his arms. — Make sure you don’t drop it, — he adds, grinning.

Sub-Zero no longer pays any attention to his friend's words. Trying to subdue his rapid heartbeat, he mentally thanks all the Elder gods for the fact that the mask perfectly hides his rosy cheeks from prying eyes. Approximately the same thoughts arise in Smoke’s head when he feels Bi Han’s grip on his body. Tundra and Hydro just silently follow the guys with their gazes right up to the exit from the dojo.

— Do you want to bring them together too? — Kuai Liang asks, looking sideways at the guy in bewilderment.

— Indeed it is, comrade.

***

Doctor Chen's hut stood far away on the outskirts of the Lin Kuei fortress. Far from the bustle of the world, the old man, whose age, according to rumors, had already crossed the mark of 100 years, valued the proximity of nature and fresh air too much to place his home in the heart of the fortress, near the dojo. However, he never kicked out visitors, especially when it came to youngsters.

When the doctor was sorting through the dried medicinal herbs he had collected in the mountains, Bi Han’s loud and unceremonious call was heard:

— Hip, — the ninja said briefly, walking deeper into the hut and closing the door behind him.

The deaf old man turned to the guys, pointing to the bed with a simple gesture:

— Here.

Sub-Zero carefully placed Smoke in the indicated place.

— Turn him on his side, — the doctor asked again, hastily changing his glasses. He examined Tomas for a short time, after which he muttered with an important click. — It turned out ugly...

— I can go? — Bi Han asked, trying to hide his anxiety behind his cold indifference.

— No, — the healer resists, sensing the true state of the ninja’s soul. — Please help the old man and your friend. Then you can go wherever you want.

― Okay, — Bi Han exhales heavily, crossing his arms over his chest. By chance he meets Smoke's gaze, but, like him, he hastens to look away, breathing unevenly.

In complete silence, gaffer Chen smears the wound with herbal ointment with some pungent and disgusting smell. Tomas bites his lip, trying not to hiss from the unpleasant sensations, but nothing escapes the doctor’s attentive eyes.

— Take his hand.

— For what?! — Bi Han and Tomas ask at the same time.

— Take it, — the old man insists, looking steadily at Sub-Zero.

Hesitating a little, he still carries out the elder’s order, justifying himself by saying that without this, gaffer Chen would not have continued the procedure. His heart began to beat faster and his breathing became stifled. Perhaps there was nothing outstanding in this touch, but it naturally turned Bi Han’s head, causing his cheeks to fill with a crimson flame.

— Take it tight, — Chen demands. — Take my word for it, he doesn’t bite.

Heeding the doctor’s demand and obeying the desire of his heart, Bi Han clasps Tomas’s palm with both hands, looking shyly at the floor. His heart seemed ready to jump out of his chest from the feelings that overwhelmed him.

Satisfied with the current situation, the doctor began his work, wisely conjuring over Smoke’s injury. Everything was used: decoctions, ointments, powders, sayings and spells. There was little pleasant in this process. Everything stung, smelled bad and was very bitter.

However, Bi Han's touch eliminated any discomfort. His cold, rough hands were more pleasant than the most delicate silk or lily petals. Tomas's heart beat hard from this innocent gesture, his cheeks flushed red, and his whole body trembled with a surge of euphoria. He no longer paid any attention to the healer’s actions, because only one question was circling in his head: “Does Bi Han feel the same?”

He didn't have to wait long for an answer. When their gazes crossed again, Smoke clearly saw in those charming blue-black eyes the same awe that he himself experienced. This time they looked at each other for a long time, almost continuously admiring the charming reciprocity.

— It’s done, — concluded gaffer Chen, pleased with the absence of whining and sobbing during his work. — His training is over for today. Take him home and then you can go to the four winds.

— Can he walk?

— Yes, but you had better insure him anyway.

— Thank you, gaffer Chen, — Smoke says, bowing low to the doctor.

— I’m always happy to help, — the old man grins good-naturedly, handing him some bottles and hastily giving him instructions on how to use all these infusions and ointments.

Having said goodbye to the doctor, they went outside.

— Lean yourself up, — Bi Han ordered briefly, offering his shoulder.

Tomas obediently hung on him, feeling his heart beat wildly again, when Sub-Zero pulled him close to him by waist. The ride home was also silent. However, both of their thoughts were occupied only with that long gaze, full of reverent reciprocity.

Bi Han, as instructed, accompanied Tomas all the way to the house and, having received the silent approval of the owner, even went inside. Frozen in the hallway, both understood perfectly well that it was time to say goodbye... But for some reason I didn’t want to leave so desperately.

With his eyes fixed on the floor, Bi Han frantically searched for an excuse to stay, while Tomas, similarly looking at the wooden boards, could not find an excuse to detain him. A long minute passed in deep silence.

— Stay, — Smoke asked, timidly touching his hand.

— I’ll stay, — Sub-Zero responded confidently, looking into the depths of his happy gray eyes.

Postscript: I am not an English-speaking person and this is my first experience in writing a literary text in a foreign language. I apologize in advance for all my mistakes in this text and ask you to point them out in the comments or personal messages. Thanks a lot in advance to everyone!

Thanks to @bitomas-week for organizing the event and awesome themes.

[pokytoad]

Okay so I'm going to say something, because I'm done keeping it inside.

This is based on my own personal experience as a woman who was raised in a borderline cult. AKA: true Bible Belt, Evangelical, fundamentalist Christianity.

I keep seeing phrases like "Zionism only means the establishment of a basis for a Jewish homeland, nothing more" and while it SHOULD be that way, in the United States, Zionism gets a lot darker than the textbook definition. Evangelical Zionists (hello? Like 90% of conservative politicians) are literally obsessed with the idea of this "Holy War" going on in the Middle East. They think it's the first phase of Armageddon.

I am not exaggerating, this is extremely serious.

I come from a fundamentalist church that prayed for Israel every service, and on October 7 I was filled with dread because I knew some Evangelical leaders would rejoice in this moment in history.

They think this is a prophecy heralding the end times, and they are extremely serious about it.

And the greatest irony is that based on Evangelical Zionist principles, they're antisemitic. They pretend to care about Jewish people, but they think that Judaism is just as outdated and "false" as Islam and even Catholicism for fuck's sake. They don't support Jewish people OR Israel. They support the destruction of the entire world to justify the "rapture/tribulation", and this is Phase #1 in their twisted, Kool-Aid-soaked heads.

I'll let Sarah Posner with MSNBC say the words:

(Source is linked below)

I cannot stress enough how seriously I'm saying this because it looks like 4Chan bullshit when I read it back, but Evangelical Zionists in the USA are not supporting Israel. They want every non-Christian to be struck down with hellfire, and this is a reality to them. You can comment to say "well that's just your specific experience etc" but the fact that I HAVE this experience? Means that there is a very real and unprecedented amount of fundamentalist Christians CHEERING ON a genocide in 2023. I can see the rhetoric, the propaganda, and the cult programming happening right now, because I got out.

These people are actively participating in mass murder because they want non-Christians to be decimated. It's pretty Aryan if I can be bold. It's insane. And to them, It's real.

My heart goes out to all my Jewish and Muslim friends during this difficult time. I don't have any solutions, all I can do is spread awareness about this cult-like, insidious behavior happening in the open in Evangelist American churches everywhere.

I wish I could say this isn't the thought process of thousands of Americans but at the end of the day, their ideology is rooted in bigotry and hatred.

[dde719]

Pairing: Twins Hoseok x reader

WC: 1.8k (written in Feb 2023)

**Fantasy au where the twins have different abilities**

AN: Hey how is everyone doing? Um, this story came as a surprise. I was bullshitting on the TL on Twitter one day with a friend who shared these two Hoseok photos. I was instantly inspired and she helped me with the part about Ice having the ability to heal. I wrote this to "Take You Down" by Chris Brown. I felt like it was fitting since he danced to it. How's everyone doing? Just in case yall didn't know I am Sope biased so I definitely had a moment of crying with his news. I know the time will fly by and he will be amazing. You all have a beautiful day.

Oral sex, f receive

Temperature play

Missionary position

Fingering

Rough doggy style

Restraints

Burning hot cum

Claw jewelry (mentions of blood)

Cold healing powers

It was a beautiful spring day in the city and you were walking down a path of cherry blossoms with an iced latte in hand. You were heading home after a long day at work and didn't notice this man staring at you. Listening to some music in your own world. You walked closer to where he was and didn't see the large cameras in the way, you stumbled and he rushed to your aid. Your coffee spilled, just fucking great, you thought as his large hands grab your arm to keep you from completely falling. He smiles, "are you ok?" Then you finally look up to see his face, too stunned to speak, "I- uh... yeah."

He was gorgeous with snow white hair, holding a staff, and a blue hoodie with ice crystals on it. You figured he was a model because he was too beautiful not to be. His hands were cold to the touch, "Hello, My name is Ice. What's yours?" You stare into his eyes, "My name is yn... nice to meet you." At this moment, it was love at first sight, you wanted to know him better and saw him every day for the next two weeks. Laying down in his bed, cool fingers brush along your skin, causing goosebumps to sprout. You shudder, "why are you always so cold my love? You should turn on the heat." He looks at you, "I can't do that because-" he trails off and you kiss his lips. The coolness pierces through your body as he removes your clothes and climbs on top of you.

He leans down, tongue gaining entrance to your mouth, cold as ice, but you didn't mind the feeling. He hovers over you, hesitant, scared, your brows furrow, "what's wrong?" "I don't want to hurt you." Caressing his cheek, "I'll be ok." Legs wrapping around his waist as he enters you slowly, gripping the sheets at the cooling sensation, "ahh fuck," you gasp. He looks into your eyes while thrusting slowly. He leans down and kisses your lips, moaning with every movement of his hips. He whispers, "you're so beautiful," as he pins your arms above your head. His pace quickens, "you feel so good," his low sultry grunts close to your ear. He notices you shivering so he goes faster, hips bouncing into yours then he pulls out and releases on your stomach.

He rushes to put the blankets over you and asks if you're ok, through gritted teeth, you answer, "yes." You were trying to warm up, and he was reluctant to tell you, it's his fault you're shivering. He desperately wanted you to cum so he descends under the covers. His lips brush your inner thigh and kiss a trail to your slick folds. His tongue circles your clit and you squirm under his touch when two of his fingers with glitter polish pump inside of you. You moan, "Mmmmmm," and grind against his face with a fistful of his white hair. Clenching tight around his fingers, in a raspy,"it's ok baby, let go." His fingers slide in and out faster and his tongue flicks at a rapid speed, your warm liquid trickles down his fingers.

He lifts the blankets, a Chesire grin across his face, "mmm, delicious," in his deep voice. Catching your breath as he prepares the shower, which felt so nice against your skin. Then wrapping you in warm towels and lathers lotion onto your body before getting your clothes. "I have a photo shoot tomorrow... Can you meet me there?" You kiss his cheek, "Yes of course."

The next day you arrive on the set and you see him dressed in black leather pants, a belt, black hair, and claw cuff rings. He was standing in a ring of fire, and on the pebbled ground, god he looks so different, you thought. You run up to him after the cameras stopped and hugged him, "you look so handsome, I love your hair, is it a wig?" He looks at you confused, "WIG!?" You nervously chuckle because your boyfriend was being weird, "well, am I late... Why are you leaving? You told me to meet you here." He looks at you up and down, "I- uh need to change for the next set... follow me."

He walked briskly to his trailer, you practically ran behind him because he was moving so fast. When you reach his place, his smile widens and his eyes are dark, lustful. It somehow seemed different, he lets out a low, "I've missed you," as his lips graze the crook of your neck. The heat radiating off his body made you weak for him. Almost in a trance, his hands reach under your dress, sliding down your underwear. He chuckles, "let's have some fun." He takes the belt and wraps it around your ankles, he's standing in the back of you, "kneel." You pull the dress over your head, and listen to him while trembling, on his knees, the gloved hand travels up your curves and cups your breast before gripping your throat.

The pressure slightly increases on your neck and you grin, as he frees his erection with the other hand. He lets go as your hands plant onto the ground, and your hips move. He slaps your thigh, "stay still." You whine from the pain, "but why," and you move again. He slaps you harder causing you to gasp. You lean onto your elbows as he teases your entrance, he thrust into you hard. You groan, "u-uhhh," He rapidly snaps his hips into you growling. The way he stretches you stings for a few minutes and you yelp loudly when he grips your hair tight and pulls while pounding into you. You moan louder when pleasure takes over your body. He doesn't talk to you, doesn't comfort you, and he feels hot to the touch.

The warm metal claws begin to dig into your flesh and drag down your back. Tears stream down your face, it hurts and the blood trickles down from your wounds. You whimper in pain when he picks another unmarked part of your skin and cuts you painfully slow this time. A few more hard thrusts and he pulls out and cums on your back. It was like hot handle wax stinging your flesh, burning your skin. You lay on the floor sobbing in pain, he was so different from yesterday. Why did it also feel good at the same time?

The door swings open, breaking your thoughts, "BROTHER, NOOOO." Wiping the tears from your eyes and you see the white-haired man who was your boyfriend. Your eyes dart to the other one, "wh-who the fuck are you?" Ice rushes to your side, "Why would you do this to her? I- I'll have to heal her." The other man lets out an evil laugh, "You know what happens when you do that." Ice starts to cry, "Yes, but I really like her... Why do you always have to do this? Why can't you find your own girlfriends?" He chuckles, "because yours are more fun... They give into me so easily." You lay there confused, "Um... ok, but who the hell are you?" you mutter pointing to the dark-haired man.

He gleams, "My name is Fire... You did well sweetheart. If Ice doesn't kill you, we should do this again sometime. Seeing you like this makes me hard again. " You begin to cough, "wh-what..." Tears stream down your face, and Ice starts to explain, "I can heal your wounds but they always come with a price." You stare at him with blurred vision and he continues, " it will drain your life force with every wound I fix and you might die... No, you will die." The blood pooling around you, "W-we can try... if you see me slipping, just stop. OK, I love you... I trust you."

He sighs in agreement and kisses your hand. He rolls you down onto your stomach and removes the belt from your ankles. His hand waves over two of the wounds and he slowly moves down the length of it. The cold burns into the holes and shoots through your body, causing you to cry in pain. He takes a deep breath, "baby, are you ok?" You breathlessly scream, "YES!" and he goes through the next section. The same sensation returns and that side starts to feel numb. It hurt so much that you want to vomit, you give him a thumbs up to continue as you can't muster up any more words.

He moves to the next section of your back and the screaming ceased and part of your skin turns blue. He stops in a panicked fit and checks your pulse. Thankfully, you still have one and Ice stares and his brother, "Help me warm her up since this was your doing." His eyes roll, "Ugh... fine." He touches the areas and gently rubs some warmth until the color returns. They move you to the bed and give you an extra blanket and dress your wounds. Ice scoffs, "if you do this again, I'll fucking kill you." Fire laughs, "You won't... brotherly love remember." His head shakes, "I'm serious, fuck that, and fuck you."

When you awakened hours later your boyfriend was by your side. He caresses your cheek, "I'm so happy you made it." You giggle, "Um, so you didn't tell me you had superpowers or some shit." He beams, " I was afraid you'd leave or be scared of me... I apologize about my brother." You shift on the bed and kiss his lips, "Minus getting hurt... I kind of liked it." You hear his laugh from the other side of the room, "See dumbass, the ladies like it rough." You wince, "I love how Ice does it too, maybe we could do it together one day... Just a thought." Fire joined you two on the bed and all of you laid together resting. When you woke, you realized that you could see yourself with these two and all of the possibilities together.

[ahmedmootaz]

Hello Ahmed! This time, instead of questions about the cast, I want to ask questions about you. What's your favorite fic for LobCorp/ruina/limbus? Imo yours (TMFOA/AiP) are my favorite simply because of the depth that you go into and the characterization the cast being in point. Second, how far would you say you are from your next chapter, and do you plan on implementing a segmented release like how you did chapters 26/27? Lastly (cast related fic), since you're technically God in your fics, how would the cast react to your existence (Assuming they don't know that they're fictional, only that you made their world. We don't need any existential crisis on top of the mountains of angst!!)

Dear hncdhnmfr,

Oh, questions for me, personally? You flatter me too much, but hey, who am I to complain about it? Also, hey, would you look at that! I'm actually responding to an ask before 24 hours have passed since it was published, what has the world come to?!

On a more serious note, I feel you certainly deserve a quicker response considering the ludicrous wait you had to go through last time, so apologies again for that.

So for you questions...Ironically enough, for as much as I write about it, I don't read too many PMverse 'Fics, mostly because I can't find Ayin 'Fics that have a focus on his as I want them to, although off the top of my head, Silent Resonance by KABN (https://archiveofourown.org/works/31268576/chapters/77295107) and A_Random_Reading_Person's LC works (https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Random_Reading_Person/pseuds/A_Random_Reading_Person/works?fandom_id=14487746) have always scratched my itch when it comes to Eyucar content and even Roland-centric stories. They're not bloated messes like my 'Fics, they have lots of monologues and character introspectives, and frankly speaking, they're a lot fluffier than my works. Who can say no to some PM fluffiness at last without having to suffer a whole ton of angst to get to it?

As for how far I am from the next AiP Chapter...that's an answer I wish I had covered. I'm writing more and more of Epilogue II every day, but honestly...it doesn't end. It keeps going on, and on, and on...although I have hopes I can finish it relatively soon, I also had plans to release it in August of 2023, soooooo...take from that what you will. What I will say is to keep your eyes peeled for April or May, or so I hope.

Also, yes, it's definitely going to need to be split into two parts, believe me. Even if I don't want to, the Archive editor can't post a Chapter that's longer than 500K characters...

As for that last question...I don't think of myself that way at all, not in the slightest sense. I would say I am closer to the Narrator when it comes to my role in the plot of AiP; sure, I write some elements, but I just nudge things in the right direction while letting the Narrator explain what, exactly I nudged and in what direction...at least, that's how I would describe it if I were to place myself within the Canon of my PM 'Fics.

So how would the cast react finding out I exist...honestly? They'd probably laugh it off or think I'm just another power-tripping lunatic from the City, although once they realise what I'm truly capable of, maybe they'll be resentful I didn't just write "Oh also Carmen suddenly unDistorted" or did something to aid them on their journey, which is frankly a good question. An answer of "well, you were never in any real danger, and lots of people love reading about you since you're celebrities" will sound more unhinged than I would intend to come off across, but with the correct wording and explanations, I'm certain that we can have an amicable relationship of sorts. Although Ayin and Yesod would definitely begin to worry if every action they partake in has been nudged by me or whether it's whatever free-will they have acting.

Overall, considering the nature of the City, it's not far-fetched to say they can get used to it...the question is just what, exactly, they'll go through before getting used to it. Hatred? Confusion? Indifference? All are possible options considering how wide the range of our dear cast is, although I'm almost certain the primary reaction will be anger for all of the angst I've pushed them towards for our sick pleasure, but then again, maybe I can argue my way out of that one by saying that in the end, the events I pushed them towards led to better results in the end, no? It's quite the fun thought exercise!

What do you think, hncdhnmfr? Surely you have your own opinion, hmmmmm? Regardless, and as always, thank you for your fun ask! I always look forward to them, and I hope this one makes up for last time's delay. Until next time, be well, take care, and see ya'!

[punk-pitcher]

Danganronpa Rarepair Week 2023 Day 7: Minigame Interaction/Post-Game

I just... really like post-game no matter what game it is, so have three arts to end this rarepair week off!

THH [based off of the anime designs]: No matter what happens on a mission, Hina would always be there with band-aids and a big smile, and it never failed to warm Kyoko’s heart.

SDR2 [my own personal post-game designs]: After so long working with the Neo World Program, Hajime and Kazuichi were starting to lose hope, but they kept working. The determination to bring back their lost friends was strong, and when it finally happened, the joy was indescribable.

V3 [this is just their canon designs but in sleepwear]: It was hard not to have night terrors after what they had experienced, but they knew that they always had each other to lean on for comfort.

And that’s a wrap for my participation in rarepair week 2023! I had so much fun, and if this goes on again next year, I am definitely participating again! Thank you so much to @dr-rarepair-week-blog for hosting this lovely week and letting me share some of the pairs closest to my heart!

[rickybaby]

McLaren got new leaders in 2019, the Ron Dennis 2 era was toxic and everyone knows it but the way it’s changed for the better since then cannot be overlooked.

Carlos and Lando were more or less equal on performance. On his good days, Daniel and Lando are as well. Daniel costs McLaren a shit ton of money and they NEED P4 in the constructors and every little point Daniel can contribute more than petty games.

Andreas Seidl is the epitome of efficiency, there is some incredibly impressive stuff about him out there. So no, McLaren isn’t screwing Daniel over. Daniel just doesn’t get along with the car and that’s fine, every driver could have that happen to him moving to a different team and it doesn’t say anything about him - we know he’s an amazing driver. But putting the blame on McLaren is not right either, there are some hard working people in that team beyond deflated to not be rewarded with results. McLaren is by no means perfect, but under Andreas’ leadership they definitely value individuals and healthy work environments a lot made than they used to.

1. Zak Brown was appointed executive director in 2016 and then became CEO in 2018. So Brown was already a figure of power during Stoffel’s time at mclaren. People tend to forget that Brown is a marketing person and yes, he’s been instrumental in moving mclaren away from the Ron Dennis toxic era by selling us the papaya family image and we’ve all willingly drunk the kool aid.

2. Daniel DOES cost mclaren a shit ton of money. But this is pretty much on McLaren right? They were ready to sign him for his reported $17m without bothering to include a performance clause in the contract. How is it Daniel’s fault that he knows how to use a lawyer to get him an airtight contract? And the Alex Palou situation has shown us that contract negotiation is clearly not mclaren’s forte.

3. Daniel doesn’t get along with the car. Everybody agrees, Daniel agrees. It’s the universal truth at this point. But you know the funny thing about a partnership is that it is a two-way street. Both parties kinda have to meet each other halfway and Daniel has repeatedly given his feedback on what he needs in the car but McLaren hasn’t taken any into consideration. You’ll say why change the car when the better driver can drive it - fair enough. But take yesterday for example, Daniel asked to pit under sc but they refused for them to later pit him last. It’s these things that have been happening throughout the year which compound Daniel’s problems. Maybe simply listening to his feedback during a race would actually help him out. As Seb (4x world champion Seb) has said, McLaren has failed to extract Daniel’s potential.

4. We’re not blaming the hard working people on the team. We know they put their blood and sweat into this but as Seb said, it’s the top people calling the shots and we’re pointing our fingers at these people. Because whether you’re a fan of Daniel or not, you have to agree that the way this whole thing has played out has been an absolute disgrace.

5. ‘under Andreas’ leadership they definitely value individuals and healthy work environments’ - are we talking about the same Andreas who in Hungary without hesitation stated to the media that they were committed to Daniel for 2023 during the day before he basically fired him after the race? The same Andreas who stood by and watched Daniel get choked up reiterating his commitment to the team at the MTC all while knowing they’ve already signed another driver behind his back?

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 31/10/2023

28 Saves Later

Season 2 Featured on: The SilvaGunner Spooktacular Halloween Horror Special: Volume 8​-​Bit Beast Also on: SiIvaGunner: Starter Kit & Essentials

Ripped by wheel able Guitar performance by wolfman1405

Part of Spooktacular Week! ● Requested by luigibro! (Discord)

This rip. 28 Saves Later. With every Halloween that comes and goes on SiIvaGunner, every year going for something new, fresh, and oft immensely high quality - ESPECIALLY this year with Season 7 - I still return back to 28 Saves Later. I can't even remember how I found it, back in 2016 I could honestly not have cared less about Resident Evil and promptly skimmed past it in my feed. When I eventually did find it, it was still at a pretty meager view count - yet it's been climbing, slowly rising toward that juicy 100K. 28 Saves Later is, amidst a sea of excellent horror media tributes the SiIvaGunner channel has put out, the absolute best of the Spooktacular Halloween Horrors.

Classic survival horror games such as the original Resident Evil series are memorable for many reasons, yet what always seems to stick with players most is that sense of pure...relief, attained upon reaching a Save Room. Away from the horrors, the zombies, the monsters, the demons, the Lickers and Hunters and heads of crimson or pyramid, you always have this one little chamber to return to. 28 Saves Later is, in the most simple terms, a tribute to that feeling - the feeling of being safe from the horror, yet knowing you'll have to go out there again to face the truth. It builds upon itself so masterfully, with an imposing percussion slowly building in volume, more instruments being added to the calming lead melody all emphasizing danger lurking in the shadows...althewhile using samples from Silent Hill 2, several numbered Resident Evil games, and music from the zombie post-apocalypse film 28 Days Later, one entirely about that wish to find shelter from the horrors of the world.

In the midst of all the silly shit that regularly occurs on SiIvaGunner, I think it's really important to note just how bizarre of a time the beginning of Season 2 was - mainly, because we still didn't quite know what it was building to. The channel was supposed to have ended, yet with no fanfare whatsoever, here it was back uploading rips just as usual, but with a new emphasis on the then-relevant Halloween season. As silly as it may sound, there definitely was a sort of fear-of-the-unknown lingering as we were left in limbo between the channel ending and continuing - as Chaze would later confirm, the plan WAS to have the channel actually end after the Halloween and Christmas events. And rips like 28 Saves Later, rips of such absurdly high quality yet drenched in such uncertainty, only aided in that feeling - yet created an absolutely palpable sense of atmosphere for the time.

I'm sure several of the blog's readers could've predicted this being today's rip, and I'm no good at hiding my feelings either. 28 Saves Later, even disconnected from SiIvaGunner, is just an absolute loveletter to the survival horror genre, to all the feelings and vibes they once instilled in us all, before its long period of hiatus that wouldn't end until Resident Evil 7 released in 2017. 28 Saves Later is amidst SiIvaGunner's most important, must-listen-to rips yet released, transcending tribute into just becoming a wholly amazing piece of music in its own right.