#and the queens perform on saturdays

[terracebatman]

Asking AI who Pete Davidson should date next.

[trvelyans-archive]

i am well on my way to becoming besties with this girl in my class i have a friend crush on

[beatleshistoryblog]

LECTURE 9: BIRTH OF BEATLEMANIA: Some truly amazing person (!!!) has uploaded The Beatles’ appearance at the Royal Command Performance at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on February 4, 1963 on YouTube (!!!). You have to see this! This truly is history being made. The band performed for the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon (a.k.a., Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones). Songs performed that night include “From Me to You,” “She Loves You,” “Till There Was You,” and “Twist and Shout” (the video posted here includes “Till There Was You,” and “Twist and Shout”). This program was beamed out to millions of viewers across England, who eagerly tuned in to see The Beatles. Beatlemania had only just begun, and the craze was rapidly spreading across England and spilling over into the neighbouring European continent. Within months, it would spread to North America, and then the rest of the world. But I’m jumping ahead of myself. This is a remarkable performance. Please watch it from start to finish (logos and all!). This – along with the Sunday Night at the London Palladium concert of October 13, 1963 – is a crucial moment in The Beatles’ rise to fame. 

[smutoperator]

Tummy Perversions

Hanni Pham, Seol YoonA (Sullyoon) x Male Reader

Tags: anal, anal fingering, ass eating, belly bulge, creampie, cum licking, cum on body, cutie goes slutty, deepthroating, food play, gape, meaty pussy, midriff kink, navel poking, (lots of) oral sex, pearly gates, photoshoot, threesome, tummy licking

Word count: 4554.

Hanni is so cute that sometimes you feel bad about having impure thoughts about her. But her banging body is so hot, you can't help but take pictures of her tummy every time you perform a photoshoot with her.

As you just finished her photoshoot for Calvin Klein, you already wanted Hanni to shoot another one, so you approached her and booked the next session.

"Sure, I'll be there," Hanni says. A few days go by, and Hanni appears at your studio. You take pictures of her, but none are of her face. All you care about is her sexy, perfect tummy. And little does she know she's about to be joined by someone else that Saturday afternoon.

"Sorry for coming late; Music Core just ended, and I had to change clothes rather quickly," Sullyoon tells you. Just as you asked, she brought her Dankook University outfit that drove you crazy a couple days ago. "So, is the photoshoot theme today about colleges?" she asked you, seeing Hanni with her Korea University outfit from the day before.

"Way better," you told her. "And I gotta say, I'm disappointed you're showing so little of your iconic tummy, Yoona," you reply to her.

"Sure," Sullyoon repeats the move she did at the university festival performance, lowering her shorts so you can see more of her belly, with her navel popping out as she does it. "Better now?" she asks. "Definitely," you tell her. Every extra second you spend looking at her reminds you of how beautiful she is from head to toe. She reminds you of all the top visuals you worked with in the past: YoonA, Sana, and Tzuyu, all in one.

"You're such a beauty; are you ready to take some nice pictures?" you ask Sullyoon. "Yes," she enthusiastically answers. "I don't have any assistants today, so I'll have to do it all by myself. Also, girls, you look so hot today," you tell both of them. "I'll go get some food for you before we start," you continue.

You bring the food, but it confuses the girls at first. One bowl of ice cream and one of chocolate syrup. But soon, they will find out what this photoshoot is going to be about. You pour the ice cream into Sullyoon's belly and the chocolate syrup into Hanni's. The girls get shocked as the hot and cold food hits their tummies, but soon that gets replaced by a tingling feeling that sends shivers down the spine as you make your first moves.

You start licking the chocolate syrup from Hanni's cute belly. She can't help but find it weird, but soon starts enjoying that tongue sweeping all over that belly. Sullyoon wants a piece of it too, bringing her tummy close to you so you can lick the ice cream from it. You then back off and take some pictures of the girls with their tummies still covered with food before resuming licking them.

"I want to see your sexy tummies and legs," you tell them. "Show me," you continue. Hanni gets a little hesitant, but Sullyoon enjoys the attention. You have worked with too many JYP girls not to know them at this point. They always show their cute smiles in public but are huge sluts behind closed doors. And Sullyoon is no different.

"Don't be shy, Hanni; show her you can be a tummy queen too," you tell her as you focus on taking pictures of Sullyoon between some more licking of their perfect tummies. You would have never guessed you would develop such a midriff kink, but theirs were just too hard to resist.

You clean their tummies from the food you poured on them and take more pictures of their hot bodies, starting with Hanni. The once shy girl quickly starts to change as she strikes bolder poses with your camera each time, turning around for you to take pictures of her ass as well. "Wow, that's so good," you tell her in between some flashes as she starts sticking her tongue out for the pictures you take of her. "Perfect," you tell Hanni as you start capturing close-ups of her belly and tits. "You look so hot today, little Hanni Pham," you continue. Great shots.

Sullyoon takes her turn next. The months of MCing at Music Core have turned her into a natural in front of the cameras. She always knows where to spot them. You just can't find any flaws in her: from the perfect face to the toned tummy to her protounding pussy that can barely hide under her panties, Sullyoon's deer-esque visuals are those of a goddess.

You take more close-ups of Sullyoon, focusing on her killing trio: face, tummy, and pussy. She enjoys every second of the attention you give her. But you still haven't got a picture of one of her finest assets yet.

"Can you turn around, please?" you ask Sullyoon. She does it with ease, showing you her plump ass for the first time. Looking at it, sometimes you wonder if JYP just creates their visuals in a lab and Sullyoon is their finest creation yet.

"Look how cute you look in the camera." You show your latest picture to Sullyoon, who gives you a big smile. "Come here, Hanni, join her," you tell the Newjeans girl. "Otherwise, I'm going to take pictures of this beautiful goddess all alone forever," you continue.

Hanni joins Sullyoon as she hugs the Nmixx girl from behind. "Grab her assets," you tell the cutie as she rests her hand on Sullyoon's bra and panties. "I knew you could be a slut too, little Hanni," you praise her. "I know it's cute, but I don't want you girls to smile now; just give me the naughtiest looks you can," you tell both as your camera keeps capturing them.

"Holy shit, their tummies are so beautiful," you say as Hanni runs her hand over Sullyoon's belly, but she still keeps her navel visible for you to drool over it. Meanwhile, Sullyoon bends over a little, rubbing her big ass against Hanni's crotch. The girls keep running their hands on the beautiful bodies, but Sullyoon is truly stealing the show. Even the innocent Hanni can't help herself as she runs her hands all over Yoona's hot body and even starts touching her pussy.

Sullyoon quickly gets sandwiched between you and Hanni, as the Newjeans girl pulls Sullyoon's bra down and flashes her tits. You kiss her multiple times, in awe of her beautiful face, but also go down to poke her navel while doing so, making Sullyoon blush. The girls know what to do as Sullyoon removes your shirt while Hanni tries to pull your pants down. You slow them down a bit, but the girls quickly take charge.

As Hanni fully removes Sullyoon's top, you kiss her cute nipples while massaging her belly. Her and Hanni reach towards your pants and slowly pull them down, laughing while doing so. Hanni is the first to grab your bulging erection, while Sullyoon gives you a naughty smile as Hanni kisses her. Hanni is already twisting your cock in anticipation. In the end, she's just like Sullyoon—cute from the outside but another slut behind closed doors.

You groan as the girls massage your man meat hard. Hanni takes the shaft while Sullyoon goes straight for your balls before going down to suck it. Damn, what a perfect view that face stuffed with a big cock is. Sullyoon stares at you as she gently blows your pipe, while you turn your attention to poking Hanni's navel and then move up to suck her tits as she also takes her bra off.

Down low, Sullyoon increases the speed of her blowjob. You didn't know she could suck cock this good. But you should, because after fucking them countless times, you should've known already that JYP girls have great blowjob skills, and Sullyoon is no different, as she licked your shaft from top to bottom.

Hanni wanted a taste of it for herself, taking your dick in her mouth as Sullyoon licked your balls. You could tell she was still learning how to suck cock, but you enjoyed her eagerness to do so, taking a seat in one of the chairs as you pushed your shaft deeper into her throat.

After a while, Hanni gagged on your meat while you and Sullyoon were kissing each other, and you ran your hands over her hot body while Hanni kept sucking you off. "Oh damn," you exclaimed as the little cutie put some extra heat on your cock, deepthroating it to the max, with you dunking her head so she could take it balls deep in her mouth.

Sullyoon got down and enjoyed the sloppy mess Hanni had left on your cock, bobbing her head down in full speed against it. Once Hanni took it back, she added further slopiness and pulled your underwear down, leaving you fully naked as you traded more kisses with Sullyoon and admired her beautiful face while pounding Hanni's cute, fuckable face.

Hanni laid on the chair as Sullyoon dove down to like her pussy and tummy. As the Nmixx girl enjoyed the hotness of Hanni's lower body, you kept filling her face full of your cock, harder and harder. "Oh yes, baby, choke on that dick," you tell her as Hanni moans with the tonguing Sullyoon applies to her pussy.

You sit on top of Hanni's body, rubbing your tip against her navel and your shaft against her belly. Sullyoon quickly jumps in, sliding her face between Hanni's legs to taste your cock.

"Come here," you ask Hanni, who gets up the chair even with Sullyoon licking her pussy. Her thong is already pushed to the side as you run your hands into her ass. It turns out her mouth is the perfect cocksleeve, as she gets on her knees again and takes your cock deep once again. "OH WOW!" you groan as Hanni wraps her warm mouth around your cock. "Can you match her?" you ask Sullyoon.

Sullyoon dives so intensely against your cock that you're forced to pull out after just a couple seconds. "WOW! WOW!" is all you can scream as Sullyoon shows why she is on her way to be the next JYP blowjob master and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Nayeon and Ryujin.

Knowing their deep sucking will kill you early, you just decide to slide your cock between their lips, thursting up their cute faces as the side of your shaft rubs against their mouths. But Sullyoon wants it all, throating your cock to the fullest. "If you get a chance, take all of it," she reminds herself of the words of her teaching unnies.

Sullyoon bobs her head hard on your dick, making you scream in awe. "Are you crazy or something?" you ask her. "I just love a big cock; I can't wait to have it bulging under my tummy," she replies to you.

"Such a greedy slut," you tell her. "If you want it so much, then bend over," you say to Sullyoon, who obliges. With the help of Hanni, her panties are quickly gone, giving you a perfect view of Sullyoon's splendorous ass with nothing on. For the first time, you could take a glimpse of Sullyoon's bare fuckholes, going straight for her tiny and tight anus while her meaty cunt just waited down under.

Hanni couldn't resist and took first dib's on Sullyoon's protruding pussy lips while you rested your head on her fat ass and kept licking her butthole and then spread her cheeks to give Hanni easier access to her holes. You licked Sullyoon's ring as if it were her second navel, poking it with your hand shortly after. The way she moaned was beautiful, like a squealing, horny deer.

You let Hanni take sole control of Sullyoon's tight holes, jerking off as the Newjeans girl buried her face under Sullyoon's big ass. But you quickly ended her fun. It turns out that just looking at Sullyoon makes you even hornier. You have to fuck her asap.

You push Hanni to the side and place your fingers on Sullyoon's meaty slit. Her already ultra-wet core impresses you, who teases her by rubbing your cock against her big butt. At first, you didn't know which hole you were going to pick, but seeing Sullyoon's pussy almost begging to be stuffed made it an easy choice.

Sullyoon got on her knees on the makeup table, facing a huge mirror where you could see every expression her beautiful face was going to make when getting pounded. You teased her by putting your tip in and out of her pussy, already making her moan, before attacking her meaty core. Her already large pussy lips throbbed even further as you stuck your cock deep in her cunt, making her extra sensitive to each thrust you gave her.

After a slow start, you couldn't help but attack this throbbing cunt to the fullest, pounding Sullyoon nonstop as you grabbed her ass hard for a firm grip and slapped your balls full speed against her entrance. The beautiful goddess quickly turned into a moaning mess. Despite the wetness of her core, she was extremely tight, even tighter than some virgin pussies you had fucked before, as her walls quickly enveloped your cock and let no air get inside her pussy.

Sullyoon tried to kiss Hanni to distract herself from the pounding you were giving her, but the Newjeans girl left her hanging. "AHHHHHHHH. AHHHHHHHH!" the deer beauty screamed as your cock shaped her insides and hit her cervix. You grabbed her slim waist and ran your hands over her tummy, poking fun of her. "Is it bulging under there?" you ask her. "YES, DADDY, AHHHHHH," she screams as you show no mercy and destroy her meaty cunt.

As Hanni and Sullyoon line up side by side, you take turns spanking their beautiful asses. Sullyoon's childish moans are driving you insane as you pound her even harder. Noticing how wet the Nmixx girl pussy is, Hanni rests her head on Sullyoon's fat ass, ready to get rewarded with a taste of Sullyoon's juices right out of your cock, which you happily feed to her.

You take turns shoving your cock between Hanni's mouth and Sullyoon's cunt before going back to focus on the latter once again. You're completely addicted to her pussy. You've never fucked one this good before: young, tight, and wet—the perfect mix. Her moans make you go feral as you stretch Sullyoon to the fullest, shoving every single inch of your cock into her core. Hanni licks Sullyoon's tummy right where your cock is bulging under it, as you keep destroying her snatch and show no signs of slowing down.

"Fuck, that's such a good pussy," you say to Sullyoon as the obliteration of her poon keeps going. Hanni now kisses her, trying to muffle her moans, but the barrage of fast and deep thrusts is just too much for Sullyoon to handle, as you make her cum rather easily. "Come here, baby," you order Hanni, who quickly dives to taste all of Sullyoon's wetness that's left on your cock.

Lubed up by Hanni's mouth, you start another round of pounding Sullyoon's cunt. She's truly got a magic box—the perfect fuckhole. JYP should allow a fleshlight to be made out of it, because it's truly amazing. At those times, you're glad you're so accustomed to JYP starlets and their tight pussies you fucked multiple times after countless photoshoots, because if you weren't, you would have already filled it to the brim.

"You're such a good girl; taste that pussy; you deserve it," you say as you pull out of Sullyoon's warm hole. She happily obliges, savoring your cock while you reach under Hanni's own cunt and start fingering it. "Hope this is just as good," you tell her, getting Hanni wet as she moans thanks to your magical hands all over her folds.

You spread Hanni's cheeks open, eating her asshole while Sullyoon stays tasting your cock. The cute Vietnamese girl moans hard as you play with her holes nonstop, spreading her pussy wide open. You really enjoy licking any girl's tiny round hole; it could be either her navel or her anus, but you are always enthusiastic about it.

"Lube that cock," you tell Sullyoon down low. "Spread that ass," you say, giving the command to Hanni up top. The oral fuckfest continues, as you can't get your mouth off Hanni's asshole and Sullyoon can't get her mouth off your cock before you invite her to do Hanni what you did to her before.

"Lick that pussy," you order to Sullyoon as both of you team up on Hanni's fuckholes, kissing each other while eating the cute Newjeans girl out. "You're so beautiful," you tell Sullyoon as you get even naughtier, shoving your middle finger up Hanni's asshole unceremoniously.

"You prepared her pussy well," you tell Sullyoon. "I think it's finally time to sit it on my cock," you say, laying on the studio's floor as Hanni gets on top of you. Sullyoon follows suit, knowing how addicted you got to her pussy, sitting her fat ass straight into your face so you can taste the mix of flavors inside the cunt you had just pounded to oblivion moments ago.

Hanni jumps on your cock and starts riding it as hard as she can. Noticing her enthusiasm, Sullyoon leaves you hanging and starts pushing Hanni faster down your cock while lining up to poke and eat her ass as well. Jump to taste your cock as soon as you slip out of Hanni's pussy for the first time.

As Sullyoon entertains herself with your cock, refusing to give it back to Hanni, you entertain the cutie with more fingering up her ass, perhaps a tease of future moves; who knows? "Slip it back in," you order to a selfish Sullyoon, who obliges even if a little upset. As soon as you get back in, Hanni gets even more insane, smashing your cock full speed and letting her cheeks hit Sullyoon's cute face as the Nmixx girl dives to lick your balls.

"OHHHH FUCKKKK," this time it's you screaming. Hanni and Sullyoon prove to be the perfect team of cute sluts, worshipping your cock like the pair of crazy whores they are. Hanni's cheeks clap even harder against your balls, and her walls close hard against your cock. You kiss Sullyoon to distract yourself, but she keeps massaging your balls as Hanni stays riding you for a few minutes.

As soon as Hanni stops, Sullyoon grabs your pole to clean it completely of Hanni's juices. The Pham girl stays on your lap as you suck her tits while your left hand pokes her navel and your right hand fists her butthole.

Not wanting to get outdone, Sullyoon pushes Hanni to the site and sits her fat ass right on your lap, impaling herself on your big cock. "You're so fucking tight," you tell her as your cock struggles to get in her tiny butthole. You lift one of Sullyoon's long legs, pushing up her ass and making her scream. Hanni senses an opportunity and licks Sullyoon's wide, open pussy. "Now I get why he likes it so much," she thinks.

Sullyoon starts bouncing her big ass on your fat cock while Hanni stays eating her meaty cunt. Her butt hitting your hips is just insane, jiggling hard every time she goes down that man meat. Sullyoon kisses you and lies down, giving you an opportunity to pound her in a pearly gates position. Her pussy might be heaven on earth, but her asshole was hella tight too.

"Lick her cunt," you ordered to Hanni as Sullyoon bounced her ass against your cock while you sat on your studio chair. The moans coming out of the Nmixx girl's mouth were as sexy as her high notes during that festival performance. Hanni, on the other hand, was feasting, taking a full-course meal into Sullyoon's lower body and licking not only her pussy but also her perfect tummy and sexy legs, getting Yoona even closer to another orgasm.

Sullyoon got some relief when your cock slid out of her ass. "Hanni, put it back on," you ordered, but just like Sullyoon was to her before, Hanni was selfish and took the opportunity to enjoy the taste of Sullyoon's butthole, ignoring your orders for a bit. You reached under and spread Sullyoon's pussy for Hanni to eat as soon as she slid your cock back inside Yoona's butt, giving her another pearly gates pounding, sensing it was her preferred position.

Hanni kissed Sullyoon's long legs a few times as you put Yoona's back fully on top of your torso and kept pounding her. Hanni then dove down and started licking your shaft as you pumped into and out of Sullyoon's ass. "Does it taste good, little Hanni?" you asked her. The way she licked your cock was enough for you to get the answer. Sullyoon's asshole got eviscerated until it was sore, with Hanni providing perfect help to keep your shaft throbbing at all moments as you pushed it up Sullyoon's butt nonstop until she came.

Hanni spread Sullyoon's pussy as she lined herself up to taste the juices Sullyoon was squirting out during her orgasm. Sullyoon cumming only made you push harder, as you now placed your finger in her clit and gifted Hanni with more juices each time you thursted up Yoona's sore ass.

"Slut likes it up in the ass, right?" you tell Sullyoon. "Yes, daddy, I li...AHHHHHHH," she can't complete the sentence; her legs close and smash Hanni's face. Her butt gets completely destroyed as you make sure Sullyoon will be practicing in pain over the course of the next week, punishing her for being such a beautiful goddess with amazingly tight fuckholes.

"Come here, taste that ass," you say as soon as you're done fucking Sullyoon. Still trying to recover from the pounding you gave her, the deer beauty kneels down and enjoys the taste of her beautiful big butt, with Hanni joining in to more ball licking.

"It's your turn next," you tell Hanni, putting them on her knees in the chair and spanking her butt. "Open her ass for me," you tell Sullyoon, who does exactly as you want it. Hanni's gaping butthole winks as it waits for your huge cock. You spit on it and tease it with your tip just a couple times before shoving it deep inside her butt.

Fucking Hanni's ass while looking at Sullyoon's pretty face feels like heaven. It doesn't take long before Hanni is completely stretched out, with huge gapes popping out of her butthole every time you give it a little room to breathe. Hanni is even easier to break than Sullyoon, with all the gaping, ass eating, and fisting you had already given her.

"AHHHHH. AHHHHH. AHHHHHH. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK," Hanni screams as you gape her asshole to the size of the moon. She struggles as your thick cock hits it hard and deep, even with Sullyoon helping spread her cheeks. You fuck Sullyoon's face in between thusts inside Hanni, getting the best of both worlds. "Oh, this is so good," you tell them while thursting their pair of holes. Sullyoon pushes Hanni's ass against your cock while you kiss her. "She's getting adjusted to it," she tells you.

"Is she?" you say, pumping Hanni's butt with full force. "It doesn't look like she is," you laugh as you do to Hanni's ass exactly the same you did to Sullyoon's. "Her comeback is soon, right? I want to see this little cutie dancing with a sore ass," you say.

"Open your ass, baby," you order Hanni, plowing her nonstop. Sullyoon now licks your navel, and you love that she is into the same kink that brought her to you in the first place.

After you pull out of Hanni's butt and let her clean your cock off the juices of her ass, you tease Sullyoon by rubbing your cock against her navel. "Wanna see it bulging under it?" you ask her. "Yes, daddy," she replies. "Then lay down on this chair," you order her.

Sullyoon lays on the chair as you put your cock back in her pussy for a second round, determined to keep going until you cum. "AHHHHHH FUCKKKKK, OHHHHH, GODDDDDD," she's screaming after just a couple thursts. You give her throbbing cunt no mercy, as things get even better when you notice your ass is bumping against Hanni's legs with her behind you, making you go even harder.

Sullyoon gets completely manhandled as you watch your anaconda bulge under her sexy midriff. You kiss her, trying to muffle some of her screams, but it's futile. "AHHHHHHH. AHHHHHHHH. AHHHHHH." She keeps yelling at your face. The more she screams, the more you anticipate cumming in her. She lifts her legs as her throbbing walls now make her feel like she's getting stabbed by a massive sword at each thurst you give her. Yoona's eyes roll as she tries to cope with the hard pounding in her pussy.

You give Sullyoon a little time to breathe as you let Hanni, now on her knees, taste her pussy from your cock. "Help me finish on her; warm her up," you tell the Newjeans girl. Hanni dives and eats Sullyoon's throbbing pussy while you feed your cock into the Nmixx girl's mouth, fucking her face hard one last time. "Let me fuck her," you say as Hanni moves to the side, but not without licking Sullyoon's midriff again. 

You go so fast, deep, and hard on Sullyoon's pussy you don't even manage to last for a minute. Her clenching tight walls make you paint them white quickly, but you manage to pull out after a couple loads just in time to shoot the rest all over her beautiful body, hitting the first one in her face and the rest all over her sexy midriff, with the final one filling her navel. Hanni comes in and licks the cum canvas you left on Sullyoon's tummy, in a very reminiscent way to the one you did earlier to the ice cream you poured in her belly, with you picking up your camera just in time to take pictures of her doing it.

"That's all I have for today, you cute sluts; you two milked me dry," you tell both girls, poking their navels one final time with your already flaccid cock. "I crown you, Hanni Pham, the tummy princess, and you, Seol YoonA, the tummy queen of K-pop," you tell them. "I hope you girls can bring your friends to me for another threesome like this."

"Sure," Hanni says. "I can bring Yunjin or a groupmate of mine," she continues. "Me too," Sullyoon says. "My groupmates or my best friend Isa, she's got some great thighs," she continues.

"I can't wait for the next time," you tell them, kissing both girls as they dress themselves up and return to their cute facades.

"Hope we see you soon too, Daddy," they finish as they leave the room.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The true, tactical significance of Project 2025

TODAY (July 14), I'm giving the closing keynote for the fifteenth HACKERS ON PLANET EARTH, in QUEENS, NY. Happy Bastille Day! NEXT SATURDAY (July 20), I'm appearing in CHICAGO at Exile in Bookville.

Like you, I have heard a lot about Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's roadmap for the actions that Trump should take if he wins the presidency. Given the Heritage Foundation's centrality to the American authoritarian project, it's about as awful and frightening as you might expect:

https://www.project2025.org/

But (nearly) all the reporting and commentary on Project 2025 badly misses the point. I've only read a single writer who immediately grasped the true significance of Project 2025: The American Prospect's Rick Perlstein, which is unsurprising, given Perlstein's stature as one of the left's most important historians of right wing movements:

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-07-10-project-2025-republican-presidencies-tradition/

As Perlstein points out, Project 2025 isn't new. The Heritage Foundation and its allies have prepared documents like this, with many identical policy prescriptions, in the run-up to many presidential elections. Perlstein argues that Warren G Harding's 1921 inaugural address captures much of its spirit, as did the Nixon campaign's 1973 vow to "move the country so far to the right 'you won’t even recognize it.'"

The threats to democracy and its institutions aren't new. The right has been bent on their destruction for more than a century. As Perlstein says, the point of taking note of this isn't to minimize the danger, rather, it's to contextualize it. The American right has, since the founding of the Republic, been bent on creating a system of hereditary aristocrats, who govern without "interference" from democratic institutions, so that their power to extract wealth from First Nations, working people, and the land itself is checked only by rivalries with other aristocrats. The project of the right is grounded in a belief in Providence: that God's favor shines on His best creations and elevates them to wealth and power. Elite status is proof of merit, and merit is "that which leads to elite status."

When a wealthy person founds an intergenerational dynasty of wealth and power, this is merely a hereditary meritocracy: a bloodline infused with God's favor. Sometimes, this belief is dressed up in caliper-wielding pseudoscience, with the "good bloodline" reflecting superior genetics and not the favor of the Almighty. Of course, a true American aristocrat gussies up his "race realism" with mystical nonsense: "God favored me with superior genes." The corollary, of course, is that you are poor because God doesn't favor you, or because your genes are bad, or because God punished you with bad genes.

So we should be alarmed by the right's agenda. We should be alarmed at how much ground it has gained, and how the right has stolen elections and Supreme Court seats to enshrine antimajoritarianism as a seemingly permanent fact of life, giving extremist minorities the power to impose their will on the rest of us, dooming us to a roasting planet, forced births, racist immiseration, and most expensive, worst-performing health industry in the world.

But for all that the right has bombed so many of the roads to a prosperous, humane future, it's a huge mistake to think of the right as a stable, unified force, marching to victory after inevitable victory. The American right is a brittle coalition led by a handful of plutocrats who have convinced a large number of turkeys to vote for Christmas.

The right wing coalition needs to pander to forced-birth extremists, racist extremist, Christian Dominionist extremists (of several types), frothing anti-Communist cranks, vicious homophobes and transphobes, etc, etc. Pandering to all these groups isn't easy: for one thing, they often want opposite things – the post-Roe forced birth policies that followed the Dobbs decision are wildly unpopular among conservatives, with the exception of a clutch of totally unhinged maniacs that the party relies on as part of a much larger coalition. Even more unpopular are policies banning birth control, like the ones laid out in Project 2025. Less popular still: the proposed ban on no-fault divorce. Each of these policies have different constituencies to whom they are very popular, but when you put them together, you get Dan Savage's "Husbands you can't leave, pregnancies you can't prevent or terminate, politicians you can't vote out of office":

https://twitter.com/fakedansavage/status/1805680183065854083

The constituency for "husbands you can't leave, pregnancies you can't prevent or terminate, politicians you can't vote out of office" is very small. Almost no one in the GOP coalition is voting for all of this, they're voting for one or two of these things and holding their noses when it comes to the rest.

Take the "libertarian" wing of the GOP: its members do favor personal liberty…it's just that they favor low taxes for them more than personal liberty for you. The kind of lunatic who'd vote for a dead gopher if it would knock a quarter off his tax bill will happily allow his coalition partners to rape pregnant women with unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds and force them to carry unwanted fetuses to term if that's the price he has to pay to save a nickel in taxes:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/29/jubilance/#tolerable-racism

And, of course, the religious maniacs who profess a total commitment to Biblical virtue but worship Trump, Gaetz, Limbaugh, Gingrich, Reagan, and the whole panoply of cheating, lying, kid-fiddling, dope-addled refugees from a Jack Chick tract know that these men never gave a shit about Jesus, the Apostles or the Ten Commandments – but they'll vote for 'em because it will get them school prayer, total abortion bans, and unregulated "home schooling" so they can brainwash a generation of Biblical literalists who think the Earth is 5,000 years old and that Jesus was white and super into rich people.

Time and again, the leaders of the conservative movement prove themselves capable of acts of breathtaking cruelty, and undoubtedly many of them are depraved sadists who genuinely enjoy the suffering of their enemies (think of Trump lickspittle Steven Miller's undisguised glee at the thought of parents who would never be reunited with children after being separated at the border). But it's a mistake to think that "the cruelty is the point." The point of the cruelty is to assemble and maintain the coalition. Cruelty is the tactic. Power is the point:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/09/turkeys-voting-for-christmas/#culture-wars

The right has assembled a lot of power. They did so by maintaining unity among people who have irreconcilable ethics and goals. Think of the pro-genocide coalition that includes far-right Jewish ethno-nationalists, antisemitic apocalyptic Christians who believe they are hastening the end-times, and Islamophobes of every description, from War On Terror relics to Hindu nationalists.

This is quite an improbable coalition, and while I deplore its goals, I can't help but be impressed by its cohesion. Can you imagine the kind of behind-the-scenes work it takes to get antisemites who think Jews secretly control the world to lobby with Zionists? Or to get Zionists to work alongside of Holocaust-denying pencilneck Hitler wannabes whose biggest regret is not bringing their armbands to Charlottesville?

Which brings me back to Project 2025 and its true significance. As Perlstein writes, Project 2025 is a mess. Clocking in an 900 pages, large sections of Project 2025 flatly contradict each other, while other sections contain subtle contradictions that you wouldn't notice unless you were schooled in the specialized argot of the far right's jargon and history.

For example, Project 2025 calls for defunding government agencies and repurposing the same agencies to carry out various spectacular atrocities. Both actions are deplorable, but they're also mutually exclusive. Project 2025 demands four different, completely irreconcilable versions of US trade policy. But at least that's better than Project 2025's chapter on monetary policy, which simply lays out every right wing theory of money and then throws up its hands and recommends none of them.

Perlstein says that these conflicts, blank spots and contradictions are the most important parts of Project 2025. They are the fracture lines in the coalition: the conflicting ideas that have enough support that neither side can triumph over the other. These are the conflicts that are so central to the priorities of blocs that are so important to the coalition that they must be included, even though that inclusion constitutes a blinking "LOOK AT ME" sign telling us where the right is ready to split apart.

The right is really good at this. Perlstein points to Nixon's expansion of affirmative action, undertaken to sow division between Black and white workers. We need to get better at it.

So far, we've lavished attention on the clearest and most emphatic proposals in Project 2025 – for understandable reasons. These are the things they say they want to do. It would be reckless to ignore them. But they've been saying things like this for a century. These demands constitute a compelling argument for fighting them as a matter of urgency, with the intention of winning. And to win, we need to split apart their coalition.

Perlstein calls on us to dissect Project 2025, to cleave it at its joints. To do so, he says we need to understand its antecedents, like Nixon's "Malek Manual," a roadmap for destroying the lives of civil servants who failed to show sufficient loyalty to Nixon. For example, the Malek Manual lays out a "Traveling Salesman Technique" whereby a government employee would be given duties "criss-crossing him across the country to towns (hopefully with the worst accommodations possible) of a population of 20,000 or under. Until his wife threatens him with divorce unless he quits, you have him out of town and out of the way":

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Final_Report_on_Violations_and_Abuses_of/0dRLO9vzQF0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22organization+of+a+political+personnel+office+and+program%22&pg=PA161&printsec=frontcover

It's no coincidence that leftist historians of the right are getting a lot of attention. Trumpism didn't come out of nowhere – Trump is way too stupid and undisciplined to be a cause – he's an effect. In his excellent, bestselling new history of the right in the early 1990s, When the Clock Broke, Josh Ganz shows us the swamp that bred Trump, with such main characters as the fascist eugenicist Sam Francis:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374605445/whentheclockbroke

Ganz joins the likes of the Know Your Enemy podcast, an indispensable history of reactionary movements that does excellent work in tracing the fracture lines in the right coalition:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/when-clock-broke-106803105

Progressives are also an uneasy coalition that is easily splintered. As Naomi Klein argues in her essential Doppelganger, the liberal-left coalition is inherently unstable and contains the seeds of its own destruction:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

Liberals have been the senior partner in that coalition, and their commitment to preserving institutions for their own sake (rather than because of what they can do to advance human thriving) has produced generations of weak and ineffectual responses to the crises of terminal-stage capitalism, like the idea that student-debt cancellation should be means-tested:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/03/utopia-of-rules/#in-triplicate

The last bid for an American aristocracy was repelled by rejecting institutions, not preserving them. When the Supreme Court thwarted the New Deal, FDR announced his intention to pack the court, and then began the process of doing so (which included no-holds-barred attacks on foot-draggers in his own party). Not for nothing, this is more-or-less what Lincoln did when SCOTUS blocked Reconstruction:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/20/judicial-equilibria/#pack-the-court

But the liberals who lead the progressive movement dismiss packing the court as unserious and impractical – notwithstanding the fact that they have no plan for rescuing America from the bribe-taking extremists, the credibly accused rapist, and the three who stole their robes. Ultimately, liberals defend SCOTUS because it is the Supreme Court. I defended SCOTUS, too – while it was still a vestigial organ of the rights revolution, which improved the lives of millions of Americans. Human rights are worth defending, SCOTUS isn't. If SCOTUS gets in the way of human rights, then screw SCOTUS. Sideline it. Pack it. Make it a joke.

Fuck it.

This isn't to argue for left seccession from the progressive coalition. As we just saw in France, splitting at this moment is an invitation to literal fascist takeover:

https://jacobin.com/2024/07/melenchon-macron-france-left-winner

But if there's one thing that the rise of Trumpism has proven, it's that parties are not immune to being wrestled away from their establishment leaderships by radical groups:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/16/that-boy-aint-right/#dinos-rinos-and-dunnos

What's more, there's a much stronger natural coalition that the left can mobilize: workers. Being a worker – that is, paying your bills from wages, instead of profits – isn't an ideology you can change, it's a fact. A Christian nationalist can change their beliefs and then they will no longer be a Christian nationalist. But no matter what a worker believes, they are still a worker – they still have a irreconcilable conflict with people whose money comes from profits, speculation, or rents. There is no objectively fair way to divide the profits a worker's labor generates – your boss will always pay you as little of that surplus as he can. The more wages you take home, the less profit there is for your boss, the fewer dividends there are for his shareholders, and the less there is to pay to rentiers:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/19/make-them-afraid/#fear-is-their-mind-killer

Reviving the role of workers in their unions, and of unions in the Democratic party, is the key to building the in-party power we need to drag the party to real solutions – strong antimonopoly action, urgent climate action, protections for gender, racial and sexual minorities, and decent housing, education and health care.

The alternative to a worker-led Democratic Party is a Democratic Party run by its elites, whose dictates and policies are inescapably illegitimate. As Hamilton Nolan writes, the completely reasonable (and extremely urgent) discussion about Biden's capacity to defeat Trump has been derailed by the Democrats' undemocratic structure. Ultimately, the decision to have an open convention or to double down on a candidate whose campaign has been marred by significant deficits is down to a clutch of party officials who operate without any formal limits or authority:

https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/the-hole-at-the-heart-of-the-democratic

Jettisoning Biden because George Clooney (or Nancy Pelosi) told us to is never going to feel legitimate to his supporters in the party. But if the movement for an open convention came from grassroots-dominated unions who themselves dominated the party – as was the case, until the Reagan revolution – then there'd be a sense that the party had constituents, and it was acting on its behalf.

Reviving the labor movement after 40 years of Reaganomic war on workers may sound like a tall order, but we are living through a labor renaissance, and the long-banked embers of labor radicalism are reigniting. What's more, repelling fascism is what workers' movements do. The business community will always sell you out to the Nazis in exchange for low taxes, cheap labor and loose regulation.

But workers, organized around their class interests, stand strong. Last week, we lost one of labor's brightest flames. Jane McAlevey, a virtuoso labor organizer and trainer of labor organizers, died of cancer at 57:

https://jacobin.com/2024/07/jane-mcalevey-strategy-organizing-obituary

McAlevey fought to win. She was skeptical of platitudes like "speaking truth to power," always demanding an explanation for how the speech would become action. In her classic book A Collective Bargain, she describes how she built worker power:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/23/a-collective-bargain/

McAlevey helped organize a string of successful strikes, including the 2019 LA teachers' strike. Her method was straightforward: all you have to do to win a strike or a union drive is figure out how to convince every single worker in the shop to back the union. That's all.

Of course, it's harder than it sounds. All the problems that plague every coalition – especially the progressive liberal/left coalition – are present on the shop floor. Some workers don't like each other. Some don't see their interests aligned with others. Some are ornery. Some are convinced that victory is impossible.

McAlevey laid out a program for organizing that involved figuring out how to reach every single worker, to converse with them, listen to them, understand them, and win them over. I've never read or heard anyone speak more clearly, practically and inspirationally about coalition building.

Biden was never my candidate. I supported three other candidates ahead of him in 2020. When he got into office and started doing a small number of things I really liked, it didn't make me like him. I knew who he was: the Senator from MBNA, whose long political career was full of bills, votes and speeches that proved that while we might have some common goals, we didn't want the same America or the same world.

My interest in Biden over the past four years has had two areas of focus: how can I get him to do more of the things that will make us all better off, and do less of the things that make the world worse. When I think about the next four years, I'm thinking about the same things. A Trump presidency will contain far more bad things and far fewer good ones.

Many people I like and trust have pointed out that they don't like Biden and think he will be a bad president, but they think Trump will be much worse. To limit Biden's harms, leftists have to take over the Democratic Party and the progressive movement, so that he's hemmed in by his power base. To limit Trump's harms, leftists have to identify the fracture lines in the right coalition and drive deep wedges into them, shattering his power base.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/14/fracture-lines/#disassembly-manual

[bedsyandco]

❍⌇𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 — 𝐐𝐇𝟒𝟑 ‧₊˚ ꒱

pairing: fem!celeb!singer x quinn hughes

summary: in which a famous singer from vancouver has a little crush on her home team’s captain. there’s a Jayden mentioned in this (he is reader’s ex bf who is a professional football player. completely fictional!!)

genre: social media fic

fc: sabrina carpenter

note: I had so much fun creating this!! giving quinny the love he deserves!! as always I hope you like it and feedback is always appreciated and adored <3

YOUTUBE | COSMOPOLITAN POSTED !

-> some of the web’s most searched questions with Y/N L/N

1.7 M viewers | 52K likes | 3 dislikes | posted 2 weeks ago!

… (10K comments)

user56: OMG!? YN and hockey?? my two worlds colliding

user89: STOP. the way she’s blushing and giggling?? I mean same girl but-

user17: she’s so beautiful

user33: I NEED new music. like right now

⤷ user54: what do you think the new album is gonna be about?

⤷ user33: definitely Jayden. I can’t wait for the tea

user39: jumping from football to hockey💀

⤷ user61: don’t kid yourself YN has always been a hockey girl. she’s from Canada

user64: a win for the quinn girlies

⤷ user26: actually it’s not 😞

user99: guess I’m gonna have to watch hockey now

user23: she’s so real for being a quinn girl😌

⤷ user19: quinn is the hottest hughes brother confirmed

⤷ user11: he has brothers?? 🤭

nhl

liked by quinnhughes, trevorzegras and others.

nhl: canada’s very own pop star, Y/N L/N is confirmed to be one of the all-star celebrity captains. the singer will also be performing in between games on saturday!

view all comments

user53: do we know what team she’s the celeb captain of??

⤷ user65: if it’s not quinn’s…I will riot

⤷ nhl: Y/N is set to captain team hughes!

trevorzegras: might need to make another appearance at the all star game this year. you need a plus one? @.jackhughes

⤷ user55: trevor💀

⤷ user32: $50 he’s only doing this to piss quinn off😭

yourusername: so so excited! I can’t wait!

⤷ user95: shoot your shot queen

user76: oh I can’t wait for the YN and quinn content

⤷ user53: you think he’s gonna be practicing his smile in the mirror every day so he doesn’t look like a haunted cat when he meets her

⤷ eliaspettersson: 100%

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Critics are saying a new bill introduced into the Texas Legislature this year will only encourage a bounty-hunting trend that targets drag queens and transgender people. Texas state GOP Rep. Steve Toth filed House Bill 4378 on Thursday, March 9 that will allow anyone in Texas to sue people who perform in drag or host a drag performance where children are present.

The bill targets events like family-friendly brunch shows at restaurants or drag queen story time events at libraries or other family-oriented drag queen events. The bill says that people who sue a person or venue can be awarded $5,000 in damages.

Erin Reed, a transgender rights activist and independent reporter, tweeted about HB 4378 on Saturday, March 11, saying that the piece of legislation could easily be used to target transgender people who perform.

The bill defines drag as "a performance in which a performer exhibits a gender that is different than the performer’s gender recorded at birth." It goes on to say this performance can involve using makeup and clothing to dance, lip sync, or perform "in a lascivious manner."

The bill joins 17 other proposed pieces of Texas legislation that targets transgender people, drag queens, and the LGBTQ+ community. The Advocate reported in November 2022 that Texas legislators have proposed anti-LGBTQ+ bills for the upcoming legislative session. This now includes HB 4378 and the recent heterosexual tax cut bill from state Rep. Bryan Slaton.

That proposed bill would provide massive tax cuts, up to 100%, for straight families that stay married and have children. Slaton also pushed a bill that would have outlawed minors at drag shows.

[sleepyeye17]

Is this yours?

Words: 768

Warnings: None

Summary: There’s a bra in Steve’s back seat. He has some explaining to do.

“What’s this?” Lucas says in the back seat of Steve’s car. “Ooooooh it’s a bra!”

Steve looks in the rear view mirror and his eyes go wide.

“Shit.”

Eddie turns around in the front seat to see Lucas holding up an enormous bra. It takes a moment for the implication to hit, and then it punches him right in the nuts. Fuck.

“Don’t touch that, Lucas,” Steve growls. 

“Steve had a girl back here,” Dustin crows. 

“I did not!” Steve says. “Put that down!”

“This is huge,” Max says, grabbing the bra from Lucas and feeling the enormous padded cups. “Jesus what is this, an F cup?”

“Who’s the lucky lady?” Lucas asks. 

“Who do we know with enormous tits?” Max says. She holds it up to herself. “Dustin, is this your mom’s? Ow!”

They’re all laughing and smacking each other and shrieking. Eddie looks out the window and tries to put on his most aloof face.

Steve and Eddie have only been hooking up for a few weeks, and neither of them have said that they were exclusive. If Eddie had assumed, well, that's on him. Always the idiot, and matters of the heart are no exception. He fell in love with Steve like it was breathing. He should have known that King Steve would have a whole flock of women to choose from. Eddie is clearly just an experiment. It wouldn’t be the first time. He’s had a few partners in the past who believed that they could be with a man once and get it out of their system. Eddie is usually happy to oblige. But he really thought that this was different.

“Settle down back there, okay?” Steve says. He’s bright red, and clearly irritated. “It got mixed up in my laundry at the laundromat. Jesus, get your minds out of the gutter.”

The kids calm down a little bit, and they’re friends again by the time Steve pulls into the arcade. Eddie is about to follow them out of the car, but Steve reaches out and touches his arm.

“Wait, Eddie. Can we talk?”

“Sure. Whatever.”

Eddie looks wary as he sits back down. He sneaks a glance at Steve, who’s still bright red. Eddie knows that Steve does his laundry at his parents’ house, and the bra is clearly too large for Steve’s mother.

“I can explain–” Steve starts, but Eddie cuts him off.

“You don’t have to.”

“I didn’t–”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Steve looks surprised and almost a little hurt.

“Doesn’t it?”

Eddie shrugs.

“We never said we were exclusive.”

Now Steve definitely looks hurt.

“I thought– Well. No. I guess we never did. Have you–” 

“If you have another–”

“I don’t–”

“I just want to know–”

“I don’t!”

“--so I can get tested–”

“The bra is mine!”

That stuns Eddie into silence. He stares at Steve for a second, but Steve can’t meet his eyes. Steve is looking at the ceiling, biting his lip and blinking fast. His fingers drum on the steering wheel.

“Sorry, what?” Eddie asks.

“I’m not– It’s just a thing. It’s just something I do on some weekends. There are these performances. Like shows. On the first Saturday of the month, in Indy.”

“Do you…” Eddie is trying to wrap his mind around this. “Are you a… A woman? In your heart?”

Steve shakes his head fast.

“I don’t think so? I’ve thought about it, and I’ve talked to some people. I still like being a guy, and I like my body and I feel good as a man. But sometimes… I dunno. I just want to be…” Steve gestures vaguely.

“A queen,” Eddie finishes.

“Yeah.” Steve sniffs hard. “I’m sorry. If this is too much–”

Eddie lets out a surprised little giggle, then covers his mouth. Steve looks miserable.

“Sorry!” Eddie says. “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just… God, Steve, you really couldn’t be more perfect.”

“Don’t fuck with me,” Steve snaps.

“I’m not! I’m not, I swear. I thought you were seeing someone else! Fuck, man, this is better than my wildest fantasies.” 

“Really?” Steve has a gentle look of hopeful surprise on his face that’s so open and vulnerable it makes Eddie want to bite his own fist. 

“Yes, really. What’s your name, then?”

“What?”

“Your drag name.”

Steve smiles shyly and bites a fingernail. Eddie wants to cry, he’s so pretty.

“It’s still in progress, okay. So you can’t laugh.”

“Okay.”

“Connie Cushion.”

Eddie gasps like Steve just dropped to one knee and proposed.

“Concussion!?” 

“Connie Cushion, yeah.”

“Can I… meet her some time?”

Steve bows his head, rubbing the back of his neck and beaming.

“She’d like that.”

[writing-for-marvel]

"I dream of you. all i do, is dream of you."

If I Can’t Have Everything, Then Let Me Just Have You

Andy Barber x Fem!Reader

Summary: When Andy gets jealous of you talking with his colleague, you reassure him he’s everything you’ll ever need.

Warnings: age gap and although exact ages are never mentioned everyone is well and truly of age, jealous Andy

Word count: 700

A/N: this is for @nickfowlerrr’s the seven writing challenge - I spun the wheel for the seven deadly sins and got envy. A big thank you my darling friend @flordeamatista, queen of Andy fics, for not only providing the inspiration for this fic, but helping me with writing Andy for the first time and being my constant cheerleader 🩷 banners by @vase-of-lilies

Masterlist | Ask me anything! | Library

Andy hated attending after work functions with his colleagues. He could barely stand dealing with them during the working week, but then to also be forced to give up his Saturday night so his boss could show off the house his old family money had bought him was another level of torture.

You were his saving grace. Part of him felt guilty for dragging the woman he loved along to these grandstanding cocktail parties where you were forced to make small talk with people you didn’t enjoy the company of, but you were also the only person who stopped him from going completely insane.

But at this moment, while he was stuck hearing about how his boss’s fantasy football team was performing, as if he didn’t hear enough about it at the office, Andy saw red as he was subjected to watch Dylan, the office womaniser, chatting you up.

In the back of his mind he knew with absolute certainty that you wouldn’t cheat on him, but the reason his heart clenched and acidic jealousy bubbled in his stomach was because of what Dylan represented: everything Andy couldn’t offer you.

He wasn’t young anymore, he was well aware the prime of his life was past him at this point in time. He had settled into a comfortable routine which didn’t involve a thriving social life which he remembered having with Laurie when they were your age. He was surely not as flexible or had as much energy as a young man fifteen years his junior.

He wanted to be able to give you the world, but all he had to offer was the trauma developed from his tarnished past, which was still following him around like a shadow, his back problems, wonky knee and the remainder of his life which would be distinctly shorter than Dylan, or someone of his age, could promise to spend with you.

The root of his envy was insecurity.

And he was green with envy.

Excusing himself from the one-sided conversation his boss was having, Andy set off with purpose, making a beeline to you, only to find you were already making your way over to him. Relief eased the tension in his shoulders as your gaze found his and a smile tugged at the corners of your mouth.

“Your colleague, the guy behind me, is a creep.” You commented, hooking your fingers through his belt loops and pulling him protectively into you. Andy leaned down and placed a small, sweet kiss to your forehead, not needing to look behind you to know exactly who you were referring to. A sense of satisfaction filled his chest with the notion that you were clearly averse to Dylan’s pursuits.

“That’s not what most young women around the office think.”

“Well he is.” You stated firmly, a look of disgust flashing over your features. “Why does it take me telling him I have a boyfriend to respect that I’m not interested. Why would I want a boy like him, when I already have a man like you?”

Andy smiled, coming to the realisation that he had no reason to be jealous. Perhaps he couldn’t offer you his callow youth, but he did have maturity and experience, which would surely be much more valuable in a devoted relationship.

“You are a dream come true, you know that?” In response to this you scrunched your nose and smiled in a way that made Andy’s heart fill with pure adoration and devotion.

You truly were all he would ever need for the remainder of his life.

“You’re my dream come true too, Andy.” Standing on your tiptoes, arms sling around his neck, you placed a delicate kiss against his lips, neither of you paying any mind to his colleagues who could be watching on. “You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”

Taking a beat to commit the moment to memory, Andy made a promise to himself that he would never take his second chance at love for granted.

“Let’s go home, handsome.” You suggested, tugging gently on his tie with that mischievous grin which always promised a sinfully pleasurable time. “I have plans for us that definitely don’t involve the rest of you colleagues.”

[a-room-of-my-own]

Family theme park apologises for drag queen act that left parents 'horrified': Boss confirms it will not take part in any future Pride celebrations after Ru Paul's Drag Race UK star used angle grinder on crotch during show

It showed drag queen Crystal, who performed on the first season of the BBC's Ru Paul's Drag Race and whose real name is Colin Munro.

He was seen wielding an angle grinder and wearing fishnet tights, a leotard and a pair of high heels as more than 50 people including several children watched the event, which was being held to close the park's Pride celebrations.

Performing to the tune of Scissor Sisters' hit Filthy/Gorgeous, Crystal made thrusting motions with his hips and ran his hand up and down the angle grinder while using it to make sparks fly from a metal plate fixed to his crotch.

Philip Miller, executive chairman of Adventure Island, told MailOnline in a statement today that there had been 'confusion' as to 'what we would allow or not'.

He added that the 'grinding act' was 'definitely a nonstarter' because it was not 'family entertainment' and vowed that the park will not participate in any future Pride celebrations, nor will Crystal be booked again.

[ladybugsimblr]

Bailey Kay Live at DSV Pride Park

She came. She slayed. She conquered. On Saturday, Bailey Kay - the Icon, the Legend and Our Queen - headlined DSV Pride and snatched every wig, edge, and hair follicle. Anyone who suggested she literally sit this one out due to her ankle injury, was forced to “Bow Dooown” as she opened the show atop her Butterfly throne. And if there were still haters left by the end of the vibrant and dazzling experience, Bailey Kay told them to “Get the fuck up out My House” during the finale. The ensemble, the setlist, the dance numbers, the vocals - everything. The perfect ending to a day and celebration filled with love and pride.

- Alex Greene, Rolling Stone

Partial Set List: Bow Down, I Been On, Drunk in Love (Dubai Version!!), Cozy, Energy, Break My Soul, Commander, My House

-

thank you to all creators who made this “performance” possible. extra special shout out, love and thank you to @ardeney-sims for creating the incredible masterpiece of a diamond encrusted butterfly throne that BK was looking for and @soulsimmin for the elite finale poses and overall cheerleading, chair twerking, gritando-ing, and middle front girl shimmying needed to bring my vision/inspiration to life. the BK team of simmer friends is unmatched!

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

Emerald Hallow Chapter 5

Summary: Steve Rogers wants to move on.  He wants to forget Peggy, and dive into the 21st century.  But this man of the past doesn’t know how to navigate being an Alpha in a modern world of skittish Omegas.  He prides himself on his self control, never wanting to harm or scare them, until something just smells too damn good…and he’s not the only one who notices.  

**plus size reader 

Warnings: abo!dynamics, smutty smut smut, name calling, eventual threesome, voyeurism, rough sex

Previous chapter Next chapter

This was the first time Bucky was going to see Y/N perform at the club.  It was Thanksgiving weekend, the Fall decorations already being put away and the Christmas decor going up seemingly overnight.  Steve and Bucky sat at a small table near the front of the stage off to the right, listening to the band warm up as the bar bustled with people.  Every Saturday night was packed whenever Y/N sang, and Bucky looked around in amazement.

“Wow, she’s really made a name for herself, hasn’t she?” Bucky mused quietly, watching the couples in their vintage outfits get settled at their tables, looking excitedly at the stage.

“You have no idea,” Steve replied, throwing Bucky a cocked eyebrow.

Just then the lights dimmed and the spotlight came on, the band counting themselves in and playing a small introduction.  The drag queen host came out and the audience cheered, making her smile wide as she gave a dramatic bow.  “Good evening everybody!  I’m your host Dirty Peaches, but you can call me Peaches ‘cuz I get nasty,” the crowd “oo-ed.”  “That’s a ‘Yonce' reference for those of you who are uncultured.  Wow, what a turnout!  Y’all been missing somebody?”  The audience cheered again, and a chant started amongst the crowd.

“Emerald Hallow!”

“Emerald Hallow!”

“Okay okay, shit, I know when I’m not wanted,” Peaches said, looking put out.  “Without further ado, please give a warm welcome to the one, the only, Emerald Hallow!”

The crowd cheered louder as Peaches stepped back and the curtain behind her opened to reveal Y/N.  Bucky’s mouth dropped open, his eyes going comically wide as she stepped out and hugged Peaches and greeted her bandmates.  She was dressed in a floor length satin gown.  This one was much more modest than the one Steve had first met her in, with only her arms showing from the elbow down, displaying her tattoos.  The dress was voluminous, hugging around her waist and chest snuggly while the rest flowed around her.  It was a bright, crimson red color, her green hair complimenting it and making her look like a Christmas herald.  Her hair was finger-waved again, the curls cascading down her back with her bangs curled and pinned back.  She wore blood red lipstick that matched the dress and her sharp cat-eye eyeliner again.

“Holy fuck,” Bucky moaned, shifting himself so his erection wasn’t too obvious.  Steve moved as well, his eyebrows hung low as he watched her.

“Hello, my pretties,” Y/N greeted everyone, her voice low and seductive.  The audience whooped and hollered.  “I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and even if you didn’t, maybe we can have a little fun together tonight,” she winked.  “Lovies?” she gestured to the band, and they counted themselves into an introduction.  “I’m feeling very…sexy lately,” Y/N sighed.  More whoops resounded through the room.  “You feeling sexy?” she smiled.  “Well then…come here big boy.”

The music started, the trumpet playing a slow and dirty melody.  More cheers were heard as couples moved to the small dance floor, the dancing much sexier than Steve had seen last time.  

“You’ve been a bad, bad boy, I’m gonna take my time, so enjoy.”

Y/N’s eyes closed, her hands running down her hips as she swayed to the beat.

“There’s no need to feel no shame, Relax and sip upon my champagne. ‘Cause I wanna give you a little taste Of the sugar below my waist, You nasty boy.”

Her eyes were fixated on Steve as her hands went back up and over her stomach and slightly down the area between her legs but quickly back up to her chest, skimming across her breasts.

“I’ll give you some ooh-la-la Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? I got you breaking into a sweat Got you hot, bothered and wet You nasty boy.”

Her eyes were now on Bucky, raking over his figure.  She reached toward him, her fingers swirling in “come hither” motion then moving her body so her back was facing them, tilting her hips towards him.  Bucky twitched, having to stop himself from moving.

“Oh, baby for all it’s worth I swear I’ll be the first to blow Your…mind! Now if you’re ready, come and get me I’ll give you that hot, sweet, sexy, loving…”

The song continued and Steve and Bucky were both squirming.  She looked too good, sounded too good, mixed with the ambience of the club around them and her scent seeming to pool around them and the audience it was like sweet torture.

“...now you better give me a little taste Put your icing on my cake You nasty boy. Oh no, ooh there I go again I need a spanking, ‘cause I’ve been bad! So let my body do the talkin’ I’ll slip you that hot, sweet, sexy lovin’.”

Y/N started to move more to the beat, throwing her head back and riffing through the bridge, singing phrases like, “Come on sugar!” and whiny “oohs” that made Steve shut his eyes tight and Bucky’s metal arm creak under the pressure of the fist he put it in.  She sang to them, then to others, and at one point as the song started to end she scratched her long nails against her bond mark, making her pheromones burst through the enclosed space.  She was causing the crowd to get more rowdy, the dancing couples nearly undressing and pawing at each other.  She finished on a deep, whiny note and jiggled her body to the final drum.  Steve felt territorial and murderous seeing the effect she had on everyone around her, and felt sorry for Bucky who was seriously struggling in the seat next to him.  

The songs never stopped, one sexy number after another.  By the time her set was ending Bucky was sweating and Steve’s jaw ached from how hard he was biting down.  

“Thank you my pretties!  I’ll see you next week.  Good night, and have fun!” Y/N winked and licked her lower lip.  She bowed deeply then acknowledged her band, then swayed her hips as she disappeared into the curtain behind her.  

Steve turned to Bucky, who was gnawing at his lip and wiping his brow.  “She really does play dirty,” Bucky growled.

“Little tease,” Steve grunted.  He stood quickly.  “Come on.”

“What?  Where are we going?” Bucky asked, quickly standing with him.

Steve walked towards the backstage area.  He went through the curtain, looking around for Y/N.  When she was nowhere to be seen he gestured to one of the techies.  “Where’d Emerald go?”

“Oh, she left already,” she said.  

“Fuck,” Steve grunted.  The techie stared at him.  “Sorry.  Thank you.”  She walked away and he turned to Bucky.  “Her place.”

“She hasn’t moved in with you?” Bucky asked, following Steve out to the car they came in.  

“No, she likes having her own space.  But that’s going to change very soon,” Steve said threateningly.

“Look, punk, I know you’re mad but she has every right to be upset with us.  Tonight was payback, that’s all.  As frustrated and horny as I am, we can’t let our emotions get the better of us,” Bucky reasoned, trying to give off a calming scent in the car as Steve drove too fast to Y/N’s apartment.

Once they parked Steve hopped out and barreled through the front door of her building, Bucky following not far behind.  She was on the first floor so he quickly went to her door that was on a secluded part of the hallway.  He knocked hard on the door.

“Omega, open the door,” Steve commanded, trying to breathe normally.  

“Fuck off, Alpha,” Y/N called back through the door.  

“Don’t think I won’t break down this door,” Steve threatened, his scent getting stronger.

Y/N opened the door just a fraction, glaring up at him.  “What’s wrong, Steve?  Feeling a little…frustrated?” her eyes narrowed and she looked down at his groin where his cock was straining against his pants.

Steve carefully but forcefully pushed the door open, making her step back.  Bucky watched carefully, staying a step back but entering and closing the door behind him.  Steve groaned at her outfit, a night teddie that matched the red gown she wore earlier.  Her hair was tied up now, but the red lipstick was still on.  “What do you think you were doing up there tonight, huh, Emerald?” he growled.  “You just love being a fucking tease, don’t you?  You sent Buck into an early rut.”

“What?  I…” Bucky started to disagree but then felt a deep tug in his groin and slightly doubled over.  “Shit.”

“I smelled it on him the moment you stepped out from the curtain,” Steve said, not once looking away from her.  “I’m sorry we didn’t include you this morning.  We should have talked about all of that before, but we didn’t, and we overstepped what is obviously a boundary for you.  It was something that we needed to get over the initial hurdle in our relationship together.  But for you to go up there, and nearly send everyone in that room into heat or rut, is inexcusable.”

Y/N’s gaze never wavered.  She was not sorry, and from what he could tell, she was far from done.  “It’s hard to not get what you want.  The frustration feels stifling, doesn’t it?” She slowly approached him, getting close only to swerve around him and head towards Bucky.  She walked up to Bucky, who was grimacing in pain, and pulled his head down into a passionate kiss.  His hands gripped her face and held her close to him, moving his face down and scenting her neck hungrily.  She pushed him back into the couch he was standing next to, making him sit, then pulling his clothes off one at a time, glancing at Steve periodically.  “Overwhelming,” she muttered once she got Bucky fully naked.  She turned and sat on his lap, leaning back against him.  As she sat Steve saw she wasn’t wearing any underwear, Bucky’s cock slipping between her lower lips as she gyrated on him.  Bucky’s hands immediately went to her breasts, pulling them out of the teddie and kneading them in his large hands.  He was lost to his rut, not noticing or caring that Steve was there watching.  His lips licked and sucked at her neck, making his scent and hers mix in heady perfume that made Steve’s mouth water.  “How unfair,” Y/N said through gritted teeth.

Steve’s eyes blinked rapidly and his hand started moving towards his belt.  “Don’t you dare,” Y/N growled.  “You don’t get to join. It’s my turn with Bucky now.”  She reached down and started flicking her clit, her hips jerking and making Bucky whine behind her.  His hips started moving faster, his cock peeking through her legs repeatedly.  “You don’t get to touch yourself,” she instructed Steve.  He grunted and sank to his knees.  “I want Bucky’s knot.  Do you think he’ll breed me before you, Alpha?” She suddenly stiffened and came hard, a gush of her slick coating Bucky’s cock and her legs.  

Bucky moaned and tried to aim his hips to get his cock up into her.  He slipped his flesh arm down between her legs and dipped a finger inside her, his teeth biting gently into her shoulder.  “Should he mark me, Alpha?” Y/N asked Steve, her hips shaking as Bucky’s finger moved faster in and out of her, then adding another finger.  “Then you’ll both be my mates.  How does that sound, Stevie baby?”

“So good, fuck Mama,” Steve groaned, his hands shaking as he restrained from touching himself.

“Mama?  Huh…I like it,” Y/N laughed lightly.  She moved off of Bucky’s lap, making Bucky whimper at the loss of her, but she moved him over so she could lay down on the couch, and he quickly moved to hover over her.  She spread her legs wide, inviting Bucky to settle in between as he stroked his throbbing cock and ran the tip through her lower lips, getting himself wet with her slick.  He slowly started to push into her, pulling a long keen from her.  “He feels so good, Steve.  No wonder you couldn’t wait for me this morning.”

“Mama please,” Steve begged, crawling towards the two of them.  “I can’t take this, please, love.”

Bucky pushed fully into her and she arched her back, focusing back on him.  Y/N ran her hands up and along Bucky’s stomach, chest, shoulders, neck and into his hair.  She gripped the hair at the nape of his neck and pulled, making Bucky’s head wrench back and a loud growl rumble from his chest.  “Look Bucky, look how horny our Stevie is,” she moaned.  Bucky’s eyes finally found Steve’s and he growled again, trying to stake a claim.  Steve growled back in warning.  “You’re both so fucking hot, God,” Y/N shivered then pulled Bucky’s face back to her, focusing him back to the task at hand.  He quickly lowered himself over her chest, licking, sucking and nipping at her breasts as his thrusts picked up.  Steve felt small again, tears starting to prick at the sides of his eyes as the pleasure in his body had nowhere to go.

Y/N sensed his change and looked over at him and reached a hand out.  “Give me your cock, Alpha.”

Steve moved so fast he nearly tripped himself.  He pulled his belt and pants and underwear off, standing next to Y/N and Bucky.  She took his large cock in her small hand and started pumping him steadily.  She lifted her head to lick him and he stepped closer to help her reach.  She licked him from tip to base, lathering him in her spit.  Bucky looked up from her breasts and watched her suck on Steve.  He whimpered at the sight.  Y/N opened her mouth wide and tilted her head back.  Steve understood and positioned himself above her head and slid his cock into her mouth and then deep down into her throat.  She slightly gagged but breathed through her nose steadily to take him in all the way.  Steve fucked her throat as Bucky fucked her pussy.  The whole thing was so erotic that he knew he was going to bust any second.

Bucky started moving even faster as he licked her throat where the outline of Steve’s cock was moving.  As his thrusts became even more frenzied he started nuzzling the opposite side from where Steve had bit and claimed her, his teeth scraping against her gland.  “Claim her, Buck,” Steve grunted as he felt his balls tighten.  “Then she’ll be ours.”

Bucky inhaled her again, then just as his hips snapped harshly and his knot inflated fully he locked himself to her and bit down on her neck, filling her pussy up with his seed.  Y/N shrieked as her own orgasm washed over her, the vibration in her throat setting Steve off into cumming and he gasped and shivered, spilling himself down into her throat where she swallowed him greedily.  As they all breathed heavily Steve started to pull himself out slowly, making sure not to hurt Y/N as her throat relaxed.  She wetly coughed once he retreated and Bucky kissed her, tasting Steve on her tongue and moaning again.  He pulled away from the kiss and lifted his head to lick Steve’s cock, giving his tip a small suck then laying his head back into the crook of Y/N’s neck, his bite mark leaving her skin red and sore, which he licked heavily to soothe.  

“Mine,” Bucky whispered as he kissed his mark.  “Ours.”

“So good, Omega,” Steve praised her, making her smile lazily up at him.  He leaned down and kissed her.  “Please tell me the war is over.”

“You wish,” Y/N smirked.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Green in London’s Wortley Village was jam-packed with people, Pride flags and a group of anti-drag storytime protestors on Saturday. The protest and a counter protest took place at the corner of Elmwood Avenue East and Wortley Road, just outside the Wortley Pride festival. [Tweet with image and video] The protesters had a sign that read, “Why do drag queens feel the need to perform in front of our children???” while counter-protesters were heard chanting, “trans rights are human rights.” Alex Ogilvie attended the event with a homemade sign that read, “LGBTQ+ = HUMAN.” He told 980 CFPL he was attending to counter protest. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[perseephoneee]

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓥

In which, you, a lady of the ton, are forced to participate in courting season. Except that courting season comes with one particularly silver tongued Prince who is making it his mission to drive you absolutely insane.

↳ fic masterlist  ↳ ship exchange ↳ taglist

a/n: i'm so sorry for the delay in this. i was in spain this past month, and then i was finishing out my classes before i graduate!!! i am graduating this next Saturday with my bachelors which is crazy. and then i'm off to Columbia journalism school for the summer. i'm basically just rory gilmore at this point. anywho...thank you for being patient with me. i love you all.

Vulnerability was not something you often expressed, and unfortunately, it opened a floodgate of emotions you weren't ready to approach. Every night that passed was plagued with the same sly grin or those mischievous green eyes. You felt yourself going crazy, waking up with a beating heart and shaky hands. You needed to get your act together and fast. Even your family was starting to notice your strange behavior.

It was already evening, and you had another dreaded dance to attend. Apparently, there were professional dancers this time. Anything to entertain the Queen, of course. You stared at yourself in the mirror, a sage green dress hanging from your figure, delicate beads embellishing the bodice. With gentle hands, you also put on a golden locket, one of the last things you had of your mother. Sometimes, you wished it was societally appropriate for women to wear breeches. They were much more comfortable anyway and made for a better escape.

Ivy was already waiting in the carriage when you arrived. Grandmother liked to always take her own carriage, something you appreciated more often than not. It allowed you to be left alone with your own thoughts. You sighed deeply when your back hit the cushion, and the horses carried you off. Ivy shot you a look. 

"I thought you would be more excited to be seeing your lover," she cooed, slapping your knee playfully. 

"I find these events exhausting," You sighed, brushing your hair out of your face. "And he's not my lover."

"That's not what I've heard," Ivy said. "The grapevine whispers of an imminent engagement. I heard Grandmother discussing it with a representative from the Odinson home."

That was news. News that caused a pit in your stomach rather than butterflies. Marrying Thor was the goal, was it not? He was kind and respectful and would make a suitable husband. Still, you couldn't help but feel resent the idea. Ivy noticed the look on your face. 

"You don't want to marry him."

"I didn't say that," you tutted, folding your arms defensively. 

"It's evident by the sour look you wear," she frowned, but not from disappointment. More so, concern. “Y/N.”

"I will do my duty; is that clear?" You hissed. Any other person would've recoiled from your sharp tone, but Ivy had known you too long. She placed a hand over yours, every part soft and nurturing. 

"It is alright to say no," Ivy said softly. For the first time in a long while, she felt every bit your older sister and not the ditz your Grandmother loved to portray her as. "You have permission to say no."

You didn't get the chance to respond as the carriage pulled to a stop. Her words soothed your heart in a way you didn't expect. Permission to do something for yourself wasn't anything you'd heard before. It was always the expectation that you would protect your family and secure your future. No one had ever told you that you were allowed to choose otherwise. 

Entering the ballroom, cream gauze adorned the walls, accompanied by flickering candlelight. The mood was intimate, and everyone seemed to twinkle like the fountain in the middle. A performance was occurring with scantily clad dancers, but you weren't fazed. You're sure the ton would have something to say about it, though. Unlike them, you found being able to see their bodies to make the movements captivating, and you envied how they moved with such freedom. You were so enraptured by the dance that when you eventually noticed the Odinson brothers across the room, you froze up. Ivy hadn't left your side yet, and you grabbed her hand, hoping she'd stay by you. She gave you a worried look, but you ignored her. You were insanely nervous. If a proposal was imminent, then your anxiety was going to get the best of you. This is what you want; you kept chanting to yourself, hoping to believe it.

You saw Thor try to make his way over to you, and you quickly ducked behind a couple, dragging Ivy along with you. You kept finding ways to have someone blocking the path to you and the blond prince. At some point, you fetched a drink and had it in one go, smiling kindly at the waiter, who looked at you bewildered. You let Ivy's hand go when you reached for the drink, and she maneuvered off despite your protests. Hiding in the back, you allowed yourself to grab a second drink right as the dance ended. Unfortunately, that meant the path to you was straightforward, and Thor quickly approached. 

"M'Lady, it has been an adventure to reach you all night," he smiled. You quickly put the glass back on the tray and looked him in the eye. 

"Apologies, your grace, the…dance was quite enrapturing," you choked out, feigning a smile. 

"Dancing can be quite entertaining; I always fancy myself a dance with a beautiful woman when I can," Thor looked out to the crowd with his hands clasped, returning your gaze fondly. You heard the orchestra ready a waltz as Ivy walked close to you. You cut off Thor right as he was about to ask you to dance. 

"My sister is an excellent dancer; you should give her a twirl," you grabbed Ivy as she walked by, forcing her in Thor's direction and quickly maneuvering away. You couldn't deal with suitors at this point. That meant potential marriage proposals, and frankly, you were terrified at the prospect of getting proposed to right now. 

Your quick escape led to an unfortunate collision with the only other prince you were hoping to avoid– Loki. He stabilized you before quickly pulling his hand away as if you were a fire too hot to touch. His green eyes look at you inquisitive before his lips pull up into a smirk. 

"Running away from the ball? Scandolous." He cooed. Your brows draw down at his smirk, rolling your eyes. He gives a glance at the waltz. "Care to join me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Typically, when a gentleman asks you to dance, one answers' yes' or 'no,'" Loki chides. "So, care to join me?"

You paused, taking him in before giving him a slight nod. He extends his hand and leads you out onto the floor. You can feel Ivy's gaze on you, but you ignore her as you both bow to each other. The music starts, the cello reverberating through the room as you take the first step into the movements. Loki never takes his eyes off you, something that would unnerve you if you didn't live in a fantasy world. His eyes were a forest in which you could perpetually wander. His hands reached for yours, twirling you around before capturing you close. You felt your breath hitch at your proximity and, luckily, could move away before you showed how his presence affected you. When the dance ended, you bowed before leaving, looking for any exit outside. 

You sighed in relief as the cold air touched your skin, caressing your cheeks. You heard the door close behind you and couldn't tell who you hoped it would be more. 

"Lady Chilton," Thor's voice spoke, disturbing the quiet of the night. You turned around, taking in his gentle expression. 

"Your grace," you breathed, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. "You startled me."

"Thor, you can call me Thor," he chuckled, hands clasped behind his back. "I was hoping to talk to you." Your heartbeat picked up, but you nodded, brows furrowed. 

"You can always talk to me."

Thor pauses. 

"I had planned to ask for your hand in marriage."

Your brain processed his words. It took you a second for them to register. "You had planned?"

"It has nothing to do with your character," Thor reassured. "I find you quite intelligent."

"But you no longer plan to propose?"

"You don't want me to propose; I can see it clear as day," Thor, for his part, doesn't look upset. "I am not the one you want…I respect that."

"The one I want?"

"I admire you deeply, which is why all I wish for you is a love match," Thor smiled. "I never would've been able to keep up with your wit anyway."

"I'm…sorry for disappointing you," you say, feeling immense guilt. 

"You could never disappoint me, Miss Y/N," Thor smiles. You soften, taking in the tall prince. Thor was kind and gentle but masculine. You should be head over heels for him for all intents and purposes. But you just couldn't find yourself to feel that way. 

"I hope we can continue being friends," you say sadly. 

"I expect you will be more like family," he nods. "I wish you the best, Lady Chilton."

"Thor, I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"You will; my brother is not a patient man."

And with that, he left you alone in the courtyard. The door closed with a click, and an owl hooted overhead. The sky was a navy blue, the clouds obscuring the moon hanging over your head. As the breeze picked up and the leaves rustled, you pondered over Thor's parting words. 

My brother is not a patient man.

taglist: @gruftiela @eleniblue @iwrite-things @youneedanap @huntress-artemiss @linaax @pisces-celeste @marygoddessofmischief @saay-karani @choki.laufeyson @foxherder @lover-of-books-and-tea

[blackswaneuroparedux]

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Les aspirations les plus absurdes et les plus téméraires ont parfois conduit à des succès extraordinaires.

- Vauvenargues

St. Moritz has been a famous health resort in Engadine since the 19th century. At first, it was only frequented by spa guests, before the village developed into a high alpine sports centre, and for a time it was a playground for the rich and famous. There’s still some of that element present but not as in its hey day of the 70s. For nine months of the year it’s just another picturesque village in the gorgeous Swiss Alps, with Lake St. Moritz lying at its heart.

Crucially it is quietly forgotten by the outside world. Residents can breathe and go about their daily chilled out lives. For those precious nine months it was great to hike and ski there as my boarding school wasn’t too far away from getting there. But the other four months of the year, the high season, it gets flood with skiers and altogether more showy crowd.

The frozen surface of the lake, which can only be described as a desert of snow, now serves as a symbol of the resort itself. From nine months of natural bliss to four months of chaos and madness. Every time the ice lends its surface to polo tournaments, horse races, and the wealthy and beautiful make the pilgrimage down the mountains from their grand hotels, St. Moritz seems to transform. St. Moritz’s newest ‘gimmick’ for the past three years or so has been to serve the International Concours of Elegance St. Moritz - or The ICE St. Moritz - as a kind of classic car museum with an adventurous character.

Since the first ever The ICE St. Moritz in 2019, historic rally cars have been exhibited to the sports car-crazy public on the opening day, before demonstrating their horsepower on the ice racetrack on the second day of the event. However, the fact that The ICE is taking place on Lake St. Moritz, of all places, is no coincidence. In 1985, a group of Scottish and British sportsmen drove their vintage Bentleys to St. Moritz to celebrate the centenary of the Cresta Run (an eccentric and high spirited toboggan amateur race). As part of the festivities, they drove their cars on the racecourse across the frozen Lake St. Moritz.

This year, however, the ICE St. Moritz evolved slightly differently. For the first time, the event was held on two days: Friday 24 and Saturday 25 February. On the first day, the lake was transformed into an open-air museum, where the jury evaluated the cars on display from an aesthetic perspective. Then, on the second day, the actual race took place, whereupon the jury evaluated the classic cars from a performance perspective.

This year there were five category winners. In the ‘Open Wheels’ category, the 1958 Maserati 420M/58 “Eldorado” held its own. Meanwhile, the ‘Barchettas on the Lake’ category crowned the Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II from 1955 as the winner. My personal favourite, the aforementioned Ferrari 250 Testarossa ‘Lucybelle’ emerged as the winner in the ‘Le Mans 100’ category. As expected, Lancia Strato’s HF Zero of 1970 came out on top in the ‘Concept Cars & One Offs’ category. Last but not least, judges crowned the 1958 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupé as the winner of the ‘Queens on Wheels’ category.

The evening gala took place at Badrutts Palace, which towers over the city like a castle with its high stone walls. In the stimulating semi-darkness and under shimmering candlelight, riders, collectors, enthusiasts, the public and media from all over the world celebrated the conclusion of one of the most anticipated competitions in the Engadine. Overall it’s spectacular fun and contrary to what one might believe it really does draw the car enthusiast crowd rather than the snob mob. It’s a very chilled event and bags of fun.

[vitaminseetarot]

PAC: Messages From Your Spirit Guides 🌬🌨🛎

Sup y'all, I'm back for another reading on what your spirit guides have to say! We are approaching a powerful micromoon on Friday night into Saturday morning, and I hope these piles will help you with whatever you're manifesting or clearing out of your life.

Sidenote: I have been in the background trying to get my Paypal account working so I can have the chance to finally offer paid readings. I know some of you have been asking me about when I'll be doing private readings! Long story short, Paypal thought I was a bot and locked me out of my account. (They won't even tell you it's locked, it'll just act like your password isn't working, lol) After struggling for a while, I had to actually call for support. 😅

It's all fixed (for) now! I'm now going over some ideas for what readings I will offer. They will likely be basic 1 and 3 card type spreads for starters. I'll fill you in when more details are hashed out. I'm still also planning another game in March, so stay tuned.

So let's dive into your readings! You can either pick your pile option through the palette cards or the corresponding pictures below for your quick message.

Pile 1 - Lavender Sky Pile 2 - Air Blue Pile 3 - Snowfall Pile 4 - Rainwater

Pile 1

Lavender Sky, Sweetness, Lava; V Hierophant, Queen of Wands, 3 of Cups, 10 of Cups

Pile 1, the guide (or guides) contacting you is the type to play it by the book. They know how to fill your cup because they've gone through it too. This is likely a passed ancestor in your family, though it doesn't have to be. Just someone who's really gone through it thick and thin while living on Earth, experiencing the highs and lows of existence. They're guiding you because they've been in your shoes. Their message is simple. They want offer you a cup of cheer. Although that's traditionally a Christmas saying, I picture of cup of healing tonic being passed to you. It's rich and warm, like a cappuccino or spiced chai. They invite you to sit down and relax with a similar soothing beverage.

I heard lyrics from the Evanescence song "Imaginary" while pulling out the palette card. "In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me." I'm sensing some detachment. They say you've been spending a lot of time closed off into your own inner world and not communicating as much as you'd like to, but not out of loneliness. In fact, this time alone may have revitalized you, or you may consider it a comfort zone to be in. You could have been laying dormant, working on yourself, wondering when it's finally time to stretch.

But the Queen of Wands, as confident as she is (and you are), truly enjoys being around others. It's where her light shines. If she wants to perform, she wants to do it with a crowd. If she speaks, she wants it to be with another. She knows her light, but it's not enough; the light must expand outward and be shared. Imagine that, instead of shining only in your mind, your creative abilities and unique personality can stand out in the real world to be seen and heard. For your unique truth to be recognized and lauded.

Your guides would gently like you to get out of your head a little. You have a bright mind and a caring disposition. There is no reason to hold yourself back from healthy communities. Your affirmation card says, "My truth flows through me gracefully." Holding your emotions and true self back is useless, anyway. The lava will come spilling out one way or another. Use that strong confident energy you have when alone, and channel it to reach out and connect with other people. Things likely will turn out better than you could have imagined. This could be your year for forming great new friendships that may even stand the test of time, if you're up for it.

I'm getting a lot of people in this pile may identify as shy or socially awkward. Your guides see your struggle and know this isn't an overnight event, it can a long haul process to come out of one's shell. And if reaching out to people in real life is still too difficult, please know that your guides are with you. They are available to talk whenever you need them. I suggest working with candles (safely!) or water scrying as possible methods for communication.

Pile 2

Air Blue, Ghost, Bee; 0 Fool, 9 of Cups, 5 of Wands, 7 of Swords

You received two affirmation cards in this reading because the yellow rose fell out almost immediately: it says "I am at peace in my life. I am at peace in the world. I'm getting some strong anxiety with this pile. It feels like the anxiety experienced on a regular basis. It's a strong contrast to your guide's energy, which is carefree and lackadaisical. I hear they can be a bit of a prankster with you? I'm seeing someone getting frustrated with computer equipment or some other machinery like a cash register. Really riding on that Mercury retrograde energy when it's there, they're opportunists. This could be your guide's primary way of talking with you, by causing strange and chaotic things to happen that put a brief halt in your day-to-day life.

It may seem somewhat cruel that a guide would 'tease' like this, but they keep pointing at the yellow rose, which symbolizes friendship. They have reached out and offered support in the normal, usual ways, but there's a sense of denying and not returning in the interaction? Have you ever met them? If you want to connect with your guides, the first step is to acknowledge that they're there and that they're reaching out to you. Otherwise they'll start to act like cats who sit on books and knock glasses over just to get your attention, if they want it badly enough. They can get even urgent about speaking at times, I heard the song "Urgent" by Foreigner.

They want you to see that things aren't as bad as they seem to be in the present, though. They disrupt your day precisely to get across that somewhere, you're getting yourself stuck in a rut. They're there to help you break bad cycles of thought that aren't helping you. It's an odd way of doing it, but if you can reach out to them and learn from them, they won't always be like this. It's only because they want you to embrace life like every day is a new beginning. Allowing yourself to get worked up in fear sets up the day for exactly that. They see your capacity for joyful and successful working and living and want to bring that out in you.

You may have times where you have very high hopes for something to happen in your favor, only to burst into panic when one little thing falls out of place or goes wrong, even if it gets resolved. Your guides aren't trying to work you into a tizzy; they want to teach you how to handle the day's hiccups with more ease instead of relying on control all the time. They want you to speak positive affirmations to yourself on a regular basis with the idea that peace and ease are available to you. Your other card says, "I can speak powerfully with ease." Your words are strong, especially what you say to yourself in earnest. Speak your wishes out and your guide will listen. Bottle it up too much, and your guide will find a way to pour it out for you. Focus on the BEST outcomes!

And if your anxiety still feels like it's getting debilitating, your guide will support you in getting you any outside help that you need. Ultimately, they want to see you thrive, both inside and outside chaos, even if their methods are unconventional.

Pile 3

Falling Snow, Fear, Swan; 9 of Cups, 3 of Swords, Page of Coins, 5 of Wands, VII Chariot

Pile 3, your guide is a colorful and gentle being, I'm picturing someone childlike here with the Page of Coins. This guide flourishes in nature and the innocently playing with their creations. Perhaps you're an artist or someone devoted to a craft that brings out your inner child, your unique joy? This being wants to guide you in these endeavors. Your guide embodies a playful spirituality, far from religious status and regulations. They enjoy seeing ideas come to life.

It seems like you've been calling out for help in dealing with relationships in your life, or lack thereof. If it isn't to do with love or people, the Swan card could suggest a creative passion that you already have in mind. You see this person or passion as the "One" you've been praying for, the "One" to forever come or stay in your life. Your guide wants you to begin by seeing that you are the "One" you've been looking for. See that there are two swans in the card. One of them is you, seeking the kind of beauty that's already blossoming atop your head.

I'm drawn in by the purple flowers. If you work with chakras, your crown chakra is calling for your attention. Your affirmation card says, "I am connected to the wisdom of the universe." You may have recently been hurt from a relationship, or you've been worried that dating seems far away from you. The kind of school to help you hone your talent may feel at a distance. I'm getting 5 of pentacle vibes with the Falling Snow card, like the opportunity is "snowed in". But it's an illusion; you're moving faster and more suddenly through life than you may believe, though there are times when relationships don't work out, or we get turned down from an opportunity that looked to be beneficial to us.

It's okay to be honest about how sucky rejections feels. Your guide, as playful and rambunctious as they are, wants to hold your hand with a compassionate smile. They can see the flowers blooming beneath the snow, but understand that you have a right to process how you feel. Their main encouragement to you is to give yourself the time, just as spring has time to thaw from winter. In due time, you'll be feeling better again once you've given yourself the chance to mend your heart. I shuffled an extra card for 5 of Wands, which gave me Chariot. You will be able to move on, through the fearsome fire and smoke, to the other side. Allow yourself to heal, then allow yourself to proceed, knowing you won't be burned like that again.

If pile 2 resonates with you in any way, I recommend checking it out. There are messages there about dealing with fear and speaking out kinder thoughts to yourself. See yourself and your creations as the beautiful swan, even if circumstances leave you feeling like the ugly duckling. Your guide only sees the beauty and laughter in you.

Pile 4

Rainwater, Sadness, Ladybug; 3 of Cups, 4 of Cups, X Wheel of Fortune, 10 of Wands

It seems clear to me that your guide is heavily connected to water in some way, be it the rain or the ocean (it all runs together any way). They appear to me as very old and wise, like an ancient sea spirit. Far from hermitage, they are connected to all life underwater, as well as the water that flows through us. They're pointing out to me the way everything in life follows a cycle. The powers of the water and the moon demonstrate this on a regular basis, showing how the essential patterns of water can be found in other parts of life as well, even if abstractly. See, for example, how cats can squeeze themselves into jars like liquid, or how crowds of people can flow like streams. When we talk about rain, we can think of either abundance or loss. Rain can represent the release of powerful emotions, or it can bring life to withering crops. To understand water magic is to see how versatile the power is.

Your guide wants to let you know that your life follows an ebb and flow like the tides of the sea. There may come times when it floods over and all feels hopeless. There may also come days when the cool rain shower comes as a welcome on dry and dreary days. Your guide says there is nothing inherently wrong with you, if you are feeling a bad streak of luck. They (though I'm feeling a strong feminine energy here) want to help you with your perspective on life. You are not 'deserving' of bad things to happen, they say, as it's an unhelpful belief to deal with troubling situations. Life happens around us, and many times we get caught in hurricanes caused by others, or by our own actions. These ebbs and flows stop for absolutely no one.

We, as people, should be more drawn to compassion towards each other because of this. I'm getting worldly energy when I channel the guide's connection to you, like your guide is a deity like figure or you are highly attuned to the earth in some way. You may feel drawn towards this need for giving and receiving compassion. Though what I sense your guide is pointing at refers to boundaries. It's dear to them that you feel connected to the world's energy, or to the pain that mother nature and her people feel, but please practice boundaries so you can give yourself a chance to breathe and live your own life instead of letting psychic woes eat at you.

Your guide wants to assure you that luckier times are ahead. The Wheel of Fortune combined with the Ladybug shows that you have the chance to count the blessings in your life to attract more of the same. To attract good luck and abundance for you is to do the same for others. Imagine if emotions were contagious, and you had the chance to spread good luck around by changing your perspective? Your affirmation card says, "I am able to let go of all sadness and negative emotions that don't serve me." There are times when things get turbulent, but don't let it stop you from getting ahead.

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