#and when we awoke her she was 100% under the impression she that she was defending miq while he was still slumbering in the haligtree

[elisaenglish]

What Makes a Compassionate World: Sophie de Grouchy’s Visionary 18th-Century Appeal to Parents and Teachers

The morning after the 2016 presidential election, I awoke to terrifying flashbacks of my childhood under a totalitarian dictatorship. Desperate for assurance that the future need not hold the total moral collapse of democracy, I reached out to my eldest friend for perspective. Months shy of 100, Helen had been born into a world war, survived the Holocaust, and fled from Poland to America without speaking a word of English before becoming a professor of English literature for half a century. 

I asked her what to do, where the hope lies. 

Her response was simple, profound.

“The most hideous crime against humanity,” she reminded me, began with a legal election. It is not, therefore, purely on the level of politics that we avert the unconscionable. It begins deeper, she said: in the moral foundation of the people, which is laid early in life; it begins with the impulses we nurture in our young. 

Born in an era when women were barred from formal education and all institutions of political, intellectual, and creative life, Sophie de Grouchy (April 8, 1764–September 8, 1822) was still a girl when she learned English, Latin, Italian, and German by sitting in on her brothers’s studies, not being allowed to have a tutor of her own; soon, she was teaching the boys herself. By the time she was a teenager, her bedtime reading was Marcus Aurelius, whose teachings on kindness left a deep impression.

Determined to grow both intellectually and morally, Sophie made frequent visits to the local poor with her mother and her sister to offer compassion and comfort. In this living laboratory of sympathy, she came to see how entwined the wellbeing of others is with one’s own, how enmeshed we are in what Martin Luther King, Jr. would call “an inescapable network of mutuality” a quarter millennium later.

After discovering philosophy—Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau—she grew disenchanted with the unprovable promises of religion. Upon announcing her atheism, her mother burned all of Sophie’s books. 

She was twenty-two when she met the philosopher and mathematician Nicolas de Condorcet, twice her age. He was as taken with Sophie’s intellect as he was with her moral courage—in one of their first encounters, he watched her throw herself between a rabid dog and a boy she was tutoring. Within weeks, they were married. After helping Condorcet set up a new lyceum where celebrated philosophers and scholars taught, she devoured the curriculum herself, studying mathematics, botany, history. She started taking painting lessons. She joined one of the first anti-slavery clubs. 

And then she began writing. 

While most of her writing is now lost, one masterwork survives—her translation of Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments. Published to earn money when her husband was killed in the Reign of Terror and she lost all her property, it embodies what the poet Wisława Szymborska would call “that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes…. a second original.” Appended to it is her entirely original Letters on Sympathy (public library) — Sophie de Grouchy’s leap from the springboard of Smith’s theories into her own singular moral cosmogony. 

Although it appeared as an afterword to her translation of Smith in 1798, Sophie had been working on Letters on Sympathy for seven years, beginning when she was only twenty-seven and the French Revolution was raging around her. Rising from its pages are ideas epochs ahead of their time: Not long after Descartes declared nonhuman animals mere automatons, and very long before Jane Goodall lit the dawn of understanding animal consciousness, she insisted that animals are “sensitive beings” capable of empathy; two centuries before the discovery of mirror neurons, she wrote of how our sympathy is activated “when we see a sensible being suffer.” At the heart of her theory is the recognition that we are endowed with “a secret impulse to understand the troubles of others as soon as we suspect their existence,” but that this impulse atrophies if we fail to nourish it from the start and exercise it regularly.

Anchoring her argument is an impassioned appeal to parents and educators—one just as urgent today, and perhaps even more so in our age of competitive parenting that scars children’s souls with the tyranny of achievement and trains them to measure themselves by the trappings of outward success rather than by the scope of their sympathy. She writes:

“It seems clear that the more we exercise our sensitivity, the stronger it becomes… When it is not exercised, sensitivity tends to weaken… How important it must be, therefore, to exercise children’s sensitivity to the point where it will continue to develop as much as it is capable of—so that it can no longer be dulled by those things in life that tend to lead sensitivity astray. These things lead us far from nature and ourselves by focusing our sensitivity on vain and selfish passions, leading us away from simple tastes, and from those natural leanings in which the happiness of each person resides, the kind of happiness that does not require the sacrifice of others and that benefits all. Fathers, mothers, teachers—you nearly have in your hands the destiny of the next generation! How guilty you are if you allow your children to abort these precious germs of sensitivity which require, for their development, nothing more than the sight of suffering, the example of compassion, the tears of gratefulness, and an enlightened hand leading and moving them! How guilty you are if you care more about your children’s success than about their virtue, if you are more impatient to see them gain popularity in their circle than to see their heart brim with indignation for an injustice, their faces turn pale at the sight of suffering, their hearts treat all men as brothers!”

She offers a timeless recipe for cultivating that vital sensitivity in children:

“Teach them to be easily remorseful, delicately proud, and honest; let them not see suffering without being tormented by the need to bring relief. No less is needed in the midst of these oppressive barriers, raised between man and man from need, strength, and vanity, but that they should fear at each step to hurt rights or to neglect to repair some ancient wrong! That the sweet habit of doing good should teach them that it is through the heart that they will find happiness, and not through titles, luxury, dignities, or riches!”

Complement with Kahlil Gibran’s poignant advice on parenting and the great cellist Pablo Casals on how to make this world worthy of its children, then—because books are the finest instrument we have invented for magnifying empathy—revisit Mary Shelley’s philosopher-father William Godwin, writing in Sophie de Grouchy’s day, on how to raise a reader.

Source: Maria Popova, themarginalian.org (18th January 2024)

[maldreathezora]

Breast Cancer: A Tale of Two Titties

By Faith April LaFazia

The story starts when I was nine years old.

I got my first period. 

My mother was sad for me. I was so young, the pad felt like a tail in my pants. I was sure everyone could see it poking out. I changed from my usual sweatpants to jeans that year, which were more concealing.

For the first part of fifth grade, I went to a charter school where the closest bathroom to my classroom was the nurse’s office. I kept having to ask my male teacher to go to the nurse. He sometimes questioned why, and I couldn’t find the courage to tell him I was on my period. Once, the nurse’s office was out of pads and I had to wear a full pad for several hours. I cried all the way home that day, feeling disgusting. I wouldn’t learn to wear tampons for a few years.

Soon I was twelve, and as my breasts grew I hid them under my shirt with a sports bra, an undershirt, a large t-shirt, and finally a vest. Even in the summer. 

Despite my best efforts to ignore them, my breasts kept growing. 

Soon I was as big as my eldest sister. The attention this drew from men on the street was ridiculous. I would get honked at, yelled at (“Bitch! Whore!”). People mistook me at thirteen for an eighteen-year old. I was devastated and depressed and I began to stay inside and play video games all day.

When I outgrew my sports bras, my mother took me to buy some bigger ones. When we were in the dressing room, I took off my layers and my size D cups fell out. My mother said, “Faith!” in such a tone I was ashamed. I had hid my breasts well, even to my mother.

So continued my obsession with video games. I played Wind Waker for the first time and fell in love with Ganondorf. He didn’t hunch like most villains; he stood up stick-straight. I started to stand up straight, too, though it hurt. This probably saved my back from hurting worse later on.

Be careful what you wish for.

My breasts went from a D cup to an E cup, from there to an F. They swallowed my hands if I put them beneath my breasts. I grew to an H cup, and finding comfortable bras (or even uncomfortable ones) in that size was, as many are surprised to learn, difficult. The price was high, too, the average bra costing from $70 to $100. Being big cost money.

From the time I was a teenager to my young adult life I picked the pimples on my breasts obsessively, I hated my breasts so much; in my mind it was like getting revenge on them. Soon they were pockmarked with scars. I would put them in a bowl of ice water to try to shrink them. I started to hope I’d get breast cancer so I could take them off. 

At fourteen I found a marble-sized lump in my left breast. I was terrified of cancer and checked my breasts during every shower from then on. Luckily this lump went away after a few days. 

I had a boyfriend off and on for a few years, and he was mainly in love with my breasts. Luckily we didn’t stay together long. 

When I was 23 I visited a plastic surgeon to talk about breast reduction. But as soon as I saw the word “Necrosis” on the list of side effects, I knew it wasn’t for me. A turning point came after that; I spent $80 on a well-built sports bra, and began to jog, giving the finger to anyone who catcalled me, or honked at me. 

I had a few boyfriends after that, but nothing stuck until Alex, who loved me for me. 

After my 25th birthday, I found another lump in my left breast. It was the size and shape of a peach pit, hot to the touch, and painful. I went to a surgeon, Dr. Miller, and asked him to tell me if it was cancer. He took a sonogram of the lump and decided since I was so young, and the lump was hot and painful, that it was a cyst or an infection. He put me on antibiotics, which did nothing. He then went on vacation for three weeks, during which time the “cyst” grew to the size of a mango seed, and caused me much pain. The skin above it was pockmarked. Finally when he was back I asked him for a biopsy. He balked, but I demanded it. 

He gave me the biospy. The thick needle he stuck into my breast found a lump so hard and compact it could hardly suck up the sample. I knew then it had to be cancer, since a watery cyst would pop.

I remember driving out to a graphic design office to apply for a job, but they didn’t seem interested in my interview. Which was just as well, when the biopsy results got back. 

When I found out, I was alone. I saw the results of the biopsy online in my patient portal. “Carcinoma of the breast.” My mind went blank; I finished what I was working on as if on autopilot. I texted my husband at work to tell him. I’m sure he didn’t get any work done for the rest of the day. When he got home he held my hand and said we would get through it. (And we did. And we are.)

When I told my mother, she cried and held me. She wished it was her instead of me. 

Dr. Miller wanted to cut off my left breast right away. I could feel the cancer spreading in my left armpit, but I didn’t question him. But when Dr. Siddique, my oncologist, heard what Dr. Miller wanted to do, he stepped in and said no. First we need to shrink the tumor, he said. 

I felt anger. I was so angry at Dr. Miller for letting my “cyst” get so big. I cried and punched a pillow, imagining it was his face. Unfortunately I had to go under his knife to have a mediport put in. I begrudgingly allowed him. 

So I was put on four strange-named chemotherapies which took eight hours the first day to administer. They had to wait an hour after each to make sure I wasn’t allergic to it. There was a brilliant lightning storm that day and I had a view over the pond from the cancer center. 

After that the infusions took four hours each, once every three weeks, for five months. They made me sick, but I wallowed through.

At last I was free from chemotherapy. 

I decided I wanted to have both breasts removed and chose Dr. Dickson Witmer, a wonderful surgeon who had done mastectomies on women all over the Eastern Shore. I showed her a drawing of what I wanted to look like, and she said, “That’s almost exactly how you’ll look.” She seemed impressed. So I was satisfied. 

I was not worried all the way up to the surgery. It took four hours to wait because she was saving the life of someone who’d been shot outside the hospital. When she put her head in to check on me, she looked happy and confident. I knew I could put myself into her hands. 

“Deep breaths, sweetie,” she said as the anesthesia mask came down on my face. 

I awoke after the surgery, still in the surgical room. I lifted my head and looked down at my now-flat chest, strung with wires and tubes. I must’ve smiled as I thought, “That looks just right,” before lying my head down and sleeping with great satisfaction. 

After a rest in the hospital, I was about to go home when I began to cry. I was crying because the two-hour ride home would be painful, and I knew it. A well-meaning nurse knelt to put a hand on my knee, crying herself, and reassured me, “Don’t worry, sweetie, you’re still a woman.”

My tears changed to laughter. 

And that’s the story of how I gained and lost my breasts and found my happiness. 

[arofili]

HCs about Elemmírë?

Oh man, for a character we have next to no information about other than “Vanya” and “sang a really sad song about the Trees,” I have a lot of headcanons for Elemmírë!

First of all, Elemmírë is named after a heavenly body (possibly Arda’s version of Mercury?) and the name is not given in either a masculine or feminine form, so we don’t know Elemmírë’s canon gender. This of course means that Elemmírë is trans, you can’t change my mind! I’ve seen depictions of them as nonbinary, which I love, but personally my Elemmírë is a trans woman!

All the rest of my headcanons are pretty much made up whole cloth :)

I intended to make like, a bullet point list of headcanons, but I ended up referencing my recently created personal timeline of the Years of the Trees and the First Age, and...it kind of expanded into an essay on Elemmírë’s role in the larger story of that verse of mine. So, under the cut is a roughly 2,000 word essay on my take on this blank slate of a character!

~

Elemmírë is one of the Unbegotten elves who awoke at Cuiviénen. When she awoke, everyone assumed she was a male elf, which didn’t really sit right with her but she didn’t know how to express herself at the time. For the first part of her life she lived as a nér.

Elemmírë has a sister*, Calima (one of my OCs). Calima marries an Avar, who she manages to drag with her on the Great Journey despite his reluctance to go West. Right before Ulmo takes the Vanyar and the Noldor to Aman, Calima’s husband leaves her and disappears into Taur-im-Duinath...but not before Calima becomes pregnant. Elemmírë comforts her and supports her through the birth of her child, Elenwë - the first child to be born in Aman.

*(My headcanon around Unbegotten siblings is that some elves woke with soul bonds that connected them to other elves, which while they aren’t genetically related, they consider to be siblings of their fëa. This is the case for Elwë, Olwë, and Elmo; I also gave Nowë (Círdan) and Ingwë OC siblings. Finwë is a loner, which is part of why he’s so concerned about creating and keeping a marriage bond...)

While Ingwë is busy building Tirion with Finwë, his sister-in-law Alcariniel (the mother of Indis; her spouse died on the Great Journey and has yet to be reborn) leads some of the Vanyar to the foot of Taniquetil and founds what will become Valmar. Calima, Elenwë, and Elemmírë go with Alcariniel.

At this time, Elemmírë enters into the service of Varda. She develops a close relationship with her Vala, and feels more comfortable in the beautiful starry robes and among the company of mostly priestesses than she ever did in the more gendered Vanyarin society. She sings and composes hymns to Varda and the heavens.

About a century later, Elemmírë is an established and well-renowned musician in Valmar. It is then that she meets Findis, daughter of Indis, when Findis is visiting Taniquetil with her grandmother Alcariniel. Findis greatly admires Elemmírë’s songs and engages her in a discussion about poetry; the two quickly become friends.

After another hundred years or so, Findis’ half-brother Fëanáro has his fourth child. Finwë invites his whole family to the celebration; Findis now lives in Valmar and does not always attend these begetting day parties, but she happens to be in Tirion for the occasion - with Elemmírë, who tags along to the party.

At the celebration, Makalaurë (a young teen in Elf Years) sings a piece he wrote for his new baby brother, and Elemmírë is greatly impressed by his talent and offers to teach him personally. He’s had music tutors before, but none so renowned, and he is absolutely star-struck. Fëanáro has an inherent distrust of the Vanyar, but he cannot deny his son anything, especially when it comes to furthering his craft, so he agrees to let Elemmírë teach Makalaurë, on the condition that she move to Tirion. Findis offers to move back as well, so her friend won’t be alone; they move in together.

A few years later, Elemmírë takes her star student Makalaurë to Valmar so he can perform at her niece’s 200th begetting day party. This is, of course, Elenwë; Makalaurë is immediately besotted with her, and does his best to impress her. Of course, Elenwë is well into adulthood and Makalaurë is still an awkward adolescent, so nothing ever comes of this, but they do eventually become friends.

All this time, everyone has assumed that Elemmírë is a nér, but with every passing year she becomes more and more certain that is not actually the case. At last she confesses to her dear friend Findis that she thinks she might be a nís, and while Findis isn’t quite sure what that means at first, she’s very supportive and encourages Elemmírë to go to Varda with this revelation.

I do operate in a verse where some homophobia and transphobia exist in Aman, kind of accidently put into place by a well-meaning but ultimately harmful decision by Manwë, but Varda is significantly more chill than her husband. She doesn’t really get what Elemmírë is saying, but she supports her servant’s change in expression. Elven gender roles are pretty loose, so it’s not really that much of a difference, and with Varda’s support Elemmírë feels more confident in herself and comes out to the public.

Most elves, especially the Vanyar, likewise don’t really get it, and privately they still see her as a nér, but there is a firm taboo against rudeness which means they will refer to Elemmírë with the correct pronouns and honorifics and such because it would be incredibly rude not to. The discomfort with someone else’s non-normative expression is easier to deal with than the social impropriety of deliberately refusing to respect someone’s wishes about their personal identity.

This, along with Varda’s kind-of-confused-but-she’s-still-got-the-spirit support of  Elemmírë means it’s a pretty smooth transition process for her. Since her name isn’t gendered, she decides to keep it, and she is much happier now that she can express her true self. She also has a staunch ally in Findis, who she has recently begun courting.

Again, there is some homophobia in my verse, and two níssi in a relationship is generally frowned upon, but the half-acceptance of Elemmírë’s gender allows them to exploit a loophole in that particular Law/Custom. Manwë, at least, still sees Elemmírë as a nér, and so doesn’t see anything wrong with her dating Findis. It’s not the ideal situation, but Elemmírë and Findis aren’t really the “fight the system” type, so they’re content to live with the happiness they’ve been allowed.

Eventually, Makalaurë reaches his first coming of age** and Elemmírë takes her student on a tour of all Eldamar to show off how exceptional a musician he has become. He is declared a master singer, and leaves Elemmírë’s side to pursue mastery in instruments, beginning with the harp. His teacher couldn’t be more proud.

**(In my headcanon, elves have two coming-of-age ceremonies: one when they reach age 50, and are considered physically mature and old enough to be given more freedoms in their decisions, including now being of a socially acceptable age to start dating; and the other at age 100, where they are considered a Full Adult and able to marry. Sometimes elves marry younger than that, but it isn’t super common. Age pretty much stops mattering, especially when it comes to age gaps in relationships, when an elf is about 150.)

Not long after this, Elemmírë and Findis get married! Makalaurë performs his then-masterpiece at their wedding. Also at the wedding, Findekáno is caught up in all the glorious romance, and the possibilities of same-gender marriage now that two níssi (one a princess!) can be wed, and confesses the depth of his love for Maitimo. Maitimo...immediately panics and brings up all the reasons why their love is doomed, how their aunts are the exception and not the rule and besides there’s that loophole they’re taking advantage of that doesn’t really work for néri like us - but notably does not deny that he feels the same way. Findekáno is heartbroken by the rejection; Maitimo is terrified of his feelings and distances himself from his beloved cousin for a time.

But of course that doesn’t last long - and it’s at the celebration of the birth of Laurefindil, Findis and Elemmírë’s son, that Maitimo brings himself to reconcile with Findekáno...platonically. Of course. Until a few months later where he just can’t take it anymore and breaks down and confesses he can’t deny his feelings any longer, and they get together at long last.

Findis, Elemmírë, and Laurefindil return to Valmar and settle down there. Laurefindil is buds with both his Vanyarin cousin Elenwë and his oodles of Noldorin cousins. At his first coming of age celebration, he introduces his cousin Elenwë (on Elemmírë’s side) to his cousin Turukáno (on Findis’ side), and Turukáno immediately falls madly in love and begins some intense pining that will rival even his older brother’s romantic dramatics.

As strife grows among the Noldor, Findis and Elemmírë distance themselves from Tirion as much as they can; Makalaurë is pretty much the only Finwëan who is allowed to visit them. However, Laurefindil misses his Noldorin cousins and, after his second coming of age, chooses to move to Tirion and join his grandfather Finwë’s court. He becomes even closer to Turukáno (who has by now married Elenwë) and is very loyal to his older cousin.

At the Darkening, Elemmírë is deeply grieved at the destruction of the Two Trees, and it is then that she composes her most famous song, the Aldudénië, “Lament for the Trees.” Her grief is compounded when her son chooses to go into exile with his Noldorin kin - and, almost worse, when her niece Elenwë chooses to leave as well.

Elenwë is the only Vanya who leaves (well, the only Vanya who is fully culturally Vanyarin without any Noldorin ancestry), mostly because she cannot bear to be separated from her husband and young daughter, but also because she knows the story of her Avarin father who stayed behind in Endórë and hopes that she will meet him on the hither shore. (Unfortunately, she perishes crossing the Ice. Idril will eventually meet her maternal grandfather, but not until just before she and Tuor sail West. Elenwë is reborn in Aman shortly after the founding of Gondolin; she reunites with her Vanyarin family and with her good friend Amárië.)

I don’t have a whole lot of headcanons for Elemmírë and Findis during the events of the First Age; they live mostly a quiet life. I think Elemmírë rededicates herself to the service of Varda, and pleads with her Vala to show mercy for the Noldor in their need. (Perhaps that helped to convince Varda’s husband to send an eagle to Thangorodrim?)

When they hear of Laurefindil’s death in the Fall of Gondolin (because of course Glorfindel followed his favorite cousin Turgon to his hidden city, and got a noble house out of it!), Elemmírë and Findis grieve his loss all over again. They don’t know how long it will be before his rebirth, and they soon decide to have another child together. This is their daughter, Faniel, who grows up on stories about her brother’s bravery.

Eventually Glorfindel is reborn, and he has a few good centuries in Aman with his family (and his husband Ecthelion, who he finally gets to marry; they had gotten betrothed the day before Gondolin fell, RIP) before the Valar send him back to Middle-earth to play the hero again. Elemmírë and Findis are once again heartbroken to lose him, but they are at the same time incredibly proud of their son for his bravery and dedication to all things good in the world. This time, he leaves with the blessing of Varda, his mother’s patron Vala, and a promise that he will return when his task is complete. He does, but not until the Fourth Age, when he sails back to Valinor with Elladan and Elrohir!

[random-mha-thoughts]

Creep part 2 (Bakugou x Reader)

Pairing: Bakugou x fem!Reader

Genre: Spice!

Sequel to Creep (part 1)

Summary: Your roommate forces you to a dorm hangout with her boyfriend where you get hit on by a creep, only to have Bakugou come along and help you with the situation.

Word count: 2,835

Tags:  @yuki-osaki @liviitehe @iamsoftsodonttoucheume-blog

a/n: More spice than the first part ;)  This one took a different turn from the first part, so I hope you all like it!  The ending might be a little rushed because I’m really exhausted and I wanted to finish this before I pass out on my keyboard.

This part was inspired by a Tiktok that was going to be a completely different scenario, but it ended up fitting perfectly as a sequel, so I used it!

Also I hit 100 followers!?  In 2 weeks?!  What are y’all following me for, I’m trash!?  Nonetheless thank you for supporting my tiny blog out of the vast world of Tumblr, I really appreciate it.  100 followers may not seem like a lot for some of you, but I never expected this to happen and I’m so grateful for each of you 😘😘  Ok enough of the mushy stuff, onward to the sequel!

Maybe I was hit by cupid's arrow.  Or the devil's, considering the type of thoughts I'm having.

I'm not usually the kind of person who lusts over people or their appearances.  I'll at least acknowledge them as hot and then move on, but I don't dwell on them.  Until I went back to our shared dorm still wearing Bakugou's hoodie and started having flashbacks of our few moments together.  His scent coupled with the memory of his smirk and those intense crimson eyes left me with a lingering high.  We had left things unfinished, and that little nagging in the back of my head drove me to do something I wouldn't normally do.

And that was stalking him.  I ended up scrolling through Ochaco's following list for his profile, and finding it was akin to discovering a hidden treasure.  From the outline of his build in that long-sleeve shirt I last saw him in, I knew there was something there.  While his profile displayed mostly pictures of his friends hanging out, there were also clips of him training in the gym.  Only when I chose those to watch those and scrolled to the end of the set would I be gifted with a beautiful mirror selfie of him in a black tank top.  Even just standing there, hands in his pockets or arms crossed across his chest, the curve of his arms and veins straining underneath entice me.

But that wasn't what stands out to me the most.  It's actually his neck.  In the small amount of time I'd spoken to him, the moment that he removed his hood and exposed it to me is the image that replays the most.  The structure of his muscles and his collarbone melding together into a perfect sculpture of a man.  That's what mostly haunted me.  To think it's one of the more sensitive parts of him makes my heart pound a little harder.  In every picture, it was the first thing I looked for.

"You planning on taking that off anytime soon?"

I jolted when Ochaco's sly comment awoke me from my reverie.  "Yeah, I just needed to check something first," I tried to play it off before - reluctantly - ripping the hoodie off of me.

And now, the day after that, I have to give it back to him.  This morning, a rogue though flashed into my mind: instead of simply handing it to him, I could wear it to class and have him watch me peel it off my body.  Such a thought never occurred to me before, startling me for being brash.

I did wear it though. I told myself it was cold in the classroom and I would need it.

When I walked into the classroom, I didn't dare to glance at the back for him since my thoughts haven't been the purest and I think I might've choked if I didn't mentally prepare myself.  If he was nice enough, he would have respected that sign, but he wasn't.

As soon as I turned around from getting a pen from my bag, there he was leaning on my desk, earning an embarrassing squeal from me.

His head tilts against his arm.  "That's a lovely shade on you."

My breath stops for a millisecond.  Huh?

Bakugou twirls one of the strings on the hoodie around his finger.  "The black matches your nails."

Oh.  Duh.  "Yeah?  I might keep it then."  Just to make my point, I pull the hood up on my head.  "You're probably not getting this back."

"Hording my clothes now?"  He clicks his tongue, "Sounds like you're the creep now.  Or just a thief."

Haaa, you don't know the half of it.  From the position he's in, leaning down on the desk and resting his head on his arm, there's a very perfect view of his neck and collarbone right in front of my eyes from under his black shirt and denim jacket.  I try not to linger on it and force myself to concentrate on his face instead.  "I'll give it back after class, this room is always too cold for me."  But today it feels just a bit hotter.

We agree to get lunch and head to the library after class until the professor arrives and he returns to his seat, but not before sending a wink my way.  I clutch the neck of the hoodie, stunned as the gesture spirals be back to us almost kissing, before the fire alarm rudely interrupted everything.  For the rest of class, I'm more concerned with how to take off an oversized hoodie in a sexy way than any kind of modern British prose.

.

We decide on staying on one of the library floors where a moderate level of talking is allowed, taking over a small, private study room where the door is transparent and there's a rectangular glass window to see inside.  I'm partially thankful for the extra insurance keeping me from possibly jumping on him, but that doesn't keep me from staring and letting my mind run wild.

Bakugou chose the seat at the head of the table and I chose the seat adjacent to him.  "I can't get over how the old hag typed out an entire 7 page guideline on how to write this paper.  Does she expect us to write a dissertation or something?!"

I slurp my udon.  "She needs to chill.  I thought her sarcastic humor was funny the first week of class, but she's getting on my nerves now."

"Then why do you keep laughing at all her jokes?"

"Because I need to kiss up to her so she can at least remember me to give me a good grade for one."  I put a piece of chicken in my mouth.  "And also, I'm low key scared of her killing my first born child."

Bakugou almost chokes on his Mapo Tofu laughing at that, throwing his head back and slamming the table.  The image of me kissing his neck flashes through me and cuts my laugh short.  Calm yourself!  I clear my throat.  "Speaking of scary people, if I had met you at the party, I would've had a very different impression of you, since you were much more...aggressive there."

He has a confused expression before he looks down at his food.  "You mean how I was screaming playing that game?"

"Yeah."  I note how uncomfortable he looks on the subject.  "I guess people usually think that of you?"

"Something like that.  I was kind of a loudmouth in high school, I think I've gotten better."  He turns to me, twirling his chopsticks in his hand curiously.  "What was your first impression of me?"

I shrug.  "You're quiet, you have a brain in your head, and you like to sleep in class sometimes."

The blond snorts, "People don't usually associate me with 'quiet,' you'd be the first."

Should I be flattered by that? I wonder.

We finish our meals without another word.  I pull out my laptop and start looking through the guidelines for our paper again.  "I don't even know what book I want to write about, they're all so boring."

Bakugou shrugs, still peering into his laptop screen.  "I would just pick the one with a theme you can bullshit the most about."

"I guess," I slump down onto my arm.  I always liked reading growing up so I didn't think I would have a tough time in this class, but the professor really drains the energy out of me.

I feel a bit hot in his hoodie, perking up at the opportunity to pique his interest.  Maybe I can lift it up so my shirt underneath slides up and shows my stomach a little?  Would that be sexy?  How do I remove it casually enough in one swift movement without fucking it up?  Maybe he'll find any way I do it attractive, because hopefully that's how guys think.

I decide to just try it an see how it goes.  Lifting it with both hands from the bottom, I drag the hoodie up and almost get it over my head, feeling my shirt underneath lifting below it.  I try straightening my back to make my posture look a little more curvy than I probably already am.  The problem I face is getting it off my head, which immediately dampers my effortlessly-sexy act into an awkward one.  I have to slip my arms out from the sleeves and push it up from underneath, messing my hair up slightly in the process.

I sneak a glance out of the corner of my eye to gauge his reaction in case he saw it.  There is none, his eyes are still glued to the screen.

Well, that was kind of a fail, I think, throwing the hoodie onto the space between us.  I'm just a bit disappointed that I can't channel my inner flirt around boys I like, but it's not the end of the world.

"Too bad, I thought you look pretty good in my hoodie," he spares me a smug grin.

I freeze up at the statement, heat rushing to my cheeks.  "I think so too," I murmur, "Maybe I should steal your jacket too."

He stops tapping on his keyboard and stares at me with an unfamiliar emotion.  I'm about to ask what he's thinking before he removes his jacket and hands it to me.  "I'd like to see that."

I almost think it's a joke, but I take it from him anyway, draping it around my shoulders without putting my arms through the sleeves.  I get the sense that it might be too big on me if I put it on.  A fresh bout of his scent comes with it, sending me into another spiral of unhealthy thoughts.

"I think the universe is trying to tell me something, because you look good in all my clothes," Bakugou leans back in the seat, looking down his nose at me.

The implication makes my heart flutter.  "Yeah, they're actually mine and you'd stolen them from me before.  Or you just have a really girlish figure."  Like hell I believe that, you were probably sculpted from stone by the gods.

"Pfft, whatever you say," he rolls his eyes and looks back his laptop, scanning over the notes he wrote down.  "So, this is the list of themes for each of the books we read for class, wanna hear it just in case it triggers something for you?"

My mind is still hung on the sculpted from the gods thought, so I absently nod  while staring at him to make him think I'm paying attention.  In reality, my thoughts wander to the pictures I'd seen of him a few nights ago, the gym mirror selfies in his tank tops.  His arms are definitely just a teaser for what he probably has underneath that shirt, and I'm betting on there being a washboard waiting for me to run my hands over, judging by the brief glance I had down his shirt earlier.

Unconsciously, my eyes trace down to his black button down.  It practically teases me, his top 2 buttons undone to expose all of his collarbone and the top of his defined chest.  I don't have to go by the low quality mirror posts on his profile or the fuzzy memories from the party, it's right there for me to see.  Flashes of me running my fingers over his neck as I nibble on his ear, rogue noises of his hypothetical sighs of bliss, my hands spreading his shirt open to allow for more space to kiss down his muscular neck.  Each new image quickens my heart rate and sends a new tremor down my body.

I'd love to just devour him.

"Hey!"

Both his voice and the rational one in my head snap me back to reality.  Did I really just-

Annoyance creases in his brow as I recompose myself and sit up straight.  "Sorry, I didn't catch the last thing," my voice comes out noticeably strained.

"What's wrong with you-"  Just like that, his face crosses with an awareness that only morphs into a smirk.  "I guess you're letting your mind wander."

My eyes widen.  Shit, he knows, I'm caught!  "No, I'm just-"

"We've only known each other for a day and you're already obsessed with me, aren't you?"  He leans forward, only to have me lean back, but he pulls the collar of his jacket on me to keep me in place.  "That might be a little unhealthy, don't you think?"

I'm staring at his descending lips, part of me holding a desire for them to quell the feeling I've locked up.

Bakugou hums low, breath caressing my face.  "I think we have some unfinished business from the other night.  You must've been thinking about that."  His gaze flickers down to my slightly agape lips before slamming his down on them.  Though it's not delicate by any means, it still feels like a tester.  Electricity shudders through me at our long-awaited reunion, and when he pulls away for a moment to look down at me with half-lidded eyes, I know he feels the same thing.

And something breaks free inside me.  I hurriedly press my lips back against his, catching him by surprise.  I take the lead, quickening the tempo of our kisses as one of my hands tangle in his soft hair, not giving either of us time to breathe.  Leaning forward into him, my stomach presses into the table corner between us, and I break away from him.  Allowing only a few pants, I jolt from my seat and round the corner to take the place of his lap and join our lips again forcibly, my knees on either side of him, pressing our bodies together against the back of the chair and swiveling into the table for stability.  He was caught off guard before, but he melts into me and allows his hands to grab my waist.

I trail my tongue onto his lower lip before tracing my lips across his jaw.  "You weren't expecting this, were you?"  I breathe against the shell of his ear, his natural musk filling my nostrils.

A low groan escape him.  "I didn't think you wanted me this much.  Must've driven you a little crazy somehow."

My hand tangled in his hair drags down his neck, my nails grazing it ever so slightly, eliciting another growl from him and his grip me tighter.  "I'll show you some of what I was just thinking about."  Starting at the base of his ear, I pepper more open-mouthed kisses down the same neck that's haunted me, sometimes tickling my tongue over the spots he  stiffens up at.

Once I reach the base of his neck, barely caressing that taunting collarbone, I move the opening in his shirt away to expose more of his chest to me, continuing up to where his shoulder and neck conjoin, remaining there to massage it with my lips and lightly graze my teeth on it.  "This little creeper wanted to taste this neck you love to flaunt."  I pull away and meet his wanton gaze.  "I wonder if I should mark it."

Calloused hands dig under my shirt as he catches his breath.  "Depends.  What kind of relationship do you want from me?"  He's holding himself back.

I never stopped to think about it.  He's a pretty great guy, we have pretty strong chemistry, and we bounce off each other really well, not to mention he's the only guy to have awakened such new feelings from me.  Looping my arms around his neck and joining our foreheads together, I mutter against his lips, "Let's go on a few dates maybe?"

He smirks and gives me another slow kiss before pulling away.  "Deal.  But let's take this slow.  I can very easily do something like this to you too, but then how will I get to know you?"

I sit back on his thighs.  "Fair point.  And, just an aside," my face gets warmer at my admittance, "I don't normally do this.  I'm usually more reserved, but you're different, I guess."

"I think you were just really thirsty for a real man," he winks, earning a shove in the chest from me.  "That was an impressive show though, I'll give you credit.  Maybe later, I can show you what goes on in my head.  Except, it's a lot more than just a few neck kisses."

I almost choke on that, my cheeks growing even hotter.

Bakugou's expression softens, the teasing disappearing.  "But before that, we can enjoy ourselves in calmer things.  Like dinner?  Or bowling?"

My chest swells with something lighter than desire.  "Sounds like a plan."

He plants a kiss on my nose.  "Okay, now get off before someone walks in on us.  It's a study room, not a make out room, creep."

I get off him and settle back into my seat.  "I think I prefer the term 'perv,' thank you very much."

[teechew]

VESPINNA

- cw: mention or rape and underage rape (only the mention, not the description of the act itself) -

Name: Virginia Quispero Alias: Vespinna  Age: around 40 Quirk: gorgon – hair is made of think black snakes. Can transforms into a giant gorgon creature when all head (snakes + hers) think the exact same thing Passives: slow regeneration, super strength, super stamina, hyper vigilance (because around 100 pairs of eyes) Snake head poison: causes hallucination, paralysis and intestinal disorders Human head poison: deadly muscle stimulant, kills in 7 seconds Gorgon form: no legs, snake tail, giant size, feathers among the scales, all bites are mortals, barely human-looking

Born in an isolated valley in Peru, her family was part of a cult to Vespinno, a pagan god of destruction. When her quirk appeared, her father was persuaded she was Vespinno’s chosen and tried to raise her in the rank of the cult. The heads were charmed by his words and how he was certain she'd give birth to Vespinno himself! Her mother, realizing the madness of the cult, and her daughter safety was at risk, ran away with the child. She found refuge in the bigger city and went into hiding. She found work and kept the child hidden inside her home at all times. Virginia was really bored, always asking to get out and play with the other children, but the mother kept refusing. After a year of this life, the mother was tired. Money was short, the cult and even the government were trying to get their hands on Virginia. Without exit, the mother gave her up for adoption on the condition that Virginia was adopted out of the country.

Vi was sent to a wannabe celebrity japanese couple when she was 5. They intend on using Vi as a "pity" child, showing how "good and charitable" they were by adopting a 3rd country child with a difficult quirk. The brain was definitely the mother, spending most of her time recording vlogs and cleaning videos for her channel. The father was mostly uninterested, too busy working to feed his wife’s luxury taste. The plan was foiled by Virginia's queen intellect. She realized quickly that once the camera was off, her "mother" wasn't as caring and nice, often sending her to her room and not wanting to have anything to do with "a freak". The couple had another child; Ishimaru, barely a toddler then. He and Virginia were close. He was too young and hadn’t learn the biased view on her quirk. Virginia decided to "enlist" his help to expose her mother.

One day, when the mother was having a livestreamed Q&A session, Virginia came into view. "Mother, I'm hungry, can I get a snack?" The mother, under the camera at this moment, told her "not yet" and sent her to her room, saying that she was busy but remaining sweet and caring. Virginia shook her head, making her snakes wave around and asked again to have a snack. The mother became more and more tense. With each refusal the child insisted, getting on her mother nerves. At one point the woman excused herself to the audience and shut the livestream. As the mother was scolding Virginia, Ishimaru, paid in candy by his sister, came closer to the computer and "pushed the red button" on his mother screen. Virginia had taught him how to use a mouse... And the livestream started. Virginia was still in the middle of a scolding. The mother, already mad, was pointing and now screaming at the gorgon. Virginia, following her plan, was especially good at being a brat that day and was promptly, under the eyes of the watchers, sent "to the basement without diner!" No need to say, child services were called and took Virginia and Ishimaru away from the couple. Virginia never saw her little brother again.

She was send to foster families, but because of this awful experience and her quirk that, you have to admit, is scary, Virginia was never adopted nor stayed long in the families, changing households every now and then. Because of this she was also changing schools often and never made long lasting friends. She was a loner and often though of as a bully due to her tallness, superior strength, bad grades, and attitude. Truth was she had a huge social skill delay and never learned how to make friends. When she reached 16, she was old enough to work a part-time job and the government wasn't ready to pay for her studies, especially seeing her bad grades. She was cut from the foster program and left to fend for herself. She was lucky enough that the current foster family didn't throw her out, but offered her to stay in her current room as long as she participated in the grocery bill.

Virginia tried. She really did. No front work wanted her - "not customer friendly" they said. Back work never lasted long as her colleagues often complained about her and how "scary" she was. She finally landed an ungrateful job but it was something; gutting fish in the early hours of the day. She smelled awful, slept through most of the day, but was able to pay for her room. And life threw her on the ground again. 

At 17, one morning, after work, she was walking home when she was  suddenly abducted. A man approached her and, of course, she was wary; a young girl walking alone, on the docks, in the early hours of morning... A scenario straight out of a cliché horror movie. She kept walking, thinking she was overreacting, her snakes on high alert and hissing. Suddenly the man dropped a wet sheet on her; he must have prepared his plan, the sheet was doused in chloroform. If he were to simply put it on her nose her snakes would have bite him everywhere, but the sheet was neutralizing the snakes, and not only her face but each snake was breathing the chloroform. Virginia fainted.

When she awoke, groggy, feeling dirty, and tied up, she knew; they didn't just watch her. She struggled to get in a better position, realizing the same sheet had been used to wrap her snakes and keep them enclosed. Her hands and feet were tightly tied together, but it was nothing her strength couldn't handle. She quickly broke them, freed her snakes, and inspected herself; bruised, raped, drugged, but alive. She picked herself up and went to the closest door. She could hear voices... and cries. She found kids, boys and girls, dirty and scared, some with bruised on their faces and limbs, most barely clothed, if clothed. All way younger than her, too young for whatever these men have done to them... to her. When she came in, some kids cried louder and Vi heard a booming voice behind her 

"WHAT ARE YOU WHINNING FOR AGAIN YOU FUCKIN BRATS?!"

She turned around and faced a man coming from an other room. Easily in his late 50, ugly, and fat. He looked at her, surprised "hey, you're the new one. How did you get free?" He walked toward her, clenching his fists. "Not important, you're too old for my taste but we still got work for you." The children started crying even more, Vi could hear more men voices approaching, she was in danger, the kids were in danger. Something in Virginia's head snapped. Her snakes started screaming to kill, she wanted to protect the kids, but that'd mean killing the men. Kill them. KILL!

From there, her memory is hazy. She remembered feeling powerful and unstoppable. She remembered the taste of blood in her mouth, the screams of men, and the sounds of children’s feet running away. She also remembered the police sirens, the hero's orders to surrender, but she didn't listen. She wanted to go away. Away from everyone, from everything! But then the dream ended. She got punched. Hard. And she fell.

When she awoke again she was in an isolated cell, with a muzzle on her face. She tried moving but her entire body was held in a straightjacket. She tried moving her snakes and realized each of their heads were inside little locks, rendering them useless. In jail. Her trial came quickly. She was declared a Villain on an account of intentionally killing 10+ adults, and destroying a government-owned building as well as resisting hero arrest. She never heard about the children, about the fact she was kidnapped, drugged, and raped... The sentenced was 8 years in prison. She did the first one in a juvenile prison and then transferred into a high security prison for Class-S villains. Virginia often jokes that these years were like school; she never made friends, kept to herself, and waited for time to pass. She was left alone, mainly because people knew what she was capable of. The muzzle was never removed except for lunch time, were she was under strict surveillance. The rare time she wasn't left alone she knew quickly how to assert her dominance. She was strong and ruthless and at one point was asked what was her villain name. "Vespinna." Slowly the other inmates learned to not mess with her.

8 years later she was finally let out. Her foster family had gone silent, no family, no friends... She was truly alone and without a place to go home to. So she walked. After a full day of walking she reached the other side of the city. She was tired, hungry, and night was coming. Frustrated, she slipped in an alleyway, away from the public eyes, and sat down against a wall. Bringing her knees against her torso, she wrapped her snakes around her and closed her eyes. She was alone...

Later that night she was awoken by a repeated poking on her leg. She unwrapped her snakes, ready to fend of anything that was responsible for the poking, and was faced with a homeless man. He was dirty, with at least 3 layers of clothes. Looking tired, with huge bags under his eyes, he looked to be in his fifties, his hair and beard greying under the dirt and dust. He smelled horrible and Virginia had a hard time not frowning her nose. "Hey kid, you're new here?" Virginia frowned, wary. "So what?" The man shrugged "Just wondering if it's a one night situation or if you gon' be there for longer." Virginia stood up, towering over the man "And what about it?" The man didn't seem impressed. "Listen, honey, I'm the one usually sleepin' here. Just wanna know if I'm in danger or if you're chill." Virginia relaxed a little. "it's... your alley?" The man turned away and walked toward a panel a wood, pushing it to reveal a cardboard box fort of some sort. In it was a dirty old mattress and several garbage bags of junk. "It's not *mine*, but it's where I'm left alone." Virginia watched him dig into one of the bags, pull out an old blanket and throw it to her. "Nights are fresh kiddo, bundle up." Virginia looked at the blanket, several stains of food were scattered on it and it had some holes here and there. "You're... not scared I’ll rob you?" "Rob me of what? I have nothing to my name except my life. And even that ain't much," said the man, sounding tired and crawling in his little hideout. "Plus you're the one with questions so far. I don't think I'm in danger," He chuckled while taking off his shoes. Virginia stepped closer "You... don't have any? I mean, questions? About me?" The man sighted as he got ready to sleep "Girl, I bet you're not here because you chose to. And neither am I. That's all we need to know about each other." On this he turned away and laid down. Virginia returned to her little corner and bundled in the blanket. It was smelly. "But again, so will I... soon," she though while looking at the man one last time before falling asleep.

From then one this alley was her "home". The man's name was Akira, he had lost his own home after a villain and a hero fought a little too roughly and destroyed it. He taught Virginia all she needed while homeless: the soup kitchen days, the shops that were chill about homeless digging in their trash, the shops that weren't... Strangely, Virginia felt more and more comfortable next to Akira. He shared food and fabrics with her without asking questions. He also presented her to the homeless community; the most strange but tight-knit community. Everyone was helping you, all that was asked of you was to help in return for those who couldn't get by as easily as you could. 

It's been 15 years, and she's the happiest she ever was. But not fully happy yet...

[stressa-bessa]

Dream A Little Dream of Me

For @silverholland – Prompts #3 & 15

Thank you @loki-in-hogwarts for helping me, once again, with brainstorming!! Ilysm! This was for my 100 Followers Celebration!

A/N: Thank you so much for your patience, Silverholland! I’m so sorry this is so late getting to you. It’s been insane with school, but I hope you enjoy!

#3 – Stay with me

#15 – “Stand up” “Uh, I’d rather not”

 Peter Parker x Reader

Fluff, fluff and more fluff

Word count: 2031

 It was a rainy day in New York. The dampness in the air always made your body groan in protest, your joints feeling sore and heavy. They found comfort in the heat that was radiating from the man beside you, tucked away under the covers and resting peacefully. Peter, the boy you so helplessly fell in love with, had invited you over last night to Stark Tower to watch movies, however this turned into an evening of snuggling and building tension between the two of you.

It had been almost a year since you met Peter in your chemistry class. The two of you started to notice each other at lectures and over time, the two of you had grown closer. There was one night when you had been woken up by a soft knock at your window. You prayed that your roommate was sound asleep when you let a masked figure crawl through your bedroom window. That night you found out Peter’s secret and swore to him that you would never breathe it to anyone. He had needed assistance in getting cleaned up after a fight, and you were the perfect person to turn to for help. Peter knew you were a patient and kind woman. It also didn’t hurt that you were studying to be a nurse, which meant you conveniently had extra suture kits laying around your dorm room.

There was a moment that evening, just you, Peter and the dull moonlight cascading into your bedroom. There was this look in his chocolate brown eyes that you had never seen before and it made your heart skip a beat. The flecks of gold in his gaze shimmered as he investigated your gaze, breathing heavy as he rested his forehead on yours. In this moment, you were sure he was going to kiss you. That was until your roommate barged in, hammered after a long night of drinking, to ask if you knew where all her vodka had gone. With a sigh, you had muttered something under your breath before shutting your bedroom door. When you had turned back to your bed, Peter was gone.

You were almost certain that Peter shared the same feelings as you, the way your heart would melt at his bright smile, how his laugh would make your stomach flip and turn into knots. You had caught him staring at your lips a few times throughout the evening, his cheeks quickly turning a light shade of pink every time you caught him.

You had woken up a few moments ago, tucked tightly under Peter’s arm as he slept soundly beside you. The boy looked so angelic as the light thinly streamed into the room from the window, cascading over the bridge of his nose and falling along his jaw. His brown, wavy hair was a sleepy mess that had fallen into his eyes. The sound of his breath, sighing deeply as he drifted through sleep, was like music to your ears. How were you so lucky to have met such a beautiful person?

The weight of your body dragged your mind away from Peter, remembering the dull ache that moved through your hips and into your knees. With a sigh, you curled in closer to Peter’s warm body and shut your eyes, hoping to fall back to sleep.

When you awoke the second time, Peter was nowhere to be found. You felt your heart start to race as your mind panicked, reminiscing about that one evening in your dorm room. Had you done something wrong? Did you freak Peter out?

As you quickly hopped out of bed, gathering your things to make a quick escape, you heard crashing pans coming from the kitchen.

With a confused expression plastered across your face, you padded down the hallway, peeking your head into the kitchen to find Peter making pancakes.

“Good morning, Y/N.” He smiles with a lopsided grin, wiping his hands on his sweats before rushing over to give you a hug. “I was starving but you looked so peaceful when you were sleeping that I couldn’t disturb you, so I thought I could get up and surprise you with breakfast?”

The racing of your heart started to slow as your stomach started to fill with butterflies, anxiously flapping their wings inside your abdomen. What a precious human, you thought to yourself as a bright smile grew on your cheeks.

“That is so sweet, Peter.”

“How would you feel about actually having that movie marathon today? We can just spend the day, me and you.” He smiles, flipping a pancake without a spatula. A smirk grew on his face as he discovered his new trick.

“That sounds perfect.” You smile, rubbing away the dull ache in your shoulder.

Giggles over pancakes and coffee had turned a damp, cool morning, into something comfortable and cozy. The two had settled nicely on Peter’s bed, wrapped in fluffy blankets and each other’s arms while the Emperor Strikes Back played on Peter’s computer. The movie was interrupted by a buzz in Peter’s pocket.

“Shit, Tony needs me in the lab.” Peter sighs, running a hand through his hair while thinking of what to reply.

“Do you have to go?” You pout, wishing there were some way to make him stay.

“Yes, it has to do with my suit and our next-“

“Stay with me. Please?” You whisper softly, turning around and straddling Peter’s hips. You watch his confused expression as you lightly push the hand that was holding his phone, away.

“Babe, as adorable and convincing as you may be, I need to go.” Peter smiles, poking your nose with his index finger as he tries to push you off his lap. “Stand up?”

“I’d rather not.” You say with a smirk, twisting to grab his pillow. Before Peter knew it, he was whacked in shoulder.

“Did you hit me?” Peter asks in a confused tone, a smirk growing on his lips as his grip tightened slightly on your hips.

“Maybe…Maybe not.” You cheekily smile, trying to hide the pillow behind your back.

“Oh, it’s on!” Peter cackles, tackling you on his bed trying to take the pillow from you.

Peter was chasing you around his room, always hitting you softly with his spider-man pillow while you went full force with his plain blue and plaid pillow.

The two of you end in a pile of giggles on Peter’s bed, sheets and pillows spread around the room equating to an absolute disaster.

“You’re such a trouble maker.” Peter smiles, pressing a soft kiss on your lips. His small peck sent tingles up your spine.

“What the hell?”

A voice rings through Peter’s room causing the two of you to freeze. Tony slowly walks through the door, kicking the lump of blankets on the floor.

“Parker, I needed you in the lab half an hour ago! Meanwhile, you were having a wild sex party!”

“No, no! Of course not, Mr. Stark! I was just trying to leave but y/n was too-“

“Y/N?” Tony pauses, looking at you with a serious but confused face. “Have we met?”

“No, we haven’t. It’s nice to meet you Mr. Stark.” You say coyly, lifting yourself off Peter’s bed as you walk towards him with your hand outreached.  “I’m sorry I kept Peter from you. We were watching Star Wars and I started throwing pillows at him to try and be silly. I’m sorry, Mr. Stark.” You add, shaking the genius’s hand firmly.

“Who’s she?” Tony points at you, asking Peter for clarification.

“That’s my girlfriend…” Peter blushes, a question forming in his voice as it was the first time he had called you that.

You could feel your cheeks grow warm as you were caught off guard by Peter’s soft words. You tried your best to conceal the growing smile on your lips.

“I like you. I get the feeling you keep him in check, kind of like Pepper...” Tony gives a side smile, “Parker, Lab. Now.” He says sternly as he walks towards the bedroom door.

“Y/n?” Tony’s voice calls, “Care to join us for dinner at 5:30? I think we’re having spaghetti!” He smiles grabbing Peter’s shoulder and giving it a slight shake.

--

Time feels as if it were going by slowly. By the time 5pm rolled around, you had binged watched half a season of Brooklyn 99. When the clock struck 5pm, you decided to get ready for dinner. Your first impression of Tony could have gone significantly better, but this was your chance to redeem yourself.

With the limited items you had brought with you to Peter’s, you managed to style your hair and apply a light dusting of product on your face. You looked alive and fresh.

Waltzing your way down the many halls of the tower, you finally found the dining room. Pepper was there lining the table with cutlery and plates.

Without hesitation, Pepper looks up at you with a smile, “You must be Y/N.”

“Yes, I am, I assume you’re the infamous Pepper?”

“It’s nice to finally meet you.” She says with a larger smile, “Peter has spoken so much about you.”

“Really? Mr. Stark seemed so surprised when we met earlier this afternoon-“

“Well, Tony has a habit of living on his own planet. Peter has talked about you for a while, subtly of course, but anyone who was paying attention could pick up on it. Also, don’t worry about Tony. I have a feeling he likes you. He’s tough on Peter because he sees so much in him. Tony is trying to push Peter to his full potential, even though I have said numerous times that Peter has the grit to push himself.”

Pepper places the final plate before walking into the kitchen to retrieve the bread and salad to go with the main course.

“Speak of the devil, here they come.” You say sarcastically, following Pepper into the kitchen, hoping to be of some help to her in preparing the spaghetti.

----------

Over the course of dinner, you discovered that this recipe was passed down from Tony’s grandmother. The four got along well and through lovely conversation and a bottle of wine or two, Tony realized what a wonderful woman you were. He could see how intelligent, well-rounded, artistic, thoughtful and caring you were. Tony understood why Peter adored you so much, noticing the subtle glances he would make when you laughed or spoke passionately about Art. Tony could see that Peter was reacting in a similar fashion as he does with Pepper. The maturity that Peter has grown it to was evident. Tony couldn’t be prouder of his boy.

“Well Pete, you picked a good one.” Tony smiles, patting him on the back while Pepper showed you some modern art she picked up in Brazil.

“You like her?” Peter says anxiously, looking at his mentor for an honest reaction.

“I think you’ve found your Pepper. She balances you out kid, keeps you zen.”

Peter felt his heart swell. Tony was right, why hadn’t Peter realized this all sooner?

After they had wrapped up their evening with the Starks, Peter walked you home. His strong arms linked with yours as he guided you home.

“So, how did you like them?” Peter asks as you two stand in front of the door to your apartment.

“They love you so much, Peter. You’re lucky, they’re great.” You smile, tucking one of his loose curls away from his eyes.

“Well, they loved you. I love you.” He adds quietly, lightly grabbing your hands. “I love you, Y/N. I know I stupidly blurted out that you were my girlfriend, but let me do it the right way? Would you like to be my girlfriend? Through it all, spider-man, Peter Parker, science student.”

“Peter, of course I would.” You smile as you close the gap between the two of you, pressing your lips against his to seal the deal.

taglist: @loki-in-hogwarts @spiderlingsweb

[ladylouoflothlorien]

The Twelve Days Of Dwarfmas – Part One, In Which Thorin Screams Like A Girl.

Pairing: Dwalin x reader, implied Bagginshield

Warnings: Extreme shenanigans 

Length: 1,809 words

You had joined their company completely by chance when they had almost been eaten by trolls. The trolls had captured you as well, and when Gandalf saved the lot of you, he decided it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a more feminine presence in the group. He had given you some hushed instructions about keeping an eye on them for him when he wandered off occasionally, and you figured it was the least you could do to repay the Wizard who had saved your life. Besides, the dwarves seemed like good fun and the hobbit was unquestionably adorable.

Dwalin was especially fun, at least in your eyes. The entire company had been shocked with how quickly you’d gotten his gruff façade to fade away; you had him fooling about like a young dwarf within a matter of days. As soon as you’d met him, you knew he was someone you would be good friends with, maybe even more than friends, but it was early days yet and you were both having a lot of fun just the way you were.

However, you soon found the novelty of the situation wearing off and you began to feel the familiar itch of boredom just under your skin. The only way you could think of to fix this was to make you own amusement. You spent several nights with your brows furrowed as you tried to come up with something, anything, to amuse yourself with. On the third night of your struggle you suddenly jumped up from your seat, a glorious idea having finally embedded itself into your brain. You were going to prank every last member of the company if it killed you. Except Dwalin, of course; he would be your helper. Internally smirking as you wondered how Dwalin would react if you referred to him as your side-kick, you wandered off to find him, knowing he was on watch only a short way from the main camp site.

Once you’d briefly explained your intentions to him, he was absolutely, 100% on board with your plan. It seemed that you weren't the only one getting bored. He thought it would be a good way to get everyone to lighten up a bit, and he knew he could never refuse you anything.

Both you and Dwalin agreed that the first person to be pranked should be none other than Thorin Oakenshield, a.k.a. the single most broody member of the company. If anyone needed to lighten up, it was him. It was time to set the plan into motion. Though you had to speak in hushed whispers for fear of being overheard, you and Dwalin quickly came up with an idea of how you could prank Thorin. The two of you sat there snickering to each other as your eyes sparkled and you went over the details of the plan so that you both knew exactly what to do. Worried about your potential lack of sleep, Dwalin shooed you back to bedroll soon after you finished scheming. For the first time in days your steps were light and you were glad of it, you didn't want your steps to wake any curious dwarves. You tucked yourself back down under your thick blanket with an absolutely shit-eating grin on your face which remained plastered on your lips even as you slept. When you awoke the next day you felt lighter than you had in weeks, and you couldn't wait to set the plan in motion.

As soon as the words “we will rest for the night” came out of Thorin’s mouth, you knew it was time to act. The fire was lit and everyone settled down around it, their lips clammed shut just like usual. With an overly dramatic sigh that you made sure everyone heard, you spoke. “You’re all so antisocial; it’s getting ridiculous. I insist that we start talking to each other in the evenings. I will start tonight – I’m going to tell a story.” The look you shot Dwalin as you made eye-contact with him showed exactly how mischievous you were feeling and from the mirrored look in his eyes you knew he was just as excited as you.

You began to describe, in detail, the most terrifying story you could think of. You recited the tale of an evil four-armed forest spirit. She clung to existence years after she should have left it, feeding off of the souls of the men, elves, and dwarves she punished for the declining forests. She would hunt her chosen target silently for days and sometimes even weeks, but when the time was right she would grab at the man in the dark of night with her bark-like talons… “… and once she has all four of her hands on you, she never lets go.” You finished your tale with all the dramatic flair of an aspiring actress as the warm firelight flickered eerily over your features, making them appear sharper and more mysterious. Your eyes caught Dwalin’s for a moment and he winked at you but kept his straight face. Any shenanigans might give the game away.

 The other dwarves all blinked and tried to shake off the slight yet lingering fear they had felt from such a tale. Another bonus came from your plan, for it seemed that they were willing to follow your story up with ones of their own. From then till it was time to settle down and rest properly the company shared stories of ghosts, demons, murders and everything in between. Though the subject matter was dark, the company settled down to sleep with lighter hearts than they’d had for days. It seemed that even talking about death was better than not talking at all. Thorin had the first watch. It was time for the real fun to begin.

You and Dwalin waited up whilst the other dwarves fell asleep one by one, though you both had your eyes shut for the most part to appear normal. From time to time you peeked out and snuck glances at Thorin. His brows seemed even more furrowed than usual, if that was even possible. At that thought, you had to quickly raise your hand to your mouth to hide your cheeky snickers before you were heard. You looked to Dwalin’s bedroll- he was watching you again with a fond gaze, and at your action he shook his head silently, amused.

Once Thorin’s gaze was firmly set away from you both, you rolled back your blanket ever so carefully and sat up, taking great care to keep your actions entirely silent. The tattooed dwarf’s ever-watchful eyes had seen your movements and he was soon doing the same. You stood together, holding back silent paroxysms of laughter so as not to blow your cover. It was Dwalin who moved first, taking a step towards the unsuspecting King with baited breath; who knew if you might step on something that would give the game away? Shaking your head, you smiled at your cautiousness. Nothing would get done if you were going to be this slow with everything.

Together you snuck into the bushes to set the scene for you mischief. A few rustles and some strange hisses that hurt your throat later and Thorin seemed very much on edge. His calculating blue eyes darted across the scenery for any sign of movement, but he found none. The two of you fell silent and still as his gaze passed right over your heads but you remained miraculously undetected. Not wishing to be caught you remained as you were for a few minutes longer before acting on stage two of the plan.

Dwalin was hardly light on his feet but somehow he managed to creep up behind his leader’s back just as quietly as you did, and you were impressed. That must have taken considerable effort on his part. You both leaned forward with outstretched arms, unaware of the hobbit watching you, much too frightened to sleep, and now much too curious to stop your actions. Once all four hands were in position, you looked to Dwalin and under your breath you mouthed the words “three… two… one-!” As the words left your lips the two of you sprang towards Thorin and harshly clamped your hands around his shoulders and waist.

You had been prepared for the consequences of your actions before, but you hadn’t expected one of those consequences to be a deafeningly high-pitched squawk that most definitely damaged your eardrums. King Thorin had leapt three feet into the air upon being grabbed – an impressive feat considering his usual height was only about 4’6” off the ground.

Behind you, there was a slight guffaw of laughter that was quickly muffled. Bilbo was awake then. Thorin stiffened once his feet reunited with the ground and he turned, an expression of absolute incredulity on his features. His unblinking eyes travelled from Dwalin to you and back again, noting how the two of you were barely able to stand through the mirth convulsing through your bodies. He blinked once, and again, weighing up what had happened in his mind and the potential consequences of his treacherous voice box and the girlish screech. He had soon made up his mind. “We shall never speak of this.” He commanded, his voice back to its usual depth and severity. Knowing that the hobbit had been awake to witness Thorin’s shame, you nodded innocently and Dwalin quickly did the same, following your lead. “But of course, my king~” Your voice was just a little too sweet for his liking – what secrets are you hiding, confounded woman? He thought to himself, a scowl firmly in place. You and Dwalin scurried back to your bedrolls before Thorin could think of any further punishments, the both of you snickering like school children. The King under the mountain let out a sigh of relief, realising that any excitement for that evening from your quarter was now over and done with. It was in this relaxed state that he turned his suddenly admiring gaze to the bedroll belonging to their smallest companion, only to discover that he was awake and staring right at him, a teasingly questioning eyebrow raised on his pretty face.

Thorin blanched. If Bilbo was awake now, he had surely been in the same condition not two minutes ago whilst Thorin had been thoroughly embarrassing himself. The proud dwarf felt the tips of his ears tingle with warmth and no doubt he was blushing furiously yet the hobbit merely shook his head fondly and winked at him before crossing a finger over his heart to indicate his future silence on the matter. He then rolled over and tucked himself into his bedroll, no longer feeling frightened.

Thorin let out a shaky sigh. He could not wait for this day to be over. 

[donttouchthenuggets-blog]

Memories [Part 1]

Pairing: Sherlock x Reader (eventually)

Wordcount: 1385

Warnings: None

AN: This is my first Sherlock post and is the first series I've started, so I hope you enjoy. Requests are gladly welcome

When you found out Mycroft was bringing you to 221b Baker Street, you were a little confused. Until that point, the eldest Holmes brother had tried to keep you securely locked up in high tech prisons. Of course, you had made it your mission to break out of every single one of them, but you hadn't expected him to suddenly make it so easy. 

"You want me to babysit her?" Sherlock questioned as he scoffed. Of course, he thought his time was far too precious to be spent on someone as insignificant as you, but that was what you were relying on. 

"She has a treasure trove of government secrets committed to memory, Sherlock. She's managed to break out of every prison we've locked her in, and I'm far too busy to keep an eye on her myself." Mycroft sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. You had clearly been causing him a lot of stress, which had clearly been affecting his sleep. 

"And why would I help you?" Sherlock asked. It was common knowledge that the Holmes brothers were not friends, so Sherlock asked a rather valid question. 

"I'll delete the video," Mycroft stated, and a serious atmosphere brushed over the room. Sherlock looked up at his brother, contemplating the offer. 

"Not a single copy left?" Sherlock asked and Mycroft nodded. It made you wonder what the video was, but you didn't dare to ask and scare Sherlock into denying his brother's request. If you could get away from Sherlock Holmes, you would be able to get away from Mycroft and the British government entirely. 

"Fine." Sherlock agreed and a victorious smirk crept onto your face. 

"Good. I've got a lot of pressing business to tend to. Someone will be by with Y/N's things shortly." Mycroft stated before leaving Baker Street. 

You and Sherlock sat in silence for almost an hour. Sherlock didn't remove his eyes from you. Of course, you knew exactly what he was doing. He was making his little deductions, under the impression that they would somehow help him keep you in his custody. What he didn't know was that you were doing the exact same thing. Well, almost the same thing. You weren't intelligent in the same way as Sherlock Holmes.

You had a photographic and Eidetic memory. The two were commonly viewed as the same thing but were actually rather different. Having an eidetic memory meant you could view your memories like they were photos and relive them in perfect detail. Having a photographic memory meant you could perfectly recall everything you had ever heard, seen, tasted, touched or smelled. And you had been building up your file on Sherlock Holmes since the moment you had stepped into his flat. 

"You won't be able to get away, you know." He eventually informed you with 100% confidence in his words. 

"You sound awfully sure of yourself, Mr Holmes." You chuckled. You knew how intelligent Sherlock Holmes was, but you also knew he had never had to deal with you before. 

"Well, I don't mean that you won't be able to escape. In fact, you could probably get away from me right now if you wished. I just mean that you won't be able to get away forever. That's clear." He told you and you furrowed your brows. He clearly had a more in-depth assessment of your situation than you had first thought. 

"And what makes you think that?" You asked, curious as to what his answer would be. 

"Simple. You've managed to escape numerous times already. From what I have deduced, you're completely capable of going into hiding and disappearing forever. For some reason, you can't, or you won't. You have to stick around for something, which is why my brother keeps recapturing you," Sherlock analysed you without fault. However, you were a little disappointed. From what you had heard about the sociopathic detective, he was usually capable of far more detailed deductions. 

"And what do you think it is keeping me from disappearing?" You asked though you were certain he didn't know. 

Instead of answering you, Sherlock clenched his jaw and stood up. He picked up his violin and started playing, leaving the question to hang in the air. It was clear that the detective found it difficult to admit when he didn't know the answer. 

Despite the lack of conversation, you found your afternoon at Baker Street quite pleasant. Sherlock ignored you completely and continued to play his violin for the afternoon. An hour after our little conversation, Mrs Hudson came up to the flat and introduced herself to you. She seemed rather excited to have another woman around, stating that Sherlock and John could do with the influence of a 'polite young lady' such as you. Sherlock failed to mention why you would be staying with him. He thought it best that as few people as possible knew about the government information you had managed to get your hands on, for your safety and for the safety of those at Baker Street. 

"Sherlock? Do we have a client?" A shorter man asked when he walked into the flat. You identified him as John Watson, Sherlock's roommate and only friend. 

"She's not a client, John. She's a criminal." Sherlock informed his friend, who gave you a rather strange look. 

"Don't worry. I only kill people on special occasions." You joked, but John seemed to stiffen at the comment and didn't relax until you let out a light laugh. 

"Mycroft has asked me to babysit her until he can figure out what to do with her," Sherlock informed his roommate and you rolled my eyes.

"Why? What did she do?" John asked, a little confused as to what crime you had committed to cause such a disruption. 

"I hacked into a secret government database and memorised sever hundred government secrets, ranging from sex scandals to diplomatic assassinations," You answered casually, with a proud smirk on my face. 

"And why did you do that?" Sherlock asked. The question had clearly been resting on his tongue since earlier. 

"I was bored." You shrugged and John let out a light laugh. He seemed like the type of person you could get along with. Especially considering he knew how to handle Sherlock Holmes well enough to be friends with him. 

"I'm a little surprised that you agreed to help Mycroft, Sherlock," John stated as he took a seat in an old armchair. It was clear that the action had become a habit to the retired arm doctor. 

"I was bored," Sherlock shrugged as he again started to play his violin. 

That night, after getting to know John a bit better and further explaining your situation, Mrs Hudson showed you to the guest room. It was nothing special, just a simple bed and an empty wardrobe, but it was far better than the prisons you had found yourself residing in lately. There was that brief time where Mycroft kept you at his home, but you were almost positive that nothing could equate to the lavish room he had allowed you to sleep in. 

Though you were itching to get away from 221b Baker Street, you decided to stay the night. If you left, you knew you would just end up spending the night on the street or in a shady hotel.

When you awoke the next morning, something was wrong. You couldn't quite place your finger on it, but there was something different about the room. It had changed in some way, but the change was too small for you to immediately spot. Of course, the change was soon made apparent. As you got up to exit the room, your eyes landed on a small piece of paper in front of the door. You picked it up and read the message. 

'Stay'

You knew instantly who the message was from and a sense of dread washed over you. It had been months since you had received direct instructions, and you knew this could only mean there was some sort of plan forming behind the scenes. A plan you knew you were going to regret aiding in. 

[diceprophet]

Pathfinder Session Zero Notes

Adventure: “Living Weapons” [SOFT REBOOT]

I’ve been meaning to reboot my Pathfinder game for some time now. Unfortunately, we’ve been on hiatus for over half a year, so all of us forgot how to play with the complicated ruleset. Thus, we opted for a flashback one-off in order to re-acquaint ourselves with the game! After some consideration, we decided to elaborate upon the backstory of one of our main characters: a reformed bandit named Velnor! This was not a pretty story... 

Part 1: Unpleasant Upbringing

Velnor was raised as one of many bastard children of a warlord simply referred to as Revanant. This mysterious figure was the undisputed leader of a ruthless mercenary group known as the Spider Eyes Marauders. Despite his parentage, Velnor received no form of special treatment or endearment from his father, and was cast into a life of brutal violence from a very young age. 

By age nine, Velnor was grouped into a squad. His new partners were all orphans, outcasts, and former slaves, and included the likes of Kai the human monk, Ty the half-elf druid, and Elton the half-orc barbarian. Every day these children were pushed beyond the limits of their strength and endurance, gradually honing them into cold-blooded killers.

Part 2: Wilderness Explorers

Although the four were barely acquainted with one another, they were quickly forced to rely upon each other to survive. With barely any preparation, they were abandoned in the wilderness and given two simple objectives: survive and find their way back to the encampment.

The druid Ty (and his temperamental snake, Ger) proved to be a massive boon in locating a source of fresh water. Later that day, Elton also demonstrated his battle-lust in how he fearlessly charged an elk nearly three times his size. The quartet managed to whittle down their prey’s health until the monk Kai descended upon its head with a skull-shattering axe kick.

The four ate their hearty meal in general silence around a campfire. Every now and then, someone would speak up, but conversations usually went nowhere. Velnor repeated to himself the most important lesson that his father had taught him: “A good soldier follows all orders.” Ty played with his snake Ger, and they two appeared to be inseparable. Kai meditated and remained calm, despite their dire circumstances. Finally, Elton fidgeted with his weapon, eagerly awaiting for another chance to experience the thrill of combat.

Elton’s prayers were answered as the crew followed the path back to the camp. A pair of starved and mangy wolves emerged from the shadows and attacked, and the party met them head-on in a confrontation of steel and tooth. Velnor almost fell in the battle after being grievously injured in the leg, but he persisted and fought valiantly. Once the party returned from the ordeal, they realized that the wolves had been secretly kept in the camp and deprived of food; the creatures had been released by their trainers once they had braved the wilderness, and were but another cruel test.

Part 3: Target Acquired

After surviving the initiation, all four children were tattooed with the insignia of the Spider Eyes. The symbol was an indicator of their ultimate allegiance. It also housed a sinister and yet-to-be-known magical spell. Their masters gave them explicit instructions to refrain from invoking the magical tattoo until they encountered their target, or they would meet a grisly demise. 

They’re first mission was to infiltrate Aelindorg Village and assassinate a half-elf paladin named Aeris Valenya. She had stolen a ring with a red jewel from the organization, and they wanted it back.

Part 4: Desecration

With only a name and an objective, the four were left on the outskirts of the village, without their weapons and gear. They would need to discretely enter the town, locate a supply cache, and hunt down their target. After some minor deceptions at the gate and a quick search, they found their equipment, along with some new alchemical items. They received four healing potions and four experimental mutagens that would help them turn the tide of battle, if they were overwhelmed.

Once they were suited for combat, they began the task of infiltrating the heavily guarded church by finding a hidden path through the sewers. Underground, they had to contend with packs of disease-ridden rats, enchanted suits of armor, arrow traps, and a few guards. But with grim determination, they managed to cut a bloody path into the temple of Iomedae. Ty set his snake upon the head paladin, filling her veins with agonizing venom. Velnor forced a critically wounded Kai to imbibe a feral mutagen, transforming him into a hulking beast that carved out destruction with his bare hands. Elton also drank a mutagen, and lashed out with all of his might and swiftness.

Lady Valenya was rightfully horrified that the Spider Eyes would manipulate and indoctrinate children as young as they were, but she ordered her soldiers to stand strong and defeat them. They party quickly found themselves outnumbered and outclassed. Kai was the first to fall from a fatal sword wound, and a massive swarm of spiders erupted from his corpse. In that moment, the remaining three learned what the tattoos could do. And in their desperation, they invoked the summoning magic. Ty released a swarm of feral rats from under his skin, and they washed over the knights, crawling into their armor and gnawing away at their flesh. Velnor, much to his own horror, released a swarm of botflies from his mouth; this deeply traumatizing event kept him paralyzed with fear for the rest of the encounter. Lady Valenya was finally killed by Ty, and her lifeless corpse was quickly consumed by rats. The others in the church succumbed to the hostile swarms of vermin. However, the encounter ended before Elton could invoke his own tattoo spell.

Part 5: Corruption of Flesh

The party acquired the red jeweled ring and fled the destroyed church before reinforcements could arrive. They then backtracked through the sewers and emerged at the edge of town, bloodied but not beaten. Kai was dead, Ty had lost his snake in the melee, and Velnor was in shock, but Elton was deeply satisfied with how many he had slain. As they continued fleeing the city, Ty suddenly felt that the ring was becoming warmer with each step away from the church. Sensing danger, he abandoned it and began to run as fast as his legs could carry him. Suddenly, the gem dispersed a fine red mist that filled the air. Everyone in the town was abruptly seized by a spellbourne disease that ate away at their bones, causing them to bleed to death from the inside out. The paladin had stolen it from the Spider Eyes and intended to purify it, but the quad had slain her before she could complete her mission. Ty escaped, taking great pains not to breathe in the red cloud. But Velnor and Elton were not so lucky.

The last two members of the band fell to the ground as an unseen fire crept along the entire length of their bodies, filling them with immeasurable agony. Velnor held onto conscious the best he could, but eventually blacked out. But no before he watched Elton bleed out as the Red Rot destroyed his internals. Despite the pain, Elton sadistically smiled as the life left his eyes.

But all was not dark forever for young Velnor. When he awoke, he heard the voice of his father and other senior members. The experiment, as they called it, was a success. The Red Rot, a mysterious affliction created from Revanant’s blood, was highly lethal and wiped out almost 100% of the townsfolk and people living in the surrounding territories. It was too effective, though, and the rapid onset of death prevent the disease from being effectively carried and spread. “He survived? Impressive. As expected of my blood,” Velnor heard his father say as he fell into the darkness once more.

Flash forward to the future, nearly fifteen years later: Velnor has long since departed from the Spider Eyes. He and his friends, an elf ranger named Hawkeye and an ifrit bard named Amon, have set out to rid the world of the Spider Eyes once and for all. Currently, they are following the trail of a vampiric antipaladin and mass-murdered called Valkyrrion, who is rumored to be Revenant’s right-hand man.

Part 6: Game Master’s Closing Thoughts

This story helped me tie together a few of the characters backstories, as well as gave me a way to flesh out a couple reoccurring villains’ lore, too! In the storytelling aspect, I am satisfied. The character who plays Velnor is ready to seize destiny by the bollocks and carve out a path of bloody vengeance against the “father” who traumatized and used him. The next time they meet, Velnor will not battle with Revanant with words; that’s a promise.

However, the delivering could’ve been considerably improved. I emphasized a sense of weakness upon the players (they were basically children, after all), which allowed the tone of the story to remain consistent, but in hindsight made the game drag in the earlier bits. Most people play games to feel empowered, not at the mercy of a cold and uncaring world. We have IRL for that. I’m not sure how I would’ve done that differently, but perhaps I’ll try starting on an empowering note instead of a debilitating one.

Also, fuck the audio issues. Discord, Roll20, Chrome, Comcast, whatever was causing the constant goddamn audio dropouts, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

If you liked this story and want to see more, please consider following us on Twitch, for more intense tabletop skullduggery!

[gaylenightingale]

Ever Us --A-Un stories

Story Title:  Ever Us—A-Un

 Summary:  Inucest!  Yaoi. AU From my “Ever Us” universe, it’s 1869 and it’s bedtime for the twins.   

Chap 1 Inuyasha ended his Robin Hood adventure mentioning A-Un had been a secret spy and had infiltrated the Castletown in a deep cover investigation.  Prompt for chap 1:  From Chap 9 Ever Us-Robin Hood, A Bedtime Story (on Fanfiction)

Chap 2 is a response to a Tumblr prompt How did Sesshomaru met A-Un?  With the bonus for Ryuu lovers- Ryuu’s first Veterinary case and how he learned he could talk to animals

Disclaimer:  I do not own Inuyasha.  I do not make any money from writing fanfiction.

Author:  Gayle Nightingale  

Category/Genre: Inuyasha/Romance/family/

Content tags: Yaoi, Inucest, InuSess A bedtime story with a Robin Hood flare

Rating: T

Time:  AU.  Several years prior to my last story “Ever Us”; specifically 1869 in Japan at the castle in the Western Lands.

  Chapter 1. A-Un, the dragon spy

It is 1868.  The Takahashis are living at the Western castle in Japan.   They have been mates for almost 300 years.  Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha have been practicing physicians for almost 100 years.   Their opinions are highly valued.  They are consulted frequently from all corners of the realm.  For this reason Sesshomaru has been traveling.   Inuyasha decided that one of them had to stay and work at the clinic in the castle and keep watch over their pups.   Keiko is 14. Kenichi is nearly 11.  Ryuu is eight and one half and Suteiibun is six and one half. Yuki and Kyo are over two and one half.   Here is a reminder of our timeline to the current date.

Timeline for Ever Us

 1500 - Kagome returns to the Feudal era and she and Inuyasha marry

1503- Sesshomaru marries Rin

1560s – Both women die.  Sesshomaru goes to Inuyasha and comforts him.

1570 – Sesshomaru and Inuyasha mate

1770 – Keiko is born   Ever Us—Keiko, the blessing

1792 – The marital fight of the century –Large Tsunami

1793 – Kenichi is born

1808- Ryuu is born

1822 – Steven\Suteiibun is born

1850- Kyo and Yuki are born

1868- Robin Hood tale  

 Bold—fairy tale

Normal- story

 “At the end of the Robin Hood story, I told you that I would tell you the story of how A-Un had become Prince Sesshomaru’s pet.   Well then, this is the story.   It started many years before the Robin Hood adventure when Prince Sesshomaru was five years old or even younger.”

 “Father was a little kid like us?” Kyo’s eyes were wide open in amazement.

 Just then Sesshomaru walked in the twin’s room and sat next to Inuyasha.   “I was, but we try to keep that a secret,” he winked at the twins as he turned to his mate.   The older dogs rubbed noses and then resumed the bedtime routine.  Lately Sesshomaru had made a point of staying home for longer periods of time.   Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had discussed the situation when he returned from the last trip and both realized they needed each other.  

 The key to this mission according to A-Un’s boss was to infiltrate the dog castle and get to know the dog demon and his progeny.   The dragons were considering brokering a treaty with the dogs but previous experiences had them leery.     A-Un ducked as he wandered through the trees on his way to the country side.    “Too bad we don’t have tape to record things in this century,” he said out loud.   “Time travel makes you appreciate so many of the advances that we’ve made.   I could have brought a tape recorder but the last spy left the Velcro and the humans claimed they invented it so…”

 The two headed dragon made his way to the castle town and assumed a smaller size.   ‘It’ll be less threatening.’  He thought.

  ‘How will I get noticed?’ A-Un thought as he shrunk himself to a three foot size.  ‘I could fly but they might try and shoot me down.’  A-Un looked about him and noticed a small farm and a small boy playing in the field.   ‘Maybe he will be my friend.   But will he get me to the prince and the king?’    

A-Un watched the boy for several hours.  The child played by himself.   He talked to himself.   “I wish I had a friend,” he said.

 ‘That’s my clue,’ the dragon walked forward.   He decided he would cry that way it would seem like he was lost.

 It worked.

 The boy saw him.

 But, instead of coming to him, the boy ran into the house yelling at the top of his lungs for his momma.

 ‘Bad move!  We’ve got to run!”   A-Un ran fast.

 The next farm A-Un found no children so he continued on.  Unfortunately the farmer’s young wife had seen him. She ran to get her husband in the field.

 The next farm A-Un was seen by three preteen children who all started screaming at the top of their lungs.   He ran again.

 At the next farm, he watched a farmer and his wife feed the chickens and goats.   His stomach rumbled.  ‘Oh my, I’m hungry.   I’ll just find a field and eat some grass.’  

 Five minutes’ walk from the chickens and the goats A-Un came upon a green grass clearing.   Its first impression was the field was a lush green blanket.   As he got closer he realized that it was tall grass.  In his three foot size the grass came up to his shoulders.    If he lowered his head he would be virtually invisible to anyone chasing him.   A-Un made his way to the center of the green meadow nibbling on grass along the way.   When he arrived at the center he slowly moved around.   He didn’t notice anyone following him so he devoted himself to eating the luscious grass.   Closer to the ground he noticed some sweet clover.   He considered sweet clover as the best treat.

 As A-Un put his head down to graze, he didn’t notice the men downwind from him.    They had been following him since the first house and now were going to try and capture him.    Dragons had not seen in the dog kingdom since Sounga was defeated by King Inu Taisho’s grandfather.    If they caught this one and took it to the king they would get prize money.

 A-Un ate his fill and lay down to take a nap in the tall grass.   He often slept with one head under the other which gave the image of a one headed animal.

 That very same day King Inu Taisho and Prince Sesshomaru had been out in the kingdom practicing changing into their demon forms.    King Inu Taisho was a large dog demon with long white fur.  His true size was larger than an elephant.    Prince Sesshomaru was still very young and had only transformed a few times.   Each time he had transformed in the castle a wall was destroyed so the king had decided to take a field trip.    They had practiced transforming all day and by this time the prince was able to switch to his three foot size with no problems.   They had been working on flying as well and were overhead when they saw the men creeping up on the small animal.   From the sky A-Un looked like a deer and King Inu Taisho decided it would be good to add hunting to today’s lesson.

 The prince was a bit worn out from transforming so often but had kept his fatigue from his father, after all royals are not supposed to show weakness, or at least that’s what tutor Jaken had told him.  Still he was becoming more and more tired the more they flew and he couldn’t wait to land. They did not see the peasants.

  The royal dog demons landed upwind from the sleeping dragon.   Their scents drifted down wind over the dragon.  He awoke and surveyed the situation.

 A peasant rose, nocked an arrow, and let it fly, but his aim was poor.  Instead of aiming for the dragon it overshoot the dragon and it flew toward the prince who was still in his dog form.   A-Un heard the shrill pitch of the arrow in flight and realized it was going to hit the small dog.   He leaped in the path of the arrow, his scales deflecting the arrow and averting the arrow from its stray path.  

 The royals looked up when they heard the arrow whizzing through the air but Sesshomaru was too tired to move.  King Inu Taisho was too far from his son to save him.  He started running toward Sesshomaru but realized he wouldn’t make in time when he saw the two headed dragon leap in the air and purposely deflect the arrow.  He watched as the dragon fell back to earth with a thud.   Rushing to the dragon’s side he realized that this creature was sentient and had saved the prince’s life.

 The dragon lay on the ground panting.  Although he diverted the arrow from hitting the small dog his ribs were bruised.  ‘Wow, sure messed up this mission.  Just hope I can have a moment alone and I can time travel out of here.   At least that young dog is ok.’

 The king transformed to his humanoid form and ordered the peasants to stop their attack.  Then he bent over A-Un and examined the injured animal.

 “Steady boys, I mean you no ill will.   I am King Inu Taisho.   You have done me a great service today.  You have saved Prince Sesshomaru from certain death.   You have earned the King’s favor.

 A-Un blinked.  They turned their heads and blinked at each other.  They looked back to the king and blinked again.  Raising slowly from the ground the dragon bowed its necks to the king. It searched for the prince, but was unable to see the young lord as he was napping in the grass where he landed.   You see he was VERY tired.

 A-Un tilted both head as though asking a question to the king.   The king observed the dragon and followed where it was looking and suddenly realized it was searching for Prince Sesshomaru.

“Come with me friend dragon.   My prince is over here.  I imagine he is resting.”

 Following the king through the green field he stopped to look as the king picked up the sleeping child.  “Can you fly?”

 The dragon nodded.

 “Then follow me.”

 That is how A-Un met King Inu Taisho and Prince Sesshomaru.

 Inuyasha stopped the story and looked over his children.   The twins were asleep.   Motioning to the others that it was time to leave Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood and headed to the door.   Once they were outside the door Ryuu stopped them.

 “Dad, is there more to the story?”

 Inuyasha’s ears flickered as he moved toward his son.  “I suppose there could be more.   I guess we’ll leave it open.   Perhaps your father can tell you how he really met A-Un.   The story I told tonight was just a tale, a spin-off of the Robin Hood story.”

 Sesshomaru grabbed Ryuu’s shoulders and forced him to look into his eyes.  “Why don’t you spend time with A-Un?   I’m sure he has another version of the story.  Then you can tell us a bed time story.”

  Ever Us—A-Un, part 2

 Primary Cast:  Ryuu, A-Un

 Ryuu meandered into the courtyard and waved at the castle gate guards.   They nodded and returned to their duties.  As he walked by the fountain he admired the jets of water spraying into the large fountain base.   This was such a nice place.   He sat by the fountain and allowed his fingers to play in the water.  It was cool and refreshing.

 ‘I bet A-Un would like a drink, ’Ryuu thought.  He arose; walking with a purpose to the great horse barn that the two-headed dragon shared was Jinenji and A-Un.

 The barn was two stories. The horses, Jinenji and A-Un lived on the first floor.  The second floor was hay storage, a great place to hide from their parents and Jaken’s favorite napping site.  Ryuu smiled as he recalled several pranks they had played on their uncle, his favorite—how many straws can you put in the imp’s nose or mouth and not wake him—So far he lead the gang with eleven.   Honestly he wasn’t sure how many more he could get in the imp’s mouth and nose. He pondered.

 The castle horses whined a greeting to the young Takahashi.   Ryuu had taken to horse riding almost as easily as to swimming. It was though he could feel their intentions; when to hold on tight, when to brace for a jump, whether to lean forward, or to lean back.   He really never thought about it but he supposed he was communicating with them. The last horse in the stall stomped his foot, gaining Ryuu’s attention.

 “What can I do for you, Charger?”  Ryuu turned to look at the great warrior horse.

 The stable guard noticed the interaction and came to the Prince’s side.

 “Charger seems to be limping but none of us can see anything.  My Prince, do you know what’s ails him?”

 Ryuu eyed the great stallion.  The stallion dropped his head once.

 ‘I believe he asked me to help him,’ Ryuu puzzled.  ‘Did Charger just talk to my mind?’  Curious Ryuu formulated a thought and broadcasted it directly at the stallion.

 ‘You don’t have to yell. I just need you to get the rock or whatever out of my hoof.’

 Ryuu jumped back in shock. The stable guard took a defensive position in front of the young Prince. “What is it Prince Ryuu? I can whistle for Captain Kenichi immediately.”  The guard raised his two fingers to his lips and inhaled deeply to whistle.

 Ryuu raised a hand and stopped him.   “It’s ok.   I just tripped.  That’s all.   I think Charger wants the rock out of his hoof.”

 Now the guard jumped. “Charger wants what?”

 “There is a rock or something lodged in Charger’s hoof.”

 The stable guard looked from the prince to the horse and back several time.  The horse nodded.  The stable guard opened the stall and looked at the stallion’s hoof.

 ‘The right front,’ Charger said.

 “The right front,” Ryuu repeated, although it was the first time the guard heard it.

 Switching to the right front hoof, the guard lifted the hoof and examined the surface.  There in the sole was an abscess that was fluctuant to touch.

 “You are right!  Prince Ryuu, would you get the hoof knife for me?   It’s over on the shelf.   It seems Charger has a something imbedded in his sole and we need to incise it here and let it drain.   Would you like to help?”

 ‘Please my Prince,’ bowed the stallion.

 ‘As you wish,’ Ryuu replied, still very amazed he could understand the horse. He nodded to the guard as he walked to the shelf.  Ryuu grabbed the knife and after sterilizing it with a hot flame brought it to the stable guard.  

 “I’ll hold the hoof. Just make a small cut over that bump, do you understand?”

 “Won’t it hurt?”  Ryuu was worried.

 ‘I’ll hold still,’ Charger replied.

 “I’ve got his hoof,” the stable guard replied.  “He’ll be glad to get rid of the pain.   It’ll be okay.”

 Reassured by both the stable guard and the horse Ryuu dropped the point of the knife into the bump. Purulent material poured from the wound.

 ‘Aaaaaah—what a relief,’ Charger sighed.

 “Good job, My Prince.   Charger seems very content.  Now you need to push on the abscess to make sure it’s all clear.  This part may hurt but it’s necessary.”

 ‘Charger, you are doing well.  Hold still a little bit longer.  I need to clear the abscess.’ Ryuu told the stallion.

 The horse snorted.

 Ryuu pushed on the abscess and a thorn and more pus made their way to the surface.  After assuring the abscess was clear Ryuu flushed the wound with water.

 “Well done Prince Ryuu. Charger and I thank you.”  The stable guard lowered the hoof gently to the floor of the stable and patted the stallion’s flank.  “And you, Charger, deserve a juicy apple for holding so still. Can’t get over how well you held still,” the guard continued to talk to himself as he walked to the apple bucket to get the horse his treat.

 Charger nosed Ryuu. Ryuu hugged the horse’s neck.

The stable hand returned with an apple for Charger and one for Ryuu.  

The horse took the apple with his lips and backed into his stall to savor his treat.

Ryuu handled his apple and pocketed it as he walked further into the barn.    In the last portion of the barn Jinenji’s belongings; his tea set and checkered table cloth, a large ceramic washing basin and a bed of hay, occupied the left side and A-Un occupied the right.   Today the two headed dragon was curled like a feline, napping.  

 Ryuu wondered how long Ryuu had been sleeping and if it was okay to wake him when he noticed A-Un’s feet moving as though he was chasing after something.  The right dragon’s head snorted and the left moaned as though they had just missed catching the elusive prey.

 ‘A, you missed it,’ came a voice.

 ‘I missed it?  You missed it too,’ came the annoyed reply.

 “Missed what?” Ryuu responded.

 The dragon awoke and stared.

 “Hi A-Un,” Ryuu waved. “Want to go for a walk with me? The water in the fountain is nice and cold.”

 The dragon nodded eagerly and rose, stretching luxuriously.

 “Come.  Follow me,” Ryuu waved.

 The dragon lumbered after the young prince.

 As they left the barn the horses whined and bid the two a good day.

 In the sunlight of the castle grounds A-Un stretched their necks and looked about.  Content that all was in its place and its Masters were safe, they followed Ryuu to the courtyard fountain.

 “Have a drink, A-Un,” Ryuu offered.

 The right dragon head bent to have a sip.  Content that it was indeed as good as Ryuu had suggested the right head drank.   In time it removed its muzzle, water dripping and allowed the left dragon head a chance to drink.

 ‘So good!’ A spoke to Un.

 “I knew you would like it,” Ryuu nodded.

 ‘Can you understand us, little one?’ The dragon stared and blinked in amazement.

 ‘Guess so,’ Ryuu thought. ‘Just happened today with the horses.   I think I might be able to understand animals.’

 A-Un stared.

 Ryuu stared back.   ‘Why? Is that bad?’

 The dragon blinked again and then roared in delight.

 Castle guards came running from all over the castle grounds, weapons ready.

 “Stop everyone!” Ryuu called out.   “I’m okay. A-Un is just excited.   We’re going for a flight.  Tell Father and Dad we’ll be right back.”

 The prince mounted the dragon and took off.

 ————————

The royal couple rolled over in bed to see Ryuu and A-Un fly by.  They rolled back over, Inuyasha on top.

 “Don’t you dare stop now!” The inuhanyou commanded.

 His nose reassured him all was well so Sesshomaru grabbed his mate’s hips tightly and replied, “As you wish, my mate.”

 Moans, groans, and other sensational sounds continued.

  -------------------------

Ryuu and A-Un flew out of Castletown toward the remote forest of Japan.  Within ten minutes they had found a lovely meadow with flowers.

 Ryuu slid off A-Un and stood in front of them.

 ‘You didn’t answer. Is it bad that I can understand you?’

 ‘No, it is wonderful!’ A cried out.

‘No, it is marvelous!’ Un spoke at the same time.

 Then the two started speaking over each other as their excitement exploded.

 Within minutes of listening to the cacophony of sound Ryuu started laughing.  He bent over his knees and braced his belly.  Tears rolled down his cheeks.

 Soon the dragon stopped speaking and stared at the prince.

 As Ryuu calmed down he stared back.

 The meadow was quiet except for a cricket and a lone bird.

 ‘Don’t suppose you could talk one at a time please,’ Ryuu pondered.  ‘Now I think I understand why Dad can’t understand us kids when we all talk at the same time.’  Ryuu cleared his airways and looked pointedly at A-Un’s right head.  ‘You start.’

 A, the right head, bowed slightly and introduced itself.   ‘I am “A”. Mistress Rin named us.   She explained that in her native tongue “A” represents the beginning and “Un” the end of all things. I am the first.’

 The other head nodded. ‘And I am “Un”.     It has been eons since anyone could understand or speak to us.  Forgive us Master Ryuu for talking over each other.  We are just excited!’

 ‘I just learned that I could speak to animals today,’ Ryuu volunteered.  ‘Tell me more.’

 So A-Un spoke to Ryuu nearly all afternoon; about their home in the barn and the wonderful being that shared it with them, about Mistress Rin and how much they missed her, about their favorite foods and how much they loved to fly.  They mentioned how glad they were that their Father and Dad had become friends because they thought it was silly to not love your brother. After all they loved each other and they didn’t have a choice in the mater.  Several times they talked over each other and Ryuu just smiled.   Eventually they exhausted of topics and Ryuu got a chance to ask questions.

 ‘Dad tells us bedtime stories.   Last night he made up a story about you.’

 ‘Really?   Was it exciting?’ A asked.

 ‘Very.   You saved Father’s life.’ Ryuu nodded.

 ‘If we could only return the favor,’ Un sighed.

 ‘What do you mean?’ Ryuu queried.

 ‘What my brother means, Dear Prince, is that we owe a life debt to your father.   If it weren’t for him we would be dead.’

 ‘I still don’t understand.’ Ryuu contemplated the statement.

 ‘Years ago, when we were young our mother hatched us in the wilds of the dragon country.   We looked as we look today, a two-headed creature.   Our mother cared for us until we were teens but as with all dragons she kicked us out of the nest so she could hatch her next child.    We wandered the wilds, fending as we could; a rabbit here, a cabbage or melon there.   Mostly we found that we like grasses.   As a youngling we were very awkward. A would want to go to the right. I would want to go to the left.   We weren’t very good at flying either.   I guess you could call us dorks.’ Un laughed nervously as he reflected on their young life.

 A picked up the narrative. ‘We wandered into the inhabited area of dragon country.  At first we were excited to see others of our kind.  But then we noticed they were yelling and growling at us.   We bowed and kneeled and offered our best submissive poses but that made them even madder.  Suddenly they all turned as someone of significance walked into their midst.   Next thing I remember they were running at us with pitch forks and maces!’

 ‘It was scary!’ Un added.

 ‘We ran away as fast as we could but they caught up and started beating on us.   Our skin is tough.  It eventually was damaged and our organs inside as well.  It really hurt.   Eventually they tired of beating us but by then we were defeated, crying, and ready to die.’ A ruminated.

 Un cuddled against his brother’s cheek. ‘We were lying there in a pool of our blood, heaving to breathe, our ribs broken and lungs collapsed when along came Lord Sesshomaru.’

 A’s face lightened up. ‘He started to pass us by when Un whimpered.   I guess the sound intrigued our Lord and he turned.   I don’t know.  My face was beaten so badly my eyes were swollen shut.  But Un could see him.’

 ‘I did see him, brother. He was the most beautiful being I had ever seen.   He was wearing white and had a sword at his hip.  You look like him, Ryuu.  Such an exquisite creature.’  Silence followed as Un appeared lost in thought.

 ‘Dummy, wake up. Finish the story,’ A knocked his brother in the head.

 ‘Well, you think he’s good-looking too,’ Un pouted then looking at Ryuu he added.  ‘Your father said, “If you live, you may have the privilege of being my companion.”

 ‘We felt hope for the first time since we had been kicked out of our mother’s nest.   We both decided we wanted to live.  But we were afraid he would leave us.  So Un whimpered again.’  A looked gratefully to his brother.  

 ‘When Lord Sesshomaru heard my second whimper he sat down on a rock and watched over us.   I know his presence scared away the buzzards and other scavenger animals.  He appeared to be in deep thought as he sat there watching us.   I wanted to get better so we could follow him.  A did too.   We focused our power on healing and in two days we attempted to stand.   We wobbled a bit but soon enough we followed our noses to some grass and water.   Our lord followed us.  After we had our fill we started following him and we have ever since.’

 “Wow!” Ryuu verbalized out loud.

 The dragon heads chuckled.

 ‘I knew Father was cool but he really did save your life.  I can’t wait to tell everyone.’

 ‘Maybe you could keep it a secret just a little longer…’ Un asked.  ‘There’s a practical joke we’d still like to pull on Jaken before he finds out we aren’t just a “dumb pack animal.”

 A snorted.

 ‘Oh, let me in on it…’ Ryuu begged.

 -------------

 That evening at bedtime Sesshomaru offered Ryuu an opportunity to tell them a bedtime story about A-Un.

 Knowing he couldn’t lie to his father, Ryuu decided the truth would work for now.  “Father, I suspect A-Un has many great stories, but he hasn’t told all of them to me yet.  But I’m sure it thinks you are the best!”

 Kenichi automatically agreed with that and soon the room was full of young Takahashis praising their sire.

 Inuyasha shook his head and laughed.

 “Yeh, Yeh, Yeh.  And they have a crush on you too!”

 Ryuu just shrugged his shoulders.  “I think you wonderful too Daddy.” And he hugged Inuyasha’s waist.  

 The room of young Takahashis joined the huggers in a dog pile while also praising their puppy-eared parent.

 In time Inuyasha threw off the dog pile, “Alright you guys!  Enough delaying.  Time for bed.”  Sesshomaru grabbed his hand and pulled him to his side.

 “Good night children. Sleep well.”  Sesshomaru lead Inuyasha to their bedroom.

 Ryuu whispered to the others.   “Tomorrow, we are going to pull the best ever prank on Uncle Jaken.  Are you with me?”

 Keiko, Kenichi, Steven, Kyo, and Yuki nodded.   It was going to be legendary!

 Hugs and Kisses.  

 Goodnight

[econ23econlive]

Soukenomics

By Shahad Aziz (42961306)

Econ 23 (Discussion section 62091)

The Genie

“So what are the rules…?” Nadia asked suspiciously of the giant green golden jewelry clad genie, floating in its plumes of smoke. She considered all the ways she could ease the financial trouble her family was in since her Aunt’s hands began to twitch. Amtu Sara would normally supply up to thirty rugs for Baba to sell in the Souk, but now was supplying ten at most. If Baba raised his prices, the customers would easily go to any other vendor. Maybe she could wish for her aunt’s arthritis to heal, for more money, maybe just more wishes. 

“Do you wish to know the rules, sayidati?” The coy genie volleyed back in its chorus of voices as it surveyed the young scrappy girl sitting hunched forward on a beautiful Bedouin rug in her small mud house. She seemed so much more innocent than its previous owners. But all humans are the same, it thought: selfish and power hungry.  

“Am I allowed to wish for more wishes?” Nadia asked. A smile formed on the genie's lips as it nodded yes. Nadia felt distrustful of the celestial being, so she wished with caution.

“I wish for three additional wishes”

“Done” the genie snapped. “Three more wishes. You now have five”

“I wish to know all the rules and conditions associated with this wishing process”

“Very well sayidati. 

Rule 1. I cannot heal someone from a sickness without transferring that ailment on someone else you personally know. 

Rule 2. I cannot conjure something out of nothing. If you wish for an egg, A farmer elsewhere loses one. This applies to my magic as well. I only have magic for three wishes per person. If you wish for more wishes, the remaining magic is split evenly among the remaining ones. Some wishes will therefore only be partially complete or finished in a way to satisfy your wording but not your intentions….

Four wishes remaining”

“Y-you tricked me! You should have told me about the quality of the wishes before-hand! And what about the rest of the rules?” Nadia seethed at the wicked genie. 

“I did what was in my power without you making a wish, sayidati. As for the rules, there are five but I can only complete your wishes at 40 percent capacity now,” The genie replied matter-of-factly. 

Nadia fumed at the genie’s trickery, and more so at its widening smile as it curiously watched her. She didn’t have the patience to think of the proper wishes today. She banished the genie back to its golden lamp and prepared a humble dinner for Baba who would be returning from the market soon. Dinner went silently amongst father and daughter as it had for the past couple of weeks, before they both set up their cots to sleep. Nadia thought all night about what kind of calculated wishes to make in order to save her family.

Wish 3

When she arose, Baba had already left for the souk. She took the lamp out from under her cot with determination, and rubbed it until the plumes of smoke conjured the familiar shape of the Genie.

“Your wish is my command, sayidati,” The genie voiced with its normal air of mischief.

“I wish that my father’s rug business would excel!”

The genie let in a sharp intake of air as it cautiously snapped. “... It is done.”

Nadia heard the trepidation in the genie’s voice but didn’t want to appear weak by asking why. She took her mind off the wish by taking care of the household chores and reading. By the time Baba came home, she ran up to him excitedly and asked him how his day went. 

“It was so-so,” he replied. “All the rugs were bought out. Now, we have to wait for your Amtu Sara to make more for me to sell.” 

“But that’s great, Baba, right? You managed to sell your whole inventory!”

“Habibti, I can only sell the rugs at the price all the other vendors are selling them. And that price is how much we spend more or less to make a rug. We don’t really make a profit.”

“But Baba, if you don’t make a profit, how are we staying in business?” 

“Well, initially, the money we got back compensated us for the costs of running the business. The time needed to make a rug, the upkeep of the stand, and loom. But now, it’s taking more time and resources to produce each rug. The more time your Amtu Sara spends on making rugs, the more time and cotton she needs.” Baba sighed a deep sigh, “It’s okay ya benti, we will find a way.” Nadia finished her dinner in defeated silence and cursed the genie for its trickery. She would make it right tomorrow. 

Wish 4

When Nadia awoke, Baba was out of the house again. A note was left by her cot saying he went to visit her Amu Adil and Amtu Sara. She took the lamp out and vigorously rubbed it, ready to verbally eviscerate the useless genie. As the genie took form, it had its hands up in the motion of a surrender.

“Sayidati, I only granted your wish the best I could to my ability. Your father’s business is perfectly competitive. It does not matter how much he can sell, he won’t make a profit.”

“Well, how am I supposed to save my family’s business then?” Nadia fumed. 

The genie sighed at the pitiful human, “Sayidati, if I may suggest, why don’t you wish for business advice? It won’t be complete, but it will help you.”

“Business is common sense! People demand rugs, we supply it. But, clearly the rug business isn’t profitable in my aunt’s state,” Nadia began to pace angrily staring at the genie decked out in gold, while the genie itself looked on with nerves. “I wish that our family business dealt in gold instead!” 

With a sharp exhale, a look of concern, and a snap, the genie replied, “It is done.”

Nadia bided her time anxiously waiting for Baba to return. The door opened and closed quietly, as her father entered the house with a pensive look on his face.

“Habibti, after a long discussion with Sara and Adil, we have decided, we will sell the rug business for a jewelry stand within the next few months.”

Nadia beamed at the news, but her smile began to fade in the coming weeks as she saw less and less of her father. The closest goldmine was a whole day journey outside of town. Baba was gone most of the week mining. Amu Adil spent his time processing the gold. They would be the only jewelry vendors in town, and thus stood to make a lot of profit. Baba mentioned that the jewelry made from their haul could easily bring them 200 dirham. Yet, Nadia could not help but feel troubled. Her father’s back ached and his hands were bruised. Amu Adil already scarred both of his hands from the metallurgy. The price of a new stand and the smithing costs were negligible compared to their potential revenue, but Nadia could not help but feel that 200 dirham for their troubles was not enough. She felt compelled to conjure the genie. 

“Genie, why were you concerned about this wish?” she asked dejectedly. 

“I knew your family would not profit, sayidati,” the genie replied with condolence. 

“But… we will. We’ll make more than we paid.”

“Perhaps now is the time to wish for a lesson in economics, sayidati. You still have two more wishes”

“Fine,” Nadia moped. “I wish for a thorough lesson in economics.”

With a smile, the genie snapped.

“Sayidati, the most important question you can ask in business is, ‘What is the cost to pursue this action.’ You may think the costs are just monetary, but it’s also intangible things like your time, and health. Your father and uncle are paying for this business with their health, and time away from you. Is the value you put on family time, and your family’s health more than how much you stand to gain from the business?”

“Y-yes… yes it is. Baba and Amu Adil’s health is worth more than just 200 dirham!”

Nadia felt the knowledge saturate her brain as the genie catechized her on economics. Supply and demand, total revenue, costs, competitive markets, monop— . Just as it began, the knowledge abruptly stopped about 40 percent through the lesson. Typical. 

Wish 6

After five failed attempts at wishes, and armed with a semi-formed idea of economics, Nadia began to craft her last wish. The jewelry business would be monetarily profitable, but the intangible costs outweighed the revenue. If only the gold weren’t so hard to obtain and process. That’s it. She smiled slyly at the genie, who smiled hopefully back at her. 

“Genie, I wish 100 percent of the gold my father finds is difficult to extract and refine.” A large grin spread across the celestial being’s face as it snapped. 

Miles away, Baba began realizing that suddenly most of the gold he found fell out by a simple strike of his pick. Yet, he continued to chisel at the very difficult chunks of precious metal as well. They refused to budge. After much back breaking struggle, he realized the harder pieces were not worth it, and focused on the ores that were magically much simpler to mine out. 

Amu Adil very quickly became aware that the gold Baba brought was surprisingly easy to smelt and shape. He began processing much faster than before, and in much larger quantities. Nadia was pleased with her wish. Her father’s back pains subsided as he spent less time in the mines and her uncle stopped getting hurt through his metallurgy practices. 

However, when it came time to sell their large quantities of jewelry at the market, Nadia had an intuitive feeling course through her that they shouldn’t lay out their whole inventory. Supply and demand taught her that a lower supply sells for a higher price. Impressed by her knowledge, Baba allowed Nadia to run the shop. 

After several weeks of studying her transactions in the souk, Nadia became an adept saleswoman. She found the quantity at which producing one more piece of jewelry cost them the same as how much extra money they received for it, and prescribed her uncle and father to only produce at those levels. Their profits began to rise quickly, and the family began tasting a life of stability. 

Paying it Forward

“How much for the lamp?” a young girl with large eyes and a scrappy fez asked Nadia at her flourishing corner store one day. 

A quiet passed over Nadia. Baba must have found the lamp and put it with the rest of the inventory. She cleared her throat, hoping to clear her sentimental attachment to the item that was now useless to her, and quoted a price in line with the rest of her inventory.

“Two dirham, habibti”

“Oh,” The young girl gave a disappointed pout. “I only have one.”

A contemplative silence passed through Nadia as she watched the young girl trudge away. She hadn’t paid anything for the lamp she found by chance, and it served her no purpose now. 

“Wait, young girl!” 

The child turned around.

“One dirham. It’s yours”

The girl’s face lit up, “Shukraan, shukraan!” the girl thanked her, “My mom and I pass by your store so often, but it’s always just a bit too much for us, so thank you!”

Nadia smiled reflectively as she handed the young girl the lamp in exchange for what was still pure profit. She thought about how many people bypassed her store because of the price. She would still profit if they bought it any price higher than or equal to the cost to produce the jewelry, she realized. She decided she would allow customers to barter if the price was too high for them. Not even out of its lamp, and the genie had taught her another lesson. 

[woodworkinghere1]

16 Kids’s Books that Have fun Range | Brooklyn Blonde

Breaking News Today -

It is a publish I’ve been desirous to create for a very long time. Admittedly, with all the things occurring on the earth, it felt extra acceptable than ever to lastly publish. As a mother of two babies, I’m conscious of the nice duty, but in addition the privilege, to show them about the great thing about totally different folks and cultures. On the finish of the day, all of it begins at house and I’m longing for a future era that’s extra open-minded than those earlier than it. Under is a listing of kids’s books that commemorate range. I additionally wish to level out that I’m utilizing affiliate hyperlinks, with 100% of the proceeds being donated to organizations educating all youngsters about racial equality.

16 Kids’s Books that Have fun Range

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Household (Ages 4 – 8)

An uplifting, common story of latest experiences, the unbreakable bond between siblings, and of being pleased with who you’re.

Together with her new backpack and light-up sneakers, Faizah is aware of the primary day of faculty goes to be particular. It’s the beginning of a model new 12 months and, better of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of lovely blue cloth, just like the ocean waving to the sky. However not everybody sees hijab as stunning, and within the face of hurtful, complicated phrases, Faizah will discover new methods to be sturdy.

When We Have been Alone (Ages 4 – 8)

A narrative a few tough time in historical past and, in the end, one in all empowerment and power.

When a younger woman helps are inclined to her grandmother’s backyard, she begins to note issues that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have lengthy braided hair and fantastically coloured clothes? Why does she converse one other language and spend a lot time along with her household? As she asks her grandmother about this stuff, she is informed about life in a residential faculty a very long time in the past, the place all of this stuff have been taken away.

We’re Completely different, We’re The Similar (Ages 4 – 8)

A timeless story about acceptance and dwelling in a multicultural world.

A Sesame Road picture-back guide that tells an excellent, timeless story about acceptance and dwelling in a multicultural world. Nice learn for the classroom or to take pleasure in at house.

The place Are You From? (Ages 4 – 8)

An important dialog starter within the house or classroom.

This resonant image guide tells the story of 1 woman who consistently will get requested a easy query that doesn’t have a easy reply. Uncertain about tips on how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for assist. He doesn’t give her the response she expects. She will get a fair higher one.

Mae Amongst The Stars (Ages 4 – 8)

The proper guide for younger readers who’ve massive desires and even larger hearts.

When Little Mae was a baby, she dreamed of dancing in house. She needed to be an astronaut. Her mother informed her, “If you happen to consider it, and work onerous for it, something is feasible. Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and willpower, matched along with her mother and father’ encouraging phrases, paved the way in which for her unimaginable success at NASA as the primary African American lady to journey in house. This story is impressed by the lifetime of the primary African American lady to journey in house, Mae Jemison.

Parker Appears to be like Up: An Extraordinary Second (Ages 4 – 8)

How an on a regular basis second grew to become an extraordinary one, that continues to resonate its energy, inspiration, and indelible influence.

A go to to Washington, DC’s Nationwide Portrait Gallery ceaselessly alters Parker Curry’s younger life when she views First Girl Michelle Obama’s portrait. Parker noticed the chance and promise, the hopes and desires of herself on this highly effective portray of Michelle Obama.

Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills (Ages 3 – 7)

A timeless story about justice, equality, and the significance of following one’s coronary heart and desires.

Born to oldsters who have been each former slaves, Florence Mills knew at an early age that she liked to sing, and her performing catapulted her all the way in which to the phases of 1920s Broadway the place she impressed everybody from songwriters to playwrights. But with all her success, she knew firsthand how prejudice formed her world and the world of these round her. Because of this, Florence selected to help and promote works by her fellow black performers whereas heralding a name for his or her civil rights.

The Day You Start (Ages 5 – 8)

A reminder concerning the significance of perseverance regardless of the uncertainty.

There are a lot of causes to really feel totally different. Possibly it’s the way you look or speak, or the place you’re from; perhaps it’s what you eat, or one thing simply as random. It’s not straightforward to take these first steps into a spot the place no person actually is aware of you but. However one way or the other you do it. This #1 New York Occasions Bestseller reminds us that all of us really feel like outsiders sometimes-and how courageous it’s that we go forth anyway. And that generally, once we attain out and start to share our tales, others shall be comfortable to fulfill us midway.

Little Legends: Distinctive Males in Black Historical past (Ages 8 – 12)

A daring, joyous gentle on black males by way of historical past on this New York Occasions Bestseller.

This fantastically illustrated and engagingly written quantity brings to life true tales of black males in historical past. Amongst these biographies, readers will discover aviators and artists, politicians and pop stars, athletes and activists. The distinctive males featured embrace author James Baldwin, artist Aaron Douglas, filmmaker Oscar Devereaux Micheaux, lawman Bass Reeves, civil rights chief John Lewis, dancer Alvin Ailey, and musician Prince. The legends talked about on this guide span centuries and continents, however every one has blazed a path for generations to return.

Little Leaders: Daring Girls in Black Historical past (Ages 8 – 12)

The essential, instructional true tales of 40 trailblazing black girls in American historical past.

Illuminating textual content paired with irresistible illustrations convey to life each iconic and lesser-known feminine figures of Black historical past comparable to abolitionist Sojourner Fact, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Sprint. Amongst these biographies, readers will discover heroes, function fashions, and on a regular basis girls who did extraordinary issues – daring girls whose actions and beliefs contributed to creating the world higher for generations of women and girls to return.

Simply Ask! Be Completely different, Be Courageous, Be You (Ages 4 – 8)

A sort and caring guide about celebrating the variations that make every of us distinctive.

Feeling totally different, particularly as a child, might be robust. However in the identical approach that various kinds of vegetation and flowers make a backyard extra stunning and satisfying, various kinds of folks make our world extra vibrant and fantastic.

Littles: And How They Develop (All Ages)

A stupendous rhyming ode to infants —excellent for child showers, first birthdays, and anytime infants are celebrated.

With lovable scenes from the busy lifetime of a “little”—peekaboo, feedings, tantrums, giggles—and a remaining scene that reminds us how they turn out to be massive children all too quickly, that is the perfect present for any new guardian and their baby.

Separate Is By no means Equal (Ages 6 – 9)

An academic story a few household’s struggle for desegregation.

Nearly 10 years earlier than Brown vs. Board of Training, Sylvia Mendez, an American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, and her mother and father helped finish faculty segregation in California after Mendez was denied enrollment to a “Whites solely” faculty. Her mother and father took motion by organizing the Hispanic group and submitting a lawsuit in federal district courtroom. Their success ultimately introduced an finish to the period of segregated schooling in California.

A Completely different Pond (Ages 6 – 8)

A strong, trustworthy glimpse right into a relationship between father and son – and between cultures, previous and new.

As a younger boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours earlier than his father’s lengthy workday started, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. In contrast to many different anglers, Bao and his father fished for meals, not recreation. A profitable catch meant a fed household. Between hope-filled casts, Bao’s father informed him a few totally different pond of their homeland of Vietnam.

My First Chinese language New Yr (Ages 2 – 5)

A enjoyable and colourful option to introduce the Chinese language New Yr to younger readers.

Chinese language New Yr is a time of latest beginnings. Comply with one little woman as she learns tips on how to welcome the approaching 12 months and expertise all of the festivities surrounding it.

AntiRacist Child (All Ages)

For readers of all ages devoted to forming a Simply society.

With daring artwork and considerate but playful textual content, this board guide introduces the youngest readers and the grown-ups of their lives to the idea and energy of antiracism, by offering the language obligatory to start essential conversations on the earliest age.

The post 16 Kids’s Books that Have fun Range | Brooklyn Blonde appeared first on Breaking News Today.

source https://daily247.net/16-childrens-books-that-celebrate-diversity-brooklyn-blonde/

[musiccosmosru]

A longtime reader recently forwarded the following NUFORC account; apparently because the people involved in the incident were acquaintances of the reader:

At approximately 1:15 AM on 11/20/04 my wife & I retired to sleep on the second level of our Boca Raton, Fl home after watching TV in our first floor den. As I often do, I put on our TV in our room which helps me to get to sleep. As I watched a National Geographic special I became groggy. Knowing that keeping the TV on all night bothers my wife, I grabbed the remote and switched off the TV and quickly fell into a deep sleep. In what seemed an instant after doing so, I was awakened by my wife who questioned me as to where I was. My immediate response was “in our bed.”My wife then explained to me that she awoke because she sensed that I was not in bed with her. She then stated that she searched the whole house and even walked to the guard house in her pajamas of our community to see if anybody had been permitted to drive to our residence to pick me up. She was told nobody had come into the community.

Upon her return, she burst into the room and found me in our bed. She stated that my car was in our driveway, and that my wallet, cell phone and money was just as I had left it in our kitchen when we went upstairs, which further upset her. She knows me well enough to know that if, in fact, I left our home for some reason, I would have taken these items with me. We do not live near any stores or establishments that one could walk to.

As I awoke, she further explained that the covers in our bed on my side looked exactly as if I had pushed them down and left the bed. Realizing that she was not kidding, I informed her that I just turned off the TV and fell asleep. She then reconfirmed that she searched our entire residence and that I was not physically present.

I glanced at the clock and it was about 2:30 AM when she stormed into our bedroom and awoke me with this shocking news.

I tried to comfort and console her at this point and confirmed that to my knowledge I had not left our bed, not even to use the bathroom.

Not really sure what had happened, we went back to bed. When I awoke, I asked her to confirm what had happened and that either her nor I were dreaming. She confirmed it.

Somehow, I do not think either of us actually accepted this event as reality because we awoke and did not talk about it. As a believer, I felt that I needed to let soembody know and help me to understand what might have happened. So I searched the web and found this site to report incidents. I called and was instructed to file this report as I am.

I consider myself of sane and sound mind and am a local business owner.

I was also instructed to have my wife file an incident report which will be done first in the AM. I am also willing to have this event scrutinized by any means required to validate it including onsite investigation, cameras, lie detectors anything.

It almost seems like something out of the ‘Twilight Zone’ and I feel more confused than anything.

I am not sure what really happened. The evidence has it that I was somehow physically missing from my home for 45-60 minutes without my knowledge.

I was told to examine myself for any marks, and did not find any. However, from the base of my throat to the middle of my chest it is mildly red, as if I had been exposed to the sun. I can tell because when I press the area, a brief mark appears such as when one gets a sunburn and presses the affected area with a finger. The rest of my body is unaffected.

I welcome any comments and or suggestions.

—–ADDENDUM FROM MARY MARGARET ZIMMER, ASSISTANT STATE DIRECTOR FOR FLORIDA

Sleeping Male Vanishes From Home Late AM

This report was submitted by the witness, ((name deleted)). The contact information was given to me by Peter Davenport. I called ((name deleted)) at work on 12-13-04. He said he wanted to talk to me and gave me his home phone number. I called this number many times. Tried the work number again, and attempted e-mail contact. None of the messages were answered. If future attempts at contact are successful, I will notify this site.

Mary Margaret Zimmer MUFON, ASD, FI Miami, Florida

NOTE: The reader (KL), who forwarded this report to me, stated that he believes the incident actually occurred. MUFON and NUFORC both made inquiries. NUFORC was under the impression that this was a hoax, which is a consistent reaction by the group when a witness goes silent. According to KL, the experiencer had a ‘visit’ from a government agent no more than 36 hours after the incident. The experiencer and his wife became extremely upset by the visit, and refused to continue cooperating with the reporting agencies. The couple had a number of unexplained ‘encounters’ over the next 3 years. They moved to another location and never contacted KL again. KL believes the couple have since passed away, according to inquiries that were made in 2015. Lon

Unexplained Disappearances: Exploring The Creepy True Cases Of People That Disappeared Overnight (Missing People, Missing Persons, Unexplained … Theories, Bizarre True Stories) (Volume 1)Unexplained Disappearances: Bizarre Missing People Stories That Baffled The Authorities (Missing Persons, Bizarre True Stories, Missing People, True Police Stories, Conspiracy Theories) (Volume 2)

Missing People: Disturbing Stories From The Last 100 Years: People That Disappeared Without A Trace (Conspiracy Theories, Missing Persons, Unexplained Disappearances, Unexplained Mysteries) (Volume 1)

True Police Stories: Crazy Eyewitness Accounts & Bizarre True Stories Of The Paranormal Kind (True Crime, True Paranormal, Conspiracy Theories, … Unexplained Disappearances) (Volume 1)

Missing People: The Multiple Effect: True Case Studies of Unexplained Disappearances

Lon’s Suggested Reading List – Books & Films / DVDs

<a style="display:none" rel="follow" href="http://megatheme.ir/" title="قالب وردپرس">قالب وردپرس</a>

The post Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal appeared first on MusicCosmoS.

[anvil527up]

preparedness and society after a catastrophic event. It's a bit long! I'm sure there is more I left out I guess we could call this my Hurricane Maria AAR As of the time of this writing, we are exactly one week post Maria. 2 days pre Hurricane Maria Landfall 1-The Puerto Rican water authority shut off residential water and drained the levies in preparation for the rains leaving residents with no water to use to prepare. After a large outcry, it was turned back on 12 hours pre impact allowing people to fill bath tubs and store what water they could. 2-We live about 2 hours from San Juan, a less populated part of the island. My wife is a full time S3 officer at a medium sized reserve center attached to a small Coast Guard base. We were trying to pick up some last minute luxury items to weather the storm and the Coast Guard informed full time Army that the essential items like water was for Coast Guard only and wouldn't let soldiers buy. I can understand shutting the Exchange down for retirees and non-active reservists, but to reject other full time military members is a disgrace in my eyes. Luckily for us, I'm quite a prepper and my wife is an Hurricane stalker, so we had already stocked up on all of the essentials prior to Irma and then re-stocked at the main Army base in San Juan the weekend before Maria hit. We had food and water and gas (35 gallons in cans and the genny plus both cars full). 1 Day Pre Hurricane Maria Landfall 1-All cell phone service was shut off prior to the storm impacting the island. A week later, cell phone services have still not been restored Island wide. 2-Power went down sometime in the night while we slept. We are not sure if it was shut down like the cell phones or if it was just the fragile (decrepit?) nature of the electrical grid in PR where it is a frequent event. Landfall! 1-With all communication shut down island wide prior to the impact of the hurricane, we were unaware that the path of the storm had shift and was making a B line for where we lived! (We didn't even know if it was striking as a Cat 4 or 5). We awoke at 0400 as the first hurricane force winds hit the house. We spent the next 20 hours bailing water out of the house. We were able to fill both bathtubs and was still throwing water out. It was running down the stairs and was several inches deep on the ground floor. All of our furniture, beds, chairs were soaked, but there was nothing to do for it as the storm hit us for a solid 24 hours with wind and rain. 2-We live in a nice neighborhood and rent a very nice house from a couple of Drs that got jobs in the states but did t want to sell it. So we were able to make a really good rental agreement with them. It was during this storm that it was driven home that they had cheaper out on a lot of things when they built it. A-the house has storm windows, but the owners failed to have them sealed properly. With the winds blowing, the water and rain pushed what little sealant there was out and the rain was blown into the house with very little resistance. As the storm came at us it flooded one part of the house, after it passed, it flooded the other side. I finally just gave up on the bottom floor and just focused on keeping the master bedroom where we spend most of our time from flooding too bad. B-the owners painted the inside of the house with latex paint. For anyone that has been to PR or Florida, most of the houses are made out of concrete. With the wind blowing water into the house, flooding under the doors and running down the walls, the water found a way to get under the latex paint and, in effect, flooded the walls themselves. There is water and big water bubbles all under the paint throughout the house. Once it is either stripped or they pop, water will once again be all over the house. The really bad part, after sitting it is going to be very moldy bad water that comes out. C-The balcony and roof drains had no type of covering to prevent debris from flowing into them, they were just open pipes set into the concrete. They were all clogged pretty early on and led to the first round of upstairs flooding. The first room flooded had a foam mattress that sucked up no telling how much water. I can barely move the thing even now! 3-If you have kids, entertaining them and keeping them safe and off the floors is a second chore! He's at the age he wants to be involved in all that we are doing and can only stand still watching videos and what not for so long. Post Hurricane Maria We went out about 48 hours after the storm trying to get to the base where my wife works. We were hoping that there would be a way to communicate with our families to let them know we were ok and my wife wanted to start getting accountability for her soldiers. It took us almost 2 hours to go the 6 miles to her job! The island was devastated!!! Power lines down everywhere, even the huge concrete ones! Trees uprooted! Homes collapsed! Landslides from the small mountains! 18 wheeler trailers flipped over! Fences, satellite dishes (like the huge dishes) blown free! I have never seen such devastation in such a short period of time. And I have NEVER seen such lack of preparation in my life!!! It would be common sense to thing an island that is frequently threatened by hurricanes would have plans in place for before, during and after the storm, not these ****ers! They were so ambivalent towards it because it had been over 30 years since the whole island had taken a direct hit by a storm. They normally only skirt the island and hit on side or another, so they thought that Maria would make a last minute turn and not impact the entire island. They couldn't have been more wrong!!! In addition, the lack of preparedness by the Army has me in a state of disbelief! It was 6 days before there was any communication with HQ in San Juan. 1-There was no satellite phone in the building! And we are talking about a BN sized reserve unit here! 2-There were only enough MREs and water staged for one bottle of water per day per soldier and 1 MRE (the center here is supplied out of the main base in San Juan). 3-When someone from HQ finally did show up with a sat phone, they confiscated the GSA vehicles here to take back to the main base and didn't bring any food and water for the soldiers here. Now a week later, we still have not been re-supplied by HQ. They are back fully functioning with water, power, internet and food while the soldier here are stuck with MREs. 4-There was no plan in place to get accountability of the soldiers after the storm. Granted there was no communication, but there wasn't even a message posted at the gate to give direction for those who may have showed up to check in or indicate that they were safe. 5-The General was activating units via AM radio! 6-The Coast Guard folks are a bunch of dicks! A-They were evacuating Coastie dependents, but when a soldier went to take his family to get them evacuated, they turned him away and the C130 left with over 100 empty seats!!! ****ers! There was some big coming to Jesus meeting between the CO for the Coast Guard and the Acting CO here right now and they let a few soldier family evacuate on their flights but have since stopped them after getting their people out. As of now, NORCOM has taken over but there has been no communication by the Army as to completing the evacuation of dependents from the island. B-They asked for Soldiers from my wife's unit to cook for the Coast Guard and Army, but they were wanting to charge the Soldiers $20 a day for the food while the Coasties ate free. Yea they were providing the food, but we were providing all of the cooks to prepare it all. A few of you guys remember my wife from way back in the LWRC Forum, she flipped her lid, grabbed me as her muscle and walked over to the Coast Guard station. Probably a good thing they weren't there at the time! 7-My wife is under the impression that dependents may be forced to evacuate the island due to the conditions and how it is deteriorating! So far I have resisted the attempts to try to get us to leave for a few reasons: A-I can't leave my wife here along when the Army has not set up a secure place for the soldiers on base. We live out in town and I have already seen people surveilling our neighborhood. I've been taking picture of plates of people that def don't belong and one neighbor told us last night that he woke up at midnight with someone shining a flashlight through the windows of his house. So since the Army isn't going to ensure her security, I will be here so we can watch each other's backs. We sleep light and armed and keep the house alarm battery charged and set at night. B-Our generator is heavy as hell and there is. I way my wife can get it where it needs to go by herself and I refuse to leave her in the dark and alone. She tells me she is a soldier and can take care of herself, but I explain that I'm a husband and a Marine and it's my job to take care of my family and shoot people in the face!!! 7-All in all I am very disappointed in the level of preparedness and the lack of take care of your Soldiers and families mentality that I have seen. 8-It is better to be prepared and not need it than need it and not be prepared. This is a huge issue on the island right now and the reason why so many people are already struggling a week after the event 9-It seems that we were left to deal with things on our own, unlike the aid that was sent en masse to TX and FL. Hell in FL they even evacuated all non essential military and their families, but not here General State of the Island and News 1-People are rioting at gas stations. Some stations give Military, First Responders, Drs and utilities head of the line access and last night the police had to detain people trying to go after those with front of the line privileges. These actions are forcing the owners to close the store. Police guard all the gas stations and escort fuel, food and water deliveries. Overall the state of the people on the island is deteriorating very quickly. Think Katrina on a scale of an entire island of almost 4 million. 2-Gas lines are on average 11 hours with people lining the roads the day before and sleeping in their cars. They are blocking roads and areas where utility workers are trying to work impeding progress. 3-A 1800-0600 curfew was put into effect to help combat people being on the streets 4-People are puncturing gas tanks of cars and draining the gas 5-We have reports of a soldier being kidnapped. Another center having issues with locals trying to get on the reserve center to steal supplies. 6-There is widespread looting and protests. 7-FEMA and the Red Cross still haven't made it to our side of the island and people are having to brace the drive to go get supplies. 8-There are an estimated 2000 bodies decomposing at hospitals that have no gas or generators running in the morgue 9-There was a major landslide up in the mountains with an unknown number of casualties, but estimates put the numbers between 200 and several thousand. 10-The dam for the main reservoir on our side of the island is near failure 11-Police and fire have no communications and are unable to respond to issues. 12-Electricity is estimated to be 6 months before it is back on and a year or more for the entire island 13-It is currently unknown when water will be back on 14-People are hanging signs begging for supplies since aid has not arrived here yet. Water is quickly becoming an issue all over our area. 15-Banks and ATMs are barely functioning limiting funds to $500 for account holders. People likes us with USAA are unable to draw out cash. 16-Even with a generator, we are unable to keep the fridge going because of gas being a scare commodity. 17-It is a cash only economy at this time Invaluable Items: 1-mops and buckets! 2-floor squeegee that we could push water with 3-handheld entertainment for the kiddo 4-water reserve with a pump (600 gallons). Properly rationed this will last us a couple months. Plus a Katadyn water filter for backup 5-GAS cans!!! We had over 30 gallons when it started and have still not used all of our supply 6-Generator-I would suggest a propane one. Less issues getting natural gas vs gasoline. More stable than gas and doesn't go bad. 7-The ability to wash clothes without a washer 8-Camp stove or gas griddle 9-Charcoal! We bought up a lot so we could cook on the grill. Was tons of it around so I guess people didn't consider that 10-Water storage and purification 11-Freeze dried camp food and MREs 12-Backup batteries to charge devices 13-Books!!! There is no much to do with everything shut down 14-Hatchet/hawk and/or large chopping knives/machete. With so many trees down areas needed to be cleared 15-Firearms-safety is becoming a real issue with each passing day. People are already fighting over limited supplies. Another two weeks and things will escalate further. 16-Lanterns/candles for light, though as it get more dangerous, light discipline will become important 17-matches/lighters 18-Bug Spray!!! After the storm mosquitoes are horrible!!! 19-water to flush the toilets!!! This is huge as they do not have water on base and the bathrooms are becoming a real health issue 20-AM/weather radio! 21-Extra Batteries!!!! 22-Frozen gallon bags of water to help keep the fridge 23-Bade (sp?) was very helpful as both a male and female urinal in the house. Needing no water we were wasting our resource to flush it. Just a little to clean it out at the end of the day Things I wish I had 1-battery powered fan! It gets hot as balls here at night and makes it hard to sleep. 2-a solar panel and rechargeable batteries for the lanterns and devices 3-More gas cans! 4-More cash on hand 5-More MREs and non-perishable food (I have enough food on hand to last another 4 weeks easy if rationed) 6-More ammo 7-Better AM/band radio 8-Sat phone/sat data. It was almost a week before we could let people know we were ok 9-HAM radio! 10-Wet Vac 11-Holsters for every pistol!" UPDATED 10-1-17 Coming to the end of another week, next week will be 2 weeks post storm. Just a little update for everyone. We are still doing ok with water, food and gas for the generator. We finally totally gave up on trying to keep the fridge going. Was burning a lot of gas and we can't leave the generator running at night due to a theft concerns. Have some nice neighbors who brought us some milk, water and cereal for Peanut. Were able to return the gesture when we were able to get in and buy a few things on base. Gas lines are still crazy at the stations that still have gas, many do not. We still haven't seen FEMA or the Red Cross on our side of the island. Seems that all of the aid is centered around San Juan and our side of the island and hat was hit the hardest has been forgotten. I have mostly been checking messages and such and not really looking at news and all that, but what I have seen is pretty sickening, everything being turned into political maneuvering while people go hungry and thirsty. Take care of the people first then play your games. Thanks to everyone who has sent messages checking on us or contributed to the fund that some good buddies set up for us to help with the recovery and living expenses of the world we find ourselves in at the moment. We are making it, we are survivors!

Last edited by AllaSnackbah; Yesterday at 01:57 PM.

-Snacks Crossfitter, RX Scale Vegan/Gluten Free Small L Massachusetts Libertarian Sig Snob Meme War Veteran D-Class IPSC Open Div Shooter

[musingofariael]

Dwarves

Quick Facts: Height: Average about 4" Weight: 160lbs to 250lbs on average Lifespan: Average of about 250 to 300 years Defining Features: Short stout build, broad Population: 6,000 Found: Iron Crags, Ivory Hills, Worldwide Reputation: Master smiths and craftsmen Gods: Leanings towards Kaflios. Racial Bonus: +10 any Smithing or +10 Axe Combat Overview: The Dwarves are a proud race of expert smiths and warriors. An ancient race, it is difficult to tell when exactly they came into being as an organized society. They come in two types, divided by where they live; the Hill Dwarves and the Mountain Dwarves. The Dwarves of both types are renowned for their abilities to craft stone and metals into magnificent weapons and pieces of architecture the likes of which is unmatched by any other race. It is because of this innate skill that dwarven stone masons and weapon smiths are respected, sought after, and more then a fair bit expensive. Despite how sought after their work is, both segments of the Dwarven population tend to live on the fringes of human society and stick within groups among themselves, but the Hill Dwarves are slightly more sociable then their mountainous counterparts with outsiders. This life on the edges of civilization is by their own choices, as they are not inherently mistrusted or disliked. History: It is said that the Dwarves were carved out of the living rock themselves. Milja, Goddess of Life once gazed down from the heavens at all of the twisted spires of rocks, jutting mountains and rolling hills of Ariael and had a thought come to her mind. What if all this stone, so lacking of life, could be formed into life of its very own? She spent days walking among the mountains, the crags and cliffs breathing life into them, little by little. The stone that had once been cold beneath her feet began to feel warm as if it possessed a spark within the cold depths. She knelt upon the top of the Iron Crag, the tallest of these mountains in the grandest of ranges in all of Ariael and from that point, where all other stone lay beneath her she could feel the beat of the heart of the planet. The stone was now living so long as it was connected to the living, beating heart of the planet. A smile came to her lips as she reached down and dipped her hand into the stone, suddenly fluid and malleable for her to make into whatever she wished. First she built up a base form. She pulled from the earth the minerals of strength, iron and other metals to form her creation. Her tongue sticking from her lips as she concentrated on her work. Making life from the base materials of the planet was always a fun activity for her. She could paint a small portion of herself onto the creature she created. The rock was strong, steadfast and true. It did not yield to the wind or any other force. She would make them short and stout so they will not blow away in the wind. Strong because rock would not find itself pushed this way or that. Moment by moment, day by day, eon by eon; time means nothing to a Goddess and still she worked on her new creation. The broad face, the flat nose, long braided hair and a prominent, proud beard. They would be a proud race, she knew this. Finally she stood and examined her creation, the Dwarf. Stepping back to appreciate her work she could not help but be impressed with herself. She could breath life into solid stone, something dead and devoid of any life, and give it form. A smile played across her lips as she leaned in and planted a kiss upon the nose of her creation, a kiss of life. To her dismay, nothing happened. Did the stone not wish to come to life? She was the Goddess of life, things awoke at her touch, but this stone though living, breathing in a way, did not wish to move. It was then that she was approached by another god, a minor god born of the coupling between the Goddess of the Earth and a mere mortal. Kaflios, the god of civilization offered his help. "I do not need your help, for life is what I do. It is mine to command, and by my power alone the stone will live, will breath." She spoke in a tone that broached no argument but still held true to the grace and life that she had always represented. "But Goddess, the stone and metal has never lived before, the spark is not strong enough. Perhaps, if it were fed, allowed to grow in heat, we could cause that spark to grow into an inferno and wake the very stone." He kept his head slightly bowed as he spoke as to not be too brazen, she was after-all a true Goddess. "My forge can wake him." And so it was that the Dwarf was placed within the forge of Kalfios, god of civilization and it was through those fires that life was truly awakened within the stone that had lay cold and lifeless before. From that fire emerged Koh'orim Of The Living Stone, the first high king of the Dwarves. It is because of this story that many Dwarfs view Kalfios as their patron and master of the Heavenly Forge, or so legend has it. Biology Physical Appearance: The Dwarves are broken into two segments of their population; the Hill Dwarves and the Mountain Dwarves. There isn't much difference between the two beyond some small visual differences. The Mountain Dwarves are slightly shorter then the Hill Dwarves, though broader in body. They also are more contrasting in their coloring then the Hill Dwarves, their skin often being more pale and their hair being dark brown or black. The Hill Dwarves by contrast tend to be slightly more tanned, their skin even ranging to a deep brown on rare occasion, and their hair often is a red or light to medium brown in color. Common Traits: The most common trait among the Dwarf is of course their size. Both males and females average around four feet tall at adulthood. They are stout and almost as broad as they are tall with short strong legs. All Dwarves have relatively broad faces with wide flat noses. Perhaps almost as well known as the short stature of the Dwarf is their beard which the Dwarf grows from a very young age and will cut under no circumstances within their control. To lose one's beard is to be dishonored in the most drastic of ways. It is said that the beard is so symbolic and so tied into their existence when they were sculpted into life that even the women of the Dwarves have beards. Psychology: Dwarves are honor bound individuals. They have a confidence that often comes across as arrogant and perhaps it is. After all, the Dwarf is the greatest race to be isn't it? They would say so. Dwarves tend to keep to themselves and away from many of the other races unless they are running a shop or hiring themselves out for blacksmithing or stone masonry tasks. The Dwarf is a proud individual that will go to great lengths to hide weakness and it is nearly impossible to see a Dwarf shed a tear. No Dwarf is worth anything without their beard, a symbol of their strength and prowess, at least that is what other Dwarves will say. Reproduction: Dwarves are capable of breeding with other races though this is rare. The offspring of a Dwarf and any other race, will be taller then the Dwarf on average but not by much. Upon a second or third generation of mixed breeding, the Dwarven aspects of their physiology will become notably muted and start to disappear. Gestation for a Dwarven pregnancy is about ten months. A Dwarven female is able to get pregnant twice within their life, and come into sexually maturity around eighty years old. Often times, these pregnancies consist of two offspring at once. Aging & Longevity: The average Dwarven lifespan is between 250 and 300. They reach maturity between 50 and 100 years. Society: Social Structure: Dwarven culture is structured around clans and families. The largest kingdom of Dwarves consists of the Mountain Dwarves under the high king and lay within the Iron Crag Mountains. The Hierarchy beneath the king is geared around various clans that have and sometimes still do war with each other. Much of the large scale combat is in the past now, but clans still fight among themselves for supremacy. Lineage and past conquest of ancestors is often touted when deciding which families find themselves next in line to succeed the throne if it were to find itself empty and without heirs. It is said that only the high king can call for a unification of both Hill and Mountain Dwarves in a time of crisis. Hill Dwarves are also known as wandering Dwarves. Though they make their home in the Ivory Hills, they have been known to travel the world in small bands or troops. Often consisting of one, two or at most three separate families these groups are tight knit and loyal to one another. These groups often consist of trade merchants, masons and a variety of smiths so that they can enter other territories and earn money for their continued survival. Though Hill Dwarves are more social then their mountain dwelling counterparts they still keep themselves towards the fringes of other societies by their own choice. Of course, one might find this difficult to believe if one encounters a very friendly and very drunk Dwarf in a local tavern. Language: Dvaar, the Dwarven language is considered to be the ancestor language of common. Common is believed to have been developed directly from the Dvaar language with small contributions from ancient elven languages. Dwarves tend to keep grammar and syntax short and to the point, avoiding excess fluff. Some say Dvaar is as simple as it is so the Dwarves have no problems once the ale starts flowing. Names: Dwarves are not much for fancy sounding names, but many times their surnames will either be denoting something that is linked to their accomplishments or prowess, references to the mountains or rock or will be a denotation of their parentage. Examples of Dwarven Names- Torin Stonehammer Morgo Oakenfist Korrick Son Of Kren Koh'orim Of The Living Stone Friends and Family: Dwarves view family as one of the most important things in the world as their honor is tied to their family lineage. All Dwarves can name their family tree back for hundreds of years and can always manage to pick out the bits that make their family better then any other. Both Mountain and Hill Dwarves stay within their families and function as one solid unit, the old passing on their knowledge to each successive generation and the young raising up to take care of them. A Dwarf without family is a Dwarf without honor. Often times fathers will pass down their smithing knowledge and families will carry on various designs from generation to generation. This direct passing of artisan level knowledge is one of the primary reasons that dwarven craftsmen are viewed as among the greatest, if not the greatest in the world. Religion: Many dwarves view Kalfios as their patron god due to his forge waking them to life and view Koh'orim Of The Living Stone as a sort of messiah figure. The likeness of the forge master and his creation are held to high standards among their houses of worship. Perhaps it is a bit of chauvinism within dwarven cultural that find the Goddess of life excluded from many of their religious practices. Though viewed through the rest of the world as the god of civilization, within the dwarven community, Kalfios will always be the master of the forge and father of all things built, smelted or smithed. Any dwarven blacksmith that wishes to forge a blade that will last forever will say a blessing to both Kalfios and Koh'orim over the blade. Diet: One thing the Mountain Dwarves do not have is a green thumb. Due to their often subterranean lifestyle their diets consist of very little fruit and vegetables. They eat a lot of meat and consume vast amounts of ale, both traits are common with their Hill brethren as well. Hill Dwarves, though often traveling do manage to grow food and raise livestock more effectively, so their diet consists of a more balanced spread consisting of fruits, vegetables, wheat, meat and of course ale. Care: Dwarven medicine is not as renown as their smithing abilities or warrior status but given their seclusion from other societies it is very advanced. It is rare to find a dwarven medicine man or healer functioning outside of a major dwarven settlement, but those that do exist are talented in their fields.