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afoolandathief · 2 years

Text

Day 5 of Nano

WIP: Something Wicked

Status: Rewriting

NaNo profile: afoolandathief

NaNoWriMo 2022 Goal: 250 words a day

Words written today: 803

NaNo WC total (not counting prior work): 1,633

Total WC for rewrite: 34,876

So I had to skip NaNo the last couple days as I helped planned and carried out a sort of protest (and it was amazing!!). But, given my goal of a light 250 words a day, I think I more than made up for it today. And I wrapped up Chapter 8 7 (I mixed these up), a chapter I went back and added after the fact, so I'm now at a total of 11 chapters into the rewrite, and I've already started Chapter 12 (speaking of which, if you're in the SW Discord, I updated the Discord draft finally)!

Excerpt and taglist below ↓

I'm going to include a longer excerpt from earlier in the chapter that I'm proud of, since I did wrap it up tonight.

TWs for wolves, body horror, food mention, death/murder mention, blood mention, drug mention, brief nudity, sex/sex work mention and mention of attempted sexual assault

The moon was setting below the horizon now, but Caz knew that wasn’t really what mattered. What mattered was the sliver of darkness at its edge, the moon turning her face away, her pull lessened if only slightly.

There was still plenty of light to see the massive wolf running across the stretch of desert toward him.

Caz moved in quick bursts as she approached, letting her get close enough to nip his heels before weaving back toward the parking lot until that stitch returned in his gut. She bent her head as if to play, her gray coat dazzling under the moonlight.

It wasn’t until they were at the edge of the lot, near that rotten-smelling dumpster, that she began to whine, then snap at him until he floated up and out of reach. She choked out a warning growl just before collapsing on the pavement, her limbs spasming and torso heaving.

Caz gritted his teeth hard enough to ruin several for good and waited. Waited through the atrophying muscles and reshaping bones. Waited through the skin-prickling hair loss. Waited until the whines and whistles became the coughs and moans of something all-too human. And then he dropped.

The first thought he had upon seeing Lila Brown was that he needed to feed her. It was the first thing he’d ever said to her the night they met, or maybe the second — no, the third. The first thing he’d asked was if this guy was bothering her. The second was if she wanted his truck once he’d finished draining him. He had crawled out its window after tilting it to the side with the sheer force of his attack, his stomach even fuller than it was now and his voice trembling from traces of amphetamines in the blood. She’d shaken her head. She couldn’t drive, he later found out, not that she’d want the very thing the guy had used to corner her in the hopes for free head.

The third thing he’d said to her was a reluctant command to follow him home to crash on his couch, not knowing how scared she’d been hearing that, thinking he was taking her for himself. So, it was the fourth thing he’d ever said to her, then — not the third. A demand the skinny wraith eat some scrambled eggs and toast at his kitchen table the following afternoon.

She was still skinny, even now, though her bare flesh was more wrinkled and looser in some parts. Her gray coat had given way to a mat of brown curls, though there were now some strands of glitter, as she so affectionately called it.

“Hey sweets,” he said, in a voice those newly-reformed ears could barely pick up.

Gonna add the taglist for this, since I met a chapter milestone:

Something Wicked taglist (ask to be +/-): @author-a-holmes, @avian-writes, @diphthongsfordays, @drippingmoon, @ellierenae, @faelanvance, @fearofahumanplanet, @flowerprose, @houndmouthed, @joaniejustwokeup, @leiwritess, @mjayatlas, @purplezebraproductions, @rhymingteelookatme, @somealienquill, @thegreatobsesso, @thelaughingstag, @vylequinne, @writing-is-a-martial-art

General taglist (ask to be +/-): @jezifster, @athena-anna-rose

#my writing #writeblr #nano 2022 #something wicked #caz mraz #lila brown #i get nervous writing a section like this dealing with a sensitive subject #like im not trying to be the dark gritty ooh edgy author #but trying to think what would happen if you're someone whose life is upended on the regular #anyway i hope the rest of the chapter conveys that caz is very much playing the hero in his head #lila and him ended up being pretty toxic even though they are both good people #like his need to save her and even if he wouldn't admit it control her to a degree #her aging past him is why most think it ended for them but no #and the idea of him turning over a new leaf gets turned on its head later in the story #and it's revealed why lila told him never to see her again

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even-love-unreturned · 4 years

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Meanings behind Chain of Iron chapter titles (part I, Ch1-15)

1. The Bright Web

From Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s sonnet “Body’s Beauty” (1866), alternatively titled “Lilith”, written to accompany his painting Lady Lilith.

Of Adam's first wife, Lilith, it is told (The witch he loved before the gift of Eve,) That, ere the snake's, her sweet tongue could deceive, And her enchanted hair was the first gold. And still she sits, young while the earth is old, And, subtly of herself contemplative, Draws men to watch the bright web she can weave, Till heart and body and life are in its hold.

2. All That Turns

3. Bitter and Sweet

4. A Good Name

From “This Marriage” by Rumi, date unknown.

May these vows and this marriage be blessed. May it be sweet milk, this marriage, like wine and halvah. May this marriage offer fruit and shade like the date palm. May this marriage be full of laughter, our every day a day in paradise. May this marriage be a sign of compassion, a seal of happiness here and hereafter. May this marriage have a fair face and a good name, an omen as welcome as the moon in a clear blue sky. I am out of words to describe how spirit mingles in this marriage.

5. The King is Dead

“The King is dead, long live the King“ is a well-known traditional saying, and is the first thing that comes to mind, though I’m not convinced that this is the particular source for this title.

6. Things To Come

There are way too many possibilities for this one to narrow it down. I’ll put two of them here:

One the poem “The Flesh and the Spirit“ by Anne Bradstreet, published in 1650. An excerpt:

In secret place where once I stood Close by the Banks of Lacrim flood, I heard two sisters reason on Things that are past and things to come. One Flesh was call’d, who had her eye On worldly wealth and vanity; The other Spirit, who did rear Her thoughts unto a higher sphere.

And the other is “Frost at Midnight” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1798. An excerpt:

So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear Most like articulate sounds of things to come! So gazed I, till the soothing things, I dreamt, Lulled me to sleep, and sleep prolonged my dreams!

7. Tread Lightly

Perhaps “Requiescat” by Oscar Wilde, written in the 1880s. In the poem, the speaker speaks of and to an unnamed woman, who is buried and cannot hear.

Tread lightly, she is near Under the snow, Speak gently, she can hear The daisies grow.

All her bright golden hair Tarnished with rust, She that was young and fair Fallen to dust.

8. To Bring a Fire

Most of the references I can find for this are Biblical passages, but none exact.

9. The Scars Remaining

Most likely from “Christabel”, an unfinished narrative ballad written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge from 1797-1800. The ballad focuses on a young lady named Christabel and her encounter with a strikingly beautiful stranger called Geraldine, who claims to have been kidnapped from her home. Christabel takes Geraldine in to share her bed, and they spend the night together. The story also involves Geraldine putting a spell on Christabel that leaves her unable to tell anyone about what they do or what Geraldine’s “true form“ is.

Brings to mind a certain other strikingly beautiful character in TLH who also does spells to a similar effect, doesn’t it?

This excerpt that includes the phrase “the scars remaining”, however, is about Christabel’s father and his long-lost friend with whom he had a falling-out, but who also turns out to be Geraldine’s father.

They parted—ne'er to meet again! But never either found another To free the hollow heart from paining— They stood aloof, the scars remaining, Like cliffs which had been rent asunder; A dreary sea now flows between;— But neither heat, nor frost, nor thunder, Shall wholly do away, I ween, The marks of that which once hath been.

10. The Damned Earth

Likely from Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “Lenore”, published in 1843.

Avaunt! to-night my heart is light. No dirge will I upraise, “But waft the angel on her flight with a Pæan of old days! “Let no bell toll! — lest her sweet soul, amid its hallowed mirth, “Should catch the note, as it doth float up from the damned Earth. “To friends above, from fiends below, the indignant ghost is riven — “From Hell unto a high estate far up within the Heaven — “From grief and groan, to a golden throne, beside the King of Heaven.

11. Crowns and Pounds and Guineas

From an untitled poem (but often identified by its first line) by A. E. Housman, included in his poetry book A Shropshire Lad, published in 1896. According to Wikipedia, this collection sold “slowly at first, it then rapidly grew in popularity, particularly among young readers. Composers began setting the poems to music less than ten years after their first appearance.”

When I was one-and-twenty I heard a wise man say, “Give crowns and pounds and guineas But not your heart away; Give pearls away and rubies But keep your fancy free.” But I was one-and-twenty, No use to talk to me.

12. Requiem

A requiem is a mass for the repose of the souls of the dead, or a piece of musical composition in honor of the dead. It’d be impossible to narrow this down to a specific quote, though.

13. The Wintry Wind

Likely from “The Withering of the Boughs“ by W. B. Yeats, published as part of his poetry volume In The Seven Woods (1903). Each of the three stanzas of the poem ends with the following two lines:

“No boughs have withered because of the wintry wind, The boughs have withered because I have told them my dreams.”

14. The Flaming Forge

From “The Village Blacksmith“ (1840) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem makes use of the image of “the flaming forge“ twice.

And children coming home from school Look in at the open door; They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar, And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

[…]

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought.

15. Walk by Daytime

From poem V in “A Dark Month” by Algernon Charles Swinburne, written in May 1881.

Dreams that strive to seem awake, Ghosts that walk by daytime, Weary winds the way they take, Since, for one child's absent sake, May knows well, whate'er things make Sport, it is not Maytime.

Part 2 (chapters 16-29) here.

#chain of iron #tlh #the last hours #cassandra clare #chain of iron spoilers #and also sometimes the quotes cc uses as a chapter header don’t actually include the chapter title

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radbutsafe · 4 years

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ALL FUCKIN 35 OF THEM SKLNWESDJFPXO

I SHOULDVE EXPECTED THIS FROM YOU

1. From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

A three! I think I’m mid range cause I ain’t terrible but there is still shit I gotta improve and grow in my writing

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

to manifest what canon won’t give me and to write more! (though yes it is mainly about the smooching and the— I’ll stop there LOL)

3. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

Hm! My weird research details? I’m that “fun fact, did you know...” in my fics sometimes LOL! I plan on giving a penthouse for erina in a fic and I went through penthouse listings in Japan for floor layouts and locations💀 my research gives me inspo and depth to stuff I think I lack in comparison to others sometimes.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you?

In terms of fellow fic writers, one of them I can’t name here but she’s an inspiration with her exceptional gift for prose period and her lovely skill at comedy! I want to be as funny as her when I write, I love her ironic situational humor. Other fic writers are @takoyakitenchou, @royaldragonsevgisi15 who I always love sharing ideas with and motivate me to create more! For non-fic writers it would be V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Oda, and Horikoshi! The last two may be mangaka, however they are writers as well to create their stories! The depth these creators have given their worlds and interesting characters theyve given life to are all what I aspire to be like!

5. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

so far uh?? hm everything I’m currently writing are wips lol!! im proud of my wip that has been nicknamed ‘soma panics’ that is a multi-chapter fic that spans like probs 20 plus chapters maybe

6. What element of writing do you find comes easily?

dialogue! it’s so much fun! and character thoughts. I’ve said to people I may be better suited for script writing

7. What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I think it’s description, of like setting and showing action. also an expansion of my vocabulary LOL

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

erina! I think it’s because canon has shown us many of her different faces and range of emotion.

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

SOMA!! chill ass mofo whos more carefree compared to the common shonen protagonist! for other shokugeki characters I’m not sure just yet because I haven’t flexed my fingers enough for the rest of them.

10. What’s your favorite genre to write for?

I guess I should say romance cause that’s what I mostly write LOL!

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

sorina and I try to get them to smooch eventually KEK and yeah it’s..usually romantic fluff lmao

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

HONESTLY ALL OF THEM but “soma panics” is my brain child

13. First fandom you ever wrote for?

pretty sure it’s digimon....

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

currently shokugeki no soma!!!!

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for?

uhhhh I guess SNS? LMAO fandoms...all have their quirks to them.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

characters cuddling!!!! or getting the urge to smooch!!!!

17. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

unrequited love GOOD FUCKIN BYEEEEEE

18. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

I have plot ideas thst can be wild potentially but so far nothing fits this criteria so far that I actually have written.

19. Do you prefer canon-compliant, AUs, or something in-between?

depends on the fandom, but if written well, all of it!

20. Gen fic or shippy stuff?

shippy 100% like I said I like smoochin

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

romantic is...*drumroll* SORINA! platonic, soutaku and erina and alice!

22. Do you listen to anything while you write?

Sometimes! There are times songs will be on loop and times I just shuffle a playlist. and if I’m writing in random bursts it’ll be with no music but it really does depend lmao I think music is when I’m forcing myself to write?

23. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

completely independent ideas, I’ve realized in the past prompts shoot me in the foot often unless I luckily figure something out. but I’m often driven by my own sporadic self interest with shitty ping ponging attention

24. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

multi-chap I guess cause I can post without being finished LOLLL but tbh can I really answer? I haven’t finished anything.....

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

I can’t answer this question imo because I haven’t finished a fic yet so technically stuff could all fit in the one fic?

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

MYSTERY AND CRIME! I love the genre and I have plot ideas once a blue moon but I can’t dive in because I want to make details that work and reduce plot holes where suspension of disbelief isn’t as needed. I need to study it more (I need to study all the details for any of my fics imo to be confident sometimes LOL)

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I don’t think I can say one comment was the nicest because I’ve gotten comments that have given me quite the smiles to my face many times! I know this is a cop out but it’s true!

IS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY UNTIL REINA SENT ME THE FOLLOWING ON DISCORD LIKE TWENTY MINS AGO:

and also rad. i am never this vocal about my emotions like EVER but this needs to be said your fics are obviously far from perfect, as are mine and everyone else's. but the thing about your works is that they're so well-sanded that it's impossible to find any rough edges or faults in them in terms of cohesion to a plot. your cast is never OOC and the amount of effort you devote to developing your takes on the characters as accurately as possible is unimaginably awe-inspiring.

BITCH I WANNA CRY 😭

28. How well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

I’d like to believe I take it often well to try and improve because that’s always my goal. if someone is rude lol that’s not constructive snd is unhelpful. If I disagree with criticism I’ll explain why !

29. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

Not yet, but I have some plot ideas I think will let me test this.

30. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

F L U F F.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

elliott fuji, a japanese-american award winning photographer who is erina’s boyfriend in ‘soma panics’ which..causes soma’s panic LOL he’s 30 with slightly wavy black hair. I still haven’t pinpointed his personality just yet...he kind of humble brags for sure an artsy fucker and flirts maybe I’ll make him a lil shy though. he teaches sometimes, and becomes an adjunct photography professor in Tokyo so he can be with erina.

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less.

a cook is unfashionably late in realizing his feelings.

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

I am a slow. so slow. motivation who is she? I also write out of order, unfortunately a bit too often.

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

this should be for the fic ‘soma panics’ it’s either megumi or satoshi talkin to him rn, I’m leaning towards satoshi

“You thought she would always wait for you, didn’t you Soma-kun? To always welcome you home.”

Soma drags his palms down his face and groans. He doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t shy from confrontation but this is a whole different ballgame. Soma doesn’t play any ball.

“I guess..?” Is his reply, because he thinks he isn’t sure how to answer that.

“You guess?”

Just being questioned again is enough to crack Soma’s pathetic facade as if it was dropped chinaware and he lets out the longest sigh.

“No.”

Coming home means coming home to Nakiri Erina too.

Nakiri Erina is his forever.

this is @takoyakitenchou’s excerpt she’s most proud of that I’ve written, which is also from you guessed it, the long fic soma panics

SOMA: I am, I mean I will be, I swear I will always come home to you, not spend as much time abroad, once I’m done with work I’ll come right back. I’ll make sure to message you. Nakiri, I’m in love you with you. Maybe for a really long time. You know how I say I dedicate my food to you? My dad—my dad said that the key to become a good chef is to find someone to dedicate your cooking to. A special someone. For my dad it was my mom, you know? For me it’s...

(this is a good piece of dialogue tbh so I am also proud of this)

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I’ve mentioned it throughout this but the WIP I’ve nicknamed ‘soma panics’ is something I’m super excited to write, but it’s going on slowly...and almost completely out of order. out of all of my writing it showed off that particular habit of mine, along with “what is this, a shoujo manga?!” though the latter is currently being written chronologically now that I’ve posted chapter one and is pretty solid in direction. it was originally supposed to be a one shot but I got impatient and wanted to post at least something for the sorina / soueri fandom.

however, because ‘soma panics’ (I won’t call it that LOL) is my baby I want to keep true to my rule of refusing to post it until I have a draft of the entire fic finished and I’m satisfied with the main points pretty much. due to my writing out of order, I’m worried I’ll change my mind about scenes or want to reflect things in earlier chapters for later ones etc etc

I joined the SnS fandom extremely late, as season five was airing. I was a fan of the manga five years ago and dropped it because I forgot to check for updates when I caught up 😔 I really want to bang out the different fics and aus for sorina that I have before the fandom fizzles out entirely but tbh I’m writing for myself, I’m manifesting what I want to see and I’ll just share it with all my friends to read if no one else will. cause I’m slow broski I dunno what writing fast even is like LMAO I do really want to write faster though, so I can contribute more and let the words free from the discord dms....

#ask meme #ask rad shit #writing #writing by rad #fanfic #reina girl u put me thru it I swear lol #thank u for sending!!#ur amazing!!!!

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dramioneasks · 5 years

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Can you pretty please recommend some of your personal favorite dark!fics (like anything with either non/dub possessive!Draco ect?)

Here are some of mine (Warning: Some of these stories contain graphic depictions of rape):

Her Shoes by margaritama - NC-17, 19 Chapters - Draco Malfoy has demanded Hermione Granger head up an important new Wizard and Muggle venture he’s funding. They’ll be working at his home. Why would he do this? It’s clear he can’t stand her. Isn’t it?

Out of the Silent Planet by ianthe_waiting - NC-17, 39 chapters - Hermione Granger fulfills Severus Snape’s final wish, to journey to Japan to ‘retrieve’ something of importance.

A Slow Cruel Descent by SenLinYu - M, 2 Chapters - The war grinds on and Hermione Granger, the lead intelligence for the Order of the Pheonix, is captured. Unable to crack her through interrogation without risking her mind, Voldemort conceives a cruel method of breaking her that involves a reluctant Draco Malfoy.

The Unbreakable Bond by MrBenzedrine - M, one-shot - One Shot. STRONG THEMES. Very Point? What Point? Hermione forms an unbreakable bond with Draco- Smut to follow! ANGST 3Plus,Abuse,Anal,Angst,BDSM,Bond,COMPLETE,Contro,D/s,Dom,F/F,Fingering,H/C,HJ,Humil,M/s,Oneshot,Oral,Other VERY DARK.

Crumple by MissiAmphetamine - M, 11 chapters - As the war rages on two years post-‘final battle’, Hermione is captured by the other side and Malfoy is the only hope she has of surviving. [“Granger?” His voice is urgent, but she just sits there and breathes for a moment, feeling violated and still radiating pain, her eyes staring blindly at the cell wall opposite her, her brain frozen in what she thinks dully might be shock.]

Pieces by Kyra4 - M, 5 Chapters - Can the same person who broke you into pieces, be the person to put you back together again?

Voices by Kyonomiko - M, 3 Chapters - Hermione has long accepted she might not make it through the war alive, but after years on the battlefield, she never expected to be at the mercy of Draco Malfoy. Not untouched by his own experiences, his manic behavior leaves her living in constant fear of the unknown, suffering both affections and afflictions at his hands.

Stone Dragons by gravidy - R, 3 Chapters - Sometimes there are no right decisions. There are only actions and consequences. Hermione’s only choice now is who to betray.

And So No One Else Can Have You by flipflop_diva - E, one-shot - Hermione may be Draco’s slave, but she is not quite as controllable as Draco would like. And that is something that Draco needs to put a stop to. An AU world set after Deathly Hallows. Based on the prompt Hermione is a war slave. Not only that, she is Draco’s war slave. Draco is a cruel master, but he is also in love with her. She grows to love him back.

The Beggar-Thief by gravidy - NC-17, 8 Chapters - Hermione Granger doesn’t believe in things that have never been seen. But then, she doesn’t believe in a lot of things anymore. Hermione Granger has enough problems without worrying about Pureblood kidnappings and techno-geeks. The last thing she needs is Draco Malfoy breathing down her neck.

The Lions of December by Gravidy - NC-17, 2 Chapters - She calls me Goliath and I wear the David mask. I’d like to believe we could reconcile the past. Resurrect those bridges with an ancient glance. But my old stone face can’t seem to break her down. She remembers bridges and burns them to the ground.–Excerpts from 7Mary3 “Cumbersome”

Uncoffined by lady_of_clunn - E, 13 Chapters - When all is lost, we are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. 2nd place in the category ‘Best WIP’ in the 2009 dramione_awards on LJ.

Cold Side of the Moon by RZZMG - M, 10 Chapters - Released from Azkaban & tossed into the Forbidden Forest, Hermione Granger must escape the predators & survive for 8 days to earn her freedom. She doesn’t expect to make it knowing Werewolf!Draco Malfoy is somewhere in the forest, too, just waiting for the next victim of The Games to arrive. Dramione. 2013 HP-Darkarts Fest entry. Nom’d HPFanficFanPollAwards-Best Dark Fic. COMPLETE!

The Fool, the Emperor, and the Hanged Man by ianthewaiting - M, 28 Chapters - Ten years after the fall of the Dark Lord, Hermione Granger leads of life of self-imposed obscurity, that is, until the day Headmistress Minerva McGonagall is murdered and a certain ‘hero’ is responsible. DM/HG, written originally in 2007-2008, and finally making its debut here! AU, DH-EWE, non-canon elements, time travel, character death, etc.

Utterly Despicable by camnz - M, 24 Chapters - The death of both Voldemort and Harry Potter let the pureblood elite build the world they wanted. One that leaves Hermione in a vulnerable state, which Draco Malfoy is prepared to take full advantage of.

Manacled by SenLinYu - M, 77 Chapters - Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret locked away in her mind. She is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve, to be bred and monitored until it can be accessed. COMPLETE

The Gift by RZZMG - M, one-shot - After imbibing too much on Christmas Eve, Draco Malfoy decides to give himself a gift: Hermione Granger, his war prize slave. Can her gift of love tame the darkness in his heart? One-shot. Dramione/dark Draco x Hermione. A/U,Post-Hogwarts,EWE. COMPLETE!

Every Way You Look At This by tamlane - R, one-shot - Sometimes it’s difficult to tell who is indebted to whom. Which really has little to do with the means of collection, when you’re a Malfoy.

Save You, Save Me by flipflop_diva - R, one-shot - For five years, Draco Malfoy has kept Hermione Granger hidden away from the Dark Lord’s wrath. In exchange for her life, she’ll do what he says. But Hermione is about to find out that not everything is how it seems.

Worth The Risk by scarletladyy - M, one-shot - The world is a dangerous place for Hermione and other Muggleborns, and when she meets the Death Eater’s most infamous torturer in a dark alleyway, she thinks her life is over, until it turns out that this Death Eater may have a conscience after all.

His One Unforgivable Sin by DramioneInLove - M, 8 Chapters - In a world where Muggle-borns are the “lower class”, Hermione Granger works for Madam Malkin’s as an apprentice. When pure-blood women who have bought dress robes from Madam Malkin’s die mysteriously, Draco Malfoy starts the investigation, and Hermione is his first suspect. DramioneLove fest submission. Winner of Mod’s Choice: Best Dystopian Universe Fic. Warnings inside.

Master by AkashaTheKitty - M, one-shot -The war drags on and Hermione Granger is caught and then bought by her old enemy Draco Malfoy. But why did he do that when he obviously isn’t really interested in using her for anything? AU, very ugly themes, ONESHOT!

The Slow Thaw by camnz - M, 21 Chapters - Hermione is serving at Malfoy Mansion after the war was lost. In her bleak existance, she manages to find ways to cope. Contains nonconsentual. COMPLETE.

Subsistence by ratherbsailing - NC-17, 3 chapters - In times of war, people find different ways to survive.

Squirm by MrBenzedrine - M, 28 Chapters - Written for Halloween, 2016. Dramione. Rated M for non-con themes, as well as implied horror. TRIGGER WARNING. Draco Malfoy falls into a strange obsession with Hermione Granger. But it’s a risk -he holds a dark, sinister secret, and if he becomes too close, she just might find out what it is. Dark Fic. WIP. **WINNER: Best WIP 2017 Winter Dramione Awards** *Complete*

Crimson with a Silver Lining by Lady Cailan - M, 78 Chapters - It is six years since the fall of the Ministry to Voldemort. Those other than purebloods are deemed less than human. When Ginny’s daughter ends up in grave danger, Hermione sells herself to the Death Eaters to save her life. Draco/Hermione. Not fluffy.

His Beautiful, Haunting Eyes by thecellarfloor - M, 14 Chapters - Draco pushed her to the wall, kissed her roughly on the lips, then punched the glass window beside her head. It smashed into pieces and the crowd who had parted for him seconds ago gasped. Hermione couldn’t. She couldn’t even breathe. What have you done?

- AgnMag

#anonymous #favourite fics #dark fic #non con #tw: rape #draco: protective and possessive #draco: dark

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cryoculus · 4 years

Text

Lunaris [5/11]

*casually changes the chapter count* yall didnt see A THING

!! ALSO !! Trigger warnings for graphic depictions of gore at the latter half of the chapter. Just thought I’d put it up there.

Navigation

Chapter Title: Full Moon Pairing: Yokai!Akaashi Keiji/Reader Word Count: 3,543

***

"This week's lunar eclipse was reported to be a total eclipse! The shadow of the sun will engulf the moon completely—what a sight to see, indeed!"

"Bah," your grandmother scoffed through the sound of sautéing ingredients as she switched off the TV. "News channels poison the minds of people, anyway."

You gaped at her incredulously from where you sat on the dining table. "Oba-san, I was watching that!"

The older woman tutted at you as she transferred the leftover rice from last night onto the frying pan. "You know eclipses are a bad omen, and these people intend to say otherwise."

"Ba-san, not everybody lives by the Tsukuyomi traditions—"

"Do you want some sukonbu flakes on your gohan?"

"I—yes, please."

When your grandmother was done cooking breakfast for the day, she laid out two bowls of gohan, each topped with a raw egg in the middle. The scent of the freshly fried rice wafted to your nose, and you immediately forgot about your prior sulking because of how delectable your food looked like. As you reached for the soy sauce to encourage more flavor, however, your grandmother took your hand in hers, shooting you a stern look.

"Don't go out on the night of the eclipse," she said. "It's been a while since I've last seen one, but it always preceded misfortune."

Confused, you asked, "How long ago is 'a while', oba-san?"

Instead of humoring you with a proper answer, she merely chuckled at the inquiry as she sat down right across from you. "It doesn't matter. Just stay in the house, alright? It's a good thing it didn't land on the day of the festival, itself."

Knowing it would be no use arguing with her, you exhaled a sigh of defeat once you've dripped enough soy sauce onto your food. The snap of wooden chopsticks rang in your ears as you let anticipation swell in your chest. Was it just you or was the egg yolk seemingly glittering in the morning daylight?

"Thank you for the meal!"

***

Japanese Literature was easily your most favorite subject because of two reasons.

The first was that you were already familiar with most of the topics listed off in the course module already. Genji Monogatari was one of the first books your grandmother had given to you as a child, and she'd be the one to help you out with understanding the difficult words. But even if you've spent a majority of your life with your nose stuffed in books and manuscripts snagged from the shrine's old storage room, there was still a lot more to learn—about the vast, hidden truths of the world that still eluded you.

That's where the second reason came in.

"The moon goddess, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, was born from the right eye of the creator, Izanagi-no-Mikoto; while her brother, Amaterasu-omikami was born from his left eye," your teacher drawled out the facts you already knew from the pocketbook in his hands. The disinterested set of his brow was clue enough of how much he would rather be doing anything else other than spitting out excerpts from Japanese mythology in front of high schoolers.

It was last period for you, and even though you were normally motivated to listen despite your teacher's apathy for the course, you were feeling the fatigue you've accumulated from training slowly catching up to you. Fukurodani was a powerhouse when it came to its sports teams, and the reputation that you had to uphold was a heavier burden than getting remarkable official records for future reference. Though Coach Yamamoto was usually lenient, he'd already transformed into his demon coach persona at the beginning of the week.

But after you've zoned into your own thoughts for a good twenty minutes, your teacher managed to yank you back into attentiveness when he'd tackled the topic of yokai.

"In more popular literature, yokai were commonly depicted as grotesque creatures that consume human flesh," he began, "but there have been several tales that told of those able to take on the form of human beings; making it much easier for them to prowl across the land unnoticed."

Hm. Sounds like a certain, unsuspecting second year to me.

"However, even though they use deception as their means of getting by, those yokai still revert back to their true forms under specific circumstances. For children of the first Tengu, they are quite susceptible to rain. Once it begins to pour from the heavens, their disguises wear off at the snap of a finger."

Your brows knit together in curiosity. Akaashi was one of those shape shifters, then. But if that tale applied to all shape-shifting yokai, what could Akaashi's trigger be?

Shaking your head, you proceeded jotting down the assignment that your teacher began scribbling on the chalkboard once he's gone over the topic. It wasn't something that should warrant your interest. Strictly speaking, you weren't even friends with Akaashi. You were just someone who'd managed to figure out what he was. That was all there was to it.

Yet, a few hours later, once you'd gotten your fresh taste of your demon coach's training regimens, you found yourself waiting by the school gates.

As you bounced impatiently on the balls of your feet, jamming your hands in the pockets of your track jacket to distract yourself somehow, your gaze darted every now and again at the other students that also stayed behind for club activities. There was still no sign of the volleyball team.

In hindsight, you could have just hung around in the gym, waiting for them to finish. Bokuto's admirers did it all the time, so why couldn't the captain of the track team do the same? Ah, right.

You still couldn't bear to look Bokuto in the eye after he'd asked you to go with him to the lunar festival.

How on Earth could you face him eye-to-eye after that? Why would he even ask you, of all people, in the first place? You've been giving Itsumi the cold shoulder for the past few days, too. How dare she tell the ace to get a red kimono when your favorite kimono was patterned after crimson cherry blossoms?!

"(Surname)-san?"

You didn't know how your instinctive reaction to Akaashi's voice would reflect on the way you supposedly saw him as, but in your defense, you were surprised by how he addressed you. The setter was donned in his school uniform, and he didn't have the air of someone who'd just gotten out of volleyball practice.

"A-Akaashi," you stuttered, hoping it wasn't glaringly obvious that you were waiting for him in particular. "You weren't at training?"

His brows were raised with subtle curiosity before he shook his head. "My class has a production coming up, and it costs about seventy percent of our final grade. Coach Yamiji allowed me some time off."

"Oh," the word tumbled pathetically from your lips, before you cleared your throat. "I-I see. You're quite diligent, huh? I mean, for a yokai blending in as a—"

"(Surname)-san," Akaashi interrupted warily, and you were immediately struck by the awareness of how loud your voice was. Getting his plea, you toned down your voice a couple of notches lower.

"I still find it kind of interesting, you know." Chuckling, you folded your arms across your chest. "From what you told me, I think you're someone ancient. You could track down whoever has your heart in no time and you wouldn't have to subject yourself to mundane things like that."

Akaashi merely stared at you with the same, navy-eyed gaze before his line of sight darted around the vicinity. Then, he beckoned you to come closer. When you leaned your ear next to his face, the setter whispered, "(Surname)-san, I would appreciate it if you didn't disclose such information out in the open."

"It's not like anyone's listening," you argued, pouting at him. "By the way, I have something to ask you."

"Does your curiosity have no bounds?" He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. You'd only noticed it now, but there were traces of fatigue on his face that you would've missed if you hadn't looked so closely. You almost felt bad for cornering him like this, but...

"Can you show me your true form?"

Something flashed across his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it surfaced, and now Akaashi was just staring at you like he was just done with your demands.

"You know, I only ever meet extremely infuriating humans one after the other," he told you, dragging a palm across his face. "But it seems like the gods are subjecting me to the punishment of handling both you and Bokuto-san at the same time."

You snorted out an ugly-sounding laugh, covering your mouth to somehow stifle your giggles. "I told you, you didn't have to do any of this kiss-ass shit. You could just—"

"You wanted to see my true form, didn't you?"

The tone of his voice had dipped into something more serious—one that you're unused to hearing from him when you were talking alone. Before getting to know Akaashi as well as you have now, he had just been the apathetic vice captain of the volleyball team. But from the short time you've spent with him, you figured that there was certainly more depth to his personality than he was letting on.

Yet now, he's talking to you just how he would address any other student in Fukurodani. Your smile receded slowly. Somehow, you didn't like that.

"Yeah," you replied with a lackluster intonation you hadn't meant to make. The last thing you wanted was for him to think you actually...cared about the way he talked to you. You didn't, and that was that.

With a sigh, Akaashi tilted his head up so that he was glancing at the sky. You noticed that he did that a lot—looking up at the heavens like it gave him answers you didn't know he was looking for.

When the yokai met your gaze again, no longer did you see the soothing, gunmetal blue of the human whose skin he wore like it was his own. Deep, vermillion eyes bore into you so intently, you could feel him gazing at your very soul—bare, and without any chance of deceit.

"Meet me at the cemetery on the first night of the full moon," he said, voice almost sounding ethereal in your ears, like his voice wasn't his at all. "I'll show you what you want to see so badly."

***

A few days passed since that strange encounter with Akaashi, and you haven't heard from the yokai since. Every time you tried getting a glimpse of him from outside the gym, it was either he was always out of sight or he just wasn't there to begin with. You'd even asked Kazuto, who turned out to be classmates with Akaashi, a thing or two about the said setter, but it seemed that he's called in sick for the past few days because of a nasty cold.

Yokai don't catch colds.

Nonetheless, you found yourself thinking of him less and less as the lunar festival drew closer. Your grandmother insisted that you focus on training for the track meet instead of concerning yourself with the preparations no matter how much you protested.

"You're only young for a brief time, child," she had told you. "It's your last year in high school, so you better enjoy the festival with your little friends before you all head your separate ways. Leave it to the monks and volunteers to work behind the scenes."

Seeing no point in going against her wishes, that's exactly what you did.

"Hey, (Name)! Over here!" At the bottom of the stairway that led to the Amatsuki shrine, you saw Itsumi and Kazuto idling by as your vice captain frantically waved her hands to get your attention. Overlooking the secondhand embarrassment, you picked up the pace of your descent.

Once you've managed to join them, Kazuto whistled out loud. "Looking great, cap!"

The compliment urged you to look down on your own get-up. You looked just as you did every year whenever the lunar festival came around, since you've always opted to wear the cherry blossom kimono that used to belong to your mother. But Kazuto was probably talking about the moon pin your grandmother had insisted on styling your hair with.

It was designed to look like a branch of a sakura tree dipped in silver with a crescent moon embossed in the middle. You had no time left to ask where she got it from and why she gave it you since you were running a bit late on your agreed meet-up time with the team.

"No flirting with senpais, Kazu," scolded Itsumi as she playfully smacked the younger boy across his back. "But he does have a point, though. You look spicy tonight, (Name)!"

"Sumi, I worry about you sometimes."

"Hey!"

Wading through the throng of visitors in the courtyard was none other than Bokuto, himself. His grin was as bright as the lanterns strung above the venue, the golden lights shining down on him like he was the most important person out there. Or maybe that was just because your rose-colored vision was specifically catered for the said ace. When he'd managed to squeeze past the crowd, he breathed out a sigh in relief, wiping a sheen of sweat off his forehead.

"What do you think?" he asked, twisting around to show off his outfit. "I kind of had to compromise with the hakama, but the haori's red, just like Furukawa said—"

"Bokuto-san," you breathed, feeling your heart flutter at his effort alone, "you look great."

The ace blinked at you like he wasn't used to receiving compliments on the daily. It was probably just the lanterns messing with your eyes, but was he...blushing?

"So do you," he laughed. "I didn't know we were matching!"

"I didn't either," you replied, shooting Itsumi a narrow-eyed glare, to which your best friend responded by incessantly tugging on your wrist.

"Come on, you idiots!" Itsumi hollered as you let her drag you to the concessionaire stands. "Last one to get to the goldfish catching booths will treat everyone to candied apples!"

***

"I forgot how enjoyable these festivals really were."

Your ears perked up at the sound of Bokuto's voice. Sparing the ace a sideways glance, you sighed out a long breath as you propped your chin on top of your knees. "I'm glad we managed to remind you, then."

The two of you were seated on the stone steps just under the torii gates that led up to the shrine. Most of the festival's visitors have already gone up to see the shrine elder's (in this case, your grandmother's) annual performance of the lunar dance. It was dedicated to Tsukuyomi herself so that the shrine and its followers would see good fortune for the months ahead. Itsumi and Kazuto have gone ahead of the both of you, but you'd insisted on staying behind for a while.

But you didn't know that Bokuto would like to keep you company, too.

"Something on your mind?" he wondered, inching a bit closer. "You've been kinda distracted."

As you trained your gaze on the younger visitors that were still trying their hand at catching goldfish at the kingyo booths below, you breathed out an airy chuckle. "Sorry. Was I that obvious?"

"Not really," he said. "Call it a gut feeling."

"Gut feeling, huh..."

Your gut was telling you right now that you were forgetting something...something important.

But when you turned to glance at Bokuto once again, his mouth was perked up in a lopsided smile that sent a flush of heat crawling up to your cheeks. You've always found his honey-eyed gaze endearing, and knowing that he had his eyes trained on you? Under the light of the moon? The shoujo manga protagonist in you practically jumped—

Meet me at the cemetery on the first night of the full moon

"Bokuto-san," you mumbled as you shot up to your feet, startling the ace as you shot your gaze up to the sky. The moon was in perfect form today, shining oh-so brightly in the sea of stars. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I-I'll... I'm sorry."

You forced out the sound of Bokuto calling out your name from your mind, pushing down the guilt that might fester for later. Your wooden sandals collided with each step in a way that sounded like cannons in your ears. Your heart was beating abnormally fast, just like when you're trying to best another runner at a track meet. Akaashi, who's been missing in action for days now. Akaashi, who looked like he was losing his grip on his own sanity the last time you saw him. Akaashi, who was probably waiting for you at the top of the hill.

You had been the one that coerced him into this agreement, yet it slipped your mind?

When you made it to the shrine, you caught a glimpse of your grandmother's lunar dance in the blink of your eye. She faltered in her movements for a split second. Had you not spent your entire life watching her practice every year, you would've overlooked it. But it seemed that she'd noticed you darting through the audience even if you were cloaked in the darkness. You already knew you were getting a thorough questioning later, but that was at the bottom of your priorities right now.

There's something wrong, you thought. I don't know how, but something's wrong.

You pushed the gate to the cemetery back without care for the rust that coated your fingers. The foreboding was rooted deep into the pits of your heart, and you couldn't placate yourself no matter how many times you told yourself it was probably nothing. Even if you were running out of breath (which terrified you because it took a lot to make you breathless in training), you called out to the yokai.

"Akaashi!" you called out, placing your hands by your mouth to articulate your voice louder. "Are you here?"

The moonlight spilled onto the cemetery startlingly bright, illuminating the gravestones in place in a way you hadn't seen them before. As you passed by your parents' graves, muttering a quick prayer in the process, you began trekking further into the area—towards the forest that you were told to never set foot in.

The shade of the trees seemed thicker, they loomed higher than you thought they would. At the corner of your eye, you would see the shadows scuttling about, only to be met with nothing but a leaf wafting in the air when you turned around to look. The fear factor was maxed out at this point. But even if your mind yelled for you to turn around, and that you shouldn't even be here, your heart told you that you were exactly where you're supposed to be.

After a few minutes of blindly walking in the darkness, you saw the light of the moon once more as you emerged into a clearing. In the middle of it all, kneeling in a pool of blood, was Akaashi.

Or at least, you assumed it was Akaashi.

The humanoid creature had its back turned you, like it was preoccupied with something else. Its naked skin was as white as the snow that coated the shrine grounds on the first day of winter, but the mop of unruly hair on top of its head resembled Akaashi's. With blood roaring in your ears, you slowly flanked the creature from the side in attempt of getting a better look. But the sight that greeted you was something that would be burned in the back of your mind for eternity.

It—Akaashi—had a pair of horns jutting out from his forehead, tinged the same hue as his ivory skin. In his taloned hands, he had a carcass so mangled, you could no longer identify if it was an animal or not. His lips were caked in the same blood that pooled beneath him, as deranged, crimson eyes glossed over with the ecstasy from feasting on his meal.

A scream bubbled in your throat, but you knew better than to announce your presence just like that. This was what you wanted, right? To witness him in his true form? You were the one who asked for this and yet...and yet—

The sound of a twig snapping underneath your sandals echoed in the vicinity like you'd just set off a land mine. You could no longer hear him tearing the flesh from its bones, as Akaashi slowly turned to look at you.

Those weren't the eyes of the kind-hearted yokai you thought he was.

They were the eyes of a killer.

Someone was screaming as you bolted out of the clearing and back into the cemetery. They were still screaming when you nearly tripped on your own feet as you ran down the hill.

You'd only realized it was you when you barged into the shrine's foyer just after your grandmother finished the dance, weeping inconsolably in her arms for reasons that you would continue to refuse to let them know of in the days to come.

#haikyuu!!#akaashi keiji #lunaris #bokuto koutarou #akaashi keiji x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fanfiction #blood #gore #tw blood #tw gore

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decembercamiecherries · 5 years

Text

2019 Fic Summary!

I see a lot of artists posting their year end art summaries around this time but unfortunately there’s no real equivalent for fanfic writers? So I decided to make my own! ^-^

Below is a summary of the different fics I’ve written this year! I wrote a lot more than I initially thought and I am really happy with how I’ve improved. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my works <3

AO3 stats:

JANUARY - XXX

General summary: N/A

Excerpt: N/A

FEBRUARY - midnight (HxH)

General summary: monster hunter au, gift fic for my friend @xcoruscaminex

Excerpt: Gon reached out. Killua stiffened as warm fingers brushed the shell of his ears. Gon gently tucked a stray silver strand of hair behind Killua’s ear, the worry on his face melting into something softer, kinder, and Killua’s heart throbbed in kind.

MARCH - I won’t come back to you broken (HxH)

General summary: daemon au, post-killugon separation

Excerpt: He and Jax are one in the same, body and soul. And Jax doesn’t miss—crave, want —Killua and Ariney any more than Gon does. He just happens to be more transparent about it.

APRIL - Graffiti chapter 11 (HxH)

General summary: multichapter gang/mafia au

Excerpt: But he remembered his own elation when Gon confessed to him, how Killua’s heart has soared when Gon admitted how badly he had wanted to kiss Killua. Every part of Killua’s body was electrified under Gon’s touch, and he’d been kept up long last night with the memory of phantom limbs and tongues and mouths. He kept replaying the scene on the garden rooftop over and over and over again in his mind until it finally entered into his dreams.

MAY - Gon’s birthday drabble (HxH)

General summary: aged up au, slow mornings

Excerpt: Everything about Gon radiated a certain warmth, from his smile to his dimples and the gold of his eyes. Even just watching Gon made Killua want to inch closer, to suck up that light and genuine care Gon gave out to every person he met. Gon had introduced Killua to more Hunters the past few days than Killua would ever remember, and each of them treated Gon like he was their most precious friend. How far did Gon’s influence reach, if he knew all these people?

JUNE - Hanging By A Moment (Downton Abbey)

General summary: harry potter au, sybilxtom

Excerpt: It’s an odd thing for Sybil to hear. She’s always had her own opinions, of course. It’s the reason why her father thinks she’s a bloodborne Gryffindor, after all. But her opinions, as loud as they are, were always overlooked. Mary was brilliant, dazzling—she stole the spotlight regardless if she meant to or not. And Edith was always doing her absolute best to chase after Mary’s spotlight. Their shadows combined were enough to cast Sybil in the dark, sometimes.

JULY - Running Start chapter 3 (HxH)

General summary: ‘can’t kiss anyone but your soulmate’ soulmate au

Excerpt: Killua’s cheeks warm. He struggles to come up with something to say, but all he can focus on is the silent strength of Gon’s grip, the calloused texture of his palm against Killua’s. The setting sun is warm on his back and today has already turned out to be the most incredible and unbelievable day Killua has ever had. Meeting his soulmate’s mom can’t change that, right?

AUGUST - Better Than One (She-Ra)

General summary: modern au, Adora and Catra propose at the same time

Excerpt: Catra swallows thickly and looks down at the stone under their feet. She can’t give herself away. She just can’t. She’s been planning this for months, years even. She’d gone to ten different jewelry stores, worked too many night shifts to count, planned out the absolute best day to go to this really nice park, and….And she is going to commit. She already has, technically, by deciding to ask Adora to marry her anyway. She’s going to do it, because what comes after will be everything she’s ever dreamed of.

SEPTEMBER - Lilacs (HxH)

General summary: if Gon had Hanahaki

Excerpt: “You mean he’s going to die,” Killua says sharply. He’s scowling, leaning up against a bleached white wall and glaring daggers at the man like it’s his fault Gon is sick. Gon wishes he could rub the frown lines out of Killua’s face; he’s so much prettier when he’s smiling.

OCTOBER - Perspective (HxH)

General summary: Gon and Killua’s relationship from other characters’ povs

Excerpt: Emerald and sapphire. Silver and gold. The sun and the moon. These two boys are contrasts, talented beyond anything Bisky has seen in years, but in entirely different ways.

NOVEMBER - Wildfire (She-Ra)

General summary: multichapter college au, catradora

Excerpt: Adora doesn’t say a word, and the tension between them suddenly swells. It buzzes in the air like a live, palpable thing. Catra swallows and forces herself to breathe evenly. She dares to drag her fingers across Adora’s skin, feeling the slight thrum of Adora’s pulse under her skin. From there she follows the curve up to Adora’s palm and traces the creases there. Adora’s hands are the same size as hers, not too big and not too small. Catra remembers when they were younger thinking how perfectly they fit together.

DECEMBER - Graffiti chapter 18 (HxH)

General summary: multichapter gang/mafia au

Excerpt: The rest of Killua’s stumbling apology was quieted by Gon’s mouth being shoved against his. Gon’s hands cupped Killua’s jaw, fingers digging into Killua’s burning cheeks as the ex-Hunter kissed him enthusiastically. Killua closed his eyes and returned Gon’s kiss, tasting cinnamon and smelling pine and feeling that all-consuming and ever present warmth Gon constantly exuded.

#dc writes #fic summary 2019 #2019 #hunterxhunter #killugon #i'm trying to be my own biggest fan lately #so that means promoting myself and being proud!!!#and I am #^-^

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instruth · 5 years

Text

A SONG OF MY SOUL

My soul is the bridge between my spirit and God. Both St Paul in Colossians 3:12, and Isaiah in Chapter 61:10, describe it as the clothing of the spirit. It wraps round the spirit like a garment. The Soul and the Spirit live harmoniously in PERFECT compatibility, precisely as the ideal Bride and Bridegroom. In Genesis, 2:18, God says, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a helper (a companion) who is just right for him." Hence, God created Eve for Adam (from one of his ribs!)

When I am in the extreme of grief, fear, anxiety, depression or any severe form of emotional upheaval, my whole being goes topsy turvy too. This may result in a 'splitting' of soul and spirit - a spiritual separation. And I will find God missing in my life. This may also result from over indulgence - money, sex, drugs, alcohol, lies, greed, power ... that so drowns the Holy Spirit that the soul becomes separated from its spirit. Hence, the saying, "He has no soul!" The spirit has become incredibly vulnerable.

When the soul is lost, the spirit grieves. This leads to a devastating spiritual distortion. The image of God becomes distorted too. The spirit continues to search for its spouse (the soul), but often ends up finding a 'soulmate' instead - in another woman (for men) or in an another man (for women). The truth is - both the man and the woman are searching for their lost souls (due to the split). Until the soul and spirit are reunited, this frantic search for a soul replacement will continue, and this frivolous dissatisfaction will lead to a soul projection onto another person instead.

This is one of the reasons why the person will go on having affair after affair, marriage after marriage, because the person is projecting its lost soul on someone else. The person may become so unfocused and disorientated that he/she may often encounter strange mishaps or freak accidents or an illness that doctors often describe as "untreatable."

Perhaps, the most tragic consequence in a soul-spirit disorder is this: The person will also find a replacement for GOD! The bridge (the soul) that links the spirit to God is lost, and the spirit cannot recognize God even if God is fully present.

I will now share my poem, to illustrate this:

A SONG OF MY SOUL

Do you remember me, my love?

It is I, Prudence, your beloved

How long I have waited for your return

I love you - oh, how dearly I miss you.

You've been away too long, captured and lured

To the remotest world of externalism,

By which you have become deceived

Your perception of me is illusory,

Even though your desire still persists,

For you have forgotten my face

You have known me to the deepest part of me,

But until now, I exist in you,

Only among the distortions of your mind,

Of physical symbols that soon will disintegrate

I am reduced to fantasy and imagination,

Fulfilling your longings for you

I become a myth, a mere image,

Representing what you consider unreachable

Yet I, Prudence, am your only true love,

But do you remember me, my love?

I have waited patiently for you,

Sharing you with the outside world,

Yearning for you unceasingly,

To embrace the least part of you,

Even if that be only a momentary glimpse,

In the twilight that separates our existence

Like Moon and Sun, we have drifted apart

I watch you go - oh, how it grieves me so,

For I can see you suffering even more,

All lost in a land of faded memories

Today, you have chosen to come home,

Recalling past realities through present dreams

I am rewarded, for at last, you are awakened

Today, you recognize me in my essence;

And I rejoice with praise and gratitude for this blessing

We were created as one, meant eternally for each other,

In perfect compatibility - with you in me and I in you,

As I, Prudence, submit to you in inexhaustible intimacy,

Laying down with you in our matrimonial nest,

For this is a reunion - our most sacred Union

- J. P. Lee

11 December 2019

(An excerpt from the book, God In The Mist, by J. P. Lee)

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cosmicdreamt · 1 year

Text

Excerpt from Chapter 11: Epilogue: New Moon (Phase 2) - The World

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11

“The point I’m trying to make is that we’re here for you. You weren’t alone before and you’re not alone now. We’ll help you however we can. Understand?”

“He’s right!” Orion interjects. “You can lean on us! It’s literally what we’re here for! You don’t have to worry about us, we can handle anything! Me more than Astraeus but he’s making good progress.”

“I’ll have you know once you’re no longer in the body of a child you will be facing the consequences of your actions.” But it sounds like more of a casual empty threat from Astraeus more than anything. Instead his focus is more on the woman by his side. “But for the most part, he’s right. We’re here to aid you. You and your emotions don’t burden us, so don’t feel like you need to hold back for the same reason you feel the need to around other humans.”

Oops. Caught red handed.

“Guess that’s a bad habit I never completely grew out of, huh?”

“You always did like to play down your experiences and problems. And then in the same breath wondered why you’d still feel so worn down when you let them all pile up.”

“Is this group just going to be the three of us constantly checking each other ooooorrrrr?”

“Yep.”

“Alright. Good to know.” She’d accept defeat, especially when that answer was so quick between the other two. Well, at least she was included in firing those shots, even if doing so at her own Dream would be the same as calling herself out, but such is how life works for her. At least she’d be the one doing it, in that case. “Well…I’m just glad you guys are here. Thank you. Sometimes I wonder…if I wasn’t chosen for all of this, would I have the same support I do now? Would I deserve to have people like you guys looking over me because you want to and not because you feel like you have to?”

“But didn’t you already?” Astraeus takes a seat next to Orion. “Even without us you’ve had Fenris. He’s loved and cared for you all this time. I’m certain he wouldn’t have been the only one. Surely you realize by now that while yes, we’re giving you extra support because we’re aware of your situation, there are still people out there that would do the same for you just because you exist, not because you’re some…interesting specimen.”

That earned him a funny look from Neff.

“What do you mean by 'interesting specimen’ ?”

“Hehehe. He called you weird.” Orion giggles and Astraeus immediately wraps his arm around the young boy’s shoulders so his hand can cover his mouth, not breaking eye contact from Neff for a single second.

“Being weird isn’t a bad thing, first of all, and second of all that’s not what I meant. I just meant there aren’t many others like you, if any at all. Certainly there are stories out there of demigods and the like out there in the world, but how many people have actually met them? And how many have chosen to live and engage with both worlds like you have? You never chose one side or the other - you’ve always considered both sides and every possibility. That’s just the type of person you are - not just as a Dreamer or a deity - but as just a person. It’s that quality that people should try to protect when they can, just as Fenris has decided to. I’m sure you’ll meet more humans in your life that will feel the same without knowing you’re more than you appear to be. They’ll think you’re just like them - someone that simply exists - and it’ll be enough. It’s always been enough.”

Oh her heart is so conflicted. His words are touching and true, but watching him hold Orion in a headlock should not be as humorous as it is in this situation. He probably noticed with the way her eyes darted between him and the younger one, because he suddenly finally turned away from her to address the child.

“Right, Orion?”

The young one stops struggling just long enough to nod in agreement before getting back to it, managing to squeeze out under the older’s arm and dramatically gasping for air. She shakes her head with a smile.

And she was the ‘interesting specimen’?

“You out of that head of yours, now?” Astraeus places a hand atop her head and gives her a pet. She’s nearing thirty years old, yet the gesture still makes her feel as safe and cozy as ever.

“Yeah. Thanks again.”

There’s a moment of silence.

And then it was broken.

#⋡☆《drabbles》—how is a raven like a writing desk #[[ WE DID IT BOYS ]]

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marylorson-blog · 4 years

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“Rolling Thunder” excerpted from Signals: a performance memoir

Featured May 2020 on Unfictional https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/unfictional

I wasn't a bastard but I still felt kind of illegitimate. Dad and Mom had eloped, three months after meeting. My sisters from Mom’s first marriage loved him like mad, but then one day Dad vanished, before I could form a single memory of him.

I've always wondered why that day was the finale. How do you walk away from a beaming little two-year-old face, one that looks like you? I was there, but unaware. I want the scene.

My sisters say: Dad was great.

Mom says: All you need to know is he walked away.

Dad said: Mom kicked him out that day, that he crammed his suits and stereo into the Mustang and rushed to the city for a meeting, paying a kid twenty bucks to guard the car, which was empty anyway when he came back out.

Later, once I knew him, I asked: “Was there another woman?”

His answer: “There must have been.”

THEY BLAMED IT ALL ON ALCOHOL.

Mom said: infidelity wasn't the only problem; unofficial-seeming “bill collectors” were showing up at the house.

My sisters said: Dad made life fun, played the piano, adored Mom. But skillets and invectives would fly in the night...and then Dad went missing, with hundreds of thousands of some investor’s dollars.

By the time my sisters were 8, 10 and 11, they had lost two fathers.

Mom hadn’t worked since modeling before her first marriage. She borrowed tuition for a full-time secretarial course and sent me to stay with her brother, another charming alcoholic with money problems and a fed-up wife. Mom and the girls stayed behind, in the lovely house on Manor Lane.

I rejoined them fifteen months and few blocks but a world away, in a garden apartment behind the Country Club. Mom kept the crystal chandelier and her gown from the Kennedy Inaugural, and a suite of heavy furniture that wasn’t made for small rooms.

Sometime later, Dad called Mom for a friendly chat. He was glad to hear she was in love and admitted that he and his girlfriend had a baby. He asked her to sign some papers for a Tijuana divorce. Sure, Mom said, and I’ll take the trip too. She came back with castanets and a tan. I remember understanding that my parents would never get back together.

I had Dad's nose and hair and musicality, but couldn’t remember a thing about him. Mom said I was lucky I didn't know what I was missing. The older girls talked about their happy chapter with my dad all the time, but I’d wait alone out front for the Mustang that didn't come.

One day, though, he showed, and this was my own first memory of Dad: Christmastime, Chinatown, and three wrapped presents: a Dancerina doll, a Polaroid Swinger, and a camel hair coat from Saks. The surviving Polaroids show a serious dad and a manically happy me.

Dad promised that now he was going to bring all his kids together regularly. He'd repeat this song on our scattershot dates over the years, but that visit WAS the beginning, of our intermittent, fond, indulgent, dishonest bond. After that, I lived in obsessive anticipation of the next visit, never knowing when it would be.

(Band in)

A Dancerina doll, a Polaroid Swinger, and a camel hair coat from Saks. Dad gave me these, and went back to wherever he went.

During Kindergarten: I roomed with Mom, but she was out most nights. The big girls had the other bedroom. I wasn’t allowed in, but from the other side of the door I’d smell and listen attentively. Incense, patchouli, cigarettes, maybe pot? Talking, laughing, singing Joni Mitchell, CSNY...yelling, hitting, screaming, cursing. I swear I could hear the brushing of their long tresses, the swinging of their unhindered double-D breasts...meanwhile people kept mistaking me for a boy.

“You have your father’s thin hair,” Mom complained, so she took me to the barber on the corner, who gave me a buzz cut... and rationalized it this way: “It don't matta if she looks bad now; it mattas what she looks like when she's 18.” Mom thought this was a riot. There was none of this “you're beautiful because you're you” bullshit with Mom. You either looked good, or you didn't.

THERE IN THE CATHODE LIGHT, NOBODY BEAMED UP BRIGHT ENOUGH FOR HER TO LIKE NOONE TO WALK BESIDE

YEAH, YOU HARDLY KNEW US

THAT WAS JUST OUR LIFE/THAT WAS JUST OUR LIFE

Then, In first grade we moved to Carol Avenue, and I almost had another sister!

Jeanne! Jeanne! Jeanne! Jeanne!....Jeanne!

We had a great time together.

MOM MET HER FATHER AT THE GIANT STEP

A PIANO BAR IN NEW ROCHELLE

SHE'D GOT MY DEADBEAT DAD THE GIG,

AND HE SHOWED UP

WENT DOWN SO SHE COULD GRAB THE TIPS,

AND LET ADMIRERS BUY HER DRINKS

LED BY THE VERY HANDSOME ED DESONNE

Mom was passionate and needed a rescue; Ed DeSonne was a prosperous investment banker. Both were raising broods of four alone. Ed wasn’t divorced yet, but soon he and Mom got engaged, and we were going to be like the Brady Bunch, with martinis. In the meantime, he was paying the rent on our roomy townhouse on Carol Avenue...

YEAH, IT'S NEVER SIMPLE

BUT WE'LL GIVE IT A TRY; MAYBE BE ALRIGHT

Jeanne too was the youngest of four. She was fearless and funny, and once the parents were married, she would be my roommate. But until then, I had to spend a few more nights with one or another of my unwilling sisters. One such Saturday, Knockout Diane was supposed to watch me while Shy Karen sister went to a party, but Diane sneaked out. Karen wailed, but Mom had plans with Ed, who arrived in a cloud of aftershave and tapped his shiny toe in the foyer. Mom appeared in glamorous good cheer and ordered me to kiss him. I didn't wanna.

“Go ahead: give him a little kiss,” Mom said, and Ed reached out gamely, but I wound back and fired a fierce little first-grade kick right into his suited shin.

Today we'd say I was “acting out.” But back then, everybody just yelled. Then the grownups... went out. And the television...went on. And then: Ed DeSonne disappeared, changing the channel on a whole other level.

ED, WE HARDLY KNEW YE…

In first grade you learn to add 2 plus 2. I overheard the word “funeral” and didn’t see Jeanne’s dad for a week; these factors equalled --to me-- that he was dead. When Mom announced it, the big girls wailed like the world was ending. But I just said: “I know.”

I wasn't glad Ed was dead, but I wasn't sad, either. I didn't know how much we lost.

Mom told everyone the aneurysm happened while Ed was driving; years later she told me the rest of the story. She also told me that, in her grief, she'd called MY DAD, as a friend, and that he'd sneaked away to be there with her at Ed's funeral.

In the instant it takes for a blood vessel to pop, Mom became bereft, unemployed, and homeless. And our family dispersed like seeds in the wind.

Diane went to live with her father in the city. The rest of us were taken in by another divorcee with a sun-porch we shared for the nervous, chilly months it took Mom to save up a security deposit. Karen cried endlessly, Mom cooing in her ear and breaking Valiums in half. Fightin’ Joni moved in with her best friend. I got caught standing on our hosts’ kitchen counter in my loafers, stealing cookies from their Charles Chips tin.

But worst of all, Jeanne was sent into foster care.

I only saw her once again after that, but we’re Facebook friends now.

While we were staying with the other family, Dad got tickets for the TV show "Wonderama", for me and our host's daughter, and she won the big prize! Our moms picked us up, tipsy on high heels, loading the prizes in the back of a Checker, ignoring candy-starved Moonies in white shirts and dark blazers who tried to sell us carnations.

(BEAT, then energy back down)

Mom found an apartment. It was in Tuckahoe, so we switched schools. I was in 2nd grade; Joni, 7th; Karen, 9th. I got sent to the principal's office for wearing pants; he showed me a paddle, said next time he'd use it. But maybe it wasn't just the trousers.

Men landed on the moon. “Evil Ways” was in heavy rotation. And “Spinning Wheel.” Our apartment sat at a dead end by a highway. At night the passing cars projected an abstract slide show on our bedroom wall. In the living room, Mom would light a candle and drink wine. The apartment often smelled of the burned bottom of a saucepan.

That Christmas Eve, Mom fell asleep and the candles burned all the way down, through the tablecloth, and into the nice oak table. I woke up when the fire department arrived.

YEAH, WE HARDLY KNEW YOU//IT WAS JUST OUR LIFE/THAT WAS JUST OUR LIFE

Karen was 15 and wanted privacy; I was seven and wanted company. One day these opposing desires clashed at a bedroom door, both sides pushing until the big kid won, my middle finger slammed in the door jamb.

The top was hacked completely off. Mom raced me to New Rochelle Hospital, where the surgeon told her to retrieve the tip of my finger or I'd have a stump for the rest of my life. Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Karen tried to flush my finger, along with her shame and horror, down the toilet.

Thanks to low-rent plumbing, my fingertip didn't disappear, and the toilet water even kept it alive. Mom carried it in a baggie back to the surgeon, who successfully reattached it. (Now, there’s a parent's errand.) They kept me in the hospital for a week, because I was hyperactive and the doctor feared I'd bang the stitches open.

It's possible I was on painkillers, because when Dad appeared he was like a dream, swinging down the hall with his great suit and smiling blue eyes. He'd stopped at the gift shop, and gotten me a dozen long stemmed American Beauty roses and a music box. When you opened it, a ballerina pirouetted to this song:

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING/ OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY/I'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL FEELING/EVERYTHING'S GOING MY WAY

The roses died, of course. I kept that box, though, long after the ballerina broke off and the inside felt was smutty with lipgloss and melted JollyRanchers. Didn’t see Dad again for another 4 years..

#memoir #musical #70s culture

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buckybleeds · 5 years

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Supplementary Reading Materials for Chapter 2 of Nothing Fades Like The Light.

The first page is the one-page history of the US that Nick Fury gives to Steve the day after he wakes up.

The next two pages are from the 10th grade history book Steve is given to read.

All of these pages are technically-factually-true (except the last paragraph of “the cost of freedom” section of the history textbook where mutants and asgardians are discussed) but have a strong bias in their presentation.

Fury’s presentation of US history is VERY US-positive; the textbook is slightly less US positive but still much, much, much more biased than, say, Wikipedia.

Anyway, here’s the text of these pages:

This is the one-page history provided to Steve by Fury. Please note that it is technically factual but VERY biased in its presentation of American Contemporary History.

For release to Cpt. Steven G. Rogers

Per Director Nicholas J. Fury

4/25/2011

Vital points in US History from 3/5/1945 to Present

- April 12th 1945 Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt dies of stroke, succeeded in office by VP Harry S. Truman.

- April 30th 1945 Adolph Hitler commits suicide, Germany surrenders 5/7/1945 Victory is declared in Europe.

- September 2nd 1945 Japan signs terms of surrender after Americans halted a possible invasion through the use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

- June 24th 1948 Soviet Union blockades communist-controlled East Berlin, prompting American airdrops of food and fuel.

- June 27th 1950 American troops are sent to support South Korea against invading North Korean communists.

- September 24th 1957 Black/White school segregation is ended by presidential order

- August 2nd 1964 Vietnamese torpedo boats attack American Sailors

- November 22nd 1963 US President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas,Tx.

- January-February 1968 North Vietnamese launch a coordinated offensive against American soldiers stationed in South Vietnam

- August 6th 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, to prevent racial discrimination from hindering democracy.

- July 20th 1969 American Astronauts become the first men to walk on the moon.

- May 3re 1970 US troops launch offensive in Cambodia to counter Vietnamese troops hiding past the Cambodian border.

- January 27th 1973 The US brokers a cease-fire with Vietnam and signs the cease-fire agreement in Paris.

- August 9th 1974 President Richard Nixon resigns and is succeeded and pardoned by VP Gerald Ford.

- April 25th 1980 American Servicemen are killed attempting to free US hostages in Iran

- January 20th 1981 President Ronald Regan is inaugurated and Iranian hostages freed.

- March 30th 1981 Failed assassination attempt on President Ronald Regan

- June 12th 1987 President Regan demands the Soviet Union tear down the Berlin Wall.

- November 9th 1989 Berlin Wall demolished.

- February 1st 1992 US President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin meet to sign an agreement declaring an end to the Cold War.

- June 26th 1993 President Bill Clinton launches an attack against Iraq after failed assassination of former President George Bush.

- September 11th 2001 Terrorists destroy the World Trade Center in New York by flying hijacked planes into the towers, killing over 3000 people

- January 29th 2002 President George W. Bush declares war on Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 terror attacks.

- June 28th 2004 the US returns sovereignty to the Iraqi interim government

- September 10th 2007 The US remains committed to training operations, counter-insurgency measures, and fighting terrorists in Iraq.

[Here’s the text of the Vietnam War page from the 10th-grade textbook given to Steve]

Perspective Shift – Photography

[included image of a US soldier burning a home during the My Lai Massacre]

In March of 1968 American Soldiers killed over 300 Vietnamese noncombatant civilians, including many women and children, in what became known as the My Lai massacre.

Testimony given by Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson Jr. described ditches full of bodies, homes being burnt, and unarmed civilians being executed by American soldiers.

While there were eyewhitnesses and many credible reports of unsanctioned American violence it is largely due to the greater portability and durability

of cameras that the American public gave up support for the Vietnam War.

Famous photos of Nguyễn Văn Lém (“Saigon Execution” 1968), Phan Thị Kim Phúc (“Napalm Girl” 1972), and even the deaths of American students protesting the

bombing of Cambodia at Kent State University in Ohio (“Kent State University Massacre” 1970) made the reality of war more obvious to people reading newspapers at home and watching reports on television.

While mass media has always been a part of modern warfare there had never before been such a stream of violent, full-color images making their way off of the battlefield and into people’s living rooms.

Previous wars had sent newsreels showing successful battles and strong soldiers back to the home front, frequently as a tactic for promoting the sale of war bonds or increasing recruitment, but the visibility of the cost of war has become more and more apparent as it became easier to show what was happening on the ground.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: How does the internet and social media shift the way that American civilians experience war today? What do you think would be different about war today without cellphone videos or livestreaming?

US commanders were more grounded in offensive and aggressive warefare than defensive positions or missions. This, combined with the heretofore unusual challenge of fighting opponents who utilized guerilla techniques and could easily blend in with (or actually be) the civilian population made a unique challenge in terms of tactics and planning.

Additionally, after the initial surge US recruits were typically drafted and only recently trained and stationed overseas. They were unfamiliar with the local culture and languages, unfamiliar with the terrain and wildlife – even unfamiliar with the food. A recruit from Indianapolis would find himself in a very strange place standing on the bank of the Mekong river.

This led to engagements unlike any ever seen in American military campaigns – search and destroy operations were stymied on the ground by impenetrable jungles and the ability of the Viet Cong to disappear into the local population but bases were left poorly defended – the Viet Cong took advantage of these strategic inconsistencies and carefully provoked US offensive actions into Hill Fights in the Central Highlands as a diversonary tactic before launching the Tet Offensive.

The Tet Offensive (1/30/1968) was a major strategy launched at more than 100 cities, with focused attacks on government buildings, military installations, and the US Embassy in Saigon. During the first month of the offensive over 1,100 Americans and 14,000 Vietnamese civilians were killed.

The Tet Offensive marked the beginning of a collapse of morale among US soldiers and marked an end to majority support at home. Infantry units began to falsify or simply disobey orders or even turn around to attack their commanding officers, sometimes going so far as to kill those giving orders.

DEFINITION – FRAGGING

Fragging is the act of killing one’s own officer or teammates in war, named for fragmentation grenades because officers killed in grenade incidents were noted as accidental deaths. There were over 900 fragging incidents investigated in the later years of the war.

Questions were also being continually raised about the ethics and efficacy of US tactics. The use of Napalm was uncontroversial at the beginning of the campaign and justified as a way to protect US troops and eradicate cover for the Viet Cong, but after tens of thousands of civilians, many of them children, were killed or burned in napalm drops support for the war continued to drop as it became impossible to ignore that the American use of incendiaries on civilians was only causing increased support for the North Vietnamese forces.

Pathways Through American History: Chapter 21 – The Vietnam War

Hugh Thompson Junior, who is mentioned in the “perspective shift: photography” section of the history book Steve reads, is maybe the truest definition of an American hero - he was responsible for reporting and attempting to end the My Lai massacre, landing his helicopter between American soldiers and the Vietnamese civilians they were attempting to kill and evacuating survivors of the massacre. He faced tremendous criticism for his actions and was ostracized for testifying against American soldiers. He was eventually awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary bravery in flight. He threw it away.

You can read more about him being just the biggest swinging dick in the northern hemisphere here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Thompson_Jr.

Additionally there was an opera written about his actions and dedicated to his bravery and to the survivors of the My Lai massacre, which includes music played on instruments made from artillery left in Vietnam after the war. You can see excerpts from that opera here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQu9lxaDsI8

[Here’s the text of a page from Steve’s history book - this one is about the Patriot Act]

Take Note

[includes image of a sign that says “The FBI has not been here – watch this sign carefully to see if that changes”]

Librarians strenuously objected to the USA PATRIOT act, specifically Section 215, which allows the FBI to request books, records, papers, and other documents that a suspected terrorist might have accessed, including what books had been checked out from a library. The American Library Association stated that library records are fundamentally different from ordinary business records and that the provision granting access to library records would have a chilling effect on free speech but discouraging the use of libraries or the free exploration of information therein.

The sign pictured in this section was posted in a library in 2005; while libraries were not permitted to announce that the FBI had requested records because of the gag order attached to the provision they were allowed to post a sign saying there had been no requests for information and then surreptitiously remove the signs if that changed.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Is checking a book out from a library free speech? Do you think you would search different websites if you knew your parents or school were monitoring where you went? Do you think it’s worth it to be careful about what you search if it means someone else doesn’t get bullied or hurt because of search filtering?

The Cost of Freedom

after 9/11 it became clear that our democracy was not prepared for the spectre of terrorism that had invaded our shores - but some of the responses have been criticized as worse than the cause.

The USA PATRIOT act continues to be controversial for many reasons, but most frequently cited are the normalization of mass state surveillance and erosion of personal privacy and the elimination of constitutional protections for certain classes of terrorist suspects.

Reauthorizations of the USA PATRIOT act have continually approved unwarranted wiretapping and gag orders on people (like librarians and internet service providers) who might otherwise warn people about data collection in the public interest. Some provisions have become more controversial as time has passed – for instance the “Lone Wolf” provision that allowed for the warrantless wire-tapping of individuals not connected to known terrorist groups has come under additional scrutiny as groups like the ACLU point out that the FBI’s definitions of “terrorist” are both expansive and opaque. Other sections are more and more accepted – nationwide service of search warrants for electronic evidence is wholly accepted now whereas the question of widening jurisdictions was seen as a threat to individual liberty when the act was signed into law in 2001.

Of greater concern are the changes made to criminal law in broadening the definitions of terrorism; it is now possible to be considered a terrorist for causing mass destruction as well as causing injury or death, and the definitions of “cyber terrorism” set down in 2001 might certainly give computer-users in 2008 some pause; accessing a ‘protected computer’ is a terrorist action, after all – or at least it can be.

The indefinite detention of non-US citizens is also of serious concern internationally, though American citizens are not subject to the indefinite holds that are possible for non-citizens. Constitutional scholars, civil liberties groups, and many activists contend that constitutional freedoms are guaranteed to all people on American soil, but that is a more and more difficult question to tackle when ‘aliens’ discussed in the law become literal Aliens, as the revealed Asgardians and their advanced technology prove. The protections that might be necessary for an accused immigrant don’t need to be enshrined the same way for beings we have no better description for than ‘demigod.’

Mutant activist groups have recently hopped into the fray in this conversation, as the USA PATRIOT act can also classify their genetic powers as terrorist weapons and the damage that is caused when an adolescent mutant matures into their talent has more than once been labeled a terrorist action.

A Different Perspective

President George W. Bush, who signed the USA PATRIOT Act into law, has stood by his decision all this time and continues to insist that it is in the best interest of the American people.

The Department of Homeland Security, a new branch of the Department of Defense, was also formed under President Bush and has seen similar ups-and-downs. The most well-known face of the DHS is the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, who most of us know from long lines at the airport and taking off your shoes to get on a plane.

It’s true that these things are inconvenient, but security usually isn’t convenient - there have been no attempted shoe or liquid bombings on planes since the TSA changed their carry-on policies, so maybe the trade-off is worth the inconvenience.

Pathways Through American History: Chapter 28 – The War on Terror

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this-citadel-is-truly-blessed · 6 years

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Midnight

Not much later was Kogitsunemaru back in front of the shoji that led into his and Mikazuki’s room. Methodically he used his elbow to slide the door open to see Mikazuki sitting cross legged on his side of their futon, hand habitually on his belly as be patiently awaited his lover’s return.

“What took you so long?” Mikazuki asked honestly.

“There was no rice leftover from dinner, so I had to boil some up fresh,” he said as he slid the door closed the door with his heel. “I also ran into Nikkari and we got caught up in conversation.”

“Well, I thank you for going through all of that trouble for me.”

“No need to worry,” he said handing the bowl to Mikazuki. “And don’t forget your mochi,” he added when he placed the other platter on the floor to Mikazuki’s right. “Now, may I go back to sleep?”

“Of course,” he grinned.

With a final “goodnight”, Kogitsunemaru flopped into the warm sheets he was so dismayed to leave earlier that night. He flipped to his shoulder, turning his back to Mikazuki, leaving him to enjoy his unique portions of rice and mochi as Kogitsunemaru relieved his heavy burden that weighed upon his eyelids. He was so soaked in exhaustion, so achy from the days events, the satisfaction of hitting head to pillow could never be explained in mere words. The pillow beneath the side of his face was even more snug than he could have ever dreamed, and the blankets blocking out the air’s bitter chill was a blessing all on its own. All of these things only enticed him to return to that peaceful slumber he had unwillingly abandoned before and sleep the rest of the night away.

Yet, minutes passed. Every minute that came after was another minute Kogitsunemaru found himself not falling back to sleep. He began staring at every fiber of the walls around him and every detail of the room’s furnishings for a reason he was not too sure of. The quiet itself even became burdensome and hindered his efforts even more. It was not even like Mikazuki was keeping him up with his eating. After all, one could barely even notice that he was in the room considering how quiet he was.

He tried flipping over. For a few moments he tried to keep his eyes closed long enough until sleep came. However, he found himself taking a moment to look at Mikazuki, which turned into even more sleepless minutes.

Mikazuki sat so quietly beside him. His crossed legs made something of a nest for his teeming tummy as he held his bowl in one hand and his chopsticks in the other. His stare was adorably unassuming as he carefully selected what he was to munch on next. There was such a subtle contentedness in Mikazuki’s presence that Kogitsunemaru could not help but be enraptured as his skin was caressed by the moonlight’s soft blue glow.

Make sure you give yourself time to enjoy these moments… As much as you can anyway.

It made Kogitsunemaru so content to see his lover feeling such comfort from being able to eat a fresh bowl of rice in bed in the middle of the night. It made him wonder how many times he had overlooked these little things. He was so focused on falling asleep, he almost missed this little picture Mikazuki unconsciously put on. This habit was not likely to last past the baby’s birth, but seeing him making that not-so-difficult decision of choosing between rice or rice revealed one of those little things he always did but only someone like Kogitsunemaru would notice; he was such a conscious eater and it was down-right adorable. He was so enthralled with this he just focused on Mikazuki entirely, and soon the minutes passed much faster.

None of this was different from who Mikazuki was before. No, he never woke up after midnight asking from sugar coated rice or some fried tofu, but he was always delicate when he ate, taking his time and truly savoring it as one always should. Kogitsunemaru was well aware of this habit Mikazuki had, though seeing it right here and right now was particularly special. He realized that even when they would be caught in idle conversation, whether it be them discussing their respective days or the changing of the seasons as they always discussed, there was something different. Mikazuki would still look back across the way and nod, listening intently to every word Kogitsunemaru said just as he always had. Now there was something more. Kogi would just have to take a peek down to see that there was just a little bit more to him. Every move, breath, and word spoken was the same, yet different in a way. It was special. The average day became even more special than they ever were before.

Nikkari was right: he should enjoy it.

As Kogitsunemaru pondered all of these ideas, Mikazuki was getting considerably far in his bowl of rice on his side of the bed. All of a sudden, he just so happened to notice that Kogitsunemaru was not asleep as he originally thought. He was so consumed in eating his food he hardly noticed when his lover went from being curled on his side in deep sleep to lying there with his head in his hand staring at him eat with sleep deprived eyes.

“I thought you were going back to sleep?” Mikazuki spoke in low.

“Not yet…” he murmured back with a slow open and close of his eyes. His head sunk further into his palm.

“Would you like some?” Mikazuki offered to the fox beside him thinking the gaze may be a result of his own hunger. He gave a lazy grin back.

“No.”

“So you are just going to stare at me while I eat?”

Kogitsunemaru did not respond right away. Instead he threw his head down to the bed again and nuzzled into Mikazuki’s side. His voice was muffled from the fabric of Mikazuki’s nightwear as he gave a lingering “yes.”

Putting the chopsticks into the bowl, giving him a freehand, he was able to reach down and pat Kogitsune on the head as he gave a lighthearted laugh.

“You need sleep.”

-Excerpt from The Fox and the Moon, Chapter 11: Midnight.

#Touken Ranbu #Mpreg #KogiMika #Kogitsunemaru #Mikazuki Munechika #Late Night Snuggles #Cravings #Kogi really does need sleep #Black and White #Fanfiction #My art #This Citadel is Truly Blessed #The Fox and the Moon

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fandomn00blr · 5 years

Text

Dread Moon, Chapter 11 Excerpt

[Context: Oops! Evelyn has just somehow managed to transport everyone from Merrill’s apartment through her busted Eluvian into the Fade...]

...

“Maker’s breath, Evelyn!” Cullen shouted irritably, rubbing his eyes. “Can you at least give us a warning next time, so we don’t go blind?”

But as his eyes adjusted, he was completely dumbfounded by what he saw. The entire world had apparently been twisted and transformed around them.

“Not again...” Evelyn muttered, taking in her surroundings with a foreboding sense of familiarity.

“Oh fuck this!” Bull said angrily.

“The Fade...” whispered Anders, looking down at Merrill, who, thanks to Panacea, was snoozing soundly in his lap with a pleasant smile on her face as her body recovered from the loss of so much blood.

The last time he’d entered the Fade on purpose, Justice had taken control to prevent him from being tempted by demons the way the others had. Well, everyone except Hawke, of course. He looked over toward Fenris, who looked about as happy as Bull to be suddenly transported to this place, and Varric, who was staring in shock at Merrill’s Eluvian, trying to figure out which side of it they were on.

“What did you do, Evelyn?!” Cullen asked her accusingly.

Evelyn turned to the spirit beside her, who had become considerably more bright here, taking on a shimmery golden texture, with an even less defined physical form. “Cole...what did I do?”

“Waiting...scared...lost…”

“You think they’re here, Kid?” Varric said, looking around nervously.

“Where is HERE?!” Cullen demanded.

“Cullen, please calm down…” Evelyn said, trying to sound reassuring, but it was no use.

“Calm down?! If this is where I think it is…”

“Yes, darling.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, having given up on being reassuring rather quickly. “We are in the Fade…”

“Don’t call me that! It’s not cute. Not right now…” he huffed. “But more importantly, why would you...how did you…?” He was pacing back and forth now. “First, blood magic. And now this! I don’t see how being trapped in the Fade helps anyone!”

“We’re not trapped...not really...” Evelyn held up her Anchor hand and nodded toward the Eluvian.

“You don’t even know how that thing works!” Cullen shouted, throwing his own hands up in the air.

The others had all been standing around awkwardly, waiting for the two of them to finish their quarreling before pointing out the spirits of anger and fear coalescing around them.

“He knows we are here…” Cole said, looking uncharacteristically fearful and wrapping himself around Varric.

“WHO?!” Cullen yelled in exasperation.

“Curly, we’re gonna need you to pull it together,” Varric said. “You’re kinda drawing a lot of unwanted attention.”

Cullen turned, ready to lash out at Varric, too, until he finally noticed the spirits surrounding them.

“Shit…” Evelyn murmured, swatting at them with her staff.

Cullen drew his sword and stood, almost trembling, unsure how to defend himself against the cloudy apparitions all around him. “Just...tell me what to do!”

“Nothing here is actually real. At least not if you don’t let it be…”

“What?!”

“Think of it like a dream!”

“I have had some pretty horrible dreams, Evelyn!”

“Trust me!” Evelyn reached her hand out to him, pushing aside a particularly angry-looking spirit who glared at her before floating away. Cullen grasped her hand with his, cold and clammy, but his grip was firm, and she pulled him away from the rest of the wisps, who seemed suddenly a lot less interested.

“You must face him again to free your friends,” Cole whispered apologetically in Evelyn’s ear.

“The Nightmare?” Evelyn sighed.

Cole nodded. “Follow your sense of dread, but do not be afraid. He has grown weak with so little to feed on. And you have grown stronger. With friends.”

“You’re not coming?”

Cole looked back at Merrill, and then at her Eluvian. “I must help here. To keep her safe, and to keep the way open for when you return.”

Anders had been listening. “I will stay with Merrill,” he said defensively. “I prefer not to abandon my patients.”

Cole frowned. “You will be needed.”

“Real or not, I’m sure I speak for almost everyone here when I say that I’d be a lot less concerned about our odds if we had a healer with us,” Bull agreed.

“Merrill already looks a lot better, Anders,” Hawke said. “I’m sure Cole can look after her.”

“Fine.” Anders scowled at her. “But if anything happens to her…” He tried to glare threateningly at Cole, who had already surrounded her like a protective bubble. It was hard to imagine anyone better suited to watching over her. Other than Anders himself, of course.

“We should get moving!” Evelyn shouted. “Follow the wisps of Fear and try not to feed them!”

“Feed them?” Fenris asked.

“They feed on your fears.”

“Of course they do…” he muttered.

#dragon age #dread moon #my writing #writing collab #cullen #evelyn trevelyan #hawke #anders #merrill #cole #fenris #varric #iron bull #the fade #anger #fear

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