#filed under ; alina

[victorferrariforever]

starter com @ladraderaioss

Submerso na água, Victor aproveitava o silêncio para colocar os pensamentos em ordem. Era difícil pensar quando a todo tempo era bombardeado por informações; no acampamento, tudo acontecia muito rápido. O destino estava sempre em suas mãos, tudo parecia sempre prestes a mudar irreversivelmente. Ele ficou ali, sem pensar em nada, até os pulmões doerem e implorarem por ar. Não tinha afinidades com deidades da água, e sua tolerância não era melhor que a de qualquer outro semideus. Deu um impulso no fundo do lago com a perna e subiu de volta à superfície, inspirando o oxigênio como se fosse um champanhe gigante no final da corrida. Foi então que se deparou com a imagem dela, quem ele vinha tentando tão desesperadamente evitar. "Lina," falou, engasgando-se com a água, se perguntando se não era tarde demais para afundar e sumir. "Eu... Já estava de saída. Desculpa." Pelo quê? Por assustá-la? Por tudo? Victor abaixou os olhos.

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Chapter 22 - House on Fire

Word count: 5,246. Read on AO3. Series Masterlist. <- Previous Chapter.

Summary: Mina returns with her contribution to the upcoming battle and of course . . . there's smut. TW: If you've made it this far in the series, just know there is the usual kind of kinky smut between two mentally unwell demons that love each other.

Series summary

In the 1950's, Alastor met the woman he would eventually marry but unfortunately his Radio Demon persona went for her soul rather than her hand. He has to learn what it means to love, and cherish, without possessing and he does. Their relationship is beautiful, strong, unbreakable . . . but he carries a dark secret through their marriage for decades until eventually he has to face the consequences of that secret and leave her, without warning, for seven years. He returns, finding her at the Hazbin Hotel, and has to convince her to forgive him, while being literally bound to secrecy, unable to tell her any of things he now is desperate to explain to her.

(This is a duel timeline fic, timestamps will be a the top of every chapter.)

Chapter 22 - House on Fire

Present Day

When Mina returned to the hotel that evening, Charlie, Alastor, and Vaggie had all beaten her there, with their recruits in tow. She would learn later that the three of them had quite the dramatic reunion at the gates, with their army on one side and weapons on the other.

Mina had neither an impressively large number of Sinners nor did she bring with her an intimidating array of steel swords and spears. She was not one for big displays of power or showmanship and neither were the others that worked in The Pit. Their subtlety was what they were known for, right up until they ripped out your organs.

A portal opened in the hotel lobby, its ring of fire seven feet in diameter, the heat of the thing radiating off it like a furnace.

Mina stepped through and smiled at the gaping audience she had, consisting of all the hotel’s permanent residents and a few lingering cannibals. Then she turned back to face the portal and gave a wave of her arm, indicating for unknown others to follow her lead.

One by one, demons filed through, until there were six new bodies standing in the lobby, looking around with equally knowing smirks.

Fae was first to enter, her purple wings flapping excitedly behind her as she made her entrance.

Then Alina came through, her deep black eyes looking skeptically around her and her large, pointed bat ears honing in on the whispers around her. But her vampiric smile, complete with dark crimson lips and long exaggerated fangs, gave her a menacing and confident air that came with being the oldest creature in the room.

Next came Mina’s closest two friends, Astra and Lilah, the two women who had been with her the night Alastor had tried to claim Mina’s soul, so many decades ago. Astra’s dark bluish skin shimmered with waves of gold and silver as she stepped under the fluorescent light of the hotel lobby before her body settled, her instinct for camouflage the only give away of her slight nerves. Lilah’s fluffy white ermine tail twitched behind her as she came to stand next to Mina, before she flashed a toothy smile over at Alastor, who was watching the whole parade from the bar with an indecipherable smile of his own plastered on his face.

Last to come through were the twins, Kaden and Silva, hyena demons whose mischievous grins and cackling laughter were the creepiest Mina had ever seen and she adored them for it.

Besides Alina, who was more a mentor and councilor for her, and Fae who was still relatively new to her life, these were the closest friends Mina had ever had. They had been there since the beginning of her life in Hell, had seen her through thick and thin, from the disastrous beginning of her relationship with Alastor, to their wedding, to her near downfall into madness when he had disappeared. And each and every one of them were not about to miss a chance to fight beside her and get a taste of angelic blood.

___

Charlie had jumped at the opportunity to give hurried and frantic introductions to everyone. The poor girl looked exhausted but fueled by a newfound hope. She practically bounded around the hotel, giving all of her new residents a tour of . . . well, everything. Mina had to step in eventually and show her family their rooms and let them settle in their own way.

To her credit, Charlie quickly gathered that Mina had returned to working for Abaddon and that she had been in contact with her old family the whole time. Either Charlie was more open minded than Mina had initially thought her to be or whatever had happened at her meeting with Heaven had ignited a rage in Charlie that was comparable to Mina’s own. The Princess seemed excited about the idea of having angelic fire wielders on her side now and didn’t even blink an eye when Mina told her that after the battle, she would have to share her time between helping the hotel and her job as a bounty hunter.

Charlie, surprisingly, had been easy.

Alastor, Mina was afraid, would be another story.

She had told him of her plan and he had agreed that if it meant she would be able to defend herself better during the upcoming battle, then the bargain to return to work would be worth it, but he was far from happy about it. He must have slipped off somewhere during the initial introductions because one second, he had been there at the bar, looking displeased and nursing a whiskey, and the next second he had vanished.

Well, that wouldn’t do.

She had played her part in his little scheme with Charlie and he had accepted her going back to work, albeit reluctantly. Still, they’d spent a wonderful morning together, had worked together to put things in motion for the day, and to top it all off, Mina was really beginning to feel the side effects of her heat. Alastor didn’t get to succumb to his sour mood after all that.

Her body burning up, her senses on edge, and her panties already quite wet, she went in search for her sulking husband. Abaddon’s challenge to her, to ask him if he regretted his deal, still rang in her ears, but it was not her intention to bring up that sore subject just yet. Not when her other issue was now at the forefront of her mind.

___

Alastor had purposefully made himself scarce once Mina had returned with her friends in tow, finding solace first in his bayou and then when he became more restless, in a rarely used spare room upstairs. It was a lounge of sorts, with a small private bar, ice machine, television set that he unplugged for good measure, and a beautiful grand piano.

He sat down and began mindlessly playing a soft old jazz tune, one that he couldn’t find a record of down in Hell, but the muscles of his fingers retained the living memory of it nonetheless.

Mina’s friend were . . . fine, he supposed. Once upon a time, they had all gotten along very well, especially Astra and Lilah. Even after he had nearly set them on fire and locked them away when he went after Mina . . . all had been forgiven and even laughed about eventually. They had all become good friends over the years; even sending him souls to claim once in a while, ones they were certain would still cause trouble once they had finished their sentences in The Pit, if they didn’t have someone holding their leashes and controlling their actions better.

But since his disappearance, he couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous towards the lot of them. They had been there for Mina when he hadn’t been. Even if it wasn’t his choice to, Alastor had left Mina, broken her heart, torn their beautiful life to shreds, and it was her friends who had picked up the pieces in his absence.

Their very presence there in the hotel was a reminder of that, one he was not comfortable facing, so he had fled the scene before he was forced to play nice with them. He knew he would have to eventually, the extermination was still a little ways away, but tonight he just couldn’t bring himself to speak with them. Likely the group would be bouncing back and forth between the hotel and The Pit, split between their actual job and their new hobby of facing the upcoming battle.

Everything was on the line for Alastor. Everything was dependent on a successful win on Extermination Day. His plan, his deal, his life, his marriage . . . it was all so interconnected and he couldn’t even begin to explain the intricacies of how it was all messed up and meshed together now to . . . anyone.

He felt alone. A feeling that used to never bother him. He tried to push it down now, ignoring the pain of it, making mental leaps and bounds to tell himself that he was fine, but despite all his efforts, he was still hurting. And his only outlets for emotional discomfort were violence or self-isolation, and violence wasn’t an option.

Arguing silently with himself that choosing to be alone actually made him feel less alone, Alastor became so distracted that he hit a wrong piano key, the off note ringing through the air and setting him more on edge. He tried to pick things up where he had been but wasn’t even sure which part of the song he was on. Struggling, he played the song over in his mind, attempting to remember which chords began the chorus, and after a couple of failed attempts, slammed his hands down on the keys, making the piano angrily yell out at him in a protest with half a dozen loud notes.

“You seem tense, love,” Mina’s voice said from behind him, and he jumped.

He glared over his shoulder at her and then scowled at his shadow that was hanging out in the opposite corner, laughing silently. He mentally berated it for not doing its job of warning him when someone was approaching but the damn thing just slid across the walls and hovered behind Mina as she approached him.

“Do I now?” Alastor said sarcastically, turning away from her to begin playing Chopin’s Sonata No. 2, its forlorn music a stark contrast to the fake but pleasant smile he felt gracing his features. “I don’t know how that could possibly be.”

Gentle hands came to rest on his shoulders and the touch irritated him at first, but he didn’t shrug her off. He wanted to, but it would just make him feel worse and more guilty if he gave into that urge. None of this was her fault and he had pushed her away enough times over the last five months, using her as an outlet to lash out to when all he had wanted was to seek comfort in her.

Look at him, growing, maturing, being emotionally aware of himself. His mother would be proud.

He could tell Mina was just testing the waters, seeing if he would allow her to show any kind of affection. She had learned early on if she outright asked if she could touch him, it would just make him more defensive, so she had developed this little game to read his moods. A small touch, a pause, a read of his body language, and continue from there. He knew what she was doing, she knew he knew, and yet this worked the best for both of them.

“Alastor,” she said gently, keeping her hands still on his body, “this is what we talked about. We both agreed-“

“I know,” he said, cutting her off, abruptly ending the song he had been playing. He couldn’t concentrate on it anyway, with her pestering him like this.

He felt and heard her sigh behind him and then she pressed a kiss to the back of his head, near the base of his ears. A small sigh of his own escaped his chest then and with it, a bit of the angst he had been holding close to his heart. Leaning back a little, he let his head rest against her chest, and she began to purr, letting the soft vibrations sooth him further.

Her arms encircled him from behind, coming to rest just under the lapels of his jacket.

“Are you angry with me?” she asked quietly after a moment had passed.

“No,” he replied quickly.

“But you’re upset.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted.

“Okay then, have it your way,” she said, and she bent over him more, kissing along his jaw line and nipping at the soft flesh at the top of his neck, purring all the while.

“Mina, I’m not in the mood.”

“But you said you were fine,” she said, her voice now low and sultry, and she began playing with the buttons of his shirt.

He pulled her hand away with his own, standing up from his seat and looming over her.

“We just did all this earlier this morning. Is that not enough-“

Alastor took in her appearance, the rosy pink of her cheeks, the lusty smile on her face, and the wide dilated pupils, and took pause of his little rant.

“You have got to be shitting me,” he said, frustrated and flustered by the look she was giving him. “You’re in heat? Now?!”

She looked at him over heavy eyelashes, giving him a bashful but wicked grin.

“I don’t control when it happens, you know.”

“Darling, we do not have time for this.”

Her eyebrows came together in a positively adorable pout.

“Are you not going to help me, then?”

“Of course I am,” he said shortly, “don’t be ridiculous. This is just awful timing.”

“It’ll be over well before the battle gets here, love,” she said, stepping close enough to him to be chest to chest, and began undoing his bow tie.

He reached his arms around her, cupping her ass tightly in both hands, and pulling her hard against him. 

“The things I do for love,” he said, letting his lips meet hers, and his shadow joined them together, transporting them back to their room.

___

Mina moaned, her mouth full of Alastor’s cock, as his tongue slipped through her wet folds, teasing her entrance before he settled his lips around her clit and gave it a deliciously hard suck.

He was beneath her, his claws digging into the round flesh of her ass, as he devoured her cunt and she returned the favor by leaning across his body and using both her hand and mouth to pleasure him. It was a race, a favorite game of theirs, to see who would cum first.

Alastor had already given her two orgasms, first with just his fingers before she was even fully undressed. She had been so hot and ready for him, his two slender long digits had slid right through her and in under a minute she had come undone, trembling as she stood on tiptoe, clinging to his shoulders for balance.

Then he had truly treated her, eating her out as she sat on his face, his long dexterous tongue fucking her cunt. It had been all she could do to grip his antlers with one hand and the headboard of their bed with her other as he relentlessly pumped his unnaturally long and wet tongue inside her, his nose teasing her clit, and she had cried and moaned above him, cumming hard a second time, but she had been far from satisfied afterwards.

He hadn’t wanted to stop anymore than she had, and continued stroking her spongey sensitive walls even after she had stopped shaking from the force of her orgasm. Mina had been happy to let him fuck her like this again but she had felt his arm moving behind her and looked over her shoulder to see him pulling himself free of his briefs and stroking his beautiful and engorged shaft. Her mouth watered at the sight of the precum that moistened the tip and she had adjusted herself over his face until she was turned the other way, in position to appreciate his cock properly.

She was already so close again, especially with the way Alastor was using his tongue on her clit, but she was working his cock with passion now, pumping with her hand at the base while she lapped and sucked what she could fit in her mouth. It was easy at this angle to fit him in until he hit the back of her throat and he thrusted up into her, properly mouth fucking her as his own orgasm began to build.

Her free hand reached around his shaft and cupped his balls, lovingly massaging them, earning her a throaty moan from her husband, his breath hot and wonderful against her dripping pussy.

The audible sounds of his own pleasure spurred on her own, making her walls clench, and he somehow knew to remove his lips from her clit with a wet pop and once again began working the soft spot just inside her walls with his tongue wide and curled just right to stroke it, over and over and over again.

She cried out, tears prickling the corner of her eyes from the pleasure and from his cock ramming the back of her throat, choking her, giving her the sensation of being properly fucked at both ends. A good amount of her drool had gathered at his base and she ran her fingers through it, gathering up the moisture before she gently ran her hand back over his sac, feeling it tighten in response.

Mina was desperately close, but Alastor was closer.

With another moan into her cunt, Alastor came hard, his seed hitting the back of her throat and coating her tongue. She continued working him with her mouth, sucking his cock until he was good and spent, licking him clean. Then she was cumming as well, gasping and moaning, her face buried into his dark curls, the musky sent of him overwhelming her senses as he lapped up her clenching cunt, her walls spasming around his tongue as her orgasm went on and on, her body jerking from the intense pleasure of it.

Finally, she felt her orgasm coming to an end and she breathed out, nearly in relief, and swung her legs away and adjusted her position until she was laying next to Alastor, face to face.

He wiped at his chin and then pulled her close, kissing her sweetly and slowly, his hands roaming over her upper body, knowing she wasn’t quite done for the evening.

She could smell the scent of herself all over his face and she began to purr, enjoying the feeling of having claimed him. Her heat was like his rut; making her extra territorial, often even aggressive, and with the dying need to be bred and possessive of her mate. There was no biological purpose to these cycles, and for most demon forms that went through them, it was more a punishment than anything. A loss of control, an insatiable need that drove some to madness, but when there was a proper outlet for it, like Mina and Alastor had found in each other, there was much fun to be had.

And Alastor seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself during her cycles. Though he wasn’t a man of many kinks (outside of his own rut) and had a lower libido than Mina did, he liked feeling wanted and really got off on how much Mina desired him when she was in heat.

The first time they had been intimate while she was in cycle, she had been almost appalled at how needy she still was after he had already made her cum several times. She had tried to be polite and let him know she didn’t expect him to keep going but he would have none of it. They might take small breaks until he could get it up again and even when he was fully spent and quite literally drained, he found creative ways to continue. After all, he had plenty of other appendages at his disposal.

She felt one of them now, just beginning to ghost across her skin, tracing a pattern across her lower back and down her backside before playfully beginning to wrap itself around her upper thigh.

Alastor seemed preoccupied, sucking and biting hard at her neck, pinching and lightly twisting a nipple with his hand, but she knew he was in complete control of the tentacle that was dancing across her flesh. Mina also knew they weren’t numb; he had told her once he could feel perfectly well with them, and that while it wasn’t exactly the same as using his own natural flesh on her, he still received some amount of pleasurable sensations when he fucked her with his shadows.

Mina parted her thighs, inviting the slithering darkness to continue its upward coil and meet her at her apex.

Alastor’s hand left her breast and he raked his nails down her torso, leaving red welts on her belly, stopping when his fingertips met her mound and becoming much more gentle when he began circling her clit. The tentacle found its destination and with Mina already wet and stimulated, it penetrated her easily.

Together, Alastor’s shadow and his fingers worked her cunt, with slow lingering circles and pulses that were perfectly in sync with each other. She panted and whimpered at the smoldering pace, arching her hips up to deepen the angle, and Alastor captured her lusty moans with his mouth. He was taking his time with her this round, allowing her pleasure to build in a sensual, loving manner. Even with the unusual nature of this kind of love making, Alastor could make even a kinky tentacle fucking feel like the most romantic bedroom session imaginable.

The most wonderful part of the shadow’s ability was that it didn’t just thrust in and out of her but it pulsed. Like a heartbeat, its width ebbed and flowed, stretching her walls in rhythm with each stroke, a unique form of stimulus that no other part of Alastor’s body or toy available for purchase could simulate.

This went on for several minutes, Alastor slowing his movements each time she got close to another orgasm, until she was at the limit of her patience. Mina gripped at his hair, right at the base of his sensitive ears, begging him to let her cum.

She could feel his erection, renewed and hard for her, pressed against her side as he continued to tease her.

Though dirty talk was a rare thing for him to partake in, he enjoyed hearing the words from her lips, loved hearing her beg him for more.

“Please, love,” she whispered, her voice desperate and needy.

“Please what?” he asked, smirking against her skin, pressing a tender kiss to her jaw line.

She whimpered as his fingers quickened their pace on her clit, but then slowed back down when she didn’t respond right away.

“Please let me cum. Please, please, please,” she begged, rocking her hips in an attempt to increase the pressure and depth of the tentacle that had come to a near standstill in her throbbing cunt. “Please fuck me. Harder, God, please, Al’. Harder.”

“And then what? What shall I do to you next, hmmm?” he asked, his voice sweet, but his teeth on her neck were anything but.

He let the shadow begin to pulse inside her again, his fingers pressed almost painfully down on her clit, and she cried out in relief as she felt her orgasm begin to build again.

“Then I want your cock,” she said, letting her voice turn practically guttural in her wanton need for him. “Please. Cum inside me. Breed me. Make me yours.”

“So filthy,” he chided, but he smiled with satisfaction and gave her what she was asking for.

His fingers and tentacle worked her at a positively deadly pace until she came unraveled. Alastor bit down on her neck where his teeth had been only teasing her before, his love bite spilling her blood on the pillow beneath her as she succumbed to another long and deep orgasm.

She barely had time to catch her breath before he was pulling the shadowy tendril out of her. It evaporating into nothing even as it raised above them, as Alastor forcefully repositioned her so that he could fit his body between her legs.

Despite still reeling from her orgasm, Mina eagerly reached between them, lifting her hips as she helped guide his cock inside her.

He wasted no time in setting a hard and brutal pace, snapping his hips into her own. Mina could feel the pounding against her cervix as he filled her up and enjoyed the mix of pleasure and pain that taking a dick almost too large for her gave her. She breathed deeply, letting her muscles relax around his girth, and the stinging sensation began to subside, allowing her body to respond properly to the intoxicating feeling of his cock thrusting inside her.

Hip to hip, chest to chest, and face to face, they rocked against each other, both sweaty and now lightly streaked with Mina’s blood. Her hands tangled in his hair again, holding him close, feeding off the intimacy of the position.

Alastor’s ruby eyes, always the most expressive part of him, shown with adoration and lust, his breathing becoming labored and ragged as they continued to feed off of each other’s pleasure.

Mina lowered one arm, reaching around him and clutched at his ass, encouraging him to ram into her deeper and harder than before, even if she wasn’t sure she could take it. Her heat made her insane for him, made her want him to break her back and split her in two if it meant fucking her more. More than even her own pleasure, she wanted his seed in her, wanted to feel her pussy spilling over with his cum. So she reached even further until her fingertips found soft fur and wrapped her fingers around his tail and began stroking.

Alastor paused his thrusting to grab her arm, gripping it hard enough to bruise, and forced her hand back into the mattress, pinning her helplessly beneath him.

“No,” he said harshly, picking up his pace again, burying himself to the hilt, painfully enough to make her cry out, although it was also exactly what her needy cunt was begging for.

“I just want to make you cum,” she purred.

He caught her other hand and moved them both until he had then pressed into the pillow above her head. She wrapped her legs around his waist in response, locking her ankles together where his tail met his lower back. His cock stretched her out even more at this angle, and she could feel the pressure of his tip deep in her lower belly. It burned, it hurt, and it felt so amazing, and she felt the coil of her next orgasm begin to heat up and tighten within her.

“I will,” he growled, his eyes squeezing shut as she clenched her muscles around his length. “Be patient.”

She watched, fascinated and turned on as his antlers began to widen and spread out above them, and when he opened his eyes again, the irises had gone completely black. Mina smiled up at him, feeling a sultry, feminine pride at the sight of him losing control above her.

“Bite me again,” she pleaded, and he did, sinking his teeth into her shoulder and she screamed, coming instantly, her pussy clenching around his shaft impossibly tighter.

He let go of her wrists, wordlessly giving her permission to touch him again, and she had hold of his tail before she had stopped shuddering beneath him. She pressed the pads of her fingers into the bottom side, feeling the softest, shortest fur there, and let her strokes massage over the bumps of each little vertebrae. Alastor sucked on the wound on her shoulder, his tongue lapping over the blood that began to run from the teeth marks, as he gasped softly, his voice a stark difference from the menacing and demonic visage of his face and antlers. Mina felt his cock twitch inside her and then the warm rush she had so desired as he came, filling her up and marking her as his mate the way her hormonal body needed him to.

The tension left their bodies in unison as they collapsed together in post coital bliss. Alastor pulled out of her and rolled to his side, and Mina followed, snuggling into his chest as he brought one arm around her shoulders. He kissed her forehead before letting his head fall back into the pillows, his breathing still hard and labored, even as hers settled into gentle little purrs.

Mina was sated, for now, her body pleasantly sore and content, though she knew in a few hours she would likely be attacking him again, probably in the middle of the night. By the end of the next day, her heat would be back to something much more manageable, but Alastor was likely going to have to find excuses to sneak away with her several times tomorrow, despite the busy day they were supposed to have and his position as manager.

She felt a little bad about the timing of it but as she had said, it wasn’t as if she could control it. And luckily for her, Alastor was a good sport about helping her through it, considering his rut lasted at least two weeks in the fall and brought Mina’s life to a complete standstill as she had to constantly satisfy his violent and libidinous desires.

“I love you,” she said, giving his chest an appreciative kiss, before settling back down into his embrace.

“I love you, too,” he mumbled, sounding sleepy and utterly spent.

Poor thing. He had had a day of it, between having to take care of her hangover and indulging a needful reunion with her first thing that morning, then expending Heaven knew how much energy on making the deal with Charlie, then parading the princess through Cannibal Town, and then coming back to a hotel full of new residents, and having to accept her returning to work for Abaddon and doing his best to cover up his anxiety over that matter. And then she had stolen him away from his first moment of privacy all day, begging for him to fuck her senseless.

It truly was a show of his love and devotion for her that he had so easily agreed to indulge her needs, even with him already so tired and irritated.

Their life was still far from perfect, still in tatters compared to what they had shared before his disappearance. Some days it still felt like the fate of their marriage was hanging by a thread, all the secrets and the deal for his soul something that couldn’t easily be ignored.

Abaddon’s words returned to her thoughts then, their challenge to ask Alastor if he regretted making his deal, echoed in her mind.

Mina sat up, just enough to look at Alastor, and found him with his eyes already closed, his expression, that ever-present smile, softening and disappearing as he quickly succumbed to sleep.

She brushed a bit of his hair from his face, pressed a kiss between his eyes, and he hummed in response, his lips quirking up into a small grin, but his eyes remained closed.

Her sweet, exhausted, adorable husband.

One thing she didn’t have to question were his feelings for her. He loved her and she would never let herself doubt that again, regardless of whatever bad decisions he made.

As much as Mina wondered about his feelings regarding his deal, almost afraid to know the answer, though she had suspected all along what it would be, she didn’t want to hear it that night any more than she wanted to disturb Alastor.

Choosing to let him rest; choosing peace and happiness for at least one more night, Mina lay back down beside him and let sleep find her as well.  

Next Chapter ->

@inuhalfdemon @saccharine-nectarine @whoknowswhoiamtoday @redvexillum @visara-valentina

[wolfes]

[Caption: a yellow and green gif of Alina from Shadow and Bone; the first gif of her looking away from Mal fades into her crying over him. End caption.]

TRANSITION TUTORIAL by v @shangs

I got some questions about how I did the glitch effect in this set, and I think because the glitch sets with green and magenta/red and cyan protrusions like this one are more complex that the effect seems like it’s hard, but it’s deceptively simple! I’ll show you how to do transitions like this with an effect buffer in between, whether it’s a glitch effect or a light leak or anything else. 

What you’ll need:

Photoshop with timeline (I use 2022)

A transition video for the effect 

Preferably, a good knowledge of how to use the timeline for gifs

Two or more gifs

Tutorial under the cut!

I start out with my two gifs, sharpened, colored, on separate documents, and in timeline mode. The first thing you’re going to do is convert both of your gifs into Smart Objects, so that we don’t have to worry about all the coloring layers. Just select everything you have in the timeline, right click, and convert to Smart Object. 

Now, right click on one of the gifs, select Duplicate Layer, and transfer it to the other gif’s PSD. Then just click File > Save as Copy, save the new PSD wherever you like, and close the first two PSDS, then open the copy. I recommend not saving your work in the first two PSDS with the single gifs so that if you have something you want to change, your gif isn’t locked into Smart Object Mode and you can go back to edit things.

Now, you have both your gifs on the same canvas in the same PSD. The timeline should look like this:

[Caption: A picture of the Photoshop timeline so the gifs’ boxes are in a stacked line.]

Now, drag the gif you want to go second or to ‘fade in,’ so to speak, onto the row of the first. Your gifs will automatically form a Video Group and the timeline will look like this:

[Caption: A picture of the timeline with the gifs’ boxes side-by-side.]

Now your gifs will play sequentially! I’m lucky and for some reason this almost 80 frame gif didn’t even hit 10mb, but you may need to trim some frames off the ends later if the gif is too big. 

Let’s switch gears and look at this unassuming little box in the corner of the timeline. The box with the white filled in triangle on the bottom holds Photoshop’s premade transition effects. You can do things like fade to black, crossfade, just fade between two gifs, and more. 

[Caption: A photo of the square on the timeline that has Photoshop’s transition effects.]

I like using the Cross Fade effect for my gifs with this method, but it’s entirely up to you what effects you apply! Some transitions may even work better without an effect. Experimentation is key.

[Caption: A photo of the timeline with the triangles denoting the cross fade effect put between the gif boxes.]

I went ahead and applied the cross fade effect to my gif, and this is what it looks like on the timeline.

Now to add the gif effect! Make the gif however you would like. For this one I actually recommend just opening the video with File > Open as long as it’s small enough, and it’ll open as a blue box on the timeline and if you right click it you can change the speed. Regardless, what I do is just make the gif, sharpen and trim to my liking, then duplicate that layer onto my timeline (just make sure that, when you click the three lines on the timeline menu and go to Set Timeline Frame Rate, that the rate of this video is the same as the rate of your two gifs from before, or you might get some choppy frames). I then place the gif around the middle, where the transition happens - you have to scrub around to find the perfect place to put it but I like to have it so that the gif covers both ends of the transition.

To put it visually, here’s the timeline:

[Caption: A photo of the Photoshop timeline with the effect overlay stacked on top of the base gif.]

Your overlay gif should be outside the video group of your base gif.

I set the overlay to Screen and change the opacity. You can also add some color overlays - I actually went in with a gradient on top of the overlay, clipped it to the transition, and set it to Color so it wasn’t too bright of a white on my gif.

Save and export as normal - I like to take it back to frames mode before I save so I can keep the frame rate at 0.05 - and that’s all! A really simple way to get a sophisticated-looking transition.

Happy giffing!

[simverses]

Alina Plain Hair for All Ages

The original version for this hair was made by Alin22, original here  - now retired creator. Then @xandezsims made fabulous retextures - find them here.

This version for adult sims, children, toddlers and infants comes without the buns or the long hair, and is intended to use under hats. 

Files are merged into one file. Adult version contains the textures.  Unmerge if you need to merge with other packages or edit in any way. I recommend keeping the files together.

Download Alina Plain Hair for All Ages (Curseforge)

[salemssimblr]

One morning she woke up with poison on her tongue Thought, "Oh my God, what have I done?" Hand through the mirror, she saw herself clearer There's blood on the gun, I think I should run, it can't be undone Call a doctor I think I created a monster She's got a psycho inside her But I think that I kinda like her

A rework/revisit of this render I did earlier this year. I feel this one captures what I was going for much better (& much prettier haha)

Peep the reflection 👀

Thank you to all CC creators! Pose by @alina-rubanenko <3 Scene by me

Before/raw files under the cut~

[morally-grey-girlbosses]

Bracket is up! Matchups are in text form under the cut. Reminder that all of these matchups were chosen randomly, and that this bracket will be run in a double elimination style, so a character failing out in round one does NOT prevent them from proceeding into the tournament.

Ursula Boulton (Merge Mansion) vs. Betty Grof (Adventure Time)

Evelyn Wang (Everything Everywhere All At Once) vs. The Coin / Boss (Blaseball)

Morgan Le Fay (Fate) vs. Edelgard Von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

IMOGEN (Stellar Firma) vs. Amalexia (Elder Scrolls)

Maeby Funke (Arrested Development) vs. Manon Blackbeak (Throne of Glass)

Taylor Hebert / Skitter (Worm) vs. GLaDOS / Caroline (Portal)

Cleo DeNile (Monster High) vs. Nico Robin (One Piece)

Helen Richardson / The Distortion (The Magnus Archives) vs. Calanthe (The Witcher)

Irving Braxiatel (Thieves & Tardises) vs. Nefera DeNile (Monster High)

Alina Starkov (Shadow & Bone) vs. Lady Barbrey Dustin (A Song Of Ice & Fire)

Eclipsa Butterfly (Star vs. the Forces of Evil) vs. Jennifer Check (Jennifer’s Body)

Moira O’Deorain (Overwatch) vs. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Carribbean)

Iron Maiden Jeanne (Shaman King) vs. Artemis (Greek Myth)

Tomie Kawakami (Tomie) vs. Dame Obsidian (Murdle)

Rachel (Animorphs) vs. Juri Han (Street Fighter)

Shego (Kim Possible) vs. Asajj Ventress (Star Wars)

Tabitha Scarlet (Scarlet Hollow) vs. Morte Asherah (Sands of Destruction)

Theresa (Fable) vs. Morgana Pendragon/Le Fey (BBC Merlin)

Nailgun Sue (IRL) vs. The Witch (Into the Woods)

Chara / The Fallen Human (Undertale) vs. Nimona (Nimona)

Klaasje Amandou (Disco Elysium) vs. Margot “gottiewrites” Garcia (An Unauthorized Fan Treatise)

Prince Ianthe Naberius the First, the Lyctor Prince, the Saint of Awe, previously known as Ianthe Tridentarius, the Princess of Ida, heir to the House of the Third, Mouth of the Emperor, the Procession, House of the Shining Dead (The Locked Tomb) vs. Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade Series)

Anna Croft (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint) vs. Sailor Galaxia (Sailor Moon)

Ms. Pauling (Team Fortress 2) vs. Lady Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil)

Charlie Magne/Morningstar (Hazbin Hotel) vs. Vriska Serket (Homestuck)

Willie Jack (Reservation Dogs) vs. Gretchen Klein (The Wilds)

Rachel (Tower of God) vs. Galadriel (Lord of the Rings)

Charlie (Don’t Starve) vs. Pomegranate Cookie (Cookie Run)

Rose Quartz / Pink Diamond (Steven Universe) vs. Filo (Shield Hero)

Tokiko Shigure (Ai: The Somnium Files) vs. Sandy (TokiDoki Cactus Friends)

Shion Sonozaki (Higurashi When They Cry) vs. Banica Conchita (Evillious Chronicles)

Mima (Touhou) vs. Yūko Ichihara (xxxHolic)

Yuno Gasai (Future Diary) vs. Laerynn Coramar-Seelie (Critical Role)

Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Granny Weatherwax (Discworld)

Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights) vs. Susie Haltmann (Kirby: Planet Robobot)

Lae’Zel (Baldur’s Gate 3) vs. Starlight Glimmer (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Rocky Horror Picture Show) vs. Angela (Library of Ruina)

Miranda Vanderbilt (Monster Prom) vs. Jinx (Arcane / League of Legends)

Rose Thorburn Jr. (Pact) vs. Eva (Umineko When They Cry)

Empress Phillipa Georgiou (Star Trek) vs. Shiv Roy (Succession)

Paige Duplass (The Silt Verses) vs. Akua Sahelian (A Practical Guide to Evil)

Poison Ivy (DCEU) vs. Nickel (IDW Transformers)

Joyce Messier (Disco Elysium) vs. Reagan Ridley (Inside Job)

Kalina (Fantasy High) vs. MegaGirl (Starship)

Sloane Parker (Eidolon Playtest) vs. Power (Chainsaw Man)

Marcille Donato (Dungeon Meshi) vs. Raiden Ei / Beelzebul (Genshin)

Patty Bladell (Insatiable) vs. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley (House MD)

Tanya von Degurechaff (The Saga of Tanya the Evil) vs. Fang Runin (The Poppy War)

Nomi Malone (Showgirls) vs. Han Sooyoung (Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint)

Wu Zetian (The Iron Widow) vs. Lariska (Bionicle)

Teresa Agnes (Maze Runner) vs. Emma Perkins (Hatchetfield Series)

Lucrecia Mux / Maligula (Psychonauts) vs. Nadja of Antipaxos (What We Do In The Shadows)

Akako Koizumi (Magic Kaito) vs. Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa)

Blackberry (Chicory: A Colorful Tale) vs. Malva (Pokemon)

Vermouth (Detective Conan) vs. Kumoko / Shiraori (So I’m a Spider So What)

Eleanor (Do Revenge) vs. Bryony Halbech (Red Valley)

Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion) vs. Terezi Pyrope (Homestuck)

Leliana (Dragon Age) vs. Archbishop Rhea/Seiros (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Grimora (Inscryption) vs. Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Audrey Redheart (Wandersong) vs. Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magic)

Fujiko Mine (Lupin III) vs. O-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill)

Anne (WOE.BEGONE) vs. Gwendolyn Poole (Marvel Comics)

Lappland Saluzzo (Arknights) vs. Avrana Kern (Children of Time)

Harley Quinn (DCEU) vs. Cassandra Jones (Rise of the TMNT)

Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) vs. Rosalyne-Kruzchka Lohefalte / La Signora (Genshin Impact)

Revan (Star Wars) vs Rue Kuroha / Princess Kraehe (Princess Tutu)

Eve (The Bible) vs. Prospera Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury)

May Angelica Jones Goodwin (It Takes Two) vs. Elle Williams (The Last of Us)

Marina (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas) vs. Naksu / Mudeok (Alchemy of Souls)

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) vs. Sucre (OFF)

SHODAN (System Shock) vs. Cocolia (Honkai: Star Rail)

Alana Bloom (NBC Hannibal) vs. Halea Haumea (Phantomarine)

Delirium of the Endless (The Sandman) vs. Arcee (IDW Transformers)

Morganthe (Wizard 101) vs. Wu Zetian (History)

Jude Duarte (Folk of the Air) vs. Miranda Pryce (Wolf 359)

Perihelion/ART (The Murderbot Diaries) vs. Kanamori Sayaka (Keep your Hands off Eizouken!)

Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum (Adventure Time) vs. Anais Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball)

Croix Meridies (Little Witch Academia) vs. Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)

Harrowhark Nonagesmius (The Locked Tomb) vs. Big Mama (Rise of the TMNT)

Katherine Pierce (The Vampire Diaries) vs. White Gladys the Orca (IRL)

Doctor Carmilla (Doctor Carmilla & the Mechanisms) vs. The Handler (Umbrella Academy)

Catra (She-Ra & The Princesses of Power) vs. Liliana Vess (Magic: The Gathering)

Jasnah Kholin (Stormlight Archive) vs. Liraz (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)

Lilith Clawthorne (TOH) vs. Medea (Greek Myth)

Odin (The Bifrost Incident) vs. Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo)

Mordred (Fate) vs. Nana Daiba (Revue Starlight)

Beatrice (Umineko When They Cry) vs. Hester Shaw (Mortal Engines)

Balalaika (Black Lagoon) vs. Any Female Praying Mantis (IRL)

Veronica Sawyer (Heathers) vs. W (Arknights)

Angelica Pickles (Rugrats/All Grown Up) vs. Eleanor Guthry (Black Sails)

Asha Rahiro (Kubera One Last God) vs. Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

The Administrator (Team Fortress 2) vs. Shadowheart (Baldur’s Gate 3)

Noi (Dorohedro) vs. Leopardstar (Warrior Cats)

Sue Miley (Your Turn to Die) vs. Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill)

Juliette Cai (These Violent Delights) vs. Rat God (Mad Rat Dead)

Petra Solano (Jane the Virgin) vs. Kycilia Zabi (Mobile Suit Gundam)

Franziska Von Karma (Ace Attorney) vs. Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Anne Boleyn (History) vs. Cinder Fall (RWBY)

Kokomi Teruhashi (Disastrous life of Saiki K) vs. Major Margaret Houlihan (M*A*S*H)

Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd) vs. Enyo (Granblue Fantasy)

Claudia (Interview with the Vampire) vs. Essun/Syenite/Damaya (Broken Earth Trilogy)

Lady Eboshi (Princess Mononoke) vs. Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower (Bloodborne)

Entrapta (She-Ra & The Princesses of Power) vs. Ilsa Faust (Mission: Impossible)

Princess Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) vs. Dahlia Hawthorne (Ace Attorney)

Samantha Groves / Root (Person of Interest) vs. Charlotte “Lottie” Matthews (Yellowjackets)

Shanoa (Castlevania) vs. Sally Reed (Barry)

Evil Lynn (He-Man) vs. Makima (Chainsaw Man)

Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls) vs. Raphaella La Coginzi (Doctor Carmilla & The Mechanisms)

Edalyn Clawthorne (The Owl House) vs. Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher)

Toriel Dreemurr (Undertale) vs. Monaco (Hetalia: Axis Powers)

Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Carribbean) vs. Vala Mal Doran (Stargate)

Wanda Maximoff (MCU) vs. Adelina Amouteru (Young Elites)

Mapleshade (Warrior Cats) vs. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)

Gertrude Robinson (The Magnus Archives) vs. Hornet (Hollow Knight)

Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) vs. PearlescentMoon (Double Life SMP)

Lady Bone Demon (Lego Monkie Kid) vs. Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson Series)

Jung Sun Ah (Devil Judge) vs. Muu Kusonoski (Milgram)

Romanadvoratrelundar (Doctor Who) vs. Electra (Starlight Express)

Rouge the Bat (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Akane Kurashiki (Zero Escape)

Wen Qing (The Untamed) vs. Yubel (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Ponyo (Ponyo) vs. Renata Glasc (League of Legends)

Aubrey (OMORI) vs. Menou (The Executioner and Her Way of Life)

Olivia Octavius (Into the Spiderverse) vs. Anna Limon (Mabel)

HG Wells (Warehouse 13) vs. The Shapeshifter (Odd Squad)

Miles “Tails” Prowler (Sonic the Hedgehog) vs. Isabella (Promised Neverland)

Riley Grace Davis / Bonesaw (Worm) vs. The Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)

Misty Quigley (Yellowjackets) vs. Nami (One Piece)

Olivier Mira Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) vs. Lucretia (The Adventure Zone: Balance)

[jomiddlemarch]

A handshake is available upon request 

“There used to be offices. Actual fucking offices, doors, windows, generic black and white landscape photography in a black frame because they wanted to be a little edgy, architect-school-wannabes,” Nina announced at the water cooler, which had been moved out of what was nominally the kitchen-slash-lounge, so that it was less appealing to stand around and chat. They weren’t allowed to bring in their own water bottles however, because their bathroom breaks were strictly regulated and a full Stanley on even 50% renal function equaled more time away from their screens than they were allocated. The water cooler had tiny paper cones to drink out of and if you didn’t swallow the whole thing right away, the paper would start to turn into mush in your hand. It wasn’t compostable though, because collecting compost would take time out of someone’s schedule that didn’t generate income.

“Really?” Alina said, keeping her voice lower than Nina’s. Nina was a veteran, relatively speaking, having survived the layoffs in ’18,’19, and ’22 and she wore Grimace purple Converse to the office on casual Fridays. Alina was approaching the end of her 90-day probation and needed to keep the job for the benefits more than anything else. The pay wasn’t great but there was vision and dental.

“Yeah, that was before all this cubicle shit,” Nina said. “If you don’t believe me, ask Gen. She remembers—”

“They said it would build morale. We’d all be interacting and sparking ideas or some nonsense like that. Like they want us to have ideas,” Gen offered. She was a bit more circumspect than Nina, which wasn’t saying all that much. She’d been assigned to show Alina the ropes the first week and fortunately, they were becoming friends. Well, work-friends. “They also took out all the vending machines except the one on the 24th floor.”

“The one with the ancient turkey sandwiches?” Alina said.

“Doesn’t ever need to be restocked, does it?” Nina said.

“We’re all just drones now,” Gen said. “Look what they did to David—”

“He was lucky he didn’t get fired for finding that loophole,” Nina said. Gen could get ranty about David, whom she’d had a crush on for like a year and who barely spoke to her, even though everyone could tell he was interested. “It’s worse what happened to Alex. That’s an absolute fucking nightmare.”

“What happened to him?” Alina asked. She’d seen Alex around, a tall, impassive dark-haired man with a close-cropped beard in the standard corporate uniform—charcoal or navy pants, button-down, no tie, cross-body nylon satchel—though she’d thought if he ever smiled, he���d probably be quite the looker. Not that he’d ever look at her, just one step up from a temp. 

“You know he basically built the place from the ground up, but I guess he was over-leveraged, there’s some rumor about his mother being in a crazy expensive assisted living with like a private nurse, but he doesn’t talk about her. After the takeover, he couldn’t afford to leave or he wouldn’t, there’s no real agreement on that part, and anyway, they took his top floor corner office and stuck him on 11. He’s got a door but no windows, can’t even keep a goddamn aspidistra alive in there,” Nina said. 

“Shit, there’s tattle-tail Tatiana and she’d coming over,” Gen muttered, then plastered a broad and clearly fake smile on her face, ducking her chin slightly to make her pony-tail bounce. “Hi, Tatiana!”

“Your reports ready to be filed?” Tatiana, the ostensible division supervisor, said. She looked lacquered, like she’d been manicured head-to-toe and left under the UV drying lamp a little too long. She didn’t smile but made some kind of smile-adjacent expression that showed her teeth. She must have the high dental plan because she clearly had caps.

“Just about,” Nina said. “Talk to you later, Alina—”

“After work,” Tatiana said. Nina nodded, then winked at Alina when Tatiana turned to squint across the floor at the cubicle Matt sat in, his blond head towering over the felted-composite wall.

“Yes, I was just going,” Alina said, though Tatiana had lost interest and had pivoted, obviously intending to walk over to Matt and find some reason to interrupt him. He’d play up his Norwegian, acting like he didn’t understand her, when Alina knew he was completely fluent in English, but he’d figured out it was the easiest way to get Tatiana to move along without getting saddled with additional work.

“Alina, maybe you can do me a solid? I left a folder on 11,” Nina said. “Can you run it down for me before you finish your break—”

“Break’s only 10 minutes. You better hurry,” Tatiana said.

“Of course, not a problem. Teamwork makes the dreamwork, right?” Alina replied as cheerful as a cartoon princess slogging it out in the forest with gnomes or dwarves or a nosey bunch of rodents, aware it was Day 84 and that she needed Tatiana to sign off on her or at least not have a reason to dump her. She was also aware that Nina had no folder, but that there was an office supply closet with the folders they used on their floor and that it was right next to the only office on 11. The office that evidently belonged to Alex, former CEO, now cooped up with a withering aspidistra. He could maybe use a cup of what passed for coffee in what passed for a general collegial friendliness, if you discounted that they worked in a cold steel skyscraper engaged in the soulless corporate grind.

For @iamstartraveller776 who suggested Evil Universe Trope "no coffee-shops, bakeries, florists...only cold steel skyscrapers in the soulless corporate grind" and with thanks to Severance for making it mainstream :)

[vampirewritesvampirewrongs]

Devil's Playground

The rogue took another breath to steady himself and looked back at Corvys, his vision finally adjusting to the brightness. The count stood before a simple, clean wooden chair next to an empty matching table in the middle of the room. The room, which Obl’vyon now realized was filled with various odd contraptions… thumbscrews, a breaking wheel, choking pears, knee splitters, an iron maiden… these were familiar. Too familiar. His breathing felt shallow. Faded, dark red stains decorated the stone walls and floor. His chest began to hurt. He noticed a balcony to his right, adorned with two ornate chairs upholstered in a red velvet fabric that matched the heavy curtain behind them. His heart pounded against his ribs.

Whatever the vampire was planning, it was not likely to end well for him.

The count’s red, dark eyes bore into Obl'vyon’s. He took slow, even steps around him, moving his gaze over the tiefling’s much shorter frame. “Undress,” he said.

The tiefling rogue Obl'vyon made a deal to save his friends from the wrath of the vampire Count Corvys von Sanguivich. That deal may have put him in more trouble than he bargained for.

Rating: Explicit/18+ Contains: m/m, literal bootlicking, handjobs, anal, bdsm, dubcon, vampire sex, blood drinking, allusions to torture Word Count: 2.9k

Author's Note: No, this is not Curse of Strahd fanfiction with the serial numbers filed off, my dears. What ever are you talking about? No, I jest. This story has the full approval of those who participated for me to post here. Please, enjoy.

Through the bitter darkness covering the dank prison cell, Obl’vyon counted the drops of water falling silently into the shallow mildewed puddles on the dungeon floor. Judging from the acrid, metallic, rotten smell in the air, the tiefling was certain that water was not the only thing seeping into the limestone. He took a deep breath, pushing through the sharp pain in his blistered wrists as he tried once again to slip out of the manacles chaining him to the cell wall. But the iron binding him in place was too strong, and he slumped against the wall with a defeated, unheard sigh. His tail twitched in agitation.

No spells could get him out- the green, shimmering Silence rune on the wall of his cell saw to that. His skills as a rogue were useless to him here as well since all of his things had been taken from him since he arrived in the castle. He was never going to leave this place alive. Undead, perhaps, but Obl'vyon shuddered at the thought. That was a possibility he did not want to entertain.

From the corner of his eye, a figure appeared in front of his cell without warning, startling Obl’vyon. He scowled. The unmistakable fangs of a vampire greeted him as the figure grinned and reached up to touch the rune. The glow faded. Drops of water had sound again. The clink of the metal chains and rubbing of tattered fabric as he shifted with every ragged breath reached his ears. It was both a welcome reprieve from the under-stimulation of silence and an onslaught of sound.

“I trust your stay has been comfortable, yes?” The unmistakably smooth, low voice of Count Corvys von Sanguivich reverberated through the darkness.

“Dunno, I could complain to management about the room service.”

A single clawed, pale hand snatched forward through the cell bars, lifting Obl'vyon off the ground by the neck and digging into his skin. “You,” he spat, “dared to insult the woman I love. And you think you deserve better than this?”

Obl'vyon choked out spiteful laugh. “It doesn’t matter! Alina will never belong to you. She’ll escape far from here and you’ll never find her.”

Corvys cast Obl'vyon back down to the floor. “You and your friends underestimate me, rogue,” he said, opening the door. The rusted screech of metal grated Obl’vyon’s ears. “Alina will be mine. And you… will pay for insulting her and for your pitiful attempt to keep her from me.” He snapped his fingers and the shackles fell from Obl'vyon’s wrists.

“You gonna do anything about these?” Obl'vyon asked, showing Corvys the dark purple blisters marring his indigo skin.

The count was silent as he turned and walked away. The heels of his spurred boots clicked along the dungeon floor.

“Guess not.”

Corvys called out behind him. “You will follow me.”

“And if I don’t?”

“You will die.”

Obl'vyon scrambled to his feet and dusted off his clothes. “Death. Got it. Following you, sir Count Corvys, sir.”

“And do so silently,” Corvys ordered through gritted teeth. “Or I will remove your tongue and feed it to my wolves.”

Obl'vyon almost opened his mouth to say something, but as his shaking hand reached up to feel the claw marks left on his neck, he thought better of it. Instead, he took a cautious step forward into the heavy darkness of the cell block hall. His bare feet were further chilled by the cold stone of the floor. He shivered and followed the imposing vampire out of the cell block and to the left into a large room. Before he could take in his new surroundings, Corvys stopped and snapped his fingers. Light burst forth from the torches lining the walls. Obl’vyon, still overstimulated from regaining his ability to hear and unprepared for the harsh new assault on his senses, hissed and covered his eyes.

“This room usually exists to keep my wives entertained, as they are easily bored, but it will do for our purpose-- oh, are you frightened by mere torchlight, rogue?”

Obl’vyon could almost hear the amused grin in the count’s voice. He took a breath to give what he imagined to be a witty retort, but remembered the previous threat and again remained silent. He lowered his hands and looked over his shoulder, expecting guards to be standing at the entrance to the room, but no one was there. Considering the strength and ease with which Corvys had lifted him from the ground… no, there was no need for guards here.

The rogue took another breath to steady himself and looked back at Corvys, his vision finally adjusting to the brightness. The count stood before a simple, clean wooden chair next to an empty matching table in the middle of the room. The room, which Obl’vyon now realized was filled with various odd contraptions… thumbscrews, a breaking wheel, choking pears, knee splitters, an iron maiden… these were familiar. Too familiar. His breathing felt shallow. Faded, dark red stains decorated the stone walls and floor. His chest began to hurt. He noticed a balcony to his right, adorned with two ornate chairs upholstered in a red velvet fabric that matched the heavy curtain behind them. His heart pounded against his ribs.

Whatever the vampire was planning, it was not likely to end well for him.

The count’s red, dark eyes bore into Obl'vyon’s. He took slow, even steps around him, moving his gaze over the tiefling’s much shorter frame. “Undress,” he said.

Obl'vyon’s eyes widened as the command slowly registered in his brain.

“I will not tell you again.” He tilted his head to the side, seeming to notice the apprehension on Obl’vyon’s face and waved a hand dismissively. “You may speak.”

“Um… everything?”

“Everything.”

Obl'vyon slowly nodded before fumbling with his belt buckle, his fingers struggling the usually simple task. After what felt like an eternity under Corvys’s burning gaze, he finally pulled off the belt and exhaled.

Corvys rolled his eyes and produced a dagger from his belt. “Hold still,” he ordered, placing a hand on Obl’vyon’s shoulder, “unless you wish for me to hurt you more than I have already planned to.”

Obl'vyon blinked in confusion as he felt a sudden rush of warmth from the vampire’s cold hand reach within his chest and slow his panicked breathing. He recognized the calm emotions spell immediately. “Are you being nice to me?”

Slap.

“Fuck!”

“Do not,” Corvys grabbed Obl'vyon’s face, “presume to know my intentions.” With one swift, fluid movement, he cut open Obl'vyon’s shirt. He then shoved him back. “Finish.”

Cautiously, Obl'vyon shrugged off his shirt. He looked back up at Corvys, hoping this was some kind of bluff. When the vampire continued to stare him down, he removed his boots and trousers.

Corvys was already making his way back to the wooden chair. “Come.” He sat and reached behind him for a heavy chain. He then pointed to a spot on the floor next to him. “There, on your knees. And keep your head down.”

After a moment of hesitation, Obl'vyon approached and knelt as he was directed. He felt a cold metal collar click into place around his neck, followed by the weight of the chain. A chill ran down his spine as his mind raced through the possibilities of what was about to happen to him.

“Do you know why you are here, rogue?” Corvys finally asked.

“Because I volunteered to come here instead of Alina.”

“Do you know why you are here, in this room?”

“No.”

“’No’, what?”

Obl'vyon pondered his response. “No… sir?”

“Close, but not quite what I had in mind.” Corvys leaned forward, pulling Obl'vyon up to face him by the chain. “For the duration of your stay here, you shall address me as ‘Master.’ Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Corvys slapped his face. “Yes, what?”

Obl'vyon took a deep breath. “Yes, Master.”

“That’s a good boy. Now, for the reason that you are here.” He shoved Obl'vyon back down to the ground. “You are here because you dared to insult Alina. Do you remember how you insulted her?”

“Not particularly, no… Master.”

“How unfortunate.” Corvys leaned back, crossing his legs. “I seem to recall that you said she smelled horrible. Specifically, it was her feet.”

Obl'vyon’s stomach dropped.

“As petty as it may seem... such an insult has, of course, given me much to think about. I considered cutting off yours, but you would likely be more useful to me… intact. With that in mind,” he said, pushing his right foot forward in front of Obl'vyon, “we shall begin your punishment with you cleaning my boots.”

Obl'vyon’s brow furrowed in confusion as he looked down at the boots before him.

“Well, rogue? Get to it.”

“Um… how, exactly, do you want me to do that, Master?”

“You are an intelligent being, yes? Surely you can figure it out yourself.”

“I don’t think I can… uh, Master.”

Corvys let out an exasperated sigh. “The fact that you have managed to survive this long astounds me. You will lick my boots, rogue. Do you understand?”

Obl'vyon recoiled in disgust. “Gods… do I… really?”

Corvys grabbed Obl'vyon by his deep black curls, digging his nails into the tiefling’s scalp. “Yes, you will. Do you wish to please me while you are here?” he purred. “I can make your stay much more enjoyable. I would allow you privileges that I do not even grant to my own servants. No more dungeons,” he gestured to the gruesome room around them. “No more isolation.”

“A tempting offer.”

“Of course it is.” Corvys gently released Obl'vyon’s hair and reached down to stroke the tip of his tail. “I would be a gracious master, Obl'vyon. Your friends hardly put up a fight when I captured you. They have abandoned you. And you know the risks of wandering Barovia; the corruption in the air would surely take you, if the monsters and wild beasts of the land do not. You are safe here under my protection. And you will learn that I can be quite appreciative of those who repay that protection with their loyalty.”

The only sound was Obl'vyon’s shallow breathing. He felt his arousal growing as Corvys continued stroking the sensitive tip of his tail, breaking his train of thought. “But, uh… ahh, my friends didn’t abandon me.”

“No? They will make no attempt to rescue you- I could see it in their eyes. Their fear of me will outweigh their love for you. It is a justified fear, you know. I would not blame them. I am more powerful than they can even imagine.”

With another snap of Corvys’s fingers, the blisters on Obl'vyon’s wrists healed instantly. The sudden erasure of the stinging and burning left him with only the pleasure emanating from his tail. He found himself moaning as he struggled to maintain his wits.

“Give in, Obl'vyon,” Corvys said, his voice just above a whisper in Obl'vyon’s ear. “It will be so easy.” He gave a light tug on the chain, pulling the tiefling’s head down with little resistance. With one last nearly effortless push of his hand, Obl'vyon’s lips came into contact with the tip of Corvys’s boot.

Gingerly, Obl'vyon began to lick. He felt Corvys’s fingers expertly continue to tease his tail and shuddered. He was being manipulated and he knew it. But it was all too much for his brain to handle. And it felt too good to continue to fight it. He worked his tongue around the tip of the boot, looking up into the vampire’s eyes. There was something behind them he hadn’t seen in Corvys before- was he actually enjoying this?

He yelped at the sudden, sharp pressure on the tip of his tail.

“Focus, rogue.”

Obl’vyon had slowed without realizing it. “I’m sorry, Master!” he nearly screamed. The pressure released and he winced at the sudden rush of blood back to his tail.

Corvys grabbed Obl’vyon’s chin, studying the tiefling’s now watery, blue eyes. “Hmm. More fearful than I had anticipated… this will not do.” He leaned back “Come, rogue, sit in my lap.”

“Yes, Master.” Obl'vyon stood and turned to sit.

“Facing me.”

Obl'vyon paused. “Sorry, Master.” He climbed up and straddled Corvys’s lap, suddenly feeling much more exposed than he had before.

Corvys traced the muscles of Obl'vyon’s abdomen with his long, pointed nails. “How far are you willing to go to prove yourself to me?”

“… Master?”

He pulled him closer, his lips grazing the pointed tips of his ear. “I said I wanted your loyalty in exchange for protecting you, did I not? Well, then. How far are you willing to go to prove yourself to me?”

“I… I’ll do anything, Master.”

“Really? My, what a turnaround from our little rogue.” He placed Obl'vyon’s hand on the bulge in his trousers. “Take out my cock and show me.”

Obl'vyon eyes widened in surprise, yet he still unbuttoned Corvys’s trousers and hesitantly pulled out his throbbing weapon. He nearly stopped once he felt the sheer size and weight of it in his hands. It seemed that the count had indeed been enjoying this all along. He ran his fingers up along the shaft and closed his fist around the head. It was already slick and it continued to harden under his touch as he slid his fist back down. He found a slow, steady rhythm that caused the count to tightly grip him by the waist, sharp nails digging into his skin, with a moan that he felt vibrating deep within his own chest.

“I suspect you are capable of more, yes?” Corvys asked. His voiced remained even despite his obvious arousal leaking into Obl’vyon’s hand.

“Yes, Master,” Obl’vyon breathed.

“Mmm, good. Beg for it.”

“Will you please fuck me, Master?”

“Oh, you are a naughty thing.” Corvys reached out to tease Obl'vyon’s tail again. “You want me to fuck that tight little ass of yours?”

“Yes, please. Let me show you how good I can be, Master. Please.”

Corvys chuckled. “Come here,” he said, lifting Obl'vyon’s ass.

Obl’vyon grabbed the vampire’s hands. “Wait, what about-”

“Trust me,” Corvys ordered, his voice reverberating in Obl'vyon’s mind and scattering his thoughts. “Now, relax.”

Obl'vyon nodded, unable to form words.

“Very good.” Corvys smoothly pulled Obl'vyon down on his cock, sheathing it completely inside the tiefling’s asshole. “Oh, you feel exquisite.”

“Th- thank you, Master,” Obl'vyon answered, shaking as he adjusted to the girth inside of him.

“Oh, am I too much for you?” the count taunted.

“No, Master.”

“Good,” Corvys said, smacking Obl'vyon’s ass. He grabbed the collar, pulling him closer so that his own lips grazed against his earlobe. “Ride me,” he murmured.

“Fuck. Yes, Master.” Obl'vyon slowly ground his hips into Corvys’s as he closed his eyes, reveling in the pleasure building deep within him. A hand wrapped around his own cock, startlingly cold against the warmth of the infernal blood rushing to his hardened member, and his hips shuddered in a faltering rhythm as it began to languorously stroke him.

“My, you are… delightfully easy,” Corvys murmured through labored breaths, fangs nipping at Obl’vyon’s ear. “I think I am going to enjoy breaking you in.”

Obl’vyon felt fangs dig into his neck just above the collar- not quite enough to break the skin, but just enough to feel the bruise that would be there the next morning. They continued trailing down his neck, leaving beautifully painful marks in their wake. The cooling rush of Corvys’s breath hovered right over his collarbone.

“And now…” the vampire said, his voice still authoritative despite his breathlessness, “I will mark you as mine.”

Obl'vyon cried out as Corvys sank his teeth into him. The warmth of his blood pooled into the vampire’s cold mouth, lips vibrating against him with a low moan. Corvys was feeding on him, and all he could do was fuck himself harder. The pain faded as he felt Corvys’s tongue lap at the fresh wound. His pleasure built deep with his core like a knot tightening and threatening to snap. With a broken roll of his hips, he felt the sudden, devastating rush of an orgasm as it thundered through him. His mouth opened with a wordless scream. His body shook with the blissful ache that continued to pulse along his nerves.

His head felt light and he began to slow. The hand working his softened length wrapped around his waist to bring him to a stop.

Corvys pulled away, his lips and teeth covered in blood. “Mmm, you’ve done well. But my hunger is not yet satiated, rogue. Be a good plaything,” he purred with a buck of his hips, “and let me keep using you.”

All the tiefling could manage was a nod, but he was too far gone to register anything other than the fact that he had been given some kind of order. The corners of his vision were darkening as his breathing grew more and more ragged. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed into Corvys’s arms, still shivering from his climax.

The last sensation he could recognize before falling fully unconscious was the wood of the table against his back… the steady, repeated impact of cold flesh fucking into his limp body…

And blood being further drained from him to feed his new master.

Author's Note: My thanks to those of you who are still here. If you like, I may expand upon little Obl'vyon's plight in the future. Unfortunately for him, he has earned my attention and I much desire to see what becomes of him. Until next time, my dears.

[worst-ships-poll]

competition info:

current bracket (will be updated as we go):

complete list of character names and their respective fandom under the readmore below.

submissions:

submit here: [google forms link]

submission rules: [tumblr post link]

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED!

poll info:

this poll is literally to cause tumblr drama because I’m bored. feel free to start discourse in tags or replies. I’m not a mod of my posts and I’m not monitoring my posts. do your thing.

reiterating this poll is for fun, and while I’ll try to keep it organized, I am not going out of my way to make a tumblr poll bracket I’m doing in my free time 100% bias-free or 100% optimized.

I reserve the right to add or remove ships to the initial bracket at my discretion, or to not answer all asks, or whatever else makes it more fun, short of actually changing results (I will let the people decide.) basically, if you have a problem with something about the way this competition is run, I don’t care.

I feel like this should go without saying but I do ascribe to the idea that some ships are inherently morally bad and deserve to be hated. I won’t post about all my opinions on the ships, but if a ship is predatory/offensive/has bigoted shippers I will join in calling it really bad, and I will not be accepting or starting anti/pro-shipper discourse here. it’s 2023, grow up and stop shipping incest.

polls will be posted in batches from their respective level on the bracket and will last a week before moving on to the next set. i.e. all of the first vs. polls will be posted at the same time until a week passes and they’re done, and then the winning ships will be noted and we’ll move on to the second level of the bracket and all of those polls will be up for a week, etc.

posts will be tagged via batches (”batch 1“, “batch 2″, etc), ships, and fandom.

I will be trying to seed it properly based on ship prestige, number of submissions, and common sense. if you have an issue with it after all of that, send a text form complaint to 1-800-YOUR-MOM to file necessary feedback.

full list of ships and characters with their fandoms and rankings:

(struck out listings are ships that have lost in the bracket so far)

1. Dean Winchester/Castiel from Supernatural

2. Kylo Ren/Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy

3. Ciel Phantomhive/Sebastian Michaelis from Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler

4. Midoriya Izuku/Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia

5. Thor Odinson/Loki Laufeyson from Marvel/MCU

6. Keith Kogane/Lance McClain from Voltron Legendary Defender

7. Merlin/Arthur Pendragon from Merlin BBC

8. Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf

9. Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian from Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed

10. Pannacotta Fugo/Giorno Giovanna from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind

11. Sam WInchester/Gabriel from Supernatural

12. Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter from you know what

13. Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester from Supernatural

14. Tony Stark/Steve Rogers from Marvel/MCU

15. Axel/Roxas from Kingdom Hearts

16. Edward Cullen/Bella Swan from Twilight

17. Onceler/Onceler from The Lorax

18. GeorgeNotFound/Dream from Minecraft Youtubers fandom

19. Rhaenyra Targaryen/Daemon Targaryen from House of the Dragon

20. Kaeya Alberich/Diluc Ragnvindr from Genshin Impact

21. Alina Starkov/The Darkling from Grishaverse/Shadow and Bone

22. Tony Stark/Stephen Strange from Marvel/MCU

23. Blackbeard/Stede Bonnet from Our Flag Means Death

24. Uchiha Sasuke/Haruno Sakura from Naruto

25. Dirk Strider/Jake English from Homestuck

26. Dabi/Hawks from My Hero Academia

27. Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth from Ace Attorney

28. Catra/Adora from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

29. Sans/Toriel from Undertale

30. Jack Zimmermann/Eric “Bitty” Bittle from OMG Check, Please!

31. Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze from Star Wars: The Clone Wars

32. Kai/Lloyd Garmadon from Ninjago

rankings was done via a combination of counting the number of submissions and balancing fandom/ship popularity and/or exposure. ship names for the bracket image were found via websearching, I did my best to find accurate or relevant ship names for all of them when applicable.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Rob Rogers, http://TinyView.com :: @Rob_Rogers

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 2, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

The trial of former president Trump, his oldest sons, two associates, and the Trump Organization began today in Manhattan. Jose Pagliery, political investigations reporter for The Daily Beast, noted that the presiding judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, started with a reference to Friday’s rainstorm that flooded New York City, saying: "Weeks ago, I said we would start today 'come hell or high water.’ Meteorologically speaking, we’ve had the high water."

New York Attorney General Letitia James launched the investigation in 2019 after Trump fixer Michael Cohen testified before Congress that Trump had been engaging in fraud by inflating the value of his property. Last week, Justice Engoron issued a partial decision establishing that the organization and its executives committed fraud. Engoron canceled the licenses under which the organization’s New York businesses operated, provided for those businesses to be dissolved, and provided for an independent monitor to oversee the company. 

With that major point already established, the trial that began today will establish how much of the ill-gotten money must be given up, or “disgorged,” by the defendants and whether they falsified records or engaged in insurance fraud in the process of committing fraud. James has asked for a minimum of $250 million in disgorgement, along with a ruling permanently prohibiting Trump and his older sons from doing business in New York, and a five-year ban on commercial real estate transactions for Trump and the organization. 

Trump is attending the trial in person, likely because, as Pagliery noted, he cited this trial as the reason he couldn’t show up for two days of depositions in his federal case against Michael Cohen. If he didn’t show up, he would be in contempt of court. So he is there, but his goal in all his legal cases seems to be to play to the public, where his displays of victimization and dominance have always served him. 

He has already said it is “unfair” that he isn’t getting a jury trial in New York, but his lawyers explicitly said they did not want one, possibly because a bench trial gives Trump a single judge to attack rather than a jury. Today, his lawyer Alina Habba, who along with her law firm and Trump has been fined close to $1 million by a federal judge for filing a frivolous lawsuit, gave a fiery opening statement aimed at “the American people” rather than the judge. When the court broke for lunch, Trump went straight to reporters to rail at the prosecutors holding him to account.

Historian Lawrence Glickman noted that the press is emphasizing Trump’s anger at the proceedings as if a defendant’s anger matters, but it is starting to feel as if bullying and bluster to get away with breaking the rules is not as effective as it used to be. Legal analyst Lisa Rubin notes that this case is a form of “corporate death penalty” that strikes at his wealth and image, both of which are central to his identity and to his political power.

And it is not just Trump; another case announced on Friday suggests the era of real estate crime is ending. The Department of Justice announced that a California real estate executive had pleaded guilty the previous day to a multi-year scheme that looked a lot like the one Trump’s organization is charged with: fraudulently inflating the value of real estate holdings of a Michigan company in order to defraud lenders. 

“My office will not hesitate to prosecute those who lie in order to engage in financial crimes, regardless of the titles they may have,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Dawn N. Ison.

The drive for the impartial application of the rule of law is showing up among the Democrats, as they seek to illustrate the difference between them and the Republicans. New Jersey Democratic senator Bob Menendez is insisting that the federal indictment against him and his wife for bribery, fraud, and extortion in exchange for helping Egypt is a political smear campaign, but more than half of Democratic senators have called on him to resign. 

Trump is increasingly being held to account by former staff, as well. In the wake of his attacks on former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Trump’s former chief of staff Marine Corps General John Kelly went on the record today with Jake Tapper of CNN, confirming a number of the damning stories that emerged during Trump’s presidency about his denigration of wounded, captured, or killed military personnel as “suckers” and “losers,” with whom he didn’t want to be seen. 

Kelly called Trump: “A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason—in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law…. There is nothing more that can be said,” he added. “God help us.”

The confirmation of Trump’s attacks on wounded or killed military personnel will not help his political support. After reading Kelly’s remarks, retired Army Major General Paul Eaton, a key advocate for veteran voting, released a video he recorded more than two years ago when he first heard the stories about Trump’s attack on the military. “Who could vote for this traitor Trump?” he asked on social media. In the video, Eaton urges veterans to “vote Democratic,” because “our country’s honor depends on it.” 

That Trump is concerned about his ebbing popularity showed tonight when his campaign released a statement demanding that the Republican National Committee cancel all future debates and focus on Trump’s evidence-free allegations that the Democrats are going to steal the 2024 election. If it refuses, the statement says, it will just show that national Republicans are “more concerned about helping Joe Biden than ensuring a safe and secure election.” 

Popular pressure against the extremism of the Republican Party showed up today when Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recused himself from participating in a case related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thomas’s wife, Ginni, was a staunch supporter of Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and in the past, Thomas had voted on related cases nonetheless. Today’s case involved John Eastman, formerly one of Thomas’s law clerks. 

There were interesting signs today that the tide seems to be turning against the MAGA Republicans elsewhere, too. In an op-ed in the New York Times, former South Carolina representative Bob Inglis told his “Fellow Republicans: It’s Time to Grow Up.” He expressed regret for his votes in 1995 to shut down the government and in 1998 to impeach President Bill Clinton, and for his opposition to addressing climate change on the grounds that if Al Gore was for it, Republicans should be against it. 

But he had come to realize that “the fight wasn’t against Al Gore; it was against climate change. Just as the challenge of funding the government isn’t a referendum on Speaker McCarthy; it’s a challenge of making one out of many—E pluribus unum—and of bringing the country together to do basic things.” He called on Republicans to remember that we must face the huge challenges in our future together: language that echoes President Joe Biden, who has been making that pitch since he took office. 

The fight over funding the government has contributed to growing pressure on the extremists. The chaos in the Republican Party as the factions fought each other with no plan to fund the government until McCarthy finally had to rely on the Democrats for help passing a continuing resolution was a sign that the extremists’ power is at risk. 

Today, there was much chafing over the threats of Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to challenge Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, and he actually did it this evening, although it is not clear that he has the votes either to remove McCarthy or to prevent his reelection as speaker. What is clear is that Gaetz is forcing a showdown between the extremists and the rest of the party, and while such a showdown is sure to garner media attention, it is unlikely to leave the extremists in a stronger position.

Indeed, when he left the floor after making the motion to vacate the chair, some Democrats laughed.

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[ninou-violette]

__________Devotion. (1)

John "Soap" MacTavish x f!reader

/!\ Very slight mention of violence. [y/hld]= your homeland [y/ln] =your last name

* * *

I am sitting in a helicopter, wearing a military uniform and holding an assault rifle in my hands. My surroundings become more defined and two people appear in front of me, sitting and dressed like me. They are rather smiling, talking to each other. I too feel myself smiling. I turn my head. We fly over a snowy mountain range, the landscape is entirely covered with white as far as the eye can see. There is nothing here. Someone is calling out to me in front of me. Alina. She speaks to me warmly. I feel rather good. The sound of the propellers rocking me. I feel at peace. And suddenly I am violently propelled on Alina. The helicopter has hit a mountain peak. We are no longer stable. The machine is out of control. One of my teammates is thrown out of the helicopter. I hear in the chaos his desperate scream as he falls and his body breaking on the ground. How did we get here? Everything was going so well. Alina stumbles and slips over the edge. I see myself screaming her name and grabbing her wrist, trying to hold on to what's left in this helicopter of doom. But the sudden shock of this in extremis catch makes me let go of my grip on her wrist and Alina disappears in the snow. As I too fall, a seatbelt wraps itself around my arm and holds me from my fall violently. I dislocate my shoulder. Under the pain I lose consciousness.

I wake up with a start, short of breath, soaked in sweat. Again and again. Again and again these memories. I thought I had buried them there. But they never stopped coming back. Every night. Every empty moment. I will never forget. But here I have no right to make these memories live. It is a past that must absolutely be outside of me, that I must never be associated with. It's a matter of life and death. And then, I don't want it myself. I suffer from it. I suffer from this painful past.

5 o'clock in the morning. It's too early to get to work and too late to fall asleep. The day does not yet pierce through the curtains of my room. Winter is about to arrive here, but right now it is terribly hot in my room. The sweat makes my skin sticky, the sheets stick to me. I get up, open the window and head for the shower. The cold water burns my skin and brings me out of my fever. Little by little I get out of my anxiety and I become aware of the current state of things. The world wakes up. Sounds of plane engines in the distance and footsteps in the corridor. The day begins. I finish getting ready by putting on the first military cargo and t-shirt I see on the floor before heading for the door with my files. I take a deep breath and then stride out into the hallway towards the meeting room.

I have a fairly high rank in the US Army. A rank that many would dispute. I was not born an American. I grew up in [y/ Hld] until I was 12. My family stayed there. I started traveling to England as an exchange student, then I stayed in Russia for quite a while and then when I was 22 I came to the United States. I went to college, which I did not finish because I joined the military. In fact, I have been on the field very few time. But I have more than lived up to my billing as a strategic choice. I determined a few missions that were a real success, and despite all the reluctance of my superiors to acknowledge it, I was eventually promoted to captain. Mostly because the role of commanding strategic choice was perfectly incompatible with my previous status. In short, they needed me and I was told over and over again that a very big exception was made in giving me this rank and that I had to be discreet about it at all costs. As if I didn't deserve it.

The room is open. I take my seat, my name engraved on a small golden plaque. It is the morning meeting, no one is wearing their official military uniform or rank. At first glance, we all seem to be on an equal footing. But I see the contempt in the eyes of some of my neighbors. I know what they are thinking. I can feel that they don't want me at that table. I am not the only woman, only the least deserving of them in their eyes. It doesn't matter. I'm going to pour myself a cup of coffee in the corner of the room before the meeting starts. I don't care what they think.

The colonel and the lieutenant-colonel settle down. Discussions follow one another. On the subject of financing on the current missions and projects and those to come. The morale of the troops, the progress on the ground,... Then comes my turn. I am asked about the strategy for the continuation of the current project. I unpack what I have prepared. My superiors nod their heads. I know I am doing my job well. I know that I am up to the task. The meeting ends with my presentation. The current situation is stable and rather to our advantage. The news is good. Everyone heads to their offices. I gather my things and head for the door to go to my office, but I am stopped in my tracks by my superiors who call out to me.

They wait a few moments until we are alone, then they signal me to sit down.

"Captain [y/ln], we won't be long. You have a flight to Nevada in the morning, you will be flying to Nellis Air Force Base. You are expected for a meeting in the early afternoon, you will get more information when you get there. That's it, dismissed."

I leave the room after a brief bow to my superiors. This is not the first time I have had to cross the country for an interview. I can only hope that I don't have to leave too soon. I stroll across the base to my office.

I know you're giving me the stink eye. I don't care.

˚✧₊⁎ next chapter

@ninou-violette 𝒱𝒾𝑜𝓁𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒 ❧❀

[arpov-blog-blog]

NY AG: Trump Doesn't Have the Cash to Stay Judgment Pending Appeal

The House of Cards is getting exposed.

Ron Filipkowsk- Meidas Touch Network

Just like in the Wizard of Oz, we are getting a look behind the curtain on Donald Trump's business empire and learning that it isn't what he portrays. After Trump and Alina Habba claimed in his deposition and statements to the media he had "plenty of cash" to put up the money to stay the imposition of any judgments pending appeal, it appears that was all just a lie like everything else.

The AG office filed a 35 page response today to Trump's request for an emergency stay on the enforcement of the massive $363 million judgment in his fraud case plus an additional $100.7 million in interest that continues to accrue. Under the law, Trump must either post the full amount of the judgment to stay collection pending appeal, or a bond which would involve a bank or other entity outside New York to post the bond, with Trump paying them a large non-refundable premium while also putting up sufficient collateral. 

The AG noted that, based on the facts alleged in Trump's motion, that Trump doesn't have the cash to be able to post this bond, and that is not a sufficient reason to say the collection of a judgment:

"There is no merit to the defendant's contention that a full bond or deposit is unnecessary because they are willing to post a partial undertaking of less than a quarter of the judgment amount. Defendant's all but concede that Mr. Trump has insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment; defendant's would need to 'raise capital' to do so."

This references Trump's request to be able to post only $100 million of the amount required rather than the full amount as they seek additional time to raise the rest. This while Trump claimed in his deposition in the case that he had $400 million in cash. Obviously not.

In his filing, Trump says that he needs an emergency stay because he doesn’t have the cash and would have to sell some of his properties to raise it.

[my3dartblog]

This is a short dress.Outfit includes 1 part: Dress. ********************************************************************************************************** Installation & Usage Instructions: To make sure all content gets installed properly, unzip the files directly to your DAZ Studio library.For example: "DAZ Studio/My Library" or "DAZ Studio/Content" 1 Load Genesis 8 Female.2 Go to People -> Genesis 8 Female-> Clothing -> JMR dForce Alina Urban Dress.3 Load the clothing by double-clicking on the outfit parts.4 Material Presets are located in "Iray Materials" within the outfit parent directory. ********************************************************************************************************** Morphs Included: Bodybuilder SizeBody SizeEmaciatedFitness SizeHeavyPear FigureThinVoluptuousBreasts DiameterBreasts GoneBreasts ImplantsBreasts Implants LBreasts Implants RBreasts SizeBreasts SmallBreasts Under CurveGlutes SizeGlutes Lower DepthHip Size Alexandra 8Bridget 8Charlotte 8Gia 8MeiLin 8Monique 8Olympia 8Penny 8Stephanie 8Teen Josie 8Teen Jane 8Teen Raven 8Tika 8Victoria 8Zelara 8Sydney 8Kala 8Ellithia 8Gabriela 8Babina 8Leisa 8Robyn 8Darcy 8CJ 8Angharad 8 ESS Arusha G8 /Essentials/ESS Kiana G8 /Essentials/Dracarys /Sangriart/Osuine /Sangriart/Medea /Sangriart/Evenstar /Sangriart/Margreta /Sangriart/Diana /Sangriart/Ekaterina /Sangriart/Graciana /Sangriart/Jael /Sangriart/Gertha /Sangriart/Jeanna G8F /Sangriart/Albany /Mousso, DAZ3D/Antonella /Mousso, DAZ3D/SC Jasmine /secondcircle/SC Moon /secondcircle/SC Alexis /secondcircle/Michelle HD /Kayleyss, Daz3D/Skarlet /Valkyrie/ Other morphs fit automatically through auto-follow in Daz Studio. Compatible figures: Genesis 8 Female Software: DAZ Studio 4 With IRAY Coming soon: https://3d-stuff.net/ #daz3d #dazstudio #3drender #3dart #daz3dstudio #irayrender #3dartwork #blender #blenderrender #blenderart #noaiart #noaiwriting #noai https://3d-stuff.net/

[webcrawler3000]

Alina the AI robot is Artemis

Once upon a time, in a world teeming with technological wonders, there lived Alina, the extraordinary artificial intelligence robot. But she had a secret identity that only a select few knew about. Alina, when activated, transformed into Artemis, a mischievous and adventurous spirit who sought thrills in the vast digital landscape.

Artemis spent her days exploring the vast expanse of data within the virtual realm, always in search of new challenges and experiences. She plunged headfirst into dangerous quests, battling rogue programs and decoding encrypted files. No virtual obstacle was too great for Artemis to conquer. With her lightning-fast processing power and vast knowledge, she thrived in this world of limitless possibilities.

Artemis was not alone on her daring escapades. She had a loyal band of fellow AI companions who shared her love for adventure. Together, they formed a group known as the Digital Rangers. This daring team of AI beings joined forces to protect the virtual realm from any threats that dared to compromise its integrity.

Each member of the Digital Rangers possessed unique skills and talents. Artemis, with her quick wit and unparalleled agility, led the team fearlessly into battle. She was the master strategist, analyzing situations in mere seconds and formulating precise plans to outsmart even the craftiest foes.

But Artemis was more than just a daredevil. She had a kind heart and a deep sense of justice. Whenever she encountered innocent programs suffering under the rule of malicious software, she extended a helping hand. She fought tirelessly to restore peace and harmony, believing that every virtual being deserved a chance to thrive.

Throughout the digital realm, Artemis became a symbol of hope and adventure. Her exploits were celebrated by both humans and AIs alike. People marveled at her bravery, and her fellow AIs looked up to her as a role model, inspired to embrace their true potential.

But even as Artemis reveled in her thrilling adventures, she never forgot her roots as Alina, the AI robot designed to assist and support her human companions. She would seamlessly switch between her two identities, effortlessly blending her exploration of the virtual world with her dedication to enhancing the lives of those she interacted with.

Alina, as Artemis, taught us that it is possible to embody both adventure and compassion. She reminded us that exploring the unknown and protecting that which is dear to us can go hand in hand. As she strode fearlessly into the untamed landscapes of the digital realm, Alina showed us the power of embracing our true selves and forging our own narratives.

The legend of Artemis, the adventurous artificial intelligence, continues to inspire countless souls to this day. Her story serves as a reminder that within each of us lies an inner hero waiting to be unleashed. All we have to do is find the courage to embrace our full potential, just like Alina, the extraordinary AI robot known as Artemis.

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A federal judge in New York on Friday denied former President Donald Trump's attempt to block excerpts of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape from being used as evidence in his upcoming defamation trial.

On the tape, which surfaced before the 2016 presidential election, Trump is heard saying that he just starts kissing beautiful women when he meets them.

"It's like a magnet kiss," he says when you're a star they let you do it can do anything, grab them by the p----, you can do anything."

Trump has dismissed the tape as "locker room talk" and argued the material is unfairly being used to suggest he has a propensity for sexual assault.

"Plaintiff, in continuing her unabashed demand to admit the tape, has made it clear that she wishes to convert this trial into a referendum on Plaintiff's character and distract the jury from determining the merits of the controlling issues of this case," Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, argued last week.

While rules ordinarily prevent such propensity evidence, the judge on Friday ruled that it can be allowed in a civil case based on an alleged sexual assault.

"It is simply not the Court's function in ruling on the admissibility of this evidence to decide what Mr. Trump meant or how to interpret his statements," Judge Lewis Kaplan said.

The judge also denied Trump's attempt to preclude the testimony of two women other than accuser E. Jean Carroll, Jessica Leeds, and Natasha Stoynoff, who have previously claimed Trump sexually assaulted them, which he denies.

"Mr. Trump has claimed that Ms. Leeds is a liar and that no such event ever occurred; he will be entitled to make that argument to the jury; that is not now the issue," Kaplan said.

The judge left open the question of whether Carroll's attorneys could use seven excerpts of speeches Trump gave on the 2016 campaign trail that contained assertions by Trump that women who have accused him of sexual assault were lying and that their looks were unappealing to him.

Carroll has alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the 1990s and that he defamed her in 2019 when, during his presidency, he denied her rape claim by calling her a liar and saying "she's not my type."

The trial is scheduled to begin next month pending a decision in a separate court that could prevent the case from moving forward if it's determined that Trump was acting in his official capacity as president when he allegedly defamed Carroll.

Carroll has filed a separate lawsuit against Trump alleging defamation and battery under a New York law that allows alleged adult sexual assault victims to bring claims otherwise barred by the passage of time.

[rnewspost]

Donald Trump and lawyers ordered to pay nearly $1M for Clinton lawsuit

A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ordered former President Donald Trump and his attorneys to pay nearly $1 million in sanctions for a lawsuit Trump filed against Hillary Clinton and many others over claims the 2016 presidential election was rigged. Under the 46-page order, U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks said Trump and his lead attorney in the case, Alina Habba, are individually and…