#grants increased to ₹7

[youthchronical]

Budget: Special Purpose Vehicle to drive infra development in Bengaluru

BMIC peripheral road (Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project), near Somapura, in Bengaluru. The city will see an expansion of its road network with an investment of ₹3,000 crore to build 300 km of new roads using canal buffer zones, along with the development of 460 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads at a cost of ₹660 crore. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar Karnataka government has…

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

Most Antivan Crows do not live long enough to experience a midlife crisis

The Crows supply their ranks generally from orphans, illegitimate or abandoned children, children purchased from slavery, whore houses and other similar sources. Some are born into the Crows already, but those would be a very small minority, for reasons explained below.

Lucanis mentions that Crow training involves a lot of acrobacy. After a brief search, sports with similar physical requirements such as gymnastics, ballet and martial arts have the ideal starting age in the range of 4-10 years, 15 at the latest, when the children's joints are still flexible (and their minds can be easily manipulated). Zevran is canonically stated to have been taken at the age of 7.

Crow training is intense and brutal, involving straight up torture as tests of pain tolerance. From the 18 fledglings of House Arainai taken in the same year as Zevran, only two survived to the end of their training (World of Thedas Vol. 2). Training with real weapons, harsh punishment, possibly the Spartan custom of underfeeding the children and driving them to stealing food for themselves to encourage learning stealth and resourcefulness, and very likely killing any who try to run away, all these are very likely factors for the high death rate among fledglings.

If the average age of newest Crow fledglings is 6, they might be ready for promotion to the rank of Assassin very well as early as the age of 14-15. This is where the second meat grinder starts, these new Crows will already have plenty experience, but the first solo contracts will still likely take many of them, either killed by their targets, by their Masters for failing the contract, or by themselves to avoid the pain and humiliation of returning to their Masters unsuccessful. This period might likely have the highest suicide rates in general, as the new Crows are still relatively emotionaly vulnerable but old enough to comprehend their position in the world and the weight of their actions.

Promotion to the rank of Assassin also certainly brings great benefits that only increase as the Crow's career progresses and their contracts bring them more coin. The comforts and opulence of Antiva are for them to take, and someone who has grown up only knowing hunger and pain will certainly not hold back. Alcohol, drugs, sex, all the addictions and diseases will surely take the lives of many Crows.

An Assassin's career begins early and ends early. To use sports and dance once again, most porfessional gymnasts and ballet dancers retire between the ages of 25 and 35 as their physical capabilities decline. Those who have survived this long will be granted the rank of Master and oversee the distribution of contracts and the training of fledglings, and will participate in actual assassinations much less. This is also where one might strive to become a Grandmaster or even a Talon. At this point, a Crow will have enough prominence within the organization that they might become a target themselves. Only the most skilled, well-connected and ruthless Crows will continue to rise and, most importantly, continue to live.

If a presumed average number of fledglings per House is around 20, 2-3 will make it to Assassin. In one Assassin's 20 years long career, that would make only about 50 new Assassins out of 400 fledglings. Probably only about a half of those will make it to 35. Even fewer will make it to 50. Out of 400 children bought or stolen from the streets.

Caterina Dellamorte is over 70 years old.

[lologoinsolo]

Part 6, Part 7

Cats and Their Men Masterlist

“ACHOO!”

You sneeze hard enough your ears ring. Sinuses have been acting up ever since the weather went from cold to hot in a matter of days. It’s been muggy and warm and bending over the grooming tubs is not helping that headache of yours. You’d call out if you didn’t need the money. You sneeze one more time, the husky in the tub tilts its wet head and then flicks off the water.

“Aw, Princess, no!” Covering your face from the splatter of water, your smock soaked with wet hair now. Princess barks happily and wags her tail. Sighing loudly before drying her off as best as you can with a towel to let her sit in the kennel’s blow dryer for a bit. You take a seat near one of the grooming tables, rubbing your temples of the ever increasing headache you’ve got. Getting sick does you no favors and when you get sick, you get sick badly.

“Hey, girlie,” one of the other bathers come around. She pats at your back, “you doing okay?” Marlisa’s, a short woman of Mexican heritage with long, black hair, she’s older than you by ten yours but runs absolute circles around you. You wish you had her energy right now. “You look tired,” before you can make mention of a headache she places a hand over your forehead, “and warm too.”

“That’s new,” pulling back, you touch your own face, patting away at your cheeks and you do feel warm. “I’m,” covering your nose as you sneeze into your elbow, “I’m fine.”

“Nah,” she snorts, grabs a grooming lead and gets Princess out of the kennel. The husky prances along and you stand up, “come on,” Marlisa motions for you, “I’ll help dry her up and then you can get a break. You’ve got another one right?” You nod as you go the drying station. Princess jumps up immediately on the table and you clasp the grooming helper around her neck like a collar so she won’t jump when the blow dryer turns on.

Your next dog is a chihuahua and maybe you can ask a manager to go home, your roommate came home sick two days ago. You blamed the weather then and you’re blaming the weather now. “You don’t have to help, Mars.” Turning on the dryer and you get to blowing the tufts of wet fur. She decidingly ignores you and turns on another blow dryer. Princess gets blow dried, brushed out, and finished being groomed in record timing since two bathers are working on her.

You’re feeling hotter and hotter by the time she’s all ready to go home. Just as your chihuahua is coming around, Marlisa is already asking if she can do the dog for you. Normally you’d tough it out but your eyes feel like it’s burning and watery, and you feel sicker than this morning. Jess isn’t here so you had to speak to the next manager at the store, thankfully they saw your sorry state and allowed you to leave.

By the time you clocked out, chucked your smock off and started walking out the door, a familiar man with a beard comes a walking into the store.

“Miss?” He calls to you this time, granted your ears feel like it’s stuffed with cotton and he has to walk right up to you to gain your attention. “Hey?” His hand on your back when you sway, “you okay?” Those blue eyes of his deepen with worry when he then places his other hand on your forehead. “Burning up, sweetheart.”

Smacking at his hand on your face, you groan. Why is everyone touching your forehead? “M’fine,” standing a little straighter to prove it to yourself as well, “just tired is all.”

“Looks like you’re more than that.”

Your lips pull to a pout, you can’t find it in you to say something witty or tell him to talk to someone else. He’s probably needing help with his cat and you’d jump at the chance to help but… your head hurts and feels heavy enough to mimic a bowling ball. “I can’t help you today, John.” There’s a twinkle in his eyes when you remember his name. “I’m sorry,” his hand stills on your back. Not able to push that one away when he guides you out the door.

“Need a ride home?” He offers, subtly adding after, “I’m sure one of your friends can drive your car for you later to your place.” You lean against him, nearly tripping over your feet had he not stayed firm beside you. His hand settling more on your waist to give support, “best get you home, yeah?” He doesn’t give you a chance to protest as he steers you to his car. Plopping you in and asks for directions, you mumble as you give them. Typing them in his maps despite there already being a star next to it.

You’re in and out of it by the time he gets you home, any other time and you’d be screaming at yourself for getting into his car or even letting him know your address. In your delirium state you manage to text your roommates to let them know you're heading home with a guy. One of them is bound to be home, probably the one that may or may not have gotten you sick. And you don’t want them to panic when they see him. You pocket your phone and close your eyes for a second.

“Up you get,” hands are under your armpits and it takes a while for you to realize he’s already parked, opened your door, undid your seatbelt, and is helping you stand. “I’ll make you some soup,” you hear him say, you merely nod your head against his shoulder. His arm anchored around your waist as you wobble like you were drunk. He’s so sturdy against you, doesn’t even blink when he does most of the lifting as he helps you to your door.

You’re pulling out your keys and twisting it in when he’s helping you through the walkway of the unlocked door. No one’s in the living room and it’s a small mercy that you don’t have to deal with any unwanted questions. You just want to sleep and maybe down enough Tylenol to kill a horse. You don’t bother to change out of your work clothes and he doesn’t press on it as pulls the covers over you. His thumb brushes away at the strand on your hair, he murmurs something you can’t quite catch. You’re dozing off by the time he comes back with water and some pills, he leaves them on the counter and takes a keen look around.

He takes a pen and rips a piece of paper from your notebook by the time you’re snoring. He’d rather ask for your number but this is the next best thing. Scribbling his number alongside his name, he takes mental note of the inner workings of your apartment. Noticing the back door, the amount of windows, and counting the shoes on the shoe rack by the door. Just as he’s finished putting it all in his head, “evening,” he nods when one of your roommates gives a weak, unsure hello to him. He didn’t think they’d come out but it’s good that they did. “I’ll come by with soup and food for her,” stepping towards the door, “make sure she eats it.” He orders, leaving no room for an argument either.

“And you are?” A woman pointedly asks, probably the one that got you sick since she herself sniffles.

He turns to her, “John,” making it short and to the point when she gives him a look. He shuts the front door behind him before she can ask more questions. Taking a quick look around the apartment complex and his brows furrow. It’s not up to his standard, that’s for sure. The gate to the entrance is wide open, anyone can walk or drive through. The bus stop you take doesn’t put you directly in front of the apartment building either. You’d still have to walk a good 10-15 minutes to get to your door. And god only knows what could have happened if he didn’t take you home today.

He’ll need to check the surrounding areas and run a background check on your roommates as well. John’s glad you were sick enough to let him take you home, he would have rather a different reason for you to do that. Maybe somewhere along the lines of a nice dinner, expensive champagne bottles, and a pretty rose bouquet meant for just you but this will have to do. For now at least.

He sneezes softly, “son of a bitch,” pinching his nose in annoyance. He’ll need to make two soups, he gets a text that pings on his phone, he gives a quick read and sighs.

Three soups…

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - June 15-21

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Victory for Same-Sex Marriage in Thailand

“Thailand’s Senate voted 130-4 today to pass a same-sex marriage bill that the lower house had approved by an overwhelming majority in March. This makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia, and the second in Asia, to recognize same-sex relationships. […] The Thai Marriage Equality Act […] will come into force 120 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. It will stand as an example of LGBT rights progress across the Asia-Pacific region and the world.”

2. One of world’s rarest cats no longer endangered

“[The Iberian lynx’s] population grew from 62 mature individuals in 2001 to 648 in 2022. While young and mature lynx combined now have an estimated population of more than 2,000, the IUCN reports. The increase is largely thanks to conservation efforts that have focused on increasing the abundance of its main food source - the also endangered wild rabbit, known as European rabbit. Programmes to free hundreds of captive lynxes and restoring scrublands and forests have also played an important role in ensuring the lynx is no longer endangered.”

3. Planning parenthood for incarcerated men

“[M]any incarcerated young men missed [sex-ed] classroom lessons due to truancy or incarceration. Their lack of knowledge about sexual health puts them at a lifelong disadvantage. De La Cruz [a health educator] will guide [incarcerated youths] in lessons about anatomy and pregnancy, birth control and sexually transmitted infections. He also explores healthy relationships and the pitfalls of toxic masculinity. […] Workshops cover healthy relationships, gender and sexuality, and sex trafficking.”

4. Peru puts endemic fog oasis under protection

“Lomas are unique ecosystems relying on marine fog that host rare and endemic plants and animal species. […] The Peruvian government has formally granted conservation status to the 6,449-hectare (16,000-acre) desert oasis site[….] The site, the first of its kind to become protected after more than 15 years of scientific and advocacy efforts, will help scientists understand climatic and marine cycles in the area[, … and] will be protected for future research and exploration for at least three decades.”

5. Religious groups are protecting Pride events — upending the LGBTQ+ vs. faith narrative

“In some cases, de-escalation teams stand as a physical barrier between protesters and event attendees. In other instances, they try to talk with protesters. The goal is generally to keep everyone safe. Leigh was learning that sometimes this didn’t mean acting as security, but doing actual outreach. That might mean making time and space to listen to hate speech. It might mean offering food or water. […] After undergoing Zoom trainings this spring, the members of some 120 faith organizations will fan out across more than 50 Pride events in 16 states to de-escalate the actions of extremist anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups.”

6. 25 years of research shows how to restore damaged rainforest

“For the first time, results from 25 years of work to rehabilitate fire-damaged and heavily logged rainforest are now being presented. The study fills a knowledge gap about the long-term effects of restoration and may become an important guide for future efforts to restore damaged ecosystems.”

7. Audubon and Grassroots Carbon Announce First-of-its-Kind Partnership to Reward Landowners for Improving Habitats for Birds while Building Healthy Soils

“Participating landowners can profit from additional soil carbon storage created through their regenerative land management practices. These practices restore grasslands, improve bird habits, build soil health and drive nature-based soil organic carbon drawdown through the healthy soils of farms and ranches. […] Additionally, regenerative land management practices improve habitats for birds. […] This partnership exemplifies how sustainable practices can drive positive environmental change while providing tangible economic benefits for landowners.”

8. Circular food systems found to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, require much less agricultural land

“Redesigning the European food system will reduce agricultural land by 44% while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 70%. This reduction is possible with the current consumption of animal protein. “Moreover, animals are recyclers in the system. They can recycle nutrients from human-inedible parts of the organic waste and by-products in the food system and convert them to valuable animal products," Simon says.”

9. Could Treating Injured Raptors Help Lift a Population? Researchers found the work of rehabbers can have long-lasting benefits

“[“Wildlife professionals”] tend to have a dismissive attitude toward addressing individual animal welfare,” [… but f]or most raptor species, they found, birds released after rehabilitation were about as likely to survive as wild birds. Those released birds can have even broader impacts on the population. Back in the wild, the birds mate and breed, raising hatchlings that grow up to mate and breed, too. When the researchers modeled the effects, they found most species would see at least some population-level benefits from returning raptors to the wild.”

10. Indigenous people in the Amazon are helping to build bridges & save primates

“Working together, the Reconecta Project and the Waimiri-Atroari Indigenous people build bridges that connect the forest canopy over the BR-174 road[….] In the first 10 months of monitoring, eight different species were documented — not only monkeys such as the golden-handed tamarin and the common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), but also kinkajous (Potos flavus), mouse opossums (Marmosops sp.), and opossums (Didelphis sp.).”

Bonus: A rare maneless zebra was born in the UK

June 8-14 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[enkvyu]

7:02pm — gojo satoru ; part two to this imagine

"gojo, your hair is in my mouth."

"you're lucky i washed it a few days ago."

you peer up at him over your phone. "a few days? how many? gojo, tell me."

gojo hums to himself and you hate that it might be serious consideration that he's under. "like maybe seven?"

you gag, flailing at your mouth and spitting out the few strands. you faintly hear gojo complain but it's overridden as you deal with your dilemma.

the two of you were curled inside the stomach of one of getou's curses as it flew across the ocean to arrive back at jujutsu high. the cramped space and gooey flesh makes you shiver, effectively increasing your poor mood, but perhaps the biggest detriment was the person you were stuck with.

sure, public transport was a viable option but yaga had specifically emphasised on the "top-secret" and "classified" written in big bold red letters on the mission file. this meant no one was to know, not ordinary people, not curses and not even other sorcerers.

granted, the school had access to one private jet which they were willing to offer, but that jet only had space for one.

the three of you had sat down and played a game of scissors paper rock to determine who takes it, and while you were lucky to win it for the trip forward, getou ends up victorious for the way back.

and now, you were stuck in close proximity with gojo inside the gut of a flying dragon.

"why are you in such a bad mood anyway?" gojo has the audacity to ask, as if he wasn't the sole reason why you were uncomfortable. you keep your mouth shut though, nothing good will come out of admitting your undying, and unfortunately unrequited, love for him.

"i'm in a perfectly fine mood."

"why do you look like that then, all constipated and everything? did you not go to the bathroom before we left?"

you curl your fingers into a fist and punch him in the chest. it hits his uniform, smearing some of the curses' stomach juice. "of course i did! i'm not a newbie sorcerer."

"ouch!"

"that didn't hurt you."

"how are you going to tell me how i feel?" gojo jabs back. "because it did hurt, it hurt my feelings."

"oh boohoo."

"so you are mad."

you bite your lip and turn away, finding the abdominal wall of the beast easier on the eyes than your own friend. "i'm not."

"you're sulking."

"i'm not." you hiss before taking in a deep breath. "look gojo, can we just stay quiet until we get there?"

gojo keeps staring at you through his glasses and his face fails to give his thoughts away. the suspense is killing you, but before you can relent and ask what he has to say, he clears his throat.

"i have something to tell you."

you sigh, rubbing at your head. "what is it?"

"wait, don't turn around and keeping looking at the wall. hey, what did i just say?"

"gojo, the view isn't really the best to sightsee. why can't i look at you?"

"because if you do, i don't think i can tell you after all."

you close your mouth. "is it that serious?"

"yeah." he clears his throat again, adjusting the collar of his uniform. "look, i know you've been weird around me the past few days and i don’t think it’s because i stretched out your uniform when i wore it last weekend. i don't know why you’re being mean to me, and shoko and getou won't tell me either."

you resist the urge to look at him. "you're having this kind of talk with me now? here? seriously?"

"you won't even stay in the same room as me for more than a few minutes! getou may call this curse his bad-luck curse but for me right now it's the only way to get you to listen to me." he stays quiet for a few seconds. "this is really serious, okay, so don't make any comments. i know you're practically brimming with them."

it was true you had a lot to say, but gojo's serious attitude was putting you off. still, having him call you out made you more aggravated and you let one slip. "well, this is really bad-luck for me."

gojo clicks his tongue and you can see the irritation on his face before his words are even coloured with it. "i'm not telling you this so you can feel the same way but—"

the curse suddenly tilts to the side, throwing you into gojo as the four walls of its stomach becomes a wheel, rotating you around. you yelp as your forehead hits him hard in the chest, tears springing to your eyes at the pain.

“what’s going on?”

the two of you spin round and round, and you can't distinguish your screams from gojo's as gravity plays you like a toy, throwing you around.

the movement makes you sick. "gojo, do something! blast it!"

"getou'll get mad if i kill another one of his curses!"

"are you kidding, we're going to die!"

gojo swears, grabbing you around the waist and pulling you into his chest. with his other arm, he holds out his hand and presses it on the flesh.

you tuck your chin in, squeezing your eyes shut when you realise he hadn't started chanting his technique. "what are you doing?" you look up at him and find him staring at the exit of the stomach through all the goo and chaos.

with a trembling finger, he points to it. you stare into the abyss, squinting your eyes to make out its indistinct shapes. what was that pulsing thing, attached to the side? and was it just you, but was it getting bigger?

with a start, you realise that the curse was about to throw up. and coincidentally, so were you.

"it's going to throw us up!" you share your realisation with gojo but the look on his face tells you he already arrived at the same thought.

he opens his mouth to say something, or scream you're not too sure as the walls of the stomach contracts. distantly, you feel gojo slide his other arm around you and his infinity takes over, shielding the two of you as you're forcefully ejected from the curse's mouth.

a scream escapes your throat as you escape the curse's, wind rushing through your ears. gojo swears again, bringing his arm up to protect your head.

you only know you're safe when you feel air again, the real kind, not the gas built up in the curse's stomach. a thud tells you gojo has landed on solid ground again and you've never felt more grateful to be alive, your entire body relaxing as your soul leaves.

gojo sighs with you, his hold slightly loosening.

getou watches as you're spat out, stepping out of the private jet with a big smile on his face. "you guys look rough."

you feel gojo tense his jaw rather than see it. "what was that for?"

getou shrugs, throwing a bag over his shoulder. he starts digging through it. "i told you that curse is some serious bad-luck. at least you both arrived in one piece.” he looks up and raises an eyebrow at you. “literally in one piece, are you guys going to stay like that forever?"

your mind slowly pieces together your position, still curled up in gojo's arms as he is sat on the pavement, before you leapt out. gojo makes no move to stop you, though you think he might have tsked.

"here, this is for you." getou finally pulls out what he was searching for from his bag and throws it at the two of you.

you catch it instinctively, studying the object in your hand. "a can of soda?"

"for surviving."

"that curse of yours is a safety hazard." you mutter, but accept the can. you crack open the lid and tilt your head back, taking a long, cool sip.

gojo stares down at the drink. "i told you i don't like this flavour!" he complains and you roll your eyes at his antics.

"then don't drink it."

"no. give me your one instead."

getou pauses, halfway to opening his own iced coffee. "huh? i got this for me. and you don't even like coffee! you should be glad i even got one for you in the first place."

"let's play a game of rock paper scissors to decide who gets it."

"no. i just told you i got this for me."

gojo stands up, taking a step forward menacingly. "huh? after what you put me through, you think i'm just going to take no for an answer?"

getou's eyes flicker to yours before he takes up gojo's challenge, activating his cursed technique. black liquid opens up the air beside him, a peering red eye on the other side. "can't handle rejection, gojo? because you better get used to it."

you take another sip as you watch the boys, absentmindedly wiping at a stain on your sleeve. you remember the feeling of gojo's arm around your body and you blush despite yourself.

"are you feeling sick?"

you look up to see that gojo had stopped fighting with getou, his entire attention on you.

"huh?"

"you're red in the face. you look like a tomato."

ignoring the last part, you hide your face behind your drink. "i'm fine."

getou looks between the two of you and there's a glint in his eyes that you've seen before, one that you've grown to dread.

he throws back the rest of his coffee, grimacing as it gives him a slight brain freeze, before crushing the can in his hand. gojo mutters a quick, "show off" that he ignores, instead chucking the can into a bin a few metres away.

"what a time." he starts saying, the words static. "that was great. well, now that i've finished my drink, i should head back inside."

“i should head in too. i smell real bad.” you sigh and give gojo a glare when he agrees.

“actually, can the two of you stay here? i think my curse isn’t feeling too well after eating you two. just until i come back, okay?”

you think there might be an ulterior motive but glancing over at the curse, you find that it did look greener than before.

"where are you going, and for how long?" you ask and hope the look in your eyes will make him stay.

"i need to tell yaga we finished the mission. you guys can just stay here, i've got it." then to you, he says, clenching his fist in support, "you got this."

you want to break his arm.

getou hurries away despite your silent plea, leaving you in an awkward silence with the one person you wanted to avoid most. you take multiple quick sips to busy yourself, but you can’t ignore the person standing by your side.

gojo shifts his balance to his other foot and the sound of his shoe against the pavement breaks the silence. "so."

"so."

"it's really bright, huh."

"you're wearing sunglasses."

"and do they completely cover my eyes? no they don't. i can still complain about the sun."

"just push your glasses up then."

"no." gojo huffs. "i look cooler this way."

"who told you that? because i know for a fact it wasn't anyone whose opinion actually matters." you jab back.

"your mum said that, actually."

"are you a child?"

"what, are you too cool for old jokes? they're iconic for a reason."

"and there's a reason why 'your mum jokes' died and should stay that way."

the natural way in which you banter with gojo gives you confidence. maybe it didn't matter that you liked him, or that he didn't like you back. it was enough that he was here with you now, joking around. perhaps you could even live with knowing that your unrequited love had come to an end, perhaps you could even pair them up yourself without a sense of bitter jealousy.

"i know you like getou." gojo says in one breath.

the peace you had come to, shatters.

"what?" you say in an inhale, and it comes out sounding weird.

gojo pouts, crossing his arms. "i'm right, aren't i? you like getou. i heard what you were saying to shoko that one time."

"don't eavesdrop on other people's conversations!"

"you were saying it pretty loudly, what was i meant to do? shut my ears?"

you wave away his whining. "stop, hold on. you think i like getou?"

gojo nods. "i don't think you do, i know. you said you like people like him."

"when did i ever say that? also, i'm not the one who likes getou, you are!"

"what?"

"what, what? you do, don't you? you told me yesterday that you liked getou."

"i never said that!"

"then who were you talking about?"

"who were you thinking about?" gojo shoots back. "because you didn't even hesitate when you explained your type to shoko. you were thinking of someone, weren't you?"

you gulp. "i asked first."

he looks at you long and hard and you stare back at your reflection through his glasses. his mouth opens and there's a mixed sense of dread and anticipation brewing in your stomach.

"tch."

"did you just click your tongue at me?"

gojo faces away. his jaw is tense as he blatantly ignores your question. "you're really annoying."

"huh? speak for yourself!"

"you have a problem with me?"

"i have a problem with your stupid attitude."

when gojo closes the distance between the two of you, you take a step back out of instinct. it doesn't matter though because gojo steps forward again, pushing you up against the curse getou had left behind. he slams a hand into the flesh of the curse and it makes a startled sound. the both of you ignore it. "it's you, idiot, i like—"

the force behind his slam is frightening, but the thought is torn from you when the sound of regurgitation grabs your attention. with a start, you turn around at the curse and find your phone on the ground at the entrance of the curse's mouth, covered in goo.

"my phone!" you exclaim, bending down to pick it up.

gojo backs up and groans loudly, but you don't care, wincing instead when the item is sticky.

"i didn't even know i lost this! thanks gojo, i think." your voice trails off wearily, holding up the phone and watching as viscous liquid slowly drips off it.

gojo rubs his face with his palm and you wonder why he looks so distressed. "that curse is seriously bad luck." meeting your eye, he points a finger at you. "listen to what i have to say!"

you raise your eyebrow at him. "damn okay, gojo's arrived." you mutter, wiping down the phone and pocketing it.

the clouds overhead parts, sunlight shining down in rays. the trees whistle in the summer breeze and light filters through the gaps in the leaves and branches. it hits gojo perfectly, adorning him in a golden light and you've never seen him so beautiful. guilt fills you at the thought and you hold your soda tighter.

he breathes in one more time. "i don't care that you like getou." he says. "because it doesn't matter to me. it just means i have to work harder to change your mind and get you to notice me instead."

"it's kind of hard to not notice you." you say. "i mean, look at what you're wearing."

gojo hisses. "don't ruin the mood, you're throwing me off. like i was saying, it's not your fault you like getou but i had to tell you this anyway, because it's been making my heart feel all prickly and stuff. so shut up and just stand there looking pretty, or whatever." his last few words trail off uncertainly, as if he never intended to say them at all.

"what are you even saying?" your heart picks up. was he about to confess?

"i'm saying that i think i like—"

"there you guys are!"

your head whips around at the voice, scanning the familiar landscape before settling on a single person. shoko stands metres away, waving a hand to grab your attention. "over here!"

"shoko!" a grin splits across your face. "i haven't seen you all day!"

"am i interrupting something?" she yells to get her voice across the distance.

you don't even look over at gojo as you shake your head. you had a feeling he was just going to tell you something you already knew, that he liked getou, anyway. “no! hold on, i'm coming over."

before you can run up to her, gojo grabs your arm, a deep frown etched on his face. "wait, you still haven't—!"

without another thought, you hand him your half-finished can of soda and wriggle out of his hold. "you can have the rest of that. i'll hear you out later, okay?"

"but the mood was so right!"

"look after the curse until getou’s back, later!"

gojo stands there in front of the bad-luck curse, one arm limp by his side and the other holding a can of blue soda. he watches as you fling yourself into shoko's arm, already listing all the things you've been saving up to tell her.

there's that prickly feeling again, gojo realises, noting the way the sun lightens the shade of your hair, the way your eyes curve up as you smile, and the way you hold onto shoko's hand, wishing that he had enough courage to hold yours.

defeated, battered and drained, gojo looks down at the can in his hand, and notes the slight lipstick stain on the rim.

with a red on his cheeks that didn't come from the sun, he presses the aluminium to his lips and takes a sip. it tastes sweet.

gojo decides that he'll just have to settle for this.

i hope this was okay considering i had no intentions of writing a part two. sorry for all the descriptions of stomachs and throw up, i was studying the digestive system 👎 if this isn’t what u guys expected feel free to leave a request !!

[ayumigotabittoolonelyquitted]

Yuji itadori x tall reader head canons

♡ The moment Yuji lays eyes on you, it’s game over for him. You’re exactly his type tall, strong, blessed and he’s already imagining what your wedding photos would look like.

♡ He’s so confident when he confesses, too. Probably flashes you that goofy, boyish grin and says something like:

"Hey, I think you’re really cool. Wanna go out with me?"

And you? You look down at him (literally) and just go:

"Sorry, you’re too short."

Immediate psychological damage. Yuji.exe has stopped working.

He stands there, smiling on the outside but internally combusting.

"Too short? Too SHORT???"

But it gets worse. He asks, trying to salvage his pride:

"Then… what’s your type?"

And you, without hesitation:

"Todo."

MORTAL WOUND. DEATH. PAIN.

♡ Bro just got rejected and his best friend got praised in the same breath.

You walk away, completely unaware that you just shattered his entire ego.

Meanwhile, Yuji is standing there, staring at Todo from across the training field like a betrayed shonen protagonist.

♡ Cue maldative dreaming.

"so when I asked her out , she said I wasn't her type"

"I wish I was a little bit taller…"

"I wish I was a baller…"

"i wish I was 6 foot baller"

"I wish I had a girl , I'll call"

♡ He starts looking up height-enhancing exercises on Google. Hanging from bars, stretching his legs, drinking so much milk this man is on a mission.

♡ Considers asking Gojo if there’s a cursed technique that can make him taller.

At some point, Megumi just sighs and says:

"You’re never gonna be taller than Todo. Accept it."

Yuji refuses. He refuses.

♡ Starts wearing shoes with thick soles, hoping to gain even an inch.

♡ When you and Todo are sparring, and Todo lifts you effortlessly, Yuji is in the background dying inside.

♡ Eventually, he just stares at himself in the mirror like:

"Maybe she’ll fall for my personality instead… right?"

♡ Meanwhile, Todo has no idea any of this is happening. He’s just vibing, calling Yuji his besto friendo, completely oblivious to the emotional crisis happening next to him.

Wish granted

♡ After weeks of maldative dreaming, failed height-increasing attempts, and watching you simp for Todo, Yuji was ready to accept his fate.

But then, fate does him a solid.

♡Gojo sensei, in his infinite wisdom (or trolling tendencies), pairs you and Yuji as training partners for an entire month. (Fox he did that on purpose)

♡Yuji is initially like, “Oh god, this is gonna be painful.” He’s fully expecting you to talk about Todo 24/7 while he suffers in silence.

♡ But after a week of working together, he realizes something.

You’re actually… really cool.

Not just in a “wow, hot person” way but in a “holy shit, I really like talking to them” way.

You hype him up during training and laugh at his dumb jokes.

You don’t baby him you challenge him, push him to be stronger.

And when he actually manages to land a hit on you during sparring, you grin and say, “Damn, shortie’s fast.”

♡ Normally, the height comment would kill him. But… why is he blushing instead???

♡ Meanwhile, you? You were obsessed with Todo.

♡ But now? Yuji’s got you questioning everything.

♡ Like, why does his laugh make your chest feel weird?

♡ Why do you find yourself looking for him in a crowded room?

♡ And why, for the love of all things holy, do his stupid brown eyes make your heart race???

♡ Todo doesn’t even cross your mind anymore. Especially not when Yuji looks at you like that.

♡ It all officially clicks for both of you one night after an intense training session.

♡ You’re both exhausted, lying on the ground, staring at the sky. And out of nowhere, Yuji just mumbles:

“I don’t even care about being taller anymore… I just wanna be good enough for you.”

Your heart? Gone. Exploded.

You turn to face him, and without thinking, you say:

“You were always good enough, idiot.”

And then you kiss him.

Congratulations, Yuji. You may not have gotten taller…

But you got the girl.

This was inspired by this edit

AND THIS WAS REQUESTED IF U HAVE ABY REQUESTS PLESSE TELL.

[weird-color]

dont hug me im a cookie.

(height comparison and abilities below :p) (I am TERRIBLE at describing stats please bare with me)

Rainbow Ink ~ Creative Flow : Summons ink hands from the ground to drag the enemies in place, freezing them in place to cause injury and poison. An ocean of dark ink spawns beneath the enemies, increasing the amount of damage done by the ink hands and keeping them tied. A shield of paper will wrap around the ally with least ATK from the team. Increases Blueberry Clockwork's ATK and DMG Resist by 300%, an HP shield inflicting upon him to protect his current HP. (Similar to Mystic Flour.)

Blueberry Clockwork ~ The Reality Of Time : Freezes the enemy's cooldown and resets it, ignoring any buffs and treasures. Launches himself to attack while slowing his enemies ATK SPD, which will increase his own as he does. Increases Rainbow Ink's Cooldown by 500%, granting them "Future's Sight" buff and allowing their ink hands to survive longer and have a tighter grip on the enemies.

Sugar Heart Butterfly ~ Lover's Ring : Summons his cult members to deal damage and hypnotize the enemies, confusing them into bleeding. As he does, Sugar Heart Butterfly burst heals the entire team, restoring 70% of their HP. At the same time, an explosion of love stunts and charms the closest enemies, dispels any other buffs granted by other supports and curses them for the rest of the fight.

Electric Oats ~ Digital Dancing : Starts the fight with stunt resistance, DMG focus and cooldown by 619% for the entire party. His wires launch and zap the enemies, leaving a stunt debuff and healing reduction on them. Water type enemies will not be affected by this, instead will cause DMG reduction to Electric Oats Cookie. Will focus on any healer or support cookies, inflicting "Computer Virus" debuff to cause injury and silencing them, his ATK increasing by 400% after using the debuff. After his death, he will leave behind a copy of his own digital form, which will only zap and keep the last cookie standing alive for 7 seconds before falling.

Raw Steak ~ Piercing Health : Smashes through with his pitchfork against the strongest enemy, inflicting injury, fear and shackles. Additionally, if his enemy receives health, he will increase his own ATK and becomes invulnerable to any debuffs for 10 seconds. Purifies Spinach Salad and increases their MAX HP with the "Chef's Delight" buff, shielding them from any attacks for a long period of time. Before dying, his ATK will increase by 900%, using his last seconds to heal Spinach Salad and enhance their DMG resist.

Spinach Salad ~ Healthy Stabbings : Summons a pair of giant spinach cans to protect the ally with the least DMG resist and HP, while they jump behind Raw Steak Cookie to attack and stab their utensils on the enemies. Focuses on the enemy with the lowest HP at the moment, targeting them and causes stun momentarily. Gives Raw Steak their "Fork N Tooth" buff, periodic healing him while standing behind him. They become resistant to debuffs (except stuns and fear) by 200%, while also absorbing their target's ATK.

Star Cloud Marshmallow ~ Dreamy Cloud Paradise : Starts the battle by floating with his clouds right above the enemies, crashing down to bomb and release a sleepy gas. The gas inflicts silence and sleep, the moment they wake up, they're striked by freezing debuff. Will attack the enemy with the least ATK and weaken them with injury, decreasing their DMG resist, DEF, Stun resistance, Freeze resistance, Cooldown and CRIT by 200%. After dying, will revive into a cloud monster, using his secondary skill "Drowning In Oil", which pulls the enemies on a void of dark oil, inflicting curse and injury.

(Somehow feel none of these would be meta lmao)

[snoonz]

List of duaas

1. Ya Allah grant me the companionship of Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, his family and the Sahaba's in Jannathul Firdous al 'áala.

2. Ya Allah make me and my family from amongst the sabiqoon you mention of in Surah Al Waqi'ah. Let the light of our imaan emanate from our chest and from our right hand side.

3. Ya rabb, make me of those who are patient and obedient to You and to my parents.

4. Ya Allah make me of the few You love, You Pardon and You shade on a Day when there is no shade but from Your Majestic Arsh.

5. Oh my Lord, increase me in Yakeen and Tawakkul in you. Let there be no doubt in my belief in Your Oneness, Your Majesty and Power.

6. Ya Rahman, shower your Mercy upon me and save me from disgrace on the Day of Reckoning.

7. Ya Allah Al Wali - The Protecting Friend, protect us from hearts that are not humble, tongues that are not wise, and eyes that have forgotten how to cry.

8. Ya Allah, increase me in Sadaqa-e- Jariya. May the legacy of my good deeds be never-ending.

9. Ya Rabb, perfect my Deen and my Worship. Save me from Faahisha and let me complete half of my Deen with someone whose heart is attached to you.

10. Ya Allah accept my good deeds and increase me in reward and Your Mercy. Wipe away my sins and pardon me completely.

11. Ya Allah, when I die, let my soul and my record of Deeds be with the Illiyeen. Grant me and my loved ones shade under your throne when there will be no shade but yours.

12. Ya Allah grant me, my parents, and family guidance, steadfastness and increase us in Imaan and taqwa. Keep me and my loved ones away from major and minor sins and from everything that earns your displeasure.

13. Ya Razaq increase me in my love for You and Your Prophet sallallähu 'alayhi wa sallam.

14. Ya Jabbar forgive me and my loved ones and increase us in Your Blessings and Provisions.

15. Ya Khaliq lead me to more opportunities to do good and seeking Your Pleasure. Help me expand my knowledge with sincerity and ikhlas.

16. Ya Wahhaab, Purify my intentions for Your Sake alone and let me not show off or take false pride. Save me from arrogance, pride, showing off and reminding of favors.

17. Oh my Creator and Sustainer, do not leave me alone. Bless me with a righteous spouse and children who will be the coolness of our eyes. Fill our hearts with a pure love that is pleasing to you. Bless us with spouses who will guide us towards your pleasure and with whom we will spend an eternity in Jannatul firdous al'aala.

18. Oh my Lord, make me of those who are patient and obedient to You and to my parents.

19. Ya Latfeef, save me from the Fitnah of Dajjal. And save me from becoming a fitna for others

20. Ya Ghafoor, save me and my loved ones from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Hell Fire.

[typewritingyip]

The Arcturus Missions

Part Thirty Six - Reprieve

Part Thirty Five

———

Arcturus mission log, update eight, time frame between seven and fourteen months post launch.

Limited contact with the crew, mission trajectory nominal. 

…

Classified document, code required.

Access granted.

Arcturus crew one has been labeled as MIA, since July 24th with no contact. Connection number increasing, now estimated at 17 years, 4 months, 16 days, 7 hours, and 10 minutes. Counting up.

Life support across suits was last labeled as stable, updated two months ago.

Relay satellite has launched, estimated contact, unknown.

Pilots projected to be living, food supplies expected to run out within the initial six months, adjustment required. 

Contact with pilots, not anticipated, mission labeled inconclusive failure.

…

Disconnecting from the server.

—

To be perfectly honest, he knew he’d drank far too much last night. Hound had at least been smart about it, taking a small amount and hardly finishing it. No, he had wanted to try the twins' liquor and now was facing the consequences.

His head was killing him, even in the dark comfort of the bedroom, a set of snorers nearby just caused enough sound to be painful.

It had to be after sunrise sometime, though days in Iacon seemed both longer and shorter than they did on Earth. At least now that they’d seen half of the seasons the strange planet had to offer.

Sliding off the cott, Breakdown held his face in one of his hands, stumbling towards the door. A cool shower would do him some good and he knew it, maybing a cooling pack too, yeah that could feel nice.

Notably, the normal cybertronian presence was not in the room which wasn’t entirely abnormal. Prowl was a busy mech, one that would come and go without fanfare to the point it was hard to tell if he were there or not. Though if Jazz was sleeping, he tried to be nearby. 

When the door slid open, the light was painful and he winced. Holding a hand in front of his eyes, Breakdown shuffled into the living room.

Not really noticing the two mecha sat there, both watching his pained movement in shock. 

Prowl was staring at him and was at a loss for words, from what Jazz said none of them were really meant to be alive in the morning. It had been a figure of speech but none of the humans were meant to be up before mid-day at least.

Dragging a hand down his face, Breakdown groans and glances around, frowning a bit, “De miy kostyum?” He looks up and freezes like a deer caught in headlights, Prowl’s optics cycle twice, trying to process what he said while Soundwave continued to just stare. 

It was bad enough that Sunstreaker had been caught out of his suit on a mission in front of Bluestreak, but Bluestreak was a drop in the bucket something that was bound to happen. Being out of the suit in front of Soundwave was probably the worst case scenario. 

His suit was nowhere in view, his assistance suit with it, along with his translator. Even as the pair started to speak he couldn’t even remotely tell what they were saying. Shuffling out of the room was not going to be possible, the way Soundwave seemed to be watching every move even behind his visor. 

Taking in a slow breath, he turned to go back towards the bathroom, his head still aching especially as his heart raced.

He was only stopped by Soundwave’s foot falling into his path, he stared up slowly, taking another slow breath, “I need through.” His voice was still rough, but at least Prowl understood, who was now standing behind him, talking with Soundwave.

This conversation was starting to feel very one sided. 

The yelp he let out through was not a sound he’d typically make, Prowl’s hands were strangely rough as they hoisted him up into the air and to eye level with them both, “Breakdown, I apologize for the miscommunication. Jazz stated that you all would, well, be sleeping like the dead for quite some time.” His world was spinning unpleasantly. 

“Normally, I would be, but they are snoring.” Prowl nods a bit and looks to Soundwave, saying something else incomprehensible before raising his voice to the mech, it was like a bat striking the base of his skull. Unpleasantly loud and far too close, “Please, my head. I am simply trying to get my suit.” With a light jossel he was set back down behind Soundwave, the bathroom door open.

Stepping inside, the door was closed behind him. It was painfully bright in the bathroom but at least his suit was in here, though it wouldn’t help with the explanation it would at least help with some of the understanding. He shuffled over painfully.

—

To be fair, Prowl honestly did think that the humans were going to be asleep for a while, so to watch Breakdown walk out of the room, clearly in pain, was not in his plan. Especially since Soundwave had insisted on them talking this morning in person. 

He had no idea what the poor dying man said, but Soundwave was entirely too focused, “Soundwave.” Prowl tried, standing and following him as he attempted to block Breakdown from reaching the refresher. 

Grabbing up Breakdown was instinct, the sound Soundwave had made was far too familiar. Either the sound of deep interest or the noise when he laid eyes on his cassettes, neither was a good thing. 

Ignoring Breakdown in his grasp, Prowl leveled his gaze at Soundwave, “Soundwave, this is not something to be looked over or asked about, let him into the refresher, then we will talk.” Shaking his head slowly, Soundwave shifted his stance some, “No. Soundwave: want to know why Prowl is harboring an organic.” Prowl tried very hard not to roll his optics.

With a glance back to Breakdown, he vented, talking quietly to the man in English. The poor man looked sick, clearly feeling unwell. Listening to him for a moment before nodding and looking back to Soundwave.

”Soundwave, you need to let him through. Once he is able to obtain his suit we will be able to speak more clearly.” Soundwave shook his helm slightly, “Soundwave: concerned, why there is an organic here. Iacon is not safe for organic beings.” Gritting his denta lightly, Prowl sucked in a vent.

He couldn’t help it, these were Jazz’s friends, those who served as his brothers in arms, shaking his helm, “I will explain, but he is in pain and needs his suit!” His other servo reached out and activated the door lock as Breakdown spoke again. His voice was pained.

Prowl, shoving around Soundwave, set Breakdown behind him in the refresher before closing the door again, turning back to a glowering Soundwave. He straightened and glared right back, “These organics are under my protection.” Soundwave’s visor cycled slowly, “Organics? Prowl: remarked in the plural?” Cycling his own optics, Prowl swore.

—

New Kaon was really something else, if Sunstreaker thought that Iacon was an interesting place then the culture shock of New Kaon was staggering. 

When they first came to the planet, it had just been for the fight, a there and gone sort of day. Like his first trip to New York, that had been a chaotic few days but this had been such a fast turn around it wasn’t even funny. 

Now though, they were able to walk through the city together. Bluestreak was just as excited, not having seen New Kaon this close before either. Walking side by side and hand in hand, it was almost like they were getting some time off.

Truthfully, they were meant to be monitoring the system but it was off shift for the pair of them and it was nice to be able to walk through the city together. 

Bluestreak was smiling, looking through the street stalls with wide eyes, and Sunny was smiling stupidly. 

He wasn’t entirely sure of when everything happened or how they were going to make it work, but this was part of life he’d shoved to the side when he became a pilot. It had been a rough relationship after another, and no one liked dating a pilot. This was different though, this had come so easily.

Looking at Blue, Sunny was still wearing his stupid smile, “So, they built this place during the war for the wounded and such, a place to at least call home when they had to leave Cybertron.” Nodding slightly, he squeezed Blue’s hand lightly, Blue turned and smiled at him, “Even in our darkest hours, it seems we try to find the light.” Blue took his breath away.

”Wow.” He really couldn’t manage much more than that, Bluestreak’s face burning but still wearing a smile, “You know a lot for a place you’ve never been.” His voice was almost quiet, but the soft tone left no question of how stupid his face probably looked. Bluestreak’s eyes almost lit up, “It’s all interesting, you know?” Nodding a bit, Sunstreaker fell back into a comfortable silence, listening to Bluestreak intently.

They could walk through the city all day, just them together and Sunny didn’t think it would even make him tired. He hardly would even notice his draining implants or the ache of the connection from overuse, it all just felt secondary.

Maybe it was stupid or ridiculous, they should be resting or eating but he was learning so much and getting to spend more time with Blue. More time than just over a camera while they both pretended to sleep, while his 

He was getting to learn about his world for once, not the other way around.

Blue smiles at him and shakes his head, “You’re lost in thought Sunny, come on.” He looks up, “Hmm?” Chuckling, Bluestreak shakes his head, “Come on Sunny, there’s supposed to be a really nice cafe over this way and I’m starving.” Chuckling lightly, he followed, keeping hold of Blue’s hand. The war felt a million miles away even just for that moment. 

They might have been sent to their deaths, but life seemed to be funny in that way. It gave him more to live for here than he’d had on Earth. 

Tucking himself against Bluestreak’s side, he put the thoughts of Earth aside, the ones of overuse on the back burning and smiled, content to be here in New Kaon with him. Not worrying about a thing.

—

He thought he would have gotten used to the bitter cold of North Iacon with how often they went there but no, he sat at the heater with Jazz, trying not to freeze to death. North Iacon was miserable and he’d never understand why anyone would choose to live up here, though it wasn’t like many did.

It apparently was a mining sector, not unlike where headquarters was on Earth. Half the hangers were built off of old mining tunnels that had been re-braced to hold the suits so they wouldn’t be able to be scanned from above.

Sideswipe was shivering and miserable, even with the layer of thermals, his assistance suit, the mech suit, and the heater. Sometimes it was just hard to get warm. Jazz on the other hand, seemed nearly perfectly fine. Then again, he was from farther north back home, somewhere near the Great Lakes he was pretty sure. 

Elita and Chromia were standing at a different heater, speaking quietly with Prowl since their temporary relocation had landed them so far north, “Bet it’s warmer in Paraxus right now.” Sideswipe glanced towards Jazz, hoping for something.

The way the man spoke about Paraxus, it reminded Sideswipe of how he spoke of Miami or how any of the others spoke of home. Pinging Jazz, he smiled at the camera as Jazz’s own smile filled one of his screens. He certainly didn’t look as cold as Sideswipe felt. 

“It was snowing the last time I was in Paraxus, so not much different. Sorry Sides.” Groaning, he rested his head on his knees, “Sunny gets to be off on warm New Kaon, but we’re stuck here in the cold. This fucking sucks.” Jazz laughed.

Shrugging a bit, Jazz sighs after he stops laughing, “It’s just our turn, plus Elita is trying to figure you out. She’s volunteering for these positions to make you grow closer with everyone. It’s what she does, you should have seen what it was like when Nickel became her medic.” Shaking his head a bit, Sideswipe sighs a bit.

He wasn’t sure if that was the worst case scenario or not, glancing up and over at Elita, then towards where the others were patrolling, he couldn’t help but smile a bit. Jazz tried to hide his grin, “This is why we were placed the way we were, somehow he can tell.” Glancing up, Sideswipe shakes his head a bit, “Sorry?” Jazz smiled, “Joan, Optimus, he can just… tell who we’d fit well with. Even though we obviously fit well together, Hound could see we were on the verge of getting each other killed, hell we could all feel it.” Looking back down, Sideswipe sighed.

He knew that they were right, every time it was mentioned, he knew. In the last few months he had felt as close to peaceful as he could when away from the crew. Other than for the overuse, which sucked. His implants ozzed everyday and the smallest inconvenience almost sent him into a blind rage. But Hound had been right to split them up.

The standing peaceful feeling outweighs the constant anxiety and the burning rage he felt whenever the skin around his implants became inflamed or he caught a glance of Bluestreak.

Being split up made it easier to ignore the overuse, when it wasn’t dislocating his joints or causing his skin to peel and bleed. Even then, he wasn’t worrying over his brother every moment of the day, “Yeah, I saw the change too.” Jazz’s voice was quiet, smiling softly. 

“I didn’t realize it, you know, I was too focused on being mad.” Jazz hums and nods, but looks to Elita and Chromia, “But?” Sighing, Sideswipe nods a bit, “But, we’re all doing better after those first few weeks.” Shoving his shoulder, they laugh. 

Sideswipe could be bleeding out from his implants at this moment, if he wasn’t freezing, but he didn’t care. Standing, he pats Jazz’s shoulder before jogging over towards the others. Cold be damned. 

—

Central Iacon wasn’t as cold as the North, at least according to Sideswipe, Hound had yet to experience it himself.

He honestly should be eating or sleeping or doing literally anything other than being in his suit, with them shipping back out in a few hours, but there was to much to do in Iacon. Specifically, with Mirage. 

If Mirage hadn’t asked, he’d probably be asleep right now but they were out in the market near the spires. He’d never been that close to the spires before and if they looked big from the apartment, they were huge from just under them. Casting a shadow across the streets that everyone around seemed far to adapted to.

Sighing a bit, Hound kept looking around at everything in the stalls, rolling his shoulders a bit while his implants drained. To be fair, the overuse had lessened by a lot since unlocking his old class coding and going through the crash, but it didn’t get rid of everything. At least he wasn’t scratching the skin off in chunks anymore, he’d gone to papery thin for a while there. 

It was a terrible way of putting it, but he was starting to feel human again. Other than when he was connected, then he felt larger than human. 

The coding between hunter and striker was so different, it was staggering. One felt like just controlling the suit, moving through and using it like the giant weapon it was. The other felt like it was an extension of yourself and he’d honestly forgotten the feeling after the coding had been, effectively, shut off. 

Being able to wander through Iacon, just about like everyone else, made it far more desirable to do than it had been before. Before, all he wanted to do was stay in the apartment with the others, now he truly got to see Cybertron from almost a cybertronian perspective.

”Hound, do they have polish on Earth?” Humming in question, he glances up at Mirage, who was holding several tins, frowning down at them. Tilting his head slightly, he chuckles a bit, “Uh, yeah, I guess.” Both car polishes and fancy lotions rushed through his mind. 

For the briefest moment he could smell the engine grease that had always been on his fathers hands and the soft scent of lotions his mother had worn before she passed, trying to hide the smell of hospital from him. 

Okay, so maybe not all of his overuse symptoms were easing. The hallucinations and flashbacks were starting to grate at his nerves.

”Well, you either have polish or you don’t, so do you?” Sighing a bit, he shrugs and nods, deciding it was the easier answer, “Yeah, basically, but uh there seems to be a lot more selection here.” Mirage glanced up, still holding several tins, “Well, which one smells nicest to you?” He gestures at the table and Hound stares for a long moment.

In his head, he was swearing, glancing over each polish trying to figure out which label, “Uh, Well, I’ve noticed your kinds olfactory sensors are significantly more acute than ours. We can only smell when something is toxic or specifically damaging to our systems. Uh, fight or flight. I guess.” It was a stupid answer, it was a very stupid answer but the only one he had.

Without even looking, he knew the stare he was getting from Mirage was just another one of horror. 

Sighing, Hound looked over and Mirage did have that face, “Would it make you feel better to hear that we weren’t exactly able to smell before becoming a pilot?” Frowning a bit, Mirage looks down at the polishes, “Do any of these smell dangerous to you?” And Hound stalled.

A smile started to take over his face, moving over and taking them one at a time, scanning the materials in them.

”This one, the others are fine.” Nodding a bit, Mirage grabbed up the two that had been fine before going to the checkout, Hound’s heart was pounding and racing. 

Mirage smiled at him, carrying the polishes in a small bag, offering his free hand. Hound’s mouth was dry but he took Mirage’s hand, heading back out into the marketplace. How could something so small make his throat tighten, make his heart race. Looking at Mirage, he couldn’t help but smile just a bit more, “Thank you, for asking.” 

Nodding a bit, Mirage smiled some, “Well, I don’t exactly want to smell toxic or dangerous to you, or put any of that on you the next time we get caught up in a sandstorm.” Unable to hold back the laughter, Hound nodded, grinning. 

—

It was rare for them all to be in the same place anymore. Of course it happened, but certainly not like it did those first six months, today though was something more of a requested R&R. 

They didn’t know when exactly it was, but it felt like a while, it had to have been a year since they left Earth and that deserved some time away from the front. With each other, Jazz of course included, it reaching nearly his sixth year away from home. 

Time seemed to move so much faster than before, back on Earth. Maybe it was just them losing track of the traditional twenty-four seven scheduling, or the trips to other planets as if traveling to different times zones, no one could be completely certain about how long they’d been there. 

The Odyessy’s systems had shut down months ago, the poor ship sitting amongst the war ships of Cybertron, waiting to be able to reach the stars again, but they didn’t have much use for it now. So much of it gutted and brought to the apartment or stored in their own cockpits, it had been the vessel they needed to get here but that was all. 

Unfortunate tax dollars are going to waste, but thirty lightyears away from Earth was it really?

When they had all met up in the apartment, Hound knew exactly where he wanted to take everyone, desperately not wanting to stay there and watch the world go by a second longer. 

It shocked him when Sideswipe knew where they were going when he turned down an alleyway, clearly thrilled about it too, “Oh please, as if I wouldn’t find the one place in Iacon that played music from Earth.” Jazz’s head whipped around, “What?” Smiling, he nodded, walking his suit backwards, “Oh yeah, I found it by accident. It only plays 80’s crap but still, its music in English.” Coming up behind him, Jazz rests his hands on Hound’s shoulders.

”And why are wwe all just finding this out now?” Cue of, why hadn’t he been told first, sighing but smiling, Hound shrugs, “We’ve all been busy. This place is a bar, not like we can go in a buy anything.” Jazz grumbled while Sunstreaker and Breakdown spoke quietly. 

The bar was familiar, oddly so even to those who hadn’t been before. It reminded Hound of some of the dives that were common around headquarters. 

With a light wave from the bartender, they move to sit on some deep looking couches, surrounding a low metal and glass table in a semicircle. Jazz was staring around in awe, breathing slowly.

Lionel Richie’s voice filled the air around them.

Smiling, Hound sits back, “Mirage, Prowl, and Bluestreak will be here after their meeting.” The reaction was mixed, but nothing could darken his mood for the moment.

Jazz was humming along with his eyes closed, Breakdown was leaned back with a grin on his face, Sideswipe had an arm around Sunstreaker, talking about god only knows what.

For him, Hound was able to sit back and listen, just enjoying the feeling of familiarity. Keeping his eyes closed, he reaches out and picks up his water pouch, clearing his throat.

He had to wait to hear everyone turn, “It’s been around a year since Arcturus one took off from Earth and we have completed half of our mission.” Sideswipe whistles and Sunstreaker cheers.

Chuckling, he shakes his head a bit, “Jazz, finding you made the mission worth it even before we met the Cybertronian’s. Meeting them has been the most,” Hound pauses before the others start to speak up.

“Interesting?” Sunny shifts a bit, shrugging slightly.

“Chaotic.” With a high five from Jazz, Sideswipe adds, grinning.

“Insane, more likely.” Breakdown adds, chuckling while receiving pats on the back.

Shaking his head, Hound chuckles, “Mission critical event. We’ve made friends here, with aliens, none of us thought that possible and you made it possible. So, to Arcturus One and Jazz, we’re here to kick Quintesson ass and save Earth. For the first time in decades, we’re succeeding.” Clutching his water pouch, he raises it, “To Earth.” And a chorus of voices joined him.

Def Leppard’s tones followed, bringing a grin to Hound’s face.

Opening his eyes, the grin turned into a light smile as Mirage came through the door, b-lining for the bar. Prowl and Bluestreak followed, though splitting off.

Jazz was up and over to Prowl in nearly an instant, “It’s playing music from home. Come listen.” It wasn’t hard to see how Prowl tried to hide a smile, Sideswipe watching, his visor darkening as if narrowing his eyes. 

For the moment, it was easy to get lost in the music.

———

A/N

So this takes place from around a month and a half or so after the attack on New Kaon till around five months after. I just wanted to add a few bits before getting back to the story proper.

I promise there will be more with Soundwave finding out about the humans, I think it’s going to be a “Arcturus Negative One” story more so, try to tell it from Prowl’s perspective but we’ll see how that goes.

To make that long story short, he promises to keep the secret so don’t freak out.

Anyways, this chapter kicked my ass. I wanted to put so much into it, it’s nuts. Part of it was I was getting over from being sick, had a busy week, etc but I hope you all enjoy it!

TAGS

I want to thank @keferon for the amazing AU, and for letting me write the longest mecha pilot jazz story currently posted on Ao3 (It’s only up to part 26 on Ao3, which is just shy of 80k words)

@lunarlei68 @whirlywhirlygig @loop-hole-319 @pixillandjester @alek-the-witch @not-a-moose-in-disguise @goddessofwind8water @neurologicalglitch @dersereblogger @pixel-transformers @mrcrayonofdoom @wireplaces @twilightfreefaller @original-blog-name-2 @devilangel657 @robbin-u @miniartistme @starwold @tea-enthusiasm @valeexpris606 @celticdoggo @bird599 @agentsquirrelsgotrobots @aquaioart @thatwandercat @artdagz @seisha974 @halenhusky309 @leethepiper @cat-cassette @blue-wrens @sirassban @cosmique-oddity @garbageenthusiast @xervias @azulabutterfly @fryseem @spring-mc @echo-circuit @aghostsnail @wooblewooble @ask-glory-haddock-and-others @nonsscrapheap @magichats @iminahole247 @omgflyingderpywhale @thetrexartist @naaaafam @elegantmantaray @emichusai @waterlilykitty @diabolichare @ham4ponyo @osqindaxend @sunnyvibesanddoodles @ratatatata248 @ijustneedausernaneplease4444444 @sprook-children @fooolisher 

[hoonieyun]

decisions must be made

welcome to, "is he mr. right?", the dating game! where a lucky girl who is looking for love has the opportunity to go on a date with four handsome and eager bachelor's who are also looking for love.

this is an interactive dating show au where the readers can vote on "yn's" decisions, ultimately leading to who she will be with at the end... but more on that later!

heeseung 𐐪♡𐑂 jongseong 𐐪♡𐑂 jaeyun 𐐪♡𐑂 sunghoon

warnings: some profanity but not much i don't think! pls lmk if i need to add any, 18+ and not proofread hehe

wc: 6583

episode seven: decisions must be made

“wow! we’re merely just a few days away from our dove, yn, choosing her mr. right.” the love magician smiles into the camera as she addresses viewers at home and those in the studio for live filming. 

today would mark the second to last episode of your season and the closer it gets to the finale, the harder it becomes to choose who you’d like to be your mr. right. granted, it wasn’t like anything had to be official after the season ended, but you did come here to find love so you’d hope it would be something you got by the end of it. 

“alright, before we introduce our dove and the bachelor’s we’ve got a special treat for all of you. this season has brought on the best moments that have gone viral on the internet! we’ve also reached a new level of viewership– wow! you guys love this cast because our views increased by 86% in comparison from the last season. 

sorry to the people of last season..” she says sheepishly with a small grin. 

“as a special gift, we’ve compiled some moments from each date that didn’t make the final cut. this way, you all can see more about each date and bachelor so that when the live voting begins, you can have more information to sway your decision.” 

the crowd cheers at the news, all the while the staff is setting up the stage to display the never before seen clips, the love magician moves to the side and allows the audience to take it all in. the lights get low and in just a few seconds, jake appears on the screen; showing a scene from your date that they didn’t air. 

-`♡´- 

the camera man follows you two as you walk through the amusement park, you have two stuffed animals in your arms and jake is snacking on some cotton candy. “hmm?” he hums as he offers you some of his sweet and sugary floss, you nod in response and open your mouth slightly as jake pulls a piece off of the pink and blue fluff and gently places it in your mouth. 

it instantly melts inside your mouth and the simple moment melts your heart as it brings you back to the several times jake used to feed you when you were dating. “yn! look!” jake says, wide eyed and smiles even wider as he points and runs to a different game. 

you laugh at his excited demeanor and follow him to wherever he had run off to. come to find him handing the staff in charge of the game some money so he could play; the game was something simple– pop all of the balloons with only 3 tries, if you achieve this then you get awarded a large stuffed animal of your choice. 

jake was always really good at all of these types of things, carnival games, crane games, whatever it was; he was good at it. it reminded you of when you were on a date with jake at an arcade and the staff had to ask you all to stop playing the crane game because jake had won 7 plushies from one machine. 

“watch and learn, princess. i’ll get you one of the big ones.” jake says, bragging and not even realizing that he just called you the nickname he always did when you were dating. you watch him with a small smile, one that you try to hide with one of the large plushies in your arms; you can’t lie… jake looked insanely cute and those feelings you felt during your first date were all starting to return. 

just as expected, jake wins the game much to the staff member’s disappointment. jake looks at you with a large smile as he waves you to come closer, “which one do you want?” he asks but before you can even choose a small boy gets your attention. you watch him shrug and drop his head low as he slouches– saddened because he didn’t win. 

you nudge jake who was intensely looking at the variety of plushies, bottom lip jutting out as you get his attention– pointing him to the little boy. jake’s expression softens instantly and you both have an unspoken agreement. 

jake crouches down to the boy’s height and asks him which stuffed animal he wanted, “that one?” jake asks, confirming with the small boy and he nods shyly. jake politely asks the worker for the large golden retriever stuffed animal. he takes it into his arms and crouches back down to the boy and hands it to him; the stuffed animal being almost twice the boy’s size. 

“really?” he asks, bright eyed and now a smile on his face. 

jake nods, “yeah, you earned it, bud.” he says, patting the boys head and slightly ruffling it. 

“thank you, mister! mom! look!” the boy says, running off to his mom who watched him with a smile as her son runs with glee, the giant plushie bouncing in his small arms. 

the moment is tender in your heart and it instantly makes you forget about all of the nerves you had having to go on a date with your ex on television. 

-`♡´- 

the camera cuts briefly and returns, now showing you and jay sitting with one another; his guitar in your arms as he gently wraps his around you. 

“like this?” you ask, fingers awkwardly fidgeting with the strings. 

jay smiles to himself as he continues to guide you, “almost..” he mutters close to your ear. goosebumps rising on your neck from the feeling of his breath but also the closeness in proximity that you were both in. 

his hands are soft and gentle and you can’t help but melt into the warmth radiating off of him; you look up at jay as he’s focused on your fingers, taking the moment to admire his features– “do i have something on my face?” jay says, suddenly turning to look at you and catching your gaze. 

you stutter a small no before turning away, hoping that the heat rising to your cheeks went unnoticed by jay. 

it doesn’t. 

jay continues to show you how to play some of the guitar, occasionally complimenting him and thanking him. 

“okay, show me what i taught you.” jay says, pulling himself away from you to watch and although he doesn’t want to move away; he must so he can fully enjoy the view of you playing his guitar. 

you place your fingers on the correct frets and strings, looking up at jay through your lashes for approval and jay sends you a warm smile and nods. the smile melts your heart and you almost forget that you were supposed to play the guitar for a moment. you clear your throat before strumming the guitar– a beautiful humming sound emerges from the instrument and although you accidentally move to an incorrect chord, jay’s smile doesn’t falter once as he watches you play. 

it felt so intimate for jay to watch you play his guitar because that guitar was like his baby, he didn’t even let his parents or best friends play it, but seeing you with his guitar just looked like it was meant to be. 

“how was that?” you ask as you finish playing, biting your bottom lip as you wait for his response. 

“you’re perfect..” he breathes out, not realizing that he commented on you instead of how well you played the guitar. 

-`♡´- 

like clockwork, when the scene ends the other soon starts after. sunghoon is gliding around the ice gracefully as he holds your hand– slightly afraid that you might fall over. 

“sunghoon, i’m literally going to die!!” you say dramatically as your eyes are glued to the floor, afraid that you’ll eventually be coming in contact with it. sunghoon gently glides the two of you from the center of the ice to the edges so you’re able to hold onto the railing. 

“can you like– i don’t know.. just show me some cool tricks while i catch my breath. i feel like i’m going to faint.” you breathe out, an exhausted but exaggerated expression on your face. 

“fine. fine.. but don’t worry– if you faint, i’ll catch you.” sunghoon assures you with a warm smile, opposite of the cold air surrounding you both. you look away as his gaze was too intense, making you blush shyly. 

sunghoon eventually skates just a few feet away to show you some tricks, a triple axel, a leap, anything he could do to impress you– but in all honesty, just being able to skate and not trip or fall was impressive enough. he had such a natural talent for this that you couldn’t help but feel honored to watch him in his craft. 

you admired sunghoon’s grace and beauty as he skated across the ice. it was a magical sight, the ice breaking creating small particles that seemed to float and follow him like there were whimsical fragments of light as if was the prince in a fairytale. 

he wasn’t far from it. 

sunghoon looked over to you any time he did something special, after his triple axel; his eyes went to you to see your reaction. a leap across the ice? his eyes were watching you the whole time, a sense of confidence surrounding him like he didn’t even need to watch where he was going to know that he’d land perfectly. 

it wasn’t until he was coming back to you that his graceful and magical demeanor ended. sunghoon had found himself all the way on the other end of the ice rink so he skated back to you, a smile on his face as he looked at you cheering and applauding him and before he knew it, his eyes were suddenly staring at the ceiling several yards above him and his back was now flat on the ice. 

a gasp escapes your lips as you watch sunghoon trip and fall, a surge of energy shoots through your body and your previous inability to skate by yourself further than a few feet has long gone as you sped over to him but your ice skating abilities catch up to you and just as you’re about to crouch down and ask if sunghoon was okay, your legs become animated like a cartoon character– going back and forth as you try to fight for balance and eventually land on the ice, bottom first. 

it was quite embarrassing but because you and sunghoon had practically fallen next to each other, the two of you couldn’t do anything but laugh as you both sat on the ice. 

“that was…” you start, your nose and cheeks a bright shade of pink. 

“cute..” sunghoon finishes, standing up on his skates with no problem as he picks you up off the ice. your hand in his feels comfortable, familiar even, and your eyes lock and time seems to slow down the longer the two of you stare into each other’s eyes. 

all the while, the camera zooms in on sunghoon’s eyes trailing from your eyes, down your nose, and stopping at your lips. 

-`♡´- 

it was early on in your date with heeseung, the clip they were currently showing, the sun was just beginning to set as it paints the atmosphere in beautiful warm tones of pink and orange. you wished that you could see a sunset like this every night but because you knew you couldn’t you wanted to bask in all of it’s beauty. taking it in, letting your eyes shut for a moment as the light breeze sweeps across your face. 

until a shriek breaks you out of the serenity you were swimming in, heeseung frantically flailing his arms around like he was one of the inflatable balloon people at a car dealership. 

“what’s wrong! are you okay??” you ask, eyes wide with worry. 

“bee!!” heeseung shouts and your vision narrows on the tiny insect currently tormenting your date. you couldn’t help but laugh to yourself at heeseung’s cute expression and actions. he was much taller than you but right now it was like the bee was three times his size as he hunches over, eyes shut and lips pursed, while he swats his hands haphazardly in hopes of getting rid of the annoying bug. 

you take it upon yourself to save him and in one quick moment, you swat the bee with minimal effort and it seems to just fly away– no longer finding interest in heeseung. 

“hee– heeseung! it’s gone.” you say, trying to get his attention while he was still panicked. 

heeseung peeks one of his eyes open and when he doesn’t see or hear the bee anymore, he opens them both and straightens himself out– acting as if nothing had happened. heeseung clears his throat and tousled his hair before speaking, “lets act like that didn’t happen..” he says but you can’t help but laugh, to which heeseung pouts. 

“hey..” he says in a sulky tone. 

“don’t worry, heeseung. your knight in shining armor is here.” you say, placing your right hand over your chest like a noble knight, earning a laugh from heeseung and eventually you as the two of you talk about how silly he must’ve looked– heeseung trying– and failing, to defend himself. 

“hey… what can i say i’m sweet like honey.” he says, playing it off coolly in a nonchalant manner as if he wasn’t just panicking like a small child. his remark was corny but you still find yourself swooning and laughing at him but not before a playful eye roll. 

-`♡´- 

after the clip with heeseung ends, the audience are roaring with laughter and applause as the lights slowly turn back on in the studio with the love magician taking her place on stage just as the camera’s are about to pan in on her. 

“aww– aren’t our little lovebirds cute!” she begins. 

“i don’t about you guys but i think our little yn has a big decision on her hands but i do know this! she is lucky to choose any of these guys and the guys are even luckier if she chooses them. 

i hope you all enjoyed those never before seen clips!” 

the audience roars in applause and cheer once again, it was so loud you could hear it from your dressing room. 

“speaking of our lovebirds, let’s bring them out!

he’s the ice prince of this season, mixing his striking features, his olympic level figuring skating abilities, and a transformation from shy boy to cool guy; everyone please cheer for sunghoon!” 

the crowd cheers for sunghoon as he steps from behind the sugar wall. he flashes his bright smile and waves back to the crowd and takes a spot next to the love magician. 

“sunghoon, how are you feeling?” she asks. 

“i’m thrilled, thank you for the introduction by the way.” he says, giving her a small wink. “i’m glad to be known as the cool guy now.” sunghoon adds, lightly brushing his hand through his hair. 

“i mean, you are very cool– just look at this outfit!” 

the stylists had done a really great job of creating an ensemble of outfits that look cohesive but not identical. sunghoon was wearing a stylish black adidas track jacket over a baby blue button up with matching black tie and slacks. he looked effortlessly cool in his outfit that combines the best parts of a strong athletic guy with classic influences. 

“thank you! you know our stylists work really hard to make us look good– i just so happen to make it easy to look really good.” he jokes, surprising the host and audience by his remark as they all swoon for this “cool guy” persona he was putting on. 

“up next! we’ve got a first of the season. this sweet boy brought a shock as being the ex of our very own dove. he’s got a silky smooth australian accent that makes us all swoon paired with irresistible puppy eyes. please give a warm welcome to jake!”

jake’s smile was bright enough to outshine all of the studio lights as he waved and approached the host, giving her a small bow and hug. the crowd adored jake and were rooting for him especially after hearing the story about your history with each other. 

he places his hand over his chest with a pout at the overwhelming cheers of the crowd when he appeared. he claps his hand together, thanking the audience for their support. “jake! my, oh my! how are you?” 

“i’m great.” he says, australian accent charming as ever.  “the crowd is so welcoming and nice, it feels so good. thank you everyone, really!” he adds. 

the crowd cheers again, seemingly in love with jake no matter what he did. 

“you feel great and look even better!” she compliments him and jake blushes momentarily. 

he was wearing a leather biker jacket with black, white, and blue details. a white cloudy hoodie underneath that makes him look equally stylish and cuddly as the large hoodie swallows him up like it was a soft blanket. 

jake had the ability to make anything he wears look cute and cool, an effortless talent. 

“now, this next bachelor surprised us all with his honey-like vocals and incredible talent for the guitar. he’s got a strong aura but is a softie at heart; the very first bachelor of this season who set the tone and gave the rest of the guys big shoes to fill– put your hands together for jay!”

jay saunters over to the host with a gravitating aura surrounding him. no matter who was around him, it was inevitable that all eyes would be on him at some point. his looked handsome as ever he subtly shows off his sharp features, eyes that pierces through the soul, lips ever so plump, and sculpted jaw on display. 

“wow, jay! you’re looking good, how are you feeling, excited?” 

“very! you know this experience was extremely exciting and i’m a bit sad it’s coming to an end soon.” 

the crowd coos at his response, all eyes on him as he continues his conversation with the host. 

“you look handsome by the way, i mean you always do– all of our bachelor’s do, don’t you guys think?” the love magician says, hyping up the crowd. 

jay thanks her for the compliment and briefly straightens out his coat. 

he was wearing an all black outfit that outlined his body in the best way possible; highlighting his broad shoulders and strong stature. jay had this ability of drawing attention no matter where he went, the astounding energy in this room proves that. 

“i’m so happy to be here, thank you for having me.” he says, flashing his smile with his cute dimple before taking a seat next to the two other bachelor’s. 

“our last bachelor showed us that coming in last doesn’t matter when you have charisma and charm. his thoughtful and beautiful date with our dove made us swoon, laugh, and fall in love with him– he’s red hot with fiery hair and a killer smile; let’s give a warm welcome to heeseung! 

the applause for heeseung was so loud he’s briefly startled, eyes wide and lips in a small pout as he reacts to all of the cheers for him. people in the crowd going as far as barking at him, to which he shyly laughs at– covering his face with a chuckle. 

“heeseung! welcome! how do you do?” 

“i’m so good! you know i think i heard some barking– i’m not completely sure what it means but i’ll take it.” he responds, smiling at the host and the crowd. his smile was bright but eyes brighter as he took it all in. heeseung knew he came off a bit standoff-ish during the second episode so he worked extra hard to redeem himself to show that he wasn’t actually like that. 

“now… heeseung– don’t be alarmed but there’s a bee!” the host teases and heeseung pretends to be scared, hiding behind the host as a joke, garnering laughs from everyone in the room including the three bachelor’s behind him. 

heeseung’s outfit was a mixture of streetwear and grunge with modern elements of classicware– he looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine with the way he effortlessly modeled the clothes. 

the host thanks him for his time and he cutely trots over to his seat next to the rest of the guys. 

“now, i know these guys are all handsome and cute but let’s be real– we’ve all been waiting for this very special girl. she needs no introduction as she’s been an all time favorite across the internet, you know her as the sweet girl who wears her heart on her sleeve and spreads love everywhere she goes– please give a huge round of applause for our dove: YN!” 

at this point, nerves barely existed for you anymore as you grew more and more comfortable on the stage and in front of the crowd and audience. 

their cheers however, was something you could never get used to. 

your smile warmed the room as you walked from behind the sugar wall, dress bouncing with each step and hair flowing behind you. everyone in the audience had their eyes on you but all you could feel was the gaze of the four boys as you walked by them. 

jake seemingly looks like he was seeing you again for the first time, deja vu of love at first sight. 

heeseung cheers and hollers for you, clapping as loud as he can. 

sunghoon smiles at you the way he smiles at everything he adores and loves, eyes crinkling. 

and jay had his eyes glue on you from the moment you appeared, eyes trailing your figure up and down; bottom lip shortly caught in between his teeth that certainly doesn’t go unnoticed by the cameras. 

“my god, yn.. you look stunning– i mean.. just wow!” 

“thank you, you know i try to look my best because i know you’re gonna be here.” you say, playfully flirting with her. “oh stop… no– keep going.” 

the audience laughs at your little banter, all the while you could still feel the gaze of the boys behind you like their vision was shooting heat lasers into your back. you quickly look back at all of them with a small smile and they all look away as if they had just got caught doing something they shouldn’t. 

your dress was one of your favorites that you had worn all season long. you didn’t really know how to describe it because it combined so many styles of fashion and blended them in ways that made you feel so confident and beautiful in a way that you hadn’t felt prior. you had an off the shoulder sleeve made up of a blue gingham button up but the rest of the dress bloomed at your hips with a corset taking you in at the waist. 

the outfit was constructed so well and you couldn’t thank the stylists enough. you take a seat in the final chair on the lineup as the love magician addresses the audience and explains what the next portion of the episode would be about. all eyes were on the host as she went into the next segment. 

“alright, folks. this part of the episode will feature our audience question and answer! we’ve asked you all to submit some questions from our live studio audience and those at home and we’ve hand selected a few to ask our lovebirds.” 

she goes on to say that they’ve selected one question for each of you and that she’d be starting with you, your eyes widen at her statement but you nod and smile nonetheless. 

“yn, what was the best part of each date?” 

you ponder on your response as the crowd erupts with an “ooh” as they hear the question. the events of each date replay in your mind and you smile to yourself as you recall everything, the audience and the love magician get excited for your response as they watch you.  “i think each date was really nice and it truly made me happy how each of them put so much effort into each one. each date was so special so it’s really hard to choose the best  part but i think from first date to the last date:  the best part of the date with jay was watching him talk about his love for playing guitar and cooking. i think it’s such a simple conversation between us but the way he had so much passion for these things warmed my heart because i could tell how much it meant to him and it felt really endearing that he shared those types of things with me on that date when he made me a song and taught me some of it on the guitar and even chose a restaurant that he knew i’d enjoy even though he didn’t know a lot about me.  for my date with jake,i think shocking would be a good word to describe it because i really wasn’t expecting to see him. the best part of the date was going on the ferris wheel. i think the moment i shared with jake up there was really special because it made me forget that the cameras were there and it felt like it was just the two of us.  sunghoon’s date was really fun, falling on my ass was definitely hilarious but i’m glad to share that moment with him and with all of you– although i didn’t know they were going to air that moment! the best part is definitely going to be whenever sunghoon showed off a bit to impress me– i don’t know! i think i just really like it when a guy is confident in himself and can show that without coming off as cocky or aggressive in some way.  with heeseung, honestly, that date was really really good– it was a lot of something i had never done before, especially the lantern making. i know a picnic date is really simple but the way everything came together made it even more special and the lanterns were just so beautiful i think the best part was just watching heeseung make it because he was so determined to make it look beautiful for me.”  the crowd goes wild at your thoughtful response and all of the guys do their best to act like they weren’t falling deeper and deeper for you with every word that left your lips. 

“jay! how did it feel going first and do you think you left a strong enough impression?”

“going first is for sure a bit nerve-wracking but i was confident in myself that i had prepared a really exciting and special date for yn. everything i did had her in mind and i threw aspects of myself into it because i wanted to show her parts of me instead of just saying it.  i definitely think i left a strong impression because, this is exclusive news, i’ve heard several staff humming the song i wrote so i definitely think i left a great impression.”  you nod and laugh to the side in agreement, you’d be lying if you said that jay’s song hasn’t been stuck in your head since you first heard it.

“this one is for jake: how did it feel knowing she was your ex when you both saw each other and do you think your past will play a role in the results?” 

the question comes as surprise to jake as it does to you but he doesn’t let it show, the slightest change in his expression is only noticed by you.  “you know.. i came on this show for love– as we all did i think. but um, it was really surprising, for sure. we hadn’t seen each other in a while and it hit me really hard to see her but there was this warm feeling in my chest. before that i was really nervous to meet her but when i saw her and it was yn, my ex, the nerves were replaced with relief. i’m not sure why but yeah– i also think that our past and present doesn’t determine anything and i will respect yn’s choices in the end no matter what.” 

“for sunghoon, how did you overcome your shyness and do you think your shyness helped or hindered you on this show?” 

“i’m really not that shy, i think i was just a bit self preserved because the experience was new to me but i knew that i’d warm up eventually which is good because i got to show yn who i really was. honestly, i didn’t think i was being that shy during the question and answer but watching it back i definitely was a bit timid. maybe my shyness helped because i was able to show a new side of me to yn and im just happy to have impressed her and made her laugh so much.” 

“and finally, heeseung! how did it feel to go last and also have to change your date because someone already did what you wanted to do?” 

“haha, it wasn’t scary at all to go last. i think it was really nice because we kind of got to close out that portion of the show together, the sunset was so beautiful the cameras don’t do it justice. as for changing my date, i was pretty surprised that someone else had the idea of making a song which is really cool because music is really powerful– jay, your song was wonderful i’m glad you got to share it, man.” 

-`♡´- 

the crowd cheered for all of you responses, everyone falling in love with all of you with each answer but it only made it even harder for the viewers on who they wanted you to end up with. you were in deep thought whenever one of the guys answered their question, taking everything into consideration for your final decision. 

all of this was really fun but it was getting harder to focus as the reality of the show was getting closer and closer, after today, you were going to need to make a decision and choose one of the four guys as your “mr. right.” was the pressure getting to you, just a bit. 

but you weren’t going to let that prevent you from enjoying everything this show had to offer. 

-`♡´- 

the next portion of the episode was a quick round compatibility test between you and the boys, the host would rapid fire say announce an opinion of some sort and you’d have to state your opinion and see which of the boys share the same opinion. 

“okay, first one: mint chocolate ice cream, yes or no?”

all of the boys scrunched their faces when they heard the question but your face lit up, smiling at the words of your favorite ice cream. it was 1:4 when it came to your singular yes to mint chocolate and a no from each boy.  “looks like you’re the only one who likes mint chocolate ice cream, yn..”  your mouth falls open in shock, rolling your eyes at the boys and teasing them that they have bad taste in ice cream but at least they have good taste in something else, alluding that you were talking about yourself. the crowd loves your little remark and loves even more that you’re not afraid to banter with the boys. 

“looks or personality?” 

to which you all choose personality. “honestly, good question! that was a little test for you boys.” you added, laughing at their answers as the crowd joins in on the laughter. 

“is fighting healthy in a relationship?” 

the answer was two yes’ and three no’s. the crowd releases interjections of “oohs” and “aahs” when they see the answers. you and jake both had said no while all of the other boys said yes. the host doesn’t give you time to elaborate or explain your answers but you and jake both had a silent agreement on why your answers ended up the same.  your relationship with each other was beautiful and it was filled with happiness but you and jake just couldn’t come to an agreement on where your relationship was going. one wanted something and the other wanted something else– eventually ending in a breakup. 

“date night in or date night out?” 

everyone but heeseung chooses a date night in, to which he explains that, “what can i say, i like being about and about.” he says, shrugging with a small pout– puffing up his cheeks like a cute hamster. 

-`♡´-

“that concludes our rapid fire compatibility portion, out of the four boys, the one who matched the most answers with the ever so lovely, yn, is…”

she pauses for dramatic effect and a low drumroll emerges through the speakers of the studio, “with 3 matching answers… is jake!” the crowd cheers at her announcement and both you and jake have identical reactions when you hear her. 

you shyly cover your face and jake just bites his lip in response, tongue briefly slipping out of his mouth to moisten his lips. 

there was a mutual understanding between everyone on why jake out of all four boys happened to pass the compatability test. he was your ex after all. 

“as we go into the last section of today’s episode, here is your reminder that voting will end in 30 minutes meaning that the live voting for who you think should be mr. right will close and any votes after it closes will not count! remember… your vote doesn’t mean that the boy with the most votes will become mr. right– it merely just shows yn and everyone else on who you all think best suits our dove.

now, let’s get into our final segment before we announce who won the public vote.” 

she goes onto to explain that the last segment will be fairly short as all of the boys will “plead their case” hence, explain to you in a short answer on why they should be your mr. right. when you said the nerves had left your body because you were enjoying the show, you weren’t lying, but right now; the nerves have definitely come back.

“okay, boys– please stand next time and we’ll go down the line and have each of you explain why you should be yn’s mr. right.” 

jay: yn, thank you for the time we’ve shared together. i’m your mr. right because i’m a caring person and i’ve shown that to you in the short amount of time we’ve had together. i’ll only go on into the future to show you how much i will care for you, i’ll follow you to the edges of the earth and i’ll be your biggest support in anything you do.

jake: yn, we have a long history together and i think this moment has brought us back together because of fate. i’m your mr. right because reuniting with you after so long and finding each other again shows how strong our bond is– like the universe is giving us a sign and i’ll be the first to say that i want to rebuild our bond and grow stronger… together. 

sunghoon: hi yn, i know this is probably a lot for you so i just want you to know that any decision you make is the right decision and i think i can speak for all of us when i saw that we’ll all be happy with any decision. i’m your mr. right because i think we’re the most similar, being with you is so easy and whenever i’m with you i feel like i don’t have to be anyone but me. you make me feel so comfortable and happy and i want to you to be able to feel the way you’ve made me feel. 

heeseung: being around you is like being with your best friend at all times and i think we’ll also be able to challenge each other to do new and scary things but as long as we’re by each other’s side then we’ll know everything will be alright. i'm your mr. right because we bring out the best in one another. 

all of their responses were so heartfelt and did not help you make any decision. it may sound crazy to say but you truly had a spot for each of these boys in your heart and it was going to be a tough decision to make until the very end. you even found yourself wiping a tear from your eyes as you listened to their answers– their well thought out responses melted your heart. 

“these boys really know how to make a girl feel special!” the host says. 

“now… voting has closed and i will now announce the ranking of each bachelor based on live voting on who you all think should be mr. right.” 

the crowd cheers and hypes up the anctipation as the boys take their spots next to you, two boys on each side of you as you wait for the results. you were barely paying any attention because all you could think about was the fact that you had to make a really important choice in the next 48 hours. 

“woah.. in last place we have two boys sharing the 3rd spot, with a 12% in voting is jake and jay!” the crowd cheers regardless of their placement in voting and the boys show their gratitude as they know the voting is the personal opinion of viewers and in all honesty, they valued your opinion the most. 

“now our second and first place with 32% and 44%, respectively… in second place is sunghoon which means heeseung has gained the most votes when it comes to who the public thinks should be mr. right!” 

heeseung is shocked at the news as he wasn’t sure if he was able to redeem this persona he had early on in the season but it seems he was able to win people over so it was good to know that he was first in voting, all he could think about, however, was if that was enough for you to choose him. 

sunghoon on the other hand hasn’t stopped smiling as he hears the results of his peers. he was genuinely happy to be there amongst them and even happier to have been able to share these moments with you. 

he wasn’t lying when he said he’d be happy regardless of your decision because all of this was truly special to him and he’d never forget any of it. 

“we’ll see you all next week when we announce the winner of this season where our lovely dove, yn, will decide who she chooses as her mr. right! say goodnight love birds!”

you all shout “goodnight lovebirds” in unison while waving to the audience and cameras, smiles on each of your faces except yours. you’re smiling, however, it doesn’t reach your eyes as your mind begins to do gymnastics on how you were going to come up with a decision. you thought that the voting would help in some way but it only made things harder as you go over the new information to consider. 

prev ep 𐐪♡𐑂 next ep

hoonieyun notes: eee!! second to last chapter of my 1k special!! i can't believe it's almost over i've gained so much followers since then so thank you all so much TT thank you for voting on the poll from last week!! i know this chapter is somewhat of a filler chapter but it turned out pretty hefty lol but trust and believe i'll be working on the last chapter to make it extra juicy for you guys like they do it for real reality tv hehe also pls vote in the poll below i want to personally see who you think i've chosen as the winner!

copyright 2025 - present © hoonieyun all rights reserved all writing here is fiction & not in any association with characters mentioned. if you enjoyed reading this please consider reblogging and following <3

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[songoftrillium]

Likes don’t increase visibility to others! Please reblog this to spread the word! 

I think Werewolf is an inherently queer medium

This is all part of a longer term project

Read our intro comic here

Coming soon:

Book 1: Cliath

In 1992, White Wolf Publishing released the first edition of Werewolf: the Apocalypse to the public. Throughout the 1990s, it rapidly grew to become one of the most played role-playing games of all time, and this persisted well into the noughties when the series concluded with the Revised (3rd) edition.

Its a game that speaks to the core fears many of us hold about the uncertainty of the future. Of corporations harming the world to meet their profit margins, of everyday people whose homes and lives are destroyed by disasters caused by those corporations or by storms that wouldn't have been so severe even a decade before. Of politicians who sell agencies to those who pay them the most to make the most vulnerable groups in society even more vulnerable. Of people who don't even have that. It looks you all in the eyes and asks you to be enraged. It asks you to care while handing you the tools to do something about it. Then, you get to work. You don't just blow up the factories; you empower the little guy, heal communities, and confront the stagnant society that you've become a part of, and you have to be responsible custodians of the greater world around you while not trying to be consumed by the very darkness you fight against. It was as intense as it was touching, heartbreaking, and entertaining. At times its just as absurd (and nuanced) as real life.

It was revolutionary at the time for the space it held at the tabletop. Werewolf was the first tabletop roleplaying game ever made that defaulted to using feminine pronouns in all Player and Storyteller interactions, as well as the default pronouns of the Garou in its first three editions. For its many flaws, it saw itself as the first tabletop roleplaying game that held any space for Indigenous groups. It made activism a core theme of the game itself, and would conclude its books with a list of related real-world demonstrations where the players can get involved in protecting the world around them, just like the werewolves they represent at the tabletop.

The Garou have intricate and multi-layered cultures from their written language to their oral histories, the way they dress, and the ways they manifest across editions were presented with very little overlap when it comes to the multiple facets across their society, leading to a rich history and complex societies for Storytellers to weave chronicles together for their troupes.

Dark Surrealism Awaits

The World of Darkness is implied to exist just beneath a facade that all others take for granted as simply being a world gone wrong. Can you feel it? In a world of burning forests, flash floods, social inequality and seemingly worse things emerging day after day — a world where everything feels wrong and nothing in the world feels right — you are not alone.

The universe is itself a living organism, thrashing like a panicked animal at the biting darkness, and we, the Gaians, are those who join the fight to protect it. You are one of Gaia’s chosen warriors, about to experience your First Change, and become swept into a world of ancient warriors and sacred purpose.

We monsters ask nothing of you—other than to join us.

Book 1: Cliath includes • Over 400 fully annotated pages with cross-referencing and book citations for Storytellers to delve into the deeper lore of WtA • Cross-edition compatible character creation rules for Fifth edition and legacy games • Comprehensive information on the histories, societies, and politics of over 20 Tribes • Laws, Tenets, traditions and rites for 3 new factions • Downtime and Questing mechanics • Detailed breed information and roleplay tips on how to play a wolf • Full sept breakdowns including roles and duties • Over 600 level 1-3 Gifts in a whole new presentation • 7 New Patrons • New Renown system and detailed ranking info • Comprehensive character creation rules • Dozens of story seeds to get your players started • A localized Pacific Northwest setting with Sept, legends, and over 20 new NPCs • Citable information on first changes and rites of passage

Read our latest project update here

[tobbesdiscordkitten]

Guns N’ Roses Fic: Sugar Daddy

Summary: Axl takes his precious sugar baby on a cruise only to discover that her pompous attitude is ruining the trip. He takes matters into his own hands and punishes her, hoping it’ll demolish the self-entitlement within her.

Characters: Axl Rose and (female) reader.

Pairing(s): Axl Rose/female reader, Axl Rose/reader.

Rating: Explicit, 21+

Word Count: 3,000

Warnings: age gap, smut, (p in v) penetration, excessive use of pet names, clit stimulation, physical altercation: whipping, and cat and mouse game.

A/N: requested by anon. I hope you enjoy the little twist I added into the story! ^.^

The 40 year age gap between you and Axl didn’t define your relationship. Instead, it was the way he pampered you with his wealth by taking you out to extravagant restaurants, and allowing you to spend an enormous amount of money on clothes, jewelry, beauty products, etc. You were his sugar baby and he was your sugar daddy.

If people batted an eye or called it strange, Axl would defend it and say they were just jealous. You were grateful not to be living an ordinary life like an average middle class citizen who worked a 9 to 5 job with a minimal base salary each week. Yet, somehow, that feeling began to dwindle as your daily consumerism increased…

Axl noticed the change in your behavior for a while. He used to see you as the girl who always said “thank you” after gifting you with presents, or honoring your tastebuds with the finest cuisine that melted in your mouth.

Now he viewed you as a spoiled little girl, taking everything he gave you for granted. It disappointed him. But he hoped it was just another hormone imbalance. The old version of you would return someday, at least he anticipated. Younger folks could be quite complicated.

One day Axl surprised you by showing you a booked getaway on a cruise. The two of you would spend a week on the ocean in the best quarters, having unlimited alcoholic beverages, and having 24/7 access to the pool, gym, casino, theatre and other leisures. He thought this would be the perfect opportunity to win back the appreciative spark within you.

Both you and Axl packed your suitcases before heading to the docking site. You’ve never been on a cruise ship before and were amazed at how big they were. It was like looking at a major city except…it was on a ship!

Once inside Axl hauled the luggage to the reserved suite you’d be sleeping in. The space was fairly decent for two people. One King-sized bed occupied the hardwood floor in one room while a kitchen occupied the marbled flooring in another room. You had access to a telephone in case you needed room service, house cleaning, or other emergencies. The room also had a vast walk-in bathroom equipped with two toilets, two sinks, a shower (with a detachable showerhead), and a tub with jacuzzi pumps and neon lights. The room was flawless, according to your standards.

You and Axl spent the first day touring the ship and doing some sightseeing. Then, towards the evening, you watched a live musical performance together at the theatre, ate dinner, and socialized at a bar, drinking one too many piña colada’s. Axl had to carry your drunken body to the room, pepper you with goodnight kisses, and went to bed himself.

The next day was gonna be a similar experience to last night. The only difference was Axl wanted to attend a party on the upper deck.

Reviewing yourself in the mirror, you held up two dresses to hide your naked form, trying to decide which dress you should wear - the silky white one or the velvet black one.

Axl came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist while whispering in your ear, “The white dress will look great on you. Wear that one for daddy tonight, yeah?”

“What if I don’t want to?” You teased harshly.

His grip tightened around your waist, causing you to be pressed closer against his chest like a puzzle piece. “Obedience, baby. You’ve been lacking it all week. Don’t make me correct your behavior,” he warned.

You sighed and nodded. The last thing you needed on this trip was Axl losing his temper and breaking the fine China.

Releasing you from his hold, Axl whistled at you, a technique he used to catch your attention. He opened a navy blue jewelry box in front of you, taking out a diamond necklace as it glimmered between his fingers underneath the fluorescent lighting. “Wear this with your outfit.” He encouraged, placing the silver gemstones around your neck. It made your skin sparkle with confidence. “Beautiful.”

You walked past him, looking in the mirror again. “I love it,” you stated.

“Do I get a thank you?” He asked playfully, although a part of him was serious and wanted to hear those exact words leave your lips.

You shrugged off his request and grabbed your purse. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

Axl huffed. He was gonna let that one slide…for now. If she did it again, there’d be consequences.

On the upper deck, the party was bustling with excitement. People gathered from different countries to clink glasses and dance all night.

Once you and Axl arrived, you walked over to the bar and ordered a margarita. Next, you stood by the balcony, admiring the view of the dark ocean and life below the deck. The passengers down below reclined on their lawn chairs while others engaged in various pool activities by swimming or going down slides.

You sipped on your beverage and exhaled with satisfaction. This cruise was all about you, just like how everyday was, and you were gonna make the most of it.

Axl watched your aloofness, observing how your body gently swayed from side to side to the beat of the music. He could walk up behind you, like he always did, and ask you to join him on the dance floor. However, considering how spoiled you became, he decided to take a different route and leave you inside your own little bubble.

“Hey, ladies!” Axl hollered. “Lookin’ good tonight.”

Whipping your head around, you saw Axl approaching two Brazilian chicks. Oh, hell no! He wasn’t allowed to flirt with other women, only you! He was the one who was supposed to give you all the attention and all the prizes!

Clenching your jaw, you stomped over to where he was, wrapping your arm around his torso and cuddling up to him. “Daddy, where’d you go?”

The two women chuckled, finding your neediness to be amusing and pathetic. Axl didn’t budge. He purposely ignored you and continued making remarks to the other girls. This pissed you off even further.

“Daddy, we’re supposed to dance,” you whined. “Dance with me, please? Spin me around like your favorite record player.”

“How ‘bout tomorrow night?” He suggested coldly. “When you’re not being greedy?”

His accusation took you aback. “Greedy? I’m not acting greedy. You’re the one who’s acting selfish!”

He turned to glare at you. “Watch your mouth, star shine. I won’t hesitate to shut it up with duct tape.”

“Fuck you, prick!” In the heat of an instant, you splashed your drink in his face, causing the two Brazilian chicks to gasp in shock as his suit was soured with the stench of booze.

Axl took a moment to keep his temper in check and not lash out on the spot. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, turning his attention to the Brazilian women. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse us, I gotta teach my girl a lesson.” Grabbing you by the arm, he yanked you out of the area. “I can’t believe you fucking did that!” He roared, his voice booming across the hallway. “I take you on one cruise and this is how I’m thanked?!”

“You were ignoring me!” You shot back.

“Bullshit!” He countered. “All you do is take everything without an ounce of gratitude. I ain’t having it!” He opened the door to the suite and pushed you inside, locking the door.

“Daddy…” you whimpered, fully realizing how awful you’ve been treating him lately. “I-I didn’t mean to-“

“Sit down.” He interrupted, motioning to the bed. You sat down next to him and he clasped your hands in his. “Listen to me very carefully…”

“But-“

“Shh!” His eyes pierced into yours, making you shiver with bewilderment. “You wanna have a nice time on this trip?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then behave yourself. No more acting out and no more taking things, the things I pay for, with my own money,” he stressed, “for granted.” He paused for a few beats, allowing his words to sink in. “Understand?”

You tried to clarify. “I don’t take-“

He released a frustrated sigh through his lips. “If you’re not gonna listen then you’ll be staying in here for the rest of the week.” Standing up from the bed, Axl began walking to the doorway.

“No, daddy!” You squealed, diving onto the floor to grab his ankles, stopping him in his tracks.

“Let go of me,” he demanded.

“No, please! I’ll be a good girl!” You begged as hot tears steamed down your cheeks.

You were acting childish, especially when things didn’t go your way, and he knew it. “Too late. We’ll try again on another cruise.” His patience was wearing thin. He almost regretted taking you on this little getaway in the first place.

You wailed into the floorboards while clutching onto his ankles. “No! No! No!”

Axl wasn’t gonna put up with this any longer. He attempted to move, dragging you along with him across the floor as your wailing grew louder.

After your high pitched screams punctured his ear drums, he swooped you off the floor, and tossed you on the bed. He held your wrists in one hand, while using the other to grab a nearby ribbon lace on the nightstand, and tied your hands together. Axl gripped your diamond necklace, pulling it off your neck. “You’ve been a bad girl.” Lifting up your dress, he smoothed the palm of his hand over one of your asscheeks, creating friction to prepare the tender skin for an intense blow.

“Daddy, don’t…” You sobbed into the pillowcase.

“I wish there were different ways for this stuff, babygirl.” Axl soothed. He’d be lying if he said the punishments didn’t affect him like it did you. In truth, it tore him apart. But a reminder needed to be in order.

Axl raised your necklace and lashed it down onto your bare ass as the diamonds cut into your skin. You screamed into the pillow at the impact. Axl raised your necklace again, whipping your other asscheek. He did the same thing with your hamstrings and decided to repeat the process for good measure.

He straddled your legs to avoid making you kick him and spanked you with the diamonds. Upon striking your hamstring again, the jewels cut deeper into your flesh, causing blood to run down your skin. Axl put the jewelry on the nightstand and quickly got up to retrieve cotton balls and alcohol. He didn’t mean to hit you so hard, he felt guilty.

You laid there, heaving into the pillow as your hamstrings and ass burned.

Axl came back into the room and applied alcohol on a cotton ball, gently pressing it to your skin where a cut was branded onto your skin. “I didn’t mean to take it that far, baby…I hope you learned your lesson and understood why I won’t tolerate such entitlement.” Axl continued to rub the cotton ball over your marks until your skin was cleared of blood. He then untied your hands from the lace.

Unexpectedly, you leaped off the bed, ran to the door, unlocked it and sprinted down the hallway, far away from Axl. He cursed to himself and ran after you just a few meters behind. “Baby, stop! Come back!”

You refused and kept running, going down multiple flights of stairs until you were in the lobby area. Strangers eyed you weirdly as you tried catching your breath while looking around to see where you could hide. The bathrooms? Underneath the front desk? You heard Axl’s voice from above, taking you out of your hiding trance. “Sweetie!”

Turning to the right, you saw a sign on a door that read, Private Love Shack Area. You ran to it and closed yourself in the room. You panted until your heart rate somewhat returned to normal and you felt the tingling of pain on your flesh again.

Glancing around the room, you were shocked to find out it was a miniature sex dungeon filled with numerous sex toys, a love couch, BDSM devices such as floggers, whips, chains, and glass dildos. You never expected the Love Shack Area to look like this. Your brain thought it would resemble a romantic, softcore design. Instead, the room you occupied was obscene and hardcore, perhaps a little too much for your tastes right now.

Before you could think of your next exit plan, Axl came into the room, closing the door shut behind him. You gasped and turned around, backing up until the wall behind you pressed into your back. Words couldn’t escape your lips but your facial features trembled with fear.

Axl sensed this and slowly made his way towards you, his footsteps deliberate and methodical. “Baby,” he cooed. “Come back with me into the room. I’m sorry for making you bleed. That wasn’t my intention,” he tried to explain.

All you could do was whimper and shake your head. You were on the brink of losing your trust in him - the man who cared for you since day one, the man who spoiled you rotten, and coddled you because he cared and loved you so much. Now here you two were trapped under this predicament.

“I’m not mad.”

“You’re crazy…” You whispered, not believing his words.

He chuckled. “Babygirl, you drive me crazy.” Axl stood in front of you, pinching your chin softly so you could look up at him. In his eyes, you didn’t see anger or the rage he had earlier. His eyes were filled with…guilt? And compassion. “But it’s worth it every time.”

“It is…?” You questioned.

“Yes, because we open ourselves up to each other in ways we wouldn’t thought possible.” He brushed a strand of hair behind your ear while running his fingers over your delicate face. You were his little porcelain China doll.

“I’m so sorry…” you apologized. “For everything.”

Axl pressed his index finger to your lips. “Shh. It’s okay. I knew my babygirl would come around sooner for later.” Lifting you up, Axl wrapped your legs around his waist, rubbing circles over your thighs, and caressing the welts he inflicted on your ass. “Still sore, baby?” He asked.

It hurt when he stroked the marks, but at the same time, it felt comforting. “Yeah…”

Cupping your butt with the palms of his hands, he captured your mouth in a heated, passionate kiss, savoring the way you two smacked each other’s lips. “I’m gonna make it up to you.” Unzipping his pants, he freed his pulsing cock and positioned it near the folds of your pussy. Axl loved how you never donned any underwear whenever you wore dresses. He knew how much you loved getting quick, easy access for unexpected moments like these. Just in case.

Slipping inside of you, you gasped at his length stretching you deliciously. “That’s it,” he praised. Securing your legs around his lower back, Axl began thrusting in and out of you, still keeping his hands on your ass so your welted flesh wouldn’t hit or rub against the wall.

You kissed him again and followed his movements with your own hips. “Fuck…”

Axl increased the pace, pistoling his hips into your cunt as you ricocheted off his body, bouncing up and down against the wall. Wet, sloshing noises filled the room. Axl felt how your cunt squeezed around him, soaking his dick which only turned him on even more.

Clinging to him like a devoted pest, you made out with him, pushing your tongue into his mouth as it tangled with his, tasting him while breathing in his smokey cologne.

Axl increased his pace once again and stepped away from the wall, holding you in his arms. You continued to frantically bounce up and down on his shaft until you felt the band in your core snap, causing your orgasm to erupt out of your crotch.

Axl felt the hot flow of your juices drench his dick as your walls clenched around him. He groaned and shot his semen inside of you, hitting the pleasure spot that drove you insane.

“Augh! Fuck! Sh-shit…”

“You okay, honey?” Axl managed to say in between grunts of pleasure.

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m okay.” You tilted your head back, recovering from the high. “It felt amazing. You felt amazing.”

Axl smiled with appreciation. “Good, good.” He carefully laid you down on the couch, thinking of how it might be more comfortable than the wall, and slipped out of you, making you whine at the loss of contact.

You grabbed his hand and tried to pull him closer. “I need you…”

“I know you do, baby. Daddy’s not going anywhere.” A delighted smirk played across his features once Axl realized the sort of room you two occupied. “Perfect hiding spot,” he mused while picking up a few toys to bring to the couch and use on you. “My baby always knows what location to be in.”

You blushed. “Stawwp. I was expecting something else,” you clarified.

“Something else.” Axl hummed, tapping the glass dildo. “Not this?”

You rolled your eyes. “You know what I mean. I didn’t think a cruise ship would have special places like this.”

“Not all of ‘em do. This cruise was just a one in a million chance.”

“You scored your luck with me, huh?” You hinted, excitedly biting your lower lip.

“When don’t I?” He pushed the glass dildo inside your cunt, filling you up once more. Then he reached over and turned on a small vibration stick and pressed it against your clit.

“Fuck, yesss.”

Axl kept the mini vibrator on your clit, rubbing circles over your nub, while using his other hand to pump the glass dildo in and out of you. This went on until you felt another orgasm crash over you, similar to how waves from the ocean crashed against the side of the ship.

He removed the dildo from your cunt and cherished the slick that stained the glass.

You and Axl remained in the room, trying out most of the sex toys all night long. This was, by far, the best cruise ship he ever took you on.

Axl saved your appreciative spark that night. You never acted like an entitled brat around him ever again, only in dreams!

Taglist: @hollywoodroses and @axlsyndrome

Side-note: if anybody wants to be added on my taglist for certain eras/characters, let me know!

[that-smallinjured-bowylamb]

@water-blue Continuation for

🪽Heart of compassion, loyalty🪽

Gender Neutral

Summary: You are Loud and boisterous, yet you are kind, caring and incredibly loyal. Sometimes you say things as a slip-up, but you've always apologized first, you were even willing to help those even if they're cruel, you were forgiving, willing to understand others, and even stand your ground if things were too much for you. Don't worry, no one is going to take your heart of gold for granted.

Characters: Malleus Draconia, Idia Shroud

Genre: platonic or Romantic nothing rlly matters

Warning ⚠️: Spoilers for book 6 and 7 (I think I should keep it vague), Slight angst, lots of emotional talk (if you see me getting emotional in these writes and kinda relating to them, no tf you did not), Idia screeches higher than a girl's whenever he sees you, mentions of social anxiety, isolation, fear of loss, fear of connection, and blah, blah, blah, depression, Idia is secretly my kinnie (but shh), Malleus is my son-in-law (<- his father wish he could kiss me/j), idk what else to add here, OOC(?), idk I'm projecting in here if you don't mind, maybe cussy(?), use of "you."

Note: This took so long for me but it's okay I had fun !!! Honestly, Idia hits me a bit more harder than Mal's (bc I ain't fae) but tbh both r so real :( !!!!

Idia Shroud

Before overblot:

•When he first saw you in the ceremony, he kinda crashed-out (You remind him of Ortho in a way) but, never lingered on it for too long. He always thought you brought trouble whenever and that scares the shit out of him.

•So when the time he had heard your first encounter with an overblot, he was interested. How can someone like you manage to defeat an overblot? But, he couldn't help but feel... intimidated. It's like you're emotionally strong, not in a "I'm emotionless and you can't hurt me" way, more like "I can express my feelings, better than being emotionally constipated" way. So, naturally, he'll avoid you as well.

•But one by one, the number of overblots this year had increase abnormally in school campus, and as a Shroud, he needed to do research. And, decided it was a great idea to kidnap them without warning. What he did not expect, was that you would come along too.

•No, no, no, no, nonononononononono- Stop it. Don't. You're doing the same thing you've done to the rest of them. No, you remind him of someone. Someone long ago, someone he cares- deeply cares- for. Just...Why? Why do you act like him? Sound like him? This- he thought he escaped it.

•This wasn't meant to happen, none of it is. Why are you here? Why do you remind him, he can't do anything? WHY does he feel useless? Whatever went wrong?? He just wanted a place- a place where he and his brother could belong, where, he and Ortho could belong- but, you had to take it away- why? There was no point, no point in staying alive if you die in the end. He was afraid of these people- afraid they'd judge him for the way he speaks, the way he talks about his interests, and the way he exists in life. He's scared of reaching out, he hates getting attached, he hated it when he couldn't talk to others from years of isolation. Damn it, damn it, damn it!- "You'll learn to let go of the past, Idia. Your brother will be much happier if you at least think for yourself." No, no. Your dragging him, aren't you?- that's... if thats..

•If that's his brother wants, would he be disappointed in seeing his older brother like this? Believing in someone whose life already departed? Still clinging to the painful memory because it was the last memory his precious one was in it?

•He was scared. Scared to make connections with people who will one day leave him, forget him. Scared by the judgemental eyes of the public, Scared because of the people he thinks are better than him. But, if you really think he can still get the chance to heal, not instantly but surely. Then, he'll try to reach out to you.

After overblot:

•Everything had gone back to normal, like how it always goes. There's peace, unraveling chaos, and then peace again. You, who were ever so helpful and bright like a certain person from school *looks at Kalim* it rlly scares him yk? So- like- whenever, he sees you...?

•He fucking screeches and bolts off. Man's terrified of extroverts /j but srsly, it's scary when you know the right words to alleviate his feelings, wdym he's not trash and he's just defining himself in a false perception??? Man, you terrify him. But, it's okay. You saved him anyway... but he never thought he'd deserve it, though...

•Little by little, he goes outside whenever you asked (and the help of a sentient robo, Ortho!!! :D) and although he can't, exactly communicate with them properly without sounding like a geek, he does have you for help.

•You one time had a slip-up, but made up for it, he had to sulk for a week (month).

•Like that one meme between the friendship of an introvert and an extrovert :3 !!! Your company is nice... even if one day you'll have to leave and forget him too... but as you say, "leaving is always a part of life."

•Yeah, your WAYYY mature than him, damn.

•He likes inviting you over to play games, even at first he'd sound nervous, but eventually? He gets (kinda) used to it. It felt nice, having someone to talk about your interests with, how his friend makes life a bit more aspiring than he would've expected to be, a friend that cared for others with a deep sense of loyalty, and being considerate enough to try to understand your burdens...

•Yeah, it feels nice, like REAL nice. Not in a weird way, just more of a...Comfort space? Ah, well, it's going to be much more harder for him to open up his bottled feelings, but he's getting to it.

Malleus Draconia

Before overblot:

•He always wondered in isolated places, and admiring the gargoyles that surrounded the architecture, he never thought that someone would spot him, like you. You were an interesting child of man, you're magicless, with no documentation, nor a cent to your name. You were a mystery. And yet, despite having nothing to your being, you weren't afraid of him, like the rest. When he had first met you, before the spell drive incident, he thought you'd be scared upon seeing him.

•But no, you didn't run away, in fact, you had the gall to ask the prince of the night, who he was and what he was doing here. It was a fond memory he couldn't have simply gotten rid of. But, the day you found out his true identity? You've stayed, despite his status finally being known. He finally made a friend, now he couldn't just merely shrug you off, after all. You were his first, and he wouldn't trade that for anything. (<-not like wouldn't have everything already)

•So, imagine to his surprise you'd ask, "Do you wander in isolated places hoping someone would search for you? Not for reason, but for you?" He paused and thought about it thoroughly. He could tell that you knew he was lonely, he hadn't had any friends during childhood due to his power and status as heir. And the only heir at that. So, most of the time, he was lonely and had no one to play with. He didn't know what it felt like to have a normal childhood, only isolation (hmm, something similar?), and studies to be heir.

•Imagine his surprise now that you've told him, "I think I found the way back to my home." [<- slip-up :>] You, had done it? Did you find a way back home? After he told you his background, the loneliness, yearning for the feeling of warmth from a father or a mother, the isolation caused by his power and name alone, all that, just for you to tell him you had a way back home? Where he can't reach you? Where the only person he truly had a connection with, not because his status wielded power, not from his name and his connections in the royalty, but from a person who genuinely cared about him and his hobbies, only to be left behind once more? It didn't help when Lilia was going to leave as well, his most precious mentor (father), he had enough of his people leaving him. He didn't like the fact he could outlive humans, he didn't like the fact he could outlive Lilia, his Lilia. He wanted to call Lilia his father when his biological one wasn't there, and yet Lilia refused him. But, Silver gets to call him, "father"? Why? Is it because he was born differently? Why couldn't he have the same treatment as him? Wouldn't he outlive Silver? Why? Or, is it because he's a prince? Did his status ruined everything? Was it his fault for being born in royalty? He wanted what Silver had, although he did get the same treatment from Lilia, it wasn't the same. The way he watched Lilia grab onto Silved and hold him up like his actual offspring, when Silver cried and he was there, singing and reading a bedtime story, when Silver would say his first words, "papa! Papa!" Lilia smiled, When Silver learned how to walk Lilia congratulated him, Silver would call him 'dad' and Lilia would reply back, no refusal, no rejection. When Malleus was born, Lilia cried tears of joy, that he was alive, not his son. The way that Lilia had been visiting him, raising him at any chance he could, not because he was his son, but because he was important to the Draconia bloodline. When he called him 'father', he didn't like it. Why? Now that he had gotten the equivalent treatment he always yearned for, he wanted more. But, as soon as they were going to leave? He was scared. You were going to find a way back home, Lilia was retiring. He wanted none of that.

•None, of it, he was scared to let go, he didn't want to lose anyone, anyone but the both of you. The one that had made the most impact in life, not only you two, but Silver and Sebek. He can outlive both, and you. He's scared. He couldn't accept this outcome, he wouldn't- "But you'll need to, losing hurts, but there is no other outcome than misery on both ends if you force it."

•He's sorry, so, so, sorry. He had an accident. He didn't mean to. It wasn't his intention. He's sorry, he didn't mean to hurt anyone, let alone kill.

After overblot:

•Everything was fixed, he's alive, dw. You've apologized, and that's all for the amends. He learned his lesson, it was over. Now, he shouldn't do it again. Lilia scolds him for making him worry sick, even after what Malleus did.

•Let's enjoy the fact everyone is here, we'll and alive. No one is hurt (kinda), and no one is asleep in the curse (yay!).

•After the entire calamity that erupted, everyone was fine. A little shaken, but they were all recovering. Not much to say since you were there, helping each and every one of them, especially Malleus. He was grateful for your loyalty and kindness despite being boisterous and flashy, with a grin. Although the next lesson is to learn how to let go, he'll need to go through that the hard way. But, let's not focus on the future.

•He liked going on strolls with you, back to the same routine, and eating ice cream! (Yum), he liked it when you defended him and yourself when things went awry. Nothing about you is displeasing to him at all.

•Let's talk about the 18th century gargoyles from- *Picture of you and Malleus just rambling about his interests again, and you sit and listen to him rant.*

•Yes, this is how it's supposed to go... he wishes it could stay like this forever.

The End.

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - June 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Rare foal born on estate for first time in 100 years

“The Food Museum at Abbot's Hall in Stowmarket, Suffolk, is home to a small number of Suffolk Punch horses - a breed considered critically endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. A female foal was born on Saturday and has been named Abbots Juno to honour the last horse born at the museum in 1924. [...] Juno is just one of 12 fillies born so far this year in the country and she could potentially help produce more of the breed in the future.”

2. The cement that could turn your house into a giant battery

“[Scientists] at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way of creating an energy storage device known as a supercapacitor from three basic, cheap materials – water, cement and a soot-like substance called carbon black. [... Supercapacitators] can charge much more quickly than a lithium ion battery and don't suffer from the same levels of degradation in performance. [... Future applications of this concrete might include] roads that store solar energy and then release it to recharge electric cars wirelessly as they drive along a road [... and] energy-storing foundations of houses.”

3. New road lights, fewer dead insects—insect-friendly lighting successfully tested

“Tailored and shielded road lights make the light source almost invisible outside the illuminated area and significantly reduces the lethal attraction for flying insects in different environments. [...] The new LED luminaires deliver more focused light, reduce spill light, and are shielded above and to the side to minimize light pollution. [... In contrast,] dimming the conventional lights by a factor of 5 had no significant effect on insect attraction.”

4. When LGBTQ health is at stake, patient navigators are ready to help

“[S]ome health care systems have begun to offer guides, or navigators, to get people the help they need. [... W]hether they're just looking for a new doctor or taking the first step toward getting gender-affirming care, "a lot of our patients really benefit from having someone like me who is there to make sure that they are getting connected with a person who is immediately going to provide a safe environment for them." [... A navigator] also connects people with LGBTQ community organizations, social groups and peer support groups.”

5. Tech company to help tackle invasive plant species

“Himalayan balsam has very sugary nectar which tempts bees and other pollinators away from native plants, thereby preventing them from producing seed. It outcompetes native plant species for resources such as sunlight, space and nutrients. [...] The volunteer scheme is open to all GWT WilderGlos users who have a smartphone and can download the Crowdorsa app, where they can then earn up to 25p per square meter of Balsam removed.”

6. [Fish & Wildlife] Service Provides Over $14 Million to Benefit Local Communities, Clean Waterways and Recreational Boaters

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is distributing more than $14 million in Clean Vessel Act grants to improve water quality and increase opportunities for fishing, shellfish harvests and safe swimming in the nation’s waterways. By helping recreational boaters properly dispose of sewage, this year’s grants will improve conditions for local communities, wildlife and recreational boaters in 18 states and Guam.”

7. Bornean clouded leopard family filmed in wild for first time ever

“Camera traps in Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo have captured a Bornean clouded leopard mother and her two cubs wandering through a forest. It's the first time a family of these endangered leopards has been caught on camera in the wild, according [to] staff from the Orangutan Foundation who placed camera traps throughout the forest to learn more about the elusive species.”

8. Toy library helps parents save money 'and the planet'

“Started in 2015 by Annie Berry, South Bristol's toy library aims to reduce waste and allow more children access to more - and sometimes expensive - toys. [...] Ms Berry partnered with the St Philips recycling centre on a pilot project to rescue items back from landfill, bringing more toys into the library. [...] [P]eople use it to support the environment, take out toys that they might not have the space for at home or be able to afford, and allow children to pick non-gender specific toys.”

9. Chicago Receives $3M Grant to Inventory Its Trees and Create Plan to Manage City’s Urban Forest

“The Chicago Park District received a $1.48 million grant [“made available through the federal Inflation Reduction Act”] to complete a 100% inventory of its estimated 250,000 trees, develop an urban forestry management plan and plant 200 trees in disadvantaged areas with the highest need. As with the city, development of the management plan is expected to involve significant community input.”

10. Strong Public Support for Indigenous Co-Stewardship Plan for Bears Ears National Monument

“[The NFW has a] plan to collaboratively steward Bears Ears National Monument to safeguard wildlife, protect cultural resources, and better manage outdoor recreation. The plan was the result of a two-year collaboration among the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and upholds Tribal sovereignty, incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and responsibly manages the monument for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation while ensuring the continued health of the ecosystem.”

June 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[ancientcharm]

The enigmatic emperor Caracalla. Lucius Septimius Bassianus, renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus at age 7, was born on April 4, 188 in Lugdunum, Gaul (Lyon, France). Like 'Caligula', he's known by a nickname rather than his name.

His father, Septimius Severus, became the first Roman emperor of North African origin in 192; His mother, Julia Domna, was a noble lady of Arab origin born in Emesa (Homs, Syria)

Publius Septimius Geta was born in Rome, 11 months after his brother 'Caracalla'. All historical sources claim that they never had a brotherly relationship. According to historians, Geta was more appreciated by the Senate and the people than his brother. Herodian wrote that they constantly fought for any reason and "it was impossible to hide the rivalry between the brothers, although the emperor Septimius tried in vain to keep this from being known".

"Geta and Caracalla" by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema (detail). In this painting the Emperor Septimius and the Empress Julia Domna are shown seated. Geta is standing next to a woman, and Caracalla is pensive by a column; the painter depicts him as sad - perhaps jealous - of his brother's popularity.

An unusual empress

Busts of Julia Domna. Photos :Bibi Saint-Pol, and Daderot (CC)

Julia Domna always accompanied her husband in all the campaigns, the reign of Septimius Severus was extremely militarized. She received the title Mater Castrorum (Mother of the legionary camps). She made political decisions directly, something unprecedented in Rome for a woman. After the death of Septimius, Julia Domna was granted the titles: Mater Senatus and Mater Patriae (Mother of the Senate, Mother of the Nation). She was a scholar in Philosophy, and had a notable influence on that subject. She was involved in several architectural projects including the famous Caracalla Baths, enormous work planning by her husband and completed by her son. She was highly respected by the Senate throughout her reign (192-217).

"Let there be peace among you both, pay the army well and forget the rest". -Septimius Severus to his children on his deathbed

'Geta Dying in his Mother's Arms' by Jacques Pajou.

Britannia, February 4, 211: Septimius died of natural causes, accompanied by his family. Caracalla and Geta, aged 22 and 21, had been emperors with their father since childhood, but after the death of Septimius, as expected, such co-government would not last long.

According to contemporary historian of that period, Herodian : "The co-emperors constantly quarreled and feared that one of them would poison the other, so they did not eat at the same table."

Rome, December 27, 211: 'Caracalla' ordered the execution of Geta, claiming to have discovered that his brother was plotting to assassinate him. The execution carried out by two centurions was in the presence of Julia Domna. According to contemporary sources, Caracalla had tried to kill Geta a few days earlier, during the Saturnalia festival.

Following Geta death he ordered the execution of all Geta's supporters, among them Lucius Aurelius, the only grandson of Marcus Aurelius, son of Lucilla and Pompeianus.

The curious thing is that empress didn't leave her son Caracalla; This caused the Empress to lose popularity among the people, especially in the eastern provinces where, according to historians, Geta was very popular.

If you were born in Roman territory so you're a Roman.

In 212 he issued the Constitutio Antoniniana, also known as the Edict of Caracalla, which granted Roman citizenship to every free men and women living in Roman territory - although by then Roman citizenship had increased significantly throughout the empire - and from then on every free child born in the Empire was a Roman. This was criticised by contemporary historians but modern historians agree that he understood what certain elitist people in the city of Rome refused to understand. 'Caracalla' was Emperor of Rome but he was of Punic and Arab origin and born in Gaul; he was living proof that the city of Rome was the capital of a multi-ethnic world.

An awesome site

Baths of Caracalla. Reconstruction made by team of 'History in 3D'

The Caldarium (sauna) was built in the Pantheon style and the vestibule was in basilica style; Just two simple parts of a baths building were something magnificent in themselves. It was an immense complex that, in addition to the typical cold, warm, and hot baths, dressing room, massage and beauty salons, included two libraries, gym, impressive swimming pools, a stadium , vast gardens, a small museum with exhibitions of works of art, and a shopping center with a wide variety of businesses.

The Alexandria Massacre

'Caracalla' by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema

After a trip through the eastern provinces, in December 215 he arrived in Alexandria. The Alexandrians, outraged by the death of emperor Geta, began to public perform plays of satire mocking Caracalla and in which they called empress mother "Jocasta." According to the famous legend, Jocasta was the mother of Oedipus who, after killing his father, had married his own mother. Upon discovering this his wrath was such that ordered a massive executions. Caracalla attacked the city with his troops for several days, in a kind of personal war against Alexandria.

Unexpected death

Gold medal bust of Caracalla with the shield of Alexander the Great. By Sailko /CC BY 3.0 /wikimedia commons.

In 216 he offered King Artabanus IV of Parthia to marry his daughter, but the king rejected the offer. Caracalla took advantage of this "snub" to start a campaign against the Parthian empire. He began attacking the countryside east of the Tigris. This sudden decision by Caracalla was surprising and shocking at the time, as it was the first time in a century that a Roman emperor had led his troops toward expansionist purposes. According to historians, Caracalla had an obsessive admiration for Alexander the Great and wanted to emulate him by following his route.

In early 217 he was in Edessa (modern Şanlıurfa,Turkey) preparing to restart the campaign.

On April 8, 217, four days after his 29th birthday, he was traveling to a temple near Carras (Harran, southern Turkey) and the praetorian soldier Martialis assassinated him with his sword. According to historical sources, the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, Macrinus commissioned him to assassination. Martialis was executed immediately after Caracalla's death, and three days later Macrinus proclaimed himself emperor.

Empress Julia Domna was in Antioch, upon learning of the assassination decided to take her own life.

This seems like the end of The Severan dynasty, however it wasn't. Julia Maesa, older sister of Julia Domna, was a strong lady.

In her hometown, Emessa, where Macrino had forced her to return, she took advantage of the fact that it was a place with an important military base. She organized with the legions a war against the usurper Macrinus. She placed his grandson Elagabalus on the throne on May of 218. Macrinus, who had fled to Cappadocia, was executed two months later. After the death of Elagabalus, the other grandson of Julia Maesa, Alexander Severus, ruled until 235.

"I know that none of you like what I do, that's why I have weapons and troops: so that at no time do I have to worry about what you say about me." -Caracalla to the Senate

Emperor Caracalla. Marble. Acquired from Rome, Italy, in 1875. Altes Museum, Berlin. Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP (Glasg) CC BY-SA 4.0- Wikimedia Commons

He is known as 'Caracalla' because that is what the Romans called a Gallic garment with a hood that they say this emperor didn't take off even to sleep.

[queersekai]

Queersekai Birthday Edit Event!

[PT: Queersekai birthday edit event! End PT]

Our birthday is in just a couple of weeks, and we were thinking of doing an edit event to celebrate with you guys! The prompts will be personal, but vague enough to allow you guys plenty of creative freedom, and you don't have to make icons--any kind of edit is allowed, even term coining.

The event will run for 15 days total (from Thursday, May 8th to Thursday, May 22nd, plus an extra week and a half of extension time before the drawing to ensure everyone has enough time), but you do not have to complete all the days to be in the raffle for prizes (more on the raffle at the end). The raffle will be drawn on Sunday, June 1st unless outside circumstances prevent it.

Details under the cut.

Rules:

[PT: Rules. End PT]

Please keep everything SFW. Additionally, please try to keep everything (with the exception of the crossover prompt) related to Project SEKAI (or Vocaloid/other vocal synths, I'll allow some freedom there). I would also prefer no radqueer terms (personal comfort).

You can make edits for just one of the prompts given per day, or you can combine them.

Since this is a pride icon blog, I do want the focus to be on some form of pride (orientation, gender, disability, neurodivergence, etc.). As I mentioned, they don't have to specifically be pride icons, but I do want to keep the pride theme.

Reclaimed slurs are more than welcome, just please tag them.

Please do not start discourse about anything. No syscourse, no identity discourse, no ship discourse, none of that.

Please tag all posts with #queersekaibday (and optionally, tag me in them).

Prompts:

[PT: Prompts. End PT]

Day 1 (May 8th): Pink | Blue | Purple

Day 2 (May 9th): Contradictory | Reclaimed | Projection

Day 3 (May 10th): Crossover | NPCs | Cover song

Day 4 (May 11th): Flowers/Flower meanings | Specific producer (your choice) | Commissioned song

Day 5 (May 12th): Movie (anything goes, but please remember to tag spoilers) | Angst | Joy

Day 6 (May 13th): April Fools (only one prompt, can choose from any of the four April Fools events)

Day 7 (May 14th): Unit swap (not April Fools) | What If? | NPCs become group members

Day 8 (May 15th): Birthday | Anniversary | Free day

Day 9 (May 16th): Invert | Leaders/Representatives | Favorite event

Day 10 (May 17th): Stars | Friendship | Leo/need

Day 11 (May 18th): Heaven | Hope | MORE MORE JUMP!

Day 12 (May 19th): Bright | Punk | Vivid BAD SQUAD

Day 13 (May 20th): Theater | Circus | Wonderlands x Showtime

Day 14 (May 21st): Darkness | Trauma | Nightcord at 25:00/25ji, Nightcord de.

Day 15 (May 22nd): Digital | Guidance | Virtual Singers

Raffle Details:

[PT: Raffle details. End PT]

The number of winners in the raffle will depend on how many people end up participating. If five or fewer people participate, there will be one winner. Additional winners will be added as the number of people increases--a final winner count will be determined on Saturday, May 31st.

Participating in one day grants an automatic entry into the raffle, with up to two additional entries for seven and fourteen days completed. Anyone who completes all fifteen days will get a pride icon set (9 icons of one character with their identity/identities of choice), but will not be entered in the raffle a fourth time.

The raffle prize(s) will be a PSD of the winner's (or winners') choice(s) made by me, plus two pride icon sets of their choice. I will reach out to winners via DMs after the announcement, as well as anyone who did not win but completed all fifteen days.