#if brandon says his weight increases

[lifblogs]

Obviously that person is being helpful and isn’t going to know what I know and don’t know or what I remembered, but I legit know this stuff, so it feels like I’m getting talked down to.

[urfavoritewriter]

Beachside Appetite

Content: M/?, Male Vore, Male Pred, Digestion. Likes and reblogs are very appreciated!

Brandon lounged on the sandy shores, the gentle hum of the beach around him. The sun kissed his tanned skin, a light sheen of sweat making it glisten in the afternoon light. The serene lull of the waves crashing in the distance, children’s laughter, and distant chatter, were the perfect background noise for his relaxation.

Beside him, an empty towel and a few discarded personal items—a pair of flip-flops, a novel, and sunglasses—were the only testament to the beach-goer who had once occupied the spot. That, and the distinct, rounded bulge in Brandon’s stomach.

He adjusted his position slightly, propping himself up on one elbow, the sand molding to accommodate the added weight of his recent indulgence. His free hand lazily traced circles on his swollen belly. "You know," he began, addressing the mound with a smirk, "I always did say the beach was the best place for a snack."

From within, a muffled groan responded, the contours of his belly shifting faintly in protest. Brandon simply chuckled, enjoying the sensation of the beach-goer squirming inside him. The movements caused his taut skin to ripple slightly, drawing the curious glances of a few nearby sunbathers.

A playful breeze swept through, carrying the tang of salt and the tantalizing scent of sunscreen. Brandon tilted his face up, relishing the feel of the sun on his features. "You should be thanking me," he mused aloud, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I mean, you get the best beach view, nestled comfortably inside me."

He sighed, stretching out his limbs, the hot sand gritty beneath him. His belly, with its pronounced bulge, stood in stark contrast to his chiseled abs and toned muscles. But Brandon didn’t mind. In fact, he found it rather... appealing. A testament to his power and dominance.

Feeling a bit more playful, he gave his belly a firm pat, eliciting another muffled protest from within. “Shhh,” he whispered, teasingly pressing a finger to his lips, even though his occupant couldn’t see it. “Let’s not make a scene. After all, I'm trying to enjoy my day at the beach.”

The afternoon sun climbed higher, casting its intense golden rays on the beach. As Brandon continued to bask, his skin warmed, and the bronze tan deepened. The sounds of the beach grew louder, the frolicking beach-goers adding to the merry ambiance. Yet for the one inside Brandon's belly, the surroundings were a stark contrast to his situation.

The temperature inside the confines of Brandon's stomach rose steadily, and the muffled, desperate movements from within grew more pronounced. The tightness was oppressive, the thick muscular walls of Brandon's insides pressing in from all sides, leaving little room for maneuvering.

However, for Brandon, each squirm and wriggle was like a gentle massage, a rhythmic motion that he could feel from deep within, making his relaxation even more pleasurable. He could almost visualize the poor beach-goer, trapped in his heated, constrictive prison, the tightness increasing with each passing moment.

Occasionally, he'd feel a particularly strong push or a kick, and he'd simply chuckle, giving his belly a soft, admonishing tap. "Easy there," he'd drawl, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards in amusement. "I know it's hot, but it's summer, after all. Besides," he added, a teasing note in his voice, "this is what a real beach body feels like."

The scent of coconut oil wafted through the air as Brandon applied a generous amount to his skin, making sure not to miss a spot. His fingers lingered on the surface of his belly, tracing the faint outlines of the person inside. Each time his fingers brushed against a protruding elbow or knee, he'd smirk, reveling in his dominance. "See? A personal sunblock application," he whispered, his tone dripping with mock sweetness. "I really am taking good care of you."

But inside Brandon's gut, the heat was relentless. The combination of Brandon's natural body warmth and the scorching sun made for an unbearable sauna. The beach-goer's struggles grew weaker, exhaustion setting in from the oppressive environment and lack of space. But Brandon, seemingly oblivious to the plight of his captive, simply continued to luxuriate in the sun, his body and mind at complete ease.

As the day wore on and the shadows began to lengthen, Brandon felt a rising pressure in his chest, the result of the slow digestive process and the air trapped within. With a casual tilt of his head, he released a deep, resonating burp, the sound echoing slightly in the relative quiet of the late afternoon beach.

"Heh, excuse me," he chuckled, though there wasn’t really anyone around who seemed bothered by the sound. If anything, a couple of beach-goers nearby simply looked over with a mix of amusement and mild surprise.

Brandon's hands, strong and sun-warmed, settled once again on his belly, applying a gentle pressure and kneading it in slow circles. The motion elicited a few more feeble squirms from within, which only made Brandon's smirk grow wider. "You've been quite the companion today," he mused aloud, squeezing the bulge slightly, imagining the increased discomfort it would cause for his involuntary guest. "But all good things must come to an end."

Slowly, with the languid grace of a big cat, Brandon pushed himself to his feet, brushing the sand off his back and legs. He took a moment to stretch, every muscle in his well-defined body flexing and rippling under the sun. He caught sight of a few friends setting up a net for a game of beach volleyball nearby, the ball bouncing in the soft sand.

Grinning, he made his way over, calling out, "Need an extra player?" As he approached, he couldn't resist adding, "I've got a bit of added weight today, so I might be a bit slower," patting his belly with a wink. The laughs and jeers of his friends carried through the air, but deep inside him, the dread of what was to come intensified, as the prospect of a vigorous game of volleyball promised only more jostling and discomfort for the unfortunate beach-goer.

[onlycosmere]

Questioner: In a battle versus a Feruchemist and a Windrunner, if the Feruchemist were lashed directly upward, would increasing his weight cancel that lashing out?

Brandon Sanderson: The way that lashings work are by rewriting your body's interaction with gravity. That's very weird. It's very, very weird. The way that Feruchemy works, it is kind of the same way. I play loose and free with this one (this is the one that drives everybody else mad). It is actually changing, so would it... what would it do?

So, part of me wants to say you would fall upward faster. But that's not how gravity works, so that wouldn't happen. But would it counteract the lashing? I think that the lashing would incorporate it, and nothing would change. That is my best guess, but your lashing, then, probably runs out faster. That's my off-the-cuff answer; I'd have to really look at the mechanics of that. But you can take that for now. I'll have to consult with the arcanists to make sure I'm not going crazy on that.

[mneiai]

For the Ides of March prompt - Jon Snow?

Ides of March themed fill

Jon had not wished to be here. Even now, walking towards the stage that had been set just for this occasion, thousands bowing as he made his way to what felt like his doom, he still imagined jumping onto Viserion and flying away, back North to Winterfell's warm grasp.

There was no real choice to be had, however.

The war for the succession had finally ended, not with Aegon or Daenerys on the throne, but with both of them dead, and Jon forced to step in as once his ancestor Cregan had.

Except there was no boy king to place on the throne, the only stability to be had was Jon himself.

King Aemon I Targaryen, history would undoubtedly call him, as much as that made his skin crawl and his stomach squirm.

The High Septon, or whatever passed for one after the destruction of the Starry Sept and the Sept of Baelor and everyone in them, awaited him and he reluctantly knelt before him for his blessings.

For days he'd reviewed what he would need to do and say, both with this ceremony and the wedding that soon awaited him.

Sacrificing himself for peace was not an issue, but he'd much rather it was to a final death instead of this slow destruction of all he had been and would ever be.

They said Daenerys had killed Aegon in a grand battle above the city, that he and Rhaegal had fallen and created some of the great destruction in their death throes.

They said she had assembled the remaining lords and ladies in the Keep, hostages kept under constant guard, even those from neutral houses. When she announced her plans, she listened to no protests, uncaring how it looked when the Mad King's daughter with her kinslaying Lannister Hand had announced she would execute the Dowager Queen Arianne and punish Dorne for having chosen Aegon over her.

His Aunt Daenerys died in the throne room, just as both his grandfathers and his Uncle Brandon had, alongside Tyrion, both stabbed half a hundred times as Rhaenys had been before them (as he had nearly been.)

Though the Dornish were still unpopular in the rest of the realm, King Aegon and Queen Arianne had not been. And the Dornish had installed themselves into much of the Red Keep, enough to work out the planned assassination.

Even now, on a stage with only an old man and his own guards, Jon was tense and ready for an attack. He knew what it was like, to die from knives in the back, and did not wish to feel that again.

When the crown--a Crown of Winter, his last attempt to cleave his Stark heritage to him even now--settled on his head, the weight on his shoulders only seemed to increase. Westeros, and so much of Essos, would now rely on him. To rebuild, to renew.

King and Emperor.

[redhairedgirl95]

Friendship Friday

For today's impromptu winx week content, let me share with you some friendship moments between different winx characters from my fics <3

From Looking at the stars, but only seeing one - chapter 4 - Technomagic and friends

Stella takes Timmy to a Tech event

She had conjured a shield over her head, and she had run – run – from the school’s entrance to the gates, passed them and then teleported right into the Mall. Not one raindrop had got her, her mother would’ve been proud. When Timmy arrived, five minutes late and already beyond worried, he was soaked. He had left the bike in the underground parking lot and got to the first floor, where Stella was waiting for him. “P-Princess … I’m sorry …” “No worries, Timmy. And it’s Stella to you.” She said, while using her powers to dry his clothes. “Better?” “Much better, thank you, Pr … Stella.” “There you go.” She smiled. “Okay, so … I figured you’d be better than Sky at this.” She pointed to a nearby tech store. “They’re presenting the newest Technomagic phone, and I wanted to you to help me see if it’s worth the money.” “The newest …” He gasped, looking at the crowd in line outside the store. There could have been half a thousand people. “We’ll never get inside.” “You bet?” She smiled and walked straight to the entrance.

From Enchanted Moments season 1 - chapter 3 - By your side

Flora, Musa, and Stella having a little fun

Flora and Musa helped her up so that she didn’t have to put all her weight on her hurt feet, then made her sit down on the grass and sat next to her. They looked at the two Specialists training with their phantoblades. “Mmm … I bet I can get them to take off their T-shirts.” “Stella!” It was Flora. Musa giggled. “How?” “I can … make it hotter.” She suggested, grinning. “Stella, you shouldn’t use your powers. Faragonda said …” “I’m fine, Flora.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s my last day in prison. I can do a little magic trick … and it’s not even magic, it’s just the weather. Right, Musa?” She shrugged. “If you say so …” Stella looked up and focused on the sun. Her father had taught her she could cause small changes in the weather if she concentrated hard enough. Her powers stemmed from the sun, she had a special connection with it, it was easy. The temperature increased by five degrees and soon the guys’ T-shirts were all sweaty. It didn’t take long before they ditched them. “What did I tell you?” She asked, proud of her work. “Wow, Riven is ripped!” She said a little too loud and the Specialists turned to look at them, who were undoubtedly staring. Especially Stella. And Musa. Flora immediately averted her eyes, red in the face.

From Imagine me and you - chapter 8 - Time flies

Young Sky and Brandon hiding from Diaspro

“Girls are the worst.” “Princess Diaspro is not so bad.” They were lying on the grass in the Palace gardens. It was summer and King Topaz and Queen Amber had come visit, they had brought their daughter too, a nine-year-old girl with long blonde hair and gemstones all over her dress. She was a nightmare. They had gone to the gardens to hide. Sky didn’t want to play dolls with her. Ehw! He wasn’t a child! He was nine! Like her, but she was a girl, and he was taller! So, it was like he was older than her. And Brandon wasn’t nine yet, but he was fun and they played with swords, fought monsters and rescued princesses. They didn’t want to play with dolls. “Not so bad? My father wants me to dance with her tonight. Dance, Brandon! Do you understand?” Brandon laughed. A little too loud. “Prince Sky? Where are you?” She had found them. The boys stood up, trying to find the best escape route. Brandon pointed to a puddle, and Sky nodded. They ran and jumped right into it, covering themselves in mud. Maybe Diaspro wouldn’t want to play with them now that they were all dirty and wet. “Boys are the worst!” They heard her say as she headed back to the Palace.

From Enchanted Moments season 2 - chapter 1 - Back to the beginning

Cyrus and Samson training Stella

“We’ve got a problem.” “I know.” “She’s getting good.” “I know.” “The King is going to reassign us.” “I know.” Cyrus sighed, as he and Samson watched the Princess practice with her new sword, a birthday gift from Eraklyon’s Head of the Royal Guard, who happened to be her boyfriend’s father. Less than ten days had passed since they’d started training her, under her own request. When she’d voiced it, they had thought she was joking. Even Cyrus, ever so serious, had laughed, but then she had repeated her wish in the presence of the King and Queen and they had almost choked on their breakfast. After the first shock, it was impressive how well the King had taken to his only daughter learning to use a blade. But then, she had already mastered fighting with her scepter, and it had been Radius himself the one who taught her, so …  “I can hear you, you know?” Stella put down the sword to catch her breath, and looked at her guards, who were looking back at her. “We know.” They answered as one. She smiled, sheathed the blade and secured it to her side, then she adjusted her ponytail and reached them, who were standing under the shadow of a nearby tree. “So? Are you afraid of me yet?” Stella joked. “We’ve been afraid of you since you were ten, Princess.” Samson answered dramatically, to which Cyrus added, “Once you can hold your guard for more than three seconds, I’ll start to worry.” Both Stella and Samson rolled their eyes in sync, just before they burst out laughing and the Princess went to hug the grim soldier, who rested a hand on her shoulder. Samson smiled at them, but a second later his eyes widened, and he started laughing so hard his belly ached. The Princess was lying on the grass, where Cyrus had left her, just a second before. “First rule about being a soldier: never let your guard down.” “I-I’ll try to remember it.” She babbled, and then Cyrus laughed too, helping her up. “I think that’s enough for today, don’t you, Princess?” Samson suggested, joining his friend, and offering an arm to Stella, which she gladly took and let her guards guide her back inside the Palace.

From Enchanted Moments season 2 - chapter 10 - Pressing matters

Riven helping Brandon blow off some steam

“Ain’t it a bit late to be up, future heir to the throne?” “Not now, Riven.” Brandon threw on a t-shirt and grabbed his gym bag as he made a beeline for the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took a couple of energy drinks, but when he closed it, the other Specialist was right in his face. “Move.” He didn’t have time to deal with Riven’s bullshit. He was sleep deprived, he couldn’t call Stella because she needed to sleep more than him, he’d just received a text message from King Radius – how the hell did he get his number? He was sure Stella hadn’t given it to him –, Sky was snoring like a bull, and all he wanted to do was punch something – or better someone. And now Riven seemed like a good enough option. “And what the fuck are you doing up anyway?” “I’ve seen the articles … wanna talk about it?” “I’d rather beat the shit out of someone.” “I’m up for it. Gimme a second.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Feel better, yet?” They were lying on the ring, panting heavily, t-shirts off, both covered in sweat and bruises. “I want a re-match.” “Another? Do you want me to swoop your almost-royal ass once again?” “Can’t end in a tie.” “I agree. And you’ll lose.” “You wish.”

From All that glitters is not gold - chapter 4 - When war play turns into war day

Radius and Helios suffering Cassandra's constant presence

“Radius? Radius, have you been listening to me?” “Of course. You were talking about …” He turned to Helios for help and his friend made some signs. What did they mean? Fortunately, Cassandra’s attention was totally focused on Radius, so she didn’t see Helios frantically gesturing. He had put his hands in front of his chest and was moving, kinda swaying. He couldn’t mean that. No, boobs wasn’t the answer. “Ehm …” “The ball, Radius.” She rolled her eyes. “Tonight’s ball. I was saying that we could dance together.” “Oh, yeah!” Of course it wasn’t boobs. Not that Cassandra had any. And he didn’t even like her! She was just a friend. Like Helios. Well, not like Helios. Helios was his best friend; Cassandra was … someone who always found a way to be wherever he was whenever he was there. It was annoying sometimes. (Most of the times). “Wonderful! I claim first dance!” “What? No!” He exclaimed, and then had to find a way to make up for his rude answer. Cassandra tended to cry, a lot, and Radius never knew what to do when she cried. “I mean … I don’t like dancing.” Lie. He loved dancing, and he was good at it. His father said he had inherited the talent from his mother, Queen Suna, the sun dancer. He thought of her whenever he danced, he hoped she would be proud of him, looking down on him from the Light of the Suns.  “But it’s a ball. You have to dance!” And she knew he was lying. She had seen him dance. He was good! Unlike Helios. Besides, she had already danced with him a couple of times, and he’d never stepped on her feet. And he was the Prince, while Helios … Helios was just a noble, and not even an important one. Not like her. She would be Countess one day, and, given that the Prince hadn’t yet chosen a bride, she could hope for a higher title. King Radius and Queen Cassandra of Solaria, what a nice couple they would make! “I don’t. Father says I don’t have to dance if I don’t want to.” He replied. “And I’ve gotta beat Luna. She won last time.” In the gardens of Linphea, during some kind of fair, they had found a quiet spot and she had asked for a chessboard. Her Queen had checkmated his King in less than ten minutes. Twice. The third time he had resigned halfway through the match. “But I’m gonna destroy her tonight.”

[technicaldr]

8 impressive medical device startups to watch [2022]

The following 8 companies have caught our eye for their impressive medical devices, from digital health tools to AI-powered diagnostics.

  1. LegWorks

  LegWorks is a medical device company providing quality prosthetic knees and making them affordable to everyone. According to LegWorks, 90% of amputees in developing countries don’t have access to prosthetic devices. CEO Brandon Burke lost his leg above the knee at age 18 and found that he would end up destroying his prosthetic knees and wanted to create a new option. He partnered with Jan Andrysek, chief technology officer, to create their All-Terrain Knee. They also offer other types that are saltwater safe or ones that offer the ability to jog and/or run. The company's goal is to offer prosthetic knees to those people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to and works with nonprofits to distribute its products.

  2. ComeBack Mobility

  Ukraine-based ComeBack Mobility is focused on make it easy for patient care teams to monitor progress throughout the entire rehabilitation process after sustaining a leg injury. The company offers a product called Smart Crutch Tips that measures how much weight a patient puts on their leg while they use crutches to move around. If the patient puts too much weight on their leg, the crutch tips provide instant feedback so that the patient can adjust accordingly. The crutch tips also come with an app where patients can track their weight-bearing progress. With this data, healthcare providers can advise the patient on the best rehabilitation plan so that they heal quickly and correctly. They can also send new rehab advice straight to the patient through the mobile app.

CEO Ilya Popov, the co-founder of ComeBack Mobility, was inspired to create this tool after going through his own injury. He raised the seed round of funding himself during the COVID-19 lockdown and recently gave an interview about maintaining a medical device startup during wartime.

  3. Proov

  Proov’s rapid response progesterone test strips were invented by Dr. Amy Beckley after she experienced three years of infertility, two rounds of IVF, and seven pregnancy losses. She found out her fertility issues were caused by low progesterone and created these test strips to help other women detect their progesterone levels so they could avoid the same issues and long diagnosis process she went through.

The FDA has authorized these tests, which provide women with information that would otherwise be available only through a blood test at their doctor's office. As of December 2021, the FemTech company had raised $9.7 million in Series A funding, according to Crunchbase.

  4. Senzo

  Senzo, a UK-based startup, is developing an amplified lateral flow (ALF) rapid antigen self-test for COVID-19, which the company says it has the same accuracy as PCR tests. In a recent blinded 3rd-party study, the tests were shown to have 100% accuracy. Senzo also has plans to apply the ALF system to other testing requirements in the future, so people around the world can get accuracy previously only found in laboratories.

In July 2022, the company announced a a Pre-Series A round of funding that "will be used to bring the Amplified Lateral Flow (ALF) COVID-19 at-home rapid test through regulatory approval and to market, increase manufacturing capabilities, and advance the development of a range of new tests to significantly improve the diagnosis of the world's most prevalent and deadly diseases."

  5. Polycarbin

  Life sciences use a lot of plastic, between syringes, DNA extraction kits, and more. In fact, over 12 billion pounds of scientific plastic waste is produced each year, according to Polycarbin, and its goal is to put a stop to that. Founded by two friends who left medical school to start the company, Polycarbin remanufactures laboratory equipment, such as pipette tips, from post-consumer lab plastic. The company helps labs reduce carbon emissions and also provides ways to recycle plastic waste. Its mobile app gives scientists data about reducing their waste, lets them schedule recycling pickup, and more. Labs can also order recycled equipment from Polycarbin. In January 2022, it raised $2 million in seed funding, per Crunchbase.

  6. ABLE Human Motion

  ABLE is a Barcelona-based medical device startup and the world’s first manufacturer of robotic exoskeletons, with a goal of improving quality of life for individuals with disabilities. The award-winning startup began by studying the human gait extensively to create a product that allows wheelchair users to stand up, walk, and sit down without any assistance. The battery-powered, 8 kg exoskeleton has parameters for smart device configurations, which can allow for remote monitoring by physical therapists and physicians.

The lower-body exoskeleton is the first home-use product for individuals with lower-limb paralysis. In mid-2021, they obtained ISO 13485 certification for the design, manufacturing, and sales of their exoskeleton. In July 2022, the company announced that their exoskeleton would be available commercially in Europe in 2023.

  7. Garwood Medical Devices

  Garwood Medical is an advanced MedTech startup based in Buffalo, NY, with a mission of improving clinical outcomes for infections and wound healing. Garwood’s products include the BioPrax™, a minimally invasive device designed to prevent biofilm infections on prosthetic knee implants by using electrodes to prevent microbe growth. It was granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA in 2019.

Garwood’s Series B round closed in late November 2019 at $3.7 million. These funds added to the September 2016 Series A round, which raised $3.6 million. “We appreciate the confidence and support from our existing and new investors,” says Garwood CEO Wayne Bacon. “Few people other than physicians and impacted patients understand the tremendous suffering and high treatment costs associated with [periprosthetic joint] infections, which strike tens of thousands of Americans per year [and cost] many billions of dollars.” The company plans on starting human clinical trials in 2023.

  8. Parasym Health

  Parasym is a UK-based medical device startup that provides neurostimulation products to improve the quality of life for patients with inflammatory disorders and chronic pain. Its first product uses micro pulses of electrical current to target the vagus nerve through an ear clip electrode. The Parasym Device is currently CE-marked and has been designated a non-significant risk (NSR) by the FDA.

Technical Doctor's insight:

Contact Details : inquiry@technicaldr.com or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

[drakewalkerfantasy]

Consequences: Chapter 3 NSFW*

Synopsis:

Jordan Williams is a former Marine who starts a new life joining Medical school at age of 27.

Rachel Ferguson is a freshly out of college graduate and Medical school 1st year student.

Two complete strangers who fell in bed together for a night of solace from their moment of anger and hurt. By chance, they were brought together and their fates intertwined.

Not realising yet that not only they share the same house, they also share the person they cannot lose no matter what.

What will happen when the reality of the one night’s actions filled with lust and anger will hit them both? What will happen when he will find out that the girl he spent the night with is not only his housemate but also his best friend’s little sister? The one he swore to himself never to touch, the one for whom he will never be good enough. Will he be able to keep his hands off her? Or are they doomed from the beginning?

Words: 3195

Authors notes: Some chapters maybe NSFW or have a mature content

Jordan Williams x Rachel Ferguson (Rae, Rae-Rae)

**Warnings: Alcohol consumption, anger, bad decisions, NSFW, sex, heavy make out.*

Warning: Minors DNI.

Previous chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

“How do you know him?” asked Rachel in a quiet barely audible voice, looking at Jordan with wide eyes, reminding him of the deer caught in the highlights of the approaching car.

He suspected she already knew the answer to this question, knowing how close Brandon was with his sister, but he answered the question anyway.

“We served together…,” he replied, swallowing hard.

“Right…,” she mumbled under her breath.

They looked at each other for a long moment, while reality slowly sank on them. The deafening thundering of their hearts was filling the silence between them, and Jordan could feel how the panic started to rise inside him beating the excruciating pain in his hip that he started to feel.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything… but the flight reflex kicked in and without saying a word, he abruptly turned around and rushed toward his room. He walked up the stairs trying to ignore the pain that followed him every step until he finally got into his room and shut the door behind.

His back pressed to the wooden panel, and his head hit it with a thud, making him moan in irritation. His eyes closed and he gritted his teeth, trying to get his pain under control, breathing in and out, while he leaned against the door waiting for the pain to become less. After some time he let out a low growl and limped to bed, falling on it facing the ceiling. He didn’t know how much time had passed, nor what time it was when a buzzing of his phone snatched him back to reality.

He took it out of his pocket, taking a call without looking at the caller’s ID, groaning when a loud voice came through the device. His body tensed instantly, when the recognition hit him, and his muscles flexed. His head throbbed with pain, and he shut his eyes, trying to suppress a shooting pain in his temples.

His voice weak and distant, but he grudgingly reassured Brandon that he is well and alive, barely believing in it himself. Feeling like he cannot not only move but also breath. Pounding in his head only increased, when Brandon invited himself over to meet his housemate, making Jordan sit up straight, grunting in pain.

Shit… Shit… Shit… thought Jordan, no longer listening to Brandon. Trying to come up with something he could say to stop his friend from coming. Not sure for how long he would be able to do that. But before he could say even a word the line went dead, leaving him to the deafening silence, broken only by his thunderous heartbeat.

Great… just perfect. Grunted Jordan, watching the screen of his phone going black, before shoving it back into his pocket. This is why I never had friends before… till joining Marines… before the hell we went through that made us closer. Probably my mother was right and this was just a waste of time. No friends, no pain, and nothing to lose. No people to care about and no deaths to witness… He thought in frustration, closing his eyes.

The memory of his dead friends… Jack… Denise… Steve… Nick… immediately floated to his mind. Followed by the vision of the comrades he cared about but couldn’t save… Anthony… Noah… Henry… Luca… Ava… and finally concluded with the images of bloodied bodies he barely could recognise… Alexander… Jonathan… William… Baby Jack… and many, many more faces he would always remember and would never forget… The guys and girls who would never ever have a chance at just having fun or building a family… or even breathing… So why should he have a chance at anything? And probably losing Brandon, the only best friend who survived, would be the fitting price to pay for him trying to forget… trying to have fun, while so many couldn’t anymore. It was as if fate was punishing him for surviving… for trying to continue to live.

Quickly, he pushed the thought away, feeling how the lump already started to form at the back of his throat. His thoughts instantly moved to his sister before involuntarily going to Rachel thinking of what to say to his friend… what would he feel if anyone from his friends would sleep with his own sister? Using her for just one night because of anger and lust and trying to forget… to forget at least for a little while the weight of the guilt for staying alive and feeling. Would he forget and forgive? Or would he punch the asshole who would do it to her without thinking of protecting her first?

And he knew the answer to that… NEVER… He would NEVER forget and forgive such betrayal.

After an hour, Jordan heard a distant knock at the front door, and the muffled voices reached him after some time.

“Heeeeey….” said Rachel, opening the door. Her voice faltered at the end, and Jordan, even before hearing another voice, knew exactly whom she saw at the porch.

“Rach?“ a surprised voice sounded at the door.

“How… How did you find me? I just was planning to send you my address,” she said trying to sound genuinely surprised, but from the notes in her voice Jordan could say how nervous she felt. Even without seeing her, he could picture how her beautiful forest green eyes widened and her coral lips parted while she took a barely audible shallow breath.

Why the hell do I even know how she looks nervous? Jordan thought, frowning.

“I wasn’t looking for you. I actually was looking for my friend… but… what are you…,” started Brandon.

“If you speak of a handsome, tall stranger with blue eyes and nice body then he is upstairs. And in regards to what I’m doing here… I’m living here. You know it was the only place near the university I could find, so please… please don’t ruin it for me with your unbearable overprotectiveness.”

“I’m not…”

“You are, and I love you, but let’s make it perfectly clear I’m not interested in your friend. So please… please don’t get all big protective brother on me,” her voice a little bit shaky with the memory of their morning, but no less convincing.

“Rae, whatever you think I didn’t even plan on doing that,” laughed Brandon, giving Rachel a hug. “Plus, Jordan would never betray our friendship like that. I know the guy and I trust him. On top of that I saw him yesterday leaving with some super hot blondie so I think we are good.” said Brandon.

I was that blondie… almost blurted out Rachel hating to keep a secret from her brother, but stopping at the last moment. 

Meantime upstairs Jordan was listening more closely to the conversation between siblings.

I screwed up… I royally screwed up… thought he, banging his head on the mattress. But I cannot come clean now… not after hearing that she obviously doesn’t want him to know… Shit…

“Ohhhhh, so his name is Jordan?” asked Rachel, laughing at Brandon’s surprised expression.

“Wait a minute…. did he even not introduce himself,” incredulously asked Brandon looking at his sister, watching her shake her head. “God, it’s so typical of him… same as sneaking out to the library while it’s closed. So… you said he is in his room? Alone or does he have company?”

“Yes, your friend is hiding in his room. And regarding the company, how can I know?” mumbled Rachel, feeling how her face started to heat up.

He had some a little bit more than an hour ago… she thought, turning to close the door, to hide the blush from her brother, waving him toward his friend’s room.

“God, I missed you sis,” laughed Brandon, hugging the girl and lifting her effortlessly off the ground, twirling her happily before putting back.

“I missed you too, big brother. After your return, the last time I saw you was in a hospital bed, flirting with some poor unsuspecting nurse and then you moved here, leaving me behind,” sighed Rachel, hugging her brother and kissing him on the cheek. “Now go,” she said, shoving off her brother lightly toward the stairs.

In a moment, Jordan heard a sound of footsteps on the stairs, followed by the knock on the door.

“What do you want?” he snapped, abruptly sitting up on the bed, still embarrassed and angry from the fact how little self-control he showed yesterday. He looked at the door, unconsciously hoping to see Rachel, whose name he knew only from Brandon, but instead his friend stuck his head through the ajar door.

“Brandon, what are you….?” he asked, furrowing his brows. Not expecting to see him, thinking that he will spend a little bit more time with his sister.

“For a smart guy as you, you ask too many stupid questions and too few right ones. Considering, you didn't even ask your new housemate’s name.”

“How did you know I didn't?” asked Jordan, raising his brow sceptically not ready to admit that his friend was right.

“I know you. Aaaaand you didn’t give her yours so following the logical conclusion you didn’t ask hers,” rolled his eyes Brandon, sitting on a bed without invitation. “By the way if you would have a little chat with her, you would know that her name is Rachel. She is my little sister and she also first year Medical student as you are,” he said, falling silent for a momen before starting to speak. “Man, I know I can trust you, but I cannot trust all the other assholes who would creep their way to her and hurt her,” grunted Brandon.

“What do you want me to do?” growled Jordan flopping down on the bed once again, his eyes trained on the ceiling, his thoughts far away.

“What you do best… watch my back… keep an eye on her… get closer to her... make sure that no one else gets too close.”

Great… just what I needed… get close… keep your hands to yourself… protect her… mumbled quietly Jordan.

Distantly, he could hear Brandon continue to speak, but he could barely hear anything. His thoughts wandered to the previous evening trying to remember at least something from what led him to the bed with a complete stranger, furthermore none other than his best friend’s little sister, the one who always will be off limits for him. Still feeling embarrassed about what happened. Still feeling guilty for losing control, and still angry that he couldn’t get her out of his head, no matter how hard he would try.

Absent-mindedly, he took out his phone, scrolling through his calls and notifications, half-listening to Brandon. His eyes caught on one received phone call from his mother, followed by three missed ones straight afterward. And a few voicemails.

Mentally, he noted that he would need to listen to them, in case it was something urgent, and to call his mother, surprised that she still didn’t call him. The distant, but familiar feeling, that the last phone call from her did not go too well, gnawed at him. And he knew that this time she managed to get under his skin. This is why he lost control. This is why he felt frustrated and angry. And this is why whatever happened was on him.

He closed his eyes, straining his memory to restore the events that got erased by the amount of alcohol that he consumed and by the heat of the moment that followed after. He knew that before anything happened he made sure that she wanted this as much as he did. Made sure she knew what was happening and agreed on that knowing what she was doing. But it didn’t make him feel less guilty and didn’t make her less off limits. His thoughts returned back to try and reproduce the events that led them to bed, including their second accidental meeting.

My mother got me again… and I drank… and drank… and drank. I drank so much that I barely could think, blinded by anger and alcohol. And when my body collided with Rachel’s in that dark hallway I felt something else apart from the anger. It was like I was struck by the lightning that zapped through me... I barely can remember what happened after that. But I know that whatever happened I knew what I wanted. And I wanted her as much as she wanted me. Thought Jordan. The flash of him emptying one glass after another, without even registering what exactly he drunk, striking him. As through the daze, he heard Brandon’s voice, snapping him back to reality, and for the first time, since he entered the room, he looked up at his friend.

“So did you score with her? Or tell me that you at least got her number as I told you to do,” grunted Brandon, while Jordan looked at him in confusion.

“What do you mean you told me to get her number?” asked Jordan, furrowing his brows.

“Man, pay attention… I sent you a text, or did you not receive it?”

Quickly, Jordan looked back at his phone, scrolling through his texts, clicking on the new message received yesterday just after 10 pm.

“Just seen you bump into a pretty blonde. She is tiny, but with killer legs and ass to die for. Go for it or at least ask for her phone number. Tell her you are asking for a very single and a very available friend ;)  And if you don’t plan on taking it further than the lip-lock then let me know, I totally will. B.”

Jordan’s eyes widened at the message while he reread it again.

Shit… he is hitting on his own sister… just exactly what I needed. Jordan cursed, frowning at his friend.

The memory of him bumping into Rachel flashed in front of his eyes and he grunted remembering her hands against his chest, so small and so delicate. The golden hair blurred his vision the second prior a pair of beautiful forest green eyes met his in surprise before a flicker of anger and mistrust shot through them.

He could feel how his own anger was fuelled by hers in the same instant joined by a sudden spark of electricity zapping through him. His hands balled into the fists, gripping the phone firmer. The quiet groan of frustration escaped his throat, watching her eyes move closer and closer until all he could see was the forest-green light in front of him, burning with flames of passion fuelled by her anger.

Brandon’s voice faded to nothingness when visions started to explode in front of his eyes, unsure of what was real and what was just a figment of his imagination. Trying to figure out what he could trust, and what could be considered a fantasy, he never thought he had. Not sure why, but trying to reproduce the events of the previous evening.

His heart jumped when a blurred image of a blonde girl flashed before his eyes, and he felt a wave of heat running through him from the vision. Her lips pressed to his, kissing him firmly, hungrily. He couldn’t make out her face or anything about her, just the feeling of her lips and a faint taste that was slipping away every time he tried to remember it. His pants and boxers hung around his ankles, and his back pressed against the cold frame of the front door. Her hand wrapped around the base of his cock, stroking him firmly before sliding to her knees, wrapping her lips around the tip of his dick.

The blurred image disappeared as quickly as it emerged, leaving him breathless.

“I cannot believe she did this. Did she…? Did she really give me a blowjob on a porch…. outside of the house?” he sputtered internally, his eyes flying open and his breathing became uneven. A sheer terror filled him, and his pulse skyrocketed at the thought. “How? How is it even possible I let her do this? Oh my God, did I really let her suck my dick, where everyone could see us? Degrading her like that… God, if Brandon will ever find out he will kill me.” thought he, feeling how the guilt almost swallowed him, bringing him to his knees. Needing to remember more, needing to know what he had done or let her do to him. His fists firmly clenched at his sides, desperately straining his memory further, trying to remember what had happened between them. Hoping that the reality wouldn’t be worse than a blurred vision he just has seen, hoping that this wasn’t real. And finally, after a kaleidoscope of blurred images flashing in front of his eyes, he saw the sequence of the clearest visions he could, feeling the full extent of the desire he ever felt in his life. The desire that was only fuelled by the image of her eyes. Feeling how his length started to harden just from the memories.

There it is… the clear image of him holding a blonde girl with soul-piercing eyes in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, while she tried to open the door. Their kisses grew more heated and desperate, the faint taste of tequila and lime haunting his distant memory. Her sinful coral lips, moving against his, their tongues dancing together.

He could feel how the wind was knocked out of him, leaving him breathless, his eyes wide opened, when the image of her squirming body beneath him emerged in his mind. And he could feel how her soaked tight pussy was pulling him deeper into her warmth with every spasm of her body, making him gasp for air. The clear memory of the strongest orgasm he ever had, hit him hard, making his heart skip a beat. Making him almost cum instantly in his jeans without even a single touch.

I’m screwed… I’m so screwed. Thought Jordan, sitting straight on his bed, his eyes wide, as the weight of reality hit him hard. Oblivious to his friend’s distress, Brandon still continued to speak. Talking about how wonderful it would be for them to hang out at Jordan’s place more often, letting him see more of his baby sister.

Jordan swallowed thickly, thinking of how possibly he could allow this to happen. How he possibly could sleep with the girl who is his best friend’s baby sister and who always will be off limits. The one who always will be too good for him or anyone else.

The frustration and guilt, mixed with anger for letting this to happen overwhelmed him. And he raised his eyes at his friend. The panic filling them, unsure of how possibly he will be able to share this house with her. Unsure of how possibly he could betray his friend like that and what possibly he would be able to do to fix it. Wanting to come clean, but not able to find the right words to do that except of just being honest.

I slept with your sister… mumbled Jordan, but too quietly for Brandon to hear.

Tagging: @choices-bound​ @lahelasaveiro​

[the-original-b]

Archangel Chapter 11: Talent Scouting

Format: Prose / Fiction, multi-entry

Part in Series: 3 of 9 (Previous Chapter | The Beginning)

Word Count: c. 2,600

Summary: Khai pressures Krueger to contain a rapidly deteriorating state of affairs.

Krueger stepped through the glass doors of the Sixth Avenue office—dressed in a commando sweater and dark jeans with classy shoes under his pea coat—and headed towards the conference room.

Danielle straightened up behind her desk as she noticed him walk past her. “They’re waiting for you inside, Mr. Krueger,” she said.

He thanked her with a nod and proceeded down the hallway, past Khai’s old office which CJ Silvio now worked out of, and entered the conference room to join her and Everett to discuss their next steps after the events at Pharaohs a few days ago. Visible on a computer monitor at the end of the table was Hayden.

“Gentlemen, Miss Khai.” he greeted them. “Is Mr. Desmoulins joining us?”

“We’re ironing out the connection now,” Khai noted. She wore a dark suit with a white blouse and black peep toe pumps. “It’s one thing to set up a video call, but another entirely to set one up with him.”

“The man lives in military grade encryption,” Everett added. Today he wore a conservative blue suit with a pale gray shirt underneath.

“It’s how he’s stayed invisible for so long…” she added sotto voce. She tapped a few more keys on the laptop Hayden’s face was on. “Got it,” she said, turning the device toward the other men in the room. “Brandon, can you hear us now?”

“Loud and clear,” Brandon voice confirmed through the speakers.

“Perfect. In the room you can see I’m here with Mr. Krueger and Henry Everett. Also joining us via teleconference is Mr. Hayden.”

“Hey, everyone.”

“Greetings,” Hayden said. “Good to see you’re all well.” He folded his arms atop the desk he sat behind.

“Same to you, sir.” Khai said, sitting down and facing the laptop. Krueger and Everett took their places standing behind her. “Have you heard any updates from Dana and Charles?”

“No, and that’s what concerns me. Karin’s seen a steady increase in the Dragon Tears’ popularity in her territory, but she and I have been in regular contact; and Herman’s reported no problems in his area. The others have had their hands full for months, and now that I haven’t heard from them since last week the rest of us are more than a little concerned.”

“That bad?”

“It isn’t just the drugs, it’s the problems they invite. Police budgets have been slashed nationwide, and the hardest-hit cities have turned to the private sector to compensate.”

“Castle Security Solutions,” Krueger noted. “I’ve seen a news story on them the other day.”

“It’s no coincidence they’re expanding while the Dragon Tears become more popular,” Khai noted.

“Are you suggesting they’re connected, Miss Khai?” Hayden queried.

“I’m saying there may be a causality, sir; that somebody stands to profit from the expanse of one or both of the two forces choking the Partners today.”

“I agree,” Everett added. “And thanks to Krueger, I think we know who.” He looked at the monitor. “Mr. Desmoulins?”

“Special Agent Peter Cross,” Brandon said. “Born August 14th 1966, UT San Antonio class of ’88. Eight years with the FBI, then transferred to the DEA in ’96. He spent three years there, then moved to ATF. He changed hats a third time and joined the CIA in 2002, after which the records stop.”

Krueger arched his brow. “The United States Government?” He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one foot.

“We don’t know that for sure, but it does make sense,” Brandon mused. “If the CIA is sponsoring an effort to destroy the Partners, they’d want somebody like Cross at the tip of the spear.”

“Not their wheelhouse,” Khai commented. “That’s more the FBI’s job.”

“Also doesn’t make sense that his story stops after his start with the CIA,” Everett noted, his hand on his chin. “I get the feeling there’s more to this Peter Cross than the records show.”

“Especially since the buyer named him,” Krueger added, just loud enough for the others to hear.  He leaned on the back of a chair to Khai’s left. “Is it possible he’s changed sides, started working for another criminal organization?”

“Possible, but not likely; the only other major player in the region is the Company,” Khai said. “And after the ordeal with Osiris, they’re hardly on my radar these days.”

“Mine either,” Hayden said. He brought his knuckles to his lip as he looked away from the camera, breaking eye contact as he considered the new information. “Do we know if Cross is operating in the Tri-State?”

“I found an office in Long Island City,” Brandon said. “Registered to a Rook Capital. He’s listed as Operations Manager.”

Krueger and Khai shot each other looks.

“Then I think that’s where we should start,” Hayden concluded. “Mr. Krueger, head to the Rook Capital office tonight.” Hayden lowered his hand again. “Surveil the building and report back what you find”

“Understood,” Krueger said.

“If I may, gentlemen,” Brandon suggested, “I think I have a better idea. I wrote a script that clones a computer’s internal drive and writes it to another location. I call it the Intruder.”

“The one used at Miles Orham’s cabin?”

“The very same. I think we can use it again here, but we’ll need an access point for it to work.”

Hayden nodded. “I agree,” he said. “That is a better idea. Mr. Krueger, if you can gain entry to the office and upload Mr. Desmoulins’ program into their server room, I believe we’ll gather all the information we need.”

“I’ll get it done, Mr. Hayden,” Krueger said with a nod.

“Excellent. We’ll reconvene after we’ve made more sense of the data.” He reached for something off-camera. “Good day.” His visage disappeared immediately afterward, and the four remaining people on the conference call shared a moment of silence.

“I’ll make the needed modifications to the Intruder,” Brandon finally said. “Krueger, can you come by later today to pick up the drive?”

“Absolutely. I’ll get the address from you while I’m there as well.”

“Awesome. Let me know when you’re on the way. Mr. Everett, Liz, take care.” And just like that, Brandon Desmoulins disconnected from the conference, and Khai shut her laptop before turning to face the two other men in the room with her.

“Well,” she said.

“It sounds self-explanatory to me,” Everett said. “We plant the Intruder, wait for it to do its job, and decide our next steps after we analyze the data.”

“We might run out of time before then.”

Everett shot her an inquisitive look.

“Rook Capital… Rook, the chess piece.”

“Castle,” Everett concluded. “The private contractors?”

“Not a doubt in my mind.”

“I caught it too,” Krueger added. “It can’t be coincidence that Cross is part of their office in Queens, he has to be connected to the private contractors coming up in cities across the country.”

“All the evidence points to that,” Khai said. “And if all is as it seems then there’s no time to delay here…” She stood up from her seat, adjusting her glasses. “We have to kill him.”

“Liz,” Everett said, raising a hand to chest-level. “You’re talking about killing a possible U.S. Government agent. That’s a sure-fire way of drawing attention that we cannot afford.”

“It’s also the only way we can guarantee avoiding the same thing that’s happening to Dana and Charles right now, and to stop whatever’s brewing from destroying the whole organization…” She took a breath, placing her hands on her hips and shutting her eyes. She opened them again and met Krueger’s gaze. “Milo, go see CJ in the armory.”

“Liz,” Krueger began.

She started toward her desk at the head of the conference room, by the window overlooking Sixth Avenue. “It won’t be easy, but if you can get in and out before they know what happened, I think we can slip the noose before they get a chance to tighten it.” She took a seat and woke her desktop computer.

“Liz, I was ordered—”

“It’ll be tight, but there’s a safe house in Sunnyside, on 40th Street. You can lie low there while things settle down—”

“Liz..!” He got her attention.

Khai looked away from the monitor to face him.

“That isn’t the job,” he specified. “You heard Mr. Hayden, this is strictly an infiltration assignment.”

“I did,” she said, “but it may be too late to do anything about whatever facts we dig up by the time we analyze them all. We need to solve the problem before it becomes one.”

“And I agree with you there,” Krueger said, leaving his place at the table to approach her. “But this is different—you’re talking about having me remove a possible Federal Agent.” He stopped barely two feet from the edge of her desk, then placed his hands onto the desk top. “A long time ago I stood right here in front of your predecessor, and promised to kill him in his sleep if he ever ordered me to do something I’m not comfortable with.”

Khai didn’t take her eyes from his, even as she leaned back into the chair and uncrossed her legs. She wasn’t even aware of the distance she tried to create between them until she blinked, realizing what she was actually feeling wasn’t shock, but fear.

“I don’t want to have to revisit that threat.” Krueger finally said. He maintained his flat tone, deadly serious. “Least of all to you… but if I have to, I will.” He straightened his posture again, looking down at her. “I was issued an order, Liz. And I don’t intend to deviate from it.” Krueger turned on his heel and headed toward the exit, his hands in his coat pockets. On his way out of the office he acknowledged Danielle again and passed through the glass doors to the elevator down to Sixth Avenue.

Everett shuffled uncomfortably after Krueger left. “That wasn’t something I should have been in the room for. Sorry, Liz.”

“No, you’re fine,” she reassured him. “Really…” She let a quiet sigh escape her lips. “You know, that’s the closest thing to a fight he and I have had in the almost two years we’ve been together… I was always nervous about that, but now I think I was scared of the wrong thing.”

Everett followed her eyes darting across the top of her desk. He noticed her reach for a pen and absentmindedly tap its point on an old post-it note. He’d seen that look on her face before, and could practically see the gears turning in her head as she worked through what must have been a problem she’d revisited and resolved dozens of times already. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she declared, trying to convince herself more than him. “Yeah, it’s just… easy to forget who he is sometimes.”

“A good-hearted man?”

Khai looked up at him and, after a brief pause, exhaled. She shut her eyes and put the pen back down, then brought her hand back up to remove her glasses and rest them by the pen. She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and first finger then pinched the bridge of her nose before allowing her hand to slide down her face to her mouth as she opened her eyes again, staring ahead blankly.

Everett looked over his shoulder to the conference table and headed over to retrieve a chair which he placed in front of Khai’s desk. “Don’t tell me,” he began, sitting down. “You’re considering ending your relationship with him; you’re listing the pros and cons in your head and trying to come up with any good reason to let him go on your own terms before you’re forced to make that choice.”

Khai quietly laughed and shook her head. “That obvious, huh?”

“You may as well be an open book,” he returned, smirking.

Khai relaxed her smile and brought both her hands together, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. She shut her eyes again and placed her face into her palms, exhaling slowly. She interlaced her fingers again, looking over her knuckles at him.

“And now, you’re realizing he’s not only the best thing to happen to the Branch, but also to you.”

Khai nodded. “I know,” she said. “And as much as I try to rationalize and poke holes in the pros, I can’t find a single reason to make it worth breaking up with him in the end.” She dropped her hands and turned her head to look him in the eye. “But I’m scared, Henry,” she admitted. “I hesitated even bringing him to the Brooklynite that night. I didn’t think I’d fall for him…” She shrugged. “But I did. A kind, charming, good-looking guy with a tragic past; I didn’t stand a chance,” she laughed. “I ignored my doubts and let myself get closer to him. No matter how many times I think I made a mistake with him, then realize I didn’t, I still feel like I’m going to screw this up somehow. And that terrifies me.”

Everett gave a half-suppressed chuckle as he considered his next words. “Forty years ago, I think I heard those same words come out of your father’s mouth when he tried to talk himself out of proposing to your mother.”

Khai laughed again. “I guess the apple plopped straight down,” she jested. “What did you say to him?”

“I told him he was the smartest person I knew. Then I chastised him for not being able to see the obvious choice,” he added with a smirk. “You inherited his brilliant mind, Liz. The two of you work through problems the same way—you consider all the approaches, all the variables, and by the time you reach your solution you realize you knew the right answer from the beginning.” He shrugged. “This is no different. I think you made your decision before we even started talking about this.”

Khai opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal, but stopped herself when she realized he was right. Sure Krueger caught her off guard with his parting words, but he said what he did because of who he was and—more importantly—who he wasn’t. Khai rested her cheek in her hand as she considered Krueger, weighing his numerous good qualities against his few bad ones. She tried to justify splitting with him in light of any hypothetical and actual threats to their relationship, and a soft smile washed over her face as she realized she couldn’t.

“There’s a reason you invited him to dinner that night, Liz” Everett concluded, leaning forward. “Remember that.”

~~

Krueger headed down Sixth Avenue and crossed at 51st Street to head toward the garage where he parked his car. He slowed after he made it across the street, then sighed as he stopped in his tracks. He stood off to one side to let others pass him as he slid his hands into his coat pockets and stared absentmindedly into the sky, re-playing his meeting with Khai, Everett, Brandon, and Hayden in his head over and again as he considered the information. After a while he fished into his coat pocket to find his mobile phone. “Ich werde es bereuen,” he said to himself as he dialed the number when he found it in his list of contacts.

“Mr. Krueger!” CJ Silvio’s voice on the other end answered. “What can I do for you?”

“I need something precise and powerful.” he said. “Last-minute.”

“How powerful are we talking?”

“Hole-puncher.”

“Uh…” Silvio shuffled audibly on the other end. “I think I can put a list together. Rifles or handguns?”

“The latter. The quieter the better.”

“Oh, well that narrows it down… I’ll have to see if we have any of those left in the armory.”

“Meet me there in thirty minutes.” Krueger ended the call and headed for the garage on 51st to his car.

(Masterlist | Chapter 12)

[kdtheghostwriter]

SNK # 127 - End of the Night

In terms of pure composition, this is one of the best double-spreads Isayama has ever produced. I love it so much that I’m starting this meta with a breakdown of the different elements. From a wide angle this honestly looks like a Renaissance painting. The linework is crisp and the shadows are gorgeous especially in relation to Pieck’s Titan, but I want everyone to take notice of the way Isayama has blocked this scene off.

Every faction is cordoned off. The Survey Corps, The Volunteers, and The Warriors are all sat together in an attempt to break bread. The tension, however, couldn’t be more tangible. Our attention has literally been directed to it. This is so genius not only as an artistic choice but also as a cheeky answer to those critics of the closing panel of Chapter 126. No, we’re not all friends here. No, no one wants to be here doing this. Yes, we have a long way to go with not lots of time to cover. If you were to purchase the physical copy of this volume you could literally cut the tension with a knife.

I have been accused before of being afraid of confrontation. A pushover if you will. Even though I see myself as a pacifist it is not because I shy away from confrontation. Simply put, it’s much easier to disengage and go about your day. As humans, our goal on any given day is to procure our sustenance and return to our shelter. Everything else is extracurricular. It must be pointed out, then, that there is a difference to be had between being assertive and being combative.

These two have been building to a proper rematch for a minute now and despite what Annie says in the following panels you don’t just say something like this unless you’re looking for a fight. I don’t care if it’s true or not (it’s not). She knows these people well enough. She knows what buttons to press.

And this guy. Maybe this will be the end of hope that Magath is in any way reasonable. He has a soft spot for the Warriors because of his proximity to them, but he is firmly in the “My Eldians are the Good Eldians” camp. PSA: this is still racist and Not Cool, folks!

Also notice the framing here. We see the older Magath stubbornly debating with Jean over his right to keep breathing; just below him we see Reiner and his cadets. It’s much easier for people to accept and interpret new information before they are 25. Reiner is in his early 20s while Falco and Gabi are just now pubescent. They know the truth now of how the Island came to be and the war that lead to Eldia’s exile. If we assume that Magath is in or around his 40s, chances are that even with Founder Ymir’s story in hand he would find a way to blame all Paradisians (and Jean personally) for their current shitstack situation.

This gets broken up by Yelena. Abandoned by her god Zeke she sees no need to cooperate even when it is revealed that she was a Marleyean all along. Yes, the same Marley she literally volunteered to destroy because even if you’re from there it’s Fuck Marley Season.

She stirs the pot well as the one character with no more skin in the game. She brings up the fairly salient point that all of the soldiers around her have spilled way more blood, much more violently than she has. Yelena takes the cake for flamboyance but if you really stop to think about it…

Reiner’s plan to bust open the wall on that fateful day lead to the culling of one-third of Paradis’ population. Annie’s rampage through Stohess ruined countless lives beyond repair. Armin simply transforming in Liberio essentially nuked the town. Because this violence was not interpersonal like the assassination of Zackley, it doesn’t feel as extreme. This is how the Jaegerists came to exist in the first place.

And you had to figure this was coming at some point. After so much time passed Jean had certainly given up on ever learning Marco’s true fate. He’s never had a root cause to associate with his friend’s half-eaten corpse because…well, he never needed one. Humans got eaten by Titans. Most Scouts didn’t survive their first mission. And even this was after more excruciating detail offered by Reiner with no further prodding. I’ve seen some wonder why he kept talking but there’s an easy enough explanation.

The 2011 film Shame follows a young New York professional named Brandon who is a sex addict. Much ado with the title, he purposefully seduces women in relationships in hopes of getting caught and assaulted by their jealous partners. He has several reasons for doing this but it’s mostly an attempt to feel anything besides...well, you know.

Reiner is not an addict of any sort but he is very much dead inside, having suffered a series of mental breakdowns of increasing magnitude. He already hates himself for being an Eldian. He hates himself for living a lie. He hates himself for leaving his friends behind and getting Marcel killed. He sees his chance, not for forgiveness, but for human engagement. The fact that Jean is bashing his face in is a bonus for him.

This whole entire update was such a great exploration of Hange’s character but I like this scene especially because of how it mirrors Erwin during his final stand. I don’t consider it an explicit death flag or whatever. To me it’s just a natural progression of human emotion when you’re finished with running for the time being and get a chance to gather yourself. When the adrenaline wears off you really begin to question every choice that brought you to this point.

The knowledge of an outside world beyond their own should have been a triumph. The joy of discovery. The anticipation of adventure. None of which is possible because their entire island is Ex Communicado like John Wick with the Whole Entire World waiting for the first moment to end their whole career. It’s crushing and Hange sold that weight. Yet they still acknowledge that their comrades would not have wanted this outcome even if the cost was their security. It sucks! But genocide sucks more, so they have to get up and try.

Dude, tell me about it.

  Stray Thoughts

- We get a window into the multiverse that contains the Jean that followed through on his promise to have an easy life in the Central District. I like the choice to slow down the narrative a bit to have a check-in of sorts. It’s important to let your characters feel and absorb what’s happened to them. You can’t do that if you never stop moving.

- It’s cool to have Annie back but I don’t really know what to think of her yet. Does anyone else she’s going to be a wrench in whatever plan they come up with? Is that just me?

- Speaking of: killing Eren is the only way to stop him in my opinion and I think he’s counting on it. My big question is how do they get that chance? He has an army of Colossal Titans in front of him and his own Titan is gargantuan to an unimaginable degree. Nevermind the struggle of finding him and getting close. With the Coordinate under his control, he can command all of the Eldians on this team to halt their advance entirely should he choose. Mikasa is literally the one person on Earth who can stop this. Welp.

“I took a personal interest in her,” Pieck says. I mean, she’s not alone tbh.

- My initial reaction to seeing the final panel was [eeeeeks in @falcon94ssy]. Jokes aside, I have wondered for months where Kiyomi was. She is always conspicuous in her absence whenever it occurs. By the look of things, Floch (who looks gigantic here) is looking down past Kiyomi. I would be less worried for her well-being and more focused on whomever it is she’s conversing with.

[trashcankitty12]

I want to know what ‘holidays’ the other realms celebrate around this time of year? Like I know most of the Witches celebrate Yule and all, but what about say... zenith? Or solaria? You don’t have to do every realm, just like.... the main ones. Please?

Okay so I already did Domino, so that one will be given a miss. (I’d link the post, but I’m not sure I can on mobile.)

Solaria:

Yes the witches of Solaria mostly celebrate Yule. Yule is like an overarching holiday among witches. 

Anyway: Solaria doesn’t exactly have winter like other realms do. They’re two suns sort of make it hard to have coldness. (Stella’s family goes off-realm to enjoy winter sports/activities, and she was like six before she really saw snow.)

They do, however, have a week where the moons of Solaria become more prominent and dominant in power over the suns. This causes Solaria to go down in temperatures (mostly light jacket weather, but because Solarians are just a tad ‘extra’ and so super use to the warmth, the tend to bundle up as if it’s snowing.)

This week is called Resetting of the Suns. (This is the translated version of the name, but in Solarian it’s far more elegant.)

Lights from gems and Star Light fueled lanterns are crucial during this time. Often done in remembrance of the power split in the cosmos, the lights are used to power up the Solarians who draw their power more from the sun so they don’t get too weak. (The Solarians more drawn to the moon have their powers increased during this time, and this is their time to ‘shine’.)

Stories are retold over and over about the love between the suns and moons, how they have to share their power for the greater good and they must never come into direct contact, ‘lest their children die in the flames.

Romantic/holiday movies are usually released and shown throughout the week.

Festivals are held in honor of the Moons and Stars all around Solaria. Candies and cookies in the shape of stars and moons are handed out, jewelry created of star dust and moon stone are given to loved ones, and ribbon dances are performed.

(Stella, as the crown princess of Solaria, performs the ceremonial Moonstra Dance with her mother, dressed in traditional lunar fashion with the Tiara of the Moon giving her an aura of peace. She was a little rusty with it at first, but now that she’s more sure of herself and in tune with her body more, partially thanks to Layla’s dance practices, she’s so good at it. Brandon finds himself in awe of how beautiful and elegant she and her mother are in the dance.)

Foods tend to be meaty and hearty to help the Solarians, especially the more solar powered ones, nice and warm on the inside.

Gifts tend to be lunar based. Moonstones and stardust and lunar fashions. (Light-weight and airy clothing designed in blue, white, and occasionally a pale yellow. Hair tends to be done up in star dust glitter and crescent moon shaped head pieces, like ponytail holders or ribbons or headbands.)

Songs singing the praises of the moon are sung among ‘carolers’ and concerts are even dedicated to the moons and stars.

Andros:

There’s two holidays that occur on Andros during the ‘colder’ seasons, aside from Yule.

The Merpeople celebrate Narshala (Nar-shal-a). 

Not much is known about this holiday other than the merpeople gather in the Palace and sing the most haunting songs, reminiscent of the Siren Songs and water particles and bubbles can be seen floating up into the air, bursting in different colors.

(Layla won’t tell what her dad’s family does during Narshala, as it’s a very private celebration among the merpeople and she knows better than to share with outsiders, even her friends. Nabu, however, will be celebrating his first Narshala along with his family.)

Land dwelling Androsians celebrate Nereidisa (Ner-a-dis-a), the Celebration of the Ocean Waves and Winter Solstice.

Andros is sort of a windy place anyway due to the ocean currents and sea breezes, though it’s usually super warm near the beaches.

However, during this particular time of year, even the beaches become chilled and clothing may need be made of warmer material.

Bubble-based lights are lined around the castle walls and the villages and cities of Andros, the lights glowing in different colors based on how close they are to the castle. (They become more and more seaweed green the further from the castle you are, but the closer to the castle you are, the more oceanic blue the bubbles become.)

Seafood feasts are prominent, often with dashes of sweeter tastes. (Like mint.)

Specialized water-based fireworks are shot off on the beaches during night before Nereidisa, as a welcome for the waves. Designs include merpeople, water birds like seagulls and pelicans, different types of fish, selkies, and seashells.

Seashells and fish scales that have been thoroughly cleaned and shined are used to create jewelry and clothing items that tend to be worn at this time.

The royal family tends to dress in various shades of green or blue, their hair braided into seashell bands and streaks of blue or green bubble colors are mixed in. Crowns or tiaras (in Layla’s case) of coral are worn. (The crowns are very much alive and form a temporary symbiotic relationship with the wearer, giving them a power boost while eating the dead skin on their face. It sounds weird as hell to outsiders, especially to Stella and Musa, but it doesn’t hurt the wearer and in fact helps their skin seem even smoother and healthier.)

Dances and plays are a prominent part of this holiday. Children typically perform the plays, detailing the first time an Androsian communicated with the Ocean and discovered it’s true power.

Dances are done by all ages and are done while wearing traditional Nereidisa clothing. (Kelp and seaweed based shirts and leggings, with shells and fish nets used as accent pieces or skirts. Bubbles/morphix batons are used to twirl and create the effects needed.

There is a swimming competition, though only the most advanced swimmers are allowed to participate as the ocean is a bit rough during this time of year.

Games are played with shells and bubbles. Usually simple children’s games; like a version of hopscotch or catch, but there are more complex ones similar to simon says and bop-it with morphix/bubble tech. 

If a new king or queen has stepped up within that year, they are to dress in the attire the first Androsian wore to commune with the waves (a simple shirt and trouser set, usually plain in color.) They are then to walk into the ocean and allow it to overtake them.

They then return to the surface, considered ‘new’ and ‘purified’ by the ocean, a chosen leader.

Melody:

Melody celebrates The Day of the Muses. This holiday celebrates the goddesses of music and their Singing Whales.

Every Melodian knows the call of the whales and as is tradition, they go to the nearest wharf or pier or beach to watch as the whales go by and they try to sing along.

It’s actually pretty warm this time of year, so its not uncommon for Melodians to wear short sleeves or skirts or shorts. (Typically in festive purple or red shades.)

To be really festive, they wear clothes with the print of the Muses on them. (Typically the notes that correspond with the notes the whales sing for their song.)

Dances and parties are often the main way to celebrate. All music types are welcome as this is literally the celebration of music and the inspiration music brings.

This is also typically when prospective musicians of all types (singers, guitarists, classicists, pianists, etc) show off the projects they’ve been working on all year with their family and friends. (And sometimes potential producers.)

Sweets are the main dishes for Day of the Muses as the music goddesses are known for their sweet tooths. (Especially if the sweets are imbued with telepathic magic that allows the taster to hear the music.)

Movies depicting those ‘inspired’ and ‘touched’ by the music goddesses are often shown during this time, hoping to bring a message of hope and perseverance to any Melodian who hasn’t quite found their song or rhythm yet.

Gifts aren’t necessary, but if they are given it’s usually only to immediate family and close friends. (And it’s typically a collection of music that the giver knows the receiver will really flourish from.)

Zenith:

Zenith, being a realm that thrives on logic and numbers, doesn’t really see a point in celebrating the ‘gods’ or ‘goddesses’ or any other being that hasn’t been proven to exist. (In fact, they’d be skeptical of the Great Dragons if it weren’t for the fact that they’ve seen the Dominans and Obsidinites in action before.)

But because of their dedication to logic and ‘the truth’ and their technology, they have a holiday known as Sarpava (Sar-pav-a).

Families get to stay home with each other and they share what they think the most important thing they learned that year was. Sharing knowledge is the big thing for this holiday.

Soups and other warming foods are the main dishes, as Zenithians aren’t fond of sweets typically and their realm is always so cold that their dishes tend to be spicy to compensate... (And keep their bodies warm.)

The Royal Family usually has a major party in the palace, open to the public, where they display an algorithmic light show for the children and hold a major trivia game for the adults and teens. (Broken down into many subcategories. If you win these trivia games, you tend to earn a favor of some sort from the king, be it advanced knowledge of future tech or perhaps even a call into that job you were hoping for.) 

There are also competitions for inventors to enter their new creations in. The winner gets a patent and an opportunity to have their creation developed further. (This was how Tecna’s dad got his company started up. Magnethia was so proud.)

Games of other sorts are often played, though many games to revolve around memorization, skill, mathematical or scientific genius, and trivial knowledge.

Linphea:

Mianea. (Mia-na). (The name is different in Linphean, but this is the translation.)

This is the literal celebration of both ‘death’, ‘renewal’, and ‘rest’. 

Linphea has a month where it’s basically ‘winter’, especially in the more mountainous regions.

Snowfall isn’t much, and hail hardly happens, but it’s there.

Various plants and animals go into hibernation during this time, and some sort of ‘die out’ during this month, but soon ‘regain their form’ during the thawing season.

(Like I said, Death and Renewal.)

Family usually gathers and discuss their family history and how it’s tied in with the nature of Linphea’s being, how they came to be and where they’ll go once they’ve passed, how they’ll once again be part of Linphea’s cycle even in death.

They talk about those who have passed and give thanks for them, leaving little wreaths around the burial sites as a way of tribute.

Sweets are the main dish as a way to soften up the hearts and remind others that life is most definitely worth living.

Some sweets have a little kick to them, such as cinnamon.

Any animals or plants eaten during this time are given praise and thanks, a way to remind the family that sometimes sacrifices have to be made to let others grow and live.

There’s a major festival in the Heart of Linphea’s realm where they dance to Winter Harmony (a ballet-esque dance) and allow their magic and auras to connect with the realm, giving it the strength to renew itself later.

The entire realm feels even more alive with the magic of it’s inhabitants just pulsing through, giving it more meaning.

Gifts aren’t necessarily given, but some families do.

Clothing of wilted petals and half-dried leaves are typically worn as a sign of mourning for the plants and animals lost during this time (and throughout the year). 

Memories and stories of loved ones are shared with the family and a feast is usually held. 

The Evergreen trees are often decorated with colored lights and hand-made ornaments, a show of reverence and finding light even within such a dark time.

Eraklyon:

Eraklyon celebrates Flames and Shields Day. (This is the translation of the holiday.)

Dragon riders, streamers, balloons, candlelight decor, and fireworks.

It’s an all-out, 24 hour party on Eraklyon during this day.

The army and royal guard show off their moves and their weapons. Parties and festivals line the streets.

Vendors selling carnival food and dragon races and levibike races.

Ballroom dances, reenactments of famous battles, fancy clothing.

Classical music and artwork gets shown off.

At the end, there’s a major fireworks display, a grand speech made by the King, and a feast the entire realm is invited too. 

(This is also the best time for normal residents get to air their grievances to the king and ask for certain things to be fixed or to get better.)

It’s a fairly beautiful event and it definitely gets plenty of media attention as the ‘Party of the Year’.

Isis:

Solstice of the Soul.

This is going to sound weird, but this is a holiday of self-reflection and self-discovery.

The people of Isis gather the gemstones that truly ‘speak to them’ and that they draw power from.

They set up mini-circles around themselves as soon as dawn breaks through, using the sun’s power and their own to charge the gems and open up ‘portals’ into their own souls.

This is meant to make them reflect on the past year, help them realize if they’re still on the right path and if they’re where they’re meant to be.

Sometimes people find new gems to speak to or find themselves drawn to new pieces of life.

It’s not much of a family based holiday, but it that’s just how it is.

At dusk, there is a gathering for the Isisians where they power Isis’ Diamond heart to keep the realm safe from harm for another year.

Callisto:

Since this is more of a touristy realm, they tend to accommodate for other holidays instead of having any of their own.

Obsidian:

This may be the opposite realm of Domino, but they celebrated very similarly with lights and flames to worship the Great Dark Dragon.

Traditional Dragon Dances are done, flames used as dancing partners and accents to the dance.

(They typically have more Yule like traditions.)

A major feast at the Palace is often held. Fireworks and family are celebrated.

Mostly though, it’s the unadulterated worship of the Great Dark Dragon and the birth of dark magic.

Plays depicting the Great Dark Dragon’s reign are often shown, as well as the original banishment of the Ancestral Witches.

Grand snowball fights are held. (Mostly for children.)

They also tend to have major balls and more ‘dressed up’ events for the nobility to attend.

Gifts aren’t exactly customary for Obsidinites as being alive and able to feel the Dragon’s Flames are meant to be gift enough. (Though children tend to get at least a little something from their parents.)

Sweets, especially cakes, are the go-to for Obsidinites.

There’s also a bit of a “Trial By Fire” that the one bonded to the Great Dark Dragon has to go through. Basically, they get engulfed in the first flames the Dark Dragon spewed and become ‘purified’ from the flames. This only happens once the Great Dark Dragon’s new bonded has been properly given the crown.

Sword fights and dragon races take place often during the festivities.

The night usually ends with a fireworks show and the promise of the Great Dark Dragon’s protection for another year.

Inseca:

Cocooning Week- (again, another translation done as best as possible.)

This is a week of transformation and renewal. The Insecans try to purge themselves of what they consider to be their worst parts during the last year. They do this by getting rid of clothing or pictures or toys that remind them of something horrible or upsetting that happened. 

(This is also when they let out their worst emotions. Anger, hatred, self-loathing. All of it is aired out and set loose into the world to be lost and forgotten as the Insecan tries to make themselves a better person.)

During the middle of the week, they make a list or ‘focus board’ of who they want to become and the qualities they want to try and gain. Many seek out various friendly ‘spiders’ or ‘spider-like’ creatures to cocoon them for that last night before the end of the week.

At the end, they emerge from their cocoons and typically feel a sense of renewal as they try to become better people than they were at the beginning of the week.

(A feast with family is usually held at this point, along with any gift giving or parties. Meals in the shape or form of various insects are made.)

Tides:

Tides actually has very similar traditions to Androsians because of how close their realms are to one another. 

Honestly the main difference is the tattooing of Tidisians of ‘that age’ (usually 16 or 17 year olds). 

The tattoos are done on the arms, legs, and sometimes backs of the youth, done in the same aura color of their magic and in the flow their magic runs in. (Usually in line with the flow of the tides in the realm.)

[allinmycorner]

Season 28 has had its first elimination! This season, viewers in the Eastern and Central time zones vote during the live show until after the last contestant has danced. All those votes are added to the judges’ scores, which are now given more weight. The bottom two are announced and the judges then get a chance to save one. Carrie Ann and Bruno vote and if they each vote for someone else, Len is the tie-breaker. This is similar to some other reality shows I’ve seen, including the ones from the BBC where Andrew Lloyd Webber would cast roles for musical productions. He always had the final say until the finale. 

Let’s review the episode! 

Mary and Brandon: Aww, poor Mary. Though she didn’t seem to be too broken to be the one going home. Carrie Ann did vote to save her but Bruno and Len opted to save Ray Lewis instead. I think it was the right vote though I do also agree with Len that it wasn’t the right bottom two.

Hannah and Alan: We have our first eights already! Her Viennese waltz was absolutely gorgeous and I think her dancing background served her well with it. It’ll be interesting to see how she progresses but Alan may have another trip to the finals in his future. 

Kate and Pasha: Holy improvement, Batman! Kate looked absolutely amazing in her foxtrot and stunned everyone with how graceful she was. She looked like she was enjoying herself as well and threw herself into the dance. Hopefully she can keep this up! 

Ally and Sasha: It seems Ally earned the reputation of being the worst dancer in Fifth Harmony and of course the internet felt compelled to tell her that constantly. However, I think she pushed back against the haters with this beautiful waltz. But haters generally always hate so just do you, Ally. 

James and Emma: Everyone said James was off this week but I didn’t think so. I thought his cha-cha was well and wondered if he would’ve been better scored if he went later in the competition rather than first. He pulled off some great moves and he was definitely dancing, not just walking around the floor like some contestants have done. I think he’s doing well but he needs to step up his game, just like everyone else. 

Kel and Witney: Kel certainly had a week! His father had brain surgery! But he continued to dance and delivered a pretty good samba. Kel is still hovering in the middle of the pack but I still think he can pull out. He just needs a little extra push. 

Karamo and Jenna: Karamo’s future mother-in-law is adorable! As a former dance instructor, she came to give him some tips but they didn’t seem to impress Len. He still criticized Karamo and gave him a lower score than Carrie Ann and Bruno. 

Lauren and Gleb: I loved that Lauren brought in a picture of herself at 10 years old and called her the most confident person she knew. She found that confidence again as she handled the paso doble rather well. Even more practice and she’ll just keep getting better. 

Sailor and Val: Sailor is still doing well and is improving with more rehearsal. I think she needs to still wow us and she didn’t really do that in her rumba. It was nice but nothing to really rave about. But I think she could pull something off. 

Sean and Lindsay: I was a bit surprised Sean survived this week. I think there were probably a number of people who may have voted for him so he didn’t get eliminated on his birthday. And there may either be a “vote for the worse” situation or a bunch of Republicans deciding to show the liberal elites in Hollywood a thing or two. Or morbid curiosity. I don’t know. But I don’t think he’ll be around much longer. 

Ray and Cheryl: Cheryl went to some great lengths to help get Ray to be more fluid on the dance floor. It worked a little but she still has some ways to go. His foxtrot wasn’t as smooth as Kate’s but he does show promise, so it was understandable why both Bruno and Len decided to keep him over Mary. But he needs to step it up if he wants to stay. 

Lamar and Peta: I think Lamar shows both the pro and con arguments of the new voting system. Lamar had the worst performance last week and there’s a good chance he would’ve been voted off based on that performance. And his performance this week shows he’s probably not going to improve much. But he was very defeatist in his interview with Erin, insisting he had already lost. So I’m sure people felt bad for him and voted for him based on that--which probably saved him. So the new system can prevent one bad dance from sending someone home but it might increase people’s likelihood to vote for someone because they feel sorry for them. I guess we’ll see how his next dance goes. 

Tonight, the remaining couples will be dancing songs inspired by the stars’ favorite movies and someone else will be eliminated. I’ll see everyone next time! 

[930club]

SHOW PREVIEW: Maxo Kream at U Street Music Hall

Horrid street tales and reflections on familial ties are the essence of Maxo Kream’s music. After recently signing a management deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, the menacing rapper from Houston, Texas released his major-label debut album Brandon Banks this past July, a proper follow-up to 2018’s Punken. Amongst the best hip-hop offerings of this year, the album finds Kream inviting the listener into the harrowing world of street life in Houston.

The album is the latest project filled with descriptions of Kream’s upbringing and the daily tribulations of a crime-riddled life, a world intrinsically tied to hereditary bondage of traumatic survival in the ghetto. While Kream fits into the “gangsta rapper” archetype, his life-on-wax songs don’t come without grim consequences and often sober realizations of the other side of high crime. We know as much because Kream has been vocal and forthcoming about the realities of his music. In a recent interview with DJBooth, Kream detailed the gripping realism that defines his work, saying “I ain’t no cop… everything I say you can look up on public records.” Lo and behold, one search of Kream’s name confirms this, as he was arrested in 2016 for soliciting organized crime.

Despite this, the rapper has a promising future, signing with RCA Records last year and increasing his profile every year, with features from Travis Scott and Megan Thee Stallion on Brandon Banks. In fact, if it weren’t for Scott, Kream would not be rapping at all. Kream told DJBooth, “Travis Scott the reason why I started rapping…He like, ’Bro, you needa rap, bro... get on your Biggie shit.’” Scott was not totally off in the Biggie comparison. While he doesn’t have the same name recognition as Biggie, Kream raps with the same laser precision, impressive wordplay and morose weight attached to every word.

Even though he’s still relatively new in the game, Kream has shown he can be this generation’s great heavyweight rapper and a welcome addition to the pantheon of great Houston storytellers. Hopefully his street escapades don’t detract potential fans, as he gifts his stories with unflinching honesty and strays away from glamorizing the lifestyle that consumes many. Catch him on tour performing his latest album Brandon Banks at U Street Music Hall on October 25th, 2019 with support from DC’s own Q Da Fool.

—Richie Kamtchoum

[cosmiclunarprincess-fanfic]

Consummation

Fandom: The Tudors / Henry Cavill

Pairing: Charles Brandon (Henry Cavill) x Female Reader

Warnings:  I’m not the best when it comes to following writing rules. I pretty much write how I want to, so if you’re a stickler for grammar and what not just ignore it or don’t read loll (I’m nice I promise). Deflowering, Fluff, Crying, Kissing, Unprotected Sex (wrap it up so you don’t get the package), Smut.

(Word Count: 1552 )

Plot: You are the daughter of an extremely wealthy nobleman. Your father brought you to court in hopes you would find a suitable husband. You catch the eye of the king’s best friend Charles Brandon the 1st Duke of Suffolk, who courts you. Charles asks king henrys permission to marry you and he approves. The two of you marry and prepare for your wedding night.

mon amour: My love

Ma jolie femme: My beautiful wife

mon cher:My dear

je t'aime c'est tout: I love you that’s all

“Ahhhhhhhh!” I screamed as I ran through the garden maze trying my best not to be caught. I ran as fast as I could, holding my gown in my hands to prevent soiling it. A pair of strong arms hoisted me up into the air spinning me around.

“I’ve got you!” A burley laugh came from the man I love as he placed me back on the ground placing a gentle kiss on my nose, his lips dangerously close to mine. I placed my hand on his chest feeling his heart racing inside.

“Charles, we mustn’t, not until…”

“We are married I know” He smiled and brought his hand to caress my cheek. I closed my eyes leaning into his touch.

When Charles first petitioned courtship to my father I must say, I was both shocked and confused. The rumors at court of his ways with women were no secret and I had heard of them upon my arrival. I was sure he only wanted me as one of his many conquests, of course I would never allow that to happen. My maidenhood was not something I took lightly. Giving it away could bring my life to ruin or see it sore to new heights. As time progressed I saw a change in him. He no longer went to the beds of others and the rumors of his womanizing ways changed to rumors of how well he treats and loves me. He proposed to me in the middle of a great banquet held by the king. It was marvelous to see the looks of envy on the faces of the many woman who coveted him but he was mine.

I opened my eyes when his hand left my cheek, a frown written on my face. “What is the matter mon amour?” He asked sweetly.

“Your leaving tonight and I won’t see you until our wedding. How will I sleep knowing that you’re so far away?”

“I will only be away for two days. I must deliver this letter to Wolsey personally, then I will return, we will be married and you …” He bent down rubbing his nose against mine. I giggled.

“You will be my wife.”

Charles took my hand as we made our way to the gates of the castle, the stable boy readied his horse. I waved franticly as he rode out of view.

Two days passed faster than I had thought and soon enough I was preparing for my wedding. My dress was exquisite, white as falling snow with my family crest embroidered in gold on my vail. As I walked down the aisle and saw tears in Charles eyes I could not hold back my own.  The ceremony was beautiful, half the realm was in attendance including the king and queen. Afterward we had a great feast with lots of dancing, presents and wonderful foods.

My ladies in waiting prepared a warm bath for me infused with milk and honey to soften my skin, they brushed my hair and dabbed my body in a perfume made from water lilies. They helped me into my night gown and robe. My heart pounded so hard in my chest as I walked to my husband’s bed chamber I thought it might burst. His groomsmen announced my presence and opened the door. When I entered his room, Charles greeted me with a warm hug and many kisses on my forehead.

“Ma jolie femme you’re trembling.”

“I’m frightened.”

“Oh, my love you know I would never hurt you.” He pulled away to look into my eyes.

“I know, I know you could never. I’m frightened that I will not be able to please you.” I took a few steps away from him to look out the window. He held my shoulders turning me back around kissing me so deeply it made my head feel light.

“There is nothing you could ever do that would not please me mon cher.”

I smiled beaming with happiness. Charles placed lingering kisses from my lips down to my neck, a small moan escaping my lips and a feeling of warmth spreading over my body. His hands unraveling the string at my chest that held my night gown. He took a sit at the edge of the bed. I slowly pushed the fabric from my shoulders, it pooled around my ankles. My hands instinctively moved to cover my naked body.

“Please, let me look at you.” The love in his voice made me feel safe. I let my hands fall at my sides feeling more exposed than ever. He was quiet for a moment then he let out a heavy sigh.

“What is it?” I asked slightly concerned.

“Je t'aime c'est tout.”

He motioned me to the bed with big grin on his face. I walked over cupping his face in my hands. He took my breast into his mouth sucking gently. He groaned against my skin. I gripped the curly hair at the nape of his neck to keep my balance, his arms wrapping around my waist pulling me in closer. Charles picked me up placing me onto the bed. I watched as he removed his clothes his body was muscular and strong. His chest and stomach had hair but not like a beast it was just enough to show how manly he was. My eyes traveled from his eyes to his chest, his torso and finally to his member. My eyes widened at the site. I had heard the other ladies speak of the male body but seeing it with my own eyes was shocking. It was larger than I imagined, veiny and flush with color.

The bed dipped under his weight as he climbed next to me. His hands tracing a line from my lips, past my breasts, down my stomach and stopping at my core. I gasped arching my back and pushing my head back into the pillows, his fingers rubbing me with care. My hips bucked seemingly of their own volition. I couldn’t hold back the loud moans and whimpers. Charles fingers felt amazing against me. I could feel his cock throbbing against my leg a warm liquid dripping from it. He groaned into my ear, the sound sending waves of pleasure crashing through me. My eyes snapped shut, my body stiffened and I gripped the bed sheets tight biting my lip. He covered my neck and chest in kisses as I caught my breath. He rolled over positioning his body between my legs. I caressed the muscles in his arms that were at the sides of my head. He rested on his elbows, his hands gently rubbing my hair.

My body shivered feeling his hips grind in to mine. His swollen member twitching begging for more friction. He looked into my eyes as if he were waiting for my permission. I took a deep breath nodding my head. He reached down between our bodies positioning himself at my entrance, he hesitated for a moment looking down at me once more. I smiled, lightly brushing my fingers along the line of his lips.

He slowly began to push himself inside of me. A small whimper escaped my lips. He stopped, looking at me with concern.

“Am I hurting you?”

“No, I’m alright. Keep going.”

He continued, stretching me open. I raised my legs a bit higher to accommodate his size, wrapping them around his waist. I felt a sharp pain and a slight burning sensation. I dug my nails into his back drawing a groan from his lips as he sunk himself deep inside me. My teeth bit his shoulder.

He kissed me for a long while allowing me time to become accustom to the feeling of him. Once my body relaxed Charles began to move his hips, slowly at first gradually increasing his speed. He kissed my neck as he pumped throbbing cock in and out of me. Our moans were loud and primal. My body was hot and sensitive to every touch. A sensation like I’d never felt began to swell in belly. My walls spasming with pleasure. His thrusts were wild with passion. He pulled his head away from my neck to look at me, resting his forehead onto mine. He looked down directly into my eyes, seeing the pleasure in his expression sent me into ecstasy. My eyes rolled, my body shook uncontrollably and my core stroked him as his hips drilled into me with frantic desperation.

I’m unsure of how many times I reached climax but it was incredible. Once I calmed down, I cupped Charles face in my hands. His breathing was ragged, his eyes glazed over with pleasure. I kissed him nibbling on his bottom lip. He growled.

“Mon amour…ugh…I’m going to…I’m cumming!” His hips shuddering as he thrust inside me, filling me with his seed.

He rolled next to me pulling me into his arms. I placed my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. He kissed my forehead. I looked up at him and smiled happier than I’d ever been.

“I cannot wait to see your belly grow with child.”

“Charles!” I giggled with embarrassment.

“I swear to all things worthy and good…that to you I will always be true, and never changing.”

He kissed my hair and we drifted into sleep.

[nflfanpointii]

40 is the new 35 when it comes to NFL quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Drew Brees

Back in the day, it was less common for quarterbacks to excel past their mid 30’s. Sure, there was Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, and John Elway. But that short list is dwarfed by a painfully longer one filled with Hall of Fame quarterbacks who seemed to crap out well short the 40 year marker.

Even these all time greats experienced precipitous drop offs in their mid to late 30’s. For Roger Staubach, Steve Young and Fran Tarkenton, it came at 37. For Bart Starr, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and Dan Fouts, 36. For Johnny Unitas, George Blanda, Bob Griese, Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, 35. For Otto Graham, Joe Namath, and Troy Aikman, 34.

This makes it all the more amazing that so many older quarterbacks are still playing at an elite level in today’s NFL. There might very well be five to seven future Hall of Famers starting in the league right now. Tom Brady and Drew Brees are officially in their 40’s. Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger are both 36. Aaron Rodgers is 34 and Matt Ryan is 33; and both signed extensions in the past couple years at times in their careers when former quarterbacks usually retired.

It’s true, quarterbacks are more protected by the rules of the NFL than ever before, and this certainly has played a part in their new found longevity. In 1978, the league restricted contact between defensive backs and receivers to within five yards of the line of scrimmage. This resulted in a dramatic increase in passing attempts per game, which in turn suddenly made the quarterback position more valuable.

Since 1993, quarterbacks could simply escape the pocket and throw a pass out of bounds without incurring an intentional grounding penalty. This made it harder for pass rushers to get to them before they got rid of the ball, therefore avoiding a sack or quarterback hit.

Roughing the passer penalties have become more and more common as the definition has broadened to include late hits, forcible hits below the knee, hitting the helmet, and landing on the quarterback with one’s own body weight.

Last year, former Packers linebacker Clay Matthews was flagged twice for roughing the passer while making what seemed to be perfectly executed sacks. Ironically, it was probably a hit on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers the previous season that may have led to the rule change that cost the Packers two victories a season later.

One would think that with these modern day quarterbacks dropping back more times throughout a game than ever before, their careers would be shorter, not longer. That’s why I think there’s more to it than the implementation of more rules that inherently protect the quarterback.

Because they played before GMO’s and modern day fast food chains, many old school players of the past had access to better food. But that doesn’t mean they took full advantage of their timely access to healthier lives. Joe Namath smoked cigarettes on the sidelines for god’s sake.

I doubt they were paying attention to the pH of their foods like Tom Brady or paying upwards of $200K a year like James Harrison did on therapy treatments like massage and acupuncture. The modern day athlete has to be almost obsessive in their quest for success. Talent alone won’t cut it anymore if you want to stick around in today’s NFL.

Extremely strict diets, fitness, and recovery programs have taken the place of binge eating like Babe Ruth, snorting cocaine like Diego Maradona, and binge drinking like Lawrence Taylor. The two oldest current quarterbacks in the NFL also happen to keep two of the strictest diet and fitness regimens across all sports.

Drew Brees has been working with Todd Durkin in San Diego, CA since his days with the Chargers. Brees loves working with Durkin every offseason. “Whenever I come back for the summertime to get in the best shape of my life for training camp, he’s always got something new or a few new things that make me feel like we’re way ahead of everybody else.”

What’s interesting to me, however, is that even though Brees isn’t Durkin’s biggest, fastest, or most agile athlete, he may have benefited the most simply because he’s willing to work harder than everyone else. And that’s saying a lot considering Durkin’s vast client list also includes Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Darren Sproles, LaDainian Tomlinson, Mark Sanchez, Alex Smith, Brandon Cooks, Reggie Bush, Charles Tillman, Zach Ertz, John Brown, Dontrelle Inman, Malcom Floyd, Ryan Griffin, Chase Daniel, Sean Canfield, Josh Freeman, and my fellow Saints Ignatius College Prep alumnus, Igor Olshansky.

”Drew Brees, first and foremost, is a special person. I will probably not have the opportunity to work with a guy like that in the next 20 years. His concentration and focus are amazing, and he works extremely hard. He’s not the biggest guy or the fastest guy, but he’s going to beat you with his athleticism, his smarts and because he’s such a competitor. I don’t care what it is, the dude wants to win at anything. He’s always restless and never satisfied,” said Durkin.

Brees is absolutely methodical in his training and game preparation. “I know where I’m going to be at a specific time,” he says. “I know what I’m going to be doing; I know what needs to be accomplished for me to feel confident and go out there and play at the highest level.”

His focus has shifted from the archaic meathead approach to training he learned in college at Purdue to a more functional and efficient approach. “I think maybe those [exercises] served the purpose at the time.” Drew says. “But now I’ve wised up to the things that I need to do in a position-specific and functional fitness kind of way to benefit me as a quarterback.”

If you have 30 minutes to kill, watch this video of Brees’ workouts with Durkin.

I’ve been a fitness trainer and instructor for 12 years and I’m telling you, Durkin is the real deal. I love his approach to fitness. I stopped lifting heavy weights years ago and have focused more on agility ladder work, TRX training, yoga, and generally maximizing my strength and endurance gains while also minimizing sheering forces on my joints, tendons, and ligaments.

Tom Brady takes his fitness protocol in an even more holistic, and dare I say, Eastern direction. He and his trainer/business partner Alex Guerrero founded the TB12 training facility next to Gillette Stadium in 2013. Guerrero, though highly controversial, isn’t a total quack in my opinion.

Of course claiming his supplements could curemultiple sclerosis, AIDS, concussions, and other diseases with no shred of testing or evidence based proof was incredibly disingenuous and downright dangerous. Settling with multiple investors out of court for defrauding them is no better either.

But I have to hand it to him: he has kept Tom Brady in phenomenal shape to survive and thrive in the NFL past the age of 40. Guerrero earned a Masters Degree in traditional Chinese medicine from a school in LA that closed after losing its’ accreditation. He is not a physical therapist and does not hold any Western degrees that would qualify him to do a lot of the work he does with his clients.

Yet, Guerrero is highly respected and retained by many professional athletes including Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, Willie McGinest, Jimmy Garoppolo, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Chris Hogan. Instead of focusing on lifting huge weights and tearing muscle fibers, Guerrero prescribes more body weight moves and exercises with resistance bands that are designed to increase the muscles’ “pliability.”

Brady often sees Guerrero twice daily and receives intensely specific massages in which he tenses the muscles while Guerrero massages them. The goal is to lengthen the muscles and increase their flexibility so that Brady can withstand the weekly car crash that is an NFL football game.

The other main focus is to reduce inflammation in the body by maintaining a strict diet. Brady does not eat white flour, white sugar, MSG, iodized salt, coffee, caffeine, alcohol, fungus, dairy, nightshade vegetables and most types of fruit. This diet may sound strange, but it’s most likely derived from the Ayurvedic tradition which is over 5,000 years old and trusted throughout Asia as much as we trust Western medicine.

The part where Brady and Guerrero lose me is by making sweeping statements like everyone should drink 25 glasses of water a day, or eat this exact diet, or that everyone needs to consume TB12 branded electrolytes or wear TB12 branded muscle recovery pajamas.

I’m not 6’4” and 230lbs; I’m 5’6” and 130lbs, so I don’t need more than 65 ounces of water a day, unless Tom wants me to get hyponatremia and die of brain damage. Don’t just replicate a professional athlete’s diet and fitness regimen. These have been specially tailored to them. If you work for Google and sit at a desk for eight hours a day, you probably shouldn’t eat and drink exactly what Tom Brady does.

It’s okay to be skeptical too. Brees isn’t much more trust-worthy with his shameful peddling of Advocare products. It’s important to rely on evidence-based research conducted by independent bodies without a financial stake in the products they test. Even more important, think for yourself and do your own research before listening to athletes that have a financial stake in the health philosophies they are sharing with the public.

If you aren’t hip to eating according to your Ayurvedic dosha (My dosha is roughly 70% Pitta, 20% Vata, 10% Kapha) like Brady seems to, you can go the Western route and still learn something about how to function at a higher level, no matter what your lifestyle is. Drew and Brittney Brees got food sensitivity blood tests done back in 2004. That’s when Brees found he had significant sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and certain nuts.

“As you can imagine, I was shocked because I was consuming most of these things every day. And just to think how long I’ve had these sensitivities and had continued to feed them. Guys coming in fresh out of college are used to going to the training table and eating and drinking whatever they’re given.”

“In many cases, I see myself as a veteran player – pulling those young guys aside and, as part of teaching young players how to be a pro, talking to them about their diet, their sleep habits and their recovery. They’ll start to ask questions like, ‘Hey Drew, what do you do?’ That’s when I explain to them that I use coconut milk and almond milk products.”

It’s not just Brees’ direct teammates like Reggie Bush, Sean Canfield, Chase Daniel, Brandin Cooks, and Ryan Griffin who have followed his lead when it comes to diet and fitness. “It took the fourth or fifth time hearing, ‘You need to do this,’ and then reading about Drew Brees and Tom Brady and others who are your peers doing it,” Kirk Cousins said. “I realized, ‘If I want to hang with these guys, then it’s time to stop playing around.’”

18 of the 32 quarterbacks starting in the NFL are over 30 years old, and by September that list will grow to 21 with the 30th birthdays of Cam Newton, Tyrod Taylor, and Andrew Luck. Even though five quarterbacks were drafted in the first round last year, there’s a good chance less than a third of the starting quarterbacks in the league will be younger than 30 years old.

40 might be the new 35, and it’s not just because of some changes in the rules. Players are spending highly on optimizing their health and performance through a multitude of practices both new and incredibly old. Cousins is right, it’s time to stop playing around.

[astro-onechampionship]

Drama Intensifies on Episode 5 of 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' with Another Candidate Eliminated

"The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition" returned on Thursday, 15 April, with Episode 5. 

This week, ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon "The Truth" Vera joined Karate World Champion "Super" Sage Northcutt to lead the remaining candidates through their most challenging physical task yet. 

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, with Advisor Niharika Singh by his side, made a shocking announcement. He revealed that the winner of the show would be named ONE's new Chief of Staff. 

Physical Challenge: Dragon Boat Racing 

Teams participated in a best-of-three Dragon Boat Race down Kallang River, which tested the candidates' physical strength, mental endurance, and teamwork. Needless to say, the challenge pushed everyone to the limit. 

With three extra members on Team Conquest, Kexin, Paulina, and Joy sat on the sidelines. 

Northcutt served as Captain for Team Conquest, with Clinton, Niraj, Jessica, and Nazee rowing, while Vera led Team Valor, with Louie, Irina, Monica, and Eugene rowing. 

Team Conquest swept the series 2-0 behind a strong group effort. On the other side, Eugene let Team Valor down by stopping multiple times to rest in the heat. 

Business Challenge: Create a Hybrid Product Concept 

For this week's business challenge, candidates were whisked away to the stunning Jewel Changi Airport, where they were tasked to fuse two retail brands, The Shirt Bar and Bengawan Solo, and launch a collaborative product. Before the challenge began, Paulina was transferred to Team Valor. 

With her depth of experience in retail, Monica stepped up for Team Valor as Project Manager. The group came up with "Esensi," a line of scented candles featuring five of Bengawan Solo's signature flavors, which was combined with the detailed customer experience of The Shirt Bar. 

After some politicking between Nazee and Jessica, Team Conquest eventually settled on Joy as Project Manager. The group created "The Heritage Collection," a hybrid product line that consisted of a table book, a mobile phone app, and kitchenwear. 

Joining Chatri and Niharika in the pitching phase was special guest judge Ankiti Bose, the CEO of Zilingo and India's most successful female entrepreneur, who at just 23 years old built a billion-dollar global e-commerce company. 

Chatri was impressed by Team Conquest's concept, but Bose felt there wasn't enough integration between the two brands. Also, Niharika pointed out a lack of clarity in the launch plan. 

Chatri called Team Valor's product "outstanding," but he was appalled by the concept's execution, citing cheap packaging and a lack of excellence. 

After the presentations, both teams headed to the boardroom. 

The Boardroom: One More Goes Home 

Team Valor's more fluid design concept and the group’s overall cohesiveness brought them victory in the end. Chatri praised Paulina's robust launch plan. 

Team Conquest's product concept just missed the mark. Their increasing internal conflict was put front and center. Niraj called Nazee and Clinton selfish and self-centered, as well as poor on values. Clinton was blamed for a disaster of a launch plan. 

In an attempt to protect Nazee from elimination, Joy brought Clinton and Kexin to the chopping block despite Kexin pulling most of the team's weight.  

Chatri and Niharika saw right through Joy's politicking, calling her a pawn and then eliminating the Singaporean candidate from the competition. 

More information on “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” and How to Watch can be found at:  https://www.onefc.com/the-apprentice 

[giftofshewbread]

Prophecy Prospectus 2021

This year, one of the most tumultuous of American history, is at a close. While we think on the birth of the Savior at this Christmastime, the looming, dark clouds of 2021 foreshadow days just ahead that appear menacing. I think it good to think aloud at this point about what might lurk in the distance, overlaying that future with the template of God’s prophetic Word. That’s the only prism through which to view matters with any hope of ascertaining insight.

The presidential election of 2020, despite declarations by no matter the accounting system, remains unsettled in the national, political sphere and the spiritual realm. The battle goes on and is centered within Ephesians 6: 12—as is obvious to those who use that biblical prophecy template mentioned above.

I find the following excerpt, taken from what I consider to be a relevant article, to at least begin to summarize things as they’re shaping up for 2021 and beyond.

In terms of the economy and the American social situation, 2020 is definitely one of the ugliest years on record, there’s really no way around it. That said, I get the impression that many in the public are operating under the assumption that we are about to cross over the peak of the mountain and it will be all downhill from here on. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

All eyes have been focused on the pandemic event, and the thinking is that once the pandemic is “over,” the crisis will be over and everything will go back to normal.

But, as the globalists have been telling us since the outbreak began, the world “will never go back to normal again”. It’s not because of the pandemic, mind you, it’s because THEY won’t allow things to go back to normal. The “great reset,” as the World Economic Forum calls it, is meant to go on for many years. And, the globalists intend that every aspect of our lives be changed into something almost unrecognizable. (“If you thought 2020 was bad, watch what happens in 2021,” Brandon Smith, presented by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge, December 12, 2020)

The author says that the reset planned by the globalists—bringing all nations into their desired new order by requiring that all join their one-world economy—won’t work. It is, he believes, destined to fail. What worries him, he says, is that a devastatingly serious or total collapse will cause a major depression. He says that breakdown is well underway. It has been initiated, he says, by international banks and central banks through massive debt creation and inflationary stimulus measures.

The stock market—which, he says, has seen the Dow at a record 30,000 lately—is not the thing to look at with regard to how well the American or world economy is doing.

But I don’t wish to get into the weeds on the economy; it’s not something I’m familiar enough with to delve into here.

However, fringe economists (those other than the well-known pundits on TV) have long surmised that it’s just a matter of time before the economic dam bursts and the economies of nations come crashing down. America will, they believe, suffer the greatest of all implosions.

My own thoughts continue to be the same as expressed in my series of ten articles written at the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, “Scanning a Fearful Future.”

I write in the series that I don’t believe Bible prophecy predicts a huge economic collapse taking place at the moment God next catastrophically intervenes into wicked human conduct upon the earth.

That conclusion is based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:36–42 and again in Luke 17:26–30. The Lord plainly prophesies in those passages that it will be business pretty much as usual at the time of the Rapture.

He has to be speaking of the Rapture, because He indicates that people will be buying, selling, planting, marrying—doing all the things of normal activity on earth. If He were describing the time of His Second Advent (Revelation 19:11), things would be so bad that nothing normal would be taking place.

We know that, at the same time, it will be like the days of Lot. The world will be totally debauched, with every sort of evil going on. It will also be like in the days of Noah (Genesis chapter 6): Violence will fill the whole earth.

We, of course, have all of the above taking place right at this moment. The “seas and waves” of Luke 21 are roaring. This refers to the peoples who are in turmoil around the world. Protests, riots—unrest of increasing magnitude—are taking place globally. And pestilence in the form of locusts and other sorts, along with a global pandemic of COVID-19, makes the Luke 21 prophecy by the Lord jump out at the observer of Bible prophecy.

Yet, it is business as usual.

If America collapses economically, the entire world will follow. The global economy is so intricately linked to the dollar and to the American economy that the weight of its fall would cause a fiscal earthquake.

This will happen, I have no doubt. This is the conclusion reached in the series I mention. It will happen when Christ calls the Church—all believers—to Himself in the Rapture.

Jesus said that, like when Lot was taken out of Sodom, that very day, God’s judgment will begin falling. The Rapture will be the beginning of the Lord’s Day. The economies of the world will crash.

So we come to the crux of the article: the “prophetic prospectus” for 2021.

Regardless of electoral results or ramifications, Jesus has indicated that things will be business as usual, while at the same time, societies and cultures will be corrupt, vile, violent, and evil, just like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Globalism will be advancing, it’s easy to believe, as Satan prepares to institute his man of sin. However, God has promised that when the man of sin is on the verge of being revealed to the left-behind world, God the Holy Spirit, indwelling the Church, will restrain the evil Satan wishes to inflict.

That is what we see happening right now, as we’ve watched the wickedness unfold day by day, hour by hour, over the past years, months, and days.

The prophecy prospectus, I strongly suspect, includes more of the same. The battle in the high places of Ephesians 6:12 will continue, with God’s restraining hand doing His work to hold back descent into total evil.

Suddenly, then, in the “twinkling of an eye,” Jesus will shout, “Come up here!”.

To see what happens then—from that moment of Rapture until God fulfills all prophecy—read Revelation, beginning with chapter 4. No matter what’s in store for 2021, the “prophetic prospectus,” if you’re a Christian, is glorious!

—Terry