#looking up and this is a common issue that seems to be linked to save data corrupting 8|

[ganondorf]

what they don't tell you about gtav enhanced is that one day it'll suddenly consistently crash 2-3 minutes into gameplay

[v6quewrlds]

how i would love to know what goes down when and after shes doing her lingerie try on for joe

One thing the two of them had in common was their stubbornness. It was a trait that had provided them both with flourishing careers but had also led to more than a few heated disagreements. Despite Joe's wealth, she was a woman who prided herself on her financial autonomy. Growing up, independence was a value that had been drilled into her by her mother, and it was something she wasn't willing to give up, not even for love.

Admittedly, Joe found her fierce independence incredibly attractive, but he couldn't help feeling a little frustrated sometimes. He knew she got herself through college and medical school, and he respected that, but he couldn't help but want to take care of her. It was a contentious issue that had been brewing since they first started dating. She insisted on maintaining her own bank account, paying off her student loans herself, and even had her own savings for retirement.

It was all very impressive, Joe had to admit. But his stubbornness was a mirror to hers, and he had his own pride to maintain. Keeping the peace in their relationship came in the form of two compromises. The first saw she move into Joe's home. Joe's fully-paid, multimillion-dollar home in the Cincinnati suburbs, surrounded by lush greenery and the occasional glimpse of the city skyline. The second was the AMEX card. Rarely used, black, and hard plastic found a permanent, welcomed place in her wallet. The compromise was simple: she would use it for one thing, and one thing only – lingerie.

The card was chosen for a reason. It was linked to Joe's personal account, and he had it set up so that every time she used it, a notification popped up on his phone. The notifications came here and there every few months, usually around special occasions. But the frequency had picked up since she moved in, much to Joe's delight and occasional frustration. It was as if she was playing a game, teasing him with the promise of seeing her in something new, something that would make his heart race and his blood rush.

Today, the notification was from a luxury lingerie boutique they had both stumbled upon during a trip downtown. She had fallen in love with the quality, and Joe had fallen in love with the way she looked in their sets. His meetings seemed to drag on forever as he anticipated the moment he would walk through the door and finally see her adorned in silk and lace, just for him.

The moment Joe walked in, he knew she had something up her sleeve. She lay languidly across their oversized bed, the plush duvet just barely covering her, the TV playing something that didn't seem to hold her attention. The sight of her made his mouth go dry and his heart hammer in his chest. He threw his keys and wallet on the side table and approached her, trying to play it cool. "So, you've been busy," he said, raising an eyebrow.

She grinned wide, her brown eyes sparkling. "I've been home all day," she replied, her voice as smooth as honey. "What makes you say that?"

Joe couldn't resist the urge to lean down and kiss her, tasting the sweetness on her lips. "Just got a notification," he murmured against her mouth, his eyes drawn to the shopping bag she had placed on the floor near the entrance to their shared closet.

She pushed him away gently, her own eyes dancing with excitement. "Oh, that," she said, glancing towards the bag. "I picked up a few things, must have swiped your card by mistake."

Joe's smile grew wider. "Mistake, huh?" He couldn't hide his anticipation. "Well, I guess I'll have to inspect the damage."

She rolled her eyes, playing along. "If you must," she said, feigned exasperation lacing her voice. She slid out of bed, the duvet slipping away to reveal her brown skin. She walked over to the bag, her hips swaying with each step.

He couldn't wait to get his hands on her.

-

"So," she said, her voice a whisper, "last one. What do you think?"

Words seemed to fail Joe as he took in the vision before him, his memory filling in the blanks of what the white lace would reveal. He stepped closer, reaching out to touch the softness of the fabric. His fingers brushed against her skin, sending a jolt of electricity through both of them. "Geez," he murmured, his features marked with hunger. "Baby..." He couldn't find the right words.

His chest pressed to her back, Joe's hands trembled as his fingertips brushed against the delicate bow of the bra, his breath hot against her skin as he whispered, "You're so beautiful." She leaned back into him. She felt his length thicken against her, and a thrill of desire shot through her.

A satisfied smile adorned her face as she took in Joe's reaction to the white lace. She knew that she had picked well, the third set was definitely his favorite. She turned to face him. Joe's eyes were glued to her, his pupils dilated with desire, trying his best to be gentle with the fabric as he felt her curves beneath his palms.

"This might give that black set a run for its money," Joe declared, his words slow and swirled with honey. His thumbs traced the edge of the lace, his eyes darkening as they took in the way her body filled out the garment. She stepped closer, her arms settling over his shoulders. His hands moved to her sides, drifting towards her lower back before finding her ass, giving it a full-handed squeeze.

She hummed softly at the sensation of his rough palms against her smooth skin, feeling the tension in his body as he struggled to hold back. She reached up, placing a gentle hand on his cheek, tilting his gaze up to hers. "Am I forgiven?" she asked, calling back to the earlier banter about curious notifications and mistaken cards.

Joe's eyes searched hers for a moment, the fire of desire dancing in their depths. Then, with a smoldering smile, he leaned in and kissed her, deep and slow. "Always," he responded against her lips.

Her hands slipped under his shirt, finding the rigid lines of his torso, and Joe groaned into her mouth, his arms tightening around her waist. The kiss grew deeper, more urgent, as the energy in the room shifted from playful teasing to something more desperate. She felt the heat between her thighs, and she knew Joe could feel it too. He broke the kiss to pull his shirt over his head, discarding the cotton material before grasping her thighs and lifting her. Her legs wrapped around his waist naturally, the lace of the g-string brushing against his skin as he carried her to the bed.

[edenfenixblogs]

outside of the general principles of credibility and fact-checking (or including those if you want) and looking for commitment to peace and shared prosperity like you mentioned in your pinned, do you have any other advice on gauging the reliability of sources regarding israel/palestine? or any particular sources you recommend as reliable or warn against as unreliable? there's so much misinfo and disinfo out there that i often end up getting overwhelmed and sharing nothing specific - and i know that's not exactly helpful, i'm just not sure where to start.

This is SUCH a good and important question!!! Thank you so much for asking it. I’ve been waiting until after work today to answer, so I can give it the attention it deserves.

This is an incredibly complex topic. It is completely ok to tackle only one item of this at a time. It is ok to spend more time listening than speaking. It is ok to only do basic fact checking until these things become second nature. It seems like a lot. But it actually becomes quite simple when you realize that, as a member of a non-affected group, your only job is to steer the conversation toward truth and peace.

That means most of what you are doing is rejecting sources and individuals engaging in bad faith discourse by simply not engaging with them. Your next most common task will be to publicly fact check bad faith discourse or incorrect information that has spread too far.

It is tempting to become outraged when you become familiar with bad faith discourse and data and see it spread widely. However, remember that this is incredibly complex and even the most experienced people get things wrong on this subject all the time. If you notice an error in what appears to be someone trying to bring attention to a cause they care deeply about, approach with kindness first. Always.

Try a reblog or a personal message with a link to the problematic post and say something like,

Hey. I care a lot about [issue] too. And I am trying really hard to make sure everything being spread right now is verifiable and accurate so nobody gets upset about things that aren’t true. Did you know that [thing you said+link to the post where you said it] was actually proven false by [reliable source+link to that source]? I’m really glad that didn’t happen. Of course, terrible things are still happening [to Palestinians/Israelis/Jews/Muslims/Arabs] on/in [college campuses/diaspora/Palestine/Israel/etc] there all the time. But at least nobody has to suffer through [incorrect info]. By the way, I’ve found a lovely organization run by actual Palestinians/Israelis/Arabs/Muslims/Jews working together to find peace for all. Check it out, I think it has promise! [link to reliable cause/organization]

Here is a wonderful site for MENA-based organizations geared toward fostering a shared peaceful future in a variety of ways.

Give the poster a chance to self correct. You will be wrong in the future. Model the way you would like to be informed of an error.

I briefly touched on the basics of identifying any source as reliable here. I won’t reiterate because this may be a long post and I wanna save space. But it contains the basics of what I learned in college.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that no source is objective. No source is without bias. And there is no way to make any source objective or without bias.

News is written by people. And all people have viewpoints. Giving all voices in a conflict equal importance is not inherently unbiased, because that risks giving support to more harmful ideas and equating harmful ideas, ideologies, and organizations with reasonable ones. Likewise, asserting that one viewpoint is correct and being unwavering in this belief no matter what is obviously no way to cultivate a balanced and well informed viewpoint.

Your job is to use critical thinking skills to examine the level of bias in a piece of media as well as how responsibly the source handles that bias. Your job is also to do your best to be aware of bias as well as what bias is relevant to the subject matter being reported. A source that is left leaning, but never shares fake information and is always verifiable is preferable to a source that is moderate but consistently shares half truths or faulty information.

Sometimes, information from a less than ideal source can be shared, but if you are sharing that source, you must explicitly state that source’s flaws and why you chose to share that information anyway. And if you are unable to find a better source, you should state that you are sharing information that may be incomplete or inaccurate and you are happy to update the post you are sharing if and when more information or confirmation from a more reliable source emerges. There are very limited situations where this is appropriate. Usually I would suggest not sharing information from such sources at all unless it can be backed up by better information.

One example of such a case is information about antisemitic hate crimes from the ADL. The ADL has a very problematic history and one should be aware of it when they share statistical data from the organization. However, that doesn’t make their information inherently unusable. It makes their information inherently suspect, though. In order for anything shared from the ADL to be worth sharing, you should be able to evaluate the data collection method and the sources of the data. And if there is any information in the data you are sharing that is not appropriate, you should explicitly draw attention to it, not try to hide it.

Case Study: Global Antisemitic Incidents in the Wake of Hamas’ War on Israel

This list contains very useful data on incidents of antisemitic violence against Jews in diaspora since 10/7/2023. I trust this data because: it links to each individual news source it references, often with pictures of the attacker/attack/incident and time stamps. It’s data is open to questioning and its sources are available to check individually. This is in line with the ADL’s mission statement of tracking antisemitism. Documenting antisemitism is not an inherently biased practice nor do I have any reason to believe that they lie about the antisemitic incidents they document. As that is not one of the things that critics accuse the ADL of, I do not see a reason to question its record on antisemitic incident reporting. I have never heard a critic make a substantiated claim against their formally collected data as falsified. I am willing to be proven wrong on this, but I will interrogate a source claiming this as thoroughly as I interrogate the ADL as a source itself. I am skeptical of this source because: the title of the article uses extremely biased language that makes the war seem one sided. The advantage of this source is: it is one of the few sources existing that collects data on antisemitic violence and hate incidents of Jews in diaspora. A sign of good faith from the organization: they dedicate a page to addressing criticisms of their organization, which means they feel confident that criticisms of them will stand up to scrutiny. It is not sufficient to use this page to absolve them of any of the listed criticisms, but it should help you find articles that critique the ADL as well as relevant information that supports their defense. Thus, you must come to your own conclusion on whether or not that information is trustworthy on the matter you are commenting on. A sign of possible bad faith from the organization: their page devoted to confronting myths and inaccuracies about their organization’s history does not address accusations about supporting South African Apartheid or failing to call the Armenian Genocide a genocide. An acknowledgment of my own limitations: I am not an expert in South African Apartheid in any way nor am I an expert on the Armenia genocide. Any other relevant information: Any reputable news sources verify information before reporting. If a news source that is verifiably responsible in its reporting cites information from the ADL, I will assume they have made adequate inquiries to verify that information as accurate enough to report. For example, if AP reported information and cited the ADL statistics, I would assume that the ADL made sure the data fit its high standard for reportage.

Conclusion: I find the ADL to be a trustworthy enough source of data about antisemitic attacks and incidents on Jews in diaspora, but only in cases where their sources and/or methodology are made public and/or another more regulated or otherwise more reliable source of statistical information partners with them. Because I lack expertise on South African Apartheid on the Armenian Genocide, I will not share information from the ADL about Palestinian apartheid, segregation, oppression, or genocide (until or unless I become more well-versed in these topics or am able to devote substantial energy into fact checking each claim in what I share. If I ever choose to do this, I will share every source I used to verify the information so that others may check my work and inform me if I’m wrong. At this time, I do not foresee a situation where I would refer to the ADL for matters about Palestinian concerns). The ADL in general and the linked source in particular seems to be an overall worthwhile source to cite on matters of antisemitism. The ADL does not meet my standards of a reliable source on Palestinian suffering. Check each link/source on an ADL source you want to share and form an informed conclusion on its reliability before sharing.

Also, be aware that primary sources with biased information are extremely valuable but never objective on their own. A tweet from the IDF or a statement from a released Palestinian prisoner may both be true! But sharing them as if they are definitely true without fact checking the information through the most trustworthy sources available is irresponsible. Do not share any social media information as fact. You are free to share social media information and publicly explore its implications in a responsible manner, but it is not responsible to discuss them as facts.

Case study: When something in Gaza or Israel is bombed, be sure that you know who the key players and commentators are.

When the IDF releases a statement blaming Hamas for bombing their own citizens, know that the IDF has a vested interest in not being perceived as an aggressor. When the Ministry of Health in Gaza accuses the Israeli military of being responsible for the attack, be aware that the Ministry of Health in Gaza is run by Hamas and is not a third party neutral source. Do not post anything about an event like this until the information is fully vetted by a neutral third party source (or as neutral as you are likely to find on such a hot button issue).

The best way you can help during an emerging story is to urge others to wait for full details, call out people irresponsibly casting blame before the facts are in (especially politicians), and repeatedly verify every source of information as they are named so that you know if they are trustworthy. Do not trust politicians who espouse inflammatory and prematurely accusatory information and do not make a public retraction and apology when they are found to be wrong.

That said, it is always appropriate to express sorrow for loss of life. You do not need to accuse a killer in order to do this.

There are also sites geared toward helping you identify the source itself fairly. Note: sites like these will help you evaluate the publication or news entity (eg New York Times, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, etc.). They won’t help you evaluate an individual journalist or article.

Some sites to help you verify credibility:

Media Bias Fact Check: Allows you to verify sources based on the news source’s political bias in terms of a left-right spectrum as well as by their reliability on matters of science, their use of questionable sources, and use of satire. Also, you can check how reliably factual the source’s reporting is. You can also sort by country, media type, general credibility, and how well trafficked the source is. They also publicly offer insight into their methodology of coming to these conclusions.

The Associated Press (AP) fact checks individual claims. Other news organizations fact checking claims include Reuters, The Washington Post and AFP. While AP is a gold standard and generally reliable, be aware that news organizations are also subject to bias. The advantage is that news organizations have investigative reporters on staff to investigate claims. The disadvantage is the bias inherent to the publication itself.

Other third party cites checking facts in news reports and in politics include:

FactCheck.org

Politifact

Snopes

Lakehead University offers an entire site devoted to developing media literacy as well as many ways to search fact checking sites. So does Kansas State University, and UMass Amherst. Many universities offer sites like this. I urge you to look into them.

Once you find a news or data source you trust, do a quick google search on the journalist’s name and a relevant phrase to the aspect of the conflict being reported on. For example The Newspaper Tribune Times Chronicle may be trustworthy. Veteran reporter, Ima Journalist may have written an article about Israel Bombing Gaza. So, before sharing it, just Google: “Ima journalist” + Israel Palestine Jews antisemitism Islamophobia. Make sure you don’t see something like “Ima Journalist photographed screaming ‘Hitler was actually a super good guy!’ anywhere in her history. When satisfied, feel free to share the story.

Other points to keep in mind:

Be aware of crappy tactics on both sides of the i/p conflict.

The IDF is often accused of excessive violence and planting evidence on Palestinians. This often leads to Palestinians being unfairly accused of terrorist intent and criminal violence.

Hamas uses civilians as human shields — both by using individual humans as shields and also launching bombs from civilian buildings (like hospitals, preschools, and libraries), building militaristic infrastructure in or beneath those same civilian buildings, and instigating conflict with IDF soldiers positioned near residential and civilian locations. This allows Hamas to escape criticism by framing the IDF as mindlessly bloodthirsty and eager to kill Palestinian civilians.

And finally, make sure accusations and talking points never conform to antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The universal aspects of antisemitic conspiracy theories (detailed more fully in the source linked above and also in another post I made) are:

Accusing Jews of replacing another group or population

Accusing Jews of pretending to be something they are not

Accusing Jews of dominating or attempting to dominate a prominent or essential aspect of a society or the world at large.

Accusing Jewish people of genocide and bloodlust in pursuit of personal gain

Accusing Jews of undue privilege or if appropriating something belonging to others.

Dehumanizing Jews by grouping them under a collective name or identity.

I hope this helps! Feel free to share it!

[luveline]

I'm sorry to send you such a loaded question, but as a young adult, how do you stay motivated and... I don't know, do the things you have to do? Ever since I left high school, I've felt that it's hard to commit to anything, especially the things I have to commit to in order to have a future, because everything seems so monotonous and uninteresting and stressful to me; because I feel like I'm not capable of doing anything, of being competent.

Anyways, I love your blog. Your writings are one of the few things that make me happy on the worst days xx

that’s okay! I’m gonna try and answer you clearly !! cw for suicide mention

So first I want to say that I’m really sorry you feel this way! It’s quite a heart ache to feel uninspired or uninterested, or worse to feel like you’re not capable of doing things everyone else is doing. You deserve to wake up and feel happy and confident in yourself and your abilities! And I want to say I’m sorry in advance if this is not quite the answer you’re asking me for!

so, when I was around 18/19 (and well beyond those years, but this was when I was very done and defeated and, you know, crying myself sick every night if I wasn’t just laying in bed) I was in university, but I didn’t finish the year at campus, and I had to go home. I’m not sure if this is something I should be saying because it’s so personal but I just want to sort of be honest with you cos I don’t want you to think you’re alone in that feeling. But anyways I had to go home, I was really lonely and I just felt like I couldn’t do what everyone else was doing, like there was something wrong with me. I couldn’t cope with the kitchen, I couldn’t use the bathroom there, I didn’t know how to turn the heating on, couldn’t talk to people, couldn’t navigate the bus by myself, and I felt so pathetically stupid, I had such low self esteem for myself that I felt like I should kill myself just because I was so useless —I didn’t WANT to understand these things. I just didn’t want to do anything. And the reason I’m mentioning it is because while I don’t think it’s okay to assume these things of you, I want to emphasise that there can be a common link between feeling like you aren’t capable and a mental health issue! Of course, you can feel quite useless without that though, so not telling you that that’s definitely what you have going on but more wanting to say that if you think it might be useful, you can have a look at mental health issues and perhaps see if you’re relating to them. But beyond that, hopefully on the way to answering your question, is how I managed to feel more capable and how I now find motivation to do things I have to do.

I sort of had to do a reset, or a sabbatical! I’ve always been an upset person unfortunately, and I had a long few months where I didn’t do anything at all. I’m really, really fortunate that my mother let me stay at home while this was happening however reluctant she was, I can’t imagine really what I would’ve done or what could’ve happened to me if she didn’t let me stay there. I always thought about how she could’ve just turned me out and she probably wanted to, because for months I stayed in bed. I didn’t talk to anybody, deleted all my social media, and I stewed in how much I hated myself for not being any good at anything. I felt soooo stupid and so alone, and I probably cried myself to sleep every night wondering about my life and if I’d ever have the motivation to go on. There are still times now where I am intensely upset and unsure about things and what I’m capable of, but the difference between then and now, and the reason for my motivation I think, was that I was able to foster a need for something? I’m really so sorry if this sounds like total total nonsense, but I needed something. I wanted so badly for someone to “save me” from my not being able to do things, I spent a lot of time thinking about that. Like, how I could be saved. And then I strung out the middle man without realising I was doing it! It is very hard to go from having no motivation and no sense of self ability to then being confident, but I do think you can do it! I needed someone to get me a job and I ended up doing it myself, I needed someone to be gentle with me when I was sad so I started speaking to myself with a more kind inner voice and seeing myself as someone who didn’t need to be perfect to be good.

There was lots of bits of advice I tried to take on. Not all of it is kind to myself, some of it is though!! Like, for example, there’s a sort of parody of it now that says “I think you’re thinking about yourself too much” but one of the ways I stopped hating myself and instead started to believe I could do things and achieve was by thinking about the level of self obsession I was feeling to constantly think of myself. And I promise I’m not trying to say something hurtful to you, I absolutely don’t believe you’re self obsessed, but you’re also not incapable!! In a slightly more annoying take on your feelings, why can’t you do it if everyone else can? You absolutely can! I personally believe sweetheart that you can do everything I can, but you need more support, or you need to be fostered with some love. You are not incapable, you are not incompetent, you are a smart, kind, and important person. There is nobody else like you on the entire planet and I’m better for it that you’re here.

I apologise profusely if I’m projecting too much on you, I’m not trying to say you must feel exactly as I did years ago, but I think your ask really is important and I really want to give you an answer to your question because I know I felt exactly the same at some point. Working toward a future self I didn’t even like or believe in was boring. Nothing in me wanted to work hard or study or continue because I didn’t look forward to achievement.

sorry this is all so long! Hopefully this last bit is the actual advice you might be able to use. Beyond that wisdom about trying not to dedicate too much time to thinking of myself, there are lots of “rules” I tend to live by, in order to just keep going forward. For starters, you deserve to have fun. You deserve good food, nice clothes (not showy though you deserve those too, but nice sturdy clothing), a warm safe house, and you need to work for it! We defo deserve to work less for things but I keep going and trying to better myself because I know I need to do this in order to be comfortable. This will sound out of left field, because the focus of the book is not strictly motivation, but there’s a graphic novel called my lesbian experience with loneliness by Nagata Kabi that has stuck with me because she has this same sort of view as to feeling like she’s stuck in monotony, and there’s one bit in particular where she talks about doing things for yourself you might not do, I.e making sure you have underwear and socks that are clean and whole. I grew up poor and I’m not super rich now either, but since I read that, one of my priorities is having whole and clean underwear, and that did help me find the motivation to work or to study. We need to function in a way to maintain good standards for ourselves, and even if you have boxes of clean socks, there might be something in your life you can think about working toward! I throw away underwear or any clothes that don’t fit me right, and I don’t feel guilty about it when I would’ve before because I know that feeling well dressed is good for your heart. Does that make sense? To give yourself a good standard of life, you have to keep going. As well as that, another way I stay motivated to go on which I’ve talked about before maybe (not that I expect you to have read this) is my writing. I’m motivated sometimes to do things I have to if only because I need free time to think deeply about the things I want to think about. Also I love writing more than pretty much anything, even if most writers will look at what I’m doing and laugh or wonder why I’d dedicate so much time to some things in particular, because I love it. If I can make sure my rent is paid every month, that’s a promise I have a room to sit in every night where I can write whatever story I want! Another motivation is my ability to give bits of myself? It sounds ridiculous because I don’t genuinely believe I’m giving myself to people but to try and be a positive part of someone life is a good place to start if you feel purposeless. My relationships with my sisters are a tether for me and I’ve tried so hard and so much to make these relationships count, as well as with long distance friends, and recently ish I got back into contact with friends I couldn’t maintain relationships with when I was feeling down, and now my life feels very changed. I don’t live solely for myself, (though it’s okay if you do, because its hard and sometimes a lot of pressure to live for and around others) so that gives my life more purpose, and gives me more reason to do things I have to do. I also desperately enjoy this blog !!

I’m genuinely so sorry if this is all useless. I’ve been typing this answer since like 1:05 and it’s much later now, but it’s because it’s hard to describe to you the things that give motivation, because I know deep down how impossible it feels when you have none. I don’t expect you to read this and think aw jade you’ve solved it I’m fine now actually, I just hope that one thing in here can lend you an idea as to what to do next. If you’re struggling to go on, there are lots of options available to you in the UK such as the SHOUT text line for stress, depression, and eating disorders. They’re free to text and anonymous! I don’t think there’s one answer to giving yourself purpose, it is a very hard life and I don’t blame you for feeling incapable or bored or worried or anything you’re feeling, but I do for sure know you can do this, because I can do it, if that makes sense. Like I bet we’re extremely different people on account of uniqueness but also bet we have so many similarities!! And I certainly don’t mind guessing that you’re a loving, caring, person who deserves to feel more fulfilled. It’s my recommendation that you try to understand why you’re not feeling your best right now, that you talk to someone if you can, that you have some faith in yourself, and that you treat yourself with the same love and patience as you would any other person experiencing burnout! again I’m so so sorry if this is all rubbish. I’m forcing myself to stop now. So sorry if it doesn’t make sense or if half of this is completely unrelated to what you’re asking. I love you and I hope you feel better, genuinely truly ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[16mistypaw]

Misty's Whumptober 2024

Day 2 (Trust issues)

Link stumbled towards the portal. Stepping through the swirling mass, instead of seeing Lana or any of his other allies on the other side, he was dropped in an unfamiliar area and his heart spiked with anxiety. The portals always took him back to where he came from. What had gone wrong with this one?

Weary and wounded Link stumbled towards the portal, ready to go home already and close the gate for this realm. The battles just never seemed to end, and the exhaustion he felt was a constant at this point. He stepped through the swirling mass, expecting to see Lana or any of his other allies on the other side. Instead he was dropped in an unfamiliar area, and his heart spiked with anxiety. The portals always took him back to where he came from. What had gone wrong with this one?

A rustle of leaves behind him had him spinning around, drawing his sword to meet the lizalfos’ blade. It nearly threw him back with the force of its blow; this single lizalfos was much stronger than the weaker, more numerous ones he was used to. He surged upwards, throwing the other blade off his own and slicing at the monster's face in the same movement. It jumped back, easily dodging his swing and leaping over him.

He was too slow to turn and meet it, as it’s sword met his back and threw him to the ground. Quickly flipping himself over he braced his sword above him, eyes flinching closed as the lizalfos raised it’s own blade. The expected blow never came. Instead the monster shrieked in pain, startling as he looked to see what happened.

The lizalfos was writhing on the end of the blade sticking out of it’s chest, before it twisted and was torn out to the side, nearly tearing the monster in half. It collapsed a moment later, dead and slowly dissolving into black smoke, revealing the one who had stabbed it from behind.

“Are you alright?” The man was on the taller side of average, with bulky looking armor and an equally large sword in his hands. A single blue eye stared down at him, the other scarred over and surrounded by strange markings. They offered him a hand up, which he hesitantly accepted. Even standing, the stranger was nearly a head taller than him, and Link tried not to let himself feel intimidated. He had just saved him after all.

‘Unless he just wanted to capture him alive.’ His mind supplied. Which he couldn’t make himself deny. Traitors within his own ranks had tried to turn him over to Cia more than once, blaming him for the war and believing his capture would be the end of it. He couldn’t trust his own soldiers anymore, he certainly couldn’t trust someone he didn’t know.

“I’m fine, just some bruises.” He lied. Better not to show weakness when he was still uncertain of their motives. “Can I ask your name?”

An expression he couldn’t identify crossed his face for a moment, before settling into something almost resigned.

“It’s Link.” The newly named other Link replied. “We already know each other, though I’m not surprised you don’t recognise me like this. I fought by your side in the war, when I was only ten.”

“The kid? He’s back at-” He cut himself off. The other Link, if that really was his name, had no business knowing where his younger brother was. “You’re not him.” He settled on. The kid was safe back at camp, awaiting his return along with his other allies.

“I am, went by Mask because of the masks I wore to fight.” He insisted.

“That’s common knowledge. You’ll have to be more convincing than that.” Link shot back. Something fell between them, and they both glanced down to realize his sword had slipped from his hand. Blood collected at his fingers, trailing up his arm and beginning to stain his shirt where it was torn at the shoulder. He habitually flicked his scarf over his other shoulder with his non-bloody hand, hoping to avoid ruining the blue fabric.

“You’re injured.” He sounded almost accusing as he reached forward. Link stepped back, stumbling over his own feet. A hand on his uninjured shoulder prevented him from falling, but was quickly removed when Link violently flinched away from the contact.

“Don’t touch me!” He snarled. The other man looked hopelessly lost on what to do in this standoff, clearly thinking over his options.

“I won’t without permission.” He agreed, and Link bristled. Did he think he would get permission to do so? “But you either need to heal yourself or let me help.”

Link leaned against a tree as he searched through his bag. He already knew he was out of healing items, but desperation made him check again anyways in the vain hope he had missed one. He didn’t realize he was sliding down the tree until he was abruptly sitting on the ground.

“Captain!” He looked up at the man anxiously hovering over him. “Please, let me help.”

“No.”

An uneasy silence settled over them briefly as the other started rummaging through his own belongings. Link caught glimpses of masks like the one his kid brother wore, but it would be easy enough for someone to make replicas. The one he ultimately pulled out though gave him pause as it was held out to him. Not to take, certainly not if it was the real thing, but for him to examine.

“Take a look at this. I promise, it’s really me.”

Link reached out cautiously, touching the red and blue markings on the blank eyed mask. It wasn’t wood that met his fingers, but a smoother material that felt closer to skin. Just like the original Fierce Deity’s mask.

“Is it really-? No. It can’t be.” Link withdrew his hand as if burned.

“What will it take to convince you? If-” They trailed off, looking pained. Then, “Please, don’t make me do this.”

“Do what?”

“The mask. If I put it on, will that be proof enough?” They were practically begging now.

“Only Mask can use that, even if it were the real thing.”

They took a deep breath, stepping back a few paces and bringing the mask to cover their face. Bracing himself, he pressed it to his face. And then screamed, the mask merging seamlessly with his face as his body and armor changed in response to the powerful magic. It took all but a few seconds, and then the Fierce Deity himself was looking down at Link where he sat on the ground.

Though Link had seen the Deity many times before, it was a new experience to meet him outside the battlefield. They reached out, then paused and withdrew their hand without touching him.

“Little Soldier. Do you believe him now, that he is who he says?”

“Kishin?” Link faltered a moment before continuing. “It really is Mask? How? He was resting at camp after the last battle.”

“It is. The young one is still where and when you left him. This one is from a different point in time, long after he left your war and grew up in his own time.” He paused, scanning blank eyes over Link’s form. “He is concerned for your health, may I tend to your injuries?”

Link warred with himself for several long moments. It really was Mask after all. He knew better than most his aversion to touch, and the reason for it, which meant the Deity knew as well. They were both safe, and though he hated to admit it he needed the help.

“Alright. Just…” He trailed off, unsure what to say.

“I understand.” And somehow Link knew he did. Guilt began to knaw at him as Kishin helped him pull the tunic and chainmail over his head. He had treated Mask poorly, when all he had wanted was to help. He was vaguely aware of Kishin speaking, then a sharp stinging in his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. Kishin paused in washing the wound, and Link belatedly realized he had told him he was going to touch him.

“It’s alright, Little Soldier.” Link forced himself to relax as the Deity resumed cleaning the wound. It was a deep cut, it would take time it to heal completely. A potion was handed over, which he drank while a bandage was wrapped around his arm and pulled snug. At last the Deity deemed his work complete, allowing Link to pull his shirt back on.

“Thank you.” The Fierce Deity simply nodded in acknowledgement, reaching his hand up to press against the marks on his cheeks.

“It had been a while since Link has used my power. Please, look after him until he recovers.” With that Kishin dug his fingers into his cheek, his magic dissipating as the mask came off in his hand. Mask swayed, roughly sitting himself on the ground next to Link.

“Mask, I’m so sorry, I should have listened-” Mask held up a hand, cutting him off.

“It’s alright, I understand.” He gave a tired smile.

“Even still, it wasn’t fair-”

“Captain.” Link shut up at the firm tone. “I said it’s alright. I know why you did that, I don’t need an apology.” Mask stifled a yawn, leaning against the tree. “I need to rest. We can talk more later, okay? I’m just happy you’re okay.”

“Alright. Later, then.” Link reclined against the tree beside his brother.

“I’m glad to see you, Link. I’ve missed you.” Mask’s voice was quiet, on the verge of sleep.

“I’m glad to see you too, brother.” Link leaned into Mask’s shoulder, allowing himself to relax. It didn’t take long before they had both dozed off, safe and secure within the other’s presence.

[ggren-mainz]

Umineko - question arcs playthrough -> ep 1 - 7

last part - All parts and episodes - next part

If i continue like this i might en up needing to make a master list with all the links, cause apparently there's a limit to how many links and photos you can have in one post. Oh well, an issue for future me.

The witch! It's the witch! They're real and very witchy!! Death to non-believers!!

Ok but a non-witch theory, hmm it wouldn't be impossible for someone to fake all of these, at least for now it's pretty simple. And the butterflies could be just a trick of light. But eh, it's more fun to think that witches exist now, isn't it?

Betting on them discovering a body or something like that.

Dead dead DEAD D E A D.

The perfect stuck together with a body mystery, am I right? Can't get out of the island, no contact with the outside. Reminds me of that one Agatha Christie play (and i do know this is a very common theme in her works but this is the one i saw) The Mousetrap. Very fun.

Hell yeah, erasing the evidence. Gonna help the mystery for sure.

oooh la la, 2 with one stone, not like i am complaining! But unfortunately i do know that he will live so yeah. All else i know is that George, Jessica, Kanon and Sayo live at least until answers arc, Rosa at least until ch2 where she pulls out a gun(????) and Beatrice and Battler the entire game. yeah, that's kind of it.

ok wait a second let's think. This makes...5 people.

... so prob someone else is also missing which would make 6. Huh so this is...the start of the witch's epitath huh. And i assume the two who are close are Sayo and George. We also know at least 5 people will be left alive after the 3rd night. Interesting.

Natsuhi Entered Kinzo's study and he basically said she's an Ushiromya in her heart, and he's so right. She does everything for this damned family, while the siblings all try to tear it apart. You might be insane and probably evil Kinzo, but this one was right. Even a broken clock is right twice a day or something.

Still waiting for the toxic yuri + hate sex between these two. Bet it exists.

yep, knew it. Well there goes the 6th one. Now as I have mentioned, i know they aren't dead but i am curious over where they are and what will happen to them

wait huh did they find their bodies?? one body? someone's body, or at least someone gravely hurt??

I was about to say that I hope Maria doesn't join them. Good cause i doubt it will be a pleasant sight.

Ooook.... I don't know if i should say i expected this or not. Like on one hand i did, on another i didn't. So they'll come back but...how? I am sure they will, at least some of them but again...how??? Love Jessica's voice acting tho.

Back with the bold text, and yeaa... yea. Poor battler, i genuinely feel so bad for him. And i wonder how Maria will react, thank god she didn't come.

Also thought, but was Natsuhi supposed to be one of the victims, but because of the charm she was saved? And mayhap Gohda was taken instead of her? Just an idea. Also the tips represent how much their faces were fucked up, good to know. And also probably where they were originally stabbed, looking at the other red dots. Quite small tho...

Gosh this is so depressing... Poor George, poor Jessica, poor Battler, poor Maria POOR EVERYONE.

THAT'S THE KEY! The key that chose them! I think at least, because it seems like a pretty unimportant detail to press so much on, and especially draw like this.

So basically after this Kumasawa comes and cries about blood in the dining room, and after a bit of investigation they conclude that that must be the crime scene. They all leave with a bitter taste in their mouth. And after that the most unexpected thing happens (sarcastic)

yeppp....no one expected this.

I wonder if the typhoon will last longer, as for all of the days said in the epitaph to happen. I mean it would be a bit anticlimactic if the police just arrived and they're all escorted.

Anyways just realized i talked a lot here and i should've probably cut it up at the end of last chapter ooopsss. See you next post ;P

next part

[dykesbat]

hi. writing here because of your privacy settings, sorry.

from what i’ve seen you’re doing supporting for fundraisers, and i wanted to ask for your help.

i’ve had a person submit an ask to me saying they’re from gaza and need donations. i’ve never had experience with anything like this, but i’m trying to ask questions. they don’t share much info about themselves. their link leads to a something something linktree where you can donate with paypal. they sent me a photo per request, upon looking it up in google it leads to a gofundme https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-aqlain-family-evacuate-gaza?modal=donations&tab=all

can’t open it because of the country i live in, but the date is set to 16 feb. the name there doesn’t match name in their link, or the name they’ve sent me per my request.

:•( i’m getting a fishy vibe, but i’m worried it could be a person new to tumblr or eng speaking social media in general.

hi! sorry for responding so late. you did everything correctly and those are all definitely signs of it being a scam. i just talked w a friend about this (ill copy and paste my tips below).

i completely understand the worry. many of these red flags aren't outright indicators that every single blog that fits them is a scam, but the combination of things is what really makes the case. it's unfortunate but, a big red flag generally is if a new blog sends you an ask about donations. it's a common scam tactic from before this nakba. the scammers are just exploiting palestinians' genocide instead of the other issues they typically exploit.

obviously not all of these tips are absolute indicators of a scam and some are already things youve considered! but my general tips:

1. is the blog just new? if the icon is of a real person, is it their image? (you can reverse google image search! w mobile you'll have to save the image first and find a site for it. i typically use labnol but i can help you find alternatives if youd like!) are the posts they're reblogging related to the things that you post? (consider: how did they find you) are the posts they're reblogging coming from an actual dashboard rather than the recommendation page? (indicates that they're reblogging popular posts without any rhyme or reason to look like a real blog) is their first post a donation post and was it just made? (dates the blog. you can look in their archives to see the date of their earliest post)

2. where are they linking to? im not sure if your device has an option to preview a link url before sending you to the page but if it does, i would use that here just to be safe. do the names of the accounts match? (note that in this case, of course, many fundraisers are being raised by people outside of palestine. but if the blog claims to be the account owner, do their names seem to match? if theres a description, do the names match the ones the blog gives?) does it lead to a paypal instead of a gofundme? heavily stressing that this obv doesnt mean every request from someone using paypal is a scam, esp w the way gfm has been screwing over some palestinians, BUT paypal is often what scammers would use. gofundme is generally reliable and every fundraiser is donation protected, meaning its possible to get a refund from gofundme in the rare case that the fundraiser is a scam.

3. verifying gfm's can be a lot harder bc my go to options aren't always available. generally what i do is to look at through the organizer's updates, the fundraiser's description <- which obv you should always do anyways, and the fundraisers photos to see if theres anymore information about social media accounts related to the fundraiser. sometimes people will link twitter profiles, sometimes people will link instagram profiles. its just the same process of scrolling back as far as you can and seeing if you can identify the same face(s) from before more people started exploiting these traumas to scam others, seeing when the profile was made, checking if the images are truly from the profile's owners and not stolen, etc.

the biggest indicators imo are the stolen photos since the originals almost always link back to a name that doesn't match the blog.

[emanation-aura]

I know you've talked about it a bit in the Discord already, but I'd still enjoy a BTS DVD commentary of your favorite scene so far in Yellow Flicker Beat!

(Also, but heads up that even though they look like links, the "ao3" and "fic writing" in your header don't seem to be clickable.)

(Behind-The-Scenes is for Yellow Flicker Beat, a fic I wrote about the Sumeru AQ as an uprising.)

(I'm also aware of my header issue and can't quite seem to fix it D: I gave up trying a while ago but might give it a shot again)

So, um. I have a lot I could talk about for YFB, and honestly I'd be hard-pressed to pick a single favourite scene out of all of them, but the scene I worked the most on was People of Sumeru & Traveler (Wisdom Gathered) vs Shouki no Kami, as I internally titled these scenes, where Nahida gathers the power of the people as she does in canon through the Akasha, but instead of the ambiguous whatever she does, Nahida casts the net of the 168 samsaras out and asks: "People of Sumeru, how do you defeat tyranny?". The people (all mentioned Allogenes, essentially) respond and the Traveler curbstomps Shouki no Kami with it.

As a bit of commentary on the background of the fight, I always knew I was going to set up the fight against Shouki no Kami as a fight against the force of tyranny itself, as a fight between god (people's will) and god (power). The revolution started as a fight against Azar and his unfair edicts, it's never really about Azar, only what he represented (given that he doesn't actually make a physical appearance in the fic at all despite his role in events).

Tyranny is the absolute power invested as the Grand Sage, the totalitarian dictum with which decisions are made, and then it is the overwhelming singularity of Shouki no Kami's power as a justification for his impending rule. Tyranny is also the unjust oppression of the grievances of the people by the cold-hearted Matra, beating defenseless civilians in raids, spraying 'stinging-gas' (tear gas) everywhere indiscriminately, shooting Charlotte in the eye (with a rubber bullet, granted), arresting Tighnari for trying to save people, shooting the unarmed medic Collei, kicking the man on the floor begging for the Matra to stop firing tear gas.

When Nahida asks the people of Sumeru how do you defeat tyranny, of course it isn't perfectly literal. But it's an ideological question rooted in the reality of the past (year, six months, I'm not sure of the time frame). Thus, each one of them has a unique answer because of the atrocities they witnessed in this uprising— they've each found a core, inner strength or ideal that drives their actions to why and how they fight and protest. As Nahida gathers their answers, Nahida herself is answering the question through her actions— similar to Dori's "unite the wisdom of the people into one" and Kaveh's "with the knowledge that people are always connected, and that connection is a power that is only waiting to be unleashed", Nahida is representing connection. If I had to phrase it in a way that paralleled how everyone answered, I'd say:

"With the knowledge that you are the commonality in the heart of the people; that you are their ideal in pursuit, that you are their will of rebellion."

Nahida is the connection that binds the people of Sumeru together, splintered as they are by the forest-desert divide as well as many individual ones. Because, ultimately, she is their God— the Archon of Sumeru, whether she or the Sages like it or not, and thus the only real thing that everyone in Sumeru has in common (I separate this from belief; not everyone believes in her, but the undeniable reality is that she "rules" over all Sumeru). But she doesn't earn the status of 'connector' by just owning the position of Archon— she earns it by reaching out to her people during the uprising, trying to understand their hearts and assist in what little way she can, apologetic for her lack of power but determined and keen and willing to adapt— hence "she does not believe yet that she can. But she must, therefore she will."

I could go on talking for ages about Nahida but let's return to the main point. Earning the power of "the web that connects Sumeru", she then grants the answer of how to defeat tyranny to the Traveler, and Traveler (Wisdom Gathered) vs Shouki no Kami occurs.

I actually wrote this scene specifically to resonate with every Allogene's answer to Nahida during her wisdom-gathering, as I wanted a tangible way to demonstrate that it is the people's power that defeats Shouki no Kami, and the Traveler is merely a conduit for it. Luckily, I colour-coded my text to try to figure it out when writing, so it's easy to show:

Crimson, Kazuha, "someone will always dare to brave the lightning's glow", and this person is metaphysically the people of Sumeru and, in this moment, the Traveler, stepping forward. Because before everything else, there must be the first, single moment of bravery that throws someone into the arena.

Lime, Collei, "the desire to do good[...], you can change something, no matter how small." To fight without even knowing or believing that you can win because you hold that you must at least try for the sake of your ideals, and the Traveler shouldering that idea without fear.

Blue, Dori, "Unite the wisdom of the people into one. Channel their strengths together, flow like water." Hydro!Dori's definition of the union of the people's wisdom is their strength— intelligence and capability, which I'd define as the ability to do, and what the Traveler physically/mentally obtains: not superhuman godly knowledge, but human skill and ability but on the scale of thousands, which itself can rival the power of gods.

Red, Dehya, "you find a flashpoint of anger and push until it cracks, and you peel out each bloody piece until you know exactly why you must fight." Traveler physically feels the anger of the people of Sumeru transmitted into their cranium, but also through the events of past year they've witnessed as "the witness to Teyvat" themselves, seeing humanity at its rawest and laid bare and therefore understanding, sympathising, with why they must fight. It is anger and understanding that gives the Traveler the identifiable reason with which they fight for Sumeru.

Violet, Cyno, "the ability to change[...] learn from your mistakes. Anyone can change. Water is only constrained by its container." Traveler's taunt to Shouki no Kami is the recognition that Scaramouche has limited himself by trapping himself in one form, just as Cyno limited himself by allowing the Akademiya to dictate his justice.

Navy, Candace, "home[...] is a community you build with your bare, bleeding hands", and the recognition that Shouki no Kami has no idea how to protect, only destroy (an ideal but also a literal physical attack pattern).

Forest green, Tighnari, "belief in the good that exists... the inherent capacity for good." A weakness of Shouki no Kami, of tyranny itself, is that it does not trust the people (for Scaramouche: his three betrayals). It leaves it isolated and unable to understand or comprehend the power of the united people.

Light green, Kaveh, "the[..] people are always connected, and that connection is a power that is only waiting to be unleashed." Pretty self-explanatory. "Each citizen of Sumeru carries a dream within them" is partially taken from a song and also perfectly exemplifies Kaveh; the lyrics are "and there is a dream / that will never die / no matter how it rains / the flower of freedom survives"

Light blue, Layla, "the belief in every side of you[...], worth something even if you feel as though there is nothing left to give." Sun and moon imagery here to parallel the Traveler (Aether - sun or Lumine - moon) with Day/Night Layla, reflecting that your 'light' is the gathering of a thousand different forces of fortuity aligning— Layla with the Rtawahist siege and Traveler literally with the fortuitous alignment of the People of Sumeru.

Dark green, Alhaitham, "you do not capitulate[...] you must survive, therefore you can, therefore you do." Slight overlap with Collei on 'fighting without even knowing or believing you can win', but an adult version of it as dogged persistence. Forcefully shaping your knowledge (I must not capitulate, therefore I will not) into reality no matter how impossible it may seem, Traveler getting up again and again to ratify this belief.

Azure, Nilou, "let your convictions never die." Traveler takes from Nilou her unbending will— for her art, for her dance, but more generally, the righteous power of knowing you are doing the right thing and the strength of will this gives the Traveler, because this allows their morals to never waver.

Teal, Faruzan, "don’t stop and say ‘that’s good enough’ or ‘this problem will never be solved’[...] no problem is impossible for us." Faruzan demonstrates the ability to innovate, adapt, predict, and this innovation is (part of) what allows the Traveler to interpret and analyse the meaning of the 168 samsaras and formulate it into useful information, alongside the thousand-human equivalent of intelligence given to them by the people.

Highlighted Black, Charlotte, "the sanctity of truth and the desire to know". The very reason why Shouki no Kami lays defeated by the Traveler is because of the indomitable will of truth— for people, including the Traveler upon first entering Sumeru, to know and understand what went wrong, instead of blindly accepting the course of events. It is the triumph of human curiosity over divine inflexibility.

And yeah, I spent probably way too long slotting in lines that would work, but I'm very proud of how things came together for Traveler (Wisdom Gathered) vs Shouki no Kami. I think it's the favourite 'fight scene' (questionable, given that half of it is an internal monologue) I've ever written.

As an addendum: this has been addressed in various Discord messages, but the various interlude poems/songs are indeed sung by Venti as a backdrop to the entire revolution. Here's all of them for posterity:

We pledge no more tears on our land In wrath, doubts dispelled we’ll make our stand; Arise! Ye who would not be slaves again, May true wisdom bless our land.

Break now the dawn, liberate Sumeru In common breath: revolution for all men May wisdom reign, proud and free, now and evermore Glory be to thee, ▉▉▉▉.

When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes.

One and two are taken from the same source. I don't think I need to elaborate on how song and music tends to form a strong vector of resistance against authoritarian governments; Venti cannot interfere, but he can become the 'song on the wind' that carries the message far and wide, and bolsters the morale and spirit of the people. Why is 'glory be to thee, ▉▉▉▉' censored? I'm sorry I might make the story less cool by saying this, but I couldn't actually think of a word to put there that would rhyme + fit with the rhythm of the song. My favourite interpretation I came up with after the fact is that this is Rukkhadevata or her demon name, which may or may not have been Buer, because of course it's been erased from history... but this is open to interpretation.

Three is obviously taken Do You Hear the People Sing from Les Misérables. It is the best and rawest song that fits with the context - the transition from each Allogene donating wisdom, to the Traveler's fight. In that moment, I really think the beating of the Traveler's heart aligns and echoes with the beating of the drums (Sumeru's will, metaphorically) and brings about a force to defeat god and dawn tomorrow. Arise, ye who would not be slaves again is obviously also inspired by Do You Hear the People Sing but is not actually part of that song as I'm referencing it.

There's a line from the reprise that I couldn't work in, since Venti shows up relatively late, but it's still extremely important to me: "for the wretched of the earth / there is a flame that never dies / even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." Ultimately this never shows up in YFB because the people of Sumeru win. So while their struggles are tremendous and painful, there's no need for me to work in themes of endurance/resistance beyond what Alhaitham represents (I must, therefore I will). If the revolution had lost, I might have worked it in, but we all like happy endings, and the AQ does end with the defeat of Azar and Shouki no Kami, so.

Anyway, thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to ramble about Yellow Flicker Beat, it's such an intensely personal piece of work and it's one of the rare fics were I enjoyed every single second of writing it (usually on other fics I get stuck on scenes and feel frustrated on occasion, but this never happened here).

Topics I did not cover in this Behind-The-Scenes and I might eventually cover at some point: Setaria (goddamn you, Setaria), Kaveh and Alhaitham, Collei being shot, Cyno's face-heel turn and morality, Charlotte and freedom of the press.

[que-serra-serra]

[Serennedy] No Rest for the Wicked

It's been ten years since Valdelobos, but Leon still makes Luis feel like they're in their twenties: young and reckless and not able to keep their hands off each other. Rated Explicit | 6.5k words | ao3 link

Luis slowly blinked awake to the unmistakable glare of sunlight in his eyes. 

For once, the harsh morning light didn't make him groan in protest and bury his face into a pillow; he'd actually gotten a decent night's sleep instead of stumbling into bed at four in the morning after a research binge like usual.

The reason for Luis' normal sleep schedule was currently curled up next to him, quietly snoring in the stillness of the morning. One would never think that this beautiful man, with his long lashes fanning over high cheekbones and plush lips that parted on every soft exhale, was a highly dangerous special agent.

They also wouldn't know that Leon slept with a knife tucked under his pillow and a loaded pistol in his nightstand. Luis almost felt bad for that one burglar who had made the mistake of breaking in and promptly soiled his pants as he was immediately greeted by a very angry American aiming a gun between his eyes and snarling, "Leave."

Luis had lectured Leon in the morning, ranting, "Dios mío, at least make them wipe the floor after if you're going to insist on scaring the piss out of harmless criminals."

Luis smiled to himself and shook his head: living with Leon was never boring, that was for sure.

Settling in for a lazy morning in bed, Luis propped himself up on his pillow, arms crossed behind his head. He looked out of their bedroom window, where the sun was slowly rising over the Mexican countryside.

After Valdelobos, staying in Spain hadn't been a possibility for Luis. Him, Leon and Ashley had made it out by the skin of their teeth and Luis had—extremely optimistically—returned with his new friends to America in the hopes that a government that had annihilated one of its own cities, murdered its own troops and blackmailed a traumatized 21-year-old into working for them would welcome him with open arms.

In Luis' defense, he'd been tired and desperate and already halfway in love with the handsome prince who had swooped in and saved him from the monsters. He would probably have followed Leon anywhere.

Thankfully, when the President heard both his darling daughter and new favorite agent put in a good word for Luis, the USSTRATCOM goons interrogating him had suddenly become much more lenient to his past crimes. And, yes, technically Luis had also been blackmailed into working for the US government, but it sounded much better when they framed it as his opportunity to atone for his mistakes.

You’d think Luis would have learned by then that if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was.

Rather than atone for anything, Luis had been passed around like a common whore between government organizations, from STRATCOM to SOCOM to AMRIID until they seemed to run out of acronyms that would take him. Nobody quite knew what to do with him except that his knowledge was both valuable and dangerous, and Luis had barely gotten to work on any actual projects with the dark cloud of "Ex-Umbrella and Las Plagas researcher" looming over him.

That had continued for about five years, until Leon had enough of Luis' talent being wasted and used the name he'd made for himself after Ashley’s rescue to call in some favors. Said calls eventually resulted in one Chris Redfield showing up to Luis' dingy government-issued (and -surveilled) apartment and announcing that Luis was now working under him at the BSAA as a consultant. Chris had shoved a phone into Luis' hand and told him he was free to go "wherever the fuck he wanted" as long as he had a functioning lab and answered when the phone rang.

Luis packed up his bags and left his shithole of an apartment that same night, moving into Leon's cramped studio in DC instead.

Mexico had been Leon's idea. They were both pretty sick of the good old US of A and Luis missed his home country something fierce, but with the litany of Spanish arrest warrants on him, they settled for the next best thing and bought a run-down farm in the mountains of southern Mexico instead.

Luis had felt right at home. The nearby town was quaint but nice, reminding him of summers spent on the outskirts of Barcelona with his friends from university. The town was nothing like the backwards and overly religious village Luis had grown up in and in just a few months, he'd been able to recruit some of his new Mexican friends to help convert the old barn on their property into a high-tech lab. The locals sometimes teased both Leon and Luis for their accents but had otherwise welcomed them with open arms, pointedly not asking why two supposedly rich men were sharing a one-bedroom house. 

Despite the relative freedom, Luis had no illusions that certain high-ranking US officials didn’t still keep a watchful eye on his work for the BSAA through the UN. Still, these days he was treated with much less suspicion, especially after the extensive research paper of Las Plagas variants he and Dr. Chambers had collaborated on. Rebecca had apparently kicked up quite the storm among the higher-ups when she noticed that the final publication had all instances of Luis' name removed and the paper was credited solely to her. Predictably, nothing came of it, but Luis appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

Leon sadly still worked for the US government, now at the DSO, which in Luis' eyes fell firmly under the "same shit, different name" category. But after sixteen years of esteemed service, Leon had more money and freedom than the majority of his countrymen and his bosses scarcely cared where their best agent went between missions and what—or who—he chose to do.

All those times when they still lived in America and Leon had "accidentally" punted Luis' government liaison in the face in "self-defense" for "sneaking up on them" during date nights had probably been quite effective in driving the latter point home. And as fun as it was to watch his squire defend his honor, Luis was glad those days were long gone.

Over the last five years, they'd settled nicely into their new life in Mexico and the once-farm had become a home. Between the whole saving the world thing, they were just like any other couple: Luis grew a small "herb" garden, Leon helped the abuelas down the road with heavy lifting, they went drinking to the cozy pub in town on the weekends, and sometimes played guitar on the porch—Luis somewhat decently, and Leon bad enough to make the neighbor’s dogs howl.

And for the first time since Lab Six, Luis actually enjoyed his work. Yes, it was annoying to not get credit for most of it, but Chris was a fair boss and his squad was full of good people, and the other BSAA researchers were some of the most brilliant minds Luis had ever worked with. Luis could confidently claim that his and Leon's contributions to the anti-BOW efforts had saved thousands, if not millions, of lives—Leon mostly by shooting Tyrants in the face and Luis with his all-nighters in the lab—and Luis had gotten some of the redemption he'd been so desperate for after Umbrella and Los Illuminados. 

Luis' current long-running project was a biologist's wet dream: he was investigating an entirely new species of fungus that was native to Romania and highly infectious with its airborne spores. Chris had actually shown up in person to deliver the sample, cradling a sealed box of black mold like it was precious and begging Luis to find out something, anything about the fungus and the hivemind it was attached to. Luis hadn’t made much progress yet but since both Leon and Chris both firmly believed he was the man for the job, he wasn’t about to give up anytime soon.

Aside from the BSAA delivering work to Luis, he and Leon didn’t get many visitors. Two orphans without any living family left didn't have a terribly big social circle and as much as Luis liked the friends they'd made in Mexico, he really didn't want an outsider to stumble upon one of Leon's thirty-something guns or a BOW autopsy photo Luis had left lying around.

Still, their lumpy pullout couch did occasionally see use. Claire usually dropped by whenever her work with TerraSave took her to South America, and even Sherry had started visiting semi-regularly in the last few years—though those times it was Luis and Leon sleeping on the cramped couch as Leon insisted Sherry take their bed. Being a gentleman, Luis didn't mind in the slightest; but when he'd offered the same courtesy to Claire, both her and Leon had burst out laughing. Regardless, Claire was great company and Sherry was a sweet girl and Luis knew how important they both were to Leon. Luis would never forget the day that Sherry had called them and said that with Simmons dead, she was allowed to see Leon whenever she wanted to; it was one of the few times Luis had seen Leon openly sobbing.

Of their other friends, Ashley still kept in touch via e-mail and yearly tacky Christmas cards even though her doctoral studies kept her busy, and Rebecca liked to phone in at odd hours to consult Luis on lab problems or bounce ideas off of him. Chris and his squad had dropped by a couple times after missions and it somehow always ended in half a dozen BSAA agents passed out on the floor of their living room after they'd destroyed Leon's entire tequila collection. Leon had gotten a few pictures of Chris drooling against the tiled floor or clutching a puke bucket and sent them to Claire, which Luis supposed was deserved.

Last time, Chris had promised to bring someone named Jill along, claiming she was a huge fan of Luis' work and very excited to finally meet him. Leon had sighed in resignation and agreed, but only if a man called Carlos tagged along with them for moral support.

Luis still didn't know whether he should be excited to meet this Jill or sneak some of Leon's body armor under his jacket just in case.

But as dangerous women were concerned, nothing could beat the memorable time Ada Wong had showed up unannounced on their doorstep. She'd been bleeding profusely through her stylish dress and refused to elaborate what had happened or how she even knew their address as she made a beeline for the medicine cabinet. Leon was away on a mission and Ada did not take kindly to Luis offering to help tend to her wounds, but she did accept his offer of Leon's tee while Luis washed the blood out of her dress in the bathroom sink. Once he left the bathroom, Luis found Ada sitting by the kitchen table and scrolling through Luis' password- and fingerprint-protected work laptop, taking elegant bites of the sandwich Luis had just prepared for himself, her legs crossed and somehow making Leon's oversized Nirvana tee look like high fashion.

And because he valued his life, Luis had only smiled and asked if she wanted coffee with her sandwich. 

Ada left the next morning—after Luis had played housewife to her for an entire day—stealing nothing but Luis' pride and Leon's worn tee and, oh, just invaluable confidential information on his latest projects. Leon got home a few days later, laughing his ass off when Luis told him what had happened and showing Luis the text message of "Your puppy is very well-trained. Give him a treat for me 💋" he'd received from an untraceable number two days prior.

Luis huffed a silent chuckle at the memory. Even with Leon regularly gone for weeks at a time and all sorts of shady characters occasionally invading their home, Luis loved the life they had built together. 

And he owed it all to the man next to him.

Luis looked at Leon who was still sleeping soundly, probably tired out from the recon mission he’d come home from only a few days ago. Age and stress weighed heavy on Leon’s once-youthful face, with dark bags under his eyes and the creases on his forehead more pronounced, but at least Luis had been able to talk him out of that depressing brown hair dye a few years prior. The blond hair suited him much better, looking almost golden where the bangs fell messily onto his face as he slept. Luis didn't think he'd ever seen Leon as at peace as he was right here, face half-squished into his pillow with a week’s worth of stubble and the morning sun on his face.

Not able to resist, Luis turned onto his side and shuffled closer to Leon under the covers, curling up with his back against the muscular chest and his head tucked under Leon’s chin.

Leon let out a sleepy murmur of approval, wrapping an arm around Luis’ middle and pressing close against him to—oh, hello there.

Luis' groin stirred in pleasant surprise as he felt Leon's morning wood pushing into his lower back. Eager at the prospect of morning sex, Luis grabbed Leon’s hand and brought it up to place a kiss onto his knuckles, making Leon sigh softly and press even closer against him.

They stayed like that for several minutes, until Luis realized that Leon had no intention of acting on his arousal and the tightness in his own sleep pants was starting to feel uncomfortable.

Time to ramp up the charm.

"Cariño. Mi hermoso," Luis murmured, "accidentally" pushing his ass against Leon’s erection. "Te amo." 

This time, Leon’s sigh was marginally more exasperated before he moved his hand down to grip Luis’ hip and murmured, "Love you too.”

That was all the warning Luis got before he was shoved and unceremoniously rolled over onto his stomach, Leon sprawling out on top of him. Luis huffed and tried to move only to find out he couldn't, effectively pinned against the bed by Leon's bulkier frame and thus putting a stop to his obvious come-on.

"Oye," Luis complained. "So rough, Sancho."

"Your fault," Leon groused, voice still raspy with sleep. "Fucking tease."

And that was when Luis realized that instead of simply holding him in place, Leon was lazily grinding his hard-on against the back of Luis' thigh.

Luis grinned against the sheets as blood rushed back to his dick. Score one for Luis.

"Is there something you want, mi príncipe?" Luis asked innocently, pushing back against Leon's hips.

"Yeah." Leon shamelessly grabbed a handful of Luis' ass. "This."

Something within Luis preened at being so undeniably wanted. He might not be as vain as he used to and his lanky body wasn’t anywhere near the muscled perfection of Leon’s build, but he was still proud of his appearance and the effortless sexy-disheveled look he’d practically perfected.

Oh, and his ass: Luis’ best feature and a source of endless fun for the past twenty or so years. Based on the amount of groping and kneading of said ass he was currently doing, Leon seemed to agree.

"Oh? And what would you like to do with it?" Luis teased, flexing the muscles.

He could practically hear the smirk in Leon’s voice as he squeezed Luis’ cheeks and said, "You'll see."

Luis' face flushed and he was glad that Leon couldn't see how much he was already affected by just some light petting. Despite their high-stress jobs and decade-long relationship, Leon still made him feel like they were in their twenties: young and reckless and unable to keep their hands off each other.

Not one to be outdone, Luis arched his back to make the curve of his ass even more tantalizing.

"Then do your worst, mi amor," Luis said as seductively as he could manage.

Efficient as always, Leon wasted neither time nor words. He simply pushed up on his elbows and kissed Luis' naked back right between his shoulder blades, hands gripping Luis' hips possessively.

"Oh, yes," Luis sighed into the mattress. "You do all the work and I simply lie here and look pretty? Wonderful plan, mi amor."

Leon huffed, a warm rush of air against Luis' skin. "Just because I know how useless you are before your coffee."

"Oye," Luis protested half-heartedly. "Caffeine is a staple of any genius'—hnn."

Luis' sentence died on his tongue as Leon's thumbs rubbed circles over the dimples on his lower back and heated kisses trailed down his spine. When callused fingers hooked under the waistband of his pajama pants, Luis was already lifting his hips to make it easier to slide them off.

"Someone's eager," Leon said.

Luis scoffed. "You're one to talk, señor wandering hands."

Leon snorted before tugging the pants off and leaving Luis naked in the soft chill of the morning. Leon proceeded to lie down on Luis' legs and planted a kiss on the base of his spine, breath hot on Luis' lower back.

Heat rushed to both Luis' face and his groin and he bit his lip to muffle the excited whine that threatened to spill free. He couldn't help but shiver from anticipation as Leon's lips moved down the cleft of his ass, closer and closer to where he really wanted them.

When Leon grabbed his cheeks to part them and pressed his mouth against Luis' hole, Luis groaned, "Finally."

Leon chuckled, licking over the puckered skin. "This what you wanted?"

"Mierda, yes," Luis said. "More."

Leon hummed—in agreement or just out of pure smugness, Luis didn't care, because he was kissing and mouthing at the sensitive skin of Luis' rim and making pleasure zing up his spine.

When Leon added tongue to the mix and gently lapped at his hole, Luis couldn't suppress his moan; it was unfair how good this felt.

"Oh, cariño, just like that," Luis encouraged.

The sound seemed to spur Leon on. He groaned against Luis' ass, a deep sound of pleasure in time with his licks, and the indecent noise shot straight to Luis' already excited dick. Leon was usually quiet with both his pain and his pleasure, and for him to be moaning already told Luis exactly how worked up he was.

Wanting to hear more of Leon’s sounds, Luis bit his lip to stifle his own moans even as Leon's tongue was single-handedly driving him mad. His resolve lasted all of thirty seconds or so because Leon—being the smug bastard that he was—pulled back to tease his stubble against Luis’ spit-slick hole, rough and just the way he knew Luis liked.

"Unh, Leon," Luis grunted, hands fisting the sheets from the exquisite pleasure-pain.

Leon gave Luis’ poor hole a few apologetic licks before a callused finger joined the fun, circling and pressing against the pucker in a teasing massage. Just as Luis was starting to squirm from impatience, Leon pushed the digit in.

Luis let out a shaky exhale as his hole twitched and adjusted to the feeling. Everything was a little dryer than he’d like, but he’d taken much more with much less before.

"God, you look good," Leon praised, then shamelessly licked around the finger sinking into Luis' ass, instantly elevating the feeling from vaguely unpleasant to incredible. "This okay?" 

"Sí, sí, keep going," Luis panted, already out of breath.

Leon sank his finger deeper, curling it against Luis' prostate with eerie precision. 

Luis gasped, body jolting from the sudden stimulation. "You bastard," he laughed breathlessly. "That's not fair."

"You can take it," Leon said before pushing in to the knuckle.

Leon started massaging Luis' prostate in earnest, making it swell as he worked Luis to full arousal; using his hands that had killed in a hundred different ways purely to pleasure Luis. Those damn fingers could take apart a gun in ten seconds and take apart Luis in even less than that.

"Mm, Leon," Luis groaned, feebly grinding down against the bed to get some friction on his throbbing dick. "So good, querido. Don't stop."

Of course, that was exactly when Leon decided to pull his finger out.

"Ay!" Luis protested.

Leon chuckled, placing a wet kiss on Luis’ lower back. “So needy,” he tutted, and then that wonderful mouth pressed right back between Luis’ cheeks.

Leon’s tongue swirled around the hole with meaning, now, and Luis felt his cheeks clenching around Leon's face as his body twitched from the stimulation. Leon didn’t seem to mind, as he only hummed and licked up and down the crack, rough stubble a delicious contrast to the wet drag of his tongue.

“Mierda, don’t tease!” Luis tried to complain but it came out more like a pathetic plea.

Completely ignoring him, Leon rubbed one finger over the slick skin of Luis' perineum, clearly proud of the wet mess his dripping spit had created. And then, finally, he grabbed and spread Luis’ asscheeks and used the easy access to his hole to press his tongue firmly against it, pointed tip wiggling against the tight muscle.

Luis took in a shuddering breath and willed himself to relax under the teasing assault to his hole, then choked on an embarrassing whimper when his body gave in and Leon's tongue slipped inside. 

“Ah—ah, cariño…!” Luis gasped, blindly reaching behind himself to grab Leon's hair and push his lover’s face more firmly into his ass. 

Leon let out a filthy groan and buried his face deeper, hands pawing at Luis' cheeks and nose squished against Luis’ tailbone as his tongue thrust in and out of Luis' hole.

"¡Joder!" Luis cried out, fingers digging into Leon's scalp. His dick drooled messily against the sheets, throbbing at the feeling of the wet slick hot that was Leon’s tongue fucking him open. "So good, mi amor, so good…"

Leon hummed, the vibrations from his tongue sending shivers up Luis' spine. He slowed down to a leisurely pace, tongue gently lapping inside the rim before slowly plunging deep into Luis’ body.

Luis whined and let go of Leon's hair in favor of fisting the sheets as the slow burn of arousal built up to a boiling point. Leon's tongue felt heavenly but his high-strung body was done playing around, desperate to feel the thick hardness of Leon's cock fucking into him.

"Mnn, querido, m-mi príncipe…" Luis stammered. "Need you."

Leon's tongue thrust a little faster but he didn’t otherwise react, and Luis was very much prepared to beg if that was what it took.

But then the thick pad of Leon’s thumb started rubbing at the outside of Luis' hole, working over sensitive flesh in a way that made him bite back a whimper. The tip of the finger pushed in alongside Leon’s tongue just enough to catch on the rim and pull, spreading Luis' loosened hole obscenely.

"¡Ah, joder...!" Luis moaned, forehead digging against the mattress. "Mi amor, fuck me, I can't take this anymore!"

Leon immediately pulled off, his breathing surprisingly heavy. "The lube's in the bathroom—"

"If you leave this bed I will kill you," Luis snarled, making Leon snort. He considered for a moment and then asked, "How wet are you?"

"Um." Leon sounded comically bashful for someone who was just tongue-deep in Luis' ass. Luis imagined him sheepishly looking down at the—probably—soaked front of his boxers; even just eating Luis out was usually enough to get him leaking. "Pretty wet."

Luis smirked, turning his head to the side so he could look up from under his bangs. "Then what are you waiting for, cowboy?"

Leon's expression darkened with lust before he pounced. He swiftly pushed himself up on his knees and moved to straddle Luis' trembling legs, making his heavy cock smack against Luis’ thigh. 

Luis' brain stuttered. "When did you have time to get naked!?" he squawked.

"Right about when you were busy moaning your lungs out," Leon deadpanned, spreading Luis' cheeks to expose his spit-slick hole again. "Oh, wait—you did that the whole time."

Luis snickered and shot back a half-hearted, "Fuck you," but rather than argue, Leon unceremoniously spat onto his hole. "Ugh. How romantic," Luis complained, but squirmed and canted his hips to try and grind against Leon's cock anyway.

"C’mon, none of that," Leon said, one of his hands moving to Luis' back to pin him against the mattress with his unfair strength. "Just relax. I'll take care of you, okay?"

Luis bit his lip as two instincts warred in his head. There was the ever-present part of his personality that always wanted to push back, to question and argue until he got the last word: a quality that had earned him a doctorate in just five years and a gorgeous American agent as a boyfriend in under twenty-four hours.

But there was also a deep dark corner of his soul that nobody but Leon got to see. Something in Luis that craved to give in, to forget about BOW's and research notes and simply be at someone else's mercy, until nothing existed in his head but pleasure or pain or whatever else Leon decided to give him. Luis didn't know if he could get there today, but if Leon wanted to try…

Luis exhaled shakily, relaxing against the bed in a gesture of surrender. "Okay."

"There you go," Leon said, his voice dropping low in a stark contrast to his usual snark. "Now be a good boy and stay still."

Luis didn't really have a choice in the matter: in this position, he really was at Leon's mercy.

The thought only made his erection throb more insistently, and, well, it looked like maybe he could get there after all.

“That’s it,” Leon said, the wet tip of his cock nudging against Luis’ hole. "You ready?"

Luis nodded and with one hard push, the fat head of Leon's cock slipped inside. Luis’ breath caught in his throat at the initial penetration, his rim burning as he stretched around Leon's familiar girth. Leon continued pushing forward until Luis felt heavy balls resting against his perineum.

Leon paused once he was fully seated. "You okay, hot stuff?" he asked.

"Always, mi príncipe," Luis managed with a shaky smile even as he gripped the sheets on either side of his head in anticipation of what was to come. 

Not a moment later, Leon started to move. He grabbed Luis by the hips and thrust into him with deep and hard strokes, spit and precum barely enough to ease the way as he fucked Luis open. It was too much, too soon—

—And just the way Luis liked it.

"Mmh, Leon," Luis moaned, clutching the sheets as his body was forced to adjust to the rough pace.

"Fuck," Leon grunted. "You feel so good. Every fucking time." 

Luis was already trembling, hyper aware of every delicious inch of Leon's cock as it dragged against his sensitive rim and occasionally brushed over his prostate. Leon wasn't a young man anymore but he sure fucked like one, always using every bit of his stamina and those strong muscles to steadily piston on until Luis was sobbing from pleasure or screaming as he came.

Usually both.

"You're so tight," Leon said, never faltering from the rough pace he’d set. "Fucking made to take my cock."

Luis bit his lip and whined, the filthy words from his normally reserved lover turning him on just as much as the thick cock spearing him open. He wasn’t sure how long he'd be able to last if Leon kept going like this, but he'd try his best—he just wanted to be good for Leon.

Luis welcomed the heady rush of endorphins as he reached for that thought, blanking out everything in his mind that wasn't pleasuring Leon. Here, he didn’t need to be Luis Serra the brilliant scientist or quick-witted smartass; he could simply let himself be an object of Leon's desire. Luis was just here to take cock, look pretty and do whatever Leon asked of him.

So when Leon leaned back and roughly spread Luis’ asscheeks to look, Luis only enjoyed the surge of arousal and humiliation alike flashing through his body.

"Fuck," Leon cursed, no doubt staring at his own cock plunging into Luis' ass and stretching him to his limit. "Look at you, such a pretty sight. It's like you were made to be fucked."

Luis' hole clenched around Leon and he muffled a whine against the bed. He was being good, Leon thought he was pretty, he was making Leon feel good—

"Fuck, you love this, don't you?" Leon kept going as he pounded away, seemingly oblivious to how his words were scrambling Luis' brain. "Always need a cock filling your slutty hole."

Luis groaned long and loud, something deep in his chest coming loose at the dirty praise. Next thing he knew, Leon's hand was in his hair, roughly yanking his head up from the mattress.

Luis winced from the sting in his scalp but his cock twitched happily at how easy it was for Leon to push him around like this.

"Tell me," Leon ordered, apparently not satisfied with Luis' wordless moans against the sheets. "Tell me how good I’m fucking you."

"So good, cariño, so good," Luis blabbered, his usual wit just a whisper at the back of his mind as his whole body sang with Leon, Leon, Leon. "Nobody else makes me feel like this."

"Keep going," Leon grunted, thrusting in hard.

"It feels good! ¡Ah, joder—please, please don't stop!" Luis begged. 

"Good boy," Leon praised.

Satisfied with Luis' efforts, Leon let go of his hair and grabbed his hips with both hands instead, making Luis' head flop back down against the mattress bonelessly.

"You feel so good. You're amazing," Leon breathed, then tightened his grip on Luis' hips and said, "Such a good little slut."

“Yours,” Luis murmured automatically, eyes fluttering close as the filthy praise settled under his skin. “Your good slut.”

Leon groaned and abruptly dragged Luis down the bed and back against his cock, hips snapping up hard as he fucked in deeper than before.

"Ah—ah, fuck!" Luis exclaimed, briefly overwhelmed by the sudden surge of pleasure.

Leon gave him no time to adjust before he did it again, sliding almost fully out of Luis’ hole before thrusting back in and pulling Luis’ helpless body down to meet him, effortlessly manhandling Luis onto his cock.

"Leon!" Luis practically screamed, his neglected cock dragging against the sheets with every thrust.

"Fuck, you're still so tight," Leon panted, settling back into a rough pace. "Feels so fucking good."

Luis whimpered as his hole was rammed into again and again, Leon's cock now a relentless pressure against his prostate and the sweaty sheets a burning friction against his dick, his ass red and raw from where Leon's hips slapped against the cheeks with every thrust. Luis could barely move in Leon's strong grip but he arched his back as much as he could, giving Leon better access to his hole. 

"God, just like that," Leon said, voice dark and possessive. "You're mine. All," thrust, "fucking," thrust, "mine."

Luis bit his lip and fisted the sheets, a sob finally breaking free and hot tears falling down his face. His entire body felt like a live wire, raw and exposed and riding the edge between pleasure and pain. He could feel his orgasm just out of reach—just one pump of Leon’s hand on his cock would probably be enough to set him off.

"Mi amor," Luis whined. "Touch me, I can’t…I need to come.”

"Not yet," Leon grunted, pinning Luis’ hips against the bed while never faltering from his pace. "I'm so close—I'm gonna fuck you just like this, and you're gonna take it."

Luis sobbed at being denied the little friction he had. Leon kept pounding into him, holding Luis in place with strong arms and thick thighs and using his body as he pleased, keeping Luis's poor dick is trapped uselessly against the sheets. 

Luis' mind went hazy at the edges as his body relaxed; he was nothing but a warm hole for Leon's cock, just a toy for him to use—

"Oh, you like that? You just want me to hold you down and fuck you, use your ass and fill you up?" Leon panted. "That's my good fucking whore."

At Leon's words, something in Luis broke and his orgasm punched through him out of nowhere. Pleasure surged through his entire body and he came with a quiet sob, dick spurting messily between the mattress and his stomach and ass clenching around Leon's still pistoning cock.

"Oh, fuck," Leon groaned, rhythm faltering as he fucked Luis through his release. "You came from just my cock, sweetheart? Fuck, you're so good, so sweet for me."

Fondness fluttered in Luis' chest at the pet name and absolute awe in Leon's voice. The aftershocks of his orgasm washed over him like gentle waves lapping at the shoreline, his body going boneless and his slack mouth drooling onto the sheets as Leon’s thrusts rocked him forward on the bed.

Leon’s legs were starting to tremble on top of him, his heavy breaths of exertion filling the room as he slowly fucked into Luis' tender hole, still chasing his release. A weak jolt of arousal rushed through Luis at the realization that Leon still wanted to finish in his useless, fucked-out body.

"Do it,” Luis croaked, his voice wrecked. “Do it, mi vida, por favor."

"What? What do you need, baby?" Leon asked, clear concern in his voice and his thrusts stilling even this close to his orgasm.

"Use me," Luis moaned, weakly clenching around Leon's cock, his body alight with overstimulation but needing Leon to keep going. His blood burned with humiliation as he begged, "Use my slutty hole to come."

"F-fuck...Okay," Leon said, and Luis could almost pinpoint the exact second that his control snapped.

Leon’s hands tightened on Luis’ hips and he started bucking into him hard and wild, making Luis choke on whimpers and hitching moans as Leon’s cock plunged into his oversensitive body. He hung on for dear life and reveled in the sting of his sore muscles and abused hole, something dark and primal within him purring with satisfaction at Leon’s needy grunts as he chased his pleasure with abandon.

It wasn’t long until Leon’s rhythm faltered and his thick cock swelled even further inside Luis. Leon groaned and buried himself balls-deep, fingers squeezing Luis’ hips hard enough to leave bruises.

"Ugh, shit," Leon grunted as he filled Luis with his release, shallowly grinding into him to ride it out. "Luis, fuck…"

Luis heaved in a shuddering breath, his sensitive body twitching in time with the last pulses of Leon’s cock inside him. When Leon pulled out, his hole clenched feebly on nothing, and Luis shivered as the cool air of the room caressed over the wet skin.

Leon collapsed on his back next to Luis, both of them panting and shaking from the intensity—and in Leon’s case, physical exertion—of their coupling.

Luis was a mess. His hair was soaked with sweat and the sheets weren’t faring much better, the drying cum sticky between his skin and the mattress. His hole throbbed with every heartbeat, sloppy and raw from being well and thoroughly fucked.

“Fuck,” Leon groaned after a few minutes.

Luis chuckled deliriously. “Good morning to you too, mi amor.”

Luis blindly groped around for a pillow and dragged it under his face to make himself comfortable; he had no intention of leaving this bed any time soon. 

Leon brushed some of Luis' sweaty hair from his face, making Luis peer up at him with the eye not squished against the pillow.

Leon's lips pulled up in a small smile. "Hi."

Luis grinned. How one man could go from completely wrecking Luis in the best way to immediately blushing and smiling like a dork was a mystery that only Leon S. Kennedy knew the answer to.

"'Hi'?" Luis repeated. "You rail me into the mattress and call me your good little slut and then hi? Dios mío, I am dripping with your semen, this is not exactly the time for modesty.”

Leon's cheeks pinked and he bowed his head to make his bangs hide some of his face, a nervous habit he'd kept all these years. It wasn't very fitting for a high-ranking DSO operative, but Luis adored it—it reminded him of the young agent with kind eyes who had stumbled into Luis' life ten years ago.

"So that was okay?" Leon asked, still gently petting Luis' hair. "Not too much?"

Ten years of experience had taught Luis that as much as Leon loved being in control and doing and saying all sorts of filthy things to a very enthusiastic Luis, he always craved reassurance afterwards. Being physically stronger and whatnot, Leon needed to hear that he hadn't hurt Luis—at least not more than he had asked for—and that Luis knew he loved him deeply despite his roughness or demeaning words.

Of course, Luis thought of all that as a given and found it a little silly. But this was his Leon, and there was little Luis wouldn't do to make him happy.

"It was incredible. Amazing. Fantástico," Luis slurred, his eyelids heavy. He was very close to drifting off in a lazy sleep, the wet spot be damned.

"Okay. Good," Leon said, visibly relaxing. "You were amazing too. You did so good, I…It just blows me away how perfect you are. Every time."

Luis hummed at the sweet words and allowed his eyes to slip shut. Leon wasn’t usually this soft or this earnest with his compliments, but it was a nice change of pace from their usual back-and-forth. This was Leon’s way of being vulnerable and Luis was forever grateful that Leon had chosen him to share this fragile part of himself with, all those years ago.

He heard Leon let out a small, satisfied sigh and then there was a soft brush of warmth against Luis’ temple.

"Get some rest, Don Quixote," Leon murmured, and after placing another gentle peck on the skin, pushed out of bed with an, "I'll get breakfast started."

Luis smiled to himself; Leon knew him so well. Where Leon needed reassurance after spectacularly intense sex like they'd just had, Luis needed to simply be. The endorphins were still muddling his brain into a pleasant haze, his whole body relaxing into a quiet calm very welcome from his usual jitteriness and racing thoughts.

Luis was almost asleep when the bedroom door creaked back open.

"Luis," Leon said pointedly.

Luis didn't have the energy to move a muscle. "Mm?"

"Did you seduce me just to get out of doing the dishes you've been piling up for two fucking weeks?" Leon accused.

Luis smirked lazily against the pillow. Luis: two, Leon: zero. "A knight always outwits his squire," he murmured.

Leon's huff of "Fucker" was as fond as it was exasperated before he disappeared back to the kitchen.

And when Leon eventually served them breakfast in bed from paper plates and sweetly said, "Don't worry, I left your mountain of dishes completely untouched," Luis could only laugh at the resourcefulness of his trusty Sancho Panza.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Hug of the Century

I love that there is a specific name for the hug between Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun at the end of the Word of Honor Concert. Whether it's called "Hug of the Century" or "Century Hug", it's one of my very favorite things.

I watched the Hug of the Century live very, very early in the morning Pacific Standard Time on May 4, 2021. I ended up paying twice for access - once laboriously translating my way through Youku's Chinese portal, and then the second time just paying for premium access on Youku's channel on YouTube, since I was not at all confident I'd be able to get the first access right at 4am or whatever time it was in the morning. It seemed a bit expensive at the time, especially since I watched it without subtitles and therefore had zero idea what was going on, but it turns out it would have been a bargain at 10 times the price.

I have saved every single angle and fancam that I can of this hug, so it's a real shame that I only have one video slot. I'm going to put it to good use with one of my very favorites:

Words cannot describe how much I love this clip, and all my carefully hoarded little clips of this. Let's put a few pics in as well:

Ah, I feel so emotional looking at these pictures. What an incredible event. It's very worthy of being immortalized in fig form!

The fig maker had a difficult time with the factory for the engineering for this set. From what I understand, she had originally planned for it to be two characters, but it turned out the difficulty and cost was just too much, so the two ended up being made as a single figure. So you can see it here being shipped as one set together.

Unfortunately, Gong Jun lost the end of a hairpin! It's not common to lose part of his hairpin...but it's not that uncommon either. As you can tell from this, it was a pretty clean break, so I got out my glue and some tweezers and stuck it back on. It wasn't too difficult.

Alright, I'm going to just post the series of photos all in one go, so you can see the full 360 degrees of the Hug.

There we go. I don't mind at all the two figs aren't removable - it might look pretty funny if they were.

Here's a close up. The fig maker had a lot of issues with Zhehan's face during production - they ended up redoing it and then tweaking it several times. The finished product is much improved over the first draft, for sure. I know the eyes are very difficult for fig makers to get right…I've had a couple figures that got cancelled because they couldn't get the look right.

Gong Jun's face is a lot easier, since his eyes were closed. I really like the detail here of his rucked-up sleeve. I checked the pictures and they did model it very closely. It looks really good I think, some very natural looking detail.

You can see how they were actually designed as two separate figs. It would have been very interesting to see the production pics on this fig to see how they interlocked them together.

Both sides here...I think the hairpin glued on very well! Maybe my most successful one yet.

This fig set is quite a bit larger than my typical figs. To illustrate, here's one of the the original official concert figs.

The first-in bonuses for the set included an art card, a luggage tag, and a sticker, all with some really delightful art of Zhehan's speech. I love this so much! I would have bought it just for the extras here. The box card is in the upper top right.

Here's the back of everything...

And our box art. The fig maker really went all out on this set - you can tell how much this meant to them. It's the only set they've made - their dream figs. I'm really happy with it. Having all these different visions and styles of figs makes the collection really special to me.

Material: Resin and a lot of emotions

Fig Count: 417

Scene Count: 29

Rating: Love forever

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[miniscrew-anon]

A small exploration into my Blorbo (Four)

Writing Add to Cart made me do some deep thinking about his character so here they are.

Stormy once wrote that “Four does have a proper bedroom in the Castle Town townhouse, at Time’s order insistence. He keeps his door locked at all times, and he’s in there to sleep only three-ish hours a night. None of the other boys have seen the inside of his bedroom”.

And that influenced my writing a lot with Four because there are so many interesting implications there. 

For one, you would think a guy who values his privacy and space as much as Four would love to have a proper door instead of living in what is kind of a common area (garage). But no, apparently he didn’t want one. Presumably he would have preferred to stay in the garage. Which is so weird because there’s so little security in a place where anyone could walk in at any time. 

So I took that to mean that Four values the emotional distance he gets by keeping to himself in a separate part of the house, even if that means being physically less secure. And clearly that hasn't changed even after HSH1. And considering Four’s trust issues are so severe he locks and blocks his door with furniture when he feels vulnerable (<- careful, that one's NSFW), that means a lot. We’re talking about a guy who showered at the gym for Weeks when he first moved into the townhouse - that’s Next Level trust issues. This guy’s trust issues have trust issues. 

So my HC is that Four hasn’t really settled into living there like everyone else has - mentally and emotionally speaking, he’s got one foot out the door already. He’s not planning to leave or anything, but subconsciously he’s still treating his spot in the house like it’s temporary. So he’s still in that mindset of living waaaaayyyyy below his means (you never know when you’ll be out on the street again so you better save every rupee) and the idea of owning things is uncomfortable (it's just one more thing you’ll lose when you have to run again). Even something as basic as having his own room, something that should make him feel more secure, just puts him even more on edge (it feels like a broken promise in the making - he’s never felt secure so this feeling has to be fake too). 

Four is and has been in survival mode for so long that he just can’t shake it off. And it’s this strange sense of “I can’t get comfortable here because this won’t last” that keeps all this distance between Four and everyone else. Worst part is that a lot of it is subconscious - Four doesn’t really think Time will kick him out. But he also can’t shake the nagging feeling that it is going to happen. He’s perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop, even if he doesn’t realize it. And that constant insecurity really fucks with his head.

No one really knows about it either. Twilight, who is the one closest to him, is only close enough to make Four feel like he doesn't have to be "The Responsible One". Which is a good start. But considering everything they've all been through together it doesn't look good for everyone to rank even lower than that. Everyone else must be on, like, friendship level 1-3. And that's not nearly enough to unlock his tragic backstory.

And Four is really good at seeming fine - he’s quiet and mostly polite. He doesn’t broadcast what he feels and he stonewalls like no one else. And no one looks too closely at him because of this. There are other Links with louder, more obvious problems and that lets Four fade into the background. The guys might be able to tell that there's something wrong, but no one's close enough to identify exactly what it is. And he doesn't feel close enough to them to share, either.

Add this to everything internal that Four deals with, you just end up with a guy who's so blocked off that no one even knows where to start. The guys can't even get their foot into the metaphorical door of Four's feelings because he welded it shut years ago.

And so I think that it's going to take a powerful external force acting upon the household to finally force something to bend or break - and it'll either be Four's silence or the other guys' willingness to stay out of it. (Probably the guys tho. I'm pretty sure Four would literally rather die than speak up at this point.)

Good thing everybody else in that house is fully willing to throw down for him, even if he himself doesn't know it.

[glaxitsoftwareagency]

How Employee Extensions Become Entry Points for Security Threats

In this blog, we’ll walk you through how these threats work and give you some friendly advice to keep your business safe. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple and real. Almost one thing many companies forget is how everyday tools like employee extensions, those short numbers we use to call coworkers, can give hackers an easy way in.

How Extensions Can Open the Door for Threats

Social Engineering: A Common Exploitation Method

One of the easiest ways hackers exploit extensions is through social engineering. They may pretend to be a coworker or IT support, using familiar extensions to build trust. This method might not involve breaking any firewall, it’s just clever manipulation.

VoIP and Extensions: Easy to Misuse

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems are super convenient but also easy to fake. Hackers can create numbers that look just like yours. Even a call from a known number might not be legit. Some hackers even mimic voices.. They may also send files or links, asking you to open them. One click, and your company’s entire network could be at risk.

Social Media Makes It Easier for Hackers

We all love staying connected on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. But guess what? Hackers do, too. They use these platforms to learn about your job, your coworkers, and your role. Here’s where scams mostly happen:

Social Media PlatformSocial Media PlatformScam Reports (%)LinkedIn52%Facebook29%Instagram11%Twitter/X08%

(Source: Norton Cyber Safety Pulse Report, 2024)

When hackers use this info along with fake extensions, it becomes much easier to trick employees.

Simple Tips to Keep Your Business Safe

 Always Double-Check

If something feels off, even slightly pause. Double-check the request by calling back or using your internal chat. Our team once used a voice verification tool to confirm a strange request. It saved us from a potential breach.

Keep Your Team in the Loop

Training shouldn’t be a one-time thing. Regular reminders and friendly updates help everyone stay sharp:

Check who’s calling

Don’t share passwords over the phone

Speak up if something seems odd

You should always confirm unknown calls. You must avoid giving private info. And you ought to report anything unusual.

Restrict Access and Monitor Usage

Only give extensions to those who truly need them. Audit logs regularly. If someone’s using an extension outside of work hours or from an unusual location, investigate immediately.

Clear policies help:

Admins are expected to monitor call logs.

Employees can request extension deactivation during leave.

Security officers must review access monthly

 Keep Work and Personal Devices Separate

Ideally, give staff separate devices. If not, set up two profiles one for work, one for personal use.

And don’t forget:

Keep devices updated

Use secure connections like VPNs

Let’s Build a Safer, Smarter Workplace

Create a workplace where people are encouraged to be careful. Make it normal to pause and verify. Reward people who catch things early.

Here are some ideas:

Have a monthly Cyber Safe Day

Share stories of close calls

Appreciate team members who report issues.

Conclusion:

Employee extensions are handy, but if they’re not managed well, they can be risky.  You can avoid most problems by being alert, using smart tools, and keeping your team informed. In short, employee extensions can be a backdoor for cybercriminals if ignored. With rising threats and smarter scams, we must stay alert, be proactive, and educate our teams. By applying secure communication protocols and train your teams on a regular basis, you’ll turn your employee extensions into your first line of defense rather than your weakest link.

[lilly-beyondicelebrities]

Documentary Response 1- My Octopus Teacher

1. Film trailer and link to film's website

My Octopus Teacher | Official Trailer | Netflix

2. What important social issue question does this documentary ask and what type of storytelling does it employ to answer it? (2 paragraphs)

This documentary preaches about the importance of environmentalism, specifically ocean health, in a subtle but emotionally impactful way. The documentary never specifically mentions that the environment is in danger or that he is trying to spread awareness. Instead, the beautiful cinematography and heartfelt story between man and octopus captivated the viewers and created an emotional bond between the viewer and the creatures and setting of the film.

The storytelling was organic and real, nothing was made up or forced, which made it all the more emotionally impactful. The octopus was not scripted, we got to see the octopus learn about the man, be scared, be skeptical, be excited, and in the end, love the man. All the while, we as viewers were exposed to the wondrous aspects of the ocean habitat and the octopus’ life. We saw the octopus’ spectacular camouflage capabilities and we saw her heal after an attack. We saw the lives of the other animals play out around the octopus. All of this together pulls at the heartstrings of the viewers which results in more care for the environment.

3. What new story is revealed in this film, and what revelations have emerged from it to impact popular discourse? (2 paragraphs)

This story goes through the adult life of an octopus. In the beginning we were exposed to the basic everyday life of the octopus-eating, playing, hiding, hunting. We watched the octopus incorporate the man into its routines and begin to love the man like family. We saw the Octopus grow up over the course of a year and then lay eggs in the end. It was truly a cycle of life. Watching the octopus be afraid at the beginning and swimming away and hiding to giving the man a hug before she dies was soul touching.

This film reveals how similar we are to animals. They have emotions. They feel excitement, love, and fear. They are capable of deep intimate connections. This impacts the discourse on climate action by giving us another thing to take action for that isn’t just ourselves. Animals are suffering from our actions as well. They feel the pain that we have inflicted upon them. And maybe this film can be a new call to action.

4. What personal revelations did you glean from this film? What shocked or inspired you? How has this film changed your perspective on the subject? (1-2 paragraphs)

I have always been very passionate about environmentalism so this film was inspirational and spurred my pre-existing interest. However, I have always been more focused on land activism. I knew little about the oceans except the reefs were dying, overfishing is a huge issue, and it’s polluted. It’s easy to plant a garden, pick up trash on land, and all of that, it’s less easy to care for the ocean in the same way. But seeing this film made me have a deeper connection to it and all of its inhabitants, plants, animals, and everything in between. 

5. How did this documentary expand the reputation of the subject, and how did it serve to further the spotlight on a key social change issue? (2 paragraphs)

This documentary helped shed light on something that seems so vast, mysterious, and inaccessible: the ocean. It reframed animals as emotional human-like beings as opposed to things we have nothing in common with. It used pathos as a tool to appeal to people who may have previously been overwhelmed by statistics and facts and ticking clocks. Love is a more motivating emotion than anxiety, which is often paralyzing.

This film also shed more light on underwater plantlife. Ocean activism is usually very vague. “Save the ocean” “save the sea turtles” “save the reefs”. But what plants are within these oceans that need saving? What do they look like and what do they do?This documentary showed the beautiful environment and kelp forests in ways I have never seen, expanding on our basic knowledge about what lies underneath the purpose. It showed how animals utilized and fully relied on their environment just as we do.

6. Did the film prove pivotal for the director/producers' careers? Were they historic for expanded gender and racial representation in storytelling? (1 paragraph)

Yes, this film was pivotal in the director’s careers and what nature documentaries could be. It even won the 2021 Best Documentary Feature award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a very prestigious honor. 

7. Add interview clips, images, hotlinks and/or quotes from reviews.

Interview with My Octopus Teacher Director, Pippa Ehrlich

[iifl-loan]

Why a Current Account Might Be the Smartest Business Move Today?

Every business owner wants to make wise choices to grow their company. One decision that can have a significant impact is opening a current account. A current account is a bank account made for businesses. It helps you manage money, pay bills, and keep track of transactions. A current account can make your business stronger and more organised in today's busy world. This article explains why a current account is an excellent choice for your business.

Separation of Finances

A current account keeps your business money separate from your personal money. Mixing the two can cause problems. It makes it hard to know how much your business earns or spends. With a current account, all business transactions stay in one place. This makes bookkeeping easier. It also helps when filing taxes. You can show clear records to the government. Keeping finances separate avoids mistakes and builds trust with tax authorities.

Better Cash Flow Management

Managing cash flow is essential for any business. You need to pay suppliers, receive customer payments, and cover costs. A current account gives you tools to stay in control. Online banking and mobile apps let you instantly check your balance or send money. You can see when payments arrive or spot problems early. This helps you avoid running out of cash. It also ensures you pay bills on time, keeping your business running smoothly.

Professional Image

A current account makes your business look more professional. When you send payments or invoices, they show your company’s name, not yours. This builds trust with clients and suppliers. A personal account might make your business seem less severe. You can issue checks or set up direct debits in your company’s name with a current account. These details show customers you’re a legitimate business, which can lead to more opportunities.

Access to Business Services

Current accounts come with services designed for businesses. Many offer overdrafts, which let you borrow money if your account balance is low. This can help during tough times. Banks also provide merchant services for stores or restaurants, like card payment machines. Some accounts include free accounting software or discounts on business tools. These perks save you money and make it easier to run your business efficiently.

Support for Growth

As your business grows, you’ll handle more transactions. A current account is built for this. It can manage large numbers of payments without problems. You can make bulk transfers to pay multiple suppliers at once. Many accounts also support international payments, which is great if you work with overseas clients. A current account grows with your business, offering solutions for every stage of your journey.

Enhanced Security

Money deposited in a current account remains secured through safety measures. Stable security features such as encryption and fraud alerts are common in business accounts. Banks monitor your account for unusual activity. The system has mechanisms to detect incorrect activities, thus enabling financial protection for your funds. The security measures enable you to rest easy. The security of your funds allows you to maintain business focus without any concerns about fraudulent transactions or mistakes.

Time-Saving Automation

Running a business takes time, and managing finances can be a burden. A current account saves you time with automation. You can set up recurring payments for things like rent or utilities. You can also link your account to accounting apps. These apps pull data from your account and create reports for you. This reduces paperwork and lets you focus on growing your business. Additionally, with doorstep banking, you can have a hassle-free banking experience, where essential banking services are delivered directly to your business location, saving even more time and effort.

Conclusion

Every business owner should open a current account because of its advantages for financial management. A current account helps you maintain financial order while creating better cash flow stability and professionally presenting your business. Besides its services, the current account allows businesses to access overdraft options and merchant tools supporting growth. Businesses benefit from automation functions, financial security, and time-saving features provided by a current account. The competitive market favours businesses that have current accounts. Your current account search should start at your bank today. The implementation of this basic measure helps position your business toward achievement.

[dentalcare36]

Simple Lifestyle Changes That Will Save Your Smile

A beautiful smile isn’t just about genetics—it’s about daily habits and lifestyle choices. The good news? You don’t need fancy products or expensive treatments to keep your teeth strong and healthy. Small, consistent changes in your everyday routine can prevent most common dental problems and help maintain a confident smile for life.

Here are some easy, proven changes that can have a big impact on your oral health.

Prioritize Consistent Oral Hygiene

Brushing twice a day and flossing once daily might sound basic, but these steps are non-negotiable. Poor oral hygiene is the root of most dental issues. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste can prevent plaque buildup, cavities, and gum disease. If you're unsure of the best technique, a dentist in Dhaka can provide helpful guidance tailored to your needs.

Watch What You Eat (And Drink)

Sugary drinks and sticky snacks are your teeth’s worst enemies. Switch to water, dairy products, and crunchy fruits and vegetables, which help clean teeth naturally. Avoid frequent snacking throughout the day, as this gives bacteria more chances to feed and produce acid. Patients seeking advice from the best oral and maxillofacial surgeon are often those who’ve ignored these basics for years.

Quit Smoking and Tobacco Use

Tobacco is one of the leading causes of stained teeth, bad breath, gum disease, and oral cancer. Quitting this habit dramatically improves oral (and overall) health. Many people only realize the damage after visiting a dental clinic Dhaka for treatment of gum infections or tooth loss linked to smoking.

Don’t Ignore Jaw or Tooth Pain

If you frequently wake up with jaw soreness, headaches, or have difficulty chewing, don’t brush it off. These symptoms can be signs of grinding, TMJ disorders, or even impacted wisdom teeth. A visit to an oral and maxillofacial doctor can help diagnose and treat these issues early—before they turn into more serious complications.

Limit Whitening Strips and DIY Treatments

While everyone wants a whiter smile, overusing whitening strips or DIY concoctions can erode enamel and cause sensitivity. It’s safer to undergo teeth whitening with professionals who use controlled methods and products that preserve your enamel while achieving effective results.

Make Regular Dental Visits Non-Negotiable

No matter how well you brush or eat, regular checkups are essential. A professional cleaning removes tartar that daily brushing can't reach and allows early detection of problems. Booking appointments with a trusted dental specialist in Dhaka twice a year can significantly lower your risk of cavities, gum disease, and even oral cancer.

Hydrate More Often

Drinking water throughout the day helps flush away food particles and bacteria. Saliva production also relies on proper hydration, which is your mouth’s natural defense against decay. People looking for the best dental clinic near me are often surprised to learn how much something as simple as drinking water can improve their dental health.

Wear a Mouthguard If You Grind at Night

Many people grind their teeth in their sleep, leading to enamel erosion, chipped teeth, and even jaw pain. If you suspect you grind at night, speak to a dentist in Dhaka Bangladesh about getting a custom night guard. It’s a small investment that protects your teeth in the long run.

Address Small Problems Before They Grow

That tiny chip or mild toothache might not seem urgent—but small issues can quickly turn into big ones. Seeing the best dentist in Dhanmondi for minor issues early on can save you time, money, and pain in the future.

Know When You Need a Specialist

Certain dental conditions, especially those involving surgery or facial structure, require expert care. If your case involves impacted teeth, facial trauma, or cysts, seek help from the best oral surgeon. They offer treatments that general dentists aren’t trained to perform.

Think Long-Term, Not Just Cosmetic

While cosmetic dentistry is popular, your primary goal should be health first. That radiant smile will naturally follow. Professionals like the best dentist in Dhaka help patients build long-term plans that cover both function and aesthetics—so you can smile with confidence and comfort.

Final Thoughts

Protecting your smile doesn’t require extreme measures—just a few smart lifestyle changes and a little consistency. Whether it’s drinking more water, quitting bad habits, or keeping up with dental visits, these small adjustments go a long way.

Remember, your teeth reflect your overall health, and it’s never too late to start making better choices. Dhaka is home to some of the best experts in the field—so whether you need preventive care or specialized treatment, help is always within reach.

[seonewsguy]

DIY Website Design: Building for Success

You’ve got an innovative business idea and need a website. To cut costs, you decide to build it yourself. It seems like a practical choice, right?

However, DIY websites often come with hidden challenges. While they might look fine initially, they can suffer from deeper issues that erode trust and drive visitors away. Let’s explore some common pitfalls in self-designed websites and how to avoid them.

1. Cluttered Layouts

When designing your own site, it’s easy to include everything you think is important. A photo here, a block of text there, and numerous menu links can quickly lead to clutter. Visitors may feel overwhelmed and unsure where to focus.

Solution: Simplify your layout. Limit menu items and embrace white space. Consider the user’s perspective: What do they need most? Make that information easy to find.

2. Style Over Functionality

Many DIY designers get caught up in choosing fonts, colors, and animations. While these elements can enhance visual appeal, they often overshadow functionality. A flashy animation might slow down your site, and a trendy font could be hard to read.

Solution: Keep your design clean and readable. Use no more than two fonts, ensure buttons and links are visible, and always test your site on mobile devices as well as desktops.

3. Lack of Mobile Optimization

With more than half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring your site works on smaller screens is crucial. Many DIY sites fail here, with text that’s too small, overlapping images, or disappearing menus.

Solution: Use a responsive template and preview your site on various screen sizes. If it doesn’t function well on a phone, it’s already failing.

4. Overlooking SEO Essentials

Launching a site without considering search engine optimization (SEO) is like hoping people will find it by chance. Search engines need structured content: logical titles, page descriptions, ordered headings, image alt text, and fast load times.

Solution: Learn basic on-page SEO or consider hiring a cheap website designer who understands it. Affordable professionals can help without breaking your budget.

5. Vague Calls to Action

What action do you want visitors to take on your site? Call you? Fill out a form? Make a purchase? DIY sites often leave visitors guessing, with unclear or hidden buttons.

Solution: Every page should have a clear goal. Make calls to action obvious and use direct language like “Get a Quote,” “Book Now,” or “Send Us a Message.”

6. Misusing Free Website Builders

Platforms like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace offer easy site-building solutions. However, they come with limitations such as restricted customization, poor SEO tools, slow load times, and ads unless you pay.

Solution: If you’re serious about your site, consider WordPress or a basic custom setup. A cheap website design from a freelance web developer might provide more flexibility and fewer surprises.

7. Focusing Solely on Design

While aesthetics matter, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. A successful site also requires fast load times, clear messaging, easy navigation, and trust signals like contact info and reviews.

Solution: Define your main goal before building. Every page, image, and button should support that objective.

Should You DIY Your Website?

If you have the time, patience, and interest to learn, DIY might work for you. But if you’re launching a business or aiming to grow online, it’s often wiser to seek help. This doesn’t mean spending thousands; you can find a cheap website designer or agency offering affordable website design that meets your needs.

Remember, a website isn’t just a digital business card—it’s your storefront, first impression, and credibility. Don’t risk undermining it to save a few dollars upfront.

Final Thought:

If your DIY site isn’t working, don’t worry. Many people encounter these challenges. Fix what you can, seek help from a cheap website designer if necessary, and always prioritize the user experience. That’s how you create a site that truly works.