#master in advanced architecture

[blackstarlineage]

Great Zimbabwe: An In-Depth Analysis of Africa’s Architectural and Economic Masterpiece

Introduction: The Greatness of African Civilization

Great Zimbabwe stands as one of the most remarkable and sophisticated civilizations in African history. Located in modern-day Zimbabwe, it flourished between 1100 and 1500 CE, serving as the centre of a vast trade empire that connected Africa to the Middle East, India, and China.

Despite colonial-era attempts to deny its African origins, Great Zimbabwe was entirely built by Black Africans, proving that African civilizations developed advanced architecture, urban centres, and economic systems long before European contact.

From a Garveyite perspective, the study of Great Zimbabwe is crucial because it represents:

Black architectural brilliance – The largest ancient stone city in sub-Saharan Africa.

Black economic power – A major hub for gold, ivory, and international trade.

Black political sovereignty – An empire built, governed, and controlled by Africans.

By reclaiming the history of Great Zimbabwe, Black people worldwide can reject colonial myths and recognize Africa’s legacy of innovation, wealth, and self-sufficiency.

1. The Origins of Great Zimbabwe

A. Geographic and Strategic Importance

Great Zimbabwe was built in a strategic location with access to gold mines, fertile lands, and trade routes.

The civilization was part of the Shona culture, whose people were skilled in ironworking, agriculture, and trade.

Its name, Zimbabwe, means “House of Stone” in the Shona language, reflecting its impressive stone structures.

Example: The city covered nearly 1,800 acres and housed up to 18,000 people, making it one of the largest pre-colonial African urban centres.

Key Takeaway: African civilizations were not nomadic or primitive—they built vast cities with complex infrastructures.

2. The Architectural Genius of Great Zimbabwe

A. The Great Enclosure: An African Architectural Wonder

The most famous structure in Great Zimbabwe is the Great Enclosure, a massive circular stone wall built without mortar.

The walls reach up to 36 feet high and stretch over 820 feet in length, making them the largest ancient stone structures south of the Sahara.

The conical tower inside the Great Enclosure is believed to be a symbol of power, wealth, and spiritual significance.

Example: European colonists refused to believe Black Africans built Great Zimbabwe and tried to attribute it to foreign civilizations (Phoenicians, Arabs, or even aliens), highlighting their racist denial of African ingenuity.

Key Takeaway: Africa had master builders who engineered grand cities using advanced techniques, disproving colonial myths.

B. The Hill Complex: The Royal and Religious Centre

The Hill Complex, located on a granite hill, served as the political and religious centre of Great Zimbabwe.

It was the seat of the king and was likely used for religious ceremonies, governance, and strategic defense.

The Shona people practiced ancestor worship, and the structures reflect a deep spiritual connection to their land and heritage.

Example: Many structures align with the movement of the sun and stars, proving that Great Zimbabweans had advanced knowledge of astronomy.

Key Takeaway: Black civilizations had political, spiritual, and scientific achievements that rivalled other global civilizations of the time.

3. Great Zimbabwe’s Economic Power: The Centre of a Global Trade Network

A. Control Over Gold Trade

Great Zimbabwe controlled rich gold mines in the region, making it one of the wealthiest African states of its time.

It became a major gold supplier for Swahili coastal cities, the Middle East, and even China.

Gold from Great Zimbabwe was traded across the Indian Ocean and found in Persian, Indian, and Chinese markets.

Example: The famous Kilwa Sultanate on the Swahili Coast depended on Great Zimbabwe for its gold supply, showing Africa’s key role in global trade.

Key Takeaway: Africa was not isolated—its resources fueled economies worldwide long before European colonization.

B. Trade with Asia and the Middle East

Archaeological discoveries in Great Zimbabwe include Chinese porcelain, Persian glass, and Indian beads, proving international trade.

The Swahili Coast, linked to Great Zimbabwe, had trading posts with Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants.

Ivory, copper, iron, and textiles were also traded, creating a diverse and wealthy economy.

Example: The trade connections of Great Zimbabwe show that Africans were engaged in globalization centuries before European involvement.

Key Takeaway: Africa was a key player in world trade, not an isolated or underdeveloped continent.

4. The Political and Social Structure of Great Zimbabwe

A. The Role of the King and Governance

Great Zimbabwe was ruled by a monarch, often referred to as the Mwene Mutapa (King).

The king controlled trade, wealth, and spiritual leadership, serving as a link between the people and the ancestors.

The empire was organized into a federation of smaller kingdoms, all loyal to the central ruler.

Example: The Kingdom of Mutapa, which rose after Great Zimbabwe’s decline, continued its legacy and expanded its power into Mozambique.

Key Takeaway: African civilizations had complex governance structures, contradicting colonial lies about African “tribalism.”

B. The Social Structure: A Balanced Society

The society was hierarchical, with royalty, nobles, traders, craftsmen, and farmers contributing to the empire.

Women held important roles in agriculture, trade, and spiritual leadership.

The people of Great Zimbabwe built strong, organized communities with specialized labor and social systems.

Example: Women played key roles in spiritual rituals and trade, showing the presence of gender balance in African societies.

Key Takeaway: African civilizations were structured, organized, and socially progressive.

The Decline of Great Zimbabwe: Lessons for Today

A. Why Did Great Zimbabwe Collapse?

The empire declined due to:

Overuse of natural resources, including deforestation and soil depletion.

Shifting trade routes that bypassed the city, reducing its economic power.

Internal conflicts and possible political instability.

By 1500 CE, Great Zimbabwe was largely abandoned, but its culture and influence lived on in successor states like the Kingdom of Mutapa.

Example: The modern nation of Zimbabwe is named after Great Zimbabwe, honouring its legacy of African greatness.

Key Takeaway: No Black nation can survive without sustainable economic policies, resource management, and strong leadership.

6. The Garveyite Vision: Rebuilding Africa’s Lost Glory

Great Zimbabwe proves that Africa was a centre of trade, culture, and innovation.

Black people today must control their own resources, just as Great Zimbabwe controlled its gold mines.

African architecture, governance, and economic systems must be reclaimed and studied to guide future development.

Pan-African unity is necessary—Black nations must work together as Great Zimbabwe did with the Swahili Coast.

Final Thought: Will We Reclaim the Legacy of Great Zimbabwe?

Marcus Garvey taught:

“The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness.”

Will Black people continue to believe colonial lies about African history, or will we reclaim the truth?

Will we build self-sufficient Black economies, or remain dependent on foreign powers?

Will we celebrate our past and use it to shape our future, or let our history be erased?

The Choice is Ours. The Time is Now.

[wolfliving]

"The Cathedral of Robot Artisans"

Spatial Qualities: Dialogue Between Existing and New Structures

The project posed a complex challenge: to retrofit a 19th-century brick stable into a functional, contemporary fabrication space while preserving its historical integrity. Within a four-month timeframe, an international cohort of MAEBB (Master in Advanced Architecture and Biocities) students designed and built a hybrid structure that simultaneously honors traditional craftsmanship and embraces advanced digital fabrication.

At the heart of the project lies a tension between the old and the new, the solid and the porous, the static and the adaptive. The design retains the original brick walls, reinforcing them structurally while removing the decayed roof to introduce a new timber framework. This act of surgical preservation frames the contemporary intervention as both a response and a counterpoint to the pre-existing architecture.

Internally, the space is organized around the operational needs of the industrial robot. An open-span layout ensures unobstructed movement, while carefully positioned skylights and glazed openings allow natural light to penetrate the interior without compromising environmental control. Above the robot, a prominent skylight creates a dramatic shaft of light that recalls the sacred spatial strategies of ecclesiastical architecture, reinforcing the project’s metaphor of a “cathedral” for contemporary artisanship.

The spatial atmosphere is quiet and refined, a composition of filtered daylight, exposed timber, and restored masonry that balances technological precision with human engagement.

Materiality and Construction: Advanced Timber Engineering

Timber serves as the project’s primary material, chosen for its environmental performance, structural adaptability, and symbolic resonance with the surrounding landscape. A self-supporting arborescent structure, made from solid wood and Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), defines the new roof and internal framework. Seven branching columns, reminiscent of tree trunks, hold aloft a Voronoi-patterned canopy, a formal language derived from nature but realized through digital craftsmanship....

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: The Baroque Period

The Baroque Period of music - occurred from roughly 1600 to 1750.

It was preceded by the Renaissance era and followed by the Classical era.

The Baroque period was a revolutionary time in music history that saw a full embrace of polyphony, ornamentation, and harmonic sophistication.

The style spread throughout Europe over the course of the 17th century, with notable Baroque composers emerging in Germany, Italy, France, and England.

The era was not limited to music. Baroque painting (by masters like Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens), Baroque sculpture (led by Gian Lorenzo Bernini), and Baroque architecture (particularly in the Catholic church) were other celebrated forms of Baroque art in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The term Baroque can refer to all of these art forms in addition to music.

Characteristics of Baroque Music

Baroque music made notable advances from the Renaissance period, many of which are still employed by contemporary musicians and composers. Baroque music often has the following characteristics:

Emphasis on dynamics: During the Baroque era, the pianoforte (an early version of the piano) replaced the harpsichord as the primary keyboard instrument. The pianoforte (called a klavier in German) struck strings with felted hammers, whereas the harpsichord plucked the strings. This meant the pianoforte could play both soft and loud, opening new dynamic possibilities. Other new Baroque instruments, like the valve trumpet and the violin, also had immense dynamic potential. Renaissance instruments like the lute were still played, but they were eclipsed in popularity by newer, more dynamic options.

Embrace of instrumental music: Prior to the Baroque era, a great amount of music was vocal music used in liturgical settings. While Baroque composers still embraced singing in the form of chorales, cantatas, and opera, instrumental music became increasingly popular. Some of the most renowned pieces of Baroque music, such as Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Bach's Brandenburg Concerto, are instrumental pieces.

Ornamentation: Much like Baroque architecture and sculpture, Baroque music embraces flair. Even the simplest melodies were often embellished with ornamentations like trills, acciaccaturas, appoggiaturas, mordents, and turns.

Basso continuo: Basso continuo notation became popular during the Baroque era. This form of music notation includes a complete bass line, which is usually played by a cello in a Baroque ensemble. A player of a keyboard instrument like a harpsichord or piano then improvises chords using figured bass notation. Solo organ players often play basso continuo notation entirely on their own.

A Brief History of Baroque Music

After its inception in Italy, Baroque music expanded throughout Europe thanks to composers like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

Origin in Italy: The early Baroque era of music centered in Italy. Italian composers based in Rome and its surroundings composed music that drew on the traditions of the Renaissance era but also expanded its harmonic and ornamental boundaries. Notable Italian Baroque composers include Alessandro Scarlatti (and his son Domenico Scarlatti), Antonio Corelli, and Claudio Monteverdi. Antonio Vivaldi was the last major Italian Baroque composer. He worked in the later Baroque era, overlapping with George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach.

German influence: As musicians traveled throughout Europe, the Baroque style caught on, and new composers added new elements. The English composer Henry Purcell and French composers like Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Phillippe Rameau made marks, but it was the German school of Baroque music that was most influential. Georg Philipp Telemann, Michael Praetorius, Johann Pachelbel, and most of all Johann Sebastian Bach helped define the high Baroque period. Another prominent German was George Frideric Handel, although he spent nearly his entire career in England.

End of an era: The Baroque period's end is tied to the death of Bach in 1750. The second half of the eighteenth century and early nineteenth century marked the Classical period, where composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn built on the foundation laid by Baroque composers.

Baroque Period Musical Forms

Popular Baroque musical forms include the prelude and fugue, the cantata, the concerto, the oratorio, the sonata, and even opera.

Like prior Renaissance compositions, many Baroque pieces have religious themes.

Baroque composers were aligned with both the Catholic church and, following the 16th century Protestant Reformation, other denominations like Lutheranism.

Notable Baroque Composers

The Baroque era gave rise to many composers whose works are still regularly played. Three particularly notable composers of the Baroque period are:

Johann Sebastian Bach: No composer better defines the High Baroque era than J.S. Bach. Based largely in Leipzig, Germany, Bach was a master organ player (among many other instrumental talents) and a composer who created both liturgical and secular music. Bach's brilliance lay in his mastery of counterpoint and harmonic transformation. Works like The Well-Tempered Klavier, The Art of the Fugue, and the Brandenburg Concertos remain essential parts of the classical music repertoire.

George Frideric Handel: Born in Germany but notably a Londoner, Handel composed Baroque landmarks like Water Music and the opera Rodrigo. Yet he is most remembered for Messiah, an English-language oratorio composed in 1742. His Music for the Royal Fireworks was commissioned by King George II and firmly established his place in British music history.

Antonio Vivaldi: A Venetian composer, Vivaldi was famed for his mastery of the violin. His musical compositions reflect his instrumental virtuosity. The most famous of these is Four Seasons, a series of violin concertos that is widely performed by today's classical musicians. During his lifetime, Vivaldi made most of his income as an opera composer, where he pushed thematic boundaries in works like 1716's Arsilda, regina di Ponto.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[camisoledadparis]

Long before modern plumbing, the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete developed an advanced plumbing system at Knossos Palace, dating back to around 1700 BCE.

This impressive system included features like:

A flushable toilet—possibly the first in human history!

Sophisticated drainage systems to manage wastewater.

Terracotta pipes that ensured clean water flow throughout the palace.

These innovations were so ahead of their time that they vanished after the decline of the Minoan civilization, only to be rediscovered and reinvented millennia later.

The Minoans not only mastered art and architecture but also revolutionized how humans lived comfortably—a legacy that reminds us of the ingenuity of ancient civilizations.

Would you have guessed that flushing toilets existed over 3,000 years ago?

[greyspirehollow]

We lock eyes again [Request]

Pairing : Quaestor Valdemar x Reader

Fandom : The Arcana visual novel

Warnings : none

Summary : You do not remember how long it took you to finally find a suitable host for your soul, and go on a quest to find your long lost anchor to the mortal world ; the one who your thoughts inevitably converged towards, stubbornly holding you back from crossing the threshold of the afterlife.

It had been centuries. It had been too long. You'd lived many ages : through the eyes of the salmon, deer, and wolf. You would see it in your dreams ; the time you spent in limbo, waiting, patiently...Although, when you awoke, these dreams didn't make sense anymore ; only leaving behind a lingering sense of longing, a feeling that you had to find... What did you have to find? You couldn't put your finger on it...

You sighed, sitting up in your bed and stretching. Another one of those dreams... But you didn't have time to reflect upon them, today. Asra wanted to introduce you to the court of Vesuvia, as a sort of starting point to your journey as a magician's apprentice. You feel as if you've done this before. You got up, yawning, and rummaging through your wardrobe to find something decent to wear. Once you had your outfit all sorted, you decided to add a twinkle of jewelry, just to make it all a little less dull. You had heard about this kingdom's history : struck by a terrible plague that had decimated thousands, sacrifices, memory loss... It was all a bit confusing, so you had only paid attention to the plague bit. Asra eventually knocked on your door "Are you ready?" ; you quickly adjusted your attire before hurrying out of your room "yes! I... Do I look ok? is it not... a little too much?" the magician smiled, looking at you fondly "you look perfect. Now, let's go ; we shouldn't keep the Countess waiting." You followed, walking through the sunlit and busy streets of the kingdom, looking around with delight. You had not left the shop much when you had gotten here, and the lively markets, the colors, and the people actually did you some good (to your surprise).

Your eyes widened slightly as you and your master arrived at the Palace's gates ; you looked up at the shiny architecture with sparkles in your eyes. What snapped you out of it was the voice of the guards demanding you introduce yourselves. Luckily, the Countess had seemingly told them about you and Asra's arrival, as the guards let you pass after having heard the magician's name. You then advanced past the gates, still awestruck. You felt as if the sun was illuminating the Palace in a magical hue, and the more you approached, the faster your heart thumped in your chest. It wasn't just the Palace's glory : you had a feeling. Something that made you apprehensive yet eager to go inside. You felt as if you knew something, but at the same time it was missing ; you had to go in the Palace, but you couldn't figure out why ; it tugged at your heart, pumping adrenaline into your veins, as if strings were drawing you towards the place... However, you kept this to yourself, and quietly followed Asra as you both made your way towards the throne room. Now that you thought about it, you didn't see anyone guide you towards there, and you suspected Asra had come to the Palace before.

However, no one was sitting on the throne. You raised a curious eyebrow, but before you could utter a word, your master uttered a little "ooh" of realization, before saying : "She must be in the drawing room. I wouldn't be surprised if she wished to introduce you to the courtiers as well." You nodded. That made some sense ; even though you were slightly disappointed : you would've loved to meet the Countess in a more private setting. You followed Asra nonetheless. A few turns later, you both found yourselves in said drawing room. The Countess was elegantly sitting in a one-person sofa, while she conversed with five figures, which the diversity of... Struck you, to say the least. Despite your unease, you followed Asra inside, as the magician bowed to the woman whose purple hair draped over her shoulders with shocking delicacy. "Countess Nadia" ; you bowed as well. She smiled "Ah, Asra. And you are..?" she asked, looking at you with a soft yet undeniably authoritative gaze. You managed to stutter out your name, giving her a short bow of the head. "I am glad you two were able to join us for tea. Please, be my guests ; make yourselves comfortable. I will have a cup made for you this instant. Portia?" She called out to a servant, whispering to her something before the young lady hurried out the drawing room, to presumably go fetch the tea.

It is then that Countess Nadia gestured to the other people in the drawing room. So they were the courtiers, you thought, as she went over each of them, your gaze following accordingly. Procurator Volta. Consul Valerius. Praetor Vlastomil. Pontifex Vulgora. Quaestor-

You let out a soft gasp ; no one heard you. Your eyes widened as they locked with their red own. Suddenly, everything made sense. This is why you were here. This is who you had been seeking. The dreams connected themselves, perfectly falling into place at this exact moment. You remembered it all now, the limbo, your adventures from body to body, your struggle and ghostly tears, the longing, the waiting, all that for this person right there, sitting on this sofa amongst the others...

Valdemar.

They looked surprised as well, their eyes never leaving your own, as they seemed to be deep in thought. The conversation around you faded, your whole attention focused onto them. The memory flooded back in your mind, nearly playing out in front of you...

The little cottage. The lingering scent of herbs and wood in the air. The shelves with dried plants, stuffed birds and other animals, skulls they had found on their trips to the forest... And Valdemar themselves. They excitedly opened their journal on the desk, signing you to sit next to them enthusiastically. "Here ! -they said- I've found something ! I think you're going to like it..." You smiled and chuckled. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you managed to capture a frog" They snorted at your reply "I'm past that. No, look... I've managed to make an antidote with snake venom ! I just diluted it, added some... ah, I forgot the plant's name- it's all in my notes, look" they were smiling widely as you approached, standing mere millimeters away from them, your hand brushing against theirs as you flipped through their research journal. It smelled peculiar, it always did : a mix of something like oak and leather, with a hint of vegetation. "It's impressive..." you nodded as your eyes squinted slightly, having a hard time reading certain words because of their highly cursive and optimized handwriting. Valdemar looked at you expectantly. "It is brilliant" you finally said, looking back at them. Your heart skipped a bit at that precious smile of theirs, which pushed their freckles-adorned cheeks. Oh, how you'd kill to pamper those in kisses... "why, I'm quite proud of myself" they said, looking back at the pages. However, their grin faltered slightly "...but what if... what if all this disappears? what then?" your heart ached slightly. You knew how important their researches and breakthroughs were to them. You didn't resist this time : you wrapped their arms around them "do not fret. Your knowledge will not be lost." you spoke softly, hoping to soothe their worries, even temporarily. "...You're right... It and I will live on forever..." They say after a few beats of silence, embracing you back. You smiled, content to see them somewhat reassured.

With that, the memory faded. Your throat tightened and you had to excuse yourself. Your eyes hadn't left Valdemar's for all this time. You made your way to the bathroom, closing the door, but not locking it. You took in a quivering breath, the tears coming to your eyes despite your best attempts at holding them back. Tears of joy...

After a while, someone softly knocked on the door, but before you could get a chance to answer, the door opened, revealing the Quaestor. They stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind them without a sound, and pulling down their mask. As they set eyes on you, their expression softened somewhat. You sniffled, quickly wiping your tears away. You were about to say something, but suddenly stopped yourself. No. You didn't need to talk.

You looked at them... They had changed... You were unfamiliar with this lab-coat, those supposed horns wrapped in bandages, and this sickly green skin... But you'd recognize that thin nose and those thin lips, those freckles and those wide, curious eyes, even if they had turned red, anywhere. You had to bite back both your tears and a smile, as you felt them examine you. They took a step or two towards you and carefully lifted your hands into their own, as if to take a closer look at them. They were... Confused. And a foreign feeling tugged at their heart. They didn't know what it was. They just knew it was... Human. Which only confused them further. Scared them, even, although they wouldn't admit it.

Your eyes.

Your soft hands ; their thumb brushed onto the back of them.

Why do you feel so familiar?

This specific accent they heard when you greeted the Countess earlier.

Your warmth.

It's all so familiar...

Who are you?

Why can't they remember?

They remember someone, they can't say who. They remember them like an essence. A feeling. Nothing concrete. They don't remember their face or their voice but they know how they felt around them. They know they talked to them, even if they don't remember the words they said. It's all blurry. It feels like a dream...

Had it been too long? Did their deals make them forget? Why did you trigger their pseudo-memories of that someone?

They don't remember...

Their brows furrowed as despite their best attempts, the answer just wouldn't come back to them. Their grip on your hands tightened slightly.

But you do. You remember now. You can't help a soft smile from tugging at your lips as you look at them fondly. They haven't changed one bit... Factually, they did. But to you ? They were still the same. Deep down, they were still your sweet alchemist. You had missed their voice... You had changed as well, beyond recognition. You were aware of that. Those tedious years you spent in limbo had carried you into body after body, having to live as a wild animal once or twice as to not disappear... You wouldn't tell. Even if your soul was the same. They would either recognize you, or they wouldn't, and you were perfectly fine with both. Your alchemist... They were there, in the flesh. You had to hold back your tears of joy, yet again.

Valdemar sighed, briefly closing their eyes. "...I do not know who you are -they started-, nor do I know where you come from" your heart tickled in your ribs. They locked eyes with you again. "... But I feel as if I am happy to see you again". You nearly lost it, briefly closing your eyes and tilting your head down as to not burst in tears "strange, -you started- I feel the same about you" you chuckled. "Maybe... Forces we don't know of are into play?" you looked back up at them. They didn't seem to like that idea too much "I hope not... I would rather know who is playing with me like that" their tone held nothing negative. You couldn't help but chuckle again "w-well..." you cleared your throat, trying to keep your voice from shaking too much "Whether it is planned or... conducted by something in some way... I don't think this is too bad, eh?" you tentatively asked. They seemed to turn the thought into their head, their red eyes briefly flickering to your hands.

"...I suppose not."

You nodded, fighting for your life tears to not roll down your cheeks. You knew it made you look somewhat suspicious, but if they'd noticed, they didn't comment on it.

"...Say, -they spoke once more- what do you think after... the end of your meeting with the Countess, we spend some time in the library? I feel as if... We have... uhm... Something to catch up on." oh Gods, they absolutely hated when things were blurry and inexplicable. You nodded, practically beaming "I-I would love to." you said, once more looking at your hands in their own.

You both exited the bathroom, hand in hand. You softly let go once you had come back around the drawing room, and Valdemar did the same. However, they sat down next to you. While you joined the conversation between Nadia and Asra, their eyes never left your hand resting on the sofa, withing reach, and once more endless questions tossed and turned in their head... But it looks like the mystery of you was going to stay unsolved...

[writingquestionsanswered]

i’m autistic so when i’m doing Anything i am almost always specifically Avoiding noticing my surroundings, anything going on at all, so when it comes to descriptive writing i’m slowly realising i actually don’t know What to write. i can get a little bit in about physical body things like emotions or pain etc but i don’t reeaally know how to describe an environment or room or anything but i’m not really wanting to start looking for that in real life because it would overwhelm me so i’m not sure how to like. learn it, i guess?

Describing Environments as Autistic Writer

Describing environments can be tricky for any writer, but there's a great method you can use that will help make it easier. For any environment you need to describe, go looking on Google Image Search, Pinterest, Pexels, Shutterstock... wherever... for inspiration photos that represent that environment.

For example, let's say I need to describe a high school gymnasium. Google Image Search gives me lots of great pictures:

I can go through and find ones that match what I'm envisioning. Or, if I have nothing in mind, whichever one stands out as being a good fit. You can bookmark the image, save it, screen cap it, or print it out. Or, you might just keep the image open for reference while you describe the environment in your story.

Some people find it helpful to create "mood boards" or "aesthetics" with lots of different pictures that represent one location. Then, any time they need to describe that environment, they can look back to the collage image for reference.

Depending on whether you're a "planner" or a "pantser," you may want to gather all your inspiration photos in advance, or you may want to just wait until you come to an environment you need to describe and search for the inspiration images then.

Either way, once you have a photograph to guide you, it's much easier to figure out how to describe what the environment looks like. You can talk about things like layout, architectural structure/elements, size, shapes, color and texture, and decoration. You may also wish to include other sensory details, such as sound, smell, and feel... such as the echo inside a gym, the smell of rubber mats, and warmth from a lot of people crowded together to watch an event.

I hope that helps!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[the-whatcherof-89]

Ethoslab Ladders Aka Mr Clark Snappers.

CR 20 NG Medium Humanoid

XP 307,200 (if used as npc for encounter)Middle aged Human Rogue (Phantom Thief)10 Living Monolith 10

Neutral Good Medium humanoid

Init +8; Senses Perception +36

AC 40, touch 24, flat-footed 32 (+8 Dex, +5 Deflection, +5 Natural, +1 Insight, +6 Armor, +5 Shield) hp 135 (16d6+75)

Fort +17, Ref +22, Will +16

Speed 30 ft. Melee Adamantine shortsword +27/22/17 1D6+5 Ranged Crossbow +31/26/21 1D8+9

Racial Bonus feat (Fast learner), +1 Skill point per level.

Traits Pragmatic activator, Nervous.

Class features Refined education(Craft:Stone, Perception, Stealth, Spellcraft)+5, Broad education(Finesse rogue, Positioning attack, Improved feint, Minor magic, Major magic), Social sense+3, Advanced rogue talent: Shrine walk, Soul stone, Stone blood, Fortified flesh(DR 3/- 30%), Stability, Tombsight, Immune to disease, Attunement to stone, Summon sphinx, Ageless stone, Judgement of the monolith, Master Ka stone.

Spellcasting CL10 DC20 Crafter’s fortune 5/day Read magic/at will.

Str 10, Dex 26, Con 20, Int 30, Wis 18, Cha 14

Base Atk +14/9/4; CMB +13; CMD +31

Feats Shield proficiency, Rapid reload, Point blank shot, Precise shot, Snap shot, Rapid shot, Crossbow mastery, Master crafter, Endurance, Iron will.

Special His immortality gives him the +2 bonuses for old age but no penalties thanks to his immortality.

Skills Acrobatics +30, Appraise +18, Bluff +25, Climb +20, Craft(Stone) +33, Craft(Redstone)+33, Disguise +11, Disable +14, Escape artist +20, Handle animal +13, Heal +11, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (Arcana +30, Dungeon +18, Engineering +30, Nature +20, Geography +18, History +15, Local 15, Nobility +14, The planes+14, Religion +14), Linguistics +5, Perception +26, Perform(dance) +7, Profession(Engineer) +21, Ride +16, Sense motive +16, Sleight of hand +16, Spellcraft +35, Stealth +30, Survival +16, Swim +20, Use magic device +33.

Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Dwarven, Sphinx, Giant, Sylvan, Undercommon, Alko.

Combat gear Cornerstone crossbow+5, 45 +4 Bolts, Adamantine defending shortsword+5, 2 Daggers of doubling, Returning trident+1, Amulet of natural armor+5, Ring of protection+5, Scholar’s ring, Dragon form armor(Black)+5, Animated fire resistance darkwood buckler+4, Belt of physical might+6 (Dex, Con), Headband of mental prowess+6 (Int, Wis, Bluff), Coat of resistance+4, Cloak of comfort, Shoes of the lighting leaper, Bracers of the falcon aim, Wands (Fly, Haste, Cure moderate wounds), Potions:Blur(1), Cure critical wounds(2), Manual of quickness of action+3(Used), Tome of clear thought+4(Used), Ioun stones: Dusty rose prism, Western star, Bag of holding type I, Small anvil with the phrase “You got Etho’ed” on the side, Rogue kit, 113GP.

Background Ethoslab also known simply as Etho hails from a far land of Hermits where he is renowned for his pioneering and discoveries in the field of redstone. Etho is a quirky, intelligent, adaptive individual that has some nervous moments popping out sometimes. Nevertheless, Etho’s knowledge of redstone and architecture is unparalleled and even his colleagues Mumbo and Grian recognized his talent. Etho being very old, sometimes struggles to find something new to do that would stimulate his mind even if that means pushing things to the extreme, sometimes. Regardless, his favorite thing is dropping anvils on unsuspecting hermits via very complex contraptions and he was about to drop one on his friend Scar but he was interrupted by an ethereal voice: “You want to see new horizons? I can help with that. Would you like to accept my challenge?” Etho was confused for a moment but then saw a chest that wasn’t there before. “If you are interested, open it. Never seen before horizons awaits you.” Etho was hesitant for a moment but he just could not resist. As soon as he opened the chest the world around him changed as so did his equipment. He stood in the middle of a jungle with new tools, knowledge and a map in hand. “Find me if you can. And if you succeed i will grant your deepest wish.” Etho looked around and spotted a Llama. “Well, would you  look at that.” And he smirked.

Image made using Heroforge.

[florydaax]

Alphabet Legacy Hi everyone! I started the Alphabet Legacy on stream and I'm going to share the rules that I'm going to follow here! Each gen is a different letter, so there will be 26 gens basically. That's definitely a lot so I'm going to combine some gens if the gens don't really have a lot to do or if there are no traits/lifetime wishes etc. with a certain letter (the sims will be married then or siblings etc.) The rules are that you have to master all skills that start with the letter, complete a lifetime wish and career with that letter and all traits also have to start with it! I'm also adding drama to each gen that starts with the letter. My YouTube playlist with Alphabet Legacy streams Generation 1: A ♡ Name: Adelyn Ashwood ♡ World: Anne Arbor ♡ Zodiac: Aries ♡ Favorites: Autumn salad, Classical (there's no music that starts with an A so I just picked the word with the most amount of a's in it), Aqua ♡ Traits: Absent-minded, Adventurous, Ambitious, Artistic, Athletic (you can also choose Avant garde, Angler or Animal lover) ♡ Career: Alchemist (you can also choose Acrobat, Angler, Architectural designer, Art appraiser or Astronomer) ♡ Lifetime wish: Alchemy Artisan ♡ Skills: Advanced technology, Alchemy, Artisan and Athletic ♡ Drama: Affair ♡ Other: have an alien baby, travel to Al Simhara Generation 2: B

♡ Name: Braxton Benson ♡ World: Brooklyn Heights ♡ Zodiac: Libra ♡ Favorites: Beach Party, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Blue ♡ Traits: Bookworm, Born Salesperson, Bot Fan, Brave, Brooding ♡ Career: Bot builder (you can also choose Band, Bot arena or Business) ♡ Lifetime wish: Blog Artist (you can also choose Become an Astronaut, Become a Creature-Robot Cross Breeder, Become a Master Thief, Become a Superstar Athlete (note: you will have to complete two careers if you pick one of these lifetime wishes) or Bottomless Nectar Cellar) ♡ Skills: Bass, Bot building ♡ Drama: Betrayal ♡ Other: throw a Bonfire party, throw a Bachelor(ette) party Generation 3: C

♡ Name: Celia Caylor ♡ World: Crystalline Cove ♡ Zodiac: Cancer ♡ Favorites: Country, Crepes, Spice Brown ♡ Traits: Cat Person, Charismatic, Childish, Commitment Issues, Couch Potato (you can also choose Can't Stand Art, Clumsy, Computer Whiz or Coward) ♡ Career: Culinary (you can also choose Criminal) ♡ Lifetime wish: Celebrated Five-Star Chef (you can also choose CEO of a Mega-Corporation, Chess Legend or Celebrity Psychic) ♡ Skills: Charisma, Cooking ♡ Drama: Cheater ♡ Other: have a clone, become a five star celebrity, have a lot of cats, travel to China, travel to Champs Les Sims, have cows and chickens, throw a Costume Party

[sepublic]

So the jokes comparing Skar King to King Louie over their appearances, with a remix of I Wan’na Be like You playing in the background, are funny and all. But they’re also more true than most might realize???

In the Godzilla vs Kong novelization, it explains that the Great Apes were like any other titans in Hollow Earth… But then they became very intelligent. They got into groups, formed languages. They established hierarchies, made tools, created architecture… And also began enslaving other titans. They conquered and pillaged, expanded past their original roles in the ecosystem.

In essence, the Great Apes became too human. Which is a great way to build off of Kong showing how human he can be in that very film, which introduced his sign language, as well as emphasized that in Mothra’s absence only Kong can defend humanity. He’s always had a symbiotic relationship with the Iwi, and with the stereotype of apes and humans being alike, you could say Kong is the most human of our giant monsters.

So the inverse of that is fascinating to take into account as to why Godzilla fought with Kong’s ancestors, and blasted their empire back into the Stone Age as retaliation for the above-mentioned advancements, which in his eyes were transgressions; I dunno if humanity had already begun the same as the Great Apes, which came first, but one must’ve reminded Godzilla of the other. In fact maybe they evolved into civilizations alongside one another.

And that brings us to Godzilla x Kong and the introduction of Skar King, who is revealed as the original leader of the Great Apes that started that entire backstory. Adam Wingard described him as the most human of the Monsterverse Kaiju, in the worst way possible; He’s the dark reflection to Kong and us in that way. He wanted the Great Apes to become human; Maybe not in the sense that he was emulating us specifically, but in that he wanted to make his species act in all the ways associated with humanity. Dude even has a harem which hammers in how depraved he is.

And like any human leader, he’s not much on his own; But the armies he leads, the tools he has, the beasts he tames, that makes him dangerous. He is just a man in the end; Nothing without his followers and society. Skar King’s ambition in the past led to Godzilla knocking down the Great Apes a massive notch, which led to some fleeing to Skull Island; This sets Kong’s destiny in stone when the Skull Crawlers emerge there and kill his parents. The Godzilla-killing axe must’ve been created under Skar King’s rule, in fact he may have personally made and/or wielded it to begin with; Skar King could’ve recognized that weapon, and been reclaiming it when he first met Kong.

Skar King is responsible for Kong in a sense; To him, Kong is a feral child who just now has reconnected with society and begun to realize how intelligent he can really be; Hence the traps at the beginning of Godzilla x Kong. He’s a reverse Tarzan, funnily enough; Lost his parents and spent more time in the jungle with humans, who are his ‘apes’. Skar King created Kong, in other words his own downfall, just as he sired Suko who rebelled, enslaved Shimo who retaliated, crafted the axe that spelled his downfall, and angered Godzilla who fought back. Skar King made his own demise, he brought his kind to ruin in his attempts to control nature.

So when we go back to the comparisons with another red-haired ape who also wants to act human, in a very destructive way via mastering fire. Yeah I guess Skar King Louie really does wanna be like us.

[planet-gay-comic]

The Minoan Civilization: A Surprisingly Modern Society

The Minoan civilization, which flourished on the island of Crete, is renowned for its advanced and, for its time, unusually liberal society. Although our knowledge of the Minoans is incomplete due to limited written sources and primarily based on archaeological finds, a picture emerges of a culture that, from around 2700 to 1450 BC, exhibited remarkable openness, equality, and joie de vivre.

Equality and Tolerance

Current archaeological and anthropological studies often highlight the Minoans' liberal attitude. Researchers like Nanno Marinatos have examined the religious and social structures of the Minoans and found that this society exhibited an unusually high level of gender equality for its time. Women actively participated in public life, possibly held leadership positions such as priestesses, and enjoyed similar rights to men in the private sphere.

Regarding sexuality, the Minoans also appear to have adopted a tolerant attitude. Artistic depictions of intimate relationships between same-sex individuals suggest that such relationships were accepted in Minoan society. Although the interpretation of these depictions is debated among scholars, there are numerous indications that the Minoans had a more open stance towards various forms of love and romance, including same-sex relationships. The portrayal of homoerotic scenes in art and a relaxed attitude towards sexuality indicate that such relationships were accepted and respected in Minoan society.

Katherine A. Schwab: Her work on Minoan frescoes and the analysis of the scenes depicted provide insights into the social dynamics and possible homoerotic aspects of Minoan culture. Current archaeological and anthropological studies often emphasize the Minoans' liberal attitude. Researchers like Nanno Marinatos have examined the religious and social structures of the Minoans and found that this society exhibited remarkable openness and tolerance towards various lifestyles.

Cultural and Social Freedom

Minoan culture was characterized by its artistic flourishing and a preference for the beautiful and pleasurable. The Minoans were masters in the art of fresco painting, ceramics, and architecture. Their palaces, such as the famous Palace of Knossos, were not only political and economic centers but also places of art and culture.

The Minoans lived in close contact with nature, as reflected in their frescoes, which often depicted dolphins, lilies, and other natural motifs. This deep connection with the natural environment is also evident in their appreciation of water, which likely played a significant role in ritual purification and bathing practices.

Festivals, dances, and athletic competitions were integral parts of social life. These events provided not only entertainment but also strengthened the Minoan community and identity through shared experiences.

Religion and Spirituality

Religion played a central role in the lives of the Minoans, and their spiritual practices reflected their liberal values. The Minoan religion was matriarchal, with goddesses such as the Snake Goddess being central figures. The worship of goddesses is often associated with the high status of women in society, as they symbolized aspects such as female fertility and the power of nature.

Rituals and religious ceremonies were opportunities for the community to gather, celebrate, and express their connection with nature and the divine. These rituals, often accompanied by music and dance, emphasized harmony and unity with the environment.

The Minoan civilization was, in many ways, a fascinating and progressive culture, whose societal structure differed from many other ancient cultures. Their values of equality, cultural freedom, and spiritual connectedness remain relevant and inspiring today. The Minoans show us that progressive societal forms were not only a phenomenon of modernity but also existed in antiquity.

Text supported by GPT-4o, Gemini AI

Base images generated with DALL-E, overworked with SD-1.5/SDXL inpainting and composing.

[klarificwrites]

Pairing: Timeskip!Kazutora Hanemiya

cws; soft!fem reader, Kazutora is a little mean, trifling men, light angst, crying, spanking, making out, knee-grinding, oral sex (receive), Kazutora is IN LOVE with your tits, vaginal penetration, fingering, they fuck outside and in the car

# Kazutora can’t control himself under professional circumstances when other guys are trying to get as his woman.

First fic, be kind and give constructive criticism!

Today was a very important day, and great step in your real estate career. This was your first open-house, a chance to reel in potential customers and get a profit from the houses they buy off of you. Typically, you were a shy and soft-spoken girl, therefore big events where interaction was so important, seemed out of character for you. It took months for you to actually woman-up and do an open-house. Prior, you had canceled two appointments. If it happened a third time, you were informed that a suspension would be placed on your license.

So, with the support of a loving boyfriend, and stressful days of planning, results pushed through. The hardest part of it all was advertising. If you didn’t excel in endorsement, chances of this opportunity being fruitless was high. “What if little to no one shows up?" It was a thought that clouded your conscious often, and Kazutora would put in overtime to reassure you. Directly, he would approach you, giving comforting words, and playing an assistant role. He handed out your business cards at his job, informed his ex-gang affiliates, constantly posted about it on his socials, and propped signs up in nearby neighborhoods/avenues.

His dedication was contagious, and only made you strive to orchestrate a pleasing open-house. In the end, it was all worth it. At least a dozen people (excluding three of Kazutora’s friends) came to get an overview of the facility—majority of the lot being married couples. You were hesitant to chat, social anxiety almost besting you.

Hands clammy, heart raising, and nerves rapid. You were pacing back and forth behind the house. Although he talked big, Kazutora also began to feel slightly nervous. He wasn’t a fan of stranger-crowds, anything could happen, but he knew he had to prepare himself for that. So, with a level head, he told you, “Y/n, calm down. We’ve practiced and come this far—it’s time to preform.” He wore a soft, stern look, capturing your attention. Smiling, he spoke again, “Baji, Chifuyu, Takemichi, and I, are all here to show our love. Just handle your business.” Words of affirmation from your lover was all you needed to hear, unfortunately.

Kazutora watched from afar as you giddily conversed with the trio of dogs, who lurked in the skin of taller, immoral males. A smile painted over your glossed lips, pretty whites on display, charming every visitor they come across. Your pearl necklace, earrings, and a silver bracelet complimented the black, long sleeve, bodycon dress adorning your figure. The silver flats you wore tied everything together to make you appear as an occupational woman (which you were.)

Although your professional attitude and exchange of words came with the flow, in sand color eyes, it was clear your lack of sociability made you oblivious to certain things. A key reason as to why you missed the way each of those males eyed you like famished hyenas—a savory piece of meat, ready to be ravished.

———

"The price for this modern house is actually on the lower scale, considering the advanced architecture. As you can see, this living room, the dining and kitchen are quite large. It has two floors—3 if you count the basement. There’s a master bedroom upstairs, and 4 others room to go with 5 bathrooms—one in the basement. I highly recommend this for a bigger family. Outside-”

The shorter male of the bunch cut you off, “I’ll definitely look into it. But, I was wondering..” Perking up at his impending question, you simply smiled, dismissing his rude interruption. Pools of e/c rested below long, luscious lashes. A winsomely plain look stirred the man’s appetite. The contents of a smirk threatened to spill over his mouth. “Do you happen to live in this area? I’d like to have multiple options of contact, so in case things can’t be said through the phone, I could come meet you sometime?" Snickers rumbled from the other men, causing you to awkwardly join in.

Politely clasping your palms, "I'm sorry, but that is confidential information.” The man’s face dropped. “Surely you’ve seen my signs and cards. Contacting me via email or my business number is the only way we can stay in touch! That is unless we absolutely have to meet, but it would not take place at my residence, rather a public setting or your place.”

"Aren’t you quite the professional?" Suyuka teased, moving behind you, his black curls hair bounced with every stride. You followed him curiously, up until he disappeared from your peripheral vision. When out of sight, he exaggeratedly ogled at the way the outline of your ass protruded the material that stopped a few inches above your knees. The other men snickered at his actions, you awkwardly joined in, clueless of you being the butt of the joke.

The male’s taller build moved closer to your rear, inches away from rubbing against you. Feeling the abrupt hover of a warm figure, you stumbled forward, tripping over your own foot. A hand roughly clasped the section of your left wrist to prevent your fall. “Calm down, Miss Y/n. No need to be so jumpy..” Suyuka taunted, closing in toward your face, and pushing h/c strands behind your ear.

Moving away, “I’m sorry, I’m quite clumsy. I’ll be careful!” You embarrassingly giggled, rubbing your wrist. Of the other two, the ginger-head male advanced forward. Swiftly, he took your hand, emitting a squeak from you. “There you go again, Miss L/n!” The ravennette laughed. Raising your punier hand, the ginger kissed your wrist. A blush splotched your face—one of humiliation.

You were growing more uncomfortable by every passing moment. The constant laughing was honestly unsettling, especially when you didn’t get the jokes. Nevertheless, you decided maintaining decorum was the moto. So, overreacting in a setting like this was unacceptable. You decided to formulate your next words carefully. At least you tried.

“Um..Sir..” “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I really need to talk to you, Y/n.” Peering over, you immediately removed yourself from the sandwich you were in. Despite the evident irritation on his face, just meeting those brown eyes brought you relief. “Kazutora..”

You walked forward, before pausing at passive aggressive words. “Ehh.. So quick to leave your precious customers?" The orange-haired man pouted, bringing a hand to grip the gray jacket surfacing his heart. Flustered, “Forgive my incompetence, I’ll try to be quick!” You apologized, bowing your figure.

Kazutora clicked his teeth, it was so clear they were taking your naivety and generosity for granted. He was aware that his woman was generally charismatic. That’s why you’re his woman. Even in public men would admire from time to time, however none ever approached. No one dared to, at least when your boyfriend accompanied you. A 5 foot 9 man, with tattoos and a cold gaze stirred many of the path.

Wrapping his slender fingers around your left wrist, Kazutora hurriedly dragged you out of the building.

You found yourself at a familiar spot, behind the house. The black and blonde locks on his head whipped at the wind’s command, his white blazer ruffling. Leaning against the exterior wall, you said, “Thank you, for coming over there. I was having trouble handling them.” You admitted sadly, averting your eyes to the ground and your hands intertwined at your lower back. Nervously, you rocked back and forth on the balls of your feet.

He observed the roundness and jump of your breast after every movement. Kazuora considered the clothing a curse and blessing all in one. ‘They were probably looking at ‘em too..’ He unconsciously scowled at the thought. Noticing his silence, you lifted your gaze, long lashes batting pretty e/c irises. Taking note of the transition on his face, you began to feel even more sad, under the impression your meek demeanor was pissing him off—possibly disgusting.

Sensing the burn in your nasal, you could tell you were about to cry. From the way your eyes watered, Kazutora was quick to react, “Why are you crying?" He questioned, empty optics swirling in curiosity and concern. 'I'm not crying!' You wanted to shout, but the words dwelled within the back of your throat. Before you could even speak, tears were trickling down your face.

Now, you were frustrated. Unable to explain yourself without crying, your most self-hated trait. Squeezing your eyes shut, you hung your head low, and brought your hands to cover your face. 'Weak..I'm so—'

Without giving you any time to think, Kazutora ripped your hands away from you face, and engulfed you into a kiss. It took you a split second to recuperate. It was a slow and sensual kiss—at first. Kazutora took the initiative of entering your mouth. Upon infiltration, his hands moved to your waist. This encouraged you to shift yours into his bi-colored hair.

His warm muscle asserted its dominance, causing you to groan as your tongue grew tired. Detecting your tongue’s growing idle, before it completely limped, he sucked it, earning a whimper from you. Then he shoved his tongue further into your mouth, in the process his big hands slid from your waist to rear, giving the fat a nice grip. You both grunted in satisfaction, the feeling caused another wave of wetness to pass through your pussy, the closeness of your bodies gave you the opportunity to feel Kazutora’s boner on your abdomen. He was completely rock.

Tapping his shoulder, immediately he pulled away. A string of spit connected your tongues before it broke. The departing had each of you panting for a chance of oxygen. Staring at you through half-lidded eyes, from his point of view: your neat hair now had few fly aways: tear streaks were all down your red flushed face: tongue lolled out in exhaustion: hands rested above his chest: drool leaking out the corners of your mouth: and unshed tears in doe-glassy eyes, full of delicious desire that he was ready to devour.

He loved that lewd look on you. It was so…tempting—and beautiful. Bringing his thumb to wipe the spit off your face, he placed it on the center of your tongue. Slowly, the corners of his lips jerked up, “You’re so perfect for me..” Your boyfriend whispered lovingly. Kazutora was a man of few words, so whenever he voiced sentiments like that, you burned it into your core memories.

Whenever you immersed in intercourse, it was usually making love, as Kazutora knew you were worth more than a quick fuck. Almost every session you’d cry, the insecurities you saw in the mirror were ones he worshipped like a shrine. Every quality you thought to be negative of yourself were his favorite. It felt good to have someone love you as much as he did.

In the midst of it all, you were able to devise your next words. “Thank you, Kazutora.” You smiled, pulling him into a hug. The transpiration soothed stress you didn’t know you were harboring. Bringing his hands to your shoulders, he lightly pushed you away, hands staying in place. You looked up in confusion. “Is something wrong?"

"I'm not done," He deadpanned, causing you to shift up a brow. Kazutora averted his gaze to your breasts, a small smile bubbling. Your face heated at the realization. Like a fume, steam blew from your ears. "E-Eh?! You want to do that here? What if someone sees us!?" You cried, hands waving in panic.

He simply chuckled, moving forward, and wrapped his arms around your waist. Without hesitation, hungrily, one hand slid up to grope you, forcing a squeak from you. Then there were two. He couldn’t get enough of moving them in circles, it was so entrancing. He loved it.

Your face burned fiercely. The feeling of Kazutora’s eyes piercing into your fondled breasts, and occasionally your face was too much! “K-Kazutora..are you sure we should do this right now? I have to—" The man ended your words with a small peck. "Don't worry, I'll try to make it quick. I just couldn't help it."

You hummed in confusion at his words, awaiting an answer. The innocent tilt of your head sent a throb to his cock. Even with your slightly disarrayed look, Kazutora thought you looked, 'So fucking sexy.'

His mind then wondered to prior events. The way those men dared to ogle and touch you, as if you were there for exhibition. As if you weren’t his.

Kazutora’s optics darkened, sending a chill down your spine. You couldn’t make out his thoughts, not a clue of what was going on in his head. At least until he hooked his index finger beneath the hem of your attire. The pause in his actions and the gaze at you—all a silent question of consent. Without any control over your body, your head moved in a tentative nod.

He used both sets of fingers to scrunch your dress just above your bust. You found yourself practically exposed. The floral, blackberry-colored set adorned your imminent nudity. Your gaze was shyly trained on your silver flats, one forearm pushed under your bra cups, and one shoved between the valley of your chest as it held up a curled finger to your lip. Unknowingly, the position of your arms accentuated your titties even more, making Kazutora’s mouth drop into an ‘O.’

A satisfied smirk spread across his face. Your boyfriend proceeded his earlier motions. He ripped your arms away for your body, a gasp slipping past your oily lips.

He pulled at the your left bra strap a few times. The gesture made your left tit jump up and down. Kazutora loved lightly teasing in the beginning, an opportunity to see the growing frustration on your pretty face. You only shut your eyes in response, disappointment and lingering sadness in your face. After a couple more times of him watching the movement, you whined pathetically. With a chortle, he said, “Fine, fine. I’ll stop.” He made it seem like you were the one who wanted it, but he wanted it bad.

As he pulled the bra to your dress’s level, he enjoyed the sight of the fat straining upwards, until they finally fell free—the kinetic reaction induced a mind-boggling turbulence for Kazutora. The revelation in cool air, made your nipples rise, and your boyfriend didn’t waste a second. You watched in real time as he promptly took your left nipple between his lips. You moaned in pleasure, the suction felt so good.

He brought his right hand to fumble with the sensitive part of your other tit. Kazutora latched so desperately, as if he was trying to discover a flow of milk. The consistent contact made you arch your back off the wall, left hand balled up in a fist as your right hand muffled the small cries bubbling up your throat. Every pull deepened the ache between your legs.

At some point it became entirely unbearable. So, greedily, you tightly rubbed your legs together, in need of a comforting amount of friction. “Getting needy? Let me fix that." You felt your legs being pried open, then a dull edge rubbed against the dampened spot of your panties. Had you not been stuck between, a rock hard man and a building, your body would've simply dropped. Gripping Kazutora's white shirt for support, your back arched in even further. "Ah-Ahhh..!" "There she is!" He grinned, rolling his joint around to gouge a reaction.

Yes, you were a woman of few words in the public eye. The Y/n most people knew was duteous and soft. Not exactly confrontational, taciturn of things going on in your personal life, and only ever reaching out to check on loved ones (except Kazutora, as you shared an apartment). Basically only ever acting when necessary. However, you were actually quite the opposite in private. You were a very vocal woman in bed. Thankfully, Kazutora was the only person to ever know this. You didn’t mind performing foreplay and experimenting new kinks. However, Kazutora was the one who’d usually introduce things of the sort

“Ah—ahh!” Kazutora felt his dick jump with every bounce and moan that came from you. He wanted so baldly to take you down right then and there, but he controlled himself, which even surprised him. Even though his hormones were running rapid, he was being considerate of you. The fact that you would still have to enter the building and wrap up the function, refrained him from fucking you too sloppy. The least he could do was let your appearance remain de—

“Tor..Ahh..! I-I’m so close! Ah, ah! ‘s so good~!” You squealed between moans. Almost every moral Kazutora considered flew straight out the window. Just as you were at your climax, in one swift motion you were bent over, face pressed to the wall, and knees locked. “H-Huh, why’d you do that?" You pouted dejectedly.

A harsh slap to your rear caused your body to jerk forward. "Ouch! That really hurt!" Kazutora ignored your complaints, falling into silence again. As you were using the wall to push yourself up, you felt a tug at the back waistband of your panties. The fabric advanced upward until it was buried into an uncomfortable place within your lips and cheeks. Endeavoring to catch up to the band, you arched your back as deep as you could, leaning on the tip of your toes, and a struggling expression on your face. Your hands clung to the wall for support, palms flat on either side of your head.

This made the globes of your ass and labia on full display. “I bet this is what those untrained scumbags were imagining doing to you.” Your boyfriend mindlessly blurted. “What-” A strike shot through the same area on your ass from earlier. Briefly, your knees unlocked. “Don’t move or speak unless I tell you to.” The tone was so demanding, it left no room for retaliation. You could feel the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

Even worse, the limbs below you started to tremble from resting on the tip of your toes for too long. The lower part of your back had commenced a pain as well. The moment your heels met the ground and your back rested, the palm of a hand met the red print on your right cheek. You didn’t understand the sudden change in Kazutora’s demeanor. One minute you both were sensually making out, now he’s spanking you for no reason.

Pulling your panties out and aside, Kazutora brought his ring and middle finger to your sore pussy. Absent of any warning, two digits were shoved inside of you. The in and out notion fulfilled any desiring nerves you had. “Ah! Ah! Ah—Kaz-” Smack

He watched the skin of your right ass cheek vibrate upon impact. You flinched at the sting. “Didn’t I tell you not to speak?" He whispered into the shell of your ear, roughly groping your right tit. You slapped a hand over your mouth, sealing off any vocabulary other than “Uh” and “Ah.”

Your gummy walls molded into the shape of Kazutora’s fingers, sucking them back in whenever they retracted. “You liked it, didn't you? The way those men eye-fucked you. The way they were ready to strip you, and share you. I know you liked it." Was he trying to humiliate you? If so, it was working.

You uttered no coherent words, only mewls, harboring any retorts and your current shame. His words had a great affect on you—given your attachment, and it was a lot to take in. Did your “loving” boyfriend of 7 years actually view you as a slut with no sense of dignity? Was it your fault? Had you obliviously dishonored him so horribly that you deserved this? Are you really that weak?

His fingers curled upward, hitting your g-spot, and his thumb pressed down on your clit. In the same breathe, he sent a long, tight pinch to your nipple. “You want more right? Speak…Y/n!” Only cries came out as your legs failed you. Instantly, he supported your body as your knees buckled, causing his previous actions to halt.

The man gave you a moment to rest as he prepped. The right side of your face remained squished against the freshly painted exterior. Your lips parted as you panted for significant breaths of air. Behind you, Kazutora was in the process of whipping his dick out, white blouse pushed above his V-line

The tip was so red, veins protruded along the skin. Looking at it, he was surprised he was able to control himself for this long duration. Precum covered the entire upper half of his wide 8-incher. Kazutora’s body wasn’t exactly lanky, instead tough from fighting in his glory days. Nevertheless, when you first had sex, his size definitely shocked you. “Fuck.. Y/n this what you do to me..” Your lover muttered, using his free hand to send two pump to his length, a groan slipping past his lips.

You were still trying to recover and process your thoughts, so your dazed state prevented you from acknowledging anything he’d said or done. It was only when you felt that familiar tip at your entrance that you were brought back to Earth.

“W-wait not here- Ughnn, ah!” In one fell swoop, he stuffed every inch inside, balls deep. The wetness of your vagina allowed for easy, yet tight access.“Hgnn~” Your boyfriend groaned, a hand coming to grip your left boob. It stung so damn bad. Of course his fingers somewhat warmed you up, but it was a foreign replacement. Anytime you and Kazutora had sex, he’d try to take it slow, but right now he was impatient.

Your back was forcefully condensed into a dip. Due to his rushed penetration, your eyes were blown wide, tears edging at the corners. “You’ve..gotta l-loosen up..if you wanna feel good,” His broken dialogue was proof just tight you were. “H-hurts…” Your voice was so small he didn’t even even catch it in his pussy-whipped state. Smack

You yelped in pain. “Didn’t I tell you not to speak?" He reminded, receiving a whine from you. He sent a deep thrust inside you, hitting the deepest root of your cervix. You let out a broken moan. After that, he brought both hands to your hips, and started fucking you.

The pace was slow, giving you a nanosecond to adjust. Then the speed gradually increased, his thick head constantly brushing up against your core. It hurt so bad and felt good. But, for the most part, your vaginal opening was hurting because of how brash he was behaving. Yet, you kept your mouth shut and trusted the process. Additionally, trying to avoid him hitting the same bruise for speaking.

The squelching of your pussy was music so his ears. “Your so wet and tigh—ttt…so glad this is mine.” Kazutora groaned, sending another slap (this time to your left cheek) to watch the turbulence of your ass. You clenched harder, a result of the pain turning into pleasure.

His sac slapped against your cunt, countless strings of entangled, sticky, white fluids accompanied every pull and push. Your boyfriend’s head was thrown back in delight as bleached strands stuck to the sides of his temples. The requited colliding of your hips left you in a state no better than his.

“Ah! Ah, ah! nghhh..!” He was literally hollowing you. Your pupils were beginning to roll to the back of your head, drool descending from your tongue. “Ughh..keep throwing it like that! Wish you c-could see how vulgar you look…!”

“Miss L/n! We’re ready to end the event! Where are you?”

A feminine voiced called from a distance. Both you and Kazutora’s heads snapped left, but the person hadn’t come around the corner yet. “Ba-babe! What are we gonna do?"

It would be extremely bad for business if anyone from that house found your man buried balls deep inside you, tits hanging, and dress scrunched up near your neck.

Kazutora shushed you and emptied you of his cock, fumbling to sheathe it away in his black suited trousers. You did the same with your panties, bra and dress—well you tried. Much to your dismay, it took less effort to remove the clothing than to put it on. The damned one piece just would not fix itself over your hips! Noticing your struggle, Kazutora’s mouth animatedly dropped, his eyes white with a look a disdain.

You wore a worried expression. Before you could successfully get the clothing down, your legs were lifted off the ground. Kazutora hoisted you up bridal style with little struggle and took off running. “Where are we going!?" "To the truck!"

———

Once at the vehicle, you were both crammed into the passenger seat, barely covered bottom propped up on his lap. Kazutora took desperate breaths of air. Staring at the way he tiredly threw his head back against the seat, jaws flushed, and the bob of his adam’s apple after every gulp made you realize how hot he must’ve looked taking you from the from the back—and that you’d cause him trouble—again.

Frowning, “I’m sorry,” you chirped, staring at your lap. Perking up, he looked at you through the car mirror that he never let up before getting out. “For what?" You corrected your posture, head still hanging low. "I.." You trailed off, squeezing your eyes shut. There it is again. "I could…tell you were so mad earlier—at me!" Tears flooded your eyes. "I'm sorry ughh! I-I didn't like the way they were handling me..I was just so scared—I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry for being so defenseless!"

Kazutora stared at you fondly, processing every word that left your mouth. He felt so damn guilty. Pressuring and discouraging you on your big day was not his intentions. Today was supposed to be about you and he made it about him. You had no reason to grovel and snivel for forgiveness. That was the last thing he’d want his future wife doing.

You felt long limbs snake around your waist and pull you close. “No, don’t do that. Don’t say sorry.” Your lover started, turning your head to meet his gaze. “You’ve got no reason to beg and bow for anyone’s forgiveness, not even mine—especially not me. It’s my fault. I had no reason to take my frustration out on you. If anything I should’ve suckered those scrams the second they entered the door. Baby, you can do no wrong to me, so you’ll never have to atone for anything. I’m sorry if I made you feel weak or like an embarrassment. You’re nothing less than my woman—and my woman isn’t neither of those things. I love you, Y/n.”

You turned to straddle him, the narrow space putting pressure on your thick thighs. “I love you more, baby!” You wailed, wrapping your arms around his neck. Kazutora embraced you back, the crook of his neck holding your final wave of tears. You pulled away, offering a closed-eye smile to him, “Thank you, Kazutora-!” You jerked up at the feeling of a growing bump beneath your clothed cunt.

…

“Allow me to make it up to you?" He sheepishly smiled, tapping the fat of your ass. "Pervert!" "C'monnn! It'll only take three minutes..plus the windows are tinted, so we've got privacy!" You raised a brow. "Tora doesn't last just three minutes," You spat, crossing your arms over your chest.

"I wasn't talking about me," Your black garment slid up further, "I was talking about you." He smirked, licking his lips at the revelation of your bra. Big palms drew your honkers in wide circles, with no leverage you attempted to control the notion by placing your smaller ones over his, but they only went with the flow.

“Do you see the gifts of your body? Man, I love it, so mesmerizing…" "Pervert! J-just hurry!" You whined, peeking at him through one teary glossy. In a flash, your titties were set free from captivity, and your left teat was between Kazutora's lips. So fast!

"Ah! Not so hard—I can’t..Gah!..lactate!" You blubbered, tangling your hands into his gold and charcoal locks, eyes trained on his swirling tongue. “Anything is possible, Y/n.” You arched your back for what felt like the 20th time today. Heeding the pool of fluid across his crotch section, the tiger took it upon himself to insert his middle feeler. You mewled lesuirely, throwing your head back at the long awaited pleasure. “See how all it took was one finger for such a sound to leave your mouth, I like that neediness!” He grinned childishly at the way you clenched at the simple words.

00:40

Taking in your moans, “Oh? You like that, babe? Don't worry, I'll make you feel even better." Plunging his index finger into you, your body jerked forward. "S-stop doing things so suddenly, you—Ah, ah, ah!"

01:13

“What were you saying?” The acceleration of his joints was fostering a knot deep in your belly. Every time he shoved them back in, their curve would pin point an extremely sweet spot internally. “N-no—If—Ah, uh-uh..mm! You…do…that, I’ll—Ah!”

1:45

“No! I f—eell it! If you keep doing that my pussy will…ughn!” Cackling at your faltering words, your boyfriend wished you had finished that sentence so he could poke fun at you later. “Don’t you remember “more” and “hurry”? A commander can’t go back her words…! ♡” He smirked, moving closer to your face. Deciding to wrap this things up, the pad of a thumb pressed down on your clitoris, provoking lustful sounds from you. Kazutora observed how the volume of your moans elevated, walls clenched firmer; but the way you flushed your bosom against him and chased for that mutual kiss were clear signs of- “Cumming! I’m cumming..!” You pulled at his white blazer, elbows tucked to your sides.

2:11

“Let me have it,” He whispered, eyes never leaving yours while capturing you in a french-kiss, and grasping your ass. Like a spell, the knot within you unraveled with a wail. Your body violently shook as you experienced the climax, cum soaking your panties that were never completely discarded, and Kazutora’s entire lap. The strain in his boxers was horribly painful, but the vibration you sent throughout his esophagus almost cured the problem underneath his pants.

“Oh no! My inner thigh is all sticky..I can’t go in there like this!” You exclaimed breathlessly, leaning back to look at yourself. With a sigh he ripped his blazer off, paying no regards to the broken buttons. You watched in confusion as he slipped the fabric off. “Don’t panic, I hate dressing up anyways.” The monotone of his voice made you giggle.

“Lift yourself up a bit, remove your underwear too.” Complying, you ridded the underwear to the floor. He tentatively wiped the mess off you. It only took a few seconds, once finished you began to fill the cups of your bra in again. He palmed your boob, “Leave the bra too.” The male said it with such seriousness you didn’t even bother to question it.

———

“How do I look?" You asked, standing outside the open truck door. Examining you from thigh to chest, a glint appeared in Kazutora's eye. "I'll tell you if you do the thing with your tits," He simpered, head propped upon the hand that was supported by his leg. You knew exactly what he meant.

Shyly, you pawed your chest, and moved them around slowly, rolling your areola between your index and middle fingers. The self pleasure induced a grunt from you, "Like this..? Am I—ngh..doing it right..?" "Wrong!" He lied, just buying time to feed into his lust.

“H-huh!? What is it then?” “Just kidding!” You huffed in annoyance. “Be serious! I actually have to look presentable walking in there!” You gritted, pinching your brows together. Wiping the drool from the side his mouth, he waved you off, “Sorry, sorry! I’m serious now! You look amazing, my love, go be great!” He smiled happily.

Nodding, you pivoted to walk off, “But before you go…” Turning back, “Hm?" "Could you please bend over really quick?" He begged clasping his hands together. "Why?!" He timidly palmed the boner emerging from his trousers. "Only a taste!" Exhaling, once again, you stride toward the single step that rimmed the truck, and hopped in front of Kazutora. Your upper half leaned over the black headboard. Tooting your ass up in front of him, you hooked a finger to reveal your soaking pussy, “Make it quick, okay, baby?" You assured, looking back at him. With dry and anticipating lips,“‘K-Kay,” Was the only thing he managed to say.

Spreading your cunt, he licked a long strip along your slit, instinctively causing you to push it up against him. Taking the opportunity, he shoved his tongue inside your hole, swirling the muscle around.

Slurping noises left his mouth, an effort to savor your addictive taste and scent. You futilely attempted to shove his head away. Any time you tried to wiggle your hips away from his face, he’d trail your cunt. “T-Tora..uh! You said a quick taste, get your head out of there! ughnnn..! No—uhh~! No more, plea—uh, uh—I feel it again! My vagina is going to… Agh~! Cumming! Cu-hnghh..!”

[simmearly]

Sims 4 Challenge: Virtual Village

The Premise:

You've been tasked with building and managing a thriving virtual village in The Sims 4. Your villagers will need to work together to survive and prosper, relying on their unique skills and abilities.

The Roles:

* Spiritual Leader: A wise and powerful individual who can commune with the spirits and provide guidance to the village. This Sim can be a Spellcaster, but it's not mandatory. They are the primary caretakers of children and are responsible for passing down the village's knowledge and traditions. Upon their death, a designated heir must take their place, or the village will perish.

* Skills: Wellness, Herbalism, Alchemy, Parenting, Writing, Swimming, Snorkeling, Painting, Knitting, Cross-stitch, etc.

* Scientists: Intellectually gifted Sims who can unlock new technologies and advancements. Train these Sims in the Logic skill. You can have up to two Scientists per generation. Reaching Level 10 in Logic unlocks new advancements for your village.

* Builders: Skilled craftsmen who can construct homes, tools, and infrastructure. Train these Sims in the Handiness skill. Level 10 Handiness is required to construct larger structures like piers, foundations, and monuments.

* Farmers: Hardworking individuals who can cultivate crops and provide food for the village. Train these Sims in the Gardening skill and have them fish to maintain a steady supply of resources.

The Challenge:

* Establish Your Village: Create a new household with two unmarried Sims (ideally) and an optional child.

* Live off the land: in the early generations, attempt to feed your villagers what they forage, collect, fish, grow and harvest! In the later game, feel free to purchase these things as you have guided your villagers into thriving!

* Assign Roles: Designate specific Sims to each role, ensuring a balance of skills. For instance, one Sim could be a Spiritual Leader/Gatherer/Scientist, while the other could be a Builder/Gatherer/Farmer.

* Technology and Advancement:

* Logic Tech Tree:

* Trainee (1-4): Basic knowledge, off-grid living.

* Adept (4-9): Intermediate skills, irrigation, farming, basic crafting.

* Master (10): Advanced technology, monuments, complex structures, higher education.

* Tech Points: Earn these through training scientists. Complete collections to earn an extra 5000 tech points once per Generation, Spend them to unlock new technologies and structures.

* Trainee: 1000 points

* Adept: 5000 points

* Master: 20000 points

* Tribal Tech Tree:

* Tier 1: Survival

* Fire Mastery: Unlocked at the start.

* Shelter (5000 points): Build basic shelters like huts and lean-tos.

* Crafting (10000 points): Unlock candle making, nectar making, and other thematic crafting stations.

* Tier 2: Community

* Agriculture (5000 points, Master Farmer): Unlock advanced gardening techniques.

* Animal Husbandry (5000 points, Master Farmer, Adept Scientist): Domesticate animals.

* Social Structure (10000 points, Generation 3): Unlock clubs, weddings, and social events.

* Tier 3: Civilization

* Pottery (1000 points): Unlock pottery for storage and cooking.

* Weaving (5000 points): Unlock knitting, cross-stitching, and clothing customization.

* Metallurgy (10000 points, Generation 3, Master Scientist, Master Builder, Shelter and Metallurgy unlocked): Unlock metalworking.

* Tier 4: Advanced Civilization

* Writing (Generation 2, Adept Scientist, 1000 points): Unlock journaling and storytelling.

* Astronomy (5000 points): Unlock telescope.

* Architecture (10000 points, Generation 3, Master Builder, Master Scientist, Shelter and Metallurgy unlocked): Construct complex structures like temples and fortifications.

The Goal?

Build your village across multiple lots, and play through 10 Generations, unlock the technology you want, and create a small civilization! This is a creative challenge, so feel free to adjust the rules and tech tree to suit your play-style!

Additional Challenges:

* Natural Disasters: Simulate natural disasters like fires, floods, or droughts.

* Disease Outbreak: Introduce a disease to your village.

* Conflict with Neighboring Villages: Roleplay conflicts and negotiations.

Have fun and let your creativity soar!

Remember, the key to success is balance, cooperation, and innovation. Good luck!

(Point System - WIP!)

Some tips!

Build a winery, and a warehouse to store your goods!

Once you have unlocked advanced construction, create a mystical temple to house your Spiritual Leader!

Create more villagers as you progress, and have as many children as you want! Everyone does not have to stay on the Initial lot!

Pull from Sumerian, Egyptian, Aztec and Early Native American design elements to create to your hearts content, there is no money in this challenge, only Technology!

Sul Sul!

[melonteee]

I am going to Japan next year, and I remember you have been there recently. Do you have any recs of places I should visit? Did you go to any cool one piece/anime store?

When it comes to things like the Kirby and Pokemon cafes you have to book those a month or two in advance! So get on that if you want to see them! I think they're very cute and fun.

There are One Piece stores aaaall over Japan, in Tokyo alone there's a big one in Ikebukuro, a small one in Shibuya, and a medium sized one in Odaiba! They're all fun to go to for the statues alone! The biggest store is in Osaka to my knowledge, and Shonen Jump stores have a lot of One Piece too!

I loooove the Mocha cat cafe chains so much I would go to all of them in Tokyo and spend hours in them at a time lmao. My favourite one is the Ikebukuro East cafe!

Ikebukuro in general is a gorgeous area, it has Sunshine City and things like Animate. Also...if you want...heh....doujinshi....K-BOOKS Doujinkan is an awesome place. Mandarake also has doujinshis, both of these places are in Ikebukuro.

Tokyo Skytree Mall is a banger place, lots of funs little shops in there and a gorgeous outside area to walk around.

Overall I'm a big foodie and history buff, I love to travel for old architecture and food. I was eating parfaits every day in Japan because I can't get them anywhere else lol, and Kyoto is a lovely and amazing city for nature and temples. Overall my holidays in Japan are just spent walking around the cities to see what I can find! Sorry, I don't really have a master list.

Don't forget to be respectful upon travelling as well, ie don't talk on trains during rush hour and, if you go to Kyoto, don't take photos of or bother the Geishas! Those poor girls have had it rough lately with very rude tourists 😭

But have fun on your trip! I hope it goes well! I 100% suggest you get a suica card for travel from the airport when you land, they're super easy to obtain and the best thing to use for train travel!

[fayedartmouth]

Weekly update of the OBX car accident fic. I feel like I don't love this as a standalone scene because it's not exciting, but it is necessarily advancing the plot to where I'm trying to go. LOL, I'm at a point with this fic where the snippets are not always super exciting but they're necessary to the architecture of the story.

So anyway, a few more weeks until I think I finally get them all back together. There's some necessary meandering first and possibly a medical complication. We'll see, lol. I have five scenes sketched out, but I think it'll end up being more because I haven't spent any time on the resolution at all in my outline.

So sorry that this is a boring one! Thank you to everyone reading!

Full master post is here.

Shoupe was spending too much time on this damn case, and he knew it.  It was open and shut, <i>an accident</i>.  He just had to sign the paperwork already.

Yet, here he was.  Back the next day for more.

He told Peterkin it was because there were unattended minors involved.  The hospital said no one had showed up for John B or JJ yet.  Uncle Teddy was coming in from the mainland; Luke Maybank was drying out.  He had an obligation.

She raised her eyebrows at him.  “I mean, social services will appreciate not having the paperwork.”

Because everyone knew.  Investigations could be opened.  With kids like that, they never went anywhere.  And it just seemed wrong, right?  They were sure to clean up the roadway debris.  They impounded the vehicle.  But no one cared about a pair of boys without parental supervision, still laid up in the ICU.

Whatever the official reason why, he knew the personal ones.  That he probably just cared, more than he had a right to, as he flashed his badge and checked in with the morning doctor on call.  The news, at least, was mixed.  Pope and Kiara were doing much better.  Kiara would be discharged later today, her vitals having fully stabilized.  Pope’s cognition was improving, but he was still disoriented and unsteady.  They wanted another day of observation with a repeat series of scans just to be sure.

John B was stable and apparently recovering well.  He would need time – he still wasn’t mobile – but things looked to be moving in the right direction, at least.  

JJ, of course, was making things difficult.  That was what he did, after all.  He was still deeply sedated and on life support.  Wait and see, the doctor said with a shrug, like they hadn’t been waiting and seeing since yesterday.  Like JJ hadn’t been waiting and seeing bullshit his whole life.

He thanked the man anyway and made his way up to the ICU.  He’d come all this way; he might as well check in.  That was the plan, however.  

Making plans with Pogues?

Never a good idea.

He barely got to the floor when he ran into Kiara Carrera.

She looked fine, for the record.  In a wheelchair, sure.  Hooked up to an IV.  But awake, alert, good color.  Pissed as hell.

He looked around, seeing no sign of her parents.  No sign of her friends.  “Are you supposed to be here?”

She had a split second of sheepish denial, but she got over that fast.  She seemed to see him and decide something, right then and there.  “I’ve been trying to talk to JJ’s doctor, but they keep telling me bullshit about patient confidentiality.”

“Well, that is a thing–”

Kiara shook her head.  “It’s bullshit,” she said.  “You know that we’re family to JJ.”

He sighed.  It wasn’t like he didn’t know those kids were joined at the hip.  And it wasn’t like he didn’t know that JJ’s real family wasn’t going to show up for him anyway.

Yet, there was only so much Shoupe could do.  

“Look, I want to help, I do, but it’s not my call–”

He was going to defer – deflect.

He should have remembered.  Kiara Carrera was just privileged enough not to give a shit.  She was also just convicted enough to do whatever the hell she wanted anyway.  Her idea of justice wasn’t all wrong, but it was a little naive, if only because she still believed that pure conviction could make a difference

“They’d listen to you,” she said, and her eyes seemed to brighten at the idea.  “Shoupe, you can help me.”

His eyes narrowed despite himself.  He wanted to help; that was why he was here.

But why did he feel like he was about to be recruited to something untoward?  He knew these Pogues were good kids.  But they were good kids with the worst ideas, hands down.  It didn’t help that the Kooks were against them, sure.  But they were their own worst enemies.

“Kiara,” he said, pursing his lips as he looked anxiously down the hall.  “Where are your parents?”

She straightened up, clearly indignant.  “You don’t need my parents.”

He rolled his eyes.  “I don’t need anything,” he agreed.  “But do they know you’re out here?”

She scoffed.  “It’s a free country.  Women are allowed to go anywhere without an escort, you know.”

He gave her a pointed look, exasperated.  “But you’re a minor.  In a hospital.”

She reddened slightly.  “They let me go to John B’s room.  Took me there themselves and everything.”

He didn’t think she was lying to him.  About that, anyway.

And yet–  “So why are you here?  In the hall?”

“Because,” she said.  “No one’s been able to see JJ yet.”

He hesitated at that.

Her eyes widened.  “You’ve seen JJ?”

“I’ve seen him,” Shoupe acknowledged.

She leaned forward, intent now.  “See, you <i>can</i> help us.”

He let out a breath, hot and short.  “Kiara–”

“We need to see JJ,” she insisted.

His chest tightened, gut twisted.  “He’s still in very critical condition–”

“Which is why it matters!” she said, voice rising a little.

He reddened, as a few people around the waiting area looked at him.  He dropped his voice.  “Kiara, that’s not my call–”

She shook her head, adamant.  “You know he’ll be better with us,” she said.  There was no hint of compromise in her eyes, not about this.  “And we’ll be better with him.”

They’d be less trouble, he was sure.  If he didn’t reunite them, these Pogues were going to be hatching escape plans all over the hospital, their injuries be damned.

And yet, he had the Heywards and the Carreras to worry about.  The last thing he needed was for someone to file a formal complaint.  The Carreras would, in a heartbeat.

Yet, he knew why he was here.  He knew what he wanted.

He wanted to make sure they were okay.

Each and every one of these dumb idiots.  They hated him; they thought he was the bad guy.  And he just wanted to help, despite his better judgement, despite his legal jurisdiction, despite <i>everything</i>.

Sighing, he looked down the hall again as he considered his options.  “There’s really not a lot I can do.”

She latched onto his hesitation.  “But there is <i>something</i>.”

That figured, didn’t it?  That she would believe that.

That she <i>knew</i> that.

For being the one with the power and the badge here, Shoupe felt pretty damn helpless.  

Mostly because he wanted to help.

God help him – save his job – he really, really did.  

But a badge was persuasive.  And Shoupe was damn good at making personal appeals.

If he could just convince the doctors that it was in the medical interest to let these four, injured, unsupervised teens spend their time together–

Well, if Shoupe could pull that off, then he was in the wrong profession.  A career in acting would have been appropriate.

Yet, why was he here anyway?  It wasn’t to finish paperwork.  It wasn’t witness statements.

It was because he couldn't stand the thought of these dumb kids being on their own.

He was too soft for this bullshit.

But no one else was looking, were they?  No one else wanted to see?

He couldn’t let them slip through the cracks, could he?

<i>Would</i> he?

“Maybe,” he relented, quick to hold his hand up to the look of triumph on Kiara’s face.  “But it’ll take a little time for me to work it out, and you all have to play by the rules.”

She smiled, nodding quickly in agreement.  “Fine.”

He huffed, shaking his head at her.  “And that starts by getting you back to your room.”

“I’m fine–” she started to protest.

He pinned her with a look.  She had the decency to close her mouth.  “Come on,” he cajoled.

He took the back of her wheelchair, starting them off down the hall.  “Which one is yours again?”

She made a face, tilting her head to the side.  “Just take me out to John B’s.”

He was ready to argue.

She glanced up at him.  “I wasn’t supposed to leave that room,” she admitted.  “They’d be pissed–”

He sighed.  “Really, Kiara?”

She smiled, innocent as she pleased.  “You said you wanted to help.”

He huffed, turning her down the hall to John B’s room anyway.  “I don’t suppose I’ll get any credit for that later.”

“You’re part of an oppressive system with so many inherent biases–”

He shook his head, keeping them moving.  “That’s what I thought.”

[sterlingarcher23]

Willow, Lovecraftian horror and the Thule Society from Hellboy

What does Willow have to do with the master of horror, H.P. Lovecraft, that shaped, actually created a subgenre of the horror genre and the völkisch movements("German ethnic nationalist movement active from the late 19th century to 1945", Wikipedia) like the Thule Gesellschaft (Society), founded in 1911 ?

Probably more than one may think and I wanted to discuss the various elements that illustrate how Willow's villains and its mysterious Order of the Wyrm may have been influenced by these things in this essay.

As a personal sidenote: Even though I haven't read all of Lovecraft's works, I'm a big fan of his works. And yes, Lovecraft was a racist, anti-semite and probably a misogynist too - this traits had a huge impact on his creative work. That is undeniable and I am no fan of this separation of author and art. You shouldn't do that, you need to understand the art and that's only possible if you look at the artist. It tells you some about human nature and how, in case of Lovecraft, his view of the world is reflected in his works - if you keep that in mind you can understand his stories as a cautionary tale of sorts, that the “Fear of the Unknown” is something that resides in many if not in all of us. To identify and sort of equate the author with its art doesn't mean that a creator agrees with his protagonist(s) view(s) but the work itself, what it tries to tell comes from within the creative mind. To quote Henry Ackeley from "The Whisperer in Darkness: Ex nihilo nihil fit. - Nothing comes from nothing. Additionally, as a German it is always difficult to talk about the racist and fascist era and its institutions, movements etc that took over a whole country and lead to such a tremendous loss of lifes.

Before you advance reading, it is A) important to have watched the show (even though I try to put in explanatory notes) and B) it is therefore riddled with spoilers. 

First some definitions

Lovecraftian/Cosmic/Eldritch Horror: “Lovecraftian horror, also called cosmic horror or eldritch horror, is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock.” Wikipedia

Sword and Sorcery: “Sword and sorcery (S&S) or heroic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters.”, Wikipedia

HIgh Fantasy: “High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. High fantasy is usually set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world.” Wikipedia

The Immemorial City, The nameless city/Mountains of Madness & Fallout

First lets take a look at the Immemorial city and its architecture and artstyle. Its huge, stretching into the distance with seemingly no borders as it touches the horizon. The city is gigantic, eldritch and dwarfs every single person in it. One can actually see Elora and Kit walking over the bridge like construction, however they are very small. The monolithic nature of the buildings also look as if they were spawned directly out of a description of one of Lovecraft's stories. Lovecraft liked the use of words like cyclopean, monolithic, eldritch in his descriptions: 

"…curious regularities of the higher mountain skyline – regularities like clinging fragments of perfect cubes…” - “…no architecture known to man or to human imagination, with vast aggregations of night-black masonry embodying monstrous perversions of geometrical laws and attaining the most grotesque extremes of sinister bizarrerie,,,,", At the mountains of madness, 1931

"...only a single mountain-top, the hideous monolith-crowned citadel..", The Call of Cthulhu, 1926/28

And because the Immemorial City is like in a desert like region, an in an almost literal way deserted area which at closer inspection seems lto be more like ashes than sand, you can combine previous descriptions with this:

"Remote in the desert of Araby lies the nameless city, crumbling and inarticulate, its low walls nearly hidden by the sands of uncounted ages.", The nameless city, 1921

He also used the term non-euclidean to describe impossible architecture in which "an angle which was acute, but behaved as if it were obtuse" and while the Immemorial City is rectangular, pyramidic, using straight lines that are only balanced out by the curves of the gigantic statues, this might be the concept artists and creatives way of combining both the Lovecraftian architecture with the Art Deco style of the early 20th century.

The Immemorial City in the show & concept art by David Freeman

The statues and heads that are part of the architecture of the Immemorial City remind of Art Deco statues you can find for example in New York, the Atlas statue on 5th avenue or the faces on the building of the 20 Exchange Place, Those are also a typical style used in the Fallout franchise, especially in Fallout 4 (some of the faces appeared already in Fallout 2).

This design choice of using Art Deco, giant statues and stone or metal faces is interesting as Fallout built up some eldritch/Lovecraftian background itself and connected it with the architecture. One can find one of those heads in the depths of the so-called Dunwich Borer, a clear reference to Lovecraft who wrote a story titled "The Dunwich Horror". So, like Willow does it visually, Fallout connects Art Deco style with Lovecraftian horror elements by name. Cosmic horror in a fantasy show? Yes and there are more clues, including one in the very name of one of the characters, that support this. Like the Fallout franchise, the creators use visuals and names that link them to HP Lovecraft.

It is indeed interesting that the names of the two cities, the Nameless City and the Immemorial City strike a similar tone as well.

This site with concept art of the Immemorial City by David Freeman is very interesting.

In the name of Hastur: the Wyrm and the Great old Ones

The Fallout franchise, a post apocalyptic video game and now TV-show series  is making advances to build a cosmic horror background (the Youtubers SinisterHeart and EpicNate talk about this) by using names from the Lovecraft universe, some similar architectural elements and add some eldritch elements and beings to it (like the Interloper) - so does the TV-Show Willow:

Hastur, also known as the Unspeakable One, He-who-must-not-be-named, or the King in Yellow, is a Lovecraftian deity originally created by Ambrose Bierce and while in Bierce’s work Hastur is more benevolent, in the Lovecraft-universe he became one of the malignant cosmic beings of the Cthulhu universe, God-like creatures beyond man’s capability to understand them. "Hastur is defined as a Great Old One, spawn of Yog-Sothoth, the half-brother of Cthulhu". He is amorphous and uses avatars such as the King in Yellow. The Nameless City is Hasturs realm. And coincidentally Hastur is the surname of the rulers of Galladorn - its probably no coincidence that this name was chosen especially since Graydon, son of King Zivian Hastur, has a history of being either possessed or some truly evil part of Graydon is hiding inside - the show does not go into details in its first season however the scars on his chest indicate that this is some sort of a magical seal to keep evil at bay. Did Graydon release something by accident, did he read the wrong books or was it something in his family that may have awaken some day.

And, Graydon can read "Pnakotic", the language of the Wyrm which is another nod to Lovecraft and the "Pnakotic Manuscripts" he mentions in his stories.

The big plan?

It is indicative that King Zivian wants an “allegiance” with Tir Asleen by marrying his son to Kit Tanthalos but that he also “convinces” Graydon to accompany the group that sets out to search for Airk.

Kit is the descendant of Bavmorda, the evil queen-witch of the film and Sorsha, - Kit's mother, reveals that her mother’s spirit somehow survived in her grandchildren. Which is probably why the Gales, “a group of monstrous creatures, led by The Crone” kidnap Airk in the first place.

The fact that Kit can use the Kymerian Cuirass suggests that she has Fey blood in her as the cuirass was forged by Queen Anabel of Kymeria who was a Fey herself, supernatural beings, of lesser, such as brownies or dyads, or higher fairies like Elves or Elementals.

It's not a stretch to assume that King ZIvian wanted a blood bond as it all points to the so called “Blood of the Six” that is important - what his plan is in regard to the crone is unclear, maybe he has plans of his own, maybe it is all related to the Wyrm. Maybe the goal is an offspring of "special blood" and there is a clue by the end of the first season that this is the case.

There's a brief moment by the end of the season in which Graydon (although he does not have scars) exchanges words with a version of Elora who tells him that she "wants him" at her side. This is pure speculation but King Zivians mysterious plan and "Dark Elora's" offer to Graydon could very well go into a similar direction: an (potentially) evil offspring. Or a child that holds dark powers? It would make sense given that the story of Willow started with a child. Elora. So, a child on the other side of the spectrum would make sense. "It's like poetry. It rhymes.", George Lucas

Even though Graydon was a spare kid and something was done to him or he did to himself, these elements may be connected if a blood bond is truly the idea behind this and some elements point into this direction, Sadly though there are only some vague clues to formulate a hypothesis.

About Sword & Sorcery:

The land described by Robert E. Howard in his Conan the Barbarian is called Cimmeria. In Willow the magical cuirass is called Kymerian Cuirass after the Kymerian Empire - the name has a familiar sound and could have been altered for Willow. Lovecraft drew inspiration from different sources, including Ambrose Bierce who created Hastur and Robert E Howard was coeval with, a friend and penpal of Lovecraft - Howards works were influenced by Lovecraft’s (Yog, a deity worshiped by cannibals in Howard’s Conan universe may have been derived from Yog-Sothoth). Here is a Youtube-video by Atlantean Archive who specializes on discussing books especially by authors such as Howard and Lovecraft who compares both authors. In general the “Sword and Sorcery” genre has some dark, almost horror elements that feel very Lovecraftian. Willow, the film and the show, seems to try to bridge the two subgenres of “Sword and sorcery” and “High fantasy” in my opinion.

The dark elements we see in the Immemorial City itself, the very ghoulish monstrosities that the Gales are and even the Wyrm, but also the focus on the characters and Kit’s quest to save her brother on the one hand, are in my opinion more Sword and Sorcery, while the adventure of a group of misfits, the need to save the world in the process feels more like the High Fantasy we know from Tolkien.

Dungeons and Dragons itself is no stranger to combining the subgenres, depending on the setting but also with creatures such as Mindflayers that are very Lovecraftian.

Lovecrafts idea was: you either die or go insane, you cannot beat those monstrous beings. Robert E. Howard on the other hand was on the side of “You can choose your path and beat the monster with a giant sword”...by Crom.

The fact that the creators decided to use the name “Hastur” and connect it to Graydon’s mysterious past in which he turned evil and killed his brother, the Immemorial City with its eldritch architecture, the fact that for example the Fallout franchise does something similar: Lovecraft's works have potentially inspire Willow a lot.

Lets talk about the Wyrm next and about the Order of the Wyrm in the following chapters.

The Wyrm

Potentially the Wyrm was inspired by an old Irish deity called Crom Cruach, an ancient God of fertility who demanded the sacrifice of first borns in exchange for a good harvest.

He later became a much more demonic creature in most stories that was defeated by Saint Patrick and ultimately found his way into modern culture for example as the namesake for Crom (who otherwise more akin to Odin), the patron deity in Robert E. Howard’s “Conan the Barbarian” the titular hero worships, or as the villain in the novel “The Hunter’s Moon” by O.C. Melling in which he is called “Crom Cruac, The Great Worm”.

Very interesting is this mentioning of Crom Cruach use in the Villains Wiki: "In Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole, Crom Cruach is the main antagonist, with the ability to infect beings with a mad need to sacrifice whoever they love most."

This description feels as if “Pleasure of a Dark Prince”  could have been taken as an inspiration for what happens to Airk.Especially in conjunction with the myth of the sacrifice of the first borns to the original Irish god of the same name: that Graydon kills his own, older (first born) brother and Airk is a first born himself. This is proven by the dialog between Airk and Kit in which he points out that he is the older sibling and Kit confirms this “By like a minute.”  Airk is a first born who was “infected” with the “milk” of the Wyrm and seduced to “sacrifice” those he loved if necessary by fighting and killing them especially when he is additionally possessed by the Crone. And one could say that Graydon, whatever made him do it, “sacrificed” his own brother. It all points to first borns that are sacrificed and the second borns that are actually important.

Which is rather interesting because both Graydon and Kit are second borns, their older siblings were sacrificed, Dermot killed by his younger brother and Airk turned to serve the Wyrm.

And of course the list is not complete with the Necronomicon a fictional book created by Howard Philips Lovecraft as a lesser god below Shub-Niggurath and is describe generally this way in the Villains Wiki:

Crom Cruach was originally envisioned as a god hidden by mists, represented as a gold figure surrounded by twelve stone or bronze figures. Crom Cruach's countenance is akin to that of a demonic snake or monstrous worm (possibly referring to a Wyrm or a Wyvern, a type of dragon).

The Order of the Wyrm, Thule Society, 3rd Reich-symbols and Hellboy

Chants & prayers

In the story “The Nameless city” there is another element that piqued my interest, a line: “That is not dead which can eternal lie/and with strange eons even death may die”. Having a familiar tone to the script that Graydon reads aloud after which an earthquake happens. At this point it seems as if it was just the typical “Dont-read-from-the-book” moment we know from films like The Mummy, 1999. However if we think ahead and of Graydons mysterious past, whatever it is his father and Dark Elora may want from him by forming alliances as talked about in previous chapters, then these things start to from a pattern that further point to Graydon’s importance for the plot.

Furthermore if you are familiar with “A song of Ice and Fire”, you may know the words “What is dead may never die” by the folks from the Iron Islands who worship a drowned God - clearly GRR Martin is referencing Cthulhu.

Yet again a piece of Lovecratian horror in fantasy and the creepy chants, sayings, prayers of spells are all very similar

“That is not dead which can eternal lie” - Lovecraft

“The Eternal One … stirs his deathless slumber”, Willow - The Order of the Wyrm

“What is dead my never die”, GRR Martin

And of course: Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn - In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.

Joachim Kerzel (the German voice actor for Anthony Hopkins) speaking the words in the audio book adaptation of Der Ruf des Cthulhu / The call of Cthulhu

The order of the Wyrm - Hellboy & The Thule Society

The Order of the Wyrm, whose members “...worshiped an ancient blood magic, the Wyrm. The Wyrm was imprisoned a long time ago beneath the surface of world, and it waits, sleeping, for its acolytes to release it.”, they started as a small cult in Cashmere but at some point they kidnapped the princess of Cashmere, indoctrinated her so that she transformed into the Crone. They did something similar to Bavmorda, mother of Sorsha and grandmother of both Airk and Kit. The cult shares some interesting symbols with the symbols used in the Third Reich and the so called “Thule society”.

The Thule Society was founded in 1918 in Munich as a secret society, it was based on the “völkische Bewegung”, the völkisch movement, a German ethnic nationalist movement that started in the late 19th century and was active until 1945.

“A primary focus of the Thule Society was a claim concerning the origins of the Aryan race. In 1917, people who wanted to join the "Germanic Order", out of which the Thule Society developed in 1918, had to sign a special "blood declaration of faith" concerning their lineage.”

Due to its occult background this led to some conspiracy theories even though the Nazis suppressed after 1933 - it has been argued that it found its way into the NSDAP. Its beliefs were mentioned in Alfred Rosenberg's books, the leader of the Foreign Policy Office and Hitler’s first ideologist, as well as in the ideas of SS-Leader Heinrich HImmler who -unlike Hitler- was fascinated by the occult and mysticism. (Which means Indiana Jones is talking nonsense but I guess the name Hitler is better known than Himmler).

It looks as if the typical rectangular Swastika was fused with the more round shaped version of the Thule society to give it a very familiar look - round shaped elements also could be interpreted as sickle and evoke an association to some sort of harvest.

If you make a connection between the symbols of the Nazis and the Thule society as potential inspirations for the symbol of the Order of the Wyrm, with the clues we have of the so called “Blood of the Six” which runs in the veins of both Kit and Airk, and Graydon maybe being of interest for Dark Elora due to his blood, it is safe to say that the order is blood-line interested in general. And that the order is the Willow-vers representation of a lineage-concerning, (pre-)Nazi-like order such as the Thule Society.

This is hinted at through Sorsha and the fact that Kit can use the cuirass, making her blood related to Fays. So, the order's interest in this blood line ideology is very much in line with beliefs of the original, historical Thule society.

Germania - Even though it was based on Roman architecture, the right out crazy plans of Albert Speer and Adolf Hitler of a Welthauptstadt (World capital) with some similar elements we see in the show (instead of some sort of tanks according to images, there are human figures in the concept art) and a central big hall, like a huge temple you were supposed to “worship” the Nazi ideology, a building so insanely large it would have had its own climate, is echoed in the Immemorial City as well.

In Hellboy, the 2004 film by Guillermo del Toro, one of the central focus points is the Thule Society under Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (btw in the comics the spelling is “Ruprect” which is incorrect) who helps Rasputin to unleash the Ogdru-Jahad, the seven Gods of Chaos.

These beings were among others inspired by the Outer Gods/the Great Old Ones by HP Lovecraft and the Jörmungandr, the world serpent from Norse mythology that is directly connected to Ragnarök, the end of the world, killing the old gods but also dying in the process and lay groundwork to new life. 

Hellboy is yet another plot that, similar to Indiana Jones, has Nazis as the antagonists that seek power in occult objects and means to reach their goals. This connection, the occult, the Thule society which used the Swastika back in 1919 already, and the Order of the Wyrm that uses Nazi/Swastika like symbols is indicative of what influenced the show “Willow” aside from Lovecraft.

Yet another interesting fact is that in the Roleplaying Game “Vampire - The Masquerade”, there is a so called “Order of the Wyrm (Vampire the Masquerade)”, centered around a tome penned by Abdul Alhazred - Abdul Alhazred, a character invented by HP Lovecraft, writer of the infamous Necronomicon. The Wyrm in “Vampire - The Masquerade” is the “incarnation of destruction and misery that will one day swallow the world”.

“If magic is the bloodstream of the universe, the Wyrm feeds on it.”, Willow Ufgood

Conclusion:

These elements make up the world building of Willow: In sometimes subtle and sometimes very obvious clues, symbols and architecture, combining the myths of Lovecraft, the Sword and Sorcery of Robert E Howard, the high fantasy of Tolkien (since Lucas originally wanted to make Lord of the Rings), a certain blood lineage ideology of the Thule society and its imagery which is echoed in the symbols Order of the Wyrm etc. These things follow a clear pattern. It is a vast and much richer universe, filled with potentially endless wonders and horrors, made by a creative team that probably had a large variety of inspirations on their desks.

As I would say about any other analysis that I made. If I can find it, professional writers in Hollywood can find it and very likely brought those ideas already with them when they expanded the Willow universe. Like us they read novels, comics, play RPGs, and video games, watch TV and movies. - Ex nihilo nihil fit.

And these potential connections, inspos etc may offer some clues into which directions the Seasons 2 and 3 of Willow were supposed to go thematically.

PS: I heard in the Save Willow Cast - Podcast on Spotify that Jon Kasdan said that he based the Wyrm and the Order of the Wyrm on Lovecraft.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

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An unfortunate third friendly reminder that substitutes at the School for Good and Evil are not entitled to unapproved architectural renovations! Please and thank you in advance. No one is above the rules.

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*SCHOOL FOR EVIL AND GOOD. Duckling cheat with fat cat cowards. Duckling rot in Hell.

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@avant-garde-arbiter-of-virtue Back from my hiatus. What did I miss? Who's "duckling"?

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Time sensitive question: Tips for maritime survival? When there are deep-sea vampires after you???? Please

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...what did I do?

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WIP manuscript done. Preorder the latest tale now!

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