#north stream 2

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

Ukraine's government has denied a Wall Street Journal report this week that Kyiv approved the plan to blow up the Russian-owned Nord Stream pipelines in 2022. According to the newspaper, a crew of Ukrainian civilians and active-duty soldiers used a rented yacht to reach the pipelines, which deliver Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, and used explosives to sever three of the four pipelines. This comes as Poland says it was unable to carry out a German arrest warrant for a new suspect in its investigation into the Nord Stream attack, a 44-year-old Ukrainian diving professional who is alleged to have attached explosive charges to the pipelines. Polish authorities say the suspect fled to Ukraine in July. For more on the investigation, we speak with German journalist Holger Stark, deputy editor-in-chief and head of the investigative team at _Die Zeit_, who has been reporting on the Nord Stream attack for years.

[tilos-tagebuch]

🇺🇸Seymour Hersh - Wie Amerika die Nord Stream-Pipeline ausschaltete

Die New York Times nannte es ein "Mysterium", aber die Vereinigten Staaten führten eine verdeckte Seeoperation durch, die geheim gehalten wurde – bis jetzt…

[koskela-knights]

The Cult, the FBC & the RCU

This is going to be a long post about how I think involving the FBC and trying to connect AW2 to the bigger RCU has rendered the Cult of the Tree storyline useless/irrelevant in the big scheme of things and thus made a rather strong start turn unsatisfactory in the end. I'll also try to express why I don't always like this RCU and how it ties into this 'Marvelization/MCU-fication' we see in a lot of media in general. As always, these are just my opinions

Cult of the Tree Case

The big and main reason Saga Anderson goes to Bright Falls is because of the ritualistic murders taking place. AKA, the work of the Cult of the Tree is coming to light. This basically kicks off the whole narrative on Saga's side of the story. Throughout a large part of the game, you try to collect clues and evidence, trying to unravel the mystery of the Cult of the Tree and its motives, and motivations. There's a whole case folder/file dedicated to this in the Mind Place.

You encounter some Cult Takens and overall, the game presents the Cult as this invisible enemy, a looming threat or very ambiguous in their interests at best. You see multiple signs, Cult stashes, notes, etc. All to keep you guessing and engaged, thinking about what the Cult might be up to. Even in some trailers, they play the Cult (although it's mainly Taken Cult members) as main enemies.

Eventually, you learn that the goofy silly commercial guys are behind the Cult of the Tree. Before Saga can ask Ilmo questions and before he can explain himself to her, he gets arrested by the FBC who take over Saga's case. (It just felt a bit strange to me that there was no room for Saga trying to profile Ilmo right there or ask more questions. Like yeah, I get the arrest was intended to be abrupt, but knowing Saga I feel she would want to know Ilmo's side, especially how surprised she was at him being a Cult member)

The big plot twist of the Cult being good is a completely optional conversation with Ilmo after Jaakko's death. But it no longer matters either way. Saga completes her case board on the Cult and goes to try to summon Alan Wake from the lake. There are no afterthoughts or more questions or anything relevant to the Cult. That plotline completely dissolves, even Saga no longer brings it up anymore. I already talked about Ilmo's arc being dropped and the same goes for the Cult part. The Cult that very much kickstarted Saga's story. The lodge attack, the lodge slaughter, Jaakko's death, it all didn't matter. Hell, The only thing that seems to be 'remembered' is that Scratch wears a cool, blood-covered jacket while fighting Saga.

The FBC, the North Star episode & the RCU, part of something bigger

FBC

For a few months, I was okay with the FBC's involvement. But the longer I think about it, the more I feel the FBC-introduced arc came at the cost of the Cult of the Tree's arc's more satisfying end instead of an abrupt one. This isn't to say that I wanted a 'happy ending' or whatever for the Cult story, I just didn't want it to be thrown aside like that, rendering all that case work useless/irrelevant. With all the buildup to the Cult, you'd expect more. (Someone on Reddit had similar thoughts: thinking Ilmo and what's left of the Cult would maybe show up later to help out or smth) The overall ending felt rushed in that regard.

I get what Remedy is doing. Trying to connect their universes for the RCU: Remedy Connected Universe.

But how they've gone about it, isn't always in favour of the main story. This proves even more so, in the Night Springs DLC's episode with Jesse.

I think AW2 should be able to stand on its own and as, of course, the direct sequel to AW1. Which it does most of the time. The FBC monitoring station at the beginning was a great nod to hint at Control's universe expanding to AW's. For those who have played Control (like myself) some things were more obvious as to why they were in Bright Falls. The gamer I watched play through AW2, didn't play Control which sometimes left him a bit confused about the FBC but he got through the game without too much confusion about them.

North Star episode

This is still a personal opinion but this episode was the weakest for me. And a part of that is because of the narrative and how you basically have to be familiar with Control's story and its MC, Jesse for this chapter to even present something interesting. It's also how the plot twist about Dylan suddenly being Alan fails an audience that never played Control (thanks @zephyrone01 for pointing that out). But besides that plot twist falling flat without pre-Control knowledge, it's also tougher to get invested in Jesse as a character and her quest.

Who is this woman? (AW-only players might make the connection to Tim's whiteboard mentioning a red-haired woman) What is 'Polaris'? Why do I suddenly have *some* powers? Why is she here in Coffee World looking for her brother? What's their deal?

Even as someone who played Control, this episode felt so detached from it. No high stakes, no emotional investment (which I also talked about, how they could've made NPCs that would engage the player more) I learned nothing new about Jesse, there was no real interesting different angle or perspective. Not to mention the strange decision about leaving the founders of CW out of this story completely, but again, that's something I talked about before. As an alternate universe/version, we only saw Coffee World look slightly different but other than the altered aesthetics, nothing interesting about it.

The RCU - MCU

A multiverse, multiple connecting stories is nothing new. We see this with Marvel and DC a lot. But that's something that irks me with the last Marvel movies. Some of these movies can't fully stand on their own. They're full of characters and (story) references to other Marvel movies and shows. It's hard to keep track of 10+ movies/shows and storylines (only for character's arcs to get butchered, dropped, retconned)

I prefer it if some things simply stand on their own, without having to have a bunch of pre-knowledge of another franchise that happens to be in the same universe. In this case, mainly knowing AW1 should suffice. Besides, we have the second co-protagonist Saga to sort of ease completely new players into the AW-verse already!

So in that regard, I think that Jesse's episode couldn't really stand on its own without having played or known Control and its story/characters.

Even Tim's chapter leans more into the QB-verse, but at least the more general idea of multiverses is familiar to the average gamer. Tim's episode had more things going for it that made it a more satisfying episode overall.

I don't want AW2 to be just a stepping stone to Control 2. I'm here for the continuation of AW1 with a new AW2-related cast. In a pessimistic way, I don't want AW2 characters and stories to be dropped aside for a Control character for a sequel that may never be able to be released. Why give us new AW grounded characters, only to drop them in favour of the FBC, mainly an organization from another game?

[bibleofficial]

finally on the plane that was 10 mins delayed but honestly ??? this bitch is not leaving for the next 10-15 minutes 😭😭😭

[kyuala]

oh my god i could probably talk abt this forever and i literally wont shut up about it until the world cup rolls around but do u guys wanna know abt the covert coup they tried to stage 2day

[xtruss]

Those Seeking Russia’s ‘Defeat’ Should Remember Fates of Napoleon, Hitler — Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder

© Sputnik/Kirill Kallinikov/Go to the Mediabank

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has taken flak from the political class of his home country over his support for continued dialogue between Russia and Europe amid the Ukraine crisis. The Social Democrat politician was the architect of the German ‘economic miracle’ of the 2000s, facilitated by boosting energy cooperation with Russia.

Anyone dreaming about “defeating” Russia militarily needs a history lesson, Gerhard Schroeder has said.

“I recommend that everyone who believes this look at the history books. From Napoleon to Hitler, everyone failed because of this,” the veteran statesman told German media. The Ukrainian crisis has served to consolidate Russian society, with Russians “convinced that the West is only using Ukraine as a spearhead to bring Russia to its knees,” Schroeder added.

The 80-year-old politician, who participated in the Istanbul peace talks in the spring of 2022, said that contrary to claims in Western media at the time, “Peace Was In Reach,” and included a rejection of Kiev’s aspirations to join NATO.

The Ukrainian government was not able to agree to the deal, with “More Powerful Circles” behind it blocking peace in the hopes that continuing the conflict would strategically weaken Russia or even trigger regime change, Schroeder said.

Russia, Ukraine Nearly Reached Agreement in 2022, But US Wanted War - Turkish Parliament Speaker! Russia and Ukraine almost reached an agreement at the talks in Istanbul in 2022, but a number of countries did not want the conflict to end, the speaker of the Grand National Assembly (parliament) of Turkiye, Numan Kurtulmus, said. © Photo: The Russian consulate general in Istanbul/Go to the Mediabank

"We have reached the last point to achieve peace [in Ukraine]. All that was left to do was to put signatures of the sides in the Dolmabahce Palace [in Istanbul]. But, unfortunately, a number of countries did not want the war to end. Because the US, through the war in Ukraine, is trying to consolidate the European continent and put pressure on Russia, considering regional turbulence necessary in its own interests. First of all, the political intentions of the parties are necessary. This is difficult. Russia has its own will, Kiev also needs to proceed from its political intentions," Kurtulmus said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster Habertürk.

UK's Boris Johnson Sabotaged Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal on US Orders! Efforts to achieve a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine were thwarted by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the behest of the United States, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin said. © AP Photo/Frank Augstein/Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions

"He [Johnson] blocked the peace efforts with Washington's blessing, obviously, because he could not do it on his own accord. He arrived there, and the document, which had already been initialed by the head of the Ukrainian delegation, [David] Arakhamia, was thrown into the wastebasket, and Ukraine started fighting. These are the consequences of what the [former] prime minister of the United Kingdom did," Kelin said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT World.

He called on the European Union to tie whatever aid it provides to Kiev with demands for serious and realistic scenarios for peace. “This war will have to be ended through negotiations. In any case, it cannot be decided militarily. It will take compromises,” the former chancellor believes.

Schroeder believes the West underestimates the risks of the Ukrainian crisis escalating into a wider conflict. “We Germans in particular should behave cautiously and constructively against the background of the Second World War and the crimes committed in the name of Germany,” he said.

A well-known critic of Donald Trump over his administration’s efforts to sabotage the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Russia in 2019-2020, Schroeder said he has nevertheless found himself linking his hopes for peace in Ukraine with the Republican candidate, saying he trusts him to end the conflict before his inauguration if he wins, as Trump has repeatedly promised.

It is in Germany's and Europe’s interests to see the Ukrainian conflict end, because after Ukraine, the former have been “among the biggest losers” of the current crisis, according to Schroeder. Unfortunately, he says, the solidarity between major European powers Germany and France that existed ahead of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 is lacking today, as is the recognition that there are situations in which European and US interests conflict with one another.

Germany has taken the brunt of the economic fallout stemming from Europe's largely self-imposed efforts to decouple itself from Russian energy, with its economy dipping in and out of recession, and industrial exports falling amid dropping competitiveness vis-a-vis China and the United States. Hundreds of German manufacturers have relocated production overseas, where energy is cheaper and tax breaks more generous, over the past two years.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the government to look into potential restrictions on the export of strategic materials including nickel, titanium and uranium in a tit-for-tat response to unfriendly countries' actions against Russia. Market exports told Sputnik that such measures could have a crushing economic impact on European countries, among them the Kiev regime's sponsors.

— Sputnik International | Sunday 22 September 2024

[novaursa]

Love love LOVE reading your most recent requests! Especially the cregan ones

If you’re still taking requests, could I get one from cregan pov where velaryon/targ reader must wed cregan to honor the pact made by Jace. I’d Iove to get cregans first impressions of seeing her, almost in awe because it’s his first time seeing a targ/velaryon with old Valyrian features and how he feels about the betrothal. Bonus points if you add her dragon too 👀💖

Valyrian Bride

Requests are closed!

- Summary: When your older brother, Jacaerys, promised you to Cregan to be his bride, the Lord Stark did not expect what he got - a trueborn dragon.

- Paring: velaryon!reader/Cregan Stark

- Note: I hope this is what you had in mind. 🙂

- Rating: Mild 13+

- Next part: 2

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @daeryna @melsunshine @21-princess

Cregan Stark stood tall upon the frost-crusted battlements of Winterfell, his grey eyes fixed on the southern horizon. The wind howled around him, cold and biting, but he barely noticed. The men beside him, his bannermen and closest retainers, stood in hushed anticipation. They were a hardy lot, men of the North, but today there was a tension in the air that not even their steadfast presence could dispel. The daughter of Rhaenyra Targaryen, the Dragon Princess promised to him, was on her way. And she was bringing her dragon.

Cregan was a man of duty, honor-bound by his word. When Jacaerys Velaryon had come to the North, securing his father’s oath to Rhaenyra, Cregan had listened to the young prince’s proposal with a calculating mind. He had known what the South was asking—his allegiance in a civil war that would tear the Seven Kingdoms apart. The North had no taste for southern squabbles, but for an alliance that could secure his people’s future, Cregan had agreed. A marriage bond, a union with the blood of kings and dragons.

But he hadn’t expected this.

The sky darkened. A shadow passed over the pale light of the day, and a roar echoed across the windswept land. His heart quickened. The unmistakable sound of wings filled the air, as if the heavens themselves were being torn apart. Men murmured in awe, some with fear. Cregan’s grip on the pommel of his sword tightened as he peered into the sky. And then, she appeared.

The dragon came first—Vaetrix, her crimson scales gleaming like molten fire against the pale snow. Larger than anything Cregan had seen before, the great beast descended from the clouds with a grace that defied her monstrous size. Her wings flared, casting a shadow over the courtyard, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur and smoke.

But it wasn’t the dragon that took Cregan’s breath away.

Atop Vaetrix, astride the monstrous creature as if born to it, was the princess. Her silver-gold hair streamed behind her like a banner, long and flowing, catching the sunlight as she descended. Her features were sharp, unmistakably Valyrian—the high cheekbones, the proud set of her jaw, the violet eyes that seemed to pierce through everything they beheld. She was a vision of Old Valyria, like the stories his father had told him as a boy. She bore little resemblance to her half-brothers, with their softer features. No, this was the blood of the dragon in full force.

His bannermen whispered around him.

"She looks like a goddess," one muttered, his voice thick with awe.

"Old Valyria reborn," another added, his voice trembling.

Cregan said nothing. He could only stare, his heart thudding heavily in his chest. He had expected a girl, a lady to wed and secure an alliance, but this… this was something else entirely. There was power in her, in the way she moved, in the way she carried herself atop that dragon. She was not just a girl of noble birth—she was a force of nature, a storm in human form.

Vaetrix landed with a deafening thud, snow and dirt kicking up around her as she folded her massive wings. The ground trembled beneath her weight, but Cregan stood firm. He watched as the princess dismounted with a fluid grace, her hand brushing along Vaetrix's scaled neck before she strode forward. Her boots crunched in the snow, the chill of the North seemingly unfelt by her as if the dragon's fire warmed her from within.

When her eyes met his, Cregan felt a jolt run through him. Those violet eyes… they were ancient, wise beyond her years, and yet held a fire that could burn a man alive if he dared to challenge her. His mouth felt dry, his usual steady words faltering in his throat.

She approached, and as she drew nearer, Cregan noticed more—her height, the proud way she held her head, the confidence in her steps. She did not walk like someone being delivered to a husband. No, she walked like a queen in her own right, a woman who expected the world to bend to her will.

When she stopped before him, she inclined her head ever so slightly, a gesture of acknowledgment rather than submission. “Lord Stark,” she said, her voice smooth and strong, carrying the faintest hint of the Valyrian accent that lingered in her family’s tongue. “I have come as promised.”

Cregan blinked, forcing himself to regain his composure. “Princess,” he replied, his voice rougher than usual, betraying the whirlwind of thoughts racing through his mind. “Winterfell welcomes you.”

Her lips curled into the faintest of smiles, though it was hard to tell whether it was one of amusement or mere politeness. “I am honored to be here, to fulfill the promise made between my house and yours.”

He nodded, his gaze locked on hers. “I did not expect—” His words caught in his throat for a moment, and he shook his head, cursing himself for his loss of composure. “I did not expect such… splendor.”

The smile deepened, and there was a flicker of something in her eyes—perhaps amusement, or perhaps something more dangerous. “I am not what you expected then, my lord?”

Cregan met her gaze evenly. “No, princess. You are far more.”

Behind them, Vaetrix rumbled, a deep sound that reverberated through the stone walls of Winterfell. His men shifted nervously, glancing at the beast with wide eyes, but Cregan paid them no mind. His focus was entirely on her.

The princess tilted her head, studying him with those sharp, knowing eyes. “I have heard much of the North, of its strength, its honor,” she said softly, her voice carrying on the wind. “It is a land of fierce men and harsher winters. I hope that I will find my place here, as your wife.”

There was something in the way she said it, a subtle challenge, as if she were testing him, seeing if he was the man she had been promised. And for the first time, Cregan understood that this marriage was not just a bond of convenience. She was not some southern lady to be tamed or coddled. She was a dragon, and if he were to claim her, he would have to prove himself worthy.

“You will,” he said, his voice steady now, conviction settling in his chest. “You will find your place here, with me.”

Her eyes gleamed with something close to approval, and she nodded once, a gesture as regal as any queen’s. Then, without another word, she turned her gaze back to Vaetrix, who stirred at her silent command, lifting her massive head.

Cregan watched her walk away, feeling a mixture of awe and excitement. The North had never seen a woman like this, and he knew, in that moment, that his life—Winterfell itself—was about to change forever.

[russo-woso]

please do a happy ending for casual 😭😭

Casual - Part 2 | Leah Williamson

Here’s the link to part 1.

Warning smut 18+, fingering, oral, top!leah, bottom!reader, ‘you love me?’

“Leah, leave me alone. Please.” You said as you finally picked up Leah’s call.

You were on the way home from the restaurant, probably breaking a hundred laws as you sped back to your house.

“No, not until you hear me out. Please, Y/N.” Leah begged, her voice desperate.

“What, Leah? What’s there to say? The stories straight. You were using me. That’s it. God, I was so stupid to think that all the rumours were false.” You sobbed but trying your hardest to hide your emotions from her.

You were vulnerable, and you don’t want her to know.

“Please. Let me explain—” Leah began but with the mood you were in you snapped and cut her off.

“—Leah, just leave me alone. I’m at my house now. Please, leave me alone. I’m begging you.”

Truth be told, you didn’t want her to leave you alone. But she had to, because if she didn’t, you’d just fall for her even harder.

You hung up on her, leaving your car and entered your house.

Your parents weren’t home, they’d driven up north to visit your sister and her newly wedded husband, leaving you all alone.

As you walked into your kitchen, you hoisted yourself up onto the kitchen counter, staring at anything that could stop you from thinking about Leah.

Tears still rolling down your face, a knock was heard at the door.

Due to it being late, you opened the door hesitantly but immediately slammed it shut again as a familiar blonde headed girl looked back at you.

“Y/N, I know you want me to leave you alone but I can’t.” You heard Leah say through the door, her voice trembling as she said it.

“Yes you can, Leah. Jump in your car and drive away.”

“I can’t, Y/N, because I love you. I’m so scared to admit it. I’ve never loved someone before. I don’t know what to do.” Leah revealed, and you slowly opened the door to see Leah.

She looked down at the floor, tears streaming down her face.

It was her that looked vulnerable now.

“You… you love me?” You asked Leah, shock riddled in your voice.

“I do. And that scares me, Y/N. I’ve never loved someone. But I love you. You’re not just one of those girls. You’re Y/N. But I don’t know how to love. And I’m so sorry I couldn’t show you love. I’m really really sorry.” Leah admitted, all on the front porch in front of the whole world to see.

Tough and mighty Leah Williamson just admitted that she loved you.

“Leah… I…” You started but you didn’t know what to say.

“Listen, I’m sorry. You said you wanted me to leave you alone and I came and knocked on your house. It was wrong of me. Goodnight, Y/N.”

“I don’t. I don’t want you to leave.” You managed to get out and Leah turned back to face you. “I don’t want you to go because I love you too.”

“You love me?”

“Yes, Leah. I love you but I can’t love you if you aren’t going to love me back.” You told her and a small smile of hope grew on her face.

“Y/N, I promise I’ll show you so much love. I’m so sorry for how I’ve treated you. I’ll learn how to love. For you.”

You stepped out of the house and connected your lips with Leah’s.

Your mouths moved in sync with one another’s.

It wasn’t like any other kiss that you had shared with Leah’s.

This one was full of love and lust.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” Leah sobbed as you hugged her.

“Come inside, Le.”

————————

“Le, I’m gonna cum. Fuck.” You screamed as Leah’s tongue continued to flick at your clit.

“Come on, baby. Make a mess for me.” Leah said into your pussy, making you fall off the edge.

Leah held onto your thighs as she kept you down, letting you ride out your high as she kept sucking gently on your bundle of nerves.

“Can I use my fingers, pretty girl?” Leah asked, genuinely concerned and worried that if she didn’t, she could overwhelm you.

Her head lifted up, waiting for an answer, but you couldn’t help but notice the juxtaposition of her eyes the last time you were in this position to now.

Last time, her eyes were dark, her pupils dilated, but this time, they were soft and full of love.

“Please do.” You responded, eager to feel her stretching you out.

Leah waisted no time and immediately entered two fingers, your arousal making it easy for her to slip them in.

You moaned at the feel and moaned again once you felt Leah press her lips against your collar bone.

“Le, faster, please.” You begged and Leah listened, speeding up her actions. “Fuck, Leah.”

“You sound so good, my girl.”

When Leah started to continually hit your g-spot, you felt Leah smirk against your neck.

“Le, ‘m coming. God.” You managed to get out as you let go.

“I’m gonna pull my fingers out now, okay?” Leah warned and you whined as your core clenched around nothing.

Leah laid down next to you, resting her head on your chest.

“I really do love you, Y/N. I’m sorry I didn’t know how to show it.” Leah apologised and you pressed a kiss to her temple.

“It’s okay, Le.” You reassured her and she pressed a kiss to your chest.

“Instead of acting like my girlfriend, will you be my girlfriend?” Leah asked, you noticing how her heart sped up as she asked you, feeling it against your own chest.

“Of course, Leah. I would love to be your girlfriend.”

Your lips collided for the millionth time that night but this time, you both smiled against each other’s lips, knowing that you were both meant for one another.

————————

“Y/N, I know our story didn’t start like a fairy tale and I’ll always be sorry for that, but we’ve come a long way since then. You taught me how to love someone. You taught me how to live my life knowing that I had someone who I love and that they loved me. As soon as I knew I loved you, I knew you were the one for me. I had never loved someone before, I didn’t know what it felt like until I met you. That’s when I knew that I loved someone, that I loved you. So, instead of being my girlfriend, will you be my wife?”

“Of course, Leah. I would love to be your wife.”

Your lips collided together, like any other kiss, but this time, you both smiled against each other’s lips, knowing that you get to spend the rest of your lives with one another.

[mama2bears]

Unspoken Words -Part 2 (Final)

Warnings: Angst, injury, pregancy

Pairings: Tyler Owens/F Reader

Part 2 of a request recieved. Hope I captured what you were looking for. I did my best on it. Enjoy! *Part 1 here*

You slowly opened your eyes. Your head was pounding. You heard water dripping. Fighting against the blurry vision you tried to remember what happened. Slowly the memories came back. You tried to call Tyler, then the tornado siren went off and you ran down to the basement. “Tyler?” You called out. Why wasn't he here? Surely he knew about the tornado. He would have came for you or at least called you to make sure you were okay.

Searching around you found your phone and grabbed it up. No calls received, and no service...which was normal after a large tornado. Your mind flashed back to when Tyler tried calling you and left voice mails...which you didn't care to answer or even check at the time. He was trying to call you. He was trying to warn you and you were too stubborn to let go of your hurt and anger and answer...or maybe he was calling you because something happened. Did he get caught in the tornado? Is that why he isn't here now searching for you?

“I need you, Ty.” you whisper and put a hand on your stomach, “I need you and our unborn baby needs you. We love you.” tears streamed down you face as you slowly sat up and checked yourself for any injuries. Other then your throbbing head, you didn't feel pain anywhere else.

Around you though, was total destruction. A broken pipe from the ceiling was spraying water. Things were blown around the room, part of the ceiling was collapsed and you could hear people calling for each other.

You carefully stood up, having just enough space. The stairs you came down were now gone. You were surrounded by concrete and splinted wood.

From somewhere beyond where you were trapped, you could hear someone calling your name...and Tyler's” Quickly, you recognized the voices of Dexter, Lily, Dani, and Boone. They were here looking for you...but where was Tyler? Why wasn't he here? Why were they calling his name too? Fear gripped you as the realization sank in. Something had happened. Your body shook with sobs as you cried out 'I am here.' to the team, hoping they'd hear you. You had to get out of here and find out what happened to Tyler. You had to find him. “Please be okay, Ty. Please.” you mumbled though the tears.

“Y/N? Can you hear us?” Boone was calling. It sounded like he was right on top of you.

“Here! I am here!” You called.

“We hear you. We're coming.” the team worked quickly tossing debris off to the side. “Are you okay? You hurt?”

“Tyler...where is Tyler?” you cried, afraid of the answer you'd hear.

You heard the work stop and there was a long silence. “He isn't with you?” Boone asked.

“No. He left last night to go chasing today.” you were now shaking, hugging your legs to yourself. “ I am okay, but I need Tyler. Find him.”

“We will, honey.” Dani said, “But we gotta get you out of here first.”

“Boone, did you see Tyler at all?” you asked, a new fear rising. Maybe Tyler just left town. Left you. Maybe he was done, just like you said you were. Maybe, he no longer loved you or cared what happened. You hoped this was the case, rather then he was out there hurt or worse.

“Yeah, he crashed on my sofa last night.” Boone said. “Then went chasing with us today, until we realized the storm was going to develop here, and not to the north like expected. Tyler kicked me out of the truck and floored it. We were about a half hour from here, but he was trying to beat the storm. He wanted to get to you and make sure you were safe. No weather stations were reporting it. We were trying to alert the stations from the van and Tyler was racing to get to you. We agreed to meet here.

You heard the worry in the teams voices as they kept working to remove debris to free you. “Is...is his truck out there?” your voice strained against the tears.

“No...it's total destruction out here, but I am not seeing his truck anywhere.” Boone said just as they flew a board to the side, opening up a space. You could see the sunset sky...and nothing else. The house was completely flattened.

“I am going now to report him missing,” Dexter said, “I am sure they are overwhelmed right now, but at least they will have him listed and more people can be looking.”

Boone helped you out and hugged you close, seeing your red swollen eyes. “You got a nasty gash on your head, let's go get it checked out.” he said softly.

“No. I want to find Ty first.” you were shaking.

“I know sweetie.” Lily took you head, “And we are going to start looking. We know the road he most likely was on. Maybe he's just broke down or got stuck. There's no cell service right now so he wouldn't be able to call. We gotta get you checked out though.”

“I want to go look for him.” your voice was filled with determination.

“We've been here for two hours. It took us almost an hour to get into town. The roads are completely covered.” Boone said. “It's getting dark and we can't see. Let's get you checked out. Lily, Dani, and Dexter will keep checking the area for any signs of Tyler or his truck. We'll ask everyone around. Once you are clear, we'll go drive the roads and look, okay?”

You nod softly and wait until Boone leads you away from the others, “I don't want the other's to know yet.” you say softly, “Actually I wanted Ty to be the first to know, but if something happens...I need someone else to know.”

“Know what?” Boone asked.

“I am pregnant. 8 weeks. Today I wanted to tell Ty since it was Father's Day. That's why we fought last night. That's why he went to your house.”

“Congratulations.” Boone pulled you into a hug, “We will have to tell the medics, let them check on the baby. I won't say anything to anyone else though. T is going to be so happy.”

You nod as the tears start falling again, “I didn't tell him I loved him yesterday. I told him I didn't care if he came back. I told him to leave.”

“Shh, it's okay.” he whispered, rubbing your shoulders, “T understands. He knew you were mad and he was hurt, but I know he forgave you. You were the first thing he thought of when that storm changed.”

You reach the ambulance and Boone explains what happened and that you were pregnant. They take you in and sit you on a stretcher and begin asking a number of questions. Finally, what seemed like hours, they put a bandage on your head and told you all looked just fine.

“Let's go find Tyler.” You almost ran from the ambulance. If the team had been there for three hours before finding you, and then you spent about an hour getting checked out..that was at least four hours that Tyler had been out there somewhere.

“Any word?” Boone asked Dexter.

“No. They've checked the hospital lists and accident reports. There is no sign of Tyler nor the truck. He's officially listed as a missing person, along with about a hundred other people. There's not much they can do now. Phones are still down so we can't be calling around checking our self.”

“I want to go look for him. See if we can find the truck or anything.”

“Let's go.” Boone said, running to the van. “I'll come too.” Lily said, “The drone mainly collects data, but we just recently put a camera and night vision on it. We'll put it up and get a bigger picture.”

“Thank you.” you whisper.

* * * * *

“Y/N...” your name was the first thing Tyler muttered, fighting against the blackness. His vision was blurry, pain coursed though his body. He slowly became aware that he was hanging upside down and it was increasingly hard to breathe. His chest was filled with pain as he gasped for air.

He couldn't remember exactly what happened, he knew there was a tornado headed for the house and he had to get to you..did he make it? “Y/N...” he called your name again. Slowly he remembered the phone ringing, then the truck flipping.

Tyler's body shook from the cold or the loss of blood. He didn't know which one anymore. If he remembered right it was middle of June, so his guess was that it wasn't that cold, even for night.

His eyes scanned the truck, trying to locate his phone. 'Gotta get out of here.' he felt like a weight was pressing against his chest, crushing his heart and lungs together. He knew it was going to kill him if he kept hanging upside down. First thing was first. He had to free the seat belt.

“Come on dammit.” he muttered, his vision going blurry and blackness fighting to take over again. Finding the buckle for the seat belt he pulled, but couldn't loosen it.

“I am so sorry baby...” Tyler muttered, wondering what you were going though right now. Were you safe? Were you missing him? Did you even know he was missing? Fighting against the unconscious threatening to over take him and gasping for air, he closed his eyes against the pain and tried one last time to get free from the seat belt.. As he gave the seat belt another hard pull, his hand brushed against a sharp object and pain shot though his stomach. The sharp object was stuck in stomach, he was guessing it was glass. He touched it for a moment, his breathing now coming in slow raspy gasps.

He could pull the glass out of him and maybe cut the seat belt before losing conscious again...but risk bleeding to death within minutes. Or he could leave the glass be and slowly suffocate from the pressure of his organs pressing against his heart and lungs. Tears streamed down his face as he slowly came to realize he was dying. Either way, he would never see you again. His thoughts shot to the box that he hoped was still in his pocket. He wondered what you would think when someone found it and handed it to you. Would the golden engagement ring that he has held on for the past two months, trying to find the right time to ask you to be his wife, be enough to make you realize how deeply he loved you. Or would he die here, and you would go on about your life and never truly understand the depth of his love. He just always thought he had more time. Tyler left his hand fall loosely, hitting against the roof of the truck as he gasped again for air. It was getting harder and harder to breath. His last thought was a prayer that you were safe, that you got to the basement in time. He knew the team would take care of you and he prayed you would find happiness with someone who loved you at least half as much as he did.

* * * * *

“I'm not seeing anything.” Lily sighed, flying her drone over the destroyed homes and along the road. “Really, he could be anywhere between here and sixty miles from here.”

“Wait!” You scream and Boone slammed on the breaks.

“What is it?”

“Skid marks.” You point to the road, where black skid marks ran from one side of the road to the other and then into the grass and...nothing.”

“Could have been there for a while.” Boone stated.

“Checking it out.” Lily moved the drone over the the forested area the tire tracks disappeared into.

“Oh my God, there's something down there!” She gasped, “It's a vehicle that's upside down. I don't know what kind or anything.”

“Call 911, it should go though even without service.” Boone yelled taking off and running.

“I am coming with you...what if it's him..” you cried.

“No Y/N. Stay. It's too risky.” Boone yelled and slid down the embankment.

“911 what is your emergency.” the operator answered.

“We need ambulance. Truck upside down over embankment.” you said, giving the road and nearest location.

“It's him! It's Tyler!” Boone yelled up and you heard the tears in his voice.

“How many occupants?” The operator asked in a monotone.

“Ty! NO!” You screamed, breaking from the hug Lily had you in and slide down the hill.

“Miss...how many people are in the truck.” the operator said.

“One.”

“Y/N no...stay back.” Boone was pulling a knife from his pocket.

“How is he?” you asked trembling. “Send help now!” you screamed at the operator on the phone.

“Miss, help is on the way. I need you to stay calm.”

“He's trapped upside down.” Boone shook his head, “I am cutting the seat belts.”

“Miss, is the person breathing?”

Boone got the belts cut and was pulling Tyler's limp body from the truck.

“Miss...I need you to answer me.” the operator's voice filled with impatience.

Not saying a word, Boone started doing compressions and you fell at Tyler's side. “No...no he's not.” you whisper into the phone.

“Do you know how to perfo....”

“Yes CPR is in progress. Just send help!” You scream at her, hearing sirens in the distance.

“Help is on the way miss. Stay on the phone with me until they arrive.”

You breathe two breaths into Tyler's lungs when Boone nods at you and he starts compressions again.

“We've got it from here. We've got it from here.” Medics were sliding down the embankment and pushing you and Boone out of the way.

They started up the AED machine and placed a bag over his face forcing air into his lungs. “Clear!” one medic yelled, and you saw Tyler's body jump with the electric shock.

You crumbled to the ground in uncontrollable sobs and Boone sits next to you, holding you tightly, tears streaming down his own face.

“Clear....” you hear them shout again.

“We got a pulse. Go Go Go.” The medics were yelling.

“I am coming.” you yell following them.

“Me too.” Boone stated.

“Sorry, only one person.” The medic called.

“Sir, she's pregnant and this is the baby's father. I need to be there for her.” Boone stated.

The medic nodded. “Get in.”

“I'll go get Dexter and Dani and will meet you there.” Lily called.

Boone nodded and sat next to you in the ambulance. You took Ty's hand in yours, noticing how limp, cold and lifeless it felt. “I love baby. I need you...our baby needs you.” you whisper though your tears.

You sat there holding Tyler's hand in yours, “I am here. I am not going anywhere.” you kept whispering. You listened to the uneven beeps of the various monitors they had hooked up. You didn't know what they meant, but the medics were talking about oxygen levels being dangerously low, irregular heartbeats, and dropping body temp.

It seemed to be hours, but you knew it was only minutes before the ambulance pulled into the emergency room entrance to the hospital.

“He's crashing again!” one of the medics yelled, “Code Blue! Code Blue.” they rushed Tyler away from you and into the hospital.

A nurse came up, wrapping an arm around your waist and leading you to a waiting room. “Is there anyone we can call for you?” she asked tenderly.

You shook your head, “No, our friends are on their way.”

“The doctor will be out just as soon as they know anything. If you need anything just let us know, sweetie.”

You sink down into a sofa, pulling your knees up to your chest, you wrap your arms around your legs and break down in sobs. Boone sits next to you, holding you in a hug, “You got to calm down, remember the baby. This can't be good for the baby.”

“Who's here for Tyler Owens?” A nurse called.

“Here.” You stand up on wobbly legs and would have feel back down if it weren't for Boone.

“Here's his things. They're taking him back for surgery.” She handed you a small bag with a wallet and a small black box in it along with a larger bag with his clothes.

You clutch the bag to your chest and sink back into the sofa taking deep gasping breaths. For the first time the true reality of actually losing Tyler hit your chest like a ton of bricks.

“Can I have some help here?” Boone called, trying to get a nurses attention without leaving your side.

“You got to calm down.” Boone was whispered, “Remember the baby. Please calm down.”

A nurse runs up to you and takes your hand, “Miss, you're having a panic attack, come with me.”

You keep the bag clutched in your figures as the nurse leads you back to a room.

Boone buries his face in his hands and breaks down in sobs. This should have been a joyous occasion and now two of his best friends were in the hospital.

“Hey, where's Y/N?” Lilly asked as the team ran up to Boone.

“They've admitted her. Gave her a sedative to calm her down. She was having panic attacks.” He sighed.

“Any word on Tyler?” Dani asked.

Boone shook his head, “They brought out his things, said he's in surgery but that's all I know.”

“Was the ring in there?” Lily asked.

Boone nodded, “I am not sure Y/N realized what it was yet though.”

They knew about Tyler's plans to propose to you. He had showed them the ring on the first day and he had talked almost non stop about how he wanted to propose. He just couldn't settle on the perfect moment.

The four friends leaned back on the waiting room sofa with a heavy sigh. Waiting was the worst part.

* * * *

You awoke to Boone and Lily sitting by your bedside. Your eyes were still heavy with sleep as you struggled to remember what exactly had happened. Then, it all came rushing back to you at once and you cried out, “Tyler! Is he okay?” You looked desperately between Boone and Lily for some answers “Is the baby okay?”

Lily shot you a confused look, then looked over at Boone, “What baby?”

“We are still awaiting word on Tyler. It's been several hours, but last we checked he was still in surgery. We don't know anything else yet.” Boone took your hand, “Your baby is fine. They just gave you something to calm you down and help you rest a little.” Then he turned to Lily, “I wasn't suppose to tell you, but since Y/N let the cat out of the bag...Her and Tyler are expecting. He doesn't know...that's why she got upset when he went on a chase with us. It was suppose to be a special night.”

Tears rolled down your eyes, “I should never have gotten mad at him. I normally wouldn't have been so mad. I would have been hurt, but not that mad. Not to do what I did. I couldn't even say I love you. I told him I didn't care if he never came back...what if...what if those were the last words he ever hears from me?”

Lily squeezed your hand, “Hey now...you have to calm down and stop thinking like that. Hormones make you do things like that. You might be laughing one minute, crying the next and then be madder then hell...and never know why.”

Just at that moment the doctor walked in, “Well good to see your awake. How are you feeling?” he asked softly.

“I am worried about my boyfriend, the baby's father.” you sob.

“I see. Well, as far as I know there's no update on him yet. You on the other hand, I am going to go ahead an release. I don't want to give you anything over the counter because too much sedatives could harm the baby. I would suggest using things like a weighted blanket, hot tea, good friends, music, or reading a book to help calm your nerves. If you have another panic attack though and are unable to calm down, you'll need to come back here.”

You nod, “Thank you doctor.”

Boone steps out of the room and Lily helps you to get up and dressed while you wait for the doctor to come back with your release papers. Once you're dressed, you pick up the bags that had Tyler's things in it, and for the first time, notice the small black box.

“What's this?” you ask, opening up the bag.

“That..” Lily whispered softly, “Is something Tyler has kept in his pocket for the last two months. He was so excited, but he just didn't know the right time or place.”

You opened up the box and saw a beautiful gold band and a sparkling diamond.

“Look at the inside of it.” Lily whispered, trying to hold back her tears.

You turn it over and read the inscription “You are my anchor in the storm”

Tears roll down your cheeks as you put the ring back in the box with shaky hands. “I can't lose him, Lily. I just can't.”

She pulls you into a hug, “It'll be okay. Ty is tough, he'll be okay.”

* * * * *

It was well into morning the next day when finally someone stepped into the waiting room. “Who's here for Tyler Owens?”

You stand up on shaky legs. The team stands with you.

“Come with me.” he motioned and the five of you step behind the swinging doors.

“He's out of surgery and in recovery. He hasn't woken up yet, but I expect him to make a full recovery. He had a collapsed lung and bleeding on the brain, both of those I believe is from him being upside down for so long. The glass that stabbed him in the stomach had caused internal bleeding and his lower left leg was broken. We've got everything repaired. He's looking at a long recovery and at least six weeks of non weight baring on the leg, but I do believe he is going to be okay.”

“Thank you doctor.” you cry. “Can I see him?”

“One of you can sit with him in recovery. Once he wakes up we'll move him to a normal room and then we can allow three at a time.”

“Go...be with him. Let us know if you need anything. We'll be right out in the waiting room.” Lily urged.

You nervously follow the doctor down the long hallway and he opens a door. Slowly you walk in, “Ty...” you whisper softly, taking a seat next to his bed and holding his hand in yours. This time his hand felt warm, tender, and strong. You allowed yourself to smile slightly. It might be a hard road ahead, but things were going to be okay. “I love you.” you whisper, kissing his hand.

“Love you too Darling.” his voice was weak, low and raspy, but he was opening those gorgeous green eyes and looking at you. “I am sorry I wasn't there. I tried.”

“Shh, it's okay. I am sorry for all the terrible things I said...”

“I forgive you. Actually, I deserved it.” he took a few deep breaths, fighting off the urge to go back to sleep. “Y/N...I need you in my life. I need you by my side. You are my world. You are...”

“your anchor in the storm?” you finish, holding up the ring box.

He smiled the biggest smile ever, “You found it!” then he frowned, “But you aren't wearing it? Does that mean...does that mean the answer is no?”

“I don't know. You haven't asked me the question yet.” you grin.

“Y/N...will you marry me?” he asked, his eyes searching yours.

“Yes, Tyler Owens. Yes I will marry you.” You lean over, kissing his lips softly.

“Give me that.” he takes the ring from you and slips it on your figure. “I love you with all my heart.”

“That's good to hear, because I have something I need to tell you too.”

“What's that?”

You smile, taking his hand and placing it on your stomach, “In about 7 months there's going to be a little tornado coming into this world.”

Tyler was crying, but this time it was tears of happiness as he pulled you down into a hug. “I am the happiest man on earth right now.” he sobbed. “Together, we can weather any storm. “

* * * *

The End

* * * *

[justabirdy]

The Bird Feeder Livestream is interactive now!

You can now move the camera through set presets and even pull up the Merlin App to help you identify the birds you might be seeing!

CHAT CAMERA CONTROLS: This stream can be interactive! By typing the following commands, you can adjust where the camera is focused. These features only work during the daytime currently and they do have about a 25 second delay.

Camera Controls: Zoom to the left bird feeder: !zleft Zoom to the right bird feeder: !zright Zoom Out: !zout

AUDIO IDENTIFICATION: This stream uses the app Merlin to analyze bird calls at the feeder to help with identification. Typing the chat command below will activate the app and allow you to see a list of possible birds it is hearing. Audio from the mic will also be live on the stream. This feature is not always correct but it is helpful! Again the command has about a 25 second delay from entering it to the point of it appearing on screen.

Audio Controls: Begin 2 minutes of Audio Analysis: !whatbird

Check it out at the link below! And if you want to see even more updates, please consider supporting or following me on my Ko-fi, the birdseed isn't too expensive, but I would love to offset the cost and even do more upgrades in the future!

Birdy's Ko-FI

[writing-with-sophia]

Poison list (2)

Hello, it's me again! After some feedback on my previous potion list post, I decided to research a little more about potions and come up with this post. I hope everyone will like it!

1. Poison Ivy

I think anyone who has watched Batman will know the female supervillain Poison Ivy. I thought it was a name she came up with until I found the Poison Ivy plant online, lol.

Eastern poison ivy is typically a hairy, ropelike vine with three shiny green leaves budding from one small stem. The leaves may be red in the fall.

Western poison ivy is typically a low shrub with three leaves. In the East, Midwest, and South, it grows as a vine.

It may have yellow or green flowers and white to green-yellow or amber berries.

It has an oily sap in its leaves called urushiol. This causes an allergic reaction that can make your skin red, swollen, and itchy.

2. Poison Oak

It is typically, a shrub with leaves of three, like poison ivy. The sun-facing side of the leaf has tiny hairs on it and is a darker shade of green than the ground-facing side. 

Pacific poison oak may be vine-like.

Though it grows all over the country, it’s more common in the West.

It could be hours or days before your skin reacts to the plant sap (urushiol). And your rash may eventually turn bumpy and form blisters that ooze.

3. White Snakeroot

A North American herb with flat-topped clusters of small white flowers and contains a toxic alcohol known as trematol.

Generally found in woods and along streams. It is not often found on open prairies because it does not do well in full sunlight. The plant will grow 1 to 3 feet in height and will have thin smooth leaves with toothed margins.

The poisonous effects in livestock usually result from direct consumption of the white snakeroot plants. In humans, poisoning can be caused by consumption of dairy products from cows that have eaten white snakeroot.

4. Rosary Pea

Also called jequirity beans, these piously-named seeds contain abrin, an extremely deadly ribosome-inhibiting protein.

Rosary peas are native to tropical areas and are often used in jewelry and prayer rosaries. While the seeds are not poisonous if intact, seeds that are scratched, broken, or chewed can be lethal.

It only takes 3 micrograms of abrin to kill an adult, less than the amount of poison in one seed. It is said that numerous jewelry makers have been made ill or died after accidentally pricking their fingers while working with the seeds.

Abrin in rosary pea prevents protein synthesis within cells and can cause organ failure within four days.

5. Foxglove

Its bell-shaped flowers are often bright purple but can be white, yellow, or pink. It blooms in the spring. It also has a fruit with lots of seeds, which kids sometimes eat.

 All parts of the flower are poisonous and can slow or disrupt your heart.

In fact, digitalis (a heart medicine) is derived from this plant. When formulated into a medication with a controlled dosage, digitalis is valuable in treating heart failure. It helps a weakened heart pump harder.

People who eat any part of the plant or make tea from the leaves are, in essence, taking an unregulated dose of heart medicine. This can cause the heart rate to slow down or become irregular. Both can be dangerous and life threatening.

6. Mistletoe

This plant lives off of other trees and shrubs, which makes it a parasite. Its stems are thick and easy to break, with lots of branches. The leaves are often thick and stay green all year. Its little yellowish flowers don’t have petals. The small, white berries have one seed and contain a sticky, poisonous pulp.

The berries can give you diarrhea and slow or stop your heart.

All parts of American mistletoe contain a toxic protein called phoratoxin, while European mistletoe contains viscotoxins, which prevent new cells from forming.

7. Oleander

Oleander (Nerium oleander) is a common ornamental evergreen shrub.

All parts of the oleander plant are deadly and contain lethal cardiac glycosides known as oleandrin and neriine.

If eaten, oleander can cause vomiting, diarrhea, erratic pulse, seizures, coma, and death, and contact with the leaves and sap is known to be a skin irritant to some people.

The plant is very bitter.

That's all!

[a-sock-in-a-sandal]

What is happening in Czechia right now - heavy rains and floods

So as a Czech citizen I felt like saying something about it here so here you go, it's mostly my experiences and some official data.

For context, the first week of September 2024 (2nd to 8th) in Czechia was a burning hell - the temperatures were around 30°C or even above for the entire week. Some schools even ended their classes earlier because of the hot weather - they usually ended before afternoon when the weather was worst. So when we found out that everything will stop the next week, we got happy. We were told the temperatures are gonna get under 20°C, sometimes above, but usually under, it's gonna rain and it's gonna get windy.

All of it happened. The first few days of this week (plus maybe the weekend of the previous one) were chilly, windy, and cloudy - it did sometimes rain, but usually only for a few hours a day. Sooner it started to rain more, for more hours a day, somewhere even for the entire day.

But then the Czech government scheduled an emergency meeting because they were worried about the rains - and they had a reason to. Such rains could cause major floods that already happened in Czechia twice. So they didn't want to waste any time on preparing.

The weather progressively got worse - in my region, it rained the whole day for like three days and it is still raining now. The wind is strong and cold and the temperatures are very chilly. I live right next to a stream at the lowest part of my village in lowlands and the water has risen a few meters (like 2 or so).

The worst situation is in Moravia, which is where I live, but where I am it is still good, only heavy rains and the water levels rising but not as much as to cause a trouble - however there is a few places in my village where it is completely underwater, but not anyone's house or cellar. But Northern Moravia/Silesia is flooded, especially parts like Jeseníky and Opava. The more it gets on west the better it is, mostly a few regions on the north-west are the safest ones. It is usually the Karlovarský/Ústecký and maybe a piece of Plzeňský kraj that is safe.

Most events got cancelled and/or delayed due to bad weather and flood warnings. However the schools are still opened, and it's kind of a meme between students that "we're gonna kayak into our schools on Monday!" Electricity stopped working at many places, including my village. When I woke up today there were firefighters in my street but nobody knows why but I heard that someone's cellar might be flooded.

Our Czech subreddit r/Czech is "flooded" (I couldn't help myself) with maps of flood situation and tips on what to do in case you have e.g. an animal in floodplains. If you switch on the news channel ČT24, you get 24/7 segments and reports from different parts of Czechia, interviews with meteorologists, politicians talking about it and such. Most channels stream as normal but there are some emergency broadcasts. Social media is filled with it.

However, there is a group of mostly older people who are those old conspirators and are strongly against our government because their favourite politician isn't the prime minister (the situation is more complicated but that's enough for this), and they claim that all this is fake and "it's actually to keep people at home before elections (there are ones to happen soon) so they can't meet and talk about the politics", or that "it's a punishment for sending help to Ukraine" (Czechia has sent a lot of help there and these people are mad for some reason) and such. It makes me sick because some people already died and many are injured and many homes can be destroyed.

Czechia has already had two major floods in the near past - in 1997 there were ones in Prague and in 2002 over the entire Czechia. They were catastrophic, people died and were injured and lost homes. So that's why everyone is scared and the government tries very hard to keep us safe.

I already shared my experience, but I just talked on a group chat with my friends from different villages in my region so here goes what I found:

Electricity is out on most places because it is flooded near some important place for electricity

Plenty of places are flooded with like 10-20 cm water, people can still walk in it and some cars drive in it

A football pitch right next to a stream in my village is completely flooded, only the nets are visible

Plenty of bridges are closed and plenty of them are also underwater

We're debating whether or not our school is gonna be closed since most of us take bus to school and we don't know if it would be able to arrive, plus electricity isn't working in the town where we have school, but we'll still see, we didn't receive any news about the school closing

It's starting to get clear (less cloudy) as I'm typing this but I hope it'll get better, the rain is not as heavy as it was

I just hope it's gonna get better ❤️ I'll update you tomorrow or even today if anything major happens

[tilos-tagebuch]

Northstream2-Sabotage aufgeklärt 🙈😅😂

Source: Henning Rosenbusch on Telegram

[crazykuroneko]

So, Where to Watch AMC Interview with the Vampire?

Surely you have seen gifs of AMC Interview with the Vampire and wonder where you can watch it. Of course you can 🏴‍☠️, but unfortunately in the world of streaming, numbers matter to keep the show afloat. So, here is Where to Watch IWTV aka WtW IWTV. This list will be updated from time to time 😉

WATCH PILOT EPISODE ON YOUTUBE FOR FREE (USA or with 🌐)

Listing STREAMING services only. Ctrl+F to find your country. (or click for direct links here)

Free (ad-supported or otherwise): 🆓

VPN-friendly: 🌐

Need to make free account (with fake address): 📝 (details under the cut)

All have two (2) seasons available unless otherwise stated

IWTV also has an Uncut version. It means no cuts for commercial breaks (✂️) or censored curses(🙅🏼‍♀️).

Trigger warnings for IWTV can be found here

• AMC+ : USA 🌐✂️🙅🏼‍♀️ (Every Sunday at 3 AM ET), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, India

You can sign up to AMC+ with VPN, non-American CC and American zip code. They'll fail to bill you, but you'll still get the 7-day free trial to binge watch. OR you can do this email trick to get more trial.

AMC+ is also available as a "channel" on Amazon Prime (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India), Apple TV or iTunes (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India), Roku or YouTube TV in some countries, so try to search there first

• Amazon Prime ✂️🙅🏼‍♀️ (w/o having to buy AMC+ subs): Latin America

• Amediateka: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan (censored)

• ABC iview 🆓 🌐📝✂️ : Australia

• BBC iPlayer 🆓 🌐📝✂️🙅🏼‍♀️: UK

• Canal+: Austria, France, Switzerland (only Austria gets 2 seasons)

• CosmoteTV: Greece

• Hoopla 🆓: USA (S1 only, US library card needed)

• MagentaTV+ : Germany

• Moviestar+ : Spain (S1 only)

• Netflix: USA (S1 only, S2 unknown)

• OSN+ : Middle Eastern and North Africa

• Paramount+: France (S2 unknown)

• Sky Go: Ireland, UK

• Sky Show: Switzerland

• TVNZ+ 🆓 📝 (haven't tried with 🌐): New Zealand

Disclaimer: I don't condone the use of VPN and fake address. HOWEVER, the series isn't available in almost most part of this world 😭. So, this is done with the purpose of giving the series the views it deserves instead of giving them to 🏴‍☠️. If your country is listed above, please support the show 🙏

For BBC: UK VPN on, sign up, Google UK zip code and add it, yes to TV license. You can turn VPN off after the episode loads.

For ABC iview: Australia VPN on, sign up, pick Overseas. You can turn VPN off after episode loads. Works on the app as well.

Check reply for VPN I used.

Feel free to reply or message me if you fail to stream it and if there's any info I missed or got wrong. Also, feel free to share this list with anyone!

Special thanks to Ari for always keeping us updated with the news on the show

[guttergirlcore]

You've got me hooked with that Cregan fic! Could you continue it with him returning to his Lady after the fortnight? Maybe he's injured and she takes care of him pls?

Love this idea! How'd u know I have a thing for vulnerable war-torn men??

A Den of Lions & Wolves: Part II

Cregan Stark x Lannister! Reader

SERIES MASTERLIST

SYNOPSIS // It has been well over a week since your wedding night to the Wolf of Winterfell, Lord Cregan Stark. While he's away negotiating an alliance with a far-away dynasty, you are left to take in your strange surroundings. When Cregan returns to your bed wounded, you find there's much more to heal than just his broken skin.

WARNINGS // HotD universe, fluff, bit of smut, Lannister!reader, AFAB she/her reader, mentions of familial trauma, angst, injured!Cregan, light mentions of gore, low-key modern medical practices but give me a break--idk what maesters were doing back in 2 BC

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Divider by @firefly-graphics

Word count: 1.4k

The sunlight streamed in from the northern window, bathing you in its warm morning embrace.

It had been nearly two weeks since you'd last seen your husband, Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell. Though you didn't know the man past the one heady night the two of you shared, you couldn't deny the pang in your heart that resembled longing.

Still, you allowed yourself to bask in the familiar comfort of solitude, however unusual your surroundings.

The days in Lord Stark's absence allowed you to tour your new home, and you found that Northerners could be rather kind, in a plain and uncalculated way. You often found yourself marveling at how different this all was from the place you grew up in. In House Lannister, kindness wasn't encouraged. People were but pawns to maneuver and discard when necessary in a greater game.

You shook yourself from these bleak thoughts of home. This was home now.

Dressed in the clothing your handmaidens left out for you, you eyed your reflection in the mirrored surface. The North was much colder than you had anticipated, so the heavy furs were a new and necessary part of your wardrobe.

You left the room you and Cregan were to share as a wedded couple and traced the short path to the Stark library. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, you were greeted by the warm glow of oil lamps and the scent of parchment and ink.

You could spend many hours losing yourself in literature. It had always been as such, as you were often forgotten of in your ancestral home. With books, you always belonged.

As you pulled a dust-coated, leather-bound book from the shelves, you settled into your favorite chair at the corner of the room for another long day of reading.

Perhaps Lord Stark would not be around much after all. Before your wedding day, you would have been pleased at the thought. Now, it left you with a lingering feeling of disappointment.

The night hummed with the howl of blistering wind and snow. It was nearly deafening. You pulled the soft fur of your bed closer to your face for warmth against the cold.

Just as you shifted, the bed dipped low, indicating the presence of another. Startled, you jumped into an upright position, pulling the blankets over your scantily-clad body.

"Rest now, it's only me." Lord Stark hummed.

In the dim glow of the night, you could just make out his large, imposing figure at the foot of the bed.

"Husband! I hadn't known you'd return tonight." You stumbled out anxiously. He'd told you he would have you again when he returned, and now, here he was. You'd have liked a raven's notice of his return ahead of time so that you might have mentally and physically prepared yourself for the night ahead, but you sensed that Lord Stark's return was quite unplanned.

Lord Stark walked to the side table and pulled a match from the drawer, lighting a couple of candles. In the flare of the match, his rugged face was illuminated, the light catching on a deep, weeping gash above his right eyebrow. The skin below his brow and alongside his eye was bruising shades of purple and hazy yellow at the edges.

"Lord Stark, you are hurt." You startled out.

"Negotiations haven't gone as planned. It's but a flesh wound, really. The Maesters can mend me in the morn," he grumbled back.

"No need. I picked up some small medical knowledge during my schooling. I am no Maester, but allow me to stitch your wound." You were shocked by your own admission. Usually, you wouldn't be so bold, but something about seeing this great, infallible man wounded struck a cord within you.

He eyed you warily for a few moments more. "Alright then, but be quick about it."

You nodded curtly and stood from the bed to cross to the cabinet at the far corner of the room. Within it, you found the necessary supplies.

As you turned, supplies in hand, you were met with Lord Stark pulling off his furs, leather pelts, and undershirt. A dark bruise bloomed in shades of purple, violet, and indigo along his toned side, just above his britches. You winced at the image.

"Got that during negotiations as well?" You asked.

Cregan made a grunt of acknowledgment and sat heavily at the side of the bed. The frame bowed and creaked with his weight.

You approached cautiously, as you could see just how reluctant Lord Stark was to even let you witness him wounded. It genuinely seemed that the greatest thing to harm the Wolf of Winterfell was another seeing his softness.

"I can tend to that, also," you nodded to the wound at his side. Cregan said nothing, but watched you warily, as always.

You dragged a chair to sit in front of your husband, beginning your ministrations on his face first. As you brought the disinfectant to his cut, his slate grey eyes met yours and you had to quickly look away before his gaze made you entirely lose focus.

"The handmaidens tell me you enjoy reading," Cregan said, unexpectantly.

"Yes. Yes, I do, very much." You nodded your head as you threaded the thin needle.

"They also tell me you've visited the library several times in my absence."

You nod once more, unsure of the direction this conversation is going.

"The Stark library is vast, but I must admit, I haven't much patience for reading. I'm afraid I am not as well-versed in the selection as I'd like to be."

There's a moment of hesitation before he continues.

"My obligations have kept me away from my home for quite some time now, even before our union. I know this is far from ideal for a wedded Lady, and you must find things to occupy your time..."

"What I mean to say is...If you have need for a greater selection, all you need do is ask and I will make sure you are provided for." Cregan's expression, though obviously uncomfortable, is earnest.

"You haven't known me long, but you must know I will always provide for you, my Lady Wife."

You nod your head in understanding, taken by this sudden display of tenderness from the usually burly Lord Stark.

"I am quite satisfied with the selection, Lord Stark, I assure you." You smile reassuringly.

"Cregan, please." He insists and you nod once.

Your arm raises to place the first stitch above his brow. As the needle pierces his flesh, Cregan lets out a sharp hiss of pain, grabbing your wrist in his large hand.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. My stitching is straight, but the process isn't pleasant. Perhaps I can call for milk of the poppy? It is late, but I may be able to--"

"I have other ideas for ways to ease the pain." Cregan cuts you off with his husky voice, still holding tightly to your enclosed wrist.

He pulls you towards him and you have no choice but to stand above him. Eyes never leaving yours, his hands release you only to reach below the hem of your nightgown, pushing the thin fabric up until his rough fingers hook around the sides of your undergarment, pulling them down your legs in one swift motion. You shivered at the sensation.

You stepped out of them and watched as Cregan reached for the laces at the front of his pants, barely containing his hardening length. He loosened the laces just enough to free his cock, and it sprang forth, inviting you closer.

"I want you to sit on me," Cregan replied simply, taking your hands once more to draw you closer.

Nervously, you straddled your husband, waiting for further instruction. His rough hands found the tops of your thighs, splaying his fingers across them and slowly applying pressure until you bowed under their weight.

You slowly sank down on him, his cock first spreading you, then impaling until your hips were flush against his. The stretch was tight, but pleasurable after many nights apart.

"That's a good girl," Cregan moaned. "Now stay still for me, and I will for you."

You nodded silently, shakily raising the threaded needle to his brow again as he gripped your thighs painfully.

As the needle threaded flesh, you could feel Cregan throb within you, as did you around him.

Cregan's eyes closed and he tipped his head back slightly, enjoying the sensation of you squeezing around him.

It wasn't long before the cut was closed and you tied off the knot before snipping the rest off.

Cregan lifted his face to yours and smiled an almost devilish grin.

"You're not done, little wolf."

[thahxa]

there is something profoundly depressing about the russo-ukraine war. here are two dying countries (demographic pyramids for both look awful, both have TFR <= 1.5) just grinding their last together and. for what?

average age in both armies is over 30. (ukraine's is over 40). ukraine is not even thinking about conscripting people under the age of 25. the median age of the people russia did conscript was 35 (for reference: in ww2 the average age of the american solider was 22-24). this is an old man's war - neither can afford to send their young, they're too precious, and even then, there aren't many of them left.

ukraine has a gdp per capita of around 5k. russia of 12k. it's likely neither of their countries will see their economies grow substantially after this, if at all. both remain highly corrupt. ukraines infrastructure has been shattered.

we've had 2 years of war now. 2 years. 100000 people have died. in the last year the front has barely moved. the war is expected to last at least another year. russia sells wheat to north korea for artillery shells while we try to scrape together political support for the latest equipment of the 1990s to send to ukraine.

even if ukraine wins, so what? its best and brightest will leave as soon as they can, presumably the rest will be stuck doing reconstruction work and defending the now heavily militarized border in case of another invasion as the country slowly dies due to emmigration and fertility collapse.

even if russia wins, so what? its best and brightest will leave as soon as they can, presumably the rest will be stuck building occupation governments and selling natural resources to china while its country slowly dies due to economic sanction and alcoholism.

if the war ended tomorrow, maybe we'd all come to our senses about how senseless it was - two dying nations throwing the remnants of the former soviet army into battle with each other, an orgy of senseless violence, the final hurrah before slowly fading into an endless stream of pension payments and economic dependency, neither side given enough ability to do anything.

just old men dying, dying, dying, until the guns go silent.