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apsychicandapoet · 5 months

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Boos & Brews Night (Wildlife Safari)

Saturday night Terry and I ventured to the annual Boos and Brews night at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. It turned out to be a pricey evening, but we did have fun as we always do when together. The Wildlife Safari staff typically decorate with lights around the village, and put up the appropriate decorations around the viewing pens of those animals inside the village and not on the drive thru. They had created a nice ambiance for the Halloween holiday arriving soon.

As you walk in, there are smaller creatures in a pen set off in the back portion of the village. The animals in this area are especially for children to see, pet, and enjoy. The enclosure next to the petting zoo houses owls, snakes, tamarins, and different species of birds. Tonight everything along the path was lit in an array of rainbow colors, each covering the trunk of a tree or framing a skeleton in a tree or sitting on a bench.

I petted a small donkey, a miniature horse and a goat or two, then we moved on toward the middle section to capture pictures of Halloween decor. Cobwebs, witches hats, candles, and black cats were hung from trees and pressed into the dark recesses of a tree trunk. The lights added an ambiance of the upcoming holiday.

The dance floor under the dome on the opposite of the village was filled with lights, loud music, and people who appear to be having the most fun. As we walked closer, I could tell why they looked happier. There were four tables with different types of beer and wine for sale. A large dance floor was at the ready. Terry and I perused the beer tables. He chose his favorite and asked for one.

We headed out in search of other events happening around the park. Turning on my flashlight app on my phone was a must! The path was dark which added to the eerie feeling. Off in the distance, you could hear the roars and growls of the lions in their fenced area. The sound of the snarling and roaring of the amazingly large kitties made your skin crawl. It was quite frightening to hear them so close, yet you knew they were behind fences. Or at least you hoped.

Terry and I ventured off to the cougar enclosure, where we saw a group of folks watching something inside the pen. One of the employees had a large flashlight and was shining it into the setting. The beautiful cat came into view. It was tough snapping the right shot of the cougar, since it was so dark in this corner of the park, even with the light provided by the staff. Terry and I were making attempts at getting a good shot, but to no avail. Finally Terry yelled, "Walk toward the light," which threw me into a fit of laughter.

Now kitties do what they want to do. This pertains to the larger cat family as well. Staff members said the cougar's name was Rogue. He got the name because of the area in which he was found. Roaming around the Rogue River area, he was brought to the safari to be cared for and protected. Rogue was throwing something up in the air, tossing it, turning it over and over in the grass, then placing it in his paws, rolling on his back and kicking it as he brought his hind feet up to meet his front paws. The staff member moved the flashlight over a bit and it dawned on me the "thing" he was throwing around was a rabbit.

We watched the cat play around with his rabbit for a while, making feeble attempts to snag that one picture or video that would allow us to place it on the blog. Terry finally achieved as good of a video as we could get, using what little light was available and his Samsung Galaxy 22 camera.

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All in all, I would say the trip to the Wildlife Safari Boos and Brews went pretty well. The music was great. The DJ was playing popular sounds such as, "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," and "Uptown Funk," and we can't forget the classic, "Thriller". The group of folks there at the time were smaller in number to keep it simple, fun, and less crowded. All in all, visitors were being quite friendly and pleasant to each other. Another good adventure, great memory, and my favorite way to spend time, another great time was had with Terry as company.

#Boos and Brews #Winston #Oregon #Wildlife Safai #halloween #cougar #Youtube

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thekhutbah · 2 years

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Believing in Yourself, and Allah swt

Many times growing up, I had an internal conflict between my heart and my mind.

I was very independent as a youth and in turn stubborn and afraid to ask for help. Whenever God came calling, I instinctively turned away from Him, choosing to see things thru in my own manner. I was doing fine (on the outside), and I did it, seemingly, alone. Why would I need to listen to anyone about God? Is he even real?

Overtime, life became more and more strenuous. The more I stressed, the more Allah’s mercy tried to grace me. The sorry truth is, the more I turned away from His guidance, the more I became aware of His will and the more His will was readily and visibly apparent in my life. From uncanny coincidences, to close calls and strange peace found only in the darkest moments, Allah swt was working the world around me, and inside me.

As I chased for the truth and searched for what made me happy, I became more aware of what it was I was attempting to manifest. Of course, I was in manifest error, and shot for the wrong targets. Still, along the way, I became familiar with the strange feeling of peace, and comfortable with it. Whenever I experienced evidence of manifest truth, I clung desperately to the moment in hopes I could capture the feeling to recreate it and produce a constant stream of it in my life.

In time, I saw doors open up for me spiritually and found myself studying scripture. This is where I discovered all the answers I was attempting to bring about while in manifest error, and where I realized manifest truth and how perfect the love of our cherishing Sustainer, Almighty Allah swt really is.

I have since been able to maintain this “strange” peace for extended periods of time.

I remember when I was younger, I used to compare others to gods. Their charm, skill, or status seemed to deify these humans I seemed to idolize and borderline worship. At one point in time, I let my own popularity and success bring me to the same fate of deification and ego-inflation. Of course, all of this was a facade and ashadu an-la, ilaaha, ilaala, wa wudhuu shareeeka la!

Never did I achieve true peace or happiness while I was so busy in manifest error. Never did I truly believe in myself at this heightened state of ego-centric belief. I always suffered from self-conscious doubt and envy of those closest to me. Brewing hate, jealousy, and insecurity was all my manifestation seemed to do.

After bringing me closer to Him, Allah swt broke me down, away from my status, and success, and relationships, and predesigned ways of thinking. He separated me from every bit of pride and greed and everything that served as a barrier between me and HIs love, only to replace it all with light, positivity, joy, grace, forgiveness, awe-inspiring mercy and peace.

I have since completely transitioned to a new person. I have a completely new mindset- a completely new internal and external environment.

I ran across an old friend recently. She was reading a book on Toltec wisdom, and seemed to be seeking answers of manifestation and spirituality. I spent much time seeking these answers from similar texts and did much digging into different spiritual pieces and self-help books hoping to craft a way to come up with my own answers. All it did in the end was bring me a heightened sense of self-criticism and self-righteousness, allowing me to be more subtly judgmental of those around me and allowing me to tap in to the feelings of superiority I was so tangled in during my period of manifest error.

I explained to her, it wasn’t until I opened scripture and decided to believe it as truth that I discovered all the answers I had once searched far and wide for.

I told her the Qu’ran has all of the wisdom, spiritual and physical manifest truth, and peace in one book that I have ever soaked up in any other environment.

She insisted that each of us is God and that God is each of us - a similar mindset to other friends I have known in which some believed they were God or that they knew God personally to be in manifestation as a person or idol in their life.

I made sure to let her know that Allah swt is incomparable, has no partner, and is nothing like a human or beast. Allah swt is transcended. We have no means of understanding Him, and searching for the truth of the unseen will only guide us further from the light, leaving us more susceptible to manipulation and darker forces. Manifest error has a beautiful way of allowing those in its midst to find every excuse to not only stay there, but to believe whole-heartedly in its “truth”.

I pray a personal dua of Allah swt that I am allowed to be a beacon of His light for the moths that are lost in the dark, a vessel of His grace and mercy, and to carry a ‘holy’ serenity that to any onlooker, whether believing or disbelieving, muslim or non-muslim, in adoration or envy, the source of such serenity will be undeniably from Him, that they will be helplessly aware of His might and autonomously drawn towards His light.

Subhaana Allah, subhanna wa ta’ala, wa Alhumdulilah Allah swt.

I pray for the mercy and blessings of Allah swt for this text and its readers and pray Allah swt knows this was entirely for the sake of sharing the truth of His love and that He forgives me for any shortcomings or miscommunications as a human imperfection in this existence of His creation.

I ask that any reader extend prayers of peace and blessings for myself and my family.

Allahu-akbar

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southern-toy · 6 years

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So my Friday morning started out as usual, nothing new, but always exciting when I wake up next to my beautiful Mistress. Every morning is the same routine relatively. I wake up before her gently start kissing on her eventually making my way between her legs to slowly coax her life with an early morning orgasm. Then I give her a good morning kiss with her taste still on my lips and she gives me a smile that rivals the sun's brightness and warmth. She then goes and takes a shower while I prepare her breakfast before she goes to work. We do this Monday thru Friday every week. Though Friday's are my favorite because she normally gives me and extra special treat on Friday mornings after breakfast. As we ate breakfast I was feeling feisty and wanted to play. So I stole a bite of her food even though I had a plate of my own.

"Little girl, why are you stealing my food when you have your own plate?" She asked calmly.

"Yours is always better to eat than mine Mistress, I just wanted another taste," I replied as I gave her a wink and took another strawberry off her plate.

"Samantha you will stop taking my food and eat your own. Do you understand me little girl?"

I flashed a smile and went back to my plate but didn't verbally reply to her. I was feeling devious and wanted a reaction out of her.

"Pet, I'm talking to you, do you think you can not reply to me and just flash your devilish smile and get what you want. Don't worry, sweetheart I can fix this behavior you have decided to display. Clean the kitchen, now! And do so quickly, " her voice was impetuous, but I know she always had a plan and right now she was furious with my bratty behavior.

She walked out of the kitchen while I cleaned up, but she was back quicker then I expected and was not finished with the dishes. She hoped up on the counter top beside me in just her pencil skirt and no top and poured herself another cup of coffee. I looked over and her breast are amazing so I just stared in awe like a teenage boy. She was the most beautiful woman on the planet and I was so lucky to be hers. I put the plate down and leaned in to suck on one of her nipples but her index finger found the center of my f ok forehead.

"Finish the dishes quickly, pet. I thought I said that earlier. So now you are sassy and disobedient. I thought I trained you better. Hurry!"

Again I didn't reply I just finished my task as fast as possible. It only took me a few moments but I would look back and see her sipping her coffee and glaring at me. When I finally finished I dried my hands and wrapped them around her waist to attempt to suck on her erect nipples once again. This time she let me, but only briefly.

"That's it, little girl, no more you have had your Friday treat, now let go of me."

"But Mistress, Friday is the day you let me orgasm," I whined through flustered lips.

"Oh thank you that reminds me we still need to do your daily edges before I go to work. And since you made such quick work of the dishes I think we can get 7 edges instead of 5 this morning."

I was already desperate it had been a week since my last orgasm and I was frustrated that I may not get one today from my misbehavior. The edges were achieved rapidly and I was embarrassed at how quick they came and dissipated. I was so needy at this point. When she was done she pointed to the ground and I dropped to my knees, as my wetness dripped on to the hardwood floor.

"I am going to work now, clean the house while I am gone, don't touch your needy pussy and later on today when I get closer to coming home I will have more instructions for you. Do you understandstand?" She asked, her voice roared with authority and command, and I sunk deeper into the floor because I knew that when she came home I was going to get a punishment like no other punishment before. So as meekly as I could, I replied, "yes Mistress I understand."

"Good girl, now walk me out."

I stood up and walked her to the door as I do everyday and leaned in my goodbye kiss. Again her index finger found the center of my forehead.

"Oh no not today pet." She once again snappedher fingers and I fell to my knees. "Today you can kiss my feet as a good bye kiss." So I need did. I planted one kiss on the top of each of her feet. She patted me on top of the head and left the house. The rest of the day I cleaned the house spotless to make sure I pleased my angry Mistress for when she came home. Around 1645 I received a text message.

"I'll be home in 10 minutes or an hour I'm not sure either way here are your instructions.

I want my 2 favorite pair of heels in front of the chairs outside of my bedroom. I want you kneeling outside the closed bedroom door with chained wrist cuffs on, a ball gag in your mouth, a blindfold on, and my crop in your hands ready to be presented to me for when I get home. Don't disappoint me pet, your punishment will leave enough of a mark as is."

A shiver went down my spine as I knew I was going to be in for a long, torturous night, especially since the crop will be out. I swiftly gathered the items instructed and kneeled in front of her bedroom door gagged, cuffed, blindfolded and seeping with nerves. I don't know how long I kneeled there but my knees were sore and as I was getting ready to stretch them out, I heard the front unlock and the knob turn. I held the crop in front of me perfecting the pose, I had be ordered to perform. I felt her fingernails trace the shoulders of my back and heard the bedroom door open and close. I was left waiting once again. And once again an undetermined time had passed before the bedroom door opened. This time i could hear the patter of bare feet on hardwood, before the echo of stilettos filled my ears and senses. Light flooded in as the blindfold was removed and my Mistress was squatting eye level with me. She took the crop from my hands and placed the portion under my chin.

"Shall we begin pet?"

"Yes Mistress. "

"Follow me."

I began to crawl behind her as she made her way to the bed. My legs on fire from being forced into a isometric position for so long. Each stride burned as the blood moved back in to my legs and my stiff back ached but I didn't say a word, for I knew my knees and back were gentle aches compared to my ass that now was in her hands more then ever.

She sat on the edge of the bed and I crawled in between her legs and she pulled the gag out of my mouth. At first I kept my eyes firmly on the ground but the leather of the found the underside of my chin and she lifted my eyes to hers. As I looked up I couldn't help but adore the beautiful woman in front me. I started with the solid black heels she had choose from outside, upwards along the black stockings that connected to her garter belt that sat under her corset. She was a work of art on her own, but when she dressed like this, not even the most talented painter could come close to capturing her magnificents. As my eyes ascended her body I made mental images before reaching her eyes. A pool of hazel and green that captivated my every fiber of my being. When she looked at me I knew she was mine as much as I was hers, but tonight there would be no soft and gentle, tonight I would pay for my insolence and she would enjoy every moment, for it is rare that she gets to truly punish me.

"Little girl, I am going to punish you tonight for your misbehavior this morning. You were overly feisty and when I asked you questions you did not verbally respond to me. I am okay with feisty but this morning pushed the line, do you understand that tonight is not about pleasure but about punishment?"

"Yes Mistress, I understand."

"Before we begin, kiss my feet and apologize for your behavior. "

" I am sorry for my disrespect Mistress and for not properly answering you when you spoke to me. Please forgive me Mistress." My choice was soft but sincere in my apology. I was going for funishment but here I kneel preparing for my punishment.

"Thank you kitten, apology accepted. Take your punishment well and learn from your mistakes, do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Good girl, now stand up and give me your wrists." I stood tall and put my hands out in front of me as she grabbed them and took me the part of the room where I installed an hook from the I beam that ran across the ceiling. The hook can hold my body weight because my Mistress enjoyed me standing, or hanging upside down, and tonight was going to be standing. The ceiling was high over 8 feet so I had made different lengths of chains some the length so I could stand flat footed, others on my tippy toes, and some where I dangled off the ground. She had choosen the length where I was on my tip toes. Once I was hooked up she went to her toy box and pulled out a spreader bar for me ankles. I watched her work diligently being careful to not touch my skin as much as possible, because each touch was electric and she could feel it too. I stood spread open, on tip toe as she circled my body. I then felt her nails glide along my skin so soft then harder as she dug tiger stripes into my back and across my stomach and over my chest. She continued her circling and I felt the first sting of the crop hard and smart against my left butt cheek. Then another followed just as smart along with five more all on the left cheek covering the whole area. She circled back to the front claws back out dragging against my abs. As she moved out of sight the right check received the same treatment. This happened three more times on each check, still seven strikes a piece. By the time the last set happened. I was using the hook to support my body weight, the pain was becoming increasing unbearable and my breathes were getting heavier as grunts escaped my lips with each strike. She finally spoke when she circled back to the front,

"Pet, do you think you have paid your debt for your sharp tongue this morning?"

"Yes Mistress."

"So disobedience can be repaid in a few dozen spanks, that's it? You were quite greedy and I knew you were trying to goad me into giving you your orgasm before I was ready. So I'll ask again, do you think your debt has been repaid?"

"Only if you think so Mistress." My voice was shakey and panting. She then harshly grabbed my nipples and pinched them hard between her fingers causing me to let out a yelp.

"That's a cop out answer, pet. So I think we will continue until you can firmly tell me you think you debt as been repaid."

She let go of my nipples but that devilish crop found the inside of my spread legs. The crop traversed the inside of each of my thighs and quads covering as much area as possible as each strike became harder and harder, then suddenly she struck my core and it sent pain and pleasure through my whole body. She went back to peppering my legs with firm strikes until it found my pussy again, then again and again. She dropped the crop and quickly closed the distance until our bodies were me inches from each other. With out even testing to see if I was wet she pushed two fingers inside my aching pussy while the other pinched hard on my nipple. This time I screamed, involuntarily and she laughed.

"Kitten, do you think you have repaid your debts?" She asked.

"I don't know Mistress," I replied as she thrust harder inside of me.

"Guess still aren't firm so we will continue."

She tormented my aching pussy with hard thrusts bringing me to the edge before stopping. She sucked, licked and bit my nipples as she teased my clit. She would slap my reddened ass and pussy occasionally causing the pain to come back instantly. Finally a tear crest my eye and she saw it fall but caught it with her tongue as she kissed my cheek. "Little girl, have you repaid your debts." She asked once more.

"Yes Mistress, I have repaid my debts."

"Good girl, I believe you have as well."

She undid the spreader bar from my ankles and helped off the hook and released my wrists from the cuffs. I sunk to floor at her feet, "I am sorry Mistress, I promise to behave from now on, I'm so sorry."

She sat on the ground with me and cupped my face, "I know kitten, I forgive you, let us have a shower," as she kissed my lips so gently. She helped me to my feet and I started a shower for as she stripped out of her clothes. I got in first and the hot water on my red ass brought the stinging back, but she was right behind me and began to rub the redness to ease the pain. She grabbed the cloth and soap and washed all the sweat off my body, but her touch was healing on its own. I felt better with each gentle touch as she washed me and would kiss my lips. The kind kiss that turns into a smile, because you are so happy. "Baby girl you took your punishment so well tonight, I am very proud of you, "as her hand slipped between my legs and found my still swollen clit. She once again began to tease and bring me to the edge. After three more edges were got out of the shower and I wrapped her up in her white robe, while I dried off myself. She walked back into the bedroom and sat in her chair as I came to go sit by her feet, but she stopped me half way.

"Little girl, go to my toy box and get the plug with the red jewel on it, will you."

After I retrieved the plug she once again stopped me halfway.

"Face the bed, kitten and insert the plug into your pussy to get it wet."

I did as she said and the cold metal sent chills through me but it quickly warmed up and was covered in my juices.

"Now insert where it it supposed go, sweets."

I grabbed on the foot of the bed and leaned over slightly and inserted the plug until it was fully seated in my ass. I felt full and warm but I could still feel the cold edges of the plug against my burning skin. I stayed leaning over the foot of the bed as my Mistress watched me breath through the pain and as it turned to pleasure. She shed her robe and climbed into bed and summoned me in with her. She turned me so my back was against her chest and she held me tightly. "Kitten, I am proud of you tonight, but you will have to wait til tomorrow for your orgasm. You keep the plug in until you get it, which may be in the morning or tomorrow night I haven't decided. And since you wanted funishment, I will now tease, and edge you until I am ready to give you orgasm or maybe I'll ruin it for you haven't made my mind up."

I turned my head to get a better look at her and growled at her in frustration.

"Getting feisty again, kitten?"

"No Mistress, your rules, you choose. I'll be happy with what makes you happy."

"Good girl now do try to get some sleep," as she kissed my back and gave me feather touches until I fell into dreamland.

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archivesdiveronarpg · 7 years

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Congratulations, MADZ! You’ve been accepted for the role of MACBETH (with a faceclaim change of Tom Ellis). Madz, you have no idea how happy I am to entrust Macbeth into your hands once more. You give him this darkness that drips off of him so subtly it makes me sigh a bit because I’m not entirely sure whether I want to feel bad for him or cheer him on in his duplicitous endeavors. The way that you capture his voice, his tragic spiral, and his all-too-devilish charm is something that I’ve always loved and now I have the pleasure of watching it in action again. Welcome back into the family, my dear! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Madz

Age | 20 years young, my dudes.

Preferred Pronouns | She/Her

Activity Level | I should be around a decent amount, probably about a ⅚ because… well, school.

Timezone | EST

In Character

Character | Macbeth; Mikael Falco (fc change to Tom Ellis perhaps ;-) )

What drew you to this character? | I wanna play a bad guy. Honestly it’s as simple as that for me at this point, I want to play a bad guy. Mikael Falco is what people consider a bad guy, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily a great bad guy. Sure he walks the walk and most certainly talks the talk, but deep down, there’s something in him that restrains him from really unleashing the full extent of power that we want to see in a bad guy. That something is obedience. The trait that was ingrained in him as a child in boarding school, something he now cannot stand. It will be his downfall, the very thing that will inevitably bring him to his knees, and he knows it. Mikael’s been trying to overcome this deadly habit, but with such a strong desire for power and his willingness to prove himself to the Capulets (though not without his own power hungry agenda), his progression towards independence is slow and rather unsteady. Though his obedience at one time had been blind, he’s now beginning to use it against anyone who stands in his way. A true con man, Mikael’s ability to lie in the face of those superior to him has gotten him far. But it’s not far enough for the man who was meant for greatness. He wants the crown to rest upon his head and his alone, and he’s not afraid to do anything it takes to get it. His bad guy image isn’t helped by the fact that he’s completely whipped by his devil of a wife. He’d always dreamed of dancing with the Devil, but he hadn’t pictured the Devil stepping on his toes and getting in his way. But she has this sick, twisted power over him, one that chokes him tighter than his extremely well-tailored Armani suits, one that he initially loved but has quickly turned to despise.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character?

Of course I cannot wait to plot out Lucrecia and Mikael’s relationship. I think for what it is, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are one of the best duos in literature. Their relationship is complex and it’s dark and it’s dirty and all the things I love to see from killer couples. I hope that Mikael could break the chains from which he’s weighed down.

So I think a really fun plot would just be his descent into madness. I think this was probably my favorite aspect of Macbeth’s story when I originally read it, and I think it’s a central part to his character that’s going to be fun to expand on. He’s got inner demons that he battles day in and day out, and I think writing a character who is so determined to get power but is also held back his struggle with himself is going to be interesting.

And lastly I think his struggle with his position in the mob would probably be one of the main plots I’d develop while writing him, because the Devil isn’t placated unless he’s calling the shots himself and doesn’t have to answer to the so-called “Gods.” Mikael has been trying so diligently to prove himself to the Capulets, doing anything and everything they ask of him, killing anyone who could possibly get in their way in attempts to show himself worthy of a better position. And I feel like Mikael will definitely be plotting different ways to achieve this higher status, through whatever means he deems necessary. ESPECIALLY WITH THE SPADES NOW IM SURE HE’S GONNA TALK WITH THEM AND TRY TO MOVE HIS WAY UP THRU THEM IDK BUT IM EXCITED

In Depth

The following THREE questions must be answered in-character, and in para form (quotations, actions written out if applicable, etc). There is no minimum or maximum limit for your response - simply answer as you would were you playing the character.

What is your favorite place in Verona?

Mikael could all but hold back his laughter as he sat against the cool metal chair, legs spread distinctly as to exude an air of power. “You call this an interrogation?” He remarked snidely, rubbing his thumb and index finger along his sharp jawline. In all the years he’d been working for the Capulets, Mikael Falco had his fair share of visits to this all too familiar interrogation room. The walls were grey, water dripped from a corner where a dark black circle seemed to expand twice its size each time he’d returned, and there was only a metal table barricading him from the other enemy – the law. He’d spent enough time running from the Montagues that it only aggravated him more when they managed to catch onto his business affairs. And with the wound still healing from the murder of Alvise, many were pointing fingers at Mikael, who hadn’t decided if he was going to use this as an opportunity or shut the rumor mill down. “Everyone knows how I adore The Tempest,” He replied finally, after spending some time analyzing the unfamiliar face scribbling notes before him. “I hear they’ve even taken to engraving my initials into the table I frequent, which of course I said was unnecessary but completely welcome.” He ended this statement with a charming smile, one he’d been perfecting for years, one that satiated any uneasy feelings anyone might of had when interacting with him.

What does your typical day look like?

“First, I’d wake up, and reach over to my wife who I haven’t fucked in ages, hoping to spark any kind of flame that lingered from our younger years, only to be shot down with a shrug of her shoulder when I managed to touch her skin. Then, defeated, I’d get up and get ready, making sure my suit was in perfect condition and everything about my appearance was pristine. The Capulets expect an appearance of superiority, because we are superior. Then, I’d mumble some sort of goodbye to Lucrecia who’d ignore me, leaving my confidence at a low, but that’s besides the point. I’d make my way over to the cathedral, able to smell the irony of our headquarters practically miles. There are no Gods in Verona, not yet at least.” Not until I take over. “Assignments for the day are posted routinely at 8 a.m., and I’m usually less than satisfied by my orders to patrol the shipping docks we use to smuggle our weaponry, but I’d head there with whomever else I’ve been assigned to work with. We’d make all the right small talk, and I’d be lucky if I left work any type of happy. On a good day, I’d be assigned something better, something more… exhilarating. It’s the little tastes of pleasure like getting to off another Montague solider that make me rest easy at night, though I know I can do more. It’s just a matter of time until everyone will witness the extent of my power, and then they’ll either give me the power I deserve, or I’ll pry it from their limp fingers. Then I’d make my way over to The Tempest, where I’d drink my troubles away while listening to some young woman with wide eyes and naive dreams talk to me about God knows what, before returning home. Lucrecia might be there, or not. I’ve come to expect her absence. I’d climb into bed in my drunken haze, and drift off into a slumber.”

“It doesn’t look like much,” He replied, almost too easily. He wasn’t stupid enough to give him any sort of information, not even a white lie was safe in the hands of the law. “I do my job, just like you.”

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues?

Mikael’s intrigue was spiked by this question, the first that pertained to the very being of who he was, and he sat up almost instinctively. From the outside, the feud between the Capulets and Montagues seemed to be about nothing more than territory and old family rivalries, fickle matters with which Mikael rarely found himself concerned with. Sure, the territory each family claimed for their own indicated a sense of power, but Mikael knew that the real power came from within, and he wasn’t one to get too involved with the affairs of the families from which he didn’t spawn.

“Someone once asked, “War, what is it good for?” and then proceeded to answer “nothing.” Mikael stopped speaking for a moment to laugh quietly before fixing his posture and returning to his calm demeanor. “I pity the fool who believes that sentiment, for war is but a necessary evil for those who desire to conquer. And I… Well I desire nothing less.”

In-Character Para Sample: From the moment he was born, Mikael gravitated towards grandeur in all things he did. The Falco insignia was adorned in gold and blood, though it had not always been this way, as those who had come before him shed blood, sweat, and tears in their efforts to build an empire from the ground up while oppressive forces tried to hold them down.

Tugging tightly on the cuffs of his tailored suit, Mikael carried himself proudly through the streets of Verona, a silk crimson handkerchief peaking out slightly from his front pocket. There was a certain determination in his step as he walked, an image of no particular significance to those who did not know the man. To the untrained eye, he looked just like any other wealthy and power hungry man, but for those who learned to fear the man’s unique tune he whistled as he walked into back alleys, this wasn’t a leisurely walk. Mikael had a destination, a target rather, that he was headed to, one that hadn’t been officially assigned to him.

His lips were pursed tightly and he begun to whistle his tune, shoving his right hand into his pocket, sliding it over the cool metal of his knife. His fingers skimmed over the serrated edges of the blade and made their way to the elegantly carved golden handle. It was his favorite weapon, the one with which he had the most practice with and the one that made a name for himself.

Mikael arrived at a corner and turned it quickly, giving himself but a fleeting moment to glance at the man who was about thirty paces behind him. It wasn’t the first time he’d been followed, and it surely wasn’t going to be the last. Mikael knew that killing him would be clumsy, and that wasn’t his business. But he wanted to send a message, something he was particularly fond of. Sparing people wasn’t something he did often, but he instilled a fear equivalent to the fear of God in those whom he chose to spare, always able to make an impression.

There was a gap between two equally beautiful buildings, and Mikael turned quickly into it while he was certain the man following him hadn’t seen him. He waited against the cool exterior of the building, hand still resting on his knife, the other one flexed open. Hearing shuffled footsteps approaching slowly, Mikael readied himself. The footsteps came closer, and began to slow, and without a moment’s notice, Mikael reached his left arm out from the alley and pulled the man into it by the collar. His grip was tight, and the man grunted as he was thrust harshly into the wall. “I understand you’ve been sent to follow me,” He said in a hauntingly calm demeanor. It took him a moment to notice the man he had in his hand wasn’t much of a man at all, and was more of a boy. Typical Montague behavior. The young boy shook his head in fear, obviously new to the job, and he squirmed underneath Mikael’s grip before he tightened it. “Stop fidgeting, boy.” He spat, looking over his shoulder to make sure that no one was able to see this interaction take place.

“I’m going to give you one try, and I want you to be honest with me, do you understand?” The boy gulped in fear, and nodded his head after a moment of deliberation. “Great. Who sent you?” His question was concise and straight to the point, games were for children and Mikael found himself relatively tired of the games people liked to play. “I’m not going to ask you again,” He threatened, raising his voice and drawing his blade from his pocket. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to have to use this on you,” He said, raising the blade to the boy’s eye level, which he noticed changed the boy’s attitude. “M-M-Matth–” “Matthias. Of course. Now, I want you to tell Matthias that I’m tired of his games, I’m tired of his tactics, and frankly I’m tired of this feud he has with me. Make it very clear to him that the next time he sends someone after me, this knife,” taking this time to slide the cool blade gently across the boy’s cheek, leaving a small nick at his jawline, “Will do more than leave a scratch.”

Extras: If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here!

#accepted #accepted: macbeth

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nancygduarteus · 7 years

Text

A Viral Short Story for the #MeToo Moment

Recent months make it seem like humanity has lost the instruction manual for its “procreate” function and has had to relearn it all from scratch. After scores of prominent men have been fired on sexual-assault allegations, confusion reigns about signals, how to read them, and how not to read into them. Some men are wondering if hugging women is still okay. Some male managers are inviting third parties into performance reviews in order to avoid being alone with women. One San Francisco design-firm director recently said holiday parties should be canceled, as The New York Times reported, “until it has been figured out how men and women should interact.”

Into this steps “Cat Person,” a New Yorker fiction story by Kristen Roupenian that explores how badly people can misread each other, but also how frightening and difficult sexual encounters can be for women, in particular. “It isn’t a story about rape or sexual harassment, but about the fine lines that get drawn in human interaction,” Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker’s fiction editor, told me.

This weekend, the story went unexpectedly viral. Or, perhaps, in this #MeToo moment, it went expectedly viral, by revealing the lengths women go to in order to manage men’s feelings, and the shaming they often suffer nonetheless. A New Yorker spokeswoman said via email that of all the fiction the magazine published this year, “Cat Person” was the most read online, and it’s also one of the most-read pieces overall in 2017.

Treisman said that while she was not looking for a story that touched on topical issues of sexual agency specifically, when this piece came in, she did hope to get it into the magazine “sooner rather than later.”

The piece—which you can read here if you haven’t already and save yourself both spoilers and holiday-party alienation—follows a 20-year-old college student named Margot as she goes on a date with an older man, Robert, then breaks things off with him. And while it’s fiction, for many women, it felt a little too real.

hi i'm halfway thru the cat person new yorker story and i'm taking a break to find a support group please help please send help i'm . i'm . not even done yet

— darcie wilder (@333333333433333) December 10, 2017

In the piece, Margot comes off as polite, a little narcissistic, and more than a little confused. Like most young daters, she relies primarily on Robert’s short texts to divine his personality. And Robert is a creepy enigma who nevertheless does nothing technically wrong, until the end of the piece.

At one point, Margot goes over to Robert’s house (willingly) and (presumably) to have sex. And then, she experiences this emotion:

It wasn’t that she was scared he would try to force her to do something against her will but that insisting that they stop now, after everything she’d done to push this forward, would make her seem spoiled and capricious, as if she’d ordered something at a restaurant and then, once the food arrived, had changed her mind and sent it back.

What is the word for this emotion? It’s not quite regret, because you haven’t done anything yet. It’s not quite disinterest, because, well, you’re at his house, aren’t you? Is it guilt? More importantly, if she feels so uneasy, why is she going ahead with it? Is she just afraid to be rude? Is it out of self-protection? What are we to make of a sexual encounter that is technically consensual, but which Margot still considers to be “the worst life decision” she’s ever made?

In the recent powerful-man purge, and in the rape-on-campus crisis before that, there’s been a reckoning over the true meaning of consent. Some have questioned whether women who get drunk, go to men’s dorms, and even initiate intercourse could later have a genuine claim of sexual assault. Margot was at his house, wasn’t she? To some women, this passage in the story underscored the importance of the “enthusiastic” part of the new “enthusiastic consent” standard.

tl;dr: We need sex education that focuses on pleasure, not just on risk. We need to create a culture of enthusiastic consent. And we need to talk about all of the nuances of consent in order to fix our broken culture.

— ella dawson (ft. olivia newton-john) (@brosandprose) December 9, 2017

Treisman said she hopes the piece might make people, “stop and consider what’s driving them in any given encounter of a romantic kind ... I think the fact that it’s generated this conversation has been a healthy thing.”

After the fact, Margot puts off rejecting the man by saying she’s busy. In a follow-up article, Roupenian explains how she was getting at the pressure women face to exit unwanted romantic situations gracefully:

She assumes that if she wants to say no she has to do so in a conciliatory, gentle, tactful way, in a way that would take “an amount of effort that was impossible to summon.” And I think that assumption is bigger than Margot and Robert’s specific interaction; it speaks to the way that many women, especially young women, move through the world: not making people angry, taking responsibility for other people’s emotions, working extremely hard to keep everyone around them happy. It’s reflexive and self-protective, and it’s also exhausting, and if you do it long enough you stop consciously noticing all the individual moments when you’re making that choice.

Margot’s initial attempts at gentleness don’t spare her Robert’s wrath in the end—another twist that’s all too common. A few years ago, I interviewed women who were prolific online daters. In their interactions with men on these apps, one-word replies were sometimes seen as binding international treaties specifying that shipments of sex were on the way:

A man ... had sent her the same OkCupid line three times in the course of a month, asking her if she’d like to chat. After ignoring it repeatedly, Tweten finally wrote back, “No.”

His response: “WHY THE FUCK NOT? If you weren’t interested, you shouldn’t have fucking replied at all! WTF!”

Perhaps it’s no surprise that there is already a Twitter account devoted to men criticizing the story for being too critical of the man, or too fat-shaming, or too confusing, or, um, too long. (It’s The New Yorker, my friend.)

No sooner has Margot imagined one day having a partner who would laugh and sympathize with her about the misbegotten Robert date than she thinks “no such boy existed, and never would.” It is remarkably difficult for women to talk to our romantic partners about what, exactly, it’s like for us out there. Much like the recent wave of sexual-assault scandals has served as an introduction, for men, to women’s heretofore private hell, “Cat Person” captured and explained the low-level dread that often accompanies romance for women—even the consensual kind.

Its deft portrayal of a near-universal sequence—the fear that your date might hurt you, the fear of hurting him first, the hurt that comes anyway after you spurn him—has sent it bouncing around the internet. It has women saying, in other words, “Yeah, us too.”

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/12/a-viral-short-story-for-the-metoo-moment/548009/?utm_source=feed

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ionecoffman · 7 years

Text

A Viral Short Story for the #MeToo Moment

Recent months make it seem like humanity has lost the instruction manual for its “procreate” function and has had to relearn it all from scratch. After scores of prominent men have been fired on sexual assault allegations, confusion reigns about signals, how to read them, and how not to read into them. Some men are wondering if hugging women is still okay. Some male managers are inviting third parties into performance reviews in order to avoid being alone with women. One San Francisco design-firm director recently said holiday parties should be canceled, as the New York Times reported, “until it has been figured out how men and women should interact.”

This weekend, the story went unexpectedly viral. Or, perhaps, in this #MeToo moment, it went expectedly viral, by revealing the lengths women go to in order to manage men’s feelings, and they shaming they often suffer nonetheless. A New Yorker spokeswoman said via email that of all the fiction the magazine published this year, "Cat Person" was the most-read online, and it's also one of the most-read pieces overall in 2017.

hi i'm halfway thru the cat person new yorker story and i'm taking a break to find a support group please help please send help i'm . i'm . not even done yet

— darcie wilder (@333333333433333) December 10, 2017

At one point, Margot goes over to Robert’s house (willingly) and (presumably) to have sex. And then, she experiences this emotion:

In the recent powerful-man-purge, and in the rape-on-campus crisis before that, there’s been a reckoning over the true meaning of consent. Some have questioned whether women who get drunk, go to men’s dorms, and even initiate intercourse could later have a genuine claim of sexual assault. Margot was at his house, wasn’t she? To some women, this passage in the story underscored the importance of the “enthusiastic” part of the new “enthusiastic consent” standard.

— ella dawson (ft. olivia newton-john) (@brosandprose) December 9, 2017

“He assumes that if she wants to say no she has to do so in a conciliatory, gentle, tactful way, in a way that would take “an amount of effort that was impossible to summon.” And I think that assumption is bigger than Margot and Robert’s specific interaction; it speaks to the way that many women, especially young women, move through the world: not making people angry, taking responsibility for other people’s emotions, working extremely hard to keep everyone around them happy. It’s reflexive and self-protective, and it’s also exhausting, and if you do it long enough you stop consciously noticing all the individual moments when you’re making that choice.”

“A man had sent her the same OkCupid line three times in the course of a month, asking her if she’d like to chat. After ignoring it repeatedly, Tweten finally wrote back, “No.”

His response: “WHY THE FUCK NOT? If you weren’t interested, you shouldn’t have fucking replied at all! WTF!”

Article source here:The Atlantic

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gulescamisade · 7 years

Text

New York: Day 16

JOHN: -He came out into the snow-covered town for some sort of practical reason, but he ended up forgetting entirely what that was. Two hours later, he's out here building snow salamanders.-

JUDE: -STARING AT HIM THROUGH A WINDOW.-

JOHN: -He takes no notice of Jude for now. All these fucking salamanders need pebbles for eyes and fat tails. John didn't dress very well for the cold. He forgot to put gloves or a scarf on. His hands and face are red and chafed. BUT he doesn't have to use his hands to push the snow around so he's still having a ball.-

JUDE: -he is burning... he wants to go out into the snow but he's having a hard time leaving.-

JUDE: ...

JUDE: -knocks on the window to get john's attention.-

JOHN: >:O

JOHN: -IT'S JUDE! He floats up to te window and...knocks back.-

JUDE: ... -opens the window a crack- JUDE: hello

JOHN: -leans on the sill to warm up his snoot and hands.- hey jude!

JOHN: hahaha.

JOHN: get it because

JOHN: aw, you get it.

JUDE: -he looks so unamused-

JOHN: -beams at him, so proud of himself.-

JOHN: what's up, buttercup?

JUDE: oh, nothing

JUDE: I was just watching you play in the snow and thought it must be nice to be able to just...

JUDE: go outside and play in the snow

JOHN: well.......there's a perfectly good window right here.

JOHN: come on out!

JOHN: -waggles eyebrows.-

JOHN: -john u ablelist fuck-

JUDE: -makes a face- uh... wait, are you planning on floating me down or something?

???: -high in the sky, there is a circling figure encroaching the small town. Difficult to say, but that glint of copper does look a little familiar.-

JUDE: -OH GOD WE'RE UNDER ATTACK AGAIN. he ducks back down under the window sill.-

JOHN: oh, right you can't fly. yeah. i could do that- -OH SHIT HE HAS THE SAME THOUGHT.-

JOHN: -squints and SQUARES up.-

JOHN: -HE WILL PROTECT YOU, TINY CANADIAN TOWN.-

???: -Just a single flappy dot that is descending at rapid speeds. Then all at once, he drops down to the snowy ground, buffeting up a lot of wind and snow. Removes the hoodie from his bull-horned head to blink and stare at the bair of bucktooths-

RUFIOH: ...john?

JOHN: -Had his fists raised with a FIGHTY expression on his face, balancing on the window sill on his toes. Then he recognizes that pair of familiar horns. A nitram. Huh. Oh, it's just Rufioh.-

JOHN: oh!

JOHN: hey!

JOHN: -he's not as shocked about this as he probably should be.-

RUFIOH: uh...

RUFIOH: ...

RUFIOH: -lifts a hand to wave.- hey, man.

JOHN: -jumps off and silently lands in the snow. He goes in for a fist bump.-

JOHN: good to see you, man! what brings you here?

JUDE: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/04/3d/0c/043d0cf0b05401dc8f5a9df8291fddf7.jpg

RUFIOH: wh... -wall-eyed about this exchange and honestly kind of concerned. He looks around his surroundings, uncertain. Fixing John with a knitted expression.-

RUFIOH: -gotta get the man his fist bunps tho. Definitely.-

RUFIOH: what... br1ngs me here?

RUFIOH: ...

RUFIOH: should 1 not be here or... -flaps his wings about to shake the snow off of him.-

RUFIOH: sorry, dude. 1 just... was under the 1mpress1on that... you weren't hav1ng 100% a good t1me out here. th1s earth canada or whatever the fuck... -glances at the peeking human from the window. Gives him the side eyes.-

JUDE: -he's not having a good time-

JUDE: -if it's any consolation-

RUFIOH: -He is comforted by this, thank u.-

JOHN: -Uh oh. He's missing something. Probably something important. He kind of sweats internally, debating on whether to ask any questions. He knits his brow in concern.- umm. well! we uh....we got captured by guy fieri and his minions, but we've been okay since we left. we're just taking some time to recover and hide out a bit.

JOHN: how....did you get here? -He's struggling to remember where Rufioh was in the first place. Confusion.-

JOHN: i mean...our plane got shot down! but we escaped and nobody was hurt.

RUFIOH: -winces and rubs the back of his neck thru the hoodie.- yeah... heard about that... glad you made 1t out alr1ght.

RUFIOH: um... k1nd of a long story, bro. k1nd of 1nvolves portal hopp1ng and... talk1ng to some strange crypt1d peeps. avalon's full of those...

RUFIOH: but th1s was a spec1al case, 1 guess. 1t happened really fast 1f 1'm honest... anyway.

RUFIOH: 1'm here now. -ends up looking past john. Kind of hopeful for something.-

JOHN: -looks back at Jude. Oops. He waves and gives some enthusasitc thumbs up, letting him know IT'S OKAY.-

JOHN: -rubs the back of his neck. He feels guilty and sort of a lost/embarassed combo, like there's something he should say or do and he's just ...missing it.- hey, why don't you come inside. warm up and have some food and stuff. all of that sounds pretty intense.

[ THUMPING SOUNDS FROM INSIDE. ]

RUFIOH: um..........

RUFIOH: that's a good 1dea... almost... -wary peering at the thumping sounds. He's got a sword and it's pointy.-

JOHN: 👀

JOHN: -WHAT COULD THAT BE. he goes to investigate.-

RUFIOH: -keeps his distance because he minds his self preservation and all.-

[ Soon accompanied by yowling. IT APPROACHES. ]

JUDE: -WHAT IS THAT NOISE!!!!!-

RUFIOH: -O shit........................-

MEULIN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjeNh2lLXDU

JOHN: ah.

MEULIN: -if this window wasn't open all the way it is now because she is COMING OUT OF IT.-

MEULIN: -EXCUSE HER JUDE-

JUDE: WAH

JOHN: -just staring.-

RUFIOH: oh sh1t. -Well this is happening. He braces himself for impact.-

MEULIN: -POUNCE!!!!-

MEULIN: RRRR! RRRRR!!!!

JOHN:-Just stands off to the side with his hands on his hips. Well. Would you look at that.-

MEULIN: ヾლ(=｀ω´=)ლ

MEULIN: -Rufioh is the proud recipient of the fat cat, complete with purrs and nuzzles.-

RUFIOH: -POUNCE TACKLE'D. There he goes, crash sliding thru the snow.-

RUFIOH: - wasted...-

MEULIN: I KNEW I SMELLED YOU. I KN333W IT.

MEULIN: -kneads his belly, content.-

RUFIOH: -wheezes... There's so much purrs and wild cat hair in his face.- that's just... accurate.

RUFIOH: d1dn't want to message you 1n case there was a way to track 1t down?? so. yeah.

RUFIOH: 1'm here.... -and crushed. She's right on his belly and Ruf flops. Looks to John for help.- (help.)

MEULIN: HI EFURRYBODY. (=^-ω-^=)

JOHN: -He can't help but smile at this. Well???? It's cute!! He does nothing to assist Rufioh, partially because he would never obstruct this cuteness and partially because he lacks context for everything.-

JOHN: that was a hell of a jump!

JOHN: -I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON.-

JOHN: :D

RUFIOH: -John, ffs...-

MEULIN: THANKS! I'VE B33N PURRCTICING.

MEULIN: -places paw on Rufioh's face.- YOU CAME ALL THIS WAY??

RUFIOH: -scrunches up his face and accepts his fate.- 1 had to...

RUFIOH: 1t was dr1v1ng me nuts not know1ng what was happen1ng...

MEULIN: DID YOU HEAR ABOUT HOW ROSE KILLED A GUY NAMED GUY FURRY?

JOHN: -While they're having this moment, John FLOATS UP TO THE WINDOW AGAIN TO CHECK ON JUDE.- -knock knock- hey buddy? you ok?

RUFIOH: yeah... 1t was all over the newsfeeds on avalon... they try and keep on top of the war stuff happen1ng.

RUFIOH: everyone's real nervous.

JUDE: -STARES some more.- yes, I'm fine

JUDE: I'm a little less concerned with playing in the snow now, however

MEULIN: IT'S B33N PRETTY ROUGH... -she's still recovering, but hey, WHATEVER-

MEULIN: I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. (=ＴωＴ=)

MEULIN: EVEN IF CANYAADA ISN'T THE BEST.

RUFIOH: -dammit... he rests a gloved hand by her head.- yeah...

RUFIOH: had to come as fast as 1 could.

RUFIOH: ...

RUFIOH: john sa1d 1 could come 1ns1de?

MEULIN: OH YEAH! WE ALL HAVE THESE LITTLE HOTEL ROOMS. -rolls off him and wriggles in the snow beside him. IT'S FLUFFY.-

JOHN: oh! well! i think we're heading inside soon anyway.

JOHN: um, i'm sorry if that startled you or whatever but that's rufioh. he's a crew member. he um...hasn't been...around in a while ...but he's a friend!

RUFIOH: -rises like the undertaker and attempts to brush the snow out of his hair.- glad you're keep1n' a low prof1le. RUFIOH: aren't you cold?

MEULIN: SURE!! BUT... IT'S SNOW. (ฅ•ᆺ•ฅ)

JOHN: -eventually hops down and rejoins them.-

JOHN: aww. you guys murdered my family of snow salamanders.-

MEULIN: NO SNOWMANDERS LEFT ALIIIIIVE.

JOHN: this is almos worse than what you did to that poor moose.

JOHN: almost, but not quite. :/

MEULIN: (ฅ•ω•ฅ) -paws up like WHOOPS. they were hungry tho.-

RUFIOH: -if she isn't already wearing one, Rufioh sets a beanie right on her head. He brought one for her just in case.-

JOHN: -awww. she's so cute.-

JOHN: -but in his mind's eye he's replaying the horrifying carnage that took place.- watch out dude, you're next.

RUFIOH: 1 heard about the moose too... -makes a face.-

MEULIN: -IS BEANIE. Content.- WE DON'T HAVE TO K33P TALKING ABOUT THE MOOSE! -let her bite butts.-

RUFIOH: 1 th1nk we should... but a1ght. -fixes the beanie for her, making sure her horns are comfy snug.-

RUFIOH: 1f 1'm not 1nv1ted 1ns1de 1 can always l1ke... crash 1n some tree out here. 1t's no b1gg1e.

RUFIOH: 1n case you need a scout...

MEULIN: OF COURSE YOU'RE INVITED INSIDE! IT'S SAFER IN THERE ANYWAY.

RUFIOH: bangarang... 1'll take you up on that. -flaps his wings again, giving thim a stretch.-

#effluentBalatron #euphobicGeotech #aerugotourBillon #ardentcupid

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