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[rowoon-updates]

211008 SF9 Rowoon at The Kings Affection Press Conference‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ © noowor do not edit, crop, or remove the watermark

[jellybonbons]

What You Need

Kenji Sato x fem!reader

CW: 18+ (mdni), sub!ken, dom!reader, established relationship, lots of pet names, pure filth, possessive behaviour, praise kink, handjob, fingering, strap-on blowjob, deep-throat, slight breath play, pegging, anal sex.

Words: 2.7k

AN: first ken fic and yes I spent my time making it visually pleasing cus why not

The Weeknd - What you need

Ken Sato radiates confidence and cockiness on screen, captivating audiences with his bold persona. However, behind closed doors, he reveals a much different side, far from the confident image people envision. Away from the spotlight, he’s just Kenji– an emotional, compassionate, and gentle guy.

After the exhausting press conference, Kenji finally retreats to his sanctuary. As he steps into his sleek, modern bedroom, the weight of the day settles on his shoulders. The room embraces a woody aesthetic, blending minimalist design with warm tones, natural textures, and soft ambient lighting that envelopes him in a calming atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame a view of the night sky, allowing the stars to cast a serene glow inside, further enhancing the tranquil mood.

In the dimly lit room, you wait for him, lounging on his king-sized bed, dressed in a matching silk robe and nightgown, softly scrolling through your tablet. With your presence, Kenji’s facade melts away, revealing the vulnerability hidden beneath his public identity. Crossing the room, his tired eyes soften when they meet yours.

"Long day?" you ask softly, putting the tablet away on the nightstand.

Kenji nods, sinking onto the bed and resting his head on your lap. “You have no idea,” he murmurs against your thighs.

You gently run your fingers through his hair, the soft strands slipping between your fingertips. “Is there anything I can do to help?” you inquire, your voice fills with concern.

Kenji looks up at you with pleading eyes. “Just one thing,” he whispers, his voice barely audible.

“What is it?” you utter, leaning closer to hear him better.

“A kiss, please,” his lips pouting slightly.

Smiling fondly, you cup his face in your hands and press a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “Better?”

Kenji chuckles softly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Actually, no,” he admits with a playful grin. “I think I need more.”

“You’re insatiable,” you tease, leaning in to give him another kiss, this time with passion.

Kenji sits up, pulling you closer into his arms. His hands gently caress your back as he whispers between kisses, “You spoil me, that’s why.” The intensity between you grows, turning into a full-blown make-out session, passion igniting between you both.

As the kiss deepens, Kenji pulls away slightly, his gaze locking with yours. His voice is filled with neediness and a hint of vulnerability as he murmurs, “Baby, I need you,” his words are a plea tinged with longing. You stroke his cheek tenderly, meeting his gaze with concern and affection.

“What do you need, darling?” your fingers tracing soothing circles on his cheek.

Kenji’s eyes soften, his hold tightening around you. “I want you to take care of me,” he whispers. He leans in, pressing his forehead against yours, seeking solace and closeness in your embrace.

From the way he holds you and the tremble in his voice, you understand exactly what he needs.

You stroke his cheek gently and grinning. “Let’s get you comfortable,” you murmur, planting a tender kiss on his forehead.

He nods silently, watching you with affectionate eyes as you rise from the bed. You walk over to his walk-in closet, your steps quiet in the dimly lit room. Opening the closet door, you glance back at him over your shoulder.

“Take your clothes off, Ken,” you say softly yet commandingly. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kenji's gaze lingers on you for a moment longer, filled with a mix of desire and anticipation. He begins by shrugging off his jacket, letting it slide off his shoulders and onto the floor with a soft thud. Next, he unclasps his watch and carefully sets it aside on the nightstand, the metal band cool against his skin. 

He peels off his T-shirt, revealing the strong lines of his chest and the subtle definition of his muscles. Each article of clothing he sheds seems to heighten the tension in the room; the air thick with longing. He unbuttons his jeans and steps out of them, standing in just his boxers briefs.

Inside the small room, you quickly secure the leather harness over your underwear, not bothering to undress further because you don’t want to waste any more time — Kenji needs you. Your nightgown is short enough that it won’t hinder any movement, allowing you to move freely. With practised efficiency, you adjust the straps to ensure they aren’t too tight. Finally, you attach the pink dildo to the harness, making sure everything is in place before stepping out to rejoin him.

As you step out of the closet, Kenji's eyes widen with a mix of surprise and arousal. His breath catches in his throat, and you can see the desire intensifying in his gaze. The sight of you, still wearing your nightgown with the harness and dildo securely in place, ignites a fire within him. He shifts slightly, unable to hide his growing excitement.

His vulnerability melts into raw need, and he reaches out for you, his hands trembling with anticipation. "You look incredible," Kenji breathes, his voice husky with desire. "Can’t believe you’re my woman.”

"I know, darling," you reply softly as you approach him. "And I’m all yours.”

Kenji nods eagerly, his eyes never leaving yours. "Please," he whispers, his voice filled with longing. "I’m so tired from today.”

You cup his face in your hands, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I've got you," you murmur reassuringly. "Just relax and I’ll take care of everything."

With a gentle but firm touch, you push him down onto the bed, guiding him until his back rests against the headboard. You climb onto the bed, straddling his lap, your eyes locking onto his with a mix of desire and tenderness. Leaning in, you capture his lips in a deep kiss. The kiss quickly intensifies, hands gripping his shoulders as you bite his lower lip, silently asking for entrance. 

Kenji parts his lips willingly, a soft gasp escaping him. Your tongue slips into his mouth with a blend of dominance and passion. His hands grip your waist, holding you close as you both lose yourselves in the kiss.

Breaking the kiss, you trail your lips along his jawline, nipping and planting soft kisses down to his neck. You can feel his pulse quicken under your touch. Kenji’s breath hitches, and his voice comes out in a needy whisper, “Hurry up and put it in already.”

You pause, looking into his eyes with a knowing grin. "Impatient, are we?" you tease gently, continuing to place kisses along his neck.

“Yes, been thinking ‘bout you,” he breathes, his eyes half-lidded with desire as he looks up at you. 

You chuckle softly, your manicured fingers tracing gentle patterns on his chest. "We can't rush things, Kenny," you murmur, your voice both soothing and commanding. "I haven’t prepped you yet."

Kenji lets out a frustrated, yet needy sigh, his hands gripping your waist tighter. With a tender smile, you press another kiss to his lips. "I promise, it will be worth the wait," you reassure him as your fingers trail lower.

Slowly, you pull his boxer briefs down. His aching cock springs free, standing proudly, the sight of it sending a thrill through you. You lick your lips at the sight, feeling the heat radiating from him.

You lean over to the nightstand, opening the drawer and searching for the lube. Your fingers brush against the nearly empty tube, and with a sigh of mild frustration, you pull it out. Determined to make it work, you squeeze out the remaining lube onto your fingers, carefully gathering every last drop.

Gently, you spread his legs, positioning yourself between them. You begin to massage the cold gel into his anus with careful strokes, your other hand slowly working up and down his length. The combination of sensations makes him gasp, his body shuddering under your touch.

You slide one finger inside him, feeling him tense momentarily before he relaxes into the intrusion. His breath comes in ragged gasps as you work a second finger in, stretching and preparing him. Leaning in, you capture his lips in a kiss, silencing his moans with your mouth. 

As you press a third finger inside, he groans into the kiss, the sound vibrating against your lips. He grips your silk robe tightly, his hands clutching the fabric with a mix of urgency and need. His body arches into yours as you take him to the brink of ecstasy.

Knowing his body so well, you sense he’s about to come, so you pull your hands away, eliciting a whine from him at the sudden absence of your touch. You glance at his hole and realise the gel isn’t quite enough for him to take you yet. A smirk curls your lips as you caress his jaw, an idea forming.

“Suck my dildo, baby.”

Kenji’s eyes widen with a mix of surprise and excitement. He nods eagerly, his breath coming in shallow pants as he anticipates what’s to come.

He pushes you to make space for him, his hands gripping your thighs as he leans forward, taking the pink dildo into his mouth. His lips and tongue work eagerly, coating it with saliva as you watch, your own arousal building with each movement.

“That’s it,” you coo, combing your fingers through his hair. “Make sure it’s nice and wet for you.”

Kenji fervently responds to your praise, his eyes shining with desire and appreciation. He gets off on your approval, each encouraging word making him suck harder, his mouth working expertly over the dildo. He moans around it, the vibrations adding to the growing heat between you both.

“You’re doing so well, Kenji. So eager to please me,” you purr, your fingers tightening in his hair. 

His eyes flicker up to meet yours as he redoubles his efforts, his tongue swirling around the tip,  lips sliding up and down the silicon shaft. The sight of him – the Ken Sato, so submissive and devoted – sends a wave of possessiveness through you.

You’re suddenly reminded of the press conference earlier, where one of the journalists had been flirting with him openly. The memory ignites a flicker of jealousy and anger within you, fueling your possessiveness. Without thinking, you push his head down onto the dildo, gripping his hair tightly.

"That's right," you say breathlessly, your voice edged with a mix of authority and jealousy. "No one else gets to have or see you like this."

Kenji's eyes widen slightly, but he doesn't resist. Instead, he works harder, his mouth moving more eagerly over the dildo, saliva dribbling onto the bedsheets.

"You’re my good boy," you murmur again, a possessive glint in your eye. "Only I can give you what you need.”

You push the dildo deeper into his mouth, watching as his nose brushes against the leather of your harness. Tears well up in his eyes, but he doesn't pull away, his hands gripping your thighs for support. You hold him there for a moment, savouring the power you have over him.

One…two…three…four…five…six…seven. 

Kenji's eyes look up at you, wide and glassy. His tears spill over as he struggles to breathe, but his desire to please you keeps him in place. You finally ease up after seven seconds, allowing him to take a gasping breath.

You wipe the saliva from his chin with a gentle touch. "You did great, Kenny. Proud of you.”

Kenji's breath hitches, his chest rising and falling with emotion. "Thank you," he manages with a hoarse voice. 

“You're welcome, sweetheart," you whisper, your voice firm yet tender. "Now, lay down on your back for me."

Kenji obeys without hesitation, shifting to lie back on the bed, his eyes never leaving yours. You grab a pillow and slide it under his hips, positioning him perfectly. You watch as he settles, his body displaying eagerness. You position yourself over him, eyes scanning his body, admiring his form as you prepare to continue.

You angle the dildo at his entrance, teasing the tip in first, watching his reaction. His eyes almost roll back, and a low groan escapes his lips. Slowly, you push yourself in, feeling the resistance give way as his body accepts the intrusion. The mixture of his saliva and the lube allows for a smooth glide.

He moans loudly as you fill him, the sound echoing in the dimly lit room. His hands grip the sheets, knuckles turning white as he adjusts to the sensation.

“You’re taking me so well, baby.”

His moans deepen, his body arching towards yours, seeking more of your touch. You lean down, your lips brushing against his ear. "Do you like that?" you whisper, your breath hot against his skin. "Tell me how it feels."

"Feels...so good," he pants. “Can you move, please?”

Without hesitation, you begin to thrust into him, your movements slow and deliberate at first. The friction builds as you move your hips against his, each thrust eliciting a gasp or moan from his parted lips. His hands find your hips, trying to pull you closer, deeper, as his need grows more urgent.

The room fills with the sounds of your bodies moving together, the soft creak of the bed, and his breathless whispers of encouragement. "More," he pleads, his voice thick with desire. "Please, more."

You quicken your pace, each thrust becoming more powerful and precise, hitting just the right spots to drive him wild. The look of pure ecstasy on his face fuels your own arousal, and you lean down to capture his lips in a searing kiss, muffling his cries of pleasure as you take him to the edge.

"Harder," he murmurs against your lips, his voice a desperate plea. The silk robe clings to your skin, becoming an annoyance in the heat of the moment. With a frustrated growl, you almost rip the delicate fabric off, tossing it aside without a second thought.

Now free of the robe, you feel the cool air against your heated skin, heightening your senses. You grip his hips firmly, your nails digging into his flesh as you increase the intensity of your thrusts. Each movement sends waves of pleasure coursing through both of you.

His hands clutch at your back, sliding the nightgown off your shoulders until it pools around your hips. His nails leave faint trails on your skin as he tries to ground himself in the overwhelming sensations. You lean down again, your breath hot against his ear, "Who’s making you feel good, hm?"

"Just you ma’am…please, don’t stop," his voice shaky with desire. 

Your movements become even more frenzied, driven by the sight of his pleasure and the sound of his desperate pleas. The nightgown, now bunched around your waist, adds tantalising friction as you thrust into him. His head tilts back, exposing his neck to your kisses and nips, each contact sending shivers through his body. 

You admire the marks blooming on his skin, every bite and hickey, a visible claim that he belongs to you. His eyes flutter shut at every thrust you make. “Eyes on me, pretty boy,” you command.

He struggles to comply, his eyes wide and glassy as they lock onto yours. He can feel himself getting closer, so you move your hand to his aching cock, helping him with his release. The combination of your touch on his cock and the way your dildo hits the right spot sends him into overdrive. 

Kenji's breathing becomes erratic, his body trembling under the intensity. With a final, powerful thrust, he comes hard, his release coating his torso in thick spurts. The room is filled with the sound of his cries of pleasure mingling with your heavy breaths.

As the waves of his climax subside, exhaustion quickly takes over. His eyes close, and he falls into a deep, satiated sleep. You chuckle softly, pressing a tender kiss to his forehead. Carefully, you pull out, eliciting an unconscious whimper from him, and begin to clean him up. You wipe away the sweat and arousal with wet wipes, ensuring he's comfortable and clean before pulling the covers over his body.

Watching him for a moment, a sense of satisfaction washes over you. You brush a few strands of hair from his forehead, “Rest well, darling,” you whisper then quietly leave the bed to deal with your own...problem.

[itskindofidontknow]

What dreams know about love?

Chapter 4

Dream of The Endless/Morpheus x Love!OFC

Summary: The Queen of Love has grown used to the absence of her husband, the Dream King. After banning her from the Dreaming, they only saw each other when Morpheus summoned her for social or marital duties. He would go decades without calling for her, enamorated by a variety of mistresses. It broke Love's heart. Not that her husband cared. However, after being imprisioned for a century, The Dream King wants to regain his Queen's love. She doesn't believe him, not after centuries of neglect. The question is: Can dreams repair a broken heart?

Tag: Established relationship, arranged marriage, regency romance, eventual happy ending, angst, morpheus is a dick prepare to hate, love is eoster from west germanic mythology, typos are to be expected

TW: Explicit sexual content, lost of virginity, p in v, consent is here but pleasure is not.

"Don't you think it is too much?"

"Not at all, m’lady. It is your wedding, nothing is ever 'too much'." Eoster sheepishly smiled, pressing her hands against the white sheer corset that the Seamstress was adjusting. Her wedding dress. Long silk skirts covered by tulle made of stardust, reflecting the bright sunlight that entered through the windows. Looking at her reflection at the mirror, it seemed like Eoster was shining. Inside, she truly felt like she was. Shining, happy, excited “It’s all happening in such a hurry. Dear Desire, do you think I am rushing it?” She bit her lip. There has only been one year. Yes, their letters were full of passion and devotion for each other, and Love never felt such affection, but still, a year was so little. Rushed and desperate mortal’s relationships always ended badly… Shouldn’t she wait more?

Before that boring conference of universal manifestations, both were only distantly aware of each other's existence. Some dreams were heavily influenced by her works and some lovers were heavily influenced by their dreams. One could say that they were nothing but distant work colleagues. That night, however, thanks to Desire, they were both formally presented to each other.

Love did not take much of it, since she was in the middle of hiding from a group of extremely boring and arrogant suitors that wanted a place in her dance card. Desire was certain that being accompanied by Dream would keep away the suitors. Eoster was not sure of that, even though Lord Morpheus didn't have the friendliest of faces, definitely not an entity she would cross, some of her suitors couldn't, for their life, read the room. He didn't seem to care for Love either. Different from most, which Desire would later say in confidence, that he lost his words in presence of such a beauty, like Love’s. She did not believe in it. But she did think it could be true disinterest. After all, the Dream King could have any maiden he wanted, he didn’t need to court someone like Love.

In truth, Dream’s thoughts were in Calliope, wanting to return to her, and get away from the conference. He was also skeptical about Desire’s sudden approach and poor excuse of 'helping their friend dodge suitors'. Desire had no friends.

The brown haired queen didn’t think much about their meeting until a few weeks later when she received a dove, a letter written by Lord Morpheus himself, ddressed to her. Daily, Love received suitors’ doves. She kept them all, feeding her ego with those sweet words and praises. There were some terrible poems and sonnets, but she knew they were well-intended (Not all of them, some of them had sinful propositions that Love prefere to ignore). His letter, however, was different, it didn’t praise her beauty, or compared her to the stars, neither had any vulgar proposition. It was a simple apology regarding the unattentive way he treated her in the conference.

Love was afraid the Dream King would have the wrong impression if she responded. She knew she had to say something, but what exactly? She didn’t want to sound like he owed her an apology, but she also did not want to dismiss him, saying it was nothing. Unsure of how to proceed, Love went to Desire of the Endless, not only they were Dream younger sibling, they were one of her best friends and also someone who Love considered as the older sibling she never had.

The Love Queen adored working with Desire, it was not only easier but much more pleasing to see two souls being together in perfect harmony, tenderly hungry for each other, not only they had carnal lust but also affection and devotion. Desire also was a great friend, always helping her escape suitors, and entertain her afternoons, making her company in the Garden.

For Desire, it was more like having a puppy than a friend. The wide-eyed innocent persona of Love was something she considered fun to have around and mess with. It was amusing to see her blushing complexion with every dirty comment and prank, or pretending to know about topics they knew she had not the slightest idea whatwas about.

Desire was the one that encouraged her to respond in an affectionate way. ‘Believe me, little dove, my brother does not send letters to anyone’, they said. And Love started to wonder about Lord Morpheus intentions. She caught herself thinking about why they hadn't met before. How could she have gone without a proper introduction for so long? He was a gentleman, attractive, and dutiful. A suitor that she might actually consider, besides, they worked close. Love started to daydream about the projects they could do together, the wonders they might provide to mortals.

Waiting for his answer was pure agony. Love was starting to give up any hope, thinking he only was being polite since she was friends with Desire. But when a dove came with the Dreaming’s seal. Love was caught by a surprise relief she felt on her chest. She was longing for a response. The correspondence did not stop for over 365 days. Anxiously she waited for every dove, always thinking that he might grow tired of her.

The palace staff quickly learned that if their Queen was nowhere to be found, she would probably be hiding in her winter’s garden, sitting in the balcony, eyes lost in the pink sky's horizon, wishing for a dove with a letter. Lord Morpheus' letters made the difference between a melancholic and a blissful afternoon. Elijah could cancel any engagements Love had when his letters arrived, since she would spend the rest of the day, with the head in the clouds, trying to imagine what he was feeling when writing to her, if he was thinking about her reading his letter. She giggled alone and reread every sentence, trying to imagine all he described, wondering if one day she might be invited to his realm. If he wrote fifty pages of letters, it wouldn’t be enough.

Eoster fell deeply in love. His letters flooded her senses, filled her nights and brightened her days. They developed some distant companionship, and Love never felt a connection quite the same. During this time, every mortal felt love in a newfound intensity, their creativity sprouted, the kisses were tender, the embraces longer, the partitude hurted more than a knife through the heart. The Garden flourished in plenitude, the flowers were vibrant, the grass greener and softer, the air was warm with light breezes. She never received so many young ladies and lords in waiting, she gladly taught about the ways of the heart. And when he proposed, Love had to contain herself otherwise mortals would probably explode of infatuation.

Desire looked back to her with a cheshire smile, seeing all those questions going through their friend’s head. They langley raised from Love’s bed and walked to the young maiden hugging her from behind. “Never, my darling. Look at you, look at your Garden. Both blossoming in happiness. Such happiness cannot be misleading. Besides, he was the one that called for a True Marriage.” Love squeezed Desire’s hand while taking a deep breath.

A True Marriage. The oldest type of union, and one of the rarest. If one is not sure of their love, they would never call for one. All the other ordinary unions are annulled by a True Marriage, nothing is above it. An unbreakable bond, written in golden permanent ink in Lord Destiny’s book. Unchangeable, no matter what the circumstances, twist and turns, or paths one chooses. It’s more than just a ceremony or names on a piece of paper, it’s an exchange of souls and hearts. One holds the life of the other, and gives its own life in exchange. The vows of a True Marriage are not to be taken lightly.

The only way to terminate a True Marriage is by terminating life. And when one half dies, part of the soul and the heart of the other half also dies. If Morpheus wanted to marry her under these ancient laws, he was as certain of his feelings as she was of hers.

The Seamstress pushed Desire out of the way, getting on her knees to finish the hem of the dress. “Don’t stay in the way if you don’t want to get pushed, m’lady-lord”. Desire rolled her eyes at the old woman. If one of Love’s cupid had done this to an Endless it would be considered a serious offense, but The Seamstress didn’t belong to any realm, she didn’t go by any set of hierarchy, she was old, how old Love didn’t know, but she had more wrinkles than anyone could count, along with a sharp tongue. “There you go, m’lady. All is done.”

The old woman gave Love’s waist two friendly taps, before getting up proudly looking at her creation. “My queen, I can’t say that I know the King of Dreams, but I know about wedding dresses.” The seamstress has been designing and sewing them for eons “And if our Lord Morpheus does not put a stained glass window of you in his palace. He is a fool.“ Desire and Love looked at each other, before laughing. And Love jumped and pulled the Seamstress into a hug. “Oh Seamstress! I promise, as Queen of Love, that if we decided for a wedding party, you shall have a invitation, you’ll be my guest of honor” The old lady was thrown off by the sudden movement, but welcomed the hug the Queen gave, and throw her hands in the air dismissing the invite. “I thank you for the invitation m’lady, but I sew, I don’t go to parties.”

Two knocks came from the door before Elijah popped his head in the room. “Excuse me, blessing from the Garden, Seamstress and Lady-Lord Desire.” He politely acknowledged the two others in the room before addressing Love “My Queen, it’s time.”

She said her goodbyes to the Seamstress, who remembered her that all her nuptial nightgowns were already sent to the Dreaming, and to Desire, who promised her a visit after the honeymoon, which made Love said wouldn’t be necessary, she could visit her in the next day, to which Desire whispered smiling into her ear “Darling, darling, trust me, you will not want to leave your room” Love gasped over her friend answer, but rolled her eyes. Desire was always full of little games to make her anxious.

Elijah spent the last entire week trying to learn everything he could to prepare for a True Wedding. There wasn’t much literature available and the whole ceremony was kind of a mystery. All he gathered was that both Lady Eoster and Lord Morpheus would be invited to Destiny's realm, where it would happen. No guests, no celebrations, just the two of them. Elijah really wished Lord Destiny would allow at least one witness (preferable one cupid, more specifically, him) to accompany Lady Love. After all, the King of Dreams was his sibling, but Lady Love was going on her own. “I am not on my own, my dear cupid. Soon Lord Morpheus will be my husband, and Lord Destiny, my brother-in-law. '' She pointed it out to Elijah. “Yes, my Queen of course, but Lord Destiny is already Lord Morpheus’ brother, by blood” Love stopped in the middle of the pink marble corridor, trying to calm her cupid down. She knew he only meant the best, but the rules were the rules, and she did not want to upset Lord Destiny, even before becoming his in-law. “ Lord Destiny will not be there as Lord Morpheus’ brother, he is the only one that can seal a True Marriage. Please, worry not, my cupid. All is well.” She reached for his hand, squeezing it, before looking in his doubtful eyes.

“Take some time to rest, after all, when we get back, you will also have the Prince of Stories to worry about.” Love tried to lighten the mood, she could not have her own worries and Elijah’s, hers was already overwhelming. “I will be glad to be able to worry for my ladyship and lordship.” He smiled before she asked to enter the Garden of Forking Ways.

Mist covered her eyes, Love squeezed her eyes trying to get a better view of her way. There was only silence, she tried to understand if she was inside the palace or in the actual gardens, since the mist was so dense, she couldn’t see the palm of her hands.

Naturally, she jumped when the deep voice of her host cut through the silence, echoing "Welcome, Queen Eoster, Lady of the Four Loves, Princess of Springs, and Ruler of the Garden of Lovers." As stoic as Love remembered. She made a deep bow "Lord Destiny of the Endless, blessings from the Garden, it's an honor to be accepted in your realm" she couldn’t tell if he heard her, until following a long silence, he said it "Follow me".

Love did as she was told, as she kept walking, her vision adjusted to her surroundings and she realized she was walking in the hallways through his empty palace. Light was getting more scarce, and when he opened a door to a room and made way for her to come inside, there was no light at all, only darkness. If she squeezed her eyes she could see some sparkle of her dress, she questioned herself if Morpheus would be able to see it as well. Maybe she did overdo it. "Lovers, offer your hands to one another" Her heart beating fast, within the silence, Love was certain Lord Destiny would hear it.

She hesitated for a moment. "The eyes do not need to see what the heart already is familiar with." Destiny answered her question before Love could even vocalize it. She offered her open hand to the void in front of her, she felt a cold palm under her hand. As they touched, Destiny continued. "Bonded by life. Terminated by death. Remember spouses, golden ink will tell your tales, but if red ink stained your pages, half of your spirit is the price to be paid.”

Feeling his cold hands against hers, brought Love some relief. Although the lady of springs was certain he was going to be there, to have this assurance, to actually feel him, was something else. They were pen pals turned to pen lovers, but never actually met, until today. It was unusual, but Lord Morpheus said it, and Lady Love agreed that longing made the heart grow stronger. And the bond that they developed, some couples spent eternity failing to build it. Now, they would have the whole eternity to make their longing for each other, worth it.

"If your hearts are true to your feelings, you may now say the sacred vows" Destiny said, his voice sounding permanent as their vows would be.

The beautiful and eternal vows. Dangerous for the weak of flesh and heart. Once they said it, there was no return from it. Love could feel the air thickening, her mouth was dry and she could feel the cold sweat in her hands. Maybe it was the pressure of it all, maybe it was the power of the old rite manifesting along them. She squeezed her fiance’s hands. ‘Give me strength, my love’ she thought, wishing Morpheus could read her mind.

“One soul. One heart. One life. As you are mine and I am yours. I embrace your darkness and worship your light. By the laws written in the Book Before Time, I concede to you my life and devotedly take yours, for I have no essence, no will, no present, past or future if not yours.”

The dense air was suffocating, she could smell blood and iron mixed. Ancient powers. Her head and feet felt light. It was difficult to breathe. She was doing everything she could to keep concentrating “Why can’t I hear him?” Love asked breathlessly, her chest burning. Destiny took, what seemed to be hours to answer “The ears do not need to hear what the heart already knows.” She weakly nodded “Hold onto your loved one, burden him with the weight of the soul, give your regrets, your happiness, your…” She tried to obey, focusing on the instructions, concentrating on what to do, but Destiny's voice drifted away, like she was under deep water drowning trying to hear him speak. Until she didn’t.

When Love returned to herself, the air was no longer thick, nor was it difficult to breathe. The darkness was still there, but that, she realized, was due to her closed eyes. And when she opened them, jumping afraid she might have somehow slept through her own wedding, she fell into the ground. What an embarrassment! Quickly she tried to get up, but her legs failed and her palms got sored from the impact. Her thoughts were only in getting up fast, before Destiny noticed, before Morpheus noticed. How could she do such a thing in front of her husband and her brother in law? She squinted her eyes trying to adjust to the light. ‘Light?’. There was no light. Before, there wasn’t. She blinked. Now, It was too bright. This…Where was she?

Love looked up, facing the surface she felt from. A bed. A room, she was in a room. And It wasn’t Destiny’s realm. Neither it was hers or Desire’s. She supported her elbows in the mattress, raising herself, throwing her body against satin black sheets. It smelt different. She looked to the narrow tall windows from where she could see the grayish skies. Looking around the room, it was a bedroom, but there wasn’t much furniture. A nightstand, a dresser, a tri-fold standing mirror, and the bed.

Love was still in her wedding dress. Her head hurted trying to remember what happened. One minute she was holding hands with her future husband, saying vows…the other. “ My Lady, you are awake” A strange lady entered the bedroom. She didn’t hear her knock. “I am Lucienne, my lady, Lord Morpheus’ librarian '' Love turned her face to the woman. “Lord Morpheus brought you to The Dreaming. A True Marriage can be quite overwhelming.” If she didn’t have bigger concerns, Love would’ve thought that the lady was terrible at small talk. But she was still confused “ You fainted, right after your vows and…Lord Morpheus brought you to the Dreaming. Where you are, right now”. The dark skinned woman explained, as the Queen frowned, raising her body from the covers, and even though she was feeling dizzy, she kept herself sitting. The Dreaming.

His realm. Their realm.

“Here my lady.” The woman gave a cup of a red liquid to her. Love had no idea what it was, but its warm and floral smell was convincing enough to make her take a few sips. Her throat was dry. “Where is he?” Love said before clearing her throat. Her cloudy thoughts started to clear and panic grew inside her “ Is he worried? Please you must tell him that I am well.” Lucienne frowned, taking a few seconds to observe the woman in front of her. From what Lord Morpheus told her, Lucienne imagined an unapologetic seductress, evil grin without an ounce of remorse, very similar to his sibling Desire.

Instead, the Queen was a young woman with lily white skin, green puffy eyes full of worry and the voice hinted with panic. She looked full of innocence, worry and beauty. It was not even a compliment to say it, it was more of a fact “He is well, my Lady. “. It also made a bitter sense to the librarian, on why her king wishes to see her in person in his room, instead of just banishing her forever. He would not let an ambush like this go unpunished.

Morpheus was fine. Furious yes, but well, in terms of physical integrity. He thought Calliope had called for a True Marriage. Not Lady Love. In fact, he only met the queen on one occasion, and she was with his sibling. Probably when they decided to trap him in misery. Lucienne hated that her lord had put her, of all his creations, to deal with his wife. She was not cut for this. Especially when they seemed more lost than mischievous.

“Lord Morpheus sent me to see if you were already awake. I did also send a raven to inform the lovefolk about your whereabouts. I didn’t mention your state, as I didn’t want to worry them. I hope I didn’t step out of my place“ The woman lowered her head in respect. Love was quickly to leave the tea in the nightstand before reaching the librarian’s hand and pulling her into a tight hug “Oh dear Lucienne, you have my eternal gratefulness!” The librarian froze in shock with the sudden and expansive reaction. Love broke their hug only to look into her eyes “Elijah would probably be banging on this door if you had told him.” She jokingly said with a smile. The librarian gave out a sympathetic smile, before darting her gaze uncomfortably.

“Yes? My dear, is there anything else? I hope nothing happened to Lord Morpheus. I surely hoped that I didn’t embarrass him.” Eoster could see the distressed look in the librarian’s face. Love would never forgive herself if anything had happened to her husband. “No, my Lady, Lord Morpheus is fine. He wishes to… see you.” Love followed The librarian’s eyes to the other side of the bed. One of her nuptials gowns perfectly extended. “It arrived early, my lady. I believe Lord Morpheus, want you to…” She left the sentence unfinished, hopeful that the queen would understand.

Eoster opened another smile, face brightening, laughing as she grabbed the fabric and jumped out of the bed, dancing with the fabric, stumbling in her wedding dress.

Lucienne tried to reach for the queen to avoid an accident, but the lady was fast, crossing the bedroom in front of the mirror, trying to undo the tight laces in her back. It didn’t even feel like a few moments ago, she was passed out in the bed. “Lucienn, please help me undress. One should never make a husband wait for the nuptials” As they undid the laces in the back, and got Eoster out of her underskirts, the Queen couldn’t stop talking, which was very different from what the librarian was used to. Dizzy, Lucienne only nodded and gave polite smiles, thank goodness the brown haired maiden didn't expect answers. She was affectionate, talkative, and exceedingly happy. It didn’t match what one would expect of someone who scammed others into marriage. It matched what Lucienne expected of a young maiden absolutely infatuated by her husband, anxious for her wedding night.

Lucienne didn’t know how to feel. Lord Morpheus said she should be careful with Love, but Lady Love was swirling in the corridors, giggling, holding Lucienne by the arm as they were the best of friends, and taking every opportunity at a reflection surface to fix her hair, or her nightgown while walking from her quartels to meet her husband. Love took a deep breath as Lucienne knocked in the door, and gave a final smile and a squeeze in the hand, as the librarian opened the door and Lady Love closed.

Something wasn’t right. That woman was not an evil seductress that had her fun tricking the prince of stories, someone who enjoys playing hurtful games so he could never be truly happily married to his muse. In truth, Lucienne never saw anyone more transparent, guiltless and pure than Lady Love. In fact, she looked like the perfect fit for being misled.

As the door closed and Eoster saw Morpheus, hands in his back, with his usual black attire, happiness filled her heart. She ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck, pressing a soft chaste kiss in his lips. She waited a few seconds, but he didn’t respond. Neither did he embrace her. Embarrassingly, Love untangled her arms, letting her hand slide through his chest. Morpheus gave such a cold look at her hands that she quickly dropped them to her sides, entangling her fingers, giving a embarrassed small laugh “Pardon me, my lord husband for keeping you waiting”, She offered a small courtesy, thinking that probably he was displeased with her delay. Also giving his queue, to tell her to drop the formalities as they were husband and wife in the purest form. But he didn’t.

They stayed silent for what seemed hours. Morpheus waited for Love to admit what she did, to drop the maiden-in-love act, to take the blame. But she kept stupidly looking at him, he was tense, taking every fiber of himself to not oblige her to admit her sins. He knew Desire and their likes weren’t ever gonna repent, but to keep the act? Why? Why continue this farce? Why prolong his misery? Wasn’t forbid him to take his muse, his true love, as his wife, as the true queen of the Dreaming, enough? ‘Brother, why the long face? You were always moping around about your tragic romances and Eoster was infatuated by you. I only gave her a helping hand. Attending to one’s true desire. Performing my duty. And knowing Love, she will be more than eager to please you’ Morpheus could almost hear Desire’s purring voice from early, when he saw who his bride was and went to his sibling's realm to get some answers on this madness.

He wished to forget that his sibling was family. He wished to cut their throat and spill blood and not care by the mayhem within it.

He turned away from the maiden, walking to the bed. She and Desire came up with this, didn’t they? If Eoster wanted to forcefully be his wife, engaging in treacherous schemes without caring for his feelings in the first place, he wouldn’t care for hers. He couldn’t. How can she call herself the Lady of Love, if she doesn’t respect the love of others, putting her desires in first place?

Eoster followed with her eyes, his way near the bed, as he took his coat off. Her cheeks started to burn, and a sudden fear grow in her stomach. She avoided looking at him, trying to memorize their bedroom. It didn’t have anything special. Narrow tall windows, that let the greyish lights enter the room, it had no dresser, nor tri fold mirror. Love started to realize that Lord Morpheus’s palace was very minimalistic. He would probably be overwhelmed by the amount of art and decoration the bedrooms the Garden had.

Love kept distracting her with decoration thoughts to avoid the uneasiness that was starting to grow in her stomach. Morpheus was…different, from his letters. In them, he was infatuated to say the least, but now, he was cold. He barely acknowledged her, and was already unfastening his belt.

They never talked about carnal unions in their exchanges, the subject felt too intimate to discuss over letters, but she dreamed about being in his arms, heat reaching her core through her inner thighs, hot kisses spread along her curves, Dream molding her for him only and only him. Just like the most lustful and devoted mortals. And she knew he thought of her too, his letters gave hints, but never were explicit.

Love kept herself untouched for her true love. For him. And now, the queen was having second doubts, as he was treating it less like a sacred union and more like an obligation. As he was only expecting her, so they could get over it. “My Lord, I-” Love started to say, when he interrupted her “Lay down.” He looked over his shoulder, indicating the bed. The brunette took a deep breath fearfully looking at the mattress, covered in black satin sheets. She slowly walked to the edge, sitting while smoothing her long white satin nightgown, looking down at the lace pattern in her mid thigh, drawing with her fingers, feeling her cheeks and chest burned in apprehension.

“Lay down.” He said in a low impatient voice. She raised her head as he repeated, he was still fully dressed. She knew what was going to happen and searched her husband’s eyes, looking for some sympathy, some kindness, to embrace her and soothe the fears away, but instead she found his deep blue pupils, those everyone used to say you can see the whole universe, and saw nothing.

There was nothing there for her. He was acting as it was nothing for him. As she was nothing. He was about to take his wife's virginity, to make her entirely and only his. She didn’t know how to question him or how to tell him she did not want them to perform a martial duty, she wanted them to make love.

Lost without words, and feeling his annoyance, she did as told, laying on her back, curls spread in the mattress while she stared at the dark ceiling, knees strongly closed together. “Lady wife” Love raised herself hopefully for some remnant of the man she got to know through the letters. It didn’t go unnoticed that he kept the formal titles between them, but at least he was talking to her. “Are you untouched?”

She felt her face burning. Straightforward. Her husband was very straightforward. She barely nodded her head, feeling somewhat of embarrassment. Love knew it was pathetic to feel embarrassed of something her husband would soon discover, but at the same time, this Morpheus, made her feel like a stupid child.

He took a few seconds, processing the information. “ Waiting for true love, Lord husband”. She hesitantly said it, shrugging it off. It seemed sacred once, but now, it sounded silly. Still she looked hopeful to him, opening a sweet smile as he got close. “This won’t be good for you”. Her smile dropped, It was the last thing he said before grabbing her by the waist pulling her toward him. Eoster let out a surprised gasp. Her head hitted the mattress as she slid in his direction.

Love glanced at her husband, starting to pant, her thoughts scrambled in a pool of hysteria, panic grew into her as she heard the sound of pants being unfastened. Love kept waiting for him with her knees on her chest, as he wasn’t holding her. She lowered her eyes to see why was he taking so long, and caught him stroking himself. “Husband, I can-” She started to offer, when Morpheus let out a frustrated groan, cursing as he turned to look at his wife that resembled a frightened dove, she looked down to the mattress.

He grunted before reaching to the hem of her nightgown, ripping the thin fabric, exposing her all to him. Surprised, Love automatically covered her breasts. Morpheus took her hands out of the way, and she stayed bare under his gaze, hands to her side. He couldn’t deny, she was beautiful. Long silky legs that were going to be his to grab, small pink breasts with hard nipples that desperately wanted to be touched, pink full lips that could scream his name, and beg for him to do sinful things to her. Desire said that Love would be eager to please him, she would probably do as he told her, he could have her anywhere, anytime. His cock twitched at the thought and he stroked it faster, throwing his head back. But wasn’t really Lady Love he imagined doing ungodly things with. It was really Calliope. Love was only there to perform the duty she desperately wanted.

Her husband went back to stroking himself in a pace he seemed to like, squeezing his eyes shut. Love couldn't possibly be more embarrassed. He wasn’t even looking at her, and she didn’t understand why. Was she not what he expected?

Love turned her face away, pressing against the mattress, holding a sob in her throat, and closing her eyes, shivering feeling cold without anything to cover, she didn’t realize how cold the bedrooms could be. She opened her eyes when she felt her husband positioning himself upon her, supporting his elbows on the sides of her head, spreading her uncooperative knees apart. He was still semi-dressed, only his erection exposed, she felt the tip against her folds, as he slowly teases her slit. She could feel her insided clench in anticipation. She was too nervous, swallowing hard and looking at him in desperation. She wasn’t ready.

She knew she needed to be ready, her body was shivering and without even realizing she was gasping scared "Please my lord be gen-" She begged breathless, right before he thrusted deep into her, ignoring the wimps and the way her body tried to squirm away, as he hold her down in place. Love throwed her head back, feeling him stretch her insides. Tears reached her eyes. He didn't give Love anytime to adjust, sliding down and pounding deep into her again. “Pl-please husband” He kept a slow but deep pace, ignoring her loud cries. It wasn’t only unpleasant, it was a burning pain.

Nothing felt as it should feel. She knew her husband was right, it wasn’t going to be good for her. First times usually weren’t. But there were ways to make it more pleasant. Her husband did not seem interested in them. Love knew Morpheus was almost as old as his sister Death, he knew ways to make it better. He just didn’t want to make it pleasant for Eoster.

Tears started flowing down her cheeks. Her arms reached for embracing him, but Dream took both of her wrists, putting them above her head. The grip was firm, too strong, it would leave a mark. "Did you not want to be my queen? " He spitefully whispered into her ear, he didn’t bother looking at her. “Then you take it like a queen.” As his pace grew faster, he took her knee up his shoulder giving him more access to her. She turned her face away pressing against the bed, tears overflowing her eyes, making the vision hazy, her body felt numb, moving with his shoves, sometimes a wimp leaving her lips. Her head felt dizzy, even worse than before.

Morpheus didn’t take long. He spilled his seed inside her, as Love felt him going soft against her. He deflowered her. She was his. Their marriage consummated. And still, Love felt worse than she ever felt. The happiest night of her life and she felt used and dirty, like a courtesan. As he slided out of her, the queen stayed a few seconds in the same position. She didn’t want to move, afraid it would all make it real. She tried to think about how she felt earlier. It seemed like centuries, even if it was a few moments ago, she could not bring herself to feel like before. “Cover yourself, wife” He said as she heard him dress again. "Are you not staying? " Love turned her head to look at him.'' He didn't answer. Something did happen. Something she did. It must be, they got married, he hold her hand, he brought her to the Dreaming. She did something to ruin it. She must have done it.

The Queen reached for the sheets, wrapping herself onto them "Hum, my lord, did I do something wrong? Did I displease you in any matter? Because I can do better, I will learn to please you." He was on the other side of the bedroom, she went to him trying to grab his hand, to beg him for an explanation, any explanation " Please, why are you treating me like this? Why did you change? The let" He snapped his hand out of her, angrily getting closer, staying inches from his wife. "Spare me, wife, of your innocent act! Do you take me for a fool? " His voice hatefully roared to the whole room, and she flinched scared, he didn’t hit her, but sounded furious. She never thought the man who wrote her all those love letters would ever hit her. The man of the letters would also never disgrace her like he did. And still, here they are.

Morpheus took a deep breath, recomposing to his cold self. "I am finished with you. You may now return to your quarters. " Returned to her…These were her quarters! They were husband and wife, they shared a bed! " But I am your wife! " She screamed back, appealing to reasoning. "Indeed, you are, you made sure of it, didn’t you?.” Love looked confused, why was he saying those things?What was the meaning of them? “I pray you tell me husband, I know I can be naive sometimes, but I will do my best to understand, please, where is this coming from?” Morpheus couldn’t believe it. She wanted him to humiliate himself, to admit he falled into a trap, that she and Desire deceive him. He would not let her have this taste.“As my wife you shall do as you are told" She tearfully looked at him “Husband, please, I-” Abruptly he interrupted her, with a tone above the regular “Must I repeat myself?”. She fell silent. Walking past him, she still faced him, one last time, her green eyes asking for forgiveness, even though she didn’t comprehend what she did wrong. He took a glance at het, before turning away. She was still wrapped in the same sheets, as he opened the door, and slammed it closed right behind her.

Love leaned against the door, as she took her breath, before another lump began forming in her throat and she started crying. She did not want to cry in front of him, but she couldn’t contain the tears nor the sobs. Her knees felt weak, still feeling sore, something wet dripping from her, she couldn’t tell if it was his seed or her blood. Used and discarded. She slided against the door onto the ground, not able to support herself. Inside Morpheus could hear his wife crying, but he was not convinced by her act.

It was Lucienne, who heard the lady sobbing and went to her aid. She had received orders to not help her, however, and she thought that when Lord Morpheus reflected upon the subject, he would also agree, she couldn’t let the Queen of the Dreaming, undignified, wrapped in sheets, crying against the door of her husband, like a common whore. She guided the Lady back to the quarters, Lady Love didn’t even know where to find. The librarian helped the queen get into her bed, and offered to send someone to prepare her a warm bath, but she refused. The librarian couldn’t help but noticed the blood stains in the covers Eoster was wrapped. She didn’t want to condemn Lord Morpheus, but…

“ Lucienne?” Her queen whispered, as she grabbed the hand of the librarian that finished tucking her in. “Yes, my queen?” ‘My Queen’, she never expected to be Queen of anyone other than the lovefolk. “ Can’t you stay with me? Lord Morpheus he… I never sleep alone.” The look on her queen’s eyes almost broke Lucienne’s heart.

In a platonic and innocent way, Love’s ladies and lord in waiting were often sharing her bed. It was a common practice in the Garden to have close friends, sleep in the same bed. Truthfully, the only scenario where friends did not share a bed, was when one of them was to receive a lover. Then privacy was expected. “ I’m afraid I can’t, my lady. I’m sorry” Love whimpered while holding her hand. “Please, I am alone.” Lucienne could not stay. She was already disobeying explicit orders, and Lord Morpheus was not in the mood to have his limits tested. “My Queen, try to rest, please.” Against Eoster wishes, the Librarian gave her a sorrowful smile, slowly freeing from the delicate hold of Lady Love, her hand felt soft in the mattress, as she had no more strength. Lucienne couldn't think of any words that would ease her pain, so she left.

In a strange room, on her wedding night, alone. Love realized Dream did not even see her wedding dress. The Seamstress in all the eons of knowledge was wrong. It would never have a stained glass with her image in the Dreaming.

The Lady of Love then turned to her side, doing the only activity she found herself doing in the Dreaming: Crying.

@littlemoistcarrot

@lokigirlszendaya

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

The last few things I wrote were quite sad, and so I had a HC that little Éowyn was a real menace to the women who wanted to date Théodred and I had a few hours at a boring work conference so…here’s a thing, presumably less sad! Less than 1,500 words!

Théodred is 26ish and Éowyn is 9ish.

“What do we say, Éowyn?”

Théoden put a hand behind her shoulder and lightly propelled her toward Théodred, who sat quietly a few feet away. Her lips were pressed into a thin, straight line and her eyes still burned with a fiery gleam, but, lacking any other choice, she complied with her uncle’s direction.

“I am sorry, cousin, for calling your visitor a Donkey Face,” she muttered, the words hard and cold as she glared down at the stonework on the floor.

“And?” Théoden gave her another small prod.

She sighed heavily, as though he had burdened her with the weight of the world itself. “And for putting a spider in her hair. And for laughing while she screamed and danced around to get it out.” She shot a look up at Théoden, her eyes accusing. “Even though the spider was perfectly harmless, and you didn’t need to squish it.”

“No commentary, please. Just continue with what we talked about.”

She drew another breath to spit out the rest of the scripted apology, feeling the distastefulness of the words in her mouth already. But when she turned back to Théodred, looking him in the face this time, she stopped short. His eyes were soft and a small smile played across his lips, a look of fond affection that somehow felt more damning than any of her uncle’s stern reprimands. It was easy for her to meet anger with anger, but to sustain a sharp temper in opposition to Théodred’s quiet warmth was nearly impossible, feeling somewhere between absurd and callous. Her voice faltered, its prior edge dulled by the first stirring of true regret.

“Uncle says that I made myself look bad, but also him and also you.” She swallowed hard, her words sticking in her throat from contrition now rather than petulance, and she took another small step toward him. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I hope that you aren't angry with me, and I promise not to do it again. A real promise this time. Do you forgive me?”

Théodred’s small smile widened, blooming into a grin, and he waved a hand, a little brushing gesture to push the whole matter behind them. “Of course. Consider it forgotten.”

“Not forgotten,” warned Théoden. “Forgiven, yes. But let us remember in the future that we are not to treat guests this way, especially very important guests who are here at my personal invitation.” He nodded to Théodred and then turned for the door. “Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I have some ruffled feelings to smooth in the other room. I’m not sure Éowyn’s first apology went over as well as this one did.”

Théoden walked out and Éowyn was about to follow when Théodred’s hand caught her elbow.

“May I ask you something, little cousin?” He released her arm and pointed to the chair next to him.

She had hoped to escape the room, to run off to a branch of her favorite tree from which she could watch the king’s guards go through their daily combat drills and pretend the whole morning had never happened. But instead, she perched hesitantly on the edge of the proffered chair and waited for him to speak.

He sat for a long moment in silence, fingers tented in front of his chest, and studied her face. “I’ve always loved your mischievous spirit,” he said at last. “It reminds me of your mother, and it brings a sense of laughter and fun into what used to be a very somber place. But your mother never turned her mischief against unsuspecting strangers, and neither did you until recently. One incident is a fluke, two is notable, but four is a pattern. Is there something troubling you lately that would explain this change? Anything that you’d like to talk about?”

“No.” The answer came out quickly and defensively, an attempt to ward off further inquiry, but it seemed only to encourage him to keep talking instead.

“I can’t help but notice that the targets of your mischief have all had one thing in common. They’re all noble ladies, daughters of your uncle’s closest friends and allies, that he’s brought here to visit with me. Have these women done something to you that would perhaps warrant your dislike?”

The straight line reformed at her lips, and she shook her head.

“If you don’t know these women and they’ve never caused you offense or given you reason to view them unfavorably, then why are you so intent on tormenting them?”

A hot blush came to her cheeks, and, embarrassingly, some tears to her eyes. She looked down to hide them, staring intently at a small crack in the floor, and tried to think of what to say. But all her thoughts only brought the threat of more tears and so she shrugged her shoulders instead.

“How about if I tell you what I think, and you can tell me if I am wrong?” He paused just long enough to see her reluctant nod and then continued. “I think perhaps you dislike the fact that your uncle keeps bringing women here in the hopes that I’ll choose one as a bride. I think you know that things will change once I have a wife, and perhaps you worry about what those changes will mean for you. And I think you’ve been trying to run these women off, so that maybe you won’t have to find out.” He leaned forward and put a hand gently on her arm. “Does that sound right?”

She shrugged again, keeping her head down, but she couldn’t hide the big, round tear that dripped from her chin and landed heavily on the back of his hand. And once the first was seen, the will to hold back the others quickly crumbled. Whatever response she might have made was lost in an instant, and she began to sob.

“Oh, Éowyn, come here.” He gestured her toward him, and she stumbled forward into his open arms, her little frame swallowed up in the big, tight embrace he wrapped around her. “Getting married is something most of us will do some day. And if we’re lucky, we get many happy years together with a beloved husband or wife. Your uncle was cheated out of that chance, and he wants to see me enjoy what he was denied. But when I find a wife to love, that doesn’t mean that I’ll then love you any less. That’s not how love works. A heart always has room for more. And I’ll guard your share like it’s one of my most cherished treasures, because it is. I promise, cousin.”

He let her cry for another few minutes, releasing the fear and sadness that had been trapped deep within her for the last several weeks, until eventually the tears began to slow and her breathing to calm. A little sniffling noise emerged from somewhere inside the embrace, and he felt her dry a wet cheek on his shirt before pulling back to look up at him, all wide eyes and creased brow. “Your favorite cousin?” The tiniest shadow of a smirk appeared on her lips.

He laughed, and then she did, too. “I won’t be snared in your trap that easily just to see Éomer angry with me later. But you’re my one and only Éowyn, and that is a special thing indeed.”

She smiled, wiped her face again on a sleeve, and returned to her chair, dropping back into it more comfortably this time. “If you do have to pick a wife, I hope she’ll be much better than the ones Uncle has brought so far. All they do is sit there and smile and agree with everything you say. And they all laugh too hard at Uncle’s jokes. There hasn’t been a good one in the lot.”

He laughed again. “Would you like to know a secret?” He leaned forward and switched to an exaggerated whisper. “I don’t much like them either.”

“You don’t?” Her eyes widened but she worked hard to keep a note of gleeful triumph from her voice.

“That doesn’t mean that I condone calling them names or covering them with bugs, of course, but no, they’re not right for me. It’s not their fault, and I know that your uncle means well in bringing them here. But I intend to find my own wife, in my own time. And when I do find her someday, I am certain that she’ll meet with your approval. No insects or dirty looks or ‘accidentally’ spilled tea required. After all, you trust my judgment, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“Good.” He smiled and held out a hand. “Now let’s go out to the garden and see if we can find you a new spider friend.”

Dividers by the lovely @quillofspirit!

[skitskatdacat63]

misc lore drop day 31/?

In regards to yesterday’s post, I will today talk more about giving and receiving affection. I’d probably have to do a detailed analysis if I really wanted to make a solid conclusion. However. More often than not, Fernando is the one to initiate contact with Seb in their interactions, especially in typical parc ferme fashion. Yet, he always seems to be more stiff about it, even though he started in the first place. It’s genuinely so funny to look at pics where he’s the one being all awkward about it, and then you find the video of it, and he’s the one who went for it in the first place?? Like if you’ve seen that one duo interview with them from 2011. In the pictures, it looks like Seb is violating Fernando's personal space or something, and then you look up the video and Fernando is the one who initiated it. Like, is it just courtesy and being polite? Is he bold and then immediately shy?? Is he trying to make Seb look bad??? LOL

 I just find it fascinating that the pics always kinda make it look awkward, and then the clip makes me think a lot more deeply about it. Like there’s that one clip where he puts his hand on Seb’s lower back while Seb is putting his steering wheel back. For someone who makes hugs look forced and awkward, you sure are great at initiating them, buddy. Also, can’t forget that clip where he grabs Seb’s wrist during the press conference to make him stay. AND of course him grabbing Seb's hands at AD '22, but by that point, he chilled out a lot more in this regard. I don't think the hugs before that point weren't at least somewhat genuine or completely mind-gamey, especially Monza 2008, but they do have a weird vibe(again, I don't even get how they hug their rivals in the first place, so it makes sense why they're a bit stiff.) But I’m dying now at the idea of a fic where Seb goes back to fondly look upon official pics of moments where he remembers Fernando hugging him, and he’s like, wait why do I look like the one groping him when in reality, it was him groping me!? All according to the masterplan to ruin Seb’s reputation…what a pervert…

So. Boy King AU, how does this apply? Obviously, Seb comes off as being a lot more tactile, and much more of a culprit of being a space invader. Yet, Fernando initiates touch more often only to shy away from it when Seb tries to reciprocate or even make the first move. He’s like a skittish, hissy cat. As I’ve said before, he’ll kiss Seb(*NOT ON THE LIPS) in greeting all the time, but can you imagine if Seb tried to kiss him in return!? He’d be so abashed. How intimate! How shameless!! He uses manners and traditions to hide behind, to conceal his true wants and desires. I’m only being affectionate because it's well mannered, I must project this image of course, etc etc. But his affection definitely escapes when there’s cracks in his perfect, stoic facade. When he’s really truly having fun(read: winning at something), he can’t help but start affectionately patting Seb or jostling the other man around in excitement. This is a fine arrangement. Seb gets his affection, Fernando gets to choose when to do so. Both of them desire it of course, but Seb’s a lot clearer and upfront with his desires, so to him, the path of least resistance to getting them is letting Fernando play his little games, so be it.

[talkingpointsusa]

The Michael Knowles Guide to Bitcoin, lab grown genitals, and the Olympics

After some intense politics related posts and some downright horrific bigotry being expressed in the grifter-verse, I wanted to do a bit of a more lighthearted post. Naturally, when you're writing a blog like this you kind of have to wait out for something particularly dumb if you want to write a more lighthearted post. Enter Michael Knowles:

02:06, Michael Knowles: "The Olympics has now had a transvestite carry the Olympic torch on the way to Paris or something. I don't -- people, the conservatives are freaking out about this, I actually think it makes perfect sense, we'll get to that in a moment. First though I want to tell you about Hillsdale College."

"Or something" is the kind of brilliant analysis that you can always expect from Michael Knowles. Truly a luminary for the ages.

So, the Olympic Ceremony featured a number of drag-styled performances and naturally the free-speech for me and not for thee crowd has wasted no time in bitching about it. It's just dumb transphobia about something that has zero affect on anyone's life outside of the terminally online. Michael Knowles, the king of declaring that things are pagan, thinks that this was a pagan ritual.

But before we talk about that, keen eyed readers of the blog may have noticed that Michael isn't at his usual set over at the Daily Wire. That's because at the time of filming he was busy on the worlds dumbest field trip. I'll let him explain it.

03:44, Michael Knowles: "And speaking of learning things, you might be wondering 'Michael, why is there so much ambient noise?' If you are listening to this right now or if you're watching you might say 'Michael, where are you? Why are there people walking around behind you?' It's because I am at the Bitcoin conference."

That's right ladies and gentlemen, the Daily Wires getting into cryptocurrency! Bencoin baby!

In all seriousness, Michael and cypto-grifters share a lot in common so this is a pretty suitable environment for a guy like him. Hilariously enough, he's filming live in the middle of the conference so sometimes you can hear the people in the background milling about way more clearly than you can hear Michael’s voice. This "lets get Michael to film his show live in the middle of the convention centre" idea clearly wasn't something that the Daily Wire thought through very well.

I feel like this whole situation is exposing my own moral failings because if I was at the Bitcoin Conference (god forbid) and I saw Michael Knowles just sitting there doing his show live I'd go up and harass the crap out of him. You guys would get to see the first Talking Points USA live fact-check!

Ok, we can't spend all day making fun of Michael Knowles going live from the Bitcoin Conference, even though it is pretty funny, so lets get back on track here.

05:11, Michael Knowles: "Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, was just asked a -- a question about Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris was put in charge of the border by her boss Joe Biden and -- and then the Democrats when Kamala became the presumptive nominee wanted to deny that she was put in charge of the border."

A lot of right-wing media coverage lately has been devoted to claiming that Kamala Harris was the Biden Administrations "Border Czar". The way that right-wing media has been framing this "Border Czar" thing has been extremely dishonest, although a bit of blame also falls on the MSM as well for giving Kamala that title in the first place.

"Border Czar" is not an official title in the United States government and the United States border falls under the jurisdiction of the secretary of Homeland Security. Where the confusion lies is that Kamala was appointed by Biden to be the chief diplomatic officer to Central American countries where undocumented immigrants often originate from in order to address the root causes of migration to the United States. That's a far cry from being in charge of the border however that didn't stop the mainstream media from irresponsibly calling Harris the "border czar" and acting as if she had a semblance of control over the border itself. Thanks to that, right-wing media has decided to have a field-day with claiming that Kamala Harris was in charge of the border. This is a good example of how even mainstream journalists can exaggerate news stories in todays click-based digital economy and how that exaggeration is genuinely dangerous at times.

06:38, Michael Knowles: "I will quote March 21st, 2024. These are the verbatim words of Joe Biden; 'I've asked her, the VP today, because she is the most qualified person to do it to lead our efforts with Mexico and Northern Triangle and the countries that help -- are going to need to help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration of the Southern Border. It's not her full responsibility and job but she's leading the effort because I think the best thing to do is to put someone when he or she speaks they don't have to wonder about is that where the president is.'"

This quote sounds significantly different from what Michael wants his audience to think it sounds like when you understand the fact that Kamala's position was a diplomatic one. Biden even said in the quote that "it's not her full responsibility" and talked about "When she speaks". She was talking to the leaders of foreign nations, not determining policy about border security.

07:22, Michael Knowles: "If you were confused here he is, next sentence, 'When she speaks, she speaks for me'. He imbues her with presidential authority on the issue of the border and migration."

By speaking, Biden was referring to speaking to foreign leaders to devise strategies to cut down on the need for migration, not speaking on the matter of security which is Homeland Securities job.

07:49, Michael Knowles: "So, that's -- that's what happened. Biden put Kamala in charge of the border and now the Democrats are saying 'there's no real -- there's no position of border czar'. Yeah, there's no position of czar in the government. There's no formal position of czar, czar is an imperial title that derives from Caesar so no we don't have a formal position named Caesar or Czar but if you look to Wikipedia, or if you look to Wikipedia before a couple days ago, you could type in 'Biden Administration Czars' and you'd get a whole list of them including Kamala Harris as the Border Czar."

As mentioned previously, the media will often refer to select people as Czars including Kamala Harris after she was given the diplomatic appointment by Joe Biden. Doesn't change what she was actually charged with doing which had nothing to do with security.

09:07, Michael Knowles: "So then, when the nominalism nonsense doesn't work, Karine Jean-Pierre tries to redirect and says 'Well, the Republicans killed a border bill'. Yes, there was a border bill that the Democrats were peddling. It was always a bad idea to consider any of the Democrats border legislation because the president was ignoring the immigration laws that were already on the books. The president already had the authority to enforce immigration law and he chose not to do it because he wanted migrants to flood into the country because the Democrats believe that it gives them a permanent electoral majority."

There is no better metaphor for the current state of the Republican Party and modern American Conservatism in general than Michael Knowles pushing the Great Replacement Theory at the Bitcoin Conference. You can't make this up, it's truly beyond parody.

I'll humor his argument with the exact amount of respect it deserves; Hey Michael, you dumb dipshit you, if the Biden Administration wants the border to be open to replace the hhhwhites or whatever, why did they propose a border security bill in the first place? Wouldn't they just ignore it?

Anyway, this Karine Jean-Pierre stuff is dumb and just standard issue bland right-wing mush. He continues talking about it for a bit, does an ad, comes back to complain about the FBI director testifying before Congress which is just whatever and I'm not talking about it. The GOP drags guys like Chris Wray and Tony Fauci in to generate clips for FOX News and the Daily Wire pursue truth justice and the American way so often that I kind of struggle to care about it. Congress is just a circus these days and the whole point of it in the year of our lord and savior 2024 just seems to be to generate viral clips. Essentially, Chris Wray said that the FBI didn't have all the information about the Trump shooting yet and that Trump may have been grazed and Michael's all fumed up into a tizzy about it. We have way more important things to cover though so that's an immediate skip.

19:31, Michael Knowles: " Now, speaking of gaslighting, a transvestite, a drag queen, has been tasked with carrying the Olympic torch on part of its journey to the Paris Olympics and this has sent the conservative commentariat into a tizzy."

This was before everyone got all pissed off about that Last Supper thing which I'm pretty sure I'll also end up covering at some point but my general thoughts on both things are simple; who gives a shit?

The world isn't designed to cater to this loud minority of bigoted assholes. If you have an extremely bigoted mindset towards trans people, occasionally you're going to see things that you don't like. These ceremonies don't effect Michael Knowles' life in the slightest nor do they effect most peoples lives. Plus, this is just yet another BS culture war story that all of these guys will forget about in a couple weeks when the next reminder that queer people exist comes up.

The lefts key issues are making sure that everybody has access to lifesaving healthcare and preventing children from being shot. The rights key issue is "We had to see a trans person on TV and our bigotry can't handle that".

20:35, Michael Knowles: "The conservatives are really upset about this, I don't really know why. The Olympic torch ceremony -- the Olympic torch ceremony is an overtly pagan ritual."

Well, we can add the Olympics to the increasingly long list of things that the Daily Wire thinks is satanic/pagan.

To be fair, the Olympics do actually have origins in paganism but the torch ceremony wasn't a part of the original games. The first torch ceremony was in the year 1936. Interestingly enough, the guy who created the modern Olympics as we know them was a man named Pierre de Coubertin and he was actually a devout Catholic.

If Michael wants to throw out everything that has pagan origins, than he should get rid of his yule logs and avoid buying a tree when Christmas comes around. Anyway, Michael doesn't care about the Olympics and he doesn't care so much that he's devoting a segment to it and calling for people to boycott the games on Twitter. Really this whole story is just an excuse for to push some gross transphobic propaganda.

21:12, Michael Knowles: "You know me, I'm as rock ribbed about the trans movement as anybody. I think transgenderism ought to be eradicated from public life entirely, the whole preposterous ideology at every level, but pagans gonna do pagan things."

If I was in the background at the Bitcoin Conference this would be the point where Michael starts getting tomatoes chucked at him. Real nice how he's equating being trans with paganism in order to stoke more hatred towards this minority group in his audience. God, this sucks. Wasn't this supposed to be the fun lighthearted post that I write before I go on holiday? Well, he's still broadcasting live from the Bitcoin Conference so there's still that element of accidental satire to all of this.

On that rather dismal note, we're talking about lab grown penises now and with that Michaels show went back to being so dumb its funny.

23:31, Michael Knowles: "Scientists, according to this report, scientists have grown male genitals in a lab and there are fears that it could make blokes obsolete."

This is a headline from a UK tabloid called The Daily Star which lets you know how great Michael's information sources are. I read the article from The Star, as well as articles from the real news, and essentially the gist of this story is that an Israeli scientist used mice cells to grow miniature testicles in a lab and is planning on moving onto using human cells to grow the next pair. She says that her goal is to help treat infertility. Michael offers some truly brilliant insight into this story, check this analysis out.

23:43, Michael Knowles: "This is troubling, not because I think its going to make blokes obsolete but because that must be a very creepy lab. Could you imagine the petri dishes? That sounds really gross."

"That's creepy and gross!", what truly insightful commentary. It's a wonder that Michael hasn't made it to the scientific journals yet. Remind me again why people take this guy seriously.

Conclusion:

Well, that was the Daily Wire live at the Bitcoin Conference. I can't say I'm surprised by how stupid it turned out but Its fun to make fun of regardless. No crazy new revelations about right-wing media and the Daily Wire here; Michael Knowles is as deep as a puddle and they think that everything is pagan, surprise surprise. A fitting last post before I venture off to Washington D.C for a vacation where I get to finally flip off the Capitol Building in person and do the obligatory disinformation writer pilgrimage to the Pizzagate restaurant.

Cheers and I'll see you in the next one after my trip!

Original Video:

“Ep. 1539 - the Olympics Embrace the Rainbow.”

Sources:

Byik, Andre. “Harris’ Border Work Was on “Root Causes” of Migration; She Wasn’t in Charge | Fact Check.” USA TODAY.

Ryan, George. “The Catholic Church’s Hidden Role in the Creation of the Modern Olympic Games.” UCatholic, 27 Feb. 2023.

Ghert-Zand, Renee. "In breakthrough, Bar-Ilan University scientists form artificial lab-grown testicles." The Times Of Israel, 23 February 2024.

[katie-the-bug]

Last post about Left Behind, I promise.

I'm as surprised as you are that the book isn't over yet.

Anyways, for those just tuning in, our cast: Rayford Steele, pilot and newly minted evangelist; Chloe Steele, getting evangelized to; Bruce Barnes, source of spiritual guidance and exposition in unequal measure; Buck Williams, newly promoted magazine editor and reporter; Nicolae Carpathia, the Antichrist and the only character I like; Hattie Durham, Rayford's emotional sidepiece who's moving on to better things, and by "better things" I mean Nicolae.

In Chapter 20 Buck sees Chloe for the first time and is immediately "stunned." Oh god no.

In Chapter 22 Chloe becomes a born-again Christian. Or, technically, she recounts how she became a born-again Christian to Buck, who's deliberately gotten himself a seat next to her on a plane. She decides that Buck's sitting next to her is, rather than Buck being creepy, God answering her prayers. I don't know quite what kind of example this is setting but I don't like it.

In Chapter 23, Nicolae becomes secretary-general of a revamped United Nations, which the authors think means King of the World. Earlier in the story he had set a number of conditions to his accepting the role - such as disarmament of member states, his election being unanimous, and the UN being moved to Babylon (which has for some reason been rebuilt in this universe) - all of which are enthusiastically met. In a better book this would be evidence of a far-reaching ability to manipulate minds, but as it is I can't tell where Nicolae's Antichrist powers end and this world's endemic insanity begins.

Nicolae also discusses plans to create a one world religion as though religion is in any way the UN's business. What do the authors think the UN does?

Throughout the second half of the book Bruce has been emphasizing how horrible the coming years will be and how most new Christians will die horrible deaths. The characters have discussed this multiple times, but if they're anxious about it for longer than a few minutes, the narration doesn't show it. Usually I'd criticize such a thing, but this is, in my experience, pretty on-brand for Christians. I've heard several of my Catholic school teachers treat the persecution of Christians in America as an inevitability, before getting on with the curriculum as though they haven't just given a bunch of twelve-year-olds a new reason to be anxious. (I am bitter.)

After wrestling for a few chapters, in Chapter 24 Buck finally says the magic words (in a bathroom, immediately before a press conference with Nicolae) and becomes a True Christian. The immediate consequence of this is that he can now sense that Nicolae is evil despite having no hard evidence for his misdeeds.

Almost immediately afterwards Nicolae shoots two guys in front of an entire press conference, so I really don't think Buck sensing his evil was necessary.

And immediately after that Nicolae uses his powers to erase everyone's memories of the event - except Buck, who is protected by the plot God. Nicolae had previously something about how the people present will "understand cognitively" that he is in charge, even without remembering it, which sounds like the authors just wanted Nicolae to do something bad without it affecting the plot. Cowards.

At the end of it all Buck tells the Steeles and Bruce that Nicolae is without a doubt the Antichrist. All I can think is that it would be so funny if he were wrong, the Antichrist were someone else, and Nicolae just had powers for no reason. It wouldn't have made for a good book, but the book wasn't good anyway and it would at least be funny.

That's Left Behind for you. My posts about the next books in the series will be spread out a bit more because I'm going on vacation and won't have access to my computer all the time. Still, expect a considerable volume of posts about this over the next month or so, because these books are just so easy to make fun of.

See you in the next book!

[night-gay]

Into the Anthill pt 42 - Pym v. Osborn

Given how long the East and West Coast teams operated together, Hank is no stranger to a world with more than one Avengers team. He had no problem with the New Avengers or the Young Avengers operating alongside his Mighty Avengers, but Norman Osborn leading what the government considered the only “legitimate” team wasn’t something he’d take lying down. Hank was both smart enough and petty enough to make sure his team out-heroed them at every turn to claim the public’s favor.

After all this I’m sure spiders aren’t the only bugs Norman wants eradicated.

🐜🐜🐜

Mighty Avengers vol 1 #31-33

Hank joined the other Avengers in battle against The Unspoken, an Inhuman who was turning humans into alpha primitives (Inhumans’ slave race). Unspoken succeeded in turning most of the present heroes and civilians, but Amadeus Cho and Hank were able to use a chrono-ray to age Unspoken into senility and regress the affected people back to normal. After the battle Clint warned Hank that their Wanda was a fake, but Hank had known all along thanks to his suit's retinal scanners. He'd just been waiting for the right time to confront her about it.

After Pietro was awarded Inhuman citizenship again the team headed back to the Infinite Mansion for a quick globetrotting/crime-fighting montage. Norman Osborn, again upstaged by the Mighty Avengers, brought his team to Project Pegasus to fight Absorbing Man as a publicity stunt. Hank's team interrupted their press conference to deal with Creel themselves much to Norman's chagrin. Absorbing Man burst through the roof after absorbing shards of a cosmic cube to gain its power. Realizing that his wrecking ball would have become a cosmic cube as well, Norman and Hank rushed to claim it.

Norman arrived first, but Hank convinced him that he'd already used it. How else could he explain a reality where heroes are on the run and he was calling the shots? As Norman hesitated, Hank took the cube for himself to fight with. Loki turned the battle back in Norman's favor by presenting him with a sword that could stop Creel and erasing the reporter's memories of any shortcomings from his Avengers. Norman used his rank to dismiss U.S.Agent from service before the rest of The Mighty Avengers returned to the mansion. Hank may have lost the publicity, but he and Amadeus had enough data now to prove Loki was impersonating Wanda.

New Avengers vol 2 #60

After Luke Cage's heart surgery the other New Avengers were rightfully worried that Norman had rigged the procedure somehow. Daredevil detected a signal being emitted from his chest and Doctor Strange confirmed that there was a small device attached to his heart now. Strange called Hank called in to help so that he could shrink them down to the device and deactivate it. It turned out to be a bomb and they weren't able to stop the detonation, so took Spider-Man's advice and sent the bomb to Norman's summer house to blow up.

Captain America Reborn vol 1 #1-6

Falcon, Vision, and Sharon Carter revealed that she was the one who shot Captain America, but she was under Red Skull’s control and HYDRA has been working on a variant of Doom’s time platform. Osborn planned to trap Red Skull in Steve’s mind to have him lead the Dark Avengers as the “real” Captain America. Steve fought through the control once they brought him back and aided the Avengers in defeating a giant robotic Red Skull.

Marvel Divas vol 1 #3

Firestar met with Hank to start chemotherapy and discuss her treatment options. Once she made enough progress Hank promised to make her another suit to siphon out her excess radiation.

Minor/Cameo appearances from this period:

Realm of Kings: Inhumans vol 1 #1-2

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"5,000 Steel Workers Strike," Windsor Star. January 12, 1943. Page 1 & 6. ---- Great Plant At Sydney Is Tied Up ---- Trouble Also Likely at Canadian Soo; Wage Dispute Is the Cause ---- By Canadian Press SYDNEY, NS, Jan. 12-Approxi mately 5,000 steel workers of the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation's huge plant here went on strike today in protest over the majority report of the Barlow commission.

The executive of the Sydney branch of the United Steel Workers of Am erica (C.IO.) issued a statement say ing the executive was "in full accord with the action.

NO MAINTENANCE C. M. Anson, general manager of the plant, said the situation was "serious" and "as far as we know no arrangements have been made for maintenance." Mr. Anson requested an immediate conference with union officials and it was expected the union executive and company representatives would meet later today.

One blast furnace was cast before some 2.600 workers on the day shift walked out. The union statement said that the 2,400 steel men on the night shift were also involved.

George Macneill, president of the Sydney union, said that he had been in touch with Alphonse Murray, fl- nancial secretary of the steel workers branch at Trenton, N.S., who had assured him of the "backing" of 3,000 steel workers at the plant operated by the same company there.

The union executive statement said that "the inevitable has happened, with resentment at fever heat in protest against what the men must consider an unjust and unnecessary positlon brought about by legality evasions of the majority report of the Barlow commission…."

MAJORITY REPORT (The majority report of the Barlow commission recommended that, with the exception of maintenance workers, basic wage rates at the Sydney plant and the Algoma Steel Corporation plant at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., remain unchanged. A minority report supported the steel workers' demands for a basic rate of 55 cents an hour.)

"We, the central executive, are in full accord with the necessity for the men taking such a drastic step," the statement continued.

"The men have already proven their willingness to increase the war effort; they have made many sacrifices, but they are firmly convinced that no country can give the principles of democracy to others without main- taining these essential principles a home.

A perusal of the minority re port as compared with the majority findings leaves little for the imagination as to legalistic evasion.

ALL SHIFTS "The walkout this morning will affect all shifts of the plant and special department committees are at work in union headquarters. maintaining . the complete order that has characterized the stoppage since the beginning."

Mr. Anson issued the following statement:

"The men just walked out. The company received no notification whatsoever from the union regarding the strike. The company has asked the union executive for an immediate conference. It is a serious situation - as far as we know no arrangements have been made for maintenance."

The union executive also conferred with Mayor Jack MacLean of Sydney and recommended that the stores operated by the Nova Scotia liquor commission in Sydney be closed during the strike.

AT THE SO0 SAULT STE MARIE, Ont. Jan. 12. -Mayor Jack McMeeken told Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Federal Labor Minister Humphrey Mitchell in a telegram today that "unless you in- tervene to adopt the minority report (of the Barlow Steel Commission) before 7 a. m. Thursday, a most grave situation will arise in the steel industry here."

The mayor's telegram, sent with the unanimous approval of the city council, followed reports from Bydney. N. B.. that 3,000 workers on the day shift at the plant of the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation had gone or. strike in protest against the report which recommended against increases in the basic rate in the Canadian steel industry.

MEET TONIGHT Meanwhile employes of the Algoma Steel Corporation plant here - members of the United Steel Workers of America (C.I.O.) - prepared for a mass meeting tonight at which Union Secretary William Mahoney said action to be taken by the Sault union on the Barlow report would be decided. He had no other comment to make on the strike action taken at Sydney. Operations at the Algoma steel plant continued this morning.

The mayor's telegram, copies of which were sent to Ontario Labor Minister Peter Heenan and George Nixon. Liberal M.P. for Algoma West, as well as Mr. King and Mr. Mitchell, said:

"As head of the municipality of Sault Ste. Marie and with full approval of council, I wish to forcibly draw to your attention the serious situation that exists in this city as a result of the Barlow wage report and feel it is my duty to advise you that unless you intervene to adopt the minority report before 7 a.m. Thursday, a most grave situation will arise in the steel industry here. "I believe that, in the best Interests of not only the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie but of the Dominion, immediate action by your government in favor of the steel workers is of imperative importance."

A majority report of the steel commission - which was headed by F. H. Barlow of Toronto, then master of the Ontario Supreme Court and since elevated to the bench - recommended against increases in basic wage rates at the Algoma plant here and the Dosco plant at Sydney.

A minority report urged granting of the steel workers request for a basic rate of 55 cents and an hour plus full cost-of-living bonus in both plants. The present basic rate at Sydney is 4312 cents an hour and at the Sault 45 cents. A full cost-of-living bonus is paid at Sydney and a partial bonus is paid here.

[rowoon-updates]

211008 SF9 Rowoon at The Kings Affection Press Conference‬‬‬‬ © swoon do not edit, crop, or remove the watermark

[navdeep13]

Navdeep Kamboj A00304887

King Pacific Lodge, Princess Royal Island, British Columbia

Key Players:

ing Pacific Lodge was operated by the company Pursuit Collection. However, for the most current and accurate information regarding key players, management, and ownership of King Pacific Lodge, I recommend checking the official website of the lodge or contacting them directly. Additionally, recent online reviews, news articles, or press releases may provide insights into any changes in leadership or ownership.

Venue::

Princess Royal Island, British Columbia, Canada

Facilities:

Luxury accommodations

Dining facilities

Meeting spaces

Outdoor activities

Meeting Types:

Corporate Retreats:

Utilizing the natural surroundings for team-building.

Executive Meetings:

Providing an exclusive and serene environment.

Special Events:

Hosting weddings, conferences, etc.

Challenges:

Weather-Related Challenges:

Remote location may pose transportation challenges.

Weather conditions affecting outdoor activities.

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths:

Unique, remote location provides a serene and exclusive experience.

Luxury accommodations and facilities.

Weaknesses:

Remote location could be a challenge for accessibility.

Limited options for nearby services.

Opportunities:

Growing demand for exclusive and nature-oriented travel experiences.

Expanding or enhancing facilities to cater to larger groups.

Threats:

Economic downturn impacting luxury travel.

Competition from other luxury lodges or resorts.

[bowandcurtsey]

Missing the BC boys? In that case, may I request about the four of them ditching or leaving very early a party, conference, meeting, whatever to go back to s/o who's sick, at the end of pregnancy or anything else that makes it difficult for her to leave her room and such? If it's not clear enough, I would gladly explain further. And by the way, your little fics are true gems!

Nozel | Fuegoleon | William | Yami x f! reader

Nozel Silva

Nozel Silva was absolutely bored at this party. He hated parties in the first place. If it wasn't that the king wanted all Magic Knight captains to be present (for his pride of course), he wouldn't even be here.

To make it worst, his mind constantly dwelled back to you who's pregnant and about to pop anytime. Worst still? He made you upset just before he left.

You wanted to head out for a little massage but Nozel refused, saying that you should stay home and called a masseuse in for you. But you argued that you were pregnant, not handicapped, and you needed to walk around, it would be good for the baby. Besides, you liked that particular masseuse, you always went to her.

But your husband was way too stubborn for that, all he could worry about was what if you went into labour while outside and he was here at this meaningless party.

He felt worst the more he thought about your angry and upset face before he left. He only wanted for you to be happy all the time, which was what he vowed when he married you. Now that you were pregnant with his child, the more he didn't want to upset you because it wasn't good for the baby.

Consumed with regret, he couldn't bear with it any longer. He went up to Fuegoleon, who seemed like he was almost bored to death as well.

"Fuegoleon. I would need a f-favour." he said softly.

His rival looked at him, amused. Nozel Silva has never asked him for a favour!

"Could you c-cover for me?" he said awkwardly, "y/n seems... unwell before I left."

Upon hearing your name, Fuegoleon immediately understood. The royal was worried for you as well. "Go, hurry. Send my regards to Lady y/n."

Nozel felt bad for lying, but he told himself it was a white lie. Technically, being upset was not well, right?

-----

"Honey." he quietly came into your shared room.

You were surprised to see him because he barely even left. "Why are you home so early?" your voice was cold because you were still upset at your husband.

"To bring you to the massage place that you wanted to go," he smiled softly.

"You snuck out of the party? Aren't you afraid king Augustus might be unhappy?" He was dressed to the nines and was looking so sharp, clean and.. handsome. He features were already beautiful, but in his high neck collar and a cravat, he looked so perfect.

"I was... worried." he looked at you from under his beautiful thick lashes.

All your anger dissipated in that moment and you couldn't help but press a kiss to your husband's lips. He must have been really sulky at the party earlier, being all worried about you.

His face brightened up instantly at your affection.

"We'll go another day, it's too late to go for a massage now, I think they're almost closing soon."

"I thought about that, so I invited your favourite masseuse to come over instead."

You gasped when you saw her coming in with a smile, "hello y/n! oh my god, you're due anytime aren't you?"

You glanced at your husband, who was smiling quite triumphantly, "How did you manage to call her over? She doesn't accept housecalls!"

Your husband leaned down to whisper in your ear, "I paid her ten times the amount of your usual massage," He pressed a kiss on your cheeks before heading out of the room, "Enjoy your massage, honey."

Fuegoleon Vermillion

The captain of the Crimson Lion was way beyond bored. He was in the diamond kingdom with some other magic knights from the other team for a conference meeting.

Initially he thought that it would be good to associate and exchange knowledge with other kingdom's military but after the first 2 days, it seemed that most people here were just around for free food and drinks and for the fun.

He saw many generals, knights and mages getting drunk and getting chummy with each other, it was just unsightly to him.

His mind wandered to you, his wife, whom he learnt from Leo secretly that you had been unwell for the last 2 days. He was uneasy and wanted to come home asap.

He went over to where Jack, who was stuffing himself with the free food.

"Oi, lion king! Want some food? Damn these beef cubes are hella good!" Jack said with food in his mouth.

"No thanks, but Jack.. do you think you can do me a favour?" the Vermillion looked at him with pleading eyes.

"What? If you want me to go train with you right now, it's a no." Jack raised his brows at his fellow captain, "you can ask pretty boy over there."

Fuegoleon looked over in Jack's view and saw Kirsch, presumingly showing off his beauty to a heart kingdom mage. He shook his head at his cousin before speaking again in a lowered voice to Jack, "no.. I heard that y/n is unwell, I want to leave early to see her.. could you handle the rest from here?"

Jack blinked as he looked at Fuego, "you want to dump me here as the only in charge and take care of all these dumb kids by myself?"

Fuegoleon pursed his lips. He and Jack were the main ICs for the clover kingdom knights, it would be irresponsible to just leave..

"I'm just pulling your leg red head," Jack smacked his back, "I'll slash them if they misbehave, just go back to Mrs Lion."

"I- thanks Jack." he smiled, feeling relieved, "I'll tell Kirsch to lend you a hand too.."

-----

"But Sis! My bro would hammer me if he came back and found you still unwell!!" Leo's voice was heard from your shared room, "You have to see the doctor!"

"I'm fine Leo.... I just need more sleep, alright? Don't let Fue know that I'm unwell." your voice sounded weak.

"Don't let me know what?" Fue's body lean against the door frame of your room, his arms crossed and one of his eyebrows raised.

"Brother! you're back!" Leo beamed, "Geez, you take care of your own girl, I'm leaving now!" the little lion cub shook his head as he left.

That traitor. You narrowed your eyes at his retreating back.

"Don't blame Leo, love," Fue chuckled at your expression as he came to sit by your side on the bed, "I called him and asked about you."

"It's just a cold, I must have slept without drying my hair properly the other night.." you sneezed before you finished your sentence.

Fue immediately wrapped you in his arms, radiating heat to warm you up, "I'm just gone for 3 days and you're already sick, do I have to drag you everywhere with me now?" he teased.

"Why are you back so early?" you pouted at his teasing, "I thought you'll be gone for about a week?"

"I missed my wife," his tapped his fingers on your nose, "But she didn't even tell me the truth about her getting sick.. I thought we made a vow, in sickness and in health?"

You lowered your eyes and looked at your man under your fluttering eyelash, pouting even more. You were indeed feeling guilty for lying to him, but you thought it was a white lie, for you didn't want him to worry..

"Fue, you can't just dump your work just like that y'know.. It's not right plus you were one of the ICs for the clover kingdom in this joint conference right..?"

"Yeah.. but most of the main stuff were over," he assured you, "now let me fufill the duties of a husband and take care of my sick wife."

William Vangeance

His body was at the heart kingdom for a joint training session with their Mages and Clover kingdom's knights, but his heart is with you, who was back at home nursing your injury.

Furthermore, you were injured during a mission, in which he was already feeling guilt for not taking care of you properly. Although you kept telling him that you were okay, but your man was just a huge softie he still blamed himself nonetheless.

"Watch out!" Gaja knocked William out of the way in time, avoiding an attack by one of the young mages that William was in charge of training.

"Are you hurt?" Gaja looked over at William, who shook his head. "You've been spacing out quite a bit sir Vangeance, is everything alright?"

William sighed, "I'm very sorry Gaja san, I'm just worried for someone back at home.."

"Ahhh," Gaja smiled, understanding what was going on, "Must be Lady y/n isn't it?"

William looked at him, shocked.

Gaja chuckled and patted William on the back, "Go, attend to her before coming back, our doors are always welcomed to you guys anyway. I'll take over the Junior Mages from here."

-----

You were struggling to pick up your purse that you dropped on the floor. One of your leg was in a cast, so it was really difficult for you to even move around, let alone bend down to pick up things.

As you tried stretching and straightening your leg, you lost your balance and tumbled. But before your face crashed face first onto the ground, a pair of hands caught you.

"Are you okay?!" A familiar voice rang at your ears.

"Darling! What are you doing back here?!" you were shocked to see that you were in the arms of your man, William.

His warm smile melted your heart and sent it beating in a frenzy, "I was too worried, I couldn't focus, honey.. So I got sent home."

"You got sent home like a little kid huh.." you chuckled, "Darling, I told you I could take care of myself and I'll be home, don't worry-"

"And look who's here falling face first to the floor and got caught in my arms?" he gave you the look. The look that he was absolutely right, his smile never changed but the shine in his eyes were determined and strong.

You gave a relenting sigh, "Okay.. but are you sure it's okay for you to be back here..?" you were worried that he'll be reprimanded.

"Nothing comes before you, honey. I would head back for extra time when you're better. I promised Gaja san." He picked you up and put you back into bed. "Now, let me serve you first."

Yami Sukehiro

"Bottoms up!" Jack shouted to Yami, "Look at all the free food and alcohol we have tonight~"

The Black Bulls captain was not really interested tonight, his mind flashed back to the image of you before he came to this party. Your belly was so round and full, carrying his child for him. It was difficult for you to walk around and your feet were swollen but you still persuaded him to come to this party, because Julius was making an important speech about the captains tonight.

"Yami," Julius tapped him on the shoulder, "you don't really look yourself tonight, did you fight with y/n?"

"Fight, your ass, old man!" Yami narrowed his eyes at the king, "I'm just waiting for you to make your little speech so I can leave to accompany my pregnant wife, who is about to pop anytime!"

"Oh.." Julius gave the man a sheepish smile, "Em, it's nothing much, just wanted to thank the captains for their hard work..."

Yami raised an eyebrow, "Are you kidding me? Well, you're very welcome, I'll redeem all the free food and alcohol next time!"

Julius smiled and shook his head at Yami's retreating figure.

-----

You sat on the rooftop where your husband and you usually hung out on some nights, this time you were alone, because your husband had to attend some Royal Party. You didn't want to attend because it would be tiring for a heavily pregnant lady like you to entertain the people there, so you sent him on his own while you stayed back at the base.

A blanket draped over your frame. You turned around and your herculean husband stood towering over you. "Are you trying to freeze yourself and my baby out here?"

"Baby, what are you doing back so soon?! Are you drunk already?!"

"Babe, I was only gone for barely 2 hours did you think I'd be drunk so soon? You're hurting my pride right now."

"Oh, that what happened? Did you get into a fight and got sent home?"

He gave you a little puppy pout, telling you his fragile heart has indeed been broken, "I came home because I missed you and our little baby boy"

He wrapped you in his huge arms, body radiating heat to yours and warming you up. He gently pressed a kiss to your temples as he watched the night sky with you, the royal castle in the far distant.

"Aren't you a clingy husband?" you giggled, "I told you- ouch! He kicked me!"

"Heh, see he disagrees with you!" he let out a low chuckle, before putting his huge palms on your belly, "Hey, if you bully mommy, you'll get it when you're out young man."

You gave him a little joking glare for giving a threat to your unborn son.

"Babe! You can't neglect me when he's out okay! I'll be real jealous.." he sighed as he put his head on your shoulder.

-end-

[dingyuxi]

CHOI BYUNG CHAN & NAM YOON SOO — THE KING’S AFFECTION; Press Conference (2021)

[mixelation]

i stopped watched supernatural around season 9 (i forget if that was the season where i watched one episode and was like 'nah' or if i made it to the end and noped out on s10e1) but recently i randomly picked up watching it from season 12 and i'm partway through season 15, and here are some batshit insane plot points tumblr meta has completely failed to inform me of

I knew Mary Winchester comes back as a character but no one prepared me for the sheer lack of explanation for this

Lucifer is just. There. I knew he must have been around for a while bc I knew about Jack, but I genuinely do not know what Lucifer is trying to accomplish or what happens if he's not stopped. He possesses a rock star for a while and goes to press conferences but refuses to make music. There's an episode where he eats out of a dumpster with a homeless man. There's another episode where he's just wandering around an alternate dimension with Mary. He's like a weird little goblin man wandering between subplots

Dean kills Hitler

I knew The Empty was where angels go when they die, but no one mentioned it's also a sentient cosmic entity. No one mentioned that it takes Cas's form to talk, and that Misha Collin's portrayal of The Empty is, and I don't know how else to describe this, a mediocre impression of a neurotic zeppelin pilot.

The Big Bad of season 12 is just........ British People

Speaking of Misha Collins doing batshit performances: he also plays an evil version of Castiel who inexplicably has a vaguely eastern european accent

Donald Trump canonically made a deal with the King of Hell

The steady and marked decay of Jensen Ackles's acting is exemplified most by a handful of episodes where he's possessed by Michael and this is signified by him wearing a newsboy cap and speaking with the laziest flat affect I've ever heard

They attempt to add flight to angels, resulting in comically bad effects of angels having slappy fights while hanging from the ceiling

Seriously look at how bad this is:

[theodessadatinggames]

Hi, I'm playing 'MC ran from an abusive household' runaway route and I have some questions about it?

I tried to search the blog for answers but... Tumblr's search function sure leaves a lot to be desired. I'm sorry in advance if I ask any questions previously answered!

Okay, here we go:

- Why does MC running away make them a criminal?

That actually confused me the most right away because in my country, you are treated as a missing person if you run away and you don't get charged for running away itself: however, you will get punished if you committed a crime during that period.

- When did MC run away? Related to it, how did it affect their education if they ran away during, say, high school?

- How did they find a job if their education wasn't completed and they are a fugitive? Did they use a false name?

- If you choose to have Cass as an ex-friend or ex-lover, how does the runaway route affect their relationship? Did they know the circumstances? Did MC tell them before departure or did they just disappear? Will it be mentioned in the game?

- Even with King Frederick offering to get rid of the charges, will it come to haunt us during the competition? Like it being exposed by a rival, or the police looking for him do a press conference or something like that? Or perhaps, even our abusive family coming back to blackmail us or try to take us away?

(I know MC is an adult, but still. It's still a reasonable fear.)

- In 'I will compete but only if you give something back in turn' option, we can ask for money, job, donations to Lux's Lighthouse, or our charges being dropped. For example, if you accept to compete in exchange of donations, will the charges still get dropped, or vice versa?

(I won't ask if choosing to compete in exchange of something will come to bite us in Heir romance-route because I just know it will.)

Sorry again for all these questions, thank you in advance regardless! Have a nice day!

great questions! this is a long ask, so answers after the first one are after the cut!

Why does MC running away make them a criminal?

mc running away in the bad home life route shouldn't have them being treated as a criminal. that should be the only option where you're not treated as such. feel free to send me another ask where exactly these instances are and I'll get it rewritten, or coded correctly.

When did MC run away? Related to it, how did it affect their education if they ran away during, say, high school?

I don't specify in the story, but about 16-17. I could add in some flavor text regarding education!

How did they find a job if their education wasn't completed and they are a fugitive? Did they use a false name?

in the bad home life route, they're not considered a fugitive, so they've worked a series of odd jobs until they met up with odi/odanna. for the other route, it will depend upon their level of education. I'll go back and flush this out as well.

If you choose to have Cass as an ex-friend or ex-lover, how does the runaway route affect their relationship? Did they know the circumstances? Did MC tell them before departure or did they just disappear? Will it be mentioned in the game?

you can ask cass if anybody is still looking for them, but overall, they wouldn't care, seeing as they don't have the best reputation either lol. I don't have it decided either way, regarding whether or not they told before leaving, so I can add that as well.

Even with King Frederick offering to get rid of the charges, will it come to haunt us during the competition? Like it being exposed by a rival, or the police looking for him do a press conference or something like that? Or perhaps, even our abusive family coming back to blackmail us or try to take us away?

no comment on this, except for the last question. I wouldn't want to write a scenario where you can willingly leave a bad situation and have that come back to haunt you. so, if you leave home, your family won't come and look for you. but people leave home for other reasons as well...it's why I've kept the wording "didn't have the best home life" vague. but like i said, no comment to everything else.

In 'I will compete but only if you give something back in turn' option, we can ask for money, job, donations to Lux's Lighthouse, or our charges being dropped. For example, if you accept to compete in exchange of donations, will the charges still get dropped, or vice versa?

non answer on this for now.

I won't ask if choosing to compete in exchange of something will come to bite us in Heir romance-route because I just know it will.

lol...

hope I answered everything as best I could without spoilers. :)

[sjun]

the king’s affection press conference | behind the scenes