#Author: Matt Fraction

[magpiepills]

Into The Deep End

Rating: EXPLICIT! 18+ MDNI

Pairing: Joel Miller: Hole Filler x AFAB reader

Word count: 2.7k

Summary: you and your friend are invited to swim at the home of her boyfriend’s friend.

Warnings: PIV, dirty talk, little size kink, age gap, swimming, girls kissing girls, multiple orgasms, creampie, drug and alcohol use. no use of y/n, no outbreak, no Sarah, plus perhaps others.

A word for the author: this is a repost! well this isn’t the DBF I had planned. He wasn’t cooperating, so instead you get Best Friend’s Boyfriend’s Buddy Joel and his big dick. The important thing is that we have Joel and we have him in a timely manner!

Kim hadn’t shut up about her boyfriends neighbor all week. “He’s sooo good looking. If it wasn’t for Matt, I’d be all over him. Maybe I’ll be all over him anyway, Matt likes it when I flirt!”

“Isn’t he like, fifty though?” You frown, not looking up from your magazine.

“Nah, he’s forty, tops. Does it matter though? He’s gorgeous. Wait until you see him.”

You were skeptical. It seemed weird for an older guy to invite some college kids to hang out and swim in his pool. You needed some excitement and distraction in your life, though. College had been rough. Classes were grueling and your own boyfriend had unceremoniously dumped you right before finals. It was a killer blow.

“Whats his name? Josh? Jared? Is he really ok with us using his pool?”

“It’s Joel. And he said we can come over any time. He lives alone and he’s always been like a big brother to Matt. Plus he’s so chill. He always has weed, he’s not creepy, he’s fun. You’ll love him. I told him all about you and he seemed really interested in meeting you.”

“Kim!” You admonished and swatted her with your magazine. “Do not try anything with this guy. I don’t need to be set up with an old guy!”

“Just wait until you see him. You’ll thank me.”

And she was right. On Saturday afternoon you and Kim met Matt at Joel’s house. The guys were already in the back yard, music playing, cooler full of beer by the back door, floats in the pool. Kim ran to Matt, and he lifted her into a hug, one hand squeezing her ass in a wide grip. You sat down the bag holding your towel, sunscreen, and tshirt, and said hello to the astoundingly attractive man sitting at the patio table.

“You must be Joel. Thanks for letting us use your pool.”

“Don’t mention it. Matt told me you girls are home for the summer, so feel free to come by any time and swim. Beer?” He gestured at the cooler.

“Please!” You accepted his offer gratefully and watched him press the cap into his big palm and twist it off. Kim was right, he’s gorgeous. Tall and tan, with silver just beginning to thread through his dark, messy hair and dark brown eyes. He had a broad chest and shoulders. You took the beer and sipped, and eyed him as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a slightly soft belly and a trail of dark hair leading under his light blue trunks. Dear god you thought, a giddy feeling welling up inside you with an urge to run your hands over his skin. You felt like such a creep. You imagined touching him and smelling him, laying your head on his chest, biting his shoulder.

“Come in with me!” Kim’s call snapped you out of your thoughts, and you grabbed your towel, spreading it on the concrete. The water was warm, and it felt good to float and splash around a while. A game of chicken was suggested and abandoned, in favor of a round of shots, and you felt a little disappointed that you wouldn’t get to sit on Joel’s shoulders. You’d have to find another way to get your legs around him.

You got out of the pool, toweled off, and rummaged through our bag until you found your sunscreen. Perched on the patio chair, you slathered your arms and shoulders with Hawaiian tropic, and glanced up at Joel, catching his gaze for a fraction of a second before his eyes darted away. He could pretend he wasn’t watching you rub sunscreen on your chest all he wanted.

Kim swam near you and put her arms about your waist, leaning close to whisper in your ear “He’s hot, right? Are you sorry you doubted me?” “So sorry, Kim, I’m going to fuck him, I swear to god.” You said it with a laugh, but you kind of meant it.

After a few more drinks you were feeling bold, you and Kim were getting handsy with each other, a familiar intimacy shared by best friends, but something the two of you’d wielded more than once to draw the gaze of the boys you wanted to tease. Matt was happy to watch, and Joel couldn’t take his eyes off you and Kim, squeezing each other's hips and casually tugging at each other's bikini tops, dragging fingertips along the edge of the triangles over your breasts, whispering and giggling and all but kissing. “Here we go!” You could hear Matt whoop, finally noticing what you and Kim were doing. You saw Joel shifting down in his seat, adjusting his trunks as inconspicuously as he could, but you knew what he was doing. Your eyes met his and you gave him the smallest smile before turning back to Kim and whispering to her again. The beers you’d drank and the raw attraction you felt for Joel were mixing together low in your stomach and your inhibition was quickly dissolving.

Matt had had enough and jumped into the water, wrapping his arms around you and Kim and making lewd jokes about threesomes that had you giggling and blushing. He had seen enough of you and Kim’s shenanigans to know that it wasn’t going to happen and he eventually pulled your bestie away to the shallow end to make out, leaving you alone. You didn’t know what to do with yourself, and as you tried to decide what to do next, you felt a splash on your shoulder. Joel had came and sat on the edge of the pool, looking down at you and smiling his open, warm smile before slipping in beside you.

“Are you and her and him a thing?” He asked, sounding awestruck that such a thing could happen in his own pool.

“No, just friends. I’ve known Kim for ages, we like to goof around.”

“I never goofed around with my friends like that. What’s your boyfriend think?” There it was.

“No boyfriend. Just all by my lonesome. What about you? Is your girlfriend out with her girlfriend?”

“Damn. I wish. But no, no girlfriend to speak of.”

With that you let him watch as you slowly looked him over, nibbling flirtatiously at your lip, not knowing how you wanted him to respond. He smiled and in better light you might be able to see him blush.

“‘Nother beer?”

“Why not?”

You followed him out of the pool, he got out first, then turned to offer you a hand to pull yourself up. A big, wide, strong, warm hand. Back at the table you sat closer to him, sipping your beer and twisting lazily in the comfy spinning chair.

You chatted for a while, about movies you’d seen, music you liked, books you’ve read, finding you had a lot of things in common. The longer you talked, the closer together you got until your legs were across his lap and he was gently stroking your calves.

Kim and Matt were asleep on a lounge chair, and you really should have woken them up to go home, them in his bed, you on the couch, but instead, you and Joel just looked at them for a moment, and he asked if you wanted to watch a movie.

“It’s not that late, they’ll probably get up soon and want to leave.” He reasoned and you didn’t have an argument.

You just followed him through the sliding patio door, past a sparse but clean kitchen, and onto an ugly sofa that was more comfortable than your own bed.

You groaned when you sank into it, tucking your legs under you. You had slipped on your tshirt, but your now dry bikini was still underneath. Joel’s house was dark and cool inside, the only light coming from the light over the stove in the kitchen and the tv.

Joel put on Night of the Living Dead and came back to the couch with a blanket, tossing it over you. You noticed he had changed into soft looking plaid pajama pants and a gray shirt, smelling like a mix of fabric softener and chlorine. He propped his feet on the coffee table and started the movie.

“It’s ok if you get scared. I won’t tell anybody if you hide your eyes.” He teased.

You told him how you loved scary movies, even though they terrified you.

When the first vaguely gruesome scene came on you pulled the blanket over your face. Joel pulled you against his side with a sigh.

“I’ll tell you when it’s over.” His arm stayed around you though, and you lifted the blanket so he could get under too.

It wasn’t long before your legs were back in his lap and he watched you while you watched the movie.

“This isn’t even that scary. They’re too slow.”

Maybe you were just lulled into comfort by Joel’s presence and warmth, and the way he stroked his thumb up and down your shin, squeezed your ankle gently, massaged your calf…

“Slow’s good.”

His voice was a little deeper, and he was a little closer and you didn’t move away. You turned your head and looked at him, gazing down at you, messy hair and soft eyes.

“Yeah. Maybe slow’s not bad.”

He hummed and brushed his nose against yours.

Your lips met slowly, sliding to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, warm and soft, and his hand on your shin moved up to your knee, up to your thigh, to your hip, where he found the little bow of your bikini bottom and you could feel him smile against your lips .

“Been wanting to do this all day. Ever since I saw you walk in.”

You were surely blushing now. “You should have. All I heard about all day was how good looking you are.”

Joel sat up a little straighter and lifted his eyebrows at that. “Oh yeah? Did I disappoint ya?” He asked while you leaned forward so he could tug your t-shirt over your head.

“When we were in the pool I told Kim I was going to fuck you.”

Your admission stopped him in his tracks, stunned and mouth agape.

“Jesus, you’ve got a mouth on you.”

And you couldn’t stop yourself then. “Mhm. I can show you my mouth.”

Not your sexiest line, but it had the intended effect. Joel was looking at you like he wasn’t sure you were real.

“Come here.” He pulled you onto his lap so you were straddling him, only your bikini and his pajama pants separating you now, you could feel him, hard and huge.

You circled your hips, making him groan as he kissed you deeply, tongues meeting and swirling gently before he kissed a path down your neck, across your collarbone, and down between your breasts before l pressing a kiss to each one. He slid his hands up your sides as he kissed, and toyed with the thin material of your top before dipping two thick fingers under the fabric and pulling it to the side. He kissed the swell of your breast before licking the firm peak, and sucking it into his warm mouth. Everything about Joel was so soft and warm and comfortable.

“Let me take this off.” He said with his fingers already pulling at the strings tied at the back of your neck. It wasn’t a request, really. He was needy. You quickly untied the strings at your back and flung the whole thing over your shoulder.

He sat back, mesmerized by your tits. He stared, wide-eyed for a moment before cupping both breasts, lifting and squeezing them, kissing and licking your pebbles nipples as he tilted his hips to grind his cock against your covered pussy.

You ran your fingers through his hair, met each movement, surely leaving a wet spot between you, and when you couldn’t take it any more, you reached down and pulled the string on either side of your hips.

“Fuck. Are you going to let me do this?”

You bit your bottom lip, looked at him through your eyelashes and nodded. “You want to fuck me Joel?”

He moved fast, grabbing the fabric out from under you and slinging it away and wrapping one arm around your waist to pull you against his chest while he used his other hand to cover your pussy, the heat of his palm radiating up through your core, sliding his fingers forward and back to gather your slick and spread it through your folds and over your clit.

“You’re so wet. You get wet for me? Like feeling this big cock? This what you need to fill you up?” He lifted his hips to press his cock against your mound, making you moan into his neck.

“Yes. Yes Joel, please.”

Neither of you were going to be able to hold out much longer. You wanted to tease each other, but you needed him inside you.

He lifted his hips again, shimmying down his pants and boxers as quickly as he could. Finally freed, he arranged you on his lap, his cock resting on the curve of your ass, so close to where you needed him.

“You on the pill or somethin’?” He asked as he ran his fingers over your folds again, making you tilt your hips to chase his touch, then stroking his cock with your arousal.

“Yeah. I’m good, got an iud.”

“Good, cause I’m not pullin’ out.” He said, as he positioned his thick head at your entrance and pulled you downward to meet his thrust.

The pinch was extraordinary, but melted out into a warmth that made him feel destined to be inside you. The two of you set a rhythm, you grinding down and him thrusting up, slow and deep, and wet, letting your clit roll against him. Your orgasm crept up, hot and tight in your belly, and he could feel you on the edge of release.

“Want to feel you come on my cock. Squeezin me so tight, feel you soaking me.” He babbled at you and took your nipple back into his mouth, grunting lewdly as he sucked.

It was so much. So many sensations, his mouth, his cock, his hands, his heat, his voice, they crashed over you like a tidal wave.

Joel watched, rapt as you rode it out on his lap, loving how you used his body for your own pleasure, loving how you responded to him, how you took him.

You came back to him with a kiss, blissed out, feeling floaty.

“Fuck, that was good.” You purred to him, no plan to ever leave his lap.

“Gotta fuck you, sweetheart. Y’feel too good.” He throbbed inside you, setting off a small aftershock.

Leaning back, bracing yourself on his knees, you rode him slowly, swiveling your hips, tits on display for him, giving him a good look at where he entered you, and of the thick white ring around the base of his turgid member.

The room spun when Joel flipped you onto the couch. He knelt between your knees, jerking himself at the sight of your swollen pussy, your flushed chest, your kiss-reddened lips.

In a final sprint toward his own finish, Joel pulled your hips up against his, buried himself deep and complete in your wet pussy, and set an unrelenting pace. No words were left except his chanting Fuck, fuck, oh fuck. Oh shit baby. Fuck! Accompanied by your whining, your begging for his cum. You didn’t need to wait long for your reward, although you think you gladly spend the rest of your life stretched around his cock.

He broke with three final thrusts, lips falling open, stilling inside you to spill deep.

Spent and disoriented, Joel dropped his weight onto you while he caught his breath. He kissed your chest, rubbed your side, and lay in comfortable quiet until you tapped his shoulder, reluctantly parting to clean yourselves up.

Joel found your swimsuit for you, and gave you a tshirt to put on. He tried to find the words to ask you to stay, to spend the weekend, the week, the month with him. To keep fucking him and talking to him and eating and watching movies. He wanted to take you out, play your songs, see your apartment, everything that would keep

You in arms reach. But the back door slid open, and there were Kim and Matt bursting your bubble of possibility with their impeccable timing to take you away.

Before he could stop you, your flip flops were on, your keys were in your hand, and you were kissing his cheek goodbye.

[nihyunluvskookie]

You shouldn’t have been here

 Seungcheol one shot

Pairing: Seungcheol x Fem reader

Genre: angst

Word count: 4.6K

Warnings: mention of guns, bullets, firing, losing of parents at a young age, implied death

Author’s Note: Firstly, Merry Christmas!! and here's a fic, I've been wanting to write, I finally got some time to write and completed it, this is definitely not the ideal fic to post on Christmas TT but here it is, and ofc it's mafia fic. Hope you like this~

Happy reading ~

“I’ll be back tomorrow, I love you” and she kissed him. He looked happy and so was she, “I’ll wait for you, too bad I don’t have a night shift tonight and you’re leaving. Bed would be cold without you” Seungcheol was caging her and he didn’t want her to leave. There was a hidden sadness in her face, but she looked at him with eyes full of love. “I’ll be back tomorrow Cheol, I promise I’ll be back tomorrow morning before you leave for work” and she smiled at him.

“text me or call me once you reach, okay?” he was always protective of her, but why wouldn’t he be, after all she was his wife. “I will now get some sleep” She kissed him and left.

She was driving her car and she was thinking about Seungcheol, she looked at the time, it was 08:08 pm exactly, Seungcheol’s birthday date. There was a faint smile on her face but she focused on the road.

“Would you like an upgradation from my girlfriend to my wife?” the way Seungcheol was looking at her while giving the bouquet, no words could describe how he was feeling. She was overwhelmed, but she wanted to be herself and be with him. Seungcheol was her home, her home when there was no one for her.

The moment Seungcheol knelt down, and showed her the ring, “I want you to be my wife, I want to spend my whole life with you, will you marry me?” marriage for Sihyun was something she always dreamed of but marrying the person she loves the most and actually wants to spend her whole life was something she just dreamt of or maybe something like a fever dream but happening infront of her, she was unable to say a single word, tears were threatening to fall, “Ye-Yes” it was her broken voice, Seungcheol heard her voice, and smiled at her, once he took her hand and made her wear the ring, he got up and cupped her face. “I love you so much Sihyun, I love you so much, I can’t live without you”

“I love you too Seungcheol” and he kissed her softly; he would always kiss her softly, for him, she is someone who deserves all the happiness and everything and of course him.

He suddenly lifted her up and twirled her around, “I am so happy Sihyun” he could only hear her laughs and for her, he was her whole world.

She parked the car, and took out her bag and went towards the apartment. Once she was inside, she went towards the lift and pressed the top floor button, she looked at her watch, and in a fraction of a second she was at the top floor.

She went towards the door and pressed the doorbell. “You’re here” Sihyun smiled at Hanuel, “Come inside”

Sihyun stepped inside, and took off her heels then went straight towards the living room. “Want to eat something?” Sihyun shook her head, she was in a conflict in her mind, and in deep thoughts about Seungcheol, “No, I already had dinner with Seungcheol”

“I see, how is he doing?”

“He is good.” Haneul sat facing her, “Is something bothering you?”

Sihyun wasn’t a big opener about her problems, the only person she trusted a lot was Seungcheol, beside that sharing her problems with anyone else felt like a burden to her at times but then she could always use the company of Hanuel and Seungmin. “I don’t know” and she sighed, Hanuel looked at her, Sihyun was always lost in deep thoughts nowadays, it’s been months but she wasn’t opening up, maybe Seungmin knew about it.

“Sihyun if you don’t say what’s the matt-”

“I think Seungcheol was doubting me somewhere but why would he?”

“He’s doubting you?” Sihyun nodded, “Did he drop any hints?” Sihyun nodded. “And these things are making me doubt him, I wonder what is he doing and what not, I never felt like this all these eight years, everything was going smoothly but why now? when everything is going so smoothly. Seungcheol was that person in my life, who taught me how to trust but now? if one single thing happens and falls apart, it’s all over.”

“Don’t worry too much, he won’t know and you’ve a reason Sihyun. You’re not hurting him or something, it’s you. You love him, you can never wish for his downfall.”

“But Hanuel if what I am thinking is true then why would he lie to me, I need to know him, his intentions, I can’t take any betrayal after all these years I spent with him”

“You’re overthinking Sihyun, Seungcheol is not that kind of guy, who would lie to you for so long.”

“But Seungmin? He can never be wrong, and he always tells me the things he found out, if what me and Seungmin are thinking are true then I would be making myself a fool infront of my whole team and family.”

“Don’t overthink too much, Sihyun. Be the way you are.” Sihyun sighed and looked at the time, today it took her almost two hours to come here. “I need to change and then we will leave. Inform Seungmin to come here, and I will go in his car, I can’t risk taking my car this time not after Seungcheol’s car passed through the same place and we were almost about to cross eachother’s path that night”

“Okay” saying that Sihyun took her bag and went to Hanuel’s bedroom to change her clothes.

Once she was inside, she started changing her clothes, a black dress, a black leather jacket, black boots, and a small pendent. She did her makeup lightly and looked at the mirror. “Sihyun, what are you doing?” “This is all for the people who left you alone”

The look was giving her an intimidating vibe; which was enough to let people know this is how a leader should behave. Once she was done with her hair, tying it up in a low ponytail, she came out of the room only to see Seungmin sitting on the couch.

“Are you ready for tonight?” Seungmin asked and she nodded, “Always have to be ready. Is everyone ready?” he nodded, “Everything’s ready and everyone is on their way. And everything is inside my car.”

“Perfect. We need to get this either way.”

“Don’t worry, everything will go your way, and I don’t think they will find us today as well, we’ve been eluding them till now without any problem and today’s a big day for us.”

“Seungmin, we can’t overlook the fact that Seungcheol’s car passed through the same place that night, and last time, it was barely three minutes difference and I cannot risk it again.”

“But you said he is staying home, right?” Seungmin looked serious, Seungcheol was one reason everyone was stressed, “Yes”

“So, don’t worry Sihyun, nothing will go wrong and it’s our day today.” Sihyun was stressed but she couldn’t show it infront of Haneul. She smiled at her, “Yes, let’s get going. We need to reach by midnight and since it will take time, let’s go now.”

They were ready and went down to the basement, Sihyun got inside Seungmin’s car and Hanuel took hers. “Can I drive Seungmin?”

“Do you want to blow off some steam tonight?” Sihyun smiled, Seungmin being her right-handed man, always knew, how driving was her way to release stress and it’s rare for them to go hit the racing circuit after she got married, most of the time spending time with Seungcheol would take away her stress or at times it would be Seungcheol who would make love and Sihyun could never deny him because he always gave her the best cuddles after that and the sleep would be the best one.

“Once we are done with the deal, I’ll let you drive” and Seungmin started the car, “since you’re going back to your husband’s arms tomorrow morning. I know you, can’t even stay away from him Sihyun; you love him so much and it shows it on your face.”

“But sometimes I feel this is wrong, carrying out the whole gang and then going back to his arms as if nothing happened. Sometimes I feel like I will pay the price for being the leader and being happy.”

“You’re doing this for your people Sihyun, never blame yourself and you have every right to be happy. You chose Seungcheol because you love him but you didn’t abandon us so doesn’t matter. You are happy.”

“You know, yesterday we went to meet Jeonghan and his wife, and when I saw Seungcheol holding their little angel in his arms, I realized how badly I want Seungcheol to be the father of our child.” Seungmin stopped the car in the traffic and looked at Sihyun, Sihyun looked like she was somewhere in her own world. The love for Seungcheol was something that always made her weak whenever it came to work, her work was dangerous, and her life was dangerous but living with Seungcheol she was always afraid, of leaving him and what’s coming for her next. She can’t risk everything but she is risking everything because of him after all.

They entered their house and Seungcheol locked the door, “Seungcheol” Sihyun’s voice was barely audible, she was about to go upstairs to their bedroom but she stopped but still didn’t face Seungcheol, she was hesitating, she never felt like this. Till date she always felt having kids is something she can never think about, being a mother and the thoughts of parenting always haunted her and specially after thinking how she saw her family getting killed infront of her eyes, when she was barely nine years. She was reminded of what is her work and whatever is she going to say had the power to flip her whole world upside down. Because one mistake from her side and it’s all over.

She felt Seungcheol’s steps approaching her, soon he wrapped his arms around her waist, “What happened my love?” Sihyun was deep in her thoughts, how would Seungcheol react and what if the past that happened with her repeats? Seungcheol knew she lost her family when she was nine years old but he doesn’t know why. Seungcheol knew her but at the same time he didn’t. “Sihyun” his voice was low, and he rested his head on her head, Sihyun turned around to look at him, “Cheol”

“Yes my love?” and that was it. ‘my love’

“A thought crossed my mind today when you were holding Jeonghan and Luna’s lil angel Mirae, I wondered how would you look holding a lil angel who looked like you, your eyes, your dimples, your smile” a smile spread on Sihyun’s face, “Even I want our little angel to look like you.” Sihyun’s eyes widened in the realization of what he had said, “What do you-” Before she could say anything, he kissed her. Seungcheol always wanted Sihyun’s approval in this matter, he always dreamt of holding their baby that’s why he waited till Sihyun said it. He had faith in Sihyun she would be a good mother and they would make nice parents.

“Looks like my baby is finally ready to take the next step” he looked at her and said, Sihyun was unable to say anything, “I was waiting for you to say” Sihyun realized how much Seungcheol respected her. “I love you so much” and she kissed him, and pulled herself back. Seungcheol held Sihyun shoulder and his other hand was holding her cheeks; he leaned closer and Sihyun could see what he was going to do next. He kissed her and her hands traveled from his shoulder to his neck, Seungcheol pulled her closer and she parted, “I love you too” and kissed her again. Seungcheol parted after they were out of breath and he picked her up in his arms “Let’s make you feel how much I love you” Sihyun smiled at him and buried her head in his embrace

“What did he say?” She looked at Seungmin, who was looking at her, “Even I want our little angel to look like you”

“Isn’t that good?” Seungmin’s voice was low, “You know what happened with my family and why, I am scared Seungmin, I am scared of what’s coming, and having a baby, I can, I want to with Seungcheol, I want to have our own small little family but the fear is still there. And I don’t want my baby anywhere near my work. I don’t want my baby to find out who I am which is impossible Seungmin and then there are chances of everyone getting targeted.” Sihyun sighed

“Don’t stress too much about it Sihyun” Sihyun smiled at Seungmin.

Soon, they reached and Seungmin parked the car. “Everything’s at the back seat” Sihyun nodded and went to check everything at the back seat. “Are the guns loaded?” Seungmin nodded, Sihyun took her gun and kept it with her. “Let’s try not to kill anyone tonight. I don’t want anyone interrupting our deal” Seungmin nodded and they saw Hanuel’s car parking. Hanuel came out of her car with her gun in her hand. Seungmin was holding a briefcase and they all went inside the warehouse.

“Everyone’s ready with everything?” the whole gang was there and they nodded, “Yes ma’am” There was the seat of Sihyun, she was walking gracefully with Seungmin, her right-handed man. Hanuel stepped back and stayed as the incharge of everyone. “Everyone’s safety should be the priority along with our deal, okay?”

“Yes ma’am”

“When are they coming Hanuel?” Sihyun took a seat and asked her, “They are almost here.”

“Good” Once they are in their work mood, there’s no friendship, it’s work relationship. That’s how Sihyun taught herself to handle the whole mafia gangs, she was the leader. Her identity was hidden, she was living a normal life without exposing her identity of mafia leader. She was the leader of Mafia and she handled everything with Seungmin.

“They’re here.” Hanuel said.

Sihyun crossed her legs and nodded, “Let the boss in and everyone stay outside. You too Hanuel.”

“But-” Hanuel was surprised because Sihyun never did this, “I said, OUT EVERYONE.”

“Okay ma’am” Seungmin was with Sihyun, “What’s wrong?”

“I want this deal to be just between us, no interruption Seungmin, I do not want anyone else inside and we can’t let our guards down, no matter what”

Once everyone was outside, it was just Sihyun and Seungmin; the other gang leader entered the warehouse, he was with his man. “Looks like you wanted only me tonight?” Sihyun wasn’t liking the way this man was talking to her, being the leader and a woman she knew, how she could be treated by other leaders but Seungmin was always there by her side, and never let these men get her. Last time a man talked down with Sihyun, Seungmin lost his clam but Sihyun killed him, that’s when there was almost a war because Sihyun killed an underboss.

“Did you forget how I killed him and do you want to be the next guy, who wants to get killed by my precious gun?” there was a smirk on her face.

The guy had his hands up, “Okay, I surrender, I am here for money and you’re here for your weapons, once the deal is done, it’s over”

“Good, come and take a seat.” Sihyun smiled. The man came and took a seat opposite to her, it was the leader of Kwon gang. One of the top gangs and also a ruthless one.

Once they showed each other, whatever they need, Sihyun checked the weapons and Seungmin showed the money. “Looks like this weapon deal is done” the guy had a smirk, and Sihyun smiled, “Yes” she took a pause and leaned towards him, “But always remember not to mess up with my people, I won’t hesitate to kill you and your members next time I see them killing any of my man or trying to hack our systems” Sihyun looked intensely at him, “Okay?”

“Well, you can’t order around like that Kim Sihyun” she had a smirk, “Of course I can, because all of my men are outside, and your people are already taken down. That’s what you pay for trying to hack our system and killing two of my men”

“Are you out of your mind?” she smiled at him, “I wish I was, but that’s how you handle double-faced people. Now get up and walk away, and remember not to mess up with me” he got up and at the same time, Sihyun and Seungmin heard Hanuel’s voice in their in-ear “Seungcheol and a team is almost here, get out of this place with Sihyun. RIGHT NOW.”

“Leave, they are here.” By the time, Sihyun’s voice was heard, everything turned upside down in a second, “Do not wait for me, leave. LEAVE HANUEL, TAKE EVERYONE AWAY I WANT EVERYONE TO BE SAFE.” Sihyun threw her in-ear and looked at Seungmin, “You take everything and leave first”

“No”

“I said, LEAVE.”

“I REFUSE KIM SIHYUN”

“THIS IS AN ORDER” By the time she could say one more word, she heard the door open and she pushed Seungmin, “If you ever cared about me, then leave” and that was it, Seungmin had no choice, and Sihyun didn’t know what was she going to do?

Surrender to Seungcheol? When she doesn’t even know why is he here?

To prove herself right that Seungcheol was lying to her and is an undercover agent?

That Seungcheol was the following her?

“Hands up” and then she heard her husband’s voice. And Seungmin couldn’t leave because of his loyalty, no matter how much Sihyun pushed him away. She could recognize his footsteps, and they were getting closer.

She saw him holding a gun and she was standing there face to face with him. Never in her nightmare, she was prepared for a day like this, standing face to face with Seungcheol and him pointing a gun towards her.

“What are you doing here? You shouldn’t have been here.” He screamed, the anger was visible on his face, he was pointing his gun toward her and in a second, everyone was pointing a gun towards her, “Lower your guns, not a single bullet should be fired and no one should hurt her or I will shoot you myself” his voice was stern, Sihyun rarely saw Seungcheol being pissed but today was something else, it was a blow-off for both of them. No one dared to speak a single word, “But sir-”

“STAND DOWN I SAID” Seungcheol’s voice almost made her flinch, but her expression stayed the same.

“So? Sihyun, how long have you been lying to me about everything?” he asked, his voice was almost unrecognizable to himself, she couldn’t answer and it was very evident that Seungcheol was pissed. She didn’t have any answer, “You also lied to me Seungcheol” and then she looked at him, directly in his eyes. No one had any answer, both were doing their own job, and falling in love was something that was never in their plan and how worse it could be that, the case Seungcheol was assigned and Sihyun was the mastermind and leader of everything. It was her job to protect her team and familia but it was his job to take her down, how could the universe be so cruel?

The pain and hurt were visible in his eyes, he wanted to prove himself wrong tonight, it’s been more than years since Seungcheol was assigned this thing, and he was an undercover agent. He was feeling cheated on his trust, he almost had a fight with his vice-team leader about Sihyun being the leader and he said he would prove them wrong tonight that’s why he lied to Sihyun about going out.

But here he is, standing face to face gun pointed towards his own wife, who was a ruthless gang leader. How could he do this to his own wife?

“You shouldn’t have been here SIHYUN” his screams weren’t helping him at all. There was just silence, no one spoke a single word.

“You shouldn’t have been here not after all this” Seungcheol’s mind wasn't working at all, looking at his wife as the person who was behind all this, she was the prime suspect but he was in denial and now that she is standing infront of him, he was more than shocked and angry.

“Seungcheol, remember I love you but for once in my life, I am going to choose my job” and she took out her loaded gun and pointed at him. Sihyun had no choice. “Let him leave and I will be the one here” Seungcheol, never said no to his wife, for him she was always the priority but he couldn’t even let his emotions take over him right now, he was on his duty. “If I let him go then what are you going to do Sihyun?” if her eyes could tell him how hurt she was when she heard her own name, she wasn’t used to this Seungcheol. “I am the one, you need.” She took a pause and looked at Seungmin, “Let him go.”

“Bring him” Another officer went to bring Seungmin, he was holding Seungmin. “Leave him” Seungcheol agreed and Seungmin had to walk away from the warehouse, Seungcheol knew what he was doing, he was trying to make Sihyun vulnerable and he had his team all over this place, once Seungmin stepped out of this warehouse, he is going to be caught by the officers and he would be taken away from this place.

“Now, put that gun down. You cannot leave this place” she shook her head, “I won’t and mind it, by the time you take me down, everyone would be gone, I saved my members already.” Sihyun’s eyes never looked away from Seungcheol’s eyes, there was a tension only they knew. “I gave you my heart already and there’s nothing left to give you anymore. My love, my heart and my whole life, it’s all yours. The day I realised I was in love, I knew what I was signing up for, the love the betrayal. I kept myself prepared for the day, maybe someone will ask me to surrender for being the leader but, never in my wildest nightmare I imagined you, that you would be here as the officer and telling me to put my gun down?”

“Why would you lie about yourself Seungcheol?” she was hurt, he knew she was hurt. It was his mission, he couldn’t even share this even after getting married, he wanted this mission to be over so that he could tell Sihyun and be happy. Seungcheol was feeling betrayed but on the other hand Sihyun was also feeling betrayed, both were on their duty and the crime of being in love and married to eachother was enough to tear them apart. “I love you Seungcheol and I can give up on my life for you but I can’t betray my family and knowing how they weren’t even my blood but someone I could call my family. And after knowing how much me and my people had to go through, I can’t step back. Do you want to know who made me like this?” Sihyun’s eyes were speaking, Sihyun never opened up totally with her past and Seungcheol was always waiting for her to say it without forcing her. “You and your organization” she had a tight smile “They didn’t take a single step when our family was killed. My own family died infront of my eyes, I never told you, how but my family was killed infront of my eyes when I was just nine years. And the people you’re working with, you call them justice?” she let out a smirk, remembering how she still gets the nightmare of her family getting killed infront of her, it was another reason why she afraid to be with Seungcheol. “It turned a blind eye and that was it.”

“I was alone until I found you.” all the memories of Seungcheol felt like a flashback to her.

“Seungcheol” she took a deep breath, she wanted to be calm and say everything that’s inside her but her heart was beating like crazy because she was nervous. “Your smile heals me. You make me happy and I admire you a lot. You helped me to find a home, a home I can always return back to. I want to give you all the love, more than you deserve. I call you, ‘My Seungcheol’ because you are everything to me. Love is not just a word I can use to describe you, you are a feeling, an emotion for me, you always give me a heart-warming feeling that no one else can ever give to me. You are my own Seungcheol. I will never keep a secret from you and will stay with you in all your happiness and sadness. I am ready to share my life with you and take one more step towards us. I love you too”

Once the exchange of rings was over, the priest then asked, “Do you Choi Seungcheol take Kim Sihyun, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease to cherish and love forever more?” her eyes were fixed on Seungcheol, and she heard “I Do” it felt like her whole world stopped for him. He smiled at her, his dimples. Another reason she never wanted to let go of him.

The priest turned to Sihyun, “Do you Kim Sihyun take Choi Seungcheol, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease to cherish and love forever more?” She took a deep breath and replied, “I do”

“You may now kiss your Bride”

The kiss was one overwhelming one and it had so many emotions in them. She couldn’t believe she made this decision, this was the second decision she made for herself. She was happy, she could feel the happiness, just for today she wanted to be the girl she wanted to be, forgetting about her duties as a leader. She wanted to be just ‘Seungcheol’s Wife’

“Why would you do this Sihyun? Why? Was everything a lie?” Seungcheol couldn’t process anything, everything Sihyun told him yesterday about have a little one and being a happy family was coming back to him as a flashback.

“You’re my happiness and my home but seems like at the end of the day you would also leave me. You knew everything about me Seungcheol except one fact, I am the leader you’ve been looking for since years, even before we met, if only I knew this is how it was going to end then I wouldn’t have met you” by this time, Sihyun was tearing up, it reminded of all the best memories Seungcheol gave her. How her life was beautiful after meeting him, “I love you but I hate your organization and now that I know you’re the one who was handling my case, I can’t even hate you. It all fell down.”

“I always had a motto, and that was to ‘die with dignity’” and with that the grip around her gun got tighter, “Thankyou Seungcheol for all these amazing seven years, I love you” and she fired.

The moment the bullet was fired, Seungcheol moved from his place but his bullet hit her right there and against his will he realized he shot her.

“Sihyun” was the last thing she heard before falling into the floor.

And the very next day, it was Seungcheol who received the award standing infront of the whole crowd, he was holding the trophy. He gave his speech and only he knew how much it was hurting. Only he knew, how he saw his wife dying, the tears that were threatening to fall, didn��t deserve to fall. It was the pain of losing his wife, his support system, his love, and the person he trusted the most, but then what is even trust?

He was the one who shot his wife and here he is being awarded for that.

All the dreams died down the moment she took her last breath infront of him saying she still loved him even after this.

[cancerian-woman]

i was reading a fic on wattpad where bonnie and rebekah are having a romance plot, its just a side plot but already well done in delving into Bonnie's sexuality and making her more desirable than canon a klaus hybrid likes her too. if you like tyler its a good fic to read because the author writes him so well. its called allure

could you please do some headcanons on bonekah

I haven’t read any non-Bonnie fics for tvd tbh but I’ll look into it. Here’s some headcanons:

Bonbekah:

Bonnie introduces Rebekah to Rihanna and Beyoncé’s music. I know Beyoncé and Rihanna doesn’t exist in TVDU.. but they do today.

Rebekah felt guilty after hearing Bonnie’s breakdown outside the Mikaelson Manor. So she reaches out to be friends or more.

Bonnie would’ve ignored Rebekah’s advances at first so Rebekah uses Bonnie’s kinship to Matt to help.

Rebekah would use her family’s history with Ayana to appeal to Bonnie. Bonnie likes family, she loved meeting witches heavy on the Bennett’s.

They’d bond through Bonnie helping Rebekah with the cheer routines which leads to sleepovers to parties!

Rebekah would become very possessive over Bonnie. Bonnie’s very loyal and idk I just think once someone else has a small fraction of what she gives to her friends. Sharing will not be easy after that.

[orangedodge]

Okay, another few questions:

1, how old were the original five X-Men at their introduction? 2, how old were they (OG team) when Banshee and the other "new X-Men" joined Cyclops in stopping Krakoa? And 3, how old were the original five when M-Day happened?

Sorry, these are details I just want to know for myself. Hope you don't mind the questioning, and keep up the good work!

According to [Uncanny] X-Men #1, Bobby Drake was sixteen when the team made its public debut. Furthermore he describes himself as a "couple" of years younger than his friends. We also know that Hank is somewhat older than Scott, Warren, and Jean. So, the short answer to your first question is: Bobby is 16, Warren, Scott, and Jean are 18, and Hank is probably 18 or 19.

It's not specifically clear whether Bobby is literally two years younger, or if "couple" is being used in a more figurative sense. I think it's safe to take at face value though, given that he is clearly presented as a member of their age cohort (along with Lorna and Alex); is meant to be reasonably close to the same age as Peter Parker and Johnny Storm (who should also be in the same general range as the original X-Men, as they were all teenagers at the same time); and lastly when Claremont revived the X-Men publication years later, Bobby was depicted as now comfortably a young adult, finishing up his accounting degree, at the same time that Jean was dealing with her first job drama, and Warren was off with the family business.

I also think it's safe to guess Hank is no more than a year older than the others. He's treated as a peer of his teammates rather than as a helper to the Professor, and seems comfortable as a member of the group even outside of X-Men training. Hank's more advanced academic pursuits with respect to his teammates are also shown to be a product of his intelligence and not simply him being in a more senior class, which I think furthermore point to him being loosely their age.

Later authors have occasionally given different ages to the first team, or at least to Scott. Bendis, who wrote them for the longest, identifies the younger Scott as sixteen when he first comes face to face with his modern counterpart (Uncanny X-Men volume 3 no. 12). In Matt Fraction's inexplicably titled Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Exodus, Scott gives a televised speech in which he claims to have joined the X-Men at age 15. And in Stuart Moore's X-Men Origins Cyclops, Scott is shown to have first met Charles when he was 17 (which works), but he also dates X-Men #1 as taking place when Scott was 21 (which contradicts every other version of the story).

I think it makes the most sense to just go with the original story, and take 18 as the team's median age. I think you could also just as well argue that the 15-17 number isn't in contradiction per se, but only reflects Scott's age when Charles started training him, or even when he first became Cyclops, and not his age in X-Men #1 when Jean joined the team and they confronted Magneto for the first time.

I know some fans also feel that the Bendis' run discounts the possibility that they're in their late teens, because he writes them so young, but I think that's kind of ridiculous. Bendis writes everyone like that, and in any case people are basically the same at 14 as they are at 34, so how much more mature does anyone get from 16 to 18, really?

I think having them remain (mostly) at 18+ is the most plausible reading of the original run, and the most consistent with their general dislike of Charles recruiting actual child soldiers in later classes, and as well with Marvel's editorial policy that the X-Men have existed for ten years in-universe in perpetuity and are now just shy of 30.

Second question: Their ages later on, when the All-New, All-Different team first formed aren't given directly, but they're easy to work out.

So, at time of first death, Jean was 24ish depending on when her birthday falls in the year. Scott and Warren are the same age, Bobby is two years younger, and Hank is probably around 1 year older.

How much time passes between Jean's introduction to Storm, Thunderbird, Wolverine, Banshee, etc and her death isn't specified, and during his first run, Claremont tried to maintain a pretense of everything occurring in real time, but already it had started to become untenable and can't be trusted.

At the time of Jean's death, the core Claremont trio of Storm, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler are still very early in getting to know each other as people, despite spending a lot of time together on page. So I think it's very likely that only a few months have passed between the new recruits joining the team and when Jean died and the remaining original X-Men make their departure. So I would just treat the Dark Phoenix Saga as taking place in the same year as the first mission to Krakoa, with Jean/Scott/Warren remaining 24 throughout.

Third question: To get to their ages at M-Day, I need to do something cataclysmically stupid. Something that I always tell everyone to never do when talking about the X-Men: I have to talk about how old Kitty Pryde was. She who has had three separate, non consecutive, fifteenth birthdays; and she who, famously, began the 1990s three years older than Jubilee, but still managed to end the decade two years younger than her. But, for once, bringing her into things is going to make everything else make more sense.

In X-Treme X-Men we're told directly that Kitty joined the X-Men five years ago. This is useful to know, because she joined the team on the exact same day that Jean died, so it has also been 5 years since that happened. X-Treme X-Men takes place at the same time as New Mutants volume 2, later to be relaunched as New X-Men: Academy X, which documents the first academic year of the Xavier School post its outing as a mutant boarding school. The two books ran parallel to one another and reference the same events in the lives of the original New Mutants.

Academy X concludes during the House of M crossover itself, and with the depiction of the typical US/Canadian school dances, and the inclusion of a year book issue, I think it's reasonable to conclude that the entire Academy X era takes place over about one full school year. So adding that together, M-Day should fall around 6 years after Jean's first death, making her, Scott, and Warren around 29-30, Hank 30-31, and Bobby 27-28.

If you want corroboration while also having the chance to experience a desperate urge to kick something, here's a cropped out section of the House of X/Powers of X timeline.

My version has a type mistake, where years 49 and 50 were incorrectly reversed. Genosha should be year 50, and Moira's "death" at 49. (IIRC later print editions fixed this) M-Day and Decimation would happen in year 51. The Year 47 event references the storyline beginning in Jim Lee's X-Men #1, and so the formation of the Claremont X-Men would likely be in Year 45 or 46. Scott and co being 30ish at Year 52, and working backwards...It actually all kind of lines up?

Which I hate! I hate that it works. It forces you to accept that everything after M-Day occurs over the course of just one single year. And it's so annoying that it's actually kind of possible, when you remember how much everyone loved decompressed storytelling in those days, and subsequently how almost nothing actually happened for a decade and a half of comics. But still! That's so ridiculous! Why do they do this!

Hope that helps! Thanks for the ask.

[vetyver-soaked-stars]

Just to note: I'm not fully updated on current Marvel comic runs unless certain authors like Gail Simone, Matt Fraction or Kelly Sue dip their hands into characters I enjoy.

I fell off around the Spider-verse comics and wanted to burn any evidence that Secret Wars happened (Nazi Cap eww no thank you) . I've briefly skimmed over the new Domino comics and I'm not too thrilled with her quick romance on Shang-chi but her resurgence and quip at Colossus makes it worthwhile.

[drasnianfrank]

Twenty Books Challenge

Hypothetically, you are only able to keep 20 of your books. Only one book per author/series. So what books are you keeping? Credit due to @the-forest-library (I have been thinking about this list for like a week straight)

Guardians of the West by David and Leigh Eddings - any of the Belgariad/Mallorean series frankly. I read these series I don't know how many times as teen. Yes, they are a problematic. Yes they are trope-y as hell but I love them.

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold - inching just barely above Miles in Love or Mountains of Mourning.

Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - This is a book that always makes me cry.

Whale Talk by Chris Cutcher - A swim team comprised of various kids with disabilities and are deeply flawed but are also attempting to do good things? I wish this was on every book list for teens.

All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells - I mean all murderbot series is great. Funny story, I told my mom to read this book eons ago and she only read it after a librarian recommended it.

Return of the King by JRR Tolkien - though technically LotR is one book and I don't have single copies of this anymore. But the scouring of the shire just hits me in different places when I read it.

A Child's Anthology of Poetry edited by Elizabeth Hauge Sword and Victoria Flournoy McCarthy - My textbook of poetry when I was young.

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr - Another a book that makes me absolutely sob.

The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce - I love the Wild Magic Series the most of all Pierce's series. And yes, I recognize the problematic relationship. But also, talking badger.

Sabriel by Garth Nix - I'm sorry the far superior goth necromancer with bells.

First Truth by Dawn Cook - If had I pick one of the truth series. I have an unnatural fondness of a book series that combines magic with Punnett Squares.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Narrowly above Midsummer Night's Dream. But the tomorrow speech is an absolute banger.

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - Any of the Herriot books. I read these almost to pieces.

Double Whammy by Carl Hiassen - It was this or Squeeze Me. But Skink really deserves to saved.

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski - Post Modern Horror.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein - More Poetry of my childhood.

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson - specifically The Possibility of Evil.

Daredevil vol 6 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee - Graphic Novels count and I will fight you. This has one of the first individual issues I picked up.

Sandman vol. 8: World's End by Neil Gaiman, Micha Allred - Sandman holds a near and dear place in my heart. It was a close call between this and American Gods or Preludes and Nocturnes. But I will have echoes of Crements in my head.

Hawkeye vol. 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction, David Aja - Pizza Dog! Also any of the volumes are fantastic and visually gorgeous.

I did take the prompt literally, but here are five more books I either always buy on kindle/can only get as an ebook. I would pay an extraordinary amount of money for these in print.

Toad Words and other stories by T Kingfisher - I was following her when she was still writing fantasy!

I Reap You Not by Catelyn Winona - Second Person done right.

True Porn Clerk Stories by Ali Davis - This causes me to giggle, rage, and cry.

The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan - Brothers Sinister series is the standard I compare all Regency Novels to.

Night Shift by Stephen King - Specifically Quitter's Inc. But frankly any collection of Stephen King is gold.

Tagging @thatoldstandby, @msfehrwight, @raventycho, @timemachineyeah, @theneptuneviolin and anyone else. And of course you can include pictures too.

[orlissa]

I’ll be teaching a class on American comics (theory and history) this coming semester, and since we won’t be actually reading comics in class (except for one class), I thought part of my students’ grade could be them doing a presentation on exceptional/significant American comics, so I started putting together a list for them to choose from, and... got stuck :D Since my area of study is superheroes, and female representation beyond that, where I deal with a lot of themes, tropes, individual issues, super long storylines, I’ve found it really hard to come up with a list that is not exclusively superheroes and filled with compact stories.

So here is my question to you: do you have any comic book/graphic novel recommendations for me/my students? I only have two criteria: - It needs to be American (no manga, manhua, etc.) - It needs to be no longer than around 250-300 pages/12ish standard lenght issues (So stuff like Sandman or Saga are not exactly in the running)

Beyond that it can be any theme or rating, the more diverse the better. I’m expecting around 15-20 students, and these are the publications I have on my list so far (but some might get crossed out yet):

Art Spiegerlman: Maus (volume 1)

Frank Miller: The Dark Knight Returns

Alan Moore: Watchmen

Alison Bechdel: Fun Home

Chelsea Cain: Man-Eaters

Tom King: The Vision

Chelsea Cain: Mockingbird: I Can Explain (either this or Man-Eaters might get crossed out, so I don’t have two works from the same author, but Man-Eaters does some really inventive things with the format, and this one is pure brilliance when it comes to the timeline/reading order)

Jason Aaron: Thor - the “God Butcher” storyline

Matt Fraction: Hawkeye

George Takei: They Called Us Enemy

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

(1/6) Hello! I'm so glad to have found your tumblr! Somehow I missed it all this while lol. I just wanted to say thank you thank you thank you for all your fics, every single one. They all really mean a lot to me. You really are one of my favorite authors on the internet. I always know whatever fic you choose to write is going to somehow, inevitably, make me cry whatever the fandom.

I'm such a big fan of your writing! Expecially I love the tragedy of Gerry and Jon's relationship in nhthcth, the way Jack cares so very deeply for a son he doesn't even know is alive and feels he has horribly failed, and absolutely love the way you wrote Matt Murdock's view on the world in his one shot. Every one of your fics are so very very wonderful. I love your writing style (especially the one you chose to use for the Jack fic oh my goodness) and the way you incorporate things you know from your real life (specifically all the stuff about american law) to its fullest extent in your work. You have such a way with words, with conveying emotions, with

articulating your points. I love the way you write love, and the way you write tragedy. I love the way you write moral dilemmas and all the different ways different people see the world. I'm trying to avoid saying any more specifics (for this entire extremely long message (though you might have noticed I failed a tad bit earlier lol)) because otherwise I'd be here all day, but yeah. Man I love your writing. I'm very sorry for word vomiting all over your inbox lol. I just want to somehow tell you about even a fraction of how much your writing has impacted my life. I'm really thankful for everything you write. If you have any original fiction (or plans for any original fiction) please tell me I would love to know!! I would gladly spend all my money on it lol. Also, have to say, discovering that you go by Syn is about to revolutionize the thepolysyndetonaddictsupportgeoup fan club me and my friends have. Or at the very least cut our word count way down lol. Hope you're having a good day <3 Thank you again!!!

Hi! I just copied your other messages over into one big message.

Thank you for your message--it really means a lot to me that that you think so highly of my works.

I think I really love a kind of tragic love, and it leaks through in my works. You have Jon and Gerry, and you have Jack and Matt. And in all respects, they're loves that have sort of been dismissed. Jon and Gerry grew up as the thing that other people sacrificed. Everyone was willing to let them bear the cost of life and brutality. They're dismissed at every turn as trouble makers, as worthless, as liars, as murderers--but they're still preserving in love for each other. In the same way, Jack spends his life dismissed as another fuck up in the system, struggling to get anyone to just care about his little blind boy who's probably been dead for twenty years. And no one does. No one ever really looked for Matt. Except for Jack. The loves are tragic from their loss, but it's a kind of lonely loss. Like--someone dies young and tragically, and their family is on the news or on a crime documentary or whatever, and it's all about how this person lit up whatever room they were in. Candles on the sidewalk, the world grieves their loss. Gerry and Jon only really mattered to each other. The police treated the disappearance of Gerard Keay as a sort of "good riddance." Whereas Matt had the people close to him mourning him, but the rest of the world treated it like he was already dead. Wrote him off, didn't look, no grand police search for Matty Murdock. So you have this act of mourning that's sort of happening in the presence of people who don't even see the real value of the loss or love in the first place.

And it's interesting, because those were the loves that ended up defining the world. Jon and Gerry, whatever happened, had a love that changed the world while trapped in a web of manipulation. And the love between Jack and Matt ended up to be world-shaking itself--and it came from a poor deadbeat boxer of a dad, and a blind kid who should have been dead decades ago.

I dunno, the idea of this love that keeps its hooks in you even after its gone compels me. i write a lot of sad shit and i feel like it's usually sad because it once was happy.

Jack in toy rosaries and Matt in glaze defects have probably some of my favorite characters to write from so far. probably the only one who can really compete is peter in porcelain chips. like, both of their minds were so interesting? Jack's kind of felt like an impressionist painting to write. like--i dunno, he's blurry? everything's framed through the lens of emotions--mostly his regret and his love. he's also very old-school catholic. Like, i was raised hella catholic and you have these really old school catholics who are really traditional and literalist in their understanding of scripture and teachings. So you have Jack, who's got these really traditional ideas of forgiveness and the faith and the second coming, and it's washed through with someone whose life experiences have given him every single reason to distance himself from those teachings. So he's still got them at the base of how he thinks, but it's in direct conflict with what he feels spiritually, and it makes for this very messy, emotional, inexact portrayal of a psyche.

Matt, meanwhile, always felt more precise, if that makes sense. He's got all of these pillars and boundaries in his mind. like, you have buck v bell as a really formative experience for him, and you have this biblical idea of the sacrificial lamb, where he has always understood himself to be the one whose blood the world is willing to paint a door with, and it almost sets up these little checkpoints in his mind that he forces his own emotions to pass through. With Jack, he's this really messy stained glass window of guilt and love and everything's filtered through that tint. Matt's meanwhile constantly taking his own emotions and stopping them at these little borders of life experience and forcing them to a halt. It's almost an inverse of his father's approach.

And so you end up with someone who loves intensely, just like Jack, but it's something he's almost keeping in check from himself. you have all of these moments with Foggy, where Matt's wanting to give into his emotional instinct, and then--bam, it hits a checkpoint. and that's balanced with his constant daydreams of captain america, who acts as a sort of revelation to himself as to what Matt really wants in each stage of his life.

Like, you have him when he's little, and lonely, and afraid, and that little Matt always turns Captain America away, because he's trying to convince himself that he would turn Captain America away. He's trying to convince himself that he can protect himself from the government soldier here to use him. Because, at the end of the day, he's nine years old, and he's too afraid to tell his dad about what's happened to him, let alone anyone else. He's constantly battling this desire to be helped with his fear of being used, and he's trying to convince himself that he's going to be smarter, be clever enough, be able to see the trick ahead of time and defend himself.

And then, of course, Stick happens, and matt's internal desires change too. he had his captain america moment, and he failed it. in his mind, he let himself get tricked. it's his fault. So now he doesn't want to prove that he can protect himself--it's too tainted by failure. He wants to know that it was okay that he failed. so he creates a captain america that failed in the same way he did, who was hurt just like him, and maybe his mistake is a little bit less damning.

then, captain america is alive, and matt's older, and he's got karen and foggy but he's fucked up his life with all the secrets he kept. he doesn't really need someone to absolve him of stick anymore. he just needs someone to understand his fear, and about why he kept the secrets that he did. because he still doesn't have that. karen and foggy love him, but they still don't understand the fear he lived with all those years. he regrets hurting them, and the why doesn't change the fact that he did hurt them, but a part of him is still desperate for someone who knows what it means to be the carrie buck in buck v bell.

and then you finally get the captain america who just sits with matt on a stoop, who understands, because while matt has family now, while he isn't as lonely or afraid, and while he doesn't quite need anything from captain america the way he once did, a part of him can't quite let go of the fact that he's always wanted someone who understood. he's the one coming to captain america now, instead of the other way around--he doesn't want to be saved, so to speak. he doesn't need to be, and maybe captain america doesn't need to be either. he just wants someone who knows what it's like, and maybe captain america wants that too. and he's finally recovered enough from stick where he can make the overture instead of someone else, so he makes the approach to captain america's stoop instead of the other way around. and maybe both of them can be a little less alone.

i dunno, jack and matt are such fun characters to write. they're both so intensely emotional, but jack's very unbridled in his emotions, very messy, and you have matt who's constantly trying to keep himself in check and his emotions almost have to sneak through. i'm glad you liked them.

I'm a really really big law nerd and i feel like that leaks through like. a lot. not just with the fact that i keep insisting on writing about the supreme court, but also just because so much of law is about how you can get to two entirely different results based on how you frame an issue. and i think that sort of leaks into how i think about character's mindsets. everyone has values that they're weighing more heavily than other's, and it results in people coming to what they think is the obvious solution and what other people think is absolutely fucking insane. I could write an essay on how foggy's the platonic ideal of a lawyer's ethical system, and how matt's got two ethical systems at war within himself--a very catholic, lawyer-esque one, and a consequentialist one created by his life experiences that's directly at odds with his faith and profession. it makes for a lot of fun writing.

I do have original fiction! none of it is published, haven't made any attempts to get it published. Maybe one day. I'd love to be a writer, just got a ways to go first. thank you for your really kind message! i wish you the best!

also--the what

[monkeyjaw]

The Year in Books and Graphic Novels 2022 and an analysis of 20 years of books and comics

January

1.      Temple Alley Summer – Kashiwaba Sachiko, illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa

2.      Dreams From My Father – Barack Obama, audiobook read by the author

3.      X-Men Grand Design Vol. 1 – Ed Piskor

4.      Vera Kelly Is Not a Mystery – Rosalie Knecht

5.      All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team – Christina Soontornvat, illustrations by Karen Minot

6.      X-Men Grand Design Volume 2: Second Genesis – Ed Piskor

7.      Year of the Rabbit – Tian Veasna

February

1.      Deadly Class Volume 1: 1987 Reagan Youth – Chris Remender, Wes Craig

2.      The Eye of the World – Robert Jordan

3.      Pattern Master – Octavia E. Butler

4.      X-Men Grand Design Volume 3: X-Tinction – Ed Piskor

5.      The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History – Margalit Fox

6.      Deadly Class Volume 2: 1988 Kids of the Black Hole – Rick Remender, Wes Craig

March

1.      Once and Future Volume 1: The King is Undead – Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora

2.      Once and Future Volume 2: Old English – Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora

3.      Dragon Hoops – Gene Luen Yang

4.      Ringworld – Larry Niven

5.      Once and Future Volume 3: A Parliament of Magpies – Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora

6.      Princess Jellyfish Volume 8 – Akiko Higashimura

7.      Princess Jellyfish Volume 9 – Akiko Higashimura

8.      The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter – Elizabeth Moon

April

1.      Planetes Volume 1 – Makoto Yurimura

2.      The Library of the Unwritten – A.J. Hackwith

3.      Doom Patrol Volume 1: Crawling From the Wreckage – Grant Morrison, Richard Case

4.      ODY-C Volume 1: Off To Far Ithacaa – Matt Fraction, Christian Ward

5.      Conan of Cimmeria – Robert E Howard, Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter

6.      Doom Patrol Volume 2: The Painting That Ate Paris – Grant Morrison, Richard Case, John Nyberg

7.      Doom Patrol Volume 3: Down Paradise Way – Grant Morrison, Richard Case

May

1.      Doom Patrol Volume 4: Musclebound – Grant Morrison, Richard Case, Kelley Jones, Mark McKenna, John Nyberg

2.      Eragon – Christopher Paolini

3.      The Promised Neverland Vol 1 – Kaiu Shirai, Posaku Demizu

4.      Deadly Class Volume 3: 1988 Snake Pit – Rick Remender, Wes Craig

5.      Once and Future Volume 4: Monarchies in the U.K. – Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora

6.      The Dark is Rising – Susan Cooper

7.      The Forest – Thomas Ott

8.      The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K LeGuin

June

1.      Deadly Class Volume 4: 1988 Die For Me – Rick Remender, Wes Craig

2.      Arthurian Legends – Wace and Layamon

3.      Dune – Frank Herbert

4.      The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K LeGuin

5.      The Lost Years of Merlin – T.A. Barron

July

1.      The Secret To Super-Human Strength – Alison Bechdel

2.      The Promised Neverland Volume 2 – Kaiu Shirai, Posaku Demizu

3.      The New World – Ales Kot, Tradd Moore

4.      Super Sentai Himitsu Sentai Gorenger – Shotaro Ishinomori

5.      Spider-Gwen Volume 0: Most Wanted? – Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez

6.      The Deed of Paksenarrion: Divided Allegiance – Elizabeth Moon

7.      Ultimate Miles Morales Spider-Man Volume 1 – Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli, Chris Samnee

8.      Giant Days Volume 1 – John Allison, Lisa Treimann

9.      Giant Days Volume 2 – John Allison, Lisa Treimann, Max Sarin

August

1.      Lockwood & Co. Volume 1: The Screaming Staircase – Jonathan Stroud

2.      Ultimate Miles Morales Spider-Man Volume 2 – Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, et al

3.      Ultimate Miles Morales Spider-Man Volume 3 – Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, et al

4.      The Wheel of Time Book 2: The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan

5.      Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones

6.      A Study in Scarlet – Arthur Conan Doyle

7.      French Medieval Romances from the Lais of Marie of France – Translated by Eugene Mason

September

1.      Pyongyang – Guy Delisle

2.      Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold – Alisa Kwitney, Kent Williams, et al

3.      The Dead of Paksenarrion: Oath of Gold – Elizabeth Moon

4.      Brave Chef Brianna – Sam Sykes, Selina Espiritu

5.      Fledgling – Octavia E. Butler

6.      At Death’s Door – Jill Thompson

October

1.      We – Yevgeny Zamyatin, read by Toby Jones

2.      The Witch Boy – Molly Knox Ostertag

3.      20th Century Boys Vol. 7: The Truth  – Naoki Urasawa

4.      20th Century Boys Vol. 8: – Naoki Urasawa

5.      Isaac the Pirate Vol. 1: To Exotic Lands – Christophe Blaine

6.      Dungeon Zenith: Volume 4: Outside the Ramparts – Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim, Boulet

7.      The Wheel of Time Book 3: The Dragon Reborn – Robert Jordan

8.      20th Century Boys Volume 9: Rabbit Nabokov – Naoki Urasawa

9.      The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson

10.  Isaac the Pirate Volume 2: The Capital – Christophe Blaine

11.  20th Century Boys Volume 10: The Faceless Boy - Naoki Urasawa

November

1.      Gotham Central Book 1: In the Line of Duty – Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka

2.      Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1 – Tomohito Oda

3.      The Promised Neverland Volume 3 – Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu

4.      Sleepless Volume 1 – Sarah Vaughn, Leila Del Duch

5.      R.U.R. – Karel Capek, translated by David Wyllie

6.      20th Century Boys Volume 11: List of Ingredients – Naoki Urasawa

7.      20th Century Boys Volume 12: Friend’s Face – Naoki Urasawa

8.      20th Century Boys Volume 13: Beginning of the End – Naoki Urasawa

9.      20th Century Boys Volume 14: The Boy and the Dream – Naoki Urasawa

10.  The Sandman Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes – Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, Sam Ketih, Malcolm Jones III

11.  Dodger – Terry Pratchett

12.  The Promised Neverland Volume 4 – Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu

13.  20th Century Boys Volume 15: Expo Hurray – Naoki Urasawa

14.  20th Century Boys Volume 16: Beyond the Looking Glass – Naoki Urasawa

15.  20th Century Boys Volume 17: Cross-Counter – Naoki Urasawa

16.  20th Century Boys Volume 18: Everybody’s Song – Naoki Urasawa

17.  20th Century Boys Volume 19: The Man Who Came Back – Naoki Urasawa

18.  20th Century Boys Volume 20: Humanity in the Balance – Naoki Urasawa

19.  Thursday Next book 2: Lost in a Good Book – Jasper Fforde

20.  20th Century Boys Volume 21: Arrival of the Space Aliens – Naoki Urasawa

21.  20th Century Boys Volume 22: The Beginning of Justice

22.  The Promised Neverland Volume 5 – Kaiu Shira, Posuka Demizu

December

1.      Thrawn Ascension: Book 1: Chaos Rising – Timothy Zahn

2.      Crucial Conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high - Kerry Patterson,

 Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler

3.      Sandman Volume 2: The Doll’s House – Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III

4.      My Favorite Thing Is Monsters – Emil Ferris

5.      Please Don’t Step On My JNCO Jeans – Noah Van Sciver

6.      The Sandman Volume 3: Dream Country – Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Charles Vess

7.      Winterfair Gifts – Lois McMaster Bujold

8.      Sandman Book 4: Season of Mists – Neil Gaiman, Matt Wagner, George Pratt, Dick Giordano, Kelley Jones, P. Craig Russell

9.      Sandman Book 5: A Game of You – Neil Gaiman, Sean McManus, Bryan Talbot, Colleen Doran

 105 books and graphic novels in 2022! 34 novels (and 1 novella) and 70/71 graphic novels. I read one book twice for a book club. That’s 13 more than I read last year.

Now for totals from 2002 to 2022.

Totals:

2002 20

2003 86 – 7.16/month

2004 9

2005 84 – 7/month

2006 79 – 6.58/month

2007 58 – 4.83/month

2008 49 – 4.083/month

2009 51 – 4.25

2010 72 - 6

2011 60 - 5

2012 80 – 6.66

2013 50 – 4.16

2014 144 - 12

2015 92 – 7.66

2016 151 – 12.58

2017 138 – 11.5

2018 116 – 9.66

2019 96 - 8

2020 102 – 8.5

2021 92 – 7.66

2022 105 – 8.75

 Including the years that I have incomplete data for (2002 and 2004 I only have 3 months of data), I read 1734 books and graphic novels from 2002 to 2022, 86.7 per year. If we leave off 2002, and 2004, I read 85.25 per year and an average of 7.89 books per month. I’ll post the graphic novels and regular books break down shortly. 

[sweaterkittensahoy]

15 questions

casually tagged by @sarahcakes613!

Nicknames - Perpet; SK; SKA; my actual name (Gayle) doesn't really nickname itself.

Zodiac Sign - Saggitarius

Height - 5'2-1/2"

Last Thing I Googled -How to pronounce Lyngbaker because Mr. Sweaterkittens was hearing it wrong (The 'b' is a 'v' and yes he's playing the new God of War).

Song Stuck In My Head - Currently Manamana because I reblogged about that song being from a softcore porn film; other times, a lot of Hamilton numbers

Number of Followers - 2.234; I was on here a long time before I left for awhiel and then came back BEFORE the current twitter influx but absolutely because of fuckery on twitter (fandom on twitter is either lovely or fucking unhinged, and my lovely fandom TURNED unhinged. So).

Amount of Sleep - Usually 8 hours-ish. On the weekends, 9 or 10. Glad the dog likes to snuggle.

Wearing - Flannel plaid pajama bottoms, 100% fuzzy Brookstone slippers with like an inch of memory foam (I am never taking them off; brave TJ Maxx and check for them), a black t-shirt that says "Wankers Country Store, West Linn, Oregon. Orange hair clip. My computer glasses.

Movies/Books that Summarize Me - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Iron Man: World's Most Wanted by Matt Fraction; Hawkeye by Matt Fraction; Any Deadpool written by Cullen Bunn; Both Ghostbusters '84 and Ghostbusters '16; Inglorious Basterds, Alice in Wonderland (I often give myself very good advice)

Favourite Song - Short Skirt, Long Jacket by Cake.

Favourite Instrument - Theremin because it's a weird little guy. But I also love the flute and sort of play it (I used to do more than sort of play it, but time is time)

Aesthetic - A weird, base queer who could be friends with John Waters; White trash grand dame (is there a gender-neutral word for dame) in the making

Favourite Authors - Barbara Kingsolver, Matt Fraction, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Erik Larson

Random Fact - I got a toe broken as a five-year-old because me and the other five-year-old absolutely believed in cartoon physics. The nail never grew back right.

Tagging: Whoever wants to go for it.

[emachinescat]

A Year in (Book) Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#38 - How to Speak Whale by Tom Mustill

Nonfiction / Nature / Science / 392 pages / published in 2022 / Finished Apr. 13

One Sentence Review: Stemming from the author's own extraordinary encounter with a humpback whale, this book is a fascinating, in-depth foray into the incredible, beautiful, at times utterly depressing (and sometimes too icky for my tastes) world of whales and the mind-boggling potential for animal communication.

Favorite Quotes:

"'The important thing to me,' he said, 'is to exhibit that we are listening. To show the other beautiful life-forms that we see them.'"

*

"In the words of Matt Damon in The Martian, it was time to science the shit out of this."

*

"When a whale is in the water, it is like an iceberg: You see only a fraction of it and have no true conception of its size."

*

"If the whales could give us an understanding of the world, of an empathy toward other species, then it would be the single most important lesson we could learn."

*

"Because we are part of nature, when we protect nature, we are nature protecting itself."

My rating: 4/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers):

Although it was a definite departure from my usual fare, and although some parts were incredibly upsetting, I found this book to be an incredible and eye-opening glimpse into the fascinating and beautiful world of whales and into the potential future of human-animal communication.

Pretty much everything I learned amazed me - for both good and for ill. Some examples: the fact that whales have cultures, that dolphins use tools and have a sense of self, that humans nearly hunted these beautiful, intelligent creatures to extinction... and the lengths that some very good humans are going to to protect, restore, and communicate with them.

In addition to a newfound obsession with whales and a burning desire to meet a humpback someday, this book gifted me an intense understanding of the duality humanity's potential - to be devestatingly destructive to the natural world, or altruistic in an effort to protect it. This book renewed and refueled my desire to make a meaningful difference and to be the latter.

[doomerpatrol]

Comic Log 2024 (Redux)

The Great: Comics that stick with me, that are fun to read, look at, and think about; these wind up in my "Favorite Comics" spreadsheet.

Dungeon Meshi by Ryoko Kui Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison and Richard Case The Flash by Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Mark Millar JLA by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter Animal Man by Grant Morrison and Chaz Truog All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely Batman by Grant Morrison Hawkeye by Matt Fraction and David Aja Black Widow by Marjorie Liu and Daniel Acuna Birds of Prey by Gail Simone Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman Superman: Up, Up, and Away by Kurt Busiek, Geoff Johns, and Pete Woods Moon Knight by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips 20th Century Men by Deniz Camp and Stipan Morian Gotham Central by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka

Dandadan by Yokinobu Tatsu [ONGOING] Fantastic Four by Ryan North [ONGOING]

The Good: Comics that I overall enjoyed but had some notable complaints about.

Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison Batman: No Man's Land by various authors Wolverine by Greg Rucka Catwoman by Ed Brubaker Black Cat by Jed MacKay She-Hulk (Vol. 2) by Dan Slott Magneto by Cullen Bunn 52 by Johns/Waid/Morrison/Rucka/Giffen Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka X-Men: Messiah Complex by various authors We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely Superman and the Authority by Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin

The Mid: Comics that slid off me in one way or another, or had potential that I think got squandered - not terrible, but feel a bit like time lost. Least likely to get a write-up.

X-23 by Craig Kyle & Chris Yost Detective Comics by Greg Rucka JLA by Mark Waid Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee Detective Comics by Scott Snyder Journey into Mystery by Kieron Gillen Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky

The Bad: Comics that I actively did not enjoy.

Astonishing X-Men by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday Action Comics by Grant Morrison Punisher by Rick Remender Venom by Rick Remender Moon Knight by Brian Wood and Cullen Bunn Daredevil by Ed Brubaker Ant-Man and the Wasp by Mark Waid

[pagesofkenna]

>read this amazing fanfic where Trystan Valentine gets into crime because he makes time stop when he has sex, playing on the 'sex criminal' in-show joke

>JPC references the 'sex criminal' joke in Hey Riddle Riddle and Adal informs him that there's a comic called Sex Criminals where the characters do crime because time stops when they have sex

>I did not realize that fanfic was a concept crossover! (I must not have read the author notes, or remembered them, lol)

>The comic is a collaboration between Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky???? I need to read this immediately!!

>My local library has it!?

>It's listed as 'temporarily unavailable' in the system, and the librarians all know me because I used to work there, and I don't feel comfortable asking them why the Sex Criminal books are mysteriously missing

:C

[mattbrittonnyc]

Enhancing Consumer Legal Services with AI: Insights from Matt Britton

In the rapidly evolving landscape of legal services, where access and efficiency are paramount, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a futuristic concept but a present-day reality. As organizations navigate this complex terrain, the demand for insights from proven experts in AI and consumer trends has never been higher. Enter Matt Britton, a renowned AI keynote speaker whose extensive experience could dramatically shape how legal services cater to consumer needs through technology.

Matt Britton, known for his role as the Founder & CEO of the groundbreaking consumer research platform Suzy, has carved a niche as an authority in understanding and leveraging new consumer trends. His insights are backed by a robust history of consulting for over half of the Fortune 500 companies, making him a sought-after figure in translating complex data into actionable strategies. His best-selling book, YouthNation, solidifies his stance as a forward-thinker in the dynamics of consumer behavior, particularly among Generation Z, a demographic that is increasingly influencing market trends.

The Relevance of AI in Consumer Legal Services

The integration of AI in consumer legal services is a game-changer in enhancing access to justice and improving the efficiency of legal processes. AI technologies, from natural language processing to predictive analytics, are revolutionizing how legal firms handle large volumes of information, automate routine tasks, and provide personalized legal advice at a fraction of traditional costs. In such a scenario, a top keynote speaker like Matt Britton can provide invaluable insights into how these technologies can be harnessed to meet consumer expectations and drive business growth.

Why Matt Britton as a Keynote Speaker for Your Conference

When planning a conference that tackles the theme of AI in consumer legal services, choosing the right speaker is critical. As an AI expert speaker, Matt brings a unique blend of expertise in AI applications and a deep understanding of consumer trends that can translate into more focused, client-driven legal services. His speeches are not only informative but are also designed to inspire and provoke thought, driving innovation in practice.

Expertise in Consumer Trends

As legal services become more consumer-oriented, understanding shifting consumer behaviors and expectations becomes crucial. Matt’s background as a consumer trend expert, particularly with his insights into Generation Z, makes him an ideal conference speaker to discuss the alignment of AI technologies with consumer demands. His discussions are rooted in real-world applications and enriched with data-driven insights, providing a clear roadmap for innovation in legal services.

Proven Track Record with Fortune 500 Companies

Matt's consultancy experience with over half of the Fortune 500 offers a testament to his ability to adapt and apply trends across various industries. For legal firms looking to scale and innovate, his keynotes provide not just theoretical knowledge but practical strategies that have been proven in the most competitive environments. This experience positions him among the top conference speakers, capable of addressing the complex needs of an audience from diverse legal backgrounds.

Engaging and Authoritative Delivery

One of the hallmarks of top keynote speakers is their ability to engage an audience. Matt Britton excels in delivering compelling, dynamic presentations that not only hold the attention of his audience but also encourage them to rethink their approaches to technology and client service. His authoritative delivery, supported by up-to-date research and real-world examples, ensures that attendees leave with a thorough understanding of the subject matter and a clear set of actions they can immediately implement.

Conclusion

For any legal conference focused on the future of consumer legal services, Matt Britton stands out as a keynote speaker capable of bridging the gap between AI technology and consumer needs. His dual expertise in AI applications and consumer trends provides a comprehensive perspective that is both insightful and actionable. Legal professionals attending his keynote can expect to gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate AI into their services effectively, ensuring that their offerings are not only efficient but also aligned with the evolving expectations of their clients.

Choosing Matt Britton as an AI keynote speaker for your next legal conference could be the pivotal step in transforming your approach to legal services, making them more accessible, efficient, and consumer-centric. His proven track record, authoritative insights, and dynamic speaking skills are exactly what your event needs to inspire and empower your audience to embrace the potential of AI in reshaping the future of legal services.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 12.1

Beer Birthdays

William Krug (1857)

Randy Mosher (1952)

RJ Trent (1968)

Susan Boyle

Five Favorite Birthdays

Morris; Belgian cartoonist (1923)

Mary Martin; actress and singer (1913)

Jeremy Northam; actor (1961)

Jaco Pastorius; jazz bassist (1951)

Richard Pryor; comedian, actor (1940)

Famous Birthdays

Andrew Adamson; New Zealand film director (1966)

Woody Allen; comedian, writer, film director (1935)

Carol Alt; model. actor (1960)

Micheline Bernardini; French dancer and model (1927)

Eric Bloom; rock guitarist (1944)

Jan Brett; author and illustrator (1949)

Candace Bushnell; writer (1958)

Richard Carrier; author (1969)

Billy Childish; English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter (1959)

Jonathan Coulton; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1970)

Julee Cruise; singer-songwriter, musician, and actress (1956)

John Densmore; rock drummer (1945)

David Doyle; actor (1929)

Étienne Maurice Falconet; French sculptor (1716)

Matt Fraction; comic book writer (1975)

Steve Gibb; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1973)

Sophie Guillemin; French actress (1977)

Judith Hackitt; English chemist (1954)

Annette Haven; porn actor (1954)

DeSean Jackson; football player (1986)

Tahar Ben Jelloun; Moroccan author and poet (1944)

Jonathan Katz; comedian and actor (1946)

Clark Kent; fictional character, Superman

Richard Keith; actor and drummer (1950)

Martin Klaproth; German chemist (1743)

Zoë Kravitz; actress, singer, and model (1988)

Jerry Lawson; electronic engineer and inventor (1940)

Jimmy Lyons; saxophonist (1931)

Emily McLaughlin; actress (1928)

Bette Midler; actor, singer (1945)

Bart Millard; singer-songwriter (1972)

Julia A. Moore; poet (1847)

Emily Mortimer; actor (1971)

Sandy Nelson; rock drummer (1938)

Jim Nesbitt; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1931)

Eligiusz Niewiadomski; Polish painter (1869)

Gilbert O'Sullivan; pop singer (1946)

Isaiah "Ikey" Owens; keyboard player (1975)

Billy Paul; soul singer (1934)

Chris Poland; guitarist and songwriter (1957)

Chanel Preston; porn actress (1985)

Lou Rawls; singer (1933)

Martin Rodbell; scientist (1925)

John Schlimm; writer (1971)

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff; German painter (1884)

Dick Shawn; comedian, actor (1923)

Sarah Silverman; comedian, actor (1970)

Rex Stout; English writer (1886)

Robert Symonds; actor (1926)

Malachi Throne; actor (1928)

Charlene Tilton; actor (1958)

Lee Trevino; golfer (1939)

Jane Turner; Australian actress (1960)

Marie Tussaud; wax modeler-maker (1761)

Mihály Vörösmarty; Hungarian poet (1800)

Treat Williams; actor (1951)

Vesta Williams; singer-songwriter and actress (1957)

Minoru Yamasaki; architect (1912)

[jcmarchi]

Australian Scientists Detect Most Distant Fast Radio Burst Ever Discovered - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/australian-scientists-detect-most-distant-fast-radio-burst-ever-discovered-technology-org/

Australian Scientists Detect Most Distant Fast Radio Burst Ever Discovered - Technology Org

Record-breaking observation of the most distant fast radio burst ever discovered offers a path to weigh Universe’s ‘missing matter’.

In a tiny fraction of a second the radio burst released the equivalent of our Sun’s total emission over 30 years. A new generation of radio telescopes will allow us to unravel the mystery of fast radio bursts.

An artist’s impression (not to scale) illustrates the path of the fast radio burst FRB 20220610A, from the distant galaxy where it originated all the way to Earth, in one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms. It’s so far away its light took eight billion years to reach us, making FRB 20220610A the most distant fast radio burst found to date. Image: ESO/M.Kornmesser

An international team of scientists, including at the University of Sydney, has spotted a remote blast of cosmic radio waves lasting less than a millisecond. This ‘fast radio burst’ (FRB) is the most distant ever detected.

The discovery of the burst, named FRB 20220610A, was made in June last year by CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope on Wajarri Yamaji Country in Western Australia and it smashed the research team’s previous distance record by 50 percent.

This FRB is also one of the most energetic ever observed; in a tiny fraction of a second it released the equivalent of our Sun’s total emission over 30 years. The location of the source is in a galaxy so far away that its light took eight billion years to reach Earth.

In a paper published today in Science, the team led by Macquarie University’s Dr Stuart Ryder and Swinburne University of Technology’s Associate Professor Ryan Shannon, report on their discovery.

Co-author Professor Elaine Sadler, from the Sydney Institute for Astronomy at the University of Sydney, said: “Tracking down the galaxy where the fast radio burst originated was very exciting, because it suggests that we will be able to find even more distant bursts in the future, allowing us to probe further into the Universe.”

Dr Ryder from Macquarie University said: “Using ASKAP’s array of dishes, we were able to determine where the burst came from.

“Then we used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile to search for the source galaxy. We found it to be older and further away than any other FRB source found to date and likely within a small group of merging galaxies.”

Professor Sadler, also part of the School of Physics at the University of Sydney, said: “The distant galaxy where this burst originated looked quite different from the other galaxies where FRBs had been detected and we think we may be seeing the collision and merger of two galaxies rather than just a single galaxy.

“Galaxy collisions of this kind were more common in the distant and early Universe than they are today. Even though this galaxy is billions of light years away, measurements with a range of telescopes have allowed us to measure its size and mass as well as the typical age and chemical composition of its constituent stars.

“This information is helpful in trying to pin down the physical mechanism that produces such highly energetic magnetic flares, represented by the FRBs.”

Weighing the Universe

The discovery confirms that FRBs can be used to measure the ‘missing’ matter between galaxies, providing a new way to ‘weigh’ the Universe.

Current methods of estimating the mass of the Universe are giving conflicting answers and challenging the standard model of cosmology.

“If we count up the amount of normal matter in the Universe – the atoms that we are all made of – we find that more than half of what should be there today is missing,” Associate Professor Shannon said. “We think that the missing matter is hiding in the space between galaxies, but it may just be so hot and diffuse that it’s impossible to see using normal techniques.

“Fast radio bursts allow us to detect this ionised material. Even in space that is nearly perfectly empty they can ‘see’ all the electrons, and that allows us to measure how much stuff is between the galaxies,” he said.

Finding distant FRBs is key to accurately measuring the Universe’s missing matter, first demonstrated by the late Australian astronomer Jean-Pierre (‘J-P’) Macquart in a Nature paper in 2020.

Dr Ryder said: “J-P showed that the further away a fast radio burst is, the more diffuse gas it reveals between the galaxies. This is now known as the Macquart relation. Some recent fast radio bursts appeared to break this relationship. Our measurements confirm the Macquart relation holds out to beyond half the known Universe.”

About 50 FRBs have been pinpointed to date – nearly half using ASKAP. The authors suggest we should be able to detect thousands of them across the sky, and at even greater distances.

Associate Professor Shannon said: “While we still don’t know what causes these massive bursts of energy, the paper confirms that fast radio bursts are common events in the cosmos and that we will be able to use them to detect matter between galaxies, and better understand the structure of the Universe.”

The result represents the limit of what is achievable with telescopes today, although astronomers will soon have the tools to detect even older and more distant bursts, pin down their source galaxies and measure the Universe’s missing matter.

The international SKA Observatory is currently building two radio telescopes in South Africa and Australia that will be capable of finding thousands of FRBs, including very distant ones that cannot be detected with current facilities.

ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, a 39-metre telescope under construction in the Chilean Atacama Desert, will be one of the few telescopes able to study the source galaxies of bursts even further away than FRB 20220610A.

Research paper

Ryder, et al. ‘A luminous fast radio burst that probes the Universe at redshift 1’, Science (October 2023) DOI: 10.1126/science.adf.2678

Declaration

Funding for this research came from the Dutch Research Council, the Australian Research Council and the US National Science Foundation.

Source: University of Sydney

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