#Brussels Peak

[thorsenmark]

The Athabasca River Flows on By the Mountains (Jasper National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While at Goats and Glacier Lookout along the Icefields Parkway with a view looking to the south-southeast. This is in Jasper National Park.

[hachama]

This is how Brussels sprouts are supposed to look.

[wrongbodies]

One Night Only

"So this will let me switch bodies?" I asked.

"Yes, it will. But you must be careful. The effects are irreversible after three hours." The elderly man said. He sat on a stool behind a cluttered counter in the junk-filled shop.

I stood there, all 350 pounds of sweating bulk, stuffed into a tight hoodie and even tighter sweatpants. My pale skin was streaked with stretch marks, and my messy hair was greasy from not washing recently. Even the glasses I peered through were greasy, smudged, and gross.

"How does it work exactly?" I asked, breath coming out raggedly, whether from excitement or exertion was anybodys guess.

"The potion is a soul salve. When you drink it, your soul absorbs it. Until the third hour is finished, anyone you touch will swap souls with you. Anyone, mind you. And until the potion wears off, everyone will remain swapped until you are 'sealed' into your last body at the time." The old man explained.

"So, I'll swap back at the end? That doesn't sound like it is worth it." I said, disappointed.

"You misunderstand, boy. You will remain in the last body permanently. Everyone swapped in between goes back to their original body. And your final victim? They get trapped in your body forever. Whether for cruelty, or for revenge, or your own benefit I care not. So long as you understand the consequences." The man warned.

"I see... well, in that case. I'll take it!" I said excitedly.

"Very good. Enjoy your evening, boy." The man said, and took my cash. I grasped the bottle tightly, and departed the store.

I knew the perfect place to use this. There was a party tonight, something I would never be invited to, but I knew how to get in. My roommate happened to be invited. He's a jackass, and not my type at all. He's a lot more fit than I am, for sure, but he was still nowhere near as hot as any of my targets.

You see, I didn't just want to get a smaller, healthier body. I wanted the cream of the crop. The best body I knew of on campus. And that was the baseball team. I knew exactly what I was after. I went to their games just to see their tight, supple asses through those uniform pants. Their toned chests and arms just hidden beneath their jerseys, but still as tantalizingly exciting for me to imagine.

I see them on campus, in classes, at the dining hall, and elsewhere and I want it. I want what they have. Beautiful bodies that don't get winded walking from one class to the other. And the guys I could score with one of their bodies? Lord, I could cum just from the thought.

In particular there was one guy I wanted bad. He was a junior just like me. Peter Whitt. He was the one for me. Skin with just a nice tan, minimal hair. His hair was short and styled, and he even had a mustache, giving him a slight dad-vibe that made me swoon. I never saw his abs clearly, but it was obvious he was in peak condition.

And he was going to be at the party. So I knew I had to be there too. I looked down at the bottle in my hand as I sat in the chair by my desk. I was clad in pajamas, snacks and drinks around me as if I was going to have another gaming session alone tonight. My dickhead roommate, Jake, was changing and spraying a noxious cloud of axe all over himself. He was short, with a stupid blocky-hair cut that made his head look like a square. He was pale, but I guess because he was on the wrestling team he counted as "cool" somehow.

Well, I'd see how it felt in a moment to be cool, I guess. I tossed back the bottle, swallowing the contents quickly, only briefly tasting a bitter taste, almost like brussel sprouts liquified. But as it settled in my gut, I felt a sensation spread through my body. It was like a warmth blooming until it filled my entire being. I smirked, and looked at Jake.

He might have heard me from behind, but he was used to disregarding me. He definitely didn't expect me to poke him in the back.

A flash, pops of light across my vision, and then I was settled. I felt so different. My mouth had the taste of cotton candy. Yuck. Jake loved his cotton candy vape. But I looked down and saw a much leaner body below. I was wearing his stupid clothes. I may be a fat slob, but I'm still aware that he has a poor sense of style.

I spun around to see my body staring at me in shock.

"What the fuck is happening?!" My voice screeched. I ducked backwards.

"Look Jake, you can sit tonight out. Play some video games. Have some snacks. I'm taking this body for a spin. But I promise you this. You will get your life back. Don't fuck with me. And if you do, you won't like what happens." I threaten.

"Wha-what? Where are you going?" He asked, tears starting to form in my former eyes.

"To the party, of course!" I said, and grabbed his jacket before slipping out the door. I didn't care I was wearing his stupid face and body like an outfit. I was actually able to move much faster, which was good because I'd like to get to the party soon. It would have already started, and I didn't want to chance getting stuck in Jake's body forever.

I could have taken Jake's car, but it seemed pointless. The party was just off campus on the other side of the gym. I was able to speed walk there and arrive in less than 20 minutes. Besides, I wasn't exactly concerned about returning Jake to our room. I just needed to body hop until I got Pete.

The party was in full swing when I walked up. People called out their hellos to me, and something happened that I should have immediately expected. Some guy with buzzed hair, and as wide as a truck came up and clapped a welcoming slap into my hand. Of course, the touch immediately swapped us.

I blinked the pops of light out of my eyes again, and found myself feeling like an ox. I was massive, but in a muscly way. Jakes face was flushed with surprise, but I turned and swept into the house party before he could trap me or make a big scene. Inside, I realized this was going to get hairy.

The house was old, and the halls were quite narrow. People milled about, sat on any surface they could find, or were just standing and chatting. And this current body, while threaded with muscle, was not lithe or slender to avoid bumping anyone. And sure enough, within a minute of making that realization a tall, slender girl knocked into my arm. I was suddenly staring down at the top of two breasts poking from a top and just beyond them was the studly man I just was staring at me in shock.

I again moved past and tried to dodge into the kitchen to find Pete, but when I came through, I walked right into a group of friends play-wrestling each other. Suddenly I was in some soccer boys body, and then I blinked and I was in some chicks body who they tumbled into. I slipped off the counter she had been sitting on and wove my through the mess and stepped into the backyard.

I was scanning for the baseball boys when someone came up and pinched my ass. I was about to turn but the swap already took place. I was now in some guys body I didn't even see before swapping. I just knew I had a dick again. And then I was pushed to the ground but before I hit the deck I was swapped again, this time I was in some black guys powerful frame. I was about to walk away when the calamity caught up. Panic was sweeping through the party as people started to realize how swapped up everyone was getting.

I started to regret choosing to do this at a party, and this was just minutes into being here. I couldn't get a clear sight, but in the scuffle of bodies and panic, I was swapped several more times. Each time, more voices screamed and yelled in fear. Just by swapping, I had moved from the middle of the chaos to the side. When I came to the final time, I was in some scrawny boy's body and I was able to back away.

And that's when I saw him. Pete! He was standing with some friends looking at the chaos in confusion. I started to walk towards him, hoping he wouldn't suspect a thing. Right as I was about to put a hand on him, he got spooked by sirens blaring from the front of the house.

Fuck! The cops were already here. Someone must have called, whether it was someone here or a neighbor. I sprinted after him, as he was dashing through the backyard and over a fence. I may have been in a much leaner body than my own, this was obviously not a very athletic guy. I was wheezing, and barely managed to toss myself over the fence too. Damn, he was fast! The guy was already across the street and seemed to be headed towards campus.

Just then I heard someone else rushing up, and panicked - was it a cop?! No, the shape was tall and well built, but it was just another student. In his haste and probably due to the dark, he collided with me and we swapped. I took this as serendipity, because now I had someone with power and speed. I took this body to max speed, leaving the kid in my body behind to squeal in terror.

I ran full-tilt, and was able to get Pete back in sight. He had no idea someone was following him, and because he thought he was in the clear, he had dropped to a walking pace. I figured running at him now would just cause him to get spooked, and I didn't want to get into some drawn out chase. Instead, I slowed to a walk, trying to keep my pace just a bit faster than his own.

I realized from pulling the wallet of the guy I currently inhabited that I was someone named Juan currently. From the feel of his torso this wasn't a bad body. I just didn't want to lose sight of my objective. And I had also lost track of time. Looking at the phone, I realized I was about halfway through the three hour limit. I didn't worry too much. I felt like a predator, and my prey was in reach of my lunging attack.

Luck turned against me though when Pete suddenly entered a dorm I wasn't familiar with. I jogged up when he passed through the door to try and catch it but no dice. I waited for a while, and finally, thankfully, someone came out and I was able to slip in. I scanned the lobby, lounge, and even the common bathroom on the first floor. I couldn't find anyone, let alone Pete.

I heard voices and other tell-tale signs that people were in their rooms, and such, but that hardly helped me in the moment. Then it occurred to me... the building was fairly tall. The elevator! Sure enough, I went to the elevator and saw the floor indicator was still on "5th Floor." I had no other lead, maybe Pete had gone up to that floor.

As the elevator was summoned down, I tapped my foot, this was getting stressful. The time was running down, now. I had somehow taken another half hour just to get in and then search the first floor. By the time I got to the 5th floor, I was down to about 50 minutes until the potion effects ended. Again, decent body, but I had my eyes on the prize.

When the doors opened, I immediately began combing all the common areas. The lounge and study rooms didn't turn up anything aside from a few assorted students working or watching TV. Then, I tried listening at each door. There weren't that many, I figured. Maybe I'd get lucky.

Some doors were silent, and then others were loud, but most were fairly muffled and didn't offer me much information.

Finally, 8 minutes on the clock. I was panicked. I didn't want to be Juan. I really wanted Pete. And as if to answer my prayer, I heard a distinctly loud "Pete!" cry out. Was it my Pete? I didn't have a better lead. I approached the door, and knocked.

"Who is it?" That was definitely Pete's voice.

"RA! Open up!" I cried through the door. That would make them move. RA's could usually scare people out of their rooms. Sure enough, I heard the bed creaking inside, and some shuffling and muted conversation. Finally, with just 3 minutes to spare, the door opened. I didn't wait, I just reached through and grabbed the forearm of the person standing there.

Fuck.

Fuuuuuck.

That wasn't Pete. Even as I was still blinded with the popping and flashes of light, I could tell that this was most definitely not Pete the baseball star, with the body I imagined was chiseled by the gods. Instead, I had grabbed the arm of some waifish boy, probably a freshman or sophomore, but someone who looked positively cherubic and twinkish. The torso I looked down at had a borrowed baseball sweatshirt on, the sleeves too long for my arms, and the waist going down past my torsos natural waistline.

I looked up at the face of Juan, who currently had someone elses soul residing within it. For a moment he just stared at me in shock, horror, absolute disbelief. Pete approached from behind, and before I could spin to grab him, a similar sensation from when I drank the potion rushed through me. I looked into Juan's face, and he blinked.

"What am I doing here?" He asked, confusion rippling through his voice.

"Uhhh... you knocked on our door, dude?" Pete said. His hand came to rest on my tiny shoulder.

"Oh, weird. I just remember being at that house party... then the cops came? Then somehow I was here. I feel a little sick." Juan explained, hesitation present in his voice.

"Ok then, maybe you should go back to your dorm, Juan." Pete said, and shooed him out the door.

As Pete closed the door on Juan, he glanced at me with an awkward look, like he felt bad but wanted nothing to do with it.

I was freaking out internally. I had gotten so fucking close. Now I was stuck as some random friend of Pete's, probably some waterboy or loser he was tutoring.

That notion came to a screaming halt, however, when he came back to me and slid his arms gingerly around my thin waist.

"Are you ok, babe?" He whispered into my ear. He lowered his perfect face to my neck, and kissed me gently.

"Uh-uh I- yes." I stammered.

"You sure? Maybe I can finish what we started?" He asked, coyly.

"Of course!" I piped. I didn't know what else to do. It then occurred to me... my cock was rock hard.

Pete then tightened his grip, heaving me up into his arms, and then he dropped me into the bed. He ripped off the tight briefs I had on, and similarly removed his clothes. I was then turned roughly over. He dragged my bottom half off the bed, and before I knew it he was inside me. There seemed to already be lube in my ass, as it clicked what had been happening from before when I heard Pete's name cried out.

Pete was secretly fucking this twink. This twink that I now was. Damn.

The next few weeks were an oddly satisfying, yet frequently confusing time. Firstly, my old body came forward and attempted to coerce me to swap us back. When that didn't work, he began threatening to out Pete. I almost caved to that, but I incorrectly wagered people wouldn't listen to a fat loser who was claiming that his body was stolen from him.

Pete was outed, and for a moment he was devastated. But I was there for him. As the twink, whose name is Corey, I could lavish him with attention and affection. After a while though, the community rallied around him, and collectively the former Corey, trapped in my old corpulent body, was rebuked and further ostracized. Realizing he had failed to get me cooperating, he gave up and seemed to fall into a deep depression, and dropped out before the end of the second semester.

As for me, living in Corey's body was not what I had wanted, but I came to love it. Sure, I had become my dream body's femme twink cocksleeve, but I didn't mind. Pete seemed genuinely interested in me, and when he was outed we were able to date properly. I even met his family a few times, and they adored me. My grades were amazing, and I was involved in a number of volunteer initiatives.

Learning how to be Corey wasn't too bad, if just fraught with chances to make a fool of myself or cause some minor concern over forgotten details and such. But overall, it seemed like I was able to assimilate into this new life. And honestly, being this thin and cute was still a massive upgrade to my old sweaty life.

Lastly, no one but the real Corey and I ever knew about the body swap chaos. It seems the magic caused everyone else who got returned to their proper bodies to forget the events of the party in a dazed haze. This worked for me, I often thought. My only chance to be exposed was an exiled wretch, and my target body was my loving, boyfriend... who also fucked me good. I was living life to the fullest now.

[opencommunion]

"The Congo’s strategic location in the middle of Africa and its fabulous natural endowment of minerals and other resources have since 1884 ensured that it would serve as a theatre for the playing out of the economic and strategic interests of outsiders: the colonial powers during the scramble for Africa; the superpowers during the Cold War; and neighbouring African states in the post-Cold War era. To prevent a direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Security Council deployed from 1960 to 1964 what was then the largest and most ambitious operation ever undertaken by the UN, with nearly 20,000 troops at its peak strength plus a large contingent of civilian personnel for nation-building tasks.

This latter aspect of the Opération des Nations unies au Congo (ONUC) was a function of the fragile political revolution ... The Congo won its independence from Belgium on 30 June 1960. Patrice Lumumba’s MNC-L and its coalition of radical nationalist parties had captured a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament in the pre-independence elections in May. Lumumba became prime minister and head of government, while the Abako leader Joseph Kasa-Vubu became the ceremonial head of state. The victory of a militantly nationalist leader with a strong national constituency was viewed as a major impediment to the Belgian neocolonialist strategy and a threat to the global interests of the Western alliance.

Within two weeks of the proclamation of independence, Prime Minister Lumumba was faced with both a nationwide mutiny by the army and a secessionist movement in the province of Katanga bankrolled by Western mining interests. Both revolts were instigated by the Belgians, who also intervened militarily on 10 July, a day before the Katanga secession was announced. In the hopes of obtaining the evacuation of Belgian troops and white mercenaries, and thus ending the Katanga secession, Lumumba made a successful appeal to the UN Security Council to send a UN peacekeeping force to the Congo. However, the UN secretary-general, Dag Hammarskjöld, interpreted the UN mandate in accordance with Western neocolonialist interests and the US Cold War imperative of preventing Soviet expansion in the Third World. This led to a bitter dispute between Lumumba and Hammarskjöld, which resulted in the US- and Belgian-led initiative to assassinate the first and democratically elected prime minister of the Congo.

... Brussels’ failure to prevent a radical nationalist such as Lumumba from becoming prime minister created a crisis for the imperialist countries, which were determined to have a decolonization favourable to their economic and strategic interests with the help of more conservative African leaders. With Belgium’s failure to transfer power in an orderly fashion to a well-groomed moderate leadership group that could be expected to advance Western interests in Central and Southern Africa, the crisis of decolonization in the Congo required US and UN interventions. Working hand in hand, Washington, New York and Brussels succeeded in eliminating Lumumba and his radical followers from the political scene."

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History, 2002

[justlookfrightened]

Whipped Cream and Other Delights

Sorry this has taken so long. I haven't been in much of a mood for fluff. But now I think I need some ...

CW: Lots of innuendo and bad jokes

Prompt from @hufflepunkwannabe: Ooo, can we see Jack and bitty just being silly together? 

The pies were done and the turkey was roasting. The dressing and sweet potatoes were in the second oven now that the pies were out; once they and the turkey came out, he could slide in the green bean casserole — Shitty insisted — and the roasted Brussels sprouts. Last of all would come the dinner rolls, still in their first rise. They could bake while Bitty made the gravy.

Bitty frowned and tapped his pen against his teeth while he studied his notebook. It should work. Everything should be ready to serve close enough to the same time — good thing the turkey had to rest for a while before being carved. He’d even have time to sneak in a shower. Probably.

“Bits?”

Jack came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Bitty’s waist. 

“You alright?” Jack asked. “You need help?”

“No, I’ve got it in here,” Bitty said. “How’s the tidying going?”

“Fine,” Jack said. 

And of course it was, because Jack always kept the place pretty neat. He’d heard Jack run the vacuum a few minutes before, probably unnecessarily because the cleaner did that two days ago. 

“And the table?” Bitty asked. “Is that set yet?”

“No,” Jack said. “But it’s just Shitty and Lardo, and a few of the guys who couldn’t get home.”

Bitty almost let a high-pitched giggle escape him. “A few of the guys” were four professional hockey players. Players on Jack’s team. Players who probably never even thought of playing with someone who wasn’t straight until Jack had come out. Bitty needed these guys to like him.

“You know Tater loves you,” Jack said.

Which was true. Tater, who might be the biggest human being Bitty had ever laid his own eyes on, had been delighted with Bitty from the first time they met. His approval went a long way with the other Russian players, one of whom – a rookie named Ivanov – was coming today. The others, Fitz and Poots, were from western Canada, which Bitty had come to learn had some things in common with being from the south in the U.S., or maybe the Midwest. Still, they’d always been perfectly friendly, and when Jack said Bitty would make Thanksgiving dinner for those who had no other place to go, they accepted.

It would be fine. Probably.

“I just feel like I’m forgetting something,” Bitty said. “Something important.”

“Kissing your boyfriend?” Jack asked, leaning down to kiss the side of Bitty’s neck.

Bitty squirmed and swatted at Jack’s arms.

“Stop it,” he giggled, a real giggle this time. “I need to be on the ball here.”

Jack honest-to-pete snorted, and Bitty giggled and blushed. “Not that kind of balls!”

Then he remembered.

“Whipped cream!” he yelped. “I have to make the whipped cream.”

Jack laughed and said, “I give up.”

Bitty put the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of the stand mixer and attached the whisk. 

“Then I can take a shower,” he said before turning it on. “You’re in charge of the bar, and you’ll do a cheese and cracker platter and a relish tray so there’re nibbles, right?”

“Right,” Jack said, taking a stack of plates from the cabinet. “I’ll start on the table.”

It was only a few minutes later that Bitty pulled the whisk out and watched the peaks form and then droop. He was using a spatula to transfer the whipped cream into a ceramic bowl when Jack came back into the kitchen.

“Done already?” Jack said.

“It doesn’t take long,” Bitty said, drawing a finger along the edge of the spatula to cover it in whipped cream and holding it out to Jack. “Here, taste.”

Jack took Bitty’s hand and pulled Bitty’s finger into his mouth, cleaning it — Bitty had to clear his throat as Jack did it — very thoroughly.

When Jack released his finger, he grinned and said, “It doesn’t take long? So … you could make it another time?”

Bitty pulled himself together enough to bat his eyes and smile flirtatiously.

“Any time you want, sweet pea,” he said. “I’m gonna take that shower now.”

He had no reason to tell Jack that he finished bathing so quickly because the shower was ice cold.

[finnbinn1]

I've been really busy lately working on my final last art project for school and I'll soon be graduation school but heres a sneak peak into one of my characters I've made

And I'll be posting more soon dw and have a good day.

★ Waffellas Brussels ★

Cream Cheese is coming soon..

[condenhorn]

euphoric enmity

bi-han x saria (MK1 OC)

content: cunnilingus, femdom, malesub, face riding, degradation, praise, light bondage

a/n: saria belongs to @idioticmochi. this is also an older one from last year. warning that this is not beta read and my writing is different. enjoy!

Six thick, large tatami mats laid about onto browned hardwood floor, sliding doors on both sides pried open to let the flows of spring into the building. Hearing the droning of birds, the slight hum of bees and smalls howls of wind invigorated. 

Bi-Han wrapping his hands at the far end, Saria mimicking him with her feet sitting in the middle of the fighting area. Slipping ankle supporters, polyester and cotton glazed her soles as she peered towards Bi-Han, who flexed his hands to check that the bandages weren’t too tight against his skin.

“We stop once someone draw blood or step off of the mats.”

Saria gets up, fixing her hair while adjusting herself to the opposite side of Bi-Han, “Is drawing blood really necessary?” Putting her locks in the ponytail, she rolls her wrists and checks her powers, vines coming out of the palms and flowers scattered an array from her soles. “That seems a bit…MUCH.”

Rolling his neck and cracking his knuckles, Bi-Han only had but a simple response:

“Step off of the mat before it gets to that point.” Tone cold, signed as a warning.

“Hm.” She buzzed, slightly annoyed. “So be it then.” She noticed how Bi-Han was glaring her down. Eyes trailing down to observe her body, his jaw tensing slightly to peer back in brown.

“So be it.”

Readying their stances, Saria begins to launch plants from the floor, Bi-Han dodging nearly all attacks, freezing them with every move, smashing them to shards, the two nearly stepping on them.   

One vine in particular caught wind of his leg, readying itself to throw Bi-Han but its life was shortly lived now frozen over to be broken.

“Stop going easy, princess. Unlike you, I hate pity.”

Saria’s eye twitched, two large vines erupted from her hands to fiercely grab a hold of his body and spun him around to hit the mat below, silted in shock facing Saria.

“Seems like your form is off.” She poked at him.

She saw how his jaw tensed, tatami wove into palm as he launched himself up and barrels towards her, frozen hands willing to touch skin. Must’ve hit a sore spot. Again.

Saria blocked his blow with a vine, the fighter freezing it over whilst turning his foot to hold his balance firm into the mats.

But he knew that she was going to do that.   

As he hooked his other leg with hers to catch her off balance, falling backward.   

Disparity giving a five second window to close the session. Saria caught a peak of cockiness through his barren mask, eyes tampered and jaw slackened, noting that he was already won.   

To further it, he added, “Your notion knows limited bounds.”

Intuition of the thick, woolen protection mat run out, nearly touching the wooden floor, her wrapped sole registered themselves to push herself back onto the mat, much to Bi-Han’s dismay.   

Brussels of Bird’s Paradise pushed her forward, displeasing him with a tightened stance.

“And your ego holds none.” 

That got him to lose composure rather quickly, throwing a icicle in her direction once said, in which she immediately dodged, shattering amongst the sliding doors. A calmed hum only confirmed Saria’s words to hold truth.   

Perhaps little of the hulking truth was slightly scarring to realize, noting the sense of cold thrust past Saria’s cheek.

Shifting her foot sideways, stomping the ground erupted a carrion flower, ready to swallow Bi-Han whole, but Bi-Han dodged, launching ice daggers in Saria’s direction.   

Retracting the flower, she shielded herself with a large vine, using his own powers against him to launch the daggers back.

He really didn’t like that. And Saria could tell by the grunt he made afterwards.   

He smashed them easily and tried his hand at underhand tactics, stomping his feet creating ice spikes, getting Saria in the air to launch ice daggers.   

“Movement in the air is limited”, he thought.

To be proven wrong as Saria parried the weapons with more vines, using them as a backboard to launch herself at Bi-Han, failing to land a blow on his torso, stunting them as they wobbled backwards, Bi-Han’s foot nearing off the mat.

Unfortunately Bi-Han stopped just before he stepped off, as he wiped sweat from his forehead and rolled his head around. Saria got her balance back and peered up at Bi-Han.

His eyes darkened, never leaving Saria’s. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or not as Bi-Han always had a unpleasant gaze, a similar cold to his ice.

Another grunt as ice crept up his forearms, morphing into fists, blasting himself in the air to try and catch Saria from above.

Quick to dodge his attacks, she pitched two vines in his direction, followed by a Rafflesia to drag him in.

But two vines became four, then six, and eight. Bi-Han now inches away from landing a blow onto Saria. Swinging a vine to shield herself only made Bi-Han resiliency’s pay off.

Blocking the vine, Bi-Han was toe to toe as more vines erupted from all angles, willing to tie him up. He sacrificed his fists to freeze all coming his way.

And as soon as he saw an opening, he took it, seeing a sliver of Saria’s face hyper focused to take him down, he sent ice spikes in her direction, making her stagger back, nearing her end of the mat.

But not before Saria had her vines rush to Bi-Han immediately, him freezing them back to back.

The last vine brushed past his cheek, Bi-Han barely able to dodge it before freezing it, now ready to call victory as Saria’s foot was centimeters away from touching the hardwood floor.

Until he felt something trickle down his skin.

Eyes widened, Bi-Han touched his cheek, looking at his fingers to see blood, a millisecond before Saria stepped off the mat.

Saria looked at him. A small smile crept upon her lips, Bi-Han wiping the blood off of his cheek to then scoff, “Underhand move.”

“I simply followed the rules, Bi-Han. Maybe if you were more aware of your surroundings than the battle, you would’ve gotten me.” Her tone lightly inked with cheekiness, walking up to him, “Focus on yourself.”

“Handle me with your fists.” Bi-Han declared another fight. “Your powers are obviously a crutch.”

Saria rolled her wrists, “As do yours?” Questioning Bi-Han that he was also doing the same. “We handle our powers differently, there is no shame in calling this a victory. The best failure is admitting to it.”

That got Bi-Han seething. Because not only was he prone to failure but admitting to it was not his forte, much less owning up to someone else. He stretched himself out and huffed, his icy breath filling the spring air as the trees shook lightly in the wind.

“One last fight shall determine my position amongst you. We will declare victor then.”

Saria sighed, negotiating with one of the Lin Kuei wasn’t possible, so she left as that. Readying herself again for yet another duel. “And this will be the last? No additional fights for a three out of five?”

“Can’t promise that, can I, princess?” Looks like Sub-Zero can crack jokes after all with the cold, harden exterior he exhibits. That certainly caught Saria by surprise. 

Rolling her eyes with a light scoff to amuse him, she steps up to Bi-Han, glancing at him. Her lips pursed, eyes tapered and challenged him, preparing her stance with tightened fists. “Remember that when you’re on the ground.”

“Tch.” Bi-Han endured his quick tongue to not give more satisfaction to Saria. Only his actions can defy his position amongst royalty. Words mean nothing to acts, even when actions say another for words to mean the opposite. “We stop when-”

“—someone is pinned to the ground for three seconds.” Saria cuts him off, “Yes, I know this.”

His jaw tensed, a slight grunt emitted from the grand master, conceiving his fists into a tight ball. Tensed brows, thinned eyes as his gaze fell upon Saria with intents of malice and despair.

But then again, Saria saw through the disguise. The sights of want and acceptance flickered slightly amongst the frozen stare which softened Saria’s vigilance. To her fault.

Bi-Han launched himself forward, his form tightened amongst his torso to protect itself, as if he hid all his secrets behind it. And maybe he did. Saria noticed how preservative he was in their last match.

To Saria’s surprise, Bi-Han landed a blow on her torso, stunting the princess as she stumbled back with Bi-Han connecting with yet another hit to her stomach.   

Unable to react as quick as he was, he wasn’t holding back. Not even a little. Saria was wrong to have shown mercy to a mercenary.   

He showed no sign of stopping himself, showing that he’s determined to get the win. The cost of it being his sanity replenished for derangement.

Which was the opposite of what Saria wanted, stinging wounds blurred her capability of atonement, the blood started to arose in her throat, letting out a horrid noise as it splattered amongst the floor, the princess taking a knee.

“What did I say?” He started walking towards Saria.

“Don’t go easy on me, Princess.” Bi-Han sneered, stopping himself as Saria clutched her stomach. “Unlike you…”

Saria looks up at Bi-Han with the most distasteful look in her eyes, fuming with indescribable rage.

“I hate pity.”

Bi-Han, willing to seal his victory, was more than happy to get another hit before he could claim it. But it slipped amongst his fingers, Saria kicking his leg in as a distraction as he inched closer to her.

“Enough about pity.”

Saria, slow and staggeringly got up, readying herself again. “Pity this, pity that…Why does pity bother you so, Bi-Han?”

The latter grunted in response, unwilling to answer to gather balance before launching himself at Saria again to land another blow on her torso, emitting a pained grunt with an exchange, striking Bi-Han’s chest.

“Why is pity such a thing in your mind that you can’t release? Are you fearful to admit that?”

Saria grabbed his shoulders, the latter resisting her hold, kicking her shin repeatedly and frantic to get her off to no avail, her grip unwavering to loosen despite her wounds.

Once, twice, thrice, four times Saria kneed Bi-Han’s chest before throwing him onto the ground face first, the differ turning himself right side up to face Saria before she stepped on his chest, pushing him back to the ground with Bi-Han grabbing her ankle heaving to catch a breath.

“Worry about yourself before thinking that others pity you for a millisecond.”

Saria forced her foot on Bi-Han’s chest again, his breathing to irregularity, frosty pants releasing from grimmed lips. She yanked his arm away from her ankle, kneeling on it caused him to let out a pained scream. Saria now getting down to his level to pin the man to the surface.

Taking hold of his other arm, she grabbed his wrist and hoisted it over his head, Saria slotted her other knee between Bi-Han’s legs, blood cornering her lips as she was willing to declare victory once more.   

Few of brown and green locks spilled from both sides, Saria’s ponytail unforetold to come undone with her soon heaving for air from the pain throbbing amongst her stomach and torso, face centimeters away from Bi-Han’s.

“Then…you can defeat your opponent.” She finished.

Realizing that Bi-Han was silent amongst the breathless takes he tried to consume oxygen into his body, chasing air in addition to his chest rapidly increasing to decrease. His slivered eyes widened, for a rare occurrence.

Saria, still short of breath, dug her knee further in between Bi-Han’s legs, putting pressure on his cock unaware, furious at the grand master. 

Nails digging into his wrist tick by tick. The time well over three seconds to pin someone down, Bi-Han peering down at how Saria’s knee hiked up to his dick with him mumbling under his breath.

“Speak up.” Saria spat, having enough nonsense for a day. “I can’t hear you amongst the muttering.”

“You…” Bi-Han uttered, abnormally quiet, he couldn’t bare to look Saria in the eye. “You…proved your point. Now get off of me.”

Saria added pressure to her knee and that got the man to shiver, astonishing the princess as she finally took in their position. What struck her was that Bi-Han didn’t use his ice to get out of her hold. More so his body was less rigid than she originally accommodated for.

Strands of hair scattered in the mist of his face bedecked on his sweaty temple, knitted brows, broad eyes and timid, parted lips was a heaven that Saria couldn’t resist, couldn’t describe either.

She knew Bi-Han was attractive—to her demise and anguish—but yielding and meekness wasn’t anything to slip into her mind when comparing that to a grand master, nonetheless a grand master to the Lin Kuei.

Knowing Bi-Han for years was pledged to happen because of parental statuses and hierarchy, but never has she thought of him romantically. Not often, should she say as both of their principles differ completely from each other’s.

It was maddening hearing her and Bi-Han’s father conversations about power and influence within the parties, she well expected them to pull an arrangement for her and Bi-Han to wed despite being in different territories. If anything, they knew each other well enough to not go down that path.

But it seems today is the exception, with turmoil of erotic fantasies dazzling one and the other’s mind of what’s to come next. One more obligatory than the other.

Bi-Han’s hand tensed after much time passed. “Get off of me.” His voice now hoarse, keeping his composure within the moment. “Release me now or your limbs will be frozen.”

Saria decided, “Release yourself. You have the power to, don’t you?” Grip constricted similarity to iron. “So try.”

To which the other didn’t, gritting his teeth with broken grunts, Saria leaning closer to his face as a taunt.

“Or you don’t want to.” Saria called Bi-Han out. “And you want me to stay like this.”

Individual leaflets drifted into the room, the sun turning its way to shine on some parts of Bi-Han and Saria, signaling its time of noon. The faint crowds of troops begin to bustle in the main hall to make way for trials.

“Don’t…” Bi-Han broke his cowering silence. “Don’t talk nonsense. Your mind is surely playing tricks with you.”

“Tricks?” Saria purposefully trudged her knee up this time, Bi-Han’s feedback was that of a held back groan. “What tricks do you recall, Bi-Han?”

“Saria…” His movements said another, his voice ominous. Threatening as the usual suspects. But the difference was obvious as Saria caught it almost immediately.

That made Saria grin, even a bit taken aback since it’s been a while that he uttered her name. “Oooh, that’s a new one.” Mocking the grand master. “The many times you said my name in a lifetime couldn’t equate to a fraction of what you feel.”

“A fraction of that couldn’t equate to your assumptions…” Bi-Han breathed, his eyes lingered to Saria’s knee grazing against his crotch. “Your ego is obnoxiously high.”

“As do yours, Grand Master. Humor me a bit more with that tongue of yours.”

Stillness fell, faint chirps of birds grew with the quiet. Rustles of trees calmed in the wind. The two’s eyes varied in emotion. Saria’s softened, a lit creased her lips, her hand trailing from Bi-Han’s wrist to his palm. The other flinching from her touch, frantic of what the princess was thinking about doing in this predicament.

Bi-Han refused to look her in the eye, his sight worried on one of the sliding doors that let in a modest amount of sunlight, nearly blinding himself. Lips thinned into a line, more or less with Saria feeling the rapid beating of his heart through his hand.

“Am I that enticing to not be looked in the eye?” She poked at Bi-Han. “Or did your emotional intelligence finally hit a roadblock?”

“Shut it already. You’re doing nothing. Nothing at all.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

That shut him up rather quick, ironic to his word. Saria adjusted herself, spreading her legs and pressing her chest against Bi-Han’s, the other was quick to shoot his head back to see what she was doing. Saria was met with a personal close up of what Bi-Han was actually feeling.

He remained speechless but his heart continuously spoke, pulse racing constant in a steady, sprightly motion, conjunction with his breathing.   

His case being not supported by his cock pleading for release within his pants, Saria noticing the print pressing on her stomach, scoffing on how Bi-Han was terrible at masking his feelings in this moment, having to be caught in a web of lies.

Peering at her stomach, Saria was getting a slight glimpse of Bi-Han’s cock rubbing against her. “Nothing, you say?”

No words. Bi-Han glared at Saria, his eyes narrowed, seething at her words, knowing that she was exactly right.

“Well that’s too bad.” Saria starts to get up, shocking Bi-Han as she releases her hands from him and stands up to dust herself off. “Kung Lao needs me soon for a—”

Not allowing her to finish her sentence, Bi-Han grabbed Saria’s wrist, yanking her down to his level again. This was certainly new.    

His grip didn’t call for anger as Saria expected. Better to describe is desperation. A tight grip pulling down for more which was something that Saria rarely experienced. Or even at all with the Grand Master. Interesting.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Huffs of cool air emitted from his lips once anew. Saria made note of Bi-Han’s head drooping down, as if he’s ashamed for feeling the way that he does. Then she couldn’t deter over pitying him as much as he hates it or to be distant.

None of the choices were the ones she chose, her lips collected into a soft smirk. “I’m a princess with duties to fulfill.” She turned to him. “Unless you’ll humor me?” She asks.

“I…” Bi-Han was at a loss for words, grip loosening, dropping his hand to the ground. “I…” His soft grunts signified his desire, his cock adjacent to clothing, trying to chase the high that’s got him like this, unable to answer Saria’s question.

“Mmm.” Saria drifted her hand amongst Bi-Han’s crotch. “Tongue-tied, aren’t we?”

“Do you always have to say something with every inconven—” Saria laid a hand on Bi-Han’s groin, palming his cock had Bi-Han ooze out broken groans. To which Saria replied,

“Yes.” She sighed rather softly, almost kind. “When I’m in cahoots with you, it’s a requirement with your incredulous behavior to not get a migraine.”

Unable to respond to her words, Bi-Han throws his head back, arching himself to Saria’s touch, wanting more of it, even if it was a little. It was downright embarrassing to be demanding about something he never thought to partake in to his demise.   

Learning is his strong suit, but Bi-Han’s strength was zapping away from him as every touch Saria makes on his clothed cock and inner thighs. He couldn’t take himself out of this if he tried. Not that he wanted to, which was the scary part of all of this. He didn’t want it to stop though it is unusual. 

Unfamiliarity can be a reminding constant of either a dooming or welcoming experience. He hopes it’s the positive side of things as being unaware of new things usually ends with a thrust of ice in their body. It doesn’t seem like one of those times where that can be utilized.

Bi-Han jutted his hips to chase more of that unfamiliar feeling, how strange it was yet comforting yet rigid. Heat coiled in his stomach ironic to his nature. “Wait…wait-”

Saria slowed herself down, focusing on Bi-Han’s hand grazing hers. Her eyes joined with Bi-Han’s, whose eyes were much relaxed than Saria initially intended, an expectation greatly soared to deeper depths.

“That’s not enough. It’s not going to…” Stopped by Saria dipping her hand in his pants, jerking him off slowly and surely, Bi-Han drew out soft grunts and breaths shortened.

“I know it’s not enough. Be a good boy and quiet yourself, won’t you?” Saria threatened. “Before I string you in front of your clan in this condition.”   

“You…” The latter was too blissfully ignorant to give a snappy clap back anymore.   

Saria pulls his cock out, letting it sit upright to ridicule how hard he is. The cool wind laughably made him shudder. Bi-Han seething with unbridled anger and self consciousness, having himself in this state. 

While he did have his fair share of intercourse up to this moment, few had him this disheveled and unkempt, if any at all in recent memory. Usually he was the occurrence of rumpled messes relishing away in his hold. Having that happen to him was humbling, shameful.

How dare he allowed this to happen? That question had to be answered by the grand master himself. And even he didn’t have the result of it. All he knew that he wanted to be rid of it one way or another.

Saria must’ve heard his thoughts as she moved down to be level with his cock, her chest hovering over it made it twitch. Bi-Han’s hand covered his face, disorderly, messy fear and impulse as he came more undone within the hour.

Wrapping her hand gently around his cock, Saria starts stroking it again, this time was more antagonizing than the last, a much slower pace has the grand master groveling for more friction.   

That provoked a grave assortment of emotion. Negative emotions in specifics. This could be a form of remorse, Bi-Han thought.

“Make it quick.” Bi-Han urged Saria. “I…I don’t like this.”

“Don’t like what?” Saria tilted her head. “A woman with desires? Are you afraid of desires, Bi-Han?”

“I’m not afraid of something so… trivial and insignificant as that.” His anger still loitered about in his drowsing, ardor mind. “Don’t…” A broken moan omitted in coexistence with Saria drifting her hand to the bottom of his shaft, precum threatening to pearl at the tip.

“Don’t what?” Her strokes unimaginably slower now, knowing what makes Bi-Han tick. “Use your words. Otherwise I can’t help you.”

“Help me?” Faint growls filled the atmosphere, the grand master having his own to get on his elbows. “To what degree do I need—”

Saria instantly cut him off. It was funny to see this aggressive hulk of a man chase her touch so earnest and desperate for release. His skin incredibly hot to the touch, seeing his foreskin cover the tip with each stroking motion had Saria’s cunt throb and tense.

But then again this was Bi-Han. Expectations aren’t always the reality of it to Saria’s loss.

Saria sighed, tired of the shenanigans Bi-Han tossed her way, her hand stopping. “Your words are quite bothersome with your true intentions.”

Bi-Han now looking down at Saria since she paused what she was doing, parted lips enclosed with distant saliva and heavy pants for his release to come. The heat in his core desperate for a way out, burning his insides more than he liked.

“Be honest. And time will tell if I can elicit your pain.” Her hold hardened around his dick, irked by Bi-Han’s incompetence.

Squeezing his cock made Bi-Han let out a cracked, troubled moan, having more precum crown the tip and trail down his dick, fragmented breaths and rough edged hands forlorn to grab a part of Saria. Anything.   

But all he had was the rugged texture of the tatami mats since she was too far out of reach to cling onto.

The princess, still for moments taking in the imagery. Bi-Han’s legs spreading further, jutting himself up for more friction. More of Saria’s touch, his precum making the ride smoother to set his impending clemency.

Paradoxical claims aside, Saria hummed of vindication. Of pride. Enjoyment and fulfillment with her smile faintly showing amongst the annoyance. Her thumb pressing down on Bi-Han’s tip, the latter secreting distant moans and hushed cries to cum already.

“Interesting.” Saria dragged her fingers amongst the shaft. “Very interesting.”

“How about instead of taking your sweet time…” Bi-Han still has the ability to speak above all else. “You finish the job you started?”

“That I started?”   

Saria tsked, her hand ghosting Bi-Han’s cock, hoisting herself up to stand over him, her clothed cunt formulated a wet spot in her briefs and shorts under her dress. 

Pulling away her bottoms reveals a string of slick connecting from her pussy and clothing, Bi-Han enamored at the sight, a patch of hair sitting right above her clit. This was truly a novel experience to behold.

Bi-Han tensed under Saria’s eyes trailing to his, beckoning him to jump ship and give into what he wants. What he needs in the moment. But then Saria finished her statement by saying,

“I’d dare to say you were the cause of it, Bi-Han.”

Feeling the cool breeze graze on her cunt, she kicked her wear to the side and straddled Bi-Han’s hips, her folds caressing his cock as she rocked her hips in a fixed manner.

“So I’ll fix it for you.”  

Bi-Han in utter bliss moves his hands to Saria’s thighs, depressing her as she grew a vine from her palms and slapped his hands in the form of a whip, getting Bi-Han to retract his hands. He winced, anger boiling up with lust as his knuckles reddened.

“My way. Not yours.”

“You arrogant little—” Bi-Han’s frustration leaked through once more to get cut off again by Saria’s vine whipping him, this time over his chest.

“Unless your members like to have a show on their hands. Surely a sight such as yours would burn in the minds of many.” Silencing him in an instant, Saria continued her preparations.

Saria pulled Bi-Han up by his top, their faces anointed, she switched her focus on tying the vines around Bi-Han’s wrists, having them behind his back. She could hear the faint paced breathing of Bi-Han’s frost brush against her skin and the distant rumbles uttering from his lips at her constant advances and demands that she asks of him.

Maybe she could see Bi-Han and her working out in a sick, ridiculously evil way.

She pushed Bi-Han back down, the break of the fall had the grand master grunt in discomfort, his glaring aura rarely faltering even after Saria went back to his crotch, her cunt hovering over it, slick running down her thighs. 

Tragedy struck Bi-Han’s head as a running train of thoughts came crashing through his mind. He never realized how much he wanted to touch Saria until his hands were bound behind him. Weighed gasps erupt as he feels his bottoms leave his body, the light of sun caressing his legs.

Coming undone was certainly not the norm for Bi-Han but in their own twisted ways that conform to one and the other’s pleasures, his mind eased in contradictory. Because a quiet Bi-Han was better than any other to Saria.   

And the more he quiets, the more he can get it over with. The feeling messing with his stature, warmth tells tales of wants. And his hankering was surely not a likelihood of a potential rival.

Maneuvering for her drenched cunt to be eye to eye, Saria was more than willing to have a bit of fun before she could let Bi-Han cum. With the following having her cunt pressed upon Bi-Han’s mouth, a hand stilted to the ground above him, willing to see what the talk has been with the new grand master. Bi-Han’s eyes bludgeoned out of his head in shock.   

Grabbing a hand full of hair, Saria urged Bi-Han to lap her up and as she expected, Bi-Han wasn’t budging. “You didn’t think that I was going to get you off and leave myself in this condition, did you?”

The taciturnity of Bi-Han’s state was all she needed to confirm an answer, and to that she huffed, “You poor excuse of a man. Pleasuring only yourself. You couldn’t please a woman even if your hands weren’t immobilized.”

Moving his head to see, Bi-Han spoke. “Most…Most would grovel at my feet to make them senseless.”

“Well I’m not most, am I? Your steed may have power but your form can be delirious. Just like your fighting.”

Yanking Bi-Han’s head back to her cunt to shut him up, Saria was more than willing to teach him, soothing him to take his time, combing through his hair had undermined demeanor to it. Power.   

Power that Bi-Han wanted. And he knew that he could get it if he really desired it. But somehow being sedated by the princess of the Sun-Li clan mellowed his anger more than he liked. More than he ever expected really. He’s the grand master of the Lin Kuei, isn’t he? He THRIVES on power.

“Use that tongue of yours for good measure.”

Or he thought as Saria’s words condensed his thoughts to decomposing matter, mollifying, pacifist speech for him to lap her up.

With every “Good job” to “Right there.”, Bi-Han had a head high. His tongue listening to instructions, flattening it amongst Saria’s vulva, making her slightly shudder with her words. 

“Mmn yes…” She moved herself for her clit to be level with Bi-Han, yanking his hair to angle it. “Now do the same here.” Admitting to self-indulging how she gripped his hair tight every time he flicked her clit was something Bi-Han would take to the grave. 

Delicate gasps escape Saria’s lips, breathy praises as she started to slowly rock her hip against Bi-Han’s tongue and mouth, gathering more friction to make herself cum, angels those of Anthos oscillating in her mind with colonies and colonies of sexual gratitude in her bones.   

Bi-Han’s tongue on her folds coursed a familiar feeling to arise, heat beaming and cunt throbbing to chase her high as slick continuously trickles down her thighs.   

Her gasps became hoarse and louder, the grip on Bi-Han’s hair formulating to steel as the buzzing fire grew closer, quicker, rushing, compelling the grand master to keep going. To not stop. As Bi-Han made moves of his own with groans vibrating to Saria’s dripping vulva. 

Spurring a bunch of “Yes” and cracked words the grand master’s way, Saria anticipated her body starting to tremble, shaking, shivering for more. Hefty breaths added more pressure to her lungs, gasps slowly deterring to moans through pried cavity. Never would the two have thought to cross paths again in these circumstances.   

Bi-Han’s cock ached to fuck already, precum elicit in its prime with Saria’s slick coating his lips. Beckoning for the princess to sink her cunt onto his dick. Though unrecognizable, the rush of fever coddled to Bi-Han not as a prisoner, but an escape from depths he was created from.

And as the realization bows, Saria’s mind blanks, a stagnant convulsion and quaking legs spoke at her release. Cunt squeezing around nothingness, her clit over sensitive from Bi-Han’s handiwork, a full view of her cunt contorting in Bi-Han’s face, who was not expecting that to happen. With an elongated groan to top it off.   

He never saw a pussy this up close before, twitching and hailing so much slick. Now that he has, more realizations came and pieced about his brain of what he’s been missing. From rough quickies to sadism, never had he thought to please the other. Rattling him senseless with locks of experimenting more of the concept.

The cool wind chopped in to tempt their overwhelming body heat from pressing against each other, the princess shivering having to just climaxed.

A fast learner, Saria thought, stroking Bi-Han’s hair, caressing his neck with light coos that the grand master has done well. Wonderfully well, but too much praise can give him an even bigger head amongst power dynamics.

“Such a good boy you are, making me cum. Impressive.”

With Bi-Han, praise was always something to experience in his day to day life. Formally with his father and now with the town’s people. But the praise from townsfolk and Saria were completely different.   

While yes, it fills him with an instinctive high, Saria’s words in addition, came with warning. His tongue stinging and worn from extensive use, but the taste of Saria still remained on his lips.

“Little doggy earned his reward.” She swooned.

“Doggy?” Bi-Han didn’t have the words in him anymore, he just want his cock to have that much needed release already. Now. “I’m not a dog.”

“Yes, you are…” Arrogance trimming her words, distinctive cultivation of what happened. “Lapping up my cunt like that…you might as well be.” Her words harsh, tone sweet. Such a curse bestowed upon a princess that took the grand master’s head for a tail spin.

Bi-Han was flabbergasted to even defend himself, verbally or physically as he wanted to shut Saria up immediately one way or another. But unfortunately for him, his hands were tied, his mind was deforming to mush, and Saria was much too attractive in addition, commanding—to Bi-Han’s hidden pleasures—to do anything.

With both calming down from the intensive session, Saria starts to hover over Bi-Han’s cock, she slowly moved herself to tease the grand master’s tip, the sound of her slick glazing across it as she looked down at Bi-Han gritting his teeth. Shortened breaths with soft hums hand in hand with Saria’s cheeks heating up took both in for a ride.

Comments such as Saria giving him her strap came into the air, having to be saddened that she didn’t think ahead. Bi-Han was instant to shutting down the claims for a next time to even occur. But even those caused the princess to chuckle at his remarks.

It was like she somehow knew that this time wouldn’t be the last from how she ended the conversation; sultry and teasingly which Bi-Han couldn’t admit that he liked. That’s in similarity to admitting that he was weak. And he’s not weak, not how his father molded him to be anyhow.

But weakness is such a daunting construct as he felt his strength drain from him increasingly once Saria finally sunk herself onto his cock. The way his head shot up, insufflation taking course alongside groans and slight whines as he couldn’t have his way. 

Being inside of Saria felt so hot, it could melt his dick straight off. Her hand grazed his chest, a smile close to warmth, but it tells for sadism. It lurched from the depths of her mind, looking down at Bi-Han, hungry. The sight undoubtedly made his cock throb, paired with parted lips.

“So the town gossipers weren’t lying.” Saria breathed, her locks gliding down her face, outlining her features effortlessly with beams of sunlight from both sides lavishing in on her. “The grand master is to die for.”

Only then did Saria take in the scene that they could possibly get found out by someone, which made her cunt pulsate again at the chance of it in actuality, her mind wandered to susceptible doors, peering to see if any bystanders were nearby.

“We did everything under the sun and you’re worried about being seen.” Bi-Han mocked her, “Getting caught should be the least of your worries from the acts you committed.”

“Unlike you, I am royalty. But you’re right.” Situating her hand on Bi-Han’s chest. “That is the least of my worries.”

Having about enough of their quarrels, Saria started to rock her hips, grinding herself on Bi-Han’s cock to get a reaction out of him. To which she did. She knew that Bi-Han could break the vines himself if he really wanted to, but leaving them on for this long was a call out that the grand master enjoys this.

Shattered grunts fell out of Bi-Han’s mouth as Saria fasten her movements. Her grinds turned into undulating, her legs spreading wider to make sure Bi-Han sees how her cunt handles his cock, bouncing on his thighs with slight shuffles of the mats under them as her dress flowed with her movements. Saria’s wayward thoughts of getting caught went out the window a few minutes in.

Her pussy consistently fluttered and tightened around Bi-Han’s cock with every chance it gets, the groans of the man emerged to whimpers with closed eyes, sundered jaw. His cock filling her nicely with Bi-Han throwing his head back at the agony of being rendered immobile upon terrible timing with his crotch. He sloppily following Saria’s rhythm to fuck in her, the messy noises of precum and slick announcing its impact as the pace gets more brisk. Hot. Nimble. Sweltering.

Frequent speckles of sweat appeared on Bi-Han’s temples, eyes half way closed, discreetly checking Saria out and how she bounced on his dick. Almost hypnotic with her tempo, how her cunt took all of him in was maddening, making him want to fuck Saria. On his own terms. But it was clear that wasn’t going to happen any time soon based on the outcome that happened today.

 Bi-Han’s hips started to ache moving with Saria, but they were frantic as he got faster, hinting at his climax. Saria coddling his head, urging him to let go, but she slowed her pace, Bi-Han cursing in shallow breaths as his high was gradually falling back down because of it, but it was equated to desperation.

Furious questions tumbled out with the grand master’s crotch tensing under strenuous activity. Saria wanting to hear him properly within the aberrant, batty banter, going back to rocking herself on his cock, slowly and surely, luring him to speak about his want, lathering her hand in his hair and speaking eerily calm in airy undertones. A tempest trap for that of a sailor to a siren.

The way Saria rubbed her fingers through his hair, her eyes gazing at Bi-Han like he was the most fragile, delicate thing in the world called for trouble. Massive trouble. That with his cock nested in her crazed him, his chest felt like bricks stacked against, gathering for more air, damning himself for ever allowing this to happen. But his thoughts weren’t aligned with his words as the next thing he said shocked both himself and Saria.

“Keep going…” He breathed. “A little more….”

Saria, to her surprise, wasn’t expecting Bi-Han to admit that, but nonetheless, her cunt throb at his pleas and urged her to take Bi-Han to liberation as he’s been taunted long enough. Affirming his words, she continued her motions to bounce on his crotch, a severance thought that someone must’ve heard them by now. As tactful as she was, the logic mangled with Bi-Han’s cock filling her up and the intensity of how burning it was to feel.

To which Bi-Han’s heat started to build up again, quicker than the last, seething and gasping for more air, this lasting way longer than he intended, wishing that he could burrow himself into the ground after what he did before. What grand master acts like that, if any, at all? Begging for pleasure like a sick man.

And that’s when the bough broke, as Bi-Han starts to grunt pathetically as an attempt to his chipping pride, but it was a failure. The tingling feeling of his cock burst into flames as Saria lowered herself on Bi-Han’s cock at its crest time.

Pumping in white, wet stickiness, he blessed the weather for its perfect timing as gusts of wind brought leaves to the two, some laying about Bi-Han’s face and torso. But the winds licked and extinguished the fire of both.

“Quite potent, aren’t you?” Saria cracked a joke, her hand rubbed against Bi-Han’s chest to flick the leaves off, chuckling on how they dazzled him. “Couldn’t hold on for long.”

“Don’t take it as a compliment. This…” Emphasis added by nodding at her. “…will never happen again.”

“Sure, let’s say that when you’re pinned by me once more.” The contemptuous of her delivery not even masked to give grace. “You came a lot as well, is the stupendous grandmaster pent up from all the hard work he does?”

“You’re in no place to say that, princess.” Bi-Han froze his binds and yanked his wrists apart to set himself free. He pushed himself upward, his cock still deeply seated in Saria. “That’s what I should ask you now that I’ve experienced another part of you.”

“Likewise. Submissiveness is a brilliant look on you.”

From the amount of times Saria has curbed and muted Bi-Han, her wealth would be millions as the man laid silent again, fermented animosity at comprehension, refusing to look her in the eye once more to Saria’s amusement, dumbfounded.

“Seems that I’m right by your complacency.”

Still unable to fend himself of the declarations, Bi-Han only asked Saria to get off of his cock, not willing to touch on the topic any further as he wants this moment to be rid of from his mind. Saria seemingly wanting to do the opposite as she wanted him to remember this moment for eons by her calm but decadent words that choke the grand master.

Finally relieving Bi-Han, Saria lifted herself off of Bi-Han’s cock, letting his cum trail her thighs, lifting up her dress to see the mess they’ve made, spreading her pussy lips for Bi-Han to see and she could’ve sworn he saw his breath snag and his cock twitch.   

She scoffed with a light grin, adding that she has to quickly wash in the sink before going back to her duties. Bi-Han’s eyes followed after her as she left the room, sliding the room door with a slam. His head hit the mat in impending dread of how he acted within himself.   

Where was his composure? His stance? Power? Has that all gone out the window in seconds because of a woman he didn’t see for years until recently by circumstance? Who arrived out of the kindness of his father’s death in addition and want to reconnect.

For a big name, Bi-Han was quite the talk of the town, both negative and positive about his time as grand master. Never would he have expected to put himself in such a position.

But would words really commemorate disaster that strikes in the name of loyalty? In the respect that’s given, all must be earned, that’s what the royal and higher beings say. But the potency of his father’s prestige and reputation taunts, in the underside of his jumbled, unorganized mind of indignity.

Feeling the cool air mediate his body, Bi-Han wonders and wonders if what he’s doing for Earthrealm is the right decision for his father’s dream as it feels stagnant and insufferable beyond repair. And nonetheless, Bi-Han cleaned himself and the room up, leaving the scene to speak with Liu Kang about his concerns.

“I should really get going now. Kung Lao and Raiden promised me a lucrative dinner with—” Saria was now heading back to the room, feeling refreshed and cleansed, but as she slid open the door, Bi-Han had already left.

Saria was now left with an empty room, closed were the side sliding doors, tatami mats perfectly aligned with no waft of their connection coated anywhere.   

Leaves were nowhere to be found, blood cleaned from off of the floors. As if it never happened. Besides her wet, sticky underwear and bike shorts laced with her slick that sat in one corner, hidden in the shadows.

[lionsongfr]

Crystalline Gala Cuisine

Been a bit since I made a festival cuisine, and since my old ones have been circulating, I guiltily figured I should make one for the Gala before it ends.  Gaolers and Tundras are both herbivores (though Gaolers also eat meat), but I headcanon that like most herbivores they will opportunistically eat fish, insects, and meat when given the chance. The dishes have a bit more mixing than the previous cuisine; in the Icefield you eat what you can and as much as you can to survive. Potato Onions are my replacement for potatos, because FR needs potatoes (and citrus and tomatoes and wheat and rice and spices).

Seeker Stew- originally a stew of necessity for traveling Seekers, it was made of dried Sea Grass, small Cragside Mussels, canned Common Minnows, Sour Elk milk, and spoiled Turnips. The dish was transformed back home, using fresh Spinach, meaty Olympia Oysters, Jumbo Shrimp, new Potato Onions, and…sour Snowfall Elk milk. Funk is flavor!

Shalefin in a Fur Coat- this uniquely named dish is a layered salad, like the layers of a Tundra fur coat. It is made of finely sliced pickled Shalefin fillets, grated Potato Onion, Gradish, and Honeycrisp Apple, and chopped hard-boiled Flecked Bushrunner eggs. The key binding ingredient is a flavorful mayonnaise made of Elk tallow, Dappled Clucker yolks, and dill.

Bear in a Cave Dumplings-a favorite of the Fae scholars of the Frozen Sanctum. It is a boiled or fried Potato Onion dumpling filled with fried Wooly Bear, Wild Onion, and Dryad's Saddle. It can be served with melted Elk milk butter and Winter’s Delight jam or a white sauce spiced with dried Dusky Mealworm and imported Golden Pepper.

Tundra Grub- a dish named after the main protein of the dish: a sausage filled with Tundra Grub meat, Longneck-grown oats, and Elk blood. The sausage is fried along with strips of Tundra Cactus before being added to an earthy brown sauce of Mycena Mushroom and Earthworms. It is typically served with an unleavened flatbread made of rye or Longneck oats, or a mash of Potato Onion.

Woodland Turkey Dinner- this was once a seasonal dish, but now is common year-round. While the star of the dinner is the roasted Woodland Turkey, the side dishes are just as essential. The most common is: Deep Sea Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp stuffing, roasted Winter Brussel Sprouts with a Superberry vinegarette, Tundra Grub and Potato Onion mash with Mycena Mushroom gravy, and Stonecorn rolls with Elk cheese and White Lace Honeybee honey. And last but not least, a Cinnamon and Honeycrisp Apple pie. A heavy dinner said to put even Sentinels to sleep!

Trunk Cheese- not actually cheese, but a cold meat dish made of fresh Bullephant Trunk (or Mammophant, though it is not as tasty).  The meat of the trunk is removed and cooked in a mix of spices and Wild Onion, and then poured and set with gelatin in the skin of the trunk. Slices are cut from the trunk and served upon rye bread with strong Wild Mustard and pickled Gradish.   

Edamame Soup and Pancakes- a popular yet odd combination of savory and sweet. This dish features a Chilled Edamame soup (heated of course, the chilled variety of plants grow better in the hot houses of Icefield) with large chunks of smokey Elk bacon, a sprinkle of thyme, and a dollop of Wild Mustard. The pancakes are made of nutty and mildly sweet Amaranth flour and served with Winter’s Delight jam. The soup is traditionally dished with a silver spoon, after a mighty Tundra king was poisoned by his favorite soup.

Warden’s Delight- a dessert, a snack, a spread upon rye bread, and a delight to every hatchie. It is a mix of Elk tallow, Spotted Seal or Wooly Walrus oil, fresh snow, and Winter’s Delight. As the mixture is whipped into fluffy peaks, it is traditional to sing “Warden’s Delight to fight off the night, no Shade or beast shall fill my sight. Drive away the hunger, drive away the cold, fill my belly and make me bold.”

Frozen Bouquet- flowers are rarity in the Southern Icefield, but this bouquet is made from flash-frozen flowers and fruits. After thawing they are quickly coated in a thin layer of crystalized maple syrup and then arranged into a bouquet. Often the bouquets have hidden meanings like Pretty Pink Mums for courting. Winterbelle for strength, and Wolfsbane for warning. But what every Tundra fears the most is a bouquet of Black Tulips.

 Crisp Morning Cider- Vodka is life to Ice Flight, the warmth in one’s chest in a land where winter never ends. And while most drink it “neat”, when rations are low then cocktails are the answer!  This drink is a common morning warmer and is a mix of White Lace Honeybee honey with hot water, Vodka, Honeycrisp Apple cider, and Cinnamon.

Boreal Brew-a tea made from the leaves of whatever green tree is available. Birch, Fir, Spruce, and Pine can all be brewed into an astringent tea with a citrus-y aftertaste. Unfortunately, Birch, Fir, and Spruce are typically harvested during Spring-Summer- but Pine is harvested during December. To help remove the bitter taste, Pine can be fermented with sugar for a week to a month (fermentation time depending on temperature) and then filtered and served as cold tea.

[emmatheyoshi]

Sleep

A little peak at how Mischa’s sleep schedule handled the Europe tour before WrestleMania.

Mischa was never good at sleeping. They’d alway toss and turn like a madman, trying to find a position that was comfortable. And when they did find a comfy position, they’d take at least an hour to properly fall asleep. Roman had known this since he adopted Mischa and became their primary caregiver, and Cody had known this ever since he stepped up as Mischa’s other caregiver. Why did they have to keep this in mind? Traveling. Traveling is why.

Being from the East Coast, Mischa easily becomes jet lagged when in a different time zone. Combine that with the fact they don’t understand how time zones work, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. And no better was this example shown than this very moment.

Roman sat on the bed in the hotel room with Mischa on his lap. The trio was currently in Brussels, Belgium. Being overseas caused Mischa severe jet lag. It was currently 3AM and Mischa still hadn’t slept. Cody had run to the closest drugstore to pick up some melatonin, so all Roman could do was comfort the poor cub.

Mischa looked up at Roman. They look liked they’d burst into tears at any moment due to exhaustion. “Tired,” they mumbled. “I know, cub,” Roman whispered, gently rocking them from side to side, “Papa should be back soon with something that’ll help you sleep.” Mischa let out a distressed, tired noise in response.

A few minutes later, Cody entered the hotel room carrying a paper bag. He set it on the large shelving unit/TV stand at the foot of the hotel bed and pulled out a bottle of melatonin. He also pulled out a bottle of water. He took a pill out of the bottle and walked over to Mischa and Roman. “Here cub,” he whispered gently, “Say ‘ahh.’”

When Cody tried to put the pill in their mouth, Mischa whined and turn their head away. Normally they were fine with pills. In fact, they preferred them. But in their cranky, exhausted mind, they recognized the melatonin as medicine. And they didn’t want to take medicine. “Cub….” Cody said sternly, but still gently, “This is to help you sleep. We’re gonna be exploring the city tomorrow and traveling around Europe for the next few weeks. And you wanna be rested so you can enjoy it, right?” Mischa looked up at Cody and nodded. This time, when Cody offered them the pill, Mischa opened their mouth and allowed Cody to give them the pill.

Once they had taken the pill, Roman gently popped their pacifier back in their mouth and resumed rocking the cub. Within ten minutes, Mischa was out cold, fast asleep. Roman laid the cub down on the bed the two were sharing and gently tucked them in. After both men gave Mischa a forehead kiss, they looked at each other and high-fived. “Finally….” Roman mumbled, “We can sleep.” Cody nodded in agreement, “I say we just hit the hay now.” “Yeah…that sounds good.” The two men changed into their night clothes, brushed their teeth, and climbed into their respective beds. “Night, Ro.” “Goodnight, Cody.”

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 4.8

Holidays

Aerosol Day

All is Ours Day

Baghdad Liberation Day (Kurdistan)

Bloating Prevention Day

Colorism Awareness Day

Counter Stool Memorial Day

Cushing’s Disease Awareness Day

Cuti Bersama (Indonesia)

DAB Day (Draw A Bird Day)

Day of Military Commissariat Employees (Belarus)

Day of Silence

Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagtingan; Philippines) 

Draw a Picture of a Bird Day

Drug Control Authority Workers’ Day (Kyrgyzstan)

Economist Day (Tajikistan)

Geranium Day (England)

Ghodejatra (Nepal)

Grand Ivy Day

Hammerin’ Hank Day

International Day of Pink

International Feng Shui Awareness Day

International Pageant Day

International Romani Day (a.k.a. International Day of the Roma)

Ja Morant Day (South Carolina)

Martyrs’ Day (Tunisia)

Ministry of Defense Day (Thailand)

More Cowbell Day

National Animation Day (Russia)

National Arcade Day

National Banjo Day

National Best in the World Day

National Catch and Release Day

National Dog Fighting Awareness Day

National Idiot Day

National Plitvice Lakes Day (Croatia)

Peanuts-Kids-Baseball Day

Polling Day Eve (Samoa)

Pygmy Hippo Day

Radish Day (French Republic)

Rex Manning Day (in “Empire Records”)

Rumenians’ Independence Day (Sweden)

Russian Animation Day (Russia)

Sealing the Frost (Cuchumatan Indians; Guatemala)

17th Amendment Day (US)

Shiatsu Day

Shiba Inu Day (Japan)

Step into the Spotlight! Day

13th Amendment Day (US)

Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day

Tutor Appreciation Day

Twin Peaks Day

World Mixed Martial Arts Day

World Neurosurgeon’s Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Milk in Glass Bottles Day

National Empañada Day

Nature Celebrations

Broom Day (Philanthropy; Korean Birth Flowers)

Dog Farting Awareness Day

Ground Ivy Day (Nepeta Glechoma)

International Bird Day

Mule Day

Zoo Lovers' Day

Independence, Flag & Related Days

Australis (a.k.a. Grand Duchy of Australis; Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

Maryland (Ratified US Constitution; 1788)

Rumenians' Independence Day (Romernas Nationaldag; Sweden)

2nd Tuesday in April

Be Kind to Lawyers Day [2nd Tuesday]

Children’s Day (Florida) [2nd Tuesday]

Identity Management Day [2nd Tuesday]

National Library Workers Day [Tuesday of Library Week]

Taco Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Table Tennis Tuesday [2nd Tuesday of Each Month]

Target Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tater Tot Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Tomato Tuesday [2nd Tuesday of Each Month]

Trivia Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Two For Tuesday [Every Tuesday]

Weekly Holidays beginning April 8 (1st Full Week of April)

None Known

Festivals On or Beginning April 8, 2025

Brussels International Fantasy, Fantastic, Thriller and Science Fiction Film Festival (Brussels, Belgium) [thru 4.20]

PEAK 2025 (Minneapolis, Minnesota) [thru 4.10]

SupplySide Connect New Jersey (Secaucus, New Jersey) [thru 4.9]

Feast Days

Ædesius (Christian; Martyr)

Anne Ayres (Episcopal Church (USA))

Apollonius (Positivist; Saint)

B. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem (Christian; Saint)

Barbara Kingsolver (Writerism)

Buddha's Birthday (Mahāyāna Buddhists; Japan)

Constantina (Christian; Saint)

Day of Amon-Ra (Pagan)

Dionysius of Corinth (Christian; Saint)

Feast of the Hummingbird (Aztec)

Feast of the Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law begins (Thelema)

Freedom of Religion Day (Everyday Wicca)

Geronimo Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival on Buddha’s Birthday; Japan)

Julie Billiart of Namur (Christian; Saint)

Kanbutsu-e (Buddha’s Birthday; Japan)

Kiki the Rattlesnake (Muppetism)

Lazarus Saturday (Orthodox Christian)

Nuzzle Quran (Malaysia)

Our Lady of Good Counsel (Christian)

Perpetuus of Tours (Christian; Saint)

Prayer for Clarity Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Red Wine Day (Pastafarian)

Walter of Pontoise (Christian; Saint)

William Augustus Muhlenberg (Episcopal Church (USA))

Zoo Day (Pastafarian)

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chinese: Month 3 (Geng-Chen), Day 11 (Ding-Wei)

Day Pillar: Fire Sheep

12-Day Officers/12 Gods: Balance Day (平 Ping) [Inauspicious]

Holidays: None Known

Secular Saints Days

Patricia Arquette (Entertainment)

Margaret Ayer Barnes (Literature)

Jacques Brel (Music)

Cornelis de Heem (Art)

John Havlicek (Sports)

Sonja Henie (Sports)

Steve Howe (Music)

Momo Kapor (Art; Literature)

Barbara Kingsolver (Literature)

Carmen McRae (Music)

Odd Nerdrum (Art)

Nnedi Okorafor (Literature)

Chris Orr (Art)

Mary Pickford (Entertainment)

Dionysios Solomos (Literature)

Allen Butler Talcott (Art)

Douglas Trumbull (Entertainment)

Juan van der Hamen (Art)

Robin Wright (Entertainment)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Nēmontēmi, Day 4 (of 5) [Aztec unlucky or fasting days, taking place between 4.5-4.18]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [19 of 60]

Premieres

All the Old Knives (Film; 2022)

American: The Bill Hicks Story (Documentary Film; 2011)

The Apocrypha (Religious Text received as Canonical by Catholic Church; 1546)

As the Tumbleweed Turns (Hoot Loot Cartoon; 1974)

Barnyard Artists (Aesop’s Film Fable Cartoon; 1928)

Bars and Stripes Forever (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

A Bicep Built for Two (Herman & Katnip Cartoon; 1955)

Bon-Bon Parade (Columbia Favorites Cartoon; 1947)

The Boss (Film; 2016)

Box Car Bandit (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1957)

The Century, by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster (Book; 1999)

The Clash, by The Clash (Album; 1977)

Daffy Doodles (WB LT Cartoon; 1946)

The Dancing Fool (Fleischer Talkartoon Cartoon; 1932)

David and Goliath, by Malcolm Gladwell (Book; 2014)

Destitively Bonnaroo, by Dr. John (Album; 1974)

Dinky Doodle in Egypt (Bray Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1926)

Dixie Days (Aesop’s Sound Fable Cartoon; 1930)

Father Noah’s Ark (Disney Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1933)

Fever Pitch (Film; 2005)

The Fireman (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

From Russia, with Love, by Ian Fleming (Novel; 1957) [James Bond #5]

The Gambler (TV movie; 1980)

Goodrich Dirt, Mat Artist (Paramount-Bray Pictographs Cartoon; 1918)

Hanna (Film; 2011)

Have Gun, Can’t Travel (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1967)

Inspector George Gently (UK TV Series; 2007)

I Saw the Light, by Todd Rundgren (Song; 1972)

Jerry and the Lion (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1950)

Just Dance, by Lady Gaga (Song; 2008)

Killing Eve (TV Series; 2018)

Kingdom (BBC TV Series; 2007)

La Gioconda, by Amiliare Ponchielli (Opera; 1876)

The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper (Children’s Book; 1930)

Little Nemo (Winsor McCay Cartoon; 1911)

Lucky Star (Anime TV Series; 2007)

The Lunch Hound (Hot Dog Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1927)

The Man on the Flaying Trapeze (Jolly Frolics UPA Cartoon; 1954)

The Mansion Cat (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 2001)

Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West (Novella; 1933)

Mr. Right (Film; 2016)

Mutt & Jeff in the Submarine (Mutt & Jeff Cartoon; 1916)

On the Heights of Despair, by Emil M. Cioran (Philosophical Book; 1934)

The Organ Grinder (WB MM Cartoon; 1933)

Pete’s Pow Wow (Hot Dog Walter Lantz Cartoon; 1927)

Sea Salts (Donald Duck Disney Cartoon; 1949)

The $64,000 Question (Radio Quiz Show; 1955)

Smash by The Offspring (Album; 1994)

The Smurfs Springtime Special (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Special; 1982)

Soul Surfer (Film; 2011)

The Stork Market (Screen Song Cartoon; 1949)

Tick Tock Tuckered (WB LT Cartoon; 1944)

Toys in the Attic, by Aerosmith (Album; 1975)

The Trouble With Being Born, by Emil M. Cioran (Philosophy Book; 1973)

Twin Peaks (TV Series; 1990)

The Unusuals (TV Series; 2009)

Von Drake in Spain (Disney Animated TV Special; 1962)

Where Did Our Love Go, recorded by The Supremes (Song; 1964)

Ye Olden Days (Mickey Mouse Disney Cartoon; 1933)

Today’s Name Days

Beate, Rose-Marie, Walter (Austria)

Lazar, Lazo (Bulgaria)

Diogen, Dionizije, Klement, Timotej (Croatia)

Ema, Emanuel (Czech Republic)

Janus (Denmark)

Julia, Juuli, Juulika, Lia, Liana, Liane (Estonia)

Suoma, Suometar (Finland)

Julie (France)

Beate, Rose-Marie, Walter (Germany)

Lazaros (Greece)

Dénes (Hungary)

Alberto, Dionigi, Walter (Italy)

Dana, Danute, Dziedra, Edgars, Žanete (Latvia)

Dionizas, Girtautas, Julija, Skirgailė (Lithuania)

Asle, Atle (Norway)

Apolinary, Cezary, Cezaryna, Dionizy, Gawryła, January, Radosław, Sieciesława (Poland)

Agav, Irodion, Lazar, Ruf (Romania)

Alla, Anna (Russia)

Albert (Slovakia)

Amancio, Dionisio, Julia (Spain)

Hemming, Nadja, Tanja (Sweden)

Gillian, Jill, Jillian, Jolyon, Julia, Julian, Juliana, Julianna, Julianne, Julie, Julien, Juliet, Juliette, Julio, Julissa, Julius (USA)

Today’s National Name Days

National Carmen Day

National Sonja Day

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 98 of 2025; 267 days remaining in the year

ISO Week: Day 2 of Week 15 of 2025

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 22 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Geng-Chen), Day 11 (Ding-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Snake 4723 (until February 17, 2026) [Ding-Chou]

Coptic: 30 Baramhat 1741

Druid Tree Calendar: Rowan (April 1-10) [Day 8 of 10]

Hebrew: 10 Nisan 5785

Islamic: 9 Shawwal 1446

Julian: 26 March 2025

Moon: 83%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 14 Archimedes (4th Month) [Apollonius]

Runic Half Month: Ehwaz (Horse) [Day 10 of 15] (thru 4.9)

Season: Spring (Day 19 of 92)

SUn Calendar: 9 Cyan; Twosday [9 of 30]

Week: 1st Full Week of April

Zodiac:

Tropical (Typical) Zodiac: Aries (Day 19 of 30)

Sidereal Zodiac: Pisces (Day 25 of 30)

Schmidt Zodiac: Pisces (Day 19 of 26)

IAU Boundaries (Current) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 28 of 38)

IAU Boundaries (1977) Zodiac: Pisces (Day 28 of 38)

[thorsenmark]

Looking Across River Waters to the Canadian Rockies (Jasper National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While at Goats and Glacier Lookout along the Icefields Parkway with a view looking to the south-southeast across this glacial valley with the Athabasca River flowing by with a backdrop of mountains from the Hooker Icefield range (Mount Brussels-Brussels Peak and Mount Christie). This is in Jasper National Park.

[potatomiss]

Taurus-woman, the elegance of the best

If Arieswoman is the most bold and passionate then Tauruswoman on the contrary is the most elegant. Not just Taurus-woman, the Taurus-man is also very shining with their look. If a Taurus-man does work like Aries like football player, he could become the most handsome football player in the world, as you could see from David Beckham.He was far more handsome even than many actors, including Jackie. Even Jackie was once ridiculed by some director to be refused to let him act as the hero just because of his big ugly nose. So back to the topic, How elegant are they? the Taurus-woman, ballet, fashion, jewelry, romance, red wine, roses...the mch good things as you could name out, and they are with them all the time. And that comes our hetoine today, Audrey Hepburn, the most elegant, charming, popular movie star last century and made a peak no one could paramount even today.

Audrey Hepburn was born in 1929 in Brussel, Belgium. Her family has the aristocrat lineage with her mother was a baroness from grandfather. But that was the time when the boundaries between noble and the mass became vaguer and vaguer worldly. At 6, her mom sent her to the school in UK to learn how to behave like a lady and later when she found her daughter had a love for Ballet, she sent her back to Arnhem, an art school in Holland mainland.(because of war later kicked by Nazi, her study on Ballet had to be stopped until the end of the war. And his father abandoned the family for the Nazi cause and left Audrey at her six.)

Audrey's beauty had some special charm. Although she was very thin and flat-bosom and little boyish, she looks shining, pure and full of magnism. The movement of his body limbs were so smooth and with every of her act, it tooks some sort of aristocrat-like elegance like a princess. When she went for the interview for Roman Holiday and put on the princess dress for the test shot, people were astounded ' a new young lady!' and after the film was over, Cameraman was assigned to take shots for publicity of thr film and when he saw Audrey fully dressed out of the dressing room in the studio, he felt something else, a kind of beauty of innocence which he could only found from kids and he himself was charmed as to feel being hooked.

And for the different roles Audrey plays, even far as to the social flower in Tiffany Breakfast, the movie critics commented it was too much of elegance for a social flower.

For every roles, clothes has a part. They made her up perfectly and stood her out.Audrey loved clothes of fashion and taste. In her wardrobe which her son remembered in his writing for her mom after her death, there was a range of clothes of different style, From Givenchy to Valentino, from big-collar British coat to square-head leather boots popular in the 70's and even the ballet slippers, long skirt, cotten pants.

In her family life, she loved to cook for the whole family. Everyday she would cook Italian noodles but they were not the same. When she ate noodles, she would match mostly with veggies and ate just little beef, chicken and fish but no pork. The colors of the food is as important as the food itself. 'If the whole plate is all white, it definitely is a bore. Not just it, it wont be good for your health too' The food she made was not just good-looking but tasted delicious and her son and husband just loved so much. She even made up tomato Italian noodles of her own, and specially-made garlic sauce as alternative to tomato sauce(Italan pasley, basil leaf，put them in blenders then add garlc, skim milk, oliver oiland cottage cheese, continue to blend and then it is made)

Although the marriage turned out to be a failure, she still spent romantic time with her husband, a film producer. They would cook together and ate dinner at home, candles, music, red wine and pink tablecloth, a lovely and charming night one after the next...'He was like the Pygmarion to me and i was the girl sculptured by him which he fell in love in the end' And when his husband one time sent her a Yorkshire dog to accompany her since he needed to be away from her for the work at another place out of paris while Audrey was in Paris for her work also, Audrey made its hair smooth and shining, used the best pet shampoo, trimmed its nails and bought her pretty collars. When they were ready for out, all the staffs in the hotel would got ready, elevator servant, driver, the worker cleaning the shoes all ready for welcoming them out.

[voyaging-too]

Thing is, in Orbán's Hungary, you're totally allowed to be gay! You just can't, at all, be happy about it. Fidesz has already allowed József Szájer to make a comeback, he was only out of public life for four years and now he's back and he's still Fidesz's friend.

Szájer, despite being nominally conservative, advocating for pro-traditional family anti-LGBT laws, despite being heterosexually married, was caught... well. Caught with drugs in his backpack climbing out the window to try not to get busted in a police raid on a gay orgy, which the police weren't even raiding because of the orgy part (this was in Brussels, they don't give a shit), but because it happened during the height of COVID lockdown. This is peak miserable sordid tabloid shit. Plus having a party during lockdown, where people were forbidden to gather for funerals, is actually morally wrong. But it's forgivable, because having a sad gross sex scandal is something that can happen to straight men too I guess. But the last politician who made a point of having a public coming out got so much backlash he resigned and left the country within a year, that was unforgivable.

[mariacallous]

MUNICH—At the Munich Security Conference (MSC) this past weekend, it was nearly impossible to find a session or speech that did not mention energy security. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago triggered a major energy crisis on the continent. While the peak of the crisis, driven by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has subsided, Europe’s energy problems are far from resolved. In Munich, leaders and policymakers worried that the continuing energy crisis is weighing heavily on European defense capabilities, economic development, and geopolitical relations.  

Unlike in 2022, when Russia manufactured an abrupt gas supply shortage, today’s energy threats are more gradual in nature. For example, undersea electricity and energy cables are being cut, and the suspected vessels are often part of Russia’s shadow fleet. Such attacks should still be taken seriously by the European Union (EU) and its partners both for the real damage they cause and because Russia could ramp up such attacks on short notice. In addition, kinetic and cyberattacks on the electricity grid, remaining gas supply issues and chokepoints, and high energy prices compound the danger.  

However, it is possible for Europeans to address these threats to their energy security and mitigate potential damage to their societies and economies. It is reassuring, too, that the message that came out of Munich was one of unity and a desire to act. But now that leaders and policymakers have decamped from the Bavarian capital and returned home, what will happen next? Will Europeans sleep through these issues or take action? What should Europe do, and should member states or the EU take the reins?  

Brussels and beyond 

Over the past several decades, EU funding has enabled a massive build-out of grid and pipeline infrastructure on the continent. Considering the cross-border nature, risk, and scale of these projects, EU engagement was vital. It was also vital during the 2022 energy crisis, during which the EU increased its work on energy security. Today, too, current threats would be partially curtailed by the EU building additional infrastructure. However, as the European energy system goes through unprecedented transformation—electrification, digitalization, market interconnection, artificial intelligence integration, and further supply diversification—Brussels should not act alone. A multi-pronged approach is required to create and secure the energy system of tomorrow. 

One reason a multi-pronged approach is needed is because of because of budget constraints. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s intentional energy blackmail scheme, which cost Europe one trillion dollars, has left the EU coffers and many national budgets in a tight spot. There is still no vision around a shared borrowing scheme. European countries and other allies are rightfully prioritizing borrowing money to provide Ukraine with a significant influx of military support. This is especially the case following recent remarks from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance that suggest the United States will decrease its support for Ukraine and, potentially, for Europe as a whole.  

However, the lack of funding is not the only barrier. Another frequently mentioned concern at the MSC was the challenging regulatory environment in Europe, as some member states take a more stringent approach to interpreting EU regulations at the national level. This difficulty is further compounded by geopolitical uncertainty. Thousands of companies operating in Europe are impacted by the sweeping environmental and societal disclosure mandates from the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and methane regulations.  

All aboard the omnibus  

The new EU leadership should be commended for responding to these calls by focusing on the promising omnibus legislation and sending a strong message with its competitiveness compass—a roadmap for boosting European competitiveness. The European Commission is expected to unveil the omnibus, intended to streamline the EU’s sustainability reporting, in late February or March.  

There is plenty of irony in reducing regulations by rolling out another regulation, but the omnibus a tangible, timely, and thoughtful solution. If done right, it could provide needed certainty for investors and developers. The EU could accomplish this by outlining the scope of the existing and incoming regulations and by reducing costs for non-value-added certification, measurements, and verifications. Most important, the EU should make it easier for the private sector to reach common-sense objectives in a reasonable timeline, with eyes on the end goals rather than on processes and paperwork. This could also help create a more coordinated regulatory environment across the EU member states.  

By simplifying its rules, the EU could encourage member states to harmonize their implementation of the regulations. Differences in implementation can create confusion and additional expenses for companies looking to deploy projects across multiple EU countries.  

Reducing regulatory burdens by getting rid of non-value-added bureaucratic steps could also invite more US private sector partnerships, while transatlantic geopolitical and trade tensions settle. The European Commission’s new leadership does not need to sacrifice its carbon emissions reduction and environmental integrity efforts to address incoming energy sector threats. The omnibus could be the first step—and an impactful one.   

[derwahnsinn]

31 Days Idol Challenge - Oliver Riedel

Day 17 - On Knees

Oliver has been on his knees many times, he often kneels during concerts. One of my favourite moments, apart from the Puppe outro dance, is when he does his little "prayer" at the start of Sehnsucht. He did it in Helsinki facing forward, but since he doesn't do it that often, I finally managed to catch it again in the second Brussels concert, when he did it sideways facing Schneider instead.

I love Sehnsucht live, and the intro is fantastic. Needless to say, when Oliver decides to treat the audience like this, it's even better. This is my video from 04.08.2023, unfortunately, the person to my right threw their hand in front of my camera, so the video goes out of focus for a few seconds. Please don't share in other social media, and please credit if you use it for anything.

Bonus material: 1-2) MIG Tour with Frau Schneider was in many way peak kneeling era. I don't know who made the gifs. 3) Oliver crawling, by Manon Daughan. 4) Oliver kneeling by Flake's keyboards, by Patryk Pigeon. 5) Oliver kneeling in the boat, unknown photographer. 6) Oliver kneeling on B-stage, unknown photographer. 7) Young Oliver kneeling in leather pants, by Rammsteinlive. 8) Oliver kneeling on B-stage, unknown photographer. 9) Oliver kneeling in Berlin, by me.

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Others doing this challenge:

Till: @endlich-allein Flake: @anwiel13 Paul: @instillennachten

[zero-way-out]

Tip for my adhd friends, frozen vegetables have just as much or more nutrients than fresh vegetables because they are harvested at peak season.

Plus, walmart sells bags of veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts, or stir fry mixes that can be microwaved in the bag and make about 2-4 servings.

One of my favorite, "i can't cook today" meals is a microwaved package of brussel sprouts with butter and balsamic vinegar on top.