#Buried | 4000-Year-Old

[xtruss]

Who Were The Tarim Basin Mummies? Even Scientists Were Surprised. The Enigmatic, Extremely Well-preserved Mummies Still Defy Explanation—and Draw Controversy.

— By Erin Blakemore | September 15, 2023

Hundreds of bodies have been excavated from cemeteries like this one around the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, a region of Western China. Known as the Tarim Basin mummies, these people lived some 4,000 years ago—and their ancient DNA has yielded surprising insights. Photograph By Wenying LI, XinJiang Institute of Cultural Relics And Archaeology

Though they died thousands of years ago, hundreds of bodies excavated in East Asia’s Tarim Basin look remarkably alive. They retain the hairstyles, clothing, and accoutrements of a long-past culture—one that once seemed to suggest they were migrant Indo-Europeans who settled in what is now China thousands of years ago.

But the mummies’ seemingly perfect state of preservation wasn’t their only surprise. When modern DNA research revealed the preserved bodies were people indigenous to the Tarim Basin—yet genetically distinct from other nearby populations—the Tarim Basin mummies became even more enigmatic. Today, researchers still ask questions about their cultural practices, their daily lives, and their role in the spread of modern humanity across the globe.

How Were The Tarim Basin Mummies Found?

Buried in a variety of cemeteries around the basin as long as 4,000 years ago, the naturally mummified corpses were first unearthed by European explorers in the early 20th century. Over time, more and more of the Tarim bodies were unearthed, along with their spectacular cultural relics. To date, hundreds have been found. The earliest of the mummies are about 2,100 years old, while more recent mummies have been dated to about 500 B.C.

One of the most famous mummies found in the Tarim Basin is the Princess of Xiaohe, also known as the Beauty of Xiaohe. Named for the cemetery where her body was found, she is remarkably well-preserved even down to her eyelashes. Photograph By Wenying LI, XinJiang Institute of Cultural Relics And Archaeology

Who Really Were The Tarim Basin Mummies?

At first, the mummies’ Western-like attire and European-like appearance prompted hypotheses that they were the remains of an Indo-European group of migrant people with roots in Europe, perhaps related to Bronze-Age herders from Siberia or farmers in what is now Iran.

They had blond, brown, and red hair, large noses, and wore bright, sometimes elaborate clothing fashioned from wool, furs, or cowhide. Some wore pointed, witch-like hats and some of the clothing was made of felted or woven cloth, suggesting ties to Western European culture.

Still others wore plaid reminiscent of the Celts—perhaps most notably one of the mummies known as Chärchän Man, who stood over six feet tall, had red hair and a full beard, and was buried over a thousand years ago in a tartan skirt.

Another of the most famous of the bodies is that of the so-called “Princess” or “Beauty” of Xiaohe, a 3,800-year-old woman with light hair, high cheekbones, and long, still-preserved eyelashes who seems to be smiling in death. Though she wore a large felt hat and fine clothing and even jewelry in death, it is unclear what position she may have occupied in her society.

But the 2021 study of 13 of the mummies’ ancient DNA led to the current consensus that they belonged to an isolated group that lived throughout the now desert-like region during the Bronze Age, adopting their neighbors’ farming practices but remaining distinct in culture and genetics.

Scientists concluded that the mummies were descendants of Ancient North Eurasians, a relatively small group of ancient hunter-gatherers who migrated to Central Asia from West Asia and who have genetic links to modern Europeans and Native Americans.

How Were They Mummified?

These bodies were not mummified intentionally as part of any burial ritual. Rather, the dry, salty environment of the Tarim Basin—which contains the Taklimakan Desert, one of the world’s largest—allowed the bodies to decay slowly, and sometimes minimally. The extreme winter cold of the area is also thought to have helped along their preservation.

How Were They Buried?

Many bodies were interred in “boat-shaped wooden coffins covered with cattle hides and marked by timber poles or oars,” according to researchers. The discovery of the herb ephedra in the burial sites suggests it had either a medical or religious significance—but what that religion might have been, or why some burials involve concentric rings of wooden stakes, is still unclear.

Mummified corpses were first unearthed in the Tarim Basin by European explorers in the early 20th century. Their Western-like appearance and clothing originally led researchers to believe these ancient people were migrants from Europe—but DNA later debunked that theory. Photograph By Wenying LI, XinJiang Institute of Cultural Relics And Archaeology

What Did They Eat?

Masks, twigs, possibly phallic objects, and animal bones found at the mummies’ cemeteries provide a tantalizing view of their daily lives and rituals. Though most questions about their culture remain unanswered, the burials did point to their diets and the fact that they were farmers. The mummies were interred with barley, millet, and wheat, even necklaces featuring the oldest cheese ever found. This indicates that they not only farmed, but raised ruminant animals.

What Were Their Daily Lives Like?

The Tarim Basin dwellers were genetically distinct. But their practices, from burial to cheesemaking, and their clothing, which reflects techniques and artistry practiced in far-off places at the time, seem to show they mixed with, and learned from, other cultures, adopting their practices over time and incorporating them into a distinct civilization.

Researchers now believe their daily lives involved everything from farming ruminant animals to metalworking and basketmaking—helped along by the fact that the now-desolate desert of the Tarim Basin region was once much greener and had abundant freshwater.

Researchers also believe that the Tarim Basin residents traded and interacted with other people in what would eventually become a critical corridor on the Silk Road, linking East and West in the arid desert.

But archaeologists still have much to learn about what daily life was like for these ancient humans, including who they traded with, what religious beliefs they adopted, and whether their society was socially stratified.

Most of the bodies were found buried in boat-shaped coffins like this one, with the site typically marked by oars. This coffin is covered with a cattle hide, suggesting that the Tarim Basin people raised cattle and other ruminant animals. Photograph By Wenying LI, XinJiang Institute of Cultural Relics And Archaeology

Why Are The Tarim Basin Mummies Controversial?

The amazingly preserved mummies have long fascinated archaeologists. But the Tarim Basin mummies have also become political flashpoints. The Tarim Basin is located in the modern-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, land claimed by China’s Uyghur minority. Uyghur nationalists claim the mummies are their forbears, but the Chinese government refutes this and has been reluctant to allow scientists to study the mummies or look at their ancient DNA.

In 2011, China withdrew a group of the mummies from a traveling exhibition, claiming they were too fragile to transport. Some research about the mummies’ DNA has been criticized as downplaying the region’s distinctness in support of China’s attempts to assimilate Uyghur people. Just as more remains to be learned about the enigmatic mummies, their future as political and national symbols remains disputed too.

[lefteagleblizzard]

𝔖𝔱𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔣

Mike Schmidt x male reader

Summary: After enduring an incredibly stressful exam, you finally breathe a sigh of relief as it comes to an end. Mike does everything in his power to help you unwind and relax.

Tags: Part 7 of this miniseries of Mike Schmidt x male reader. Age-gap (5 years) between you and Mike (reader is 20 years old). Male reader. He/him pronouns used towards the reader. Fluff. Slow paced smut. Top Mike. Bottom reader. Rimming (R receiving). Anal sex.

Suggested by a really nice person. Hope you like it and sorry it took me this long.

Words count: 4000

Can also be found on wattpad and ao3

Part 1-Part 2- Part 3-Part 4-Part 5-Part 6-Part 8

You spent every night leading up to the exam reviewing notes, revisiting past papers, and checking your study materials for any gaps in knowledge. It felt like everything you'd learned had evaporated, leaving you with only vague recollections of concepts that once seemed clear.

Sitting in the exam hall, the quiet rustle of papers, the ticking of a clock, and the occasional cough or sniffle from fellow students only heightened your awareness. You found yourself hyper-focused on everything except the exam itself. It wasn't until the final minutes were called that you felt a burst of clarity, rushing through the last few questions with a determination you hadn't felt since the beginning.

Afterward, your body felt drained, as if the weight of your anxiety had been released all at once. All you wanted to do was collapse and forget about everything for a while.

You squinted against the bright light outside, blinking as your eyes adjusted to the late afternoon sun. The campus was buzzing with life. Students milling about, laughing, talking, some excited, others looking just as worn out as you felt.

And then, through the haze of exhaustion, you saw him.

Mike.

He was standing by his car, a short distance away, clearly trying to blend in, though he stood out like a sore thumb among the groups of teenagers loitering around the area. He leaned against the side of his old, beat-up car with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his head tilted slightly down as if trying to avoid eye contact with anyone passing by. His posture was casual, but the subtle tension in his shoulders betrayed how awkward he felt, standing there in the middle of campus, surrounded by people younger than him.

He had always been a little uncomfortable around large crowds, especially when it involved people he didn't know.

Despite the awkwardness, the second Mike's eyes landed on you, his whole demeanor shifted. The tightness in his face softened, and his shoulders relaxed just a little. A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. It wasn't big or flashy, just a subtle, tired smile.

He straightened up a bit as you walked toward him, though his hands stayed buried in his pockets, his eyes never leaving yours.

As you reached him, the familiar scent of his worn leather jacket and the faint smell of coffee lingered in the air around him. "How long have you been waiting?"

Mike shrugged, the motion almost too casual, like he didn't want to admit he'd probably been standing there for a while. His eyes flickered toward the students walking by, and he gave a small shake of his head. "Not too long. Though I'd get here early, make sure I didn't miss you."

You smiled at that, feeling a pang of affection for him.

"C'mon," Mike said, gesturing toward his car with a slight nod of his head. "Let's get out of here. You look like you could use a break."

You followed him to the passenger side, and he opened the door for you without a second thought.

The silence in the car wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it was the opposite. You let your head fall back against the seat until you reached yours and Mike's home, your eyes half-closed as you watched the world blur past outside the window.

The house was quiet, with only the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of the old floorboards underfoot. Mike sat on the bed, looking at you as you sank into the mattress with a tired sigh. He couldn't help but watch you, taking in every small detail of your stressed state, and yet somehow, to him, you still looked perfect.

His mind swirls with a mix of emotions. Relief that you were here, disbelief that you were with him, and something else, something deeper. It was the same overwhelming protectiveness he felt for Abby, the kind that made him want to shield you from everything bad in the world.

"How do you think it went?" Mike asked, his voice a little hoarse from the long day. He could still see the remnants of anxiety lingering in your expression, though the worst of it seemed to have passed now that it was over.

"It went okay," you replied, your voice soft but tinged with relief. "I don't know if I aced it, but at least I didn't fail."

Mike smiled faintly, reaching over to brush a strand of hair away from your face. "I'm sure you did fine," he said, his tone reassuring. "You always do better than you think."

"Maybe," you muttered, still clearly uncertain but a little more at ease.

Mike let out a quiet grunt, the corners of his mouth tugging up in a small, tired smile as he laid back, letting his body relax into the bed. His hand, which had been resting on your arm, moved down slowly, absentmindedly tracing soft patterns on your skin. It wasn't intentional at first, just a natural gesture of comfort, but as the moments passed, he found himself more aware of the warmth of your skin beneath his fingertips, the subtle tremble that ran through you every time his touch lingered a little longer.

"When I was your age, I could barely keep it together for anything, let alone school. You're doing a hell of a lot better than I ever did." Mike said after a while, his voice low and thoughtful.

You turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "You went to college, right? You told me you were going before... you know, before everything with Abby happened."

"Yeah," Mike muttered, a little gruff, as memories of those years surfaced. "I did, for a bit. But I was a mess. Dropped out before I could make anything of it." He shrugged, his tone nonchalant. "Sometimes life happens, I guess."

You were quiet for a moment, processing what he'd said, before replying softly, "But you're taking care of Abby now. That's what matters. I think you've done more than anyone could've expected."

Mike smiled again, a little more genuinely this time. "You always know how to say the right thing," he murmured, his voice low. His hand drifted down your arm to your thigh, his fingers brushing over the fabric of your pants.

You didn't seem to think much of it, though, still lost in the conversation as you turned your head to face him more fully. "I don't know about always saying the right thing," you teased, "I almost caused a fight with your aunt at one point."

Mike chuckled, the sound low and tired, his breath warm as he leaned in just a little closer. "Yeah, but I liked that about you," he said, his voice softer now, his hand resting lightly on your thigh. "You always stand up for me, even when I don't deserve it."

"Of course. You deserve it," you replied quickly, almost defensively, which only made Mike smile more. His heart swelled a little at how earnest you were, how fiercely loyal you had been from the start.

As you spoke, Mike's hand drifted a little higher, his fingers now tracing light circles on your thigh, just barely brushing the skin beneath the fabric. He could feel the warmth radiating from you, and it was almost instinctual the way his body responded, his movements slow, deliberate, but still subtle enough that you didn't seem to notice right away.

He listened as you kept talking, your voice filling the comfortable silence of the room as you rambled on about the exam, your friends, and random things you'd seen at college. Mike didn't say much, just murmured responses here and there, nodding as you spoke, his tired eyes half-lidded as he watched you.

Without even thinking about it, he leaned in a little closer, his lips brushing against your cheek as you continued talking. You didn't seem to notice, too wrapped up in your thoughts, and Mike used that to his advantage, pressing soft kisses to your cheek, almost absentmindedly. The urge to be close to you growing stronger with each passing moment.

You didn't react much at first, though he noticed the subtle way your breath hitched just slightly whenever his lips lingered a little longer. He smiled against your skin, letting his hand drift further up your thigh, his fingers gently tracing along the hem of your pants.

He shifted a little closer, his body pressing lightly against yours as he kissed your cheek again, this time letting his lips linger longer before pulling back. It was clear you hadn't realized what Mike was doing, at least not fully, and that only made his heart race faster.

Mike shifted slightly, moving closer to you on the bed. His hand slipped from your leg to your waist, his fingers gently tracing the line of your hip. You were so warm, so soft, and he couldn't get enough of you.

You kept talking, unaware of the way Mike' thoughts were becoming less and less innocent. His hand slid up your side, his fingers brushing against the hem of your shirt, and for a brief moment, he hesitated. Was this too much? Was he pushing too far?

"How was your day? Did everything go okay with Abby?"

Mike blinked, momentarily surprised by the question. His mind had been so wrapped up in you that he had almost forgotten the rest of the day existed. "Yeah," he said slowly, his voice still soft. "Abby was good. She's been drawing a lot lately. She made something for you, actually.”

Your eyes lit up at that, and Mike's heart skipped a beat at the sight. God, you were so adorable when you got excited like that. It was little things like this that made him fall for you all over again, every single day.

"She did?" you asked, smiling widely now. "What did she make?"

Mike chuckled, his hand still resting on your side as he spoke. "It's a drawing of the three of us. You, me, and her. She was really proud of it."

You let out a soft laugh, leaning back against the pillows with a contented sigh. "That's so sweet. She's such a talented kid. I'm really lucky to be a part of her life."

Mike's chest tightened at your words. He knew how much Abby adored you, how much she looked up to you, how much she trusted you. It meant the world to him that you felt the same way.

Mike's kisses became more frequent the longer the conversation went on, his lips brushing against your cheek, your jawline, your temple.

"You're lucky?" Mike asked softly, his voice laced with disbelief. "I'm the lucky one. You're... I don't know how I got this lucky."

You tilted your head slightly, your cheeks a shade of red as you looked at him with a curious smile. "What do you mean?"

Mike's throat tightened as he tried to find the right words.

"You could be anywhere, with anyone. But you're here, with me. And I don't know what I did to deserve that." Mike told you, his voice faltering slightly. His hand moved up to your shoulder, his fingers gently squeezing as he looked down at you.

You looked at him for a long moment, your expression softening into something tender, something affectionate. "Mike, I'm here because I want to be. I'm here because I love you."

To Mike, those words meant everything. They were everything.

And at that moment, Mike couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned in, his lips brushing softly against yours in a kiss that was slow and tender. You kissed him back just as softly, your hand reaching up to rest on his arm, pulling him closer.

Mike's heart raced as the kiss deepened, his hand moving from your cheek to your waist, pulling you against him. There was something about the way you melted into his touch that made Mike's mind spin. You were his. You had chosen him. And he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

His lips found your neck, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses against your skin. Your breath hitched as you finally seemed to realize what was happening.

"Mike..." you breathed, your voice soft, a little hesitant, but not pulling away.

He didn't stop. He kissed his way down the side of your neck, his lips warm and gentle.

"Just relax," Mike muttered, his voice low and rough, as he kissed the sensitive skin of your collarbone, his teeth grazing the flesh just enough to make you gasp.

You were still, your breath coming in shallow bursts as Mike's lips moved up and down your neck, his hands now fully exploring your body with a slow, deliberate intent.

"You deserve it," Mike whispered against your skin, his lips brushing against your ear before he pulled back slightly to look at you again.

God, you were so handsome. He had thought it from the moment he first met you, but now it was different. Now he knew you, knew how kind and patient you were, knew how much you cared about him.

He wasn't in a rush. He didn't want to rush this. You were so precious to him, so important, and he wanted to savor every second of this moment.

Mike's lips found your collarbone, and he kissed his way across it, his teeth grazing your skin as he left small marks.

His hand moved lower, resting on your stomach, and he felt you tense slightly under his touch. But then you relaxed, your head falling back against the pillow as Mike pressed another kiss to your neck, this one slower, more deliberate.

As Mike's hands gripped your waist with a gentle firmness, he marveled at how perfectly you fit beneath him, as though you were made just for him.

His lips left slow trails along your body, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He lingered at your collarbone, his teeth grazing the delicate skin before biting down just enough to leave a mark. Your soft gasp in response spurred him on, and he grunted low in his throat as his lips traveled down your chest, nipping and kissing as he went.

You could feel the heat of his hands against your skin, the anticipation building as he slowly worked your pants down, his eyes never leaving yours. You turned around on your stomach to make it easier for him.

When your pants were finally off, Mike took a moment to just look at you. The sight of you, laid out beneath him, flushed with a mix of nerves and desire, was enough to make his breath hitch in his throat.

Mike's hands gently parted your legs, his touch firm yet tender, as he settled between them. His lips pressed softly against the inside of your thigh, leaving a trail of wet kisses as he moved closer to where you wanted him most.

He paused for a moment, his lips hovering just above you, his breath warm against your most sensitive area. The wait was torturous, and you bit your lip, barely able to contain the soft whimper that escaped. The sound of your need fueling him as he gently pressed his tongue against you, starting slow, teasing.

He took his time, savoring the way your body reacted to his touch. His tongue moved in long, slow strokes, exploring every inch of you with an almost lazy precision. He could feel the way your muscles tensed beneath his hands, the way your hips instinctively shifted, trying to get closer to him. But he was in control and he kept the pace slow, drawing out every sensation, every soft gasp that fell from your lips.

His hands gripped your hips, his thumbs brushing over your skin as he held you in place, preventing you from squirming too much beneath him. The taste of you, the way your body responded so eagerly, had him groaning softly against your skin, the sound reverberating through your entire body.

As his tongue explored you, he started to add a little more pressure, his movements becoming more focused. His lips wrapped around you as he gently sucked, his tongue swirling in deliberate circles. Every stroke of his tongue, every gentle graze of his teeth, was designed to make you lose yourself in the sensation. He just loved the way you reacted, the way your hands gripped the sheets in an attempt to ground yourself.

Mike slowly pulled back, his lips swollen and wet, his breath heavy as he looked up at you.

"Relax," he murmured, his voice low and rough, as his hands slid beneath you, cupping your butt softly. His fingers gently squeezed, his touch firm yet tender, as he spread you open, exposing you completely to him.

His tongue was on you again, gently circling around your entrance and moving in slow, deliberate strokes, gradually pressing deeper, pushing past the tight ring of muscle with a groan of satisfaction.

You couldn't hold back the moan that escaped your lips, your body arching slightly as Mike's tongue worked deeper, exploring you from the inside out. His hands gripped your hips tighter, holding you steady as he pushed further, his tongue curling inside you in slow, rhythmic motions. You could feel the heat building inside you, the pressure growing as Mike took his time, thoroughly preparing you.

His tongue moved in and out of you with practiced ease and an almost lazy precision, his exhaustion only adding to the unhurried pace. He was tired, yes, but the need to please you kept him going.

His fingers gently massaged the soft flesh, squeezing and kneading as his tongue worked deeper inside you. The sensation was overwhelming, the combination of his hands and mouth driving you closer and closer to your limit.

Finally, when he could feel your body trembling with anticipation, Mike pulled back, his lips swollen and wet, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. His eyes met yours, and the look in them sent a shiver down your spine.

With a low, tired groan, Mike leaned back slightly, his hands moving to the buckle of his jeans. His fingers working slowly as he unfastened his belt, the leather sliding through the loops of his jeans with a soft, familiar sound. You watched him, your heart pounding in your chest as he finally undid the button of his jeans, his fingers slow and deliberate.

The sound of his zipper sliding down filled the quiet room. His hands moved with laziness, pushing his jeans down just enough to free himself from the tight constraints.

His boxers followed, his hand tugging them down as he freed his aching length, already hard and heavy with need. You swallowed hard at the sight of him thick and swollen, the tip glistening slightly in the dim light of the room. Mike's hand wrapped around himself, giving a slow, lazy stroke as he positioned himself between your legs, his eyes never leaving yours.

For a moment, he just stayed there, kneeling between your thighs, his hand moving slowly over his cock as he watched you.

"You ready?" Mike asked, his voice rough and low, the exhaustion evident but laced with desire.

You nodded, your breath catching in your throat as you spread your legs a little wider, offering yourself to him completely. Mike groaned softly at the sight, his hands moving to grip your hips again as he positioned himself at your entrance. He paused for a moment, just long enough to let you feel the weight of him, the heat of his cock pressing against your entrance, teasing you with the promise of what was to come.

Slowly, almost agonizingly so, Mike began to push forward, his cock slipping past the tight ring of muscle with a low, guttural groan. The sensation was overwhelming. The way your body stretched to accommodate him, the way he filled you completely, inch by inch.

His movements slow and deliberate, wanting to make sure you felt every second of it. He could feel your body trembling beneath him, the way your breath hitched in your throat as he finally seated himself fully inside you.

"God, you feel so good," Mike murmured, his voice low and rough as he stayed still for a moment, letting you adjust to the feeling of him inside you. His hands moved to your waist, holding you gently but firmly as he leaned down, his breath hot against your neck.

He began to move, slow and steady, his hips rocking against yours with a lazy rhythm. He slid in and out of you with ease, the heat of your body enveloping him completely. Mike grunted softly with each slow thrust, his head dropping to the crook of your neck as he focused purely on the feeling of you around him. His warm breath comes in short, shallow bursts against your neck.

His hands stroked your waist, your hips, occasionally trailing down to your thighs as he continued to move inside you. The slow, lazy rhythm sent waves of pleasure coursing through your body, and you couldn't help the soft moans that escaped your lips with each thrust. Mike grunted softly in response, the sound of your voice driving him to push deeper, to take you harder.

His teeth grazed the sensitive skin of your throat, biting down gently just enough to make you gasp.

His hands moved lower, his fingers finding their way between your legs as he stroked you in time with his slow thrusts. The added sensation sent a shiver down your spine, your body arching beneath him as the pleasure built inside you. Mike groaned softly, his hand working you with the same lazy precision as his hips, his fingers stroking you in slow, deliberate movements that matched the rhythm of his thrusts.

Mike's breath was hot against your skin, his soft grunts filling the quiet room as he moved inside you, his body shuddering with each movement.

He was tired, his muscles aching from the slow, methodical pace he had set, but he didn't care. He wanted to make this last, to make sure you felt every bit of love and affection he had for you.

The slow, lazy rhythm started to shift the more the time passed. The pleasure building between the two of you became too much to ignore, and Mike's thrusts grew a little harder, a little faster, his hands gripping your hips more tightly as he buried himself deeper inside you. The soft grunts that escaped his lips became more frequent, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he picked up the pace.

His hips snapped against yours with more force now, his hands gripping your waist as he thrust deeper, faster, chasing the pleasure that had been building between you.

Mike groaned loudly, his head dropping to the crook of your neck as he thrust into you with more urgency. His fingers stroked you faster, more urgently, as he pushed you closer and closer to the edge.

"Come on," Mike muttered, his voice strained as he thrust into you harder, his breath hot and ragged against your neck. "I want to feel you come for me."

He groaned loudly, his hips snapping against yours with more force as he finally reached his peak, filling you completely.

The sensation of him filling you, the heat and pressure of his release, pushed you over the edge. Your body tensed, your breath catching in your throat as the pleasure washed over you, your muscles clenching around him as you came hard, your release coating his fingers as he continued to stroke you through it.

Mike groaned loudly as he felt you tighten around him, his hips stilling as he buried himself deep inside you, his breath rugged and uneven as he rode out the waves of pleasure. His body shuddered with the intensity of it, his hands gripping your waist tightly as he stayed buried inside you, his chest rising and falling with each shallow breath.

For a long moment, the only sounds in the room were your heavy breathing, the soft rustle of the sheets beneath you, and the faint hum of the world outside. Mike stayed still, his body pressed against yours, his cock still buried deep inside you as he caught his breath. His hands gently stroked your sides, his touch soft and affectionate now, as though he was grounding himself after the intensity of what had just happened.

Slowly, reluctantly, Mike pulled out, a low groan escaping his lips as he did. He collapsed beside you, his arm draping over your waist as he pulled you close, his body still trembling slightly from the aftershocks of his release.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse, still laced with exhaustion.

You nodded, your breath still coming in shallow bursts as you turned to face him, your body warm and heavy with the afterglow. Mike smiled softly, his tired eyes half-lidded as he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

The room was still warm with the heat of your shared intimacy, your bodies entangled beneath the sheets, bathed in the soft glow of the dimmed light from the bedside lamp. The air was thick with the scent of sweat. Both of you lay there, your breathing gradually slowing, coming down from the high, your bodies sinking into the comfort of the mattress.

Mike was next to you, his arm loosely draped over your waist, his chest rising and falling with heavy, tired breaths. His skin was still flushed, a light sheen of sweat covering his forehead.

You reached up to brush a strand of hair from his face, your fingers tracing the sharp line of his jaw, and Mike's lips parted slightly, his breath hitching at the gentle touch. There was a kind of awe in his eyes, like he was still in disbelief that someone like you was here with him. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. The way he looked at you said it all.

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. You simply lay there, staring into each other's eyes.

He didn't respond with words, Instead, he leaned in and kissed you, soft and slow. The kiss deepened, but it wasn't rushed. There was no urgency. It was all about savoring the moment.

You felt yourself sinking into him, your bodies molding together as the tension from before dissolved into a quiet, comfortable intimacy.

You felt the weight of exhaustion slowly pulling you under, your eyelids growing heavy as your body began to relax into the warmth of the bed. Mike seemed to feel it too, his arm tightening slightly around your waist as if to pull you closer. His hand gently stroked your skin, his thumb tracing lazy patterns across the marks he had left behind.

You were just about to drift off, your eyes fluttering shut as the drowsiness overtook you, when you suddenly felt Mike tense beside you. His body stiffened, his hand freezing mid-motion, and for a brief, disoriented moment, you weren't sure what was happening. You blinked, trying to shake off the fog of sleep, and turned to look at him, confused.

"Shit," Mike muttered, his voice low and strained, his eyes wide with sudden realization. "Abby."

It took a second for his words to register in your mind. Abby. The school. Mike was supposed to pick her up.

"Oh god," you groaned, the realization hitting you just as hard as it had hit Mike. "What time is it?"

His body jerked up from the bed as he searched for his clothes. He glanced at the screen, his face paling even more as he saw the time.

"She's going to kill me," Mike muttered, his voice laced with panic as he quickly pulled on his shirt, the fabric sticking slightly to his still-damp skin. "I'm so late."

You sat up, the sheets pooling around your waist, your own exhaustion forgotten in the sudden rush of urgency. Mike was already halfway dressed, his hands fumbling as he zipped up his pants, his expression a mix of frustration and panic. You couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of him.

"Hey," you called softly, catching his attention just as he was about to bolt out of the room. You swung your legs over the side of the bed, still completely naked, your body covered in the marks that Mike had left on you.

He froze, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the sight of you, his gaze lingering on your naked and marked up body. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his eyes darkening with something you recognized all too well. For a brief moment, it seemed he was considering staying, the sight of you was almost enough to make him forget his panic.

"She's going to be pissed at you" you teased, standing up from the bed and walking over to him, your steps slow and deliberate. You reached out to cup his face, your thumb brushing over his cheek as you leaned in to press a soft, lingering kiss to his lips.

Mike blinked, momentarily stunned by the kiss, his lips still parted slightly as he stared at you. His eyes roamed over your body again, taking in the marks he had left on you, the way you stood there, so completely unashamed, so completely his.

"You look..." Mike's voice trailed off, and he shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You're perfect."

"So perfect" Mike murmured, his voice rough with emotion, his eyes still locked on yours. His hand reached out almost instinctively, his fingers brushing over the marks on your neck.

You leaned into his touch, your lips curving into a soft smile.

"Go," you said softly, your voice teasing but affectionate. With a resigned sigh, he gave in. He leaned down, pressing one last kiss to your lips, slow and lingering, before pulling away.

"I'll be back," he promised, his voice low and filled with affection. "Don't go anywhere."

You smiled, giving him a playful push towards the door. "I'm not going anywhere, Mike. Now go."

If you liked this story please leave a comment, I love reading them <3.

[damnfandomproblems]

Fandom Problem #5123:

Me after finishing a webnovel by a Chinese-American author: "I love this! Has the author written anything else?" *checks her page* "A short story! Must read this... Huh, this is weird. American white supremacists take their relatives' bodies, bury them in the middle of China and claim Chinese people were originally white? What was the author smoking?"

Author's note at the end: "I wrote this story because I believe this is the truth about the Tarim mummies."

Me, wondering what sort of craziness I've stumbled on: "Hang on, I'll google the Tarim mummies... Wait. The oldest mummies are 4000 years old? And this author believes they're a modern fraud?"

For pretty obvious reasons, I'm not a huge fan of that author's webnovel anymore.

[asteroidtroglodyte]

Hey, Young’uns

Will you do me a favor?

I want you to imagine Humans.

I want you to imagine the descendants of people living today. I want you to imagine that there are still Humans in 3000 years. No, 4000 years! Maybe they look different! Evolution, you know.

But: not an apocalypse.

I don’t want any wasteland. None of that. Shoo!

Maybe there was one? At one point? Sort of? It didn’t actually kill everyone, is the thing. Folks live in caves. Folks live on mountaintops. Folks live on boats. Folks eat all kinds of different things. Folks are crafty.

Folks survive.

And Mama, Big Mama Nature? She’s relentless.

And so the world didn’t quite End.

Can you see them? Try to imagine. The Humans.

Maybe they tell stories about us, but probably not. Maybe our relics haunt their world… but probably not. 4000 years is a long time.

Plenty of time for Fungus to learn to eat Plastic.

Plenty of time for topsoil to replenish.

Plenty of time for those ugly cities to get buried under nice forests. Time enough, even, for those forests to be Old-Growth.

I just…

I want you to imagine them happy.

So much Doomscrolling, these days. It’s not good for ya! Just because a story is grim don’t make it True! Grit and Cynicism do not have a monopoly on Truth!

Imagine happy people

4000 years from now

I don’t need to hear about them (although I’ll happily listen if you want to share, that’s fine). This is an exercise. For you.

It’s already real hard out there.

It’s ok to be a bit soft in a daydream

[ancestorsalive]

‘The ‘King of Stonehenge' - the grave of the Amesbury Archer is one of the most important discoveries in Europe. Found near Stonehenge, the burial is over 4000 years old. It is one of the earliest bell beaker graves in Britain.

The archer was 35–45 years old when he died and placed in a wooden chamber beneath a low mound.

His left kneecap was missing which would have caused him to have a bad limp. As a result, he had a straight left leg that swung out to the side while walking, and he likely experienced constant pain from a bone infection.

Tests on the enamel of his teeth indicate that he grew up in central Europe, but it is unclear how long he lived in Britain. He likely spent his childhood in the Alps region, specifically in Switzerland, Austria, or Germany.

The discovery of the Amesbury Archer is significant because he is the first example of a powerful elite. His grave contained an unusually large number and variety of objects.

They include five beaker pots, 18 arrowheads, two bracers (archer’s wristguards), four boars’ tusks, 122 flint tools, three copper knives, a pair of gold hair ornaments, and a cushion stone.

The gold and copper metal objects are currently the oldest found in Britain. Many of the other finds have strong continental links. Although he was buried with archery equipment the presence of the cushion stone suggests he was a metalworker.

Metalworking was a new skill and he may have brought this technique with him to Britain. This knowledge could have made him a powerful man explaining his wealthy burial.

In continental Europe metalworkers’ burials were often very elaborate.

You can see this amazing chap in Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire, England.

- Source: Rural Historia

[1hoverman0k]

(discovering designs for a wrench buried underground in 4000 year old ruins) the implications are fastening

[zerogate]

The role and use of cannabis in human culture is hard to underestimate, its use probably going back 10,000 years or more. We know for certain that it was grown in China and used in textiles since around 4000 BCE; inscriptions from the Zhou Dynasty (700–500 BCE) show that its effects as an inebriant plant were well known from that age onward, to culminate in a very explicit reference to its sacred powers.

In the Zhouli, a collection of ritual lyrics from the third century BCE, we find mention of fields of sacred hemp. Multiple sources suggest its effects and properties were well known. In addition, “the use of Cannabis as a hallucinogenic drug by necromancers or magicians is especially notable. It should be pointed out that in ancient China, as in most early cultures, medicine has its origin in magic. Medicine men were practicing magicians.” It was used to “communicate with spirits and lightens one’s body.”

In Taoist sources of the fifth century CE, we find mention of its use, mixed with ginseng, by necromancers to gain the power to foresee and make predictions about the future. Interestingly, a distinction is made between the medical properties of the nonpoisonous parts of the plant, used for prescriptions, and the ones containing the active principles, employed for magical activities:

Worthy of note is the work of the famous physician T’ao Hung-ching, of the 5th century A.D. In his Ming-i pieh-lu, he noted the difference between the nonpoisonous seeds [ma-tze] and the poisonous fruits [ma-fên]. Of the latter he said, ‘Ma-fên is not much used in prescriptions [now-a-days]. Necromancers use it in combination with ginseng to set forward time in order to reveal future events.

A later work, the Chêng-lei pên-ts’ao by T’ang Shêng-wei of the tenth century, contains a detailed description of the effects of the ma-fên. Even in this case, we find an appreciation of its medical properties paired by seemingly supernatural qualities:

Ma-fên has a spicy taste; it is toxic; it is used for wase diseases and injuries; it clears blood and cools temperature; it relieves fluxes; it undoes rheumatism; it discharges pus. If taken in excess it produces hallucinations and a staggering gait. If taken over a long term, it causes one to communicate with spirits and lightens one’s body.

[...]

Archeologists made a singular discovery inside the so-called Yanghai Tombs, in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang: a small lidless basket was found placed near the remains of a forty-year-old Caucasoid male, together with his horse-riding equipment, bow, arrows, and musical instruments. A detailed study determined that the basket contains cannabis leaves, fruits, and shoots dating from 2,500 years ago. The funerary objects buried alongside the individual led scholars to identify him as a shaman:

The funereal objects in his tomb were richer than those in the others, which demonstrates his special status. Together with the musical instrument and the Cannabis, which are unique among the Yanghai Tombs, the shamanistic status of the deceased becomes all the more apparent. Due to its apparently prolonged use as a pestle, the inner surface of the wooden bowl containing Cannabis had become smooth, and one side became perforated. The Cannabis was presumably pulverized with a mortar before being consumed for psychoactive purposes. Thus, we assume that the deceased was more concerned with the intoxicant and/or medicinal value of the Cannabis remains…. The deceased, presumably a shaman, may have been mainly concerned with the ritual of communication between the human and the spirit world. The gift of Cannabis may have been to enable him to continue his profession in the afterlife.

[...]

The intoxicating qualities of hemp resin are mentioned in the Zend Avesta (around 600 BCE), while its use as inebriating incense is attested among the Assyrians since the ninth century BCE, enabling us to map an area stretching from the Middle East to eastern Asia where the drug was known and used for medical and ritual purposes.

In India, as already mentioned, its association with religion has been attested to for some time. In the Atharva Veda (between 1200 and 1000 BCE), it is mentioned as one of the five holiest sacred plants, addressed by the worshippers with special prayers: “The five kingdoms of plants, having Soma as their chief, we address; the darbha, hemp, barley, saha—let them free us from distress.”

[...]

It is especially relevant to mention the presence of cannabis in The Garland of Jewels of Yoga, attributed to Nagarjuna. This tantric text comments upon the effects of using cannabis as an effective way to confuse one’s enemies, making them believe they are the prey of evil spirits.

-- The Oxford Handbook of Global Drug History

[painwillpass]

the best feeling in the world is using your inhaler and immediately coughing up the 4000 year old malevolent and wicked spirit that was buried deep within your chest cavity

[distracteddaintydemon]

I did genuinely thought it's about olla watering system

That 4000 years old one when you get an unglazed clay pot, bury it (partially) in the ground and fill it with water. So the water soak gradually into deep layers of soil, straight to the roots, instead of evaporating from the surface.

Pots in the photo are purely decorative, because they aren't buried and they seem to be glazed. But ollas are great, try ollas, there are some neat designs for different circumstances, ollas are great

thank you new york times for bringing us back to ancient greece

[head-post]

US state governors call on Biden and Trump to tackle migration crisis

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick harshly criticised President Joe Biden in an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday, linking a recent violent crime committed by illegal immigrants to the administration’s immigration policies and calling on Trump to directly confront Biden during the upcoming presidential debate.

On Prime News, Patrick spoke about the recent horrific crime in Texas that victimised a 12-year-old girl, Jocelyn. He said:

She was just a 12-year-old cellist out on the street. They asked her for directions, and they allegedly then took her. We have them on camera, took her to a bridge. They tied her hands behind her back. They tied up her ankles. They stripped her… Raped her. And then they strangled her… And then they dumped her in the river like she was just some rag doll.

Patrick stressed the brutality of the crime and its connection to border security. He noted:

If I’m the president, I just bring it down to Thursday night. Because on Thursday… she will be buried on the night of the debate. And I would look to the current president in the eye and say, we’ve had a girl raped in New York. We’ve had a mother of five killed in Maryland, and we’ve had a 12-year-old beautiful little girl tortured to death at the hands of people who are only in this country because of you.

He criticised the current administration’s actions on border security, sharply contrasting them with the policies of former President Donald Trump. Patrick stated:

People of America need to know the horror of the animals that are crossing the border. If 10 million get in 15 million at one percent, that’s 100 to 150,000 vicious criminals that are in this country attacking women and children, raping them, and killing them. And that needs to be front and center. It’s all on Joe Biden.

Patrick also continued:

Does the left have no heart? Does President Biden have no heart? Do they have no shame? Are they so cowered by the leftists and George Soros that they just allow this chaos to continue and see people die and have no empathy, sympathy, or concern for the parents or for this little girl? It makes me sick.

He also addressed liberal media stories about immigrant crime rates, excusing these people by claiming they commit crimes with less frequency than Americans. Patrick said:

Whenever they say that, it really infuriates me, he said. And, you know, one of the biggest judases on the planet is Michael Steele, the former chair of the RNC, who literally said on MSNBC this week, well, that was just speaking of Jocelyn. That was just one out of 11 million, just one. How about if that one is your daughter, your granddaughter, or your friend’s daughter, just one?

Discussing the situation in Texas, Patrick emphasised the effectiveness of action at the state level:

We had 3 to 4000 people a day crossing illegally because of Biden’s policies… In December, we went in there with our barbed wire… National Guard troops… state police, and now it’s less than ten people a day.

Patrick concluded by underlining the need for stronger action on the part of the federal government:

President Trump in his last term… finally… had that border secure. We did not have criminals with ankle bracelets raping little girls… So, the Trump administration knows how to fix the border. The Biden administration has blood on its hands. I’d take it to Biden Thursday night, and I would shame him.

Read more HERE

[the-reality-revolution]

Ancient Civilizations - The Silurian Hypothesis

It's called the Silurian Hypothesis. Basically, it states that human beings might not be the first intelligent life forms to have evolved on this planet and that if there really were precursors some 100 million years ago, virtually all signs of them would have been lost by now. It might seem obvious that we'd see the signs of such a civilization — after all, there were dinosaurs 100 million years ago, and we know that because we've found their fossils. But they were around for more than 150 million years. That's important because it's not just about how old the ruins of this hypothetical civilization would be, nor how widespread it was. It's also about how long it was around. Humanity has spread across the globe in a remarkably short amount of time — over the course of about 100,000 years. If another species did the same, then our chances of spotting it in the geological record would be a whole lot smaller. For decades the archaeological community labored under the theory that human civilization began after the last Ice Age. The theory conjectured that, prior to that time, humans were no more than primitive hunter-gatherers incapable of communal organization or sophisticated abilities, and it was only after the last glacial period—following the melting of the 10,000 foot thick ice sheets that covered much of the northern portion of the world’s continents—that our human ancestors began to develop agriculture and complex economic and social structures, sometime around 4000 B.C. Archaeologists therefore theorized that the first cities did not develop until about 3500 B.C. in Mesopotamia and Egypt. Contemporary discoveries have dramatically transformed those theories. Modern research has unearthed buried civilizations and discovered submerged cities one after another—archaeology and anthropology now reconstruct an unsuspected antiquity of man—fresh discoveries prove all history false and paint a canvas of stunningly mysterious dimensions. What if ancient civilizations existed. What would it mean? Let's discuss it.

[gaykarstaagforever]

We talk about the Ancient Egyptian religion like it was a monolith, but most of the renditions we have of it come from either royal or at least royal-adjacent sources. So of course it seems to center on very wealthy people being empowered by the Sun and the Nile to maintain universal order through seasonal rituals.

But what did the person making the sandals believe? Did the guy who worked at the brewery care about Horus and Maat and how bodies were oriented when they were buried? Like I assume the kid who fed the Apis Bull probably believed Ptah was real at least. But did they pray to him? Osiris and Isis were popular enough to be exported as pan-Greco-Roman cults, so we can assume they at least were popular with soldiers and other mobile upper class people.

But did the lady minding the vegetable stand know anything about the soul's harrowing journey with the Sun along the nightly realm-hours of the Subterranean Nile? Was this stuff part of the basic, predynastic folk religion that became this massive 4000-year-old mass cultural thing they dutifully kept going against all the odds? Or was this just ancient priestly turbo-nerd stuff?

Because if you were a laborer working on the Luxor Temple in the hot Egyptian sun 14 hours a day, I have to guess you might have a very different perspective on whether that blinding white bastard in the sky is a noble king who loves you as his child.

[creacher-captions]

[10 screenshots in response to the question: Why do you study history? Screenshot 1: an interaction between Jerry Seinfeld and George Constanza from the TV show Seinfeld, the dialog between them has been edited to reflect an answer to the question.  Jerry

You’re crying from history?

George

the fact that humanity is largely good and that people from hundreds of years ago are so similar to people today got to me. All right.

Screenshot 2:

an interaction between two tumblr users

biggest-gaudiest-patronuses

whats your favorite whimsical trait of humanity’s?

logicallyprincely

wanting to preserve things for future civilizations. i get emotional over cave paintings for exactly that reason: because these are people, tired and hungry and thirsty and scared people, reaching over thousands of years, grabbing for our attention because “look, i saw this, i was here, don’t forget me”. they knew that there would be a future, and they wanted to be a part of that…sorry i have to go cry now

Image 3:

a photo taken of a quote from a book, the page is slightly yellowed

“But maybe my story has no meaning.” “There are no stories without a meaning. And I am one of those men who can find it even where others fail to see it. Afterwards the story becomes the book of the living, like a blaring trumpet that raises from the tomb those who have been dust for centuries….Still it takes time, you have to consider the events, arrange them in order, find the connections, even the least viable ones. But we have nothing else to do; your Genoese friends say we must wait until the fury of those dogs has calmed down.”

Screenshot 4:

tumblr user ryebreadgf writes:

can’t get over the oldest living olive tree being over 4000 years old. imagine someone in 200 bc being like look at this old tree. so many living breathing people existed before us and they had lives just like ours and they lived in the same world we live in, only younger. if you stop for a second and close your eyes and listen you can hear what they heard. someone looked at this tree when it was just a sprout. someone ate the first olive from it. and then 2000 years later someone else thinks the very same thing

Screenshot 5:

Finelythreadedsky quotes Emily Vermeule’s article “Creatures of the Day: The Stupid Dead” from the book

Aspects of Death in Early Greek Art and Poetry.

“Poets, critics, historians, archaeologists, artists spend their working lives as necromancers, raising the dead in order to enter into their imaginations and experience, an ordinary and probably necessary human pastime.”

Screenshot 6:

tumblr user somecunttookmyurl writes

there is a tendency with history, i think, because we’re so far removed from it, to kind of forget that all of the people were people a child 10,000 years ago left a handprint on a wall. they were fingerpainting. a viking climbs up a rock just to carve the words “this is very high” 10ft off the ground. somebody centuries… milennia… ago burned their dinner so thoroughly that they buried the ruined pot in the backyard rather than attempt to clean it. shakespeare got drunk and wrote dick jokes. tutankhamun was a little boy who liked ducks more than anything. a roman carves his name into a monument in another country saying “i was here”. a prisoner, centuries ago, in the tower of london scratches lines into the wall as a tally marking the days. a medieval monk scrawls in the margins bemoaning the boredom of his work every human being across history has said “i was here. i lived. i loved. i made something. i laughed. i cried. please do not forget me”

Image 7:

Two people are buried side by side in an eternal embrace. On the left is a photo of their remains in their burial place and positions. On the right an artist has created a recretion of what they think these people may have looked like when they were alive/ when they were buried.

Photograph 8:

a glass pitcher filled ¾ of the way with a light yellowy/ gold liquid, which now looks rather solidified, next to it is a circular loaf of bread, completely blackened and burned looking. The way it has risen and been baked made ridges in the bread that make the bread look a bit like a flower. 

oldest olive oil - the nearly 2,000 year old bottle filled with solidified olive oil from pompeii (and carbonized bread on the left). Roman, 79 AD

Screenshot 9:

tumblr user i-was-today-years-old-when

i learned that Romans were known to create tombs for their dogs and gave them epitaphs to remember them by. One such inscription read, “i am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as i rejoiced when bringing you home with my own hands 15 years ago.”

attached is a funeral mosaic of a dog on a leash with some flowers growing around them.

Photo 10:

a pure white page with a Sappho quote

Someone, I tell you, will remember us, even in another time. Sappho

End of Alt Text]

Why do you study history

[jaipurtaxitour]

7 Famous Offbeat Rajasthan Experiences

7 Famous Offbeat Rajasthan Experiences

Few people are familiar with Rajasthan's many features, including its vibrant desert resort, Kathputlis, and palaces. Yes, we are in Rajasthan looking for unusual attractions and experiences. Try to look beyond the imposing palaces and ancient forts the next time you visit any of Rajasthan's magnificent cities to uncover the hidden stories of the villages and towns in the most unique way.

The villages of Rajasthan are home to hundreds of years of fascinating traditions, many of which will be lost with the older generation.

The harshest part of Rajasthan's summers, which last from April to June, see daytime highs of 48 C. If you are planning a summer trip to Rajasthan, consider visiting Mount Abu, Kumbhalgarh, or Ranakpur. The weather is pleasant, and the scenery is breathtaking. In other cities, the weather is ideal for wandering outside in the early mornings and late evenings, but otherwise, it is best to stay indoors.

Here is a few amazing Tourist of Rajasthan:

1. Rural Udaipur · 2. Ride on Marwari horses · 3. Hot Air Balloon Jaipur · 4. Ghost Hunting 5. Mandawa · 6. Kumbhalgarh Fort · 7. Camping in the Golden Desert

Suggested Tour: Jaipur Mandawa Tour, Delhi Jaipur Pushkar Mandawa Tour, Rajasthan Tour Package,

Here are a few incredible Rajasthan experiences:

Rural Udaipur

If the old city of Udaipur, with its open drains and swarms of "hello madam" touts, is a turn-off for you, retreat to Mountain Ridge Homestay, nestled on a wooded hill away from town. Also see: Best Places to Visit in Udaipur

Piers and his team have lovingly and tastefully built this as your gateway to rural Udaipur, with its stunning mountain views and quaint tribal villages.

Ride on Marwari horses

Pure-bred Marwari horses arrived in Rajasthan with the Persians, and their numbers are dwindling as quickly as the state's royals' wealth. Landowners continue to raise these horses in small villages throughout the Pali district, and they are proud to be great riders.

Horse races are no longer held in these parts, but visitors are welcome for a rural ride. I'd never ridden before (except as a child in a tourist trap), but I had to wear my leg and headgear for a few minutes crash course, holding my reins and almost trotting like a pro!

Take a hot air balloon Ride. In Jaipur

The best way to explore the beauty of Rajasthan's desert cities and rustic old towns is to ride in a hot air balloon. Imagine gliding effortlessly across the Pink City and admiring aerial views of Jaipur's grand Amber Fort.

These excursions last about an hour and will provide you with the most exciting experience! This is the best time to get into adventure mode and fly 4000 feet in the air to treat your eyes like royalty! Pushkar hot air balloon rides are also not to be missed. Suggested Tour: Jaipur Sightseeing Tour

Also Read: Best 8 Offbeat Places to Visit in Jaipur 

Ghost Hunting

The mysteries of spirits and ghosts! Rajasthan is rife with unsolved mysteries and intriguing stories. Much is buried within the ancient Havelis and palaces of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, and other cities. The old walls and high ceilings are etched with terrifying tales from a bygone era.

Stories from Kuldhara's old ruins, Brijraj Bhavan, Jagatpura, and Bhangarh are among those that are both terrifying and incredible (in their own way). What follows are some colourful tales that people still believe.

  Mandawa

Mandawa, a small but beautiful town in Rajasthan's Shekhawati region, is located in the region's center. Mandawa appears as a mirage in the deserts. Mandawa is well-known and admired throughout the country for its magnificent vintage forts and havelis. It provides the tourist with an insight into past cultural and social practices.

Mandawa is now referred to as an Open-Air Art Gallery’ because of these paintings. You can also enjoy camel riding in Rajasthan which is one of the most exciting things to do.

Recommended Services: Jaipur Taxi Services

  Kumbhalgarh Fort

The Mewar region's highest, nearly invincible, and most formidable fort is only about 50 kilometres from Narlai. Rana Kumbha built Kumbhalgarh in the 15th century, and it is Maharana Pratap's birthplace. This magnificent fort attests to the Rajputs' valour and how even the mightiest Mughals were unable to take it on their own!

The 13 Aravalli Mountain peaks guard the fort of Kumbhalgarh. There are 360 temples within the fort's walls. Kumbhalgarh Fort is 700 years old but still in good condition, making it one of Rajasthan's hidden gems.

  Golden Desert Camping

If gazing at the stars and the endless sky is your favourite pastime, imagine doing so while lying on your back in desert silence. Jaisalmer, Rajasthan's Golden City, is well-known for providing such life-changing experiences. A number of tour operators in the city are organising camping in the middle of the desert, as well as bonfires and cultural activities.

You should go on camel rides and watch the sunset. It simply appears magical and sumptuous. Camping in the sand dunes is the best thing about Rajasthan, especially when they are Sam Sand Dunes, and it is perhaps the most unique way to experience the beauty of this region.

[thesoftestcloud]

today i was watching time team and they dug up a broze age kist burial and the bones were a jumbled mess because Rats Had Been Living In The Skull and i thought that was neat. can’t wait to be a skeleton so i can have rats living in my skull

[comewithmeintothedeep]

Reader X Male Ghost

Next: Here. Word Count: 4000 Explicit: Yes. Warnings: Noncon, nonconsensual voyeurism, spying, marathon sex, loss of consciousness, somnophilia.

——————————————————

You lived in a pretty old house. It was one of those heritage houses. Honestly, you were shocked you were able to get it at all. But, thankfully, your parents had decent sway with the people who were selling this place and now, you had it all to yourself.

It wasn’t without its caveats, but it had character. It was incredibly charming. And not to mention how close everything was to your house. The grocery store and all your necessary amenities were just a brisk walk away and your neighbourhood was absolutely gorgeous. And the everyday bustle made you feel like you actually lived in a community.

And it certainly made you feel a lot less alone in your old house.

But what you didn’t realize was that you weren’t alone.

Years before you set foot in this place, Thomas lived with his wife. It wasn’t a happy marriage, no, and there was a lot to be desired of his life when he was alive. And even though he and his wife never really loved each other, they were comfortable. It was a good life, all things considered. He trusted her.

At least, that was before she murdered him in his sleep and buried him under the basement.

And for all those years, Thomas haunted the house. He was tethered to it, strong feelings of resentment, betrayal, and repression keeping him here. His life was unfulfilled and there was no way he could move on. There was so much anger about the things she’d denied him of. The things he missed out on after wasting so much of his time with a woman who never loved him.

He’d spent a decent amount of time alone in the house as a spirit, never seen by anyone, never known. The only human company he’d known was when the police came to investigate his death and found nothing. And his wife? His betrayer? Never found guilty.

It made him upset. It made him angry.

It made him incredibly lonely. Longing for someone to love him genuinely. He didn’t care who.

He knew that the house was being sold. Realtors had been scouring the property so they could pawn it off and Thomas was fully prepared to haunt anyone out of his home. His only place of familiarity and comfort. How dare anyone set foot in it?

But then…he saw you. At first, he was tempted to frighten you away like he planned. But then you settled in. Instead of haunting you, he fell in love with you. He watched you go about your day, unencumbered by the thought that anyone was watching you. He took note of all the things you did when you thought you were alone. The truest picture of who you were. All your little tics, habits, and quirks. Your interests. The ways you did everyday tasks.

He held onto every single detail. And every piece of you fit together into the most gorgeous mosaic he had ever seen. He had never felt anything like this before. Not even for his ex-wife.

But he felt it for you.

And you were here. Living in his house. That had to count for something.

He had to have you. He had to know you intimately. He had been stirring ever since you stepped in and now, he couldn’t ignore it. He needed you to know him. To see him. To feel him.

All of him.

So, he waited. He waited for the perfect moment to make himself known to you. To really indulge in you and lay claim to you. He couldn’t do it during the day, so he waited. And watched. He watched you go about your daily routine. Oh, how he loved to just watch you exist. As a living and breathing person. There was something truly special about watching someone be alive as someone who was not.

There was something different to it as a voyeur from the other side.

Then, nightfall came. Thomas watched you undress and walk into the shower. You had spent all day working in the backyard, really preparing your garden and putting it together. You were tired and dirty. You were going to be in there for a while.

So, effortlessly, the ghost stepped into the shower with you, facing your backside. His eyes traveled over your skin. Your soft, supple, living flesh. Your exposed neck. Your lovely bottom.

Thomas had never felt lust of this magnitude before. Of course, he’d had sex with his wife. Not often, but he did. But never before had he felt this driven. All he wanted to do was grab onto your hips and bury himself in you, suck marks all over your skin and leave bite marks behind, kiss your flesh everywhere he could, bury his tongue in your hole and lavish the gifts you were given by your creator.

But he couldn’t do that. This wasn’t the right moment. But still, he couldn’t help but indulge himself. His hands touched your skin and he reveled in the way you shivered at his touch. The warm shower helped keep you unaware to his touches. But, you started to moan softly.

And Thomas was having a hard time maintaining control of himself.

Encouraged by you, he rested his head on your shoulder, snaking his arms around to gently run his hands over your chest. Oh, how he loved the way you keened at his touch. The way you reached to touch yourself to relieve yourself of the arousal he was getting out of you.

He couldn’t wait to touch you there, too.

Thomas ground himself against your back while you worked yourself. And while he wanted to just close his eyes and enjoy this feeling, he looked down to see you touching yourself. And oh, he was thankful he did. Even with the shower drenching your smooth and warm body with water, he could see how slick you’d gotten yourself. He could feel how into this you were getting.

He held you. Held you and touched you and caressed you while you got yourself off, your sounds echoing around the shower walls. Thomas couldn’t help but gently kiss at your neck while you touched yourself. He was getting close to climaxing all over your backside, but he had to hold back. He couldn’t make himself known to you.

At least, not yet. He wasn’t quite sure what he was waiting for, but he knew this wasn’t the right moment.

But he wanted you to cum. He wanted to watch you cum. Feel you cum while his chest was pressed against your back like a tender lover.

Soon enough, you climaxed, shuddering against the ghost you were unaware of as you had endured more pleasure than you’d felt in a while. You weren’t even sure what brought these feelings up all of a sudden. All you knew was that there was a coolness that fell over your skin that awoke a strange heat in you. A heat you needed to take care of.

And take care of it you did. Your hands were coated in your fluids.

Sighing, you washed your hands and rinsed off the areas you typically forgot about and stepped out of the shower, turning off the water and staggering as you stepped over the tub onto the towel on the tile beneath your feet. It felt good…taking care of yourself like that. Most of the time whenever you masturbated, it was just because you were bored or just needed to blow off steam. Your climaxes never felt that intense.

You must’ve felt particularly neglected.

Stepping out and facing yourself in the mirror, you took a good look at yourself. You had draped your towel over your shoulders like a blanket and your skin was smooth and soft. Looking into mirrors was something you didn’t really think much about except when you got out of the shower. There was something about the glow and the freshness you felt after that made you feel more inclined to preen. To be a little bit vain when it came to looking at yourself.

You liked looking at yourself after coming out of the shower. There was something…natural about it.

And Thomas liked looking at you, too. The subtle smile on your face as you admired yourself. He glanced over at your backside where his ectoplasmic residue was rinsed off when he came against your back. He couldn’t help himself after all. But then, standing behind you, he just took in your beauty. Your curves, muscles, markings, body hair, all of it. All of your imperfections and parts of you that made you you.

That made you alive.

And the way you looked at yourself…what he would give for you to look at him that way.

Yes…this was his moment. He could feel it in his heart. Or, at least he would if he still had one, but the feeling was there. This was it.

Phasing through the wall behind him, Thomas disappeared. You were none the wiser that he was ever there with you in the shower. You didn’t even know he existed.

That was, until he sprung from the mirror and grabbed your face, pulling you forward over the counter with him. Before you could even understand what was happening, his mouth was hungrily devouring yours and his tongue was plunged down your throat. You were caught so far off-guard that you didn’t even think to try and push back or stifle the sounds you were making, of which there were many. You weren’t even sure you could. Your eyes were wide open, but you couldn’t see anything. Something invisible was kissing you and kissing you hard. Like its life depended on stealing your breath away.

All the while, Thomas was absolutely relishing the feeling of kissing you. His tongue was tracing along and memorizing every corner and part of your mouth. He hadn’t kissed anyone in so so so long and your lips and tongue felt so soft. He was being pretty sloppy, ectoplasmic saliva dribbling down both of your chins as his tongue ravaged yours.

He held your face tightly as he kissed you like you were the last person he would ever get to kiss. He was pretty sure he was going to cum twice just from the way your tongue was curling around his. The way you were sucking on his tongue. The way your moans felt in his mouth and how warm you were and how your breath felt against his lips.

You felt even better than he imagined. And he couldn’t wait to feel you in every way possible. He’d been neglected for years, even in life. But not this time. This time, he was going to indulge in everything he was ever denied. And he was going to draw out so much pleasure from you to repay you for being the first person he allowed into his home since his death.

Pulling away from you with the most painful level of self-control, he relished in the bewildered and blissful look on your face, the trail of saliva connecting your mouths together. Swiping his thumb along your lip, he slipped back into the mirror

You had no clue what happened. One moment, you were just looking at yourself in the mirror. The next, you were making out with some invisible entity. You couldn’t keep your eyes open for long, helpless to whatever had decided to play with you for the evening, and you got lost in the sudden torrent of completely unadulterated and unfettered lust that you were thrust into.

But just before your assailant parted ways from you, you opened your eyes and caught the barest glimpse of a pale figure.

A man. A man who just faded back into the mirror.

Lurching forward after him, you were completely bent over, gasping for air and your mouth slick and tasting vaguely of linens.

Wiping your mouth, you didn’t notice the ghostly figure rise up from the floor, staring at your backside intently. He knew exactly where his sights were set. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he sheathed himself in you. And there was only one way to do that.

He needed to get you prepped.

While you were recovering from that, suddenly you felt a pair of cold hands grip at your waist and a cool tongue plunge into your hole. Thumbs spread you apart and you whipped around, trying to free yourself before realizing that resistance was completely futile. Your ghostly pervert was lapping at your entrance with the same vigour he kissed you with and you were completely helpless to his assault.

And even more embarrassingly, your sounds of unsolicited pleasure were unmuffled by his lips.

You couldn’t see him. You could only feel him, latched to your hole while you whipped around. But it was no use. You couldn’t shake off what you couldn’t physically touch. He could touch you all he wanted, but you were completely helpless to stop him.

So, you resigned yourself, leaning against the sink as he rammed his tongue into you, reaching deeply into you while more slick dribbled out of you, leaking down your thighs and onto the floor.

All the while, Thomas was having himself a feast of you. Your hole tasted even better than your lips and this was going to be even better because he was going to fill you with his cock in multiple ways. He was already imagining the ways he was going to fuck you against every surface imaginable. Was he overeager? Perhaps.

But after being neglected for so long, he hardly saw himself as one to blame.

He could listen to your noises forever. Listen to you sing for him. You had such a beautiful voice.

Like when he kissed you, he made a very sloppy mess of your very wet hole. A combination of your fluids and his ectoplasmic saliva made you so easy to slide into. His cock was straining once again. In truth, it never went down the first time he came against your backside. It stood at attention and was aching to feel you wrapped around him.

So, pulling away from you with a very wet pop, he rose to his feet, his hands still gripped onto your hips. And at this point, you finally got a good look at him.

He was classically handsome. He had a lithe and well-muscled and toned frame. He had an athlete’s body. His face was also surprisingly cute. He had a well sculpted face with soft features and his hair swooped in a very particular way. Had he not been dead and also currently making a mess of you with his mouth, you would be able to enjoy it properly.

But before you could think, the towel was suddenly pulled off you and you were left completely naked in the steaming bathroom air.

And oh, how Thomas adored this sight. His cock lined up with your wet and very slick entrance and you bent over in front of the mirror. He couldn’t wait to fuck you in front of it.

So, he didn’t. He sheathed himself immediately in you and relished the way your warmth enveloped and sucked in his cock. Letting out a husky and guttural moan, Thomas immediately set a frantic and desperate pace, clutching onto you like a dog in heat.

Meanwhile, you could barely even think straight. You just went about your day as usual. You never suspected that by the end of the night, you would get mercilessly railed by a horny pervert of a ghost. And yet, here you were. Staring at yourself in the mirror while you were taking it from behind. Thomas was wrapped around you while you were wrapped around his cock, the wet slapping noises loud for you to hear.

He was going at you hard and fast. You were sure you weren’t going to last very long with how prepped he had already gotten you.

His arms were clutching your chest, squeezing at it while he was pushing you over the counter in his haste. Both of your tongues were lolling out of your mouths, his cheek pressed against yours. He was smiling. He was enjoying this. He looked like a happy idiot.

And Thomas was certainly very happy. He hadn’t known pleasure like this in all his life. He could be angry at his ex-wife for depriving him of this, but he didn’t care. Right now, he was currently in the closest thing he could call Heaven. And it was you. Your warm, soft body shuddering and squeezing him. He was getting close already and he wanted you to cum with him. He wanted to feel your orgasm while he unloaded his ghostly seed all inside of you.

Pulling you from the countertop, he gripped your chin with his hand reaching up under your arm and his other hand went to touch you to bring you over the edge. He was gentle, but not slow. He wanted you to cum and he wanted you cum quick. Quick and hard and with him. While he had you upright, pressed flush against his chest, Thomas began pistoning into you harder, almost lifting you off the ground. You had to stand on your tiptoes just to remain stable while he fucked you.

The moment his hand began working you, all rational thought left your head. You had never felt pleasure this intense and despite how sloppy and desperate he was, he knew how to play you. He knew what felt good. And you knew your climax was going to approach soon. Very soon. You could feel yourself tightening, the heat in your abdomen growing and growing as Thomas fucked you and touched you, making you sensitive and hot.

Soon enough, the heat spilled over. White hot pleasure clouded your vision as you came hard, spasming as you twitched against his hand, Thomas gently working you while he pumped his cock in you. You could feel him pulsing and something cold was spilling and spurting inside of you. You could feel the coldness of his cum and the warmth of yours mixing together as it dribbled down your legs. All you could do was twitch while Thomas’s hand was being covered in your cum, your thighs being covered with his.

You were tired. You haven’t orgasmed that hard…ever, really.

But Thomas wasn’t done. No, he had years of pent-up sexual frustration and repression to make up for. One was not enough. He had all the power and he was going to use it to fulfill all his fantasies.

Round two began with him hoisting you up in the air, showing off your still filled hole to yourself in the mirror. You were hovering off the ground in his arms, the ghost floating with you. You were sitting in his lap, now, watching as his cum dripped out of you. Your hole was stretched around a translucent cock. It was a morbidly fascinating sight, if nothing else.

But just as quickly and rapidly as he began, he started to fuck you again in midair. You were completely helpless to him, your brain turning to mush as he used your body to satisfy his neglected sexual needs left over from his life alive.

Thomas was still hard after the first round. He had never known this sort of insatiable sexual appetite before, but he was so happy to share it with you. For you to be the recipient of his attention. He wanted to fill you over and over again. He wanted to feel you climax around him over and over again. He wanted to kiss you until your lips were sore and red. He wanted to fuck you until your hole was loose and overflowing with cum.

He wanted to fuck you until you couldn’t move or think anymore.

And over and over again, he fucked you. He fucked you from behind in his lap, facing the mirror and forcing you to watch yourself lose control on his cock, again. Watch him bury himself in you and watch his cum overflow out of you, your own mixing in and dribbling down and making a mess of the bathroom. You had never seen something so lewd.

That was until Thomas pulled out of you and you saw it all just flow out of you like a waterfall of lewdness.

And then, he had you again. He turned you around and had you facing him on his lap. Floating up, he pressed you against the wall and started to fuck you again. This time, claiming your mouth with the same fervour he did before. He was fucking you so hard and so fast that you didn’t even notice him moving up slightly with each thrust.

Until you were pressed against the ceiling and at that point, the ghost decided to use the wall as leverage to slam into you as hard and as fast as he could. You were so sensitive by this point that you came twice before Thomas unloaded himself in you again.

And the ghost practically grinned at you when he saw the way your combined slick dribbled down the wall of the bathroom.

By the time he whipped you around to face the mirror again, you were exhausted. Your body was nothing more than the ghost’s personal fucktoy as he had you dangling from midair, you hanging below while his hands on your hips kept you suspended while he piledrived you in midair. The way you were being flailed while he desperately plowed you had you seeing stars. You could see the look on your face while he was fucking you upside down and you almost felt ashamed.

Or you would, if you weren’t so tired.

You could swear he was getting more and more visible the more and more he fucked you. He didn’t seem to get tired of you, just enjoying having his dick buried in you over and over again. One climax in you wasn’t enough this round. He came in you again. And again. And again.

Eventually, he realized you were barely conscious and Thomas had to try his damnest to pull himself out of you. It was almost agonizing to have to separate himself from you, but this wouldn’t be fun if you weren’t conscious for it.

Besides, you needed to rest. You were alive, and he wasn’t. He didn’t have energy he was burning away. You did. Energy he was burning from you.

He wondered if you would wake up feeling sore.

But, perhaps Thomas could compromise.

Levitating you out of the bathroom after cleaning you up a little bit, the ghost set you down on your bed. Even though he pulled out of you before, he couldn’t handle staying away from you and sheathed his cock in your poor abused hole again. Pulling the sheets off, he gently tucked you into bed, holding you close as he stared at you.

Your blissful face was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And he did that. He fucked you so silly you couldn’t even stay awake. This was his doing.

You finally knew him. Felt him. Saw him. That was all he wanted.

Except, as he lay there tucked into bed with you wrapped around his cock, he realized that he didn’t want just one night with you. He wanted everything with you. True, he didn’t have a life to live, anymore. But you did.

And he wanted to be there for the rest of yours. He wanted every night to be like this. Sharing these beautiful moments of pleasure and heat that were just between you two.

So, gently brushing a lock of hair out of your face, Thomas kissed you. And then kept kissing you.

And the ghost couldn’t help but hold onto you and continue kissing you and fucking you into the night.