#Green Lotto Now Now

[majestyeverlasting]

𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 | 𝐞.𝐦.

This piece contains 18+ content.

Pairing Eddie Munson x Female Reader [friends → lovers]

Summary Eddie holds good on his promise to take you out on a date, and as the night comes to a close, you realize you’re not ready to say goodbye [fluff, smut, 4.3k].

A/N This is the long-awaited continuation of come whatever may. You can read that first if you'd like, but enough context will be provided here. Spoiler alert: the sex is very soft, teasy, and desperate because they’re in l-o-v-e. Haven't written smut in nearly two years, but I evoked the muses of times past—and thus!...

∘°∘♡∘°∘

Summer is long gone, but when you open the door to Eddie holding flowers, the warmth that rises to your cheeks makes it feel nearer than ever. It’s a vibrant bouquet composed of white roses, red lilies, baby’s breath, and leafy foliage. The wrapper crinkles as he extends them to you with an easy smile and soft hello. Your eyes flick back up to his after admiring the delicate blooms. 

There’s a healthy flush to his cheeks, his curls neat and defined. The black leather jacket he’s wearing clings to his slender frame with a polished edge. Under the weight of your gaze, he huffs out a chuckle that reminds you you’re still on earth. 

“Gonna let me in, sweetheart?” Charm drips from his voice and shimmers within his chocolate eyes. 

Nodding, you shuffle backwards, allowing him to enter and push the door shut behind himself. As he steps further inside, you can feel his gaze sweeping over your outfit. An olive-green corduroy dress layered over a beige turtleneck that’s soft against your skin. His smile grows, glinting bright enough for anyone to believe he just won the Lotto when, really, it’s just the pretty sight of you holding the flowers he bought. 

“These are beautiful.” You raise the bouquet, but Eddie’s eyes remain on you. Seeking refuge from his gaze, you tuck your nose down to inhale the sweet fragrance of the petals. “They smell amazing too.” 

“That’s all you, sweetheart.” 

You get shy when his eyes meet yours. “You like my outfit and everything?” 

Eddie swallows back a degree of his earnestness so he doesn’t sound too far gone. “Of course I do, are you kidding me?” 

Seemingly out of nowhere, Robin descends the staircase with a bag slung over her shoulder like she’s prepared to leave, hair tied up in a messy bun. Given your parents were away in Indianapolis for the weekend, you’d asked her to come over and help you get ready so you wouldn’t be alone. 

Eddie’s eyes flick to her, clearing his throat. “Did you help her pick this out, Buckley?” 

“Obviously,” she smirks. “Nice hair.” 

“It is really nice,” you agree with a soft smile. Eddie lifts a passive shoulder, chest fluttering. 

“Rob, do you think you could…” she takes the bouquet without you having to ask. The two of you had shuffled through the attic and dug out a vase earlier that afternoon. 

Eddie had promised this date, along with flowers, a week ago when you slipped away from Steve’s party to be alone. That night, he’d kissed you in the heat of the moment but wanted to backtrack and do things right. You deserved that much. 

The time you’ve been looking forward to has finally come. 

With your hands now free, the only thing you can think to do is wrap your arms around Eddie. The world goes still as he hugs you back, nerves quelling beneath your skin. For a moment, you merely enjoy the warmth of the same arms you’ve been wrapped in countless times before. With your head tucked into his chest, enveloped by the faint scent of his cologne, you release all the worries that ride on the sweeping coattails of change. For a moment, he’s just Eddie, your best friend. 

When you pull away, he leans in, tilting his head with that familiar, boyish curiosity. “You alright?” he asks quietly, searching your gaze.

You nod, a smile breaking through. He takes your hand in his and gives it a squeeze, “Just checkin’.” 

Robin soon walks back into the foyer. “I put the flowers in a vase for you,” she announces, taking her hair down and shaking it out. “Hate to admit it, but you two are actually cute. It’s disgusting.” 

“Hey,” Eddie lifts his hands, laughing. “Little victories.” 

She adjusts her bag on her shoulder with a content sigh. “Welp, I’m about to go pester Harrington at Family Video.” She turns to Eddie, playfully narrowing her eyes. “You better treat her right, ‘cause best believe I��ll be hearing all about this date.” 

When she slips out the door, Eddie smiles at you in silent assurance. 

●・○・●・○・●

The sun hasn’t quite begun to set, but orange and pink faintly blend on the horizon. A cool fall breeze flows in through the cracked windows as the radio plays softly. Eddie had asked his Uncle Wayne to borrow his pickup truck because it’d be more romantic than his bulky van. You can’t say whether he was right, only that you’re grateful to be riding shotgun with him—headed to an unknown destination, no less. 

You’d already guessed through a list of places that Eddie denied with amusement. Sighing, you look out the window to people bustling about, walking dogs and strolling out of shops. You’re coming out of the more commercial side of town, nearing Lover’s Lake and the state park.  

“I give up,” you sigh. 

Eddie chuckles, giving your thigh a gentle squeeze, ignorant to his warming effect on you. “Okay, fine, I’ll give you a hint.” That makes you peer over at him in interest. “If I had to guess, I’d say not a lot of people have had the chance to try it out yet.” 

That’s a dead giveaway. Your mouth falls open in surprise. “That new place along the lake—Stillwater Grill?” The twitch of Eddie’s lips is telling. “No way!” The excitement in your voice makes his chest tighten.

Stillwater was supposed to be good, from what you’d heard. A slightly elevated dining experience minus the formalities and steep pricing of a restaurant like Enzo’s. Where classic American favorites embrace small-town charm, according to the paper. 

Upon your arrival, the parking lot houses a pretty decent number of cars. Lover’s Lake provides a serene backdrop that catches the evening light. Couples stand outside admiring the view. Eddie opens your door and helps you out of the truck like a proper gentleman. You happily tuck yourself into him as you walk inside. 

When you were younger, you often wondered what love would be like. Books and the movies always presented countless possibilities, but you always believed it’d be special for you. So different that nothing else would be able to compare—perhaps, selfishly. One thing for sure, you never could’ve dreamed up someone like Eddie. 

As he sits across from you under the dim glow of the lights, laughter and chatter filling the air, you wonder if you’ll ever be able to put all this into words. Belly full, you realize what you’ve enjoyed even more than the food and cozy, rustic atmosphere was is company. 

Eddie has an inexplicably magnetic way. There was a magic in getting him all to yourself. In relishing the lovely sparkle in his eyes that suggested he was always on the verge of laughter. The passion he exuded made it seem like the way he loved a given thing was biblical. He could talk the ear off a cornfield if he wanted but knew instinctively when to listen. Even your passing remarks seemed to bear some semblance of importance to him.  

Conversing with him had always been easy, but without other people vying for his attention, you were truly able to admire the boy before you. To embrace the deepening attraction. 

As you wait for the waiter to bring the tab, you don’t realize you’ve grown silent and begun blinking at him with the fondest eyes. 

●・○・●・○・●

The wooden stairs of your front porch creak under both your footsteps as you climb them, stopping in front of your front door as the night settles around you. Moths flutter around the lanterns framing the door, crickets chirp in the lawn. Eddie kicks at a dead leaf, combing through a sea of thoughts in search of the right words. 

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask,” he says. You wait for him to continue. His doe eyes search yours for the briefest moment, seeing right through you it seems. “Would you like to be my girlfriend? ‘Cause I think it’s gonna be hard for me to quit you.” 

Your mouth opens a couple times in a mix of giddiness and surprise. “Yeah,” you finally breathe. “Yeah, I’d love to be your girlfriend.” 

Smiling, he steps forward to capture your lips in a slow, sweet kiss that you feel everywhere. It manages to outshine the first, more desperate, kiss you’d shared a week prior. This one is steady and sure, like a promise sealed with a prim bow. When he pulls away to look into your eyes, you shyly duck your head. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow?” he asks, lifting your chin. 

He doesn’t want to go, instead wishing he could stall and stay right here with you. He’s parted ways with you hundreds of times before, but now he can’t seem to figure out how he ever did. That’s how he knows he’s in trouble. The best kind. 

“I’ll pick up,” you promise. 

He stands at your door until you see yourself inside. It’s quiet without him. Your eyes land on the flowers he got you, now in a vase in the living room thanks to Robin. Too quiet. The sound of your front door reopening stops Eddie in his tracks. He turns around with a slight furrow between his brows. 

“Everything okay?” he calls, mindful of his volume. 

You make a small motion for him to come back to you. He listens in a heartbeat. 

There’s a weighted look in his eyes beneath the playfulness, “Miss me already?” 

“No,” you lie. 

●・○・●・○・●

It’s a wonder how you manage to make it feel like there’s a pleasant fire kindling within him. What started out as yet another easy conversation, has turned into you straddling his lap on the couch, the fabric of your dress riding up your thighs as the TV drones in the background.

Everything feels heightened now. The brush of your lips against his, your fingers gently scratching at the nape of his neck. 

Eddie’s lips part in a soft, shuddering breath when you roll your hips over him. 

“Hold on a second, sweetheart.” His eyebrows are pinched as he pulls back from the kiss, hands stilling you. 

You blink down at him all owl-like. “Did I do something?” you murmur, purposely shifting over him again.

He restrains from canting his hips upwards. There’s a softness to his gaze even though his cheeks are flushed hot. 

“If getting me worked up counts. You’re real good at that.” His shamelessness is dizzying. “Just don’t wanna get ahead of myself.” It’s a subtle invitation, a chance for you to call things off in case you aren’t on the same page. 

But you can feel warmth pooling low in your belly. “What else am I good at?” 

He knows you’re game then. For whatever this is, whatever it’s bound to become. 

“Trying to pretend I’m not driving you crazy too.” He chuckles when you duck to hide your face in the crook of his neck, kissing the sensitive skin there. 

There’s a gentleness to the way Eddie’s hand slips beneath the hem of your dress, meeting the delicate skin of your inner thigh. 

“Eddie,” you murmur, lifting from his neck as his fingers continue their trail upwards.

“Hmm?” He pauses, thumb stroking your skin in soft circles. 

“Can we go to my room?” A slight shiver runs through you as his fingers move to trace along the crease of your thigh.

“Your call, sweetheart.” 

Before he withdraws his hand, he snaps the waistband of your panties and grins when you straighten.  

●・○・●・○・●

The lamp on your nightstand casts everything in a dim, warm glow. Eddie shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over your desk chair, eyes roving over the notebooks and pens strewn about. The sight of his tattooed arms makes you move to kiss him again, letting your lips wander to the corner of his mouth and his chin in a trail of warmth. He throbs in his jeans when you slip your fingers beneath the hem of his shirt and curl them into his stomach. 

Reluctantly, he pulls away from your lips and he steps back enough to pull the fabric over his head in one swift movement, muscles rippling as the dark ink on his torso is revealed. With newly disheveled hair, he kisses you backward onto the bed, crawling over top of you as you settle into the mattress with a pleased hum. 

Having the upper hand allows him to press hot kisses along your jaw and down the side of your neck as you huff out sighs and caress his milky skin with buzzing fingertips. Nothing about his movements is rushed, each press of his lips intentional enough to believe he'd had them planned for years.

Eddie didn’t know your body yet, not in the way he’d like to. But he was reading it in real-time. Cataloging every writhe and hitch of your breath so he knew where to return. The obsessive part of his brain often gets on his nerves, but he’s grateful for it now. Grateful he wants to see every move and sound you can make. There’s an artistry to it, a musicality. 

An inkling of panic arises when he begins to suckle on the side of your neck as you offer it. Not because he’s being rough, but because it’s overwhelming enough to want to crawl out of your skin. A soft whimper rises up your throat as your hands find his flexed biceps, digging in. You’re unsure of whether to pull him closer or push him away. 

Eddie rises from your neck on his own accord, running a finger over the spot. “You like it when I kiss you here, huh?” There’s a slow, honeyed quality to his voice. 

When you offer a helpless nod, he leans back down again, and you shudder as his mouth laves over the same sensitive area a little ways beneath your ear. Exasperated, you blindly paw for the waistband of his jeans, fingers shaky as you fiddle with his belt buckle.

Feeling your struggle, Eddie moves to press a final kiss to your throat before pulling away from your neck. 

“Stupid thing,” you pant, pouting up at him for help. 

Chuckling, Eddie reaches down with one hand to undo it with ease. Then, watches with blown pupils as you hurry to undo the button and zipper. He slips off the bed as smoothly as he can to remove his pants, black boxers tented and straining. A spark of heat surges through you as you press your thighs together at the sight. 

No sooner is he crawling back to help you out of your clothes. The lacy underwear set you’re wearing beneath is a pretty shade of baby blue, and Eddie can’t help but palm himself. 

“Jesus,” he sounds awed and devastated at the same time. “You’re so gorgeous...” 

Before he’s even had time to process, you take off your bra, baring your chest for him to see. Your nipples pebble with the new exposure and all of two seconds pass before he’s surging forward, sending you tumbling back to the mattress in a breath of startled laughter he swallows down like a lifeline. 

You gasp into his mouth, back arching, as he cups one of your breasts, circling and rolling your nipple between his fingers. You’re barely kissing him back anymore, but he continues licking into your mouth as your lips part around shallow exhales. 

That’s when the phone begins to ring. Eddie sits back on his haunches despite your attempt to stop him. 

“Might be important.” His voice is rough. 

“They can leave a message.” 

He smirks, dragging a hand through his hair. “You sure?”

Lifting your leg, you run a careful foot over the swell of his boxers. He twitches at the contact. 

“You’re all I care about,” you murmur. “Need you, E.” There’s a desperate edge to your voice that draws him right back in.

“You’ve got me.” He runs a lone finger down the front of your panties. “Can I take these off?” You’re only half listening to his words, nodding to whatever. “Lift up for me.” The muscles of your thighs tremble as you do. 

Tossing your panties aside, he leans down and presses a gentle kiss to your belly button. Then another one just beneath it. A surprised sound rises up your throat when he gently spreads you open to kiss that swollen, sensitive part of you that’s pulsing with need.  

“Oh, gosh—” you stutter out, hands threading into his hair.

“Need me right here?” His voice is laced with a smile, and you can’t help a breathy laugh. Prideful warmth ignites in his chest. “Or do you need me somewhere else?” He trails playful, ticklish nips along your inner thighs, making you squirm. 

“Eddie, please…” 

He’s gracious enough to begin rubbing your clit in precise, measured circles, intently studying the pretty scrunch of your face.

“Firmer,” you instruct breathily, “—just like that, just like that.” Your legs spread wider instinctively, arching when he collects your slick with a slow, heavy finger. 

You’re already so on edge from his previous attention that it only takes a few moments before you ascend into bliss, muscles growing taut as your mouth falls agape. The strong, rhythmic pulses serve as your only touchpoint to reality along with Eddie’s tender caress at your slick, fluttering entrance. One he didn’t even have the chance to breach. 

“Look at you…” he says, voice thick. “Made it easy for me.” He laughs a little, more turned on than anything. 

“It’s not funny,” you halfheartedly assert, cheeks prickling. 

“No,” Eddie agrees. “Just super-duper hot.” 

As he raises up, you realize his other hand is tucked into his boxers, lazily stroking himself. A second wave of desire builds within you, overlapping the remnants of the first and any sense of embarrassment that had begun to kindle. It’s spurred by the deep flush of his cheeks, the way his eyes are soaking you in like he’s just witnessed the most beautiful unraveling. 

Under your hazy, watchful gaze, he scrambles off the bed. Without warning, he shoves his boxers down, kicking them from around his ankles. His arousal impressively springs up towards his stomach. You bite your lip at the rosy, leaking tip, the gorgeous vein snaking prominently along the underside. 

Eddie peeks over at you with a dazed quirk of his lips before retrieving his wallet from his jacket. He pulls out a square foil packet and promptly rips it open with his teeth. 

Upon crawling back into the bed, he isn’t expecting you to take his cock in a loose hold, stroking upwards from the curly hair at the base to circle your thumb around the tip. There’s a pleasant tug low in his gut as he kicks up in your palm. 

“Sweetheart…” His voice is soft, nearly a plea. You let your hand glide back down, this time venturing lower to cradle the soft weight hanging beneath. He nearly buckles forward. “What're you doing to me?” he rasps. 

“Nothing,” you murmur innocently, wetting your hand and giving him a few more easy strokes, enjoying the warm, veiny feel of him before withdrawing your touch. 

He curses under his breath as he rolls the condom down, his gaze never leaving you as you reposition yourself to take him. 

“Eager beaver,” you lilt as he crowds over you. 

“Yeah,” he exhales. “I am.” 

He lines up at your entrance, tip catching as he collects your slick with a wavering breath.  

You open your legs even wider. “Want you,” you murmur, breathy and sweet. 

The expression on his face is like something from a painting, raw and rapturous as he eases into your encompassing warmth. He takes it slow, giving you time to relax around him as you breathe through the dull ache of welcoming him in. A low, guttural sound escapes him once he’s buried all the way. 

Your chests brush. Tears prick in your eyes at the closeness, the feeling of being filled so completely. 

“You’re unreal,” he murmurs, lips clumsy against your chin. “Like I made you up in my head.” 

He begins moving, slowly drawing back only to push back in. A steady rhythm finds him as your mouth falls open, legs hooking around his thighs. The muscles of his back ripple with his effort, and you chart every tense line with your fingertips. 

With a low groan, he makes a minor adjustment to better reach that spongy spot within you. You arch into him with a whimper, breath catching in your throat. 

“There she is,” he whispers, reaching between your bodies to rub firm, steady circles against your clit. 

“Oh, god…” It sounds like you’re in pain even though you’re the furthest thing from it. When you close your eyes, tears stream down your face in twin streaks, surprising both of you. Eddie tenderly wipes them away, gaze soft. 

“You’re okay,” he promises. “It’s just me, angel.”

Except, Eddie isn't just anything. You’ve never felt so close to someone, so in tune, and somehow, it’s Eddie—sweet, goofy, wild-haired Eddie—who knew exactly what you needed. He picks up the pace as you arch and writhe beneath him, body yielding without question.

“You feel so good,” you whimper, clenching around him. 

His groan reverberates against your neck as his hips jerk sloppily, “Can’t say stuff like that…” Those words only make you tighten around him again.

The dazed way he mouths at your shoulder lets you know he’s clinging onto composure. You’re too warm, too everything—snug, and soft, and beautiful. He’s not ready for this feeling to end. This heady, binding haze of pleasure.  

“Eddie,” you breathe softly. “Wanna ride you…” 

Your plea nearly finishes him off. “Yeah?” he croaks.

You nod, whimpering. He barely withstands the feeling of slipping from within you. Shifting onto his back allows him a moment of reprieve, but he nearly loses himself when you straddle him, sinking back down with a circle of your hips. 

You brace your hands on his ribcage, steadily rocking on top of him as your head tips back. Sweat glistens in the divot of his sternum as he attempts to move in time with you. When you speed up, he closes his eyes to calm himself down. 

“Hey…where’d you go?” You croon, grazing your nails from his chest to his quivering stomach, relishing the feeling of his warm, dewy skin beneath your fingertips.

The wrecked way he forces his eyes back open almost makes you fall apart. His fingers dig into the meat of your hips as a greater sense of urgency awakens between you. It’s in the way you speed up, both eager, desperate, chasing. He memorizes the way your body moves over top of his, the bouncy sway of your chest. 

“You look so pretty taking me like this,” he shudders. “My pretty girl.” 

“Eddie…” you coo, high and breathy. 

“I know, sweetheart,” he chokes out. “Wanna feel you come around me so bad.” He’s babbling now, “Shit, I’m not gonna last. I can’t take it anymore, angel...I can’t—” 

The earnest crack of his voice sends you tumbling over the edge, vision spotting. Pleasure radiates throughout every fiber of your being as your walls contract around him. He stills your hips with a firm hold, bucking upwards and coming undone in surging waves. You slide your hands down his abdomen to feel him flex with each strong jolt that wracks him. 

As your body begins to relax, you blink down at him, lips parted as you catch your breath. Eddie throws an arm over his face as he sucks in air, neck and chest flushed pink. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. 

Both of you shudder as you ease off him. The pleasant ache of loss pulses between your legs as you partially lay down on top of him, hooking a leg over his waist. He traces along your thigh in light, soothing passes. You can feel his chest rising and falling. 

“You okay?” he eventually murmurs.

You nod, kissing his shoulder. “You?”

“I think so,” he chuckles weakly. 

●・○・●・○・●

The afterglow brings a quiet stillness to the air. Clean and beneath the sheets, you study Eddie’s long lashes, his nose, his plush lips. He eventually cracks a self-conscious smile.  

“What?” he questions. You shake your head because you don’t know what to say. He doesn’t look like he believes you. “C’mon...” 

So, you think of something, a small truth you’re willing to give him, “I just really enjoyed spending time with you tonight.”

He hums, a mischievous glint flickering in his eyes. “What was your favorite part?” 

“Probably the food at Stillwater,” you say, though your fingertips are tracing along his jaw, then down his neck, trailing to his waistline to lightly brush between his hip bones as he squirms. “Best I’ve ever had,” you lilt. 

Eddie breaks into a flustered laugh, leaning over to sleepily kiss the coy smile from your lips. 

“But really, though,” you say afterward. “Thanks for tonight. Never met a guy quite like you.” 

Eddie realizes then that he’d better get a head start on counting his lucky stars. 

-

Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think.

PART ONE

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[sunbookie]

"I woke up early on my born day; I'm 20, it's a blessin' The essence of adolescence leaves my body, now I'm fresh and My physical frame is celebrated 'cause I made it One quarter through life, some godly-like thing created Got rhymes 365 days annual, plus some Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I pus from My skull, 'cause it's pain in my brain vein, money maintain Don't go against the grain, simple and plain

When I was young at this, I used to do my thing hard Robbin' foreigners, take they wallets, they jewels and rip they green cards Dipped to the projects, flashin' my quick cash And got my first piece of ass, smokin' blunts with hash Now it's all about cash in abundance Niggas I used to run with is rich or doin' years in the hundreds

I switched my motto; instead of sayin', "Fuck tomorrow!" That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back Time is illmatic, keep static like wool fabric Pack a 4-matic to crack your whole cabbage"....

-Nasir Bin Olu Dara, The Poet Laureate From Queens

Life's A Bitch, Illmatic, 1994

Legendary.

[maidflowery]

Fortified Wager ♧♧♧ 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 4

♦︎♦︎ Aventurine x Reader ♦︎♦︎ 𝕀𝕝𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕

🄱🄰🄲🄺 🅃🄾 【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ３】

𝕋𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗻. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘇𝘆 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱—𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗻? 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁. 𝗔 𝗳𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲.

╔══ ≪ ♢♤♢ ≫ ══╗

How much change could happen in a week?

Someone on a diet could probably lose 0.5–1 kg. Hair and fingernails could grow by about 0.1 inches. A tree could grow by about 3–6 inches. In short, not much.

Nothing could make a 180-degree turn in such a brief period, except a bean sprout.

However, stepping into Primavera that day proved how mistaken you were.

Upon arriving at the main dance floor, you were greeted by the person you neither expected nor wished to see.

“Good night, esteemed customer! I hope the day finds you well! Would you like to take a look at our menu? Better place your order now before our favorite gambler starts playing!”

Yes, it was Marius, the manager.

But instead of dead fish eyes and a scowl, he was smiling from ear to ear, welcoming you as if he hadn’t brawled with you over the menu last week.

Who are you and what have you done to Marius?

Also, you couldn’t help but notice that his hair wasn’t slicked back. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the place was more crowded and livelier than usual.

“I, uh... I have no money—I mean, I ate already... I-I’ll buy something later, probably... maybe...”

The drastic shift in tone creeped you out so much that you inadvertently fessed up on the spot.

“Doesn’t matter! Our impressive gambler will come out victorious! We both know that!”

Pretty sure that wasn’t what he said last week.

Then, as if he didn’t hear any of your words, Marius started flipping through the menu, directing your attention to a certain page.

“—We’d also like to bring a certain special offer to your attention.”

Ah, here it is.

As you stared at Marius, who showed a perfect manager's smile, you scoffed inside.

He’s still green.

Why would he bring up their hot deal to someone who was obviously penniless? Maybe he was new to this whole business thing. Probably got his current position from his family or something.

Well, letting him pitch the deal to you wouldn’t hurt. You decided to listen to him while thinking of some nice words to turn him down later. After all, no matter how good the offer was, you’d never—

“—We proudly call this the Golden Jackpot series. Pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it? A purchase of one of these desserts comes with a lotto ticket that may or may not allow you to meet and greet our favorite gambler!”

“...A WHAT?!”

For a split second, you swear you saw his grin widening.

If you were in his shoes, you’d be too, because you had massively piqued the curiosity of your customer.

“Yes. There are only 100 lotto tickets available at the moment. Worry not, even if you don’t obtain the ultimate prize, you might still get his photocards, complete with his autograph.”

...Where am I right now?

Did I accidentally stumble into an idol meet and greet?!

But then again, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Every week, you never failed to show up to watch his game. Your excuse of being there only for the freebies stopped being valid the moment you stayed late into the night just to see if he would win. You also researched and followed news about him from time to time.

You did all of this entirely on your own, without being asked, just because of his dashingly handsome look and his crazy luck.

Someone who had a strong interest and admiration towards someone else, while supporting and following him even though he didn’t even know you existed—what was that if not a fan?

There, you admitted it.

A fan of Aventurine, that was who you were.

Oblivious to the sudden and depressing epiphany you had reached, Marius went on.

“By the way, there is only 1 lotto ticket for the meet and greet, and 5 for the photocards. Currently, there are only 18 lotto tickets left. Three people have won the photocards, while the grand prize remains unclaimed.”

“Wait?! That fast?! Since when did you start selling them?!”

“Only today. The announcement was right there in our Winsta.”

“N-no way... 82 tickets are sold out already...”

That would explain why the place was bustling.

You glanced around, and sure enough, the crowd mostly consisted of young women. Stylish and attractively-dressed young women, some could be seen clutching glossy Bearkin bags.

Meanwhile, you went there as soon as your shift ended, so you were still wearing your uniform, along with your trusty, old waist bag. You couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.

Then, you looked at the menu.

True to their premium atmosphere, the desserts looked so exquisite, yet not over-the-top. Every single one of them had a gold accent to it.

...The price, though.

The price of a single, dainty-looking dessert was equivalent to that of an entire meal at a standard family restaurant.

M-maybe I can just wait until Aventurine wins the game... no, wait—

It was at that moment.

You looked up at Marius again. He was still maintaining his flawless smile. Except this time, you realized that it wasn’t the impeccable smile of a high-end nightclub manager, but The Devil.

—All of the tickets will be sold out by then!!

If you waited until Aventurine won the game, it’d be free. But would they still be available at that time? Most unlikely. But if you bought it now...

You recalled a snippet of conversation Marius had with the bartender, Teo.

“You’re being too harsh. Besides, we’re the ones who advertised free meals if Aventurine wins the game. Doing so and not making good on our words would be false advertising.”

“Tsk. Emphasize on the word ‘if.’”

Since Aventurine technically hadn’t won yet, you’d have to pay for it!

Dammit—! This guy’s good—!

You cursed inwardly while being in awe at the same time.

“First of all!” you said to Marius, “Did you forget that Aventurine brought in all these new customers for your nightclub?! He even paid for their tabs! Capitalizing on him despite all that is absolutely disgusting!”

“The man himself didn’t mind.” Marius nonchalantly replied.

“Doesn’t make it better! Seriously, whose idea is this?!”

“Mine.”

“You soulless, greedy bastard! I’m buying a Lucky Star Grape Pudding from the Golden Series! No, two!”

“Thank you for your purchase. We appreciate your business and hope you enjoy your meal!”

Marius triumphantly bent forward at the waist, his back straight and his arms at his sides. As he lowered his head, his navy side bangs fell to his face, revealing a purple mark on his left cheek, right beside his ear.

It was a bruise. It definitely wasn’t there last week. And from the deep shade of purple, it must’ve been recent.

You were taken aback.

“...That’s, uh, what’s with that?”

“!”

Marius jolted at your question. He didn’t need to follow the direction of your gaze to know what you were referring to. He immediately concealed the bruise with his hair.

“...”

Did someone punch him?

“Aha.”

You smirked. Was it because of an attitude problem?

“...Tsk.”

Marius clicked his tongue again, perhaps sensing your rude thoughts.

“...Your order will be out shortly.”

Having no reason to remain there, he turned on his heels.

“Wait!”

When you called out to him, Marius stopped walking, but made no attempt to face you.

You fished out something from your waist bag, before reaching out to him.

“...Here, please use this. It looks painful.”

Slowly, Marius turned around. His dark blue eyes landed on the kitty-themed Band-Aid in your hand, wordlessly staring at it.

“I-it happens to the best of us! I sometimes get hurt at work, too! That’s why I always bring some Band-Aids!”

Unable to withstand the awkward silence, you rambled on.

After a while, Marius accepted—or more like, snatched the Band-Aid. Then, he left, just like that.

Gee, not even a thank you?

🂡 🂠 🂣 🂠

“...I’ve been had.”

There were two fancy puddings and a wallet on the table in front of you. One intact, the other was half-eaten, and the last one deflated.

You sat there, also deflated, with two losing tickets.

Since there were 18 tickets with 1 ultimate prize and 2 photocards, the odds of drawing a winning ticket were 1 in 6. Yes, your luck sucked ass.

“There, there...”

Like usual, Celine sat next to you. She was trying to cheer you up for your loss.

“I can see why anyone would fall for it. That manager was so charming and bold in his delivery! He also knows the surefire way to the customer’s heart!”

...She was cheering you up, right?

“More like the customer’s wallet. Celine, are you siding with him right now?”

“M-most assuredly not! I was just impressed by his skill, that’s all... A-ahaha...”

Celine laughed awkwardly, obviously lying. Also, from the way she spoke about Marius, it seemed like she had been observing him for a long time?

Does Celine have a crush for that rude manager or something?

Now that you thought about it, they both had blue hair, although Celine's was brighter. Was it out of a sense of camaraderie or something?

Oh, well. You weren’t going to pry.

You turned to the two desserts in front of you, trying to avert your gaze from the reality that anytime now, a customer—most likely a woman—would snatch the ultimate prize and walk up toward Aventurine.

You stabbed the dainty golden fork into the grape pudding. The way it easily sunk into the silky, jiggly pudding, revealing the golden custard underneath, made you anticipate how it would taste in your mouth. Even more so when the honey and yogurt glacé topping started pooling inside the indentation you had made, coating the bite you had just scooped.

You gulped, then took a bite.

It’s so yummy—! So annoyingly yummy—!

The soft pudding melted in your mouth, the richness of the custard mixing with the sweet and sour grape, tied together by the creamy and thick glacé into a fantastic harmony.

Truly a flavor you’d never forget in a lifetime.

The only thing that was stopping you from licking the bowl clean was the fact that you were sitting beside someone as graceful as Celine.

With dishes this crazy delicious and expensive, they shouldn’t have the need to profit off Aventurine!

You glanced at your surroundings.

Many things have certainly changed since the first time you went there.

The most obvious one was that, besides the dance floor, there was also a crowd in the bar section eagerly watching Aventurine play. Actually, whether they came here—the main dance floor—to dance or to watch him play, you could no longer tell. And the size had only grown since the first day.

Especially after what had taken place recently.

Not really “recently,” as outside news reached the rural town slowly. But it was public knowledge now that Aventurine played a key role as an IPC personnel in reclaiming Penacony three weeks ago. And since this town had business ties with IPC, everyone received it favorably, boosting Aventurine’s popularity as a result.

Penacony was, FYI, a planet.

Aventurine garnered the spotlight after wagering his own life as easily as he would all his chips in poker to forge his way to victory.

When you almost died trying to solve a calculus problem in a study group, he and his team had conquered a whole planet.

It was certainly shocking news, but to you, it wasn’t all that unexpected.

From the moment you saw him, you knew something was different about him.

He had the air of someone who was destined for greatness. Now that it had become reality, everyone began to recognize him for who he was.

In the past, he was just a member of a clan everyone loved to discriminate against.

Now, he was a force to be reckoned with.

You and he came from two different worlds.

Even now, as much as you’d like to say that you were “watching Aventurine play,” you could only catch a glimpse of him from time to time because of the enormous crowd.

Try as you might, there was a boundary you couldn’t breach—a line you couldn’t cross.

“All this huge crowd came just to see him, huh? And the nightclub is trying to milk it for all it’s worth...”

You muttered to no one in particular.

Primavera? More like Primaventurine!

Even though they were trying to prevent him from winning in the beginning...

I guess when there’s profit to be made, the enemy of yesterday is friend of today...

You looked around again, playing "spot the differences" between your first visit and today.

Aventurine now had his own groupies and a crowd, all cheering for him to win. People were enjoying fine dining for free. You wouldn’t doubt that some were in dire straits—perhaps a broke college student struggling to get by or a homeless person without anything to eat. Happy, content staff members.

At a nearby table, a group of men were holding candles as they recited a prayer for a sacred mass. You even spotted a staff member among them.

Some of their murmurs reached you.

“...This is where our lord and savior, Aventurine, sat on his first day here.”

"Back then, I was dying of hunger when our Lord said, 'Everyone shall dine like a king,' and thus saved me."

“...We shall pray from the bottom of our hearts. May his game be blessed again tonight.”

“Ever since He graced us with his presence, the profit of our nightclub has tripled—no, quadrupled! Bless his soul!”

...Yep, let’s pretend I never saw that.

You decided while keeping a mental note to never, ever approach that one table.

Anyway, Aventurine was happy. The people were happy. The staff were happy. You were happy. Even the children were happy, running around...

...Wait, CHILDREN?

You did a double take.

A girl and a boy—seemingly a pair of twins—was running amidst the crowd.

WHAT ARE CHILDREN DOING IN A NIGHTCLUB?!

🂥 🂠 🂧 🂠

With some effort, you managed to get the twins to notice you.

As you beckoned to them, they approached you with a spring in their steps. The twins looked no older than elementary school kids, both sporting ginger hair. Their outfits were also drab-looking.

Why do they seem familiar...?

“Big Sis, do you need something?” “Need something?”

The boy grinned at you, revealing his missing front teeth, while the pig-tailed girl mimicked him.

The twins were anything but shy, alright.

At the same time, you were worried at how easily they approached a stranger.

...Or maybe, the children felt at ease with you? One of them even called you “Big Sis”! One of your previous jobs involved working with children, so perhaps the skill carried over?

“Hello there! You seem to be having a lot of fun!”

You asked them, trying to sound like the friendliest and most reassuring Big Sis in the world.

In response, the twins stared at each other and giggled.

“Yes, we are having fun!” “A LOT of fun!”

“Oh? Is that so? What have you been up to?”

Or more like, what have your parents been up to?

Deep down, you were angry. Where were their parents? Was this one of those cases where the parents abandoned their children to play at the casino?

Then, after whispering with his twin sister, the boy beckoned for you to come closer.

“Is this supposed to be a secret?”

Nod. Nod.

The boy nodded.

“Tell me all about it!”

You kneeled and offered your ear to him.

The boy eagerly whispered to you, as if he had been waiting to share it.

“Big Sis... This is a secret, but we just taught the Big Baddie a lesson!”

“We did it!”

After that, the two snickered mischievously, as if they had been suppressing their laughter for a while. The girl even started jumping on the spot.

Aah, they must be playing make-believe or something...

Feeling a bit foolish for expecting something, you decided to just cut straight to the chase.

“Big Sis is curious about something. Where are your parents?”

Upon hearing that, the twins stopped laughing.

“...Parents?”

They shared a look of confusion as they stared at each other, as if pondering the meaning behind the word itself.

Then, they finally turned to face you.

“We don’t have parents.” “...None.”

Are they saying they don’t come with their parents, or...?

“Huh...? No, wait. That can’t be right? How did you get here?”

“We walked!” “Yes, together!”

The more they answered, the more questions you ended up having.

Is this some kind of prank?

You stared into the two pairs of round almond eyes. They were too pure and innocent to be seen as children pulling a prank on an adult.

At the same time, you refused to believe that two young children walked all the way here in the middle of the night without any supervision. To a nightclub, of all places!

...Someone, please explain this situation to me!

“T-then, how will you get home??”

“With our brother!” “Yes, with Big Bro.”

You almost did a facepalm.

Of course. There are no parents because they came here with their brother!

“Where is your brother right now? He’s so irresponsible! How can he leave you guys alone?!”

However, your remark was met with protests from the children.

“My brother isn’t irresponsible!” “Big Bro is our hero!”

The two of them glared at you, obviously unhappy with what you just said.

Before you could apologize, however—

“—Jonah! Ann!”

A man could be seen running toward you and the kids in panic.

Huh?!

Wavy ginger hair tied in a ponytail. Crisp business vest and pristine white shirt, covered by an apron, as if the man had left his bartending duties in a hurry...

“Teo!?”

No wonder these kids look familiar!

When he arrived in front of you, Teo was visibly out of breath. You couldn’t help but notice that he was also terribly pale. The words of reproach you had in mind went completely forgotten, replaced by concern.

Said kids, however...

“Ah, there he is, the useless brother.” “Useless Bro.”

...Children are difficult to understand, don’t they?

🂡 🂠 🂣 🂠

Before scolding his younger siblings, Teo didn’t forget to thank you.

“Thank you for watching after them. We live nearby, so they would sometimes follow me to work—"

Thump!

“—Ouch! Hey, Jonah, I apologized already...”

“This is brother’s fault for being busy today!”

All of the sudden, the boy, Jonah, kicked Teo in the left shin.

Thump!

“Hey, Ann!”

“Your fault for forgetting our birthday!”

Then, the girl, Ann, followed suit and kicked Teo in the right shin.

...Maybe, it’d be more precise to say that he was being scolded by his younger siblings.

You just stood there, not sure what to do. Noticing your gaze, Teo laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

“So sorry about this... Again, I really appreciate what you did back then. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to them. Now, Jonah, Ann, be sure to thank this older sister properly!”

Despite seemingly sulking at their brother, the twins obediently heeded his words.

“You a friend of my brother?”

Jonah was the first to speak, sizing you up with his round eyes.

“Jonah!”

Teo seemed exasperated, but you shook your head at him, before smiling at Jonah.

“Yes, I am! Your brother is so dependable! He’s great at his job!”

Translation: He never fails to serve me my favorite drink, Lazuli Bells, every week!

“I know, right?! Nobody can make a drink as delicious as my brother!”

“The Lazurite Bells juice he makes is the best in the world!”

Your answer instantly brought a smile to not just Jonah’s face, but also Ann’s.

Hoh, these children know that flower, too...?

“I’d practice making Lazuli Bells at home, and these children love them, so...”

Teo clarified bashfully, avoiding your gaze.

Ooh, is that why he knew how to make the non-alcoholic version?

Again, how diligent and dedicated he was!

Then, the twins stood on either side of you.

“Older Sister, we like you.” “Big Sis, come to our birthday.”

They asked you with a smile, their round eyes sparkling.

Aww, they’re so cute...

“Now, now, you’re troubling the older sister. Besides, you haven’t thanked her.” Teo called out to his siblings.

At that, Jonah pouted again, puffing his cheeks.

“Hmph! This is our way of thanking her! It’ll be our treat!”

Meanwhile, Ann tugged at Teo’s sleeve.

“Big Bro, too. We’ll forgive you if you come home right now.”

“How are you going to treat her? Also, I can’t...”

“—But whyyy?!” Jonah started yelling.

“I still have some work to do. It won’t take long, I promise. After this, I’ll—”

“—It’s that Baldie, isn’t it?! Did he extort Big Bro again?!” Ann also screamed.

...Children are loud, aren’t they?

Also, for children their age to know the word “extort” ...

At the same time, you couldn’t help but notice it.

Ahh, that look again...

Teo had tensed up. His face was as white as a sheet, as if he had seen a ghost. Definitely not a normal reaction to children throwing a tantrum.

“Sshh, be quiet, now... We don’t want to attract attention...”

With wandering eyes and faltering voice, Teo tried to calm the twins down. Or was it himself?

The whole nightclub was so noisy that even if you screamed at the top of your lungs, no one would bat an eye. So, whose attention was he trying to avoid?

Oblivious to the drastic shift in their brother’s mood, the twins went on.

“Don’t worry, Brother! Look! With this, you don’t have to work so hard anymore!”

Saying that, Jonah fished something out of his pants pocket.

“... That’s...”

It must’ve taken everything Teo had just to squeeze that one word out. All color had drained from his face.

Not wanting to lose, Ann also revealed something that she had tucked in the front pocket of her dress.

“We taught that Big Baddie a lesson! He deserves it for everything he has done!”

That was probably the killing blow.

“Jonah, Ann... What have you done?”

Teo seemed about to collapse.

In response, the twins began to explain themselves.

“That Baldie doesn’t need it anyway! Despite losing repeatedly to that flashy-eyed brother, he kept telling his men to bring more money in suitcases!”

“Can you believe it?! Big Bro worked so hard to pay him! He’s so annoying, this will piss him off real good!!”

A black, crocodile-skin wallet with classy red velvet lining. A phone that could be considered “tiny” compared to today’s models yet bore a world-leading brand that anyone would recognize.

...And from the look on Teo’s face, they definitely weren’t supposed to be in the twins’ hands.

╚══════╝

🄾🄽🅆🄰🅁🄳 🅃🄾 【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ　５】

[yachtboy89]

(Number9Rado Radio)

https://linktr.ee/rado.radio

Dive into Rado’s raw journey of self-discovery with ‘Green Figures’—an anthem of resilience and self-empowerment. 🌟 #LottoAlbum”

Lotto 9-green figuresIn “Green Figures,” Rado delivers one of his most personal tracks to date, drawing from his own journey of self-discovery and resilience. This introspective anthem from the Lotto album reveals the artist's struggle to define his true self amidst the constant scrutiny and opinions of others. With raw honesty and empowering resolve, Rado declares, “Go ahead, keep watching. I’ve got this now.” Prepare for a musical experience that might just lead you to your own “green figures” of inspiration.

[mybiasisexo]

so im always thinking about exos next hairstyle, so here is my list of what i want the members to have their next comeback!!

minseok

firstly, it has to be SHORT! ive decided hes at his most powerful that way. tbh short and natural, like when he first came back from the military would put me in a coma! but i think he suits pastels so well. so id really like another pink or lavender look !!!!! ok but also he can keep it like it is now and do a billie elish with the roots a pastel color and the rest black!!!!!!!!! MINSEOK PLSSS the hoes need it!

suho

i already voiced my need for this. But long and blond!!! and im talking past his shoulder blades. a wheat shade with the frame pieces platinum!!!! he'd have to rock dangly earrings and denim jackets oooooh my gosh oh ym GOSh

yixing

there are 2 cuts i think suit him so well. i cant remember what its called, but its longer on the top, kind of a choppy style, not a complete buzz on the sides, but short nonetheless. that cut OR i think a wolfcut/mullet with shaved sides would be soooo good. with his natural color. tbh i dont want him to dye it....or black, but his natural color would eat. BUT MAKE THE TIPS SILVER/GRAY!!!! ooooh fuck that would EAT

baekhyun

RED!!! like a blood red/wine red. honestly... i want 161022 bbh back OKAYYYYY

chen

bring the blond curly hair back!!! NEOW!!!!! OR or a more golden brown. something that matches/brings out his eyes 🥺. but i def want it longer and curly thank you and goodnight!!!

chanyeol

copper. i want a burnt orange and perm that shit!!! chanyeol looks so goddamn precious with curls omgggg i just want to squish his cheeks and kiss his puckered lips whenever he has curls brooo. and idk why ive been yearning for his mama hair again. its been enough time, bring it back boo

kyungsoo

BLONDE!!! idc what shade and i dont care about the haircut. i just want it blonde. im tired of him playing with us. buy my silence Do Kyungsoo!!!! Bleach the damn locks 🤬👊🏾

kai

idc as long as i get to see him 😭😭 ok but i reaaaaally loved his peaches hair so much. and brown suits him so well. i want that hair back. maybe a more chocolatey color??? or something a bit more golden??? either way, just need him back

sehun

again....i just want him idrc what he looks like 😩. ok no. it needs to be short, think lotto era cut. and a dark green would suit him perfectly 😮‍💨

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

What's like. a good amount of apples to keep just in case if I'm too scared to use up all of them

I mean this in the nicest sweetest kindest way possible but why on gods green earth do you think I’d be the person to know this? Me, ms ‘infamous for using sq to restore ap so she can keep farming’???? I am not at all the average for apple storage

Uh, assuming I’ve read this right though you’re more wondering if it’s ok to not use them all up? That’s fine there’s no expiration on them. I thiiiiinnnkk most people generally end up with like 50-100 gold apples as a baseline saved amount with more of the bronze and silver unless they start really saving them for lottos

That being said, if you’re new it’s going to be harder to save them-especially right now because an unlimited lotto is exactly the time when you want to be using your apples! So don’t worry to much if you do use them all up now?

[clubwnderland]

⤷⋆⋆ 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝑼𝒑𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 ♡

Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year for me, sometimes I get summoned several times just because some kids found something on the internet and they want to try it. Hopefully nobody decides to do that tonight because I'm heading out and would actually like to do so without being summoned into some weird ass bedroom with 3 goth teenagers looking like they've won the lotto

The demon arrives at the forest, Halloween starting to get into full swing as the night starts and Johnny stares at the bracelet he wears, wondering how well it'll work. The witches spelled it for him, almost like a dampener, a way to keep him from being summoned at any moments notice. They said it won't last forever but it should at least give him a few hours before it loses its power.

"Hey~," he says when he finds Minsun in an outfit that he had left for her, "you look sexy."

"Are you wanting to have sex?" She tilts her head, hands on the button of her shirt while Johnny laughs, grabbing her hands and keeping her from undressing, "why are you stopping me? You never stopped me before."

It's funny how she processes things, how she interprets and understands the world they are in. Johnny just lowers her hands and leans forward to give her a kiss. "I'll take you up on that offer later sugar but right now, we actually have to go somewhere." He grins, running his hand through his soft locks and taking off his jacket, wrapping it over her shoulders. He had forgotten to get her more suitable clothing for winter since he's unsure whether she actually needs them or not but at least this way - he looks good for giving it up.

Minsun is still confused as Johnny takes her hand and teleports them out of her forest to the entrance of another that is within the city. He holds her hand, both to keep her close and because that's what you do on dates.

Not that either of them would call this a date.

He walks forward but halts when Minsun's hand tightens slightly, the tension clear on her face as she stares at the big neon sign at the forest. "It feels... strange." She says, hesitant to go deeper so Johnny moves them out of the way so he can talk to her.

"Trust me, okay?" Johnny says, voice softer than usual as he looks into her eyes and tries to get her to work with him. He knows that she'll be okay, that its the new introduction to an energy that she hasn't experienced before but he needs her to follow him. "We can take it slow, you'll be alright."

They make their way into the forest, her eyes widening as she sees all the lights in the trees, painting them in colours that aren't like their usual shades of greens. There are sounds, birds that are most certainly asleep, calling through the tree tops and making her whip her head in different directions like they are calling out to her.

Johnny keeps her close, tightening his hold on her hand so that she can't run off and touch things that she shouldn't be touching. "C'mon now sugar, what have I said about touching stuff that isn't ours?" Her fingers hover over a light that is casting a crimson red onto some white lilies.

"It feels..." there's a soft gasp as the colour changes to pink, "oh! It changed?"

"They do that, sugar, c'mon, you haven’t seen anything yet~.” He tugs gently so Minsun is pulled away from the light and brought deeper into forest.

When Johnny thought that Minsun would love the light displays, he didn't realise how much she would love it. It's like taking a child to one of these things with the way she needed to touch and inspect everything. There are displays hung in the trees and they would have to stand there and watch them until they had done a full rotation, if she heard songs coming from a different direction, Johnny is basically being dragged against the flow while she searches for it.

Somewhere along the way, they had been given a map that had all the displays and interactive exhibits throughout the forest and Minsun walks, looking at the paper in her hand while Johnny keeps her from walking into people.

"Sugar, head up. There's people here." He mutters as he pulls her out of the way of a couple walking towards them.

Channie and Jongin.

"Yo, you're here?" Jongin says, looking at Minsun with a furrowed brow, confused. "Is she okay?"

Minsun has the map upside down, tilting her head this way and that to try and read it and Johnny sighs, taking the map from her since he's sure they are heading in the right direction. "She's new to all of this."

"I want to see the butterflies."

Channie excitedly points in the direction they are heading, "there's a butterfly enclosure but there's also this firefly display. It sounds like you're deep in the forest and nobody is around!"

"This does not sound like the forest's heart." She says, not knowing what Channie means and the wolf blinks a few times before the other males give each other a glance.

"Well, we'll be off," Jongin waves and Johnny nods.

"Yeah, see ya." They awkwardly pull their partners away and Minsun looks at Johnny, wondering about the expression on his face because she's never seen it before. "Don't worry sugar, it was just unexpected, that's all." He says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and holding her close while they get closer to the butterflies.

The exhibit she had been most excited about since she saw the map.

The way her eyes light up at the sight of the butterflies makes it look like she's come alive despite the way she's been all night. The creatures flutter around the enclosure as Minsun holds out her hands and they come to rest in her palms.

"Look," she says, showing Johnny the butterflies before they fly out of her hands and around the enclosure again. "Aren't they beautiful?"

It's a moment, a fleeting moment that goes as quickly as it comes but he has a soft smile on his face as Minsun dances around the enclosure, butterflies sometimes coming to rest on her as she does before leaving again. She looks so free. He notices that whenever they are in the forest after being out in the city, so free and full of life and in that moment he knows that if anyone is to dare harm her - he would end them.

As he's thinking that, a slight tug comes from the back of his mind, indicating that someone is summoning him. He clicks his tongue softly, looking at the bracelet's glow ebbing as the magic goes dormant once more. "Fucking humans," he mutters before giving his attention to Minsun, who is in her own world.

Johnny doesn't want to rush the night, he doesn't want to ruin the fun they are having but he is also aware that he may be pulled away at any moment and he doesn't want to leave her alone.

"Sugar," he says, holding out his hand for her to come to him and waits until she does so. "How about I bring you back here again another time? There's people waiting to come in so we should share the butterflies with them, shouldn't we?"

Minsun notices the humans waiting outside, children with their face to the wire and watching the woman in awe. "They don't deserve them." She says and Johnny nods, agreeing but there's nothing much they can do about that right now.

"Next time," he leans close to whisper in her ear, a grin slowly spreading on his lips as he knows that she wouldn't say no to this. "We'll set them free, what do you say?"

"We can do that?" She asks before nodding her head along with Johnny. "I would like that."

Chuckling, he takes her hand and leads her towards the firefly display, "I know, sugar. Oh, do I know~."

🦋 @minsour-r

[johnnyrobish]

Trump Now Hawking $47 T-Shirts With a Fake, Photoshopped Mug Shot of Himself

It seems Donald Trump and his merry band of grifters have been working overtime, tirelessly trying to cash in on the former President’s indictment.  First, by having sycophants like Lindsey Graham and Rudy Giuliani hit the airwaves and beg MAGA followers to “Please send Donald Trump money!”  Now, after his arrest on 34 felony counts, the Trump money machine is now offering “Not Guilty T-Shirts” to those who make a $47 donation or more.  The tees sport an idyllic photoshopped mugshot pic of the former President.  Meanwhile, MAGA luminaries such as George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Greene showed up at the Manhattan Supreme Court to protest Trump’s arraignment, with Greene comparing Trump to Nelson Mandela and Jesus.

Soooo, it sounds like yet another grift is up and running.  Soon, we’ll have MAGA half-wits sending in all their beer, cigarette, and lotto money to this “billionaire.”  My, my, its Christmas in April.  Now, as far as the Jesus comparison goes, I don’t seem to recall Jesus ever telling his Disciples, “Now, go out and rough up protesters” and that He would “pay all their legal fees,” but what’ll I know?  I mean, where’s it read, “I bid thee, go forth and fuck up those damn Scribes and Pharisees.”  And, who knew that “The Passion of Christ” was all about nailing pornstars?  

The funny thing is, the folks showing up for these Trump rallies are some of the same folks who are really pissed about kids getting “participation trophies,” and yet they continue worshipping a dude who finished “second” in a friggin’ two-person political race.  Hell, I even read they’re claiming Trump is 6’5.”  Oh, hell yes!  Sure he is - if he’s standing on a pile of his indictments or on top of one of those boxes of classified documents he’s been hiding.

You know, Trump supporters love to claim he’s has accomplished more than any other President, and I have to admit they may be right.  After all, 34 felonies is one helluva lot of accomplishments, and it sure looks like there’ll be even more of these “accomplishments” coming down the pipe soon.  Why this has poor Fox News hosts popping Xanax like breath mints.  In all fairness, Trump did work hard to deregulate big corporations whilw he was president.  You know, like railroads and banking.  How’d that turn out?  Perhaps we should ask residents of East Palestine, Ohio, or investors in Silicon Valley Bank for that answer.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve just read, please consider joining me at:

[kyndaris]

City of Lights

VIVID is an annual event in Sydney that began all the way back in 2009. For years, famous landmarks around the central business district have been lit up from late-May to mid-June, pausing only briefly due to the pandemic. Always, there have been magnificent exhibits to wow the senses and tantalise those with a creative bent. And nearly every year I go. With friends or family. To see what wonders the artists have conjured up for the year.

Of late, though, VIVID has become more and more commercialised. Exhibits are hidden behind paywalls. What was once free before now requires a person to fork over a decent of money. And in this day and age, where people are struggling because of the rising cost of money, many might choose to forego VIVID altogether.

And while I might have gone into the city with a friend or two in June, Dikottir asked me out first. Initially, he thought a Saturday would suit, until I told him of the crowds and that I was available for a weeknight adventure.

It didn't take long for us to set a date and arrange to meet at Wynyard. Since this was something of a date, it seemed fitting we pay a little extra to enjoy one of the paid offerings at VIVID. And so, we purchased the tickets for Dark Spectrum, which would lead us into the old train tunnels underneath the fair city of Sydney.

Surprisingly, I managed to arrive before Dikottir. After waiting for a few minutes, he also arrived and we made our way to the entrance of the exhibit. As we headed down the staircase, we caught up on how our individual lives were going. Mine, as is almost always the case, was hardly interesting. A cycle of work and quiet weekends had crept back into my very organised and routine life. And while some would attribute finishing off a lengthy fantasy novel something to chat about, I've learned Dikottir isn't all too curious (given his sister writes poetry and has actually won a prize).

As of typing up this blog post, I'm trying to finish off a short story that has ballooned into a 20k behemoth.

To be fair, I'm trying to conjure up an ending that makes sense for the character. Fingers crossed it won't be all too much longer and I can finally start work on a project I want to see published.

Can you imagine, dear reader? Kyndaris, New York Times Best Seller!

I'm certainly not short of ideas for my stories, but it's setting the time out to execute the vision I have in my head that is difficult to manage. If only I could be a division one winner for the lotto. That'll certainly set me up.

Anyways, what was I saying?

Ah yes. Dark Spectrum! Well, suffice it to say, Dikottir and I headed down into the bowels of Wynyard train station, handed over our passes and were greeted by snippets of history of the old trams that ran underground. And then, before I knew it, I was bombarded by sound and flashing blue light. We had entered Misdirection portion of Dark Spectrum.

Through the confusing maze of blue arrows, we made our way to Search, an almost peaceful experience with its hanging lights. Through this ethereal tunnel, we emerged into Revel. An area that encouraged dancing and spruced up the tunnel segment with green lasers, but was also quick to utilise the darkness.

Dikottir, it must be said, was very much in his element. He might not have been the most elegant of dancers, but he certainly did let loose and didn't mind if he incurred the judgement of the others traversing the exhibit with us. I, on the other hand, was a little bit more reserved and guarded. But also, a little overwhelmed by all the sensory outputs.

It wasn't until we reached the next chamber that I felt a little calmer as the space was a little bigger and the music was more diffused. From the yellow chamber filled with all manner of code and binary numbers, we entered a tunnel filled with lanterns. And what a sight it was!

This had to be my favourite one of the chambers. Especially because of how photogenic it all was.

From the lanterns, we headed to a very angry red room with arches almost reminiscent of tori gates. Making our way through, we entered the very last chamber: filled with white light that broke out into mutli-coloured rainbows to represent how diverse white light truly is.

By the time we stepped out from Dark Spectrum, it was still quite early and the lights of VIVID has yet to be switched on. So, Dikottir and I traipsed to Circular Quay in search of food. As someone who is constantly craving Japanese, we tried out the DOPA located in Sydney Place before we headed to Customs House to see more of the pretty light show that has made Sydney such a great destination even during the winter months.

From Customs House, we made our way towards the Museum of Contemporary Art before we meandered our way through the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Along the way, I snapped photos of the Opera House and Dikottir purchased a huge slice of watermelon, topped up with some soft serve.

Once he had finished his monstrosity of a dessert, we rounded Dawes Point Reserve and headed down the wharfs. Where once the piers hosted a vast array of exhibits, this year, there was a marked absence of anything entertaining. I relayed all this to Dikottir. Multiple times.

So palpable was my disappointment.

And as we walked around Barangaroo Reserve, my disappointment only grew. There was hardly ANY exhibits around this section of the city except for an unimpressive arch.

Even in Barangaroo, the offerings were slim. Yes, there was Horizon but did I really want to head like moths to a flame in between two rows of container lines and stare at a big LED screen flashing orange? And while the ChairWave helped to rest my weary feet for a few minutes, it was hardly worth taking a photo of.

Down we walked, making our way towards Darling Harbour with nary anything exciting to divert my attention.

Even in Tumbalong Park and just outside the Chinese Garden of Friendship, the pickings were small. Where was the huge Swiss Cheese-like monument from yesteryear? Or the sheer amount of frogs? Or the other pretty lights hovering over the pools? What about the water show and dome that had sat in the middle of Darling Harbour?

No. 2024 had none of these options.

As we trudged up the Goods Line towards Central Station, there were a few other exhibits to see but nothing exactly worthwhile.

Much like our last 'date,' Dikottir offered me a hug. One I returned, still somewhat awkwardly. Despite the poor showing at VIVID, the date was still a good one.

But while I don't find Dikottir offensive, and I certainly consider him a friend at this point (he did make a few jokes that he feared I'd lead him down into a dark alleyway and steal his organs - how, I don't know. I don't think I've revealed my unhinged side to him just yet), I'm still questioning how far this might lead in terms of romance.

The thought of holding hands with him, or me showering him with displays of affection, gives me the creeps.

A romance straight from the movies, this is not. At best, it'll be a love forged from a strong foundation of friendship. But this, of course, does necessitate a lot of time and investment. And it might still not eventuate into anything.

Of course, all of this is during a time when I'm questioning my sexuality and gender preferences. I know I'm certainly on the asexual spectrum but I still haven't figured out who I might be willing to enter a romantic partnership/ companionship with.

In all honesty, the idea of simply finding a fellow roommate I can share an affordable apartment/ house with seems more up my alley. That way, neither of us are too lonely, and there's still someone around I can talk to.

If anything, travelling with bleachpanda to Japan this year has shown that I'm surprisingly adaptable in my living arrangements. Yes, she snored terribly but our friendship still held. And we were able to work around each other's normal routines without too much fuss.

Will the same thing pan out if I were to enter a proper relationship with Dikottir? But what if he wanted to do the deed?

At this stage, I can't say for sure I want to jump his bones. Or, heck, even kiss him on the lips, but small steps right? And if the idea still doesn't set butterflies off in my stomach down the line, I can, at least, I gave it the good ol' college try. And hey, maybe we can still be friends! Just, you know, without the benefits.

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Fancam Tag

Rules: Pick 5 songs you think would be used for fancam videos if your OC was canon and tag 5 people.

Thanks @instructionsnotincluded for the tag. Addie’s songs are below.

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? - Taylor Swift

“But my bare hands paved their paths, you don't get to tell me about 'sad.' If you wanted me dead, you should've just said”

Baby I’m Yours - Artic Monkeys

“And I'll be yours (yours) until the sun no longer shines. Yours (yours) until the poets run out of rhyme. In other words, until the end of time.”

Dancing Shoes - Green River Ordinance

“Spent all week waiting. Now my mind's on you. Hold my loving arms. My loving arms are for you.”

The Lotto - Ingrid Michaelson, AJR

“I keep it simple and not too bright. We'll take the quiet over the crowd. With empty pockets, we'll live out loud”

Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

“That's all they really want. Some fun. When the workin' day is done. Oh girls, they wanna have fun.”

No pressure tagging: @thedeviltohisangel @sagesolsticewrites @mercurygray @precious-little-scoundrel @footprintsinthesxnd

[salimaalmasry]

Join the Green Certificate Lottery Draw for an Eco-Friendly Adventure Now!

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The Green Certificate Lottery isn't just about winning prizes, it's about making a positive impact on the environment. By participating in this lottery, individuals not only stand a chance to win lucrative rewards but also support eco-friendly initiatives. It's a win-win situation where players can indulge in gaming while contributing to a sustainable future.

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Stay informed and engaged with the latest Bahrain lottery results today. With just a few clicks, players can access real-time updates on draw outcomes, ensuring they never miss a winning moment. Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, staying updated has never been easier.

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Gone are the days of traditional ticket purchasing methods. With Bahrain lottery ticket online purchase options readily available, players can secure their entries with ease. It's a seamless process that puts the power of gaming directly in the hands of the players.

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In Conclusion, the Green Certificate Lottery offers more than just a chance to win prizes—it's an opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment. Paired with the convenience and accessibility of Bahrain's online lottery scene, players can indulge in gaming while contributing to a sustainable future. Buy a Lottery Ticket Online and Chase Your Dreams at O! Millionaire!

[bookboxaddict]

Timeless Tales Advent Calendar Day 1!

On the first day of Christmas, Oswald gave to me…

..a Fae beanie!

Traditionally, the “Twelve Days of Christmas” referred to Christmas and the eleven days after Christmas, not before. In keeping with that tradition, I’m opening Owlcrate’s “12 days of Christmas” box starting on the 25th. There are 12 items inside, with one meant to be opened each day.

The presentation of the box is EXCELLENT. I love the fact that each item is individually wrapped, with a fancy little sticker indicating which day they’re meant to be opened on. They come in various shapes and sizes and it makes me SO curious. I also love that the box itself is much fancier than usual. The spoiler card has these extremely fun gold things that you can scratch off to see what each date’s gift is. I really like the green and gold color scheme, and the scratch-to-reveal reminds me of those lotto tickets you can get at grocery stores. Unfortunately the gold isn’t printed on perfectly, but that’s a very minor error.

Day 1 came in a slim box to the side, and was a knitted beanie with a sword design in front of it entwined with holly branches. I’m not sure which fandom specifically this comes from, but I don’t recognize it from the 1.5 ACoTaR books I read; so I do hope it’s from something else. Like a Holly Black book, or just a non-denominational Fae item. It’s actually very perfect, since it is now cold enough to need to wear some kind of knitwear or soft hood, and I couldn’t find my grey beanie anywhere. I’m not quite sure what to pair it with, clothing-wise — I don’t really have any black overcoats, and it looks odd with white — but it shouldn’t need to match too strictly. I do have a sweater that’s in almost the same shade of green, but not quite; hopefully if I wear them out on a cloudy day, no one will notice the discrepancy.

5/5 so far; hopefully the rest of the box stays strong!

[acosmiceducation]

Optical Illusions – They’re more than just fun

Can you agree with others?

In 2015 the internet became enamoured with “the dress”. This one:

Is it blue and black? Or white and gold? One group fiercely claimed the dress was blue and black and were seemingly unable to see how it could be interpreted as white and gold. The other half fiercely claimed the dress was white and gold, unable to see any blue and black in it whatsoever. Debate and discourse ensued. But who was right?

Can you agree with rationality?

Here is another illusion:

In this well-known illusion the viewer is instructed to focus on the colour/shade of the marked squares “A” and “B”. Believe it or not, they are in fact the exact same shade of grey but you will likely need to cover up the rest of the image to see it.  Here is an image that will help:

Here is an even more striking example:

Believe it or not the brown square in the middle of the top face of the Rubik’s Cube and the orange square in the middle of the front face that is in shadow are in fact the exact same colour. Again if you don’t believe me, cover up everything else in the image except for those two squares.

Even when you know the correct colours of the squares there is seemingly nothing you can do to see it the correct way when you look at the image with its full context.

Can you agree with yourself?

The third type of illusion I want to explore is one where it is possible to interpret it in multiple ways but never more than one way at a time. Take the famous “Brainstorm/Green Needle” audio illusion that became popular a few years back. Here is a link of it. Check it out for yourself and then come back here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXxV2C1ri2k&ab_channel=GuardianNews

Most people should be able to hear either “Brainstorm” or “Green Needle” and what you hear is entirely based on what you concentrate on prior to the sound playing. It is also very difficult or perhaps impossible to hear both phrases simultaneously.

What does this mean?

Many people, including perhaps yourself may claim to see the world objectively, or “you see the world as it is”. You might describe yourself as pragmatic, or rational. Before I eloquently burst your bubble, let’s come to some definition of what the “real” world really is. Defining it could be discussed at book-length, but for now I will say this:

The real world, for the purposes of this article, is the world in its raw physical form as described by the laws of physics. That is, a real image is the unique combination of photons that interact with said image. A real sound is the unique combination of air particles that vibrate in accordance to the vibrating object that stimulates them. This is to be taken as completely independent from human emotion, bias, interpretation and thought.

Every image our eyes take in is interpreted by our brains and (as far as I know) there is nothing we can do about that. It is therefore impossible for a human to see an object for how it truly is. To prove this, look no further than the illusions provided above.

Beau Lotto who studies illusions like this and gave a Ted Talk about them describes how our visual perception evolved to interpret the world in a way that was useful in the past, not how it actually is. It turns out it isn’t useful for our survival to see the world how it actually is. To show this, take another look at the Rubik’s Cube illusion and take note how your brain interprets colour it believes is in shadow compared to how it interprets colour it perceives to be directly illuminated. In reality, the colour reflecting off an object varies drastically compared to if it is in shadow vs in direct sunlight. 

Borrowing an example from neuroscientist Anil Seth, if you look at a blank white sheet of paper indoors it will look white to you. If you take the same sheet of paper outside under direct sunlight it will also look white to you. But if you took a picture of the paper in both situations and then held the photos next to each other you would see the papers as different colours. This concept is known as white-balancing and is something your brain does automatically. In fact, this is one solution for the dress debate that Seth describes. Different people have slightly different white-balancing mechanisms and it is possible that the image of the dress – given its colours and background – has reached a perfect sweet spot for one group of people to white-balance the image more than the other group of people such that they actually see a completely different set of colours inside their brains.

Allow me to suggest a potential reason why white-balancing in humans may have been useful in the past. If you are living as a hunter-gatherer in a band of 100 humans on the African savannah it would be very important for your survival to be able to quickly recognize the members of your tribe and distinguish them against other humans from rival tribes. Imagine you are conversing with your compatriot Adim, under the shade of a tree. If you both move into the sunlight you will of course still see that the person you are conversing with is your friend Adim. In reality the appearance of the colour of his skin will have changed dramatically as you moved from the shade to the sun, so much so that if you saw colour exactly as it is, you might even begin to doubt that the person under the sunlight is not the same person you saw in the shade. Even if there was a 0.1% chance that you got alarmed at the change in appearance of Adim you might mistake him for a member of a rival tribe increasing your likelihood of lashing out. There is no situation where that would be useful for survival so our evolution made it so your brain balances the light to view Adim as having the same skin colour regardless of his setting.

Another solution to the dress

Here is one study that attempted to explain the dress phenomenon: https://jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2617976

One of the arguments made in this study was that your chronotype (the time you prefer to go to bed) has an influence on what colours you see in the dress image. The study found that night owls – people who prefer to stay up late – are more likely to see the dress as black and blue. Vice versa morning larks – people who prefer to sleep and wake up early – are more likely to see the dress as white and gold. This is not a perfect correlation, there is plenty of overlap but it is an interesting explanation. 

The reason for this suggested by the paper is that people see the dress one way due to assumptions they are making about the lighting conditions in the image. Night owls tend to spend more of their time indoors under artificial lighting and so they’d assume that the dress is lit artificially (that is with light bulbs as opposed to the sun). Artificial light is quite orange/yellow in colour and so if you assume the dress is artificially lit your brain will filter out those colours to attempt to see the true colours of the dress, black and blue.

Alternatively, according to the paper morning larks will assume the dress is lit by the sun. Sunlight has a lot of blue in it so your brain will attempt to filter out the blue in the image to attempt to see the true colours of the dress, white and gold.

This is an interesting interpretation and I’d encourage you to read the full study yourself. The correlations are not completely convincing but perhaps are one reason to explain such a fascinating phenomenon.

You only hear what you want to hear

Have you ever been in a room filled with people with multiple conversations happening simultaneously? Parties are good examples here. Heard from a distance they can sound like gibberish, but if you are in the party it is possible to listen and focus on just one conversation. It is also possible to switch your focus to a completely different conversation. It is also nearly impossible to focus on and make sense of both conversations at the same time. Our brain seems to have a built-in mechanism for selective listening. This is a great tool in situations such as parties, otherwise you might be faced with an overwhelming wall of noise unable to understand what anyone is saying unless everyone else shuts up. The Brainstorm/Green Needle audio illusion is a more controlled version of this phenomenon. 

This proves that you can literally hear what you choose to hear. But can this concept be taken further? How many times have you been in conversation with someone only to zone out part way and only hear a portion of the words they said? Or how about hearing all the words someone said but interpreting it differently from them? That is a fascinating concept to explore altogether which I will touch on more below. For now, the fact that two people can be presented with not just the same image, but also the same sound and lead to completely different conclusions just further emphasizes that you don’t see the world for “how it is”. You begin to realize that the world is constructed in your mind.

We evolved to interpret the world in a way that was useful in the past, not how it actually is

That fact, (stated above) implies one of the most profound aspects of being human. That is, an insight that is not obvious to most people, yet proven by the illusions shown above, and has numerous implications in many other areas of life. To me, the first obvious other area is politics. It is no wonder we can’t agree on simple political notions when we live in a world where two groups of people can’t even agree on the colour of a dress. Even when presented with identical information different people interpret the information in different ways. Add in the fact that on debates like climate change, abortion, and universal health care people on all sides can choose to ignore certain pieces of information, it is no wonder we can’t seem to collectively come to agreements on these issues.

We all see the world slightly differently

Some of us see black and blue, some see white and gold. Going further, people have different tolerances for temperature, conflict, cognitive capacity, levels of empathy, physical strength, and past traumas. People live in different parts of the world, have different educations, have different spiritual beliefs, among countless more dimensions of uniqueness. All these things combined makes every human unique and in turn, means that every human sees the world differently.

Semantics, word meanings, is the first level you need to agree on if you are conversing with someone. Let’s take a crude example. Here are a bunch of images of chairs or things resembling chairs:

Which ones of these are chairs and which ones are not? The red one? Most people would agree it is a chair.  What about the one next to it? It doesn’t have a back. Does a char need to have a back? What about the one made out of grass? It has a back but it is not made of “traditional” chair materials and is not easily moveable. What about the turquoise one (middle left). Is it too wide to be a chair? Does that make it a sofa? How wide does something need to be before it is no longer considered a char and is a sofa instead? The facetious (or realists) among you may say none of them are chairs, they’re only pictures.

Do any of these questions have clear answers? Most importantly, a group of individuals will certainly not agree on all the answers. In a similar fashion to the disagreement about the dress, our different physiologies and life experiences will cause us to have different definitions of seemingly trivial everyday objects such as chairs. And most of the time, we aren’t aware of this. We are not aware that we have different definitions of what a chair is compared to others, but perhaps even more importantly we are likely unaware that our own definition of what a chair is not well-defined. You might say, “I just know a chair when I see one”, well what about the examples I shared above. Why do you consider some of them chairs and not others? What if someone else who claims to be as logical as you comes up with different answers. Is one of you delusional? Are you both delusional? Is your definition of what a chair is really based on rigid logic, or is it based on feelings, on emotions? 

I’m not suggesting that not having a precise definition of a chair is inherently a bad thing in all circumstances but in extreme situations such as debating big decisions that will affect the future of humanity, if you are unaware that you define words differently from your opponents or collaborators then how effective are you going to be at decision making? The young people of today are one day going to be making big decisions that affect the future of the billions of humans on Earth, the trillions of non-human animals and how we take them into the future. If we are to create a future that addresses the biggest concerns we face today such as climate change, wealth disparity, animal and human suffering, and averting nuclear destruction we need to teach the children (and adults) of today that on a fundamental level, any two people do not see the world in the same way. And what better medium to introduce that concept than optical and audio illusions? 

A new meaning for humility

The world has proven – as with the dress – that even when given the exact same information we are led to completely different solutions, even when the solutions are trivial. That fact calls for a new emphasis on humility when it comes to worldview and opinions in general. I know how easy it is to get hot-headed and annoyed at people who don’t see the world the way you do. I feel that I am right and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is wrong. So many people are delusional it seems. But as the dress and other optical illusions show, humility is the only response to approach conflict with others that will lead to the most peace and love in the world. That is not to say that 100% of worldviews should be tolerated. If someone’s worldview is one that involves violence or oppression, I’d say it is valid to move beyond humility and attempt to cease the violence. But again, that is just my interpretation of the world. At the same time, don’t assume there is such a thing as objective good and evil. Every villain is the hero of their own story. I’m starting to get into the realm of moral relativism which is an adjacent and equally fascinating topic. But that will be explored another time. For now just don’t assume that you have it all figured out.

Thank you for reading! Go to my site for more! https://acosmiceducation.com

[scoutlxiroth]

location: the conrad masquerade ball, at the bar closed: @bencolas

"Thank youuu," she said to the bartender, her voice gone sing-song and the corners of her lips hitched higher, in direct opposition to her eyelids which fell heavy. Did she need the two green tea shots she'd just ordered? No, not necessarily. But sad or dark, morbib, whatever you wanted to call this shindig, it was still at its core a party. And parties called for shots. Exactly why she'd taken the one and slid it harshly to her right, nudging the muscled body. "Congratulations, you've won the free shot lotto." Scout twisted in towards him— a him that she now recognized as Ben— her body situating itself close to his side as her head lulled, half intoxicated and half in query. "Cash in with a clink and a cheers in the next thirty seconds. Times a ticking."

[automatismoateo]

This was given to me about 15 years ago.....I've never seen it anywhere else via /r/atheism

This was given to me about 15 years ago.....I've never seen it anywhere else

This morning, there was a knock at my door. When I answered the door, I found a well-groomed, nicely dressed couple.

The man spoke first: "Hi! I'm John, and this is Mary." Mary: "Hi! We're here to invite you to come kiss Hank's ass with us."

Me: "Pardon me?! What are you talking about? Who's Hank, and why would I want to kiss his ass?"

John: "If you kiss Hank's ass, he'll give you a million dollars; and if you don't, he'll kick the shit out of you."

Me: "What? Is this some sort of bizarre mob shake-down?"

John: "Hank is a billionaire philanthropist. Hank built this town. Hank owns this town. He can do whatever he wants, and what he wants is to give you a million dollars, but he can't until you kiss his ass."

Me: "That doesn't make any sense. Why..."

Mary: "Who are you to question Hank's gift? Don't you want a million dollars? Isn't it worth a little kiss on the ass?"

Me: "Well, maybe, if it's legit, but..."

John: "Then come kiss Hank's ass with us."

Me: "Do you kiss Hank's ass often?" Mary: "Oh, yes, all the time..."

Me: "And has he given you a million dollars?"

John: "Well, no, you don't actually get the money until you leave town."

Me: "So why don't you just leave town now?"

Mary: "You can't leave until Hank tells you to, or you don't get the money, and he kicks the shit out of you."

Me: "Do you know anyone who kissed Hank's ass, left town, and got the million dollars?"

John: "My mother kissed Hank's ass for years. She left town last year, and I'm sure she got the money."

Me: "Haven't you talked to her since then?"

John: "Of course not, Hank doesn't allow it."

Me: "So what makes you think he'll actually give you the money if you've never talked to anyone who got the money?"

Mary: "Well, he gives you a little bit before you leave. Maybe you'll get a raise, maybe you'll win a small lotto, maybe you'll just find a twenty dollar bill on the street."

Me: "What's that got to do with Hank?

John: "Hank has certain 'connections.'"

Me: "I'm sorry, but this sounds like some sort of bizarre con game."

John: "But it's a million dollars, can you really take the chance? And remember, if you don't kiss Hank's ass he'll kick the shit of you."

Me: "Maybe if I could see Hank, talk to him, get the details straight from him..."

Mary: "No one sees Hank, no one talks to Hank."

Me: "Then how do you kiss his ass?"

John: "Sometimes we just blow him a kiss and think of his ass. Other times, we kiss Karl's ass, and he passes it on."

Me: "Who's Karl?" Mary: "A friend of ours. He's the one who taught us all about kissing Hank's ass. All we had to do was take him out to dinner a few times."

Me: "And you just took his word for it when he said there was a Hank, that Hank wanted you to kiss his ass, and that Hank would reward you?"

John: "Oh no! Karl's got a letter Hank sent him years ago explaining the whole thing. Here's a copy; see for yourself."

John handed me a photocopy of a handwritten memo on From the desk of Karl letterhead.

From the desk of Karl

Kiss Hank's ass and He'll give you a million dollars when you leave town.

Use alcohol in moderation.

Kick the shit out of people who aren't like you.

Eat right.

Hank dictated this list Himself.

The moon is made of green cheese.

Everything Hank says is right.

Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

Don't use alcohol.

Eat your wieners on buns, no condiments.

Kiss Hank's ass or He'll kick the shit out of you.

Me: "This appears to be written on Karl's letterhead."

Mary: "Hank didn't have any paper."

Me: "I have a hunch that if we checked, we'd find this is actually Karl's handwriting."

John: "Of course, Hank dictated it."

Me: "I thought you said no one gets to see Hank?"

Mary: "Not now, but years ago, he would talk to some people."

Me: "I thought you said he was a philanthropist. What sort of philanthropist kicks the shit out of people just because they're different?"

Mary: "It's what Hank wants, and Hank's always right."

Me: "How do you figure that?"

Mary: "Item 7 says, 'Everything Hanks says is right.' That's good enough for me!"

Me: "Maybe your friend Karl just made the whole thing up."

John: "No way! Item 5 says, 'Hank dictated this list himself.' Besides, item 2 says, 'Use alcohol in moderation,' item 4 says, 'Eat right,' and item 8 says, 'Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.' Everyone knows those things are right, so the rest must be true, too."

Me: "But 9 says, 'Don't Drink,' which doesn't quite go with item 2, and 6 says, 'The moon is made of green cheese,' which is just plain wrong."

John: "There's no contradiction between 9 and 2, 9 just clarifies 2. As far as 6 goes, you've never been to the moon, so you can't say for sure."

Me: "Scientists have pretty firmly established that the moon is made of rock...."

Mary: "But they don't know if the rock came from the Earth, or from out of space, so it could just as easily be green cheese."

Me: "I'm not really an expert, but I think the theory that the moon came from the Earth has been discounted. Besides, not knowing where the rock came from doesn't make it cheese."

John: "Aha! You just admitted that scientists make mistakes, but we know Hank is always right!"

Me: "We do?" Mary: "Of course we do, Item 5 says so."

Me: "You're saying Hank's always right because the list says so. The list is right because Hank dictated it, and we know that Hank dictated it because the list says so. That's circular logic, no different than saying, 'Hank's right because he says he's right.'"

John: "Now you're getting it! It's so rewarding to see someone come around to Hank's way of thinking."

Me: "But.... oh, never mind. What's the deal with wieners?"

Mary blushes.

John says: "Wieners, in buns, no condiments. It's Hank's way. Anything else is wrong."

Me: "What if I don't have a bun?"

John: "No bun, no wiener. A wiener without a bun is wrong."

Me: "No relish? No Mustard?"

Mary looks positively stricken.

John shouts: "There's no need for such language! Condiments of any kind are wrong!"

Me: "So a big pile of sauerkraut with some wieners chopped up in it would be out of the question?"

Mary sticks her fingers in her ears: "I am not listening to this. La la la la la la la la la la la la."

John: "That's disgusting. Only some sort of evil deviant would eat that...."

Me: "It's good! I eat it all the time."

Mary faints.

John catches her: "Well, if I'd known you were one of those, I wouldn't have wasted my time. When Hank kicks the shit out of you, I'll be there, counting my money and laughing. I'll kiss Hank's ass for you, you bunless cut-wienered kraut-eater."

With this, John dragged Mary to their waiting car and sped off.

Submitted July 07, 2023 at 12:48AM by 3stackshs (From Reddit https://ift.tt/aLQtXm4)

[profmusa94]

+27686806413 Lotto Spell Caster in Johannesburg

Lotto Spell Caster. Lottery Spells are very simple spells that can help you with lottery or gambling. Lottery spells are basically good luck spells to help you win some money with lottery tickets. Games of chance are tricky, so don’t expect tons of riches this way. Lottery spells as from the name have to be with earning money in a short period of time by winning the lottery, gambling etc. And now, with the recession and financial troubles everywhere, there are many who would not mind trying their luck with the lottery and winning good money. Winning is not only luck, it is all about your positive energy and how you can use positive energy from the universe to change your bad luck to good luck and earning lots of money.

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Get the most powerful lottery spells 2021; you will need to find a spell caster who is highly experienced in helping people cast spells. However, no matter who you work with, you will need to realize that lotto spells require your full attention. This is because the stakes are very high. If winning the lotto was easy, everyone would have won it already. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible because people win the lotto every week.

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For the Lotto Spell, you will need

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Any good lottery spells caster will tell you that it’s imperative to visualize your desired result. When you create a picture of what you want, you tell the universe precisely what you need. Many people make the visualization clear by finding pictures of the things they desire and putting them on a vision board. You should then place the vision board in a place where you can see it every day. By doing this, you are embedding the picture in your mind. When you visualize, try to be as clear as possible about what you want. For instance, you should be clear about the amount that you want to win. If you just say that you want to win the lotto and leave it there, don’t be surprised when you win an amount that’s not enough to buy you a meal at the local restaurant.

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