#Military Sleeping Bag Market

[leonstoenailunderhisbed]

Leon’s the type of guy…

Leon’s the type of guy to have hair ties in case you need one

“Ugh, my hair’s in the way,” you’d say. Leon would then pull a hair tie from his wrist and give it to you, “Here.”

Leon’s the type of guy that would carry your bags for you when you two go out shopping

“Y/n, is all of this necessary? I mean, you already have a lot of clothes,” he says as his knuckles turn white from holding your bags. You pulled him to another store, “You don’t understand the drip.”

Leon’s the type of guy who would wake up scared from the lightning of a thunderstorm because it reminded him of his battles and fights.

Leon woke up sweaty and panting after a loud lightning strike echoed through the room. He face dripped with sweat and you stirred awake, “Leon?” You whispered with a sleepy tone. Leon would then turn to you and shush you back to sleep, “It’s nothing, baby, go back to sleep,” he’d whisper but you were already waking up anyway. Your hand reached over to Leon’s back and you gently massaged his tense muscles. There was a moment of silence before he eventually spoke up in a scared tone, “I thought I was back out there,” he whispered. He looked at you with tired eyes and spoke with a trembling tone, “I can’t keep living like this,” your eyes grew sad at his words and you quickly embraced him in a tight, comforting hug.

Leon’s the type guy who’d buy you something because it reminded him of you.

“Hey, I got you this. It reminded me of you,” he says as he handed you a strawberry squishmellow. You raised a brow and took it, “I remind you of a strawberry?” He grinned and nodded, “Because you get red after we kiss.”

Leon’s the type of guy who would say no to going out but when you drag him somewhere, he feels so giddy inside

“No. I don’t want to go,” he says with a frown. “Oh come on, please?” You fluttered your eyelashes at him. Leon sighs begrudgingly and lets you take him somewhere. But when you basically kept dragging him around the festival market, he has to bite down his smile tugging at his lips. He wouldn’t admit it, but Leon likes how assertive you are when it comes to going out.

Leon’s the type of guy who would not trust you with the stove after you burnt yourself boiling water

“How the fuck did you even managed to hurt yourself?” He asks as he rubs burning cream on your palm. You shrugged and spoke nonchalantly, “I dunno.” Leon looked at you mildly surprised and also worried, “How are you still alive?”

Leon’s the type of guy that definitely sleeps on his stomach. The man practically takes up the whole space too. He’d have his hands under his pillow as his legs basically occupied your side of the bed. He would also accidentally kick you.

You were so close to falling off the edge of the bed because of Leon’s sleeping position. You grumbled bitterly as you basically pushed him closer to his side but he didn’t budge. That man was heavy, especially since he’s so deep into his sleep that his body basically mushed down.

Leon’s the type of guy that definitely felt like he was better than the military guys back in Fort Hood or Fort whatever. He wouldn’t participate physically but emotionally he would think that the base he trained in was better than the other places.

As Leon stood straight along the other men during their training session. He felt a surge of pride in himself when he overheard some guys talking about another base basically being known as the pussies of the military world. The end of his lips would curve up very slightly. But soon everything died down as the sergeant began to yell for formation.

Leon’s the type of guy that unironically would participate in a Uno or Bingo game. He’s strategic, he’d definitely win a few Uno rounds- even against you.

“Uno out,” he called out as he placed the last card. Your eyes widened and you scoffed in disbelief, “What!? That’s so not fair!” Leon chuckled and leaned back against his chair with a smug smirk, “Can’t outdo me, sweetheart. This brain’s too smart,” he tapped his finger against his skull. Leon, being the asshole that he could be sometimes, stacked two +4 on you and won. You gave him the side-eye and put the cards together for another round.

[midnightarcheress]

woke up wanting to write something with my pretty boy kyle and this was born.

cw: nsfw. f!reader. gaz obsessing over the pretty college girl by his side. implied future stalking ig? unedited. part one | part two

someone catches Kyle’s attention on the plane.

his legs are on the verge of cramping and his breath is ragged, running to board his connection flight at the last call. after falling off a helicopter twice in the last operations, he developed an uneasiness of flying, no matter the aircraft, preferring taking the train over being miles up in the air, even if it triples the travel. but this time, he just wanted to get home the fastest way possible for a much-needed night of sleep in his own bed, instead of the barely cushioned military-issued mattress.

he hopped on the plane and made his way through the corridor, gaze fixed on the numbers under the luggage rack, attentively looking for his spot. he stopped by row thirteen, eyes darting between the number and the woman on the window seat. i could’ve sworn i marked that one when i booked? Kyle checks the boarding ticket again – row 13, seat A. it’s the right seat, why is there someone on it? 

an annoyed sigh escapes his lips, gathering the energy to speak up and reclaim his rightfully bought seat. the problem is, he gets ultimately struck when the seat-thief notices him standing and turns to face him. wide eyes meet his brown ones, immediately softening at the sight of your tempting glossy lips and delicate fingers pushing a lock of hair behind your ear. pretty little thing.

“i’m sorry, is this your seat? it was empty on the first flight,” you say, an apologetic tone in your voice as you frantically close the book on your lap and shove it in a bag, “i’ll move back for you–”

“it’s alright, keep it.” he interrupts, throwing his carry-on in the rack and taking the empty middle spot beside you. he smirks at your appreciative nod and watches you settling again on the backrest, buckling the seatbelt at the shining signal hovering your heads and paying extra attention to the flight attendant announcements, even when no one around seems to care. sweet girl, so considerate to everyone.

the plane starts speeding on the runway, and from his peripheral he views your squeezed eyes and nearly white fingers gripping the armrest, breathing quickening during the gravity push of the take off. it takes a moment for you to release your tight grasp and exhale, making his hand twitch with an urge to soothe you, tell you that you’re safe.

he shakes the sensation and leans his head back, focusing on the one thing he can do to pass the time – sleep. but he can’t keep his gaze out of you, glancing to his left whenever you make a movement, no matter how small. the rapid keyboard tapping guides his irises to your laptop screen, catching a few words in a sea of what for him sounds like an alien language. DNA strand? allele? locus mutation?

he sneaks a look through your figure and his eyes land on the familiar blue logo on your hoodie, the same one he always sees on the walk from the market to his flat. uni a couple blocks from me. do you live on campus? or nearby? that neighborhood is awful at night, full of old blokes searching the pubs for a quick fuck with a naive college girl. but you seem smart, not the type to fall for their tricks, right?

the harder he tries to avoid your presence, the more you make yourself known, almost making him feel like it’s on purpose. the way your plump lips wrap on the water bottle, slight drop scaping on the corner and trailing down your neck, your flowery perfume filling his nostrils when you shift on your seat to remove the top layer of your clothing, exposing the low-cut blouse underneath and the soft roundness of your tits. is that for me, sweet girl? need a break from studying so hard? the sudden tightness of his trousers brings him back to his senses, stirring the thought out of his brain. 

keep it cool, Garrick, he repeats over and over in his mind, ignoring the tent forming on his lap and praying to whatever god is out there that you won’t see it, even while standing up and brushing your legs on his knees to get to the corridor due the cramped space. however, he doesn’t miss how the guy by his side shamelessly ogles your cleavage when you step past him, making his blood boil and his fists clench – like he wasn’t doing the same exact thing minutes before.

while you're away, he glances at your screen again, noticing the constant message notifications from the contact ‘Marcus - DO NOT ANSWER’. already looking bad for you, mate. curiosity takes hold of him and he starts reading the texts, silently chuckling at the guy’s pathetic attempts to get your attention. what did he do to earn a cold shoulder, sweetheart? did he hurt you? didn’t he pay enough attention to you? i bet he couldn’t even fuck you the way you deserve. 

he keeps skimming the messages until the grin tugging on the corners of his mouth fades into a frown when he reads ‘you’re gonna regret leaving me’. now, who’s this prick? think you’ll get away with threatening my girl?

his body stiffens when you come back, eyes darting back to the small telly in front of him when your hand brushes on his thigh while sitting once again. he hears your irritated huff when you skim through the messages, shutting the laptop with near violence. i can take care of him for you, love. you won’t have to deal with that by yourself anymore. 

the pilot’s muffled voice coming through the speakers and announcing the landing shortens his daydreams about getting rid of Marcus. it would be a great way to keep himself busy while on leave, making sure to do it fast and secretly, of course, just to protect his sweet little thing. poor guy wouldn’t even know what hit him.

the pressure change on his ear is the telltale sign of the aircraft lowering its altitude, landing gear out to hit the lane and brake the machine. he turns to the side, watching again your knitted eyebrows and how your nails dig into the seat. this time he doesn’t contain himself and his hand gently lingers over yours, the softness of it sending lightning strikes over his body and almost making him cum instantly. 

your glinting eyes find his face with a grateful gaze, lips mouthing a sugary thank you when the plane finally stops. he helps you take your handbag out of the rack with ease, using the situation to flaunt his muscles. i can even pick you up, darling. would love to feel your pretty thighs around my waist. you wouldn’t have to walk a day in your life. 

his eyes follow the sway of your hips through the airport, heart almost bursting when you wave goodbye and flash him a timid smile. you think that’s the last time you’ll see him, he thinks this is just the beginning. a name and university? he’s used to finding people with even less information. see you soon, sweet girl.

[aphroditelovesu]

The Lost Queen - I

— summary: You woke up near a military camp without remembering how and why you got there, you didn’t understand why they were dressed like ancient Greeks, all you knew was that you weren’t safe and you needed to get out of that place as soon as possible. Too bad for you that you found yourself attracting unwanted attention from the Macedonian King and he won’t let you go so easily.

— genre: yandere, dark!au.

— warnings: time travel, obsessive and possessive behavior, murder, mention of torture, kidnapping, angst, fluffy (very rarely), dub-con, possibly smut.

— pairing: yandere!alexander the great x female!reader, yandere!generals x female!reader

— word count: +1,592.

— tag list: @devils-blackrose, @faerykingdom , @hadesnewpersephone

— the lost queen series masterlist.

Chapter 1

''This is so annoying.''

You looked up only to find your friend glaring at you angrily. You cleared your throat and asked her, ''What's so annoying?''

''All of this!'' She snarled, pointed at the history books on the table. You were in the library, studying about Alexander the Great at the request of your history teacher. Your friend complained, she hated history class and the teacher. You didn't hate the classes, but you didn't like Mr. Sheffield. He was so arrogant and brazen. You were sure he was getting involved with a student, but you had no proof.

Yet.

''I know you're angry but there's no need to take it out on the poor books, May.'' You scolded her and picked up the book she had nearly torn up in her anger. ''Besides, if you screw up this book, you'll have to buy another one.''

''I don't care about that book!'' May snarled and pulled your hands towards her, ''(Y/N), please tell me that you found something rotten about Mr. Sheffield to get rid of him for good?''

You rolled your eyes. Had this. You've kind of become a spy in the meantime, trying to find something about your terrible history teacher and get rid of him. It wasn't ethical, you knew, but you'd do anything to get rid of that bastard. You already had noticed him looking at your legs shamelessly when you wore a skirt or shorts.

''I'm looking for. It's not that easy, you know? I'm not a professional spy.'' You grumbled and went back to your reading. You were reading about the Battle of Issus and its importance in the conquest of the Persian Empire.

May mumbled something unintelligible and you patted her neck comfortingly.

''Here, can we continue our reading, please? We have a work about this topic and I want the highest grade.''

''You're such a nerd, (N/N).'' You and her both laughed and she went back to trying to focus on the open book in front of her. Each was reading about different battles to get the job done faster. As you read about the Battle of Issus, May read about  the Granicus.

You breathed a sigh of relief when you finally removed your sneakers and could lie down on your bed. The day was long and exhausting and you just wanted to be able to sleep until you became one with your bed.

But unfortunately you couldn't. You had to go to the market at your mother's request to buy some vegetables. The thought made you more tired but you were a good daughter and for that, just for that, you got up and went to the bathroom for a much needed shower, as you had been sweating all day due to the infernal heat it was doing.

''Ugh.'' You grumbled after getting out of the shower. You had taken a little longer than you normally would, but you felt so tired and the hot water helped to relax your sore muscles. It was a shame you couldn't just fall asleep

You dried your body and put on some comfortable clothes and put your sneakers back on. You took your phone and your headphones, putting some upbeat music on Spotify and put your phone inside the small bag that had the money to buy the vegetables at the market. As soon as you left the house, you closed the door and started walking towards your destiny.

The music was the only thing that enveloped you and you didn't notice someone calling you until they grabbed your shoulders, startling you.

''What the hell?'' You mumbled and looked at whoever had stopped you. You frowned as you didn't know the older man who glared at you sinisterly.

You felt disturbed by the man's piercing gaze on you, ''Hm... Hi?''

He didn't answer you and continued to watch you intently. This was getting creepy and bizarre.

''Uh... Since you're not going to say anything, I... I'll go...'' You were about to put your earphone back on, when he grabbed your right arm. ''Let me go, now.''

He glared at you and let go of your arm slowly, you pulled your arm back when he let go. He spoke, in a low voice but you heard it loud and clear: ''The shadows of fate surround you... The world will never be the same for you, girl.''

''What?'' You asked but he looked at you for the last time, smiled weakly and turned his back, leaving you standing on the sidewalk and thinking about the man's sinister words. ''Must be just another crazy dude...'' You shook your head and decided to continue going to the market.

You ignored the squeezing of your heart inside your chest, ignored the feeling that something was wrong. And that was your first biggest mistake.

You left the market with bags in your hand, still thinking about the mysterious man's words. What was it? Why was this bothering you so much? And why did you feel a tightness in your heart as if something was wrong? You shrugged, deciding to ignore it all and go home as soon as possible, but first you had one last place to go. At a bookstore, you wanted to buy a new book that you heard had arrived and you felt very anxious about reading it. As if you have to read it.

You smiled brightly when you arrived at the store, opening the door to find hundreds of books. You put away the bags you were holding and headed to the history book section. For some reason, ever since you've read about the Battle of Issus, you've found yourself wanting to learn more about Alexander the Great. You could look up wikipedia, but you'd rather read a book.

Approaching the shelf, you found the book you were looking for, The Life of Alexander the Great, and opened it to flip through. You decided to take it and paid for the book at the register, picking up your bags and putting away the new book. You were eager to start reading it.

As soon as you got home, you packed your groceries and ran with your book to your room, changing clothes and putting on your favorite pajamas, lay down on the bed and opened the book to the first chapter. Your eyes read each word eagerly and you frowned as you read the next paragraph:

''Alexander was married with a woman of an unknown origin and he was deeply in love with her and devoted, according to sources at the time. Her name was (Y/N)..."

And why did your head begin to throb painfully? You tried to stay awake, but your eyes were too heavy and the headache made it worse. Maybe a nap... You bookmarked the page you left off and placed the book on the corner table and allowed yourself to drift off to sleep, your body in desperate need of a rest.

When you opened your eyes, you were no longer in your room.

You tried to get up but your body still ached, you groaned in pain as your head throbbed again. What was that?

Finally managing to sit up, you looked around and felt dread creep through your body. You didn't know this place, much less the people who watched you cautiously and suspiciously. Your eyes widened when you noticed the ancient greek armor and swords in their hands and even more when you saw the symbol of Ancient Macedonian. Vergina Sun.

You recognized the symbol from the history books. This was a dream, it had to be, but if it was a dream, why did you feel pain and feel like you knew these people who looked at you like an alien. And you felt embarrassed when you noticed that you were still in your pajamas, dressed completely differently from the men who were looking at you.

''What are you doing?'' A loud authoritative voice echoed and you cringed even more. First, the person who was speaking approached the group of men along with another slightly taller man and second, why did you understand them? It wasn't the language you spoke, you knew that as it sounded nothing like your mother tongue but much more different. Greek, you noticed and that left you even more perplexed.

You didn't understand greek as far as you knew.

''What is that? Who are you?'' The man dressed more formally than the others, asked looking at you curiously. He had dark blonde hair and his eyes were two colors, blue and brown. He wasn't very tall, but you felt small with the way he looked at you. He seemed to be the leader, you noticed.

You looked like a fish out of water and one of the men laughed and said, ''Looks like she's lost her tongue, Alexander.''

Alexander... You widened your eyes even more and walked away from the grip of the man who was holding you. No... It couldn't be...

You had read a book about him... And his appearance...

By god... You were face to face with Alexander the Great.

— lady l: I hope you liked the first chapter. This was her introduction to the ancient world and the next few will see (Y/N)'s interaction with Alexander and the others.

It has not yet been proofread and may contain errors, so I apologize for that. Until the next chapter my loves!

[celenawrites]

Mornings like these are rare. 

You wake up and look outside the window, seeing the dawn rise on you as you estimate that you only have an hour until the sun shines through the beige curtains of your room. An hour before you have to get up and leave for work. 

You yawn audibly, and then you turn to face your boyfriend, Simon. He’s sound asleep, which is a first, especially since he’s usually up and running - years of serving in the military ingrained in him a sense of strong discipline, something that even soft domesticity cannot break him out of. He was always up by four o’ clock(maybe out of habit, maybe because he couldn’t sleep as well as he wanted, maybe because he had a nightmare he wouldn’t burden you with)  and he stayed in bed for ten minutes or more, until muscle memory forced him to leave the soft bed and take a cold shower to get himself awake. Then he’d eat a protein bar from the pack you had ordered for him the week before he was supposed to come home, and then he’d put on his running shoes (all clean and nice due to you) and he’d go for a morning run with his face covered with a black surgical mask instead of his usual balaclava or skull mask. 

He’d come back around six o’ clock, all sweaty and heaving as he sits down on the rickety armchair in the living room as he catches his breath. He’d look at the clock and notice the time, slowly making his way to the kitchen to brew two cups on Earl Grey tea and he carefully pours it into the mugs with cute puppies scribbled on them (you got them for a steal from a flea market, and all he could do when he saw your shopping bags was huff in amusement with eyes twinkling as he aids you into arranging the small trinkets, utensils and potted plants around the house). He’d take out your favorite cookies to serve along with the hot beverage, plating it up on the tray like you usually did and he’d enter your room again, softly running his scarred hand through your soft hair as he’d gently ask you to wake up and share some tea with him before the day begins. 

This small window of time, where you and Simon do nothing, speak nothing but let the tea and the love you have for each other warm you up was the highlight of the day for the both of you. 

Then he’d send you off to work while he busies himself with all the overdue handiwork needed around the home you share with him. Fixing creaky doors, mowing the lawn, putting nails in the wall so you can hang up more paintings, hooks - anything that would make this place more homely than he ever remembers it to be. On days you didn’t have work, you would stick around him - half a dozen steps away from him as he went around the house and worked to fill in the hours before lunchtime. Sometimes you’d make him lemonade to drink in the scorching heat, and other times you’d rope him in to watch a movie with you, only to end up sleeping on his shoulder as he gently shuts off the television and whisks you off to the bedroom, holding you in his arms and letting himself have the much-needed rest his brain refuses to let him have at night. 

If he wakes up before it’s evening, he’d gently urge you to grab some lunch, maybe an early dinner before curling up beside you while you read your book as you gently muss up his badly cut hair, promising to him that you’d help him fix the uneven cut he’s had to give himself while he was deployed. He hums contently, letting himself feel like he deserves this as he dozes off in the night. Like he deserves you. 

Today he does none of it. 

It is rare for Simon to sleep through the night uninterrupted, and even rarer for you to wake up before him. So you soak up this moment, hoping that the memory that follows it will do you justice as you try to remember the few times you got to admire your other half the way he usually gets to do with you. You count his soft eyelashes, your eyes squint as you look at his hair as the sunlight shines upon his head like a halo. Terrifying as he may be with his persona as Ghost, you were certain that this is another sign that Simon, your Simon, was nothing short of angelic. You sigh as you look at his crooked nose, broken by a very violent bar fight he had engaged into when he was young and brash and thirsting for senseless violence and blood. (He won the fight, despite his inexperience. He had told you so with a dry chuckle, and you tried not to let your amusement show through as you shook your head in disappointment)

You look at the scar that runs from his temple down to near his left earlobe, white and thin like lightning as if Zeus had struck this behemoth of a man for being mortal and still putting all the heroes of past eons to shame.  You look at his lips - pink, dry, thin and scarred, and you almost let your fingertips touch them as you memorize this rare visage of your lover. But you know Simon’s tired (oh so tired), and you’d rather give up on the opportunity to admire him than interrupt him when he’s finally asleep after fighting fruitlessly to finally rest for the past three weeks. 

However, your attempts at being quiet fail you anyway. 

Suddenly, as if he can almost sense your awake state,  his eyelids flutter and his breath picks up as he blinks awake. Brown pupils meet yours as he intently stares at you with sleep-laden eyes, his blonde eyelashes flickering whenever he tries to blink off the fatigue plaguing his weary bones. You smile at him kindly, letting your hand gently rest on his face as your fingers curl up into the blonde tufts of hair on his head. He leans into your touch, softly kissing the inside of your wrist as your fingers trail over his head, around his face. 

“Good morning, Simon”, you greet him softly, and his breath hitches slightly as he looks at the love you carry in your eyes for him. At the love that drips from every word you say to him. 

“Would you like me to make you some tea?”

Note - I felt like writing some domestic fluff with our beloved Lieutenant right after watching Barbie, so here we are. Hope you enjoy.

Divider by @/firefly-graphics on Tumblr.

Find me on AO3!

[vizishereig]

hello! prompt 13 with the whole gang? (luis/leon/piers)

hi nini! big disclaimer, while I think about Piers A LOT, this is actually my first time writing him :) so yeah! also... this one got away from me... ended up being 1.4k :'D

this is from the B-Side universe, where things go a little fuck-y. aka Luis engages in some minor kidnapping!

13. Exploring Decca (prompt list)

Decca, Piers realizes, is huge.

The city is a sprawling thing, layers upon layers built into the cavern. It’s dark, too. The whole place feels like someone grabbed all of those seedy back alleyways in Earth and mashed them together, mixing in some markets, eternal night, and different colored lanterns.

Despite that, though, it feels almost homely. The outer ends where civilians live hold much more warmth than the sterile environment of Luis’s and Leon’s districts, both cold and sterile in their own way. But that was familiar. This? This is new.

Luis has his tail wrapped around his arm, the fucked up one of the two. He still can’t handle looking at it most days, opting to wear a long-sleeved shirt to cover it. Green scales still peek out through the sleeves, though, and those get picked at.

The red tail contrasts well compared to the black shirt he’s wearing, and the slight tug on his arm (like a mother holding her child’s hand, he thinks with a small spark of amusement) is keeping him from being lost in the crowd of Scozien. Luis is talking, a steady stream of commentary, as he keeps glancing around.

Leon’s nearby, his tail curled over his shoulder in what he learned was an effort to self-soothe. He’s always paranoid in crowds, a mix of something that had happened in his past and the training his military provides him. Piers has only seen him truly relax maybe a handful or so of times, all but one of them within Luis’s company.

“Ah, here we go,” Luis says, clasping his hands together as they reach the outskirts of the city. It’s quieter here, sounds echoing faintly from the city the further they move.

“Where are we?” Piers asks, looking at the opening to the cave they stopped in front of, curious. There’s a dim glow coming from inside, a calm blue that reminds Piers of the first time he met Leon. Freshly escaped from the lab and immediately brought to the blue-scaled Scozien, who had looked him up and down in a too dim room and rolled his eyes.

“This is for Luis, that’s it. We don’t need to be buddies,” Leon had said.

Not that Piers had listened.

Leon, once Piers had managed to poke at his walls enough, was funny. Dumb quips and jokes are slipped into his speech when they can be, blue eyes glittering with a mirth that mirrors Luis’s, even if it’s dulled by tired eyes and dark bags under it.

He’s also tired. All the time. Piers rarely sees him sleep, always awake before him and heading to bed after he does. He has suspicions that the man doesn’t sleep very much, if at all.

If he wasn’t plagued by a bone-deep exhaustion after his mutation, he’d probably be the same way. As it is, though, he’s too tired to do much other than sleep through the nightmares, living through each one before a fade to black.

Luis is talking again, pulling him from the memory. “This, my friend, is one of the most diverse ecosystems in Scozai! Well, aside from the rare oasis you can find on the surface, which is a huge support pillar of some species-”

“Off track, Quixote,” Leon interrupts, blue eyes skimming the city line. Still on the lookout for someone who could potentially recognize Piers.

“Ah, sorry. Anyway, I could talk your ear off about it if I wanted to, but I’d much rather show you,” Luis says, and there’s that glimmer in his eyes again. The tail around his arm shifts a little, grip readjusting, and they’re heading inside.

Where the cavern that makes up Decca is made of tech and full of cramped houses and buildings, here stands almost empty. The area is the size of a basketball court, one far corner getting a sliver of sunlight from a tiny hole in the ceiling. The pond it lands on has grey-green foliage around it, all of it curling towards the sun like desperately reaching fingers.

The main spectacle, though, is the way the water glows.

Bioluminescence, he knows. Things are moving in the water, creating small ripples. Where the edges touch the rock glows bright every time the water moves. It’s beautiful, made more so when Luis moves close to the pool where the sun is, sticking his hand in it. The scales on his hands grow a bit more, trying to protect him from the sun.

The sun dances off of the reflective surface, red turning gold, pieces of sunlight scattering across the room. There’s a smile on Luis’s face as he looks at Piers, the expression turning warmer as he takes in the awestruck look the solider had.

“It’s pretty, no? Not everything here is dust and darkness,” he says, pulling his hand out of the sun, light scattering and disappearing. “Come here, yours can do the same.”

His arm, which he’s been trying to not look at. His arm, which is no longer something that he finds his own. Scales prickle under his skin, forgettable until he’s subjected to too much heat. He doesn’t want to see it, wants to shy away.

But. Luis is looking at him, patient, knowing. Leon, when he looks over at him, is perched on a stone, one leg brought up to his chest, the other on the ground. He’s relaxed, an eyebrow raised as he looks at him. A silent challenge in blue eyes.

“This is what you are now, accept it or don’t. But this is you,” He had said, late one night. Brutally honest, unflinching when Piers had snapped at him. Blue eyes were calm as he had lounged on a chair, tip of his tail twitching up and down in a bobbing motion. He had relaxed, coming in the apartment in a flurry of limbs, going still when he saw Piers. He had blinked once, slowly, then let whatever tension he had seep out.

The image had lingered in his head, the sight of Leon splayed there, arms extended over his head, stretching a bit. Waiting for Pier’s response. He hadn’t given one, just looking away and trying to calm his racing thoughts.

He walks over to Luis, moving his sleeve up. It’s not hard, it doesn’t mean much. Just letting him get some sun, after weeks without any. Just seeing his arm, with the scales. He feels a little sick at the thought.

In the shade, his arm looks almost normal. Touching it is where it gets weird, feeling small bumps under his skin, where the scales hide. Luis’s tail wraps around his leg, a warm hand coming to hold his arm. Gently shoving it under the light with any preamble.

The odd feeling of scales pushing through flesh emerges soon after the sun hits his skin. It’s warm, reminding him of the heat on a too hot day, sweltering. Normal for Scozai, he gathers.

“Oh, yours is like mine,” Luis notes, sounding pleased. He had looked away, he thinks, a little embarrassed. Light is scattered across the cavern again, but he forces his gaze back to his arm.

Green scales glint gold, and Piers feels a mix of awe and a bit of revulsion. He pushes it away when Luis’s arm joins him, green and red turning gold in the sunlight.

“What do you mean, like yours?” he asks, words catching up.

“Nothing, really. Your scales just glow gold like mine. Leon’s turn silver instead. The normal color is bronze, though. It’s dull, better for not drawing attention,” Luis says, pulling his arm away again to beckon Leon over. The blonde sighs, long suffering, but pulls himself over. Luis’s tail unwinds from his leg to latch onto Leon’s as soon as he was in reach.

Leon lets his hand fall under the sun without much fanfare, and Piers watches as blue turns silver, light intermingling with his own gold.

“Do you know why different scales give off different colors?” Piers asks, a little curious as he finally lets his hand fall, grimacing at the feeling of scales retreating into flesh. Luis lights up and Leon groans a little, but there’s a smile playing on his face. Normal for the two of them, then.

Luis starts to explain, but Piers is immediately distracted by the feeling of a tail wrapping around his leg. Luis’s is still wrapped around Leon, so… oh.

Leon had, seemingly unconsciously, wrapped his tail around his leg. He’s looking at Luis with a fond smile, one he only reserves for moments when it’s the two of them. And Piers, tagging along in the shadows.

Something bitter is in the back of his throat as he listens to Luis, the cold feeling of Leon’s tail like a brand on his skin. He pushes it away.

[bathalafiction]

Just finished Demon: Recollection and I absolutely LOVED it! There were quite a few typos here and there, but it didn't take away from the experience for me. I was hoping the suit would have more customization options (along with what weapons and armor we could afford for our army).

What could have used more fleshing out though is the MCs powers. Having slayed thousands (and having their powers) yet still getting punched around like a bag by the God of War wasn't adding up to me (though having an invincible MC would be no fun if they couldn't be defeated and grow).

I'm hoping for the next book, our MC also has the option to use black market items (like the mutant serums or military grade bombs and gadgets) to improve her mortal body, base strength and prowess. I'd also like to see the heroes have more presence (kind of like My Hero Academy) because in spite of there being different classes of them, we only ever see and hear of a handful and their presence is basically non-existent in relation to other villains.

I was kind of hoping to become somewhat of a Robin Hood (killing heroes or corrupt officials but not being feared and hated by the public - or at least some of them). It'd be nice for our MC to use more of their powers, I was thinking along the lines of being able to change up their offensive and defensive fighting styles and using powers of different elements depending on the enemy being faced.

More options to genuinely hide the MCs identity. I find it funny that no one that they know made the connection, despite not using a voice modulator, wearing contact lenses, using body bronzer, changing their hair colour or wearing androgynous costumes to obscure their body frame and using the exact same persona they have in their unmasked life as they do in their villain one. I mean even a wig would do to throw them off their scent and make it hard to pin down their identity.

Please create a Poly or Open Relationship route! My heart jumped to my chest when Blur wanted to know what we were after sleeping together (because up until that point I'd totally been dropping the rizz on his brother Ember). All these men are too fine, how could 1 possibly satiate my lustful appetite? Especially since the MC is immortal and most of these dudes will probably kick the bucket before the end of the century anyways. More sexy time options! Being a villain is hard work and what better way to unwind than in the arms of a hottie with the stamina of a stallion?

Another idea, was the option to strengthen Godsin (so that the less corporeal they are, the stronger their might as a weapon becomes and perhaps the ability to awaken new skills or abilities).

Also, seeing that the MC supposedly has multiple personalities, why is it that we only ever see Azazel and Godsin? And why can't we channel Azazel's strength and ferociousness into our main identity without them taking over? I was hoping that by not allowing them to take over, I gained more conscious control over them, thereby subjecting them to my authority rather than being subjected to theirs.

I also saw that you mentioned the MC being imprisoned on another planet, if that's possible, then perhaps you could introduce some DBZ style characters from outer space to stir things up on Earth and give the MC a run for their money? I want to see more cyborg hybrids! And creatures of the deep and of space that were either slumbering or watching from the shadows! And I want to see more betrayal (between other heroes or dismantling of relationships due to ulterior motives or force of hand)! I want my conscience to scream and to be presented with options truly villainous and horrific!

What's interesting is that Sentinel is part of a bigger group, yet didn't see fit to call in reinforcements from other cities or countries for aid against all these varying threats. Moreover, just as the MC saw fit to create her own group of vagabonds, surely there are others similar and alike who may be preying behind the cicada to reap the benefits or planning to establish themselves as a competitior to Sentinel via mutant-cyborg hybrids?

I really hope to see you resume writing for the sequel! I know that you're busy with Forsaken, but would you be able to give a time frame for when we could expect to see the next installment in the series?

Sorry for this long wall of text! It's so refreshing to play an IF where I can be an actual villain. Kind of hoping to deepen the villain arc and reign terror among the masses in the next book! If I'm going to be called Demon, I want to be tearing my enemies limb from limb, painting the city walls red with their blood, littering the roads with their ashes and hanging their bodies for all to see as a warning cartel-style (I'd also like to use the Aegis shield! Would be a waste not to tbh).

Thanks for this awesome piece of fiction and I'll be keeping an eye on your other works!

I appreciate this long wall of feedback. I already wrote something similar of to your suggestions (maybe like half, mostly about the underworld/crime org mechanics and MC's hidden identity stuff), especially the plot holes. Oh God the plot holes. I thought I had 10 at most, but I remember it reached 20. It felt like the story was caught in a crossfire between two Wild West outlaws.

The alien invasion one is interesting. I wrote something similar, but it was about MC's severed pinky (or toe?) regenerating, becoming a body of its own that evolved to survive the planet's harsh environment. It was driven by pure instinct, memories it never had, and a twisted obsession of reaching a blue planet that it had never lived in—and I tossed it in the "trash under the rug" folder.

I got a lot of crap in my folders I have to sift through to get to the actual decent stuff.

As for the poly route, I had a plan for that, but it doesn't allow for the MC to date the twoms simultaneously. Some of the non-immortals aren't open to the idea (if I recall correctly) though.

Anyway, I really like your suggestions. It narrows some of the things I wrote (mechanics-wise) down. I really appreciate it.

[pbandjesse]

I fell asleep for a little bit there. Which is good and I hope to do that more but drinks are about to come to use and it will be nice to be have another little evening soda. Today has been a lot of travel. But it's been great.

After my post last night me and James continued to wait for our friends. Boarding began at 905. They arrived at 907. Which stressed me bad!! But they made it. They even had time to almost all of them go get Wendy's. And it turned out that Paul's aunt is active military so we skipped the entire line. Amazing.

This was the largest plane I have ever been on. Three rows of three seats! It wasn't the most comfortable seat though. And there was not much leg room. I would end up taking James's bag under my seat so that could be a little comfortable. But the people in front of us were mad at us the whole time any time we bumped their seat. But also they had it as far back as they could go so really what did they want. We were all trying our best.

I would get some embroidery done. Some bracelet making. And eventually I was able to fall asleep for a little while. James did not sleep much, to uncomfortable. But they did get some rest.

I had a little bit of pain in my stomach but I was fine overall. Ready to not be sitting. But there was still hours left.

They would serve breakfast on the flight. I got scrambled eggs and potatoes, James got the very last of the pancakes. Mine would have been improved by ketchup but was still good.

I spent the last hour or so of the flight settling my stuff. It was a very tight squeeze but we both were able to get our stuff back in our bags and felt ready.

And then we were in Turkey! This was super exciting. Seeing the coast as the plane came in was beautiful. There was a little bit of turbulence but it wasn't bad. And we landed in one piece. And I was excited when my phone announced that I had service in Turkey. Calls would cost 20 cents a minute but texting and data was free. I would text my parents and Jess and was excited to get out to the airport.

When I first stood up I got a shocking pain down my legs. But I would recover. And we chatted with the people around us. Including people in our party but also others. It has been a long flight but we all survived.

When we got off of the plane we would gather to figure out what comes next. Three hours until our flight to Kigali.

But this airport doesn't let you know your gate until almost right before it's boarding time. So we decided to explore.

Me and James walked to the short end of the terminal and found a bar. So we went back for the group because that is what they said they wanted. I would enjoy chatting with everyone. I am trying very hard to not be to much. Not to loud, not to friendly. Those things that Americans get accused of. But I am also just really excited to be here so it's hard. But no one seems upset with me, I want to know everything about everyone. I just want to hear everyone's stories.

And I would get some of them. When we got down to the bar and cafe James would get a Turkish coffee and a soft bagel with chocolate. I got a sour cherry juice. And then me and one of the girls would go on a long walk to explore.

We found some really cool stuff. A traditional sand Turkish coffee. So many fancy pastries. It was great. I texted James and they would come and find us in a bizarre style market.

We decided to buy souvenirs on the layover on the way back. But we found some contenders. I loved the ceramic dishes and the silly cat themed merchandise. There was also just so much food! Cheeses and honey and candy and dates and chestnuts. Meats and teas and spices. It was incredible honestly.

James would find us and I showed them some things I liked. And then all three of us would go for a walk farther into the terminal. There was a lot of restaurants and shops. Lots of very fancy places. But also a shake shack and a McDonald's. I checked ahead of time and the McDonald's does have a few regional things. Including kebabs and a local brand of soda. But then we saw a sign for a museum inside of the airport! And I insisted.

We would find it and it was a little guy but I felt like it was worth the ticket price. I got to learn about the history of power in what we now call Turkey. The jewelery work was incredible but my favorite part was honestly the post WW2 paintings. It was really awesome to see more contemporary work from an area of the world I feel like I only ever seen historical work from. I was having a great time.

The very last exhibit was a very bizarre light up eye installation. But it was fun getting to experience a little museum and I was just in a really good mood.

We started walking back to where our friends where. Well we were following James and James remembered wrong. Oops. So we were on the wrong terminal. But I wasn't worried. They hadn't posted our gate yet. And just as we were about to get to the actual terminal we had left everyone at they posted it was in E4. So I would wait with Abby (we are mostly sure that is her name, I had misheard before but we will confirm) and me and her talked. She's really nice. Her parents live in Nigeria and she flys all the time.

Right before James left us to gather everyone we were going down an escalator and a woman fell down backwards! She screamed and thankfully her hijab didn't get caught or anything but man it was scary and we were not in a spot we could help but someone else hit the emergency stop and got her up safely. It was a scary couple moments.

Once our group was gathered we headed to the actual gate. Which was a flurry of activity. I would run to the bathroom but when I came out I couldn't find James and went to the gate but they weren't there. But I backtracked and found them and everything was okay again. They did somehow lost half of their ticket but the counter person said it was fine so no stress.

And boarded went easy. The smaller plane was less of a line and easier to board. Me and James were in the second group because we had changed seats to be together. But we got on quickly. We did get separated for a moment but I asked the men who had gotten between us to reunite me with my husband and they thought that was funny and let James through.

These seats have been a lot more comfortable. And we just finished eating dinner. Which was good. I liked the dessert James's meal came with. I got the vegetarian Hindu meal which has no dessert but did come with fruit which was nice. It has kiwi in it. Now though they have taken my tray and I am going to just chill. Maybe play a game on my tablet. Maybe fall back asleep.

This has been a fun adventure so far. We have 4 hours and change left and we will be in Uganda. Which is when I will post this. Hopefully ASAP. And then we will go through customs which I hope is easy. And then we are on our way to the resort. I am nervous about that but I hope it's as nice as it looked online.

And tomorrow we wake up in Africa. We are already flying over the country. It's dark outside so I can't see but I have been following in the map and I am just really excited.

I hope you all are having a s good day too. I love you all. Goodnight!!

[darth-lemoncupid]

morning fog

pairing: malavai quinn x gender neutral! reader

word count: 1,322 words

ao3 link: 🥞🥞🥞

summary: after a rough battle, your captain decides to use some local kitchenware to make you what’s considered to be an important meal of the day with local ingredients.

warning(s): fluff (i guess?), no consideration for how the facilities in star wars actually work, no considerations for what characters actually eat, quinn being wife material, imagined with a sith warrior reader, strawberries, yes i am referencing my own made up stuff for star wars

notes: i just wanted to write about quinn making pancakes because i made pancakes and thought, “he would totally do this.” if this feels weird (and something doesn’t exactly make sense) it’s probably because i wrote this at 4am.

What is one to do when they cannot sleep?

Perhaps it’s to take a speeder out and explore the vast landscape of whatever planet they were on. Or to sit and contemplate while looking out into the stars and darkness of the galaxy, allowing oneself to be sucked into the serenity of endless sky.

Or, maybe, if one was like Malavai Quinn, it would be to get dressed and head out to a local market to make breakfast for his lord.

The sun had not even risen yet when he woke up. He was used to waking up before the sun came up and was familiar with the feeling of meeting darkness when he awoke from his slumber. But when he did not need to be up, he usually went back to bed. His body could only take so much after all. But sleep did not come to him easily and while he did not mind the Empire’s rations, his body was feeling for something more human, something made from scratch.

Most planets had their own local markets that sold food, if one knew where to look. Thankfully, it wasn’t his first time on this planet. So Malavai dressed in something more casual, wrapped a scarf around the lower half of his face, and set out for a local market.

The morning fog that he had woken up with gradually disappeared as he took in his surroundings. It was nice to watch the sunrise every once in a while. Truly, the endless black sky of the galaxy got a little boring. It was nice to see color every once in a while.

Being one of the first people at the market meant he had his pick of the crop. The best stuff always got taken first. But Malavai was quick. He picked out his necessities, but he had to contemplate which fruit to get. There were so many choices presented to him. But the one that caught his attention was a berry. Red with a sort of sharp glimmer to it.

“Like it?”

He looks up at the old woman. She has a kindly face but her posture told him that she most likely had experience with the military. “They’re quite eyecatching.” He says.

“Yamian Red Crystal Berries. Sweet and cooling. Hard to come by when we’re far out. But a favorite among the Imperials. Would work well for what’s in your bag.” He glances at his bag. “I was watching you. I like looking out for potential customers.”

“I have never had these Red Crystal Berries.”

“They’re rare in Imperial territories, mostly because the Republic hogs them all.” He could sense a hint of bitterness when she mentions the Republic. “But they are special and quite perfect. Here.” She picks one out and offers it to him,

Malavai looks at the berry and its icy glimmer before gently taking it. He pulls his scarf down slightly to take a bite into the berry. It’s cooling and he feels chills run across his body. It contrasts with the rather hot weather he was currently experiencing. The berry is sweet but has a subtle tart flavor and it has a bit of a crunch to it. He’s pleasantly surprised.

“Delicious, isn’t it?”

“I can see why the Republic is so adamant about having them.” He says.

“They are so adamant that they will force families of farmers to work constantly. And once they have exhausted them, they will replace them with droids.” She shakes her head.

“The Republic has a reputation of hiding their misdeeds.” He finishes the berry. “How much for a gram?”

“300 credits each.”

Malavai almost choked on the air as he thought about his checking account. He had a decent amount of money but after this? He might as well consider himself broke. (This would be the second time, but not really. He’s never actually been broke entirely but last time, he was very close). The woman laughs.

“You’re on a discount. I give them to servants of the Empire. If you were Republic, I would be charging you twice as much.”

He looks at his outfit. Nothing really made him stand out as an Imperial.

“I can identify one when I see one. How many grams do you want?”

“Ummm, I’ll take three grams.”

“750 credits. Consider it another discount since you’ve amused me.”

“I’m happy I have amused you.” His account would be grateful for this lenience.

“Good luck with whatever you’re cooking.”

Cooking was always time consuming but there was something calming about it. It gave Malavai Quinn some semblance of control compared to the rest of his life. It was a chaotic existence to say the least, but with cooking, he could control the environment around him even just for a little bit.

There were a lot of steps to creating a good breakfast, from making a drink to folding in his fluffed up whites into the batter with the right amount of pressure. But he always managed if he just trusted the process.

Even if the first few pancakes ended up a little burnt and flat.

By the mid-morning, Malavai had finished his breakfast. He was very proud with his presentation and the matching drinks to go with it. It took two hours to make and only ten minutes to eat his plate. Truly the worst part of cooking, that he could labor for so long and it would be gone in less than an eighth of that time.

The extra plate and drink had the captain contemplating. Of course, who should it go to? Certainly not Pierce. Vette was probably still asleep. Jaesa? Maybe, but he knew Jaesa would prefer to do her own cooking or get her own meal. Broonmark was...well, Broonmark and preferred to hunt his meal.

There was only one person that was deserving of his time and labor. (Albeit he had forgotten halfway through cooking that he originally went out for you)

When his dish was done, he put the other dish and cup on a tray and walked out of the kitchen to your room. He could hear the rustling of the sheets from behind the door and knocks. “My lord.”

“The door’s open.” Your voice is a little muffled.

Quinn opens the door, balancing the tray on one hand. Seeing his face makes you lift your head from your pillow and smile. “Quinn! Breakfast? I don’t remember us getting any sort of fancy rations.”

“They are not rations, my lord. I went out and bought everything.” He sets the tray down on the nightstand.

You sit up and take the tray, balancing it on your lap. “Everything looks really good.” You pick up a berry. “What is this? I’ve never seen it before.”

“A Yamian Red Crystal Berry from the planet of Yamia Carro. I presume the climate of such a planet has affected the texture, taste, and look of the fruit.”

“It’s pretty. Almost too pretty to eat.” You take a bite and shiver, feeling chills throughout your body. But it was the kind of chills that made you feel exhilarated, the kind of chills you got from eating just good food in general. “What made you decide to make me breakfast?”

“I had an extra plate.”

“I could get used to this.” You pick up the fork and cut into the pancake. “You look great in an apron.”

Malavai feels his cheeks grow warm and he clears his throat. “I will leave you to it, my lord.”

He walks out, the door closing behind him and he could feel his cheeks growing hotter and his heart quickening in pace. It was only a temporary feeling. It could only be a temporary feeling after all. Getting too attached to you may jeopardize his plans.

Alas, Malavai Quinn could not ignore the blatant truth.

He liked cooking for you and the way you made him feel.

[newstfionline]

Friday, May 10, 2024

Biden Says the U.S. Will Not Supply Israel With Weapons to Attack Rafah (NYT) President Biden acknowledged on Wednesday that American bombs have been used to kill Palestinian civilians as he warned that the United States would withhold certain weapons if Israel launches a long-threatened assault in southern Gaza. In some of his strongest language to date on the seven-month war, Mr. Biden said the United States would still ensure Israel’s security, including the Iron Dome missile defense system and Israel’s “ability to respond to attacks” like the one Iran launched in April. But he said he would block the delivery of weapons that could be fired into densely populated areas of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. The president had already halted the shipment of 3,500 bombs last week out of concern that they might be used in a major assault on Rafah—the first time since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 that Mr. Biden has leveraged U.S. arms to try to influence how the war is waged. On Wednesday, he said that he would also block the delivery of artillery shells.

With inflation soaring, Argentina will start printing 10,000 peso notes (AP) Prices in Argentina have surged so dramatically in recent months that the government has multiplied the size of its biggest bank note in circulation by five—to 10,000 pesos, worth about $10. The central bank announcement Tuesday promised to lighten the load for many Argentines who must carry around giant bags—occasionally, suitcases—stuffed with cash for simple transactions. Argentina’s annual inflation rate reached 287% in March, among the highest in the world. The new denomination note—five times the value of the previous biggest bill—is expected to hit the streets next month in a bid to “facilitate transactions between users,” the central bank said. The 10,000 peso note is worth $11 at the country’s official exchange rate and $9 at the black market exchange rate.

A grand Olympic plan. But first, the tent camps have to go. (Washington Post) He’d been living in the tent for nine days when the police arrived. “Bonjour, monsieur!” an officer shouted. “Reveille!” Ba Dak crawled out of his sleeping bag, unzipped the tent flap and stepped into the frigid February air. The camp, tucked beneath the Charles de Gaulle Bridge on the northern bank of the Seine River, bustled with movement in the windy pre-dawn darkness. Police officers in neon green vests marched between rows of tents, whose inhabitants rose from slumber to pack their belongings. The government was seeking to remove unhoused people from its streets before the Olympic Games shines a global spotlight on Paris this summer. Officials billed it as an innovative effort to ease Paris’s housing crisis, by relocating people to newly constructed facilities around the country rather than hotels in the city’s emergency shelter system. But advocates for refugees claim the government had more specific motives: to clear Paris of its tent villages, free up thousands of hotel rooms before the Games and identify people who aren’t eligible to legally remain in the country.

The mothers and wives of missing Russian servicemen have become some of the war effort’s biggest critics. (WSJ) Tens of thousands of relatives and friends use social media to swap information in the hopes of learning their loved ones’ fates. Under Russian law, soldiers aren’t declared dead without a recovered body, a death certificate from a medical examiner or a court ruling. In Ukraine, many troops are unaccounted for including deserters and prisoners of war. The Kremlin hasn’t released the number of MIAs. Russian antiwar commentators accuse the military of abandoning dead fighters to avoid compensating their families. President Vladimir Putin ordered them to get the equivalent of $54,600, plus the previously set compensation of around $26,000. Russian officials didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainians are using the cover of war to escape taxes (Economist) Since Russia invaded in 2022, Ukraine’s economy has shrunk by a quarter. But the ravages of war are not the only reason for the government’s reduced tax take. Businesses are also making use of the chaos to dodge paying their fair share. This is particularly true in agriculture, which before the war was responsible for 40% or so of Ukraine’s exports by income. The sector has been transformed by a scramble to find export routes safe from Russian attack. As Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s deputy minister for agriculture, notes, this disturbance has provided plenty of opportunity for farmers to “optimise taxes”. Around 6.5m Ukrainians—or 15% of the country’s pre-war population—have left the country, shrinking the domestic food market. At the same time, Russia is targeting transport infrastructure, grain silos and other agricultural equipment, which has driven up costs. Many workers have been recruited by the armed forces, and are at the front. Farmers therefore not only have new opportunities to dodge taxes, they are also increasingly desperate. The result is that two of every five tonnes of grain harvests now avoid contributing to state coffers, according to Mr Kachka’s estimates.

Myanmar: A hidden war (NYT) A people take to arms and fight for democracy. A military terrorizes civilians with airstrikes and land mines. Tens of thousands are killed. Millions are displaced. Yet it is all happening almost completely out of view in the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar. Now, for the first time, the rebels claim control of more than half of Myanmar’s territory. In recent weeks they have overrun dozens of towns and Myanmar military bases. Even without foreign intervention, or much Western aid at all, the Myanmar resistance has pushed back the junta. Rebels are now within 150 miles of the capital, Naypyidaw. But that may have been the easy part. The resistance is—perhaps hopelessly—splintered. More than a dozen major armed ethnic groups are vying for control over land and valuable natural resources. Much of Myanmar is fractured between different groups, all heavily armed. Crime is flourishing. The country is now the world’s biggest producer of opium. Jungle factories churn out meth and other synthetic drugs that have found their way to Australia. Myanmar’s civil war may be overshadowed by other global conflicts. But to the Burmese who live with uncertainty and chaos, the war has never been more urgent or real.

In rapidly ageing China, millions of migrant workers can’t afford to retire (Reuters) After three decades selling homemade buns on the streets of the Chinese city of Xian, 67-year-old Hu Dexi would have liked to slow down. Instead, Hu and his older wife have moved to the edge of Beijing, where they wake at 4 a.m. every day to cook their packed lunch, then commute for more than an hour to a downtown shopping mall, where they each earn 4,000 yuan ($552) monthly, working 13-hour shifts as cleaners. The alternative for them and many of the 100 million rural migrants reaching retirement age in China over the next 10 years is to return to their village and live off a small farm and monthly pensions of 123 yuan ($17). The generation that flocked to China’s cities at the end of last century, building the infrastructure and manning the factories that made the country the world’s biggest exporter, now risks a sharp late-life drop in living standards.

Rafah and humanitarian aid (Washington Post) By Tuesday, Israeli forces had seized the pivotal Rafah border crossing that links Gaza to Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. Israel intensified bombardments on parts of the city, hitting houses and residential towers, and prompted more than 100,000 people into a panicked evacuation. The Rafah border crossing was closed, though Israeli authorities said another crossing at Kerem Shalom remained open to funnel critical supplies into Gaza—a claim questioned by aid groups. “The crossing area has ongoing military operations and is an active war zone,” Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, the U.N.’s agency for Palestinians, currently in Rafah, said Wednesday. “We are hearing continued bombardments in this area throughout the day. No fuel or aid has entered into the Gaza Strip, and this is disastrous for the humanitarian response.” “All the fuel that entered Gaza went through Rafah crossing,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, at a joint news briefing Wednesday of prominent humanitarian organizations. “The whole aid operation runs on fuel, so if the fuel is cut off, the humanitarian operation collapses. Water can’t be pumped. Lights cannot be kept on in hospitals. Vehicles cannot distribute aid.”

“Annihilation Prevention”—Why Some Gaza Families Choose To Split Up (Zumadaraj/English edition) Umm Raja Barbakh, a Gazan woman in her 60s, had a particular request to her children and grandchildren amid Israel’s relentless bombing campaign: when we flee, let’s choose different destinations. The reason is as simple as it is grim: She doesn’t want all her progeny in the same place for fear that the whole family could be annihilated. “The decision to disperse my children and grandchildren is a way to limit the chance that the whole family is gone in case of a bombing on a single place,” she explained. “Their presence in more than one place will reduce the risk of the family disappearing completely.” Indeed, that’s what happened with her sister, who was killed in an Israeli bombing along with her children and grandchildren. Barbakh’s family has instead scattered in different locations in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza. The oldest of her four children has sheltered in a tent in the Mawasi area in Rafah along with his seven children. A second son and daughter were living with their children in different locations in Rafah. The fourth lives with his five children in Khan Younis.

Smile! (Les Echos/France) It’s amazing to think that this slight movement of the lips and facial muscles, which sometimes lights up an entire face, can resonate so deeply within us and awaken a whole range of emotions—even if it comes from a complete stranger. Neuroscience has established that smiling feels good, and it starts very early. Fetal ultrasound scans have shown that, from the 26th week, babies smile to express a form of satisfaction, particularly after their mother has eaten a certain type of food. We now know that smiling stimulates the areas of the brain associated with reward circuits. And that it lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. It slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Two recent studies have even shown that this beneficial effect holds true even when we smile mechanically, though more modestly—it’s as if the simple act of mobilizing one of the 15 muscles involved in smiling sends a positive signal to the brain.       Another older study from Wayne State University suggests that smiling increases life expectancy. It was based on photographs of 230 American baseball league players taken in 1952. The sportsmen who did not smile in the photographs died at an average age of 72.9. Those who had big smiles lived to 79.9. Smiles also open doors. Traveler Charly Guérin has had many opportunities to verify this. He met a Bolivian grandmother in Sucre on her front doorstep who, simply on the strength of an impromptu smile, invited him into her home, where he ended up spending the afternoon chatting. “If you take the time to meet someone, a smile is a real open sesame,” the globetrotter says. On his blog, he also tells the story of Sarah, a French woman who set off around the world on a shoestring budget and who, when she wanted to attend a concert or sporting event, didn’t hesitate to stand in front of the entrance to the venue with a sign: “Exchange a free ticket for a smile.” And incredible as it may seem, it worked on many occasions.

[astrabear]

trick or treat

Happy Halloween! Have another abandoned work in progress! Sorry it's so depressing, I guess you got a trick.

**** Nile did extensive research into funerary customs of the Neolithic Eurasian steppes, but Andy said she didn’t remember any of that shit, and as far as she was concerned they should just dump her body in a hole. So Nile researched development trends, the migration patterns caused by climate change, and law enforcement practices. Then she gave up and picked a spot in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone that she was reasonably confident they could sneak in and out of and that wouldn’t be dug up for the foreseeable future. But this was all for later – it wasn’t time yet, she just liked being prepared.

And then it was time.

And then, about a week later – when they were in a safehouse outside Riga, still mostly numb, encouraging each other to eat and sleep while not doing it themselves, trying to keep Booker distracted so he wouldn’t think about how much he wanted to drink – they hauled themselves out of bed one morning and discovered Quỳnh had gone. All she took with her was a change of clothes; all she left behind was a note that read, “Give me a year. I’ll be in touch. I promised her.”

Nile was blindingly furious at first. How could Quỳnh give them something else to grieve? How could she leave Nile to take care of these men on her own? But over the next few days it dawned on her that Joe and Nicky each thought they were taking care of her, and after that she noticed that while they missed Quỳnh they were not distressed by it, and she decided to stop trying to be the older sister she’d grown up having to be.

Slowly, day by day, they got through it. Every few weeks, Quỳnh would send a postcard to Sulastri (Copley’s replacement’s replacement), or text her from a stolen phone, and she’d pass the information on to the rest of the team. Quỳnh never said where she was or what she was doing, only that she was still all right. The year turned into two, then five, a decade. She’d leave notes and keepsakes in safehouses and stashes as she passed by, and they took to doing the same. No one ever talked about when she might rejoin them, or at least not while Nile was around.

Most of the time, they were too busy to dwell on it. There were climate refugees to relocate from submerged islands in the South Pacific (safely, in communities, rather than in the camps and holding facilities they’d otherwise be stuck in.) They broke up a water cartel in Chennai and a black market for diverted relief supplies operating out of Asmara; Booker crashed the accounts of their backers and investors and transferred their funds to reforestation programs, which amused him. They drove Sulastri crazy by acting as human shields during protests and riots, forcing her to hunt down and alter or delete recordings. After Nicky shattered his collarbone taking a blow meant for a teenage boy’s head, she stopped scolding them about it.

They went to ground for a little while, literally, in Andy’s old French mine. A nascent military coup in Turkey had suddenly found itself bereft of leadership, and the team wanted to wait out the uproar somewhere under the radar. They’d installed a few modern amenities over the years (a composting toilet, a camp shower, a discreet charging station outside the mine for their solar batteries), and it made a nice respite from the 40-degree heat baking most of Europe.

Their third night there, Nile took second watch. While Joe climbed back into his sleeping bag with Nicky, she settled down just inside the entrance with her night-vision goggles. She let the midnight sounds wash over her: more traffic noises than the last time, fewer birds and insects. When they’d arrived, Booker had commented they were lucky not to find squatters there; Nicky had wondered if maybe it was unethical not to invite people in. Nile sometimes felt oddly cheated, as though she’d become immortal too late to really enjoy it. It was hard to take breaks when instant communications meant they were always aware of how badly they were needed, and it was harder to feel optimistic about human progress and the potential of the future when everything seemed to be falling apart. Joe told her that the entire 20th Century felt that way to him; climate change wasn’t nearly as depressing as two world wars in rapid succession. Nile couldn’t really argue with that, but she stared out into the still, muggy night and saw a future that only held more losses.

And then – a noise. Coming from near the gate. Animal, not mechanical. Large. A person? She stood silently, gun at the ready. One person, moving quietly and confidently; they were coming toward the mine and knew exactly where they were going. They were…

“Quỳnh?”

“Nile!” She bounded over, and in the moment before she wrapped Nile in a hug, Nile saw she was grinning ear to ear. Nile found herself smiling to match, and her cheeks felt stiff. How long since she’d smiled like that? How long since she’d felt relief and comfort, and the rush of warmth in her chest that she vaguely recognized as happiness?

She pulled back from the hug enough to say, “Come on in, let me go wake the guys.”

“No, no, I’ll stay out here for a while. You’re on watch? I’ll sit with you.”

The mention of keeping watch reminded her that they should stay silent, but she couldn’t help herself. “You know they’ll be glad to see you, right?”

Quỳnh laughed softly and took her hand. “I’m not afraid of seeing them. But as long as I stay out here, I can pretend there are four people inside, not three.” They sat simultaneously, still holding hands.

“Is that… do you still… it’s been ten years. You haven’t spent all that time imagining Andy was here.”

“Not all of it. Not even most of it. But sometimes.”

She smiled again; Nile couldn’t remember ever seeing her so relaxed. It was oddly unsettling. A horrible thought came to her, and she asked, “Are you still healing?”

Quỳnh squeezed her hand. “I can show you, if you like.”

“I’ll pass.” She tried to keep her focus on the world around them, but her gaze kept returning to Quỳnh. She looked well-rested, serene. Clean clothes, neatly-trimmed hair. Nile felt about a thousand years older. “You didn’t come here because of us, did you?”

Quỳnh shook her head. “I was in the area, and it seemed like a good place to spend the night. I didn’t know you were here.”

“Will you stay? At least until they wake up? Or… you could stay longer. If you want.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Quỳnh turned to face her and let go of her hand. “You’ve been working.”

Nile sighed. “Pretty much non-stop.”

“Your next job?”

“Eco-fascists. They say the only way to save the planet is to speed up population decline, and they’re destroying infrastructure in refugee camps.”

Quỳnh cocked her head to the side like a bird, an old gesture that Nile hadn’t seen in decades. “And are you stopping them, or helping them?”

Nile had lived with Quỳnh longer than she’d lived with her own mother. She’d fought with her, and beside her; yelled at her, cried with her, died in her arms. She suddenly wondered if she knew her at all. “Which one do you want it to be?”

“Stopping them.”

“Why?”

“I want you to try to stop them because… because it’s more hopeful. I don’t want things to be so bad that the greatest good is served by letting people die. I want there to be a future that’s worth protecting people for.”

Nile’s breath caught in her throat and tears pricked her eyes. None of her reasons for taking this job had anything to do with hope. She swallowed, twice, before she could speak. She’d meant to confirm that yes, the goal was to protect the refugees. But what she actual said was, “What was it that you promised Andy?”

Quỳnh just smiled that same calm smile. “Why don’t I keep watch for you while you get some rest? I promise I’ll still be here when you wake.”

[darkysilverwing]

Just woke up from a dream where people all over the world started randomly developing superpowers, but it wasn’t some genetic mutation or mummy’s curse but rather a chemical our bodies started producing from our pituitary glands.

Turns out the chemical both gave us our powers and, when given to a non powered individual, gave them the ability to produce the chemical and gave them superpowers, but it turns out when someone gained powers naturally it was a lottery, but getting your powers from someone else always resulted in you gaining that person’s power, with the higher percentage of the chemical in your blood being correlated with a more powerful power.

Naturally this meant that the government didn’t want superpowered people spreading their powers so they put a ban on powered people donating blood and made them register with the government so you could look up any person you were with to see if they were powered enough. Naturally for the cooler powers like flight this caused a bit of a black market where you’d pay your life savings to sleep with a powered person so you could get their powers. (I think it was implied that people who got their powers secondhand weren’t contagious though for some reason)

My power was very stupid, I could tell when an electrical device was turned on just by listening to it, which was good cause partway through the dream a fight broke up between some powered individuals, basically causing more damage than a hurricane and an category 9 earthquake all wrapped into one, meaning the need for aide was super important and the donating blood aspect was lifted and everyone with powers was just tested for their concentrations of the chemical, and made to put that on the bag, so normal people could potentially just get a low concentration power and any injured power people could get the higher concentration stuff since if a powered person got higher concentrations of the chemical then they produced the worse that would happen is they’d get sick afterwards.

So I figured I had a low concentration, but as I was walking through the medical area that was set up in a Public park as a makeshift tent hospital area I passed by people who were suffering and dying which I’m pretty sure were placed in the open so those donating would be sure to donate more. I got pulled aside by an old lady with telekinesis who told me that I needed to help her cause she was in pain, and made me promise to write her name on the blood bag so I could be sure to get her lower concentration blood so she wouldn’t suffer as much when she got treated.

So I went into the designated area, donated the blood, and wrote the name on the bag for who it was suppose to go to, only to get stopped by one of the people running the show, who for some reason was wearing full tactical gear, guns and all. Turns out I had to prick my finger to test the concentration of the chemical in my blood, so after getting pricked and sticking my bleeding finger into a little device that read the concentration I wrote down the number (it just read 5 so I put down the number 5) and I delivered the bag.

Cut to a bit later, I got some juice and a cookie and I’m just chilling with the other supers who just donated, only for the precog guy next to me suddenly going “we need to run! Now!” And since he can literally see the future we started running, which was good cause a bunch of military guys burst in and started shooting at us.

Course I’m yelling “why are that shooting at us?” To which a guy who’s powers I never learned went “you’re a high concentration! Get out of here!” And then shoved me to the side, and then I woke up.

[nix-lw]

Lorch Day 19: Voyage

(prompt switched from Hope)

An old lupin sat by the window, looking out on the activities going on outside of her office. On the floor beside her laid her two companion thrashers, Precious and Treasure, sleeping peacefully. The hustle and bustle of the night market outside was music to the lupin’s old ears. She chuckled to herself, reminiscing on the olden days when the town was no more than a small collection of tents and traveling merchants.

Saltheart Keep, a port town located in the northeastern part of Icerun. Formerly used as a military fortress, the oldest parts of the town it’s believed to be hundreds of years old. It had taken a long time to rebuild the abandoned pile of rocks into a flourishing trading hub, but it had been well worth it. 

She and her crew had been the first trading merchants to dock in the secluded bay all those years ago. It had started with her, Captain Via, deciding that her beloved trading ship Saltsong needed a safe home port where she wouldn’t need to pay docking fees. She had ordered her subordinate ships to sail along the coast line looking for a location to build their own port. They had stumbled upon the secluded bay by accident but it had been the perfect location for her vision. Little by little the town had grown into the port town it was today. 

Via had not stayed to see it happen though. She had spent most of her life out at sea, traveling with her parents on their ship up and down the coasts of Icerun and Darkspine. She had learned the ways of trade from a young age and quickly grew into an ambitious businesswolf, growing her own trading company from the ground up. After finding the bay and starting the repairs of the fortress she had built her first official trading post on land. The Saltheart Trade Company, the heart of Saltheart Keep. As the years went by more and more wolves came to the town and settled down. The town grew into a bustling port, and Via was the leader of it all. She had however continued to spend most of her time out at sea on her ship Saltsong, leaving a trusted wolf to take care of the matters of the town. 

However, ten years ago it had all changed.

A rogue thunder storm had swept over them out at sea, dark clouds appearing out of thin air and lightning running across the sky. A lightning bolt had struck the main mast and the large wooden pole had split in two. The pieces fell down onto deck, crashing down over the crew. Most crewmates survived with bruises and scrapes, but Via had not been so lucky. One of the two halves had fallen straight down on her, perfectly pinning her hind legs beneath it. The damage to her legs had been so severe that the healers had no choice but to amputate them beneath the knee joints. Her life as a sea wolf was over. No wolf that couldn’t stand on their own legs would stand a chance to survive on the treacherous cold sea that surrounded Icerun. She had taken the accident as a sign that her time at sea was over and it was time to settle down and enjoy her older days in the comfort of her inland house. She became the leader of Saltheart Keep, taking over the responsibilities she had left to her trusted friend all those years ago. Via rolled over to her desk, the wheels of her customized wheelchair creaking over the oak floor. She reached up and grabbed the latest report of Imports and Exports. She put the neatly written pages, the bag hanging on her waist and patted her beloved thrashers awake. 

“Come on boys, it’s time for dinner. Let’s go down to the docks and see what fish is available tonight.”

[messiahqlct80]

Navigate Your Adventure: Military Supply Store Insights

Following a depth reasearch we did connected to army merchants and The range of products which an individual can find there we gather them and issue them below to help you buyers reveal the treasure is concealed in this kind of sort of outlets

What can a person uncover inside of a army offer retailer? Armed service source stores offer you lots of merchandise effective at Conference the demands of both pros (navy staff, law enforcement officers, firefighters) and experience enthusiasts and character enthusiasts. Let us Consider a few of the product or service classes 1 can find in this kind of retailer:

Garments and footwear:

Uniforms: Army camouflage σακίδιο πλάτης 40l uniforms, get the job done uniforms, clothes for mountaineering and camping, water-proof clothes, windbreakers, function coveralls

Footwear: Boots, booties, tactical shoes, footwear for climbing and functioning

Add-ons: Gloves, hats, socks, scarves, belts, underwear

Gear:

Tents: Tenting tents, bivvy bags, shelters

Sleeping baggage: Sleeping luggage for numerous temperatures, sleeping pads

Backpacks: Backpacks for climbing, shoulder baggage, waist packs

Equipment: Multi-tools, knives, shovels, axes, flashlights

Navigation systems: Maps, compasses, GPS

Protective equipment:

Helmets: Helmets for mountaineering, biking, operate

Glasses: Sun shades, safety Eyeglasses

Gloves: Do the job gloves, climbing gloves

Water-proof equipment: Waterproof jackets, trousers, watertight backpacks

Other people:

Navy merchandise: Flags, patches, medals

Tenting equipment: Tenting lights, stoves, cooking utensils

First assist supplies: Initially aid kits, bandages, gauze

Publications: Textbooks on climbing, survival, army history

By means of case in point, let's take into account a few merchandise examples:

Boots: Armed service source stores present a wide variety of boots appropriate for various takes advantage of. You'll find boots for mountaineering, function, operating, and in some cases boots specifically suitable for law enforcement officers and navy staff.

Tents: You can find tents available for all preferences and desires. You will discover tents for a person man or woman, in addition to for giant teams, tents for camping, and tents for climbing.

Backpacks: Backpacks are important for every hiker or experience enthusiast. Army offer suppliers offer you backpacks in numerous dimensions and with various features to satisfy all your preferences.

As well as solutions:

In addition to marketing items, armed forces supply retailers normally offer you extra solutions including:

Repairs: Repairs of garments, footwear, and devices

Products rental: Rental of tents, sleeping luggage, backpacks, along with other machines for hiking and camping

Instruction: Seminars and courses on climbing, survival, compass use, map reading, GPS

Activities: Arranging hikes, excursions, and also other activities

Advantages of buying from the military services offer retail outlet:

Specialization: Military source suppliers have specialised personnel who can help you choose the suitable items for your needs.

Wide range: In these retailer

[fizotablog]

Experiencing the Bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hello, fellow adventurers! If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering a trip to Vietnam. Today, we’re going to explore why Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, should be at the top of your travel list. So, buckle up and let’s dive in!

Why Ho Chi Minh?

Photo by jet dela cruz on Unsplash

Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling metropolis that never sleeps. It’s a city where history and modernity coexist, where every street corner offers a new discovery. From its vibrant street food scene to its historical landmarks, Ho Chi Minh City is a treasure trove of experiences waiting to be discovered.

Must-Visit Attractions

Ben Thanh Market

Photo by Percy Pham on Unsplash

What’s special? 

No visit to Ho Chi Minh City is complete without a trip to the Ben Thanh Market. This bustling market is a microcosm of the city itself - chaotic, vibrant, and utterly captivating.

How to reach? 

The market is located in the heart of the city and can be reached by taxi, bus, or motorbike.

What to expect? 

Here, you can find everything from fresh produce to souvenirs. Don’t forget to haggle!

War Remnants Museum

Image by Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism

What’s special? 

The War Remnants Museum is a powerful reminder of the brutal history of the Vietnam War. It’s a sobering, yet important visit for anyone wanting to understand more about this period of history.

How to reach? 

The museum is located at 28 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. You can reach there by taxi or motorbike.

What to expect? 

The museum offers an in-depth insight into the history of Vietnam while highlighting the horrors of war. The museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard.

Cu Chi Tunnels

What’s special? 

The Cu Chi Tunnels offer a glimpse into the underground life of Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War. This vast network of tunnels, stretching over 250 km, is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people.

How to reach? 

The tunnels are located about 70 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. You can get there by bus, taxi, or motorbike.

What to expect? 

Here, you can explore the tunnels, learn about the ingenious traps used during the war, and even try some of the simple, yet hardy meals that the soldiers ate.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

What’s special? 

This stunning cathedral is one of the most iconic landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City. Built by French colonists, it’s a beautiful example of neo-Romanesque architecture.

How to reach? 

The cathedral is located in the city centre and can be easily reached by taxi, bus, or motorbike.

What to expect? 

Here, you can admire the beautiful architecture, take some great photos, and soak in the peaceful atmosphere.

Wrapping Up

Ho Chi Minh City is more than just a stopover. It’s a destination in its own right, offering a unique blend of history, culture, and urban energy. So, why wait? Start planning your trip now!

Ready to dive into the vibrant hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City? Don’t wait! Embark on an unforgettable journey with the best and most affordable Ho Chi Minh City packages available at Fizota.com. Pack your bags, adventure awaits! Safe travels and see you in Vietnam!