#Star Citizen flight ready

[can-of-pringles]

Playing With Fire - Chapter 7

Rating: Teen and up audiences

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1k

Also Read On Ao3

After a rough crash landing, Yondu recovered fairly quickly. He picked up one of his ship’s decorations off the ground, placing it in his pocket.

“Yondu Udonta. Order your men to turn on the Nova Corps.”

He turned around to face the guard and realized he was surrounded. Every guard aimed their gun at him. He held his hands up. Yondu opened his jacket and whistled, getting his arrow out. It hovered for a second. The guards looked confused.

The guard aimed his gun. “Enough nonsense, Ravager! Time to die—”

Yondu sent the arrow flying through his chest and then the rest of them in a row. Next, it went flying into a guard’s ship and pierced the guard inside too. One by one, each guard was struck. After killing the last one, Yondu caught the arrow, putting it back in his jacket. The bodies dropped to the dirt. The ship crashed into the ground and exploded.

---

Nebula worked on repairing her body. Gamora ran up to her but stopped. Nebula recovered and stood back up. Gamora held her hands up in defense.

“Nebula, please.” She walked up to her.

Nebula tried striking her, but she dodged, hitting her in the back instead. Nebula fell down on her knee. Gamora ran over to the ship’s security, attempting to shut it off. Nebula hit her with electric blades, electrocuting her for a second. Nebula took another swing, but Gamora ducked, continuing to dodge her attacks. Nebula kicked her, and she fell back.

---

Ronan watched as the Nova Corps kept their barrier up. “Enough of this. Necrocraft pilots, enact immolation initiative.”

“They’re dive-bombing the city! Denarian Saal, should we break formation?” One of the Nova Corps pilots asked.

“No! Hold your positions.”

Ronan’s ships started flying toward the city. Citizens ran away, trying to escape as explosions went off. Dozens of screams could be heard. The Nova Corps watched in horror as the attacks were displayed on the hologram.

People were attempting to escape via a bridge. One of the ships rammed into it. Another tried hitting the civilians but was blocked. Rocket fought it off.

“Keep Ronan up there, Saal. We’ll take care of the people down here,” Rocket said.

He and Eliška shared a look, giving each other a quick nod. They could do this.

Saal rolled his eyes. “Can’t believe I’m taking orders from a hamster.”

As they battled out there, inside the ship, Peter, Drax, and Groot ran toward the flight deck. They were met by a group of Ronan’s soldiers.

“Star-Lord.” Korath recognized him.

“Finally.” Peter smiled, ready to fight.

The guard threw him. Drax and Groot focused on fighting the rest. Peter turned his helmet on, protecting his head from the hard surface he was thrown against. Drax stabbed more soldiers, sending them flying back.

“You thief!” Korath walked up to Peter.

Drax distracted him, throwing his blades. He dodged, and the blade hit another soldier. Drax charged and began to punch him, and Groot threw a soldier. Korath kicked Drax, causing him to fall to the ground. Drax tried to get up but was kicked again.

“You will never make it to Ronan,” Korath said.

Back outside, Rocket made a sharp turn, directing the others. “Everybody shoot them before they hit the ground.”

He aimed upward and shot at the enemy ships, causing a couple of them to explode. The other Ravagers lined up and did the same. Rocket instructed Eliška to press more buttons. She listened and her shots lined up perfectly, taking out more enemy ships.

Inside The Dark Aster, Groot continued to fight the soldiers. He grabbed one by the neck, picking him up and slamming him into the ground. He kicked him and launched him into the others. Drax was still focused on taking out Korath. He slammed Drax’s head into the wall.

Peter turned on his boots’ thrusters and fired at the soldiers. After knocking them down, he used his thrusters and slid, shooting more of them as he was sent back. He got up and ducked, avoiding a swing from another guard. He easily took more out.

Drax threw Korath against the wall, punching him and letting him fall to the ground. He picked him back up and pinned him to the wall, grabbing at the functioning tech implanted in his head.

“Finger to the throat means death,” Drax threatened, pulling out the tech.

Korath’s body spasmed. His tech glitched. Peter watched as sparks came out of his head.

“Metaphor.” Drax nodded to Peter.

“Yeah, sorta.” He slightly tilted his head. He saw more soldiers coming. “Oh, no.”

Groot outstretched his arm and pierced through a row of soldiers. He picked them up and slammed them back and forth against the walls, also taking out the other row.

Drax and Peter watched in silence. He turned to look at Drax, getting a nod and grin in return. They continued watching as Groot yelled and smacked them around.

He finally unhooked his arm, and the bodies went flying toward the ground. Groot turned around to look at Drax and Peter, grinning.

Countless ships still flew out from The Dark Aster. Ronan watched from the window, addressing the Nova Corps.

“Xandar! You stand accused. Your wretched peace treaty will not save you now. It is the tinder on which you burn.”

He raised his powered-up hammer and shot a beam from the Infinity Stone. It began to destroy the ships acting as barriers. As Gamora and Nebula still fought, the blast reached them as well, knocking them off balance.

The Ravagers were getting hit by the ships. Debris hit Rocket and Eliška’s ship, bouncing off of the window. He shielded his face as it continued to rain down on him. One left a crack in the window. Eliška took a shaky breath, gripping her chair.

One by one, the Nova Corps ships were blowing up, and the barrier was failing them. As the thrusters increased on Ronan’s ship, Saal was close to being crushed, his ship still attached to the ship.

“Rocket!” He called out, fear in his voice.

“Hold on, Saal! Just—”

His scream was cut off by the massive explosion. Rocket’s eyes widened as he watched in horror. Eliška covered her mouth in shock. The barriers slowly faded. It was pure chaos. Rocket looked around, trying to think of what to do.

“Quill, you gotta hurry. The city’s been evacuated, but we’re getting our asses kicked down here.” He warned.

“It’s really bad,” Eliška spoke into her own intercom, grimacing.

As Peter finished off more soldiers, he immediately ran to the main door.

“Gamora hasn’t opened the door!”

Gamora was distracted by fighting Nebula. They were both dodging each other’s attacks. Nebula stabbed her, electrocuting her. Gamora screamed in pain but managed to yank the blade away. She kicked Nebula and sent her flying back. She fell out of the hole in the ship, quickly hooking onto the edge and dangling in midair.

“Nebula!” She tried to reach out to her. “Sister, help us fight Ronan. You know he’s crazy.”

“I know you’re both crazy.” She countered.

Realizing what she was about to do, Gamora yelled as she cut through her cyber arm. Nebula plummeted, landing on a Ravager’s ship. She punched through the glass with her remaining hand and threw the pilot out, taking over.

[ysolt]

star citizen is fucking great i love dogfighting. wish the servers wouldnt die every 30 min so i wouldnt have to get out of my apartment, walk to the tram station, take the tram to the spaceport, walk into the spaceport, claim my vehicle that is still in space, wait 7 minutes, wait for the terminal to retrieve my ship, take the elevator to my hangar, get into my ship, get it flight ready, request the hangar to be opened, select missions, take off, leave atmosphere and then fly to my missions

[alina190]

Everyone knows Dubai is a city that never sleeps – but how did it start? The empire of Dubai began 1833 when Al Maktum became the ruler of Dubai separated Dubai from Abu Dhabi. In 1853 Dubai closed a deal with United Kingdom to become a Trucial State. Within the 20th centry Dubai estabilished into the most important trading center in the gulf region and opened its first airpot in 1959. Since 1966 the oil industry began to thrive and Dubai became more important to the region.

On December 2 in 1973 the Trucial States been dissolved and together with Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Schardscha,Umm al-Qaiwain, Fudschaira und Ajman foundetd the United Arab Emirates.

Since the foundation of UAE Dubai is growinng into a luxurious and ultramodern urban metropolis.

A timeline of Dubai most valued projects shows how fast Dubai turned into one of the glamorous and pompous city in the world.

• 1973 Dirham was introduced to be the official currency in Dubai

• 1985 Emirates Airline took its passangers for the first flight

• 1994 Burj Al Arab opened as the first 7-Star-Hotel

• 2001 Fundation of Palm Jumairah began

• 2004 Burj Khalifa construction begins

• 2009 Dubai Metro is opened

• 2010 Burj Khalifa is ready

• 2018 Dubai Frame opened its doors for tourists and citizens

• 2021 Ain Dubai celebrated its opening in Dubai Bluewaters

• 2022 Since 2022 the “Museum of the Future” taking their visitors into the fututristic world and showing us the technology of future

[spacenutspod]

The private Axiom-3 mission to the International Space Station is being readied for launch from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The mission features a crew representing five different countries, four of them wholly or partly in Europe. Falcon 9 B1080-5 and Crew Dragon C212 Freedom are scheduled to launch from Pad 39A at 5:11 PM EST (22:11 UTC) on Wednesday, Jan. 17. This flight will be the first crewed space mission of 2024, and it will be lofted on a trajectory to rendezvous and dock with the ISS. With an on-time launch, docking at the forward port of the Harmony module would take place on Friday, Jan. 19, at 5:15 AM EST (10:15 UTC). Following second stage separation, B1080-5 will return to the concrete pad at Landing Zone 1, conducting a return to launch site (RTLS) landing. The recent introduction of RTLS landings for Crew Dragon missions helps minimize the use of marine assets, particularly as the drone ship Just Read the Instructions undergoes work in Charleston, South Carolina. During Crew Dragon’s ascent phase, there are several abort zones designated for the spacecraft to splash down safely should an issue occur during powered flight. Weather for these zones is a watch item for all Crew Dragon flights, and enough zones must be usable for the launch to proceed. 45th Weather Squadron forecast for the Axiom-3 launch. Forecats are provided for the three upcoming launch windows. (Credit: USSF) While the abort zones are being watched, the 45th Weather Squadron of the USSF has come out with its launch forecast, showing less than a five percent probability of violation of launch criteria. The primary concern is the cumulus cloud rule. Backup days are almost as good, with a 10 percent chance of violation for a 24-hour delay and a 25 percent chance of violation for a 48-hour delay, with flight through precipitation joining the cumulus cloud rule as primary concerns. B1080 and Crew Dragon Freedom sit ready at Launch Complex 39A ahead of Axiom-2 (Credit: SpaceX) B1080 got its start by flying the Axiom-2 mission, commanded by Peggy Whitson and flying two Saudi Arabian citizens to orbit. The booster has also launched the Euclid space telescope, Starlink 6-11, and Starlink 6-24. Crew Dragon Freedom, meanwhile, has flown on the Crew-4 and Axiom-2 missions to ISS. Freedom is the fourth Crew Dragon to fly, joining sister ships Endeavour, Resilience, and Endurance. See AlsoAxiom-3 UpdatesISS SectionL2 SpaceX SectionClick here to Join L2 The crew for this flight is commanded by dual US and Spanish citizen Michael Lopez-Alegria, a veteran astronaut with multiple Space Shuttle and ISS missions under his belt. His first space flight was STS-73 in 1995 aboard the shuttle Columbia, and he also flew aboard STS-92 and STS-113 as well as Soyuz TMA-9 to the ISS as part of Expedition 14. Lopez-Alegria’s last space mission was the Axiom-1 flight, which was the first wholly private mission to the International Space Station. The retired NASA astronaut, born in Madrid, Spain on May 30, 1958, is now a commercial astronaut working for Axiom, and making his sixth overall spaceflight. Lopez-Alegria holds a bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering from the US Naval Academy as well as a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the US Naval Postgraduate School. As a naval aviator, he served as an instructor pilot, a reconnaissance plane pilot, and as a test pilot at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland. Axiom-3 crew portrait. From left to right: Marcus Wandt, Michael Lopez-Alegria, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravci. (Credit: Axiom Space) Axiom-3’s pilot is Italian Air Force Colonel Walter Villadei, who also has experience flying to the edge of space aboard VSS Unity during the Galactic 01 mission last year. Villadei, born in Rome, Italy on April 29, 1974, has served in the Italian Air Force since 1998. In 2008, Villadei underwent cosmonaut training at Star City in Russia, and earned his cosmonaut wings in 2012, while also being certified to operate as a Soyuz flight engineer in 2015. Col. Villadei has a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Naples Federico II, and a specialization in astronautical engineering from the University of Rome. He became a member of the Air Staff and was assigned to the Air Staff’s Space Policy Office in 2011, and is now the head of the Space Policy and Operations Office. In addition, he is also a member of the Italian Space Agency’s scientific committee. The Axiom-3 crew shown in their launch and entry suits that they will wear aboard Crew Dragon Freedom. Freedom can be partially seen just behind the crew. (Credit: Axiom Space) Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravci is to become the first Turkish citizen to fly to space. Gezeravci, born in Silifke, Türkiye in December 1979, is a veteran pilot, having flown high-performance jet aircraft with the Turkish Air Force for 15 years, followed by seven years flying for Turkish Airlines. He also has a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from the Turkish Air Force Academy in Istanbul and a master’s degree from the USAF Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Rounding out the crew is mission specialist Marcus Wandt from Sweden. Wandt, born in Hammaro, Sweden on Sept. 22, 1980, is representing the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA has dubbed his mission “Muninn” after a raven in Norse mythology. He will work alongside Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, currently onboard the Station, whose own mission is known as “Huginn” by ESA, after another raven in Norse mythology. Wandt was a fighter pilot in the Swedish Air Force from 2003 to 2014 and became a test pilot for Saab Aeronautics after graduating from the United States Naval Test Pilot School. Besides being promoted to chief test pilot at Saab, he also earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Chalmers University of Technology. Axiom-1 splashes down off the coast of Florida in April 2022. (Credit: Axiom Space) The Axiom-3 mission is scheduled to last approximately two weeks, while Axiom-1 lasted around 17 days after postponements of its trip home due to bad weather at the splashdown sites. Axiom-2 spanned 10 days, which is currently the shortest such mission to date. While Axiom-3 is in orbit, there will be 11 people aboard the ISS and three people aboard the Chinese Tiangong Space Station, making a total of 14 people in orbit. If Virgin Galactic’s next flight overlaps with this mission, there would be 20 people above 80 kilometers altitude for a few minutes, tying the record for the most people in space at one time. The Smart Flight Suit 2 is one of the experiments that will be part of the Axiom-3 mission. (Credit: Spacewear SRL) The crew of Axiom-3 will conduct over 30 experiments during their time aboard the Station, including experiments related to food consumption in space, radiation shielding, ovarian function in microgravity, a Turkish plant experiment involving CRISPR gene editing, biological experiments on the astronauts, and other research. Once Axiom-3’s stay at the ISS is finished, the spacecraft will return to Earth in the same manner as other Crew Dragon missions and is scheduled to use one of the splashdown sites in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. (Lead image: Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 vertical at Launch Complex 39A ahead of flight. Credit: SpaceX) The post Axiom-3 ready to send a multinational crew to ISS appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

[macarootpowder]

Beyond Earth: Embarking on a Journey of Space Tourism

Introduction: A New Frontier Beckons

Step into the realm of space tourism, where dreams of exploring the cosmos are no longer confined to science fiction. In this voyage, we'll navigate through the active substances that define space tourism, unveil its profound impact on the human experience, and reveal why embracing this extraordinary adventure isn't just a dream—it's a tangible opportunity to venture beyond our planet.

The Pillars of Space Tourism: Embracing the Extraordinary

Suborbital Flights: Dive into the active substances of suborbital flights. Experience the thrill of breaching the Earth's atmosphere, gazing upon our planet from space, and feeling the weightlessness of microgravity.

Orbital Adventures: Immerse yourself in the active substances of orbital adventures. Envision living aboard spacecraft, orbiting Earth for days or weeks, and gaining a perspective only few have witnessed.

Lunar Excursions: Uncover the active substances of lunar excursions. Imagine standing on the Moon's surface, retracing the steps of astronauts past, and forging new paths in lunar exploration.

Interplanetary Dreams: Choose the active substances of interplanetary dreams. Envision embarking on journeys to Mars and beyond, transcending the boundaries of our home planet.

Stellar Accommodations: Embrace the active substances of stellar accommodations. Picture luxurious space hotels and stations where comfort meets the cosmos.

Why Choose Space Tourism: Expanding Horizons

Personal Transformation: Choose space tourism for personal transformation. The active substances empower you to experience a perspective shift that can alter the way you see the world and your place in it.

Scientific Discovery: Embrace space tourism for scientific discovery. The active substances enable citizen scientists to contribute to research projects and expand our understanding of the universe.

Revolutionized Travel: Choose the active substances that revolutionize travel. Space tourism opens doors to unparalleled experiences and makes exploring the cosmos a reality.

Inspiration and Innovation: Embrace space tourism for inspiration and innovation. The active substances fuel breakthroughs in technology, inspiring solutions to challenges both in space and on Earth.

Preserving Earth: Choose the active substances that preserve Earth. Space tourism promotes a renewed appreciation for our home planet and fosters a sense of responsibility for its preservation.

Experience the Cosmic Odyssey: Embrace Space Tourism Today

Are you ready to embark on a journey that transcends borders, redefines adventure, and fulfills a universal dream? Space tourism isn't just a distant fantasy—it's a tangible invitation to witness the majesty of our universe firsthand. Join the movement that recognizes that the active substances of space tourism hold the key to a world where boundaries are limitless, and exploration knows no bounds.

References:

Wikipedia - Space Tourism

Conclusion: Reach for the Stars

In a world where the stars seem out of reach, space tourism stands as a bridge between imagination and reality. Its active substances—suborbital flights, orbital adventures, lunar excursions, interplanetary dreams, and stellar accommodations—merge to create a blueprint for a world where ordinary people can venture beyond our planet. Make the choice that aligns with your desire for cosmic discovery—choose space tourism and embark on a journey of transformation, awe, and a future where our actions reach for the stars. Your cosmic adventure awaits.

"Find valuable resources and guides to boost your Workout on our website."

[explorerwriter]

Chandigarh University: Where Dreams Defy Gravity and Reach for the Cosmic Stars

In the vast universe of Indian education, one institution stands out as a celestial marvel, defying gravity and soaring to new heights. Chandigarh University, with its stellar performance in the QS World University Rankings 2024, has captured the attention of dreamers and stargazers alike. Join me on an intergalactic journey as we explore the extraordinary accomplishments and celestial wonders of this remarkable institution.

Unleashing the Cosmic Potential: Chandigarh University's Astral Triumph in QS World Rankings

In a cosmic showdown of intellectual prowess, Chandigarh University has proven its mettle by securing an astonishing rank of #20 among all universities in India. But that's just the beginning of this cosmic adventure. Brace yourself as we unveil the most captivating fact—Chandigarh University reigns supreme as the #1 private university in the entire country, igniting a supernova of celebration among its academic community.

A Celestial Gathering of International Minds and Stars

The allure of Chandigarh University extends far beyond national borders. With its galactic appeal, the university has earned the distinction of being the 2nd best Indian university in terms of international students and faculty. This cosmic convergence of diverse perspectives creates an environment where ideas collide, dreams take flight, and students become citizens of the universe, ready to make their mark on a global scale.

Employer Reputation: Where Careers Reach for the Cosmic Stratosphere

Chandigarh University's triumph doesn't end with its academic prowess. It has captivated employers' attention, earning a prestigious 6th place in the ranking of employer reputation among all universities in India. Employers recognize the cosmic brilliance and potential of Chandigarh University graduates, who possess the skills and knowledge to navigate the cosmic currents of the professional world with finesse and confidence.

Faculty-Student Ratio: A Cosmic Symphony of Individualized Learning

At Chandigarh University, the faculty-student ratio is not just a statistic—it's a cosmic phenomenon. With a faculty-student ratio of 21.1, the university creates a symphony of personalized attention and guidance, allowing students to explore their passions, unleash their potential, and reach for the stars. Each student becomes a celestial entity, embraced and nurtured by the university's academic constellation.

Astounding Achievements: A Cosmic Canvas of Success

Chandigarh University's celestial journey is adorned with numerous achievements that illuminate its path. Ranked 16th in India for academic reputation, it stands tall among the academic galaxies. Additionally, its commitment to sustainability has earned it the 6th spot among all private universities in India. Chandigarh University is not just an educational institution; it's a cosmic force shaping the future of education and contributing to a greener and more sustainable world.

Chandigarh University has truly emerged as a cosmic phenomenon, defying gravity and reaching for the stars in the QS World University Rankings 2024. Its achievements in academic reputation, employer recognition, faculty-student ratio, internationalization, and sustainability are outcomes of their tireless efforts for excellence. Chandigarh University invites dreamers and visionaries to embark on a cosmic journey, where the bounds of knowledge are shattered, and the cosmic stars are within reach. Step into the celestial realm of Chandigarh University and let your dreams defy gravity.

[worldsover]

Judgement to the Desiccated ft. Karina

length ✦ 5573

genres ✧ sm type future; asphyxiation; blackmail; virtual_servant!Karina;

✦✧✦✧✦✧

Air did a poor job of not being polluted so Lee Soo Man flooded the world instead. The man himself certainly must be long gone and could not have been in charge of that decision but the legacy of his company far exceeds the legacy of any other human collective in history. Once on this planet, gas was the fluid of choice for respiration and breathing was an unconscious reflex. Now there’s Aether by SM. How very on-brand of them to have the liquid air you breathe follow perfume naming conventions.

Open your eyes and exit the sleeping chamber. Aether has you work for each inhalation, it desaturates the color of the bedroom—maybe there’s a subtle but uncomfortable tinge of yellow—and it makes your nose itch. Your muscles wield much less force than they used to because of the lack of resistance the fluid provides. Moreover, it smells like hairspray as though the ozone layer is taking sardonic revenge.

Screens impersonating windows track your eyes to ensure realistic parallax, playing the scene of divine blue heavens that could not exist. An azure sky is a reward for those planets that have an atmosphere and a sun for light to scatter. Your walls are either chrome or drywall white and your whole bedroom is plainly decorated just like the day you moved in.

“Etymology of bedroom,” you think out loud, though it falls on no ears.

“Bedroom is a compound noun consisting of bed and room. Bed goes back to Old English bedd ‘sleeping place, plot of ground prepared for plants,’ which goes back to the Germanic-”

Plants and sleep are both strong words to use nowadays. The former doesn’t exist in nature and it seems you’re the only one who bothers with the latter. Faint buzzing distracts you from the AI’s response and signals you to the nano drones that swim throughout the liquid to process carbon dioxide from your lungs. This whole ordeal could’ve been much worse if you didn’t have brain interfaces doing the hard part of controlling your diaphragm. The most you need is a purposeful thought. Still, it gets tiring having to think the same thought every three seconds. In. Out.

Was the metaphorical Soo Man teaching a lesson in perseverance? You love K-pop and imagine it’s how trainees used to practice dancing, singing, being charismatic. Being an idol had to be as natural as breathing air. Inhale and exhale. Right now with any antiquated programming language you clung on to, you could write a single for loop that did the same job. For every three seconds: breathe in, breathe out.

“What’s for breakfast today?” Not loud enough. “What’s for breakfast?” you think it louder.

“Welcome, master. Ae-Karina is ready for service.” It’s quite a kindness for SM to blur the bland dystopia you live in by augmenting reality through your neural device. A bosomy woman in a gold-lined but otherwise modest maid outfit appears from the corner of your eye and she bows. Ae-Karina is bewitching and almost becoming of her basis as its graphics have gradually upgraded over the rotations but you wouldn’t misconstrue the avatar as human.

“I said, what’s for breakfast!” It feels impolite to scream in your head, there’s other residents there, but finally the fridge lights up.

“Of course master. May I remind you eating is unnecessary?”

In. Out. Every day, she does remind you, yes. How kind of the company to put all your nutritional requirements in the new air. Aether goes in then Aether goes out. You wish the thoughts of breathing could fade into the background but they’re just like your cravings for food. Always hungry but never starving, whole though not once satisfied. Your eyes pause at her gorgeous face and she tells you there’s bacon. Take it from your fridge. Bacon goes in. Well, the drones take care of the out.

Your assigned living space is the entire 207th floor of a tower. Two hundred and seven floors below the surface. The neighbor a few floors upstairs says that he thinks living deeper is a sign of status. What a luxury. That guy should check the status of his facial muscles, maybe improve his code that lets him tell lies while he’s at it. A couple hundred flights of stairs to swim up is a useless skeuomorphism of skyscrapers in the days of the sun. In fact they were more than useless, you would've preferred a single vertical hallway as it would have let you propel upwards unimpeded. Each floor is the exact same, a glass door that affords no privacy for its residence, a false tree on each side. At the upper levels, malls, convenience stores and other gaudy retail, but it’s the gyms that mock you that you mock in return. They’re always empty.

Finally reaching the top is no true break even if it is a change in scenery. Inhale. Aether tastes a little different up here. Exhale. Can’t say you like it.

Countless satellites form a parody of the star from which the planet flew away, the false image refracted by the upper boundary of Aether. They can’t take away your memories of this star. Looking up at the sky once blinded you with ultraviolet radiation, burning your cornea. It was beautiful. Now everyone’s decided that if they’re playing the part of corporate dystopia, they might as well fit the aesthetic. In a way, it’s self-fulfilling. They wouldn’t have chosen a neon pink sun to compliment the blue and metallic gloom of the cityscape if it weren’t so ingrained in popular media already.

Still, you would’ve expected Google or Walmart to become the megacorp responsible for the state of the world, not a Korean entertainment company. Must’ve been quite the red paperclip scenario. Instead of material design or utilitarian architecture, tacky artistic structures line the streets. The same advertisements for albums that they’ve been selling for the past however long. It's all so obvious, the city could've been designed from scratch to accommodate new forms of travel and goddamn liquid air but instead they went with futuristic Tokyo.

Dubstep permeates your inner ear implants. A notification informs your thoughts that it’s “Hip-hop EDM dance pop with a strong jungle house groove and urban influences.” It’s dubstep. Liquid carries barely any sound so SM affords the option for implants if you're nostalgic for one of the senses. Even though it’s a slower form of communication than direct neural transfer, the noise comforts you. Of course the company would choose dubstep as their background music, but maybe they make money off refunds somehow. It switches to Ice Cream Cake. Much better.

You walk the not so busy roads towards a short brick warehouse in the distance and heavy rain soaks your clothes. No such thing as weather without the sun and water but it’s all simulated anyway.

A warm Seulgi adlib and you know it’s Psycho that starts playing. No, none of your senses are real. The most you could trust is your vision but even that’s being lied to. You could be living in a vat and fed all these thoughts, but then why make it so mediocre? Not paradise, nor torture but a lukewarm in-between. Guess that's what happens when SM Entertainment manages the post-apocalypse. Good on them for trying. The alternative would be a frozen hellscape without solar radiation. Can’t deny their work with geothermal and nuclear energy to keep the Aether warm so that you didn’t have to live underground for the rest of human history. It’s quite great PR to save humanity.

“Hey now, we’ll be okay,” repeats a few more times than you remember.

The Idea Factory Alpha White Delta Green says the neon tubes lighting the front of the brick and mortar building. Your ID card bears a name but it’s not yours, not until they approve your name change. Those usually get processed faster with how often people liked changing their names.

Sit at a desk with a sterile white keyboard and slick new monitor. Type and empty words appear on the screen: “Think for the many, not for the one. We need to think ahead.” A thumbs up. The company appreciates the input. That’s probably enough work for one day. Some SNSD live stages help the time pass, SM certainly appreciated the streaming numbers and it would net you some social points.

It’s hard to say what comes to mind when they ask you to envision a world without the sun and air, especially since it’s what you’ve known for... Two hundred years? There’s no frame of reference, that much you can tell from when you counted seconds to see how often the satellites completed their orbit. SM really took time to have them propel at random speeds, they love withholding sensitive information like that from citizens. To be fair, time is sensitive. Guess the meaning of that phrase changes like all parts of language.

Look around. Dozens of employees at identical workspaces all try to answer the same questions. Naturally, there’s no need for manual labor anymore but there will never be a replacement for human ingenuity. Nice slogan but you know you’re only here for data. Can’t see a need for customer retention though—what’s the alternative, skip Earth? See you on another planet?

“Hey bro, you come up with anything new?” Dave says. Two desks away, you see the enthusiastic, surprisingly spry man play around with a Newton’s cradle. The balls at each end bounce back and forth, not slowing down their rhythm any time soon.

“I think I got something,” you say, “Earth is not the answer. It can’t be, long term.”

“Ooh, I like that. Actually, I really like that.”

“What are you gonna do, copy me?”

“Of course not. You know how much SM hates plagiarism.” Click. Clack.

“Ha. As if there’s a single original thought left in the world.” Click. Clack. The imaginary sounds of metal spheres bouncing play in your mind. They got the volume wrong, no way it’d sound that loud from that distance. “You’d think with all their resources, they’d have figured out space travel by now.”

“I don’t think they want to leave, bro. Wouldn’t be great for profits.”

Your mouth opens to laugh and causes laugh8942.mp3 to play in Dave’s head. “I love it. SM probably hates that sass too,” you say.

“Oh no, they’re gonna arrest me for thoughtcrimes. Nah, they love creativity, just when it suits them. Also, if they actually did bust you for wrongthink like rumors say, I wouldn’t have this on me.” Dave twirls a finger and points at you and you thank his absurd flair for the histrionic that keeps you amused with such drab work.

“NewDrug.mp6. Would you like to play it?” the dry system voice notifies you.

“Woah woah there tiger, hold on.” Dave must’ve noticed your intrigued eyes and holds his hands up. “You might wanna experience that at home. But if you’re interested in more, ask for chicken parm at the vegan place. You know the one.”

Dave leaves his desk. He doesn’t return. You finish your work. Inspire. Expire. You’d rather not.

In contrast to your commute to work, the roads fill with others on your way home. You have to know. Take solace in the comfort of a bench where a huge McDonald’s arch bathes the surroundings and its people with a yellow glow. Really shouldn’t watch it now, especially if Dave says it’s a home type of watch but you have to know. A family of five watches you pass out. They, along with every other passerby, ignore your still body draped over the chrome outdoor seating as you look like yet another junkie. The title is correct after a fashion, the simulation is some sort of new drug. The details of the exploits that happen in the immersive replay wash over you but you don’t need them to know that it’s the sort of lewd that SM would not allow—at least not publicly and not without the right exorbitant payment.

Suit pants and underwear go straight to the laundry. That must’ve been an embarrassing sight but no one bothered to stop you, so it doesn’t matter. Look up where this vegan place was that Dave so presumptuously assumed you knew about and you find that it’s about four Avengers’ stores down from work. He must’ve eaten there before.

“Yo Dave, just wanna make sure, what’s the name of the vegan place called?”

“What are you talking about, man? You telling me there’s some secret underground farms that SM wouldn’t know about?”

You can’t tell when you got to work, a lack of standardized timing would help as well the haze of living in a monotonous dark. “Nah, I mean, for the-”

“I have no idea,” Dave emphasizes each word, “what you’re talking about.”

“I see.”

Work flies by, unusually.

“Hey, can I get a chicken-”

“Uh, this is Maron’s Veggies Only, it clearly says on the sign.”

Clear your throat. “Parm.”

The shifty part-time worker looks around and rubs his fingers gesturing for money. “No digital.”

Over the counter, you pass him a gold coin stamped with a holographic 1 and he hands you a USB stick and a laptop in return. How old-fashioned.

“It’ll sync with whoever you have set as your avatar experience aspect,” the worker says.

“Thanks.”

Ever vigilant as the patrol is, the alleys are the last place you want to go to hide with the obvious criminal element within them all but you head to one anyway. Dump the anachronistic technology in your storage pocket dimensions. Looking at its contents, you’d have to clean that mess up later, but the more you look like an average slob the better. The biggest problem with the inventories is all the people squatting in them. Inspectors wouldn’t care about the archaic ruins you left in yours.

“Welcome, master. Ae-Karina is ready to service.”

“I’d like to go on a date. A special date.” You highlight the key word special and sit on your living room couch. No one’s going to look in your glass door and regardless, you wouldn’t be the pervert for glimpsing into someone’s home.

“Ah yes, master. Ae-Karina is ready to fully service,” she says with a provocative tint in her tone, her sclera disperses to black to match. A pole drops from the ceiling while parts of her maid outfit dissolve which reveals more of the silky skin of her thighs, her lissom arms and most importantly her overflowing breasts. Ae-Karina wraps her legs around the pole and spins around, teasing fingers trace curves on her body to harden you. Her dance is precise but sultry regardless. She pulls up her short skirt to flaunt more of her ass beneath white panties and then pulls down to flourish her cleavage, not trapped by a bra. “Are you enjoying your maid’s show?”

“Very much so, yes,” you say.

Half of a smile forms before a glitch occurs and she teleports next to you, fully nude. It doesn’t pull you out of the illusion however. You just stare and drink in the splendor of her created body.

“You’re not going to touch?” Ae-Karina says.

A feel of her tits and you find it softer than pillows you used to rest on. Soft isn’t much of a character that exists anymore when the whole world is engulfed in liquid. No one has beds, especially with the rarity of sleep. Therefore, her mounds are a consummate dedication to the texture as you squeeze and pinch at her cute nipples.

Her maid outfit rematerializes as she straddles you. It provides more friction to your pants as she begins her lap dance. The weight of her body dragging across your legs and clothed erection induces your carnal impulses further. If only you could fuck the virtual idol. You have to make do with the imprint of her pussy lips on your bulge sliding up and down. Breath in. Breath out.

Ae-Karina pulls down your boxers and spits on your erection. It's not real but her hands so slick on your cock and you let reality slip. Real is for the past, you have desires gratified in the present. There is no real person nibbling at your neck but your nerves activate in sexual desire without discernment for truth. No, she doesn't love you, but when the voracious mass of ones and zeroes says it loves its master, you say it back.

"I love you."

ILOVEYOU infected ten million computers in 2000. An explosion. Calibration engaging. It’s 1:21 PM, Sunday, July 18, 2286 and hypothetically the sun would be out in its full rage. At this latitude and longitude, you’re at what was once the epicenter of all—Seoul, where a fountain caused a chain reaction allowing the hopeful remnant of a world to exist. It lasted a surprisingly long time without the sun and without Aether but the dying planet would succumb inevitably to the ever-increasing contamination so SM of all corporations took charge. A different kind of chain reaction occurred when they acquired a restaurant chain that discovered the recipe for liquid air. The law is on its way and prepared to punish you to its full extent.

You reel while your ears ring. An even sexier version of the woman you already fantasized about appears from your peripheral vision in the crater of your floor. A skimpy cop outfit, striated with reflective material that seems to wane black at different angles, outlines Karina’s curves. She has a tool belt with absurd gadgets, such as a knife baton hybrid, a taser combined with a spray bottle and a Tamagotchi. None of this is necessary. They could just immediately arrest you, impose limitations on your devices. Sure, SM cloned people to deal with underpopulation, but why Karina would be the enforcer is a whole nother issue. Maybe the entertainment company loves their irony?

“Halt. You’re under arrest. Any resistance will be penalized according to the combined Terms of Service of all SM and SM associated products.”

Fucked anyway, you figure you might as well go for it. Escape into your inventory and only seconds later you’re forced out. You manage to get what you need regardless.

“Violation of access rights will be charged to your account.”

It’s so obvious but there’s a reason you kept so much gold in physical storage. As you swim away, the sides of your apartment start to bubble. Bubbles? Already, your limbs feel unsteady. Something’s wrong in the Aether.

“This is standard procedure for escaping suspects that are indoors. Again, this is all agreed to under the Terms of Service.”

“When the fuck did I ever click accept to that shit?”

“When you were born in this world and decided you want to stay in it,” Karina says out loud. You hear her say it. Your physical ears process the vibrations in the air that come from her mouth. Gravity thwarts your desperate escape as your limp body floats on the limit between liquid and air. The atrophy of your muscles becomes apparent within the gaseous atmosphere. She watches you sink down as the room drains of all the false air though her eyebrows crease when she inspects you closer. Your breaths are involuntary. Despite your muscles shorting out, the force of gravity and the pressure of the gas bearing down on you, you’re breathing and you don’t mean to. Her eyes wander farther down. On your pants, a concrete rod stamps the fabric.

“Oh, you like what you see?”

“Shut up, criminal. Anything you say can and will be used against you.”

“Your pussy,” you say and she scoffs.

“Original.” Karina bites her lip as your erection continues to grow behind its prison. You use all effort to put your hands up.

“Please, miss Karina. I’ve been bad.”

“I could punish you even more for sexual assault.”

“Then do it.”

Heat radiates the room in a way you haven’t felt in a while and droplets of sweat form on each of your bodies, especially on the thighs that her revealing outfit parades. Her facial features contort in deliberation and the wait kills you. You bat your eyes at her before Karina takes off her tight shorts and drops herself into your anticipatory face. This makes no sense but none of this life made any sense so you decide to go with the tides.

Centuries of training your respiration has led to this moment, but when you finally have real air to breathe, you spit at the opportunity and choose to suffocate. Then you spit at her pussy and lap it up. Karina’s nectar transfixes your olfactory glands, for once a smell that isn’t the sterile Aether. Your eyes are mesmerized in parallel because of the perfect design of her pussy, a single crease that leads into her hole that your tongue emphatically explores. Karina spreads her thighs wide to reveal a small nub that craves attention. So give it. Suck and swirl and flick your tongue, and the woman provides you the tight clench of her legs as a gift. And the sounds, rediscovered glorious noise. Loud, almost too loud, and clear is how they assault your ears, even surrounded by the flesh of her thighs. Muffled by the weight of her legs, you hear Karina moan in approval but she’s still clearly in charge with how she chokes you with her legs. This is not about your pleasure but hers, and any satisfaction that you derive is not only incidental but probably punishable by SM copyright law.

Karina squirms her hips subtly on your mouth. Her eyes are sharp and she’s just about to stop your hands from moving but she notices them clasp together.

“I’ll do anything to make you cum, please.” you say sloppily as her pussy juices fill your cheeks and drip down your chin.

“God. I can’t.” She takes deep, contemplative breaths. ”That’s more time added on for inappropriate behavior.” Her groaning and brief squeals make her words sound incogent.

You give her a concluding lick and a kiss on her slit. “So what have you been doing right now then?”

Point to a corner of the room and a subtle red light indicates a recording camera. At once, she pulls out a hose from a pocket that could not fit it and the vacuum submerges the room with noise. Her expression shifts quickly to serious.

“We don’t play games here in SMTOWN unless it’s SuperStar so don’t fuck with me.”

“Look who's trying to be a comedian. How about you fuck with me any further and the video gets released.”

“That’s funny, you think you have any sort of power-”

“Yoo Jimin, I suggest you don’t push me more.”

“Where do you know that name from? Right now.” She weighs herself down on your neck.

“You think I don’t have contingencies for if I die too? Karina, we can make this a  win-win scenario. We both get to cum, we both get to walk away unscathed.”

“Fuck you.”

Your weak arms wander between her thighs. At any moment, a feeble punch towards your face or another ten seconds of asphyxiation and she could call your bluff. Even if you did have the ability to expose her perversions in any way, there would be no permanent recourse, not as long SM was in charge. So it surprises you when Karina takes off her shorts. 

“Goddammit. Your cock just looks too good. And your mouth, how are you so good with it?” Put up five fingers when she motions to remove her top as well, and instead she opts to take off your clothes, seizing your pants and throwing them to join the rubble in the room.

A finger slips in, then two and a third dares. Her flawlessly architected pussy lips clings to your digits and Karina shudders in reply. You explore her wetness and find it’s smooth to the point of having no faults, but her juice inside is gloppy and causes your fingers to stick more than the liquids she spills from her slit.

“Who said you’re allowed to have more?”

You lap up the nectar on your fingers. “Then why’d they make you taste so good?”

Your thumb teases her sweet tight asshole and puts just the slightest amount of pressure on it while you finger her with more intensity. The mass of her butt burdens your torso the closer she gets to orgasm. Her eyelids squeeze close and you see her body ripple in anxious pleasure. Karina shows off her pearly whites, teetering on the cliff of hysteria.

“Yes, yes! I’m so close,” she screams.

"Not yet."

“Fuck." Karina sobs, "God. Damn, fuck I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just fuck me.”

“My pleasure,” you say. There’s no need for you to grab her since she brings herself down to your groin, which you’re thankful for as your arms are as good as jelly now. Fortunately, your cock throbs as hard as ever while Karina’s slit rests on it.

“Say you’ll delete it all, all the evidence, promise me.”

“You’re gonna fuck me first or what?” Your breath hitches while she makes a strangled noise as her velvety walls swallow your cock whole to leave no room for comfort. Her tightness is stifling and you have to start counting just to breathe again.

“One two-”

“Be quiet.”

But there is no quiet when pleas for your cooperation intersperse her excessive profanities when she seats herself into your cock and ricochets up and down. Sweat emanates from her creamy skin while her legs widen to find a better angle for her supporting knees in her cowgirl position. Grapefruit and other citrus mingle with the scent of the sweat, fruits you haven’t seen except on billboards in music videos. As much as your mind crackles and your blood roars for every atmosphere of pressure Karina’s walls provide on each thrust in and out, you can’t help but reminisce on sweeter, more innocent times.

The white fluorescent lights in your apartment sputter. For all the advancements in technology, some among many things never change. Light refracts differently in air, less bright, but you can see the pure enjoyment on Karina’s face no matter the luminescence. Karina slows her ride to pull her hips down harder instead and she jolts when your cock finds the most tender spots inside her pussy and it interrupts her babbling.

Karina almost hyperventilates when she gets up to spit on your cock. She pulls out some kind of meter from her tool belt and sighs when there’s no beeping and you recognize it having to do with carbon dioxide. She gets back to dribbling saliva and the filament trailing down to your shaft mesmerizes you. This spit is real, not simulated, and it wettens your erection in a mix with her pussy juices to paralyze you further in your already listless state. Her bare thighs jiggle and you can’t exert much force with your hands but her buttcheeks are firm with just a bit of give.

“Thank you for this cock, thank you for being bad,” Karina says as you watch her ass sink deeper while her pussy holds your dick taut. She’s frenetic when bounces up and down to play an unadulterated orchestra of slick noises between your groins.

“You’re welcome,” you accomplish getting out the words between planned breaths. Your hands cup her buttcheeks but you fear they may break with how she strikes her ass into you.

Karina turns around once more to give you the spectacle of her facial expressions as she fucks herself into you. Knead her calves laying on your torso and they take no energy to spread them though she brings them back together, compressing your hard shaft within her pussy. A new game you play with her, a separate rhythm of loosening and tightening. Her feet press on your chest to help her bounce, but the way they bear down on your lungs against the timing of your breathing causes you to fumble. Your cock bends straight forward as she plunges herself into you and it sends prickles to your entire skin, making the new angle difficult but worth it. Karina takes your hand and starts sucking on your fingers.

“You want my promise that bad?” you say.

“Yes, as bad as I want your cum. I swear, I need it.”

She draws her knees up to her torso and hugs her legs to keep thighs as tight together as possible. Karina couldn’t keep her word, she was trying to kill your cock with constriction.

“Fuck, your pussy is so fucking tight. God, Karina, fuck. You’re so good.” Even if good isn’t the word you want to use to describe her.

“Do it, please, please. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, baby. Karina can be a good girl, a good maid, a good cop, whatever you want. Just don’t get me in trouble, please.”

Karina’s mouth stops saying words though her lips writhe, drunk in increasing lust. Her cheeks flush, before the rest of her skin joins in redness while she grapples your chest and whatever spare limb she can find. You still struggle wresting control of your body but nature seems to take over when you drive yourself into her and match her needy cadence. The air in the room is replaced by a new air but it isn’t Aether. Passion, sweat, heat and all fluids that you both exude join squelching sounds, slaps and moans in harmonic bliss when her body tenses and she screams. As her body tightens, her pussy especially holds your cock for dear life and endeavours to wring out all your semen as her wetness throbs and spills. Karina starts counting to three repeatedly and you laugh though your amusement quickly subsides when you feel her juices become more viscous and she continues her ride, even in the dying pulses of her climax.

“Was I good?” Karina asks.

Just a moment goes by before you mentally send her a screenshot of all the recordings being deleted. Karina hasn’t stopped fucking you yet so at least it wasn’t a ploy.

“Thank you, thank you, I love you.” The flexion of her pliant legs brings them all the way back to rest on top of your legs. Karina lays prone above you and finally give you a kiss. The citrusy flavor may be closer to lime than grapefruit but it’s been so long that you can’t remember which scent is which. Lips crash and her tongue lashes out at yours trying to establish dominance. Keep still to let her investigate your mouth while her pussy does the same to your shaft.

You savor the way Karina’s top emphasizes the bouncing of her tits synchronous with the rebounding of her waist on your cock, but your mouth waters when she frees them. Take the shortest moment to relish in the sight before Karina smothers you with her plump globes. You wriggle your face to try to breathe. Inhale, up and exhale, down, but all you inhale is the scent of her orbs’ sweat. Her hips undulate with a pace at least double yours breathing and the echoes of slapping flesh resonate throughout the air-filled chamber. The loudness is unlike any you’ve experienced in a long time. It’s almost a flashbang every time her ass slams into your lap, especially as you start to see white when orgasm threatens to overload you with preludial pulses.

The last words you hear infected ten million computers in 2000. Fade to black. Cut. You’re slammed out of existence back into existence as a sun rebirths both within you, heating your core to a dangerous high, and from your eyes, dazzling you in an unforgiving white light. In the throes of unconsciousness relapsing to consciousness back to tenebrosity, your streaks of semen suspend in the Aether like a dead tree resting from the wind. What flashes your mind in its orgasmic state are two things only you would remember, plants and weather. Your hyperventilation is unconscious but not unwelcome, as it’s the first time in a while your breaths were reflexive even in the liquid air. However, basking in your newfound power, you start to choke. Right. You breathe in and out again. In and out. In. Out. In. Out. Back in.

“Replaying KarinaArrestsYou.mp6.” A hint of vexatious glee in the system’s otherwise dry voice. You don’t stop for it.

✦✧✦✧✦✧ 

AFF, AO3

It’s pretty silly but the idea danced around in my head ever since I saw the absolute Black Mirror concept that SM had for aespa and I concur that Karina is insanely hot.

As I’m writing this, this Kurzgesagt video on the idea of a rogue Earth comes out and now I have to rewrite stuff to make it at least a little consistent. I’m obviously already going nuts with all these ridiculous sci-fi concepts but this video almost feels too targeted to me writing this for me to ignore it.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Speech Writers

( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord ) The politics of the universe hold just as much sway as the governing laws of nature themselves in the distant future. With the passage of a few laws empires rise and crumble in the ever changing cosmos like the changing of the tides with the Draconian Empire as a prime example.

Spanning 17 star clusters and ruling over nearly 83 different worlds they were considered the prime super power of the galaxy at the time. Their fleets numbered in the thousands and their armies the millions of professional soldiers ever ready to take up the banner of conquest.

Most neighboring civilizations had either been wiped out from fruitless attempts at military defiance against Draconian expansion or had negotiated unfavorable deals to secure their independence with the empire.

Such was the scale of the military that equally as large was the governing body that oversaw the day to day functions. Legions of clerks and data archivists researched and gathered data for additional armies of legislators, governors, senators, and high council members and even the royal family themselves as a sea of information and statistics flowed daily over the span of light years.

To be a member of such a labyrinth of government was to be a one of many; a cog in a machine whose purpose is so far reaching that one risks being buried into the depths of obscurity.

And such we find regional overseer V'tet Darorn of Sector 12.

Unlike many of the Draconian species, he was not considered normal by many measures. While other of his species were thick with muscle and scales of such redness they made blood look pale, his frame was slender and his scales appearing as a rust red. Where other's wings on their back were full and strong, easily able to carry them high into the sky, his wings had developed a genetic deformity that made them extremely painful to fully open and thus remained closed.

V'tet had obtained a seat on the overseer council for sector 12 of the empire more through family connections and contributions to the empire then by initial skill. That was to say he was not dedicated and hard working, but in the grand mechanisms of the governing powers of the Draconian Empire new comers rarely gained more higher postings. This frustrated V'tet as he had developed new ideas that would push the power of the Draconian Empire to even greater heights, and yet was never able to sway his fellow council members to vote with him leaving him in a state of limbo.

That was until fate saw fit to intervene and introduce V'tet to one of the strangest people he had ever known.

Her name, was Rayah Amari. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The council chamber was a vaulted circular room of black stone and a vaulted ceiling made entirely of stained glass. Each piece of glass was from a different world under the domain of the Draconian Empire with the piece in the middle being made from the very planet beneath their feet.

At the center of the room was a descending pyramid built into the floor with levels of chairs and desks for each of the some several hundred council members to sit. At the very bottom stood a pillar known as the "Speaking Stone" which any council member must mount to earn the right to address the council. Not only was it symbolic, it also weeded out the weak as whomever mounted the stone would be gazing upwards at all of his fellow members and feel the weight of their gazes baring down on their every word.

Though any council member could mount the stone to speak, not many could handle such a matter save for several of the most senior members whose years of experience had numbed them. Indeed, some of the newer council members would go so far as to attempt to bribe senior members to mount the stone for them to push forward their motions with promises of wealth and political support.

It had been rare for a new council member to last long atop the stone and so it was quite the surprise when young V'tet began his descent from the stony steps towards the speaking stone.

As he passed by others he would nod a greeting or shake a hand but his descent was never stopped until he reach the bottom level.

Obrik and Htvala stood before him and blocked his path to the stone. Together they were the most senior members of the council and their respect was such that they had warranted seats beside the speaking stone itself.

"Come to propose your new plans once more?" Obrik's voice was a low grumble, like that of thunder rolling over the distant hills.

"You should let us speak in your stead." Htvala's voice was of a higher pitch which made him sound far younger than he actually was.

V'tet smiled. "Thank you, but I shall be fine."

He moved to get around them but Obrik stood in his way once more.

"Think carefully young runt." His tone dripping with smug superiority. "You wouldn't want to make your proposal and choke at the last moment."

Htvala snickered. "You never were one for words; it's not too late to make us an offering."

"You are both most generous, but I shall be fine." V'tet side stepped once more and approached the speaking stone.

"I've recently hired someone to take care of my short comings." he said as he slowly clambered up the stone. As he climbed the stone the murmur of conversation surrounding him slowly died away until finally he stood atop the stone and saw every council members eyes fixed on him.

He stared up at as many councilors he could as he slowly turned on the spot taking the grandeur in before stopping to read some of his notes on a scribbled piece of paper, to which Htvala and Obrik chuckled.

As if ready, V'tet set his notes and papers down and clasped his hands behind his back.  

"When I was a child," V'tet began, " I considered taking my own life."

Whatever the councilors had been expecting this was certainly not it and a rush of gasps filled the chamber.

"Doctors had told my parents that my disease would only grow worse with age and eventually I would never be able to spread my wings again."

He began slowly pacing atop the stone while the eyes of every councilor were glued to him.

"Can you imagine it?" He asked, stopping in place and spreading his hands out to his colleagues. "To be blessed with the gift of flight only for it to be taken from you; to never feel the rush of air beneath you nor the softness of clouds against your scales ever again?"

Several of the councilors reached for their own wings while some flexed them instinctively.

"So when I learned that one day this would be taken from me I went to the tallest cliff I could find and planned to leap from it." V'tet stood at the edge of the speaking stone as if reenacting it, the tips of his feet hanging off the edge. "I planned to feel the rush of wind one last time before I faded away to join the eternal glide of our ancestors."

"I leaned forward over the edge," he spoke as he too began leaning over, " and just as I was about to plunge into the void once again my father came from behind and pulled me back." He spun in place and took several steps back to the center of the stone.

"He looked at me and said "What madness has taken hold of you?" to which I replied that I knew what would become of me,  that I knew what the disease would take from me."

He stopped and put his hand to his head and pinched his brow and he appeared as if holding back emotions. After several seconds passed in silence V'tet spoke again.

"My father knelt beside me and put his hand on my shoulder and said "My son, just as the clouds are ever changing so too must we; for to remain stagnant as a mountain is not our way."

"He took hold of me in his arms and to my surprise leapt with me over the edge I had nearly fell from mere moments before." V'tet was circling the stone now, his arms wide in motion as if gliding through the air as he captivated the council. Obrik and Htvala looked on and scoffed at the seemingly childish antics unbecoming of a councilor.

"As he carried me in his arms as we flew home he spoke to me words I have carved into my heart. He said "Every problem we face will always have a solution, even if it was one we had never considered.""

V'tet stopped and spread his arms once more to the chamber.

"I tell you this story as now our great sector faces problems that even now seem impossible." V'tet's gaze wandered over the councilors as he spoke. "Our citizens earn less and less with each passing cycle while prices soar ever higher making their goals ever farther from their reach; but do not despair!"

V'tet's voice rose and he smashed his clenched fist into his chest. "For as my father taught me and as each of you know in your hearts there is no problem that we Draconian can not over come!"

A chorus of approval cam from a few of the councilors and some even clapped.

"When the Yupori war machine invaded did we cower behind our walls?"

"No." was cried out by several councilors who had served during the Yupori Crisis Wars.

"When our very sun spat ever growing deadly belts of radiation, did we flee from this sector with our tail between our legs?"

"No!" came a chorus of councilors who served the trade commission that had made countless negotiations with numerous other political bodies to import a rare element so powerful it stabilized their sun in a matter of weeks, saving billions from lethal radiation.

"And when our very own surrounding sectors sought to steal our glory and present them to the emperor himself, did we allow such a travesty of justice to unfold?"

"NO!" was the reply of some hundred councilors who served as the old guard who had stopped a plot from sectors 11 and 13 to mislead quota reports to make them appear more beneficial to the empire when in reality sector 12 had out performed both sectors combined.

"NO!" V'tet shouted. "When impossible tasks have been set before us we Draconian haven risen to meet each and every one of them; and we have emerged victorious in each and every one!"

The councilors were now cheering as they became swept up in their achievements, V'tet's words filling them and swelling them to the brim with pride.

V'tet was in full motion now, as if he was a hurricane made manifest that sought to sweep every councilor present up in his gale. "This challenge of wealth is not some monumental undertaking, nor is it some impossible task, not even is it something we should hide and fear from the very discussion of!" V'tet was staring directly at Obrik when he said this as Obrik had been the one in the passed who had pushed for delaying talks of economic reform in favor of the current system.

"No my fellow councilors, my conquers of the impossible, my defiers  of the very fates themselves!" V'tet turned back and faced the massed audience. "This is but another marker for the very foundation of our greatness!"

The cheers were much louder now and several dozen councilors now were standing and clapping their hands while Obrik and Htvala's eyes narrowed at V'tet.

"For as my father told me I now tell you all!" V'tet stopped his speech and appeared to be in pain. The cheers and applause died down as the councilors wondered if something was wrong when they noticed V'tet's wings twitching.

Slowly and with painful bellows V'tet cried out as his wings shakingly stretched out. The creaking and breaking of muscles and bones reverberating up through the chamber until even the lowest members could hear the pain.

Finally, through gasping breaths shaking hands, V'tet stood proudly at the center of the speaking stone with his wings fully outstretched.

"Nothing is impossible for the Draconian!" V'tet roared and the chamber erupted in jubilation as nearly every councilor stood to their feet and cheered the young councilor.

-----------------------------------------------------

"I heard you put on quite the performance."

V'tet looked up from his files and smiled.

"Given by these messages of support I would say so."

V'tet had returned to his office some hours later after the council finished for the day. After his speech the days discussions had been shifted to tackling the economic problems facing the sector with almost laughable ease.

His companion had been waiting for him in his office and it was her he now enjoyed the quite evening with. She sat comfortably across from his desk swirling a caramel liquid in a crystal goblet.

"I could almost hear the applause from here." Rayah Amari said as she smirked and took a sip of her drink.

V'tet set down his data pad and stood up from his own chair to face the window behind him.  The view overlooking much of the city from the council chambers to the slums of the grit district.

"I still find it hard to believe that your speech worked."

"Don't sell yourself short." Rayah quipped, finishing her drink before pouring another. "You did well reading it and going through the motions."

V'tet shook his head and looked at her. "I have given speeches before, yet none of them have ever been as impactful until I hired you to write them."

"I am but a humble word smith." She raised a glass to him and relaxed back into her chair.

"Now who is selling themselves short?" V'tet said as he sat back down and poured himself a glass.

"I've read your previous speeches; they were decent enough but they failed to sell capture you audience."

"How do you mean?" V'tet looked puzzled at her remark. " I laid out the facts clearly for all to understand."

"But it lacked spectacle and flare."

V'tet must have still appeared confused because Rayah leaned forward and pointed her glass to him.

"Arguments made with reason are good, but there is a time and place for them." she said. "You were making your case before you even got in the door, and no one wants to listen to the ravings of a man on the street."

"Then how did your building get me inside?" V'tet asked.

"By blinding them with emotion."

"Emotion?"

Rayah grinned. "When people feel emotions while listening to something they immediately become more invested in it, regardless of what it is." She put down her glass and cracked the sore muscles in her neck.

"My speech opened with something known to every Draconian, your wings." She motioned to his which had folded back tightly behind his back. "Every Draconian has them and uses them and deep down fear what would happen if they couldn't use them."

V'tet nodded at this, as not a day had gone by that he did not think of his wings.

"You lure them in with a tale of sadness, but you end it with a high not; a moment of inspiration that things will be better."

"Is this important?" V'tet asked, to which Rayah nodded. "Despite what some people think the majority of the population likes a happy ending."

"Next we stoked the pride of the people you would most need the support of." She held up a single finger.

"Mentioning military pride ensures you will have support from a few of their members as they enjoy being seen as proud defenders of their people, regardless of the problem they face."

She held up a second finger. "The merchants and money lenders who are often overlooked now have been moved front and center as their support will be helping the people, which will in turn boost their image and importance thus giving them a stake in your venture."

She held up a third hand. "The old guard who would most likely be opposed to change. By mentioning the previous clashes with neighboring sectors we've shifted their focus to what is best for the empire; something they are more likely to support given their national pride."

V'tet nodded as he followed along. "So by making each of these parties feel something, and giving them a reason they could benefit from it; the speech ensnared them?"

"I wouldn't say that," Rayah said as she finished her drink and set the glass down, "but it got them interested enough that their own imaginations will begin painting pretty pictures of what could be if this succeeded and they were the ones who most contributed."

Hearing this strategy V'tet was not ashamed to say he was impressed beyond measure that a single speech could have such depth of underlining themes and sentiments.

"Hiring you was one of my best decisions yet it seems." he spoke as he smiled to her.

Rayah shrugged. "I've had of practice with using emotions back home. You'd be surprised how often I could get people to vote against their own interests."

"Then I look forward to a long and mutually profitable cooperation." V'tet said as he raised his glass to her.

"As do I councilor." Rayah said with a devilish smile crossing her face. "As do I."

[globalindian]

How Aziz Ansari is redefining South Asians on American TV

He's clever and amusing, and he's also a Golden Globe winner. Meet Aziz Ansari, an actor of Indian descent and an influencer who has made a name for himself in Hollywood. With whatever project he chooses, whether it's Master of None or Saturday Night Live, Ansari has been busy establishing a discussion against racism and demolishing preconceptions around South Asians.

When Aziz Ansari began his career as a stand-up comedian in local bars, he had no idea that he would one day become the face of change on American television. The Emmy winner, who is on Forbes' list of highest-paid comedians, is showcasing diversity in the best possible light. This is the story of a Global Indian who made history as the first South Asian actor to win an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Love for comedy

Ansari was born in America to Tamil immigrant parents and raised in South Carolina by a gastroenterologist father and a gynecologist mother. He was immersed in the performing arts from an early age and began attending dance courses as a child. Ansari excelled in extracurricular activities while attending the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, a public boarding school for outstanding kids. Ansari discovered stand-up comedy at New York University, where he was a major admirer of Chris Rock, and began doing open mics at local bars. While he went to classes in the mornings, he spent his weekends handing out flyers to tourists in Times Square, encouraging them to come to his events.

His stand-up earned him a free late-night engagement at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in the mid-2000s, which was a hotbed for emerging alternative comedians. It was here that Ansari met his future partners Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer. To make ends meet, Ansari worked a day job at an internet marketing company while channeling his talent into his show. The trio developed their debut series, Shutterbugs, with Huebel and Scheer as partners. By this time, Ansari had begun to get noticed, and in 2005, Rolling Stone included him on its list of "Hot Standup" comedians. His first TV debut on ESPN Classic's Cheap Seats and then a memorable cameo in HBO's Flight of the Conchords worked in his favor, and a year later, when Ansari won the Jury Award for Best Standup at HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival, everything started to fall into place.

But it was Ansari's role as one of the main characters on Parks and Recreation that proved to be a game-changer for him – he starred in the seven-season program as one of the main characters. His performance drew critical acclaim and won him the top spot on the list of TV MVPs. Ansari split his time between television, Hollywood, and stand-up comedy tours for the following four years.

Racism in entertainment

Despite being a well-known figure on television and in films, Ansari has had to deal with racism in the entertainment industry. "Even though I've sold out Madison Square Garden as a standup comedian and have appeared in several films and TV series, when my phone rings, the roles I'm offered are often defined by ethnicity and often require accents," he wrote in a New York Times OpEd about the lack of diversity in the entertainment industry.

The show that catapulted Ansari to fame

Ansari's professional trajectory was ready to change in 2015, with another opportunity set to vault him into the league of the elite in the entertainment industry. Ansari put his wit and humor to paper once more with Netflix's Master of None, a program that the New York Times praised as "the year's best comedy straight out of the gate." Ansari was praised for busting stereotypes about Asian men and showcasing diversity for two seasons, purposefully using the platform to give voice to problems like racism, sexuality, feminism, and appropriation. With $9.5 million in earnings, Ansari made his debut on Forbes' list of Highest-Paid Comedians in the same year.

Because of the show's enduring success, even award shows couldn't ignore it, and Ansari was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. Ansari made history when he became the first Indian origin South Asian to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series the following year. Ansari broke the glass ceiling once more two years later when he became the first Asian-American actor to win a Golden Globe for acting on television.

[notbecauseofvictories]

And because I've been pouring over a STAGGERING fraction of your blog in general, and saw a question about Star Wars and Daemons... Do all the clones have different daemons? What happened to Anakin's daemon after his little stint in the lava? And what in blazes is PALPATINE's daemon? (my first thought is a centipede - oddly regal with shining chitin, so like a snake in speed and agility, but far from what people expect) And now I even wonder if the Empire has OPINIONS about Daemons.

I’m very tempted to say the clones don’t have daemons, and that’s how the Republic justifies using sentients as cannon fodder against the Separatists. But I think they’re probably just very similar—vaguely the same size (big enough to hold its own in a fight, small enough to live in cargo holds and star destroyers), the same shape (mostly dogs, but some birds of prey, a few mammals, the occasional lizard), the same color (half a dozen shades of white, off-white, ecru and bone).

Occasionally you’ll get a clone whose daemon settles in something impossible—a brightly-colored fruit-eater, or a huge bantha. They were always objects of fascination and derision from the other clones, and there was a lot of speculation as to what that meant. The Kaminoans wrote a very well-received paper about it, Outlier Daemon Presentation in Humans Under Biological and Social Controls; it won the prestigious Kaa’thic Award for breakthrough sociological research. 

(Their methodology section had been particularly interesting—in particular, they were commended on their thoroughness when it came to the ethical disposal of biological research material.)

Palpatine has a spotted hyena. When he was in the Senate, it was claimed this was because he was a social creature, with all the Republic for his clan. When he was Emperor, they remembered that the dominant female hyena is a despot, and willing to do violence to keep her place. Either way, he was a corpse-eater, and dangerous.

Anakin’s daemon isn’t—dead. (Can you use the word “dead” if you’re still alive, hunched over the little pile of gold dust disappearing into the ash of Mustafar?) Afterwards, Anakin went full panserbjørn, tenderly gathered up the gold dust and volcanic ash and smelted it into armor. If you catch him in just the right light, you can see it—a seam of gold running through the black.

[swissmissficrecs]

Are there fics where in Harry (John's sister) is among the main characters?

Reply: Certainly, although knowing me, the main focus is still on Sherlock and John but Harry has a significant role in these:

A Study in Spherification by mistyzeo (58K, E, Johnlock) John Watson has been out of work for eighteen months after his last restaurant, Fifth Northumberland, burned to the ground in a kitchen accident. He's more than ready for a new project, but who wants to open a restaurant with a washed up celebrity chef who can't even hold a knife anymore?

Attribute Nothing to Fate by recreational (37K, E, Johnlock) A journey to Italy calls up old desires, but John Watson, trapped by the social conventions of his time, is not prepared to give in to temptation and change his life forever. It takes someone else to do that for him. A homage to E.M. Forster’s ‘A Room with a View’.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (36K, E, Johnlock, Harry/Clara) Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger.

Cracks in the Wall by [orphaned] (83K, E, Johnlock) After losing his mother to illness, John's family must figure out how to move on with life.  John finds comfort in a place he never expected.

Fearful Symmetry by irisbleufic (22K, E, Johnlock, Harry/Clara) Sherlock turned again, staring, eyebrows high enough to hit the ceiling.  "Given the choice, why on earth would you spend your birthday with your sister?"  John took another sip of tea. "Because it's her birthday, too."

Four Funerals and a Wedding by Susan (12K, E, Johnlock, Harry/OFC) The story of John and Sherlock or Nothing worth having is ever easy.

God help me, I do by PlainJane (90K, E, Johnlock, Mollstrade) A consulting detective, two doctors, a forensic pathologist, a DI, a senior citizen, a recovering alcoholic and the British government walk into a register office... Cases, chuckles, angst and lots of good loving on the journey to one very unconventional wedding day.

How I Impregnated Your Mother by Mildredandbobbin (50K, E, Johnlock, Harry/Clara, Mollstrade) Sherlock and John are together and things are good, great even...except...Sherlock's in a one sided competition with John's dead wife, John hasn't proposed yet, and now Harry and Clara want Sherlock and John to father their children.

Hushabye Mountain by blueink3 (15K, T, Johnlock, Harry/Clara) Harry and Clara welcome a new addition to the family. Or, the story of Lucy Watson-Collins' birth and how Uncle John nearly murdered Uncle Sherlock in the middle of Lenox Hill Hospital's maternity ward.

John Watson and the Three Spirits (aka A Ghost Story of Christmas) by PipMer (18K, T, Johnlock, Mollstrade, Harry/Clara) John hadn’t planned on becoming a grumpy old man. Well, he wasn’t old quite yet. But he wasn’t getting any younger, and as he thought back on his life so far this Christmas Eve, he was coming up with a lot of regrets.

May Your Heart Purr Like a Bumblebee by destinationtoast (14K, M, Johnlock) In which Harry is the biggest John/Sherlock shipper: Harry Watson is back from rehab and temporarily staying with John and Sherlock.  She and John warily begin to rebuild their friendship, and then she makes some observations about her little brother and his flatmate which throw John entirely off balance.

Mise en Place by azriona (161K, M, Johnlock) John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn't have much choice. There's only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes.

(More Than) Flesh and Bones series by Jezunya (127K, M, Johnlock, Harry/OFC) A post-Reichenbach, zombie apocalypse, Johnlock story told in three parts.

Pater Noster by SilentAuror (34K, E, Johnlock) During the autumn that John is staying at Baker Street again after Sherlock was shot, he ruminates over the similarity between Sherlock's shot and the one that killed his father when he was fifteen. Cold case meets series 3 fix-it.

Performance In a Leading Role by Mad_Lori (156K, E, Johnlock) Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world? (Also its sequel, Lifetime Achievement.)

The Case of the Fleeing Frenchman by PenelopeWaits (26K, E, Johnlock) Captain James Watson and his son John have been protecting each other and their beloved Harriet for years.  Where will true safety reside when a handsome sailing ship and her haunted captain arrive and he makes a shadowy proposal?

The Case of the Meddling Siblings by destinationtoast (36K, M, Johnlock) Mycroft and Harry Watson team up to send John and Sherlock on a case to distract a Sherlock who’s been pining after John.  And Harry, at least, is determined to get the boys together.  Two sets of Holmes & Watson shenanigans ensue. (post-S2 AU)

The family you choose yourself by Zaeris (60K, M, Johnlock, Harry/Clara) Sherlock has come back and John finds himself unexpectedly forced into the role of father while he struggles to make sense of his feelings about his eccentric flatmate and his plans for the future. Luckily he's got some well-meaning friends to help him along the way.

The Heart in Him by azriona (44K, M, Johnlock, Harry/Clara) Three years after Sherlock fakes his death, he receives a text from Mycroft telling him it is time to come home.  But the text doesn’t give the whole story.  Not by half.

The Horse and his Doctor by khorazir (128K, T, Johnlock, Harry/Clara) Invalided after a run in with a poacher in Siberia, veterinary surgeon John Watson finds it difficult to acclimatise to the mundanity of London life. Things change when a friend invites him along to a local animal shelter and he meets their latest acquisition, a trouble-making Frisian with the strangest eyes and even stranger quirks John has ever encountered in a horse.

The Measure of a Gentleman by i_ship_an_armada (67K, E, Johnlock, Mollstrade)  It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a partner. Less universally acknowledged is that a single man in possession of very little in the way of fortune may be in want of a partner as well, but John Watson had little time or energy to devote to his own wants or needs... Enter one Mr Holmes...

The Song Nobody Knows by Laur (78K, E, Johnlock) If Sherlock could take John Watson back to his cave, he would keep him alive as long as possible. He would collect rain water and sea weed and fish to feed him, and he would keep him warm with his soft feathers. In return John Watson would answer all of Sherlock’s questions. Yes, Sherlock would keep him, his own little mystery to unravel. Eventually, though, the human would die, as they always did, and Sherlock would have to eat him, like he always did.  This was much more interesting.

Wild About Harry collection by PlaidAdder (397K, T, Johnlock, various others) This started as a post-Reichenbach fic and turned into a series in which Harry Watson is a repeating character. John and Sherlock get together in the first story ("Empty Houses") and thereafter it's either developing relationship or established relationship. Most of this is casefic and long, but there are a few shorter ones. [This is actually two separate series. You don’t need to read all of the stories in order.]

[fishmongeringstudies]

twenty three: after the end of the song the singer's voice travels down the hallway into the room at the other end, where god is braiding a skein of light into your hair

it's a five minute walk from the apartment in singapore to the subway station. after exiting the building, take a right, wait for the red light to turn, then keep walking until you see a sleek gray building rising out of the pavement at the end of the path. the station is underneath. take the escalator, elevator, or the stairs. all three of them will dispense you in the same wide underground space with the polished marble floor. buy a ticket or three. walk through the gantry. head down another flight of stairs, and then another, until you arrive, at last, at the promised place.

i'm told america is a country of cars. since the invention of the gas-powered vehicle in 1886 it has been unable to rid itself of this idea, this dream of flying, faster than light being chased out of the sunset, through suburbs, cities, and towns, and so to prove its ephemeral strength to an audience which wasn't looking, the distance between each grew wider. the average american spends nearly an hour behind the steering wheel each day. in the spring my friend told me, while picking a grilled cheese sandwich apart with a fork, that he drove eight hours to get to college.

it takes less than an hour to drive from one end of singapore to the other. if the traffic is good and you don't get lost in the central business district, staring down week-old acai joints and cafes full of shimmering mass-produced wall decor, it could take less. it took me an hour and a half to crawl from the west coast to the east on a weekday morning. i went by train, bus, and foot.

motion proves existence. if i can bring this body to five different points on a map then i have left a mark on all the places in between, in each footprint pressed into the soft dirt of each route. to exist in confinement is to be visible from one place only. and that place is hell.

this morning the elevator smelled like someone threw up in it. when i stepped inside with my laundry hamper slung over my shoulder i didn't notice the smell because i was too busy making brief but awkward eye contact with the other person who had been waiting for the elevator, who whispered once the door slid shut in a voice like ginger ale poured over a bed of pearls, 'first floor?' then pressed the button with a manicured nail. the elevator dumped us on the first floor and we walked off in opposite directions. after dumping a week's worth of sticky summer heat in the wash, i came back. and so did the smell of vomit.

today is saturday, which means last night things happened in this building that i don't know about and have no desire to look into. at about midnight i heard someone screaming from some distance away and looked outside to see a skinny figure tearing down the sidewalk that led up to our dorm, pinwheeling their arms like a madman or a pigeon with a bad case of flight anxiety. they sounded like someone had put the rosetta stone through a voice distortion program. behind them, out of sight, came the echo of high-pitched, shrieking laughter. after a moment, they stopped swinging their arms and turned to stare back down the empty, moonlit path. WHAT'RE YOU LOOKING AT, HUH? they bellowed, like a god. i looked away from my window.

they say college is about trying things you will regret and doing them with a brand of stupid fearless pride unique to the peculiar creature that we call the college student anyway, because nineteen year olds don't know what fear looks, sounds, or tastes like. the logic behind this is as follows. the corporate workplace doesn't tolerate individuality on principle, so if every kid's going to have an obligatory three hour long soul-searching indie film shot about their life then they might as well do it in a controlled setting along with a thousand other kids who are going through the same thing. some of them may be film majors. in which case, your indie film will be very good. some of them may be engineering majors. in which case your indie film will be very bad. regardless, you're guaranteed to come out of your choice of higher education money-making machine with something to tell your parents that'll make them bawl their eyes out and send you, cherub-cheeked and smiling, to your room.

they say college will change your life. i know because i said it. i wrote a poem about it. when i was eighteen i said i was going to take a bottle and a bottle-opener and then i was going to hop on a plane to america and then- fireworks and stars. the disneyland effect. step through these gates and all your anxieties will go away. everyone will live forever. your grandfather doesn't wish you were dead. and magic, oh, magic lives right here, under the skin of the clavicle, where all wishes are made. mouth on neck. a resuscitation activity.

but someone needs to cut the grass. each morning at eight a man in a green vest takes a lawnmower and drives it up and down the football field across from this building. the lawnmower is loud. it reverberates in my head and makes it hard to concentrate on pretty much anything, so i get out my earplugs and i sit there in the static and resign myself to half an hour of nothing. i can only begin to imagine what it must be like to be the person sitting there, at the heart of all the commotion, making eight am on a saturday morning sound like a symphony orchestra. and then i stop trying. because imagining pain is nearly the same thing as feeling it. because our brains know how to do more than they're worth. we could replace the imagination with a photograph and a virtual-reality headset and it wouldn't live up to half the stuff that goes on behind the eyelids, to the cinematic masterpiece that we wake up to each morning. this is why we tell such good stories. this is also why we struggle to finish them.

this morning i woke up with a turquoise ocean on my tongue. in my sleep i walked to the end of the world, where a single island stood guard over a sliver of sea so bright it hurt my eyes to look at it. the island was populated with ferns and palm trees and flowers in shades of pink and silver, brimming with a vitality that stood frozen in a motif of life itself, the ferns not swaying, the flowers empty of bees. it looked like a place you went to die. we stood there staring at this snapshot of death until my mother and sister got up and began to run back towards the center of the world, to its beating red heart, and i scrambled to catch up to them but everything in my backpack had fallen out somewhere in between reaching this raft of terror and stopping to look up at the gray sky and i began to panic. i bent over to pick up notebooks, pencils, a crumpled water bottle, all the while begging the others to wait for me. just give me a minute. just give me a little more time.

under the assumption that people can and always will hurt other people, every relationship becomes a matter of discerning who will make the first cut and who will be the one left standing on stage, clutching a bloody arm and calling out for a friend who cannot reply. even the other half of your soul, narrated as such by the poets, can seek to end you. after all, self-destruction is in vogue again. it is the ultimate act of defiance against a state obsessed with keeping its citizens alive in the most horrible ways possible. it is also, always, unexpected.

under the assumption that life is a three hour long indie film about self-discovery, everything you do cannot and will not be held against you when you are twenty-eight and your boss digs up the old paper trail of who you were in college, unless you buried a body in the backyard with your best friend, freshman year. people change people change people. change. people change. people fall into rabbit holes and emerge with new hands, new eyes, new teeth. people do things. every day, we wake up and we make the decision to do things. sometimes the thing is going to the park. sometimes the thing is making breakfast.

either way, we are performing miracles. because motion is about dislocating yourself from the socket, about cutting the person out of the painting; even if you put them back in the same painting, the act of returning tips the scales significantly in favor of the heart. which beats, through all of this strange, repetitive violence, down the elevator, down the path that leads to the subway that you haven't been on since the start of february, when you believed in no one but yourself. little has changed since then. but you understand now. you are not heading for the promised place. you are the promised place; you are a promised person. you promised yourself when you were born that you would live to see the grass grow out after a long, dry winter. and now here you are, ready to live it all.

06.12.21

[greatworldwar2]

• Hanna Reitsch

Hanna Reitsch was a German aviator and test pilot. Along with Melitta von Stauffenberg, she flight tested many of Germany's new aircraft during World War II and received many honors. She set more than 40 flight altitude records and women's endurance records in gliding and unpowered flight, before and after World War II.

Reitsch was born in Hirschberg, Silesia (today Jelenia Góra in Poland) on March 29th, 1912 to an upper-middle-class family. She was daughter of Dr. Wilhelm Willy Reitsch, who was ophthalmology clinic manager, and his wife Emy Helff-Hibler von Alpenheim, who was a member of the Catholic Austrian nobility. Hanna grew up with two siblings, her brother Kurt, a Frigate captain, and her younger sister Heidi. She began flight training in 1932 at the School of Gliding in Grunau. While a medical student in Berlin she enrolled in a German Air Mail amateur flying school for powered aircraft at Staaken, in a Klemm Kl 25. In 1933, Reitsch left medical school at the University of Kiel to become, at the invitation of Wolf Hirth, a full-time glider pilot/instructor at Hornberg in Baden-Württemberg. Reitsch contracted with the Ufa Film Company as a stunt pilot and set an unofficial endurance record for women of eleven hours and twenty minutes. In January 1934, she joined a South America expedition to study thermal conditions, along with Wolf Hirth, Peter Riedel and Heini Dittmar. While in Argentina, she became the first woman to earn the Silver C Badge, the 25th to do so among world glider pilots. In June 1934, Reitsch became a member of the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS) and became a test pilot in 1935. Reitsch enrolled in the Civil Airways Training School in Stettin, where she flew a twin-engine on a cross country flight and aerobatics in a Focke-Wulf Fw 44. At the DFS she test flew transport and troop-carrying gliders, including the DFS 230 used at the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael.

In September 1937, Reitsch was posted to the Luftwaffe testing centre at Rechlin-Lärz Airfield by Ernst Udet. Her flying skill, desire for publicity, and photogenic qualities made her a star of Nazi propaganda. Physically she was petite in stature, very slender with blonde hair, blue eyes and a "ready smile". She appeared in Nazi propaganda throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. Reitsch was the first female helicopter pilot and one of the few pilots to fly the Focke-Achgelis Fa 61, the first fully controllable helicopter, for which she received the Military Flying Medal. In 1938, during the three weeks of the International Automobile Exhibition in Berlin, she made daily flights of the Fa 61 helicopter inside the Deutschlandhalle. In September 1938, Reitsch flew the DFS Habicht in the Cleveland National Air Races. Reitsch was a test pilot on the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber and Dornier Do 17 light/fast bomber projects, for which she received the Iron Cross, Second Class, from Hitler on March 28th, 1941. Reitsch was asked to fly many of Germany's latest designs, among them the rocket-propelled Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet in 1942. A crash landing on her fifth Me 163 flight badly injured Reitsch; she spent five months in a hospital recovering. Reitsch received the Iron Cross First Class following the accident, one of only three women to do so.

In February 1943 after news of the defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad she accepted an invitation from Generaloberst Robert Ritter von Greim to visit the Eastern Front. She spent three weeks visiting Luftwaffe units, flying a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch. On February 28th, 1944, she presented the idea of Operation Suicide to Hitler at Berchtesgaden, which "would require men who were ready to sacrifice themselves in the conviction that only by this means could their country be saved." Although Hitler "did not consider the war situation sufficiently serious to warrant them...and...this was not the right psychological moment", he gave his approval. The project was assigned to Gen. Günther Korten. There were about seventy volunteers who enrolled in the Suicide Group as pilots for the human glider-bomb. By April 1944, Reitsch and Heinz Kensche finished tests of the Me 328, carried aloft by a Dornier Do 217. By then, she was approached by SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny, a founding member of the SS-Selbstopferkommando Leonidas (Leonidas Squadron). They adapted the V-1 flying bomb into the Fieseler Fi 103R Reichenberg including a two-seater and a single-seater with and without the mechanisms to land. The plan was never implemented operationally, "the decisive moment had been missed."

In her autobiography Fliegen, mein Leben Reitsch recalled that after two initial crashes with the Fi 103R she and Heinz Kensche took over tests of the prototype Fi 103R. She made several successful test flights before training the instructors. "Though an average pilot could fly the V1 without difficulty once it was in the air, to land it called for exceptional skill, in that it had a very high landing speed and, moreover, in training it was the glider model, without engine, that was usually employed." In October 1944, Reitsch claims she was shown a booklet by Peter Riedel which he'd obtained while in the German Embassy in Stockholm, concerning the gas chambers. She further claims that while believing it to be enemy propaganda, she agreed to inform Heinrich Himmler about it. Upon doing so, Himmler is said to have asked whether she believed it, and she replied, "No, of course not. But you must do something to counter it. You can't let them shoulder this onto Germany." "You are right," Himmler replied. During the last days of the war, Hitler dismissed Hermann Göring as head of the Luftwaffe and appointed Reitsch's lover, von Greim, to replace him. Von Greim and Reitsch flew from Gatow Airport into embattled Berlin to meet Hitler in the Führerbunker, arriving on April 26th, as the Red Army troops were already in the central area of Berlin. Reitsch and von Greim had flown from Rechlin–Lärz Airfield to Gatow Airfield in a Focke Wulf 190, escorted by twelve other Fw 190s from Jagdgeschwader 26 under the command of Hauptmann Hans Dortenmann. In Berlin, Reitsch landed a Fi 156 Storch on an improvised airstrip in the Tiergarten near the Brandenburg Gate. Hitler gave Reitsch two capsules of poison for herself and von Greim. She accepted the capsule.

During the evening of April 28th, Reitsch flew von Greim out of Berlin in an Arado Ar 96 from the same improvised airstrip. This was the last plane out of Berlin. Von Greim was ordered to get the Luftwaffe to attack the Soviet forces that had just reached Potsdamer Platz and to make sure Heinrich Himmler was punished for his treachery in making unauthorised contact with the Western Allies so as to surrender. Troops of the Soviet 3rd Shock Army, which was fighting its way through the Tiergarten from the north, tried to shoot the plane down fearing that Hitler was escaping in it, but it took off successfully. Reitsch was soon captured along with von Greim and the two were interviewed together by U.S. military intelligence officers. When asked about being ordered to leave the Führerbunker on April 28th, 1945, Reitsch and von Greim reportedly repeated the same answer: "It was the blackest day when we could not die at our Führer's side." Reitsch also said: "We should all kneel down in reverence and prayer before the altar of the Fatherland." When the interviewers asked what she meant by "Altar of the Fatherland" she answered, "Why, the Führer's bunker in Berlin ..." She was held for eighteen months. Von Greim killed himself on May 24th, 1945. Evacuated from Silesia ahead of the Soviet troops, Reitsch's family took refuge in Salzburg. During the night of May 3rd, 1945, after hearing a rumour that all refugees were to be taken back to their original homes in the Soviet occupation zone, Reitsch's father shot and killed her mother and sister and her sister's three children before killing himself.

After her release Reitsch settled in Frankfurt am Main. After the war, German citizens were barred from flying powered aircraft, but within a few years gliding was allowed, which she took up again. In 1952, Reitsch won a bronze medal in the World Gliding Championships in Spain; she was the first woman to compete. In 1955 she became German champion. She continued to break records, including the women's altitude record (6,848 m (22,467 ft)) in 1957 and her first diamond of the Gold-C badge. During the mid-1950s, Reitsch was interviewed on film and talked about her wartime flight tests of the Fa 61, Me 262 and Me 163. In 1959, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru invited Reitsch, who spoke fluent English, to start a gliding centre, and she flew with him over New Delhi. In 1961, United States President John F. Kennedy invited her to the White House. From 1962 to 1966, she lived in Ghana. The then Ghanaian President, Kwame Nkrumah invited Reitsch to Ghana after reading of her work in India. At Afienya she founded the first black African national gliding school, working closely with the government and the armed forces. The West German government supported her as technical adviser. Reitsch's attitudes to race underwent a change. "Earlier in my life, it would never have occurred to me to treat a black person as a friend or partner ..." She now experienced guilt at her earlier "presumptuousness and arrogance". She became close to Nkrumah. The details of their relationship are now unclear due to the destruction of documents, but some surviving letters are intimate in tone. In Ghana, some Africans were disturbed by the prominence of a person with Reitsch's past, but Shirley Graham Du Bois, a noted African-American writer who had emigrated to Ghana and was friendly towards Reitsch, agreed with Nkrumah that Reitsch was extremely naive politically. Throughout the 1970s, Reitsch broke gliding records in many categories, including the "Women's Out and Return World Record" twice, once in 1976 (715 km (444 mi)) and again, in 1979 (802 km (498 mi)), flying along the Appalachian Ridges in the United States. During this time, she also finished first in the women's section of the first world helicopter championships. Reitsch was interviewed and photographed several times in the 1970s, towards the end of her life, by Jewish-American photo-journalist Ron Laytner.

Reitsch died of a heart attack in Frankfurt at the age of 67, on August 24th, 1979. She had never married. She is buried in the Reitsch family grave in Salzburger Kommunalfriedhof. Former British test pilot and Royal Navy officer Eric Brown said he received a letter from Reitsch in early August 1979 in which she said, "It began in the bunker, there it shall end." Within weeks she was dead. Brown speculated that Reitsch had taken the cyanide capsule Hitler had given her in the bunker, and that she had taken it as part of a suicide pact with Greim. No autopsy was performed, or at least no such report is available.

[rwby-necro-au-archive]

Sooo for fics, maybe family fluff with Mandy and the kids? They deserve some fluff.

Yeah! I believe they do!

(This takes place when Oz, Qrow, and Glynda are kids)

Stars

“All right kids, do you have all of your snacks ready?” Mandias called from inside the living room

Glynda responded happily, “Yep! I’ve got mine!”

“Same here, although my popcorn is still in the microwave.” Qrow called from in the kitchen

Mandias took notice to the lack of response from one, “Ozzy what about you?”

The shorter boy emerged from his room and replied deadpanned, “I’m not hungry.”

Mandias smiled and shook his head “That’s ok, not a requirement to get any snacks.”

Once the 4 had gotten everything they needed, they walked up several flights of stairs until they reached the roof of the apartment complex, there were many other necromancers, some adults, some children.

Today was the simple celebration of Lights Out, a time in which Vale shuts off its power to the lights and lets its citizens take a break from the TV and electronics to go run about outside and socialize about with others.

The crowd started chanting and counting down excitedly until the lights would go out. The kids weren’t entirely sure why everyone was so excited but they were slightly excited themselves.

Once the lights turned off there were ooh’s and ah’s at the sight. It truly was a sight to behold! The night sky, plastered with beautiful, shining, and sparkling stars on a background of gorgeous deep dark blues and purples. Mandias always used to come back into Vale during this time to see the sight that was this one, it was one of the things that brought him comfort, even if he could see this whenever he wanted.

Although, he was a bit curious to the kids reactions.

“So, I feel as if I have to ask, why are you all so fascinated with the stars? With the sunsets and sunrises, the blue skies?” Mandias questioned the 3 with a gentle smile.

Glynda was the one to answer, looking down as she did so, “Atlas has a lot of big factories. Big, unregulated, factories. The more of those you have, the more pollution is in the air. So basically, Atlas never had any clear skies because of all the pollution.” She explained.

Mandias grimaced slightly, “Of course. Leave it to Atlas to leave something so dangerous unregulated. As if that city needed to be anymore dangerous than it already is.” He thought bitterly.

But now wasn’t the time for that. He just wanted to enjoy the kids reactions and the night sky. He looked over to the boy standing next to him and noticed something, something different. It wasn’t amazement or awe, but it wasn’t disgust or distaste either.

It was confusion, mixed with a neutral feeling.

To say he was surprised at Ozzy’s reaction would be much more than just a lie. Ozzy never saw the sentimental value in anything like this, which wasn’t to say that he didn’t see the sentimental value in anything, but this was one of those things that he couldn’t understand why people liked it so much.

To Ozzy, it was just stars. Flaming spheres of gas floating in space at night. Nothing special about it. Sure, it’s a pretty view, but that means nothing when you’ve lived a life like Ozzy has.

When you live in that situation for so long, it can be hard to see why anyone would bother themselves with something so seemingly insignificant.

Mandias smiled anyway though, not a forced smile, but one with an idea. “You don’t understand what’s special about it, do you.” Mandias spoke quietly to him.

Ozzy grimaced as he looked down below at the people on the streets, “Not really…..sorry…”

His response earned an eyebrow raise from the former king, “For what?”

“Well, I know you, birdie, and glyn all like this stuff a lot, and then here I am, just kinda ruining it…” He continued to avoid eye contact.

“You aren’t ruining anything. And I’ll tell you what, I find your views to be refreshing sometimes. Excessive positivity isn’t always a good thing. But neither is excessive negativity. And even thought you’re neither, having more realistic views of the world, I still think it would benefit you to try and look for good things, you know?” Mandias explained.

Ozzy tugged at his hair a bit, a nervous habit, as he sighed “Yeah, it’s just, hard.”

He nodded, “Would you like me to explain them to you?”

“What?” Ozzy asked

“The stars. I know plenty about them, so would you like me to explain what I know to you?” Mandias explained.

“Oh.” He looked back up at the sky, “Sure, ok.”

Mandias smiled and began to speak, “Well, stars in many different cultures represent many different things, in some, it’s seen as the spirits of those who have died and moved on to the afterlife, in others, they’re seen as sentimental beings serving as workers for a god. There are many different interpretations. But what I, and what I believe you, will find fascinating is that people were able to look at these clusters of lights and see an image in them.

It’s not quite known when people identified these constellations but they have significant meanings to people, take astrology for example, stars signs, rising signs, constellations, and planet placements are all very important to people to practice astrology.

A few constellations that you may have heard of are Rosaria’s crest, Falu’s tears, and Verditer.”

“Oh.” Was all Ozzy could manage to say in response. It was a lot to learn, and it was fascinating how people could look at these tiny dots in the sky and see an image.

Mandias observed the sky silently for a moment before speaking once more, “Actually, you can see the constellation Zaffre right there.” Mandias proceeded to point to the sky and outside the stars that made up the constellation.

Ozzy was amazed, star-struck even. “Woah. So….you can see them from everywhere?” He asked hesitantly.

“Yes, although it would have to be at different times of the year if you wanted to see them in Atlas or Vacuo.” He explained.

Suddenly, the lights came back on. The crowd on the roof groaned in irritation at the sudden attack of light. Soon, everyone started filing back into the apartment.

Mandias sighed, slightly disappointed “Oh well, we can talk more about that some other time,” he turned to the 3 kids, “Let’s go back inside and eat dinner shall we?”

“Awww yeah dinner time!” Qrow said excitedly as he rushed back into the building, Glynda soon rushed after him as to make sure he didn’t do something stupid. Leaving Mandias and Ozzy behind, they both laughed at the twos actions.

He turned to Ozzy, “that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“People are weird sometimes, I mean, I’m a person, so I’m weird sometimes too, but they kind find shit in even the smallest things.” Ozzy states, mildly fascinated, but more curious than anything.

Mandias laughs “I suppose we are! But hey, something to thing about.”

Ozzy nods, “Yeah.” He mumbles, looking towards the door back into the building.

“Now then, let’s go make dinner before Qrow decides to destroy the kitchen, what would you like?” Mandias smiles.

He laughs before thinking for a moment, “Cheese baked potatoes?” Ozzy looks back up at the former king.

He smiles “Sounds great to me.”

[fandomfindings]

Fallon

Pairing: (David Dobrik x Reader)

Word Count: 1.2k

Warning(s): None

Summary: David Dobrik imagine where the reader is mentioned during his interview with Jimmy Fallon. Along with him marrying Ms.Nash, the topic of you two getting married comes up, which throws you for a loop. 

Link to the Interview

__________

"What did I miss?" You asked Natalie as you returned from the bathroom and to the side of the stage.

You were currently in New York and on set for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. David was making his late-night show debut and you being a supportive significant other, you just had to be there.

"Nothing much. Jimmy and David just started talking about him marrying Ms.Nash." Natalie answered, and just as she did, you heard David talking about how it all began.

"I was sitting in the car with him, and he told me I would never find love, and so," David started, but was cut off by members of the crowd awing at what Jason said.

"He was just joking. He's a funny guy," David assured, causing the audience to chuckle.

Then he continued with his story, "I think it was that same night, I booked a flight to Boston, where his mother lives, and I proposed to her. I surprised her, and I proposed to her, and she was very confused. But when I told her that I want to become my buddy's stepdad, she was 100 percent in, and she thought it was the greatest thing," said David, almost rambling. To you, he was clearly nervous, but he was still excited.

"How old is she?" Jimmy asked before David could continue.

"I think she's 75 or 76," David responded, the crowd finding this funny.

"Yeah, so we flew to Vegas, and we got married there," your boyfriend further explained as Jimmy pulled a picture of a newly married David and Ms.Nash from his desk.

"Yeah, that's us getting married. She's so cute. She's so cute."

Jimmy started laughing and slapping on the desk before asking, "How cool is she to do this, by the way?"

"Oh my God, she's the best," David replied simply.

"So, now you're your buddy's stepdad."

"Yeah. So, after Vegas, I quickly took her to Hawaii. This was like all within three-four days without my buddy knowing. So I took her to Hawaii, and then we came back."

"You went on a honeymoon?" Jimmy interjected.

"Yeah, we went on a quick honeymoon," David responded as if it was the most normal thing to say. The crowd breaks into another laughing fit.

Jimmy laughs as well before commenting," You really commit to a bit."

"Yeah, he thought I was gone for work, and then I came back, and I showed him all the papers that I'm like legally now his stepdad. And everyone had a good laugh, so it was definitely worth it."

"Are you still currently married?" Jimmy interviewed.

'No, I got a divorce."

"Aw," Jimmy said despite his laugh that followed.

"Yeah, and that took me like six months to, like, get it alluded. It took like a really long time to go through all that paperwork," David mentioned, causing you and Natalie to huff at almost the same time. You both remember that time as if it was a horror movie. Those few months were a struggle, to say the least.

"Oh my gosh."

"Yeah, with all the lawyers and stuff, it was just a pain in the ass."

"Isn't that the truth," You mumbled to Natalie, causing her to stifle a laugh.

"So while all this was happening, you were dating someone else?" Jimmy asked once the audience's laughter died down.

"Uh yeah, I was and still am dating Y/N L/N," David answered, causing the audience to cheer and applaud at the mention of your name. The audience's excitement caused a smile to spread across your face.

"And how did Y/N take all of this?"

"Honestly, really well! David exclaimed, causing the audience and Jimmy to laugh once again.

Once David could be heard again, he continued, "We share a similar sense of humor, so we both agreed it was hilarious and therefore worth it," he explained.

"Have you both talked about marriage since then?"

"We have a bit, but nothing set in stone. We’re both still pretty young, so we have time. I do see us taking our relationship to that step one day, though."

David's confession though shocking you a bit, did bring another smile to your face. Like he said, you both had talked about it, but you didn't think it was serious. As the thoughts racked your mind, you feel Natalie nudging you jokingly as she wiggled her eyebrows. You rolled your eyes and turned back to the interview, just in time to hear Jimmy crack a joke.

"Without the divorce, of course," Jimmy joked, causing David, the audience, and yourself to laugh.

"Oh yeah, no. I am not going through that paperwork again."

"David Dobrik, everybody! We'll be right back with more Tonight Show." Jimmy ends, shaking David's hand as the show cuts to commercial. This being David's last segment, he hugs Jimmy before leaving the stage and over to you and Natalie.

"Babe, you did great, I don't see why you were so nervous," You said, bringing him into a tight hug.

"Did I? I feel like my voice cracked a lot, and I messed up some words."

"Only a little," You said, causing David to huff in annoyance at himself.

"Hey, look at me, you did fantastic," You reassured, placing each of your hands on the side of his face.

"Thanks," David mumbled before placing a kiss to your lips.

After he got over his minor mistakes, he was in a better mood, especially when you said you would get him Chiptole before heading to your hotel.

Once there, you and all the squad who joined you in New York got ready for a night of clubbing and partying.

As you got dressed, you decided to ask David about what he said during the interview."Can you honestly see us getting married one day?"

"Yeah, of course. We talked about this," David said calmly, barely looking up from his phone. Evidently, to him, it was apparent he meant what he said, but you were still a bit confused.

"I didn't know you were genuine," You stated, trying to catch his eye in the mirror you were getting dressed in front of.

"Of course, I was serious, David reassured, finally looking up from his phone and to you. You both made eye contact in the mirror before you decided to turn around and face him.

"You sure you're not just using me to become a citizen," You joked, crossing your arms defensively. Unfortunately, David decided to joke back by not responding to what you said. He only pursed his lips and blatantly avoided eye contact with you.

" David!" You yelled.

"I'm just kidding," He said, laughing and rising from his spot on your shared bed. David brought you in for a tight embrace, his arms around your waist.

"You better be," You threatened vaguely.

"And if I wasn't?" David wondered, challenging your supposed threat.

"Then I won't marry you," You stated without hesitation.

"Harsh. Don't play with my heart like that."

"Then don't play with mine. Come on; we have to go. Everyone is probably waiting for us," You said as you tried to remove your boyfriend's arms from around your body.

"Let them wait," David whispered before bringing you in for a lustful kiss. You easily reciprocated but went against it once David started making moves towards your neck.

"Nuh-uh, save it for the wedding night," pulling away from David's embrace and him out of the room grudgingly.

__________

Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love David and the Vlog Squad. Considering I recently watched him on The Tonight Show I took it as the perfect opportunity to write about him. Feel free to let me know what you guys think!

Lots of Love <3

[tabloidtoc]

Entertainment Weekly, December

Cover: Wandavision -- Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision 

Page 1: Contents, Melissa Gilbert on the Little House on the Prairie Set in 1977 

Page 3: Sound Bites -- special holiday edition 

Page 4: Editor’s Note 

Page 6: The Must List -- Between the World and Me 

Page 8: The Orchard by David Hopen, Freaky 

Page 9: Chris Stapleton -- Starting Over 

Page 11: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir, Let Them All Talk 

Page 12: Batman/Catwoman 

Page 13: Nomadland 

Page 14: Soul, December Games -- Marvel’s Spider-man: Miles Morales, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Immortals Fenyx Rising 

Page 16: My Must List -- Kenan Thompson 

Page 19: First Take -- Bob Odenkirk in Nobody -- the Better Call Saul star plays an unlikely action here complete with a bloody good makeover in this thriller about a family man who decides to seek revenge after a break-in 

Page 21: Pedro Pascal and Christian Slater -- We Can Be Heroes 

Page 22: Cover Story -- Wandavision a wonderfully weird send-up of sitcoms of the past is Marvel’s key to the future 

Page 30: Untold Stories: Holiday Movies Edition -- an oral history of The Family Stone -- Thomas Bezucha, Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, Dermot Mulroney, Tyrone Giordano, Brian White, Craig T. Nelson, Claire Danes

Page 36: Making the Scene -- The Muppet Christmas Carol -- fans of the Muppets’ 1992 take on Scrooge know a key scene is missing from the DVD version and it’s now the most beloved number ever left on the cutting-room floor, Closet Confidential -- Bridget Jones’ Diary -- Colin Firth and director Sharon Maguire reveal the secrets behind Darcy’s ugly sweater 

Page 37: The Merriest Movies Years Ever -- Jeremy Arnold the author of the TCM book Christmas in the Movies: 30 Classics to Celebrate the Season reveals why 1947 and 2003 were prime years for yuletide films 

Page 38: Role Call -- Mary Steenburgen -- the Oscar winner is a holiday movie MVP and here we look back at the roles that put the Mary in Christmas 

Page 39: Behind the Music -- The Preacher’s Wife -- Whitney Houston’s rousing 1996 film boasts one of the all-time great Christmas movie soundtracks and producer Mervyn Warren tells how it came together 

Page 40: Investigation: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? It’s the debate that won’t die: does Bruce Willis’ 1988 action classic also qualify as a Christmas classic? With the help of some Die Hard alums we’re ready to settle this once and for all -- Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Dermot Mulroney, Zooey Deschanel, Mean Girls -- Christmas got a bit risque in the teen film’s memorial Jingle Bell Rock talent-show performance 

Page 41: 4 Things You Didn’t Know About Love Actually -- we actually unearthed some new tidbits from writer-director Richard Curtis about the much-discussed much-beloved Christmas rom-com 

Page 43: 3 secrets from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -- it’s aired every year since 1964 but there are still some things you don’t know about the stop-motion Christmas special, 5-minute oral history -- Elf -- you’d better scurry for the story behind the film’s Baby It’s Cold Outside shower scene by Zooey Deschanel 

Page 44: Shondaland makes its Netflix debut December 25 with the swoony Bridgerton a Regency-era drama inspired by a series of romance novels 

Page 48: The Kane maker -- David Fincher and an all-star cast inhabit Old Hollywood for Netflix’s Manx the riveting behind-the-scenes story of Citizen Kane 

Page 52: In an era of rampant reboots it’s been awfully quiet on the Prairie so EW investigates why it’s taken so long for Hollywood to return to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved town on Walnut Grove in Little House on the Prairie 

Page 57: 2020 Gift Guide 

Page 66: News + Reviews  -- It has spurred sales and served as a balm for concert-starved fans but the best by-product of Verzuz is its celebration of Black excellence 

Page 70: Movies -- from modernized classics to fresh newcomers the Hollywood musical is back in style with a new inclusive look 

Page 73: Indie’s New Queen -- with another major and wild big-screen performance in Black Bear Aubrey Plaza is emerging as an art-house icon 

Page 74: Meet Your Maker -- Alan Ball -- the Oscar and Emmy winner behind American Beauty and Six Feet Under and True Blood brings his most personal project to the screen: the road movie Uncle Frank and here Ball shares his iconic cinematic and literary inspirations 

Page 76: Comedy of My Life: Melissa McCarthy -- the Oscar nominee and Emmy winner flaunts some Superintelligence in her fourth movie directed by husband Ben Falcone 

Page 78: The Shot -- Silver Linings Playbook -- inside the creation of a classic scene 

Page 80: TV -- after years as the grounding force on The Big Bang Theory Kaley Cuoco is now flying high as The Flight Attendant at the center of a juicy murder mystery 

Page 82: Class is back in session on Peacock where Saved By the Bell revival debuts 

Page 83: The Crown 

Page 84: Small Axe 

Page 85: Q+A with Bryan Cranston -- in the limited series Your Honor the Emmy winner is breaking bad again starring as a judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run 

Page 86: Unwrapping Christmas TV movies -- wisdom gleaned from a flurry of winters in Tinseltown 

Page 87: Role Call -- William H. Macy -- as he heads into the 11th and final season of Shameless he looks back on his most iconic projects, epic sci-fi series The Expanse is back with more cosmic chaos in season 5 

Page 89: What to Watch 

Page 96: Music -- Angus Young and Brian Johnson explain how AC/DC are back on track with a new album that honors late bandmate and brother Malcolm Young 

Page 98: Sam Smith 

Page 99: Q+A with legendary P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins sheds light on his new album and his enormous collection of top hats 

Page 101: The Playback -- Joni Mitchell Archives: Vol. 1: The Early Years -- before she became an icon Mitchell was performing at local radio stations and recording homemade demos 

Page 102: A Band You Need to Know -- Sault -- the mysterious U.K. group has dropped two timely album-of-the-year contenders, Stupid Questions with Josh Groban -- the multiplatinum-selling golden-voiced baritone returns with Harmony but can he sing his way out of this comedic jam

Page 103: Epitaph -- Eddie Van Halen 

Page 104: Books -- Ernest Cline returns with Ready Player Two the sequel to his 2011 blockbuster and 2020′s most secretive novel 

Page 106: Comedians Rachel Bloom and Michelle Buteau have new memoirs but first they chat about bullying and Dick Jones and how Julia Roberts likes her eggs 

Page 107: High Anxiety with Cazzie David -- the writer and daughter of OG angster Larry David broadcasts her own neuroses in the essay collection No One Asked for This and here shares her deepest fears 

Page 108: The weirdest year in publishing history wraps up with an all-virtual literary awards season and here we break down the titles with their eyes on the prize 

Page 110: Screenwriter and director ad novelist John Ridley offers an alternative perspective in The Other History of the DC Universe 

Page 112: The Bullseye