#Total Immersion Swimming

[medicalweightloss100]

Common Swimming Mistakes and Easy Fixes for Beginners

Swimming is a wonderful sport that offers countless benefits, but beginners often make common mistakes that hinder progress. One frequent error is an improper breathing technique, which can lead to fatigue and frustration. Additionally, many novice swimmers neglect body alignment and kick efficiency, resulting in wasted energy and slower speeds. By recognizing these mistakes early, learners can focus on proper form and build confidence in the water. Avoiding pitfalls such as overexertion and inefficient strokes is crucial for a successful swimming journey.

To correct these issues, beginners should consider seeking professional guidance and practicing regularly with proper drills. Focusing on rhythmic breathing and maintaining a streamlined position can greatly improve performance. Swimmers are encouraged to use kickboards and fins to enhance leg strength and coordination, while instructors can provide personalized feedback. Incorporating elements of “total immersion swimming” can also offer valuable insights into refining techniques without overexertion. Developing a training routine that emphasizes technique over speed ensures steady progress. Consistent practice, combined with attention to detail and willingness to learn from errors, transforms common mistakes into opportunities for growth. With determination and the right support, every swimmer can overcome early challenges and enjoy the lifelong benefits of efficient, confident swimming. Regular practice, patience, and commitment paved the way to mastering every stroke perfectly for long-term improvement consistently.

Master the Basics: Ultimate Top Gear & Proven Techniques for Success!!

Swimming success starts with a strong foundation, and having the right gear plays a vital role in enhancing performance. Beginners often underestimate the importance of quality equipment such as goggles, swim caps, and well-fitting swimsuits. Moreover, mastering fundamental techniques like proper breathing, body positioning, and streamlined glides can dramatically improve efficiency. This phase of learning is crucial, as it sets the stage for advanced skills and prevents common injuries. Focusing on the basics allows swimmers to develop muscle memory and build endurance steadily in every training session.

Investing in reliable swimming gear and consistently practicing proper techniques can transform a novice into a skilled swimmer. Regular training sessions that emphasize both equipment use and technique refinement foster greater confidence and performance in the water. Coaches and experienced swimmers recommend starting slowly and gradually increasing intensity to ensure long-term progress. Experimenting with different gear options and workout drills helps individuals discover what best suits their unique style. Whether in a pool or open water, attention to detail and a commitment to improvement are the keys to unlocking one’s full swimming potential. By dedicating time to practice and investing in expert advice, swimmers steadily progress toward excellence and enjoyment in every lap.

How Private Swimming Lessons Improve Technique and Confidence

Private swimming lessons offer a personalized approach that helps individuals refine their strokes and build self-assurance. One-on-one coaching allows instructors to identify weaknesses and provide targeted feedback, enabling learners to correct mistakes quickly. By focusing on technique, such lessons foster better body alignment, breathing patterns, and kick efficiency. This individualized attention not only accelerates progress but also minimizes the risk of injury. The tailored guidance empowers swimmers to overcome challenges and enjoy the process of learning in a supportive environment.

Taking “private swimming lessons” creates a focused learning experience that adapts to each swimmer’s pace and style. With regular sessions, students develop improved coordination and build endurance while receiving constructive critiques that inspire confidence. Instructors often integrate modern training techniques and technology to monitor progress and adjust workouts accordingly. This customized coaching approach results in faster improvement compared to group sessions, as every drill is designed to address individual needs. Additionally, private swimming lessons help reduce anxiety in the water, enabling swimmers to feel secure and motivated. Over time, consistent practice under expert supervision transforms basic skills into advanced techniques, fostering both physical and mental growth. Swimmers eventually gain the assurance to experiment with new methods and push their limits further steadily.

Dive Into Success: Training Routines, Tips & Tricks for Every Swimmer!

Effective training routines are essential for swimmers aiming to improve speed and technique. Developing a balanced regimen that includes warm-up, drills and cool-down phases can optimize performance and prevent injuries. Swimmers who incorporate interval training, endurance laps, and strength exercises tend to progress faster and achieve better results. Attention to detail during each practice session ensures that techniques are refined and habits are built over time. Embracing a structured workout routine motivates individuals to set clear goals and measure improvement consistently.

Designing varied workouts that target different muscle groups enhances overall performance in the water. Coaches recommend alternating between sprint drills and long-distance laps to develop both speed and stamina. Utilizing technology, such as heart rate monitors and video analysis, further improves technique and tracks progress. Consistent training, combined with rest days for recovery, leads to sustainable improvement and reduces burnout. A well-rounded approach, which includes flexibility exercises and strength training, prepares swimmers for competitive challenges. By committing to a diverse training schedule and frequently updating routines, athletes can push their limits and continuously evolve. This systematic strategy not only boosts physical fitness but also cultivates mental toughness and discipline. Focused coaching and adjustments ensure long-term success in competitive swimming with unwavering commitment.

Advanced Techniques: Elevate Your Swimming Skills with Pro Methods Now

Advanced techniques are key to unlocking peak performance for swimmers ready to move beyond the basics. Focusing on power, precision, and endurance, experienced swimmers incorporate drills that enhance stroke efficiency and agility. Top athletes distinguish themselves by mastering flip turns, underwater phases, and proper pacing. This level of training demands rigorous practice and careful analysis of every movement in the water. Dedicated athletes invest time in understanding biomechanics and applying innovative methods that elevate their skills to new heights.

Advanced training sessions often include video analysis, resistance exercises, and specialized coaching to fine-tune every detail. Swimmers learn to harness their strength through targeted workouts and interval training, while also emphasizing recovery and flexibility. By exploring cutting-edge techniques and embracing technological tools, athletes can monitor progress and adapt strategies effectively. This comprehensive approach fosters not only physical improvements but also mental resilience in high-pressure competitions. With persistence and a commitment to excellence, swimmers can transform their technique and outperform their previous limits. Continuous learning and regular feedback from seasoned coaches create a competitive edge that drives long-term success in the sport. Focused determination and structured practice ultimately yield remarkable results and inspire swimmers to reach unprecedented performance levels with unwavering commitment.

Discover Swim Better: Premium Private Coaching for Aspiring Swimmers!!

Swim Better offers premium private coaching that transforms your swimming experience. Expert instructors provide personalized feedback and structured training programs tailored to individual needs. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete, the focus is on refining technique, building endurance, and enhancing overall performance. The unique approach of one-on-one coaching fosters rapid improvement and instills confidence in the water. Each session is designed to challenge you while maintaining a supportive environment, ensuring that every swimmer can thrive and overcome obstacles.

At “Swim Better”, every detail is meticulously planned to maximize improvement. Training sessions combine modern techniques with proven methods, including video analysis and targeted drills that address specific weaknesses. The personalized coaching style adapts to your progress, ensuring each workout is both challenging and rewarding. Clients benefit from flexible scheduling, a supportive community, and expert guidance that focuses on long-term development. With a commitment to excellence, Swim Better’s coaching not only improves speed and technique but also instills a passion for the sport. Embracing innovative practices and continuous feedback, you will experience accelerated progress and gain the skills necessary to compete at higher levels. Focused coaching and unwavering support drive significant improvements every single day for remarkable, lasting success.

Final Insights: Embrace the Joy of Swimming and Achieve Your Goals Now

In conclusion, the journey of mastering swimming is filled with challenges and rewards. From correcting common mistakes to embracing advanced techniques, every step contributes to personal growth and athletic excellence. Reflecting on progress, swimmers learn the value of persistence, discipline, and continuous improvement. This sport not only enhances physical fitness but also nurtures mental resilience and confidence. Whether through private lessons or dedicated practice, each effort brings swimmers closer to their goals and dreams in the water.

Achieving excellence in swimming requires a blend of hard work, innovative training, and a positive mindset. Athletes are encouraged to set realistic targets. Embracing both successes and setbacks is part of the learning process that refines skill and determination. Continuous education from coaches, peer support, and personal reflection contribute to long-term success. With every lap, swimmers build endurance, refine their techniques, and develop the mental fortitude to tackle new challenges. This journey is not solely about physical ability, but also about enjoying the process and finding joy in every stroke. Ultimately, the passion for swimming drives individuals to constantly improve and achieve remarkable feats. Every rigorous practice session and lesson contributes to reaching one’s highest potential.

[omnomnomdomcaps]

All Game No Life (Remastered)

Another Halloween, another lovely opportunity to explore the bewitching, twisted, and the spooky of ab/dl fiction. This one was a collab with @drdaddy19, who you should totally check out!

To the adoring viewers, she was the legendary Kamiya254, a strategy-minded master of simulation, role-playing, and puzzle games. In reality, she was Steff, a dean’s list college student and star track athlete. And Steff was bored.  

She had conquered all the popular titles, besting many of her rival streamers - and never letting them forget it. But wanted a new challenge, and so she asked her followers for a suggestion - something deep and immersive, something she'd never seen before. And luckily, one of them had just the pick. 

From the moment she started Doctor D's Infinite Playground, Steff was impressed by the colorful aesthetic and creative level designs. The puzzles were wacky, the world was full of rich detail, and the play was simple and addictive. There was just one problem - her character sucked. 

Steff was baffled. How was she supposed to navigate through the world and solve puzzles with a character that couldn't even walk, or talk to the NPCs? Did she really have to crawl through every level? So she asked her follower for help - the same one who suggested the game - and he delivered. 

It all came down, he pointed out, to a hidden menu for character customization, and Steff was stunned when she saw how easy it looked. There was no request for payment, no gold or gems or progress required. All it took was a simple press of an "Upgrade" button with a large red "WARNING!" underneath it. 

It seemed too good to be true. And sure enough, when she pressed it, the girl felt an electric shock. 

"Well, this is new," she remarked, trying to shake off the odd sensation. Somehow, though, it only made the game seem more intriguing, and if that was all she had to pay to upgrade, it seemed like a great deal. And so, Steff brushed off her dull headache as the result of too much playing, and pressed on with her powered-up character, easing through the next few levels as she was finally able to move around comfortably and gather information from the other characters. 

That night, she bought herself a stuffed animal. She didn't know why - it just felt right. 

Steff was completely hooked. She kept upgrading, zooming through levels as her character gained ability after ability, learning to jump, drive, swim, and even sneak around undetected in the game world. All the while, her pile of stuffies grew, and her bedroom transformed from a simple gaming den to a pink and pastel wonderland. 

Of course, as she was quickly becoming incapable of realizing, the boosts in her character’s abilities and intelligence were coming at the cost of her own. As she went deeper and deeper into the game, she started to falter at those track meets she once dominated, finishing 4th, then 10th, then last. Her grades, once top of her class, began to plummet. And her commentary, once full of powerful strategic insight, turned to clueless, childish babble - something her viewers seemed to enjoy tremendously.

By the time she reached Level 38, Steff had to drop out of school altogether, unable to keep up with what her professors were saying. She chalked it up to the time she spent playing, but it didn't matter to her anyway - she had always dreamed of being a full-time streamer, and her follower count was booming.

By level 63, though, the girl was even struggling with getting her console set up. Luckily, a follower volunteered to come over and help her- the same one who told her about the character upgrade hack, the very same one who suggested she buy the game in the first place. The old Steff would never be so naive as to invite over a complete stranger like that, but she had fallen far from the old Steff. 

Her character’s stats and skills were through the roof, but the game’s puzzles were giving her headaches. Even when her chat seemed to insist they were simple challenges that small children could solve, Steff found herself baffled, and if any numbers were involved she would simply give up. Pumping more stats into her character seemed to be her only option, but she swore off the upgrade button after her regular electric shock on level 81 caused her to wet herself suddenly, leaking through her pants in front of all her viewers (who seemed to eat it up).   

Her new friend, though, was more than happy to help, guiding “Steffie,” as he called her, along through the play, reading and explaining text on screen to her, and always checking to make sure she remembered to go potty while streaming. And when he noticed that she kept trying to play one-handed because of a thumb-sucking habit she developed, he was even nice enough to find a pacifier for her to use. She started calling him Daddy, and he seemed to enjoy that. 

And then, she reached level 96. Even with a character capable of flying, punching through walls, and reading minds, it seemed she had no way of breaking through. Frustrated, Steffie banged her fists against her bed, bawling as her chat gawked at her tantrum. But as her daddy pointed out, it seemed the only way forward would be to max out her character completely. 

And so, Steffie went to the hidden menu, and clicked the “Upgrade” button one last time.   

In an instant, everything went blank. The girl spent several minutes sitting on her bed in a stupor, sucking rhythmically on her pacifier as the last remnants of her intelligence were sapped away into the game. When it was done, she collapsed onto the bed in a heap, toppling over her tall can of iced tea in the process. Two puddles immediately formed - one around the can, that had spilled onto the carpet below, and the other around the bottom of Steffie’s short blue dress, as her new lack of potty control made itself readily apparent to her viewers. 

She would keep playing after that - sort of. Her daddy worked through the levels for her, while Steffie just sat and watched, oohing and aahing at the flashing colors. By then, she was nothing more than an oversized infant - she had forgotten how to read, how to count, how to walk and how to talk. She would often giggle as she mindlessly filled her diapers on stream, bouncing and squishing on the bed while her daddy finished each new level. 

But her character? Her character was unstoppable.

****

Image Credit: LittleforBig (IG)

Model: Mercurial Mouse

This picture has been modified from its original version

[ironstrange1991]

You're The Only Good Thing In My Life

Pairing: Doctor!Strange x Fem!Reader

Synopsis: It's Stephen and Y/n's last night of vacation and she decides to claim him as hers before give him back to the world.

Word Count: 4,2k

Warnings: SMUT: unprotected p n v sex, oral with male and female receiving, creampie and cum eating. There is also a bit of jealousy implied.

A/N: This fic was inspired entirely by the song of the same name by the band Cigarretes After Sex. For total immersion I highly recommend listening to it. It's absurdly romantic, a bit sad (?), but very smuty. Hope you like it and have a nice reading.

There were few things in the world that truly left you in awe. One of them was Stephen, of course. The Eifel Tower, the mountains of the Scottish Highlands and the beach at night.

You could stay all night watching the waves hitting the shore, the foam forming on the sand, the smell of the sea air. Of course, all this was very beautiful in daylight when the sea reflected the blue of the sky and the waters shone like liquid sapphire, but at night the sea was endless and mysterious. The blue turned into black crowned by layers of gray foam.

There was nothing more beautiful than that, unless there was a storm on the way. The night sky clear with storm clouds that brings lightning and the sound of thunder in the distance announcing the arrival of heavy rain. That was without a shadow of a doubt one of the most beautiful things you could imagine and it was also the scene in front of you as you sat on the steps in the backyard of the house that Stephen had rented for you to spend a few days on vacation.

After you fought with him because he wasn't paying attention to you, he surrendered and decided to redeem himself with the indecent proposal of taking you to the beach and obviously you accepted.

It was seven days where you barely left the house. That's when you got out of bed. Stephen made sure the house was stocked with everything you needed and even when you wanted something that wasn't there, he always made sure to get it for you within a minute. Of course, being a sorcerer and traveling through portals helped with the task.

But of course you couldn't complain. You had the man you loved by your side all the time and you didn't need to share him with Wong or those annoying spell books. You could spend the whole day curled up in bed or sprawled on the sofa, you could swim in the sea, make love whenever you wanted and as often as you wanted. There in that house you were sure you had experienced paradise and you never wanted to leave.

Yet there you were sitting on the stairs, your bare feet in the sand, listening to the sound of the waves and watching the storm brewing and the lightning cutting across the sky and your chest was heavy knowing that you would have to leave the next morning and return to the reality of your work, as well as sharing Stephen with all the tasks he needed to do for Wong, for the Avengers and for the world.

For a whole week Stephen was just yours and now you needed to give him back.

Of course he could see you were sad. You had been lively and talkative all week and particularly that night you were sitting there quietly alone. You wanted to shake that feeling away, but it wasn't exactly an easy thing. However, when you heard the sound of footsteps approaching and felt Stephen sitting on the step behind you and pulling you to lean against his chest, you sighed, letting yourself be comforted by the only person capable of comforting you.

You closed your eyes for a second, feeling him kiss the top of your head, but you remained silent.

"A storm is coming." He said in your ear, making a point of rubbing his goatee against the back of your neck and as expected, your entire body tingled and he let out a satisfied hum.

"This always works." He pointed out, running his hands through your hair and holding it in a ponytail and then brushing his chin against your skin again. You shivered at the sensation and let out a small chuckle.

"May I ask what you're thinking?" His voice sounded low.

"That I love the beach at night."

"Hmm."

"And that I don't want to leave."

He held you in his arms and something in that hug made you feel that he shared with you that desire to stay there, just the two of you together, free from all routine worries.

"You know we can come back whenever we want." He promised.

"But you can never take a vacation. There's always something you need to do."

He stroke your hair gently and brought his nose closer breathing in your scent. He continued stroking your hair, but didn't say anything.

"What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" You asked, genuinely curious as you watched the night sea.

"You naked in my bed." He teased making you giggle.

"I'm serious, Stephen."

"What makes you think I'm not?"

You chuckled "Okay. Besides that."

He thought for a minute and then hummed to himself as if remembering something.

"The first time I went to Kamar Taj the Ancient One showed me things I had no idea could exist. I was terrified, but those images never left my mind."

"Were they beautiful?"

"Scary, but very beautiful."

You nodded thinking for a second. "I think this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." You pointed to the sea in front of you. "Like this."

"You mean it's not me?" He teased and you grabbed his hand that was firmly around your waist and brought it to your mouth and gave it a small kiss before leaning your face into his palm closing your eyes and confessing.

"You're the only good thing in my life."

He sighed, cupping your cheek and making you turn to look at him. When you did, his eyes were like fire, darkened by what you couldn't tell if it was desire, love, or a combination of the two.

"I promise I won't let work come between us again. I love you. I've never loved anyone but you and I never will."

"Hmm. That's lovely, but as much as I'd love to believe, you can't promise that, Stephen. You're Doctor Strange, the world needs you all the time."

He shook his head. "I don't care. You're the only one that really matters to me."

You smiled, knowing full well that things were more complicated than that, but you decided to let it that way even if just for the night.

You let yourself be pulled towards his lips, surrendering to his hungry kiss and as if the universe was conspiring with you, a thunder resounded louder than the others and the lights went out plunging you both into the gloom of the night lit only by the constant lightning.

Stephen chuckled on your lips and you felt your entire body tingle at the sound. That was the effect he had on you.

"We should go inside before it starts raining." He suggested nibbling your lip, but you shook your head getting up, hiking up your dress to straddle him, sitting back on his lap and wrapping your arms around his shoulders, kissing him again, much harder this time, while grinding yourself in him.

Stephen wrapped you in his arms, surrendering to the kiss with a hum.

"I want you to take me, Stephen. Make me yours."

He smirked glancing at you. "Here on these stairs? What if someone sees us?"

You hummed while giving small kisses on his neck and making his skin prickle.

"There's no one around and to be honest I don't care at all. I just want to be yours."

You lowered your lips to his bare chest, kissing and nibbling, sucking on the skin to mark him. Inhaling his delicious scent. Between your legs, you could feel him hardening. The delicate fabric of your panties and his shorts were the only thing stopping you.

Stephen lolled his head back, sighing, but his grip tightened on your waist. "Oh sweetheart" He moaned "You always get what you want from me, don't you?" He held your chin making you look at him.

"It must be because you think I'm adorable." You smiled proudly feeling his cock twitching beneath you. You were always surprised by how quickly you could get Stephen into that state.

"You have no idea." His lips searched for yours again and he started to move you harder on his lap. His kiss becoming more and more desperate as his desire increased, making him impatient.

"I need to be inside you." He asked between your lips.

You stood up, reluctant to separate from him for even a second. Stephen pulled down the shorts he was wearing and kicked them to the side. You pulled down your panties and let them fall and pool around your ankles, kicking them next to his shorts and Stephen grabbed your hand pulling you back closer to him.

You straddled him and raised your arms for him to take off your dress. The damp wind of the stormy night made your skin prickle and your nipples harden. Stephen grabbed one of them and twisted the other with his fingers, making you whimper and grab a handful of his hair. Your hips moving back and forth making his cock poke into your folds and giving you both just a glimpse of relief.

When he got tired of playing with your nipples, his lips moved up your collarbone, his beard scratching your skin deliciously. He stopped at a point just below your ear and sucked hard on the skin, marking you and making you let out a little moan. He brought one of his hands between you, finally touching you where you needed him the most. His heavy sigh showing his satisfaction at finding you absurdly wet for him.

You pulled him back to your lips as he entered you with two fingers. He moved them in and out slowly, teasing you and making you moan against his lips, feeling the familiar electricity course through your body as the desire increased.

You whimpered still between his lips and he hummed in response knowing full well what you wanted because it was exactly what he wanted too. He grabbed his cock and gave it a couple of jerks and patted your thigh. You raised your hips enough so he could direct his cock at your entrance, but first he ran the tip through your folds, smearing it with your abundant slick and only then placed it exactly where you wanted it.

When you let yourself sink into his dick you felt the delicious stretch that you craved so much. Stephen stretched you so perfectly, his cock felt like it was made especially for you and you never got tired of that feeling and never stopped being amazed at how he made you feel. As if making love to Stephen was the only thing in the world you were sure you were made for.

Stephen groaned at the sensation, grabbing a handful of your hair and pulling you back to his lips, kissing you with the characteristic desperation of when he gave himself over to his own pleasure. You had barely moved and he was already pulsing inside you, begging for his release. You leaned on his shoulders and began to slowly move up and down, gyrating your hips sensually and surrendering to your own pleasure. Stephen wrapped one arm around your waist and grabbed your ass cheek, squeezing it so hard you knew he would leave purple fingerprints on your skin.

"Fuck yes" He moaned making your whole body tingle. "You feel so good, sweetheart. You always feel so fucking good."

You let out a low hum, hiding your face in the crook of his neck, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, your fingers tangling in his hair, pulling it lightly as the pleasure increased.

The thunder rumbled again and with it a fine rain began to fall, but you didn't care about it, in fact you received the cold drops with pleasure, as if they had some magical quality capable of making you even more eager for each other.

Stephen grabbed your ass cheeks with both hands and started helping you with the movements, thrusting up and moving you on top of him with more force and speed.

"Oh god, Stephen..." You moaned, lolling your head back and surrendering to the growing pleasure. Stephen took advantage of the fact that your breasts were on display for him and buried his face between them, nibbling and sucking on your skin. His groans and grunts getting louder and louder as he got closer to his release.

The rain intensified, washing you both with cold water and making you shiver and your hair stick to your back. Stephen's skin, however, was still as hot as before, he was always so warm, and the hot and cold sensation only added to your pleasure. Everything felt perfect, as if nature itself was blessing the love you were making. You closed your eyes, surrendering to the moment.

"Look at me, sweetheart." Stephen demanded. "I want to see when you cum on my cock. I know you're close. I can feel it."

You opened your eyes and bit your bottom lip. You loved knowing that Stephen had complete control over you. That he knew you so well to the point of recognizing each of the signs your body showed him.

"You're so fucking good, Stephen. Cock feels amazing." You praised feeling the knot tightening in your stomach.

Your movements became faster and equally clumsier, the sensuality giving way to the desperation of the search for the sweet release you craved so much. Stephen took complete control, moving you on top of him and thrusting up against your movements and you could both feel yourselves being dragged to the edge, and as the sensation grew dangerously close to unbearable, another sensation took hold of you with the same proportion, a love so great that it seemed like it would make your chest break in two. You doubted anyone could love someone more than you loved Stephen.

"Oh shit, sweetheart, I'm so close. Tell me you can feel it. Don't wanna finish before you."

You cupped his face between your hands, making him look at you and taking back control, putting more force on your hips and moving back and forth, letting the delicious contact of his pelvic bone and hair rubbing against your clit be the final trigger that would pull you into your ecstasy.

And without you needing to announce it, you came hard and the strong contraction of your walls squeezing his cock was enough to pull him along with you and when he finally got there he kissed you like never before, with a little desperation , but with a love so great that it didn't need to be verbalized, but he did it anyway, murmuring on your lips how much he loved you, how special you were, and how nothing in the world could take you away from him.

Your body was shaking on top of his and you didn't know if it was from the force of the orgasm, or the way you were feeling or simply because of the cold rain falling on you, but either way, Stephen wrapped you in his strong arms and carried you inside while outside the rain intensified.

The two of you ended up in the shower together, the hot water was welcomed by your cold skin and although you hated washing your hair at night, you didn't have much of a choice.

Stephen soaped himself quickly and took the lead, taking the opportunity to soap your back, being extra gentle while doing it and giving small kisses in the back of your neck.

"Do you think this will ever subside and we'll become a normal couple?" He asked surprising you. You turned to face him and let the hot water rinse the shampoo from your hair.

"And what would a normal couple be?" You asked, putting some shampoo in your hand and lathering his hair. You needed to stand on your tiptoes to reach his head and he could very well bend down, but instead he preferred to see you struggling because it was adorable. His words.

"You know, sex once a week, sometimes less. Good friends, but not so good lovers." He explained.

You'd be lying if you said you didn't ask yourself the same question sometimes, but you decided to be completely honest in your answer.

"I can't predict the future, but the way you made me feel out there..."

He waited for you to finish what you were saying, but you just pulled him forward, letting the water rinse his hair and dedicated yourself to applying conditioner to his hair and yours.

"What..." He insisted and you sighed cupping his cheek.

"I love you so much. Too much. Sometimes I feel this love crushing my chest or threatening to break it in two and it's a feeling so strong that I know I need to get it out of here and put it somewhere else otherwise I feel I'm going to explode. When we have sex it's like I'm putting my love in the right place. So, I don't see us having sex once a week because where would I put my love?"

You grimaced realizing the whole thing made much more sense in your head then when you said it out loud, but Stephen smiled.  "You're adorable indeed, you know that?" He said pulling you to his lips and kissing you softly.

"You know you can place your love on me whenever you want, don't you?" He teased and you slapped his shoulder.

"Shut up! You were the one who asked."

"And I liked the answer." He defended himself.

You pulled him to your lips, kissing him harder this time, letting the water rinse off what was left of the conditioner, wrapping your arms around his neck and jumping into his lap, wrapping your legs around his waist.

Stephen barely had time to turn off the shower and you were already grinding yourself in him. Maybe that was what made him so crazy about you, you were insatiable and he was the perfect match for you.

He threw you on the bed and filled the room with countless candles he conjured. He lit them with a complicated gesture of his fingers lighting up the room, and then crawled over to you with a beautiful smile on his lips that made your heart flutter.

"What do I do with you, Y/n? So much fire!"

He ran his lips over your breasts and your collarbone, moving them up your neck and stopping at your chin, leaving you with your mouth open, waiting for the kiss that he maliciously denied.

"Be my firefighter." You rasped and he giggled right in your ear, the baritone making your entire body tingle.

"No, I don't want to put out this fire." He said biting your earlobe and making you swallow thickly and squeeze your thighs together.

"Tell me you love me.” He asked, his eyes fixed on yours, his hands running down your body, his fingertips ghosting your skin.

"Again?"

"Yes, again and again and again." He traced your neck and collarbone with the tip of his tongue and moved up to your chin, biting it.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you so much..." He interrupted you with a hungry kiss and his hand finally reached where you needed him most. Your legs spread scandalously for him and he dipped his fingers in your folds.

"Look at this! So fucking wet for me again."

You closed your eyes, delighting in the touch of his slender fingers. They penetrated you and you began to move your hips against his hand much to his delight.

"I want your mouth." You asked through gritted teeth, desire barely letting you think straight. "Please."

He nibbled on your lower lip and increased the movements of his fingers.

"Want me to eat you, uh?"

You swallowed thickly, “…and I want you in my mouth too.”

He hissed, putting his tongue in your mouth and sucking yours hard. "...So fucking dirty, sweetheart."

But you knew he loved everything about you, you both loved each other in equal measure.

He rolled to the side and turned so you had access to his cock and turned you on your side, putting his head between your legs and diving into your folds. You moaned loudly, but you were eager to take his cock in your hand and put it in your mouth, delighting in the sensation of sucking and being sucked. You doubted that there was anything better in the world.

One of Stephen's many qualities was that he, unlike many men, had no problem getting dirty between a woman's legs. On the contrary, he took pleasure in it. When he gave you oral, it wasn't just his mouth he used, he used his nose, his chin, his goatee. Everything he could use to give you maximum pleasure and that night it wasn’t different.

He sucked your entrance, licked your wet folds, nudged his nose to your clit and sucked your juices, spitting them back out, making a mess. He loved it as much as you did and when he finally started sucking your clit and penetrating you with his fingers, you felt your body becoming weak.

It was how Stephen made you feel most of the time, weak compared to the strength of the love you felt for him.

You used to be outrageously loud when Stephen was eating you, but all your moans were muffled by his cock in your mouth.

You loved Stephen’s cock and he knew it, he was very proud of it. The way you constantly sucked him made him lose control of his actions and you loved watching him get lost in his own pleasure knowing that you were responsible for making him feel so good.

You started by sucking his head and then ran your tongue down his entire length, leaving it completely wet with your saliva, just the way you liked it. Your hands gently massaged his balls, eliciting a muffled moan from him while you flicked your tongue in his frenulum, licking and sucking the special spot and making him squirm with pleasure, but at no point did he stop eating you, on the contrary, his pleasure only made him more eager to give you more pleasure and the thing worked perfectly.

When you finally started to actually suck him, the two of you were close and the wet sounds you made were so arousing combined with the sound of the rain that seemed to get heavier and heavier outside.

You took him out of your mouth to breathe and gave him a couple of jerks before going back to sucking him and this time you went all the way down letting him go to the back of your throat.

Stephen stopped the suction on your clit with a pop and moaned loudly.

"Fuck sweetheart, swallow my cock... gonna make me cum." He rasped giving your ass cheek a hard slap and resuming his work with even more desire.

His words only served to push you forward and even though your eyes were watering, you continued sucking him and fucking him with your mouth, feeling him pulse and start to spill into your mouth as his mouth made you see stars.

You came together in each other's mouths and you both rolled to the side, lying on your backs, trying to regulate your breathing and recover.

"I think we outdid ourselves tonight." He said impressed and you both giggled until you stopped and felt silent.

"I don't want to go home." You confessed, sitting down. Stephen had his head resting in his hands, the position leaving his biceps visible. He seemed like a god to you. You doubted that a man could be more beautiful than your boyfriend.

"I don't want to share you with the world. I want you to be mine alone."

He sat up and caressed your cheek, tucking a strand of your wet hair behind your ear gently.

"I'm yours. No matter how hard I work or what I have to do, at the end of the day all I want most is to come back to you."

"But it's not like being here." You pouted and he smiled reassuringly.

"Then we'll come back here as often as you want. I can arrange that. Ask Wong to take over some things for me, pass some tasks on to other masters."

"You promise?" You asked hopefully.

"I promise." He smiled and then remained silent for a minute, when he spoke again there was a certain emotion in his voice.

"You said something out there that made me think."

"What?"

He smiled "That I'm the only good thing in your life."

"You are."

He held your chin between his thumb and index finger. "You were the best thing that ever happened in my life, sweetheart."

He kissed you softly and continued "We were meant for each other, it just took us some time to find each other. But now that we're together, nothing will keep us apart. Definitely not my work."

You smiled "So you don't think we'll end up like those couples that only have sex once a week?" You teased making he chuckle.

"Never."

Reblog please! Leave a comment if you liked it. Interact! I will love to read all of your comments and opinions. It inspires me to keep writing ;)

DOCTOR STRANGE MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

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[astro-stars]

CHAPTER 1; im being delulu again 

Yuu's thumbs danced over the buttons with practiced ease, the flickering screen casting a soft glow across her dim room. The vibrant chaos of Twisted Wonderland filled the space with bursts of color and sound, a vivid escape from the dull gray monotony of the world outside her window. She had lost track of how many hours she’d spent here, immersed in the game’s world alongside her best friend, Tay. Their laughter crackled through her headset, a familiar comfort as they bantered back and forth. 

“Admit it,” Yuu teased, her voice warm and lilting, “Silver’s totally the prettiest princess of them all.” 

Tay snorted, adjusting her grip on her phone. “You’re not wrong,” she shot back, grinning as their laughter bubbled up again. 

But her amusement was short-lived. Without warning, the screen went black—not the ordinary, irritating black of a dead battery, but an unnatural, yawning void. It wasn’t just the screen; the room itself seemed to shift. The air turned icy, thick with an inexplicable weight that pressed against her chest. 

“Tay?” Yuu called into the headset, her voice tinged with unease. There was no response. The playful laughter was gone, replaced by a strange, muffled sound, like someone trying to speak from behind layers of velvet. Her heart quickened as her vision began to swim. Pinpricks of light—stars—danced before her eyes, and a strange tugging sensation pulled at her mind, as if something unseen was trying to unravel her very being. 

Before she could cry out, the world around her dissolved into silence. The last thing she registered was the distant bark of her dog, a sharp, frantic sound that echoed into the void. 

Yuu blinked, her vision struggling to adjust to the dim light filtering through the cracks of a wooden enclosure. Her heart thundered in her chest as the realization hit—she was trapped in a confined box, her body stiff and cramped. Panic clawed at her, and she began pounding on the lid, her muffled screams echoing back at her. How had she ended up here? The last thing she remembered was playing her favorite game. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a bizarre dream, a side effect of too much caffeine and too many late-night gaming sessions. 

As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she noticed a faint sliver of light above her. The sound of creaking wood and rusty hinges sent a shiver down her spine. The lid of the box—no, the coffin—was being pried open. A rush of cold, damp air swept over her, carrying the scent of earth and decay. Trembling, she pushed herself up, her limbs weak and unsteady, and glanced around. The dimly lit chamber that greeted her was both surreal and terrifying. The walls were lined with more floating coffins, suspended eerily like silent sentinels. 

A faint scratching noise and the creak of wood froze her in place. The lid of her coffin suddenly flew open with a loud slam, and she was met by a pair of piercing blue eyes, glowing with an otherworldly intensity. They belonged to a gray, furry creature whose face was lit by a mischievous grin. Its tail swished lazily behind it as it tilted its head in surprise. “Whaaa! Why are you up?” the creature exclaimed, its voice sharp and incredulous. 

Yuu tilted her head, confusion knotting her brow as she tried to make sense of the situation. The cat, its blue, fiery ear flickering with irritation, narrowed its glowing eyes. "I'm talking to you, human!" it snapped, its voice sharp and commanding. The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning—this creature was THE Grim. Her mind reeled, and panic bubbled up as the cat's voice echoed through the chamber, growing louder and more insistent. Her pulse quickened, a cold sweat forming on her brow. Scrambling out of the coffin, her legs wobbled beneath her as though they barely remembered how to move. As soon as she found her footing, she bolted. 

The corridor was eerily familiar—cold, damp stone walls lined with flickering torches casting jittery orange shadows. It was exactly like the game, yet it felt alien, oppressive. She didn’t have time to process the impossibility of it all. Her chest heaved as she forced her legs to carry her forward, searching for a place to hide and gather her thoughts. 

Her heart pounded, the sound deafening in her ears. Every twist and turn of the endless hallway seemed more disorienting than the last. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as her legs grew heavy, her steps faltering. The air felt thick, pressing in around her, and a relentless ringing noise gnawed at her senses. She stumbled onward, driven only by the instinct to escape, even as her body threatened to betray her. 

At last, she spotted a door. It looked unremarkable—just like the countless doors she’d seen in the game—but it was a beacon of hope in the endless corridor. Without hesitation, she threw her weight against it. The door swung open with startling ease, and she stumbled inside, gasping for breath. The moment it shut behind her with a resounding thud, the echo seemed to linger, amplifying the silence that followed. The room she had entered was a library, vast and imposing. Towering bookshelves stretched up to a ceiling shrouded in shadow, their countless volumes crammed together like silent sentinels. A grand staircase spiraled up to a second floor, its polished wood gleaming faintly in the dim light. The air was heavy with the scent of aged paper and dust—a strangely soothing contrast to the chaos she’d just ‘escaped’. 

Her eyes darted around, scanning for any sign of movement, any hint of life. But the room was eerily still. The only sounds were the slow, rhythmic tick of an ancient clock somewhere in the distance and the faint rustling of a book, its pages fluttering as if moved by an invisible hand. 

Her legs gave way, and she stumbled toward the nearest chair. It was cold and hard beneath her, but she didn’t care. Her mind raced with questions, none of which she could articulate. She was in the game, but she wasn’t a character. This was real. The library’s stillness only amplified the frantic hammering of her chest. 

Just as she began to let out a shaky sigh of relief, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor outside. They grew louder, each one like a drumbeat signaling her doom. Her stomach twisted. Grim had found her. 

“Did you really think you’d get away from my nose?” his voice rang out as he appeared in the doorway, his blue, fiery ear flickering ominously. His eyes narrowed into slits, and his sneer deepened. “Dumb human!” 

Yuu’s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze darted around the library, desperately searching for a hiding spot. But before she could move, the atmosphere shifted. A shadow loomed over the doorway, swallowing Grim’s smug expression in its growing darkness. 

From the inky blackness, a rope-like tendril shot forward, wrapping tightly around Grim’s midsection. His confident smirk disappeared as his body jerked backward. “Bwah?! Ow! What’s with the rope?” he yowled, squirming against its hold.  

A tall man strode into the library, his sharp jawline framed by piercing yellow eyes that glinted with authority. In his hand, the black rope twisted like a living thing, its origins shrouded in the shadows behind him. Yuu’s stomach dropped as she recognized him immediately: Crowley, the eccentric and flamboyant principal from the game. His presence felt almost comical, but the tension in the room quickly smothered any sense of humor. 

“This is no mere rope,” Crowley declared, his voice ringing out like the opening act of a play. He raised the tendril with a flourish, the shadows curling around his fingers. “It is a lash of love!” 

Yuu’s cheeks burned with embarrassment as she realized she was wearing ceremonial robes, the heavy hood still pulled over her head, obscuring her features. She felt like a child caught red-handed. This was absurd—a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. 

Crowley’s sharp gaze flicked over her, a curious mix of irritation and bemusement playing across his face. “Ah, found you at last,” he said, his tone laced with forced joviality. “Are you one of the new students?” 

Her heart thundered in her chest as his attention settled fully on her. This wasn’t just a character on a screen anymore—he was here, flesh and blood, and she was his target. She opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came. Her throat felt constricted, her words trapped in the tangle of disbelief and fear. Instead, she shook her head weakly, hoping it would be enough. 

Crowley’s lips twitched into a frown, his jovial demeanor giving way to exasperation. “That won’t do!” he exclaimed, his voice rolling through the library like thunder. “You mustn’t wander beyond the gate on your own!” His golden eyes narrowed as he took in her disheveled state, his gaze sharp and assessing. “And bringing your untamed familiar into the school? A blatant breach of regulations!” 

The rope of shadows coiled tighter around Grim, lifting him higher into the air. The cat squirmed, his wide eyes darted toward Yuu as he yowled in protest. “Hey! Let me go, you overgrown pigeon!” 

Crowley ignored Grim’s cries, his full attention still fixed on Yuu. The weight of his gaze bore down on her, making it impossible to shake the sense that this bizarre moment was only the beginning of something much larger—and far more dangerous. 

“My goodness!” Crowley exclaimed with a theatrical sigh, his piercing yellow eyes sweeping over her from head to toe. “It’s unprecedented for a new student to leave the gate on their own. Have you any idea of the trouble you’ve caused?” His tone was a blend of exasperation and self-importance, each word dripping with his usual flair. 

Yuu’s mouth went dry, the weight of his gaze pinning her in place. She opened her lips to respond, but no sound came out. What could she possibly say? That she had no idea how she’d gotten here? That this wasn’t supposed to be real? She swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. This wasn’t some glitch she could report or a bad dream she’d wake from—this was real, and she was trapped in the world she had once only seen through a screen. 

Crowley huffed, his voice rising with exaggerated indignation. “It’s utterly unheard of!” His golden eyes narrowed, flashing with something that danced between annoyance and amusement. “A brand-new student, roaming about unsupervised as if this were some common playground. Do you even comprehend the havoc you’ve wrought?” 

Yuu shuddered at his words. They were eerily familiar, almost too much so. She’d read these lines countless times in the game, but hearing them now, spoken with such vivid intensity, sent a chill down her spine. The line between her reality and this surreal nightmare blurred further, leaving her teetering on the edge of disbelief. 

“The entrance ceremony is already well underway,” Crowley declared, his voice ringing with authority. With a dramatic flourish of his robe, he gestured toward the door. “Let’s head to the Hall of Mirrors before we’re missed, shall we?” 

Yuu blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. The over-the-top theatrics she’d come to associate with his game persona seemed to waver, replaced by something quieter, sharper—something real. It wasn’t just his words but the weight behind them, the way his golden eyes seemed to pierce through her as though he could see every question she didn’t dare ask. 

They moved through the halls in silence, the steady clack of Crowley’s boots echoing against the cold stone floor. Each sharp step seemed to underline the weight of her own tentative ones, her sneakers barely making a sound. The feeling of unreality clung to her, heavy and suffocating, as if she were trapped inside a dream she couldn’t wake from—or worse, a game she could no longer control. 

Yuu’s eyes darted to the passing scenery, hoping for some clue to make sense of it all. The school was exactly as she remembered from Twisted Wonderland: beautifully grotesque, a masterpiece of gothic grandeur. Every arched doorway, every ornate sconce on the walls exuded an air of ancient mystery. Yet, something felt... wrong. 

[a-minke-whales-tale]

Head Design Concept

Whale suit head concept. This covers most of the basic ideas within the idea for how the head of the whalesuit will look. It will be by far the most mechanically and electrically complex part of the suit. Its three primary functions can be summed up in - breathing, vision, and food consumption (water will be taken in primarily through food and gelatine rather than seperate liquid).

One thing that is particularly curious for me is to what extent should I rely on electrical equipment versus mechanical equipment? Electrical equipment is nice because it can have a lower complexity of the individual parts, have greater redundancy, allow a greater variety of sensing features for safety, but also greater levels of essentially animation - motions that make the suit feel more alive - it is a complex prosthetic to reflect the whale inside and fix its body so it can be a whale again, not simply a costume. For me having as much animation as possible is desirable. When I look at a person or something having the eye move to reflect that so people outside can see what I am looking at does bring a lot more life to my body. Similarly for small things like blinking or closing my eyes or more variety in how my blowholes move at different points or respond to touch or a finger getting close to an eye. The total amount of animation on a whale, especially a mysticete, is not much, especially when compared to a human body and so maximizing what can be done is desirable to make myself appear as whale as possible. Perhaps I could even add a system that might allow me to make my twanging calls.

However it does also come with problems, namely that it is continuously in salt water and so there is risk of ingress, but more signficantly power requirements. How much power will each thing require? And how is that power stored? Presumably we would use batteries, and given how much volume we have available there is plenty of room for batteries. However those either need to be changed out or charged which could limit our time in the water. One possibility could be to use our swimming motion to generate power, I think in the end it will really depend how much power is actually needed as well as the specific use case - if I can live in a park then the power concerns really just depend how often I come out of the suit for a few moments.

Still this does give me more ideas and more firm of what things might look like for a whalesuit. From my perspective with in the suit I could feel when I surfaced, I would see the water around me feeling entirely immersed in what is essentially a vr setup (though it does not have to have the heavy computing component), when I opened my mouth I could catch food even if I would not feel it immidiately on my tongue or in my mouth, my body would be supported entirely by the water though much of my sense of touch would be dulled for the thickness of silicone between my biological body and the water. But within the prosthetic, and with my medicine gone, and perception through whale eye, my perception of my body will merge to the prosthetic allowing me to genuinely be whale again, something taken from me so long ago, and I will swim again - forever.

~ Kala

[w1shb0n3z]

Chilchuck girldad shenanigans!!! +Senshi's thoughts on mlp at the very end

(Brace yourself. This is a long one)

What's Chilchuck's favorite girldad activity? It's not doing their hair, no. That's just something he's been praised on. Being able to put his girls hair up in different styles whenever his wife wasn't around was seen as very admirable and lots of people complemented him on it. Especially non-half-foots (becuase they seem to think the father is less involved in the kids life LMAO) And though his daughters loved when their dad did their hair, they much proffered when their mom did it since it was neater

Chilchuck's favorite girldad activity (well, general girldad activity) is actually playing pretend. He seems like the type to just playfully scoff at kids he sees engaging in an outrageous, glorified LARPing session. And he is. He is that type. He thinks it's playing pretend is silly. But, when it comes to his daughters, it's charming.

He found some genuine entertainment when he was making believe with his little ones while they were young. Fully immersed in the ever complicated plot and nonsensical characters, he loved seeing the spark in their eyes and the giggle in their voices as they played out their fantasies. He'd also like to be dense from time to time just for the reaction it got. Saying things like "but bears can't fly" or "I thought you said princesses couldn't swim" be uase there's something very humorous about being scolded by a toddler

Once the girls got older, though, his favorite activities became specific to the kid.

For Meijack, his mini-me, it was teaching her his craft. For Flertom, the one that looks just like her mother, it was makeovers. And with Puckpatti, his bright-eyed youngest, it was shopping.

A little more of Meijack

She had taken an interest in locksmithing when she was young; so much so that she would often swipe a spare lock when her dad wasn't looking. Mei had proven herself to he a very crafty and tactile person. After about the 15th time, Chilchuck was tired of this and decided to improvise.

He took a nice square wooden board, sanded it down to make sure no mishaps would occur, and then attached some latches, locks, and other miscellaneous things to it. He essentially made a busy board for Mei, and she loved it. She would often be found in her room, buckling and unbluckling, messing with straps and zippers and locks and ties.

He'd make her a new board each year on her birthday; that is, until she turned 5. After that, she got puzzle boxes, and each year, they'd get more and more complex. If they were invented at the time, Mei would totally fuck up a Rubix cube on the low.

Expanding a bit on Flertom

After finding baby Fler with a face smeared with her mom's ruby red lipstick, Chilchuck knew he had a future full of make-up modeling. So following that incident, he bought Fler her own little make-up kit.

Initially, little Fler was satisfied just beautifying her own face, then showing it off to her dad; however, she did start feel like good old papa Chuck was missing out on the fun, so she pressured him into letting her put some eyeshadow on him. It was bright blue, it was messy, and it was awful to apply.

After a year or two, the make-overs got better and better. 10 year old Fler was becoming quite talented with her cosmetic skills. She'd gone from doing outlandish looks on her dad to actually finding styles that fit him and testing out new ideas on him.

What about Puckpatti?

Now I did say that Puckpatti's designated activity was shopping, but what I meant to say was haggling down prices and looking for deals. Ever since she was young, the adorable, unassuming half-foot had a knack for bargaining— even while trading toys in the playground or snacks in the lunchroom.

Chilchuck first noticed Patti's gift after she came home from school with a necklace on. ...She certainly didn't come to school with it, so it's safe to say Chilchuck was confused. Once he found out what actually happened, he did get Patri to return the necklace and focused her abilities to learning how to shop efficiently.

Patti truly did enjoy shopping with her dad. And kn occasoik they would go to different shopping centers together. Chilchuck would always get discounted tools, courtesy of Patti, and Patti would find a pair of shoes or some fruit and nealry cut the price in half. They go wandering place to place, talking and spotting the best deals, It's always a fun and productive time!

Now to Senshi

If you've made it this far, congrats! Here's your reward

Either in a modern AU, or just due some crazy magical force, Senshi finds out about MLP.

Now, would he watch this on his own? Nope. A colorful show about ponies doesn't catch his eye, so sorry.

But let's just say he ends up watching MLP. (Moslty because in this scenario, Marcille had mentioned liking the show and senshi heard it was about horses- or well, ponies)

After whatching a few episodes he's come to a few conclusions and has gained a couple of opinions.

Who's his favorite character? Big Mac

Who's his least favorite characters? Diamond Tiara, Silverspoon, Gilda, Rainbowdash, and Rarity

He does NOT fw the them.

His opinions on the mane 6 + a few more

Twilight: very uptight, but has the potential to be a leader of some kind. Not a personal favorite

Fluttershy: Thinks she needs some guidance and to grow a backbone, but is very impressed witb her connection to the fuana

Rarity: Does NOT like her. Thinks she's spoiled and prissy and snippy

Applejack: Likes her! Think she's nice and hard working and well rounded

Rainbowdash: Think she does wayyy to much. Someone needs to teach her not to be so full of herself. He legitimately didn't want to watch some of the episodes because he felt like rainbowdash was just being an ass (some with Rarity)

Pinkie pie: Too hyper for his taste. Thinks she's pretty odd

Spike: he finds the idea of keeping a small dragon as a...well, a little brother figure, to be odd. He doesn't get the fact that Spike has a crush on Rarity and thinks that the gang should treat him with more respect

Zecora: Another character he actually likes. The episode introducing her frustrated him a LOT, he actually haf to pause it becuase all that pony racism was too much for him

Luna/Nightmare Moon: He's iffy about her. Ay first, he didn't have too much of an opinion on her, but once he figured out her deal, he liked her a little. He doesn't blame her for turning evil at all

Celestia: Thinks she's USELESS. Oh my god. He's confused because she seems like she should be a queen and not a princess, but based on what she sees her do, he isn't surprised that her status is princess

[windvexer]

I'm still looking for good astral projection techniques and readings. Doing it at night doesn't seem to work because I end up falling asleep and lucid dreaming. I can't even tell if I'm in the astral or in my imagination when I try it because all I see is darkness, yet I can kind of describe certain locations I often frequent in my mind. I've discerned two of them as inner temple spaces but some I'm not even sure if it's astral or just making up scenarios in my head. I think two of them are actual locations where I've met dragons but I'm having trouble with visions since all I see is darkness even though I can give a physical description, if that makes sense?

The rope technique doesn't work and counting backwards doesn't work. Unless I need more practice? Lucid dreaming I have down easy at least. Any recommended techniques or readings?

Howdy;

It's hard to say if you need more practice. Personally, some people pick it up very quickly, and others take a lot longer at it. Generally I find that most people I talk to about it are traveling, they just aren't sure if they are or not because they tend to have unrealistic expectations.

One of those expectations is vividness; obtaining a very high level of vivid immersion is IMO difficult, must more difficult than obtaining valid travel experiences in general.

Obtaining vivid immersion also isn't linear; I used to have very vivid experiences, but now I don't. I also have spent I suppose thousands of hours traveling, but after spiritual growth I lost the ability to travel at all for a while (a few years I think, but I haven't put thought into the timeline). After many years of practice and traveling, I still sometimes have "blackout" sessions where I can recount experiences, but I see nothing.

So although you haven't said as much, it's not something that you just unlock and then you get the skill forever; it's a living skill, like all magic (in my opinion).

Anyway, it's totally possible to need plenty of practice, but also possible to pick it up quickly. The question is how do you know when you've done it correctly, and IMO the best solution is to just try and do whatever it is you want to do in the astral and see if it works.

I mean, astral travel can be purely entertainment, in which case you never need to verify anything because it's like playing a video game; the experience is what matters. But if your goal is to do something, like say meet and commune with dragon spirits, then go ahead doing that and carry on as if you really have met them, and see what happens.

What's the end goal? To learn special names of dragons, and gain one as a familiar or a teacher? To learn how to do new kinds of magic? Set out to do those things and see where it gets you; see if you learn new kinds of magic you can do in dreams, or in the waking world. See if you learn how to call these spirits in and out of trance states.

See if what you do in these practice sessions is making your life better, or bringing you closer to goals - or not.

The benefit to this approach is that it can bring structure to practice; practice is no longer open-ended, but becomes, "how do I find this certain spirit?" and then "...next I'll explore his home" and "now I'm going to learn to make astral offerings to leave at the shrine," and so on. So it's less tedious, in my opinion.

Yes, try more techniques; have fun experimenting with a lot of them. Give them all an honest go. I recommend trying any particular technique a solid twenty times or so, just to gain the experience of it. Even attempts which do not appear to result in travel will bring experience and development.

I favor any technique which involves going downwards, especially through the trunk of a tree, or down through a well. As a relaxing method before sleep, I sometimes like to swim down through an endless ocean and look for a trap door, or a glowing crevice or something; then I go down through that. Or sometimes I don't.

If we can say that there's a pre-astral state, like existing in the space with the rope before you climb the rope, then that space in and of itself can be lovely and fun to play with, and you don't have to try to 'astral' at all.

Maybe you want to climb down through the trunk of a tree via a hollow; you can practice immersion skills by wandering around an imaginary forest, without actually trying to bridge the gap into the astral. And it's alright if it's just your imagination, because of course it is.

Another technique you may find to be very effective is to begin in a memory, especially a memory that positions you near to a convenient loci of travel (such as a favored childhood tree), and at first recall the memory with clarity, but then begin moving differently in it and seek out the astral doorway.

Also in general practicing trance is helpful.

Also, practicing calming and relaxation techniques before trying to travel.

Alright, I think that's enough novel. Also, I'm not sure what you mean by astral readings, but I hope the above is helpful.

[twistedwonderlandfantasies]

(Repost)

Azul Ashengrotto as Your Boyfriend💜🪸🐚🐙💜

fluffy, fem/neutral!reader

(Sorry it ended up so long I could just talk about this smexy man all day) Remember to drink water <3

Azul had heard a lot about the human world, but only ever experienced it when he enrolled at Night Raven College. That being said, he's totally enthralled with human objects. He loves collectables, novelty items, knick-knacks and anything of the sort. His love and fascination with our material goods shows when he gives you the most random things. "Look at this vintage set I found at an auction." "I saw a what's it called? Ah, snow globe. Look, there's a cat inside that looks like Grim, do you like? It's for you." It's a very endearing trait he has which is exclusive only to you. When he goes shopping you're also on his mind and just adores sharing his finds with his love.

Similarly, your own fascination with his world has led Azul to gift you things from the sea. Beautiful pearl necklaces of whatever color you like, conch shells of different sizes and types, endless seashells, rare gemstones found near the waters, magical items, and if you're into antiques, he'll go retrieve lost items from the sea buried within shipwrecks or dropped by people.

Besides the miscellaneous gifts Azul loves buying you clothes. At first it caught you by surprise, but you realized it was apart of his attraction to our things. "In the sea we don't have a need for clothing, but up here you humans can express yourselves in so many ways. So I thought this dress might look rather nice on you, hm?"

He's the same with perfumes. He just loves spoiling you in all the material things he can find that don't exist in the deep blue.

His office literally has all of the gifts you got him spread out in it on shelves and his desk. He constantly thinks of you, even at work, and treasures everything you make/get him, wanting to keep it forever where he can always see and remember you.

One of his favorite activities with you is reading messages in bottles he finds from the ocean. You're always surprised at how many there are, but you both realize it's actually a pretty big hobby among people even today. Old bottles are especially interesting, its contents mostly containing stories of love and tragedies. You help explain to Azul how people up here think and behave when something doesn't make sense to him (which is pretty often considering how contradicting people are). You collect them to avoid polluting the waters but keep them somewhere safe and respectfully.

He absolutely loves taking you into the waters with him. Whether in human or mer-form. If you love to swim then it isn't much of a surprise to have him as your boyfriend, but if you can't swim or are afraid to Azul will teach you how and be the absolute best, sweetest teacher. Bonus if you watch the sunset together while leisurely swimming or sitting on the sand, it's quite romantic, really. Expect the occasional water tag and playing around as Azul just can't help but tease you when he feels so confident in his natural environment. this may or may not end in some more intimate actions.

Ironically, Azul finds your voice mesmerizing. If he catches you singing while you think no one is around, he WILL stay hidden just to continue listening. "You sing like a siren my dear." "Are you sure you aren't the one who's put me under your spell?" He may come up behind you quietly, wrapping his arms around your waist gently in an embrace while taking in the soft smell of your hair. "Please, don't stop now, I do so enjoy listening to you."

While transformation magic from mer-person to human is more commonly done, transforming a person into the latter is more difficult, but not impossible. The first time you decide to transform into a mermaid , it catches Azul by surprise. You really want to immerse yourself into his world and live in the sea for however long. After much consideration you decide to do it. Who would have thought your tail would be so beautiful. The way your hair flows, you glide effortlessly across the waters, the iridescent scales of your tail reflecting in colorful arrays. Maybe you are a siren. Azul can't decide if he loves you more like this or as a human. You're just too beautiful no matter what.

You two swimming across Atlantica is like a dream; so deeply in love. You get to explore so many amazing things and bond with him in ways you never could have imagined. He shows you all of the different kind of fish, corals, you get to swim with dolphins and sharks, visit different mer-cities. Expect Azul to blow you bubble hearts and kisses because he really can be that cute sometimes.

extra fun if the twins tag along.

His skin, like the twins, is also perfectly soft and radiant. Your hands love to be on him. You caress his cheeks, massage him, rub your thumb over his palm while holding hands. You're almost jealous at how good his skin is! Of course Azul is more than willing to return the favors of touch. You two enjoy long cuddles and hugs.

Honestly, Azul is a 100/10 boyfriend and when he isn't destroying unsuspecting people with his contracts he's just infatuated with you beyond description and if he could he would love on you constantly all day everyday. His soft side is ONLY for you, his gentle touches and kisses, his thoughtful words, the teasing, sweet nothings. Sometimes the dichotomy of this man shocks you, but maybe that's one of the reasons you love him so much.

"The sea witch was defeated by the mermaid and human in the end. Some say it was true love which was strong enough to end her, I used to laugh at that thought, now, I'm beginning to understand its true power."

💙💜💚💜💙💚💜💙💚💜💙💚

[ceilidhtransing]

Here to once again sing the praises of Duolingo (and go on a long ramble about language learning)

I see a fair bit of criticism of Duo that essentially begins and ends with “Duolingo alone won't make you fluent”, stated as if it's obvious that this point alone is enough to totally condemn the app.

The thing is, “Duolingo alone won't make you fluent” is true*, but also a) pretty obvious to most dedicated language learners and b) not nearly enough to automatically render Duolingo not worth using.

[*It's also worth pointing out that “fluency” isn't really a single coherent concept: people can have radically different fluency levels across, for example, reading and speaking; different levels of proficiency can count as “fluent” in different settings depending on the needs of that setting; and not everyone learning a language is even aiming for “fluency” in the first place - though this also leads into a huge can of worms about the somewhat prevalent idea that fluency is the only worthwhile goal for learners and if you're not aiming to be fluent then it's a waste of time, but that's a discussion for another day.]

The value of Duolingo varies a lot by course, but my experience is that even though Duolingo alone won't “make you fluent”, the bigger, better-developed courses can take you a long way. Yes, obviously not to C2 “basically a native speaker” level, but pretty far. And that's personally where I find the app's real value: giving enough of a grounding in a language that other learning materials - short stories, podcasts, conversation groups, etc - become accessible. Of course Duolingo alone isn't going to make you fluent, but for a lot of learners it's an irreplaceable early tool on their journey towards proficiency.

Early on, when your level of knowledge of a language is zero or near-zero, so much of the struggle of learning is a feeling of total overwhelm as you try to figure out how to learn and find a method you'll stick to. Independent learning can feel like walking blindly through a maze of disparate and sometimes contradictory resources, some on grammar, some on vocab, some that say “start speaking immediately!”, some that say “get to grips with these grammar foundations before even trying to speak!”, some that insist there's no replacement for immersion, some that argue that immersion is like being thrown in the deep end and expecting yourself to swim, and this is where so many people burn themselves out. You can't read short stories or listen to podcasts when you know literally nothing of a language, and if you use a random unstructured assortment of materials then you'll probably end up learning grammar concepts in a very random and disconnected and confusing way. Duolingo bridges that early gap between “zero proficiency” and “some proficiency”, providing a structure that says “just keep doing this and you will watch your ability grow”.

Really, I think it's in precisely what “doing this” means that the disagreement arises. It's a very YMMV app, depending on how each person uses it. Someone using Duolingo for >30 minutes a day, making rapid and intense progress through their course, and seeking out alternative sources to clarify bits of grammar that they're confused by is having such a different experience from someone who does one lesson a day just to keep a streak going. Of course someone doing the latter isn't going to be “made fluent” that way - because there is no language-learning material on earth that is going to produce genuine progress with that little time and attention (and frankly there is no material on earth that is a 100% comprehensive standalone course from beginner to fluent and doesn't require any supplementation). Regardless of which material you're using - Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone, LanguagePod101, a YouTube series, a university course, a textbook, or any of the many other miscellaneous methods - time and attention is basically what it comes down to, and personally, in the beginner-to-intermediate stages of language learning, I've found Duolingo to have a pretty good ratio of “time and attention” to “language progress”.

Ultimately, Duo can be excellent at holding your hand through those early months of language learning, getting you to a point where you don't use “Duolingo alone”, because you now have enough confidence and grounding to supplement with things like short stories and podcasts and conversation partners - things that you would have found unbelievably daunting at the beginning, but that are now accessible to you thanks to a free app that guides you through a clear learning structure. I think that's great.

Zu lang, ich habe nicht gelesen - vielleicht bin ich noch nicht fließend, aber ich kann viel mehr mit Duo als ohne Duo sprechen :)

[justatypicalwizard]

Rough and new | bakugo | part one

✦ Summary: You meet a new and interesting creature that seems to share your curiosity. Both of you have motives to your actions that turn out to be vastly different.

✦ Warnings: mer!Bakugo, fem!reader, adult reader, smut(ish) content due to the curcumstances of the story do not expect full smut, dubcon

Minors do not interact

Mers, merfolks, mermaids, mermans, merpeople, they call them various ways in different places. Nonetheless, all these names describe a vast group of human-like creatures living deep down in the dark sea waters. It’s common knowledge that mers exist, though, experiencing one is like standing eye-to-eye with an exotic wild animal. You know they’re there, you’ve probably seen them on the Internet but it’s unlikely you’ll see one with your very own eyes.

Mers keep to themselves. You’ve heard there are delegations and deputies from both species, some peace treaties, off-limits territories for both sides… that’s pretty much all you know about the sea creatures, it’s not like this topic ever interested you. Mers were just always there, what’s the fuss about it?

You crack your knuckles and straighten your back as you step outside of your house. The summer exams have really worn you out. All the stress, sleepless nights, sweaty hands and tears squeezed out of frustration. You feel you have to shred off of it, peel the thick layer and let yourself peacefully wait for the results. Nothing more you can do now anyways.

What’s more soothing than the sea? Evening tamed the hot summer sun, luring you outside of your room and onto the beach. You packed a few things, a towel, suncream, water, snacks, a book and took off.

As your feet hit the warm sand of a wild beach you breathed it, filling all of your lungs up to your nostrils with the salty ocean air. Your fight with science was totally worth it. There were some other people here but nothing too packed. Guess the benefits of ending your semester early. Still, lacking privacy you turned your way towards a boulder to your right. Being a local here, you knew that just behind the tall structure there are large stones sunken in the water. 

Just as you anticipated, the secluded area was empty. Maybe climbing underwater boulders wasn’t the smartest but you’ve done it a million times before.  Dropping your bag on the sand and throwing off your clothes you exposed your skin to the welcoming sunrays. The sea sang its soft and soothing tunes, lulling your shattered nerves. You accepted its quiet invitation and stepped into the cool water. It crept up your ankles, held onto your knees and kissed your tights softly. Finally, you immerse yourself into the water completely, leaving only your head untouched, not wanting to get the salty water into your hair.

Splashing around clumsily you swam to one of the boulders, about to climb on top and lay down on its somehow flat surface. Feeling the stone’s roughness with your hands you repeated a well known pattern of pulling yourself up higher. The stones surface was neatly aligned with the water, making it possible for a bigger wave to hit your but softly. Settling down you breathed out, happy with your position. You looked up at the sun lazily heading down. It’s still a lot of time until it sets, but its enlarging golden visage looks magical right now. 

Fuck those exams, you feel so good right now.

Some time has passed as you relaxed on the stone. That was until you spotted a movement under the glistening waters surface. Something big was swimming there. It was quick and agile. You were unable to make out the exact shape of it, all you knew was that it’s no small fish.

Instinctively, you crumbled in your form, standing on all four, maybe unconsciously trying to hide. At first the movement was far away but it neared you in a weird circling manner. From left to right, right to left, it swam in a large horseshoe shape. Suddenly, you felt like a prey. You asked yourself what was in that head of yours to mindlessly climb on that rock, alone on a wild beach where no one will help you if something happened. They said, never underestimate the sea and of course you didn’t listen. Heck, you always thought people meant slipping or being pulled by a strong wave and drowning in the end but this was something else. A big thing was circling around you and you didn’t have a clue what that could be.

It became clearer the closer it came. A light shape, something orange with a glimpse of black. Suddenly it sank lower and you could no longer make out anything due to the rippling water. 

Adrenaline hit your veins. It was like losing a spider out of your view, even worse than seeing it. You kept crouching trying to merge with the stone. The beach was not so far away but now it seemed like miles. Thinking about how fast the thing seemed there was no chance of swimming back to the shore safely. 

Think, think, think!

Your mind shouted as it tried to work through the fog of panic and adrenaline. You felt how tears prickle your eyes. Maybe if you stop moving it will just go away, think that you’re dead or gone. You tried to stay in the exact middle of the stone, as far from every side as you could. You counted from hundred down, trying to calm yourself, reassuring that everything will be alright, you’re safe as long as your body is above the water.

The thing appeared once again, slowly emerging from the depths. It seemed to be going up the boulder. Spotting its movement you had no clue whether it was scared or… hunting. Your eyes were glued to where it was getting bigger and bigger, something pale. Tensing your muscles you were ready to jump into the water and try to swim away as fast as you could. No chance for that but your panicked mind couldn’t think about anything else. 

A chin, milky cheeks, halo of fair hair. That thing started to look human-like. Finally you spotted what threw you off the edge, red eyes staring into your soul. They were wide open with small pupils concentrated solely on your face, not even blinking. You on the other side blinked a few times. A face in the water. Was it making this situation better or worse?

Your lack of movement must have assured the creature that it can, in fact, move on. With that it’s face finally came inches from the water surface and now you could make out all of it’s might.

It looked like a man with blonde hair. He was moving softly with the water's motion, looking at you. Both of your bodies stayed still, yours out of fear, his… you didn’t know. Something moved below him and you caught a glimpse of a fin. 

A fin, a face and a fin.

No shit, it’s a mer! You gasped despite your tries to stay still and silent. It was like an exotic animal, well maybe it was an exotic animal. You had no clue, mers never interested you so you knew very little about them. What you remembered was that there was supposed to be peace between your species. So it shouldn’t attack you, yes?

You were crying and amused at the same time. Too many emotions flowing through your body and brain caused conflicting reactions. You were slightly trembling but wanting to touch it at the same time. Apart from the water making him move the mer stayed still, watching you without blinking. It was fairly unsettling.

But what if… no, sticking your hand out towards a wild animal is the worst thing you can do, even if it looks peaceful and maybe even interested in you. But touching a mer, feeling it’s skin, it’s hair. You wondered whether he would be warm, slick, if its hair strands were as soft as those of humans. An opportunity like this could never happen in your life any more. You could brag about it, tell people that you had an interaction with, simultaneously to humans, the most intelligent creature in the world. Maybe he would touch you back. Maybe he was just curious, having swam so high and seeing a human. Maybe he also was scared, that’s why he moved so slow. He or it? You didn’t know.

Your eyes ran up and down his face. One thing was for sure, he was beautiful. His features and persistent gaze reminded you of a curious cat. With every passing second you wanted to touch him even more.

Your hand budged, slowly as not to scare him (or yourself) you moved your arm towards the water. Like greeting a scared puppy you slid the hand towards the water's surface to show it to him and his gaze caught on it. Your breath got caught in your clenched throat as you lowered your hand towards the salty water, closer and closer to his head. You aimed for the hair, scared to put your palm on his cheek, it was too close to his mouth.

He still didn’t move, watching you intensely. Your fingertips dipped under the surface, the water seemed cold and eerie. With surgical precision you caught a single strand of his flowing hair and he allowed you.

It was soft and runny, slipping away from your fingers just like that of a human underwater. Seeing his lack of movement this time it was you feeling slightly more courageous. You traced his hair dipping your hand completely into it, the fair strands flowing and making your hand disappear into the light mess. Tho his eyes never left your face.

Toying with his hair you wondered about his light skin. Was it soft, warm, was it different from yours? Moving your fingertips along the crown of his head you went for his forehead, the furthest place from his mouth. Your hand trembled slightly as you laid your fingers on his skin. The lack of surprises shook you. It was just like yours, human-like. Turning your hand slightly you brushed his forehead with the back of your fingers, grazing it delicately with your nails. You went lower and lower, feeling his nose and cheeks. Your eyes locked onto his pale lips and just as you thought of grazing them with your thumb an arm emerged from the water gripping your wrist.

The mer held you, his hand above the water, the grip tight and unforgiving. Was he fed up? Did he have enough of your bullshit? Was it just a game to lure you to him so he can devour you?

Your mind ran a thousand miles a minute as you started to squirm and squelch. You grabbed his hand trying to pry it off of your wrist but his grip was like steel. His arm was massive, only now did you realise just how big he was. Tears of fear ran down your cheeks as your butt hit the stone and you kicked the mer’s arm in panic.

His second arm emerged from the water with a splash. He pulled your wrist down, smashing it into the stones surface. It hurt. You felt the pressure of his body on your bruised wrist as he pushed himself up, using both hands to handle his weight, on the stone’s surface. With half of his body up he towered over your crumbled form, the sun dying somewhere behind his back, casting a shadow over his persistent face and massive form.

Your wrist was stuck under his hand, pinned to the stone. It hurt like hell so you tugged on the palm restraining you, your voice caught in your throat. He seemed to ignore it while looking at your face. His other hand went for your face so he shifted all of his weight on your poor wrist.

This was enough to draw a mortified scream out of your throat. You thought he broke your hand. The sound made him flinch and dip slightly underwater but he stopped, submerged down to his nipple line. You grabbed your hurting wrist and hugged it tightly to your chest crying. A few seconds of your whimpering passed and you put your hand to the sunlight trying to examine it. You moved your palm around inspecting whether it was broken or not, luckily you didn’t have problems with tossing it around. Nonetheless, it hurt like hell and you spotted a purple mark where he grabbed you. It had the shape of his fingers. This will certainly leave a bruise for some time.

Your body reacted on its own, flinching, when you heard him emerge from the water once again. This time his palms were both situated on the stone and he was staring intensely at your wrist. He actually looked shocked.

The new wave of adrenaline washed out of your body and you started to analyse the situation. Looking at his weird expression and his earlier approval of your touch he most likely did it accidentally. You shyly showed him your wrist and he put his hand up to it, stretching his fingers, they matched the bruise on your skin. Only now did you realise his hand had a membrane between each finger. It was nearly transparent and looked extremely soft.

A weird sound came out of his throat. It seemed like a groan but you weren't quite sure. His eyes shifted back at your face. The mer put one of his hands up in the air but the stone was slippery and he slid down into the water. You looked after him and soon he emerged once more with greater force this time. The creature took a weird spin and there it was, his tail in all its glory. 

You didn’t even realise he somehow sat down next to you because you were too fascinated by the orange-to-black scales on his lower half. They glistered in the sun with water droplets making them look like someone scattered glitter all over. Your hand shot its way but you were cut off by a smack, surprisingly gentle one. You looked up at him and he was towering over you, staring down with his red eyes, this time blinking, maybe even a bit too fast. 

You realised what you were doing. He let you touch him and you didn’t give anything back. If your assumptions were correct and he was interested in you then it was only fair to have a trade. You gulped, the thought of his membrane connected hands roaming your very exposed body sent a wave of panic and excitement down your spine.

His eyes search for something on your face. You wanted to give him a sign to go on so you stretched your neck, turning your face to him completely. The wind moved your hair around in contrast to his wet strands, sticking to his skin. This must have interested him because he went for your head first, just as you did to him earlier.

He was less delicate than you, grabbing a handful of your hair and yanking your head to the back. It didn’t hurt but it was uncomfortable. You looked at him murmuring something incomprehensible. The mer started to squeeze and tug at your hair. Soon his other hand joined and he was smearing the strands all over your head and face, tangling them.

You didn’t know where it came from but a small laugh escaped your throat. It just felt funny, how rough he was and how he possibly had no clue how to touch you. The noise made him stop, his hands still tangled in the mess on your head. You looked at him, pushing hair out of your vision. A second passed and he was down for tangling your hair once more which made you snicker again. He ceased his movement once more at the sound of your voice. Was he analysing what was going on? Was he trying to connect his movement with your sounds?

‘’It’s funny.’’ You said and his pointy ears seemed to move. 

What was going on in his head right now? 

The mer moved his hands out of your hair and cupped your cheeks in a rough manner. You slid the messy hair out of your face to give him a better view yet, he seemed not interested. He grumbled once more, in that weird manner, putting one of his hands into your hair, gripping at the back of your head. Is he more interested in it because it’s different from his? Or at least because it’s dry?

He yanked your head once more, exposing your neck. His eyes shot at the crook where your head connected with your shoulders. What did he mean with that neck, throwing your head back and forth like that? His other hand wandered to your face. At first he gripped all over your mouth and nose but soon his thumb found a way to your lips where it rested. You shut your mouth, feeling his clawed finger on the soft of your lips. Surprisingly his pointy and sharp nail was black.

You felt him move and suddenly his face came closer to yours. He rested in the exposed crook of your neck. Then you heard his inhaling. In and out, he breathed next to your ear, tracing his cheek up and down your neck. You felt his finger push inside your mouth and a red bulb lit in your head. This was way too much, what was he doing?

Well, there was little you could do because his grab was like steel, he did what he wanted. His finger traced your teeth as you tried to push your tongue to the back of your mouth, not to lick him by any means. He murmured something into your neck, circling your canines. Finally he pulled out. Even though it was a few seconds it felt like eternity with his thumb in your mouth. The mers face also left your neck. He slides his hands through your hair once more before moving away completely.You stared at him. Now what?

PART TWO

SERIES MASTERLIST

[maykitz]

thanks to the advice a few days ago i gave frostpunk a try. it's really good. i went in blind and got everyone killed pretty quickly because i didn't know resource deposits were finite and if you don't unlock new sources by the time it runs out on day 4 or so it's gg. second time my colony lasted a bit longer but i wasn't playing safe enough and got too many amputees while being nowhere near prosthetics so i could tell it was joever as well. then my third try suddenly went extremely smoothly because idk i unlocked late night brainpower and got ahead of the curve from the start. completely breezed through everything and finished the campaign with huge resource stacks, everything scouted, every refugee saved, etc, 1 death and 2 amputations total. even the storm did nothing except make everyone unemployed and keep my infirmaries busy for once. it was the same default difficulty as before so it was crazy to see that the right early game choices can create such momentum as to make everything on that setting trivial. it does destroy the atmosphere though if there's no pressure and never any hard choices to make cause you're swimming in resources anyway. fucking everything up was more immersive by far

[citylighten]

What was your inspiration to write a mafia/mob/cartel/la familia type story?

So, I was primarily raised by my grandma and her sisters and they loved mafia films. Like, my grandma considered Robert De Niro to be her man. My grandma apparently wrote a whole mafia story in her notebook when she was a teen. 😂 I saw Once Upon a Time in America (my grandma's personal fave) and parts of The Godfather when I was really young, but I wasn't enthralled in these films. I didn't even understand the workings of the mob. Yet, I respected these and held fascination for them because it was my grandma's interest and I love my grandma! Some time passes. I'm in 6th Grade. My best friend becomes obsessedddd with Scarface. [which I feel is a general thing that's apart of black culture 😂😂] I mean she has her first fictional crush! And I'm in class endorsing it like a good friend! I saw that movie a total of three times when I was a preteen due to the love of my friend, including a lousy BET cut and even now I would say that is one of my favorite gangster films. Some more time passes and I'm still really into this genre even though I'm still dumb about the inner workings and hierarchy. I just know it's suits and action! In high school I wrote a shitty mafia AU story for a anime fandom I was in. We don't talk about that, but it was like a stepping stone and it was fairly well-received by my friends. Fast forward into adulthood and in 2016-ish? I made my OC Sal! Although Sink or Swim takes place in the modern day, Sal and Eve were originally historical ocs! So, I tried to do a lot of research through film. Instead of watching documentaries or reading thoroughly, I watched films like Harlem Nights, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Godfather, A Bronx Tale, Casino! And in watching these movies I had the mindset of, "okay, I wanna take these elements for Sal, I wanna leave plot themes like this out." also shoutout to the video games Mafia I, II, and III. They had some immersive storytelling. I roleplayed Sal for awhile on tumblr and eventually I met @ladygangsters who was equally into the gangster genre! But due to her love of the series Narcos, I learned a lot more about the cartel beyond my shallow Scarface knowledge. She's really the one with all the cartel ocs, broadening my horizons!😂 I didn't know if I wanted to do a gangster story on simblr tbh. Mostly because tackling a complex story was daunting and it's WAY EASIER to just do slice of life narratives. When I first started Sink or Swim I was lowkey freaking out irl like, "I don't know what to do, I don't know I'm doing, oh my god I'm gonna torment myself with this story." But I didn't scare ya'll away with my content. I didn't feel overwhelmed when I reached certain heavy points of the story. I feel like I trust myself to tell this story now more than I did when I first plotted it out. And now I'm doing a lot of heavy co-writing with @ladygangsters and we treat our writing the way we would if we were still rping with each other, so that brings a high level of comfort.

[studiocityevents]

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑵𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑵 𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑪𝑯.

Experience the enchanting wilderness of Finnish Lapland at Northern Lights Ranch. An igloo-style boutique hotel that offers extraordinary accommodation for an Arctic escape. Located far from city lights, the Northern Lights Ranch provides an ideal setting to view the aurora borealis, combining tranquillity, fresh air, and spectacular natural beauty. A unique resort in Finnish Lapland, the Northern Lights Ranch offers an immersive Arctic experience with igloo-type heated glass-roofed cabins and floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a setting unlike any other.

Nestled in the peaceful landscapes of Lapland 190 km North of the Arctic Circle, the Northern Lights Ranch is just 15 km from Levi Ski Resort and 30 km from Kittila Airport, making it an accessible yet secluded location for a magical stay.

(please note that while some information used for this event is real, it has been mainly used as a basis for fictional, entertainment purposes. photos used for the suites, bedrooms, grounds etc are not real and should only be used as inspiration.)

MORE INFORMATION ON THE RANCH BELOW:

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑩𝑰𝑵𝑺:

The Sky View Cabins combine the best parts of a glass igloo and a fully equipped luxury cabin. They also have their own private sauna and a private outdoor hot tub for the guests to enjoy. The entrance side of the cabins feature a living room, an open kitchen and an alcove with a TV.

The other side of the cabins consist of the three bedrooms (all with ensuites), and the sauna. The terrace and the outdoor hot tub can be accessed directly from the back of the cabins, wearing the provided bathrobes and slippers.

Try your private sauna and the outdoor hot tub under the star shot night sky and northern lights in turns. The experience will leave you totally relaxed and revitalized.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑨𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑬𝑺:

The Northern Lights Ranch might be in the middle of nowhere, but the establishment has everything you could need during your stay. Not far from the cabins themselves, is a cluster of larger buildings, open to the guests.

Complimentary breakfast and dinner

Free wifi in each cabin

Slippers, a robe and a wide variety of toiletries in every bedroom

An in-bar in every living area, alcohol can be removed upon request

A bar that opens every day between 7pm - 4am

Spa area, including a sauna, steam room and ice room

A library with a wide variety of books on offer

A 24/7 fitness center

An indoor swimming pool with hot tub/jacuzzi

Recreation room which includes a pool table, foosball, darts, arcade games, large range of board games and ping pong

Around the clock staff to help you with whatever you need

Gift shop

[woodstoneb-b]

OK, so it turns out that when you've got a B&B the Christmas season is hella busy - which seems like something that should have been obvious. But yeah, the wife and I have been run off our feet.

But, I've finally had a chance to play the game so let's get into it!

Not gonna lie, this hits a bit too close to home, we just started the game and the kitchen sink is already broken!

Flower: Wow...a waterfall indoors, this is totally groovy, man!

Hetty can be...kind of dramatic.

Hetty: I did not give permission for such an image to be shown... Although...are there Cheetos in this game?

Afraid not...but that looks pretty good.

Hetty: Yes, as you can see I'm simply thrilled.

Hetty: I will say that I very much appreciate the punctuality of the workmen is this game... Certainly not Irish.

Hetty: When I was alive I never would have allowed outsiders to see me in my swimwear, but...seeing as this is not actually me, I suppose I can allow it. And I'll even admit that I was most fond of swimming, a very refreshing pastime indeed! I can't say I ever went swimming on the ocean however...which is a shame if the scenery is like this!

Meanwhile back at the Mansion, these two are fully immersed in reading.

Isaac: I say, that's a most accurate representation of myself! These computers are amazing.

Thor: Isaac speaks for himself, Thor does not read.

Sass (low voice): It's more like he can't.

OK, I'm not sure why No-Pants went down to the beach...

Trevor: All the babes hang on the beaches!

Hetty: I'm not sure if I should be flattered by that...?

Trevor: Your Simself obviously thinks so, you got me a little gift!

Hetty: Well, now I understand why it's called virtual reality...

Thor: This is more like it! In life Thor was well-regarded as a fisherman, Thor could name all varieties of cod in the area, there was the -

He had a lot more to say, but...yeah, there's a word limit on these posts, so...

Hetty: Why on earth am I sleeping on the beach like some sort of vagrant?! And why am allowing you to show such outlandish images of me?

Trevor: Sleeping on the beach is totally cool.

Hetty: In the middle of summer? I'd think not.

Thor: Jay's game is learning, Thor does not abide messiness! If only Thor could clean in real world...Jay leaves sink in unspeakable state.

For any current guests and possible guests reading this, this is not true.

Sam: It really, really isn't, our B&B has received the highest hygiene certification.

Hehehe, Sims have to do whatever you tell them to, so here's No-Pant's being useful.

Trevor: Seriously?!

Trevor: Oh hey, I did it! Not that I'm surprised, I've got the magic touch.

Hetty *giggles*

My eyes! MY EYES!

Trevor: Hey, just giving the ladies what they're asking for.

Pete: Why am I there?

Trevor: Well, it's my bedroom, so...you tell me.

After that horror, I sent my man, Pete, downtown to the library, now I feel like this is a Sims 3 thing, because the one nearest us sure doesn't have tropical drinks!

Pete: Wow...somewhere that's not the mansion?! It's so...weird. Almost as weird as me drinking out of a coconut. That's strictly a vacation activity

Pete: This takes me way back! Identifying animals out in the wild was something I was a master at in the Pine Cone Troopers.

Sass: As much of a master as you were with archery?

Thor: Heh, burn.

Isaac: Thorfinn, you're asking about my book! :D

Thor: Game has once again not lived up to reality.

Alberta: I am loving my look here, Jay, you've got everything right.

Thor: Even funny hat.

Alberta: I'm pretty sure Sass is telling me a secret about you, Cod-man, so watch it.

Flower: Hey, Trev! Isn't this so cool? We're in a game!

Trevor: Totally.

Flower: Except...why do you still have no pants?

Sass also headed out...and proved to be pretty good at pool.

Sass: I did hear a phrase once... "Talk softly and carry a big stick" and that's a pretty big stick. I approve!

Thor: By Odin's beard why so much mess?! Why is puddle even in room of Jay and Sam?!

Sam: I really don't want to know...

Okay, and on that note, I've reached the image limit, so I think I better wrap this up here...

And yeah, we totally have that hygiene and safety certificate, and can produce it on request, I swear.

Until next time.

[oak1985]

Just now watching season two of OFMD for the first time and it’s so fucking good. I’ve watched the first three episodes and only ep 1 felt short. The others were totally immersive and captivating and while I’m sure we could have had more, they didn’t need it.

Having been swimming in fandom and being totally spoilered since the season came out, there wasn’t much that was a surprise but it is beautiful to watch. The thing that’s actually most fascinating to me is fandom’s lack of interest in Lucius’ story. So much of the interval between season 1 and 2 built on fandom’s casting of Lucius as ship therapist, and there’s so much juiciness to unpack in his response to being traumatized by Ed. I’m surprised I have not seen more meta processing this. I wonder how much of this is a response to Izzy-drama in fandom and people not wanting to engage with another white mans trauma when Ed is right there. But I also wonder if Lucius fans felt a bit betrayed by the gap between their version of his character and how the character actually developed.