#a bit more love received provides more overflow for love to be given. i think. it's compounding interest

[bataranqs]

what if you are a beautiful person and i love you. what then. will you not accept this love? will you take away this joy of delighting in your presence? how long are you going to say you aren’t someone beautiful?

[milkybonya]

cheer up, buttercup!

order #001: large banana milk tea with pudding and grass jelly for Cha Eunwoo, requested by my lovely @daybreakx !

-> enemies to lovers! & college!Cha Eunwoo x (gn) reader

-> warnings: some angst and food mentions! also drinking/alcohol mentions and everyone is really mean to the reader >:0

-> where Eunwoo is the president of your department and you're the vice president. you work your hardest but always end up second to him.

[a/n]: i'm sorry for the CHAOS that this is and i feel like there is minimal (?) fluff but i hope you enjoYY THIS WAS FUN

You and Eunwoo had major beef. There wasn't even an event that started it all, but Eunwoo treated you with such disrespect from the start. And of course, anyone who disrespected you was on your list of... well, the closest thing to a list of enemies.

The first time you met him was in freshman year at the orientation before classes began. There was a basketball game going on and Eunwoo was playing. You watched from the sidelines in the shade, cheering him on at first because he was playing on behalf of your department.

Then, the ball flew in your direction. Eunwoo had tried to get the ball back for his team, but ended up accidentally throwing it towards you.

Luckily, it fell somewhere to your left, but it gave you such a fright that you stood up and started panting.

A few of the people who were playing rushed over to make sure you were okay, but Eunwoo didn't even throw a look your way.

"You, from our department? Just throw the ball back!" was all he said to you.

It made your blood boil.

Eunwoo was known for being a little blunt anyway, but he definitely went out of his way to grind your gears.

"Where is the president?" the social convenor asked.

You sighed, checking the time and noticing that Eunwoo was fifteen minutes late.

"If I knew where he was... If only I knew," you mumbled.

"Why is Eunwoo even the president, anyway?" another member of the student council asked.

"Because he's hot and cool and everyone likes him!" a girl squealed. You couldn't even remember what her position in the student council was, but judging by her comment, you realized that she must be here just for Eunwoo.

"He's absolutely dumb, does nothing all day yet somehow gets A's! Of course, why wouldn't he be the president?" your tone was dripping with sarcasm and your anger was almost about to overflow.

Until that man walked into the meeting room, at last.

"I'm dumb and do nothing all day? Why, thank you. I'm here, now," Eunwoo declared, strolling towards his seat. He had his black leather jacket slung over a shoulder.

God, I hate my life, you thought to yourself.

"That's what [y/n], said, but I don't think that way!" the girl who squealed earlier spoke.

"Thanks, Stacy."

Eunwoo only flashed her a quick smile before he sat back in his seat.

"So, what are we doing?"

"What do you mean, 'what are we doing'? We have an open house tomorrow and tons of high school students will be checking on our department! You're the president, you were supposed to-"

Eunwoo hushes you by raising up his hand from where it was resting on his thigh.

"It's all good, I've got it sorted."

He slammed down a notebook onto the table.

"I've taken notes on how open houses have been previously organized and have put them all in this book. I highlighted the events that seemed like they had a lot of potential, so look through those and decide on something, alright? I'll be off," Eunwoo explained, standing up.

"Where are you going?" you almost spat out at Eunwoo. He walks in here, makes a fool out of you and then decides to leave?

"To go 'be dumb and do nothing all day'. Isn't that what you said I do?"

He glared at you slightly before leaving the room.

"[y/n], you made Nunu so angry! Nunu, don't be mad, come back!" Stacy screamed, chasing after him.

You sighed, running your fingers through your hair.

"This idiot really thought I wouldn't know about the past open houses..."

You slam down the notebook that you had also brought.

"Damn... so he really just provided us some useless info and left?" the social convenor asks, shaking their head.

"Yeah, pretty much," you say.

-

So how did you and Eunwoo end up as vice president and president, anyway? Well, these positions were given to the students with the highest grades. Eunwoo had the highest, so he was given the title of president. You were trailing close behind, and were given the title of vice president.

You always told yourself that you should have been the president, and rightfully so! Eunwoo never did anything but play games on his phone, anyway.

When the open house event finally rolled around, you and Eunwoo were supposed to give a speech in a lecture hall to get the day started. It was mostly to welcome the high school students and lift the spirits of everyone there, not too big of a deal!

But still, big enough of a deal that Eunwoo should have shown up.

He didn't. And you were anything but surprised.

Forced to deliver your speech and somehow improvise along the way to make up for Eunwoo's missing presence, you were shocked to find that the audience started clapping right as you finished. It felt as though your hard work had paid off, and you stepped back, smiling at everyone in the crowd.

Until Eunwoo walked up to the mic, flashing a smile of his own and greeting everyone.

Yep, they had all been clapping for him, not for you.

Eunwoo turned and looked at you, mouthing, "did you prepare my script?"

"You were supposed to do that! Do I look like your secretary?"

Eunwoo scowled at you and turned to everyone who was seated. He ended up repeating a bunch of the same things that you had said and received an enthusiastic applause. You sighed from behind the curtains, wondering why Eunwoo always got the credit for all your hard work. It was probably his looks, but still.

Throughout the day, you walked around campus and ensured that everything was running smoothly. Eunwoo was supposed to be doing the same, you hoped, and you asked him this when you ran into him outside of the campus student centre.

"Have you been walking around like you were supposed to?"

"I'll deal with my business on my own," he said, almost scoffing at you. He was standing there scrolling through his phone.

"This isn't 'your business'? We're literally supposed to be working together!"

"Stop nagging me, [y/n]. I don't like it when you do that," he grumbled.

"Yeah, well I don't like you!" you yelled, storming away from him. You felt... very embarrassed. What kind of comeback was that? It sounded like something a child would say... oh, well.

You saw your friend handing out some goodies at a table outside and approached them.

"How's it going, vice president?" they asked you, handing you a snack.

"Terrible," you groaned, opening it and eating some.

"Why, what's up?"

"Cha Eunwoo is being a pain in the butt, as always," you sighed.

"You might want to watch what you say," your friend mumbled, pointing behind you.

You turned around a little too late as the snack in your hands was whisked away by Cha Eunwoo himself.

"You're the only pain in the butt here, [y/n]," he said, eating your snacks.

"What are you doing here?! You should be on the other side of campus!" you yelled.

"And you shouldn't be here, either," Eunwoo said with a glare.

"Can y'all go argue somewhere else? You're scaring the highschoolers away," your friend complained, nodding in the direction of some highschoolers who were hesitant to approach the snack stand because you and Eunwoo were arguing.

"Go attend to your duties, [y/n]," Eunwoo huffed, walking away from you.

You angrily stomped the ground, walking away and feeling a little embarrassed because you could feel the high schoolers watching you.

-

"[y/n], why won't you learn from Eunwoo a bit? I understand that he's the president and you're only the vice, but you could have at least prepared what we needed you to prepare!" the director of your department told you, shaking her head at you.

You tried to contain yourself and looked down as you rolled your eyes. The only reason Eunwoo was more prepared than you were today was because he had stolen what you prepared and claimed it was his instead.

"I understand, I'm sorry."

"You're at risk of getting your position taken away, [y/n]! This is a warning."

After leaving the director's office, you were met wih a grinning Eunwoo who was sat on the couches in the lobby.

"What are you looking at?" you asked him.

"Thanks for these papers, [y/n]," he said, holding up your hard work.

"I didn't even give them to you. You took them from me, but okay," you said, leaving him there.

You walked to a coffee shop that was on the same floor to get something to refresh yourself. Since it was so early in the morning on a weekend, the building was fairly quiet and empty. It wasn't hard to overhear a conversation.

"Eunwoo, I think [y/n] has not been taking their vice president duties seriously these days. Do you think we should find someone else?"

The director's voice.

"Do the other members of student council agree?"

Eunwoo's voice.

"I haven't spoken to them-"

"Then [y/n] remains as vice. I haven't seen any sort of slacking or a lack of seriousness from them, and I don't think anyone else is fit for the role."

Did Eunwoo just... compliment and defend you?

You turned around with your drink in hand to find that it was indeed Eunwoo talking with your director. Then, you quickly scurried away to avoid being seen by them, feeling very confused.

-

"Cheers!" everyone shouted around the table, clinking their glasses together before downing their contents. After a successful open house, everyone had gathered at a bar to celebrate. You squirmed in your spot beside Eunwoo, feeling uncomfortable. He rolled his eyes at you and shifted even closer to you, leaving you with less room to sit than before.

"Is that better?" he asked, smirking at you.

You frowned, pressing your foot on top of his clearly new shoes.

"Is that better?" you asked him.

"Why are you guys so close? Are you about to kiss or something?" one of the student council members asked.

"No! Ew-"

"And what if we did?" Eunwoo asked, glaring at the member.

What the hell?

The member looked down at their drink, unsure of what to say. The atmosphere grew awkwardly quiet until someone asked if everyone wanted more drinks, to which there were murmurs of agreement.

"Hey, [y/n], I overheard the director talking with you in her office today. Did she really threaten to kick you out as vice president?" the student council member next to you asked.

You laughed awkwardly, already feeling uncomfortable.

"Yeah... I'm working hard, though! So I'm sure it won't happen."

"Are you sure? You weren't able to prepare what the director asked you to, and there's been countless times where Eunwoo has always had to do things for you..."

You were in such shock. Everyone in student council knew that Eunwoo just acted like he was on top of everything, meanwhile you were doing all the work. Even for his grades, he never studied but was at the top because of all the people who handed him study notes and past tests to get his attention. You worked so hard...

"... I get that you're the vice president, but shouldn't you be trying a little harder? Hey... [y/n]? Are you crying?"

You couldn't help it... it had all been building up until now. You didn't even realize you were crying, though, until this guy pointed it out to you. His hand on your shoulder felt like it was suffocating you...

"What the hell have you been on about, you idiot?" Eunwoo growled from your right. You turned to him and he was glaring at the boy who had been talking to you.

"I-"

"Don't even talk. There's nothing but garbage coming out of your mouth. Come on, [y/n], let's go," Eunwoo said, grabbing your hand and guiding you out of there.

You were extremely confused, but more than anything, you were just sad. So you didn't stop Eunwoo when he led you outside of the bar.

"Is everything okay? Take some deep breaths." Eunwoo was staring right into your eyes as he spoke to you, reaching out his thumb to gently wipe your tears away.

"What's... going on?"

"That idiot was saying some useless garbage so I brought you out here. I can leave if you want to be alone-"

"No! No, please don't go," you begged, holding on tightly to his sleeve. You couldn't help it, you completely broke down and found yourself sobbing into his chest. What was weirder was that Eunwoo had his arms wrapped around you and was rubbing your back...

After you calmed done, Eunwoo insisted that he walk you back to your dorm.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" you asked him, sniffling quietly.

He threw his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground.

"I don't like it when people are mean to you, [y/n]," he said quietly.

"But you're mean to me all the time!" you pointed out.

"You're the one who started being mean to me!" Eunwoo whined.

You stopped walking.

"I started being mean to you? Eunwoo, you know you're the one who threw a basketball at me that day and never apologized, right?"

Eunwoo stared at the dark sky for a moment as he tried to remember what you were talking about. Then his eyes widened and he looked at you.

"Oh... I swear, there's an explanation-"

"There better be!"

"This is going to sound dumb but... I felt too shy to look at you... which is why I avoided you like that."

What? Eunwoo, the most cocky and arrogant president you know, was shy?

"Why in the world were you shy, Eunwoo?"

It wasn't just the slight breeze in the air that was turning his cheeks red, now. He was about to tell you something important.

"Ever since the first day at the orientation week... I thought you were really... attractive. And then, learning about you through all the icebreakers just made things worse. I don't really know how to handle my feelings, so maybe that's why I came across as so rude."

There was silence as you processed everything and starting walking to your dorm again.

"Eunwoo... if you had just cleared this all up a little sooner, we wouldn't have been like cats and dogs," you said, laughing nervously and touching the back of your neck.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Do you still... like me?" you asked him quietly.

Eunwoo paused before answering. "I don't think I could ever just stop liking you."

Both of you giggled at his cheesy words. You felt like you were on another planet. The boy you'd hated so much turned out to have a crush on you?

"You don't need to tell me how you feel anytime soon. I know there's been a lot of misunderstandings... so let's just clear those up first?" Eunwoo cocked his head to one side.

"If you get to my dorm faster than me, I'll consider it!" you yelled before running in the direction of your residence building.

"I don't even know where you live!" Eunwoo yelled after you, following you along.

"What kind of president are you? You don't even know where your vice president lives?" you yelled back, sticking your tongue out at him.

Suddenly, Eunwoo caught up to you and started racing ahead. Of course he knew where you lived. He liked you.

[justanotherblonde23]

An Unexpected Surprise - A Marcus Moreno Story

Author’s Note: So with some encouraging from my friends, I decided to post my writing! I know that technically we don’t know anything about Marcus Moreno, but that superhero dad has been taking up space in my mind rent free all week. I tagged people that I know wanted to read this and a few that I thought might enjoy it. Please let me know what you think! -Kat 

Content Warnings: smut, oral (female receiving), P in V

Tags: @autumnleaves1991-blog @dindjarindiaries @frannyzooey @zeldasayer @hdlynnslibrary @jollyrancher87 @bisexual-space-slut @woakiees @scribbledghost @softpedropascal @catfishingmorales

Marcus trudged into the house, it was at least 2 in the morning, and he was absolutely exhausted. He was always exhausted these days; his age was catching up to him. He may be a part of the Heroics, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t getting older. He was balancing heroism, kids, a spouse, and trying to give them some semblance of a normal life. He was ready to retire, be involved in every aspect of the kids’ lives, and see his wife in more than just the middle of the night and before leaving for work. He had given enough of his life to the service of the world; now, it was about time to provide all of himself to his family. Missy, his eldest, was already 11 and getting older every single day. Jules, the baby of the family, was about to turn 5, just about to leave the toddler years behind her. He felt as if he had missed so much of their lives; he didn’t want to miss anymore. 

Most of the house lights had been turned off, signaling that most of the inhabitants were fast asleep. He hoped that at least he could get a kiss or two from the woman he loved. Maybe she would still be awake. He made his way up the stairs, checking the kids’ rooms. He planted soft kisses on their foreheads, smiling at their serene expressions. What beautiful little girls he had, he was the luckiest father in the world. 

He frowned, opening the door to the master bedroom; the soft glow of artificial light bathed the room in a yellow haze. There she was, his love, sitting in the middle of the bed, clearly wide awake, wearing her glasses and frowning at the hologram in front of her. Someone was working even later than Marcus himself. He took in her form; she still hadn’t noticed him quite yet. She was wearing a silky nightie that hit her upper thigh and a matching robe loosely tied around her. His cock stirred in his pants. Even as spent as he was from the day, the view in front of him made him want to take her to bed and fuck her senseless. 

“Dr. Moreno, hard at work, I see,” he teased. 

Her eyes shot up, smirking at him. I’m not quite Dr. Moreno yet, Marcus. You’d have to marry me first,” she teased. 

“We had a ceremony-” he started.

“And someone still hasn’t mailed the marriage certificate, even though it’s been two months. All you gotta do is bring it to the post office, baby. I’d do it myself, but somebody insisted that he’d be the one to do it.” 

Marcus groaned, falling onto the bed beside his wife (that’s what she was to him, even if he didn’t mail the marriage certificate yet). He heard some shuffling and a command for her AI system to file the holograms working on for the night. He’d lived with her for four years now, and he still hadn’t gotten used to all her tech. If he was a hero in name, she was the genius behind every piece of technology in his arsenal, as well as all of the other members of the Heroics. Her superpower was her mind, that gorgeous, intricate, genius mind of hers. Her ability to retain information, learn, critically think, and create was almost impossible to fathom truly. At 33, she had twelve doctorates in various fields, including engineering, physics, nanotechnology, and art history. Her thirst for knowledge and eagerness to invent was unparalleled, even among other enhanced individuals. He would never stop singing her praises; she was a wonder. 

“Marcus, baby, do you wanna shower and go to bed? It’s late.” 

He sighed, starting to relax into the feeling of her fingers carding through his hair. “Baby, if you keep that up, I’m gonna fall asleep right here and now. I took a shower at HQ before I left, so I’m good.” He opened his eyes when her fingers stilled, looking up at the beautiful woman with the soft smile leaning over him. 

“Do you think you can stay up for a little bit longer, honey? I have a surprise for you.” 

He sat up, scooting up against the headboard, kicking off his shoes. He felt wide awake now. His wife wasn’t typically one for surprises on any old day. He wracked his mind, trying to make sure that he hadn’t missed her birthday, their dating anniversary, or any other consequential, momentous occasion. 

“I didn’t forget a special day, did I? Fuck, amor. I’m so sorry if I did. I’ve been spread so damn thin since the wedding; I’ve been running around like a madman.” 

She placed a tiny cream-colored box in his hands, his wife sitting right in front of him, eyes sparkling with excitement. “You didn’t miss anything, Marcus, just open the box. You’ll like it, I promise.” 

He nodded, pulling at the perfect bow holding the box closed, carefully opening the lid. For a minute, he just stared at the contents of the box, his eyes wide with shock. Ever so slowly, he picked up a pair of teeny baby booties, placing them in his large palm. He took the second item out, a pregnancy test that digitally read, PREGNANT. His hands began to shake; tears began to overflow, tracking down his cheeks. He looked up, his gaze locked on the woman in front of him. 

“Sweetheart, are we-? Are you-? We’re- we’re having a baby?” he managed to choke out. 

There was one more item in the box, at the bottom, an ultrasound labeled Baby Moreno. He studied the picture intently, his thumb moving over the little blob on the paper. That was his baby, their baby. They were having a baby. 

“Holy shit,” he murmured, “we’re having a baby!”

A giggle made him raise his eyes once again. “That’s what I said, too. I’m about ten weeks along now. You’re going to be a daddy of three, Marcus Moreno.” 

He scooped up everything in his lap, dumping it on the nightstand. He quickly grabbed his wife, flipping her so that she was under him. He covered her face in kisses, whispering how beautiful she was, how she was so loved, so treasured, so cherished. How their baby was made of nothing but love, how they were precious cargo, and how he would protect both of them every single day of his life. He kissed down her jaw, down her neck, eliciting breathy moans from the woman underneath him. His kisses went lower and lower until he reached her belly, pulling her nightie up around her waist so that he could get to her bare stomach. He planted dozens of kisses all over her belly, in awe of the life growing in there. 

“Hey baby, it’s your daddy,” he cooed softly. “Your mommy and I already love you, little one, and you’ll have two big sisters that I just know will love you too. I can’t wait for you to be here, little baby. I promise I’ll be here for you.” 

He looked adoringly at the mother of his youngest child, grinning as if his world had been made complete, and in all honesty, it had been. This baby, this tiny little one growing inside of the woman that he loved most, filled a hole in his heart that he hadn’t even been aware of. 

He bit down on his lower lip, smirking while ever so slowly pulling off her panties. He would lavish the woman he loved with every ounce of devotion, adoration, and love he had to offer. A breathless Oh please, Marcus was all he needed to motivate him to continue. He opened her legs up, giving him access to her slit, wet and wanting. He groaned, the sight making his mouth water. If he had it his way, Marcus could spend hours between her thighs. Two fingers lightly toyed with her slit, moving up and down, collecting her slick. 

“Look at you, baby, so wet for me, and I’ve barely touched you. If this is what pregnancy does to you, amor, I might have to start keeping better work hours so I can spend my time between your thighs.” 

He could see her hips try to follow his fingers, desperate for more than he was giving her. “Marcus, don’t tease, please,” she whined. He chuckled, easily giving in to her pleas. He couldn’t say no to her, not tonight. 

He buried his head between her legs, tongue coming out to lick a broad strip all the way to the top of her slit, his nose nudging her clit. She tasted like heaven, making him moan into her core, sending pleasurable shivers up her spine. He speared his tongue into her, getting as deep as he could, fucking her pussy with his tongue while her fingers tangled themselves in his curls. He kept exploring her folds with his tongue, hitting all the spots he knew would make her see stars. 

He easily pushed in two fingers, causing her to buck her hips up, matching his pace. He focused his tongue on her clit, alternating between drawing lazy circles and sucking her into his mouth. His fingers hit that sweet spot inside her with every thrust, bringing her closer and closer to her release. Before he knew it, she was cumming around his fingers, squeezing him tight and pulling him deeper. His mouth flooded with the taste that was uniquely hers, prompting him to moan. He could feel himself rock hard in his pants, leaking with his arousal. 

He crawled off the bed, swiftly ridding himself of his clothes, placing his glasses safely on the nightstand. He grabbed her glasses as well, placing them next to his own. She had shrugged off her robe and nightie, languidly watching him, her eyes blown wide with desire. 

“Marcus, I need you inside of me,” she begged. His large cock rested heavy against his stomach, tip red and leaking. The thought of him inside of her was almost too much. She needed him, and she needed him right now. 

He settled over her, catching her lips in a deep, earth-shattering kiss. His tongue explored her mouth, letting her taste herself. Marcus was intoxicating, enthralling, and all she wanted was more. Finally, they broke apart, panting slightly. 

“Dr. Moreno, my lovely wife, mother of my child, let me make love to you. Let me show you how happy you make me, sweetheart. I want to make you touch the sky,” he whispered into her ear. 

She beamed at him, cradling his cheek gently. “Yes, baby, I’m all yours.” He leaned back in, catching her into another searing kiss. He worked his length up and down her slit, coating himself in her slick, bumping her clit a few times in the process. At last, he began to leisurely enter her, inch by inch. They both groaned when he bottomed out, fully seated inside of her. 

“Fuck honey, you’re just so tight, so wet, so warm for me,” he whimpered, moving inside her with slow, deep strokes. He wanted to make this last, to draw out her pleasure. With every thrust, he told her how good she felt, how beautiful she looked underneath him, how her pussy was made for him, how perfect she was. He could’ve gone like that for quite some time, slowly bringing her closer and closer to her high. Only her pleas of more, faster, harder made him speed up. 

He grabbed one of her legs, placing it higher on his hip, allowing him to hit deeper inside her. Her hips moved in unison with his own, meeting each thrust into her. He would never get tired of the pretty sounds she made for him when he was fucking her. Those breathy moans she let out, the babbling it all spurred him on. He could tell she was close. She always got so fucking wet and even tighter right before she came. He dropped a hand between them, rubbing hard, tight circles around her clit. Not even a half dozen thrusts later, and she was wailing in ecstasy, clamping down on him like a vice. He wasn’t far behind, spilling himself deep within her, muttering her name over and over like a prayer. 

He rolled off of her, panting, taking a minute to catch his breath as he gazed at her blissed-out form. Hair a mess, chest heaving, lips swollen from his kisses to Marcus, she was stunning. He couldn’t think of a moment when she was more gorgeous than right then and there. He could look at her forever, just like this. 

Eventually, he got up and grabbed a warm cloth, gently cleaning her off. Turning off the light, he climbed back into bed, pulling her body to his, cradling her close. He let his hand wander, rubbing soothing circles over her belly. 

“You’re gonna look so stunning, honey, all round with our baby. I promise I’ll take such good care of you. I’ll do whatever you need.” 

He could feel his wife sigh, completely relaxed in his arms. He held her close, basking in her warmth and the love between them. He let his mind wander, thinking of the future, thinking of this baby. 

“I’m gonna cut back at work, move more into an advisory role in the Heroics. As your pregnancy progresses, I’ll be able to work from home and take a solid chunk of paternity leave when the baby comes. I’ve given enough of myself to the world. It’s time for me to give everything I can to my family, to you, to the girls, to this baby. I’ll go drop off the marriage certificate tomorrow before I go into HQ to talk about restructuring my job. That way, you’ll officially be Dr. Moreno, even though you’ve already been that to me for a long time.” 

She answered him with a happy sigh and kisses to his hand that entwined with hers. “I’d like that, Marcus. It might be selfish, but I want you here, with us. We love you so much; it’s nice when you’re here. It makes our family complete.” 

They spent a few more minutes talking about the future, drifting off into deep, dreamless sleep. The thought of tomorrow was full of bright promises, just waiting to be embraced. 

[quinn-tessence]

Nocturne for a Clown

Part 3

Summary: you're tormented by the realization Arthur is the killer clown on the news, yet no bone in your body feels any different for him. Not even Casanova's advances could sway your from wanting to hold Arthur in your arms and alleviate his sorrow. He's had a bad day, and retreats on your couch, broken and confused.

Length: 5k words

Warnings: mentions of murder, lack of remorse, guilt and grief, seeking comfort where he'd never had it from. Smut with dear Arthur that could cause a rush of tremors, be warned. 🤭❤

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

You sat and watched. Then watched and watched some more. There were no words, no voice, no sound coming through your gaping mouth as the skin on your lips almost started to crack. It made sense. The blood, the bruise, the liberating sex, the wretched guilt. Oh God, what has he done?, you repeated in his voice over and over, that impossible puzzle putting itself together before you as you hid your gouging eyes underneath heavy, sweaty palms in a much too similar reflex to his own.

What has he done? He'd been beaten down surely, given his frail nature you could see how he'd be fluent in being at the receiving end, but as grievous as the thought was, it made it no less valid. This was bad, he’d land straight into Arkham if you picked up that phone to call the authorities, the way a considerate citizen would, as if Gotham deserved any at all. But you weren't one of them, were you? Never had you really fit in, yet you tried for the sake of appearances, it had become so burdening of late, only the thought of Arthur could provide the comfort you'd been seeking.

The news reports kept blaring, yet all your compassion overflowed for the clown, had you been able to see things objectively you'd still think he was hero. Three fewer assholes in Gotham, only a million more to go, you heard an inner voice say, even if you knew that was enough reason to throw you into the depths of Arkham Asylum. You'd sadly known that place from family, and you never wanted to set foot in that Tartarus again, but perhaps the apple didn't fall far from the tree. You couldn't stomach the thought of Arthur sitting opposite the glass wall from you, so dozed up on sedatives he'd hardly even recognize you. No, no, no. You wouldn't let that happen, and yet he'd need his own time and space to process.

You resisted the urge to bang on his door and ask for a full account, it felt as if you were a passenger on a derailing, speeding train. Regardless of how breathtaking the turquoise water under the rails, your gut wrenched at the thought of plunging into it head first. You were a decent swimmer, but you knew you’d be incapable of fighting those waters from swallowing you whole. You'd just given yourself to him, entirely and shamelessly, and regret was nowhere in sight. Had you been the forth prey of his killing spree, he would have killed you already. Yet he did the exact opposite, in distress and quivering like a leaf, but it was your door he opened after his rupture. He trusted you to keep this secret for him. And you welcomed the trust.

Within a few days you noticed you'd returned to your bad habit of unconscious nails biting. As if the deafening tumult between your temples wasn't enough, you also had to self flagellate as you desperately waited in silence.

You were busy enough at work, and the newest addition to your team had become daring enough to invade your private space little by little. Tall. Lean. Broad shouldered. Curly caramel hair and eyes of obsidian, winking at you shamelessly each time he passed by you. Patrick was a force in his field, yet he rolled his eyes and tongued his cheek whenever you'd call on him for a task, as if wanting to taunt you. Quite quirky and unprofessional, but restrictive enough to question yourself if you were merely projecting. Not once had he failed to deliver, on the contrary, yet that sly attitude never left him. Hm. The distraction was welcome, but it was nothing more. You'd catch yourself staring through him, picturing sparkling emeralds and cocoa, having to snap yourself back to reality before he'd think it was him you were aching for just like all your infatuated colleagues.

He must have checked with your giggly girlfriends before casually slipping in an invitation to your favorite bar after hours, casual drinks with a few colleagues, of course. Perhaps you should have politely declined, but you needed the respite from the heart wrenching torment, even if just for a few hours.

As empty as the venue was, he insisted on strolling in your visual field, intriguingly charming, maybe a bit too charismatic. It was time to maintain a level of dignity with your colleagues and remove yourself before getting into a state where you'd find yourself in Arthur's apartment, this time fully conscious. Yet Patrick gallantly offered to drive you over, posing a certain concern for your safety alone in the streets with a murdering clown on the loose. HA! You giggled at the joke being on him, silently talking to yourself. No thank you, you rascal, protection from that clown is the last thing I need. He insisted on paying for the taxi at least, and you’d had two drinks and wanted to be home already.

The thunderstorm washed the streets rapidly as you entered your building. You loved ravenous thunderstorms, especially as they traversed the sky over your cozy apartment bathed in lily scent. You took comfort in the hot shower and the chilly air in the room, lightning bolts clearing up the sky for a flash of a second as you wrapped yourself in the bathrobe, ready for Murray's dry humor.

Oh God! Your heart leapt to your throat as a soaked silhouette bathed your floors in cocoa flavor. At last.

‘Arthur! You scared me!’ he lay motionless, your words passing through him as if he wasn't even there. ‘Is everything ok?’

His damp fingers absently traced a faint line over the glass of your coffee table, his body slouched and stiff, the edges of his hair dripping on the couch.

‘I had a bad day.’

The words had come from a deep dark pit inside his chest, a wretched misery draped across his face as you kneeled next to him, cupping his cheeks. You'd ached to see his sparkling jades, yet you'd met them covered in a thick coat of tears, on the edge of dropping.

‘Arthur, what happened, sweetheart? Talk to me, please' He was so tired and withered, not even the wicked cackle would surface in this state.

‘I had a bad day…’

‘You said that, sweetheart, tell me what happened. Are you hurt?’

‘Kitten. I've done something… I…’ for seconds he tried to articulate, but the cackle fought its way up his throat.

‘Arthur shhhh. I know it was you. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I won't force you… I won’t judge you for it, I promise. Just sit with me for a second’ his head already leaning on your chest, your palm caressing his piercing bones, even through sets of clothes. He sat sedated, limbs heavy, flesh trembling, voice cackling in wrenching anguish for what felt like minutes on end.

‘You do?’ he asked between ruptures as if to steer his initial subject into whatever you'd conveniently brought up.

‘I do. I knew it the moment I heard the news after you stormed out. I saw the blood and the bruise on your face. You won't find any judgement here, I promise. I know you needed time to process, but you’re here now. Shhh' you almost cradled him in your arms, the most powerful instinct to protect him even from himself overbearing. He was all bone and sinew, like a hungry lone wolf, but there now was a sinister vibe to him.

‘Good. I'm glad you know. I lost my job that day, and then they attacked me in the subway, beating me to a pulp. Hm. Now you'll know that killing them hasn't bothered me at all. How's that for casual conversation?’

An unnerving tremor slid down your spine at the tone of his voice. You'd known him for a while, yet this resentful sneer was far from something you'd expect from timorous Arthur. Dreadful it's what it was, spine-tingling, intriguing, you were utterly mad to clasp this deranged man to your bosom when another prince charming just waited for one damn look from you. Who cared, you thought, Gotham’s gonna claim all of us sooner or later.

‘All I want is for you to be safe, Arthur. I won't tell anyone, but you need to be careful, sweetheart, you can't be saying things like those to anyone, please'

‘I have no one to tell, Y/N. And you’re not just anyone. You know. I’m still here, although you could have thrown me in police custody for the past few days.’ The cackles had given him a short respite, even if still lingering on the edge of bursting. He wheezed heavily before speaking. ‘My whole life I didn't even know if I really existed. And today, I feel… hollow…’

You'd asked and asked again as you touched his face and held it close to yours, his forehead as cold as the thunderstorm outside this comforting protective bubble.

‘My mother had a heart attack. She's in the hospital. Hah. My mother…’ a late instinct turned your skin to prickles hearing him speak from a different octave, a thick air of mustering resentment filling the room. ‘I had a few days to myself and I decided to deliver a letter to Thomas Wayne from her, seeing how he never bothered to write back. I'd told you she worked for him 30 years ago, and I read it although I shouldn’t have. I'd never known my father, but the letter said it was him. I confronted my mother and she told me everything about the two of them. But… instead of some warmth or a bit of decency, he told me my mother was insane and that I had been adopted. That and a punch to the face is what I got. Hm. Who am I, then? You tell me'

Your own eyes on the brink of overflowing, your soul coiled. You couldn't do much, but he needed comfort. Where would you even start, though? His tone of voice, the grief weighing him down, the droplets off his wet hair disintegrating whatever pieces were left of him, a question mark in stead of whomever he thought he'd been his whole life. Yet he didn't expect comfort. Such a foreign concept to him, as if reserved only to an elite he was not part of and would not dare intrude upon. You could easily hear how he'd just laugh it out into his pillow at night, his cries stifled, lacking a corner of privacy and personal intimacy where he could really build up that forced smile he'd put on every next day. You’d go utterly mad if you were in his shoes, no comfort and no expectation of it. So used to being overlooked, deep down he knew he was alone, and that filled him with fear and hopelessness. So you shushed and nuzzled him to your chest, hoping the warmth of your body would be soothing enough for the chaos that he was.

‘I don't know who I am, kitten. So I went down to Arkham and stole my mother's file just to find that he'd been right. The… horrors… she subjected me to as a child had gotten me locked up in Arkham years ago, but now I think I was just trying to hide from her, from this rotten city, from this world. I felt safe in that white room, ironically. When they released me, the heavy medication was supposed to make me feel better, instead it suffocated even my most basic impulses.’

Laughter ripped at his throat and pulled his face into a grimace, your palms clasping him so tightly you were afraid you might smother him. How much pain and grief could a man take, his poor soul must have been bound to an eternal rock, forever pecked by hungry vultures.

‘How can you even welcome me into your home if I don't even know that much? I’m so sorry I dragged you into this. I should go, no need to burden you with any of this' he meant every word, as he kissed your hands with teary lips and dragged himself half upright.

‘Don't go' you close to begged. ‘Please stay.’

The grooves in his forehead you loved, just as the distinctive scar on his upper lip and the deep dark eye bags crowning his jades, his state of mind added another couple decades to his age. As you took him in through your pores, you remembered the shy clown peering through the shelves, and how the makeup would do the exact opposite of its intended purpose. Somehow he'd been unaware of how the makeup brightened his eyes to a clarity and sharpness you could cut yourself into. It was endearing how he'd stared at you when you'd first seen him wearing the costume, thinking he could hide under that mask when really it only brought him to life, his facial expressivity more riveting than ever. Yet he was here with you, more Carnival than Arthur even without the paint, as broken as a mirror in infinite shards.

‘Will you still have me here after this?’

‘I would. Please. I'm glad you came here after all this instead of going back home.’

The thought he'd ever been intimate with a woman before you had dissipated in an endless pool of murky turquoise, the genuine surprise in his eyes cutting you to your bone. There was no question, you knew.

‘Thank you, kitten. I'll stay, if you want me here'. There was no hiding anymore, you'd made it sparkling clear by being an accessory after the fact.

‘I do, Arthur, so much. I wanted you here… since you held that elevator for me, yet somehow we always missed our moment. No need to thank me…’

Had it not been for the roaring thunder, he'd probably hear your galloping heart, yet his composure betrayed just that acknowledgement. Every fiber in your body ached to touch his soul and mend it. The erotic tension you couldn't deny, but that wasn't anywhere near the reason why you'd willfully allowed yourself to become his accomplice. He sat back down, timidly reaching for your hand with his own smooth fingers, to place it on his cheek, now as warm as to ignite all the fires inside you with only one touch. Regardless of the endless torment of his life, it was so effortless to feel safe in his presence, even if he'd just killed three men in cold blood and joggled his life as he balanced on a thin string.

‘But I want to. Will you... let me thank you?’ his eyes had meekly turned to yours with a restless heeding for that glimpse of complicity you'd joined in a few times before.

‘If you insist, sweetheart, I guess you already did. You're welcome.’ And through that smile you could feel your body radiating as intensely as a candle flame in the dark. You’d tripped and fell into feelings for him, and nothing could brush them off.

‘No... I really want to thank you, kitten...’ Painfully slowly, he drew himself closer to you, a cocktail of demureness and ardor shaping his beautifully chiseled face into one that you'd missed your whole life, without even knowing. ‘I want to... put my mouth on you...’

Oh… He'd shown you a short, blissful glimpse of this other Arthur, the less tense, less uptight, more daring when he'd taken what you both wanted. There was always a limit to his courage, and yet he’d usually fall back into the timid, maiden like demeanor that he was. This felt different though, as there was a glimpse of unbridling in the way he inhaled, in the twitch of his contoured eyebrow, his whispering husky voice demanding consent. He needed this. Perhaps it would help deafen the torment for a quiet minute, and you were willing to let him try. Oh, who were you fooling, your heart had leapt at the thought of this since you saw him motionless on your couch, albeit in your mind the roles had been reversed. You'd bitten your lip instinctively, a most nonverbal cue of compliance to his plea, and within a short second he was tasting it, sucking it, biting it gently, as his nimble fingers strolled so tenderly through your hair to uncover your face, your eyes already deeply sunk behind fluttering eyelids.

‘I want to feel you shiver in my mouth' he whispered with a faltering voice, taking in all of your scent through avid nostrils. ‘You always smell so good, so clean… I want to taste you…'

So tender he was, you'd forgotten what it felt like to be wished for, body and soul alike, yet his palms willingly showed you a striking contrast to the tenacious Arthur who'd barged in days ago, as if your skin was porcelain and he wouldn't want to break you. He uncovered your naked skin underneath the fluffy bathrobe and smoothly tasted the growing prickles with curious fingertips, lowering himself towards your thighs at a painstakingly slow pace that would soon have you beg.

Pulling you to the edge of the couch where he’d slid himself, he finally broke the jarring tension of his eye contact just to move his head lower, descending decisively. The instant his curious lips parted, a shiver jolted through your flesh and your heart leapt into a marathon, you let yourself fall into his mouth without any control. How beautiful he was, you reminded him over and over as your fingers slicked his damp hair back, curling it around his ears, uncovering his furrowed forehead and perfect chiseled jawline. The sight of him between your thighs was no stranger, but you’d only seen it from afar until now, deep within the corner of each of your fantasies. Such a kind soul he was, but that mouth a wretched devil… oh my…

For a second he looked as if he'd forgotten all his sorrows as he strolled his tongue over your petals, tasting your skin one inch at a time, gently exploring to test your every reaction to his laps, his eyes fascinated with each of your whimpers. The throbbing love button he'd unveiled, a curiosity he had to touch with his tongue to feel the pulsation, your purrs a source of the validation in an endless sea of self doubt. Taking his time, curiously exploring this newfound medication for his sorrowful blues, he quickly grew hungry and greedy as an addict for a stronger fix, yet somewhat cautious to not overdose. His dilated basil eyes etched onto your contorted face, delighting in each tiny reaction he drew from you with his mouth, yet the catalyst to set you fully ablaze were his own moans as he enjoyed himself enjoying you. Oh God, what is he doing to me, I never want him to stop…

You’d thought you'd be the one comforting him, but it seemed as if he was doing it for both of you. His eyes moved around maniacally, taking in the shape of your naked breasts, of your nipples hardened at the thunderous air in the room, your moans guiding him into a delicate rhythm that could make you climb walls, even with the clumsiness that came with tasting a new person. He couldn't be a novice, although his curiosity was striking and enticing. Regardless of all that sorrow he'd brought with him, he curled a satisfied smirk under his scar and an impertinent twitch of his eyebrow sent you into a frenzy. His jades dilated at seeing your lips bitten, your eyebrows furrowed, close to crying in ecstasy, unable to move at the pleasure he gave and gave some more.

The mercury in your thermometer jumped at knot speed towards one big show of fireworks whose fuse got consumed by his kindling flame at a slow pace. Thoughts of his recent killing spree rushed through your mind, yet you were as high as a kite. You didn't care. So you let them ooze out to leave a hazy emptiness behind to be filled with all this spectacle of indulgence.

The pleas were whimpering whispers as you arched and etched your fingers in his smooth cocoa hair to anchor him, the other palm clenching a poor throw pillow to deformation. You hips guided by the rhythm of his palms on your waist, your moans deepening as he'd made you move onto his face, using it as a fine tuned instrument to orchestrate the crescendo of both your pleasure. Now that all your 8000 sensory nerve endings could light Gotham for Christmas if visible, his tongue flickered around your pearl, feeling the climax building up towards that overwhelming rapture. Moans turned to shrieks, toes and fingers clenched in reflex, his eyes and mouth on you as he winked from under long dark eyelashes. You combusted so powerfully into his mouth, within a few blissful seconds you'd left him glistening in traces of yourself.

Only as you quivered your last drop of pleasure in his mouth did you realize why he'd needed this so badly, he craved the validation of being a man even if his identity in shatters. It was one thing to have no identity, but another to not even be a man. Pleasuring you was one damn win that would hold his feet on the ground if he did it right, and that he could control. He had been scrutinizing you as you gasped for air, your eyebrows furrowed almost painfully, your flushed delicate muscles still throbbing under his tongue.

‘Oh, Arthur, that was… amazing…’

Still lingering his lips onto your inner thighs, he kissed tenderly as your flesh still twitched. You wanted him even more now than you did before. But tonight should be about him, even if he'd taken the lead so gracefully, so skillfully, so deliciously.

‘Yeah…’ the shyest smile draped across his tinted face, 'I felt that, kitten. I've… never really done this before…’ You'd known, deep down, and yet hearing him say the words was the most tender of piano nocturnes to your ears, so you latched at his mouth to taste him through your flavor, one that if you could bottle up, it would drive mankind rabid into destructive adoration.

Come here, Arthur, you whispered as you pulled him next to you, the puzzlement over his arching eyebrows an absolute delight you'd dreamt of relentlessly. He didn't fight it, yet the stiffness in his bones betrayed an urge he'd palmed away many nights without resolution, anxiety creeping over him at the realization it was now staring him in the face.

‘Wh… what are you doing?’, you shushed him as a response.

‘Kitten, please, don't feel like you need to give me anything back…’

‘Who said anything about giving back? I'm taking this for myself, Arthur. Let go, baby, let me take care of you'

‘Kitten… ohh' his eyes went straight to the back of his head, heavy eyelids covering his jades, his lips parted as your fingers traced the bulge straining his pants to suffocation. ‘Ok…’ he exhaled anxiously, a timidly bouncing knee betraying the rush of emotion flowing through him as you dragged his clothes over his head, his pants crowning the floor within a few seconds, leaving him naked to your hungry gazes.

The flickering light of the candles reflected over his protruding ribs as if a part of his body had caved in under the weight of his shoulders, his palms on your face strolling and tasting the reality of your flesh, he must have thought you were a side effect of his medication. Yet the prickling shivers traversing his body as you trailed your fingers over it were not. You reached for his lips as you lay him across the couch, your breasts invading his chest, the warmth of your body soothing his anxious trembling. That defeated look on his face, so vulnerable he'd made himself to you, he had nothing to give yet you still wanted him. He was mystified with even the remote possibility, let alone you giving him that adoration he'd chased endlessly, but never caught.

‘You are so beautiful, Arthur, let me show you, please…’ He was your paradise lost in the depravity of Gotham, a villain in itself, weighing down on each of its residents and having chosen Arthur to crush mercilessly under its own lack of a well defined identity, ready to teach us all lessons in humility that could lead to desperation.

He nodded shyly, his jades coated with an acute layer of yearning over something he'd never been given before. His body was a withered Stradivarius, abandoned in the corner of a cold, damp world, subjected to years of weathering and painful lack of any care, no wonder he was so feeble in between your fingers. But his strings were steel, and steel doesn't weather. It would naturally respond to external factors just like anything else but no amount of forcing, pushing, suppressing would bring out the brilliant austere sound it was designed to bring. Had he been less frail, you'd relate him to a cello, one that needs to be held tight to one's chest before playing it, where its resonating chamber rests upon the artist's heart as she moves the bow on the saddest of instruments. Yet he was so fragile, the wails of his chords almost bringing you to tears as you ghosted over them, testing what amount of pressure would bring the vibration, how to explore the potential of the sound and bring it closer to perfection. You were there to give him all that, to polish all the dust away, his wrinkles, his chiseled edges, to practice on his strings and validate his worth until he felt himself a Stradivarius for the first time in his life. He'd been blessed with a beautiful instrument that could bring such intense sensory bliss if only he'd find the right hands, and you longed to play him through the night, to tear your fingers into his chords and to sing his melancholy away.

What a trembling mess he'd become as soon as your lips strolled down his neck, the smell of rain and cigarettes off his skin intoxicating you into indelible addiction. The farthest you went, the more you saw how little he expected that you'd turn your full attention to him, as if never daring to expect anything other than what you'd allow him to take. You kissed your way down from his chest, palms exploring and fondling every bony texture, every inch of soft skin until reaching an extremity that felt to your fingertips as both together. Trembling, he slicked back his hair and sunk deeper into the couch, scrutinizing your face in detail and feeding you those micro expressions of Arthur and Carnival together, the twitch in his eyebrow a give away that you'd be playing for an audience of two tonight.

So immersed in the overflow of sensation he was as you took him into your mouth, his only verbal response a muffled ‘F-fuck, kitten', but his whole body screamed a different story of twitches at the touch of your tongue and lips. How demure the sounds he made as he shivered over and over, his eyes shut tightly, his mouth half open, heavy breaths raising his chest, quivering lips alternating silent approvals or four letter curses, as if careful to not be caught. So painfully expressive, all you wanted was to see him melt under your touches like silver over a burning flame without a hurry in the world, your tongue tracing a tale more evocative than any words could ever express.

With each stroke of your lips, he let go to all but that intense pleasure, as if your mouth held the power to oust the very fabric of reality, offering him an escape into a wonderland he'd been denied entrance all his life. He wants to be wanted, needs to he needed, lusts to be lusted for, his quivering lips more than enough validation for that thought. As you felt his muscles unwind, his fingers tremoring, his breath traversing his trembling body, you'd made him float in an isolation tank of indulgence. When you stopped, his voice would growl and whimper in reflex, the purring sounds begging for more. Some would call it schadenfreude, you called it your tiny overdose in hearing him say 'please' as you teased and inflamed him. His taste in your mouth, his smooth texture, his delicate skin, you wanted nothing more than to lock that door and trap him in this perpetual state of bliss. For eternity wouldn't be enough to put together all his broken pieces, but it would be a start.

The meekness in his jade eyes was wrenching, yet as he looked into yours, you quickly understood why. You couldn't hear his silent whispers, yet you knew he was begging for more as the throb in your mouth intensified and his whimpering green eyes slid to the back of his head, his palms clenching the couch so forcefully he could tear into it. It mattered no less as you felt him completely let go throb after throb, his body convulsing in spasms, the taste of him ambrosia hidden from all other mortals.

His head sunk deep in the couch pillow, his arms and body heavy and immobile, breath ragged, he giggled for the first time that day, a laugh so genuine it felt foreign to both of you, a rattled stranger you both wanted to welcome in and nurture back to his feet. As he lay sprawled on your couch, naked and ecstatic, you wished he was happy, for once. You needed a minute to freshen up, and as you returned to shut the windows and lay a blanket over him, he'd almost dozed off from exhaustion.

You sunk next to him as slick as a cat, laying him onto your chest and fondling your fingers in his damp cocoa hair, his limbs latching at you rendering you almost breathless with the radiating warmth of his body.

‘Kitten, I… I don't know how to thank you…’, he whispered in the nook of your neck, asleep had his flesh not sweetly twitched him back to a half awake state. ‘I've been off my medication for a few days, but I might have found an endless supply of pure morphine…’. His body had finally rested its convulsion, his limbs falling heavier, his breath slower, within a few seconds of his thought his eyes already moved spastically under heavy eyelids.

He was right, he'd found pure morphine, and so had you. It would consume you both, but him in your arms was that feeling humanity had sought since its birth. A once in a lifetime adventure they'd write sonnets about in the past, one that was yours to experience and live through with Arthur. That morphine had just kicked in for both, and you were floating on a cloud high above the thunder slowly roaring away in the night.

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

Thank you for reading this far! ❤

A special thanks to a few of the lovely people in this community that inspires me to keep putting my odes to Arthur on paper:

@wuika @iartsometimes @impulsiveclown @arthurflecc @littlebird92 @life-or-something-like-lt @jokers-puddin-pop @arthurfleckownsmysoul @jokersdoll @bananabreaddough @paperorigami @ransomguest49 @daydreamhustler @arthurjokersgirl @forever-fleck @sweet-nothings04 jokerlicious @ajokeformur-ray @shaw-2000 @jaraysha1121 @jofic059​ @shit-i-love-clowns

[royalcordelia]

The Secret of Distance (1/?)

Summary: Anne and Gilbert embark on their journeys, but stay close to each other at heart. Courting across 1000 miles isn't easy, but they're more than willing to step up to the task. (A post s3 story).

Notes: I know starting another mc is not a healthy life choice, but I needed to write this story and I wanted it to have a bunch of chapters, so here it is! Enjoy!

~~*~~ 

There wasn’t much Anne could do except lay back on her unfamiliar bed at create constellations from the cracks in the ceiling. Her heart was so full in her chest that it weighed her down against her mattress, and she reveled in the feeling. Could a person die from so much happiness? Her mother’s book on the language of flowers laid against her breast right above her heart, and she swore its lingering traces of motherly love seeped into her skin like stale perfume in an empty bottle. 

 Diana’s quiet footsteps land in the doorway, but her beloved kindred spirit merely allowed Anne to exist in the quiet of the room. Anne’s happiness bled out of her like sun rays, and it was all Diana can do to keep looking at her.

Then, with the unexpected haste of a well cranked jack-in-the-box, Anne sat up in bed and gave Diana a stunned look.

“I want to hear the whole story,” Anne murmured, half-rushed, half dazed. “Whatever did you say to him?” 

Diana stepped into the room, admiring the cleanness of her bed across from Anne’s. She settled at the side of her best friend’s mattress and crinkled her eyebrows sheepishly.

“I might’ve read him the riot act after he told my father he wasn’t engaged,” Diana began. The guilt in her voice drained away and she grabbed Anne’s hand. “Dearest, he never received your letter. You should’ve seen his face when I told him there was one.” 

Anne’s jaw dropped. She stammered for words, “I...But I left it...How do you even miss a letter like that in broad daylight?” She blanched. Regret dripped into each of her words as she said, “Oh, I know exactly how. For instance, if a person where to, say,  tear up the letter before reading it and then throw it out her gable window…” Anne groaned. “What did it say!?” 

Diana, piecing together the rambles, grabbed Anne’s pen from her side table and handed it to her. 

“You can just ask him, you know.” 

Anne held the pen in her hand as if it were made of solid gold and jeweled with ancient crystals. For some reason the sight of it makes her remember him at her doorstep, chest heaving from running. His eyes had been filled with such overflowing devotion that Anne thought she’d drown the closer she grew to him, but there was no where else she wanted to be. The overwhelming feeling begins to fill her chest once more and she takes a deep breath.

“Are you scared of what he’ll say?” Diana questioned quietly. Shaking her head, Anne bit her lips and tried to remember the exact feeling of when Gilbert had kissed her.

“No, something tells me that anything he has to say will be such wonderful poetry.”

“Gilbert isn’t very poetic.” 

“On the contrary, dearest Diana, there is always something inherently poetic when a man reveals to you the contents of his heart.” 

Diana grabbed one of Anne’s pillows and stuffed it against her chest. For a moment, Anne wondered if it was insensitive, talking of love when Diana had ended her own romance with Jerry so abruptly. But then Diana smirked and plopped down unceremoniously on the bed.

“I see how it is! You kiss a boy once and suddenly you’re an expert?” she teased. A thrill went down Anne’s spine and she smothered a squeal with both hands over her face. 

“Three times, Diana! We kissed three times! ” she shrieked, so lovesick that Diana couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t wait until they told Cole, and Aunt Jo, and-

“You kissed whom three times, Anne?!” 

Anne and Diana’s laughter ended abruptly on their lips when Josie Pye came into the room. She was followed by the other three girls, who waited on baited breath for Anne’s answer. Biting back a chuckle, Anne did her best to keep her face neutral. They all looked so silly! Ruby’s eyes were wider than Anne knew they could be, and Tilly was pressing her lips together to physically lock back all of her questions. 

Anne and Diana righted themselves on the bed, backs straight like the proper ladies they were. She spoke in the most neutral tone she could muster -  which was not very impressive, considering how happy she was to be confessing that she had kissed - “Gilbert.”

Their jaws dropped to the floor with a silent BANG, and Anne wondered if maybe one of them still liked Gilbert, after all. Her doubt only lasted a second, and suddenly the room  erupted in shouts of triumph and delight and confusion. They threw questions at her, all of which Anne tried to answer as best she could.

“Gilbert Blythe!? Anne, you never said you liked him! When did you start-” 

“Earlier this year! Maybe always? Definitely always.” 

“Is he good at kissing?” 

“I don’t have much experience to base it off of, but it was incredibly perfect” 

“I thought he was engaged to-”

“I thought so too, but apparently he ended things with her to pursue his ‘unrequited love.’” 

“Unrequited love?” Diana cut in. “He really thought you didn’t return his feelings?” 

Anne shrugged.

“There were a lot of misunderstandings, I think. I still don’t know for sure how it all transpired.” 

There was a pause before Jane crossed her arms.

“Well, where is he?” 

A twinge of disappointment hit the back of Anne’s heart. This day had been so beautiful in ways that even she could not have imagined, but the entire summer could have been that way if she hadn’t been so…so foolish ! All they’d gotten was a few moments before he was swept away to Toronto. Her little twinge of disappointment was overshadowed by how proud she was, and how much she loved him, but it was present enough that her eyes fell to the floor. 

“He’s attending University of Toronto. Miss Stacey contacted a friend of hers, I think. He said it was imperative he arrive today. It’s quite a long train ride, so that’s where he is right now.” 

Anne couldn’t help but smile. How sweet he looked from the back of the carriage. She had half a mind that he would’ve given up college right then and there if she asked him to stay. As wonderful as it would have been to spend the afternoon in his arms, kissing and clearing up all the confusions, his future came first. Now that she was part of it, she didn’t feel so afraid to let him go off into that bright, expansive world.

“So I guess that means you’re courting him now,” Ruby said excitedly. 

Anne looked down at the pen in her hand, then at her group of friends. Was she? Anne wanted to court him, even if it was for a long time. Not to mention, he’d broken off his courtship for her. Anne’s stomach fell to the floor when a rush of affection overtook her. Gilbert Blythe had turned down a girl who was everything Anne had once wanted to be, and the Sorbonne, so that he could try again with her. 

“I...I suppose I am courting him, in a long distance sort of way,” Anne concluded carefully. “I’m adding that to my list of follow up questions. I want to know for sure.”

“We’re happy for you, Anne,” Diana said, placing her head on Anne’s shoulder. Resting her cheek on Diana’s new updo, Anne heaved a sigh of relief. What a gift days like today were, where Providence proved he had not left her behind. Wrapping her fingers around Diana’s, Anne brought their hands up to her lips. 

“Shocked, but happy,” Josie supplied in a Pye-ish voice. “But can we eat now? I came up to tell you lunch is ready?” 

The girls began to file down the hallway, their footsteps echoing against the tall walls of the house as they clambered down the stairs. Diana stood in the doorway once more, watching as Anne pressed a kiss to the pen in her hand and placed it on her bedside table. There’d be time for writing letters later. For now, Anne had her own future to step into once and for all.

~~*~~

During the moonlit peace of the evening was Anne’s favorite time to put her heart to paper. As she sat down at her new desk, she wondered if pen and paper had ever been put to better use.

Dear Gilbert, 

I look like my mother. I look so much like her, in fact, that for a brief moment I thought I was looking down at my own reflection. But the glorious name “Bertha” was scribed atop the portrait, and an equally lovely name was signed across the bottom, “Walter.” How those names fill me with such warmth to say on my lips. 

I do believe I’m leaving out an integral part of this story. Matthew and Marilla visited today. They had gone to see a woman I lived with as a child and brought with them a book on the language of flowers. (Expect some pressed blossoms in your near future, I have much I’d like to say to you!) The darling book had once belonged to my parents, and it was there my father sketched a portrait of my mother. 

I will be forever astonished at how a girl like me, who had such meager beginnings,  could come upon such a wonderful family! Not only Marilla and Matthew, but the kindred spirits I’ve collected along the way. (Of course, your name is written on that list and underlined twice.) Today has taught me an eternal appreciation for love, and I find myself overwhelmed by the intensity of it. I wonder if you know the feeling. 

As you’ll recall, I have several follow-up questions, but in exchange for your honest answers, I feel it’s only fair to offer you some explanations of my own. It’s just that I’m unsure where to begin. What do you already know? Hmm…The beginning is as good a place to start as any. 

Gilbert, you must understand that love is such a young concept to me. I have only been on the receiving side of love since shortly after arriving at Green Gables, before which, I’d never even observed it with my own eyes. I’ve had being loved by family mastered for quite some time, thanks to Marilla and Matthew, but allowing you to come into my heart was so much different.  Trying to translate what I’d read in books and compare it with what I truly felt was much harder than I anticipated. 

Oh, it wasn’t the loving part that was hard. Loving you is as easy and breathtaking as stargazing from my new window. But realizing it, letting it happen, allowing myself to believe that a person like you could care for me...that was where the difficulties arose. It wasn’t until everything was still and I was content that you hit me like a roll of thunder. I sat up in my bed and exclaimed, “I’m in love with Gilbert Blythe!” Gave Diana quite the scare. 

 I’m sorry it took so long for me to come to my senses. Part of me wonders what would have happened if I’d realized sooner. Nevertheless, I’m exceedingly grateful that you appeared at my doorstep today, as magnificent as ever, to take one last chance. 

You’re likely curious about the note I wrote you. To be honest, I cannot explain to you why you never received it. I left it right underneath the water jug on your kitchen table. I wonder where it is now. Thankfully, the contents of the letter were quite short and, in more ways than one, sweet. I’ve inserted a new copy inside this letter so that you can have what you were originally meant to have. 

There are more questions I have, but I think I’d rather hear what’s on your mind first. (Not that I can mail this until you write to me first with your return address.) There is one thing I will ask because, though I’m 99% certain I know the answer, I’d like to be entirely certain: are we courting? If you’re waiting to hear what I think on the matter first, I’d like to court you, even if it’s a four year process. Or longer. Truly, Gilbert, all I want is you. 

Oh - and how much does train fare cost from PEI to Toronto? I’d like to start saving as soon as possible to come see you. 

Alright, my love, I think I have sufficiently taken up an adequate amount of your time. Please know that I’m thinking of you during your first days of college, and I already miss you beyond words. 

Yours always, 

Anne 

(PS: Where in the world did you learn to kiss like that? No - don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.) 

[swsh-sorts]

How would the SwSh characters react to them realising that their friend always seems to put them first? Spending time with them, helping them with tasks, checking in on them, tending to them when they're sick but forgetting to really take time for themselves. I tend to have a bad habit of it and I'm trying to retrain myself and ignore the feeling that I'm being 'selfish'. That said please take care of yourself too, we know you have other obligations so take your time.

God, I hope you know this ask made me smile very wide. You are not selfish, anony, if anything, you are very selfless and kind. Take care of yourself as well. :)

Greatful Gestures - Part One

MILO:

He’s be the fastest to come to this conclusion out of everyone else, seeing as he himself seems like someone who is very generous and giving, caring for others around him, before giving any thought to himself.

Milo would always take into note whenever his friend would come by and help him with his farm, while he’s off on gym duties, or to ask whether he was feeling well, when visible fatigue lingered around his friend.

He’d feel very surprised at first, but then he’d feel guilty, as he thinks his friend has some sort of obligation. Milo would make sure his friend knows they’re cared for just as much as they care for the him.

NESSA:

Nessa wouldn’t be too observant into noticing her friend’s actions straight away. She isn’t blind, but she didn’t think that her friend would be neglecting their own needs for the sake of her own.

When she realises how much her friend had given and provided for her, Nessa would feel very flustered, yet angry at herself for not being able to reciprocate the same amount of kindness.

From then on, before her friend was ever allowed to do anything, she would make sure all of their needs were met, before making sure to give them as much love as possible.

KABU:

Kabu would be against all of the care in the first place. Not in a bad way, not at all, but a “I can take care of myself but I appreciate everything” way. He’ll be quite disappointed if he finds his friend not taking care of themselves first.

I feel like Kabu is a person who values self-care, and would try to show that sort of view to his friend. While he understands it’s their nature, he wants to show how being healthy in self can also be a lot more beneficial to others.

A real positive guy. He’ll start to return every bit of kindness shown to him, and would make sure his friend is healthy, or he’ll sit them through another lecture.

BEA:

Much like Kabu, I think she would also value self-care, and how it can not only help the individual, but those around them as well. However, openly shown kindness and care would not be something Bea was used to, and she’d get flustered as the amount of attention her friend was giving her.

But it was only after a small sparring match that she had noticed this selfless trait true to form. Her friend was checking on her injuries, when they were much worse off.

From then on, Bea would be very observant of her friend. And although she may not outright tell them to take care if themselves, Bea can definitely show her own acts of kindness in thanks.

ALLISTER:

Allister seems like the type of kid that prefers isolation man what a perfect time for that, with some of the most exclusive friends he’d ever allow to be near him. So it’d be no surprise if he grimaced at every doting action his friend sends towards him.

But it’s in those moments where he notices how his friend always seemed to value Allister’s feelings and likings, and would abide by it, even if it meant leaving him alone. And Allister’s not blind. He knows care when he sees it, and it’s overflowing from his friend.

So he’s patient. Even if he can never outwardly announce his appreciation or care, he can hold. He’ll show his appreciation, even if it only seems like toleration at first, he’ll show himself more, day by day.

OPAL:

Old grandma would be quick to notice the behaviour of her friend. She’s known at least one of every kind of person, and knows a rare gem when she sees one.

While she does enjoy the pampering and the kindness, she’ll still have this little tug of guilt that pulls within her chest. But Opal is determined, and won’t allow her friend to lack the care that they deserve.

Sometimes her friend will visit Opal, and she’ll have some homemade cookies. If Opal was invited over to her friend’s home, they might end up getting their laundry done. Maybe even get their own pampering.

GORDIE:

This absolute papaya. After a few weeks of being his friend, he’d know immediately a selfless individual when he sees one. While his form of care and encouragement differs from his friend, he’ll argue that it’s fairly similar.

As soon as any bit of kindness is shown to him, he’ll send it back immediately. It’s a give and receive thing. Gordie is just the type of person to not accept kindness unless it can be returned.

So he makes sure that his friend handles themselves well, even if he has to do the caring himself. If his friend has got his back, he sure as hell has got theirs.

[finalsegamangalover]

“Always and Forever, Here and Now”  ( Reno x Reader )

Waking in the oddest of hours you didn’t quite understand it, you yourself awoken from a dream that left you so angry. But quickly dismissing it and telling yourself it's existence didn’t matter you also noticed something else out of the corner of your eye. As you laid next to him in the dark you heard his breathing change, yes he was still asleep but it was beginning to pick up pace a bit gradually. He tightened his jaw and seemed troubled borderline pained. A second later his eyes snapped opened and shot up from his side of the bed panting and sweating from the fears of his nightmare; a slight inhale of air that seemed jagged from strain signaled you he needed help. He wanted to scream but he was still unconscious to know that he could’ve. Your hands gently touched his shoulders as you sat up and held him closely. His tears streamed hot and fast as he sobbed groquestly at the sight of his fears. Resting his forehead against your shoulder whilst you held him close and tried to coax him to calm down. 

“It’s okay, I’m here… I’m here Reno..” you kept saying as the red-haired man whimpered in defeat remembering the horrible image before him; he was coming to terms slowly.

“You are safe, it is only a dream..” You felt him tuck his head under your chin as he cried into your nape. Caressing his back in soothing circles holding him closely. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” You asked after a moment or two passed by. He nodded and sniffled regaining his character. Sighing heavily he rubbed his eyes and inhaled deeply. 

“It was happening again. The world was dying and we had a mission to take care of. I was borderline dying but Rude managed to save me in exchange for his…” Reno’s voice quivered and cracked in between words as you still provided comfort. He hung his head low. 

“I felt ashamed.. He shouldn’t have given up his for mine. I hate the fact of how he thinks of me as childish or reckless in some regards but that doesn’t give him the okay to leave me like that..” His eyes empty and a pang of remorse emanated. You knew they were thick as blood, family by friendship alone. As you witnessed the dread on Reno’s face it caused you to frown sadly.

“I know how you feel Reno, its going to be okay. You both are still here and alive.” 

“Like hell we should be..” Reno was going too far, starting to enter that dark place again. Rude warned you about this phase and was it deadly if it progressed. You had to act fact, get right to the point.

“Stop that! You cannot blame yourself for what your job puts you through. These are not your choices, these were orders. I know it doesn’t make up for the fact of morality being present but that doesn’t mean you beat yourself up. You are just doing what you're told to do..” You spoke softly as he shook his head. 

“I wish I never dropped that plate..” he admitted. You sympathized with him and held his hand. 

“I know you wish time could reverse itself and to fix that point, all you can do now though is forgive yourself.” 

“I don’t deserve it..” He was starting to shut himself out. Not this time, not if you had a say in it. 

“You deserve compassion, love, respect, and most of all redemption. But you cannot fill someone else’s cup unless yours is overflowing. You deserve to feel a chance at happiness and to live your life in your own way. To relish the gifts and joys one would receive in this path of the living.” your hand touched his cheek as he nuzzled into it crying still. 

“You deserve to be just as human as I Reno. Life is too short to be chained by mistakes. It’s up to you to learn to not remake them and continue to live the best that you can be.. all that you can be.” Your words touched him as he now cried silently next to you. He knew your heart was in the right place and he was honored to hear that not everyone has hate and disdain fueling them. He loved  how wise and loving you spoke, caring and envisioning the good or ‘learning lesson’ in any scenario. The way you reached out to him, provided stability and a sense of tranquility always bode Reno to adore you more. He was more than grateful to have you by his side; your words resonated passionately within his ears brought all the more recognizing on just how beautiful your heart was.

Reno reached out for a hug as you both sat there together. Within a split second you took the invitation as he squeezed you laying down slowly. His head nuzzled into the top of your head as you listened to his heartbeat soothingly. He didn't feel the adrenaline anymore which explained the slowed heart rate but he inhaled and exhaled a little more noticeably. 

“Can I ask you something..?” Reno whispered. You nodded in response. 

“Can you sing me our song? I know it’s late and all but it helps..” He blushed a bit stroking his thumb against your back. You smiled and cleared your throat recalling the lyrics clear as a day.

“Is love so fragile, And the heart so hollow. Shatter with words Impossible to follow. You're saying I'm fragile, I try not to be. I search only for something I can't see…” his muscle tension lessened as you kept singing a couple more verses. He gradually began to feel sleepier as his verse appeared.

“You in the moonlight, with your sleepy eyes. Could you ever love a man like me? And you were right, when I walked into your house. I knew I'd never want to leave. Sometimes I'm a strong man, sometimes cold and scared; and sometimes I cry. But that time I saw you, I knew with you to light my nights, somehow I'd get by…” Your voice almost choked on a few words as fresh tears trailed down his perfect cheeks. Both of you signing together in harmony. 

“ Lovers forever, face to face. My city ,your mountain stay with me stay.. I need you to love me, I need you today. Give to me your leather take from me my lace..” He nuzzled closely as you drew the covers up more. He and yourself falling asleep feeling a bit lighter. Just before your eyes closed you looked up to see him smiling as your hand cupped his face. His hand gently held your, the warmth of the blanket surrounding you both just as the moonlight peered through the window shining in the room and eventually reaching to your side of the bed. The lighting captured and glistened your wedding bands. Uttering the last line. 

“Give to me your leather. Take from me my lace.. But take from me my lace… Take from me my lace”. 

[redriotess]

Don't fall for the "Free hearts and tickets!!" Scam

This is a long post. It is meant to help you understand why hacking tools and heart/ticket generators do not work. To get the TL;DR version, scroll down to the paperclip.

We've used our last bit of money to pay the electric bill and now there's nothing left over to buy a small pack of hearts. But our favorite route just came out and come hell or high water, we WILL be playing that route with heart options to read about sexy times.

We decide to do some online searching because the Lovestruck app is a piece of software and software can be hacked!!

Next thing we know, we come upon a promise of endless tickets and hearts!!

All we have to do is use this online tool!

No downloading necessary! We can have as many as 999,999,999 hearts in under 5 minutes!

We test out this tool and realize that for some reason it doesn't work. Huh. Weird. Ok. Forget it. There is a whole row to try! The next one just says fill out a survey and we'll instantly have 10,000 hearts added to our account!

Happily, we answer our 2 question survey, fill out our email, phone number, and mailing address?

Hm, ok. Whatever.

We get a pop-up that says: "You are super close to your reward, just answer this one last question!" What's one more question?

Click.

We're asked to enter our email one more time, you know, for verification purposes. Another pop-up appears asking us to select two free prizes!!

Awesome! We get free hearts and two free prizes! We select our prizes. Where should they ship our brand spanking new frying pan and magazine subscription that we never knew we needed? We enter our mailing address, phone number, email...

Another pop-up. "CONGRATULATIONS! Enter this sweepstake to win an all-inclusive vacation to Hawaii for two!!! Just enter your email and phone number!"

Forty-five minutes later we close out all the pop-ups and try to get back to our original window. WTF?? Where did it go? Where are our 10,000 hearts?? Nowhere of course. "But thanks for your information!"

Meh. Let's try this other link.

Oh, snap! This one comes with a YouTube video SHOWING us that it works!! We watch the video, we SEE it with our very own eyes. The guy on the video obtains 100,000 hearts and 50,000 tickets!!

This is it! This is the winning lottery ticket!

We click the link under the video, which redirects us to the "tool". We follow the steps to a T. Why isn't it working? We did EXACTLY what the guy did in the video.

Let's contact the guy! He can help us. We email him, explaining exactly what we did. He gets back to us right away and tries to troubleshoot with us. After a couple of back and forth emails, he tells us: "It must just be your phone. Sorry, I can't help you."

We decide to give up. We resign ourselves to reading our favorite route without sexy time. Life sucks.

...

Two weeks later we come home to a mailbox overflowing with sweepstakes, advertisements and letters from strange companies.

Ignoring the pile of junk, we decide to check our email. 1,478 new messages including an urgent message informing us that due to recent political conflict in central Africa, the secret Rwandan treasure with a monetary value of 100,000,000 US DOLLARS must be immediately transferred to a bank in the United States of America. WE have been found to be the only surviving heir of King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa. Prince Emmanuel Bushayija has been found to be unfit and therefore we must reply to this email immediately providing our name, mailing address, phone number, bank name, account information and last four of our social so that the money can be transferred quickly and safely. We must also provide a small fee of $6,000 to aid in the transfer. But what's $6,000 when we are going to receive $100,000,000.

The next email states that we are wanted by the IRS for tax fraud and must send a payment IMMEDIATELY or go to federal prison. We can send the payment of $10,000 via Western Union to a location in the Ukraine where the IRS has recently relocated.

...

Given this incredibly long post, you should realize by now how these heart generating tools work. They don't. They are there to gather your information or send you on an infinite loop of surveys.

📎 So why aren't there hacking tools? Well, for one thing, they are unethical and take away from the paychecks of the artists, writers, production team, programmers, etc for the game we all love. Outside of that, the biggest reason these tools don't work is that the game is server side. Have you tried playing Lovestruck in airplane mode or without internet connection before? It doesn't work, right?

Your account is part of a database that rests within the Voltage server. When you purchase a pack of hearts, they are added to your account on the SERVER side. The hearts are not stored on your phone memory or locally in the Lovestruck app.

This is also the reason why you can't just add a bunch of hearts in. You'd have to hack your way into the Voltage server, find your account and manually enter the amount of hearts and tickets that you desire. To hack into a server is not an easy task. If you did manage to succeed, Voltage would be able to see any changes that were made on the server and roll these changes back. In other words, you'd just lose all the hearts that you dishonestly gained. Server breaches are flagged almost immediately and have shutdown safeguards in place.

Hoping to breach a server, find your account, add hearts and then read an entire route is close to impossible. You also risk losing your entire account by being banned.

To sum things up, stay away from these hacking tools and empty promises of unlimited hearts and tickets. The only legitimate way to acquire hearts is by buying them, participating in the weekend challenges and winning them through the daily puzzle system.

And if you think about it, why would you want to cheat the system? By buying hearts, you are supporting the fantastic team that is creating these amazing stories FOR YOU. Remember, they have electric bills, mortgages and groceries to pay for too.

I know this was a long read.

I hope that those who have read this entire article have learned a little something.

If nothing else, take-home points:

1. if it's too good to be true, then it probably is.

2. don't support cheating, support the hard work of the Lovestruck team.

I wonder whatever happened to that frying pan...

[mmazzeroo]

Chapter 15 - NED IV - That’s A Big Campfire

@helloimnotawesome - Chapter 15 updated. I’m SO sorry for the long wait. Thought I forgot about you, didn’t you ;) Well....finally there’s a new update for you as well as a new mood board :) Enjoy, my friend! <3 

EDIT: Posted this earlier with the mood board but it got flagged!!! Stupid Dumblr, so while waiting the staff to realise their mistake here’s a repost and you’ll have to go AO3 to see the mood board. Sorry about that sweetie <3

NED IV - That’s A Big Campfire

"In a heartbeat, Dr. Stark!"

"Thank you so much, Sam," the boy is still so formal, "and Sam?"

"Yes, Dr. Stark?"

"Call me Ned, please." He smiled to himself.

"Ah right, yes, of course Dr. Stark...Sorry! Ned..." He could practically hear Sam blushing over the phone.

"Good! Now, once again thank you for helping with this, Sam."

"My pleasure, Dr. S..Ned."

Again, he chuckled at Sam's overly politeness. "Won't take more of your time. See you in a couple of weeks," not waiting for Sam's answer he hung up the phone. Crossing the big field of grass behind Dragonstone castle, he walked over to his wife and Rhaella currently busy cooing over his grandchildren who were rolling around on a blanket placed on the grass in the shadow of a beautiful old tree.

"Just spoke to Sam - it's all set."

"Wonderful, honey! He's going to be so surprised!" His wife was beaming up at him.

"Hopefully only in a positive way. I don't exactly have a good track-record when it comes to surprising my eldest son." He sighed as he looked around searching for the man in question.

"Oh stop it!" Rhaella grabbed his arm and pulled him down to sit between her and Catelyn. "He'll be so excited I bet he'll go speechless. You didn't see his sad puppy face when he was on the phone with Robb that day and had to tell him no. He looked like he thought he'd be ruining his brother's big day because of it. We didn't see him again until nightfall."

"He was always an emotional boy, Ned. Considering what he's lived through it's remarkable he's still able to be this empathetic." Catelyn gently stroked him down his cheek and kissed him. "Jon has a good heart. Been put back together with countless stitches yes, but at it's core still true and pure. He'll be over the moon when he sees what you and Robb has arranged."

He couldn't help smile at his wife's wise words. My sweet gentle sons. Trying to catch up on the time they lost together. "You're of course right - both of you." He quickly smiled at both women sitting on either side of him. "Instead of worrying I'll look forward to seeing some joy on my son's face." Joy! Wouldn't that be a sight!

"That's the spirit!" Rhaella gave him a big smile and light-heartedly nudged his shoulder with her own. "Now, not that I didn't know already, but I must say Robb has made a fabulous choice for his future wife." She nodded her head slightly to the riders further down the field.

Margaery and Sansa where on each their horse accompanying little Rhaenys on her pony between them. Rhaenys was in awe of both. Earlier in the day they had been sitting in the grass braiding each other's hair, adding flowers to the braids and even making garlands that they'd been wearing like crowns. He had to admit he found it adorable how the two took the time for Rhaenys and indulged her. Arya, on the other hand had rolled her eyes, pretending to gag and walked away. Oh how he loved his two girls. So different yet so similar. Just don't tell them that! They had the same fierce spirit, though when it came to expressing said spirit they'd chosen different ends of the spectre. Arya was, for the most part, hit first ask later. Sansa, on the other hand, would take the hits yet refuse to give in. My wild wolf and quiet wolf. Interestingly, he'd noticed a change in both over the past 5-6 months that Jon had been here at Dragonstone and everyone had made sure to make frequent visits whenever schedules allowed. The only one flying in a few times a week was Viserys for his therapy sessions with Jon. Arya was gradually beginning to show signs of something he could've sworn was a foreign concept to her - patience. Who would've ever thought! And Sansa, oh Sansa! She was slowly coming out of her shell, walking and talking with a little more confidence every day, and she was biting back. When Catelyn had told him that Sansa had suggested wearing a sleeveless dress as a bridesmaid, if Margaery agreed, his eyes had overflowed with tears. His shy, broken girl wanting to proudly put her scars on display like that to the world made his heart melt with pride and fatherly love. If I ever get my hands on Joffrey or Ramsey I'll smother them with my own bare hands!! Margaery, of course, had happily and eagerly agreed, knowing what a huge step this was for Sansa.

He couldn't help wonder what it was that caused all these changes. Has Jon returning helped fill a void we each had in our hearts? Is our individual healing contributing to us heal as a family? Have we all found our 'missing piece' in our lives and souls? Or are my girls just growing and maturing at their own natural pace? No, it was all connected to Jon one way or another. By his attempts to reconnect with his siblings and family for his own healing he was helping them with theirs as well. He knew Jon didn't necessarily do this knowingly. After all, the young man was simply trying to regain what he thought he'd lost. However, when he saw anyone in need of help - in anything - he immediately jumped in to provide any assistance he could. He'd always done that even as a little boy. Jon didn't want to see anyone in pain or suffering for any reason. Once again he was taken aback by his son's willingness to help others even if it meant at the expense of his own health. He had done so for years as a member of the Night's Watch, and it became even more ironic when taking into account Jon's blood type. O negative, also known as the universal giver because all other blood types could receive it without trouble - Jon however if given any blood type other than his own would die. It was as if the Gods had forged him to endure heartbreak, pain and suffering for the sake of others, to shield others, to help and save others. What was it Jon had said a few months ago? 'The same hammer that breaks glass forges steel'. That's it! Jon is teaching Sansa that she's steel while all this time she thought of herself as glass! Except he's hitting her with buckets of love. Ha! Jon you brilliant man! He made a mental note to go properly thank the gods when he returned to Winterfell before the wedding. Gods, the wedding! For a minute there he'd completely forgotten everything about it.  

He was happy for Robb and Margaery, but at the same time he couldn't understand his little boy had grown up so fast. Oh Ned, you sentimental old fool. Every parent thinks that. He shook his head slightly. In just a few weeks his son and heir to the title of Lord of Winterfell would be marrying the granddaughter of President Olenna Tyrell. It was quite a match and the media and the public loved it! The media! Damnit! Another thing we need to try to prepare Jon for.

Just after New Year's the Starks and Targaryens had sent out a joint press release informing the public of the miraculous return of Jonathan Dayne, heir to Starfall and the son of Eddard Stark and late Ashara Dayne. The families asked to kindly give Jon and his family time and space to recover from the shock, and any press inquiries could be directed to Mr. Tyrion Lannister. Shortly after the President had made a public statement that the Starks were collaborating closely with the authorities, and that further investigations into the events of the years since Captain Dayne's kidnapping and the people involved were already under way, and how she was hoping to hear about more families being united despite all the time passed. The public had responded overwhelmingly positive and sympathy messages online and offline had poured in. Especially messages from Dorne and the city of Starfall was filled with excitement of how they'd welcome him back home with open arms. Luckily, Jon and the cinnabons, thank you for that nickname Arya, had managed to remain sheltered on Dragonstone for the past almost 6 months. Now though it was time for him to step out into the limelight and take his 'rightful' place in the media as the Lord of Starfall. Viserys had assured him that Jon was ready for the circus and that he'd be alright surrounded by family. At least he'll have Dany by his side as well.

"Speaking of future spouses," his wife interrupted his busy mind, "your daughter has made a wise choice herself, if I may say so."

"Indeed! She's had a few trial and errors, but I have a good feeling about this new man in her life." In a mirthful tone Rhaella continued, "I have on good authority that he's from a reputable family, and he's even a war hero!"

"Oh my! What a catch!" Catelyn played along with Rhaella's joking tone and comically pretended to be fanning herself. "But is he handsome? No fun in bagging a man if he's looking like an oaf!"

"Believe me my friend when I tell you he's the prettiest in all the lands!"

He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. Giggling like school girls!! Gods!

Catelyn wrapped her arm around his waist. "Oh c'mon, Ned, have a laugh!"

"Not as long as you call any son of mine 'pretty'!" He said feigning offence.

"But it's the truth, dear Neddy!" Really don't like it when she calls me that. "Next month at Margaery and Robb's wedding there'll be swooning left and right over all of your sons, but in particularly your eldest. Oh Cat, can you imagine how dashing he'll look in his uniform?! I might even swoon!"

All three of them laughed out loud at that image. Rhaella herself so much she had her head leaned back and holding on to him to keep from toppling over.

They all sat quiet for a bit trying to catch their breath again.

"On a serious note though, I do have a good feeling about those two. They are clearly good for each other, and in due time I expect it to naturally end in vows as well." Rhaella stretched her arms and tickled little Adei and Amador on their little chubby baby stomachs and the air was instantly filled with delighted baby giggles. "They are both mature enough to understand that this is something that needs to be done slowly. It warms my old heart to see them take their time to get to know each other and enjoy each other and not rush in like headless chickens." She turned her head a gave him and Catelyn a warm smile.

"They grow up so fast don't they?" His wife was looking at the babies with a wistful look in her eyes. "Oh by the way before I forget, Margaery and I have managed to colour coordinate Dany's maid-of-honour dress to the colours on Jon's uniform. Wasn't easy as the blue and red doesn't exactly go with the colour scheme of the wedding, but we made it work." She flashed a satisfied smile before adding, "with a little help from Sansa as well."

"And what did my daughter say to the changes?" Rhaella had an amused look on her face as if fighting to hold back a laugh.

"She doesn't know. We didn't want her to keep secrets from Jon. Not telling how the bride and her maids will be dressed is one thing, but in this case the reason why would be a big secret."

"Thank you!" He leaned in and give his wife a tender kiss on her temple. She clearly understands how sensitive Jon is about secrets. Gods I love her!

"When she questioned it, Sansa told her that all the Starks were colour matched with the bride as a way of symbolically welcoming her to the pack. Dany of course still looked a bit sceptical." She chuckled at the memory. "So Margaery simply told her it was a bride's prerogative to change her mind."

"Of course!" Rhaelle chimed in clearly amused at the story.

"So that means she'll be as surprised when she sees him as he will seeing her?" He was a little puzzled.

She chuckled. "Yes. She's just expecting him to show up in the traditional morning suit."

"Oh, we better be ready to catch two pairs of young lovers when they see each other that day then!" Once again Rhaella and his wife were giggling like school girls. Once again he caught himself rolling his eyes at them.

Catelyn cheerfully slapped him on his arm. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing, Ned." Actually I wasn't. "Jon won't even notice the bride walking right behind Dany, nor will Robb notice anyone in front of Margaery!" Again he was surrounded by contagious laughing and he willingly joined in. Gods, she's right!

"I take it Arya enjoyed joining the boys for her first tailor-made suit?"

"Immensely! Although she did find the whole 'having to stand still'-part very tedious." Both women joined in his laughter.

"Well my dear, she is our wild wolf after all." There was so much love in Catelyn's eyes and voice when she said it that he had to kiss her.

Pulling back he looked in his wife's beautiful blue eyes and said, "that she is."

Rhaella cleared her throat as she with an innocent voice said, "want me to leave?"

"Oh stop it, Ella! You're just jealous." Catelyn teased back

"I am actually but that wasn't my point." Laughingly Rhaella wrapped little sleeping Adei in a blanket and stood up.

Catelyn wrapped up Amador, still looking curiously around. As she stood up she placed the little boy in his arms and she packed up the big blanket they'd been sitting on.

"Should I be concerned though," he caught the two women's curious look now, "that our little wild wolf will throw a fit because she won't fit with her new favourite brother now?"

Catelyn and Rhaella shared a look he couldn't quite decipher though there was a hit of worry there.

"Well...," his wife looped her arm with his, "what colour tie and waistcoat will she be wearing?"

"All groomsmen have grey waistcoats and colour of tie is set to match the bridesmaid. Being Arya she of course chose a gold coloured tie, and though her and Bran have switched places I don't think you'll get her to change the colour of her tie. Sorry ladies."

"Oh no, gold should fit well with the golden pieces on Jon's uniform so we should be in the clear. Thank the gods!" His wife huffed out a sigh of relief and Rhaella was just chuckling next to them.

As they were crossing over to where the boys had made camp Catelyn suddenly stopped by his side, pointed and laughed. "How much wood did you tell them to use, Ned? That's big a campfire!"

[pyrebriight-a]

Hyrulean Familiar Spirits;;

And since I don't think I ever rewrote my headcanon about Hyrulean familiar spirits...

They're essentially little pieces of Hyrule's magical energy that overflow. You'll see a black stalk sprouting from the ground, from a tree trunk, from the shallows of a pond, from the desert sand... anywhere, really! It will be covered in small, glass-like balls with a rainbow nexus of energy swirling deep within.

These are familiar "eggs," or "seeds," or whatever word works best for you. If someone with magic potential picks one and feeds it some of their arcane energy, the familiar will hatch, and bond to the mage. A partnership is formed between the two, and it grows based on their mutual adoration and respect for one another; a familiar whose mage mistreats it can and will leave for the leypaths early. They will not take that kind of bullshit.

Unhatched eggs eventually fall from the stalk and break, spilling their energy back into the leypaths. So a familiar spirit needs a mage to bond to if it wants to exist as an independent, thinking entity!

Once it accepts the energy of a mage, the familiar takes on the form of a sentient creature, usually an animal, mythical or otherwise. Typically, they're black in color, somewhat featureless, and very soft to the touch, with an indistinct, smokey look about their edges. Their eyes and the insides of their mouths take on a glow in a color specific to their mage's magic tone; for example, Zelda's familiar, Diabhal, has a white glow, because of her intense affiliation with divine light magic, and he takes the shape of a Maine Coon cat!

Having a familiar bonded to you is pretty nice! They are little friends who love their mage partners, and they can communicate with vague sensations and flashes of color, communicated mentally. They don't need to eat or sleep, but they can, and some of them enjoy it (Diabhal has a particular fondness for sausages.) They can revert to a misty form not unlike what comes out of an unhatched egg and flow through cracks around windows and under doors (though they may yowl at the window just to be an asshole, if they feel like it.)

They also, in essence, grant the Help action in battle, like in D&D, by either lending their mage some of their magical energy, or distracting an opponent. They tend to be good judges of character, since their mage is the center of their world, and will be able to tell if someone has hostile intentions toward their person. If your familiar is hostile to someone, there's a good chance they mean you harm, or at the very least, they dislike you.

When a mage bonded to a familiar dies, their familiar will dissipate, returning to the leypaths that circle the world, and adding a bit of their bonded's energy into the cycle of magic. This is actually their primary function in the grand scheme of things! It's like genetic diversity; the more unique magical signatures the planet has coursing through its veins, the better it can fend off withering attacks from otherworldly entities or creatures that suck its lifeblood.

Hyrulean familiar spirits are technically sexless. But they have gender identities! You’ll hear Diabhal refer to himself as the “best boy” when he talks about himself sometimes.

Their gender identities are as vast and varied as those of the mages they bond to! Choose the pronouns and identity that feels best for your little buddy along with their animal shape!

Familiars live as long as their mage does, and while they can be killed, it generally takes a lot to do so; a particularly bad hit will scatter their form into mist, which will reform into their animal shape over the course of a day or so. There are techniques that can be used to obliterate the mist, but given the nature of the little spirits, they're considered abominable to use, since they destroy the planet's lifeblood. These techniques tend to be hidden and forbidden Dark Magic spells. And really, why would you want to murder your opponent's little friend after eliminating them as a threat? You're a monster.

Curses and conditions are also passed on to the mage's familiar. E.g. a familiar bonded to Breath of the Wild's Link would also have slept for a hundred years and lost its memory of the people that Link couldn't remember. A familiar bonded to that game's Zelda would have spent a century holding still, in intense concentration, aiding its mistress/pet in her sealing duty.

Hyrulean familiar spirits will bond with absolutely anyone who has magical ability; race, age, moral alignment, and magic type don't matter one fig. They do tend to take on their bonded's moral alignments, though! Both Zelda and Diabhal are Neutral Good, for instance.

Above all? They're just... friendly little guys. They provide companionship and comfort, and love to receive it in return. They're nice!

tl;dr, smol animal spirits with glowy eyes who bond with magic users and love their mage friends very much.

[diabetese009]

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11 ways to start reversing type 2 diabetes today

by Dr Rangan Chatterjee / November 11, 2015

Whether you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or or you’ve been told you’re at risk, read on for 11 ways to start reversing the effects immediately.

Type 2 diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions. There are 3.9 million people living with diabetes – 90 per cent those of being affected by type 2 diabetes. Here’s another shocking statistic: 1 in 3 UK adults has prediabetes, the condition that precedes diabetes.

As you’ll soon see on BBC One’s Doctor in the House, it is entirely possible to both prevent as well as reverse type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, a lot of the advice that is given for the condition is, in my opinion, unhelpful and misguided. Most people think of it as a blood sugar problem but this is the ultimate effect rather than the cause.

WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES?

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that is characterised by chronically elevated blood sugar levels. However, the main cause as well as the driver for this condition is something called Insulin Resistance. When you eat certain foods, particularly refined carbohydrates, that food is converted to sugar inside your body. Your body’s way of dealing with this sugar is to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin moves the sugar inside your cells so that it can be used for energy. Sounds great, right?

Well, yes and no. When working efficiently, this is a fantastic system that helps your body to function well. But when you have type 2 diabetes, prediabetes or significant abdominal obesity, that system does not work so well.

Eating too many refined carbohydrates elevates your insulin levels for long periods of time and your cells start to become resistant to the effects of insulin. Think of this a bit like alcohol. When you start to drink, a single glass of wine can make you feel drunk. Once your body becomes accustomed to drinking, you need more and more alcohol to achieve the same effect. This is what happens in diabetes. You need more and more insulin to do the same thing. The problem is that too much insulin is toxic to the body.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF RAISED INSULIN LEVELS?

It causes water and salt retention, which causes raised blood pressure

You become at risk of atherosclerosis (“furring of arteries”), which can lead to heart attacks

Raised insulin levels increases VLDL (very low density lipoprotein), a type of blood fat and one of the “bad” forms of cholesterol

Can drive the growth of certain cancer cells

In women, it can cause the ovaries to produce more testosterone, which is associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Significantly increases your risk of getting type 2 diabetes

The only way to effectively reverse type 2 diabetes (or even pre-diabetes) is to deal with the underlying cause – Insulin Resistance. Trying to address the blood sugar levels (with medication) without addressing the insulin levels is treating the symptoms, not treating the root cause. It is similar to using a bucket to remove water from an overflowing sink rather than actually turning off the tap!

The most important thing to do is to stop adding fuel to the fire. If Insulin Resistance is driving the condition, you need to firstly stop consuming foods that increase insulin production. Secondly, you need to make some lifestyle changes so that you can become sensitive to insulin once again

SO, WHAT FOODS INCREASE INSULIN PRODUCTION

All carbohydrates – to some degree at least – will raise your blood insulin levels. That is why I consider type 2 diabetes a form of “carbohydrate intolerance”. Protein can also raise levels but to a much lesser degree. The only macronutrient that keeps your insulin levels and, therefore, your blood sugar stable is FAT! Therefore, if you are trying to reduce insulin levels, you need to reduce your amount of certain carbohydrates and replace them instead with healthy, natural fats.

What does that mean in terms of actual FOOD CHOICES though?

When I say healthy, natural fat – think nuts and seeds, avocados, omega 3 fats (found in almonds, flax seed and cold water fish, like wild salmon, herring, mackerel and tuna), extra virgin olive oil and whole eggs.

And when I talk about reducing certain carbohydrates, I mainly mean reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta, rice and bread. Non starchy vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) are fine and can be eaten in abundance. Many fruits are packed with carbohydrates, so if you’re trying to reduce your carb intake, try and limit your intake to low-carb fruit, such as rhubarb, watermelon, berries, peaches and blackberries.

It is really important to say that I do not believe that there is one perfect diet for everyone. Different people respond to different diets.

However, if you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or if you have been told you are at high risk or if you have significant abdominal obesity, here are 11 ways to start reversing the effects immediately:

Avoid ALL refined carbohydrates. That means no pasta, rice or bread (even wholegrain bread will spike your insulin)

Avoid ALL added sugar. If your body is already in a state where you cannot process carbohydrates and sugars properly, you are going to have to take steps to fully eliminate all sugars, at least in the short term.

Avoid ALL sweet drinks. It is best to stick to water, tea, coffee.

Do not be scared of good quality, healthy, natural fat – avocados, olives, almonds etc. Don’t worry about this causing you to put on weight. A study published in 2003 showed that people who supplemented their diet with almonds lost more weight than those who supplemented with so-called “healthy, complex carbs”

Do not waste your energy counting calories. Concentrate on the quality of the food that you are eating and the calorie control will take care of itself.

FEED YOUR GUT BUGS, not just yourself. There are trillions of bugs that live in your gut – their health is critical in determining your health. Many studiesshow links between the state of your gut bugs (your microbiota) and type 2 diabetes. Start improving the health of your gut immediately by eating five servings of different coloured vegetables each day. The non digestible fibre in vegetables is the preferred food for your gut bacteria and when your gut bugs are happy, you will be happy. The wider the variety of colours, the more phytonutrients you will be getting.

Do my 5 minute kitchen workout once a day. This could be before breakfast, lunch or dinner – whatever works for you.

If you like to snack, keep some high fat healthy snacks with you, such as olives, nuts or hummus. When you snack on refined carbohydrates such as biscuits, you go on a blood sugar rollercoaster that results in you feeling hungry shortly after. Fats, on the other hand, will keep you fuller for longer.

Include high quality protein and fat with EVERY single meal. This helps to stabilise your blood sugars and promotes satiety and fullness, making it less likely that you will want to reach for dessert after your meal.

Eat your meals sitting down at a table. Eating on the sofa while watching TV encourages a mindless form of eating – this can lead you to eat higher quantities than you otherwise would. If you sit at a table and concentrate on what you’re eating, you are more likely to enjoy your food, feel satisfied at the end of your meal and eat less.

Consider a form of regular fasting (more to come in a later blog), such as intermittent fasting or time-restricted feeding (TRF). TRF means eating your calories during a specific window of the day, and choosing not to eat food for the rest. It’s a great way to reduce insulin levels in your body and help undo the effects of chronically elevated levels.

As always, I’m here to answer any questions, so please get in touch via Facebookand Twitter if you’d like to chat.

— Dr Chatterjee

para

DISCLAIMER: The content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this website.

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[roughsexwithgaga]

To Love Again pt.1

Monday, August 10

”What the fuck is going on up there?”

A loud cranking noise was heard throughout the stadium and then the large 360 screen started to descend between the pillars. A loud floof-floof-floof was heard as the lights on the ground all lit up in order and blinded the personal on the ground. Five ”floating” stages were placed out on the ground and waiting to be rigged.

The floodlights beneath the screen came on and suddenly the whole floor bathed in blue light. It looked like a space ship coming down to land when the massive spotlights flipped outward and the screen continued dow. Lady Gaga’s tour director Marko screamed at the supervisor to shut it down but it was too late. The screen hit the spotlights and stopped. The snapping sound of the metal when it broke whipped across the empty stadium before two of the spotlights came off their attachments and fell over 60 feet to the ground.

Luckily no one was standing below it but Marko cursed and screamed that whoever had made this idiotic construction should be forced to climb up and put them back. It was the 5th show of Lady Gaga’s stadium tour in support of her sixth studio album and following in the footsteps of her successful soundtrack to her first movie as a leading actress. The concert was scheduled tonight and they still had 16 hours to go. He understood the workers were tired from being up all night and the new shift was supposed to take over just now.

He needed sleep as well and looked at his watch. 6 am. The Lady herself wouldn’t be pleased when she woke up. There had been technical difficulties nearly every show and last minute fixes. Three versions of the stage was out on the roads across USA and one spare version was still in Colorado. The one they used the opening night in Denver when Gaga performed in front of 78,000 ecstatic fans had been working the most satisfying so far. It had been used twice. It was his first time as tour director for such a massive tour and he was nervous, but Gaga had picked him personally and he wanted to deliver.

This day’s show was in Pasadena and the second biggest one on the North American leg. It was sold out of course and fans who wanted a good spot in the pit had been lining up all night. Gaga stayed at her house in Malibu and was scheduled to arrive four hours before the show. Marko knew everything had to be ready by then. No more delays. He left the stage site to get some sleep and planned to be back by noon but first he had to call her manager and sort out the broken spots.

\o/

It was 8 am and Lady Gaga was on the phone with her manager Bobby. The day before she had arranged a small birthday party for her dad so the sleepover guests were still asleep. The frequent technical issues obviously weren’t hers to deal with, but she had told her manager she wanted to know so she was prepared if anything needed to be changed.

”It’s almost like… I don’t wanna say it, Stef.” Bobby sounded a bit worried. ”There are two crews working on mounting and dismounting the stages and the other crew doesn’t have these kind of issues and it seems really unlikely one crew has the same damn troubles with two different stages.” He paused and took a deep breath. ”The screen isn’t even supposed to run into the spots no matter how they are rotated. And the noise it made, I nearly shit my pants thinking about it now.”

Gaga listened to him and exhaled. ”So what are you saying?”

”Someone is either really sloppy or wants the tour to look bad. It’s not like these issues would go unnoticed before the show anyway. It’s just costing a lot of money and time.” Bobby sighed and told her he would talk to Marko and Stageco, they were in charge of providing the stage and the crews. ”I’m sorry Stef, you don’t deserve this,” he added before they ended the call.

She put the phone down on the counter just in time to turn around to see her daughter bounce across the floor and scream in delight as her french bulldog Gus tackled the child to the ground. The girl spun around and lost the ball she was holding. ”My ball,” she shrieked but the dog obviously didn’t care. He quickly snapped up the ball and ran away, out into the garden and the girl was about to go after him when Gaga reached down and grabbed her pajamas by the back.

”My ball!” the girl repeated and squirmed as her mother lifted her up and wrapped her arms around her. She put her face against the girl’s neck and smelled her, kissed her cheek and made the little girl giggle with delight.

”Mama,” she said and pointed out through the patio doors. ”My ball.”

Gaga nodded. ”Yes, Joanne. Gus borrows it.”

”Bohwoh,” she repeated and looked disappointed.

”What do you say we have some breakfast, my lazy little peanut.” Gaga said and put Joanne down in her chair. The child was usually sleeping late, and had never been an early bird. She insisted on letting the girl sleep in her bed and when she returned after a show she could sneak into bed and wake up together with her. It was the most blessed feeling in the whole world to have the tiny body next to her, waking up to her chit chatting to herself in her baby language. Just recently she had been starting to put two words together and loving her own voice so much she never shut up.

Her daughter had Christian's dark brown eyes. Her hair had been dirt blonde when she was born but darkened with time. Now she was 2 years old and the most important thing in her life. She was the result of a a steamy, sweat soaked night of sex that left her body aching and pregnant – to her surprise. Christian had met up with her before a two day break in her touring schedule in St Louis when they hadn’t seen each other in 14 days. Gaga had been sick a few days, and thrown up a lot. She knew she had messed up with her birth control pills and just maybe she didn’t care on purpose.

By December just before the last shows she had found out she was pregnant. It was the perfect gift to receive at the end of her last tour. Not planned, but certainly welcomed. The last trimester of her pregnancy had been difficult and draining and while gaining a lot of weight she had been emotionally unstable and felt exhausted. She had given birth on August 14, a little more than six weeks before the premier of A Star Is Born, and had forced herself to work hard to get back in shape for the red carpet.

The birth had been a long drawn out process as well where she had complications and lot of bleedings post-birth causing her to stay a few days longer than planned. The baby was late. Nearly a week after due date, refusing to leave the safety of her womb.

When their baby was born she was amazed. This new person that she created, that had grown inside her. She had never known such gratitude and happiness. Her daughter made her heart nearly beat out of her chest as she held her for the first time. Convinced she had never seen a prettier baby in her whole life. Christian had been by her side the entire time and when he held the little girl in his hands and smiled with such pride she was convinced they would be a real family.

She didn't even care about her bloated face in all the photos from the hospital. Her round cheeks, swollen lips and double chin. Her tits had been huge and she kind of missed that. A photo shoot she did while she was still breastfeeding where her boobs were swelling out of her clothes had caused a media frenzy like everyone suddenly forgot tits ’tend’ to grow as they produce milk.

The first 3 months had been the worst uphill Gaga had ever experienced in her entire life. She relied on the tremendous support of her own family and was so eternally grateful for the baby, but she was hitting rock bottom and being a mother was the only thing keeping her above the surface. Her mom, dad, sister and Christian were basically the only people she met.

Even in her darkest moments she noticed how much it got to Christian, and how he had to distance himself from her. He was affected, but the baby came first and he did possess an overflow of paternal instincts. She tried her best, she loved her baby and had to keep pushing through the darkness for her. Some mornings she barely got out of bed and luckily Christian was there to take over.

When Joanne turned 4 months she was starting to get her life back on the tracks. At least she managed to open a door to a little light and started to see the end of the depression she was going through. Their first Christmas together as a family actually turned into a nice memory.

The following year Christian escorted her to the Academy Awards where she finally won her Oscar for Best Original Song. She made a jaw dropping performance and received a standing ovation that never seemed to end. Life was fucking amazing again. She had her family, the success, the critics were on her side, the public loved her, but she didn’t need the approval of strangers anymore. The confidence was radiating from her. She kept her daughter away from it all because she wanted her to grow up happy and away from all the judging eyes.

Being happy, having a career and both a daughter and a man to come home to must have been too many good things for one person, so about two weeks before her 33rd birthday everything was like turning a hand. She thought Christian would propose, but instead he broke up with her. He never gave a reasonable explanation to why but she understood that he was jealous of her and Joanne. The baby and her career came in the way of him being the priority in her life and having access to her whenever he wanted. He had yelled at her that they couldn’t even touch each other anymore because there was a baby between them constantly. And that the baby should learn to sleep in her own bed.

Whatever Gaga suggested, Christian somehow managed to want the opposite. She had been blind for months, completely swallowed up by her daughter and her own career. Taking Christian’s presence for granted and assuming he was as pleased and happy as she was. After all he did stand by her side through her absolute worst. She called him an idiot who was jealous of his own daughter.

On top of things Christian obviously immediately found a new partner. A little blonde model thing half his age while she felt fooled and abandoned. It took a month to get into her head that he wasn't worth it and that she would cope without him. Her value as a woman and mother didn't depend on him.

It also dawned on her how lonely she was and how hard it was to find a man to cuddle up against during the nights. It was the only thing she missed in her life at that point. She spent the summer making music, and there had been moments when she was close to dating, but it always ended before it lead anywhere. She was better at reading people now, and no one passed her tests. And then there was Christian. He was still confessedly involved with the child and fulfilling his duties as father. He spent a lot of time with her and suddenly never questioned Gaga's scheduling or suggestions.

On Joanne’s birthday she had sex with Christian again for the first time in six months. Knowing how hard it was to turn her down once she set her mind to something and how much he still was attracted to her, she used her social skills and her body and got what she wanted. Gaga realized she did it to prove to herself that she was still attractive, and not just for the sex itself. It simply felt amazing to be desired.

Christian’s new partner evidently found out about him cheating because Gaga texted him about it and she saw it. Gaga did it on purpose, because she still desperately wanted them to be a family and did everything in her power to win him back. So of course she did. Less than a month later they were a couple again and Gaga had already started working on her new album. Their love seemed to overcome all past obstacles and she was living again. Gaga released her new single ’Love Reunion’ out of the blue at the Grammys while announcing a 7-month worldwide stadium tour starting later the same year. Her demands had been no back-to-back shows and a maximum of three shows a week. Live Nation had agreed. They realized she needed time between concerts.

Gaga and Christian got married in New York, with only their closest family and friends attending the ceremony and then they spent two weeks in a rented house in Italy before she returned home and finished her album which was released in late April. By that time the tour was already sold out and they had not even began with the hyping and promotion. With the tour starting in August it was the shortest span ever for her between album release and tour, and the amount of work put into planning and promotion were consuming their relationship.

Now that she was starting to travel again and became accessible to her fans and media he felt left out. She was constantly booked somewhere and took her daughter with her everywhere. It was getting more and more difficult to find time for Christian even when he came along and she could sense how he once again felt threatened by her career and that Joanne came first. They argued over petty things again and Gaga felt like he tried to make her feel bad. If you’re not going to support me, you can leave me alone until you get over your male ego, she told him in a heated argument.

So a little over two weeks ago, in the middle of the tour launch, he had moved out of her mansion claiming it was because he felt like an employee in her massive team and he was sick of being treated like one while everyone ran around her acting like she was some kind of hub in this universe. To her it seemed like he wanted to punish her during one of the most important stages in her career.

He had been to the premiere of her tour, but skipped the following shows and she avoided conversation with him because she was still hurting. It had been hard to find personal time and rehearsal took so much effort she stumbled into bed at nights barely fit to say good night. Maybe it was better he got a little distance to everything so he discovered he missed her. He didn’t have to be so excessive about it. These last two months had been so intense and now that the tour started she finally felt like she had time to breathe between shows.

Christian was the only man she had been with the past 4 years. She told herself she only wanted him, and gave him so much of her time, but he still wanted more from her since he basically gave up his own career to be around her. She had told him she needed him, and his support for her was the most important one. She didn’t want to travel the world without him. He knew it would be like this because this was her job, but she would always come back to them. The disappointment she felt for him at this point was immense and she was heartbroken and didn’t know how to fix it without giving up a piece of herself.

…

Now she was sitting in her kitchen, watching her daughter eat all by herself and still ranting about her ball and the dog borrowing it. She looked at her, rested her chin against her palm and felt that enormous love in her chest that nearly made her suffocate and fill her lungs with air at the same time. When she leaned too close her daughter grabbed the frame of her glasses and pulled them off her face and tried them on. Her sticky fingers smeared the glass before she helped put them back on her mother’s nose and applauded herself on her good deed.

When Gaga was pregnant she had been letting her hair grow, and didn’t use bleach or dye. It was probably a good idea since her hair thinned out a lot after she gave birth. It was still healthier now than 3 years ago and reached her shoulders when she decided to go blonde again. She took the baby out of the chair and carried her upstairs to change her clothes. She put on a long sleeved top, pants and a little hat before they went outside for a little stroll around the garden and look at the flowers and the insects. And maybe even find the ball, she said and Joanne clung to her hand trying to manage down the stairs.

Every time the little hand searched hers when they walked outside it was another one of those proud moments when she felt like she had found her purpose in life. She was afraid she would love the baby to death, buried her nose against her neck before putting the child on the ground and let her run ahead of her on the gravel between the roses. She was a happy child, and she knew it was because she was immensely loved. Even moving out, Christian still wanted to be a part of the girl’s life, as he was her father after all and she deserved to have him in her life. But Gaga would never let anything or anyone come between her and her daughter.

Her mom had been her greatest support. She had Emilie, her nanny and also her assistants Mariah and Sam and her physiotherapist Heather, but her mom was the person she relied on the most of all, apart from Christian. He had to understand performing was her job, it was what she was supposed to do. Not only being a mother and a wife. It was her drug, her oxygen but there would always be them once it was over.

\o/

When Bobby called again Gaga was singing songs with Joanne who murdered the keys on a mini-piano. The girl was not the slightest impressed with her mother singing unless she sang directly to her face and tickled her. Then she laughed so hard she choked and screamed. Gaga ate some leftover food from the birthday party while she kept her daughter company. She didn’t want to eat too close to the show because it made her sick most of the time.

”What are you doing?” Bobby asked.

”Multi-tasking,” Gaga replied with her mouth full.

”They have fixed it. Stageco are going to have a talk with the team later when the nightshift is awake.”

”OK, great,” Gaga said. Glad to have a break from the baby talk. It wasn’t much of a two-way communication thing yet. Joanne just loved hearing her own voice and used her two-phrase sentences over and over. ”My dada,” she said and pointed at a chair. The girl started to talk louder using her limited array of words to get her mother’s attention back. Gaga buried her nose against the dimple below Joanne’s neck making the girl squirm and giggle.

”I can hear the princess. How is she?” Bobby gushed.

”Recovering from a cold, but that doesn’t seem to slow her down.” Gaga smiled and tilted her head back over the backrest of the couch. She put her feet up on the table and heard the voices behind her in the kitchen when they returned from shopping. Emilie started unpacking the groceries and chatted with Cynthia who naturally needed to cuddle her granddaughter.

Gaga got up and changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt after she finished talking to Bobby and the others had a light meal in the kitchen before they had to leave to go to Pasadena. Joanne nearly ate half a melon for dessert while the dogs sat around her hoping for a treat to fall to the floor. Their butts left the floor in anticipation each time the child’s hands hovered over their heads but they had no luck today.

She packed her things into the Cadillac Escala and Cynthia came out with Joanne and a bag of her belongings. Her daughter followed her everywhere. It wasn’t even up for debate to leave her behind anywhere. Gaga had large black sunglasses on, her hair was in a pony tail and she wore a white large sweater and the baggy pants. She got in the car while her mom sat down in the back together with the girl and the nanny. Her dad sat next to her in the front and she drove out on the coastal road to LA and Pasadena. Traffic wasn’t so bad. Gaga sang together with her mom and daughter while they cruised on their way to the stadium.

When she arrived she waved at her fans and drove past the gates. She didn’t stop anymore. Hardly ever and her fans had gotten used to it. Some respected the fact that she was more private now and some still had meltdowns on social media about ”how much she’d changed for the worse”. She thought it would be weird if they were still the same person today that they were 10-15 years ago. She obviously still loved her fans, needed them, just as they needed her but she didn’t have enough of herself to give away anymore. She wanted to give everything to her daughter who sat shielded behind the tinted reinforced windows in the backseat. Blissfully unaware of all the fuss.

She drove all the way up to the doors and parked so she could walk out and take Joanne out of her baby car seat and just turn around to get her inside, away from the smattering cameras she noticed on the other side of the curb. The fans closed up against the gates to get a quick look at her before she hurried inside. Joe blocked the paparazzi’s view with his body and got into her car and parked it while the door closed behind her. The fans cheered her name and wished her luck.

She continued down a hallway and a large room where the personnel had just finished their dinner, told Cynthia to bring some fruit when her on-site guide told her it was already in her dressing room. ”Oh, right,” she said, distraught and continued underneath the stands towards her assigned room. It was decorated according to her wishes. It was light and had a warm golden light. She said hello to everyone in her staff, thanked them for being there and made sure everyone felt like they were there for a reason and that tonight was a team effort.

Bobby came inside and assured her everything was working excellent now. There would be no delays tonight. She had a new musical director, going for an electronic pop sound, with influences from disco and funk. Adam had rearranged a lot of her older hits and made a seamless show that spanned her whole career. Some songs had been scaled down to leave more room for her vocals while others had been majestically rearranged to be stadium anthems. The sultry, more mature version of Pokerface had breathed life into the stale beat and opened the doors for new choreography and made her enjoy the songs again.

When she started to plan this tour she had decided that she was done with the old, repetitive sound and moves and wanted to show the world that she was an artist as well as a performer and how diverse she was. Not ’just’ by sitting down to play a song on the piano. The show was a story of how she started out and took over the world and then slowed down, had some dark moments and then built up her career again and established herself as a legendary artist. One of the best ever.

Naturally she liked the second half of the show the best. Sitting by the piano, hearing the fans sing along, cry and then from there take them all the way home leaving them feeling like they were run over by a bus. Her show sent them through all her emotions, the raving happiness at the start, anger, sadness and forgiveness and finally confidence and strength. She had thought about it a lot and finally come up with the perfect storyline.

She felt like she was more involved than before and more awake, more able to leave things in the hands of people she trusted. She was on the floor stretching and trying to find some inner calm, going over some of the advice she had been given since the first show when they had watched it together. Too nervous she found herself walking to the back of the stage, away from the audience during vocally straining parts and losing contact with them. Sing towards them and not her band or some prop on stage. ”Don’t forget the audience,” she whispered and laughed. As if. It was a reflex to turn around and strut away to give the audience a nice view of her butt cheeks.

Bobby sat down on the couch and looked stressed.

”What is it?” she asked.

”Nothing, I hope.” He didn’t want to tell her he had been worried all day, and his suspicions about the ’mishaps’ was eating him.

Sarah started to prepare to do Gaga’s make up and Bobby got off the couch. He exhaled and posed like a boxer. ”Knock em dead, girl.”

She chuckled and hit his fists back.

Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | Pt. 7

[stephenaltrogge-blog]

Lifting up prayer for favor. Honestly, it’s a bit of a sticky subject, right?

At least it is for me. Asking God to bless me and pour out his favor on me feels kind of selfish. Or like I’m treating God as some sort of divine genie who has to give me all my wishes.

See, here’s the thing…

I don’t believe in what’s often called the “prosperity gospel”. Essentially, the prosperity gospel says that God wants everyone to be rich and to never have any struggles in life.

I don’t believe that for a second.

But the more I read scripture, the more I’m convinced that we should ask God to bless us and should lift up prayer for favor.

Here’s why.

Why Prayer For Favor? Because God Loves To Bless

As I read through the Bible, I see again and again that God absolutely LOVES to bless his people. He takes special pleasure in giving his people good gifts. He isn’t a miser, holding onto blessings with clutched fingers. On the contrary. He is overflowing with good things and blessings.

Consider Psalm 31:19, which says:

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

How much goodness has God stored up for those who love and fear him? Abundant goodness. God doesn’t just have a few small blessings stored up for us. He doesn’t put us on blessing rations. No, he has overflowing, abundant goodness that he is waiting to pour out on us.

If this doesn’t motivate prayer for favor, then I don’t know what will!

Or consider Matthew 7:8-11:

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

I love how this verse makes no qualifications when it comes to asking God for blessings. It doesn’t say, “If your motives are perfect and you’ve had a good week, then you can ask God to give you good things.”

No, it simply says, “Ask and it will be given to you.” Period. Don’t over think it. Don’t endlessly analyze yourself to determine if you’re “good enough” to ask God for blessings.

Simply ask God for whatever it is that you need.

Does God promise that he’ll give us everything we ask? No, of course not. There are times when it wouldn’t be good if God gave us what we asked.

If my kids asked for ten Oreos and I said, “Yes,” I wouldn’t be a good dad. I’d be stupid and my kids would probably feel sick. So God doesn’t always give us everything.

But God does tell us something glorious about himself. He says that he is our Father and that because he’s our Father, he loves to give us good gifts.

This reality gives me great confidence to lift up prayer for favor. God is my good, loving, kind, happy Father. God loves me. He delights in me as his son. He wants to do good to me.

Because he is my good Father, I can ask him for good things, knowing that he won’t withhold ANYTHING ultimately good thing from me. If something is good for me, God WILL give it to me.

No Good Thing Will He Withhold

Psalm 84:11 is further proof of this glorious fact. It says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Did you catch that? It says that God doesn’t withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. Do I always walk uprightly? No, of course not. I’m a sinner. But I am in Christ, who always walked uprightly. And the glorious truth is that Christ’s righteousness is mine.

And so because I’m in Christ, I can say that I do indeed walk uprightly. Therefore, I can confidently lift up prayer for favor because I know that God won’t withhold any good thing from me.

One more verse to inspire you to pray for God’s richest blessings upon your life. Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

This is such a sweet, profound verse. It says that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. In other words, I can never escape God’s goodness and mercy. God loves me so much that he will literally pursue me with his goodness every day of my life.

Every day I wake up to new mercies and fresh blessings. Isn’t that good news?

Charles Spurgeon put it this way:

I have seen enough in my own lifetime to fill a volume concerning the goodness of the Lord in answer to his children’s prayers.

A Prayer For Favor

Father, I come to you humbly, knowing that you are God and that I am your beloved child. I thank you for all the blessings you have abundantly poured out on me. You are always good and you always do good to me. Even if I never received another blessing, I would have received so much more than I deserve.

And yet, your word tells me that I am to regularly ask for your blessings. Your word commands to lift up prayer for favor. To ask you, my good, gracious Father, to pour out your blessings on me.

So I come to you boldly and with confidence, knowing that you delight to bless me. You have promised that you will never stop doing good to me. You have promised that you won’t withhold any good thing from me.

And so I ask you to pour out your favor on me. Bless me in ways I wouldn’t even think to ask. I need you more than life itself. Would you please give me more of yourself. More of your love. More of your grace. I want to know you more, which is the greatest blessing of all.

I also ask that you would provide for all of my physical needs. You have promised that you would meet all my needs according to your glorious RICHES in Christ. I thank you that you are going to pour out your richest blessings on me. I trust you to bless me in overwhelming ways.

Thank you Lord for your glorious favor on my life. I thank you that you love to bless me and will bless me. I ask all these things in the name of Jesus, my only righteousness. In his name, Amen.

Read Next:

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Thank You God: 42 Reasons To Give JOYFUL Thanks To God

43 Quotes About Prayer To Fuel Your Prayer Life

Praying For You: Three Staggering Words That Change Everything

I Need Jesus: 4 Reasons I’m Desperate For My Savior

The post Prayer For Favor: Asking For and RECEIVING God’s Richest Blessings appeared first on The Blazing Center.

[arrowsintl]

An Unconventional Testimony

South Asia was an incredible trip! God did so much, I could tell 20 different stories, but today, my story is a bit unconventional. It’s not necessarily a fluffy, happy, super-spiritual story. I did have a few of those great, heart-warming experiences, but I want to share something more raw and vulnerable. 

As a 28-year-old, I was the oldest on our trip (other than our directors). Although I’m new to Arrows, I went on their summer trip last year and I have done a lot of traveling and missions in the past, so I felt pretty confident. I was occasionally given small leadership responsibilities. 

I often pride myself (first red flag) on the fact that I rarely get sick and in many countries I’ve been able to eat whatever I want without any problems. I felt that with my well-rounded experience, and impeccable health, certainly I would have nothing to worry about!

I think God started to reveal to me even before I got sick that there was a pride issue in my heart. I began to realize how silly and wrong it was for me to feel that way. I didn’t even realize I was being prideful until he convicted me and showed me my heart. I believe God is a God of grace and mercy. I don’t believe he was shaking his fist to punish me, but I do believe he gave me an opportunity to be humbled and to rely on him in a greater way than I have before. 

That being said, the last 4-5 days of our trip I was pretty sick. A couple days I had a fever, aches, chills, and some stomach issues, which then all turned into some serious coughing and sinus issues. On top of that, I was dealing with not getting a lot of sleep, and let’s just say I love my sleep. 

All of this combined brought me to a place of utter weakness. Getting up and dancing 3-4 outreaches a day was hard to think about when B-E-D was in the forefront of my mind. I truly had to rely on God for strength in a more physical way than I’ve experienced before. But guess what? He gave it! I won’t go so far as to say I became some super-human, energizer bunny, (which God certainly could have done had He wanted to) but he gave me just what I needed to make it through. I was able to see him use me, and use my dancing and worship when I felt like I couldn’t give any more. 

Our very last day, we only had one outreach and it was a with a group of young people who are setting themselves apart as believer artists for the gospel and for God’s glory. It was a beautiful atmosphere to finish out in. As we were getting ready to go on stage I realized my fever had spiked again and I was feeling weak and dizzy. I honestly didn’t know if I could make it through the 4 pieces I was supposed to dance. After I finished the 3rd piece, our director announced that we were crunched for time and going to cut the rest of the pieces. As simple as it may have seemed, I knew God was giving me a gift of grace in that moment! I had a moment of “Wow! I actually did it. I finished the trip and pressed through.” 30 outreaches in 2 weeks. God is amazing.

To top it off, at the end of the program, the director of the local program asked all of their young people to surround us and pray for us. When we were all feeling drained in every way, as we had continually given and poured out, God wanted to pour back into us. It was such a precious time that I will carry forever! I love that God sealed our trip with filling us back up and allowing us to receive. He is so faithful. When we are weak, he is strong. He provides everything that we need, right when we need it. Sometimes it’s in abundance and overflow, and sometimes it’s exactly what we need for that moment to get us through. I’m so thankful for who He is.

- Mary Negely: Arrows Year 1 Trainee

[universeinform-blog]

Sunshine Music Tours And Travels actors perform a stunt live

New Post has been published on https://universeinform.com/2017/03/29/sunshine-music-tours-and-travels-actors-perform-a-stunt-live/

Sunshine Music Tours And Travels actors perform a stunt live

Manufacturer Shailendra Singh, who makes his directorial debut with ‘Sunshine Track Excursions And Travels’ (SMTT), brought a real touch to film promotions. On Sunday afternoon at an open floor in Mumbai suburbs, he was given his actors to perform a breath-taking stunt for a promotional occasion of the film, a musical street adventure presenting a hundred and seventy rookies. Most important actors Sunny Kaushal,free sunshine clip art

Ashrut Jain, Mayank Karla, Sooraj Oh, Subha Rajput and Divyajotee Sharma were put right into a bus which became lifted to approximately 100 ft above the ground. The stunt, choreographed by one among India’s leading motion administrators, had Sunny putting from the suspended bus. The film releases on September 2.

Sunshine And The Need For Electricity

In some sections of the world, we underwrite on an ongoing base the sunshine. We frequently do not recognize the peril of the UV radiation and perceiving colder atmosphere nations they truly with complete their coronary heart adore the solar like never before.

Reality be told doing a reversal to my own unique home country, The Netherlands, the number one issue we do whilst the sun seems and provides us with a few warm beams, we positioned a towel in the road or grass, set down and permit our frame to get prepared by means of the solar. It feels so high-quality as a consequence heat!

I can’t factor the finger at you even as making a grin all over or even noisily have a healthy about this execution. “Culture” is the response to this overall performance!

Have we ever thought what else the sun can do, other than the UV radiation? Shouldn’t something be said approximately the arena’s vitality of around 98%, if now not ninety-nine%, originates from the solar? Some of its miles reaped particularly via plant life, trees, and sun orientated forums.

In both situations, wind and hydro manipulate assets to make use of sun based vitality through implication.

Coal and petroleum assets that have been so bustling eating now show positioned away solar orientated vitality from the inaccessible beyond. do not you fear! Each and every day lots of sunlight hours energy falls on earth to deliver our power needs everywhere at some stage in the arena with the necessities.

The measure of sun orientated power we take these days, not the slightest bit diminishes the sum we will take the next day or on every occasion in a while. solar based vitality can be in particular stuck in a collection of methods.

One of the most established strategies for daylight based is warming

Family water for showering, dish washing, or space warming. Currently a day we experience the sizeable massive panels on the pinnacle of the roof, it’s a standout between the maximum cleanest and direct strategies for reaping the solar’s vitality. it’s referred to as “Photovoltaics” or simply “PV”

What within the hack is Photovoltaics or better depicted what are Photovoltaic cells?Photovoltaic, moreover named “sun collector cells” had been produced a few location inside the 1950’s as an off-shoot of transistor innovation. Thin layer of unadulterated silicone are immersed with modest measures of various additives

How absolutely creative in mind of the fact that once offered to the daylight hours, little measures of energy had been created

They had been quite a great deal a research center ordeal till the approach of spaceflight. The carrier agencies couldn’t make the experience of a way to get their wires out into space, the PV turned into a glorious association.

Even hard with a worldwide petroleum aid, we’re going to run out pretty rapid of reasonably-priced oil. round then the fees were extremely high, they oversaw it to trade it in the mid-1960’s. Utilizing the innovation from the cutting-edge truth, we should degree up to the complete electricity advent of the united states with PV manipulate flora.

In any case, we may cling at the period of we are able to

To our relaxed coal and petroleum, there’s most probably on the top of the priority listing that the PV can be the tremendous asset for the nearby future.

Speak about the solar and it is advantages we beyond any doubt need to apprehend the chance of the UV radiation for each unmarried person incorporated our dogs, tom cats, and equine companions with underline the eyes particularly!

Wrapping up this extremely academic article, we actually want to inquire as to whether we benefit from all of the space applications obtainable? I think, preferably with lots of you, we beyond any doubt earnings with the aid of it.

Written by using: Christyna Wyden’s

Budget Travel Tips Every Traveler Needs to Know of

Making plans a budgeted trip is an art and not many human beings are privy to a way to do it successfully. In case you’re a common frugal tourist, you’d realize precisely a way to paintings around arranging a dream trip inside your restrained price range. This receives even extra difficult with the sky excessive air fares and the inn prices.

If you wish to experience a budgeted excursion without needlessly annoying approximately the limitless tour prices all the instances, here are some high-quality travel hints you can want to remember.

E-book Early

Being the early foul helps you to save lots for your travels. Examine that the subsequent time you plan to save for your holiday and control to E-book properly earlier than time. Since the high-quality airline and motel deals vanish soon, reserving ahead of time is a splendid manner of securing your probabilities of a budgeted ride. Airways screen their first-class fares properly earlier than time. Constant searching on the net allows you to seize a deal you’ve got lengthy wished for.travel insurance

Use Trade Airports

Most of us just like the hustle and bustle and the benefit of massive global airports. They are incredible in every way, however no longer with regards to flying frugal. Considering the fact that Maximum of the passengers chooses those airports, airfares are Maximum possibly to be very high. To ease your tourists, choose the nearby airports which can be similarly pleasant. Of course, you will be able to find some first rate journey deals after you choose this.

opt for the alternative airports best if you may set up your transportation without difficulty to the airport. prices need to be considered here to get a higher knowledge of which airport you want to select when flying.

Flexibility

Flexibility is surely the key to making the Most of your travels. First of all, for a budgeted experience you have to keep away from height vacation season each time it’s possible. That is due to the fact this is the time of the year everyone is on the pass and it’s no less of a dreamy country to find something cost-effective. Airports are packed with passengers at the same time as the accommodations also are overflowing with guests. In instances like those, you’re much less likely to attain a deal of your dreams.

Shoulder journey seasons exercise session equally an amazing experience for organizing journeys. This is the budget friendly time to be visiting locations. Above that, you experience fewer crowds as properly.

 Stroll Regularly

Journeying is particularly highly-priced because of the charges inside the town. Transportation can upload as much as that notably. To make the first-class use of the state of affairs, on foot more could help you to keep massive. That is additionally feasible when you pick an inn inside the coronary heart of where all the sights are. In case you accomplish that, there’s no better way to revel in all the hustle and bustle of it apart from taking walks.

Actors – Can Social Media Help You Get Cast

Social media is literally converting the way initiatives are forged. All other matters being equal, if three actors are up for a role on a huge project, possibilities are the actor with a full-size following will nab the position. This means that in case you’re a savvy actor, you’ll begin building your social media empire Earlier than you’re up for a series ordinary.list of female actors a z

If you’re like a number of my clients, the idea of the usage of social media in your appearing profession may be absolutely overwhelming. I’m right here to tell you – don’t panic! here are 4 simple steps you may use to get your social media mojo began, supplying you with a leg up on the competition!sunshine pictures

Sart Small

There are many social media structures to pick from, but my advice is initially one and gets simply right at it. if you’re already the usage of Facebook besides, why no longer start there? Do you like taking images? Attempt Instagram! Perhaps Twitter is extra your pace. No need to overload yourself right away. you may constantly add every other once you have got the first one down.

Create a Plan

This is wherein you could get creative! Maintaining your actor emblem in thoughts, reflect consideration of some themes which you would love to post approximately often. For example, do you’ve got a charity which you paintings with? Do you want to make humans snort? Are you a foodie? you can additionally repost or retweet other people’s content, and provide them a shout-out. Of direction, do not forget to post your appearing successes, too!sunshine furniture Tulsa

 Make a Schedule

once you have a few daily topics in thoughts, it’s time to Schedule your posts for the week. I suggest the usage of a unfastened app like Bufferapp.Com or Hootsuite.Com. I’ve found that scheduling everyday posts in advance of time (for the week or the month) is much extra efficient than looking to post every single day.

Social!

It’s referred to as social media for a purpose, so make sure to spend a touch time each day responding to your likes, retweets, mentions, and different humans’ posts. Reciprocation is going a protracted manner, so hold the communicate going together with your peeps!

[dmmowers]

In the Presence of My Enemies

"In the Presence of My Enemies" A sermon for St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Portage, Wis. and Trinity Episcopal Church, Baraboo, Wis. IV Lent | Year A | March 26, 2017 I Samuel 16.1-13 | Psalm 23 | Ephesians 5.8-14 | John 9.1-41 The shipping box sat in the middle of the table, its label staring up at me: This box contains cremated human remains.  I was a new priest, just a couple of months into my first job in the church. A few days before, the rector of the parish had walked into my office and said, Congratulations, this is a milestone. I am assigning you your first funeral. So I called the family and arranged to meet with them to plan the service later in the week. Even though I hadn't been a priest for very long, I have been an every-Sunday kind of church person my whole life, I have a pretty good radar for picking up church people. Within a few moments of meeting someone, I can make a pretty good guess about whether the person has ever spent much time in church. When I walked in to meet with the family, my radar began screaming that these were not people who had spent much time in church for a very long time. It wasn't that the family was mean to each other; in fact, they clearly enjoyed being with each other. It wasn't even the box that they had brought into the room and carefully placed in the center of the table. Their mother had died in Florida and her ashes had been shipped back to Minnesota, hence "This box contains cremated human remains." Maybe it was the confused looks on their faces when I started to explain what a funeral service from the prayer book looks like. Or maybe it was the request for a musician to play Frank Sinatra's "My Way" just before the gospel reading. Maybe it was the blank looks I got when I asked them what hymns they would like for the service. These adult children might have been confirmed in the church, or at least come occasionally as children, but they looked at me with big eyes and blank expressions at every turn. Until we got to the Psalm, when two of the adult children piped up at once: We really want to have Psalm 23 read at our mom's service.  So here are folks who haven't seen the inside of a church in quite some time, with very little idea about what sorts of things they would like to have in a funeral, but they each knew, independently of their siblings, that they wanted Psalm 23 in their mother's funeral.  I/II.  On the one hand, it's easy to see why. Psalm 23 is arguably the most famous chapter in Scripture, and maybe the best known text outside of John 3.16. Psalm 23 describes a person who is without needs because the Lord takes care of them, a person who is led by God to lie down in green pastures, to walk beside quiet rivers, who is comforted as they walk through what our translation this morning called the "darkest valley" but which the King James Version much more memorably calls "the valley of the shadow of death." This person fears no evil because the Lord is with them, because the Lord prepares a feast before them with their enemies sitting all around, a person who is followed by goodness and mercy all of the days of their lives and who will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Even if you don't have much of a church background, if you found yourself sitting around a table with a priest and your loved one's boxed remains, it's easy to see why you might be drawn to Psalm 23. In the midst of death, in the midst of grief, we all want comfort. We want to know that our beloved are loved and cared for by God even in death, and are awaiting that day when Jesus will come again to raise them from the dead, and we want to believe that Psalm 23 describes the life they are living right now.  I don't have any reason to think that is wrong. But on the other hand, if you read the psalm carefully, I'm struck by what you don't find there. You don't find any mention of human remains, boxed or otherwise.  No mention of heaven. Instead, there is every indication that this psalm is talking about present-day life. The Psalms, like most of the Old Testament, don't talk directly about heaven, but they are intimately concerned with the fallout of everyday human life. The experience of the author of this Psalm is that when you put your trust in the Lord, the Lord gives you all the things you need - I shall not want.  When the author walks, through the valley of the shadow of death, they feel no evil, because the Lord is with them. When there are enemies all around, the author feels secure and comfortable, as though the Lord has thrown them a banquet with their enemies sitting around watching them. The experience of the author is that the Lord gives them everything that they need, their fears are stilled, their security is found completely in God alone.  But this way of reading the text bothered me, or, at least, it provoked some hard questions. Earlier this week, I met with the principal of Baraboo High School to greet him, introduce myself, and learn about Baraboo as a community through what's happening at the high school. The principal mentioned that more than 50% of the children in the Baraboo School District qualify for free and reduced-price lunches, meaning that as many as 1 in 2 Baraboo children are growing up in poverty, and that a fair number of those might be food insecure - meaning that they might not know any given day where their next meal is coming from. And then I came back to my office and read: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" and thought about those kids who I will come to know, and those kids who many of you already know, kids who might be here today. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. What does that mean to the hungry? And what does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of death and yet not fear? We Christians sometimes have a reputation of being people who are not able to face up to how terrible reality can sometimes be. When my father had a brain aneurysm and died suddenly six years ago at age 57, I was in the midst of a seminary degree, and so I paid attention to what friends of my parents said to me as they came through the receiving line at the visitation. "It was God's time for him to go," one person said. "God needed him in heaven," another person told me. More than one quoted Scripture: "The Lord works in mysterious ways," or "the Lord will never give you more than you can bear." These people were all trying to comfort me, and they all loved my dad and our family. But months later, after I had had time to process, I started thinking about what the people had said. Death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed, says St. John in Revelation. The Lord does not use evil events to further his plans. I realized that something so terrible had happened that people were trying to comfort themselves and me so that we did not have to feel the depth of pain and loss such a death inevitably brings about. But no one is served well when we try to make up reasons for bad things that happen when there are no reasons. No one is served well when we use clichés because we feel like we have to say something but there are no words to say. It’s far better to say that we’re sorry for a loss, and to be truly sorry, and to look forward with the bereaved when God will make all of our losses whole. Far better to acknowledge the valley of the shadow of death where we find it, to stare it in the face, and then to proclaim to it that our God has promised to be with us in the midst of it. III.  Psalm 23 is what scholars call a "trust psalm" (Jacobsen, Working Preacher), and meaning that its author wrote it in a time of dire crisis to ask for help and to express trust in God in spite of the crisis in front of him. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  It means that we are sheep, and that we are easily distracted, that we are easily lost, that we wander away and then have trouble finding food. Because the Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want, we shall not be allowed to wander away and get lost. The Lord will lead us in right paths and will provide for our needs.    This psalm doesn't ignore hungry kids or grieving people or people who are besieged by enemies: its author is one of them. And so from the depths of that darkness, from the swirl of chaos, from grief and a cry goes up: Surely goodness and mercy will follow me every day of my life. It's not a cry that ignores the crisis, that pretends it's not going on, but rather a cry of trust in the Lord's goodness and faithfulness from the midst of crisis. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. The Lord prepares a banquet table before me, and my enemies are surrounding me, seating themselves at my very table, and yet I am full, I am satisfied, I am more than secure: my cup overflows because the Lord has provided abundantly beyond anything I could have hoped for. Even in the midst of chaos, the Shepherd God uses his staff on his sheep, his people, to scoot them back onto the right path, to pull them up out of pits they have fallen into. He uses his rod to gently correct, to convict us of wrongs that we have minimized or written off so that we might become whole.     IV. Have you ever found yourself in a moment of crisis? Have you ever felt lost and alone, and wondered what choices would lead you to the right path? Those sound a little bit like the questions a lost sheep would ask. Maybe you're feeling lost and alone this morning. Maybe the path ahead is not clear; you're not sure what direction to go. You don't know what you believe, where to go to college, how to interact with a child, what career to choose, what to do with retirement, how to comfort a friend. The Lord will Shepherd us, will help us, will lead us in right paths for his name's sake.  Maybe this morning you don't feel lost; in fact, you know exactly where you are. You know what the psalm means when it says, "the valley of the shadow of death", because you are walking there. The doctors tell you they're not sure if this treatment is going to work. A loved one died several years back and you just didn't know that it would still be so hard after so long. A friend has received a terrifying diagnosis. You walk in the valley of the shadow of death, and yet from there, the Lord promises to be with us: I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Or maybe the bill collectors are after you; you're hungry, you're worried about whether you're about to lose your job. So much about life makes you feel insecure, as though the joy and happiness you feel can be snatched away at a moment's notice. It feels like enemies closing in on you, and you are afraid. And yet from the midst of that insecurity, the Lord prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. In the presence of evil, the Lord promises to make our cups overflow.  The Lord's promise in this psalm is for us this morning. For all who are lost, for all who walk through the valley of the shadow of death, for all whose enemies circle around them: the Lord has promised to meet us. And indeed, the Lord still does prepare for us a table in the presence of our enemies, as the crucified Lord Jesus offers himself for the sake of the world in the Eucharist as bread and wine, as bread and wine that we receive into our bodies. May all of us who are lost find our way at this table. May all of us who are broken find healing at this table. May all of us who are fearful find strength and solace at this table. And may the Lord Jesus, the shepherd of the sheep, follow us with goodness and mercy today and all the days of our lives, and may we dwell in house of the Lord forever. Amen.