#ad 74 perhaps

[cannibalvegetarian]

okay, here’s a thing. my friend and i, we have some ocs and as if it wasn’t bad enough, we also happen to have an inexhaustible urge to make them suffer. the scene takes place somewhere in the midst of 70–78 AD, after whatever-the-hell-nero-did-to-rome, but before vesuvius had erupted.

art: @its0berenice (right twix bar of the tandem)

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“it’s over,” antony says, lips curving into a smile, light, and thin, and colourless. “we lost.”

vincentius feels sick.

“so- what, that’s it?” he laughs bitterly. “you’re just going to give up. now, after everything. unbelievable.”

antony shrugs. the blade glitters ever so slightly as he tosses it and casually catches the handle halfway to the floor. he smiles again.

“i suppose so.”

the torn throat of the sun sheds its blood, turning everything bright red. it’s over, right. it’s all over.

his grand demise.

“why are you here, then?” he tries weakly.

“you know why, phil—“

“don’t.”

antony frowns, seemingly perplexed with a sudden change of mood, but decides against whatever he was thinking of and just shrugs again, “alright.”

nausea rises in his guts. it’s over. he tries to swallow the lump that is slowly thickening in his throat, but all in vain. instead, he bursts into laughter, loud and frantic, hardly sane at all.

“yeah,” he hides the trembling in his voice behind laughing spasms. “yeah, i suppose i do know.”

antony does not respond. he doesn’t have to.

there is a moment of silence, thick and tense, albeit most welcome, and vincentius seizes it to calm his nerves, strained to the point when it could snap in the worst possible time. he heads back and fishes out a carafe of wine, cramped on the shelf, assortment of which was mainly preserved for brighter occasions, but it doesn’t matter anymore. it’s all the same in the greater scheme of things. all the same.

antony chuckles knowingly, an obscure emotion flickers across his face as vincentius pours two goblets and offers him one. he doesn’t reach for it, and it takes only a few seconds to formulate a guess as to why.

“oh, for the love of— i would not,” he snaps, rolling his eyes with such an obvious annoyance that it must be leaking through the mask of feigned benevolence.

antony laughs gleefully, “i know. you wouldn’t try to poison me.” with a couple of light cat-like steps, he gets closer, until only a few unciae separate them. “you wouldn’t do that to a jug of fine wine,” he laughs, and this laughter, this ominous, dreadful laughter makes vincentius squirm.

it isn’t about the wine, he means to say, but the words stick in his parched throat.

“and even if you would,” antony resumes with a soft smile, “i don’t mind. i’d take it willingly.”

and he’s there, and vincentius makes the mistake of letting him be there, of allowing him close enough to have an opportunity to fulfill his vow, his eerie prophecy. although there is every likelihood that it wouldn’t make much difference anyway. he simply doesn’t stand a chance, not against someone with professional competence of an experienced massacrer. so he’s there, and it is all so damn over.

“i love you.” the worst part is that it’s not even a lie.

the skin tears, letting the cold steel in. he gulps for air, suddenly finding himself unable to breathe, and barely bites down a scream, when antony pulls the blade out of the wound. his moist eyes glisten in the reddish rays of sunset. almost tender. almost fond.

he tries to focus his vision but fails—and it hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much—everything blurs, shrouded in a veil of agony, roundelay of smudgy colours, swimming before eyes.

he doesn’t want to go. please. he—

“there, there,” antony nuzzles his forehead, pressing dry lips to vincentius’ cold perspiring skin. “shh, ‘s alright. you’re good, you’re good,” hands slippers soothingly over his crouched back. “i’ve got you.”

exactly, thinks vincentius, gathering the very shreds of his inflamed mind, that’s exactly the problem.

his bleared gaze slides down, and here he is, once more, about to throw up. his hands are slick, and wet, and all covered in red—gods, so much red, so much—he clutches desperately at the fabric of antony’s tunic, but it’s just no help. he sobs brokenly, choking on a breath, and he cries, and weeps, and it’s all so utterly disgraceful that he’s nearly willing to die instantly, just to skip all this degrading misery.

antony grabs his chin, preventing from looking any longer, “sh, sh, sh… i know, i know. it’ll pass soon.” the grip tightens, his torn guts pierced by the blooming flower of excruciating pain. “i promise,” he says through the mouth of a liar, and vincentius wants to believe him so badly it’s almost laughable.

there comes a sound of dripping, slow and rhythmic, and with a sudden strike of clarity vincentius reckons that it might actually be his blood. that he won’t make it this time. his legs weaken, bending down. antony murmurs softly, almost intelligibly, with his head buried into dump sweat-soaked hair, all tangled and messy, slowly guiding them to the floor.

and the dying sun leaves bloody smears of light on the carpet pile. he should’ve changed it. many, many moons ago. yeah, he thinks absentmindedly, i’ll give the order to burn this hideous thing.

the sun is dying, and so is he.

“farewell, philtatos,” antony whispers, but the sound is stolen by the shuddering thump behind his back. something breaks, shards of whatever it was flash before eyes, and a shouting crowd fills the room.

antony stands up, leaving him on the floor, with palms above head in a sign of mock surrender. the feeling of his calloused hands and firm, steady grip, in which antony had cradled him, is no longer here, and vincentius hates the way it makes him feel.

his fingers, numb and soaked in blood, clamp over the wounded stomach. it’s all over.

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[unknownfortuna]

Profection years

Profection Years represent the themes in the house you will be facing as well as the planets associated with the signs in the houses. REMEMBER planets within these houses also represent whether the manifestations will be positive or negative (also aspects). I will be speaking mostly positive manifestations to avoid freaking anyone out:)

Ascendent: ages 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72...

The transformation in these years are closely tied to your identity. These years may also feel like you are starting over in some way, perhaps you are being too clingy with things that are not meant to be and will be forced to let go (you were supposed to do this in the 12th house but whatever you'll learn). A new you is reborn and you will be reintroducing yourself to those around you!

The rising sign is an indicator of what your year may hold for you (planet associated too!)

ex. Virgo rising may really lean into a more polished looking appearance. attention to detail and being a bit of a perfectionist in the work you do. You may be highly critical of yourself and others. Planet- Mercury will be activated this year. Perhaps you will incorporate more professional language depending on the profession you are in.

2nd House: ages 1, 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, 73...

These years are focused on your assets and values related to the self. (ascendent profection years is more superficial and based on others opinion/the mask you show others ex. work persona). Your material possessions and your ability to provide for yourself.

ex. Scorpio in the 2nd house. Can be going through a more secretive transition related to how you make your money. May be doing a more taboo profession or conflict may arise due to scorpio being associated with pluto and mars (also darker/obsessive tendencies with your things/self....like astrology/the occult)

3rd House: ages 2, 14, 26, 38, 50, 62, 74...

More active years; heavier emphasis on your siblings and neighborhood. Changes to your thought patterns and communication. More activity in your day to day life such as traveling or commuting somewhere.

ex. Libra in the 3rd house would be feeling more codependent on their siblings/neighbors and vice versa. Can have run ins with the law (parking/speeding tickets... also being able to get out of them bc of your charm:). More activity in your romantic and business partnerships! (Flirting with everyone bc why not??). Venus will be on your side during this year.

4th House: ages 3, 15, 27, 39, 51, 63, 75...

Family and the foundation you stand on will be heavy on your mind. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? How can I be more involved in my family? How is my relationship with my mom affecting me? Childhood themes may also come up. Revisiting certain memories or places associated with childhood.

ex. Leo in the 4th house would hold more emphasis on adding flair to their home; More self expression towards their family and with their mom. The sun would be activated and a perpetual spotlight would follow you making you stand out ESPECIALLY with your family (being the talk of their family bc their mom can't help but brag about an accomplishment you made this year).

5th House: ages 4, 16, 28, 40, 52, 64, 76...

This profection year can really help tap into a more creative side of yourself. Perhaps you become more into a hobby you've been wanting to do. More excitement in your dating life relationships/ going out more with friends. pets are also a theme.

ex. Gemini in the 5th house would have soooo much to talk about with people (beware of gossiping). More fun with your siblings or you could be involved in communicating with kids in some capacity (You are a part of an after school program for elementary aged kids). Mercury would be activated.

6th House: ages 5, 17, 29, 41, 53, 65, 77...

These years pertain to your health/daily routine/every day work habits. Perhaps you want to incorporate a new diet or get more into a fitness routine.

Ex. Pisces in the 6th house may incorporate a ritual of some sort. Manifestation practices/protection spell work/reading scriptures from a religious text. Neptune will be activated this year so movies can be an inspiration for change to your life (beware of being mislead, neptune=planet of illusions ; you join a pyramid scheme lol). Jupiter is the traditional ruler. May bring random good luck within your daily life.

7th House: ages 6, 18, 30, 42, 54, 66, 78..

Relationships of all kinds will be emphasized. You may feel a bit codependent during these years; influenced by your relationships. What type of relationships do I want? type of thoughts. You could also be more of a social butterfly or heavily locked into your one on one relationships.

ex. Aquarius in the 7th house will be more involved in online relationships (like gamer friends). May be more active in building an online business and harvesting a following. Become more concerned with humanitarian causes and collaborating with others to make a difference. Uranus will be activated this year and may bring random acquaintances/ friendships. Saturn is also the traditional ruler....long term relationship through a dating site

8th House: ages 7, 19, 31, 43, 55, 67, 79...

More focused on transformation in a soul searching kind of way. What are your thoughts/feelings towards Money/intimacy/shared resources? Speaking of shared resources, if you are in a serious business or romantic partnership, this year will cause you to review what exactly is being harvested between you two. Taxes may be a focus on these years.

ex. Aries in the 8th house may feel the need to take action and charge these topics head on. Due to its independent nature they will have to learn to walk the fine line with what is theirs and what is a shared resource with their partners. Can also have to fight for inheritances. Mars will be activated this year giving more fuel/power to the individual.

9th House: ages 8, 20, 32, 44, 56, 68, 80...

Changes to your spirituality/religious thoughts. College or higher education of some kind will be a focus. perhaps you adopt a new dogma from reading a higher-level text. Travel and foreign places will be themes.

ex. Capricorn in the 9th house likes structure. They may be into focusing on what the meaning of life is or planning trips in search of answers to such existential questions. May also take work trips during this year or building rapport with foreign associates. Saturn would also be activated which can manifest in implementing more disciplinary rituals based on your spiritual belief (buddhism=incorporating asceticism practices).

10th House: ages 9, 21, 33, 45, 57, 69, 81..

The public and how you are perceived. focus on career and what you want to achieve. The 10th house can also be associated with authority figures/ father. Perhaps you end up being mentored by your boss or a fatherly figure of some kind when it comes to your career. There can be changes in the type of relationship you have with your father.

ex. Cancer in the 10th house could have a career related to caregiving or nurturing role of some kind. A protective career like the military could also manifest. Others may come to you and seek out advice of some kind due to the public seeing you as a caretaker/ motherly figure. Cancer being ruled by the moon may also cause ppl to see you as a moody/emotional person. Your mom and the relationship you have with her could be a theme (moon=mother)

11th House: ages 10, 22, 34, 46, 58, 70, 82...

The community is of importance and the ties you have. Your friends could be a big part of this year. The natural ruler of the 11th house is Aquarius which rules the media/ your presence within social media could be a theme such as being recognized or discovered in some way.

ex. Saggitarius in the 11th house would have an expansive list of friends from all types of communities, ages, and cultures (diversity, diversity, and more diversity). Could take trips to meet said friends in foreign countries. Lots of fun in the community (reputation of the life of the party??). Jupiter would be activated bringing good luck and expansion in this area:)

12th House: ages 11, 23, 35, 47, 59, 71, 83..

The 12th house is kind of the final chapter to karmic cycles. You go through a sort of ego death in this house. Depending on your attachment to things in your life will really let you know whether this year will be easy for you or not. Also have you been ignoring something or pushing a serious topic off in hopes it will dissipate into fine dust? Well, this year will bring your subconscious thoughts to life as well as influence your sleep and dreams. Isolation can manifest in different ways (working nights, hospital, prison, sleep disorders). Think of this year as the final test/ palette cleanser to all of the years prior.

ex. Taurus in the 12th (hehe how interesting:) the fixed sign will have no choice but to face the changes that have been inevitable. Perhaps you have considered yourself to be someone who is flexible (Gemini Rising) but ask anyone around you and they would say otherwise. Lessons of beauty/ugly will come about as well as lessons dealing with your foundation. Material possession will have to be approached in a detached manner due to the possibility of having to let go of systems that can not be taken with you in the upcoming profection year. Venus will be activated during this year and may include lessons related to love.

"Your fear of abandonment is entirely justified. Nothing in this world stays forever. The leaves fall, the fields of sunflowers wilt, even the best people leave sometimes. You're not crazy. You're observant."

[thetownsendsw]

Today marks the premier of #Pathfinder’s Triumph of the Tusk Adventure Path, so I’d like to take a moment to discuss a relevant topic near and dear to my heart.

ORCS!

While Tolkien was drawing on some linguistic antecedents, Orcs in fantasy originate from The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings, where they’re brutish soldiers of various forces of evil.

Initially lacking redeeming quality, Orcs have become a darling of pop culture, their thuggish nature explored from many angles across TTRPGs, video games, comics, novels, and more.

Now, when you picture an Orc, you no doubt imagine something akin to the Warcraft or Warhammer franchises: statuesque, green skinned humanoids with protruding underbites and looming tusks, often locked into a primitive, itinerant lifestyle, eschewing technology beyond what they pillage from other races.

Interestingly, none of this is in Tolkien.

In Tolkien, “Orc” was essentially another word for “Goblin,” or perhaps unusually large Goblins. Far from statuesque, Gollum (a (former?) Hobbit) could easily be confused for one. The Uruk-hai, a new, stronger Orcish offshoot were described as Orcish in appearance but only as tall as a Man, not taller.

Tolkien’s Orcs are described as deformed, but nothing as specific as green skin or tusks is specifically mentioned (Tolkien saved in-depth sensory detail for trees, and occasionally beards).

Far from being savages, Tolkien’s Orcs were–in his grand Romanticist narrative–stand-ins for industrialization. They were destroying the forests to build grand weapons of war, and soot-covered Mordor evoked the smokestacks of 19th century london.

In many ways the conflict of LotR can be interpreted as Tolkien pitting the noble myths and tales he studied up against his real experiences in WWI.

(the thought amuses me of a firmly medieval fantasy setting, except when we zoom in on the Orcish Badlands they’re all shelling each other from the trenches)

But while none of these traits are in Tolkien, there is a source where they are central.

The Green Martians, or Tharks, first appeared in A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, published in All-Story Magazine from Feb-July 1912, well before any of the kids Tolkien decided to tell a fairy tale to were born.

The Tharks are described as 15 foot tall nomadic savages, favoring mighty beasts and weapons salvaged from the more civilized races of Barsoom. They have green skin and tusks, as well as six limbs (interestingly, the middle limbs are described as functional as either crude arms or secondary legs, but art always just depicts four arms)

Culturally, the Tharks are clearly meant as extensions of the Apache raiders encountered in the early chapters of the book set in Arizona; i.e. some California ranch-owner’s idea of wasteland savages. Nomadic, inhuman raiders redeemable only when breaching their primitive traditions.

The parallels are almost uncanny, and I’ll admit I’m honestly not sure where the crossover occurs. Early editions of D&D–another driver of fantasy trends–depict orcs as pig-people, which is probably how tusks became so iconic. They later added gray skin, which persisted officially until the current edition.

Somewhere between there in ‘74 and Warhammer in the early 80s is when the pseudo-Barsoom look took over in broader culture, and at this point there’s no getting around it. Even the more recent Tolkien film adaptations can’t entirely escape the expectation of modern Orcishness.

Turning back the clock a bit, Tolkien notably was never entirely sure where Orcs came from. His first idea was that they were molded from clay by Morgoth, a dark mirror to Adam, but being a Catholic at heart, he disliked the idea of Evil being a creative force.

He flip-flopped for the rest of his life, whether Orcs were corrupted men/elves/hobbits, uplifted beasts, even (according to one post I saw) soulless bodies remotely piloted by demons. He could never quite square the need for unfailingly evil mooks with his own feelings on Good & Evil.

Personally, I find particular resonance in the parallel between what D&D used to call an “always chaotic evil” race and the very Catholic concept of Original Sin. Was Tolkien merely dancing around the idea that the Orcs only needed to be Saved?

I can’t say what Tolkien would think of modern Orcs, either their merging with an earlier, American space alien, or our attempts to humanize what was supposed to be fundamentally inhuman. But I think his insecurity speaks to the same source as our fascination.

Who among us hasn’t struggled with what it means to be good? Or to be evil? And if we are made to be evil, what does it mean to strive against that purpose or to surrender to it? Can we abandon the precepts of predestiny? Or do we reject that they were ever there?

Stare deeply into that Jungian shadow and tell me…

Is it green? And do you want it to be?

[asumofwords]

Smoke, Fire and Ash

Warnings: This fic includes noncon, dubcon, manipulation, violence, death, forced marriage, and inc3st. Tags will be added as the fic goes on. Rape, assault, choking, slapping, suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness.

This is a dark!fic. 18+ only. Read at your own discretion. Please read the warnings before continuing.

Summary: You are the eldest daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. You are forced to navigate the difficult surroundings of your upbringing and the eventual disintegration between your family and the Hightower's relationship. What will happen when your older and estranged uncle suddenly takes a more sinister interest in you? (Dark!Aemond x Reader)

Masterlist

Characters: Aemond Targaryen X Reader, HOTD characters.

Note: Hello my babies, here is the next chapter.

I wanted to preface this by saying, please be cautious with the trigger warnings, it is going to be a heavy chapter. I also wanted to say, be kind in the comment sections and what you say, there may be survivors who read your words.

If you are at all triggered, please know that you are not alone, and that you are a survivor, and there are people you can talk to and get help with.

I think we all knew that this was coming, but even still, it feels wrong to say enjoy this time. Tread carefully, and be kind to yourself <3

Chapter 74: A Crown of Thorns 

Another day went by in your chambers, time moving at an odd pace. 

Sometimes it moved speedily, at others seemingly dragging on. You did not sleep that evening, sitting on the chaise as Helaena and Lucerys stood by the fireplace, continuing to whisper together until you had grown so used to their sound, that you did not find discomfort any longer. 

It grew to be a noise that was like a breeze outside the Keep, brushing against the windows or through the corridors, or the soft crackling of the fire.

A sound that blended into the background, like the waves that would crash against the cliff-face of Dragonstone, or the soft discernible buzzing of Flea Bottom.

There.

Inevitable.

Inescapable.

Despite being in the Keep for only a few of moons, you felt as though you had been there for a lifetime. It was a strangeness that you couldn’t shake off. And an uncomfortable reminder of how much time you had lost with your family. 

Another loss to never be gained again.

Your body had begun to feel weak, lack of sleep and proper meals scraping roughly against the sinews on your bones. You forced yourself to eat a meal, watched on by the maids that morning, concern evident in their eyes. 

You finished the bread on your plate, and the entirety of the sweet star fruit one of the girls had neatly cut up for you with your own knife and fork. You had even indulged in three slices of beef, and attempted to swallow a roasted tomato. But the tomato did not go down smoothly, its wet and slimy texture causing you to gag as soon as it hit the back of your throat. 

You had drank your tea under the eyes of the maids, who had whispered words of praise as you drank it, promising that it would make you feel better and that you should be yourself in no time. That Aemond would return soon, and perhaps they could escort you on a walk through the Gardens to lift your spirits.

They were kind. They were patient, and the walls that they had guarded themselves with when you first arrived had been lowered significantly. You even felt that they had come to care for you sincerely, and not just as a part of their duties. 

You missed Saria and Aella.

The meal had definitely helped your spirits, and your body felt slightly better being given some sustenance. Yet your mind was still raw, Helaena and Lucerys had been by your bed when you had woken, their whispers peeling back layers of dwindling resolve. 

Though as you had eaten, they had left from your sight, their whispering voices still ringing in your ears.

In truth, you were exhausted.

Mentally and physically.

It felt like an uphill battle. 

You would take two steps forward, and five steps back. Your mind waxing and waning through strong and brittle. Memories of the past striking fear seemingly out of nowhere at times, and storms of uncertainty racing you towards the edge of a cliff you knew there was no coming back from. 

But surely this was progress. 

The road to recovery was a long one, and although your side had healed, it still came to irritate you.

Where there was once an open wound, now sat puckered and scarred skin, still sensitive to the touch if you pressed it. Some days it would twinge, and small sparks of discomfort would rise up your ribs if you sat at an odd angle, bumped it against something, or even if one of your gowns was too tight across the new skin.

At moments like those, when your elbow would push pressure against it, or the side of the chaise would dig into it meanly, or Aemond’s hands would grasp or tease, you could feel the phantom pains of when it had once been opened. You could feel the way in which the new skin was now pulled taut by scars and ached at random.

Sometimes it even itched, and you had to gently let yourself rub the pads of your fingers, no nails, across it to soothe the irritation. 

The scar, you supposed, was similar to your mind. 

Though it had healed, there was still the presence of what had happened. There was still the pain and uncomfortability, the voices and visions, and reminders of the past whenever those corners of the mind were pressed or disturbed. 

Like your scar, if the wound was touched, even though healed, it would still offer a reaction. It would ache, or itch, or send panic rearing through you. And this was something that you hoped would heal with time. 

You just needed time.

And time was what you had, though the looming threat of Aegon did little to the scars on your psyche which were poked, and prodded, or scratched by the sharp nails of paranoia and justified rage.

You doubted the lacerations to your mind had even begun to heal, and if they had, any little progress they had made, any scabbing over, or the prospect of change had been picked away by the circumstances surrounding you. Relentless fingers pulling at the platelets that had formed over the injury, blood and memories spilling forth, setting you back to where you started from. 

The same open wound.

That evening, when the maids had come to your chambers, you had ate with little fuss, though your stomach cramped at suddenly being so full. You had nibbled at the warm bread and feasted on cooked potatoes and legumes. Even indulging in a goblet of wine, which somehow settled your nerves. 

A quick fix to a longer issue.

When you had finished your meal, the maids, who had not left the chambers as you ate, hovering about, pretending to tend to their duties, when in reality they were casting quick and short glance over their shoulders at you, readied you for bed. 

The vanity sat in front of you as one of the maids had begun to brush out your hair, combing it gently as she looked at your face in the reflection. A soft humming came from her chest as she worked, untangling your knots.

It was a tune that plucked a string of familiarity within you. A musical lilt that felt ancestral to its core, and you found that it calmed you almost immediately. 

There was something about it, something that made your brain tick.

You shifted in the green cushioned seat and looked the girl in the eyes.

“What are you humming?” You had asked, voice soft. 

The girl cleared her throat and stopped, “A daughters song, Princess.” She responded meekly.

“Would you sing it for me?”

You wished to hear it.

To feel it.

For it to drown out any whispers in the back of your head, or the corner of the room. You wished to hear it for what it was, to see if it did hold familiarity or if it was, like many things in that present moment, just in your head.

The girls hands stopped in your hair as she looked at you, before a blush spread over her cheeks. She looked down and then over her shoulder at the other maid, who had discontinued fluffing the same pillow she had been arranging for quite some time. 

Clearing her throat again, she nodded, “Yes, Princess.” And began unsteadily, as if nervous for your reaction, uncertain if she would be punished or berated. 

“Come now my daughter, come sit beside me, rolling green hills, and a mountain of flames,” She began, and you let yourself lean into her hands as she kept them threading through your hair.

“We sit one last time, two parts of the same, a curse to be born, a woman’s last name. A woman of duty, a wicked hearts game, a wife’s job is set, the children are tamed.” As she continued, you realised that you had not heard the song at all, though the melody reminded you of a memory you could not discern.

“The girls life is done, the woman’s life breathes, rise with the sun, and rest with its leave. Clipped of your wings, never to fly, a woman’s one job, is to let her man die.” The maid looked down, not meeting your eyes as her hands stilled in your locks.

As you made no move to punish her, or reprimand her, or even correct her, she continued, voice a fair bit more confident, though still soft and gentle, “We all face the fate, no woman can hide. The sins of the flesh, till the woman has died.”

You blinked sheepishly at the girl as she distracted herself with brushing your hair, not daring to look up at you.

“Why is that so familiar? Is it a Westerosi song?”

“I’m not sure, Your Grace. My mother used to sing it to me.”

“It is quite dark.” You mused softly, reflecting on the song.

‘Clipped of your wings, never to fly.’

“It is a song about becoming a woman, Princess. It is not an easy road, especially for common folk. It is a song sung to us to prepare us, should we ever be married.”

You hummed in agreement, “Thank you for sharing it with me. Is your mother-“

“Gone.” She uttered, voice hoarse with emotion, “A fever when I was a child, Your Grace.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. She sounded like a wise woman to sing it to you.”

“She was.” She smiled softly at you in the reflection. 

The smaller maid came to the both of your sides as the other took her hands from your hair, “Will you be needing anything else from us, Princess?” She asked.

“No, thank you both.” You smiled at them, though it twitched from strain, “You may rest for the evening.” 

As the girls turned to leave the chamber, a crawling sense of shame and realisation washed over you. 

“What are your names?” You called across the chambers, looking at how the two girls stopped to turn and face you, not looking down at their feet, but instead directly at you.

The eldest of girls who had mousy brown hair, and deep brown eyes, bowed her head as she spoke, “Amala, Your Grace.”

The youngest whose hair was a deep blonde, skin littered in freckles followed the other, bowing her head and looked down as she introduced herself, “Joanna, Princess.”

You smiled at the both of them, a genuine smile, and repeated their names on your tongue to the chambers. 

“Apologies for not asking sooner," You apologised sheepishly, "Thank you. You may leave.” 

The girls gave another short bow and smiled at you before leaving the chambers, the orange of their robes disappearing out the chamber doors. 

You sighed, back bending on the vanity chair as you relaxed without their presence. 

Exhaustion seeped into your bones, and your eyelids grew heavy with every breath you took. Looking across the room, Helaena and Lucerys stood by the fire watching you, mouths moving, and only snake-like hissing coming out as they whispered. 

Wearily you moved, and got into bed, promising yourself that you would only rest your eyes, if only for a moment, and then you could rise again and stay vigilant. Yet resolve flew out the window as soon as your leadened limbs laid on the plush down of the bed, and the soft doona was pulled over you. 

Laying your head on the pillow, you kept your eyes on the chamber doors and waited. But the wait was longer than your body could stand, and so your lids grew too heavy to hold open and slid shut, the depths of sleep dragging you under. 

Dreams of serpents surrounded you, their glistening yellow bellies and scales of emerald green shining against the stone floors. 

Jet black eyes stared at you as the largest of snakes rose its head. 

A forked tongue flicked out. The thin, pink muscle rattling in the air around you as it watched you with beady eyes, tasting the air.

Tasting you. 

It hissed, large fangs showing as it begun to curl around your feet, winding its way higher and higher up your body, its muscles constricting you. 

And yet there was nothing you could do, and nothing that you did do but watch as it wrapped around you higher and higher, pressing your arms to your side as it hissed in your ear. Your mind screamed at you to move, but your body refused, knowing that it could not escape its fate.

Knowing what was to come. 

Making peace with its own demise.

The serpent pulled back to look you in the eyes as it curled its body around you tighter. Its scaled gums pulled back, revealing rows of needled teeth as it grinned at you.

“He is coming.” It hissed, before striking forward towards your neck.

You woke with a start, a sharp biting pain on your flesh as you felt weight atop you. 

The chambers were dark, and all you could feel was your heavy limbs that were held down by a weight atop you. You jerked, breath coming out of you in a gasp as the feeling of teeth on your neck pushed you to the surface of consciousness.

Your heart galloped in your chest, beating against your ribs.

In the dim of the chambers, the teeth relinquished your neck, head rearing up to look down at you. 

There, above you, hands holding your arms down and thighs pinning your own beneath him, sat Aegon. His teeth shone in the night as he looked at you, canines glistening predatorily as he realised you had woken. 

Fear coursed through you as you began to thrash beneath him, desperate to get out of his grip as he held you down, his short wavy hair halo’d around his face. 

“Thought you’d never wake up.” He grinned excitedly.

“Get off me.” You growled, trying to shift your legs to knee him between his.

He tutted you with his tongue, cocking his head as his hands tightened around your arms, bruising the tender flesh, “That’s not very nice.”

“Fuck you. Let me go!” You yelled into the chambers, hips bucking up as cold dread settled over you. 

Please, Gods. Not this.

“Why do you fight this?” He mocked, “Why do you try to honour my brother when he fucks Alys? He has left you here,” A sick grin crawled wider across his face, “All alone.”

“Fuck you. Get off me! Kn-“ You began to call out to the knight for help, to see if he would respond, but Aegon’s hands lifted from your arms and pushed down on your throat roughly, pushing all air from your lungs and preventing the scream which had begun.

“You think the Knight would help you?” Aegon sneered, as you thrashed beneath him, pushing at him with all your strength, “Do you think he would listen to you? I could command him to come in here and make him watch, and he would do it. Should I call him for you?” He growled, fingers tightening around your throat, the room beginning to spin. 

Please Gods, have I not given enough?

Your hands flew up to grab his, nails digging into the skin as you desperately tried to pry them from your neck. The muscles in your back cramped painfully as you tried to push up and away, to throw him off of you, but the Kings hands did not relent, and the world around you began to fade into black, the chambers softly floating away.

You relaxed beneath him, mind going numb as his laughter faded, hands releasing slightly. Air rushed into your lungs as you coughed and spluttered beneath him. One of his hands slid down your body to yank your chemise up from your thighs. 

Grunting you tried to wriggle away from him, one hand lifting to try and claw at his face which he batted away with ease. His hand continued to pull up the chemise as you jerked in his hold, one hand still on your throat squeezing.

No. 

Gods, please, no.

Not him. 

Anyone but him.

“You know, I think I like it when you pretend that you don’t want me. The chase makes it far more enjoyable.” He purred, wine on his breath as it fanned over you. 

Your voice was trapped in your chest.

You wished to scream at him.

To tell him to get off you.

To cry for help.

But nothing came out. 

Aegon slapped your cheek playfully with one hand as he cooed at you.

“Should have taken you as my second wife, just as Aegon the First had. You and Helaena could have been sister-wives, and I could have watched you both swell with my seed.” He smiled, as you tried to push him back.

Aegon grabbed your throat roughly, pushing down, jolting your head and holding you, grin staring down at you in the dark of the chambers. The room dimmed as you struggled to breathe, legs kicking pitifully beneath you. 

And then you were floating. 

Not there in the room. 

Not beneath him.

Not feeling anything but the pain against your throat and an odd numbness that began to surround your body. You could hear the mumbled voice of Aegon, but it felt so far away. 

So far away. 

You felt like you were fading. Drifting, and drifting, like a ship sails the sea, bobbing atop the waves as it moved through crystal waters on its way to a destination, weightless and carried by the tide. 

But you didn’t know where your destination was, and instead you were being carried, drifting in gentle waves that told you not where you were going, moving you as you faded further and further into the darkness. 

Until you lifted away.

Gone. 

A weight moved across your body and the world came back around you, ears ringing as your body was jolted. A coldness spread down you as you slowly moved through the abyss and back to the room.

There was a voice, mumbling to you. 

But you didn’t want to leave the numbness and dark you had sunk into. You wanted to stay were you were. You wanted to keep your eyes shut and bask in it.

There was no pain there.

There was no fear there.

There was nothing.

Not even you.

You were so tired. 

Why wouldn’t they let you rest?

Someone was speaking to you.

Why wouldn’t they just let you sleep?

The pull on your throat steadily brought you to the present, and feeling shot back through your body. 

There are hands on you. 

Hands all over you. 

Hands touching you and pinching you. 

A hand slapping your face roughly, snapping you back into the room. 

Your eyes opened as Aegon sat atop of you, lips moving but you couldn’t hear a word he said, your ears ringing loudly in your skull. The world tilted and confusion rolled through you.

Your throat hurt.

Why did you throat hurt?

You groaned trying to shift him off of you. 

Why was he on top of you?

Aegon kept talking down at you, and as your body slowly came to be, and feeling moved back through your mind, you felt a rough pressure against one of your breasts as he squeezed it meanly in his hand.

You tried to squirm away from his grip, mumbling as he smiled at you. 

“Get… off me.” You uttered softly, still dizzy and unsure of what was happening.

Aegon knelt half on you, half off, his knee pressed down on your stomach, as one large hand pinched painfully at your nipple, and the other moved between your thighs. You jerked in his hold, trying to get out from beneath him as a large finger forced its way inside of you.

You cried out as he thrusted his hand into you painfully, not caring for your pain or confusion. Pain rippled up from between your thighs, his fingers scratching against you dryly. 

“Fuck you’re tight.” The King growled from above. 

The world tilted, and you felt as though you were to be sick as he continued to fuck his hand into you, the other rolled a stiff nipple between his fingers. Tears began to gather in your eyes as the world caught up around you and realisation sat in.

This was it.

You could scarcely move from your spot beneath him. Every jolt of his hand stirred your head and made you nauseous, and all you could do was whimper beneath him, desperate to not throw up. You thrashed on the bed, feeling his fingers slip out of you.

The hand on your breast moved back to your throat and squeezed. The chambers grew dark, and your vision blurred as you looked at Aegon. His figure slowly disappearing as you faded away again. 

You were so tired. 

If you closed your eyes maybe this wouldn’t be happening. 

If you closed your eyes, perhaps he would not be there anymore. 

Your eyelids grew heavy and slid shut, and you felt yourself fade away from the world again, drifting away on the waves that pulled you in with its tide. 

Please let me stay here.

Everything around you was black until it wasn’t, and you were blinking your eyes awake, a sharp pain blooming across your cheek.

“Stay with me, I want you to watch.” Aegon growled, as a tear slide down your cheek and onto the pillow below. 

“Aemond.” You whimpered, head fuzzy, fear mounting within you. 

Your heart was in your throat.

Fight back.

Fight back.

Where was Aemond? 

“Aemond isn’t here to stop me this time.” He purred, “I’m going to fuck an heir into you like he should have.”

“He’ll kill you.” You slurred, tongue heavy.

Aegon laughed earnestly, “He won’t. I’m his brother, and you’re nothing but his whore.”

A sob fell from your lips as he laughed in your face. Despair settled in the pit of your stomach.

The King adjusted himself atop you, slapping away your hands as you tried to push him off of you again, kicking your legs out underneath him weakly, sheets tangling at the end of the bed, raising your head to chase his hand as you tried to bite him. 

One knee slid between your thighs and then the other, parting you open for him as you tried to pull yourself up the bed and away. Aegon wrapped his hands around your throat again and squeezed, rutting his clothed cock against you roughly, enjoying the way you cried beneath him. 

Please, let it be over.

You felt yourself begin to drift away again before he let go of your throat, your head lulling to the side as your body jerked from lack of oxygen. Your uncle jerked his pants below his ass, pulling his cock free before leaning over you. He rubbed his tip along your entrance and you felt the urge to be sick. 

It was like the dungeons. 

The feel of the stone beneath you. The dampness of the room. The darkness of the cell. 

It all came rushing back as you sobbed beneath him.

“I’m going to fuck you, the way I should’ve in that cell.” He pushed forward, rubbing himself along you as you cried and clawed at his hands, “The way I should have when you first came back to Kings Landing.”

Aegon squeezed your throat, causing dots to form in your eyes as he forced you to stare at him, jerking your head. 

“I’m going to fuck an heir into your cunt, and watch you swell with my child.” 

Across the room, the whispers of Lucerys and Helaena had quietened, and all you could hear was the heavy breathing of your uncle who began to force his way inside of you. 

Please, Gods, spare me.

You cried out in agony, sharp burning pain rippling through you as he forced himself through your folds dryly, huffing a laugh of pleasure as he pushed to his limit, seating himself inside. 

You felt yourself tear as he jolted you up the bed with his thrust, crying out in pain, splitting you open on his cock as your eyes scrunched shut. Your hands raised to claw at him again, trying to reach his face or chest, but Aegon’s hand around your neck tightened further.

This was it.

You wished you would die.

You wished he would kill you as you sobbed beneath him. 

You were so weak, too weak to fight back as he pulled back slowly, moaning as he went, looking down to where his cock speared you. There was a wetness between your thighs that you knew was blood, and you whimpered again as he slowly pushed back inside of you. 

“Fuck, your little cunt is so tight for me. Are you sure you’re not a maiden? You’re bleeding on my cock like one.” He huffed, continuing to slowly push himself back inside of you, each and every inch of his cock sending agony racing up and down your spine as your legs were forced open beneath him.

“Aemond’s probably fucking a bastard into Alys right now as I fuck one into you.” He laughed, your heart clenching in your chest as you sobbed loudly into the chambers. 

“Don’t cry,” The King cooed, thrusting harder into you, “It is an honour to have my seed inside of you.” 

You coughed beneath him as he picked up his pace, pistoning his hips into yours, your body jolting beneath him. The pain never leaving you, and a sickness settling into your stomach. 

Please let me die. 

Please let me fade away.

Please Gods, take me away from here.

“Please.” You uttered. 

Please, Mercy?

Please, Gods, help me.

Please, Aemond, return to me.

Please.

Aegon moaned as he heard you whimper, and let go of your throat, a lungful of air racing through your mouth as you gasped. Aegon fucked himself into you, the sound of his grunts and his flesh slapping against yours filled the chambers with your sobs. 

And there was nothing you could do but endure.

As you always had.

It was only a matter of time.

This was inevitable, you told yourself. 

It was always to happen. 

You could never stop it. 

Aemond could never stop it. 

The Gods had made it so. 

It was to always happen.

Your head lulled to the side as he continued to drag his cock in and out of your walls painfully, your breasts jerking beneath him as he fucked you up the bed.

You silently cried as Aegon raped you mercilessly in Aemond’s and yours bed. 

Eyes looked anywhere but him, searching to be anywhere but beneath him. To feel anything but him tearing through your walls, or the way his cock bruised your cervix.

The fireplace was blurred, and beside it, two figures watching you.

Aegon’s pace began to increase, the bed creaking as you sobbed quietly and gagged, begging in your mind. You kept your eyes on your aunt and brother. 

Please, help me brother. 

Please, aunt. 

Please.

But they did not come to help. 

Nor did they whisper. 

Instead the pair watched on from the fireplace. 

Helaena’s face full of sorrow, and Lucerys’ of rage.

A numbness began to creep through your mind, the same numbness you had felt before. The numbness that had crawled through your veins at the night of the wedding, and instead of fighting it, you welcomed it with open arms. 

Take me.

Aegon became more vocal the closer he got to his release, his moans and groans cascading into the air as his thrusts became sloppier and more painful. You blinked into the dark, slumping in the bed as you prayed he would finish soon. 

That it would be over soon.

“Kepa.” You whimpered, calling out to your father that you knew could not hear you. 

That you knew could not help you. 

That you knew could not save you. 

Aegon groaned loudly, and suddenly it was over. 

He pushed himself as deep as he could go and you felt the heat of his seed begin to pool against your womb. Nausea rolled inside of you, and you retched loudly, feeling the food you had pitifully eaten begin to rise from your stomach. 

The weight of the King settled atop you as he laid his body down from exhaustion, cock still twitching inside of you.

Searing pain spread through your core as you blinked the tears away, still crying beneath him.

It was over. 

It was over.

It was over.

Aegon shifted, pulling his now soft cock from inside of you, a moan tumbling from his lips as a whimper escaped yours. 

You laid still, mind reeling, body frozen as he looked down at you. 

“Let us pray you birth a King’s bastard.” He snickered, your head still turned as you looked at the fireplace, Lucerys and Helaena watching on.

The tears continued to flow down your cheeks, and the familiar comfort of the murky tide rose to swallow you whole. It tugged you beneath its surface and dragged you under more rapidly than it had the first time, and you swam with it, diving down into the abyss.

And then it was quiet. 

And then it was still.

And then it was over. 

You do not know when Aegon had left, nor if he had left without a word. But your mind sought solace in the cold numbness that spread through you, and you let yourself drown in it, turning on your side to stare at the wall unblinking.

The sticky wetness of his seed and your blood on your thighs had begun to dry as your tears subsided. 

The pain still strummed inside of you, but it did not feel like you, it was as though you were experiencing someone else’s pain. It was unfamiliar. Alien.

Uncertain.

Soon, the room faded away, and the world around you fell silent, and all you could feel, was the feeling of not being. 

Thanks so much for reading along with me, if you wish to be added to the tag list please let me know :) Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated ! Enjoy <3

Tag List

@izzicle @ej-shitchats @may-machin @alegria1580 @witchy-jadda @videovampire @inkdelicious @queteimporta39 @virtualsweetsqueen @fo-cus @auratiqs @feyres-fireheart @queenofshinigamis @asoiafwh8re @teasandcrumpets @shesjustanothergeek @grungegrrrl@queenofsarcazm @marihoneywk @curlszx88 @virgogaia @loser-keiji @asoiafwh8re @whore-of-many-hot-men @vipervixxen @theonewiththeimaginaryboyfriends @watercolorskyy @lavendervisions @mazmack666 @chokefrog @orangejump-suit @nik2blog @serrhaewinin @ohemgeewhat @winxschester @cryptidsrcool @drinking-tea-and-be-obsessed @celestedonut @bloodyvelvet777 @iamapersonthatsalive @av-sos @yentroucnagol @sanzu-s @opheliaas-stuff @bellameshipper @maviee @persephonerinyes @neytiri-09 @ensnaredinwonderland @xbluegracex @sotragedynut @nattieot7 @shesawaywiththefairies-blog @coffedraven @prettycutebunny @celestedonut @the-jess-life @ssulfurr @out-of-life @madislayyy @crazylokonugget @cicaspair418 @katwmk @relminnie @milovart @teagrex @visenyaverse @bellameshipper @toodlesxcuddles @tempt-ress @dontmindmereading7 @qyburnsghost @55gyi53vtnquwziq5 @notnormalthings-blog @maidmerrymint @qyburnsghost @madislayyy @chelseaouat @hc-geralt-23 @daenerys-supremacy @rabbit-reveries @mari0302 @fallinglikeash @ivy-targaryen @nana-is-reading @kattirin @iameternallylonely

Bold is who I cannot tag!

[mariacallous]

President Joe Biden reminded Pennsylvanians on Friday that he, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats safeguarded more than 1 million people’s pensions without any help from the GOP.

Visiting a union hall in Philadelphia, Biden and local union leaders highlighted the American Rescue Plan of 2021 and how it funded union pension plans that were facing insolvency. The pensions of an estimated 1.2 million workers and retirees have been protected from cuts due to the legislation.

It was no accident that the event took place in Pennsylvania, perhaps the most critical of battleground states for Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and for her opponent, former President Donald Trump. Democrats have worried about Harris’ strength with the kind of blue-collar union voters whose pensions were backstopped by the bill.

Biden made sure anyone listening knew that the pension rescue got no Republican backing when Democrats muscled it through Congress over three years ago as part of a larger, pandemic-era stimulus package. It passed on a party-line vote in the Senate, with Harris casting a tie-breaker at a critical juncture for the bill.

The president said the vote underscored the hyperpartisan nature of Congress these days.

“We used to have real differences in the Senate. But at least when the critical things, we ended up getting together. But not anymore,” Biden said. “This is a different deal we’re working with. Not a single, solitary Republican in the House or the Senate, not one, voted to help with the pensions. Not one single one.”

“It’s the way things have gotten,” he added. “It’s wrong.”

He said that he and Harris “worked like hell” to include the pension rescue, known as the Butch Lewis Act, as part of the American Rescue Plan, and theorized that some Republicans would have voted for it but were afraid to cross party leaders.

“I believe a lot of those Republicans who voted no thought it was wrong. But they’re afraid to vote the right way,” Biden said.

The legislation provided an estimated $74 billion to $91 billion to shore up troubled multiemployer pension plans, which are funds that employers pay into under collective bargaining agreements. The funds can run into trouble when union membership declines over time, with more retirees drawing down benefits and fewer contributions going in on behalf of active workers.

The White House said Pennsylvania is home to an estimated 65,000 of the workers and retirees helped by the legislation. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., a government-run entity that insures multiemployer pension plans, said Friday it had approved an application to pump $684 million into a plan covering 29,000 workers and retirees in the service sector.

The pension rescue became something of a campaign story after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ executive board declined to make an endorsement in the presidential race. The Teamsters had the largest pension plan saved from cuts, and so the decision not to back Harris angered many members and labor allies

John Pishko, a retired Teamster from western Pennsylvania, spoke at the Philadelphia event about how the legislation helped save his retirement. He said he was set to lose 30% of his pension benefit, or about $1,000 a month, before Democrats stepped in with the bailout.

“That’s a pretty substantial cut to any working man,” Pishko said. “It was devastating.”

He had assumed he would “never” be able to stave off those cuts.

“It matters when you have a president and vice president who has your back,” he said.

[kiwiana-writes]

1, 13, 26 for the fic year in review!

1, How many fics have you worked on since January?

Including both published and currently unpublished fics, in 2024 I have added words to the documents for 74 fics for a total of 133,104 words (and we're not done yet!)

13. What were your shortest and longest fics posted this year?

Shortest: Steep my senses in forgetfulness, a The Pairing ficlet I wrote for someone else to record for a Voiceteam challenge, at a whopping 400 words.

Longest: Years of dreams just can't be wrong, currently clocking in at 13,330 words

Longest completed: Never want to live (or die) without you, my beloved Santa Clarita Diet AU, at 9,999 words because @rmd-writes and @indestructibleheart challenged me to keep it under 10k.

26. Did you create fanworks other than fic?

BOY FUCKING DID I

PODFICS:

Started the year off strong with a podfic of Going Platinum by @cricketnationrise

In the same recording session, I also recorded but if you could see us from a distance, you’d know i’ve always been so close to you by @anincompletelist because apparently throat health is for the weak

Then @voiceteam started! First off the docket was …But My Boyfriend Is by @clottedcreamfudge

kiss me like you love me by @getmehighonmagic

You're So Attractive; How Did That Happen by @sparklepocalypse

I Hear It (When I Look at You) by @affectionatelyrs

An Amateur's Guide to Piping That Cream and Beating That Meat by @firenati0n which came with TWO versions, one lovely calm and edited podfic and one live read, mistakes and all, while I attempted (key word) to make tres leches for the first time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, everyone listened to the chaos version, and I respect that.

No Ordinary Friend by @cha-melodius - the fic and podfic which were, respectively, the second and fourth works in the fandom tag for The Pairing!

Through His Stomach by @frostingway for @aroyallybigbangrwrb

BOOKBINDS AND FANBINDS:

Re-cover of RWRB and One Last Stop

Re-cover of The Pairing

Fanbind of The Perils of Midsomer Residency by @clottedcreamfudge

Pop-up Peller Case box set for RWRB, OLS, and The Pairing

Fanbind (tête-bêche) of Kinda think that I might be his type by @kiwiana-writes and I really hope I can get him alone by @clottedcreamfudge

Fanbind of With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes

[2024 in review]

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - October

I didn't set out to read quite so many eerie books this month, but about halfway through the month I gave up and leaned into the theme, partly because I was struggling to really focus on anything--as evidenced by the volume of books read via audio.

Total books: 11  |  New reads: 11  |   2024 TBR completed: 4 (0 DNF) / 33/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 74/100

September | November

potential reading list from October 1st

#1 - The Republic of Pirates : Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodard - 3/5 stars ('24 TBR, audio)

Well-organized as a historical account of a specific time period, and full of detail--perhaps too full at times. The author opens with the intention of focusing on three pirates (Blackbeard, Black Sam Bellamy, and a third whose name I've honestly forgotten) and one man opposed to them (Woodes Rogers). However, the sheer volume of names, dates, historical accounts, and side characters overwhelms any more focused narrative. Woodes Rogers hardly seemed to feature in most of the story, and where he was present, he didn't seem that important to proceedings. Blackbeard and Bellamy both have their time in the spotlight, but then it's back to the jumble with them.

As a sweeping look at the golden age of piracy and even everyday life in the early 18th century in much of the world, it's a decent account (and this is what I went into it seeking). If you want a biography of a specific pirate like Blackbeard or Black Sam or that other guy, or even of Woodes Rogers, it falls somewhat flat.

Note: Probably this would have been easier to follow in printed form; while the narrator for the audiobook is great, there're just so. many. lists. Names, dates, ships, cargoes, places, meetings.... So many.

#2 - Manners and Monsters by Tilly Wallace - 2/5 stars (audio)

This book has three things going for it: 1) Zombies and other supernatural creatures in Regency London; 2) Decent historical accuracy in Regency London; 3) Good pacing.

The negatives are largely rooted in the fact that this book probably thinks it has an enemies-to-lovers arc. It does not. What it has on one side is Wycliff, a whiny, self-important womanizer who is made out as brooding and damaged and only in need of the right woman to tame him. On the other hand, it has Hannah, a woman who is reasonably put off by Wycliff's attitude and lack of basic civility. They only manage to reconcile because she's desperate for male attention (tell me again how poor and plain and unloved you are, please, it's been a whole chapter since the last time) and he decides she's the only woman he's ever met who isn't shallow and prattling and unworthy of his respect as a gentleman.

This is not to say Hannah is blameless. Apart from her fixation on her status as an unmarriageable 22-year-old with good connections, she's just annoyingly inconsistent. One minute she's a wallflower who's just happy to be useful and the next she's the cleverest girl in all of London and no one can touch her.

And then there's the writing, wherein the readers are treated like idiots who can't put together a 10-piece puzzle of a picture of farm animals. All character reasoning was spelled out, all breaks in the murder investigation repeated ad nauseam so we didn't miss them. And any time marriage or men were mentioned, we were reminded that Hannah was going to die alone and unloved, but she was making the best of it. The final reveal about the murderer was the only real twist, and I'd argue that the narration had previously suggested the answer was practically impossible.

Read North and South for a better handling of whatever character dynamic this book tried to present. Read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies if you're here for the supernatural elements in Regency England. Don't read this book.

#3 - The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR, audio)

Wharton's writing is breathtaking. The story itself, exploring the intricacies of high society is 1870's New York, was fascinating. No sympathy for Archer from me, naturally, but I still enjoyed the story as a whole.

#4 - Small Spaces by Katherine Arden - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR, audio)

Ooooo, this was much spookier than I was expected. I don't remember the last MG horror story that had me quietly stressing out like this. (I recommended it to Kenzie before I'd even finished.)

The narrator left much to be desired. Would not recommend the audiobook.

#5 - The Turn of the Screw by Henry James - 5/5 stars (audio)

Ahahahahaha what.

More like this: "Jane Eyre" and (probably; I don't remember it) "Wuthering Heights"; also the beginning (like the first half) reminded me, weirdly, of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. That...did not last.

#6 - The Light Princess by George MacDonald - 3/5 stars (audio)

When I added this short story to my list, I thought it was going to be an extended version of the fairy tale "Little Daylight" that was in At the Back of the North Wind. It's not, but it was still a solid fairy tale I could see myself reading to my nieces when they're older.

#7 - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR)

So short I feel funny counting it but here we are.

And it's just as creepy as I was expecting.

#8 - The Stone Road by Trent Jamieson - 4/5 stars (audio)

This was gorgeous. Yes, it was helped by the Aussie narrator, but the story itself--the slow and vivid unveiling of their world, the dangers that abound, the quest to conquer those dangers, even the sorrow--was an absolute treat. It's a post-apocalyptic horror driven by hope! So, so easy to fall into. Perfect pacing and a fantastic narrative voice. I was not expecting to love this one like I did. The only reason it doesn't get five stars is because the characterization was a bit odd and felt inconsistent at places, especially with side characters; and a character was introduced very close to the end who didn't seem to serve any purpose at all.

There's also a related novel, actually released several years before The Stone Road, that features the aforementioned character who turns up near the end of this book. I gotta see if I can find a copy.

(Note: Some reviews say this is difficult to read on account of...creative grammatical choices, suggesting it needed polishing. I cannot confirm this.)

More like this: it felt like a blend of "Sabriel" and the Tiffany Aching series of Discworld novels, with a young student learning their dangerous and vital trade at the feet of a respected master. There's something like the inherited necromancy of Sabriel and something like the rich, marrow-deep instinctive magic of Tiffany. Jean isn't exactly like Tiffany or Sabriel in personality, though she is clever and stubborn. It also feels a little like the earlier Earthsea novels, that feeling of watching the legend of a great hero unfold.

#9 - Zero G by Dan Wells - 4/5 stars (audio)

I picked up this audiobook during a promotion on Audible years and years ago and remembered it recently while browsing for something to listen to. A little over 4 hours, MG in space, and a "Z" title? Why not?

Reviews say this is "Home Alone in space". Having never seen "Home Alone", I'll have to take their word for it. It was surprisingly fun either way, with a good balance of sci-fi, danger, and comedy. Definitely something I'd recommend to kids in the right audience age range.

More like this: It felt a bit like "The Last Cuentista" but leaning into the levity more than the horror that surrounds "Cuentista".

#10 - Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett - 4/5 stars

Good as ever. Granny's a Top Five Discworld character for me, and I love her dynamic with Nanny and Magrat.

And Greebo.

#11 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (audio) - 5/5 stars

Predictably chilling. I loved the build-up. We know the house is haunted. We know it is dangerous. But it's still terrifying.

DNF:

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks - Fun concept but bland delivery. I was hoping for a smidge of a narrative throughline.

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee - Admittedly a desperate attempt to get that "Z" title. Had potential until the MC's hormones took the wheel halfway through.

The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Haley Chewins - Fluffy writing full of weird metaphors and similes for every description. It bogged down the pacing big time.

Blindsight by Peter Watts - Picked a book at random from my TBR to listen to, got 15% of the way in, and decided I had no idea what was happening and no interest in continuing. Possibly this would have been easier to follow in print form? Confusing all around. Also very weird about autism.

The Lighthouse at the End of the World by Jules Verne, translated by William Butcher - I've read and enjoyed other works by Verne, but this one was an absolute slog. Not sure if it's down to the translation or the fact that the story was edited and published posthumously. I will say the edition I picked up would be a treat for someone wanting to come at this from more of a research angle. There are extensive notes about translation choices, notes Verne left in his manuscript, and a lot of "Verne said this in the text, but in the real world this makes absolutely no sense", which was lots of fun. (Note: This was my 40th DNF of the year....)

Currently Reading:

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett - I'm about two-thirds of the way through this one. I tried so hard to finish it by the end of the month but didn't quite manage it.

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger - Just started this one and I'm loving it so far!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Three: Changmiania vs Bisticeratops

Changmiania liaoningensis

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Eternal Sleeper from Liaoning

Time: 125.755 million years ago (Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous) 

Location: Lujiatun Beds, Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China 

Changmiania is a gorgeously preserved ornithopod known from the earliest time of the famed Yixian Formation, adding it to the ranks of amazing fossils known from this unique preservational environment. The multiple specimens of this species are found in sleeping poses, curled up on the ground with their legs and arms tucked up against them. This indicates they had been buried alive, possibly inside their own burrows. Given the depositional environment of Yixian is a sort of prehistoric Pompeii, with many dinosaurs covered very quickly in ash and dust from an exploding volcano, this makes a certain degree of sense - perhaps the two little dinosaurs had scurried into their burrow to escape the oncoming tragedy (sorry if I just made you sad), or had been asleep and unaware of the oncoming danger. At only one meter long and less than half a meter tall, Changmiania would have been easily missed in its environment, hiding among the dense vegetation from potential predators. With robust leg bones, it would have been a fast runner, able to move efficiently through the crowded undergrowth. It had a weirdly short neck for ornithischians, and that combined with its short forearms and hands indicates it was fossorial - ie, a digging animal, hence its burrow home and final resting place. Given they were found together, they were probably social creatures as well, living in small family groups. The Yixian was a dense temperate forest, filled with freshwater lakes and a great diversity of plantlife. Conifers, ferns, cycads, horsetails, and early flowering plants filled the environment and indicated a humid, possibly rainforest environment. Periodic wildfires, noxious lake gasses, and volcanic eruptions all lead to regular moments of rapid burial and amazing preservation in this environment - essentially giving us snapshots of how it changed over the course of many millions of years. In the Lujiatun bed specifically, Changmiania was neighbors with Euhelopus, Jeholosaurus, Liaoceratops, Psittacosaurus, Liaoningornis, Daliansaurus, Graciliraptor, Mei, Sinovenator, Sinusonasus, Dilong, Hexing, Incisivosaurus, Shenzhousaurus, and outside of dinosaurs mammals such as Acristatherium, Gobiconodon, Juchilestes, Maotherium, Meemannodon, and Repenomamus (yes, THAT Repenomamus), and the toad Liaobatrachus. 

Bisticeratops froeseorum

Artwork by sauriazoicillus, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Froese’s Dééł Náázíní Horned Face 

Time: 74 million years ago (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous) 

Location: Farmington Member, Kirtland Formation, New Mexico, United States 

Bisticeratops is an early Chasmosaurine, known from a partial skull found in the Kirtland Formation. Yet another of a largely growing number of Chasmosaurine taxa from the Campanian of North America, it appeared to resemble Pentaceratops, but was more closely related to later ceratopsians known from the Kirtland formation, as well as one unnamed taxon from the Almond Formation in Wyoming. Interestingly, Bisticeratops shows signs of bite marks from tyrannosaurids, which apparently had begun to heal prior to death. However, we do not know which tyrannosaurid may have left these marks - while the Kirtland Formation is a well studied environment, the Farmington Member has never yielded dinosaurian fossils before now, taking place earlier than the more famous De-Na-Zin of the formation. Like other iterations, the Kirtland was a coastal plain along the western interior seaway, preserving a muddy and sandy environment that would have been filled with a variety of subtropical plants. It is presumable that other dinosaurs lived here besides Bisticeratops and a tyrannosaurid - hadrosaurs, ankylosaurs, pachycephalosaurs, ornithomimosaurs, and dromaeosaurs would all have been possible members of this ecosystem based on the following and preceding ones from this formation.

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 83. brb x oc

a/n: woooooooo i missed bianca. anyway, life has been hard but the love i have for these two is harder so here we are another day

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64/65/66/67/68/69/70/71/72/73/74/75/76/77/78/79/80/81/82

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @kulicny @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @dhwanishah09 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl

-

Nicole wasn’t asleep, which to her grandparents was a surprise considering how late it was. Rafael saw her through the door, her little face turned towards him as her cousins slept soundly on the bed in Beatrice’s old room. Rafael adjusts his glasses, then his robe before he turns back to his bedroom where his wife slept.

“Claudia,” he calls gently, shaking his wife’s shoulder. She just groans, blearily blinking her eyes at him, “Nicole is awake.”

“What?”

“Nicole is awake.” he repeats, looking back towards the hallway almost as if their youngest granddaughter was going to walk in any minute…even though she couldn’t. “She shouldn’t be.”

Claudia groans again, turning on the lamp on her side as she pushes herself to a sitting position, the dogs standing up at the end of the bed as well, “Do you think she’s sick?” Rafael asks, “Should we call Beatrice?”

Claudia just holds up a hand for him to stop, then rubs her face “Give me my robe?” he does and she quickly slips it on, tightening the belt around her middle as she wakes herself a bit more. She carefully walks to Beatrice’s old room - Rafael not far behind - to check on the three girls…surprised to see Bianca on her knees next to Nicole’s crib, holding the gates with her hands and her face a bit squished between the spaces, “Bianca,” her grandmother calls softly, making the blonde girl look up at her, “What are you doing?”

“Nikki woke up.” she says sweetly, “And she couldn’t go back to sleep so I’m keeping her company ‘cause Evie is asleep.” she points to her one year old sister who is, indeed, in a deep sleep.

Claudia frowns, “Let me check on her,” she smiles before picking Nicole up, “Hi, passerotta what’s going on,hm?” Nicole held on her grandmother’s neck as she carried her out of the room, “Are you hungry? Perhaps that’s it,” she places her hand on Nicole’s stomach, shaking her head, “She has no fever.”

“I think she’s missing auntie and prince Rooster.” 

Claudia hums, bouncing Nicole a bit in her arms but the little girl just looks out the door, on the lit hallway with a gentle whine breaking out of her throat, her little hand gesturing to the light, “Oh, what’s the matter, donnina? Are you hungry? Come on, let’s go downstairs then.” 

Bianca blinked as she watched her grandma walk out of the room, then met her grandpa’s eyes, “I’m going to wake Evie up!”

“What? No, Bianca go back to bed.”

“No,I wanna be with Nikki!” she rushes to her younger sister and gently shakes her awake. Éwoyn’s blonde hair is a mess, angled in different places when she wakes up, blinking confusedly at Bianca, “Come on, we gotta be with Nicole!”

Éwoyn blinks again, looking down at her sister’s hand and not moving as her sister just picks her up and carries her downstairs much to their grandfather’s pure shock. He sighs, rubbing his eyes before putting his glasses on, knowing that now no one was going back to bed at all.

Rafael only returned to his bedroom to pick up his cellphone in case they needed to call Beatrice and Bradley, squinting his eyes as he turned it on and the light hit his face. He slides the phone in his robe’s pocket as he walks downstairs, the sound of his granddaughters and wife in the kitchen directing him where to go.

Claudia was still rocking Nicole, the little baby whimpering and crying quietly, looking outside the window that showed the quiet neighborhood and the bright Halloween decorations. Claudia was heating some milk on the stove and Bianca was carrying Éwoyn around - her sister just laid her head on her shoulder and got back to sleep - “It’s okay honey, it’s okay.” Nicole whines again, her little face scrunching up with tears.

“What do you think is wrong?” Rafael asks by the threshold.

“I don’t know Rafa.” Claudia replies, “She doesn’t seem to have a fever so I believe it’s only hunger, right?” Nicole drops her head on her grandmother’s shoulder, soft cheek pressed against the curve, “But keep the phone ready if we need to call them.”

Bianca placed Éwoyn on the couch, where her sister slept soundly, before rushing over to her grandma, “Can I call auntie and Prince Rooster?”

‘No, donnina, we won’t call them until we have to.” Claudia says, “At best your cousin is just hungry and needs a snack before bed.”

Rafael watches with his hands on his hips, sleep completely gone since all of the women in his life were up and about…well, with exception of one on the couch. He sighs, rubbing his eyes again, “I’m going to wash my face, make me some tea?”

“Sure,honey.”

He turns around to go back up the stairs, but stops when he hears the sound of a car parking not too far from the house…and the obvious message sound coming from his phone. He furrows his brows, picking it up from his pocket to check on it, blinking when he sees who it was, “Claudia,” he calls, speeding up the steps to the front door, grabbing the keys, “Bradley and Beatrice are outside.”

“What?”

He unlocks the door, making the dogs - and Bianca - stand by his side as he looks over to the blue Bronco and the two people stepping out of it. He chuckles confusedly, “Well, what are you two doing here at- “ he checks the phone, “One in the morning? I thought you were coming over tomorrow.”

Beatrice’s smile is small when she turns to her dad, “What are you guys doing up right now? I just messaged because I saw you were online.”

“Oh,well, Nikki woke up and I guess we all did too.” he checked around to see if Leonardo’s car was there too but his fifth son was nowhere to be found, “Only you two are here?” He leans down to hug Beatrice, kissing her head, “Hi,tesoro.”

“Hi,papa, yea it’s only us.” she smiles tightly, “Is Nikki okay?”

“She woke up fussy, that’s all.” He stares at Beatrice for a little bit, holding her by the shoulders, “You look tired,bambina.”

Beatrice chuckles, dropping her head forward a bit, “Nothing to worry about,papa. Is mama up?” he nods and she walks around him, just as Bradley is locking the car and mentally preparing himself for the questions that would come the second he stepped into the light.

Both of them decided to come to her parents, it was…comforting and he didn’t want to wake Mav up. It was luck that they were on the way over and the lights were on, so she wouldn’t need to use the spare key after waking her parents up. He straightens himself, rolling his shoulders before he turns around to where Rafael was, “Bradley.” He smiles back, letting his father-in-law hug him, clapping him on the back twice, “What a surprise.”

“I know,I’m sorry.” he mutters, “We just…felt like coming.”

Rafael tsked, tapping his shoulder, “Ah, don’t worry.” He pulled back to look at the pilot and his smile dropped, “Bradley, what happened to your lip?”

“Ah, this…yeah maybe it’s better I tell you once we are seated.”

Rafael blinked twice but nodded, telling the dogs to settle down as they went back inside. Rooster was immediately greeted by Bianca who rushed over and made grabby hands towards him. His smile softened as he picked her up, walking past the couch where her little sister was sleeping - leaning down just enough to ruffle her hair - as he turned to the kitchen.

There Beatrice was holding Nicole already, their little girl wide eyed and alert, head turning the second he stepped into the room, “Okay,Bibi,I gotta put you down okay?” 

“‘Cause you are hugging Nikki!”

“That’s right, sweetheart.”

Bianca was okay with that because Nicole was - as she called her - her favorite cousin in the whole universe, so she could handle trading places with her. Rooster smiles down at Claudia when she gets closer, kissing his cheeks and then frowning, cupping his face between her hands, “Ma che, what happened to your lip ragazzo?” she turns his head a few times under the light, “It has a tiny cut on it, did you get hurt?”

“I swear it’s not that bad.”

“Well, it’s not but I have the perfect thing for it,” she turns around, holding her finger up, “Both of you,sit down, no one is going back to bed now.”

They laugh softly, the sound of Rafael talking to Bianca in the living room and Claudia moving around the kitchen adding to the background as they just stood there, quiet, with Nicole babbling between the two. Their daughter turns to look at Rooster, stretching her little arm towards him, “Looks like she wants you now.”

“Ah,I’m always ready to hold her, hi honey.” his voice gets higher as he picks her up, kissing her soft cheek repeatedly, inhaling that delicious baby soap scent and smiling when she laughs at his antics, “Hi birdie,hi,” he leans back to let her touch his face, babbling and gently brushing her hand over his mustache, “You like dada’s mustache, hm?”

“Aa!” more tapping over his lips, she then leans down to his jaw and tries to ‘kiss’ him back, but she’s only able to almost bite him with her gums. After that moment of affection,Nicole drops her head on the muscle of his shoulder and sighs happily, even more when she feels Beatrice’s hand rubbing her tiny back.

Claudia breaks the comfortable silence to return with an old jar, filled with an opaque light green pomade inside, “Okay, there you go.” she smiles, “This is going to heal you in a matter of minutes.” that wasn’t true, but he was going to get rid of that scab in a few hours. Beatrice grabs it and thanks her mother, telling her they were going to go to the bathroom so they could use the light.

“That’s alright, do you want me to keep Nikki?”

Their daughter didn’t move when Claudia tried to touch her, so she just chuckled and told them to go anyway. Rooster and Beatrice went to the guest bathroom with Nicole tagging along, their daughter looking up at her mother when she stepped in first - after Rooster opened the door for her - and waited for them to come inside.

Once the door closed, the two of them heaved out a heavy sigh, leaning against the sink top as they tried to recover from everything that happened that night. Beatrice rubs her face, the marks of Eric’s fingers thankfully gone with the exception of a few abrasions made by his nails - Rooster kept rubbing her arm gently before they came back, since she was too busy resting against him, mentally exhausted, to do so - that were nothing more than a few tiny scabs on her skin.

Rooster sighed again, eyes closed, with Nicole playing with a button from his vest, “...are you okay?”

Beatrice, mirroring his same position, just smiles softly, “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Rooster drops one of his hands from Nicole to reach for hers, interlacing their fingers together and tightening his hold on her, “Good.” 

“Brad.”

“Yeah,gorgeous?”

“Do you think he’ll show up again?”

He immediately holds her hand tighter and inhales, leaning his head back enough to touch the mirror with a soft thunk, “He better not.” he whispered, “I don’t think so. Not after the report.”

Beatrice nods, licking her lips before she shakes her head, “I have to- your lip,” but he doesn’t let go of her hand, making Beatrice blink up at him, “Brad.”

‘Ssshh.”

“Brad–”

“Ssh,” he continues, bringing her closer, “Sh,sshh,sh,” he pulls her closer so she’s on Nikki’s back, the two creating a protective sandwich around their daughter. His brown eyes, filled with love,protectiveness and adoration, just move all over her face, he brings the hand - the same one still holding hers - to brush against her cheekbone, “Don’t worry about me.”

“I can’t.” she says back quietly, “Not when you are hurt.”

“I’ve been hurt before.” he adds, “This is nothing.”

“But–”

“Bea, just let me hold you,okay? Just for a little bit.”

Beatrice blinks up at him but lets him hug her, his lips immediately touching where her hair ended and skin began, breathing out heavily against her hair just as Nicole looked at both with a little smile, babbling happily for being so close to her parents. ‘Bea,I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I was…going to do much worse to him.” he confesses, “I thought about everything, how he hurt you, how he still hurts you, how he could hurt Nikki given the chance I–” he groans, pressing his forehead against her temple, “Gorgeous,you two are my fuckin’ world…I was going to break every single bone in his body.” 

Beatrice looks down at Nicole’s hand, the one that’s still holding on the button and meets her daughter’s light eyes. The thought that Eric would go as far and hurt Nikki…was scary and infuriating, especially since he couldn’t believe that Rooster and Bea were together, “I know…I…but I’m glad you didn’t. He wasn’t worth it.”

“I know.” he whispered, that accent of his thickening the more he spoke, “But I still wanted to break him.”

Beatrice huffs a laugh against him, the gentle breath tickling his skin and making him smile. She just rubs her thumb against his own as her other hand takes hold of Nicole’s tiny one, their daughter grinning adorably at them, unaware of her parents’ feelings right now, “I know…he did deserve it but…I care about you too much.”

“Do you now?”

“I do.” she smiles, leaning back to meet his brown eyes, cheeks flushing over how intense his stare was, “And he only managed to hit you once.”

“Tough luck,” he shrugs, “Only broke the skin but it’s not even hurting.”

His wife nodded, glad to hear it, and pressed her ear to his chest, his heartbeat was the most comforting sound she could ever hear alongside Nicole’s adorable laugh, “Do you want to go home?” 

He hums above her, his chin on top of her head, “Will your parents let us leave?”

“Not before interrogating us.” she laughs softly, burying her nose in the open space on the vest, the one that exposed his shirt and tie and inhaled his cologne. God so much happened so quickly, her ex showed up, Bradley beat him up, Eric got arrested…and they didn’t even had the time to enjoy the party, “I wish we could’ve celebrated more tonight, it’s not often we go out with everyone.”

“I know.”

“It’s…a bit upsetting.”

She feels his large hand rubbing up and down her back, his silence only making her glance back up at him with a confused look, “We can figure something out soon.” he says, meeting her bright eyed gaze with a smile, lifting his hand to gently brush his thumb over her jawline, following how it sharpened at the end and up her ear, “Don’t worry about it,gorgeous.”

Beatrice nodded, still hugging him and Nicole, thanking whoever protected them that night and whoever put an end to Eric’s schemes. She felt so lucky and so happy whenever she remembered that Rooster was always there for her and Nikki, she felt like she was living a dream she’d never wake up from.

“We better talk to your parents.” he mutters, “I hear them pacing outside the bathroom.” and just in time footsteps quickly walked away from the door towards the kitchen, making the two of them share a chuckle. He rubs her face again, “You okay? For real?”

“I am okay.” she nods, “For real.”

Rooster grins, kissing her lips sweetly and placing another one on Nikki’s head before Beatrice finally rubbed the ointment against his bruised lip…it was minty and it tasted nice, being almost immediately absorbed by his skin.

As soon as they walked out, Rafael and Claudia were waiting for them on the kitchen table – her mother of course had to bring enough food to feed a whole battalion with the excuse that they ‘had to eat something before leaving’ - and they knew they had to sit down or else they’d never leave.

Rafael was holding his interlaced hands in front of his mouth, Bianca was blissfully watching tv in the living room alongside her sister, who was still asleep, unbothered by the adult conversation, “So,” Rafael begins, “What exactly happened?”

They had to choose their words carefully because they knew how her parents would react if they didn’t explain everything. They listened, for a few seconds at first before Rafael’s face soured and he stood up, trying his best to control his temper while his wife just looked absolutely horrified by what happened.

“Is he in jail?” Rafael asks, looking out the window.

“Yeah, won’t leave for a long time.” Bradley replies, one of his hands on Beatrice’s thigh as she holds Nicole.

“...did you hurt him?”

“I did.” 

Both men shared a silent agreement that it was good enough, protecting Beatrice - and Nicole - was the most important thing about this whole thing. Claudia just shook her head, looking at her husband, “Should we call his parents? And let them know what he did? He hurt them,Rafael.”

Rafael sighed through his nose, shoulders bunching at the mention of how Beatrice’s wrist was so tightly held by her ex, “No.” he says finally, rubbing his eyes, “No, we won’t. I do not need to get mad at them, they are good people but they’d support their son no matter what.”

Claudia frowns more, looking at the two, “Are you sure you are both okay? You can spend the night here if you need to.”

“It’s okay mama,” Bea smiles gently, ‘We are fine…it was a lot but it was resolved.”

“They might need some time alone,Claudia, especially after tonight.”

She feels Bradley’s hand tighten against her thigh, her own hand falling on top of his and brushing over his knuckles, “We appreciate the offer,though.” Bradley says, trying to break the uncomfortable tense atmosphere, “We will be fine.”

Claudia sighs, pushing herself to her feet since the weird silence was getting too much for her to bear - plus she needed to stop thinking about that man hurting both of them - “Well, do eat before you leave.”

“This is so much food,mamma.”

“Then take some of it home,” she says, “Please,Beatrice.”

She hated seeing her mother so worried, but she nodded in agreement, looking back at Rooster who just grinned at her, bringing her hand to his lips so he could kiss it. After another long talk, with more details and questions, they finally decided to go.

Not only were Bianca and Éwoyn fast asleep, so was Nicole…and they were pretty tired too. They grabbed Nicole’s things to take to the car as Rafael and Claudia watched from the door,waiting for them to place their granddaughter down on the seat to approach them. “You two,” Rafael begins, “You keep us updated about anything. I can call your uncle Lucio, you know he can help.”

“I know papa.”

“Hm.” the Schiavoni patriarch hugs each of them, tight, making sure both of them know they are protected in this situation. Claudia is a bit more emotional when she follows her husband’s suit, kissing their cheeks and cupping their faces, making sure they both looked okay before entering the car.

Beatrice waves at her parents, turning her body to see their figures get smaller and smaller in the distance as Rooster drives away. Beatrice looks down at the door handle, then back to where her parents once stood and falls back against the seat, heaving out a sigh.

Almost immediately Rooster’s hand touches hers, fingers interlacing and his strong grip bringing her a sense of comfort, “...Roos.”

“Yeah baby?”

Her lower lip trembles and she has a small smile on her face, “I think it’s over now.” she whispers, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, “I…I think it’s over…now.”

He couldn’t understand what she meant: was it the fact that Eric was gone or was there something else in there? He didn’t say anything, just kissed her hand again and whispered, “Yeah, yeah it is.”

[thetarttfuldickhead]

A Jamie-centric pre-OT3 Christmas story told in 25 short chapters.

Masterpost / AO3

14.

Another fucking draw. At least they’d actually scored in this one (Obisanya 26, Tartt 74), but what good was that when they let the other team net the ball just as many times? Jamie stared morosely at his Lynx collection, trying to muster the energy to change out of his kit. He was sweaty, his hair was a mess, and his side ached dully from a nasty tackle near the final whistle; taking a shower would be heaven. But he was too tired to move.

It wasn’t so much the game that left him exhausted, even though it sure took its physical toll. The past ten days had been a mad flurry of setting up surprise after surprise for Roy, and that had involved more gift hunting, eavesdropping and secret sneaking around than Jamie had ever thought he’d get up to. Between that and football and team Christmas bonding there’d barely been time for sleeping and eating.

And after all that, he still hadn’t called Mummy. He’d tried to, every single night, but he just. couldn’t. do. it. Apparently his efforts still weren’t up to scratch, which was baffling, to be honest: how fucking sad was Roy that not even the truly fanastic stuff Jamie had pulled for him had made him happy? Christmas was only days away, and Jamie was running out of both ideas and time. Could he get Sade to actually write Roy a song… ? Might be too much, though, even if he managed to figure out how to sort it. It’d give the bugger a heart attack or something, and that would make Keeley sad and probably not count as him doing a nice thing, even if it’d be dead unfair of the universe to blame him for Roy being a frail old man.

Perhaps he could invite Dani out for another brainstorming session; it had worked a treat last time. Jamie was pretty sure that Roy had appreciated his gifts and gestures, from what peeks he’d managed to sneak of the man. Just not appreciated them enough, apparently.

It also seemed like maybe Roy was getting a tiny bit suspicious. Yesterday, he’d kept turning his head every this way and that, and sometimes stopping dead in the street and whirling around, looking a little wild-eyed. At one point Jamie had had to dive behind a couple of large rubbish bins to avoid detection. That was a pair of perfectly ripped trousers he’d never wear again.

Fuck, but he wished that—

“Jamie, are you feeling well?”

Jamie turned to look at Sam, who had stopped by his cubby, already changed and with a concerned pinch to his kind face. He looked just slightly, slightly hesitant, as if he wasn’t sure if his question would yield an answer or something sharp and snide. Jamie made an effort to smile. “Yeah, bruv, I’m sound. Just, you know, tired of not winning.

“It is disappointing. But, thanks to you it was a draw instead of a loss. And it was a very nice goal too.”

At the praise, Jamie felt his smile grow easier, more sincere. It had been a very nice goal, hadn’t it? Good of Sam to notice. 

“Yeah, yeah, thanks mate. And yours were great too, you know?” he added, remembering what Dr. Sharon had said about how acknowledging other people’s accomplishments did not diminsh Jamie’s own.

The way Sam’s lips curled into a wide grin, mirroring Jamie’s own, and the way the sight of it made Jamie feel warm had him thinking she was onto something there.

“Thanks, Jamie,” Sam said simply, and gave him a friendly nod before walking back to his own cubby.

Still smiling, Jamie finally began to undress.

---

Once he was showered and changed and Ted had somehow talked them all into feeling determined and hopeful rather than dejected, Jamie hefted his bag and headed for the door. On his way out he passed by Keeley and Rebecca Welton, offering a smile to the former and a polite nod to the latter.

Keeley lit up when she saw him (and fuck, but that still did things to him, didn’t it?). “Hi, Jamie,” she said. “Listen, I was wondering if you could stop by my place tomorrow? I wanted to talk to you about some new tweaks to your brand, now that you’re playing again?”

Jamie perked right up at that. Talking to Keeley and discussing his brand? Fucking brilliant. Much better than spending another day trying to figure out what would possible make Roy Kent happy enough to appease the universe into letting Jamie call his mum.

He’d been working hard. He deserved a little break. Besides, hanging out with Keeley at her place might well yield some new Roy related ideas.

“Yeah, mint, yeah,” he said. Then a thought occurred to him and he frowned. “Or, actually, no, I can’t. The team’s doing a day trip Winchester Christmas Market after our recovery sessions. Sorry.”

He was, too. As much as he was growing to appreciate the lads and was looking forward to the trip, he’d rather spend some time with Keeley (and his brand was in sore need of some brushing up, ‘cause people were still being cunts and hung up about him walking out on City and Amy and stupid shit like that).

“Oh.” Keeley looked disappointed, which cheered him a little. “Tuesday?” she suggested.

“Sure, yeah. I mean, I’ve got training, but I could drop by after? Unless you wanna… “ He nodded towards her closed office door.

“No! I mean… No. There’s been… there’s an issue with the ventilation, yeah, it smells awful in there. Like dying animals and farts and baby vomit. Blegh. You don’t wanna go in there.”

Uh, yeah, no thank you, he sure as hell did not. Jamie made a face. “Yeah, all right,” he said. “I’ll just come by yours then?”

She nodded, looking relieved. “Great! Thank you, Jamie!”

“You’re all right.” He gave her another smile, Rebecca another nod (and noted that she for some reason seemed like she was struggling not to either roll her eyers or laugh, which was kind of rude, considering how hard Keeley worked for her and all, and she really should get Keeley’s office sorted), before heading out to his car.

So. Fun trip with the boys tomorrow – maybe he’d find something nice for Mummy and for Roy at the Christmas market – and then hanging out with Keeley the day after. So-so playing and his mummy issues aside, life wasn't so bad.

[theweirdspacejellyfish]

Jake sully x tsu’tey te rongloa ateyitan fanfics

I choose you by camichats, 10,728 words and oneshot.

Summary- The night after Jake becomes Omaticaya, he chooses Tsu'tey as a mate and somehow, Tsu'tey chooses him as well. With a little talking and waking up in a different situation, they're able to stop the destruction of Hometree.

The misadventure of a former beta by dreamwind, 2,584 words and oneshot.

Summary- Not having seen his brother in a while Jake makes the mistake of forgetting that his twin was an omega, not a beta like himself.

Male bonding by beren, 3,830 words and oneshot

Summary- Jake finds out about a part of Na'vi culture that no one has bothered to enlighten him of before. It distracts him so much that Neytiri has some advice she will not let him ignore.

Skxawng by Proudmonsterlover, 2,343 words and 5 chapters

Summary- With his breathing being restricted, Jake did the only thing he could think of.He sunk his sharp canines into the flesh of Tsu'tey's arm and he heard a cry of pain.Although it wasn't from the other.What?Yes, Jake realized. There was a stinging sensation from his shoulder and hot breath on his skin.

Tsaheylu by Proudmonsterlover, 4,646 words and oneshot

Summary- "I see you" almost in a whisper, slowly allowing sleep to overtake him. But not before hearing the sleepy and just as quiet reply of Jake."I see you too" Jake replied.***Tsu'tey woke first and found Jake still fast asleep. Or perhaps he was in that human body again."Jake?" He tried.Jake stirred in his sleep, so he was still present. A soulless body did not move."Jake, wake up" Tsu'tey grabbed onto his shoulders, gently shaking him awake."What's wrong?" Jake's voice was almost unrecognizable, it was deeper and groggy.

Blue sky by camichats, 3,711 and oneshot

Summary- Jake's first day out in the avatar doesn't go so great. Some Na'vi woman finds him and recognizes his soulmark-- which transfers over? apparently?-- and now he has to figure out if his newly discovered soulmate is willing to put up with his dumb ass or not.

And you choose a wo(man) by Typoon003, 3,386 words and one shot

Summary- When Jake officially becomes Omatikaya, he is told that he may now choose a woman. A mate for life. Neytiri begins suggesting women within the clan, but Jake already seems to have his eye on a particular warrior, who may or may not still hate his guts.

Jealously leads to things by Proudmonsterlover, 932 words and oneshot

Summary- The roars of Ikran woke Jake Sully from his nap in the forest. He was meant to continue training with the Pali since he still wasn't good at it, even if he was Toruk Macto. "What the fuck..." He sighed in annoyance. Ikrans don't roar like that unless they were fighting over prey

Dream walker by AppleCapriSun, 56,395 words and 74 chapters

Summary- It’s the exact same plot as the movie. Except Jake gets pegged by Tsu’Tey. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. Okay, I lied, I may or may not have added a little (a lot...) of pain... Because, well, I could.

I dreamt of you by accept_n_destroy, 142,184 words and 55 chapters incomplete

Summary- All his life Jake had dreamt of Tsu'tey and Tsu'tey had dreamt of Jake. After the death of his brother, Jake is finally given the opportunity to travel to Pandora. There isn’t a moment to think, no time to hesitate, as Jake sends himself careening across galaxies in the hope that Tsu’tey is real and waiting for him when he arrives. The Tsu’tey he finds, however, is not the one he knew before his cryo-sleep, but one hardened by war and loss and hate. Together they will learn to fight, for themselves, for each other, and for the people they call home.

[bb-editing]

ROXANA (Chapter 74)

Cassis stared quietly at me. ‘Now you ask me?’ His eyes seemed to say.

“You can just say what happened.”

“As you like,” Cassis replied after a brief pause. Roxana laughed quietly at his response.

“Yes, Lanche Agriche is dead.”

Visions of the burning Agriche mansion shuddered like a phantom over Roxana’s mind. Gradually, the memories of that day came back to life within her.

Perhaps the place that Dion had headed to find Lanche after leaving the office that day. Then Roxana began wondering who had dealt the final blow to Lanche, and what it had looked like. Though, at the same time, Roxana felt as though these wonderings weren’t at all important.

“Isidor reported that he saw your mother exiting the mansion,” Cassis added, looking at her.

“I see.”

“Anything else?”

Roxana was quiet for a while. “Aren’t you curious?” Cassis asked her. She stared at him silently.

(*E/N: Oh my god, the amount of “He/she was quiet/silent,” “He/she looked/gazed/stared at him/her quietly/silently briefly/for a while.”)

They gazed at each other for a while, before Cassis spoke again. “It all went the way you planned.” He waited for her reaction; she obliged with a soft “Alright.” There seemed like there was nothing more for her to say.

“You don’t look very happy.”

“How are you?” Roxana blurted, rather drily. “Are you glad you got your revenge? Are you relieved by the fall of the Agriche?”

A soft wind passed through them. As the sun set, the air on Roxana’s cheeks felt colder than before. She felt as though her body temperature had been dropping the entire time, but it didn’t bother her. Cassis seemed to be the same.

“Well,” Cassis blinked slowly, his tone drawled. “I just feel like I’ve accomplished something important, but it also doesn’t feel as momentous as I’d expected.”

“I feel the same way.”

“You do?” At that moment, a small smile blossomed on Cassis’ face. His golden gaze pierced through her.

“You don’t seem to realize what expression you’re putting on at the moment.” Cassis suddenly rose from his seat.

Roxana caught up to him in a few steps, knocking over her soup bowl in the process. Cassis’s figure loomed over her, his body partially covered in shadow. His eyes, which had adopted an eerie chill to them, stared into her.

“Were you planning on dying that day?” He whispered. His eyes seemed to almost consume Roxana.

“What are you talking about?” Roxana unconsciously willed herself to stay calm under his penetrating gaze.

“What would you have done if I hadn’t come to rescue you?”

“I would have left.”

“To where?”

“Anywhere away from the Agriche.”

“Do you know what face you were making when I found you that day?” His eyes sank deeper into my person. “You had the eyes of a person trying to find a place to die.”

Roxana tried to push away the recollection of the conversation she’d had with Jeremy.

After a while, Roxana said, “You probably already know, but I can’t live long anyway.” She had never revealed this to anyone; it was also the same thing Cassis had told her three years ago.

It was impossible to predict how long she had left, but it was likely she wouldn’t last for another year. It was a natural result, she supposed, of overworking her body; this was ironic, considering the reason why she was struggling so hard was to live.

The longer she thought about the topic, the less she felt the desire to continue living. I haven’t even lived to be twenty, but seeing as I don’t have any regrets left… I think I’ve done enough.

No matter where she stopped breathing, her remains would not be left for anyone to find. Every last piece of her body would be consumed by her butterflies.

“So, you’re living a life with no greed- no regret- just waiting for the day you die?” Cassis’ eyes flickered coldly, before the corner of his lips tugged upward into a sullen smile.

“That’s right. It was a life bound for doom, anyway. It wouldn’t matter if I wanted to live or not.”

“Give me your remaining time.”

Roxana took a while to process his words.

“If you truly don’t care what your future holds, stay by my side. Until the day you die.”

Roxana’s head became fuzzy and distant. However, Cassis didn’t give me a chance to react.

“You may not regret dying now, but I will.”

“Cassis…”

“So, if you really don’t need the rest of your life…” he whispered into her ear and grabbed her hand, putting his lips to the back of it. “… I would gladly have it.”

The slow kiss that he’d left burned on her hand, and his ensuing gaze felt hot. As the stars glittered overhead, Roxana devoted the rest of her life to Cassis.

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

And Gatlinburg awaits!

OFF I-39/90 AT A TRUCK STOP OUTSIDE JANESVILLE, WI: "You know, Snagglepuss," Huckleberry Hound was observing as we were getting the journey underway again in our motorhome, "having the Cattanooga Cats hosting an informal Easter parade down Gatlinburg way seems so--"

"Quixotic. Interesting, even," saith I to compensate for Huck's being in a struggle for words apropos the moment. "Especially with the routing bypassing Chicago--I-39, for the most part, down to Bloomington, Illinois ... thence on I-74 via Indianapolis to Cincinnati, maybe a bowl or two of Cincinnati chili, even ... joining I-75 from the Queen City to Knoxville, Tennessee, thence on US 441 into the Queen Mother of Tourist Traps!"

"And I've oft wondered why exactly Gatlinburg would be such a 'gold standard,' so to speak, for tacky tourist-dependent communities," mused Huck over a substantial-size soda as he was filling the motorhome with diesel fuel, preceded by some additive supposed to improve engine performance--especially after winter storage.

Which also saw Crazy Claws, our guest this time around, get some decent(?) Wisconsin cheese, sausage and crackers in a not-so-touristy sort of manner, which he put down to "just wanting to get some decent snacking out of the way without the 'cheese shop' markups as seem common to tourist areas. Wisconsin Dells included, come to think of it!"

"At least Crazy Claws had some sense in his mind," Huck added.

Yet what was especially worthwhile was the meetup of The King and girlfriend Sheena, he in a denim jeans jacket looking so cool and Sheena in a V-neck sweater, considering the coolish weather. But at least they followed a sort of Funatstic tradition we've established while travelling of travelling light, packing pretty much the essentials (maybe a couple days' change of clothes, consider some time at a laundromat at destination before returning, and essential toiletries and medications, if required).

"Heeeeeeyyyyyy ... and heeeeeeyyyyy again!" was how The King made his presence known into the motorhome, doing the old Edd Byrnes number with the Brylcreem and pocket comb along that glossy leonine mane of his. "And I take it we are heading for the Great Smoky Mountains over Easter?"

"I take it you received our message by text," explained I.

"Actually, King and Sheena," Huckleberry Hound remarked, "it's that the Cattanooga Cats--as in that Gatlinburg coffee shop of theirs, Cattanooga Klatsche--are arranging an impromptu Easter Parade of sorts in Gatlinburg along the Parkway on Easter Sunday!"

"Ohhh," Sheena purred oh so seductively, "I can't help but seriously appreciate what coffees the Cattanooga Cats manage to come up with!"

"I take it," Huck asked, "you order your coffees from Cattanooga Klatsche?"

"Correctamundo" was how The King responded with his usual leonine swagger. "You never tasted anything better--especially when it's whole bean, and ground back at home! Especially when you can blend two such varieties, impromptu, and grind them together!"

"Hopefully," Crazy Claws chimed in, "you can stand some not-so-touristy Wisconsin cheeses and sausages for the odd snacking as we head down to Gatlinburg."

"And who else," Sheena remarked, "will be joing us?"

"It'll be rather interesting," saith I. "And we have a couple more Funtastic types joining us down the road--let alone many others perhaps heading to Gatlinburg before too long." (This as we were driving back onto I-39, which is part of I-90 into Rockford, with tolling prevailing until the I-39 junction just on the southeast side of Rockford; I-39 continuing southward with US 51 to Bloomington.)

*************

@warnerbrosentertainment @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @theweekenddigest @iheartgod175 @funtasticworld @archive-archives @screamingtoosoftly @themineralyoucrave @thebigdingle @thylordshipofbutts @warnerbros-blog1 @groovybribri @zodiacfan32 @jellystone-enjoyer @indigo-corvus @warnerbrosent-blog

[cliff-montgomery]

U.S. Workers Owed Over $163 Million In Back Pay

By Cliff Montgomery - Jan. 13th, 2024

Over 208,000 U.S. workers deserve an extra $163.3 million in pay from businesses that violated wage laws, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In an apparent response to such crises, the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division has created Workers Owed Wages (WOW). It is a website that allows a person to determine if a company for which they have worked is one of the businesses that owes their employees back pay - that is, the difference between what the worker was rightfully owed and the amount they were paid.

If a worker finds that a company for which they worked is listed on WOW, he or she may then use the site to determine if they are one of the workers owed money. The Labor Department has collected this money from the companies, and will pay these workers what they are rightfully owed.

Many times, the companies claim that they wished to pay their workers, but were not able to find the often former employees to whom the money is owed.

Last year, WOW helped workers claim over $26.9 million of their hard-earned cash, which benefitted almost 4,000 workers.

But thousands of others who are owed these wages have not utilized the Labor Dept. website. That’s an issue, as Labor only retains the funds for three years - after that, the unclaimed funds become the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Why can’t the companies just send the wages to the workers who earned them? The simple truth is that many of these workers are at or near the bottom of the wage totem pole. So, as one might expect, “representatives from the Wage and Hour Division [have] said many of the employees who are owed wages come from under-served populations,” according to a recent article on the matter published by USA Today.

The workers include “such [people] as young workers, migrant workers and those earning near minimum wage,” the article added.

And such workers will frequently change matters in their lives like addresses or jobs, making it especially hard to track them down, according to federal sources.

“One of our top priorities is to ensure that the back wages we recover are swiftly paid to the workers who earned them,” recently stated Labor Department wage and hour administrator Jessica Looman to USA Today.

“Yet, a portion of that money remains unclaimed because some of the workers due back wages cannot be located,” she added.

“They may have changed jobs or changed addresses and cannot be notified of the money owed to them,” continued Looman.

Knowing which workers are often underpaid, there perhaps is little surprise that the construction, food service and health care industries are the most common culprits in failing to pay their workers all they have actually earned, according to Labor Department data.

For instance, “a total of 36,534 people employed by the food service industry are owed back wages that have already been paid out by [i.e., collected from] their previous employer,” stated USA Today.

Pennsylvania companies appear to have been the chief culprits in this matter, failing to pay their workers more than $19 million. The wages remain unclaimed, according to USA Today.

Companies in California, Texas, Massachusetts and Virginia have fared almost as poorly, often failing to properly pay workers the full wages they have earned.

In short, companies in these five states failed to properly pay $74 million to the workers who need it most.

And of course, companies in these states are not the only culprits. In Florida alone, more than 10,000 workers are owed over $6.17 million, according to Labor Department data.

There may be more questionable reasons for the failure of these companies to pay their workers what they actually earned.

Lissette Vargas, who serves as the Labor Department’s acting district director of its wage and hour division, informed South Florida’s WTVJ-TV that these companies may well have violated numerous federal laws, from overtime and minimum wage violations, to the Family and Medical Leave Act or laws regulating child labor.

It should be added that “those who believe they may have experienced wage theft [should be informed that] the Labor Department provides resources and information on worker’s rights,” as stated by USA Today.

[musettina]

His smile is everything🌞

He is everything😭💗

NowVIZ mag's season 2023 digital issue is finally out with the interview & photoshoot with Lorenzo that was done before his participation in the Miami Masters 1000 (you'll remember those sneak pics...😏🥵)!❤️‍🔥

Often, it's a single moment in the course of your career, a moment that may be overlooked by onlookers, that makes you realize you're on the right road.

For Italian Tennis pro Lorenzo Musetti, that came after a five-set loss to former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the 2021 French Open. The then 19-year-old Musetti took the first two sets against the Serbian maestro in what was his Grand Slam debut.

"It was a fantastic experience. I was playing my best tennis, for sure," the young player who ranked 76th at the time later told the press, adding, "Now I know how I can play, how far I am from the biggest in the tour, like Nole, so I know that if I play good I can stay at this level."

It was a moment of clarity for Musetti that propelled the player to become one of ltaly's top three tennis players less than two years later. But though he claimed his highest ATP ranking ranking of World No. 15 on 26 June 2023, the road to sporting success had been a long time coming for the Italian star.

Musetti, who was born in Carrara, Tuscany, in Northern ltaly, on 3 March 2002, began playing tennis at the incredibly young age of four. When it quickly became obvious that he had a gift for the game, his father, Francesco, a marble producer, and his mother, Sabrina, a secretary in a local Tuscan company, didn't hesitate to support their only child's tennis dreams.

At the age of 10, Musetti was taken under the wing of tennis coach, Simone Tartarini, who has remained the Italian champ's coach to this day. A regimented training routine and the tight circle of supportive family and friends around him were instrumental in keeping Musetti focused during his teen years as he evolved into a strong junior player.

Between 2016 and 2019, the young Italian won seven singles titles, reaching his peak as the winner of the 2019 Australian Open boys' singles and ranking junior world No. 1 that same year.

2019 was also the year that the star player turned pro. Receiving a wildcard and passing the qualifiers, 17-year-old Musetti made his ATP Tour debut at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February 2020.

In 2021, he reached the semifinals of the ATP Tour 500 Mexican Open where he had his first top-10 win, beating world no. 9 Diego Schwartzman in three sets. Later, he played in the Lyon Open and the French Open, and finished the season with the Next Generation ATP Finals.

In 2022, the determined tennis dynamo scored 44 wins from 74 matches. He scooped winning titles at the Napoli Tennis Cup and the Hamburg European Open, where he beat current Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz. Reaching the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters 1000 Musetti faced-off with Novak Djokovic once again and took another loss against the tennis superstar.

That would change in 2023. In a three-set thriller against Djokovic at the Monte Carlo Masters in April 2023, Musetti finally defeated the former world No. 1 and reached the championship's quarter finals.

"I am really proud of myself," the ltalian player told the media in his on-court victory interview afterwards. "I am struggling not to cry because it is a dream..."

And though he added, "Beating Novak is something remarkable for me," perhaps, beating Djokovic was also an inevitable step on the road to tennis greatness that only a few years ago Musetti had realized was the actual road he was on.

Lorenzo has the phrase, 'Il meglio deve ancora venire' tattooed on the side of his chest. Translated in English as, 'The Best is Yet to Come' inspired by a song from Ligabue.

You've been on fire this 2023 season making your top 20 ranking debut with a career-high singles ATP ranking world No.15!

At this year's Monte-Carlo Master's you upset world No. 1 and top seed Novak Djokovic to reach your second Master's quarterfinal. Then you went to the fourth round at the French Open, and the third round at Wimbledon! Will you talk about some of your best moments?

@lore_musetti: "My best moment in this season so far was when I had the chance to beat Nole. I was living a dream for sure! It was the best win in my career and something that I won't forget!"

@djokernole praise on Musetti's game at 2021 Roland Garros: "I really like how he plays. He's got a lot of firepower from both forehand and backhand. He can play with a lot of spin. He's got a great feel, come to the net. He can play short balls and dropshots. He can flatten out his serve. He can open up with a good kick and slice. He's got an all-around game."

You've been coached by Simone Tartarini since the beginning of your career. What is it that makes him a great coach for you?

"Simone is more than a coach; for me, he is like a parent. We have shared a lot of memories and experiences during our relationship and he definitely knows what I need to do the most."

Every top athlete seems to have or has had a mentor, friend, or someone in their corner to offer guidance. We wonder if you do and, if so, how have they helped?

"I think my family is the best support system I could ever dream of. They are always there for me and they are always supporting me."

What motivates and inspires you daily?

"My daily motivation is to get better every day so that I reach my goals!"

You travel extensively when on tour. So besides playing tennis, how do you stay physically fit?

"I train every day either in the gym or the track field. The fitness part is something really important in our sport, but training is also important for my health."

As a top player how do you stay in control of your game mentally?

"I work daily with a psychologist; the mental side is equally as important as the physical side in this sport. It is a long process to develop and takes time to be defined."

How do you fuel your body nutritionally throughout the season? Is there a specific diet or regime you follow?

"I try to stay as healthy as possible and follow a meal plan, especially during tournament week."

"Music is probably my biggest passion. I'm a huge fan of music in general and I listen to it a lot during the day - literally, every kind of music!"

"The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next. So keep climbing!"

-Lorenzo Musetti (do you remember when he wrote this...?🥺💪🏻🏔🤍)

Check out on their site: https://www.nowviz.com/

https://issuu.com/nowvizezine/docs/nowviz_019?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ

Or on my ig page:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fanpage for Muso//Backup @musettismo (@lorenzo_ilmagnifico_musetti)

[mariacallous]

In the German city of Weimar, just a few steps from Enlightenment-era literary luminary Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s baroque residence, the Lavazza cafe seems determined to remain in the past. This cafe, like many other establishments all over the country, accepts only cash. That old-fashioned and inconvenient mode of payment is still revered in Germany. According to the latest study by Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, on payment behavior, Germans pay for nearly 60 percent of their purchases—both goods and services—in cash.

Germany is not the only country standing athwart the global trend toward cashless payments. In Austria, cash is so popular that the Austrian chancellor has claimed it should amount to a constitutional right. Yet in other European countries, such as the United Kingdom, cash will account for just 6 percent within a decade, and in the Netherlands only 11 percent of transactions were made in cash last year. In other bigger economies, the pace of the decline is even faster. While in China 8 percent of point-of-sale (POS) transactions were made in cash, in India, cash use has declined from 91 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2022.

But in Germany, an obsession with privacy, mistrust of big-tech and fintech in general, and worries about political and financial crises depleting bank balances overnight—an experience rooted in history as well as a cultural desire for control—all contribute to the country’s love for cash. Arnold, Maria, Elisabeth, and Harald, a group of middle-aged friends who refused to reveal their full names, were taking a break in Weimar from a road trip on their bicycles from Hessen in western Germany. “Nur Bares ist wahres,” said Elisabeth, which means “only cash is true” and is a famous saying in Germany that expresses more than a preference for cash. Arnold said spending in cash encouraged him to spend less and stay in control of his expenses, but more importantly it protected the details of where he was spending his money. “If you use a card, the bank knows everything about you,” he said. Harald jumped in and added that if he used digital means to pay, he would “feel surveilled.”

But as some European states, such as Sweden, go nearly cashless, with only 6 percent of transactions still settled with banknotes, how does Germany’s preference for cash impact the largest economy in Europe? Perhaps not as much as one might think.

On average, Germans carry more than 100 euros in their wallets—much more than their counterparts in many other developed nations. Since the euro was introduced, the Bundesbank has issued more cash than any other member in the 27-nation European Union, and according to the Bundesbank report, even though cash use was down from 74 percent in 2017, as high as 69 percent of respondents expressed their intention to continue to pay in cash.

Agnieszka Gehringer, a professor at Cologne University of Applied Sciences, said German fondness for cash can be understood via cultural attachment theory and behavioral factors. She explained that, culturally, cash is seen as safe by Germans. “If I have been customarily using cash as a payment method for ages and I know how it works and my data remain protected, there is no particular reason to change my habit,” she told FP.

Gehringer traced these behavioral and cultural attitudes in part to hyperinflation witnessed in the Weimar Republic in 1923, when a loaf of bread cost billions of marks; steep devaluation of the currency after World War II, which washed out nearly 90 percent of people’s savings; and the division of the country, which left the Soviet-controlled east impoverished. “This series of turbulences is considered the basis of the so-called German angst—the fear of losing control,” Gehringer said. “Beyond culture and attitude, for some others, cash is a means of self-control and self-supervision: It is more transparent and easier to track the record of personal expenditures.”

While the fear of losing everything in a quick turn of events was passed on from generation to generation, so was the positive symbolism of the Deutsche mark. Post-World War II Deutsche marks rose in value and symbolized Germany’s resurgence and prosperity. In the late 1990s, Germans reluctantly agreed to a common European currency—but perhaps only because by then Germany was among the biggest European economies and influential in European decision-making.

Another reason to avoid possession of plastic money or credit cards is the fear of debt. “Germans do not like debt,” said Doris Neuberger, head of the money and credit department at Germany’s University of Rostock. In fact, the German word for debt and guilt are derived from the same word (Schuld), and this moral charge helps produce the country’s “low debt ratio and low usage of credit cards.”

Using cash is also easy for a wide range of consumers, including the elderly, who may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable with using smartphones or keystrokes online. It’s also cheaper for retailers and end consumers on transactions under 50 euros, as the cost of holding cash is lower than the fees incurred with non-cash payments, according to the Bundesbank. But the cost of producing, storing, and transporting bank notes and coins is eventually passed on to consumers, experts say.

There are other downsides to excessive use of cash, too. According to a report by the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, high levels of cash holdings reduce the central bank’s “monetary policy steering options,” Gehringer wrote. “Sure, holding cash has a higher hurdle to make the money available for financial investments.”

But most experts say the argument that cash exacerbates the shadow economy tends to be overstated. The Office of Technology Assessment report noted that in countries with less cash spending, such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France, there is less activity in the shadow economy when compared to countries such as Spain, Italy, and Greece, which have high rates of cash use. But it added that in Sweden, despite a minor role for cash, the shadow economy is “medium-sized,” while in Austria and Germany, with relatively high shares of cash transactions, the shadow sector is relatively small.

In 2019, the Bundesbank conducted a study on the extent of “illicit cash use” in Germany, in collaboration with Friedrich Schneider, a professor at the Johannes Kepler University Linz. It said that without more in-depth analysis it was “impossible to distinguish those stocks of banknotes that are being held as a store of value—and kept at home under the mattress totally legally and legitimately by every citizen—from illicit banknote stocks.” On average, a German hoards more than 1,300 euros at home or in a safe deposit box.

“Available estimates for the size of the shadow economy lie between 2 percent and 17 percent of gross domestic product,” the study said. “This range alone shows that studies of the shadow economy are subject to an above average degree of uncertainty and all results should be interpreted with care.”

“Cash does not promote a shadow economy, as it is not a cause,” Schneider, a co-author of the study, told FP. “Causes are tax burden, regulations, etc.” Schneider said the higher the tax burden, the higher the motivation to evade taxes. “If cash is completely abolished, then people find other means.” He added that earlier uses of cash were more firmly linked to tax evasion than now, when “it is very difficult to open a bank account abroad with a large cash sum of money.” Money laundering in real estate is deterred with a different set of regulations.

Neuberger claimed much more criminal activity is conducted with digital money than with cash. “Nowadays, the ideal medium for illegal drug transactions is not cash, but Amazon gift cards,” she said. “Gift tokens allow for anonymous payments anywhere in the world and, unlike cash, do not require a face-to-face transaction. The same holds for prepaid credit cards, which can be loaded with cash anonymously.”

Burkhard Balz, a member of the executive board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, told FP no initiatives have been taken by the government to discourage or disincentive the use of cash and that it is “an excellent back option should other payment methods end up temporarily out of action—because of a power outage or software error.” Regulations to limit cash use are deemed politically unpopular in Germany, especially since people and experts just don’t see any disadvantages to carrying on with folded euros in their pockets and wallets.

A digital euro, however, could reduce the costs of producing, storing, and transporting cash. It wouldn’t be tied to any intermediary banking institution—as opposed to electronic payments, which are intermediated by multiple banks—and won’t even require a bank account. Balz said the digital euro would ensure “the accessibility and usability of central bank money alongside cash in a digitized world.”

“Currently, the Eurosystem is about to conclude its two-year investigation phase on a digital euro and may move into the next phase of the project—the preparation phase,” he said, “provided that the [European Central Bank] Governing Council takes this decision in late autumn this year.”

At least some private banks believe that payments made with the digital euro could still be tracked and help with anti-money laundering regulations, but not without placing limits on the highly prized privacy of citizens. Furthermore, it could lead to a reduction in deposits to credit institutions and limit the ability of the banks to offer loans.

Online purchases rose from 6 percent in 2017 to 24 percent in 2022 amid the COVID lockdown, but neither the pandemic nor digitization so far has managed to eliminate the appeal and comfort of cash for Germans. Even though Germany’s banking industry envisages a growth of 2 percent per year in card payments, a cash decline of 3 percent a year would still mean that, in 2030, Germans will carry out at least 30 percent of transactions in cash.