#but this is how my summer's been going so far

[kimberlychapman]

Yep. When I was a kid at my family cottage on Georgian Bay, far from any town of any size, far from roads too (you can only get to that cottage by boat), I could go lie on the bare bedrock by the lake and see more stars than I could count. It was the late 70s/early 80s so we could see occasional satellites whiz by. Wisps of aurora now and then but because we were only there in the summer it wasn't common. Mostly just a sea of stars blurring off into the Milky Way.

As an adult I once drove my young child far, far out of town one night so we could see some thing or other that was happening in the sky that week. We lived in Austin TX at the time and I had to drive...oh for like a good hour, at least. But I found a place I'd had recommended to me and we parked at the little public toilet that had a light, and then walked a very open, easy-to-see-by-moonlight hiking trail into the wilds a bit.

We saw whatever it was we intended to see, but I also brought the very low-tech Galileo telescope someone had given us. I set it up on a tripod and pointed it at a random bright spot in the sky, having no idea what I was doing at all.

I focused the eyepiece and...whoa. Rings. RINGS. I HAD RANDOMLY FOUND SATURN. I experienced a version of what early astronomers must've felt to just point a tool at the sky and see something freaky.

That was about 15ish years ago and I still like to say, "I discovered Saturn." Because I did. Not first, but I found it without even trying.

I have never been able to do that since, in part because of light pollution, in part because we moved to cloudy England, in part because the plastic tripod connector bit on that telescope broke (OMG if anyone knows how to fix it please let me know, I can go take pics if needed), and in part because now I'm too disabled to go hiking in the dark, but yeah. I have looked upon the unadulterated sky and seen many, many beautiful and surprising things.

The black areas represent the remaining natural dark skies in the United States

[itsa-me-lily]

I am still tired, but brain is less mush after some lunch. (Can you guess what I had)

Here is other Military Program Spouse (mobile is fighting me to add the link)

It helps to assume here that unless stated otherwise Simon is wearing a medical mask around reader. She’s just like whatever floats your boat my dude

Content warning;

Mention of food, medical devices, scars, cellulite

“Simon whatever your middle name is Riley you better not be looking at my legs.”

Maybe his mum had a point, that women developed eyes in the back of their head. He wasn’t deliberately looking at your legs, but he wasn’t not not looking either. For some reason unbeknownst to him, you had decided that you had to make the biggest batch of soup known to man. Sure the seasons were changing, summer slowly letting go for fall, but it wasn’t as if a chilly wind was rattling at the windows threatening to steal whatever heat existed. It was still relatively balmy, warm enough to have the windows open and enjoy the breeze. Warm enough that having the stove going made the kitchen borderline stuffy, encouraging you to cook in just a loose tank top and shorts that hit mid thigh.

Simon wasn’t a prude, he wasn’t scandalized at seeing the curve of your thighs, or grossed out by the cellulite. Everyone had fucking skin and however you wanted to dress in the comfort of your home you were welcomed to it. But he had eyes and well he was curious. His own body was covered in scars and tattoos that told a myriad of stories. So he looked to see what yours had to say.

Picking at the chicken you had left on the counter he counted the spots that your insulin pods left behind like stars, noticed how you missed a small strip of hair when you were shaving, even the mole that you had on the back of one ankle; they all came together to make up parts of a story about his wife that he was just starting to get.

He was so lost in thought, mechanically putting piece after piece of poached bird into his mouth, barely paying attention to anything besides the action of seeming busy, that he didn’t notice when you turned around, the exasperation in your voice finally catching his attention.

“Seriously? What did I just say?”

Simon wasn’t someone who startled, didn’t jump or hunch his shoulders to his ears. He had spent far to much time sharpening himself as to cut anyone who tried to catch him unaware. He just wasn’t prepared for you to admonish him like that, hands on your hips and looking for him to answer your question.

“What? You said not to look at your legs…I wasn’t lookin’ at them”

Not a lie, but not quite the truth.

“Yeah instead you’re eating your way through them!”

He blinked at you slowly once and then twice, following your gaze down to the plate of chicken leg quarters he was indeed making his way through. At least one looked like it had been pounced on by scavengers.

“You said no lookin’, nothing about no tasting.”

That was most certainly a twitch to your eye. That probably should have been concerning, but honestly Simon was secure enough in his height and size that if you tried to suffocate him he could throw you off. He was a good head taller than you, honestly how much damage could you do? When you pointed your wooden spoon threateningly at his chest it didn’t do much besides remind him of a little old grandma who would wield the same utensil as a weapon.

“You sir, are an asshole. Now go run to a shop and get me one of the pre cooked chickens.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you’ve eaten half my damn chicken and like hell is my sancocho going to suffer for it.”

“Your what now?”

Yes Simon Riley knew he was being as ass. Yes he also thought that there was a realm of possibility that your upset face and clear murderous intentions were slightly endearing. But only slightly.

“My god damn soup. I swear to god if you fuck this up for me I will find a way to make you suffer the consequences.”

“Alright alright, no need to have a bird over some-heh, bird.”

He didn’t stay to see the double middle fingers you aimed for his back, he didn’t need to. He was pretty sure you were also cursing his name and maker. It wasn’t until the front door shut behind him that your colorful vocabulary was loudly shared with the world. It made him chuckle as he picked up his pace.

Heaven help anyone who got between a woman and her soup.

Edit

I am very passionate about my soup

[umgeorge]

The Pressure of the Podium: Interview With George Russell

While British success stories in Formula 1 tend to centre around Lewis Hamilton-as well they should; he's a legend-George Russell has quietly been making a serious name for himself. At a fresh-faced 26 years old, he’s one of the younger racers on the grid and, when we caught up with him ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix back in the summer, was still revelling in the best season of his career. So, how was he finding the season so far? "Its been... I wouldn't say a rollercoaster, but it's been one that we've been climbing," says Russell. "At the start we were at the bottom of the mountain and been steadily getting closer to the top. There's so much excitement and motivation when you're on a team like this, like we have a visible return on everything we've been putting in, that momentum we've been building up."

We were talking shortly after his second F1 victory in Austria, which was a bit of a hairy one. After spending most of the race in third, still a respectable podium finish, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen ahead of him got a little too close to one another, crashing to take them both out the race. It was a far cry from Russell's incredibly convincing first win. But was there a difference to him? "Each win is incomparable. Every race is a completely different scenario. My first, in Brazil, was where I was ahead every lap. I'd done fantastically the day before and the pressure was there. Near the end I had Lewis on my tail and it was a relief to get across that finish line. In Austria I was happy to be in third, and then it all kicked off ahead and the opportunity arose. Every race is different and you never really know how it's going to go, even when you're behind the wheel." With that kind of uncertainty, it has to be hard to prepare yourself for racing at this level. There's the danger, of course, as that crash in Austria and a multitude of other times shows, but none of these guys would be racing if that put them off. Instead, we were more interested to find out if the pressure ever got to him - and, more importantly, what Russell did to cope with it.

"I'm a little obsessive. I try to make sure I've gone through all the preparation possible with my engineers, taken a look at last year's data, gone over the car, the weather conditions; anything I feel I need to be looking for. Once I've ticked them all off I'm at peace, mentally. I know I'm at my peak physical condition. I know every race is going to be tough. But there are nineteen other drivers and hopefully they'll find it tougher than I will. After that, what will happen, will happen. It's out of your control." With that huge amount of pressure every single week, the intense training regime to stay in that physical condition, and the sheer hectic nature of a globe-trotting racing competition, decompression seems like a necessity. Russell, though, seems to want to take decompressing very literally.

"I love being by the sea so I've started free diving, which is a bit of a random hobby, but when I'm out in the water I'm just so focused on my breathing, on being underwater, that I just disconnect from the world. Once beneath the sea, down there with the fish and coral, you're not thinking about anything else except having enough breath to get back to the top!" Russell isn't the only British racing legend around. We've had a long, illustrious line of champions of which Hamilton is only the latest and Russell could potentially be next. For Russell, there's something in the inspiration of champions of old, and having seven of the ten Formula 1 teams based in the UK helps. But for him, the key to British racing success is British racing's green grass roots.

"I remember racing with Lando and Alex, and alongside other racers who didn't make it to Formula 1 but have made professional racing careers. There's definitely something about the grass roots level here that works. But it needs to stay at that level. This isn't the most economical sport in the world, so we need to make sure that we can give kids that don't have the opportunity, otherwise, the funding they need to get behind the wheel and try go-karting." That said, go-karting is never going to be cheap for most would-be podium contenders, and whether it's that or sheer pace, it's an opportunity sadly few kids have. E-sports, on the other hand, is different. "Simulators have advanced so much now. The Formula 1 game is fantastic and there should be ways we can identify talent sooner, instead of just having financial backing to push you through the ranks."

Whether coming from the classic karting angle or from killing it online with photorealistic driving games, kids are going to need to have to contend with one of the most intensely competitive sports in the world - if not the most. According to Russell, though, they shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes; quite the opposite. "The one piece of advice that I try to embrace, myself, is: don’t be afraid to fail. The times I've failed have been the times I've progressed the most, the times I've really pushed my limits. It doesn't matter what you do; failure is necessary. It's how we grow, how we learn about ourselves. There's so much pressure not to let people down, especially with younger people, but you don't want to go through life never making a mistake or knowing where your ceiling is."

And any advice for those of us not thinking of a career in racing? Even shaving a few seconds off a track day would help for a few more bragging rights. "No matter what you're driving, stay relaxed. I've driven with people that have never been on a track before. They tense up, hunch over, and it makes everything erratic. Smooth is fast - smooth with the steering, throttle, and brake. It's not necessarily how we drive in Formula 1, but if you want to speed up on a track day, stay relaxed." Obviously, it’s not lost on Russell just how many kids and F1 fans alike look up to him as a sportsman. He's young, he's hungry, and his experience is starting to pay off. But for Russell, there are other sportspeople in other sports, and one in his own who I'm sure you can guess, that he looks up to.

"I have a huge amount of respect for Ronaldo. He's without a doubt the leader in his field. The same with Djokovic - they're fighters that push their physical performance. Then there's Lewis, obviously. He puts his platform to great use and I admire him for that as much as his wins and what he's doing off the track. I hope to be one of those leaders in years to come." Now he may well get a chance as Lewis will, in 2025, be moving from Mercedes, as Russell's teammate, over to Ferrari. It's a bold move, but on the other hand it means that Russell will soon be able to race his former teammate as an actual rival. Will that be weird? "He'll be wearing a different suit, but I'll still recognise him! We're at different stages in our career, but we have massive respect for one another. For now, I'll see him on the track."

[rocknrollbabe14]

Forbidden Fruit (Emperor Geta X Reader)

Part I

Rating: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

Warnings: Nudity, teasing, fingering, slight degrading.

Thanks to @josephs-quinns for my header! Love you!

You didn’t come from a wealthy family. It was quite the opposite actually. But your parents needed this and for some reason, the emperor had caught you out as one of the women he wanted to meet to potentially become his wife. Caracalla. Emperor Caracalla was the eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus. Caracalla and his father were part of the Severan dynasty.  There was a lot of talk about him, his brother Geta, and his father amongst the empire. People had to be careful how they spoke of them, however. But it was Caracalla’s father and mother that were finding it important for their sons to find wives and begin a family. You were sure he could have cared less—he could sleep with any woman he wanted.

He and his brother was in a position of power and authority, two of the most important things this day and age. Any woman in their right mind would not turn down either Emperor. Part of you was hoping he’d choose you—for your family’s sake. They’d be highly favored if the emperor chose you. But you wouldn’t return to your normal life. You’d instantly be taken in by the family, beginning preparations to make you his wife. It was all overwhelming to think about. 

You knew that there would be women lined up for a chance to court and marry Emperor Caracalla. He had been co-augustus with his brother now for some time, getting the real taste of what it was like to rule. His true colors would show through soon enough, they always did. Every ruler, every time. It never failed. He had a huge weight on his shoulders.

One could only imagine the weight he had on his shoulders. It was something you couldn’t imagine—learning the ropes so that one day you could take over the empire from under your father. His life was royalty, but you were sure it probably wasn’t easy. There were standards he had to live up to and achieve. That would be hard in itself, having such an expectation to live up to. You shook your head lightly just thinking about it. 

The journey to get to Caracalla was going to be a long one, one that you weren’t sure you were mentally prepared to endure. As bad as you hated to admit it, part of it felt like a death sentence—a march to your uncertain and untimely death. Maybe that was being a little dramatic. But your life as you knew it was over, wasn’t it? Life would never be the same if he chose you as his partner. This would be a huge undertaking.

Part of you was content that your mother had agreed to take this journey with you. It was comforting to have her near, a familiar faucet in this unfamiliar setting. If Caracalla chose you, the wedding would be extravagant and grand. It would be something you could only dream about, something so far out of your reach. But was it now? That was to be determined. 

Each one of you had to introduce yourselves to him and bow before him. He and his brother were on the throne together, picking over each one of you. When it got to you, you thought you might forget your name that your stomach was flipping so hard. But somehow, you had made it. Geta even had eyes on you, narrowing them as he bit his lip and fiddling with his rings subconsciously. 

Geta looked over at Caracalla before turning back to you. He said something and then chuckled but it was inaudible. It made you nervous. But somehow, something must have went right. You were still here and still in the running to be Caracalla’s wife. They had narrowed it down to just a few of you. There were also just a few for Geta. But he seemed as if he could care less. It was a hot night during summer and you couldn’t sleep. 

You probably shouldn’t have went off by yourself but you were trying to get some fresh air. The imperial palace had many twists and turns and you started to feel like you had just been going in circles. There was a soft sound like water running, peaking your curiosity. It had to be outside, right? Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and opened the door. There was steam and the sound of water splashing. You looked around, trying to find something—anything. 

You saw some clean fabric lying off to the side. 

“Lost?”, a voice echoed against the water. 

You looked up, horror across your face. You were met with the dark eyes of Geta. He was naked, the glisten of water reflecting with barely any soap on his body. 

“Um—I’m so sorry—

“Are you?”

“I am.”, you stammered quickly, grasping at your night clothes. 

He chuckled lightly, making no attempt to cover himself. “Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to see your future husband’s brother naked?”

“I—”

“Aw, can you form a full sentence, love?”

He was taunting you. He knew you were flustered, it was all over your face.  You began to think what a jerk he was. 

“I didn’t mean to—I promise.”

Geta chuckled again and you felt your eyes go south, immediately taking the view in.  He was huge and your brain tried to process how that would even fit inside you—you mean Caracalla’s—if it looked anything like his. You bit your lip subconsciously. You had never seen a man naked before. Part of it made you feel pathetic. 

“Are you sure?”, he smirked, the smile twisting up into his cheeks, becoming more sinister.

“I am—I just wanted fresh air. That’s all.”

He smiled to himself, continuing his bath. “Hm. You know—are you sure you want to marry my brother?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean—I.”

“What has you so flustered? Never saw the male anatomy before?”

“No.”, you admitted easily, brushing a stray piece of hair behind your ear, feeling your cheeks heating up.  

Geta smirked to himself before looking up at you. You couldn’t help but watch as he took his hands over his body as if he was tempting you, showing himself off. 

“Nothing to be nervous about, love.”

“What do you mean?”

He smirked, his lips twisting in a crooked smile. “I mean—you can get acquainted.”

“W-when?”

“Now.”

“Now? I’m sorry I don’t see your brother around—”

“Not with my brother—with me.”, he corrected. 

You heard water dripping, him wringing the cloth out in his hands. His curls were dripping with water, the water beginning to cascade down his back and chest. You felt yourself swallow hard, getting distracted by the sight. He noticed, beginning to chuckle to himself. 

“I bet you’ve never even had a man appreciate your body, have you?”

You swallowed hard, shaking your head. You couldn’t even make eye contact with him, beginning to wringing his hands. “No.”

Your response was meek, even making you feel weak. 

He scoffed to himself lightly. “I thought so. Well, you can come over here—I don’t bite, you know—unless you want me to.”, he laughed.

Your lip curved, unsure if you should take his advice. Your entire body felt like it was shaking and you barely had the ability to move your legs, putting one in front of the other. His golden brown eyes were fixed on you as you walked towards him. He watched you swallow hard before he reached his hand out to take yours. 

“Don’t slip and fall.”, he began. “We need to first—get you out of these clothes.”

“We do?”

“We do.”, he confirmed, beginning to touch the soft cotton fabric on your shoulder. 

Considering it was hot and summertime, you were wearing a thinner gown to sleep in. It was nicer than anything you had at home, if you were being honest. Your mother and father had did their best to give you a good life but this was your chance to make theirs better. Would this one night screw that up? 

His voice was barely above a whisper as he began to carefully undo your grown, sliding the fabric off your shoulders. His fingers sent chills over your entire body as one hand gripped your shoulders and the other helped the fabric slide down until you knew your cleavage was revealed and soon your breasts would be. He noticed your breathing hitch and he stopped, his brown eyes focused on you. 

“Relax.”

You nodded, swallowing again. 

His eyes panned back down to your body, the gown sliding down almost like a curtain falling down. The soft summer breeze was blowing through, only causing the chills to intensify. You felt your nipples harden and wondered if he noticed. But he did. You were left completely naked in front of him. Little did you know, but to him, you looked like one of the sculptures. Perfect in every way. 

“Look at you.”, he cooed as he grabbed your chin, tilting your head up to force you to make eye contact with him. 

“So beautiful.”

“You’re giving compliments?”

“Only to you.”

“I’m not even in the running to be your wife.”

He chuckled. “Just try and relax. Let’s get you cleaned up a little.”

You watched as he grabbed a cloth and dipped it in the bath. Your eyes fluttered shut as you braced yourself for the touch, the sensation of the cool washcloth. He heard your sharp inhale as he took the washcloth over your skin, starting at the top of your collarbone. Even if it was a warm night, the water was cool. He was careful when he was washing you, something you were surprised he even knew how to do.

“How do you feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking how you’re feeling—about all this.”, Geta responded, as if nothing was pressuring him or bothering him.

It was nice that he wasn’t stressed in this situation.

“I’m—fine.”, you finally managed to get out as he moved down your arms. 

His strokes with the washcloth was soft and sensual. He knew what he was doing. 

“Are you?”

Your eyes finally opened to meet his. His eyes were fixed on you, watching you for every reaction as he moved the cloth. 

“Yes.”

“You seem nervous, love.”

“I’m no-not.”, you gulped.

He shifted his shoulders slightly, having stood in one position for too long, 

‘

“You are.”

“I mean—I’ve just never been with a man before—like this.”

“We’re going to learn a lot.”, Geta smiled, his perfect teeth shining. “You just need to relax and let me take care of things.”

“Have you been with women before?”, you blurted out.

Geta gave a hearty laugh. “Oh, love—I’ve been with many.”

You felt a pang in your chest and it was against better judgement. Why were you feeling this way about a man who didn’t feel this way about you? Deep down inside, you knew this was only about sex. Your mom had taught you very little about sex and how the human anatomy worked. All you knew was once a man and woman were married, they’d usually consummate their marriage and end up with a baby. How all that process worked, well—you weren’t sure. 

“I see.”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy you, darling.”, Geta smirked, tilting your chin up in order to force eye contact with him.

  You felt weak in this moment. He had power over you and he knew it.

You swallowed hard again. “How do—do you know?”

“Because you’re a virgin, aren’t you? No one’s ever taken a bite from that sweet apple. Have they darling?”

Your stomach twisted and curved in knots. You had never felt this feeling before and you were trying to wrap your head around it. 

“No.”

“Mhm and to think you’re going to let me have that first bite.”, he nuzzled his nose into your neck before kissing it softly.

Maybe there was a side to him that he wasn’t letting others see. 

“And who says I’m going to let you have it?”

You felt his lips pull away from your neck, finding him looking you dead in the eyes, his brows furrowing and eyes narrowing.

“You’d deny one of your emperors?”

That was the look a lot of Rome had saw too much. When Geta gave this look, heads usually rolled. In this moment, you could see ruthless ruler. 

“No—your majesty.”

His face relaxed slightly as he realized he was making you nervous.

“Very well.”

You held your breath waiting for what he would do next. You closed your eyes briefly as his hands slid down your waist and stomach. You heard water splashing lightly before his thick, broad hands found their way on your thighs. His cold rings sending chills across your delicate skin. 

Your eyes popped open. “What—what are you doing?”

“Just admiring you. Wouldn’t hurt for me to feel how tight and wound up you are for me, would it?”

Your stomach twisted into knots. 

“And how-how would you do that?”

Geta smirked up at you. “Just trust me.”

“Your majesty, please.”

“Spread your legs for me.”

With a thick sigh, you did as he requested. Who were you to argue with the emperor? You were glad he was holding your thighs or else you felt like your legs might give out. You felt his thick fingers trail up the inner side of your thigh right above your cunt. His fingers teased the outside of it.

“You’re already drenched, love.”

He heard another thick sigh escape your lips as you closed your eyes shut, almost as tight as they’d go. 

“It isn’t anything to be embarrassed about, love.”

You sighed again. “I know—I just feel like we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Why not?”

Geta paused, his fingers barely creeped up before entering your cunt causing you to lose your breath.

“I don’t-I’m not sure.”

He had rendered you senseless. You couldn’t even finish a complete sentence. A devilish smile curved across his lips as he continued to work his ringed fingers inside of you, hitting all the right spots. You bit your lip, trying to hold back any sounds but you weren’t even sure if someone could hear you out here. 

“Don’t hold back.”, he commanded as he felt you almost go limp in his arms. 

“Can—anyone—hear?”, you asked, breathless.

“No.”

That made you feel slightly more at ease. It didn’t take anything else to make you feel comfortable with him. At first, it was soft moans escaping your mouth. But as he kept pushing his fingers deeper inside you, rings brushing your walls, you began to lose yourself. Your eyes began rolling back in your head and he was barely doing anything to you.

He noticed when your moans picked up, becoming louder. 

“Like that?”

You nodded.

“I need words.”

“Y-yes.”, you managed to choke out.

His finger stroked longer and slower, drawing it out.

“Think my brother could do this for you?”

Your eyes opened, looking at him. He had clearly got your attention.

“The answer is no. My brother has never been with a woman before, if I’m being honest.”

He was cocky but you were beginning to love that quality about Geta. Caracalla seemed to walk more in Geta’s shadows or at least that’s how it appeared. No one dared to say it out loud. There was speculation that there was a lot of tension between the two brothers. Geta seemed so sure of himself and that was another reason he was so convincing. 

Before you could speak, his fingers slid deeper inside you, causing your stomach to twist and turn. He was hitting the spot that made you forget your name. All of this was new to you as you had never ever been with a man. 

“Found the spot, didn’t I?”

You nodded, trying to catch your breath. 

“Just wait until I put my cock inside you.”

Your eyes widened. He didn’t stop moving his fingers inside you which caused the heat in your stomach to build. 

“That’s right, I want to fuck you and make you mine.”, he confirmed. 

“What?”

“What did you think this was all for?”

“And how would—we explain that to your brother?”, you managed to get out in-between moans. 

“I’ll take care of that.”

The feeling in the pit of your stomach was intensifying, ready to come to a boiling point. He noticed it too and knew what was coming. He smiled again, his brown eyes watching you—waiting for you to release. It would be instant gratification for him. And he couldn’t wait. He watched with a hellish grin as your back arched and you let out the loudest moan you had all night long and he felt you tighten around his fingers.

He chuckled lightly and he felt you all over his fingers. You looked up at him, confused as to what had just occurred. 

“What—?”

“You came, darling. All over my fingers.”, he smirked as he slowly eased his fingers out of your cunt, causing you to gasp at the loss of contact. 

He brought his fingers up to his mouth, spreading them apart and admiring your juices on his fingers. Before you could speak, he inserted his fingers in his mouth and closed his eyes, reveling in the taste of you.

“You’re finer than anything Rome has to offer.”, he breathed. 

“I am?”

“Yes, you are, darling and now what if we go to my room and you let me take what’s rightfully mine?”

TO BE CONTINUED……

[thrifty-swiftie]

oh boy, let's go. tagged by the wonderfully evil @orfisheus

-sage green. i am a green girl.

-a glorious few years (no fucking clue)

-greece!!!! mamma mia summer!!!!!

-i fear a solid chunk of my closet is tiktok shop. the other chunk is taylor swift merch. and the last chunk is amazon. so...

-and with that wonderful segway, lets go through my spotify wrapped top 5 artists from last year: taylor swift, the 1975 (oh how those two did not age well next to each other), phoebe bridgers, boygenius, and fleetwood mac. (i want to be stevie nicks in the 1997 warner brothers studios silver springs performance.)

-me and some friends :)

-dancing with the stars oh my god i can talk about this show for HOURS. i force my family to vote for joey and jenna, i force my friends to vote for joey and jenna, and now dear reader YOU must vote for joey and jenna every tuesday.

-perpetually single, too many celebrity crushes to count.

-dream within reach? forensic psychologist. dream as in literal dream? actress.

-i am a tiktok addict its horrendous. i spend like far too much time on that app.

-my BABY! her name is daisy she's a dachshund she's 9 and she is my favorite thing ever.

-i have been battling a coffee addiction since middle school and have been happily losing said battle.

-mint chocolate chip and the ben and jerry's topped caramel chocolate cookie dough UGH i love them both too much to choose just one.

-cheating! i tag @daily-pat because you are my only friend <3

bye bye enjoy this shitpost in the sea of my random essays :)

random questions<3

ೃ⁀➷ hiii hi here’s just a random question form ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav color

: ̗̀➛ how long have u been on tumblr for

: ̗̀➛ wheres a place u always wanted to travel to

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav clothing brand(s)

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur fav singer/band(s)

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur current phone lockscreen

: ̗̀➛ most recent/current hyperfixation

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur relationship status

: ̗̀➛ what’s ur dream job

: ̗̀➛ outside of tumblr, fav social app

: ̗̀➛ do u have pets

: ̗̀➛ if u do have pets, what kind/how many

: ̗̀➛ do u prefer tea or coffee

: ̗̀➛ whats ur fav ice cream flavor

: ̗̀➛ tag at least three other tumblr accounts

my tags: @nyoclosmom @stuckysimp @cherikdogfood @xxqueenofdragonsxx @carpentrz

anyone else ofc feel free to fill out :) ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

[rpgchoices]

More on Davrin's past, arc and journal (part 2)

Part one where I wrote down all the banter about Davrin's Dalish past is here!

I wanted to put all codex (I could find) in order, divided by topic! (Also I wanted to say I will post more Davrin stuff on my personal blog @lucrezianoin haha to not fill this one with just Davrin!)

This is divided in:

Davrin's past and his feelings of guilt for the Dalish clan

Weisshaupt being the only home he has

Meeting Assan and the griffons (and naming Assan)

The Warden vs Nature choice for the griffons

Other (stuff on the Gloom Howler etc.)

Davrin's past and Dalish clan

Just a bit more here on Davrin's guilt for leaving his clan and we do get the confirmation that Davrin has not seen Eldrin since his kids days, and contacted him thanks to a chat with Rook.

Also interesting that the way Davrin was treated by Eldrin is very similar to the way Davrin treats Assan at the start. In the quest we also find out Eldrin was quite harsh (making him eat Halla food as a way to learn, which led to hours of hallucinations and sickness, and kicking his butt when he felt Davrin was wrong).

We don't really get that deep into it, but I like that while Davrin firmly believes in "Throw yourself at it, if you don't learn you get hurt" for himself, he squanders that idea pretty easily when it comes to Assan, even going so far as to start wonder if there is a "non fighting" future for Assan.

I will put this codex later on but I also wanted to show it here for Davrin's past, in "The Nature of Griffons" Davrin says: "Talking to Rook about Assan's insticts got me thinking. Can you change something you're born with? Or are we blank slates who can make our own way? Was I born a monster hunter, destined to do this job, or did I have a choice?" which makes me scream because I need to know what happened in his clan.

From the banter and his personal quests we know that Davrin hunted everything, and then started going to Eldrin's during the summers and he learnt to hurt darkness (monsters) and things that threatened the forest. Did he have a drive to hunt that Eldrin needed to re-direct, where were his parents? Were they the ones sending him to Eldrin? And why is it that a talk of nature vs nurture and his Dalish clan makes him think only of Eldrin and not his parents? (We realistically can imagine Davrin's mother is alive, given that during the gym scene Taash insults her and Davrin says "She can take it" when Taash apologize).

Weisshaupt (and the fall of Weisshaupt)

Davrin often talks about Weissaupt with affection and jokingly but the code really expresses that Weissaupt was his only home.

When Davrin leaves to follow Rook we find out that he knows the First Warden would not take him back. He describes the fortress in detail (loved the "libraries of books I'll never read, getting bruised and battered while sparring etc." as some nostalgic positive thing - miserable and exhilarating). And of course "It's the only home I got", which is telling knowing how he feels about his clan never taking him back if he asked.

And then the heartbreaking entry for Weisshaupt fall.

There are a few other entries:

Which also has a bit about Assan: "I have been thinking of Assan as an assignment: something I need to protect until he finishes his training. But we're in this together now, and it's time to lick our wounds and move on. I'm all he's got, and in some ways, he's all I've got."

How Davrin got to work with Griffons and meeting Assan

My favorite entries are about how Davrin got his assignement and how sweet he was on Assan (unknowingly!!) since the start!

We find out it was the First Warden (from Weisshaupt) that sent him to the assignment. I am still unsure how it works for a Warden who is a Monster Hunter, but we know from the entries that Davrin lived at Weisshaupt and considered it his home, so I supposed he was just sent here and there? Like a specialized Warden? He also mentions he was sent as a bodyguard, basically, and he seems both fascinated and a bit skeptical (they poop a lot haha, and he admires Lancit's patience).

And then he meets Assan. "There's one griffon, this little guy." From Endril's words we know Davrin used to be small and scrawny as a kid, so I wonder if he saw himself in Assan. "He's a little slow on the uptake, but he's fast in the air." And so Davrin suggests the name Assan for him. And my favorite part "If I do nothing else in this life, at least I can say I got to name a griffon".

We also have these late entries about the nature of griffons and Davrin's realization that they are not "made" for fighting by nature, but taught so. "Can griffons do anything else? Would they want to? I wonder". Also he is such a dad, writing about Assan's first taste of an apple.

About Assan and the halla, Davrin writes "the instincts of a dog herding sheep", and I personally think it is about learning. There is a moment in the dialogue at the start of Davrin's recruital where we find out that griffons learn better in groups, they clearly are very social animals. I fully believe Assan fed the Halla simply because he saw Davrin doing that, he learnt from watching, he sees Davrin taking care of Halla so he learns that is the thing to do and how it is done.

Then we have some notes on Griffon's extinctions, and a note about Assan's love for gingerwort truffles (which Davrin tried and did not like.. we also find out Davrin hates broccoli... please Davrin... I love broccoli...)

Warden Griffons vs Arlathan Griffons

These are the two different notes:

Interesting the "Warden" choice starts with "Deciding where the griffons should go wasn't easy" which is not present in the Arlathan choice. I do not think there is a right/wrong choice, but after reading this I will always lean more towards Arlathan.

"it's time they got a chance to explore nature instead. The griffons are going to love Arlathan"

Other codex

Interesting that he says he does feel sympathy for Isseya.

[avengerscompound]

The Tower - A Quiet Afternoon

The Tower - A Quiet Afternoon

Series Masterlist

Pairing:  Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 1805

Warnings:  none

Synopsis:  Hulk and Elly spend a quiet afternoon exploring the forest with the twins.

Author’s Note: Requested by SabrinaAlexis29 on Wattpad. You can send in your requests too.

A Quiet Afternoon

Takes place between Unexpected and The Queen of Asgard.

It was one of those perfect fall days, a pleasant cool on the tail end of a sticky and uncomfortable summer, but not yet cold.  The Avengers Compound was the perfect place to experience fall.  Almost every tree had turned shades of yellow, red, and orange, making the forest's canopy surrounding the base look like it had been set on fire.

I was making the most of the day, playing outside in the garden with the twins.  Pietro and Riley were two and toddling about everywhere.  It was amazing how similar the two children were considering they had different fathers.  Both had wispy blonde hair and clear blue eyes and were about the same height and stature.

Riley was the louder and more precocious of the twins. She had no problem making herself heard when she wanted attention, and we had to keep an eagle eye on her because if she got out of sight for a second, she would get into something she shouldn’t.  With Riley, you had to worry when she suddenly went quiet.

Pietro was the opposite.  He was quiet and sensitive.  He loved cuddling up to his parents, being read to, and being carried around so he could ask what everything was.  His first words were; ‘What’s that?’  With Pietro, you knew he was in trouble when he got very loud.

So far, they both seemed to be happy and loving children.  If there were any negative effects to being raised by ten people - Avengers at that - they weren’t showing it yet.

I was sitting on the grass with them, blowing bubbles as the twins toddled around trying to catch them when there was a huge bang followed by a roar from the direction of the labs. Both the kids froze and we all looked in the direction of the sound.  A moment later the Hulk came crashing out of the canopy and landed on the lawns behind, sending a flock of birds flying out in a cloud behind him.

He kept running, bounding along in our direction looking wild and angry.  Something big must have just happened in the lab and set him off.

“Hulk!” I called.

“Hulg! Hulg!” the twins echoed.  Hulk screeched to a stop leaving large divots in the lawn.  He looked over at us with his head tilted and as soon as his gaze settled on us, his features softened.  “Babies!” he said, breaking out into a huge smile.

He jogged over to us, stepping over the fence into the backyard.  He crouched down as low as he could and the twins toddled over to him with their hands up, repeating the word ‘Hulg’ over and over.  When they reached him, he sat down and held his hand out for them to come and hug.

“What happened, Big Guy?” I asked, approaching him.  “What was that bang?”

“Fire,” he grumbled.  “Hulk burned.”

I furrowed my brow and looked him over.  He looked fine, but there was a chance Bruce got burned and that turning into Hulk healed it.  “That must have been scary.”

“Hulk not scared,” he huffed.  “Never scared.” 

The sound of thrusters caught my attention and I looked up again.  Tony flew over the top of the trees and arced down to us, stopping just out of Hulk’s and hovering in the air.  “Oh good,” he said, his voice a little tinny over the speakers of the Iron Man armor. “You got this, El?”

“Yeah, we’re good.  You blow something up?” I asked.

“Something blew up.  Whether it was me that caused said explosion will be up for the lawyers to decide,” he said.  “I better go clean up though.  DUM-E is terrible at that sort of thing.”  He turned to the kids and waved at them.  “Bye, kiddos. Love you.”

They both waved at him.  “Lub, lub!” they shouted.

He mimed blowing kisses to us all then shot off again, leaving the four of us alone.  I turned my attention back to Hulk.  “Shall I get out the harness so we can take a walk?” I asked.

He grinned at me. “Walk!”

The harness was something that Tony invented.  It was hard for the Hulk to physically interact with the children.  He was so big and they were so small, and dexterity was not one of Hulk’s strong suits.  So Tony had created a special harness to fit him that worked as a baby carrier for both children.  That way he was able to carry them both in front of him without risk of them wiggling out of his grip or him squashing them.

I left him alone with the kids for a moment while I ducked inside and grabbed the harness.  When I returned, Riley had managed to climb up on Hulk’s leg and Pietro was putting flowers on his hand.

It was a precious sight.  It was amazing to think that here was this guy - the personification of Bruce Banner’s rage and hurt that had been doled out to him by his father - a guy that many thought of as a monster, and he was as gentle as a lamb with his children.  People were always so quick to judge, and I felt like that judgment was part of what set the Hulk off.

I put the harness on Hulk and set the twins into their spots.  They clapped excitedly and began to wiggle.  “You all ready?” I asked.

“Go, go, go!” the kids squealed.

Hulk lifted me onto his shoulder and when I had a good hold of him, he took off at a jog.  The twins squealed and giggled as Hulk jumped over the fence and ran into the forest and down the side of the Hudson River.  Any time their laughter got particularly loud, it set Hulk off too and his deep booming laugh would echo through the trees.

I couldn’t stop smiling.  It had always been fun to be carried around by Hulk like this, but adding the laughter of Hulk and the twins to the mix, it was like chugging pure serotonin.

He jogged up the river’s edge for a while and when he reached the border of the compound, he turned and ran deeper into the forest, until we got to a clearing that we sometimes visited together.  There was a little waterfall and the kids loved watching the fish gathered in the pool at the bottom and collecting shiny pebbles.

Hulk stopped and set me down.  “Explore,” he said.

“Of course,” I agreed and got the twins down.

I supervised as the three began to walk around the area.  It was such a pure and wholesome sight watching Hulk with the kids.  He followed them around as they explored the area. Anytime one of them stopped to examine something, he’d crouch down low and look with them.  If they picked something up to show him, he would hum, nod, and make a comment.  ‘Pretty rock,’ ‘Cute bug,’ ‘Good flower.’.  Every time he did it they cooed and squeaked and then would toddle on to the next thing.  It was absolutely precious.

They stayed at it for quite a while, but the twins had been up for a bit and eventually, they both started yawning.  Hulk turned to me and furrowed his brow.  “Babies tired.  Bedtime.”

“I think you’re right.  We should head back home.”

I put the kids back in the sling and Hulk hauled me back on his shoulder.  The squeals and giggles started again, but they weren’t as full of energy as they had on the way out.

When we got back to the house they’d mostly gone quiet, and the four of us went into the main family bedroom and I took them out of the slings.

“Story?” Hulk asked.

“Sure.  Let me just change their diapers.  You want to get comfy?” I asked.

He curled up on the mattress, and I lay the twins down side-by-side and changed them.  They were so tired now that not even Riley put much effort into wiggling away on me.

When they were both changed, I grabbed one of their picture books and climbed up on the bed.  The twins lay down next to Hulk tucked under the blankets, and the Hulk put his head in my lap.

“Alright, let's see here,” I said.  “Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare’s very long ears…”

I read ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ to the trio, my fingers scratching back and forth through Hulk’s hair, massaging his scalp.  The twins were so tired that it was barely two pages in before Pietro fell asleep.  Halfway through Riley had stopped wiggling around and drifted off too.  I kept reading until the end, and Hulk relaxed more and more as I read.

“Like that one,” he said, his voice a soft sleepy rumble.

“Yeah, me too,” I agreed.  “It made me cry when I first read it.”

He chuckled softly.  “Puny, Elly.”

“Hey now!” I laughed. “Be nice.”  I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his temple.  “I had fun with you today.  Thanks for helping with the kids.”

“Hulk had fun too,” he said.  “My kids.”

“Yeah, they are,” I agreed.

He turned his head up to look at me.  “Hulk loves Elly.”

“Elly loves Hulk,” I replied, leaning down and kissing him softly.

He hummed when I pulled back, and his body began to shift, twitching and shrinking in on itself, the green fading from his skin, until Bruce was left lying in my lap and looking very confused.  I gave him a moment to figure out where he was and that he was safe, just continuing to stroke his hair.

“You okay?” I asked softly.

He nodded.  “Yeah.  Are you?  I didn’t hurt anyone, did I?”

“Nope,” I said.  “Hulk found me and the kids and we’ve been hanging out ever since.  Everything’s fine.”

He let out a sigh of relief.  “Tony blew up the centrifuge. I have no idea what he put into it.  Scared the life out of me,” he said.

“Sounds like Tony,” I agreed, and leaned down and kissed him softly.

He smiled into my lips and reached up and cradled my cheek.  “I am grateful for every day I’ve known you, El.  Who knows what would have happened before you came along.”

“I’m sure they would have got through to you.  Nat had the lullaby after all.”

He shrugged.  “Maybe.  But this is different.  He really loves you and the kids.  Me too.”

“Well, the feeling is mutual, B,” I said.

I kissed him again.  My partner with two souls, constantly laboring under the belief that his love was a burden.  It was far from it.  It was easy to love them.  One day I hoped he’d really understand that.

~ END ~ 

[spindle-girl]

Daybreak 1.1

Let's get started

It was a second chance for humanity as a whole, and they’d gone and screwed it up from the start by coloring the city gold, of all colors. ... All put together, the light that bounced off of the city and reached skyward gave the clouds linings that were gold, not silver.

i wonder how much of this hate for gold is because of Scion's attacks or Khepri's portals. probably both. i do like the gold lining, seems like a fun visual.

Plaques were recessed into three of the four faces – the fourth had come free and fallen after the collision. Each plaque bore an etching of a face, a name, a date of birth, a date of death, a message. ... They were part of an initiative by an independent cape, a hero turned rogue, helping out.

with all the anti-cape stuff that's popped up so far and knowing it continues later on, i'm surprised projects like this aren't talked about more. a genuine moment where a cape is doing something nice with their powers. maybe this guy is an outlier or the other stuff the capes get up to weights more than it--which is fair since even the apartment stuff in Ashley's prologue is enough to get pissed off at--but with how much hate the Advance Guard gets in this section it seems forgotten that the whole reason the crowd is getting angry is over something a cape provided being destroyed by an accident anyone can do.

The crowd, too, seemed to realize that the situation had mostly de-escalated.

sigh

The summer heat was holding out through the start of September, making things just a little more uncomfortable, tempers a little shorter.

Ah! an estimated date. i want to try and keep track of all these to work out a proper Ward timeline since the one on the wiki is lacking.

We’d called him the second cape after Scion, but he might well have been the first, after all.

hello Vikare, congrats on getting mentioned in the first chapter instead of the first interlude. moving up in the world. if there's ever a parahumans 3 you might get a pov chapter. really tempted fate naming yourself after Icarus.

“Work,” I said.  “They wouldn’t fire me, especially if I explained.  I’d get in trouble, maybe, but I wouldn’t mind much.  Job is… a seven out of ten fit.”

i'm down right jealous rn. 7/10 seems great for a job

As in most things having to do with law or bureaucracy, it took longer than it should have, for a relatively simple process.  I hurried to the high school once they were done with me, and I arrived rather late.

Victoria is going from one bureaucracy to another lol

We had grass and fields, yes, but it was coarse and the ground beneath wasn’t usually landscaped. The area was large with large trees left untouched in the corners, chain link fence separating the field from the roads on two sides, the grade school formed the third boundary to the west, and the high school formed the fourth boundary to the north. The ground was uneven, more hilly than flat, and there were still large stones here and there, and a seemingly out of place play structure for the grade schoolers.

nothing much to note here, just that the paragraph made me remember some good memories.

Point_Me_@_The_Sky: If you stop by? I set up tarps by house. Make sure they still there & no water getting through? Lost cause maybe ~P.5 ... My destination wasn’t in the high school, but was across the street. It was an open building with a partial second floor. ... My office was the closest thing I had to a home, in this world. ... I’d rigged up tarps to keep the water off that corner of the house, but some of that moisture had been coming up from below.

okay. this is just sad. literally calls her office her house

I opened a notebook and began searching through it. I found the name before the internet succeeded in connecting.

this is about Victoria finding the cape who was building the pillars. i have no idea why there was a whole arc of the Undersiders sneaking into the PRT to steal their database. it seems like New Wave had access to it all if she can find random capes in her collection. should have just walked in and grabbed it while they were out heroing.

From: Deferent.I@Mail Subject: Re: Damaged Pillar I already heard.  Advance Guard were on the scene and let me know.  Will have it fixed tomorrow.  Thanks.

this just makes it seem like Deferent has access to much faster internet than Victoria does if they can check their emails and respond relatively quickly while going out and building as many pillars as described earlier. dunno, it's out of place with the descriptions from Victoria booting up her computer and the glowworm chapters. maybe he got better tech to be able to respond to stuff quicker?

She spent a lot of time palling around with a biotinker called Blasto. She kept going back to him to pair up. Might have been boyfriend-girlfriend, even. That ended when the Slaughterhouse Nine passed through Boston. We don’t know what happened to Blasto, but we can guess it wasn’t good.

rip Blasto. Defiant didn't care enough to note what happened to you

“She did her time,” I said.  “She made a mistake, she paid for it as much as she was able.  We don’t have enough good jails and so she’s free, and it looks like she’s trying to do good.  That’s pretty decent, really.  She’s not the enemy here.”

this will be interesting for later. i am surprised in general that Fume Hood is getting brought in this early. i vaguely know what happens to her so I guess it makes sense she gets some focus early on

End thoughts:

i'm like the story so far. while Victoria is obviously weary of there being a coming conflict between capes and non-capes, i think there are a few lines hinting at her feelings of separation from them. namely how she doesn't like the pillars, which seem to be for the civilians. tbf, it could be her not wanting reminders of Gold Morning or a reminder of the Leviathan fight where after there was a similar memorial that a quarter of her family was on. i could understand that.

nothing wrong with the story, but i really don't like the patrol group or Gilpatrick. reminds me of the rotc guys at college

[monomorphilogical]

Small town summer

laying in the dried grass with my bare legs scarred old and new

and everybody's worried but I know I'll pull through

summer days flying by spent wasting time in the burning sun

keeping my records spinning — I'm having fun

I could stay outside forever so long the weather's sweet

watching my neighbor mowing in the lawn as I kick up my feet

laying at rest and undressed in the heat of july

the birds fly by and I wonder what it's like to be up that high

with my head in the clouds until my wings to melt away

but I know God already hates me for the way I pray

'cause a while ago I met up with a boy again after five years apart

went back and forth reminiscing and I let it break my heart

figured out I still loved him when he wanted to be all up in my body

so I said my goodbyes and God knows I cried but I'm still happy

aimlessly driving up and down the streets of my small town

and sitting in the parking lot for hours with the windows rolled down

it's simple and it's sweet and it's just about everything I need

there's nothing to do but cigarettes to smoke and books to read

and I'm still taking pictures besides those farm field byways

meeting riders with their sunglasses like warming up to strays

the sound of their engine revs up passed the side of me

we're all born to ride or die and I almost taste their kind of free

with their leather jackets and fraying holes in my jeans

I'm chasing a getaway high and I never know what it means

'cause I learned to toe the line in the boots I've kicked dust with

took a leap of faith and crossed it on august the fifth

there's a red low rider between greenhouses and backroads

promised I'd only come by to take a look but who knows

I still drove up to his car waiting there for me around the bend

kept my hands on his wheel and my eyes on the road's end

'cause he's got a real winner smile and too much to lose

and he never listens when I tell him he's gunning for a bruise

I always pick the ones who look some kind of mean

waiting for a smile when they think no one's looking in between

but everyone knows small town talk filters through the walls real fast

God knows I should keep my head down — it'll never last

'cause the time moves fast with the needle pegging fifty-five

down a beaten down concrete road that will one day take my life

and there are these cars rolling up beside me at a red light

I never know who they are but they tell me I'm a familiar sight

they've seen me walking by wearing all black in the summer heat

pulling on all my small talk until I give it to them sweet

and I fall short on their stranger check-in — hey how you've been

but I want to know how all of them rumble from within

'cause I still can't help digging my fingers in every open space

I don't ask anyone for their name but I never forget a face

my mother used to say that I never play it safe until I have to be

but it's always worked out in the end so it never got to me

now sunday mornings find me swerving across that single lane

cold hard metallic but my blood runs warm through the vein

my car's speakers crackle at the end of every radio station song

thought I'd end up growing tired of it but I was wrong

I could stay out there forever getting high on fractured concrete

it's a small town summer and I'm finally in the driving seat

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

Hello may 31th anon! Look at that, another year behind us and a new one to come. Have a nice day! ₍՞◌′ᵕ‵ू◌₎♡

[albino-parakeet]

”In the Presence of Ancients”

A bonus silly thing I drew is under cut ( it’s a video and it’s probably loud so warning‼️)

Audio:

Gray! What the fuck are you doing? HOW DID YOU GET UP THERE?!

[james-spooky]

this is a test

[andro-dino]

Finally finished this piece from :checks notes: June.

[mayflydecember]

so like does somebody wanna buy me a new car lmao

[la-galaxie-langblr]

what is going on w my brain

[savage-rhi]

Some other pink variant cause idk