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atlaculture · 6 months ago

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Hello!! Firstly, I love your blog, thank you so much for providing such useful and interesting information! Secondly, how was pirate culture in the Qing dynasty? Especially in regards to their clothes. I'd like to make an Earth Kingdom pirate oc, so I've been taking some inspiration from Jiang from the comics and Ching Shih, a famous pirate, but I'd love to see any information you could provide about this topic! Thank you!

What a neat question! The pirate culture during the Qing Dynasty was really interesting. Since I know I have a lot of historical fashion fans follow this blog, I'll show you the inspiration board I created first and then try to connect it to the Avatar world. If you're interested in the history of Qing era pirates or the greater context behind my clothing recommendations, you can click on the "Keep Reading" line.

So what might the pirates of the Qing Dynasty have worn?

Since Qing Dynasty pirates spent most of their time in the South China Sea and docked along the China-Vietnam borderlands--- both the Qing Dynasty and the Tây Sơn Dynasty had employed these pirates at different points in time--- they were likely a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese culturally, if not ethnically. Their clothing would reflect this, as well as incorporating fabrics and cuts that would be suitable for a tropical climate. In general, their wardrobe would be very Southeast Asian in style.

Since you seem to be designing a female OC, I figured I'd make a collage of clothing and accessories that a Qing Dynasty lady pirate might have.

Headwear

Khăn lươn (Vietnamese Women's Headwrap) - Used to keep hair neat and out of the way. It's like a halfway point between a turban and a hairband.

Khăn mỏ quạ (Vietnamese Women's Headscarf) - A bandana that Vietnamese women would wear over their Khăn lươn to shield their hair from the sun. It literally means "Crow's Beak Scarf", because the bandana forms a triangle shape at the front.

Mũ chữ Đinh (Vietnamese Military Officer's Hat) - Many Qing Dynasty pirates would offer their services to the Tây Sơn Dynasty (Vietnamese) navy. I can imagine some pirates wearing these hats as a spoil of war.

Nón lá (Asian Conical Hat) - A traditional hat that is commonly worn in Asia by any profession that labors outside. It's probably the hat most associated with East and Southeast Asia.

Đinh Tự (Vietnamese Women's Hat) - A giant, wide-brimmed hat made from dried palm leaves--- it's basically an Asian conical hat on steroids. Whereas the nón lá is relatively gender-neutral, the dinh tự is considered a feminine hat.

Tops

Yếm / Dudou (Vietnamese/Chinese Halter Top) - Fun Fact: Its original purpose was to keep the belly warm, as the stomach is the sea of chi!

Áo gấm (Vietnamese Tunic) - A thin overcoat worn over the yếm. It's often fastened with a sash.

Áo bà ba (Vietnamese Folk Shirt) - A lightweight shirt with slits on the side.

Suoyi (Chinese Folk Raincoat) - A cloak made out of local materials such as palm leaves and grass. It was also worn by laborers in Vietnam, Japan, and Korea.

Bottoms

Kangkeng Le (Thai Fisherman Pants) - They're from Thailand, but I've seen them worn in other parts of Southeast Asia.

Váy (Vietnamese Skirt)

Miscellaneous Speculation

Kiềng (Vietnamese Gold Necklace) - Traditionally, gold or silver Vietnamese/Chinese necklaces were solid rings of metal, rather than being composed of small chain links like European necklaces. I imagine a powerful Asian pirate queen would wear at least three kiềng necklaces.

Tattoos - Since Confucian cultures traditionally considered body modification (including cutting your own hair) to be a sign of rebellion and criminality, tattoos would be the perfect status symbol for an Asian pirate! For a uniquely Vietnamese look, you could try incorporating ancient Vietnamese (Dong Son style) patterns to your design. Alternatively, they could have "protection charm" tattoos on their body, to ensure that the spirits watch over them while at sea or during battle.

Cormorants (Fishing Birds) - Historically, the fishermen of China and Vietnam have trained these species of bird to catch fish for them. I think it would be really cool if your pirate OC had some bird companions.

Weapons

Going to lean into the Vietnamese influence for the weapons as well. Most Vietnamese weapons were heavily inspired by Chinese weapons, but with uniquely Vietnamese touches. Generally, these weapons tended to have more tapered blades, metal engravings with floral patterns, and rattan-corded grips with smaller guards compared to their Chinese counterparts.

Dadao/Trường đao (Chinese/Vietnamese Machetes)

Jian/Kiem (Chinese/Vietnamese Doubled-Edged Swords)

Changdao/Guőm truòng (Chinese/Vietnamese Two-Handed Swords) - Fun fact: These swords were really popular with Chinese and Japanese pirates during the Ming Dynasty, as well.

Niuweidao - I don't think there's a Vietnamese version of Oxtail Sabers. Anyways, I've discussed Zuko's trademark swords at length elsewhere. They're civilian weapons that look very pirate-y to me.

Who would the Earth Kingdom pirates be? How would they make a living?

It has been shown that their is a Vietnam analog in the EK, as I've posted about before. The Swampbenders have some Vietnamese inspiration, as well. So the main base operations for EK pirates might have been that EK village that Zuko and Iroh begged in. Maybe the jerk that Zuko stole the swords from was a pirate.

Considering that Froggy Swamp denizens and other Water Tribers would probably be marginalized by EK society, I think their would be good reason for them to become pirates. Especially since waterbending would obviously be a very useful skill to have at sea. Also, since the Northern Water Tribe is shown to be a bit sexist, I could see the surprisingly not-as-sexist world of EK piracy being especially appealing to the ladies of the NWT. As far as EK natives go, farmers and fishermen who've been displaced by the Fire Nation would probably also turn to piracy. Similarly, jaded or corrupt Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation naval officers might switch to piracy, as well. What drives a person to piracy would definitely inform their clothing choices and weaponry.

Like the real-life pirates of the Qing Dynasty, Earth Kingdom pirates likely have no real national loyalties. If you paid them enough, they'd be willing to fight for either the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom. You also have to pay them off to cross their territory unscathed. Pirates raid merchant and military ships alike. For refugees who could afford it, they likely paid pirates to smuggle them into Ba Sing Se. Pirates probably also smuggled goods between nations, as well as drugs.

I also think Earth Kingdom pirates would worship water-related spirits, like Yue (+ the Ocean Spirit) or the Painted Lady. Perhaps they'd lay out offerings to spirit alters they'd have onboard or even "feed" the offerings to the seas themselves.

The Greater Context of Chinese Qing Dynasty Piracy

Who were the pirates of the Qing Dynasty?

The pirates of Qing Dynasty were predominantly made up of former farmers and fishermen. During this period, population growth in China lead to land shortages and many farmers lost their land either from being unable to keep up with rising taxes or outright theft from corrupt officials. Fishermen turned to piracy when fishing could no longer guarantee their survival, especially with European pirates and colonial ships invading their waters. In general, extreme poverty drove people to piracy.

Also, Chinese pirates were surprisingly more accepting of female leadership than men from more "respectable" parts of society. This is due to the fishermen roots of many pirates. Traditionally, when a fisherman died, his wife was expected to take over his boat and crew. Also, the two most prominent patron Chinese gods of seafarers are goddesses, Guanyin and Mazu.

What did these pirates do?

Qing Dynasty pirates were a unique fusion of bandit, mercenary, and drug smuggler. Obviously, if you planned on sailing through pirate-infested waters, you had better pay off the pirates to be left unscathed. Otherwise, your ship was getting plundered.

Qing pirates also offered up their talent for violence to the highest bidder during times of war. In the 18th century, Imperial Vietnam would frequently hire and train up Southern Chinese pirates to assist their fleets during naval battles. Those who earned merit during these conflicts would even be granted official military titles. In 1857, the Chinese government would even employ these same South Sea pirates to take down the Portuguese pirates terrorizing their waters.

Finally, as Qing Dynasty piracy reached its epoch at the same time as the First Opium War, Chinese pirates participated in a lot of drug smuggling. As pirates have no loyalty, they had no issue serving as middle-men in the profitable European drug trade.

Where were these pirates found?

The South China Sea was the stomping ground for Qing-era pirates, particularly the Gulf of Tonkin. In terms of ports and towns, they tended to spend a lot of time in the border areas where China met Vietnam. Remember that these pirates offered their services to both Imperial Vietnam and Imperial China, so they didn't exactly have national loyalties.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar #atlaculture #earth kingdom #vietnam #cultural fashion #cultural weapons #I went a bit overboard with this post #no pun intended #I'm just really into the idea of incorporating more Southeast Asian cultures into the ATLAverse #I also just think outlaws are kind of neat #replies

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rhadamanthes · 2 months ago

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Thinking about domesticating Toji... When you first met him his brute charm and grumpy personality enticed you. A bull in a china shop as they say. You are aware of his past and all the reasons he is the way he is, and you love him like that, you just have to soften his hard corner sometimes; Opening and holding the doors for you, walking at your own pace when you're wearing heels... Seeing him do these things with his signature moody face is endearing but sometimes, sometimes his gruff nature takes the upper hand and you have to remind him to be a good boy. Like today;

Toji is sitting inside the car about to start the engine when he realizes you're not by his side. Through the window you can see his eyes slightly bigger than usual looking at you curiously, you stare right back at him. A grin spread on his lips, accentuating his scar. Hopping off the bronco, Toji meets you outside, circling your shoulder with his beefy arm. He plants a kiss on your cheek, making you step aside so you don't get hit by the door that he opens for you.

"Wouldn't want my precious girl to get hurt" he whispers in your ear "Need help to get inside?" he asks in a teasing tone, but you decide to ignore it.

"I wouldn't mind actually" Your boyfriend nods his head and picks you up bridal style, deposing your body on the passenger seat.

Pecking your lips he fastens your seatbelt "Can't forget about safety" he mutters patting your naked thigh "Anything else ?" Toji asks, resting his forearm on the hood of the car. He's leaning into it, shading you from the sun, his scent wraps around you and you allow yourself to admire him. The way his muscles flexes due to his position, his emerald eyes fixated on you, pupils in slits due to the spring sun reflecting everywhere, it makes him look like a big cat. The thought makes you smile. Are you the prey ?

"Fan me please" you say, fishing your pink paper fan from your bag.

"Give me a second I'll turn on the AC, yes ? "You shake your head left to right.

"Air conditioner makes me sick" you state pushing the fan into his empty hand.

Toji opens it in a swift movement, directing it toward your face, the soft breeze it provides makes you hum in content. You decide to test his patience today. Tugging at your collar, silently indicating to him to fan your now exposed skin. He indulges, closing your eyes you let a pleasant smile spread on your lips.

After a few minutes you decide to end his torture.

"Well let's get on the road, I'll hate for us to be late"

"I'll hate that too, doll" he smirks, putting the fan back in your purse as he makes his way to the driver seat.

Laying your hand on the cup holder you wiggle your fingers waiting for him to intertwine them. As a reward for his patience, you start to rake your nails up and down his arm with your free hand, resting your head on his shoulder. Toji is a sucker for this kind of touch, you almost hear him purr the more you touch him. Usually whenever you touch him it always digresses into something more, he can't keep his hand to himself when you're around, fortunately, he's driving now so he doesn't have a choice. Or so you thought.

⋆･. ˳ . ⋆

The car is pulled to the side of the road, you can feel it move from left to right as Toji parked in a hurry, not landing on a flat zone.

"Fuck is that good enough for you baby ? " Toji grunts as he rams into your cunt, face dipped into the skin of your chest, fucking you deeper and deeper into the seat. The leather under your skin cries with each of his movements.

From all the things you had to teach Toji, fucking is definitely not one of them. His stroke game is the best you had in your life. His knees are on the floor of the passenger seat as he pistons up inside your pussy, rendering you a squealing mess.

"mmh yes baby" you gasp, hands in his hair you pull lightly to make eye contact with him. "You're doing so good Toji" you moan, meeting his lips in a messy kiss.

In and out of the bedroom you like to compliment him, you can tell he's not used to it, his face expression always tenses when you do, waiting for the other shoe to drop. At his moment he looks proud.

"I am" he raps pistoning in your cunt. "I am" he repeats softer this time basking into your sweet words.

A few more strokes a few more praises and you both come undone, ruining the leather seat of the car.

Well screw that and screw punctuality too.

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delirious-donna · 1 year ago

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Demon In The Mirror [Sebastian Michaelis]

an: this is a rework of an old fic for a different character/fandom. I liked this fic idea and lovely Sebby really fit it, or at least I think so! I've been hyperfixated on the world's best butler so this scratched an itch for me.

pairing: Sebastian Michaelis x female reader

warnings: canon Sebastian, mirror sex, rough touching, praise, light degradation, biting, mark marking, dirty talk, pussy fingering, overstimulation, unprotected sex, mentions of blood (tiny)

Masterlist

A mirror–polished and unassuming as it stood in the corner of the room. It never lied, never hid the truth behind a veil of deceit. All it could do was reflect what it hungrily absorbed.

Truth laid bare for all who peered into its depths. The reflection of not only your physical reactions–the jerk of your limbs, soft quiver of your stomach–but your emotions poured into the surface and were somehow magnified back. Magic, perhaps?

On its own, the mirror was a beautiful thing, decoratively ornate and standing on claw feet. You gazed into it every morning to peruse your outfit and ensure your hair was coiffed exactly as intended. However, when you added what was showing on the calm surface at this moment, the mirror became a truly magnificent beast.

Two bodies entwined in a lover’s embrace.

Every detail was laid bare in exquisite detail, and this outcome was entirely your doing. Slender fingers with midnight nails flexed deliberately into your jaw, testing the strength you had long known against the delicate frame of your mortal body. The angle forced you to stare straight ahead, to witness what was happening to you in such clarity it stole the little air remaining from your lungs.

“You wanted this, did you not?” He lilted with an air of amusement that curled your toes. “I believe you were rather forthright with your desires this evening, at least you were once I coaxed them out of you.”

Sebastian Michaelis, the head butler and right-hand man to your father was a demon. As the eldest daughter in the family and well into your twenties, you were an anomaly to your father. He would have married you off years ago if it weren’t for your ability to chase away every suitor that called. The only person who had been able to get close to you was Sebastian if you could even call him a person. Except, you liked that he wasn’t human—humans were boring.

You cared not for whatever mysterious and demonic bond had been formed between him and your father. All that mattered was that he saw the real you beneath the prickly exterior you presented to the world. It had taken many months of flirtatious glances, heated whispers promising you all manner of carnal pleasure and touches that only grew in intimacy, but you considered Sebastian to be your lover for close to half a year now.

The only problem… he treated you with kid gloves.

“Sebastian… You know, it would be okay if you held me a bit tighter. If you wish to, that is.”

That was what had started it all, the words that led to this path of twisted pleasure.

You recalled the delicate touch of white-gloved fingers, how they curled around your biceps to draw you into his lap. His carefully fastened tie and top buttons were messily undone by your hasty fingers and his midnight hair was just the tiniest bit dishevelled from where you had brushed through it.

The demon gently pawing at you was more than capable of tearing people apart with his hands, the white of his gloves rarely soiled by the crimson remnants of the deaths he bestowed, and yet he held you as if you were fine china. Didn’t he know that the times you bore witness to his feats of strength had resulted in ruined undergarments beneath your gown? He was a sight to behold, tall and lithe with a presence that demanded respect despite being a servant by occupation. What you wouldn’t give for him to direct some of that power and strength towards you, on those intimate late-night visits to your quarters.

“But, my dear, you are so soft. I wouldn’t wish to hurt you.” The sentiment was huffed into the sweet crook of your neck, his warm breath fanning across your skin whilst he smeared lazy, wet kisses to your jaw and the pulse hammering beneath the surface. It sounded almost bemused, and that irritated you.

You were no porcelain doll only to be taken out when it suited and arranged delicately upon pristine sheets. You were no silly girl. You were a woman, goddammit, and you wished above all else to be treated as such. Apparently, your expression gave away your frustration, either that or Sebastion was simply well-tuned to the emotions swirling in your complex mind.

“Have I said something wrong, darling girl?”

With today’s gown laid neatly atop your dresser, the petticoats beneath bunched around your thighs and hips, you sat back on your haunches to glower at him. His finger idled with the lace fastens of your bodice, doing little to stop you from moving away from his embrace.

A petulant huff passed your lips, arms folded across your chest, and his easy smile dimmed in response. It should have been your first warning, but ire had a way of dulling your senses to danger.

“I will remind you that I am not made of glass, nor will I break if you…” The remaining words of your tirade seemed to become stuck in the back of your throat as your gaze met with Sebastian’s. The subtle carmine of his irises caught fire, glowing coals of ember that spoke of something… unknown? Worryingly unknown.

Maybe you had misspoken, your tone a little more harsh than you intended but it was too late to remedy. Your shoulders sagged, your body deflating rapidly from the hot air that filled you only moments ago.

The room charged with electricity, you could feel it press atop your head like a physical manifestation of a weight trying to crush you against your bedspread. Something was most assuredly wrong and it wouldn’t be long before you found out the consequences of your little outburst.

“If I what?” he hissed from between gritted teeth, white and gleaming.

Your eyes snapped to his face, and the stark lines of displeasure traced his cheekbones and brow. No longer were you gazing into the face of Sebastian, your lover, this was the demon that lurked beneath. The one you longed for and were going to suffer his wrath no matter if you tried to back peddle or not.

He sat up straight with a start, forcing you further back and almost tumbling you right out of his lap. A palm anchored around your wrist, tightening against the fragile tendons until they nearly popped and wrenching you forward until you were nose to nose. His breathing was harsh, your own picking up pace to match it perfectly. For a moment you thought he would speak but after many moments of staring back and forth, he pushed back and looked towards the periphery.

With a precision no man or demon should have, he caught the fingertip of his virginal white gloves between his teeth and slowly pulled each one free in turn. You squirmed watching him reveal his hands, the intricate design that you always did your best to ignore caught your attention but it was quickly stolen away.

That same hand shot forward to wrap around your hair, yanking on the length in one swift motion until your roots tugged painfully and your throat bared in front of his eyes. The breathless whine you expressed sounded truly pathetic, only matched by the arousal pooling in your underwear.

“Hm, so you won’t break if I do this?”

Sebastian reared back and bit around the slender column of your throat, not enough to break the skin but it hurt—it hurt bad enough to spark tears in your eyes. The sweep of his hot, wet tongue licked across the mark he made, tracing the indents his teeth had created along with a low grunt that sounded from the depths of his chest.

Cool, nimble fingers reached into the front of your bodice, teasing against your heated flesh before rending the garment clean in two. The noise of expensive fabric ripping thundered in the room and you gasped at the sudden chill covering your naked breasts.

It was hard to navigate the sudden flip in his demeanour, although you had all but asked for it. You braced your trembling hands over the lapels of his double-breasted jacket in an attempt to find grounding and solace, but there was none to be found. It appeared that your demon lover was bowing to your whims, you should be pleased, and yet there was a beat of trepidation in your heart. What had you let yourself in for?

As if sensing your wayward conviction, Sebastian moved with alarming ease to the edge of the bed. It was evident that your added weight meant nothing to him, and that alone made you moan into the shell of his ear.

He placed you down in a puffy cloud of your petticoats and stood to shrug out of his jacket and waistcoat but annoyingly left his shirt in place. It didn’t stop you from ogling him openly, knowing what lay beneath even if it was rare to spend the night with him completely nude.

A finger and thumb pinched into the fat of your cheeks, lifting your gaze from the blatant lust-filled staring to meet his eyes that had mellowed to a sparkling fuschia. He was so pretty, so devastatingly pretty that you clung to his wrist, blinking up at him with heat-filled cheeks.

“You will direct your eyes up here, and wherever I instruct, is that clear?”

Only when he was satisfied he had captured your attention and you had given your clear understanding did he release the grip of his fingers, settling beside you. He patted his lap in invitation and you were crawling before he could even raise a sleek black eyebrow.

Smooth palms decorated your sides, pausing to grope your breasts. Sebastian exhaled a laugh when the excess spill from your breasts squished between his splayed fingers, pebbled nipples grazing the hearts of his palms. You whined and rocked against the bulge beneath his tailored trousers, only feeding the frenzy of his wandering hands and how roughly he was exploring your smooth skin. It was a perfect storm of demonic lust and ardent excitement, the result of which resided in the pit of your stomach. You were drooling between your thighs, flushed by the thought of it and you knew he’d tease you when he discovered how wet you were.

“A needy little thing, aren’t you? Darling, surely you aren’t this desperate for my cock?” His hand was beneath the plumes of petticoats, zeroing in on your soaked panties before you could blink. Sebastian tsked whilst his finger stroked the sizeable wet stain that traced the length of your slit. “Deary me, you’re already soaked. One might think that this side of me excites you.”

Without warning, he bounced you from his knee, your feet found the plush rug by your bed but your balance was not to be trusted and you were thankful for the firm hands at your waist keeping you steady. That was until those ruthless hands were twisted in your petticoats and tugging them down your legs to pool around your twisting feet, followed by the sudden removal of the final piece of clothing.

You tried to shield your modesty–an arm slung across your breasts and a hand cupping your sex whilst stepping out of your panties when suddenly you were dwarfed by Sebastian’s taller frame. He appeared even taller than usual, though you weren’t sure if it was an illusion aided by the long shadows cast by the candles on your bedside.

A mere flick of his wrist and your hand dislodged from protecting your decency. He stepped right into your personal space to force his hand exactly where yours had once been and began to dig deeper. Your nails scrambled against the stiff white starch of his shirt, blinking up at him much too fast whilst he took no care to spread you apart with his fingers.

“A-ah, Sebastian!”

Again, he tsked you and clicked his tongue against his teeth in admonishment when a slick covered finger rose into your vision, sparking a fresh wave of heat in every inch of your body.

“Clean it off like a good girl,” he cooed, his voice dripping in honeyed sweetness that you did not trust.

This was not something you had participated in before, but you were determined to meet the challenge in his eyes and earn a sliver of praise that would bow your spine. The taste was surprisingly sweet, a little heavy on your tastebuds but you sucked the long digit between your lips and twirled your tongue around and around to better understand why Sebastian so loved to lay between your thighs and indulge.

He patted your head affectionately, lowering his hand to caress your cheek and smirked when you turned your face to press a kiss to his palm. Unknown to you his attention had snared on the standing mirror in the far corner of your bedroom, eyeing it with first curiosity and then wicked amusement.

You were uncertain why he was interested in the mirror, leaving you by the bed naked and vulnerable, to examine the gold-gilded frame and moving it with ease towards you. What on Earth..?

“What are you–?”

Sebastian cut you off, turning you roughly and sitting with you on full display for the mirror. It made you uncomfortable to see yourself this exposed, you barely looked at yourself in this state whilst bathing or dressing so to see the thick strands of lust hanging from your parted lips was jarring. A sensation writhed in your chest, a mixture of embarrassment mingling with a little pride. Your demon that stared from over your shoulder was here of his own free will, no contract or binding bid him to your side and that was an empowering thought.

He chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to your flushed cheek. “I am merely doing what you asked of me. You wished me to hold you tighter and be used like a pretty whore for the night, so I am doing just that.”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Ah, but you may as well have, my darling. Your body speaks far more readily than your mouth and I can hear it loud and clear.”

Before he had finished speaking, his thumb found your eager little pearl, stroking around and around in maddening circles without touching it directly. Sebastian shuffled beneath you and you felt the blunt tip of his cock trace along your cunt for the first time that night.

A thread of power pulled through the length of your spine, straightening it and you knew deep down that it was his doing. Your eyes flickered to his blazing ones, biting your lip enough to cause blood to bead. A heated kiss cleaned the offending crimson from your plump bottom lip. The scene was like nothing you could ever dream of. No book or play could conjure such images. It was enough for sweat to roll from your temples and he hadn’t even slipped inside yet.

“Can you see what I see?” He cooed, stroking the curve of your jaw with his thumb.

You weren’t sure you did. Sure, you were a carnal feast for the eyes but wouldn’t any woman be in this position? Evidently, he disliked your silent uncertainty.

“A strong woman who stood against her family and chose to take a demon as a lover instead of marrying into dazzling wealth.”

Your chin rose as the words hit home, the cool ferocity of his tone enough to make you clench around nothing but air and the promise of what was to come.

“You are mine. No one else could hope to take you from me. I speak these words now and I will die by them. Mine. Do you understand?”

Nodding weakly, you watched his features twist in the reflection of the mirror. The desperate hunger and possession stoked the fires of the demon. It was at that moment that he pushed the bulging tip into your leaking cunt, pushing deeper past the tight ring of muscles with an exalted sigh of triumph. Sebastian held you still, fingers gripping the meat at your waist to prevent you from trying to run from the stretch you were sure to be experiencing.

It only took one forceful rut of his hips to sheath himself halfway, forcing your silken walls apart, to accept him as you always did. The remaining air from your lungs expired from the sudden pressure and overwhelming feeling of fullness.

Steady hands braced on the inside of your knees to prevent you from closing your thighs and it only made your whimpers sound all the more desperate. You were met with a warning growl directed into your ear, fiery pain following from the sharp teeth that tore at your shoulder until the marks were clear in the watery image in the mirror.

You blinked through tears, struggling in the clutches of a beast you had never mated with before. This was different, and you knew that when he stroked himself to the hilt in your cunt, he felt bigger, wider even, and the tip of his cock knocked painfully at your cervix.

It was near impossible to keep your eyes open, not when they were filled with unspilled tears and your head and heart were pounding from the lack of movement. Scrunching your eyes closed was natural when all you wanted to do was roll your hips and surrender to the build of friction but you couldn’t.

“Watch.” He demanded, wetting two fingers in his mouth and smacking them against your jumping clit as punishment for daring to close your eyes. “This is what you wanted and you’ll see just how rough I can be.”

Here you were. Nude and being used for pleasure. Wrapped in a strong embrace that forced you to witness what you had brought about. Expert fingers pinched at your tender nipples and rolled the taut buds between finger and thumb whilst the other hand abused your puffy clit.

Your body trembled as another orgasm neared–you had no idea what number this one was and it certainly wasn’t the first.

“Oh. Oh, fuck.”

The words tumbled out in velvet tones, eliciting a dark chuckle from Sebastian. He delighted when you cussed, knowing that your usual etiquette was entirely lost and your decency stolen away by how he fucked your pliant body.

With every new wave of pleasure, you understood more and more about the monster holding you tight and you didn’t believe you could love him any more than you did right now. He could destroy you without so much as breaking a sweat and yet he chose to hold you like this. Yes, it was rougher than ever before but you knew there was still a gentleness to his ministrations.

This demon had found a mortal interesting enough that for the first time in his long existence, he had no desire to ever see his contract fulfilled.

His pistoning hips stopped; twitching cockhead buried against your cervix and the pulsing veins that ran the length of his thick shaft throbbed for release. He had assaulted the softy tissue buried behind your clit for long enough, it was time for him to find release too.

You were witnessing the birth of a million stars–a fucking cosmos--behind your eyelids as Sebastian massaged your insides in slow, deliberate circles. Every time you found the reflection in the mirror and met his potent stare, it made you whimper and rut even harder against him.

He was close, you could feel it with every laboured breath at the nape of your marked neck.

“What a picture you make, my dear, one I would love to hang in my room. You are all blissed out and ready for me to spill. Should I cum inside or paint your pretty stomach?”

Your head fell to his shoulder, and for the first time, he let you take your eyes off the show in front of you. Instead, he narrated it to you and that was almost worse. The seductive silky smooth tone of his words heated your blood beyond the boiling point.

“Oh my... look at this thick creamy ring around my cock… I could watch your pretty pussy drool over me all day.”

With a final shove of his hips, jets of heat coated your walls and you were spared from the embarrassment of begging for him to cum inside you. Sebastian grunted into your neck, the sensation of his hot mouth on your skin and the continued lazy pumps deep in your cunt tripped you over the cliff edge and into freefall.

Boneless, panting and mind blank except for the pleasure, your dazed eyes lifted to stare at the mirror.

Hair as black as a starless sky fell over your shoulder, strong arms clinging to your midriff and a mixture of viscous arousal dripped from between your trembling thighs.

Flushed and shivering, you bit your lip at the sight—your demon in the mirror.

#delirious writes #sebastian michaelis #sebastian black butler #black butler x reader #sebastian x reader #black butler smut #sebastian michaelis smut

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sifu-kisu · 8 months ago

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Parts of a Chinese Sword: The Jian and Dao Anatomy

Chinese swords are very beautiful and dangerous weapons that have played an important role in Chinese history and culture for thousands of years. Their intricate design and construction are a testament to centuries of Chinese swordmaking tradition.

One must be familiar with the complex workings of Chinese swords to fully appreciate their lethality and beauty and use them more effectively in Wushu or Kung Fu Chinese martial arts. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the various components of the Dao or Jian, the traditional Chinese swords, and their use.

Parts of the Jian / Straigh Double Edge

The Parts of a Jian Sword – Credits: Mandarin Mansion Antiques

The Jian is a type of ancient Chinese straight, double-edged sword that has been valued for over a thousand years. Its blade is long and narrow, while the handle is straight and slim. Soldiers, martial artists, and academics employed the sword in ancient China and surrounding regions. Together with the staff, spear, and Dao swords, it is one of the four key weapons in Chinese martial arts.

1. Jiantan – Pommel

The Chinese word for the pommel of a Jian sword is Jiantan, and it is there that the sword begins. It’s a metal weight at the end of the handle, and its purpose is to balance the blade so the user can have a firm hold. First only available in ring pommels, Jian pommels eventually evolved into more complex designs like the metal cap, ball, or teardrop shapes and the common disk pommel known today.

2. Jian Sui – Tassel

A Jian sword’s tassel is a decorative accessory that can be fastened to the pommel or scabbard. The Chinese sword tassel is often constructed from silk. This sheath beautifies the Jian and adds a few features that may or may not improve the sword’s effectiveness in battle.

3. Jianba – Handle

The different possible edge features on the Jian sword – Credits: Sword Buyers Guide

The Jianba is the sword’s handle, and it is always straight and slim, measuring somewhere between 6 and 10 inches (15 and 25 cm) in length. For ceremonial and combat purposes, it may be crafted from various materials, including bone, wood, horn, and even jade. The majority of Jianbas have a shorter handle designed for use with one hand, although there are also longer versions used with both.

4. Jian Ge – Guard

Traditional Jian sword guards are thin, tapered pieces of metal that can be angled in either direction relative to the blade and handle. In some cases, it can be round or square that goes between the blade and the handle. Its purpose is to shield the user’s hand from the oncoming blade and to stop the enemy’s weapon from sliding down the blade onto the hand. In some cases, it only serves as a beautiful ornamental piece.

5. Shaungxue – Hamon

A hamon is the visible line on the Jian sword that is sometimes on the blade but not always. It is a result of the differential hardening used throughout history to make the edges of the blade sharper by using clay. It is a feature most known today on the Japanese Katana.

6. Jianti – Blade

The blade of a Jian sword is narrow and long, normally measuring 23 to 31 inches (60 to 80 cm) but reaching as high as 47 inches (1.2 meters), and always tapers into a sharp blade tip. It is the only straight Chinese sword, one of just a few in the arsenal of Chinese swords, with no curving variant. The blade is forged from bronze, then iron, and finally, high-quality steel, and it is optimized for speed and accuracy when cutting.

7. Jian Ren – Edge

The straight Jian scabbard –

The sharp edges on both sides of the Jian’s blade are called Jian Ren. This Jian Ren has three sections and parts, mostly seen in the combat or martial arts type of Jian sword.

Top – razor sharp and used primarily for hacking, slashing, thrusting, but not blocking

Middle – semi-sharpened part of the blade but much thicker, which is used for slashing and blocking

Bottom – very thick, sturdy, and usually unsharpened for defensive or unorthodox offensive movements

8. Jian Jian – Blade Tip

The very point of the Jian sword is called Jian Jian. It is sharpened on both sides and made to be deadly when used for thrusting and piercing, but it can also be used for slashing.

9. Jianqiao – Scabbard

When not in use, a Jian sword is stored safely in its scabbard, called the Jianqiao. It’s usually crafted from wood and covered in luxurious materials like silk or leather. Metal fittings and tassels are two examples of possible embellishments for the scabbard.

Parts of the Dao Sword (Knife/ Saber)

The Parts of a Dao Sword – Credits: Mandarin Mansion Antiques

The Dao sword, often called the Chinese broadsword, is a renowned blade that has served Chinese warriors for millennia. Its defining feature is a single-edged blade, which can be straight or slightly curved and may be gripped in one or both hands thanks to the long, slim grip. The Dao sword has a long history of use in numerous Chinese martial arts traditions, but it was primarily a sword of the soldier thanks to its ease of use and simpler design.

1. Daoba Dingshu – Pommel

Usually, the Dao sword has a smaller metal cap of a pommel which can be ring type, as seen in the 20th-century use of the Dadao. However, the most common type is a round or wider disc shape. It serves as a back support to the user’s hand as well as a possible blunt attack tool.

2. Lanyard and Tassel

Like the Jian has the traditional Chinese tassel, so does the Dao. But most of the time, the Dao swords have a lanyard, which is meant to have a better grip on the sword and make this curved blade more effective in mounted attacks.

3. Daoba – Handle

The handle of the Dao, which can be as small as a person’s hand or the size of the blade itself, is called the Daoba. Its most common length is 8 to 13 inches (20 to 35 cm), and it can be used with one or two hands for powerful slashing attacks.

4. Daoba Shu – Ferrule

The small metal piece just under and between the guard and the handle is called the Daoba Shu. These are often circular metal rings made for extra joining and fastening of the handle and sealing and reinforcing the wrapping material.

5. Dao Hushou – Guard

The metal piece that protects the user’s hand between the blade and the handle is the Dao Hushou. The most common type of guard seen on a Dao sword is round or disc-shaped. It offers protection to the user’s hand but is fairly limited. It makes for an excellent marching or cavalry type of guard. However, It is also featured in the parts of a Katana known as tsuba.

6. Dao Cao – Groove

The early types of Dao Ren on the straight Dao swords, which curved with time – Credits: The Scholar General

The Dao Cao translates to saber groove and can be found in almost all types of Chinese Dao. They are sometimes referred to as blood grooves, but their real purpose is to lessen the weight of the blade so that it can increase the saber’s handling and speed. In addition, they make eye-pleasing aesthetics.

7. Dao Ren – Blade (Edge)

The sharpened side of the Dao swords, which makes them single-edged, is called the Dao Ren, which sets it apart from the Jian. This edge makes for an effective slashing tool that benefited from the curve added onto the later Dao types of swords. Thanks to the Dao Ren, these blades were easier to master and cheaper to produce, but still very effective in combat and became the main type of military sword for Chinese soldiers.

8. Dao Bei – Spine

The sturdy part of the Dao sword, which can hold off the flexibility of the edge, is called Dao Bei. This isn’t a sharpened part and can be either straight or curved based on the type of sword and can be used for defensive purposes too. Sometimes the blade can be made broader and wider, and there are instances of a spike on some Dao Beis.

9. Blade Rings

There are some cases of Chinese swords with rings placed on the Dao Bei or the blade’s spine. They are mostly for entertainment and ornamental reasons, but some say they are also beneficial in combat.

10. Tunkou – Blade Collar

An unsharpened piece of metal, usually on top of the guard of Dao swords, is called a Tunkou, which is a blade collar. This is placed for decorative purposes, mostly with traditional Chinese elements, but it also holds the blade tightly inside the scabbard, keeping it safe from the elements.

11. Dao Feng – Blade Tip

The very end of the blade is called the Dao Feng, the blade’s sharpened tip. There are cases where only one side is sharpened, but on some Dao swords, the tip is double-edged, making it ideal for both slashing and thrusting.

12. Daoqiao – Scabbard

The P-shape curved scabbard of the Dao sword – Credits: Mandarin Mansion Antiques

The Daoqiao, or the scabbard for the Dao blade, has the same features and materials as the Jian, except that it is curved. It protects the blade from outside elements and is a nice resting piece for carrying the Dao around.

13. Dao Shu Liang – Scabbard Suspension

The Dao Shu Liang is how the scabbard is different from the Jian. This tradition came from Persian influence on the west during the Tang Dynasty and is basically two ropes swinging from the blade that hold the swords in a horizontal fashion

#sifu kisu #atlab #northern shaolin #lok #northern shaolim #kung fu #jian #baguazhang #atlab lok #piandao #Jian Shu #Chinese sword fighting

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shini--chan · 1 year ago

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May I request 2p allies making their s/o mute as a punishment for trying to run for help.

⚫〰️⚫ Thank you

Alright, as the ask indicates, it is not a never family friendly post that awaits you up ahead. Excluding 2p Canada this time, since I had difficulty coming up with another form of mutness other than those described via the other characters.

This came out later than planned due to time management issues on behalf of the author. Nevertheless, enjoy!

Trigger warnings: body horror, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mutilation, misuse of medical procedures, drugging, malnutrition, dark magic

Yandere 2p! Allies - Silence is Gold

America

Allen would loathe to admit it, but he had come to like you when you were quiet. Aside from that, you looked so cute with your neck bandaged up. And those glares and petulant expressions you made! Oh, if he had known how agreeable you’d become after losing your voice, he would have done this far sooner.

That being said, it had been an accident - he hadn’t wanted to punch you in the throat, but you just had to jump in the way, when he was busy teaching that bastard a lesson. Therefore, he had had no choice but to cut open your throat to ensure you could continue breathing.

When you leaned down to take his plate, you purposely bumped his shoulder. Yes, you were still very upset with him about what had happened. However, the feeling was mutual. He slapped your arse when you straightened up again.

It caused you to perform a little jump and then glare at him.

“If I had known that you’d look so sexy with something around your neck, I would have bought you a set of chokers long ago, dollface. Don’t worry though - you look good with the bloodstained gauze as well”, he slyly complimented you. Oh, how it infuriated you.

You had tried to talk a few times these past days, causing the wound on your neck to reopen and weep plasma and blood everytime you did. As it was, you were lucky that you had gotten antibiotics, or else Allen would have been far stricter with you.

Petty as you could be, turned your back on him and flipped the bird as you marched back to the kitchen. At this, Allen could prevent himself from laughing.

Allen actually wouldn’t want to rob you of your voice, since half the fun in having you is that you talk back. However, he would discover the benefits of muting you after he would have to do it in some shape of form. Once doing so, he would find this experience refreshing and seek to replicate it multiple times in the future. Here, you would really be in danger of losing your voice permanently if you aren’t able to curb his … preferences.

The problem here is that he would find your muteness and the injuries connected to it to be unbelievably arousing. In ways, your life would biome harder than it already is thanks to that.

China

Could you really be blamed for panicking in a situation such as this? The rush of hysteria made the binds tying you down to the table seem even tighter than they were, and you felt like you were suffocating, no matter how fast you breathed. The air was too hot and your clothes too scratchy, with the latter made all the worse by the fact that you were coated in grim and your own dried sweat.

To your left, you heard Zao approach you. Since your head was fastened to the table, you only could see him once he appeared in your periphery. There was a horrid grin on his face, that stood in complete juxtaposition to what he said.

"My heart, this is really something I don't want to do, but you leave me with no choice."

You wanted to retort, but thought better of it just in the nick of time. He had a brown glass bottle at hand, and you didn't like all the warning labels on it, nor how close it was to your mouth.

"But give in and swallow, I promise to help you with your recovery if you comply", he told you in a sickly sweet tone as if he was talking to a child. As much as you wanted to shake your head, you couldn't. By now, you were trembling.

Two fingers pinched your nose firmly. After a few seconds, you started to become lightheaded and you heard and felt your blood pounding. Opening your mouth wouldn't be an option, since the bottle would immediately be emptied into your mouth if you did that. So instead, you opened the corner of your mouth and tried to breathe as discreetly as possible.

To no avail. The fingers that were on your nose went for your mouth and pried your lips apart. As valiantly as you struggled, the bottle still went in. The fluid caused your throat to burn, and when you accidentally breathed some of it, you let out a hapless scream of pain.

His method of muting you would be more permanent - rendering your vocal cords and throat useless by forcing you to drink acid or poison. This would either be the response to a multitude of transgressions, or him being particularly ticked off by an escape.

A side effect of this would be that you would be unable to swallow food or drink. But he would be there to help you, either by feeding you through a tube, an IV or by supplying you through your back door (i.e your rectum). This would serve as an extension of the original punishment. Additionally, you would be helpless and reliant on him.

England

When you finally woke up, you felt groggy and heavy, each of your limbs made of lead and your mouth full of cotton. Sleep drunk, you opened your eyes and eased yourself to a more upright position.

Not that it was more comfortable - there were kinks and knots in your back that only a professional massage could relieve you from. Why the hell had you fallen asleep here of all places? You were seated in an old dentist car, the once royal red faded. The contraption creaked ominously whenever you moved.

This was getting weirder and weirder by the moment. The twilight of the room you were in didn't help.

Your mouth felt dry and slightly numb, and your lips subsequently cracked. You parted your lips and wanted to run your tongue over the dried skin only to discover that you didn't have a tongue anymore.

Cold shock made you bolt upright and all at once, the world shifted into sharp clarity. Once again, you tried to stretch your tongue out only for nothing to move, not a stump. That was when you started to panic.

Lungs heaved as you tried to explain the situation to yourself. There was absolutely no pain, you weren't feeling weak. The taste of blood was absent, and the bitter sting of iodine or saline solution wasn't present either.

In your panic, you opened your mouth and stuck your fingers inside to feel for your tongue. It had been completely removed down to the root. There wasn't even puckered skin where the muscle would have begun. Tears started to leak from your eyes and you tried to force a few miserable sounds out of your mouth.

"Now, now don't engage in self-pity. You did bring this on yourself, my rose bud."

The blood in your veins turned to ice, and you halted your frantic movement. Despite the dim lighting of the underground room, you could clearly see Oliver Kirkland. He was seated on a red satin loveseat, and in the jar he had balanced on his knee was your tongue.

Oliver would use magic to completely remove your tongue from your mouth, aiming to insite as much panic in you as possible. As such, you'll only find out what he has done after completion of the procedure.

Instead of helping you to deal with the situation, he would mock you relentlessly. Furthermore, he would place the blame on you - it was you that ran away, it was you that forced his hand; everything that went wrong is your fault. The jar with your tongue in it would be placed in a spot that you'd have a hard time overlooking. A taunt, and a reminder that the amputation is only temporary. You just have to play being a good spouse for long enough and then he'd give you your tongue back.

France

Putrid pus stained the sheets as he pulled them away. Yesterday the colour had been yellow, but now it had a slight green tint to it. Francois brushed his fringes out of his face and tied his hair back to a sloppy ponytail.

With a soft sigh, and placed the bandages and tincture bottles on the bed next to you and tilted your head towards him. Sickness and the corresponding fever made your sleep deep, unlike it usually was. You didn't even stir when he lifted your head onto his lap.

At this point, it was up for debate what was sealing your lips more - the rough stitches or the infection. The swelling had distorted your mouth, so much so that it was beginning to block your nose and hinder your breathing.

Cursing softly under his breath, he set out to drain the pus from the needle wounds. He shouldn't have used the expired saline solution, yet you had given him no choice. You had been so busy thrashing and screaming around when he had sown your mouth shut.

Francois still didn't understand why you had put up such a fuss. The punishment was deserved and it made your resistance all the more pathetic. Seriously, had you really thought he would take you escaping lightly? How could you delude yourself into thinking he wouldn't take all those vile words that you had uttered upon being brought home to heart?

The pus drenched bandages were thrown into the bin, and he proceeded to down the injured tissue with iodine. You groaned in your sleep, and tried to open your mouth. A noticeable tremor ran down your body, and you stopped straining against the stitches.

Perhaps it was better that you were lost in a haze. It gave your captor more time to think and calm down.

Francois would elect to make your muteness temporary, but with some caveats. You'd wear scars around your mouth for the rest of your life and the mental and physical trauma would haunt you for years to come. Such a situation would have a high potential of arising if you poured your heart out to somebody else and incited them to help you escape.

Russia

This was getting more tiring by the hour. Slowly, you were asking yourself if this really was a punishment, or if it was one of Victor's loathsome social experiments. loathsome social experiments. They both tended to be alike, so it was hard to tell on a normal day.

“If you keep glaring at me like that, your face will distort to a permanent frown”, the man in question remarked. The knife repeatedly scraped over the wood in his hand, causing shavings to fly with every stroke of the blade. He didn’t even look up from his whittling when he said that. How rude.

Feeling petulant, you knicked a stone in the river. It was a nice day to be outdoors - the spring air was filled with the sweet smell of flowers, and the sun was shining through the birch tree. Though, you couldn’t bring yourself to be happy, not when he had brought you to the spot where he had captured you a mere week ago, picnic basket at hand.

You had difficulty swallowing every other bite, and also keeping it down. Now that bastard even insisted on staying a bit longer to enjoy the alleged peace and quiet that the forest offered.

With how frustrated you were, you opened your mouth in order to say something, only to receive a smack to the face with the flat side of the knife the second you opened your mouth. In shock, you quickly closed your mouth again and looked at him aghast.

This time, he was even meeting your eyes.

“You know the agreement, so don’t break it by talking now.”

Mutness wouldn’t even be the intended punishment at first - it would be offered as a second, milder option to a harsher punishment. Victor would have a habit of giving you an option of choosing between two or more punishments. It would be to give you an illusion of power over your own fate and an opportunity to assuage your character. Mind you, he would never give you the full details of the punishments that you can choose from.

In this case, he would enforce a “voluntary silence” upon you. You would have to refrain from speaking for a certain time interval, or else suffer a harsher punishment. This is one of his games with you, that would be designed to mould your personality to his liking. Also, this would be a form of discipline training for you.

#yandere hetalia #yandere 2p england #yandere 2p america #yandere 2p hetalia #yandere 2p china #yandere 2p france #yandere 2p russia #yandere #yandere x reader #x reader

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literaryvein-reblogs · 10 months ago

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Writing Reference: 5 Symbols

for your next poem/story (pt. 2)

For the Ancient Egyptians, the Ba was the symbolic representation of the soul.

It takes the form of a small bird with the head of a human being.

Could fly between its owner and the Gods for as long as the body was intact.

The Ba is twinned with the Ka.

If the Ba represented the soul, then the Ka was the “life-force,” the spark of life that animated the body and whose departure resulted in death.

The Ka was sustained with offerings of food and drink, although it was the “ka” or spirit of the food and drink that was consumed.

In the Afterlife, the Ba and the Ka would be reunited to form one single entity.

BECKONING CAT

A friendly little statuette with a warm welcome found all over Japan and China.

What the cat is doing with his paws carries a secret message.

The cute little Maneki Neko or beckoning cat is ubiquitous in Japan and China where he appears in both homes and offices.

Can be seen in Oriental restaurants all over the world and is for many people the ultimate symbol of prosperity and good luck.

Comes in different colors, each of which signifies a different meaning:

For example, a red cat will protect from illness, and

a black one will ward off evil.

The position of the paws also carries a message:

With the right paw raised the cat will bring money and happiness to home and workplace.

A cat raising its left paw will attract new customers for a business.

And a cat with both paws raised hits the jackpot; both home and business will be happy and profitable, attracting good luck, friends, prosperity, and new clients.

This cat is also the symbol of the small Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where the original incident that shot the cat to fame is said to have happened:

Originally the temple was a lowly place, whose impoverished priest would regularly share what little food he had with his pet cat.

One day some Samurai were passing and noticed this cat, who had one paw raised as though to say hello. The warriors stopped, intrigued by the beckoning cat, and went into the temple just as a horrendous rain storm started.

They believed that paying attention to the cat’s invitation had prevented them being struck by lightning. Thereafter, the fortunes of the priest, the temple, and of course the cat, started to change for the better.

BULLA

This is a special charm or amulet that was given to Roman children when they were born.

A sealed locket, the bulla (“bubble” or “knob”) contained magical spells specific to the child in question, such as symbols of protection, or wishes for wealth.

Was constructed of different materials depending on the wealth of the family:

leather for the poorest families and gold or

other precious metals for the wealthiest.

Roman boys put aside their bullae when they reached puberty, and the object was offered to the Gods. Girls wore theirs until the eve of their wedding.

In either case it was considered that the bulla belonged to the child, as part and parcel of their personality.

It is the origin of the name of the Papal Bull, the special edict that hails from the Vatican, which is fastened with an oval seal of the same shape as the bulla.

CALUMET

For the Plains Indians, the pipe, also called the calumet, is one of the most important and recognizable symbols.

Although it is sometimes referred to as the Peace Pipe, shared ceremonially as part of a unifying ritual, the pipe was just as valid a symbol during times of war.

The tobacco used in the pipe is also a powerful magical substance originally intended for ritual use only.

The smoke rising from the pipe signifies a prayer traveling toward the Gods and symbolizes the sacred breath, source of all life.

The fire that lights the pipe symbolizes the Sun and the male element.

The pipe itself is equivalent to the prayer that is offered up from it.

Considered so important that in Native American tradition it is described as though it were a person, and each of its components has the name of a body part.

In addition, the bowl is described as an altar, and the stem, the passage of the breath extending from the human body.

CANDLE

Symbolizes light in the darkness in a way that a light bulb simply cannot do.

It represents the element of fire as a benevolent force.

Made even more powerful if the candle is made of wax, a substance made by a magical creature, the bee.

The colors of candles are significant in magical practices:

For example, pink is said to attract love.

Black candles are used in dark magic.

Source ⚜ More: On Symbols ⚜ Writing Notes & References

#writing reference #symbols #symbolism #writeblr #spilled ink #dark academia #literature #writers on tumblr #writing prompt #poetry #poets on tumblr #creative writing #light academia #writing inspo #writing ideas #writing inspiration #writing resources

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cloverdaisies · 1 year ago

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# THE LOVE POTION

eric sohn x gn!reader/ collab! 007 files w/ @winterchimez

— “you must locate, befriend & kill agent sohn.”

description: the infamous english spy eric sohn! travels into europe searching for an encryption that serves as a communication link for the secret service rival spectre.. it’s sohn’s mission to retrieve the device and return it to safe hands.. however upon arrival his ultimate distraction is you, can you craft the perfect potion that will make 007 fall in love?

genre & warnings: from russia with love! 007 au! 60s au! love triangle! betrayal & romance! mentions of blood! violence! mentions of death/ killing! but no actual character deaths! cursing! alcohol consumption! mentions weapons! kissing & other mildly suggestive themes! pls lmk if i’ve missed anything!

word count: 6k+

a/n: dt: @sohnric happy belated birthday bar 🤍 wellll … what can i say???? this is overdue !! do excuse my hiatus & messy schedule.. i would like to say a massive thank to @winterchimez for inviting me to collab with you for this event !! it REALLY pushed me out of my comfort zone & throughly enjoyed perfecting this plot as much as i could as a big challenge.. sorry for being so late … 🤍 please do go check out the others work for this event which you can find here and enjoy!

Devilishly you smiled to yourself in the mirror as you pulled on your white satin gloves and fastened a thin pearl necklace around your neck.

“Tea?” Your advisor of sorts, Sangyeon, suggested, gesturing a hand towards the teapot with a smile of generosity. “You’ve got a long week ahead, is it not better to relax now y/n?”

Sangyeon was a taller man, with darkish hair and buttery highlights that glimmered with sufficient light source. He wore a long black blazer with tailored trousers and a fitted white shirt to polish him perfectly. He’d been assigned to look over matters concerning your work, making sure you weren’t up to anything suspicious and meet your personal needs when required. Despite him being so helpful, there was something that irked you about his unwavering presence and constant eye over your activity.

Turning your neck ever so slightly, you grimaced letting out a small huff thinking of the mission you’d been proposed a little over the week ago by the organisation higher-ups.

“I suppose so. I mean…” You cleared your throat before chuckling quietly. “It’s going to be hard to fool one of the the top english spies, is it not? I’ve heard he’s a bit of a charmer. I can’t quite understand why I’ve been hired.”

“Quite so. He’s always got company you could say.” Sangyeon laughed in return, pouring the steaming hot tea from the pot with a gentle hand. “That being said, despite his charm you need to be incredibly careful not to reveal anything and stay on your guard at all times.”

“I always am. No man charms me. Id do anything for the mother country.” You reached out to grab the china teacup off it’s saucer and took it to your lips to sip.

“I definitely charm you, don’t I?” He retorted with a sly wink and a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

“Oh you wish.” You scoffed, placing the cup back down and shuddering at the comment before returning to the mirror to fix your appearance. “Besides, I have a dinner party at 8pm and I don’t need your loitering to be dampening my mood. Thank you for the pastries though, you should consider opening a bakery.”

“I’m glad you liked them. I’ll be back to escort you to your car then.” Sangyeon sighed, leaving the hotel suite with a soft close of the door.

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ📰☕️🎬ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

In England, the sound of a melancholy low trumpet hummed over scene from a street player outside, fading into the open window of a grand office. It was almost sunset, the sky tinting a pale shade of orange amongst dark clouds.

“It’s been 2 days since the killing of that agent they masked as you and you’ve got 3 hours until that flight to Istanbul! Do you understand the consequences if you don’t retrieve that lektor Sohn? That cipher machine connects their entire military intelligence and you’re walking around with a blinking target on your head! ” M recited to Sohn, between his fingers a thick cigar emitting a cloud of heavy smoke.

M, the head of the British Secret service, was addressing what was the assassination attempt of Sohn at a British military facility earlier that week. Sohn had been giving a mission to retrieve a soviet device called the lektor, a cipher machine developed to connect communications.

“I’m very aware, I’ll play my cards right when I get there.” Sohn replied, his lips twisting into a sly smirk as he was being lectured by the higher up.

“Very well.” M sighed rising from his chair, leaving his cigar to rest in a glass dish before retrieving a brief case from the side of his desk. “In that case, there’s 20 rounds of ammunition, flat throwing knives and a 0.25 caliber, rifle that folds it has infrared sight. Use this when you need it and don’t let it out your sight.”

“Thank you very much.” His fingers wrapped around his crystal glass of whiskey, Eric took a sip before inspecting the case with a smug smile. “I best be off.”

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ📰☕️🎬ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

As the evening settled in Istanbul, the dinner party had began not being invited to sit at the table yourself, you felt quite disappointed your importance in the operation had been significantly swept aside. Upon arrival you quickly recognized a ruddy faced man with a well kept moustache, his hair turning a dark grey with age and was smartly dressed in the cream suit that had been described to you by Sangyeon.

“Hello, I give my deepest apologies for interrupting your conversation. However, I must speak to you in private sir.” You gently tapped on the man’s shoulder, watching him jovially turn with attention.

“Very well, may I ask your name? What can I do for you?” The man answered almost like a store keeper with polite customer service, as if a mask of required kindness had been veiled over his face.

“I’m Y/N, L/N, former agent associated with spectre. I have quite the infatuation with Eric Sohn, I heard he was travelling to the country this evening and I was hoping I could help assist his duties.” You replied opening your eyes like an innocent fawn in attempts to convince your ‘pure’ intentions.

“What’s your interest with Mr. Sohn? How am I meant to trust your being genuine, Y/N, is it?” The head of the British Secret Service in Istanbul spoke softly to you as you chewed at your inner lips nervously. Politely observing your attire, his lips twisting into a curious smile.

Sticking to the script, you began. “I’d be willing to betray this country, for the man has me quite swooned. Therefore, if you would be ever so kind to introduce me to Eric Sohn himself, I’d be ever so grateful. It could get me killed if you tell any other soul.” You spoke eloquently, your demeanour slightly mischievous as you attempted to charm the gentleman.

“If that’s so. I’m sure he’d be happy to meet you.” He returned a smile , turning away from you likely to confront Eric about the matters. Your grin almost resembled that of the cheshire cat, deviously imagining the plans success.

“Aren’t you quite the actor?” The voice of Sangyeon behind you caused you to jolt in fear, in case it was one of the agents unaware of the mission assigned to you.

“You just scared the living day lights out of me, can you not just go jumping out of the shadows at me like that?” You brought your hand out to your chest and let out a sigh of relief.

“It’s what I’m trained to do sweetheart.” He chuckled, patting your head like a lost puppy before pacing himself around to the other side of you.

“Seems your plans going smoothly, you have someone approaching you, west.” He quickly pointed over to where Eric Sohn was with gentleman you spoke to earlier.

It came as no surprise to you that the man was incredibly handsome, his smile as he spoke to the other was just magical it served as almost a charm and worked on people like a spell. It was a smile that evoked emotions inexplicable, love, desire, a false sense of comfort that could easily be used as a weapon for betrayal. It was no wonder he was the most sought after member of the secret service in his country, his looks alone could turn his every target into his puppet. He was smartly dressed like described in a classic black tuxedo, a briefcase slotted into his right hand, his hair an enchanting shade of platinum blonde that emphasised his defined bone structure, a jawline so dangerous it could tear paper.

Almost choking on your previous words that no man could charm you, you gulped slightly, clearing your throat and fixing your posture as he approached.

“Allow me to introduce you to Y/N L/N who I’d briefly mentioned earlier.” The gentleman in the cream attire held out his hand to greet you, gently shaking it with a two hands.

“Hello y/n, I’m Eric Sohn. Its delightful to meet such a gem amongst all these people.” He leaned to great you with a polite kiss on the cheek, gently shaking your hand. Every feeling of morality in your body shuddered, nervously feeling the limbs in your body grow weak almost as if you were one flirtatious comment away from fainting.

“It’s such a divine pleasure to meet you too, I’ve been dying to finally get the chance to meet you in person. I’m such an admirer of you work.” You quickly gathered yourself together and carefully spoke with a soft velvety voice.

“Shall we go for a walk in the gardens?” Eric suggested, his eyebrow raising curiously as he also observed your attire and features.

“I’d be more than glad.” You responded as he held his arm out towards you to link, gently taking your arm and walking you out the grand marble doors.

The night was darker than usual, with a dull moon and stars that twinkled pathetically amongst thick clouds. However the bright lights that had been messily strung across the hedges lit up the the scene warmly. The sound of the blue piano being played from the inside faintly bled out into the garden along with indistinguishable chatter from guests up in the main hall.

“I must ask y/n, what gave you interest in the British Secret Service in the first place?” He began as you walked the side of the grounds arm in arm.

“Well… I felt as if my position in the country wasn’t appreciated enough. I don’t agree with their morale or treatment regarding myself.” You replied gracefully, glancing over to the tidy man. His presence radiated that of a tough masculine self assured nature. He looked at you with suspicion, allowing his guard to remain up like a fence.

“Well it’s in my best interest to not trust your intentions immediately, but I believe the information that resides with you is incredibly valuable to me and my mission.” He took a moment to take a breath before a cocky smirk crawled on to his lips. “Therefore, to test this loyalty of yours. I have to request a map, one of the military base that holds the lektor I’m after. Provide this and you earn my trust, sweetheart.”

You gulped for a moment, you had specifically been told not to leak any intelligence or assist him in anyway. You couldn’t foil his plans by providing a false map either, your hands were tied and even he knew that. Him and his manipulation tactics. He knew sly ways around people, you providing this map would mean surrendering all your loyalty to the secret service and despite having feelings inexplicable for the man beside you, you couldn’t give up what meant most to you. You had to figure out a plan.

“When do you want me to provide this to you?” You attempted the mask the fear that lingered in your throat, strangling your words with thick ropes that made you sound as if you’d seen several ghosts appear before you.

“Tonight, slip it behind the fourth pillar beside the stairs by 10 and I’ll soon be there to pick it up." He smiled, there was something sinister about his words as if he knew that it would be almost impossible for you to hatch a plan within that time.

“Very well, it will be there.” You took a breath momentarily, his warm touch departing you as he proceeded back into the large building. He turned back to you a last time, giving you a sly wink before going upstairs with a bright smile on his lips.

“Are you out of your damn mind? You are aware he’s drawing you right in his trap?” Sangyeon appeared from behind one of the pillars outside, having followed you around the entire time. “He’s not an idiot, he’s trapping you, you providing that map will lead him straight to his plan.”

“Then you best tell them to prepare.” You rolled your eyes, watching his serious dark eyes stare into your conscience. “If I don’t give him this, we lose all trust. He’s not an idiot but perhaps you are, now leave me be.”

You breezed past him, making sure to shoulder check him before making your way back into the hall with a bitter smile on your face. Going into the bathrooms on the left side of the building, you took a pen from your bag and began to map out a rough sketch of the secured military base housing the lektor Sohn was after. Folding it between your fingers, you left the bathroom, discreetly dropping it by the pillar he’d asked you too.

You grabbed a glass of prosecco from one of the many waiters dotted around the function room and joined Sangyeon’s friendly conversation with other associates. Nervously, your attention wavered from the bubbles appearing at the top of the champagne flute, to over your shoulder where Sohn was now making his way behind the pillar.

He walked around it as if he was daydreaming, picking the sheet of paper up and sliding it into his pocket. He gave you a brief smile before proceeding back to his gaggle of officials who’d be overseeing his work in the country.

“I think it’s home time for us.” Sangyeon closed the conversation with a sigh, placing a firm but soft hand on your shoulder. You smiled at the group of men in front of you, before slipping past them arm linked with Sangyeon.

“The officials aren’t pleased with you.” Sangyeon muttered through pursed lips. “However, they understand that you sincerely had no other choice."

"And? Are they preparing?" You replied raising one eyebrow cockily.

"They can't assign enough men to cover the base tomorrow. However if Sohn gets his hands on the device, which is unlikely, they're use as much forces as they can to retrieve it back." Sangyeon sighed at the seemingly idiotic plan, his rough palm wiping the illusion of sweat from his forehead and loosening his slim black tie as you elegantly slipped into the parked Mercedes.

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ📰☕️🎬ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

The quiet hums of soft jazz fell across the café like a warm blanket, the scent of freshly brewed coffee and a plethora of pastries baked earlier that morning danced through the air as if it were a spritz of expensive perfume. Outside, rain fell like hail, beating the ground like drumbeats and forming puddles that resembled ponds or even lakes.

Upon first encounter it would seem that you had your nose stuck into an edition of wuthering heights your eyes flickering over the nonsensical words, so often turning a page with a dramatic sigh. However, the act of appearing busy wore you out like no other, your fingers rested on the right side of your face with impatient taps.

“Well… What a surprise to see you here!” An almost sarcastic voice sounded as the bell chimed over the café alerting you from the words on the page.

Your eyes snapped to Eric Sohn, neatly dressed as usual in a tuxedo with pin stripes, the outfit missing the blazer but tied together with a waistcoat. If you hadn’t been so stressed about the date, you would have fainted over his rolled up dress shirt that exposed his toned forearms. You would have been a mess, but that’s not the point at hand.

“Well yes, I do enjoy a morning read, you could say.” You smiled, almost grimacing at the script-like conversation. Finding yourself almost upset you had to talk to him that way, wishing you could genuinely talk to the man on a level that wasn’t inevitably leading to the utter destruction of betrayal.

“You seem like you’re away with the fairies this morning, what’s on your mind?” He sat beside you for a moment, his elbows rested on the table behind him. His face was just above your head, eyes looming over you suspiciously.

“I’m just worried.” You replied simply, packing your things into your bag with a short huff. Awaiting you both was Sohn’s plan to breach the military base that very afternoon.

“How so?” He chuckled almost, smile lines breaking out in his cheeks, his grin lighting up his every feature, helping you to climb down from the stool you’d sat on.

“Well, what happens if this doesn’t go to plan?” You looked him in his deep brown eyes that glistened so prettily under the warm lighting, his smile dampening quickly.

“In my way or yours?” He smirked cockily, turning from you to leave the café, briefly turning to check you were following. However, you stood frozen still, what does that mean? Your plan hadn’t worked? Your blood ran cold, he’d truly had you wrapped around his finger, he knew.

“Sorry? I’m not sure what you mean by that.” You laughed the situation off, watching as his pitiful smile broke again, an almost pathetic laugh escaping his lips.

“Don’t play dumb.” He rolled his eyes momentarily, grinning with a hint of mischief to his words. “You and I clearly have our differences. I don’t fall for this entire act you’ve got going on, sugar.”

You felt sweat forming in the palms of your hands, your lips begin to quiver slightly, whilst your tongue felt like it had been duct taped to the roof of your mouth. With a clenched jaw you chose silence, watching him smirk as you stared into the pitiful void in his eyes. His hand ran through the platinum blonde strands of his hair as he sighed, unable to contain his chuckles as he watched you drown in your own psychological mess.

“Instead of being confused, I think it would be more worth while considering siding with me. Why don’t we get you out of this mess of a life you live? You’re ordered around like dog and it’s not fit for a diamond like you.” He sighed pacing around you like a lion playing with its food. “I’ve taken a liking to your dedication, I can see you’re so badly trying to stay loyal to your work but there’s something else you can’t resist.”

You shuddered as his lips hovered over your ears, whispering words of temptation in the most insatiable manner. Your body still frozen in time had not moved an inch from the table you’d been sat at. Warmth rising to your features whilst your stomach rattled around like a brittle old machine in the dry cleaners.

“You know this too. I’m not trying to manipulate you as I have nothing else to gain from your companionship. However, I’m quite fond of you y/n. I think your intelligence is to be treated better.” He shrugged his eyes glistening in a way that presented his words as something genuine, something honest. His praise lit up fireworks in your system, you were on rich compliment away from detonating completely.

“I appreciate your words Mr. Sohn.” You began, clearing your throat gently before continuing. “However, I think you and I are destined to be opposed. I wish you well.”

You fiercely clutched your bag in the warmth of your hand, swiftly rushing to exit the sheer embarrassment of the situation. The once soft sound of harmonic trumpets now sounded like the chaotic thrill of elephants stampeding through the small confinements of the café. It was in no way complimented by the grating sound of a piano keys being smashed in a way that was neither melodic or enjoyable to listen to. Yet before you could grasp the golden handle of the door, you were beckoned back by the honey sweet sound of your name amongst the frightful waves.

“Y/n?” Eric who turned to face you a final time, smiled, not a classic smirk or sinister chuckle, a small smile that made his eyes resemble those of a harmless puppy. “Contact me, if you change your mind.”

You looked back with a blank expression, observing his relaxed demeanour with bitterness lingering heavy on your mind. A bitterness, a feeling of resentment, but what you would do to run away with him if you could. You’d be killed.

The sound of the café bell chime felt almost like the sound of a distant gunshot to Eric, at heart he knew he’d never be able to swoon you in the way he’d hoped. There was a small rose seed sewn into his heart especially for you, he himself resented the way you as intelligent as you were, could be used as shark bait and treated like no more than a sniffer dog. Unusual for him to grow such a soft spot considering you were the enemy in the equation. He sighed, clutching the briefcase he’d been gifted and headed out to do what he came here for in the first place.

The military base was fairly small, observing the blueprints you’d traced for him, his plan was fairly simple. The box-like building was connected to an underground train link, there was no service running for another half an hour, which gave him that much time to secure the lektor and catch the next train inbound.

A small ladder led up to a hatch secured in the bottom of the facility, gently he used his fingers to open it almost silently. Stupidly, the officials thought Sohn would blatantly try to enter the building through the main entrance, a line of armed men waiting behind the doors.

The operations room was a littered with different documents, weapons, machinery, cupboards the only option for Sohn was to scramble through every shelf hoping to find the device wherever it’d been temporarily hidden. Underneath a satin sheet, there was a black box that somehow resembled the demonstration he’d been shown of the device. However, as he opened the box an explosion of smoke popped causing his ears to ring as the distant sound of yelling was heard from the unmanned room. This couldn’t stop Eric, he calmly continued to rake through the drawers as the voices grew louder.

In the bottom drawer, was the box he was looking for, checking once to see that it was not another trap and the actual device. As he pulled it from its case, the sounds of shots hitting the wall behind him caused him to pull a small pistol from his blazer pocket. Shooting back at the guards, neither of them being able to see clearly through the smoke from the trap. Eric crawled to the hatch, lektor huddled close to his chest.

The honking of the steam engine down the tunnel relieved him as he fired up the hatch to warn the soldiers not to come down. With his back against the wall, the train narrowly passed by him with little space to leave. He elbowed one of the windows as it slowed on the tracks, hurling himself onboard one of the carriages. He quickly switched suits, and sealed the device in his briefcase as protocol before exiting the broken room on the carriage and proceeding to another.

A sigh of relief slipped his lips as he sat down with his briefcase beside him, he even decided to purchase a cup of tea for the journey and peacefully kicked his legs up to read a newspaper. At least for the first ten minutes, the sound of his cabin door sliding open alerted him to look up casually from the words on the page. He couldn’t quite explain who the man who stood at the door was, he was familiar but not a man he knew at least. He was dressed a long black tux with brownish hair, his eyes replicated those of fury, aggression, enough to alert Sohn at least.

“Hand it over.” Pulling a gun from the waistband of his tailored black trousers, his face remained blank as Sohn raised his hands in the air with a laugh.

“That’s not very friendly.” Eric tutted, standing up from his seat with the case laying on the seat behind him. As he observed him more carefully the identity of the man began to become less pixelated, funnily enough it’s as if everywhere Sohn went he saw a face like resembling the man in the crowd. “I’m not a fan of stalkers but I’m sure we could settle this with an autograph.”

The joke seemed to land terribly with the other male, his lips curling in disgust as he readjusted his finger over the trigger of the gun in his hand.

“Get over yourself.” The man sneered before looking Sohn directly in the eye with a cold stare. “Your plan is hardly turning out successful, poor y/n came crying to me about your twisted bullshit.”

“Ah yes, now I remember!” Sohn clasped his hands together beginning to pace the small room, the man’s gun latching target to his head. “You’re y/n’s little lap dog! That makes so much more sense, unrequited love, that must be hard for you buddy.”

Sohn’s words cut through him like a knife, the anger boiling through his veins as he struggled to keep his composure. The gun wavering only slightly as his lips pursed furiously.

“I’m more than that buddy.” The unnamed man laughed in a way that attempted to conceal his emotions but instead the line came out as no more than a high pitch croak. “Now hand it over before I turn your brain into several servings of spaghetti.”

“Sangyeon!” The sound of angry footsteps stomping through the corridor alerted the man, however he didn’t take his eyes off Sohn for a second.

“Listen, Sangyeon is it?” Sohn laughed, his voice sounding assertive despite the noise of the rattling train and noisy horns. “I think you better calm down, she won’t be happy with what you’re trying to do here.”

Sangyeon’s gun lowered, just to the point where it was out of sight of the narrow train passage but still somewhat aiming at Sohn.

“What is it?” He called, the relief of Sohn’s face when he saw yours outside of the window was golden. It would have been so tedious attempting to get out of the situation himself.

“I’ve been looking for you all bloody day! Now I found out you’re trying to leave the country? What are-”Your eyes originally blinking in red fury softened into bright pearls upon meeting Eric’s. Then all of a sudden they turned red again as you looked back to Sangyeon with increased suspicion. “Step away from the door.”

Surprisingly he did just that, revealing the gun that was pointed towards Sohn just out the hallway. Eric discreetly took the opportunity to assemble the weapon given to him as Sangyeon’s eyes focused on yours.

“There is no way, I’m letting you kill a man that’s not business to take care of.” You sighed, blocking the doorway and staring into the soulless void of eyes. “Leave here immediately. You’re only gonna end up hurt.”

“Y/N? Are you out of damn mind?” Sangyeon burst out into maniacal laughter almost resembling one of those villains from a popular comic book at the time. “I’ve spent years protecting you and you repay me by - I don’t know - falling in love with the enemy?”

“I am not in love with Mr. Sohn-” You refuted, the lies slipped from your tongue as denial spun its web around the pink mush of your brain. You couldn’t coherently finish the sentence without entering a spiral.

“Really?” Sangyeon eyes flickered with false confusion, his lips breaking out into a scary grin. “Then tell me why I can’t kill him?” He left a pause for you to fill in the space, but as your eyes darted around the room you realised that he was perhaps right. You couldn’t admit that but there was no reason to let Sohn get away with the device needed to connect the entire unions military operations. It was simply ridiculous.

“Thought so.” Sangyeon sighed. “It’s a shame you’d leave me with such a broken heart.” There was a glint of genuine pain in his eyes, underneath the tough exterior. He was always good at concealing his emotions, rarely showing them and acting as enthusiastic as a piece of cardboard most days.

“Leave.” You looked him in the eyes more seriously than you ever had before, you were of course furious with Sangyeon. However, you couldn’t watch him get hurt or at least die trying to defend a union that didn’t even value his work.

“I can’t do that. You know I can’t. You’re going to get us into a situation you don’t know consequences of.” Sangyeon spat his words firm, eyes bulging out of their sockets as if they were signalling your final warning. “I’d do anything to protect you y/n. Now let me.”

With that he pulled your arm out of the way of the door, only to reveal an Eric Sohn that was more than ready to pounce. Sohn tackled Sangyeon, wounding his arm but managing to throw his gun down the other end of the carriage. Sangyeon panicked, attempting to reach for Sohn before he could take your arm. He yelled out for you, the change in his voice causing you to whip your head around as Eric’s sprinting stopped.

“Y/N!! WAIT!” The agonising shriek ran cold through your bones, you gasped turning to the man as he rose from the ground. “Don’t leave. I serve no purpose without you.”

“I love you.”

The scene looked like a shakespearean tragedy, the two men on either side of the carriage looking at you expectantly. Sangyeon the tragic hero, the final villain to be defeated clinging to a last thread of hope that you’d take his hand and run away with him instead. Then on the other hand Sohn, a dream-like protagonist that had fallen in love with an enemy in battle, waiting to ride his horse into into the sunset. Your mind ran codes like a computer, processing your deepest desires battling the virus of conflict that had been hard-wired into your system.

“I can’t, but we will meet again Sangyeon.” You sighed, your love for Sangyeon was purely platonic, forced out of a system that took you for granted and fed you to the sharks. “Leave this line of work as soon as you can, you don’t deserve to be hurt this way. But I have to go.”

Tears welled at Sangyeon’s eyes for the first time in perhaps over a decade, he knew you were right, in fact he didn’t want you to be in danger anymore. Mature, as he always was, he knew your decision was ultimately the right answer. His love for you, was far greater than his selfish desires, but succumbing to your own was the best thing you could do. The only thing he necessarily cared about over his broken heart, was Sohn’s ability to keep you safe - he knew he would. As he clenched his fists watching you and Sohn run into the hills together he smiled, a chuckle leaving his lips, glad you had your happy ending.

“Where is he?” Asked a gaggle of soldiers boarding the train, their rifles over their chests as they marched down the carriage.

“I lost him.” Sangyeon replied, his lies convincing enough to deter the soldiers away from the area, as he weakly stepped off at the last stop of the train. It was a beautiful day outside, a beautiful place to announce his new beginning. He sighed, as he viewed the coast line from the train stop, maybe opening a bakery isn’t a bad idea after all.

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ📰☕️🎬ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

“You ever visited here before?” Sohn asked, leaning across the canoe as he rowed down the streets, the sunshine lighting up his golden skin.

“Well, I’ve never left the country.” You chuckled, causing his face to light up in amusement as you admired the waters surrounding the city of Venice.

“I thought I’d ask, I’m glad I’m able to provide such a romantic spot for such a beauty like you.” He winked mischievously, laughing as you cringed at his advanced his eyes scrunching into crescent moons.

“Do I have to be worried about all this flirting Mr.Sohn? I’m not falling for any tricks.” Your eyes squinted at him suspiciously, propping your head in the palm of your hand as you leaned across the canoe.

“Well, if this is anything to settle your worries. I’m in a bit of trouble with M for accepting your side quest. He said to me a few years ago that if I let romance get in the way of my missions ever again, I’ll either get myself killed by it or even M himself.” He laughed thinking back to conversation. His eyes that sought out reminiscence in the distance then flickered to meet yours. “When I first met you, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep that promise.”

Melting into his words, you laughed as you felt the heat rise to your cheeks and the irresistible warmth of true love blossom in the pit of your stomach. As your eyes lingered on each others, you observed the beautiful nature of Sohn himself. He was etched in the model of a greek god, you finally validated yourself for falling into his trap, perhaps the love potion you were casting accidentally splashed yourself. For a few moments, Sohn hesitated, leaning closer to you for a moment as you froze. Your brain almost completely malfunctioned as he smiled, lifting your chin with the palm of his hand. Finally pressing your lips to his you smiled to yourself, as the sun began to set in Venice, the once blue sky-line was painted like a canvas with the most vibrant shades oranges and pinks.

Despite your mission abhorrently failing, the feeling of true love and freedom was the most successful ending your desolate heart could have asked for.

Besides, the love potion seemed to be successful.. Eric certainly seemed smitten as your words fell on his ears like sugar, as you talked the past and other interesting things about yourself. Venice seemed like the perfect place to forget your lives, forget how you met and fall in love all over again.

fin. — “you will locate, befriend and fall in love with agent Sohn.”

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0maisie0 · 1 year ago

Note

how about an idea for a fic about y/n and Toymaker: y/n is kind of in a relationship with him and can't help but wonder what it would be like to date someone else? and Toymaker doesn't like it and is a little angry with her. but in the end there is a hippie ending?

(I hope this is what you wanted.)

The vibrant red paint on Mr Emporuns toy shop shimmed in the sweet afternoon sun as you hurried down the street. A single handmade bag, filled with a variety of sewing needles, threads and fabric, rested in your palm as the ceramic doll heads in the window seemed to face you. Their dull black eyes seemed to shine at the sight of you and you were sure if they could move you would have felt fifty little china hands wrapping around your ankles in a twisted hug.

The bell chimed through the overstimulating shop as you shuffled past the red curtain. Toys lined the walls as you walked up to the empty dark oak counter and placed the bag down on it. The familiar grin of the toymaker was nowhere to be seen as you fiddled with the little merry-go-round that spun under your touch. The snow white horses spin around and around.

“Maybe he went out…” you muttered to yourself and stepped behind the counter, pulling out a half-finished doll dress from the shadowed shelf just below. It was one you had been working on in your free time, a small gift to adorn the doll the toymaker had gifted you when he had first confessed his feelings.

A soft smile covered your features as you remembered that day, but it was slowly replaced with a frown as the voices of your friends swam around your mind. The blushed mutter as she talked about her adoring husband and the extravagant evenings they had shared in London's finest locations. The new jewellery and gentle touch.

Your hands tranced over the miniature dress as you wondered when the last time you and the toymaker even went out for dinner. You supposed it can't have been for at least three months. He treated you like another one of his delicate dolls lying in his hands as he combed through their hair.

Before you could stop yourself your mind wandered to the other men that wandered the streets of Soho. Did they take their partners out as much as your friend said? Did they spend the last few coins they had on a new shiny bracelet just to see the smile on their wife's face?

A sigh escaped your lips and floated around the room, still no sign of the toymaker as your hands moved automatically to switch the side of the dress. Watching as the yellow threat pierced through the fabric over and over.

Would the man next door let you wake up alone almost every morning? Would the beggar around the street give his wife the warmest blanket in the heavy winter? Would the old landlord go three years without any sign of taking his relationship further?

“The landlord is a man of the town who likes much younger women.” a rich voice broke through the air behind you as two firm hands spun you around. You were so lost in your own head you didn't hear the door open behind you and the toymaker's face drop as your thoughts echoed through his mind.

The toymaker's hypnotic blue eyes stared down at you. He could see right through you as his hands rested on your hip, his thumbs rubbing over the soft fabric. His grey hair was perfect as always while his collar shirt wrapped around his neck and stayed fastened with a bow. Meanwhile the soft breeze outside had definitely swept itself through your hair and ruffed your dress.

“Something wonderful about me is,” he leaned down closer to you, his breath fanning over your face. His voice seemed to drop an octave. “I always know what you're thinking.”

A shiver of fear ran up your spine as the toymaker grinned down at you, pulling your body closer to his. His arms kept you locked against him, unable to escape his warm gasp even if you wanted.

“You were gone a while, doll, I hope you enjoyed your lunch,” he whispered in your ear, leaving a small kiss on your temple as he continued. “What friend was it again?”

His lips stayed just hovering over your skin as you muttered back, your voice wavering slightly. “Oh, umm, f/n, I grabbed some more thread on the way home… and there was fabric on offer…”

“Enough. I want to know what she put into your pretty little head to make you think of others.”

Your voice trailed off as the toymaker's words bled into it. Every part of him felt hypnotic as your face flushed and your body radiated heat. His hands gripped your tighter, leaving little ink marks from his nails. His waistcoat rubbed against your blouse as he stared down at you. Waiting… Expecting an answer.

“I…”

Nothing came as you stared up at him, your lips parted slightly as you stared deep into his icy blue eyes. He glared down at you, before his face soured and he hissed out.

“Don't protect her, I have been very lenient with you daring…” his face darkened as he continued. “letting you go out, giving you everything you so much, but you're mine, only mine and I will not let those petty little men out there take you away from me.”

You stayed silent as he pulled you through into the ever-twisting back of the shop. This time it was a long hotel-looking corridor with rows and rows of doors on each side. He pressed you against the wall, his hand pressing just below your neck.

“This is my domain, my universe governed by my laws. I will not have you thinking of other men.” slowly his hand moved down to your chest and his voice softened slightly. He could feel your heart racing, shaky and laboured breaths filling your lungs under his touch.

“I can feel your breath. It's so human…” his voice dropped to an affectionate mutter. “My beloved human.”

“Toymaker?” you muttered, pulling yourself away from the wall and into his body. “I don't… mean it. It's my thoughts, I can't control them and I want to be with you.”

He pulled you close to his chest, pulling open the nearest door to reveal the familiar sight of a warm bedroom. You had slept there for many years at this point with the burgundy french loveseat near the fire being a favourite of the toymakers as he sat you down on it.

“My precious doll, your poor human mind is too susceptible to the distractions of the world. I am all your mind needs to think about.” he ran his hand through your hair, smiling softly as you leaned into his touch and relaxed to his hypnotic voice.

“Il take you out to the Ritz, i'll show you the universe one day.”

#doctor who #doctor who x reader #the toymaker x reader #the toymaker #my favorite insane toymaker #drabble #dr who #the giggle

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fixdex-fastening-technology · 3 months ago

Video

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acheronist · 2 months ago

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hold on WHAT i was lovingly invested in peglarmitage and all the updates as like. my beloved ghost blorbo-in-laws from you but can we. if that was the speedrun can we snail crawl. can we go back to literally all of that how do i learn more??

TAKE MY HAND !!!!!!!!!! COME WITH ME

ok so fair warning a lot of the dates are accurate bc i'm a freak & i can get screenshots of all the lines henry wrote if you want, but i'm lazy and this answer is already going to be long as FUCK so lmk if you want to see those later. and also i'm looking at this whole thing with my rpf goggles SECURELY FASTENED bc i like my yaoi historically accurate and well cited. ok buckle in for this snail crawl thru the approximate timelines of their lives.

december ?? 1805 - thomas armitage born

april 24, 1807 - thomas armitage baptized

february 22, 1812 - henry peter peglar born

november 29, 1813 - henry and his older sister elizabeth are baptized in a two-for-one dunk'em special in westminster. their family lives like a 3 minute walk away from the abbey.

january 9, 1821 ~ march 27 1822 - thomas working as shipsboy on hms bulwark. he is sixteen.

march 28 ~ december 5 1822 - thomas working as shipsboy on hms gloucester

december 6 1822 ~ november 30 1823 - thomas working on hms briton and goes from ships boy, then seaman (dec 1 1823 - august 31 1825)

august 4, 1825 - henry is admitted to the marine society "for destitute boys and training seamen". he is thirteen. his dad owns a gunsmithing shop but clearly they are a working class family. his dad votes for politically radical figures (politician who thinks workers deserve some say over the land and work they tend to, rather than abiding by traditional english landlord/farmer dynamics)

september 1825 - henry is assigned to hms solebay as an extra shipsboy for training after a single month in the navy's charity bootcamp for miserable boys who can't afford their own dinner.

december 14 1825 - henry is discharged from solebay with good character and gets sent to hms clio. within months he's transferred again to hms magnificent, which was a hospital ship, and he works as a shipsboy. he sailed to jamaica for the first time

1826-1827 - henry works on hms rattlesnake. in his career account he mentions working on hms serapis (stationed in port royal) but there are no ship records / musters which include him being aboard at this time. its ok though i trust him. he should have seen inagua, port au prince, havana, montedo, santiago de cuba, chagres, bermuda, and halifax.

october 26, 1826 - thomas armitage (bachelor) and celia murray (spinster) married in gillingham parish (his parents are their witnesses. presumably no one in the family is literate as they all sign the wedding certificate with Xs. (this is the same parish that the hartnell brothers attended btw which has nothing to do with anything but i think is interesting. neighbors!)) thomas is twenty one.

july 6 1827 - thomas and cecila's first child (also named cecila) is christened

september 1 1827 - henry is paid off from hms rattlesnake at woolwich dockyard. here's some maps for your context and interest

september 3 1827 - henry joins hms perseus at the tower of london.

september 14 1827 - henry is sent to hms prince regent in chatham.

end half of 1827 - henry is involved with Something (the portion of the page in his account where he talks about this is straight up missing / disintegrated due to damage from the arctic) involving an apprentice, and thusly he is discharged from prince regent as a consequence (?) for it. no source no facts no evidence but i suspect he was supposed to be training someone in the rigging and they fell and died on his watch.

april 29 1828 - henry joins the east india company aboard the marquis camden heading for st helena, mumbai, and china. henry writes that the ship was struck by lightning and he sees a sergeant and a private killed by the lightning strike. henry is seventeen. the marquis camden stops by paracels, singapore, and krakatoa before returning to the english channel in july

july 1828 - henry joins the blockade ship ramillies, which was investigating smuggling btwn england and france. the captain of this ship is a notorious sadist who issued crazy numbers of lashings as punishment like they were nothing and henry said Okay fuck this i'm out, and moved to the tender ship hms antelope which was also involved in this smuggling investigation work in the same area at the same time.

december 3 1828 - thomas and cecila's second child (gabriel) is christened

1829 - henry returns to the navy abord hms talavera. the same sadist captain from the ramillies takes over the ship and henry gets spooked. probably from all the lashings.

september 15 1829 - henry writes to be discharged from talavera and rejoins the marquis camden

october 20, 1831 - thomas and cecila's third child (elizabeth) is christened

february 14 1832 - henry's still on on the marquis camden (sailing for st helena, mumbai, penang, singapore, and macau)

january 1833 - henry does NOT include this year in his account of his career due to the fact that he was disrated from foretop captain to ordinary seaman, confined in irons, and punished with 2 dozen lashes for drunkenness and mutinous conduct and probably didn't want FE searchers to think badly of him for this. he DOES write that a chief mate was shot while he was aboard tho. #hesinnocent #freepeglar #solidarity

may 12 1833 - thomas and cecila's fourth child (joshua william) is christened

april 4 1834 - henry joins hms gannet, but somehow, gets disrated four times in four years. so he's going from foretop captain -> gunner crew -> coxswain -> able seaman. later on in the arctic, while writing his career account, henry claims that he "joined tom ship gannett" while running out of space on the page, which isn't quite accurate bc henry was aboard gannet first and then tom arrived, but russell potter and i both think this may just be a reference to the fact that their friendship started around this time. and he literally has brain scurvies :( he can misremember a little bit its fine i trust him.

may 7 1834 - thomas joins hms gannet (gunroom steward) and signs an X (still illiterate) for his allotment to be sent home to cecelia.

christmas thru NYE 1834 -> 1835 -

!!!!! RPF SPECULATION ALERT!!!!!!! but in the wallet henry mentions a party that happened in "the old sitty of cumanar" i.e. cumana venezuela. this is the only point in his entire career where he's spending time in cumana. he crashes a beach christmas party which is hosted by some american girls, one of whom is quite hauty and reminds him of queen caroline (who got very publicly divorced in westminster in the 1820s and he probably remembered well from his childhood). another fragment from the wallet mentions "the party wot happened at trinadad" which is the next nearest port, and again, this is the only time in his career where henry would have logistically been able to stop and visit and party at this port. its literally the holidays who fucking careesssss. Another page from the wallet mentions "[...] trinadad laying in asham bay" and is likely also in reference to this period of his life. so anyways i think this is when he and tom started having an affair & part of why henry was getting disrated so often is part of his 'punishment' for getting caught screwing around with thomas.

.......meanwhile…......

january 2 1835 - thomas and cecila's fifth child (harriet) is christened

june 23 1835 - thomas leaves gannet (i suspect as punishment for screwing around with henry)

june 24 1835 ~ march 14 1836 - thomas joins hms serpent as captain's steward

march 5 1837 ~ january 14 1839 - thomas joins hms hercules as gunroom steward. his character is noted as good.

february 1838 - henry gets discharged from hms gannet and joins hms temeraire as an AB seaman. his service and conduct is "indifferent". he probably loses this job bc temeraire (despite an impressive record of never dying at sea or in battles) gets ordered to be broken up. here's a beautiful painting by jmw turner FROM 1838!!! OF THE SHIP!!! so this is what it looked like when henry was there :)

1838 - henry briefly joins hms ocean to reclimb the rank back up to captain of the fo'c'sle.

february 11 1839 ~ october 14 1839 - thomas joins hms cleopatra as gunroom steward. his character is noted as good.

november 22 1839 ~ may 6 1839 - thomas joins hms fantome as captain's steward, and then works as ship's cook from may 7 1842 ~ december 31 1842, and then commander's steward from jan 1 1843 - october 20 1843. his character is noted as "very bad" (!!!!!!!) while aboard fantome.

december 2 1839 - hms wanderer heads for the west coast of africa to work in anti-slavery patrols along the west coast of africa. there's a looooooot of british colonial powergrab nuance here which you can look into on your own time. i don't want to speculate about how henry felt during all of this so i shall simply say: #yfip

august 1842 - wanderer sails for india and then china and sees some heavy action in the first opium war. george hodgson and william gibson are also aboard wanderer at this time #bestievibesonly there's malay pirates and chinese sailors trying to kill these british fuckos and everyone gets incredibly fucked up and a lot of people almost die (not henry tho. he gets a promotion and is officially captain of the foretop again. his character is very good). another great instance of #yfip can someone please get the callout post drafted already

june 27 1844 - henry gets discharged in england from wanderer. he spent a few months on shore FINALLY and i hope he got to see his family a little bit at least but it seems like he was most likely busy trying to purchase a pub in westminster so he could retire from being used and abused by the imperial navy war machine, and then ran out of money. he's a real one for sure.

july 8 1844 ~ april 25 1845 - thomas working as gunroom steward aboard hms dee. his character is noted as good.

march 11 1845 - henry signs onto hms terror as foretop captain under captain FRANCIS RAWDOG MOIRA CROZIER. henry leaves no allotment so he was keeping his paycheck for himself.

april 29 1845 - thomas joins hms terror as the gunroom steward he DOES leave an allotment so his paycheck is getting sent home to cecilia and he still signs off on this with an X (still illiterate). i can't even begin to imagine how fucking crazy it must have felt for them to see each other on the deck of terror for the first time and realize they've got the next several years stuck together on the same ship in the arctic. l m a o.

winter 1845 ~ 1846 - the expedition overwinters at beechey island. jorrington and jartnell and liam die and get buried. jarts and liam were erebus' problem, but it's very very very likely that thomas was helping out peddie and mcdonald on terror and acting as an in-situ nurse/assistant while torrington was sick and dying. i like to think maybe henry had some useful advice for tom from his time as a shipboy on a hospital ship (magnificent). rpf is fine. henry begins writing his backwards ass diary somewhere around here.

april 21 1847 - henry writes the open c poem

september 1847 - henry writes down another page and to be so real with u i can't tell if it's poetry or if it's a journal due to a big ass hole in the center of the page. but he wrote it! and the top is dated september __ 1847

april 20 1848 (probs) henry writes a coded diary page about what's going on aboard terror / officers are promising the men new boots (likely their normal seaboots with nails stuck thru to act as cleats on the ice) before they all abandon ship and begin walking / how he thinks tom has left clothes out that wont thaw in time / someone who looks like a marine is getting bossy

1848 ~ EARLYYYYY 1850 I'M NOT GIVING THEM MUCH MORE TIME TO LIVE THAN THAT TBH - henry continues to write poetry about sailing on open water, and writing backwards diary entries , and archiving his recollections of his time in warmer climates when he was young and handsome and attending parties with fruit where people were singing and dancing. there are several references to tom in his journals, most notably is a tangent thought in the middle of a sentence abt smth else where henry refers to him as 'all my art tom'. henry notoriously has difficulties with knowing where Hs actually go in words, and he likely meant "all my heart tom". at some point he is so concerned about the potential of being lost and forgotten in the arctic that he wrote down an account of his own career and he keeps it in his wallet next to his navy ID papers. at some point henry dies, probably from lead poisoning / scurvy / the cold / etc. it was awful to live thru and we know this. thomas survives him, and carries henry's wallet as the surviving men continue trekking south under crozier's command. i imagine initially it was a "i'll make sure this gets home for you" sort of thing based on their history together, and then turned into "oh god i'm not getting out of here either, time to bet everything i have on keeping his writing safe for when someone finds our dead remains in the future"

1850(ish i think) - thomas leaves terror camp in just his steward's uniform, with a clothes brush, a folding hair comb, a six pence coin, a half sovereign coin, no shoes (?), and henry's wallet containing his poetry (safely wrapped in newspaper and leather and tucked against his chest) and walks to the south shoreline of king william island. he probably admires the ocean for one last time, presuming it wasn't frozen over, and then lays down on top of the wallet, facedown, and dies.

march 3 1854 - all franklin expedition personnel are declared dead. his arrears are given to next of kin (i can't figure out if they're sent to his older sister elizabeth or his mother sarah)

may 25 1859 - francis mcclintock (my fucking enemy. me in hell like WHERE IS MCCLINTOCK.) is searching king william island at the behest of jane franklin for clues about WHAT THE FUCK HAS HAPPENED. he comes across thomas' skeleton, disarticulated but still face down along a ridge peninsula known as gladman's point. these are the only human remains within a 30 mile stretch from the last sign of terror camp at washington bay. mcclintock takes henry's wallet and the comb/brush/some surviving buttons/tom's neckerchief with him back to england but leaves thomas' skeleton behind. here's an engraving of mcclintock finding tom + a stenograph of the artifacts they took from him (left hand side, you can see the clothes brush getting moved btwn shots). the folding hair comb initially had brown hairs still caught in the teeth, but the hairs have since disappeared </3 but thomas and henry both were listed on official paperwork as having brown hair. make of this what you will.

??????????????? idk. thomas skeleton continued exposure to the elements :(

july 20 1973 - the 1st battalion royal canadian regiment is doublechecking mcclintock's notes and refind the skeleton. they take photos of thomas' bones in situ and also after they'd been arranged on a piece of plywood. they decide somehow the partial skeleton was a guy that was 6 ft tall which is generous but technically in line with thomas' height considering he wasn't fully there and there's some room for error. they find some cloth covered buttons, a pearl button, and some scraps of wool coat. they then shipped his bones to the canadian museum of history in ottawa. allegedly the museum received the bones. they make a cairn tho + put up a plaque on the spot though

hi tom.

2018 - i watch the first ep of the terror by amc and get bored bc its a lot of white guys who look the same. i have college to be worrying about at this point lol

2020 - i finish watching the terror by amc and go Hey was that subplot about the gay dude with the wallet real or what. can i see what he actually wrote? not really? damn thats crazy ok anyways whatever time to be really depressed

2022 - thomas' skeleton whereabouts are still "unknown" by the canadian museum of history in ottawa when current FE researchers start asking Hey what the fuck man

2024 - i rewatch the terror and get SERIOUS about a facsimile, and start blogging about my descent into madness <3

2025 - actual historians start helping me out with sourcing legible copies of the papers inside the wallet so i can do the facsimile. i continue blogging like an insane man trying 2 spread the good word about these dead dudes. and you're up to date now congrats

#peglarmitage #📜

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dont-f-with-moogles · 2 years ago

Text

Bad Habit

Bad Habit (NSFW) Characters: Levi x Hange Word Count: 1147 words Canon Universe So, this links a couple of things together…

Fiercely, Levi yanked Hange’s leg to his heaving chest, lifting her hips up so that he could sink his weight into her. Beneath him, Hange’s head was thrown back against the pillows, his name escaping her in strangled gasp. Insatiable, Levi pushed deeper, more insistently into her. Strangely, he found he was no longer concerned about the noise they were both making.

This felt different to the last time they had been together… That had been a quick, messy, sweaty affair; half-dressed and leaning against a block of straw. Hange remembered the clumsy, desperate kisses; her hair still wet from the rain; her cold lips against Levi’s neck. There had been no time for self-consciousness, for they had only stolen a few precious moments together. Afterwards they had found it hard to look at one another; clawing pieces of hay from tangled hair, hastily buttoning shirts and fastening belts. There had been no time to think about their next meeting, or to question the events which had passed inside the stable… Before she had even acknowledged the line she and Levi had just crossed, Hange had found herself rushing back to the castle with her jacket held up over her head.

But this time, things were different. Hange hadn’t been expecting company that night. It seemed as though hours had passed as she had sat upon the lounge chair in her room, eyes glazed. She had been too exhausted to cry any more bitter tears. Hange stared at nothing; her body bowed forward so that one elbow rested upon her knee. Fretfully, she gnawed upon a bitten-down nail. One ugly thought surfaced, then another rose to take its place. Increasingly wild theories were emerging, leaping over one another; giving persistent chase around her mind.

A sharp knock had brought her back to her surroundings. Hastily rubbing her face, Hange approached the door. There was Levi, bearing a china cup and saucer. Of course he’d brought tea. Was it a pretence? She had hardly entertained the thought before glancing over his shoulder first one way, then the other up the darkened corridor.

“Did anyone see you?”

“No…” Levi raised his eyebrows. He held out the cup to her, but did not cross the threshold. Hange turned her back to the doorway. There came the sound of a click.

“You never make two. You didn’t think I’d ask you in, huh?”

Hange coughed out a tearless sigh as Levi set the tea down upon a small, round table. He offered a half-shrug. Hange returned to her chair. Hesitantly, Levi made a brief motion as though he was about to leave again. Instead, with a gentle thud, he kicked off his boots by the door and took a seat beside her.

Seemingly, Hange felt like talking after all. The conversation wound itself in convoluted loops, beginning with the deaths of Sawney and Bean, before meandering through possible theories. First, Erwin’s, which had been the outcome of the little information they had managed to gather. Soon their talk wandered through the labyrinth of Hange’s thoughts; twisting into complications which neither could explain. What would the attacker’s next move be? The expedition teams were leaving tomorrow; it could not be delayed. There were those who knew. There were those who could never know. Hange’s tea had grown cold in its cup, the colour fading from golden brown to milky grey.

“It’s not just about the titans…” Hange’s voice was hoarse. “It’s…”

She gestured uselessly, buckled under the weight of such weariness. No. It wasn’t grief for Sawney and Bean but the wasted effort. Her heart ached with it; the risk to those lives who had helped to capture the titans. And what was there to show for their preparation and sacrifice? It was all for nothing. Worse, the Scouts were bound to face the same danger all over again if they were to learn anything new.

“I know,” came Levi’s reply, filled with doubtless reassurance.

Exhausted, Hange sank against him. Her cheek rested on the collar of his jacket.

“I know it's more than that. And we’re all just as sorry for it.”

Beside her, he was real and solid and warm. For a moment, the horror of the situation wasn’t entirely insurmountable. They would find the perpetrator, one way or another. Even if it wouldn’t bring the test subjects back. Even if it meant putting even more lives at risk… alas, that was the Scouts’ burden to bear. Hange shifted slightly against him. Her forehead rested against Levi’s chin. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest. As his fingers stroked her hair back from her face, Hange released her breath slowly. Levi had remained still then. Hange turned her head towards him. He did not move away. Then she gently brushed her lips against his.

Everything had happened quickly after that, like a series of choreographed movements. They were learning each other’s patterns, rhythms, inclinations, as though by instinct. Their bodies were no longer strangers to one another. It was suddenly easy to undress each other; safe to lose themselves completely. It was becoming a habit.

Now Hange’s head was pressed into the pillows scattered upon her bed. Her legs were draped over Levi’s shoulders, so slick with sweat that they were slipping out of place. Levi’s hand clutched her ankle firmly. Hange was lost to an all-engrossing heat; one that was building so sharply, so agonisingly close. She hardly noticed when Levi’s fingers threaded through her own, gripping her hands as his thrusts became more desperate.

Her whole body rocked on a wave of ecstasy. As the sensation crested to its peak, Hange choked out a few incoherent words between her sobs. Heat flared within her. Every muscle in her body clenched. And then, the sting of pleasure was ebbing away.

Levi’s movements were slowing. His eyes were closed; brow slightly furrowed in concentration; his cheeks flushed. Dark hair stood up, uncharacteristically unruly. Hange’s chest pulled tight. Her hands slid up Levi’s back and into his dishevelled hair. Breathless words left her in a sigh. Levi’s body tensed. He drew back enough to look down at where she lay beneath him. Her eyes were half-closed; face aglow.

She knew he would not answer. Not until he was sure of what he had heard. Both shared the same secret but were too afraid to reveal it.

Hange took Levi’s warm face in her hands. Their lips met silently, softly. She held him there and Levi showed no inclination to draw himself away, or to continue moving against her. He was still inside her; stomachs pressed together; skin warming one another, as he kissed her again. Their bodies moulded naturally, as though they were made for only this. As though they could remain this way for the rest of their days. ... Levi x Reader version is here.

I’m taking NSFW prompts 👉 Smut Scribbles

#levi x hange #levihan #levi ackerman #hange zoe #levihan smut #levi ackerman x hange zoe #levihan drabble #levihan fic #n.sfw #attack on titan #snk #aot #shingeki no kyojin #smut scribbles #my writing

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violettesiren · 6 months ago

Text

A rotted swan is hurrying away from the plane-crash mess of her wings one here one there

getting panicky up out of her clothes and mid-splash looking down again at what a horrible plastic mould of herself split-second climbing out of her own cockpit

and lifting away again and bending back for another look thinking strange strange

what are those two white clips that connected my strength to its floatings

and lifting away again and bending back for another look at the clean china serving-dish of a breast bone and how thickly the symmetrical quill-points were threaded in backwards through the leather underdress of the heart saying

strange strange

it's not as if such fastenings could ever contain the regular yearning wing-beat of my evenings and that surely can't be my own black feet lying poised in their slippers what a waste of detail what a heaviness inside each feather

and leaving her life and all its tools with their rusty juices trickling back to the river she is lifting away she is taking a last look thinking

quick quick

say something to the frozen cloud of the head before it thaws whose one dead eye

is a growing cone of twilight in the middle of winter it is snowing there and the bride has just set out

to walk to her wedding but how can she reach the little black-lit church it is so cold

the bells like iron angels hung from one note keep ringing and ringing

Swan by Alice Oswald

#alice oswald

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 months ago

Text

Matt Davies :: @MatttDavies :: Mortar Attack. http://Newsday.com/matt

* * * *

Bumpy ride ahead; fasten your seatbelts!

March 11, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

It appears that Trump's secret agenda is to destroy the economy along with the federal government so that he can preside over a nation in ashes.

On Monday, the stock markets suffered significant declines, with the S&P 500 falling 2.7 percent after Trump admitted that his economic policies may cause a recession, and China and Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods. See Reuters, US stock market loses $4 trillion in value as Trump plows ahead on tariffs. Tesla stock was hit particularly hard by the selloff. See CNBC, Tesla shares plunge 15%, suffering steepest drop in five years.

The economic turmoil in the markets occurs just as congressional Republicans are failing to pass a budget, instead offering a fraudulent “continuing resolution” that increases defense spending by $6 billion and cuts domestic spending by $13 billion for appropriations that cover about one-third of the budget. There is nothing “continuing” about a resolution that shifts spending by $19 billion over a six-month period.

House Democrats are likely to vote in unison against the fake continuing resolution, while Senate Democrats are undecided—meaning we will find out in three days whether we will have a partial government shutdown on Friday and whether Senate Democrats believe they have any say in opposing Trump's lawlessness.

It will be a bumpy ride for the next several days—just like every day since Trump took the oath of office. The chaos is anxiety producing. However, the good news is that a broad swath of the electorate is fed up and looking for an outlet to express their dissatisfaction.

Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are touring the nation, speaking to Americans who are outraged by Trump's lawless rampage. Bernie Sanders is drawing huge crowds that would be the envy of a major presidential candidate a month before the election. See AP News, Drawing huge crowds, Bernie Sanders steps into leadership of the anti-Trump resistance.

The cheering, raucous crowds flocking to hear Bernie Sanders are the flip side of the angry, overflowing town halls where congressional Republicans are being scorched by their constituents for enabling the Trump-Musk agenda.

In short, public sentiment is catching up with the reality of what is happening on the ground in D.C. The trend lines are exactly what we should expect in reaction to an agenda that is destroying those portions of the government that ensure the health, safety, and financial security of the American public.

To be clear, things are going to get worse before they get better. But the chaos that Trump believes is his friend will prove to be his destruction. Americans are learning every day to appreciate the regulations and “bureaucracy” that they “loved to hate” in the abstract but depend on daily to make their lives better and safer.

We have a lot to cover, so let’s get to it. But as we work our way through the seemingly stochastic destruction of Trump's second term, hold fast to the insight that the amid the chaos, Americans are saying “Enough,” and are looking for leadership, resistance, and an alternative to “Burn it all down.” The Democratic vision is coming into sharp relief against the backdrop of Trump's chaos.

Stock Market decline on Monday

To paraphrase Bill Clinton’s campaign theme, “It’s the tariffs, stupid.” See Kipplinger, Stock Market Today: Dow Off 890 Points on Tariff Uncertainty.

Trump bragged that his re-election would cause a stock market rally “like nobody’s ever seen.” Instead, Trump's policies are directly responsible for a significant slide in market values. Faced with bad news from the stock market, Trump has changed his tune, claiming he doesn’t pay attention to the stock market. During a Fox interview over the weekend, Trump said,

You can’t really watch the stock market. If you look at China, they have a 100-year perspective. We have a quarter. We go by quarters.

Republican effort to pass continuing resolution

Republicans are attempting to cram through a continuing resolution to fund the government through September 2025. The use of a continuing resolution happens when the party in power is unable to pass a budget. House Republicans likely have the votes to pass the continuing resolution without Democratic help but they need seven Democrats to overcome the filibuster in the Senate. Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo is keeping track of declarations of intent by Democratic Senators. See TPM, Tally.

Per Josh Marshall’s tally, only Senator John Fetterman has confirmed that he will vote in favor of the continuing resolution.

The strategy and gamesmanship in the question of whether Democratic Senators should support the continuing resolution is maddeningly complex. At a time of serious declines in the stock market and mass layoffs in the federal government, causing a government shutdown would be a difficult choice for Democrats.

Jay Kuo does an excellent job of providing an evenhanded view of the arguments for Senate Democrats supporting or opposing the continuing resolution. See Jay Kuo, The Status Kuo, The CR Is A Trojan Horse.

I highly recommend Jay Kuo’s article, both for its completeness and dispassionate analysis. Kuo focuses on the distinction between the continuing resolution and the proposed budget that Republicans must unveil after the continuing resolution passes. Kuo says, in part,

We’ll see tomorrow evening if the GOP manages to squeak a CR through. If they do, don’t lose heart. The budget battle won’t be decided by that vote, not even close.

I admire Jay’s restraint and positive outlook—in part because it allows me to take a more aggressive stand while feeling that I have fulfilled my obligation to be fair and accurate.

At this point in time, Democrats in Congress have one tool at their disposal: The filibuster. If they refuse to use it in the face of the massive destruction that is ongoing, they will have surrendered the filibuster as a tool. Republicans have already baked into their continuing resolution the probability that Democrats will blink and refuse to shut down the government.

In other words, Republicans believe Democrats don’t have the guts to cause a government shutdown.

The fact that the stock market is in a slide before a government shutdown gives Democrats some cover from the usual blame game that ascribes the damage from a shutdown to the opposition party not in power. Here, Trump is already under pressure to help the markets recover. A shutdown is the last thing he wants or needs (with the caveats noted below).

If Democrats refuse to provide the votes to overcome the filibuster, they will send a message to Republicans: “We have a tool and we are willing to use it. Come to the table when you are ready to talk compromise.”

But if Democrats “obey in advance” by refusing to use the filibuster, the last remaining item in their toolkit is useless.

One danger in a shutdown that Jay Kuo smartly highlights is that it may give Musk an opportunity to say, “Anyone who is not designated as an essential employee during the shutdown is fired.” To be clear, such a move would be illegal and unconstitutional. But such technicalities have not slowed Musk to date.

So, we are down to “counting heads” in the Senate to see which Democrats will support the continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown. If it were up to me—and many grassroots activists—using the filibuster to bring Republicans to the table would help unify and energize the Democratic Party, including Democratic members of Congress!

Musk is trying to destroy Social Security to privatize it

Trump has promised that he will not cut Social Security. But he hasn’t promised not to privatize it. In a truly disturbing report that originated in WaPo (which I no longer cite) that was referenced in The Contrarian, it appears that Musk has infiltrated the Social Security Administration and is undertaking steps to cause it to fail—as an excuse for privatizing SSA. See Jeff Nesbit in The Contrarian, Destroying Social Security from within | Substack.

In a related story, a declaration filed by a former employee of the Social Security Administration claims that DOGE has obtained access to the most sensitive information in the possession of Social Security—which therefore risks disclosure of that information to third parties. See The Hill, Ex-Social Security official describes ‘significant’ risk of sensitive data going to wrong hands under DOGE.

The potential privatization of Social Security should alarm all Americans—but especially those who are near or at retirement age. Social Security has never missed a payment and has never failed to send a check on time. This is one issue that should rouse every American. Tell a friend!

The arrest and attempted deportation of Palestinian graduate of Columbia University

The arrest, detention, and planned deportation of a former Columbia student, Mahmoud Khalil, who led pro-Palestinian protests at the university has chilling implications for all Americans. In a Monday post, Trump made clear that (a) the Columbia graduate student was being deported for his political beliefs and (b) that there are “many more to come.” See Salon, "You are not welcome here": Trump promises "many" more arrests of pro-Palestine protesters.

Trump claims that the detained student and others at Columbia have engaged in “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity.” Khalil has not been charged with any crime. Instead, he acted as a spokesperson for a group of students who occupied a yard at Columbia to protest the killing of civilians in Gaza.

Khalil is a legal resident in the US on a green card and is entitled to due process of law and protection of the laws of the US. He was obligated to “obey all laws of the United States” and “support the democratic form of government.” See Rights and Responsibilities of a Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident) | USCIS. (2024)

The Trump administration revised the rules for deportation of green card holders to include deportation for those “suspected of having connections with terrorist groups or activities deemed as threats to U.S. security.” See 2025 Immigration Rules Redefine Deportation Risks for Green Card Holders.

Regardless of the merits of Trump's revised rules, the president’s post on social media makes clear that Khalil is being deported because he engaged in political speech. Deporting non-citizens based on political speech that is protected under the Constitution is an illegal and dangerous precedent that should worry all Americans.

A federal judge has stayed the deportation of Khalil pending a hearing later this week.

[Robert B.Hubbell Newsletter]

#Matt Davies #Trump Tariffs #tariffs #Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #Robert B. Hubbell #crashing economy #green card

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