#hire the whole rome

[lightofraye]

Food For Thought

Fear not, I am still working on the next review of Wales Comic Con. I'm wishing there were close-ups of the convention so I could have a better look of faces, but it may have to be what it is.

But that's not what this post is about.

AustinCon--SPNAustin/SPNAus/Whatever the acronym--is already starting and we've heard and seen some rather inappropriate commentary from Kim and Briana (dear gods, please, develop some class!), Matt Cohen... being peculiar... a group karaoke that largely consisted of the "extras" (as they're often called), and the BBQ with Jensen and Steve (aka Radio Company).

It's been a trip watching the photos and commentary by fans. Or stans. Or is it both?

Of course, I didn't forget Jared and his book event with Genevieve (well, her book event). They were cute together! I keep forgetting just how freaking tall he is until I saw that full length photo and just stared. I'm above average for a woman myself--5'9"--and something tells me he'd give me a crick in my neck just to talk to him.

Out of all of that, the one that disappointed me a bit was hearing the BBQ with Radio Company lasted only an hour. For more than $300, I'd expect it to last at least a couple of hours.

Not for the first time, I wonder about the financial problems that may or may not be plaguing the Ackles. There's a lot of things not adding up and the BBQ event was a "last minute" addition (like just a month ago). Unfortunately, it's all speculation and I have so many theories spinning through my mind. Pieces of a whole, missing key points that may never be answered.

However, as I've been musing, I recalled a conversation with a follower. A quick message, a comment. They mentioned a recent Meet and Greet with Jensen. Of course, with the Non-Disclosure Agreement, they couldn't go into details. But could, at least, give me a general gist:

"In a recent meet and greet, Jensen shared information that convinced me that he is home often. Little things, but also one main piece unrelated to kids or wife that proved he spends significant amount of time at home."

This may be true. The mansion has three floors plus a basement. It's certainly huge enough that he could quite literally have a whole wing to himself, an aspect of separation without the legalese involved. The blueprints of the mansion showed it was entirely possible.

But... it still niggled at me.

In discussing it with a few others, one person chimed in. "That basement is large enough to fit a bedroom, office, gym, and so much more!"

And it hit me.

They had the equipment of a gym back in Austin, when Jensen was trying to bulk up for Soldier Boy back then for Season 3 of The Boys. We saw the videos, the photos. I imagine they moved the equipment with them. So why did we see several photos of Jensen at an outside gym?

It's not for a trainer, though the exclusive gym he went to could've provided one. Or, with his money, he could hire a private one to attend to him at the mansion!

So why outside the mansion?

The answer is altogether too heartbreaking: he can't abide to be at home.

It's safer, and healthier, to be away.

Then I remembered a discussion I had with one of my... I'll call them 'industry experts'. Meet and Greets are where actors 'test' stories, see how they land and then use the 'successful' stories in later conventions. With the NDAs, fans wouldn't be able to say anything without risking a lawsuit, expensive ones at that.

It'd certainly explain the weird shifting of stories that don't always ring true or change too fast. Like when he was in Rome, Jensen said Danneel liked cooking Italian food. Later, in France, it was French food and French music. How many fans would listen to every single one of those conventions and match stories? Or even care that it changed too much, too fast, and with gaping holes that felt awkward?

Pieces of a whole. Generic stories, nothing specific. Not of Danneel asking him to try something new that tasted incredible. Or a burnt food accident that smoked out their kitchen. Or the kids enjoying one of the songs.

Get what I mean?

The pieces don't fit. He says one thing here, another thing there, and it doesn't match.

If he's still persistently trying to build the Family Man Image... if Gersh has someone monitoring keywords (GERSH! GERSH! GERSH! Does it work like Beetlejuice?), I'd advise them to tell Jensen to stop. It's not working. Maybe for a small section of a dying fandom (oh god, please don't kill me), but for the rest? We're not buying it.

And for his mental and emotional--and hell, physical!--health, I'd say he should try to go for the divorced dad image.

Lots of things stirring in my mind. Far too much.

This week was hard. Seeing the ongoing put down from people who don't understand the mindset of someone in the middle of abuse, the insults, the demeaning comments ("weak", "pussy", "not a man", and so forth) really got to me. Broke my heart.

Then there's the controversy surrounding the movie, "It Ends With Us", and the inaccuracy of the ending that had me headdesking repeatedly.

It seemed the theme of the week is Domestic Violence.

For survivors, who got away. For the victims, who are still trapped. For those who think it's normal, because they don't know any better (yes, this is a thing; if a person's baseline is well below what should be considered okay, what makes you think they'd know differently?).

It's emotionally draining. It's exhausting.

But every so often I get a message of support, of people who are grateful for me speaking out.

And then there's my son, who I am desperate to keep safe.

Breaking of cycles have to begin somewhere.

Let it start with me.

[cinmngirlnfr]

Juan Borgia Arranged Marriage Headcanons

Note: I'm trying to make this as close to the show as possible (Juan being an asshole) I in fact can't fix him. Shout out to the Phantom of the Opera. Also, I'm sorry if there are any mistakes, english is not my first lenguage.

Summary: It is 1493, Rome. After a long friendship with Lucrezia Borgia, where you spent most of your childhood at her house, so much, so that Venozza and the Holy Father himself started seeing you as their child. When The Pope was looking for a spouse for his second son, naturally, you were the first to cross his mind. Your parents of course showed no opposition. It seemed perfect, The only problem? You and Juan Borgia had hated each other since you first met all those years ago

Warning: Allusions to sex, Allusions to sexual violence, violence.

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ENGAGED

When your parents told you about the arrangement, you wanted to puke. Juan Borgia was the last man on earth you would like to marry, and even if he was the last man on earth, you were not sure if you would take him.

Lucrezia was delighted, finally, she would have you as her sister. At least you would get something good out of this.

When Juan first heard of this, he was enraged, he wanted to marry a princess! Someone up to his level, not his sister's annoying best friend.

It was very weird at first, you had always seen each other as brother and sister, you grew up together, and grew irritated and annoyed by everything the other did.

Venozza would be basically the only one planning the wedding, although she asked for your and Juan's opinions, both of you would just say yes to anything with hopes of the whole ordeal being over.

I think the only thing Juan would be interested in picking, is the entertainment, like he did at Lucrezia's wedding.

Juan didn't think you were ugly, but the image of spending the rest of his life with you would make him want to drown himself.

I imagine the Pope hosting many events to present you guys as a couple, but also, he had an agenda of making the two of you like each other.

In these gatherings, you were very polite to the guests, and both your parents and Juan had instructed you to act in love. Juan already had a reputation in Rome, and the way the Pope to such the rumors, was by creating a love story where his son was in the center.

Your fake smiles to your betrothed were clear. The problem lay when Juan had too many glasses of wine and started to hug you by the neck and kiss your cheeks, screaming in a mocking tone "OH MY SWEET WIFE TO BE!" You were beyond annoyed.

WEDDING DAY

Juan gets very drunk.

He will flirt with the actresses he hired.

You would probably be sitting annoyed on a table, sipping wine and eating bread, contemplating your future with the man who is currently drunkenly singing on top of a table.

The first dance was awkward as fuck.

Although Juan is not able to deny how beautiful you look in that wedding dress, and how good you would look without it.

Is he actually getting impatient for the wedding night?

However, he keeps drinking. It's a celebration! There is not such a thing as "Too much wine."

WEDDING NIGHT

You were young, and this was the Renaissance, there wasn't much sex ED.

You actually were not sure what to expect, your mom had told you that intimacy was painful, and the nuns had told you that it was only meant for procreation and to serve your husband.

You had been told that you could never say NO to your husband in any context, but especially not on this.

So naturally, you were confused but relieved when Juan Borgia was too drunk to even stand on his two feet, let alone consummate a marriage.

You tried to guide him to the bed, but he was much bigger than you.

He fell on the bed dragging you with him, leaving you trapped between his semi-unconscious body and the mattress.

"Look at my pretty wife..." He mumbled, and you rolled your eyes.

Somehow you managed to get him on his back and release yourself.

"Good night, Borgia" you sighed once you finally were able to get comfortable.

You thought he was done bothering you for the night.

Boy, you were wrong.

Hours later, the sun was starting to rise, and you woke up, by a slightly less drunken Juan Borgia on top of you, kissing your neck.

The sensation was strange... Not bad, almost ticklish. It made you want to giggle, GIGGLE! FOR JUAN BORGIA!

"What are you doing?" you ask confused.

"Finishing the task we had last night..."

And so he did... Let's just say, intimacy was way better than your mom and the nuns had described it.

MARRIED LIFE

Every hour he had, every second he spared, was to either think about doing you or actually doing you.

God! You were so annoying, acting all bratty, and making his life impossible.

He still couldn't keep your naked body, or your soft whimpers out of his mind.

At first, it was pure lust, it really was.

You both kept the same dynamic of annoying each other, yet there was a new element, sex.

When intimate life is that good, when the bed chemistry is so powerful when all the lust is only fueled by hatred, and of course, being no condoms at the time, it wasn't a surprise that you got pregnant very fast.

Yes, Juan pretended he didn't care for you.

Seeing you pregnant with his child tho... That fucked with his brain chemistry a bit.

Why did he suddenly want to hold you? He felt disgusted with himself.

Before this, all the sinful thoughts he had about you were fulled by the need to ruin you, to corrupt you, almost to make you submit to him since he knew that in any other way, even if it was hard for him to admit, you could easily outsmart him.

But now... He wanted to protect you, to make sure you never suffered again.

He realized he was down bad when you asked him to join you in a walk around the town.

He didn't want, for you to expose yourself like that, but he would have never admitted to you that he cared for your well-being.

He followed you closely, while you gracefully walked around the plaza rubbing your belly.

And it all went downhill, when a man, a peasant, walked your way and tried to touch your belly without your consent.

You politely tried to get away, but the man kept harassing you.

The next thing you saw was your husband beating the man to death, while he yelled things about, how dared a peasant even look at a noblewoman.

I mean, he was the head of the papal army, no one blinked an eye.

He then realized he would kill for you, he had done it, and he would do it again without hesitating.

The next time he realized how much he cared for you was when your son was born.

Then he realized, when you held that baby in your arms, sitting in the bed next to him, humming a sweet song for the child to calm down. He realized that what he felt for you was love.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Sky Full of Stars - Chapter Fifteen.

Huge thanks to my usual lovelies for your continued reads and beautiful words on this. I apologise for not reblogging my thanks or getting back to comments, I'm all over the place at present with my need to be taking strong painkillers so thus losing track! You are appreciated hugely by your author, though :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 3,290

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI!

“Miss, you are not gaining entrance. I am asking you to move away from the doors, miss. I will call the police. Men with cameras, please do not obstruct the frontage, I am asking everyone to move back. Now.”  

Sergio Manzo, the manager of the Milan Suite Hotel certainly had a much politer manner when dealing with nuisances than the wall of security guards who exited the first taxis in the convoy arriving, standing in a line either side of the frontage, the people they were employed to look after moving from the second and third cars at speed. Flashbulbs flickered brightly, questions fired at two individuals in particular, and one woman being blocked from getting anywhere near them shouting her nonsense. 

“Adrien! Adrien, I’m here! Please, look at me! I have a room at a hotel ten minutes away, just like we arranged!”  

His hand tightened around his wife’s, making sure she got into the hotel and out of the madness first, hearing Shane, their chief of security bellowing.  

“Do not touch me. Get back, now!” he directed at Serena, him and Greg pushing back as she tried to shove her way past them. “Jess, Jen, come on! Run in, quick!”  

With the last two plus Sunni within the foyer, the manager closed the doors, the hotel’s own security moving to guard the front, photographers still taking pictures through the glass doors and windows, and Serena still screaming for attention.  

“If she continues, we will call the police and have her removed,” Sergio spoke, shaking hands with Sunni, with whom he’d been liaising with regarding the situation of them being followed through Europe by the woman still making a scene outside. Luckily, every hotel had been sympathetic to the ongoing problem, but Sunni knew it was likely the last thing any of them needed. It was the last thing he needed; his job made exponentially more difficult in organising every move they made. 

“Appreciated, Sergio. Thank you very much for your co-operation, and I apologise for bringing this to your establishment. There isn’t much we can do, though. Travelling from country to country, it’s complex in how we handle the situation.” he explained, the manager nodding. He sped through the check in process, everyone being shown to their rooms, Serena remaining outside with her continued wailing.  

It had been a complex procedure of strategy to outwit her so far over the course of the tour, sometimes managing, often not to thwart her. Departures in vehicles with blacked out windows from the rear of hotels, restaurants and other public places were often facilitated, managing to lose her by the time she had scrambled into a taxi, or at times when she’d had a hire car, gotten herself behind the wheel.  

Jade and Adrien had attended a film festival in Rome a few days prior, luckily to no Serena related issues while walking the red carpet together, although Shane and Greg had been in attendance, just like they were wherever they went by themselves. It was stifling, but entirely necessary. After all, the nature of crazy could not be predicted, and risking their safety was something nobody was prepared to gamble on.  

At least things had turned around in the press for them as far as the whole situation went, the consensus now erring to the side of truth, that the girl in question was nothing more than a deranged fan, her stalking of the couple taking up column inches now rather than anybody putting credence in her claims to be having an affair with Adrien. In a situation that was far from their control, it was a small saving grace.  

“It sounds fucked up, but I almost wish she would actually try something, you know. So she can be arrested and slung into a cell,” Jade spoke, looking out of the hotel window, glad it backed onto the rear of the property. Feeling him move behind her, she grasped the arm that wrapped around her chest, stroking it, laying a kiss. “It’s pissing me right off, now. This is one of the best tours we’ve ever done, and it has to be spent looking over our shoulders, ageing poor Sunni by about ten years with all the extra logistics he’s having configure, too, and impacting everyone.” 

Adrien was in full agreement. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about going home early, you know, to see if she follows me, give you guys a break from it. I’m not about to chance that though, not with her fixation being on you, too. Plus, that’d mean missing seeing you get to play with the dancing horses, and I’m not about to do that.” 

With it of course being very well known that Jade was a keen equestrian, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna had invited her and Adrien for a private tour of the facility, once she had fulfilled her touring obligations throughout Europe. They’d even said she could ride with them during morning exercise, an honour that had sent her into the realms of squeaking disbelief when their management had called to inform her of the invite.  

“I can’t wait, I really can’t. And I’m glad you haven’t gone anywhere, darling. I’d worry too much; in case she did follow you. I thought he might’ve been being overzealous to begin with, but Sunni’s right. We have no idea what she could be capable of. At least if it continues when we get home, we can deal with it efficiently,” she sighed. Obtaining a restraining order while travelling through multiple countries was sadly not possible. 

It was wearing on her, but he was proud that she remained level-headed and pragmatic in the face of the harassment. Not once had she reverted to former bad habits when dealing with stress. “Yeah, she’ll be slapped with a restraining order. I hope that perhaps since we live so remotely, it’ll make it more difficult for her to pursue us.” 

“Maybe, yeah,” she interjected with, fingers tickling his inner forearm. 

“You not being on tour will help, too. She won’t be able to follow us quite so easily, not knowing which cities we’ll be in and when. I guess it helps that we won’t be home for long either until we leave on vacation. Is it naive of me to hope that she might get bored?” 

“Maybe a touch,” she confessed, leaning her head back to look at him, nuzzling his chest. “You’re right though, about her not knowing our itineraries. She won’t have a clue.” Turning in his arms, she draped hers around his neck, staring up at from beneath her long lashes. “I’m done with talking about the nutter, though. In fact, I’m done saying anything, unless it’s sexual.”  

He chuckled, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “Anything specific?” 

“Hmm, maybe a few things,” she hummed, reaching to press a kiss against his neck. “Like how I I’m going to ride you slow into that big bed after I’ve let you fuck my mouth.”  

Oh, the blaze that burned through his blood. “Mmm, yeah. I could definitely go in for some of that. Eventually. See, I have plans of my own first, Mrs. B.” 

She licked her lip, nails raking softly down his chest. “Oh, you do, hmm?”  

“Yeah.” His fingers trawled up her neck, pushing against the plush of her pout. “Suck 'em," he instructed, watching as the first and third digits vanished between her lips, her eyes not leaving his for a second. “Now turn around.” 

Once facing away from him, he walked her over to the corner of the room where a full-length mirror was stationed, positioning her before it. His lips rained hot over her neck, hand plunging beneath the waistband of her long, clingy black skirt. “You’re gonna watch how pretty you look when you come.” 

Giving him the total control of her as ever worked like an accelerant upon her arousal, his long fingers wasting no time for tease as they slid between her folds, rubbing long strokes over her clit. Moving her near waist length curtain of pale blonde hair, he continued those neck kisses, his other hand vanishing within her strapless top to stroke her breasts through the thin lace of her bra, that base to tip of his fingers stroking pressing a little firmer, adding a slight rotation.  

“Fuck,” she gasped, her head thudding back against his shoulder, turning to lay molten kisses at the side of his throat. “Fuck, right there.”  

It pattered down her spine like holy rain, her dew quickly drenching his fingers, Jade feeling his heartbeat amping up against her back. She had never known a man before him who thrived so much on being a giver of pleasure, leaning back against him to feel his cock hardening against her lower back. “I bet you can’t wait for me to sink down on that beautiful, big cock, can you baby?”  

He hummed a chuckle, teeth sharp at her neck. “Can’t wait to fuck that pretty mouth with it before you do.” With the continued skimming of his fingers over her hard little bud, he had her panting wantonly as she felt herself set to fall apart, like an ancient tower about to topple, little pin pricks of bliss warming over her veins as the coil within her tugged sharply.  

The syrupy bliss of it rolled over her bones as his fingers quickened, her cries filling the air like a sonnet as she felt it burst, her legs a little weak, his arm slipping to her waist to hold her tight as her release shone bright over her, removing his drenched fingers and pushing them into her mouth again. This time, he hooked them behind her teeth, thumb pressing beneath her jaw, gently towing her over to the bed and pushing her down to sit on the edge.  

“So fucking sexy,” she purred as he pulled off his t shirt, her hands moving to unfasten his jeans, “and he’s all mine.” Her tongue licked at the line of dark hair descending his navel, their joint undressing having him naked swiftly, Jade letting her tongue skim a lick over his hipbone while curling her hand around his cock.  

Bringing her lips to the tip, she kissed the slit a few times, a tang of precum glistening her cupid’s bow, the taste of him bursting over her tongue as she took him into her mouth. The need spiralled within her, wanting him with every fibre of her being, her hands curling around his back to drag her nails up and down. It sent sparks through him, his hands raking through her hair, letting her control it for that moment.  

It sliced sharp through the pit of his stomach, the blade of pleasure evoked by her mouth moving back and forth, a grunt of approval echoing his throat when she paused to spit on the thick of his cock, watching it glisten as it trickled down the shaft. “Dirty girl.” 

“Just the way you love me.” she chirped, once again swallowing him hole. It barely took any time at all for her to have him out of his mind, the way she looked up at him while having him buried deep in her throat, the continued drag of her nails, the way she moaned as she sucked him, god.  

It was a crime of thought that anyone, even for a second, would ever put credence in him straying from her.  

She was his golden-haired, blue-eyed goddess, his hands tightening their pull in those sunlit blonde tresses, his hips beginning to sway against her mouth. His heart crashed like a storm within his chest, sparks of heat rolling through him, his limbs feeling light and tingly the faster she moved her mouth against each plunging push between her lips. Just playing with her had amped him up beyond reason, Adrien feeling the blissful waves of release beginning to yank upon his nerves already, her nails like sensual daggers as they clawed at his back.  

The rubbing of the ridge of his cock against the back of her mouth made him weak with the force of the heat charging through his blood, the need to fuck her consuming him, like a demon vying for release. Pulling back, her pushed her further onto the bed, parting her thighs wide and filling her with one swift thrust, their mouths locking in hot, messy kisses full of desire.  

“I thought you were going to let me be in charge?” she panted, propping herself up on an elbow, the other arm draping around his neck. 

“So did I. The way you just sucked my dick gave me other ideas, though, and they all involve holding you down while I pound you into this bed.” His hand grasped her neck, flattening her to the mattress, the press firm but the hold gentle, hips beginning to pound against her as he watched the blue fire of her irises start to burn. The savage onslaught was tempered a little as he slowed, giving her all-in, all-out thrusts, moving his thumb to push it between her lips, watching her hum each moan around it as she sucked, her eyes inked with arousal.  

He forced all of the breath from her lungs with every hard shunt back inside of her, the outward drag of his cock slow, making her walls pulse and glimmer, little moonbeams glowing through the dark of her desire. Pulling his thumb away, his mouth met hers, kissing the plump of her lips, biting the lower, letting it slide out from between his lips as he rutted her deep, so deep he drew all manner of wails from her. 

She felt him hitting her every target within, building pace steadily, until they rutted together in frenzy, groans filling the air as they lost control, her nails dragging his chest as she began to flutter around the deep punch of his cock. The flint strikes burned bright, and she chased every spark, sucking his tongue, her nails imbedding and tearing down, Adrien releasing her neck to press both her hands above her head, driving into her like a piston as her waves crashed like a storm against his shore.  

It pulled him under with her, bright white bursting behind his eyelids, his muscles all softening as he fell to the stars of her arms, mouth peppering kisses against her neck.  

“You’ve... bloody... ruined me,” she panted, hands stroking his clammy back. He went to say something, comically crossing his eyes and shaking his head, making an ‘uh-uh’ noise. “Did I get my mans all pussy drunk, huh?” 

“Mmhmm.” She loved it when she rendered him beyond words, Jade laughing gently. He had just enough comprehension to set an alarm on his phone for an hour, falling into a little sex coma as Jade referred to them as, while she got up and had a quick shower before dressing, heading down to the bar.  

“Skippy! I need a smoke, come with,” Jen announced as soon as she saw her appear, the women turning and heading out to the front of the hotel, the drummer poking her head around the door. “Is it safe, man?” 

The security guy nodded. “She is somewhere further up the street, so for now, yes.” Moving to the side of the doors, they lit up, Jen raising her eyebrows at how awkwardly her friend moved.  

“Lemme guess, you’ve had your man on ya?”  

Her grin broadened. “Oh yeah.” They shared giggles full of mirth, Jade continuing. “Now, don’t get me wrong. My husband is perhaps the most talented lover I have ever known, but the bloody hips!” she exclaimed quietly, Jen nodding as she motioned to her own inner thighs.  

“Right? Jesus in a tutu, those slender guys always murder your fucking inner thighs with the hip bones! And we ain’t got much meat on us anyway, for god’s sake! This is why I like a chunkier dude, gives a little padding, man!” she chuckled.  

“I’m so bruised,” she snickered, “walking like Woody from Toy Story. Poor little cooch is all busted up an’ all.”  

Jen snorted, throwing her head back, the security guy sending her even further when he overheard and tried hard not to laugh. “I am familiar with the Toy Story,” he grinned, shaking his head. “You ladies are very funny.” He then looked down the street and groaned, seeing a sight that the police had already come to deal with, the girl who had been obstructing the hotel frontage.  

“Oh, joy,” Jen moaned, nodding in her direction. “We gotta incoming Serena. God, this bitch is unreal. And her parents, man! They gotta have heard something about this, and she’s just out here in the wind, throwing her crazy all over the damned place!”  

“Adrien said earlier that it’ll be so much easier to manage once we’re home. If she continues, we can just have her served with a restraining order,” she replied, closing her eyes tightly with a sharp exhale when she heard shouting begin. 

“Jade! I want to talk to you! I want you to know that you won’t come in the way of my happiness with Adrien. He’s divorcing you as soon as he gets back to the US!” 

Every instinct within her said to ignore it, but this girl, she was pushing her too far. “Did he? Prove it.”  

“I can’t! I’m not allowed near the front of the hotel!” she shouted.  

“Then Jen and I will come to you, and you can show me all these messages he’s supposed to have sent you, or you can show me the call list on your phone. I know his number from memory, so I’ll be able to see for myself then, won’t I?” 

“You aren’t coming anywhere near me! I don’t have to prove anything to you!” 

“Well,” she scoffed, “I think you do, if you’re trying to convince me that my husband is cheating on me, or else what’s your end game here?”  

“Easy, Skip,” Jen whispered at her side, resting a protective hand to her waist. Jade hadn’t actually raised her voice once, but she could see her back and arms visibly beginning to stiffen.  

“My end game is getting the man I love, and you out of the picture! He was with me while you were on stage in Berlin, you know!” 

The only place Adrien was at the Berlin show was backstage, earplugs in, with a cold, damp towel over his face as he tried to stave off a migraine. “You need help, Serena. Please go home and see somebody about this, because deep down, you know it isn’t true. Look at how much money you’re burning through, and for what? I don’t believe you, you have no proof of your claims, and my husband only knows you exist because of your continued harassment of us. It’s sad. Please, just leave. I don’t even hate you; you know. I just feel really sorry for you, petal.” 

“Oh, you think you’re so fucking special, don’t you? He doesn’t love you!” 

Jade took a last drag on her cigarette, stubbing it out and placing it into the receptacle on the wall, Jen following suit. “Yes, he does. And I think that’s what pisses you off the most. Go and find somebody who will love you back, Serena, because my husband isn’t it.”  

“You have much grace, Mrs. Brody.” the security guard nodded as she walked back inside, wrapping her arm around Jen, her friend reciprocating as Serena continued her yelling from the other side of the street. Oh, how she couldn’t wait for that particular annoying background noise to quieten. 

[notafunkiller]

To be honest I don’t know much about Annabelle apart from the fact she was in Peaky Blinders and dated Chris Pine and I literally haven’t seen her in anything else. I have read a lot of people saying she is problematic but not sure why. Can anyone shed some light.

Hii, so:

She is a royalist.

She did CA and used a slur for Romani people and did not apologize.

She posted a more pro Israel story at first, then people scolded her and she switched. But she even tags and shares The A-List on her stories multiple times.

The A-List's founder is loud about not hiring pro Palestine people. You can read the article here.

She does performative activism (she posts a cause that she obviously is not very interested in since she does not provide info or real inside, but it's "popular", then posts 2627 stories about brands - even zionist brands)

Let's not forget how she's friends with Jared Leto (Since 2005, Jared Leto has been facing serious allegations of sèxual impropriety against underage girls, including räpe, séxual assault etc and they've been friends for years long after the first allegations came out), still liked Armie Hammer's photos post allegations and around June 2023 it was rumored she was supposed his clean up girlfriend (which seems to allign since there was a huge period of silence with Sebastian) + she also has a post supporting Woody All*n.

She stalks Sebastian's fans (even those who do not tag her and haters instead of blocking them) even when she was in Rome recently at 3 am, Dakota Johnson's fan accounts multiple times (she was caught following by mistake a huge fan account that had her current location), she follows what Gwyneth Paltrow follows, and if I remember well, she stalked some Chris Martin x Dakota Johnson shipper account too.

And talking about Chris Martin... his fans talked multiple times about how rude she was to them at concerts or when they were taking pics with Chris (when they were together). Crew members complained about her. And professionally speaking... Guy Ritchie and Charlie Hunnam complained about her too.

She also made a "joke" about how it would have been the best day of Tom Cruise's life when they were supposed to kiss but he refused... it was a very cringe moment in the interview. This was also really weird and awkward.

She seems very self-centered, posh and contradicts herself saying she is shy one time and dangerous another. She talks about herself as a fashion icon too. It's giving god complex...

"I’m this blond, blue-eyed woman who you can be fooled into thinking is quite safe but is actually rather dangerous."

This whole interview for Dior (from what I understood her sister-in-law basically managed to get this interview for her) says exactly how she is as a person. The way she is phrasing things, the way she mentioned "her boyfriend"...

And talking about Sebastian, she baits him every time they are together, which is the opposite of what he wants based on his own words (he talked about how close people do not sell him out in his live with Don and he always talks about privacy).

She gives away his live location she baits his shoes even *this is another level of embarrassment*, his voice (and she liked a comment about that being his voice lmao), she tries to attach herself to his success (Sundance, Cannes!!! The way she annoucned she is coming as if she was an actress invited there with a film, following his costars ONLY when people started to talk about them etc), she answers dms etc)

Those pap walks are so obvious and she looks unhappy while holding his hand (he looks clearly uncomfortable) anyways.

Let's not forget she liked (and unliked much later) the Deuxmoi pap walk pics in Rome (Sebastian had an issue with Deuxmoi a while ago bc someone sent a meh message) without even being tagged.

And if anyone sees I missed anything, please let me know!

[wildissylupus]

Hi! Can you tell me what else is in the book about Gerard Lacroix?

I would like to thank you for posting spoilers about Declassified! I unfortunately can't afford to buy the book right now so im glad someone is posting about it ♡

It's no problem, my whole account is based around Overwatch lore so it was a guarantee that I would post about this stuff!! I'm just glad people are enjoying my ramblings!

Anyway, there is a lot of information on Geared in this book, there's the stuff I detailed in this post but there is also more.

Such as the slight retcon of Cassidy and Gerard's relationship, in the Retribution comic it always felt to me that Cassidy and Gerard barley interacted before that moment, and the way they all interact in that comic very much gives the vibes of them having never interacted until that moment. However in Declassifed there a several mentions of Reyes, Gerard and Cassidy going on several missions together before the events of Retribution. Which more then likely means Cassidy and Gerard were close.

Gerard was the one to present the ideas of using the cover of "vacations" in order to more effectively intervene in different legal and black ops issues that they were not legally allowed to intervene with. The success of these missions were later used as evidence to let Blackwatch go on a looser leash and allowed Blackwatch to expand.

There are also the details that we already know but are explored in more detail, such as Gerard's suspicion of there being moles in the agency started after the Rome base explosion, however his concern needed to be redirected as there were other things that needed his attention. Though that didn't stop him from messing with Talon and well.... we all know the rest.

Gerade was initially hired into administrative and diplomat division, however he was moved to Blackwatch after his extensive intelligence work drew him into Reyes's orbit. This resulted in them campaigning to take down several gangs in the American Southwest, which resulted in the capture and recruitment of Cole Cassidy. This also means that at least he would have been 20 at the time. Making him a minimum of 3 years older then Cassidy and 7 years older then Amelie.

From what the book detailed, he was the only person to officially document his suspicions of how easy it was to save Amelie, everyone else was celebrating her return.

[longwindedbore]

The sick world of ultra-conservative Christianity.

Pastor confesses to statutory rape and gets standing ovation from the congregation

‘A sexual encounter’ with someone underage is statutory rape.

[Victim Jules] Woodson said Savage drove her home after a church event in 1998. She said he took her to an empty road and Savage assaulted her.

Woodson claims the day after the incident, she went to leaders at that church in Texas, but according to her, they did not contact authorities, never told her parents the whole story, and allowed Savage to resign.

[In response to the allegations] Andy Savage responded with a statement saying in part:

"As a college student on staff at a church in Texas more than 20 years ago, I regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church. I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff, and the church leadership, who informed the congregation... I was wrong and I accepted responsibility for my actions."

For Woodson, this wasn't enough.

"His apology isn't enough because number one, he's lying about how he handled it. He never came to me, the church told him he couldn't talk to me and they told me I couldn't talk to him," she explained.

Highpoint Church declined an interview…but in a statement they said they were already aware of this incident and are 100 percent committed to Pastor Savage.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Oh. That was in 2018. You do realize that this isn’t the end of anyone’s career. Two years later…

“Not only has my abusive pastor @andysavage started his own church,” Jules Woodson tweeted Sunday (August 9), “but the pastor that hired him and supported him (and was subsequently fired), Chris Conlee, is coming back to Memphis to start a new church. Where and when does the madness end?”

Of course in 2024 ‘Pastor’ Savage is back at the pulpit:

https://www.gracevalleymemphis.org/leadership/items/andy-savage

====================================

Imagine if this Pastor’ had been a High School teacher. And his Principal supported him in front of a crowd of Parents after his confession

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The various Denominations of Chritianity have a grooming process that involves scaring the curiosity out of five and six year olds. Because the Denominations argue that curiosity leads to questioning authority figures placed over you. That questioning opens the door to Satan to tempt you and therefore Eternal Burning.

The Denominations argue that THEIR religious ‘leaders’ all have received a silent ‘calling’ only they can hear from their denomination’s version of the Invisible-Narcissist-in the-skywho only communicates with those called.

NO ONE DARE QUESTION THE SUPREME NARCISSIST’s CHOICE of who is ‘CALLED’ or El Supremo will be very very very very angry.

So the applause is from those groomed at an early to worship authority rather than the precepts of Jesus.

Just as the Roman Emperors Constantine and Theodosius intended when they executed their hostile takeover of the Jesus movement. Put their Neoplatonic upper class bishops in control (Nicea 325 CE)

Granted the Patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople the power of summary execution of any who didn’t adhere to Nicean Triniterianism (Edict of Thessalonia (380 CE). All of which precede d the assembly of a Christian Bible.

Been teaching the ass-kissing of Narcistic Patriarchy and it’s toxic managers ever since.

[pompadourpink]

Bonjour! I just saw the ask of the lost 17 year old and I cant help but feel like Im in a similar position. I'm 28 years old and I feel like I shouldve figured out what I want to do in life. I feel like I wasted my 20s on simply going with the flow and "ill figure it out later" mentality. I've also recently been fired from a job I should love but after three months I found so boring. I stayed there for a year just to get some exeprience. Now that Im unemployed again I get rejected over and over again and feel so useless. Even for jobs Im excited about the passion fizzles, and I dont even know what I want to do. Or what I'm even good at anymore.

Hello dear,

Dr Write too much, PhD, is back in the office, woohoo!

One, you're not supposed to have an epiphany one night and find out what your calling is. You don't have one. You're not a machine. You're a brain in a meat suit and you came without instructions, which means you don't have a function. Capitalism put us in this position. Existing is enough, and work is a human invention - food and shelter originally didn't have a price tag. We tend to think of the Ancient Greeks as the most advanced, wisest civilisation there's ever been. Do you think they wondered about what their manager is going to say if they dodged their phone call at 9pm on Friday or lost sleep over getting ghosted on Tinder? No, they had a lot of wine, a lot of bread, a lot of sex, and walked around in beautiful gardens with their companions. And they didn't feel bad about it. Why would they?

Two, you can reinvent yourself as many times as you want. Storytime!

When I went to Rome for my birthday back in 2018, I bumped into a Colosseo guide named Tahar who was around my boomer father's age and so happy to make a friend he started telling me about his life over breakfast, how he had studied physics, loved the stars, never had a family so he travelled a lot, had been in Rome for about a month, and gotten the job by hanging out around the Colosseo and having little talks with other guides in French, English, Arabic and broken Italian until their boss decided to hire him just because he was friendly. He even confessed that at night, he would go and have a drink in fancy bars to try and find tourists to sell tours to at a higher price so he could pocket the difference.

At the time, I was nearly 26, ten days away from leaving a terrible minimum-wage job, had lived in the same area of the country my whole life and the same city for 8 years, had a recently broken heart and was still recovering from a severe case of mononucleosis that is still to this day the worst pain I've ever felt.

I didn't stay in touch with Tahar because he got flirty and started insinuating that it wasn't too late for him to settle down and have a kid or two while holding my hands and that was not going to happen. However, I still think about him once in a while, when I catch myself being paralysed by fear of the unknown.

My guy had nothing, no house, furniture, wife, kids, local friends, parents, savings, was paid to ramble about history and make jokes in the sunshine, lived paycheck to paycheck; and he was happy, tanned, eating fruit and drinking wine with a huge smile on his face nella bella Roma, kilometres away from thinking of himself as a failure. He was doing exactly what he wanted, and where, and when, and with whom, and while he clearly wasn't a role model, he is the one person I have ever met who lived life on his own terms and is 100% going to die without regrets.

Three, take a step back. I talked about it recently but it is vital that we calm down and stop chasing numbers and short-lived adrenaline. Go spend a day outside, at the beach, in the countryside, the mountains - it doesn't matter, just away from home, and lay down, relax, and listen to what the world has to say to you. We all love to think that happiness is our number one priority, but it is rarely the case - I hinted about it in the 17-year-old post: if you think of your perfect day and compare it to your current circumstances, those two lists would be very different. We keep talking to people who make us miserable, eating stuff that gives us tumtum aches, wearing shoes that hurt our feet, and wonder why we are upset and can't sleep well.

And I'm guilty of that too. I have always had that mental image of the seaside, a walk on the beach, the sun, a dog, lavender ice cream, a man and a couple of kids running around, and then home, a movie, a blanket, the fire. I don't have any of that. I live in a very grey city, alone with my geriatric cat, working all day long, not knowing where to go, changing my mind constantly, thinking maybe I should just stay here and keep saving money for a house, drowning in my routines like a little hamster on a wheel. I love my life, but I'm not satisfied yet, because like you, my 20s were spent differently, and now I'm trying to catch up a little.

The truth is that I'll never be where my former classmates who took a different path are, but they will also never be where I am. They have more regrets than me. They look at my life, my freedom, my absence of morning alarm, my joy, my projects, my head full of dreams, and they envy me. I am *that girl* who spent an hour this morning looking up how to move to Barcelona as an entrepreneur within the Schengen space. You are her too, people just won't tell you.

So what do you do now? You find a part-time job you're not going to hate and won't have to take home at night so you can pay bills, you look for your joy until you find it, you explore your interests, figure out your goals, maybe see if you have a (current or potential future) skill you could use to start a side-business, alone or with another person, whether it's baking or tailoring, that you could do routinely without hating yourself after a while, and spend your free time doing exactly what you want. If it fails, the end of the road is very far away and you can always try again.

It won't be a waste of time. That's not how time works.

Love,

Mum

[myfanfictiongarden]

You ever start to watch something that is advertised and praised as being “historically accurate”, even is so in many parts, but then one thing is just so insanely wrong that you sit there blank faced thinking WTH?

Well, I started watching Rome (because I’m a sucker for history and because Bruno Heller worked on it) and seven episodes in I’m mostly enjoying it, a lot of things are great, the actors, characters, sets, costumes, historic context,… but then I go check out on Wikipedia what is known about Octavian’s mother Atia- a character thats delightful to hate so far- and guess my shock when discovering she was the absolute opposite of what is presented in the show. 

Freaking why? Why change a historic character to be the complete opposite of how it was? Next you gonna tell me Mussolini had nothing to do with the Fascist movement and wanted actually to be a classical painter in Verona. Yes, this may be an extreme example, but if HBO is allowed the spread bs why shouldn’t I be too?

Wanna know what the official reasoning was? They wanted to “draw significant influences from other Roman women from the same time period, such as the infamous Clodia, and Marc Antony’s wife, Fulvia.”

Came me crazy, but why not just feature Fulvia then? She was alive and married to Marc Antony at the time the show takes place, why not have her involved? Watching the show you really wonder how Octavian and his sister achieved such noble greatness with a mother like that and then you read some facts and realise that the actual Atia would have brought up such great characters.

Here’s what they should have done:

Instead of having Servilia of the Junii (mother of the famous Brutus) as a recurring character, have Fulvia take that role more prominently and switch her “villainous” role with Atia, who now would become the quiet, well educated & mannered woman she was. Fulvia, as wife of Marc Antony, would often spend her days in Atia´s house- given that Atia is a niece of Caesar and the whole family is in favour of him. Caesar and Marc Antony may be best-buddies right now, but given that Antony is not always the brightest and the fact that Atia is also in good favour with supporters of the Republic makes it important for Fulvia to be on good terms with her. Fulvia would then be the one who would comment that Octavian reads too much and is getting too much of an “feminine aura” because of it, she would volunteer to hire Titus as a tutor for Octavian to teach what makes a “real man”. Because she would play her cards as much as she could she would try to catch Caesar’s eye on the party Atia was throwing in his hour, only to be ignored for Servillia (with whom we would see him spend the night with) and angered about that it would be Fulvia who would give in work those tasteless graffiti, wishing to cut away all outside influents from the most powerful man in Rome. In this case it would also have been Fulvia´s personal slave who would have witnessed Caesar’s seasure and seeing Octavian and Caesar “together” brought those news right back to her mistress who immediately would have tried to use that to her advantage only to be disappointed that it wasn’t like that, but suddenly inspired that- if she can’t seduce Caesar- she’ll seduce young Octavian- Caesar’s favourite & adopted son.

Meanwhile we would have still seen Marc Antony enjoy his time with other women, yet always come back to his wife because she was so cunning and ambitious- it would have played perfectly into the fact that he later fell in love with Cleopatra, for while Fulvia knew how to play the game Cleopatra knew it better. 

Fulvia would also have been the one to pursue Atia to make Octavia divorce her husband because with the politic situation it wouldn’t have been “good for the family” to be associated with him- and to that extend for her.

See? We could have gotten an ambitious, cunning, strong female character and still have it historically accurate!

[antoine-roquentin]

Part 1 in this series about... something. I’ll figure it out when I write more.

Howard Imbrey was a CIA agent. Having started in the CIA’s WW2 predecessor, the OSS, he was placed undercover in diplomatic roles at American consulates and embassies in Sri Lanka, India, and Ethiopia during the late 40s and 50s. This was a traditional role for intelligence agents: with diplomatic immunity, they would be safe from prosecution, while embassy parties and other events allowed them to pick up gossip from inside the country.

However, it did limit agents and paint a large target on their back. Imbrey operated in a friendly environment in India, where he could rely on British-trained police chiefs as informants in the battle against the Communist Party of India in Maharashtra and Kerala. In other parts of the world, governments would monitor the movements and activities of those who came out of the American embassy, knowing them to be spies.

In 1958, Imbrey was instead embedded in a fake corporation headquartered near the UN in NYC, with a real businessman as his partner. They worked closely with UN diplomats to find actual businesses to promote, to keep the whole thing legit. At the same time, it allowed Imbrey the chance to question the diplomats and businessmen for gossip and to meet with other informants the CIA had already cultivated across the continent. Some of these informants included Cyrille Adoula and Albert Kalonji, head of political parties and breakaway factions devoted to undermining Patrice Lumumba’s elected government in the Congo.

The article attached was important to developing his cover. Initially, it ran in Fortune, owned at the time by Henry Luce’s Time Inc., while the screenshots are from John H. Johnson’s Negro Digest. Luce was historically close to the CIA and the American government in general. He hired CIA agents onto his staff and allowed them to write propaganda as they saw fit. He directed his journalists to publish opinion pieces attacking those who exposed CIA secrets, like Ramparts magazine. At one point in the Congo Crisis, US Ambassador to Belgium William Burden, a friend of Luce’s, phoned him to get him to bury a story on Lumumba. No information has come out either way on just whether the journalist who wrote this article knew Imbrey was CIA or was simply ordered to by higher ups, but it seems likely that the editorial staff of Negro Digest simply saw it as fitting with their focus on black lives and reprinted it unwittingly to the CIA’s benefit. Later on, Imbrey would find another cover as a journalist with a CIA-controlled news outlet in Paris, Brussels, and Rome, which allowed the CIA to fly informants to him.

None of this was known to anyone until 2001, save for a brief acknowledgement of thanks to Imbrey’s wife in a book by Larry Devlin, CIA Station Chief in the Congo. That year, Imbrey suddenly gave two interviews in April and June, and then died a year later. One was to a high school student at a private Episcopal school in Maryland. It’s roughly written, and clearly transcribed by someone who’s writing the names of Congolese officials by ear rather than knowledge, but deserves to be read, not because Imbrey lets his guard down consciously, but rather because of the implicit biases he still has and the distinction between the secrets he wishes to keep and those he feels fine in revealing. Particularly humorous is when the kid tries to ask him about whether the CIA operated independently from the president, and Imbrey denies it, saying “That’s an Arab type of operation.”

The other was to Charles Stuart Kennedy, a career diplomat who retired in the 80s and subsequently made a post-retirement life of interviewing other diplomats for the public record. Since many CIA employees were embedded as diplomats, he ended up running into a bunch. His interview is much more detailed and professional, albeit with the same transcription errors on names, and makes for excellent reading for anybody who enjoys salacious historical gossip. Imbrey talks about reading Popeye the Sailor bootleg Rule 34 as a kid, kidnapping fishermen in the Indian Ocean with submarines to train them to use radios to spy on the Japanese Navy (sounds like UFO abductions), supplying porn to the higher ups in the Indian Navy, etc. But two particular moments stand out, one being what may be the single worst denial of American involvement in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba:

Q: Did you get involved at all with the Lumumba business?

IMBREY: No, the only thing I can tell you is they sent out this shellfish compound to chief of station Larry Devlin and he sent it back with an angry note saying, “Don't you know the Belgians are going to kill him, what do you want us to do?” We kept totally out of that one. Then Lumumba really put himself in terrible trouble when he gave a rise of one rank to everybody in the army and then found he couldn't pay the new prices. Then the army rebelled; they put him in an airplane, took him south and they pulled him out of the airplane on the driveway, brought him up to the chief of the Lunda tribe and in Munongo's office and I guess they shot him there or it may not have been there. In Munongo's office they began asking him a couple of questions. Well, this was according to his answers. Munongo took a bayonet and put it right into Lumumba's chest and Captain Gatt, a Belgian, was right there and he fired a bullet in the back of Lumumba's head to put him out of his misery and that was how it happened, but no Americans were involved.

and whatever this is, which happens to coincide with the CIA’s MHCHAOS operation on American soil:

Q: When you came home what were you doing?

IMBREY: That's where we turn off the tape recorder.

Q: All right, well then, we'll just skip over that. When did you take off again where we can talk?

IMBREY: Let's see. I was sent back to Rome in '72. Turn it off for a while and I'll tell you about it.

[mikaela-granger]

The Long Wait (Season 3) Chapter 9

Cold Blooded

Fandom: Grimm

Pairing: Sean Renard/OFC

The Long Wait Masterlist

Lorelei walked out of her first exam, feeling a sense of relief. Thankfully her pregnancy brain had not impacted her ability to complete the exam successfully. She had a few days before her next exam, but she was feeling pretty confident. So confident in fact, that when Monroe called inviting her over for dinner, she had agreed. She couldn’t be all work and no play. Lorelei arrived home, deciding to take a nap before she headed over Monroe and Rosalee’s.  She still hadn’t received word from Sean, but that was to be expected. It still made her feel uneasy, however. She didn’t know where he was or what he was doing. However, he had at least been honest with her about that, instead of coming up with some bogus reason, and she appreciated that.

After her nap, Lorelei pulled on one of her looser pre-pregnancy dresses, which was now a little tight, grabbed her things and headed to Monroe and Rosalee’s. As Lorelei was getting out of her car, she saw Juliette’s pull up. This was a pleasant surprise. “Hi! I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.” Juliette said, a bright smile on her face as she hugged Lorelei. “How’d your first exam go? Did your baby brain make it hard?”

“It went pretty well. Thankfully my head was nice and clear. Although I am a bit congested, which I’ve read is normal for this part of the pregnancy.” Lorelei said as the pair headed for the front door. “I didn’t know you were coming. It’s good to see you.”

Rosalee let them inside. As soon as Lorelei stepped into the light, Juliette squealed. “Oh, you’ve popped.” She said, referring to Lorelei’s bump.

Lorelei’s hand went to her bump. “I have. And my belly button has gone from an innie to an outie. The downside is that I can’t put off buying new clothes anymore. This dress, used to be loose. Not anymore.”

“Are you free on Saturday? We could do a shopping trip, get lunch and celebrate the end of semester?” Juliette suggested.

“Sounds great.”

Juliette looked at Rosalee. “You in Rosalee?”

“Count me in.”

Nick and Hank arrived not to long after that, a whole bunch of books from the trailer in tow. That was how Lorelei found out that they had weaselled a dinner invite out of Monroe when they came looking for information earlier. So, in addition to dinner, they found themselves looking through books trying to help Nick and Hank out with their case. Rosalee and Juliette were on the couch, Nick and Monroe on chairs from the kitchen while Hank and Lorelei had co-opted the armchairs.

“This ones from London, 1916.” Rosalee said. “Having ventured further and further into the sewers, we were almost overcome by the fumes. It is easy to see why the gelumcaedus chose this place to live. Without the breathing apparatus, Anna invented, we could never have survived the fetid conditions.” She finished.

Juliette glanced over Rosalee’s shoulder. “Ooh, it looks like something out of a Jules Verne novel.” She commented, as Rosalee continued.

“We were finally confronted by the gelumcaedus beneath Farringdon Road. The gelumcaedus emerged from a dormant period. Common for them in which they would retreat into the hell holes they fashioned for themselves, living off their plunder.” Rosalee finished.

“I don’t think our guy is in dormant period.” Nick stated.

“I got something.” Monroe said. “Says gelumcaedus is one of the oldest known wesen, served in the Pretorian Guard, under Caligula’s reign, and they were hired to protect the newly built Aquaducts.”

“Probably why they like the storm drains.” Hank commented.

“Exactly.” Monroe said, his eyes still on his book. “It says when Rome fell, they retreated to the underground waterways to avoid execution.” He handed the book to Hank.

“Wait, hold on, there’s more here.” Juliette said. “I regret to inform that Reginald, one of our hunters we took with us, perished in the fight, his upper limbs torn from their sockets. Escaping this wesen’s grip is virtually impossible. As a result, I have procured a vambrace should I ever do battle with a gelumcaedus again.”

“What’s a vambrace?” Hank asked.

“This.” Juliette replied, turning the book around the show everyone else.

“Woah.” Hank said.

“I think we have one of those in the trailer.” Nick added and Lorelei hummed in agreement.

Hank looked at the both of them. “Well, of course you do.”

“I just didn’t know what it was for.” Nick told him.

“Well, now you do.”

“You can use it for more than the gelumcaedus.” Lorelei told him.

“I know.” Nick replied. “Anyway, if the kid and the sewer worker were killed by the gelumcaedus. He’s still gotta be down in the tunnels.”

Hank sighed. “We have to go back in.”

“And not as cops.”

Lorelei heard from Nick the day of her final exam, that he and Hank had tracked down the gelumcaedus. However, after arresting him, Hank was kidnapped, and they had come to learn that there were in fact three of them. Needless to say, her brother had won that particular battle, take out two of the brothers and kept the first one that had arrested. Probably would have been too hard to explain if they hadn’t.

As with her first exam, Lorelei was blessed not to be affected by her ‘baby brain’ and had in fact, finished with time to spare. Satisfied with her work, and having to wait until the time ended before she could leave, Lorelei rested her head in her arms on her desk. She must have drifted off to sleep, because she was awoken by one of her classmates when the exam time ended.

“I remember falling asleep everywhere.” Andrea said, smiling at Lorelei warmly as she stretched. She had given birth to her own daughter last summer. “A few of us are going to Mulligan’s to celebrate the end of exams. Do you want to come? You can’t drink but they do great mocktails.”

“Sure.” Lorelei said, as she packed up her things.

Less than an hour later, Lorelei was sitting with some of the girls she attended class with, a fruity mocktail in hand while they shared wings and discussed their plans for the summers. Two had internships, one was leaving the country to visit family, and Andrea, like Lorelei was having an uninteresting summer, just work. “What about you Lorelei?” Marina asked, taking a sip of her espresso martini.

Lorelei ran her hands over her belly. “It will be a quiet summer for me. I’ve had some issues with high blood pressure, so my doctor has me taking it easy. I’ll just be getting things ready for the baby. I’m finally caving in, going shopping for maternity clothes this Saturday with some friends.”

Andrea laughed. “Oh, I remember that. I held off because most of what I could find were so ugly and uncomfortable. I ended up buying some things online. You know I have a few things I could pass on to you. Saves you having to spend a lot on clothes.”

“That’d be great, thank you.”

Not long after that, Lorelei headed home for a well-deserved nap. She curled up on Sean’s side of the bed, inhaling the scent of his cologne as Molly and Daisy joined her. As she drifted off to sleep, she prayed that Sean would return to her soon.

Next Part

Taglist: @zoexme, @nu1freakshow, @star-yawnznn, @bella250

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[tiktaaliker]

since im in a 'reviving my old oc storylines' kick shout out to the mad max-adjacent post apocalypse caravan storyline i developed and abandoned and probably WONT be reviving ever but i still think about sometimes as my first ever Big Major Story that i actually tried developing.

so the conceit was that at some point theres this collection of genetically engineered creatures that were made to be able to adapt to any enviornment on deployment to act as like. bioweapons. but the world sort of ended before they could be really utilized.

so now that things have settled down a bit theres a handful of scattered communities that are managing to get a foothold, but theyre so spread out that they need to have delivery drivers between the different settlements. So theres a bunch of trading caravans that consist of gangs of people in old cars. And they need protection because the roads between the settlements are pretty lawless and theres roming bands of people specifically looking to raid these trading caravans.

at some point the genetically engineered creatures i mentioned before (i used to have a name for them but i forgor) were recovered and deployed. And there are these extremely durable and dangerous creatures around, but since they were MADE to work with people they can bond with a handler. So it makes it realllly desireable for both trader and pilot caravans to have handlers in their crews because these things ARE in fact capable of taking down cars single handedly.

so the actual storyline follows a handler whos animal is like. A tiny lizard he found. Like its DEFINITELY one of the freaky experimental animals but its teeny tiny and the guy has no fucking clue why its Like That. and theres a caravan who had a handler die and left their animal handler-less. So circumstances happen and the guy accidentally ends up bonding with the caravan's animal despite ALREADY being bonded with the lizard. so now he has two bonded animals and the caravan wants to hire him as their new handler.

And so the guy takes the offer and hes hiding his lizard both because he kinda accidentally on purpose implied that he used to have a big impressive animal that died in a freak accident or some shit and doesnt want the caravan to know that his animal is both still alive and also a tiny lizard. And as things go on hes kind of an outsider to the caravan and everyone is treating him like a stranger but theres Another Guy who doesnt look like he fits in (like. hes wearing a nicely tailored suit in the middle of a mad max apocalypse road trip) but everyone inexplicably respects and admires, and this Other Guy takes the first guy under his wing and is like his first real friend. And they go through things and the guy ends up bonding with the caravan as a whole and a bunch of shit goes down

and as the Big Reveal the other guy gets extremely badly wounded but then just Is Fine and it turns out. that the other guy was secretly The Same Thing as the freaky strong engeneered animals. and this is obviously a Big Deal and also very awkward because by that point theres significant romantic tension between the main guy and the other guy. And the main guy has a crisis of like. am i just some sort of freaky animal whisperer. Is this why he likes me. Would it be weird if i dated something thats the same species as my pet lizard. And theres some bullshit science explanations of why a thing could become either a tiny lizard or a car-killing superdog or just a Normal Guy and wether this makes things weird. And i dont think i ever figured out how it ended

[faememes]

𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐎𝐑 (𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟏) 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

TW: BLOOD, WAR, SWEARING, PREGNANCY MENTION, DEATH MENTION

Change pronouns/titles as needed!

"The mission I am asking you to volunteer for is exceptionally dangerous. Take a look at the man beside you. It's a good bet that in the next six weeks, you, or he, will be dead. Everyone brave enough to accept this...step forward."

"Your grandma could take a B-25 off a mile-long runway. Well, I'm gonna train you to do it at 467 feet, because at 468 feet, you're dead, and once you get it up, you're gonna learn to fly it like a fighter. Thirty feet off the ground. I want you to say hello to Lt _________, Navy Aviation. He's gonna help us lighten these fat ladies here."

"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan. It is obvious that planning the attack began many weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American military forces. I regret to tell you that over 3,000 American lives have been lost. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. Because of this unprovoked dastardly attack by Japan, I ask that Congress declare a state of war."

"When the action is over and we look back, we understand both more and less. This much is certain. Before the Doolittle raid, America knew nothing but defeat. After it, nothing but victory. Japan realized, for the first time, that they could lose and began to pull back. America realized that she would win and surged forward. It was a war that changed America. Dorie Miller was the first black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, but he would not be the last. He joined a brotherhood of heroes."

"Slow down, flyboy. And instead of the bottom, read the very top. Both eyes."

"World War II, for us, began at Pearl Harbor, and 1,177 men still lie entombed in the battleship Arizona. America suffered, but America grew stronger. It was not inevitable. The times tried our souls...and through the trial, we overcame."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I really am, but Army and Navy requires 20/20 vision."

"From Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo, we have been described as a nation of weaklings and playboys who hire British or Russian or Chinese soldiers to do our fighting for us. Let them repeat that now. Let them tell that to General MacArthur and his men. Let them tell that to the soldiers who today are fighting hard in the far waters of the Pacific. Let them tell that to the boys in the Flying Fortresses. Let them tell that to the Marines."

"Oh, I... It's not a problem with my eyes. I mean, I can see. I mean, I can hit a runnin' rabbit with a three-dollar pistol. I got a problem with letters, that's all."

"You are so beautiful, it hurts."

"________, you can't die. You can't die. You know why? Because you're going to be a father. You're going to be a daddy. I wasn't supposed to tell you. You're going to be a father."

"_______, I'm pregnant... I didn't even know until the day you turned up alive... and then all this happened... I haven't told _______... I don't want him to know. All he needs to think about is how to do this mission and get back alive."

"Most nurses would've gone on to somebody else instead of keeping their fingers plugged in your artery."

"Oh ______, all I ever wanted was for us to have a home and grow old together, but life never asked me what I wanted. Now I'm going to give _______ my whole heart... but I don't think I'll ever look at another sunset without thinking of you... I'll love you my whole life."

"You know, the only thing that scares me is that you might love him more than you love me."

"If I had one more night to live... I'd wanna spend it with you."

"I joined the army to do MY patriotic duty... AND... to meet guys."

"You're acting like I didn't love you."

"I almost did die, you little son-of-a-bitch. And her face was the last thing that went through my mind."

"I should've died over there. When I was in that water, I made a deal with God. I told him I was sorry, I told him I knew I'd been a fool for leavin you and tryin to go over there and be a hero, and I promised I'd never ask for anything again, if I could just see you one more time... And ya know what? It was worth it. You kept me alive _______, you brought me home. So I'm gonna stand by my end of the deal, I'm gonna walk away, and I won't ask you for anything... but I just want to know why... Just tell me that, will you please? Just tell me why."

"He told me you were a great flyer... The same night he told me, he volunteered to go to England."

"________, loving you kept me alive."

"He volunteered? He-he told me he'd been assigned. He was always tryin' to protect me. But ya know what? I look at myself in the mirror in this uniform... and I still don't know who I am, I look like a hero... but I don't feel like it."

"That's what I want to come home to. That's what I want to have to think about and dream about. I wanna know that the best part of my life is still ahead of me."

[triviareads]

Any mafia Romance book recommendations?

I do indeed. All titles are linked to storygraph summaries.

Anti-Heroes in Love Duet by Giana Darling: My favorite mafia books by far. The heroine Elena is an attorney hired by Camorra capo Dante to defend him. Elena's gone through a lot and she's closed off and considered an "ice princess". What I love is that Dante doesn't dislike this aspect of her (he's very into it), but he helps bring her out of her shell. Dante's also a great hero- he definitely falls under the category of "will fuck you up (and fucks hard) but is just a really nice (if morally dubious) dude" and he's very obsessed with Elena. It's very sexy. Would absolutely recommend, as I would the other series Giana has written for Elena's sisters, Cosima and Giselle.

The Professional by Kresley Cole: This one is Russian mafia (mafiya?). Features the iconic kidnapping of Natalie right off of a Nebraskan (?) corn field by mafia enforcer Sevastyan. Basically, Natalie's biological dad is the head of the mafia and Sevastyan works for him, so there's this *forbidden* aspect to it. Natalie just writes really hot stuff (see: the sauna scene, and the one in a Parisian sex club), along with some top-notch banter and some really over-the-top shit.

The Master by Kresley Cole: Funniest of the three books. Cat is a substitute callgirl hired by mafioso Maksim. This book is hysterical(ly hot) for soooo many reasons. For one, Maks likes his sex bondage-heavy and clinical, so when he tells Cat to strip and tie herself up or whatever, she's like "lol nope, you need something more intimate than that" and this man is SHOOK. And then there's this whole freakout he has about her allegedly trying to baby-trap him, so he basically imprisons her in his own penthouse (her revenge comes in the form of shamelessly using his credit card and walking around in a bikini during his business meeting). Oh yeah, and a chastity belt IS employed.

This is the second book in the Game Maker series. The only reason I'm not recommending the third is because the plot got kinda weird for me. But if you're into heroes with pierced dicks, go wild.

Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli (aka JOANNA SHUPE- and no I'm not over it): See, this is a mafia book where the age gap isn't cringe, and it honestly might be because they didn't marry. In fact, Francesca is meant to marry the head of the 'Ndrangheta's son but then this man, Fausto, obviously can't help want her for himself. Nor can she. At all. Iconic moments include Frankie sexting Fausto from Rome so well he flies over immediately to make her sit on his face, her doing some A+ research on exactly what paparino means, and getting so freaked out about eating lamb that not only does she abstain, in the next scene he gets her a baby lamb that she names Lamborghini.

Sidenote: Apparently Mila has a shop where you can purchase excellent merch like this:

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert: Not *quite* mafia, but Jasmine is a part of some kinda crime family that Jafar is now in charge of by killing her father (yes, this is a series of twisted fairytales). Heads up, there's a lot of CNC in this one. Also a lot of daddy stuff. Also a good amount of sex club stuff (owned by Hades!). It's great. Well-written. Jafar is one of those heroes (anti-heroes?) you really do hate before you love him. I'd honestly recommend every book in this series.

[jenyifer]

Cooking Crush ep6 1/4

Inital Reaction

I love offgun but I am really starting to get annoyed with CC. I didn’t like they showed the kiss and the car scene last episode. Then first thing ep 6 we watch it again and Gun starts out by saying we need more context go 31 hours into the past. So I also don’t enjoy the side characters progression either and I adore the ground Neo walks on. However we are to the stage all of a sudden that he is realizing he only has feelings for Dynamite and when their eyes connect there is something there. Once again this is weird bi phobia where oh of course the straight guy only really likes this one gay man. Okay great. But we have no build to Fire’s change in emotions. I also think it’s fucking weird his friend suggested hiring a sex worker? But maybe that’s just me… BACK TO TENPREM so we are told we’ll understand the kiss again. But we don’t infact I’m more confused. Ten’s dad doesn’t keep a closer eye on him AT ALL? Feels like we don’t have consequences for the character’s actions at all. I get this is a romcom but oh look TenPrem magically are together and Ten apologizes immediately in person in the dead of night to Prem. How far are their houses between eachother? Idk it makes 0 sense. No actual danger cause 🤷🏻‍♀️ idk. It’s really…. Challenging me. Right now it’s going down down down in my opinion for worst offgun show but we’ll see if it can redeem itself. But BOTH ships being this level of weird makes me less invested.

Photo review time.

Got to watch this long long kiss again. I do think Ten does look like he’s enjoying this soft kiss. It does show Off’s acting journey if you compare this to the barely there kisses in PuppyHoney. Yes it’s awkward it’s a first kiss. I wish it hadn’t lasted so long and we had to watch the whole thing ep 5 and 6

I was wanting Ten to say something like “I already have that hormone going because I like the look of you” in his mind theater then decided not to say it but…. I really like how Off is playing Jealous Ten. Ten is trying to be polite. He is aware how he feels isn’t normal. But I think he does a good job of concealing the depths of his jealousy

Fire likes dynamite that much?! Okay??? Feels like we are missing scene from ep5

Okay these things could have made Prem’s character more interesting if it was being played with in other scenes. The rich people don’t understand poor people and Prem’s desire to please everyone would have been interesting things to add in. Yes we got the dad scene but it’s had NO EFFECT on our boys. This convo unearned and the fact Prem realizes he’s jealous kind of… strange I mean yeah I get he’d be upset about ten not wanting to learn the bullshit technics but to go to he’s jealous? Ten was holding it together well in my opinion.

The way Off plays jealous as Ten is a lot more realistic than his previous portrayal of the emotion as Rome, Khai, even Sean. It’s a shame his character really has depth and it’s being ruined by the editing choices. Ten holds it together until he gets home and talked to his bestie being 100% honest.

0 pay off but hey the set is pretty. Both are relationship experts.

Sooo is Ten feeling more comfortable getting close to Prem or is this in Ten’s head? This scene had some weird cuts.

[ran-orimoto]

Interesting. I'm interested in your stories about these underrated pair and characters. But don't let me months away without knowing what your headcanons about Junpei'parents are. Izumi's mother intrigued me but I need you to introduce the parents of Izumi too properly. Good job, Kurumizu

Hey, Anon! Thank you for having read the new chapter of MTTCI! I’m happy to hear you have liked it💕. I’ve FELT this chapter because it’s very close to my heart, experiences I’ve felt on my skin (which I’ve obviously adapted to them), so…It’s a double joy🥺💕.

I think I have already replied a similar ask, but let’s say now my headcanons are more fleshed out (even if I’ll be brief, I’ll try ahahah)

• Izumi’s mother has got no stable job, like I’ve said in the fic. She continuously changes her occupation and she will always go for part-time contracts. She has worked in disparate places such as supermarkets, clothing shops, malls, but her favourite activity is to take care of her family and their house. Maybe in Italy she managed to be hired by a grocery shop and she worked there for a longer while than usual.

• Izumi’s father is a diplomat working for the japanese embassy and being gifted of great eloquence and persuasiveness. He’s so skilled the embassy sent him to Rome for some years, provided him with a nice house, with documents and papers that could allow him to move there along with his whole family. Tw friends and me often joke about the fact the man likes eating as much as Izumi, - especially because his wife can cook very well- , but tends to gain weight very easily, for his wife’s utter irritation. So dude is not THAT thin, or at least he didn’t use to be 🤣.

• Junpei’s father is an engineer but is also the director of his family’s company, one dealing with trains and railways, assembling stuff, building them, selling them. He managed to climb the corporate ladder thanks to his skills but also thanks to favours…Certain kinds of maneuvers which helped him defeat his sibiling in the race to the top.

• Junpei’s mother is in the same field of her husband, 99%, of possibilities they work together in the same company, sharing the top in two. She might still be an engineer, but maybe a mechanical engineeing, whereas Shibayama-San is a electric one *cough* *cough*. A love among engines🤣. This is why Junpei knows how to use blueprints, “collects train models” and, most of all, “has got no parents around”.

Junpei lives with some uncle and aunt most months of the year and they let him live like he pleases, like he deserves…Except when Shibayama-San sends him disappointed letters about the bad grades he gets at school. He should focus on school instead of magician stuff🤣.

Thank you for the ask again💕!

[shiemori-writes]

I'm back with another brainrot

Anyway, Mankai in Ramshackle and since they're an acting company i can see Crowley tryna "hire"(aka exploit) them for events and stuff.

And like 99% of the time it's a huge no from everybody but if they say yes i can see them fish out old plays and stuff.

Imagine them doing Alex in Wonderland and the whole heartslabyul is freaking out LMAOO-

Or Romeo and Julius (with the script slightly altered to add Chikage).

HSKSVSKSHSKAVSJ

PERFECTION I SAY WAHAHA NO CUZ- CROWLEY EXPLOITING THEM IS 100% CANON- imagining mankai fishing out ld plays then the heartslabyul cast just goes "?!?! AYO THATS US???? Wait is prefect alice.." LIKE WJDBAHD AND ROME AND JULIUS BUT WITH THE OTHERS?? ROOK AND VIL MAYBE?? MMM