#new zealand masks

[tinystepsforward]

[aotearoa] if you're over 30 and haven't gotten the xbb1.5 booster try to do it THIS MONTH

our piece of shit fascist moneylover government is likely cutting funding to covid vaccines for the great majority of people on july 1.

someone who has access to te whatu ora emails posted this on twitter — it hasn't hit the news yet, but others working in healthcare appear to be confirming it's quite likely, so keep that in mind. we knew a month ago that they were revisiting changes to funding as of the new budget. they're also fucking changing the way sick leave works so that part-time workers will get a hell of a lot less. this winter.

if you're under 30 like me, go ask your pharmacist anyway! mine gave it to me and my wife, and i know there are others around the country who will. ask around until you find someone who will give it to you.

we're entering the biggest covid wave since dec 2022, this government is generally destroying the ministry of health and disability funding, you deserve to do what you can to secure any modicum of protection now. it's worth a shot, pun not intended.

[dimeadoesnt]

Wearing a ski mask while soaked cannot be comfortable

(With both brown and black hair, for whichever side of the Spy Hair Color debate you fall on!)

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

People mocked me and called me paranoid when I said stuff like this was going to start happening all the time: Makes you wonder if that airplane/heli crash outside Washington DC this evening had some covid brain fog to blame.

[drhoz]

#2467 - Hylaeus relegatus

Originally named Prosopis relegatus in 1875 (Frederick Smith again). Other synonyms include Prosopis sulcifrons, cameroni, and maoriana, Hylaeus cameroni, maorianus, relegatus and hudsoni, and Prosopis hudsoni. 'relegatus' means banished or sent away to a remote place - possibly from New Zealand to London, so it could be properly described.

An endemic Colletid found on North, South, Stewart, Chatham and Three Kings Islands, and the largest species in its genus in New Zealand. They nest in tunnels excavated in soft timber, inside flax stems , or in suitable cavities around human habitation.

Mount Taranaki, New Zealand.

[aobkorea]

All girls need to know about this secret. #skincare #kpop #skincareroutine #skincaretips #usa

[cosmik-homo]

I know Doctor who and accents and sociolinguistic identities and stuff are very delicate things and . etc etc Shot Dog disclaimer. But I do think a Kiwi accent master could change the game

[nickeverdeen]

Hey, could I get an imagine with Ekko x introverted!GN!reader who looks scary, serious and cold at first glance, but is actually just socially awkward and very geeky and silly once you get to know them? Like, they're very creative and love coming up with stories, as well as infodumping about random stuff they're into at the moment, like criminology or extinct animals.

Thanks!

Unmasking the Introvert | Ekko x gn!reader

Pairings: Ekko x gn!reader (romantic)

Type of fic: I’m not sure

Warnings: None

Summary: Ekko is slowly getting to know your true side

—————

Ekko had always been intrigued by you. From the first time he’d caught a glimpse of you in Zaun, he’d pegged you as the silent type, intense with that don’t-mess-with-me aura. You were usually found in the corner of any room you entered, often watching others with a gaze that could cut through glass. Most people didn’t get close enough to try talking to you, content with spreading rumors instead: some said you had a secret criminal past; others thought you might have alchemical powers that could hypnotize anyone with a glance.

But Ekko didn’t buy it. He knew better than most that appearances could be deceiving. So, he decided to talk to you himself, casually striking up a conversation at the Hideout one day after he’d noticed you tinkering with something in the corner.

“Hey, whatcha working on?” Ekko leaned over your shoulder, watching as your hands deftly tightened screws and adjusted wires.

Caught off guard, you jerked slightly, glancing up at him with wide eyes. But you quickly masked it, pulling up that familiar guarded expression, making Ekko smirk a bit. He wasn’t easily intimidated.

“Just… something I’m building,” you replied coolly, your voice steady but your eyes shifting nervously. “Helps me think.”

Intrigued, Ekko leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Mind if I watch?”

You didn’t answer immediately, but after a brief pause, you nodded. As he watched, you slowly began explaining each piece of machinery, your voice growing a bit stronger and more assured with each word. After a while, he noticed the hardened look in your eyes beginning to soften. By the time you’d finished the explanation, your whole demeanor had relaxed just a bit.

A few days later, Ekko bumped into you again, and you couldn’t help but launch into an animated explanation about something random you’d been reading about—extinct animals. Before you knew it, you were on a full-blown tangent about the Moa bird, a giant flightless bird from New Zealand that had been hunted to extinction centuries ago.

“They were enormous, like ten feet tall, with these long necks! And did you know their legs were so powerful that one kick could shatter bones?” Your eyes lit up as you spoke, hands gesturing wildly. “It’s kinda sad… but also fascinating how ecosystems just change when one creature disappears.”

Ekko just grinned, genuinely enjoying the infodump. He’d never expected that someone as intense-looking as you could be so endearing in such a nerdy way. “That’s cool, I didn’t know that. What got you into extinct animals?”

You shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. “I just… like learning about things. And sharing them, even though I know most people think it’s boring.”

“Boring? Nah, I think it’s cool. You got any other fun facts up your sleeve?”

You blinked in surprise, before diving into your latest fascination—criminology. He listened as you passionately detailed the science behind forensic psychology, your eyes lighting up as you explained how criminals are profiled. At one point, you started mimicking a detective’s voice, spinning a little story about a fictional thief in Zaun who’d slipped through the Enforcers’ hands multiple times.

Ekko laughed, “You’d make a great storyteller. Ever thought of putting all these ideas into a book or something?”

The suggestion took you aback. “I don’t know�� I just think people wouldn’t really get it.”

“Bet they would,” Ekko said with a reassuring smile. “And hey, even if they don’t, I’m all ears.”

Over time, your quiet bond grew stronger. Ekko made a habit of stopping by to hear your latest “random obsession,” and you found yourself looking forward to sharing with him, little by little letting go of the intimidating front you put up for the world.

One night, he found you on a rooftop, writing notes in a worn-out notebook by the light of the moon. You looked up as he approached, giving him a slight nod in greeting, but he could see the glint of excitement in your eyes.

“What’s on your mind tonight?” he asked, settling down beside you.

You paused for a second, before leaning in and saying, “Alright, so imagine this: a heist, set in Piltover, but the thieves are all masked vigilantes from Zaun… and they have this backstory, see, where they all have these ridiculous alter-egos…”

And as you spun your tale, Ekko watched you with a smile, feeling lucky to be the one who got to see you like this: genuine, animated, and maybe a little silly.

[todaysbird]

the tūturuatu, also known as the shore plover, is a small shorebird endemic to aoteroa / new zealand. once found coast to coast, the bird’s populations have steeply declined, and they are now only found on a select few offshore islands. they are one of the world’s rarest shorebirds, with an estimated population of only 250. the sexes look similar, with males displaying black ‘masks’, which are brown in females. the orange-red of the bill is also brighter in males. unusually for shorebirds, who often have open, unprotected nests on the sand, these birds nest under the cover of driftwood and vegetation, or in burrows formed beneath boulders. their nests are sadly highly vulnerable to introduced mammalian predators, leading to their population decline.

[smoov-criminal]

hey i just got 50 free respirators and 4 covid tests from my local mask bloc, this website has a list of all active mask blocs across the world (most are in the us but there's also entries for canada, the uk, france, ireland, australia, aotearoa (new zealand) and chile), there's 163 of them so if you're in the us there's a pretty good chance there's one near you. check this out if you or anyone in your community needs masks and can't get them, and honestly even if you can afford it you should check it out anyways so there's more demand

[astrobiscuits]

Astro obs part 9

🐌 The planets in your 12th house indicate your sleeping style:

Sun in 12th house - their sleep schedule is extremely messed up; for them, daylight hours = nighttime hours and vice versa, so they have trouble being themselves during the day; their true self comes out at night

Moon in 12th house - goes to sleep very late; full moons have a special effect on these people; their intuition is more clear at night; as kids, they probably slept a lot with their mother

Mercury in 12th house - loves texting/calling people late at night; they might journal their thoughts before sleep because they overthink a lot and it helps to clear their mind or maybe they just like to relax by reading a book at night

Venus in 12th house - cares a lot about getting their "beauty sleep"; sleeps with sleep masks on, buys expensive bed lingerie, skincare night routine might be very important; loves sleeping in general lmao

Mars in 12th house - enjoys working out before going to sleep, can go to sleep angry because they tend to get into conflict more at night than during the day

I have Uranus in 12th house and i can be both a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper, depending on where i am. For example, when i'm traveling, during the first night i wake up several times, but from the second night on i sleep like a baby lmao. Another thing would be that i can't sleep in a quiet car but i don't have any problem sleeping during a thunderstorm

🐌 Mars in fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sag) and Mars in 3rd house individuals love riding motorbikess

🐌 While Mars in 9th house peeps would probably love to go on a world tour on their motorbike. The sign ruling their 9th house represents the countries they would love to visit (i'm aware that some of these can only be visited by plane, take it with a grain of salt): 

♈ in 9th house: Ireland, Poland, Japan, Zimbabwe

♉ in 9th house: Cuba, Paraguay, South Africa, East Timor

♊ in 9th house: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Montenegro

♋ in 9th house: Canada, USA, Bahamas, Argentina, Slovenia, Madagascar

♌ in 9th house: Hawaii, France, Italy, The Netherlands, India, South Korea, Peru, Bolivia

♍ in 9th house: Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Vietnam

♎ in 9th house: Belgium, Portugal, China, Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho

♏ in 9th house: Panama, Spain, Turkey, Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE), Palestine, Lebanon

♐ in 9th house: Finland, Lithuania, Romania, Tanzania, Thailand

♑ in 9th house: UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Australia, Camerun

♒ in 9th house: Greece, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka

♓ in 9th house: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritius, Saint Lucia

🐌 I have a feeling Pisces Suns like to spend their time in a garage lmao. Mostly because their opposing sign, Virgo, would hate to spend time in a garage due to how dirty it can get.

🐌As a 7th house Sun who's been in love for almost a year now (haha, are we surprised, ofcours not; i'm not even in a relationship with him but ugh we're so perfect for each other), i realised that Sun in 7th house people tend to behave differently with their partner when they're in a healthy relationship vs when they're in a toxic one

Sun in 7th house in:

♈ Aries in a healthy relationship: empowers their partner, knows how to balance me time vs us time in a healthy manner, encourages their partner to take safe risks

♈ Aries in an unhealthy relationship: impulsive, impatient, selfish, dismisses their partner's feelings, often controlled by rage, prone to abusing their partner

♉ Taurus in a healthy relationship: veryyy generous (their love language is gift giving), accommodating to their partner's wants and needs, cooks for their partner

♉ Taurus in an unhealthy relationship: stubborn af, hard to please, focused more on the material gain from their partner rather than the love they share

♊ Gemini in a healthy relationship: curious, always lightens the mood of their partner by cracking up tons of jokes or telling them funny stories, knows that communication is key to everything so they're not afraid to discuss serious topics, teaches their partner a lot of random stuff

♊ Gemini in an unhealthy relationship: superficial, doesn't have a problem moving on from their partner to another person in a matter of seconds, if they're still in school/college, then they prioritize studying over their partner

♋ Cancer in a healthy relationship: nurturing, knows how to balance babying their partner vs being babied by their partner, emotionally vulnerable, feels safe enough to present their partner to their family early on in the relationship

♋ Cancer in a unhealthy relationship: if they don't trust their partner, they tend to become emotionally closed off to hide their deep sadness; defensive, but if their partner attackes them, then they'll hide, worries excessively, avoids presenting their partner to their family

♌ Leo in a healthy relationship: treats their partner like the king/queen they are, keeps their ego in check so it doesn't interfere with the relationship, if they've got artistic talents (music, acting, art etc.), they'll show their love for their partner by performing in front of them

♌ Leo in an unhealthy relationship: egocentric, shows off their partner/relationship too much out of pride, often feels entitled in the relationship and wants to be put on a pedestal by their partner

♍ Virgo in a healthy relationship: selfless to a healthy degree, remembers every lil detail from every casual conversations with their partner just to please them, remembers every important date and plans ahead for it, takes care of their partner when they're sick

♍ Virgo in a unhealthy relationship: critical, overfixates on past hurts and mistakes that their partner made in the relationship (often times their partner doesn't even remember those things because they're usually not that serious), loves their pets more than their partner

♎ Libra in a healthy relationship: romantic, charismatic, truly values their partner and the relationship with them, acts fair in the relationship, teaches their partner lovingly about the importance of honesty, truth and a healthy give and take dynamic in a relationship

♎ Libra in an unhealthy relationship: doesn't prioritize the relationship; instead, they flirt with others despite being in a relationship, emotionally detached, cold and calculated in their current relationship

♏ Scorpio in a healthy relationship: loyal, loves their partner deeply and intensely, but without suffocating them, keeps their partner's secrets like they're a locked safe box with no public access

♏ Scorpio in an unhealthy relationship: obsessive, manipulative, seeks to dominate their partner, displays stalkish behaviour in the relationship, liar

♐ Sagittarius in a healthy relationship: exposes their partner to various cultures, belief systems and philosophies to expand their mind and form their own opinion on certain topics, loves freely but is still able to maintain a long-term relationship, improves their partner's mood, usually brings an element of surprise and excitement to the relationship

♐ Sagittarius in an unhealthy relationship: travels in order to avoid dealing with their partner, parties a bit too much, doesn't take the relationship seriously

♑ Capricorn in a healthy relationship: loves their partner in a mature, serious and secure manner, doesn't shy away from improving their partner's social status and/or career if they can, discusses plans for the future (getting married, having kids, adopting pets, buying a house) with their partner early on in the relationship, they make time for their partner, despite the fact that they're busy most of the time

♑ Capricorn in an unhealthy relationship: displays no emotions or physical affection in the relationship, has a hard time communicating their thoughts with their partner, settles in a relationship for the wrong reasons (money/kids/safety/"i'm getting old and i need to have my life established"), prioritizes work/career over their partner

♒ Aquarius in a healthy relationship: flexible, makes their partner's dreams and aspirations come true (whether they're related to the relationship or not), has got a very open-minded attitude towards their partner's opinions, lifestyle and identity, takes the time to become friends firsts with their future partner because they value a relationship built on solid foundation (often times their partner is also their best friend), knows how to balance couple time vs time with friends

♒ Aquarius in an unhealthy relationship: displays wishy-washy behaviour, emotionally detached, prioritizes their friends over their partner, seeks online validation from strangers and acquaintances to fulfill their needs

♓ Pisces in a healthy relationship: sensitive to their partner's emotions, knows how to balance wearing their heart on their sleeve vs hiding their emotions in unfavourable circumstances, always honest with their partner

♓ Pisces in an unhealthy relationship: prone to drown their relationship problems and sorrows in alcohol, drugs and meds for mental health issues, runs away from problems instead of dealing with them with their partner, displays dishonesty to a fault, prone to self-sabotage

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

Highlight:

Nurses have been reluctant to test for Covid-19 and take time off work, due to fears of running out of sick leave, amid the latest influx of cases in early to mid-December, an Auckland nurse says. The Covid-19 leave support scheme, which helped employers pay employees who had to self-isolate due to the virus, ended in August 2023. Communications sighted by RNZ indicated that at least one of the health districts in Auckland provided a Covid-19 paid special leave for staff after the scheme ended, however, that special coverage ended about six months ago.

Our governments would rather get more people sick and dead than do one iota of simple public health.

[mixupmycota]

Heyo, doing my part to be sure that folks in the US are aware of the ongoing avian flu outbreak there. I've been keeping tabs on it for a bit, but per late December investigation reported in The Scientific American, the general situation in the states specifically is worse than I had previously thought.

There's a big post already floating around, but there's a lot of very emotional reactions attached to that so I wanted to put something a little chiller out there.

There is increasing concern about it potentially spreading through the human population after a couple of confirmed cases with uncertain transmission vectors (at time of writing known total cases are 67, California hardest hit, per the AMA), and cattle herds in multiple states have been affected. Remember to keep masking up, making use of hand sanitizers, and practicing food safety when preparing raw poultry, including avoidance of cross contamination and thorough handwashing.

Do not consume raw milk products, and cook any raw meat before giving it to pets. The extent of the outbreak is not currently fully known, so it is important to be aware that it is an issue.

Per the NZ government guidelines on the virus and cooking poultry products: "Bird flu viruses including H5N1 are destroyed by heating. This means that even if we had an outbreak of bird flu in New Zealand, thoroughly cooked eggs and poultry meat would remain safe to eat.

Eggs should be cooked until the white is completely firm and the yolk begins to thicken.

Chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of: 75°C for at least 30 seconds, or 70°C for 3 minutes, or 65°C for 15 minutes." Further reading:

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/bird-flu-h5n1-resource-center (American Medical Association resource hub here)

https://www.cdc.gov/han/2025/han00520.html (Health advisory from the CDC to test hospitalized flu patients for it)

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bird-flu-has-spread-out-of-control-after-mistakes-by-u-s-government-and/

Just being aware will help a lot, preparedness is half the battle there. It is not a great situation, but responding to it calmly, arming up with information, and being sure that people around you know there is a risk will make it easier to navigate.

If people around you are unwilling to mask up, it may be helpful to remind them how restrictive the 2020 lockdowns were - preventative measures can help reduce the risk of it happening again.

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

JOHN BUCKLAND WRIGHT

This week we present the four wood engravings by the New Zealander/English painter and printmaker John Buckland Wright (1897–1954) for the Golden Cockerel Press 1936-1943 bibliography, Pertelote, A Sequel to Chanticleer, printed in London by the Press's co-owners at the time Christopher Sandford and Owen Rutter.

The Golden Cockerel Press issued four bibliographies of its publications, titling them after cockerel-related things: Chanticleer in 1936; Pertelote in 1943; Cockalorum in 1948; Cock-a-Hoop in 1961. Chanticleer, or Chauntecleer, is the name of the proud rooster in "The Nun's Priest's Tale" from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, who "like the burned gold was his colour." This bibliography covered the Press's first 112 publications from 1921-1936. Pertelote covers 43 more books published during the war years 1936-1943 and named after the favorite of Chanticleer's seven hen-wives, Pertelote, whom Chanticleer "loved her so that well was him therewith."

John Buckland Wright was one of the most frequent illustrators of Golden Cockerel works from 1936 until his death in 1954. The figure on the title page in the first image shown here is the Golden Cockerel pressmark from The Vigil of Venus: Pervigilium Veneris printed in 1939. The border on the title page, plus the next two prints, are from Love Night. A Laotian Gallantry by E. Powys Mathers, printed in 1936 with 15 wood engravings by Buckland Wright. The final engraving of a cockerel in a WWII gas mask reading a Golden Cockerel Press book is the pressmark cut by Buckland Wright specifically for this bibliography.

Our copy of Pertelote is another donation from our late friend Jerry Buff (1931-2025).

View posts of other works illustrated by John Buckland Wright.

View more posts on Golden Cockerel Press editions.

View more posts with wood engravings!

[bunny-1111]

Skiing together with Teddy ??

omg, I LOVE this, skiing and snow day with teddy:

...

Many things came along with the opulence of Theodore Nott

That included a minimum stay of two and a half weeks at his favourite ski lodge every winter.

Not just your winter, Theodore would have you both fly to the opposite side of the world for a good ski, insisting on going from England to New Zealand just for the Southern Hemisphere snow, not going to waste.

There's something so captivating about Theo in his all-black ski attire, leather gloves, and cashmere scarf. So discipline in his sport.

You watch his grip tighten on his ski sticks, and he turns a corner, or his strong legs whip through the thick snow.

His muffled chuckles behind his mask as he laughs at your occasional slip, his gloved hands helping you up and planting you back on your feet with his hands lingering on your hips or waist, his voice teasing "Gracful, Darling"

He also insists on sharing a hot tub, his excuse being that it’s “necessary for sore muscles.”

Snow angels, the print of his body on the white snow much larger than your own

Theo rolls his eyes when you force him to build a snowman, fighting back a smile when you jump up and down when its finished, to tease you he'd take a bite out of the carrot nose you jammed into the snowman

Theo is an experienced skier, so it's rare if he does fall, but he does everything in his power to not fall, just the idea of falling is humiliating to Theodore.

If you get worried the slope it too steep or high he's voice drips encouragement, "Come on ,champion you can handle this" pointing below, "I know you got this, I wouldn't let you go down if I thought you weren't able to." when you finally take of with Theo beside you he'd scream out "atta girl!" kissing you when you both make it to the bottom

He'd help you jump into your heavy ski outfit, fitting it to your skin

BONUS: someone guy bumping into you mid ski and those losing his shit

Gliding down the snow felt so natural to you, the wind that fought against your speed, so refreshing, your body aligned to the rhythm of the slope, until just as you leaned into another turn, a blur barreled into you, sending you sprawling across the snow.

Pain immediately hit your shoulder as you tumbled, skis tangling awkwardly beneath you. Before you could even catch your breath, the figure—a man about your age snapped, “Watch where you’re going, yeah?”

You stared at him, stunned and winded, your reply stuck in your throat, pulling your mask down the only thing to leave your mouth was the smoke of the cold air, from your now heavy breathing.

Theo was there in an instant. He skidded to a stop, snow spraying in the direction of the man who crashed into you, his jaw set in a way that made your stomach flip for an entirely different reason.

"You want to repeat that?" Theodore's voice cut through

“I said—” the guy started, but Theo cut him off, stepping closer, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the snow.

“You crashed into her.” Theo’s tone was sharp now, his anger contained but unmistakable, like the stillness before a storm. “And instead of apologising, you wanna run your mouth?”

"Look, man, she was in the wa-" he protests again

"you apologise before this snow turns red on your fucking account, got it?" this time Theo was interrupting him

After the chaos, Theo insisted no more skiing for the day, that he would carry you everywhere, and you could sit by the fire sipping hot chocolate, non-negotiable.

Reblogs comments and likes are much appreciated my loves x

[madhatterbri]

Halloween | D.P.

Summary: Damian fulfills a fantasy of Y/N.

Author's Note: Happy (day after, but we are pretending it's Oct 31) Halloween, babes.

🚨A darker fic. Read at your own discretion🚨

Damian Priest Masterlist

WWE Masterlist

@caramara3 tagged me in an interesting idea with Damian as Ghostface, so I had to do it.

@theworldofotps did the picture for me and gave me the courage to write this.

Taglist: @theworldofotps @smallestsnarkestgirl @mrsarcherofinfamy @terrortwinunicorn @brideofinfamy @miss-kuki-nz @hotwheels1108 @new-zealand-chic @magicalbuttertarts @eringobragh420

"Were you really that naive enough to think that you could get away from me?" The deep voice asked outside of the walk-in closet. The woman inside tried to remain quiet. Her muscles stiff as a board to not make a sound. Even the sound of her breathing lessened.

Y/N's eyes drifted to the door handle. The brass knob turned slowly. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. The surroundings around her fell silent. She looked up to the infamous Ghostface mask. The black eyes stared at hers. "Boo,"

The man in the mask walked towards Y/N. His boots sounded loudly against the floor under them. She backed up to the wall. His hands pressed to the wall behind her. She was trapped behind his muscular tan arms. His eyes drifted to her low-cut nightgown.

"Now what to do to you?" He pondered loudly. An idea popped into his head. One that he seemed to enjoy very much. "Or what could you do for me?"

He opened the sides of his vest. The handle of a knife appeared before her eyes. She inhaled deeply. "What do you want?"

"Just making sure you want to play the easy way, princesa," he told her. The man in the Ghostface mask let go of his vest. "You are pretty and seem smart enough to take directions, so bend over the bed,"

Once the man took a few steps back, Y/N followed his orders. Her legs scurried quickly to the bed. She bent over just as he ordered. The bottom of her nightgown rose up to her waist.

The man in the Ghostface mask walked from the closet. From the moon shining through her bedroom window, she had a better look at him. A tall, muscular man with tattoos down his arms. Silver bracelets covered his ankles.

"Like what you see?" The man asked. It was more to stroke his ego than anything else. Y/N stared at his reflection in the mirror.

His strong hands toyed with the underwear that covered what he wanted most. She gasped the moment his thumb slid on the fabric between her legs. Y/N's cheeks flushed as he paid particular attention to a wet spot. The man gripped her waist to keep her still. His thumb pressed inwards and found her clit.

The fabric rubbed against her bundle of nerves. Y/N whined and gripped the sheets. Her hips pushed back towards him. When he noticed her enjoyment, he took it away from her. A feeble protest came from her.

The knife appeared from his vest. She figured it was a scare tactic again, but this time, he pulled it out. Her eyes widened as he gripped the handle and lowered it. Before she could plead for her life, he slashed the sides of her underwear. The now ruined garment fell to the floor. He placed the knife back inside his vest and patted the spot.

"Get on your knees and arch your back,"

Y/N obeyed his demands. His hands gripped her ass and waist. One hand slid between her legs. She gasped as his fingers slipped between her folds. Her blush burned at her skin. The man was toying with her.

"Already? We just barely started,"

His question wasn't with a worded answer. They were met with a whimper as he slid a finger inside of her. No resistance met the intrusion. Her walls tightened around his finger. She needed more from him but knew not to press her luck.

Another finger was added to the mix. He swirled his fingers around her. The man picked up the pace. He started to separate his fingers. Y/N moaned when he hit a particular spot. Her moans quickened when she felt herself getting closer.

"I'm so close,"

"Pity," he informed her. His fingers left her body. She could have cried in frustration.

Y/N watched as he licked his fingers clean. His vest was removed first. It fell to the floor in a heap. The sound of the knife hitting the floor a painful reminded to behave. The zipper to his jeans lowered. She stared at his cock as it sprang free. Clearly, she wasn't the only one enjoying this.

"Don't look away from the mirror. I want to watch your beautiful face as Ghostface leaves you a mess,"

The tip of his dick slid between her folds. He had to toy with her one last time. Make her see that this is what she wanted and asked for. When the head slipped inside, her mouth parted in a series of gasps. The idea of having a masked man take her excited her. He slid himself inside of her. His hands gripped her waist.

Any ideas or notions of him being sweet were quickly wiped away. He pulled back on her hips as he thrusted forward. His pelvis smacked against her ass. The sound of moans and sweaty bodies crashing the other lewdly filled the room.

Y/N was the first to orgasm. Her body tightened around him. She didn't dare look away from the mirror. The Ghostface mask stared at the mirror as he filled her to the brim. His body tensed as he came inside of her.

The man grabbed the bottom of the mask and removed it. Her boyfriend, Damian Priest, smiled sheepishly at her. He pulled out and helped her lay on the bed. When he climbed into bed next to her, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Happy Halloween, mi amor,"

"Happy Halloween," she whispered. Her eyes fluttered closed.

[tinystepsforward]

a good post by a friend, for the usamericans who need to figure out grieving and action. let this radicalise you, not drive you to despair.

molly offers some options here which are probably a lot more accessible to those of you who aren't as far left/abolitionist/commie as i am, and i reckon this is a solid piece to share even with parents or other older people who are realising they need to organise outside of voting for the first time in their lives. some practical advice for looking after yourself, some causes to look at, some space to take, and grace with which to take it.

i've said this before: this stuff is happening in new zealand too. the people who control most of the money in the world have been working really hard worldwide to shift the overton window right, to normalise things that should be unacceptable.

now more than ever is the time for usamericans to learn to sit with their feelings — especially if you're white, if you're cis, if you make good money. to sit with grief, and discomfort, and guilt. to let it move through you, and to feel it rather than try to avoid it, and then to — when you are ready — reach out to the people around you, and build something together, however small. to be willing to imagine a better future. to have enough experience graciously processing your own guilt to not automatically dismiss people in prison or people being bombed or people who have "broken the law", whatever that means.

now is the time to develop your own moral code independent from what is legal. as an abolitionist mine is about harm reduction — and that means being very clear about when my own bad feelings or discomfort are a me problem, feeling them, and letting them go without transmuting them directly into impulsive action. that means not panicposting about how you're gonna be put in camps and your life is over where other people who are more at risk may see it. that means being recognising when you need to communicate and not be conflict avoidant in order to prevent harm, or when you need to step back from something that makes you uncomfortable but isn't harm. that means looking at the small ways your life can include a little more kindness.

be kind to each other — so you can be dangerous together. resilience is built through kindness and integrity in conflict, through doing the hard work of being a person in community. fit your own mask. grieve. breathe through it. then look for the other people picking themselves up. there is always work to do, and more people now ready to do it than ever.