#submit guest post fitness

[kayawellhealth]

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[xpau-official]

XPAU Wallpaper/Card + Art prompt!

“Heya guys, howzzitgoin’! Can you believe it? I got everyone together for a photo!

It turned out pretty well, so I thought it’d make a nice card. What do you think?

Happy holidays!”

What’s this? There’s something else attached…

“Oh, before I forget! I’ve included a picture of our background for you! You can use this to draw something in, like… you and your pals, maybe?

I felt bad since everyone couldn’t be included in the picture, so go ahead and add yourselves in! Have fun!”

Although everyone was invited to the party, not everyone could fit in the photo. Please take this backdrop to draw you, your OCs, other Sanses, or even any of the featured guests to create your own unique festive card! This is a self-insert opportunity, yes!

✣ Feel free to mention @xpau-official or @kuuuuro in your posts! (Please do, I want to see them)

✣ You can also use the tag #xpaucard !

✣ Also feel free to submit your drawings to this account!

Any questions, comments, concerns? Drop an ask!

I look forward to seeing your cards!

[intramoon]

You're invited!

Amelia & Wednesday are getting married! It's been 8 (in real-time) years in the making, and 3 (in real-time) years coming! And it is big! I don't have enough Sims to fill every seat, so I am extending an open invitation!

I am looking for ...

A single sim or a couple (who are 21+).

They need to fit in my alpha game, MM skins are fine, but they must have alpha hair (including beards & brows) and their attire must be alpha/universal. Please no MM clothing or base game/pack clothing.

They need to be human sims.

I'm not sure how many I need or how many I'll receive, so mutuals have priority and I'll fill any remaining spots with anyone else who wants to send a sim! (I will try my best to include everyone. If you take the time to send me a sim, I'll do my best to fit them in).

The wedding will be posted closer to Christmas.

Now for the fun stuff! ...

The theme is celestial, Wednesday represents the 🌙moon, and Amelia is the ☀️sun. Blacks, gold, and dark blues, moons, and stars!

It is a very formal wedding, so please dress your Sims accordingly. Please keep posing in mind, so no huge fluffy gowns, large drop sleeves, etc. If you include an accessory jacket, include an outfit without it.

The dress code is jewel tones; for example sapphire, emerald, and ruby. Think deep rich colors. And, of course, neutrals like black and gold. No white, light pastels, or patterns. Lace is fine!

You'll need to tell me which Bride's side your sims(s) will sit on: Amelia's or Wednesday's! This will also determine where they are seated during the reception.

You'll also get to pick how your sim(s) will sign the guest book!

Closer to, I will send everyone an in-game invitation you can use if you want to include it in a post, etc. (You absolutely don't have to!)

And! There will be a little treat from me as thank you! ❤️

I need your sims by Sunday, November, 24.

If you could leave a comment if you plan to submit a sim so I can have a head count that would be amazing, I'll reach out to everyone with more information soon! Thank you!

[fetish4juggalos]

Pretty please make a Jerome x reader and the reader is punk ‼‼

Jerome Valeska and a punk reader headcanons

sooo i’m back?? sorry this request was from like last year but i haven’t posted since last year and thought this would be a good way to start back my possible return. I have 2 actual fics in the drafts so if you’re interested in actual fic ideas submit a request or more head canons to hold me over pls.

Not my best work but i have been gone for nearly a year so i thought it would be good to get something out

I apologize in advance for spelling and grammatical errors.

Jerome’s entire following is a large majority alternative people so you being punk isn’t really new territory for him

Jerome doesn’t really fit into a subculture himself. He doesn’t know or cares to fall under any titles but you being immersed in your subculture fascinates him

Punk is a subculture that completely goes against the ideals of being rich and following authority’s expectations which he can resinate with being a rebel and growing up a poor circus boy

Watching you diy things out of the unexpected is one of his favorite parts of you being punk. He loves watching you turn things from old technology or clothes/ materials and scraps into clothing, weapons, and accessories

Another one of his favorite parts is your hair and makeup. Watching you do your liberty spikes or even any of your less extravagant hairstyles always intrigues him as well as your messy makeup

He’s asked you to do his makeup like yours taking a small liking to the smudged smoked out eyeliner and even asking for you to do liberty spikes on his hair when it was a little longer

He’s not really thrown off by the idea of crust pants or a crust jacket. Let’s be honest Jerome doesn’t scream amazing hygiene and he probably doesn’t even notice you do this on purpose

He’ll listen to you talk all day about lace code, and punk culture and background, and music

Obviously he’s very fuck the police so that being one of your life mottos and beliefs is a big win for him

He’s seen you steal stuff from Jervis but never says anything and it drives Jervis crazy. You also steal stuff from him but he doesn’t care when he’s seen you turn it into something cool

If you do any kind of spray paint or graffiti work he thinks it’s the best shit he’s ever seen and loves to see either your tag somewhere when he’s out doing god knows what or messages that he knows is you

Had you spray paint Jermone was here on different buildings throughout Gotham and it ended up on the news

Because alot of punk clubs in gotham were Jerome followers and you’re close to him he’s appeared or come with you to some of your underground clubs to make guest appearances

He’s made you some patches and pins by taking material and writing on it with markers and attaching it to safety pins or letting you sew it on

Instead of calling you doll he calls you rag doll because of the way you dress and present

[hauntedtrait]

🐴Once Upon A Time In Chestnut Ridge: A Bachelor Challenge

Meet Dakota Blue Heron, Chestnut Ridge's most eligible bachelor!

Dakota is 29, stands 6'3 tall, living on Crow's Head ranch, primarily a horse ranch that is open for guests in the spring and summer months. The ranch is owned and operated by the Heron family, being passed down through generations for over a century. Kindly, Dakota's parents have allowed the ranch to be used this season, in hopes that the show's popularity will help bring in more guests and customers.

Dakota accepted the network's offer to be Bachelor in hopes of finding a life partner, having little time to meet new people in his regular life. Also because, in his words, "this seems fun!"

Here's a few things he wants potential contestants to know about him: he spends his days working in various different parts of the ranch (in the horse stalls and gardens especially), he grows most of his food and whatever he doesn't grow he sources from local and ethical producers, he loves being surrounded by people (especially those he holds dearly), occasionally hunts (deer and invasive species mostly). He speaks navajo, navajo sign language, english and spanish, and is a tribal member of the navajo nation. Dakota wants kids and is looking for a partner with similar desires to start a family.

Keep reading below for more info!

Likes: fellow animal enthusiasts, physical contact (his love language), his grandmother's cooking, gardening, spending his days outside, being with family, cinnamon, old hollywood films, people who are connected to their families or communities, fry bread

Dislikes: being cooped up inside, snow days, musical theater, cilantro (he's got the soap taste gene), sudden loud sounds, stand up comedy, cold showers, people who don't like getting dirty, cops, cigarette smoke

GUIDELINES:

8 contestants will be accepted

contestants should have at least 5 likes and/or dislikes

contestants have 15 skill points to distribute as they wish

contestants can have 3-5 traits, except for unflirty or romantic, do give them at least one negative trait, it's more fun that way

unfortunately, only human contestants for this one. YA and adult only, any amount of story/backstory, any aspiration except for romance related aspirations, any gender (pleaseeee give them pronouns). include all this information in your entry please.

any cc and outfits, though try to keep to 1 outfit per category. maxis match or maxis mix is fine EXCEPT for alpha hairs, no alpha hairs please.

Download can be private or public, up to you, BUT please include ALL cc in the download!

i own most of the packs except for some of the kits, but i do have the ‘kits made bgc’ so i can replace stuff if needed

i will be changing skin details and giving them more outfits, if you submit a sim you are consenting to have them be changed to fit my sim style. honestly i highly encourage everyone to use sliders and custom presets, i think sims look a lot better with those and i dont love how vanilla presets look tbh

if you do not have the horse ranch pack but would like for certain skills, traits or aspirations from the pack to be used on your sim, let me know and i will add it in game!

tag me in your posts and use the hashtag #chestnutbc

UPDATE:

NEW DEADLINE: AUGUST 14

PLEASE READ:

As stated previously, Dakota likesmasculine-leaning sims. No strict gender preference, but I am looking for masculine contestants. Be it women who are more butch, masc leaning non binary, cis or trans men on the masculine side of the spectrum. Dakota's type tends to be people with muscles, masculine-leaning, who look like they could pick him up and throw him around. Dad types are a plus too. He prefers people who aren't very skinny, who have some meat on their bones. Strong types, protective vibes, and obviously people who can and are willing to work on a farm and live and deal with animals every day, it's not easy work!

[fbczine]

Before we open contributor applications, the mods would like to answer questions raised through responses from the Interest Check and expand upon our carrd’s guidelines/FAQ.

If you are potentially considering applying for the zine as a contributor, please take the time to look over this post and read the carrd. 

Zine’s Themes: 

For our second zine, we decided to have a centralized theme for the overall project: investigation. Solving mysteries, puzzles, and problems are key elements of Remedy games. All pieces featured within the zine will focus on these ideas. 

The Oceanview is a connecting point between the Alan Wake and Control universes. It is a place of power individuals pass through on their way to somewhere else, so it’s had many guests over the years. However, pitches for the zine do not have to feature the Oceanview, they can involve different settings featured or referenced in these games, excluding the Oldest House. 

Interest Check Feedback

During the interest check, we received several common questions we would like to address:

Can we submit pitches related to Alan Wake? 

Yes, as both Alan Wake and Control both fall under the Remedy-verse, we want the zine to have a diverse spread of content featuring characters and themes from both games. 

Are Alan Wake 2 spoilers allowed? 

The zine will release a year after the first game, so we will be allowing content featuring spoilers. All pieces with spoilers will have a warning tag in the zine’s table of contents, allowing consumers to pick and choose what content to enjoy. 

Are meta/theory-crafting pitches allowed? 

No, the zine will only be featuring fanart and fanfiction. 

What about lore related documents such as dossiers/letters/case files etc? 

Yes. As with our previous zine, in-universe documentation is welcome so long as it fits the zine’s themes and criteria. 

Can I submit something which has already been posted to social media? 

No, all contributors must submit a new, original piece of content never shared before. 

Is there any specific content which will not be allowed in the zine? 

We will not be accepting typewritten, out of context manuscript pages. If a typewritten manuscript page from Alan happens to be one part of your overall story, that’s fine. 

No pieces featuring places found within the Oldest House. As much as we love the Astral Plane, the Quarry, and the Clocks Threshold, we want the zine to feature many of the other interesting settings within this universe!

All art pieces must be polished lineart or equivalent. We will not accept sketches. 

Pitch Process 

Please do NOT submit pitches that state “I’ll draw/write anything” – these will be automatically rejected. 

Please submit three detailed pitches. Include any characters or ships featured in the piece along with the general idea. Give us the elevator pitch.  

If you’re pitching a piece featuring shipping content, please state the overall plot of the piece. The mods will not be accepting stories that do not take into account the zine’s investigative themes. 

All art pieces will need to have a background. No negative white space will be allowed. 

The mods will be trying to diversify the zine’s content through the provided pitches. Of your three pitches, the mods will select what pitch to move forward with based on the zine’s tentative content spread, so please make sure these pitches are something you are passionate about and willing to create. 

Collaboration and the Creation Process

Remedy fans are a passionate bunch. Love for these games is shown in each and every creative work. And just like Remedy collaborates to bring us these amazing games, we are looking for that same dedication for the Oceanview Guestbook zine. 

We would like each of our applicants to feel comfortable collaborating with both the mods as well as their fellow contributors. We will be encouraging contributors to share WIPs with each other through more organized check-ins to receive feedback. With each phase of the creation process, the mods will provide detailed feedback and constructive critique with each individual contributor. 

Our primary mode of communication will be through Discord. The mods will be available should contributors need any assistance, to communicate any unforeseen circumstances, or to answer questions which may arise throughout the creation process. 

Final Notes

The mods are fans of the Remedy universe and love the games. We want to talk and create with fellow fans. This project is for the community, and we can’t underscore that enough. This is why our previous and next zine are digital and free. We don’t want to hide the fanworks behind a paywall. This unofficial project is made for fans by fans as a labor of love. 

We hope you’ll join us on this journey!

– The Admin Team

[moon-m4n]

The casino must have gotten the wrong order. They love owning well behaved harpys to show off and entertain guests but the newest arrival has been anything but we'll behaved. He violently throws fits anytime anyone gets near him. He already killed his first care taker and will do so again. So why did the casino chose you of all people to work with the bird? Well the way the other harpys took to you they assumed this one might take mercy and let you close enough to train him for the floor work.

So here you are standing at the entrance to a murderous peacock's cage. The only thing keeping you safe is the door you now have to open. At least your bosses had the curtsy to have you bring him food so he might not focus on you at first. OK, deep breath and... the door creaks ominously as it slides open. The room is filled with foliage where this large birdman may be able to hide. It would be breathtaking if your fear wasn't in the front of your mind. Even in this tiny room you can tell he is not a safe creature, scratches on the walls and door make that obvious. Deep and ingrained in the metal layers. You rush in wanting to avoid letting him out. If anyone was going to die to day it was only going to be you.

The second the door closed everything seemed to become silent nothing made a sound and no creature showed it's self. You make an effort to blend into the door but just standing there was getting you no where. So you call out in a meak voice. "Excuse me. I have some food if you would like it?"

Was this human crazy. Just 2 days ago I crushed that guy who kept coming in to bother me and now this one just walks right in. I wish this creatures would just leave me alone.

Eliclips had been trying to think of a way out when this odd person barged in. He hated being interrupted and hated being here even more. This company had bought him recently after another incident happen and then got upset when he happened to not be the friendliest bird. The last guy made it clear he was going to bother eclipse every chance he got until he would submit to being a show pony. He nipped that one in the bud as soon as he realized how annoying he was. This new one looked to be the same story exept they seemed to be more calm and little scared. Just the way he likes em. Eclipse finds himself staring at this intruder with intrigue. They stand there nervously looking about. Looking for him. Well he better go introduce himself then. He slinks out of the bushes standing tall and stalking over with little grace. In the moment they can see him their eyes are glued to him and for once he actually likes the attention. He want to have you look at him all the time. Finally making it to the food cart they are using as a barrier, fear creeps into there eyes and for a moment eclipse is ashamed of being the one to do that to them. Just a moment before he reaches out and places his clawed hand on their shoulder. They look panicked. And start trying to explain themselves. He loves the sound of their voice, even panicked. He steps around their cart sheild and leans down to them carefully to not make them run. "I like you" The air freezes and they stop all their pleas for mercy and just stare up at him with a slack jaw. He leans even closer and wraps his hand around their neck not tight just enough to be close, and he slinks around them to hold them from behind clinging like a molted feather would. He wraps his other arm around their waist and pulls them close.

Started writing this after I saw the Harpy eclipse drawing for the blood and feathers au. By @missterious-figure

I don't write much so have mercy. (Actually one of my first public fic post) Enjoy as much as I enjoy this au!!

additional info I just drew the drawing today cuz I really want to have some fan art as the cover for this. I postponed this just to draw that.

[putschki1969]

【Lyric Video】 Koganeiro no Yakusoku 【short ver.】

Last night, Hikaru's 9th digital single titled "黄金色の約束" was released. She first performed the song at the Mugi no Autumn Music Festival on May 12th. Lyrics: Hikaru; Composition/Arrangement: hoto-D Some thoughts: I ldon't mind it. I ike the calm vibe and the build-up to the chorus with the "chiisana" section but the chorus itself is only meh. It has a promising start but then it doesn't really do enough for me to hold my attention. Also wish she wouldn't have gone so high on some of those parts, not the most flattering I'm afraid and I don't think it fits the overall atmosphere of the song. Her prior releases as freelance solo artist include Survivor, Escape, Flow, Awe, Treasure, Remain, Embrace, Kiseki

LIKE her videos/SUBSCRIBE to her channel! Buy/Stream: https://linkco.re/52fa8pCU?lang=en

Also check out Hikaru's last two videos on her channel! Haven't gotten around to posting them yet.

【Qoo10】Skin care => Make-up

Sharing Everyone's Heartwarming Moments

This one was quite fun. Hikaru had asked people in her Instagram story to submit moments that had made their hearts skip a beat (in a romantic or platonic manner). You can tell that Hikaru really relates to the stories that involve children.

『Hikaru B-day LIVE 2024』 Keiko Appearance Secured

The past few weeks have been dedicated to Hikaru's latest challenge on Music Champ wherein people need to buy items and send them during the live stream in order to build up to a certain power level. The goal of this time's challenge was to secure Keiko as a special guest for Hikaru’s birthday live in July. Although Hikaru had technically already announced/confirmed her as a guest but they always have to come up with some sort of contrived reason to justify the existence of these ridiculous challenges (can you tell that I'm still not a fan of the app?) On May 22 (Wednesday), she did a collab live stream with her fellow Ambient Border cast members Yuki Sasaki and Yumi Agawa. On June 2 (Sunday) she did a special live broadcast at the Music Champ studio. It was a bit longer than her Wednesday streams and at the end she performed Kiseki. Unfortunately, both lives were blocked for screen recording. I thought we'd left that behind us but most of her recent stuff has been blocked again T_T

Title: 『Hikaru B-day LIVE 2024 -love Begets love-』 Date: July 2, 2024 Venue: duo MUSIC EXCHANGE Time: open 18:00 / start 19:00 🔥Band Members: Key. TACOS NAOMI @TACOS_NAOMI Gt. HaKA @onimaru_otokage Mp. hoto-D @hoto_D 🔥Guest: KEIKO @KeikoStaff 💝

Hikaru and atsuko (from angela)

Hikaru got together with atsuko (one half of the duo "angela" who regularly performed alongside Kalafina at various anime events). Atsuko was also seen attending the latest Yuki Kajiura tour performance and was featured in Keiko's Instagram post. Tweet by Hikaru | Instagram post by atsuko

[five-oh-thirst]

Has anyone asked for Desires of the Flesh (wolfpack BDSM) yet???? 👀👀👀🫦 that sounds..... nnghhhhh 🤤

I'M ON MY KNEES BEGGING FOR MORE!!! 🙏🏻

Oof, sorry about the late response on this one 😅 I got super busy and didn't have time to sit down with it, but @indira-korr also sent in an ask for it in the meantime, so it's good!

Okay, so Desires of the Flesh, which I'm pretty sure I changed to Guilty Pleasures, but didn't change my Google Doc title (whoops!), started here, and was continued here.

It's a poly-wolfpack fic set in a semi-modern AU where Wolffe owns a gentleman's club. Sinker and Boost both work for Wolffe and are in a primary romantic relationship with each other but also have a secondary BDSM-type relationship with Wolffe. Other members of the wolfpack work there as well.

As much as Wolffe enjoys his relationship with Sinker and Boost, he craves having a dedicated sub of his own that he can play with and enjoy without extra restrictions. That's when he has Sinker send out help wanted ads to try and lure in prospective "employees" who might be interested in it.

Cue Comet walking in to submit his job application. He's a sweet kid, single, and sexually curious, so Sinker thinks he'd be a great candidate, but Comet is a little on the shy side. He's hesitant about the revealing uniform and the type of work, but he needs the money, and at least it won't be boring.

After Comet has been working there for a bit and became good friends with Sinker, Wolffe decides to approach Comet about becoming his sub. Comet is cautiously curious about it, and Wolffe explains it to him, gives him literature, and shows him an example contract. Comet eventually agrees, builds a contract with Wolffe, and signs it.

This is going to be a very sweet and spicy fic. Comet is just built to be a sweetheart, and Wolffe is so patient with him, but he's also a dom, which means they have LOTS of sex 😏

I don't have much more written, but here's the second half of Sinker and Comet's conversation from one of the other posts:

After a few more seconds, Sinker stood back up and handed two pieces of clothing to Comet, a pair of ripped jean shorts, and a crop top. "Here. These should fit."

Comet blinked as he grabbed the clothes. He unfolded the shorts and placed them against the pants he was wearing. "Uh… I think these are too small."

Sinker leaned over the counter to look. "Nah, those will be perfect. Go try them on. Oh, and take your boxers off, or it'll look weird."

Comet sighed and walked off to the restrooms to try on his new uniform. If that's what he could call it. He awkwardly walked back out of the restroom and towards the bar, covering his exposed stomach and blushing along the way.

"So," Sinker said with a smile. "Whaddya think?"

Comet adjusted the crotch of the shorts. "Feels like my balls are gonna fall out."

"That's how it's supposed to feel," Sinker said. "You're a waiter. Gotta look pretty for our guests."

Comet fidgeted with the loose strings at the hem of the shorts and tugged them down a bit. "They're… The guests aren't going to touch me, are they?"

Sinker chuckled. "Absolutely not. We have a 'look but don't touch' policy, and anyone who breaks that policy is dealt with by the owner."

"Who's the owner?" Comet asked, visibly relaxing a bit.

Sinker gestured with a nod behind Comet, and Comet turned around. He was taken aback by the stoic man lounging in one of the booths, sipping on his drink. "His name's Wolffe."

"He looks…" Comet wasn't sure what he wanted to say. The man was both intimidating and intriguing. A mysterious air floated around him, one that wanted to lure him in like a sailor to a siren's song.

Sinker laughed. "Curious already?"

"What?" Comet said, breaking from his train of thought. "No!"

"Mhm," Sinker hummed with a knowing grin. "There'll be plenty of time for curiosity later. Read through the employee manual and let me know if you have any questions. You start tomorrow night."

Comet nodded his thanks, took the manual, and left. He could feel eyes burning into his as he walked out, still in his new uniform that he should've changed out of before leaving but was too flustered to do so. That man, the owner, Wolffe, was staring at him with dark eyes full of mystery as his hips swayed up and down with every footstep. Something told him to leave and never come back, but another part of him was too curious to back out just yet.

[kayawellhealth]

Complete Guidelines to Submit Guest Posts

We at Kayawell welcome all the enthusiastic writers to their “Write for Us” segment. Each writer is requested to provide a guest post or technology-oriented content on our website. We believe in alliances that expand the growth on both sides, i.e., the company and the writer.

What Is a Guest Post?

A guest post is when an Author creates content for someone else’s blog under their name. Writing guest blogs is a simple approach to obtaining a lot of exposure in a short amount of time. The content of the guest posts is usually related to the client’s business or industry and is written by the client or a ghostwriter on their behalf.

What We Publish on Our Website:

We publish articles between 1200–2,500 words, depending on the subject complexity. 1,500 words are about average. Articles often run with a custom illustration. Articles may be casual in tone and content—great for less-intensive tutorials and posts—or rigorously structured and edited. All should be well-considered explorations of current and cutting-edge topics in the Health industry.

Tips for Guest Posting Success:

Find out the blogger’s target audience and write to them directly. Make sure the blog you choose to guest post on is relevant to your niche and has an engaged audience. Some tips for Guest Post Success.

1) Choose the right blog:

2) Read the guidelines:

3) Research the topic:

4) Keep it concise:

5) Promote your post

What Are the Requirements to Write for Us?

Content should be 100% unique & fresh without any grammatical & spelling mistakes.

The minimal length of the article should be more than 1200 words.

Use proper Headings, Subheadings, and bullet points, and ensure the readability score is not less than 40%.

The article should have at least one feature image (You can share more pictures according to the blog points). These should be unique.

Do proper keyword research before writing content and use long-tail keywords.

You may include only one link to your website. And links to internal posts and high-authority sites like Wikipedia.

We do not accept content related to adults, casinos, gambling, CBD, dating, or any other illegal niches.

If you write a topic on healthcare tips, it will be very good and rank quickly. Our website is also approved on Google News.

Source URL:  https://www.kayawell.com/blog/write-for-us-guest-post

[nearsbday]

GENERAL INFORMATION PARTY RULES NEAR'S WISHLIST

Image Description:

A graphic made in shades of blue explaining how to participate in the event. The graphic reads:

NEAR'S BIRTHDAY PARTY HOW TO PARTICIPATE

so I've decided to come to the party. now what?

first things first, go ahead and check out the party rules (linked below) to familiarize yourself with what kinds of gifts are accepted! we welcome all formats of fanworks (fanfiction, fanart, videos, edits, cosplay, playlists, and so on) so long as it focuses on Near and falls within the established rules!

next, you can look through Near's wishlist to get some inspiration for your gifts. the party will go from August 17th through August 24th, and there are three prompts for each day. you're welcome to combine prompts however you please, or if you have a gift idea that doesn't fit any of the prompts, use the "free day" category on the 24th!

once the party has started and you have your gift, there are a few ways you can share it.

post the gift on your own account and either tag us (@nearsbday) or put it in the party tag (#nearsbday)

submit the gift directly to this account using the submission button on our page.

we will be doing our very best to post all submissions in a timely manner, but in the case that your submission has not been featured on the @nearsbday account within 24 hours of you posting it, please reach out to this account directly, or to @neallo or @empressofthewind! we would hate for anyone's gifts to be missed because of an issue with the tags or our notifications.

finally, be respectful to other guests. we will not tolerate rude comments about any of the gifts and will remove participants if they are being unkind. it's a party; we're all here to have fun!

WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE YOU THERE!

[worldburnrp]

MARCH 2ND, 2024

A POLITICAL RENDEZVOUS at THE CLOISTERS

A New Yorkian get-together, political auction, and farewell to winter.

pol·i·tics /ˈpäləˌtiks/ noun. The governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals hoping to achieve power.

On the afternoon of March 2nd, a casual event celebrates the weather finally putting the cutting cold to rest — with a 60 degree breeze and the sun even peaking through the clouds.

The Cloisters, located at Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, welcome New Yorkers for an afternoon of schmoozing with great food and even better wine. The event connects those seeking connections — be it business, personal, or political matters alike.

Some are here for the food, others for the booze, some for the opportunity to speak to current and future American leaders, or to try to influence the pendulum just a touch. Best not forget however, that such leaders are not only the ones of the Senate or the White House — a whole lot of politics happens in the underground, too.

Less than 10 months away from the 2024 elections, an auction takes place to raise funds for the parties in the run. Guests may offer items for auction and do the bidding, too — all proceeds directed to where their hearts desire. The race starts here.

OOC INFO

PART ONE.

IC, the event takes place on the afternoon of MARCH 2ND (Saturday). OOC, it starts March 1st, and the end date will be determined soon.

Members aren’t required to pause non-event threads during this period, BUT ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO PRIORITIZE THEM for fun, flowing interactions. While members can still respond to threads started previous to the event, they cannot start new threads outside of the event until it is wrapped.

If you choose to keep pre-event threads going, we ask that those are kept to a minimum as to not delay or confuse timelines and events. During this period, you should be expected to have more event threads on dash, than regular ones.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLOT with your fellow players what your characters will be up to during the event, as well as any plots and/or conflicts that may happen. For heavy conflicts, please do make sure to message the main about it first. <3

As always, should there be any questions or need of assistance with any plots, please feel free to contact the admins and we’ll be happy to help you!

CHALLENGE

OUTFIT CHALLENGE: Show us what your character’s outfit will be! Be as detailed as you’d like, and feel free to get creative. [ You will be awarded 100 points for completing this ] Dress code is business casual. No need for suits, tuxedos, or long dresses this time around, though characters may still want to put their best foot forward, especially if they're treating the date as a platform for their own personal goals. Likewise, your character can ditch the 'business' altogether if they're only there for a fun time.

OPEN STARTER: Write an open starter! [ You will be awarded 100 points for completing this ]

RESPOND TO AN OPEN STARTER: Respond to an open starter! [ You will be awarded 300 points for completing this ]

WRITE A MULTIPLE-CHARACTER THREAD: Write a thread where three or more characters are interacting together at once. [ Each character involved will be awarded 200 points for completing this ]

Important! Challenges are NOT mandatory, but all points you accumulate are going to your balance, which you can then use to 'purchase' you perks and advantages.

AUCTION & AUCTION ITEMS

The auction will start once Part 2 is posted. Until then:

Join the fun and submit an item that your character is offering, where any proceeds will be donated to the party of their choosing!

We encourage you to get inspired by who your characters is and what would line up with them. For example, if your character is an artist, you can auction a painting by them. If they are famous, you may offer some sort of signed item. And if you think those patterns wouldn't fit, then we also encourage you to be as creative as you wish — have them auction a personal item, a date/hangout with them, a product or experience. If you're not sure what to offer, but want to participate, feel free to message the main page and the admins will help with suggestions.

All characters who offer up an item for auction will be awarded 300 points. If you have multiple characters and you submit multiple items, you'll be awarded 300 points for each item submitted. However, you can only submit one item per character you play.

To offer an auction item on behalf of your character, please SUBMIT to the main:

CHARACTER NAME is auctioning a ITEM NAME HERE. Proceeds will be donated to the REPUBLICAN PARTY / DEMOCRATIC PARTY (please choose the one that aligns with your character!). Any supporting images? (In case it's a specific item, please include a photo of such.)

For example:

PABLO PICASSO is auctioning an ORIGINAL PAINTING. Proceeds will be donated to the DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

Admin note:

Burnies! This event isn't just any event — it's our three year anniversary event! March 2nd marks three years since WB opened, and we're so so honored and happy to have all of you with us; your mastery with writing and character-building wows us every day. But what stands out to us most is your kindness and your friendship, offered to members old and new. Whether you've been here for three years, three months, or three days — all members are equally as appreciated and loved, and we're so lucky to have all of you be part of our wb fam. Happy 3 years, burnies! We adore you! <3

[forabeatofadrum]

The Winner Takes It All

Summary: Kurt and Blaine are researchers at the theatre department of NYU. After finishing a paper, they need to decide the order of authorship. Since they contributed to the research equally, Blaine suggests a Broadway sing-off contest to determine it with the winner becoming the first author.

Kurt loves Blaine’s idea. But he also has an agenda on his own.

Notes: This is a little, somewhat cracky fic inspired by this post on WTF, Scientific Papers? and I knew I wanted to Klaine-ify it. Thank you Beth @quizasvivamos and Gwen @cerriddwenluna with brainstorming for the title.

Enjoy!

AO3 | S&C

–

“Finally!”

Kurt holds up his hand for a high-five. Blaine enthusiastically gives one. After months of hard labour, their academic paper is done and it’s ready to be submitted to a journal for the review process. They’ve spent hours and hours researching queer representation in Broadway by overanalysing Broadway scripts and it has paid off.

Well, it’s almost done. They need to decide the order of the authorship. In academics, the author who has contributes the most gets credited first, but this was a collaborative process. They had a fair share in their work.

But luckily, Blaine had thought ahead.

“When we’re finished, we need to do a Broadway sing-off. Whoever wins is named first.”

Kurt immediately was on board. It reminded him of the diva-offs from high school. They both already picked a song and they even found volunteers to judge. Luckily, the people in the NYU theatre department know how to judge a performance.

“So, I guess it is time then?” Blaine says once they’ve calmed down their celebration.

Kurt nods.

“Let’s text the others for a time and date.”

“Bring it on,” Blaine holds out his hand as a sign of sportsmanship and Kurt shakes it. When he touches Blaine, he feels warm in his chest, but he pushes that down. That’s what he’s been doing during the entire process of working together, since he can’t afford to swoon on the job.

But my God, Kurt wants to swoon. How can one not swoon over Blaine Anderson?

Blaine doesn’t make it easy, especially when he gives Kurt a wink. He’s so good-mannered and playful. Blaine came with this whole idea in the first place and it perfectly fits Blaine.

Kurt quickly lets go of Blaine’s hand so that he can text his colleagues.

--

A few days later, Kurt, Blaine and some colleagues are gathered in the lounge. Kurt has picked a specific song weeks ago, but he’s a bit nervous to perform it. Not because he thinks he’s going to fail. Kurt knows he can sing. He’s confident about his performance. It’s the song he’s nervous about.

He’s making a risky move, he knows it.

“Welcome everyone!” Rachel says into the mic. Of course she volunteered to lead this sing-off the moment Kurt and Blaine told her of their plan.

Kurt is standing on her left on the small make-shift stage. Blaine’s on her right. Artie has dimmed the light and he’s shining a desk lamp in their faces as an impromptu stage light.

“Artie, can you please tone it down!” Rachel says harshly, which is rude, but she isn’t wrong.

“Sorry,” Artie mutters and Kurt blinks. Now he can actually see his small audience. All of the theatre department are gathered in the staff room.

Rachel clears her throat.

“Dear guests, welcome to the sing-off between Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson,” Rachel says and people in the room cheer and applaud. Kurt and Blaine share a smile behind Rachel’s back. Man, their colleagues are great.

“Go Kurt!” Mercedes yells.

“Go Blaine!” Tina yells back.

Rachel shushes the crowd.

“Guys, guys, they haven’t even sung yet. Oh my God. Ahem, as I was saying, welcome. As you all may know, Kurt and Blaine have worked tremendously hard on their latest article, named We are who we are: Queering Broadway and beyond-”

The audience erupts into another round of applause. Rachel has to do more crowd control, but Kurt and Blaine don’t mind. They indeed worked hard, so they appreciate the feedback.

“Anyway, since these lovely gentlemen have contributed an equal amount, they decided to-”

“Can they sing already?” Santana hollers from the back, “We all read the invitation. We want to see the action!”

Rachel turns red, but the audience seems to agree. Kurt has to stifle a laugh. Rachel does love unnecessary dramatics and speeches.

“Ahem,” Rachel says again. She actually says the word ‘ahem’. “Very well. Kurt, Blaine, please step forward.”

They do.

Rachel takes a coin out of her bedazzled purse.

“Head or tails?” she asks.

“Head!” Blaine yells.

“Tails!” Kurt exclaims at the same time.

It’s not a discussion. Kurt and Blaine have worked for long enough to know each other’s preferred coin side.

Rachel flips the coin and shows that head has won. Blaine fist bumps the air and he looks adorable. Normally, Kurt would be enthralled by it, but now his mind is reeling. Blaine is going first. Kurt knew that there was a 50% chance that it would happen, but he still doesn’t know if this benefits him, or if this is detrimental to his plan.

If he were to go first, it would be like ripping off the Band-Aid. No time to overthink it. But now he goes last, which means he has to sit with his decision a bit longer. Fuck, why did he agree to this? They should’ve just done a coin flip, like now.

“Alright, give it up for our very own Blaine Anderson!” Rachel cheers and the audience follows suit. Kurt and Rachel take a seat so that the focus is on Blaine and oh boy, Kurt is focusing. Kurt is focusing hard.

Although he almost loses focus when Blaine walks off stage to grab a guitar. What is he planning?

“Alright everyone,” Blaine says to the crowd as he strums his guitar, “I won’t keep you waiting.”

Then he looks right at Kurt.

“Kurt, this is for you. May the best singer win. Artie?”

Artie nods and he hits play on the YouTube video. The mood is instantly killed when they first have to sit through two 30 second long ads, and Sam chastises Artie for not having an AdBlocker installed, but Kurt uses this extra minute to compose himself.

He definitely needs it when the music starts playing and he recognises it. Blaine plays his guitar to go along.

When the earth was still flat And clouds made of fire And mountains stretched up to the sky Sometimes higher

“Holy shit,” Rachel mutters, but Kurt isn’t paying attention on her. His eyes are fixated on Blaine, and Blaine keeps staring back. Kurt sits back in his chair and he feels… well… overwhelmed. Blaine is serenading Kurt.

Or so it seems.

I mean, why else would Blaine sing a song called Origin of Love while looking at Kurt like that? Blaine loses himself in the music and Kurt can feel the emotion. He’s shook to the core. All the love and affection that he’s been bottling up are resurfacing.

When Blaine’s finished and everyone is clapping, Kurt’s in tears.

“Well?” Blaine asks Kurt.

He slings his guitar over his shoulder and he looks so earnest. Kurt stands up to face him and-

“You dickhead!” he yells out. Tears flow down his cheeks and Blaine looks flabbergasted and saddened. The room has gone dead silent and Kurt can feel Rachel’s hand on his arm.

“Kurt-”

“No, no, no!” Kurt cuts Blaine off, “Damnit, Blaine, you stole my thunder! I had it all planned out and now you come in and do the same fucking thing?”

“What…” Blaine still looks confused, but instead of saddened, he’s hopeful.

“This was going to be my big moment. I’ve spent all week going over this, trying to find the perfect song to serenade you with, and you do this!” Kurt yells through his tears, but then he starts laughing.

“You… were going to serenade me?”

“Yes! I had it all planned out. I was even going to say that my name is Kurt Hummel and that I am auditioning for the role of Blaine’s boyfriend-”

And the next thing Kurt knows, Blaine’s jumped off the stage and he plants a big kiss on Kurt’s lips. Their audience goes wild and Kurt can’t help but feel incredibly happy. They keep kissing until Rachel coughs.

Kurt and Blaine look at their bemused colleagues. No one seems super surprised and Brittany gives Mike a 10 dollar bill.

“Uhm, Kurt, as wonderful as this all is… you still need to perform. This is a competition.”

Kurt feels like he’s already won, but she’s right.

“Good luck,” Blaine says. He gives Kurt another quick kiss, which makes Puck whistle, before setting the guitar aside and sitting next to Rachel. Kurt takes his spot on the stage and he gives a thumb up to Artie.

After another round of annoying YouTube ads, the song that Kurt carefully picked out starts to play.

The moon First time I heard your voice Moonlight burst into the room

Blaine eyes light up when he realises that Kurt is singing No One Else. Kurt thought this was going to be his big confession, but now that the hard part has been done, he can unapologetically make sure that Blaine understands the message.

When Kurt’s finished, he takes a bow and everyone cheers.

Rachel gets up.

“Alright. I will give you all 5 minutes to deliberate on your choice. And Kurt and Blaine can use these 5 minutes to make out some more-”

“Wanky!” Santana hoots.

“-before we come back with the results.”

--

“What do you mean it’s a tie?” Rachel says when she sees that the same amount of hands are in the air for each candidate.

“Well… they were both outstanding,” Quinn, who has her hand raised in Kurt’s favour, says, “I mean, I am picking Kurt, but honestly, I am not sure about it either. Blaine was so good.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Finn says with a shrug. He voted for Blaine. “Kurt fucking killed it.”

Everyone in the room murmurs their agreement. Rachel looks like she’s going to lose it, so Kurt cuts in before she can say anything else.

“Uh, Rachel, if I may?”

Rachel pouts, but she steps aside.

“Everyone, thank you. And thank you for allowing us to express our feelings towards each other.”

“Yeah,” Blaine says and he takes Kurt’s hand in his, which leads to another round of cheers.

Kurt tries not to blush.

“Anyway, I think this is not going to result in anything, so how about we do it the old fashioned way after all?”

Blaine raises an eyebrow, but he catches on quickly.

“Head!” he yells.

“Tail!” Kurt shouts at the same time.

“Rachel, will you do the honour?”

Rachel beams. Yes, she will. She takes out the coin and flips it.

--

Bibliography

Anderson, B. & Hummel, K. (2023). We are who we are: Queering Broadway and beyond. Journal of theatre studies, 2(4), 206 – 216.

Anderson, B. & Hummel, K. (2024). Who’s afraid of queer Virginia Woolf?: Reparative readings and reinterpretations from a queer perspective. Journal of theatre studies, 6(2), 414 - 421.

Anderson, B. & Hummel, K. (2025). Just be who you wanna be: Coming out narratives in theatre. Journal of theatre studies, 3(2), 51 – 68.

Hummel, K. & Anderson, B. (2026). “I support gay rights, but I also support gay wrongs!”: Reactions towards queer(coded) villains on the stage. Journal of theatre studies, 1(4), 301 – 317.

Hummel, K. & Anderson, B. (2027). Gay or European?: Cultural diversity in queer representation in musicals. Journal of theatre studies, 1(5), 514 - 530.

Hummel-Anderson, K. & Hummel-Anderson, B. (2028). A place where we belong: Happy endings and queer joy on the Great White Way. Journal of theatre studies, 2(4), 12 - 21.

--

Acknowledgments

Both authors, as usual, contributed to this paper equally. A Broadway sing-off was used to determine the order of the authors’ names. After a tie, a classic heads or tails was used. This happens every time the authors publish a paper together. They do not mind.

–   

End notes: Fun fact, I did an actual coin flip to decide who would get to be the first author on their paper. Then I switched it up for their later papers only to remember that bibliography is ordered alphabetically so I changed it to Blaine for the first couple of papers. I had a lot of fun coming up with their wacky paper names. There are also some smaller easter eggs in the APA. Hehehehehe.

[gobookmarkinguk]

Health + Write for us

Looking for an opportunity to share your expertise in health and wellness? Submit your guest post to Health + Write for Us and reach a passionate audience. We welcome trending topics on fitness, mental health, nutrition, and more. Showcase your knowledge, expand your audience, and promote your health-related content. Join our platform today and make a difference in the health community!

[moreidea]

Mastering SEO: Strategies to Catapult Your Website to the Top of SERPs

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to unlocking organic traffic and achieving online success. At MOREIdea, we’ve had the privilege of helping numerous businesses rise to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). Today, we’re sharing the strategies and insights that can help you achieve similar results, along with some real-world examples and stories from Indian cities.

Understanding the Fundamentals of SEO

Before diving into advanced tactics, it’s crucial to understand the basics of SEO. At its core, SEO involves optimizing your website to improve its visibility on search engines like Google. This includes both on-page elements, such as content and meta tags, and off-page factors, like backlinks and social signals.

Example: Consider a local bakery in Bengaluru wanting to attract more customers. By optimizing their website for keywords like “best bakery in Bengaluru” and “freshly baked bread Bengaluru,” they can appear higher in search results, driving more foot traffic to their store.

Keyword Research: The Foundation of SEO

Keyword research is the starting point of any successful SEO strategy. Identifying the right keywords allows you to target the terms and phrases your potential customers are searching for.

Tip: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush to find high-traffic, low-competition keywords. Focus on long-tail keywords, which are more specific and often easier to rank for.

Example: A travel blog targeting “best hiking trails in Himachal Pradesh” might also target related long-tail keywords like “family-friendly hiking trails in Himachal Pradesh” and “hidden hiking gems in Himachal Pradesh.”

On-Page SEO: Optimizing Your Content

Once you have your keywords, it’s time to optimize your content. This includes:

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Ensure they are compelling and include your primary keywords.

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Use these to structure your content and highlight important points.

Content: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that provides value to your readers. Use your keywords naturally and avoid keyword stuffing.

Example: Imagine a blog post titled “The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Old Delhi.” This post should include sections like “Top Historical Sites,” “Best Local Markets,” and “Cultural Experiences,” each with relevant keywords.

Technical SEO: Ensuring Your Site is Crawlable

Technical SEO involves optimizing your website’s infrastructure to ensure search engines can easily crawl and index your content. Key elements include:

Site Speed: Ensure your website loads quickly on both desktop and mobile devices.

Mobile-Friendliness: Use responsive design to provide a great user experience on all devices.

XML Sitemap: Create and submit an XML sitemap to help search engines understand your site structure.

Example: A local restaurant in Mumbai might notice a significant drop in bounce rates and an increase in organic traffic after improving page load times and making the site mobile-friendly.

Off-Page SEO: Building High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks from authoritative sites signal to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Focus on acquiring backlinks from high-authority sites relevant to your niche.

Strategies:

Guest Blogging: Write articles for reputable blogs in your industry.

Outreach: Connect with influencers and ask them to share your content.

Content Marketing: Create shareable content like infographics, videos, and comprehensive guides.

Example: A fitness blog in Chennai might write a guest post for a popular health website, including a backlink to their own site. This not only drives traffic but also improves their site’s authority.

Real-World Success Stories

Story from India: A Local Artisan in Chennai

A local artisan shop in Chennai, specializing in handcrafted jewelry, wanted to increase their online sales. By targeting niche keywords like “handmade silver jewelry in Chennai” and “artisan jewelry Chennai,” they optimized their product pages and blog posts. They also collaborated with local influencers and got featured in popular lifestyle blogs, earning high-quality backlinks. Within six months, their organic traffic increased by 250%, and they saw a significant boost in online sales.

Story from India: An Educational Institution in Pune

An educational institution in Pune offering specialized courses wanted to attract more students. They focused on keywords like “best IT courses in Pune” and “data science courses Pune.” By creating high-quality content around course details, success stories, and industry trends, they improved their on-page SEO. They also built backlinks by partnering with educational blogs and tech forums. As a result, their website traffic grew by 200%, and their enrollments increased significantly.

Story from India: A Boutique Hotel in Jaipur

A boutique hotel in Jaipur wanted to compete with major hospitality players. They started by targeting niche keywords like “heritage boutique hotel Jaipur” and “luxury stay in Jaipur.” By optimizing their website content, improving site speed, and earning backlinks from travel bloggers and heritage tourism websites, they saw a 300% increase in organic traffic within six months. Their blog posts on “Exploring Jaipur’s Heritage” and “Luxury Stays in Jaipur” became top-ranking pages, driving significant traffic and bookings.

Conclusion

SEO is a powerful tool that can transform your online presence and drive significant organic traffic to your website. By understanding the fundamentals, conducting thorough keyword research, optimizing your on-page and technical elements, and building high-quality backlinks, you can achieve top rankings on SERPs. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires patience and persistence, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

Keywords and Backlinks:

For keyword “SEO strategies,” consider linking to authoritative sites like Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO and Ahrefs’ SEO Guide.

For “keyword research,” link to Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.

For “technical SEO,” refer to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines and Yoast’s Technical SEO Guide.

By implementing these strategies and staying updated with the latest SEO trends, you can achieve sustained organic growth and stay ahead of the competition.

Written by MOREIdea

[goldeneyedgirl]

Year of the OTP - February Prompt (Truth Pollen): Know Your Guilt

Ah yes, posting a February prompt in late March. How on brand. I absolutely fell flat on my ass in March, health and mental-health wise but I'm back and doing a lot of writing these last two weeks. Not promising anything because everything goes wrong when I do.

Anyway, another short space-verse ficlet; one, I'm in a world-building mood at the moment, and two, there's an anthology I'm planning on submitting to later in the year and I'm using space fic as a bit of a warm-up for that. However, March's piece is half done and I promise, it's a Canon AU.

When the call came in from Jovan, no one was thrilled to go. A small planet that prized its wild forests, the biggest settlement was little more than a village with a population that was deeply cautious around off-worlders. In recent years, small resistance groups calling for complete isolation had started protesting off-worlders and it was just… annoying. Annoying to have things thrown at them, supplies stolen, the ship vandalised. No one seemed particularly grateful for thousands of credits of medical supplies they desperately needed; or willing to offer food and water in return. There were only two reasons they went: the first was how solemnly Carlisle took his vow of helping without judgement, and the fact that the Federation paid them more than fairly for the trouble. 

Alice was up and working again, shutting herself in the analyst office for hours every day with Edward. She was quiet and pale, and still visiting the med bay for oxygen and supplements regularly. Her new augmentations were fitted, but she was still limping as they settled, most of the muscle from her calf and thigh cut away. Jovan wasn’t an ideal job for someone so fragile, and Jasper honestly wished Carlisle had taken any other of the jobs on offer. 

“It’ll be fine,” Emmett says, after Alice leaves breakfast having eaten only a minuscule portion, and chased it with a blue med-patch on her temple. “It’s boring, but we’ll get some decent fruit and some of that wine that fucks everyone up, and then Carlisle wants to dock with the Denali because Eleazer needs some bro time.”

It’ll be fine. 

Famous last words.

—

So the protestors have become terrorists. No one was expecting that; the same way that no one was expecting Esme - of all people - to have grabbed a pistol from the gun-lock. 

It’s a pretty routine visit. A lot of nodding regarding the supplies, a line up of worried looking women and children who need medical attention beyond the shaman and midwives the culture insists upon. The older men refuse all care with a silent mood of disdain and disinterest; the younger ones are curious but will not be witnessed to seek out Carlisle and Rose. 

It’s dullest for him and Emmett, who are on security for the whole day; Rosalie is often a target of violence because of her former people’s beliefs, and people mistake Esme’s gentleness for weakness. And no matter how ‘peaceful’, a community is, there are always thieves. 

Alice is seated in the corner with a tablet, logging supplies and patients quietly - few of the population will offer their real names or ages, so the records are nigh on useless for keeping track of the people, but the Federation demands them. 

It all goes wrong when Rosalie inspects the cut on a leg of a boy just at puberty - all and wiry and very ill. Rose looks grim as she begins treatment (cutting the wound open to drain, medication and packing, wrapping, and antibiotics). The boy is weeping as she works, Esme talking quietly to him, and Jasper is sympathetic because the shiny black substance beneath the infection of the wound is bone. And whatever grass-scented poultice the shamans have used on him has inspired an angry, weeping allergic reaction. The kid is a mess. 

It surprises everyone when the explosion - if it can be called that - happens. The bang in the village centre, just outside of the guest hut they use, sounds more like a cheap party cracker than a serious weapon. But Esme hands him the pistol and he and Emmett go out, and he can’t understand spoken Jovan well enough but Emmett certainly can and he looks horrified. People are moving away, vanishing into the words, into homes and businesses, as a group of very, very angry men begin yelling a message out. 

“We’re leaving right now.” Emmett is closing off the gate to the hut, and no one complains that they haven’t attended to everyone. 

Carlisle is complaining, and Rosalie is trying to work faster, and Esme is packing the things when the next explosion happens just outside the wall and half of the building crumples - made out of wood beams and huge leaves coated with some kind of amber-venom-resin substance, there is little resistance. 

Alice is already dialling into the ship, to alert Edward to what is happening, to pull up the GPS location of the ship and their trackers on the big screen. 

“Yeah, they just called for our deaths for invading their sacred space, we need to go,” Emmett snaps, and Emmett getting snappy is what makes them all get their shit together. 

Except three more bombs are thrown as they emerge, and everyone scatters away from the path - supplies are dropped, Alice’s tablet is crushed underfoot, and they all dart into the forest; Jasper follows Rose’s blonde braid into the underbrush and when he turns around, the damn terrorists are following them. 

He can’t see Alice, and the wheeze of Carlisle’s hydraulics has faded. 

They run for a short time - away from the ship, which annoys the shit out of him - before they burst into a clearing, all from different angles. 

The tree reminds him of an Earth Willow, with long drifting branches that he and Rose have to push through, throwing clouds of green-yellow pollen into the air. He’s relieved to see Emmett dragging Alice along, her gait lopsided and awkward. Both of them are filthy, with abrasions on their faces. Somehow, the faint dusting of pollen on Alice’s hair and face are beautiful, the way it clings to her eye lashes and hair. 

“I love you.”

The words are husky and rough, and the thing that alarms him the most are the fact that they are said by him. Rosalie is looking at him incredulously, but in a way that implies something much bigger is happening, her hair sticking to her face. 

Her short hair. Rose has long hair. 

His mouth is so dry, and Carlisle is wheezing, and suddenly Rosalie is scratching at her face and letting out this terrible noise, and Esme drops to the ground and begins to sob and Alice just stands there and starts saying things, these things that he worries about late at night, and he can’t stop saying that he loves her and he’s sorry and he hates what he did. 

Emmett is talking but everything is a blur of noise so he can’t understand it, but what he does finally understand, as Rose’s spine elongates and Emmett throws his stained jacket over her as a cloak, is that something is terribly, terribly wrong. 

Carlisle is gasping through words and Alice is calm, even if she is rocking as she talks, staring off into the distance.

And Jasper just dreads the moment when everything stops and he has to hear, really hear, every ugly little truth that’s been thrown into the air.

—

It takes another hour to find their way back to the ship. Rosalie is crying, but it’s an angry, rage-filled cry that sounds rasping and harsh; he cannot see her face from underneath the hood of Emmett’s jacket, but he doesn’t try very hard. 

Edward is pacing as they climb the ramp, Emmett scowling at the message scrawled crudely across the hull. 

“Know your guilt,” he mutters. “I’m not fucking coming back here, Carlisle.”

Jasper agrees. 

—

The pollen sticks to them, green-yellow dust that stains the skin if they try to brush it away. The decontamination shower takes far too long to strip it from their skin, and it’s late as they take their places around the dining table. Esme has piled the table with odds and ends from their supplies, no one interested in preparing a fresh meal. 

The seaweed noodles are particularly slimy and salty as leftovers, but reassuring in a silly way - like a favourite meal from childhood. How many times did Carlisle prepared seaweed noodles when she first joined the ship? It was the first meal he taught her to cook from scratch successfully. 

She can’t look at anyone as she eats, the words still hovering in the air, the way they forced themselves out of her like she had been holding her breath and gasping for air.

You weren’t supposed to save me. I was supposed to die. Why didn’t you let me go?

Emmett’s putting the left over fritters on Rose’s plate, not making eye contact. Rose is icy and not really eating, her hair scraped so tightly into a bun that Alice’s own scalp pinches at the thought of it. Rose got it the worst, much worse than those words forcing themselves from her mouth - the pollen had stripped away her face, stripped her right back down to a Faceless. Seeing Rose hunched and curled over on herself, making a rasping noise that Alice likened to hysterical shrieks of rage.

(She’d never seen Emmett move so fast, peeling off his jacket as he rambled about cheating on an engineering test to get on his first ship, about reversing charges to afford to get all his siblings into the right classes, about being the one that killed Esme’s dansi plant. He’d draped it over Rose’s back and head, letting her cloak herself in fabric.)

Esme’s eyes are still red, and Carlisle looks a hundred years older.

Jasper she cannot look at. She’s been avoiding it since they got onto the ship, since Carlisle forced the masks on them all, pushing oxygen laced with inhalant painkiller, allowed them to clear the pollen from their lungs and tissue.

(“I love you, I always loved you and always will, and that why I hated you so much.”)

(“You didn’t love me enough not to hurt me, and that scared me more than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I’ve been in the ugliest places, I’ve starved and been hunted like an animal, and your rage was what broke me.”)

Emmett had grabbed her by the arm after she dropped the tablet, half dragged her away. He’d been on Jovan before, during the last generation of extremists, back on his first or second ship. The way they executed anyone who came too close to the off-worlders - men, women, children. The ship had lost five people - two had been murdered falling behind during evacuation; one had disappeared, and two had been taken hostage and integrated into the community as some kind of warning or living sacrifice. 

“I didn’t really speak much Jovan back then,” Emmett admitted, hoisting her over a fallen tree with one arm, still running. “Did a few trips out here, got to see the before and the after. Hoped the after would stick.”

The Federation had intervened back then, dealt with the extremists and put in place a strict agreement for Jovan. Then it had been a relatively chill place to visit - free fruit and booze, and a hefty Federation pay check. That was the Jovan Emmett had aggressively tried to remember. 

“Religion fucks everything up,” Emmett had told her before they had both fallen down the side of a hill and she didn’t get a chance to agree. 

(The pollen tasted sharp, and she’s not surprised that her mouth is bloody when she gets back to the ship, that something that could force out their darkest truths did so by burrowing into the soft flesh of their mouths and gums and noses. It’s the taste of the blood that lingers.)

—

She curls up on the bed in the guest suite, the oxygen mask tight over her mouth. Her lungs were still giving her trouble, something that Carlisle was keeping a careful eye on, and over the last few weeks, the feeling of the mask moulded flush over her face has become reassuring, the cool feeling of the oxygen. 

There’s nothing that can take back all those things that she said, or the things Jasper said, staring at her desperately. Love and hate and regret and trauma was all twisted up into a mess; when she closes her eyes, she can see his desperate look, his eyes soft, and it’s like the old him is there - the one that made plans with her, that laughed often, and asked her to marry him with a fruit-flavoured kiss, and helped her save the flowers from her hair after the ceremony. 

He’s right there, he’s so close, and he might as well be gone forever. And she deserved it. She knew the lie, she lived the lie, and she pretended that whatever they had was worth tucking it away and hiding it, that it was cruel to tell him - as if it wasn’t crueller and sneakier to hide it.

She might fear the rage, the violence that came with the truth, but she deserved it, earned it well. Whatever the others think, she didn’t leave because he scared her or hurt her or anything. She left to punish herself, to make sure he had the safe space. It was always her fuck up that ruined them. 

(Sometimes, she dreams of that last night. Of his hand so tight in her hair that he pulled it out, threatening her in a dark voice. She cut her hair off after that, to her chin. Too short to hold her tight and frozen, to tangle around his hands. She’s blocked out everything else from that night, but not that. That memory sticks to her, along with the animal fear she felt, dangling off a precipice of something terrible about to happen.)

The idea that everyone knows everything, all the thoughts in her head that she tucks down and doesn’t talk about makes her feel sick and she wonders where she could go and hide. Call Carlisle’s bluff and get him to send her to a mental health spa. Or even go stay at Masen House for a while, use her health as an excuse. There’s still a few staff at Masen House, so it’s not like Carlisle would be paying for her upkeep specially. 

(It wasn’t a death wish, really. She knew the doctors she sought out were, at best, shitty scam-artists who knew that she had no choice but to pay up and accepted whatever standard of care they gave her. And that she was sick again. She was tired, worn out, and done with everything. She didn’t plan to be dead, she just expected it. It’s why she didn’t have any food or water in her bag; seemed like a waste of money. And Jasper… he had the paperwork to prove he was her next of kin, if there was any debate. Her savings could have paid off his fines, a final apology for lying to him. It seemed very, very neat right up until Rose found her semi-conscious and decided to save her and ignored her when she tried to protest.)

Her lens beeps at her - someone wanting to come in - and she expects Carlisle when she absently accepts and the door unlocks. 

But it’s Jasper. 

She feels very vulnerable as he slips into the room, carrying a drink and a dish with something pink on it. 

“Esme found some old dessert in the freeze,” he says awkwardly, setting the drink and plate down. “We thought you might need some.”

She nods. It’s always like this; her tiny and curled up in the big guest bed in flimsy ship-issue sleepwear because she hasn’t gotten around to digging out her old boxes from storage, with an oxy-mask strapped to her face; and Jasper looms over her in clean clothes, his hair tied off his face, looking exactly as he always does. 

They haven’t talked since she woke up in med bay with him sitting beside her. Nothing beyond pleasantries, really. 

“Thank you.” Her voice is muffled and raspy. He nods. 

“…Do you want some company?”

He’s staring at the floor when he says that, and everything in her clenches up in a confusing mess of delight and hope and fear. 

There are a million different things that ‘company’ could mean, and she’s just still so tired, she’s not sure she can manage any of them. 

She looks at the sweets that Esme sent to her - a little pink sponge-square, with seeds pressed into the top. Sweet, like some kind of fruit-flower hybrid. Made by Esme, humming to herself in the kitchen. It’s a child’s sweet - offered to children from vendors in the parks of most cities - and something about that makes her sad. 

“No,” she replies softly and she feels like a monster when Jasper flinches and nods, moving to leave.

“Not yet,” she manages, and that makes him turn back to look at her with desperate, naked hope in his eyes. 

“Not yet?” He repeats and she nods. “You… you let me know when, okay?”

She nods, and he leaves, and she closes her eyes and pretends that the idea of ‘when’ isn’t terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. 

(“You’re it for me. I love you. And that scares and angers and delights me, and I don’t know if it can ever happen again because of everything we did to each other. I think I ruined the one good thing that I ever had, and that makes me wonder why I even bother.”

The words taste bloody and tears of frustration roll down her face and the dry, angry sounds of Rosalie losing control feel right - raw and real and painful.)