#t: jack 01

[mommahughes19-23]

Baby Devil - J.H

y/user : already in love with you 01/19/25

tagged : @jackhughes

jackhughes : WHEN, HOW, WHERE, DID YOU GET THE LITTLE OUTFIT 💓 🫨🤨😱

↪ nicohischier : @y/user he's quite literally crying in the shower ... I can hear him from my stall

↪ lhughes_06 : so like what if it isn't a girl and you spent ur money on a headband u won't use 🤨

↪ y/user : @lhughes_06 sir it is 2024 my child will wear it no matter the gender thank u vm

emeliekulikova : congrats my forever favorite WAG, miss you much pretty girl 💓

lexlexdemko : @y/user @jackhughes T and I are beyond thrilled for you guys! Can't wait to see some 'nucks swag on the little one!

tdemko30 : 💓 🫨 🤧

dawson1417 : STOKED to take the little one snowboarding

↪ y/user : @dawson1417 did u even ask u butthole? 🤨🫷🏻

_quinnhughes : about to be the BIGGEST Canucks fan we ever had

njdevils : Can't wait to add the little guy to the roster!

↪ y/user : OR GIRL @njdevils

↪ njdevils : 🫡 @y/user

curtislazar95 : we trust jack with children? where did we go wrong 🙅🏻

bradytkachuk : Emma wants to know when you will allow playdates to happen.

↪ y/user : well with that attitude @bradytkachuk for you NEVER, for Emma WHENEVER YOU WANT MY LOVE 💓

↪ ehtkachuk : I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!! @y/user

bradytkachuck : @y/user ROOD 🤧

A.N : Okie so here is this lil thing. Idk I saw the lil onesie pic and I HAD TO DO SOMETHING OK. This will be my last post of the night bc a girl is tired lol. I think I am gonna do something like this for a few other players maybe. I dont think imma be able to post anything till either tomorrow night or Monday so dont kill me please and thank you.

urrrrrm idk idk idk idk idk what else so thanks and bless Brandon Montour ... hope I missed nothing other than IDK WHY SOME OF THE COMMENTS WONT FORMAT HOW I WANT

ALSO bc she said please @skylershines here you go pookie pie momma <3

[sansaorgana]

— THE GANGSTER AND THE SHOWGIRL

🚨 This fanfic is a repost from 01 Apr 2022 from my different blog. I kept the Author's Note and everything from the fic the same as it was back then.

PAIRING — Jack Nelson x fem!Reader

SUMMARY — You are a showgirl in one of Jack’s favorite clubs. Not only a showgirl but also a leading star of the whole vaudeville. You aren’t the most talented one there but you are Jack’s girl and everybody knows that.

AUTHOR’S NOTE [01 Apr 2022] — I AM SO OBSESSED WITH THAT MAN IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE!!! This fic is dedicated to the lovely @peakyblinded and it’s very special because she doesn’t read fanfics in general but she told me she would read Jack’s smut. So here we are. At first it wasn’t supposed to be a smut story at all but after hearing such words I was like #challenge accepted. I’ll probably write more for him, let’s be real... lol Big thanks to @bonniesgoldengirl for being my beta reader and for supporting my new fictional marriage. Yes, the title is based on the movie “The Prince and The Showgirl”.

WARNINGS — dom Jack, oral sex, liiiiittle bit of spanking, possessive Jack

WORD COUNT — 2,970

🔞 THIS FIC IS 18 🔞

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

THE GANGSTER AND THE SHOWGIRL

You hadn’t expected to see him there tonight, out of all the nights of that week. Apparently he had come back from his New York trip earlier.

He wasn’t there alone, there were a few other gentlemen sitting by his table but he wasn’t even listening to them. His steel eyes were set on you and you only. With a glass of whiskey in his hand and a cigar, surrounded by the club’s darkness, he presented himself quite handsome but absolutely up to no good.

Jack Nelson was always staring at you like he was going to eat you up. Not that you minded.

You were a showgirl in one of his favorite clubs. Not only a showgirl but also a leading star of the whole vaudeville. You weren’t the most talented one there but you were Jack’s girl and everybody knew that. Your employer treated you special – he never yelled at you, he provided you with a huge dressing room just for yourself and he allowed you to be late or bratty during the rehearsals. You were untouchable in every sense of the word. No man dared to lay his hands on Jack’s girl.

For a few men it was a challenge, though – to flirt with you or send you flowers, little gifts after the show. Some of the things Jack didn’t mind but some of them he did and usually the guy who had crossed the line would never show up at the club ever again.

The young man sitting in the front row was about to cross the line, you thought. He was grinning at you like crazy and his young age signalized that he had lots of things to prove. You decided to play along the rules of his little game, which was a very cruel thing to do. The poor man would get a beating because of you.

But that was your power over people, you didn’t have any other. Your power was that for some reason Jack Nelson had liked you, therefore you were treated with respect… but even treating you with respect couldn’t save anyone from your bratty whims.

The last song of that night for you was “I Wanna Be Loved By You” and your eyes were set on the young goon throughout the whole performance. You didn’t have to look at Jack to know that his gaze had been intense, his hand squeezed the glass a little too tight and his teeth gritted.

The men and women clapped their hands, you bowed your head a few times and faked a wide smile before disappearing backstage after the curtain had been brought down on the scene.

You locked the door of your dressing room and went behind the room divider to take off the silly costume. Then you put a silky robe on your body to hide your underwear and lit yourself a cigarette before brushing your hair in the huge mirror.

Knock-knock.

You sighed.

“Yes?” you asked.

“M-miss (Y/L/N),” a scared, male voice answered. He was the guy working around the club but you never bothered to remember his name. “I have a few presents here, sent to you by the admirers…”

You snorted at that but approached the door to let him inside.

“None of them would admire me if I hadn’t been already claimed by that bastard Nelson,” you scoffed and opened the door rapidly, only to stand face to face with the said Nelson. You swallowed thickly and took a step back.

“Hello, doll. Your bastard Nelson here,” he smirked at you and then lazily turned around to look at the scared man. “Thank you, Joe,” Jack handed him a few coins and then he walked inside your dressing room just like that.

“And where the fuck are the presents?” you rolled your eyes and closed the door loudly. Jack sat down on the sofa and made himself very comfortable, with his legs spread open in a lazy manner.

“No presents for you tonight, I’m afraid, doll,” he faked a sad tone of his voice and you huffed. “You wouldn’t let me in if I hadn’t used that trick, though, would you, sweetheart?”

“Why do you think I wouldn’t let you in?” you decided to ignore him and went back to brushing your hair but you could see him in the reflection of your mirror. He was watching you with that stupid smirk of his.

“Because of the stunt you pulled up back there, baby. You know I don’t like that.”

“Don’t like what?” you pretended to be dumb and asked in a high-pitched voice.

“Don’t do that,” he winced and you smirked while reapplying your lipstick between the drags of your cigarette. “Don’t use that voice, doll.”

“Oh, Jack!,” you turned around to face him and put the cigarette down in the ashtray. “But isn’t that exactly how silly dolls sound like?” you teased.

“You’re not silly, you’re my special doll. Come here,” he extended his hands and you giggled before approaching him and intertwining your fingers with his while standing above him. “Frankie told me you wanna leave for New York?” Jack’s voice became serious now and you sighed.

You wanted to take a step back but Jack’s grip on your hands was too tight. His knuckles turned white and you gave up the silent fight.

“I got a job proposition,” you explained in a normal tone now and he raised an eyebrow. “From a man having a club in New York. They pay a lot and it’s a huge opportunity.”

“Weren’t you always telling me you wanted to get out of this life?” Jack furrowed his brow.

“Yeah but what else can I do, Jack? Go to normal work? You know it’s not for me.”

“You’re my girl,” his thumbs caressed your knuckles but his grip remained tight.

“Not the only one around,” you shrugged your arms. “You visit New York often, you can always come to me then.”

“You’re not leaving Boston, you hear me?” he asked angrily and you sighed, trying to walk away once more but he wouldn’t let you. “Say it,” he ordered.

“I’m not leaving Boston,” you muttered and rolled your eyes.

He eventually let you go and you approached the mirror once again, pretending to reapply the blush. In fact, you didn’t want to stand near him anymore. At least for now.

“I wouldn’t anyway, Jack,” you added sadly and he turned his head to lay his eyes on you. “You know that I wouldn’t. I’m a star here only because you’re fucking me. In New York I would be nobody. And I don’t like being nobody,” you explained while Jack chuckled.

“Come on, doll, no need to torment me like that. I know I’ve been neglectful lately ‘cause I have lots of business to do. But you’re my girl, don’t tease…” he extended his right hand once again.

“You have plenty of girls, Mr. Nelson,” you turned around to face him and crossed your arms.

“But you’re my favorite,” he winked.

“You think I’m that stupid?” you laughed at him and shook your head.

“I mean it, doll, you know that I do. I bought you all those pretty things,” he looked around. “And that robe, it’s a gift from me, too,” he pointed his finger at the silky fabric wrapped around your body.

“It’s actually a gift from Mr. Johnson,” you told him.

“Doesn’t matter,” he shrugged his arms. “Come here,” he kept encouraging you.

“I know why you’re still not married, Jack,” you decided to change your agenda and approached him to sit astride him on the sofa. His hands immediately landed on your hips.

“Yeah, baby? Why?” he smirked.

“Because…” you started slowly as your manicured hands were playing with his tie and collar, “...as a Catholic man, you don’t believe in divorces.”

“Yeah…?”

“And marrying now would be risky, wouldn’t it be, Jack?” you leaned in to clash your lips with his but only for a short while. “Because what if you marry now and in a few months you will suddenly meet a woman who would be more suitable? A rich girl from the society, whose father you have to woo and charm?” you tried to sound playful but your voice cracked a bit at the end of the sentence nevertheless.

“Aw, you’re jealous, doll,” he pointed out and you could feel your whole face burning.

“Why would I be?” you snorted and looked away.

“My little (Y/N) doll is jealous,” he insisted and cupped your chin to make you look at him again.

“I fucking hate you, Jack,” you spat.

“Yeah, you wish,” he let out a chuckle and squeezed your hand resting on his chest. “You’d like to have a big ring on that finger, baby?”

You didn’t answer but you gave him puppy eyes and moved your hips a bit to give him the friction between his legs in an innocent manner.

“You would,” he nodded. “And you know, doll, maybe I’d give it to you, why not? This is America, you’re not born upper class, you make it,” he licked his bottom lip while you continued the grinding on his hardening length. “I can make you but you have to be a good girl and show me how much you’d like that, hm?” he teased. “Show me what I’d get if I decided to keep you around at home,” he added and you smirked before pecking his lips and sinking down to your knees on the soft carpet.

Your hands worked fast on the buttons of Jack’s trousers to reveal his hard cock underneath the boxer shorts. You cleared your throat and started to massage him through the cotton fabric while Jack sank even further into a sofa and threw his head back. He was the King of Boston and he knew that. You knew that as well and that was one of the reasons why your mouth was getting wet from just imagining the things you would do to him next.

After spotting a wet patch of precum on his boxer shorts, you eventually took his cock out of them and he groaned while putting his hand on the top of your head. His fist was full of your previously perfect hair as he forced your head down.

You were gentle at first although you were aware perfectly well of the fact that Jack didn’t like it gently. Perhaps it was the part of the game now where you were fondling his length with your fingertips while leaving sloppy kisses on his tip, only to end up with his cock fucking the back of your throat. After months of sleeping with him you had gotten used to that.

And, as expected, Jack smirked and pushed your head further, making you choke and let out a pathetic, muffled squeal. You put your hands on his knees to steady yourself as he fucked your throat. Your eyes welled with tears but you would lie if you had said that you didn’t enjoy it.

“Good girl,” he praised after some time and looked down as you looked up to bat your eyelashes at him. He let go of your hair and put his hand on your cheek now to slap it softly. “Enough now, doll, that’s enough,” he cooed and you moved away to finally be able to take a deep breath in and cough a bit as a small trickle of your saliva ran down your chin. “Aw, you’re such a fucking sight, baby. They all should see you like that,” he pointed at the door. “They’d like that show much more, don’t you think?”

“No, Jack, it’s only for you to see,” you said in a whisper and he chuckled.

“Stand up,” he ordered and helped you to get off the carpet. “Bend over,” he pushed you forward so your chest ended up laying flat on the dressing table in front of the mirror.

Jack could be slow and nice to you, he sometimes was when you were fucking at the hotel or at your apartment or when he was taking you to his house. But in your dressing room he was always like that, perhaps it was to claim you after so many people – so many men – had been watching you on the stage for hours.

“A gift from Mr. Johnson you say?” Jack stood behind you and you sighed because you had already known what he was about to do. He tore the silky robe off of your body in one swift motion, ripping the fabric in the process.

“Jack!” you squealed. “I liked that one!”

“Well,” he moved even closer and pulled you to him by your hair as he murmured into your ear, “I’ll buy a different one each day once you’re Mrs. Nelson, doll.”

You only nodded at that and he smirked before letting go of your head. You bent over the dressing table again as Jack spread your legs open with his hand before touching your panties and chuckling.

“So wet for me, baby?” he teased and you moaned in response. Then you yelped after the loud and hard slap he had given to your ass. “I’ve asked you a question.”

“Yes, Jack,” you gritted your teeth and clutched onto the sides of the dressing table.

“You know what was the question about, don’t play dumb,” he scolded you while toying with you.

“Yes, Jack. I am wet for you,” you nodded.

He pulled your panties aside and you could feel his cock rubbing your cunt from behind, making you buck your hips, arch your back and squeal.

“Jack, please,” you begged. You knew that he loved to hear you beg, which was quite funny because you were the one bent over and begging and yet you were somehow in control.

And being in control over Jack meant being in control over the whole Boston city. Fuck, didn’t it feel wonderful…?

He grabbed your hips and entered you from behind with a hiss as you squeezed the corners of the dressing table even tighter. You let out a moan and he started thrusting into you with all force, making your vision blurry and all the objects on the wooden surface kept falling to the ground. Your perfumes, makeup kits, hair brushes, jewelry boxes… They all ended up scattered all over the floor but you couldn’t care less.

All you cared about was Jack and his cock inside of you, hitting the sweet spot and making you see stars whenever you weren’t seeing the reflection of your own dumbfucked face in the mirror. You looked pathetic, you thought, but Jack loved that when your eyes were rolling over and your chin was covered with your drool.

His every thrust elicited a moan from your lips and every time your walls unconsciously squeezed around his cock he would grunt and slap one of your asscheeks.

“I’m close, doll,” Jack muttered and moved one of his hands from your hips to your clit.

“I’m close, too, baby,” you whined as he stroked your cunt vigorously. The rush of adrenaline made you see the stars and you let out the moan after reaching the peak as the walls of your cunt squeezed around him so tight that he struggled with pulling out.

Right after he had done that, he stroked himself with his free hand a few times and came on your lower back and ass, you could feel the warm liquid running down your skin.

You remained laying there on your dressing table, trying to catch your breath and coming down from your high. Jack was a professional. He cleaned himself with a handkerchief, threw it away into the trash bin and buttoned up his trousers. He already looked like nothing at all had happened between you two.

Eventually, with a little groan, you stood up on your shaky legs and went behind the room divider to grab another robe. This one was a gift from Jack so you put it on after using a towel to clean your back, asscheeks and legs from the mess he had made there.

When you went back, he was fixing his hair in the mirror but he smirked at the sight of you.

“So, what about that ring, Mr. Nelson?” you stood behind him and put your hand around his waist to press your cheek to his shoulder.

Jack turned around in your arms so you would face him. You moved one of your hands from his waist to his face and you caressed it gently, paying extra attention to the scar on the side of his lips. He hadn’t been proud of that one since it was a constant reminder to everyone of his rough beginnings and his violent past. You couldn’t care less about that. In fact, you found it quite hot.

And he knew that no woman from the rich old money society would love and accept him as much as his little showgirl.

“Silver or gold?” he asked.

MASTERLIST

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Boeing, Spirit and Jetblue, a monopoly horror-story

Catch me in Miami! I'll be at Books and Books in Coral Gables TONIGHT (Jan 22) at 8PM. Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!

Last week, William Young, an 82 year old federal judge appointed by Ronald Reagan, blocked the merger of Spirit Airlines and Jetblue. It was a seismic event:

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.254267/gov.uscourts.mad.254267.461.0_6.pdf

Seismic because the judge's opinion is full of rhetoric associated with the surging antitrust revival, sneeringly dismissed by corporate apologists as "hipster antitrust." Young called America's airlines and "oligopoly," a situation he blamed on out-of-control mergers. As Matt Stoller writes, this is the first airline merger to be blocked by the DOJ and DOT since deregulation in 1978:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/antitrust-enforcers-block-the-jetblue

The judge wasn't shy about why he was reviving a pre-Jimmy Carter theory of antitrust: "[the merger] does violence to the core principle of antitrust law, 'to protect] markets –- and its market participants — from anticompetitive harm."

The legal arguments the judge advances are fascinating and worthy of study:

https://twitter.com/johnmarknewman/status/1747343447227519122

But what really caught my eye was David Dayen's American Prospect article about the judge's commentary on the state of the aviation industry:

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/01-19-2024-how-boeing-ruined-the-jetblue-spirit-merger/

Why, after all, have Spirit and Jetblue been so ardent in pursuing mergers? Jetblue has had two failed merger attempts with Virgin, and this is the third time they've failed in an attempt to merge with Spirit. Spirit, meanwhile, just lost a bid to merge with Frontier. Why are these two airlines so obsessed with combining with each other or any other airline that will have them?

As Dayen explains, it's because US aviation has been consumed by monopoly, hollowed out to the point of near collapse, thanks to neoliberal policies at every part of the aviation supply-chain. For one thing, there's just not enough pilots, nor enough air-traffic controllers (recall that Reagan's first major act in office was to destroy the air traffic controller's union).

But even more importantly, there are no more planes. Boeing's waitlist for airplane delivery stretches to 2029. And Boeing is about to deliver a lot fewer planes, thanks to its disastrous corner-cutting, which grounded a vast global fleet of 737 Max aircraft (again):

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-01-09-boeing-737-max-financial-mindset/

The 737 disaster(s) epitomize the problems of inbred, merger-obsessed capitalism. As Luke Goldstein wrote, the rampant defects in Boeing's products can be traced to the decision to approve Boeing's 1997 merger with McDonnell-Douglas, a company helmed by Jack Welch proteges, notorious for cost-cutting at the expense of reliability:

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-01-09-boeing-737-max-financial-mindset/

Boeing veterans describe the merger as the victory of the bean-counters, which led to a company that chases short-term profits over safety and even the viability of its business:

https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=213075

After all, the merger turned Boeing into the single largest exporter in America, a company far too big to fail, teeing up tens of billions from Uncle Sucker, who also account for 40% of Boeing's income:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/its-time-to-nationalize-and-then

The US government is full of ex-Boeing execs, just as Boeing's executive row is full of ex-US federal aviation regulators. Bill Clinton's administration oversaw the creation of Boeing's monopoly in the 1990s, but it was the GOP that rescued Boeing the first time the 737 Maxes started dropping out of the sky.

Boeing's biggest competitor is the state-owned Airbus, a joint venture whose major partners are the governments of France, Spain and Germany – governments that are at least theoretically capable of thinking about the public good, not short-term profits. Boeing's largest equity stakes are held by the Vanguard Group, Vanguard Group subfiler, Newport Trust Company, and State Street Corporation:

https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2024-01-18-airbus-advantage/

As Matt Stoller says, America has an airline that the public bails out, protects, and subsidizes but has no say over. Boeing has all the costs of public ownership and none of the advantages. It's the epitome of privatized gains and socialized losses.

This is Reagan's other legacy, besides the disastrous shortage of air-traffic controllers. The religious belief in deregulation – especially deregulation of antitrust enforcement – leads to a deregulated market. It leads to a market that is regulated by monopolists who secretly deliberate, behind closed board-room doors, and are accountable only to their shareholders. These private regulators are unlike government regulators, who are at least nominally bound by obligations to transparency and public accountability. But they share on thing in common with those public regulators: when they fuck up, the public has to pay for their mistakes.

It's a good thing Boeing's executives are too big to fail, because they fail constantly. Boeing execs who are warned by subcontractors of dangerous defects in their planes order those subcontractors to lie, or lose their contracts:

https://www.levernews.com/boeing-supplier-ignored-warnings-of-excessive-amount-of-defects-former-employees-allege/

As a result of Boeing's mismanagement, America's only aircraft supplier steadily has lost ground to Airbus, which today enjoys a 2:1 advantage over Boeing. But it's not just Boeing that's the weak link aviation. US aviation is a chain entirely composed of weak links.

Take jet engines: Pratt & Whitney are Spirit's major engine supplier, but these engines suck as much as Boeing's fuselages. Much of Spirit's fleet is chronically grounded because the engines don't run. The reason Spirit buys its engines from those loveable goofballs at Pratt & Whitney? The Big Four airlines have bought all the engines for sale from other suppliers, leaving smaller airlines to buy their engines from fat-fingered incompetents.

This is why – as Dayen notes – smaller US airlines are so horny for intermarriage. They can't grow by adding routes, because there are no pilots. Even if they could get pilots, there'd be no slots because there are no air traffic controllers. But even if they could get pilots and slots, there are no planes, because Boeing sucks and Airbus can't make planes fast enough to supply the airlines that don't trust Boeing. And even if they could get aircraft, there are no engines because the Big Four aviation cartel cornered the market on working jet engines.

Part of Jetblue and Spirit's pitch was that they hand off the routes that they'd cut after their merger to other small airlines, like Frontier and Allegiant. But Frontier and Allegiant can't service those routes: they don't have pilots, slots, planes or engines.

Spirit hasn't been profitable since 2019 and is sitting on $4b in debt. Jetblue was proposing to finance its acquisition with another $3.5b in debt. The resulting airline could only be profitable by sharply cutting routes and massively raising prices, cutting 6.1m seats/year. With a debt:capital ratio of 111%, the company would have no slack and would need a bailout any time anything went wrong. Not coincidentally, the Big Four airlines also have debt:capital ratios of about 100-120%, and they do get bailouts ever time anything goes wrong.

As William McGee reminds us, it's been 14 years since anyone's started a new US airline:

https://twitter.com/WilliamJMcGee/status/1747363491445375072

US aviation is deeply cursed. But Boeing's self-disassembling aircraft show us why we can't fix it by allowing mergers: private monopolies, shorn of the discipline of competition and regulation, are extraction machines that turn viable businesses into debt-wracked zombies.

This is a subject that's beautifully illustrated in Dayen's 2020 book Monopolized, in the chapter on health care:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/29/fractal-bullshit/#dayenu

The US health care system has been in trouble for a long time, but the current nightmare starts with the deregulation of pharma. Pharma companies interbred with one another in a string of incestuous marriages that produced these dysfunctional behemoths that were far better at shifting research costs to governments and squeezing customers than they were at making drugs. The pharma giants gouged hospitals for their products, and in response, hospitals underwent their own cousin-fucking merger orgy, producing regional monopolies that were powerful enough to resist pharma's price-hikes. But in growing large enough to resist pharma profiteering, the hospitals also became powerful enough to screw over insurers. Insurers then drained their own gene pool by combining with one another until most of us have three or fewer insurers we can sign up with – companies that are both big enough to refuse hospital price-hikes, and to hike premiums on us.

Thus monopoly begets monopoly: with health sewn up by monopolies in medical tech, drugs, pharmacy benefit managers, insurance, and hospitals, the only easy targets for goosing profits are people:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/05/hillrom/#baxter-international

This is how you get a US medical system that costs more than any other rich nation's system to operate, delivers worse outcomes than those other systems, and treats medical workers worse than any other wealthy country.

Now, rich people can still buy their way out of this mess, but you have to be very rich indeed to buy your way out of the commercial aviation system. There's a lot of 1%ers who fly commercial, and they're feeling the squeeze – and there's no way they're leasing their own jets.

Stein's Law holds that "anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop." America's aviation mergers – in airlines, aircraft and engines – have hollowed out the system. The powerful, brittle companies that control aviation have so much power over their workforce that they've turned air traffic controller and pilot into jobs that no one wants – and they used their bailout money to buy out the most senior staff's contracts, sending them to early retirement.

Now, I'm with the people who say that most of US aviation should be replaced with high-speed rail, but that's not why our technocrats and finance barons have gutted aviation. They did it to make a quick buck. A lot of quick bucks. Now the system is literally falling to pieces in midair. Now the system is literally on fire:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/19/us/miami-boeing-plane-engine-fire.html

Which is how you get a Reagan appointed federal judge issuing an opinion that has me punching the air and shouting, "Yes, comrade! To the barricades!" Anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop. When the system is falling to pieces around you, ideology disintegrates like a 737 Max.

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/21/anything-that-cant-go-on-forever/#will-eventually-stop

Image: Vitaly Druchenok (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ECAir_Boeing_737-306_at_Brazzaville_Airport_by_Vitaly_Druchenok.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

--

Joe Ravi (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Panorama_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_Building_at_Dusk.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

[manul-sul-sul]

FORTNITE - JACK SKELLINGTON SET

Just a fun little Simblreen gift :)

Enjoy! 💀

GENERAL INFO:

Mesh extracted by Axel-Noir, converted by me

Set Include: head, main outfit, Santa outfit and Santa accessories

BGC, Male, T-E

All LODs, maps and tags

HQ compatible

🐱 DOWNLOAD: SFS | Google Drive 🐱

Updated 25/01/25: new previews

Let me know if you see any bugs!

More info under the cut

SET INFO:

Head - 1 colour | Hat category | 5.3k polys

Casual outfit - 5 colour | 25.9k polys (❗)

Santa outfit - 5 colour | 26k polys (❗)

Santa acc- 5 colour | Necklace category | 7.5k polys (❗)

FULL LOOK:

[1ris5starlight]

MAN- THE GIRLS ARE SLAYING!!!!

(1:09) Ptf- "little devil"🤭

(1:52) AH-!

(1:55) *Scream* OMG!! YOU'RE SOOO BEAUTIFUL AND PRETTY!!!!!

(2:45) Ohhhh! So you were curious Moon?

(3:15) AWWWWW!!!!! THAT'S SOO CUTEEE!!!❤💞❤

(4:01) PTFFF-🤣🤣🤣

(4:20) PTFFAAAAHAHA🤣🤣🤣🤣

(5:33)🤭⭐

(6:19) In what sense Solar?🤨

(6:23) PTFFFF-🤣🤣🤣

(7:21) You sure do, Moon!⭐

(7:43) Sun? Why does it make so uncomfortable to be a girl?? Wait... are you..?

(8:41) Oh god- Jack is so innocent-

(9:21) thanks I guess?

(9:43) Well sh*t.

(10:35) Monty. You replicated these bodies, RIGHT?

(11:53) That's nice!

(13:45) Poor Sun-

(13:59) Moon!! Don't say that!

(14:26) Ptff-🤣

1. I think I just turned lesbian- (jokes on you, I'm Aroece AHAGHDQY!!)

2. Yep, Moon is definitely Non-binary/agender!!

[conjectureand-gloom]

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ welcome! ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

important information ⬎

alex

they/he/xe/it

non binary 💛🤍💜🖤

lesbian ❤️🧡🤍🩷💜

youreverydaydemikid -> conjectureand-gloom (15/01/24)

minor (february 8th)

multifandom

fanfiction writer

GMT +10:30

INFP-T

2w1

lyn lapid fan blog @tlit21c

i stand with palestine 🇵🇸

my new main account is @holesofmy-sweater

links ⬎

my ao3

my spotify

my pinterest

my instagram (that i’m barely active on)

hamilton fanfic recommendations

2023 reflection post

fandom list, fanfiction request masterlist, written works, wips, asks, tags and mutuals under the cut

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ fandom list ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

hamilton (feel free to request for any hamilton ship, i love them all so much, alexander is the absolute DREAM for a multishipper. alexander is my main target for angst! this is my main fandom)

jesus christ superstar (jesus/judas or jesus/judas/mary mainly for jcs, but feel free to ask for any other ships and i’ll consider it!! and no, i am not religious. i have been raised christian, but just ended up with religious trauma)

a good girls guide to murder (pipravi fluff and angst :) but i’ll so gladly write fics about sal and andie, or becca. ravi is my comfort character, and i just torture pip relentlessly)

nevermoor (personally i’m more of a cadence/morrigan girly, but fics for nevermoor will mainly be gen! i love found family, so jupiter & mog fluff or angst is my favourite)

in the heights (canon ships mainly, but feel free to ask for other ships! i’m not in the ITH fandom much, so these are going to be much more inaccurate)

newsies (again, more gen fics, but i do ship dave/jack. also i love angsty crutchie fics. this is one of my smaller fandoms, so these will be super inaccurate)

keeper of the lost cities (preferably marella/linh or tam/keefe! but again, feel free to ask for any ship!!)

hunger games (gen, preferably. but i’m team peeta in case anyone was wondering. fuck gale.)

maze runner (okay i haven’t read or seen TMR in ages but newt/thomas)

divergent (canon ships only. and no, christina/tobias is not canon.)

six (gen all the way. found family. also i love katherine howard angst over any other queen)

the song of achilles (achilles/patroclus? literally what other ship is there????? this is my favourite book)

wednesday (wednesday/enid. i feel like this requires no explanation. also. angst fics. i almost exclusively write angsty wednesday fics, rather than enid. i love the whole of the addams family, and i love familial hurt/comfort)

marauders (i’m not in the marauders fandom much at all, like i really only know the actual hp canon marauders. so.)

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ fanfic request rules ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

i’ll write for any fandom listed above, i love them all! however i am much more active in hamilton, agggtm, jcs, nevermoor and kotlc, so those fics will be much better than the other fandoms’ would be

i’ll write any genre other than smut, and angst/whump is my absolute favourite. any AUs you could think of, literally anything, i’m not picky!

i won’t write romanticised abuse, non/con, or anything like that. that’s not to say that my fics can’t have dark aspects, but i won’t romanticise any of that.

on that, i’m not going to write any non/con, romanticised or not

also, i won’t write omegaverse, nor will i write y/n or self insert fics. nothing wrong with those genres, i just don’t write them!

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ written works ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

It’s Only A Matter Of Time - A Hamilton Watches Hamilton Fic

i wish i could say that was the last time

call me son one more time

when they surround our troops

then a hurricane came

take a break

and his right hand man…

she was holding me

the great war

we got traffic on the west side

steal into my affections

the fact that you’re alive is a miracle

fools who run their mouths off wind up dead

my father wasn’t around

philip, you would like it uptown

i may not live to see our glory…

an outrageous demand

stay alive

my dear, angelica

to convince you that i love you

but this situation’s helpless

like mother, like daughter (agggtm)

“but now this room is spinning…”

“i’ll call out your name but you won’t call back”

“like crying out in empty rooms, with no one there except the moon”

me in your sweater, you said it looked better on me than it did you (gifted to @holes-in-my-false-confidence)

baby it’s cold outside

the entire exposé (inspired entirely off of @jittyjames’ fanfiction series ‘the price of his war’)

my world is burning (yet another fic based off of jami’s series ‘the price of his war’)

i’m sorry if any of these links are incorrect, i spent over an hour on just this section

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ wips ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

achilles, come down (last two works in series still need to be written)

je m’appelle… lafayette? (one chapter to go)

lams (taylor’s version) (a few chapters to go, unsure if it will be finished)

you’re the one who disappears (agggtm, unsure if it will be finished, or when)

judas’ death (jcs angst fanfiction)

untitled (hamil-gang liminal spaces au longfic thing idk)

febuwhump drabbles (possibly)

be my valentine challenge

so big/so small (so big/so small from deh but hamilton and his ma)

bloom like rose thorns (a longfic that may or may not ever be finished)

rewrite of ‘i wish i could say that was the last time’ and ‘call me son one more time’

baby don’t cut (lams angst based off of a song with the same name)

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ collaborations ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

fem!hamilton au with @jittyjames and @firebalda

if anybody is interested in collabing at all, please hit me up!! i love writing with other people!!!!

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ asks ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

please send me any asks at all!!! and also please put fic requests in my ask box, i did say that i would have your request out in 6 months, but i have had one sitting in there for over a year (sorry jami.) but um. i promise im trying to get better at that

also, feel free to ask for fic recommendations!!!! i’ve linked a post earlier in this post with a huge list, but it’s not fully updated with some more recent fics :)

‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ tags ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

asks- all the asks ive answered, these are also tagged with the url of the blog, or with anon dearest if it was an anon ask

akeyla ml- posts about/with my incredible incredible partner @holes-in-my-false-confidence who i love so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤

tag games- self explanatory, tag games :)

sleep is overrated- me trying to fix my sleep schedule in 2024

personal- personal vent posts. please block this tag, i have had someone unfollow me before because of these posts :)

₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧ mooties ‎‧₊˚✩ 🪐✩˚₊‧

@jittyjames

@like-the-stars-i-shine (irl friend for 5 years now)

@holes-in-my-false-confidence (my partner, irl <33333)

@felizusnavidad

@weeping-in-the-willows

@swiftieannah

@the1laff

@anixknowsnothin

@purpleblobfrompluto

@starduckys

@now-thats-his-bride

@kwilooo

@evilteapot (irl friend)

@my-dear-gal

@idontwanttobeabuzzkill

@mynightsoutofsight

@cc-horan28

i have more mutuals, but this is everybody who i interact with more often and i actually consider to be my friend. if anybody wants to ever message me or actually become friends with me, please do!!!! i love talking to you guys, please message me, i promise im not scary <333

[quietwings-fics]

New Discoveries, in Good Hands

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: N/A Fandom: Doctor Who Ship: Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler Additional Tags: Trans Rose Tyler, Facial Shaving, Minor Ninth Doctor/Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler, Touchy-Feely, Intimacy, Innuendo, Season/Series 01, Flirting, Denial, Trans Male Character, Fluff Wordcount: 3084 Summary:

Jack shows Rose what shaving is like. Rose enjoys more of it than she thought she would. (Or, Rose's first steps towards self-discovery.)

Rose is always surprised by how barren Jack’s room seems compared to her own. She tells herself it’s just a matter of time spent onboard the TARDIS, but she still pauses to frown at all the empty space. Even his bed is neatly made where her own remains in a constant state of disarray. The only reminders that he’s still living here at all are a spare t-shirt thrown over a chair and the sound of running water from the adjoining bathroom.

She makes her way over to him. She doesn’t knock, and didn’t when she entered in the first place, but she does call his name when she pokes her head in. “Jack?”

He turns back to acknowledge her, smiling beneath the beneath foamy wisps left of his shaving cream, though Rose is more distracted by his lack of a shirt and the dark hair spread down his chest that he hasn’t shaved. He leans against the sink, still dripping from where he’s been splashing himself clean, a straight razor held in place beneath his palm. “The Doctor sent you to fetch me?” he asks. Rose forces her eyes back up to his face, which Jack notices. It only makes his grin wilder as he angles himself to give her a better view. At that, Rose has to look away entirely, torn between laughing at his familiar confidence and flushing hot from head to toe. 

“Something like that. You were running late. He notices.” Sometimes it feels like the Doctor has Rose’s morning routine better memorized than she does. He might fail to pick up on when she’s upset if it’s right in front of his face, but never if it makes her miss her usual breakfast. There’s a subtle pull at Jack’s mouth when she’s done speaking, a brief pinch around his eyes, gone by the time he’s turning to the sink to finish shaving. 

“I had… a long night. Slept through my alarm. I’m almost done here.” The pause makes Rose want to push him for more, and she would if she knew where to start. It’s only a matter of time. No matter how good he is at hiding his secrets, he can’t stop himself from inviting them in to look for them. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t want Rose and the Doctor to know eventually, but whenever that might be isn’t today, so Rose is left searching for something else to say.

“He also said to ask what your opinion on sea monsters is,” she falls back on. Despite avoiding the earlier subject, nothing about Jack comes off as defensive. He hums a simple note as he washes shaving cream off the razor and asks,

“With or without tentacles?” Rose blinks. 

“Is that important?” she asks.

“Incredibly,” he answers. She watches the slow, practiced glide of the razor against the side of his chin, catching a few final hairs. He tilts his head slightly to get the angle right, showing off the curve of his neck to her. When Rose meets his eyes again through the bathroom mirror as he relaxes, he says, “Enjoying the show?”

“You like having an audience.” Jack leans down to cup his hands in the stream of water and splash his face. The razor rests at his side, the edge still foamy with cream and short, dark hairs. He pats himself dry with a towel, drops it against the sink, and then reaches out a hand towards her. Rose takes it without hesitation, stepping closer. Jack brings it up to the side of his face, resting her fingers against freshly shaven skin to feel the difference. Rose trails them down along his jaw and up again until she can cup his cheek in her palm. Jack’s eyes shut as he leans into her hand, relaxed and happy. In a week, maybe less, she knows she’ll be able to feel the rough beginnings of new stubble on his face. Something twinges in her chest as she thinks about watching that happen while she stays exactly the same. She frowns, not sure why that would even bother her.

She lets the expression fall away before Jack’s eyes open again. “Do I have to tell you you’re gorgeous? You seem to know already,” she teases. Jack nudges against her hand again playfully before she withdraws it.

“Never hurts,” he says. “Especially now that you’ve seen all the work I put in to stay that way. Unlike our Doctor.” Rose’s heart flutters with the ease with which Jack says ‘our’. “Do we even know if he ever shaves, or do you think he tells his chin hairs off sternly and they fall out in shame?”

“Sonics them away, I reckon,” Rose says, nodding as she lets her hand drop. The motion brings her gaze down to Jack’s chest again, and the speed at which she snaps her eyes back up to his makes her peeking even more obvious that last time. She can just feel Jack about to tease her about it, so she says the first thing that comes to mind to cut him off. “What does it feel like, anyway?” 

“What?” he says, and she can hear the barely restrained flirtation just behind the words, held back to answer her question. “Shaving?” 

“Yeah.”

“You’ve never shaved anything before?” He sounds skeptical. 

“Of course I’ve- That’s different!” Funnily enough, she can’t remember the last time she bothered to, either. No one around to remind her, she supposes. No wonder her legs have felt warmer under her skirts. She resolves to wear something long the next time she visits her mom. If she can’t see anything, she can’t say anything, and Rose can carry on exactly as she is. “I didn’t use shaving cream for my legs.”

“You should,” he says, casually. “You might need more to cover it, but it makes the whole process a lot faster. Less nicks, much more smooth, really prepares you for showing off in fishnets.” Before Rose has a minute to put together the pieces on him knowing all of that, Jack is reaching for his can of shaving cream. “Hold out your hand.”

When Rose does, he gives the can a light shake and spurts some cream onto her hand. The white foam spills messily across her palm from the nozzle. 

“Don’t-” she starts.

“There’s more where that came from,” Jack says, suggestive, completely ignoring her. Rose rolls her eyes. She squishes her fingers through the foam. “Well? How does it feel?” 

“Cold,” she answers. “Soft? A little like lotion.”  The consistency is the same, at least. It feels nice against her skin. Jack’s watching her, thinking. 

She’s still playing with the cream when she hears the water run again. Jack’s wetting the same towel he used to dry his face earlier. He turns back to her, fingers nudging her chin up. “Hold still,” he says. “I don’t want to get your shirt wet.” He dab at the lower half of her face with the warm washcloth. “Not that I’d complain, but I make a habit of only ruining other people’s clothes when they ask for it.” He motions her around with little taps against her jaw, and she follows, making it easier for him to dampen her skin with the hot water. “Which you still could. I’m not giving up hope yet.” He takes her hand in his own, palm up, and scrubs the shaving cream off of it for her before he puts the towel down.

“What are you doing?” Rose asks, though it’s obvious. She thinks she just wants him to say it for her, confirm this isn’t some kind of joke. 

(But even if she didn’t know, she’d still let him. She’s in safe hands with Jack. Very few people have ever made her feel that way.)

“You said you wanted to know what it was like.” He picks up the shaving cream can again. She sees him weigh it in his hand like he’s trying to estimate how much is inside before he shakes it again. He pauses just long enough for her to step out of reach if she wanted to, and when she doesn’t, he puts his hand beneath her chin again. It’s more sure now. He guides her with his thumb solid against her jaw, turning her head slowly to make sure he covers her face with the cream. It tickles more than it did on her hand, and Rose bites her lip to keep from giggling.

“I don’t have anything to shave,” Rose protests, a little late. Her chin and cheeks feel chilled by the shaving cream, but not unpleasantly. There are streaks of it on Jack’s hand as he draws back again. 

“I’m using my imagination,” Jack tells her. He washes his razor off for her, turning it this way and that beneath the sink before examining it to make sure nothing is sticking behind from its last use. It looks well-sharpened, but even when Jack rests it against her cheek for the first time, Rose can’t feel scared. There’s far too much focus in his eyes, even more so than when he was shaving his own face earlier. Very slowly, he scrapes a little of the shaving cream off her cheek. The razor slides against her skin, warm from the water it was under, contrasting against the cream and leaving the space behind it exposed again. “Breathe, Rose,” Jack tells her. She inhales, not realizing she’d stopped until he points it out. 

The next glide of the razor moves in time with her exhale as she holds as still as she can for him. His other hand has found its place beneath his chin again, keeping her steady. When all she can do is memorize the feeling of him touching her, she notices the little differences between him and the Doctor, that the Doctor’s fingers are slightly longer, that Jack’s thumb has more of a callous along the inside of it. The razor moves easily through the shaving cream, and she can see Jack begin to relax the longer it goes without incident, as though he needs more reassurance than she does that he won’t mess up and nick her.

“Smoothest shave I’ve ever given anyone,” he jokes, but his voice is low and warm. Rose swallows. 

Did he mean before that he was imagining her with… with what? Surely not a full beard, not unless he wanted to laugh at her… right? No. Maybe- Well, maybe he wasn’t imagining anything at all, from how concentrated he was.

Or maybe he was seeing her in his mind’s eye with a lazy week’s stubble, gently shaving it off for her. Did he imagine how it felt beneath his hands before when he was preparing her? Was he imagining it now as he rubbed his thumb along the bottom of her jaw? Would he like that, a little scratch of growing hair that she was letting him take care of? Rose’s could hear her own breaths from between her parted lips catching with the thought of all of it. 

Would she like that?

“You alright, Rose?” Jack’s voice pulls her out of her own thoughts before she can scare herself. Scare herself? Is she scared? Her heart is beating faster, but she can’t tell if it’s fear or something else. 

“Fine,” she answers, lying poorly. Jack pauses, and she feels his thumb rub against her jaw again. She focuses on that. 

Safe in Jack’s hands, wherever he’s taking her. 

“I’m okay,” she says, and this time, it’s true. Jack still waits for her to pout and say, “Get back to work, Jack.”

“Yes, sir,” Jack says, a professional snap to the words like a verbal salute that makes Rose bite her lip again. The razor comes back, continuing its journey across her face and smoothing away the shaving cream. 

A few more drags in silence follow before a lopsided grin climbs onto Jack’s face.

“Found one.”

“One what?”

“One little brown hair,” Jack says. He flips the razor for her to see, and it really is the tiniest hair floating in the shaving cream on the blade. Rose stares at it. 

She feels strangely proud that it exists. Even stranger, a little sad that Jack’s shaved it off. 

It’ll grow back, she finds herself thinking.

“Blow on it,” he says. “Make a wish.”

“You’re thinking of eyelashes.” 

“I don’t think the wish will care that much which hair it came from.” She indulges him. She blows a few white drops of shaving cream back onto Jack’s chest. Without thinking, she reaches forward to wipe them off with her thumb. She freezes when she touches him, but it’s far too late to back out now. She brushes her thumb across each speck, following them down along his chest to the last one low against his ribs. Her fingers run over his chest hair as she does. It’s a fight both to make herself not react to that or to go back and explore a little more. Her cheeks are burning, and there isn’t nearly enough shaving cream left to hide it.

“You really didn’t need an excuse if you wanted to feel me up,” Jack says, and he sounds delighted. She almost pulls her hand back, but she stops herself. After all, he started it.

“Then I’m not going to bother with one.” With that, she resolutely slides her hand back up his chest. She feels it rise and fall slightly as he breathes, shift as he moves his arm again to continue shaving her. She curls her fingers to feel his hair move against them, the thick dark patch at the center spreading thinner across his chest. It’s soft. 

No wonder he doesn’t shave it. She’s jealous.

Jealous of what? It’s not like she can’t get her fill of him. Jack will happily let her. 

She tries to shake off the feeling and can’t quite. 

“Do you ever wish you were someone else?” He wipes some spare shaving cream off of her cheek. He’s almost done. Not that there will be much of a difference to show it, Rose thinks. She frowns. 

“In what way?” he asks. “Am I swapping places with someone, or am I turning into someone else?” She wonders how much his answer would change depending on which she chose, but in the end, she can’t pick both.

“The second one. I think.” Her frown deepens. “Sorry. I’m not sure what I’m asking. I’m confusing myself now.”

Jack takes her hand from his chest and lifts it to his mouth, absently kissing her knuckles before he answers. She’s not even sure he registered that he did it, too focused on the razor in his other hand and her question. 

“I like being me,” he says, honestly. “Wasn’t easy to get here, so I think I’ll keep it.” Rose withdraws her hand, touching the spot his lips brushed. “What about you?”

Rose feels the razor make its last pass over her face. Jack lifts it away. Not a single scratch on her. Not a spot of irritation where he wasn’t careful enough. Rose lifts her fingers to her cheek and finds the skin there as smooth as ever. 

“Yeah,” she answers, and she realizes she’s lying. “Who else would I even be?”

Jack passes over her face once more with the warm rag to get the last of the shaving cream off of her. He has to get another to dry her with. Rose enjoys the pampering.

“How about a Rose Tyler who’s been thoroughly kissed?” She turns her head up to let him. Jack’s arms wrap around her back. “Among other things,” he murmurs when he’s done.

“I’d like that.” Jack makes himself easy to get lost in, and right now, Rose wants that. It’s easier than… She’s not sure, but whatever it is, she’d rather be kissing him than facing it. And if Jack’s hands slide down to her waist and lower still, she’s not complaining.

She’s forgotten why she’d come in his room in the first place completely until the Doctor—who knocks as much as Rose did, which is to say, not at all—comes complaining. “Rose, you left thirty minutes ago, what are you-” He cuts himself off, and Rose drops her head against Jack’s shoulder to stifle a laugh. She doesn’t even have to look at the Doctor to picture his expression, rolling his eyes, annoyed that they could possibly think making out against a bathroom sink is a better use of time than what he has planned. Jack’s skin is warm, and they both unmistakably smell like his brand of shaving cream. She rubs her face against him.

“Just finishing up, Doctor,” Jack shoots back. She presses another giggle into his shoulder imagining the way the Doctor’s face must be screwing up in feigned disgust. She manages to get herself under control enough to lift her head and face him.

“What do you think?” she asks.

“About what?” the Doctor says. 

“Rose came in for a shave,” Jack answers. He strokes her chin playfully. “How’s she look, Doctor?”

The Doctor looks her over, once a cursory glance, twice a real study. Rose is curious what exactly he’s seeing. It’s not like she’d had anything to shave. It’s not like anything had really changed, had it?

But the Doctor gives her one of those lovely, genuine smiles, and says, “Most handsome boy in town, I’d say.” Rose’s heart skips a beat, but she tells herself that’s nothing special. The Doctor can always make her feel that way.

She wouldn’t mind him calling her handsome again.

(She wouldn’t mind him calling her a-)

“And me?” Jack wheedles for his own compliment. 

The Doctor lets his smile drop, showily unimpressed as he responds, “You missed a spot.” Jack shakes his head, disbelieving until he reaches up to touch the place the Doctor’s indicating on his own neck and finds a small spread of missed hair right there.

“We’ll wait for you,” Rose tells him, though the Doctor huffs about it and makes a face. He won’t go without her, and she won’t go without Jack, and somehow, they’ll make it work. 

Jack waves her off to follow the Doctor back to the console room.

(“Doctor, settle a bet? Do you shave normally, or do you…”

“Rose, I know you’re not asking me if I can sonic a beard off.”

“Course not. I knew that.”)

(Enjoyed it? Any interaction is welcomed. You can even support me on Ko-Fi <3)

[crazycurly-77]

Bob (16/24)

This is written in the style of the series 24.

Events occur in real time.

Hour 16 of 24: 01:00 pm - 02:00 pm

01:20:12 p.m.

On the coast of Virginia:

As usual, the investigators did their work. They took photos, made sketches, took measurements and secured evidence.

The only visible injury of the body was a single bullet hole right in the heart.

"He must’ve known his murderer. The shot is too precise for anything else," Gibbs guessed.

"It's a shame, I was hoping he could tell us where the admiral's body went," Tony regretted.

"He's pretty quiet now," the boss next to him muttered. At that moment you came over to them and asked: “What are we going to do with those three youngsters over there?”

Gibbs turned to you and simply answered: “Talk to them.”

“But they’re scared as shit and can’t get a word out!” you protested rather listlessly.

The boss just looked at you as if he was about to send you to the penalty box.

So you rolled her eyes and went over to the three of them to try to talk to them.

“Why me? Can’t Tony do that?” you complained in your mind. You turned to him experimentally and looked at him. Maybe you could swap jobs?

But he grinned broadly at you… there was probably no chance that he would agree to a swap.

01:21:56 p.m.

In an abandoned cabin in the middle of the forest in Virginia:

“What do you want from me?” asked John.

At first the senator didn’t answer, he just looked at him. He took another leisurely drag on his cigar, blew out the smoke and then said: “Bob called me… and he’s not happy.”

John groaned in incomprehension and said: “What doesn’t he like? Is the helicopter the wrong color? Did he want a pink one?”

Flowers snorted contemptuously: “You should be careful what you say. He has his ears everywhere.”

John laughed: “Even in the toilet?” he asked provocatively. “Relax, no one will find us here,” he tried to calm the senator.

“Are we suspected?” he wanted to know.

“No. The cops questioned Jack and me, but I made sure that all the evidence pointed to the Colonel and Jack.”

“And they’re buying it?” Flowers asked suspiciously.

Domingo rolled his eyes again, casually put his hands in his pockets and answered:

“Yes. Jack has enough on his plate, he's already made sure of that himself."

01:43:32 p.m.

Jack Smith's apartment, Quantico:

Jack entered his apartment and didn't know what to do. He had done exactly what the Colonel had asked of him.

He went to the investigators and confessed. He told them everything and tried to be as convincing as possible. He was ready to take the blame and yet they let him go.

What will happen now? Now the Colonel will surely make sure that his career in the Marines is over.

Jack lovingly pulled his new girlfriend into his arms: "I missed you, my darling." She sighed, hugged him and whispered: "I missed you too." She kissed him and asked: "How did it go?" He sighed and lowered his head: "I told the cops everything the colonel asked me to do, but I'm afraid they don't believe me."

"Maybe you'll get away without punishment after all?" She tried to encourage him.

He shook his head: "No, I don't think so. The boss of them seemed to see right through me."

He sighed heavily again, dropped his arms and went to the bathroom.

When he closed the door behind him, she took her cell phone and wrote a text message: "It didn't work."

01:54:08 p.m.

NCIS headquarters, director's office:

He had followed an order. That was his job. Leading employees, but also carrying out orders from higher-ups.

Was he happy with that? Most of the time. But giving up responsibility for an important case that directly affected them... was another matter.

But the order was clear: no further investigations by NCIS into the missing helicopter and the Admiral's murder. The situation was not good.

The case should be thoroughly investigated and solved, but if he allowed that to happen, he would be risking his career.

At that moment he received a call:

"Puempel," he answered.

He listened in silence and turned pale. There was another dead body... Colonel Fuller.

A stolen helicopter, of whose existence nobody knew until it was stolen, and now two dead Marines. And they weren't allowed to do anything. Their hands were tied.

But it was time to fight and to take unusual paths if necessary.

1:58:42 p.m. ... the clock was ticking…

------------------------------------------

Here you will find the other chapters of this story.

Masterlist stories - Part 1 (finished ones)

Masterlist stories - Part 2 (finished/ongoing)

------------------------------------------

Tags: @ilovemark1951, @hobby27

------------------------------------------

[agentmmayy]

and a snap of the fingers brings the four jacks back

Fandom: Criminal Minds (TV)

Rating: T

Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & Emily Prentiss & Spencer Reid, Aaron Hotchner/Emily Prentiss/Spencer Reid

Characters: Emily Prentiss, Spencer Reid, Aaron Hotchner, Jack Hotchner

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode 13:01 Wheels Up (Criminal Minds), Missing Scene

Summary: After prison, and after Scratch, Aaron returns to them.

Word count: ~9.4k

Link!

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week In Review IX

I feel like I just wrote the last Sunday Week in Review five minutes ago and like six years ago at the same time. Short work weeks and coming off the back of vacation really do mess with your sense of time.

Another short week ahead too, Canadian Thanksgiving tomorrow, happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canucks who observe this holiday! 🧡

October has brought so many good stories to my dash that my drafts list is out of control and I still have so many good fics I haven't finished reading yet! Having said that, I've enjoyed the pause to jump in with these October x 500 prompts. It's been a jolt of inspiration/creativity that I needed.

Having said that, on with the week in review!

T R U L Y  U P D A T E S . . .

october x 500 (masterlist)

oct' x 01 - ruffled hair (joel x gn!reader)

oct' x 02 - apple scent (chiffon!dieter x bryony)

oct’ x 03 - full of colours (tim rockford x f!reader)

oct' x 04 - walks in the forest (strings!joel x reader)

oct' x 05 - autumnal (dieter x gn!reader)

oct' x 06 - falling leaves (gold rush!joel x charlotte)

oct' x 07 - chestnuts (chiffon!dieter x bryony)

W H A T  I  R E A D . . .

On Deck (One Shots) (Jack AU) by @something-tofightfor Just when I think I’ve gone through someone’s master list, I manage to find a gem and this is one of them. I have no clue about baseball, went to a game and had no idea what was happening no matter how many times someone tried to explain. However, I am 110% positive that if Jack was to explain the rules to me, I’d know him inside and out, oh and maybe a bit about baseball too. Gotta make sure those lessons get stretched out…

Bloom (Joel AU) by @penaonthestreets-javiinthesheetsThis was such a delightful opening chapter! Reader has their own flower shop, and just so happens our favourite Texan pays a visit. The characterization of Ellie almost steals the show from Joel’s meet-cute with Reader - I’m not going to spoil it, but I had to pick myself off of the floor after - just saying…

Working Title | Chapter 13 (Dieter) by @rhoorl I’m so rooting for these two! Both deserve a happy ending (in more than one sense!) and yet it seems there's those who want to bring them down or stand in their way. This update was a little angst, incredibly sweet and the last bit, well - I can't wait to read the next update!

Kinktober Day Two (Frankie) 🌶️ by @youvebeenlivingfictional I love the whole fun roleplay trop between established couples and this one does an excellent job of doing just that! Reader and Frankie are out at the bar having fun and, I'm not going to spoil it - go enjoy it for yourself!

Tip Your Server (Dieter) by @nothoughtsjustmeds This is just the best! Dieter and wife!reader on the night of his Oscar win and it’s just so much hilarity, sweetness & spice and the banter between the two is just the best. Please go read it, you won’t be disappointed, I promise! 

Kiss Me Quick (Dieter) by @secretelephanttattoo This, how I love this so! It’s a love letter to the British seaside and is told through a day at the beach with the one and only Dieter. It managed to not only invoke laughter but homesickness too. I’d go to the seaside for a stick of rock any day of the week with Dieter. 

Sofa So Good (Frankie) by @secretelephanttattoo This was cozy, domestic bliss wrapped up as tight as my fingers would be in Frankie’s hair. This was a sweet slice of life and so done so well. A perfect cozy Sunday read if you’re looking for one!

Video Nasty I & II (Joel) 🌶️ by @sin-djarin I don't think I've recovered from these two yet... Oof, incredibly hot, incredibly Joel and incredibly read-again worthy! Also provided a fun memory of mine working in a video store and will Marcus be forever associated with a poorly titled porno? Yes. Yes he will be.

Paranoid Heart (Javier P.) by @goodwithcheese This was such a great opener and introduction to our main character and Javi. Now, if you're thinking you need to watch Narcos to read this, take it from me, Ms. Truly 'I think I've watched six episodes now but can't remember' Betty, you don't need to, because Megan is so good at immersing you in her characters worlds that you'll be well taken care of. Can't wait to see where this story leads us!

A Month of Sundays(Various) by @gnpwdrnwhiskey I love each and every one posted so far! There’s something to be said about drabbles, little slices of life etc., six-sentence fics - because they’re not as easy to write as you think. There needs to be some establishing of what’s going on, and while not a resolution - something to end on. These are all great insights into some established characters and some we’ve not met before and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the month brings!

No Panties, No Problems (Frankie) by @blackfemalenerd Frankie is an A-grade menace here and, oof is this hot? Please do yourself a favour and go read it and leave your comments - because I think we all deserve some more of this Frankie!

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 7 (Triple Frontier Boys) by @rhoorl Jess really knows how to weave multiple stories and character backgrounds together and take you through from start to finish and never feel like you've missed something or added confusion. This week's installment is no different! We've got it all packed into this chapter and I don't want to spoil anything, but please go check it out!

M E M O R A B L E  P O S T S . . .

The next guest appearance on Mulefalls Court @rhoorl

the grey sweatpants revelation

hands, hands and more hands

a visual from @maggiemayhemnj that I won't be forgetting anytime soon, and this one here where I might still be on the floor from

a good Tumblr 101 + reblog etiquette post from @morallyinept

Bob's Burgers fest started by @darkroastjoel

B R O U G H T  T H E  J O Y . . .

Just how lovely this community is - this week I've had so many great interactions with equally amazing people and I'm so happy to have found a home in this little corner and appreciate every one of you who comes and interacts with my blog and me in whatever capacity 💕

F R A N K I E  C A T ��️ . . .

I missed last weeks update, so here’s an update on Frankie Cat - she’s very much settled in. She is pretty laid back as her name sake, but sometimes her tiny humans can get on her last nerves, but baby Truly #2 and her are BFF’s (mostly because baby Truly is forcing Frankie to love her, like I would the actual Frankie…)

She also has to go back to the shelter today for treatment, as she’s not 100% a Truly until her spay (which if anyone has tips for care after I’m all ears) - hopefully she doesn’t get excited and think she’s finally getting away from us… sorry Frankie Cat, you’re one of us now. Even if you do rip my feet to shit. 

T H I S  W E E K ' S  J A M . . .

Back in my Sons of Anarchy feels as I finally work my way through season seven (no spoilers or talk please, I've gone this long without a spoiler, I'd like to finish it out the same way)

Happy Sunday all! Here's to another great week! Feel free to share your favourite posts, stories, thots and whatever and never hesitate to tag me in it 💕

[galaxyostars]

My Archive Of Our Own Wrap-up

I wanted to put together a thank you to all the fanfic writers who have gotten me through this year.

This wrap-up is me going through my history month by month to see which fics I'd visited the most (because you can be damn sure I read through them over several days).

So this is a celebration of the wide variety of fics I've read and/or bookmarked and/or subscribed to. Thank you to every writer on this list for keeping me entertained.

My first fic of 2023: Finding the Balance, by Amberlioness

Summary:

Events following ‘Bound’, leading up to ‘Demons’. Trip and T’Pol begin to explore what their bond means and how it affects them. Follows “Beginning in Earnest”. I’ve tried to keep as close to canon as possible, while filling in events and back story as the muse commands.

2023 in fics I kept returning to by month

January

Brand New Day, by cecilyjones

Star Wars Rebels, rated T. Completed 2023-03-29.

The Force wasn’t the only great power in the Galaxy. There were also the laws of physics. Kanan was strong in the Force, but the bind he had gotten himself into had to do with physics. (My inevitable “Kanan lives” story. He survives, and the story unfolds from there. Some of it resembles the story we already know, and some of it doesn’t. The ripples travel out.) Update: Chapter 1-8 is a complete story, you can stop reading there and get some nice closure. After that, I’m just kind of adding as I get ideas. Mostly I just like seeing Kanan get to be a dad so that’s what I’m doing. Thanks!

February

Synced To You, by TuppingLiberty

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, rated E. Completed 2017-04-09.

Canonverse but Omegaverse: Though everyone can choose whomever they want as mate, your one true mate, the mate with which you 'sync', is your one best match in the entire galaxy. Poe recognizes Finn as his sync-mate immediately, but Finn is reluctant - extremely. Chapter 3 and various chapters thereon are explicit. This fic is now in epilogue-mode. Everything after Chapter 13 is epilogue. I will come back to it as it pleases me, which, right now, is often. :D

March

Poor Wayfaring Stranger, by lithos_saeculum

Final Fantasy XV, rated T. Last updated 2022-08-04.

Out on a mission, Cor Leonis finds a teenager, lost and sick and partway to becoming an MT. Against the advice of all and sundry, he brings him back to Insomnia. There's not a lot of love lost for MTs in the Citadel, but some of its inhabitants may still be young enough to put aside their prejudices.

April

Three Bullets, by The_Midget

Grand Theft Auto V, rated M. Completed 2021-01-27.

After Michael is shot in the street, his friends and family can all agree that it was an act of retaliation. However, none of them can agree on who pulled the trigger.

Bookmark note: The one where Jerry White is a piece of shit and also Trevor, Michael and Franklin have to deal with white supremesists. I don't think that's how supremesists is spelled. Lemme look into that.

May

Over And Over, by Nightwinging_it

Borderlands, rated M. Completed 2020-12-17.

Timothy Lawrence has resigned himself to his fate as Handsome Jack's property, even if it means losing himself. When an attempt by a friend to rescue him lands him in trouble with Jack, Timothy is banished to the casino as punishment. Angry and betrayed, Timothy is all too eager to seize the chance to escape, even if it comes in the form of a brash Operative. When Zane Flynt is hired to steal weapon schematics from Hyperion, he finds himself needing the help of Handsome Jack's Eridium addicted doppelganger. It's supposed to be a simple job, and he and the doppelganger will part ways the moment it's over. Only Zane didn't expect to get so damn attached to Timothy. (OR: Zane accidentally adopts Timothy, and chaos ensues)

Bookmark note: The one where Timothy's made to be hooked on eridium and Zane basically nurses him back to life.

June

Finding Home, by Iha_1419

9-1-1 Lone Star, rated E. Last updated 2022-08-08.

TK Strand’s life has been filled with pain and rejection. His parents, extreme traditionalists, hate him for being a male omega and have kept him isolated for most of his life. When he finds out that he is going to be bonded to an alpha named Carlos in his Uncle Owen’s pack, he doesn’t know what to expect. Years of enduring verbal and physical abuse from his parents have left him withdrawn and wary of his new mate. Carlos is determined to get the omega to trust him, but TK’s scars run deep and old habits are hard to break. Can Carlos and the 126 help TK overcome his past and embrace his future?

July

Ultraviolet, by @five-7

Borderlands, rated E. Completed 2021-11-11.

After all the shite they'd been through together, Zane doesn't quite know what to think of them. Amara might have an idea. [Shameless and massive Zane-centric fic]

Bookmark note: The one where Amara and Zane have a friends with benefits thing that accidentally falls into something more serious but then shit goes a little wrong and there's a few chapters where they're fucking dumb but it's okay because they eventually work it out.

August

Bless Those Tired Eyes, by thenewradical

The Martian, rated T. Completed 2015-12-20.

Johanssen suggests that Beck sleep in her bunk since it's closest to the med bay and Watney. This goes exactly as well as you would expect.

September

Sick Days Not Needed, by Jillie_chan

Star Wars Rebels, rated G. Completed 2015-02-21.

“You’re sick.” Kanan said, resting his hand on the back of the seat. “So?” Ezra asked, resting his head on his fist. “I’m not holding you back.” “Not holding us back?” Kanan echoed. “On missions,” Ezra clarified, “It’ll pass in a few days.”

October

True Colors, by Cinderpaw1, dancer4813

Critical Role (Vox Machina), rated E. Completed 2017-08-26.

Vex knew her father hated them. It had been obvious when he left their mother alone to raise a pair of twins by herself. But she had never imagined he would hate them enough to stick them in foster care only a few months after losing her. Now Vex is scraping by on the streets, using her artistic talent to make enough for her and her dog to eat, searching for the twin brother who had been taken away from her because of the system. She didn't realize that when her search took her to Emon, the bustling city held both promises for the future and ghosts from the past.

November

Struggle, by ela11

Mass Effect, rated M. Completed 2014-12-06.

Two people would have no idea of the struggle ahead of them… For their existence. For their love. (Femshep/Kaidan from Mass Effect 1 to 3 and a little beyond.) Contains canon, altered events, and new events. Alternative ending.

Fics saved in 2023 (My notes in bookmarks)

Two for the Road by Spacewidget - The one where Daryl and Connie pose as a married couple to gain access to a group. [The Walking Dead]

Run by justtakemehome - The one where Michael and Amanda De Santa get a bounty attached to their head and they basically have to Mr & Mrs Smith their way out of trouble. [Grand Theft Auto V]

Witch Ways by @aliquistis - The one where a druid learns to put up, like, and maybe even love Gale. [Baldur's Gate]

you can fake it for a while by nighimpossible - The one where Percy creates Vex's titles and a fake marriage, and they fall into a legitimate relationship. [Critical Role (Vox Machina)]

And They Lived Happily Ever After by @ginger-floor-goblin - The one where Keyleth and Vax get their happy ending. But also consequences to deals made. [Critical Role (Vox Machina) / The Legend of Vox Machina]

Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth by @howlsmovinglibrary - The one where Astarion lost all the kids in the divorce. [Baldur's Gate]

We Circle by Night by @insanitysilver - The one where Caleb goes back in time to fix his past, only to accidentally save Mollymauk from his demise. [Critical Role (Mighty Nein)]

I'm finishing 2023 with...

Ship to Wreck by Snailsol

Witch Ways by Aliquistis

Pieces Still Stuck In Your Teeth by howlsmovinglibrary

Resistance by ela11

Thank you to every fanfic writer whose work I've had the pleasure of reading this year. <3

[twstgameplay]

[JP] CURRENT TESTS

01-Oct, 00:00 - 15-Oct, 23:59

WATER ATTACK: 204,500 HP

PE Trey Vignette: Trey and Kalim

Trey has ATK UP (self/T) x2

Trey has DMG UP (self/3T) x2

Kalim has Heal (2,970 HP) x2

Recommended Cards

SSR: Puppet Ace, Halloween Cater, Dorm Leona, Camp Ruggie, Dorm Jack, Halloween Jade, Dorm Floyd, NY Kalim, Dorm Vil, Dorm Sebek, Dorm Silver

SR: Robe Azul, Robe Vil, Robe Silver

R: PE Vil

FIRE BASIC: 108,000 HP

Lab Idia Vignette: Idia, Ace, and Ortho

Idia has ATK UP (self/1T)

Idia has DMG UP (self/3T)

Ace has ATK UP (self/1T)

Ace has DMG UP (self/3T)

Ortho has DMG DOWN (single foe/1T)

Ortho has SHIELD (self/1T)

Recommended Cards:

SSR: Dorm Riddle, GM Ace, Union Deuce, Union Cater, Port Jack, NY Ruggie, Dorm Azul, Broom Jade, Beach Floyd, Union Floyd, Dorm Kalim, Dorm Jamil, Silk Jamil, Halloween Vil, Boa Epel, Dorm Idia, Masq Idia, Dorm Ortho, Armor Sebek, General Lilia

SR: Robe/Lab Riddle, Lab Idia, Lab Lilia

REMEMBER

For Basic Tests: The list of recommended cards will work better if you keep in mind their DUO potential with SSR cards.

For Defense Tests: Always consider Healers for your team. It is always better to heal on 1st magic of Turn 3 or 5. If you use Continuous Heal, heal on Turn 1 or 2 but watch out for Curse.

For Attack Tests: Firepower!! DUOs are good, but depending on your cards, it may be more beneficial to use cards with buffs than weaker DUOs.

[twoafflictedsouls]

THE DARKSTALKERS

Hsien-Ko { Afflicted | Former Dark Hunter | Primary Muse }

Mei-Ling { Afflicted | Former Dark Hunter | Primary Muse }

Morrigan Aensland

Lilith Aensland

Lord Raptor { Afflicted }

B.B. Hood | Bulleta

Felicia

Q-Bee

Bishamon

Sasquatch

Jon talbain

Anakaris

Huitzil

Victor

Demitri Maximoff

Donovan Baine

Anita

Pyron

Shadow Jedah Dohma

Nezulla The Rat Monster

Nuclear mutants

Frankenstein

Baragon

The H-men

Yuko Nomura The Vampire Doll

Commander Hell

Space Beast man

Batmen

Griffin / Black Moth

Malic

Matango

Mizuno The Human Vapor

Sudo Telegian

Invisible Man Takamitsu Nanjo

Nezura ( Nezulla's sibling )

Giant Antarctic Sea Beast | Antarctic Godzilla

Kabagon ( Offspring of Antarctic godzilla )

Gamera Like Organism ( Antarctic's Wife )

Alien Cosmonauts

Chini Lake Kaiju

RED EARTH FUTURE

Leo

Tessa | Tesaba

Mai Ling

Kenji

Ravange

Hauzer

Lavia

Kongou

Hydron

Blade

Scion

Gi Gi

THE CYBERBOTS FUTURE

Jin Saotome

Earth Corp

La Resistence

G.O.D.

Santana Laurence

Mary Miyabi

Gawaine Murdock

Arieta

Bao and Mao

Chiyomaru Kagura and Tessan Hagure

Princess Devilotte de Death Satan IX

Dave and Xavier

SHADE

Emperor Death Satan

UMBRELLA CORP

HUNK { Squad Leader }

GOBLIN-6

J. Martinez { Codename: GHOST }

3A7

Skull-5G6 { Field Scientist }

Bray-K8 { Combat Medic }

HOUND WOLF SQUAD

Chris Redfield { Squad Leader }

Rolando Elba { Umber Eyes }

Dion Wilson { Night Howl }

Charlie Graham { Canine }

John Perlman { Lobo }

Emily Berkhoff { Tundra }

KERBEROS INC.

Nezulla ( Squad Leader )

Gizmo ( Gremlin Operator )

Feebee ( Aerial Assault Fairy )

Steinmauer ( Assault Barricade Golem )

Natasha ( Revenant Assassin )

Laura ( Martian Combat Medic )

Tachibana ( Demolition Amanojaku )

Elizabeth ( Nuckelavee Support )

Null ( Dab tsog Infiltrator )

Helena ( Strigoi Assault )

Amihan ( Aswang Berserker )

Wei-shen ( Fenghuang pyrotechnician )

Jack ( Assault War Machine )

Alex ( Batsquatch Skirmisher )

Arabella ( Demon Knight )

Akiko ( Tortured Test Subject + mutant )

THE INFECTION

IRREGULAR MUTATIONS

Zombies

Crows

Cerberus ( Undead dogs )

Infected | Undead animals in general

V-ACT Mutations

Crimson Heads

Lickers

Juvenile Lickers {  young adults or children prior to infection.. }

Lickers - β

Eliminators

ENHANCED MUTATIONS

Sentient Flesh Hives

E-T-103s

Ryuko Matoi

Satsuki Kiryuin

NE-α Type Parasite

t-Advanced Super Tyrants

Lisa Trevor ( Enhanced By The E-t-Virus )

Defective Tyrants

Gamma Hunter Y

Misty | Samantha Chambers ( Alpha Zombie + T-advanced )

Poison Zombie

Pale Heads

Uber Lickers

Leeches

Night Feeders

Queen Leech-S

Annihilators { Enhanced Eliminator }

Tall Horses { Infected Mutated Horses }

Mountain Cat { Anthropomorphic wild cat monstrosities }

Inferior Tyrants | Dictators { humans that had some compatibility with the t-Virus who became infected through secondary infection. Selective wild infection }

Dissolving man

Zeiram B

Super Zeiram

GOL-Variant

GOL-Imperfection Type

Various Powered Zombies

T- Advanced ( People infected by this virus will be rapidly mutating by their own will even outside an incubation tube, incapable losing themselves when they transformed. }

Unknown four legged zombie Type

Transforming B.O.W.

Corpse Snatchers

Blood Hounds

Retchers

Sirens

Crawlers

Sprinters

Slashers ( Evolved Pale Heads )

Blood suckers

01

Detonators

Demolishers

Bolters

Bruisers

The Seraphim ( Hsien-Ko-A }

The Flesh Wombs { Hsien-Ko-B }

The Afflicted { People who're mutating into Seraphim via merging of bio mass or through infection }

G-Virus Mutations

G Mutations

G Zombie

ENHANCED G MUTATIONS

The Puppeteers

Super Golgatha Zombie Beast

Super Golgatha-EX

G4 Detached-Hand Monstrosity

G-Dogs { Dogs infected with G-virus }

The witch ( Cats infected with G-virus }

G-Infected Animals { failed to develop G-Cells, or have imperfect replications. }

G-Hunters { Stronger Hunter Variant }

G-Marionettes { G-virus infected bodies stitched Together into doll like abominations }

G- Nobodies

HSIEN-KO CHILDREN

Rei-Ling

Li-Liang

Yanwang

Hsien-Ko-Novum

Hsien-Ko-Initium

[fiftytwotwentythree]

Wellness Wednesday:

Happy...? New Year?

I say, Yeah, Yeah It Is.

Avoid Eating Out... Check

Avoid Sweets/Junk Food... Check

Lose 52 Pounds... Check

Lose 100 Pounds... Check

Try Out a Vegetarian Diet/Lifestyle (for a month) without Making it a Personality... Check

Go the Whole Year Rockin' a Rat Tail... Check

Weigh the Lowest You've Ever Weigh in Almost 2 Decades... Check

Phew.

These last couple days/weeks/month I have been in a horrible mood, but the last two days of December I had sudden change in behavior and attitude.

I got hit with a surge chutzpah. Workouts became slightly easier. Even though I was running on fumes (aka massive lack of sleep) I don't feel exhausted like I have for the past few months.

And I gotta give up for the New Year and the Death of this Challenge. Seeing the days turn into hours with the Challenge made Heart Grow 3 Sizes... in a Good Way.

I can finally put this Weight Loss/Wellness Challenge down in books under the Win Column.

.

.

53rdth and FINAL CHECK-IN:

Current Goals:

Lose 52 lbs

Completed as of 4/12/2023

Milestone: Loss 100 lbs as of 11/01/2023

Milestone: Loss 104 lbs as of 12/27/2023 thus doubling my initial goal of 52 lbs

New Goal: Maintain or Continue on The Weight Loss Path

Avoid "Junk Food"

Completed:

A whole year with no Pizza, Ice Cream, Pop/Soda, Chips, Candy, Sweets/Desserts

Minimize Take-Out / Fast Food Consumption

Completed:

A whole year with no take out or eating out once - not one single outing.

Rock a Rat Tail for a Full Year: Completed

January 1st, 2023 - January 1st, 2024

R.I.P.

Short Term:

Vegetarian-ish Diet: Completed

End Date: 4/09/2023 - 46 Days Total

Groundhog's Day Diet: Completed*

10/01/2023 - 10/31/2023

.

.

Stats from December:

Food:

Cans of Soup: 20

Oranges: 19

Bags of Popcorn: 16

Leftover Meals: 5

Salads: 2

Take Out: 0

Candy/Sweets: 0

Workout:

Jumping Jacks: 18,500

Push-Ups: 4,600

Glute Bridges: 4,600

Reverse Leg Lifts: 4,600

Leg Kickbacks: 4,600

Sit-Ups: 4,600

Plank (mins): 230

Weight Loss:

Weightloss This Month: -5.2 lbs

Average Weightloss per Week: -1.3 lbs

Total Weightloss: -106.6 lbs

Entertainment:

Movies:

Movies Watched: 10

Favorite from the Month:

Migration

TV:

Hours of Television Watched: ~ 7 hours ( Ink Master; Last Week Tonight)

Books:

Books Completed This Month: 3

Book Title(s) Completed This Month:

Best. Movie. Year. Ever. by Brian Rafferty

Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan

Book Total for the Year: 7

Comics:

Comics Completed: 1

Trades Completed: 24

Comic/Trade Titles Completed:

Venom by Donny Cates Vol. 2: The Abyss (Venom (2018-2021))

Richard Stark's Parker Vol. 2: The Outfit

Ms. Marvel Vol. 2: Generation Why (Ms. Marvel Series)

X-Men '92 Vol. 2: Lilapalooza (X-Men '92 (2016))

Giant Days Vol. 2

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 2

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2 (of 6): Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Color Edition

All-New X-Men Vol. 2: Here To Stay

Civil War II (Civil War II (2016))

Archie vs Predator II

Deadpool by Daniel Way: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 (Deadpool (2008-2012))

Batman (2016-) Vol. 3: I Am Ban

Lumberjanes Vol. 4

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Vol. 6

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 7: I've Been Waiting For A Squirrel Like You (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015-2019))

Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol. 3: Itsy Bitsy (Spider-Man/Deadpool (2016-2019))

Richard Stark's Parker Vol. 3: The Score (Parker Novels Book 5)

Richard Stark's Parker Vol. 4: Slayground

She-Hulk Vol. 1: Law and Disorder (She-Hulk Series Box-Set))

All-New X-Men, Vol. 3: Out of Their Depth

Happy Horror Days #1 (Chilling Adventures in Sorcery)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 3

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3 (of 6): Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness - Color Edition

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 4

Batman (2016-) Vol. 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles

Favorite Comic/Trade Read:

Batman (2016-) Vol. 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles

Magazine(s):

Magazine(s) Completed: 0

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Meal Tracker:

THURSDAY

Lunch:

Can of Progresso Lasagna Style Soup

- (10) Crackers

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Supper:

(2) Hot Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

- (4) Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

- (2) Slices of Leftover Ham

- (2) Slices of Swiss Cheese

Bag of Orville Redenbacher Ultimate Butter Popcorn

FRIDAY

Lunch:

Can of Progresso Broccoli Cheese Soup

- (10) Crackers

Supper:

Hot Ham & Swiss Sandwich

- (2) Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

- (1) Slice of Leftover Ham

- (1) Slice of Swiss Cheese

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

(2) Handfuls of Orville Redenbacher Ultimate Butter Popcorn

SATURDAY

Lunch:

(1) Bowl Homemade Crockpot Chili

- Melted Cheese

(1) Sloppy Joe on a Bakery Bun

- Melted Cheese

(6) BBQ Chicken Wings

(3) Scoops of Broccoli Supreme Salad

Snack:

(10) Smokies

SUNDAY

Lunch:

Can of Progresso Creamy Chicken & Broccoli with Brown Rice

- (10) Crackers

Supper:

Can of Progresso Minestrone Soup

- (10) Crackers

*** NEW YEAR'S EVE ***

MONDAY

Lunch:

(2) Grilled Seasoned New York Strip Steaks

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Bowl of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

Snack:

Large Bowl of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Supper:

(3) Sloppy Joes on Bakery Bones

- (2) Cheese Slices

(4) Scoops of Broccoli Salad

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

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Workouts:

THURSDAY

* Morning Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

* Afternoon Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

* Evening Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

FRIDAY

* Morning Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(10) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(10) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

* Afternoon Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

* Evening Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

SATURDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

SUNDAY

* Morning Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

* Evening Workout *

(500) Jumping Jacks [10 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

*** NEW YEAR'S EVE ***

MONDAY

* Morning Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

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WEIGHT TRACKER:

Starting Weight (Noon, 1/01/2023): XXX.X lbs

Weight at Last Check-In, 12/27/2023:-0.6 lbs

Weight As of Noon, 1/01/2024: -2.6 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -106.6 lbs

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Closing Thoughts:

The Good:

Ended the year losing weight and weighing the lowest I ever weighed in almost TWO DECADES.

The Bad:

I dont know what to do for my next challenge and I am running out of time. What will be my 52 in '24???

I want Nachos soooooooo effing bad and my favorite Nacho Spot is closed for New Year's Day.

The Ugly:

Relasping is always in the back of my mind.

[crosseyedcricketart]

the natchez trace in 2024

original website post here <3 originally posted on January 14 2024 at 9:00 a.m. 01-14-2024.

The Natchez Trace – Updated into 2024.

The Natchez Trace was recently updated, reopening last year in Alabama, with some new pavement and updated rest areas. I recently passed through there when traveling out of Alabama so I thought it would be nice to have an anecdote from me to you about the updates.

Before the repaving, we always used the Trace heading into north Alabama and stopped at the rest stop in Colbert, Alabama. (Now, if you’re familiar with Steven Colbert, you may think you pronounce it the same as his name. But no. It’s “cole-bert” with a hard “t”.). This rest stop has been updated a bit, with a stable accessibility bar in the wheelchair-accessible stall of the restroom. Here’s some little bullet-points about this particular stop-

Water fountain, bottle fountain, and dog fountain. (Winterized at the time of travel).

Wheelchair/large stall with mobility handle available.

Multi-stall bathroom.

Hand drier, no paper towels.

Natchez Trace map available.

Picnic tables available.

Trash cans and recycling bin available.

Bicycle rack.

At the time, the fountain water was probably shut off for the winter season as it was ranging between 20°-40° F while we were there. The bathrooms were clean— very clean for what they are— with hand soap. In the women’s restroom, there is one sink, a mirror, and a filled soap dispenser. They use foaming soap in this area. These are the same buildings as before, while the inside had a facelift. These buildings are insulated well so they don’t let in too much of the cold. When I went in, it was a comfortable temperature. Not steaming, but certainly not cold. It was 43° F at the time of my visit. They use low light so the majority of the light in the buildings is natural light from the windows.

There are also no stairs at this stop, with ramp dips in the pavement from the parking lot into the side walk, and a ramp up to the restrooms. There is a little stand with a pamphlet of a map of the Natchez Trace Parkway and it’s expanse through Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. This was a very comfortable stop with dogs; our two dogs went with us on this trip and there was a comfortable amount of space between the road and the parking lot for the dogs to (leashed) walk around without me worrying about a freak accident happening. Speaking of dogs, this stop has a doggie water fountain. Or for a person who is a foot off the ground.

This stop, on Apple Maps, is “Colbert Ferry Visitor Center” with the address being:

Colbert Stand Trail Cherokee, Alabama 35616 United States

This stop is on the eastern side of Pickwick lake. This stop is where the Trail of Tears and Natchez Trace cross, the Trail of Tears following the Tennessee River and the Natchez Trace Parkway crossing over the river.

This leg of the trip was the trip back to Memphis, so we also passed through Walnut, Mississippi on Highway 72. Walnut is a small community with a Love’s Travel Stop. This particular Love’s has a Godfather’s Pizza Express in it. This location is very clean, well stocked, and has fresh food out. I am a very picky person with where I stop on trips and I tend to stop at truck/travel stops instead of normal gas stations. There is also a Jack’s beside the location. If you have never stopped at a Love’s, or a proper travel stop, they have fresh fruit, fresh coffee, warm food, and ample shelf-stable foods, along with some auto/truck care inside. Depending on the size of the stop, they have less and more of each. In my personal experience, Walnut’s location is one of the smaller travel stops.

Here’s the location of this Love’s off of Highway 72:

Travel Stop #799 600 Richardson Dr Walnut, Mississippi 38683 United States

For your own reference, if you’d like some more information, here’s a few resources relating to the Natchez Trace Parkway:

Natchez Trace Parkway via National Parks Service

Alabama Trail of Tears Locations via Muscle Shoals Heritage

Trail of Tears in Alabama via National Parks Service

That's all for today. I hope this was insightful and gave you an anecdote for this section of the Natchez Trace. Make sure to subscribe to get new blog posts in your inbox when I post. Have a beautiful day or night, wherever you are, and most of all, happy travels! - Annie, the crosseyed cricket.

[lucisz39]

Eurovision Semi 2

I was at work through the Semi so here are some very late notes.

01- Denmark: Reiley — “Breaking My Heart”. I swear you're a better Eurovision country than this. The song is catchy I'll give it that. Reiley had shaky vocals and sang exclusively to the camera the entire time. There are tik tok personalities like Sam Rider and then there are ones like Reiley. One has some stage presence the other only can make it work staring straight into a camera. I'm not sorry he didn't make it.

Sidenote- Daði Freyr? Love that for us

02- Armenia: Brunette — “Future Lover”. Not one I was feeling but shes talented. After Reiley I'm glad she didn't keep direct eye contact with the camera the entire time. Happy she escaped the placement of death unscathed though. Good for her.

03- Romania: Theodor Andrei — “D. G. T. (Off and on)”. The first song of the night I had downloaded. In the same category as Portugal for me. On Stage the artist is a sledgehammer of charisma. Some of the solo promo performances were much better than the national final. He's a great singer but he needed to rework the staging not the song itself. I love this one but I'm not surprised it didn't make it

04- Estonia: Alika — “Bridges”. It's a very pretty song. Exactly the kind of song that would qualify. I love her costuming but other wise forgettable. 

05- Belgium: Gustaph — “Because of You”. Another song I downloaded but it's not one I listened to a ton. I was worried how this one would go down live. But it a lot of fun! I had a big smile the whole time. The backup singers were absolutely killing it. That's saying nothing of the dancer! Simple effective staging.

06-Cyprus: Andrew Lambrou — “Break A Broken Heart”- Yeah I didn't remember this one. It's catchy and I'm feeling it. I really like the staging with the water effect and the fog. The performer is Barefoot which always a good start (think it worked in his favor). Is it me or does it sound like Believer by Imagine Dragons? And with that I think I just talked myself out of liking it.

07- Iceland: Diljá — “Power”. I normally love Iceland in Eurovision.  I'm surprised this one didn't grow on me. She's a talented performer and is giving it everything she's got. But not a song for me.  I am little sad she didn't qualify. I want to see Iceland win one year and I hope we didn't lose our best chance in 2020 with "Think About Things"

08-Greece: Victor Vernicos — “What They Say”.  Oh my god he looks like a baby. Repeat after me "not a song for me" (I'll say that a lot) but I liked this one. Hes got good energy. That being said, I really do root for the young ones swinging for the fences. I was rooting for the kid but understand why he didn't make it. I hope he keeps going with music and possibly Eurovision.

09-Poland: Blanka — “Solo”. Why the fuck is this here. Look at least she sounds like she's improved. That being said, hope she comes in last. NGL I skipped ahead when we hit the dance break.

10-Slovenia: Joker Out — “Carpe Diem”. Ok this is my favorite song of the year. Was a bit scared they were going to change the language to English when they released that version. Happy to see that wasn't the case. This performance was so much fun. Gonna be devastated if these guys don't make top 10. I knew they made it before I watched the replay but even still I was so stressed till they were announced. I was watching the Finnish broadcast and their hosts also sounded EXTREMELY stressed about them not getting called right away.

11-Georgia: Iru — “Echo”. Not even going to lie. I'm conflicted about this one. I love the way it sounds huge and bombastic. Iru can certainly sing. Love the staging but wish some of the dancers from the music video came in. At the same time the lyrics lean closer to worship music than a self-love song to me. It makes my skin crawl and I don't like it.

12- San Marino: Piqued Jacks — “Like An Animal”. I'm almost embarrassed about how much I like this one. I listen to a lot of alt rock and indie rock. I was primed to like it. This is another of my favorites and was on heavy rotation on my drives home. It's fun and catchy. It both makes me smile and want to dance. But I mean it’s a fine song. The performance at the national final was way stronger than the semi. It took the front man a good 2 minutes to get it together and start selling his performance. In a different year, if the stars aligned it could have made it to the final and it would have been in the bottom. I'm not surprised it didn't make it, but I am a little sad. Come on guys it wasn't a ballad! That's gotta count for something.

13-Austria: Teya & Salena — “Who The Hell Is Edgar?”. I said it before and I'll say it again. These guys had me nervous. Love the song it's been on heavy rotation. But I only saw one live performance before this and it was a fairly shaky one. Not tonight though. All cylinders were firing. My only note is I'm sad they didn't use the old guys in suits from the music video as the dancers. Also, please note, I am in love and so very fucking queer.

14- Albania: Albina and Familja Kelmendi — “Duje”. Again a "not my thing" song;. Nothing but respect for it though. A very heartfelt song and real family affair. But! Whoever compared them to the Addams family, I'm never going to not think of that now.

15- Lithuania: Monika Linkyte — “Stay”. Ok you might be expecting me to say this is another "not my thing" song... But I really really love this one. There are like 2 ballads that got me this year. This is one of them. The  “ciūto tūto” hook is living in my head rent free. She's got a lovely voice and the emotion she puts into the song really sells it. It's a very heartfelt song and it makes me want to wrap her up in a hug.

16- Australia: Voyager — “Promise”. Ok remember what I said for Piqued Jacks. How I mostly listen to alt rock... Yeah I don't love this one. I'll take it over (most) most of the ballads but it's my least favorite out of all the rock leaning ones. It did get a download though! I will say out of everyone in this contest I felt like Voyager wants to be here the most. Australia wants to be in Eurovision. I would rather watch people who want to be here than people feeling eh about it. Please keep inviting Australia. I was going to be genuinely upset if they didn't make it to the final.

Bonus!

- The Drag Queens. Ok I agree with the consensus. How do I vote for them?

Side note: All the Big 5 (6) were downloaded.

-Spain. No words. I love this whole thing. It's dramatic and so very different from last years. I only wish they took more notes from the music video for the staging.

-Ukraine. Her name is Fashion. Not the staging I expected. I quite like it though. There is something very classy about this one as well.  

-UK. Ok first off. Who dressed this girl in Shein? The song? It's a girly bop and a good time. She's not the best singer but well I don't think the UK wanted her to be. Look they have had a coronation and Eurovsion in the same month. Let them have this.

Look Semi-1 was an all out brawl for spots. This one was the Snooze fest. Yet somehow this is the semi of disappointments for me. See y’all Saturday for the final. How much time do you think it’s gonna run over this year?