#tamara ward

[cyazurai]

Evette goes into labor, and has a single baby girl this time.

She is named Tamara, a name suggested by @kissalopa! Thank you for the name, it's adorable!

[snathark]

You can carry me away to the deep, tear me apart and eat me there, please

[scintillulae]

[filmesbrazil]

[memoryaqua]

Before leaping into the water, find out if she's a mermaid or a siren.

Falling for scams does hurt people, actually

TW: Human trafficking, SA, torture, discussion of scam farms

I see a whole bunch of people arguing that they would rather risk giving to a scammer than ignore someone's gofundme. I also see people saying things like "I can't believe some sick people are profiteering off genocide" and like, me neither, but I feel like you guys really don't understand who actually runs these kinds of scams and what they are.

Scams of noticeable scale-- like scam asks being sent from hundreds of accounts to every user on Tumblr!-- are typically related to organised crime in poor countries, not Susan from Milwaukee who wants a new coat and has no scruples. People get trafficked by gangs to scam farms in Asia and Africa where they're worked to the bone and tortured trying to get idiots in wealthy countries to part with their money. Genocide profiteering is pretty much the least evil thing these people do.

Here's a UN article on it. Obvious warnings for content related to human trafficking and SA.

When you donate to a scammer, you fund these organisations and give them a reason to exist. It's possible some of the fundraisers are legit. I honestly find it unlikely given I'm not seeing any from any other countries where urgent fundraisers would seem to have great reason to exist but which haven't captured the same level of attention on Tumblr-- the number of Sudanese, Congolese, Ukrainian, Burmese or Uyghur fundraisers in my DMs is a fat 0. In any case, there are safer ways to help.

If you want to help (which is great!) you don't have to take the risk of paying for human trafficking. Donate to legitimate charities which have the resources to safely and effectively ensure the money and help is getting to the right people. Funding human trafficking rings in Myanmar is not a good risk to be taking while trying to help.

[tamaraward-lucas]

The NABJ Producers, Editors, and Freelancers Databases

A diverse journalist and a former Brookings Legis Fellow, Tamara Ward-Lucas returned to public affairs during the height of the pandemic, where she currently works in a robust federal press office. Tamara Ward-Lucas is also a long-time and active member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

With a membership base of more than 4,000, the nonprofit provides a range of service programs and advocacy support to Black journalists and media professionals across the United States and around the world. Tamara Ward-Lucas credits NABJ for providing with valuable training and employment opportunities through its producers, editors, and freelancer databases. After freelancing for almost a decade, Tamara Ward-Lucas became a full-time journalist covering government, politics and environmental issues in Maryland and on Capitol Hill.

For E&E News on Capitol Hill, she covered environmental and energy policy and politics and their intersection with the Trump Administration, 2020 Presidential Campaign, House impeachment inquiry, State of the Union Address, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Formerly, she covered the Maryland General Assembly, county government, local and state politics, as well as business, environmental and energy issues in Southern Maryland for APG Media. Her articles appeared in numerous newspapers, including The Calvert Recorder, The Maryland Independent, The Enterprise, and The Enquirer-Gazette. Tamara won two editorial awards from the Maryland Delaware DC (MDDC) Press Association during her time with APG.

As a young journalist, she interviewed Rosa Parks in the United States Capital for the UMTV show Coming of Age. There she also covered the housing foreclosure crisis in Maryland and other issues impacting residents in the Maryland Legislature.

Prior to her recent work in journalism, Tamara had been a public affairs specialist in the Federal Government. She also served as a Brookings Legislative Fellow in the House of Representatives, where she handled gun violence prevention, veterans’ issues, cybersecurity, voters' rights, government reform and campaign finance for a senior congressman.

She graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a bachelor's degree in Speech Communications and, as an Eleanor Merrill Fellow, she earned a master's degree in broadcast journalism with an emphasis in Public Policy and Political Reporting. Her training experiences through NABJ augmented the skills she acquired in college.

In 2022, Tamara Ward-Lucas participated in the annual NABJ Authors Showcase which spotlights Black literature. She interviewed her sister Tanya Ward Jordan who has authored 3 three poetry books (under the pseudonym Tanya DeVonne) and one book on civil rights in the federal workplace. The featured work at the showcase was In Black Skin which takes readers on a poetic journey from slavery in America to the current Black Lives Matter Movement, for which Ward Jordan won an award.

[problematic-faves-appreciation]

You know what I find really funny? How hard certain people clutch their pearl about Lore Olympus!Hades, acting as if he's "super-duper problematic", when in reality he is the softest, least offensive hero of his subgenre; "CEO/billionaire romance" — a subgenre full of possessive, controlling, abusive, alpha male billionares whose lovers aren't safe from their darkness.

Hades isn't any of those things, except for the CEO and super wealthy bits.

The haters compare him to Christian Grey? Hades isn't your typical CEO hero, let alone a cruel one like Grey; who's not even the darkest male love interest this subgenre has to offer! Amongst the heavyweights, you have Anthony Rawlings (Consequences by Aleatha Romig), Richard Payne (Ward by Zoe Blake), Joshua Smith (Tamara, Taken by Ginger Talbot), Darren Davis (Stolen by Jay Marie), Nikolas Constantinos (All That Glitters by Linda Howard), and Calvin Cutler (Descent by Sam Marino). These guys make Grey look boringly-tame.

Hades? Hydrogen bomb (most CEO/billionaire romance heroes) vs. coughing baby (Hades). Lol

[youremyheaven]

Vedic Astrology Symbolism & Recurring Motifs

other have already made posts about punarvasu's connection to butterflies but i thought id add to it

Miranda Kerr (Punarvasu Moon)

Drew Barrymore (Punarvasu Moon) with her famous butterfly tattoo

Drew with butterfly wings, from the movie "Ever After" (a unique Punarvasu interpretation of Cinderella)

Dita Von Teese (Punarvasu Ketu), walking for Jean Paul Gauthier

Margot Robbie (Punarvasu rising) in a Chanel butterfly print dress.

Dua Lipa (Punarvasu moon) wearing a dress with butterfly detailing. Dua has a well documented obsession with butterflies and her current ig pfp also features a butterfly. Her recent collection La Vacanza with Versace heavily features butterflies!!

Shakira (Punarvasu Moon) wearing Dua's butterfly shirt from her La Vacanza collection

Previously mentioned Pisces' connection to butterflies and here's Revati Moon, Angelina Jolie wearing a butterfly top!!

2. Here are a few more examples of Pisces rashi folks playing mermaids/aquatic roles

Gemma Ward, played Tamara in the Pirates of the Caribbean. She has Revati Moon & Jupiter (her atmakaraka) and Rahu in UBP

dont ask me what this look has to do with mermaids, to me its just a very mermaidcore look 🤣🤣🤣 and Emrata is UBP moon

3.Gana in Vedic astrology represents one���s nature. There are 3 types of ganas: Deva Gana (Divine), Rakshasa Gana (Demonic) and Manushya Gana (Human). now obviously not everyone with deva gana naks are going to be the nicest people ever, your gana is about what you project, people with deva ganas are perceived to be good people whereas those with rakshasa gana are either known for being shrewd and cunning or in some cases, have a really terrible reputation/other generally dislike them or may see them as "fake".

Rakshasa Gana: Ashlesha, Krittika, Mula, Dhanistha, Chitra, Magha, Vishakha, Jyestha and Shatabhisha

Deva Gana: Mrigashirsha, Ashwini, Revati, Punarvasu, Pushya, Swati, Hasta, and Anuradha.

Manushya Gana: Rohini, Bharani, Ardra, Shravana and Purvaphalguni, Purva bhadrapada, Uttarabhadrapada and Uttaraphalguni 

Actors who have played Angels in movies often have deva gana nakshatras.

Tilda Swinton plays Gabriel in Constantine and she has Swati Sun & Punarvasu Mars (amatyakaraka)

Buck Henry, who plays an angel in Heaven Can Wait has Pushya Moon, Punarvasu Jupiter & Revati Rahu

Christopher Walken plays Gabriel in The Prophecy. He has Revati Sun & Punarvasu Jupiter

Henry Travers, who plays an angel in Its A Wonderful Life. He has Hasta Moon, Revati Mars atmakaraka and Ketu in Swati

Alan Rickman plays an angel in Dogma. He has Swati Moon, Punarvasu Mars & Saturn (his atmakaraka) and Rahu in Mrigashira

Emma Thompson, plays an angel in Angels in America. She has Ashwini Sun, Punarvasu Moon, Hasta Rahu and Revati Ketu.

Emmanuelle Beart plays an angel in Date with an Angel. She has Revati Jupiter amatyakaraka and Rahu in Punarvasu

4. Actors who play the Devil often have rakshasa gana nakshatras

Peter Stormare plays the Devil in Constantine and he has Magha sun and Ashlesha mercury & mars (his atmakaraka & amatyakaraka respectively)

Shatabhisha sun Peter Fonda plays the Devil in Ghost Rider

Magha sun Robert De Niro plays the Devil in Angel Heart

Vishaka Sun Tom Ellis plays Lucifer in Lucifer

Chitra stellium, Viggo Mortensen, plays the Devil in The Prophecy

5. Mrigashira & Rohini both have serpent yoni. the lore of UBP and Ashlesha also features serpents heavily. needless to say, these natives are often depicted with serpents in the media.

In vedic astrology, your yoni animal is said to represent the way you express your sexuality and sexual desire. Serpent yoni natives are known for their intense, hypnotic sensuality and they crave for very passionate, fervent and often, extreme sexual experiences.

Elizabeth Hurley has Mrigashira sun & mercury with Rohini jupiter and rahu.

Jennifer Lawrence has Ashlesha sun & Mrigashira moon

Devon Aoki has Ashlesha sun. She has also spoken about growing up with pet snakes.

Salma Hayek has UBP moon and Ashlesha venus atmakaraka. speaking of filming this scene, Salma has often said that due to her phobia of snakes, she went into a trance to perform her sensuous dance. if you've watched this scene, you'll see how her performance has an almost serpentine quality to it, she moves in a very hypnotic and captivating way.

Rohini sun, Mrigashira mercury atmakaraka, UBP mars, Angelina Jolie with a snake.

Jolie has openly spoken about experimenting with BDSM and how much she likes knife play and what-not. Serpent yoni, sexual freakishness at its best (add to it, her Revati moon, another nak known for being sexually strange lol). She also had pet snakes growing up.

[goosemixtapes]

max's favorite short stories & articles!

to be updated as i read new things! "articles" could be anything from political points to philosophical musings to fascinating stories. obligatory statement that i don't necessarily agree with everything in every one of these stories/articles, but i think about them a lot and want to share :)

short stories

Avi Cantor Has Six Months To Live by Sacha Lamb (@kuttithevangu) (novella) (so says the writing on the bathroom mirror. of gender & judaism & magic and t4t trans guys. cw for suicidal ideation and bullying)

Epistolary by Sascha Lamb ("The [stuffed] frog you are selling on your blog is MINE and he is NOT HAUNTED and his name is MOSHE not BILLY HOPPER.")

Chokechain by Andrew Joseph White (a trans man discovers his parents have replaced him with a robot version of his pretransition self. cw for transphobia and violence)

Sandrine by Alexandra Munck (the tagline for this one is "I dated a sun god in college" but that doesn't do justice to the sheer concept here please read this)

You Wouldn't Have Known About Me by Calvin Gimpelevich (set in a hospital ward where patients are recovering from gender-confirming surgery)

No Flight Without the Shatter by Brooke Bolander (novella) ("After the world’s end, the last young human learns a final lesson from Earth’s remaining animals." cw for climate change/extinction)

And You Shall Know Her By The Trail Of Dead by Brooke Bolander (what if you had to death-match-fight a virtual version of yourself at your meanest made by your boyfriend whose life you're trying to save would that be fucked up or what. cws for guns and violence)

Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang (stories that clock you in the fucking teeth in the religious trauma.)

A Serpent for Each Year by Tamara Jerée (microfiction) ("Our relationship is almost a year old when I ask Nal why she is covered in snakes." cw for animal death)

The Front Line by W.C. Dunlap (microfiction) (cited as one of the world's finest attention-grabber openings. cws for police brutality, racism, and SA)

Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience by Rebecca Roanhorse (step into the simulation and gain an authentic experience! cws for anti-Native racism and alcohol)

The Husband Stitch by Carmen Maria Machado (one of the best stories ever written. once there was a girl with a green ribbon around her neck...)

City of Red Midnight by Usman T. Malik (a chronicle of nested stories-within-stories, set in old fantasy pakistan, inverting a myth from the one hundred and one nights)

We Work In Miraculous Cages by Brenda Peynado (following a college grad drowning in loans through the nightmare of neverending work)

Other Worlds and This One by Cadwell Turnbull (a brotherly relationship collides with a theory about atomic particles, space, and time)

And Then There Were (N-One) by Sarah Pinsker (a convention of alternate-universe selves--all Sarah Pinskers--becomes a murder mystery)

Fandom For Witches by Ruoxi Chen (fuck every other thing ever written about fandom)

Haunted Home by Conrad Loyer ("The ship features a recreation of a slave ship’s hold. The cruise prides itself on it. It is not a good recreation, if the metric is realism.")

articles & essays

Lockhart's Lament (on how math is taught in schools. that is, badly. one of the most cathartic essays i've ever read on education)

Against Cop Shit by Jeffrey Moro (on adversarial education)

Debunking "Trans Women Are Not Women" Arguments by Julia Serano (comprehensive, well-written, good to have as a reference point)

On Liking Women by Andrea Long Chu (and on the politics of desire)

Turning a Unicorn Into a Bat by Josh and Lolly Weed (on Mormonism, love, and whether a gay man and a straight woman can marry happily. cw for homophobia)

Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price (musings on motivation from a social psychologist and professor)

How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Peterson (how come everything happens so much?)

White Women Drive Me Crazy by Aisha Mirza (on the harm caused by white women. cw for racism)

Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong by Michael Hobbes (should be required reading for everyone at this point. cw for fatphobia and eating disorders)

Becoming Anne Frank by Dara Horn (on the cultural fascination with Anne Frank. cw for antisemitism)

The Ecstasy of Influence by Jonathan Lethem ([on/a] plagiarism)

On the Ethics of Boinking Animal People by Patricia Taxxon (video essay) (ostensibly what the title says, but actually a detailed musing on the essential properties of furry media and the freedom of dehumanization; changed my life a bit)

[popblank]

More random details from the final Broadway performance of Lempicka:

As I walked in line past the metal detectors at the theater entrance, composer Matt Gould was standing on the other side of the barrier, apparently waiting for someone. The people in front of me also recognized him and stopped for a few seconds to talk to him (from the body language it seemed like they paid him a compliment and he accepted it gracefully).

The merchandise had sold out the day before, but there were stacks of printed “Tamara de Lempicka” signature cards placed at the merchandise stands for people to take.

Prior to the show starting, there was a standing ovation as the creative team entered the theater and took their seats.

From my seat, there were standing ovations during the show for:

Eden Espinosa’s entrance (between the intro and “Unseen”)

Amber Iman’s entrance (prior to “Don’t Bet Your Heart”)

After “Don’t Bet Your Heart”

After “I Will Paint Her”

Sort of after “Woman Is,” but since the lights go up and it was intermission, it didn’t last long

After “Women”

After “Just This Way”

After “In the Blasted California Sun”

Even though ensemble member Nicholas Ward wasn’t in the show that day, I’m pretty sure I saw him come down the aisle and take a seat a few songs into Act I. It’s good that he was still able to be there.

The performance of “Paris” during the last show was especially funny. After the first madeleine Eden Espinosa accidentally spit out a crumb, which made the audience giggle. Thus primed for silliness, the audience laughed again when she turned back to her still life and had to swat at a fly that very obviously had designs on the madeleines. She continued with the “two madeleines” section but broke in the middle of licking the powdered sugar, which made the audience laugh, which made her laugh, etc. etc. There is some audio floating around where you can hear her kind of shakily wheeze out half a line there. In any case she got through the scene and called for Kizette, and now the audience was a bit amped up and gave Zoe Glick enthusiastic, prolonged entrance applause, which then made her giggle while trying to hold her goofy apple-pose which made EE grin (still with her mouthful of madeleine), to which the audience was like “wooooo!” and kept the applause going. After this the scene transitions over to the Baron and Baroness’s first appearance, which was also greeted with a lot of applause. So on the heels of all that the audience was very receptive to Beth Leavel’s ad-lib (“as I was saying…”), and it was a lot of fun to see and be a part of.

When Tamara and Rafaela finally have a chance to talk to each other by the bar at the Dead Rat, Suzy gives them some privacy and heads over to sit and/or flirt with the piano player (aka Charity Wicks, the show’s musical director & conductor). There is a sensitive piano line of two or three notes that is played a few times as Tamara's conversation with Rafaela gets more personal (it sounds very similar to the opening of “I Will Paint Her”) and in the final show it looked like it was actually Natalie Joy Johnson playing it.

During “Women,” after the Duchess de la Salle says, “I could use something for my entryway,” everyone looked at Suzy, Suzy looked at the audience knowingly, and the audience cracked up before she made the joke.

At the end of “Women” I think Rafaela and Tamara normally stand in the recessed semicircular seating area and briefly kiss each other. But since the applause kept going, well, so did they.

When Baroness left the stage after “Just This Way,” Beth Leavel looked very emotional and instead of just touching the Baron she stopped to give him a full arms-around-the-neck hug.

During “In the Blasted California Sun” Eden looked as if she were going to burst into tears through the entire song; the sense of sadness and loss was unusually palpable. (Which is one reason why “PUT THE PHONE DOWN” was so jarring.)

When the cast members circled by Tamara in the finale, it looked as if EE tried to give each of them a personal acknowledgement.

A photo during Raja Feather Kelly's speech:

Stuff I brought home:

(I purchased the pin before the Saturday matinee. By that evening everything was sold out.)

One last pic of the marquee later that evening:

[annalu86]

She’s ok.

Tim was sitting at his desk in his office, he wasn’t 100% sure but he’d guess it was late afternoon, anywhere between 2 and 4pm. His half eaten lunch pushed off to the side, replaced by a never ending pile of paperwork.

It had been ‘one of those days’, the ones where you don’t stop all day but feel like you’ve accomplished nothing. Tim hated those days.

Tim wasn’t surprised by the knock at his door, people often stopped in at his cramped, dingey, little office. To share progress on a case, ask a question and sometimes just for a catch up. He wasn’t sure which one he hated most.

He wasn’t sure he’d ever really get used to it, but one thing he was used to was people waiting to be told they could enter before opening the door and coming in. Especially when the blind to his, internal, window was down. As it was now. He was privy to sensitive information and took frequent calls packed with need to know intelligence, that people couldn’t just walk in on.

But the knock came, before he had a chance to invite them in, the door was being opened. Wade Grey was an imposing man and his large frame seemed to fill the small office, he took a step forward and closed the door behind him.

Tim was immediately on edge, he saw Grey almost everyday. In the bullpen, at roll call but during a shift where they were both in the building they mostly communicated by phone. So for him to have made the active choice to seek him out in person had Tim pushing up out of his chair, ready to jump in head first with what ever emergency Grey was about to detail.

Grey raised his hand. Tim stilled.

“She’s ok.”

“What?” Tim’s brain jumped in so many directions, as he stayed hovering half in his seat half out.

“She’s ok.” Grey repeated calmly “she’s already at the hospital. She’s ok”

Tim’s brain caught up all at once as he flew out of the chair and went to push past Grey. The older man placed a firm hand on Tim’s chest. “She’s ok”

“Stop saying that and tell me what’s going on” Tim all but yelled.

“She’s received a blow to the head. A bat. She lost consciousness for several minutes but was coming round as the medics arrived and was answering questions as they put her in the rig” Grey voice remained calm and steady. Tim wasn’t sure how, how could anyone stay calm when the world seemed to have tilted 90 degrees in an instant.

“Ok.” Tim took a breath, the blood pumping past his ears was almost deafening but the voice in his head was suddenly louder. Pull yourself together, it shouted. She’s ok, she’s at the hospital and she’s ok. He turned back to his desk, grabbed his phone and his keys and turned back around to face Grey “Tell whoever needs to be told that I’m out for… for however long. I don’t know”

“Tim, I’m driving” Grey’s tone broked no argument.

The two men quickly and quietly got into Tim’s truck. They drove in silence for some time, Tim could tell Grey was waiting for him to get over the shock.

“Was she alone?” Tim asked finally, breaking the silence.

“No Aaron was with her. The called into a noise disturbance, things got out of hand. Neither of them did anything wrong, from what I have gathered so far. Aaron called for back up and medics as soon as he was able.” Grey detailed.

“Ok” the silence stretched on longer.” I should call Tamara” Tim mused

Grey reassured Tim that Aaron was already on that. The rest of the short journey was made in silence. Tim tapped out a pattern on his thigh, stopping himself from asking Grey why he was driving so conservatively.

They reach the hospital, Grey let Tim out at the entrance and went off to park. Tim followed directions to Lucy’s room, meeting Aaron at the entrance to the ward.

“Tim” said the young man, clearly anguished “we didn’t see it coming, I’m so sorry”

“Grey explained everything. Don’t worry. Which room is hers?” He reassured the man as much as he could. His need to see her face had become desperate. Until he actually saw her, heard her breathing, touched her warm skin he wouldn’t truly believe that she was ok.

Aaron led the way, stopping at the door.

Tim took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

And there she was, slightly propped up, cables and wires attaching her to machines, a drip in her arm, her eyes open. But most importantly, at the sight of him, a small smile on her face. Tim breathed out.

“Hi babe” she said quietly “I’m ok. I promise”

“I can see” he joked “you’ve never looked better” he walked over, pulling the uncomfortable looking chair in the room close to the bed and settling into it. He reached out a touched her arm, warm.

“I’ve got something for you” Lucy said glancing at a piece of paper near her hand. He reached down and took it, opening up to read what was written there. “I didn’t think you’d actually believe me when I said I was ok and the drs are busy so I had Aaron write down their exact words”

Tim’s eyes widened, he read:

Miss Chen arrived conscious and alert. She was treated for a laceration to the back on the head. A range of tests were performed and a concussion diagnosed. Miss Chen will be kept in for observation and released when we are happy with her recovery. We expect Miss Chen to make a full and fast recovery.

Tim could tell from Aaron’s shaky script that he’d had trouble keeping up and had certainty paraphrased the drs words but Lucy looked so proud of herself for thinking to do it he just smiled at her.

Tim gently laced his fingers through hers and brought her hand to his lips, he kissed them gently. He listened to the rhythmic beeping of the machines and felt his breathing slow and his heart, which had been racing, was calming. He ran his free hand through his hair, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. It was a feeling he was used to, it usually came after a fight, or a chase. The adrenaline leaving his body. He wished he could climb into the bed next to her, but he didn’t want to jostle her, it was clear she had an almighty headache.

When Grey knocked quietly on the door 30 minutes later Tim barely looked up, he had his head resting on the side of Lucy’s bed, playing absentmindedly with her fingers. When Grey was followed into the room by Tamara, Tim stood up. Immediately he walked over to the young woman and wrapped his arms around her. They hugged awkwardly for a minute, neither of them comfortable but rather comforted that it’s something Lucy would do.

“Awwww” came a voice behind them “hospitalisation was all it took to stop you two bickering, if I’d have known…”

“I give it a week” laughed Grey.

Grey stayed for around an hour, long enough to catch up with Lucy’s drs and get Lucy’s account of events first hand. He then excused himself and turned his attention to forcing Aaron home to get some sleep.

Tim allowed Tamara some alone time with Lucy, he hadn’t wanted to leave at all but he knew if he was going to persuade the girl to go home for the night he would have to let them have some quality time together first. Lucy was Tamara’s sister, mom, best friend and teacher all rolled into one and Tim respected how important the relationship was to both women.

He paced around the corridors for a while before heading for the gift shop. His eyes bulged at the prices but he ended up picking out a small, but cheerful, bear and, deciding he’d given the women enough time, headed back up to Lucy’s room. Determined to drive Tamara home, pick up some of Lucy’s things before heading back to Lucy’s side for the night.

Arriving back to the room he was met with Tamara sitting on the bed, near Lucy’s feet. She was giving a Blow by blow of a conversation she’d had with some friend or another, that neither he or Lucy had ever met, but Lucy was clearly fully invested. He didn’t know how she did it.

Eventually he was able to interrupt, Tamara told Lucy she’d see her the next day and that she loved her, she glanced up at Tim and said “I’ll wait outside, don’t get too gross this is a public place” Tim sighed and rolled his eyes.

He stood hovering for a minute, not sure how to express the sheer overwhelming emotion of the last few hours. Lucy interrupted his thoughts.

“I’m ok” she said simply. He walked over and kissed her on the forehead as gently as he could. “I love you” she whispered.

“I…” he tried to reply but the words got caught in his throat. He brushed his lips against hers. His feelings suddenly to big for words but he owed it to her to try “I love you too” Tim smiled “I’ll be back as soon as I can, try and sleep”

He left the room, spotting Tamara chatting to a nurse at the end of the corridor he set off in her direction.

“She’s ok”

[cyazurai]

They might be my occult family, but they're so domestic and normal.

[silverskull]

Centrifugal Motion

Chenford Week 2023

Day 5: Love Languages Day

I am obsessed with lip balm, so this story basically started itself.

Tim knows Lucy's taste. Even when she changes it.

Full fic below the cut, or here on AO3.

.

.

Monday was strawberry.

He could be sure of that much.

She kissed him before jumping out of the truck, grinning and skipping through the doors of the station with one quick look back, her hair swishing around her shoulders like willow leaves. The ghost of her lips against his lingered; soft and strawberry sweet.

Metro had been called to decamp a nest of violent squatters, needles and syringes scattered through the rotting litter of dumpster food and human excrement. His team was armed to the teeth, helmeted and gaitered and gloved, kitted out in full SWAT gear and steel-toed boots. They swept  their flashlights through each squalid room, the squatters scattering like rats, or - worse - popping up like angry racoons, teeth bared and any imaginable deadly item clutched in their bony hands as a weapon.

And all Tim could taste was strawberry.

Birthday cake and frosting; his favourite donuts or her chai latte.

***

Tuesday was vanilla.

He had the day off, and he was going to spend the morning sorting through the pile of his clothes that had begun to accumulate in the corner of her bedroom. She danced around him, running away with two long-sleeved tops and a tee that she refused to return (and which he had to admit he enjoyed seeing her wear - whether curled up in a ball on the couch inside the tent of his tee, or stretched out asleep in their bed with her arm across her forehead, chest rising and falling gently beneath his soft old henley).

He’d caught her in the doorway, and although she didn’t let go of the clothes, she stretched up to kiss him, leaning her weight against him and trusting his arms to hold her. And she tasted of vanilla. 

Tamara had emerged then, groaning when she saw them making out, and declaring the situation ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ before demanding the breakfast pancakes that Tim had promised her the evening before.

Lucy smirked, dodging into the bedroom behind him to squirrel away his shirts in her own closet, and then she joined them for breakfast, peppering his face with small vanilla kisses when she finished her food and hurried out to work.

***

Wednesday was mint.

She yawned awake beside him, stretching out sensuously and stuffing the toes of one foot right under his knee, before reaching for her nightstand and popping the lid off her lip balm. He’d slept well, and was loath to have his comfort disturbed, so he reached an arm around her waist, pulling her back into his side as she burst into giggles. He’d discovered early on that she was ticklish, the finding warding off the heavy emotions unearthed in both of them by the sight of her tattoo, and it became a tactic he frequently employed when he wanted his way in particular situations.

She gave in to him, sinking back into her pillow and allowing him to tuck his head into her neck and under her jaw. She stroked her fingers along his hair, around his ear, over his cheek, and she hummed softly to herself, the music reverberating along her chest and deep into the core of his bones.

She’d dropped kisses on his face before she eventually got out of bed, mint tingling along his forehead and nose and cheek, and when she was gone into the bathroom, singing along to her playlist, he swiped the stick of balm, opening it up and inhaling the scent to fill his lungs and his memory.

***

Thursday was citrus.

Orange or mandarin or clementine - he didn’t know. Something sweet and summery and as effervescent as her.

They were running a training day - Patrol and Metro divided into mixed groups and scattered throughout an obstacle-laden warehouse. He’d ended up on the opposite team to her, and he rolled his eyes as she whispered to Thorsen, plotting and planning and waggling her eyebrows across the room at him suggestively.

Competition still got his blood rushing, even more so when he knew the results would continue to play out once they got home together that night. Grey and Pine stood on a balcony overlooking the course, whistling and calling out fouls, or removing ‘dead’ participants. The scoreboard clocked up behind them, each team neck and neck, and Tim suddenly found himself and Webb in a room surrounded by enemies. Webb was taken out instantly, but Tim pulled off a magnificent feat of evasion; briskly eliminating his opponents and scurrying out of the room to safety.

A small stairs lead to a semi-hidden overlook, and he backed into it, rubbing the sweat off his forehead with his shoulder as he crouched low beneath the shield wall.

He should have known to look around first.

She was buried in the corner, her weapon aimed straight at him, a sly smile curving one corner of her lips.

He surrendered, removing the strap of his paintball gun and offering it to her in supplication. She took it from him, but she yanked when he didn’t expect it, toppling him over and into her lap, and suddenly the world was just her lips and her skin and her eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks like butterflies, and citrus - citrus everywhere.

Thorsen had found them then, and in his disgust at Lucy’s betrayal, shot the two of them, eliminating them both from the competition.

One more amused citrus kiss, and they pulled each other up from the ground, walking to the exit side by side.

***

Friday was hemp.

She had the day off and she packed him out the door with a hug, lacing her fingers around the back of his neck and plastering herself to his face. His hands were full of keys and coffee, but he still found a way into the back pocket of her pyjamas, impishly squeezing her cheek until she squealed and jumped away from him, her face turning pink, even in the early dawn light. She’d given him one more kiss, then shoved him away from her, backing inside the door and peeping through the gap until he turned the corner in the hallway.

It wasn’t until he was sitting in his truck that he recognised the flavour, and he had to search hurriedly for something to wipe it off. There were always K9 units benignly stalking the corridors, or - knowing his luck - he’d get called for a random drug test. Even if her lipbalm was only imitation, it was better safe than sorry.

Thankfully, the number of women who rode in his car was extensive, and one of them had preemptively stocked his glove compartment with ‘babysoft’ wipes, which he now used to remove the trace of her taste. 

He felt sad for doing it, and then he felt silly. He’d see her again tonight. She’d chosen him, and he’d chosen her, and they could kiss each other as much as they wanted, whenever they wanted, and surely - at some point - he’d have tasted her every flavour.

***

Saturday was fear.

Fear and worry and trepidation and barely reigned-in panic.

Why she’d ended up at a mall, he still hadn’t fathomed, but here they were. She’d gone with Tamara on Friday afternoon, and they’d split up to do some shopping before catching a movie.

The terrorists had descended on the department store Lucy was in, blocking all the exits and sealing the security gates before anyone noticed. The alarms had sounded and Tamara had - sensibly - hidden and called Tim, staying in her hidey-hole until he came to get her. Three suspects were arrested in the main concourse when SWAT and Metro entered, but they were no closer to a compromise with the hostage takers by the time it hit midnight.

The store had a grocery section, and they’d planned well - by some estimates there was over a month’s worth of supplies in there - more, if the number of hostages was reduced.

He wasn’t thinking about that. 

There hadn’t been any deaths so far, although the images they sent out made clear that the terrorists had the upper hand.

Lucy wore yellow. Her hair was loose and they’d taken her bag, but it gave him heart to see her photo, considered defiance written plain across her face.

That night, Angela offered to keep watch for him; Grey threatened to have him sent home; Pine agreed to let him stay if he promised to rest in the back of one of the shops.

There was no way he could sleep. Any time he closed his eyes, his mind conjured up the worst of every hostage situation he’d ever witnessed. Lucy’s yellow top, ripped and blood stained; her legs twisted at odd angles; her hair matted and stuck to the floor in a dark red puddle.

He took out his phone instead, scrolling through his gallery and adding all his favourite pictures of her (which was essentially just all his pictures of her) to an album called ‘Lucy’.

The negotiators came to an agreement in the middle of the night, trading out both the child and elderly hostages for whatever the fuck these assholes thought was worth the centre of his whole life.

Lucy had used the distraction to her advantage, roping in a bundle of semi-confident employees and customers, and taking out the terrorists with cans of soup and one surprisingly agile Krav Maga enthusiast.

He hung back while SWAT breached, following with the second wave of Metro officers so that by the time he arrived in the store, the suspects were all in handcuffs (or unconscious under piles of soup cans) and he could drop his gun and run straight to Lucy.

She registered his presence a split second before he swept her into his chest, and somehow she was able to jump, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around the back of his knees. He spun on the spot, inhaling the smell of her sweat and her skin, and she whispered comforting nothings into his ear, her hands stroking gently through his hair and along his jaw.

I’m alright, I’m here, I’m safe, It’s over, I’ve got you…

***

Sunday was her.

Just. Her.

They slept for hours, almost comatose with relief and exhaustion.

He woke first, watching her chest rise and fall in the warm afternoon light. They’d showered when they got home, but she was too tired to dry her hair, and it spread across their pillows now in flowing chestnut waves. Her arms were bare, small nicks and bruises scattered amongst the light hair and freckles, and he traced his fingers along the winding map they etched into her skin.

She woke slowly, a deep and satisfied intake of air through her nostrils, turning into a luxurious yawn at the apex of the breath. She turned to him, and he reached out, tucking her into his side as her eyes drifted open to meet his with a sleepy smile. He could feel her fingers toy with the collar of his shirt, tickling at the overgrown stubble on his neck and jaw, and his heart thumped painfully with the sheer immensity of his love for her.

With her fingers on his chin between them, he kissed her; sleep-sticky lips and morning breath turning into soft smiles and gentle kisses.

And she tasted like her.

He knew her taste so well.

It was the taste of sunny summer drives and champagne parties; baking in the kitchen and hiking in the mountains with Kojo; browsing college brochures with Tamara and babysitting in the Lopez-Evers house.

It was strawberry and vanilla and citrus and hemp. It was vanilla chai latte and Nevin’s pastries. It was suds in the shower and perfume on the lobes of her ears. It was wool shirts and tin police badges, feathery fake eyelashes and temporary tattoos, beer and notebooks and Vietnamese food and tiny leather boots and every moment that they’d ever shared that had led them right here.

To this.

Her, wrapped safe in his arms, and him, curled tight against her body.

Her taste was ever-changing and ever-familiar, and he’d know her in the dark with his eyes closed.

She tasted like Lucy.

She tasted like Tim.

She tasted like forever.

[rookieoneil]

HOWLING HEARTS

Chapter SIX

Preview

Lucy followed Tamara off to a large building, inside a whole lot of people were seated and eating together. She was eyed by a few people as they walked through. Nervously Lucy tried to hide herself, wrapping her arms around her body.

“Ignore them,” Tamara said as they found a table in the back of the room. “They aren’t used to someone new. Especially not a potential queen.”

“I’d appreciate it if you stop calling me that,” Lucy muttered. “I am not a queen.”

“Not yet,” The teen shrugged. As Lucy's gaze sweeps across the room, she can't help but feel a pang of nervousness as she catches the curious glances of the other pack members. Their eyes seem to follow her every move, scrutinizing her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Despite their attempts to conceal their scrutiny, Lucy can sense the weight of their gaze bearing down upon her, their silent judgment sending a shiver down her spine. With each passing moment, her nerves threaten to overwhelm her, and she finds herself wishing that Tim were by her side, his mere presence enough to ward off the prying eyes of their fellow pack members. In the absence of his reassuring presence, Lucy feels exposed and vulnerable, longing for the comfort and protection that only Tim can provide. As she struggles to maintain her composure amidst the sea of stares, Lucy can't help but yearn for the moment when she can escape the scrutiny of their judgmental gazes and find solace in the safety of Tim's embrace. “Are you okay?” The teen asked.

“They are staring,” She said, looking down.

[havendance]

Indie Comic Reading Roundup

I've gotten through just about all the trades I checked out at this point (ignoring all the dark knight metal stuff), so here's my thoughts:

Once and Future vol. 1 by Kieron Gillen, art by Dan Mora, colors by Tamara Bonvillain (collected Issues #1-6)

I am not super into arthuriana but I think it's fun to dip my toe into every once in a while. The basic plot here involved the mythic cycle being re-enacted in the modern day, which I am always a sucker for so I thought it was quite fun. The pacing felt a little rough at first--moving very quickly when I would've appreciated a little more time spent to stop and get explanations--but I really felt like it got into the swing of things for the last 2 issues which really took advantage of everything that had been building.

Art was good (though since I've gotten used to seeing Mora draw superheroes, it did take a moment for my brain to switch gears here). The grandmother is very fun. I probably check out more of this series.

The Invisible Kingdom vol.1 by G. Willow Wilson, art by Christian Ward (collected issues #1-5)

This one didn't click for me. With one of the two basic ideas being 'space monastery', I wanted to like it, but I felt like the execution didn't quite do it for me. I think I would've like more time to sit and build out the world more; there were several aspects that I would've liked to see expanded on. There were aspects of the plot that didn't really work for me and I found myself wanting more clarity on what sort of timeline these events were happening on.

Ward's art was also very hit or miss for me: it really thrived when depicting space. It had gorgeous colors and dynamism then. Other times, it felt rough and kind of unfinished in a way that didn't work for me. I don't think I'll be reading this one further.

Dark Spaces: Wildfire by Scott Snyder, art by Hayden Sherman, colors by Ronda Pattison

I really loved this one. This collected a stand-alone 5 issue story that was very well executed. It tells the story of a squad of women convict firefighters in California who embark on a heist which (in true heist form) proceeds to go wrong. It was well plotted--all the characters felt distinct, though with only 5 issues and 5 women on our squad, it felt like we only really got to know a couple really well.

The art was gorgeous. Pattison's colors especially were a pleasure to look at. I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Pia Geurra, and colors by Pamela Rambo (collected issues #1-10)

This one's a bit of a stretch for the indie comics category since, upon checking, it's Vertigo. Not sure where that falls as a DC imprint. Regardless, it gets included on here as it doesn't take place in any larger universe and I might as well.

Brian Vaughan can tell a good story. This is no exception. I sat down on the floor and read all 10 issues in this in one fell swoop. So yeah, gripping story, very engaging. All the characters and world-building feels very thought out. The main road trip plot going on so far gives a very good excuse to see the different ways the world has been effected/people have responded to plague which wipes all men(except for our titular last one) that is the inciting incident.

I like the art style and flatter colors that this has. I definitely want to read more. Apparently I can access this on dcui which I didn't realize previously. We shall see in which format I end up reading this.

[problematic-faves-appreciation]

TWs: Abuse, ableism mention, miscarriage mention, suicide mention, stalking, revenge porn mention, child death mention

I decided to take this reblog and make it into its own post. The list shall keep growing!

Problematic Millionaire/Billionaire/CEO/Tycoon Romance Male Leads Who Make Hades (Lore Olympus) Look Like Perfection Incarnate!

I ranked these guys differently here, color-wise, than I did on a certain list of mine.

The billionaire MMC (male main character) is a problematic romance hero known for generally being an asshole to his lover — Hades stands as THE ultimate exception to that rule — so I chose characters that stand out from the others regarding their douchebaggery towards the FMCs.

Cesare Falcone and his lover — The manga adaptation left out a lot of stuff, but it sure visually captured his jerkass energy perfectly. Don't let his orange status 🟠 fool you into thinking he's less of a cruel hero. This dude, not even a dark romance MMC, told his wife he would kill her if she cheated on him. Maybe he was bluffing, but still... yikes.

Billionaires are the dukes of contemporary romance, and vice versa (historical romance).

All of these guys got a HEA.

Top = Most Problematique

⚫ Richard Payne (Dark Obsession series by Zoe Blake)

Known for gaslighting his object of obsession into believing she was "actually" in the 19th century.

⚫ Gage Channing (The Devil's Kiss series by Gemma James)

Blackmailed the heroine to become his slave, or else he would have turned her over to the police and not paid for her sickly daughter's cancer treatment if she hadn't given in to his demands.

⚫️ Drew Kelley (The Underestimated series by Jettie Woodruff)

Abused his wife for 6 years over something that wasn't her fault.

⚫ Tony Rawlings (Consequences series by Aleatha Romig)

The man was a woman's worst nightmare.

He influenced the course of FMC's life for years, since she was a college sophomore (about 19 years old). His plans led to her abduction at the age of 26.

⚫ Joshua Smith (Tamara, Taken by Ginger Talbot)

A sadistic, billionaire/serial killer.

⚫ Quincy "Q" Mercer (Monsters in the Dark series by Pepper Winters)

🔴 Calvin Cutler (Descent by Sam Marino)

Abducted her cat.

🔴 Jesse Ward (This Man series by Jodi Ellen Malpas)

🔴 Nicholas Challoner (The Guarded Heart by Robyn Donald)

A proto-dark romance MMC?

Blackmailed the heroine into marrying him/ becoming his brood mare.

🔴 Nikolas Constantinos (All That Glitters by Linda Howard)

Also something of a proto-dark romance MMC. And the word "no" doesn't exist in his dictionary. FMC tried to escape him, but he caught her; "I would have had you back within two days at the most."

🔴 Gray Rutherford (Kiss From A Rose by Maya Alden)

Emotionally abused and neglected his wife to the point where she became suicidal. He treated her poorly for 20 years.

🔴 James Roth (Singed series by Mia Knight)

Blackmailed his ex-wife into remarrying him. He treats her like she's his possession.

🔴 Milo Sinclair (Quarantine series by Drethi Anis)

A parental figure/legal guardian–dependant relationship mixed with romance and addiction. Makes for a very toxic dynamic.

🔴 Sebastian Everett (Virtue & Vanity by Astrid Jane Ray)

His wife was completely terrified of him — and not in a fun, she-secretly-digs-that kind of way.

🔴 Callum McCord (Liars Like Us by J.T. Geissinger)

Manipulated FMC's life for five years, creating her dire financial situation to make her accept his marriage of convenience proposal. As if that wasn't bad enough, he recorded their marriage in Vatican City — trapping her! Divorce is illegal there.

🟠 Miles Osborne (Everything for Her by Alexa Riley)

Started orchestrating the heroine's life after meeting her as a high schooler. He was five years older than her.

🟠 Lucio Masterton (At the Spaniard's Convenience by Margaret Mayo)

Destroyed FMC's small company — her life work that she ran for about 15 years — to make her dependent on him. He won.

🟠 Mark Walker (Faithless Duet by Skyler Mason)

Cheated on his wife for 15 years out of spite.

🟠 Zack King (The Land Where Sinners Atone by V.F. Mason)

Had the FMC beaten to a pulp in prison, and stole her baby. He never apologized for the latter. Did not grovel.

🟠 Scott Blackstone (You Can Have Manhattan by P. Dangelico)

This man's the only MMC here that I hate. A lot. I'm still upset about the crappy cabin, and his public slandering of FMC. >:c

🟠 Noah Carter (Best Served Cold by Maya Alden)

Made a sex tape with FMC — without her knowledge — to blackmail her father. As a result, he ruined her life, and she lost her home.

🟠 Cesare Falcone (A Savage Betrayal by Lynne Graham)

Harlequin Presents sure loves its vengeful, Mediterranean billionaire heroes!

Isolated FMC at his castle home in Sicily, which was several miles away from the nearest village.

🟠 Killian Spencer (A Vow of Hate by Lylah James)

Repeatedly called the scarred heroine "beasty".

🟠 Christian Grey (Fifty Shades)

Many of the guys on this list make Grey look tame.

🟠 Preston Parker (Two Weeks Notice by Whitney G.)

FMC, who was also Preston's executive assistant, tried quitting her job on account of his bosshole ways — but she couldn't, since he had her sign a contract with an "indefinite employment term" fine-print clause written in white ink. What's more, every bonus she accepted added an additional year to the contract.

🟡 Hudson James (Say You Love Me by Sabre Rose)

Blamed his wife for their baby's death (as if he hadn't played a part in it), making her miserable. This couple's problems were solved with... cuckolding.

🟡 Sandro De Lucci (The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders)

The heroine attacked him, and he totally deserved it. Why did she do it? He blamed her for her miscarriage.

🟡 Bryce Palmer (A Husband's Regret by Natasha Anders)

Told his wife that he "never really loved her". He said it to hurt her.

🟡 Bram Gage (Going Nowhere Fast by Kati Wilde)

Considered FMC a bad influence on his sister. He was such an asshole about it.

🟡 Aristide Kourous (The Greek's Christmas Baby by Lucy Monroe)

Wouldn't believe his wife! >:c

Bottom = Least Problematique