#the ones I found are our native one and it is not impressive looking

[seabeck]

I did it. I finally found psilocybin mushrooms!

[heritageposts]

Harris has been a staunch supporter of Israel for years. In 2017 she addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual conference and reminded attendees that the first resolution she co-sponsored as a senator was aimed at combating “anti-Israel bias” at the United Nations. “Let me be clear about what I believe. I stand with Israel because of our shared values, which are so fundamental to the founding of both our nations,” she told the crowd. In 2018 she gave an off-the-record speech to the organization, but eventually released her comments. In that speech she claimed that she raised money for the Jewish National Fund as a Girl Scout. “Having grown up in the Bay area, I fondly remember those Jewish National Fund boxes that we would use to collect donations to plant trees for Israel,” she told the audience. “Years later, when I visited Israel for the first time, I saw the fruits of that effort and the Israeli ingenuity that has truly made a desert bloom.”

For those unfamiliar with the Jewish National Fund (JNF), they're a Zionist organization that has been instrumental in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

See Stop the JNF for more information on their history, the way they operate, and their decades-long campaign of greenwashing (i.e. destroying native plants, crops, and agriculture under the banner of 'making the desert bloom').

Continuing, the Mondoweiss article goes:

“The vast majority of people understand the importance of the State of Israel,” she added later. “Both in terms of its history and its present in terms of being a source of inspiration on so many issues, which I hope we will talk about, and also what it means in terms of the values of the United States and those values that are shared values with Israel, and the importance of fighting to make sure that we protect and respect a friend, one of the best friends we could possibly have.” While running for President in 2019, Harris was praised by the lobbying group Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) for running to the right of Obama on the Iran deal. On the campaign trail Harris told Kat Wellman, a voter affiliated with DMFI, that she would reenter the agreement but “strengthen it” by “extending the sunset provisions, including ballistic missile testing, and also increasing oversight.” “I was very impressed with her. I thought she gave an excellent speech, she gave a very detailed, responsive answer to my question,” Wellman told a local paper after the exchange. “I’m pro-Israel, so I was I was very concerned and all about making sure we limit nuclear missiles in any country that could possibly destroy us all. I thought her answer was very good.” Harris has condemned the BDS movement and claimed that is “based on the mistaken assumption that Israel is solely to blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” However, she voted against an anti-BDS bill in 2019 citing First Amendment concerns.

For the full article, which includes Kamala's response to Israel post Al-Aqsa Flood, see Mondoweiss (July 22, 2024)

[chezzywezzy]

Yandere Gwi-Nam (1/4)

Word Count: 3.9k

I remembered that I actually wrote this whole thing for fun several months ago. Might as well use this for an easy peasy ease back into society.

R stared at the email on her phone, her brain scrambling to make sense of the Korean typo in the email. Although she stood in the main hallway, gathering many stares from the native Korean high school students, the posted signs were not the most helpful.

She took in her surroundings once again, adjusting her old and well-loved frog backpack, loaded with stationery. The hoard of students desperate to make it to class on time sometimes collided, and R was astounded at the sheer student population of the public high school. Unlike from her home country, the high school seemed well-funded and quite modern, even compared to the college she was actively attending at home — which had given her this opportunity abroad. The atmosphere made R somewhat anxious.

R sighed, deciding the best course of action — after a few failed attempts of grabbing a frantic student’s attention — was to go to the right and follow past the principal’s office. R’s entire goal was to find the teacher’s lounge. And although one might think to ask the principal, she was terrified of making a poor first impression. 

The hallway had grown vacant and silent, only the sound of her footsteps echoing. She noticed her tattoo cover-up sleeves were scrunching slightly, and while walking, looked down to adjust it.

She suddenly heard loud, quick footsteps come from behind. Just as she went to glance over her shoulder, a hard shoulder smashed into her back and knocked R forward onto the ground. She scraped her knees, which created instant panic. As she scrambled to sit and inspect her knee, there was a cruel snicker.

R scowled, recognizing the tear in her leg sleeve. Luckily, R was always analy OCD and overprepared, and knew she could clip it with a pin and hide it under her knee-length black skirt. 

Two shoes stopped in front of her. R looked up, unamused. A student who looked far more mature than his peers by a few years toward her with black banks and a Korean-styled mullet. As she was still adjusting from her native tongue to Korean, his words did not register at first.

R’s scowl disappeared as she intently focused on the words.

“Since when does our school let in foreign [unknown]?” he sneered.

R blinked, only assuming it was foul language spitting from his mouth, and rolled her eyes. “You are making a bad first impression on a new teacher.” She intentionally left out the assistant.

She watched as his breath and stance stiffened. “Shit.” He glanced her over, a slight smirk growing. “The school must be desperate if they took in a foreign [whore] with fake hair and tattoos.”

R’s eyes widened and her cheeks darkened, pulling the dark brown wig over her head to hide her brightly dyed hair. She finally brushed herself off and pinned the sleeves together. R returned to her feet, only then recognizing the slight burn in her knees.

“Listen, kid. How about you mind your business and I’ll mind mine? I can already tell you’re an asshole, so I’d recommend you get to your class before I bring you with me to the principal’s office for harassment.”

The student sneered and crossed his arms. There was a momentary tense staredown before he seemed to loosen up, clicking his tongue and walking off — but not without snatching one of her decorative to-do list papers. R sighed, not caring enough to pursue her to-do list. She already seemed fairly unprofessional with her frog backpack, so a pink sticky note with Hello Kitty on it was better off left out of sight.

Despite the aggravating experience, R continued on her way, plastering a smile on her face. Eventually, she found the teacher’s office empty. However, a teacher named Ms. Park had left a name on the door with R’s name and the classroom number. R sighed with relief, heading off to the classroom.

R burst through the classroom door. Ms. Park had been speaking, but all went silent except for the muttering of students. R was nervous, but as time passed, the classroom became as familiar as any other.

~~~

R blasted her somewhat generic pop playlist since the old songs from the 2000s never grew old to her. She was chowing down on her boxed lunch, which was cutely styled like everything else: a Hello Kitty lunchbox, as she succumbed to capitalistic desires of that brand easily. 

The concrete, half-built foundation was where she went during the lunch period to get some peace and quiet. During the semester, construction had been placed to a halt except for weekends, as there were frequent noise complaints from school staff and students. To R, it was her perfect hide-away location from prying eyes.

As she finished up her homemade kimbap — an accomplishment R was proud of — Shake It Off began echoing from her phone. R grinned, and she stood up. She sang poorly, but sang with it regardless, even incorporating some equally poor dance moves during the chorus.

R halted mid-song as her stomach had a sharp, sudden pain, hissing loudly and grasping her stomach. She cursed under her breath.

“Eh? How unathletic are you? How embarrassing.”

R gasped in fright, swerving to face the onlooker. She sighed out of relief, recognizing the infamous rule-breaker from her classroom (although he rarely attended class). R had a neutral opinion of the boy, as he was notoriously the “bully’s gopher,” but hadn’t ratted her out or spread any rumors about her unprofessional underbelly. 

“At least I’m more athletic than the gym instructor,” R shot back, noticing that the stomach pain had left.

Gwi-nam’s eyebrows raised, adorning a cheeky grin. He often put up an air of unapproachability, but due to R’s semi-authority, it seemed he neither cared to intimidate nor to fake manners. 

“You could get fired for saying something like that.”

“I could get fired for a lot of things, kid.”

R went over and sat back on the cement steps, furrowing through her lunchbox and sipping on an internationally imported Capri Sun. Gwi-nam leaned on the crudely placed metal rails, leering over the woman. He eyed the package curiously, as well as the rest of the cutified objects.

“I’m amazed someone like you got transferred here,” Gwi-nam scoffed. “There’s nothing professional about you.”

“My college GPA, past internships, letters of recommendation, and my polyglot status say otherwise. Besides, Ms. Park says I bring a modern level of cultural diversity.”

“God, you’re full of yourself.”

“So what?” R chortled, slurping up the rest of her juice. “I deserve to be a little self-confident. I worked hard to get here.”

Gwi-nam rolled his eyes. “Whatever. What the hell are doing out here anyway? I bet you’re too weird to make any friends.”

“Not at all. I just like to eat alone,” R insisted. “Why are you here, kid? Don’t you have anywhere else to be or lunch to be eating?”

“I don’t have friends. Just people I hang out with.”

“Hm. Well, how about some bribery to get you back with your people? Here’s a chocolate bar.”

~~~

R handed the student sitting next to her a tiny container of cut canteloupe and some chopsticks. “At this rate, you owe me an entire hot pot.”

Gwi-nam snatched the bowl, immediately digging in hungrily. “No way,” he grumbled with a full mouth. “That would count as taking advantage of a student. Besides, with how fat you’ve gotten, you obviously have some food to spare.”

R clicked her tongue angrily, swatting Gwi-nam’s neck. “How dare you comment on a woman’s wait like that. With those manners, it’s no wonder why you don’t have a girlfriend.”

The comment made her feel somewhat insecure regardless. Gwi-nam wasn’t wrong. R had been wearing baggier shirts recently, as no matter how much she exercised or ate healthily, it hardly impacted the small stomach bump she had developed in the last two months. The only explanation was that it was from poor sleep, stress, and overworking. 

“I’m too busy for that.”

“Too busy because you’re beating up some helpless classmate, right? Don’t think I don’t notice when your knuckles are all messed up. You’re called the bully’s gopher for a reason.”

“You fucking bitch,” Gwi-nam sneered,“ don’t call me that. Just because you know a fucking language doesn’t mean I won’t kill you.”

R sent a glare before snatching back the cantaloupe from him. “God, you’re rude and sensitive.”

“As if. Now give me my food back.”

She rolled her eyes. She very much assumed he had home problems and had taken some level of pity on him since the boy showed up in the building every day since their first encounter and had neither friends nor food. But after enduring an all-nighter, she didn’t feel like putting up with his foul attitude.

R shoved her food back into the lunchbox and stood up. As she did so, Gwi-nam’s hands latched onto R, causing her to almost trip. Gwi-nam shouted in irritation, but the sensation of standing had made R feel dizzy enough not to notice. Black dots clouded her vision and she stumbled forward slightly.

“Hey!” Gwi-nam exclaimed, grabbing and pulling her back to the step. 

R sat, and it felt as though her stomach vibrated with agony. She let out a hiss of pain and laid back, the lunchbox long forgotten. R gasped and rubbed her stomach, feeling a sudden leaking sensation. It was as though her stomach was hollowing out.

“What’s wrong?” Gwi-nam huffed, aiding in lowering her slowly onto the steps. 

“I… I don’t know — I feel…”

“What the fuck —!”

R was confused, focusing on nothing but the sharp cramps. But as Gwi-nam scampered away, R twisted her head up to see what he was looking at. R screeched as she noticed a waterfall of bloody blobs leaking from her white skirt. R reached for her phone but barely felt the ability to move from the cramps. It was as though her period was on blast.

“Call a fucking ambulance!” R shrieked, to which Gwi-nam clumsily withdrew up from his pocket. 

He called 119, but nothing other than confusion was displayed in his expression. R heard the muffled voice of an operator, to which Gwi-nam stuttered in reply,“ I - I need an ambulance at the front gate of Hyosan High.” Another few seconds passed before Gwi-nam spat out a few stuttered descriptions of the emergency. 

He pocketed the phone before grabbing R’s arms and tugging her up. R grunted, a few tears sliding down her cheek. When R’s legs gave out, Gwi-nam scoffed in annoyance and scooped her up, trying to disregard the blood that stained his jacket.

R grasped onto him for dear life, stuttering,“ What are you doing?”

“What does it look like, stupid?”

A few minutes later, Gwi-nam arrived at the front gate at the knick of time. He flinched at how loud the sirens were as the ambulance pulled up. Nurses rolled out and helped get R into the back, with Gwi-nam deciding to get in the back.

~~~

“Ms. R, it appears you had an intense miscarriage,” the doctor informed the woman, staring at the clipboard. “You were being too hard on yourself during the pregnancy.”

R paled and shivered. “I didn’t… I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know you were pregnant?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry then. However, you should be able to head home now. Your boyfriend is waiting outside.”

“He’s not my…” R mumbled, watching the doctor walk off. 

The nurses helped R to her feet. She was thoroughly cleaned, adorning nothing but the white robe. However, with the state of her old clothing, they had been discarded with instructions to head straight home and change. R slipped on her shoes and shuffled weakly to the open doorway.

His head bobbed sleepily, Gwi-nam was sitting by the door. R wiped away her tears and softly shook his shoulder. R was surprised he had waited, as by the time everything was okayed, the sun had set. Ms. Park had called at some point, but R would deal with the repercussions of a missed afternoon session and after-school office hours when she got home.

“Gwi-nam,” R called.

His head shot up and a snort escaped. His eyes were wide and his brow furrowed. He rose, immediately eyeing her up and down. “What happened? The sons of bitches wouldn’t let me go in to see you.”

R chuckled, insecurely grasping at her stomach. “It was… just a stomach ulcer that got stuck. They had to get rid of it, that is all. I’m alright.”

Gwi-nam’s shoulders instantly relaxed. “Eh? All that blood for an ulcer?”

“It’s been growing for two months now.” R glanced around. “You should head home now. Let me get you something from the vending machine. It’s not much, but —“

“You were the one in the hospital,” he gruffly mumbled. “Besides, you were the one who said I owed you a hot pot.”

“Nonsense. Your parents are probably waiting for you.”

He snorted obnoxiously. “No, they’re not. So, let’s go.”

Gwi-nam grabbed her arm and started dragging her down the hall to the exit. R protested but with his tight, unrelinquishing hold, she gave in and joined him at a nearby convenience store. After some fuss between them, Gwi-nam was able to take what she grabbed and pay for the food together. R was as grateful as she was surprised by the student’s kindness.

When they sat at the window, R inquired quietly,“ Are you sure your parents aren’t waiting for you?”

“As if. My dad’s probably off at work while my mom’s fucking her new boyfriend in a hotel.” R frowned, to which Gwi-nam snapped,“ Hey, don’t fucking look at me like that. I don’t want your pity.”

“It’s not pity,” she replied. “I’m upset. You deserve better people in your life.”

Gwi-nam tried not to show that the comment had taken him aback, covering it up with a glare and a scoff. However, despite his best cover-up, R noticed how blood rushed to his cheeks. R sent him a sweet smile, unaware of just how impacted Gwi-nam was.

~~~

The door to the classroom slid open loudly, and without looking, R stated,” It’s not like you to be so early for our sessions, Cheong-san.”

When R received no reply, she looked up. She was taken aback to find Gwi-nam standing at the entrance, harboring an unsure and anxious expression with his backpack shouldered. R tilted her head and sent a smile.

“Gwi-nam, come sit. How can I help you?”

“I need help with English, obviously.”

R chuckled as the man plopped into the seat next to hers, backpack on the floor. “I assumed. I was more so asking what you need help with for English.”

“Oh. Uh, with… the homework.”

R found it endearing how nervous he was, glancing constantly at the door. She knew he would rather be caught dead than at a study session, but was incredibly proud of his courage. Gwi-nam pulled out the paper. The class was assigned various Robert Frost poems to decipher. Gwi-nam had been assigned to Stopping by Woods. And instead of just using a translator, Gwi-nam came to R.

“Do you need help with the grammar functions?” R inquired.

Gwi-nam nodded, grabbing a pen. R began explaining the concepts and switching words to make the sentences more comprehensible to a foreign speaker. Gwi-nam was surprisingly attentive until a ding came from R’s phone.

R glanced briefly at the notification, noticing the time. “Ah. I have a scheduled student appointment in a few minutes, so I have to cut this short. Can I pen you in for next Monday?”

“Eh? Why?”

“So that you can come again. If you do, I’ll even bring you a snack. How does three-thirty sound?”

Gwi-nam shoved his notes back in begrudgingly. “Whatever,” he muttered, not meeting R’s eyes.

“Great! See you then. Get home safe, Gwi-nam.”

He didn’t reply, quickly shuffling into the hallway. R’s heart warmed, and a part of her felt somewhat proud that she was making an impact on her student’s life to some capacity.

~~~

R awoke with a gasp, clasping at her bedsheets. It took not a moment after for her alarm to go blaring in her ears. She immediately shut it off and focused on regaining her breath. 

Everything was going well in Korea. Work, friends, lifestyle, school (as exhausting as it was to be doing college at the same time as her transfer abroad) — all except the overlying issue.

R had managed to attract a stalker. 

It started small, and she was convinced it was a student of hers. She constantly felt watched when nobody was around. Things would go missing from her bag or desk. Then one day, while she was in the office on her own, she glanced over and saw a shadowed figure staring through a crack in the door.

That’s when things seemed to escalate, especially the paranoia. She became more organized with her things and knew when things would disappear. She carried a safety weapon at all times. Sometimes, when a hooded man followed her for a stretch, she’d break for a run.

And then things escalated again — one day, the hooded man ran, too.

That was when, after calling Ms. Park in distress, they went to the police together. R knew that Korea tended not to take cases like her’s seriously, and it’s not as though she knew how to talk to a police officer that well.

With thorough convincing from Ms. Park, they kept an eye on the neighborhood R lived in from time to time. But that hardly seemed to do any good, because that was when R noticed that hooded man outside her apartment building. And then outside her apartment.

R invested in every home safety feature. Door cameras, motion-detecting lights, and a silent break-in alarm if it came to it.

She was terrified and was considering moving, to say the least. Calling the police was a lost cause since they “couldn’t do anything with the footage” and “a crime hadn’t happened yet.”

So R lived in fear. The stalker had even invaded her nightmares.

When R grabbed her phone, she noticed that one of her bear-shaped sticky notes was beside the phone. She went through her notifications before she roused herself. And only then did she notice the content of the sticky note.

Written in messy, almost intelligible Korean, was written ‘The cops can’t do shit.’

R shrieked. She noticed her underwear drawer was ajar. She noticed that her lights had been unscrewed. And the silent alarm hadn’t been triggered. R was a mess getting ready for work, taking photos of the various evidence. And although she tried to compose herself on the subway, she was still a wreck when she got to campus.

As she walked past the school gates, she gasped when a fist punched her shoulder suddenly. R veered her body toward the culprit, recognizing Gwi-nam immediately. He wore a casual expression.

“Gwi-nam,” R stated, recovering from her shock – and momentarily forgetting her troubles.

The student clicked his tongue, motioning to his head. “Your hair is falling off, teacher.”

“Ah!” R, embarrassed, readjusted the wig furiously. “Better?”

His nostrils flared and he eyed her up and down. He nodded.

“Thank you. I hope to see you in class later.”

R walked away, feeling her student’s eyes follow her intensely.

Only then did the panic come back. She was in a rush, greeting students only briefly until she arrived at the teacher’s office. R wrapped her arms around Ms. Park from behind, who jolted in shock.

“R!” she exclaimed. 

“Help.”

R released her and handed the now attentive Ms. Park her phone. The woman scrolled through the photos, growing paler by the second. She handed the phone back.

“You can’t stay there anymore.”

“I know that — but my landlord won’t accept it as a reason to break the lease. My credit score will be destroyed.”

“Fuck the credit score!” Other teachers glared, causing Ms. Park to clear her throat and compose herself. “You have to move out today. I’ll help you after class.”

“My assignment will be late.”

“R. This is not up for negotiation. So stop worrying and let’s leave this for after school.”

She nodded, blinking away the blurred tears. She sat at her desk, rummaging through her items quickly. Ms. Park nudged her, a twinkle in her eye.

“You know, you’re out here doing miracle work for our students. I was checking class B’s overall grades, and I found that On-jo has gone from a D+ to a B-. And even better, Gwi-nam somehow went from failing to a B+. I’m sure you’ll get a bonus from the principal for all your hard work at the end of the school year.”

R smiled, some of her uneasiness lifting off her shoulders from the news.

~~~

Much to R’s dismay, it quickly became apparent that R had forgotten to pack a lunch. She had grabbed her lunch box, but the contents were nonexistent. Thus, R knew she’d have to head down to the cafeteria vending machine grab some carbohydrate-filled junk, and break the bad news to Gwi-nam.

On her way, she noticed Gwi-nam leaning on a wall on his phone. R hummed, approaching. Gwi-nam immediately noticed, eyes glued to her figure. R paused in front of him, fumbling with her fingers.

“Well, Gwi-nam, I… woke up late this morning, so I didn’t pack a lunch. Do you have money for the vending machine?”

“Eh? Late? How unprofessional.”

R rolled her eyes. I’ll take that as a yes. Just make sure you eat.” R spun to head over to the cafeteria before pausing. “Oh, one more thing. I’m proud of you and the progress you’ve made in class, Gwi-nam. I hope you know that.”

She walked over to the cafeteria, not noticing how the student gulped and his cheeks grew red, unable to tear his gaze away from the woman.

The cafeteria was crowded and R struggled to evade students. She replied to greetings from students and eventually made it to the vending machine. R checked her phone as a goofy lunch wrap slowly unraveled. Alas, the lunch period was already fifteen minutes through.

The wrap was nearly loose, sliding down the front. It did so slowly, and R nearly screamed when she realized it was about to stop moving.

R had had a bad enough day and kicked the machine. Just like that, the wrap plopped down. As R grabbed it, the noise level in the cafeteria skyrocketed. R swerved to observe the commotion and was unprepared for what she saw. A hoard of students were flying through the glass entrance, until students suddenly slammed it shut, locking out a small group. Screams echoed, and despite the unknowing threat, R dashed toward the entrance, shoving her wrap into her skirt pocket.

And that was when another hoard approached. Students covered in blood ran at the group, and although they tried to run, the students caught them. Blood spewed against the glass, and R shrieked. Although R was frozen in place, everyone around her was running amock in panic from the sudden brutal attack. 

R stood just on the other side of the pane, not far from the front door. Students ran, and then so did the blood-covered students. The doors went crashing open, and R’s life flashed before her eyes as a student she immediately recognized pounced at her.

[monstrousmuse]

They released a Word Search for The Book Of Bill….and I have thoughts.

Thank you to the wonderful @trickengf for bringing this to our attention over on Twitter/X.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!

These keywords are…intriguing, to say the least. They seem rather broad, and give the impression of being either chapter titles, or general topics that will be covered in the book.

Right. Time for some speculation:

Global Domination - I think we were all expecting this one, since there was an overt reference to the book containing a ‘key to overthrowing the world (laid out in a handy step-by-step guide’ in its description.

Possession - will we be given insight into how possession works/the ‘mechanics’ surrounding it, and how it feels to possess a human body from the perspective of a being such as Bill? Why he finds physical sensations like pain to be ‘hilarious’, and why ‘body spasms’ are so uncomfortable for him? Maybe he’ll tell us about some of the famous historical figures he enjoyed tormenting, or how ‘itchy’ their meat suits were. 0/10, would not recommend. Will be returning to the store tomorrow. Someone forgot to cut off the tags.

Triangle - triangle anatomy…? A trigonometry lesson? Information surrounding the Second Dimension, perhaps? The book is intended for a ‘mature audience’…Show us what you look like without your exoskeleton, Bill!

Death - either this could mean that Bill will reveal what happened to him after he was ‘erased’ from Stanley’s mind and how he subsequently survived the whole ordeal (including that rather painful-looking punch to the face), or Bill joins the likes of Heidegger and Camus and philosophises for several pages straight. I would personally be happy with either, or both. Although…I still find the idea of the entire book just being some sort of postmortem soul-searching project assigned to him by The Axolotl, and Bill begrudgingly going along with it because it was in the terms of the deal he made to ensure his survival to be absolutely hilarious.

Relationships - …excuse me? Relationships? …With whom, pray tell? Platonic relationships? Romantic relationships? Filial relationships? Bill’s relationship with his family? With The Axolotl, with Time Baby? With Ford?

AXOLOTL - ah, well, there we are. So Bill is most likely going reveal more about his connection with the Big Frills and divulge some interesting bits of lore. …Or not. Does he even know about the ‘sixty degrees that come in threes’ poem?

Demons - interesting. I wonder if there will be a catalogue of the different demons that Bill is aware of/has encountered/is friends with, in a similar fashion to the section in Journal 3 on the categories of ghosts. I also hope that the whole ‘dream demon’ thing will touched upon, since this was an aspect of Bill’s nature that was never really explained in a satisfactory manner, and was arguably even retconned by the time that Weirdmageddon rolled around. Is Bill a ‘dream demon’, or is he a being from the Second Dimension who was somehow rendered both omnipotent and (nigh-)omniscient, and thus merely shares characteristics with true ‘dream demons’, but is not one himself? Neither? Both? And what about the Henchmaniacs? Bill referred to them as ‘demons and nightmares’; are they all different species of demons native to different dimensions across the multiverse, or were they born of the Nightmare Realm and its natural entropy? How is all of this connected to the Mindscape and mortal dreams? So many questions…

Codes - again, will the book include a similar set of pages to the ones that can be found in Ford’s Journal? There are most definitely going to be new ciphers and codes to crack, but for some odd reason, I highly doubt that Bill is going to make it easy for us.

Straws - Silly Straws chapter has been confirmed!!! …In all seriousness, I genuinely have no clue as to what role the illustrious Silly Straw will play in this book. Perhaps there really is going to be an entire section devoted to Bill’s apparent fascination with them, or perhaps there is simply a little throwaway comment tucked in the margins somewhere… I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out when the book is released in *checks calendar* five days.

[clove-pinks]

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how the northwestern frontier of the War of 1812 is ultimately part of the Sixty Years' War for control of the Great Lakes region.

Settler colonial powers clashed with each other (with other overlapping conflicts like the Seven Years' War); and numerous First Nations/Indigenous people joined one side or another in a fight against genocidal removal and the loss of their culture. The frontier was already militarised before the War of 1812.

When he turned his attention to politics, General Harrison specifically emphasised his 1811 win over Tecumseh's confederacy ("Tippecanoe and Tyler too") where he destroyed the Indigenous community of Prophetstown—not his impressive role in the War of 1812 against the British at Fort Meigs.

In the introduction to his 1985 book Men of Patriotism, Courage & Enterprise! Fort Meigs in the War of 1812, Larry L. Nelson discusses his reliance on primary sources in the form of letters, diaries, and journals from the (settler) participants, and how this affects the interpretation of a complicated history:

The use of these primary sources, however, often serves to accentuate the underlying and widely held prejudices of the times. The unsympathetic treatment of the Native American is a case in point. Scorn for the Indian runs as a common thread throughout much of the writing of the period, and is inescapably found in some of the excerpts quoted in this work. For much of white North America during the period, the American Indian was the object of fear and hatred held in equal portion.

The United States already looks pretty Not Great in the long view of the War of 1812—all of our enslaved people constantly fleeing to the British, the bungled invasion of Upper Canada and the burning of York—and there's another dark legacy in the frontier warfare. No wonder the western parts of the United States were so eager for a war with Britain: because it was mainly a war for the expansion of settlement, and there was propaganda depicting the Indigenous population as allies of the British. The New England states wanted to avoid war and almost seceded from the US.

I feel sympathy for many of the defenders of Fort Meigs, particularly the ordinary enlisted men. I don't think they were monsters, even if they were fighting for their nation in a long campaign to break old treaties and expand settlement at the expense of violently displacing native people. The Fort Meigs museum did a nice job with the different perspectives on the conflict, although it's mostly the voices of the US military because they have all of the diaries and letters and other primary sources.

I only just learned that Tecumseh's verbal sketch of Henry Proctor as "a fat animal with its tail between its legs" was in Shawnee, not in English. Tecumseh was revered as an orator, but so few of his words seem to have been written down (that was one of my takeaways from Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation, by Peter Cozzens).

There are many challenges for me as a historian, but I am increasingly fascinated by the northwestern theatre of the War of 1812. (And now living there, getting to personally visit these military history sites).

[pallastrology]

jupiter vs. saturn: virgo

jupiter

they are more maternal. virgo is a sign that, while not known for being affectionate, has a lot of love to give. with jupiter's warm, expansive nature in virgo, the native is quite motherly. they're the type to show their love through things like making sure their loved ones are eating well, checking they got home safely, nudging them to go and book that doctor's appointment or catch up on their schoolwork. they may not say 'i love you' much, but they show it often.

they are more suited to leadership roles. this maternal quality that jupiter in virgo has makes them well-suited to management roles in life. at home, they manage their household and family, and in work, they manage accounts, appointments, or their team. they can find it very difficult to switch off because they're constantly trying to fix situations and people. it's part of the virgo curse, getting so wrapped up in trying to fix that they can forget to just be.

they are more suited to teaching. when i think of jupiter in virgo, i think of my secondary school english teacher. she was a lovely lady; she didn't miss a beat and was a harsh critic, but never cruel or callous, and had a way of tailoring assignments to each pupil so as to help them find their voice. jupiter in virgo is quite a natural teacher, with a surprisingly good sense of humour and a sharp eye.

saturn

they are more reserved. virgo is never a party animal, but while jupiter is a little better with people, saturn in virgo thrives alone. they need peace and quiet to focus and to get in touch with themselves, which, in turn, allows them to do their best work. the native is often quite sensitive, prone to anxieties and stress-induced health issues, and it's important that they learn to manage their stress levels and engage with a meaningful self-care routine.

they are more patient. saturn in virgo is a placement of dedication and devotion, and as well as their impressive work ethic and attention to detail, they possess an almost immeasurable patience. the native, when they are calm enough to understand where they want to go, is able to effectively plan and then chip away at their goals, analysing and adapting their methods as they go.

they are more distracted by work. one of the biggest difficulties saturn in virgo faces is balancing their tendency towards burying themselves in work. they can sometimes be defined, or even define themselves, by their work, and it can become something of a comfort blanket for the native. this doesn't seem like that much of a problem, but sometimes they don't know who they are outside of work.

both

they are both cautious. virgo is known for being risk-averse and thoughtful. in jupiter, this isn't quite as pervasive, and we tend to see that 'mother hen' quality where they worry and peck at others, compared to how they go through their own life. conversely, saturn in virgo sometimes looks calmer and more distant on the surface, but the decisions and directions that they take are carefully chosen after intense, sometimes agonising analysis.

they are diligent. the anxiety of virgo makes our natives hardworking and dedicated individuals. they care deeply about the 'little things' in life, which aren't really so little. in fact, virgo is one of the signs that truly understand the meaning and empowerment that can be found in the mundane; in jupiter, the little details of life are expanded upon, respected, shared and taught. in saturn, the mundane is built upon, with the native finding strength and drive to achieve great things through it.

they are both grounded. earth signs in general are known for their feet being planted firmly on the ground, but with jupiter and saturn in virgo, the natives are guided by the elements. when i think of jupiter, i think of a language teacher, breaking the language down into its building blocks and demonstrating how to create poetry out of letters and sounds. when i think of saturn, i think of a writer, taking the unformed feelings and experiences of a person and shaping them, transforming them into an almost-universally understood concept through a novel.

they are skilled. carrying my last point through here, virgo placements are posited towards learning and building. they work best with the tangible, things they can see and hear and touch; but as a mutable sign, virgo is a little better equipped to take ephemeral concepts and form them into something material. they both tend toward construction in that sense, with jupiter needing to understand in order to share and teach, and saturn needing to understand so they can make something of themselves and from the intangible. our natives are very much guided by the concept of 'a labour of love'.

[frostfire-17]

hello! i have two questions for you:

how did the hittites(?) adopt gods into their pantheon? did they change any major parts of the myths or was it just eating them whole? something else?

what was the phd-obtaining process like?

I have two answers for you! They are both long; brace yourself.

1. The short answer is: yes, they totally changed all sorts of stuff, except when they maybe didn't. The long answer is complicated and difficult, because we have almost zero examples of the original myths/rituals/etc: most of the people from whom the Hittites adopted gods didn't keep written records of their own. So we can't do a side-by-side comparison of, say, a myth from Kizzuwatna (a territory in southeastern Turkey that was conquered early on) and the same myth from the Hittite archives, because the Hittite documents are the only ones we have - the origins are lost. We also don't actually have much straight-up narrative myth; there's a lot more ritual description and incantation (sometimes involving bits of myths along the way). But! We can still work with what we've got.

So, for example, there are some rituals that exist at Hattusa in a shorter form in Hurrian (the language of Kizzuwatna), and then in a longer, modified form in Hittite. Our understanding of Hurrian is not awesome, and all of these texts are super broken and incomplete, but stuff has clearly been changed and added and moved around between the two versions. There's also a record of Puduhepa, a Hittite queen who was the daughter of a Kizzuwatnean priest, attempting some syncretism: that is, she states that the Hittite Sun-Goddess, the female head of the pantheon, is the same as the Hurrian head goddess Hebat. She just goes by different names in the different places, says Puduhepa. So here the two traditions are being fully merged.

This is a pretty extreme example, because Kizzuwatna was incorporated into the Empire quite early, and because there was a lot of intermarriage, so the Hurrian traditions/language ended up deeply interwoven with the central Anatolian traditions by the end of the Empire (at least in the upper class). There are other rituals attested at Hattusa - for example, ones with incantations in a language called Palaic - that don't seem to have been modified in the same way? We have Palaic incantations (which we mostly cannot read) bracketed by pretty basic ritual acts (offerings, libations, etc). These seem to have been adopted into the Hittite festival calendar without much modification. But we can't really know that, because we don't have the original rituals from Pala - and further, there could have been a modified Hittite version with translated incantations and we just haven't found it.

A final example is the one single text that we can compare to a native version, which is Gilgamesh! There is a Hittite version of Gilgamesh, and it is SO GREAT: the Hittites skip the whole beginning part at Uruk. They could not give LESS of a shit about Uruk. What do they care about southern Mesopotamian cult cities? NOTHING. But the bit where Gilgamesh and Enkidu come north into Syria to face Huwawa/Humbaba, up near Hittite stomping grounds, gets lots and lots of attention. Such beautiful country! Such impressive cedar trees! They really linger over it and it is fantastic.

2. The PhD-obtaining process was pretty gruelling! as PhDs always are, really. I did a combined MPhil/PhD, and all told it took eight years, which is pretty normal for the field and even kind of speedy for my university. (Though it is still longer than any human being should spend in graduate school.) First two years were coursework and the Master's thesis - I did an edition of a text for my Master's, which is like - you look at all the fragments of your text, including copies if any. (You are looking usually mostly at published drawings of clay tablets, with reference to photos where available; if you and/or your project are big and important you might go to visit some of the fragments in person if possible.) You make a composite transliteration, which is a transcription of the cuneiform into Latin script, where you match up the fragments as best you can and restore gaps based on copies if they exist, and then a translation. Then you write a commentary where you talk about any difficult grammatical stuff and say whatever you have to say about the content. If you're doing graduate work in cuneiform studies - and other kinds of philology too - you gotta learn how to do this and do a good job at it, and it is incredibly painstaking and difficult, woof.

So then! Two more years of coursework! It's a hell of a lot of coursework; most doctorates do not make you take this much. But you have to learn so many, many languages. I did Akkadian, Sumerian, Hittite, Hurrian, Luwian, and then the more minor Anatolian languages (Lydian, Lycian, etc.) which are only very poorly attested and so you just kind of do your best with what's there and move on with your life. I also had to know how to read French (which I came in with) and German (which I came in with a tiny bit of) and Italian (which I did not know) for research purposes, which was extremely necessary - most of the secondary sources for my dissertation were in German. Those three languages had to be done outside of regular coursework. (Also sometimes other languages! One of my favorite grad school stories is when I was taking a class that was just two of us in my advisor's office, doing abovementioned obscure Anatolian languages, and he turned around at the end of class with two hefty printouts in his hands and said, "Do you two read Spanish?" and we were like, "no," and he was like, "Well, you're going to have to! Read this for next time," and handed us each a forty-page article in Spanish. GOOD TIMES.)

Anyway. After coursework came comprehensive exams, which are almost as fun as they sound - ours were four eight-hour tests, to be taken over seven business days, covering what we had learned in class the previous four years. Then I had to prepare a dissertation topic - this was also when my funding was starting to run out, so I had to start working as a TA and writing instructor, and as a copyeditor for a journal published out of our department. So I proposed my dissertation at the end of my fifth year, and then worked and wrote for three years, which: every year of the last three years was more difficult than any that had come before it. But then I finished! And now I am Doctor Frostfire, the end.

So yeah, it was really - it was quite tough. I don't regret doing it, but it would be hard for me to in good conscience recommend that anyone else do it, because it's really not very good for you to do all that. I was certainly in a much, much worse state of physical and mental health at the end than at the beginning. But I am very proud of it; I wrote a really good dissertation, and one of the nice things about such a tiny obscure field is that you can really witness your own impact on it, even while still a graduate student. And! I am now in a position to dispense Hittite facts basically endlessly, because eight years teaches you A LOT. Hooray!

[universalfanfic]

I just wanted to write a bit of an interesting part...

Amateur history enthusiast Peyton gets sent back in time to Ancient Rome where she's taken into the household of a centurion, Alexandrius Luthorus.

Peyton believed she was being careful. Her knowledge of historical events wasn’t something she took for granted, and it wasn’t a responsibility she carried lightly. History as she knew it literally depended on her not messing everything up or interfering in any way until she could find a way back to the future. 

But keeping track of time in the ancient present and in her own present were wildly different beasts. The Romans right now didn’t use the Gregorian calendar she was familiar with, and she had to try and recalculate just when everything was to try and keep tabs. 

It was a small risk to keep a little journal for herself. A timeline, of sorts. 

She wasn’t foolish with it. Peyton knew allowing dates and events to live anywhere but her head was a potential leak, but at the moment she didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. She couldn’t possibly keep track of everything mentally. And she was careful.

Anything she added to her notes, she wrote in code. The pages were a mashup of English words, abbreviations, and numbers. It felt safe. Despite sharing essentially an entire alphabet, the words didn't match and she’d never taught Lex any English. 

And besides. It wasn’t like she was even going to let him know the book existed. 

Which was all perfect until she walked into the room he let her stay in and found him sitting at her little desk, looking over the small, leather bound book. 

Peyton froze in place, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and it was all she could do to keep her composure. 

“What are you doing in here,” she asked. The words rolled off her tongue easily enough. Her Latin had only exponentially improved during her time in this era. Lex turned the page of her book and gave her a speculative look. 

“I was curious,” he said. “I’ve noticed you with this a few times, but never openly. It made me wonder.” 

“It’s personal,” Peyton defended. 

“It’s already impressive that you can read and write,” he commented as he returned to the book, as if she hadn’t said anything. “I didn’t realize you were into ciphers as well.” 

“It’s not a cipher.” 

“It certainly looks like one.” 

He met her eyes again in challenge this time, and Peyton pressed her lips together. She could salvage this. She had to salvage this. 

“It just my native language,” she partially lied. 

“It looks very Roman.” 

“Doesn’t everything, when you feel like you rule the world?” 

Lex laughed lightly, and Peyton itched to rip the book from his hands; to keep it far away from him. But she couldn’t let him see how important it was to her. How desperate she was to keep him from it. It’d only make him want it more. She forced the tension from her shoulders in a bid to seem casual. She hoped it hadn’t been obvious already. 

“Alright,” he said, like he was permitting her statement to stand. “What have you written then?” 

She didn’t have to fake the scoff that passed her lips. 

“They’re my personal thoughts, I’m not sharing them with you.” 

“Like I said, it looks very Roman. I may not know all your words, but you use our letters. The other peoples we’ve conquered never have.” He tapped the book with two fingers and raised his brows in question. “You write ‘JC’ often in your personal thoughts. Tell me, is that a name?” 

The question nearly destroyed her entire act, it hit so close to home. He only could have had her book a matter of minutes and already he’d zeroed in on that? Peyton quirked a brow and twisted her lips in a mockery of a smile. Like his suggestion amused her instead of terrified her. 

“I’m sure you’d like for it to be one,” she said. “We may have a similar alphabet, but that doesn’t mean the structure of our languages works the same way.” 

He watched her then looked back at the page he was currently on. 

“J-C, M-A-R,” he said. “And these lines clearly aren’t a letter. More like a designation for a middle.” 

Oh, heaven help her. He’d found her notes on the Ides of March. Of all her notes, why did he have to focus on that one?

[virtie333]

Day 23 - Life Day Damerey Celebration

Prompt: Tip-yip

Summary: Poe and Finn prepare the Tip-yip for Life Day

Notes: This was inspired by the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special from 2020. I still want Poe's sweater.

AO3

“What is that burning smell?”

Both Poe and Finn looked up at Rey’s question, more than a little guilt on their faces.

“That’s the Tip-yip,” Finn said.

“But it’s not burning!” Poe defended. “That’s just a little bit that got caught up in the engine that smells. The rest of the Tip-yip is fine!”

“What is Tip-yip?” Rey asked. “I’ve heard more than one person mention it, usually in association with Life Day.”

“It’s a bird, actually,” Finn told her. “Native to Endor. When the Rebellion- slash- New Republic celebrated their first Life Day after the war, they roasted Tip-yip for their meal. Word got out, and it’s become a Life Day tradition.”

“You can find Tip-yips all over, now,” Poe added. “Anyway, we thought you might like to have a traditional Life Day meal this year, our first Life Day since our war ended.”

“I don’t know,” Rey said, eyeing the men warily as they turned the Tip-yip on a spit behind Poe’s X-Wing while BB8 controlled the thrusters from his droid socket. It looked more than a little dangerous. “I’m not really liking that smell.”

“I promise once the burned smell goes away, the aroma will make your mouth water,” Poe smiled.

Finn shook his head. “Provided we don’t burn the whole thing up.” He looked at Rey. “I know what you like to eat, Rey, and you’ll love Tip-yip!”

“Hmmmm…” Rey voiced noncommittedly.

“Hey, Rey!” Rose shouted from behind her. Rey turned. “Come help with the rest of the meal. It may be all we get!”

“I am truly appalled by your lack of faith in us, Rose!” Poe called out as Rey turned to help Rose. “Hey! Hey! Hey!” he suddenly shouted. Rey looked back to see him slapping the Tip-yip with a rag, dousing the bit of flame that had appeared on the bird. Laughing softly, she joined Rose.

“I’m assuming that was Poe’s bright idea?” she asked.

“He said he’s done it before, but I have my doubts,” Rose answered. They grinned at each other.

Thirty minutes later, the meal was ready, and the Tip-yip was surprisingly not burned to a crisp. In fact, when Rey finally got her first taste of it, she was amazed. “This is really good!”

“Told you!” Poe said with a smirk. “Granted, it might have tasted almost as good if we had just stuck it in an oven, but that takes so long!”

“Well, even I’m impressed,” Finn said. “When you said it was the best way to cook Tip-yip, I was sure we weren’t going to get anything but ashes for dinner.” He nodded solemnly toward his friend. “I concede that you are the master Tip-yip chef extraordinaire.”

Poe snorted a laugh. “Yeah, I think my greatest achievement was not getting killed while cooking this thing.”

Everyone laughed at his comment, then continued to eat.

They hadn’t planned on celebrating Life Day here on Candidus. Rey and Finn were travelling to the sites of old Jedi temples, looking for any information they could find on the teaching of new Jedi so that Rey could finally start a school of her own. Rose had come to be with Finn, and Poe had also followed along, uncertain of his future now that the war was over, and just wanting to be close to his friends. They had camped just outside the main village a week or so ago, and just yesterday while shopping in town, Rose had been reminded that it was almost Life Day. She had quickly purchased a Tip-yip and brought it back to camp.

After the meal, they all sat around the table with drinks and just talked. Rey had never felt so full and content before. She found herself staring at Poe. The graceful way his hands moved as he talked, the errant curl that fell over his forehead, the tiny gap in between his canine and incisor teeth, the slight imperfection endearing… Kriff, she had it bad. Sadly, he would never look at her as anything but a friend.

“What do you think, Rey?”

Finn’s question jerked her out of her brooding. “I’m sorry, what?”

“If Rose and I go to the Life Day ball at the Auditorium in town tomorrow night as a couple, would you be willing to go with Poe?”

Rey stared at her friend for a moment, then looked at Poe, not sure how to respond.

“Yeesh,” Poe said, eyes wide. “If her expression is anything to go by, I’d say that’s a no.”

Rey shook her head. “No, that’s not a no,” she denied. “I’m just… you mean like… a date?”

Poe suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Well, you don’t have to think if it that way. I mean, we could just be two friends escorting each other.”

“Friends,” Rey breathed. “Of course.” She nodded, looking down, not wanting them to see her disappointment. For one second there, she had been so hopeful. She composed herself and looked back up. “Yeah, I could do that.”

Poe was staring at her, his brows furrowed. It was the most serious he had looked all night.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I am ready for bed,” Rose told them. As if that was everybody’s cue, they stood, saying their goodnights and heading for their individual tents. Rey knew Finn would end up in Rose’s for the night.

Rey was half-way to her tent when she heard Poe call her name. She turned to find him running up to her, his expression worried.

“Hey, if you don’t want to go to this thing with me tomorrow night, I’m okay with that.”

Again, Rey felt her heart lurch. “You don’t want me to?”

“No! I want you to,” he said. “I just don’t want you to feel pressured into doing something you don’t like.”

“I want to go,” Rey told him. “I think it sounds fun. I just don’t want it to get awkward with people thinking you and I are a couple.” She smiled, but she was sure it looked as fake as it felt. “It might get in the way of you finding a real date.”

“What if… I want you to be my real date?”

Rey’s heart started pounding. “Really?”

Poe nodded, a small smile on his lips. “Yeah, really.”

“I’d like that,” Rey said softly.

Poe’s smile got bigger. “Good. Then it’s a date.” He paused. “A real date.”

Rey couldn’t help but smile back, and this time it was real. “Okay. Goodnight, Poe.”

“Goodnight.”

As Rey turned back toward her tent, she looked over her shoulder. “And thank you for the Tip-yip.”

[rphelperblog]

Part one of Kaz Brekker Quote Rp Meme

inspired by @multistoty​ @demjin-hands​

“Greed bows to me. It is my servant and my lever.” 

“What doesn't kill me better run.” 

“We can rest when we're rich” 

“Better to get fat on information than starve on good manners.”

“I have a conscience, It just knows when to keeps its mouth shut”

“When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste time doing every monstrous thing.” 

“I want you to stay. I want you to...I want you.” 

“And I'm going to get my girl.” 

“Only disgusting thing about it is that I didn’t think of it first.”

“Do not be afraid. Fear is how they control you. Their’s so much in the world you don’t have to be afraid of, if only you would open your eyes.” 

I have met plenty of men who call themselves kings.” 

“i’m a business men. No more. No less.”

“You were angry. Angry wears off. I needed you righteous.”

“I don’t hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. I feed it fine cuts of meat and send it to the best schools. I nurture my grudges,”

“The really bad monsters never look like monsters” 

“We will be queens and kings.”

“What do you think my forgiveness looks like?”

“The easiest way to steal a man’s wallet is to tell him you’re going to steal his watch. You take his attention and direct it where you want it to go.”

"Because I've been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days.” 

“We can endure all kinds of pain. It’s shame that eats men whole.” 

“Is my tie straight?”

“Curse you and your Saints,"

“How many times have you told me you're a monster? So be a monster. Be the thing they all fear when they close their eyes at night.”

“Sometimes, the only way to get justice is to take it for yourself.” 

“It’s not a metaphor.”

“I’m pragmatic. If I were cruel, I’d give him a eulogy instead of a conversation.”

“I don’t want your prayers,”

“I'm not susceptible to flattery, only stacks of cash” 

“You can only sharpen a blade so far, In the end, it comes down to the quality of the metal.” 

“I protect my investments.

"Oh, it's worse than that. If I fail, I don't get paid.” 

“Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don’t forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.” 

Next time you plan to impress me give me some warning.” 

“Be the thing they all fear when they close their eyes at night.”

“When you can't beat the odds, change the game.”

“If you didn’t like the weather, you didn’t rush into the storm—you waited until it changed. You found a way to keep from getting wet.” 

"You see, every man is a safe, a vault of secrets and longings. Now, there are those who take the brute's way, but I prefer a gentler approach - the right pressure applied at the right moment, in the right place. It's a delicate thing.

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”

“Who’d deny a poor cripple his cane?”

"If it were a trick, I'd promise you safety. I'd offer you happiness.”

“No, little brother. No one is stronger. You've cheated death too many times. Greed may do your bidding, but death serves no man.” 

"I've seen her do it twice. It worked splendidly. Once".

"The toughest mark is an honest one,Thankfully, they're always in short supply.” 

Doesn’t matter how big the gun is if you don’t know where to point it.” 

“When one plan was blown, you made a new one. When they backed you in to a corner, you cut a hole in the roof.” 

“I may not walk straight, but at least I don't run from a fight.” 

When they took everything from you, you found a way to make something from nothing.” 

“You really think they’ve built a cell that can hold me?” 

“What a luxury to turn your back on luxury.” 

"I love puzzles. Trickery is just my native language.” 

If your god is so delicate, maybe you should get a new one. Let’s get out of here.” 

“You draw on me again, I’ll break both your wrists, and you’ll have to hire someone to help you take a piss.” 

"It is very much our concern. And watch your tone.” 

“I'm pragmatic. If I were cruel, I'd give him an eulogy instead of a conversation.” 

[missamyrisa2]

I really appreciate you writing in English for us even though your first language is not English, it's really impressive that you write this well this quickly in your second language, giving us a long tease or a story about once every few days.

However, English adjective order has a tendency to trip you up and make some stories sound slightly odd. It's an advanced English grammar, very few people are taught this and native speakers instinctively learn. I can't even write the full order out for you without looking it up, so the best explanations are actually found online where linguists have it laid out. But if you say something like "blue big ball" or "little pretty kitty" it will sound wrong. In order to purposefully break adjective order you need to insert commas and even then the connotation is different. It's like saying in Spanish "el salón grande" versus "el gran salón".

Example: "delicious little roadside Italian restaurant" - Your local place on the back road that has good truffle ravioli. "little, Italian, delicious, roadside restaurant" - that meal was truly remarkable, in Italy, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and it needs emphasis how good it was and how remote the place was. And even then, the most important modifier often stays attached to the noun.

English is weird. Thanks for loving us in our language.

Thank you for the post, though I'm not quite sure how to feel about this lol. English is my first language. Is it because I occasionally use alternate spellings or throw in an 'ov'? I purposefully write with imperfection in order to convey how people sort of glitch when tickling and being tickled. No one is speaking in perfectly formed sentences when tickles and teases are happening, and I'm especially nonsensical babbly.

It's the same reason I do the looooooong drawls on my words to simulate my teasing tone. I also write in a single draft without stopping so that I'm giving a natural response rather than a carefully measured one. The teases tend to be much more effective to the reader when I write in that stream of conscious type of flow rather than attempting a miniature novel which has been thoroughly edited. I know my stylized way of writing isn't always enjoyed or appreciated as I've been getting critiques lately such as yours. I appreciate the feedback though. I try to find a voice which satisfies both my intent and properly titillate my readers, but maybe I'm off the mark lately.

[siriannatan]

'Not the books' - SausagePix

I was in a PixSausage mood today :}

An arranged marriage was not a gift Pix wanted for his twenty-second birthday. He knew he would have to get married one day, as any responsible ruler should. But some warning would be nice since apparently, his fiance was going to be attending his birthday party. And they were expected to get along and dance together and be a cute, perfect couple...

Yeah, NO, Pix said and locked himself in the royal library. It was locked so rarely it'd take his parents a long time to find the second key. Enough time for him to properly block the door and then find the most desolate and forgotten spot to hide and avoid the whole thing as long as he could.

"Pixy, please be reasonable, Sausage is a very nice young man, I assure you, you'll love him," his mother tried convincing him to get out as Pix tried to push a too heavy for him, even with no books, bookshelf in front of the door. 

Deciding it was just a waste o time Pix huffed and glared at the mess he made. "Then you should have told me ahead of time," he yelled and ran into the depths of the library. His new duties to do with Vigil were already a lot. Without having to add being engaged and all that came along with that. So he ran to hide as well as he can as apparently his future husband and his family approached the library. Along with, judging by the noises, his father who has found the key too quickly.

He was pretty sure he found the perfect spot no one remembered. At least judging by the amount of dust on literally everything. He did prepare a stack of books, sorry books it's for the greater good, in case he had to 'defend' himself. Not that he expected he'd have to...

"Are you Pix...AAA, not books!" That is until someone found him and he tossed at least three before he stopped. Noticing a few interesting, and scary facts in the low, magical light. 

One, the stranger was about his age, tall and muscular. And part dragon. And wore clothes not native to Pixandria. Did he just throw books at his future husband? "Go away," Pix huffed, only then noticing he had no way of escaping. "I... Go away," Pix huffed, backing as far as he could into the corner. "I have no interest in getting married..." he added on, despite being quite interested in talking to Sausage. Guy's a half-dragon, of course, Pix wants to ask him some questions. And he's like hella handsome...

Sausage was visibly saddened hearing Pix didn't want to get married. "Oh... may I ask why? In case I can fix it?" he asked, looking really pitiful, with his wings slumped and slightly wrapped around his impressive frame, tail around his ankles. Pix felt really bad being the reason behind his being sad.

Pix awkwardly stood up, still trying to keep his distance. Coughed awkwardly and decided he was probably not getting out of being married to this man so might as well try and befriend him. "It's not your fault... I kind of learned about this whole arrangement today... And may have overreacted," he said, fighting the flood of possibly inappropriate questions he wanted to ask about Sausage and his gorgeous, maroon scales with dark green sheen. At least in the dim light. "I apologise for the book throwing..." he added. Just then noticing how beautifully blue other's eyes were. And how tall he was, a head taller than Pix... A shockingly attractive thing.

"Oh... I was under the impression you knew," Sausage lit up a little bit. "I'm Mythical Sausage, future king of Mythland and... your future husband I guess," he ended with really cute, awkward laughter. "I hope we can get along..."

"Me too," PIx blurted out and let Sausage walk him out of the library. Holding the arm he was offered a bit awkwardly.

His parents were likely angry but ultimately let it pass since he seemed to get along with Sausage. Or didn't want to make a scene. Ultimately, Pix spend most of the day talking with Sausage and showing him his favourite places in the castle, they were not to leave until it was time for them to get ready for the proper party in the evening. Sausage turned out to be an excellent conversationalist and a proper gentleman. And was really warm and at all not bothered by the Pixandrian heat.

As he got ready for the ball Pix thought that maybe this whole marriage thing wasn't going to be all that bad. And maybe hoping he could sneak a kiss from his husband-to-be at some point in the night. Just because he was curious about his pointy, sharp teeth that flashed whenever he laughed.

[bristolianbackpacker]

Day 18 - Sacred Valley

We have breakfast at 7am so that we are ready for Lito to pick us up at 8am. I found Lito as a recommendation on a Facebook group. As soon as he picks us up I know that he is going to be a good guide - his English is really good. We’ve arranged to see 5 things and then be dropped off our at accomodation in Ollantaytambo.

Our first stop is Chinchero. It’s another multi purpose Inca site - Lito explains that it would have had housing, agriculture and religious a temple.

The site was probably built in the 1300s (this is before the height of their powers in the 1400s).

Lito explains that religious temples would have used the highest quality stone work. Whilst terraces were built for agricultural purposes.

Each stone is carved by hand and no mortar is used yet they look like they fit together perfectly. It’s so impressive the engineering skills they had back then. The stones can only survive earthquakes and still stand today because they hace a tongue and groove mechanism to lock together. Hematite is a type of stone that has a high iron content. This was likely used as a tool to carve the stones.

Upon questioning further we realise that it would have been slaves that built the structures. As an example Saksaywaman took 10,000 people to build. Somewhere like Chinchero would be about 5,000 people. Even with such large numbers of people towns like Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu would have taken 30+ years to complete.

Our second stop is an Alpaca farm. First we get to feed the Llamas and Alpacas and see the guinea pigs. The poor things are being sold for food and Lito is asking the owner if he has been selling a lot recently (it’s a specialty for Mother’s Day). Then the owner gives us some information - it has social aims to provide jobs for single mothers who have a pretty tough time in Peru. We learn (with demonstrations) all about the washing, spinning and dying process using traditional techniques. We are both given some bugs from a cactus plant and told to squash them in our hands - we both nearly scream when a bright red liquid covers our hands. From there, things are added e.g. salt that can change the colour of further. We each buy a jumper as a souvenir.

Our next stop is Moray where there are perfectly circular terraces exist. Historians initially thought it was an amphitheater as Incans used circles for their rituals. However it turns out that it was used for farming and specifically experimental farming. Each terrace is its own microclimate and the temperature at the centre is the warmest. They managed to adapt plants from lower elevations eg there is evidence of cocoa having been planted here. In order to do this they had to bring soil from subtropical areas to be able to grow the cocoa plants as the soil here is not fertile enough.

Only one of the three circular terraces has been stored back in the 1990s. With the other two you can clearly see the stonework is still at the site and will likely be put back at some point in the future.

At this point Lito uses his guide books to show us a few things - firstly the terraces are not just built with stone. Each terrace has layers of soil, sand, gravel and stones for drainage. All of these would have had to have been brought in 🤯 Also we see an image that shows the class hierarchy in the Incan times. In fact…only the royalty were actually referred to as Incans and they had their own language. The rest of the people spoke Quechuan and there is a very clear social hierarchy down to the slaves.

Lito is able to speak Quechuan - the native language. He learnt this from his grandparents. It’s good to hear that the language is still alive and thriving outside of Cusco. We’ve also noticed that the Peruvian culture is well and truely alive e.g. traditional clothing is not just for tourists - it’s something that they all seem to still wear and is really nice to see.

As we leave via Moray town Lito stops and we buy some chicha from a vendor through the car window (ordered in Quechuan). It’s a fermented corn drink that has a low alcohol content. We get the one with strawberry. Lito says that this is drank in place of water in Moray and Jack asks “I assume the kids don’t drink this though?” But oh no, the kids drink it too 😂

Our next stop is the Maras Salt mines. The mines are collectively owned by the town and every resident is entitled to their own ponds but they have to maintain them themselves. Newer residents of the town will need to built their ponds at the very bottom of the hill.

The salt is formed because the spring is naturally salty it’s very unusual but they think that the mountain is full of salt and the water dissolves it as it comes out. The water is directed via channels that go to leach of the pools. The water fill the pools and within 5 days it has evaporated. They repeat the process 5-6 times to get about 10ish centimetres of depth. The layers have different properties - the lower ones are brown salt with minerals, the middle ones are pink salt and the top is white salt. It is believed that the Incas used this site to harvest salt, however in recent times it wasn’t until the 1970s that the ponds were created and it has been expanding from there ever since.

We stop for lunch at a buffet restaurant which is needed by this point!! Jack tries guinea pig but I can’t do it after seeing them at the Alpaca farm earlier today.

Our last stop is the Ollantaytambo Incan site. We drive through the cobblestone streets of the town and in the main square.

This area was strategically important as it was the intersection of three valleys (each of which was an inca trail). It was a place where people from the four different states could meet via the different trails and trade food.

Ollantaytambo is one of the latest sites to be built and is thought to still have been in progress when the Spanish invaded. The site is again multi purpose - you can see terraces for agriculture, there is a site that is used as a calendar - the sun will rise either side of the mountain in summer vs winter and in the middle of the mountain during spring/autumn. At the top is a temple - Lito explains that this is the piece that was still in progress. The stonework here is the most impressive of all - the pieces are absolutely huge. Also they had by this point innovated their techniques with the “tongue and groove” to improve it:

Whilst the Incas didn’t have a written language on the temple you can see vague carvings of the Inca cross - this represents life stages going up (prime of your life), going down (as you get older), death and the afterlife (further down), and back up to rebirth. When the Spanish arrived they tried to remove as many symbols as possible in order to establish Catholicism as the only religion.

Wow it was a big day of sightseeing so Lito drops us off at our hotel in Ollantaytambo. We say our farewells and check in. The B&B is a bit basic but it’s big selling point is that it has a terrace on the roof that overlooks the town and the Inca site, however it’s too cold to spend more than a few minutes up there.

[bajisanii]

Hyunjin death in skzverse(I'm not English speaker, sorry if you something not understand or I made a mistake)

I don't know how to start a story, but let me start it somehow mysteriously. Now I'm going to talk about a rather obscure topic and I saw it from an English blogger (as far as I know, English is not really the author's native language, but I'll call it English because of the language of the video, so…) in the video 2020-2021.

Actually, I should probably first tell the theory that the author presented, and then what led to what is written in the title of this… what is it? This theory.

It all starts with the significance of Hyunjin in the Stray Kids universe. Just so you understand, the author has a whole set of videos on what the characters of the Stray Kids mean or are in their universe. Naturally, I'll leave credits to the author of the theory and his video at the end, so I'm not assigning anything to myself, I just want to tell you all about it.

In the Stray Kids universe, Hyunjin is the key. In God's menu he makes an illusion of a keyhole through which he looks into the camera, actually repeating in detail the scene of Chan in another clip Double knot (you can watch the prologue of the video with this moment).

(Time-code in God's menu: 1:38)

The choreography in Back door also deserves special attention, where he starts it as the one who "opens the door".

Also in Side effects, if you remember, at the very end of the clip, the key that Hyunjin lost in this world but later found it in Double knot was shown (yes, I'm aware that keys are different in appearance and it looks more like the key from "the final piece 2019", but did you allow for the possibility that it can change its shape? Anyway, this isn't a particularly important detail and this insert is literally my author's piece, but… just read on, okay?)

Just because Hyunjin is the key that opens the door/portal to the next world, he becomes indispensable to the rest of the members, so they can't leave world without him. This is the reason why in Side effects skz coming back for Hyunjin.

In spite of all this, Hyunjin is the most skeptical of all the members. (As an example, he looks at Chan in Astronaut as if he's waiting for some answers from him).

A bunch of times he tried to warn us that something is wrong from the very beginning (i.e. District 9, I dare to assume that this is what the author of the theory had in mind, since the following is a frame from this m/v)

In the world of Miroh Stray Kids have been there twice (you can know that from the same prequel, I will naturally leave the original video from the JYP-oppa channel) and just the second time, Hyunjin seems to be one of the few, if not the only one, who is not impressed with the world of Miroh. Because he remembers having been there before. However, he remains silent as he knows that hardly anyone will listen to him.

Speaking of keys, or in our case, the single key mentioned above, this is the key that used to control the elevator (I daresay it's the same-old Hellevator) when skz get to the previously uncharted road of the YW or Yellow wood worlds.

As we remember, in Side effects throughout the clip, Hyunjin is acting a bit aggressive, and it's clear to see that he's fucked up(mentally or something like that). At the end of the clip, in this "cutscene," Hyunjin actually gives up. He's tired, it's clear to see, but the rest of his friends try to cheer him up and come back for him. What's my point? And this is me now to another reminder of how important Hyunjin is. If he decides to give up or end this whole mess, it won't be good for the Stray Kids at all, which is why they try to avoid such moments. In order for the Stray Kis to succeed, Hyunjin must not trust the illusions (that mean he must also be extremely cautious) and keep moving forward. This will all play an important role in the end.

Hyunjin can easily tell the difference between Jeongin and his clone in Astronaut by being himself and not violating the above points, with a clear mind. The same picture happened with other members and their clones(Hyunjin can also know who is who).

Now, having discussed how important Hyunjin's pure mind is and what he is capable of doing when that is the case, let's move on to his mistakes. There were two in total and they were shown as an alternate ending, at least in one of the cases for sure.

Let's start with the first one, which took place in the world of Side effects. The famous fight with Seungmin. Being under the influence of the world (which actually means the same thing as trusting an illusion), because of his emotions about the fact that no one listens to him and is unlikely to listen to him, he starts a fight with Seungmin. I realize that you don't really understand the significance of this whole event yet, so I think it's worth telling you a little bit about Seungmin now, too, according to the same author's theory.

Seungmin in this world represents a map. In many worlds he can be seen with a camera in hand and naturally it makes sense. In Miroh, as well as in All in, we can see Seungmin creating a map of the levels from his collected photos (the universe is compared to the game throughout the author's theories, if you didn't notice this above, then I, for some reason, decided not to mention this factor) so that we don't forget where he was, when and what happened there.

(Please pay attention to the background of the marked screenshots from All in, based on them we can assume that it was Seungmin who participated in the creation of these inscriptions and clues(?) on the board. Based on the silhouettes, I'm assuming that there were 4 people involved in its creation, namely: Hyunjin(he appears in the first screenshot, and after that he disappears somewhere; By the way, if you look a little more carefully, you can see that there are two Hyunjin and they are sitting almost back to back (if you can't see it in the screenshots, I'll send you to watch the m/v)), Minho (the assumption is based on the shirt he is wearing, he's the first one on the right in the background), Jeongin (second from the left after Hyunjin, again because of the clothes, since he's wearing a white t-shirt on top and a denim suit after that (I forget what that thing is called, so let it be a denim suit)), and Seungmin (he's the one sitting down).

In the I am not trailer we can see a moment where Seungmin draws something from a sample. From this, we can conclude that maybe he's just as good at cartography.

Now when we've talked about Seungmin, let's go back to the situation in Side effects. We can't say for sure that it was only the world's influence and Hyunjin's internal problems that made him do this (an example of the world's influence is the endlessly repeated phrase, "My head hurts"). He could have easily been pissed off by Seungmin's calm demeanor in the situation they were in in this world. Especially, he didn't know what reason Kim had for taking the pictures in the first place. The moment he knocks the camera out of Seungmin's hands is the moment he makes his fatal mistake.

Just as Hyunjin loses the key in Side effects, Seungmin loses the map in the same world. And all of this combines to cause the Stray Kids to self-lock themselves into Side effects. What Hyunjin started out as a normal fight with nothing easily turned into something more and that mistake turned out to be far more important. Well, hopefully now you realize how important the pictures Seungmin took were and we can go back to Hyunjin and his second mistake.

The second mistake, showing as the darkest alternative to Stray Kids, we have in I am you, to be more precise, in the second teaser, where we can see a rather interesting scene.

If you remember, Hyunjin's scene in I am you, is the scene with the filming equipment (spotlight, lapmas, lights and all that kind of stuff).

In the second teaser at the very beginning we can see a body lying surrounded by all this equipment. It's not hard to guess who's lying there. In this scene itself, we can see at least 4 members (with Hyunjin). Only one of the 4 figures moves in this scene and I can suggest that it was either Bang Chan or Felix (because of their blonde hair, although Felix has red hair in this era). Actually, whoever it is, he moves swiftly towards Hyunjin's body and passes by another member and the scene ends when the figure is halfway to the body.

Let's now discuss the reasons why this could have happened. The first reason is that Hyunjin just couldn't stand what was happening to him and jumped himself (from the way the body is lying, we can assume that it fell from a height) and the second reason is that he was pushed by one of the clones and maybe later, if it was his clone, he simply replaced it.

Also, this is my addition to this theory, is that Chan always knows more than the others. I mean, it's natural, but it seems like at some point, he start to believes that Hyunjin is the same as his clone from the future Double knot (remember, he helped Chan by giving him the key to travel between realities, at a time when the lives of both clones and originals were in very great danger because of the government, as well as the splitting of worlds or their unification). So in Astronaut, Chan was able to tell Hyunjin things he wasn't supposed to know, causing Hyunjin to split Chan's cargo. But eventually Hyunjin got over it and.. you know. This is another more extended version of the теории самагубства (self-m*rder theory).

Also, one moment with Hyunjin is very interesting. In fact, it has no connection to the above theory (although you can think of a way he could be connected to it), but it's also a pretty creepy moment. We all know that Stray kids are being watched in the skzverse. This can be seen in I am you, District 9, Double knot, All in and other such worlds. Have you heard M.I.A.? Have you seen the performance video? In fact, there's can be a whole separate analysis on it (maybe sometime in the future I'll pay attention to it), even though it's not a m/v, it's just a performance. I'm just talking about Hyunjin and one of the moments in that video. I'll just show you, and beyond that, I'll leave the moment to your theories and fantasies.

That's it, thanks for reading and listening, here's a video of Hyunjin's breakdown, as well as credits:

Tiktok: alyfortuna84

The official prequel, which should explain something:

(Well, here's a little corner of my theory. What if every time one of the participants dies, and since every participant is important to the Stray kids according to the theory above (I actually dedicated this part to Hyunjin and Seungmin, but this author also has theories about other participants, I'm just most impressed with this one. But if you consider the theories about the other participants, it seems that each of them is important, and most of the time the Stray Kids just can't get any further without one participant), then the universe is just restarted. If you compare it to the game, when one of the members dies, the Stray Kids just go to a bad ending and start over from the last save. Ok, just my theory, hopefully the "main theory" will be heard by a little more people because it's fucking interesting).

[haytham-loves-chocolate]

Alternative Universe Journal 3

It is two of my OCs together in this AU Journal. There are no warnings in this one, just some soft reading.

29th of March, 1755

My dear Amias,

Take heed of this note and meet me in our special place. One where your land meets my land. Shall we plant a beautiful tree where our garden will be pure bliss? I would like to know what we will do in the future. Is the spot the end of our long stories, or is it only the beginning of our chapter? 

I know this is a short letter, a dear letter to you, but hopefully, the smell soothes all your aches and worries. 

From your secret love, Enola.

It was today that I was able to reunite with Amias after writing this note a few days prior.

Amias, who spoke one of the countless Native languages as Ayenwatha, made his way to our secret location. It was the perfect setting for a romantic date. One that was encircled by stunning, towering trees, ones that had exquisite springtime blooms, and wildflowers that seemed to pop up everywhere.

I opted to wear a more appropriate outfit for this occasion. In this attire, I may have looked like a low-class vendor, but I knew he would not care. He had to survive differently than I did, after all. I have on a dark blue dress that does not have the elaborate busts and undergarments of a fancy noble gown, a white apron that is knotted perfectly around my waist and chest to keep this dress from getting ruined, and a pair of handmade boots from the local tailor that are ideal for gardening. I do not wear jewelry of any kind, and I do not wear my hair in a flawless bun. Even though it seems risky, I always wear makeup of some kind. I decided not to wear makeup today, and the few servants I had gave me the look that indicated they should avoid spending too much time with me because they saw something so exotic. 

To my surprise, he was not there when I finally found the location where I had asked him to meet me. I glanced above and around the trees but could not find him. Rather than get all worked up about being here before him, I got down on my knees and neatly ironed my dress so it would not get in the way of my gardening. 

I work for a few minutes, pulling weeds and pulling wildflowers off the trees. Then, wiping the perspiration from my forehead with the back of my sleeve, I quietly sigh as I turn to face the work I completed. However, I realize that I see a very familiar face from atop the trees, gazing down in my direction. He hops down from the thick branch he is sitting on to stand in front of my hunched figure as soon as he sees me.  

“I was wondering when you would be here.” I will always hold a particular place in my heart for his gentle voice. There are so many deep emotions that I feel just by hearing it again. 

I joke back, "I was thinking you would be here sooner." His lovely face appears confused as I make my statement, and he tilts his head slightly. “I was here earlier. A few minutes earlier, so it seems.” 

“You did?” My expression is now one of perplexity. "Yes, along with a surprise." I watch as his bewilderment turns into a smile. 

Here, I find myself staring at his toned physique and the perfect way the sun hits him to make him appear like a gift from nature. The way his pants fit his waist in the right places, down to his bare feet. What would this man look like under a waterfall? Whoever his gods are, I wish I could thank them right now. 

I saw him climb up the tree to where he was dangling just a few minutes earlier. I follow his finger, which leads to a smooth-surfaced, rocky cliff overlooking a verdant hill. 

"There, let us meet." 

His feet start to move with the trees as soon as his voice starts to diminish, giving the impression that he is a formidable force. I was astonished by his movements for a moment before trying my best to follow him along the trees. But as I approach the final tree, I stumble and nearly bump my head on the branch below, but I am saved by an odd sensation of strong arms and their copper glow. My cheeks turned bright red at the thought that a handsome stranger had saved me. It was then that I realized it was Amias, and I felt relieved that I was not unconscious for our secret date. 

"I should teach you how to run through the branches, sweetheart." His chuckle reaches a part of my mind that causes my back to shiver with delight. With a small chuckle of my own, I soon am put down on my feet with his guidance. 

Throughout the rest of the day, we stayed in that very spot with a steady breeze in the trees and our hair. At these special moments, all I can think about is him as we eat from what extra he gathered with the other tribe women from this morning. When the sun starts to set, I lay my head on his shoulder while I feel his head lay on top of mine. I feel his arm wrapped around my waist.

“You are my night. When I cannot sleep, there you are, out in the open, gazing at me.” I feel his hand move up to my side, and I feel his lips press against the top of my head. As I gaze at the reds, the purples, and the yellows of the sunset, I can’t help but wonder if this could be the night to ask if I can have him stay with me. 

Instead, I am met with his counter-question, a hushed tone of voice that I can not resist: "Will you sleep under the stars with me?"

My gaze shifts to his wonderful smile and beautiful brown eyes, which are fixed on the sunset. How come he looks so good? How does he do it so consistently? I have many questions about this mystery he keeps to himself. If I had the guts to ask all of these questions, I would. Perhaps another day. 

I wonder how I look from his point of view. Must I embody everything he sees? More thoughts appear to permeate my mind, but they all fade away when my eyes recognize him as the light of my life. His hand reaches out and touches my cheek, and I lean into it. All of my worries, stresses, doubts, fears, and bad dreams vanish. 

I begin to close my eyes, still leaning my cheek against his touch. Then, a split second after my eyes have fully closed, I lean in closer to him. I see his face change from a flirtatious, charming grin to one of surprise and curiosity. He is now lying on the cliff's flat stone surface, while I am on top of him. After a quiet moment as the day fades into night, the stars glisten as our lips press against each other, sending me into a deep state of bliss and joyful pleasure. 

I slept with him under the stars that night, as he requested. I did not say anything more.

[fishandships]

The Naturalist: First Sight

Universe: Identity V Summary: On Rosario’s first day at Oletus Manor, a fellow guest makes a noteworthy impression. Word count: 915

—

It was love at first sight.

“Oh! Hello, gorgeous!” Rosario exclaimed breathlessly, drawing close for a better look.

The creature that had so captivated them was a snake, crimson with black bands and just over two feet long. It was coiled around a candelabra on the fireplace mantel. Making sure to stay out of striking range, Rosario inclined their head to examine it. “Hello. You don’t look like you come from around here.”

The snake flicked its tongue lazily. Moving slowly so as not to startle it, Rosario pulled their sketchbook from their satchel and began to take visual notations. “You are so handsome,” they crooned. “I hope you don’t mind if I sketch your portrait.”

They had only a few loose sketches down before a voice from behind them gave them a start. “There you are!”

A stranger stepped into their field of vision, reaching for the snake, and Rosario immediately felt an alarming flutter in their ribcage. He was strikingly handsome, tall and lithe with a distinctly Roman profile. His brow was wrapped in bandages, and Rosario could not help but notice what looked like shimmering teal scales spreading from underneath both the bandages and the collar of his unbuttoned shirt. As he reached for the snake to detach it from its perch with expert gentleness, Rosario saw his slender fingertips ended, interestingly, in sharp black claws. “My apologies,” he said. “I truly have no idea how he got out. That’s never happened before.”

After a moment’s effort Rosario managed to remember how to speak. “I was wondering where he came from. What is he? I don’t recognize this species.”

“Anilius scytale, commonly known as the false coral snake,” the stranger recited, watching the snake weave through his fingers. “A native of the Amazon rainforest, as well as a few other places in South America.”

Immediately Rosario noted this down beside their sketches. This caught the stranger’s attention, and he leaned in to see their drawings. They fought the urge to hide the paper against their chest, the proximity and the attention making them bashful. “Sorry, I just— he’s so lovely, when I found him my first instinct was to get some sketches of him.”

“No need to apologize,” he reassured them with a little smile. “These are—“

He stopped abruptly as his gaze lifted and met theirs for the first time. Rosario found themself suddenly captivated by the warmest brown eyes they had ever seen. A slight flush rose to their face. To their surprise, the stranger’s features also took on a faint rosy hue. “…stunning,” he said quietly.

“I beg your pardon?” Rosario felt their face grow even hotter.

“Your drawings,” he blurted out. “You have considerable skill.”

“They’re just sketches,” they replied, growing more flustered by the second. “Um, but thank you. You’re too kind, Mister…?”

“Professor,” he said with a sheepish half-smile. “I believe we’re meant to stick with code names for the duration of our stay, correct?”

“Oh! Right, of course, I’m sorry.” Tucking their sketchbook under their arm, they offered their hand. “Mine is The Naturalist. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor.”

“Likewise, Naturalist.” He also offered his hand - the one with the snake wrapped around it - laughed awkwardly, and switched to his free hand. “A pleasure indeed.”

Rosario focused on resisting the impulse to stare at his clawlike nails as they accepted his hand to shake. His skin was unusually cool. “If you’d like to, you’re more than welcome to stop by my quarters to do more sketches,” he offered. “Er, of my snake, that is. I mean, my specimens— I have several others with me, if you’re interested.”

Despite their awkwardness, Rosario’s curiosity won out. “Really? …I would love to see them. And hear about them, if you don't mind.”

The way he lit up at this made Rosario’s heart skip in a way that should have concerned them were they not so utterly hypnotized by his gorgeous eyes and earnest smile. “Not at all,” he told them. “I am always happy to indulge a fellow inquisitive mind.”

A hollow ringing sounded through the Manor. “I suppose that would be the dinner bell,” said The Professor with a note of reluctance. “Please excuse me. I should go put him back, lest some of our fellow contestants object to his presence.”

Rosario wiggled the tip of their index finger at the snake as a miniaturized good-bye wave. “It’s probably for the best. We wouldn’t want him to feel left out if there isn’t a plate set for him.”

The Professor chuckled. “We certainly wouldn’t. If you would be so kind, please let our companions know I will be along shortly?”

“Of course,” Rosario replied.

As both parties went their separate ways, Rosario couldn’t help but glance back over their shoulder for reasons they did not know. Was it their imagination, or did they catch The Professor doing the same? It was only at that point their attention was brought back to that same persistent flutter in their chest, now urgent and even more alarming. Rosario had always been an anxious individual, and socialization consistently made them nervous. That was, at least, what they reminded themself. But a quieter little voice somewhere in the back of their mind insisted that this was different. Rosario refused to pay that particular thought any mind whatsoever. Instead they took a deep breath to steady themself as they entered the dining hall to meet the rest of their fellow contestants.