#the pact (2022)

[harveywritings92]

{Reaper pact au: Soap visits R/n in the Hospital after breaking her wrist tripping on her untied shoelace, This takes place before R/n makes a pact with Reaper! Ghost.}

R/n, to Soap: I’ve been in 40 accidents just this month alone. The Gods must have a plan for me.

{Neither mortal notices the dark spectral being leaning against the doorway, watching them with a bored expression.] 

Ghost, speaking over Soap: Yeah, but I keep failing because you come out alive every time.

R/n: What?

{Ghost perks up, did she hear him just now?...]

Soap: What?

R/n:...You said something right?

Soap: I said some force out there really must really get they’re jollies off watching ye get hurt...

R/n: No, yo...

(She realizes that wasn’t Soap’s voice she heard.)

R/n: Uh, Never mind, I think the pain killers are just making me tired...

{The two go back to chatting.)

Ghost, stares at R/n intrigued: Hmmm, That’s new...

[nugothrhythms]

"Death Pact" by Oakland, California-based deathrock band False Figure off of their 2022 Castigations

[kate-royal-style-world]

A Royal Recycling (part 311)

Catherine Walker

[nerice]

i love to see a man in despair (partner is fighting malenia on ng+ with a magic build) 🧡

[danafeelingsick]

ɴᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇᴛᴏʙᴇʀ 2022

@monthofsick

ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ ʟɪsᴛ | AO3 ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ | ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ

ᴅᴀʏ 20: Panic attack/anxiety

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 1,8k~

3 [out of it], 13 [shaky and shivery] and 20 for Diluc

ᴀ/ɴ there you go anon! i wrote this one in a daze honestly, but I'd be lying if said i didn't enjoy making diluc this miserable 👹✌️

TW EMETO

Diluc took a cautious sip of his drink, paying close attention to every subtle note of its flavor. The sweet and only slightly sour taste of grape juice bathed his tongue but soon came the bitter aftertaste, and he couldn't help but want to gag when his mouth went dry.

Backed against a wall and begrudgingly sipping a tall glass, he must've looked inviting to all of his hosts, but it was on purpose. There was something off about the zest his drink left behind, how it plagued his palate for a moment too long, a taste almost too fresh for a bottled beverage.

Diluc tried to push these thoughts away, uncomfortably licking his dry lips, a subtle scowl tugging at them. It was useless, he couldn't tell the bitterness of poison apart from the subtle one the beverage left but he could consider himself a lucky man for that.

Even more useless was trying to find it in the first place. The affluent owner of the Dawn Winery had hunted down one of his servants and made them open a fresh bottle he had personally picked from the stock, to take only a glass of it. There couldn't be poison in it, not a chance, but how could he be so sure? Someone could've sneaked something into his drink when he wasn't looking, anyone who worked in the Winery could've…

No. Some master he would be if he couldn't even trust his own servants. Then again, what type of vigilante would he be if he couldn't keep watch of a simple room? Let alone an entire city.

Diluc closed his eyes for a moment, thoughts racing through his head like the many voices filling the ballroom. He gulped audibly, bringing the rim of his glass to his lips, but gave up on taking a sip when he realized just how much his hands were shaking. The dark liquid rippled inside, and for a moment he couldn't stop looking at it. The tips of his fingers were numb holding the stem, he could almost feel his heart palpitating on each of them, his blood rushing to every pore of his skin.

With his gaze locked on the swirling juice, watching as it seemed to thicken and coagulate before his eyes, he missed when the clacking of sturdy heels came his way. It was hard to tell anything from the chatter of the party, and the growing blood buzz in his ears.

“Enjoying yourself from this far?”, a smooth voice asked from the side. Diluc whipped his head to find Kaeya standing there, the stem of an empty glass between his slender fingers, and a conceited smile hanging from wine-stained lips. “Sorry for the wait. There's a great selection of wine waiting for you over there, have you tried any?”

Diluc blinked, but not in surprise, darkness lingered at the corners of his vision, and all he could focus on was Kaeya right in front of him. The smell of alcohol subtly wafted off him, telling. It was enough to turn his stomach, just the sight of him, what he knew, and what he did.

“What is it? Some host you are, hiding from your guests” Kaeya spoke again, his playful tone getting lost when his voice sounded like coming from underwater. “You won't say hello?”

Diluc opened his mouth to say it, almost mechanically, as he'd always do in events like this, sing his praises in the most petulant tone he could muster on a straight face, but his voice refused to come out. He could feel his heart on the back of his throat, tightening with each thump. He took small passed breaths, warm air pulling back as soon it left his nostrils. A bead of sweat rolled down his neck, staining the fine fabric of his collar, dampening his back, like his clothes were alive and trying to smother him.

It was like time had slowed down. Kaeya stepped forward, one hand reaching out. Diluc flinched, then gasped when the man's fingers clutched at his shoulder, firmly planting him back on the ground, holding him in place.

“Whoa, are you… sure you didn't drink anything?” Kaeya risked the last jab before the playfulness of his voice was gone. Diluc shakingly raised his eyes, only slightly surprised when his glass reappeared on Kaeya's hand. He took a careful whiff of it, his eyebrows raising before he asked: “Is this grape juice?”

“D-Don't drink it”, Diluc mustered through labored breaths. He clutched his chest, feeling it tighten, his heart lunging against it like it was trying to break free. “I-I think I’ve been poisoned.”

Kaeya was silent for a moment, as he measured the odds in his head, looking from his empty glass, to the one half-empty, then to his brother, who looked seconds away from falling over.

“You know that’s impossible”, he said, giving both of the glasses a quick swirl for emphasis, but Diluc only seemed to grow paler, his breathing came in short hiccups. If this kept up, soon he would need both of his hands. “Diluc, you're not poisoned. You know that.”

“H-How can you be sure…?” he whispered, nearly slurred as he struggled to swallow, his tongue tying itself into a know. “I was so careful, but… but, still… I could be –”

“Diluc, you have to calm down. I only left your side for a moment”, Kaeya responded sincerely, his grip on his shoulder tightening when he saw his gaze drop to the ground. He was trembling. “Diluc, look at me.”

He did as he was told and raised his eyes. Kaeya felt his heart break in two when he noticed the glisten of tears pooling under them. Diluc's lips were the same tone as his skin, quivering like he was trying to hold something back.

“I… I need to vomit”, he pleaded shakingly and pressed his lips into a thin line, his cheeks quivering as he neared his limit. The urge to cry was so clear in his voice, Kaeya didn't waste any time.

He nodded, whispering tender words of comfort as he carefully slid a hand to his back for support, ready to catch him at any moment.

“It's alright, I'm right here with you. We're going outside now, okay?”, he reassured, gently guiding Diluc forward, one step at a time.

Thankfully, the ballroom wasn't as full as Diluc's racing mind made it out to be. Kaeya was able to lead him out discreetly, keeping close to the walls for safety until they reached the exit. He took the opportunity to leave both glasses on a table as they passed by it.

The cold air would've done well for Diluc if he was able to take a full breath of it, but the brief walk seemed to have forced his lungs to the max. He was nearly wheezing as the two stumbled outside like a drunken couple. Kaeya had an arm around his waist and the other on his back, softly patting when a hiccup threatened to break the man.

Before Kaeya could even be sure they were out of view, he lowered Diluc on the gravel path and knelt beside him, his hands never leaving him, even as the man heaved breathlessly under his touch.

“Shh… you're okay now. There's nobody around, it's just the two of us”, he encouraged, slowly rubbing circles on his back while pulling his ponytail away from his shoulder. “Just try to get it up.”

Shakingly, Diluc parted his lips and held his tongue out, airy hiccups quickly morphed into unheard sobs as only a line of drool dripped off his mouth. His voice was a pitiful whine as he called out for Kaeya, who gave up on patting his back and just pulled him closer, humming tender words.

“I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere”, he promised, throwing all caution to Barbatos when he hugged Diluc, and the man broke into a dry heave that spilled his tears. ”Don't worry, just let it out.”

“...ugh— eurGh… uRrRRgh— bleEeuUurrGggHHh!”

Diluc took his advice to heart as he lurched forward and retched continuously, barely contained by Kaeya hugging his side when he let out a gurgling surge of watery puke onto the gravel. The purplish mixture splashed sharply, so violently that small pebbles lifted with the dust, leaving an abstract pattern on the ground that was quickly ruined by another splash of runny vomit.

“That's it… there you go”, Kaeya reassured, slowly pulling back to his previous position, holding Diluc's low ponytail away from the line of fire as his head whipped forward.

With another pained retch, he brought more of that acidic juice concoction in a sizable wave, gasping for air as it tapered off into a trickle. No doubt he was feeling so anxious, his stomach must've been empty aside from all of that liquid. Kaeya knew well how he got during events like these, around so many people, it wasn't anything new, but it had never been this bad.

“There you go…”, he repeated, patting his heaving back as Diluc hacked painfully, trying to clear his throat of that awful burn. “Think you're done now?”

Diluc shook his head and a second later his shoulders came down, another mouthful of stomach contents hitting the ground, closely followed by another heavy gush that left him breathless, nearly choking on how much his stomach was spewing out. His vision must've blacked out, because when he realized the ground was inches from his nose, and Kaeya's arm wrapped around his chest was the only thing holding him from falling.

“Don't pass out on me now”, Kaeya reprimanded, but his strained voice gave away just how worried he was. “Diluc?”

“I'm not… going to”, he slurred through tears, the strain clear in his voice, but at least he seemed calmer now. Still sniffling as he breathed in and out, but finally able to fill his lungs fully. “I don't know what came over me, I was–”

“Not poisoned”, Kaeya completed, to which Diluc just gave a weak nod, frowning as he looked down. “I know, and I'm sure of it. I was with you the whole night. Are you feeling any better now?”

“Y-Yeah…”, he admitted, swallowing the few sobs still left in him. “Gods… did anyone see me?”

Kaeya simply shrugged, daring to look at the puddle of vomit on the ground. Most of the purplish-red liquid had been soaked by the gravel already, but a few small lumps of barely digested food stayed behind. He tried not to pay much attention to those, recognizing every bit of food he had also ingested when it still looked the part.

“I did, but you're used to that already”, he said finally, looking back to Diluc. “You're okay now, right? Think you can go back?”

“I-I suppose…”, he responded, not an ounce of confidence in his voice.

“No, we'll wait it out here”, Kaeya didn't suggest, he simply said as it was. “You don't have to go back there.”

[ruewrites]

Kinktober 2022 Day 21: Cuckolding

AO3

Ship: Asmodeus/Barbatos/Solomon

Word Count: 1397

Warnings: smut

A/N: Aight so subscribing to the hc that Asmo can shapeshift, some of y'all may have noticed I've been a lil ambiguous in my descriptions in some smut scenes. That's why. I hope you like this chapter! I'm actually kind of happy with how it came out! I hope it hasn't come out wonky and that it can be enjoyed!

Comments are appreciated!

The sounds of Asmo whining and moaning in pleasure always did something to Solomon. Watching his partner in throes of pleasure, squirming on the sheets was always a treat. After all, Asmodeus was most attractive when he wasn't trying and his pleasure was one of the strongest aphrodisiacs Solomon had ever encountered.

All that being said, it was absolutely torture not to be the one touching Asmodeus.

He was gorgeous, long pretty legs up around Barbatos' shoulders and fingernails gripping desperately at the sheets below him. Solomon would be surprised if they didn't have to buy new sheets at the end of this little tryst, but that would be a problem for another time. 

Solomon's eyes shot up from Asmo's face to what Barbatos was doing just as another whine left those pretty and abused lips.  Barbatos was lapping up the remainder of his meal, making direct eye contact with Solomon as he did so. His fingers would surely leave bruises on Asmo's skin with how he was gripping onto his quivering flesh.

In true popper fashion, Barbatos cleaned off his mouth before speaking, "It must be driving you crazy to not touch him. I know how handsy you can be, I would say you have an addiction to him."

His fingers trailed up over Asmo's tummy, "Tell me, how does it feel to watch another please him?"

 "He likes to watch." 

Asmo was staring at him now, orange eyes glowing like embers.

"Does he now?"

Barbatos' face became dangerous. Soon Asmo's position was changed. His back was pressed firmly against Barbatos' chest. An arm was snaked around Asmo's waist, and a hand laid lazily between his legs.

If Solomon hadn't been hard before-

"Tell me, I know you usually prefer to do the 'eating' but do you ever let him indulge in your feast?" Barb asked, fingers dipping back inside lazily stroking along Asmo's sensitive bits. 

Asmo shuddered and let out a sigh, "Of course I do! I couldn't let him starve. Besides, he's so adorable when he asks, sometimes I even get him begging."

"Begging you say?"

Solomon would gladly beg after if it meant he could have a turn. He was so close and yet so far away from the pair. His fingers gripped at his own legs in want and anticipation. At this rate he'd be finishing in his own pants before he got to touch anyone.

“Does he also beg when you share your bed with others?”

“Not usually, sometimes he liked to sit back and watch," Asmo purred, leaning back into Barbatos as the butler's fingers worked him, "It's like he's mesmerized."

Barbatos chuckled, making Asmo yelp a little as he twisted his fingers inside of him, "So, he likes to watch does he?"

Barbatos moved his thumb in mesmerizing little circles that drew Solomon's eyes in.

"So you like watching someone else fuck what's yours?" Barbatos was addressing him now, "How does it feel, know that he squirms on my tongue instead of yours? What if I were to cum inside him and leave him sloppy in your bed?"

Solomon could feel eyes on him as his Adam's apple bobbed on his neck. The idea of his partner receiving pleasure from someone else did something to him. After all, one of the sexiest things he could ever think of was Asmo’s pleasure. The way his back arched, the sounds of his moans, how he gripped, it all aroused him. And now, the idea of someone else delivering that pleasure only drove his arousal further. 

Barbatos' tail wrapped around Asmo’s middle to help life and stabilize him. Barbatos opened him in a way that Solomon had a perfect view of his aching, throbbing need. Then he was repositioned once more.

The moan that ripped through Asmo as Barbatos finally pushed into him was something that would live in Solomon’s memory. Asmo’s teeth were digging into his pretty bottom lip as Barbatos bottomed out. He leaned over to whisper something in Asmo’s ear before he started thrusting.

The sight was something ethereal for Solomon, an experience. Time with both Asmo and Barbatos was always well spent, they indulged in and cared for each other in ways that always  left Solomon feeling warm.  One one side of him, his beloved partner Asmodeus, and the other his trusted and adored friend Barbatos. Both filled him in ways he could only imagine in a previous life, and now he could witness them together. Asmodeus struggling to keep his eyes opened as his pleasure made itself vocal, and Barbatos gripping one hip while his other hand trailed down Asmo’s spine. They looked gorgeous together, and Solomon couldn’t pull his eyes away from them.

Then Barbatos grabbed a handful of Asmo’s hair and yanked back.

“Barb,” Asmo breathed.

Barbatos yanked again and, with some help from that tail of his, yanked Asmo back to his chest. “Good,” he purred, “Now remember what I said, let him hear you. Let him know who’s making you feel good.”

He thrust up and Asmo squealed. 

"Barb!" the tiniest of giggled left Asmo's lips as he ground down onto the other demon, "Do that again please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely-"

They were having fun playing together. Solomon couldn't help but continue to watch where they were connected, how their rhythm stumbled a bit as they came close to the edge. He hadn't noticed it before, but Solomon could feel himself teetering over the edge with them. Then it happened.

"Barbie!"

Asmo was the first to finish. Thighs quivering as he squeezed around Barbatos. After that, well, Solomon wasn't sure. His vision blacked out, and the next thing he knew his pants were being taken off. 

"I'll get you a new pair, for now, why don't you clean him up while I grab supplies from the bathroom?"

Barbatos led him to the edge of the bed and waited for him to steady himself before leaving to grab the supplies they needed for clean up and recovery. 

Asmo laid before him, chest heaving and legs spread. Solomon crawled over and licked at the remnants Barbatos left behind, making Asmo jump. Fingers threaded their way through his hair, and a chuckle left Asmo.

"Careful now-"

With both of his demons now lingering in his tongue, Solomon climbed higher up Asmodeus' body, leaving kisses in his wake. Touching Asmo now felt even more like a dream.

"I love you," he whispered, his breath tickling his partner's ear. Then he went right back to bombarding him with kisses. That is, until something plastic hit the side of his head.

"Let him recover."

"I could take him now-"

"Perish the thought. Rest and clean up and see how you're feeling in fifteen minutes."

Solomon rolled to Asmodeus' other side and let Barbatos slip back in. He handed out damp wash clothes and water bottles as he made himself comfortable. Unscrewing the one he'd throw at Solomon's head, he held it up to the human's lips. 

"Drink, you're clearly thirsty." 

Solomon snorted but obeyed, "And who's fault is that?"

He took the water bottle in his own hands as Barb started his own aftercare routine. 

"I have snacks prepared downstairs whenever your princess feels like moving his legs again."

“I can’t be carried?” Asmo whined.

In return, he received a kiss from both partners.

“You can have whatever you want,” Solomon murmured, a hand trailing up Asmo’s soft hip, “Anything at all.”

“You spoil him.”

“He deserves to be spoiled.”

Barbatos chuckled, wiping away the remnants of his coupling from Asmo’s thighs, “You’re turning him into a brat.”

“Mmmmh, and who’s the one who made his favorite cupcakes?”

Asmo smacked both of them, “I’m right here!”

“How very lucky for the both of us,” Solomon grinned, nuzzling into Asmo’s neck. A sigh left his lips as Barbatos tucked a stray silver strand behind his ear. The demon’s tail crept around Solomon’s ankle as his own arms held both of his demon’s close. He knew Asmodeus had Barbatos in a death grip of a cuddle, and from the sound of his trills it sounded like Barbatos was stroking his head.  Solomon let out a sigh and pressed one more kiss against Asmo’s skin before letting his eyes slip shut.

Maybe he’d be doing a little begging to keep them like this, if only for five more minutes.

[nemasani]

Epic III from Hadestown, rewritten to be about Nyrissa from Pathfinder Kingmaker. Apparently @starlightcleric ‘s second prompt for Owlcatober is ‘fey’?

(Contains Kingmaker spoilers for book one, though I know the story from my tabletop campaign, which is only loosely based on the Owlcat game, so I’m not sure when different bits of information are revealed)

Lyrics below:

Sundered apart is the heart of the queen

Queen of wasteland, queen of shale

The heart of the queen loves all she sees

As the hammer loves the nail.

But a mortal's heart is a simple one

Flowers and skin, flesh and blood

And all that she loves is her kingdom

Her kingdom is all that she loves.

And Nyrissa is queen of thorns and of stone

She blankets the land in mist and mistrust

She razes the forests to buttress her throne

And she harries and pierces and scars all of us.

But even that long-broken heart was once mortal

Before cups, before sands

Before laughing lies and hearts of marble

She'd build her own garden

She'd use her own hands—

She'd realize the vision she held in her eyes

A land of unending flowers

Where her people could rest beneath clearer skies

Protected by her power.

Singing la, la la la, la la la...

What has become of that once-mortal heart

Now that Nyrissa's queen?

What has become of that once-mortal heart

Broken and crushed like her dream?

The more she tears, the more she reaps,

The greater the void grows that lives inside her

See how she labors, see how she weeps

No one to care and no one beside her.

And she keeps on alone

And she keeps her hand hidden

She's grown used to hurting if she wants to survive.

But what she doesn't know

Or what she's forgotten:

The Lantern King lies.

Where is the treasure inside of your chest?

Where is your pleasure?

Where is your youth?

Where is the mortal with flowers in her hands

Who stood before the King

With so much to lose?

 Singing la, la la la, la la la...

[jumpmanjennings]

doing that very high quality objectober thingy,,, (day 1&2)

[mirage-of-the-virtuoso]

{Went to the fashion show that @zhenghuaz hosted! I had a lovely time, even though I mostly watched}

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #26

July 5-12 2024

The IRS announced it had managed to collect $1 billion in back taxes from high-wealth tax cheats. The program focused on persons with more than $1 million in yearly income who owned more than $250,000 in unpaid taxes. Thanks to money in Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act the IRS is able to undertake more enforcement against rich tax cheats after years of Republicans cutting the agency's budget, which they hope to do again if they win power again.

The Biden administration announced a $244 million dollar investment in the federal government’s registered apprenticeship program. This marks the largest investment in the program's history with grants going out to 52 programs in 32 states. The President is focused on getting well paying blue collar opportunities to people and more people are taking part in the apprenticeship program than ever before. Republican pledge to cut it, even as employers struggle to find qualified workers.

The Department of Transportation announced the largest single project in the department's history, $11 billion dollars in grants for the The Hudson River Tunnel. Part of the $66 billion the Biden Administration has invested in our rail system the tunnel, the most complex Infrastructure project in the nation would link New York and New Jersey by rail under the Hudson. Once finished it's believed it'll impact 20% of the American economy by improving and speeding connection throughout the Northeast.

The Department of Energy announced $1.7 billion to save auto worker's jobs and convert factories to electronic vehicles. The Biden administration will used the money to save or reopen factories in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia and retool them to make electric cars. The project will save 15,000 skilled union worker jobs, and created 2,900 new high-quality jobs.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development reached a settlement with The Appraisal Foundation over racial discrimination. TAF is the organization responsible for setting standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics last year found that TAF was 94.7% White and 0.6% Black, making it the least racially diverse of the 800 occupations surveyed. Black and Latino home owners are far more likely to have their houses under valued than whites. Under the settlement with HUD TAF will have to take serious steps to increase diversity and remove structural barriers to diversity.

The Department of Justice disrupted an effort by the Russian government to influence public opinion through AI bots. The DoJ shut down nearly 1,000 twitter accounts that were linked to a Russian Bot farm. The bots used AI technology to not only generate tweets but also AI image faces for profile pictures. The effort seemed focused on boosting support for Russia's war against Ukraine and spread negative stories/impressions about Ukraine.

The Department of Transportation announces $1.5 billion to help local authorities buy made in America buses. 80% of the funding will go toward zero or low-emission technology, a part of the President's goal of reaching zero emissions by 2050. This is part of the $5 billion the DOT has spent over the last 3 years replacing aging buses with new cleaner technology.

President Biden with Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a new agreement on the arctic. The new trilateral agreement between the 3 NATO partners, known as the ICE Pact, will boost production of ice breaking ships, the 3 plan to build as many as 90 between them in the coming years. The alliance hopes to be a counter weight to China's current dominance in the ice breaker market and help western allies respond to Russia's aggressive push into the arctic waters.

The Department of Transportation announced $1.1 billion for greater rail safety. The program seeks to, where ever possible, eliminate rail crossings, thus removing the dangers and inconvenience to communities divided by rail lines. It will also help update and improve safety measures at rail crossings.

The Department of the Interior announced $120 million to help tribal communities prepare for climate disasters. This funding is part of half a billion dollars the Biden administration has spent to help tribes build climate resilience, which itself is part of a $50 billion dollar effort to build climate resilience across the nation. This funding will help support drought measures, wildland fire mitigation, community-driven relocation, managed retreat, protect-in-place efforts, and ocean and coastal management.

The USDA announced $100 million in additional funds to help feed low income kids over the summer. Known as "SUN Bucks" or "Summer EBT" the new Biden program grants the families of kids who qualify for free meals at school $120 dollars pre-child for groceries. This comes on top of the traditional SUN Meals program which offers school meals to qualifying children over the summer, as well as the new under President Biden SUN Meals To-Go program which is now offering delivery of meals to low-income children in rural areas. This grant is meant to help local governments build up the Infrastructure to support and distribute SUN Bucks. If fully implemented SUN Bucks could help 30 million kids, but many Republican governors have refused the funding.

USAID announced its giving $100 million to the UN World Food Program to deliver urgently needed food assistance in Gaza. This will bring the total humanitarian aid given by the US to the Palestinian people since the war started in October 2023 to $774 million, the single largest donor nation. President Biden at his press conference last night said that Israel and Hamas have agreed in principle to a ceasefire deal that will end the war and release the hostages. US negotiators are working to close the final gaps between the two sides and end the war.

The Senate confirmed Nancy Maldonado to serve as a Judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Maldonado is the 202nd federal Judge appointed by President Biden to be confirmed. She will the first Latino judge to ever serve on the 7th Circuit which covers Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

Bonus: At the NATO summit in Washington DC President Biden joined 32 allies in the Ukraine compact. Allies from Japan to Iceland confirmed their support for Ukraine and deepening their commitments to building Ukraine's forces and keeping a free and Democratic Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. World leaders such as British Prime Minster Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, praised President Biden's experience and leadership during the NATO summit

[king-calycanthus]

Happy 1 year anniversary to me deciding firmly to never watch stranger things. obviously i failed but my conviction about it was cute in hindsight.

[kate-royal-style-world]

A Royal Recycling (part 266)  

Boden

[devildomwriter]

I have been playing Obey Me! OG and NB since October 2022, but I am still confused about the Demon brothers' powers and the dateables. I know Asmo has the power of charm, Barabatos has the power of time, the angels has blessing, and Levi can summon Lotan. If you don't mind, could you explain the powers of Demon brothers and the dateables? Thank you! I love you ❤❤

I can do a long post later but he’s what we know briefly

Lucifer — Natural skill. He can learn and do just about anything. We’ve seen him warp space, read minds, levitate people, and more.

Mammon — anyone in a pact with him has extreme luck especially with money. Despite not mentioning anything beyond this, he’s still stronger than Levi and it’s unknown why.

Leviathan — Leviathan can summon Lotan, breathe under water, summon rains and floods, can control water and speak with aquatic animals.

Satan — Wrath. His wrath is enough to shake buildings. He also has a natural talent for curses and similarly to Lucifer can learn just about anything but I’d say a “power” of his is his ability to befriend anyone and hang on to those high connections.

Asmodeus — The ability to charm others, even Lucifer and inanimate objects.

Beelzebub — Incredible strength. He’s also implied to be skilled with Wind Magic.

Belphegor — Belphegor can send anyone to sleep and can infiltrate and control their dreams/nightmares. He can also learn things while sleeping on the source of information (textbook etc.)

Solomon — Solomon’s ring of wisdom allows him to make intellectual decisions and talk to animals. His magic is also infinite as is his life which happened via an accident.

Simeon — Simeon has the power of an angelic blessing, he was also once the strongest rank of angels before being demoted to a warrior.

Luke — Luke’s angelic powers are said to be exceptional to the point Michael took him under his wing and expects great things of him. His protective blessings are especially“potent”

Raphael — Raphael is the most skilled warrior in the Celestial Realm and has the power to summon a singular spear or rain them down.

Michael — The celestial equal to Lucifer, he is extremely powerful, has a legendary sword, and can shape-shift.

Thirteen — Thirteen can reap souls, leads them to the afterlife, can see the quality of people’s souls, and has powerful magic as seen by the curses she placed in her home against anyone who broke her rules.

Mephistopheles — Mephistopheles is said to be as skilled as Lucifer with magic. If he makes a deal with anyone he can draw in any and all power in existence to see that it is completed.

Barbatos — Barbatos can manipulate time and reality. This skill can essentially do anything. It’s said he is stronger than Diavolo’s father.

Diavolo — there isn’t a damn thing this man can’t do. He creates entire dimensions as he please with a solar system included. He can freeze time, trap people within phones, bring inanimate objects to life and give them SENTIENCE, can magically fertilize plain eggs, controls Barbatos’s ability, and has a realm ready to obey his every word. He is THE OP

[floridageekscene]

Meet Scout/Black Caravan Artist Joseph Schmalke At The Lake County Comic Convention!

Meet Scout/Black Caravan Artist Joseph Schmalke At The Lake County Comic Convention!

Get ready pop culture fans! The Lake County Comic Convention is back for 2022! This year’s show has over 75 vendor booths and comic book guests! We are happy to have Scout/Black Caravan comic creator and horror comic artist Joseph Schmalke at this years show. Joseph Schmalke works on many titles including Cherry Blackbird, Murder Hobo, Phantom Starkiller, Seven Years In Darkness, The Electric…

[vigil-antes]

Do you like have any good comics recommendations or anything to do with the bat fam, I don't have many DC friends so idk where to start

hiii omg ive been WAITING for this. you didnt give me any kind of parameters for what kind of fics you want so im going to list some of those i like most. its going to be a long one so buckle up:

My DC Fic Best Pics:

Short & Sweet (Oneshots/Less than 10k words)

Send to All: Crack, the bats have a sex pollen release form

glucose guardian: Funny, Tim being the caped community's accidental sugar daddy

A Brief Interview: Sweet, Damian & Tim Ageswap

curiosity and the cat: Cute, Timbern Catlad AU

Dead Meme: Crack, Jason centric, Jason keeps referencing dead memes

Have I Told You About Minnie?: Sweet, Bruce&Steph

Multi Media Marketing Mistakes: Crack, Social Media AU

an inappropriate explosion: Funny, Superman calls Batman to reel in his unruly son (Red Hood)

though your eyes will need some time to adjust: so sweet GAH, Bruce&Steph

Girl what were YOU doing at the devil's sacrament?: Funny, Timbern after the disaster with the chaos cult

Tim Drake: Bisexual Awakener Extraordinaire: Funny, YJ experiencing the mandated Robin-Induced sexuality crisis

Brotherhood: Tim&Damian, Damian Time travels right into Jason's attack on Titans Tower

Priceless: Crack, Nightwing&The Bats messing with Bane

User SuperRob: TImBerKon. Need I say more?

The Mystery of the Superboy Shirts: TimKon, Tim keeps stealing Kon's SB Shirts

Thicker Than Water: Funny, Batbros slice of life-ish

Big Bird, Commence Attack!: Crack, Jason's revenge plan involves dressing up as Big Bird

World’s Saddest Breakfast Club: Sweet, Batkids Bonding

red chrome: Funny, Tim's health is concerning enough to stop Jason from attacking him in Titans Tower

Hot Dog, French Fries: Tim&Damian, Damian gets dosed with truth serum

#SoftRobin: Funny. Damian-centric Social Media AU

Hurry Up Don't Take So Long: Sweet, DamiJon through the years

Paris vs Gotham: Crack, Social Media AU Ladybug crossover (no ships)

Can I tempt you?: TimKon, Light angst, Sweet

Bedtime Stories (15-50k Words)

Baby Birds and Bat Caves: SO funny, genuinely one of the best fics ive read, Tim-Centric, Meta(?)/Cryptid Tim, inspired by Welcome to Nightvale

Gotham Knockoff: Tim-Centric, Alley Kid Tim pretends to be the Drakes' kid to get closer to the Bats

In This or Any Other Universe: Nightwing ends up in the The Batman (2022) Universe

Dangerous and Noble Things: Kid Tim gets kidnapped by the League of Shadows. No one realizes until, four years later, the Bats notices something wrong

In this Town We Call Home: Kid Tim attracts Batman's attention to get adopted

With Violet Light: Jason finds a ring of power and becomes a Star Sapphire

Little Birds’ Wings: Jason&Other Batkids, Jason comes back from the League to a drastically different Gotham

the pact of our youth: Reverse Robins Au, TimBerKon after Tim dies (and comes back different)

Pretty Boys and Identity Problems: Sweet, TimKon, To get away from his crush on Robin, Superboy gets entangled with Gotham pretty boy Tim Drake

let's get mischievous: TimBern, during the chaos cult ritual, Bernard gets possessed by Dyonisus

It Wouldn't Be Make Believe (If You Believed In Me): DamiJon fake dating AU where they don't know each other and meet while Robin is investigating a case in Metropolis (they're uni aged btw)

I’m Pretty Sure Tim Steals Clothes: An Elaboration In The Form Of A Long Fic: Cute, TimKon, Tim keeps stealing Kon's SB shirts

Into the Deep Dark Night: Tim-centric, Tim&Jason, Tim dies as a kid and loses a bit of his humanity

Alcatraz, But On Hardmode: Sweet, Tim-Centric, A YJ mission goes wrong and Tim has to rely on Jason to get him and his team out.

His Head is Bloody, but Unbowed: Jason-centric AU where he never stole the batmobile tires, but ends up meeting the Bats anyways after he saves Robin

A Good Place: Very soft, Damian&Bruce, Damian time travels to Batman's first year of activity.

Fairy Godbrother: Sweet, The batboys time travel to each others' pasts and help their brothers when they were younger

best laid plans: Tim&Jason, Tim finds Jason after he crawls out of his grave, bt they get goth taken by the league

Mystery Man: Cute, BirdFlash, The bats aren't known to the JL, Different first meeting

One Eternal Round: Super original, Bruce&Robins, My Hero Academia crossover where Aizawa, Midoriya, Kirishima, Todoroki and Bakugo remember their past lives as Gotham vigilantes

A Meditation on Railroading: Tim-Centric, Tim's dad leaves him stranded away from Gotham with no way back. Jason finds him and brings him home

the ship of theseus: Jason-Centric, Percy Jackson crossover, Jason and Percy are secretly twins

Why They Shouldn't Have Social Media: Crack, Social media AU

Cracked Foundation:Soft, Jason&Damian, They get stuck under a collapsed building together

Monolith: Bruce&The Batfamily, The birds aren't known to the JL, The JL meeting each member of the Batfam for the first time

Loading and Aspect Ratio: SO GOOOOOOD, Batfamily, The bats use wing prothesis but everyone think they're metas

Three’s a Crowd (But I’m Here if You Are): Cute, Funny, TimBerKon

A Softer Gotham: Steph&Bruce, Steph-Centric, Steph time travels to a time before Batman, becoming Gotham's first vigilante

greatest of ease: Dick-Centric, POV Outsider, Dick Grayson as seen in the eyes of the people surrounding him

Yesterday's Voices: Bruce&Batkids, Bruce's memory of the past five years gets erased leaving behind a softer man, one who doesn't remember Jason's death

show me yesterday, for i can’t find today: Jason-Centric, Jason&The Batfam, Robin!Jason and Red Hood switch places

Eat Your Heart Out, Social Life (50k+ words)

Vultures, Squirrels, and Other Flying Menaces: So good, AU where instead of becoming Robin, Tim hires Deathstroke to kill Joker, leading to the assassin adopting him and the other Batkids.

I’m alone here, I think: TimKon, Witch Tim, Tim is erased from everyone's memories and leaves Gotham. Kon finds him anyways.

You, Me, and the Humanity in Between: Soft and sweet, Bruce&His kids, Non-Human Batkids

cards on the table: Tim-Centric, Tim&Batfam, Tim's parents fake their death and leave Tim behind. He uses his stalking skills to become a fortuneteller scammer. Against his will, he ends up befriending the Waynes

Roasted: Funny, Cute, Dick-Centric, Talon AU, Dick&Batfam, Recovered Talon Dick opens a coffee shop that ends up becoming Rogue-Vigilante neutral grounds

Code Bat: Batfam, The bats aren't known, they have an emergency code to only be used in emergency case when revealing affiliation is inevitable (idk how to explain but its good trust me)

Minimum Height Requirement: SOFT, Bruce&His kids, Batfam, Batman doesn't let his kids become vigilantes before they turn eighteen

Running Headlong into My Arms: Soft, No Capes AU, even without Batman, Bruce finds his family

Liminal Space: Tim-Centric, Tim&Bruce, Tim&Batfam, Tim ends up in a softer and kinder version of his world

Robins and Other Flightless Birds: Bruce-Centric, Bruce&His kids, A Batman without kids is visited by another version of himself. He finds tha he, too, wants kids.

Laughter Lines: JayRoy, Soft, Jason helps raise Lian, before and after his death

Stars of the Forgotten: Bruce-Centric, Meta!Batkids, Bruce&His kids, on the search for a missing Barbara Gordon, Batman stumbles upon five metahuman kids in need of a home

Latchkey: Sweet, Tim-Centric, Robin!Jason, BatWatch!Tim, The Waynes get concerned with their lonely neighbor, Tim Drake

Ain't No Compass, Ain't No Map: Funny, Tim&Jason, Borderline abandoned Tim Drake gets taken in by Crime Lord Red Hood. CPS tries investigating, with little results

And that's it for today. If you're still here, thank you so much and seriously, some of these are so good, so read them, trust me!

Sorry i took so long to get back to you, i had to organize the mess in my AO3 bookmarks and compiling this took me ages.

Let me know what you all think, and if you ever want more!!!! (Yes i have more. It's a problem)

[mindblowingscience]

Humans are 'mutilating' the tree of life, lopping off whole branches, one by one, at a rapid pace of pruning Earth has never experienced before. But not all hope is lost. To save a diversity of plants and animals from the current mass extinction, the United Nations introduced a historic 'peace pact with nature' at the end of 2022, in which countries pledged to turn 30 percent of the planet into protected zones by 2030. Unfortunately, the world is still far from that goal, but in the critical years to come, a promising new study suggests we focus less on the size of these nature reserves, and more on how much life they contain.

Continue Reading.