#whatever. if it resonates it will spread regardless

[xaeyrnofnbe]

the curse of having very short and lightly colored body hair

[wannabanauthor]

Another gushy BuckTommy post

Okay, but that scene where Buck says that he doesn't know Muay Thai, and Tommy immediately says "I could teach you"!

I personally believe that not only is Tommy being literal here, but he's also implying that they don't need to have common interests in order to hang out with each other. I could just be reading too much into it, but I really get the sense that both offers of lessons (flying and Muay Thai) were essentially Tommy wanting to spend time with Buck regardless of the reason.

Because Buck had been implying that Tommy would of course want to hang out with Eddie because Eddie is awesome AND Eddie and Tommy have a lot of common interests, so it makes sense they would get along so well.

And here's Tommy with a smile saying that he could just simply teach Buck Muay Thai and that they don't have to share common interests/hobbies in order to hang out.

Then you can tell Buck gets all flattered because he jokingly but also serisouly asks if the flying lessons and Muay Thai lessons would be on the same day. Also, the way he kind of cocks and tilts his head, squints his eyes all flirty like, and smiles at Tommy after the lessons offer is so cute and flirty. Tommy definitely picked up on it.

Because Buck is joking but he also does want to spend more time with Tommy, so he just throws it out there "haha, you would want to see me twice in a day?"

Then Tommy drops the line that we all need to obsess more over: "Probably not on the same day" while he is looking at Buck's lips.

And he sounds all nonchalant about it, but you can tell he's serious because before he looks at Buck's lips, he's looking up in the air like he's planning the lessons schedule out in his head. So he's 100% game for seeing Buck twice, and he'd like to spread it out so he sees Buck more often. Instead of seeing him one day, he can see Buck on two separate days.

Tommy is all for spending more time with Buck, yet he admits it so casually while also staring straight at Buck's lips.

You can tell Tommy's desire to spend more than one day with Buck resonates with Buck because his voice gets all serious when he says "Good, because trying to get your attention has been kind of exhausting."

Buck sounds so earnest and honest and full of want here, which clued Tommy in that his feelings were reciprocated.

And additional side note: While watching a GIF of BuckTommy during the Harbor tour, Tommy quickly checks Buck out when he offers the flying lessons. When he says "I could you give lessons" or whatever the quote is, he looks down briefly, for like a millisecond.

Me, in my fanfic writer experience, is projecting that Tommy was subconsciously thinking about giving Buck dick lessons when he said that. That entire conversation was full of hidden queer speak. I don't what the actual term for it is, but it's like the sexuality version of code-switching but doing it cautiously.

[lilacstro]

pac: what do your tumblr followers think about your blog

this was a seemingly unserious silly idea haha, lets go. this actually is very not serious, so if you dont even have a blog, you can pick a pile, and if you have one but dont post much or dont have much followers, maybe its your sign that your account might match the description in some while. haha, regardless, enjoy<33

this reading is not for you if you are hate blogger or spread hate/misinfo through your account :/

paid readings are open :)

pile 1 pile 2 pile 3

support me on ko-fi :)

Pile 1

Haha, it seems some of you could post a lot, and your followers do enjoy it. For some majority of you, you could also be into posting manifestation, self help related kinda content. There is an empowering and uplifting energy and some kind of strong feminine energy about your blog indeed. Looks like you guys actually might post a specific genre of content and your blog overall is quite organized. Some of you could also post about things like, spreading awareness on/donation links for gaza? or ukraine? or other such things, it was coming through, and your followers support you for choosing to post this actively. I also feel you maybe are kind of an old blogger? someone who has been on here posting for a while, some of your followers might actually like to read your posts when they are free or as stress relivers, in free times or look forward to your posts. I can understand this tbh, I also liked this one blog named something luciddownloading but i cant seem to find it, ig they activated their blog and it was super sad, I hope you all keep on posting, you should get the transaction you receive if you arent, and if your blog is doing well, it is possible that it gets even better. For some of you, if you are thinking about making money through tumblr somehow, it seems possible too!! all the best and I hope it resonated.

Pile 2

Some of you here might be beauty bloggers or actually post a variety of content, or have some quirky username haha but it seems you put a lot of thought in your blog. For some of you, you might have just started posting, or your schedule might not let you post as much as you like. Some of you might even be very non judgmental and post or reblog the things you like, your blog seems like a collection of things you like rather and not really following up with some specific aesthetic, but it still looks gorgeous. Some of you might also be into posting the blunt/honest truth posts/ unpopular opinions and I see your followers appreciate that. For some of you a message is, if you are holding back thinking what you should post/post how often or on what. just take a leap or action and start. Don't think about it too much, tumblr def needs one of your cute lil blogs even if you don't post something very big/important. Start and eventually you should know. Some of you also might do secret girl blogging lmao. your account has a lot of potential to flourish if it isnt already if you dont be pretentious and post what you really love honestly, whatever that is :)

Pile 3

Your blog definitely seems to have readers from all places or countries, for some of you specifically it seems like an astro-blog/spiritual blog. Some of you might have started recently too. Regardless of whatever, your account might see a lot of transaction if it isn't already or may actually see good engagement usually. You definitely seem to put a lot of hard work in your blog, I am getting specifically for explaining things or revealing things, and I'm strongly getting a astro/tarot/witchcraft kinda blog, some of you may actually also post random thoughts/feelings/poems kind of things that you end up saving on a pintrest board. There is a lot of scope for this being a well engaged account too. Your followers definitely seem to think your blog has a lot of comforty, earthy vibe to it haha. although most of you seem regular bloggers, just incase for a few of you im saying dont give up on your blog yet if you want to, a lot of people actually admire your posts and they will just keep on growing. your blog is well loved by people who come across/read it. so dont just go yet<33

thanks for reading a silly little reading. Have a good day <3

[ladyimaginarium]

𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫 !

From left to right, top to bottom: Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3, Pile 4, Pile 5, & Pile 6!

Instructions: Use your intuition to pick a card that calls to you most, then scroll to the bottom underneath the read more and find your pile(s) to receive your message!

Disclaimer: take what resonates, leave the rest of what doesn't & don't force anything if it doesn't fit your situation, keep in mind that energy and outcomes can always change & nothing is forever set in stone, you have free will in every choice you make !! keep in mind that this is a general collective reading so the messages here may not apply to everyone. as a general message: my readings are for entertainment purposes only and don't replace professional medical/legal/business help. feedback and a review after a reading is given, whether public or private, is obligatory. you can do that by reblogging ( only if the reading was made for you specifically ), dming or emailing us privately on the matter. if you do not provide this, you will be added to my greylist and won't be given anymore readings, free or paid, until you give feedback. keep in mind it's more than okay to pick more than one pile if you feel you have messages in other piles! don't just leave this in the likes, reblog and support your tarot readers, my time and labour aren't for free. while it isn't necessary, if you'd like to tip, here's my p/ayp/al. I have personal paid readings available which you can fill out the form here so tips, bookings & feedback are highly appreciated considering i plan to do this for a living!

decks used: Disney Villains Tarot & Dark Wood Tarot & Pink Tarot & Killstar ( or as we lovingly call it Memento Mori ) Tarot & Horror Tarot & GANGSTA. Tarot.

Pile 1: You have Justice! First things first is the most obvious in terms of synchronicities: the movie Big Hero 6 may have some significance to you, or East Asian culture, particularly Japanese culture. You may either live in Japan or have traveled to or plan to travel to Japan. You may be born in San Francisco, California, or California as a whole may also be significant to you or you may be American. When I look at this card, my first intuitive thought is that you may be worried about the state of the world right now, and honestly, I wouldn't even blame you, so am I, but I need you to know that things are not hopeless. If you raise your voice and spread awareness to things that matter to you like the way things are going right now and you genuinely care about other people, then you're doing the right thing. You yourself could be an activist or at the very least if you're not officially one, you could care greatly about social justice. The number 11 could be significant to you. Justice is ruled by Libra so you may have those placements or someone you know or someone important to you could have those placements. On a less grander scale, I can see something being made right for you in a situation that's been going on in your life, I'm specifically seeing for a lot of you this could be a relationship - I'm mostly getting romantic relationships here but it could be a friendship dynamic - gone wrong or someone who refused to hire you for whatever reason. You'll likely either reconcile with someone or alternatively for some of you, you could be getting a better offer. Regardless, though, if this resonates with you, congrats, Pile 1, I'm so happy for you!!

Pile 2: You have The High Priestess! You may be intuitively drawn to the occult or your faith, should you have one, right now, and you may be isolating to look at the situations in your life introspectively. The color green may be significant to you. A feminine energy may be significant (it doesn't necessarily have to be a woman!), whether it's a mother, a sister, a girlfriend, an elderly woman, an ancestor of yours or maybe even a feminine deity who wants to reach out to you. You yourself may be interested into getting into tarot and I say if that applies to you, go for it! The number 2 may be significant, it may be a date of the month that's significant, something could happen in 2 days or 2 weeks or 2 months, or, alternatively, since February is the second month of the year, something important could be happening this February! Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces may be significant, you may have those in your placements or someone you know may have those placements considering its ruled by the Moon.

Pile 3: You have Strength! This is completely random but I'm getting that at least some of you who get this card and picked this pile are furries, otherkin, alterhuman and/or someone who has animal deities that they follow. Some of you may literally be lionkind if you're otherkin or you may have a lion as a fursona if you're a furry or if you are a system, you may have a system member who's a lion. You may also be neurodivergent, I'm getting for a lot of y'all autistic specifically, considering the infinity symbol. The color pink may be significant to you because this is my pink tarot deck. I'm getting that if you practice and believe in crystal healing, get some rose quartz, especially if you want to attract love, especially romantic love, into your life. Lions may pose some significance to you, and if not lions, then felines. You yourself may have a cat. You may be spending more time with your cats. The Lion King may be significant. For very few of you you may actually work with wild animals, especially big cats, which if that's the case that's literally so cool! This was what I read for someone last month when I told y'all that you'd have to be resilient in something you're doing because someone may be testing your patience and I'm getting that again. Make sure to set healthy boundaries with someone if necessary! Leo may be significant, whether you have those in your natal chart or someone you know has those placements. The number 8 could be significant, something could happen in 8 days which is little over a week from when you're reading this. This is random, too, but I'm getting an intuitive hit to buy flowers for yourself if you're alone by yourself on Valentine's Day if you're reading this by the time this post is written. Someone may want to give you flowers, or flowers in general may be significant to you. Regardless, though, I know for a fact that you'll be slaying anyway no matter what you do! SLAY!

Pile 4: You have The World! I'm immediately getting that you're about to or already have completed a cycle in your life and to that I say congratulations, Pile 4!! I'm getting a ringing in my right ear so that just confirms it!! Maybe you've FINALLY managed to achieve something you've wanted to do, maybe you're feeling a little more at ease in this new chapter in your life. For some of you I'm getting that you may have moved to a new place! If that applies, that's awesome, Pile 4!! The number 21 could be significant, you yourself could be 21 or something could happen on the 21st of a month. The Earth element rules The World may be significant, so Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn may be significant to you, and since Saturn rules The World, Capricorn and Aquarius may also be significant to you, whether you have any of those placements yourself, or someone else you know may have them. The symbol of Ouroboros may be significant to you, too. Regardless, though, I say y'all are doing wonderfully and I'm hoping y'all will stay on the top of the world !!

Pile 5: You have The Chariot! You may be struggling to move forward with a decision you've made or maybe even debating on what to choose. Usually in the traditional Rider Waite tarot there's two horses representing two choices, that isn't present here as there's only one horse here. To that I say follow your heart and your intuition most of all and it won't lead you astray. I'm getting this... very specific message for a lot of you, but I need y'all to know this, okay? It's okay to leave the past behind. It's okay to let go. Horses may be of significance to you. For very few of you I'm getting you may be equestrians or have ancestors who were equestrians, notably Mongolians and Scythians or any of the Plains Turtle Island Indigenous Nations, but that definitely won't apply to everyone. For some of you the Celtic deity Epona or perhaps even The Legend of Zelda may be significant because I'm getting The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker's opening theme playing in my head ehehe. The Chariot is ruled by Cancer so Cancer may be significant to you, and the number 7 may be significant, something could be happening a week from now when you're reading this which is what I'm getting for a lot of you and for others your birthday could be the 7th of a month, alternatively, you could be born in July. You've got this!

Pile 6: You have The Empress! HOOO BOY I'm getting for a lot of you who picked this pile, y'all may be lesbians and/or sapphics of some kind because I just got, like, psychically blasted in the face with some really gay shit and specifically sapphic yearning LMAO. I don't know, I'm just getting that vibe and not just from the character Gina Paulklee from GANGSTA. herself who she herself is canonically a lesbian/sapphic. For a few of you, the animanga series GANGSTA. may be significant to you, or you may want to read/watch it as you may find some messages in there that may be important to you. For some of y'all, a strong maternal figure could be significant like a mother, an aunt or even a deity who's really powerful who may be trying to reach out... I'm getting Athena (Hellenismos) and Sekhmet (Kemeticism) for a lot of y'all, and for fewer of you, I'm getting Amaterasu (Shinto), Hera (Hellenismos), Hathor (Kemeticism), the Morrigan (Celtic Paganism), Freyja (Asatru), Oshun (Yoruba Ifa, Candomble & Santeria, Black/Afro-Latine exclusive, if you're nonblack don't touch!), and Sky Woman (Huron-Iroquois/Haudenosaunee, if you're nonnative or not a member of any of these nations don't touch!) so any of these deities may be significant to you. If it doesn't apply, let it fly. You could be in your divine feminine energy (everyone has this energy inside them regardless of gender, sex, orientation or presentation!) and stepping into your own personal power. Some of y'all may be exploring sensuality and your own sexuality or for any of my lesbians/sapphics in this pile, you may be getting a girlfriend. This my baddie pile and I don't necessarily mean in an Instagram baddie way (and you don't have to be a woman to be a baddie!) although you could fit or like that aesthetic, but I moreso mean in the sense that you're gaining confidence in yourself and what you do, and in other words, you really are That Bitch TM & I'm so happy for y'all if that applies !! The Earth element rules The Empress so that may be significant, so Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn may be significant to you, and Venus rules The Empress and for some of y'all I'm getting that Aphrodite (Hellenismos) and/or Venus (Religio Romana) literally may be wanting to reach out to you to work with you if you don't already. The number 3 may also be significant, so something could be happening in March as its the third month of the year and as I'm posting this the month after this month, alternatively, the 3rd of a month may be significant, or something could be happening in 3 days from now, or weeks or months, but I'm getting for y'all it's likely 3 days. With that said, that's about all I have for your reading, thank you so much for being here!

[cupofchan]

soft moments with bang chan

bang chan x fem! reader (ft. skz members)

domestic au ; established r/s ; fluff ; a teaspoon of poetry ; a dose of warmth like home ; abstract

when your love language is making someone a cup of tea and his love language is less about drinking tea but more about keeping you company.

inspired by: this post.

is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?

you used to think that was just limited to your family. family is home because at the end of every day, you go back to them. and where they stay was where your home is. until he came into your life.

“will that be enough?”

you walked out of your room when you heard the sound of noodles slurping echoing from the kitchen.

“yeah, it’s fine. did i wake you up?”

you shook your head, fingers rubbing the sleepiness away as you shuffled your way over to where the cabinet full of various teas were. with experience hands, you picked his favorite one with ease while pouring the leftover hot water from before into a cup.

“i was just about to get up so it’s okay.”

“you should’ve slept in since it’s a saturday.”

chan’s words was laced with a hint of worry, you could tell, but you know he would still say it regardless of whatever reason you had.

you placed the tea gently beside him before making yourself comfortable on the other chair, knees up your chest as you rest your cheeks against the surface. it’s funny how the sun was barely up, yet the shallow rays of light that peeked through your kitchen window painted his silhouette in a way that had you feel like you’re dreaming.

the way his eyes were soft and mellow, nose semi-highlighted while his lips glossed (from the oil in his cup noodle), everything just felt so right.

“is it possible for a home to be in a person and not a place?”

you unconsciously mumbled your thoughts out, only for him to pause in the midst of taking a sip of his tea.

you chuckled, watching his expression change every few seconds as he contemplated on how to answer you. in the moment, you couldn’t help but to brush your fingers through his curly locks, your thumb naturally caressing his temples.

you chuckled, watching his expression change every few seconds as he contemplated on how to answer you. in the moment, you couldn’t help but to brush your fingers through his curly locks, your thumb naturally caressing his temples.

“it was a rhetorical question, my love.”

“oh.”

the silly smile that spreads across his face had you chuckling yet again, for you knew it’s been awhile since you called him that.

it’s also been awhile since he visited you and been awhile since you made tea for him. in fact, he never really had any interest in teas until you came into his life.

“what made you say that though?”

“i don’t know…just—”

perhaps it was the distance that made you think of him more, or the way he seem to always enjoy the tea you made. maybe the way he fit so perfectly well in your overly simplified kitchen that had you thinking about how nice it would be to build a home together.

“—you make me feel like i could build a home in you.”

if chan thought minho’s reddening ears was adorable, wait till he see the growing hues of pink that dusted on the apple of his cheeks. he was literally a blushing mess when the weight of your words resonated in his heart.

he could only laugh, his hands doing its best to cover the embarrassment of not knowing how to respond to that. it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard you compliment him from time to time, but it was never so…raw. it almost sounded like a proposal. and somehow, he could feel his heart beaming with joy at that thought.

“wow i—wow—y/n—”

chan was speechless. too much emotions swirling around his heart that without him knowing, his smile was the exactly like the day you made him his first tea. warm and happy.

“yes, i love you too babe. now drink your tea before it gets cold.”

when chan was busy working on a new track, you dropped by to give him a flask of new flavored tea you found recently. the boys were happy to see you, but you couldn’t stay for long so you left after a quick chat with them.

“chan hyung, why does noona always make you tea? can’t you make it yourself?” seungmin asked after he saw you walking out of the jyp building in hurried steps.

“since when did you like tea?” changbin added on with interest.

“chan hyung drinks tea?” jisung questioned in surprise at the new information he hadn’t known even though he was friends with chan for so many years.

“isn’t the answer simple?”

hyunjin sighed, making all the members except chan, turn their attention to him. in one swift move, he brought his fingers together in the shape of a heart.

“love. it’s because they love each other.”

seungmin literally deadpanned at him while changbin and jisung instinctively gestured to hyunjin if he love them too.

“actually i don’t really think much about tea.” chan explained, removing his headphones down to his neck.

jeongin gasped, “i’m telling noona you don’t care about her!”

minho click his tongue in disappointment, “how sad y/n would be, after delivering it to you from the other end of seoul.” (even though it was only a mere hour from your workplace but minho being minho, anything for the exaggeration).

“it’s not that i don’t care, it’s just—”

“you like anything noona make for you right~”

felix teased, only to have chan laugh because his members really do be interrupting him with every chance they can. not that he mind, maybe sometimes. like now.

“i mean i do, of course, it’s just—”

“love makes everything sweeter!”

hyunjin shouted with a laugh. it was almost hilarious how nobody is letting chan explain himself. the others were quick to throw in some lovey-dovey actions here and there, enjoying the chance of teasing their leader.

“can i please say my piece?”

of course, they kept quiet immediately even if chan didn’t had to raise his voice. they knew the limit and they had their fair share of fun.

“it’s not so much about drinking the tea, i feel like it’s more about keeping her company. like the tea isn’t just a drink, it’s a hand-warmer, an experience, a love language—definitely her love language—”

“okay okay, we got it!”

“you’re in love, we got it!”

“you guys are the tea loving couple, we got it!”

“action speaks louder than words, got it!”

“how did you even come to that, lee know hyung?”

jisung laughed out loud, it was so random. was it though?

“noona makes tea for chan hyung and chan hyung spend time with noona instead of saying they love each other, isn’t that actions speak louder than words?” seungmin explained ever so thoughtlessly.

“this is why you can’t have a girlfriend hannie ah~” minho teased, while changbin chuckled secretly from behind.

“yah stop rubbing it in. it’s not that i can’t, i just haven’t found the one yet.” he sneered, but the bricking obviously did not stop there.

chan, wondering why did he even bother explaining himself to his members, just shook his head as he put his headphones back on.

picking up his phone, a small smile tugged the corner of his face when he saw your text informing him that you had arrived home safely.

indeed, he never thought it was possible for a home to be that of a person and not a place, but the thought of it being you somehow made his heart full. even more so when he recalled how you described him as such.

quickly, he texted back a reply to not keep you waiting.

‘welcome home!’

[unbotheredalwyn]

I just have to say how disappointed I am in allowing myself to fall back into the Taylor trap. I started listening to her music in elementary and middle school and followed and genuinely liked her music until Red. I dropped her music because I got tired of all of drama with Jake and how everything was about a guy and then 1989 dropped and I got even more of an ick with all the Harry styles drama and after that I genuinely stopped hearing about her and her drama until midnights. I genuinely liked the vibe of it and then listened to lover, folklore, and evermore and was like Omg?! When did she mature? When did she grow this much? Folklore became my favorite album especially because it resonated so much with me while I was struggling. I went to the eras movie with my friend and we rekindled our girlhood memories and made friendship bracelets and even traded them with the few people the cinema and it was so cool to have had that moment watching the film and reliving our childhood with these people who we didn’t know but bonded with BUT THEN I got hit with the Joe break up, the Travis nonsense (like I didn’t stop seeing this man’s face no matter how hard I tried to avoid it) and then the Joe trash talk, Ratty, and worst of all-Taylor seemed to revert back to this immature, catty high school mean girl persona and I was shocked! I was so mad to find out that she contributed to this narrative against Joe and then TTPD admitting she cheated and blasted Joes mental health and her fans just justify all of it? They went from saying Joe was jobless and poor and used her to Joe being too rich to have mental health struggles and if he hadn’t been “so sad” she wouldn’t have cheated. Well which is it? Did he use her for money or did this rich man just ruin her vibe and deserve to get cheated on? And which is it from Taylor? Does she even have a real personality because it feels like she just picks up whatever suits her for the time being and I hate it.

I totally understand how you feel. I find myself sometimes missing her music.

One of the best times was the eras tour in cinemas for me too. My girlfriend surprised me with tickets we got flyers and it was a genuinely good time we were all dancing and singing along, people were handing out friendship bracelets, doing the fan chants etc but genuinely this entire thing is making me genuinely so sad because I really thought Taylor was a better person but she is just not.

Don't feel bad or disappointed because I promise you the fact that you see her bullshit and just does not blindly follow her like all the others says a LOT about you as a person and it shows your character so don't worry anon 🤗

I really am proud of Joe regardless what swifties say about him and honestly I don't think he gives a shit 😂 my unbothered king

I hope he sues them though about the ai shit and I hope Emma and Alison sues the people who spread she shitty rumors around tbh

[hrefna-the-raven]

Heart of Steel

Fallout masterlist - main masterlist

Chapter 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12

Song for this chapter:

Summary: the Brotherhood's final assault and the last time you'll see your son....

Warnings: swearing, death

Notes: this is it, the end of Maxson's redemption story^^ I hope you enjoyed the ride :) the picture for this chapter was made by the wonderfully talented @hpysprkl <3 please check her Fallout art, it's absolutely amazing :)

I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter but it's been sitting there for so long without changing so here you go, the final chapter :)

Chapter 13 - A new dawn

The walk along Liberty Prime towards the C.I.T. ruins felt like an agonizing eternity, battling against synths and mutants while the robot spewed one absurd statement after another.

"Democracy is non-negotiable.", Prime's static voice reverberated through the towering buildings as it advanced, "we will not fear the Red Menace."

"The nostalgia is real", you chuckled, nudging Maxson who walked beside you, "sounds exactly like the news broadcasts back in my days."

"Embrace Democracy, or you will be eradicated."

"I definitely liked Prime better when it was still silent", the Elder rolled his eyes, though the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Every muscle in his body was tense, his eyes frantically scanning his surroundings to spot potential enemies in time. Your destination was mere minutes away and he fell slightly behind, motioning for the knights in power armour to form the first front with the robot. You noticed how on edge Arthur was, a stark contrast to your first mission together back in Fort Strong, but then again neither of you was wearing power armour this time. He wore his usual reinforced battlecoat over his black uniform, holding a massive gatling laser tightly in his hands. His gaze shifted between you and the surroundings, prepared to protect you at any moment if needed. The Institute hadn't deployed many of their synths along the way but the moment you finally reached the C.I.T. ruins, swarms of them teleported in, firing relentlessly at you.

"Obstruction depth: five meters. Composition: sand, gravel and communism. Stand back."

You fell back, making space for the robot to dig or rather blast its way down to the Institute. After the Knights cleared out the last remaining synths and the dust had settled, Arthur's hand quickly found yours, giving it a reassuring squeeze before you descended. As you squeezed through the old run down hallways, disabling the outdated turrets along the way, nausea slowly spread like an all consuming darkness through your entire body, getting worse the closer you got to the part you had seen on your first visit here. Your trembling hand rested on the door while you took quick shaky breaths. You kept reminding yourself that you joined this battle for the good of the people of the Commonwealth but deep down you knew that it was inevitably linked to the death of your son. Regardless of how you'd play this or the choices you made, by the end of the day he'd be dead, his body buried underneath the rubble of the organisation that took and corrupted him. Arthur's hand found yours, pushing the door open along with you. He felt your pain and understood the weight of what awaited you in these halls. He lost his parents, was sent to grow up in a place that meant well but left him scarred, always torn between who he was and who he needed to be but he would do whatever he could to lessen your burden. As soon as the last synth in the mainhall fell to the ground, Proctor Ingram's voice resonated in your comms.

"Paladin, we've located the reactor. It's accessible through the Advanced Systems division. Only... you can't reach it. The security override can only come from the Director's terminal. You'll need to access his quarters."

Her words knocked the air out of your lungs and dizziness shrouded your mind as you stumbled a few steps backwards. You weren't ready to see him again, the sneer etched on his face as he'd realise that his own mother was tearing down his life's work, a betrayal so close and yet so far from the blood that bound them.

"I'll go", Maxson's steady voice broke through your panic, nodding towards you, "Paladin get ready to make your way to the reactor as soon as the door opens."

And with that he disappeared in to the elevator.

"You've doomed humanity... you know that?", the old man's voice echoed from the corner of the room.

"If anything, I'm saving humanity", Arthur replied dryly.

His gaze shifted to Father and for a moment he felt pity. The person lying there seemed old and weak, time wasted within these sterile walls for the sake of destruction instead of spending what time he had left with his mother, the sole person in this world who truly loved him, who went to great lengths to protect him until she witnessed first-hand that he had become lost, poisoned by the Institute's doctrines.

"Ah she didn't even bother to come here herself but instead sent the Brotherhood. I never thought my mother would be so cowardly", Father spat, his voice laced with arrogance.

Arthur took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering every ounce of strength to resist the overwhelming urge to strangle your son with his own hands. The way he spoke about you, the hatred and air of hubris that emanated from him, it became all too clear why you returned so broken from your first visit here.

"She's not cowardly!", his voice trembled, "she had to go through more than you could ever comprehend to save you, only to find out that you toyed with her, that she was nothing more than an experiment for you. From all I've seen, it's clear that you have even less emotions than the machines you create. I always thought the Institute created monsters, but she showed me the truth, it's not the synth, it's you, you're the monster!"

"How dare you low-life wannabe soldier talk to me like that?! I'm her family!", Father screamed through his coughs.

"No!", Arthur slammed his fists on the side of Father's bed, "I AM her family now! You heartless monstrosity can't even begin to comprehend what she means to me! To you, she is nothing more than a mere tool, but to me, she is everything, my world!"

Father's hollow laughter echoed through the chamber. He laid there, weak and dying and yet he had the audacity to laugh in Arthur's face. Pity rose within Maxson once again, along with a profound sadness. He'd gazed into the very essence of your bright soul, your damned big heart that felt compassion for those he considered mere machines, it was your goodness that had saved him from himself and he was glad that he'd spared you the sight and the words of that despicable man lying in the bed before him. His body tensed painfully at how he yearned to slam his fist into Father's face until the laughter fell silent. Every punch delivered would be in retribution for the pain he had caused you, every tear you had shed because of him, until there was nothing left anymore. His hand rose as clenched fist but just before throwing the punch, he paused. The memories of how you'd stepped between his gun and Danse flooded his mind. It was time to rise above his hatred and prove once again that he was so much more, that he was the man to whom you pledged your loyalty and love to. Arthur stepped away and proceeded towards the terminal on the desk, initiating the process of overriding the lockdown and deactivating the hostile synths. Father's laughter and shouts no longer rang through to him. As Arthur headed towards the door, he cast one last glance back to the dying man.

"You threw your life, your family, away for nothing and now you'll die for nothing", Maxson spoke before leaving the room.

Planting the bomb in the reactor was a walk in the park once the synth fighters had been disabled. You couldn't wait to get out of this place, leave it all behind and start over, together with Arthur but the moment you entered the room on your way to the relay, your heart sank at the sight of the boy clinging to Ingram. As soon as he spotted you, he darted towards you, relieved that you had finally arrived.

“Mother”, his small arms wrapped tightly around you as you froze in place.

Arthur's eyes widened in shock as he instantly recognised the true nature of the child and who it was meant to imitate.

“I'm not your mother. Whoever told you that was lying.", the pain in your voice revealed the depth of your heartache.

After all you had been through, he had managed to stab your heart one last time by throwing a synth child at you, pretending to be him. Your heart wanted to accept the child, wanted to pretend none of this had happened and simply start over with your little boy at your side, but you knew better. No matter how much you believed synths to be sentient, to be truly alive, this was still not your son and he would never be.

“Why would you say you're not? Don't you love me anymore? ", the boy uttered heartbroken.

You sobbed at his words, the sound of them almost too much to bear as they sounded sincere, despite knowing it better. Arthur tenderly held your face, placing a gentle kiss upon your lips before whispering softly into your ear.

"If you truly want this, take him. I'll keep both of you safe, my love."

Your heart ached at his words, torn between the profound sadness of leaving the boy here and the desperate desire to have your child back but no matter how you reasoned with yourself, this synth child, was a creation of a broken world, a last way of Shaun to hurt you, and was not yours to keep. His existence was a painful reminder of the past, a past you had fought to leave behind to finally be free of that sadness.

“I loved my son... my real son. You're not him. I'm sorry", you sobbed as you took Arthur's hand and walked towards the relay, ordering Ingram to teleport you out of the Institute.

You still thought back at the moment where your trembling hand hovered above the button, hesitant, afraid. When you closed your eyes, you could still feel the breeze on top the building you were standing, Maxson's fingers intertwining with yours as he whispered into your ear. The words he spoke that moment felt so different from the first speech on the observation deck. He had changed, not entirely but enough to recognise the heart beating within his chest. You enlisted under the Elder who vowed to eliminate every synth and by the end of your mission, you were engaged to Arthur, who would have granted you a life with the synth version of your son. The only problem was that you had changed too. Your heart broke the moment you met Shaun again, realising that your baby died back then along with your husband, the man who he was now was nothing like you, his arrogance mocking your very existence. And while you sometimes wondered whether you should have given into the pain and lie of raising that synth child, the certainty of your decision always came around to reassure you. You lost your family, your old life, the world you lived in, but you gained a husband you truly connected to, a new family, not made out of blood but the bonds you forged along the way and you had a new life in a new world you'd help to shape for the better. You were right where you wanted to be and no memories of that fateful day six months ago could sow doubts.

Your thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Hancock's infectious laughter. He leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Well, I guess we can all be honoured that the great Elder of the Brotherhood is sitting here without shooting any of us", he said, chuckling, "but that still won't change the fact that he lost this round, so off with those clothes!"

"But-", Arthur groaned in protest, slamming his cards on the table.

"Don't be a sore loser", MacCready chimed in, taking another sip from his glass, "I'm half naked too, that's the price you gotta pay when you play against a cheating mayor."

"Hey, not my fault that you all suck at poker. Ain't that right?", Hancock nudged you in the side, a mischievous smirk on his face.

Your hand gently caressed Arthur's thigh as you offered him a supportive smile.

"I call tactical retreat", Maxson threw his hands up and got off his chair, standing there in only his briefs and one sock, "besides I don't want to upset the ghoul."

"Oh afraid I'll go feral?", he winked.

Arthur rolled his eyes and sat down again, taking a sip from his drink.

"I told you not to play", Danse shrugged.

"Yeah, got him yesterday, his little friend Haylen got all flustered."

"You and scribe Haylen?!", Maxson called out, looking sceptically at Danse who only nodded, blushing slightly.

"Leave him alone and bear your defeat like a man by taking that sock off...or the underpants, I don't care", Hancock winked at Arthur.

You almost burst into laughter, ignoring your husband's angry stare. You knew that this outrage was simply a play, a constant banter between him and the mayor, since the day of the first of your monthly poker games. You felt at peace, with your life, your love right next you, loosing to a cheating ghoul. You always wondered how someone as sharp as Arthur could not notice that Hancock obviously played cards that shouldn't have been in the deck so many times. But then again, as you watched him fling his last sock straight into the ghoul's face, bursting into laughter, a suspicion arose within you that he might have actually noticed it. He was among friends, away from the Brotherhood, he wouldn't need to beat anyone, he would only enjoy the company and have fun. Maybe, if those two were able to bond despite their differences and ideas then there was still hope in the midst of this chaotic world.

It was one of the many nights that would forever be etched in your memory, a testament to the bonds of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit despite the hostility around. And as you left the room, you couldn't help but wonder what other surprises awaited you in this unpredictable world that now was your home....

[lizzieraindrops]

Liminal - Chapter 3 (1901 words)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Ikora is terrified of losing Eris now that she has become the Hive god of vengeance. The long tension between them has finally been driven to breaking point.

Sometimes the scariest part of good old-fashioned monster-loving isn't the monster. Ikora's emotional dysfunctionality returns with a vengeance (ha) in the morning.

Warmth is the unexpected first greeting of returning consciousness. Ikora runs cool, ever since she had first touched the Void—not uncomfortably, but noticeably. It takes a lot to fluster her, in both temperature and demeanor.

The warmth is another human presence: the gentle heat of skin on hers, a more comfortable resting place than her own bed despite the irregularity of shape.

With a simultaneous flush and chill that catches her between flight and paralysis, Ikora half rolls, half falls off of—Eris. Of course.

Eris snaps to wakefulness with all the alacrity of a Hunter's reflexes. She is relaxing her grip on the hilt of a small knife at the bedside—where had that come from?—almost before Ikora registers that she has moved. Ikora draws back for another reason entirely, coiling herself around her own knees at the foot of the bed. The sheet tangles her legs.

Halfway through levering herself up toward sitting, Eris catches sight of Ikora and ceases movement. Free of their bandage at last, her three green eyes blaze bright in the dimness with only a stray lock of her short, straggly hair to intercept their fire. As ever, wisps of ink drip from her eyes like tears. Their dark tracks trail over round cheeks, returned to soft-skinned vulnerability once more—along with the rest of her. Eris' very human body lies there fearlessly despite the lacework of scars that spreads over every limb. For some reason that makes Ikora feel deeply afraid.

"Ikora. It's me."

It is, and oh, Ikora is overwhelmed by that fact, by her nearness, by her own memory of sharp satisfaction in the way claws had clutched Ikora's body close and by her awareness of deft hands that could do the same. By the way that singular voice as deep and resonant as the ocean itself is close enough to feel.

One supplicating hand extends toward Ikora. She cannot keep herself from flinching. Eris withdraws it and carefully lies back down.

Ikora remains silent. Words stopper her throat like something congealed in the neck of a bottle, leaving her mind to spin within like a trapped squall.

"Ikora?" The softer her voice becomes, the harder Ikora trembles. "I will not hurt you. I am sorry, if I—did I...?"

Ikora shakes her head violently. She has never been more keenly aware that a problem is entirely inside her own head. But she still cannot speak.

The knot between Eris' eyebrows eases somewhat. Only one of her brows has hair: the other's had apparently never regrown from the shiny scarring around her eyes. "That is a relief," she says. "But I would still know what ails you. How may I comfort you? Or rather, may you be comforted without me? Shall I go?"

Ikora presses the heels of her hands into her eyes. Light, but Eris is so unfailingly kind, regardless of her bluntness, despite all the violence and hatred she has weathered; despite Ikora's utter emotional incompetence. Ikora loves her for it, and that is the most terrifying knowledge of all.

Ikora forces herself to meet Eris' eyes over her own curled hands. "Stay. Please," she whispers. "Just. Don't touch me." If she does, Ikora might be devoured by her own inarticulate fear warring with desperate need.

Eris nods and pulls her feet a little further away from her, even though perplexion dominates her face. She studies Ikora with all the clever, relentless perceptiveness that she usually bends toward her life's work. That sharp mind has flayed the immortality from gods. Her scrutiny is as unforgiving as truth itself. Little wonder that Ikora looks away as revelation chases the intensity from her features. Whatever softer thing can subsume that, Ikora is not capable of facing.

"You fear this form more than my morph," Eris says in hushed wonder.

Ikora hides her face in her hands again. She would not have put it so, but neither can she deny it. This is Eris, as she has been the whole time. But at least last night, Ikora had been too preoccupied by the newness and dark splendor of her acolyte form to think about the terrible immensity of the feelings she has so long kept in check. Seeing Eris' familiar form before her now, so brazenly vulnerable, brings to bear the years of aching longing that she had never considered might be answered.

It isn't that she thought Eris did not care for her. She knows, in a million subtle ways she has tried not to dwell upon. She just never thought either of them would find room for each other within the straits of their callings. Eris must pursue the fall of the Hive regardless of the risks. Ikora must defend the Last City, and she will never forego her duty to it as Vanguard. Not like her predecessor.

Ikora had not considered the much more frightening possibility now before her: that Eris might accept her and still continue along a path that might yet lead to self-destruction. That Ikora might lose her after being given the briefest taste of knowing what it meant to have her.

"Perhaps this was untimely. Although I do not regret it," Eris says. She runs a hand through her hair with a sigh. "Ikora," she pleads. "Please speak to me."

Ikora nods. She gathers what scraps of clarity she can. "I don't either. Regret it," she adds in response to Eris' confused look. "But I think...you're right. About timeliness."

Eris smiles sadly. "That has always been our problem, has it not?" She curls comfortably onto her side, leaning against the headboard with her head resting on her hands. "Are we too early, or too late?"

Ikora shifts to a cross-legged position and holds her hands in her lap. "Yes? No?" She gives a short laugh as unsteady as a newborn foal. "I don't know. But this feels like it was always inevitable."

"I know what you mean. Yet I thought I closed the door on this path when I awoke the Harbinger. It seems I was mistaken..."

Ikora's heart goes painfully soft, as if leaning into a blow. She should have told Eris years ago, rather than let her think herself unlovable. But would she have believed her, back then?

"Eris," she begins in a low, quiet voice. "Everything you are is dear to me. Even this—even that part of you. Especially a part of you that brings you clarity, purpose. It's just—" Her voice cracks. "I can't love you the way I want to, the way you should be, not when I'm so scared for you."

Eris lets that sink in. "I understand," she says, tender and mournful all at once. "I do not blame you. But I can do this. I can end what the Hive began. And I must."

"I know." Ikora does not know what will happen. She cannot predict any possibility that will reconcile reality with the cry her heart is making.

Ikora looks around the room while she takes slow, deliberate breaths to steady herself. She takes in details that she had been too distracted to notice before. The quarters are modest, but sizable for a ship. Eris has attired it much like the rest of her temporary wing of the HELM. Deep red hangings soften the sharp industrial corners. Another large shelf of books and strange artifacts cover one wall. How had she chosen what to keep nearest? Below a dim lamp with mica shades, her Ahamkara bone rests in a small stone bowl on the bedside table. A cloth has been cast over it to dull its glare. The bed itself is simple but utterly comfortable; the sheets have the feel of linen worn soft with long use, even if they bear a few new claw-torn tears.

Eris heaves a great sigh, then asks: "What now?"

Ikora lies down at the foot of the bed in a mirror of Eris' position, limbs askew. She is only a meter or so away, yet so far out of reach. "I guess we continue as we were. Mostly. Until...after this." If Eris lives. If they both come through this ordeal still capable of loving each other.

"After," Eris muses. "Very well." Then a wry grin tugs at her lips. "It will be terribly hard, though, now that I know the sound of your heart." Dancing humor laces the earnestness in her voice.

"Eris." Ikora laughs into her hands in embarrassment. "I'll have to give you more Hidden work after all this to keep you busy, otherwise you'll break every heart in the Tower."

Eris chuckles, and it raises chills along Ikora’s arms. "I don't think that will be necessary. After." Her hand curls and uncurls beside her face, as if she were refusing the impulse to breach the gulf that separates them.

The brief shared humor fades like ripples on the water. Soon, only uncertainty and stumbling sorrow remain to echo between them.

"Eris?"

"Yes?"

"Can we just..." This hurts too much to leave so soon. "Can we have today, if nothing else?"

Ikora can see the way Eris tamps down her own hope in the set of her shoulders. She despises herself a little for causing that, but not enough to not ask.

"Would that not only hurt more?" Eris says softly.

"Maybe. But I would rather give you a reason to come back."

Eris holds her stare, lips pressed together in indecision. Ikora curls in on herself with shame at her own presumption.

"Oh, come here, my love," Eris relents. She opens her arms.

Uncoiling, Ikora crosses the distance between them. She only hesitates a moment before tucking herself into Eris' embrace, shaky with nervous relief. She presses her spread hands to Eris' back, along her now smooth but still scarred shoulders. Did the Harbinger's spines erupt individually from the lines of those old wounds? "I'm here," she says, muffled against her. They lie there heart to heart, skin to skin. Even channeling Solar light has never made her feel this blessedly warm.

"Just today," Eris agrees.

"Just today." Ikora draws back just enough to look Eris in the eyes. She caresses her face, brushes her thumb across the unevenness of the scars just above her cheekbone. The prickling ink pools thickest there, but evaporates quickly.

"Don't forget that you are wanted for yourself. Not just for what you can do," Ikora says.

With that she kisses Eris deeply, achingly, searingly. Eris responds like a flower to the sun. The sound of unashamed pleasure that hums in her throat makes Ikora feel more wanted than she has ever been. And in this stolen moment, her want is greater than ever, as well. This time she gives it free rein with premeditated intent. She traces her passion along every curve of Eris' mouth, the arch of her neck, even the tender scarred lids of her eyes. She commits every part of her to memory, from her strong, stout arms to her soft, thick waist to the proud arc of her spine below the troubled skin.

"All of you," Ikora breathes. The hitch in Eris' heartbeat beneath her lips tells her she does not need to explain.

The warmth of skin threatens to destroy her as completely and utterly as the crystalline vacuum of space. But as she sinks into the contact, it soon soothes the part of Ikora that is shivering.

[jeffgerstmann]

why does playstation still outsell xbox 2:1? is microsoft STILL paying for the 2013 drm debacle?

I think that's probably part of it, but I'd probably look at the entirety of the previous generation, not just the DRM shit. The Xbox One was an under-powered piece of tech. The PS4 did great, they had smart initiatives to court indies that also helped earn them a lot of goodwill, and all of that is still paying off for them this time around. Sony also has games and first-party franchises that people want to play, and unlike Microsoft, Sony has been able to produce and ship a pretty decent number of those games already. People used to always talk about how games like Uncharted and most of the first-party games were big, but not necessarily as big as Sony felt they could/should be, but even if that's actually true, those games add up. In a world where the differences in hardware between the two machines are kinda minor, being able to say HERE ARE OUR BIG EXCLUSIVE GAMES matters. Sony's also been pretty smart about which games they go after. Surely getting Final Fantasy would be enough to sway some number of people to buy a PS5 over an Xbox Series X.

I also think Microsoft probably needs to be smarter about advertising and educating the mass market about Game Pass? Like do people even know it exists? I guess I'm not the best judge of that since I don't really watch any TV at all, but like... there should be big Game Pass ads on sports games and shit like that. For the mainstream game player who kinda operates on a budget and has a different mindset than the "core" "player," I would think that selling them on "the Netflix for video games" or whatever would be kind of a no-brainer.

In short, Sony has better third-party support, particular with Japanese developers, and their first-party games seem like they're really resonating with people in a way that Microsoft's simply aren't anymore. Maybe Call of Duty or Fortnite are factors here, and their rise helped lower interest in things like Halo or Gears of War? Regardless, it really feels like Microsoft's first-party teams just don't have what the masses are looking for anymore and with due respect to Forza, Starfield is their only big bet (that we know of).

All of that said, though... Microsoft's fortunes in gaming have been spread out. Their first-party games appear on PC and even in third-party stores like Steam. Some percentage of people who might've bought an Xbox are now realizing they don't need to buy one at all. Microsoft has more or less said that they're OK with that trade-off, but it sure does make a lot of these comparison points look rough for them. Ultimately we don't really know what "success" looks like for the Xbox division anymore because their business is more diverse and weird than it used to be (or, to compare, the Xbox business turns on different metrics than Sony's does). They've always seemed like they're taking the long view on things, for whatever that's worth.

[loneberry]

War + Geopolitics

The world is on the precipice. What is there to say? It’s surreal to live through a war in the age of social media, in the age of AI, when the business model of Twitter/X (monetized virality, pay-to-play blue checks + amplification) incentivizes the rapid spread of misinformation. We are also witnessing the algorithmic suppression (shadow banning) of perspectives that are critical of Israel, along with the proliferation of doctored videos, fake images, and imposter accounts. For this reason I’ve stopped checking social media. I’ve been both inspired by and disheartened by the responses I’ve seen online, but the informational chaos is overwhelming.

Where do things stand at the moment? I’ll try to synthesize some of the information I’ve gathered.

POSSIBILITY OF A REGIONAL WAR

With the bombing of the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, the region is inching closer to a conflagration that has the potential to ignite a global war. At the moment, I do not think it’s possible to say with certainty who bombed the hospital that killed hundreds of Gazans. Palestinian officials say it was the IDF, that homemade Hamas and PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) rockets are not deadly enough to kill hundreds. The IDF claims it was a PIJ rocket that misfired and published a video that had a timestamp that did not correspond to the time of the bombing. Biden claims it was not Israel, but has not produced the evidence to substantiate the claim. Regardless of who is behind the devastating attack, the effect is the same: fury across the Islamic and Arab world at both Israel and the US.

It is not in Israel, Iran, or the US’s interests to go to war, but structural factors could nonetheless push all parties in that direction. Iran has warned Israel against a ground invasion and occupation of Gaza. Israel is gearing up for such an invasion, but now appears somewhat hesitant. A ground invasion and protracted urban warfare will undoubtedly be bloody for both Israelis and Palestinians. If Israel does pull the trigger on a ground invasion of Gaza, the chances of Hezbollah attacking Israel and opening a front on the northern Israeli border (with Lebanon) greatly increases. Even pro-Israel US hawks don’t think that Israel can handle a two-front war, which is likely contributing to Israel’s hesitation about a ground invasion of Gaza. If Hezbollah jumps in, Iran will as well. If Iran goes to war with Israel, I think it’s almost guaranteed that the US will step in to back Israel, likely with American troops on the ground. Would China and Russia step in to back Iran? (Hard to say at this point.) This is the scenario in which the region would explode into a broader devastating conflict. 

The crisis has been a disaster of epic proportions for the Biden administration. His trip to the region has been a complete diplomatic failure. Landing in Israel soon after the hospital attack, the US has thrown its weight fully behind Israel. Arab leaders, including Palestinian Authority President Abbas, have canceled their diplomatic meetings with Biden. The Arab world will believe that the US has green-lit whatever Israel decides to do. The delicate alliances the US has been trying to build with the Gulf States to check Iranian regional influence are crumbling. This has already started a superpower scramble for influence in the Middle East.

GLOBAL GEOPOLITICS

With US’s regional credibility in tatters, China and Russia have stepped in to call out Western hypocrisy and position themselves as the new power brokers in the region. Of course they are opportunistically seizing on the chance to strengthen an anti-Western alliance, but their message will nonetheless resonate with countries in a region that have been destabilized for decades by US interventionism. China will position itself as a mediator but may not have enough of a rapport with countries in the region to serve as a credible mediator. Despite benefiting from an anti-western alliance, I doubt China will get involved militarily. Russia has clearly been drawn much closer to Iran after their invasion of Ukraine, but they have a complex relationship to Israel. While Ukraine has repeatedly sought military support from Israel, Israel has refused to provide such support and did not sanction Russia. Israel and Russia have coordinated with each other on military operations in Syria. Israeli neutrality toward Russia is partly driven by the huge Russian population in Israel—around 17.25% of Israelis are Russian speakers, many of whom were Jews who migrated from the Soviet Union, making them a vital bloc within Israeli society. At the same time, Russia stands to benefit greatly from a protracted conflict in the Middle East, as such a conflict will draw Western attention and material support away from Ukraine and toward Israel. My guess is that Russia will seek to pit Arab countries against the US while maintaining military neutrality. However, that might change if Iran gets into a hot war with Israel.

India and Israel have grown closer in recent years. I was surprised to learn that India has been a major source of anti-Palestinian misinformation. Modi has developed very friendly relations with Netanyahu, as Modi is a Hindu nationalist who has whipped up Islamophobic sentiments within India.

While the people of the Arab and Islamic world are broadly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, each country has their own national interests (previously, I discussed the Abraham Accords and the Saudi/Gulf pivot toward the US). Jordan and Egypt are reluctant to accept Palestinian refugees. Many Palestinians also fear that the creation of a humanitarian corridor into Egypt would be a second Nakba that would lead to their permanent displacement from Palestine. Jordan and Egypt have refused to accept Palestinian refugees because they fear that it would destabilize their security and could justify Israeli attacks on their countries. The people in Gaza have nowhere to go. No place in Gaza is safe, as the hospital attack painfully demonstrates.

ENERGY WAR

Iran has called for an oil embargo on Israel. Oil/gas/energy markets have already been disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent oil markets into chaos and contributed to inflation and high gas prices (which also eroded Biden’s approval rating). Oil producing Arab countries may use their leverage as energy suppliers to counter the west’s backing of Israel. What would happen, for instance, if Qatar reduced gas supplies to Europe just as Europe has dropped Russia as their main gas supplier? 

DOMESTIC US POLITICS

No doubt, the current crisis will hurt the Biden administration and the Democrat’s chances at winning the presidency in 2024. The party is basically split down the middle on the Israel-Palestine issue. Young people justifiably feel that Biden’s backing of Israel has contributed to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. (His approval rating was already in the toilet with young people.) At the same time, a second Trump presidency will be even more catastrophic. Trump already brought us to the brink of war with Iran by assassinating Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and further fanned the flames of the Israel-Palestine conflict by moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and facilitating a “peace process” that excluded the Palestinians. 

I do sincerely hope that there is a revitalization of the antiwar left. We failed to stop the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The US’s “war on terror” was a colossal failure that ensnared the US in a quagmire of pointless wars that lasted decades. I will never forget what it felt like atmospherically to live through the beating of the war drums and to be called a terrorist sympathizer by everyone around me (this was in Florida). Stopping the machine of war will be even more difficult this time around given how deep the US-Israeli alliance is, but we must try. 

*

There is a lot more to say, but I’ll end here. What next? I hope there is a ceasefire and that Hamas releases the hostages. I pray the siege on Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, that Palestinians get their freedom and dignity. The world is a wound. We are grieving. Grief can easily be routed into bloodlust and tribalism. I am holding my breath. I pray the world steps back from the cliff edge and that the peace process begins in earnest.

[kanayaks]

Giving the World Away - Part 2

A serialized, in-progess follow-up to Mirror Image.

Part 1 | Part 3

She opens her eyes, though she doesn't remember closing them.

For a moment, time seems to stand still as she sees him.

His skin is silver. Wind ruffles his hair, carrying with it the scent of sea salt, and revealing that the cracks at his temples on the statue below were no artistic liberty. He leans against a stone railing, and it looks wrong, he is marble, cold and hard, incapable of nonchalance.

The warm sunset spread out behind him only heightens what is missing in his blinding, whited-out eyes. It seems like it should hurt to look at, it's too bright, but she can't tear her eyes away. She is drowning in it, perhaps endlessly.

And then, she snaps.

"Oh, very good. How impressive." She closes the distance, pointing a finger. "Is that what your followers can hope to gain from their worship? Becoming fodder for your glory? You really are no different from the rest."

They're perfectly sound.

His mouth moves, but she feels rather than hears his voice, and it's too uncanny, the way it resonates in her memory.

He raises a hand and an image appears above it - the temple, with Shadowheart kneeling at his acolyte's side, performing some kind of restoration.

She scoffs and gestures to the scene, "No thanks to you."

Mortal self-sufficiency is to be encouraged.

"No no, that's Selûne's working. A true god." A weak return, inconsistent with her prior argument, petty and inelegant - but it seems to strike a nerve regardless. He turns away.

You shouldn't have come.

"Are you kidding me? You practically begged me to come find you. I was just fine, and you dropped this on me."

It was a gift, not an invitation.

"Then explain the fucking fireworks show. Why am I here?"

He looks back at her. You were always eager to recognize divine fallibility. Haven't I earned that same consideration?

"...You're saying that was just a fuckup?"

Growing pains. I know you are not unfamiliar.

She can't conceive of why he would reveal that. She's too rattled, and his eyes were always how she read him, and without them, he's inscrutable, she can't possibly piece together his intent.

So she'll just have to enact hers.

She lifts her jaw imperiously. "I want it gone."

You spent years working tirelessly for much less. Slaving away for party tricks, compared to what you could do with this blessing.

"I am not your fucking Chosen." Her voice trembles, almost, but not quite imperceptibly. "I won't do that."

I've asked nothing of you.

"For now. Am I supposed to just trust that you won't change your mind? With your track record?"

Is it truly so intolerable to have any kind of tether to me?

He steps towards her, and she holds her breath.

When was the last time you awoke shivering, Morelind Whisperwillow?

She had pictured a thousand times what it would be like when he could finally say her name. Had dreamed of the delight in his eyes, the reverence of his voice, so moved and honored to be able to finally know her completely.

This feels like she's been lit on fire.

"You...You've been watching me," she stutters out.

His mouth turns down, and a god shouldn't be able to pout, should never be etched with melancholy. Your life is immensely fragile, and all too temporary. Irreplaceable, and indescribably precious.

She buries her face in her hands.

It's true. She can't recall noticing the temperature once in the last month. And now that she's standing here before him, as she turns her attention inwards, she can feel it, this- whatever he is, whatever he's become; it is alive and thrumming inside her, called to full power by proximity to its nexus.

And now that she knows how it feels, she can never be unaware of it again.

A gentle hand settles on the top of her head, slowly stroking her hair, and the connection is such that she knows it before it even happens, doesn't even jolt.

She raises her head slowly, agonizing and inevitable, and sees warm brown eyes.

"Stop it," her words are hoarse. "You're not him."

His hand retreats, and his voice is hushed and intimate. "Of course I am. I'm as much myself as you are you."

"You can't do this to me, Gale." The tears spring forth, finally.

"The reason you're here," he tells her slowly, "is to say goodbye. We won't speak again."

"No." She pushes away from him, "No, you had your chance to do that, and you didn't. You don't get to do it now."

"There is nothing else to be done." He sounds affected for the first time, real frustration creeping in now that hadn't been present even while she'd been hurling insults at him. "I will not carry on a relationship with a mortal."

"Then sever this properly! Take away your 'gift'!"

"So you can return to isolation and mediocrity?" He answers coolly.

Her mind zeroes in on strategy, skipping over any emotional reaction. In an instant he has reminded her of the truth of the situation, of him.

She doesn't know what he wants. But he's revealed at least one thing he doesn't, and handed her leverage in doing so.

"You really ought to consider what I might do if you don't."

"You can hardly threaten me with my own power."

"No, of course not. You're not fragile and temporary."

She wouldn't do it. Not really. But he broke their covenant first, lying and false promises are fair game now. There's no worm in her brain to announce her deception.

"I give you the means to recover yourself, and you'd rather pursue your own destruction? When will it be enough?"

It takes her a moment to recall what she's lost, other than him.

Recall.

"Some magic can't be undone," she recites.

"No. But all magic can be modified, or replaced."

"You already tried this, and I already turned you down." She intones, but she can't stop herself from starting to consider the possibilities in her mind.

"This is no offer with which to bargain. It simply is."

"Why not?"

She says it without thinking, but as soon as she has, the wheels click into place. "All magic can be modified. Divine included."

"Only with divine effort."

"Then modify it. Change it to an agreement, with clear terms."

His eyes flash back to white.

"You want me to be your patron."

"It's that or nothing. I won't live like this. I can't." She holds his unearthly gaze defiantly. The desperation is entirely authentic.

Another endless moment passes.

"For every month that you do something that surprises me, you will wield this power."

She blinks, trying not to reveal her absolute shock at his acquiescence.

"None can name me as your Chosen." She gets her terms on the table in a rush, while she can.

"We will renegotiate the pact once every five years, and have no other contact."

She runs the conditions back in her head. Both parties are bound by their phrasing. He cannot alter her magic at will, and she must use it when she has it. He has no say in what she does with it, and neither can she make any entreaties to him.

No doubt it's a terrible idea. She extends her hand.

He reshifts into his godly form and takes it.

"We are thusly bound."

A tickling sensation traces over her palm in a circle as she is held in his iron grip. He lets go, and she feels the magic inside her shift in some intangible but undeniable way.

She turns over her palm and finds the symbol of the orb marked into it. His symbol now, it seems.

"Your first month is already assured."

"By what?"

"Our oath does not dictate such revelation. Tell Shadowheart it was good to see her once more."

"Supercilious prick, tell her-"

She reappears in the temple exactly as she left it, with her hand on the stranger's chest, her thumb right over the same spot as that tender bruise she'd circled countless times had been.

"Morel!"

She turns around and vomits.

"Ah, there it is."

She hears Shadowheart rummage in her bag. She passes Morel a cup and mumbles a few words over it, conjuring fresh water to fill it.

She takes the cup and wanders over to the wall opposite the statue and slides to the floor, leaning back. She regards it as she sips.

It is clarifying. Whoever she just made that deal with isn't Gale.

She slowly tunes back into the world around her. Efforts are already underway to put the place back in order. She feels a small flash of guilt for the servant scrubbing at the floor. She mistakenly makes eye contact with the merchant- he starts towards her, a pissed off Shadowheart staring daggers at his heels.

She gets to her feet.

He inclines his head in a short bow, and studies her with eerie hunger. "My Lady. Prophet, what did you see?"

Shadowheart angles to step in front of him. "Are you alright?"

Morel puts her hand on Shadowheart's arm and looks at the man. He is still marked by dark veins.

"No, prophets share visions from on high." She leans in and sneers, "I'm not telling you shit. Let's go."

She waits until they reach the threshold, then says lowly, "He said it was good to see you again."

"Generous of him."

"You could have told me he's fucking silver."

"You said you didn't want to know."

"I didn't. I don't." At the bottom of the steps, she looks back over her shoulder. "But now I do."

"As much as I enjoyed it, I'm not sure it was a good idea to antagonize a zealot at their holy site."

"Are they zealots?" She asks, with mild curiosity.

"I don't think they know what they are. But they're very eager to find out."

"Well," Morel sniffs, "if he lets me get murdered in his seat of power...Then frankly he'll deserve it."

Shadowheart scoffs. "And how about your unfortunate companion? Or you, for that matter?"

"Are you really afraid of them?"

"...No."

"Then I suggest we find the most expensive establishment in the city, and see if we can't generate a tab for them somehow."

Next

[toyfrogs]

Hi, May I have a reading on how my life will be in 5-10 years? -k.a🎃👻💜

Hello! I apologize for the delay, and hope you're still here to receive this message!

Please, keep in mind that whatever you read may or may not resonate with you! And since we're dealing with energy here, nothing is ever set in stone, and you are the architect of your own destiny.

Your reading portrays the future you as being someone who’s been through pretty intense and difficult life situations, but has managed to transform such predicaments into valuable life lessons that allowed you to move through life gracefully. You are wise, intuitive and mature, and also have this maternal energy around you that leads me to believe children might end up being a significant part of your life. What seems to be a predominant thing in this spread as well, is you staying in your comfort zone and attaching yourself to what's familiar, since it's safer becuse the outcomes are more predictable. Many opportunities are being presented to you, which could be more (financially) beneficial, comparing to what you have going on at this certain moment in the future, but the fear of failure holds you back from diving into the new/unknown. Therefore, you feel stagnant and “behind in life”, not only because of insecurity, but also due to the regret for having lost these chances that have come your way. Something else I see though, is that the hard work you'll put into becoming more confident in the steps you take from this point on will absolutely be paid off. So much so, that you'll likely be seen as sort of a role model by some people around you. Your success is well deserved, and it’s important to celebrate! To finish off your reading, I sense that you might build a business partnership with someone who’s a romantic partner/interest, but regardless of who it is, I hear a strong message about being aware of who you trust (specially when it comes to finances).

Thank you so much for requesting a reading from me! If you can, please send me your feedback! It's important and it'll help me a lot!

[voyeuristicvixen]

Capt’s Log No. 41_ FrEeEeEEe

Meroe’s Juneteenth Jam was a great success! Lots of people came out and enjoyed the festivities and all the performances were so inspiring! One day we had 100+ people touching down on the sim and at the end of the event, Strawberry Linden herself came through, it was a highlight of my whole SL experience not gunna lie. Strawberry is a humble and gracious person and Secondlife featured our event on their socials the next day. It was all just really fun and it also happened to be my first time helping to plan and execute an event for the museum in my pops Ras’s absence. It felt really good to know I made him proud. .

H.E.R performed! I absolutely love the messaging in her songs, it was the perfect way to open up the festival and to solidify the vibes of Meroe moving forward. Juneteenth is not a holiday that my pops, or I, celebrate like that... for us, the movement is a constant endeavor. We dont stop with juneteenth in the unifying of our people and diaspora, or in the upliftment and teachings. Its something that has to continue until we are truly free in mind and spirit. We are almost there! But there is still a ways to go.

Father’s day was a difficult day for Yemi and I, her dad has not been able to get online and I honestly didn’t feel or think he would care anymore about us or her. We talked today though and are friends so when he gets back on the grid, he will spend time with her. He said she will always be his daughter. That made me feel good, I told him that now Yemi feels more like mine than before because we get to spend more one on one time together. Lol But shes still a daddy’s girl at heart.

We still in our pink lady era though, I feel like since I lost my old IG page and went through the break up with Wav, people who were following our work and union have since been on different vibes with me. LMAO. I resonate with the pink ladies because they have rumors spread about them and reputations that are controversial or tarnished in some way by the general public and yet they give no fucks and they continue to do what they do regardless. Thats how I feel. People will talk and say whatever they want, FUCKEM.

We got a new dog, Orion! It took me forever to settle on a pupper that fit me and finally found this guy. My first choice was so opposite him, was a doberman! But I love Orion’s personality! It shines through more than any of the other pets I saw in the RezzRoom!

I usually write my little caption paragraphs under the photos and I realize these have all been above. I wonder which flows better. So I got accepted as a Secondlife Mentor! \o/ I literally signed up as soon as I saw the flyer I wasted NO TIME. Its something I was already doing on my free time anyway, so to be official with the tag and training it means so much to me, manifested that shit!

Last week I also got to witness my first probate, I have never been to one before and I know so little about SL greek life. It is a whole other world to me. I like how they raise money for RL causes. I think that is really dope and powerful thing that a virtual roleplay organization can still create real life change through their endeavors. It was such a honor to be asked by Gigi to witness that momentus occasion in her SL journey.

I legitly cried IRL. Anything that has to do with sisterhood, it hits home for me and triggers me deeply. I wish that someday I can be apart of that but I wont hold my breath! lol

I think its really cool that I am suddenly apart of a SL family, we’re so chill laid back and unofficial with how we do things. We dont all have to share the same last name we just uplift and support one another. I got my pops and my brother and my mama bear, DONT MESS WITH US!

The closing ceremony of juneteenth featured this great “Enter the diaspora” exhibit which is still up and you should go see it this week! This was curated by Valentine and she did an amazing job on it! I ended up DJing the party, and it gave me a chance to get in some much needed practice. I look forward to collabing with Jamrock and building up the mystory connections to its best!

The theme was comics, black and queer. I dressed as Nubia! Did you know that Nubia is a lesbian? I did not know that till I came to this exhibit. Theres so many hidden gems here!

Storm block the wind so I can light my joint! XD

[cozycottagetarot]

Quick Pick: What Do You Need To Know

I've finally managed to do a reading! 🎉This reading is a quick pick so it's a fairly short reading, but hopefully, that doesn't stop it from resonating. I've also used a deck that is still fairly new to me and I haven't done any type of reading in months so feedback is 100% welcomed.

Deck Used: Woodland Wardens by Jessica Roux

Disclaimer at the bottom.

Pile 1

Cards: The Deer and Oat (healing), The Bee and Pomegranate (productivity) Rev., The Ladybug and Sweet Pea (happiness), The Antelope and Wheat (nourishment), The Spider and Passionflower (creative ingenuity)

Hello my pile 1's. As I shuffled your cards many kept jumping out and hiding. Makes me think that for some of you you're barely holding your shit together and you're longing for the opportunity to put down your load. Based on the cards I pulled, for a few of you the past few weeks or maybe months have been hard on you and it's time for you to take a break from it all and rest and relax. You may be trying and trying to get a particular task or project finished, but the cards represent that no breakthrough will happen until you tend to yourself first. The Ladybug and Sweet Pea, represent that good things are going to start happening. Whatever hardship has been troubling you will start to ease up soon. You could also be finding unexpectedly innovative solutions to your problems as long as you have patience with yourself.

Edit: I felt like I needed to draw another card long after completing your reading and I pulled The Lizard and Pitcher Plant (stagnation). This card is about being able to leave something behind in order to move forward. If you find yourself with a full list of to-do's, don't be afraid to erase some of them completely so you can focus on the ones that will make the most impact in your life (such as taking time to rest 😉).

Pile 2

Cards: The Hound and Pear (loyalty), The Rooster and Sunflower (communication), The Ram and Dahlia (determination), The Marten and Foxglove (mischief), The Butterfly and Snowdrop (hope)

Hi pile 2! Your spread has such a bright disposition simply from the bright imagery on the cards. A friendship is blossoming for you pile 2! I feel like many of you who picked this pile are accustomed to being misunderstood, but someone in your life or coming soon is going to see you for you-- someone loyal, kind and caring. Some of you could be gaining a promotion or stepping into a leadership position. For others, stepping into a new era of confidence and unapologeticness is what The Rooster and Sunflower represent for you. Regardless of whichever situation resonates with you, clear communication is going to be key, and your determination is going to be the thing that makes this happen for you. Overall positive things are coming your way, and if adventurous opportunities take you by surprise, don't be afraid to say yes!

Pile 3

Cards: The Otter and Cattail (peace), The Bobcat and Blackthorn (patience), The Snake and Fern (starting over), The Porcupine and Anemone, The Snail and Huckleberry (trust in the invisible) rev.

Just by looking at the cards, I'm feeling like some part of your life, if not all of it, has fallen apart pile 3. A significant relationship in your life pops out to me for some of you. Peaceful times are coming to you, however, the journey towards peace may not be the easiest. It will require you to do some planning and have patience. Alternately, this good is something that you've been holding out for. There's a lot of dark imagery in the cards, but the animals look calm so for some of you you knew the situation you were in was holding you in a dark place, however, you've been biding your time for your chance to make the change in your life. If the relationship stands out to you, it might be that you didn't have strong boundaries in the past so you gave what you had until it depleted you. In general, maintaining your boundaries in your new beginning is very important. With The Snail and Huckleberry, regardless of whether you're actively pursuing change, it's important to believe that your peace is coming, whether you see physical proof of it or not.

Disclaimer: All readings and tarot/blog games are for self-reflection & fun and entertainment purposes only. It is in no way meant to act as or replace professional advice of any kind. You know yourself and what’s going on in your life best so I ask that you trust yourself above all else. Finally please take only what resonates from the reading which may be some of it, all of it, or none at all.

[timextoxhajima]

RESONANCE BEACH: Fly Away With Me

RESONANCE BEACH masterlist [to be linked]

member: best friend! jaehyun x reader

genre: fluff and angst

wc: 1.3k

warnings: swearing

synopsis: our hearts are trapped in the same dream

"do you feel better?"

"mm, i think it depends on what we're talking about."

jaehyun chuckles, not bothering to look up from his feet sinking into the sand as he walks. his eyes are slightly squinted from the sun, but only because he's blocking you and using his shadow to keep you out of the sunlight.

"regardless, i hope this isn't a wasted trip. didn't drag you across the country for a road trip only for you to not feel any better."

"uh huh," you snicker and hold your palm over your eyes to look up at him. "i mean, i do. it's just... it's gonna take a while."

he nods, looking up on the other side when he hears a dog bark.

it feels like a million years since you first met jaehyun. he grew up well, as attested by the number of girls on his tail in school. yeah, you know it's cliche. the boy best friend who glowed the hell up and suddenly became the famous, popular jock friend.

but it's not like you hung out with him in school that much - or at least enough for the girls to pick on you.

they know you are friends and a good number of them have done enough homework to know that jaehyun's been your best friend for more than a decade but he hangs out with his big ol' boy gang in school.

leaves you out of the spotlight.

that is - until jaehyun self-elected himself as your personal therapist, bodyguard and chauffeur when your boyfriend decides to dump you on graduation night.

whilst it was fun watching jaehyun being held back by johnny and taeyong from bashing the boy's face in, it really wasn't funny having his words play over and over and over again in your head like a broken record.

"i didn't want to break up with you before graduation because i didn't want to be the reason why you failed your exams."

"i didn't wanna wake you up but we're almost there," jaehyun mumbles under his breath, obviously tired from the driving as well. the car slows to a stop at a red light, and he taps on his phone mounted to the dashboard to stop the GPS tracking.

you shuffle and sniffle lightly, pushing yourself up on the passenger's seat and looking out the window. it's a pretty row of shophouses, and the cafes and restaurants along the road were probably more aesthetic than their menus were.

the restaurant - chosen by jaehyun simply hitting a digital bottle on his phone and picking the one the mouth landed on - was something more like a jazz bar with classy ribs and al funghi linguines.

he didn't really care that you weren't hungry, not when he was.

the strawberry milkshake slurps loudly as he inhales, his hands tightly gripping onto the glass as the both of you watch haechan and mark bicker in the group chat.

you wouldn't describe your friendship with jaehyun as stellar; role model-like. it's not.

you've had your fair share of fights with him- yelling at each other, physical fighting (and by physical fighting, you truly do mean pulling his hair and sometimes he shoves you too).

of course, you'd only allow it because you've given him so many 'gender-equality' speeches, and on top of that, the 15-year friendship? not going to stop him from picking a physical fight with you.

but jaehyun knows when to stop. he knows if he's gone too far or how many more words he can hurl at you before you crack under pressure.

he knows how far he can go before you need to be held in his arms, crying into his shirt and letting you hit him and shove him away - yeah, i know what you're thinking.

sounds like a boyfriend. sounds like that universally known best friends-who-are-probably-in-love-with-each-other trope. it does.

and it is.

the thing is - we already knew.

kind of.

it's in the sweets and snacks he used to give you before and after school if you weren't dating anybody. he was careful not to when you had a boyfriend, but otherwise... you'd lost count of how many people would ask if you two were dating.

you were pretty sure jaehyun had lied and told people you were dating, but it never got out far enough for word to spread. especially not when you were the uglier, quieter best friend of the duo.

"you should ask them to pack the truffle fries, we're not gonna be able to finish it."

jaehyun looks up from his phone and squints at you. "try me."

"you're gonna puke later when you realise you've eaten more than you can digest."

"when have i ever had so much that i can't digest it?"

gently rolling your eyes, you sigh and sink back into the sofa seat. the fries crunch as he jabs the pieces with his fork, shoving them into his mouth like he hadn't had a plate of pasta and some chicken nuggets.

it does get boring with jaehyun sometimes because he's so mellow with his friends he doesn't get into as much shit as the younger ones do; he's never the source of drama.

but he's comforting when you're back at the beach (only because the holiday house was a 5-minute walk from it), and he's holding your shoes because you're too busy screaming about your skirt getting wet.

it's not uncommon for people to question your friendship with him, because you were either too similar or too much of an opposite from each other. most people think he's sweet and caring - which he is - but not with you.

he's brutal and has a strange sense of tough love - because he knows that's the kind you need.

"scream any more and you'll just about wake the rest of the neighbourhood up," he groans, knowing when to step back when the waves crash into your calves.

"why are they so fucking irregular-" you stumble and step clumsily all over the sand, the water and grains getting stuck to your legs and all over your skirt. finally, you give in and strut away from shore, leaving footprints in the sand as you walk towards him.

"think you just lack a sense of rhythm and pacing," he sniggers, yawning as he turns to face the holiday house.

you snort, used to his mockery. reaching out to get your shoes, jaehyun simply turns and walks off with them in his hands.

you'll never deny loving jaehyun - in whatever ways anybody else can imagine or experience, you probably have that with him.

platonic. romantic. hate.

what do people really mean when they say soulmates?

is it the way they complete each other or the way they complement one another?

is it the way they bicker but make up in hot kisses or lovingly press their foreheads together and wish till death does them apart?

god, actually - anything but those.

the thought tickles a funny bone in you, and jaehyun hears your giggle when he comes out of the bathroom with damp hair and his water-spotted shirt.

"what is it? thought of a new insult for me?"

"maybe," you rub your eyes and turn to look at him, giving him a tiny smile before turning back to the ocean stretched out beyond the balcony.

"guess I'm never gonna find that out then," he groans as he sits, pulling his feet in and hugging the arches. "i do hope this trip was a-"

"yeah, it was," you whisper, just loud enough for him to hear. "thanks."

"you're welcome."

you look down through the corners of your eyes and catch him staring at you, eyes glimmering like the stars you could see in the night sky.

"you're lucky we've known each other for like half our lives now, else i wouldn't hesitate to punch a tooth out from your mouth."

he chuckles, reaching over to press his knuckle into your thigh. "but you won't. you love me too much to do that."

a snort runs through your throat.

probably.

[buckyownsmylife]

It’s always shoot to kill - Bucky Barnes x Reader x Steve Rogers smut

The one where Steve wants to watch Bucky fucking you, knowing that he’ll never be able to do it again

Warnings: dubcon in double instance, neither the reader or Bucky are completely on board with this, p in v, oral sex (f), lots of pining from Bucky, jealousy and possessiveness from Steve, voyeurism, kind of cuckolding too

A/N: I’d like to thank the amazing @angrybirdcr​ for reading this and giving me suggestions to make the story better for y’all! I had the best time brainstorming with Marie and I’m so happy I get to call her a friend now! To see more of the dynamic between those three, check out the other one-shots I have about them!

Steve’s P.O.V.

“Take off all your clothes, I don’t want him undressing you.” She looked hesitant again, the pretty little flower. Kinda like that day, so many months ago, when I dragged Bucky to watch us fucking so he would stop pining for her.

It didn’t work. I still caught him looking at her with wishful eyes, whenever he thought I was too busy to notice. 

I always noticed it. I always did, because my mind, my heart and my gaze seemed to follow her, regardless of how important any of my royal tasks could be. A part of me was always with her, and that part didn’t like that James obviously felt for her the same way that I did.

So I devised a plan. If forcing him to watch me fuck her wasn’t enough, maybe I could let him do it once, just once. That way, maybe, his infatuation would disappear, but even if it didn’t, knowing what it was like to have her and never be able to do it again would certainly kill him inside.

“Now, pretend I’m not even here,” I said, letting myself fall back against the same chair my brother had occupied that night, so many months ago. There was something particularly interesting about being in this position, watching someone that gave me so much jealousy at last have his way with my woman.

It felt almost freeing, somehow. Seeing my worst nightmare play out, knowing I was in control of it. Knowing it was only happening because of me, and I could put an end to it at any time.

I watched as Bucky seemed to hesitate, like he didn’t know where to start, or didn’t actually believe he could reach out and touch her. She seemed just as hesitant, fidgeting under his stare as she fought against the instinct to cover her own body.

“Go on,” I directed, waving towards her. “Tell her how she looks. Do I really have to teach you how to treat a lady?” His jaw clenched at that, clearly offended at my insinuation. “You’ve been wondering what she hides under those dresses all this time. There she is. At least look at her properly.”

I watched as he slowly came to terms with the reality of the situation. His posture changed, he stood up straighter, and now the way he towered over my wife almost seemed threatening.

He started from her feet, eyes slowly traveling up, briefly stopping on her breasts before they reached her face. “You’re so beautiful.” Words so simple, I’d said them thousands of times before. But hearing them now, coming from another pair of lips, had me gripping the arms of my chair.

I didn’t like the way he looked at her. Like she was something precious, something breakable. I knew she wasn’t - I’d been rough with her before and all she ever did was cry out in ecstasy.

She nodded once, like she didn’t know how to respond, eyes unwilling to leave his when he reached out to hold her jaw, but then she averted her gaze in an almost embarrassed manner, suddenly remembering what to say. “Thank you. You’re too kind.”

It almost had me chuckling, if it weren’t for how his hand slowly dropped down, caressing the skin as it went. I watched as it ran over her collarbones before his finger rubbed on a nipple. I saw how she trembled but still tried to control her reactions.

He was hypnotized by then. I knew it, it was obvious by the darkness that had taken over his usually blue hues and the way he licked his lips before he leaned down and used them to engulf one of my wife’s nipples.

Instinctively, she offered her chest to him but tried to keep her gasp of surprise or desire in. Such a good little wife. My perfect queen.

She went willingly when he pushed her down on the bed, eyes burning with passion as he took in the image before him. “Did you ever think you’d have her spread out for you like that?” My voice resonated through the room, but instead of breaking him from his reverie, he didn’t seem to mind it at all. It was like all that mattered to him was her.

Still, he answered me. “No.” There was so much emotion in that simple word, so much hidden just underneath the surface, it had me readjusting myself in the chair, almost considering leaping across the room and prying him away from her.

But then he fell to his knees before her. “My queen,” he said, looking up from under his eyelashes. “Can I be so lucky as to taste you?” A pang of desire ran through my body as I watched her stutter out an acceptance.

And then he was between her thighs. I couldn’t see him through the barrier of her legs, but their sounds and movements told the story of what he was doing. Bringing pleasure to my love.

Y/N’s P.O.V.

I didn’t know what to do. How should I behave? At the first touch of James’ tongue on my lower lips, a strangled gasp escaped me, and my hands flew up to find some sort of support on the sheets behind me. God, this was torture, even if I wasn’t the one who was being punished.

I almost closed my eyes to relish in the pleasure I was feeling. His touch was so different from Steve’s - softer and slower, even though there was desperation there.

But then I remembered what was actually happening and I snapped them open, turning my head to look at my husband’s watchful gaze. Unsurprisingly, I found him staring at us with those piercing eyes, his attention never wavering from James and me, but what was astounding was that he didn’t look angry or possessive.

Not at all. There was not an ounce of irritation in his beautiful features, just clear focus as he watched me unfold before his eyes, by the hands of his brother, that now roamed my body.

“Put her on top,” came his voice, clear as day and startling the man between my legs, who seemed to have forgotten about our audience. His head whipped up to see how I felt about my husband’s order, and that’s when I saw it.

His attentive blue eyes, usually so clear, had become dark as night. It was like he was a different person altogether. I could no longer recognize the sweet and caring man I’d once called my best friend…

… but then again, it’d been so long since I’d been close to him in any way.

“What are you waiting for?” My husband’s voice broke me out of my shock, but before I could fully recover, two strong hands had found a new resting spot on my hips as James easily manhandled me into a new position - on my hands and knees, over him.

The weight of his cock, fully erect against the inside of my thigh, sent a thrill through me that I had never anticipated feeling in his hands.

“Go on.” It was like he was waiting for the order because just as soon as Steve’s words disappeared in the air between us, he aligned his member and started to force me down on it. A gasp escaped me, and I had to hold myself against his chest to keep myself up.

Having James inside of me was a completely different experience than when Steve made love to me. Where Steve was long, James was thicker, stretching me in a way I’d never experienced before.

After the first plunge, it was clear that the man inside of me got carried away. He controlled my movements with iron fingers that pressed my flesh so tightly I was sure it’d be hurting for days after.

I could say the same about my insides. He didn’t show any mercy - in fact, I barely even recognized him and this animalistic side he was exposing as he fucked me, eyes keeping my own gaze captive as he grunted and panted underneath me like a man on a mission, if that mission was to ruin me.

“I want to hear you declare your love for her,” came Steve’s voice once again, breaking me out of whatever hypnosis James was performing. “Tell her everything. This is the only time you’ll be able to say how you really feel.”

The pain in his blue eyes was overwhelming. I felt tears rise up in my own eyes, threatening to spill and fall on his face, showing him just how confused I was about this entire situation.

Just who was Steve trying to hurt here?

“I-I’ve always wanted this. You have no idea just how much.” And in the way his voice cracked, I saw it. I saw just how badly he’d craved me, how hard he had tried to hold back from me.

“No one can ever come close to the space I’ve relinquished to you in my heart,” he said, barely over a whisper, and yet I felt like he shouted it at me, the way his hips rose growing quicker and rougher, and I bounced in his arms as he rammed into me. “And it will always be yours,” he assured me, prompting the tears to fall from my eyes, slowly trailing down my cheeks. “My heart will forever belong to you.”

I covered my hand as a sob almost escaped me, but maybe it was a moan, I couldn’t tell. All I knew was that he kept fucking up into me and I couldn’t hold it in much longer, couldn’t pretend I didn’t feel anything while my best friend was inside of me.

But when my moans broke free, my husband didn’t seem to mind. He actually leaned closer, resting his elbows on his thighs as he ordered, “She can get louder. Do it properly.”

And suddenly my world turned upside down because in a simple movement I was the one on the bed and James was hovering over me, never leaving my tight channel. His fingers found my nub, and he massaged it with an eagerness that showed me he wanted me to cum just as badly as I did.

“Cum for him, my queen. Show him how beautiful you are when you’re reaching your high.” It was Steve’s order that brought me to my release, my hands flying up to find a hold on James’ shoulder as I struggled to breathe or even think.

It felt like I was falling from the highest mountain without ever actually touching the ground. When I finally managed to focus again, it was through slowly realizing the way James’ cock was still dragging against my walls. 

I opened my eyes to find him with eyebrows furrowed and sweat sticking strands of his hair on his forehead, his arms trembling on each side of my head. He was desperately trying to hold on just a little longer, and that broke my heart.

I couldn’t close my eyes as he slowly but surely lost the battle against his body, hips quickening before they stopped altogether, and just before he pulled away, he whispered, “I love you,” giving me one last, chaste kiss on the lips.

I could still taste myself in them.

Steve’s stare was heavy on us as James slowly dressed. I wondered what was going on in my husband’s head. Did he think his plan had worked or had he realized it was a mistake all along?

It seemed like the King’s mind still hadn’t been made, as he stopped his brother just before he could leave. “Are you still in love with her?”

James let the question sit on each of our hearts and minds before he gave his answer. “Now more than ever.”

I couldn’t help but notice that he was still hard when my husband kicked him out of the room before turning around to see me, wrecked and dirty, all thanks to another man’s work.

“I hope you’re ready,” he warned, and I already knew I wasn’t. “I can’t wait to fuck his sloppy seconds.”