#wide bay region

[whats-in-a-sentence]

The post was rather a joke in the Colony, but the Maryborough Chronicle did its best to congratulate him:

We are no great admirers of such offices merely ornamental, as they appear to us; but since they who should know better deem this one necessary for the good behaviour of legislators, and to add dignity to Parliament, inspiring vulgar outsiders with becoming reverence and awe, we submit, and congratulate Mr. Uhr on his good luck, than whom we know of no one more thoroughly fitted for the office. Mr. Uhr had been resident in the Wide Bay and Burnett upwards of fourteen years, and though we believe he has not accumulated a fortune he has earned, both as a public and private man, a larger share than ordinarily falls to the lot of one man of the good wishes and esteem of his fellow-colonists.

"Killing for Country: A Family History" - David Marr

[greenwitchcrafts]

August 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: August 4th

First Quarter: August 12th

Full moon: August 19th

Last Quarter: August 26th

Sabbats: Lughnasadh/Lammas- August 1st

August Sturgeon Moon

Also known as: Barely Moon, Black Cherries Moon, Corn moon, Dispute Moon, Harvest moon, Herb Moon, grain moon, Mountain Shadows Moon, Red moon, Ricing Moon, Weodmonath & Wyrt moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Leo & Virgo

Animal spirts: Dryads

Deities: Diana, Ganesha, Hathor, Hecate, Mars, Nemesis, Thot & Vulcan

Animals: Dragon, lion, phoenix & sphinx

Birds: Crane, eagle & falcon

Trees: Alder, cedar & hazel

Herbs: Basil, bay, fennel, orange, rosemary, rue & St.John's wort

Flowers: Angelica, chamomile, marigold & sunflower

Scents: Frankincense & heliotrope

Stones: Carnelian, cats/tiger's eye, emerald, fire agate, garnet, jade, moonstone, peridot, red jasper, red agate, sardonyx, topaz & tourmaline

Colors: Dark green, gold, orange, red & yellow

Energy: Abundance, appreciation, authority, courage, entertainment, finding your voice, friendship, gathering, harvesting energy, health, love, pleasures, power, prophecy, prosperity, vitality & wisdom

The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes & Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer & an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.

• August's full moon is the first Supermoon of the year, which means that it will appear bigger & brighter than the full Moons we have seen so far!

Lughnasadh

Known as: Lammas, August Eve  & Feast of Bread

Season: Summer

Element: Fire

Symbols: corn, grain dollies & shafts of grain

Colors: Gold, golden yellow, green, light brown, orange, purple, red & yellow

Oils/Incense: Aloe, apple, corn, eucalyptus, safflower, rose & sandalwood

Animals: Cattle (bull & calf)

Birds: Chicken/Rooster

Stones: Aventurine, carnelian, citrine, peridot, sardonyx & yellow diamond

Food: Apples, barely cakes, berries, berry pies, breads, colcannon, cider, corn, grains, honey, lamb, nuts, potatoes, rice, sun-shaped cookies & wild berries

Herbs/Plants: Alfalfa, aloe, blackberry, bramble, corn, cornsilk, corn stalk, crab apple, fenugreek, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, gorse, grape, medowsweet, oak leaves, pear, rye, sloe & wheat

Flowers:  Clyclamen, heather hollyhock & sunflower

Trees: Acacia, apple, myrtle,oak & rowan

Goddesses: Aine, Alphito, Bracacia, Carmen, Ceres, Damina, Danu, Demeter, Ereshkigal, Freya, Frigga, Gaia, Inanna Ishtar, Kait, Persephone, Sul, Taillte, Tea & Zaramama

Gods: Athar, Bes, Bran, Dagon, Dumuzi, Ebisu, Ghanan, Howtu, Liber, Lono, Lugh, Neper, Odin & Xochipilli

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Accomplishment, agriculture, challenges, darkness, death, endings, release & transformation

Spellwork: Abundance, bounty, fire magick, rituals of thanks & sun magick

Activities:

• Bake fresh bread

• Weave wheat

• Take walks in nature or along bodies of water

• Craft a corn doll

• Learn a new skill

• Watch the sunrise/sunset

• Leave grains and seeds in a place where birds, squirrels and other small animals can appreciate them

• Eat outside with family/friends/coven members

• Donate to your local foodbank

• Prepare a feast with your garden harvest

• Give thanks & offerings to the Earth

• Trade crafts of make deals

• Gather and/or dry herbs to use for the upcoming year

• Celebrate/honor the god Lugh by hosting a competition of games

• Participate in matchmaking or handfasting ceremonies

• Decorate your altar with symbols of the season

• Clean up a space in nature

• Plant saved seeds or save seeds to use in the future

Lughnasadh or Lammas is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland & the Isle of Man. Traditionally it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice & autumn equinox. In recent centuries some of the celebrations have shifted to the Sunday nearest this date.

Lughnasadh is mentioned in early Irish literature & has pagan origins. The festival is named after Lugh the god of craftsmanship. It was also founded by the god Lugh as a funeral feast & athletic competition/funeral games in memory of his foster-mother Tailtiu. She was said to have died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.

• Tailtiu may have been an earth goddess who represented the dying vegetation that fed mankind.

• Another tale says that Lugh founded the festival in memory of his two wives, the sisters Nás & Bói. 

In the Middle Ages it involved great gatherings that included ceremonies, athletic contests (most notably the Tailteann Games which were extremely dangerous), horse racing, feasting, matchmaking & trading.

• With the coming of Christianity to the Celtic lands, the old festival of Lughnasadh took on Christian symbolism. Loaves of bread were baked from the first of the harvested grain & placed on the church altar on the first Sunday of August. The Christianized name for the feast of Lughnasadh is Lammas which means “loaf mass”.

Some believe this is the time where the God has weakened & is losing his strength as seen in the waning of the day's light. The Goddess is pregnant with the young God who will be born on Yule.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[argyrocratie]

"How will people get healthcare?

(...)

During the Spanish Civil War, Barcelona’s Medical Syndicate, organized largely by anarchists, managed 18 hospitals (6 of which it had created), 17 sanatoria, 22 clinics, 6 psychiatric establishments, 3 nurseries, and one maternity hospital. Outpatient departments were set up in all the principal localities in Catalunya. Upon receiving a request, the Syndicate sent doctors to places in need. The doctor would have to give good reason for refusing the post, “for it was considered that medicine was at the service of the community, and not the other way round.”[40] Funds for outpatient clinics came from contributions from local municipalities. The anarchist Health Workers’ Union included 8,000 health workers, 1,020 of them doctors, and also 3,206 nurses, 133 dentists, 330 midwives, and 153 herbalists. The Union operated 36 health centers distributed throughout Catalunya to provide healthcare to everyone in the entire region. There was a central syndicate in each of nine zones, and in Barcelona a Control Committee composed of one delegate from each section met once a week to deal with common problems and implement a common plan. Every department was autonomous in its own sphere, but not isolated, as they supported one another. Beyond Catalunya, healthcare was provided for free in agrarian collectives throughout Aragon and the Levant.

Even in the nascent anarchist movement in the US today, anarchists are taking steps to learn about and provide healthcare. In some communities anarchists are learning alternative medicine and providing it for their communities. And at major protests, given the likelihood of police violence, anarchists organize networks of volunteer medics who set up first aid stations and organize roving medics to provide first aid for thousands of demonstrators. These medics, often self-trained, treat injuries from pepper spray, tear gas, clubs, tasers, rubber bullets, police horses, and more, as well as shock and trauma. The Boston Area Liberation Medic Squad (BALM Squad) is an example of a medic group that organizes on a permanent basis. Formed in 2001, they travel to major protests in other cities as well, and hold trainings for emergency first aid. They run a website, share information, and link to other initiatives, such as the Common Ground clinic described below. They are non-hierarchical and use consensus decision-making, as does the Bay Area Radical Health Collective, a similar group on the West Coast.

Between protests, a number of radical feminist groups throughout the US and Canada have formed Women’s Health Collectives, to address the needs of women. Some of these collectives teach female anatomy in empowering, positive ways, showing women how to give themselves gynecological exams, how to experience menstruation comfortably, and how to practice safe methods of birth control. The patriarchal Western medical establishment is generally ignorant of women’s health to the point of being degrading and harmful. An anti-establishment, do-it-yourself approach allows marginalized people to subvert a neglectful system by organizing to meet their own needs.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, activist street medics joined a former Black Panther in setting up the Common Ground clinic in one of the neediest neighborhoods. They were soon assisted by hundreds of anarchists and other volunteers from across the country, mostly without experience. Funded by donations and run by volunteers, the Common Ground clinic provided treatment to tens of thousands of people.

The failure of the government’s “Emergency Management” experts during the crisis is widely recognized. But Common Ground was so well organized it also out-performed the Red Cross, despite the latter having a great deal more experience and resources.[41] In the process, they popularized the concept of mutual aid and made plain the failure of the government. At the time of this writing Common Ground has 40 full-time organizers and is pursuing health in a much broader sense, also making community gardens and fighting for housing rights so that those evicted by the storm will not be prevented from coming home by the gentrification plans of the government. They have helped gut and rebuild many houses in the poorest neighborhoods, which authorities wanted to bulldoze in order to win more living space for rich white people."

-Peter Gelderloos, "Anarchy Works" (2010)

[princessconsuela120]

✰ WAITING GAME ✰

—✰

Summary: Sebastian hates waiting.

Warnings: SMUT!, 18+!, vibrating underwear, fem! Reader, orgasm denial, dom! Seb x sub! Reader

Authors Note: this is my first smut guys, be nice. I have a lot of Sebastian to come in the future I love him so much! Enjoy guys!!

—✰

YOU HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE BATHROOMS, having freshened up after a long day of school. Sebastian waiting for you eagerly in your dorm room, where he wasn’t supposed to be, having also been ready to settle down after a long day of school. You huffed irratatedly at his presence, pulling your towel up over yourself with annoyance as you fished for one of his jumpers to quickly shove over yourself.

“I’ve already seen all of you, you don’t have to hide behind a towel.” Sebastian teased, only heightening your irritation.

“I don’t care. I don’t want you to see me now.” You hissed in response, causing him to roll his eyes playfully.

“Suit yourself.” He responded, throwing you your favorite of his jumpers that he found lying on your floor. “You know it really is such a shame.”

“What is?” You asked, raising an eyebrow at him as you were now fully changed, pulling your hair into a low ponytail and tidying yourself up in the mirror.

“That you’ve just showered. Seems I’ll have to dirty you up again.” He teased, showing up behind you and kissing down your neck seductively, a tight grip on your hips as he did. You sighed into his touch, almost falling victim to his trap before pushing him back slightly.

“Well, you’ll just have to wait. I have a meeting with Madam Kagowa regarding quidditch practice. Our seeker has fallen ill and we need a replacement before the big game.” You explained, causing Sebastian to look at you with wide eyes.

“What, no! I hate waiting.” He whined, practically stomping around like a child who didn’t get their way.

“Oh well. Now hand me my undergarments, I have to be going.”

“But you know it’s so much more fun without the undergarments.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you, causing you to sigh.

“Not while talking to my teacher, it isn’t.” You grumbled pulling the underwear from his hands and pulling them on.

“Oh come on now darling.” He teased, his hand traveling down you stomach promptly, before you grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“Behave yourself Sebastian, or you just might have to wait even longer.” You explained, smirking as you watching him sulk while you walked out the room.

— ✰

IT WAS TRUE, Madam Kagowa had asked to meet with you earlier that day. It seemed as though Hogwarts had a high count of Dragon Pox patients lately, and as Quidditch captain of the Hufflepuff team, you needed to set things straight for your team. Unfortunately for Sebastian, Madam Kagowa liked to talk about Quidditch, a lot.

“I’ve been dreading this meeting being honest, it seems half my Hufflepuff team is out with Dragon Pox. Blasted curse is costing me my tournament.” She said, shaking her head as she tried to keep her anger at bay. You nodded in agreement.

“I know, it’s an awful-ah!” Your response was cut short when an angry buzzing in your core caught you off guard. The sound leaving your mouth came out as a mix between a moan and a squeak at the utter surprise you felt once the motion began. Madam Kagowa gave you a confused look, which made you chuckle nervously in response as the vibrations continued to stimulate your under regions.

“Are you alright Miss L/N?” She asked, examining your person to make sure you were alright. You pressed your lips together tightly, trying to conceal any sounds that may slip out.

“Mhmm.” You mumbled in response, all your air coming out of your throat in a relieved sigh when the vibrations finally stopped. “Just, so angry about them damned dragon pox.” You joked, chuckling as you downed the rest of your water. “Would you mind grabbing me another glass Madam?”

She nodded, grabbing the cup from the table and walking into the other room to refill your water cup.

She kept talking about the team from the other room, words that were incoherent to you as you tried to figure out where the vibrations were coming from without openly pulling down your pants and checking. You ultimately gave up, lifting the waistband of your skirt just the slightest to see what it could be, when you noticed a strange red glow coming off your undergarments.

It was almost unnoticeable, just the slightest hint of red there, but you noticed it. You only noticed however, when you tried to lift the waistband of your underwear and realized it had been enchanted to stay stuck to your body. You felt your eyes widen, then narrow angrily when you finally looked up to see Sebastian, smirking at the door, wand in his hand.

You mouthed a quick curse at him, before drawing your attention back to Madam Kagowa as she sat across from you, hoping to make this meeting quick so you could promptly beat Sebastian’s arse once leaving.

“Now, I’m sure you’d agree that postponing the game at this time would be reasonable, but between you and me, the teachers have a little bet on who will win and my money’s been on hufflepuff since I appointed you captain…”

You were paying attention, at least for the first minute or two she had been talking. That is until the vibrations began again. You squeezed your lips shit, thankful that Kagowa had lead the conversation and you wouldn’t need to talk. You made eye contact with Sebastian, who had a dark glimmer in his eyes, once full of mischief, which only seemed to turn uou on more. You had already been rendered incredibly wet from the constant vibration on your clit, one that was so torturously low that you could almost cry with the mix of pain and pleasure.

Madam Kagowa words were almost completely muffled now, and all you could see was Sebastian.

“Madam Kagowa, I really-ah, I really need to pee!” You excused yourself quickly, not even stopping to let her speak before rushing out the door. You quickly tackled Sebastian on the ground before he could escape, making the boy laugh accompanied with his smirk.

“What the hell are you doing, Sallow?” You shouted, growing angry with the stupid smirk plastered on his face.

“Whatever do you mean darling?” He taunted, raising an eyebrow at you as you rolled your eyes.

“Don’t play stupid. You-” you were cut off when a loud moan left your mouth as the vibrations increased, causing Sebastian to quickly hold a hand over your mouth to not draw any attention to you. He pulled you aside to a secluded room, whispering a quick locking curse before turning back to face you.

He couldn’t help but smirk at the sight. You were now out of breath, your face was deep red, and your eyes were squeezed shut with every whimper and moan that left your throat. Soon enough he turned to vibrations back off so you could speak.

“What is wrong with you? Why would you do that while I was meeting with Kagowa!?” You stressed, running a hand through your now sweaty hair.

“I told you, I don’t like waiting.” He replied, his eyes growing darker, which caused you to roll yours.

“Sebastian, this meeting is important, I just can’t have- oh fuck!” You yelled, a pornagraphic moan leaving your lips as you fell promptly to the ground. Sebastian smirked as he put the vibrations to the highest setting, lifting your chin slightly to face him.

“Look at me, pet.” He grumbled, causing you to strain your eyes open to meet his.

“You will sit there, finish your meeting, and take it.” He explained, pulling your arm to bring you back up. The sensations on your clit were getting to be too much, and you could feel that familiar bubble forming in the pit of your stomach. You practically fell into Sebastian as your legs wobbled, leaning your head into his neck.

“Sebastian, I’m gonna-”

“No.” He hissed, turning the vibration all the way off, making you whine loudly with frustration. Your mind grew foggy with submission, not enough to lose focus, but enough to feel yourself grasping desperately at his back, bunching his robe in your fist as you held onto him.

“Now, take it like a good girl.” He whispered, before pushing you back into the door of madam Kagowa’s classroom. Your heart was beating practically out of your chest, and you could feel tears prick at your cheeks. A squeak left your mouth as the vibrations went back to the highest setting, as you smiled pathetically at Kagowa.

“So, where were we?” You asked, sitting across from her again. Your voice strained as you made eye contact again with Sebastian. She began talking again about quidditch, and all you could do was nod, starting at the darkened glare that Sebastian gave, which pierced daggers into your hot skin.

This was going to be a long meeting.

[sytoran]

𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍' 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐘 ⌇ wanda maximoff

summary: wanda maximoff is practically unreachable, far out of your league. or at least, that's what you thought until that friday night at tony stark's party.

☰ PAIRING: sub!wanda x dom!gn!reader

☰ TAGS: college!au, smut (18+), oral sex, cunnilingus, overstimulation, rough sex, lingerie, squirting, begging, drunk sex, rough oral sex, so much oral sex, you're ravenous but who wouldn't be

this is part one of a two-part fic. here's part 2. | masterlist

it was another one of those frat parties thrown by tony stark. though he was an arrogant asshole of a college student, he sure knew how to have fun.

with flashing lights blinding you, some mainstream pop song making your eardrums bleed, and the scent of alcohol invading your every sense, it felt like the epitome of a friday night.

shameless, that’s what your college friends were. some were going at it on the couch, shoving their tongues down each others’ throats; some were laughing loudly while playing truth or dare, except that both truth or dare would end up in raunchy positions or sloppy make-out sessions.

well, for you, you weren’t quite that drunk. slightly tipsy, maybe, but definitely sober enough to think straight and make logical decisions.

however, logic didn’t quite apply when it came to wanda maximoff.

she was unreachable, in every sense of matter. gorgeously breathtaking, but far too out of your league. at least, that’s what you thought until now.

“you’re not gonna drink?” a sultry voice captured your attention.

you turned around slowly, feeling a hand trailing over the expanse of your shoulder blade and down to tug at your collar. your eyes traveled down to meet hers, throat drying up almost immediately.

oh fuck.

it was wanda maximoff, in all her divine beauty. a figure-hugging blood-red dress hung onto her curves in the sexiest way imaginable, tight against her ample chest. but you weren’t the only feasting on the sight for what it was worth: she herself had eyes trailing all over you, much less shy in letting her hands wander.

she was holding a glass of red wine in one hand, bringing it to her lips as you watched, in a trance.

“i don’t plan on drinking too much,” you murmured softly as you pulled the redhead closer, hands on her hips. she seemed to enjoy that, a coy smirk painting her pretty face.

“why? too afraid to let loose, are you?” she teased, a hand now on your chest.

“i don’t think so,” you breathed, taking the glass from her hands and taking a sip for yourself. “just don’t wanna make a bad decision. is that wrong, maximoff?”

you watched as her pupils dilated at your actions. you were both now impossibly close, but yet so far apart. she let you touch no more than her hips, keeping your hands at bay. your foreheads were almost touching, being able to hear each others’ breathing. you swore she would be able to hear your pounding heartbeat.

“no,” she answered finally, taking a long swig of that glass. “but i think it would be wrong, if you didn’t fuck me stupid right here.”

shit, i’m gonna die tonight.

just as she was about to pounce on you, you snatched the glass away from her hands and tilted her head up.

“drink up, baby,” the words left your lips in a near whisper, pouring the liquid into her awaiting mouth. she somehow managed to remain eye-contact during the whole procedure, doe-like eyes wide yet challenging, and you felt wetness pool in southern regions.

a drop of red wine escaped her mouth, dripping down her mouth and to her collarbone, and you were more than ready to lap it all right up. she groaned, fingers grasping at your hair as you moved to suckle at her neck, tasting the alcohol right off her very skin.

wanda’s skin was burning, and you were sure the same was happening for you. “please,” an honest-to-god whimper left her lips, and you were damn sure you chest vibrated with a low growl escaping your mouth.

and then your hands were everywhere, all over her, as she kissed you for what the universe was worth. you could taste the goddamn wine in her mouth, hands moving to grip at her ass.

she moaned into the kiss, hips moving to grind against your thigh, pressing herself as close as possible. your dug your short nails into her hip as you deepened the kiss, tilting your head to gain better access to her pretty mouth.

“u-ungh-upstairs,” she groaned in between a kiss, a pant sounding in your ears.

words were left unspoken as you tapped on her thigh as a signal to let her jump up and wrap her legs around your torso. you easily held her up while continuing the feisty kiss, making it up the stairs to the many bedrooms stark had.

though many were occupied with others carrying out the same activities as you, many were also left unoccupied. you walked into one of them, kicking the door shut with your foot and letting her fall onto the bed.

with her arms wrapped around your neck, wanda finally ended the kiss, nevertheless keeping you in close proximity. you were laying on top of her, effectively pinning her down with your leg on each side of her lithe figure.

her eyes were swirling with a haze of lust, tongue coming out to dart at her lips. your heavy breaths sounded around the room. you reached out to swipe a thumb against her tantalizing lips, before she caught your finger between her lips and began slowly sucking.

you nearly lost your mind then, watching the wanda maximoff putting a show just for you.

“maximoff, you’re driving me insane,” you breathed, watching your fingers disappear inside her mouth. she smiled sweetly against your hand, then slowly removing your fingers with a string of saliva connecting them.

“i know,” she said simply, before guiding your hand up her little dress. you fought back a suppressed moan when you felt the sheer wetness of her dripping sex through her panties. “fuck me, please,” she whispered, eyes meeting your own.

a hand of yours went to harshly unzip the back of dress, nearly ripping the garment off her. she laughed breathily at your eagerness, before it became a loud moan when you began massaging her tits.

you swallowed at the sight of her black lace lingerie, wondering if she had already known her eyes were set on you before coming to this party. well, you sure as hell weren’t complaining.

your hand reached underneath her to unclasp the bra, as it fell off to expose her pretty tits. unable to wait any longer, you attached your mouth to a hardened nipple. her nipples felt like ruby, and you used your other hand to pluck at the other.

her whimpers and whines escalated into unashamedly loud moans when you were playing with her gorgeous tits, trying to fit the entire thing in your mouth. you switched sides soon after, making sure both tits were paid its due attention.

“y/n,” she gasped, back arching up when you twisted one of her nips were rough fingers. “need you down there, please. p-please.”

your chest rumbled at her neediness, pinning her down even harder to prevent her squirming. “need me down where, darlin’?”

she shook her head, a light flush covering her cheeks at the embarrassment of how badly she needed you. or maybe it was because you were still playing with her tits to your heart’s content.

“use your words, sweetheart,” you said, gentle enough but a hint of harshness behind it that she dared not to disobey.

“my pussy,” she finally managed to gasp out. “need you inside.”

“good girl.”

you finally gave her what she wanted, ripping off her panties with your teeth in a swift motion, to which she moaned at. you were greeted the sight of her dripping sex, all wet and throbbing with her clit swollen.

“fuck,” you groaned, placing kisses all over her thighs. “you’re so pretty.”

before wanda could even manage a response, you dived in, burying your head between her thighs. you lapped at her nectar, taking up every single drop that escaped. your name fell from her lips like a chant, toes curling as her legs tightened around your back.

she tasted divine. absolutely divine, sweet but in the best way possible, better than any dessert you’d ever tasted. you couldn’t get enough of it. lapping and sucking and the occasional biting at careful spots left her a bumbling mess, eyes rolling into the back of your head.

your tongue delved between her folds and latched onto her clitoris, sucking on it as wanda screamed. her hands were digging into your shoulder blades, and you were sure she was drawing blood.

the filth that fell from both your lips echoed around the room, and into the hallways. “m’ gonna cum,” she cried, needy whines escaping from her. “m’ gonna cum.”

“you won’t,” you responded with roughness, wanting to prolong her pleasure, slapping her thigh as she cried out again.

“need to! please, please, please,” she begged, tears forming in her eyes as you didn’t stop your devilish ministrations, breathing in all of her.

just as she thought she had seen the end of it, you entered your tongue into her sopping pussy, thrusting in and out of it with vigor. you didn’t show any mercy, you couldn’t physically get enough of wanda maximoff.

“let go for me, sweet girl.”

she screamed again as she saw white, transported into a higher plane of existence, spurts of her white cream lapped all up by your awaiting mouth.

instead of letting her ride out her orgasm, her first had only spurred you on further. despite her cries and screams and sensitivity, you spread her legs open wider and pushed your tongue in deeper than wanda physically thought was possible.

if this night was one in a million, fucking the one and only wanda maximoff, you knew damn well you would make it one she would never forget.

you wanted to be the one she thought of when she touched herself under the sheets, when she was in the shower and wishing her fingers were yours, during every second and hour of the day. hell, you wanted her to come up to your dorm room with lust in her eyes and only one thing on her mind.

soon enough, you were brought back to the present.

it wasn’t long till she was brought to her next climax, and this time you slowed down your pace. though it took a lesser amount of time, wanda’s second orgasm was as passionate as the first, squirting all over your face still between her thighs.

after a few minutes of getting down from her high, she looked down at you between her legs, your face covered in her juices. she was panting heavily, her face crimson red and a sheen of sweat covering her pale skin. her hair was all tousled up, messy but hot, and you slowly stood up.

“d-don’t go,” she whispered, voice hoarse, trying to grab out to you.

“who said i was going?” you asked, innocently cocking your head to the side. you unbuckled your belt, letting your dark pants pool on the ground to expose the underlying appendage. wanda’s mouth physically watered at the sight of the ivory strap.

“the night is still young, maximoff.”

if you liked this, here's part 2 | masterlist

if wanda maximoff was a drug i would be an addict

[racefortheironthrone]

Now you mentioned i, I am a bit surprised Smallville is prominently and consistently in Kansas? It's Smallville, Kansas. There might be others and certainly cities located vaguely within a real region, but it's definitely the first fictional town or city of D.C. in a real-world American state to come to mind.

So this gets to the weirdness of D.C geography. When Superman was first established, there was much less of a cohesive "universe," so if Siegel and Shuster wanted Superman to specifically be raised in Kansas, that's where he was from and the rest of the geography would have to work itself out.

IMO, this early slapdash approach to world-building has (over time) led to some things that just don't make sense to me as a student of urban history and urban studies:

Metropolis shouldn't be in Delaware. It doesn't make sense in terms of urbanization, given the context of an already-crowded Northeastern Corridor - Delaware simply does not have the capacity to sustain a city of 11 million people, and you wouldn't get a municipality of that size right next door to New York City (as well as D.C's other fictional cities in the area). The whole idea of Metropolis and Gotham being across the river/bay from each other has never really worked for me; you can still do Superman/Batman team-up stories no matter where they are, because Superman can fly and Batman has his own personal fighter jets.

More importantly, it doesn't make sense in terms of historic patterns of urban migration. Moving to the big city in search of the American Dream is a big part of the Clark Kent story, but historically people moving from rural to urban areas overwhelmingly go to the nearest large city, depending on how transportation networks are arranged, whether we're talking about train lines or direct flights or highways or bus routes. There is a reason we can track regional movements of black communities during the Great Migration, because who went where depended on which train lines ran through which states:

This is why I've always felt that, while Metropolis has aesthetically been associated with New York City, it logically should be Chicago. It is the biggest city in the Midwest, one very much associated with robber baron industrialists and corruption at the highest levels, and absolutely stuffed with art deco architecture for Superman to pose on top of. Up until the Tribune Company began to strip it for parts, it's also been a major newspaper town with a long tradition of muck-raking investigative journalism that would inspire a starry-eyed cub reporter like Clark. As one of the original transit hubs and the U.S' own "nature's metropolis," it is precisely the place that a Kansas farm boy would hop a train to, because all trains go to Chicago. Also, culturally I like it better that Clark Kent represents the City of Wide Shoulders whereas Bruce Wayne is the typical Tri-State Area Type-A personality.

Going back to D.C's bizarro Northeast geography, I likewise have an issue with Gotham being in New Jersey...if New York City is also supposed to be a major metropolitan area in the D.C universe. Just as Delaware would struggle to support a city of 11 million people, it would be very difficult to grow Gotham into a city of 10 million people so close to the gravity well of the Greater New York Metro Area. New Jersey is a pretty urbanized state, but its biggest cities tend to range in population from 300,000 to 100,000 - which works very well for a place like Blüdhaven, which is supposed to have something of an inferiority complex vis-a-vis Gotham - because a lot of the population tends to gravitate to NYC for work and eventually housing as well.

I've already said my piece about the lack of cultural specificity of D.C's Midwest.

As far as the West Coast goes, I've always found it a bit odd that Star City isn't where Seattle is supposed to be. Let's face it, the only place where Oliver Queen's facial hair would go unnoticed is Seattle. Also, Coast City is often depicted too far north on the map - if it's supposed to be a half-hour away from Edwards Air Force Base, it should be significantly more southern, down by Kern County and San Bernadino County, not practically up in San Francisco.

[lionheartapothecaryx]

BIBLIOMANCY: THE PSALMS 📖🔮🕯️


During the many centuries of American history, Black African Americans had contact with various different religions and ethnic cultures ie; multiple Indigenous Tribes, Jews, Appalachians, Dutch, Swedes, Caribbeans, Haitian Kreyols and many more, through the Chattel Transatlantic Trade an land migration. These pivotal interactions are introduced the assimilation of many ritual practices. Hoodoo is a multiculturally mixed practice, with many nuances and intersections. It reflects the attitude and practices of many different generations, cultivated, passed down and preserved. While purists believe in keeping Hoodoo strictly traditional, the realist and preservationists, see Hoodoo as a constantly evolving and cunning art form, always adaptable to the times. Throughout the 1600 - 1900s, multiple different denominations of the Abrahamic faiths were wide spread through the United States influencing Black American folk magic and way of life. 
Bibliomancy was already a common folk practice at and slowly making into the consciousness of Black American folk Magick. 

The first book printed in North America to contain the psalms was The Bay Psalm Book, published in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Minister an Planation Owner, Joseph Glover, who was well known for being the pioneer of printing in the English colonies and was one of the co-founders of Harvard University. Without sufficient historical evidence we can only speculate that this is the it’s one possible origins of the usage of the psalms in Black American Folk Magick. Glover was a Rector aka a parish priest for the Church of England and was decently educated. It is highly likely during his studies in England he had access to Jewish Psalm Prayer Books which inspired him to publish one of his own, when he came to America. There were also a small afro-jewish populations and various intersectional social connections with the black community, with the Jewish, Catholic and other various Christian religious denominations that were also clear influences.


The Church was a place of indoctrination but also social relief, community and emotional escapism for Black Americans during these times. Throughout the centuries the Indoctrination of the Church became the only source of solace and safety for Black American mental health & society during ever shifty and dangerous social climates. Deeply imbedding itself into consciousness of the black community, subconsciously and consciously, which we can still see in modern times. 
As the ability to read and write increased within the black community, in addition to the growth of printing more books access to reading the Bible and the Psalms became easier and easier. Now the Psalms were seen as a powerful book of spells in African American folk magick, with a multitude of different uses. Psalms could be scratched in the mud, written on doorways, or just simply spoken or prayed over folks, tools, plant allies, talismans, mojo bags, roots, other items, water, candles and more. The intent could be love, justice, abundance, peace and even hexing. Eventually, this belief trickled down to usage of other verses, from other Bible, an influenced African American communities, all over the country. Each community like their own little tribes, some with similar or different practices and rituals, regionally. 
In practice, The power of the psalms was unmatched, people swore by it by its success rate and still do to this day, which is why the practice has stuck in modern times.

The Psalms were a vehicle of rejuvenation and life, these scriptures were considered living words of power. I’ll go into the sacred mythos behind that, for members of my Patreon, later on this month.


For some Black Americans it’s easy to overlook and even discard the power of bibliomancy especially when they have deep religious trauma when it comes to any Abrahamic faith (Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Cogic etc) which is understandable. These feelings are valid & practicing Hoodoo, means understanding the many intricate nuances of the intersection and history of this folk culture. Others also see the value in Bibliomancy and continue this ancestral practice in modern times, knowing two things can be true at once. There is a great deal of duality in Hoodoo, which is something many of us have come to accept and honor at the same time. Respecting this balance demands a deep sense of self and cultural respect, a discerning eye and great deal of empathy, whether practitioners like it or not.

Using the Psalms is a powerfully easy way to reconnect and heal with ancestral Black American practices and medicine. It’s not a requirement of course, but it’s fun to encourage other black Americans to practice and discover all of its hidden powers. Many African folk practices, were hidden out of survival, requiring a level of covert cunning. Bibliomancy was a clever way hide in plain sight without attracting too much attention. Think of our ancestors as secret agents of truth, justice with a covert strategic mentality that still has important place in modern times. Some magick requires a keen mind, good sense, without calling any attention to itself, teaching us the practice of self control and discipline. This is why the practice of bibliomancy is important, allowing you to tap into this energy and honor your ancestors and yourself.

Examples of Bibliomancy


Psalms 54 - Help In Times Of Need. Mastering Negative Thoughts, Revenge Against Enemies. 
Psalms 60 - Put The Past Behind You. 
Psalms 41 - Help With Money Troubles 
Psalms 23 - Protection, Abundance, Stability & Healing

HAPPY HOODOO HERITAGE MONTH ✨

🕯️🕯️🕯️

[mapsontheweb]

Sandstorms of the coast west coast of Africa

Easterly winds blew across Namibia in July 2023, lofting bands of dust across the coastal plains and out to sea. Streams of tan-colored dust jetted out from the entire length of Namibia’s coast and parts of the southern Angola coast when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on July 11. In addition, a streak of white salt dust from the Etosha Pan swept across the northern part of Namibia.

The pattern is not unusual for this time of year, when hot, dry squalls known as berg winds rush down from the interior highlands. In 2023, the warm east winds set in on July 6, picking up dust from the desert and salt pans and sending it toward the coast.

By the time this image was acquired, the dust and sand had created poor visibility and hazardous driving conditions in some coastal towns, including Walvis Bay. According to news reports, heavy machinery was needed to clear sand drifts from roadways.

The Etosha Pan, the distinct bright rectangular patch in the image, is an expansive salt flat roughly 130 kilometers (80 miles) long and 50 kilometers (30 miles) wide. It is typically dry except for brief periods in the summer months, when flamingos and other aquatic congregate there. At the time of the image, winds had carried the salty dust approximately 300 kilometers (180 miles) toward the Atlantic.

The windy conditions were forecast to persist in coastal and interior regions for several days, with the possibility for more sandstorms, according to the Namibia Meteorological Service. However, compared with Saharan dust storms that are large enough to influence hurricane formation and ultimately the weather on the opposite side of the Atlantic, the amount of dust in southern African storms is negligible.

[thebayclans]

A map of the clans’s territories marking significant locations.

Location descriptions under cut:

1. The Moon Glacier

Said to be a piece of the moon itself, fallen from the sky onto the earth below. This massive chunk of ice slowly creeps across the ground, carved deep with crevices that glow blue from within. Traveling across this glacier will lead a cat to the Great Ice Sea, a stretch of cold, barren waste that no one but a god could survive on alone.

2. Iceclan’s Camp

If one scales the mountain that lies south of the glacier’s maw, they will find the narrow entrance to a cave between where ice and stone meet. Within this small cave lies the denizens of Iceclan, who all bed down together in the middle of the cavern.

3. The Moonlight Cavern

Deep in the cave where Iceclan makes their camp lies the entrance to a tunnel that extends into the mountain. This tunnel serves as the resting place for Iceclan’s dead, but also leads across the width of the mountain to where the glacier runs against the other side. A traveling cat is greeted with a wall of ice that stretches the far side of the cavern, and the sound of dripping water and the creaking groan of the glacier echoes off the walls. Light filters through the ice, flooding the cave with a haunting blue light. But in this stunning cavern, the first thing that will catch a cat’s eye is a dark shape suspended in the ice. Backed by a blue glow, the clear silhouette of an ancient cat skeleton sits frozen in the middle of the wall. A fallen god, preserved forever in moonlight, a link between cosmic beings and the cats of the mortal world.

4. The River

Fed by the meltwaters of the glacier, the River runs southeast through the mountains for several miles before joining the Bay. The land around it is flat, bordered by broad stretches of gravelly terrain.

5. Brookclan’s Camp

At the base of the north mountain, alongside a chilly stream fed by runoff and snowmelt, lies the Brookclan camp. To the camp’s north, a small waterfall leaps off the mountainface, continuing down south where it eventually meets the river. The ground here is slightly sloped, and clusters of bushes line the stream, in which the cats make their dens.

6. Gathering Rock

Resting just next to the river, surrounded by a wide swath of flat, pebbled ground, a huge flat stone rests alone in the valley. The cats of the clans gather here every full moon, spending the entire day feasting, playing games, and catching up with loved ones from across the clans. The clans’ leaders also use this time to coordinate with each other, gathering close to discuss strategic, survival, and spiritual matters.

7. The Bay

Stretching wide and blue toward the distant horizon, ringed by jagged mountains, the Bay lies at the heart of the surrounding region. Its shores are lined with a diverse array of fauna and flora, and its waters teem equally with nutrients and hazards.

8. Oceanclan’s Camp

Just inland of the Bay’s shore, through a tidal marsh into the hemlock woods, one can find the Oceanclan camp. The camp is pressed against the stony clifface and surrounded by dense, old-growth forest. In the middle of the clearing, a shallow freshwater pool is fed by a small waterfall, providing fresh water to Oceanclan’s denizens.

9. Stoneclan Camp South

Where a small stream runs between the south mountain and the edge of the town, the cat’s of Stoneclan have established their southern camp. The camp is often bustling with activity from passing couriers, hunting parties traveling from the North camp, and cats slipping into town to scavenge human goods.

10. The Town

Nestled between the surrounding mountain ranges, spreading out from the coast into the valley, one can find the hub of local human activity. Here lies much danger, in the form of humans, with their prying eyes, their grasping paws, their chemicals and roaring deadly machines. But where there is danger there is also resource: fish from the harbor, stolen human trinkets, information and news from local housecats. Here is where the domestic cats of the clans can return to their roots, a refuge from nature’s ruthless grasp.

11. Stoneclan Camp North

Stoneclan’s North camp sits within a small grassy meadow, settled beside a wide stream, only a stones throw away from the humans’ railroad tracks. The cats here make dens using scraps of human metal and other industrial waste, and will sometimes make fires for warmth, the smoke plumes hidden under the cover of night.

12. Bear Lake

If one goes inland, a few miles northeast of the clans’ territories, a cat may spot a break in the dense forest. There, one can step onto the shore of Bear Lake, gazing across the impressive expanse of water. The lake and the surrounding woods provide an abundance of herbs and wildlife (both passive and hostile). Due to its distance from the clans’ center, the lake is not frequented often, but serves as a location for summer fishing trips by cats from Brookclan and Stoneclan.

13. Captain’s Shack

Deep within the woods a few miles south of Bear Lake, a small, dilapidated cabin sits alone in a clearing. A narrow stream runs beside it, and a tiny, well-kept garden lies between. This is the home of Captain, an old cat who has lived here for decades. She enjoys crafting and collecting, and will often trade her wares with Clan cats in exchange for food or assistance with her garden. She’s also known to brew a special drink out of valerian and silver vine that often leaves cats with a pleasant buzz.

[sketchfanda]

Kirishima's Mystique: Weapon XXX-23

Canada, the great white north, a vast wide little land consisting of regions such as Toronto, Ottawa and Quebec. Currently within the serene wildness of the Canadian rockies, our resident Red Riot and his cotton candy link Alien Queen were having themselves a little camping trip. Nothing said summer fan like gong hiking around a different country as the sturdy and acidic pair were busy setting up shop. Mina busy prepping the picnic spot and gathering up some kindling for a campfire, that is when she wasn’t busy stealing some glances at her man.

Sensually biting her lip as his tanktop did a grand job showing off that pair of gun shows he called his arms. If there was a vet around,she’d have to call about some “sick pythons”, that was for sure, his biceps and biceps pumped and flexed from all that effort and goddamn was it making her thirsty as all fuck. Rubbing her thighs together as she tried to keep her dirty thoughts at bay, at least until they'd finished setting up camp. Pouting adorably as she thought of how lonely she and Kirishima felt without the third wheel of their tricycle.

Mina:"It's still such a bummer Maya couldn't join us on this trip. I mean granted not often she gets to visit home..."*The cotton candy bombshell quipped as she was still feeling a bit incomplete without their shared girlfriend. Maya of course was indeed spending a week or two in her home of Jagua del Toro which did remind Mina of one thing. They definitely had to go their for sure, she just knew that place wasn't just famous for its beaches, but especially the babes. The kind of babes she and Maya knew would get their Riot all nice and riled up....*

Kirishima:"Ah it is what it is, sometimes but hey next time around we might go with her there, right?"*The sturdy hero quipped in response as he continued nearing completion of the tent. Missing the erotic leer Mina shot his way as she began making her way towards him, lust glowing in her golden racoon eyes. Who could blame her when her man was looking so delicious and fuckable, those firm muscles of his in motion as he worked away on setting up their camp. She had to think it wasn't all bad given she and Kirishima could fuck as much as they wanted, loud as they wanted without anyone to bother them but the critters of nature.*

Any further personal musings of thought or conversation dirty or otherwise when they heard some very loud sounds incoming from nearby their way. Sounds of a very telltale nature that implied combat and conflict of a struggle that was very intense. Being of heroic personality of course the red and pink duo knew they had to intervene and go see what the situation was and just their luck that had to be quite a doozy. Upon investigation of course that wound up being proven to be quite the understatement.

But of course how often were you to likely run into some petite but well toned feisty but fierce girl clad in leather swinging pair of duel bladed claws in her hands like a wild animal. Small wonder she was fighting of course given she was going up against a group of misfits from the infamous Brotherhood, one of the most notorious quirk supremacist gangs around. Suffice to say that what was followed was an intense battle to say the least but numbers weren’t a problem when You had a duo like Pinky and Red Riot backing you up. Oh come on, you really think I’m gonna go into details about how the battle went?

Yeah I thought so, we all know what you’re all really here for so let’s get this show on the road, shall we? After the ragtag renegade band of villains were rounded up followed by some questions and statements with local law enforcement, the red and pink duo were soo back in their camp now with the added company of their new friend they'd saved. A young girl by the name of X-23, or Laura as she found most preferred to call her and to say her lifestory was complex and tragic was an understatement. But she wasn't one to dwell on the past, least compared to how she was then compared to now though it could be hard to tell with how calm, composed and stoic she was.

But she proved to be willing to try and socialise and it helped that Kirishima and Mina had a natural friendliness and affability about them that made them easy to like. Laura certainly had to say mina's peppy motor mouth and spunkiness rather reminded her of Jubilee in a way as the trio enjoyed some small talk and a little bit of the natural tranquillity and serenity of nature of course. Soon of course dusk began to make itself known as the Canadian wilderness became bathed in the fading light and shade of the setting sun as the trio enjoyed a little peace and quiet and making some s'mores around the campfire before Kirishima and Mina decided to call it a night but not before offering to set up a spare tent for Laura to enjoy some privacy as well as peace and quiet. Leaving her be to enjoy the campire while it lasted as they ducked into their own tent a few feet away.

Laura of course wasn't clueless or naive as she seemed to the duo and what they were really up to at this very moment. Her enhanced senses could pick up the sounds and scents of what was going on so close yet so far from her in their tent. The slapping of skin on skin, the clapping of asscheeks as Mina struggled to keep her volume down against the relentless assault of pleasure coming from her boyfriend as he danced the oldest dance known to men and woman with her sexy pink self. It was, quite frankly, intoxicating for the young woman as she felt leather clad thighs becoming soaked with sticky nectar flowing from her quivering pussy.

Oh she certainly appreciated their civility and politeness in not wanting to disturb or offend her with their passion and desire but if anything it made her curios. Despite how cool, calm and stoic she seemed, internally was a different story as she felt that innate primal beast within her stirring. The beast within that desired to mate and breed, sensing the presence of a strong, worthy alpha male, an instinct she felt the moment she'd laid eyes on Kirishima and his feats of strength and power from when he and Mina had helped her out earlier today. Hence she saw no lack of logic in her next set of moves to make as she got up from her seat by the weakening campfire and made her way over the lovers' tent.

The closer she got, the more intense the sounds and scents of their erotic mating hit her senses turning her on something fierce, a glowing red blush on her face as she silently panted with husky desire, eyes glowing with rising lust as she approached the tent. Kneeling down as she stealthily, slowly unzipped the entry way and peeked inside to find quite the delightful show happening before her. The sight of Mina mounted atop her chivalrous Himbo cowgirl style as she bounced her bubbly cotton candy pink booty on that shaft of his. Which she could gleam had to have quite the length and girth on it if the rising bump in Mina's stomach was anything to go by, the alien queen sensually biting her lip, perky pink titties bouncing as she caressed her man's washboard abs while he held her hips firmly.

Eijiro of course hadn't yet noticed their sudden voyeur but Mina's lust hazed golden eyes did, sending her a secret sensual smile Laura's way. The goth-like Wolverine clone knowing enough body language to know Mina wasn't just asking if she was enjoying this show but inviting her to join. After all why watch when it'd be better to share the fun together? Laura of course got the hint easily enough as to Mina’s delight, she began to strip down until she was naked as the day she was born.

Kirishima of course was none the wiser until he suddenly found his view of Mina bouncing on his Lil’ Riot suddenly obscured by Laura straddling his face as she sat and parked her toned perky ass atop it. Grinding and rubbing her slit before she let out soft gasps and moans as she felt his tongue respond to lick and lap away at her flowing nectar. Mina's sensual smile widening as she continued to bounce away on her lover's cock, leaning forward to press her lip's to their new sex friend's own. Tongues dancing together in their growing bond of intimacy as the girl most knew as X-23 expressed her gratitude in a way that felt fun and natural for her.

The campfire had long since gone out but the fires of passion in this threesome only continued to burn bright well long into the night as moans and the primal rhythm of skin on skin filled the wild Canadian air. The tent a tangle of limbs shifting and dancing through a variety of positions and combinations of 2 on one to one on one as one third of the kinky group would catch their breaths. Laura or Mina eating one another out as the hard-headed redhead pounded them doggy style or in missionary to Mina fingering herself with erotic delight as she looked on at the female Wolverine getting it deep and hard in a mating press. Laura was clearly no virgin by any stretch but hotdamn if it wasn't clear she hadn't been with someone on the level that Kirishima and his Alien Queen were at, and this was without their resident blue shapeshifting bombshell girlfriend!!

Naturally Mina was making plans to send Maya the details of this illicit little encounter with their lovely new friend, that is once they woke up in the morning of course. Right at the moment was about feeling as good as they possibly can, as Laura herself now watched on as she recovered her stamina. Probing her pussy with her fingers as she looked on at Mina getting it deep and hard while that flexible bubblegum pink bombshell body of hers was held by Kirishima in a full nelson as he knelt on the tent ground. Grunting and groaning as Mina was rocked with orgasms which only skyrocketed as she soon found Laura licking away at their conjoined loins, lust glowing in those cool eyes of hers. Which the horned girl of course found so damn hot....

By the time this little threesome had finally finished, dawn was kicking in as it bathed the wilderness in the radiant glow of sunrise's light. The tent warmly glowing adding to the afterglow shared by the 3 as Laura laid draped atop Kirishima while Mina spooned and hugged her boyfriend's side. Their bodies glistening with sweat and spent juices as Laura held a soft, rare little smile on her face, thinking to herself she needed more than just the one night. Reminding herself that she had come out looking to find herself spiritually and now she was thinking maybe she might be able to do that if she transferred to Japan, especially once she learned which campus Kirishima and Mina went to.

Not long after this unexpected acquaintanceship encounter in Canada, Laura's well known, imfamous father had his clone daughtered texting with enquiries about arranging a transfer or entry into an exchange program for hero schools in Japan. While Maya found herself getting a delightful surprise in the form of a few texts and videos, especially of the sexy variety from her fave Pinky and definitely liking what she saw. Reminding herself she should definitely get a few of her gal pals in Jagua to come meet her girlfriend and especially their boyfriend and ooh some gals in Japan should definitelt come to her little home paradise. The beaches were hot but the dudes and bitches were hotter!!

Sometimes it wasn't easy being a student for a hero school, especially when yours was the generation that had to deal with quirk erasing yakuza bosses, a quirk hoarder with a demon god complex and a nihilistic hand-freak among other things. But other times it made for quite the love life when you found romance especially when going camping somewhere like in some woods in Canada made you get lucky. Yeah a mouthful I know but hey, you know what they say. How sweet it is....

[spanishskulduggery]

learned the word "porfa" on spanishdict today and i read its just a shorter version of "por favor"

in your experience, do you see it used often?

and if so like, are there any more notable words that native spanish speakers say differently than ppl who are learning?

like sometimes i listen to ppl learning english, and they're good and also really formal and stuff but like, a native english speaker has less formal way of saying it?

if this makes sense

Yes, porfa is used somewhat frequently as very informal "please" and it's especially used online as a kind of endearing "pretty please". It's not appropriate for anything formal, but in everyday Spanish porfa can be used if you're trying to be a bit cutesy or have fun

Also por is often shortened to po and para is often shortened to pa. So you might see pa ti "for you" instead of para ti. One joke is like pa él y paella "for him and for her" but with pa ella "for her" looking like the word paella

Other expressions I've seen that you can adopt:

holi / holis / holitas = hola = hi [slang] aló = hello [from "hello", kind of slang but sometimes German-ish] chao / chau = ciao / bye [informal and fairly common] bye / bai bai = bye [adapted from English, informal] Nos vemos. = See you later. [lit. "we will see each other"; standard Spanish] ¿Ontas? = ¿Dónde estás? [though ontas is sometimes used as like... idk a fuckboy kinda thing like "where you at" or "you up?" like someone messaging you for sex/attention might say that; definitely slang but makes sense when you hear it] ¿Qué tal? = How are you? / What's up? [standard Spanish] ¿Qué hay (de nuevo)? = What's new? [standard Spanish] ¿Qué onda? = What's up? [informal, I think understood in most places but to me I associate it with Mexico because of that song] ¿Cómo va? / ¿Cómo te va? = How's it going? / How's it going for you? [standard Spanish; but you can hear it in the song Oye cómo va] ¡Buenas! = Hey! / Hi! [this is because of the expressions buen día "good day", buenos días "good day/hello", buenas tardes "good evening", and buenas noches "good night" all using bueno/a... Essentially ¡buenas! is a just all around "hello"... one of the youtubers I follow frequently starts his videos with muy buenas a todos which is like "hey everyone"; I feel like it's informal and a bit slang, but also widely recognized and understood]

I personally if I'm being cutesy and saying "hello", I will say things like holanda instead of hola [please also note: holanda means "Holland" OR it can be "fine linen" or "doilies"]

I've also been known to say ola "wave", olla "pot", holá which is just hola with added whimsy etc etc

-

In texting you see even more slang, like xk meaning porque "because" or sometimes x k? / xk? as por qué "why?"

This is because por is also the word used for multiplication (x), so tres por tres is "three times three" or "three multiplied by three", shortened in math as 3 x 3

And if you want to be cutesy - like almost obnoxious - and say adiosito that's something like "toodle-oo"; it's just a little adiós

-

Some additional regional things I know: ¿Qué lo que? "What's up?" which is Dominican and I think is sometimes used in the Caribbean.

And also ¿Quiubo? for "What's up?" or "How's it going?" which is more Central American.

...

I would also add ajá for "uh-huh", na for "nah" or ni modo or qué va "no way", sip for "yup", lo que sea "whatever", ay which is just a general "oof" or "yikes" or "ow" or "oh wow" like a general negative surprise word, and eh being "hey" as both a greeting and interjection

And every so often my friend from Puerto Rico will use jamón instead of jamás to be "never ever", like "that's a definite no" or "never gonna happen" - it's sort of a bigger jamás but if you didn't know the context you'd think it was "ham"

You will also sometimes see pos used instead of pues so it could be "well/then"

In Chile po is used a lot, kind of like an affirmative but used so often it's kind of like staying "of course"

And I don't know if this is used widely but clarostá is sometimes used as "of course", but it can be understood to be a more rural or country bumpkin kind of way of speaking...

The more fluent you are, the more your words will blend together so you'll end up with clarostá or claro está, or tol día for todo el día "all day", pa na for para nada, and that's actually how you get ontas from dónde estás

There are definitely bound to be others so if anyone else has any fun common slang greetings/goodbyes please let me know!

[whats-in-a-sentence]

Rachel Henning watched the young man in action about this time as he deftly captured a band of thirteen deserters from the Native Police who turned up at Exmoor. She wrote of them:

They each had an old shirt by way of a garment & several were carrying possums which they had caught on their way. Biddulph went over to speak to them. "Good day Sare" they all said & grinned very much & then told him they were runaway troopers from Rockingham Bay where they seemed to think they had been very badly treated in being made to work. "too much carry log" one of them said. They were on their way to Wide Bay their own country.

"Killing for Country: A Family History" - David Marr

[greenwitchcrafts]

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum Verum

Known as: Ceylon cinnamon & sweet bark

Related plants: Cinnamon is a member of the Lauraceae or the laurels. It is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide that can include Cinnamomum, bay, sassafras, bay laurel, litsea & cassytha.

Parts used: Inner bark

Habitat & Cultivation: This evergreen tropical tree is native to Sri Lanka, the neighbouring Malabar Coast of India, and Myanmar (Burma) and is also cultivated in South America and the West Indies. this species is found growing from the lowlands up to an altitude of 700 m. C. verum is a hardy species which tolerates a wide range of tropical soils.

Plant type: Perennial

Region: 10-12

Harvest: Give your cinnamon tree two to three years after planting to fully develop. When the bark is brown and the leaves are firm, the plant is ready for harvesting. Carefully Cut away the outer bark until you reach the yellow-orange inner bark then peel away strips of the inner bark until you reach the core of the branch or trunk. Dry the inner bark & let the peeled pieces in a single layer on a window screen or tray. They will curl as they dry until they resemble the cinnamon quills you’re used to.

Growing tips: Make sure the planting site is several feet away from other trees & at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days. Cinnamon plants prefer a rich, well-draining soil-A sandy loam will work well & don't do well in waterlogged soils, so don't plant in heavy clay or hardpan soils. They don't do well when temperatures fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or in very dry conditions.

Medicinal information: Cinnamomum verum has been reported to have anti-diabetic, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Cinnamon oil is also used in dental and pharmaceutical products. Cinnamon leaf oil has been found to be effective in killing mosquito larvae & in some studies the leaf oil is being proposed for use as an insect repellent.

Cautions: Cinnamon usually causes no side effects. But heavy use could irritate your mouth and lips, causing sores. The oil can be a skin irritant & therefore should not be put directly on your skin.

Magickal Properties

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Sun

Element: Fire

Deities: Aesclepius, Aphrodite, Bast, Helios, Mercury, Oshun, Ra & Venus

Magickal uses:

• Add to a spell to speed up action &success

• Burn as an incense to stimulate spiritual powers, increase, psychic ability & awareness

• Wear as an amulet to attract passion into your life

• Hang the sticks or a cinnamon broom above your front door to keep negative energies away

• Keep a cinnamon stick in your wallet to attract financial prosperity

• Mix with your coffee for an easy prosperity spell

• Rub the oil on ritual tools to cleanse them(but please use gloves, cinnamon oil is very strong)

• Substitute the sticks for bones while attempting divination via osteomancy

• Use in a simmer pot for money, cleansing & prosperity spells

• Burn the bark or incense to increase male libido or empower sex magick

• Along side a green candle & basil, cinnamon helps makes a quick & easy money spell

[covid-safer-hotties]

COVID surging in California, nears two-year summer high. ‘Almost everybody has it’ - Published July 29, 2024

If it seems like many people around you are getting COVID-19, you’re not alone.

Federal data show coronavirus levels in California’s wastewater are surging to levels not seen in summertime since 2022, indicating a wide and worsening spread of COVID.

“We are seeing ... a definite, definite surge,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

The surge is clearly apparent in doctor’s offices and clinics where people are seeking outpatient treatment, Hudson said. But, thankfully, not many people are having to be hospitalized because of COVID-19 at this point.

“The wastewater numbers are still headed up. So we’re definitely seeing more and more cases,” Hudson said.

She urged people to test for COVID-19 if they have respiratory symptoms.

“If you have cough-and-cold symptoms, at this point, living in Los Angeles, you should really think that they are COVID until proven otherwise,” she said.

This latest surge is being fueled in large part by the FLiRT variants — a collection of highly transmissible sibling strains that have out-muscled last winter’s dominant strain, JN.1.

In particular, one of the FLiRT strains, known as KP.3.1.1, “has really taken off,” Hudson said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that that strain accounted for 17.7% of coronavirus samples nationwide for the two-week period that ended July 20, up from 6.8% for the prior comparable period.

At that rate of growth, that strain is likely to become increasingly dominant in the next few weeks, Hudson said. “So, unfortunately, I think we are going to see a lot more cases.”

Coronavirus levels in California sewage are considered “very high” for a third consecutive week, the CDC said Friday. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia — home to nearly 3 in 4 Americans — have either “high” or “very high” coronavirus levels in wastewater.

For the seven-day period that ended July 20, the most recent data available, coronavirus levels in California wastewater were at 93% of the peak from the summer of 2022. They’ve already exceeded last summer’s height.

And there are indications that this summer’s COVID-19 wave might have some staying power. Coronavirus levels in California wastewater have been “high” or “very high” for seven straight weeks, with no sign of cresting. The wave from the summer of 2022 played out over 16 weeks during which viral levels were “high” or “very high,” and last summer’s wave lasted eight weeks.

The proliferation of the FLiRT variants may lengthen this summer’s surge, experts say, since they show a particular knack for immune evasion.

“It does seem like we are spitting out more and more variants a lot more quickly, and that’s probably to be expected,” Hudson said. “This virus is still very, very new to humans, and the virus wants to live, and the way that it lives is by evading immunity” — circumventing people’s defenses by evolving in a way to keep the chain of infection going.

Also, “things are pretty much back to normal,” Hudson said, with many people abandoning their once-cautious pandemic behaviors.

Even at the Olympics in Paris, COVID-19 is now treated like any other respiratory illness. The protocol among infected athletes is — if they’re feeling well enough to train — to have them wear masks, isolate when they’re not training and avoid certain communal areas such as the gym.

Regions across California are reporting high coronavirus levels in sewage. In the San Francisco Bay Area, San José and Palo Alto have generally had high coronavirus levels since the end of May. Fresno County health officials said last week that coronavirus levels were high across the San Joaquin Valley.

The rate at which California’s COVID-19 tests are turning up positive has now exceeded last summer’s peak. For the seven-day period that ended July 22, 13.8% of coronavirus tests came back positive. That exceeds last summer’s maximum of 13.1%.

Anecdotally, there are many reports of people getting COVID-19 from events including weddings, work meetings and flights, causing symptoms strong enough to make them miserable for days. Some have been surprised by nastier symptoms this time around compared with earlier bouts of COVID-19, although there are no indications that the latest subvariants result in more severe illness overall.

Those who are older or immunocompromised remain at highest risk.

Read the rest at either link! (You don't have to hop a paywall at the covidsafehotties archive!)

[bucci-cookies]

A Trip To Naples - Bruno Bucciarati x Reader

Here is a commission piece I did where the reader goes on a trip to Italy and falls in love with a lovely stranger :)

Naples: the birthplace of pizza, home of the famous Amalfi Coast and, of course, the destination of your impulsive getaway. With the stress of work pushing down on your shoulders, you needed some sort of break; those winning tickets couldn’t have come at a better time. Three weeks living in the bustling Campanian city in an all-expenses paid hotel was a perfect way to spend your annual vacation time.

One of the highlights of Naples was its colourful markets: picturesque stalls and shops lining the cobblestoned streets selling various trinkets, clothing and flowers. You found yourself in the Market of Antignano, deep in the centre of Vomero. The jovial sellers beckoned you over to look at the various slippers, cosmetics and linen sitting on the displays, eager to squeeze some money out of you before lunch. An elderly woman with thick black hair selling keyrings waved at you, shaking one of them in her hand. It was a cute little thing, a brown plastic bear holding a red heart between its paws, all connected to the metal ring. You figured that you might as well replace your old worn-out one with a new souvenir.

“Questo è perfetto per voi zucca!” She smiled, placing the ring in your hand. To your knowledge, she said it was perfect for you.

“Il mio Italiano…non è buono” You laughed awkwardly. The only fault in this seemingly perfect holiday was that you only had very little knowledge of the language. You could say enough to scrape by, but in this case, you found it easier to say you don’t know the language well.

“Ah! You speak English, zucca?” The woman asked, not phased by your inability to speak her Italian.

You sighed loudly, thankful that you could converse in a language you understood. “Yes, I do. Sorry, this is my first time in Italy.”

“Oh? How lovely!” She beamed, giving you a toothy grin. She looked down at her watch, 1 pm, almost time to close up for today. "Have you got somewhere to go for lunch?"

"Nowhere, in particular. I'll just walk around and see what looks nice." You had researched local places to eat earlier. Most of them were within the same vicinity so you planned to go to whatever seemed less busy to avoid long queues.

"Zucca, you must go to Libeccio!" She shook your hand, almost like her life depended on you going there. "It's marvellous, oh you'll love it!" She squealed. "Plus," She said with a  smirk, "it's owned by such a sweet young man, Bucciarati. He's so graceful and kind, you’ll love him!”

You remember searching up Libeccio - it was a beautiful restaurant, though you were worried it was a little out of your price range. It screamed expensive from the pictures you saw online. Well, you were on holiday, you might as well allow a little bit of luxury. You paid for the keyring, placing it in the side pocket of your bag before waving the kind woman off as she packed up her stall for the day.

Libeccio was about a ten-minute walk away, allowing you to explore parts of the region a bit more. You took note of some stylish boutiques along the way, thinking about how your wardrobe could do with a revamp. As well as some grocery stores for if you ever needed a snack.

Libeccio, unsurprisingly, was an Italianate-style building. Bay windows with pink and shamrock-like decorative window trims along both stories of the tawny-coloured building. The inside had half-cream half-dark oak walls, and a soft crimson carpet covering the entire dining area. It was a little intimidating to see so many well-dressed people sitting together. Eating meals you probably couldn’t pronounce and drinking wines you had never heard of. You felt like you stuck out like a sore thumb. You swallowed the lump in your throat and made your way to the waiting table where one of the floor workers stood, writing some notes in a large black book. He greeted you with a wide smile as his hazel eyes and tanned skin shone under the bright lights that reflected off his silver name badge that read ‘Alejandro’. He held up a finger, presumably asking you if you were the only diner, to which you nodded. Before you could get a word in, he placed you on a two-seater table near one of the windows with a menu and a glass of water to get you started.

You opened the sleek black booklet, revealing extensive lists of appetisers, starters, mains and desserts, all in clean, fancy, Italian writing. The best thing you could do was whip out Google and try to search for all these meals. You tried to note what sounded best, whittling down the list as best as you could, but you barely scratched the surface of the menu when the waiter returned, asking if you would like to order. With an embarrassed blush, you tried to explain how you were struggling to read the menu. But it seemed like he couldn’t understand you, especially over the noisy restaurant.

You didn’t notice that this interaction had caught the attention of a group of men who sat a couple of tables down from yours. “Scusi.” A sultry voice said. You looked up to see a tall man with darker skin standing next to the waiter. The mas w `A`1as dressed in a cropped sweater and sleek black jeans, offering a perfect view of his toned abdomen. His hair was thick and curly, framing his roundish face and drawing attention to his dark eyes. The man whispered something to the waiter, making him run off, before pulling a chair next to you.

“Buongiorno signora. Are you having trouble with your menu? I see you switching between it and your phone.” Before you could begin to question who this man was and how he knew you would speak English, he took the menu from your hands and began flicking through the pages before tapping one of the options. “This is gravlax bella, it's just cured salmon, comes in thin slices.” He turned over the page. “Ah and capricciosa! You’ve got mushroom, artichokes, baked ham, olives, my absolute favourite!” He said with gusto as he scooched a little closer to you. Truth be told, you didn’t feel too comfortable in this situation, a strange man in a strange country acting so familiar with you made you uneasy. And the way he so easily managed to get rid of the waiter rubbed you the wrong way, who knows what his intentions were? You simply tucked your lips in and nodded at his rambling about the menu, thankful that you at least had some options to order.

You avoided eye contact with the strange man until suddenly his voice stopped. You looked over to see another man standing behind him, one with lighter skin and short black hair. “Mista,” He sighed, his voice a smooth baritone, “la stai mettendo a disagio.” He whispered with a smile, squeezing the man’s shoulder. Instantly he looked back at you, bowing his head.

“I’m so sorry signora, I’ll get out of your way!” He dropped the menu back on the table and walked back to his original seat. He was met with the disapproving headshakes of the third man on the table. The new man moved the chair back to its original place opposite you before holding out a hand.

“Bruno Bucciarati, I’m the owner.” He shot you a dazzling smile. Thankful that he was at least affiliated with the restaurant and not another stranger, you calmly shook his hand. You had to admit, the woman from the market was right, he was handsome. His frame was tall and lean and he had a certain youthful essence in his speech and gestures. His hair was cut to his shoulders, neatly styled to form bangs that reached his thin black eyebrows. His eyes were the most noticeable feature on his face, soft blue ones surrounded by long lashes. If you had to guess, he was probably in his mid 20s. Part of you wondered how a young man like him could own such a lavish restaurant. “You’ll have to forgive my friend, he was only trying to help and he got a bit carried away.” Bruno turned around to face the man you now know to be Mista, presumably staring him down, before facing you again and rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward laugh.

“It’s fine, thank you for clarifying.” You smiled back. “I’m really glad we can speak in English, my Italian isn’t good at all.”

He cocked his head to the side, thin eyebrows furrowed. “You weren’t able to request a menu in English?”

Your jaw dropped slightly, realising this could have been resolved if you simply asked for a different menu. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know I could!” You pressed your hands against your cheeks in shame.

Bruno laughed gently, his shoulder relaxing, grateful that this wasn’t a staff complaint in the works. “It’s okay, I’m glad you know for next time, I will go get you one.” He came back shortly with an identical menu, this time with everything in English. “We get a lot of tourists here, so we print a couple menus in different languages, mainly English and French.”

“Thank you so much sir, it helps a lot.” You waved him goodbye as you flicked through the new one, picking up all of the meals you had missed out on earlier. You decided to give Mista’s suggestion a go, after all, he was just trying to be nice. A different waiter met you this time, a woman with her hair tied back in a long, blonde ponytail and an exuberant expression across on her face, ready to take your order: the capricciosa pizza, and a slice of chocolate cake with gelato for dessert.

By now the restaurant had more customers, different groups of people huddled around the tables, filling the room with the smell of their meals and another layer of noise above the soft music in the background. Couples, families and friends chuckled and chatted together, enjoying the lively mood that the Naples summer put into them as they shared glasses of wine and scrumptious desserts. It didn’t take long for your waitress to return with a piping hot thin crust pizza on a large round plate with a rich cheesy and meaty aroma exuding from it as she placed it in front of your nose. She refilled your glass of water, adding a few blocks of ice to cool you down as the weather had begun to increase, before leaving you to enjoy your meal.

You took a bite from one of the slices, enjoying how the base crunched in your mouth and sighed, it was incredible. The meat was perfectly seasoned and paired wonderfully with the assortment of vegetables. This particular version had an additional drizzle of olive oil, but to your delight, it didn’t make the dish greasy at all. You had never had a pizza as wonderful as this, you saw why that nice old lady recommended Libeccio to you, as well as why Naples is known as the pizza hotspot. It’s like the meal had some sort of hold on you, its smell wrapped around your body, making you focus on the rich ham and savoury sauce. You ordered one of the smaller sizes, making sure you had enough space for dessert, which was just as delightful. The cool vanilla gelato was a perfect pair for the thick, warm chocolate cake. You always tried to limit your sugar intake, not wanting to sacrifice your health for a few treats, but it didn’t take long for your sweet tooth to activate and completely devour the rich cake.

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Mr Bucciarati returned once your plates had been cleared, sitting on the chair opposite you. “I hope everything was to your taste?” He placed his elbow on the table, resting his head on his hand.

While wiping your lips with a napkin, you nodded enthusiastically. “I did! I guess your friend was right about the capricciosa, it’s really amazing!” You definitely planned to return to Libeccio soon, especially since it wasn’t as expensive as you thought it would be.

His cerulean eyes lit up as a toothy grin formed. Libeccio had been his favourite restaurant since he was young. When he bought the establishment from the previous owner, he spared no expense to continue to do its name justice, not wanting to cut any corners regarding the quality of service or food as some would do. “Well I’m glad you liked it, it’s one of my favourites too.” He leaned in a little towards you, clearing his throat. “Can I ask, is this your first time in Italy?”

You paused a little before replying. “Yes. I never travel much, it’s far too expensive these days. I actually won these tickets in a lottery.”

He gave an understanding nod before switching to another beaming smile. “Ahh well that’s lucky, Naples is one of the best cities here. Call me biased since I grew up here, but I thoroughly prefer it to cities up north.” He folded his arms against his chest with a jokingly smug expression on his face. To Bruno, no amount of glitz and glam in Florence or Milan could match the warm pleasure that Naples made in his heart.

“Well, I’m glad I’m in the right place.” You smiled, turning to face him a little more.

“May I ask where you’re from?”

With slight hesitation, you revealed your home country to the kind stranger, watching his eyes light up at your words.

He leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table. “Oh? I hear how beautiful it is there, especially in the Spring. I have an old friend who moved to,” He snapped his fingers as he tried to recall the name. “It’s escaped me now, but you know the small town in the south, the one with all the mountains and forests? I had a friend who moved there when we were younger. We would send each other postcards when we were little.” Bruno didn’t have many friends his age, especially as he grew up in a quieter area with an older population. This meant he cherished the few he had greatly. When his friend Mikhail moved away due to his father getting a job abroad, they vowed to always send each other letters and postcards. Sadly, this was cut short when he was twelve. You were familiar with the town he was referring to having visited there several times. It was a gorgeous area, filled with a lively artistic and historical culture, as well as being one of the largest cities from your home.

“Were you given any sort of activity list? Things to do here?” Bruno asked, fiddling with his fingers.

You shook your head. “Nothing, in particular, I don’t really know where to start.” You simply planned to rely on whatever the Internet suggested.

“If you would like anyone to go with you or show you some nice places, I’d be more than happy to show you around.”

“Oh no that’s completely fine! I don’t want to intrude on your schedule.” You grit your teeth, not wanting to inconvenience the lovely owner.

He scoffed with a light-hearted tone, shaking his head. “No, it's fine! You won’t be interrupting anything, I promise.” He paused, briefly before pulling a pen out of his shirt pocket and writing something on a napkin. “Here, this is my number. If you would like to go anywhere or need an idea, I would be more than willing to help.” He neatly folded it and handed it to you. “You don’t have to agree, this is just a suggestion! I know that being in a new country can be hard and sometimes daunting.” He quickly explained, holding his hands up as if to prove that this was just an innocent suggestion. The last thing he wanted was to make you feel as overwhelmed by a stranger as you did when Mista approached you.

You took the napkin from him, placing it in your purse. “Thank you Mr Bucciarati.” There was something about him that made it easy to talk to him: maybe it was his calm body language or his soft facial expressions, but it felt nice talking to him. In your gut, he seemed like a good guy. Besides, it would be nice to have a native speaker around to guide you.

“You can just call me Bruno by the way.” Usually, he was fine with being referred to as Bucciarati, but something in him felt like being less formal with you. “What can I call you?”

“y/n.”

He smiled and tilted his head to the side, causing his hair to fall slightly as he slowly repeated your name. “That’s such a beautiful name.”

**************************************************

It had been two days since you visited Libeccio, and still, the kind man’s napkin sat in your bag, stuffed underneath your purse. Bruno did seem nice, and at least he was the well-known owner of Libeccio, so he wasn’t a completely random stranger. It would be nice to have a personal tour guide, especially someone native to the area, it would also make your trip a lot less lonely. You pulled out the napkin and used the hotel phone to call him. After two rings, he picked up.

“Salve, Bucciarati parla.” He said, his voice was deep and groggy like he had just woken up and you could hear the sizzling of a frying pan in the background.

“Mr Bucciarati - Bruno?” You cleared your throat. “It’s y/n, I hope I didn’t call at a bad time.” You heard ceramic plates clanging against each other as well as the opening and closing of wooden drawers.

Bruno yawned before replying, rubbing his neck, soothing it after an uncomfortable night’s rest. “From Libeccio right?” His voice sounded a little chippier as he placed some bread in the toaster. He couldn’t deny that he was hoping you would call, at least this was something pleasant to start off his otherwise boring day.

“Mhm…I’m sorry I responded so late I-” 

“It’s fine, it was a bold move on my part.” He cut you off with a light chuckle as he spread some butter on a crisp slice of toast. He was never usually so forward, especially with new people, the last thing he wanted was to make you feel pressured or preyed on. “Does this mean that you’ve decided to take up my offer?”

“Yes.” You nodded, perching on the end of your double bed.

He was thankful that you couldn’t see the wide grin that spread across his face. “How do you feel about pasta making?” The kettle whistled in the background, steam bursting out of the spout before settling. “There’s a place in the Spanish Quarter, they do pasta-making sessions for pretty much anyone, they’re supposedly quite fun.” Bruno poured himself his usual morning drink, a cup of coffee with a little milk and a dash of honey. He had visited his area several times before, though never to attend a class.

The opportunity to be taught how to make a true Italian pizza did sound intriguing, and a public session would be a safe option to go with a stranger. You concluded that this would be a decent idea. “That sounds great! How much does it cost?” You eyed your purse, knowing that you put yourself on a reasonably tight budget.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll cover you.” He said nonchalantly, taking a sip of his warm coffee.

“No no, I can’t just let you pay for me!”

Bruno let out another soft chuckle as took his usual seat on the sofa. “Don’t worry, the owner owes me anyways. So how does this afternoon sound?” He asked before taking a bite out of the soft buttered bread.

You turned to face the clock on the nightstand. “I can do two o’clock if that’s okay.”

“Meet me at Libeccio then.”

Bruno sat on a long wooden bench just outside the restaurant, arms resting on the back with his head tilted backwards. He wore a blue button-up shirt, opting to leave the top few buttons, exposing the top of his toned chest. Today was a lot warmer than the rest of the week, hence the cool lemonade sitting next to him with already melted ice cubes.

“Sorry I’m late!” You waved shyly, placing a hand on the bench. “I took a wrong turn and ended up at a marketplace.” An awkward laugh left your lips as Bruno sat up to face you, holding a hand above his eyes to avoid the glare of the Sun.

“No problem, the next bus will be here in a few minutes.” He smiled, looking down at his watch. You took a seat next to him, crossing your legs as you waited for the next bus to arrive. Libeccio was even busier than the last time you were there, the chatter from inside the restaurant poured out into the busy streets. This particular street seemed to be the centre of food service in the area, with cafes, bakeries and restaurants lining the road. Across from you was a small coffee shop with outdoor seating, while a dessert parlour with a white and lilac interior sat beside it. Through the window, you could see a group of kids and adults sitting in a booth enjoying an array of ice-creams and milkshakes, the perfect treat for such a hot day.

“That place does incredible cheesecakes,” Bruno’s voice caught your attention. “Probably the best you can get in Naples.” He pointed to the dessert place you were staring at.

“Do you go there often?” You asked, turning to face the man as he sipped his drink.

“Sometimes, when I have the chance. You should try it one day!” He gave you an enthusiastic grin. Libeccio only had limited dessert options, mainly a couple variations of cake with a simple scoop of vanilla gelato, but that wasn’t enough to soothe his sweet tooth. His usual order was a chocolate milkshake with a slice of either cheesecake or a brownie. The positions of Libeccio and  Più Golosi (Sweet Tooth) complimented each other well, a savoury and sweet place just across the street from each other, a perfect, tempting pair for customers.

Before you could respond, the small yellow bus pulled up to the stop, stuffed to the brim with a flood of travellers. The double doors swung open, releasing a swarm of people as they rushed to jump off the stuffy vehicle. As Libeccio was in the city centre, the majority of the travellers were ending their journeys here, leaving the bus nice and spacious for the two of you. Bruno led you to a seat in the middle of the bus, slightly behind a group of teenagers chatting away about whatever trip they were on. The bus drove slowly along the street, giving you a chance to gaze at the array of bright and beautiful buildings lining the road. Naples really was a gorgeous city, decorated in bright buildings of various styles: gothic, classical, italiante, modern. Its proximity to the water not only guaranteed you a few nice days at the beautiful beach, but it also meant that you would get some of the best seafood around. As schools were closed for the holidays, you weren’t surprised to see so many kids and teens walking around. Some were in swimwear, most likely from the aforementioned beach, while others were in various summer wear, laughing with friends over smoothies as they moved from shop to shop.

It didn’t take long to reach the place, a large stone building with several cars parked in front. Near one of the entrances was a tall man with cropped black hair, treating himself to a smoke break. “Cardinale.” Bruno waved at the man, causing him to look up from his lighter. On closer inspection, the man, Cardinale, had a large tattoo on his forearm reading “Frederica.”

“Bucciarati.” Cardinale nodded with a smile, walking towards the two of you. “Oh, you brought a friend?” He faced you, looking you up and down before reaching out a hand towards you. “Cardinale, as you have heard.”

You took his hand, noting his strong grip on your hand. “Y/n, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Lovely to meet you too,” He let go of your hand, looking down at his watch. “If you’re here for a class, the next one is in about five minutes, Angelica is leading. Just put on an apron and wait in the hall with the rest of the group.” He pointed you in the direction of the large entrance next to him. “Don’t worry about a fee.” He took a puff of his cigarette as he waved the two of you off.

Contrary to its rustic exterior, the inside of the culinary school was extremely modern and polished. In the long hallway stood a group of about ten people, presumably the other people joining the class, chatting amongst themselves. Along the wall was a line of aprons, well, what would have been a line of aprons if they hadn’t been taken by the rest of the group, you and Bruno helped yourselves to the last two.

The wooden door at the end of the hall swung open, revealing a young woman with thick curly hair, beckoning everyone in. “Welcome welcome! Come inside!” She held the door open for everyone, greeting each member as they entered the pristine kitchen. She was quite tall, with dark skin and hazel eyes, all complimenting the friendly smile spread across her face, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. “Two people to a bench, please wash your hands before you touch anything.”

By default, you and Bruno stayed as a pair, choosing one of the benches near the large arched windows. The woman introduced herself as Angelica, explaining that she was a final-year culinary student and would be leading this session. She took you through all the steps, from making the dough, to forming the various shapes and preparing the sauce. Bruno seemed to be a master already, calmly forming little portions of perfect gnocchi, enough to get some praise from Angelica as she walked around the benches. At first, you were dreading this, worried that you would be the only one to mess up the shapes. The first few pieces of garganelli came out rather flat or irregularly folded, but after the fourth one, you started to get the hang of it. You decided to mix it up with some gemelli, they were much easier than the radiatori which Bruno made.

“You’re so good at this.” You laughed awkwardly, eyeing the array of styles Bruno had made.

He scoffed in return. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, trust me when I say that I was worse than you when I first started.” He tutted loudly, realising he had squashed the riccioli in his hands. “As you can see, I still make mistakes.”

“I don’t think I’ll even attempt the ruote or the spighe.” Angelica had a camera set up at her station, it projected a birds-eye view of her work onto the screen slightly to the left of her. On her board were roughly thirty different types of pasta she made on the spot, ready to be cooked. They were all perfectly shaped with no sign of imperfections.

“Well, maybe when you return from your holiday you can continue practising. Being able to make pasta from home can save a lot of money sometimes.” 

“Do you make all of yours from scratch then?” You asked, using the pasta machine to flatten out a new section of dough.

“I try to if I have the time.”

You shook your head. “Owning a restaurant must take a lot of your time, I can’t imagine how much work goes into it.” You began sectioning out the dough for a batch of casarecce.

“Well yes…sort of.” Owning a restaurant was time-consuming, Bruno wouldn’t deny it. But it wasn’t the only thing that limited his time and availability. His position with Passione didn’t concern you, after all, you were a tourist and a stranger. Before the conversation could continue any further, Angelica called everyone’s attention to the front where she took everyone through the sauce.

It was a simple cream sauce with bacon, parmesan and swiss cheese, a perfect match for the pasta. While the food simmered in the separate posts, the opportunity arose for the group members to mingle with each other, only for a few minutes. You ended up conversing with the couple behind you, a pair of 19-year-old university students on a date. The four of you talked about the summer, they shared their plans to travel around Naples before returning to Rome for their studies. While you and Bruno explained that you were also on holiday here and he was showing you around.

Once everything was cooked and plated to Angelica’s standards, everyone made their way to the dining area just down the hall from the kitchen. You both sat by a round wooden table situated by a window, helping yourselves to the freshly squeezed juice offered. You squeezed your eyes shut, bracing for the worst as you took a bite of your dish. To your surprise it was delightful! The thick creamy sauce paired wonderfully with the light pasta, and the bacon gave an extra savoury crunch to the dish.

“See, I knew you weren’t as bad as you thought.” Bruno asked, topping up his glass of juice.

“I surprised myself honestly.” You laughed, collecting another forkful of food. “How is yours?” You noticed that he had already eaten half of his plate.

“As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was lovely if I do say so myself.” He smirked proudly, his expression making you giggle. “Though I think I’ll add more vegetables to it if I remake it.” He ate another forkful.

The two of you conversed a little more as you cleaned up your plates and washed them up. Bruno was a real gentleman, even with the smallest things like holding the door open for you, he was a good listener and showed genuine interest in your stories about back home. There was something about him that made you very comfortable, he genuinely seemed like a friend to you, despite how little time you had known him for.

“Thank you so much for inviting me,” You said as you walked towards the bus stop. “I’m very grateful that you did this.” You rubbed the back of your neck shyly.

Bruno gave you a smile as he dug his hands into his pocket, “It’s no problem.” The bus back to Libeccio arrived and you both got on board. It was just as empty as it was when you got on it earlier, allowing the two of you to speak openly. “Y/n? While I enjoy your company and would love to show you more interesting places, I just hope you don’t pressured to meet with me. I know that being in a new country can be daunting and I don’t want you to feel unsafe around me.” Bruno said, squeezing the fabric of his trousers.

“Well, I’m thankful that you appreciate boundaries. I’d like to think I can trust you, I would like to see more places, its better than travelling all alone. You replied, resting your back against the window so you faced him.

The corners of his lips upturned lightly. “I would like that too.” He cocked his head to the side. “Just give me a call whenever you feel like meeting again.”

**************************************************

Today marked two weeks of your trip, and of those fourteen days, ten of them had been spent with Mr Bruno Bucciarati. After the success of the pasta-making class, you met up the next day to try out that dessert place you were looking at, Più Golosi. He treated you to an ice cream sundae with a fluffy waffle, while he had a tall glass of hot chocolate with a slice of carrot cake. The day after that, he took you through the underground world of the Napoli Sotteranea, through the ancient labyrinth of aqueducts, passages and cisterns, weaving through the narrow passages by candlelight. Later you visited some of the other marketplaces, trying out some of the local street food like cuoppo and graffa. Graffa was a kind of fried fluffy, potato-based doughnut covered with sugar. Cuoppo came in land and sea variations, with the land version consisting of potato crocché stuffed with cheese and ham, pasta zeppole, zucchini flowers, ricotta and scagliuozz, arancini rice and more. With the sea version contains squid and shrimp rings, seaweed fritters and fried fravaglietti. You both shared a love for music and art and expressed these through trips to the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte and the busy busking-rich streets where guitarists and pianists were often found entertaining crowds dotting the area.

You and Bruno had grown closer over time, sharing more intimate sides of you over cups of coffee and walks through the shopping centres. You ended up meeting some of his friends, Giorno, Fugo and Mista. The latter you had already met through the awkward encounter in Libeccio, but you were thankful that now you had a more pleasant encounter with him. Mista was quite the comedian, loud and unhinged, while Giorno and Fugo were more mellow and casual like Bruno. You hit it off with them immediately, you bounced off each other quite well. You learnt about his childhood, how his parents were separated and he bought Libeccio just a couple of years ago; while letting him in on details of your life back in your home country. Bruno never pried into your personal affairs, always tiptoeing around anything that could seem intrusive (he didn’t even know which hotel you were staying at), respecting the boundaries set as new companions while remaining amicable. That little connection you felt to him when you first met had increased over time, and something inside you wanted to see him more and more. Maybe it was just a silly little crush, after all, having a handsome Italian gentleman showing you around the city would make anyone blush. And besides, you were on holiday, maybe the new scenery had changed you in a way. Regardless, you were not going to act on anything, you’d had enough bad luck with past relationships, no need to cripple yourself with a fantasy-like ordeal with a strange man in another country, and it’s not like you knew if Bruno felt the same.

Today you were at the beach again, for the third time this trip, basking in the Sun and soaking up a nice tan.

“Fancy a drink?” You pulled off your sunglasses, looking up at Bruno as he stood beside you, holding out a chilled can of Coca-Cola. You thanked him for the beverage and cracked it open, enjoying the refreshing drink. “I have to leave soon, a friend is coming to pick me up in a few minutes.” He said with an apologetic tone as he packed up his belongings. “We can drop you off at Libeccio if you would like us to?” He folded his towel, placing it in his small travel bag.

You had grown a little tired of today’s beach trip anyways, with it being a Saturday, more families were free to visit the beach making it more crowded and louder than normal. “If you could that would be great.” You began packing up your own items, making sure to not leave anything behind like your water bottle or sunscreen. The two of you walked over to the parking lot after changing, where a black Honda sat with the driver resting his head on the open window.

“Who’s that.” The man looked up, pointing to you.

“She’s a friend, y/n, I need you to drop her off at Libeccio.” Bruno opened the back door for you to get in, before making his way to the front passenger seat.

“I’m not your personal driver Bucciarati.” The man scowled, starting the car and pulling out of the parking space. Bruno scoffed and leaned on the window.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve done a lot more favours for you Abbacchio,” He turned around you face you, “don’t mind him, he’s just bitter for no reason.” He gave you a reassuring smile before facing forward once more.

The journey was short, just a few minutes of driving with very little traffic. Bruno and Abbacchio talked for most of the journey, presumably about something important as they only spoke in Italian, despite them speaking in English earlier. The man Bruno was with looked about your age with pale skin, long greyish hair tied back and a few bruises on the back of his hands. You assumed this was just a friend, or maybe someone he worked with at Libeccio. They dropped you off outside of the restaurant and Bruno waved you goodbye as the car drove off.

“So are we not going to address her?” Abbacchio asked, a sly smile creeping onto his face. “I didn’t know you liked picking up foreign girls, I guess this is the person you show around.” 

Bruno rolled his eyes at the teasing, refusing to let it get to him.

“Oh? Trying to act like the bigger man now?” Leone turned into the next street. “I thought you’d given up on dating after Ambra? Or Esta? Or even Genevieve?” He looked at Bruno through the corner of his eye. He picked up on the way Bruno’s jaw clenched slightly after hearing his exes' names brought into the conversation. Despite what many people would assume, Bruno Bucciarati never had any luck with girlfriends. Yes he was sweet, outgoing, polite, a great cook, loving, he checked most if not all boxes on the typical ‘perfect boyfriend’ list; but his involvement with Passione was enough to render his pros useless. Ambra and Genevieve were both frightened by this connection, cutting the relationship short and eventually just ending communication with him as a whole, while Esta ended up using him for his money, despite knowing that Bruno was in love with her. These three relationships were enough to crush his spirit and deter him from dating as a whole, not wanting to have his heart shattered by anyone else. His coping mechanisms were focussing more on Passione and buying a restaurant close to his heart, Libeccio.

“She is just a friend, that’s all.” Bruno shrugged, eyes focused on the traffic lights up ahead.

“Ha! That’s rich!” Leone snorted, stopping for the red light, he paused, considering his words before saying them. “Does she know you’re in Passione?” Abbacchio had known Bruno through two of his relationships, and as one of his closest friends, he could also tell that Bruno was already interested in you and he didn’t want him to make another mistake. 

“No, she doesn’t.” 

Leone sighed, his skepticism growing. “Why not?”

“Because she doesn’t need to know.” Bruno snapped, winding down the window slightly for air. In his gut, he was sure that Leone knew his feelings for you, he was good at reading people. But still, Bruno was stubborn and would rather avoid such an intrusive conversation.

They had reached their destination, an old motel on the outskirts of the city. “It’s very clear that you like her Bucciarati, she’s the one you’ve been touring the city with right?” Leone sighed, knowing that he would be treading on an uncomfortable, but necessary conversation. “How do you know she’s not using you? Taking advantage of a rich guy to improve her time here, how much have you spent on her?”

“Not much.” This was technically true, anytime Bruno paid for anything, you paid him back or simply split the fee.

Abbacchio grunted, stepping out of the car and making his way to the motel room with Bruno right behind him. “Jeez, you never learn do you?” He scoffed, trying to find the right key for the room. “Don’t give me any of that ‘I don’t like her’ crap, you know you do that’s why you spent all your time with her.” He managed to unlock the door. “Just don’t let her break your heart again, I can’t say I’m expecting anything good from this.”

**************************************************

“Do you know the Amalfi Coast?” Bruno asked, poking you lightly.

You tapped your chin. “I’ve seen a few pictures, it looks beautiful.” You turned back to your plate of lasagne, cutting another piece of the dish and piling some salad on top.

Bruno cleared his throat, poking his carbonara as he tried to figure out how to word his next comment. His words were stuck in his throat leading him to continue tiptoeing around the topic as he had before. “There’s a very nice hotel that I go to sometimes, its so close to the water.” He looked up at you, trying to gauge your interest. You simply nodded and sipped your water, humming in response. “I think it's the kind of place to go with someone.” His voice upturned slightly, almost like he was asking a question. You still didn’t react much as you sipped your lemonade. Bruno huffed and placed his fork down, leaning towards you. “Y/n, I’m asking if you would like to join me.” He blurted out, making your eyes widen.

“Oh.” That was all you said as your hands paused in the middle of loading another forkful. There was an awkward pause and the air grew thicker. A bead of sweat trailed down the back of Bruno’s neck as the regret pooled at the bottom of his stomach. How could he think you would even agree to this? You had only known each other for just over two weeks, him suddenly inviting you to a hotel in another area just made him look like a creep. Now you knew he had some sort of interest in you and there was no backtracking.

‘I just want to curl up in a ball and-’

“I would love to go with you Bruno.” You said, cutting off his thoughts. You folded your lips in, fiddling with your thumbs as you stared at your plate bashfully. With such close proximity, Bruno could see the slight redness of your cheeks. So it looked like you both shared similar feelings towards each other, Bruno wondered how long the two of you had been in this state without knowing.

“I’ll drive us there tomorrow then.” He smiled, refilling his mocktail.

It felt like forever for Saturday morning to arrive, you spent hours fretting over what to wear. You hadn’t been on a date in a while (was this a date?), even longer since you went on a trip with someone you were interested in, and that most certainly didn’t end well. But you felt like Bruno was different. Despite his classy sense of style or his popularity among the locals, he never came across as judgemental or arrogant and that made it easier to get ready for the trip.

At 10 am, Bruno arrived at your hotel. This was the first time you ever told him where you were staying and you would rather he picked you up than you took a suitcase with you to meet at Libeccio. This was also the first time you ever saw his car. It looked expensive, a shiny black convertible that people kept looking at as they walked in and out of the hotel’s front doors. He wore a plain white t-shirt and had a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses on his head. He shot you a confident smile as he waved at you, getting out to help you put your suitcase in the back.

The journey was a little longer than expected, around three and a half hours with the traffic that clogged the highway. Bruno had a designated travel playlist, burned onto a CD which he played for any long journey. It was a mix of American and Italian songs, mainly different variations of jazz or romantic songs, he made sure to sing along to most of them, even when he fumbled the lyrics. Bruno had a very smooth singing voice, his baritone voice made every word sound like honey as he sang, you could listen to it for hours.

You and Bruno conversed for a while, passing the time as you sat in traffic once more between Trecase and Torre Annunziata. Bruno told you how Mista and Giorno had asked about you, hoping to see you again before you leave, carefully excluding how they teased him for planning this trip to Amalfi, well aware of your shared interest in each other. Abbacchio was still skeptical, this spontaneous trip to Amalfi, which was completely covered by Bruno, didn’t help his gut feeling about you using him. But seeing how the two of you acted around the rest of the group made him a little more optimistic about the situation. He just hoped you wouldn’t run back home and block his number instantly.

“We’re here!” Bruno pulled up in front of a grand hotel, ‘’. It was a large classical building with pillars along the front, all coated in bright white. The inside was a soft gold colour with a gorgeous chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Being here was breathtaking, you always thought your hotel in Naples was fabulous, but this was extraordinary, does Bruno really make so much money to afford this just through restaurant owning?

After Bruno checked you in, he handed you the key to your room. You and Bruno were staying in separate large rooms next to each other on the sixth floor which gave you the perfect view of the water. After a couple hours of settling in, you took a tour around the coast. Amalfi was an interesting place, it was made up of thirteen towns, all clinging to the cliffs, reaching all the way down to the beautiful shore. Tourists traipsed up and down the area, some hiking on the Path of the Gods, while others explored the Blue Grotto caves in Capri. Bruno told you that when he was younger, he assisted his father with his duties as a fisherman: from gathering bait, to fishing, to following him on deliveries to the local fishmongers. He arranged a boat for recreational fishing just off the coast of Postiano, but for the sake of preserving the natural ecosystem, participants were asked to just catch and release.

The small boat rocked slowly on the water as Bruno guided you through fishing, holding your hands in the right position to be able to reel the fish in properly. It took a couple of tries, but you managed to catch a few small sardines.

That evening, Bruno had arranged dinner at a small restaurant near the hotel.

**************************************************

La Galleria was a cosy little place specialising in seafood from the local fishing ports. Your table was on the roof with a breathtaking view of the water below as the cooler evening breeze hit the back of your neck. You wore a simple red dress, while Bruno wore a red turtleneck with a black blazer. You both had bowls of chicken caesar salad, drizzled in a rich sauce, followed by a miso-glazed black cod on white rice for Bruno, and shrimp scampi with pasta for you. As the soft jazz from below wafted up to the roof, you and Bruno reminisced on your time together these past couple weeks, from strangers in Libeccio to sharing a meal in Amalfi. Your knee brushed against Bruno’s innocently as you talked, the close proximity making your heart race. Bruno was so handsome, and even though you told yourself that you wouldn’t let a crush grow to anything more, you couldn't help but feel the urge to have his muscular arms wrapped around you or run your fingers through his soft black hair made your stomach twist. You could listen to his voice for hours on end, enjoying his cute hand gestures and his rich accent. He was so kind to you too, planning so many trips, including paying for this one. He was way too generous to you and the last thing you wanted was to come across as a golddigger of some sort, Bruno was a genuinely nice guy, so patient and attentive.

Bruno’s heart was racing too, worried he would trip on his words or forget how to say something in English as he had before when talking to you. You always looked so beautiful to him, no matter what, you always took his breath away. He couldn’t imagine the last time he had felt so at ease around someone, much less a stranger he met a couple of weeks ago.

“Thank you so much Bruno, for tonight, for everything.” You said, your fingers lightly brushing against his on the table. He wanted to hold your hand badly, to kiss it again like he had before and tell you how much you meant to him.

“You’re welcome bella, I’ve really enjoyed these past-” He was cut off by the ringing of his phone, “please excuse me.” He got up immediately, excusing himself downstairs in a rush. You didn’t see the caller ID, but usually, Bruno was fine with answering calls around you, but his behaviour made you worry. The call was short and Bruno returned within a few minutes, facing his meal as if nothing happened. Ordinarily this would be normal, but it seemed like something was on his mind, like his mood was suddenly soured. You noticed how the space between you had grown slightly bigger than before, you were no longer lightly brushing against his knuckles, and nor were your knees connected. 

“Bruno, is everything okay?” You mustered up the courage to ask, worried that you would be prying too much into private affairs. You hoped he would just tell you everything was fine, that it wasn’t anything serious, but you knew it must have been.

“Y/n…” He sighed, biting on his bottom lip, “there’s something I need to tell you. I haven’t been completely honest about myself.” He avoided making eye contact with you, which was more than enough to elevate your worry. Your stomach dropped, a million possibilities racing through your head. Maybe he didn’t really like you, maybe he was using you for attention, reeling you in with a charming persona? Maybe he had a partner and was using you to cheat?

Bruno turned to face you, clutching your hand in his as he looked earnestly into your eyes. “I’m still Bruno, bella, I’m still the same person who owns Libeccio, and likes fishing. And I do like you, so much, but I can’t keep hiding this from you and I understand if this means you don’t want to be around me anymore.” His breathing was rapid as he squeezed your hand tightly. His mind was prepared for the worst scenario, he was ready for you to scream or run away from him, locking yourself in your room and finding your way back to Naples without him. He was ready for you to get angry or upset at him for not telling you sooner. Part of him regretted bringing it up already, feeling like he had thwarted his best attempt at love, but it wouldn’t be fair to keep you in the dark if he genuinely cared.

“Y/n, do you know what Passione is?”

You exhaled deeply, yes, you had heard of Passione, a hub for organised crime in the south of Italy. Was Bruno really part of them? When you think of mafiosi you imagine much older men, using laundered money for drugs, weapons, and exploiting women, at least that is the stereotype, was Bruno really one of them? Sweet, kind, generous, optimistic Bruno who you adored being around? The same Bruno who always helped anyone he saw? Who showed the utmost respect for all the older citizens and acted with integrity? You 100% believed that not everyone involved in crime is inherently bad, many people fall into it at low points of their lives, you knew that Bruno was a good man, regardless of his affiliation with the group.

When you didn’t respond, Bruno let go of you. “I knew this was a mistake, I should have just listened to Abbacchio and stopp-”

“Bruno,” You placed a hand on his, making him lose his train of thought, “I’m not upset that you’re in Passione.” You whispered, interlocking your fingers with his. “I don’t think less of you for it, I know that people can be put in situations that make them choose that path,” your eyes darted to the side, “but I believe you’re a good person Bruno, I really do. I’m not exactly in the safest position as a woman in a foreign country, but I feel so safe with you Bruno, regardless of Passione.” You meant everything you said, keeping your eyes locked on him to show your sincerity. “I-”

Before you could speak, Bruno’s lips were on yours.

His hand remained holding yours, though squeezing slightly tighter now, while his free hand held the side of your face. His lips were soft against yours as his thumb pressed against your cheekbone. Slowly he pulled away, rubbing his nose against yours slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise, really.” You squeezed his hand gently.

Bruno’s hand found itself fitting perfectly in the curve of your waist. “I want to be with you y/n, not just for this trip.” His voice was shaky, he tried his best to not push too hard. “It’s okay for you to say no, it is.”

“I want to be with you too Bruno, I really do.” Without thinking, your hand moved up to hold the side of his neck, feeling the heat radiating off him before moving down to his shoulder. “Can I ask, Bruno…why are you with them?”

He took a deep breath, already regretting what he was about to say. Bruno never liked talking about this incident, he never told anyone this story, not even his old girlfriends. “My father was in an accident when he was 12. He was in the hospital and one night some people tried to…to kill him.” The sympathetic look in your eyes made it easier for him to talk. “He wasn’t in a gang or anything, he was just an ordinary person. I was in the room when they snuck in, two men, I-” His words got trapped in his throat.  “I killed them.” He could tell from the small changes in your breathing, your posture, the glint in your eyes, that despite keeping an open mind about Passione, you couldn’t fully wrap your head around him being tied to murder. “If I didn’t they would have killed my father and come after me, there was nothing else I could do.” He begged, pleading for you to at least hear him out, scared that you would leave him after such a confession. “I had to go underground, I can’t do anything with something like that on my record.” The silence that followed was deafening, the sound of his heartbeat rang through his ears as his chest heaved slowly.

“It’s okay Bruno…it really is.” You whispered, “You’re the first person to know this and not run away or use me.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you, I’ve had my fair share of bad relationships. You’re the first person I’ve been able to actually feel happy with, Bruno, the first person to actually make me feel like you care.”

“Of course, I care about you bella, you mean the most to me. I hate that people have treated you that way, you deserve everything I could possibly give you and more…everything.”

The rest of dinner carried on smoothly, with Bruno’s seat much closer to yours and his hand resting on your knee. His eyes were more focused on you than the delicious food in front of him. His heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest as your leg brushed up against him and your perfume wafted into his nose. Bruno really did think you were beautiful, the way your dark hair fell to your shoulders, contrasting your crimson dress. How your cheeks turned rosy when you laughed, or your tendency to fiddle with the hem of your clothing when you were tired. There had always been something in him that knew he had feelings towards you, but kissing you, even though it was brief, solidified his feelings.

Neither of you pushed any further about the kiss, nor did you talk about your beat-around-the-bush confessions. Instead, once dinner was over, you made your way back to the hotel silently.

“I guess I will see you in the morning then?” Bruno asked, letting out a soft laugh as you stood in front of your respective doors.

“Yeah, I guess I will.” You smiled as you waved each other goodbye. It wasn’t until you had both returned to your rooms that you were able to release the tension in your body. The kiss still lingered on your lips as you pulled your night shirt over your head and you could feel your face get warmer. You couldn’t deny that the idea of him kissing you was something buried in the back of your mind, especially when he would hold you in close embraces and his natural scent would waft into your nose. There was a part of you that wanted to continue, that wanted to go to his room and lie with him on this warm evening in Amalfi. To feel what it would be like for him to hold you in his arms as more than just a friend. You shook your head, feeling like a young teenager having their first kiss.

With a heavy sigh, you turned your attention to the TV opposite your bed and flicked through the channels, landing on what looked like a random soap opera. By your bed was a small menu with all the items available for room service and decided on a jug of lemonade to cool you down. When there was a knock just two minutes later, you were a little surprised by the speed of service. You were even more surprised by seeing Bruno standing by your door.

Bruno had been standing outside your door for the past five minutes, contemplating knocking on your door. Would he be intruding? Jumping to conclusions over a simple kiss?

Ah, but it wasn’t a simple kiss was it, you had confessed your feelings to each other.

But you only had three more days in Naples, maybe this was your way of getting some sort of closure, getting your feelings out on the table before you disappear and never cross paths again. Even on the off chance that anything came from this, it doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be weird for him to approach you like this.

While Bruno reasoned this in his head, his body had other plans. It wasn’t until you swung the door open that he realised he had already knocked. 

“Hi,” He swallowed, awkwardly placing his hands behind his back. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

You shook your head as you opened the door wider, welcoming him into your room. “No no, I just haven’t been able to sleep.”

“Me neither.” He perched on the edge of the desk, watching the television next to it. “What are you watching?”

“I have no idea, I couldn’t figure out how to put it in English.” The silence from both of you overpowered the noise from the TV. Usually you would bounce off each other better, but the events at dinner seemed to leave you both somewhat shy. Deep down, you both wanted more, but neither of you had the confidence to make the first move.

Bruno walked over to you, sitting next to you on your bed, knee brushing against yours.

“Y/n…” He started, taking your hand in his, “I meant everything I said earlier, about how I feel about you.” His slender fingers traced the lines of your palm slowly. “In a perfect world, I’d want you to be with you, properly. But I know that you have to go back home soon, I understand if this has to end here.”

“It doesn’t have to.” The words spilt out of your mouth before you could even process them properly. “I mean…I can always come back, maybe sometimes you can visit me.” A long-distance relationship wasn’t something you ever really thought you would find yourself pursuing, but you couldn’t miss this opportunity with Bruno.

“I like that idea.” Bruno smiled, interlocking his fingers with yours before ducked down for another kiss, this one was shorter and sweeter, the type that gives you a warm feeling in yout gut. It was like a bridge had formed between the two of you and any worries about intimacy had been crossed out. “Out of curiosity, when are you next free?” His enthusiasm made you giggle.

You tapped your chin, recalling what you discussed with your boss before you left for Italy. “I have to use up my holidays within the next three months, maybe I can come back before they’re over.” You grinned widely, enjoying the way he his face softened at your words.

“Can’t you stay a little longer? Use up your holidays now?” He pulled you onto his lap, kissing all over your face. His demeanour had suddenly changed, knowing that he might only have to wait a couple of months to see the woman he cared so much about. You giggled as you held his broad shoulders, squeezing them lightly as you tried to pull him away from your face. He ducked down to nibble where your neck connected to your head, trying to coax you into staying.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, “I can’t afford it Bruno, and besides, I signed papers with my boss saying I would be back to work next week.” You felt him sigh against your neck.

“How much more time do you have left to use on holidays?”

“10 days I think.”

“I’ll book you a flight.”

“Bruno!” You pulled away, pinching his soft cheek “Do you not trust me?”

“Of course I do bella, but I just think it’s easier to book now that the prices are cheaper.” He wrapped his arms tighter around your form. It didn’t take long for his lips to fall back on yours, moving between them and your neck, only to be broken by a knock on your door.

“So sorry for the wait signorina, the machine wasn’t working.” The waiter apologised profusely as he placed your lemonade on the table.

“It’s no problem, thank you.” You smiled, closing the door behind him. You both shared a few glasses of the cool drink, talking more about the possibility of you coming back to Naples. Despite his earlier energetic behaviour, Bruno was quite understanding of the situation. He knew that compromises would have to be made and that things may not always work out, but regardless, he chose to be optimistic about the situation.

Once the jug’s contents had been thoroughly depleted, you found yourselves tucked under your bedsheets. You didn’t realise how tired you were until you fell asleep so quickly against his soft t-shirt, to the sound of his heartbeat. Cool air blew through the window, making you press up against him in your sleep as his hands moved down to hold your waist. Bruno’s heart was pounding like it wanted to leap right out of his ribcage. Being here, holding you, this was all he wanted. For the first time in so long, he felt like he was happy again, like you were the one for him. He gave up on this feeling ages ago, not wanting to risk another heartbreak, but now he couldn’t resist it.

He was in love.

**************************************************

Sunday was quite simple. Breakfast at a lovely little cafe, a bike ride through Sorrento and lunch back at the hotel. This was certainly not the first time you and Bruno had gone out together, but this time was different. The way he held your hand, your waist, hugged you, everything felt different now, a good type of different.

This “good different” continued to Monday and Tuesday, with Bruno being even more of a gentleman to you. He made sure to cherish every moment with you like he was making up for lost time.

The sun peeked through the window, highlighting your body as you hummed in your sleep. Bruno had been awake for a while now, the lump in his throat and the twists in his stomach making it harder to enjoy the warm summer morning.

Today was your last day, the last time he would be able to see you for who knows how long. He always knew you would leave, Naples wasn’t your home after all, and there is a chance it may never be. But now that the dreaded day had come, it just made his chest ache to the point where it made his head spin.

He wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you closer until your back was pressed against him, allowing him to nuzzle into your neck. You groaned quietly, fidgeting in your sleep before settling once more. Bruno used this as an opportunity to place a kiss on your neck, enjoying the sweet natural scent emanating from your body. He slid his other arm under your body, hugging you properly as your legs tangled together under his sheets.

“Bruno…” You grinned, feeling the pressure of his body against you as he had you in a tight embrace. “I need my sleep you know?” You patted the side of his face lightly, enjoying the warmth emanating from his soft cheek.

His heart hurt even more hearing your voice, knowing this would be the last time he would hear it in person. “y/n…” He whispered, holding your hand gently in his, bringing it down to the soft mattress and interlocking your fingers with his. “When is your flight?” He mumbled into your neck, eyes locked on his thumb stroking your skin.

You inhaled sharply, realising why his tone had been so mellow this morning. “6 pm, there’s been a car arranged.” You bit your bottom lip, feeling Bruno lean away from you with a deep sigh. His arms left your body cold air hit your back.

“I’ll come with you, I’ll see you off at security.” Bruno said, laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. You turned around to face him, watching the sun highlight the lower half of his face and chest, coating them in a pale yellow glaze. His lips were downturned slightly, forming an involuntary frown as his eyebrows furrowed. His expression made your heart sink to your stomach, you knew you would miss him so much.

You scooched closer, resting a head on his flattened shoulder as your fingers traced his chest gently. “I’ll come back Bruno,” You dragged your fingers down to his navel. “I promise.” You looked up at him, catching how his eyes shifted from you as soon as you made eye contact, realising that you caught him staring. His cheekbones were softly dusted with pink as he cleared his throat.

“I know you will, and I’ll find time to visit you.” He cupped the side of your face, “but you can’t blame me for being a little upset that you’re leaving.”

“I know, I am too.” You gave a half-smile, holding his wrist. Seeing you frown made his heart sink even more, it wasn’t his intention to dampen the mood so early in the morning.

“Y/n, why don’t we go to Libeccio? For your last meal here?” Bruno asked. Ending the trip with the place you met seemed perfect. It also gave Bruno the opportunity to make sure you received the best service possible.

“I’d love to.”

You both laid in bed for a while, enjoying each other’s warmth until noon when you finally got up for lunch. You wore a simple sundress with a red flower pattern along it, something that Bruno absolutely adored on you. Hand in hand, you left his home for the restaurant, deciding to have one last walk through the streets you grew to love. Libeccio was slightly quieter than usual, what with it being lunchtime on a Wednesday, this at least made it easier to talk to each other.

“Oh? If it isn’t the two lovebirds!” A familiar voice called, you looked up to see Mista leaning on the back of Bruno’s chair, much to his dismay, poking his nose into his menu. Bruno had made the mistake of being open to the group about his feelings for you, this ultimately left him vulnerable to childish teasing which would surely get worse when you weren’t around. “Y/n, Bucciarati says you’re leaving today?”

“Mhm, I need to leave for the airport in a few hours.”

“Ah, this one will certainly miss you,” He nudged Bruno with his elbow, “he goes on and on about you all the time anyways.” He scoffed.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Bruno asked, not bothering to look up from the menu.

“I actually came to collect an order,” He lifted up the black bag in his hand, that explained the sudden smell of shrimp. “But I might as well give Y/n a goodbye hug.” Mista walked towards you, pulling you out of your seat and hugging you tightly. Bruno knew what Mista was doing by pressing his palms on your lower back and hugging you for much longer than what was needed. But it was in his nature to tease people like that, after all, you and Mista grew to be quite good friends, and you both knew he was playing around. “Make sure to come back soon!” Mista waved as he left the restaurant.

Bruno turned back to you to see a smirk across your lips. “What?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Your face when Mista hugged me, I didn’t think it would get to you.” You laughed, flicking through the calzones section of the menu.

“Can you blame me for being a little jealous?” Bruno sighed, closing his menu and placing it on the table. He waved at one of the waiters, a tall, slender young man with long wavy hair, eager to take your orders.

Over lunch, you discussed plans for when you went back home: how to fit your schedules around each other, the possibility of sending each other gifts, and Bruno travelling to visit you. The thoughts alone brought butterflies to your stomach, the idea of Bruno being in your home, visiting your favourite places, your family and friends even. You already had a list of things to do with him buried at the back of your mind.

Once the plates were cleared and the bill was paid, you found yourselves in a small park, wandering along the footpaths that weaved along the luscious green grass, between the thick oak trees.

“Y/n…we need to get to the airport soon.” Bruno whispered, pulling your waist towards him as he sandwiched you between him and an old tree.

“Mhm.” You rest your head on his shoulder in a warm embrace, his rich cologne flooding your nose with a scent you would soon miss.

“Y/n…mi bella.” The pet name made your heart well up. “I know we haven’t been together for a long time but…the feelings I have for you, it’s like I-”

“I know what you mean Bruno.” You cut him off quietly, tugging his soft cotton shirt. You felt the same way Bruno did, the tingles you got when he held your hand, the way your body perfectly moulded into his, how your stomach twisted and turned anytime he looked you in the eye. Somehow, somewhere, along the line, you realised that you had fallen in love with the kind mafioso that swept you off your feet.

“So you love me too bella?” Bruno asked, a teasing tone to his words as his lips met your forehead.

You rolled your eyes playfully, enjoying how his soft lips felt against your skin. “Well if I have to put it in words, then yes.”

Bruno’s heart pounded in his chest, he could feel the shakiness in his breathing from the relief of knowing that you felt the same way he did. It was almost laughable how quickly the chains around his heart loosened when you appeared. How his vows to never give in to another person were discarded as he got closer and closer to you. You were perfect to him, everything he wanted and more, and he knew he couldn’t just let you leave without letting you know how much power you had over him and his weak heart.

“Bella, I love you so much, more than I’ve ever loved anyone. Please remember that, always, even if I’m not there with you.”

“I love you too Bruno, truly I do. I haven’t felt this way with anyone in so long I-” Bruno’s lips pressed gently against yours, stealing your breath away.

“I’m sorry to cut you off but you just look so cute, why do you have to leave today bella, stay here with me a little longer.” He groaned, placing a soft kiss on your forehead, knowing how much he would miss this.

“Believe me, I want that more than anything, but I have to go back, Bruno.” The thought of not being able to hold him like this, to not stroke his soft black hair or look into his warm eyes, ate away at you.

“We should probably head to the airport soon then.”

Within the hour, you were at the airport, waiting in the busy queue to check in your luggage, while Bruno held you from behind, chin resting on your head. You ended up with one extra bag, filled with gifts for your friends and family: trinkets, snacks, clothing, as well as things that Bruno bought you.

“When you land, let me know okay?” Bruno hugged you one last time, his hands memorising the curve of your body, ingraining everything from your scent to the softness of your skin in his memory. His lips moved to kiss your forehead gently, “Y/n…I won’t pretend like I’m not going to miss you every day. I want us to work out bella, I’ll take time to visit you whenever I can okay?” The slight sniffles and breaks in his voice made your heart sink. Bruno loved you so much, more than he could contain, and you felt the same way about him as you inhaled his rich cologne.

“Bruno, I’ll miss you just as much, if not, more.” You whispered, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I’ll call you as soon as I get back mi amore.” Hearing you use that name on him made his stomach twist and turn. Being called that, by you, in your voice that soothed his soul made his heart beat even faster. At that point, he just had to steal another kiss from you, a passionate one that stuck on your lips even after you pulled away.

Reluctantly, he pulled away, letting you cross the barrier to find your gate, and with tears welling in both of your eyes, you waved each other goodbye, thankful for this spontaneous trip that brought the two of you together.

[super-ion]

Valiant

(based on this post)

Chapter 1

Night has fallen and the chill is setting in. Stars blaze overhead, I wish I could stop and marvel at them, but I very badly need to find shelter for the night.

It was a normal day, I worked an extra half shift, figured it would be good to bank up a few extra credits. By the time I got out, I was starving, so I stopped at my favorite noodle stand as a treat. All of this is to say that I wasn't at the tenement where I've been staying when corpo security raided it. By the time I got there, civil protection had the entire block cordoned off.

It happens.

I don't even know what the raid was for. It could have been revolutionary activity, it could have been drug cookers. I don't know, and I don't particularly care.

You learn to carry everything you can't bear to part with. Honestly, I carry all my tools with me to work anyway, since the government furnished ones are crap.

I did leave a decent blanket in the tenement. That's a shame. Hope it finds a good home and gets put to good use.

Anyway, that's why I'm hurrying through this abandoned part of the junkyard. Tonight promises to be particularly cold but exposure is the least of my worries right now.

There's a clatter on one of the junk piles behind me followed by a distant baying. No way in hell am I stopping to look around, but I can say with a high degree of confidence that I've picked up a pack of junk wolves on my trail.

I round a corner and a hulking warehouse looms before me. I've probably passed it a few times, but never paid it any mind. It's exactly the same as hundreds of others in the region, the kind Tanaka-Kuiper was pumping out about a hundred years ago during disarmament after the Second Contact War. If there was anything of value in there, it would have been scaved and looted decades before I was born.

It could be shelter though, and that's currently the most valuable commodity I need.

I hurry to the door, trying not to run lest I make too much noise. I hesitate at the scav mark of three interlocking triangles - not a place of honor.

There's more baying behind me, closer this time. I hear the scrape of paws on dirt as one of the pack's scouts reaches this avenue.

Fuck it. My rad counter isn't particularly angry, and maybe death by maybe radiation is better than certain death by junk wolves.

There aren't any locks on the door, which is good, but it's clearly been a long time since anyone has opened it. The baying of the junk wolves is getting closer and I throw my weight against the door. It groans in protest and I'll probably have bruises on my shoulder, but gradually it inches open.

When it's just wide enough, I cram myself into the gap. As I struggle though, I accidently glance behind me to where several pairs of eyes gleam in the darkness. Scraped and bruised, I dive through the gap and slam the door behind me. The door latches and I stand there panting as something snuffs and scratches at the other side.

It's dark.

Outside it's night, but there's still the moon and the ever present light pollution from the city center and the industrial district. In here it's almost pitch black… almost but not quite. There's a faint illumination coming from somewhere.

I'm in a small reception room… from back when this place might have needed one, I guess. Now it's just a desk bolted to the floor and a series of empty shelves. There's even a burned out hole where a safe might have been once. Everything else is long gone.

I slowly make my way past the desk and through the door into the warehouse proper.

I blink up in incomprehension.

Metal beams arc high overhead, filling the space of the massive room, like the ribs of some massive beast. If I had to guess, I'd say it was either a small starship or a war mech. Either way, it's likely a relic from the Second Contact War. My eyes follow the curve to the metal sphere suspended at their central like a cold heart. Scaffolding spirals up from the ground to wrap around it.

I realize the dim blue-white light I've been seeing is coming from gaps in the plating of the sphere. I scramble back in a slight panic and dig my rad counter out of my jacket pocket… not that there's very much I can do about it at this point. Fortunately, the counter is ticking happily along with the background radiation. The sand and grit in my clothes is probably putting off more radiation than this core is.

That's the only thing it can be, a massive positronic core, the brain of a mighty war machine that outlived the conflict it was built for. That explains why it's sitting in a warehouse. A positronic core exposed to the elements is functionally an antimatter bomb waiting to go off. Better to leave them somewhere for several centuries as the internals slowly decay away.

A thought occurs to me. If this core is indeed operational, it would have to be highly sophisticated and highly resilient. It may still be able to process external stimuli.

"Hello?" I call.

The light pulses, confirming my suspicion.

Curiosity gets the better of me and I cautiously ascend the scaffolding like I'm on a pilgrimage to a holy relic. Despite my efforts, each step lands with a clang that echoes in the vast space and brings another weak pulse of light from the interior of the core.

As I reach the top, where the scaffolding circumscribes it, I get a sense for how big it really is. The diameter of the thing is at least twice my height. I see positronic cores all the time. It's part of my job. But the ones I work with can fit in the palm of my hand. This one is… immense.

An impulse seizes me and I step closer and strip off my gloves. Any active sensors have long since been scrapped, but it might respond to electrostatic contact. Most cores can pick up on body capacitance from touch.

Before I let myself think better of it, I place my bare palm on the plating. There's the tiniest spark as I make contact with the cool metal.

The light pulses again and I can feel the faintest hum from within. It probably has military grade thermoelectric generators buried inside it. That might sound like a tempting prize, but to get at them, a scav would need to get past several layers of shielding and risk positron exposure… assuming cracking it open didn't result in a runaway antimatter reaction first.

I drag my fingers idly as I circumnavigate the core. Dim luminescence trails after me. I still don't know if the core is actually aware of me or if it's just reacting.

My fingers snag on something. There's a rough spot, something etched into the paneling. I peer closer to examine it, but there's not enough light to make anything out. The etching is linear, regular, writing.

My curiosity gets the better of me and I did a torch out of my pocket.

VALIANT 3426-90087523-33

A name and a serial number. Definitely second contact war, when puritanical names like Fortitude and Allegiant were in vogue.

"Valiant," I murmur.

The core flares bright and I stumble back a few steps, throwing an arm over my eyes.

A faint crackly scream echoes in the room. It sounds terrible until I realize that a tiny embedded speaker is probably one of the only parts that hasn't been stripped.

I lower my arm and squint against the light.

The screech echoes into silence.

"Is that your name?" I ask.

No response.

"Um… my name is Eloise," I reply, feeling almost ridiculous. I don't even know if it can process speech.

The sound returns, but broken and clipped.

". .-.. --- .. ... ."

That… that was a pattern. It's trying to communicate.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

It repeats slower.

I've heard something like that before… like some kind of binary code. I wrack my brain. Single short pulse is e… three long pulses is o… three short is s…

Holy shit.

It's my name.

The core heard me, processed my words and replied.

"Yeah, that's me," I reply. "Or Ellie, I guess, I'm still working some stuff out."

I rest my bare hand on the plating and the core flickers in response, some kind of plasma discharge centered at my touch.

"You must have been alone for a long time."

"-.-- . …"

"I can't imagine," I whisper. "If… um… if it's okay with you, I'd like to spend the night? I don't really have anywhere else to go right now."

"-.-- . …"

I let out a small breath of relief.

"And… maybe tomorrow I can come back and I can see what I can do to fix you."

The light pulses, almost like breathing and it doesn't reply for a moment. I start to wonder if I've overstepped somehow.

"-.-- . ... / .--. .-.. . .- ... . / -.-. --- -- . / -... .- -.-. -.- / . .-.. .-.. .. ."

It's too fast and I don't know enough of the code to parse it anyway. But I catch "yes" and "Ellie", so I take it to be an affirmative.

I lean forward and rest my forehead on the cool metal.

"You're not alone any more."