#Outskirts Press Review

[outskirtspress]

Review of Outskirts Press by author Brock Bodenschatz, author of "The Time Has Come"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. “Was expecting the package with my copies of “The Time Has Come” any day, so when I checked the tracking code I was surprised to find it had been delivered a half an hour earlier. I rushed out to find a box by my door. Of course, I knew what it was right away. I quickly brought the box in and opened it. It’s hard to describe the excitement when after all these years I…

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#OutskirtsPressReview #selfpublishing #outskirts press #Outskirts Press Review #self-publishing #self-publishing-authors

[readerviews]

"Buried Treasure 2: In Search of The Four Lions" by Regina Mouradian

Can Jake finally redeem himself? #books #bookreview #reading #readerviews

Buried Treasure 2: In Search of The Four Lions Regina MouradianOutskirts Press (2022)ISBN: 978-1977255488Reviewed by Diana Coyle for Reader Views (01/2024) Forty-three-year-old Jake, his wife, and their two kids live in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Jake’s wife, Rosa, is a registered nurse and a wonderful mother. But Jake seems to be just skating on by with his food delivery job in “Buried Treasure…

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#Book Review #Buried Treasure 2 #In Search of the Four Lions #Outskirts Press #Reader Views #Regina Mouradian

[crippleprophet]

Hey Mac! Do you have any crip books or resource recs for crip sex/sexuality?

Feel free to delete if you're uncomfortable answering :]

do i ever! i actually did an essay for my master’s in disability studies on the topic of disabled people’s access to sex so a lot of these are sources from that (feel free to dm me for my paper!) & others are things i’ve collected for leisure (hah)

i’m bolding my favorites and italicizing ones i haven’t read but have been recommended / have on my list; as with everything, having read a piece + recommending it is not an uncritical endorsement, & i have various contentions with all of these pieces ranging from minor nitpicking to outright disagreement.

feel free to send an ask or dm if you want my thoughts on a particular work or need help obtaining a pdf!

books

Sex and Disability ed. Robert McRuer & Anna Mollow

The Sexual Politics of Disability: Untold Desires by Tom Shakespeare, Kath Gillespie-Sells and Dominic Davies

Unbreaking Our Hearts: Cultures of Un/Desirability and the Transformative Potential of Queercrip Porn by Loree Erickson. York University, dissertation submitted 2015.

McRuer, R. 2006. Crip theory: Cultural signs of queerness and disability. New York: New York University Press.

Kinked and Crippled: Disabled BDSM Practitioners’ Experiences and Embodiments of Pain. Emma Sheppard. Edge Hill University, dissertation submitted 2017.

Love, Sex, and Disability: The Pleasures of Care by Sarah Smith Rainey

intellectually disabled people / people with learning difficulties’ right to sex

Hamilton, C. A. 2009. ‘Now I’d like to sleep with Rachael’ – researching sexuality support in a service agency group home. Disability & Society. 24(3), pp.303-315.

Hollomotz, A. 2008. ‘May we please have sex tonight?’ – people with learning difficulties pursuing privacy in residential group settings. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 37, pp.91–97.

Vehmas, S. 2019. Persons with profound intellectual disability and their right to sex. Disability & Society. 34(4), pp.519-539.

Significance of the attitudes of police and care staff toward sex and people who have a learning disability by A. Bailey & D. Sines. Journal of Learning Disabilities for Nursing Health and Social Care (1998), 2(3), pp.168-174.

sexual facilitation & making sex accessible

Bahner, J. 2016. Risky business? Organizing sexual facilitation in Swedish personal assistance services. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. 18(2), pp.164-175.

Linda R. Mona (2003) Sexual Options for People with Disabilities, Women & Therapy, 26:3-4, pp.211-221.

No Pity Fucks Please: A critique of Scarlet Road’s campaign to improve disabled people’s access to paid sex services by Tova Rozengarten and Heather Brook. Outskirts vol. 34, 2016, pp.1-21.

Julia Bahner (2013) The power of discretion and the discretion of power: personal assistants and sexual facilitation in disability services, Vulnerable Groups & Inclusion, 4:1, 20673.

BDSM, paraphilias, & alternative sex

Goldberg, C. E. 2018. Fucking with Notions of Disability (In)Justice: Exploring BDSM, Sexuality, Consent, and Canadian Law

Hollomotz, A. 2013. Exploiting the Fifty Shades of Grey craze for the disability and sexual rights agenda. Disability & Society. 28(3), pp.418-422.

Reynolds, D. 2007. Disability and BDSM: Bob Flanagan and the case for sexual rights. Sexuality Research & Social Policy. 4(1), pp.40-52.

Tellier, S. 2017. Advancing the discourse: Disability and BDSM. Sex & Disability. 35, pp.485-493.

Sheppard, E. 2018. Using pain, living with pain. Feminist Review. 120, pp.54-69.

Tyburczy, J. 2014. Leather anatomy: Cripping homonormativity at International Mr. Leather. Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies. 8(3), pp.275-293.

Sheppard, E 2019, 'Chronic Pain as Fluid, BDSM as Control' Disability Studies Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 2.

other articles

Finger, A. 1992. Forbidden Fruit

Fritsch, K., Heynen, R., Ross, A. N., and van der Meulen, E. 2016. Disability and sex work: developing affinities through decriminalization. Disability & Society. 31(1), pp.84-99.

McKenzie, J. 2012. Disabled people in rural South Africa talk about sexuality. Culture Health & Sexuality. pp.1-15.

Shakespeare, T. 2000. Disabled sexuality: Toward rights and recognition. Sexuality and Disability. 18(3), pp.159-166.

Shildrick, M. 2007. Contested pleasures: The sociopolitical economy of disability and sexuality. Sexuality Research & Social Policy. 4(1), pp.53-66.

Wentzell, E. 2006. Bad bedfellows: Disability sex rights and Viagra. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society. 26(5), pp.370-377.

“‘Like, pissing yourself is not a particularly attractive quality, let’s be honest’: Learning to contain through youth, adulthood, disability and sexuality” by Kirsty Liddiard and Jenny Slater. Sexualities 2018, Vol. 21(3), pp.319–333.

non-academic texts

Andrew Gurza’s blog - andrewgurza dot com / blog

Disability After Dark podcast

A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability by A. Andrews

Cripping Up Sex with Eva

my cripsex tag, which i’ll add to this post, has other relevant content, & i welcome any additions from folks! all the best to you 💓

#asks #reading lists #cripsex

[beefromanoff]

Going Under Ch. 24

summary: Bucky goes on his first mission since being back at the compound. Wanda helps Gianna keep her mind off of things.

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: lifestyles of the rich and famous - good charlotte

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET THIS CHAPTER UP, I wanted to make sure it was fun and lengthy enough to warrant the long gap between chapters but that ended up just making it longer. let me know what you think, your reviews mean everything! xoxo!

chapter list

_________________________________________

“Are you sure you have to go?” Gianna whined, tugging on Bucky’s sleeve from her horizontal position in bed. He chuckled as he sat on the edge to lace his shoes. The sun hadn’t even crossed the horizon yet. 

“Believe me, I wouldn’t choose four days with Steve and Sam over this.” He shot her a sidelong look. “There’s not much I would choose over this, honestly.” 

She groaned, letting her head hit the pillow. “Are you sure I shouldn’t worry?” 

“It’s just a basic intelligence mission. The base we’re investigating hasn’t been active in over a year. This is as easy as it gets.” 

“So why do they need three Avengers?” She tangled her hand in his as he finished knotting his shoes. 

“Because,” He stroked her hair away from her face with his free hand. “Steve goes in and does the recon, Sam clears the path from the sky and makes sure we have a clear perimeter, and I’m set up on the outskirts ready to strike if something goes sideways.” 

“You don’t go in with Steve?” 

“Believe it or not, I didn’t always specialize in hand to hand. I used to be a sniper.” He grinned. 

“Mmm, there’s nothing you can’t do.” Gianna turned and kissed his palm, still resting on her cheek. A soft glow illuminated the room as Bucky’s phone lit up with a text from Steve urging him to get to the hangar. 

“I gotta go doll, I’ll be back before you know it.” He stood to his feet without dropping her hand. Sighing, Gianna tossed the comforter aside and climbed out of bed to hug him. Her head rested against his chest as he enveloped her in his arms. She breathed him in, trying to soak in his presence and somehow make it last for the next few days without seeing him. The longest it had been since they met. 

She looked up at him. “Be safe.”

“I promise.” 

As he strode towards her bedroom door, Gianna trailed behind, still holding his hand. Her bare feet padded across the carpet, the only sound on the otherwise silent floor. When they reached the elevators, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. The kiss was soft and sweet, not breaking as Bucky reached out to hit the call button on the wall. Their lips remained pressed together with a series of sweet kisses as he stepped backwards into the elevator car. A soft clink reverberated through the dark common room as Bucky’s metal hand caught the door, buying him enough time to give Gianna one last kiss. 

“It’s only four days.” He said, reassuring himself just as much as her. 

She blew him a kiss, hugging herself as the old t-shirt of his she’d been wearing as pajamas was no match for the cool air. “Don’t miss me too much.” 

“Impossible.” 

Staring at the sleek metal of the closed doors, Gianna fought the small lump that formed in her throat. Don’t cry. Do NOT cry. This is not something to cry over. This is his job and he’s good at it and he’ll be back in a few days. 

She made her way back to her room, shaking her head to clear the wave of emotion that was hitting her in Bucky’s absence. Of course she worried about him, but this was different. The feeling of longing in her chest, the little knots of anxiety beginning to twist in her gut. After months of being nearly inseparable on tour, then the past several weeks living at the compound and spending all her newfound free time with him, and now that they’d been spending the night together every night for almost two weeks…she didn’t want to be without him. 

Not now, not ever. 

His side of the bed was still warm when she crawled back into it. Grabbing her phone, she snapped a quick photo of her eyes peering out over the top of the comforter and pressed send before falling back asleep. 

Gianna: missing you already

____________________________

Bucky’s phone buzzed in his pocket as he climbed the ramp onto the Quinjet, trailing behind Steve. He tugged it out and let the screen light up his face in the dark, morning light. A photo from Gianna, her green eyes visible over the overstuffed comforter in her room. Missing you already. His heart clenched, trying not to think about her feeling lonely in his absence. He’d already spoken to a few of the team members staying back about keeping an eye out for her. On the one hand, he was well aware of the fact that she’d been on her own and self-sufficient for years before he ever even knew who she was. On the other hand, he now not only knew her but was utterly infatuated with her. That meant being a little overprotective at times. 

He’d even slipped Wanda a few hundred dollars, suggesting they go shopping while he was away. She’d raised her eyebrow and smirked. 

“You know you don’t have to pay me to hang out with her. I like her. We all do.” 

“I know. But this job doesn’t pay all that well and Gianna said you’ve been talking about a shopping spree since she got here.”

“I accept your mission.” Wanda mock saluted, pocketing the money. 

“Thanks. But Wanda,” Bucky had paused, eyes pleading. “Please be careful.”

The look on his face, utterly concerned, stopped her from making any of the sarcastic comments that crossed her mind. 

“I will.” 

Sam clapped a hand on his back, snapping Bucky back to the present. “Going full loverboy already, Sarge? Damn. You know what the kids these days call that? Simping. Pete told me.” 

Rolling his eyes, Bucky shoved his phone back in his pocket. He assumed Gianna was already asleep by now, her habit of waking up early finally broken after a few weeks of not touring. “It’s too early for this, Sam.” 

“Too early for what?” He swore that Sam had the ability to speak at a volume no other human could. Especially before sunrise. 

“For you.”

“Alright, alright,” Steve waved his hand as he sat down at the helm of the ship. “Who wants to copilot?”

“I’ll do it.” Bucky took the seat beside him, putting the headset on. 

When they’d reached cruising altitude, somewhere high above the clouds, Steve flipped on autopilot. He leaned back in his seat, linking his fingers behind his head. “Just like old times.” 

“Let’s hope it’s a little better than old times.” Bucky grinned. 

“New, old times.”

“Before you went off and became a groupie!” Sam called from the back of the jet, feet propped up on another chair. 

“Shut up, Sam.” He rolled his eyes. 

“I take it things are going well?” Steve’s eyes were genuine, a welcome contrast to Sam’s constant teasing. 

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Things are…great. Better than I deserve.” 

“Don’t,” Steve pointed a warning finger at Sam, who’d opened his mouth to make an undoubtedly snarky comment. “You deserve this, Buck. Seriously. It’s good to see you this happy.” 

“I agree, hey!” Sam dodged a miscellaneous part that Bucky tossed at him. “I was being serious! Yeah, I give you a hard time, but that’s just how I am. You know I want you to be happy, man. You’ve been through a lot. If anyone deserves to fall in love with a smokin’ hot celebrity sugar momma, it’s you. Well…it’s probably Steve. Then it’s me. But I’m holding out for a Kardashian and Steve’s got the hots for Romanoff, so I guess that leaves you.”

Bucky cracked a smile. “Thanks, Sam.”

“Don’t go getting all warm and fuzzy on me. I just think it’s nice you’re gettin’ some action, keep you from being so damn grumpy all the time.” 

Almost imperceptibly, Bucky’s face froze before returning back to his near constant scowl. Steve raised an eyebrow. “Buck, have you two…?”

“Not yet.” He was tight lipped. 

Even Sam was stunned into silence. 

“But,” Steve chose his words carefully, ever the gentleman. “You’ve been sleeping in her room, I thought maybe-”

“It’s not like that. I mean, it will be. I hope it will be. She tries, I know she wants to.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck.” 

“So…why?” 

“I don’t want to hurt her.” 

After a moment, Sam spoke softly. “I don’t think you’re the type to just hit it and quit it, man.”

“That’s not what I mean, of course I wouldn’t do that. I have…reasons. I don’t want to rush it, yeah, but I mean physically. I don’t want to hurt her.” He winced. “It’s been…awhile. I don’t know how the serum changes…things.”

“Ah.” Steve nodded. 

“Wait, wait,” Sam stood up. “You’re telling me you haven’t gotten freaky since, what, the forties?”

“Okay, it’s not like I’ve been dating for the past century, jackass. It’s kind of hard to meet people when you’re in cryofreeze.” 

“Alright, chill - no pun intended. I just mean, damn. That’s a long time.” 

Bucky grunted. “I know.” 

“I haven’t either.” Steve smiled sheepishly. 

“Damn…y’all are the only two people who can save the world and still not get any ass.” Sam shook his head. 

“I guess I’ve just been waiting for the right person, and then waiting for the right time. Don’t want to make it awkward at work, you know.” He chuckled. 

“I wouldn’t call you and Romanoff ‘coworkers’ after everything you’ve been through.” Bucky raised an eyebrow. 

“I know. I’m just saying…I get it. I’ve thought the same thing.” 

“Alright, here’s the deal.” Sam crouched between their seats. “We’re gonna land this jet, execute this mission to perfection, get our asses back to the compound so you two can lose your virginities. Again.” 

____________________________

The foam on her latte was just as beautiful as every morning. A small silver lining to the first of four mornings without Bucky. She was snapping a lid on the to-go cup when a familiar voice rang out in the bustling compound cafe. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” Wanda chimed, bumping Gianna’s hip with her own.

“Well, aren’t you cheery this morning!” 

“I have good reason to be.” She grinned, linking their arms as they walked through the doors into crisp, fall air. 

“Oooh, do tell.” Gianna sipped her coffee as they walked down the path to the dock, leaves crunching below their feet. 

“We’re taking a girls’ trip. Back to the city.” Wanda’s eyes gleamed with excitement, her accent peaking through as it only did when she was either very excited or very angry. “Don’t worry, Bucky knows. It was his idea, actually.” 

“You’re kidding me…Bucky Barnes suggested that? My Bucky?” She feigned shock. 

“Yes, your Bucky. I should have checked him for a fever, but who am I to turn down a girls’ trip.” Wanda winked. “We leave this afternoon. Don’t bother packing heavy, we’ll be shopping.”

With that, the redhead turned on her heel and headed back to their building, a significant bounce in her step. 

____________________________

A few hours later, the Quinjet was softly touching down on the sky-high landing pad of Avengers’ Tower. 

This was a welcome change to the last time Gianna had arrived here. This time, she was here for fun. Here for a girls’ trip, possibly the first one she’d ever taken. She’d slowly begun to recover from the trauma of the attack, largely due to being surrounded by friends who could protect her from any and every threat imaginable. The other part due to her shoving the fear and flashbacks deep, deep down inside herself. If she couldn’t erase, she could definitely avoid. 

The jet was full, Natasha seated in her preferred spot at the front of the jet, flipping a switch to lower the ramp. She and Tony had come back for a brief meeting with the Secretary of Defense. After the Accords had been absolved, they’d agreed to a monthly meeting just to keep things civil and open. Peter had flown back with them, partly to visit his aunt and partly because he didn’t want to be left at the empty compound. Vision, however, had been more than happy to have the place to himself. 

“Be a doll, would you Pete?” Wanda crooned, handing her duffel back to a wide-eyed Peter. 

“You’re the best.” Natasha followed suit, winking as she walked by. 

As Gianna went to pick up her bag, Tony beat her to it. “Who said chivalry is dead?” He winked, gesturing for her to head down the ramp. 

“Why, thank you.” She grinned. As soon as she’d turned, Tony tossed the bag behind him into Peter’s general direction. A strand of webbing shot out, snagging it before it could hit the ground. 

“Oh, come on!” He called, stumbling as the third bag plopped into his arms. 

Wanda led them down a familiar path, bringing them back to the same floor they’d held game night. It felt like years ago. She gestured to her right. “All of those rooms are empty, the ones on the left are occupied. You can pick any of the guest rooms, or,” She pointed to a door on her left. “That one is Bucky’s. Up to you. Meet me in my room, we can get ready. I’ll get wine.” 

“Better not be any of my expensive bottles, bottom shelf only!” Tony warned. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Wanda waved her hand as she disappeared into her room. 

Gianna opened the door to Bucky’s room, not surprised to find it decorated just as minimally as his room at the compound. Interior design didn’t seem to be much of a concern for him. He had a few photos framed, which she assumed had been gifted to him. The closet held a few of his sweatshirts, which she already planned to reclaim as her own. She pulled out her phone to send another photo, this time of her in front of his bed. Her nails clicked on the screen as she walked across the living room to meet Wanda.

Gianna: only missing one thing! 

The soft glow of the setting sun filtered through the panoramic windows of Wanda's room in the Avengers' Tower, casting a warm, golden hue across the walls. The room was buzzing with wine-induced giggles as both girls sat before a well-lit vanity, surrounded by an array of makeup palettes and hair styling tools.

Wanda, with her signature scarlet hair coiled around the curling iron, grinned mischievously at Gianna. "So, spill. How's it going with Bucky?"

Gianna chuckled, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. "Oh, you know…"

Wanda raised an eyebrow, letting the curl fall before wrapping up another strand. "You’ve gotta give me more than that. Don’t forget who helped him pull off the first date of the century."

Gianna giggled, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "You’re right, you’re right. Everything is great. Perfect, honestly. He’s sweet, he’s handsome, he’s so funny-"

Wanda laughed, cutting her off. "You’ve got it bad, G. This isn’t new information. I mean the spicy stuff, you know…" She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Gianna blushed, her expression growing serious for a moment. "I…don’t have much to report. He said he wanted to take things slow, do it right, but…I didn’t know he meant this slow. I mean, we’ve slept in the same bed for almost two weeks now and he hasn’t so much as stuck a hand up my shirt."

“Have you tried anything?"

“Oh, believe me.” She sipped her wine. “I’ve tried. We’ve, you know, made out. It’s gotten pretty hot and heavy, or so I thought. But he always diffuses it, turns it sweet. If I bring it up, he just says he wants to do things right.”

Wanda examined her eye makeup, going in to blend the colors together on her lid. “Well, he is from a different time. He’s probably just trying to be respectful. I think it’s sweet.” She grinned. “I also think you can make him crack.” 

Blushing, Gianna dug through the pile of lip products in front of her. “There’s nothing I can do about it right now anyways. I’m just excited for girl time. You have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve done anything like this.”

“Ugh, me too. I love Natasha, but her idea of ‘girl time’ is sometimes a little more violent than mine. I’d rather go shopping than sparring.”

Gianna settled on a peachy gloss for her lips. "Speaking of, any plans for our shopping extravaganza this weekend? I heard there's a vintage store nearby that's supposed to be amazing."

Wanda's eyes lit up. "Oh, we must! And I need to find a dress for Tony's gala next month. Something that says 'I can manipulate reality, but make it fashion.'"

Gianna grinned, carefully applying mascara to her lashes. "I have no doubt you'll find the perfect thing. If not, I’ll call my stylist and see if she can’t help us out. And, uh, just a heads up, we might run into some paparazzi tonight. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in public, so once word gets out…it could get chaotic."

Wanda waved her hand dismissively. "Let them come. It’s about time I get photographed doing something other than destroying buildings."

____________________________

The rooftop restaurant, nestled amidst the glittering skyscrapers of New York City, exuded an air of sophistication that Gianna had always loved. Ambient light illuminated the tables adorned with crisp white linens, casting a warm glow over the lavishly dressed patrons. With the price point, most of those who came here were celebrities, politicians, or athletes. Gianna, Wanda, and Peter were seated at a secluded corner table, surrounded by lush potted plants and the soft murmur of the city far below.

They indulged in an array of gourmet dishes, ranging from artfully crafted sushi to decadent desserts. Gianna had told the server to bring them one of everything. Wanda’s eyes glittered, loving a taste of the luxurious lifestyle, while Peter had paled even seeing the cost of the wine she’d ordered for the table.

Eyes twinkling with amusement, Gianna playfully teased Peter between bites. "So, Peter, how's college life treating you?"

Peter, attempting to juggle the conversation and his sushi chopsticks with varying degrees of success, grinned back. "Oh, you know, standard college experience. Saving the world by day, acing my exams by night. The whole shebang."

“I wouldn’t know, actually. I never even finished high school.” She laughed.

Wanda chimed in, her scarlet nails twirling the stem of her wine glass. "Peter, I hate to say it, but you’re the most educated person at this table. By far." She shrugged and took a sip. “I never even started high school.” 

Gianna nudged Wanda as they both giggled, appreciating the way humor effortlessly wove into their conversation. The cool breeze of the city combined with the warmth of a wine buzz had everyone’s mood as sky-high as the rooftop they dined on.

Peter's eyes widened as he pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen. His expression shifted from surprise to concern as he showed the message to the girls. It was a screenshot of a social media post, a blurry photo capturing the moment they left the Tower and climbed into the black SUV.

"How did they even get this, we were outside for like…fifteen seconds?!" Peter huffed, clearly frustrated.

Gianna rolled her eyes, not even a hint of annoyance in her voice. "The paparazzi have a sixth sense for these things. Could be from security footage from a building nearby, someone could have looked up at just the right time. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone saw the Quinjet land earlier and just camped out, waiting for someone to leave."

“Does it bother you? This seems like…a massive invasion of privacy.” He examined the photo again before nervously looking around the rooftop. 

“It used to, but you get numb to it. You guys understand, it’s not like you’re the average person either.” She nonchalantly popped a california roll into her mouth. 

“True, but we don’t get this level of attention. I mean, maybe after something big happens, but that comes and goes. I don’t think I would like this.” Peter slid his phone back in his pocket. 

“Hate to break it to you, but you probably picked the wrong company for dinner then.” Gianna winked. 

“Come on, Peter.” Wanda elbowed him. “You’re going to look so cool in front of your classmates. Who cares about Spider-Man,” She stuck her tongue out. “You’re Gianna Cruz’ friend. That’s a way bigger deal.” 

Gianna laughed. “Oh hush.” 

They finished their dinner, taking their sweet time working through the thousands of dollars of food that just kept coming. Thanks to the high-profile nature of the other customers, no one seemed to care that a celebrity and two Avengers dined amongst them. When they’d finished and Gianna paid the tab that rivaled a month of Peter’s college tuition (if he hadn’t been on a full scholarship, thanks to Tony’s September Foundation), they decided to throw caution to the wind and leave through the front door. 

When the doors slid open and a gust of wind tousled their hair, Gianna led the trio to the black SUV where the driver was waiting to open the door. As expected, a dozen photographers had gathered, bombarding them with flash photography and shouted questions. 

“Gianna, where have you been? Are you back in New York for good?” 

“What do you have to say to rumors that you’re done touring altogether?”

“When can we expect new music? Do you plan to perform at the VMA’s next month?” 

She tuned most of them out, giving polite smiles and waves before keeping her head down as she walked to the car. One question, however, piqued her attention right before she climbed into the car after Wanda. 

“Ms. Cruz, how’s Bucky Barnes?” 

Grinning, Gianna looked over her shoulder in the direction of the video camera held by the man asking. “He’s perfect.”

#james bucky barnes #avengers #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x oc #bucky fluff #winter soldier #bucky fanfic #sebastian stan #winter soldier fluff #winter solider x reader

[bullet-prooflove]

Midnight You come and pick me up, no headlights

Part of the Young! Les Packer Series - Fallen Star

Fallen Star Series - Young!Les Packer:

Stolen Kisses - Les and you steal a moment before you have to return to the cult.

Sheets (NSFW) - Les reflects on the first time he met you.

Wife Number Nine - You show up at Les's place with a thirteen year old beauty queen and a 44. Colt.

It’s past midnight when Les pulls up to the stop sign on the outskirts of town. He allows the bike to idle before he climbs off it and lights a cigarette. The moon is full tonight, the stars twinkling like a thousand dazzling lights. It’s a beautiful night for mischief.  

He senses your presence before he sees you emerge from the trees. His senses are attuned to you and he knows your frequency anywhere. You look ethereal in that white dress they make you wear, like a siren emerging from the darkness. You turn your face away from him as he approaches and he knows there’s something wrong, it’s in the way you hold yourself. He reaches out, tipping up your chin and guiding your gaze back to him.

His jaw tenses as he reviews the bruise blossoming across your left cheek. It’s a few days old, black ebbing into shades of green. The rage it raises in him like a wildfire, because this isn’t the first time he’s seen you with bruises, he knows they beat you when you refuse to comply. He also knows what it is you refuse to comply too.

“Sweetheart…” He sighs as he presses his forehead to yours. “I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep letting you go back to them.”

“I don’t have a choice.” You whisper as your fingers chase along his chiselled cheek. “I need you… I need you to understand that.”

He looks at you, this beautiful, beaten angel and he wants so badly to rescue you, to steal you away from all of this agony that you endure.

“I love you.” He tells you earnestly. “What you need is time and space away from them. You need to heal…”

“Les, I can’t leave.” You say to him, tears trailing down your cheeks. “You know that.”

“Bring her with you next time, I can get you somewhere safe.” He promises. “We have charters all over the country, there are people that can help the both of you.”

“They won’t let me near her.” You tell him, closing your eyes because the anguish of it it’s all too much. “Christ they won’t even let near my own daughter, they use it as punishment, it’s leverage to make sure I…”

You trail off but he knows, he knows exactly what you’re not saying.

“Look at me.” He whispers against your skin, tasting the salt on your cheeks. “I will find a way to get you out, the both of you. I won’t let them break you. I’m going to make sure you’re safe, that you can live the life you’re supposed to.”

#les packer soa #young!lespacker #fallen star series #les packer #les packer x reader #les packer mayans #les packer x you

[projectourworld]

Mankind and Nature

Backyard Friend (from Cities Gone Wild). Asheville, North Carolina, United States.

With a wildlife corridor passing through their property, a retired couple living on the outskirts of Asheville, North Carolina frequently find four-legged visitors at their back porch, including this beautiful American black bear (Ursus americanus). In fact, residents of Asheville are known for their close relationship with wild black bears in the area.

This photographer theorizes that through this coexistence, these bears may be growing more intelligent and increasingly bold—resulting in close contact like that featured here. Corey Arnold is a commercial fisherman and photographer exploring the complicated relationship between mankind and nature. He creates photographic stories related to his life at sea, working communities, and human-animal relationships. His work has been exhibited extensively in galleries and museums worldwide including the Portland Art Museum with local representation by Charles A. Hartman Fine Art. Arnold’s photography has been featured in Harpers, The New Yorker, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time, Outside, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Mare, and The Paris Review, among others. A National Geographic Explorer and Hallie Ford Foundation Fellow, he has published two books of photography by Nazraeli Press including Fish-Work: The Bering Sea and Fishing with My Dad. Courtesy : Big Picture Natural World 2033 Competition #bold #black #bears #northcarolina

[real-kastek]

Making the Most of It

Summary: "This is OUR thing, y'know?" With summer break right around the corner, Kris and Susie find a moment together late one evening. Between the bickering and teasing, plans are made, memories are shared, and worries are brought to a head. The time may be fleeting, but you've got to make the most of it all. One-shot made for a summer Krusie contest. Any criticism/reviews/requests are welcome.

---

"…bears come out at night, yeah?"

You pause, casting a glance out towards the darkened forest, "Uh…"

"Like, I don't think anyone's been attacked by a bear lately, but…"

You shake your head, eyeing the rusty lock in your hands. Maybe if you flipped the key this time? Or…maybe the lock was broken? You carefully line the key up once more, tongue pressed to your cheek.

"Guess they wouldn't talk about it anyway. Unless there was some kind of bear massacre or something."

"Susie, I don't think-"

"They probably wouldn't be able to cover something like that up. Be too messy."

You begin to open your mouth, brushing the thought away as the key finally clicks into place, the padlock limply hanging from the gate. You breathe a sigh of relief, letting the lock fall to the grass below.

"I bet a swarm of bears could take out ICE-E's before the police could get there. They've got the forest right behind them, so they'd probably be the first to go."

Your face wrinkles, "…a swarm?"

"…a pack? I don't know, whatever the hell you call a group of bears."

You squint back at her, blowing a strand of sticky hair from your eyes. You weren't sure hometown was particularly infested with bears. Not that you expected to see any wandering the streets as of late. Even animals knew better than to wander about in the summer heat, the sweltering temperatures having properly taken hold across town. Besides the cries of cicadas waking in the forest, the area was surprisingly quiet, most residents wisely choosing to remain in front of their fans, waiting out the sudden heatwave.

You push through the gate, back against the hot metal bars. Normally you would be hiding away as well, but tonight was a bit different. The plan was simple enough. Sneak out once mom went to bed, try to drag Susie out of hers, journey past the police station to the outskirts of town, and hope that the key stuffed in the back of your brother's nightstand still worked.

Simple.

…probably.

"Isn't there something called a murder?" Susie blankly mutters to herself, shuffling past. You squint, barely able to spot the frayed and faded coat wrapping around her, the dragoness seemingly oblivious to the suffocating heat.

You let out an exhausted sigh, "Think that's birds."

"Nah, it's something else. Like sharks. Something that can mess you up."

You allow the gate to fall back into place, "Pretty sure it's a group of birds." You mumble, brushing your hands against the edges of your t-shirt, dust coating the thin green material, "Sharks don't even go after people that much."

"Easy for you to say. I doubt anything'd want to take a bite out of someone so scrawny." Susie twirls back around, sneering, "You'd probably taste like some old jerky that's been left out too long."

You pinch the bridge of your nose, "That's how you make-"

Groaning, you fight down the words.

"Look, let's just get the lights on. I don't think they would've changed the locks or anything, but…"

You peer through the inky blackness, carefully meandering past the smug girl and over to a barely visible shed nestled in the corner. Lazily pulling at the strap on your shoulder, you swing your backpack off against the wall. After a few seconds of digging through the bag, your hand circles around a cell phone buried deep within, the device immediately flaring to life with a press of a button.

"Calling someone?"

You stretch back up from the concrete floor, "No, I just need…here."

Sifting along the phone's menus, blisteringly white light soon flows from the back, burning away the surrounding darkness.

"Hold this up to the lock."

She raises an eyebrow, eventually grunting in acquiescence. Claws circle around the device as you spin back around, examining the shining black padlock lying against the shed's entryway. You fumble with the contraption, trying, and failing, to line the key up, a spotlight cast upon your efforts.

They wouldn't have changed the locks. Why would they? It wasn't private property, and it's not like people broke in all the time.

Your eyes narrow.

Not that you were breaking in, really. You were allowed to be here. Maybe not at night when everyone was gone, but…

"What's with your phone's background? That a dog?"

You flip the key in your hand, "Uh…yeah. Just saw it somewhere. Took a photo."

Susie snorts, "You take a lot of photos?"

You freeze, the lock falling back down, "…are you going through them?"

"No! I'm just…huh, didn't realize you took a picture of us at the lake."

You grumble quietly, returning to the task at hand. Flipping the key one final time, you hear a sharp pop, the lock hanging limply in defeat. You begin to unhook it from the door before bracing yourself against the shed, a scaly hand suddenly clapping you on the shoulder.

"I remember this! You bet I couldn't eat a whole jawbreaker in…what, a minute?" Susie chuckles.

"Uh-huh."

The lock drops away as a thick cloud of musty, humid air slams into you, the door finally creaking open. The sudden burst of searing heat sends you reeling back, falling against the dragoness legs. You freeze in place, eventually risking a glance above.

"…still owe me ten bucks for that. Nice shot though, can even see it between all my fangs. Took me days to get it all out." Susie mumbles to herself, mindlessly brushing a sleeve across her nose as she flicks through photo after photo.

You stare at her blankly, scrambling back to your feet. Taking solace in small miracles, you toss the key into your backpack, leaning through the doorway, another burst of stale air burning your face.

A quiet snickering breaks the silence. You glance back, finding the dragoness in her own world, tongue pressed to her cheek.

"…does the heat even bother you?"

"Huh?" She groggily mutters, "What do you mean?"

"…the jacket? Susie, it's the middle of summer and you're…never mind."

You shake your head, strands of sticky hair clinging once more. The faster you were done with this, the less chance you had of dying from heat stroke. Taking one last breath, you plunge into the murky shed, stagnant air welcoming you into its embrace. You begin to search through the shelves along the wall, shadows dancing amongst the half-empty bottles of cleaning fluid and precariously stacked metal poles, nets hanging limply from each. You pick through the containers, tracing a finger along the washing machine-like mascot smiling back from the label, the even more obvious 'DO NOT INGEST' warnings taking up much more interest in your mind.

Pulling away from the cheap plastic shelves, you lean down, searching each corner of the room, finding little more than intricate spider webs throughout. Brushing past a stack of cardboard boxes, you find a collection of life preservers, the bright crimson stripes faded and grey from years of neglect. Mindlessly poking at the tubes, you reel back, the uppermost safety device falling from the pile. It slumps to the ground, kicking up a choking plume of dust, bits of which glimmer and dance throughout the phone's spotlight.

You grumble, breathlessly wiping a bead of sweat from your forehead, "Gotta be on one of-"

"Jeez, even got a shot of us chilling out in the forest last week. You look like a dweeb though, all smiling and crap."

Your body locks up, a knot rapidly building in your stomach.

"…huh. Kinda close. Guess I was tired or something." Susie chuckles half-heartedly, "Almost looks like I'm-"

"S-Sorry! Need this!"

You desperately snatch the phone out of the girl's hands, the white glow whipping around the room in a blinding frenzy. Hesitating, you stare at the photo, burning afternoon light painting the scene as she rests on your shoulder, a soft smile on her lips, jacket's sleeves curled around you.

You gulp, swiping the image away.

"I-I'm sure that…there!"

A metal panel flashes under the spotlight, barely visible between the yellowed shelves and a single lonely inner tube, the floatation device having been tossed to the furthest corner. You scan the surface, peeling labels clinging for dear life next to each switch.

"Entrance…path…shed…"

You stop, sourly staring at the faded words. Would've helped to have this outside the building, but-

"…found it!"

The switch clicks into place, a dull hum burning through the silence. Finally stashing your phone away, you turn back to the shed's entrance, spotting a blue glow creeping through the door. A relieved smile pulls at your lips, the tightness in your chest beginning to die down.

"Alright, think that's enough. Probably don't need the other lights right no-"

"HELL YEAH!"

A bellowing roar pierces through the thought. Glancing around the now eerily lit shed, you sigh, meandering back into the night, dragging the door closed.

"No lame kids, no dumbass lifeguard telling you what to do, nothing! Just…well, I guess there's you, but…" Susie spins around, fangs shining in the sapphire light, "Could be worse."

You roll your eyes. Sweeping the backpack up from the ground, you stash your phone away, throwing the satchel over to a nearby plastic chair without a second thought. Squinting back to the scene ahead, you watch as the warm summer breeze sends ripples along the water's surface, the pool's crystal blue depths radiating from the submerged lights.

"Still don't think you should be diving in headfirst or anything." You mutter, stretching into the air, "Not sure I'd be able to carry you to the hospital."

"Eh, you worry too much. " Susie scratches the back of her neck, allowing a claw to dance through her disheveled mane, "…you can swim, right?"

You yawn, "More or less."

Walking to the water's edge, a deep blue emanates out towards the surrounding forest, painting the trees, and your own body, in sapphire light. You breathe deeply, the smell of chlorine wafting into the air, blending with the earthy scent of fallen leaves.

"Haven't been here for a while though. My brother used to work as a lifeguard, but…" You shrug, "I didn't really like all the noise and everything. People bumping into each other, yelling, all of that. Much better coming here at night."

You flinch, the shed rattling from behind you as heavy leather boots bounce off the surface.

"You've snuck in here before?" Susie clicks her tongue.

You drop down to the tile below, "It's a public pool; we're not 'sneaking in'."

"Uh-huh. Totally. Probably just have it locked up to-"

You hear a struggle from behind you as the girl begins to grunt, cursing under her breath. After a few more seconds of commotion, Susie's jacket slams into a nearby chair, the legs screeching out from the impact. You stare at the worn purple coat, swallowing sharply.

"Ugh…whatever. Where'd you get the key for this place anyway? Steal it from someone?"

Claws scrape against the concrete as Susie settles down with a huff. You avert your gaze, staring out into the water, the sound of crickets fading, barely noticeable under the heartbeat thrumming in your ears.

"Uh…b-borrowed it. From my brother. Think he forgot to return it when he went to college."

"Damn." Susie chuckles, "Breaking and entering, stealing, sneaking out in the middle of the night…"

"I didn't steal the-" You sneer at the girl, immediately regretting the decision as your eyes meet hers.

"Ya know Kris, I think you might be a bad influence."

An inferno breaks across your cheeks as you stare at Susie, a vicious smile pulling her maw into a line of gleaming fangs and mauve scales. Replacing her heavy purple coat was now a black tank top, the straps of which swept along her broad shoulders, patterns of scales glinting under the dim blue light. The edges of the top carried down towards her surprisingly defined abdominal muscles, stopping halfway, clinging tightly to the now exposed mauve hide. Your eyes drift down, struggling to turn away. Long gone were the girl's patchwork jeans, instead substituted by equally frayed and torn denim shorts. Susie flashes you a cruel smile, only stopping long enough to blow a strand of messy hair away, her amber eyes gleaming from underneath.

You let out a shuddering breath. You'd seen her like this in the Dark World. Maybe not without her jacket…and not this close. But this wasn't any different. Just two friends spending time together like usual.

Alone.

At night.

"…uh, dude?"

You choke, "Y-YEAH?! Uh… s-sorry, what?"

"You good? Didn't mean that in like, a bad way. Just a stupid joke."

You take a deep breath, forcing your panicked thoughts down, only for the tightness in your chest to return twofold as Susie leans in, eyes narrowed.

"Y-Yeah, no, it's uh…totally! Right, a joke! Yep…"

Susie stares predatorily, watching for the slightest movement. Her amber irises burn into you, searching, waiting for a reaction, a sign to strike. Seconds feel like hours, the silence only broken by the quiet chirping of crickets, their nightly songs barely a thought in your mind.

"…o-kay." Susie leans back, playfully throwing a fist into the side of your arm, "Freak."

You blink, still holding your breath.

"Well, should've told me earlier. Thought we were going to the lake or something when you texted me." She snorts, "Could've done this instead of hanging out at your place or…studying for finals."

A splash erupts from the water's surface as Susie casually drops her legs into the pool, a spray of water erupting outwards. You sputter and cough, your mind screeching back into focus.

"Ugh…think Ms. Alphys is gonna hold us back?"

You shake your head, damp hair tossed to the edges of your vision, "I…" You clear your throat, "I-I think we did okay. You uh…only tore up one of the tests this time, right?"

Susie lets out a satisfied grunt, "Math, yeah. Screw math."

You chuckle weakly, "But you finished the other ones. Instead of tearing them up…or eating them."

Susie's legs sweep through the water, waves coursing past, "Yeah…yeah! Come on, she's gotta give credit for that!"

You quietly smile, hiding the expression under your curtain of hair as Susie's voice roars across the silent waters, only to sheepishly die down moments later. You open your mouth, hesitating, the thought fading away.

"…thanks for…ya know. Helping me study, or whatever."

You nod, "Was…kinda surprised you took me up on the offer."

Susie snorts, "It was that or sit around at home doing nothing. Besides, someone's gotta come over and make sure you're still alive."

"Wha-" You stare back in confusion, "You see me all the time! You've basically been living at my place for the past month!" You bellow, "Can't even find leftovers in my house because you're always taking them…"

A clacking sound emanates from below, Susie's claws nervously dragging along the tile's patterns, "I'm not there every day! And your mom said it was cool! Said you never finish all of it." She clicks her tongue, "No wonder you're so scrawny."

You roll your eyes, poking at the water's surface. You can't remember the last time you went a day without the dragoness throwing an arm over you, dragging you off to some new legally questionable activity. Even when you made an effort to bury yourself in study materials, she begrudgingly meandered about your house, flicking flash cards across the room and off your head, an unlucky few tangling themselves in your hair. There was rarely a moment that you were alone. Between class, diving into the Dark World, and even in your own house, the dragoness always seemed to be by your side.

…not that you minded, but-

"Doesn't matter anyway, we've got more important stuff to worry about."

You sigh, staring into the crystal blue depths, "The Roaring?"

"What? No, summer break."

"…right."

You wince as Susie lifts her leg up out of the water, immediately allowing it to slam back down, sending another wave crashing up against the edge and further soaking you. You stare down, dejectedly squeezing water out from your swim trunks.

"Only have a few months before they drag us back to school and everything sucks again. We should be out there doing…I don't know! Something exciting! Something that isn't just the same stuff we always do."

You twist the strands of brown hair dangling in your face between two fingers, water dripping down, "And the Dark World, the one with monsters that try to kill us and fountains that can just pop up anywhere…isn't that?"

"Ralsei doesn't try to kill us."

"That's not-"

"Besides, no one actually wants to fight down there anymore. Even the dojo is empty half the time."

"Well…you told the last guy you'd suplex him into Ralsei's cauldron."

Susie's bites her lip, "Th-That's not-!"

"And then you started carrying him out of the dojo when he targeted me with magic."

Her claws dig into the tiles below, "I-It's just to get them focusing on me! I can actually take a hit, and if you drop dead…"

You raise an eyebrow, watching as the dragoness seemingly retreats underneath her mane.

"No, like, other than that!" She emerges, scales a deeper shade of purple, "You know what I'm talking about! We should be doing summer stuff, like going to the beach or whatever other crap people do."

You peer out across the pool, up to the sky above, stars glimmering amid the pitch.

"…didn't think you'd want to do things like that."

"W-Well, maybe I do!" Susie grumbles, "…I mean, if you're there. O-Otherwise it's whatever. Don't have to…"

"Th-That's not-" You stutter, turning back towards the scaled girl, "I just…don't know? Or, well…" You clear your throat, "Never really been with anyone during-"

Your throat tightens.

"I-I mean, I've never really had people to hang out with during summer." You cough to the side, straining for words, "I guess we could go to the beach…?"

A quiet growl bubbles up as Susie drags her hands down her maw, "I mean, it doesn't have to be that. It could just be us…ugh. I don't know, I just don't want things to…"

You watch Susie, her shoulders beginning to slump.

Gentle waves crest the pool's edge, filling the silence. You open your mouth, only to turn away, staring down into the crystal blue water.

That's what you were supposed to do during summer break, right? Go to the beach, spend time with friends, make the most of it all before school came back into focus. You were supposed to be making memories or…something. You weren't really sure. Summer break was always just that; a break. You'd spend some time helping your dad get the summer bouquets ready for the shop, talking into the night with Asriel over the phone, or simply lying next to the lake, peering up through the trees and towards the starry sky. You never thought that far ahead; there wasn't a reason to. It was just you. Even now, balancing your forays into the Dark World as fountains erupted all over town; there was hardly a moment of peace. You would fight off some grand threat, spend days settling new Darkners into Ralsei's kingdom, and then struggle to finish whatever homework you inevitably had waiting for you.

But now you had time. You had someone to spend that time with. Someone you wanted to be around, that made you want to think about making the most of it all.

Someone that you…

You glance back towards the dragoness as she stares ahead, blankly gazing into the depths of the pool.

You had to make it count, even if you had no idea what to do.

"Susie-"

"Hey."

You feel a pull at your collar, a talon curling inwards.

"You swimming in that? Like, you know it's gonna stick super bad, right?" Susie mutters.

You pick at the damp shirt, the dark green material already beginning to cling, "…doesn't really bother me, should be fine to swim in it. But seriously, I'd be okay going to the beach with-"

"Cool."

Claws suddenly circle around your arms, panic erupting in your mind. Your lock onto the scaled girl, a now wild look in her eyes.

"W-WAIT-"

Your words are silenced as the dragoness leans off the edge, crashing into the depths, dragging you along with her. Desperately taking one last breath, you feel the water take you, sinking lower and lower as bubbles teem in your vision. You feel weightless, the world having turned to muffled silence despite the yelp that assuredly escaped your lips.

You grumble, floating in place, watching as another streak of air erupts from your mouth and up to the surface. You really should've expected this. Especially after she pulled you into the lake a month before.

…or was it last week? You started to lose track after the fourth or fifth time.

Claws slowly loosen their grip, freeing you from the now cackling dragoness, each roar of laughter sending her back through the depths, twisting and turning.

You shoot a glare back at the girl, pouting as you float down to the concrete floor.

You'd be a lot angrier right now if you weren't struggling for air.

Susie twirls back to face you, her razor-sharp teeth pulled into a wild grin.

Alright, maybe not that angry.

The pool's concrete floor feels coarse to the touch as you push up and off the bottom, streaking towards surface. As if waking from some deep sleep, you break through into the night, the sound of desperate splashing and gasping searing into your mind. You struggle for air, latching onto the slick tiled edge. Lungs burning, you turn back around just in time to see Susie burst through the water's surface, waves slamming against the sides of the pool.

"Holy shit, should've seen the look on…pleh…"

Susie begins to sputter and struggle against the dense black mane now clinging to every part of her face, angrily pulling strands of hair out of her eyes and mouth.

You watch the disastrous display with breathless glee, "Is…is that how I looked?"

Susie growls, "Shut-it!"

You shrug, forcing yourself not to laugh, "I'd normally feel worse about you suffocating in your own hair, but…"

With a gasp, Susie frees herself, the scales on her cheeks having turned a searing violet.

"Ugh…" Susie floats over to you with a defeated expression, "Whatever happened to being quiet all the time? Go back to that."

You silently stare at her.

"…never mind. Still creepy."

You limply shrug once more, allowing yourself to fall from the pool's edge, languidly floating in place, "Says the person that talks about biting peoples' faces off."

"That was like, almost a year ago!" Susie grumbles, "Besides, you know I just say that shit. Don't mean it or anything."

"Uh-huh."

"Like the other day! I told you I was going to throw you into the dumpster!"

"…but then you threw me into the dumpster."

Susie pokes the you in the ribs, "You told me to, freak."

You quietly sniff, "Seemed like a good idea."

The dragoness shakes her head, a flicker of a grin painting her maw.

You take a deep breath, beginning to float along the water's surface, bouncing away from the edge and spreading out into the center of the pool, "I thought the teachers might've thrown away some of the answer sheets. You never know what you can find if you don't look."

Susie snickers, "Think you just like trash, dude. You're always digging through stuff when we're in the Dark World, bringing it back to your room."

You spot a streak of purple out of the corner of your eye.

"Still can't believe Ralsei puts up with all that. Like, you probably didn't hear it, but that ICE-E statue you swiped from Queen's weird ass castle?"

Susie begins to float by, her maw poking up out of the water like a shark's fin, "Fuzzball was freaking out the entire time. Kept whispering to himself stuff like, 'How are we ever going to get it back?' and, 'I'll have to clean it twice over just to be sure!'"

"…you sound like Berdly."

"Eh, both're nerds." She pauses, "Ralsei's the good kind though."

Before you can respond, a wave rolls underneath you, almost flipping you over. Glancing to the side, you spot Susie towering over, stretching into the air with a soft pop, mauve scales glimmering from the water's glow.

"Alright, time to see how deep this pool is."

"…it's just a public pool. They normally don't even have a deep end." You turn, water sweeping through your hair, "I'm pretty sure it's flat down there."

"Have you checked?"

"…yes? I was kind of at the bottom just now. I didn't look around that much, but-"

"So you didn't check everything?"

You blink, "I was a little distracted."

Susie eyes you silently.

"…and suffocating?"

"You said that the last time you jumped in the lake."

"I…was also suffocating that time. And I didn't jump in, you-"

"Yeah yeah, anyway. Be back in a sec, gonna see how far this thing goes."

Water streaks through the air, scattering across the night sky before falling back down, directly into your eyes.

"Agh!"

You bounce along the rolling waves as Susie dives underneath the surface, away from sight. Blinking away the haziness in your vision, the quiet melody of distant crickets returns to your senses, dampened only by the subtle creaking of branches, wind coursing through the surrounding forest. You settle back against the water's gentle current, staring into the darkness above. Stars flicker in the distance, glimmering constellations streaking across the sky as you silently connect the points, trying and failing to remember the names of each.

A tired smile pulls on your lips. You used to know them, at least the ones your dad tried to tell you about. You were never good about listening to your father chatter on and on about what they meant; the stories each represented. Even after the dozen or so trips up to the hill overlooking town, your family piled into the car, snacks and blankets clutched tightly, you never found yourself able to remember the names of each glimmering pattern. Not that you were able to stay awake very long. Bundled close to your brother, listening to your mom and dad laugh together, staring up at the night sky…

Your smile softens.

That was a long time ago. But you missed it. You missed those moments together. There was no planning, no thought to any of it. You just went with the people you loved and cared about. Making the most of the time you had; that's all that mattered.

Your hand falls back to the water's surface.

It wasn't exactly exciting, but maybe Susie would-

"AGH!"

Scaly arms wrap from below you, pulling you tightly towards the assailant. You choke, feeling your chest being crushed in the embrace, your body being limply thrown from side to side like a ragdoll.

"S-STOP!"

"GOTCHA!"

The world begins to fade. You struggle to breathe, to even think, darkness encroaching in your vision.

This was for breaking and entering. Karmic retribution for your misdeeds, numerous as they were. You knew you'd eventually go out from a monster getting the best of you, but you assumed your death would be Dark World-related somehow. A stray bit of magic, a poisoned Dark Candy, perhaps even another set of spinning tea cups careening towards blisteringly white lasers.

…

You really expected that last one.

Your eyes begin to drift closed, only to go wide upon finding a pair of slit yellow irises staring back.

"You're alive, right?" Susie mutters, poking you in the cheek.

"…d-define…alive."

Fangs hang threateningly close, blooming into a mocking grin, "That's alive enough for me."

You're suddenly dropped, your lifeless body sinking under the waves. Shaking from the stupor, you paddle back to the surface, gasping for air.

"A-Are you…" You swallow painfully, another heaving breath sputtering forth, "Really?!"

Susie shrugs, casually resting back against the pool's edge, "What?"

You squeeze your eyes tight for a moment, drifting back over to a set of concrete steps leading up and out of the water. The breaths begin to slow, the burning in your lungs subsiding as you regain your senses.

"…I…I r-really can't tell…if you want to hug me or kill me…s-sometimes…" You flop back against the stair case, "Ugh…"

The dragoness rolls her eyes, "Not trying to kill you, freak."

You limply float along the coarse concrete. The sound of crickets and the surging waves fills the air as you stare above.

"R-Right, yeah, definitely not trying to-"

Your eyes go wide.

"…wait…were you-"

"Hey! So, uh…"

Ripples in the water bounce you from side to side as Susie rushes past, stomping up the concrete stair case.

"You bring the goods?"

You grab onto the bottom step, righting yourself before the waves flip you over, "Uh…"

A shadow creeps along the water's surface as you glance up, meeting Susie's gaze, her mane sweeping down from above.

"…backpack."

"Sweet." The looming threat meanders away, happily snorting, "What kind did you bring?"

"Just…" You drag yourself out of the water, sitting along the pool's edge, "Usual stuff."

You collect your hair into a tight bundle, squeezing as much moisture as you can out, shaking the residual droplets out into a spray, "Think there's lemon-lime, grape, vanilla, cherry…oh! They had this orange and coffee-flavored one that looked interesting."

Susie gags from behind you, digging through the backpack with reckless abandon.

"Come on, it could be good!"

Susie grunts, "Yeah? Then what kind do you want?"

"Uh…I guess vanilla."

"Thought so."

The dragoness drops down with a huff, lazily tossing a can your way, a cream-colored swirl streaking across the label. You place the can up to your ear for a moment, listening, quickly shrugging it off. With a sharp snap, the soda begins to fizz over, foam barely cresting the top before settling back down.

You tilt your head to the side, "Huh."

"What?" Another pop echoes out, Susie's claw hooking into the metal tab.

"No, just…kind of expected it to explode is all."

You glance over as the scaled girl desperately flails her hand in the air, the tab having stuck to her claw.

"I'm not…damn it!"

The tab goes flying deep into the forest.

"I wouldn't do that."

You cautiously take a sip from the soda can, the vanilla flavor coating your tongue in a briskly sweet and smooth fizz. A relieved sigh escapes your lips, the peace almost immediately shattered with the sound of a can crinkling, Susie having taken a swig of her own lemon-lime beverage. You watch in horror as the she rapidly downs the entire drink in a single go, cracks and tears appearing on the can with each gulp, before inevitably being crushed in her grip. Without a second thought, the can goes flying back into the darkness, past the gate and likely far into the tree canopies.

"Ahh…better."

You protectively cup your soda in both hands, "Did you…even taste it?"

"What? Yeah. Cherry-flavored or whatever."

You begin to open your mouth, only for it to snap shut as you shake your head. Tearing your eyes away, you stare back out across the pool, quietly watching flickers of moonlight dancing through the surrounding forest. You take another sip, smiling.

"…thanks, by the way." Susie whispers.

You nod.

"So…gonna be weird not having to go to school every day. At least for a while, I guess."

You shrug, staring down at the soda in your lap, the bubbling caramel liquid resting upon the lip, "Yeah. We'll still need to get in to meet up with Ralsei though." You chuckle, "I think he'd start to melt if we didn't visit him for a couple days."

"Think he melts anyway. Fuzzball probably starts to freak out the second we're gone." Susie snorts.

You click your tongue, "I don't know, I think he's getting better. Doesn't try to hug us every time we get hurt."

"That's your fault, ya know. You spoiled the little guy, made him think Lightners want hugs all the time." Susie leans back, staring at the sky, "Least he asks, I guess."

You let out a half-hearted grunt, placing the soda can atop the pool's tiles.

"I mean, I get it…kinda."

You raise an eyebrow, staring back at the pensive girl, "What? The hugging?"

"No! Not the…the other thing, damn it!" Susie snaps, "Ugh…no, like, not wanting us to be gone that long."

Silence hangs in the air as you wait, watching the dragoness bite her lip.

"I wouldn't want that either. Sucks to be forgotten like that." Susie's voice quiets to a whisper, "Find people you care about only for something stupid to happen and bam, don't get to see them again. That sucks. Like…now school's ending, and we've got all this time off. A-And, it's not like I want to sit through Ms. Alphys talk about math…or some weird cartoon, but-"

She freezes, soon shaking her head with a growl, "…you're there. I mean, there's other people too, but…yeah."

You tap the side of your can, struggling for a response, "…I'm not really…going anywhere. We're still going to see each other."

"I know that. But, like, without school, we wouldn't have even met. Wouldn't be hanging out or talking." Susie grimaces, "You were pretty quiet before all this. Didn't really say much or even come to class. N-Not that I cared back then or…whatever. But now, like, if there's no school, and you're gone doing other shit…"

You swallow painfully, forcing the thoughts back into silence. Susie leans over the water's edge, her mane hiding whatever expression twists in her features, blankly staring onwards.

"…don't want it to go down like that. Like you too much, Kris. I don't know if you…or, like, maybe we're just…" The words tumble out, Susie's hands coming up to her maw, stifling the guttural roar of frustration, "Damn it! I don't get it!"

Panicked amber eyes emerge from the frenzied mane, Susie's face suddenly much closer to yours.

"Like, when we we're watching movies a couple weeks ago, I just…f-fell asleep on you. And you didn't say anything. You didn't wake me up or say some stupid joke. I thought I made it weird and…you were just cool with it. Or when I got pissy the other day and you just sat with me at the lake for hours or whatever. It's always like that, it's just…easy. I don't have to be anything or act like someone better. You don't treat me like some dumbass bully. You're just…"

She hesitates, breath shuddering.

"…you stuck around. Even when you didn't have to." Susie smiles weakly, "And for some stupid reason, you keep coming back."

The dragoness sighs painfully, "It means a lot."

The sound of crickets echo far in the distance. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears as you struggle for thought, to make a connection, to come up with anything that would make it all clear.

"Just freaks me out, ya know? School's ending, and I'm thinking about you not being…there. I want you there. I…I-like having you there. Around. J-Just us. Ugh…goddamn it, I don't know! I don't know if this is just in my stupid head or if there's…"

Susie stops, barely able to meet your gaze. You watch her open her mouth, searching for the words, only the sound of her claws digging into the concrete emanating out.

She lifts her head, staring above, before taking one last deep breath, "…the hell is this, Kris? I don't want to screw this all up, so just tell me. There something here? Do you…?"

Your chest hurts. Everything hurts. Straining and burning, trying to find a direction, clarity. Something real. You want to say it, scream it, make it clear to her, to yourself. You don't want to mess this up either. You don't want to chase her away. There isn't anyone else like her. No one that makes you feel as safe, as okay being yourself. No one that makes you want to try this hard, to fight off the worries and fears twisting in your mind.

No one that makes you want to say-

"…yeah."

Susie stares into you, her expression muted, reserved. Her eyes search yours as she bites her lip, waiting and searching for any sign of doubt, of it all being taken back.

You smile.

Then, she lunges.

Your mind blanks as lips close in on your own, warmth cascading across your face as she pulls you in, wrapping tightly around you. Her breaths paint your neck, flowing down from the embrace. Her scales are soft, bending gently against your lips, fangs threatening to emerge with each moment, neither of you caring about the very real danger. It didn't matter. It didn't matter that she towered over you, that you spent longer than you ever dreamt trying to figure out a proper angle to meet, that bouts of laughter erupted between each frenzied attempt. None of it mattered. None of it was planned or thought through.

But you had time to figure it all out.

Claws uncoil from your back, reluctantly falling away. You blink back to reality, struggling to breathe, noticing the girl in much the same state, her staggered gasps of air turning her scales searing red. Or maybe her cheeks were already a fiery crimson. You weren't sure at this point. You weren't even sure how much time had passed.

Susie sheepishly pulls her hair back across her shoulder, blowing strands out and away from her eyes, now unable to meet your own.

"U-Uh…so…yeah. Cool. Cool cool cool." Her voice shakes, "Guess I…uh, wasn't going nuts then. Good. Glad." The scaled girl glances up at you, immediately staring back down at the floor, brushing a hand against her lips, "…s-sorry about…that."

You go to speak, choking for a moment before clearing your throat, "N-No, it's…it was nice."

Susie quietly gulps, managing to bring her eyes back to meet your own, "Y-Yeah? Yeah! Better have…uh, been. Freak."

You shift back towards the edge of the pool, "Does…so, are we…?" The words catch in your throat, "I-If that's what you want…unless you-"

You feel a weight on your shoulder as you glance up, Susie's maw nestling into your neck. She curls into you, sweeping an arm around your waist as you feel your heart leap into your throat.

"…r-right. Okay."

"Dumbass."

A nervous smile blooms on your face as you stare up at the sky, stars glimmering above.

"Hey."

"Mmph." Susie grumbles.

"Did you maybe want to go stargazing or something? There's a spot above the town my family alwa-AGH!"

A stray fang grazes along your neck, making you reel back, Susie's eyes going wide.

"The hell?"

"S-Sorry, it's just…" You gulp, "Your…fangs? They're kinda sharp. Almost…uh, almost got me when we were…"

Your blood goes cold as you watch the serene dragoness' eyes narrow, a low, fearsome growl emanating out.

The words start pouring out of your mouth, "N-Not that it's bad! Just kinda close? I-I actually like your fangs! They're pretty cute! Or…uh, scary? S-Scary cute?"

Susie glowers at you, eventually melting into a defeated sigh, resting a palm on your arm. You let out a held breath, smiling at her weakly. She smiles back.

Then, the world tumbles, water blurring in your vision.

You gasp for breath, once more sinking down to the bottom of the pool. You settle in a heap, lazily blowing out the remaining air as a spectacle of bubbles flow to the surface.

There was probably a better way to handle that. Or maybe this was just your fate from now on.

You stare out into the blackness above, distorted stars peeking through to the depths as you push back up off the ground, hurrying back above.

Surfacing near the pool's edge, you gasp for air, clambering back along the slick tile.

"Sup."

A claw taps against the top of your head.

"You were saying?"

You pull the hair from your eyes, red irises shining forth, a beaming smile reflected back at the girl.

"…stargazing?"

"Eh…sure." Susie snorts, "Bring snacks."

"Deal."

#fanfic #deltarune #krusie #kris x susie #kris dreemurr #susie deltarune #ralsei #friendship #romance #fluff #humor #one shot

[fictionfromafar]

The Murder Of Anton Livius by Hansjörg Schneider

The Murder Of Anton Livius 

By Hansjörg Schneider

Translated by Astrid Freuler

Bitter Lemon Press

Publication Date: 15 June 2023

It is far from a welcome start to the new year for Peter Hunkeler, Inspector of Basel City criminal investigations department. He is woken early in the morning and called to a gruesome crime scene. An elderly local man known as Anton Livius has been found shot and hung up in a garden allotment on the edge of the border city of Basel. While Livius lived in the city, the allotment is located on French territory adding an additional complication to Hunkeler is not allowed to investigate there. This means he has to form an uneasy cooperation with an Alsatian Inspector Bardet who appears keen to find a quick resolution to the murder case.

This is third instalment of the Inspector Peter Hunkeler series, and like the earlier novels, it immerses the reader in the complexities of the local cross-border community. Featuring a different translator, Astrid Freuler certainly does not alter the flow of the story which features some elements of humour, not least in Hunkeler's interactions with collegues on both sides of the border. Dogged and determined to get at the truth, Hunkeler tries to find out as much as he can about the victim, about whom little of his life is known. Over 80 and originally from Germany, what brought Anton Livius to Basel and who had reason to kill him? 

Focussed largely on dialogue, Hunkeler begins to build a picture of the man's personal life. While the neighbouring allotment holders are reluctant to reveal it, the detective discovers that the victim was smuggling meat across the border from Alsace into Switzerland. The one who found the body, Ettore Cattaneo, did not participate in this deal as he held a long term grudge against Livius which is of particular interest to the French police. 

Hunkeler however wishes to leave no stone unturned and is convinced that the roots of the story run far deeper. Gradually he learns more about the history of Alsace which has been incorporated into the Greater German Reich in 1940, In the years before its return to French control after the second world war, well over one hundred thousand young men from Alsace (and Lorraine) had been conscripted into the German armies against their will. The clues that Hunkeler encounters take him into a discovery of some almost forgotten secrets from this dark period. 

The Murder Of Anton Livius can be enjoyed as an introduction to Schneider's work and would appeal to those readers who like a story where clues emerge gradually as dead ends are steadily ruled out. The stronger historical element to this story provides a contrast to the previously published novels by Schneider, The Basel Killings and Silver Pebbles which had greater focus on wider geopolitical issues. While much of the book features conversations between Hunkeler, his follow police officers, French counterparties and those he encounters during the investigation, it is the deductions and follow up work obtained from these that I enjoyed most and would hope to see expanded in subsequent stories.

Many thanks to Bitter Lemon Press for an advance copy of The Murder Of Anton Livius and to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inclusion on the blog tour. Look out for other reviews of this book on the blog tour as shown below: 

Inspector Hunkeler is summoned back to Basel from his New Year holiday to unravel a gruesome killing in an allotment garden on the city’s outskirts. An old man has been shot in the head and found in his garden shed hanging from a butcher’s hook. Hunkeler must deal not only with the quarrelsome tenants of the garden but with the challenges of investigating a murder that has taken place outside his jurisdiction, across the French border in Alsace.  The clues lead to the Emmental in Berne, and then events from the last weeks of the Second World War in Alsace come to light, the wounds of which have never healed in the region.

Hansjörg Schneider lives in Basel and began his professional career as a journalist and essayist. He is the author of a number of highly acclaimed plays and of the bestselling Hunkeler crime series, now with ten titles published. 

Astrid Freuler lives in Lidney, Gloucestershire. She is a young translator from German and has published translations of non-fiction and fiction, including the crime thriller A Shadow Falls by Andreas Pflüger.

#crime fiction #crimeintranslation #european literature #novels in translation #crime fiction in translation

[onlinebookclub-org]

Book of the Day, December 28th -- Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Rated 4/4

Temporarily FREE: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=477538

Agatha the Beloved Queen by Frederick Pilcher

Publisher: Outskirts Press

This book has received a PERFECT 4/4 rating by the Onlinebookclub.org Review Team, and 5 stars on Amazon!

Most of us sometimes feel beaten by "the system." How could compassionate Queen Agatha beat an entrenched and repressive system favoring the privileged few, to bring prosperity to everybody in her magical medieval land?

"From Agatha's story, I gained some life lessons. I was reminded that everyone in life was important, irrespective of their social status. I also gained leadership skills from the story. A leader should be both compassionate and firm. I would rate it 4 out of 4 stars." ~ OBC reviewer

#fantasy #freebooks #bookswithperfect44ratingsfromobc

https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=477538

[sleepysera]

8.21.22 Headlines

WORLD NEWS

Russia: Car blast kills daughter of Russian known as ‘Putin’s brain’ (AP)

“The daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as “Putin’s brain” was killed in a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow, authorities said Sunday. The Moscow branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said preliminary information indicated 29-year-old TV commentator Daria Dugina was killed by an explosive planted in the SUV she was driving Saturday night.”

Somali: Forces end hotel attack that left 21 dead, 117 hurt (AP)

“Somali authorities on Sunday ended an attack by Islamic extremists that left 21 people dead and over 110 wounded when gunmen stormed a hotel in the capital. It took Somali forces more than 30 hours to contain the fighters who had stormed Mogadishu’s Hayat Hotel on Friday evening in an assault that started with loud explosions.”

Afghanistan: Flash flooding kills dozens in Afghanistan, Pakistan (AP)

“Heavy flooding from seasonal rains in eastern Afghanistan and neighboring parts of Pakistan left dozens of people dead overnight, according to local officials on Sunday.”

US NEWS

Wildfire: Western fires outpace California effort to fill inmate crews (AP)

“As wildfires rage across California each year, exhausted firefighters call for reinforcements from wherever they can get them — even as far as Australia.Yet one homegrown resource is rarely used: thousands of experienced firefighters who earned their chops in prison. Two state programs designed to get more former inmate firefighters hired professionally have barely made a dent, according to an Associated Press review, with one $30 million effort netting jobs for just over 100 firefighters, little more than one-third of the inmates enrolled.”

Racism: Minneapolis teacher contract race language ignites firestorm (AP)

“When Minneapolis teachers settled a 14-day strike in March, they celebrated a groundbreaking provision in their new contract that was meant to shield teachers of color from seniority-based layoffs and help ensure that students from racial minorities have teachers who look like them. Months later, conservative media outlets have erupted with denunciations of the policy as racist and unconstitutional discrimination against white educators.”

Religion: Massachusetts student receives uniform violation for hijab (AP)

“A Massachusetts charter school where an 8th grade student was written up for a uniform infraction for wearing a hijab says it understands its “handling of the situation came across as insensitive.” A family member of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School student posted on social media a picture of the “School Uniform Compliance Form” the student received from a teacher for the hijab on Thursday. In the description of the infraction, the headscarf worn by Muslim women was misspelled as “jihab.””

#current events #news #russia #putin #somali #afghanistan #pakistan #floods #global warming #climate change #climate crisis #wildfire #california #racism #religion

[outskirtspress]

Review of Outskirts Press from T. Charles Brantley, Ph.D, Author of "Bid Farewell to Prison Experiences"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5. “According to my Author Representative, I am the author with the 2nd largest number of books published through Outskirts Press. She is unbelievable and her customer service and timely response make me feel VIP.” T. Charles Brantley, Ph.d is one of Connecticut’s prolific authors on the subject of Intimacy, Relationship and Theology with 22 books // 746 Chapters //3,438…

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#OutskirtsPressReview #selfpublishing #outskirts press #Outskirts Press Review #self-publishing #self-publishing-authors

[readerviews]

"Bloodlines... Pedigree & Progeny" by Robert A. Hilliard

Complex and Epic Tale #books #bookreview #reading #readerviews

Bloodlines … Pedigree & Progeny Robert A. HilliardOutskirts Press, Inc. (2023)ISBN: 978-1977261397Reviewed by Kenneth Onyenwe for Reader Views (12/2023) “Bloodlines” is a work of fiction by Robert Hilliard. The story in this book traverses happenings in North America, Great Britain, Germany, and Israel. In America, Bentley Wellington is a two-time governor of Kentucky and an alcoholic. One day…

View On WordPress

#Bloodlines #Book Review #Outskirts Press Inc. #Pedigree & Progeny #Reader Views #Robert A. Hilliard

[hamptonbenton80]

Coffee Travel Mug - Secret Savior Of Contemporary Road Warrior (What You Must Know)

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#Top Long An AZ #Long An

[bakerstreetbabble]

Book Review: Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle

Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle by Carl L. Heifetz is a lighthearted bit of crossover fan-fiction that may well appeal to both Sherlock Holmes fans and Star Trek fans. For me, as a fan of both, it was an enjoyable read.  The plot was a bit confusing sometimes, as some of the interdimensional time travel aspect of the story lost me, but the various references to the Holmes canon, Star Trek, and even Battlestar Galactica, made it a largely entertaining experience.  

Without giving away to much of the plot, Commander Verner of the starship Clipper (who seems to be based both on Holmes and Spock) has come in possession of a blue carbuncle which once figured in a case solved by his ancestor, a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes. The carbuncle becomes the center of an adventure that will take the Clipper "where no man has gone before."  Along the way we meet a variety of characters who are reminiscent of characters from a popular late-60s science fiction program.

There are a couple scenes of a sexual nature that I didn't care for, not because I was offended, but rather because I found them a bit silly and puerile.  But the various references to the source material mentioned above made me chuckle out loud several times. It was clear that the story, which is a very quick read (the paperback edition is only 48 pages long), was a labor of love from a creative fan of Sherlock Holmes and science fiction.  As far as fan-fic goes, I think it was an admirable example of the genre, and full of creativity and humor.

Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle is available at Amazon in paperback, and at Outskirts Press as an ebook (which is where I got my copy).

#Book review #Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle #Carl L. Heifetz

[swldx]

Voice of America 0329 15 Jan 2023

6080Khz 0259 15 JAN 2023 - VOICE OF AMERICA (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) in ENGLISH from PINHEIRA. SINPO = 55333. English, @0259z dead carrier s/on. @0300z “News via remote” read by female announcer. As California braces for another series of atmospheric rivers following several deadly storms that have already pummeled parts of the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested President Joe Biden approve a Major Disaster Declaration. The leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Administrator Deanne Criswell said Friday the agency was reviewing the request as quickly as possible to help the President make that determination. President Joe Biden will travel to Atlanta on Sunday to speak at Ebenezer Baptist Church, home to a political ally in the US Senate and the place where Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Biden’s Jan. 15 visit will come on the eve of Martin Luther King Day, the holiday commemorating the birthday of the Black civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. The church’s senior pastor now is Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, whose election victory against former NFL star Herschel Walker in December cemented Democratic control of the Senate until at least 2024. Militants shot and killed three police officers on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Peshawar, authorities said, the latest violence in the restive northwestern region bordering Afghanistan. Retired general Petr Pavel scored a narrow win over billionaire former premier Andrej Babis in the first round of the Czech presidential election Saturday, securing a solid base for a runoff in two weeks, nearly complete results showed. The post does not carry executive authority but has significant powers in appointing prime ministers, central bank chiefs and nominating judges for the constitutional court. Presidents also have a limited say in foreign affairs and are chief army commanders. Authorities in Somalia say they have seized a weapons cache allegedly buried by al-Shabab militants at a house in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, during a joint operation. China reported Saturday nearly 60,000 deaths in people who had COVID-19 since early December following complaints it was failing to release data, and said the “emergency peak" of its latest surge appears to have passed. The toll included 5,503 deaths due to respiratory failure caused by COVID-19 and 54,435 fatalities from other ailments combined with COVID-19 since Dec. 8, the National Health Commission announced. It said those “deaths related to COVID” occurred in hospitals, which left open the possibility more people also might have died at home. Thousands of protesters marched Saturday against Tunisian President Kais Saied's seizure of near total power in central Tunis, demanding he step down as they marked the anniversary of a key date in the 2011 revolution that brought democracy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to visit the United Nations (UN) to address a high-level meeting of the 193-member General Assembly on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia's February 24 offensive, a senior foreign official from Ukraine's foreign ministry told news agency Associated Press on Friday (January 13). Ukraine's first deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova said that President Zelensky would want to come to the UN, adding he has a will or intention to come. “But it’s still a question if there will be a security situation that will allow him (Zelensky) to come, Dzhaparova added. @0305z "Issues in the News" begins. MLA 30 amplified loop (powered w/8 AA rechargeable batteries ~10.8vdc), Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 138°, bearing 82°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 10777KM from transmitter at Pinheira. Local time: 2059.

[snaurus]

THE START - COMING 08/05/22!

It's almost time, everyone! Tomorrow - Friday, August 5th, 2022 - I will begin uploading The Start, 1.2 of my The Timeline (Jedi-Mando AU) series. It'll be starring Din's POV, with scenes exclusive to his side of the story, new characters, and idk at least 70% more Mandalorian content.

As a little pre-celebratory treat, I've included a short excerpt from the first chapter below the cut! For continued updates, including a notice for when the whole story goes live, please stay tuned here, on my twitter, or subscribe to the series on my AO3.

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The monitors flipped between one view outside the M-64 and another, the security feed unchanged since Din last looked. That came as no surprise. This sector, located on the outskirts of Mandalorian controlled space, was slow going. There wasn't a whole lot out this way that was worth fighting for. Just some dust balls big enough to be classified as moons and uninhabited planets whose resources were drained before Din was born.

He suspected this quadrant was kept more for the sheer principle of it, rather than anything worthwhile. The 64th Division, his unit, seemed to be posted here for training and honing purposes rather than actual combat. None of them had seen action since a gang of marauders tried to coast in several rotations ago. Din still took his responsibilities seriously, even if he was one of the few that did.

Those who were less fortunate that didn't, or couldn't, make it into the Academy on Mandalore tended to find themselves drafted into the Fighting Corps. Foundlings like Din. He'd accepted his fate. Being stationed here allowed him to honor those who'd saved him and contribute to the greater good.

The automatic doors slid open behind him, permitting Paz Vizsla onto the bridge. He was the first individual to access this part of the ship in hours, when the sleep rotation went into effect. This shift was, somehow, quieter than most, with less hands on deck.

"Status report," Paz ordered, forgoing a formal greeting. He leaned over the back of Din's chair, his bulk causing the headrest to sag.

"All clear. Same as earlier. And yesterday," Din droned.

He grunted and took the seat beside Din. Paz tapped away at the keys, bringing up some reports and reviewing them. They fell into silence. It wasn't awkward, but neither was it relaxed.

Paz was aloof, even by Mandalorian standards, with most every member of the 6-4. But with Din he was tolerant at best and confrontational at worst. Ever since Din had reached the rank of an Elite Hunter-Class fighter, a feat he accomplished faster than anyone else in his squad, most of their exchanges ended with them butting heads.

Din was uncertain why someone of Paz's caliber was even here. The armor he wore was painted the bright blue of someone right off Mandalore and his surname was that of the reigning house. Yet, he was in the furthest recesses of their territory without stepping directly outside of it. If Paz wished to make an impact or stand out, then his chances were slim in a group of this scale, so far from major military operations.

A sharp whine startled them both. An open channel with top clearance came through, lighting up the terminal in front of Din with a distress signal. Paz angled his chair so he could press forward with Din to read the signature attached. As soon as he saw it, Paz bolted out of his seat and snapped, "Put it on the large 'proj. Now!"

#my writing #snarechan's writing #the timeline (jedi mando au) #NOTICES #PREVIEW