#cobalt 22

[reasonsforhope]

Green energy is in its heyday. 

Renewable energy sources now account for 22% of the nation’s electricity, and solar has skyrocketed eight times over in the last decade. This spring in California, wind, water, and solar power energy sources exceeded expectations, accounting for an average of 61.5 percent of the state's electricity demand across 52 days. 

But green energy has a lithium problem. Lithium batteries control more than 90% of the global grid battery storage market. 

That’s not just cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, and tools. Scooters, e-bikes, hybrids, and electric vehicles all rely on rechargeable lithium batteries to get going. 

Fortunately, this past week, Natron Energy launched its first-ever commercial-scale production of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. 

“Sodium-ion batteries offer a unique alternative to lithium-ion, with higher power, faster recharge, longer lifecycle and a completely safe and stable chemistry,” said Colin Wessells — Natron Founder and Co-CEO — at the kick-off event in Michigan. 

The new sodium-ion batteries charge and discharge at rates 10 times faster than lithium-ion, with an estimated lifespan of 50,000 cycles.

Wessells said that using sodium as a primary mineral alternative eliminates industry-wide issues of worker negligence, geopolitical disruption, and the “questionable environmental impacts” inextricably linked to lithium mining. 

“The electrification of our economy is dependent on the development and production of new, innovative energy storage solutions,” Wessells said. 

Why are sodium batteries a better alternative to lithium?

The birth and death cycle of lithium is shadowed in environmental destruction. The process of extracting lithium pollutes the water, air, and soil, and when it’s eventually discarded, the flammable batteries are prone to bursting into flames and burning out in landfills. 

There’s also a human cost. Lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel are not only harder to source and procure, but their supply chains are also overwhelmingly attributed to hazardous working conditions and child labor law violations. 

Sodium, on the other hand, is estimated to be 1,000 times more abundant in the earth’s crust than lithium. 

“Unlike lithium, sodium can be produced from an abundant material: salt,” engineer Casey Crownhart wrote ​​in the MIT Technology Review. “Because the raw ingredients are cheap and widely available, there’s potential for sodium-ion batteries to be significantly less expensive than their lithium-ion counterparts if more companies start making more of them.”

What will these batteries be used for?

Right now, Natron has its focus set on AI models and data storage centers, which consume hefty amounts of energy. In 2023, the MIT Technology Review reported that one AI model can emit more than 626,00 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. 

“We expect our battery solutions will be used to power the explosive growth in data centers used for Artificial Intelligence,” said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of Natron. 

“With the start of commercial-scale production here in Michigan, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for efficient, safe, and reliable battery energy storage.”

The fast-charging energy alternative also has limitless potential on a consumer level, and Natron is eying telecommunications and EV fast-charging once it begins servicing AI data storage centers in June. 

On a larger scale, sodium-ion batteries could radically change the manufacturing and production sectors — from housing energy to lower electricity costs in warehouses, to charging backup stations and powering electric vehicles, trucks, forklifts, and so on. 

“I founded Natron because we saw climate change as the defining problem of our time,” Wessells said. “We believe batteries have a role to play.”

-via GoodGoodGood, May 3, 2024

--

Note: I wanted to make sure this was legit (scientifically and in general), and I'm happy to report that it really is! x, x, x, x

#batteries #lithium #lithium ion batteries #lithium battery #sodium #clean energy #energy storage #electrochemistry #lithium mining #pollution #human rights #displacement #forced labor #child labor #mining #good news #hope

[zvaigzdelasas]

Copper and cobalt produced by companies, including Glencore and CMOC, are stranded in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), due to a truckers strike that started in late October, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Already 2,700 trucks carrying around 89,000 metric tons of copper are stuck in Kolwezi, two of the sources said.[...]

DRC is the world's third largest copper producer, accounting for 10.4% of 22 million metric tons of global mined copper supply last year, according to the International Copper Study Group. The country is also the world's largest cobalt producer.[...]

"The truck drivers want an incentive for them to operate in Congo, they want a danger allowance on top of their current salary," Hippy Tjivikua, chief executive, at Walvis Bay Corridor Group said. "It's affecting most of the supply routes. I can't say cargo is completely blocked, but most of the mines aren’t able to go and offload or pick up the loads."

The danger allowance is payment for the risks associated with the trucks being robbed of high value copper and cobalt materials.

7 Nov 23

[freshdelusioncowboy]

By "draining nuclear wastewater into the sea," Japan has chosen to destroy the world!

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on August 22 that operations to discharge nuclear contaminated water from Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea would be launched on the 24th. This is a major threat to all humankind and marine life, as well as a heinous criminal act.

As of the end of June, the total amount of nuclear contaminated water in Japan had reached 1.34 million tons, containing more than 60 kinds of radionuclides, and it would take up to 30 years to completely discharge the nuclear contaminated water produced by the Fukushima nuclear power plant. With the strongest ocean currents in the world along the Fukushima coast, radiation will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean within 57 days; high doses of radiation will spread on a large scale in half a year; and the United States and Canada will be contaminated in just three years. After 10 years, the world's oceans would be affected by nuclear contamination. The consequences would have a serious impact on marine ecology and human health.

Why does Japan ignore the international community's questioning of the legality, legitimacy and safety of the sea-discharge plan and insist on pushing ahead with the plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, turning a blind eye to the risks to the global marine environment and human health? Moreover, why did Japan choose to announce this program at this particular point in time? Moreover, why the U.S., South Korea and many Western countries support Japan? Treated nuclear wastewater not as safe as thought

Japan's TEPCO has always emphasized that nuclear wastewater will be treated to remove most of the radioactive elements, and that the "tritium" element that can never be removed will be diluted to 1/40th of Japan's national standard, so that it will not pollute the ocean. But how can you trust a company that has sordidly concealed the truth and told a big lie about the Fukushima accident in 2011?

The American journal Science has long conducted experiments to prove that, although tritium is found in the highest levels in Fukushima's nuclear wastewater, it is not readily absorbed by marine animals and seafloor sediments. Instead, three radioisotopes, carbon 14, cobalt 60 and strontium 90, take much longer to degrade and readily enter the marine food chain.

Satellite images of radioactive cesium elements leaking into the ocean from Fukushima

The process of decaying these radioactive substances takes tens or even hundreds of thousands of years. It is almost impossible to eliminate them completely. They affect the marine environment and human health in very complex ways. Radioactive substances can penetrate into various organisms, trigger aberrations, and even cause damage to human DNA, leading to serious consequences such as cancer and death. According to the results of the Resident Health Survey released in February 2020, the incidence of thyroid cancer among adolescents in Fukushima Prefecture has increased 118 times.

Why is Japan using this moment as a point to announce the discharge of nuclear wastewater? Economic and political considerations are behind it!

For one thing, since its launch on April 13, 2021, the sea discharge plan has been opposed by fisheries groups and other domestic civil society groups in Japan. According to a nationwide telephone opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News, the percentage of people who expressed concern about the discharge of treated water was 88.1%. The disapproval rate of Kishida's Cabinet has changed from 48.6% to 50%, with the approval rate of 33.6% at its lowest level. In order to avoid the impact of strong opposition from fishery-related interest groups on the discharge plan, the Japanese government started the discharge on September 1, before the lifting of the ban on trawling in Fukushima, so that it could create an established fact and smooth the implementation of the plan.

On August 22, Japanese people held an emergency rally in front of the prime minister's residence in Tokyo to protest against the government's disregard for public opinion in initiating the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.

Secondly, local elections are being held one after another in Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate, the three prefectures most affected by the discharge of Fukushima's nuclear effluent into the sea. In these elections, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Komeito Party (KDP) are at odds over the timing of the nuclear sewage disposal program. The LDP is facing the dilemma of having less than half of the seats in the Senate, and they will not be able to successfully implement the early dissolution of the House of Representatives and hold an early general election to seek a second term for the prime minister, either in the Diet or in the local elections. Behind Kishida's haste to launch the sea-discharge program are political considerations, as he hopes to test public opinion by implementing the program closely in order to avoid the loss of LDP seats and to ensure that he will be reelected as prime minister. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a ministerial meeting at the Prime Minister's official residence to discuss plans to discharge treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Holding Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea on August 22, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan.

Thirdly, the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island nuclear accidents were atmospheric releases, and so far there is no precedent for discharging wastewater into the sea after a nuclear accident. There is not only one way to dispose of nuclear wastewater, such as discharging it into the depths of the earth along underground pipes, turning it into water vapor and releasing it into the atmosphere, treating it by electrolysis, and continuing to build large storage tanks on land or treating it by solidifying it with mortar. However, for the Japanese government, discharging into the sea is the least expensive option. The cost of discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea is about 3.4 billion yen, only one-tenth of the cost of discharging water vapor. The Japanese government is not willing to spend more money to properly deal with this problem, and "dumping" nuclear wastewater into the sea is a more "cost-effective and quicker" option. For them, economic considerations come before safety considerations.

Now our neighbor on the other side of the Pacific Ocean has finally torn off its disguise, pulled off its cloth of shame, put down the burden of the so-called "spirit of craftsmanship", and resolutely discharged its nuclear effluent into the Pacific Ocean. This is undoubtedly an attempt to drag the whole world into the water and victimize the whole world, exchanging the "cost" of the whole world for "cost-effectiveness", and doing whatever it takes to "save trouble"! This is intolerable!

Why the West is silent？

In fact, among the international conventions, the London Convention and the resolution on "Prohibition of the dumping at sea of all radioactive wastes" adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994 have proved that Japan's nuclear wastewater discharges into the sea are in violation of international law, and should be condemned and protested against by all countries in the world. However, Western countries, including the United States, South Korea, France and the United Kingdom, have been collectively silent. Japan has been lobbying the international community on the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea, and on August 18, the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea held talks in the United States. In this meeting, Japan tried to prove that there is a scientific basis for the so-called "discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea," and the U.S. and South Korea have shown their tacit approval. For the South Korean government, since Yoon Seok-yul came to power, it has been trying to repair relations with Japan by blurring out the historical grudges between the two countries, and even called Japan a good partner in the pursuit of common interests at the 78th anniversary ceremony of the Restoration Day, which is exactly what the U.S. wants to see. Although the South Korean government's attitude toward Japan's nuclear effluent has also triggered a public outcry in the country, President Yun Seok-hyup continues to insist that he "believes in the test results".

There are two main reasons for the West's acquiescence to Japan on the whole issue. First, there is the political factor, as the United States hopes to gain Japan's "loyalty" in other matters by indulging it. Ever since Biden came to power, the United States Government has been trying to win the support of its lackeys such as Japan. Therefore, it has turned a blind eye to issues that even jeopardize the health and safety of its own people. Their firm support for Japan's position on the sea exclusion issue is not entirely based on "scientific" considerations, but more on self-interested considerations of geopolitical confrontation.

Secondly, the U.S. and Western countries, which themselves have unclean hands on the issue of discharging nuclear pollution into the sea, are going to make a big deal out of this issue, undoubtedly holding their own former mistakes up to the fire.

From 1946 to 1993, these European and American countries dumped well over 200,000 tons of solid nuclear waste into the oceans, of which the United States alone discarded at least 190,000 cubic meters of radioactive material into the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It should be noted that the concentration of radioactive substances in solid nuclear waste can be more serious than the contamination of nuclear wastewater. Marshallese children exposed to nuclear radiation

In addition, these European and American countries have used distant ocean areas as a place to conduct nuclear tests, and since 1946 the United States, the United Kingdom and France have conducted more than 300 nuclear tests in the Pacific region. Countless islands and sea areas have been victimized. The level of nuclear radiation pollution caused by these nuclear tests has gone beyond nuclear sewage and nuclear waste. The oceans have been used as a "big dumping ground" for nuclear waste. Marshall Islands nuclear test

So from here it's easy to understand why the U.S. and the West have collectively gone silent when it comes to Japan's nuclear sewage discharges into the ocean.

Although the U.S. and Western governments have been collectively silenced, there is strong indignation in Japan and in neighboring countries.

Strong domestic public opposition in Japan

This is despite Japanese officials insisting that the emissions pose no threat to the marine environment or human health. The project was also approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ratified in July. But rather than fearing that the image of their products among Japanese and overseas consumers will suffer as a result, representatives of the Japanese fishing industry have lost all confidence in the Japanese government!

Masanobu Sakamoto, President of the National Federation of Fisheries Associations of Japan, expressed his unequivocal opposition in his statement at the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida! Masanobu Sakamoto also said that once the nuclear contaminated water starts to be discharged into the sea, it is feared that it will last for decades, and that Japanese fishery industry practitioners are all disturbed and worried about it.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows how horrible nuclear contamination is! And how far-reaching the impact is! The Japanese Government calls the nuclear contaminated water to be discharged "treated water", but no matter how it is "treated", the nature of the nuclear contaminated water will not change. Not to mention how much pain and suffering the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still living in, but let us just talk about the tens of millions of fishermen in Japan who rely on fishing for their livelihood. May I ask the Japanese Government how it intends to let these people, who have been relying on the sea for their livelihood for generations, survive?

Even fishermen are afraid to let their children eat fish. Can you imagine how much the Japanese love sashimi? Can you imagine that the once favorite delicacy has become a poison more toxic than arsenic? Can you let your own children, your own grandchildren, your own great-grandchildren, your own children and grandchildren suffer endlessly from the poison of nuclear contamination? Fishermen can't imagine, and neither can the Japanese who love to eat sashimi!

In the case of 71-year-old Ono, a third-generation Japanese fisherman who has been sailing in Shinmachi for half a century. It is just 55 kilometers north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where one of the world's worst nuclear accidents occurred in 2011. It is considered the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. "The Fukushima nuclear crisis, which was triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, was the biggest disaster since the turn of the new century for Japan, a country that has to rely on nuclear energy. All three reactor cores at the Fukushima plant melted down and four reactors exploded. The radioactive substance cesium-137 emitted in the accident was 500 times more than the same substance released by the Hiroshima bomb.

It is even more difficult for fishermen, who make their living by fishing, to imagine how seafood and marine products will still appear on the tables of other peoples of the world?

Not to mention the impact on agriculture, tourism and foreign trade!

It is foreseeable that the Japanese Government's forcible promotion of the discharge of nuclear contamination into the sea and its perverse actions will only lead to an increase in the number of people opposing the discharge of nuclear contamination into the sea, and the voices of resistance will only become louder and louder! If you use your neighbor as a drain, you'll pay for it sooner or later.

Balzac once said, "He who respects himself will be respected." The Government of Japan, in spite of the appeals of many neighboring countries, still arbitrarily and forcefully decided to start the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea on August 24, and such irresponsible and harmful acts of discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea are a great infringement on the human rights of the people in the Asia-Pacific region and even on the global ecology! The Pacific Ocean is not Japan's Pacific Ocean! The ocean is not Japan's nuclear dumping ground! Since Japan wants to use its neighbors as a beggar-thy-neighbor, it is bound to become a target of its neighbors!

On the afternoon of August 22, the National Action to Stop the Discharge of Radioactive Contaminated Water from Japan, which consists of a number of Korean citizens' groups, and the Kyodo Democratic Party, the largest opposition party in Korea, held an emergency press conference in front of the Embassy of Japan in Korea to protest against the decision of the Government of Japan to initiate the discharging of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. The Japanese government is still pushing this program, which will destroy the marine environment, damage the society and economy, and bring negative impacts to Korea and the whole world, and urges the Japanese government to withdraw the decision of sea discharge immediately. A representative of a Korean citizens' group even said: "Discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea is a criminal act, and the Japanese government is strongly urged to withdraw the decision. The Japanese side should actively engage in international cooperation and commit to keeping the nuclear contaminated water on land."

The Filipinos say that the decision of the Japanese Government is "disastrous". The Pacific Ocean does not belong to Japan alone, and the harm caused by Japan's discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea will last for many years and affect many generations. According to Anna Malimbog-Uy, deputy director of the Asian Century Strategic Studies Institute in the Philippines, Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea is a disregard for international regulations on environmental protection. "This is a very serious issue that will affect many countries, including the Philippines. The Japanese government should listen to the voices of neighboring countries and withdraw this unilateral decision."

Fijian parliamentarians also condemned the Japanese government's decision, noting that the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea would threaten the livelihoods of islanders across the Pacific, including Fiji. "Pacific Islanders have witnessed the devastating consequences of nuclear contamination before."

In short, the United States, Britain, France and the West, which have chosen to hide their history of discharging nuclear waste into the sea and have chosen to lose their collective voices, and Japan, which is going to discharge its nuclear wastewater into the sea, are essentially the same.

Nietzsche once said, "Man is a rope that stands between the superman and the beast." Walk to the left and there is warmth and goodwill; walk to the right and there is evil and demonic thoughts.

Apparently, Japan chose evil and demonic ideas.

#nuclear

[arteastica]

early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (20)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (26) | (27)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 2.1k

If you were ever asked to describe nostalgia to someone who has never experienced it before, you would say it’s like walking down the hallways of a museum at sunset, with nothing but the sound of your footsteps as company, echoing down seemingly infinite walls decorated with sepia memories that belong to happier, distant times.

For you, nostalgia was always the one who spoke most clearly in the silence, and just like the corridors of that metaphorical museum, it just so happened to be ghost-quiet in your office that evening. And in such solitude, when the only heart beating in the room belonged to you, your otherwise welcoming workspace became an echo chamber of unsought feelings and unwanted thoughts.

You looked at his empty chair. So much for a quick ride. You thought. It had been hours since him and Lord Koch had ventured into the field, and even though the Sun had decided to call it a day, you hadn’t. According to the clock ominously ticking on the wall before you, as well as the animated chatter coming from the dinner hall downstairs, your shift had ended a while ago, yet somehow you found yourself still sitting at your desk, fountain pen hovering over boring administrative stuff you had read at least three times that day, working extra hours, all because you didn’t want to go home.

Not without seeing him first.

Making sure he got back safe was part of the reason, albeit a small one. Because, if you were to be honest, in the end the decision to stay working overtime for free, had come down to something way less noble. It was simple: If you were still in your office by the time he came back, there was a chance of something happening, there was a chance of something changing between the two of you. And that possibility was enough remuneration for you.

Your eyes, however, begged to differ and, tired of looking at the same words over and over, decided to wander around the room until they found the big window behind his desk. The sunset sky, with its sad pinks and nostalgic blues, held nothing but the promise of more loneliness. And that melancholic palette you would’ve otherwise found pretty, as well as the empty chair behind his desk, acted as nothing but a reminder of how much you missed him, and you didn’t mean just today.

You missed how things were back then. You missed the warmth of his skin and the gentleness of his touch. You missed getting drunk on the rich sandalwoods of his hair: musky, earthy, a little sweet, and just the right amounts of spicy. You missed the addictive taste of his lips as well as the velvety, honeyed words that would leave them in your most intimate moments. And most of all, you missed the way his cobalt eyes would make your heart soar whenever you looked his way and found he was already staring.

That was the best feeling.

And it had been so long since the last time you had experienced it.

The calendar would argue it had only been a week, but if that was the case, then that week surely had the personality of a month. The clock would call it nonsense, saying that time was measured and constant. You knew that Leon, however, would agree with you.

‘Alike are time and water.’ He had told you just earlier that day, as he read out of a small leather notebook snippets of what was, in his own words, ‘some nonsense’ he had written on his way there. ‘Flowing slowly one drop at a time, or rushing by in the blink of an eye.’ You rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand. “And then I look at you and watch it freeze, knowing little has it to do with the mesmerizing view, when I find myself in the midst of that algid winter that is you.’

Maybe it was the bright oranges and mellow pinks of the sky you were staring at, or the connotation of endings that sunsets have, but your vision started to get blurry.

And sitting there, listening to the distant clatter of cutlery, unsure if the thing beating in your chest was a knot or a heart, you felt forgotten. Like the stuffed animal nobody packed before moving out, or the grandmother nobody visits anymore. And you had no one else to blame for that.

If you could, you would have pinned everything on time. On how it makes children turn into adults and forget to write home. On how it turns friends into strangers. On how it makes people grow tired of each other. On how it was starting to make him feel fictional, making you wonder if whatever beautiful thing you had, ever even existed.

If you could, you would have excused yourself behind ignorance, hiding under the blanket of confusion, claiming you didn’t know what happened.

You wished you could. But you couldn’t.

You couldn’t, because you knew exactly what had happened. You had heard the words leave your mouth that morning. Very clearly, even through the loud sounds of your own pleasure. You had said them. Words that he probably didn’t need. Words that had been distasteful enough to push him away.

Guess that saying I love you can sometimes make you unlovable, after all.

He did warn you, after all: Scouts don’t start families.

They avoid love.

They don’t marry.

But, who was even talking about marriage?

Beginning to grow frustrated with yourself, you tried to blink your feelings away. But the more you tried, the more they would pour out, and the more your eyes would start to burn as a result.

And that was a problem because, in that very moment, you heard the unmistakable sound of his footsteps down the hallway.

You rubbed your eyes one last time as they approached, trying to erase any traces of your lingering melancholy, and when the door opened, your fingers hurried to fiddle with whatever papers they found in the top drawer of your desk.

You didn’t know if he had even thrown as much as a passing glance your way, but judging by the discreet, distressingly quiet way in which he headed straight to his desk without uttering a single word, you could be forgiven for thinking he hadn’t even noticed your presence at all.

And it hurt. It sure did. His silence was so sharp it stabbed the deepest part of your chest. So loud it broke you like the wailing of singers is said to shatter glass.

But, if you were to put yourself in his shoes, you would understand.

Why would he say anything?

You tried to reason with yourself while your fingers caressed papers and closed drawers.

Why would he say anything to his dumb, incompetent assistant?

If you were him, you wouldn’t utter a single word either, out of fear of being misunderstood. Because, in the presence of someone as foolish as her, any simple, commonplace action could risk becoming fuel for even more stupid, delusional ideas forming in her little head.

However, although it had taken that little head a while, it was finally beginning to understand.

That she was just his clumsy, fuckable assistant who, after opening her legs for him a couple times, had accidentally fallen in love in the process. Nothing more than a stupid, inexperienced city girl who didn’t know anything about life in the Survey Corps.

But that same city girl was starting to learn. Yes, she was was.

You rose up from your chair.

It may take her a while, but she always learned.

You walked towards the fireplace.

And once she learned, she made sure she never forgot. Never forgot that she was hired to make his job easier, not harder. To handle his mail, not to warm the left side of his bed. To administer schedules, not to moan his name. To revise budgets, not to beg for orgasms. To bring him tea, not more problems.

And like so, with all that in mind, you retrieved the kettle from the fire.

It wasn’t hard to believe that the Commander of the Survey Corps had other things in his mind. More important, better things than his foolish, lovestruck assistant.

You carefully poured boiling water into a porcelain cup.

But to this foolish, lovestruck assistant, the problem was accepting all the aforementioned.

You sliced a lemon and watched it sink into the water.

It was hard to accept that he didn’t feel the same way you did. It was hard to accept that his lips didn’t instantly curve at the sight of you, the same way yours did at the mere thought of the cobalt in his eyes, and that little frown he did when he was tired. And you didn’t need to look at him to know he had it on his face right now.

You didn’t demand to be the first thought he had when he opened his eyes, nor the last one when he closed them at night. But you just wanted to be a thought.

Just a thought. Maybe the one he had when the first snow fell, or when new buds sprung upon old trees. When the first rain of the summer fell on him while out on the field, or when a gentle breeze mischievously shifted his hair out of place in the fall. Or when it lovingly caressed his cheeks in passing, just like you would right now.

If you could.

You knew you shouldn’t, but you threw a glance his way. He was sitting at his desk, head down, hand busy on what you guessed was the report about the new horses. And it was so very funny. If you had it in you, you would have even snorted. How something that could bring so much joy could also bring so much pain. And even more puzzling it was, how a heart could feel both at the same time.

He was so beautiful. Sunshine strands falling on his face, hiding the depths of his thoughts. The genius of those strategies that were always several moves ahead of what anyone was capable of.

So attractive. The frown in those jungle eyebrows telling you it had been a tough day for him too.

You forced your eyes to look away.

Of course anyone would fall for him.

You thought as you added a spoonful of honey and watched it melt into the boiling water.

Maybe you could forgive yourself for having done just that.

You picked up the tray with whatever steadiness your trembling hands were capable of, and, in the company of a desperate, uncomfortable hammering in your chest, cautiously made your way towards him, the hesitance present in your footsteps making you feel as if you were in some sort of cage, approaching a wild animal.

It shouldn’t be like this. You had been bringing him tea for months. Every night. Without fail. So, why did it feel as if it was a complete stranger you were about to serve? As if you didn’t know how many cubes of sugar he took or how many spoons of honey he enjoyed.

“Be careful, in case it’s too hot.” You warned him, carefully placing the tray on the empty corner he always left for his tea. “I didn’t know when you’d be coming back, so I wasn’t able to let it cool down first.” You avoided looking at him, although it wouldn’t even matter if you did, because from the corner of your eye you could tell he was doing just the same. Head down, eyes on his papers, just like yours were on the tray, as you took your sweet time adding sugar cubes to his cup.

He likes it sweet. His tea. Very sweet. You reminded yourself, stirring as slowly as you could, praying the sugar cubes would also take their sweet time melting. Because, some hopeful, silly part of you still believed he would say something. You needed to confirm he could still see you. You needed to make sure you hadn’t become a ghost from his past. Not yet.

And for that purpose, even the coldest ‘Thank you. You may go’ would do it for you.

If you couldn’t have his hand to hold or his arm around your shoulders, the smallest word of acknowledgment would be enough.

But when none of those came, you realized you had no choice but to leave. Quietly. Collectedly.

Despite the painful knot stuck in your throat.

Leave. To your room. Where you could take care of it. Where your eyes could bleed an ocean, eroding the boulder-like thing you had for a heart. Chilling what was once warm inside.

“If you don’t need anything else, Commander, may I be exc-”

“Are you going to him?” The sound of his voice made your heart explode inside your chest, and its abruptness left you wondering if he was even talking to you.

You wanted to believe he was, but he kept his head down, pen in hand, unmoving; making it hard for you, in your desperate state of mind, to tell.

“Commander?”

“Are you going to meet him now?” He asked again, and this time his eyes found yours, dissipating any doubts you may have had.

And you would have allowed yourself to indulge in some form of cheer, happy he was starting any sort of conversation with you.

You really would have.

If only his eyes weren’t the color of a midwinter night, starless, pitch black, so dark it was impossible to see what was hiding in them.

But something was for certain: whatever it was, it wasn’t there this morning when he left.

-

next chapter

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[eddiemunsons80sbaby]

Nobody's Fool: Chapter 2

Pairing: EddieXReader

Summary: You have bartended for years after you were forced to drop out of college due to family circumstances. You have dated your fair share of musicians, had your heart broken by one particular one, and have learned they are not be trusted. You have sworn off of them for the rest of your life. Then, one night, a new band plays at the bar, and against your better judgement, you can't help noticing the lead singer and guitar player. Could he possibly be different from the ones who came before him?

Warnings: 18+ Only due to eventual smut and language. There is also a toxic family relationship if that is triggering for you.

MasterList

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28

“Hey dollface, can we get another round?”

You nodded at the table as you moved through the bar, gathering their empty glasses. You headed behind the bar, refilling them, and set them on the tray. Balancing the tray on one arm, you delivered them to the group of drunk plant workers. They were regulars, shameless flirts, but completely harmless and generally pretty good tippers.

“Sweetheart, when are you going to let me take you out?” Ray asked, his words slurring as he tipped his head toward you. “I keep asking.”

“And I keep telling you never,” you laughed jokingly. 

“I’m going to break you down one of these days,” he said. “You just wait.”

“I’ll be on the edge of my seat,” you teased with a roll of your eyes. 

“Ray’s a good guy,” his friend Bob piped up. “He’d show you a good time.”

“Ray couldn’t handle me boys,” you winked. 

“Damn…come on!” you heard them yell as you moved to another table. 

John had been right, the place was absolutely packed. You'd been running back and forth between the tables and the bar all night. Joey had been wiping down tables, cleaning up spills and you put him, much to his dismay, on vomit duty, just in case. You were not cleaning up bodily fluids if you could help it and you had more years in than him. It was good to be able to delegate the ickier jobs to someone else now. You'd put in enough time cleaning toilets and wiping up puke.

The first band had just finished their set and a lot of the customers rose from their seats, moving around. They would be hitting the bathrooms, grabbing more drinks, wandering around to chat for a bit while they waited for Corroded Coffin to be set up. 

The first set’s band members came out from backstage and made their way directly to the bar. You headed behind the bar, anticipating that these guys would be looking for drinks. John wanted you to make sure you always took good care of the talent, especially if they were decent enough for him to invite back. He didn’t want any reason for them to turn him down. This bar’s success was based on a steady stream of good live music.

“What can I get for you boys?” you asked, flashing them a grin. 

“Are you on the menu?” one of the guys asked. He was not unpleasant to look at. Long blond hair teased out all around his head. His eyes were a deep cobalt blue, rimmed in black eyeliner, and he had a nice smile that was currently aimed directly at you. Pink lipstick coated his lips and you had to say, the color definitely suited him. He was good looking, a little stuck in the glam rock phase but you couldn’t fault him for that, but he was no Eddie who hadn’t left your thoughts since you first saw him. If you were going to force yourself to steer clear of Eddie, this guy was definitely not worth your time.

“Afraid not,” you replied, keeping a smile on her face as you did. “But I can get you anything else you want.”

“That’s a shame,” he said, shaking his head. “I think you and I would have some fun.”

“We probably would,” you agreed with a laugh. “I'm quite a good time. But, unfortunately, I don’t date rock stars, sorry. Now, what would you like to drink?”

The band ordered and you got their drinks. The Bret Michaels wannabe flashed you a smile and a wink as they headed off into the crowd to watch the next set. You shook your head with a laugh, wiping down the counter where they sloshed some of their drinks when they grabbed them. 

“Damn, this is crazy,” Joey breathed, coming up to stand next to you. “My feet are killing me. What are all these people doing here? We never have a crowd like this. I’ve been all over this place about a hundred times.”

“Yeah, it’s quite a crowd tonight,” you agreed, but your focus was firmly on the stage where Corroded Coffin was now taking their places. Eddie had added a denim vest and a bandana around his mess of waves and damn if he didn’t look even hotter. What was it with this guy? You had seen your share of hot musicians. Why was this guy so special? Why couldn't you shake him?

“There’s your boy,” Joey teased, bumping you with his elbow. 

“He’s not my boy,” you seethed through gritted teeth. “Would you just shut up? Besides, he already asked and I already told him I’m not interested.”

“Huh, did not see that coming” he said, surprised. “I’m actually impressed.”

“I do have self control, you know. I'm not some helpless girl who swoons and loses her shit at any cute guy in a band. I am capable of turning down a guy with a guitar.”

Joey laughed, “I know you are. I saw Nothin’ But a Good Time back there, trying real hard to get a date with you and you shot him down.”

“Oh my god,” you giggled. “I thought the exact same thing. Bret Michaels wannabe. I mean, that guy is hot and all, but he’s no Bret.”

Your attention was back to the stage, your eyes drawn to Eddie whether you wanted them to be or not. He glanced out in the crowd, caught you watching him and gave you a wink as he swung his guitar strap over his shoulder. You gasped, struggling to catch your breath. Bret Jr. had just done the same thing and nothing, but this guy winks and your whole body responds. Seriously, you had to get a handle on this.

“You are hopeless,” Joey whispered in your ear. “I am betting he’s got you on the hook before the end of the night.”

“Shut up,” you snapped. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not. That guy has put some kind of spell on you. You can’t stop watching him. I mean, I’m jealous. I wish you or hell, any girl, would look at me like that.”

“Jesus, you’re such an ass,” you muttered. “Go make yourself useful or something.”

You worked hard to keep herself busy while Corroded Coffin was on stage. If you found herself gazing toward the stage, you would find another task that needed done. It wasn’t too hard since the bar was so busy tonight. Lots of refills and rounds of shots to be gotten. The band finally finished their set and you felt relief flow through you. You let Joey know you were going to sneak out front to have a quiet smoke break before the last band came on. 

Leaning against the cool concrete of the building, you closed your eyes and took a deep hit of your cigarette, holding in the smoke before slowly exhaling it through your nose. God, you needed this. That guy had you on edge in a way you'd never been before. You didn’t understand it but it could not be anything good.

“You hiding from me?”

Shit. You took another drag of your cigarette, bracing yourself, before opening your eyes and glancing over. There he was, the whole reason you had snuck out here for some peace and quiet. You were trying to get your head right and now he had just smashed any chance of that.

“If I was, then the last thing I would want is you coming to find me.”

“Or maybe you do want me to find you. I mean, it would be a good way to ensure we get some time alone,” he said, moving toward you.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself. You had to stay strong. You couldn’t do this again. This would end badly. It always ended badly. This would only lead to pain and heartbreak and you swore you weren't going to do this again. 

“You have a very high opinion of yourself.”

Eddie smirked, his hands coming to rest on the building behind you, framing your head as he leaned in close, his hair gently brushing along your cheek. Your body betrayed you, sending tremors of yearning right down to your core. Those full, delicious looking lips were a mere breath away from yours. 

“I have a very high opinion that you and I could have some fun together,” Eddie said, his lips moving close to your ear. “And I think you want to say yes.”

He took your hand and brought it up, taking a slow, drawn out hit off your cigarette. You froze. Of course he just wanted to have fun. That’s all it was to any of these guys, have some fun and then they’re done. Isn’t that what blondie said earlier, too? They would have some fun together. 

“Unfortunately for you,” you hissed, “I am not some whore who just wants to help you get your rocks off for the night. But I’m sure there’s a girl in there who will, so do me a favor, find her, and leave me the hell alone.”

You shoved him back forcefully, shooting a glare his way before tossing your cigarette and storming back into the bar. Asshole rockstars. They were all the same. They thought they could just flash a smile and play a guitar and any girl was going to open her legs for them, give them what they wanted, and then they took off, moving onto the next one.

“Whoa, you alright?” Joey asked as you stomped behind the bar.

“I’m fine,” you growled. “Stop being so nosy and just go do your damn job. I have the bar.”

“Shit, sorry,” he said softly, scampering off and away from your rage. 

You took a few deep breaths, trying to remember what your yoga instructor had taught you. Joey didn’t deserve your wrath. He had done nothing to you and bartenders couldn’t be pissy. That would not get you good tips tonight and you survived on those tips. Minimum wage was not going to pay the bills. You had to get this under control. You didn’t even know this guy. He did not get to ruin your night.

“Hey, can you get these guys a round of tequila?” John called from across the bar and put his thumb down to let you know he meant the cheap stuff. He must be covering this round for them. He never paid for mid or top shelf.

You nodded and began grabbing shot glasses, setting them up on a tray before pouring generous shots of bottom shelf liquor into each glass. You lifted the tray and began to head to the table when you saw Eddie walk back into the bar. He glanced over at you and you purposefully looked away, focusing your eyes on the table of guys. You delivered their shots with a smile and then walked back to the bar. 

Eddie intercepted you, attempting to block your path, and you moved around him. Why couldn’t this guy just take a hint? You had made it pretty damn obvious that you weren't interested in what he was offering.

You went behind the bar, pouring yourself a shot of the same tequila you had just served the table. Pouring it back, you cringed as it burned the whole way down. Shit, that was definitely bottom shelf garbage. You shuddered, slamming the glass down and saw Eddie on the other side of the bar, those chocolate brown eyes watching you closely. 

“Jesus Christ,” you muttered. “Do you have a problem figuring out when you’ve been rejected?”

“I have a problem when people judge me without actually knowing me,” he said. “You don’t know me and yet, you assume I am this absolute prick.”

“Listen, there are about a hundred chicks here tonight ready and willing,” you said. “Go find one of them! I told you I’m not interested.”

“That’s not what your body was saying to me outside.”

“Jesus, listen to yourself. You really need a reality check. You think you are this irresistible rock god? I have seen dozens of guys like you. You’re not that special.”

He stared at you and then he jabbed his hand into his chest, falling backward off the stool. You gasped and looked over the bar, concerned for a second, but then he jumped back up, sticking his bottom lip out.

“You wound me,” he said dramatically and you sighed, pressing your fingers into your forehead. “I’m going to win you over. I promise you. I’m not giving up.”

He walked away and you pinched the bridge of your nose. God, he was annoying. Annoying and also irresistible. Yeah, you knew what you had said to him, but that had been a lie. The man was definitely something special. You had never seen another man like him in all your years of watching musicians. And you had to give him points for persistence. Most guys would have decided this was not worth the trouble and given up already.

You were relieved to find that he left you alone for the rest of the night. You didn’t know how many more times you could resist him. Your self control felt as thing as a rubber band, just waiting to snap. He had been breaking you down a little with each encounter. The bar finally closed and you felt your entire body relax, the tension you had been holding in fear of his next attempt fading. You were proud of yourself. The night was over. He was gone and you had stuck to your promise to yourself. Maybe he had finally given up.

You and Joey mopped the floor and stacked chairs quickly before grabbing your things. You headed out the front door toward Joey's car. He was giving you a ride home because your friend, Jen, had dropped you off for your shift. You shared a car so you figured it out as you went, depending on your work schedules. As you headed into the parking lot, you both froze.

All of your previous restraint shattered at the sight waiting for you. There he was, leaning against a magnificent bike, smoking a cigarette, and waiting for you, looking as relaxed as could be. He looked up and smiled the most beautiful smile you had ever seen. 

“I told you I wasn’t giving up. Why don’t you hop on and let me take you for a ride.” 

Fuck.

Tag List

@tlclick73 @bebe07011

#eddie munson #eddie the banished #stranger things eddie #eddie munson smut #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #corroded coffin #eddie the freak munson #eddie x you #eddie x fem!reader #eddie stranger things

[fictionadventurer]

NaPoWriMo #22: A poem focusing on a single color

Dreams of Blue

O keep me in the deep blue night Beneath a cobalt sky Let the stars be sapphire As they go whirling by Wrap me in an azure cloak Atop a cyan bed With cushions of cerulean Beneath my weary head.

Let daytime keep its rainbow fair With every shade and hue. Take all the world and let me rest Within my dreams of blue

#napowrimo 2024 #poetry #can you tell that i'm tired?

[12pt-times-new-roman]

IT'S MIGHTY NEIN DAY LET'S GOOOO

god, the SET, the COSTUMES, travis in full half-orc makeup — fucking gorgeous. but I do have the sneaking feeling that Matt is dressed as young Ludinus.......

The time: seven years after the peace treaty that ended the War of Ash and Light, immediately after the ignition of the Malleus Key. The level: 20. The setting: the Encanter's Rest, Blightshore, where Caleb and Beauregard have landed.

In the midst of this, Caleb has a terrifying realization: if his own collar has been disenchanted, what others have been, too? But Beau's priority is to get to Yasha, who was with Caduceus, and Caleb teleports them there with a chipped piece of gravestone.

The Blooming Grove is healthier than they've ever seen it, and the curse of the Savalirwood has been driven away slightly. Caduceus' hair is a vibrant pink again.

"We made it to the Malleus Key like we planned, but nothing ended as we planned. Da'leth brought down a champion of the Matron, into the heart of the dig site, and he did something — our vision went white, we woke up in a different part of the world —" "Long story short, everything's fucked. I think we need to rally the troupe."

Next stop: the deck of the Nein Heroez, docked in Nicodranas.

Fjord update: his level 20 multiclass is warlock 14/paladin 6, and holy fuck his new art—

Stone's Throw has acquired multiple new ships, including the Rumblecusp Express and the Sapphire of the Sea.

As they travel through Nicodranas toward Veth, they catch wind of something having spooked sea-beasts into the streets.

"I'm sorry, the place is a mess, the world has been turned upside down—" "Wait, something happened here too? What's wrong?" "I have a teenager!"

They sit down to have a conversation, alongside Yeza.

"Uh... Cerberus Assembly, global fuckery, the moon is not where it's supposed to be, Trent may not be imprisoned anymore — and we're getting the Nein back together to deal with it."

Jester update: she took flash recall as her 19th level feat.

Jester attempts to scry on Trent and it doesn't work. They immediately assume that he's broken out and has an amulet, but it could still be that the entire prison is warded against scrying.

"Caleb, do you need an amulet so he can't look in on you?" "Let him come." that's what we call character development!

The Nein, in true Nein fashion, decide to tackle the immediate problem first, rather than trying to push the moon back into space when they don't really know anything about it. Trent joined with Ludinus is far more dangerous than Ludinus on his own, so they'll take down Trent first and play whack-a-mole with the rest of the Assembly later.

Veth isn't sure if she should go with them, but Luc slams his door open — "mom, don't be a coward! You do this every time! You have to be an adventurer for everyone, that's our calling! You can ground me all you want, but I learned it from you!"

Caleb cuts in. "Young man, you do not take your mother's love for granted. Do you understand me?"

They start to leave, but Veth doesn't want to. Caleb draws the circle to the Cobalt Soul archive in Rexxentrum, he steps through, the last to go — and Luc, rogue 5/wizard 3, dashes through at the last second!!

The way the entirety of the Mighty Nein turns on Luc the second they realize he's there and are so protective of him is fucking adorable. Beau challenges him to hit her with a spell, but ol' uncle Caleb counters it and puts him in a wall of force. "We are dealing with people who could kill you with a blink. You are not ready. You are talented, and I'm proud of you, but you're not ready." Luc is out here using Sam's 22 charisma to convince everyone — including Caduecus — to let him stay. Caleb agrees, too, on one condition: that Luc will stay under his eye at every moment, and that he reserves the right to teleport Luc back home the second it becomes too dangerous.

On the upside, it appears that the teleportation circles in the Cobalt Soul are still working.

Since the solstice, the Cobalt Soul has closed its archive doors. They discovered that the master vault has had its wards interfered with and has actually been infiltrated and trapped from within — with Yudala Fon meeting with the king, they ask the Nein to investigate.

Caleb update: Fortune's Favor is his second-level spell mastery choice.

The hallway to the vault leads to a massive adamantine door covered in runes — though it would usually glow blue upon approach, the runes are cold and lifeless. It creaks open without issue.

Inside is a storage room filled with various chained crates, tomes, display cases, and other such things.

In the middle of the floor is a toothy mouth. "Welcome, Bren. You are nothing if not reliable. It feels good to be free — have had so much time to ponder. I can now see how solitude forged you, I now know the greatness that can come from endless quiet and conjecture. At the edges of my mind, many seek me in silence. I wonder If any partnership would meet my standards. I have much to thank you for, my exemplary pupil. It is only fitting you have now taught me, and I return renewed. I must confirm my theories, for they keep many secrets beneath this library. You are welcome to learn what I have, Bren." The magic mouth spell vanishes.

At the far end of the room is a figure, crouched — Aggy, a dwarvish monk (way of the drunken fist, presumably), level 5, played by Wembly Arena's announcer Daniel! The monk was sent into the archive ahead of them, but got caught in some kind of explosion. "Without being too rude, who the living fuck are you?"

Beau update: She got promoted to High Monk!

Fjord uses see invisibility, revealing a handle on the wall that was previously hidden. Aggy goes and headbutts it, inadvertently turning the lever and opening a secret door in the wall.

Through this new door, another mouth appears. "We have all done terrible things, Bren, and we all must be punished for them. I still pay the price, and so too shall he. The Shadowhand must step into his own might. I will tell the Bright Queen of his betrayal, and in this, he shall be made free to follow your path of pain. Only in suffering are we made paragon, and I will make you better; you will be my proudest achievement."

The passage leads to a series of terraced platforms that then lead to a room covered in lockboxes. Each is hidden with invisibility, and protected by various wards.

Aggy, brazenly running down the passageway and sticking his hand on one of the lockboxes, gets instantly killed by a disintegrate.

One of the lockboxes is slightly ajar, and no longer has a trap on it; the inside is empty except for a piece of paper, and another magic mouth appears. "To bleed is to scab, to break is to mend stronger, to hurt is to learn; but recklessness will only leave you dead and forgotten. I was called here to take of its blessing and release one of its forgotten nightmares; arrogance thinks it can use me, but I am the master here. I am he who feeds on ambition, he who drinks of promise and leaves nothing unearned." He tells Caleb to meet him at the ruins of his childhood home — "dinner will be waiting."

Beau comforts Caleb in the way that she does. "You've worked really hard to overcome this. You are above this." "You are right. I don't care that he taunts me. But he doesn't need to be breathing anymore."

With at nat20 plus true seeing, Beau can see the name of what each lockbox contains. The two that were ajar read "adrenus sap," a rare unholy ichor distilled for use in abyssal rituals to bind servants of the abyss or undeath to their domains, or to ensnare such creatures; and "afterimentahl," an arcane binding stone used to capture powerful beings for study, syphoning, or experimentation. The ones known typically contain an entity from the Calamity or before, but the process of creating them has been lost.

back from break and so ready to watch them finally kill this motherfucker—

They put up the tower to sleep for the night, and cast a heroes' feast preemptively.

Caleb uses wish to cast simulacrum on himself to create a copy. He then gives Luc his luck stone, re-attunes his ring of evasion, and casts mind blank on himself before going to bed.

And with a night's rest, Caleb can prepare another 9th level spell or can keep wish — he didn't even have to roll for it because he duplicated a spell! 20th level wizards are a hell of a thing.

With potions drank, fog clouds created, and a heroes' feast had, the Nein plus Luc teleport to Blumenthal.

As they approach, Caleb feels the ghost of his grief, but he has come to terms with it. The house that stands here looks exactly like his childhood home. "I have done what I have needed to do in this world. If I don't walk from this, I need you to get that boy to safety."

Inside, there is laughter — Una's, followed by Leofric's, mingled with Trent's. Caleb walks in, followed by Jester and Fjord. With divine sense, Fjord reads both Una and Leofric as undead. Caleb's simulacrum is polymorphed into a sabertooth to protect Luc. The rest flank the house and watch through the windows.

Breakfast is set at the table. There are seven empty chairs.

"Mother, don't you think it's strange, you haven't changed one iota?" "Not at all. He has given us a second chance." With an insight check, Caleb sees them for what they are: just bodies, reanimated.

Jester leans, says "I'm sorry" to Caleb — and casts turn undead. Both parents fail their saves, fall back. Trent's face falls. "Wery well, then. Perhaps the lesson should start with me." The entire house explodes, but their preparation reduces the damage significantly, and before them is Trent Ikithon, floating up in the air — and where Una and Leofric were are two ghoulish corpses.

time for initiative and combat updates!

Trent's spell save DC is 22. That's just about on-par for a 20th-level wizard with money; a 22 INT plus a robe of the archmagi gets him there, and an arcane grimoire can compensate for no robe or a 20 INT.

Trent can use 2 legendary actions to cast a spell.

Caleb Prime: *downed* Caleb 2: immediately turns into a fucking t-rex

Luc casts see invisibility and reveals that Trent's avatar is an illusory duplicate, and the real Trent is crouched behind a tree like a little fucking creep.

After a chain lightning, a meteor swarm that did higher-than-average damage, and a massive house explosion, everyone's back to full with a mass heal! So with two clerics in the party with a 9th level each, plus a guaranteed divine intervention that can duplicate a mass heal, these fuckers have a latent health pool of 2800 hit points.

Beau update: Her 19th level feat is mobile.

In an antimagic field, Trent is cowering — "but this is why the intelligent prepare. Omentis, be unleashed." The field doesn't suppress artifacts, and he breaks the afterimentahl against his chest. From where he stands, an orb of pitch darkness grows, and a 40-foot entity made of purplish and black shadow, with four arms and glowing purple orbs begins to stalk toward Blumenthal itself.

Seeing that, Caleb plants one palm, two palms on the ground — and uses shapechange to transform into Gelidon, the Nightmare in Ivory.

KAIJU FIGHT!!

and then, just to top it all off, Luc casts enlarge on the fucking t-rex!

"Arty, if there's ever a time we needed you—" Jester uses gate to pull Artagan out of the feywild and right into this fucking kaiju fight. "Don't worry, Jester, I've got y—oh, what have you brought me into?! Really?!"

An archfey, an ancient dragon, a giant t-rex, and the avatar of an abyssal archfiend tethered to the soul of a 20th-level archmage walk into a bar...

With holy weapon active, Yasha does 168 damage in a turn without a crit.

Its full name is Omentis, Scion of Ruin. Everyone within 60 feet gets hit with its "void hunger," automatically takes necrotic damage at the top of its turn. It also has "aura of oblivion," a beam that emits from its face and deals massive (as in, 150 points on a failed save) force damage. Its AC is 24, and it is considered undead.

With his passive perception, Caleb notices that the crystal that Trent shattered is still visible in its chest.

Luc notices and targets the artifact, which causes the shadow holding the creature together to flicker.

Caduceus uses divine intervention (which automatically succeeds) to cause the creature's shadow to become translucent, so that they can see the artifact clearly within it. In the center, with the crystal at his heart, is the shadowy echo of Trent, hanging like a puppet.

what is it with live shows and nat20s at crucial story moments???

With a nat20 strength check, Beau rips the heart from the creature. All the shadows swirl around it and get pulled back into the egg, and as it reforms, Trent himself gets pulled, screaming, into it — Beau tosses it up, Gelidon catches it and smashes it into the ground.

As the dust settles, the people of Blumenthal gather, and the sun begins to rise.

The heart remains intact, but sealed forever with Trent inside it.

Caleb uses demiplane — which opens into a familiar nine-sided tower — to seal the heart away for..... future use.

They decide that after all this, Luc deserves a party — not least of all to celebrate Fjord and Jester's engagement!

At the end of it all, Caleb uses the tower to cook a feast for all of Blumenthal.

"While this was a singular victory, it is still the beginning of much work to be done."

#critical role #critical role spoilers #critical role liveblog #note watches critrole #mighty nein #critical role c2 #critical role c2 spoilers #echoes of the solstice #long post #very long post

[hexitart]

Hypnovember 23: Prompt 22 "PRAISE"

"Who's my good boy, hnm? Who's my obedient little hound?" "... m-m-me?" "That's right; You are."

Trying to play catch up with the art prompts due to spending some days for self-care. So have Cobalt being praised and head-patted/chin-scratched.

I'm sure he's having a whale of a time.

Enjoy!

Artwork & Characters © Hexit / hexitart, 2023. All Rights Reserved.

#hexitart #anthroart #cartoonart #suggestive #my art #hypnovember #hypnovember2023 #furry art #furry anthro #hypnosis #anthro dog #mind conditioning #praise #head pats #chin scratch #hypnotized #collar

[elliewiltarwyn]

Mia Longhart

tagged by @ubejamjar, thank you! I did one for Ellie already, so I figured I might as well take the opportunity to /showleft Mia a little...

B A S I C S

Name: Mia Longhart, formerly Maia jen Asina. Adopted the name when she arrived in Eorzea to hide her Garlean origins with the surname being adopted from a Chinese Yanxian word for dragon. Nicknames: Not exactly a nickname, but for near the entirety of their early careers in the Scions, she gets along so poorly with Elilgeim that the latter only refers to her as Longhart even when explicitly requested otherwise, only letting up after Livia's raid on the Waking Sands. Otherwise, very difficult to make any nicknames for such a short name, but her partners come up with Mimi eventually. Age: 22 at the beginning of ARR, headcanoning that it's 4 years to the end of 6.0 and then another year for the patches, which would make her 27 now Nameday: Fourteenth Sun of the Fourth Umbral Moon (August 14th) (which, as far as I can tell, was the Friday after patch 5.3 dropped: I originally made her to see what the revised ARR quests were like and then Oops New Main Character in my Lore) Race: Highlander Hyur, Garlean specifically Gender: Female Orientation: Demi-bisexual, does not figure this out until she starts developing crushes on Lyse and Ellie and has no idea what that means Profession: Pre-ARR, gladiator of the bloodsands. Eventually Scion of the Seventh Dawn, then one of the three Warriors of Light. Post-6.0, she helps coordinate aid and reconstruction efforts for Garlemald alongside the Ilsabard contingent and the twins.

P H Y S I C A L   A S P E C T S

Hair: Cobalt blue, usually tied into a ponytail or braided around her crown, always combed as smooth and straight as possible. Eyes: Emerald green Skin: Olive Tattoos/Scars: as many as is typical for the Warrior of Light. In addition, the one on her cheek is dealt by Zenos at Rhalgr's Reach. When battling Zodiark, she overextends herself using Passage of Arms against his ultimate attack and gets her left arm horribly burned; she's healed quickly afterwards thanks to Y'shtola and Ellie's healing magicks and the Loporrits' aid, but it leaves behind permanent burn scarring along her left arm and it becomes too sensitive/uncomfortable for her to wield shields anymore, so she drops them.

F A M I L Y

Parents: Aulus mal Asina, praefectus medicorum and secret magitek research & development engineer, and Carmilla lux Asina, primus medicus. It's their legacy in particular she's spurning when she leaves Garlemald. yes canonically Aulus died at 36 so he can't exactly be the father of a 24-year-old but shush. he's older in my canon. i can do that. Siblings: None directly; however, she grew up next to Jullus pyr Norbanus and his siblings, and spent enough time with them to have considered them her younger siblings. Grandparents: None notable, just proud Garlean citizens. In-laws and Other: In the long period between 6.0 and 6.1, gets married to Ellie and Lily; with the sole exception of Ellie's mother (and even then very distantly, as Ellie herself is still processing how she feels about her), none of their family members are close enough (or... too dead) to count. Pets: Fat cat and possibly Rudy the Starlight yeti, as with Ellie. She has a tendency to semi-adopt stray cats as well -- not actually take them home, but at least check in on and feed them whenever she can.

S K I L L S

Abilities: Diplomacy: Next to Minfilia and Alphinaud, she is probably the most skilled at politicking, and has a keen sense for what everyone in the room wants and how to extract what she or her allies need from the people across the table. First Aid: The jen in her old Garlean name refers to the training she received from a yearlong course to become certified as a medicus; with a kit, she would be able to act as the Eorzean equivalent of an EMT rapid responder. Free Paladin: the whole gladiator and paladin storyline is canon for her, and she's not very happy about it :V Though as a Garlean she can't manipulate aether, she uses a combination of magitek equipment and experimental implants from the Ironworks to help create reasonable facsimiles of paladin abilities and magic. However, after the events of Shadowbringers and what Emet-Selch does to her regarding the pieces of her soul... she becomes capable of a little more rudimentary control over her aether, by dint of her own soul-merging, much like Ellie does with Ardbert... Voidbound Reaper: after the events of 6.0, Ellie gives up the reaper arts, but is unable to properly sever her pact, and eventually her former avatar comes knocking. Mia, finally accepting that there are parts of Garlemald's history that aren't tainted by the touch of Ascians, steps in with her Garlean physiology and intimate knowledge of the avatar's former partner to form a new pact. Despite having been the platonic ideal of paladin all the way through saving the universe, she's going into Dawntrail with the scary-looking lost arts of her people instead.

Hobbies: Reading fiction, usually adventure or thrillers. Can play the violin and piano at a beginner-to-intermediate level. Decently skilled at leatherwork and botany, and begins to get into gardening once she has a home (and a private island lol) of her own.

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Of the three Warriors of Light and even among all the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, she has the strongest moral compass and sense of right and wrong, which makes her capable of being a stabilizing or grounding force when her comrades begin having doubts about their missions, the one who's most certain that the path she's taking is the one that's just. (Encountering Emet-Selch and learning about the Ascians' truth kneecaps this severely.) Most Negative Trait: She wears her heart on her sleeve, which means as good as she is at reading people she is just as easy to read - and emotionally manipulate or derail, crippling her with doubt and anxieties.

L I K E S

Colors: The navy blue of her armor, the gold of its trim, the green of the jewelry she likes to wear but is self-conscious about, the deep red of Ellie's hair Smells: Freshly-brewed tea, lavender soaps (her preferred I've-just-spent-several-days-in-armor-and-need-to-smell-like-anything-else go-to), the crisp air of autumn Textures: the bound covers of a new hardcover book, the soft cotton of the freshly-laundered clothes she prefers to steel armor, the crunch of autumn leaves, the sensation of grass brushing against bare feet Drinks: Teas ranging from spicy chai to citrusy bergamot, coffee with cream, the occasional red wine

OTHER DETAILS

Smokes: No, she is embarrassingly straight-edged and slightly self-conscious about it. Drinks: As noted above, the occasional red wine, usually an easy merlot, or champagne at important functions. Her tolerance isn't the best and she knows it, so she keeps herself well-moderated and only lets herself get fully sloshed among those she trusts most (so Ellie and Lily). Drugs: Again, nope, feels embarrassingly straight-edged about it but is not judgmental about friends who choose to recreationally. Mount Issuance: Named her company-issued chocobo Pom, after pomegranates, for some reason she couldn't fathom at the time. (it's persephone reasons. i'm not being subtle.) Surprisingly finds herself kind of a fan of the Ironworks' single-pilot flight machines like manacutters and the Falcon -- and of the three Warriors of Light, she's the one entrusted with the Regalia Type-G, as the experimental vehicle needs to be handled with a great deal of care and she's known as the most responsible. Been Arrested: Nearly -- when her father discovered the correspondence she was keeping with someone from Ala Mhigo, he "granted" her the chance to leave and never return before he summoned the lictors. When she came to Eorzea, she was so paranoid about being discovered that she acted the picture of morality -- and indeed was frequently the one posting bail for some of the more unscrupulous members of the Gladiators' Guild.

----------------------------------

more people to tag uhhhh i'm having difficulties remembering who's done this yet, so sorry in advance, if you have done this already or just don't feel like it then consider this a boop: @sasslett @bnuuywol @sylaurin @mythandral @vasheden, and as always, you if you're interested!

#tag games #wol questions #sorta lol #hyur highlander #ffxiv screenshots #ffxiv gpose #oc loreposting

[blueshistorysims]

My go-to stuff for sims genetics! (got tired listing genetics for every lookbook lol, featuring simified me)

Skintones

Bare Skintones by @lamatisse Skintone Set V3 by Ms Blue (TSR)

Face Details

About Face by @pyxiidis Summer Skeletons V2 by pyxiidis Are We Electric by pyxiidis Sorceress Skinblend by @gunthermunch Lemonade Skin Overlay by @twisted-cat

Body Overlays by @remussirion (TSR)

Toddlers: 3 Children: 4 Female Teens/Young Adults/Adults: 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 Male Teens/Young Adults/Adults: 9, 11, 12, 13 Female Elders: 1 Male Elders: 1

Eyes, Eyebrows, Eyelashes, Eyeliner

Euphoria by @pralinesims Ultimate Eyebrow Pack by pralinesims 3D Eyelashes by @kijiko-sims Remove EA Eyelashes by kijiko-sims Ultimate Eyeliner Pack by pralinesims

Teeth

Teeth by @magic-bot

Nosemasks

N2 by @northernsiberiawinds Nosemask 4 by Remussirion (TSR)

Lips

Genesis, Ovate, Cobalt, Amine, Philus, Imide, Science, Tuberosum, M6A, Karyo, Papain, Peony, Platelet, Hypocotl, Nosferat, Juncea, Reign, Scaffold, Initiation by Remussirion (TSR) Lipstick N29 by Merci (TSR)

Cheeks/Blush

Blush N4 by northernsiberianwinds Flushed by @jellypawss Blush 19, Blush 27, Blush 31, Blush 32, Blush 33 by Remussirion (TSR) Jocosa Blush by Benevita (TSR)

Body hair

Body Hair V5 by @luumia

Lighting

Spotlight V2 by @simandy

#navigation #genetics #ts4 #the sims 4 #sim genetics #resources

[molly-knew-things]

The Real Heartbreak of Beauregard Lionett

(CW: Mentions of Childhood Abuse & Gaslighting)

So, I think you can tell from the content warning what I'm about today.

I hate talking about the sad shit because the Critter Community is one of the funniest, loveliest communities that I consider myself a part of.

But, I made the mistake of going into the YouTube comments section on a particular compilation of Beau moments. So, I thought I'd scream into a megaphone at my followers and mutuals about how upset I am.

Going under the cut so you're not seeing anything you're not feeling!

Take care of yourselves, Critters, and don't forget to love each other!

I've seen too many comments in this comment section trying to excuse Thoreau's behaviour. Trying to justify that Beau being "sent" to the Cobalt Soul was the best thing for her.

I just want to make something real clear...

SHE WAS FUCKING KIDNAPPED

AND HER FATHER PAID MONEY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

This wasn't a child acting out, who was just getting sent to a military school.

Thoreau had Beau's entire childhood to try and be a good father. He had her locked up in that house for god knows how long, he could have fucking tried.

But did he? No. The second he found out his wife was pregnant, he arranged for his young adult daughter - who was hurt and hurting, and making all the wrong decisions because of it - to be fucking abducted.

A man so obsessed with keeping what "belongs to him," ramped up to 100 with the excuse of superstition to back it,

(I know that this was his side of the bargain to the Hag, even thought he didn't know it. I acknowledge that, but that's besides the point.)

that he locked his family away and forced so many unfair expectations and restrictions on his child with none of the love and care that a child needs to thrive because she wasn't the 'young beau' he was expecting from his deal.

And people are in this comment section, in this fucking community, trying to justify his bullshit.

Matthew Mercer, the man that brought this fucker to life, has gone on record to describe his behaviours as toxic and to call him one of the 'grossest' characters he's ever portrayed.

And his lines...

And I've not—I've not been the pinnacle of a father, in the same way that you've not been the pinnacle of a daughter. I accept my responsibilities in the things that I've maybe been a bit harsh on. But look what you've become.

I regret choices I've made, and you don't think I don't hold myself responsible for…? I thought I was doing what was best for you, truly.

Textbook gaslighting.

He deflects.

Taking credit for accomplishments made by his victim.

Empty promises of self-reflection.

I won't be discussing the gaslighting further because I'm hardly an authority, and a cursory google search won't change that. But what from what I've heard of gaslighters, he fits the damn bill.

All this to say, please people, please stop trying to justify a terrible father's harmful actions toward his daughter. Paying to have the Cobalt Soul kidnap her isn't the problem. The problem is that it's just the fucked up cherry on top of an entire childhood of poor treatment.

Pain doesn't make people, it's love that makes people. The pain is inconsequential. It's love that saves them. ~ Caduceus Clay, Dinner with the Devil (2x110) from 3:22:25 through 3:23:11.

Now, go hug a loved one and do something that makes you happy to detox after this long, hard rant of mine.

Have the day you deserve. Don't forget to love each other.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr #cr meta #cr spoilers #thoreau lionett #cr beauregard #beauregard lionett #mighty nein #mighty nein spoilers #cr2 #campaign 2 #tw child abuse #tw gaslighting #gaslighting #child abuse #Youtube

[riftfic]

I made a playlist 💙

No, this isn't the surprise. ;) Still working on that. Shouldn't be too long now. I tried to put everything in the order of events. It's mostly easy listening except for a few key moments. Some of it I listened to when writing. Some of it inspired me or reminded me of certain moments, or of character thoughts and feelings. I've included a Chapter Key under the cut :)

Chapter 1: No More (2023 Integrated Version on AO3) 1. Cobalt (Intro) 2. Be Still, My Tongue - Sans 3. A Reason to Hold On - Sans Chapter 2: Eclipse (2023 Integrated Version on AO3) 4. Reset - Frisk 5. 1001 - Sans to Papyrus 6. Insight XXXIV Chapter 3: The Machine 7. set adrift 8. Cherish 9. Catch Chapter 4: Golden Flowers 10. Fallen Down 11. Home (from "Undertale") 12. Ruins Chapter 5: There, Sometimes 13. EYE HAVE YOU - Flowey Fight 14. Waterfall (Undertale Remix) Chapter 6: Scales 15. A Way With You 16. Spear of Justice - From Sans' Perspective 17. Battle Against a True Hero (From Undertale) - From Frisk's Chapter 7: Your Brother 18. Plume - Undyne on Piano 19. I Wanted to Leave - Undyne on Piano 20. Stay Hollow (with mossy) - feat sans undertale lmao 21. On My Side - Sans to Frisk Chapter 8: Remember 22. But Why? 23. Stonewall Stone Fence - Frisk to Sans

Chapter 9: A Good Person 24. Alphys 25. Sacrilegium III 26. It's Raining Somewhere Else Chapter 10: Gray Ghosts 27. You Make Me Happy - up until Sans and Frisk argue 28. Another Medium Chapter 11: The Descent 29. Here We Are 30. Not Human - Frisk 31. Land of All - Sans (convince me woodkid doesn't have his voice) Chapter 12: The Experiment 32. Promise (Reprise) 33. Bone 34. Collapsing Sun 35. The Great Cataclysm 36. The World Spins Madly On - the aftermath Chapter 13: Encaged 37. empty crown - frisk 38. Across the Drift 39. Scars (Instrumental Version) 40. Summer Clouds - sans 41. Don't Leave Me Here Chapter 14: Human 42. Megalovania - Piano 43. BRIEF 44. Crawl 45. It's Alright 46. Promise - Sans to Frisk 47. everything i wanted - Frisk to Sans Chapter 15: Determination 48. Soul Mirror 49. His Theme (From "Undertale) 50. The Place You Promised to Show Me 51. OATH 52. Blooming (In C Minor) 53. Confrontation 54. Your Soul is Beautiful Chapter 16: Together, Apart 55. Ashes in the Wind 56. Find Yourself 57. Believe 58. Lovin' Me (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) - Sans and Frisk Chapter 17: Epilogue 59. I'll Be There Soon 60. Reunited (From Undertale) 61. Cobalt (Outro) lookit all dos chikinz amazing, you made it to the bottom here, you may behold our beloved:

#playlist #undertale #undertale fanfic #fanfiction #Spotify #happy listening :) #or not #you do you~

[arteastica]

early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (26)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (27)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 3k

Perfumed breeze tickled your bare shoulders and sweet wine swayed inside clinking glasses, soft music lured twosomes to the dance floor, and the golden midday sun shone brighter than ever, as if making some sort of grand entrance, stepping into the courtyard like a guest of honor, blinding your eyes until they could no longer see anything around. Only the shadows and the shapes, and the bluest sky painted behind him.

And speaking about the sky, it had evidently dressed to match him that morning, from the cobalt pocket square peeking out of his morning coat to the corresponding silk tie obediently waiting on his chest; without forgetting, of course, about the crystalline sapphires embedded in his face, because in all honesty, who could forget? How could anyone overlook that heavenly blue of his eyes, iridescent at times, dreamily reflecting back all your favorite colors whenever they stared into yours. Just like they were right now, opportunely reminding you of secret moments spent inside some mountain castle down south; and the pleasant warmth that radiated from your chest at the thought made your lips curve into the same kind of smile his were wearing: knowing and conspiratorial. And you wondered if he found it overpowering too, the need to melt into each other’s arms.

His fleshy lips, appetizing as ever, parted slightly at the sight before him, his eyes methodically exploring first your features and then the colorful flowers on your dress, as if counting them, as if you were a coveted treasure seized from an enemy beyond the walls; his chest expanding as he took the type of deep, steadying breath that usually precedes life-altering statements. And then, when a labored ‘wow’ was all that left his lips, an amused chuckle escaped yours. You found it funny, to think those were the same lips that always knew what to say, the authors of the compelling speeches he used to motivate his men out there on the field or secure funds from closefisted aristocrats. And now, those same lips that not too many seasons back, had convinced a bunch of frightened kids to dedicate their hearts to a suicidal cause, had stopped working with nothing but a smile frozen on them. But that wasn’t a problem, given how eloquently his eyes were, instead, delivering the biggest compliments a lady could ever receive.

“Commander Smith.” You smiled teasingly, sending a courteous nod his way as you extended a hand for him to take.

“My lady.” He greeted back, his unusual wording eliciting another chuckle from you, because suddenly, it felt as if you were meeting for the first time again, as if you were the center characters in one of those romance novels your mother kept hidden under her mattress, as if some sort of magical encounter was taking place in the middle of Lord Koch’s garden.

He took the hand you were offering and brought it to his lips, where it remained for what, some would say, way longer than tradition stipulated. And all the while, you could feel him smiling against your fingers, his soothing breath keeping them warm, and the gentle stroke of his thumb against your skin sending a playful shiver straight to your core.

Some would say, probably the same people whose eyes were currently glued to the two of you, that ten thirty in the morning was too early for one’s mind to drift to the kind of inappropriate places yours was; but the thing is, they didn’t know about the wonderful things those lips could do nor the incredible delight those thighs could provide: muscular, well-developed, gift-wrapped in grey silk…or was it wool? If you could touch them, you’d be able to tell. But then again, that would be highly inappropriate for a garden party, wouldn’t it?

When his lips reluctantly let go of your hand, his fingers decided not to, choosing to stay wrapped around yours instead, gentlemanly accompanying them as if to see their safe arrival to your lap.

“Forgive my lips.” He smiled dazedly, eyes still lost in yours. “But it’s in familiar tastes where they find the greatest pleasure.”

That kind of apology suggested that he’d also noticed the inquisitive stares emerging all around you, stares that, at the moment, you didn’t have the mental disposition to concern yourself with, not when his words, as well as the evocative tone used to deliver them, were making your insides bubble in a dangerous cocktail of excitement and pleasure; a pleasure that quickly began to drip from deep within, like champagne spilling from the glass, drowning any other thought until all you could think about was how bad you wanted to pull him to a secret corner, sit on his lap and glide your fingers through that perfectly smooth hair of his, slicked back and neatly combed, desperately asking to be messed up.

“My lady?” He smirked playfully, a gesture that suggested he was probably very aware of the mess he was causing between your legs, a mess you hoped he would be so kind as to take care of later.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Commander Smith.” You replied calmly, your lips curving up in mischief. “At the moment, I feel like overindulging in familiar tastes myself.” You held his gaze boldly, unashamed to acknowledge all the things he could do to your body with his words only.

“Is that so?” He asked enticingly, taking a step closer and then another, his eyes locked so intently on their target as his face came just mere inches away from yours. “My princess shall never have to wait.” His lips whispered softly, only for the two of you to hear. “To indulge in whatever pleasure she craves.” He concluded, his husky voice more animalistic than human, the tantalizing woods and musks of his cologne intoxicating your senses, numbing them, clouding your mind until you could no longer think about anything, at least not anything that wasn’t his lips or the forbidden nights you spent together with them in his office, under the covers of secrecy. Was he about to pull those covers down with a kiss?

The logical part of you was certain he wouldn’t, but logic and rationality were not enough to stop the rest of your body from wishing he would. Especially your lips, they didn’t care that your parents were around somewhere, they didn’t care if they fainted the moment they saw their darling daughter kissing a man she had not been promised to; they didn’t care if, for the following weeks, you became the topic of the conversations all those fine ladies, who were now attentively staring at the two of you, would be enjoying with their afternoon tea. You and your lips cared about none of that.

But you knew he did.

And you knew him too well.

That’s why you weren’t really surprised when his fingers ignored the blushing cheeks he liked to hold when he kissed you, and reached for the back of your head instead, gently hooking the butterfly pin like a crown on a princess’ head. What surprised you, however, was that he knew the exact same spot where your mother had placed it that morning. Almost as if this wasn’t the first time he’d seen you today. And you wondered if that could be the case.

But before your mind could start speculating, he took a step back, a disarming smile painted on his handsome features as he offered you his arm to hold.

“May I?”

You smiled with delight, not hesitating a second to wrap both hands around the hard, unyielding muscles of his arm, letting them guide you to the other end of the courtyard. As you made it past grey-haired gentlemen who nodded back at him and blue-blooded ladies who were trying to exchange discreet glances with each other, you stroked his biceps subtly, eager for everyone to know that you were with him today, and that no, he wasn’t available for discussing work-related matters at the moment, much less dancing with anybody else. The gentlemen would have to wait until he was back at the office on Monday; and the ladies, well…their business would have to wait even longer. Because today, you looked up and smiled back at the man beside you, today he was with you.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite contrarian!” Lord Koch’s exclaimed overjoyed once you reached the north pavilion, his tall frame approaching his friend with open arms. “Erwin! Glad you could make it.”

“Hansel.” The Commander patted his back congratulatory. “Wouldn’t miss an opportunity to celebrate a good friend.”

“My lady.” Lord Koch nodded politely at you once he was done greeting his friend.

“I came to greet you earlier, but Lord Angert told me that you and Madam Augusta were yet to arrive.” The Commander turned to the plush, jovial-looking lady beside his friend, who you assumed to be Mrs. Koch. “Madam Augusta.”

“Erwin! I’m so glad you could join us!” She exclaimed, also overjoyed and using the exact same tone Lord Koch had, albeit a few scales higher. According to your mother, the Kochs had been married since their academy days, and engaged since even before that. No wonder they sounded exactly like each other. “I asked Hansel if you’d be joining us this morning.” She smiled beamingly, taking the Commander’s hand in hers. “I warned him that if he didn’t go deliver the invitation in person, you wouldn’t come. He didn’t want to go at first, but I ma-”

“Augusta.” Lord Koch cleared his throat, flashing an uncomfortable smile at the Commander, who looked at you amusedly, gifting you with one of those light-hearted chuckles that always sounded like honey in your ears, and you giggled back.

“You’re never too busy to visit a friend.” Mrs. Koch said, smiling beamingly and naively, her expressive eyes making you realize she looked exactly like the fairy godmothers they drew on picture books. “Your father knows that very well, dear.” You blinked in confusion, thinking about the Commander’s late father before noticing she was looking at you instead. “He never misses a Wednesday, that conspiracy theory club is going to cause the demise of so many I know.” She squinted her eyes at her husband.

“Augusta.” Lord Koch cleared his throat again.

So the club was still a thing, only they moved it to Wednesdays instead.

“Oh Hansel, please. You don’t believe there is someone, even a single soul, at this party who doesn’t know about that little society of yours. Do you?” She chortled giddily when she saw you nodding in agreement. “Anyhow, it both pleases me and surprises me that someone has at long last managed to conquer this man’s heroically large yet forebodingly rebellious heart.” She said contentedly, smiling at the Commander and then at you.

“Augusta, the lady is his assistant.”

“Oh, my bad!” She feigned embarrassment, her eyes darting from the Commander to you, and then back to him, a knowing smile blossoming on her lips as soon as she caught glance of the comfortable way in which your hands were wrapped around his arm, almost as if they were more than fairly acquainted with his body. “What a shame, her angelic smile and Erwin’s dreamy blues would make for beautiful offspring.” She said with mirth, giggling enthusiastically as her expressive eyes awaited a reaction from you.

But you had nothing for her, at least not anything you could show her without incriminating yourself, so you just lowered your head, looking down at the glossy marble tiles in an attempt to hide both your burning cheeks as well as the little smile that started to take over your lips at the thought of their chubby fingers tugging at your skirt; their angelic blue eyes gleaming with happiness whenever their cute button noses caught a whiff of the little somethings you loved baking for them; their excited little feet making the cabin’s floorboards creak on their way to the front door, your way of knowing that he was back.

No, Mrs. Koch wasn’t the only one. You had thought about it too. Goodness, your pen knew just how much; she remembered about every single time you had forced her to stop right before she could tell your journal about it, because your mother always said that telling your dreams to someone else was the most effective way to curse them into never happening.

“The infamous Nile Dok in the flesh!” Lord Koch’s jovial greeting startled you out of your thoughts, making you raise your head just in time to see Hitch’s boss striding towards you. “Today is really one for the books, isn’t it? It’s not every day you get to see both your favorite commanders together in one place.” He said delightedly, giving the lean, black-whiskered man a welcoming hug, a gesture that showed you just how close they were.

“I just hope Commander Pixis doesn’t find this statement too aggravating.” The Military Police commander said in a monotone voice before turning to Mrs. Koch. “Madam Augusta.”

The feeble smile he had managed to put on for her quickly expired on his lips as soon as he was done shaking her hand, and you couldn’t help but smile when you remembered Hitch’s words: ‘he permanently has the face of someone who hasn’t been able to poop in years.’

“Good to see you, Nile.” Mrs. Koch smiled heartily, her eyes turning into the same crescent moons Leon’s did whenever he smiled, confirming your suspicions that it was indeed a family thing. “Hansel still resents Dot for outsmarting him at the regionals last summer.” She explained amusedly. “A sore ego and a thin skin make it difficult for anyone to forget, never mind forgive.”

“Oh I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Saw him near the brandy earlier.” Lord Koch motioned with a lazy flick of his hand, the indifference in his otherwise enthused demeanor proving that the hurt ego his wife had mentioned was pretty much there. “Dot did win but I wouldn’t say I was outsmarted. Calling his performance ‘brilliant’, like the press did, would be a stretch.”

“Oh I’m sure this year’s regionals will grant you the rematch that you and your ego so desperately crave. I believe in you, darling.” Madam Augusta rolled her eyes, silently contradicting her words. “Hansel will only accept defeat to this man right here.” She explained, pointing at the Commander, who was now shaking Commander Nile’s hand. “Erwin is truly in a league of his own. Hansel is lucky he doesn’t have the time to compete at the regionals.”

“It is my desire to keep a solid friendship with Hansel what keeps me from playing at the regionals, and not lack of time, Madam.” The Commander said, eliciting joyous laughter from everyone, including Lord Koch himself. “How are Marie and the kids?”

Marie and the-

‘I don’t understand how someone like her ended up marrying my boss.’

Hitch’s voice started ringing somewhere deep inside your head, reminding you of the one thing you’d hoped you could forget.

‘She could have married anyone she wanted.’

She said, the warm spring breeze turning unpleasantly bitter all of a sudden, bringing back memories of that snowy winter afternoon spent with your best friend, not too long ago.

‘Eyes bluer than the summer sky, porcelain skin. A goddess.’

She continued, as if listing the participation requirements for a very prestigious competition, one you really wanted to win, but felt you’d already lost.

‘Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe her-’

‘…beautiful falls short-’

‘…stunning doesn’t do her justice.”

Her words grew louder the more she spoke, eventually turning into a sharp hissing that threatened to break your skull into a million pieces.

‘Apparently, they used to be close friends back in the day, all three of them…’

No.

‘Both, your boss and mine..’

No. You didn’t want to remember.

‘…were completely smitten with her.’

The last sentence painfully reverberated in your ears, each word feeling like shards piercing through your eardrums, like an unpleasantly loud and very discordant crowd of cicadas making your ears bleed, as they announced the end of the most beautiful sunset you would ever get to see.

‘Did you know…’

No. You were just fine living in ignorance.

‘…she was this close to…’

No. Please don’t say it.

‘…marrying your boss?’

You held his arm tighter, something similar to a heartbeat violently jolting your entire body, the aftershock sending painful shivers throughout your skin, all the way to the deepest, darkest part of you, where your chest stung and ached in a type of pain you were already growing quite familiar with.

And you wondered if Commander Nile was acquainted with it himself because, although his inexpressive eyes were difficult to read, you could have sworn that you saw them narrow, the mild bags beneath them darkening even more at the mention of his wife’s name.

His wife’s name…

You looked to his right abruptly, your heart racing as if to match the crazed speed of your thoughts.

If Commander Nile was here, then probably his wife…

You looked to his left, and then around; your eyes embarking on a journey of anticipation and uncertainty as they navigated the sea of faces surrounding you, each little glance holding the potential of familiarity for any wistful eyes wishing to spot her, or the dread of recognition, in your very particular case. The dread to discover, among the countless expressions, the telltale features Hitch had so poetically described, the golden hair, the porcelain skin, and the blue eyes that had stolen his heart all those years back.

-

next chapter

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[spellsparkler]

22 :)

22: "It's like they always say..."

“Disgusting,” Wyll repeats – the point as accurate as it is unnecessary – and Row, staring up through dappled leaves, gestures lazily at him. They blink, careful. It doesn’t feel tender; their eyelid doesn’t stick. They kind of thought they’d be able to feel it more, but it doesn’t seem to make much difference.

“Your feedback is noted,” Row tells him, and lets their arm drop back into the dirt.

They’re lying on their back in the scrubby grass, the stuff lurid-green and itchy against whatever of their bare skin it can reach – hands, neck, lower back where their jack is riding up. The tree branches rustle up above, sending leaves drifting down around their head. Past that, the sky gleams, blue as cobalt pigment and utterly cloudless. It’s hot. They’re sweating something horrendous in their one dear shirt. Even the jack is probably beginning to smell.

Wyll is pacing around somewhere to their left. He’s got ridiculous amounts of energy – comes of spending years on the road, maybe, but it just makes him seem like a farmland dog. He seems like the sort of man that would need to be walked daily before he could get anything done. But he’s staying with them, kindly enough, because the others went ahead – nominally to scout a path, and actually because they looked justifiably disgusted almost to the point of illness, and Lae’zel in particular looked like she wanted to enact violence on something. Row suspected the thing would be them. They can’t even really blame her. But Wyll stayed, when the rest went off to do something else down the little dirt track, to make sure that Row doesn’t drop suddenly, startlingly dead or explode into a mass of tentacles. It’s very sweet of him.

(Nothing is happening. It doesn’t feel different. They might be able to see a little more, or a little clearer, but it’s hard to really tell; they aren’t dying, though, and their number of limbs remains steady. They’ve got the very barest edge of a headache, but that’s as much from staring into the sun for ten minutes as anything else.)

“Ugh,” Wyll says again – his revulsion is beginning to feel a tad performative – and he skims the edge of their field of view as he turns around, they think, to look at them. “How are you feeling?”

“Two eyes, all my hair, no beak,” Row reports. “I think we’re good.”

There’s a pause; Wyll’s horns come properly into their vision, followed by a vague peripheral smudge of his face. “Yes,” he says, “but how are you feeling? Did it – do anything?”

Row squints up at the quivering leaves.

“It didn’t kill me, or anything,” they say, because that had been their main concern – and not a very big one, seeing as they still did it. “Didn’t really hurt. It doesn’t feel any more crowded, back there – I’m not sure how that works. It doesn’t feel that different, yet.” (It doesn’t; it all feels a little sharper, the things the first tadpole gave them taken a little closer to the bone, but it isn’t as changed as it feels like it could be. Should be.) “But it will. I’m certain of it.”

Wyll thinks about this, if the slow tipping of the horns is any indication; “All right,” he says, and then he appears much more distinctly in view, face silhouetted against green leaves and blue sky. “Disgusting. Why?”

“You don’t need to keep saying that,” Row says, squinting at him.

Wyll twists his lips, wry. “You said you didn’t trust our nighttime caller,” he says. “So why in Balduran’s name would you put that in your eye?”

Row scrunches up their face. “Don’t sound judgemental,” they complain, largely facetious; “What, you’ve never gotten curious?”

Wind rustles its merry way through the leaves, sending one dried-out brown one fluttering down between Wyll’s horns. He raises a brow. “I’ve done many stupid things out of curiosity, but voluntarily housing an illithid parasite? That would be a first.”

Barely even a headache, and two tadpoles swimming around their orbital nerve; Row presses a finger to the hard-curved bone of their eye socket. Wyll’s brow furrows. He says, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you stupid.”

That makes them snort. “You can,” they say, and shove themself up to sitting. “It was.”

After a moment, Wyll sits down in the dirt next to them. “Then why?” he asks – and why, indeed?

(Why would Row do such a thing? What reason would be consistent?)

(They know why they did it, of course – for the sixth sense the worm bestowed upon them the first time, garishly colourful and bitter-sweet on the tongue, the spider’s web of links between them all and the easy paths to follow down. Wyll’s body sits next to them, blood-warm and sticky with sweat, and Wyll sits next to them, and they can feel him there, all open spaces and effort. And disgust, right now, which is still fair enough. It feels tangible and present in a way that people so often aren’t; like his mind is a plum in their hands, the skin thin and smooth and yielding under the callused pads of their fingers. He would notice if they dug their nails in to reach the flesh, which is why they don’t, right now, but they could. It’s there. And the surface is mapped out, simple as anything, in the space behind their right eye.)

(It’s been, what, a week since the crash, and with all these new colours to watch – new cartography with every new face, charting what they want, what they don’t, how it all pins together – Row hasn’t slipped up once. Not with any significance, anyway. They’re a social person, but it’s never been this easy.)

(They look at Wyll, and they could crack him open like a walnut shell and make a home in the feast of his organs, and if they play it right then he would want them to.)

But no-one likes it when they say it like that, so they shrug, carefree, and say, “Honestly, I don’t know. I saw it crawling out and – I don’t know, Wyll, it just seemed friendly.”

“The tadpole,” Wyll says. “The parasite.”

“Yes!” It was friendly – very excited to see them, and quite desperate to make itself at home somewhere less exposed than the open air and a cooling corpse. It was mapped out, clear as their companions. “I’m not saying I thought it through. But I got curious, and it would be dangerous to just let it roam free, and surely two tadpoles isn’t much worse than one as far as removal is concerned.” It had been a snap second decision; perhaps they should have thought about it more, but Row’s never been good at worrying about consequences – never been able to fear anything other than imminent death, and that didn’t seem likely. They might be doomed for all eternity, but eternity comes later. “If it’s bad, at least now we know. And if it can help, we need all the help we can get. It’s like they say, you know – a tadpole in the head is worth two in the jar, or whatever.”

“Perhaps,” Wyll says drily, “that’s a newer Baldurian idiom that I’ve missed in my time away.”

There is a pause; some sparrows twitter in the distance.

“I understand some of that impulse,” Wyll starts, and Row tips their head to look at him. “But unknowable powers come with unknowable consequences. We would be rash, to take anything we’re offered until we know what it will cost.”

There’s hair in Row’s face, its curl dragged-down and greasy. Wyll is a better sport about himself than some of the others, they’ve learned; there’s a line they don’t want to cross, but he takes jibes easier than most, and he likes banter. “That’s good advice,” they say, considering, and they crane their neck, flicking their gaze just above his eyes. “Do you follow it?”

He smiles, lips droll, and leans over to jostle their shoulder with his elbow. “As I say,” he says, “not as I do. Do you think we can catch up, now, or should we give Lae’zel more time to cool off?”

#I'm a bitt unsure about this one... mostly because wyll is in it probably #I like him a lot but his voice is not intuitive to me so I feel like it's all. off #ah well. practice! #my writing #row tag #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 tav #wyll ravengard #normal times #normal events #etc

[best-element-poll]

(the 3 most voted will advance into the next round!) (because I really can't figure out a way to do this 6 at a time anymore)

lots of strong contenders in this one...

propaganda under the cut:

look at my beautiful girlfriend. the day I performed the experiment on vanadium's oxidation states was the happiest I've ever been in the lab. look at this beaut. how can you not vote her. i don't give a shit that the fundamentals like iron and copper are in here, vanadium is very beautiful and you will see that. it was literally named after the scandanavian goddess of beauty and fertility. NAMED AFTER A GODDESS! COME ON! please vote vanadium please please please

#element poll #round 1 #poll

[dahlia-shifts]

Introduction (METANOIA DR)

Time Ratio : 1 Hour CR = 3 Months DR

First Shift : November 01, 2016

Group's K-Profile

Metanoia (메타노이아) is a girl-group under SM Entertainment. It consists of 6 members: Nalina, Essy, QiaoNing, Jia, Lilith and Jinsoo. They officially debuted on July 14, 2017.

Metanoia Fandom Name : Chance (첸스)

Metanoia Official Colors : Cobalt Blue and Baby Pink

Metanoia Members

Face Claim : owl_rachel_q.p on insta

Stage Name : Nalina 나리나 Birth Name : Choi Narin 최 나린 Birthday : May 18, 1997 Positions : Leader, Main Rapper, Main Dancer, Center Sign : Taurus Height : 168cm Representative Emoji : 🦋 Representative Color : Blue Nationality : Korean MBTI : ESTP

Face Claim : yiyeisabella on insta

Stage Name : Essy 에씨 Birth Name : Liu Ya Mei (刘亚梅) Birthday : September 04, 1997 Positions : Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer Sign : Virgo Height : 173cm Representative Emoji : 🐶 Representative Color : Yellow Nationality : Chinese MBTI : INFJ

Face Claim : iamazhai on insta

Stage Name : QiaoNing 차오닝 Birth Name : Ning Qiao Hui (宁巧慧) Birthday : September 22, 1998 Positions : Main Vocalist, Visual Sign : Virgo Height : 168cm Representative Emoji : 🐢 Representative Color : Red Nationality : Chinese MBTI : ISFP

Face Claim : wested_arin on insta

Stage Name : Jia 지아 Birth Name : Jennifer Park Birthday : August 16, 2000 Positions : Lead Vocalist, Main Dancer, Sub Rapper Sign : Leo Height : 170cm Representative Emoji : 🐱 Representative Color : Pink Nationality : Korean-American MBTI : ENFJ

*MEEEEEE* Resemblance Claim : Karina (aespa)

Stage Name : Lilith 릴리스 Birth Name : *CR NAME*/Lilith Suh Birthday : December 08, 2000 Positions : Main Rapper, Lead Vocalist, Lead Dancer, FOTG Sign : Sagittarius Height : 163cm Representative Emoji : 🦜 Representative Color : Green Nationality : Bulgarian MBTI : INFP

Face Claim : ro.junghwa on insta

Stage Name : Jinsoo 진수 Birth Name : Lee Jinsoo 이 진수 Birthday : October 19, 2001 Positions : Lead Vocal, Lead Dancer, Visual, Maknae Sign : Libra Height : 172cm Representative Emoji : 🐼 Representative Color : Purple Nationality : Korean MBTI : ENFP

About Me/Background Information

Born Dec 08, 2000; Lived in Bulgaria until I turned 10, then I moved to Chicago with my father, since my parents had split up prior to this. My half-brother and mother remained in Bulgaria.

I was neighbors with NCT’s Johnny at that time, and he would often babysit me when he was home and not in Korea training. He even taught me some Korean. I was very close with him and his mom, since my father would not be home for a long periods of time, due to his drinking problems. In mid 2012, the Suh family adopted me, and my father’s parenting rights were taken away.

Since they have a home in Korea as well, they took me there as Johnny began training full time at that time and they wanted to be close to him. Once I was on a walk with Myoryon (Johnny’s mom) and a scouting agent from Pledis Ent. decided I should become a trainee, so after a lot of thoughts and consideration, she let me audition.

My biological mother found out about all of this and was very against it, but I just didn’t pay attention to her and began doing what I wanted. I trained since the beginning of 2013, which is when I met Dino (SVT) and we became very close, but Pledis kicked me out, so I auditioned for JYP and SM, and got accepted in both, but chose SM, since Johnny was training there.

When I moved to SM I didnt know many people, since not many of them spoke english, so I often stayed alone, but then my member Jia began training and we became best friends.

#ღ dahlia shifts #shiftblr #reality shifting #shifting realities #shifting #shifting consciousness #desired reality #reality shift #shifting motivation #reality shifter #shift