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helladirections · 2 years

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Camp Out - Under Summer Skies Deleted Scene

Author: @helladirections Pairing: Harry x YN Word Count: 2k Contains: Smut

MASTERLIST | PATREON | UNDER SUMMER SKIES | USS TAG | WRITING TAG

Summary: Harry and YN’s cabins go for the campout in tents, but they’re much more concerned with keeping each other warm than supervising campers. This is relatively unedited. I originally wrote this in one of the drafts of this fic but decided to take it out. It was supposed to take place after they got together but before the final smut scene.

Preview:

He kissed her then, gently and carefully, much like he had the very first time their lips touched. She sighed into it, bringing her hands up and around his body to feel his warmth close to her. “We should get into the tent,” Harry mumbled against her lips. Y/N whined. “Not done with you yet, though.” “Never said I was done with you either. But can’t do what I wanna do out here, now can I?”

Read below or on AO3 or Wattpad

But trouble came for them in the form of the campout.

It started out like normal - they hiked to site with the campers, taking up the back of the pack to make sure no one got left behind. Y/N remembered her water bottle this time and Harry had filled it for her, but he still had to remind her to stop walking and take a drink every now and then. They were far enough back from the campers and the campout staff that they could have their own conversation without really bothering anybody. And their conversation was completely tame too - mostly talking about TV shows that they really missed watching but had almost no access to because they were at camp.

The campers didn’t complain too much on the hike, and they participated in the team building activities when they got to the site. The biggest complainer before dinner actually wasn’t a camper, but was Harry.

“‘M so hungry,” he whined.

Y/N looked around for a moment before standing on her toes to whisper in his ear. “Could just eat me.”

After dinner they sang around the campfire as the sun started to go down and the staff made smores for all the kids (who weren’t allowed that close to the fire, no matter how much they complained). Harry even brought out his guitar and led some songs as they snacked.

Most of the kids even went to bed without too much of a struggle. They were in gender separated tents on opposite ends of the campsite, and even though Y/N’s campers had been giggling for weeks about how they would get to see the cute boys around bed time, none of them really seemed to try anything.

Y/N, Harry, Sarah, and Niall stayed up a little longer. Still sitting around the campfire, Harry finally felt it was safe enough to put his arm around Y/N. She melted into his side like she always did, resting her head on his shoulder. When she shivered (even though she was wearing a coat), he rubbed his hand up and down her arm to try and warm her up. The conversation was casual and easy, and Y/N was really genuinely enjoying herself.

There were two staff tents, and no official rules on who was supposed to sleep where. So it made sense that when Sarah and Niall wanted to go to bed early, they would set themselves up in the same tent. They took the one closest to the campers since they were mostly already sleeping.

And then it was just Y/N and Harry.

Sitting around the fire with him was nice. They looked up at the stars together and talked about the universe. Its size is infinite, there’s billions of people in this world, and somehow they had found each other as children. The odds of that happening were so low, and yet that’s exactly what happened. Y/N felt like the luckiest person on the planet.

“So glad you’re in my universe,” Harry whispered to her like a secret.

Y/N couldn't help but smile, a soft blush spreading across her face that luckily he couldn’t see because of the campfire in front of them.

“Me too.”

He kissed her then, gently and carefully, much like he had the very first time their lips touched. She sighed into it, bringing her hands up and around his body to feel his warmth close to her.

“We should get into the tent,” Harry mumbled against her lips.

Y/N whined. “Not done with you yet, though.”

“Never said I was done with you either. But can’t do what I wanna do out here, now can I?”

Giggling, she followed his lead into the last tent, furthest from all the campers and other staff. It wasn’t big, but big enough for two people and their small backpacks. The camp provided sleeping bags were already set up for them on the cold, hard ground.

Immediately she took off her sweatshirt, rolling it up and placing it near the top of her sleeping bag to use as a pillow. Harry followed suit and they began getting ready for bed, changing into the pajamas they had brought with them. Y/N’s pants and shirt were thin, which was great for hot nights in a cabin that had no air circulation but was really inconvenient for a night in a cold tent.

“Love that shirt on you,” Harry admitted.

Y/N completely ignored his comment. “Come close to me, I’m cold.” She grabbed Harry by his shoulder, noticing then that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “Put on a shirt, H. You’re gonna get so cold... Geez, when did I start taking care of you.”

“Not planning on putting more clothes on right now, sweetheart,” he teased with a smile.

Even though she was shivering, a heat ran across the apples of her cheeks. And she knew this time that Harry could see it in the light of the lantern they had left on.

“Don’t be embarrassed baby,” he said softly, lifting his hand to rest on her cheek and keep her gaze focused on him. “Gonna make you feel good, I promise.”

She nodded her head. “But it’s so cold. Can we... Can we at least get under the sleeping bags?”

Harry laughed then, giving in to her request. While she waited on the side of the tent, he carefully unzipped both sleeping bags all the way, spreading them out so one had the inside facing up and one had the inside facing down. He lifted up the top one and she happily crawled in. He followed her, turning on his side and wrapping his body around hers, fully encasing her with his arms.

“Warm enough now?” he whispered.

“Mhmm...”

“Good. Because you might be dealing with some cold air when I...”

His sentence drifted off as he lowered the hand that had been resting on her stomach. It traveled slowly, finding the top of her sleep pants. He dragged one finger back and forth across the seam until she was wiggling, just dying for him to do something. Teasingly, he dipped his finger tips inside to find she wasn’t wearing any panties, only to remove them just as quickly.

But when they were interrupted by the sound of a camper laughing about something in the distance, they knew they were in some trouble.

“Gotta be quiet for me, ok? Can you do that?”

“Yes,” she answered through a heavy breath.

“Good girl, keep being good for me,” he encouraged.

His hand dipped back down underneath the waistband of her pants, and he used his leverage on her body to roll her onto her back. With one hand at work, the other arm was supporting his body against the bumpy ground beneath them. From that angle she felt so seen, even though it was dark out. There was no hiding from his prying eyes, not that she felt like she had to anymore anyway.

His fingers got to work, much in the same way they had been working the past several days. He knew what she liked most at this point, and he used that to his advantage. He knew the speed to rub her clit and how to reach her g-spot. He knew when to take a little break and when to go faster. And he knew just how to take her to the edge and then bring her back down again.

“Open your eyes for me, love” he whispered.

She followed his request and found him staring right back at her. His usually bright green eyes, reminiscent of a bottle of rosemary, were blown out by his pupils and relegated to a small sliver.

“Y’got stars in your eyes,” he told her.

Y/N wasn’t sure what that meant, but it felt sweet.

“You know, I don’t think I ever need to go stargazing with you again,” he said, not stopping his ministrations down below.

“You... you... what? Why n-not?” she stammered out between soft pants.

“Can just look into your eyes instead,” he said with a shrug, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

And Y/N wanted to tease him for that answer, she really did. She wanted to shove him away and make fun of him for how much of a sap he was being. Rub his flimsy metaphor in his face and laugh it off. But she couldn’t. Not when he was hard at work making her feel so good and she could barely get any real words out.

At one point she actually tried to say something, opened her mouth and everything. But she quickly realized that if she said anything at all she was going to scream it and they couldn’t have campers and staff waking up to those kinds of noises, so she closed her mouth again instead.

“Feels good?” he asked.

She nodded her head.

“Too good to speak?”

Another nod.

“Good. Means I’m doing my job right... you feel like letting out some noise?”

“Yes,” she whispered, desperately.

“Well you better muffle yourself with that pillow then because I’m not stopping any time soon,” he reminded her.

And it wasn’t fair, not really. Not when his voice was deep with arousal and his face was so close to hers and his words came out in a way that made her feel like mashed potatoes. Not when she knew he loved to hear her noises because it meant he was doing a good job. Not when he was deliberately teasing her with his fingers, somehow managing to give her too much and not enough at the exact same time. None of it was fair at all.

So to level the playing field, Y/N reached over to Harry’s bare stomach. His muscles were tense and hard and his skin was warm. She let her fingers lightly trail over his butterfly tattoo, tracing the delicate outline. His hand never stopped working, but she heard his breath catch in his throat.

When she pushed his shorts beneath his hips, she found his cock hard and aching. He hissed at the first touch. She grasped the base first appreciating his girth. And although she had seen his dick several times over the last few days, they were always in a rush so she never really got to appreciate it. She knew it was big, and pretty, but touching it under the sleeping bag where she couldn’t see it gave her a whole new appreciation.

Using only her hand, Y/N stroked him up and down, giving attention to his tip and playing with his balls. She let her palm dance over the head as he started leaking precum, and heard his gasps as she continued to play with him. His jaw was clenched and he was practically growling in her ear, his forearm so tense the veins were popping out as he thrust his fingers inside of her.

“Babe,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m...fuck I’m gonna cum.”

“Not yet... me first then... fuck... then I’ll swallow so we don’t a m-mess.”

Harry groaned in response before adjusting his hand so the heel of his palm rubbed on her clit as his fingers worked inside of her. She could feel herself clenching around him, the knot in her stomach getting tighter, her eyes squeezing closed. He was good at what he was doing - really good.

Her grip on him loosened before she warned him, “I’m close... Harry...”

“Come on baby, let go. You’re doing such a good job... almost there...” he encouraged her.

He had been whispering in her ear, but when he stopped and bit down on her earlobe, that’s when she lost it. Her entire body went stiff as her muscles clenched, there was white behind her eyes, and her mouth flew open though she was able to keep any sound from coming out. She could hardly even breath.

His movements worked her through her high until she was too sensitive and started wiggling her hips away from him.

“Was so good Harry.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah... now let’s take care of you.”

She sat up on her knees, the unzipped sleeping bag still around her shoulders like a cape to keep her warm. Finding her place between his legs, Y/N leaned down and took him into her mouth. She used her tongue to circle around the head, swiping over the slit just to feel his thighs tighten beneath her grasp. She took him as deep as she could, his tip hitting the back of her throat making Harry groan in response.

She could tell he was close. Bobbing her head up and down, she used one hand to stroke the part of his cock she couldn’t reach with her mouth and the other to play with his balls. He started making little noises above her, clearly trying to keep himself quiet but struggling.

He gave her a short warning before he finished, but she wasn’t prepared for how much cum there would be. It shot down the back of her throat in ropes as she continued to milk him for all he was worth.

When he was done and the last little dribbles had landed on her tongue, she took a second to appreciate the taste in her mouth. And maybe all the other guys she had been with ate really badly or maybe her brain was playing tricks on her because she liked Harry so much, but she could swear that it actually tasted good for once.

When she told him as much, his smile reappeared on his exhausted face.

“Good, glad you like it. You’ll be getting a lot more of it, if I have anything to say about it.”

She giggled at that before adjusting the open sleeping bag like a blanket over herself and resting her head on Harry’s chest. Her hand rested on his stomach, and his lay on her shoulder and in her hair, keeping her close. They were in old sleeping bags, in a tattered tent, on cold hard ground, but Y/N could swear she never slept so well in her life.

MASTERLIST | PATREON | UNDER SUMMER SKIES | USS TAG | WRITING TAG

#uss #writing #yo

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niqhtlord01 · 3 years

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Humans are weird: The Hand of Andromeda Ch. 2 ( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps) (New chapters will be posted first to patreon and then moved here)

The Ageis system was not what one would consider a pinnacle world of civilization in an age of interstellar travel. At best it was a backwater system deep in unclaimed space between the Rylon Collective and Havatal Republic the system with only one habitable planet, Ageis Prime.

The planet itself was largely barren, consisting of entire continents of jagged rocks and acidic seas. Only a small belt of land near the equator was remotely capable of sustaining life and supported small clusters of forests isolated from the harsh surrounding landscape.

First development of the planet was made by the Xlaxon Mining Guild when a remote probe of theirs scanned the system and found valuable minerals scattered around the planet. Shortly after a group of indentured laborers were imported to the planet and a mining operation was established, initially consisting of a landing pad, machine shop, processing facility, and several other living quarters.

Just as the operation was about to get underway however the Xlaxon Mining Guild found itself drawn into what is now known as the “Guild Wars”, which were a series of escalating conflicts fought between rival mining organizations. To put it mildly the Xlaxon’s did not last long and were quickly consumed by a larger guild. In the confusion of the guild wars the newly establish mining operation on Ageis Prime was lost in paperwork and quickly became further isolated from the rest of the galaxy.

With no overseers left and a semi functional colony all to themselves the newly transplanted workers began to form their own society on the planet and carved out a small patch of the planet they could call their own. It was nothing to brag about, but given their limited resources they made due. Several years passed before the planet would encounter a small group of mercenaries that would change their destiny forever.

A group of mercenaries calling themselves “The Fishermen” landed on the planet, which had now grown into a dense urbanized city, looking to finally establish a base of operations. There was initial resentment from the inhabitants as the established ruler of the planet, a self-proclaimed warlord known as “Kevin the Heartless”, ordered his enforcers to drive off the mercenaries. The battle was swift and the better trained and armed mercenaries easily overpowered the enforcers with the struggle finally ending when the warlord himself had his head bitten off and spit out by the mercenary’s Predatorian leader.

The inhabitants were surprised to find their new overlord was much more merciful than they had expected. While the mercenaries did establish themselves on the planet they also brought with them a vast amount of wealth from numerous sources. The normal baggage train of any military group flocked to the planet and set up shop. Bars, brothels, weapons dealers, mechanic shops, and even an official branch of the intergalactic bank quickly set up as the mercenary band began to sell out their services. As their fame grew the group not only enriched themselves but oddly enough began investing in the planets community’s as well.

Schools and hospitals were built for the growing population, a new police force and government system was established for official recognition and participation by the people of Ageis Prime, and most beneficial of all were several terraforming towers that were installed around the planet which began replacing the harsh world with an increasingly comfortable climate. With all of these improvements the general population lauded the Fishermen and heaped praise after praise on to them.

In the span of three years Ageis Prime had gone from a forgotten backwater to the galactic hub of the dead zone of unclaimed space; a pillar of civilization in the dark void of forgotten space.

Yet for all their generosity, the Fishermen still controlled everything from the shadows. It was an unspoken law of the land that nothing of importance was done without their leader’s approval. Even to run in an election a nominee had to first come see their boss and present him or herself to see if they’d amuse the Predatorian; if he didn’t find them amusing than they were expected to drop out, lest an unfortunate accident befall them.

At any given time the mercenary group was contracted out between ten to fifteen jobs ranging from basic security details for high value personnel and facilities, to waging wars on distant planets on part of an ad hoc detachment. This abundance of work was rather common as both the Rylon Collective and Havatal Republic lacked the means to enforce their wills in the unclaimed systems between their two borders. This didn’t even come close to the dozen or so different criminal groups that inhabited this unclaimed space who were always in need of additional muscle.

There were of course rival organizations to the Fishermen such as the Abvara Syndicate, Pelpens Pirates, the Brotherhood of Orion, and the Band of the Hig who each had their own sizable forces; yet each of them were constantly switching between periods of stability and bloody internal struggles for leadership. This facet was not seen inside the Fishermen thanks not only to their structuring, but also to the visionary leader that formed and continued to lead the group even now.

Sitting at the very top of the organization was the Predatorian, a massive mound of raw muscle, sharpened teeth, and with a twisted sense of humor only psychopaths could fully appreciate. Rising from a former slave he had first formed the Fishermen from the same slaves he was freed alongside during a bloody slave uprising. After taking control of ship that had once held them captive he steered it to the nearest port and sold it off, then used the funds to train and equip the slaves into a standard fighting force.

His name was Mr. B.

No one in the organization knew if that was his real name or not but what they did know was not to mock it. The last person that did had their fingers bitten off one at a time by Mr. B before they were thrown out on to the street. Mr. B later said that hearing all their jokes about his name had made him hungry for some “finger food”. He was ruthlessly efficient in his work and he expected that from all those under him. His combat experience was rivaled only by the commando units of the galactic governments. Yet for all his combat talent and training he was not as skilled when it came to logistics and the day to day operations common for such a large group. Thus he was greatly benefited by his second in command who was aptly proficient in such matters at such a young age.

A nine and a half year old human child named Lizzy Stalwart.

If there was little known about Mr. B there was even less known about his adopted daughter Lizzy Stalwart. Freed from the same slave ship Mr. B had been previously held, she had been by his side ever since. Rumor was she had been the one to trigger the mass unlocking of cells on the ship which led to the ship wide revolt of slaves against their captors.

While Mr. B handled the military aspects of the group it was Lizzy that managed the books. She had a keen insight for numbers and was always able to keep the group well-armed and fed as they went contract to contract. A common saying among the grunts of the organization was that you’d never run out of blood with Mr. B, and never run out of bullets with Lizzy Stalwart.

Despite his brutish demeanor, Mr. B had a natural soft spot for Lizzy and he had taken her under his fin so to speak and had come to see her as his daughter. The two of them were set to take on whatever the galaxy could throw at them, and they had an army behind them to throw it right back for payback.

The transport shuttle slowly descended to street level before killing the thrusters. The bus driver checked his systems and pulled open the door latch to the street.

“Fisher HQ!” they called out to the passengers behind them.

Vick grabbed his satchel bag and hefted it over his should as he stood up and made his way to the door.

“Let me guess,” the bus driver said as he finally reached the front; his eyes taking him in for a moment before he smirked, “trying to swim with the big boys?”

Vick smiled at the man as he got off but didn’t answer him. The shuttle thrusters kicked back on and the craft once again rose upwards into the air before speeding off down the road leaving Vick in the billowing cloud of dust it left behind.

He coughed several times and swiped the dust from his eyes before the cloud parted and revealed his final destination; the headquarters of the mercenary Fisherman.

It was a vast compound just outside of the city limits easily taking up nine city blocks in size. It held its own private landing pads, medical facilities, housing and training grounds, munition depots and manufactures... It was like an entire city itself dedicated to killing for money.

From the moment he had quit his dead end job as a dish washer of Veega Ce, Vick Novikov had thought of nothing but this moment. He had spent every credit he had ever saved to purchase his passage off world and the compact pistol strapped to his right thigh.

No longer would he be looked down on by those around him, no longer would people shove him out of their way as if he was garbage in the street, no longer would kids throw fucking rocks at him and laugh like the little shits they were.

Today Vick was going to become someone new, someone better, someone to be respected and feared.

Today, Vick was going to become a Fisherman.

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #story #Hand of Andromeda

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sassysnowperson · 3 years

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💖 your angstiest nightmare fic please

Send me a 💖 and I'll share a fic idea I've had but never written.

Oh...dear. This is not my normal playground. But, that said (evil grin and plotty fingers) good excuse to have some fun.

Alright, I’ve spent some time thinking about universes where Rogue One survives (don’t worry, it’ll get terrible, just give me a second), and those terrifying days when the plans are lost, nobody knows where Leia is. Like, how miserable would that be? You do all that, and then maybe it’s all for nothing, because the person who got your message got scooped up by Imperial soldiers.

What if she never comes back?

You see where I’m going with this, I’m sure.

It got a little long, so the juicy details are under the cut. (TW Death, War Crimes, implied torture)

Luke, Han, and Obi-Wan die before they ever rescue Leia. Jabba’s men rig the Falcon to explode, their infiltration scheme fails, SOMETHING happens and bam, they’re gone. Last of the Old Jedi, gone, first of the New Jedi, also gone. Leia’s trapped, and Tarkin has a fully functional battle station with no known weakness.

And just to make it worse, lets say not everyone made it off of Scarif. Cassian’s gotta live, that man is Pain of Survival made manifest, it’s way worse if he doesn’t manage to sacrifice himself. Kay dies. Jyn too. And...Chirrut. Yes, I think that’s the worst combination. We’ve got guilt-ridden Cassian, traumatized Bodhi, and a completely bereft Baze who lost everything and it counted for *nothing.* Jedha’s still gone. Alderaan too.

They broke ranks, stole half the alliance’s best personnel and then lost half the alliance’s fleet, and they *failed*. The Rebellion tosses them in a jail cell, and figures they’ll decide what to do with the turncoats later.

Now, the upside is, there’s no Falcon to track back to Yavin, so Yavin has until Leia breaks. It’s enough time to evac, at least.

Leia does break, eventually, I’m sure. There’s only so long anyone can hold out, when every lie she tells about where the base is means another planet, gone. Mon Cala, Chandrilla, Nab-

Tarkin changes his mind about Naboo. He’s rubbing at his throat for weeks after.

The Empire runs the galaxy, and there is. no. hope.

Except.

Cassian spends the first four hours of his imprisonment carefully drafting a mission report (on flimsi, they don’t trust him with a datapad). And in there is what Erso reported to him. There is a weakness. Somewhere in the core. The plans would show how to access it. But even without the plans...a sufficient explosion, detonated inside the core, should still do it.

Cassian throws himself into planning the mission, scribbling it out on whatever he can get his hands on. He looks more than half-mad. Bodhi feels the failure as entirely personal. He feels helpless, he’s only made everything worse, and the universe didn’t even have the decency to kill him for it.

There isn’t anything he could do in the universe to do right by himself, but he drags the tattered remains of his consciousness together and helps where he can. Ship patrols, comm codes, standard battle station layouts. Baze, from his haze of grief and rage, spits curses and little else, at first. But eventually he realizes there’s some solace in vengeance, and he joins in. Squad makeup and weaponry and everything he knew from his dealings with Guerra.

“Could use him, now,” Baze says, sounding almost regretful.

“He knows how to fight,” Cassian agrees.

Bodhi just flinches.

They look like madmen, and their guards judge them as such.

They’re not separated, though. And one month later Draven throws open the door of the cell and says, “Come on, then.”

Cassian just gets up and follows immediately. Bodhi moves like a whipped dog, expecting to be struck. Cassian turns to him and says, his face made of granite and his eyes entirely blank, “If they were going to kill us, they would have killed us. They’re either going to offer us up to the Empire as a peace treaty, or put us to work.”

“Please don’t say that first suggestion too loud, Andor,” Draven says, sounding pained. “I’ve kept you in the cell this long so they wouldn’t be tempted to lynch or sell you.”

Bodhi, inexplicably, is relieved by that. It makes the sort of heartless sense he’s grown to expect from his superior officers.

The Rebellion is almost entirely ship-based at this point. The remnants of the Mon Cal have nothing left to lose, and their fleet is turned to the Rebellion’s purpose. They are jumping frantically to stay ahead of the Empire that’s burning every safe place to the ground, struggling to find food and fuel and allies that would dare to provide either. It’s a desperate, hungry time, as they plan the counter-strike.

Leia was right, though. The more Tarkin tightened his grip, the more people slip through his fingers. The Rebellion becomes a feral thing, full of soldiers who have already lost all there is to lose.

The counter-strike isn’t neat, or elegant. It’s an ugly trojan-horse of a ground crew, Bodhi knew enough about the Empire’s transport logistics to sneak the soldiers in, along with enough explosives to blow up the moon the the Death Star wasn’t. It’s a slog of a firefight, but they punch their way through, into the core, and they wire up the explosives as quickly as they can.

Next to Cassian, a young tech (seventeen when the Empire blew up her world) starts twitching, choking. Cassian looks up to find a black, looming figure silhouetted in the doorway, holding a shimmering red blade.

Whatever charges they have, they need to set them, now. Cassian is reaching for the switch when a second red blade emerges, this time from the center of the figure’s chest. He collapses with mechanical moan, revealing a slim young woman, clad all in black, behind him.

“Captain Andor,” Leia Organa calls as she steps into view. “Apologies for the dramatics, I’m afraid I’ve grown accustomed to using what I have on hand. If you can set those on a delay timer, I’ve secured our exit.”

Leia is gaunt, sharper than Cassian remembers her. Well, they all are, these days. He dips his head. “I’ll remain behind to ensure they go. Please, do take my team.”

“No,” Baze says, laying his hand on Cassian’s shoulder. “It’s me.”

Cassian looks at the depth of loss in Baze’s eyes, and the grim determination there too. Cassian knows this is one battle he won’t win.

“Of course,” he says, inclining his head. “May the Force be with you.” The words feel alien in his mouth, and Baze flinches.

“Fuck the Force,” Baze declares. “I’ll be with me.” But then he freezes, and Cassian wonders if he’s hearing the same thing, I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.

“Of course,” Cassian says again, and Baze gives him a crooked smile.

“Raze their empire,” Baze orders.

“I will,” Cassian says, and it’s a promise he intends to keep.

He leaves, the last of his team to go, and Leia guides them all to the shuttles. They escape.

Cassian hadn’t planned for an escape. His heart is in his throat as he watches the station, still whole, still whole, and then - white sears across his retinas, and he flinches away from the sight, even as he’s sobbing with the joy of it. He hears Bodhi on his right, breathing slow and steady for the first time since Cassian’s known him. Leia, on his left, just gives a satisfied grunt.

Cassian doesn’t look up, so he never sees the way Leia’s eyes don’t flinch away from the explosion. He doesn’t ever wonder why, if the light from the death star is so white it’s shading it to blue, Leia’s eyes are burning gold.

#Leia killed Tarkin too #just to be very clear #he is also super dead #rambly fic thoughts #ask games #fic talk #very angsty #pain leads to anger #anger can be used #boogerwookiesugarcookie

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auroraluciferi · 3 years

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So I get that people feel like it’s a nice gesture when a celebrity or large company or billionaire gives $5-15 million dollars to a charity or non-profit, or when someone like Taylor Swift decides to bail out some random folks who are struggling because they heard a story that “just touched their heart deeply”

But I would bet everything that many if not most of them are only doing this because they recognize the growing power and strength of socialist movements in this country and across the world. At the same time, they reap enormous tax breaks and major political and social influence by contributing to pet foundations, museums, universities, etc. It’s not out of the goodness of their heart, or because they care so much.

People like Jeff Bezos could end world hunger with little effort. They could save critically important hospitals and keep whole communities and regions from collapsing into economic disaster. They could fund free higher education, universal healthcare, desperately-needed infrastructure and environmental protection. Their wealth could be used to develop and distribute truly renewable sources of energy - freeing billions of people from a brutal and wasting cycle of poverty and dependence.

Billionaires consciously choose not to do this, because if they did the people would instantly realize how these massive, systemic problems could be easily corrected with effective and sustainable solutions.

Their wealth and the wealth of all these industrialists, real estate magnates and vulture capitalists requires that abject inequality to exist. It requires war and the suffering of entire populations of captive workers. It requires the destruction and endless waste of our shared environment and the cruel, careless extraction of natural resources. And most importantly it requires the means of production remains in the hands of owners and shareholders, rather than the people who work and live on the land itself.

This horrifying global health crisis is hitting the United States and neoliberal economies especially hard precisely because of this social arrangement. While capitalists and other wealthy individuals continue to gorge themselves on the blood and sweat of the working class, millions more families are thrown into poverty or made homeless. More children go hungry and lose access to education. Already staggering levels of depression, alcoholism and suicide continue to rise. The environmental systems we rely on continue to break down across the planet.

One day the people will understand these facts. They will look at their numbers and collective power and see that they are strong - they will recognize that we do not need to maintain a broken system that enriches a handful at the expense of billions. And they will fight to create a new world that is just, fair and sustainable for all.

When that day comes, the rich should desperately hope all we desire is the freedom and equal opportunity we have been promised, and not terrible vengeance for what they have done.

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checkoutafrica · 4 years

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Being a Millennial Entrepreneur in Capitalistic Africa

We all know about the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts.

Tycoons who build their empires on sheer force, a drive to escape poverty and capitalism. We refer to this as The American DreamTM and what makes it magical is that it could happen to anybody (although being white and male help….).

In Africa this generation has seen the likes of Gaddaffi and Mugabe to the likes of Kagame. Capitalism is different here and as a mostly third world country filled continent, we have been trying to catch up with the rest of the world and greed (amongst other factors), often destroys us more than it builds. In our defence, it’s been a game we were destined to lose. Our generational wealth was stolen from us from early on, African money that Africans can access is relatively new money compared to the economies running the world in the present day. Due to this, Africans we can strive in 2 main areas, manufacturing and innovation. Our challenge to build wealth and power requires more skill than any economy before. A self-sufficient Africa is unheard of and ruins the ideals of the west. Because unlike any other struggle for power, the black one is political and within itself a revolution requiring innovation and skill without offending the wrong parties and being crushed. Also this would be defined as more communist than capitalist and THAT is a real problem.

This is where the hungry millennials fit right in.

We are the children of those who have either seen colonisation end, or the grand children of those people. As Africans we have seen ourselves go from having no wealth to being able to afford luxuries of the world.

Yes, there is the American dream, but what of the African dreams with households that went from having a domestic cleaner as the bread winner to her daughter an engineer in the same position in 20 years time?

Now being a millionaire before 30 is a standard in some of the greatest economies on the planet (Rockefeller did it before 27!) and South African is not far behind with young successful Forex traders and ambitious 19 year old rappers like Nasty C. However, the difference between us and them is that we are tasked with the burden and privilege of uplifting our communities.

Young 20 something facing economic crises back to back while trying to go to universities that most of us cannot afford, building businesses and doing their best to not feel inadequate for not having all the answers so early on in life.

As one of them I am forced to ask myself: How am I going to make my first million?

Can I even?

Should I want to?

Does capitalism suit Africans at all, with all this black tax we owe our families and our communities? Is this how it’s meant to be?

We aren’t America who can exploit an entire continent to lay the foundation for our wealth, we are the exploited. Our foundation can only be built together. Is capitalism really the way forward for Africans and millennials or are we just creating our own 1% for the next generation to attempt to dismantle?

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medievalmonk · 4 years

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The Power Within: Power Trip

You’ve stolen Loki from Avengers Tower. Now you’re teleporting all over the globe, getting practice and staying several steps ahead of Tony and Thor. Loki is helping to prepare you to get him off Midgard. A new adventure awaits, if you manage to survive the trip.

When you teleported to your cabin in Alaska with Loki, you landed in the living room with plenty of space around you. Since you rarely practiced at it, and the last long distance trip was two years earlier when you fled New York, you felt a headache coming on, along with ringing in your ears.

“Well done,” Loki told you, while squeezing your shoulders gently.

“I don’t understand why you wanted to come back here,” you replied, stepping back from him.

Before he could reply though, a sudden thought took you, so you put your finger over your lips.

I have a computer and WiFi access here, you said, motioning with your hands. Jarvis may be listening.

Loki nodded, then watched as you unplugged the modem and turned the computer off. Then you turned off your cell phone, tablet and any other electronic device you could think of that Tony and Jarvis might use.

Why are we here? You asked.

The immediate need is clothes for you, he responded. Go pack what you can and change. Hurry, now. If they are wise to us, it won’t take long for Thor and Stark to get here.

You moved quickly to the bedroom and grabbed a duffle bag. After changing, you stuffed it full with pants, shirts, undies, socks and extra pairs of shoes. Then you tossed in just a few toiletries. You were also careful to put the pajamas that you'd been wearing in the bag, hoping to leave no proof that you'd been there.

When you finished, you went to the kitchen to throw in any snack that would fit in the bag. Every piece of candy you had on hand went into the duffel, along with packs of snack cakes; a couple of apples rounded out the selection.

Just as you were finishing up, you stopped suddenly and glanced at Loki. He was slightly alarmed to see a faint purple in your irises.

Someone’s here.

Loki grabbed the bag and it disappeared from his hand, causing you to do a double take before he took your arm to get your attention. He tapped his temple, indicating the location for your next jump. You nodded while slipping your arms around him again.

You both heard the noise of the front door being broken down just as you teleported out of there.

— — —

“Just missed them, sir,” Jarvis reported, as Tony and Thor were still quite a distance from the cabin. “It appears that she only took clothes and snacks.”

“Any idea where they could be now?” Tony asked.

“No, sir,” the AI replied. “I suspect that she could very likely take him back to Asgard, if he wanted to go there.”

“I suspect that you’d be right.”

When Tony and Thor reached the house, the SHIELD agents that had been sent ahead were busy searching it. They were making quite a mess of it, much to Tony’s chagrin.

“Good job, fellas,” Tony said, sarcastically. “Did you wipe your feet before coming in?”

— — —

From the cabin, Loki guided you to a manor in Italy: Tuscany to be exact. The building was isolated and closed up. Once there, he selected a bedroom on the second floor, then he cast a spell on it that would hide any light so that it couldn’t be seen from the outside.

He also placed a spell on the exterior of the house that would warn him if anyone came in. The bed in the room looked halfway decent and you hoped that it wasn’t too ruined, because you really needed to lay down.

“Careful.” Loki caught your arm as you staggered toward the bed.

“Sorry, I’m tired and my head hurts,” you breathed, while gingerly sitting on the edge of the mattress. “How did you find this place?”

He gave a wry grin. “Stark’s computer assistant is most accommodating. It showed me how to use Google Earth.”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly. “Clever, but Jarvis probably kept both our search histories, so we’d best not stay in one place too long.”

Loki nodded before he produced your duffel, then dug through it for the food you'd put in it. He gave you a candy bar and an apple, before selecting something for himself.

“It’s not much,” you said. “I wasn’t sure if anything else would keep, since I didn’t know where we’d end up.”

“It will do for now, but we do need water,” he replied.

You watched while he went into the bathroom, then heard water running. After a couple of minutes, he returned with a small glass and offered it to you.

“I’ve purified it,” he told you. “It’s cool.”

“Thank you.”

While you ate, you struggled to keep your eyes open, causing Loki to make you lay down once you finished. You didn’t protest, as you were dead tired. You didn’t realize that the purple tint from the Power Stone still reflected in your irises. Loki suspected that the close call from the cabin, plus teleporting, caused the change that would slowly fade once you were rested and no longer felt endangered.

“You’ve done well, rest now,” he murmured, after producing a clean blanket out of nowhere. “I’ll keep watch.”

You were asleep from almost the moment your head hit the pillow. Loki smoothed your hair out of your face before straightening the blanket over you. He watched you for a few minutes, then stroked your cheek.

Since he was now out of reach of his brother and that irritating Stark, he had time to think about what you'd done. It was very clear that you were capable of many things: you’d teleported with him twice, flawlessly. So far you haven’t had to use telekinesis, but he knew that it would come in handy when the situation called for it.

Now that you both were away from the Tower, he would start by having you teleport short distances, then work your way up until you both were confident that you could actually reach another planet without killing yourself or him.

Loki then began to plan how he would actually help you to teleport off-planet. He had a place in mind where he could obtain a spaceship; if he couldn’t find one to buy, he’d steal it. Then he would be free to go anywhere he wanted, although he would keep his distance from Asgard, for the time being, at least.

Once he was sure that you were sound asleep, he moved away to glance outside the window. The full moon illuminated the grounds of the old house and let him check for any movement, although his spells would alert him.

Unknown to you, Loki had your money belt in a dimensional pocket; he’d taken it after Bucky removed it from your waist. No one had asked about it, so he kept it, just in case. He wasn’t fully familiar with how the slips of paper currency worked, but he would leave that part up to you.

There was a conundrum, though. There was a real possibility that you’d both be recognized at some point. Large cities would have cameras almost everywhere, not to mention almost every Midgardian would have a smartphone and social media, and the chance was greater that they’d capture your images.

On the other hand, two strangers appearing in the midst of a remote area might draw attention more quickly. Loki weighed the choices, then decided that mid sized cities may be the best option.

Loki turned back toward the bed when you stirred slightly. When you settled again, he took another look out the window, double checked his spells, then settled beside you, although he didn’t lay down. He sat up against the headboard after pulling out a book.

— —

The next morning when you woke, you felt like you’d gone on a bender. Your headache hadn’t eased even after sleeping, and you were hungry. Plus, you’d really, really needed coffee.

Loki came out of the bathroom at that moment, bearing water for you. He was relieved to see that your eyes were their normal color.

“Thank you,” you murmured. “I wish I’d thought to bring something for a headache.”

“How bad is it?”

“Just a dull throb,” you responded. “I’m sure it will pass as soon as I’m able to get some caffeine.”

He brought out your duffel, once again searching through it for the junk food you had packed. He handed you a pack of chocolate snack cakes and then the last apple.

“You eat that,” you told him, pushing his hand away. “I’m sure you’re hungry, too.”

“Take it,” he replied. “I don't have to eat as often as you, and you’ll be doing most of the work for now. We need to decide where our next stop will be, and then you need to practice.”

“Alright,” you reluctantly agreed. “Do you know how far we are from the nearest town?”

“Not too far,” he replied. “We should be able to find lodging there.”

“I had money on me before Natasha showed up and drugged me. We could use it now. Cash means no paperwork or ID required, in most cases. I should have taken Tony’s money, too.”

Loki went quiet for a moment, then raised his hand. Your eyes opened wide when you recognized your money belt.

“Well, our situation has improved greatly, hasn’t it?” You grinned at him.

— — —

By later that morning, you and Loki had made your way to the nearest city. It was apparently on a tourist route, leaving you relieved when no one paid too much attention to you. Loki had changed his clothes so that he would fit in after you’d freshened up as much as you could in the manor.

He had you purchase sunglasses, to keep your eyes hidden in case your emotions caused them to change color. You also bought a pair for him, just because you thought he looked dashing in the pair he’d tried on then put back.

The second order of business was food. Luckily the cafe that you went to accepted American currency, so you and Loki had a substantial brunch. You could see that he was hungrier than he let on, and you felt bad about it.

I’m a poor planner, you told him. I should have thought about food.

Don’t worry about that, he responded. We’ll see about lodging next.

You nodded while pouring yourself another cup of coffee. The waiter was kind enough to find some aspirin for your headache, and brought espresso for you. The coffee was strong and you could feel your headache easing.

When you’d been shown to the table, Loki had ordered in flawless Italian, causing you to look at him in surprise. He gave you a mischievous smile while you made a mental note to ask him about that.

After eating, you asked the waiter to point out a hotel where you could find a room. Once Loki had closed and locked the door, you sank down onto the clean bed with a sigh.

“This is nice.” You flopped backwards to stare at the ceiling. “Hey, how do you know Italian?”

“It’s the Allspeak,” he replied, while looking out the window.

“What’s that?” You got up to join him, and moved closer when he put his arm around your shoulders.

“Think of it as a type of translator. It enables me and Thor to understand and speak different languages.”

“Neat,” you smiled up at him.

He smiled back before raising his free hand in order to touch your face gently, and then turned you toward him and hugged you close. You put your head against him and closed your eyes.

“You’ve done very well, better than I expected since you weren’t exactly practicing before now,” he murmured, stroking your hair.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me,” you whispered back.

Loki held you for a few minutes, then released you, causing you to step back reluctantly. He stroked your face again before pressing his forehead against yours. He felt it when you gently reached out to touch him telepathically, just hovering around the edges of his thoughts; he could tell that you were only reassuring yourself that he was pleased with you.

“I’d like to take a bath. Why don’t you lay down for a while?” You told him, after he made no further move, which was disappointing.

“I’ll wait until you finish,” he said, after producing the duffel so that you could get clean clothes.

“Alright.”

After you exited the bathroom, Loki took his turn. When he finished, he found that you were curled up on one side of the bed, already asleep. He finished toweling his hair before laying down beside you, being careful not to jostle the bed.

He cast a quick spell to secure the room before allowing himself to sleep, then reached over to draw you into the curve of his body. You were warm and soft against him, with skin fragrant from your bath, which he found soothing.

Loki caressed your hand before linking his fingers through yours; he was then able to sleep. You woke him later when you began to move restlessly. He tried shaking you awake, but you were so tired and deeply asleep that he couldn’t rouse you right away.

Finally, you woke yourself up with a gasp. You were disoriented for several minutes before you remembered where you were. You then realized that Loki held you tightly against him in order to prevent you from rolling off the bed or running. When your eyes blinked open, he was alarmed to see that the irises were purple.

“I woke you, I’m sorry,” you said, with a soft sniffle.

“Don’t worry,” he replied. “What were you dreaming about?”

“That stupid Power Stone and the idiots who thought they could use it.”

“Do you have this dream often?” He asked, wanting to be prepared. If you hit him with lightning or teleported out of fright, his chance of leaving Midgard would be lost.

“Fairly often.”

“Go back to sleep,” he told you. “There’s no big hurry to move on. Let’s rest, then we can see about staying for a couple more days. How does that sound?”

“Marvelous,” you replied, lightly running your hand along his bare forearm.

So, you laid still, trying to go back to sleep, but unable to with Loki snug against your side, his arm across your waist, and one leg across yours. You weren’t sure if he slept, but you sure as shooting weren’t getting more sleep anytime soon.

“Not working, hmm?” He finally asked.

“No,” you replied softly.

“Let’s see what we can do about that.”

Your heart jumped to your throat when he raised up on an elbow before leaning over to capture your lips in a soft, tentative kiss meant to gauge your response. You pulled him closer, giving him your answer.

His hands made quick work of clothing, then it was skin against skin. He was gentle, and thorough; you were already drifting off before he moved to your side again.

Loki stroked your sweat-soaked hair away from your face while he studied you. You were a pretty little thing and had caught his interest the night at your cabin, when you’d knocked him on his butt.

He did like you, and thought that you’d make a perfect pair once off Midgard and able to move freely throughout the universe.

— —

For the next several months, you and Loki moved from country to country, city to city, where you would stay for a few weeks or until you felt you had to move on. With care, your cash would be enough for at least a year of moving around.

When needed, you stayed at hotels or inns; during these stays, Loki placed a spell around the room so that no one could surprise you. If the internet and a computer were available, he would research the next place to go.

The two of you grew closer day by day, and you knew that you loved him, but was unsure if he would or could return those feelings. There was something that he still kept hidden; you couldn’t find out what it was unless you invaded his mind, which he would not appreciate at all.

As far as either of you knew, Tony nor Thor had even come close to gaining on you. There hadn’t even been a close call from local authorities. You were relieved, but Loki still remained cautious; he knew that he needed you far more than you needed him, at least until you’d gotten him off Midgard.

Loki would have you practice taking a destination from him, so you’d concentrate on the picture he gave you through your telepathy before sending you off. He wanted you to be able to take guidance from him, and also wanted to establish how long it took for you to travel to the target and then back.

He knew that he couldn’t have you try reaching one of the planets in Midgard’s solar system, since they would be immediately fatal. The planet that he wanted to start with was similar enough to Earth that you wouldn’t suffer any adverse effects. It was the distance to the planet that had him concerned.

He didn’t want you to panic mid-jump, especially when you had him along for the ride. Loki wanted you to be able to focus on the destination in order for both of you to arrive in one piece.

— —

“Alright, pet, I think you are ready to get us out of here,” Loki finally told you while you enjoyed a quiet meal on the balcony of the Scottish hotel room where you were staying.

Edinburgh castle was visible from the distance; it was somewhere that you had always wanted to visit, but now was not the time.

“Ok,” you replied, uncertainly.

“Just remember not to panic, the trip itself will likely take longer than you’re used to. Keep the image foremost in your mind and trust me. I’ve been there enough times to guide you to an open space.”

You nodded before pushing your plate away. The food suddenly tasted like sawdust, and you couldn’t choke it down. Loki watched you for a couple of minutes before reaching over to take your hand.

“You’ll do fine, just trust me and don’t panic.”

You sound confident, but I can tell that you’re not entirely convinced, you tell him while trying to keep your hand from shaking.

Trust me.

Later that afternoon, you paced the floor anxiously, keyed up about what was to come. Loki had you rest a while then eat again before teleporting.

He watched you for several minutes before stopping you in order to draw you to him. He could feel your trembling in his arms.

“It’s alright,” he murmured.

“I don’t want to hurt you….” You paused before looking up at him.

They’re here!

Go!

— — —

“Damn it,” Tony scrubbed his face with both hands as he and Thor stood in the empty hotel room. “Those two are as slippery as jello.”

“What’s jello?” Thor asked.

“Never mind. I don’t think we’re ever going to catch them.”

“I’m beginning to believe you’re right.”

This was their closest call yet: they’d actually arrived at the hotel while you and Loki were still there. There had been only two other times where they’d been only an hour or so too late in catching you.

The fact that you could read minds, and would recognize them when they came in proximity to you pretty much guaranteed a successful escape.

— — —

I can’t breathe!

FOCUS!

Loki’s voice was firm in your mind when you started to panic during the jump to Reumion, the planet he’d been preparing you for.

I’m with you, keep the picture in sight, he said, still firmly but also encouraging.

So, you concentrated hard, focusing as you’d been training to do. When your feet finally touched solid ground, you staggered and would have fallen if not for Loki.

Well done, my pet ….

I did it?

You did it. You could hear the smile in his voice.

His voice faded as you collapsed into his arms. Loki lifted you easily, then pressed a kiss against your temple while he carried you to an inn that he was familiar with. Your paper money was of no use, except as a novelty, so Loki parted with a gold coin in order to obtain the best rooms and to have a meal sent to it.

He then placed you carefully on the bed, and smoothed your hair out of your face. He could tell that you were exhausted; he felt safe enough to let you recover on your own before he started the search for a ship to buy or steal, if necessary.

Three days later, you finally stirred and sat up in bed. You had been out cold during that time, which concerned Loki, who hovered over you, guarding you. You hadn’t even woken up for food or water.

You looked around, disoriented, while trying to get your wits about you. The furniture and covers on the bed seemed familiar, yet not entirely, but you couldn’t put your finger on what the difference was.

A quick glance at the window took in a gray sky, although the light coming in was bright. You thought that perhaps a storm was brewing, but something still seemed off.

Loki?

A moment, he replied.

You sat still, needing water but unable to get your legs to move. They felt like jelly and you were certain that they wouldn’t hold you up if you tried to stand. After a couple minutes, Loki entered the room, followed by...something you’d never seen before.

Your eyes opened wide in fright and before you could scream, Loki reached your side and shook you warningly. His fingers were painfully tight on your shoulder and drew your attention away from the alien that had carried a tray of food in.

You took a deep breath and forced yourself to relax; Loki eased his grip somewhat, then let go completely once the alien was gone.

Okay, I’m not on Earth anymore, you told yourself. They can’t all look like Loki or Thor.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” you murmured. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” he replied. “Keep in mind that you may see other creatures even more startling.”

You nodded silently before scooting to the side of the bed. After another deep breath, you stood slowly, then before you could ask, Loki pointed you toward the equivalent of a bathroom.

When you returned, Loki had put the food onto a small table in the main room and waited for you. You sat down and pressed your trembling knees together.

“How do you feel?” He asked, after pouring a glass of water for you.

“Disoriented,” you replied. “Something feels off, but I don’t know how to explain it.”

He nodded while putting food on your plate. “I know that this looks different, but it should taste similar to what you’re used to.”

“Okay,” you replied, apprehensively.

You took small bites of what he’d served, finding that while it didn’t exactly taste like Earth food, it wasn’t bad. Loki watched in silent amusement before he poured a dark purple liquid into a separate glass for you.

“What’s that?”

“Wine,” he replied.

“Oh.”

You brought the glass to your nose for a sniff before taking a sip. That sip burned going down and you choked on it. Loki quickly handed you the water glass, which you drained.

“Strong!” You gasped, eyes watering.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

You had to clear your throat twice before giving up and nodding in response. He did smile when you pushed the wine glass toward him while shaking your head. You watched him drink what was in your glass before pouring more for himself.

“So, what’s next?” You asked, once you were able to speak.

“To buy a ship,” he replied.

“Too bad they won’t take my paper money,” you commented, while eating your breakfast.

“Yes,” he agreed. “But I will steal one if necessary.”

“Do you think you could do it without hurting anyone? I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Don’t let that concern you,” he replied. “I don’t intend to injure anyone, and I won’t steal a ship unless that is our only option.”

“Alright.”

“Now, how are you on clothing?”

The subject change caught you off guard, so you had to take a mental inventory of what you had.

“I could use a couple sets of new ones, and boots.”

“Once we’ve finished eating, we will go see what we can find for you.”

“Alright.”

— —

When Loki led you from the inn toward the merchant district, you were intrigued by the diverse alien beings that walked the street. You stayed close to him, and even took his arm a couple of times when you noticed that you were drawing the attention of some of the creatures.

“No, move along,” Loki told one brave alien, who had brazenly stopped your progress and chittered. “Yes, I’m quite sure.”

“What did he, it, say?” You asked, after Loki had guided you around the creature in order to continue toward the shops.

“He wanted to know if you were for sale.”

“What??” You squeaked, moving so close to his side that you were nearly walking on his feet.

Loki chuckled softly while gently moving you so that he had space to walk. You kept a tight grip on his arm, and he patted your hands.

“Yes, and I dare say that his won’t be the only offer.”

“You wouldn’t, would you?”

“Of course not.”

For some reason, you didn’t quite believe him, but you kept your misgivings to yourself.

He finally led you into a shop where you could get clothes and boots. You listened while he bartered with the shopkeeper; once an agreement was reached, the shopkeeper took you by the hand in order to show you garments that you could choose from.

“Pick out what you like, and try them on,” Loki instructed you. “Then we’ll get boots.”

So, you picked out clothing after trying several articles on. You also needed undergarments, but were reluctant to mention it to him. Loki’s attention was on the street outside, so you took that opportunity to look around.

“Wonder if she has underwear…” you murmured to yourself, while trying not to be obvious about what you wanted.

“Here.” The shopkeeper’s voice startled you just before she motioned you over.

You followed her, relieved to find what you were looking for. When you only picked out a couple things, she handed you several more items, including a couple of gowns.

“Paid for,” she told you.

“Thank you,” you replied.

She nodded with a smile before she moved away to package your items. When you finished, Loki paid her extra to have someone deliver them to the inn. Then he took you for boots, which were also to be delivered for you.

“Now where to?” You asked, wanting to look around.

The planet had a myriad of sights, other than the alien beings, and you wanted to see some of them. It felt like Earth, as far as the atmosphere, plants, etc, but the sky was gray instead of blue, with the vegetation having silver or steel blue coloring.

“Are those humans?” You asked Loki, indicating the humanoids that you saw.

“Only a few of them are,” he replied, while keeping an eye out for anyone who showed too much attention to you.

While you looked around while trying not to stare, you felt a tug on your pant leg. You glanced down to find that you and Loki had been surrounded by children, who looked up at you with wonder.

Some were humanoid, but they all seemed immensely interested in you. Several of them reached for your hands in order to examine them, while others gently felt the skin of your arms.

Loki managed to step out of the way, but watched closely while also giving the other pedestrians his attention; he leaned against the building, arms crossed.

“Hello,” you said, uncertain if they could understand you.

“Hello!” Some of them did understand and greeted you with smiles.

Loki watched your interaction with the little ones. He’d half expected you to take yourself right back to Midgard after the initial fright at the inn. You weren’t as wary of the children, and he expected that you would grow used to seeing other species as time went on.

“Here, see if they want these,” Loki said, handing you the small pieces of chocolate that you’d tossed into the duffel bag before leaving Alaska.

You offered the candy, pleased that there was just enough for each child to have one piece. Even Loki laughed at the expressions on their faces when they tasted it. He was less than thrilled though when small hands tried to find more candy on him; his clothing was tugged on and twisted around, much to his annoyance.

“No, sorry, all gone,” you told them. “No more.”

“More?”

“All gone,” you repeated, showing empty hands.

They made disappointed sounds while Loki reached for your hand. You waved at them as he led you down the street, then he pulled your arm through his.

“While you were resting, I’ve been asking around about a ship suitable to our purpose,” he told you. “I received word today that there is one that may be for sale.”

“Okay,” you replied.

“There may be other creatures there that will get close to you, but you are not to show any fear,” he went on. “Can you do that?”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay behind?”

“No, I want you close to me so that there’s no chance of you being stolen.”

That thought had never crossed your mind and it made you uneasy, but you were sure that you could protect yourself.

“I also don’t want you to reveal what you’re capable of, or neither of us will make it off this planet,” he continued, as if reading your mind.

“Alright.”

Loki moved his arm so that his hand now rested in the small of your back.

“You’re doing very well,” he said. “No one would ever suspect that you’ve never been off planet before.”

“Liar.” You couldn’t help but laugh at his teasing tone. “But thank you.”

@sadwaywardkid @whothehellsbucky @littlemissunloveable

#The Power Within: Power Trip #mooncat163 #loki x reader #loki marvel #hoping these tags work #no y/n

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imagine-loki · 4 years

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Alluring whispers, Chapter 15

TITLE: Alluring whispers CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 15 AUTHOR: fanficshiddles ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki has the tesseract again and is captured by The Avengers. Where he discovers they have an omega who has healing powers living with them. He’s an Alpha and he wants her,badly. She is the epitome of all things good, and trying her best to avoid his seductive advances. But it’s not easy due to their instincts and biology. The Avengers do their best to keep the omega safe, but Loki is on the hunt and is hungry for her. RATING: M

Hope took a while before she stopped crying. She’d been taken back to her room, but it didn’t feel like her room anymore.

She missed Loki’s scent, she didn’t feel safe or secure anymore without it.

There were agents who’d been ordered to stand on guard outside her room twenty-four seven, to make sure she didn’t try and go back to Loki. She was allowed elsewhere, as long as she told the agents where she wanted to go and was escorted.

It took her a few days before she felt even a tiny bit better and was able to start healing people again. But she wasn’t happy, she felt low and sad almost all the time. Nothing like she used to be. And it didn’t go un-noticed by the team.

But they weren’t too pleased with the way Loki was acting. He still wanted out, he was angry all the time. Whenever they tried to speak to him, he was lashing out at them.

He was angry that his plan had failed. That he had let his guard down and they’d been able to take his omega away from him. He was furious.

It had been a week since Hope had been torn from Loki. She still wasn’t back to her usual self, didn’t join the others and wasn’t eating as much as she should. She was feeling strange, but she just put that down to the fact that she wasn’t with her Alpha anymore.

She had tried on a few occasions to get to him, the closest she got was just outside the door of the cell room when she was caught again. Each time it made her feel worse and worse.

One afternoon, she was being slyly followed by an agent, who wasn’t exactly being so sly because it was obvious to her that he was following her. She made her way to her healing room and started healing some people that needed her, it helped to keep her mind busy for a short while.

But every so often she had to stop for a moment, because she felt a shooting pain inside of her. It had been happening ever since she was taken from Loki, like a deep longing inside of her. Nothing like her heat though, but still a niggle that she had a feeling would be fine if she was able to be with Loki…

Tony, Natasha and Bruce were in the lab, they were getting prepared for a mission.

‘I don’t think we should take her. She’s not right, ever since being with Loki. But I am worried about all of us leaving, in-case she tries to get to Loki.’ Bruce sighed.

‘Well, we take her with us but she stays on the quinjet?’ Tony suggested.

‘It’s probably the only option we have. Loki seems to be getting more and more restless each day, it’s like he can sense something. I don’t know if it’s Hope’s anxiety he’s picking up on or not, because she seems to be struggling more every day too.’ Said Natasha.

The three all looked at one another with uneasiness.

‘We will take her with us. At least then she is away from Loki, maybe the distance for a while will help calm them down.’ Tony said, making the decision.

Natasha went to get Hope from her healing room. She wasn’t too pleased about being dragged along on one of their missions, but she didn’t bother arguing, knowing it was pointless.

‘Alright. As long as this isn’t a bloodshed mission, right?’

‘It shouldn’t be.’ Natasha said sheepishly.

Hope gave her a look, she wasn’t happy with that answer.

She still wasn’t happy when she was trundled into the quinjet with the rest of the team. Thor tried to cheer her up as he sat next to her, but he was failing miserably.

‘Look. I know that you and my brother have this… thing, together. It is something that I do not understand all too well, but I do know that he has a troubled past and present. One that you should not be a part of. And I know it will be difficult to try and let go, but for your own safety you need to try.’ He said as softly as possible, not wanting to hurt her feelings. He was just worried about her.

‘He would never hurt me, Thor. And I understand all too well about his past, we didn’t just fuck day and night in that cell.’ She said loudly, for everyone to hear. Making them all just a little bit uncomfortable.

No one said anything after that, it was a bit of an awkward journey. Luckily it wasn’t too long, only half an hour. If that. When they landed, Hope felt sick. The quinjet opened to reveal exactly what she had been hoping not to arrive to.

It was a town in Germany, on fire. Literally. Due to yet another alien race from a faraway planet.

There were innocents injured, dying. Hope was about to leap off the jet, but Tony grabbed her arm and pulled her back in. ‘No, Hope. You need to stay here. It’s not safe. Come on team. Let’s go!’ His helmet flipped on and he flew out of the jet, instantly attacking the aliens.

Hope was about to rush out anyway, but Tony had the doors close on her. She banged against the door and tried opening it, but she kept getting ‘access denied’ making her really pissed off.

She could hear screams of terror from outside as people were harmed. It was tearing her up not being able to help them, getting so distressed.

Though it didn’t last long, she screamed as one of the large scaly beast-like aliens landed on the quinjet. Luckily not at the side where she was, but when it got up and continued fighting, there was a huge hole in the jet left.

‘Shit. Stark isn’t going to be happy with that.’ She muttered to herself.

But she took that opportunity and ran out, heading straight to the nearest casualty. She was trying to heal their broken bones when one of the aliens spotted her and came charging at her. It opened its mouth and spewed out fire directly towards her.

It was as if time stood still, she thought this was it. She was going to go up in flames. Leaning over the casualty to try and protect him, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain to come.

But it didn’t. She could feel heat, but not the kind of heat from the fire. There was a body behind her and arm around her waist. Then suddenly, her nose was flooded with the scent of…

Her Alpha.

#Loki #Lover #Submitted fic #submission #alluring whispers #fanfichiddles #chapter 17

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sunnyborabora · 5 years

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Bored (Haechan x Reader)

Hi there! I know I was supposed to publish this two weeks ago but damn I went to see BTS in concert and I am still depressed about it and I found a job with the most inconvenient schedule ever. RIP my free time but my bank account is happier! Thank you for all your kind words, it helps me a lot and motivates me to write everytime! For the person who requested this, I didn’t made an headcanon but a drabble so it can be longer like you asked! It was really funny to write and I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Warning: smut, awkward situation, semi public sex, Donghyuck loves you a lot

Heachan was bored out of his mind. When he asked you to come over he didn't realized it meant a movie night with his members here. When he thought about the fact that he could be making out with you right now, he was whiffing non stop. « Donghyuk stop moving I can't watch the movie. » He started to think you were doing it on purpose. But you seemed really caught up in the movie. « I can't believe he just said that. -You know what I can't believe ! You saying that you are team Iron Man and not Captain ». You were so cute, invested in the movie like this. You almost ripped off Mark's head a few minutes ago because he was criticizing Captain America. He would have kissed you right away if ten other guys were not here, spread all around you. At least you had the couch for the both of you and he was free of touching you. The thing was that you didn't really agree to this. It was not his fault if he was so hungry for you. You had been away for a few weeks for your studies which was a shame because for once he was able to stay in Korea with you. He had not seen you in a month and now that you were here, he was unable to resist. Your head was on his shoulder, and everything was a torture for him. Your bare legs on his thighs were so soft as he was stroking them gently. His right hand was slowly tracing patterns on your inner thighs as he was watching you. He could see you were starting to pay less and less attention to the movie. You shivered in his arms as he grabbed your flesh with a bit more strength. « Stop it Donghyuk » you whispered still looking at the screen. You were still not paying attention to him. You didn’t seem to realise that his hand was slowly stroking your bare thigh. He was getting higher and higher near your underwear, and he could feel you shivered. He smirked, playing it off when you turned around to look at him. When he touched the fabric of your underwear with his skillful fingers you gasped at the sudden action then immediately bit your lip. You had to stay quiet. You could have protest but you didn't because in fact all of this situation was turning you on a lot. He knew exactly what to do to get your gears going, and sometimes you even hated him for it. He kept stroking your folds over the fabric. It was weird the feeling of the clothes on your sensitive skin as he was brushing it mercilessly. He could feel you growing wet by seconds, and he could not help but laugh.

« Take them off. » Donghyuck whispered in your ear.

You were the cutest creature on this planet, all flushed, obstinately looking at the screen as if you were not taking of your panties in a room full of other guys. You banded your legs under the cover making your underwear slip along your legs without anyone noticing. Only your legs touched his legs, and with the ruffle of the blanket he can peek a bit of your naked skin under it. He should be worried about you being half naked in a room full of men but it was triggering him in a way he didn't expect. Taking his middle finger, he split your outer folds. You let out a sharp moan as you feel him caress your sensitive nub in slow but firm circular motions. Biting your lip harder from slight embarrassment, you open your legs slightly, hoping he wouldn’t notice, to give him further access. But of course, he noticed, and slightly chuckled at the thought. His hand squeezed firmer on your breast. His fingers pinched tighter at your nipples, teasing you even further. Both of his hand movements became firmer and faster. You start breathing heavily at these sensations. You try to lie still, but your hips, as if they had a mind of their own, started to gyrate. You can feel a warm sensation building up in your loins. Your arm slowly rises to grasp the back of his head for support. He chuckles at your movements while nibbling at your neck.With a smug look on his face, he licked your earlobe, and that was all you needed to finish. If he wasn't in the middle of crowded h would have spanked you, your plump ass looking super good in that skirt you were wearing, but the sound of his hand against your skin would be too loud, drawing too much attention. He was still a possessive man, he would cling to you like a chewing gum if he needed to make clear to everyone that you were taken. Hoppefully he didn't need to do this with his members, but still he didn't wanted to get caught. His hands finally reached up to caress your ass.

« You're so wet already... »

After what he had done of course you were. You shuddered in his arms even more. You kept your hands at your sides tho, unsure of what to do. It would be too suspicious and you needed all your concentration not to moan.

« Spread your legs a bit more »

He bring you closer, you head now on his shoulder. It was too hard to concentrate on the movie now. You said goodbye to captain america as you close your eyes, burrying you nose in Donghyuck neck. You couldn't help but glanced nervously at the boys on the floor, they were all caught up in the movie, not mooving an inch. Donghyuck slided his hand around as he pressed his thumb against your clit . You bit your lip and bucked your hips forward into his touch. You felt it, he’s hard, and you just want to rut against his finger to make him go deaper inside and after ride the bulge in his pants, but it's impossible.

« I wish you could ride me Y/n. I am so hard right now » He whispered against your skin, still rubbing your clit.

You are now dripping on his pant, his finger glistening with your juice.

« But we can't right ? You don't want them to see you like this, so desperate for me, right baby? Touching you like that in front of everyone. »

His voice was low, unable to be heard for anyone but you, but you’re already struggling to not make any noises. Keeping quiet entirely will likely be impossible. And indeed it was impossible, because you gasped loudly when Donghyuck undid his pants and freed his hard cock.

« Really Y/n ? Are you that passionate about the movie ? » Mark mocked you as you stood mortified on Donghyuck lap.

« Apparently she is » this one answered smirking at you as you can't help but blush.

You looked at him panicked as you feel him slip inside. You can't help , you took a deep breath at the pleasure finally coursing through your veins.

« Anyone could just turn around and see you, but you don't even seem to mind right now. You are clenching hard around me baby. You want them to see us? » He asked, his hands on your hips making you wiggle on his thighs, his cock twitching inside you.

You were tempted to run away, take your dumbass of a boyfriend hand and took him to his room so you could actually do something. Everything right now was a torture. He was so deep inside pushing on your sensitive spots, but he was not moving.

You take another look at the other boys, then look back at Donghyuck and how you are sitting on his lap, his hard cock deep inside you ready for you to ride him. You nodded so ashamed of you, as you started lifting your hips slightly just enough for Donghyuck to take a deep breath, as he finally felt you moving as you were like a vice around him.

« You are feeling so good... Fuck Y/n I don't know if I can handle this ».

He seriously started to regret initiating this. He sometimes forgot how his body was reacting to yours and how he was in the end wrapped around your finger. Donghyuck dropped his head back, watching you from his lazily hooded eyes as you are trying to move as subtly as possible.

« I want to fuck you properly... » He stroked his thumb over your hip.

You started moving against him not enough to ease up and back down but subtly swiveling your hips, biting your lips to keep from making noise. A half-swallowed moan almost bursted out from you, and Donghyuck, despite all of his talk, immediately slapped a hand over your mouth and glanced around.

« Quiet baby, keep going »

He took of his hand from over your mouth and you buried your face in his neck. You ground down on him, clenching, trying to stave off your orgasm when his free hand got busy toying with your clit. Your thighs ache from the position, but Donghyuck watching you with dark eyes, kept teasing your clit with his fingers. You can feel the start of your orgasm, shots of electricity running down your limb. His hips started to twitch up into you, rubbing against yours. Your sounds were stifled as you bite the skin of his neck, damp with your breath and probably bruised from your teeth.

« Hey ! Can you like settle down ! You 're giving me motion sickness ! »

You froze like a deer in headlight. Donghyuck froze as well and you can see the fear in his eyes.

« Sorry John, I am just tired.... I am going to go to sleep... » you said.

Donghyuck helped you sit next to him as he put himself back in his pants. His ability to look so effortlessly innocent was always surprising you. In no time he was leading you upstairs to his bedroom.

« Fuck we almost got caught on this one ! »

You turned around furious.

« It's all your fault ! Why are you like this ! -Stop it babe, we both know that it's not what's bothering you right now »

He was suddenly very close. He kissed you passionately and push you slowly down the mattress. He got between your legs, a smirk playing on his lips, opening them to make space for him as he started leaving kisses on your inner thighs, getting closer and closer to your core. The previous edging had made you so sensitive, so ready for him. He kissed your core without hesitation, before spreading you open and starting to lick your clit his tongue hard against you. You could not help but arch your back and moan his name. He started eating you out like a starve man, and he was in a sense because he could never get enough of you. Slurping sounds and your moans were the only noises that could be heard in the room and it made every thing more obscene. Your moans were getting louder, the pleasure was starting to build up again, more intense than before as you didn't have to restrain yourself.

« Hyuk, I am so-so close ! » you moaned out.

Hearing that, he moaned around your clit, making you cry even more. Even when he inserted two fingers in, it encountered no resistance as you were dripping.

« Oh god, oh god... »

You were starting to see white, you couldn’t hold it anymore as you arched your back and finally cummed, covering his fingers and his mouth with your juices. He immediately licked his fingers cleans, savoring your taste like you were the finest meal.You were blissed out still when you felt him above you, kissing the corner of your lips, your chin, your nose.

« You’re beautiful » he whispered.

« I love you so much ».

With that, you felt him going inside you, moans already spilling out both of your mouths. It felt so good after waiting for so long, his member sending mini electric shock all around your core. Donghyuck was trusting into you like his life depended on it. He was looking into your eyes, his sight so full of love, admiration.

« I love you so much »

He was close from all the pent-up tension of all the movie night action and from hearing you moan his name so loud. Your legs snaked around his waist, locking him in place as he started thrusting slow and deep, his arms on the sides of your head, his chest pressed flush to yours. It was so extremely intimate, so passionate, you swore you could cum again just by feeling him so close to you. There was no need for erratic thrusts or dirty talking, this time it would be pure love making, Donghyuck was going slow and deep, kissing your neck, your chin, your face, your lips, making love to you as if you were the most precious thing in the world. And you were, in his world. Your moans echoed in the room. Eventually he picked up the pace, chasing his and your orgasms and you couldn’t have asked for more. His hips rolled perfectly into yours bringing you closer and closer by the second.

« Baby, I’m cumming… », he said, groaning, spilling his seed into you.

You came as soon as you felt him cumming inside. The way he shivered in your arms, his member twitching as you were clenching around him like crazy.

« Come here, love » he said, opening his arms for you.

You immediately cuddled up to him, head in the crook of his neck, smile on your face.

« I love you » you mumbled. « That’s my good girl », he whispered playfully, giving you one final kiss on your hair. « Shut up ».

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grimes-claireboucher · 5 years

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GRIMES | WHO KNEW WORLD-BUILDING WOULD BE SO DIFFICULT?

BY SID FEDDEMA

APRIL 23, 2019

You can hear it, can’t you? The pulsing, panning synth bass, ingenious and instantly memorable. A gossamer coo, almost a sigh. And then a voice in an unusually high register singing  lyrics full of menace, at odds with a calculated syrupy-sweet, faux-naive intonation: I never walk about after dark / It’s my point of view / If someone could break your neck / Coming up behind you always coming and you’d never have a clue.

Seven years later, its power remains unmitigated. “Oblivion” turned horror into art, and, while drawn from a personal, particular experience, it spoke to a universal pain, a sense of predation and vulnerability all too familiar for women. Most importantly, it is a defiant act of resistance, a steadfast insistence on Grimes’ ownership of her own experience, and a refusal to be silenced. Pitchfork named it the best song of the decade so far. NPR named it one of the “greatest songs by 21st Century women.” Grimes was suddenly a cultural touchstone, a feminist symbol, a cherished member of the resistance. Everyone was watching.

They still are. Look at the Twitter fusillades, the talmudic readings of even the most flippant utterance, the team-joining. Feuds! With contemporaries, the media, her label. Gossip! A storm of it, following her spacetime-warping appearance with Elon Musk on the Met Gala red-carpet. And to hear Grimes tell it, being caught up in all this has been excruciating. She’s said that 2018 was one of the hardest years she’s endured.

When we speak, Grimes is in flux—emotionally, artistically, career-wise. But that’s nothing new. If I was to describe her with one word, I think it would be '“mercurial.” Or “protean.” She never stands still, never settles. She feels less like one person than like a collection of occasionally-combative creative spirits inhabiting one body. Hence the wide cast of characters in her albums, the fashion experiments, the accretion disk of material spanning mediums and genres. As I was writing this article we got word that she has changed her name—to c [lowercase italic], rather than Claire Boucher, and that the Grimes identity she’s built up over the course of her career could be next to go. For a journalist, she’s a tough subject: not only is she encyclopedic in conversation, but by the time you finish your draft, half of what you’ve written may no longer be true. While this capriciousness is a powerful creative resource, it can also make things difficult. She is a hell of a lot of fun to talk to, though—a whirlwind of ideas, opinions, wisecracks, and puckish self-deprecation.

I was given four tracks from the new album to prepare. But when I bring up the first, the disarmingly raw, strange, and lovely “Shall I Compare Thee,” she laughs. “I hate all these songs now. I might even replace them all. I’m supposed to be finishing the album this month or whatever, but I’ve been making a shit ton of new music instead. Which is a really bad idea.” She sighs, thinks for a moment. “But I’ll probably put out the songs that I said I’ll put out.” I tell her that her fans would surely appreciate seeing what she’s been working on. “Maybe, maybe not,” she replies, grinning. “I think the fans want me to stop making metal, nu-metal. Which I will! I have, I have stopped making metal!” Meanwhile, she’s dropping demos for an augmented reality side project under the moniker “Dark,” scribbling away on a novel, and thinking about a suite of “hymns, like glossolalia vocal music,” but which she “probably won’t release as ‘Grimes,’” as she explains it. She has changed her artistic approach, and is intent on unshackling her creative impulses. “I read a book on speed painting, about how you just lay it down and become satisfied with it. So I’m trying to do a bunch of stuff like that right now. It does feel better, because it just contains more life,” she explains. “Shall I Compare Thee” embodies this speed-painting creative methodology: DIY production, recorded in “like, two hours.” But the other single from the album, “We Appreciate Power,” is the opposite. It’s polished to a shine, conceptual, accompanied by a well-produced video. “‘Power’ is sort of the end of the old music I was making,” she says. “This era of super-produced and perfected sound—it’s sort of a thesis on that, a bookend.”

She’s eager to explain the concept of the new album. However she feels about the songs at any given moment, she’s clearly excited about the story that they’re telling. “Miss Anthropocene” is a character, essentially an anthropomorphization of the concept of climate change. The name is a witty pun on “misanthropy” and “anthropocene”—the geological era defined by humanity’s irrevocable impacts on the planet. “All the media about climate change is like one big guilt trip. It’s super depressing, like, here are some facts that make you wanna go home and kill yourself. It sucks and it sucks to look at, so people just kind of look away from it,” she says. “I want to change that. In ancient Greek culture you have these gods that represent abstract, terrifying concepts. Like a God of Death. So I wanted to make Miss Anthropocene this idea of, like, the God of Climate Change. She wants the world to end and she wants to bring about the end of humanity, but she’s fun. She’s fucking fun and evil!” Grimes laughs. “Also, climate change is beautiful, even if it’s terrifying. It’s so nice to look at. The sunsets are brighter and more beautiful. Volcanoes, oil rainbows, hurricanes... destruction is gorgeous—people are drawn to it.”

Miss Anthropocene marks the end of an era for Grimes. When it’s released she’ll be finished with her obligations to her label, and she’s excited about the prospect of working without contractual restrictions. “I’ll never sign with another label. I’ll never have to put out another album... If I didn’t have this whole requirement to release an ‘album,’ I would have just dropped a bunch of music ages ago.” The album format, she says, feels increasingly ill-suited for her shape-shifting, experimental style. “Albums are trash unless you sit down and make a really good album. I’m not really that consistent. I feel like I would work better in like EP-ish formats.”

It’s not the only departure from musical tradition that she’s considering. Touring, she tells me, has increasingly become a stressful obligation. “I wanna retire from touring. I wanna do a hologram tour. Why do we keep doing them for dead artists instead of living ones who have stage fright?” Does she still get stage fright, this far into her career? “Oh my god, yes. It’s nightmarish. Apocalyptic. Terrifying, horrible. I can’t hear clapping or cheers—I just hear an echo chamber of death. I black out. Dissociation—I can’t tell what’s happening. After a show I’m always thinking, What happened? And people are like ‘It’s ok!’ I know people like the authenticity of live performance, and I do too. But I’m not a good performer. I’m a director who accidentally fell into this position, and now it’s too late to change. So I need to Gorillaz it—I need to find a way to not have to do the Beyoncé thing as much.”

The sense is that Grimes is finished with facades, done pretending, done jumping through hoops to meet our expectations for what a ‘pop-star’ should be. Coming to terms with all this has been a messy and difficult process, but she’s finally feeling like herself again. She’s optimistic, if wary. And she’s ready to let it all out. Her forthcoming album, to hear her tell it, is Grimes unleashed. “I feel like at times there is an extreme rage that I haven’t been able to lay down,” she says. “A rawness that I have withheld from the public, because people always told me to make it more accessible. I’ve given that up for this, and it’s been freeing.”

She’s confronting her past as well. Miss Anthropocene was written during a period of intense self-reflection, and in the midst of personal tragedy. After losing others to addiction and overdoses, yet another close friend had passed. She hints obliquely at her own struggles with substances. It’s hard for her to talk about, but she has confronted it head-on while making this album, and is ready to be honest with the public. “I had early disturbing experiences with kids coming up to me and admiring things that were self-destructive. I was like, fuck, people think it’s cool to cut yourself or vomit or do crack. That’s not good! But then it became this stifling thing,” she says. “I don’t know. I’ve lived this hard, fucked-up life. I can’t pretend I didn’t. It started feeling like I couldn’t express myself properly, because I was so worried about being a good role model. It scares me to be hyper-honest, but we never see women getting to be that way. There should be someone out there that’s messy and fucked up—for some people this is how it is. It scares me because I don’t want little kids to romanticize certain things that are not cool. But I also don’t want to lie about the reality of my existence. I can’t make super honest or super emotional art if I’m always pretending to be cool and chill all the time.”

Grimes’ fans, who love her rabidly, have expressed worry at times in the last few years. If it seems she’s been self-sabotaging, whether online or in her relationships with collaborators and partners, it’s because she really has struggled. But unlike most of us, every step of her journey has been seized upon by a fascinated public and a cynical press hungry for headlines and clicks. And her reticence to tell us what she was really going through left all the more room for speculation. “Two of my best friends died before I was 18, and I lost like five friends to opiate-related deaths. Really close friends. I had one die when I was on a shoot, and found out while filming the second day. All this stuff, fucked up stuff, is happening. Before I would just not mention any of it. I feel like I’ve been through war when I think that all these people around me are dead. In 2016, my good friend died. They were a friend of 15 years, and I felt nothing. Just nothing. And it was so weird. But, you know, there you go. So you start removing yourself from everybody because you don’t want to face it. Life becomes too shockingly fragile, you know?”

It hasn’t been easy for Grimes to engage with her past, but talking about it—in her art, in interviews like this one—is helping. “I’ve gotten better. I was really fucked up in 2016 when I wrote this album, but now I’m doing much better. When I was going through the Art Angels cycle, I was having severe PTSD, and everyone was like, ‘Don’t let the public know!’ I know there are people who think I’ve fucked up the last year, and I do need to be more organized and reasonable and thoughtful at times, for sure. But I feel my art is better.”

Grimes’ favorite part of her job comes before she records a single note. “Dreaming it up feels so easy. The making and releasing can be horrible, but the dreaming is always fun,” she sighs. And that’s why she’s such an interesting figure, right? She’s a prodigious dreamer. We may love the music—I still blast “Oblivion” on an almost monthly basis, revisit the strange and compelling world of Art Angels—but it does sometimes feel almost beside the point. Grimes is building a universe, and she’s shedding the strictures that get in the way of that grand vision—the album format, her label, even her own carefully-crafted identity. “Part of what I’m doing is setting up the world-building. Reverse Harry Potter it. Soundtrack comes first, then the fashion, then everything, everything, everything. Then the book, right before I die,” she says, not really joking. Reaching this point of liberation hasn’t been a smooth process. Grimes is unfailingly honest with herself, her own worst critic. But she feels free, she’s happy with what she’s creating, and her ambitions have only grown. We just need to get out of the way and let her dream.

#grimes #claire boucher #actuallygrimes #interview 2019 #flaunt magazine #sid feddema #2019 #zoey grossman

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classyobservationwerewolf · 4 years

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COVID-19 - A reality check to mankind

Unprecedented! That is the apt way to describe the situation humanity is in. What started as an ‘isolated’ problem at Wuhan in China, in a matter of 3 months, has ‘isolated’ the mankind across the globe. COVID-19 /Corona virus has afflicted more than 1.5 million people but definitely effected the entire 7.6 billion population of the earth.

We are living in a world, aspiring to have a local flight soon to Mars. We are living, thriving, to drive Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, nanotechnology, drones, internet of things, virtual reality and augmented reality into our lives. We are on our way to make artificial organs with regenerative medicine.

COVID-19, has brought about a few “reality checks” to our lives.

What are they?

Countries across continents have shut down and imposed lockdowns. Social distancing and Isolation are the buzzwords of the world today. No air traffic, let alone road traffic. Fear, anxiety and helplessness has gripped us today. With all the progress we have made over centuries, we are struggling to handle or cope with a virus. Don’t you feel humbled?

Social Reality Check

The lockdowns have forced us to stay at home. Who have you been isolated with? Our parents, our children and our loved ones. How many of you have seen your kids or parents so closely over the years as you are now?

Have we realized how much our parents and kids need us? Am sure many of your parents and spouses are happy to have you at this lockdown. How many of you now, are cooking and feeding your family, helping your parents , spending time with them, talking to your kids, putting them to sleep? I am sure these things have brought a smile on your parents face, love in your spouse and happiness with your kids. Isn’t this a time to reflect! It needed a COVID-19 for us to wake us up from our slumber away from responsibilities towards our loved ones. Not to forget with the lockdowns, some of you are stuck away from home, away from ageing parents, spouse and kids. Lockdown has compelled upon us to recognize our Family.

Your presence in this way was vital before the lockdown, is vital now and in the future too. Your ageing parents need you to take care of them similar to how you were taken care of when you were kids. You need to instill these values and ethics in your children as were sown into you by your parents. Remember, time will repeat the cycle, so teach them the way to handle aged parents, will be peace to you when your time comes. The woman who bore your kids, your pillar of strength and your partner. She is your other half, time to reflect upon her contributions, which have made you complete. Make this your routine life going forward.

Environmental Reality Check

The entire world has been harping upon pollution, Global warming and climate change. How do we save the world for our children? How can the world reduce its carbon footprint? In India, we have seen Delhi lose lives due to pollution. Pollution levels reaching a level where breathing air has been worse than smoking a cigarette. Wild life extinction, marine life hazards and frequent bush fires destroying nature have become common.

Environmental risks have reached a level where even breathing has led to harmful, life threatening diseases. Humanity is facing an existential crisis due to climate change. A number of activists like Greta Thunberg, leaders and governments are working on solution to better climate change adversities. Not much progress made!

Come COVID-19, come lockdowns and see what the world is today. We were not taking care of nature and playing with fire. Reality check! Nature is showing us not to damage our planet. It is showing us climate change; global warming and pollution are our self-inflicted ailments. Jalandhar could view the scenic Himalayas 3 days ago from 200 plus kms away. Yamuna River has never been cleaner. You can see wild life feeling alive and free at home. Pollution levels have dropped to levels never seen for years. Adversity is dawning us a light on opportunity. If our leaders and government can take the learning from here, we have solutions to pollution and global warming.

Maybe, we should have a lockdown a day on every weekend and some holidays. We have realized the affect it has on pollution; COVID-19 is showing us. It is not very hard, if each leader and government uses this opportunity to make it a cleaner world going forward. Somehow, if we can bring in stringent restrictions like a shutdown (Lockdown), every available opportunity throughout the year, inevitably, we will reduce our carbon footprint, reduce pollution and control global warming. It is time to wake up and seize the opportunity.

Poverty and human reality check

We have been a race, power and wealth hungry. We have been chasing wealth, careers and hunger for lavish lifestyles. It has been a rat race to the top. Our selfish desires and greed have destroyed the value of a human being. Rising Inequalities hinder economic growth of countries. How much is enough for us? Is it not time to reflect?

Come the global COVID-19 crisis and lockdown, we have seen the past few days in India, how our daily wage population and poor, have been in a worse than war like situation. We have governments trying to make things easy and provide for the needy. A number of philanthropists & NGO’s are helping at this time of need. However, will it suffice?

COVID-19 has humbled humanity, whatever you are, however wealthy, nature has caught up giving us a reality check. The virus has afflicted a number of global prime ministers, their spouses, celebrities, actors, singers, royals etc., you name it, sparing no one. Nature has been a leveler! Am sure many of you are contributing through NGO’s, government funds and various other ways to try to reach the needy with basic food necessities.

It is time we wake up and try to work towards reducing the inequalities that exist and bring the levels of poverty down. No magic wand, but little drops of water can make an ocean. Why only during the lockdown? Let us vow to ourselves that we will, every week sacrifice a little from our blessed provides to contribute to the needy and the poor. It will make a huge difference. If each one of us begins to do this as a duty am sure we will go a long way in reducing poverty globally. We are worried about the next few months and are hoarding like there will be no more food available ever. Please, spare a teary moment for the many, who cannot buy or get access to even a meal today. I am sure, the meal you provide to them, will leave a taste, better than any dish you’ve ever had.

COVID-19 has truly humbled us, but it is imperative, that we take these reality checks as an opportunity to make this world a better place for our children and humanity. I am sure there are many things we always wanted to do and complained about lack of time, as we are in a rat race. This lockdown is a time to reflect, build restraint and begin to act. If we fail to do it now, then it is not lack of time, it truly will be lack of discipline and humanity in us!

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yeschaoticsheepstarlightposts · 4 years

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16 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

Habits rule our lives and shape our days. Whether you're conscious of it or not everything from your emotional response to worry about how you dress within the morning may be a habit. We all have good ones and that we all have bad ones. Some are more known to us than others and that we all have a desire to develop new healthy habits from time to time.

It all starts with a goal. A goal to enhance a particular aspect of your life. Maybe you would like to reduce, eat healthier, make new friends, get more fresh air. Having a goal of wellbeing is usually the primary step we take before creating new healthy habits. Try these 7 Tips to assist you to achieve your goals.

For example, if you've got a goal to lose 10 lbs then you better believe you’re getting to need to create some healthy daily habits to assist you to get thereto goal. Of course, it's not all work, work, work. Creating healthy habits are often fun. Healthy habits can improve our lives and make us happier people.

If you've got been trying to find some new healthy habits to include in your life then this post is for you. Creating healthy habits may be a wonderful thanks to improving your health, your happiness, and your whole life. Carving a touch time for yourself out of your busy calendar to include a healthy habit is that the ultimate in self-care.

So what are you waiting for? Are you able to make the foremost of some time and incorporate some new healthy habits into your life? Let’s do this!

Healthy habits have the facility to dramatically improve our quality of life and our overall happiness. Try these 16 healthy habits and begin loving your life.

Drink a Glass of Water very first thing within the Morning This was a habit that I managed to ingrained into my daily routine this year and that I am so happy that I did. Often we feel hungry or crave caffeine very first thing within the morning, but actually, we are just dehydrated. beverage takes care of that issue and after my body gets its dose of H2O I can have my coffee and breakfast and sometimes don't desire a second cup of caffeine.

My digestion has improved, my dependence on caffeine has decreased and that I am ready to drink more water during the day. It’s a triple win.

Eat Breakfast It seems so odd that eating breakfast every morning can assist you to be healthier, but it's true. By eating a healthy breakfast your body has more energy all day long helping you burn more calories. to not mention it sets the tone for the day ahead. Prepare yourself an easy breakfast meal, like cereal or a smoothie and after a couple of weeks see the changes that begin to require place.

Connect with Nature Ahh, the good outdoors. Did you recognize that being in nature helps normalize our sleep patterns, increases vitamin D in our bodies and helps lower our stress hormones? Just to call a couple of. Being in nature for just 10 minutes each day can drastically improve our overall health. I get it, not everyone lives within the country or has quick access to nature. However creating healthy habits like gardening, or a weekly enter the park with friends could also be just what the doctor ordered.

Start a Gratitude Practice Write down a couple of belongings you are grateful for every day and watch as your inner talk and perspectives on the planet change to be more gracious and positive. Incorporating a gratitude practice into my life has changed my attitude toward the higher. Helping me to ascertain the great in a day which is usually harder to try to then you'll realize. The negativity of stories and social media can take its toll. But don’t forget there are tons of excellent in your life and therefore the world too.

Start the 30-day Gratitude Challenge to assist you to begin your habit off right. Or download the simplest You- Simple Living and Wellness Diary to assist you to embrace healthy self-reflection.

Stand up Regularly This is one of those healthy habits that I even have been trying to include in my life lately. If you're someone who sits for the bulk of your day then taking regular standing breaks, a minimum of once an hour can dramatically improve your health. Taking standing breaks helps decrease your chance of weight gain, decreases back pain, can lower your chance at bottom decease and even improve your mood.

Being a healthy well rounded and happy human is all about balance. So attempt to make a habit of standing during your dominantly sitting day.

Go to Bed at an equivalent Time Each Night Going to bed at an equivalent time each night no matter the day of the week may be a wonderful thanks to ensuring regular sleep habits. What you'll start to note is it takes you less time to nod off in the dark, you get a more solid sleep and other habits during your waking life are easier to develop also.

Take Regular Phone Breaks Many folks are within the terrible habit of checking our phones all the time. We check them within the middle of conversations, while bent dinner, or once we are close to attending sleep. For no reason aside from seeing them. Giving yourself designated times to see your phone may be a good way to interrupt this bad habit. But it's also an exquisite thanks to getting into the habit of living within the moment without your phone.

Incorporate Seeds into your Diet This is such an easy healthy habit that you simply can begin to include in your diet directly. Healthy seeds like flax, chia, and hemp seeds are very easy to include in the meals you already eat. Throw some in your morning yogurt, your smoothies or salads. These seeds help reduce blood glucose, are a superb source of protein and should even be ready to reduce your risk of cancer.

Cook Meals Regularly This has become one of my favorite healthy habits and has numerous health benefits for us. a number of those being portion control, controlling diet and helping you economize . an excellent habit to urge into is cooking a couple of staple meals for yourself during the week. At the very least attempt to cook the bulk of your meals reception to make sure a healthy diet.

Coming up with healthy meals reception is often difficult which is why I often order meals from Hello Fresh. they supply 3 easy to organize meals to your door hebdomadally. I highly recommend trying them out if you're trying to urge into the habit of cooking reception but feel overwhelmed by checking out recipes to undertake each night.

Get $40.00 Off your First Hello Fresh Box with my Discount Code. Read Daily Doctors and scientists agree that learning new things and keeping your mind sharp is vital to healthier brains in adulthood. the advantages of reading are numerous, and if you would like to stretch your brain muscles and learn something new making a habit of this easy hobby may be a good way to try to do just that. Set a goal for every day or year and see if you'll reach it. With the utilization of Goodreads, you'll track what your reading and stay motivated by setting yearly goals.

Reading also can be an exquisite thanks to assisting you to reach other goals in your life, by helping you learn the talents you would like to urge there.

Take Your Vitamins I know there's tons of conflicting information about vitamins out there but this is often a habit that I follow myself. confine mind I'm no doctor. However, I will be able to say this, taking vitamins may be a good way to stop a drag before it starts. Wouldn’t you rather look out of your body instead of trying to repair it once it's ill? Vitamins aren't the sole answer but taking a multivitamin daily no matter your age may be a wonderful thanks to optimizing your health.

Do your research or chat together with your doctor or nutritionist to ascertain if taking vitamins are some things that might work well for you.

Take Micro Vacations Planning large adventurous trips are some things I like to try to to. However, I can often only afford to try to do this once every 2 or 3 years. the matter thereupon is you would like breaks more often than that. that's where micro vacations are available. Taking an extended weekend regularly can drastically improve your overall mood, your relationships with others and your health. numerous people struggle to form time for self-care, family and themselves so making micro vacations one among your regular healthy habits may be a wonderful thanks to releasing a number of your valuable time.

Make Self Care a Priority It is often easy to urge into the bad habit of putting yourself last. once you don’t make yourself a priority you become drained, stressed and altogether empty. This makes being there for those you're keen on difficult. Starting some self-care habits may be a wonderful thanks to feeling relaxed, unwind and be the simplest version of you.

Something as simple a taking a category you're keen on, getting to the spa or getting a soothing bath may be a wonderful thanks to showing yourself the self-care you deserve. The reward may be a radiant, vibrant and happier you! What more could you want?

Practice Simplifying in how Minimalism and straightforward living are taking the interwebs by storm lately. It looks like numerous people are looking for a less materialistic lifestyle and are craving alternatives to clutter and materialism. this is often truly amazing and therefore the benefits of owning less impact on our surroundings and our lives in numerous positive ways.

To begin a more minimal lifestyle start with small habits, like buying less clothing, or using recyclable bags when getting groceries. But don’t stop there, still, push your boundaries until minimizing is more of a healthy habit than materialism currently is.

Check out my new ebook The Year of straightforward Living for all types of straightforward living tips and challenges.

Exercise an equivalent Time a day People who compute an equivalent time a day are much more likely to stay to the habit of understanding. it's going to be difficult to create that habit within the beginning, however, if you stick with it, understanding an equivalent time a day or week will eventually become a habit. Find what time works best for you and check out to optimize that.

10 Minutes of Meditation per Day I have been raving about the advantages of meditation ever since I started meditating myself 3 years ago. this easy healthy habit and practice have transformed everything about my life within the most amazing ways. I'm more mindful, content, aware, calm and have less anxiety than premeditation me. If there's one habit that you simply should incorporate into your daily routine it's meditation.

A common myth is that you simply got to meditate for hours to ascertain results, but that's simply not true. Consistent short periods of meditation will show you wonderful leads to building your mindfulness and improving your wellbeing.

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ladyrevanhalin · 4 years

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TWISTED MORALITY (PART III of ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW) CHAPTER THREE: SEEKING SHELTER FROM THE STORM (PREVIEW SECTION 6 OF 16)

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is a preview section from an incomplete chapter]

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As hungry as Gwen was, Carth had insisted they seek medical care prior to seeking food. With how long she had been unconscious combined with what little medical supplies they had, he wanted to be certain there weren’t further undetected injuries in addition to the head injury that he’d been treating since the crash. Gwen had taken part of a ration bar in the meantime to hold her over. She had a lingering headache that she could not tell if it was from her injury or the fact that she had not eaten in the three days she had been unconscious. Either way, it hadn’t put her in the most pleasant of moods.

“Look, I’m fine,” she insisted as they walked. “While I appreciate your concern, I don’t need you mothering me.”

“Don’t you think we’re better off at least checking?” He said.

“I think I’d feel a lot better if I had something other than ration bars,” she snapped. “I couldn’t eat a single thing on that damned ship it seemed without getting sick afterward!”

“Well sorry fleet cafeteria isn’t good enough for you,” Carth said sarcastically, rolling his eyes in the process.

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me!”

“Calm down, geesh! It was only a joke. There’s a cantina close to the apartments, we’ll head back that way as soon as we finish here.” Carth added the last part as they stepped inside of a Tarisian Clinic. It was very plain, steryl… as a clinic ought to be. There were two men there who seemed to run the place: a younger one who was polishing a medical droid, and an older one who seemed to be working with chemicals at a lab station of sorts.

Carth approached the one working on the droid. “Excuse me,” the pilot said, “but can you help us--”

“Can't you see I'm busy with my duties?” the younger man snapped as he turned around sharply to face them. “Go talk to Zelka if you need something.”

“Well, nothing quite beats good old Tarisian hospitality,” Gwen muttered sarcastically. It was no sooner that she had than she felt Carth’s elbow nudge her ribs as he gave her a sideways glance. The woman groaned, rolling her eyes at her male companion’s disapproval.

“Sorry for disturbing you,” Carth said, frantically trying to cover up Gwen’s commentary. “We’ll uh… we’ll go talk to him now.”

She felt his hand on her back a moment, presumably to encourage her to walk away, and tensed. She quickly shrugged him away in an attempt to quickly end her discomfort. The physical contact felt strange. It had ever since… Well, there was no sense in thinking about that at the moment. Her head hurt enough as it was without additionally lingering on bad memories.

Carth must have understood her discomfort because he retracted his hand just as quickly as she had begun to shrug him away, and Gwen let out a silent sigh in relief. He left her and approached the older man at the other end of the clinic.

Gwen folded her arms and meandered throughout the little steryl space. There wasn’t much to look at, but it gave her something to do while she waited to head to the cantina. She could hear Carth talking in the background to whom she could only assume was the ‘Zelka’ the first man had referred to. Her eyes skimmed over the walls and shelves… until they fell upon something that caused her to pause.

There was a large locked door on the West wall that read ‘Lab Personnel Only.’ While it was normal for such establishments to have areas off-limits to all but employees, something felt… different. She didn’t know quite how to best describe it. She felt… familiarity? Was that it? Whatever it was, it compelled curiosity from her. Gwen’s haze drifted from the Aurebesh lettering of the door sign to a simple electronic lock pad on the wall next to the door. It was such an easy lock….

“Gwen? Could you come here?”

She spun around at the sound of Carth’s voice to look at him and Zelka “Yeah?” she said. Her hand had quickly drawn away from the lock, she hoped faster than anyone else there could have seen. ‘Dammit, Gwen, you’re supposed to be respectable now!’ she thought to herself. ‘Just let it go….’

“I'll not have it said that Zelka Forn refused to help somebody just because they weren't a citizen of Taris,” the clinician said to Carth, seemingly in response to a part of their previous conversation. He continued, this time addressing her directly and introducing himself. “Miss Dakaal, isn’t it? I’m Zelka Forn. Your friend here tells me you’re in need of healing? I can treat almost any injury or ailment right here at the medical facility, except the rakghoul disease, of course.”

“I’m sorry… rakghoul disease?” Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow. She folded her arms as she approached them, choosing to remove herself from the bizarre urge to pick open the lab personnel door. “What’s that?”

“A terrible affliction that has plagued Taris for many generations,” Zelka said, shaking his head. “I was just telling Mr. Polla here about it. It is spread by the rakghouls, horrible monsters that live in the Undercity below Taris' great skyscrapers. Prolonged exposure to the Undercity breeds the disease and those infected will eventually mutate into rakghouls themselves, becoming mindless beasts that feed on the flesh of others. Granted, from what Mr. Polla tells me, that would be impossible since you’ve not been down to the lower levels…”

Gwen had to restrain herself from snorting at the name by which Zelka Forn had referred to Carth. “Oh?” she said, a somewhat amused grin spreading across her face as her gaze shifted from the physician to the Republic pilot. “Now I’m curious. What else were you discussing with Mr. Polla?”

She caught Carth’s expression cracking just a bit at her dig, though it seemed that Zelka hadn’t noticed. That much was probably for the better. She could understand Carth’s choice for giving a false name, given the fact that he was a decorated Republic Lieutenant. After all, someone might recognize the name ‘Carth Onasi’... but Polla!? Surely in the days she was unconscious he should have been able to come up with a name better than that...

“Well, I heard the Republic scientists at the military base here on Taris were close to perfecting a cure for it. But the Sith have since overrun the base and are keeping the serum for the patrols they send into the Undercity.” Zelka sighed. “If I could just get my hands on a sample of that serum the rakghoul disease could be wiped from the face of Taris forever…. But nevermind. I don't see how that's going to happen now, and it’s irrelevant anyway to the situation.” He gestured for her to sit in a chair nearby.

She opened her mouth a moment to voice a protest, but caught sight of a look from Carth that made her stop. She leered back at him as she moved to the seat that Zelka had indicated.

“Well then, Miss Dakaal, I hear you’ve suffered some head trauma?” He took out a small light and shone it in her eyes, causing Gwen to instinctually squint and raise a hand to block out the excess light. “Eyes open, please,” the physician added. “What exactly happened?”

The woman struggled to keep her eyes open for him, choosing to focus her gaze passed him in order to aid her efforts. “My associate could tell you better than I,” Gwen said flatly. “I was unconscious, after all…”

“You know,” she Carth say. He seemed to be ignoring her, but she could not see him at the moment to tell for certain. He seemed to be circling back around to the previous conversation with Zelka. “There’s gotta be some way to get ahold of that cure the Republic military were working on…”

Zelka turned away from Gwen, back to Carth for a moment, and the woman used the opportunity to relax her eyes from the light, blinking slowly as strange colored phantom shapes floated across her vision.

“ I don't see how anyone could get their hands on the serum,” Zelka said. “The military base is crawling with Sith guards. Breaking in there would be a suicide mission. I suppose the Sith patrols in the Undercity might have a sample of the serum on them, if they hadn't already used it because of a rakghoul infection. But I doubt a patrol would just hand the serum over. And nobody's stupid enough to attack one of the Sith patrols, even in the Undercity.”

“Well, as soon as we’re off, I’m sure we’ll find some way,” Gwen said, wanting very much to end the conversation so they could get out of there and head to the cantina. Most of the reports were of the escape pods crashing in the Undercity anyway, so who knew! Maybe that actually would happen across a sample of the serum… There might even be some sort of reward, and they could always use access to medical services while stranded on an enemy-controlled planet…

“Please don't say that!” Zelka exclaimed as he turned to her, frantically gesturing with his hands to say no more on the matter. “If the Sith hear you they might think I'm suggesting you start sacking their patrols. They could shut me down! I only mentioned the serum because you asked. I don't actually expect anyone to get me the serum.” The man sighed, letting his arms relax. “Tell me what symptoms you’ve had since you regained consciousness.”

“Well,” Gwen said, “I’ve had a lingering headache, but I also haven’t eaten in a couple days--at least not since before the injury.”

“I don’t see any signs of lingering damage from your injury,” he continued. “The headache you described is likely from hunger, not lingering effects of concussion. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Nope!” she said, standing promptly. “I think that about wraps things up here….”

“Not so fast,” Carth interjected, catching her arm as she attempted to walk passed him toward the exit. He then spoke again to Zelka. “We heard some rumors about Republic escape pods having crashed in the Undercity from the recent space battle overhead. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Republic escape pods? Uh... no… That’s a strange question,” Zelka laughed. “Why would you ask me that? I don't know. Those pods crashed in the Undercity, I'm not involved in any way!”

Gwen turned back, raising an eyebrow at the man’s reaction to the question. “You seem awfully defensive about this,” she muttered. She’d seen more than enough bad liars in her time to spot it when someone was so obviously hiding something.

“I'm not defensive! I just don't like being accused of knowing something about those Republic pods.” And then Zelka scoffed. “This is as bad as an interrogation by the Sith!”

Carth winced. It would seem he hadn’t anticipated Gwen commentary, and was disturbed by how Zelka had been suddenly put off. “Don't worry, we’re not with the Sith. We won't betray your secret if you tell us…. Uh… not that you’re hiding anything, that is.” Carth rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Whether or not Zelka would trust them with any further information remained to be seen.

“The Sith were already here,” the clinician huffed, “asking these same questions you are now. I'll tell you what I told them. I don't know anything about those pods. Now, is there something else you need?”

“We need a better answer than that,” Gwen said. If Zelka Forn actually knew anything about the crashed escape pods, then it could prove most useful in their quest to find Bastila and get off of this rock. “If you know something, you should tell us. Like my associate said, we don’t work for the Sith. But if you are hiding something, the Sith will find out eventually, and they will come here again. It’s in your best interest to help us. I think you want to…”

“I…. I want to….” Zelka said slowly. He seemed to be much calmer as he did so. “Well... you don't look like you're with the Sith. I guess… I guess I can tell you my secret. Or rather, I can show you…”

Zelka Forn walked over to the door that Gwen had seen previously and punched a code into the access pad. The large door slid open, revealing a series of kolto tanks, a few of them with familiar-looking men and women floating inside of them.

“Hey... I recognize these men,” Gwen murmured, approaching one of the tanks. “They're Republic soldiers!...”

“You... you recognize these soldiers?” Zelka asked. “But how? Unless... unless you're friends of the Republic!”

Carth raised his hands. As if to try to prevent Zelka from doing anything rash. “Looks, I have a feeling we’re on the same side here,” Carth said. “We’re friends of the Republic.” He conveniently left out the part about them also having been on the same ship the soldiers in the tanks were from. After all, they were already putting themselves at risk here. There was no point in sharing more information than necessary… “We’re friends of the Republic. You can trust us.”

“Since the space battle overhead,” Zelka explained, “people have been secretly bringing in these Republic soldiers who crash-landed on the planet. I had to take them in. What choice did I have? Their injuries are terrible, most won't survive. But at least I can make their last days more comfortable. And at least here they are hidden away from the Sith.”

Carth let out a sigh of relief. “Well, for that you have my thanks,” he said, clasping the other man’s shoulder briefly. “It's good to know that at least some of these men ended up in compassionate hands.”

“I hate to imagine what the Sith would do if they discovered these soldiers here,” Zelka continued. “But since their initial questioning the Sith have not returned, so it may be my fears are unfounded.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Gwen asked, turning back toward Carth and Zelka. While they were in a hurry to find Bastila and get off, and while it would be easier for them to remain unnoticed if they were in a smaller group, she couldn’t help but to feel a sense of pity wash over her at the sight of her former comrades in such a state.

“I'm afraid there is nothing more anyone can do for these soldiers,” Zelka said. “Now, if you'll excuse me I should return to the front in case anyone comes in needing medical attention.”

The clinician stepped away, closing the door but leaving it unlocked for Gwen and Carth to exit of their own accord.

“Well,” Gwen said, shrugging with a bit of unease, “at least we know we’re not the only survivors.”

“It’s a good thing,” Carth said somewhat somberly. “It means there’s even more chance that Bastila survived as well.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” There was a twisting in Gwen’s stomach that reminded her current hunger and she winced. “Standing here’s not going to do us any good though. I think we should gather more info--at the cantina! I’m starving.” And she let out an exasperated sigh.

A smile tugged at the corner of one of Carth’s lips as he let out a single laugh. “I guess we can head over now… Wouldn’t want you passing out on me after all!”

Gwen rolled her eyes and moved to the door, beating the switch with the side of her first, causing it to open as she walked out toward the exit of the clinic, the pilot scurrying briskly after her once he say she was leaving. They were stopped, however, by a voice when they reached the door leading out of the clinic.

“Psst. You there! Wait a minute. I need to talk to you about the rakghoul serum. I've got an offer for you you might want to hear.” it was the assistant they had seen working on the droid previously.

“Not interested,” Gwen said dismissively, and she continued to move toward the exit.

“Oh, don't be an idiot,” the man said, moving to block them from exiting. “Just listen to me for one minute and you won't be sorry. Davik Kang wants the cure, and you'd be smart to give it to him.”

Gwen placed her hands on her hips, regarding the man with a rather unamused expression on her face. “Davik Kang? Who's that?”

“Oh, come on – everybody knows who Davik Kang is! He's the big boss around here. Gambling, smuggling, extortion – he's got a piece of all the action on Taris.”

“You mean Davik's a crime lord?” Carth said, now seemingly rather unamused by the conversation also.

“I prefer to think of him as a role model,” the man continued in a rather grating voice. “He started with nothing, and now he's got it all: credits, power, women. It's the Tarisian dream, right?”

“Why does Davik want the cure so badly?” Gwen asked, rolling her eyes as she did so.

“Davik's interested in anything that can turn a profit. He could make a fortune selling the serum to anyone infected with the disease – not like Zelka, who'll practically give it away.”

“I think we'd rather give the serum to Zelka,” Carth said. “He'll use it to help people.”

“Helping people is all well and good,” the assistant harrumphed, “but you have to help yourself first, right? I'm telling you Davik will pay big credits for the cure. More than Zelka could ever afford.”

Gwen considered a moment. Credits would be a big help if they were going to get off of Taris. After all, they would need a ship… “Where can we find Davik if we want to give him the cure?” she asked, folding her arms.

Carth looked at her a moment in seeming disbelief. She tried as best she could to ignore his gaze of disapproval.

The assistant smirked. “Davik isn't the kind of guy you can just walk up to, you know? He likes to keep his business at arm's length. The best thing to do is take the rakghoul serum to Zax. He runs the Lower City bounty office, but everybody knows he also works for Davik. He'll make it worth your while.”

“And why do you care who gets the cure?” Gwen asked, narrowing her eyes at him. The man seemed parasitic as a mynock…

“Look, Zelka can't afford to pay me much,” the assistant explained. “If you sell the serum to Davik, I can probably get a nice finder's fee for directing you to him.”

“What if I tell Zelka you're helping Davik get the cure?” Carth interjected. It seemed he was having none of the idea, despite how lucrative it could prove.

“Hmph! I'll just deny it,” the assistant said with a shrug. “Who's Zelka going to believe – me, or some off-world stranger? Now, be smart about this. You'll get a better deal selling to Davik.”

“And then only the rich could afford the cure. Just let the poor suffer, right?” Carth said.

The assistant frowned, glaring at the pilot. “Look, if you find the rakghoul serum, just take it to Zax in the Lower City bounty office. He works for Davik. He'll pay you what that cure is really worth!” And with that, the man stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

Once Gwen and Carth were a bit a ways from the clinic, Gwen spoke first. “That guy gave me the creeps,” she commented.

“Why would you even consider something like selling a cure to a crime lord?” Carth asked her. He still seemed to be in disbelief at what he had heard. “You saw what Zelka was doing in there. He’s a good man…”

“Yeah, but we need the credits, Carth. Last I checked, even if we do find Bastila, we can’t get off Taris without a ship…”

“Look, I’m not saying you’re wrong, I just… I think we should consider this carefully before we make any decisions of the sort. I mean, who knows if we’ll even find it while we’re looking…”

“Yeah, well unless you have a better idea for how to get enough funds to get out of here, I think we should consider his offer… but enough of this. Let’s get to the cantina or I really am going to pass out on you.”

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yoosmekihyun · 6 years

Text

The Wood of the Apple Tree

Summary: In the autumn of 1963, you and your fiance, Junmyeon, take a nice drive to a secluded orchard. Things progress as anticipated until the unthinkable happens.

Pairing: Junmyeon x reader, mentions of Sehun

Genre: Fluff, Smut, Angst, Horror

Warning: Oral sex, heavy petting, mild dirty talk, reference to murder, American urban legend

A/N: I had part of this already planned but wasn’t fully inspired for it. Then I talked to @hobigolightly about her Halloween/spooky writing contest and this particular scenario came to me almost immediately. Thanks for the extra inspiration Kay! I will be posting some links later to show what visuals I kept in mind while writing.

Whenever I’m with him Something inside starts to burning And I’m filled with desire

Could it be the devil in me Or is this the way love’s supposed to be?

It’s like a heat wave Burning in my heart Can’t keep from crying It’s tearing me apart

You smiled at the song playing on the radio and turned to look at your fiance, Junmyeon, as he drove down an unlit gravel road. His dark hair was parted on the side and combed over, showing off his gorgeous face. You noticed a small smile on his lips as he hummed along to the song playing. Feeling a surge of fondness, your smile grew while you watched him. He had a secret love for girl groups.

You continued to admire his profile as he drove the two of you in his dark red 1951 Chevy Bel-Air to your secret spot near the local orchard. His skin was glowing, even from the lights emanating from the dash. He always looked amazing in your eyes but you could tell he had clearly made extra effort for your date. Junmyeon chose your favorite dark gray slacks and paired it with a crisp white button down shirt with the top button open. You shifted slightly in your seat as you began to feel arousal at the sight of his Adam’s apple just above the collar of his dress shirt. You bit your lip as you noticed it bob when he swallowed.

Over his dress shirt he wore a cerulean v-neck pullover sweater. The shade of blue along with his dark hair and skin tone made him look almost ethereal. You asked yourself for the umpteenth time how you managed to catch the attention of someone who was clearly so gorgeous he could be with almost any girl he wanted.

Junmyeon was always clear, from the moment you met, he only had eyes for you. You had never seen him looking at another woman in any way other than in a polite or platonically friendly manner. You had seen him approached by the occasional brazen fellow co-ed but he always smiled and politely turned them down. If they made physical contact with him, he always moved away and expressed his love for you as to why he wasn’t interested. When he proposed to you at your spot two months ago, you had no hesitation in saying yes. You loved him completely and he had only ever expressed the same. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt such contentment and bliss.

When Junmyeon picked you up in front of your dorm, you noticed the time he took to let his gaze wander over your form. You had bought a new yellow knit dress that reached just above mid-thigh with a zig-zag hem. It was too chilly mid-October to leave your legs bare so you had paired it with black tights and your Mary Jane inspired ballet flats. You completed your outfit with dangly black feather earrings and your favorite dark gray peacoat. Your makeup was simple--a winged black eyeliner with mascara and a pretty pink lipstick you found recently.

With the hungry way Junmyeon looked at you when he picked you up, you knew he liked the outfit and how you pulled it together.

“We’re nearly there, baby,” he said as you slid towards him slightly and slipped your hand into his free one.

“I know. I just want to touch you,” you replied smiling at him.

He glanced over and gave you a big grin. You felt your heart rate increase at how beautiful he looked in that moment, giving you a smile you knew he reserved only for you. Every moment the two of you shared like this reinforced your decision to spend the rest of your life with him.

Junmyeon slipped his hand from yours to down shift as he began to turn into your special spot. You whined a little at the loss of contact and he chuckled at your cuteness. He parked quickly and slid closer to you. Before you could react, he had one hand along the small of your back and the other cupping your face as he pulled you in for a kiss. You sighed and immediately responded to his touch. You could feel him smile as he deepened the kiss, running his tongue along your bottom lip before nibbling on it gently. You parted your lips, granting his tongue access. He took his time as he kissed you, making you feel like the only two people on the planet.

The song on the radio switched to another of Junmyeon’s favorites and you pulled back to sing at him.

My boyfriend’s back and you’re gonna be in trouble. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend’s back.) When you see him comin’, better cut on the double. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend’s back.) You’ve been spreading lies that I was untrue. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend’s back.) So look out now ‘cause he’s comin’ after you. (Hey, la-di-la, my boyfriend’s back.) And he knows that you’ve been tryin’, And he knows that you’ve been lyin’.

“Your boyfriend’s back?” you fiance asked playing along with the song. “Doesn’t he know you’re mine?”

“Oh but honey, Sehun’s going to come after you once he finds out that you’ve stolen me away!”

“I think I’ll be able to take him,” he said with fake seriousness. It became a running joke after you met Junmyeon’s family and was apparent that his eight year old brother, Sehun, had developed a crush on you. When he returned to his parent’s house after taking you home that night, Sehun had matter-of-factly told Junmyeon that you were his girlfriend now. You found it sweet how quickly he expressed his crush to his big brother. Every time you visited his family since the “announcement” Sehun blushed deeply and brought you a flower from the neighbor’s garden in spite of his mother’s half-hearted scolding.

You laughed loudly at Junmyeon’s fake seriousness and his face broke into a grin at the sound. Brushing his hand down your arm and reaching for you hand, he played with your fingers as he asked, “Do you want to walk along in the orchard tonight?”

You pondered for a moment--you loved the smell of fall and your walks with Junmyeon under the moonlight--but decided against it.

“It’s a little too cold for a walk tonight, I think. Besides, you didn’t even bring a coat! You’re not getting sick on my watch.”

“I don’t need a coat when you’re around, sweetheart.”

“It’s because you’re always trying snuggle under my coat with me to steal my warmth!”

“No, it’s because I’m hot for you,” he responded with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Oh my God! That’s a horrible line!”

“You love me anyways though,” he said with a soft look on his face as he gazed at you.

“For some reason, in spite of the dad jokes and bad puns, I do love you. So much.”

Without another word Junmyeon leaned in to kiss you again. Deepening it immediately, you responded with the same intensity and enthusiasm.

It was quickly becoming too warm in the car and you struggled in your attempt to remove your coat. Smiling against your mouth, you felt Junmyeon’s hands slip under your coat along your shoulders to help you. As soon as your were free, you slipped one of your hands into his hair to pull him closer and moved your other along his jaw. You began stroking his face and down his throat as his hand resting just above your knee slid up your thigh and under your dress.

“Why did you have to wear tights?” he groaned as he pulled away from your lips to skim your throat with his mouth.

“Because it’s cold,” you said breathlessly. “Besides, it’s your turn.”

“But I want to touch you,” he whined.

“You are touching me.”

“You know what I mean,” he growled into your ear as his hand cupped your heat over your tights.

“Jun,” you tried to sound stern but you could tell it wasn’t working. “You made me come the last two times we came out here and wouldn't let me take care of you. I know it must have hurt by the time you finally got to relieve yourself.”

“I just love the look on your face when you come for me. I can’t wait to see the faces you make when I finally get to feel you around me.”

“Jun, you make it so hard to try to wait…”

“It’ll be worth it though, baby. In the meantime,” he began to rub you firmly through your tights and panties and you knew you were soaking already, “you should let me make you feel good.”

You almost gave in. His hands felt heavenly and the pressure was only making you wetter. But you remembered how hard he was last time the two of you came to your spot and how uncomfortable he looked as he adjusted himself. Your dorm mother kept a strict curfew and you hadn’t had the time to reciprocate after he brought you over your edge. Determined to prevent that from happening again, you gently removed his hand from between your legs. He groaned with displeasure at your actions but, always the gentleman, he didn’t try to push his hand back. The two of you had been together long enough that he knew when your resolve was unwaverable.

“Jun, you act like I’ve taken away your favorite toy,” you teased as you trailed a hand down his chest and abdomen before palming him harshly over the bulge in his pants. At your touch he inhaled sharply and threw his head back to rest on the seat.

“Playing with you and making you feel good is one of my favorite past times.”

“Jun, baby, it’s my turn to play now,” you whispered in his ear as you slowly unbuckled his belt.

You watched Junmyeon’s face as he squeezed his eyes tight while you managed to finish unbuckling his belt, unbuttoned his pants, and slowly slid his zipper down. As you kissed him gently on the cheek, leaving the last remnants of your lipstick, you heard him hum in a way that you recognized as him relaxing. You smiled to yourself as you moved and ran your teeth along his earlobe and he sucked in a breath at your action.

“Do you like torturing me?” he moaned out as you reached into his pants to pull out his hard length.

“A little,” you replied cheekily and he sighed dramatically.

“Don’t worry, love,” you cooed in his ear as you gently stroked him. “I won’t torture you for long tonight.”

Before you leaned over to end his ‘suffering,’ Junmyeon turned his head to look at you. He reached his hand up to cup your face and you leaned into his touch and closed your eyes. He didn’t immediately pull you in for a kiss like you were expecting. You opened your eyes to see him raking over your face with an unguarded look of love and adoration.

“I love you,” he whispered as his thumb stroked your cheek.

“I love you too, Jun. More than anything,” you replied knowing your face was shining with all the love and affection you had for your future husband.

He leaned forward and pulled your face into his as he gave you a deep, gentle kiss. As he pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours as his breath stuttered while your continued to slowly stroke him.

“Jun, love, lean back and relax. I’ll take good care of you.”

Without a word, he did as you asked and leaned back to give you room. Adjusting in the bench seat you leaned over and took his tip into your mouth. This simple action caused a loud moan to leave his lips and you smiled. He was so vocal and you loved it. You couldn’t wait until you were married so you could explore all the different ways to make him moan like that.

He was already leaking heavily so you knew he wouldn’t last too long. Licking along his slit, he gasped as you savored his taste and moaned. You weren’t sure what it was but you loved how he tasted. A little salty, a little sweet, just like the Junmyeon you loved.

Determined to make him come, you stopped your teasing and took the majority of his length in your mouth. He groaned as the tip hit the back of your throat. The two of you had been together for long enough that you had learned how to relax your throat to prevent from gagging around him.

You used your tongue to massage the vein running along the underside of his cock and you heard your fiance swear. With internalized glee, you knew he was completely focused on your actions. Junmyeon rarely swore and the handful of times almost all involved the skills of your tongue and mouth.

Using your hand to stroke what you couldn’t quite fit, you began to bob and suck in earnest. You felt Junmyeon’s hand slip into your hair at the back of your head. His hips were thrusting up gently and you had learned this was a subconscious action. You had discussed your desire to try having him take more control as you went down on him, eager to learn the things that would make him feel good but he hadn’t wanted to explore it yet. He was afraid of taking things too far and hurting you in the moment.

You took as much as you could and swallowed around him. He began to chant your name in warning, “Y/N, Y/N, oh my god. Y/N.”

Feeling a slight tug at the back of your head you moaned around him. The vibrations of your moan sent him over the edge. Junmyeon came in your mouth with a long drawn out moan of your name. You kept your mouth around him, gently bobbing as you swallowed his cum with a pleased hum.

You lifted your mouth off his softening length and tucked him back into his pants. You looked at your fiance and observed how sexy he was panting with his eyes closed and head thrown back. All mine, you thought as you enjoyed how wrecked he looked.

After a moment, Junmyeon opened his eyes and leaned over to kiss you. You pulled back slightly, “Jun, you just came in my mouth.”

“I don’t care. I need to kiss you after that,” he replied desperately.

As the two of you kissed and basked in the afterglow, the song on the radio was harshly interrupted:

Good evening local residents. We apologize for the interruption of your regularly scheduled program but breaking news has come in. Information about a dangerous inmate escaping the local mental institution for the criminally insane has been reported by the local authorities. Officials caution that the escapee was institutionalized after he murdered several co-eds living in one of the student housing buildings at the local college. Residents are warned that the inmate is male, in his late 40s, has a scar running along the left side of his face from his eye to his chin, and has a hook for a right hand. It is advised to stay in groups when possible and to avoid empty or deserted areas after dark. If you see a man matching this description, please do not engage and report it to the local authorities immediately.

Once the report finished, the next song came on as if nothing had interrupted the night. You looked at Junmyeon, suddenly scared. “I think we should head back. No one knows exactly where we are.”

“I think you’re right, baby.”

You got settled next to him, now sitting in the center of the bench seat so you could feel Junmyeon pressed to your side. It gave you a sense of security and comfort to feel him so close.

He started the engine and turned on the headlights. Part of you was certain that the man from the report would suddenly appear in the beam of the lights once they were turned on. Fortunately, the lights only shined on the fence and trees along the edge of the orchard.

At that moment, Junmyeon looked over to check the mirror on the passenger side and he let out a shout and very clear, “What the FUCK?!”

You whipped your head over and saw what caused his reaction. A face was nearly pressed into the passenger window. The man’s hair was long and matted to his head and neck. His eyes looked wide and crazed and under his left eye, a distinct and angry looking scar ran along his cheek and ended under his chin.

The sight caused you to start hyperventilating as you could sense Junmyeon struggling with the gear shift, unable to slide the car into a gear that would allow you to escape the terrifying site of the man at the window.

The stranger watched your panic and struggles as a demonic smile stretched across his face. The sheer terror you felt increased tenfold. You watched in horror as he slowly lifted his right arm and revealed a hook in place of a hand.

“Jun, Jun, Jun, we have to go now! Jun it’s the guy, we need to go!!”

“I can’t! It won’t go into gear! Come on, come on, don’t do this, please not now!” he said as he answered you and spoke to the car that was malfunctioning at the worst time possible.

The man slowly ran his hook along the glass causing a screeching sound. He smiled as he watched you both flinch at the noise. Impossibly, his grin got wider and you were able to register his crooked and yellowing teeth. A couple on the bottom were missing that you were unable to see at first glance.

You heard the song change on the radio and you sobbed as you recognized it as Skeeter Davis’ “The End of the World.” How fitting, you thought.

You felt how Junmyeon was panicking next to you and you reached to grip his knee, needing to feel more of him in your fear. You watched in frozen horror as the man pulled his hooked arm back and hit the glass of the window. It didn’t break like you were expecting but that didn’t deter the man. He reached back and hit it again and this time you saw a part of the glass spiderweb. The man’s eyes seemed to turn more manic and as he reached back one last time and you turned to look at Junmyeon.

“Whatever happens, I love you.”

Then you heard the glass shatter.

Why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?

#suho smut #exo smut #suho #exo scenarios #kpopwonderlandtag #suho x reader #exo fanfics #kim junmyeon #suho fluff #exo fluff #suho horror #exo horror #the wood of the apple tree #yoosmekihyun

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a-wandering-fool · 5 years

Link

Sanders: I Will Do a Better Job ‘Explaining What We Mean by Socialism – Democratic Socialism’

“I think what we have to do, and I will be doing it, is to do a better job maybe in explaining what we mean by socialism — democratic socialism. Obviously, my right-wing colleagues here want to paint that as authoritarianism and communism and Venezuela, and that’s nonsense.

“What I mean by democratic socialism is that I want a vibrant democracy. I find it interesting that people who criticize me are busy actively involved in voter suppression trying to keep people of color or low-income people from voting, because they don’t want a vibrant democracy. I do.

“Second of all, what it means, Rachel, is that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world we can provide a decent standard of living for all about people. That’s just the reality. That’s not Utopian dreaming; that is a reality. Health care for all can be done and we can save money in doing it. We can have a minimum wage which is a living wage, and I’m delighted to see that you know, right now, five states already passed fifteen dollars an hour minimum wage. The House of Representatives is gonna do it. We have got to do that.”

The problem with “democratic” Socialism is something the Left in this country should be able to intuit–but sadly don’t: sometimes you’re the party who wins the argument. And sometimes the other folks vote in President Donald Trump.

So when economic institutions are run by consensus rather than economic institutions being forced to cater to fickle customers–there will always be a large minority of customers who are as unhappy as the Left is today with our Democratically elected President.

It also never ceases to amaze me how someone on the Left who is a Bernie Supporter or who supports “Socialism” will then post endless diatribes againstthe Government for doing something stupid. Like cops arresting the wrong man. Like a local zoning commission leveling a bunch of homes for a Foxconn factory. Like the government taking cash from an innocent couple.

Our government is already “democratic”–yet this doesn’t stop our government from doing incredibly stupid things. And we’re supposed to turn over the entire economy to this same government?

The reason why Socialism fails is not because it’s not sufficiently “democratic” enough. Socialism fails because it creates a single point of failure: centralized command and control of the economy.

Through a free market, price signaling (which is a way of signaling what customers want) allows multiple suppliers to make individual decisions about the products they plan to offer and how they plan to make those products. But when decision making is pushed up to a central authority–such as a government oversight bureau–price signaling falls to the wayside. Instead of giving customers what they want, governments tell corporations what to give to customers. And like the Left who is unhappy about the 2016 Presidential Elections, some customers don’t get what they want.

Instead they get what the government tells them the should have.

If you don’t think this description–that the Government should tell us what we can consume, rather than having corporations guess what we want by providing a variety of products–doesn’t apply to Bernie Sanders, remember his famous, but rather telling quote:

You can’t just continue growth for the sake of growth in a world in which we are struggling with climate change and all kinds of environmental problems. All right? You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants or of 18 different pairs of sneakers when children are hungry in this country.

But there is a rather natural result of companies (made up of and employing thousands of people) competing for your dollars.

And when they do: when companies are forced to compete for your dollars, by appealing to your desires and to your convenience, this is the natural result:

The thing is, though, one of the attacks against Capitalism by “Democratic Socialists” of all breeds, is this very excess. What many of us see as a feature, Socialists see as a bug: all that bread, just sitting there, waiting to be consumed, is somehow “proof” of either Capitalism’s waste, the excesses which are destroying our planet, or it’s proof of Capitalism’s “excesses”–the fact that the bread just sits there, when there are people who are going hungry.

These arguments was just used by an editoralist in the Guardian to argue we must end capitalism:

We need to fundamentally re-evaluate our relationship to ownership, work and capital.

The sad part, however, is that for most socialists, while they see the excess bread waiting at the store for someone to buy it as a sign of failure–they can’t envision a world where they themselves don’t have access to such a large selection of bread.

Which is what the Party leaders of the former Soviet Union did: they created two classes of stores–one for themselves and other Party leaders where there were plentiful supplies for the Party elite, and one where there were constant shortages as various 5 year plans were being “tweaked” to properly account for supply and demand constraints whose signals had been destroyed by decades of central planning.

Of course, Socialists of all stripes believe “fixing” the problem of oversupply (but perhaps limiting oversupply to an important few, ‘natch) will help the planet. Because we don’t need 23 different brands of underarm deodorant and 18 different pairs of sneakers when children are going hungry and the planet is on the brink of collapse, right?

And if a few people wind up with a temporary shortage–well, next year, with computers, we’ll somehow do better…

I remarked once elsewhere that I believed that people who call themselves “Socailists” are stupid and they hate people.

This was not just a vapid ad-hominem attack.

I believe self-described “Socialists” of all striped are willfully ignorant because they deny all this reality: they deny that the fundamental problem with “Socialism” is that it centralizes decision-making power to a handful of people who make production decisions through political, rather than economic, decision making tools. And by denying economic signals, they ultimately destroy the feedback loops that make the economy stable.

This is why things failed in Venezuela, by the way. Not because Venezuela was authoritarian (though it takes a degree of authoritarianism to tell farmers what to grow and at what price to sell their goods, and it takes a degree of authoritarianism to tell store keepers what price to charge and how much to stock).

But because Venezuela made it impossible for farmers and store keepers to do their job in an efficient manner.

And had Venezuela been run by a strongman dictator, a central committee of economists, an democratically elected board of governors, or by an on-line nation-wide plebiscite where everyone got to participate and vote–the results would have been exactly the same. Because the decision making process in all of those cases was removed from the economic forces which should motivate those decisions.

As an aside, if you’ve been following along, the smarter of you should be saying “yeah, but doesn’t this happen with large corporations?”

And you’d be exactly right. Large corporations often become inefficient because a central suite of corporate leaders decide what products to produce and at what price point to sell them at. Corporate leaders then can become fixated on providing the same products in the same way–even when market tastes or market forces demand they change–as Circuit City did, denying the rise of on-line retail of electronics, right up to the point of bankruptcy when hundreds of stores closed nation-wide.

Which is why it’s imperative that corporations which become inefficient be allowed to go bankrupt rather than limping along on government life support, such as Obama’s bailing out of General Motors. The resources General Motors would have lost in a bankruptcy hearing don’t get burned to the ground; they get purchased by other corporations who may be able to put them to better use.

Imagine the world today if Tesla had picked up a couple of functioning GM car factory plants back in 2008. It’s not unreasonable to assume we’d be farther along towards the all-electric utopia the Left keep asking for, had a Leftist President not interfered with the economy.

For a free market to function, you need two things: things governments often try to prevent. You need robust competition, such as the rise of Amazon destroying Circuit City’s business model. And you need to allow old, outdated companies to fail.

The answer to a rich billionaire is a thousand entrepreneurs pecking away at that billionaire’s business.

I also said that Socialist “hate people.”

The reason for that goes right to the heart of the “you don’t need 23 different kinds of deodorant and 18 different kinds of sneakers” remark, without considering why these things exist.

Each of these different products are, in a sense, like the bread waiting for customers: each brand, each variation, are all attempts to constantly figure out what consumers want. And we don’t all want the same thing. Me: I want a roll-on deodorant (rather than an aerosol), because my armpits don’t get that sweaty. And I want an unscented brand, because I’m sensitive to perfumes.

But if we were to decide by some sort of central committee the one brand that is allowed to be in the marketplace–because supposedly all that time and effort thousands of workers are engaged in trying to come up with a different brand that may appeal to consumers is better spent elsewhere–which brand should we have? Bernie Sander’s favorite brand? Will it be an aerosol antiperspirant which can dry out my arm pits, leading them to hurt? Will it be an “Old Spice” scented deodorant which can make me physically nauseous?

You may not want any one of the other 22 brands of deodorant in the store. But someone does. And when you eliminate them, aren’t you taking away someone else’s choice?

Are you ignoring their desires?

Isn’t that a little hateful?

So go ahead, Bernie Sanders.

Let’s have a conversation about Socialism.

Let’s allow you to get frustrated because you think–as policy makers in the past have thought countless times before–that the reason why the American public is rejecting your ideas is because somehow we’re stupid and we need those policy decisions explained to us in simpler words. Convince yourselves that Conservatives are genetically inferior, more susceptible in believing lies, and are just outright stupid. Never mind that conservatives actually do better on an ideological ‘Touring test’, meaning conservatives (and not liberals) are better at discussing oppositional beliefs without exaggerating them or resorting to negative stereotypes.

And never mind that conservatives actually understand liberal ideology better than liberals understand conservative ideology. Which is a trivially obvious conclusion, when you realize that left-wing ideology is taught in our schools and parroted on our television shows and news programs, in a country where “Das Kapital” is more likely to be read in college than “The Conservative Mind.” For most thoughtful conservatives (really, classical liberals subscribing to a brand of liberalism before “progressives” stole the term), we had to find our own way out of the weeds, guided by some references to Adam Smith and John Locke half-remembered in passing from a class on American History in high school.

I’d love to have that honest debate about socialism, not a one-way “conversation” where we are lectured to by our betters, and told by those with an agenda how their definition of “Socialism” has never been tried before because of some slippery definition that is full of double-speak and gobbledygook.

Let’s have that honest discussion, with people who know the difference between Milton Friedman and John Keynes, who understand what David Hume was trying to do and why Adam Smith’s “The Welfare of Nations” is more a book about morality than it is a primer on economics. Let’s talk about John Mill’s ideas about the use of forceable action against others.

And let’s have an honest debate over if economic decisions are better made by economic forces or by political forces.

Let’s have this discussion, as Phil Donahue did with Milton Friedman, several times.

But don’t be surprised if voters reject your ideas.

It’s not that we don’t understand them.

It’s that we understand them extremely well.

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eternityunicorn · 5 years

Text

Elijah’s Eternity Part Sixteen +18

Author: eternityunicorn

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Warnings: Violence, Language, Smut (*Smut chapters marked +18)

Summary: Elijah Mikaelson didn’t know what to expect when he encountered the strange archer in the night, but he certainly didn’t think his whole world would be turned upside down by it. Yet, he quickly learns that she is more than what she seems, having come looking for an Original after a large spike in supernatural being populations started cropping up on Earth a thousand years ago. Now, he must help her decide if the supernatural community should stay on their home planet or leave it for good? A task that is made more complicated along the way, as his life is changed forever.

NOTE: OC is from my up and coming novel series. Other elements from novel series included as well.

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For two weeks did Eternity sleep, with periods of alertness in between. Elijah was forced to hunt human prey during that time, as he wasn’t willing to accept his lady’s blood until she was fully recovered. Though in her awake periods, she did invite him to feed from her regardless.

He disliked leaving her for the hunt, still feeling a bit of left over fear that she’d be gone again when he returned. Yet, Eternity was always there, sleeping away peacefully. Of course, in regards to his prey, he was discreet, catching and releasing his human victims instead of killing them. Even so, the hunger felt more persistent and he lacked in satisfaction when drinking the blood of mortals. It wasn’t as sweet or filling to him as Eternity’s immortal blood.

If he wasn’t feeding, Elijah was by Eternity’s side. He would always recline on the bed next to her, while she slept. Sometimes, he would read from the small book collection their elderly hosts had put in the room or he would simply lay there and hold Eternity to him, letting her lay her head on his chest. He enjoyed feeling her close, running his fingers through her wispy hair, while she rested.

It was peaceful.

When Eternity would wake, it was usually hunger driven. “Elijah, I’m hungry,” she would whisper to him, half asleep still.

It was adorable the way she would make her request, especially if she was cuddled into his side. He would smile softly, kiss her hair, and then proceed to remove himself from the bed. He would then pad downstairs to politely request food from the little old woman whom always seemed to be in her kitchen cooking. The elder lady was sweet and had taken a liking to him over the course of those two weeks during Eternity’s slumber.

“Oh, you’re such a handsome young man,” she would say to him on occasion, “Your lady friend is a lucky one.”

The old woman never cared about doing as he requested either. Though a lot of times, he didn’t have to say anything at all. She’d hear him come down and she’d already be on her way making food for both him and Eternity. The bed and breakfast felt more like a home than a business because of her above and beyond treatment of them. She treated them like family instead of guests. It was refreshing and Elijah found he was growing fond of the little old woman too.

This had been Elijah’s life for these two weeks. Unhurried and uncomplicated, full of tenderness and care.

Then one evening, Eternity awoke, and instead of being sluggish or half asleep when she did, she was alert. Elijah was just returning to the room after having gone out to feed when he discovered her standing at the window. She was as nude as she had been when he had put her to bed. He noticed the change in her then, as she turned and looked back at him over her shoulder with a bright smile. Her hair shimmered in the moonlight of the window and that etherealness was back in full force around her, where before both had been dimmed.

“Elijah,” she whispered.

He said nothing. Instead, Elijah moved swiftly across the room to gather Eternity up in his arms, holding her against him while his mouth quickly found hers. He kissed her breathlessly, happy to see her back to full strength.

She returned his embrace and his kiss with vigor. She lifted herself into his arms so that her legs locked around his waist tightly. The whole while her mouth never left his and her hands reached up to tangle in his hair; her nails raked against his scalp pleasurably.

“Make love to me, Elijah,” whispered Eternity against his lips, almost in a demand.

He smirked in return, pulling his mouth to her ear and whispering back, “Oh, Sweetheart, you’re in no position to make requests of me. If I recall, I have a promise to uphold for your little disappearing act two weeks ago.”

Eternity shivered against him, moaning slightly as she surely imagined what he might have planned for her. Her eyes fluttered closed for just a moment, before opening again with a burning fire inside those sapphire depths of hers. She reached for him, to pull him into a kiss, but Elijah denied her.

“No, no. My show, remember?” He chastely kissed her then, before letting her slide down his body until her feet were planted on the floor.

She groaned wantonly, but didn’t try to reach for him again. The fire in her eyes did remain strong, however. Eternity watched and waited for him to make his move, submissive to him outside of that burning gaze.

Move Elijah did, backing away from her until there was considerable distance between them. His hand reached up to begin loosening the deep purple tie he wore, removing it from around his neck and winding it around his hand. He grinned wickedly at her, before calling to her seductively, “Come here, Sweetheart.”

Eternity went to him at his command without hesitation. He tugged her to him, his arm sneaking around her waist as his mouth caught hers in a passionate kiss. While distracting her, he reached for her arms, pulling them behind her back firmly. With his tie in hand, Elijah began to wind it around her forearms until her arms were secured tightly behind her back in such a way that she wouldn’t be able to use them.

She didn’t struggle against it. Instead, she seemed to accept it, letting him bind her as he saw fit.

Elijah wanted to groan in delight at her compliance, but refrained. Alternatively, he released her lips and moved away from her once more. With her eyes upon him the whole time, he went over to the small dresser by the bed where he kept the collection of ties he had bought upon their arrival to Broken Arrow. Opening the drawer with the ties neatly arranged inside, he pulled out the deep blue one that lay at the top of the pile. Shutting the drawer with the tie in hand, Elijah returned to his lady, whom was waiting patiently for him.

“Braid your hair for me, Sweetheart,” Elijah commanded softly, knowing already that she could do so with her hands bound.

Eternity did as he requested immediately. Moving as if on it’s own, her hair spilt into three parts and they then wound together into a braid. It was tied off at the bottom with a simple piece of leather string.

Without another word, he went around her, running his fingers along the skin of her arm as he did. She shivered in response to his light touch and moaned softly. Standing directly behind Eternity, Elijah took the blue tie and reached around to cover her eyes with it, tying it behind her head under her braid to create a makeshift blindfold.

There was something so enticing about her being at his mercy; this powerful goddess being blind and helpless to his desires. It stirred up his own desires profoundly. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy this immensely, he decided.

Once she was as he wanted her, Elijah pulled Eternity back against him by her arms, laying tender open mouthed kisses and gentle nips to the column of her throat. His hands moved from her arms; one to cup the opposite side of her neck and the other reaching around to splay across her stomach.

The hand upon her abdomen didn’t remain still for long. It made a slow descent downward, while he used his foot to nudge her legs a little wider apart. She complied easily, letting him do as he pleased. Upon having better access, Elijah let his hand slide between her slightly parted thighs, his fingers dipping into the wet warmth there teasingly.

Eternity gasped quietly at the feel of his intrusion. Her head lulled back onto his shoulder, as he began an agonizing slow pace, stoking her gently. He maintained his slow movements until she was trying to ride his hand, trying to gain more friction than what he was willing to give her.

“Please, Elijah,” she soon begged him, moaning frustratedly. “More.”

Immediately, he removed his hand from her warmth, much to her disappointment. The hand that had been tenderly cupping her neck, gripped the flesh there harsher. He leaned over to whisper hotly in her ear, “There are only two rules tonight: one is that you obey my every command and the second is to keep any commands of your own off those pretty lips of yours. Do you understand?”

Eternity shivered delightfully against him. Yet, she didn’t answer. In fact, she didn’t seem to intend to at all.

That displeased Elijah. He let go of her completely, earning him a whimper from her lips. Instantly, he was in front of her, fisting the hair at the back of her head. He pulled her head back and growled, “Be careful in testing me. I might just decide to leave you here like this, bound and blind; wanting and unfulfilled. I don’t think you want that, Sweetheart.”

For a moment, he wished he could see her eyes. He wanted to see the pleading in them mixed with the defiance and the burning lust that he was sure was there in those sapphire depths. He was certain it was spectacular sight. Alas, he had to endure simply imagining what lay beneath the blindfold. Though, sometimes that was better. The imagination was a powerful thing.

Even so, the dominant in him began to lose patience with her lack of compliance. She remained silent. Elijah began to wonder if that was because she was challenging him, to push him, to see how far he’d really go.

He recalled her defiance that night at the Blood Rose Club in Chicago, how she stared at him, teased him in that challenging way of hers. It had resulted in his loss of self-control and some great sex, he had to admit.

Was that Eternity’s game? To challenge him in hopes of making him lose control again? Was she trying to manipulate him into giving her exactly what she wanted? More than likely, he concluded.

Then his suspicions were confirmed when she throatily said, “Do what you will, but remember this: I will pay you back tenfold, my love.”

Part of Elijah wanted to shiver at the possibilities, at the calm and certain tone of her voice. He may have liked to play the dominant in sex, but he was more than happy to play the submissive too. Especially with a woman like Eternity, someone who was equally matched to him, if not superior.

Yet, he swore that this was to be his show. He had made a promise of it and Elijah Mikaelson never broke promises. He would not be swayed from his path nor would he hand over control to Eternity so easily.

Therefore, regaining focus, Elijah growled down at her, his face so close to hers that their noses nearly touches. “We shall see about that, my dear.”

He released her hair from his grasp and instead, grabbed onto her bound arms behind her back. He firmly guided her toward the bed. Once there, he turned her to face him before pushing her back onto the soft surface.

Eternity couldn’t lay flat because of her arms being tied, so her back was bowed a bit as she lay there before him. Yet, it didn’t seem to bother her. In fact, she didn’t make any form of protest. She appeared to be waiting instead; to see what his next move would be.

Well, he couldn’t leave the lady disappointed, now could he?

Her legs dangled off the bed, spread apart to allow him a wonderful view of what lay between them. Elijah moved into position, standing between them purposefully. He reached down to run his fingertips up the delicate skin of one thigh. He let his touch reach Eternity’s inner thigh, just shy of where he was sure she wanted his touch the most. He teased the skin there, running his fingers up and down the soft surface, but never going further.

Eternity sighed in response to his feathery touch, but then whimpered when he neared her center. Yet, she didn’t buck or beg him to touch her. No, defiant was she, and beyond her soft noises, she remained silent.

Resilience, thought Elijah with amusement. That shall be enjoyable to break.

With his elegant grace, he knelt down onto his knees between her parted thighs. He hooked the leg he had been touching over his shoulder, before laying open mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Again, like with his fingertips, he let his mouth run towards her wet warmth, but dared not to taste her. He preformed this sensual act over and over again to drive her mad.

Elijah could hear Eternity’s breathing slowly becoming labored. Her heart began to beat quicker in her chest. This was especially true when he would dare to inch just a fraction closer to her center. Here, she would gasp and whine at him needfully. She would even buck slightly, trying to get him to go where she wanted without success.

Yes, he denied her. Every time she would buck, Elijah would pull back and grin wickedly at her, despite her inability to see it. She would then whine and whimper more, throwing her head back against the bed in frustration. A dark chuckle escaped him at the sight of her.

“Oh, it’s only going to get worse, Sweetheart,” he teased Eternity, his own baritone voice growing deeper with his own desire.

She didn’t reply.

Elijah chuckled once again before moving on. It was then that he gave her what she wanted...sort of.

He finally touched her, with two of his fingers sliding into her warm wetness, her walls clamping down upon the intruding appendages as he did. Slowly, he began to stroke her in just that right way that had her mewling in delight above him. She moved with his movements, riding his hand deliciously. Soon, Elijah’s mouth joined his fingers, stroking over her clit firmly until her mewls became loud cries, shouted into the lowly lit room. He let her pleasure rise and rise, taking her to the breaking point - and then just at that peak, he pulled back, denying her completion.

He did this again and again as he had with his earlier touches, bringing her to the edge, but never letting her fall off it. She would buck against him, silently pleading for him to finish her. Yet, Elijah was a cruel man. He instead tormented her, taking pleasure in her suffering.

From there, making the decision to move on, he backed away completely before Eternity could come on the final peak he brought her to. She groaned and growled at him in her frustration, while he simply smirked as he rose to his full height.

With agonizingly slow movements, Elijah began to unbutton his shirt, while observing Eternity. Her skin was flushed with a sheen of sweat forming on her delicate skin, her breath was panting. Her chest heaved and her body was taunt; unfulfilled. She was a sight like this, bound and wanting; going mad with need.

She grew impatient too, as she didn’t know what he was up to. It was amusing to watch, as she strained her senses in an attempt to find out.

Sliding off his shirt, Elijah removed his shoes and socks quietly, before moving on to his belt and then his pants and boxers beneath. Still taking his time, he removed these garments, tossing them aside one by one, until he was as bare as she.

He didn’t immediately return to Eternity. No, he waited a moment. He let her stew in her unfulfilled want of him, while he watched her writhe. Her body begged for his touch.

Then with patient steps, Elijah moved between her parted thighs again. This time, he leaned over her with his hands braced upon the bed on either side of her head. He laid sweet kisses to her throat, nuzzling the skin there affectionately as he did. He let his mouth move lower, dragging his kisses over her collarbone and downward onto her left breast, where he suckled and nipped at the sensitive peak.

“Elijah,” Eternity panted his name in response, her body arching into him at the sensations his mouth gave her.

Elijah smirked against her skin, before moving downward still to lay his affections upon her stomach and hip bone. Then once more, he rose to his full height, ready for the next phase.

Pulling her further down toward edge of the bed by her legs, he lifted them up so that the rested against his chest with her feet dangling on either side of his head. With her lower half slightly hanging off the end of the bed, Elijah lined his cock up with her entrance. With one snap of his hips forward, he joint their bodies at last. He couldn’t help but groan in pleasure or to let his eyes flutter shut in ecstasy. Eternity cried out in delight, gaining the intrusion she had wanted badly.

He began to move. His thrusts were not gentle, but rough and demanding. Elijah watched as Eternity gasped and cried out with every one of his movements. It was obvious that she wanted to reach for him by the way her body straining against the binds, but wouldn’t dare break them to do so. Breaking free wasn’t part of the game, after all.

As with the times before, he let her rise higher and higher towards her climax until she was just reaching her peak. Then he would slow down, denying her satisfaction. Over and over he would let her climb, just to pull back again. As a master of control, it was easy to deny his own body’s needs while denying her needs, knowing it would be worth it in the end.

Suddenly, Elijah pulled away completely. Slipping out of her warm depths, he changed the position. He forced Eternity to bend over the bed onto her stomach. Her feet were planted in a wide stance upon the floor, her backside in the air on display for him. Running a hand along the soft globe, he couldn’t resist bitting the flesh, sinking his human teeth into it rather harshly.

Eternity cried out and bucked against him in response.

Then rising to his full height, Elijah grabbed ahold of Eternity’s hips and slammed back into her wet warmth. Again, he moved with quick and rough movements, his fingers digging into her flesh as he did. Over and over, he took her higher and higher, just like all the times before, and like those times, he was ready to stop again when she reached the edge.

“Please, please, don’t stop,” Eternity begged him desperately, her voice barely above a whisper. “Please, Elijah! I can’t take it!”

Victory was his. He had broken her, just as he had planned.

“Why should I let you come,” replied Elijah, his own voice gruff with need as he paused in his thrusts, much to her disappointment. “Why should I, when you’ve been such a defiant little thing? I simply asked for compliance, yet you denied me. So, I am denying you your end - and Sweetheart, you should know, I can keep this up as long as I need to.”

“Please,” she breathed, “I’m sorry. Forgive me. Just let me come!”

Elijah smirked wickedly, but decided to take pity upon her. Resuming his movements, sliding in and out of her warmth in that rapid, brutal pace of his, he let his body have it’s release. He took them both toward the peak. Higher and higher and higher still, until they were both screaming in ecstasy, falling over the edge together.

He fell forward, catching himself with one hand on the bed, holding himself over Eternity. His body quaked in aftershocks, as did hers beneath him. Sated, he leaned down to lay gentle kisses to her shoulder and her upper back. Then he undid the binds on her arms, throwing his tie aside, before doing the same with the one he had used to blindfold her. He kissed her reddened wrists softly, before she moved her hands to rest on the bed.

The moment he was able, Elijah stood and removed himself from her depths. He moved to rest beside her, to hold her close, but he never got the chance.

The moment he stood up, Eternity pounced. She quickly spun around with a wild look in her sapphire eyes, a grin upon her pink lips as she gazed at him mischievously. Before he knew what had happened, Elijah found himself pinned to the bed with Eternity straddling his hips while holding his wrists to the mattress.

She gazed devilishly down at him, before she leaned over him to whisper, “Now, you shall pay tenfold, as promised.”

Elijah could do nothing, but stare back and swallow thickly.

To Be Continued....

#elijah mikaelson #the originals #the vampire diaries #romance #love story #alternate universe #ocs #my ocs

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