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ken-jaku · 2 months

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happy valentine. zayne from love and deepspace

content warnings. smut, fem!reader, use of drugs (aphrodisiacs in choco-covered strawberries ), evol malfunctions, zayne's got a huge dick, inspired by mr. & mrs. smith, fucking you full nelson, cervix-hitting but realistic? aka it hurts like a bitch (might do a fantasy one next time idk), reverse cowgirl, riding, creampie oops, mentions of impregnating (could be just be a kink, up to interpretation), erm.. mentions of sharing wine.. via the mouth.. in a lewd way

word count. 1.3k (done in a timestamp format)

8:00PM

the two of you found solace in italy, going there for vacations whenever zayne was granted his leave of absence.

with his money saved and ready to spend on you, he bought a secluded house surrounded by a lake and mountainous terrain. it was perfect, especially for a guy like zayne who wasn't entirely a fan of pda but liked the idea of it.

zayne catches you outside, lying on an armchair, drinking your wine as you watch the sun disappear into the freshwater body. your skin looked oh, so radiant as golden hour did its job. sun-kissed skin, plump lips sipping your wine and your eyes appeared lighter than usual thanks to the beaming light.

"started without me, i see? did you bring them?" you smile, craning your neck to look at the tall man behind you.

"mhm!" you pull out a box of chocolate-covered strawberries, taking a bite of one before handing the rest over to your boyfriend. taking them, he takes a seat in the chair beside you.

8:25PM

"c'mere," zayne's words came out in pants, his face damp with sweat while you were practically drowning in your own. the aphrodisiacs were finally kicking in.

smiling, you take a sip of your wine before leaning over to kiss him. zayne wastes no time in prodding your mouth with his tongue, the kiss getting sloppy unusually fast as you two share the small drops of wine between you.

you break the kiss to put down your glass of wine, turning your face away from his for just a moment. as you're about to turn back, you find zayne standing right in front of you, impatience riddling his core. he bends over, his hand grabbing your neck as his lips find yours again.

just as he's about to lift your shirt, a loud firework startles the both of you.

"oh, fuck-" you almost shout before laughing. the startled look on zayne's makes you swoon- his eyes wide as his mouth parts just slightly. he's just so cute! the man can only rest his head on your chest in a sulky manner as he tries to calm his heart. you had honestly scared him more than the fireworks did.

his sneaky hands still find their way under your shirt and on your tits in an attempt to save the mood- as well as for his own pleasure... and comfort.

but you just can't hold in your laugh as you replay the image of zayne almost shitting himself, "i'm so-sorry." you snicker. zayne sighs, his eyebrows furrowed as he looks at you. your hand over was your mouth, cheekbones struggling to stay down as you just couldn't resist smiling. god, were you gorgeous.

8:30PM

"hm- fuck!" the atmosphere was no longer light-hearted. the sound of skin on skin with the distant drums of music and laughter from the festival across the lake could be heard.

zayne had you in full nelson. his thick cock bullying its way up into your cunt at a delicious speed. his cheeks were flushed red, lips bleeding as he broke the skin from biting it too much- too focused on pleasuring you. he also hopes that pounding you is enough for you to forget about the scare earlier.

the aphrodisiac fucking with your bodies gave you two an increased sense of pleasure, senses heightening as all he could think about was your pussy wrapped around his cock.

"fuck, you feel so good." he grunts. all you can do is helplessly moan as you look down at the sight before you. his cock was angled so right but zayne, not thinking straight, attempts to bottom out inside of you. he successfully does it... at your expense. holding you tighter, he pounds you, rapidly hitting your cervix a numerous amounts of time.

the pain makes you jolt as you hiss, tears welling, "zayne! fuck, it hurts! stop!"

zayne, himself, is startled. stopping his movements, he tends to you.

"are...are you alright?"

"fuck, zayne that really hurt. you know not to go that deep!" you pout, his dick still in you, deliciously filling you to the brim and deliciously filing your brain with him, your teary eyes severely dilated. he's not gonna lie, you saying that, especially with that face, made his dick twitch.

"fuck-baby. i'm sorry," he pants, "do you want to stop?"

"i wanna continue... just don't do it again," you mumble, a slight ache running through your body as you begin to ride his cock, your back facing him. moans start to build up again as the two of you continue to chase that high.

"hmm- d-does it feel good?" the sentence sounds borderline pornographic when you say it, chasing his validation. your thighs shake as zayne grabs your tits to squeeze, teeth biting at your collarbone as he lets you use him.

"mhm, so good, pretty girl. so good." he whispers even more praises by your ear, stumbling over most of his words considering he can't seem to keep a single notion in his head. the way you have him wrapped around your finger makes you smile and you lift yourself off of your lover to turn around and face him. you just had to see that pretty face before you came. sinking yourself back down on his cock, you speed up, the constant praises were doing wonders for your ego.

"mmphf- you're so pretty zayne. so pretty," you smile deliriously, " 'n i'm so happy i get to be with you-fuck!" your head finds its way to zayne's neck. diving nose first, you snuggle into him while his arms find their way around your waist, hugging you tight as he basks in the proximity.

"shit. are you close?" your thighs were beginning to burn but the way his burly cock jabbed at your spot, you couldn't let up- not when your orgasm was closely approaching.

zayne can only nod as his eyes roll back into his head. you were fucking him dumb. cunt clamping around his dick so deliciously.

"gonna-cum." your boyfriend chokes out, his hand reaching for your waist to lift you off him but you don't budge. shaking your head, you babble some words coherently while the others make no sense at all, "cum inside me. gimmeababy, please, fuck a baby up into me."

wasting no time, zayne attempts to meet your thrusts just enough so it doesn't hurt you again and instead coaxes both your highs with the utmost pleasure, his hands gripping your waist roughly.

"zayne, i'm cum-ming!" you cry out, nails digging into his collarbones and he follows right after you, spurting load after load inside of you, a whiny moan leaving him in the process as his evol malfunctions- frost covering his palm and your waist, specifically where his nails dug into. finally coming to your senses, blinking slowly, you feel the wet coldness, your body shivering despite the warm temperatures. looking down, you spot the transparent crystals sticking you to your boyfriend.

"zayne?" you whisper as you shudder. he hums, looking at you before he spots the crystals in the corner of his eyes. he stares at it, blinking once. twice. jolting up, he accidentally bucks his hips up into you, causing you both to hiss at the overstim, as he realizes what he was looking at was, in fact, real.

"shit, i'm sorry. you okay?" you nod, curiously poking at the crystals.

zayne closes his eyes in an attempt to relax, allowing the crystals to shrink in size before ultimately disappearing. he kisses your cheek, murmuring apologies as he runs his hand alongside your cold waist.

"you don't have to apologize... it's not you'll give me frostbite." you joke though zayne doesn't take it lightly, humming in response.

"happy valentines day, my love." zayne kisses your hand, his thumb rubbing it softly.

"mmm, happy valentines." you say drowsily, rubbing your cheek against his chest.

the two of you sit there, basking in the afterglow and silence as you watch the fireworks in the sky, cuddled up against each other.

with his cock still stuffing you full, of course!

note. dis shit late asl especially considering i wrote this so long ago, so sawry y'all! also the "fuck, zayne that really hurt." section kinda gave me ideas but i shan't speak on them. oh lawdy!

#love and deepspace #zayne love and deepspace #zayne x reader #love and deepspace smut #l&ds #love & deepspace #lads #love & deepsace x reader #love and deepspace zayne #l&ds smut #l&ds x reader #l&ds zayne #lads zayne #zayne x mc #zayne smut

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blackhistorystoryteller · 8 months

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FISHING FESTIVAL IN AFRICA

Argungu Fishing Festival

There are lovely cultures and traditions in Africa

Black Americans should read about their heritage

Welcome to Argungu Fishing Festival

Argungu fishing festival is a way of life for the people of Kebbi State. The festival preserves tradition and promotes conservation. The annual festival takes place in February and marks the end of farming season and start of the fishing season. The festival is a four-day cultural event. It begins with an agricultural show, water sport displays, traditional Kebbawa entertainments and ends with the spectacular fishing competition in the Mata Fadan River.

The History

The Argungu fishing festival began in 1934, marking the end of centuries old hostility between Sokoto Caliphate and Kebbi Kingdom. The festival quickly became a celebration of life and unity.

The River Sacrifice

Before the commencement of the fishing festival, the custodian of the river 'Sarkin Ruwa' ensures the river is safe by performing sacrifices to the river oracle to gain its permission.

Sarkin Ruwa

Like his fathers before him, the Sarkin Ruwa is the official custodian of the Mata Fada River. This responsibility is passed down for generation. Without the consent of the Sarkin Ruwa, no fish can be caught. To ensure the river is safe for fishing, he dispels the crocodiles resident in the river and invites all the fishes in the rivers connected to Mata Fada river.

Matan Fada River

The river is a source of pride to the people of Argungu, it serves as a source of food and irrigation for their farm lands. Its about 50 meters wide and about 50 feet deep.

Race To Fish

At the sound of a gun, thousands of fishermen race towards the mata fadan river, leaping into the water to begin their search for the winning freshwater fish

Music and Rhythm

As the fishermen leap into the water, the drummers begin to beat their drums. Filling the air with authentic Kebbawa traditional rhythm. Although women are not allowed to participate in the fishing competition, they are not left out of the drummers group. The drums are traditional Kebbawa drum designs, made of cow skin.

Over 50,000 fishermen from northern Nigeria and surrounding countries participate in the fishing competition annually.

The Sarkin Ruwa and the drummers move to and fro the mata fada river on their canoes, entertaining the fishermen as they search the river for the winning Giwan Ruwa.

Giwan Ruwa

Giwan Ruwa 'Fish' from the mata fadan river can weigh up to 75 kilograms. The fisherman with the biggest catch wins the fishing competition.

#life #animals #culture #aesthetic #black history #history #blm blacklivesmatter #anime and manga #architecture #black community #traditional illustration #traditional doodle #blacklivesmatter #black heritage

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tylermileslockett · 4 months

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ARGONAUTICA: Heroes Abandoned

Book 1 continues as the crew laments and hold funeral games for the fallen, but harsh winds prevent them from leaving for twelve days. when the seer, Mopsus, interprets a message from a halcyon bird on how to calm the winds, Jason and the men climb a peak and create an altar to Rhea, mother of the Olympians. Here they perform a music dance in her honor clashing their swords and drums to drown out the wailing of the Dolione people below. The goddess Rhea springs forth vegetation, calms the winds and wild animals of the forest, and even brings forth a spring.

Embarking on, the men have a rowing competition, which Herakles wins, (breaking his oar in the process), and they later harbor at Kios, of the Mysian people. Here Herakles ventures into the forest to cut a new oar from a fir-tree. Meanwhile, his assistant Hylas, seeks out a spring for freshwater with a bronze pitcher, coming upon a group of nymphs dancing to honor Artemis. The spring Nymph, desiring the youth, pulls him into the waters. The hero Polymphemus hears his cry, and rushes to warn Herakles, and the two crash through the forest in vain pursuit of lost Hylas.

Here, the Argo crew curiously disembark on a favourable wind, leaving the three heroes behind. Once discovering their error, Telamon accuses Jason of intentionally abandoning Herakles in pursuit of his own glory. As the crew quarrel over the correct course of action, a sea deity named Glaukos, (divine spokesman of Sea god Nereus), rises from the water surface to quell their fears. The deity reveals that all is proceeding along the will of Zeus. Herakles must proceed with his twelve labors, Polyphemus is destined to found a great city, and Hylas will marry the Nymph who abducted him. Rejoicing, the argonauts sail on for the kingdom of the Bebrykians, where King Amykos will offer a deadly challenge upon their arrival.

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book coming to KICKSTARTER in march 🤟❤️🏛

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylermileslockett/lockett-illustrated-greek-gods-and-heroes

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sansxfuckyou · 4 months

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thinking about how Techno Trolls are fish and the loads of electronica subgenres and genre iterations and like. Saltwater Techno Trolls. Freshwater Techno Trolls. Cave System Techno Trolls. Pond and Lake Techno Trolls. each with their own subgenre of electronica and techno, and someone needs to return to me a state of sanity, but until then imma keep talking. we hear the Oceanic Techno Trolls type of techno which has lyrics and lots of buildup, similar to lyrical happy hardcore and what Pendulum broke into for a bit. Freshwater could get Drum N Bass with how often fish get beat up by their rivers by the fast pace and roughness of it. Cave Systems could get stuff like Dubstep and other heavy hitting beats because its both aesthetic and sort of goes with the whole underground thing (im talking early dubstep over 2010s dubstep). Pond and Lake could have a more lofi focus due to the fact its a mostly still water environment and generally lax area, just vibing along in the nonexistent current to a smooth beat.

i have gone insane and im never topping this in terms of overly complex headcanon

#trolls #techno trolls #writing #trolls world tour #i need someone to fucking euthanize me. i fucking love talking about my fav genre of music tho. and my current fav media.

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ask-the-clergy-bc · 1 year

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Band Ghoul Names and Element Guide (For this blog)

I’ve been meaning to make this guide for a while. Recently I received a request which will REALLY need this for better context.

(Note: some of the elements and names Are just ones I personally use for my world building, so they aren’t official or fan wide!! This is just how I’ll be regarding them and how they work in my writing.)

All ghouls in the list are written in chronological order of appearance!

*ghouls with multiple instruments positions

**Mixed Element ghouls

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Non Band Ghouls:

Special (“Phil”): interview and behind the scenes ghoul. Quintessence Element. Also the Sigma Ghoul.

**Cowbell: Plays the Cowbell. Earth and Quintessence mix.

Miasma: “syringe ghoul” - Ghoul who had the syringe during chapter three. Presumably quintessence/unconfirmed element. Rumored to also have a 'darkness' to their element...

Luna: Kia Forum Vocalist - Quintessence

Breeze: Kia Forum Pianist - Air

Aqua: Kia Forum Cellist - Water (Freshwater/Lake)

Marina: Kia Forum Cellist - Water (Oceanic)

Fire Ghouls (Guitar players):

Alpha: eras I - III

Ifrit: era III

*Ember (Sodo): era III bassist, Era iv + current guitarist. Fire ghoul but born of mixed element parents (one water and one fire.)

**Swiss: Era IV - Current. Technically a multiple element ghoul but primarily shows fire element talents. Guitar, tambourine, vocals. Mixed Fire, Air, and Quintessence element power.

Quintessence Ghouls (Rhythm guitar):

Omega: Era I - III

*/** Tide: (originally bassist) era III. Mixed ghoul of water and quintessence.

Aether: era III - current.

Chaos: Goes by the nickname Phantom. Era V. Powers manifest in both matter manipulation and communicating with the dead.

Air Ghouls (Keyboard):

Air: (Formally known as Beta in my verse) Era I - III

Stratus (ChAir): Era III

Cumulus: Era Iv - Current , taller ghoulette and keyboardist

Cirrus: Era IV - Current, shorter ghoulette and also backing vocals.

**Sunshine: Era V - tambourine, vocals, keys. mixed element of Air and Fire. She/They pronouns equally. Their element actually manifests as LIGHT, which helped them get their nickname!

**Aurora: Era V - Vocals and tambourine. Air ghoulette with mixed elemental parents of air and quintessence . Standard Air elemental powers but shows auras and aura reading abilities.

Earth Ghouls (Drums):

Gamma: Era I - II. Mixed Forrest and Stone ghoyl.

Earth: (small earth) Era II - III. Plains Ghoul.

Ivy: VERY BRIEFLY end of Era III before Mountain took over. Forrest ghoul.

Mountain: Era III - Current. Stone Ghoul.

Water Ghouls (Bassists):

Delta (Chain Ghoul): Era I. Oceanic ghoul/borderline deep sea.

River: Era I - II. Freshwater river ghoul.

Water: Era II. Freshwater ghoul with oceanic parent.

(Tide was fourth Bassist before being the second Quintessence Ghoul) (era III)

Mist: Era III. Oceanic ghoul.

(Ember was the sixth before he went fire )

Rain: Era IV - Current . Freshwater/Lake ghoul.

#nameless ghouls #the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost headcanons #ghost world building

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 3 months

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tuesday again 2/6/2024

some weeks it's really hard to come up with a snappy little bon mot to put here

listening

Barbarella, by a fuck of a lot of people. yes i DID watch this movie this week! this is the single catchiest theme song i have ever heard. i cannot link the actual opening credits scene bc tumblr will censor that shit SO fast. spotify

youtube

reading

Rebecca Roanhorse's Tread of Angels novella. this is an urban magic old west religious fantasy novella. VERY sangfielle friendsatthetable vibes, there's an old west mining town centered around the body of the demon Abbadon, which is being mined for its powerful properties. demons and angels have sort of interbred throughout the human population. there is some deeply nerdy catholic bullshit and i say that as someone who was in catholic school for fifteen years. actually let's just take Roanhorse's explanation

the setting and premise are not where the novella bites off way more than it can chew. the main character, a cardsharp, has a chanteuse sister being held accused of a murder and she's got 48hrs to prove her innocence. the time limit and general structure is good, and it uses its side characters wisely, there's just a fuck of a lot of them.

in general, this novella does not have the emotional room to make its emotional beats really count. for example, there was a second breakup with an ex after a night of passion that mostly just left me confused. more broadly, the main character has an oldest sister's selfsacrificing nature that has twisted into utter ruthlessness with regards to her sister, and i'm both impressed Roanhorse managed to convey that in so few pages and annoyed bc i really wanted to see more of that in way more detail. due to the nature of it being a novella, the series of escalating decisions she takes feel very jagged in their escalation. i hope that makes sense.

it's got really interesting ideas! i want to know more about the ideas! i wish this was a full book instead of a novella, so the ending hits a little better instead of a Well That Just Happened way. from this interview it seems Roanhorse also wanted it to be a full book, but it was sort of a "i need something short and sweet so i don't go insane while adapting my other book for TV" (which is very exciting!!!)

watching

really a bizarre set of films. extremely unemployed energy in this watchlist this week. largely composed of "what's on my letterboxed watchlist and also available for free on tubi, with brief forays into hulu"

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013, dir. Chow). loved the overall visual design of the antagonists and the monsters, did not overall love this movie. it is a solid martial arts showcase and the first twenty minutes with freshwater JAWS are the most tightly plotted. it kind of flounders (lol) after that. can't find a gif i like.

INU-OH (2021, dir. Yuasa) genuinely healed my heart a little i think. queer (complimentary, not queer in the western massachusetts housing coop way) feudal anime glam rock opera. i am sooooooo picky about bad dads in movies as a driving force but this really soothed my daddy issues. stuck the landing on both storytelling and visuals.

Barbarella (1968, dir. Vadim) WOW Jane Fonda was hot. this was both sillier and less porny than i was led to believe (if we ignore the softcore porn opening credits). however horny this movie was it was not brave enough to have some girl-on-girl action with barbarella and the evil empress, even though the evil empress never seems to actually learn her name and just calls her “pretty” or “pretty-pretty”. shoutout to the one fic on ao3 that rectifies this situation. certainly a piece of scifi history, i wish modern scifi was as brave with its theatrical set dressing, i think one viewing is good enough for me bc i cannot stop thinking about how all the women on set might have been treated.

john philip law popped up and i said out loud to my cat “hey i know him from cowboys”

Flower Drum Song (1961, dir. Koster) got conned into watching this by the hotvintagemen poll bc i wanted to see what james shigeta’s deal was, and if he did have a sort of ratpack sensibility as the propaganda described. he does! however this movie is unrelentingly awful. it is so so so slow. all of its comedy is racism-based. it feels like a three and a half hour two-VHS set instead of two hours. i like to think i have a stronger stomach for older media and am able to consider things as products of their times but this is my upper limit i think. one brief fleeting moment of cool production with this triple mirror effect

Dirty Dancing (1987, dir. Ardolino). we were trying to find something to watch on either peacock or hbo max, and when i said "oh i've never seen that" out loud my my best friend said "that's insane we're watching it". i did not hate this movie, but i feel like i missed some critical window of development in which i would have had to see this movie to really love it. i had sort of an abnormal high school experience and i am a smidge too old to relate to bildungsroman any more. but it was cute! it was fine! i think patrick swayze’s jawline could cut glass. this film was made after Roe v Wade (1973) and i feel like the backstreet abortion b-plot has done this interesting 180 from sort of a historical novelty to a real threat and terror again. fun!

that’s it for the watching section i promise

playing

im doing the thing where i play a game for ten minutes, put it down, and then pick it back up again, which is probably not terrific for the health of my elderly switch. but whatever. what have i been up to in breath of the wild?

not a ton of progress map-wise, but did make it up to zora’s domain.

i was planning on the camel being the first divine beast, to get that over with bc i had such a devil of a time in my last playthrough, but the thing about the desert is it’s really far away.

dicked around the dueling peaks stables for a while without managing to defeat that guardian and unlock that shrine. so it goes. i think i really need an actual guardian shield from one of the minor tests of strength shrines instead of a normie shield. this line and sidequest made me laugh— it wasn’t terribly hard to find this little cache but it was a tricky bit of gliding.

didn’t realize the horses don’t have that much vertical threat perception, just like real horses. this little band walked right under me and i failed to glide down and land perfectly on someone’s back, which did freak them all out.

i think my new favorite place in a game is this little grove clinging to the side of the dueling peaks. it felt very peaceful and cozy. nothing can get me up there and there’s more than enough room to make a little campfire and cook dinner and not roll off the mountain in a sleeping bag the middle of the night.

also fully kitted out my house bc i had a very successful mining expedition along dueling peaks. EXTREMELY forgiving and generous secondary opening area imo, thanks game

making

i started this glitch sampler pattern by tumblr's own mathysphere (not @'d bc this is a fuck of a long post) at the beginning of the pandemic, june 2020, while thinking "eh let's give this friends at the table counterweight thing a shot" got most of the way through both counterweight and this piece, put it down bc i was so annoyed with all the confetti stitches (random one-off stitches of colors that aren't anywhere near other stitches of the same color. i think i resorted to fraychek at several points in the rover square) and then put it down so long i had to throw it out during the great moth debacle, bc it was partly eaten.

here's what it will look like finished, and a link to buy the pattern

i think this time around i am a much better technical stitcher (the first crack at this i didn't know the loop method of starting, or pin stitches, or really any alternate endings except running the tail under the last few stitches). i usually stitch with three strands bc i like the look, but i think the loop method with three strands is overly fiddly. i have not picked up cross stitch since mmmm 2021, but any mistakes or unevenness in this will simply contribute to the glitch effect. i'm going to go back and backstitch the four "frames" and key portions of the sampler to highlight portions of the glitches (eg the yellow and blue centers of the spiral galaxy, the interior of the eclipse, perhaps add an antenna to the rover).

still not my tidiest back, but hey. it's going to sit in a frame and not have any sort of friction or extra force applied to it ever

i am really looking forward to framing this in a deep shadowbox, i have an idea about how to mat it with little melty cutouts for the drips at the bottom.

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

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fatehbaz · 9 months

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Travel back [...] a few hundred years to before the industrial revolution, and the wildlife of Britain and Ireland looks very different [...]. [B]etween 1529 and 1772 [...] [i]n the early modern period, wolves, beavers and probably some lynxes still survived in regions of Scotland and Ireland. [...] [T]he now globally extinct great auk could still be found on islands in the Outer Hebrides. [...] [A]nd pine martens and “Scottish” wildcats were also found in England and Wales. [...] [B]urbot and sturgeon in both rivers and at sea [...] [and] threatened molluscs like the freshwater pearl mussel and oyster were also far more widespread. [...] [S]everal species of wolf have gone extinct [...]. The capercaillie is [...] [t]oday [...] found only rarely in the north of Scotland, but 250-500 years ago it was recorded in the west of Ireland [...]. [B]y the end of the 18th century, sea eagles were essentially extinct across England and Wales. [...]

The Powte’s Complaint is a protest ballad probably written in 1619 to bewail the drainage of the Fens around Ely and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.

Attributed in one manuscript to a “Peny” of Wisbech, it is written from the perspective of a burbot, a freshwater species of cod commonly found in the Fens at this time. (This fish is now nationally extinct, but may be soon be reintroduced.)

The ballad summons the “brethren of the water” – probably meaning local people as well as fish and other animals – to fight against the drainage scheme, which sought to create new pasture land:

Come, Brethren of the water, and let us all assemble,

To treat upon this matter, which makes us quake and tremble;

For we shall rue it if ’t be true that Fenns be undertaken,

And where we feed in Fen and Reed, they’ll feed both Beef and Bacon.

According to research by Todd Borlik and Clare Egan, the subject of complaint here was a plan to cut a canal through an area of common land south of Haddenham. This scheme would remove the ability of local people to catch fish, and also to transport their produce and fuel on the water. Protests against the scheme apparently culminated in a demonstration of some 2,000 people who lit bonfires, banged on drums and fired guns all night during a meeting of the Commission of Sewers in 1619.

Within the poem, the alliance of the “brethren of the water” seems to recognise the interdependence of humans and wildlife on each other, and on the environment of the Fens.

A comparable example [...] is the Welsh poem Coed Marchan (Marchan Wood), written around 1580 by Robin Clidro, a wandering poet from the Vale of Clwyd in Denbighshire, known for his humorous rhymes.

Clidro’s poem tells the story of a group of red squirrels who go to London to present a petition against the felling of Marchan Wood for charcoal. As with The Powte’s Complaint, the use of the squirrel as narrator is a conceit, and the poem is really a protest against deforestation on behalf of human interests. But again, the author re-imagines the world from the perspective of animals:

Odious and hard is the law, and painful to little squirrels. They go the whole way to London, with their cry and their matron before them. Then on her oath she said, “All Rhuthyn’s woods are ravaged; my house and barn were taken one dark night, and my store of nuts.” The squirrels all are calling for the trees; they fear the dog.

---

Image, caption, and text by: Lee Raye. “Wildlife wonders of Britain and Ireland before the industrial revolution – my research reveals all the biodiversity we’ve lost.” The Conversation. 17 July 2023. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

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mdzs-is-rotting-my-brain · 11 months

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Wangxian Mermay 2023

Day X: The Hunt.

War was a human invention.

Their blood, and fights, and bodies filled the rivers and shores. Providing food for every creature that came across them. The natural world did not hold their beliefs, they did not care for things such as 'soul' or 'respect'. The Cycle was what dominated. Everything was a part of nature.

Humans just believed themselves exempt.

They cursed when they found their half eaten brethren, tossed ash and perfumed soap into the water, spiked nets with barbs, and when they spotted them in the rivers, took endless pleasure in hunting them.

This time they made a mistake.

They took his son.

Wei Ying hunted them for ten days, inland through the waterways, human built dams, destroyed the traps they set to catch or slow him.

The foolish ones became his prey early on. Keeping his son chained like their four-legged hunting animals, and venturing to the water to wash or relive themselves. They fell first and tasted the worst. He tossed their bodies back on land, daring more to come to avenge their fallen, to come to him in the deep.

Unfortunately, they were smart enough to know better.

As he followed their scent and the smell of his son, he dwindled their numbers down to a scant few. He lured them to the lowlands, then waited, knowing the high tide would cut them off from the shore.

They would have been at his mercy. Had the others not come.

They smelled of winter, of freshwater and crystalline rivers, of an earth ash that stuck in the back of his throat and made him yearn for more.

He watched them drop from the sky, swords gleaming, reflecting firelight and the dark waters as they fed the land the blood of their enemies.

"The reports said there would be more." One of them said, smooth and even toned. His voice did not grate against Wei Ying's ears like so many did.

"Mn." The other hummed.

He stood against the firelight, his white edged in the orange glow. His dark hair hung straight and thick against pale skin that smelled of that scent. Wei Ying wanted more, he wanted that flesh against him, he wanted to breathe it in. He wanted to hear that melodious voice speak to him.

Wei Ying swam closer, intent upon finding his son, and seeing more of this human if he could.

"Wangji!" The other shouted.

His son screamed, he darted around grabbing hands, heading for the dark river.

Wei Ying leapt from the water, coiling around his son, holding his trembling body. He snapped at the hand reaching for his son just catching the edge of his sleeve.

His hearts beat a drum in his ears. The clothes were smooth, like an eel, between his teeth.

His eyes. Oh. His eyes. Bright like every day of sun breaking over the waves. Like the glow of fish in the rivers. Like the human made fire behind him.

Wei Ying released the sleeve, pulling back, holding his son close.

The humans stood upon the wet soil, staring at him with blades bathed in blood, the reek of it permeating the air, mixing with the thick ion of the incoming storm.

"He…is yours?" The one said, his voice resounding through Wei Ying's ears, his longer fingered hand gesturing towards his son.

"He is mine." Wei Ying stroked his sons hair, smoothing it away from the bruise on his temple. His son hiccuped a sob, pressing himself closer.

"Shh baobei, shh, I am here." He kissed the bruise, humming as he rubbed circles around the skin. The bruise began to glow gentle from below, spreading across his skin until it was gone, only healthy, unblemished skin remained.

"That was.." the one said, he handed a dark cloth to the other, putting his blade away. He looked from the bruise to Wei Ying. Folding his arms, he bowed at the waist. "I am Lan Xichen of Gusu Lan, have you heard of us?"

Wei Ying tipped his head.

There were stories sung years ago, one of their own who had been captured and forced to stay. She found her escape, but not after she bore two children. Wei Ying had never met her, Qing-jie had, when she came from tending to her, she always smelled of…

Wei Ying bent closer, breathing in the man's scent. Earthy, spicy, it stuck in the back of his throat.

"I haven't." He said "There have been no formal introductions made since before you." He nodded to Lan Xichen, "Until now, that is. I am called Wei Ying."

"Wei-gongzi, have you been hunting the Wen's? We noticed their decimated numbers."

Wei Ying held his son, kissing the top of his head, "They took what was mine. I had every right." He coiled tighter around his son, bearing his teeth. He dared these men to challenge him, their ends would be as swift as the dead he left behind him.

Lan Xichen held up his hands, "We mean no offense. I was just…the rivers are laid with traps and snare nets to prevent Jiaoren coming this far inland."

Wei Ying scoffed, "We have lived before your forefathers, when you weren't even a thought yet. There is nothing you can do to keep us from where we desire to be."

Lan Xichen shared a look with the other, Lan…Wangji perhaps was his name. Wei Ying only knew him by smell, earth and sea, sunset and spice.

They shared a look for a long time before Lan…Wangji looked back at him, bowing as Lan Xichen had before.

"I am Lan Zhan, courtesy: Wangji. My xiongzhang would like to ask for your help in our efforts against the Wen."

The Wen's were not a singular threat. They knew of the Jiaoren. Qing-jie and A-Ning had worked in his castle before he wanted to conquer the world. They knew his threat would not end at the shore. Conversations amongst elders and Shifters had been tense and long these last few months. Wei Ying was ambivalent towards any decisions made, he knew he would likely be held back until the last minute.

Until they had taken his son.

"We have noticed Wen Rohan's movements. We know he threatens all of us. Not just those that choose the land. However, I must return home, to tell my jiejie that my son is safe." He looked at Lan Zhan, meeting those golden eyes. His hearts racing, the only other time he felt this excited was when his son was born.

"Come with me. I can tell you how the elders decide to help."

"Wangji." Lan Xichen put a hand on his brothers arm, tightening his hold.

It pleased Wei Ying to see Lan Zhan struggle to pulled his eyes away, he bowed to Lan Xichen,

"I will not be gone long." He put a hand over the one on his arm. "I promise to return to you shortly."

"Wangji." There was a wealth of meaning in that single word. 'stay with me' 'be safe' 'don't get hurt's and finally 'come back quickly'

Wei Ying heard it all because he had said it all before. He nuzzled the top of his son's head, pressing kisses into his hair, smoothing the rotten stench of humans away with his own. Truthfully he hardly smelled better, and he would rather his own smell of human-choked riverways on his son, than the reek of them.

"Are you well A-Yuan?"

Tucked in his tail, wrapped up like a octopus does its pretty, A-Yuan blinked his pretty eyes open, smiling at him, "Yes diedie, I'm okay."

"Wei…Ying."

Wei Ying looked up, blinking water from his eyes. It had begun to rain without him noticing.

Being around this man was dangerous, between him and A-Yuan, he forgot all surroundings, made no notice of anything except them.

"You will come with me, yes?"

He nodded, a single polite action.

Wei Ying smiled, "Good, I'm sure your mother would like to see you as well." He turned, pointing to the end of the island, "Meet me over there, we will travel together."

His arm was grabbed, he was not pulled, only held.

Lan Zhan and Lan Xichen had wide eyes, staring at him. Faces pale and mouths hanging open.

He looked between them, turning back around to face them, he laid a hand over the one on his arm.

"You didn't know, did you?"

"We…were told she had…passed " Lan Xichen said. A tiny frown, "Are you sure it's her?"

"You smell like her." Wei Ying bent close to Lan Zhan, breathing him in. He could hear the rushing of blood through his veins, how his heart pounded with Wei Ying so close.

He let his lips drift across his cheek as he pulled away.

"Will you still come?"

"Wangji…the war." Lan Xichen sounded torn between his personal desire, and duty.

Wei Ying did not envy him.

"I am going to ask the Jiaoren for help." He took Lan Xichen's hand, "I will write often. You will know if I am safe."

"I will protect him as I do my son." Wei Ying stroked A-Yuan's hair.

Lan Xichen closed his eyes, taking in a breath. The water was lapping at their ankles now, he couldn't not be aware of it.

"Be safe." He looked between them "keep each other safe. Write to me. I will pray that the Jiaoren are willing to help."

He pulled his sword from his hip. It hummed a song Wei Ying could not name, but resonated down his chest, settling into him like the songs of whales, or dolphins, or the way that sharks hum when they're close.

Lan Xichen stepped onto it, flying above the carnage, and away from his brother.

Wei Ying looked back to find Lan Zhan's eyes already in him.

He smiled, "Shall we go?"

Started out as a sort of dark!Wei Wuxian hunting down Wen's who kidnapped his son. In true mirmb fashion it manifested itself into something else completely.

Was it a good something?

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #the untamed #wei ying #lan zhan #mirmb wangxian mermay 2023 #wangxian mermay 2023 #mermay prompts #mermay 2023 #fics #fic #ficlets #ficlet #ficrecs #mirmb writes

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broadwaydivastournament · 1 month

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Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 1D

Luba Mason (1961) has led a multi-hyphenate career with stage shows like How to Succeed...(1995), Girl from the North Country (2020), and Chicago as Velma Kelly. Her exquisite vocal talents have led her to trademark her own musical style "mixtura," and she has toured internationally in concerts alongside her 17-time Grammy-winner husband Ruben Blades. Luba is a first-generation of Slovak descent and cycled through several stage names in the 90s (Kim Freshwater, Lubitza Gregus, Luba Gregus) until settling into Luba Mason.

Annette Bening (1958) is a two-time Tony nominee for Costal Disturbances (1987), and All My Sons (2019). Though primarily a screen actress, she makes our list because she is the newly appointed Chair of the Board for the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors' Fund), a charitable organization that provides "human services nationally for people who work in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio and dance." This organization is a vital part of Broadway's vast support system, and her taking over from Brian Stokes Mitchell's 20+ year service is a big change.

PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

youtube

"I am looking...respectfully. Luba Mason is 5'10" and I want to climb this woman like a tree. I have a very short list of women whose voices I have fallen in love with from the very first note, and she is damn near at the top of the list. An alto over sixty who leans into her sex appeal? Oh, fuck yeah. The sheer confidence to play the drums wearing THAT outfit? Unmatched."

youtube

"Big fan of Annette Bening playing lesbians on screen, but this poll isn't about that. So. Allow me to use this space to talk about the great work the Entertainment Community Fund does. While it's more synonymous with Broadway than Hollywood, any actor, musician, entertainer, stage/film crew, etc. is eligible to take advantage of its services and seek aid. The transfer of leadership into Annette's capable hands means a shift to the West Coast, at least in terms of where she's based. Whether this will mean any major upheaval for the mainly East Coast-based organization remains to be seen."

#broadwaydivastournament #broadway #broadway divas #tournament poll #luba mason #annette bening #round 1d

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