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animehouse-moe · 8 months

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How I'm Tracking My Manga Reading Backlog

I'm bad at keeping up with reading sometimes. I'll read newer releases while still forgetting about some, want to re-read something even though I haven't started on another series, and leave droves of titles sitting on my shelves staring at me.

I got tired of that, and also tired of all these different tracking websites and apps that don't do what I want. So, with Notion and a few other tools, I've set out to make my own, and I like it! So I thought, hey, why not share how I'm doing it and see how other people keep track of their lists, so that's why I'm here. Enough rambling though, let me lead you through why I decided to make my own.

So, the number 1 challenge: Automation. In truth, it's far from perfect and is the price I pay for being lazy. But, I can automate a significant chunk of the adding process. I've yet to find a proper way to go from barcode scanning on my phone to my reading list, but I can go pretty easily from an amazon listing to the reading list. With it I grab: title, author, publisher, page count, and cover image.

So what do I use?

Well, it's a funky and interesting thing called 'Bardeen' that allows you to scrape webpages (among other things), collect and properly structure the desired information, and then feed it right into your Notion database. It's a little odd to try and figure out at first, but it's surprisingly intuitive in how it works! Once you have your template setup, you just head to the webpage (I've found Amazon the best option) and hit the button for the scraper you've built, and it puts it into Notion.

It saves an inordinate amount of time in populating fields by hand, and with the help of templates from Notion, means that the only fields left "empty" are the dated fields for tracking reading.

Thanks to Bardeen, the hardest (and really only) challenge is basically solved. Not "as" simple as a barcode, but still impressively close. Now, since the challenge is out of the way, how about some fun stuff?

Data visualization is incredibly fun for all sorts of people. Getting to see a breakdown of all the little pieces that make up your reading habits is very interesting. Sadly, Notion doesn't have the ability to build charts from your own databases, so you need a tool.

The one I ended up settling on was 'Grid.is', as it has a "direct" integration/embed with Notion.

Sure, it has its own "limitations", but they pose absolutely zero concern as to how I want to set up my own data visualization. You can have (as far as I know) an unlimited number of graphs/charts on a single page, and you can choose to embed that page as a single entity, or go along and embed them as independent links. Either way, the graphs are really great and there's a lot of customization and options in regards to them. Also, incredibly thankful for the fact that there's an AI assistant to create the charts for you. The way that Notion data's read in is horrendous, so the AI makes it infinitely easier than what it appears as at first.

And yes, all those little popups and hover behaviors are preserved in the embeds.

Well, I suppose rather than talking about the tertiary tools, I should talk about what I'm doing with Notion itself, no?

Alright, so, like all Notion pages it starts with a database. It's the central core to keeping track of data and you can't do without it. Of course, data is no good if you can't have it properly organized, so how do I organize it?

With tags, of course! I don't have a massive amount of tags in place for the database, but I am considering adding more in terms of genre and whatnot. Regardless, what I have for the entries currently is: Title, Reading Status (TBR, Reading, Read, etc.), Author, Format (manga or LN), Date Started, Date Completed, Pages, and Publisher.

In addition to those "displayed" tags, I have two tertiary fields. The first is an image link so that entries can display an image in the appropriate view. The second, and a bit more of a pain, is a formula field used to create a proper "title" field so that Notion can sort effectively (they use lexicographic, so numbers end up sorted as letters instead). This is the poorly optimized Notion formula I used, as I don't have much experience with how they approach stuff like this. It just adds a leading zero to numbers less than 10 so that it can be properly sorted.

Of course this list view isn't my default view though, the calendar from the top of this post is. Most of the time though, I don't have it set to the monthly view, but rather weekly. Following up that view though, I've got my "up next" tab. This tab's meant to track all the titles/entries that I'm about to read. Things I'm planning to read today, tomorrow, or the day after. Sorta a three day sliding window to help me keep on top of the larger backlog and avoid being paralyzed by choice. It's also the only view that uses images currently.

Following that, I've got my "To Be Read" gallery. I wanted to use a kanban board but notion will only display each category as a single column, so I chose this view instead, which makes it much easier to get a better grasp of what's in the list. I've been considering adding images to this view, but I need to toy around with it some more. Either way, the point is to be able to take a wider look at what I've got left in my TBR and where I might go next.

So overall, I've ordered these views (though the list view I touch on "first" is actually the last of the views) in order from "most recent" to "least recent", if that makes any sense. Starting with where I've finished, moving to where I go next, what I have left, and then a grouping of everything for just in case.

It's certainly far from a perfect execution on a reading list/catalogue, but I think personally speaking that it checks off basically all of the boxes I required it to, and it gives me all the freedom that I could ever want - even if it means I have to put in a bit of elbow grease to make things work.

#anime and manga #manga #manga reader #manga list #reading list #reading backlog #light novel #notion #notion template

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skeez-queen13 · 7 months

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Ok, I have no idea how to properly embed these but I have fallen down the Good Omens rabbit hole and both of these Tiktoks have absolutely made my day *lmao

#Good Omens #♥♥♥#ineffable husbands #am I also going to buy stickers from that 2nd tiktok poster #yes #yes I am #_(┐「ε:)_ ~ ♥♥♥#Be Quiet Skeez #tiktok link

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rodfig · 1 year

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More Friction, Please

During my time working in the payments industry, "frictionless commerce" was something our competitors and customers were obsessed with enabling for consumers and businesses. The "gold standard" was to embed consent, authorization, and authentication into one fell swoop of a motion. Amazon Go, mentioned in the article, was seen as a potential future of commerce and what other retailers were interested in modeling after.

Then, the problems became apparent. Humans are notoriously very bad at properly weighing long-term consequences naturally. This second-order thinking is a trained skillset, and our tendency to rely on "fast thinking" turns it off when doing things we consider part of everyday life. In this case, transacting has started to fall into that category for many consumers. We have taken for granted that the swipe of a card is actually a location check, a fraud check, a bank account check, a communication system between at least 3 institutions, and a way to signal that you are intentionally allowing all of this because you have signed the T's and C's in the past. The "good friction" has already happened when you applied for the account, entered your information, walked to the store, and chose the card because the rewards were good. The "bad friction" is if the person at the counter asks for additional identification or something else that prolongs your customer journey by even a few seconds.

Now that a different generation of consumers is coming on board, and form factors for transacting are changing (e.g., biometrics with Apple Pay, Amazon Go, etc.) towards futuristic, this frictionless journey must be revisited. Questions like "Who exactly is keeping my data?" "Are my fingerprints being stored somewhere secure?" and "Can I delete the information about me after some point in time?" are causing companies and regulators to scratch their heads at how to balance the security and privacy of a consumer with a journey that encourages continued usage.

One of the most salient examples of a company noticing this is Apple, with its privacy-focused commercials.

My guess is companies will start realizing that as more data is generated and therefore used as inputs for AI models, they will not only want control of their own but some kind of visibility into how companies plan on using it for their advantage. There is a movement towards data openness, which will parallel this AI revolution. This parallel movement will inherently introduce more friction than what we've used for the past decades, which is a good thing for the average user.

#2023mitsloanbrandingsb #2023MITSloanBrandingSB

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theperfectlovestory · 3 years

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Even If It's Not

Summary: It’s always been a good day with Natasha, until Wanda found you

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader; Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Theme: Fluff, Angst

Tw: trauma, reaction to trauma, mention of death

. . .

Summary: it’s always been a good day with Natasha, until Wanda found you

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader; Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Theme: Fluff, Angst

Tw: trauma, reaction to trauma, mention of death

. . .

It was one fine day, like all the others for the past year. You woke up early, sunlight warmly casting on your face as it peaked through the opening of the curtain. You can hear birds chirping in the background, making you smile

You blinked the sleep away from your eyes, raising a hand to your mouth to cover the incoming yawn. As you move, a warm arm enveloped you, and you smiled at the sight of her

This side of her only coming out when it’s just the two of you

Your beautiful redhead sleeping soundly in your arm, head tucked comfortably in your neck. An arm and a leg on top of your body, clinging to you like a baby koala

You always can't believe that the famous Natasha Romanoff, feared by friends and foes alike in the battlefield, is one hell of a clingy sleeper

You turn your head gently, glancing at the clock on your bedside table

Time to wake up. No work today but you wanted to get some groceries to fill your stocks

You tried to gently wiggle your way out of Natasha's hold, silently cheering when you got out of bed without waking her up. Natasha's soft giggle prove you otherwise, making you pout

"I'll go back to sleeping then" she huskily said before hugging your pillow and burying her face in your smell, curling herself on the bed

You watched her body relax as she falls deep in slumber once more, smiling softly at how peaceful she seemed to be

"I'm going grocery shopping, want to come?" You asked Natasha in between bites, she looked up at you from the file folder she have

She's still doing reports, doesn't mean your on mission vacation, paperwork will do themselves as well

"I'll be wherever you are, detka" she smiled, sipping on her coffee "just let me finish this one and we can go"

You nodded, collecting the plates in front of you, Natasha pursed her lips, debating on wanting to wash the dishes herself since you cooked or finishing the report fast so you can go

You smiled, kissing her cheeks before taking the dishes on the sink. You hummed softly as you finish it up, Natasha, smiling while she listens. Whenever you are around, her paperwork doesn't feel as much a burden as it usually does

Done with the dishes, you went up to your room and changed into more appropriate clothes. As you put on your shirt, Natasha entered just fast enough to see what color of bra you are wearing underneath

She grin, standing behind you as she held your waist, kissing the side of your neck softly, innocently

Yet her intentions are far from one

"Nat" you warned as she nibble on your ear, she continued, right hand going up inside your shirt, your stomach now in full view of the mirror in front of you "we have to go" you moaned as she suck on the right spot under your ear, whining that you need to leave and she's messing up your hair...

"We can go a bit later" she answered, eyes meeting yours on the mirror "we can't, we have a reservation at that restaurant you like"

She grunted in your neck "I am not liking it very much right now" she muttered and you chuckled. Stepping forward before facing her

You pressed a gentle hand on her cheek "Come on, we rarely go out"

She looked at your eyes for a bit before giving up "fine" she softly answered, taking the hand in your face with hers, just as gently

. . .

"Can you pass me one of those bell peppers" you pointed at the container with 3 pieces of what you need. You smiled when Natasha picked one with just the right mixture of red and green. Small things like this are what you love about her. She only asked once and then remember it forever

"Is there a reason why you choose a combination of both and not just the green or the red?"

You thought for a while, blinking at the question you can barely remember the answer "I've always just done it because my mom does that too but I think it's because it's the most perfect condition to either store it or use it immediately"

Her mouth made an 'o' shape, signaling her understanding of the topic

"Oh detka, strawberries" her eyes sparkled as she put at least three packs of it in your cart, you giggled "isn't that too many?"

She looked at you, disbelief in her face "Do you know how much you devour them?" She asked and you chuckled "They're like your favorite thing in the world, you even prefer them more than my lips" she pouted, your fond smile never left your lips as you pulled her in for a kiss

"Now I know you are exaggerating, there is nothing more I love than your lips" you squint "well maybe except for your eyes"

You continued pushing the cart as her cheeks gets dusted in pink, you added a few more, items from the fridge isle before going on the dry goods

You passed by a small and portable fondue fountain, you eyed it along with the chocolates on the side

"Do you want that?" She asked, looking over your shoulder

"I'm interested," you hummed, "but is it worth it?" you sighed "we won't be able to use it as much when we get back to work"

"We can bring it there then and the boys and Wanda can have their fun, Wanda likes chocolate" at the mention of your bestfriends name, your eyes lit up

Now slightly more convinced

She leaned closer, whispering things you can do with the melted chocolate on the kitchen table. Your face blushed furiously as you hit her in the arm but despite that, you took a box and a bunch of carefully picked chocolate

She chuckled, eyes hooded with the thoughts too dirty to be even thinking about in the middle of the grocery aisle

You then looked around some more. Your list has been fulfilled but you opted to roam around to get some snacks or check new things the store has. Natasha obediently followed. Checking the items too and getting some that interests her

Mostly snacks

After you are satisfied with your purchase, you go to the cashier to pay. You will opt for a self serves but they only allow 20 items below, and your cart is obviously more than 20

The cashier greeted you with a smile, you doing the same. Making small talks to try and make the day easier for the kind worker. Natasha smiled admiringly at how easy you are to have a conversation with

The cashier is all smiles even after you paid and left

"I have always admired the way you do that" she said as she help you put the bag on the trunk of your car

"Do what?" You asked, tilting your head

"Talking to people, making them feel comfortable"

You nodded, humming as you continued with your task "It wasn't always as easy, but it comes with the job"

"I refuse to believe that you weren't always rainbows and sunshine" she argued and you chuckled

"Darling, I'm an introvert, the mere mention of conversation terrifies me" she looked at you dumbfounded for a second and you did the same just with an amuse smile instead

"Guess you learn something new everyday even when you are technically, already married" she muttered, closing the trunk "what else don't I know about you?"

She opened the door for you and you got in, making sure to shake of the bottom of your shoes to remove at least a bit of dust on it, Natasha smiled at the gesture

She closed the door once you are settled and got on hers, doing the same as you did before starting the car, making sure it's heat up properly first before starting to drive

You sat in silence for a few second as you think of things she doesn't know yet "well, I used to date guys" her eyes widen, looking back at you then back on the road

"Really?" She asked "what changed?"

"Nothing" you shrug "I just didn't realize I was into girls, the norm is being straight after all, but the first kiss I had with a guy was nothing compared to my first kiss with a girl"

She hummed, "and when was your first kiss with one?"

The conversation flowed seamlessly in your head, every smile and chuckles and groans she responded you with was embed in your memory

. . .

As per your usual arrangement, you and Natasha arrived at the restaurant at different times. Wanting to keep the surprised of seeing each other dressed up beautifully, knowing full well it’s to please the person who will be sitting in front of the other

You arrived in your newly bought shiny short dress with a lot of skin showing but still very decent. You’ve done your hair perfectly that it frames your face and your make up is a bit fiercer, bolder. You wanted to surprise Natasha, show her a different side than the usual girl-next-door

Her brow lifted up, lips in a side smile of surprise. You look edgier than her tonight and it’s making her feel all kind of things in her stomach

“Of course, I can’t go losing you to competition now” you smirk jokingly

She pulled your chair for you and you sat down, she leaned down and gave you one more kiss, not being able to resist the temptation of your red and plump lips

“Competition?” she chuckled, sitting down “We are married, detka, you already trampled all over them”

“Well, you never know”

The dinner continued with all playful banters, giggles and Natasha’s flirting techniques that you admit, did something to you. Not because of the lines, but because of who and how she’s saying it

Along the lines, someone approached your table and that stopped you from talking to each other. You looked at the person and was surprised to see Wanda

“Wanda?” You called, standing up slowly as you take in her appearance

She looks tired, defeated, broken

“Y/n” she muttered, looking at you with sad eyes “Where have you been?”

“What do you mean?” You asked, lips into a gentle yet confuse smile as you held her arms “I’m on a break, but you know where we live”

“We?” She asked and you nodded “Yeah, with Natasha…are you okay?” you tilt your head to get a closer look on her face “Y/n…” she said, biting her lips “Natasha’s gone”

Your hand gripped the woman tightly as your mind reeled “Wanda…what are you saying?”

“She..” Wanda’s lower lip trembled, her eyes tight shut before she sighed, meeting you with her tired green eyes “She’s gone…she sacrificed herself for the world…don’t you remember?”

A chuckle left your lips, devoid of any humor. You stepped back, hands crossing on your chest “That’s a cruel joke, Wanda” you took a deep shaky breathe “I was just with her the whole time, she is literally right there” You pointed at Natasha who smiled at you like nothing is happening

Your brows furrowed and you were so focus on Natasha that you didn’t notice Wanda’s hand raised to your temple, eyes red and red wisp of energy flowing at the tip of your fingers

Your eyes widened in horror as the Natasha in front of you, smiling as lovely as you remember, slowly turned to ash, pieces of her flowing in the air. Your shaking hand covered your mouth to stop a scream that will never come, stuck in your chest like a painful rock that wedged itself in your lungs

Wanda moved further in your brain

You were back with Natasha in your dining room, eating breakfast and before she could kiss you, she disappeared again into ashes. The same thing happened to when you are on the grocery, before she can put the strawberries in your cart, her body flew away in the air, and the contents of the package spilling on the floor, strawberries roll on your foot as the scene changes again

This time, it’s Natasha and you sleeping on the bed, her arm and leg draped on your body. She tucked her head closer to your neck, this scene that you’ve been watching for the past year that brings you love and warmth and comfort now gives you dread

And pain

Your breathing has become shaky and erratic as you tried to forget the scenes before this one where she all but disappeared into thin air. As if noticing your discomfort, Natasha opened her eyes and called your name

“Nat” you managed to croaked despite the lump in your throat as tears well in your eyes

Instead of asking the usual ‘are you okay?’ though, she smiled sadly, her face change to that time that happened a year ago

Her hair in a braid, face white with worry and fear but she remained brave, determined “You’ll be okay” she whispered, hand caressing your face “You will be okay, my love”

And then, as if the gods have cursed you to a life of loss and pain and suffering, you again, had to watch her disappear. Ashes taken by the wind, her smile never faded, not then, not now…and the three words you never thought would be the last, echoed in your memory

You stood in front of Wanda, shoulders shaking from crying. Wanda pulled you close to her as she let you cry, whispering reassurances that she will always be by your side and yet, you can’t say the same

“Wanda, you need to move on as well” Wanda’s tears started the moment yours stopped, you pulled away from her, but keeping her at an arm’s length “You deserve to be happy”

Your face looked so peaceful despite what you just did, the scars from the battle scattered across your face and yet, to her, you were beautiful still. She pulled you closer to her, her body trembled before you and she watched, and felt, and embraced the feeling

She whispered in your ears before your body truly disappears, just like Natasha’s “I thought I’m ready to let you go” she sniffed “But I was wrong”. Red magic surrounded the whole area once again, just like from when she arrived in the house you bought for Natasha and you

"Even if you didn't choose me in this world too, I would just gladly be beside you. As long as you are here, I wouldn't care."

And once again, you open your eyes. Natasha comfortably cuddled next to you as your lips turned into a satisfied smile…

. . .

A/N: "Even if you didn't choose me (don't love me) in this world too, I would just gladly be beside you. As long as you are here, I wouldn't care." (Credit to my wonderful angsty friend @my-wandering-rabbit for crushing my heart with this wonderful line and the title of this story)

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natasha x y/n #black widow #black widow x reader #wanda maximoff #WandaMaximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda maximoff imagine #mcu imagine #happy pride 🌈

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canary3d-obsessed · 3 years

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Master Post - The Untamed

All of my CQL original content! This consolidates & replaces my previous CQL masterposts.

You MAY repost any gifs or images from ANY of my “Restless Rewatch” posts as long as you credit me (Canary3d) or my blog (@canary3d-obsessed) somewhere in your post or comment. For non-Restless Rewatch images, please ask me first. (If you’re using Tumblr’s weird gif feature there’s no need to ask because that embeds a credit and it’s impossible to tell if it came from a RR post or not).

Restless Rewatch Gifs and Memes

Restless Rewatch Full Posts

Now also on AO3: Restless Rewatch: The Untamed by Canary3d

I’ve updated these links with gaps between the A and B parts, so hopefully they will work properly in the phone app, unlike before. If they’re still not working, please drop me a note, thanks!

Ep 40 (part one) and (part 2) (NEW)

Ep 39 (part one) and (part 2) and (part 3)

Ep 38 (A) and (B)

Ep 37 (A) and (B)

Ep 36 (A) and (B)

Ep 35 (A) and (B)

Ep 34 (A)

Ep 33 (A) and (B)

Ep 32 (A) and (B)

Ep 31 (A) and (B)

Ep 30 (A) and (B)

Ep 29 (A) and (B)

Ep 28 (A)

Ep27 (A) and (B)

Ep26 (A) and (B)

Ep25 (A) and (B)

Ep24 (A) and (B)

Ep23 (A) and (B)

Ep22 (A) and (B)

Ep21(A) and (B)

Ep20 (A) and (B) and (C)

Ep19 (A) and (B)

Ep18: (A) and (B)

Ep17 (A) and (B)

Ep 16: (A) and (B)

Ep15 (A)

Ep14 (A) and (B)

Ep13 (A) and (B)

Ep12 (A) and (B) and EXTRAS

Ep11 (A) and (B)

Ep10 (A) and (B)

Ep09 (A) and (B)

Ep08 (A) and (B)

Ep07 (A) and (B)

Ep06 (A) and (B)

Ep05 (A) and (B)

Ep04 (A) and (B)

Ep03 (A)

Ep02 (A)

Ep01 (A)

Restless Writing Prompts

Clipper’s Guide to The Untamed

Mo Dao Zu Shi Adaptations Available in English

Parallels

I love digging into the many, many visual, stylistic, and thematic parallels in The Untamed.

A cave, a baby, a fever

Wrist Holding: Parting & Reunion

The Blurry Sword of Doom

Bichen at Wei Wuxian’s Throat

The Honor of a Glance (more of a “see how time changes things” than a parallel, exactly)

Troublemaker (ditto above)

Letting Go

Arm Holding on Mount Yeet - Gif Overlay Challenge

Protective Lans

Putting Lan Zhan to Bed

A Gentleman’s Revenge

Answer Me

When the Man Comes Around

I Am Leaving

You Touch It You Buy It

The Sky is Vast and the Earth is Wide

Pay It Forward

Wen Ning’s Boat Rides

(Here’s a cut so I don’t kill your dashboard)

Holding on/Letting go

Don’t Cry

Having a Spat, Yunmeng Style

Like Father, Like Son

Let Me Carry You

Never

Great Idea, Thanks Bro

Assorted Gifs & Memes & Stuff

Mood: Serious

Lan Wangji Watching Wei Wuxian, Episode 33

Wei Wuxian screaming with Xiao Zhan’s voice

Rainy Argument 1 | 2 | 3

Rainy

World’s Second-Worst Party Guest

Wei Wuxian is here to make you feel better

Yu Ziyuan’s daughter

If you don’t trust me, how can you help me?

Do You Want Revenge?

Wei Wuxian Blindfolding Jiang Cheng

Contemplating the Future

Which unlucky family’s place did you take?

Hands, Episode 16

Zidian Beatdown

A Man Should Have Scars

Trauma Survivor Wei Wuxian

Mood: Neutral

Reciting the Lan rules at the Wen indoctrination

Question and Answer Time

Lan Zhan, do you like rabbits?

Right in Front of Lil Apple’s Apple Salad

Jiang Cheng and his facial expressions

Besties

Wei Wuxian wants you to know: you’re awesome

LWJ looking at WWX

I adore you//Fucking hell

Color Palette Challenge

Blindfolded

The many loves of Wei Wuxian

Significant Glances

Flute Fixing

Study Time in Yiling

Single Plank Bridge (Untamed/Yanxi Palace)

Soft Papa

WWX Jumps into Battle

Wen Siblings @ Burial Grounds

Flower Boys

Flower Boy Nie Huaisang

Fisherman Nie Huaisang

Kicking Your Ass: Teen Edition

Kicking Your Ass: Adult Edition

This Beautiful Hothead

Mood: Silly

The Adventures of Paperman (NEW)

New Problems Have Appeared (NEW)

Let’s have a cooking sequence but make it terrible

That Twitter/Tumbler Meme but it’s CQL

Reactions to Sisi’s Story, Ep 45

Wangxian Communication

The Untamed as Dear Prudie Letters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Curses, cockblocked again

The Tuber of Disappointment

Wei Wuxian & Wen Kexing

Wen Qing and the Lan Nymphs

No Time for Necromancy

When the landlord says it’s ok to repaint

How did you express the pain (WOH spoiler!)

The Untamed as Psychology Today Articles

Voice Actor Wang Kai Yelling at Xiao Zhan

Half-Incorrect Subtitles

Wangxian Brothel AU

Nie Mingjue Yells Merry Christmas

Wei Wuxian making out with his Lunch

Wei Wuxian x Unnecessarily Erotic Drinking

Nie Huaisang Reporting In

Strong Hanguang Jun

Jiang Cheng’s Purple Jammies

Wei Wuxian searches Xue Yang

Adolescent’s observation

Failmaster Lan Qiren

Oh No He Noticed

Super Regularly

Oh Crap! Act Normal!

Emergency Hairpieces

Acceptability Review Meeting Episode 45/46

Acceptability Review Meeting Episode 45

Fanvids

Drinking, Drinking, Drinking

Xue Yang/Dandy Highwayman

Fight Moves/You Spin Me

Wei Wuxian/Not an Addict

Fanfic

Fractured Spirit (Warning: EXPLICIT)

Other Stuff

Adoption meta

#the untamed #canary3d-original #this combines all my previous untamed masterposts #into one untamed master masterpost #masterpost

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timextoxhajima · 4 years

Audio

Playlist Feels

*SHORT SERIES

Part 1: Church

Part 2: Do It For Me

Part 3: No Mercy

Member: Juyeon

Genre: SMUtSMUTMSUTMSUTMSUT

“all good boys go to heaven, but bad boys bring heaven to you.”

your stockings were the first piece of clothing to go. juyeon doesn’t even bother getting it off properly, literally tearing it up into little pieces while your tongues were mindlessly trying to find each other despite your lips being detached.

you wanted to laugh at the desperation, but the chance doesn’t arrive; not when he gets the last piece of stocking around your ass off. the only thing covering your rear was your skirt and your already-once-fucked-over core, your underwear.

there was no way you could’ve actually seen his apartment, not with the reckless pushing and pulling over the hungry face-eating. you were so riled up and in need to have him again, even after letting him ruin you in the car, there was nothing in your head besides wanting to feel him between your legs again.

frustration starts emitting off him once the stocking was off and there was literally nothing you could hold on to besides his arms. lust and desire starts dripping off his tongue and onto yours, and you couldn’t stop the dirty thought of swallowing his saliva down your throat like you did vodka.

his hands find your bare ass under the skirt, and he picks you up almost effortlessly. his steps were so quick and large, your teeth kept knocking against his while he walks somewhere and gets a door open.

his hold around you made you feel like a baby, and your thighs were almost resting on his belt like a seat. you feel him leaning forwards, and your back hits a mattress. he doesn’t pull away, but his hands find your skirt and tug them off ruthlessly as if they didn’t have a button and a zip on the back.

a loud groan escapes the back of your throat when you feel the material being yanked off your legs, and you break the kiss, momentarily annoyed that he’s destroyed not only you, but your clothes.

“hey--”

“quiet, princess,” he quickly shuts you up by wrapping his fingers around your throat and giving you a long, hard kiss. “you’re going to need that energy for later.”

your eyes widen as he pulls away, his words struggling to find a spot in you to anchor themselves into. he reverses a few steps and the shirt comes off. your heart starts to pound at the sight of his lean torso. you’ve seen it before, but the view of his veins lining his arms and hands embeds itself into your head.

“stare anymore and you’ll start drooling.”

his eyes clawed its way into yours, and for the slightest moment, you felt scared of what he was going to do to you. your elbows try to prop you up, the cool air of the room wrapping your bare legs while he starts taking small, menacing, almost threatening steps towards you.

the gulp that instinctively threw itself down your neck was so loud, you saw a hint of his demonic smirk appear on his lips. his hands find the mattress, and something tells you to move back.

you try to look away and elsewhere, but his fingers find your chin to force you to keep eye contact with him. the game of you moving back slowly while he drives you further back into his bed was killing you, and more importantly, it was making you both terrified and excited.

your breath gets stuck in your throat when your back hits the head board, and you were so worried you were going to pass out. the demonic smile finally shows itself in full and his glare was so dangerously enticing, it was making you shiver.

he finally reaches you, knees on either sides of your thighs. his hands find the top of the head board behind you, and his fingers trail along your chin, holding it up so you were still made to look at him. “why do you look so scared?”

you tighten your jaw and grit your teeth, fists grabbing a bunch of material off the mattress when you let the reality sink in.

he was well aware who you were now.

last year, you were soft on the outside and crazy when you were drunk.

now you were crazy on the outside, but a fucking sub when faced with him.

“i’m not going to hurt you,” he angles his head and nearly presses his lips against yours. “but i can’t promise you won’t cry.”

he shoves his lips so hard against yours, your teeth knocked against each other and the head board gets pushed against the wall. you were frozen stiff, but your lips were busy trying to prevent him from destroying yours.

his moans were so erotically apparent and painfully difficult to ignore, and you don’t remember him being so loud before. your hands finally release the bedsheet and travel around his bare shoulders, and he gives you a few seconds to run your hands all over his muscles.

but you hear something close somewhere, and you start to feel a soft material wrap around your wrist. your lids fly wide open, and the first thing you see is his devilish grin when he pulls away.

writhing out of his grip was so useless, it was making you doubt yourself.

were you just letting him do whatever he wanted to now?

or was this who you really are now?

his strength and hold around your wrists allow him to tie them to the little holes and gaps on his head board without much problem. your eyes dart back and forth between his smile and the knot that was tightening around one of your wrists.

“wait--” you hide your other wrist behind your back, and he watches you carefully when he notices your reluctance. he shoots you a look of mischief before dipping his lips into your neck where your sweet spot was, and you could only marvel at the fact that he still remembers where it was. your eyes flutter shut and a thrill rushes down your neck and into the rest of your body.

he steals this opportunity and pulls out your arm, tying it to the head board while he pleases you with his lips on your skin.

a whimper escapes your lips when you feel him shift away, and helplessness washes over you at the state of your wrists.

“you may have more guts when you’re sober...” he fishes out another piece of cloth, and you were already about to cry when you realised what it was. “but you’re definitely less of a daredevil than you were one year ago.”

your vision slowly blacks out when he wraps the blindfold around your head, and your chest starts to pound.

pulling on your wrists were deemed completely useless, and you hear the head board creak at your attempt. you cross your legs, feeling the skin of your stomach coming into contact with the air now that your top was pulled up due to your hands being tied to the head board.

“after the last time, i can only imagine how hard it was for you to keep quiet,” his fingers hook onto your underwear and slide them off your hip bones. you cross your legs and tilt your chin up to the ceiling, the lack of sight making you even more wary of what was happening.

dirty thoughts fill your head as if he wasn’t already going to ruin you all over again, and you do a horrible job of keeping it contained inside your mind.

“so,”

he peels your legs away from one another, and he locks them apart with his thighs. you wonder how he was going to get your underwear off, now that your legs were apart.

but you hear a tear, a sound that you were now familiar with, and your lungs empty itself when you feel your wet entrance being exposed.

“you can moan, whine, cry, scream,”

you feel his hands replacing his thighs against your legs, and you feel the bed between your legs sink. your knees start to bend as he lifts them off the bed and keeps them up by holding the flesh on the back of your thighs.

“and nobody will hear them except me.”

you clench your teeth in desperate lust, and you start to feel his tongue on your heat.

a loud whimper runs off your tongue, and the gentle sound turns into a groan when he starts running his tongue all over your wetness. a finger finds your sensitive nub, and the wet muscle violates your entrance. your back leaves the bed, but he shoves you down by your hips and his palm stays there.

tears gather in the corner of your eyes, and you feel all your neediness start to drip and leak out of you shamelessly. his breath on your nub was making everything harder to bear, and his saliva mixing with you in the your forbidden spot was driving you crazy.

your hands were balled into fists, and your chin was tilted so far back, the crown of your head was already pressed against the head board. there was nothing to restrain all the loud, inappropriate noises that were leaving your lips, and your mind empties itself when he starts flicking his tongue against you.

his fingers find your lips, and he gently prods against them, telling you to open up. your mind says ‘no’, but your body complies, and you mentally berate yourself for giving in so easily to him.

he lets you run your tongue over his two fingers, and he pulls it out after a few moments.

he was dragging every single move just to keep you guessing, and you involuntarily get even wetter at the thought of him being such a tease.

you hear a ‘pop’, and you assume he just stuck those same two fingers into his own mouth before he slides it into you with ease.

two fingers should’ve felt like nothing compared to having him inside you, but the stretch was still apparent, and you could only imagine the smile on his face when your brows furrow on your forehead, and your chin tilts upwards again.

you let out a soft mewl, and he starts pumping his fingers inside you, occasionally curling them inside you. the sensation drills ecstasy and pleasure throughout your entire body, but you know you weren’t going to be satisfied just from this.

“you know you can always tell me what you want me to do,”

his raspy voice suddenly rings right next to your ear, and the close proximity causes you to gulp again. you hear a low chuckle run through him, and he licks your ear before biting on your earlobe.

he splits his fingers, still inside you, and the stretch pushes a loud groan out of you. he pulls out, just as you felt that last pump hit your magic spot, and you hear him slide his fingers into his mouth. the sloppy sound effect was only making you need him even more, not just his fingers.

“i missed the taste of you, and i can’t believe i waited, hoping to see you again.”

your throat runs dry when you hear him say those words, and time feels like it was crawling across the floor like a snail.

the familiar ripping sound starts again like a broken recorder, and the wrap around your torso starts to loosen.

you’ve given up being upset with him tearing your clothes; all you wanted right now was him inside you, fucking your brains out until you couldn’t stand.

he unhooks your bra and figures out that you were wearing one with detachable straps, and it surprises you when he takes the time to undo them instead of simply cutting those up.

you feel his breath on your collarbone, and kisses start landing on your skin. goosebumps erupt all over your body when you realise you were stark naked, for the first time, in front of him.

his hands were wrapped around your ribs right below your breasts, and the heat emitting from his palms were only sending you signals to start to beg.

the kisses turn to sucking once he’s reached your cleavage, and he starts kneading your breasts harshly.

trying to stifle all the moans that were collecting in your throat was too painful a task, so he shoves his tongue between your lips so you could let them out, even if they were muffled.

his fingers play with your tip while he kneads the other, and he finally breaks the kiss to return his attention to your chest.

the sucking he was doing to your skin was definitely going to leave marks, but you couldn’t process anything besides everything he was giving you now. he wraps his lips around your tip and starts sucking like before. hisses and whimpers take turns to seep through your teeth and you feel your own juices start to leak out of you.

“please--” you blurt out in desperation, his mouth still sucking on your left breast. he hears you and pulls away with a loud ‘pop’.

the rustle tells you that he’s shifted away, and you hear the metal of his belt coming undone. the thought of having him fuck you while you were visually impaired runs through your head as one of the many dirty thoughts you were too intimidated to say.

“i wish i could punish you for leaving me...”

the belt and his jeans hit the floor.

“but i can’t because you’re not mine.”

you could feel his entire torso loom over you as the head board creaks backwards from the weight he was applying on it through his hands. he shifts a little, and you feel his tip lightly brushing against your dripping, needy core.

“for someone who hasn’t seen me in a year, you’re awfully needy.” he nearly growls in your ear, and shifts so subtly, just so his tip would be rubbing against your entrance.

you were on the verge of losing your fucking mind.

your breathing was now messy, mixed with huffs and pants, and the silence tells you he was just waiting for you to ask.

“if you’re not going to ask, it’s fine,”

he shifts again and pushes the tip inside you, only to pull out again.

the frustration overwhelms you, and you pull against the head board in dissatisfaction.

“because we both know i can do this all night, and you can’t.”

your lips were parted to help your breathing, but the constant prodding against your entrance was so fucking annoying, and it was making you lose all bearings on self-control. you feel his fingers find the back of your blindfold and he takes it off, forcing your eyes to register all the contours and lines of his collarbones, chest and abs.

he was looking down at you with playfully threatening eyes, because he knows he was right.

it was so much more worse to have your vision returned to you, because you were still tied to the damn bed, and all you could see was his length brushing ever so lightly against your heat.

the complete lack of movement was so hard to digest, with the only thing you were feeling being the tip of him prodding against your wetness. you look up at him with pleading eyes, and he shakes his head ever so slightly. he lowers his head right by your ear, his breath making your hair stand on the back of your neck.

“ask and you will receive, princess.”

“juyeon,” his name finally leaves your tongue for once, and you hear him offer a small chuckle right next to your neck. “please. you’re right,”

you feel every bit of pride and ego bleed out of you, and you shut your eyes from the degradation you were imposing on yourself.

“i can’t do this all night because i fucking need you.”

he shifts away from your ear and looms over you again, his eyes finally satisfied with whatever he heard.

“that’s it.”

with that low, lustful comment, he pushes into you and bottoms out completely. you wince and grit your teeth at the sudden stretching of your walls, and your head throws itself back into the head board. bolts of pleasure and bliss start to run through your veins, and the the sight of his toned body over you was enough to make you wish this was your eternity.

he dips his nose into your chest just as he starts aggressively thrusting into you, your legs wrapped around his hips and his back crouched over your body. there was no doubt the entire bed was jerking along with the reckless fucking, and all you could feel was him hitting every spot that was buried deep inside you.

“ungh-- fuck--” you were spitting out strained words between every thrust he provided, and he starts sucking on your nipples again, making the entire experience as a whole even harder to absorb.

“oh-- my god,” that magic spot was slowly revealing itself, and he has found it. “fuck, juyeon-- there--”

a growl rumbles through his throat, unmistakably, and the vein on his temple pushed you farther into lustful oblivion.

“jesus--” he says in a pant, and he starts tugging on the wraps around your wrist without stopping his thrusting.

how the fuck is he multitasking while making you his very own slut--

“agh--” the glass rod appears, and he picks up on it almost immediately. he slides out of you, the emptiness sending a wave of anger and intense frustration through you.

“oh, for fucks’ sake!” you nearly screech, but he finally undoes your wrists. before you could say anything else, he’s picked you up and pushed his way into the bathroom.

pulling you into the shower, he turns on the tap and presses you against the glass, the heat from both you and the water starting to fog up the glass.

he pushes into you without warning and begins thrusting as if his life depended on it. your chest was pressed against the glass, and the running water that was hitting your lower back was only heightening your senses. you were panting and moaning so hard against the glass, a large cloud of water vapour started to appear.

his fingers dig into your hips and his shaft finds that magic spot without much difficulty.

“oh, fuck-- juyeon, it’s there, please don’t fucking stop--” you start to whine and beg against the glass. curses roll off his lips in response, and he pulls up one of your legs and holds it against the side of his chest. his hold was so firm on you, you couldn’t even register that you were standing on one leg, with one arm pressed against the glass to support yourself.

“don’t fucking stop, i’m begging yo--”

the change in position only deepened the thrusting, and his name starts rolling off your tongue like it was the most natural thing in the world.

the thrusts get harder, faster, and less merciful as he helps you chase your high.

and when it comes, it was definitely the most intense one you’ve ever had.

your entire body goes into spasms, and you let out a long, groan of pleasure and bliss. he thrusts a few more times, his rhythm completely off now.

the pants become irregular, and he pulls out abruptly, his load landing on the floor and washed away by the water.

he drops your leg and holds you by the waist, noticing that they were already quivering from the lack of discipline.

you let it sink in that you’ve just been completely destroyed by the same man.

holding you up with your back against the glass, your arms were now draped over his shoulders and around his neck, and the water starts to run through his hair, sticking it to his forehead. you look up at him with tired, fucked-out eyes, and he gives you that sickening, innocent, service smile you remember you had to watch him give to every passenger that boarded the plane.

“you finally said my name,” he quietly says, shallow huffs telling you that he was still catching his breath. reaching up to comb his fringe away from his eyes, you scoffed and shook your head.

“like you said,” you drag your thumb across his lower lip where droplets of water were collecting. “i can’t do that all night. you’re the only one who knows how to break me.”

a sweet smile spreads across his face, and his hold around your waist tightens.

“i take that as a compliment.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 5: Capital Letters

A/N: M O R E HO LY WAT E R

#timetohajima #juyeon #the boyz juyeon #the boyz #lee juyeon #juyeon smut #the boyz smut

188 notes · View notes

chimbbles · 5 years

Text

Up!au (ft. yoonkook)

A/N: I finally watched Up and at 10am in the morning, I’m a sobbing soft bitch in the study room. I hope you like this <3

T/W: character death

↬ angst

yoongi’s well, yoongi. he’s often quiet, even after he’s well grown out of his puberty age. the others don’t think much of him, don’t see him even. and he’s very much alright with that I mean, he doesn’t mind not being the center of attention. but it was different when he met his partner, back then, he definitely didn’t foresee them being together, let alone married.

they were the opposite of him- loud, but never obnoxious; colourful, but not a blinding rainbow; kind and witty, always had him searching for words. a true happy-go-lucky, something he couldn’t comprehend, but truly adored from the bottom of his heart. he cherished them more than anything.

he remembers how they met at a musical theatre, a performance he’s saved up for years; how he was barely an adult and so were they; how he had gotten so worked up over the sheer disrespect of them talking excitedly and even bouncing in their seat. how he had told them to pipe down and to let others enjoy the show, and they responded to his outburst: a nervous laugh, apologizing and promising to never do it again, even talking to yoongi during the intermission.

he never would have thought they could make it till today, and all he has is the world to thank for. for blessing him with the most prized possession he could’ve asked for, an eternal bond with the very person who held his heart, a young man’s love fulfilled with the aging of time.

time and time again they’ve tried to save up for that trip to europe, to watch the grand orchestras perform the greatest tunes of all time, only to have their dreams crushed each and every time.

the once kind and considerate time turned cruel and unforgiving, soon, yoongi was left alone, all by himself. in a house built of memories, good and bad times. the wooden floorboards that held the creaks that once joined in on their daily conversation, the run down walls that heard all the silent weeps and the joyous laughs.

he was trapped in a house full of things he once had, things that took a lifetime to built, but only months to rob away. time was kind enough to have given him so much to live for, but cruel of it to have not given him a proper preparation.

yoongi had quickly gotten over living alone, what else was an old, lonely man expected to do? he kept to himself only, rarely socializing with any newcomers that weren’t there to witness his best of times. he took up the stereotype of the neighborhood’s grumpy old man rather pliantly, it just seemed to make things easier.

in comes jungkook, knocking on his door one day when he was playing his shabby old piano by the window, notes going off-key and rather unpleasing to the ears. he shoos him off, like any grumpy old man would do. that old thing? he had nothing to do so he started playing it, or, what was allowed of his slowly degenerating joints.

jungkook’s persistent, determined to get his teeny little 5 year old fingers on that ‘slum’ of a piano. so yoongi ends up with no choice but to let this whiny kid in, but only for 5 minutes, touch and go.

the kid’s eager, fingers jammed up on the keys once he’s seated on the bench. he plays whatever’s displayed, and it turns out to be a self-written music sheet, with yellow edges and smudged writing, titled: stuff we did.

yoongi lets the brat play all he wants, he can care less. he’s sipping on his afternoon coffee when he hears it, the old tune he’s omitted for the longest of time.

it wasn’t something meant to be played out in the open, it was like his version of a love letter, something he gifted his partner years ago, and continuously added new sections after each episode in their lives. it was something special only the two of them had understood, and having it played to him, forced a bittersweet reminiscence of what once was.

yoongi’s crying right there in the living room, scaring the poor fella who really just wanted to play some piano.

he ends up taking in the kid as a student, teaching him how to properly play a piano. of course, he fixes the damn broken keys first. after piano lessons came composing and producing, yoongi taught the kid everything he knew back from his young aspiring days.

long after that time, jungkook climbs up the red carpet at the award show. stepping on stage to accept yet another token of achievement, this time for his own rendition of what once was, titled what still is. thanking yoongi as the first ever music teacher he had, and for showing him one of the most magnificent ways to embed love into the world through everlasting music.

and that yoongi won’t yell at him for bringing the beautiful song to light, and wishes he spends his time well, up in the skies with his partner.

masterlist ask

#yoooo the ending sucked #twas was an attempt #i tried lmao #anyways #tw: character death #yall gimme feedback please #hope you liked this #bts yoongi #bts jungkook #yoongi angst #jungkook angst #bts angst #watch me tag all this #and still get lost #in the huge pile of bts fics lmaos #mine

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patriotsnet · 3 years

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Who Is Ahead In The Polls Republicans Or Democrats

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/who-is-ahead-in-the-polls-republicans-or-democrats/

Who Is Ahead In The Polls Republicans Or Democrats

Why Were The Polls Off Pollsters Have Some Early Theories

Why is Democrats’ advantage ahead of the midterms shrinking?

EmbedEmbed

A couple watches the election results at a Republican watch party at Huron Valley Guns in New Hudson, Mich. People watching the results come in saw President Trump outperforming his position in preelection polls.hide caption

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At some point on election night 2020, as CNN’s “KEY RACE ALERTS” rolled in and the map turned red and blue, things started to feel eerily like election night 2016.

Specifically, it was that déjà vu feeling of “Huh, maybe the polls were off.” It was a feeling that grew as states such as Iowa and Ohio swung even harder for President Trump than polls seemed to indicate, key counties were tighter than expected and Republicans picked up one toss-up House seat after another.

Yes, Joe Biden ended up winning, as forecasters predicted. But polls overestimated his support in multiple swing states not to mention the fact that Democrats both lost House seats and didn’t win the Senate outright, despite being favored to do the opposite.

It will likely be months until pollsters can study this year’s misses thoroughly . However, for now, pollsters have some educated guesses about what may have thrown polls off.

Forty Percent Of Young Americans Expect Their Lives To Be Better As A Result Of The Biden Administration; Many More Feel A Part Of Bidens America Than Trumps

By a margin of 2:1, young Americans expect their lives to become better under the Biden administration, rather than worse ; 25% tell us that they dont expect much of a difference. We found significant differences based on race and ethnicity.

Whites: 30% better, 28% worse

Blacks: 54% better, 4% worse

Hispanics: 51% better, 10% worse

Forty-six percent of young Americans agreed that they feel included in Bidens America, 24% disagreed . With the exception of young people living in rural America, at least a plurality indicated they felt included. This stands in contrast to Trumps America. Forty-eight percent reported that they did not feel included in Trumps America, while 27% indicated that they felt included . The only major subgroup where a plurality or more felt included in Trumps America were rural Americans.;

39% of Whites feel included in Bidens America, 32% do not ; 35% of Whites feel included in Trumps America, 41% do not .

61% of Blacks feel included in Bidens America, 13% do not ; 16% of Blacks feel included in Trumps America, 60% do not .

51% of Hispanics feel included in Bidens America, 12% do not ; 17% of Hispanics feel included in Trumps America, 55% do not .

Do Californians Want To Remove Gavin Newsom From Office

An updating average of 2021 California gubernatorial recall election polls, accounting for each poll’s quality, recency and sample size

A chart showing the polling averages since July 14 for whether to keep California Gov. Gavin Newsom in office or remove him, with dots representing each poll. Keep is polling at an average of 56.2 percent, and Remove is polling at an average of 41.6 percent.

Dates

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Can We Trust The Polls

It’s easy to dismiss the polls by saying they got it wrong in 2016 and President Trump frequently does exactly that. But it’s not entirely true.

Most national polls did have Hillary Clinton ahead by a few percentage points, but that doesn’t mean they were wrong, since she won three million more votes than her rival.

Pollsters did have some problems in 2016 – notably a failure to properly represent voters without a college degree – meaning Mr Trump’s advantage in some key battleground states wasn’t spotted until late in the race, if at all. Most polling companies have corrected this now.

But this year there’s even more uncertainty than normal due to the coronavirus pandemic and the effect it’s having on both the economy and how people will vote in November, so all polls should be read with some scepticism.

Warning For Dems: Youth Vote As A Percentage Collapses

Particularly worrisome for Democrats is the absence of the youth voters as a percentage. Because voting is up 309% from this time in 2016, raw numbers show the youth vote up. In 2020, as a percentage of the electorate, 18-29 year olds cast only 5% of the total vote. In 2016, they were 17% of the electorate. This data suggests that young people are not showing up at the same rate.

As Democratic strategists pore over early numbers, a clear and unexpected trend is emerging: The lock-downs are suppressing the college vote. Many college social events are tied to campaign events for Democratic candidates. Not this year with COVID-19 lock-downs.

Also, a general complacency within college-age Democrats of an inevitable Biden win has gripped campuses. As it turns out, many college outreach initiatives have been cancelled. Some of these events include virtual rallies, voting caravans and door-to-door canvassing. From our interview with a few organizers in the upper-Midwest, these cancellations are due to Bidens huge lead and concerns over social distancing. The result? College students have not turned out to vote, yet. Its not clear if they will turn out.

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Rep Spanberger Meets Afghan Refugees At Fort Pickett In Virginia

Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger toured Fort Pickett in Virginia on Thursday afternoon, meeting with some of the 5,000 Afghan refugees who are residing there after being evacuated.;

Spanberger is the first member of Congress to tour the facility, which is located in her district. There has been minimal access to the facility by the public.;

Spanberger’s office exclusively provided photos to NBC News of her tour.;

While visiting, Spanberger saw a food truck from the fried chicken chain Bojangles that was on site to serve refugees a taste of authentic American cooking.;

Gallup: Republicans More Popular Than Democrats Ahead Of Midterms

The poll found 45 percent of Americans view Republicans favorably — a 9-point increase from one year ago, when the GOP had a 36 percent favorable rating.

The Republicans haven’t been that popular since 2011, when the party reached 45 percent after several years well under the 40 percent mark.

President Donald Trump‘s party now has a 1-point lead over the Democrats, who have hovered around 44 and 45 percent since 2013, except for a brief dip in late 2014 when Republicans re-gained the majority in the House and Senate during that year’s midterms.

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New California Recall Poll Has Governor Newson Narrowly Ahead In Holding His Job

This is a slippage for the Democratic Governor if the polling is correct.

The undecided number is only 3%.

The latest Emerson College and Nexstar Medias Inside California Politics poll shows support for the effort to oust Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has grown in recent weeks as the state has experienced an increase in COVID-19 transmission.

Opponents of the governor drew attention to his handling of the pandemic and collected enough signatures to secure a special election to recall Newsom on September 14.

The new poll results released on Tuesday found support for the recall at 46%, up from 43% in the previous poll from July 20, two weeks ago. However, 48% said they opposed the recall, and 6% of likely voters are undecided, pollsters found, adding that the number of undecided voters had fallen 3%.

The poll surveyed 1,000 Californians and was conducted from July 30 to August 1. It has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

Newsoms approval rating fell from 49% last month to 48% in the current poll. In addition, 42% said they disapproved of Newsoms job performance, while 10% were unsure or had no opinion.

The Institute Of Politics At Harvard University

Biden ahead in polls, but Democrats still worry

A national poll of Americas 18-to-29 year olds released today by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School shows that despite the state of our politics, hope for America among young people is rising dramatically, especially among people of color. As more young Americans are likely to be politically engaged than they were a decade ago, they overwhelmingly approve of the job President Biden is doing, favor progressive policies, and have faith in their fellow Americans.

In the March 9-22 survey of 2,513 young Americans, the Harvard Youth Poll looked at views regarding the Biden administrations first 100 days, the future of the Republican Party, mental health, and the impacts of social media.

As millennials and Gen Z become the largest voting bloc, their values and participation provide hope for the future and also a sense of urgency that our country must address the pressing issues that concern them, said , Director, Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School.

What we see in this years Harvard Youth Poll is how great the power of politics really is, said John Della Volpe, the Director of Polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. With a new president and the temperature of politics turned down after the election, young Americans are more hopeful, more politically active, and they have more faith in their fellow Americans.

Top findings of this survey, the 41st in a biannual series, include the following:

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Why Did House Democrats Underperform Compared To Joe Biden

The results of the 2020 elections pose several puzzles, one of which is the gap between Joe Bidens handsome victory in the presidential race and the Democrats disappointing performance in the House of Representatives. Biden enjoyed an edge of 7.1 million votes over President Trump, while the Democrats suffered a loss of 13 seats in the House, reducing their margin from 36 to just 10.

Turnout in the 2018 mid-term election reached its highest level in more than a century. Democrats were fervently opposed to the Trump administration and turned out in droves. Compared to its performance in 2016, the partys total House vote fell by only 2%. Without Donald Trump at the head of the ticket, Republican voters were much less enthusiastic, and the total House vote for Republican candidates fell by nearly 20% from 2016. Democratic candidates received almost 10 million more votes than Republican candidates, a margin of 8.6%, the highest ever for a party that was previously in the minority. It was, in short, a spectacular year for House Democrats.

To understand the difference this Democratic disadvantage can make, compare the 2020 presidential and House results in five critical swing states.

Table 1: Presidential versus House results

Arizona

Despite The State Of Our Politics Hope For America Is Rising And So Is Youths Faith In Their Fellow Americans

In the fall of 2017, only 31% of young Americans said they were hopeful about the future of America; 67% were fearful. Nearly four years later, we find that 56% have hope. While the hopefulness of young whites has increased 11 points, from 35% to 46% — the changes in attitudes among young people of color are striking. Whereas only 18% of young Blacks had hope in 2017, today 72% are hopeful . In 2017, 29% of Hispanics called themselves hopeful, today that number is 69% .

By a margin of nearly three-to-one, we found that youth agreed with the sentiment, Americans with different political views from me still want whats best for the country — in total, 50% agreed, 18% disagreed, and 31% were recorded as neutral. In a hopeful sign, no significant difference was recorded between Democrats and Republicans .

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Us Election 2020 Polls: Who Is Ahead

BBC News

US election 2020

Voters in America will decide on 3 November whether Donald Trump remains in the White House for another four years.

The Republican president is being challenged by Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden, who is best known as Barack Obama’s vice-president but has been in US politics since the 1970s.

As election day approaches, polling companies will be trying to gauge the mood of the nation by asking voters which candidate they prefer.

We’ll be keeping track of those polls here and trying to work out what they can and can’t tell us about who will win the election.

Debate On Covid Mandates Takes Center Stage In New Virginia Governor’s Race Ads

Covid and vaccine mandates are looming large in the Virginia gubernatorial race, and now both;Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin are taking the issue to the airwaves too.;

McAuliffe has been hammering Youngkin for weeks on the issue in a variety of settings, including on the air. Last week, McAuliffe’s campaign started running a spot that hit Youngkin on his opposition to maks and vaccine mandates, linking him to Trump in the process.;

This week, McAuliffe criticized a new spot where a trauma surgeon speaks directly to camera, calling Youngkin’s approach to the pandemic “dangerous.”;

Right around the same time, the Youngkin camp went on the air with a new ad that emphasizes the Republican nominee has been vaccinated and believes “the numbers show the Covid vaccines save lives.” Youngkin follows those comments by saying “it’s your right to make your own choice, and I respect that. I do hope you’ll join me in getting the vaccine.”;

Virginia’s another race where Covid politics could prove to be an important issue on the minds of voters in the coming months.;

Don’t Miss: Who Were The 7 Republicans Who Voted To Impeach

Biden Agenda To Face The Challenges Of A Closely Divided Congress

“I think the bigger issue is that if you look around the world, we have a lot of these misses,” Trende said. Polls, for example, failed to capture the U.K.’s vote for Brexit, as well as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s 2019 win. “These kind of populist-right candidates have outperformed polls not all the time, but more than 50-50. I think there’s a bigger issue going on,” Trende said.

Kennedy sees two possibilities about the ramifications of Trump himself throwing polls off.

“If it’s really because of his unique political profile, his unique ability to turn out voters who are not easily modeled, not easily identified, not easily reachable is it that, or is it something more long lasting and something more fundamental to how surveys are being done these days?” she said.

The latter is a scary possibility it means pollsters have not only serious problems to fix but problems they haven’t identified.

On the other hand: “If it’s the first one, then an election in the future when there’s no Donald Trump on the ballot, then maybe we go back to more normal times,” she said.

Still, that’s not a satisfying answer. Furthermore, another politician like Trump, who similarly confuses the polls, could always come along.

With reporting from NPR’s Susan Davis.

Election 2016: Super Tuesday Polls Standing For Republicans And Democrats Ahead Of Major Voting Day

Fresh off of a third straight win in Nevada, the candidacy of Republican front-runner Donald Trump has decided momentum as the 2016 race approaches Super Tuesday, when 12 mostly Southern states will vote for their preferred nominee. No longer is the brash billionaire a long- shot candidate written off for his seeming inability to make it through a campaign rally without stirring controversy.

Instead, that controversy and his nontraditional campaign have propelled him into a prime position to kick off March with a running start toward the Republican nomination as he dominates most of the polling in states that will vote Tuesday.

The delegate count and current polls show;that Trump could potentially cinch the nomination by mid-March.;

The so-called outsider candidate in the Democratic field;does not enjoy as much support. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in nine of the 11 states Democrats vote in for Super Tuesday;and is close in one of the others.

The results could be decisive. There are 595 delegates up for grabs on the GOP side and 1,004 available to the Democrats . Trump, after Nevada, has 81 delegates toward the necessary 1,237 to get the partys nomination. Clinton has 502 of the 2,382 delegates needed for her partys nomination.

Heres a breakdown of the standings in each of the Super Tuesday states, thanks to Real Clear Politics‘ averages for the states.

Don’t Miss: Who Are Richer Democrats Or Republicans

Trump Adds Two More Candidate Endorsements To 2022 List

Former President Donald Trump endorsed two Republican candidates for the 2022 midterm elections on Wednesday one in the high-profile Pennsylvania Senate race and another who is challenging a Washington Republican congressman who voted for his impeachment.;

Trump backed Pennsylvania Republican Sean Parnell in a statement where he praised Parnell’s Army service and repeated unfounded claims of widespread election fraud. “He will make Pennsylvania very proud and will fight for Election Integrity, Strong Borders, our Second Amendment, Energy Jobs and so much more,” Trump said in a statement from his political action committee, as he remains banned from major social media platforms. ” Sean Parnell will always put America First. He has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Parnell, an author who co-founded a veterans’ group after leaving the military,;narrowly lost a bid against Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Penn., in 2020. And if he wins the GOP primary race which includes former GOP Lt. Gov. nominee Jeff Bartos, political commentator Kathy Barnette and former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands (from Trump’s administration he may get a rematch against Lamb, who is running in his own crowded primary.;

Ben Kamisar and Mark Murray

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captivesrp · 7 years

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Alaric ignores the aching in his jaw as he continues to clench his teeth in an effort to keep from yelling out in objection to the scene before him.

He had finally found a degree of sleep the night before, and his rude awakening had been the first in a series of events that have greatly agitated him. He and the other captives had been gathered together without their task leaders, facing Symbre and the other brigands across a clearing. It did not take long before he had understood the meaning of her words:

“You have trained hard, learned much, and it is time you learned why you are here.

“Your training has revealed a piece of the reason. Some of you may have speculated and investigated beyond that. I can tell you with full confidence that you have not landed upon the truth, because the truth is beyond legend. The truth is legend.

“We have reason to believe a creature roams this forest; a creature with magical blood worth more than the treasure of Aurduw the great chief, more than all the gold in the Chaerodeui mines. A creature that can only be found—and killed—by a child.

“Ainsley. Alaric. Cydwag. Anwen. Heulwen. Ffrewgí. Murchadh. Ashrille. Wyddryr.” Symbre's level gaze falls on each child in turn. “I can no longer address you, as a group, as children. You have proven yourself greater than that—you are warriors, druids, peers—but, for a little while longer, you remain children, and that is your greatest strength. Because of your youth you have access to glory beyond age, and, when you have killed this creature, you will no longer be viewed as children but as heroes. A cornerstone of legend.

“Will you participate in our quest as a hunter alongside us and claim those titles? You have proven yourself worthy of a place in my tribe, and many of my tribespeople have volunteered to enter into blood pact with you to make you blood members of the Gwaedwn tribe. We are the tribe that will forge the future. Join us, or hunt as a captive, to be nameless and forgotten by the storytellers.”

A number of brigands step forward, each presenting a vouch for one of the captives---Anwen, Murchadh, Ffrewgí, the guide Wyddryr. Symbre raises her left hand and offers a vouch for any of the others.

Alaric watches with disdain as four children move forward to accept the blood pact, cutting hands and locking eyes with their own abusers. His anger begins to tear through his already scant control. They were fools, all of them, to trust the people who had taken them from their homes. They were blindly accepting their roles as nothing but a means to an end---to serve the tribe until they had run out their time . . . or their usefulness.

Symbre wraps her cut hand after finishing the pact with Ainsley---Alaric averts his eyes when his former tent-mate looks his way. “Will any others accept the invitation and stride into the future as one with us, participating in the glory and comfort owed to members of the Gwaedwn tribe? Alaric, Anwen, Heulwen, Ffrewgí, Cydwag—you have strengths that we could put to use, gifts that could propel you into the stories that travel our land.”

The woman receives only silence in response. Alaric is truly surprised by the number of captives that remain standing beside him.

“So be it,” intones Symbre. “Your names will be forgotten, your efforts unsung; you have chosen to remain as captives and shall work for the Gwaedwn as slaves.”

Alaric smirks to himself. He would most certainly rather live as an unwilling slave than somebody’s mindless pet.

Symbre brusquely divides the children---captives and new tribespeople alike---into three expedition groups. Alaric, with Anwen and Wyddryr, is placed under the guidance of Logain. Alaric makes the others come to him, his legs firmly planted in place, his mind replaying Symbre’s speech. One detail sticks out to him more than any other: the magical blood of the mysterious creature, worth more than gold.

Eventually, he is forced to stir. Logain takes charge of the little group and leads them in some basic training exercises around the village proper. Evening falls, and Alaric finds himself, along with the other children that had refused Symbre’s offer, back at the tents. Only three now remain in the space. Alaric begins to see the distinct line now drawn in the sand between the two groups within the camp---clearly the new tribe members have been provided upgraded quarters.

He and Anwen settle down in one of the tents, though it is not long before someone calls Anwen outside and Alaric is left to his thoughts. His mind is stuck on the creature, the new paths its existence opens for him. What really is the value of its blood? How come only children can hunt it? Alaric’s mind fills with potential answers to his own questions, but none properly click and his curiosity continues to fester.

When Anwen returns, Alaric can see contemplation troubling her face beneath the tightness of stress.

“How’re you doing with . . . all of this?” Alaric questions, gesturing at nothing.

“I'm . . . still trying to figure that out. I knew things were going to change sometime, but . . . I wasn’t expecting that.”

His own thoughts exactly. Alaric cannot help but smirk.

“How are you doing?” Anwen asks.

Alaric takes the opportunity to voice the plan that has been forming in his mind since the morning. “I have a plan. We both know we aren’t in the tribe’s good graces right now, and most likely never will be. Symbre said the blood of the creature is powerful---powerful and very valuable. If we can find this creature and kill it, we’ll have something that they desperately want.” He looks up from the shadows to Anwen’s eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. “Once we understand exactly what its uses are, we can run away from this hellhole. I don’t expect to find any help from the ones that joined the tribe---they’ve made their decision. Besides, if they’re stupid enough to believe the lies Symbre has told them, I doubt we can get something of use from them anyway. Can I trust you to help me in this? I know your loyalties lie with Murchadh as well, but we all must choose a side in the end, to survive.” Alaric can see the effect of his words on Anwen immediately. She looks down at her hands for a few moments that feel like lifetimes to Alaric, long enough to place just a shadow of a doubt in his mind, one that embeds itself deep into Alaric’s thoughts.

“You can trust me,” the reply comes.

“I hope so,” Alaric whispers in return, the doubt growing bit by bit.

Another few deafening moments of silence pass by before Anwen bites her lip and slowly draws some food from her pockets.

She says, “Murchadh gave me this. He said he joined the brigands so he can help the rest of us escape.”

Her apologetic tone fuels the doubt growing in Alaric’s gut, a sensation that swiftly turns into sharp fear. Fear that Anwen’s loyalties will never lie with him, that he will once again be alone. “You should eat,” he mutters, aware of the cold distance in his voice but unable to control it. He lies down and faces the canvas wall. Silence falls again, until Alaric is sure Anwen has fallen asleep.

Anwen’s voice is a delicate whisper, yet somehow it fills the whole tent with portent. “What—what was it you were going to say—that time we were talking and Ungant made us stop?”

Alaric holds his breath, not wanting to reply because he knows he cannot tell the truth. He cannot seem weak in front of anyone, not now---not ever---and that means that whatever he felt he could share with Anwen before needs to be concealed now. “I don’t know,” he says, forcing himself to say something. “I was just really tired. I think I was just speaking nonsense. Anyways, goodnight, Anwen.”

This time, the silence holds reign, and not a word is said for the remainder of the night.

* * *

The next few days are as exhausting as ever for Alaric. Training ended with the blood pact and now his days are filled with actual slave labour. Firewood, animal guts, and dirty laundry populate his every waking moment---his, and the other slaves’. Alaric notices Anwen constantly reaching out to the others, helping them with their tasks even as she completes her own. She seems fueled by an urge to connect with them on any positive level, whether through encouragement, empathy, or a helping hand. Alaric does not know if he has ever seen someone as selfless as she.

And then it is time for their departure. The first group has already gone and returned without hide or hair of the creature and Logain has gathered his group together bright and early to begin their own attempt. Supplies and weapons are handed out: Alaric receives three thin spears and a longbow with arrows; Anwen, a knife, basket, and cloth bandages; and Wyddryr, a broad-bladed bush sword and fifteen paces of rope.

As they assemble their items onto their persons they notice Symbre making her way over to them. She locks eyes with each of the three children before speaking. “Before you embark on your journey, I’d like to wish you luck and success in your endeavours. Be cautious with every step you take, and remember, you have five days to return to us. Any delay will cause us to become concerned, and I’m sure you understand why we don’t want that.” Her cold gaze sweeps over the children a final time, then she turns and vanishes back into the village.

Whatever Alaric may think of the woman, he has to admit she has a presence.

Soon after, they find themselves trudging north through the forest to receive instructions from a man Logain refers to as Crow-watcher, the mystic and guide of the Gwaedwn. The terrain along the way is harsh and the weather does not help, drenching them in an unending downpour.

Alaric is concurrently agitated and exhausted when they finally reach the mystic’s lean-to at what he suspects is midday, or close enough to count. Alaric is surprised the flimsy structure has not fallen over in the rain.

Logain pushes through the children and pulls aside a fuzzy green hanging to enter Crow-watcher’s lair. The children follow. Inside, Alaric’s heart begins to race. Apprehension fills him, though he is careful that his expression does not betray his emotions. He can feel Anwen tense up beside him as well. Wyddryr seems more curious than concerned.

They immediately notice the man sitting on a carved stump, his back to them. His head is thrown back, his eyes unblinking and absent. It seems as if he is looking out at an open sky and not at the wooden roof. The children stand silently, waiting. After some time, Crow-watcher lets out a long breath and shifts on his seat.

Logain steps forward, bending so that his head does not brush the various roots and growths hanging from the roof. “Crow-watcher, this is the next hunting party.”

The man turns towards the group, crouching above his stump, viewing each one of them individually with an intensity that outmatches Symbre’s by far. He nods his head at them and gestures for them to come closer.

Alaric flicks his eyes at the slatted walls as he creeps forward with the others, noticing upon them carved glyphs and images beyond his comprehension.

There is no warning from Crow-watcher---he suddenly throws a handful of something into bowl holding a floating candle. The flame bursts into multiple tongues, each a different colour, then dies, leaving a trail of smoke. A sickly-sweet fragrance fills the air around them as the mystic chants in a low voice:

Now, listen close, for Ptarmigan, my loyal friend, does tell: the Creature has just left, again, a sign, so follow well: “Stare deep into cold Berin’s eye as you depart,” he sings, “and hold the course until you spy his fallen tongue, that brings his frozen voice from heaven down. Look in his eye no more but let his voice direct you now— its poem and its roar— search for its source, but ere you find’t, away, turn ye, and list t’ Sacain’s voice, in confines wind, to call you to its midst. “In dark’ning air continue on, take care your feet don’t sink!, and onwards go ’til sharp upon your noses burns a stink. Don’t stop to bathe, but climb and see a forest painted red. A hill within this wood, will be— to it, now, you must head— but ware, for mystery is kin to everywhere this creature’s been.”

The following silence communicates the children’s shared confusion and awe.

After a few moments of silence, Logain thanks Crow-watcher, then turns and gestures for the children to follow him outside. Alaric and Anwen move with Logain but Wyddryr’s sudden question stops them dead in their tracks:

“What is this creature that we are to hunt?”

Crow-watcher’s reply comes immediately without falter:

Unique, she is—or he is, or they are— no creature is her like, which is of purest, iridescent white, or darkest, purest coal; which is of ungulate design, or feline—antlered, hornèd, furred, or smooth. Reclusive as the Spring in Winter be, no words define, no eyes can find, her ageless mystery.

There is another period of silence as the three children consider the meaning of another riddle.

“Thank you, Crow-watcher,” comes Logain’s gruff voice once again, and he swiftly turns and steps out of the cabin with his charges at his back.

Rain once again batters Alaric’s face as he and the others collect in a semicircle outside the lean-to. They are quiet. Logain is the first to speak, and his farewell to the group is not ceremonious or stately. He reiterates Symbre’s warning a final time before starting on his way back to the Gwaedwn village.

With the chill of the wind and rain travelling down Alaric’s back and Crow-watcher’s stare and riddles dangling in his mind, he realizes that, as usual, the answers he seeks will only be found, not given.

#alaric #chapter seven

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