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freehawaii · 14 days

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KE AUPUNI UPDATE - APRIL 2024

A Nation on the Rise... Steven Biko, the great South African writer and activist said: “The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” How true! If people think of themselves as oppressed victims, they remain oppressed victims. If we think the United States is the boss, and use words like “mainland”, and identify ourselves as Americans, we bind ourselves to the oppressor. On the other hand, if we think and act as a free people, then we are a free people… and whatever constraints imposed by the U.S. and the Fake State are merely temporary obstacles… obstacles that we can overcome. Remember, Queen Liliʻuokalani never surrendered. She filed a diplomatic protest, by which she temporarily yielded her authority, “until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon the facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representative, and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.” Yes, it has taken more than a hundred and thirty years, but the time for reinstatement is here! Our country is not going to be “given back” to us. It never went anywhere. It’s still here! Yes, the intruder has really messed things up, but we can fix it and rebuild it into a country that reflects the best of who we are as a people, and a unique culture in a global community. The time of thinking of ourselves as a nation in distress has passed. We are a nation on the rise! And the more we assert it, not in a prideful way, but rooted and confident in Aloha ʻĀina and Kapu Aloha, the sooner our nation will be restored. In fact, have you noticed the progress weʻre making? Recently the State of Hawaii has been making numerous concessions and even siding with us on key issues… like demanding the US Navy close its giant fuel storage facility at Kapūkakī (Red Hill); installing a new, collaborative management system for Mauna Kea; appropriating a billion dollars to begin making up for a hundred years of criminal negligence of the Hawaiian Home Lands trust… Even smaller things like — renaming part of Waimanalo Beach Park, Hūnānāniho; renaming a Kona post office Kaʻawaloa instead of Captain Cook; renaming Central Middle School to Princess Ruth Ke’elikōlani Middle School; recognizing Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day), recognizing Lā Kuokoa (Independence Day) as significant events and holidays of the Hawaiian Kingdom — not to mention the numerous celebrations and kūʻe actions by thousands of people ... all serving to remind us that the Lāhui is alive and growing! Yes, there have been many egregious wrongs committed against us, and there are many battles ahead, but we are making great progress from when we started years ago. As long as we stay focused on making things pono for the future using the ways of Aloha ʻĀina and Kapu Aloha... Thatʻs how we will Free Hawaii...

“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani ---------- Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. ------ For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53. ------ "And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media." PLEASE KŌKUA… Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort... To contribute, go to: • GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII • PayPal – use account email: [email protected] • Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: [email protected] All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO! Malama Pono,

Leon Siu

Hawaiian National

#Ke Aupuni #Leon Siu #Free Hawaii #Kingdom of Hawaii #Koani Foundation #Hawaiian Kingdom

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give-me-back-my-rhodey · 3 years

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Make ME

Title: Make Me Creator: Purple_ducky00 Rating: Teen Warnings: none applicable Relationship: Sam/bucky Square Filled: O3 – Undercover Mission for @samwilsonbingo Summary: Sam and Bucky get under each other’s skin, and neither of them can stand the other. How long til these idiots learn that it’s not hate, but love between them? Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29754915

Prompted from this post by @rambeaus

“Who died and made you king?” Bucky grumbles.

Sam throws up his hands in annoyance. “For fuck’s sake Barnes! You know this is the best way to do this!”

“No, I don’t! This way has many flaws. The slightest movement could set off a chain reaction of…” Bucky’s tirade is cut off by Natasha walking between them with sterile gloves and picking up the mouse trap, sticking the remains of the mouse and the trap in a plastic bag. She rolls her eyes at them and walks out of the kitchen.

“Do you see what you just did there? This could have all been taken care of if you just listened to me!” Sam growls.

Smirking Bucky turns away. “Bite me.”

Sam’s temper flares as he watches Bucky walk away. What is it about the soldier that makes Sam’s blood boil? Every interaction they have ends in an argument… And for some reason, Rhodes had put them on the same team! When a few deep breaths don’t calm him down, Sam heads to the gym. Might as well let out some aggression on something he can’t hurt.

++++++++ “What were you thinking putting those two on the same team?” Tony laughs as he lays down in his husband’s lap. “The UST is off the charts. They are going to finally snap and either kill or fuck each other.”

Rhodey shakes his head. “I know. And that’s why I put them on the same team. I’m sick and tired of them skirting around the issue. No use delaying the inevitable. They both have too much of a sense of duty to not complete the mission, and I’m going to assign a mission leader to go with them to keep them on track. Now, who should that sucker be?”

“I would tell you Steve because I love trolling him, but he would only stop them from doing either. Give the job to Sharon. She deserves it after the whole blow-dryer incident.”

“Tony, that was five years ago.”

The retired superhero sits up to glare at Rhodey. “I’m still not over it.”

“Ok, ok. I’ll send Sharon. She’s close with them anyways. Hopefully, she knocks some sense into them.” Rhodey concedes.

+++++++++++++++++

Sam and Bucky are seated across the table from each other in the conference room, listening to Sharon’s plan. “So, we’re going undercover as actors in the Bachelorette. We have intel that the host of the show is somehow funneling contraband drugs and black-market arms for HYDRA. Bucky, Tony made you a flesh-like sleeve for your arm, and we are all going to be using holomasks to cover our identity. Do you both have your characters memorized?”

“Yes. I am Tucker Acktenbee. Raised by my mother and her sisters, I know how to appeal to the feminine side. Growing up in Massachusetts, I love seafood and cranberry jam and pies. Before I applied here, I graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in English. I am twenty-six, and my birthday is October 19.” Bucky says as he pulls the holomask over his face. He looks like a completely different person.

Sam rolls his eyes and does the same. “Hey, baby. My name is Joshua Perkins. Born and raised in New Orleans, I also share an affinity for seafood, but my insides can handle the spice. No one’s going to want a bland piece of white bread like Tucker when this bombshell is available. With a master’s degree in psychology, I’m here to help with whatever emotional needs a woman has. I’ll be twenty-seven on April 15th.”

“Good. Good.” Sharon nods. “Just so you remember, I am going to be in the camera crew so my ears will be open for any rumors. Pack your stuff. We have to be on set in 24 hours to rehearse.”

“I don’t know about you, Barnes, but I’m going to win that Bachelorette’s heart.” Sam nudges Bucky with his shoulder.

“Better a fake relationship than none for you, I guess.”

This man makes him so angry! “Fuck you.”

“Nah, better leave that for Miss Bachelorette.” Bucky sends him a syrupy grin and walks out of the room before Sam can reply.

“Arrrgh!” He groans, and Sharon looks at him strangely. “Sorry, Shar. He just gets under my skin so easily. I just want to strangle him sometimes!”

“Yeah… strangle him…” She nods slowly.

“What are you implying?”

Raising her hands in surrender, Sharon backs up. “Hey, I’m not kink shaming. You do you, my friend. Just don’t tell me about it.” She picks up her clipboard and tablet. “Wheels up in nine hours.”

Kink shame? What the fuck? Needless to say, Sam is very confused. There is nothing kinky about his and Bucky’s relationship. They clash at every turn. If he slammed the door when he stormed out of the room, he’ll never admit it.

++++++++++++

“Hello and welcome to The Bachelorette! I am your host, Chris Harrison. Join me as we find this year’s Bachelorette a husband. At age 28, Penelope Darnea previously worked in insurance but is looking to branch out to another occupation. She loves baseball and the beach and is always down for a margarita. Now, let’s take you to our woman of the hour as she greets the contestants!”

Bucky is one of the first contestants to the mansion. Penelope Darnea is a beautiful woman with societal “perfect” features. As he walks up the stairs to the mansion, she greets him. “Hello, welcome to the mansion! Tucker Acktenbee?”

“Yes, it is.“ Bucky leans down to kiss her hand. “Can I tell you just how ravishing you look? The man you choose will be incredibly lucky indeed.”

Blushing, Penelope waves him on. “I can tell that you’re a charmer.” Bucky is escorted to a room in the mansion as Ms. Darnea greets the next contestant. He uses the time he has to think about the mission. Somehow, they have to act as contestants for the Bachelorette and figure out how they are funneling the money without the network realizing. And he has to do it with Sam.

His therapist once asked him “What does Sam do that gets on your nerves?”

“The better question is what does he do that doesn’t get on my nerves?” Bucky had replied. They always have the stupidest of arguments about the most meaningless things. Both of them hate to lose. His head perks up when he hears someone in the hall. “Here is your room, Mr. Perkins. If you need anything, please ring the bell.” The host goes through everything as he did in Bucky’s room.

“Thank you, sir. Much appreciated.” Oh fuck. That’s Sam’s voice. Bucky understands why they would put Sam beside him in case a quick update to the mission is needed, but to hear that voice at all times of the day? He can only take so much torture. Thankfully, a host comes to get him for an “exclusive” interview. Bucky stays true to his character but does not miss Sharon manning the camera.

After the interview, he is told that he can fraternize with the other contestants, but he cannot use someone else’s set time with the Bachelorette for his own. That is an instant disqualification. Bucky confirms his understanding and returns to his room. Changing into a new outfit, he decides to take a walk through the house. He’ll let Sam come to him first.

++++++++++++++++++

A week goes by, and the second rose ceremony is coming up. Both Sam and Bucky make sure to spend time with Ms. Darnea, but also meet up in Bucky or Sam’s room every night to see if they’ve seen anything suspicious.

Bucky has kept a close eye on the host but so far nothing looks fishy. Sam has been scanning other cast and crew members and has come up with nothing. They are quickly running out of options, but there are still a good portion of contestants left.

“Why don’t we check the host’s quarters? He has to have something there.” Bucky suggests. That was the dumbest fucking thing Sam has ever heard in his life. “Dude. There are cameras everywhere. If we get caught, our cover is blown. We have to just wait for some kind of shipment to get here. The set can’t have had enough food stocked for a month.”

“But what if we can’t wait that long? What if he’s getting stuff out another way? Then HYDRA has supplies, and they’ll hurt more people. We can’t let them do that.”

Sam scoffs. “What do you think they have? Air ducts under the mansion?”

“Go fuck yourself.” Bucky gives him the finger.

“Make me.”

Bucky’s eyes darken in anger. “I just might….” He cannot finish his sentence before there’re is a knock on the door.

“Mr. Perkins, your date is set up.” Someone calls through the door.

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Sam smirks and straightens his collar, “I have a woman to seduce Tah tah! Have fun!” And then he sashays out, enjoying the look of pure anger on “Tucker’s” face.

He walks down the hallway with the camera crew following him to the porch outside where Penelope is waiting. “Well Joshua, what date do you have planned for us tonight?”

“Well, my lady, you say you like excitement, correct? I have bought us tickets for skydiving. Does that sound enjoyable to you? Once done, we will grab dinner at that new Italian restaurant, Sal’s, I think? They serve the best tiramisu.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely.” Penelope purrs, rubbing his arm with her hand.

Crooking his elbow, Sam offers his arm. “Shall we go?”

It is long after midnight when the couple returns from the restaurant. Sam looks up and sees the curtains are halfway open in Bucky’s room. That means he has some news. “I dd not realize they like you stay the entire night.” Penelope marvels. “Wow, Joshua, you are so cultured.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. “Sam waves it off. “Just something I’ve picked up in my travels. Have a good night Beautiful. I hope to see you again tomorrow. Water aerobics class?”

“Why yes. I do love water aerobics.” The bachelorette pokes his shoulder with hard, bony fingers. It hurts! Taking his leave of the lovely Bachelorette, he goes back to his room until the cameras leave. Then he walks over to Bucky’s, who updates him on the next shipment coming in. They will be ready then.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It is the day after the latest Rose Ceremony. There are only five contestants left. We have gathered these remaining contenders to give another “exclusive” interview. “So how are you feeling about the contest?” The host asks each participant in their interviews. Here are the responses.

“I’m feeling pretty good about it. Ellie and I have had many a good date together. I do think she will choose me in the end.” Carlton Hayweather comments.

Nathan Abbey snorts. “Well, there are five of us left, so she can only pick one, right? And the amount of time Perkins and Acktenbee spend in each other’s rooms, we really don’t have to worry about them. So basically, there’s three of us.”

“I’m feeling confidant,” Joshua Perkins leans back in his chair. “I believe I have made her laugh the most, and I do believe humor and friendship are major keys in a relationship.”

Terrance Filippo tilts his head. “Eh, if I win, I win. If I don’t, I don’t.”

But it’s Tucker Acktenbee who wins the hearts of most watchers. “Penelope is a very strong woman. I trust that she knows who is best for her. I do hope it is me, of course, but should she choose another, we must all concede fair and square. We have to stop assuming we know what women want or need. She is capable of knowing it herself, and I wish her the best.”

Are you excited for the next round? I am!

++++++++++

“Tucker, Joshua? The producers of the show would like to meet with you.” An event manager pulls them from the pool area.

When they arrive in the office, the head producer, Carole Teller, claps her hands. “Great acting out there! Have you seen this interview?” She shoves a tablet in front of their faces. Nathan Abbey’s face is centered on the screen.

“Oh, he thinks we’re gay?” Bucky asks.

“Yes, and if you are, we don’t discriminate, although I wonder why you’re here if you are. But it doesn’t matter. The question is, would you be able to pretend at least for the screen? I don’t mean a full make-out session, but maybe the camera catches a glimpse of you two in the corner. Ratings will go up, and there will be added drama.”

Bucky is about to object when Sam shrugs. “Sure. We can do that. Is that all you need?”

“Yes. Thank you for coming in. Good work out there!” She chirps and then turns her full attention onto something else.

“I guess we’re dismissed.” Sam shrugs. “Come back to my room. We have to strategize.”

Once they get back to Sam’s room, Bucky pushes Sam up against the wall. “What the fuck did you agree to that for?” He hisses. “First of all, that means the show is queerbaiting and I don’t like that! Second of all, how is this going to help us?”

“We can hide in little alleyways and closets. Who knows what clues we could find there? Do you hate me that much that we can’t play nice and kissy for a week or so?”

“I can kiss you. I am a great actor, thank you very much.” Bucky leaves go of Sam.

“Then do it. Kiss me.” Sam challenges. “Make me.” Bucky thinks the conversation would be ended there, but Sam grabs him by the face and plants a deep kiss on this lip. Caught off guard, Bucky is not ready for that, but quickly kisses Sam back.

“Wow. That wasn’t so bad after all.” Sam says, wiping his face with his sleeve.

Bucky scratches the back of his head. “Not… too… bad, I guess.”

Now that one kiss has been made, many more are to come. Bucky and Sam take advantage of their “hidden relationship” to sneak into closets and hallways. They find that the next shipment will be coming in early the next morning.

Bucky is taken away to get ready for his date. The dinner and show are quite enjoyable, and Penelope asks him back to her room. Bucky agrees. Once inside the door with the cameras off, she pushes him to a machine and flips the switch. The electricity runs through him and holds him to the machine. Tsk what am I going to do with you?” Penelope asks. “You shouldn’t have come, Asset.”

“You can’t…. control me. The words don’t…. work anymore.” Bucky forces out through his pain.

“True that might be, but I can break you. My mother broke you the first time. Don’t think I don’t have her notes.” She smiles wickedly. “Too bad you had to snoop in places you just didn’t belong. Now I’m going to take you and all my goods< and I’m taking you back to base where we can finish our experiments. How does that sound?”

“Like we got it all on tape!” Sam bursts through the door. “Hands up Lady. We’ve got you.” He rips off his holomask, showing his face.

“Drop the gun, or I electrocute him.” Penelope warns.

Sam puts the gun on the floor and slides it halfway over to the villainess. As she bends down to get it, Bucky summons his strength to break free of the current and kicks her. Immediately, Sam tackles Penelope to the ground and wrestles the switch from her, accidentally setting it on high. Bucky convulses and screams. In panic mode, Sam clicks off the current and frees Bucky, who falls to the ground, unmoving. Quickly chaining the Bachelorette to the machine, Sam works on reviving Bucky. “Bucky! No! You can’t die. I just realized that I love you, and if you don’t wake up and get up, so help me I will kill you myself.”

Bucky’s lips move minutely, and he whispers something. Sam leans down to heard Faintly, Bucky whispers with a grin, “Make me.”.

#sambucky #sam wilson #Bucky Barnes #idiots in love #samwilsonbingo

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tripstaysnoided · 4 years

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Flow Just Like Water

youtube

Story and writing-related transparency update and my many shames...

The Question on Everyone’s Mind

“Hey you haven’t updated No Stars over Uptown in almost a year...”

Hmm, I hate it when you’re right. (This section has been rewritten ad-nauseam to curb back the bitchiness by the way)

So back in early/mid 2018, the idea was to divorce Uptown from a person who influenced it (and myself) heavily. She was my most important audience member, the closest friend I ever had, and unfortunately someone who used her power to bully, ostracize, and hurt others with my help. I cut contact when the hurt + some self-awareness finally reached me. Apologies were made and I feel like my work will never be done with it, but there was still Uptown.

Between censored comments, entirely recasting Axel’s save, different plot threads, and a load of disclaimers, there was nothing that would scrub her influence from the story. There was no way to cleanly drop everything because of how deep her influence went. It disgusted me to look back at it, and I had to private the blog because I feared what it endorsed, even if just in the past.

I pulled back from that sims writing community. I had its main thread on the Official Forums removed too (I guess if that was a mystery to anyone). It was a surrender that I never wanted to do, but I had it in my mind that if I was gone, then she wouldn’t be there either. Uptown became this cursed item, and as I quietly retired it, I noticed that she went quieter too. Not gone, but enough to make me sleep easier at night and even occasionally say hello to old friends.

And I hope deep in my heart that no one else is getting hurt in my place, but now this is gonna haunt me all day huh!

The two paths forward...

1) Complete Uptown rewrite that I’ve been threatening everyone with all year. While it won’t ever be clean because I can’t undo time, I do have a sound outline for a story that is much more true to my actual vision and how I’ve evolved, with a few necessary boundaries in place that are going to be there for all stories moving forward: no more casting calls and no more collaborative efforts. I am not going to open myself up to this happening again, even if the people have changed.

2) Same as above, but I continue the original Uptown as a favor to loyal readers alongside the rewrite. I would try to put the effort into it that I initially did, but with no promises on an update schedule and no advertising. I did ask myself “is there Patreon but without pledging money, just the private posts function” but it could operate as part of a private forum, a members-only part of a website, etc.

Also readers of the original would be beholden to a rule of “don’t spoil the rewrite for new readers, c’mon guys”. I mean, not really, but it is a good courtesy to extend to people.

Priority on this isn’t high but you at least will see what is!

I will probably make the blog public again either way due to the many broken links on my Tumblr but we’ll see. There are other things to deal with as I shall list!

Where Life’s Been Regardless

Been spending more time with my grandpa every weekend. Life’s pretty good and he’s warming up to my dogs.

Shiny New Webbed Site

Cucumber Fields Forever is a site I own now. We have a full domain, cucumberfieldsforever.com, a blog with one post, and the framework needed to host stories the way I want to and still through WordPress. The functionality of likes, comments, and following should still be the same but you know...I’ll take feedback too...

The main blog still has an undefined purpose though I do have drafts sitting around about:

The maybe/maybe not hoax band that was on the Metal Archives and the history of Funeral Doom Metal.

The curious case of when Sims 4 babies get their genetics and my only collaboration (read: was talking about it with a friend and might quote her if needed, it’s actually a bit of a doozy)

Amazon.com’s fake dried udon noodles, an actual issue by the way.

Things I’m reading! (This’d be a monthly feature if so)

For the sake of unity, I am thinking of solutions for hosting old and shameful content there including Uptown and for the real fans in my followers feed, Eight Cicadas...a world I totally have plans for too (not really). I don’t want them to be front-and-center, and that’s why I mentioned forums/members-only content. I finally have that power! Maybe.

Ooooh but what are the costs? Not too much to handle, that’s what. 😉 (Like really, I don’t need any hand-wringing about this, I can manage my finances)

Project Queue (In Order of Confirmedness)

Outrun the Scythe: have you seen me post out-of-context Sims 3 pictures? Did you want more? Did you hope it was Linda in Custody? If the answers are yes, yes, and “meh, whatever you want”, then you’re in luck.

Outrun the Scythe is a Sims 3-based tale of a young gay man and his zombie grandma, as they are both offered separate roles of being the undying intermediaries between the world of humans and the influence of a race of space daemons. It’s pretty familiar if you’ve been following me pre-Uptown, taking some cues from stories I’ve kept under lock and key like Eight Cicadas, The Chains of Lyra, and the not-so-locked-up Ironstar Immortals (of which Outrun is just the direct sequel to sans any retconning...ah the smell of early 2013 and performative heterosexuality)

Ah, back to my roots.

It’s a hybrid of gameplay, story, and lore about my little race of daemons with a lot of my own idiosyncrasies that I’m not really ashamed of: basing it off a super-polarizing Sims 3 challenge from a site I moderate, using a lot of EA’s pre-made townies and their genes, lots of unnecessary posemaking, stupid references. It’s a comfort to have in my roster.

While the first few chapters are in the middle of revision, I have around six in the queue and will be making this public when I have ten. I’m guessing December then?

Undocumented Black Widow Challenge: I just did this for fun/forum kudos (yes, in fact I have joined many forums), there was going to be a short story but it was quickly becoming something against my code of ethics. I mean, sims die and all. (read: I had to choose between “heterosexual widow” and “widow with some same-sex marriages that still end in tragedy, reinforcing negative stereotypes to the public for the sake of me not getting bored and detached during gameplay” so there were no good choices. Except for her affair with the mailwoman, 10/10) I hope to finish this before October ends and get my medal on Boolprop, I’m pretty far through it all. I might upload the sims involved anyways. This is for TS4.

I mentioned it because it’s keeping me busy. But not for long!

NaNoWriMo 2020: Dipping my toes into that again! It’s not sims-related, just a tale of lesbians, nosy neighbors, a haunted beach house, and some light murder and kidnapping. And I actually got my brother to scout out locations for me this weekend. If there’s any demand, I can share chapters as the rough drafts are finished, especially for the sake of proofreading.

Not saying I’m publishable, but wouldn’t it be nice? Will keep me occupied for much of November.

Untitled “Dear Diary” Challenge: Tired of feeling left out of the fun on the Boolprop forums, their “Dear Diary” challenge was the one that appealed to me the most on first glance. Why? Probably once I found an idea that let it be set in the early/mid-2000′s to begin with and explore some interesting characters through diary entries (which I have mixed feelings on as a literary device but I think that’s just me saying “well I didn’t like Dracula”, yes you get bonus points for writing it like a diary)

Also writing is the one skill I’m good at across multiple games. Wanna hear me bitch about the cooking skill tree in TS4 or riding in TS3? I’ll spare you.

I guess I could have included “spending time on Boolprop with old and new friends” in where my life has been. It’s a nice lil community if also a place with its own idiosyncrasies as well. So it doesn’t feel like I’m promoting another community if/when I make a thread there for Outrun the Scythe, I want to have a couple chapters of this ready to go by Outrun’s release, though it’s not gonna be the highest priority compared to it nor as long because I think I can blast through the gameplay quickly.

This one will be played in TS4 due to it having the easiest writing skill/I dunno variety is the spice of life. And hopefully another December release.

Defunded or Forgotten?: Oh shit I actually released stuff in 2020 and told no one? I do have a “mortifying ordeal of being known” sinking feeling whenever I get a site hit because it’s not my best work (but good enough) and veered sharply into issues I may be over my head in, though I try to be a good noodle with research and listening. Maybe hiding is bad after all.

Being based off a very flawed and incomplete Sims 3 challenge I found in the annals of the Official Forums, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work just making sense of things. And I’m scared of working on reconstructing the house but I haven’t abandoned the project yet. The story has eight chapters so far and is pretty game-based with some additions here and there. Scared of how long it could be though!

Date for this unknown.

Untitled Sunlit Tides Decadynasty: another year-long abandoned TS3 project with a much stupider reason why. Last update was about Hua getting ready for her wedding, and I wanted to do some poses for a bait-and-switch wedding chapter because to put it mildly, her real one was an absolute disaster.

Blender decided to fuck up its interface again, I got discouraged (this probably does account for some of the Uptown delays too), and when I decided to plow forward, it was for other projects instead.

Meanwhile I played all the way to Gen 5′s teenhood and the only thing stopping me is time (it takes almost 30 minutes to load the file right now, though they’ll be looking at moving towns in a couple gens) and maybe fear of the Logic skill.

Date for this also unknown but it’s easy to pump out updates once I’m in the groove for it. My third heir had a difficult life so maybe I’m just trying to bury it.

Also I just noticed the view count there was really good and probably because I linked it here on Tumblr last year. Thank you so much guys. I can’t really fret over views on Carl’s forum these days thanks to the years-long death spiral pretty much every forum anywhere has been riding on. But it’s a nice surprise. And it’s an alright little challenge recap to read during your lunch break or whatever.

The Wawas

I figured I’d end on the real news everyone wants! Both the chihuahuas are a year and a half now and reached their adult size around a year ago. For the most part, they are happy and healthy dogs.

#state of the uwunion #long post

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blueboxesandtrafficcones · 5 years

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Barcelona is for Lovers - Chapter 9

Many thanks to @stupidsatsuma for beta’ing. @doctorroseprompts

The final chapter will be posted on June 16th.

General warnings for: hanky panky. Take the ‘lovers’ part of the title seriously.

Masterlist

Summary

Three months after Rose and the Doctor are reunited and promptly ditched on a beach in Norway, they are still trying to find their feet. Rose plans a trip to Barcelona for them to relax, reconnect, and hopefully consummate their relationship.

Rose ran for her life.

The moment she landed she knew, deep in her soul, two things. One – this was, finally, the right universe. She was home. The second was that something was terribly wrong.

Some instinct, some knowing sense that she got sometimes in moments of great danger, tugged her towards the river, and with every step she ran faster until she saw a barricade of UNIT vehicles, and a single woman walking slowly away.

“What happened?” she begged, skidding to a halt, a terrible knot in her gut, two words running through her mind. Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong. “What did they find?” Spinning on her heel she confronted the red-headed woman. “Sorry, did they find someone?”

Something’s wrong.

“I dunno,” the woman shook her head, looking a bit bewildered as Rose glanced over her shoulder.

Something’s wrong.

“Um, bloke called the Doctor, or something,” she continued.

Rose glanced at her, naïve hope fighting through the fear. “Where is he?”

“They took him away,” the redhead said, completely flat and unsympathetic as she delivered what, to Rose, was a crushing blow. “He’s dead.”

He’s dead.

The Doctor is dead.

Something. Is. WRONG.

“No,” Rose cried, bolting upright, her gasps for breath quickly turning to deep, shuddering sobs. “No, no, no!” Her hand fumbled at the other side of the bed, reaching for him but finding only cool sheets. “No!”

“Rose? Rose!” The Doctor appeared in her line of vision then, throwing himself on the bed in front of her and gathering her in his arms. “It was a dream, it was just a dream,” he tried to soothe her, holding her close, but it didn’t help.

“You were dead,” she cried, leaning into him and clutching tightly at his tee, “you were dead and I couldn’t do anything.”

“It was just a dream,” he repeated, making soft sounds and stroking her hair, keeping her against his chest as she wailed.

Finally, after far too long, she was reduced to sniffling, clutching him tightly and trying to burrow into his very skin. He took one arm away from around her, and it reappeared a moment later with a handful of tissue. “Here, sweetheart.”

Accepting them one-handed, afraid if she let go he’d vanish, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “Thanks.”

He tsked dismissively, taking advantage of her loosened grasp to shift her onto his lap more comfortably. “D’you want to talk about it?”

Rose shook her head, cuddling into him and letting his single heartbeat remind her that that universe didn’t exist, that she’d fixed it. She’d had to kill that forced-parallel-universe Donna to do it, and while that grieved her… as much as she’d liked Donna, it was a choice she’d been willing to make.

Ironically, it had made her feel closer to the Doctor than she had in awhile, to recognize all over again the kinds of terrible compromises he’d had to make in his lives to keep everyone else safe.

“It was just a dream,” he repeated, kissing her head, and she stiffened.

“It wasn’t.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t a dream. It was a memory.”

The Doctor pulled back enough to see her face, frowning. “I don’t understand.”

“Donna got pulled into that bubble universe, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Did she have time to tell you anything about it?”

He tilted his head in thought, pursing his lips. “She said… the stars were going out. That it was bleak. That you told her to say ‘Bad Wolf’. After that… well. I was a bit too focused on you, so not really.”

Rose took a steadying breath, forcing her fists to unclench his shirt and rest open-palmed where his hearts had been. “Basically, it was based around the day she started at… whatever the locksmith company was. Instead of taking that job she took a different one, closer to home. She never met you, and everything that happened during your travels didn’t – it was like an apocalyptic wasteland. No,” she corrected, “it was. It was horrible.”

“What, because I didn’t meet Donna?” He wrinkled his nose. “I mean, that seems a bit extreme.”

“You died.” Though her exhale was shaky, her voice held. “Under the Thames, something about a spider and Christmas – you drowned, and didn’t regenerate.”

He stiffened, and she bit her lip.

“I… can believe that. It would’ve been right after- right after I… ran out of time saying goodbye. To you.”

Rose rubbed lightly at his chest. “I got there too late – UNIT was already taking you away – but that was how I met Donna. It pretty soon became clear that something was terribly wrong, and I started a plan to fix it.”

“And you did.” He shook his head when she scoffed. “You did. Rose, you saved all of us. Every universe – practically on your own. But I’m sorry you had to see… whatever it was that made you a little bit more like me.”

“I’m not,” Rose argued quietly, steel in her voice. “I’m sorry those things happened, and I’m sorry I had to see them, but I’m not sorry to be a little more like you. I knew what I was signing up for, long ago. I knew it every time I got back on that ship after a visit to Mum’s. I have no regrets, other than for those I couldn’t save. But you already know that.”

The Doctor nodded sharply, and they sat in somewhat comfortable silence as her heart calmed and her tears dried.

When the clock said they’d been up for more than an hour she finally shifted in his arms, meeting his eye. “Will you make love to me, please?”

“Of course.” He laid her down gently, taking his time with her. It was tender, and sweet, and by the time he entered her she’d forgotten everything she’d ever known, everything in the universe except for him and the pleasure he brought her.

She slept dreamlessly after that.

When she woke the next morning, it was to find herself draped across the Doctor’s chest, ear pressed to his heart.

“Good morning,” he said quietly, fingers combing through her hair, and she sighed into the touch.

“Hi.” Stretching her neck she kissed him, and they snogged leisurely until they were both on their sides, touches growing bolder.

“Wait,” he panted, pulling away, and she laid her hand flat on his hip.

“What is it?”

Brushing hair away from her face, he caressed her cheek as he gazed steadily at her. “I had terrible nightmares for months after Canary Wharf.”

Rose exhaled sharply; it was such a tender wound at the beginning that no one had dared say the name after the first time she collapsed in agonizing grief, that she hadn’t heard it in years. “Me too.”

“No- I mean, I’m sure you did, but- just let me- What I mean is, the dreams… most of the time, they ended differently. You crashing into the wall and breaking your neck. You getting sucked into the Void. Every time was devastating, a far more horrible way to lose you – all things considered, what did happen was one of the better potential outcomes. And I told you about my time senses, that I can see every possibility – and they were all in high definition in my dreams whenever I tried to sleep.”

He paused, and Rose pressed kisses to his chin. “I’m sorry.”

“When my psyche got tired of those, it dredged up old favorites I’d managed to pack tightly away – the bunker in Utah, with the dalek, or the Coronation when the Wire took your face. Every time I almost lost you, crystal clear whenever I closed my eyes. My point being, I’m intimately familiar with the kind of dream you had last night. But it was just a dream. That universe is gone, and you saved the day. We’re here, now, and that’s ancient history – literally, in some cases. So try not to dwell on it.”

Rose sniffled, tears leaking out of her eyes as her heart ached for the lonely, heartbroken Time Lord left on his own. In her darker moments she’d hoped he was suffering as she was, that he hadn’t just moved on without looking back like he had with Sarah Jane. To find out she was right, that he’d been just as miserable, only made her feel worse. “I love you so much, and I always have.”

“I love you too,” he promised softly. “And I’m so happy for the future we get to have, together. The scars of our past will always be there, but it’s up to us in the here and now to… to tattoo over them. To turn something ugly into something beautiful.”

She smiled, snuggling closer and throwing her leg over his hip. “You did a good job at that last night,” Rose winked suggestively, pleased when he laughed.

“Why thank you. I think I could use some practice, though.”

“It that so?” She shrieked with laughter when he rolled her onto her back. “Well, practice does make perfect.”

Holding himself above her, he smirked. “And I am perfect.”

“I hardly think so,” Rose giggled, tugging him down, “but you’re perfect for me, and that’s all that matters.”

Hands on her hips, Rose surveyed their setup. After an emotional morning they’d decided on a beach day, hauling down sand toys, floats, and a variety of other things to do – provided they could keep their hands to themselves. “Looks good.”

“I’ll say,” the Doctor winked, giving her a thorough look over before moving in front of her, grasping her hips firmly to haul her against him in a bruising kiss.

She moaned, surrendering completely until he tried to lower her to the blanket. “No, no, no,” Rose panted, struggling away. “We are not having sex on the beach in broad daylight. Again. I want to go for a walk.”

“But shagging is so much more fun,” he pouted, trying to tug her back to him.

“A romantic walk on the beach,” she said sternly, grabbing her hat and settling it on her head. “Then some innocent fun on the beach. You can shag me when we go up for lunch.”

“Fine.” He found his sunglasses, scowl already perched on his face. “Shall we?” Extending his elbow to her, she took it gladly as they struck out heading north along the sand.

Walking in silence for a few minutes, Rose just enjoyed the sand between her toes, the occasional lapping of the waves, the warm sun, and the Doctor’s lean body next to her. In the daylight she felt a little silly about her extreme reaction to her nightmare, but she was determined to put it behind her.

“Yes,” the Doctor said abruptly, apropos of nothing.

“What?”

“If you want kids, I want kids.”

Rose stopped dead to gape at him. “Where did that come from?!”

He couldn’t quite meet her eye, but his voice was dead serious. “I was thinking, after I thought you hit your head yesterday, about what I wanted- really- out of this incredible, impossible future the universe has gifted me- us- with. A life on the slow path. And I’m not saying we don’t grow the TARDIS and have adventures, I’m just saying… I’m open to a third, permanent member of our team. Preferably one that understands to stay when told to.”

“Sounds more like you want a dog,” Rose said shakily, starting to walk again. “Cause no way is a kid of ours going to be able to stay out of trouble.”

“Very true,” he considered, taking her hand. “Maybe both?”

She nodded. “Let’s maybe start with the dog, but… okay. We’ll have kids.”

“If you want.”

A family was playing far up ahead, two small children running around and shrieking with laughter as their father chased them, bringing an involuntary smile to Rose’s lips as she pictured the Doctor chasing spiky-haired toddlers.

“Only if they’re just like you.”

Fifteen minutes into their supposedly romantic sunset cruise with a crying baby, Rose’s last nerve was fraying quickly. Rationally she understood that children cry and that she shouldn’t be judging, especially with helping raise Tony, but it just seemed like a sign given their decision that afternoon.

“Erm, let’s maybe put the baby idea off for a year or ten,” the Doctor muttered in her ear, returning from the bar with two glasses of wine.

“Deal.” They toasted, taking a sip before moving to another section of the railing and staring out at the darkening sky. The sun was still high, but it would be setting soon and she didn’t want to miss a moment.

Leaning on the rail, the Doctor gazed contemplatively out to sea.

“Penny for them?”

“Hmm?”

Rose laughed softly, resting her head on his shoulder. “What’re you thinking about?”

“I’m wondering what the hell I ever did so right in my life to get you,” he sighed, turning dark eyes on her. “Everything I touch turns to dust, yet you’re still here.”

“Blimey, you’re not Thanos,” she teased, winking at him.

“Rose! That’s still in the future,” he hissed, looking around wildly to see who might be listening. “Don’t spoil it!”

Shaking her head, she smiled fondly at him. “My point is, stop being so melodramatic. I’ve seen the very heart of you, true, and there’s dark spots, but they’re bruises – it’s not rotten. I love you for you, you daft alien, but I think you need to just enjoy the moment.”

“I can’t just ‘enjoy the moment’ forever!”

“Of course you can. You focus on being happen in the moment you’re in, then the one after that, and the one after that, and suddenly you’re old and gray and have a lifetime of happy memories.”

The Doctor grimaced self-consciously, ruffling his hair. “Gray? I don’t know…”

“I’ll still love you then,” she promised, “long as you still love me when I’m old and gray and fat from having too many babies.”

A soft, happy smile crossed his face, his eyes lightening. “Oh, Rose Tyler, I’ll love you forever.”

He kissed her then, and she could feel the truth of it there, the weight of his promise.

Forever.

#bbatcfic #doctorroseprompts #ficandchips #Doctor Who #TenTooxRose #TenToo #Rose Tyler #prompted #Barcelona is for Lovers #lemons

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janethepegasus · 6 years

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BMC Miraculous Ladybug AU RP Thing: Miraculous Vacation

An RP me and @pika-ace did relating to the BMC Miraculous Ladybug AU where the Armada goes to a private resort to have a vacation. However, Spam wants to claim the resort for himself (Immature, i know. He kinda acts like that sometimes... >_> )

(The Miraculous Armada arrive at the private resort, suitcases in hand)

(The kids had excited looks on their faces, ready to have some fun time at the beach)

Brooke: Oh my gosh, it's so pretty!!

Jenna: Yeah! :D

Christine: Time to relax! :D

Jeremy: Yeah, FINALLY we can just chill and relax! :D

(They all head towards the building, unaware of Spam lurking in the background)

(Spam glares at them, being VERY jealous at them)

Spam: Stupid holders with their fancy resort...it'll be mine... Dusk: But Master you don't own it- Spam: It will be mine! >:(

Dusk: *rolls eyes* Sure, whatever. *very softly* You're acting like a spoiled child who wants everything, Master. -_-

(The holders all divide up into who's staying in what room and if they would be alone or with another)

(Obviously Eric and Jordan stay in one room together)

(All the couples get a room and everyone else either buddies up or gets a single room)

(Jeremy leaps onto the bed with a big smiles on his face, landing next to Micheal)

Michael: This is gonna be sweet :3

Jeremy: Yeah! :D

(The other couples collapse on their own beds together)

(Eric nuzzles against Jordan)

Jordan: You know, Joe let Hayden and I know that these walls are pretty soundproof :3c

Eric: Really? :0c

Jordan: Yep; no kids are being mentally scarred on this trip :3

Jordan: We could do our little “thing” whenever we want to, as long as no one walks in on us~ (Jordan makes bedroom eyes with Eric and lightly strokes Eric’s sweet spot)

(Eric shudders in pleasure) Eric: Well, I'm certainly looking forward to that ;3c

Jordan: Me too :3

(After everyone gets settled in they start making use of their resort)

(Michael and Jeremy run towards the water and jump into it)

(The other kids join them while the adults sit in chairs under umbrellas on the sand)

(The kids swim and play around in the water, while the adults watch over them)

(Spam watches from a distance) Dusk: Do you have a plan? Spam: Of course I do!

Dusk: And what is it exactly?

Spam: I'm going to lie in wait, give them a few days until their guard is really down; and then at the right moment, I'll snatch them one by one and get them out of

this picture so I can enjoy it myself >:) Dusk: *internally* My god, you're immature...

Dusk: *internally* You're in your 20's, Master. Not 5 -_-

Spam: So for now, we wait...their time will come; let them think they're safe; they're NEVER safe from me >:)

Dusk: Ugh...alright... >_>

(Meanwhile, the holders keep having fun)

(Michael looks at Lin and smiles) Michael: Hey Linny! Why don’t ya join in? The water’s great! :D

Lin: Sure! :D

(Lin gets up from the chair and jumps into the water)

(A few other adults jump in too)

(The kids and adults play around in the water)

(As the day passes, the holders go inside one by one to rest or do something else relaxing)

(Jordan and Eric collapse on the bed to rest)

Jordan: Great first day so far

Eric: Yeah...

Eric: I already love this place

Jordan: Me too :)

(Eric cuddles against Jordan)

(Jordan smiles at Eric)

Jordan: I think we both know what can make this vacation even more great :3

Eric: Yeah :3

Jordan: Shall we? While all the kids are still outside? Eric: We're still locking the door

Jordan: Yeah, but other than that... *looks at Eric with bedroom eyes* Shall we? Eric: Yes, we shall. :)

(They lock the door and go ahead of get their clothes off and go at it)

(The day passes as they do this)

(Meanwhile, everyone else has slowly migrated inside, doing their own thing, while Spam keeps lurking without a trace)

(Spam smirks as he’s sneaking around)

Dusk: What are we doing? Spam: Looking for a good place to stash all these holders when the time comes, obviously; I don't want to see them at all while making use of this place

Dusk: *softly* Of course... -_-

(Eventually, they find a big storage room) Spam: This will suffice nicely

Dusk: Of course it does, after all, it can fit all of them in there. :/

Dusk: Now what? Spam: Now we can spend the next few days observing them and planning an attack on each one; when will be the perfect time to whisk them away without anyone noticing?

>:3c

Dusk: Oh joy... -_-

(The next day comes and the holders keep on vacationing to the max)

(They spend the whole day having fun)

(About four days come and go) Spam: And now...we begin... >:3

Dusk: Oh boy, here we go...

Spam: And I know just who to start with... (He gathers what he needs and heads for Post's room)

(Post is just relaxing in his room, cuddling with some plushies)

(Post eventually get up and heads to the closet to get a few more, when hands grab him and cover his mouth, yanking him inside the closet)

Post: MMPH!!!

Spam: Shh shh shh little brother, we don't want to disturb your friends >:3

Post: MMPH!!!! MMMMMPHHHH!!!!!!

(Spam ties him up and puts tape over his mouth and opens a hidden door in the closet) Spam: I've had lots of time to explore; this place has many secrets >:3

Post: Mmph?!

(Spam plucks off his Post's Miraculous and drags him into the door, closing it behind him; he carries Post through a hidden tunnel that leads him to a hall towards the

storage room)

(Once he got into the storage room, he throws Post into the storage room)

Spam: Don't worry, you won't be alone for long >:3

(Spam leaves the storage room, leaving Post alone) Post: MMPH! MMMPH!! MMMMPH!!!!! (DAD!! ROMEO!! ANYONE!! HELP ME!!!!)

Spam: Alright, who's next?

(He looks at the kid’s rooms)

(He spies Romeo heading for his and Post's room) Spam: May as well make brother dear happy

(Spam head towards Post's room)

(Romeo hurries in, having felt something wrong) Romeo: Rose?

(He opens the door and sees that Post isn't in his room)

(Romeo starts looking around but Spam grabs him in the same fashion as Post and pulls him into the closet)

(Spam covers his mouth as he drags him in)

(Spam ties him up and puts tape on his mouth as well) Spam: What a good boyfriend, checking up on poor little Post

Romeo: MMPH!! MMPH!!!

(Spam grabs his Miraculous and drags him to the storage room, throwing him next to Post)

Post: MMPH! (Romeo!)

Romeo: MMPH!! (Rose!)

Spam: There, i'll leave you two alone while I get the next one to snatch! *leaves them*

(Post and Romeo can only struggle and watch in horror as Spam keeps reappearing, bringing in the tied up kids one by one and throwing them in the room with them)

(Eventually, Spam manages to take all the kids and threw them all into the storage room)

Spam: There, that's a good chunk of you. *he jingles a small bag that's holding their Miraculous* Now better take care of your parents before they realize you're gone

>:)

(He leaves the kids behind)

(Most of the adults are napping or relaxing in their rooms, making them easy targets)

(Spam makes his way towards the adults rooms, ready to strike) (Meanwhile with Joe, he relaxes in his room, but he suddenly feels an aura of uneasiness, a feeling that something is wrong)

(He gets up and starts wandering the resort) Joe: Children?

(He checks their rooms, but finds that they're empty)

Joe: Something's not right... (Meanwhile, Spam has just finished dragging Eric and Jordan to the storage room, tying them back to back; Jordan is unconscious as that was the only way Spam could

even get him)

(Spam throws Eric and Jordan into the storage room)

Eric: MMMMPH!!! (Jordan slowly starts to wake up) Spam: Enjoy your group bonding time together >;3

(Spam leaves them)

Holders: MMMMPH!!! Spam: *holds up his nearly full bag of Miraculous* ...One to go >:3

(Spam head towards Joe's room)

(He slinks in, but finds he's not there)

Spam: What the?

Joe: I had a feeling you were behind this >:(

Spam: Wha?!

(Spam whirls around and Joe suckerpunches him)

Spam: GAH!!

Joe: What are you doing here, Spam? >:(

Spam: Snatching all of you, of course! >:(

Joe: If you've hurt a hair on my children... >:(

Spam: Trust me, i did for a few of them, how else would i could've dragged them in there in the first place? >:)

Joe: You're going to pay for disrupting our vacation >:(

Spam: Your vacation?! It should've been MINE! I should've been here! That's why i'm taking all of you out! So i can have the whole place BY MY SELF! >:(((

Joe: You- *blinks* ...Really? Dusk: Roll with it... -_-

Joe: ...That is the most immature thing i have ever heard from you! >:/

Spam: SHUT UP!!

(Spam punches Joe)

(Spam then transforms) Raven: This is why I left you for last; you're the biggest pain >:(

(Joe growls at Raven and transforms) Owl: Of course I am, i will never surrender or hand myself in to you! >:(

(They fight)

(During the fight, Raven pulls out his scythe while Owl pulls out his sword and they keep fighting)

Owl: Where did you put my children?!

Raven: I'm not telling you! >:(

(They keep fighting)

(They keep fighting for a while, their blades clashing with each other as they fight)

(After a while, Owl manages to get the bag holding the Miraculous)

Raven: NO!!

Owl: Now tell me where they are!!

Raven: No! >:(

(They keep fighting)

(Raven fought viciously, not willing to give up, while Owl fought back, glaring at Raven)

Owl: You better tell me where they are!!

Raven: NO!!! >:((((

(After a while, they reach a stalemate, both of them out of breath)

Owl: *breathing heavily* You're...so...naive...and arrogant...! >:(

Raven: *breathing heavily* I'd add stubborn...because...I'm not telling...unless...you're willing...to make a deal >:3

Owl: *breathing heavily* A...deal...?

Raven: Give me the Miraculous...and I'll tell you where to find them...

Owl: *looks at him suspiciously* If i do...promise you would NEVER...run away...while i get...my children...? >:(

Raven: Well that's just up to you. Promises are made to be broken you know >:3

Owl: ...Alright, but on ONE condition... *stares straight at him* STAY in your spot...don't move...don't escape...and when i return...you properly give them back, and

leave. Understood? >:(

Raven: If that is what you wish >:3 *holds out his hand*

(Owl hovers his hand near his Miraculous, but before he can take it off, he looks straight into Raven’s eyes) Owl: Spam Emella, Holder of the Raven Miraculous, hold on to that promise, and do NOT break it...under ANY circumstance.

Raven: Very well...and I was asking for the bag of Miraculous, not yours

Owl: ...Forgive me...our battle messed with my mind...so i wasn't thinking straight... *he hands over the bag*

(Raven takes the bag) Raven: They're in the storage room on the first floor

Owl: Alright. *glares at Spam* Stay. *gets up*

Raven: >:3

(Owl glares at Raven one more time, then leaves to find the others)

(He runs right to the storage room and flings the door open)

(He sees all the Miraculous Holders, all tied up)

Holders: MMMPH!! Owl: Oh god, children...!

(Owl runs towards them)

(He draws his sword and quickly slices through the bonds in only a few quick slices)

(The ropes fall off the Holders)

(Everyone rips the tape off their mouths) Post: D-Dad!

Owl: Son!

(The holders do a bit of a group hug)

Owl: Thank god you're all alright!

Philip: But our Miraculous...! Sebastian: Did you get them back?!

Owl: Well...Raven still has them...but i promised him to stay put. >:/

Rich: You don't honestly think he's gonna keep that promise, do you?

Owl: I made my point across to him to make this exception, but i part of me doubts we would listen at all. >:/

Jake: Then let's go! (They run back)

(They run towards Joe's room, Owl hoping he kept his word)

(They run back into the room and see Raven lounging on the bed)

Owl: *sighs with relief* Thank god... *internally* He made an exception from what he usually does...

Raven: Considering I was planning on staying here, it seemed redundant to leave

Jeremy: Um...question, why the hell did you come here at all? Besides kidnapping us.

Owl: He was upset that we were on vacation and he wasn't -_-

Owl: And the reason he even did this at all, is because he wanted the resort all to himself. -_-

Holders: O_O ...Wow... -_-

Michael: Dude, that is the most immature reason to kidnap us. Like seriously, that's like...a 5 year old would say if another kid's playing with a toy that they want!

-_-

(Raven silently fumes)

Owl: Alright, i got my children *holds out his hand* Now hand over the bag! >:(

(Raven looks at him and snorts)

Owl: What?

Raven: You must be incredibly naive if you think I was just going to hand them back over and leave like that

(Owl glares at Raven)

Raven: However... *gets off the bed* I may be willing to consider giving them all back on one condition

Owl: And what is it? >:(

Raven: ...Let me stay here >:3

Holders: WHAT?! (Jordan holds Eric protectively, glaring at Raven)

Raven: Oh relax, not with any of YOU, I have my dignity. Just give me a...portion of this place where we can come and go without even remembering the other is there.

Owl: *glares at Raven angrily* ...You think i'm just gonna give you what you want? The one thing that you DESIRED upon arriving in this place? You want to know the reason why we never took you? Is because we wanted to stay away from YOU, leave all the worries of you and your akumas behind us until we get home. But NO, you HAD to come along because *fake childish voice* "I want a resort! I want to go on a vacation!" *normal voice* And whine and complain like a damn child, all because we wanted to get away from YOU for a couple of days. Guess what? You're not getting what you wanted, cause you just proven to us that no matter what we do to enjoy ourselves without you looming over us like a vulture, you always follow, believing that everything we do, should be YOUR business, but it's not! *Owl's eyes glow and his physic powers yanks the bag away from Raven and into Owl's hand* *angry dad voice* Spam Emella, Holder of the Raven Miraculous, leave at once, you are NOT getting what you think should be yours! >:(

Owl: *with his powers activated* Now, you are going to GO BACK to where you came from, and STAY THERE until we all get back! Is that CLEAR?!

(Raven nods)

(He spreads his wings and flies out the window) Holders: O_O Chloe: ...Damn Owl Dad...

Post: ...You did that name thing...to my brother...I-I think that’s the first time you ever did that to him... O_O

Owl: And it was LONG overdue >:(

Owl: *sighs* Now...he won’t be able to hurt us here anymore...

(Owl gives back their Miraculous and transforms back)

(They put their Miraculous on)

Joe: Now...why don't we try and forget...all that happened...

Eric: Yeah...

Post: Maybe...we should all stay together right now...just for a little bit

Joe: Yes...

(They all pile onto Joe's bed and cuddle)

(Joe smiles and cuddles with everyone)

#bmc miraculous ladybug au #bmc au #joe #squip #human squip #jordan ellis #jeremy heere #michael mell #post the Squip #lin manuel miranda #spam

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gdwessel · 3 years

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Road to Castle Attack Night 1 - 2/14/2021: Yuto Nakashima Debuts, Gets Injured; FinJuice Working Impact Wrestling, Some Details, Speculation, Opinion; Podcast Recording Tonight

The new tour began today, the first of four nights at Tokyo Korakuen Hall, which you can see now on NJPWWorld. Thus far, there have been no announcements of show cancellations for Iwate, Yamagata or Fukushima later this week, in the wake of the 7.3 earthquake in Fukushima yesterday. We’ll keep you posted. Results from today:

Road to Castle Attack - 2/14/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Yuto Nakashima Debut Match: Yuya Uemura d. Yuto Nakashima (Referee Stop, 0:52)

Great O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb [United Empire] d. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Satoshi Kojima & Gabriel Kidd (Cobb > Kidd, Tour Of The Islands, 8:03)

Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] d. Yujiro Takahashi, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club] (Takagi > Yujiro, Last Of The Dragon, 12:33)

Tetsuya Naito & SANADA [Los Ingobernables] d. Kota Ibushi & Yuji Nagata (SANADA > Nagata, O’Connor Bridge, 13:31)

Elimination Match: EVIL, Jay White, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens [Bullet Club] d. Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano [CHAOS] (22:58) Order of Eliminations: - Yano <> Owens, OTTR - Ishii <> White, OTTR - YOSHI-HASHI, OTTR (Jado) - Goto > Loa, OTTR - Tonga > Goto, OTTR - Okada > Tonga, OTTR - EVIL > Okada, OTTR

The Bullet Club cheated like Hell to win, because, yeah, duh. Everyone in this elimination match features in a title or special singles match at Castle Attack, so this was as good a way as any to start the build.

Poor Yuto Nakashima. He made his debut today, however very early into the match, he appeared to dislocate his left elbow, therefore the referee stopped the match. Not exactly an auspicious debut for this Young Lion. His other matches are still listed as being on the cards, so he may be able to continue, or NJPW just haven’t updated the website yet. We’ll see. We hope for a quick recovery for him.

Last night, as the credits rolled for Impact Wrestling’s No Surrender event, a video played declaring former IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team champions Juice Robinson & David Finlay would be “in the Impact Zone” starting with this Tuesday’s episode on AXS TV.

In some ways this doesn’t come as a surprise; Impact were already working with AEW, as seen by “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and Don Callis being on AEW programming of late, as well as AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and the tag team of Private Party working Impact events. NJPW and AEW just made their new partnership official, so I guess it was just a matter of time before partners of partners would work together as well. FinJuice are currently Stateside, by virtue of the pandemic, so this can allow them to work Impact, as well as perhaps the NJPW Strong tapings as well. FinJuice have not been seen since the World Tag League, and Juice had a scheduled match against KENTA at WK15 that had to be taken by Satoshi Kojima due to an injury on Juice’s part.

As has been noted before, the relationship between NJPW and Impact (and for most of that, under the TNA name) has been rocky to say the least. Between Kazuchika Okada getting stuck with the “Okato” gimmick, and Jeff Hardy being clearly inebriated in his TNA World Title match against Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom V, it was enough for NJPW to cut ties in 2011, and eventually get into partnership first with Jersey All Pro Wrestling (who soon went bankrupt afterwards), and eventually Ring of Honor.

In more recent times, Impact’s owners, Anthem Sports & Entertainment, bought AXS TV and Fight Network from Mark Cuban, and immediately put Impact on that channel, along with ending contracts with both NJPW and WOW, taking NJPW off American TV until just this week with the premiere of World Pro Wrestling on the Roku Channel. So it doesn’t seem as if NJPW would want to start a new business venture with Impact given all that.

However, it would seem this deal has been in the works for some time, according to some sources:

The deal between Impact and NJPW was reportedly the result of months of work to repair the damaged relationship between the two promotions, starting back in the summer of 2020 with Scott D’Amore and Don Callis trying to repair things. D’Amore and other Impact executives apparently flew to Japan after Anthem took over Impact ownership and formally apologized to the NJPW locker room and company for the past issues between NJPW and Impact which stemmed from previous management. NJPW having interest in using The Good Brothers was one of the factors on bringing the two sides together. Both sides are hoping that FinJuice in Impact is the beginning of what will become a larger working relationship.

Indeed, that relationship had already started, given Chris Bey had appeared at Super J-Cup 2020, which aired back in December, but was pre-taped at an undetermined time.

Personally, I don’t really care about NJPW working with Impact; I don’t watch their product, I’ve never been a fan of TNA, and frankly, beyond Anderson & Gallows coming back to NJPW, I don’t see the real benefit of being on Impact, when AEW is a lot more high profile. That said, I hope for success for the partnership for NJPW, and with the AEW partnership as well.

The most immediate question is, what becomes of the relationship between NJPW and ROH. Despite the complete disaster that was the ROH side of the G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden in April 2019, NJPW working with ROH helped facilitate not only the G1 Special shows in July 2017 in Long Beach, but also eventually brought about New Japan of America. Even so, with NJPW running solo shows in the USA, there was still a partnership with ROH, as ROH talents would appear at the last two, American-based Super J-Cups, and Brody King has been a regular fixture on NJPW Strong. On the flip side, Rocky Romero and David Finlay were both part of ROH’s Pure Tournament during peak COVID-19 lockdown, before NJPW restarted, and NJoA began Lion’s Break Collision, which became NJPW Strong. So it’s clear there is some sort of relationship with ROH, but the strength of it may be waning. This makes it more interesting when or if Dragon Lee is able to come back to NJPW, and how much his contract with NJPW is still in effect, or if it’s been seen out, due to the pandemic and travel restrictions; both Lee and his brother Rush have re-upped with ROH in the past week.

Less obvious, is what becomes of the relationship between NJPW and CMLL? In some ways, the CMLL partnership has been more beneficial than that of the one with ROH: Fantasticamania is very popular tour, not only with the NJPW crowds, but the CMLL wrestlers, as they usually make quite a bit of money from it; in addition, where would Tetsuya Naito be right now without joining CMLL’s Los Ingobernables stable, bringing it to NJPW, and making it one of the most popular things in all of wrestling? Indeed, where would Hiromu Takahashi be without his excursion as Kamaitachi, or Kyosuke Mikami to be Namajague before returning as El Desperado? The questions there are a bit endless; Jay White benefitted from his ROH excursion, but can we really say the same for either Takaaki Watanabe, Sho Tanaka or Yohei Komatsu before returning as EVIL, SHO, and YOH respectively, or did they succeed despite their excursions?

Why this is such an issue -- both AEW and Impact have varying degrees of partnerships with AAA, the biggest domestic competitor to CMLL. Kenny Omega is still AAA’s Megacampeon. Taurus just debuted in Impact last night at No Surrender. CMLL is very against working with AAA on anything; they will pull CMLL wrestlers from indie shows, Mexican or American, if they find out AAA workers are on the same show, even if they are not in the same matches. CMLL, however, are also very insular, and usually are the last to find out about anything.

It’s also worth noting that NJPW have all the leverage in their relationships with both CMLL and ROH. I would assume they do as well for their new deal with Impact. In the case of AEW, probably less so, as Jon Moxley, under an AEW exclusive contract, does have an IWGP title at the present time, so there was some necessity driving that deal.

As ever, we shall see where the winds take us with these new partnerships. Certainly, it’s a bit complicated, and I don’t claim to have any insider knowledge. But it does seem the landscape in professional wrestling is changing, once again, and NJPW should stand to benefit from it.

Now that I’ve bloviated here, it’s worth noting that @damascenocs and myself will talk about the new partnerships and a wholllllle lot more when we record Episode 72 of the podcast tonight. That likely won’t be up until Monday or Tuesday, however, so stay tuned for that.

The tour continues tomorrow, with or without Yuto Nakashima...

- 2/15/2021, Tokyo Korakuen Hall (NJPWWorld)

Gabriel Kidd v. Yuto Nakashima

Hirooki Goto [CHAOS], YOSHI-HASHI [CHAOS] & Yuya Uemura v. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yota Tsuji v. Great O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb [United Empire]

SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] v. Yujiro Takahashi, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & SHO [CHAOS] v. EVIL, Jay White, Chase Owens & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]

Kota Ibushi & Yuji Nagata v. Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi [Los Ingobernables]

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amysbooketlist · 4 years

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#qotd What person has inspired you the most? . . So today is the 75th anniversary of #veday or #vday depending on where you live. And honestly, I had to post about it bc #ww2 is the era of history I have read about the most. One days like today, I can’t help but hope that we #neverforget what happened, that 70-85 million people died. Hate became a way of life, and life became meaningless. I know we are going through a tough time, and I feel it everyday with the #coronavirus isolation, but I’m hoping we can look to the words of the past, find some inspiration, and keep their memories alive. . . . “You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival.” -Churchill . . . We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender!” -Churchill . . . Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. “ -Churchill #bookstagram #history #churchill #nevergiveup #wearebookstagram #nonfiction #victory #remember #genocide #historyrepeatsitself #historynerd #picoftheday #photooftheday #past #thisdayinhistory #todayinhistory #neveragain #rip #bookfollow #ilovebooks #bookstagrammer #bookstaengage #indieauthor #independentpublishing (at Columbus, Ohio) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7vdsfAsQ4/?igshid=eax882dq0e3f

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afrojonathan · 5 years

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Day 27: Tangier, Morocco and Tarifa, Spain

With my last call to prayer pre-dawn wakeup under my belt (this will not be missed), I did a little yoga on the roof terrace of my hotel overlooking the port, and then headed to the Tangier American Legation for a history lesson.

Did you know that Morocco was the first country to recognize American independence in 1777? The legation building was given to the US in 1821 by the Sultan of Morocco so we could have a diplomatic presence there. It was the first American overseas building (and US’ oldest diplomatic building), and the only American historical landmark outside of the US. It was a gorgeous building with artifacts about the time and info about the great historical relations between the two countries. I’m not normally one for history museums, but this was fascinating. Plus, there was pretty great art and some gorgeous courtyard in this deceivingly large space, so that was nice.

There’s even an original letter of the consulate general writing to the US Secretary of State about 2 lions that were gifted to him from the Sultan of Morocco. The letter is unintentionally hilarious as he kept trying to refuse the animals, but it was insisted he keep them. He ended up having to keep them in a room in the consulate, and it was a whole calamity. Just a very funny bit of diplomacy (remember when our government tried to refuse foreign gifts?) An excerpt from it (and full text at end of this post):

“As my determination was well known, the commander of the troop has prepared himself with the most ‘conclusive answer’ to all my objections. I told him that it was perfectly impossible to receive the animals, the laws of my country forbid it. He replied that they were not for me, that they were for my government. I told him that the President, the head of my government, was in the same predicament as myself, that he had not the power to receive them. He said that the Sultan knew that but that they were not for the President but for my Congress. I resolved that Congress had resolved never to receive any more presents, and that the law prohibiting public officers to receive presents, was part of the Constitution and superior to the power of Congress itself. He wanted to know who made the Constitution, I replied the people, then said he if Congress will not receive them the Emperor desires them to be presented to the people as a present, as a mark of his respect and esteem for the ‘Sultans of America.’ At last I told him that I would not receive them that my mind was fully made up; then he said my determination is a strong as yours, I am ordered to deliver them to you, it will cost me my head if I disobey, I shall leave them in the street.”

After my thoroughly enjoyable time there, I got a delicious street meal, got my tickets for the ferry, and got moving to the port. There were so many checkpoints and unnecessary steps in the boarding process (I think just to create jobs?), that I was sprinting to make the boat. I have the sense they think with boarding process “that’s how it’s always been, so that’s how it’s gonna be”. Very stressed and sweaty, I made it.

The ferry is pretty cool in concept - it crosses two continents! And quickly! A half-hour later, I was in Tarifa, Spain. I walked to my hotel, checked in, and promptly headed to the beach. All I was craving after all the relentlessly hot and sweaty days in Morocco was a swim. So, I made it happen! It was right near the port where I got dropped off, which felt a bit weird, but it’s amazing to be in Europe and see Africa across the way.

After ambling around a bit, I headed to a beach bar for a cocktail (I missed this!) and some awesome beats. I was astounded by how high the sun was at 8:30pm (which made it very easy to lose track of time as well). I thought it was maybe 7, and realized it was almost 9. The calm beach life and chilled out beats were making time melt away. After a couple of rummers, I needed to eat!

I popped back to my hotel with a wee buzz, changed, and got out the door into the winding white streets of the very quaint old town. I chatted with Garrett to plan our brothers weekend in Italy (over an Aperol Spritz, how fitting), and then found my way to a dinner for one (always a slightly strange experience). The food and wine were great, and once done, I roamed around looking for a quiet bar for one more drink. Well, the old town bars were poppin’ off for a Monday night, and being in crowded, loud bars by myself was not the vibe I was looking for. So, I decided to call it a night.

—

Sir,

I am sorry to inform the Department that, although I have exerted myself to the utmost to prevent the presentation of any animals from the Emperor, and to convince his Ministers of the impossibility of accepting a gift or present of any kind, my exertions have not been attended with success. A brief statement of the facts of the case will show whether I have acted up to the spirit of the verbal instructions which I had the honor to receive before I left the U.S., and in deference to the feeling manifested on a former occasion by the U.S. Government and which I have every reason to suppose will be the same in the present case.

It will be recollected that my instructions to Mr. John Mullowny were to state to the Bashaw the utter impossibility of accepting any present, and in case one was offered to give it an unqualified refusal. This order I have no doubt that he fully executed, and I was in hopes that I should hear nothing more of their subject. In a few days, however, it was rumored that a party were on their eway from Fez with some animals for the American Consulate. I immediately communicated to the Governor and Public Administrator my determination to refuse whatever might be sent and begged their influence in presenting such an offer. They replied that it was perfectly out of their power to prevent it, that the present must be made, that they could not understand by what right or power that I could undertake to interfere in such a case between the Emperor and my government; that a Moorish agent who should thus refuse to convey a present to his master would justly have his head cut off; and that the refusal of whatever might be offered would be a decided insult.

Finding I could not get any assistance from any of the Emperor’s Officers, I resolved to write to the Emperor himself, but before a letter could be prepared, the sound of drums announced the arrival of the Bashaw’s Nephew at the head of a troop of soldiers with an enormous, magnificent Lion & Lioness.

As my determination was well known, the commander of the troop has prepared himself with the most “conclusive answer” to all my objections. I told him that it was perfectly impossible to receive the animals, the laws of my country forbid it. He replied that they were not for me, that they were for my government. I told him that the President, the head of my government, was in the same predicament as myself, that he had not the power to receive them. He said that the Sultan knew that but that they were not for the President but for my Congress. I resolved that Congress had resolved never to receive any more presents, and that the law prohibiting public officers to receive presents, was part of the Constitution and superior to the power of Congress itself. He wanted to know who made the Constitution, I replied the people, then said he if Congress will not receive them the Emperor desires them to be presented to the people as a present, as a mark of his respect and esteem for the “Sultans of America.” At last I told him that I would not receive them that my mind was fully made up; then he said my determination is a strong as yours, I am ordered to deliver them to you, it will cost me my head if I disobey, I shall leave them in the street. The street upon which is the American Consulate is a narrow short cul de sac with half a dozen Jew houses in it beside my own. Preparations were made for placing a guard at the open end, and turning the Lions loose in the street. Seeing further insistence hopeless, that to persist in the refusal would destroy the good feeling in which this Consulate is at present regarded, I was compelled to surrender to this novel form of attack, and to open one of my rooms for the reception of the Animals where they now are. I have not dared to take the responsibility to send them to the U.S. or otherwise dispose of them. Upon this head I shall most anxiously wait instructions as they are to me a great cost and inconvenience. They are by far the finest animals of the kind I have ever seen, and I have no doubt will sell for more than enough to pay their expenses and the cost of transporting them to America. It will be impossible to dispose of them in this neighborhood. At Gibraltar they would bring nothing, and the sale of them so near here would cause much excitement.

The rumor in town is that four or five horses are on their way for the “People of the United States”, whether it is true or not I do not know. I hope that I shall have the honor and pleasure of hearing upon this subject from the Department as soon as possible.

I am with sentiments of respect your old Servant,

Thomas Carr

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queenofnerdom · 7 years

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My Weekly Must List

Entertainment Weekly, aka my favorite magazine, has The Must List in every issue–a rundown of the top 10 things EW loves that week. Here’s my version!

1. My bike

Right before visiting my family for the Fourth of July, I went out to Herndon with some friends to test ride a 2015 Yamaha SR400--a fuel injected kickstart only motorcycle. Aka, a hipster’s dream. I immediately loved it, but was worried about learning to ride on a kickstart only bike and the seller was asking for a bit more than I wanted to spend.

Fast forward two weeks and a bad test ride later, I was still thinking about the Yamaha SR400. I texted the seller, it was still for sale, we made a deal, and two weeks ago, she became mine!

My first weekend with her was a bit of a challenge (so much stalling, a battery death, being a general giant scaredy cat on the throttle), but after lots of hours in the parking lot and cruising in my friend’s neighborhood, I’ve become much more confident. So much so, that last weekend I rode the GW Parkway into Old Town to my second favorite coffee shop without stalling a single time.

My goal is to ride five days every week to continue learning and building up confidence, but I can’t wait to see what adventures we have together.

2. Mad Men

Mad Men premiered on AMC in 2007 and while I was late to the show (college had a habit of interrupting my TV viewing), one of my favorite humans recommended I check it out on Netflix to get caught up in time for season three’s premiere. It quickly became my favorite show of all time, and Sunday nights were devoted to watching it and analyzing each episode with my fellow Mad Men lovers. In honor of its 10-year anniversary this week, I’ve been rewatching the first season and it’s just as magical now as it was then.

Photo by Alessio Lin

3. The Last Mile Works

One out of ever 140 U.S. adults is in prison or jail. Ninety-five percent of those inmates will be released at some point. And two-thirds of those released will be back in prison within three years. Those are horrifying statistics, which is why The Last Mile Works and programs like it are incredibly important.

The Last Mile is a program that teaches inmates to code; The Last Mile Works is an offshoot of this program, which hires inmates as part of a web development startup to create websites for real businesses and organizations. The program is designed to give inmates work experience to help them find employment once released from prison, key to successfully reentering society and staying out of prison. WIRED recently did a short write-up of the program. It’s highly worth a read.

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“Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” - Prime Minister Winston Churchill, 1940

4. Dunkirk

I’d heard about the evacuation at Dunkirk, of course. It was briefly mentioned in my history classes in middle school and high school. But just that, briefly. There was no explanation of what it must have been like to be one of the 400,000 men on a beach in France, waiting to be evacuated back to England and wondering if they would ever make it home. Which is why when I heard that Christopher Nolan was writing and directing a movie about the evacuation, I immediately put it on my Must See List. I decided to splurge and see it in IMAX over the weekend, and it was, without a doubt, completely worth it. If you haven’t watched it already, make plans to do so. You’ll understand what I mean afterwards.

A post shared by Megan Gates (@queenofnerdom) on Jul 23, 2017 at 6:32pm PDT

5. Spontaneous Sundays

Sunday morning after I finished my ride on the GW Parkway, my friend Jason texted me and invited me to go to brunch and a winery with him, his girlfriend, and another mutual friend. Without hesitation, I said yes, which is how I ended up in Leesburg, Virginia, for the afternoon looking at this gorgeous view with some of my favorite humans.

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“Late in the evening, feeling the wind blow Tall through the treetops, warm in the sun Lying beside you, watching the moon rise That’s all there is babe, ain’t it enough?”

6. “Ain’t it Enough”

While I was in Iowa, this song came on the radio in the car while my mom and I were driving around town. Since then, it keeps coming back to me when I’m feeling stressed out or confused, reminding me to be present and thankful for the moment just as it is, because it is enough.

"You’re asking the wrong question. It’s not about getting over and letting go. It’s about honoring what happened,” she said. “You met a person who awoke something in you. A fire ignited. The work is to be grateful. Grateful every day that someone crossed your path and left a mark on you.”

7. “The 12-Hour Goodbye That Started Everything”

I’m a religious reader of The New York Times’ Modern Love column, and this week’s essay by Miriam Johnson was especially poignant. It’s about her breakup with a man she loved and how she learned to move forward with her life. And how moving forward doesn’t mean that she will never think about him; it means she will be grateful for that connection and the way it changed her for the better.

#motorcycles #YamahaSR400 #Love #Life #Virginia #Friendship #Old Crow Medicine Show #Dunkirk #Christopher Nolan #Mad Men #Prison #Coders #Developers

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lonely-little-lovely · 7 years

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Dearest Cousin pt. 2

pt 1 http://lorcan-freaking-lochan.tumblr.com/post/154407199211/dearest-cousin-pt-1

Also I DEFINITELY did not edit this so like... if there are a bunch of mistakes I apologize lmao

One ship from the other fleet was already making it's way over. It felt like the entire deck-the entire ocean- was holding it's breath. Aedion stood stiffly, next to Lysandra, who was doing a good job ignoring the inquisitive looks from crewmen paired with outright glares from some of the Lords. Ansel was still grinning, Ilias and the Whitethorns trying their best to look impassive, and Galan? Galan wouldn't even look in their direction, jaw set in determination as he faced the oncoming ship.

If it wasn't Aelin, Aedion had no idea what they were all going to do.

The ship drifted closer still until an anchor was dropped about 100 feet away, if he had to guess. His eyes caught movement and he realized there was someone lowering themselves into a lifeboat. For a moment, his heart spiked with the hope that it was Aelin, but he realized quite quickly it was a male, and so was the person accompanying the second boat that closely followed. They all watched in silence as the boats made their way across the waves, and it wasn't long until Aedion could make out the two males: Chaol Westfall and Fenrys.

The General was immediately calculating why Aelin would send them over in her stead: Chaol, he figured was a representation to Dorian, who wasn't present, as well as a familiar to some of the Lords. And Fenrys- Fenrys, he was sure, was a scare tactic, as well as a message that one of Maeve's blood sworn now worked for the Queen of Terrassen? Gods, was Maeve really dead?

Chaol was the only one to come up. He looked at all of them, catching eye contact with Lysandra. His eyes flickered in surprise for a split moment-he must have been expecting her to still be in disguise- before it diminished. "My name is Chaol," he said formally. "I am the hand of his Majesty King Dorian Havilliard of Adarlan, but at the moment I speak on behalf of her Majesty Aelin Ashryver Galathynius of Terrassen." Aedion nearly fell to his knees. "She requests a meeting with the major players at this moment."

Aedion did not miss the emphasis on major players, nor did he notice there was room only for five people on each boat, including Chaol and Fenrys. Clever Aelin had made sure not all of the sniveling Lords would be able to attend. After a few minutes of arguing and whining on Lord Sloan's part, it was decided that Aedion, Lysandra, Darrow, Prince Galan, Ansel, Ilias, Enda, and Ren would be the party attending the meeting on the other ship, whatever that entailed.

"And I suppose I'm to think none of our guards are welcome to attend?" Asked Darrow lowly. Below, Fenrys let out an abrupt laugh, as if to say, You really think any of your guards could take me even if it came down to that? Chaol ignored him, raising an eyebrow at the Lord. "None of the other alliances seem to be bothered with not having 'protection' against their ally," he said. "Are you implying you're unsafe from your own Queen?"

"She's technically still not Queen," sneered Darrow. Aedion felt the same irritation and rage he'd felt months ago in that stuffy little inn where they'd first met resurface, but she stuffed it down.

Chaol's lips merely twitched up slightly. "I suppose you can discuss that with her. Shall we?" He was the first one back down the ladder, though Galan was hot on his heels, and Aedion and Lysandra followed closely after that. Once they were all situated in the boats, they began the tense ride back over. No one spoke, and Aedion was grateful for that. He was too busy trying to stifle the pounding in his veins, his feelings torn between overjoyed, heartbreaking relief and terror. Because he had no idea what state his cousin was in- if she was even there. It could just be Rowan, they could have dropped 'The Queen' to ensure that the others didn't refuse going to the meeting.

He didn't know what he'd do if that was the case.

But then suddenly there was a hand on his, and he started, glancing over to finding Lysandra looking at him steadily. There was still a hardness in her eyes, but less so. He got the meaning in them-a truce for the time being- and his heart flared with the tiniest inkling of hope.

They unloaded just as agonizingly slowly as they had boarded the lifeboats. Aedion was the third to the ladder, and halfway up he nearly lost his grip and toppled into the ocean because he could smell it. Her. That was Aelin's smell, and it was fresh, coming from the deck. Below him was a sharp breath- he knew Lysandra scented her too. So he kept climbing, pulling himself up faster until he got to the top. Again, he nearly toppled back into the ocean.

Aelin stood on the deck. On one side was Rowan, crowns of flame on both of their heads, and on the other was Elide, whose cunning eyes were already studying the newcomers. Behind them were various Fae males- Aedion's father, who gave him a quick once over, Lorcan, who was of course stationed behind Elide, and two men Aedion didn't know, though one looked like a dark haired Fenrys. But Aelin- Aelin had his attention.

Her face.

The right side was perfectly healed save for a scar by her temple, but the left... Someone had obviously peeled the skin off there. It was back, and Aedion was sure he'd have his father to thank for that, but there was still a rough patchwork of scars there, and one eye was now milky blue, not the turquoise and gold of the other. She held herself tenderly, carefully, and her cousin barely restrained from falling to his knees. Behind him, even Darrow faltered for a heartbeat.

Later. He'd have time to weep for his cousin later. Now he had a role to play, so he locked his jaw and stalked to flank Rowan, Lysandra right next to him. He'd heard her pulse quicken, knew she was having just as hard a time as he was. Later. Later.

His King and Queen nodded to them, but he could barely manage to nod back as Aelin turned to the others now assembled on the deck, Darrow at the head. "Darrow, you're looking well," she commented as if everyone hadn't just been stunned speechless by the sight of her. The Lord said nothing, only canted his head. "I hope Lysandra kept you good company."

Darrow had already fully recovered, his smile turning serpentine. "Yes, she's quite the convincing actress. Not convincing enough, it seems." "They'd already discovered when we arrived, Majesty," Fenrys said, stationing himself next to the dark haired him.

"How long have they known?" Aelin asked Lysandra. Aedion wondered if she knew he was still swallowing the lump in his throat and could not speak.

"It was confirmed just before your arrival," said Lysandra softly.

Aelin grinned, but it looked strained on the left side. "We made EXCELLENT timing, didn't we?"

"Perhaps," interrupted Darrow coolly, "we should discuss where you've been gallivanting about, Highness." Gods, again with the Highness. Every Fae male on the deck, including Aedion himself, stiffened.

Aelin remained unfazed, gesturing to her face. "I assure you, there was no gallivanting involved."

"Provoking an immortal Queen while your country is at war isn't gallivanting?" "It was Maeve," Rowan cut in, snarling the bitch's name, "who seems to have an interest in provoking other Queens."

There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere, and Aelin used it to her advantage. "While we were off the coast of Eyllwe, I was forced to use my power to burn away 500 of Erawan's soldiers. Maeve, of course, saw that as an opportunity, one she'd been waiting for, and so she came for me. She wanted to leash the fire of Mala. And she did."

Galan spoke for the first time since they'd come aboard. "And your face... did she do that to you when you resisted?"

Aelin's eyes sparked with recognition. "I didn't resist. She had a member of my Court, and so I surrendered. This," she gestured to her face, "came later on." Galan's face remained impassive, but no one missed the devastation in his eyes.

"And which member of your Court did you allegedly sacrifice yourself for?" Asked Darrow. Aedion expected him to be sneering, but he seemed to really be trying to calculate the odds of the situation without his bias towards the Queen.

Aelin nodded slightly, and it seemed to be a signal, because Elide said, "Me." All eyes turned to her. "Maeve had a sword to my throat, and Aelin went with her to save my life." There was no mention of the bowing, the whipping, the iron coffin, but Elide's voice had enough emotion in it to convey something awful had happened on that beach.

"I believe," Aelin said softly, "You know Elide Lochan, rightful Lady of Perranth." Darrow and Ren started.

"Do you have any proof that you started the conflict?" Darrow asked, and Aedion almost snapped that this was no damn trial, but he knew it would favor Aelin if they could proove she was not the child Queen they thought she was. She was a ruler, and a damn good one. Everyone should know that. "That shirt on the beach." All eyes turned to Ansel of Briarcliffe. She wasn't grinning anymore, and Aedion had never seen her so... still. "That shirt covered in blood, when we got there. That was yours, wasn't it?" Ilias and Galan's eyes flooded in realization.

Aelin nodded, and her voice turned soft as she focused on the two men. "I wanted to be there to meet with both of you. I really did. I apologize for the ruse, but Erawan would strike sooner if he knew I was elsewhere. I had to do what was best for our countries." They were the perfect words- Aedion knew already that the iciness Galan had been forming towards Aelin had already melted and he'd go back to doting on his younger cousin just as he had with Lysandra in her skin.

Darrow's gaze was still cool, but there was something considering in it, too. He was a dick, sure, but he still wanted what was best for his country. It seemed it was finally becoming clear to him that Aelin wanted that too, even if he disliked her. "I have things to discuss with the other Lords, it seems," he said, then glanced at Elide and said, "and Lady."

Aelin waved him off. "Discuss what you must. We can meet again tomorrow and begin planning."

There were about twenty more aggravating minutes of discussion (including speaking of a healer named Yrene who was coming to heal Aelin's face from the allies Chaol had gathered) between all before it was time for them all to make their own preparations. Aedion hardly moved as they disappeared back into the lifeboats. As soon as Chaol and Fenrys began rowing them back over, Aelin was slumping in relief and exhaustion. Aedion crumbled ever so slightly too, and then his cousin was throwing herself into his arms. He gripped her lightly, afraid of applying pressure to a wound he couldn't see.

But then she muttered, "I'm not a glass doll. Hug me, you prick." And so Aedion did, burying his face in the crook of her neck, which grew damp under his eyes, but he didn't care. Because she was here, and she was still healing but she would heal. He could almost see her being crowned in Terrassen. "I'm here, I'm sorry, I'm here."

He remembered the words he'd told her those months ago when they'd first been reunited, and he realized just how much more he meant them now. So he said them again. "Never again."

115 notes · View notes

emmagreen1220-blog · 5 years

Text

New Post has been published on Literary Techniques

New Post has been published on https://literarytechniques.org/repetition-in-a-sentence/

Repetition in a Sentence

Repetition is one of the most popular ways to emphasize an idea or make a point. There are several examples of repetition that can be found in speeches, songs, and important documents that highlight key themes and emotions a speaker wants their audience to embrace.

10 Examples of Repetition in a Sentence

The Great Dictator speech by Charlie Chaplin

“You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate— the unloved, and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!”

Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech from the movie The Great Dictator is one that stands out in the memories of viewers because of his passion and his repetition of key ideas. Chaplin’s rousing speech to his people as he is impersonating the satirical Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of the fictional Tomainia, inspires them to fight for justice, rather than hate. Chaplin’s repetition of the ideas to not fight for hate, but to fight for liberty instead, underscores the differentiation between a Fascist dictatorship and democracy.

I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evidence, that all men are created equal.'”

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s repetition of the phrase “I have a dream” continues the theme throughout his speech that one day, true equality will be possible for people of all colors in America. He juxtaposes his own dream next to the ideal of the American Dream itself, which is the reason why the nation was established in the first place: to reward hard work and determination with a decent living and freedom from oppression.

We Shall Fight on the Beaches by Winston Churchill

“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…”

Churchill is addressing the Parliament of Britain during the Battle of France on June 4, 1940. These particular words which Churchill chose were carefully calculated to prepare Britain of a possible Nazi invasion, and to steel the nation against the disheartening fact that France was likely to fall to the Nazis very soon. Despite this sense of impending doom, Winston’s repetition of what the British people would continue to do: defend, fight, never surrender, are key themes of resilience and national pride to bolster their morale and assure them that the Nazi regime would never win.

Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy

“Ask not what your country can do for you– ask what you can do for your country.”

John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech came at a time when the country was facing yet another threat: the spread of Communism and the arms race with Russia. President Kennedy uses repetition of the words “ask… your country” to remind the people that they don’t have to sit back and wait for progress; instead, they can contribute to both the success of the nation and the progress of peace in the world. Rather than continuing to focus on nuclear weapons, Americans should be using their combined experiences– honed through two world wars and the Great Depression– to improve international relations and spread the ideals of democracy to all nations.

Speech to the Second Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry

“Give me liberty, or give me death!”

This famous phrase ended Patrick Henry’s rousing speech to the Second Virginia Convention, rallying the members of the Convention to draft the resolution declaring the severing of the Colonies from England, and starting the Revolutionary War. The ultimatum Henry gives with his repetition of “give me” liberty, or “give me” death shows that for Henry and other Colonists who were tired of England’s oppression and unfair taxation, there was no alternative but to go to war.

The Declaration of Independence

“Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.”

The Declaration of Independence outlined the Colonists’ reasons for declaring their separation from England, listing grievances against King George III and Parliament, and addressing the steps the Colonies had already taken to try to resolve these issues. In this section from the Declaration, the authors reiterate with repetition the attempts the Colonies have made: “we have” warned, reminded, appealed, and conjured our “British brethren.” The point of this repetition is to show not only that well-meaning steps have already been tried, but that they have failed, leaving the Colonies with no other choice than to declare their independence from an oppressive government, even if it means starting a war.

The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

“But in a larger sense, we can not dedicate– we can not consecrate– we can not hallow– this ground.”

Abraham Lincoln’s speech at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery in Gettysburg is his most memorable speech, and for good reason. It was not very long, but it was powerful, honoring the men and their sacrifice on the battlefield during the Civil War. When Lincoln repeats the phrase “we can not” and then follows it with powerful words of honor like dedicate, consecrate, and hallow, he is drawing attention to the fact that nothing the crowd or this national cemetery could do could make the ground more holy than the blood that was already spilled by the soldiers who gave their lives for a righteous cause.

Independence Day speech by Bill Pullman

“And should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice: ‘We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive!’ Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!”

Often touted as one of the most famous speeches in a movie, Bill Pullman’s character, the President of the United States Thomas J. Whitmore, gives this speech to boost the morale of the men about to undertake a dangerous mission to save Earth from the invading alien forces once and for all. After several failed attempts before, everyone is apprehensive that this plan will not work, but President Whitmore assures the world and the pilots with his repetition of the words “we will not” and “we’re going to” of the human race’s resolve to defeat these aliens and take back the planet. The repetition of action verbs such as “we will” and “we’re going to” gives hope to a future beyond the crisis.

The Third Philippic by Demosthenes

“It is folly, and it is cowardice, to cherish hopes like these, to give way to evil counsels, to refuse to do anything that you should do, to listen to the advocates of the enemy’s cause, and to fancy that you dwell in so great a city that, whatever happens, you will not suffer any harm.”

This speech by Demosthenes to the Athenians warned of an impending invasion by Philip II, the Macedonian king, after an Athenian general thwarted a key city in Philip’s campaign to establish an empire. Demosthenes uses repetition to warn the Athenians that sitting back and doing nothing would spare them from Philip’s wrath. He tells them that to “cherish, give way, refuse, fancy,” and “listen” to the falsehood that their city was too great to be spared “is folly” and “is cowardice.” Philip would need to be challenged, or the Macedonians would overrun Athens.

I Corinthians 13:11

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

This verse from I Corinthians, written by the Apostle Paul, highlights the differences between childlike thinking and adult mindsets. In the larger sense of the chapter, Paul is discussing the nature of love, and his repetition of “like a child” shows that a child’s understanding of love is not equal to that of an adult’s. By contrasting the thoughts of a child with that of a grown man’s, Paul shows the maturity that comes with understanding the true nature of love, and how that understanding is something to aspire to reach.

0 notes

hotspreadpage · 6 years

Text

How to Turn Your Content From Lousy to Memorable

My professor told me I would never have a career in writing.

He had just read a story I wrote about my worst vacation, a trip to Disneyland that my brother won in a sweepstakes. It had the potential of a mediocre story. It held the promise of slight entertainment.

The only problem was my story lacked any substance.

It was a four-page pile of crap. As my friend Shakespeare would say, “It is a tale. Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Lousy content comes in many forms – cliché, repetitive, arrogant, boring, busy, and maybe a tad too SEO-focused.

The problem with most writing is that it isn’t memorable. If you want to win loyal readers and create strong readership relationships, you must create memorable content.

The problem with most writing is that it isn’t memorable, says @czollingerBC. #writingtips ‏ Click To Tweet

Let’s look at three memorable communicators.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: 27 Reasons Why Your Content Sucks

Say more by saying less (Hemingway)

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” – Ernest Hemingway

What can we learn from Ernest Hemingway, winner of a Nobel Prize in literature? He never wasted words. He wrote as if he paid a steep price for each sentence. He placed a higher value in language than most content creators.

Too often, we fluff up articles with nonsense. Hemingway’s insight doesn’t mean all articles must be short. It means every word should teach or tell something.

To simplify your writing, avoid meaningless phrases like:

In terms of

Needless to say (if it’s needless to say, then don’t say it)

In order to

It is important to note that

Whether or not

As Hemingway wrote in The Art of The Short Story, “You could omit anything if you knew you omitted and the omitted part would strengthen the story and make people feel something more than they understood.”

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

7 Fixes for Common Writing Mistakes [Examples]

15+ Worthless Words to Cut to Improve Your Readers’ Experience

Don’t use cheap tricks (Orwell)

“When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns, as it were, instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish squirting out ink.” – George Orwell

Orwell hated the wordy writing of the “wise.” You’ve likely had to read research papers from leading professionals and academics. Often, it’s the type of writing that makes you feel stupid.

Here’s a tip: If someone’s writing makes you feel stupid, that person is not a good writer.

If someone’s writing makes you feel stupid, that person is not a good writer, says @czollingerBC. #writingtips‏ Click To Tweet

In his essay on the slow destruction of the English language, Orwell criticized the type of writing used by many professionals. He hated the misuse and overuse of words to create a sense of expertise, citing a sentence in an essay from a college professor:

I am not, indeed, sure whether it is not true to say that the Milton who once seemed not unlike a 17th-century Shelley had not become, out of an experience ever more bitter in each year, more alien [sic] to the founder of that Jesuit sect which nothing could induce him to tolerate.

Orwell saw right through this ridiculous writing, a form of writing still practiced today. (Orwell called this “pretentious diction.”) Today’s content writers often create destructive sentences through keyword stuffing and more concern over the sound of words than the feeling or information they convey.

If you would have wanted Orwell to be a fan of your content, avoid the use of the following types of writing:

Dead metaphors (overused metaphors)

Pretentious diction

Meaningless words

Pointless repetition

Readers are smarter than you might think. They sense fake and insincerity. They want to feel cleverer, more informed, or more entertained than they were before reading your content. Before you write any content ask yourself, “What is my plan to affect the reader’s mind and heart?”

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Ann Handley on How to Make Your Writing ‘Ludicrously Spectacular’

Reframe the present (Churchill)

“We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” – Winston Churchill

At the time of Churchill’s famous speech to parliament in 1940, England was on the brink of disaster. What does his speech have to do with good writing?

Look closely at the excerpt to see how he told the story of the present situation in future tense. He retold the present to inspire victory from the depths of defeat.

To follow Churchill’s inspired storytelling (without the inherent drama of an ongoing war), learn these three lessons:

Allude to an ideal future.

Confidently repeat the call to action.

Make a stand.

3 more classic writing devices

It’s easy to get bogged down in telling stories if you don’t have many devices in your content arsenal. Now that you’ve added a few inspired by Hemingway, Orwell, and Churchill, let’s shift gears to focus on three other useful writing tactics.

Reinvented clichés

Nothing is more tiresome to a reader than a cliché or an overused phrase. Writers use clichés as crutches, leaning on them instead of taking the time to invent something new and exciting.

For example, at the beginning of this section, I used the cliché, “let’s shift gears.” When you read it, you did not think about a car’s gears shifting and how that relates to a change of subject. You read the phrase as an indication the subject would be changing. Not recognizing the original meaning is a clue to recognizing “a dead metaphor” as Orwell put it. The phrase is now a cliché.

Luckily, reinvented clichés offer an opportunity to breathe new life into your content. Lyricists in the music industry often use them, as they must find new and rhapsodic-sounding lines to move their listeners.

Reinvent clichés to breathe new life into your #content, says @czollingerBC. #writingtips‏ Click To Tweet

Rapper B.o.B. often takes an artistic approach to metaphors by reinventing clichés such as this line from E.T., “I went from being who are you to chillin’ with the who’s who.”

The boring cliché would have been “the who’s who” if left on its own. But pairing it with “who are you,” he makes the phrase come alive again to illustrate his journey to success.

Synecdoche

This writing technique is the act of describing a whole idea by presenting bits and pieces of it. Toni Morrison uses synecdoche to great effect in her novel Beloved:

This is flesh I’m talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved. Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that needs support; shoulders that needs arms, strong arms I’m telling you.

In this example, she conveys what the physical parts of a body need to convey what an individual person in need requires.

Any idea or topic can be deconstructed and presented in a more effective way.

TIP: Writing advice can sometimes be contradictory. The key is to identify what tricks and tools work best for what you’re trying to convey to your audience about a particular topic in a particular format at a particular time.

Hypophora

Strategically ask questions that are immediately answered. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy used hypophora in their famous speeches.

“There are those who are asking the devotees of Civil Rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’

“We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality; we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities …” – Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream

“But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? …

“We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard …” – John F. Kennedy, We Choose to Go to the Moon

Refocus your writing

Never approach the keyboard without the determination to convey meaning to another person, even if it’s just one individual. One loyal reader will do more for your brand than 100 passive glancers. Capture your audience by crafting memorable stories that avoid the common pitfalls and embrace the success of great communicators like Hemingway, Orwell, Churchill, and others.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Road Map to Success: Creating the Content of Your Audience’s Dreams

Get memorable tips from great writers and editors at Content Marketing World Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Register today using code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post How to Turn Your Content From Lousy to Memorable appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.

How to Turn Your Content From Lousy to Memorable syndicated from https://hotspread.wordpress.com

0 notes

lucyariablog · 6 years

Text

How to Turn Your Content From Lousy to Memorable

My professor told me I would never have a career in writing.

The only problem was my story lacked any substance.

It was a four-page pile of crap. As my friend Shakespeare would say, “It is a tale. Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Lousy content comes in many forms – cliché, repetitive, arrogant, boring, busy, and maybe a tad too SEO-focused.

The problem with most writing is that it isn’t memorable. If you want to win loyal readers and create strong readership relationships, you must create memorable content.

The problem with most writing is that it isn’t memorable, says @czollingerBC. #writingtips ‏ Click To Tweet

Let’s look at three memorable communicators.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: 27 Reasons Why Your Content Sucks

Say more by saying less (Hemingway)

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” – Ernest Hemingway

Too often, we fluff up articles with nonsense. Hemingway’s insight doesn’t mean all articles must be short. It means every word should teach or tell something.

To simplify your writing, avoid meaningless phrases like:

In terms of

Needless to say (if it’s needless to say, then don’t say it)

In order to

It is important to note that

Whether or not

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

7 Fixes for Common Writing Mistakes [Examples]

15+ Worthless Words to Cut to Improve Your Readers’ Experience

Don’t use cheap tricks (Orwell)

Orwell hated the wordy writing of the “wise.” You’ve likely had to read research papers from leading professionals and academics. Often, it’s the type of writing that makes you feel stupid.

Here’s a tip: If someone’s writing makes you feel stupid, that person is not a good writer.

If someone’s writing makes you feel stupid, that person is not a good writer, says @czollingerBC. #writingtips‏ Click To Tweet

If you would have wanted Orwell to be a fan of your content, avoid the use of the following types of writing:

Dead metaphors (overused metaphors)

Pretentious diction

Meaningless words

Pointless repetition

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Ann Handley on How to Make Your Writing ‘Ludicrously Spectacular’

Reframe the present (Churchill)

At the time of Churchill’s famous speech to parliament in 1940, England was on the brink of disaster. What does his speech have to do with good writing?

Look closely at the excerpt to see how he told the story of the present situation in future tense. He retold the present to inspire victory from the depths of defeat.

To follow Churchill’s inspired storytelling (without the inherent drama of an ongoing war), learn these three lessons:

Allude to an ideal future.

Confidently repeat the call to action.

Make a stand.

3 more classic writing devices

Reinvented clichés

Nothing is more tiresome to a reader than a cliché or an overused phrase. Writers use clichés as crutches, leaning on them instead of taking the time to invent something new and exciting.

Reinvent clichés to breathe new life into your #content, says @czollingerBC. #writingtips‏ Click To Tweet

Rapper B.o.B. often takes an artistic approach to metaphors by reinventing clichés such as this line from E.T., “I went from being who are you to chillin’ with the who’s who.”

The boring cliché would have been “the who’s who” if left on its own. But pairing it with “who are you,” he makes the phrase come alive again to illustrate his journey to success.

Synecdoche

This writing technique is the act of describing a whole idea by presenting bits and pieces of it. Toni Morrison uses synecdoche to great effect in her novel Beloved:

This is flesh I’m talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved. Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that needs support; shoulders that needs arms, strong arms I’m telling you.

In this example, she conveys what the physical parts of a body need to convey what an individual person in need requires.

Any idea or topic can be deconstructed and presented in a more effective way.

Hypophora

Strategically ask questions that are immediately answered. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy used hypophora in their famous speeches.

“There are those who are asking the devotees of Civil Rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’

“But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? …

Refocus your writing

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Road Map to Success: Creating the Content of Your Audience’s Dreams

Get memorable tips from great writers and editors at Content Marketing World Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Register today using code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post How to Turn Your Content From Lousy to Memorable appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.

from https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2018/07/content-lousy-memorable/

0 notes

writergirl007 · 6 years

Text

Mawow reading the letter from the NRA

When you write five posts a week, it can sometimes be hard to decide what to write about. I had Monday’s blog finished on Saturday and I started to think about what I should write for Tuesday (which is what you are reading now) and the topic dropped right into my lap.

Before dear hubby went to work on Saturday, I asked him to run outside to grab the mail so lazy old me didn’t have to do it. When he came in he said, “you won’t believe what came for me in the mail.” I was kind of surprised by what it was.

It is with dear hubby’s permission I write about this. When he came in from getting the mail, he handed me an envelope. It was addressed to dear hubby and it was from the NRA. They had a membership card already printed with his name on it and all they wanted was some cash and dear hubby could be a member of the NRA.

To be honest with you, I was a bit angry that the NRA sent this to my house. My dear hubby has never been a member of the National Rifle Association, so I don’t really know why they decided to send him this “welcome” packet. With dear hubby’s permission, I took that NRA member card and cut it into a million little pieces, along with everything that had hubby’s name on it. I put it into the return envelope and thought about sending it back to them because they had already paid the postage, but dear hubby talked me out of it, so I tossed it into the garbage where it belongs. I did keep the “Dear Friend” letter and I thought I would share some NRA propaganda with you. I can assure you, you have probably heard some of this before.

I quote, “Hundreds of anti-gun politicians, judges, radical billionaires and the freedom-hating media elite are vowing to fight on and never surrender…not until they ban hundreds of popular firearms, register gun owners and drive a stake in the heart of your firearm freedoms.”

WOW, drama much NRA? The NRA is really trying to make this into us VS. them and I do not recall anyone trying to take away your 2nd Amendment rights. But what people are concerned with is kids being shot in school. They are supposed to be safe when they are at school and yet, again and again, students and teachers are being killed in the classroom. What does the NRA say?

More from the “Dear Friend” letter, “If you want to protect your guns and your precious freedoms-for you and your children-please act NOW. Please accept this card and join NRA today.”

“This card offers crystal-clear proof to our elected leaders that if they push gun registration, licensing and prohibition, then they can expect defeat in Congress and the courts and in the next election. It’s that promise, backed by NRA membership muscle, that stops gun-banners in their tracks.”

I do not own a gun, but I do own a bow. I am not a hunter. I target shoot with my bow. There are members of my family who own guns to hunt and some just own guns. I don’t want to take away anyone’s right to own a firearm. I just want kids to stop dying already dammit. But, what does that letter from the NRA worry about? PROTECTING GUNS. It’s right there in the “Dear Friend” letter. Just look two paragraphs up.

So, Wayne LaPierre thinks that a good guy with a gun is the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun, let’s look a little bit closer into that, shall we?

A teacher from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida was arrested this month after leaving his loaded Glock 9 mm pistol in a bathroom stall at a Deerfield Beach Pier where the gun was found by a drunk homeless man who fired the pistol. Luckily no one was hurt in the incident. However, this teacher is one who was open to getting training to carry a gun in the school. (LINK)

I am absolutely horrified that people want to bring more guns into a school where more innocent lives could be lost. I can think of different scenarios where bringing more guns into a school that would be a complete disaster. Think about the situation above and if the teacher left a gun in a bathroom stall at school. What if a young child found the gun and decided to fire it just like the drunk man above. He fired it to see if it was loaded and a child might do the same thing.

I would like to think that if a teenager found the gun they would turn it into a teacher, but then you have a teenager walking down the hall with a loaded gun. That could get dangerous real fast. Would the security officer at the school give a child a chance to even explain why they are walking down the hall with a gun? What if it was a child of color or of Hispanic descent? Would they get the same chance to explain as a child who is white? How many people of color have been shot for walking down the street while being black? Or driving while black? I’m sure you can think of a few too.

Just last week in Detroit a child overslept and missed his bus and was attempting to walk to school following the route his bus takes, but he got lost. He went to a nearby house to ask for directions when the woman who answered the door began yelling, “why are you trying to break into my house?” The child tried to explain he was just looking for directions when the woman’s husband came downstairs allegedly grabbed a gun and fired. The young boy took off as soon as he saw the gun. The entire incident was captured on the homeowner’s Ring video doorbell. (LINK)

Are these the law-abiding citizens that the NRA claims people like me are trying to take away their “precious freedoms?” Which by the way I am not trying to do!

I take part in walkouts to show I am in solidarity with the young people whose lives have been permanently altered by gun violence. I want all children to be safe in school and I do not agree that more guns will solve this issue.

When you drive a car, you are required to have a license and carry insurance, so why can’t it be the same with firearms? I think you should have to register all firearms that way if your firearm(s) is stolen the police have a way to track that weapon. They will know where the gun came from and where it goes. If you sell a gun, the person buying it should have to register it, just like we do with cars. Why is the NRA so afraid of having people register all firearms? Why do they fight sensible gun laws? It’s time people wake up and realize the NRA isn’t looking out for you, they are looking out for gun manufacturers and gun manufacturers just want to sell more guns.

This Friday is the 19th anniversary of the shooting in Columbine, Colorado and there will be a National School Walkout at 10 o’clock in each time zone. The students from Parkland, Flordia are encouraging everyone and not just their peers to walkout where you are. These young people are trying so hard to make a difference and I am absolutely horrified at the way they are being treated on social media. If you have twitter, I would encourage you to follow these students. I believe each one of them will go far in their lifetime. If you would like more information about the walkout or find a walkout near you click HERE.

I hope you have a great Tuesday. I would appreciate it if you could click the follow button and/or follow me on Twitter. If you like what Mawow and I are doing, follow us on Patreon (LINK) or become a patron. I promise to give extra treats for Mawow for you.

Mawow and wish you,

Peace, Love & Kitty Snuggles.

=^..^= (“)(“)

“DEAR FRIEND” Mawow reading the letter from the NRA When you write five posts a week, it can sometimes be hard to decide what to write about.

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blueboxesandtrafficcones · 5 years

Text

Barcelona is for Lovers - Chapter 4

Chapter 4! Many thanks to @stupidsatsuma. @doctorroseprompts

Chapter 5 will be available on April 7th; chapters are posted every other Sunday

General warnings for: hanky panky. Take the ‘lovers’ part of the title seriously. Major happenings of the smutty variety this chapter! Rated M

Masterlist

Summary

Drifting awake the next morning, Rose was disappointed but unsurprised to find herself alone in bed. After stumbling to the toilet she didn’t bother with a dressing gown, just padded to the kitchen in her skimpy nighty.

“Good morning!” The Doctor was chipper as ever, meeting her in the living room and pressing a mug into her hands. “Let’s sit outside.” He steered her out to the back patio, and they curled up together on the sofa from the previous evening. Rose kept her eyes closed as she sipped her tea, listening with one ear as he chattered about his plans for the day – she got the gist of it, which was they would go into Barcelona and play tourist – as she mostly focused on sifting through the day before and drinking her perfectly-made tea.

“What do you think?”

“Sounds perfect, love,” she yawned, snuggling her head into his shoulder. “Soon’s I’m done my cuppa.”

He hummed in agreement, his arm a pleasant weight on her thighs where they draped over his lap, fingers sliding over her knee.

After a few minutes, she swung her legs away with a groan, standing and stretching her back. “C’mon, let’s get ready and go.”

“This was nice,” he protested feebly, reaching for her. “Come back.”

Rose considered him for a moment, before straddling his waist and kissing him deeply. “Unless you’re suddenly ready for sex, I need to go put clothes on. You’re too damn tempting.”

He reluctantly let her go, waiting until she backed away to stand as well. “So are you.”

Laughing, she pulled him back to their room. “Go change,” she ordered, “so we can get out of this house and I can have a full minute of not thinking about shagging you.”

“Not sure I want that,” he murmured, pressing his mouth to hers before grabbing his clothes.

“Tease!”

Two hours later, Rose listened with one ear to the tour guide. They’d found a free walking tour, and for once the Doctor was willing to let someone else be the expert. Holding hands they were at the back of the group, just soaking up the ambiance and the time together.

“Look behind you, five o’clock,” the Doctor muttered in her ear, blatantly staring over her head. “Not too quick!”

“Trouble?” she whispered back hopefully, slowly pivoting. Trained eyes scanned the area, but she didn’t see anything noteworthy; in fact, there wasn’t much to see at all, just little shops. A few passersby, but on the whole, a quiet area. “What is it?”

“Gelato.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Ice cream? Really? It’s ten in the morning.”

“Gelato, it’s not the same,” he hissed. “And, yes.”

Rose bit her lip, glancing between him, the store, and the tour guide.

“Come on, he’s boring, we can go exploring on our own,” he coaxed, and she sighed in surrender.

“Okay.”

The Doctor brightened immediately, grabbing her hand and hissing, “Run!”

They took off across the square together, shrieking with laughter as the guide shouted after them. The shop was quiet on account of the hour, and they ended up with a seven-scoop monstrosity to share at his insistence as they walked around.

“So, tell me about the planet,” Rose suggested, digging her spoon into the coffee flavored scoop.

“What, Earth?” The Doctor was working on the banana scoop, trying to cram as much on the tiny plastic spoon as physically possible.

“No, Barcelona.”

He stopped walking, glancing down at her in surprise. “What?”

“When you were first regenerating, after the Gamestation, you mentioned wanting to take me to the planet Barcelona – not that we ever went. I was just wondering what it was like, if it was anything like the city.”

He started walking again, slower this time. “Well, it’s… shall we say peak is during the 32nd century. Solar flares in the 25th century forced humans off Earth, and they mostly left in great big ships holding entire countries. Well, Spain had broken up by then so the Catalan contingent set off on its own – localism was big at the time. They found a nice little planet in the next system over, terraformed it, and moved in. Took a handful of generations to build it up, big revivalist movement when they were doing the planning, decided to recreate home. The modern conveniences were installed of course, but otherwise it was built exactly as it had been in the height of its empire in the, oh, 13th century. With handpicked modern buildings, such as a completed La Sagrada Familia as well, naturally. The rest of the Iberian Peninsula’s occupants, meaning the other Spanish contingents and the Portuguese, settled on nearby planets, so they had trade and travel and everything.”

“And the dogs?”

“No noses,” he confirmed, “which look a little odd at first glance but you get used to it. Well, we say dogs, but they’re really the indigenous version of wolves domesticated over the centuries.”

“Sounds brilliant,” Rose sighed, leaning her head briefly on his shoulder. “We should try and go, when the TARDIS is fully grown.”

“First stop,” he promised with a grin. “Provided it exists in this universe.”

“Perfect.”

They spent the rest of the day wandering through the city, letting the Doctor’s encyclopedic mind be their guide. Rose was never quite sure whether she was relieved or disappointed that nothing unusual happened, but it was good to be able to relax with him. They were finding their way again, remembering how it was to be alone together, something that hadn’t happened in more than five years for her. As much as she loved her parents and brother, their constant presence wasn’t conducive to reconnecting and being together like they had been before. Then and there, Rose resolved to start looking for a place of their own as soon as they returned to London.

They got street food for lunch, and dinner was a cute little bistro along the waterfront, the Balearic Sea stretching out in front of them as the sun set.

“This was a perfect day,” Rose murmured, as they walked back to the car arm in arm.

He squeezed her closer, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. “Any day with you’s a perfect day, no matter what we’re doing.”

“Ditto.” Then she reconsidered. “Well, I’d say ‘great’. Any day is great. Any day where we’re not nearly executed is ‘perfect’.”

“Ah, live a little,” the Doctor scoffed. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“The gallows in Salem Town,” she retorted. “I have plenty a sense of adventure, believe me, but… I’ve had too many too close calls in the last few years, with my jumps. Nearly dying generally during an outing? Fine. But being executed? No thanks.”

He opened and closed his mouth several times, before changing the subject. “Anything else you want to do while we’re here?”

She let him. “Not today. I’d like to come in later this week and go shopping, and take a day or two and go see the countryside, but mostly I want to spend my time in the pool or by the beach.”

“Molto bene,” he proclaimed, before frowning. “Or, in this case, muy bien.”

Rose wrinkled her nose as he opened the car door for her. “Maybe stick to Italian.”

“Yeah…”

They drove back in the dark, listening to the local radio. He was behind the wheel this time, one hand steering as the other held her own. The wind whipped Rose’s hair, the water sparkling in the clear moonlight on her right, and she thanked her lucky stars that she was here in this moment, with him.

“More wine on the patio?” she suggested as they entered the house.

“Sure.” He snatched the bottle opener from her fingers with a kiss. “D’you want to go change? Get comfortable?”

Rose leaned back to study him. From any other bloke that would be code for ‘put on lingerie’, but his expression was perfectly innocent, as though genuinely concerned about her comfort level. “All right.”

In the bedroom she pawed through her drawers, trying to decide on something. Was it code? Should she wear something regular? Sexy? Somewhere between? Finally she settled on boyshorts and a tank with no bra. Comfortable, not inherently seductive, it was easy access without blatant advertising.

She found him out on the couch, two full wine glasses on the ottoman in front of him as he stared up at the sky. “Hey.”

“Hi.” His eyes raked over her, and she thought they darkened at so much skin on display, but he didn’t react otherwise but to hand her one of the glasses, keeping the other for himself. “Sit.”

Rose settled on the couch next to him, her legs curled up under her as she leaned into his side. He didn’t seem to mind, simply settled his arm around her shoulders and held her close. Staring up as well, she sighed. “I hate that we weren’t able to bring the stars back.” There were still plenty twinkling away, and the average person might barely notice any were missing, but Rose knew. She’d been the first to see them go out, had raised the alarm. Hundreds were gone, vanished from the naked eye, and a fresh wave of hatred for Davros and the Daleks washed through her.

“We stopped it happening. There’s nothing more we could have done,” he reminded her. “And now we’re here, together, so as awful as it was, it still pulled us home, so it wasn’t all bad.”

“Home?” Rose repeated, rolling her eyes. “I’m still here in this universe, only now you’re stuck here with me.”

“Yeah, but stuck with you, that’s not so bad,” he teased, and she reluctantly grinned. “Besides, home is where the heart is, yeah? And my heart’s been here for a long time now.”

“Aww,” she cooed, “that’s so cute.” Stretching her neck she kissed him, leaning into it.

He responded passionately, working his tongue between her lips to flick around her mouth. One hand came up to burrow into her hair, holding her against him. Rose matched his furor, fisting his shirt for leverage as she fought back, sucking at his tongue before forcing it back to his mouth, hers chasing it to explore his own.

Her wine glass spilled with their movement and she broke away, panting, to right it. She glanced up at the Doctor, intending to apologize as he’d been splashed, but the hungry look in his eye wiped the thought from her mind. Snatching his own glass, she set them both on the ottoman before shifting.

“What-” he started to protest, falling silent when she slung her leg over his hip and straddled him, pressing down against the hint of bulge there. He grunted, hands coming to her hips and forcing her down harder against him.

Rose hummed in approval as she grasped his head and dove back into him. They struggled for dominance in the kiss, fighting in every arena. Her hips rocked against him, feeling him grow as his hands plastered themselves to her bum, helping guide her movements. One of her hands tangled in his hair as the other grasped the back of the couch, using the hold for leverage as she moved over him.

“This okay?” she gasped, breaking the kiss.

“Don’t stop,” he hissed, throwing his head back and exposing his throat. “Keep doing that.”

“Tell me if I need to,” Rose ordered, before lowering her mouth to his adam’s apple. “Don’t hesitate.” The Doctor moaned, loudly, as she nipped, licked, and sucked at his neck and jaw, still moving against him. She shifted the angle at one point, so she could receive more of the stimulation, and the change made him cry out.

“Still okay?”

“Fuck, yes,” he cursed, and she nearly lost her rhythm in surprise at the vulgarity. “Yes, Rose, yes.”

Her skin tingled; she was close, and sensed the Doctor was just on the precipice as well. Resolved to bring them both over- damn the consequences- she was bearing down with all she had, sucking his earlobe into her mouth as he panted beneath her, when a ringing filtered through her mind.

“Wha’?” Her hips instinctively slowed, head raising as she blearily looked around in confusion as the Doctor whimpered. The ringing continued, and as she stopped moving, she realized it was her mobile. “Shit!”

“No!” the Doctor protested, as she leaned back to grab it from the ottoman, where it sat under a napkin. “Rose!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she chanted, answering the call. “What?!”

“Sorry, am I interrupting?” her mother snarked, and Rose almost cried.

“Yes. What do you want?”

“How’s your trip been so far? I thought you were going to call.”

Rose grit her teeth, her lower half throbbing painfully in desperate need of release. “It’s going well. The house is nice. Yesterday was spent in the ocean and pool. Today we went to Barcelona.”

“Oooh, how was that? What did you see? Did you do any shopping?”

“Mum-” Rose rubbed at her forehead with her other hand, trying to focus. “I told you we’d tell you all about it when we got back.”

“I know, but it’s been five years love, I’m not used to not talking to you every day anymore. I miss you.”

“Mum, I’m on holiday with my boyfriend,” she grit out, “and I already told you you were interrupting. Can I call you tomorrow? We can talk for as long as you like then.”

“Oh, what could you be in the middle of that’s more important?” Jackie scoffed, a commotion behind her.

“Mum, I’m hanging up,” Rose bit out. “If there’s an emergency, spit it out. Otherwise, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Oh, fine,” she relented. “Whatever. I see how it’s going to be – just like before, eh? No time for your mum. Just remember to use a condom. I’m too young to be a gran.” And she hung up.

Rose screeched in frustration, tossing the mobile to the other side of the couch. “She just- she just- argh!” She met the Doctor’s gaze, biting her lip at the pleading, needy look she found there. “Sorry.”

He grunted. “Erm, what we were doing was… nice.”

“Good.”

“It… seemed like it was about to get nicer?” he continued sheepishly.

“If you mean you were about to have an orgasm, yeah, was ‘bout to get very nice. For both of us.”

“D’you think- can we possibly-”

Rose hummed in encouragement, rubbing at his shoulders. “Whatever it is, you can say it.”

“Can you… keep going?” he finally managed, not quite meeting her eye. “Please?”

“You wanted to wait,” she reminded him gently. “You weren’t ready. I don’t want you to have any regrets, or feel like things happened too soon.”

“It’s okay,” the Doctor promised, finally meeting her gaze. “I really liked what we were doing, and want to… to see it through. If you’re okay with it.”

Rose bit her lip, looking over his shoulder as she considered. “You sure?”

“Yes.” He kissed her sweetly. “Very sure.”

“Okay.” And she climbed off his lap. “This might be a bit easier if you take off your shorts – but leave the boxers on.”

He did as directed eagerly, leaving them in a pile on the ground as he sat back against the couch, this time in the middle. “Good?”

“Mhmm.” Rose climbed on top of him carefully, reaching for him before hesitating. “Can I… adjust you?”

“Okay.”

She gingerly reached between them, shifting his erection through his pants so she wouldn’t hurt him. “Right.” Snuggling down against him, she adjusted both of them until she was satisfied. “Ready?”

“Please.”

She slowly began to rock down on him, and he immediately perked back up. Tilting her hips forward so he began to hit her perfectly, she let out a ragged moan. The Doctor’s grip had returned to her hips, holding her so tightly she suspected there would be bruises tomorrow. She hoped there were.

It didn’t take them long to build back up, and soon their sighs and moans painted the night air, as she writhed on top of him. All at once it was too much and not enough, and she nearly sobbed with relief when his hands came up to play with her breasts, teasing her nipples. “Close, close, close, fuck babe I’m so close.” She had a death grip on the back of the sofa, rocking over him desperately. Her eyes were closed, head thrown back, which meant she was entirely unprepared for a warm, wet mouth to close over her breast through the thin cotton and suckle the nipple. “Shit!” With a loud cry she came, collapsing forward onto his chest as he groaned in her ear.

Heart pounding, she didn’t move for what felt like forever until she remembered him and sat up, groaning. “Did you…” One look at his blissed-out face was enough of an answer, and she fought down a giggle. “What’d you think?”

“Is it always like that?” he asked in a daze, fingertips drawing lazy circles on her hips.

Rose stretched her back, pushing her hips into his and wrinkling her nose at the damp mess between them. “No. It’s usually better.”

“I don’t know if I could survive better,” the Doctor mumbled. “That was… that was… oh, Rose.” Cupping the back of her head, he drew her towards him for a tender kiss. “Thank you.”

She hummed. “You’re welcome – and thank you.”

After a moment they burst into laughter, letting it ring out into the night air.

“I’m starting to understand your species obsession with this particular pastime,” he drawled, and Rose giggled, kissing his nose.

“Babe, you haven’t got a clue.”

#bbatcfic #doctorroseprompts #ficandchips #Doctor Who #TenTooxRose #TenToo #Rose Tyler #prompted #Barcelona is for Lovers #oohlala

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