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mv Monday!!!!

Do you think you could write a mall!au where reader works at like a women’s store (think Victoria’s Secret or aerie type) but mall employee!sirius/remus come in all the time to flirt with her? I don’t have a pref for either boy, whatever you feel like!!! 🫶🫶🫶

today is multiverse monday, send me any au you can think of! :)

this post is 18+, minors dni.

It's 1 PM on a Thursday, so you're not surprised that the only people in your store are Lupin and Black. They come more often than you do, you're fairly certain, and they don't work with you.

"Boys," You drawl, watching their pathetic attempt to seem casual wandering amongst, "If you're not here to buy something, you know I have to ask you to leave."

Both men turn, once more feigning coy. Remus reaches for a pair of panties beside him without looking, and Sirius brings up the rear as he approaches your counter.

"Just these," Sirius grins, and Remus sets the lacy underwear in front of you, price tag facing up and ready to be scanned.

You chew the inside of your cheek; you should challenge them. You should stop them in their tracks, refuse to sell them the underwear, because you know they're only buying it to stay in the store. They're relentless, and although their persistence pleases you, you're determined to get them to crack. They won't admit that they're pursuing you, but you're tired of the game they're playing; you want to win.

Unfortunately, you can't just deny them the sale. You don't have good reason, not reason enough for corporate, and their rules are that you're allowed to refuse service only on pre-approved grounds.

Horniness is not one of them, so you scan the panties with a tinny beep.

"$18.39." You wait for them to blanch, to back down because they hadn't expected to get this far, and $20 is more than they're willing to pay to flirt.

Instead, "Can we have that gift-wrapped, dove?"

You try to tamp down the burning of your cheeks at Remus's words, watching as he swipes his card when prompted. The payment goes through, and you snag tissue paper from under the counter, carefully folding the panties in on themselves until you can package them in a neat square. You set them gently into a pink striped bag, one that holds its stiff shape as you tug at the black strings, and pass it over the counter, letting Lupin take it from your outstretched fingers.

"Thanks." Sirius grins, and Remus pawns the bag off onto him. You wait for them to leave, to take their daily dose of teasing and head back to their record store, but instead Sirius reaches out, setting the bag back onto the counter.

"Gotta present for you, angel." Sirius grins, "Wanna try 'em on? Just to make sure they fit, and all."

Your stomach tries migrating to your feet. You're surprised by their bold moves, they're usually more lazily flirtatious. Now they're outright brazen, and you're at a loss for words.

Remus sees your brain malfunctioning, and he considers that it might be for the wrong reasons. He grabs hold of Sirius's elbow, "If you're uncomfortable-"

But you don't let him finish, quickly shaking off your momentary shock.

"Come on, you two," You hop the counter, landing tantalizingly close to them before they have the chance to stumble backwards. You take a hold of each of their hands, motioning for Sirius to grab the gift bag with a tilt of your chin towards the pink plastic.

"Dressing rooms are vacant. I can manage a fifteen minute break," You start towards the stalls on the opposite wall of the store, "That's seven minutes for each of you, and one for cleanup. Don't be loud." You round on them just before you reach the dressing rooms, narrowing your eyes at their pleasantly surprised expressions, "If you get me fired we can't ever do this again."

Pretty in Pink|| E.Edwards x reader x R.McGroarty

• pairing: Ethan Edwards x reader x Rutger McGroarty

• summary: An innocent time modeling lingerie for Ethan and Rutger turns into a not so innocent night

• word count: 4.1k

• warnings: SMUT, threesome, unprotected p in v sex, oral (m & f receiving), digital sex (fingering) taking panties off with teeth, foreplay, praise kink, lots of hair pulling, mature language, lingerie

series masterlist

"Are you ready?" You called from behind the closed door of Rutgers bathroom. You held your ear up to the door, waiting to hear a response. You heard someone clear their throat before responding.

"We're ready for you baby!"

It was Ethan.

"Good," you called back, "No peaking."

You took a deep breath as you did one last look in the mirror. You fluffed your hair up a bit and adjusted your breasts before unlocking the bathroom door. You opened the door, the creaking sound filling the bedroom and making the boys perk their heads up. You put your manicured hands on your hips, posing for the boys.

"Okay you can open them." You said, smirking slightly as you looked at the hockey players sitting on the edge of the bed. Ethan and Rutger took their hands away from their eyes, letting them fall to the bed. Their eyes landed on your lingerie clad figure. The way your breasts looked in the cups lined with lace and the little white bowtie on the waist band of your red lace panties had Ethan and Rutger already going crazy.

"What do you think?" you asked as you did a few different poses, showing them all the angles of your new lingerie. "Do we like the red?"

Rutgers eyes trailed down your body. The tip of his tongue rested against the side of his mouth as he nodded slowly. His blue eyes filled with lust as he scanned them back up your body.

"It looks amazing." Rutger breathed out, already feeling the effects of you. Ethan nodded in agreement, his eyes stuck to your breasts as he spoke, "I love the red."

"Good," you hummed, "I have another one. Let me go put it on." You sent a wink to the boys before turning around and walking back into the bathroom. You made sure to add a sultry sway to your hips as you walked just to get your boys going.

Over the weekend, you went out to lunch and did some shopping at the mall with a few of your friends. Victorias Secret was having a sale on their lingerie sets, so you and your friends decided to check out what they had. Since you and Ethan have added Rutger into your relationship and sex life, you figured you'd splurge and buy some new sets for the boys to appreciate. So here you are now, modeling off your lingerie for the two.

You took the red set off and put on a different one. This one was a darker red, sort of like a maroon color. The bra was completely lace and slightly see through, giving Ethan and Rutger a little peak at your hard nipples. The panties for the set were an all lace, high leg thong. The boys were going to love this one.

You came out of the bathroom, smirking slightly as you heard a soft "Oh fuck" leave Rutgers mouth at the sight of you in the maroon lingerie. You walked up to the boys, letting them get a good look at the lingerie set.

"You like this one?"

Ethan's breath hitched as he was eye level with your hard pink nipples poking through the slightly see through lace material. Rutger huffed out a breath from beside him, his adams apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed thickly. Rutger lifted his hips slightly off the bed as the bulge in his pants appeared.

You looked so hot. You always looked so hot.

"I love this one. Red is your color." Ethan replied, wetting his lips as he hesitantly tore his eyes off your breasts. He just wanted to attach his lips to the those sensitive buds poking through your bra. You smiled sweetly at your boyfriend, "Thanks Eddy." You turned to Rutger, rolling your shoulders forward just a little bit to push your chest out.

You decided a little teasing wouldn't hurt...

"What about you Rut?"

Rutger wet his bottom hip as he rubbed his hands on his shorts. There was a pink tint on his cheeks as his eyes locked on your breasts before bringing them up to your eyes.

"I love it." he practically breathed out. You were getting him extremely worked up just from showing off your new lace outfits. You flashed him the same smile you did at Ethan, thanking the blonde boy sweetly before you sauntered back to the bathroom. The hockey players held their breaths as they watched with lust filled eyes, you leaning against the frame of the bathroom door.

"I think you'll really like these next two." You purred, shooting them a wink before retreating into the bathroom and shutting the door behind you. Once the boys heard the door click shut, they both let out the breaths they were holding.

"Wow," Rutger breathed out, "she looks amazing." Ethan nodded in agreement, "Fuck yeah she does."

Rutger shook his head as he thought about you coming out in another revealing set. Just thinking about you in more lingerie made him even harder. "I just want to rip it off of her."

"Be patient Rut," Ethan said as he pulled at his shorts, trying to take the pressure off his growing hard-on, "I'm sure you'll get your chance."

The door opened again, revealing you in a navy blue set with a little yellow bow tying the lace cups together. The panties matched the bra, a little yellow bow in the middle of the elastic waistband. Now this set was Ethan and Rutgers favorite.

"Fuck Y/n." Both boys groaned out at the same time. You chuckled softly at their reactions, deciding to give them a closer a look. You played with the ends of your hair as you walked up to the boys, averting your gaze back and forth between Ethan and Rutger. You stood between both of them and placed a hand on each of their thighs. Rutger let out a breath as he lifted his hips again. Ethan threw his head back as he swallowed thickly.

It was getting very hard for them to contain themselves.

"I got this one because it was Michigan colors," you said, smirking at the boys, "thought you might appreciate that." Ethan pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he eyed your lingerie clad figure.

"We do pretty girl, we do." Rutger replied, wincing when your hand brushed across his erection. You knew exactly what you were doing to them. You bit your lip as you took your hands away from their thighs. Rutger reached out for your hand, giving you a pleading look.

"Don't take it off."

You smirked at his reaction. You squeezed his large hand gently as you spoke, "I have to show you my last set."

"No you don't." Rutger said his breath hitching before he spoke, "You can surprise us with it another time. Let Eddy and I take this one off for you..." He reached for the waistband of your panties, your arousal growing as he did so. Ethan reached over and swatted Rutgers hand away from your lower belly.

"Be patient Rut," he eyed you as he spoke, "Let our girl show off her pretty sets." You leaned down, giving Ethan a good view of your cleavage as you placed a hand on his thigh. You gave it a gentle squeeze as you spoke.

"Thanks Eth."

You pulled your hand away, glancing over your shoulder at the boys on the bed as you walked into the bathroom to change into your fourth and final set. You knew the boys were growing impatient, both of them wanting to rip off your new lingerie each time you stepped out of the bathroom. While the teasing was fun, you'd let them have their way with you after modeling this pink set.

Ethan and Rutger were sitting on the bed, both of them growing restless as they waited for you to come out of the bathroom in your final set. The longer they waited, the harder they got. Rutger needed to touch you and Ethan desperately needed to feel your touch. Rutgers breath hitched when the bathroom door opened. You slowly walked out wearing baby pink all lace lingerie. A small pink rose was in the middle of both the bra and panties, adding to the delicate look of this set.

Rutger was a sucker for you in pink.

You put your hands on your hips as you modeled off the lingerie, "This one may be my favorite." You said as you turned around to show them the view from behind. Ethan groaned as the pressure from his pants was starting to become too much. Rutger had to hold himself back from letting out a moan at the sight of your ass in the pink lace cheeky panties. You turned around, eyeing your boyfriend and his best friend as you sauntered over to them. Your eyes trailed down to the tents in their shorts.

Your plan worked.

"So," you said with a smirk, "about you taking this off of me..." You reached up and pulled down the strap of your bra, letting it hand down as you put your hands on Ethan and Rutgers thighs. Before you even had the chance to blink, Rutger's lips were attached to yours and he had you flipped onto your back on top of his bed. You moaned into his lips, bringing your hand up to the nape of his neck and pulling him closer to you. Your breathing was heavy as you pulled your mouth away from his.

"You're wearing too many clothes," you panted out as you looked at Ethan and Rutger, "both of you."

"Then let's do something about that pretty girl." Rutger murmured against your lips. He sat up from hovering over you, eyeing you as he crossed his arms over his torso and pulled his black t-shirt off. Your breath hitched in the back of your throat as your eyes gazed over his toned body.

"You're so hot Rut."

Rutger leaned down and kissed your neck, the vibration of his voice sending jolts of pleasure through your body, "Not as hot as you, baby." You bit your lip as Rutger began to suck harshly at your neck. Your nails clawed at his back as his lips moved against your sensitive skin. You turned your head to the side so you could look at Ethan and give Rutger easier access to your neck.

"You gonna join us or just stand there and watch?" You asked as your breathing grew uneven. Ethan smirked at you as he pulled his shirt off the same way Rutger did. Your eyes lit up at the sight of Ethans toned torso. Once he was shirtless, he immediately attached his lips to yours. His hungry kisses turned into his tongue begging for entrance. You parted your lips, giving your boyfriend access. You moaned into Ethans mouth. The feeling of his tongue fighting yours and Rutgers teeth nipping at your neck had you feeling overwhelmed with pleasure and anticipation. Rutger pulled himself away from your neck, making Ethan pull away from you too. You whined softly at the loss of contact. Rutger glanced at Ethan, almost seeming to silently ask for permission to do something. A smirk grew on Ethan's lips as he gave Rutger a curt nod. Rutger did the thing all guys do where he pushed his tongue against his cheek as his pretty blue eyes grew dark with lust. Ethan sat down on the bed next to you, that smirk still plastered on his face as he looked down at you.

You weren't sure what they had planned, but boy were you ready.

Rutger lowered his head so that he was now lined up with your lace clothed core that was practically dripping just from the sight of him and Ethan. He kept his blue eyes locked on yours as he bit down on the waistband of your pink panties. He slowly started to pull the fabric away from your waist. You lifted your hips off the mattress, giving Rutger just enough room to slide your panties down your legs with his mouth. Your moth gaped open in both shock and amusement.

You couldn't believe what you were seeing.

Not only could you not believe what you were seeing, but you loved what you were seeing. You've never seen Rutger or Ethan act this way before. Something about the hungry look in Rutgers eyes as he stared at your aching, dripping womanhood made you feel another level of turned on you've never quite felt before. Rutger ripped your panties out of his mouth and threw them off to the side where the pile of his and Ethans clothes was. He lowered his head back down to your dripping core, his tongue instantly lapping at your glistening folds, not even giving you a chance to prepare yourself.

"Oh- fuck..."you whimpered out loudly as Rutger ate you out like a starved man. Rutger chuckled against your folds, the vibration sending what felt like an electric shock through your body as it made you jolt. Rutger brought his veiny hands up to your thighs, keeping your legs spread open as he buried his tongue into you. He moaned against your core as the taste of your sweet juices hit his taste buds.

Ethan smirked at the sight next to him as he palmed himself through his boxers. He taught Rutger well, very well.

"You taste so good, Y/n." Rutger praised as he took a hand off of your thigh, placing it onto your womanhood and letting his thumb rub circles against your clit as he continued to lap at your soaked core. The feeling of both Rutgers tongue and fingers sent you over the edge, turning you into a whimpering and quivering mess in no time. You bucked your hips slightly as Rutgers pace quickened. His jaw clenched with each swipe of his tongue and the muscles in his forearm flexed with each stroke of his thumb. Your chest heaved as he licked a slow stripe up your core.

"Fuck Rut, don't stop..."

You brought your hands down to the back of Rutgers head, gripping the ends of his dark blonde hair as you pushed him closer to your center. Rutger panted against you, feeling your walls clench around his tongue as you grew close to your first orgasm of the night. You let out a whimper as Rutger pressed down on your lower belly with his hand. Ethan watched your body carefully beside you. He knew you were getting close from the way the your chest rose and fell, and how your hips were bucking every time his teammates tongue swirled over your clit.

"That's it baby," Ethan praised, "Let Rutger taste you."

You let out a few more whimpers, moaning Rutgers name in pleasure as you felt the familiar warmth pool in your lower belly. Soon enough, your chest was heaving as it all came crashing down and you were overcome with complete bliss. You swore your eyes rolled to the back of your head as Rutger lapped up your juices with his tongue, pulling his face away from your soaked core. He licked his lips dry, making sure to get every last drop of you into his mouth. Ethan smirked as he watched you come down from your orgasmic high, your heaving chest soon going back to its normal rising and falling.

"I don't think I've ever seen you cum that hard." He smirked, a sense of pride in his tone as he spoke. "That was hot."

“S all from Rut.” You replied, still trying to catch your breath and recover from your climax.

Rutger pulled you up into a sitting position before crashing his lips onto yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck, trailing your hands down his back as your nails dug into his skin once. You could taste yourself on his soft lips. Ethan came up behind you on the bed and buried his face into the crook of your neck. He sucked at the fresh love bites Rutger had left from earlier, turning them a deeper shade of purple. You pulled yourself away from Rutgers mouth, his teeth tugging at your bottom lip as you detached your soft lips from his. You threw your head back and whimpered softly as both boys started to leave more hickeys on your neck.

“Mmm,” you moaned out as you put a hand on Ethan and Rutgers heads. You ran your manicured nails through their locks of messy hair. Ethan squeezed your hip as he licked a stripe up your neck from your collarbone. You shuddered at the feeling and bit back a moan of pleasure. Ethan pulled away from your neck first. He gently pushed you down on the bed, letting himself and Rutger hover over your body.

“Good girl.” Ethan purred as he eyed your figure. Ethan looked over at Rutger, nudging him with his shoulder as he spoke, "You can have her this time Rut. I need to feel those pretty lips on my cock."

You whimpered at your boyfriends words and arched your back slightly just from the mere thought of Rutger being inside of you. Rutger smirked down at you as he responded, "Sounds good to me Eddy."

Rutger bit his lip in anticipation. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world right now. He needed you so bad. Needed to feel your walls clench around him as he pounds into you.

Rutger got up from the bed and removed his boxers from his waist. Once the boxers were removed from his waist, Rutgers impressive length sprang free and hit his stomach. Ethan did the same, his throbbing cock springing free from its restraint. The sight of their manhood never failed to impress you or turn you on even more.

“God Rut," you moaned the blonde name, "I need you inside of me right now.” Rutger smirked as he moved positions on the bed to give himself easier access for you, “I’m all yours, pretty girl.”

Ethan got behind you on the bed, positioning himself above you so you could have access to his throbbing cock. Rutger looked down at you as his eyes filled with lust.

“Hey Rut," Ethan said, the smirk evident in his town, "she looks so pretty like this doesn't she?"

“She does,” Rutger mused as he brought a hand down to your head, stroking your cheek with his thumb before putting it in your mouth, “The prettiest.”

“Mmm.” You moaned out breathlessly as the butterflies swarmed in your tummy at their praises. Both boys asked if you were OK before they made any further movements. You gazed up at Ethan as you you bit down on your bottom lip. You placed a hand on one of Ethan's thick, muscular thighs, spreading them apart as you slowly brought your mouth over the tip of head dripping with pre-cum. Ethan closed his eyes tightly at the feeling of your lips on his dick. You pulled them off with a pop as your tongue teased his slit, licking the pre-cum off of the red tip.

The feeling of your soft lips and your tongue toying with his tip made Ethan throw his head back, "Fuck," he let out a throaty moan as you slowly took more of him into your mouth. Rutger reached out and gripped your hips with his skilled hands to steady you as he pushed himself into your slick entrance.

"Shit, sweetheart-," Ethan grunted out as you spit on his dick, jerking him off with your lips still around him. You bobbed your head and moaned loudly around Ethan's large cock as Rutger ruthlessly thrusted into you. "You're doing so good," Rutger praised from behind you as you gagged slightly from the feeling of your boyfriends tip hitting the back of your throat,

"Taking both of us so well pretty girl." Rutger said through gritted teeth as a breathy moan fell from his lips.

Rutgers husky voice and the praises he muttered down at you made you moan around Ethan. Ethan brought his hands down to your chin, pushing your head closer to his manhood. You arched your back slightly so you could reach him better. Ethan bucked his hips towards you at the feeling of your lips vibrating against his sensitive, hard cock. Rutger brought a hand around to your chest, harshly kneading your left breast as his thumb and index finger pinched your sensitive, hard nipple through the pink fabric of your lingerie.

"Fuck," Rutger grunted out as your walls clenched around his cock, "You feel amazing." His grunts mixed with the sounds of all of your moans and skin hitting skin. Rutgers thrusts grew deeper, the feeling of his tip hitting your g-spot repeatedly made your body jolt with pleasure. You panted against Ethan, making the boys thighs clench and legs shake. “Shit, shit,” Ethan whimpered out as his eyes clenched shut. He brought his hands up to his messy brown hair, “Fuck, faster Y/n.”

Rutger continued to fuck you senseless as you picked up the pace with your boyfriend.

"That lingerie had me going crazy Y/n," Rutger breathed out as your walls tightened against him, "you have no idea." He finished though gritted teeth as you let out a loud whimper.

The sounds and smell of sex filled Rutgers room like it has the past three nights. You, Rutger and Ethan were moaning and whimpering messes as the pace quickened even more between the three of you. You felt the coil grow, threatening to snap with each thrust of Rutgers hips as you a familiar warmth pool in your lower belly.

You were so close.

"I'm so close." You whined as Rutger picked up the pace of his thrusts. Your walls were clenching harsher around his cock and he knew you were indeed close. Rutger groaned softly as he nodded, “Me too.”

His broad, toned chest heaved up and down as he panted from the anticipation of his orgasm.

Ethan whimpered loudly above you, his thighs clenching with each bob of your mouth. You could tell he was growing closer to his release as you felt his cock twitch in your mouth. Ethans face contorted into a look of pleasure. He let out a few grunts as he came undone in your mouth. “Fuck .” He panted as spurts of his hot cum filled your mouth.

You swallowed every drop of him instantly as you pulled your mouth off of your boyfriend on his knees behindyou. You never failed to bring Ethan into a state of complete bliss. Whether it was with your mouth or your tight walls, you always got Ethan to be overcome with pleasure. As Ethan recovered from his orgasm, you and Rutger continued until the all the built up pleasure came crumbling down.

"That's it," Rutger pleaded, his chest heaving as he panted, "cum for me sweetheart." He continued to pound into you, making sure you could feel each thrust. The feeling of his large cock filling you up made moan in pleasure. You came down harshly on Rutger as you loudly moaned mixtures of his and Ethan's names. Your chest heaved up and down as you saw stars from the orgasm your boyfriends best friend just gave you. Rutger reached his climax shortly after you. He was a moaning mess as he gripped onto your thighs. Spurts of his hot cum filled your insides before spilling out and onto the sheets. .

After all of your breathing was even and became regular once again, the boys plopped down on the bed next to you. The three of you were covered in sweat and cum as you laid on Rutgers bed.

It was the perfect combination.

"You should model lingerie for us more often." Ethan breathed out as his chest still heaved slightly. Rutger nodded in agreement beside you.

"I agree. You looked so pretty in pink."

You giggled softly in between your boys making a mental note to wear your pink lingerie set more often if it meant they'd fuck you like this.

"Noted," you replied, "I'll make sure to wear the pink all the time just for you two."

hi loves!!

i apologize for any errors, i didn’t proofread this too much lol

but i hope you enjoyed this! i’m having so much fun with this au. i never expected a whole universe to be created from one smut i posted, but here we are! i love it ;)

i will be posting the sequel digital animal at some point too, so this fic takes place after the sequel. i was just too impatient and i had to write this one while i still had the motivation

thank you so much for all the love and support with this series/au! it means so much to me🤍 all of your asks and ideas you’ve sent in have kept me motivated and excited to work on this series, so please keep them coming! i’ll literally write about and answer any idea you have

i hope you all have an amazing day. i love you all sooo much🫂🤍

This interesting 1900 condo is part of Old Louisville, Kentucky's prestigious Victoria Gardens. This particular unit is the carriage house and is apart from the main house. It has its own front garden, 2bds, 1.5ba, $165K + $184mo. HOA fee. The home has been fully renovated (expect white) and already has a sale pending.

A narrow living room shares space with the staircase. Note the high bookshelves and ladder.

A table and chairs in the corner is in close proximity to the kitchen.

A small catty corner kitchen is tucked away from the main living space.

This is the secondary bedroom. This room has high glass block windows, but seems to get a lot of light.

The secondary has a half bath with a cute vintage sink.

Here's the view from the upper landing.

And, there's room for a sitting area up here.

The 2nd level belongs to the primary bedroom.

Love the shelving at the head of the bed.

The primary en-suite has the one full bath.

This unit is the only one that has a private outdoor space. The main houses have a shared common area.

https://www.redfin.com/KY/Louisville/1337-S-1st-St-40208/home/84227968

New Event PV

New Operators

Santalla, 5* Splash Caster

Look in the distance, and pay attention, nature has already informed of all the changes.

Typhon, 6* Besieger Sniper

Each arrow can dye a Sami's night to a true dark.

Operator Skins Update

Total of 5 new skins, 4 new additions for the Coral Coast brand, 1 new addition for the Epoque brand

Ambriel's Casual Vacation HD29 - Event Shop Skin

Beeswax's Casual Vacation HD61

Stainless' Beach Guard GT003

Saileach's Summer Flowers FA317

Epoque

Astgenne's Her Aspiration

Astgenne's Epoque skin will be up for sale during Dorothy's Vision Retrospect

Announced a rerun for the i.t brand Crossover skins, up for sale during the same time as the new Coral Coast skins

Operator Modules Update

Typhon and Santalla being part of branches with modules immediately gets their modules

SIE-X module base effect increases Typhon's ATK to 115% when attacking enemies with weight 3 or more

SPC-Y module base effect reduces Santalla's initial deployment cost by -8

Standard Bearer Vanguard branch gets 1 module type

Phantom and Hellagur gets their second modules

EXE-Y module base effect increases Phantom's ATK by 10% when there are no allies within 4 adjacent tiles

MUS-Y module base effect is unknown at the time of writing

Events and Stories

Skorgrinn Svartr Vill Einn Draumr (眠于树影之中), a vignette story collection event

A research team has disappeared, and the entry way to the Icefields has been blocked off by Ursus.

Forced to go through Sami, Magallan embarks on her first expedition to these lands.

Set aside the prejudice of civilization, accept the advice of hunters and shamans, listen to the words of the trees, and close your eyes when necessary.

To seek the destiny that has long been waiting at the end of the road.

Dorothy's Vision Retrospect, scheduled after Skorgrinn Svartr Vill Einn Draumr

Operator Archives update for Qanipalaat, Muelsyse, Proviso, Astgenne, Cuora, Akafuyu, Istina and Yato

Misc Stuff

Annihilation #20 - Ashy Marsh, annihilation mission set in Victoria

Hi Victoria! I hope you're having a wonderful birthday!

I just have an interesting question for you, I don't know if someone has asked you this before but here it goes: What do you think when a reader gives one of your books a "bad" review, pointing out why they didn't like the book. Does it help you when it's constructive criticism?

For example, I read a hyper-overrated romancy book that all Booktok and Bookstagram love but I find cracks in the worldbuilding, characters-development and plot twists. The story is good and it could have been so much better.

And at the same time, I found a post that said giving bad reviews to writers was unnecessary and mean. I know if you're an author and someone gives you a horrible review saying your book is "bad" or even as far as saying that it is terrible could affect your sales and the chance to improve and become a better writer.

I'm also a writer, currently working on my first novel, and I have mixed feeling about this issue. First, and of course, I would not enjoy someone destroying my book but at the same time, if they're being respectful and giving an honest review about why they didn't enjoy it/like it, would not that be better to learn about my weakest links on writing?

What do you think about it?

GREAT QUESTION!

I think first and foremost, it's important for authors to remember that most reviews aren't *for* us. Or at the very least, they aren't *only* for us. If you're lucky enough to receive a NYT review, that's one thing, but the reviews you see on Goodreads aren't being written with the author in mind. In that vein, I don't subscribe to the idea that negative reviews are unnecessary and mean (unless you are directly tagging the author/sending the review their way, that's not kosher).

Personally, I read reviews when ARCs start trickling out, and when a book is published. But I also know that I can handle this information, and that I *want* this information. And yes, I've definitely read critical reviews that I consider useful. I've also read ones that hurt my feelings, but that comes with the territory, and I'm putting myself in the position to see it in the first place. That's up to each author to decide for themselves.

Now, because you are an aspiring writer, I think there may be some gray area. As an author myself, I don't feel comfortable negatively reviewing another book. I will only say or post positive things about another work, in public, because that just seems like common courtesy. I look at other authors as my colleagues and it feels rude to critique them from our side of the line. But that's just my personal choice and where I've landed after almost ten years in publishing! It's really up to you.

SOIL TESTING: WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT CRUCIAL BEFORE YOUR NEW HOME BUILD?

No matter where you look for land for sale to build your dream home, you run that risk if you do not conduct an accurate, comprehensive soil test first.

It is easy to take the foundation of your home for granted. Especially if your piece of land is level and the dirt does not present any obvious issues. The soil test is needed to choose the best piece of land for the construction of your new home.

Becoming a part of the Verdant Hill community has never been easier with just a $10,000* fixed deposit plus a $5,000 discount! Surrounded by local amenities, including world-class educational opportunities for every level, retail, hospitality, medical, religious, and recreational precincts, Verdant Hill is a vibrant and connected community with the unrivalled convenience.

I don't know if you've already mentioned this in any of your posts about Tower Bridge, so hopefully I'm not repeating the same idea back to you, but there's a detail I feel supports your theory regarding Queen Victoria reallocating the Phantomhive resources to that project. It's the abandonment of the Phantomhive estate and land.

I was reading this post and it occurred to me that the Phantomhive manor not being in use when O!Ciel returned with Sebastian is a sign that Queen Victoria didn't care about the Phantomhive's property so much as their other resources. O!Ciel returned to his manor in the same state it was left in during the attack, and Sebastian fixed it. Perhaps Victoria sent someone there at one time, but it seems to have been abandoned throughout the twins' captivity. Furthermore, O!Ciel and Sebastian were able to use the manor in secret for a time. No one came to check on the place until their presence was known.

I find this to be a reasonable sign that Victoria only had use for their other resources. Or none of them, but I feel your theory about her using the Phantomhives' resources is more plausible than that.

Left to decay

I've talked about it before but not with much detail.

Not only was the manor itself left in ruins, but the roads apparently needed repairs. Bridges, too, and getting trenches re-done. All the work that had been done while Vincent was there (ch132) was left to deteriorate. Only a couple months, probably, but weather and constant use will create a lot of wear and tear to roads and bridges. The roads are probably mostly dirt/gravel anyway, and those need constant maintenance to keep ruts from forming where the wheels usually roll along. And erosion, debris, etc. will start to refill trenches. Besides, we don't know what repair/building/digging projects were still just in the planning phase when Vincent was killed.

Some of the estate dwellers were still on the property, like the old man who was probably deemed too old and infirm to work on Tower Bridge, as well as some of his grandkids, who were too young/not skilled enough. I imagine that the vast majority of people who stayed would have been too old, young, or weak to be of much use to the queen.

Our earl might have found out that some of his residents left to work on the Tower Bridge project in London, but he might have figured they left simply because there were better work opportunities in London and elsewhere; he might have not known the queen relocated them... and allocated them. Or, if he knew the queen had used funds and resources (people), he might have automatically accepted it since Phantomhive Manor and the surrounding estate was in such a sorry state of affairs. It had been relinquished to her, so she had "every right" to do with it as she pleased. It's probably just never occurred to him she could have caused this to happen, with the intent to take the money and move people around.

He probably hired more people on as soon as he could. Perhaps a few previous residents returned once they found out it had been restored. And he made repairs as soon as he could, in order for the workers to transport their goods to market with ease again. Even in ch120, that old dairy farmer we see again and again is praising him for repairing those roads.

Even now, there are some younger adults, but a lot of the residents are very old or very young.

Real Ciel says that it looks like cheap goods from the US were having a negative impact on the sale of Phantomhive estate goods, and that might be true. However, if the workers on the estate had trouble even getting their goods to market, and if the workforce was reduced, the issues were way worse than whatever real Ciel realized.

Emily Carr was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1871. Her inclination to art was duly encouraged by her father, Richard Carr, a wholesale merchant. After the death of both her parents in 1890, she started to pursue art seriously, and studied at the San Francisco Art Institute for two years. At the age of 26, Carr visited a small village near Ucluelet located on the western coast of the Vancouver Island. There she sketched the lives of the Nootka people, indigenous to the land. Her interest in the lifestyle of Indian people was promoted by her trip to Alaska, where she spent days sketching the daily activities of the villagers.

In 1899, Carr went to the UK to study at the Westminster School of Art in London. In England she befriended and worked with Julius Olsson and Algernon Talmage, artists of the St. Ives School. By the time she returned to Canada, Carr established herself as a professional artist. She worked as a teacher at the Ladies Art Club in Vancouver, where she was highly unpopular among the students due to her smoking habits and cursing, that eventually led her to resign from her job.

After her tryst with many Indian villages in the Queen Charlotte Islands and the Upper Skeena River, Carr once again went to Europe in 1910, to study at the Académie Colarossi in Paris. She also took private lessons from Harry Phelan Gibb who influenced her palette adding there more vibrant colors. She was also influenced by French Post-Impressionism and Fauvism, and, after returning back to Canada in 1912, she exhibited 70 oils and watercolors of her “french period”, showing those influences. However, her bold new style was not appreciated by Canadians.

During the next 15 years, Carr did not paint much. She run a boarding house, took a short-story writing course, and spent some time in San Francisco doing different jobs, like painting decorations for the St. Francis Hotel and drawing cartoons for Western Woman’s Weekly. In 1927 Carr attended an exhibition of West Coast Aboriginal art in National Gallery of Canada. There she met Lawren Harris and other members of the Group of Seven, the most recognized modern painters in Canada at that time. Their distinctively Canadian art impressed her greatly, and triggered the most prolific period of her creative career. Throughout the decade, she mastered the scenes from the daily lives, traditions and culture of the indigenous Americans. With Lawren Harris as her mentor, Carr began to paint bold, almost hallucinatory canvases with which many people identify her - paintings of Aboriginal totem poles set in deep forest locations or the sites of abandoned Indigenous villages.

After a year or two Carr left Aboriginal subjects to devote herself to nature themes. From 1928 on, critical recognition and exposure in exhibitions of more than regional significance, like the National Gallery of Canada and the American Federation of Artists in Washington, D.C., began to come her way. There was even the occasional sale, though never enough to improve her financial situation. In full mastery of her talents and with deepening vision, she continued to produce a great body of paintings freely expressive of the large rhythms of Western forests, driftwood-tossed beaches and expansive skies, like Indian Church (1929), Loggers’ Culls (1935), and Heart of the Forest (1935).

In 1937, Carr suffered her first heart attack, which marked the beginning of a decline in her health and a lessening of the energy required for painting. Artworks from her last decade, like Odds and Ends (1939), reveal her growing anxiety about the environmental impact of industry on British Columbia's landscape and on the lives of Indigenous people. Carr died in 1945 of a heart attack. More than half a century after her death, she has become a Canadian icon. Her long preoccupation with the Indigenous culture of the Canadian west coast coincided with the beginnings of a rising tide of awareness and confident self-identification on the part of Aboriginal people who had for some time been considered part of a moribund culture. In the same way, her passionate involvement with nature and its portrayal coincided with a growing popular awareness of environmental issues and an accompanying sense of loss associated with the disappearance of "nature" in our own day. And the fact that she was a woman fighting the overwhelming obstacles that faced women of her day to become an artist of stunning originality and strength has made her a favorite of the women's movement.

Inés Laffón, the most unknown WAG of Real Madrid.

“What I love most about Álvaro is his humility, his loyalty and, above all, his nobility with his people. We live a very quiet life surrounded by our family and friends like anyone else.”

Six kilometers from the cinematographic city of Deauville and very close to the beaches where the historic Normandy landings took place is the "Haras du Quesnay". This magnificent 180-hectare estate is famous for one of the most prestigious Thoroughbred stud farms in the world and a castle that has nothing to envy to those from fairy tales. The castle and everything that surrounds it was built in 1907 by William Kissam Vanderbilt, an American investor who wanted to establish a stud farm in France. After his death in 1920, another American, Arthur Kingsley Macomber, resumed the task, which in 1958 passed to the ancestors of our hostess: Inés Laffón. Inés was born and raised in France and currently lives in Madrid with her life partner, Álvaro Odriozola, a Real Madrid defender. The footballer from San Sebastian is also passionate about racehorses, in fact he owns the horse Cuadra Bernardo, which he named after his late grandfather, from whom he inherited his love for horses. Inés belongs to a well-known Sevillian family — she is the first cousin of Rocío Laffón, "Rochi", very popular for her friendship with Victoria de Marichalar. "I have a very peculiar mix of nationalities. My father's (Carlos Laffón Parias) family is from Seville, but he grew up in Madrid. My mother, Patricia Lomba Head, was also born in Madrid: her father is from Madrid, but her mother is French. The funny thing is that my great-grandfather is English and my great-grandmother is Belgian" - tells us the young woman, linked to the equestrian world also by both branches of her family. "The world of horses brought my parents together. My father always wanted to be a horse trainer and started as a "gentleman rider" (amateur horse racer) in Madrid where he met my mother. Fortunately, my grandmother, the first horse trainer, lived in France and gave him the opportunity to work with her to learn the trade. That's how my father became a coach in Paris and from that union me and my siblings were born". Inés, since when has this property belonged to your family? My great-grandfather Alec Head, his brother and father bought Quesnay in 1958 after the war. His father, when he saw the size and reconstruction that the war required, told him it was madness and that it would ruin them. But, after a year of works, conditioning, good investment and, above all, the talent of my great-grandfather, in 1959, they brought the first stallion to the farm. My great-grandfather had a vision and pioneered the purchase of American blood at horse auctions in the United States - he is considered one of the greatest French breeders of all time. He created a cabalistic empire out of nothing thanks to his talent, vision, and connection to racehorses. You mentioned World War II. How did occupancy affect the property? Deauville is very close to the beaches where, almost at the end of the Second World War, the famous landing in Normandy took place, and the stud farm played a very important role in the conflict, as it became the hideout of the Nazi high command. The German army took the castle and it was the headquarters of the 711th Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Josef Reichert and General Erwin Rommel. They painted it green and conveniently camouflaged it so it wouldn't be seen by planes. The one hundred and ten "boxes" currently housing broodmares and newborn foals were cells for Nazi prisoners during the war. It makes a huge impression. Yes, my great-grandfather and his family traded blueprints, guns, and helmets for books, sales catalogs, and whatever else it takes to grow a racehorse. What memories do you have of your childhood here? It's a very special place because my family lives all over the world and "Quesnay" has always been where my great-grandparents used to gather us all to spend our holidays together. The best part was getting on my great-grandfather's tractor and driving from meadow to meadow, watching horses and cows and listening to him talk about them with such passion. Besides, all my cousins and I rode ponies and ran all over the stud, trotting and galloping non-stop. Those are priceless memories and it's something I'll never forget. Do you often come to this house? When I lived in France, I often came here on weekends, and between July and October we spent longer periods here. When I moved to Madrid, I came a little less often, but now that my boyfriend shares my passion for horses, we try to come whenever he has a few days off. I imagine Álvaro is always happy to come with you to this place. Álvaro has a great passion and love for horses that is very difficult to explain. He is in love with the horse as an animal and racing in particular. When he comes here, he says he's coming to Disneyland Horse... Imagine how much this place means to us, it's just magical. Here all the pressure he has during the season disappears and we gain a lot of strength. How did you meet? Like your parents, did the horse world connect you both? Our story is peculiar and very funny. As Álvaro is passionate about horse racing, he spends most of his free time traveling and watching races in France, England and Ireland. Every year, on the first weekend of October, Paris hosts the most important race in the world - the Arc de Triomphe Prize, bringing together the best thoroughbreds in the world. And of course, how could it be otherwise, Álvaro was there with his family and I was there because usually my father always has one or two runners a day. Apparently, Álvaro noticed me that day, and it so happened that the day after the incident, Álvaro went to visit my father's stables in Chantilly with a mutual friend. Realizing that I was working in Madrid, two days later they organized a dinner where I met Álvaro for the first time. I didn't even know who he was, but blessed passion for horses that brought us together! Do you like football? Are you a fan of any team? The truth is that before I met Alvaro, I knew absolutely nothing about football, but living with him every day, I liked it and learned more and more until I realized that it is a great sport. I've really liked every club Álvaro has been to in recent years: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, and I'm a fan of the team he's at. As you say, last year in Florence, now in Madrid, next year, who knows... Does your job allow you to follow Álvaro wherever football takes him? Since I met Álvaro, we have lived in Munich, Florence and Madrid. I was able to go to Munich because it was the beginning of the pandemic and the offices were closed. The result was an online job that allowed me to follow him everywhere, returning to Madrid from time to time to fulfill my professional commitments. Living abroad is a very enriching aspect of football: it brings us together and allows us to meet great people. What is your favorite area of the castle? My favorite part of the house is the living room. There is nothing I like more than a family evening or playing cards after dinner by the firelight. It is also the place where my great-grandfather and then my grandmother prepared crossbreeds, which stallion to combine with which mare to try to breed the fastest horse... It was very interesting for us to listen to them. From the outside, I run a stable where the mothers of the mares and their foals stay, I love to walk there and bring carrots to the foals. But if I had to choose a place from the entire stud, I would choose the little chapel, which is located at the end of the garden and is unique for the whole family. What is your favorite plan when you are here? Meeting the family, having a good conversation by the fire, running in the morning in the meadows, playing cards... But without a doubt my favorite, if I'm here during the birthing season, which is from January to May, is to see the birth of a foal with the hope that it will be a champion. The first hours of a horse's life seem amazing to me. What are the must-see places in this area of France for you? Deauville is a very charming city where I love to walk. During the film festival, along the endless beach there are booths with the names of all the actors, which is very original. Twenty minutes away is Honfleur, a seaside town with a very interesting historical and artistic heritage that inspired Monet and Courbet, among others. And of course flower market. Landing beaches, memorials and American cemeteries are also worth seeing. Tell us about yourself, what do you do? As I mentioned, I was born and raised in France, but I always wanted to go to Spain, so after finishing my studies I was looking for a job in Madrid and for seven years I have been working at BDO, in "financial consulting", and more specifically in business valuation. Apart from horses, what are your hobbies? I love spending time with my family and with Álvaro. I like traveling, getting to know different places and cultures, it enriches me a lot. Since I was little I loved watching people cook at home and now I really enjoy cooking and hosting people at home. I love jewelry and have always wanted to do a gemology course. This will be my next hobby! Are you very close to your cousin Rocío? We are like sisters. Although I lived in France, we always spent a lot of time together and since I came to Madrid we do everything together. We have many things in common, we know each other very well, we love traveling and horses. Rochi is pure energy and joy and I count on her in everything. Another great horsewoman is Victoria de Marichalar, a close friend of your cousin. Did she ever have the opportunity to accompany you to the castle? Victoria is like part of the family. We take many trips together and we love escaping to this house. Although hers was jumping, she loves the world of horse racing and, whether in Madrid or Paris, we really enjoy the equestrian plans. What is it like to share your life with a football star? I love being able to be by his side while he fulfills dreams. Living from your passion is a great luck and Álvaro has worked a lot to get where he is. On the one hand, it’s a dream life, but on the other, it also entails many sacrifices, both on his part and on mine. From one day to the next you can go to another country, there are no weekends or holidays... but Álvaro makes everything much easier. What I love most about him is his humility, his loyalty and, above all, his nobility with his people. We live a very quiet life surrounded by our family and friends like anyone else. Would it be a dream for you to get married in this castle? Of course. This house is the realization of my great-grandfather's vision, where my grandparents and my parents got married. This is my place of peace and happiness with Álvaro. Getting married here would be a dream.