#lega people

[nobrashfestivity]

Lega People Elephant Figurine, Mugugundu Naturalistic elephant figure with trunk and tusks. Late manufacture. Not traditional by Lega carving standards. Light yellowish patina. Ivory Peabody Museum of Natural History

[hum-suffer]

The effort it takes to be gentle and understanding, especially when you're at your core a hater, is mentally and emotionally exhausting

[machineheraldbabe]

arcane, populism, and why viktor is the odd one out (yet again)

as a piltover-anti, a silco criticizer, and a pacifist, i am very very interested in how arcane presents not just the political undertones of both topside and the undercity, but the characters/dialogue through which they communicate those undertones. allow me to use some political science bro lingo to air out some thoughts.

long, long post incoming.

there are 2 ideological struggles at war throughout s1 (and i can predict that the struggle will carry over into s2): neoliberalism and populism - in their broadest terms since we're talking ofc about a fictional show dealing with surface level political machinations. by neoliberalism, i mean a focus on the social, political, and cultural structures of a polity (piltover, for our purposes) refocused into a strictly economic vacuum. and by populism i mean a unifying belief that the existing political systems of a polity fail to adequately represent their constituents, so the masses choose to rally around a specific gripe or issue, i.e., class discrimination, xenophobia toward immigrants, etc. this, in turn, forms a populist party or movement. an applicable example i can think of would be Nasser's Egypt in the 1950s.

*i know these are weighty topics with very real world implications! i just want to separate the theory to apply to our favorite fictional world.

the political struggle in question is put forward immediately by piltover, who, though presented as a technocratic state, embodies crucial neoliberal ideals emphasized especially by up-and-coming counilor mel medarda, much like how fresh-eyed american economists blew up the economic scene in the 1980s with a revival of capitalist, free market enterprise. take how she seizes the advent of hextech, for example:

she quickly sees hextech's potential yet not from the solely intellectual standpoint that jayce and viktor do - for her, it is profitable, literally and in terms of international relations. her goal is for piltover to prosper, but she has no rose-colored glasses on; prosperity means capital gain, and she's willing to override piltover's political and social systems to achieve her goal. an important caveat is that she draws the line at ambessa medarda's progression into militant authoritarianism, which deserves a whole post of its own!

piltover's populism moment will come later. first, let's unpack silco, who is probably arcane's most blatantly political figure, and a masterclass in the merits and failures of left wing, class-based populism.

silco, having been spurned by the classism and xenophobia that piltover's elite proliferate, and assisted by his rampant shimmer operation, fills the vacuum that vander's pacifism opened up. though silco's methods are unilaterally cruel (argue with the wall), the undercity clearly invested faith in him at some point, especially as vander's credibility as a guiding figure wavered over the years. he was fighting alongside vander for zaun's right to exist as their own independent body. in other words, he was uniting the undercity toward a common cause because the existing political system failed their constituents. to quote councilor shoola: "they may not be our preferred constituents, but they're still our people."

the track record of populism in our real world frequently ends in the ruin that silco himself brought upon the undercity. the kingpin is too dedicated to self-preservation, sees himself as too central to the movement, which prevents both compromise and/or a necessary armed revolt (insert your own politics about self-determination here). see italy's right wing populism party, Lega Nord, as a real-time example of this phenomenon.

but arcane makes an interesting plot decision with jayce, a very unexpected and "unwilling" contributor to piltover's abrupt dip into right wing populism. the showrunners love foils!

in arcane lore, i think it's safe to say that jayce's moniker "the man of progress" is pretty tongue-in-cheek. both he and viktor have a bemused tone about it in the run-up to his speech, and jayce is taken aback by heimerdinger's insistence that he deliver said speech. but the glowing, savior-esque imagery can't be ignored, nor can jayce's quick switch into his councilor role, no matter how reluctantly he makes it.

jayce is confronted by 2 forces that he seeks to combat in his quick tenure as councilor: internal corruption and an ineffective governing body. the latter goal is inspired almost solely by viktor, playing into jayce's naivety as a fresh-faced political figure, but this will be especially important to note later on. the innocence he offers up to mel is quickly erased, transformed instead into an uncomfortable - and inexperienced - militancy:

important in the bridge scene to my analysis is the populist "out group," or the designation populists give to those whom they actively oppose, and this opposition serves as their basis for organization. in this case, it's the undercity (keep this in mind for viktor's role!!).

jayce's combined frustrations at the unrest in the undercity and the council's (namely heimerdinger's) refusal to act, to both save viktor and to deal with the undercity's looming violence, motivates him to act like silco for a short time. unsatisfied with the status quo, he unites a likeminded individual, vi, along with the enforcers, to undercut the political system he feels is unable to represent its constituents or act in an effective manner. however, UNLIKE silco, jayce's realizes the inevitable cost the method of violence has and refrains in the end. he returns to the council and capitulates to some of silco's demands in the name of a peace piltover and zaun always thought impossible.

jinx's complete undoing of this underscores the failures of populism, especially as an extended movement over time. she wasn't accounted for. it's common sentiment at this point that she didn't attack the council for political gain. she was not invested in zaun's independence. she did it out of her and silco's twisted parental bond, and thus undid piltover's brief instance of compromise and compassion.

so...where does viktor fit into all this? and what are his implications for neoliberalism vs. populism in season 2?

viktor is neither wholly within nor wholly outside the populist outgroup - though jayce unintentionally shoves him back there in the pivotal bridge scene. furthermore, viktor also makes use of piltover's technocracy. he seems to have had a "raise yourself up by your bootstraps" history in arcane, contrary to left wing populist insistence that neoliberal ideals make this impossible.

this compounds as a double alienation for viktor, who also is straddled with the complications of his disability. a lot of his story is searching for a fellow in arms, if you ask me, and he had that with jayce until the pendulum swung, hence his return to singed.

if we stop there, viktor represents the failing of these 2 very flawed political ideologies. he fits nowhere and arcane uses him adeptly as a symbol of the failings of binaristic ideologues and systems. but let's speculate some more!

i'm convinced that viktor, due to his ambiguous 3rd party role in the story so far, will be one of the central villains (if not THE villain, if you allow me to be admittedly hopeful/biased) in season 2. consult the innumerable very well written theory/meta posts about the subject for more details, but one piece of evidence i want to focus on is this inherent physical, cultural, and ideological separateness that is innate to his character.

can we see him allying ever again with piltover, knowing that there's a split incoming? even without outside knowledge of league lore, singed's damning prediction ("if you take this path, they will despise you") cannot go unheeded. alternatively, then, can we see viktor allying with the supposed jinx-as-revolutionary side? no. personally, i see him as becoming increasingly unwillingly to compromise his a) immediate survival; and b) his ideals, especially after being endlessly sidelined in his attempts to express them in acts 2 and 3. he's also just a loner, guys.

there's some controversy on this point, but i'm convinced that the finger-printed cultists/followers we saw in the s2 trailer are devoted to viktor. starting with the shimmer addict he touched in the teaser, he is accruing a following all his own. and since noxus is here, touting their authoritarian militancy to replace piltover's outdated liberal ideals, nothing that jinx's revolution OR viktor's following does can be apolitical. to organize and to fight is survival under s2's raised stakes.

there aren't any binary spectrums when it comes to political theory in my opinion, so i am prepared to witness viktor introduce an entirely separate totalitarian narrative into arcane. where it will surely lack in militancy, it will make up for in its domination of the arcane. my biggest speculation is that, as they always do, piltover will fold and compromise at the last minute, perhaps yield to noxus, and invest wholeheartedly in taking down viktor's BBEG cultist regime. and by isolating his narrative repeatedly in s1, the writers planned this out expertly.

even if i'm wrong about viktor as third party, i like to think my observations still stand about the specific and qualifiable political divisions between piltover and zaun. the biggest hole this leaves for me is the question: will arcane ever take a stand? they seem very averse to making a blatant political statement, but i think their pervasive anti-police thread makes it clear that we're not meant to sympathize with piltover yuppies or their seasoned, jaded councilmen. let me know your thoughts!

also, as a jayce fan and a fan of arcane's overall story, none of this is meant as a CRITIQUE of him, mel, or silco. as silco said, "we all have our parts to play." i believe arcane's very greatest strength is their archetypal storytelling, and these distinct character roles are crucial to the success and vibrancy of the story.

if you read all the way to this point - ily <3

[bookshelfdreams]

Hey you! Do you take a grim, mean sort of delight in right-wing extremists mauling each other?

Then it may please you to know that all 9 members of the European parliament belonging to german right-wing extremist party AfD (under official investigation by the intelligence agency that deals with threats to the constitution. btw.)

on Thursday were excluded from the right-wing extremist fraction* Identity and Democracy. For being too far on the right. This fraction is chaired by Marco Zanni of Italy's Lega, and made to collect everyone for whom conservatives are too lefty. Basically the Nazi fraction of the EU parliament.

Why? Well, Maximilian Krah, top candidate for the AfD, after already having had a huge scandal recently (one of his employees was arrested on suspicions of espionage for the Chinese government), thought it was a smart idea to publicly state that "Not every member of the Waffen-SS was a criminal."

Which lead first his French, then his Czech, then his Italian colleagues to respond with a sound "Hey, what the actual fuck, bro". The AfD tried to do last-minute damage control by offering for him to go voluntarily (from the faction not for him to like. step down lmao). But to no avail. It's telling, but not surprising, that this was the least straw after the many, many scandals the party had over the last few months.

Now note that none of the people in there are like. Decent. They are all xenophobic, nationalist, far right dickheads.

Imagine being kicked out by that lot for being too much of a Neonazi.

*Members of the EU parliament come there as delegates from their own national parties; in the parliament these parties from alliances, called fractions or political groups, based on programmatic and ideological overlap. There's currently seven of them, Identity and Democracy is the furthest on the right.

[decolonize-the-everything]

The legal offensive, led by Dana Remus, who until 2022 served as President Biden’s White House counsel, and Robert Lenhard, an outside lawyer for the party, will be aided by a communications team dedicated to countering candidates who Democrats fear could play spoiler to Mr. Biden. It amounts to a kind of legal Whac-a-Mole, a state-by-state counterinsurgency plan ahead of an election that could hinge on just a few thousand votes in swing states. The aim “is to ensure all the candidates are playing by the rules, and to seek to hold them accountable when they are not,” Mr. Lenhard said.

WHAT???

You're telling me that this guy

Suddenly gives a single shit about the rules???

The headlines about this are fucking insane also

"will giving voters access to vote for whatever candidate they want dooming democracy"

Normal headline for a country that definitely isn't being run by fascists.

Btw this is Dana Remus

"In August 2022, President Biden questioned in a 60 Minutes interview “how anyone can be that irresponsible” when asked about classified documents in the possession of former President Trump. But when President Biden said this, he knew he had stashed classified materials in several unsecure locations for years, dating back to his time as vice president and even as U.S. senator."

[...]President Biden’s attorneys claim to have first discovered classified material at Penn Biden Center on November 2, 2022. However, President Biden and his lawyers kept it secret from the American people before the midterm elections. CBS News broke the story in January 2023, leaving Americans to wonder if the White House had any intention of ever disclosing that President Biden hoarded classified documents for years.

You know what else they did together? Lied about codifying Roe v Wade if they won mid-terms. 6months AFTER dems won a narrow majority, Rie v Wade was overturned.

And like not to be a wacky conspiracy theorist who's right again but

"The case concerned the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi state law that banned most abortion operations after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Mississippi law was based on a model by a Christian legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom, with the specific intent to provoke a legal battle that would reach the Supreme Court and result in the overturning of Roe"

Guess what the Alliance Defending freedom works with and serves an agenda for?

Project 2025 yeah, the heritage foundation lists them as partners

Yeah remember how Dana Remus worked with Samuel Alito? Guess who's vote helped overrule abortion rights?

Samuel Alito, correct. Guess who else? Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett.

All Trump appointments.

Odd company to find yourself in without having ANY ties to the ADF or heritage foundation or project2025.

I wonder who the lawyers involved were?

Scott G Stewart. Interesting. Well who appointed him, right?

In 2021, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch appointed Scott G. Stewart as Solicitor General for the State of Mississippi.

Oh so she was voted in.

Well im sure it was a normal election that Democrats didn't tamper with or anything. Like SURELY they didn't intentionally platform this woman using the Pied Piper method? SURELY NOT after platforming Trump and making the entire 2016 elections about anti-Trumpism. SURELY, they wouldn't have tried to make themselves look better by positioning themselves against extremists only to LOSE the bet they were making.

SURELY WE DIDNT LOSE ROE V WADE BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WONT STOP USING THE PIED PIPER STRATEGY TO WIN ELECTIONS? R I G H T???

Riley Collins, 53, is running against the state's treasurer, Lynn Fitch, who was the chair of the group Mississippi Women for Trump in 2016. Riley Collins is running an explicitly anti-Trump message, saying Monday that she doesn’t understand how Donald Trump's Christian supporters can reconcile their politics with their faith

Oh.

Welp.

Everyone thank democrats for Trump and the stacked supreme court and the loss of Roe V Wade. It Truly couldn't have happened without them blasting primetime tv with alt right candidates 24/7.

One day democrats will stop platforming right wing extremists and election tampering but I guess it won't be anytime soon.

Let me ask, what's the biggest argument for voting blue this year?

Right.

And how's that going? Y'all feel confident in that strategy right now?

And don't forget what they did to Bernie. Because Biden is very poetically doing the same fucking shit to sabotage 3rd parties right now.

Remember to act surprised when Trump wins.

Like voters and progressives and leftists haven't been saying for MONTHS that we won't vote Biden. Like swing states aren't voting uncommitted. Like labor unions aren't voting uncommitted. Like he isn't tanking the polls.

You know I will say that this election is a little different. Clinton didn't have nearly this much pushback so early in the race.

Biden's massive gap of votes compared to Trump is gonna look like the grand fucking canyon.

[darkmaga-retard]

The article was always a hypothesized estimate of people that might have died, but now even that estimate has been retracted. The reason for the retraction was that the Belgian dataset that was one of the bases for the piece was found to be “unreliable” (but in reality was fraudulent). The article also repeatedly referenced the New England Journal of Medicine’s 2020 RECOVERY trial. The RECOVERY trial is well known to be a deeply flawed study which, in addition to implementing late treatment in severely ill Covid patients, used extremely high doses of HCQ. 

The now retracted publication authors were all French or Canadian, with the primary author a pharmacist by the name of Alexiane Pradelle. According to a rudimentary internet search, Dr. Pradelle had never published before. Subsequently, listed authors were degreed as physicians, pharmacists, and/or professors of their respective disciplines. The main, corresponding author, Jean-Christophe Lega, runs the Evaluation and Modeling of Therapeutic Effects team at the University of Lyon. 

Hydroxychloroquine’s Fabled Safety History Contrasts Data

In addition to being a hypothesized estimate, the article also attacked the legendary safety of HCQ, contradicting centuries of the safety of quinolines as a class. 

HCQ, chloroquine and quinine are structurally and pharmaceutically/mechanistically related, sharing the same quinoline structural group. The original iteration of quinine was a very fortunate discovery that dates back to the 1600s (at least) as a medicinal tipple used by Jesuit missionaries in South America. It is naturally found in the bark of the Cinchona tree (also called a “Quina-Quina” tree). 

Quinine is still available today both as a prescription drug, for similar indications as HCQ including malaria…and as a Covid-19 treatment. 

[aurkitnarulaoge]

The main reason my marks go 📉📉📉 and why idc anymore.

Warning: Rant ahead may be biased.

No, no, you've got a point!

Mere 40-50 percentage/marks hai to I am not 'trying hard' and I need to study for my future.

I am like yes yes point but toh

Mere 80-90+ hai percentage/marks to wo to expected hi tha?

And I am like, what should I get validation from now? Ab tak aap bolte the ki ye laake denge agar A+ wo khareed denge if 90%+ but now If I'm already nalayak then let me do that properly

"Maine duniya se taane sunne hi hai to do insaano ke aur sahi"

My mentality spirals down to degrading myself, and I start thinking like

"arey yarr beta hoti to 45 mein party dete par beti hu to 75 expected hote hai lol let me just reincarnate myself waise bhi concept to hai hindu texts mein LETS FCKING APPLY IT—"

Agar koi mujhe puch lega then I'll be like 'oh mere to 45' but if they don't make fun of me then I'll question my whole existence like

"I did well? I know I did but why are you acknowledging my efforts?? My marks— LOOK AT MY FCKING MARKS—"

Aur agar galati se bhi sharmaji ki wife ke saath baat ho gai to to bas khatam

The whole convo is just "but my daughter was toh ill na" "but my daughter toh couldn't focus na for _ reason"

Bro your daughter toh didn't study enough na? She toh wasn't paying attention to her future na? She was toh having an existantial while writing her paper na!

Why would you lie?

Sharmaji kya sochenge?

Bro mere thodina chacha fufa lagte hai sharmaji? Aur wo jo bhi bole soche hage— mujhe kya!?

I did my best! Ab ek irresponsible khadoos teacher, ek ganda paper, sab question out-of-teaching, toh bro... I can't help it.

Okay, main bhi admit karti hoon ki I fell short with the 'mehnat'.

But you all don't see that you fell short with the mutual understanding or teaching me calmly why I was wrong.

Arrey mera bas chalta to mar jati pr 10th ke baad na padhti lekin ladki hu to market value to badhani padegi na (get it? no?)

Market Value of a Girl Child:

Desily bole toh 'ladkiyon ke bhaav'. Yknow the loafers who rate girls that walk by? Basically that but make it marriage selection process, work related stuff

Arey ye toh kaali hai (but she earns a 50000). Arey ye toh married hai (but she's equal to your entire team of bhondu men). Arey she doesn't know how to cook (job kar sakti hai to khana banana to seekh hi legi).

I'm so fed up like i want to tell people to shove my papers up their ass and let me have a break where I do not worry about pending work, my skin, or maintaining my body shape— where I live for myself and my talents.

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

@mittensmorgul replied to your post “Results in Italy not even that bad. Main...”:

it's a relief to know some of the election went less awful than the small amount of news i've seen here in the us seems to suggest, so thank you :)

​ah well countries like france and germany get more coverage than us or spain (that also got not disappointing results, left-wing party got less votes than right-wing but not as bad as expected/feared, and extreme right-wing didn't get a great result)...

pretty sure the votes in Italy as a whole moved actually more left than the last national elections! the top right-wing party (very right-wing but also pro-nato/pro-ukraine, which is important right now on a eu level!) stayed stable as % of votes, but the main left-wing party got a higher % than the last elections, and also the more-left left + green coalition got a good result!

the center-right party (berlusconi's party, pro-nato/ukraine, pro-european union) got more votes than lega (pro-putin, anti-eu right-wing populists that had an actual fascist as top list candidate) which is a very significant result considering that lega has been consistently one of the top parties if not the first for many elections.

("salvini got beaten by berlusconi - who is dead" is my favorite quote from an analyst)

also, the data about the younger demographic show that the young people voted DRAMATICALLY left. good sign, right?

basically we did our part and did alright.

also i believe that eastern countries voted more against-filoputin parties than expected, which i suppose makes sense considering the putin threat is more real to them.

we need to hope macron is going to use the elections as basically blackmail for the leftist parties to support him against le pen - and that it actually works. no one likes macron except for macron, that's the problem...

[raya-hunter01]

Fade Into You Part. 6

Prequel Lights, Camera, Action!

Jey Uso x Black Female OC! (Shantell)

Roman x Black Female OC! Tangela

Solo x Black Female OC! Sofia

Jimmy x Trin

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; oral, sex, fluff, masturbation

FADE INTO YOU

Summary: This is the Prequel for Lights, Camera, Action! How does an outburst on your first day lead to a lifelong friendship with the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and the stands the test of time. How does that friendship introduce you to a special group of people that will become your family.  

When did the lines get blurred between friendship and wanting a relationship with one of your best friends Mr. Main Event Jey Uso. Follow the friendships, and relationships of how they all came to be the one big happy family we all know and love in Lights, Camera, Action.

15 months later

Amway Center

Shantell’s POV

It is insane how a two-week shutdown has now turned into months. My graduation was cancelled and did virtually. I got hired by WWE, Joe had been home due to being immunocompromised.

Then another blow hit us even harder, Jimmy got hurt and had to undergo knee surgery leaving his and Jey’s career in limbo.

Gram and mom moved back in with me when the shutdown hit, and I think I’ve reeled them in to stay permanently.

We did shows at the Performance center, but I felt we could do more. It was so boring just seeing an empty place with occasional wrestlers cheering in the audience behind Plexi glass.  

Paul agreed and I began brainstorming ideas and the rest, as they say is history. The Thunderdome was born…Yea, I did that, and couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed watching the crew putting the final touches my vision.

We did a trial run for smackdown last night and everyone loved it. Today we’ve been working out the kinks and it’s coming along very well.

So how does it feel to be the new boss,” Tevin asked walking up to me as I laughed. “Scary as hell and I wanna throw up,” I said honestly.

“Stop stressing, they loved this idea,” he said walking around taking in the Thunderdome.

 “This shit is a game changer and last night was amazing.  You did dat Ma. Stop being modest and own da greatness that is you,” he said as I blushed.

“Thanks Tevin I just hate you leavin’,” I said as he waved me off. “I been on smackdown so long, I need a change and I think the Raw brand is it,” he said as I nodded in understanding.

 After the kiss and I set him straight Tevin had been on my good side and I have to say he has made working here these last few months fun.

I was actually going to miss him if that made sense. “They are going to enjoy your talent on the Raw brand,” I said as he gave me a hug.

“So, what is this I hear about these buff wrestlers asking you out,” he whispered as I cringed.

“Ugh, how you know about that?” I asked as he smiled at me. “One thing you gon’ learn, everybody knows everybody business when you work here,” he said as I pulled away, shaking my head at him.

“I don’t even know how it got started,they just been approaching me,” I said honestly confused.

 “Your fresh meat, that’s why ,but it will pass and I’m sure Jey ain’t takin’ it too well,” he said as I saw Jey coming down the ramp.

“No, but Jey’s just protective of me is all. So are Joe and Jimmy so it’s no big deal,”I said as Tevin scoffed.

“Bullshit, that fool likes yo’ ass but some reason can’t take the leap. He shouldn’t be able to control who you date especially since he’s dating people and I hear Taraji’s sniffing around again,” Tevin said as I kept a neutral look on my face as Jey got closer to us.

“It ain’t like that, Jey thinks of me as his friend. Plus, It’s been my choice to be single and has nothing to do with him,” I said as Tevin rolled his eyes at me.

“What I’m being serious, I have too much going on and some of ya’ll men tend to be drama queens. So, with that in mind I keep my heart and legs closed,” I said smartly as Tevin laughed at me.

 “Why you laughin’ at me?  I’m just keeping it real, it’s all about me and building my legacy.I ain’t got time for the bullshit,” I said shrugging my shoulders standing boldly in my truth.  “I feel you,” Tevin said as Jey made his presence felt.

“Damn, this looks tight Shan!” Jey exclaimed, cutting his eyes at Tevin before giving me a hug. I cringed as I saw Tevin’s eye twitch before he walked off without another word.

The tension was always there between the two and I didn’t know why.

Tonight was SummerSlam and Joe was returning so not even their pissing contest could ruin my night.

“Uh, thanks Jey, I’m shocked it’s coming together so good,” I said trying to change the subject as he looked at me in disbelief.

“It came from your brain of course it was going to be good,” he said as I smiled at him.

“Thank you, it means a lot,” I said as I saw Paul come on the top of the ramp smiling at the setup.

Yea, I think we were really on to something.

---

Joe’s POV

“So, this is what you do?” Tangela asked as I smiled at her. “Yea, it’s a little different now with no fans,” I said as she nodded her head taking in the backstage area.

I could tell she was overwhelmed as Shantell came over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I know it seems like a lot, but Joe knows what he’s doing and nobody is going to bother you back here,” Shantell reassured her.

I hoped Tangela could get use to this life. I mean being with her is just so different from any other relationship I’ve experienced.

She has a good head on her shoulders, just graduated business school and ready to take on the world.

I’m in love with this woman and I don’t want to screw it up.  

“Dang, you have to do a lot of stuff Shantell, I’d probably have a nervous breakdown,” Tangela said looking at the monitors as Shantell smiled.

“Girl, it’s a breeze I love it. How bout I show you some of it while Joe does his thing,” Shantell said as I smiled at them.

“Thanks for taking care of her, sis,” I said as she waved me off. “Go get ready and be careful,” she said as I went to get ready.

---

SummerSlam Main Event

Shantell’s POV

I missed Joe being in the ring and I honestly felt a little choked up seeing him again. This new side of him was what he wished he could do from the beginning.

The world was about to experience a new side to Roman Reigns and I hope they are ready for what’s about to come.

“You can’t handle this responsibility,” Joe said holding up the universal championship.

“I need that final shot, we’re going to fade out on Joe,” I called Tangela looked on in shock. “You want me to scan the Thunderdome or pace out?” Stu asked as I smiled.

“I need a zoom pan on Joe for about ten seconds then we’re going to fade out,” I instructed. “Got ya, Shan,” Stu responded. “This is all crazy,” Tangela whispered as I gave her a small smile. 

“Nobody saw this coming,” Cole said as Joe continued to talk his shit. “It’s always gon’ be mine,” he spoke as I smiled. He was in the zone, and that made me even more excited for this new storyline Paul had been working on.

 “I need a slow pan out shot of Joe over Bray, lets finish SummerSlam strong. It’s been amazing doing this with you all tonight,” I said as Paul smiled at me.

“Got you Shan,” Jane said. “Whoo, that shot looks sick girl,” I praised as she laughed. “Thanks boss lady, you keeping me on my toes,” she said as I smiled.

 “A’ight we’re out in 5, 4,3,2,1,” I said as Paul rubbed my shoulder. “You did that, everything looked amazing,” he said as I sighed in relief as he gave me a hug.

“Thank you so much I whispered returning the gesture before he got up to take a call. I felt accomplished, we really pulled it off. The fans interacted and everything looked awesome.

“That was amazing Shantell,” Tangela said as I smiled at her. “Thanks girly, I hope you join us more often. This is going to be where we hold all shows and PPV’s until we can start traveling and have crowds again,” I said as she gave me hug.

“Thanks for making me feel welcome,” she said as I smiled. “Your family and that is all to it. No need to thank me,” I whispered feeling her body relax.

She was good for Joe; I knew the first time I met her. Yep, big brother was off the market, and I was happy he found someone to love.

--------------------

One month Later

 Amway Center

Paul’s Office

Shantell’s POV

“Do you like it though?” Jey asked as I looked at the mullet he was rockin’.  “I mean it’s interesting, I said as he laughed.

“So, that means you hate it,” he said as I looked at the back of his head again and smirked.

“It fits you; I promise it looks good,” I reassured him as we waited on Paul and Joe.

“I wonder what this is all about, I hope they ain’t sending me home,” Jey said as I grabbed his hand.

“Stop overthinking everything. You have nothing to worry about, “I said trying to hold in the secret I knew they were about to drop on him.

“Sorry we ran behind in the creative meeting,” Paul said coming in with Heyman and Joe behind him.  Joe and I exchanged smiles as he nodded at me, letting me know everything was a go.

“So Jey we’ve been thinking about a few things,” Paul said as I felt Jey grab my hand as I gently squeezed it in support.

“When Joe decided to come back he asked me for several things. One of them was to work a feud with you,” Paul said as you could hear a pin drop as I looked at the shocked look on Jey’s face.

“Jey say something,” I said as he blinked quickly and looked at Joe. “Are you serious, Uce?” he asked as Joe smiled at him.

“Yea, I want us to work together and make history. The world deserves to see how talented you are,” Joe said as I could tell Jey was overwhelmed.  

“We want to build a stable with your family. Though it’s months away before Jimmy can return to action, we want to bring him in to be apart of this now as well,” Paul said as I felt Jey’s grip tightening on my hand.

“So, uh, how is this gon’ work?” Jey asked as Heyman laughed. “We are all going to put our heads together and blow the wrestling worlds mind. This is going to be the best long-term storyline in the history of this company,” Heyman said as Jey sighed rubbing his hand over his face.

“That is the goal Jey, and I promise you, if you trust the process, you’re going to go further than you ever dreamed you could. So will Joe, Jimmy, and Sefa,” Paul said as Jey perked up at the mention of his baby brother’s name.

“Sefa…. Are you serious? Don’t play wit me ya’ll,” Jey said as Paul laughed. “Yes, we are going to bring your brother in when his contract expires with Arizona Wrestling expires Paul said as Joe smiled.

  “We are in charge of this and how it goes Uce, no writers just us in this room,” Joe said as Jey looked at me.

“Did you know Shantell?” Jey asked as I nodded. “Yea, I did and I’m very happy for you and I know you can do this,” I said as his innocent eyes pierced my soul.

“So, can I take this to the creative table and tell them we are all on board?” Heyman asked as I began to wonder what my part in all this was going to be since Joe said we all would be involved.  I was just here for moral support.

 “I see the wheels turning over there Shantell. I need you to be my eyes portraying this story on camera. What you’ve done with the Thunderdome has been amazing and I need you on this,” Paul said as I nodded in understanding.

“You know I got ya’ll, count me in,” I said without hesitation truly honored they wanted me to be a part of the masterpiece they were about to create.

“Glad you’re on-board Shantell. Now Jey are you in?” Heyman asked as Jey seemed to be in doubt. “I don’t know ya’ll, I’m use to tag wrestling and having Jimmy by my side. I can’t abandon my brother now, can I even do good as a singles wrestler,” Jey said expressing his fears openly to us.

I understood what he was saying but he needed to know he wasn’t leaving Jimmy behind, and he needed to get out of his own way and try.

They were all about to be elevated to another level.

“Hey, you deserve this and your not abandoning Jimmy he’s going to be right there with you through it all. You can do this, stop doubting yourself,” I said as he sighed appearing to be in deep thought as he contemplated the huge offer just put before him.

“A’ight, I’m in,” he whispered as I clapped in excitement before giving him a hug.

“Ya’ll are going to change the game with this, enjoy it,” I whispered as  Joe came over and joined in on our group hug.

“Let’s do this Uce, let’s run this place,” Joe said as Jey smiled at him. “Damn right let’s do this,” Jey said as Paul smiled at us.

“I’ll go let creative know everyone is on board,” Heyman said as we celebrated.

History was about to be made, the bloodline was here and ready to take over the wrestling world.

------------

Hell in a Cell

Jey’s POV

I had been followed by WWE cameras for the last few days. I allowed them into my home as they documented my history with Joe.

I was nervous at first, but with Shantell being their instructing the camera crew on how to film and when to give me space I felt better about the mini documentary.

 She knows me so well and I’m thankful for her. Joe really seems to think everything is about really take off for me, but I feel bad Jimmy is hurt.

“Aye, you can keep filming, but can you give us a minute and film back there,” I told Stu pointing to the back of the room as I talked to Tamina and Shantell.

“Hey, you good?” Shantell asked kneeling beside me as I sighed knowing I wasn’t, clad in my white gear and my lei Tamina had made I was losing it.

“Hey breath, just breathe Jey,” Shantell said rubbing my back as Tamina reached over and grabbed my hand.

“You gotta stop cuz,” she whispered as I nodded.  “This is how it’s supposed to be, you deserve this, Stop thinking you don’t belong here,” she cried reaching over as they both embraced me as I broke down.

“I’ll give ya’ll a moment,” I faintly heard Stu say as I nodded truly overwhelmed as I heard the door close.  

“You can do this, you are going to do this. Now let’s get it together,” Shantell said as I took a couple deep breaths. “I’ma kill it,” I said talking down my nerves as Tamina laughed wiping her tears.

“Yes, you are, now stop making us cry,” she said as Shantell wiped her own tears. “I got ya’ll, I‘m ready now,” I sighed trying to convince myself.

“We are going to leave you alone and let you get your mind right,” Shantell said giving me a kiss on the cheek before standing up readjusting her hat.

“Yea, we will be in Gorilla,” Tamina said giving me a hug.

“Thanks, I don’t know what I’d do without ya’ll,” I said as Shantell smiled brightly at me. “We’ll see you soon,” she whispered as they left me to my thoughts.

Pulling myself up, I walked in front of the floor length mirror in my dressing room. I looked at myself in disbelief, I looked like a main even player.

I looked like I belonged and all that was left to do was to prove it tonight..

“This is it Josh, make it count and have fun,” I muttered to myself trying to shake off my nerves.

Tonight I knew I was losing but one day I know I will be world champion but for tonight I was going to put Joe over and began my career as new his right-hand man.

I hope the world is ready for this…

----

September 2021

Shantell’s Condo

Pensacola, FL

My first year with the WWE had gone well, the bloodline storyline was thriving, everyone was captivated by their storyline, and it was breaking viewing records on YouTube and bringing in high ratings.

 Yes, life was great but these last few weeks I had a nagging feeling something was wrong and the bomb my mom just dropped on me confirmed my worries.

“What do you mean stage three, and she doesn’t want chemo!” I exclaimed as my mother pulled me into the living room.

“Don’t let her hear or see you like this Shan,” my mom whispered as I tried to control my tears.  “Can ya’ll keep mama company for a minute?” my mom asked Jey and Joe as they sadly retreated to the kitchen.

“Why didn’t you tell me before now?” I asked my mom as she sighed in defeat. “We didn’t want to worry you, it’s only been a few weeks baby,” she answered without hesitation.

“Ya’ll shoulda’ told when you found out mama,” I said trying to stay calm. I had to fix it, I had to convince her to do chemo.

“I don’t understand how this happened and why she doesn’t want to do chemo,” I whispered as my mother tried to control her own tears. 

“Baby, it’s stage three and is beginning to spread. Chemo isn’t going cure her, it only is going to prolong life,” my mother cried trying to get me to understand.

“So, what’s wrong with prolonging life,” I cried not wanting to accept they were giving up.

“Baby, she isn’t strong enough to go through this. Think about it…. Constant chemo just to live and you know how it wrecked her body before. That ain’t a life for anybody, she’s tired Shantell,” she said as I cleared my throat trying to stop my tears.  

I knew she was right, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.

“I know she’s tired mama, in my mind, I know we have to let her go. I just wish somebody could explain it to my heart how to let her go,” I whispered in despair as we embraced each other.  

It was her choice and we had to accept it and prepare. How do you let go of someone you can’t imagine even existing in a world without them.

“Let’s go talk to her baby,” my mom said as I tried to get myself together.

---

Joe’s POV

“When the time comes, ya’ll take care of them,” Gram said as I held her hand. “We still got some time, you ain’t leaving us yet,” Jey said as she smiled at him. “I love ya’ll sweet boys,” she said as I smiled at her. "We love you too," Jey said giving her a sad smile.

“We sure do and we gon’ take care of them both, don’t you worry Gram,” I reassured her as we sat in silence in the kitchen.

As Shantell and her mother came back into the kitchen, I felt like my heart was straining against my chest as I saw the look of helplessness on their faces.

Jey’s POV

Shantell came and sat beside her grandmother taking her hand in hers. “Hey, baby,” Gram whispered as Shantell smiled sadly at her. “Hey Gram,” she whispered as her grandmother caressed her face.

“Gram, I’m going to call Paul,” Shantell started as her grandmother interrupted her. “No, your not Shantell. You goin’ to go to work, I ain’t letting you do this again,” she said with conviction as Shantell closed her eyes, her tears flowing freely.

“Gram, I..I want to be here with you,” Shantell said as her mother interjected.

 “Shantell, you are working one day a week sometimes two. We can manage here, until you come home. You’re not putting your life on hold again,” she said making no room for argument as Shantell sighed in defeat.

 “I don’t like it,” Shantell said wiping her tears as Gram smiled at her. “Well too bad because we got this, your mama and I already talked it over,” she said hugging Shantell. I knew the road ahead was going to be hard and this loss was going to hurt Shantell deeply.

---

May 16,2022

Raw

Trin’s POV

So much has been going on and the frustration is mounting. All of our schedules are picking up as we are appearing on both shows to help Raw with ratings.

The guys were thriving, while I was miserable. Sasha and I are really lacking teams to feud with.

 Shantell has been trying to help us voice our concerns to Mark, but he isn’t hearing anything we are saying and I’m ready to throw in the damn towel.

“You are going to do what we asked you to do and that’s the end of it. Stop being difficult or you both can walk,” Mark said as I looked at him in disbelief.

“Excuse me what did you say?” I asked Mark as he rolled his eyes at me. “I said you’re doing what I asked , or you can pack your shit and go home,” he said as Shantell looked at him like he was crazy.

“Aye, you need to calm down. They just brought you their concerns about the match and that’s what they are supposed to do. It ain’t no need to get rude,” Shantell said as I could tell she was about over his attitude as well.

“Shantell she ain’t getting special treatment cause' her husband is a star here. She should feel lucky we are considering her for this. They will be in the six-pack challenge; Sasha will pin her end of story,” he said as Sasha sighed in frustration.

 “She ain’t asking for special treatment she just asked a damn question. Will you listen to them, that’s your job,” Shantell said trying to reason with him.

“I ain’t got time for the theatrics today,” he said as I felt the fire rumbling within me.

“Look, I ain’t askin’ for no special treatment, but I deserve to be treated with respect. You don’t have to be rude, I just asked a question as to where the story was going,” I said feeling attacked and overwhelmed.

“I don’t think it makes sense for us to be in the title picture for the women’s title when we are tag champions. We need to be building a tag team division for us to compete against, instead of these random teams,” Sasha said as he scoffed at her.

Shantell’s POV

“Look we ain’t payin’ you to think. If we did you and Trin would both be broke!” he yelled as I as Trin and I both raised our eyebrows in shock.

Oh! So, you sayin’ we dumb? Look, you keep pushin’ but you don’t know me Mark, I ain’t the one,” Trin warned as her resolve was slipping. “Don’t know me either,” Sasha said fuming.

 “Ookk, and damn sure don’t know me! Cause’ one things for certain and two things for damn sure. If you say one more off the wall comment bout my sister or Sasha, we gon’ beat yo’ ass all up and though motherfucka. Think it’s a game Mark,” I said as he seemed to calm down at the new information he was being told.

“But you know what Shan? We ain’t gotta do that, cause he ain’t worth it. I should be thanking him because he just said made me realize something important,” Trin said looking at me with a sad smile as her unshed tears began to fall.

It painfully dawned on me she had reached the end of her rope, and I couldn’t blame her.

“What did you realize?” I asked as she took a deep breath trying to get her tears under control as she turned to face Mark who wore an unreadable expression on his face.  

“I realized that I have gave my all to this business to not be appreciated.  Constantly looked over because I don’t fit the mold of what they thought was marketable. I had to watch with a smile on my face as less talented people got ahead," she said unwavering, her voice strong and with conviction.

“You sure did put up with a lot of bullshit, patience of a damn saint,” Sasha muttered as Trin continued speaking her truth.

  “I put up with the constant disrespect but no more! I’m tired,” Trin cried as I felt my heart breaking for her.

“So I’ma take your advice Mark and leave,” she said wiping her tears. Slowly nodding her head in realization as to what she was actually doing and was at peace with it.

“What are you talking about?” Mark asked in shock.

“You heard me,I’m done…..Yea, I’m just done,” Trin said calmy walking out of the dressing room  “Fuck,”I muttered angry that everything had went this far.

“You know what? She’s right, I’m out too,” Sasha whispered following behind Trin.

I could tell he wasn’t expecting that outcome as he looked rather ill.

“If I was you, I would be really worried about the ass whopping you bout to catch for disrespecting Trin,” I said as I saw the look of fear set in as he processed what had just transpired.

“Better yet wait until I call Paul and tell him how you’re the reason two of his top female stars just walked out,” I said as he began to walk towards me.  

“Shantell you gotta help me,” he said as I looked at him like he was insane.

“Nawl, you was Billy Badass a few minutes ago. Keep that same energy,” I said leaving him alone in the dressing room in search of Trin and Sasha.

“Sasha wait!” I called out as I saw her moving swiftly towards the exit with her bags. “I’m good Shan, my husband is getting the car. I promise I’ll call you, I just need to get outta here,” she said hurrying out of the building.

“Damn it Trin where are you?” I muttered now searching the halls hoping I found Jimmy before she did.

Rounding the corner, I cringed as Jimmy came storming out of the bloodline dressing room with everyone hot on his heels.

 “Jon don’t! It’s not worth it!” Trin yelled, as he was trying to push past Jey who wasn’t moving. “I can’t let you do this Uce, let’s go talk,” Jey pleaded as Jimmy growled in frustration.

“Where the fuck is he!? I’ma kill his ass!” Jimmy yelled as Joe gently took Trin in his arms trying to calm her down.

 “Jurdy, I wanna leave, can we just please go,” she pleaded as Jimmy began pacing.

“Move Uce! I can’t let this slide, he been doin’ shit like this! I gotta Get his ass!” Jimmy yelled as Jey put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

"Bro, let’s just go, and try to figure out what to do next. Trin needs you right now, look at her Uce," Jey said as Jimmy looked at Trin crying in Joe’s arms.

 "Let’s get outta here, we don’t need folks in our family business,” Joe said firmly as I went to Jimmy.

“Jonathon, Trin held her head high in there, and spoke from her heart. She said her peace about everything she felt and made her choice I said trying to reason with him. 

"Shan, he fuckin' "Jimmy started as Jey stopped him from talking so I could continue.

“She did the hard part, now she needs her husband to tell her it’s ok and he has her back,” I said as Jimmy seemed to be calming down.  

"I always got her back, she ain’t neva gotta question dat. It just didn’t have to go down like dat Shan. He ain’t had to do all dat to her,” he said pacing as I nodded in understanding.

“I know, but he did and now we gon’ deal with it,” I said rubbing his shoulder.

“I don’t want her to leave,” he whispered as Trin ran into his arms as the embraced each other tightly.

“I  gotta go babe, I can’t do this no more. It’s just too much to deal with,” she cried as he kissed her the top of her head gently. “I know it Trin….I know,” he whispered in defeat as we all looked on helplessly.

Damn…..The hits just kept coming, Trin just quit and her future was uncertain.

In my time in knowing her though I knew she would bounce back better than ever, just give her time.

-----

Clash at the Castle

September 3, 2022

Shantell’s POV

“Shantell, you need rest,” Paul said as I sipped on my hot coco. “I’m good, I promise,” I said as we got ready for the main event.  

“You look tired,” he pressed as I sighed putting my headset back on ignoring him. We needed to finish the show strong.

The crowd was hot, and they deserved the best show.

I had been on the go these last few months with Gram being sick and trying to stay on top of stuff here. I also help out Trin on my off days too, she just had shoulder surgery.

I have to say she was making good use of her time off getting old injuries fixed. Her and Jimmy were going strong but were still trying to get use to not seeing each other everyday.

Tonight, Sefa is coming into the fold to take his place in the bloodline. I couldn’t wait to see what ride they were going to take us on next.

Jimmy and Jey were given this PPV off storyline wise so I felt better about being over here in England knowing they were in Pensecola. They had been checking in on mama and Gram. Mama Uce even cooked for them a couple times a week.  Throughout this difficult time they all were a godsend and I owed them so much.

“How is your grandmother,” Paul asked as I smiled at him. “She’s doin’ ok, I mean the doctor told us six months and here we are pulling up on a year, so I am thankful,” I said really just grasping how time had really flew by.  

“Camera five, pan out Sefa’s coming your way,” I alerted seeing him come from the side. “Who is that?” Jane asked as I laughed. “I’m sorry, I meant Solo. Jane, my bad,” I laughed.

“We’re going to crown a brand new champion!” Cole screamed as the ref began to count. “What the hell! Someone just pulled the official out of the ring!" Cole’s excited voice rang in my headset.

“Camera eight it’s on you I need a side view,” I instructed as they focused on Solo as he pulled down his hood. “That is Solo Sikoa the Uso’s younger brother!” Cole announced as I smiled.

“Money shot!” I yelled as Paul laughed at me. “You enjoy this shit entirely too much,” he said as I shrugged my shoulders.

“Pan to Drew then back to Solo, I need that shot between camera twelve and hard camera,” I said watching the ending play out.

“Good call on that,” Paul praised as Joe and Solo walked up the ramp together. “Come on look back Joe,” I muttered to myself as Joe seemingly turned and posed as the fireworks went off.

“Great work! Team pace out shots of Drew and Joe along with Solo to close out in 5,4,3,2,1 and we are out!” I exclaimed, happy that it was over.

I quickly put my headset down and went to wait for them by the curtain.  I ran and hugged Solo as soon as he hit the curtain. “Congratulations!!” I yelled in excitement as he and Joe laughed at me.

“I take It your happy for me,” Solo said laughing as I handed him my phone. “Yes, now call your wife. she’s been blowing me up. She’s so excited,” I said leaning over to giving Joe a hug next.

“Damn, we are leveling up sis. Time for even something bigger,” Joe said as I smiled at him.

“Can you enjoy the moment for a change and stop trying to jump to the next thing,” I said as he shrugged his shoulders at me.

“I can’t help it, I’m excited,” he said as Solo passed me back my phone.

“Sis, it’s your mom,” he said as my heart dropped. “What’s wrong mama?” I asked as Joe’s smile dropped.

“You need to come home,I think this is it baby. We’re at the hospital,” she whimpered as I took a deep breath trying not to lose it listening to my mom cry.

"I love you, and  I’m on my way,” I said now on autopilot as I began moving around trying to gather up my things.

“What did she say?” Joe asked trying to keep up with me as I ignored him. “Shantell stop, what’s wrong?” Joe asked stopping me from moving.

 “They had to take Gram to the hospital and mom thinks this is it,” I whispered as Joe pulled me into a comforting hug as Solo went over to Paul to let him know what was going on.

----

Joe’s POV

Paul sent us home on the jet and it was the longest flight of my life. Shantell was quiet the majority of the time and seemed to be trying to process everything curled up in a seat by the window as we flew over the Atlantic.  

Eventually she fell asleep and I called Jey. I needed to know and prepare for what we were walking into.

“Aye, are ya’ll in the air yet?” Jey asked as I sighed. “Yea, we are we got about three hours left. Shantell is finally asleep, so I wanted to call and see what was going on,” I said trying to keep my voice down.

“Uce, they think this is it. She has sepsis in the colon and at this point all they can do is make her comfortable. It’s anytime now,” Jey whispered as I felt my own tears fall. “Damn it Gram,” I muttered.

“They are waiting for Shantell and her aunt to get here so the doctor can explain everything,” Jey said as I laid back in my seat.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen like this Jey,” I said as I heard the breaking in his voice. “Yea, I know. Ya’ll just get here safe, and I’ll see ya’ll when you get here,” Jey said as I reluctantly hung up.

I was dreading getting off this jet even more after my conversation with him but I knew one was for certain we were all going to be with Shantell through all of this.

----------

Pensacola Memorial Hospital

Jey’s POV

I didn’t know what to say or do as we all gathered into the family consultation room as Shantell and Joe were downstairs and on the way up.

The room quiet as Shantell’s mom and sister sat opposite each other and I could feel the tension between them.

Trin and I looked at each other feeling sad witnessing the moment between the sisters but we were here for Shantell and her mom.

Jimmy came in with Sofia and sat on the other couch. “Shantell wanted to see Gram and should be in shortly. The doctor should be in soon too,” Sofia said as I nodded.

I was so grateful to know Sofia was the RN assigned to Gram tonight. I knew she would be in good hands.

---

Shantell’s POV

“Gram, I’m here,” I whispered as she opened her eyes. She tried to talk as I shushed her to stop trying knowing it was uncomfortable with the  tubes in her mouth and nose.

Her hand reached up and caressed my face as tears began falling from her eyes. I grabbed her hand and kissed it. I knew in that moment she was hanging on for me but was ready to go.

“She’s waiting on you to tell her it’s ok to go babydoll,” Joe muttered wrapping his arms around me. gently placing a kiss on my temple as I broke down in his arms.

“I’m here wit you,” he soothed as I could only nod my pain to great to even put into words, but I knew I had to let her go.

 She looked so tired and not like herself, I couldn’t be selfish. “Gram, are you tired?” I whispered and without hesitation she nodded slowly. Quickly blinking her eyes as more unshed tears escaped them before she looked at me again.  

 “It’s ok Gram, I’m ok….Me, mama and auntie are going to be ok,” I whispered reassuring her as she nodded. Leaning over I gently kissed her forehead and then her cheek.

“I love you,” I whispered as she nodded placing her hand in mine as we sat in silence.

Joe’s text alert went off as he sighed. “The doctor is waiting Shan,” he whispered as I nodded taking a deep breath.  Reaching over I hugged my grandmother. “I’ll be back,” I said as she shook her head at me.

“Gram, please,” I started as she shook her head again as I sighed.

“She don’t want you to see her this way,” Joe whispered as Gram slowly nodded indicating he was right.

Sighing in defeat I gave her a look to let her know the conversation wasn’t over.

Walking to the consultation room I felt numb and couldn’t believe this was really happening.

 Jey’s POV

“They on the way,” I said to Shantell’s mom and aunt. “Good because somebody needs to tell me something,” Shantell’s aunt said as Trin and I shifted uncomfortably in our seats.

I understood how she was feeling but she’s been rude as hell since she’s got here.  

“Why are ya’ll even in here? This is for family only, and you’re not family,” she said looking around at us as I heard Trin sigh in frustration.

 “Lady, don’t make me read you yo’ damn rights up in here,” Sofia started as I reached over and patted her knee. Calm down sis, I whispered as she took a breath shakin’ her head in disbeilf.

 “Ain’t even been here for yo’ mama, and now wanna come in here and take over,” Sofia muttered as Trin cleared her throat trying to mask what Sofia said. Thank god it seemed only Trin, Jimmy and me heard it.

“They here because while you’ve been in Ohio livin’ your life, they’ve been helping Shantell and I take care of mama. Mama loves them all and considers them family and so do I. So, you can either deal with it or get out,” Shantell’s mother said as her sister dropped her head in shame.

“I’m sorry ya’ll this is just a lot, and I meant no harm,” she said as I nodded at her in understanding.

Seeing Shantell and Joe walk in I felt even more helpless. She looked so broken hugging her mom, aunt, and Sofia.

"Thanks for being here ya’ll," she whispered as Jimmy, Trin and I stood up to give her a hug.

“We love you,” Trin whispered as Shantell nodded and sat beside me with Joe on the other side as I grabbed her hand.

I felt her tense as the doctor began talking. I rubbed her hand trying to calm her down as Sofia got up went to stand behind Shantell putting her hands on her shoulders.

“I wish I had better news to report but we found sepsis, and her organs functions are slowing down. Even with treatment if her heart stops, we can’t perform life saving measures,”he said as Shantell’s mom broke down.

“Why is that?  I mean you all have the equipment you need to do what’s necessary,” Shantell’s aunt started as the doctor interrupted her.

“Your mother signed a DNR when we brought her in, and she did another one a couple weeks ago at her last doctor’s appointment. It’s in her records, did she not tell you,” the doctor asked as I saw Shantell shake her head in disbelief. 

“Aww, Gram,”Shantell muttered as her mother was trying to process the inormation the doctor was saying.

“What is a DNR?” her aunt asked as Shantell wiped her tears.  “It means do not resistitate auntie,” she whispered as her aunt scoffed at the notion.

“No! She wouldn’t do that!” she cried as Shantell took over asking the questions. “How long does she have?” Shantell asked as her aunt interrupted.

 “Shantell be quiet It ain’t going to even come to that. Mama is going to bounce back,” she said in denial.

“She is dying! What part of that don’t you understand!” Shantell cried as Sofia rubbed her shoulders.

“It’s ok Shan, just breathe,” Sofia coached as I tightened my grip on her hand as her knee began to bounce nervously as Joe caressed her knee.

“How long does she have doctor?” Tanya asked as the doctor cleared his throat.

“We will be lucky if she makes it through the night,” he responded as Shantell stormed out of the room without another word.

“I got her Uce,” I said stopping Joe from getting up as I went in search of Shantell.

I saw her getting on the elevator, as I rushed to get in before it’s doors closed. Her body leaned against the back wall, her body trembling as she cried..

 Reaching over I hit the emergency button as we stopped.

I knew she needed a minute before we stepped off the elevator to the prying eyes of strangers.

Her tear-filled eyes piercing my soul as her tears flowed like a river down her beautiful face. “Josh” she whimpered enclosing her hands over her face as I closed the distance between us taking her in my arms.

"Let it out baby," I whispered consoling her as her silent cries began to grow louder as she fought against releasing her pain.

A soul crushing scream fell from her lips as I refused to let her go.

“AAAAAH! GRAM!!!” she cried fighting against me as I held her tighter.

“I ain’t letting you go, Shan…. Do you hear me? I got you, I always got you. Just lean on me baby,” I whispered as the woman I loved continued to fall apart in my arms.

“I can’t do this,” Shantell cried as I held her tight.

“You ain’t gotta do it alone, we all here and we gon’ get through this together,” I soothed as she nodded, her hands now gripping my shirt tightly as I rubbed her back.  

Trying to wrangle in her emotions, she pulled away, wiped her tears and began taking deep breaths as she paced the elevator.

It was like she was preparing herself for what she knew she needed to do.

 I watched in awe at the sudden calmness washing over her beautiful face as she cleared her throat and stopped pacing.

Several minutes passed and I knew we needed to turn the elevator back on before they sent out the calvary.

“You ready beautiful?” I asked as she nodded as I restarted the elevator. “Go back up,” she whispered as I hit the seventh floor.

---

 Shantell’s POV

The calmness and peace that washed over the room is something I will never forget. My grandmother’s body stilled as she took her final breath as my mother sliently weeped at the loss of her mom along with her sister.

“Are we calling it?” Sofia asked as the doctor as he finished checking her vitals and looked at the clock.

“Call it…. Time of death 12:35 am September 5,2022 he said as I gently leaned over and kissed my grandmother goodbye before walking out of the room.

“Sis, you ok?” Jimmy asked as I smiled sadly at him and Trin. “She’s gone,” I whispered taking a seat beside Joe and Jey as we all sat in silence and grief.

Damn it Gram, you really got us with this one……

My name is Shantell Johnson and my grandmother Renae “Gram” Johnson died on September 5, 2022, and she took a piece of my heart right along with her.

Taglist: @reci24 @southerngirl41 @vebner37 @jeyusos-girl

@melaninsugababy @romanreignkisser @bebesobrielo

@arination99 @2-muchsauce @bakugoumarianawrites

@empressdede @alyyaanna @christinabae @anonandwannakeepitthatway @venusesworld @jeyusosgirl  @theninthwonder @mya2real @ trc-punzel

[racefortheironthrone]

In A Guildsman Goes Forth to War, what can you tell us about fae society? I'm assuming they're monarchies, feudal or absolute? Do they bear any resemblance to Celtic society? Do they practice slavery? What of their gender dynamics? Etc

Great question!

So there's a lot that I'm not going to share with you, because the fae/Fair Folk/etc. are supposed to be a mysterious people who live in their own realm that connects to the human world via thin places in the forests and underhill and deep in the mountains or underground rivers, and humanity doesn't particularly understand them very well despite centuries of intermarriage, as the fae are both very cryptic and contradictory in the information they've shared with their Gentry kin.

Government

As far as humans have been able to glean, the Fae do organize themselves into Courts that seem close enough to European feudal systems that the leading families of Europe can do business with them when it comes to dynastic marriage alliances and diplomatic relations.

That being said, status and power in Faerie society don't seem to be based in land as they are among humans. (In the interests of full disclosure, I'm borrowing some ideas here from the Feywild in D&D.) As far as people have been able to glean from correspondence and diplomatic and cultural interactions, titles are based on elements of nature (the Duke of Hoarfrost, the Viscount of Watermeadows) or from emotions (the Lady of Wistful Rememberance, the Prince of Sorrow), or from ideas and beliefs (the Duchess of the Dark Side of the Moon claims to have once been a handmaiden to the goddess Selene).

Quite a few scholars of geography and history from the leading universities have theories and taxonomies about how Faerie society is organized, but they're all second-hand and can offer only partial explanations and there's absolutely no consensus about what's going on. It does not help that the rare diplomatic missions or marriage parties that go to Faerie from the human world rather than in the other direction tend to report memory issues, such that much of what is recorded owes more to dream logic than accurate observation. Needless to say, this has been a rich vein of material for poets, playwrights, and painters only, and intensely frustrating for academics and statesmen.

Culture

Faerie culture is highly localized in accordance with regional folklore and mythology, although scholars disagree whether human folklore is a record of pre-historical encounters with Faerie, or whether the Fae pattern themselves after the human cultures they interact with.

So for example, the Fae of Éire, Alba, Anglia, and northern Gallia seem to correspond to Gaelic and Brythonic literature, Arthuriana, and the Matters of Britain and France. In the Sacrum Imperium and the Danelaw, however, the dominant Fae cultures are distinctively Germanic and Scandinavian - whether that's the Rheintöchter of the Rhineland and Palatinate, or the dvergr who predominate in Bavaria and the Hapsburg lands or the trollkind and various álfar in the land of the Northmen. In much of southern Europe around the Mediterranean, one is much more likely to encounter Faerie peoples recognizable to students of Greek and Roman mythology: many Gentry from the Lega or the western half of the Rhōmaîoi-Rashidun Federation claim descent from oreads, naiads, nereids, satyrs and other bloodlines.

Human scholars are particularly confused by the fact that all of these different peoples all call one another "cousin," no matter whether they belong to the more humanoid elfkind or the distinctly non-human trollfolk or even the potentially fictional or extinct dragons.

Class and Slavery

As already suggested, Faerie society seems to have some sort of a hierarchy, but it does not seem to be one based in the inheritance of land passed down from generation to generation. Rather, as far as humans can tell, status seems to be associated with proximity to or control of or possession of or identification with magical power from various sources.

What does seem to be the case is that those with more power can command those with less, and Faerie embassies ubiquitously feature both vips with titles and what appear to their servants, but there is no consistency on which kinds of fae serve and which rule. Human visitors and diplomats are very unsure whether this consistutes a caste system or clientilism, because the Fae themselves speak in rather vague terms about "obligations" and "debts" and "true names."

Gender

Again, humans have a rather hard time understanding Faerie gender norms - and are rather unsure whether various Fae kinds have genders and how many they have. What is known is that, among what passes for royalty and nobility in Faerieland, there is a tendency for the female to be announced first - correspondence often arrives in the form of "Queen Titania and King Oberon" or "The Baroness and Baron"- which suggests a slight tendency to the matriarchal, but that is mere supposition. Human cultural conservatives both within and without the Church do grumble about the "immodest" and "amazonian" habits of Faerie women when they comport themselves in their visits to human society or in their Gentry marriages, but they make sure to do so under their breath.

[mariacallous]

As 400 million Europeans get set to elect 720 EU parliamentarians in June, polls are predicting big gains for right-wing populists. As a result, for the first time since the European Parliament was directly elected in 1979, it is expected to have a solid majority on the right. This will mark a “sharp right turn” for Europe, the European Council of Foreign Affairs (ECFR) recently noted. The consequences for European politics and policy are already coming into view.

The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the left-leaning Socialists and Democrats party (S&D) are again expected to finish in first and second place, although both may lose a handful of seats. The EU’s far-right groups, Identity and Democracy (ID) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), will improve their tally mainly at the expense of liberals and Greens. According to ECFR, populists are likely to be the top vote-getter in nine countries, including Austria, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Poland, and Italy. In nine others, including Spain and Germany, they could emerge as strong second or third-place contenders.

ID—which includes the main anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic parties in Germany (Alternative for Deutschland or AfD), France (National Rally), and Italy (the League or Lega)—is likely to become the EU parliament’s third-largest group after elections are held between June 6 and 9. The ECR is led by Georgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister and leader of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party, and is home to Sweden’s Sweden Democrats and Poland’s Law and Justice party (PiS). If authoritarian Hungarian leader Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, a member of the EPP until a few years ago, joins the ECR as expected, the far-right could claim a quarter of the total seats.

Political machinations already seem to be underway among some establishment parties to create cooperation with this newly powerful bloc. Experts say if the EPP, the strongest conservative party in the EU, welcomes far-right politicians in its fold or co-opts their policies, as it has lately been accused of, the balance of power in Europe will decisively shift to the right and have major implications for not just the EU’s common agenda but may also influence how member states decide critical policies.

“I think in our campaign we will ask the EPP to be pragmatic, to pick the alternative to a center-left majority,” Marco Campomenosi, a Lega politician and the head of the Italian delegation in ID, told Foreign Policy.

Experts say any such shift will have major implications for the EU as a whole, tainting its recent promises to pursue a humane migration policy and to establish rule of law at home that encourages democratic checks and balances. An empowered far-right may also keep coordination on a common defense policy to the bare minimum in the face of a looming threat from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The EU’s flagship Green Deal climate framework, which has set a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, is also at stake, as the populists try to push the EU to erode its commitment to renewable energy development and other climate policies.

Charlie Weimers, a member of the far-right Sweden Democrats that supports Sweden’s minority center-right government, said, his party’s priority is to push for a “Migration Pact 2.0,” with more stringent measures to stop the influx of immigrants than already listed in the new migration pact. “We need to stop asylum,” he told FP over the phone. “We need breathing space to deal with the immigrants already here otherwise we can never catch up.”

Lega’s Campomenosi said, “it’s not about the money” but about the “trouble” immigrants make. (Under the new migration pact an EU member state which refuses to accept an asylum seeker should pay a sum of 20,000 euros to an EU fund.) “If there are too many immigrants they can’t be integrated,” he added.

Three far-right parliamentarians told FP that with bigger numbers in Parliament they will be able to apply more pressure on the EU commissioner to throw out or dilute the green deal.

It “needs to go away,” Joachim Kuhs, the acting head of the AfD delegation in EU which is polling as the second strongest party in Germany, told FP in his office in the parliament. “It should be repealed and replaced,” Weimers added.

The liberal groups say the center-right has strengthened the far-right by co-opting its policies and forming alliances in individual member states.

Pedro Marques, a vice president of the S&D group, said the EPP parties have been “eroding the Cordon Sanitaire,” erected to keep the far-right out of governments and important positions. “The EPP is dancing with the far right,” he added, with grave consequences for the future of the union.

The cordon sanitaire is crumbling in many European nations. In Italy, the far-right is in power, in Sweden the center-right government is backed by the far-right. In Austria, center-right and far-right have been in a coalition, and the latter is polling ahead of all others in the run up to national elections. In France, Marine Le Pen is leading the polls, and in Germany, the conservatives have hinted at future cooperation at a regional level with the far-right AfD.

The legitimization of the far-right isn’t limited to member states. Ursula Von Der Leyen, a member of the EPP and EU commissioner, has alluded to Meloni’s inclusion in her grouping. She said it wasn’t clear which parties will remain in the ECR after the elections and which will leave, and “join EPP.”

Hans Kundnani, writer of a book called Eurowhiteness, said the boundaries between the ID, ECR and the EPP have always been “very fluid.”

“As soon as Meloni indicated she won’t be disruptive in the Eurozone, that she won’t be pro-Russian, centrist pro-European EPP said that’s great, we don’t mind,” Kundnani said. “The center right has no problem with far-right at all, they just have a problem with those who are Eurosceptic.”

Experts say Von Der Leyen has often backed off on key policies to appease the far-right. Just over the last few months as the farmers protested against the provisions of the green deal, the far-right found another issue to mobilize against mainstream parties. During election season, Von Der Leyen quickly conceded and granted several concessions to the agriculture sector that will affect the 2050 net zero target.

The best example of how the EU commissioner validated the far-right’s worldview, Kundnani argued, was when she created a post for an EU commissioner to promote a European way of life.

“The big theme of the European far-right is that the immigrants threaten European civilization,” he said. When Von Der Leyen created the position, she framed “immigration as a threat to the European way of life,” and in doing so legitimized the far-right.

It is unclear if co-opting the far-right’s talking points benefits the center right in keeping their traditional voters from moving towards populists, but there is an emerging consensus that it strengthens the radical right in the longer run. For its part, the far-right has moderated its own positions on many issues to appeal to the voters more to the center. The far-right parties say they are no longer calling for an exit from the EU, but merely to reform it from within. They say they back Ukraine and not Putin.

Many parties on the far-right advocate return of border controls in violation of the EU’s founding principle of free movement of people and goods. Last year, the AfD described the EU as a “failed project,’’ while Sweden Democrats said they had “good reasons to seriously reevaluate our membership in the union.” There is still a lingering suspicion that the rank-and-file members of the far-right parties harbor sympathy for Putin. Last month, Lega’s leader Matteo Salvini deflected when asked if he blamed Putin for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s sudden death.

The parliamentarians of the ID and ECR with whom FP spoke expressly rejected Von Der Leyen’s proposal to appoint a dedicated defense commissioner to improve coordination among member states on matters of defense.

“We say that we want to manage immigration in a humane way, we can do better to manage the borders,” added Marques of the S&D. In response to the far-right’s demand to externalize the screening of asylum seekers, he said it was difficult to find credible partners. “We did this agreement with the Tunisian authorities, but when we tried to go there to check the conditions, to see how European money will be spent, they said we don’t want your agreement anymore. These have to be credible partnerships.”

The center-left S&D party simply dismisses the moderated stances of far-right parties as a charade. They believe the far-right simply wants the benefits of being in the union, not the costs that sometimes come with upholding its values. “They want an EU without the rule of law, without humanity,” Marques said. “That’s not what we built after the Second World War. They want to change the EU into something that it isn’t. Their values are not European.”

[zvaigzdelasas]

Former Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama says the country's intervention at the International Court of Justice on the Israel-Gaza issue betrays Fiji's legacy as peacekeepers.[...]

Bainimarama said Fiji's stance "insults the intelligence of every Fijian".

The former prime minister and military commander said that position undoes Fiji's long-standing commitment to neutrality, peacekeeping, and the principles of self-determination and decolonization.

"The coalition government's claim that the occupation of foreign territory by Israel is legal - an argument not even advanced by Israel itself - reveals a disturbing truth that Fiji's voice to the world is hostage to a demented few who are hellbent on destroying our national reputation," he said in a statement on Wednesday"

"This action contradicts our firm stance on the rights to independence and statehood, rights we have championed for our Pacific brothers and for all colonial peoples.

He said Fiji has stood with Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and others in their pursuit of independence.

"We must ask ourselves: with what credibility will we support the independence of territories like New Caledonia and French Polynesia? We must not be selective in our support for statehood and independence.

"Our actions today will define our legacy and our ability to lead in the Pacific and beyond.

"The world should know that the vast majority of Fijians stand on the side of peace. That is our national character and that is the spirit in which we offer our service on the frontlines of conflict zones around the world."

Fiji's human rights coalition has condemned the Fiji government's decision at the ICJ.

The group said the country's "position is profoundly troubling and starkly contrasts the values of justice, freedom, and international law that the Fijian people hold dear".

21 Feb 24

[transgenderer]

The Cult of Twins

Twins (marassa), living and dead, are endowed with supernatural power which makes them exceptional being. In the voodoo pantheon they hold a privileged position besides the grand mysteres. Some people would even claim that they are more powerful than the loa. They are invoked and saluted at the beginning of a ceremony immediately after Lega; in some regions, notably Leoagne, they even come before him.

Any family which includes twins, either among its living members, or in one of its ancestral lines must, under pain of 'chastisement', serve them with offerings and sacrifice. Sometimes a family reeling under a series of misfortunes learns form a hungan (voodoo practitioner) that it has been neglecting twins far back in its ancestry 'at the time of Guinea'. A child counts as a twin when it is born with webbed feet, for this is a sign that it has 'eaten' its brother in the womb...

The child who follows twins immediately in order of birth (the dosu if itis a boy, dosa if it is a girl) unites in its person the power of both twins and there can dispose of greater powers than they. 'The dosu is stronger than the marassa and stronger than the loa.' Hence he is treated with the greatest respect and in the event of offerings being made, he as the precedence over the twins, On the other hand, the child born before twins = the chuket or dosu avant - has no great standing, though it is said of him that he 'dragged the twins after him'

The presence of twins in a family involves its members in constant attentions and thousand precautions. It takes very little to make a twin turn against his parents and, as is his wont, 'grip' them in the stomach - that is to say inflict serious trouble upon their intestines. It is true that twins are to prepared to be punished for some fault which they have really committed, but they take cruel revenge if they think they have been unjustly treated...

A worker employed at Marbial told us that he and his twin sister almost killed their mother for refusing them a dish of crabs and gomboes which their father, out of concern for their health, had advised her not to give them. The boy placed a stick in the moist earth beside a tree and each day he went and pushed it in a little farther. His mother fell dangerously ill and would have died if the twins, as the result of family entreaties, had not acknowledges the wrong they were doing. They were offered a feast and a pig was killed...

It is normal for twins to hate each other: 'Marassa yo raisab' (twins dont get on) is a proverbial saying. At marbial I knew a boy Andreno and a little girl Andreni, who were twins in a large and poor family. Each of them grew with difficulty for want of adequate food; but the little girl was bigger and stronger than he Brohter. The parents said she was 'eating' her brother and explained that the two children had dedicated themselves to mutual hatred before they even saw the light of day. The moment she war born Andreni had tries to strangle Andreno by looping the umbilical cord around his neck - to such good effect that as he came into the world Andreno found himself 'hanged like a young goat'. Usually when twins are of different sex it is the boy who prospers, at the expense of the girl.

Twins can hardly be too carefully supervised if they are to be precented from harming each other. As soon as one of them shows signs of failing, the other is implored to give up his criminal intention. At meals, when they are not looking, parents seize the opportunity of switching round their plates so that each ears the food of the other - which has the effect of restoring a good relationship.. They also get given a dose which has the power of changing the hated they feel for each other into affection. Such is the power of twins that no one will make take any steps against one twin who causes the death of the other; indeed, people will even take care not to show him the slightest resentment.

Twins must be treated exactly alike if jealousy is to be avoided. Their clothes must be identical, their share of food equal and any praise exactly divided between them. As to twin sisters, they must be married as far as possible at the same time. if a woman with a twin brother marries, she and her husband will load him with presents to obliterate any possible resentment he may secretly feel. Even death does not break the ties which links twins together. The survivor puts to one side, for the deceased, a symbolic portion of whatever he eats or receives by way of presents. Herakovitz traced these practices to that belief, so widespread in West Africa, which attributes but one shared soul to twins.

The power of marassa is not entirely negative. Certainly their ill-will i all the more to be dreaded for being sometimes involuntary. But provided they are happy and satisfied, they turn the strength which is in them to good account. Their intervention is often sought on behalf of the sick; in serious cases recourse may be had to ancestral marassa who, either by dreams or by medium, will prescribe appropriate remedies

-Voodoo, Metraux

Thoughts:

ive never heard of anything like this! i might read a book i found about twins. very interesting and strnage. this sort of "born shaman" feature is odd. the whole thing is odd, and interesting. also the parent/child power inversion is something i havent seen before

i know the igbo are veyr anti twin, so its interesting that partially-igbo-descended haitian culture is so pro-twin

[thoughtspresso]

Predictions for Oshi No Ko Ending

1. Anemone will be the one to find Katayose Yura's dead body.

In Japanese flower symbolism, Anemones or Windflowers represent death, bad luck, and forsaken love. And it just so happens we have a character named exactly that, who happens to be the only other character apart from Katayose Yura who loves being in the mountains.

Anemone will likely be climbing the same mountains on Yura's wishlist, and just like before, The Crow might lead Anemone to the dead body.

It's like Akasaka-sensei decided Spider Lilies are already too obvious a deathflag so he chose a different flower.

I'm taking the bet that Akane might be the person who figures out the connection between Yura and Kamiki, or Miki-san might simply show up on the news as a statement about his "dear friend Yura" who "disappeared".

Akane might also give the head's up to Aqua that she thinks Kamiki murdered Yura, and that would be a reason for the two to spend more time with each other again. (Might shove a wedge between Kana and Aqua again, if Aqua isn't already doing that himself lmao.) Either way, it'd be a convenient way for Akane to attempt to both "save" Aqua and also help him accomplish his goals without killing himself.

2. The person who texted Frill Shiranui is Miki-san.

Sylvanes made a fairly solid guess that Frill Shiranui works for Kamiki Productions. Whether or not he was necessarily correct on this, I'm making the bet that Yura's "best drinking buddy" Miki-san is connected to Frill professionally, and goaded Frill into pushing Ruby into the spotlight.

Some speculators say this might have been Aqua's ploy, but I I think this was incorrect. Aqua agreed with Kaburagi that money comes first and Frill was a more reasonable choice commercially. He even said that Gotanda should "grow up" and not choose Ruby just because of his artistic integrity.

Apart from the friendly, casual tone of the text message that really sounds like the "Miki-san" persona and the image of decanted whiskey as his profile picture, I think Kamiki is actually praying for Ruby's success as a star.

In fact, I think people misunderstood why he killed Katayose Yura. He didn't kill Yura because his serial killer MO was simply because he liked killing up and coming megastars who shone brightly. He killed Yura because:

(a) He hates Stars who lie, who sell a persona to their fans that is vastly different from who they are as people, which is why he hated Himekawa Airi and Hoshino Ai.

(b) He killed Yura because he knew that the project being offered to her was the lead role in The 15-Year Lie. And simply, he wanted Ruby to play Ai's role.

In a twisted way, I think Kamiki believes he is protecting his children, and the public in general, from being lied to any further by celebrities like Yura who deceive the public with their feigned innocence.

Honestly? I think the reason he killed their mothers was to protect them from growing up with mothers who lie and abuse their kids.

3. Kana might play Hoshino Ai in The 15-Year Lie.

Okay, okay, okay, okay. I know. I know. Unhinged fan theory. I get it.

Even AquaKana stans think this is majorly unlikely to happen. I agree in that, I think it's insane. But I keep coming back to what Aqua meant when he said that, "Kana is so easy to manipulate", and "It's more convenient for me to build a good relationship with Arima right now."

People tend to say, he's making silly convoluted excuses again, he just wants to spend more time with her. But I think a man who is resolute in his goal to off himself by proxy of martyrdom doesn't care to date the person he was protecting from a love scandal anyway.

There are a few key reasons why I think Aqua's "using" of Kana will result in her playing Ai's role.

First of all, I think Aqua's plan is to play Kamiki, to portray him in the worst possible way, and expose him as the murderer through the film. Through this, Aqua will bait his father into murdering him too, and thus Aqua's death can be used as legal grounds for charging Hikaru Kamiki with Homicide.

As established above, I think Aqua doesn't agree that Ruby is the best choice for Ai's role. There are a lot of parallelisms baked in between Kana and Ai. Apart from the shot-by-shot remake of Sign is B, Kana is also the best person to get stabbed and deliver the lines, "Some day I hoped the lies would become true. / I did my best. I worked hard. I lied with all my heart. / To me, lies are love. In my own way, I thought I was showing my love."

Besides, you saw anyone else say these same things?

Uhuh, you guessed it:

So is Kana gonna get stabbed? Hopefully in a movie, yeah.

I think it could happen as a result of Kaburagi's dissatisfaction with Ruby's performance.

Kaburagi's "finalized" casting isn't final-final yet, really. We can see that he swapped Aqua to play Kamiki instead of Himekawa who will now play Ryosuke the university student/stalker here:

Which makes sense! Aqua looks like his father, is closer to his age during the time of the events, and Taiki's age and height also better matches Ryosuke.

And even though the paper says finalized on Ruby's casting, Kaburagi's still not completely sold:

I think the swap will come as a result of Ruby being severely overworked and unable to keep up with the demands of her role, and the Dome performance that she might want to prioritize. She may even outright collapse from exhaustion, as foreshadowed by Kana:

Apart from Akasaka-sensei absolutely trolling us to death by Ai x Kamiki on-screen romance being portrayed by twins, then just outright pulling the plug on that for fun, I think it'd just make sense for Kaburagi to say it's better if we pair Aqua with Kana for this role.

Ruby doesn't even have to collapse or anything. She's so loved up with the idea of Gorou-sensei right now, Aqua could literally just tell her "this is what's best for the plan, you trust me, don't you?" And she would absolutely just go with it.

I said before that I think up until Mem-cho pointed it out, Aqua was wholly unaware that Kana had a crush on him and joined B-Komachi just because of him. I think now that he has the awareness, he'll ask Kana to do it, first to help Ruby, but also because he can only trust Kana to play this role because she is "Special" to him.

A repeat of:

It really is the only way that this scene therefore makes sense to me:

Bonus: if the Shima D masterpiece film doesn't draw Kamiki's attention to her, Kana playing the role of Ai definitely will. And if she delivers the role with so much honesty, it might change the trajectory of the story altogether.

4. Aqua's plan will backfire.

I explained a little above and in a previous post that Aqua misunderstands Kamiki's motives.

While we all like to shit on Aqua for being the World's Nicest Master Manipulator, we have to give him credit for the fact that when it's used for saving other people, he's been really effective at spinning a public narrative in his favor. Like in the cases of Akane's suicide attempt and Kana's Love Scandal.

If the goal is to get Kamiki to stab him in plain view of the public, villify his father, and make it easy to convict him for homicide once and for all, I think he will fail.

Kamiki will not kill him or go after him. In fact, I think Kamiki will shed his Miki-san persona and reveal the truth: he was Himekawa Airi's rape victim, and Hoshino Ai was a manipulative person who seduced him with the prospect of true love, then abandoned him when she got what she wanted, which was a family.

In the absence of any evidence that he had anything to do with their deaths, Kamiki might even use this momentum of propaganda to make the public believe that he's happy to finally be reunited with his children that these terrible mothers took away from him.

Heck, Taiki might hate Uehara so much that he'd be relieved to learn about Kamiki? And if he really is connected to Frill, and if Kindaichi still cares about him, there might be real people who would back him up.

Then, it won't be until Akane works with Aqua and everyone to bring the murder of Katayose Yura to light that Kamiki would actually be brought to justice.

[majaloveschris]

I don't believe there was a MA wedding on the 9th, but imo too much is being made about the weather. It rained off and on (sometimes heavily) throughout that weekend here in the Concord area, but it was not a hurricane. If they had an at-home event as originally reported by Page Six, then they likely had an event tent set up in the yard; some tents can withstand severe inclement weather. Granted, they would have been taking a chance because it would have been a problem had there been high winds or lightening, but many people plan outdoor events and have to deal with the same possible weather challenges. I would not plan an event such as a wedding this way, but it is not impossible.

A few other things:

-IF they married in a town on Cape Cod, then they didn't do it on the Sept 9th. CE was spotted in Concord that morning and in Sudbury that afternoon. Given it would take a few hours to get to the Cape (particularly with heavy traffic of beach-goers on what was a hot weekend), it is impossible for him to have married on the Cape that day regardless of whether the party was there or back in Boston. Plus you have the celebrities who allegedly were back at the Boston hotel by midnight and out of town guests staying at CE's Concord house who were still at the house on the afternoon of the 9th and on the 10th.

-There was a sighting posted on a Sept 9th from someone claiming to have seen a tent set up after riding by his house. While part of the Concord house can be seen from the main road, the yard cannot. The Carlisle house is in a totally secluded area. If someone actually saw a tent at either location, it would have had to have been seen by someone affiliated with the wedding itself. Also, the Concord house is close enough to other homes that neighbors likely would have seen/heard things.

-It would be a challenge for anyone looking for a MA marriage certificate to find it. Per MA law, an officiant has 60 days from requesting a license to return the signed document to the registrar. In addition, MA law allows one to apply for a license in any MA city/town and then get married anywhere in the state. IF there was a lega marriage, they did not necessarily apply for the license in Concord or Carlisle even if that is where they ended up getting married. In order to obtain a copy of a MA marriage certificate, one needs to know in which city/town the paperwork was filed. Again, I don't think they legally married in MA, but it would be easy for them to try to hide the paperwork.

Yeah, it's not impossible, and maybe it wouldn't even be that weird if there weren't other things that didn't really make sense about this whole thing.

This whole Cape Cod thing didn't really make any sense to me. You know that I don't believe people without any actual proof, so like a picture where you can visibly see his face or where you can clearly recognize it's him. But even if I don't consider people seeing him in C and S, it still doesn't make any sense. Page Six was the one reporting the whole thing and didn't even mention Cape Cod. Now we can obviously question whether P6 just ran with the rumors or got the information somewhere. They are running with the marriage thing, so I'd say they got the information, probably from their or her team. I'd say they made the story up on the go; it didn't seem like they had one in mind, and since then there wouldn't have been several articles about adding and correcting details. I still find it really unbelievable that they went to have a ceremony in Cape Cod but then went back to C to party. Why? Why couldn't they just have a ceremony at home? It would definitely reduce the possibility of people seeing them there since they want to keep this whole relationship so private. Or why couldn't they have the party on Cape Cod? Why would they and all of their guests drive from CC to MA for like 2 hours just to have a party when they could've had both things at the same place? And do you want me to believe that nobody saw them in CC? Not a single person? So nobody saw Chris, any other Avengers, or any other celebrities there? Not a single person. Nobody saw them. This sounds pretty unbelievable to me.

I could say the same thing about the MA party. Nobody saw or witnessed anything. And as you said, they can't see his backyard from the streets, so yeah. However, there is a road going from the main road that goes to his and the other houses there. I think you can drive there if you want, and from that road, you can see his backyard, but I still doubt every single person in Concord who witnessed, saw, or heard anything is so nice that they wouldn't have sent something to DM, tweeted something, or taken a picture. This was the only person who said something, so it's weird to me and a bit suspicious.

And don't even talk about the license.

[wishyouloveme]

I'll always get you back.

pairing: Spencer Reid x fem! reader

warnings: Use of kidnapping, profiling, violence, ...uhhh my dumbass brain? I thinks that's it

A/N: I'M SO SORRY. MY MOTIVATION FOR WRITING HAS GONE KURSPLAT ON THE GROUND. I promise I'm getting there, I promise. I kind of changed how the story went, so instead of being suspected, all they know is that it could be the reader!

requested? By Anonymous, "Hi, I saw that you write for Criminal Minds? I was wondering if I could request somethin for a Spencer Reid × Reader ? Preferably where Reader is the suspected Unsub of a case the BAU is working on. Reid is the one that goes undercover with the team as backup in a social setting to try and catch Reader in the act of getting ready to commit or kidnap.

Maybe Reader is able to profile to a certain degree and instantly realizes something is off with Reid, though they aren't sure what. You can kinda take it from there if you'd like ??

Or if you need / want more ideas for a case or anything like that, I can send another ask or try to DM you about some that I might have"

story under the cut

"are you serious?"

Aaron Hotchner was obviously pissed off. The unsub had gotten away again, another body, another person dead, because his team couldn't realize that they knew who it was.

"okay, new plan! Reid, your going undercover. we know where she will be, so go to the lucky pot cassino, and get her in the act."

Aaron says, tossing Spencer a wire, and then getting into the van.

Spencer never usually dresses in a tux and a tie, but this casino won't let you in without some sort of formal wear, and he had to look respectful and respectable in order to catch this unsubs eye.

You on the other hand, were in a long black dress, and gold heels, doing one of your favorite things. People watching. You watched as a woman stumbled over her feet, obviously having had too much to drink. You watch as the man who had won it all, had re-bet, and quite quickly, lost it all. You also watched when this new guy came in. dressed in a black suit and tie, looking like he didn't belong there.

Almost automatically you could tell something was weird about him, just by the sheer uncomfortableness he seemed to have walking around the casino, and how overly nervous he seemed as well. You made a mental note of it and went on with your night.

Spencer on the other hand, had already seen you, but was still figuring out who the unsub was. All he had seen was a pretty woman in a black dress, watching him. That could mean a multitude of things.

He watched you as you walked over to the pool table, running your hand teasingly across some guy's bicep, he made a mental note of how this guy seemed to have just lost a big bet.

You leaned up close to the man, your hold tight on his bicep as you purred a few words out, running your hand back down, before walking away, the Guy following you like a lost puppy.

Spencer realized this, and was trying to decide between following you, or sitting around to try and find the unsub. He followed you, knowing very well you could have been the unsub, and he couldn't just walk away, knowing someone might get killed because he made the wrong choice.

You walk outside with the guy

"You know, I haven't had something like this happen since-"

You shut him up by smacking him over the head with the end of a gun, and he fell to the floor in a clump, and you tsked, seeing Reid in the shadows

"it always sucks when you got to make them pass out. they always talk to much" You hum.

Putting your gun back in its holster, you go to grab the guy, only to see around ten cops swarming you with guns, and you automatically let out a grunt of annoyance, lifting you hands up and sighing.

"why?" Spencer asks you, to which you just smirked.

"those who pretend to be holier then god, will soon get to meet the maker"

YAY! i hope you liked it Anon! you can send in another request if you want, or if you just wanna talk to me without reveling yourself!

I have to say legally, i did not make the Gif!

all reposts and comments are welcome!